South Africa: Labour laws in SA cover all workers irrespective of race, origin

The Department of Employment and Labour Deputy Minister, Boitumelo Moloi, says the main objective of the National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP) will be to ensure that labour migration to and from South Africa is undertaken in the interests of both migrant workers and the South African economy and society.

Moloi was delivering a keynote address at Birchwood Hotel, during South Africas Dialogue on Labour and Mixed Migration Governance  involving work actors (Ministries of Labour, workers and employers organisations).

The departments NLMP aims to provide a national regulatory framework in line with the international labour standards and regional labour migration frameworks.

The Labour laws in South Africa cover all workers irrespective of race, gender, religious belief or origin. However, what is disturbing, is tendencies by some employers who take advantage of vulnerable workers, given the current high unemployment levels, to exploit them and subject them to unacceptable conditions or undermine the current labour laws and standards, Moloi said.

Moloi added that these kind of practices have led to sporadic incidents of conflicts and unnecessary frictions between locals and foreign nationals.

The Deputy Minister said wherever you go in the SADC region, you will find South African natives moving freely and even other neighbouring foreign nationals enjoying the same freedom as well in South Africa.

I am raising these because there are people who continue to propagate beliefs that South Africans are Xenophobic. We continue to support initiatives at SADC and the African Union levels aimed at ensuring cooperation in easing the movement of people as a key element of economic and political integration, the Deputy Minister said.

With the support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Department of Employment and Labour has adopted an inclusive and participatory policy development strategy.

The development strategy started in 2015 with a high-level seminar on labour migration management and policy development, the establishment of a road map in 2016 and a task team whose responsibility is to supervise the development of the Labour Migration policy.

South Africas first National Labour Migration Policy mission is to provide a national regulatory framework aligned to international labour standards and regional labour migration frameworks whose main objective will be to ensure that labour migration to and from South Africa is undertaken in the interests of both migrant workers and the South African economy and society, Moloi said.

ILO Director in the Decent Work Team for Eastern and Southern Africa office in Pretoria, Dr Joni Musabayana, said the Tripartite Dialogue on Labour Migration Governances objectives in South Africa are:

To take stock and learn about ongoing finalisation and implementation of South Africas labour migration policy;

Identify together 2022-2023 challenges and opportunities in implementing the policy as well as further priorities that the SAMM (Southern Africa Migration Management) project could support to fast track its implementation; and lastly,

Identify national focal points responsible for each of the thematic areas covered by the SAMM project in order to facilitate follow-up.

The country-level dialogues on Labour and Mixed Migration Governance are organised within the framework of the Southern Africa Migration Management (SAMM) project that is financed by the European Union and led by the International Labour Organization.

The four-year project (2020-2023) is designed to improve migration management in the Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region.

Due to the sensitive nature of migration management subject, President Cyril Ramaphosa established an Inter-Ministerial Task Team on Migration and Employment in 2020, led by 12 Ministers and senior Public Servants from various departments led by the Ministers of Employment and Labour and Home Affairs.

The tripartite dialogue - which started on Tuesday will continue until today in Gauteng.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-10-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The Biden Administration and Federal Law Enforcement Declare War on Pro-life Activists, Life Affirming Centers and Churches

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Christian Defense Coalition

Oct. 6, 2022



PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 6, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- Pro-life activist, Mark Houck, recently had his home raided by armed federal agents and was unjustly arrested.



Since May 2, life-affirming centers and churches all across American have been subjected to violent and hateful attacks because of their pro-life beliefs and values. No arrests have been made.



Philadelphia and national pro-life leaders will hold a protest at the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, who ordered the raid on Mr. Houck. They will be calling for charges to be dropped against Mr. Houck.

The protest will be on Friday, October 7, at 11:00 AM at the U.S. Attorney's Office at 615 Chestnut Street (near 6th Street) in Center City Philadelphia.

Speakers will include:

Talk Show Host, Dom Giordano



Pastor Bill Devlin  International Human Rights Advocate and Pro-Life Leader.



Ashley Garecht  Pro-Lifer harassed at Planned Parenthood by Rep Brian Sims in 2020.



Patrick Stanton  Board Member of Pro-Life Union, whose offices were vandalized.



FBI Whistleblower, Steve Friend - suspended for reporting political SWAT raids to Congress.



Former US Senate Candidate, Kathy Barnette.



Rev. Patrick Mahoney  Director of the Christian Defense Coalition.

Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition and also the Chief Strategy Officer for Stanton Public Policy Center based in Washington D.C., states;

"The Biden Administration and federal law enforcement have declared war on pro-life activists, life affirming centers and churches. Since May 2, the pro-life movement across America has been subjected to violent and hateful attacks because of their beliefs and values. Yet not one arrest has been made.



"Scores of pro-life advocates, like Mark Houck, have been arrested with armed agents, intimidated and harassed by the Biden Administration. President Biden's failure to personally condemn this violence has allowed a target to be placed on the back of the entire pro-life community.



"By politicizing the Department of Justice and FBI against the pro-life movement, the Biden Administration has shown they are only concerned about violence against communities, organizations and ideologies they agree with and politically support. It is deeply troubling for President Biden not to address violence against ALL Americans."

For more information or interviews call

Rev. Patrick Mahoney at 540.538.4741



SOURCE Christian Defense Coalition



CONTACT: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741


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Sex bomb: suspect bag turns out to be 'adult goods'

Japanese police had been on high alert recently in the run-up to the September 27 funeral for assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe. File photo: Anadolu Agency via AFP

A team of police explosives experts in Japan rushed to the scene of a suspicious package in a parking lot this week  only to find discarded sex toys inside.



Police in central Japan's Kakegawa city received a call on Wednesday morning about an unattended, silver briefcase in the parking lot of a municipal cemetery, a spokesman for the force said on Thursday.



Japanese police had been on high alert recently in the run-up to the September 27 state funeral for assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe. Police have faced criticism over security plans for the former leader, who was shot dead in a street while campaigning.



The regional bomb squad was dispatched on Wednesday while officers blocked roads within roughly a 300m radius of the briefcase for more than three hours.



Local media sent a helicopter to capture the delicate and potentially risky work of the experts at the scene.



But after close examination, the team found "adult goods" inside the briefcase, the officer told AFP, without elaborating further.



"It was at a parking lot in a remote location. It was a metallic attache case... It was a judgement call," he said.



"Everything went according to plan, so it was good," he said, adding police were relieved to find no threatening items.



Local media said the area is a popular spot for unauthorised dumping. (AFP)
New Delhi [India], October 6 (ANI/PNN): The United Service Institute of India (USI) will be hosting the Challenges Annual Forum at their premises in New Delhi, on 6 and 7 October. In a world of growing geopolitical friction, USI of India will gather partners and key stakeholders from all over the world, to discuss how future multilateral peace operations can remain relevant and play a positive role in addressing emerging peace and security challenges. This event is co-organised with the Challenges Forum International Secretariat, whose team has joined USI in Delhi, from Sweden. Around 100 participants from all over the world will unite for two days of constructive and fruitful elaborations, under the overarching theme of Future of Peace Operations. In the run-up to the UN Secretary-General's New Agenda for Peace, the Challenges Annual Forum 2022 (CAF22) provides a unique opportunity to global partners, policymakers, scholars, practitioners, and civil society representatives to engage in high-level discussions as well as dialogue-driven sessions that aim at identifying effective solutions to UN peace operations. The flowing three sub-themes have been chosen for extensive deliberations: - Preventive Deployment in Diplomacy - Protecting the Protectors - Protection of Civilians in Peace Operation The open sessions with a keynote address and high-level panels will be live streamed and available online: https://lnkd.in/dtRDmt66 The Challenges Forum's partners come from a wide variety of partners including major troop, police and financial contributing countries, including the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. It consists of over 50 government departments, organizations and institutions from 24 countries around the world. The Annual Forum is hosted by the Challenges Forum partners on a rotating basis. The Challenges Forum provides an impartial and informal platform for dialogue, to contribute to the enhancement of the international capability and capacities to plan, conduct and evaluate multilateral peace operations. Contact: Maj Gen PK Goswami, Deputy Director of United Service Institution of India,dydirector@usiofindia.org Pernilla Ryden, Director Challenges Forum International Secretariat,pernilla.ryden@challengesforum.org Susanna Ahlfors, Event and Communication Officer, Challenges Forum International Secretariat, susanna.ahlfors@challengesforum.org More information is available on: www.challengesforum.org This story has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/PNN)
Prague [Czech Republic], October 6 (ANI/PRNewswire): With setting up the goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2030 Zentiva continues its sustainability journey and embedded a comprehensive strategy across its operations. The company makes a huge contribution to public health with its primary purpose to ensuring the supply of high-quality and affordable medicines to the people who rely on them every day, in a sustainable way. Zentiva celebrates its 4th anniversary of independence and step by step the company framed its sustainability around 3 pillars: People, Partners and our Planet. The strategy is guided by the results of an ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) external assessment that positioned the company and its activities in the Top 15 percentile of the industry. "Zentiva already has many strengths but our work shows significant scope to reduce waste, increase efficiency and to drive our growth in an even more sustainable manner. As a team, we have discussed the importance of judging our performance and actions today against the standards of tomorrow. In essence, when we look back at 2021 in the years to come will we be proud of what we did and how we did it", commented Nick Haggar, CEO of Zentiva. Zentiva's first sustainability report provides an overview about the company's sustainability approach, covers the achievements in 2021 and brings the outlook and the ambitious goals the team committed to in order to make the difference - for the society and for our planet. "In 2021 we made significant improvements, stepping up in the environmental area, sourcing our European manufacturing sites from 100 per cent renewable electric energy and decreasing our consumption of energy and water per Standard Manufacturing Unit. We also made multiple ESG commitments which were published on our website and shared with our business partners and stakeholders. It was wonderful to see in our engagement survey, where 9 out of 10 people stated that they are proud to work for our company", said Ines Windisch, Head of HR, Communications & Sustainability. With further investments into renewable electric energy, complementing solar projects in our manufacturing sites, the continuous work to reduce waste and the consumption of water and energy and the investment into biodiversity and reforestation, the company is further driving its sustainability agenda in the environmental area. In the social area, Zentiva is proud to have joined the Diversity Charter in its main locations, continuing to improve by learning from others. A strong commitment to Diversity & Inclusion, a healthy gender balance at all levels of the company and an open and transparent communication are the framework to further develop Zentiva as a great place to work. A strong governance is making sure that progress is made. Ines Windisch adding: "At Zentiva, every one of us is unique, different but bonded together by our common mission to help people live well through the development and supply of high-quality affordable medicines. I believe that people and the topic of sustainability must go hand in hand to get things moving. It all starts with everyone of us, changing the way we live to contribute to a healthier future." Discover Zentiva's Sustainability Report on www.zentiva.com. Zentiva is a producer of high-quality affordable medicines serving patients in Europe and beyond. With a dedicated team of more than 4,700 people and a network of production sites - including flagship sites in Prague, Bucharest, and Ankleshwar - Zentiva strives to be the champion of branded and generic medicines in Europe to better support people's daily healthcare needs. At Zentiva it is our aspiration that healthcare should be a right and not a privilege. More than ever, people need better access to high-quality affordable medicines and healthcare. We work in partnership with physicians, pharmacists, wholesalers, regulators, and governments to provide the everyday solutions that we all depend on. Visit us at www.zentiva.com. Media Contact: Mounira Lemoui Head of Communications ZENTIVA GROUP, a.s. U Kabelovny 529/16, Dolni Mecholupy, 102 00 Prague 10 Cell: (+33) 7 77 43 75 26/ E-mail: mounira.lemoui@zentiva.com This story has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/PRNewswire)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 6 (ANI/PRNewswire): Alkem Laboratories Limited, the 5th largest Indian pharmaceutical company, has launched for the first time in India, triple drug fixed dose combination (FDC) of Dapagliflozin, Sitagliptin and Metformin under the brand name of Dapanorm Trio at an affordable price for adults with Type 2 Diabetes in India. Speaking on the launch of Dapanorm Trio, Mohammed Musarif Pasha, Associate Vice President (Sales & Marketing), Alkem said "Alkem's Dapanorm Trio will have a significant role in reducing HbA1c in uncontrolled type 2 diabetic patients & will help to improve patient compliance by reducing pill burden as well as medical bill burden. It will help the doctors to achieve good glycemic control in their patients. Dapanorm Trio has additional advantages like the lowest risk of hypoglycemia, better pancreatic beta cell protection, cardiac and renal benefits with better tolerability among elderly diabetic patients." In the multidisciplinary management of type 2 Diabetes, patients need to consume multiple pills for longer duration in order to achieve effective control of blood glucose. Pasha further added, "Majority of patients in India, pay the cost of drug from their pockets which makes the drug cost as major deciding factor in the long-term diabetes management. Dapanorm trio is priced at Rs19.70 per tablet which is almost 70% less compared to the combined cost of innovator drugs." Alkem received marketing authorization for Dapanorm Trio FDCs based on a phase III multicentric, randomized, double blind clinical trial (MESIDA trial) which compared the efficacy of triple drug FDC of Dapagliflozin, sitagliptin and metformin vs combination of Sitagliptin and metformin. The study was conducted in 274 patients of type 2 Diabetes across India. The result of clinical trial showed that triple drug FDC Dapanorm Trio had superior efficacy in terms of glycemic control as compared to dual drug combination. Established in 1973 and headquartered in Mumbai, Alkem (NSE: ALKEM, BSE: 539523, Bloomberg: ALKEM.IN, Reuters: ALKE.NS) is a leading Indian pharmaceutical company with global operations, engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products. The Company produces branded generics, generic drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APis) and nutraceuticals, which it markets in India and International markets. With a portfolio of more than 800 brands in India, Alkem is ranked the fifth largest pharmaceutical company in India in terms of domestic sales (Source: IQVIA March 2021). The Company also has presence in more than 40 international markets, with the United States being its key focus market. For more information on Alkem Laboratories Ltd., please visit www.alkemlabs.com This story has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/PRNewswire)
Hollywood star Eiza Gonzalez has finally addressed the reports of her being cast as Elektra in 'Daredevil: Born Again,' the Marvel series being developed for Disney Plus. The Mexican star also pointed out that she had been receiving hate from fans that seemingly didn't want her in the role through her Twitter handle. "I feel like I'm just gonna get it out of the way because, One, I'm confused as for the amount of hate over this, and two, I feel like it saves people energy," she tweeted. "No I'm not cast as Elektra in Daredevil I have already [an] ongoing series exclusivity contract to 3 Body Problem. Ur welcome." In a second tweet, the 'Bloodshot' star added, "I'd appreciate if I could live free of negative ill intended messages about me playing/stealing? a role that I don't even know about. Thank you and wishing you all the best." Lastly, Gonzalez said she was hopeful that one day she'll "get to play a cool superhero" but while that opportunity arises she will "be watching Daredevil and sending that cast all the love." According to Deadline, it is anticipated that 'Daredevil: Born Again' will premiere on Disney Plus in 2024 after receiving a first season order of 18 episodes. During Comic-Con last summer, the Daredevil with Charlie Cox version was announced. In the Marvel series, which was created for Netflix between 2015 and 2018 for three seasons, Vincent D'Onofrio is slated to return as Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin. The series writers and executive producers will be Covert Affairs' Matt Corman and Chris Ord. (ANI)
With her new film 'Code Name Tiranga', actor Parineeti Chopra has paid tribute to "unsung protectors of India." "Code Name Tiranga is dedicated to all the unsung protectors of India like our brave soldiers, our daredevil agents and every single person who have sacrificed everything to protect our country! I have always been fascinated by such people all my life," Parineeti said. She added, "So, for me, to be doing a film in which I pay tribute to these warriors of our nation is a matter of great pride and honour. Their lives have inspired us to be better human beings and we are all indebted to them for their courage and valour that has saved our country countless times." Helmed by Ribhu Dasgupta, 'Code Name Tiranga' also stars Harrdy Sandhu. In the film, Parineeti will be seen playing the role of a raw agent. For her role, she has learnt the Israeli martial art form Krav Maga. Talking about the same, Parineeti shared, "One of the key action techniques of an agent is hand-to-hand combat, so I learnt Krav Maga a form of martial arts for a total of 3 months to get my action sequences right. It is a very physically and mentally demanding form of martial arts as it's not only just movements but it also needs a lot of mental awareness of the surroundings one is in which is what exactly an agent needs to do on a mission." "Most of my fight sequences were against men who were a lot taller than me like the stunt men and co-actor Sharad Kelkar and sometimes the fight sequences would require them to fight with their full body weight," she added. Sharad Kelkar, Rajit Kapur, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Shishir Sharma, Sabyasachi Chakraborty and Deesh Mariwala are also a part of 'Code Name Tiranga', which will hit the theatres on October 14. (ANI)
"All arrangements were there on the Dussehra ground. No one was injured after the burning Raavan effigy fell on the ground," said Inspector Kamaljeet Singh, Yamunanagar.

A major accident was averted during Ravan Dahan in Yamunanagar where the effigy of Ravana fell on the people gathered.

Earlier it was reported that some people were injured in the incident.

In the video, it was seen that many people went close to the burning effigy of Ravana in the Dussehra ceremony in Yamunanagar. Further, the effigy while burning fell over the people standing close to it.

Every year, Dussehra is celebrated to commemorate the triumph of good over evil as Lord Rama killed Ravana on this day. The festival is celebrated in full swing across the country, by burning the effigies of Ravan, Kumbhkaran, and Meghnath. (ANI)
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. --IANS qn/arm ( 588 Words) 2022-10-05-22:44:03 (IANS)
An officer of Guwahati police informed that acting on a tip-off, a police team intercepted a truck in the Jorabat area, which was heading towards Guwahati from Morigaon district.

The officer said that cattle heads were being smuggled to Byrnihat in Meghalaya from Morigaon via Guwahati. Around 14 cattle heads were rescued from the vehicle, while two persons - Laden Ali and Mohidul Ali, both residents of Morigaon district - were arrested in connection with the case.

--IANS tdr/arm

( 102 Words)

2022-10-05-23:18:02 (IANS)
According to the fire department, they got a call at around 5.30 p.m., and 34 fire enginees were sent to the spot.

"We have pressed 150 fire fighters to bring the fire under control. Major problem was that there was no water source near by and the lanes are narrow, so fire tenders had to stop far away," said the fire official.

The official said that fire was in clothes shop and had spread. The entire area has been cordoned off by the police, who were also assisting the fire fighters.

--IANS atk/vd

( 129 Words)

2022-10-05-23:24:02 (IANS)
No one was found in the rescue operation carried out till late evening. The search operation is to continue.

"During Durga idol immersion, a 15-year-old boy in the Sikandra Police Station area and two youths aged 19 yrs and 22 years in New Agra PS area drowned in the Yamuna river. Rescue operation carried out till late evening; no one found. Search op to continue," said Circle Officer Mayank Tiwari on Wednesday.

While in West Bengal, earlier on Wednesday, seven people died and several were feared missing after flash floods hit Mal River in Jalpaiguri during Goddess Durga idol Visarjan (immersion). .

"Flash flood hits Mal River in Jalpaiguri during Durga Visarjan. Seven people were dead, several were feared missing and many people were trapped in the river and many washed away. Bodies of seven people were recovered. NDRF and civil defence deployed; rescue underway," Jalpaiguri Superintendent of Police (SP) Debarshi Dutta had said. (ANI)
Quoting a tweet by Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani on India registering a decline in female infant mortality rate, the Prime Minister tweeted, "This is a great sign, reflective of the collective commitment of 130 crore Indians to strengthen our Nari Shakti."

Earlier on Wednesday, citing a media report, Smriti Irani tweeted, "India registers a decline in the female infant mortality rate."

"Efforts towards Beti Bachao Beti Padhao through an integrated approach encompassing advocacy, healthcare and education are breaking the gender bias and resulting in improved numbers across all parameters," Irani added. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah wound up his 3-day Jammu and Kashmir visit with a clear message that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands for "Sab Ka Vikas, Sab Ka Kalyan" irrespective of caste, colour, creed or religion. Shah visited Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu, Chattipadshai Gurdwara in Srinagar, halted his speech and removed his bulletproof jacket as soon as he heard the Azan (call for namaz) in North Kashmir's Baramulla district. His gestures were a signal that the government led by PM Modi respects all religions and believes in India's pluralistic and composite culture. The Union Home Minister assured Gujjars, Bakarwals and Paharis in Rajouri that the era of discrimination has ended and they would get their due share in jobs and other sectors soon.He met Sikhs in Srinagar and members of Rajput Sabha in Jammu to send a message that the government led by PM Modi treats every citizen of the country equally. His gesture to halt the speech after hearing the Azan drove home a point that the BJP-led government respects all religions and the misconceptions that have been created are nothing but a myth. He visited the grave of a martyred policeman, Mudasir Sheikh, and paid floral tributes to him. He met his family members and assured them that they would be provided all the possible support and assistance and that the entire nation stood with them. Mudasir had laid down his life while fighting three Pakistani terrorists in a counter-insurgency operation in Baramulla in May this year. Shah wound up his visit by reiterating that no talks will be held with Pakistan and directed the security forces to wipe out terrorism completely from the Himalayan region. He announced that assembly elections in the Union Territory would be held as soon as the electoral rolls are finalized. He maintained that the Centre would only talk to the people of Kashmir and no one else. Shah urged the misguided local youth to lay down arms and join the national mainstream and choose life over death. The Home Minister launched and laid the foundation stones of projects worth Rs 2000 crore in Kashmir and Rs 1900 crore in the Jammu region. Shah sent a clear message that J-K is a priority for the Centre and leaders of three political parties, who ruled J-K for 70 years, can no longer dictate terms to New Delhi, nor can they hoodwink the gullible people of J-K as the times have changed. He termed the turning of Kashmir from a "terrorist spot" into a "tourist spot" as one of the major achievements of the PM Modi-led regime and assured the people that J&K will keep on flourishing under PM Modi's leadership. The Union Home Minister had come to Jammu and Kashmir to tell the people that the government is aware of their needs and stands by them in all their endeavours. His assertion that laptops have replaced stones and strike culture has ended in Kashmir was a snub to all such leaders, who used to claim that Kashmir would burn once Article 370--a temporary provision in the Constitution--is scrapped. Shah reaching out to all the communities was an indication that the Government of India believes in equality for all and that no one will be left out.Commitment towards martyrs It was not the first time that the Union Home Minister visited the family of a martyred policeman, Mudasir Sheikh in Kashmir, whenever Shah has toured the Valley he has reached out to the families of martyrs and expressed solidarity with them. His commitment toward martyrs has strengthened the resolve of Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel to fight terrorism more vigorously and has encouraged them to take the fight against terrorism to its logical end. Shah, as a leader, has led from the front and has set an example.Soon after the BJP came into power for the second consecutive term in 2019, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, had handed over the "Mission Kashmir" to Shah and he has ensured that he takes the job entrusted to him to its logical conclusion. From revocation of J&K's special status to its transition into a Union Territory and the developments which followed, Shah and his team have monitored every move personally.His efforts have turned Pakistan-sponsored terrorism hit the Himalayan region into a favourite tourist destination with people from every corner of the country arriving in J-K. The Union Home Ministry led by Shah has given clear-cut instructions to the security forces to go after the terrorists and their supporters but has made it clear that no innocent should be harassed or even touched. The development projects that were left incomplete by the erstwhile regimes in Jammu and Kashmir have been completed and many new projects have either been dedicated to people or are nearing completion. As of date, the electricity has reached every village of J&K and consumers are getting power 24x7. For them, the dream of getting electricity round the clock has come true.Upliftment of weaker sections The weaker sections of the society who remained deprived of their rights for seven long decades due to the politics played by the former rulers have been provided with multiple benefits.J-K youth, who were lured by the separatists and terrorists, have been provided with all the opportunities to excel in their lives and choose a career through which they can eke out their livings. The Centre has empowered J&K's generation-next and the Union Home Minister has often reiterated that youth hold the key and they are ones whom the government would talk to. Rousing reception Since August 5, 2019, when Article 370, was abrogated Kashmir has neither witnessed shutdowns nor stone-pelting incidents or protests. A common man has been able to perform his daily chores without any disruptions. Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, has successfully handled "Mission Kashmir." He has put in relentless efforts to make PM Modi's dream to turn J-K into a paradise on earth a reality. The people giving rousing reception to Amit Shah in Rajouri and Baramulla is ample proof of the fact that a common man in Jammu and Kashmir has supported all the steps that have been taken during the past three years. Residents of J-K have welcomed the change in the 70-year-old long status quo with open hearts and minds and are leaving no opportunity to express their gratitude to the Central leadership that has changed their destinies and has made their lives peaceful. (ANI)
One more body was recovered taking the toll up to eight, the district official said.

Moumita Godara said that a search is underway to find if there were more casualties.

Four women were among those killed in the tragic incident.

People who sustained minor injuries have been admitted to a nearby hospital, the district magistrate said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the kin of those who lost their lives in the flash flood.

"Anguished by the mishap during Durga Puja festivities in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones," PM Modi tweeted.

Leader of the Opposition in Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari also expressed his grief over the incident and in a tweet. "Saddening news coming from Jalpaiguri as flash flood in Mal river during Durga Puja immersion swept away many people. Few deaths have been reported till now. I request the DM of Jalpaiguri & @chief_west to urgently step up rescue efforts & provide assistance to those in distress."

Earlier, Jalpaiguri SP Debarshi Dutta said that seven people had died and several were feared missing after flash floods hit Mal River in West Bengal''s Jalpaiguri during Goddess Durga idol Visarjan (immersion), on Wednesday.

"Flash flood hits Mal River in Jalpaiguri during Durga Visarjan. Seven people were dead, several were feared missing and many people were trapped in the river and many washed away. Bodies of seven people were recovered. NDRF and civil defence deployed; rescue underway," Debarshi Dutta said.

Personnel of the national defence reserve force (NDRF) and civil defence were deployed in the search and rescue operations the police official said. (ANI)
The Mumbai Police detained the accused person from Bihar with the help of the Bihar Police at midnight.

Further probe into the matter is underway.

A threat call was received at HN Reliance Foundation Hospital on Wednesday where the unknown caller threatened to blow up the hospital and issued death threats to the Ambani family.

"At 12.45 pm today and again at 5.04 pm, a call was received at the call centre of Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital threatening to blow up the hospital and threatening to take the lives of Mukesh Ambani, Nita Ambani, Akash Ambani and Anant Ambani. The caller also threatened to blow up Antilia and gave multiple threats to members of the Ambani family. A police complaint has been registered and we are providing all the necessary details to the police in their investigations," Reliance Industries Limited spokesperson said yesterday.

The police had registered a case at the DB Marg Police Station, here in Mumbai. (ANI)
The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) on Thursday said that a total of nine bodies which were trapped in the Uttarkashi avalanche have been recovered and retrieved till now, while 29 other trainees continue to remain stranded. According to the NIM, the nine bodies retrieved today include four dead bodies that were already brought down on Tuesday (October 4) and Wednesday (October 5). The update on recovered bodies came hours after a team of experts from Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS), joined the operation with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and NIM to rescue mountaineers that were stranded on Draupadi's Danda-II mountain peak in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi after the avalanche hit them on Tuesday. However, more teams have been sent to the advance base camp from ITBP Matli in Uttarkashi. An advance helicopter landing ground was also prepared at 16,000 ft and a trial landing was successfully conducted in the morning. According to ITBP PRO Vivek Pandey, the advance helipad has been made at high altitude and helicopters are out for rescue operations. "The dead bodies are present at the base and some of them are expected to be brought down today itself," the ITBP PRO said adding that the measures are being hampered due to bad weather conditions but efforts to find the missing mountaineers is still underway. On Wednesday, the survivors of the avalanche in Uttarkashi narrated their horrific experiences. Deep Thakur, a trainee from Gujarat, who survived the accident while undergoing treatment at the district hospital, said that the avalanche came all of a sudden while he was climbing to Draupadi's Danda Peak for a summit at around 9.45 am, due to which he along with his companions fell into the crevasses about 60 feet deep, where he struggled between death and life for about 3 hours. Another survivor, Akash Lalvani, a trainee from Mumbai, told that he was only about 100 meters below the summit of Draupadi's Danda and the only plan was to summit the peak and get down after being photographed there, because the weather was also clear. But the sudden avalanche has left them with an unforgettable sorrow. On Tuesday, about 41 trainees and instructors of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering were in the grip of Draupadi's avalanche in Danda of Dokrani glacier at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters. In view of the safety of the trekking and mountaineering teams in Uttarkashi, district magistrate Abhishek Ruhela on Thursday banned trekking activities here for the next three days. Ruhela has banned these activities in Uttarkashi from October 6 (today) to October 8 (Saturday) ahead of the India Meteorological Department's alert for intense rainfall in the state over the upcoming days. (ANI)
The Supreme Court has remarked that the notification of the Minimum Wages Act can be a guiding factor only in the case where there is no clue available to evaluate the monthly income of the deceased. "Where positive evidence has been led, no reliance on the notification could be placed, particularly when it was nobody's case that the deceased was a labourer as presumed by the High Court," the top court said. A bench of justices Surya Kant and MM Sundresh said while setting aside an order of Punjab and Haryana High Court and restored the decision of Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), Karnal*. The top court said that the reason asserted by the High Court to reduce the monthly income of the deceased is totally "cryptic" and has no rationale. The Punjab and Haryana HC relied upon the Notification issued by the State of Haryana, which fixed the minimum wage at the relevant time and assessed the income of the deceased at Rs 7,000 per month, and thus on this premise, it (the High Court) reduced the compensation amount. But the top court noted the findings of MACT and said that Tribunal's approach is quite justified in the law as well as on the facts. "In the summary proceedings where the approach of the Tribunal's determination must be in conformity with the object of the welfare legislation, it was rightly held that the monthly income of the deceased could not be less than Rs 25,000," the court said as it noted that deceased was regularly paying the monthly instalment of Rs 11,550 towards the tractor's loan from March 2014 onwards and the entire loan liability was discharged by March 2015 with payment being made even after his death. The court allowed the appeal filed by dependents of the deceased challenging orders of Punjab and Haryana High Court and said that the appellants are held to be entitled to the compensation in accordance with the Tribunal's Award. "The balance amount, after adjusting the amount which has already been paid, shall be deposited along with interest before the Tribunal, within a period of two months from the date of receipt/production of a copy of this order. The Tribunal shall disburse the said compensation amount to the appellants as per its ward," the court said. The appellant were aggrieved by the order dated September 24, 2019, passed by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh whereby the compensation of Rs 43,75,000 awarded by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, Karnal has been substantially reduced to Rs 16,57,600. The deceased died on November 2014 when he was driving his motorcycle and a JCB bearing came from the opposite side of the road and crashed into his motorcycle. The deceased sustained multiple injuries and later succumbed to them. "Consequently, the judgment and order dated September 24, 2019, passed by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh is set aside and the award dated January 12, 2016, passed by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, Karnal is restored," the top court said. (ANI)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has rejected Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar's request for extending the date of his appearance before the agency. Notably, the ED had earlier summoned Shivakumar and his brother and Congress MP DK Suresh to appear before it on October 7. "I had requested time to appear which was denied. I asked time as Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra is passing through Karnataka and there are my responsibilities," he said. DK Shivkumar also accused the government of misusing agencies to harass him after seeing the success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Congress leader said he would discuss the summons with fellow party leaders and take a call on whether he should appear. ED had filed a charge sheet against Shivakumar and others in a money laundering case in May. Shivakumar is currently serving as the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. The money laundering case was registered by the Enforcement Directorate, based on a complaint filed by the Income Tax (IT) department. The I-T department, during the initial probe, had allegedly found unaccounted and misreported wealth linked to the Congress leader.DK Shivakumar earlier had called the charges "baseless" and "politically motivated".Earlier, the ED has also summoned DK Shivakumar's wife and mother to appear before it, which was later challenged in the Delhi High Court. According to the source, the ED has not mentioned Shivakumar's wife and mother's names in the charge sheet. Earlier on August, a Special CBI Court of Delhi granted bail to four accused in a money laundering case connected with Shivkumar registered by ED. The Special Judge Vikas Dhull while granting bail to four accused said, "the bail applications are allowed and the accused are admitted to regular bail subject to their furnishing personal bond in the sum of Rs.1,00,000 each with one surety each of the like amount subject to the condition that accused shall not leave this country without prior permission of this court and shall not try to tamper with the evidence or influence any witness." ED had arrested Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar on September 3, 2019, in the case and later Delhi High Court granted him bail in October 2019. (ANI)
The family members of the Indians who were abducted and murdered in the US said that deceased Amandeep Singh was on a phone call with a family member in India when he was forcibly taken away. The cousin of the deceased, Charnjeet Singh also said they were informed about the tragic incident today. "We received the information today morning itself when the bodies of all four have been found in a farm they all were kidnapped on October 3. He (Amandeep Singh) was on a phone call with his father here in India when the incident happened," said Singh. He further stressed that the accused were still at large and the family was uncertain about the recovery of the body. "The bodies were found today. We don't know when we will get the body. The accused are still free and have not been nabbed by the police yet," he added. An eight-month-old baby girl along with her Indian-origin parents and uncle living in the US, who were abducted at gunpoint earlier this week in California were found dead in an orchard in the US state, police said. The bodies of four members of the family, who originally hail from Punjab in India were discovered lying close to each other by a farm worker in a remote orchard in Merced county, Sheriff Vern Warnke said on Wednesday. "Tonight our worse fears have been confirmed," the Sheriff said addressing a press conference. "We found four people from the kidnapping. They are in fact deceased," Sheriff Vern Warnke said. "The family (of the victim) have been notified. We have made arrangements through other contacts to try and get them," he said. The police will process the scene of crime to determine the motive for the killings, he said.The family, according to authorities, were taken by a convicted robber who tried to kill himself a day after the abduction. The Sheriff described it as a "horribly senseless" act and said that the police did not know the "motives yet.""We have a whole family wiped out and for what? We don't know yet," he said. 36-year-old Jasdeep Singh, 27-year-old Jasleen Kaur, their eight-month-old child Aroohi Dheri, along with 39-year-old Amandeep Singh were abducted, police said. The news of the missing family was reported on Monday after local authorities found the missing victim's truck on fire in a rural area outside the Merced Country. A surveillance video that was released by the Twitter handle of the Merced County Sheriff's office showed the suspect leading Jasdeep Singh who was carrying baby Aroohi in her arms into a truck and driving away.California fire officials discovered Amandeep Singh's truck ablaze in a rural area outside Merced. "..received information that one of the victim's ATM cards was used at an ATM located at a bank in the City of Atwater. Investigators obtained the surveillance photo of a subject making a bank transaction where the person is similar in appearance to the surveillance photo from the original kidnapping scene," the Merced County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Authorities have identified the suspect in the kidnapping as one 48-year-old Jesus Manuel Salgado and have taken him into custody. Prior to law enforcement involvement, Salgado attempted to take his own life and is currently receiving medical attention and in critical condition, the Sheriff's office statement said. On Monday, Merced County Sheriff informed that there is evidence leading investigators to believe that the suspected kidnapper attempted to destroy evidence. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed grief over the loss of lives in Kerala's Palakkad bus crash incident and announced Rs 2 lakh as ex-gratia each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of the deceased. The Prime Minister also extended condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for a quick recovery of the injured. "PM Narendra Modi has expressed grief on the loss of lives due to an accident in Kerala's Palakkad district. He extends condolences to the bereaved families and prays for a quick recovery of the injured," Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a tweet. "Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," it added. Nine people were killed and 38 others were injured after a tourist bus carrying students crashed into a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus at Mangalam near Vadakkenchery area of Palakkad, Kerala minister M B Rajesh said on Thursday. The horrific road accident occurred after the tourist bus rear-ended into the KSRTC bus. The tourist bus carrying students and teachers of the Baselios Vidhyanikethan School was headed to Ooty from Ernakulam, while the KSRTC bus was on its way to Coimbatore. The deceased include five students, one teacher and three passengers from the KSRTC bus. A total of 38 people have been admitted to the hospital. "Five people sustained serious injuries but they are said to be out of danger," Rajesh said. Further details are awaited. Earlier, a tyre burst in the middle of Mumbai's Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL) in the early hours of Wednesday resulted in a crash and pile-up that left five people dead and eight injured. Among the dead were an ambulance driver and the staff at the BWSL toll naka. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi offered condolences for the loss of lives in the car accident on Mumbai's Bandra-Worli Sea Link road. "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. (ANI)
New Delhi [India], October 6 (ANI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court of Delhi on Thursday extended the remand of three accused associated with Popular Front of India (PFI) by four more days. The other 16 accused have been remanded to judicial custody. All accused were produced under heavy security before the Court as their remand was granted by the same court earlier. The NIA Judge on Thursday extended the remand of the three accused Shahid Nasir,Jaseer KP, Mohammed Yousuf by four days after noting down the submission made by NIA counsel. The court sent the other 16 accused into judicial custody for 30 days. Recently in a major crackdown against PFI, over 106 PFI members have been arrested in multiple raids carried out by a joint team of NIA, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and state police across 11 states. NIA in a press statement about the searches and arrests across India on the Popular Front of India (PFI) stated that the searches were jointly conducted by the ED, NIA and the State Police forces across India. NIA carried out searches in 93 locations of 15 states of India viz Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar and Manipur. These searches were conducted at the houses and offices of the top PFI leaders and members in connection with 5 cases registered by the NIA following continued inputs and evidence that the PFI leaders and cadres were involved in the funding of terrorism and terrorist activities, organising training camps for providing armed training and radicalising people to join banned organisations. NIA also said that a large number of criminal cases had been registered by different states over the last few years against the PFI and its leaders and members for their involvement in many violent acts. Criminal violent acts carried out by PFI such as chopping off the hand of a college professor, cold-blooded killings of persons associated with organisations espousing other faiths, collection of explosives to target prominent people and places, support to Islamic State and destruction of public property have had a demonstrative effect of striking terror in the minds of the citizens. A total of 106 Popular Front of India (PFI) cadres were arrested on Thursday in a joint operation conducted by the National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate and state police forces across 11 states in the country's multiple locations, according to the sources. Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) made the announcement through a recently issued notification declaring "the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect". Alongwith PFI, the ban was also imposed on its fronts including Rehab India Foundation (RIF). Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala as an "unlawful association". As per the inputs received by both the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as well as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), "the PFI has been raising and collecting substantial funds from abroad in a well-organized and structured manner". It also came to the knowledge of the Central agencies that the "PFI was raising funds abroad and their transfer to India through clandestine and illegal channels". (ANI)
Regarding the 66 deaths in Gambia allegedly due to the intake of cough syrup manufactured by Maiden Pharmaceutical Limited in Sonipat, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij told ANI that the Centre has sent samples to the Central Drug Laboratory, Kolkata, and if any irregularities are found, it will take strict action. "The Central Government officials are gathering the complete information. The samples will be sent to the Central Drug Lab in Kolkata. After the reports come, stern action will be taken if anything wrong is found," Vij said. "I have talked with the Drug Controller to investigate the matter. The Health Secretary and Pharmaceuticals Secretary of the Central Government has also talked with the State Secretary of the state. It has been decided that before taking any action, the samples will be tested," Vij further said. The Haryana Minister also attacked the Congress after Sonia Gandhi joined the yatra along with son Rahul. He termed the Bharat Jodo Abhiyan as "Bharat Todo Abhiyan" "First of all, this is not Bharat Jodo Yatra but Bharat Todo Yatra. The mother and son want to break this country. But let me tell you, this is not the one Congress partitioned leading to killings and the exodus of lakhs of people. This is not India where Congress massacred the Sikhs. This is the New India and no one can break it. The BJP leader further attacked Congress over the resignation of Former leader Anil Dhantodri and "Congress is breaking down every day. If you look at the Congress leaders, you will find them singing, Iss dil ke tukde hazaar hue koi yahaan gira koi wahaan gira." On being asked about the controversy about the upcoming movie Adipurush, the BJP leader said that no one has any right to disrespect any religion. "I haven't seen the film, but disrespecting any religion using any medium is just not acceptable. You follow and celebrate your religion, but if you disrespect other religions, then the public won't accept it," he said. On being asked about the upcoming Hisar by-elections, the BJP leader said that "We have ourselves vacated the seat to fight again. We will win this election." Earlier, 66 children died on Wednesday allegedly after drinking the Cough Syrup manufactured by Maiden Pharmaceutical Limited in Sonipat. WHO on Wednesday issued an alert over four India-made cough and cold syrups which Maiden Pharmaceuticals in India made. WHO has also notified that the same cough and cold syrups could be linked to the deaths of 66 children in The Gambia. As per sources, from the preliminary enquiry, it has been made out that Maiden Pharmaceutical Limited, Sonipat, Haryana is a manufacturer licensed by the State Drug Controller for the products under reference, and holds manufacturing permission for these products. The company has manufactured and exported these products only to the Gambia so far. (ANI)
Hitting out at Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda on Thursday said the opposition party wants to gain political mileage in the name of strengthening the country. Questioning the intention of the Congress, the BJP leader said that "Article 370 would have been revoked from Jammu and Kashmir during its many decades of the rule if the Congress had the true intention to strengthen the country." Speaking to ANI, Munda said, "The character of Congress has been well assessed by the people. People have started rejecting Congress in a way and have rejected it. If they really wanted 'Bharat Jodo', then why did not they abrogate Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir? They ruled the country for so many years." The Union Minister said the true "Bharat Jodo" is being done by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the BJP government is working towards the holistic development of the country. "This kind of Yatra called 'Bharat Jodo' is being taken out to reap political gains. It is not happening for the sake of the people or to strengthen the country. If Congress wanted to strengthen the country, it would have revoked Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir," added Munda. Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday morning joined the party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Mandya in Karnataka. Sonia Gandhi who had arrived in Mysuru on Monday afternoon arrived at the starting point of the padyatra, which resumed today on its after a two-day break for Dussehra. The Yatra entered its Karnataka leg on September 30. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said that the response the party received from the BJP-ruled Karnataka shows that the countdown to the downfall of the BJP in the next election has begun. Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar seconded Ramesh and said that BJP's countdown has started. (ANI)
The accused have been identified as Mohd Shamoon and Israr Ali Khan. The Additional Sessions Judge Sanjay Khanagwal of Patiala House Court sent them to 3 days police remand after noting the submission of Delhi police.

ACP Udaibir Singh Bidhuri submitted before the court that "the accused were arrested on Wednesday. They were involved in illegal activities. They are to be jointly interrogated by IB and other agencies and three days' remand is required to interrogate them."

It was also submitted that the accused are associated with PFI and were arrested earlier for sloganeering but released later on.

On the other hand, the counsel for the accused persons submitted that there is no requirement for police remand, as the accused were in custody earlier for seven days and the police could not recover anything. Now there is no fresh ground for seeking police remand.

A case has been filed in Khajuri Khas police station under the sections of UAPA.

The accused Israr Ali Khan and Muhammad Shamoon have been booked u/s 120b,153a of IPC and 10/13 of UAPA. (ANI)
Rajasthan government is all set to host the "Invest Rajasthan Summit" on October 7 and 8, 2022, at JECC Campus in Jaipur. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will inaugurate the summit at 10 AM on Friday. This two-day summit will be attended by dignitaries of some of the most prestigious corporate groups around the globe. The summit will witness invigorating conclaves and panel discussions on key sectors with interesting viewpoints being shared by some of the biggest industry experts and leaders. The main motive of these conclaves is to bring together diverse groups of notable business entrepreneurs, investors, thought leaders, and policy and opinion makers to discuss preparations for their respective sectors. The State Government has set a new benchmark by attracting Investments of over Rs 10.44 Lakh Crore with the theme, "Committed. Delivered." The summit is being organized with the support of CII as the national partner. More than 4,000 guests from across the globe are attending this summit. A few names of such noted dignitaries include Dr Praveer Sinha, CEO and Managing Director, The Tata Power Company Limited; Dr Anish Shah, Managing Director and CEO, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd; B Santhanam, Chairman, Saint Gobain India. Apart from them, Ajay S Shriram, Chairman and Senior Managing Director, DCM Shriram Limited; C K Birla, Chairman, National Engineering Industries Ltd; Sanjiv Bajaj, President CII and Chairman and MD, Bajaj Finserv Ltd; Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Group; L N Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director, Arcelor Mittal; and Gautam Adani, Founder and Chairman, Adani Group. Some of the key sectors planned for conclaves are Agri and Agro-processing, Tourism, Start-up, MSMEs, NRR, and future-ready sectors. Additionally, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will announce the names of the recipients of the Rajasthan Ratna Awards on the first day of the summit. The first day of the summit, on Friday will start with the registration at 08:00 am followed by the inaugural sessions at 10:30 am. After the inaugural session, lunch will be served and then 5 conclaves will be organised. Out of which, three conclaves will run simultaneously in three separate halls. Those three conclaves are NRR, Tourism, and Start-up conclaves starting from 02:00 pm in Tal Chhapar Hall, Keoladeo Hall, and Mukundra hall of JECC respectively. The other two conclaves are Agri-Business Conclave and Future Ready Conclave starting from 03:30 pm to 04:45 pm in Keoladeo and Tal Chhapar Halls respectively. After the conclaves, the day will conclude with a cultural program and dinner from 07:30 pm onwards. On the second day of the summit on Saturday, the registrations will start from 09:00 am, followed by the MSME conclave from 10:30 am to 01:00 pm. (ANI)
Congress MP and a candidate for the party's presidential election Shashi Tharoor on Thursday said that he is very happy to have the support of young people in the party and urged everyone to join them him in making a "rejuvenated Congress", to lead young India. "I am very happy to have the support of young people in the party...I am not turning away any support be it young or old. We need everyone to join us in this adventure of making a rejuvenated Congress to lead young India," said the Congress leader. Tharoor is currently campaigning for the upcoming presidential polls of the party in which he is up against the veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge. Earlier on Monday, Tharoor had said that with two consecutive losses in the Lok Sabha elections, there is a need for a "renewed and reinvigorated" party to take on the challenge of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre. "This election is about how Congress should be best equipped to take on the ruling govt today, which is BJP. We have lost two elections... We need a renewed, reinvigorated Congress party where it is mobilized effectively to take on this challenge," Tharoor said while speaking to the media. He denied the existence of the G-23 group within the Congress (which wrote to Sonia Gandhi seeking reforms in the party), and said that it was a "media idea". "There is no G-23 group. There never was, it was a media idea. As far as I can tell you, a couple of seniors wrote the letter. They invited a large number of people to support them. They told me that by phone they have contacted over a hundred people who have extended support. There was COVID lockdown in 2020. Only 23 people were available in Delhi to sign it at that time," he said. The election for the Congress president will be held on October 17 and the results will be declared on October 19. The Gandhis are not running for the top post, the party is all set to get a non-Gandhi president after over 25 years. (ANI)
Social activist Daya Bai, 81, continued her indefinite hunger strike for the fifth day on Thursday in support of the demand for setting up an AIIMS in Kasargod and taking adequate care of endosulfan victims. The activist has been on a hunger strike since October 2 in front of the secretariat in the capital city of Kerala. She demanded that the Centre find a solution to the problems of bedridden endosulfan victims in the Kasargod district. "Daya Bai has also demanded that the government set up the proposed AIIMS in Kasaragod district," ANI has learned. The police have taken Daya Bai to a local hospital on Tuesday after her health worsened but, she later resumed her agitation on Wednesday after being discharged from the hospital. Daya Bai told ANI that the central government is giving the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to every state and now they have asked Kerala about it. The state has to give the proposal where they want it. They (state government) has given Calicut as their first priority. Second is Ernakulam then Trivandrum, and Kottayam respectively. "Calicut already has two medical colleges and many super-specialty hospitals", she said. She said Kasaragod was suitable for setting up an AIIMS. She said, "AIIMS needs at least 200 acres of land to be built. Calicut doesn't have enough land. These things are available in Kasaragod." "Our main demand is put Kasaragod district on the list of proposed places for the AIIMS," Daya Bai told ANI. "I back the argument for AIIMS to be built in the Kasaragod district because, during Bhopal Gas Tragedy, I have taken patients and rushed them to AIIMS. I know the type of research, the diagnosis AIIMS does and it treats properly." "Another demand is that the present existing hospitals should all be turned to specialty," Daya Bai said. Daya Bai also hit out at the Kerala government and said that the Communist government is responsible for the conditions of endosulfan victims. The 81-year-old activist from Kerala told ANI that she was in Madhya Pradesh and came here on January 30, 2018 to attend a protest. "I could not imagine that this kind of situation would exist in Kerala," she said. (ANI)
Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday said that the success of the 75-day long Beach Cleaning drive vindicates the "whole of Government" approach. According to the Ministry of Earth Science, chairing a review meeting on the recently concluded "Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar" campaign from July 5 to September 17 which is observed as "International Coastal Clean Up Day'', Singh acknowledged the support of over a dozen Union ministries for its grand success. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who in his latest "Mann ki Baat" broadcast, mentioned the "Swachh Sagar - Surakshit Sagar" campaign and the mass public participation in it. "PM Modi had congratulated all the people who took part in many cleanliness-related programs for the entire two and a half months," he said. Singh said that India's 7500 km-long coastline will play a vital role in shaping up India's Vision 2047. "We need to leverage our underutilised oceanic resources in order to advance the economic growth of our nation. A high-level team constituted to organise yearlong activities on coastal clean-up will also coordinate in India's Deep Sea Mission," said Singh. Referring to the Swachh Bharat Mission launched on October 2, 2014, after the Prime Minister's announcement from the Red Fort during his first Independence Day address on August 15, 2014, the Union Minister said, the whole of government approach has combined with the whole of nation approach to make swachhata a true Jan Andolan by bringing about the largest behavioural change in the world. "The SBM's emphasis on behavioural change in rural sanitation at the grassroots level also led to rigorous verification and sustainability of the benefits accrued to rural communities," he said. Singh lauded the role of the Ministry of Earth Sciences in executing such a mammoth task of simultaneous coastal clean-up and sea beach cleaning across all the sea beaches along 7,500 km long coastline of India. "Governors, Chief Ministers, Union Ministers, MPs, film artists and celebrities participated in beach clean-up activities along with lakhs of volunteers from all walks of life. More than 45 Deputy Commissioners or District Magistrates from 9 Coastal States made special efforts to make the campaign a grand success," the Minister pointed out. He particularly thanked the cooperation from the Ministries of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Jal Shakti, Health and Family Welfare, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, External Affairs, Information and Broadcasting, organisations and associations like National Service Scheme (NSS), Indian Coast Guard, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Seema Jagran Manch, SFD, Paryavaran Sanrakshan Gatividhi (PSG), along with other social organisations and educational institutions in the clean-up campaign. Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Dr M Ravichandran, Secretary, DARPG, V Srinivas, DG, CSIR, Dr N Kalaiselvi, DG Coast Guard, VS Pathania, Gopal Arya from Paryavaran Sanrakshan Gatividhi and representatives of Environment Ministry and senior officials joined the review meeting. (ANI)
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday condoled the deaths of mountaineers in the horrific avalanche in the Droupadi's Danda-II mountain peak. Speaking to ANI. "The rescue teams are working continuously and I am monitoring the situation", the chief minister said. Pertaining to the accident in Uttarkashi, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that according to information received 16 bodies have been recovered so far, and relief and rescue teams are working continuously on this. A team has also arrived from Kashmir. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and ITBP team are working. The district administration is also in the rescue operation. On Tuesday, about 41 trainees and instructors of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering were hit by an 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. On Wednesday, the survivors of the avalanche in Uttarkashi narrated their horrific experiences. Deep Thakur, a trainee from Gujarat, who survived the accident while undergoing treatment at the district hospital, said that the avalanche came all of a sudden while he was climbing to Draupadi's Danda Peak for a summit at around 9.45 am, due to which he along with his companions fell into the crevasses about 60 feet deep, where he struggled between death and life for about 3 hours. Another survivor, Akash Lalvani, a trainee from Mumbai, told that he was only about 100 meters below the summit of Draupadi's Danda and the only plan was to summit the peak and get down after being photographed there, because the weather was also clear. But the sudden avalanche has left them with unforgettable sorrow. The Chief Minister underlined that this is a very sad incident. In such a situation, it is the responsibility of all of us that we can cooperate in the rescue and relief work from our level. The Chief Minister said that he himself is monitoring the relief and rescue operations. In view of the safety of the trekking and mountaineering teams in Uttarkashi, district magistrate Abhishek Ruhela on Thursday banned trekking activities here for the next three days. Ruhela has banned these activities in Uttarkashi from October 6 (today) to October 8 (Saturday) ahead of the India Meteorological Department's alert for intense rainfall in the state over the upcoming days. (ANI)
Himachal Padesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday said that the previous state government completely ignored the demands of PTA, PAT and Para teachers, but the present government understood the pain of these teachers serving in the government schools and tried to find solutions to their various issues. Jai Ram Thakur was leading a function organised by the PTA Regular Teachers Association to felicitate him at Hotel Peterhof on Thursday evening. General Secretary of PTA Regular Teachers Association Shishupal Rajata, Vivek Mehta, Mamraj Pundir and other office bearers of the association were present on the occasion. The Chief Minister said that the state government was working with commitment to provide quality education to the students, in which the teachers of the State were making appreciable contribution. He said that teachers had always played a pivotal role in nation building and the development of citizens and society was not possible without their guidance. He said, "PTA teachers had rendered their services in remote areas for years with full honesty and integrity and the government was well aware of their demands. He said that after the continuous efforts of the present state government, these teachers had been merged in the department. About 6500 PTAs, 3300 PATs and 97 Para teachers of the state had been benefited by this decision". He also said that the state government had also regularized 1368 PTA teachers who were left out due to the gap period and late arrival of documents in the Directorate of Education. Jai Ram Thakur assured that the state government was considering to provide benefits of regularization to the regular PTA teachers from the previous date (retrospectively). The Finance Secretary had been asked to study its financial and other aspects and submit the report. He said that the state government had also fulfilled many other demands like provision of casual, medical and maternity leaves to the SMC teachers The Chief Minister said, "The state government had made record recruitments, promotions and regularization of various categories of teachers and non-teaching employees in the Education Department. He said that more than 10 thousand teachers and five thousand non-teaching employees had been recruited during the last five years. More than 8500 teachers had been promoted and more than 20 thousand teachers had been regularized. Apart from this, the process of recruitment of about seven thousand teachers was under progress." He said that Himachal Pradesh had made immense progress in the field of education since its formation. The present state government was giving top priority to this sector and a budget provision of Rs 8412 crore had been made for the education sector in the current financial year. Earlier, the PTA Regular Teachers Association felicitated and honored the Chief Minister. The teachers belonging to Hati community also honored the Chief Minister. Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said that the State Government had taken various employee-friendly decisions under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. The government had fulfilled the long pending demand of teachers of PTA, Para and PAT category. He said that the Chief Minister had always had a humane and sensitive approach towards the problems of various sections of the society. Welcoming the Chief Minister, State President of PTA Regular Teachers Association Harish Thakur said that the State Government and especially Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur understood the issues and demands of the PTA teachers and took important decisions to regularize them and secure their future. Amit Mukhiya, Senior Vice President of PTA Regular Teachers Association presented the vote of thanks. (ANI)
The Union Cooperative and Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday held a virtual meeting with Agriculture Ministers of all BJP-ruled states to promote the idea of natural farming. He, while addressing the Ministers and Chief Ministers, said that the Central government is constantly trying to promote natural farming across the country. The Agriculture Minister of Himachal Pradesh Virender Kanwar said that special efforts are also being made by the Centre to link natural farming with cooperatives. In this meeting, the agenda for giving benefits to farmers by connecting agriculture with cooperatives was discussed. Agriculture Minister Virendra Kanwar, after meeting with Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, said that excellent work is being done in the field of natural farming in Himachal Pradesh". "So far, natural farming is being done on 9,500 acres of land. Himachal Pradesh aims to do natural farming on 50 thousand acres of land. In the meeting today, there was a discussion about selling natural farming products by connecting them with cooperatives", said Agriculture Minister. Kanwar further added that the cooperative has been formed by the Centre with the companies and farmers can take a profit by selling natural farming products here. Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister Virendra Kanwar talked about connecting the farmers of the state with cooperatives to benefit from natural farming. He said that in Himachal Pradesh, the products of natural farming are being procured through 10 Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) so that the benefits of natural farming can be given to the farmers. (ANI)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) top brass including national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a two-day visit to Assam from tomorrow and will inaugurate the biggest office of the party in the northeastern region. According to Assam State BJP president Bhabesh Kalita, the top leaders of the party will inaugurate the newly constructed Assam State BJP office at Basistha area in Guwahati on October 8. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and state party leaders will be present on the occasion. Nadda and Shah will also attend party workers meeting at the Veterinary College playground, Khanapara in Guwahati. "Our party national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will reach Guwahati on October 7 evening and they will attend a party meeting. They will also attend party workers meeting to be held at Veterinary College playground, Khanapara where around 35,000-40,000 party workers across the state will participate," Bhabesh Kalita told ANI. Kalita said preparations for the programmes have already been made. Official sources said Amit Shah will attend a series of official meetings on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. The Union Home Minister will attend the Conference of the Superintendent of Police at the Police Training College at Dergaon on Sunday. He will depart from the state on Sunday following several official engagements. According to BJP office bearers, the soon-to-be inaugurated Assam BJP state headquarters would be the biggest office of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the northeastern region. With state-of-the-art infrastructure, the BJP office is expected to be full of all modern amenities. Spread over 95,000 square feet, the building will have six floors and an open rooftop premise. The new BJP Assam office will have an auditorium to accommodate 350 people along with top hi-tech conference halls with a capacity of 40 people each. It will also have five meeting halls to accommodate a strength of 50 people each. The office will also have a big press conference room along with a reception and a canteen. The foundation stone for this office of the BJP in Assam was laid by the then-party president Amit Shah in February 2019. "Assam is the doorway to the north-east. Assam is the state which actually opened the fortunes for our party in this region," an Assam state office bearer told ANI. Earlier Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a special emphasis on the progress of the north-east region through various programmes and even he himself made over 50 visits to the region. In 2016 the BJP came to power in Assam for the first time breaking the record term of the Congress party and becoming the only party in the state apart from the Congress to have back-to-back governments. In 2017 the BJP formed a government in Manipur and also repeated its government again in 2022. Another first by BJP in the region was the formation of the government in Tripura breaking the Left rule of a couple of decades in 2018. The BJP continues to be in power in Arunachal Pradesh as well as in coalition governments both in Meghalaya and Nagaland. (ANI)
A hybrid terrorist affiliated with the proscribed terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has been apprehended, said Shopian police on Thursday. The police also recovered arms and ammunition including a 9 mm Pistol from his possession The terrorist apprehended has been identified as Yawar Ahmed. A case has been registered and an investigation has been taken up. (ANI)
Google on Thursday announced that the all-new Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro with new-gen Tensor G2 chip are now available for pre-orders in India. Powered by Google's next-generation Tensor G2 processor and shipping with Android 13, Pixel 7 is priced at Rs 59,999 and Pixel 7 Pro is priced at Rs 84,999 in the country. Both devices will be available for purchase starting October 13, said the company. The company said that limited-time launch offers for Google's Pixel 7 and Pixel & 7 Pro in India include Rs 6,000 cashback on Pixel 7 and Rs 8,500 Cashback on Pixel 7 Pro. Pixel 7 Pro has a 6.7-inch immersive display, a polished aluminium frame and a camera bar in three colours: Snow, Obsidian, and a new Hazel colour. With a 6.3-inch display and smaller bezels, Pixel 7 packs advanced features and improvements into a smaller profile in three colours: Snow, Obsidian, and a new Lemongrass colour. "Android 13 on Pixel 7 offers the best Android experience yet. It's fast, smart and secure. Plus, the fresh new style and customisation capabilities makes it feel unique to each user. Users can recolour the look of their app icons to match the aesthetic of their phone's wallpaper, and even assign specific languages to individual apps," explained the company. Tensor G2 is the next-gen processor custom built for Pixel with Google's advanced machine learning and speech recognition. It makes both the devices faster, more efficient, more secure and even more helpful. It delivers Pixel's best photo and video quality with next-gen Super Res zoom, up to two times faster Night Sight processing, sharper photos with Face Unblur and new features like Cinematic Blur, said the company. The Pixel 7 Pro also comes with Macro Focus, which delivers Pixel HDR+ photo quality from as close as three centimetres away. "Photo Unblur", a feature coming first to Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, will use machine learning to improve blurry pictures even old ones. Users can also touch up those photos and easily remove distractions with Magic Eraser'. With Pixel 7's speech recognition technology, the phone will be able to transcribe audio messages on Google's Messages app, so users can easily read them as soon as they receive them, said the company. With Tensor G2 and the Titan M2 security chip, Pixel is built with multiple layers of security to help keep users safe and secure. The company said that average battery life during testing was approximately 31 hours which was conducted on a major operator network. --IANS na/ ( 437 Words) 2022-10-06-21:44:03 (IANS)
A 14-year-old student was allegedly raped by a school teacher in Pakistan's Karachi, local media reported adding that police have detained the man. The incident occurred in Karachi's Surjani town on Wednesday. Senior Superintendent of Police (West) Captain (retd) Faizan Ali as quoted by Dawn said that the police have registered a case against the teacher and detained him on the complaint of the teenager's family. Police surgeon Summaiya Syed said the teenager was examined at the Medicolegal Section of the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. "As per the girl's statement to the examining medico legal officer, she complained of being given some unknown intoxicant in drinks and by injections by the accused for the last two months," she said, reported Dawn. Meanwhile, jail employees in the Attock district of Pakistan's Punjab have been accused of raping and harassing women visiting prisoners, media reports said citing a report by the provincial intelligence centre (PIC). The report further revealed that drug use is widespread in Attock jail due to the presence of powerful mafias on its premises. Inquiring into the affairs of the district jail, the PIC field staff submitted the report to Inspector General of Prisons Mirza Shahid Saleem Baig on September 30. The report said that the allegation by a jail employee about the involvement of some staffers in sexual harassment and rape of women visiting convicts was the most horrifying, reported Dawn. "This is quite disturbing and can lead to a scandal that will reflect poorly on the Punjab administration," it added. Violence against women in Pakistan has become a problem that cannot be neglected, as it has become a social norm in the households. The country is regarded as the sixth most dangerous country for women to live in. Analysts have observed that hitting a woman or exercising domestic violence is much more prevalent in Pakistani households where men consider it a tool to control women. Rights activists suggest that a woman in Pakistani society faces multiple threats because of her gender. She is seen being publicly harassed, raped, or killed in the name of honour by men who commit such crimes without having fear of being punished and charged guilty, Mehmil Khalid wrote for Dunya news. Pakistan has been successful in passing laws to control violence against women. However, the implementation of these laws is still missing, which not only contributes to the cases lingering on but also provides justifications for men to remain adherent to apathy and mistreat women, violating the laws. According to the Pakistan Ministry of Human Rights which cited the country's Demographic and Health Survey (2017-2018), around 28 per cent of women between the ages of 15 and 29 have experienced physical violence. It has been observed that certain cases registered and found with the police contain inaccurate figures that do not define the exact count of violent crimes committed against women in Pakistan. The Human Rights Watch in its Annual World Report 2022 cited allegations of extensive rights abuses against women along with children in Pakistan, which ranks 167 out of 170 countries on the Global Women, Peace and Security Index. "Violence against women and girls, including rape, murder, acid attacks, domestic violence, and forced marriage is endemic throughout Pakistan. Human Rights defenders estimate that roughly 1,000 women are killed in so-called honour killings every year," said the HRW report. (ANI)
An Afghan-American national, who had travelled to Afghanistan for working purpose, has been missing for the past eight weeks, media reports said citing his family member. Mahmood Shah Habibi, the former Afghan Aviation Authority Chief had recently travelled to Afghanistan is missing since August 10, Khaama Press reported. "He has been working as an advisor with a telecom company in Shash-Darak of Kabul for the last 3 years and he did not have any issues being in Afghanistan after the fall of the country in the hands of Taliban", Ahmad Shah said, Habibi's brother told Khaama Press. "Not only Habibi, but 29 other employees of the same company were also arrested on the same day, many of whom were later released", Ahmad Shah said. According to the media outlet, the US side confirmed that they are aware of its citizens being detained in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Afghanistan continues to face an increase in bomb attacks. 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. 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)
This comes just two days after North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan for the first time in five years.

"While strengthening our monitoring and vigilance, our military is maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States," the JCS said in a statement, reported Yonhap News Agency.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches from the Samsok area in Pyongyang between 6:01 am and 6:23 am (local time). It did not provide other details.

The US 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.

Meanwhile, 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)
An eight-month-old baby girl along with her Indian-origin parents and uncle living in the US, who were abducted at gunpoint earlier this week in California were found dead in an orchard in the US state, police said. The bodies of four members of the family, who originally hail from Punjab in India were discovered lying close to each other by a farm worker in a remote orchard in Merced county, Sheriff Vern Warnke said on Wednesday. "Tonight our worse fears have been confirmed," the Sheriff said addressing a press conference. "We found four people from the kidnapping. They are in fact deceased," Sheriff Vern Warnke said. "The family (of the victim) have been notified. We have made arrangements through other contacts to try and get them," he said. The police will process the scene of crime to determine the motive for the killings, he said. The family, according to authorities were taken by a convicted robber who tried to kill himself a day after the kidnappings. The Sheriff described it as a "horribly senseless" act and said that the police did not know the "motivation yet." "We have a whole family wiped out and for what? We don't know yet," he said. 36-year-old Jasdeep Singh, 27-year-old Jasleen Kaur, their eight-month-old child Aroohi Dheri, along with 39-year-old Amandeep Singh were abducted, police said. The news of the missing family was reported on Monday after local authorities found the missing victim's truck on fire in a rural area outside the Merced Country. A surveillance video that was released by the Twitter handle of the Merced County Sheriff's office showed the suspect leading Jasdeep Singh who was carrying baby Aroohi in her arms into a truck and driving away. California fire officials discovered Amandeep Singh's truck ablaze in a rural area outside Merced. "..received information that one of the victim's ATM cards was used at an ATM located at a bank in the City of Atwater. Investigators obtained the surveillance photo of a subject making a bank transaction where the person is similar in appearance to the surveillance photo from the original kidnapping scene," the Merced County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Authorities have identified the suspect in the kidnapping as one 48-year-old Jesus Manuel Salgado and have taken him into custody. Prior to law enforcement involvement, Salgado attempted to take his own life and is currently receiving medical attention and in critical condition, the Sheriff's office statement said. On Monday, Merced County Sheriff informed that there is evidence leading investigators to believe that the suspected kidnapper attempted to destroy evidence. (ANI)
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann expressed condolences over the death of an Indian-origin family, who were found dead in California, a few days after they were abducted at gunpoint earlier this week in the US state. In a Twitter post on Thursday, Mann also made an appeal to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to conduct a high-level inquiry into the death of the family who had origins in the state of Punjab. "There was news of kidnapping and murder of four Indians in California, in which an 8-month-old girl has also been murdered. Very sad to hear this news. I share my grief with the families of the victims... and also appeal to the Union Minister of External Affairs @DrSJaishankar to conduct a high-level inquiry into the matter," CM Mann tweeted. The Punjab CM's request came shortly after Merced county police informed that the Indian-origin family, including an eight-month-old baby girl, were found dead in an orchard in California. The bodies of four members of the family, who originally hail from Punjab in India were discovered lying close to each other by a farm worker in a remote orchard in Merced county, Sheriff Vern Warnke said on Wednesday. "Tonight our worse fears have been confirmed," the Sheriff said addressing a press conference. "We found four people from the kidnapping. They are in fact deceased," Sheriff Vern Warnke said. "The family (of the victims) have been notified. We have made arrangements through other contacts to try and get them," he said. The police will process the scene of crime to determine the motive for the killings, he said. The Sheriff described it as a "horribly senseless" act and said that the police did not know the "motivation yet." "We have a whole family wiped out and for what? We don't know yet," he said. 36-year-old Jasdeep Singh, 27-year-old Jasleen Kaur, their eight-month-old child Aroohi Dheri, along with 39-year-old Amandeep Singh were abducted, police said. The news of the missing family was reported on Monday after local authorities found the missing victims' truck on fire in a rural area outside the Merced County. A surveillance video that was released by the Twitter handle of the Merced County Sheriff's office showed the suspect leading Jasdeep Singh who was carrying baby Aroohi in his arms into a truck and driving away. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar called on New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in Auckland on Thursday and conveyed the personal greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jaishankar, who is on his first visit to the country, discussed ways to deepen India-New Zealand ties with PM Ardern. "Pleasure to call on Prime Minister @jacindaardern of New Zealand. Conveyed the personal greetings of PM @narendramodi. Discussed deepening our bilateral cooperation through focused engagement in areas of strength," Jaishankar tweeted. Before meeting PM Ardern, Jaishankar held talks with his New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta, during which he took up visa issues being faced by Indian students due to Covid-19 measures imposed by the country. During the discussion with minister Mahuta, Jaishankar requested expeditious visa processing for Indian students who desire to study in New Zealand. "Took up the issue of Indian students impacted by Covid measures. Urged expeditious visa processing of those desirous of studying in New Zealand now," he tweeted. Jaishankar said if India and New Zealand play to their strengths, including business, education, and agriculture, both the countries can cooperate on pressing global issues including climate action, pandemics and maritime security. The external affairs minister also appreciated the exchange of views on international concerns such as the Indo-Pacific and the Ukraine conflict. He also said India values its working relationship with New Zealand in multilateral forums including the UN and Commonwealth. This is ongoing visit is Jaishankar's first trip to New Zealand. A day earlier, the EAM had met with the first Indian-origin Minister of New Zealand Priyanca Radhakrishnan. "Good to meet Minister @priyancanzlp today in Auckland. Thank her for an interactive session with prominent personalities of New Zealand. Committed to furthering our relationship," Jaishankar said in an earlier tweet. Following the ceremonial call on, Jaishankar and PM Ardern are expected to release India@75 postage stamps to commemorate and showcase Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsavin New Zealand. Minister Jaishankar will launch the book 'Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery'. A book showcasing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special bond with the Sikh community 'Heartfelt - The Legacy of Faith' will also be released, according to MEA. After finishing his New Zealand visit, EAM will be visiting Canberra and Sydney. It will be EAM's second visit to Australia this year, the first being in February 2022 to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Melbourne. Jaishankar will also be meeting Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles. (ANI)
Netanyahu, 72, began to feel unwell during religious fasting at Jerusalem's Great Synagogue, The Times of Israel reported.

He underwent several checks at the synagogue, which later came out normal. According to the Israeli newspaper, Netanyahu's test results were all normal and he had already "returned to full activity".

After he was released from the health centre, Netanyahu thanked the hospital staff for their care.

"Former prime minister Netanyahu arrived independently at Shaare Zedek Medical Center after feeling unwell at the end of the Yom Kippur fast. Immediately upon his arrival, he underwent an assessment and a wide-ranging series of tests, all of which came out normal," the hospital was quoted as saying by The Times of Israel.

"Former prime minister Netanyahu is feeling well, and after consultations, it was decided that he would stay in the hospital overnight for observation," the statement added.

Netanyahu tweeted on Wednesday night "thanking everyone for the support and the love."

The former Israeli Prime Minister's hospitalization comes ahead of the fifth national election in under four years. (ANI)
Reiterating that a permanent seat, as well as reforms of the UN Security Council, remains India's main priority, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Thursday asserted that India voices the interest and aspirations of a broad set of countries and added that the contemporary global issues cannot be solved by few countries only. While addressing Auckland community business Jaishankar said, "There is a widespread acceptance that the problems of today cannot be solved by one, two or even five of the countries in the United Nations Security Council. When we look at the reforms at the United Nations Security Council, we have an interest in becoming a permanent member of the security council." Currently, United Nations Security Council, also known as the Permanent Five or P5, are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States and India has been reiterating its bid for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council. Over the multilateral Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) grouping, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar reiterated that not joining RCEP was the "right decision." During Jaishankar's address to Auckland Community business, he noted, "When it came to the RCEP, we took a decision in 2019 not to proceed in joining the RCEP. We weigh the pros and cons. We did an evaluation and many of the critical issues were not addressed in the final outcome." He continued saying, "India went back to the other 15 countries and shared some of its anxieties with them but they collectively took the view that they had gone as far as they could. So we decided that it was not in our interest." India joined the 15-nation 'Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations in 2012. In 2019, 15 nations, including China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand among others, signed the free trade agreement. However, India walked out of the negotiations, citing national interests. He also emphasized that climate change also remains one of the top issues in today's time. Pointing to the discriminatory approaches adopted in the world in responding to the COVID pandemic, Jaishankar said that the pandemic has revealed to us "how iniquitous and how selfish this world is." "I am not taking a moral position. There were several discriminatory policies. If you go to South Africa there is a strong sense of anger and how they were treated during COVID," Jaishankar added. Moreover, Jaishankar said Thursday that India is one of the biggest manufacturers of vaccines, and even while vaccinating Indians, the country has helped others. Addressing the Auckland community business here, Jaishankar said, "During Covid, we were one of the biggest manufacturers of vaccines. We still are. And even while we were vaccinating our own people we took a very conscious decision to help others and we prioritized countries that don't have access to the free vaccines." Jaishankar also said that the entire world is suffering from the Russia-Ukraine war and mentioned the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan as also a big issue. Responding to a question about the existence of a binary view in the world and India's position in that, Jaishankar believed that the binary view is "outdated" and said, "One of the changes we have seen in the last few years is the US itself much more open to working with countries outside the traditional alliance or treaty or relationship." "So, you have mechanisms like the court, which involves some traditional alliance for the US but also a country like India, which has historically stayed away from alliances and treaties,"he added. "You know my sense of why we should really pit the binary framework to rest if you look at the distribution of power which are the major economies of the world. Economies large enough to have an impact on global decision-making," he added. He also said that in the 1970s and 80s the decisions were mainly taken by G7 countries but with time the decisions' centrality shifted to G20. Jaishankar said that India is the fifth-largest economy in nominal terms and is expected to become third largest by the end of the decade. The External Affairs Minister recalled that India was requested to press the Russians on the issue regarding the safety of Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant when the countries increased their fighting near the nuclear facility. Jaishankar said, "When I was in the United Nations, the big concern at that time was the safety of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant because there was some fighting going on very proximate to it." "There was a request to us to press the Russians on that issue which we did. There have been other concerns at various points in time, either different countries have raised with us or the UN has raised with us. I think at this time whatever we can do, we will be willing to do," the EAM added. Earlier, Jaishankar held talks with his New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta and took up visa issues being faced by Indian students due to Covid-19 measures imposed by the country. In Auckland, EAM will participate in an event on October 6 along with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to felicitate members of the Indian community in New Zealand for their exceptional achievements and contributions. After wrapping up his New Zealand visit, the EAM will be visiting Canberra and Sydney. (ANI)
Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan will pay a four-day official visit to the US, starting today. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, the Union Minister will be in the US from October 6-9. In the first part of his visit, Muraleedharan will go to New York from Oct 6-7, where he will participate in the high-level UN Security Council debate, on "Peace and Security in Africa: Strengthening the fight against the financing of armed groups and terrorists through the illicit trafficking of natural resources." The UNSC meeting is a signature initiative of Gabon's Presidency of the Security Council and is likely to be presided over by the Foreign Minister of Gabon. On the second day, MoS will attend an event to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the India-UN Development Partnership Fund. Established in 2017, the USD 150 million India-UN Development Partnership Fund is supported and led by the Government of India and implemented in collaboration with the United Nations system, the statement reads. The Fund supported Southern-owned and led, demand-driven and transformational sustainable development projects across the developing world, focusing on the least-developed countries and small island developing States. During his visit, Muraleedharan is also likely to meet senior UN officials as well as Ministers of other member states attending the UNSC meeting. In the second part of his visit, MoS will also be visiting Atlanta between October 8-9 for Indian community-related engagements, the statement added. Earlier, Muraleedharan paid a visit to Oman where he signed a historic MoU to launch the Rupay debit card, paving the way for a new era of financial connectivity. Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan witnessed the signing of the MoU and met Tahir Al Amri, Executive President of the Central Bank of Oman. MoS Muraleedharan arrived in the capital city of Oman, Muscat on Monday for a two-day visit to deepen ties between both nations. MoS was on a three-day visit to Oman where he visited Oman Investment Authority and met Executive President, Abdulsalam Al Murshidi. MoU apprised him of huge investment opportunities in the infrastructure and energy sectors in India and highlighted the policy initiatives being taken in India to spur growth. (ANI)
"Discussions focussed on India's contributions to UN Peacekeeping, including through initiatives like UNITE AWARE, that enhance safety of UN peacekeepers," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations arrived in India today, along with United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for UN Peacebuilding, Elizabeth Spehar and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the DRC, Head of MONUSCO, Bintou Keita.

"Secretary (West) @SanjayVermalFS received UN Under Secretary-General @Lacroix_UN in New Delhi today. USG was accompanied by UN ASG for Peacebuilding Support @ElizabethSpehar, MONUSCO SRSG @UN_BintouKeita," Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

UN Under-Secretary-General is in India to attend the Challenges Annual Forum (CAF22) being held in the national capital on September 6-7 to discuss how future peace operations can remain relevant in a world of growing geopolitical friction.

On the first day of the event, the UN Under-Secretary-General interacted with the students and discussed various topics related to global peace and security.

"Great to hear from students in #India about their commitment to support int'l efforts to end war & mobilize for peace, development & a healthy planet. As global tensions rise and conflicts increase, young people are fundamental to secure a better future for all," UN Under-Secretary-General said in a tweet.

"Strengthening @UNPeacekeeping to be more proactive, robust & innovative is a top priority as we face increasing global division & rapidly evolving conflicts. With the right mindsets, training & technology, we can better protect civilians and peacekeepers," he added.

According to the International Forum for the Challenges of Peace Operations, the event includes partners, keynote speakers and a high-level panel.

"In the run-up to the New Agenda for Peace and the Summit of the Future in 2023, the CAF22 provides a unique chance for policymakers, scholars, practitioners and civil society representatives to engage in high-level conversations as well as dialogue-driven workshops and help identify effective solutions," as per the Challenges Forum.

"The CAF22 will be co-hosted by our Indian partner the United Service Institution of India (USI)," Challenges Forum noted. (ANI)
Highlighting that a violence-free Africa is necessary to prevent external forces including terrorists exploiting resource-rich region, MoS V. Muraleedharan said that those "guilty of aiding and supporting terrorism" in different parts of Africa and simultaneously exploiting the resources must be held accountable by the international community. Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan made these remarks during a UNSC debate titled "Peace and Security in Africa: Strengthening the fight against the financing of armed groups and terrorists through the illicit trafficking of natural resources." In recent years, MoS said, terrorist and armed groups have been making deep inroads by exploiting security gaps and fragile governance institutions in the continent, particularly in the Horn of Africa, Sahel and East and Central Africa. He highlighted that the terrorist groups are accentuating their funding by exploiting the resource-rich region. "These regions have remained vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist financing. Terrorist and armed groups are increasingly funding their activities through illegal exploitation of natural resources and trafficking of wildlife, and extortion, etc., amongst other well-known activities." Pointing out the new ways used by the terrorist groups, MoS added that these outfits are financing their activities by exploiting the rapid development of information and communication technology as well as other technologies related to financial transactions, encryption, and varied modes of transportation and delivery. The Minister said that preventing these inimical outfits from accessing financial resources, therefore, is "crucial to effectively counter their violent attacks." MoS pointed out that while some states lack the legal-operational frameworks and necessary counter-financing of terrorism capacities, there are other states that are "clearly guilty of aiding and supporting terrorism", and "wilfully" providing financial assistance and safe havens to terrorists. Calling out to enhance capacities of counter-financing of terrorism, MoS said that the international community must collectively call out those guilty of aiding terrorism and "hold them accountable to such double speak." "The global fight against terrorism cannot succeed without conscious and coordinated efforts to counter financing of terrorism; and nor can the global fight against armed groups. Flagging key aspects for Council's consideration, MoS said, first up, there is a need to recognize the fact that terrorism, like armed conflicts, is expanding in Africa. "Al-Qaida and ISIL affiliated terrorist groups in different parts of Africa have gathered significant strength in the recent years, thriving on the illegal mining of artisan gold, rare minerals, gemstones, uranium, coal, timber etc. through illegal trade networks facilitated by transnational criminal networks." "Terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab have put in place elaborate revenue collection networks, to support their terrorist activities. If left unaddressed, terrorism may seriously jeopardize peace prospects in several parts of Africa, which is already ravaged by armed conflicts," he added. Second, he said, ISIL and Al-Qaeda linked and inspired groups in Africa are embedding themselves in multiple domestic conflicts, attempting to influence and control the political agenda. "Engaging them in national reconciliation will only provide legitimacy to terrorism as well give them access to necessary financial means and resources. This will be a self-defeating goal. What we need is a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of terrorism, irrespective of its motivations," Muraleedharan said. Thirdly, MoS said that regional and sub-regional measures need to be strengthened further in line with the standards prescribed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). "The African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the States of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) have been playing an important role in combating financing of terrorism. "The initiatives such as the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa; regulations against money-laundering and terrorist financing of CEMAC have helped in creating institutional frameworks in the African states." MoS said the fourth key aspect is that it is important that Member States, including African States, bring their anti-money laundering and terror financing monitoring frameworks at par with international standards, including those promoted by FATF. "We also believe more cooperation between the FATF and the various UN entities, including the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) will benefit Member States." He upheld FATF saying that the watchdog has been promoting effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. MoS said that the international community needs to enhance assistance to African countries to strengthen their capacities to fight the illegal exploitation of natural resources and trade. "Furthermore, a violence-free Africa would need to be freed from the shackles of external forces driving the exploitation of natural resources in Africa." In this regard, the Minister said India has been calling for a development paradigm that is Africa-led and Africa-owned and centred on the progress and development of the people of Africa. "India has been contributing proactively to further international co-operation to combat financing of terrorism at regional and international level. In 2018, India contributed USD 550,000 to the UNOCT's programmes targeting capacity building of countries in East and Southern Africa. In 2021 too, we have contributed one million dollars to further strengthen these efforts." He said that there is also a need to support national and regional security initiatives as well as capacity-building efforts towards effective border surveillance and security. "African security initiatives such as Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), South African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM), and African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), have proven their success in countering terrorism." "These are Africa's home-grown solutions, led by African countries who have a better understanding of their issues. The international community should provide sustainable and adequate financial and logistical support to such regional security initiatives." Lastly, he said concluding that the continuing lack of representation of Africa in the permanent category of the UN Security Council's membership is an historical injustice that needs to be corrected sooner than later. "Given that more than half of the Security Council's work is focused on Africa, India has been consistently calling for greater representation of Africa, through an increase in both permanent and non- permanent categories of this Council's membership, in line with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration." He apprised the UNSC members that India has been at the forefront of the global fight against terrorism. As a country, he noted that India itself has been a "victim of state-sponsored cross-border terrorism" for nearly past three decades and thus is acutely aware of the socio-economic and human cost of terrorism. "In 1996, long before the adoption of Resolution 1373, India took the initiative to pilot the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism with the objective of providing a comprehensive legal framework to combating terrorism. We have signed and ratified all the major conventions and protocols on terrorism adopted by the UN, and are part of all major global initiatives including FATF." As the Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee this year, India would be hosting its special meeting in Mumbai and New Delhi later this month on 28-29 October. MoS reiterated the invitation to member states to participate in this upcoming meeting and hoped that it will contribute positively towards creating a global architecture, which is fit for purpose and effectively responds to the new tech tools deployed by terrorists and its backers, against open, diverse and pluralistic societies. Muraleedharan congratulated Gabon with best wishes and greetings on its Presidency of the Security Council for this month. Gabon, central African country, officially took over as President of the UN Security Council for the month of October. MoS stressed that the topic chosen for the debate is extremely important not just for Africa, but for all, in the context of global fight against terrorism. (ANI)
The death toll in the deadly clashes between Iran's security forces and people in Zahedan, the capital of Iran's Sistan and Balochistan Province, has risen to 82, Amnesty International said Thursday. Protests in Zahedan populated by the Baluchi ethnic minority took place after Friday prayers on September 30 as a show of solidarity with nationwide protests and to demand accountability for the reported rape of a 15-year-old girl by a police commander in the province. Widely referred to by Iranians as "bloody Friday", the clashes on September 30 marked the deadliest day on record since protests started spreading across Iran nearly three weeks ago, after Mahsa Amini died in custody following her arrest by Iran's "morality" police, the international rights group said. At least 66 people, including children, were killed and hundreds of others were injured during a violent clash after Friday prayers on September 30 in Zahedan, Sistan and Baluchistan province. Since then, another 16 people were killed in separate incidents in Zahedan amid ongoing clashes. As the death numbers continue to surge, the group pointed out that evidence gathered from activists, victims' families, eyewitness testimonies, and images and videos of the protests suggest the real death toll from Zahedan is likely to be higher. "The Iranian authorities have repeatedly shown utter disregard for the sanctity of human life and will stop at nothing to preserve power. The callous violence being unleashed by Iran's security forces is not occurring in a vacuum. It is the result of systematic impunity and a lacklustre response by the international community," said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International's Secretary General. "It is particularly abhorrent that nearly three years after the November 2019 protests, in which hundreds of people were unlawfully killed, the Iranian authorities have shamelessly continued their ruthless assault on human life. The only way to break the impunity that empowers such actions is for UN member states to urgently establish an independent investigative and accountability mechanism for the most serious crimes under international law committed in Iran," she added. After the news spread, deadly clashes broke out in Zahedan which is home to the Baluch ethnic minority that largely adheres to Sunni Islam in predominantly Shiite Iran, an Abu Dhabi-based news portal The National News Quoting Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO. (ANI)
INS Tarangini, the first Sail Training Ship of the Indian Navy made a port call at Port Said in Egypt on Wednesday as part of Lokayan 2022, a 14-nation voyage of the ship. The ship was welcomed by officials of the Egyptian Navy and the Embassy of India. During the port call, the ship will participate in various official and professional interactions and social engagements. The ship will remain open for visitors during her stay. Indian and friendly foreign country sea trainees are embarked onboard for sail training. INS Tarangini embarked for Lokayan 2022, a 14-nation voyage, on April 6 this year from the Naval Jetty at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi. During her seven-month-long voyage, the ship will call on 17 ports covering a distance of 17,485 nautical miles. The voyage was flagged off by Rear Admiral Antony George, Chief of Staff, Southern Naval Command. The voyage includes the main aspect of training under trainee officers that form a part of the first Training Squadron, as well as to participate in prestigious Tall Ship Race events in Harlingen, Antwerp and Aalborg. "INS Tarangini, the sail training ship of Southern Naval Command is embarking for a seven-month long voyage for participating in tall ship races as well as to impart training to our sea training. The ship will touch 17 ports and visit 14 countries," Rear Admiral Antony George had said earlier. On the occasion of the 75th Independence Day as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Indian Navy personnel onboard INS Tarangini hoist the national flag at sea in Europe, making it a highlight of the Tarangini's voyage. The ship will come back to Kochi in November this year. INS Tarangini is a three-masted barque, commissioned in 1997 as a sail training ship for the Indian Navy. The ship was constructed in Goa to a design by the British naval architect Colin Mudie and launched on December 1, 1995. She became the first Indian naval ship to circumnavigate the globe in 2003-04. The year 2022 is of particular significance since it marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Egypt. Egypt and India also enjoy cordial defence relations. There was close cooperation between the Air Forces, with efforts at jointly developing a fighter aircraft in the 1960s. IAF pilots had also trained Egyptian pilots from the 1960s until 1984. In the recent past, since 2015, there have been several high-level exchanges of visits by defence delegations. (ANI)
An Islamabad district and sessions court on Thursday granted interim bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in a case related to his controversial remarks against a female judge at a rally in August. Khan appeared before the court today amid tight security. The session court judge Kamran Basharat Mufti presided over the hearing and granted interim bail to Khan till October 13 after approving Khan's interim bail plea, filed by Khan's lawyer Babar Awan, the Dawn reported. Khan has been asked to pay surety bonds of Rs 50,000. During the brief hearing, Civil Judge Kamran Basharat inquired if this was Imran's first bail application to which Imran Khan's lawyer Awan replied in the affirmative. "Hearing in another case has been fixed for October 13." While speaking to the media after the hearing, Awan said that all the cases against Khan were false and a "conspiracy by the imported government", the Dawn reported. "PTI is returning [to power] with one-third majority. If there is anyone who can bring change, it is Imran Khan," he said. The lawyer said that the PTI chair has never ever stated an excuse for being ill. Notably, a case was registered against Imran Khan at the Margalla Police Station and when Khan did not appear in court, a judicial magistrate had issued an arrest warrant. In contrast, the Islamabad High Court had then granted Khan protective bail till October 7. Last week, Senior Civil Judge Rana Mujahid Rahim issued arrest warrants for Imran on September 30. On September 19, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered the removal of terrorism sections from the case registered against the PTI chief. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz announced the verdict on a PTI plea to quash the terrorism case against Imran. Subsequently, the case was transferred to a sessions court and the PTI chief had not obtained his bail. Later, on October 2, the PTI chief approached IHC with a plea for pre-arrest bail through his counsel Babar Awan. The court accepted the plea and instructed Imran to appear before a lower court before October 7. In the plea, Imran Khan said a terrorism case was initially filed against him, however, he added that the high court later struck down the charges and the case was transferred. On Tuesday, a five-member bench, headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah in Islamabad High court dismissed the show cause notice issued to Imran Khan after he agreed to apologise for his controversial remarks against Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zeba Chaudhry at an August 20 public rally. The court said that it was satisfied by Imran Khan's apology over the remarks against Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry, Dawn reported. Notably, 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)
One person was killed while five others were injured in a stabbing attack on the Las Vegas Strip on Thursday (local media), according to police. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said that a suspect was in custody. This incident occurred just before 11:45 am when the police received reports of multiple victims on South Las Vegas Boulevard near the Wynn Las Vegas hotel. "At approximately 11:42 a.m., the LVMPD received a report of a stabbing with multiple victims in front of a casino in the 3100 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard. At this time, at least six victims have been located. One victim has been declared deceased," the police department tweeted. The injured has been shifted to hospital for the treatment. "Other victims are being transported to area hospitals with unknown extent of injuries. The suspect has been taken into custody. This is an ongoing investigation. There are road closures in the area. Citizens are advised to avoid the area," the police said further. Yesterday, at least 18 people were killed and three others injured in a deadly shooting incident in southwest Mexico. The gunmen opened fire at city hall in the state of Guerrero on Wednesday afternoon, killing more than a dozen people including the city mayor, BNO News reported citing local officials. "Among the more than 20 dead, they confirm a minor under 12 years of age in San Miguel Totolapan. Guerrero #Mexico #Violencia In the centre of the city, in front of the Town Hall, rides were being set up for the fair," a Mexican journalist Jacob Morales A said in a tweet. The shooting incident is the latest in the series of attack which has rattled Mexico in recent weeks. (ANI)
Former US President Donald Trump, who was 'permanently suspended' by Twitter in January last year, may return to the micro-blogging platform if Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk buys out Twitter, as he has sweetened the deal now by reconsidering his original offer of $44 billion. Musk has said that he would lift the ban on Trump once he buys Twitter. Trump's Twitter account was permanently suspended 'due to the risk of further incitement of violence', the company had said after the supporters of then President Trump stormed the US Capitol on January 6 last year. Twitter had said the decision was made "after close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account". Musk's decision this week to once again move forward with his deal to acquire Twitter could see the return to the platform of Trump, once the world's most influential 'tweeter', CNN reported. Though Trump has originally stated that he would stick to his own social media platform, Truth Social, rather than return to Twitter, the former President may find the lure of tens of millions of Twitter followers difficult to resist. "I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump; I think that was a mistake," Musk had said at a conference some time ago, pledging to reverse the ban were he to become the company's owner. Despite agreeing to take over the company earlier this year, Musk soured on the idea over the summer and spent months battling to get out of it. Twitter sued him to force him to complete the deal. His U-turn and decision to go ahead with buying the company came to light in a securities filing on Tuesday, just two weeks before he and Twitter are due to go to court. Twitter said on Tuesday that it was intent on closing the deal, opening the possibility that Musk could take over the company within weeks, if the deal is completed. The company's board and shareholders had previously approved the deal, but uncertainties remain. Twitter will have to decide how to play ball with Musk, taking into account his prior waffling on the deal - a negotiation process that could come down to how to ensure the world's richest man will actually cut a check this time, CNN said. If the deal goes through, it could soon return to Trump what was once his preferred social media platform. Trump, whose tweets as President often drove the agenda in Washington, had almost 90 million followers before he was banned permanently by the platform two days after the January 6 attack on the Capitol (though it's unclear whether Trump would automatically regain his followers if unbanned). It may be recalled that a few weeks after he began his bid to take over Twitter, Musk had argued, "Banning Trump from Twitter didn't end Trump's voice, it will amplify it among the right and this is why it's morally wrong and flat out stupid." Musk has also said he's against permanent bans more broadly, which could open the door for far-right personalities and conspiracy theorists to return to the platform. Jack Dorsey, who was the CEO of Twitter when the company banned Trump, but has since left the company, responded to Musk's comments saying he agreed that there should not be permanent bans. He said Trump's ban was a "business decision" and it "shouldn't have been". Musk's comments came just as Trump was about to begin posting on his own social media platform, Truth Social. Trump told Fox News at the time that he would not return to Twitter, even if he were allowed. "I am not going on Twitter, I am going to stay on Truth," Trump told Fox News. He added, "I hope Elon buys Twitter because he'll make improvements to it and he is a good man, but I am going to stay on Truth." But relations between the pair seem to have soured since, with the men publicly trading barbs over the summer. After Trump called Musk a "bullsh*t artist" at a rally in July, Musk responded by tweeting, "I don't hate the man, but it's time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset." Trump has not commented on Musk's decision to revive the deal this week. Trump's potential return to Twitter comes just a few months before he could also be allowed to return to Meta's Facebook and Instagram. Unlike Twitter, which said it had permanently banned Trump, Meta (formerly Facebook) said it would review its ban after two years - meaning the former President could be returning to its platforms as soon as January 2023, just when the next presidential race is set to begin. --IANS ash/arm ( 801 Words) 2022-10-06-21:44:02 (IANS)
A Raj Bhavan official said that the Governor and the Australian Senator talked about the Myanmar refugee issue and how Mizoram is handling the situation.

Kambhampati briefed Smith about the number of Myanmar refugees in the state and how the civil society groups are extending help to them on humanitarian grounds.

The Senator shared the views of the Australian government on the refugee issue.

He also shared the condition of the Chin community (a tribal community) in Australia and how the Australian government is observing the situation in Myanmar after the military coup there.

The Governor also expressed his delight over the growing partnership between the two countries in trade and other areas.

Smith told Kambhampati that India-Australia ties are now stronger than ever.

As per official records, the majority of around 30,400 Myanmar refugees are sheltered in Mizoram at over 156 camps in all the 11 districts.

The Myanmarese are provided with food, medicines and other relief materials by the state government, NGOs, churches and village authorities.

The Myanmar nationals took shelter in Mizoram after the military junta led by army chief General Min Aung Hlaing seized power in the neighbouring country in February last year.

Mizoram shares 510 km unfenced border with Myanmar.

--IANS sc/arm

( 258 Words)

2022-10-06-22:08:03 (IANS)
BitsAndSplits / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Its our favorite spooky time of year again, where kids dress up in scary costumes and adults embarrass their kids in silly costumes. Youre never too old to dress up for Halloween. In fact, make it an event, throw a party for your friends, and do it on a budget too.

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Here are ten easy Halloween costumes for women that dont cost too much.

Milkshake

If you love to drink a milkshake, now you can be your favorite flavor on Halloween. All you need is a dress or jumpsuit in a single color to reflect vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry shake flavors. A dress at Goodwill is only $5.99 if you need to buy one.

The only part that will require some creativity is making the cherry-on-top hat. Theres an easy tutorial at Studio DIY that requires a simple headband  you can get a 3 pack at Target for $3.99  some white stuffing, ($5.99 for 12 oz. at JoAnns Crafts) a red balloon and some red felt. You could buy all the supplies for less than $17.

Bag of Ice

This costume couldnt get any simpler. You need one actual large bag of ice (just the bag, of course), a white or blue t-shirt, and a white or blue pair of pants or shorts (depending on how cold it is in your area). A 20-pound bag of ice is $4-6 at supermarkets, and chances are thats all youll need to spend. However, if you need to buy the outfit, you can get a blouse or shirt at Goodwill for $4.49 or less, and pants for $5.99 or less.

Bubble Bath

Take everybodys favorite comfort activity to a whole new level with this bubble bath costume, courtesy of Good Housekeeping. All you need is a cute shower cap and a whole lotta white balloons. You could wear flesh-toned clothing that matches your skin tone, or all white. A cute, reusable shower cap at Amazon is just $6.95 and a 100-pack of white balloons is $7.59. This whole outfit would cost you a bit less than $15.

Nail Polish

Halloween is a fun time to reimagine everyday things into wild costumes. Turn yourself into your favorite nail polish shade with some cardboard, poster paint and glue. You can go with fancier tools as recommended by Club Crafted  including a hot glue gun, spray paint and stencils  or go low budget.

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You can surely find a cardboard box free. Tempera paints will cost you $6.46 at Walmart for a pack of six, though you can buy individual bottles for much less. A bottle of Aleenes all purpose tacky glue is $4.88 at Walmart, as well. Fit the box to your body, paint it with the brand and color of a well known nail polish brand, like Essie, and fashion a piece of stiff white paper into the handle on a headband or clip, which you may already own or can get for under $5.

Piece of Bubblegum

Another edibly-inspired Halloween costume is to go as a piece of gum, according to Studio DIY. Youll need a pink dress, jumpsuit or top and bottom in the most neon pink you can find, and some cut-out letters to spell out bubblegum or the brand of your choice, along with some pink balloons.

If you have to buy the dress and can find one secondhand, youll pay about $5.99 at Goodwill. Or, the online retailer Shein sells one for just $8, brand new. Walmart sells a pack of white paper cut out letters for $4.78 and pink balloons are 97 cents each at Walmart. So youd be looking at about $12-20 for this costume.

Farmer

Modern farmers probably have a lot of different outfits, but the iconic image of a farmer is often overalls paired over a flannel shirt. If this isnt already in your closest, a pair of overalls at Goodwill will probably cost the same as a pair of jeans, about $5.99, and a flannel shirt about $4.99.

You can even mock up your own USDA seal of approval with your printer and some cardboard. This outfit should cost you about $12 if you can buy items secondhand.

Instagram or Snapchat Filter

Consider this simple Instagram filter (or Snapchat), suggested by Good Housekeeping. All you need is a big piece of cardboard to cut out like a frame, and whatever filter props would make your outfit. They went with a dog filter with puppy ears (paper and a headband), and whiskers and a nose drawn on with some costume makeup.

Draw, paint, or print out the filter tools at the bottom of your poster board frame. You can probably make this whole costume for $5-$10. [x]

Social Media

On a related note, consider going a little meta for your Halloween costume by dressing up as your preferred social media platform. A Pinterest user interpreted it by wearing all black, adding a cut-out of the Pinterest logo and pasting on a variety of pictures to her chest. All youd need is a printer and clothes you can find in your own closet.

Here are some other ideas: Cut out paper statuses and pair with the Facebook logo, or curate some photos of people on vacation along with the Instagram logo.

50 Shades of Grey

How about a Halloween costume thats a little tongue in cheek? Take the title of the adult fan fiction 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James, and get literal with it.

Using either a printer or paint sample cards (which are free), plaster 50 pieces of gray paper/cards to a black or dark shirt over dark pants or skirt. You could also go with a dress. Given that most people likely have dark clothing in their closets, this costume could essentially be free.

Ketchup or Mustard

Food related costumes are fun and silly and often get a lot of laughs among friends. Consider being a life-sized condiment with this simple ketchup or mustard costume, courtesy of Studio DIY.

You need a red or yellow dress/jumpsuit or shirt and pants combo for your main outfit. Then, you can make a spout hat out of a couple pieces of paper or felt, a paper plate or disposable tin container and a headband. The paper and felt will cost about $1 each at most craft stores. You can probably snag a free plate from a friend or family member, and a headband will run you between $1 and $4.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Easy Halloween Costumes for Women That Are Budget-Friendly
An ancient statue of Hercules dating back nearly 2,000 years has been discovered in Greece. The sculpture was found as part of a building and is "larger than life," according to Greece's Ministry of Culture and Sports.

A team of researchers from Aristotle University was carrying out an excavation in the ancient city of Philippi when they uncovered an ornate building or fountain with special architectural decoration. The building dates back to the 8th or 9th century.

The building included a statue of Hercules that dates back to Roman times, or 2nd century. The Roman-era statues found in this area adorned buildings until the subsequent Byzantine period, according to the ministry.

Photos of the Hercules sculpture show it was embedded under rock and dirt when it was discovered in Philippi. / Credit: Greece's Ministry of Culture and Sports

Photos of the Hercules sculpture show it embedded under rock and dirt, and when it was excavated, parts of the statue were detached. The statue also included a club, which was found in fragments, and a lion hanging from the outstretched left hand, which were meant to symbolize a hero.

Hercules is one of the most famous figures from Greek mythology. He was born human, but with godly strength, and his father was Zeus, ruler of all gods and humans.

Philippi was the site where Mark Antony, the Roman general under Julius Cesar, and Augustus, who later became emperor, led a battle that killed Brutus and Cassius, who assassinated Julius Caesar.

The city was developed as a "small Rome" when the Roman empire was established decades later.

Thousands of years later, its remains lie in northeastern Greece. There is a theater and temple, Roman buildings like a forum, or court, and basilicas, which were built when Christianity was established in the city, according to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

CBS News has reached out to Aristotle University and the lead researcher on the excavation for more information and is awaiting response.

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JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  Two Russians who said they fled the country to avoid military service have requested asylum in the U.S. after landing in a small boat on a remote Alaska island in the Bering Sea, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski's office said Thursday.

Karina Borger, a spokesperson for the Alaska Republican senator, said in an email that the office has been in communication with the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection and that the Russian nationals reported that they fled one of the coastal communities on the east coast of Russia to avoid compulsory military service.

Thousands of Russian men have fled since President Vladimir Putin announced a mobilization to bolster Russian forces in Ukraine. While Putin said the move was aimed at calling up about 300,000 men with past military service, many Russians fear it will be broader.

Spokespersons with the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection referred a reporters questions to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security public affairs office, which provided little information Thursday. The office, in a statement, said the people were transported to Anchorage for inspection, which includes a screening and vetting process, and then subsequently processed in accordance with applicable U.S. immigration laws under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The agency said the two Russians arrived Tuesday on a small boat. It did not provide details on where they came from, their journey or the asylum request. It was not immediately clear what kind of boat they were on.

Alaska's senators, Republicans Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, on Thursday said the two Russians landed at a beach near the town of Gambell, an isolated Alaska Native community of about 600 people on St. Lawrence Island. Sullivan said he was alerted to the matter by a senior community leader from the Bering Strait region on Tuesday morning.

Gambell is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) from the western Alaska hub community of Nome and about 36 miles (58 kilometers) from the Chukotka Peninsula, Siberia, according to a community profile on a state website. The remote, 100-mile (161-kilometer) long island, which includes Savoonga, a community of about 800 people, receives flight services from a regional air carrier. Residents rely heavily on a subsistence way of life, harvesting from the sea fish, whales and other marine life.

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A person who responded to an email address listed for Gambell directed questions to federal authorities. A message seeking comment also was sent to the Consulate General of Russia in San Francisco.

Sullivan, in a statement, said he has encouraged federal authorities to have a plan in place in case more Russians flee to Bering Strait communities in Alaska.

This incident makes two things clear: First, the Russian people dont want to fight Putins war of aggression against Ukraine," Sullivan said. Second, given Alaskas proximity to Russia, our state has a vital role to play in securing Americas national security.

Murkowski said the situation underscored the need for a stronger security posture in Americas Arctic.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday, as initial details of the situation were emerging, said he did not expect a continual stream or "flotilla of people traversing the same route. He also warned that travel in the region could be dangerous as a fall storm packing strong winds was expected.

It is unusual for someone to take this route to try to get into the U.S.

U.S. authorities in August stopped Russians without legal status 42 times who tried to enter the U.S. from Canada. That was up from 15 times in July and nine times in August 2021.

Russians more commonly try to enter the U.S. through Mexico, which does not require visas. Russians typically fly from Moscow to Cancun or Mexico City, entering Mexico as tourists before getting a connecting a flight to the U.S. border. Earlier this year, U.S. authorities contended with a spate of Russians who hoped to claim asylum if they reached an inspection booth at an official crossing.

Some trace the spike to before Russia invaded Ukraine, attributing it to the imprisonment of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny last year.

___

Associated Press reporters Manuel Valdes in Seattle and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
SEPANG, Malaysia (AP)  An additional 21 Malaysians rescued from human traffickers in Cambodia and Laos returned home on Thursday, as the government intensified efforts to locate scam victims reported missing abroad.

Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, who met some of the returning victims at Kuala Lumpur's airport, said the government has now managed to rescue 273 people out of 401 reported missing in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Most have returned except for 60 still in immigration detention centers in those countries who are waiting to be processed, he said at a news conference.

Saifuddin, who heads a new government group tackling the issue, said officials have stepped up measures to locate the remaining 128 people. He said most of the victims are in their 20s and urged Malaysians to check carefully before taking any jobs outside the country.

The government has pledged to rescue Malaysians caught in what has been called modern slavery in the region. The issue took on more urgency after a 23-year-old Malaysian died in a Thai hospital near the Myanmar border after falling prey to a human trafficking scheme.

Some opposition politicians believe the 401 people reported missing are only a fraction of the actual number of Malaysians who have been caught in such scams. The opposition has urged the government to take legal action against local agents working with the human trafficking syndicates and ban false job advertisements.

Cambodia officials say they have uncovered numerous illegal online schemes that lured illegal workers and have arrested hundreds of people from China and Taiwan for involvement. Police said scammers, mainly from China, have used Cambodia as a base for extorting money. Apart from Cambodia, scammers are also known to have set up bases in Laos and Myanmar near the Thai border.

A U.N. envoy has said the scam networks, which often have links to transnational organized crime, are set up in countries with weak law enforcement, attracting educated young workers with promises of high earnings. The workers are then subject to isolation and the threat of violence unless they succeed in cheating victims reached by phone into transferring payments into overseas bank accounts.
IRYNA BALACHUK  THURSDAY, 6 OCTOBER 2022, 12:15

The Air Force of Ukraine shot down 3 Iranian-made UAVs in Mykolaiv Oblast on early 6 October.

Source: The Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

Quote: "On 6 October, between 09:00 and 11:30, the Air Defence Forces of the Air Command Pivden (South) took down two enemys Shahed-136 kamikaze drones and one Mohajer-6 attack drone as they were approaching Mykolaiv Oblast from the sea."

Details: The Armed Forces of Ukraine has pointed out that Russian troops keep attacking Ukraine with Iranian-made UAVs.

Background:

Ukrainian air defence units have destroyed nine Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drones in Ukraines south during the night of 5-6 October.



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By hiring a moving company, you're guaranteeing you're not alone in the move. / Credit: miodrag ignjatovic / Getty Images

Whether you're moving into a walk-up apartment building in the city or a new house in the suburbs, it always helps to have an extra pair of hands. By hiring a moving company, you're guaranteeing you're not alone in the move.

There are many services and options moving companies can offer  from helping you box up items to storing items you're not sure you want in your new home. There's also another priceless benefit: your time.

Are you getting ready to move? If so, start comparing moving companies now. There are several reputable moving companies out there, and some may be more popular than others, depending on your location. Don't get caught up in social media marketing campaigns or colorful advertisements. Instead, focus on what each company has to offer.

The best place to start is by getting a free quote. Click on the websites below to learn more.

5 reasons to hire a mover

There are countless reasons to hire a professional if you're preparing to move. But let's start with some of the most valuable reasons:

SafetySpeedExperienceAdded protectionSpecial requestsSafety

You've heard of the phrase "safety comes first," and in this case, that holds true. If you hire a professional mover, then you won't have to do the heavy lifting (literally). Moving companies have all of the necessary equipment to help with heavy boxes and other large items. Plus, they have a ramp to help movers carry your items into trucks with ease.

Speed

When you call a moving company and list out the items and furniture you need to be moved, they'll likely determine the size of the truck and the number of employees who will need to assist. The more help you have, the faster your move will be. And remember, these employees are professionals, so they have a specific process and checklist they follow to ensure a fast and efficient move.

Experience

If you don't move regularly or have experience driving a trailer or truck, then perhaps you should leave it to the professionals. If you're moving a short distance and don't have many items, then it may be more cost-effective for you to rent your own vehicle and box up items on your own. However, if you're not confident in your moving skills, then it may be time to tap a professional.

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Make sure that the company you pick has the appropriate license and paperwork. You can search the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's database to check on a moving company's registration status, safety information complaints and more.

Added protection

One of the biggest benefits of using a professional moving company is extra protection for your valuables. Most moving companies offer insurance options. Some even require it.

So, make sure you inquire about their different plans so you can protect your prized possessions and add extra protection for your current and future home (in case walls, elevators, etc. get damaged during the move). Before signing anything, Consumer Reports suggests checking your homeowner's policy to see if also would cover lost or damaged items for some added peace of mind.

Head to the company's website or call its listed number to learn more about its insurance plans and other necessary paperwork.

Special requests

If you have items that require specific care and handling, then don't try to move them alone. For example, there are certain ways movers care for special items such as a grandfather clock or grand piano. You may also need a piece of furniture disassembled and reassembled in your new home. These are all special requests that could delay your move or cause you a headache.

Here are some extra services you should look for:

Packing and unpacking (and if they have their own packing equipment)Vehicle transportation to your final destinationStorage availability 24/7 customer service (in case of emergencies)Furniture disassembly and reassembly

All of these perks could make your move even easier. But before you pick a moving company, make sure you do your research. See what type of services and discounts they offer.

How to prepare for a move

Once you've thoroughly compared moving companies, it's time to make your choice. You'll want to pick one that works best for your bank account, schedule and overall moving needs (i.e. if you need extra storage, auto transport, etc.).

When you have the move scheduled, make sure you create a checklist to help you prepare. Here are some things you should consider doing ahead of your move.

Double-check the company's rules: Is a deposit required? Do you need to pay anything in advance? Do you need to use certain types of boxes? Make sure you read your moving company's rules and guidelines ahead of time.Fill out any necessary forms: Check to see if they have insurance policies or any other forms you need to submit.Give a full account of your items: The more accurate you are, the better. Don't surprise movers with extra furniture or items because that will likely add to your total costs. Call ahead if you want to add extra boxes, bags or items to your list. On the other hand, if you remove any items, make sure to tell them that, too, so they can update your cost estimate.Have cash on hand: Most movers recommend tipping your movers in cash, so make sure you have some available so you don't have to rush to an ATM the day of.Pack in advance (if you aren't using packing services): Make sure all of your belongings are safely secured and labeled. Place boxes in a central location to make the process smoother.

If you have any questions about your move or your moving company's services, make sure to give them a call. It's better to get your questions answered in advance so there are no surprises come moving day.

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Drag queen Maebe A. Girl is running for Congress in California's 30th District. Emily Eizen

There are over 450 LGBTQ+ candidates running in the 2022 midterm elections, per Victory Fund.

Maebe A. Girl is the first trans nonbinary person to advance to a general election for a House seat.

Two openly LGBTQ+ congressional candidates are running against each other for the first time.

When Liliana Bakhtiari took office in January as a member of Atlanta's City Council, they became the first queer Muslim legislator in the state of Georgia.

Liliana Bakhtiari. Atlanta City Council

Bakhtiari, who uses both "they" and "she" pronouns, is also the first nonbinary person to hold elected office in the city of Atlanta. In September 2022, she announced that she is nonmonogomous and in a relationship with two partners in an interview with NBC News.

In May, Karine Jean-Pierre became the first Black and openly LGBTQ+ person and immigrant to serve as White House press secretary.

Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during a press briefing at the White House in May 2022. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Before she fielded questions from reporters on her first day, Jean-Pierre acknowledged the historic nature of her position and credited "generations of barrier-breaking people" that she said paved the way for her, Insider's Nicole Gaudiano and Oma Seddiq reported.

"I am obviously acutely aware that my presence at this podium represents a few firsts. I am a Black, gay, immigrant woman, the first of all three of those to hold this position," she said. "If it were not for generations of barrier-breaking people before me, I would not be here. But I benefit from their sacrifices. I have learned from their excellence, and I am forever grateful to them."

In June, drag queen Maebe A. Girl became the first trans nonbinary person to advance to a general election for a seat in the House of Representatives.

Maebe A. Girl. Emily Eizen

Girl, who uses both "she" and "they" pronouns, is running to represent California's 30th District. She told the Los Angeles Times that "there's a lot of crossover" between doing drag and campaigning.

"When I do drag, I host a lot of shows," they said. "I'm on the mic, listening to people, engaging with people. It's really not very dissimilar from being in a political setting where I'm giving a campaign speech. I used every drag show that I'm in to speak about politics and speak about my policies and let folks know about our campaigns. It's actually been a really wonderful tool."

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In August, Jessica Katzenmeyer became the first trans woman to win a primary in the state of Wisconsin.

Jessica Katzenmeyer. Jessica Katzenmeyer

Katzenmeyer is running to represent District 5 in Wisconsin. If she wins in November, she will be the state's first out transgender state senator.

"Representation matters because having a body of government represented by a diverse population will bring new ideas to the table," Katzenmeyer told Insider. "Being trans is a big part of my identity, but people should vote for me because they know that I'll fight for them."

In November, two openly LGBTQ+ candidates will run against each other in a congressional race for the first time in US history.

Robert Zimmerman (left) and George Santos. Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images ; George Santos For Congress

Democrat Robert Zimmerman and Republican George Santos, both openly gay, are facing off in November in a bid to represent New York's 3rd congressional district. The nature of the election itself is already historic, and whoever wins will become the first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent the New York district, The Hill reported.

Read the original article on Insider
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast; Artnet; Getty

Donald Judd, one of the most influential and important postwar minimalist artists in the American canon, is just as famous for the negative space contained by his sculptural fabrications as he is for the sculptures themselves.

Judd prized voids within his work because he was fixated on creating states of uneasy flux, but the tangible materials that comprise his creations are, evidently, just as vulnerable to uncomfortable change. On Tuesday, the Judd Foundation filed suit in Manhattan Supreme Court against New York-based Tina Kim Gallery and the Seoul-based Kukje Gallery, alleging breach of contract related to a valuable work by Donald Judd the foundation says has been marred by fingerprints. (The suit was filed by the Judd Foundation in Manhattan, after it was dismissed in August in a Texas federal court over jurisdictional issues.)

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The Judd artwork in question, Untitled (1991) 91-86, is part of the artists Menziken series, a succession of aluminum boxes. The box with the plexiglass inside is an attempt to make a definitive second surface, Judd once said of the Menzikens. The inside is radically different from the outside. Whilst the outside is definite and rigorous, the inside is indefinite.

In this case, it seems the outside is the problem. In 2015, the Judd Foundation says, it consigned the work to Kukje Gallery/Tina Kim, which are joint galleries.

Untitled was apparently in good condition when it shipped, and in 2016, the galleries exhibited the piece at its booth at Art Basel Miami Beach before the Foundation extended its consignment agreement and had the price of the work upped to $850,000 in 2017.

In 2018, the suit states, the Foundation terminated the consignment contract and had Kukje Gallery return the Judd artwork to the Foundations headquarters in Marfa, Texas, where a conservator immediately spotted fingerprint marks. Kukje Gallery and Tina Kim Gallery did not return requests for comment.

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Donald Judd was famous for his exacting fabrication standards and for the ongoing physical integrity of his works of art, the suit states. While his works are robustly constructed, the anodized aluminum surface of the Menzikens requires very careful handling, and if mishandled can mark easily. In particular, gloves are required when handling the works. Any fingerprints on the anodized aluminum surface must be removed quickly or over time the oils in the fingerprints can react with the surface and leave permanent, disfiguring, irreversible marks.

In the 2022 case, the complaint states Tina Kim and Kukje received condition reports from the art storage company UOVO that Untitled had fingerprint marks in two places, as well as a small blemish in the right-side panel, but that they never shared these reports with the Judd Foundation. When a Foundation conservator eventually assessed the damage to the work, it was determined to be irreversible, the complaint states. UOVO did not return the Daily Beasts request for comment.

Though outwardly masculine and stoic, Judds work has proven itself to be extremely vulnerable to damage. In 1973, the artist described himself to be in a spirit of cheerful revenge directed towards museum guards and museum staffers who mishandled his work, and he had exacting fabrication standards for his work, regardless of the material and its potential for swift erosion.

Someone was putting more fingerprints on one end of a piece of mine in the Metropolitan extravaganza of 1969 while the other end was being cleaned, Judd wrote, also in 73. The guard said nothing. He also didnt object to someone walking on a perforated metal floor piece. That came back caved in.

In its new complaint, the Judd Foundation claims that the defendant galleries are in breach of contract: while they were in possession of the artwork, at some point it was allegedly mishandled, leading the Foundation to seek compensation for the full value of the artwork, some $750,000, from the Tina Kim gallerys insurer.

According to the complaint, while the insurer has paid the Foundation some 80 percent of the sum, Tina Kim has yet to pay the 20 percent of the $850,000 retail price they owe for the loss. Representatives from the Judd Foundation declined to comment. The Tina Kim Gallery and Kukje Gallery did not return requests for comment.

Insurance companies dont like to write checks, so their decision to write a very significant check certainly strikes me as meaningful in terms of whatever the damage to the sculpture was, Nicholas M. ODonnell, a partner at Sullivan & Worcester LLP and a member of the Art Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association, told The Daily Beast.

Judd hated fingerprints, Jim Harris, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Teaching Curator at the Ashmolean Museum, explained in 2018. With the fingerprint the object became not just itself, but itself plus someone.

Judds artwork isnt the only asset of his thats proven to be vulnerable: in April, a Marfa home purchased by the artist in 1990 burned to the ground; two adults inside the house and their small child narrowly escaped. In 2021, the Judd Architecture Office, also located in Marfa, also caught fire in the middle of the night and was destroyed, though no artwork was lost in the blaze.

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Gilles Mingasson/ABC

ABC released a handful of stills from Abbott Elementarys highly anticipated Halloween episode earlier this weekbut dont get your hopes up too soon. Halloween is still over three weeks away! This weeks episode involved neither Janines (Quinta Brunson) James Harden costume nor Barbaras (Sheryl Lee Ralph) spelling bee get-up. But it did feature costumes of a different sort.

The so-called Story Samurai paid Abbott a visit in the third episode of Season 2, gracing the students with play performances based on their own ideas. The whole Abbott faculty revels in the cheesiness of the visiting glorified improv troupe, excited to laugh at their wonky representations of Meek Mill and Malcolm X.

I dont condone violence, Jacob says, but it slaps.

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Abbott goes totally off the rails after Jacob (Chris Perfetti) proudly announces he used to be one of the Story Samurai, participating in their goofy antics. He once starred in a stunning production of Rosa Parks and Rec with the samurai, he gloats to Janine. Jacob relishes his days as a part of the Story Samurai, though hes glad to be a teacher now. He even applauds them for their lackluster acting.

Suddenly, the opportunity of a lifetime is brought to Jacob: the Story Samurai would like him to perform in their afternoon show. What a blessing! What a gift! Jacob seizes the opportunity to be with his cherished family once more, agreeing to sport the samurai robe for one final performance with the group.

The Abbott staff, now in hysterics, plan a big soiree around Jacobs grand reunion with the stage. Ava (Janelle James) will livestream the event to thousands of folks on Instagram, while an uncharacteristically giddy Barbara cant stop mentioning it in the hallways. Janine, however, isnt so certain. As a close friend of Jacob, she feels the need to shut the whole thing down to save himself from further embarrassment.

Gilles Mingasson/ABC

While Janine admits that she, herself, is quite corny, she says shes accepted her corniness and embraces it in the classroom. But she worries about Jacob edging on white savior territorylike Hilary Swank in Freedom Riders or, worse, Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side. While this behavior doesnt hurt anyone, Janine tells him to be more aware of his incessantly corny teaching style.

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You are a white teacher in a Black school, Janine says. My point is, you cannot do this performance. You will never live it down. You dont want to be a corny legend.

At first, Jacob decides to sit the performance out, ruminating on his tone as a teacher. But once hes fully accepted his corniness, Janine encourages him to go on stage. If hes excited, and he understands why the kids are laughing at him, no one loses. Finally, he realizes that quips about segregation (via a tiger who doesnt love his stripes, and a father who tells him hell never sell cereal) and Shaun King are incredibly foolish.

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Its a short, quick takedown of corny activism. No, Jacob isnt acting out of maliceJanine even feels bad telling him off, because hes so kind, proud, and excited about the samuraibut he does need to be put in his place. Now, Jacob will probably think twice before sharing that bubbly infographic about the Civil Rights Movement to his Instagram story.

Gilles Mingasson/ABC

To really put the cherry on top, Abbott ends the episode on our dearly beloved will-they-wont-they pairing, Janine and Gregory (Tyler James Williams), gossiping about the Story Samurai as they practice (and nearly break their arms) some sweet samurai moves. Are they virgins? Do they have any life at all? Who knowsbut they did make for perfect guests on Abbott Elementary.

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Story at a glance

The ACLU of Pennsylvania on Thursday filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Central Bucks School District, alleging district policies had created a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ students.

The complaint claims the school district has banned Pride flags as political symbols and instructed teachers to deadname and misgender transgender students.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of seven students in Central Bucks School District, all of whom are minors.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Pennsylvania on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit against the states fourth-largest school district, alleging the district had created a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ students by adopting policies that target their identities.

In the complaint filed Thursday, the ACLU of Pennsylvania said several actions taken by the Central Bucks School District (CBSD) constitute intentional gender-based discrimination in violation of the U.S. Constitution and Title IX.

The school district, according to the lawsuit, has adopted policies that perpetuate a toxic educational environment by banning Pride flags and instructing teachers to deadname and misgender transgender students.

In July, CBSD board members voted to adopt a controversial policy that allows books considered inappropriate for young readers to be removed from school libraries. LGBTQ+ advocates and allies said they worried the policy would disproportionately impact books about LGBTQ+ issues and identities, which have been targeted in a recent slew of book bans across the country.

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The school district has also refused requests from students, parents and teachers to provide training to staff about how to support LGBTQ+ students and implement nondiscrimination policies, the ACLU of Pennsylvania said in its lawsuit.

The complaint was filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division and the Department of Education (DOE) Office for Civil Rights on behalf of seven students in Central Bucks School District, all of whom are minors.

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These children deserve a safe environment where they can learn and be their full selves without fear of being bullied by other students, Witold Walczak, legal director at the ACLU of Pennsylvania, said Thursday in a news release.

Unfortunately, rather than combat the toxic educational environment faced by LGBTQ+ students in Central Bucks, a new school board majority and the administration have exacerbated the problems, Walczak said.

The lawsuit against CBSD is the product of a five-month investigation by ACLU of Pennsylvania attorneys, the organization said Thursday. Lawyers interviewed dozens of students and their families, as well as current and former district teachers and school staff and community stakeholders.

The investigation, according to the lawsuit, found that a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ students, particularly gender non-conforming students, has persisted in CBSD for multiple years. The school district, the lawsuit alleges, not only has failed to take reasonable measures to address the hostile environment, but also has adopted policies and taken actions overtly hostile towards LGBTQ+ students.

School should be an environment that fosters creativity and the free exchange of ideas; where all children can form friendships that might last a lifetime and engage in a journey of self-discovery that guides them into adulthood, the ACLU of Pennsylvania tweeted Thursday morning, but thats not the case in Central Bucks School District.

In an emailed statement to Changing America, Abram M. Lucabaugh, the districts superintendent, said CBSD does not comment on legal matters, but said the school district believes it is paramount that all students and teachers are cared for and respected as members of our learning and teaching community.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, when pressed on plans to build an emergency shelter for asylum seekers in the sanctuary city, suggested in an on-air interview Wednesday that Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is trying to undermine cities with Black mayors by busing migrants to the Big Apple, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.

In an interview with "Inside City Hall" With Errol Louis, Adams said he refused to "pit everyday New Yorkers against migrants, and I'm not going to take away resources that we have to really allocate for everyday New Yorkers."

"This is a national problem, it needs a national response. And that is why we call on Washington to respond to this on a national level," Adams said. "This differs from the everyday shelter system. This is a migrant crisis, and we must focus on that. Everyone that comes to this city  we are going to ensure that we fulfill our obligation of getting them housing. But this is a migrant humanitarian crisis that we are facing."

"I guess it's interesting because ultimately, while it is, it's certainly a crisis and definitely a problem," Louis said during the interview Wednesday. "If they're going to keep sending people here from the Texas border by the thousands week after week, at some point, it becomes the norm, right?"

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Eric Adams attends a student screening of "Till" during the 60th New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on October 03, 2022 in New York City. Dominik Bindl/Getty Images

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks on September 13, 2022, in Houston, Texas, alongside President of the Houston Police Officers' Union Douglas Griffith at a 'Back The Blue' press conference. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

"Yes. So true," Adams responded. "And that was the fear that we had in the beginning when it first started with Governor Abbott that we knew that, unfortunately, that some people were going to use it as a playbook to send buses to both New York, Washington and to Chicago. Keep in mind, these are three cities where we have Black mayors."

"This is undermining our economy and is undermining our attempt to recover in our cities  that we're already dealing with crises from COVID to monkeypox to crime to housing," he continued. "And I think it's something that we need to be very clear on. These three cities were targeted, and I have a conversation this afternoon with the mayors of the other two cities."

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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot during an event with J.B. Pritzker, governor of Illinois, at the University of Illinois in Chicago on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. Mustafa Hussain/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The host asked directly, "You think these cities are being targeted, including New York, because they have Black mayors?"

"Well, I don't know if it's Black mayors or if it's just going to northern cities, but something is wrong," Adams said. "I mean, we have thousands of cities in this country. Why are we specifically targeting Washington, Chicago, and New York? There's something wrong with that and I believe there needs to be a national response to give the assistance to these three important cities in our country."

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser makes remarks as she and other dignitaries celebrate the opening of the new Metro headquarters building in Washington. Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Fox News Digital reached out to Abbotts office for comment on Thursday.

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As of Sept. 30, Texas has bused over 8,100 migrants to D.C. since April, over 2,900 migrants to New York City since August 5, and more than 870 migrants to Chicago since August 31.
Graduation is less likely for students at less selective schools. Andy Sacks via Getty Images

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in two lawsuits on Oct. 31, 2022, brought by a group that opposes affirmative action in college admissions. Here, Natasha Warikoo, a sociology professor at Tufts University and author of the newly released Is Affirmative Action Fair?: The Myth of Equity in College Admissions, shares insights on how the racial and ethnic makeup of student bodies at selective colleges and universities will change if the Supreme Court decides to outlaw affirmative action.

Whats at stake with the cases against affirmative action?

Currently, many selective colleges consider race when they make decisions about which students to admit. In several cases since 1978, the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed that it is constitutional to do so to ensure diversity on campus.

A ruling in favor of Students for Fair Admissions, the plaintiffs in the case, would require all colleges  both private and public  to no longer consider race when they make admissions decisions.

Since nine states already have bans on affirmative action, its easy to know what will happen if affirmative action is outlawed. Studies of college enrollment in those states show that enrollment of Black, Hispanic and Native American undergraduate students will decline in the long term.

Undergraduate enrollment is not the only area of higher education that will be affected. A ban on affirmative action will ultimately lead to fewer graduate degrees earned by Black, Hispanic and Native American students.

One study found that medical school enrollment for underrepresented minorities fell by an average of 5% in eight states with bans on affirmative action. Wages will also be affected: A recent study estimates that among Hispanic young adults in California who applied to University of California colleges after the the states ban on affirmative action, earnings were 5% less than for Hispanics who applied before the ban. The evidence suggests that applicants after the ban attended lower-ranked colleges and, consequently, were less likely to graduate from college, which drove down their wages as graduates.

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What do people regularly get wrong about affirmative action?

Many assume that affirmative action plays a bigger role in admissions decisions than it actually does. Some worry that the policy leads colleges to admit students who cannot cope with the academic demands of the colleges to which they are admitted. This mismatch theory, as it is sometimes called, has not proved to be true.

Research shows that Black students who are admitted with help from affirmative action are more likely to go on to earn advanced degrees than Black students with similar academic achievement but whose admission was not helped by affirmative action.

And Californias 1998 ban led to fewer STEM degrees attained by Black and Hispanic students in California colleges. This was especially true for those with weaker academic preparation  that is to say, those thought to be most negatively affected by mismatch.

How will things change if affirmative action ends?

Based on what happened in states where affirmative action has already been banned, there will be sharp drops in the numbers of Black, Hispanic and Native American students at selective colleges, especially those that are the most selective.

Students who end up at less selective colleges will be less likely to graduate. Thats because lower-ranked colleges tend to have fewer resources to support student success and, as a result, tend to have lower graduation rates.

Ending affirmative action will make it harder to increase the percentage of professionals and leaders from minority backgrounds. This is because, as research has shown, affirmative action has increased the number of Black college graduates and, in turn, increased the number of Black professionals with advanced degrees.

If such a setback takes place, it will come at a time when many organizations and companies are pledging support for racial justice and an increase diversity among their staff and leadership.

Whats the main takeaway from your book?

Overall, I argue that admissions should be less about who gets into college and more about what students will do once they get out. I believe this requires less emphasis on individual achievements  and more emphasis on the broader mission of college. That mission includes preparing people from a wide range of ethnic and racial backgrounds to make contributions to society. Affirmative action, I argue, is one tool to do just that.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Natasha Warikoo, Tufts University. Like this article? subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Natasha Warikoo 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.
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.
(Bloomberg) -- Chinas mobile payment giant Alipay was removed from a high-tech company list in Shanghai, adding to the woes at billionaire Jack Mas fintech operation.

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Alipay.com Co. failed to meet the spending requirement for research and development, according to a government notice on Sept. 8. The removal could revoke certain tax benefits.

The Shanghai-based payments unit only accounts for a fraction of the R&D expenditure at parent company Ant Group Co., which allocated more than 18.8 billion yuan ($2.6 billion) last year for research, according to a statement from the firm.

Its the latest setback after Ants record initial public offering was torpedoed by the government on the eve of its planned 2020 debut. The firm has been restructuring itself to meet the demands of Beijing, including ramping up its capital base and preparing to apply for a financial holding company license.

The main impact for the company will be losing some tax benefits, said Francis Chan, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. China is placing more emphasis on chip self-sufficiency when it comes to high-tech development.

Read more about the unraveling of Ants IPO

Ants valuation has been trimmed by several backers including Fidelity Investments, BlackRock Inc. and T. Rowe Price Group Inc. Fidelity cut its estimate for Ant to $70 billion at the end of May.

Ants R&D spend has been growing at an annual rate of more than 39% since 2018 and the company has committed to investing in technologies including blockchain, privacy computing, databases and security, it said.

(Updates with comment from Bloomberg Intelligence analyst in fifth paragraph)

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2022 Bloomberg L.P.
By Yuvraj Malik and Jane Lanhee Lee

(Reuters) -Chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices Inc on Thursday provided third-quarter revenue estimates that were about a billion dollars less than previously forecast, signaling the chip slump could be much worse than expected.

AMD shares dropped 4% in after hours trading, dragging down shares of Nvidia Corp and Intel Corp by over 2%.

"The PC market weakened significantly in the quarter," Chief Executive Officer Lisa Su said in a statement, adding that macroeconomic conditions drove PC demand lower than expected.

Runaway inflation and the reopening of offices and schools have led people to spend less on PCs than they did during lockdowns when many bought computers for work and school as they stayed home during the pandemic. Chipmakers are also under pressure from COVID curbs in key PC market China, while the Ukraine war has worsened supply-chain snarls and dragged demand further.

The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, which tracks prices of major silicon-producing and allied businesses, has fallen 36.4% this year so far, compared to a 41.2% rise in 2021.

"I think AMD is showing that nobody is safe from the post-pandemic PC downturn, and those inventory corrections are also impacting the company," said Anshel Sag, chip analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. "Overall, this looks to be more of a cyclical correction within a single, albeit large, business unit rather than a structural or strategic one."

Su said AMD's data center, embedded, and gaming segments maintained strong growth.

The company said it expects third-quarter revenue of about $5.6 billion. That compares with its forecast in August of $6.7 billion, plus or minus $200 million.

AMD is the latest chipmaker to be hit by the sector's slump. Last week memory chip maker Micron Technology warned of tougher times and said it was cutting its capex investments in fiscal 2023 by over 30% to a total of $8 billion. Nvidia Corp and Intel Corp both delivered much worse than expected earnings in their latest reports.

AMD said its earnings will be released Nov. 1.

(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru and Jane Lanhee Lee in Oakland, California; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and David Gregorio)
An online personality and English lecturer at a reputable international school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, has been fired from his position after screenshots of inappropriate messages he sent to a former student were shared on social media.

Michael Strahan, an American citizen also known by his moniker Teacher Michael on social media, allegedly sent flirty messages to a former student at the Australian Center for Education (ACE) over the span of three years.

In screenshots obtained by the Khmer Times, the Louisiana native appeared to joke with the student about dating him in exchange for scholarship money and tells the minor to let me know when youre 18.

Strahan has since been let go by school administrators after the teachers messages emerged on social media on Sept. 27.

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We have been made aware of an allegation of serious misconduct made on social media against a staff member, Country Director at IDP Education Sreng Mao, said in a school-wide email on Sept. 30.

While social media allegation has not been proven, following a review by our risk committee, we have determined the staff members communication with a student was entirely inappropriate and ceased the staff members employment, Mao continued. This is in line with our internal policies and in the best interest of our students. We have a zero-tolerance policy toward child abuse, child exploitation or violence towards children. We take any allegations of misconduct or malpractice seriously and the issue has now been shared with local authorities. Any queries or questions can be directed to me.

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Strahan claims in a now-deleted TikTok video that his messages were taken out of context and he was being targeted. VOD English reached out to the teacher on Facebook on Tuesday, but his social media accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn, have been taken down. A TikTok account under michaeliincambodia and a Quora page remain online.

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Im sure that you guys have all seen the screenshots of a conversation I had years ago with an ex-student, Strahan said in a video response, which was saved by social media users. Those were absolutely my words in that chat. I wrote those words, and aside from that, Ive also been a victim  a target  of a hate campaign. So those two things are happening simultaneously, at the same time.

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The allegations stemmed from an argument on Facebook after Strahan complained about motorcyclists hogging the sidewalk in Phnom Penh, two students said. Other Facebook users responded by commenting with memes, while an anonymous user shared screenshots of Strahans messages to the student.

People started posting the screenshots themselves instead of the meme, one ACE student, whose name has been withheld, said. Fast forward, it just started going viral from there. It was like a snowball effect.

Commenters accused Strahan, who claimed that he experienced sexual abuse, of grooming the former student in order to exploit him later.

The age of consent in Cambodia is 15, but teenagers are considered minors until they turn 18.

According to a report published by UNICEF, 11% of internet-using children aged 12-17 had experienced clear examples of online sexual exploitation and abuse in the year prior to being surveyed.

Meanwhile, 6% of internet-using children aged 1517 reported having accepted money or gifts in exchange for sexual images or videos of themselves, the report continued.

While Cambodian legislation does not explicitly criminalize online grooming of children, the Criminal Code does criminalize the arrangement, by an adult, of meetings involving indecent exposure or sexual relations at which minors are present or participate, according to the report.

Strahan has reportedly fled to Malaysia, according to the Khmer Times.

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An American man was arrested in Thailand for smashing a mans car and threatening his family.

The 45-year-old man, identified only as Andigo, was arrested on Wednesday after he damaged the vehicle of a man, identified as Sunthorn, with rocks and threatened his mother and daughter, reported The Thaiger.

The incident, which was captured on camera, has circulated on social media. Andigo can be seen smashing Sunthorns pickup truck with a large rock. He also approaches the woman recording him and shouts, Shut up! Back off, lady!

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In another video, Andigo can be seen surrounded by 10 police officers holding iron rods on a road in the Kanom district of Nakhon Si Thammarat province. He can be seen interacting with the officers and performing a Thai greeting before being pushed down to the ground by a rod.

Andigo was brought to a police station, where he later revealed that he damaged the car because he believed that it had been following him for two or three days.

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According to Sunthorn, the foreigner also allegedly destroyed other public properties, including bins. He believes that Andigo had been intoxicated for two or three days prior and up to the incident.

Andigo is in Thailand under a one-month tourist visa, according to police. They will reportedly coordinate with the Tourist Police and the embassy before taking action in his prosecution.

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Museo Chiaramonte

(CNN)  Just when you thought the summer of tourists behaving badly was over, another person on vacation wrecks another priceless artifact.

This time its the turn of an American tourist who smashed no fewer than two ancient Roman sculptures into pieces at the Vatican on Wednesday.

The episode took place in the Museo Chiaramonte, part of the Vatican Museums, around lunchtime on Oct. 4. The space holds around 1,000 works of ancient statuary and describes itself as one of the finest collections of Roman portraits in the world.

Two of those portraits are now facing an uncertain future after the tourist knocked over one in anger, then toppled another as he fled the scene.

The man had demanded to see the pope, according to newspaper Il Messaggero. When he was told he couldnt, he allegedly hurled one Roman bust to the floor.

As he ran off, with staff in pursuit, he knocked down another.

The two works of art have been taken to the inhouse workshop to be assessed. While around 2,000 years old, they are thought to be secondary works of art, rather than famous works, a source told Il Messaggero.

Director of the Press Office for Vatican Museums Matteo Alessandrini told CNN that the American man, around 50 years old, was in the Galleria Chiaramonte corridor, which houses around 100 busts and statues.

The busts were affixed to shelves with a nail but if you pull them down with force they will come off, he said. He pulled down one and then the other and the guards came immediately and stopped him and consigned him to the Vatican police who brought him in for questioning. Around 5:30 p.m. he was handed over to the Italian authorities.

The two busts have been damaged but not particularly badly. One lost part of a nose and an ear, the head of the other came off the pedestal.

He said that restoration work had already begun, and that they will soon be restored and back at the Museum.

Mountain Butorac, who leads pilgrimages to the Vatican and who often visits the Museo Chiaramonte, said: One of the beautiful things is that it allows the visitors to get literally face to face with these ancient sculptures. My fear is that with behavior like this, barriers could be put in place.

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Tourists damaging monuments has been a theme of this summer in Rome. In July, a Canadian tourist was caught carving her name into the Colosseum, while American tourists were caught hurling scooters down the Spanish Steps, breaking off pieces in the process, and a Saudi visitor drove his Maserati down the same architectural icon.

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By Tony Munroe and Miyoung Kim

BEIJING (Reuters) - The mounting economic toll of China's zero-COVID policy is raising investor hopes that Beijing may finally begin laying the groundwork for the tricky epidemiological and political task of shifting course following this month's Communist Party congress.

It is not clear whether the ruling party congress from Oct. 16 will shed any light on easing strict measures to extinguish all domestic COVID-19 outbreaks, rather than seek to live with the pandemic. Any change, economists and investors predict, would entail gradual steps for a reopening from the first half of 2023 at the earliest.

Tackling the challenges of reversing one of the world's toughest COVID regimes would require a clear timeline and strategy for booster shots in a nation of 1.4 billion people that has gone its own way on inoculations, say infectious-disease and vaccine experts.

The approach has all but shut its borders for travel and led to unpredictable lockdowns of huge cities, stifling the world's second-largest economy and stoking anger and frustration among many citizens.

Xi Jinping, expected to secure a precedent-breaking third leadership term at the congress held every five years, reiterated that the zero-COVID policy is "correct and effective" during a June visit to Wuhan, the central Chinese city where COVID emerged in 2019.

"In every conversation that we have had on Asia's macro outlook, the number one question that investors have is on when China will reopen and what the roadmap would look like," Morgan Stanley economists wrote in a research note last week.

"We think a reopening will happen, because the strict COVID management approach has led to challenges of significantly weaker income growth and a sharp rise in youth unemployment  outcomes which are at odds with the policy goal of common prosperity."

Goldman Sachs analysts predict China will start relaxing the policy in the April-June quarter.

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China has repeatedly tweaked implementation of zero-COVID but not described an exit from a policy that seeks to contain every outbreak, which state media touts as showing the superiority of Chinese governance to that in the West.

LOCAL SHOTS

Zero-COVID, while disruptive, has kept death and infection rates minimal, which could reassure the public that preparation for a gradual reopening would allow China to balance economic concerns and COVID risks.

But China's population, the world's largest, has little natural immunity given the rigorous containment policy.

Before exposing China's people to new COVID risk, authorities must prepare a healthcare system with wide inequality in the geographical distribution of resources for a surge in infections and adjust its messaging to people accustomed to the extremes of zero-COVID.

China boasts nine domestically developed COVID vaccines approved for use, more than any other country. But none has been updated to target the highly infections Omicron variant, as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have for boosters in many developed countries.

The authorities have not approved any foreign-made COVID shots. A recent study showed the most widely used shots in China were effective in preventing severe cases and deaths but showed lower effectiveness against the Omicron variant.

Home-grown mRNA vaccines in development have not been green-lighted domestically, but Indonesia said last week it had approved emergency use of an mRNA vaccine developed by China's Walvax Biotechnology Co Ltd.

Executives at three Chinese vaccine makers told Reuters a key uncertainty is whether regulators will allow fast-track opportunities for new vaccines as China did in 2020 by authorising emergency use before efficacy data from large clinical trials was generated.

Without fast-tracking, candidates that started clinical trials this year would lack the data to seek approval by year's end, said one executive, who, like others, asked not to be named given the sensitivity of the issue.

TIMING MATTERS

For late-comers whose vaccines face the unpredictability of future virus mutation while navigating a lengthy regulatory pathway, "chances are high that you will never keep up with variants or regulatory process," said another executive.

Two executives expressed scepticism whether regulators would let new candidates skip early-stage trials in unvaccinated people, a group increasingly difficult to gather, even though such shots are more likely to be used as a booster.

The National Health Commission and the National Medical Products Administration did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The timing of any booster roll-out is also crucial.

"If you boost everyone now but you don't have to exit for many months, that's possibly too early. You want to have the booster at the right time," said Benjamin Cowling, an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong.

"What I haven't seen in the mainland is that overall plan and the overall timeline."

Many countries offer second booster shots. China's CDC said in September a well-timed second booster is needed to safely exit the pandemic. The government allows only one booster.

Some experts recommend importing Western-made shots and accelerating development of home-grown alternatives including Omicron-targeting shots.

"China should ... import or develop a highly effective vaccine as soon as possible," said Zuofeng Zhang, an epidemiology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Cowling said Western-made shots and China-developed candidates showing promising data would also provide more options and help alleviate vaccine hesitancy, a major reason vaccination rates for the elderly remain below China's national average.

(Reporting by Miyoung Kim, Roxanne Liu and Tony Munroe; Writing by Miyoung Kim; Editing by William Mallard)
Several buses carrying illegal immigrants arrived in New York City and Washington, D.C., on Thursday morning, including one bus that dropped its passengers off outside Vice President Kamala Harriss residence, Fox News first reported.

Its not the first time migrants have been delivered to Harriss doorstep at the Naval Observatory since Republican governors started facilitating the relocation of illegal immigrants to Democratic sanctuary jurisdictions. Many of the migrants on the Thursday trip, including men, women and children, are from Venezuela, according to NBC News. Most passengers brought small white bags with their belongings.

Last month D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency over the migrant transports, claiming that it was overwhelming the city and its services.

Bowsers order opens up emergency funding to provide for the migrants needs and form the Office of Migrant Services, which will be responsible for sourcing housing, medical care, transportation, and other resources for the arrivals.

Two more buses dropped off migrants in New York City at Manhattans Port Authority transportation hub Thursday after seven made it to the city Wednesday, Fox News reported.

Thursdays drop-off comes after two migrant flights sent by Florida governor Ron DeSantis were received in Marthas Vineyard. Residents of the affluent island, progressive media outlets, and Democratic politicians were outraged, calling the move an inhumane stunt that made political pawns out of the migrants. The DeSantis administration has argued that the passages were authorized by the state legislature, including Democratic lawmakers, in the annual budget months ago. California Governor Gavin Newsom then urged the Justice Department to investigate DeSantis involvement in the trips, which he immediately condemned.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has also sent migrant buses around the country, such as to Chicago, where 500 illegal immigrants arrived last month. In response, Democratic Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker also declared an emergency in the state, mobilizing the states National Guard to assist with the influx. He called Abbotts action disgusting.

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NEW ORLEANS  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.

It is beyond time for Congress and Biden to act on their promises to secure permanent protections for Dreamers, including a pathway to citizenship, once and for all, the advocacy group Families Belong Together said in a statement. People protected by DACA are commonly referred to as Dreamers, based on never-passed proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act.

DACA was adopted by former President Barack Obamas administration and has had a complicated ride through federal court challenges.

Texas-based U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen last year declared DACA illegal. He found that the program had not been subjected to public notice and comment periods required under the federal Administrative Procedures Act. But he left the program temporarily intact for those already benefiting from it, pending the appeal.

Current DACA recipients can renew their status and apply for advance parole, but the ruling continues to block new applicants from being granted DACA, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, an advocacy organization, said in a statement. The organization was among advocates renewing calls Wednesday for the Biden administration and Congress to protect DACA recipients.

Wednesdays ruling by three judges of the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit upholds the judges 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. The new rule takes effect Oct. 31.

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A district court is in the best position to review the administrative record in the rulemaking proceeding, said the opinion by Chief 5th Circuit Judge Priscilla Richman, nominated to the court by President George W. Bush. The other panel members were judges Kurt Engelhardt and James Ho, both appointees of President Donald Trump.

The new rules 453 pages are largely technical and represent little substantive change from the 2012 memo that created DACA, but it was subject to public comments as part of a formal rule-making process intended to improve its chances of surviving legal muster.

In July arguments at the 5th Circuit, the U.S. Justice Department defended the program, allied with the state of New Jersey, immigrant advocacy organizations and a coalition of dozens of powerful corporations, including Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft. They argued that DACA recipients have grown up to become productive drivers of the U.S. economy, holding and creating jobs and spending money.

Texas, joined by eight other Republican-leaning states argued that they are harmed financially, incurring hundreds of millions of dollars in health care, education and other costs, when immigrants are allowed to remain in the country illegally. They also argued that the White House overstepped its authority by granting immigration benefits that are for Congress to decide.

DACA is widely expected to go to the Supreme Court for a third time. In 2016, the Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 over an expanded DACA and a version of the program for parents of DACA recipients, keeping in place a lower court decision for the benefits to be blocked. In 2020, the high court ruled 5-4 that the Trump administration improperly ended DACA by failing to follow federal procedures, allowing it to stay in place.

DACA recipients have become a powerful political force even though they cant vote, but their efforts to achieve a path to citizenship through Congress have repeatedly fallen short. Any imminent threat to lose work authorization and to expose themselves to deportation could pressure Congress into protecting them, even as a stopgap measure.

The Biden administration disappointed some pro-DACA advocates with its conservative legal strategy of keeping age eligibility unchanged. DACA recipients had to have been in the United States in June 2007, an increasingly out-of-reach requirement. The average age of a DACA recipient was 28.2 years at the end of March, compared to 23.8 years in September 2017.

There were 611,270 people enrolled in DACA at the end of March, including 494,350, or 81%, from Mexico and large numbers from Guatemala, Honduras, Peru and South Korea.
Decentralized data storage platform ArDrive's mobile app went live on Google Play Store, offering users an alternative to Google Drive for data storage.

ArDrive Mobile is a decentralized permanent storage app offering users an alternative to popular data storage apps and letting them permanently store their data with no size limit.

The mobile app will use the ArWeave storage network with a version for Apple's iOS expected to come soon, ArDrive founder Phil Mataras told CoinDesk.

Arweave is a blockchain-based decentralized file storage service, similar to Filecoin and Storj. Decentralized storage networks are looking to take a chunk out of the established data storage and server market, which is dominated by Amazon Web Services.

Initially, the primary users of the ArDrive Mobile are expected to be crypto-natives, as users will need Arweave's native token AR to pay for data upload, Mataras said. ArDrive has around 10,000 users with over 500 monthly active users, he added.

Credit card payment facility and cross-application support are a planned upgrade, Mataras said.

ArDrive, which raised $17.2 million earlier this year, does not foresee raising another round for at least the next six months, he noted.

AR.IO, the decentralized data storage network that is being built by the Arweave team, is expected to go live in the first half of next year, Mataras said.

Read more: ArDrive Raises $17M to Make Arweaves Data Storage Blockchain More Usable








A photographer who was contracted to take school pictures at an Arizona elementary school has been accused of sex crimes against minors, officials say.

The contractor, who has not been identified or charged, was on the campus of Freedom Elementary School in Buckeye, according to the school district's superintendent.

Officials were made aware of the accusations after an individual reached out to Buckeye Police Department on September 2  the same day that picture day was held at the Phoenix-area elementary school.

"The Buckeye Police Department was contacted directly by an individual regarding these allegations, at which point police informed the District," Liberty Elementary School District Superintendent Lori Shough said in a statement addressed to local families.

JURY DELIBERATIONS CONTINUE FOR MAN ACCUSED OF ABDUCTING, KILLING 2 ARIZONA GIRLS

"As for the contracted photographer, the District canceled a scheduled 'retake day of school pictures involving this individual," Shough explained in a statement.

It is also not clear what company the suspect works for, but the school district has distanced themselves from it amid the investigation.

"The District is putting on hold indefinitely any potential photography contracts with this company," the superintendent added.

FEDS HUNT NEW HAMPSHIRE FUGITIVE IN CHILD SEX ASSAULT PATTERN SPRUNG ON $3K BAIL AFTER HIDING OUT IN MEXICO

Officials say they are not revealing detailed information about the accusations at this time.

"One of the most difficult things about these situations is that information is very limited. There is nothing more that can be shared at this time," Shough said in a statement. The superintendent also added that the district is committed to keeping students safe.

Police say they are in the early stages of investigating the accused photographer, who has not been arrested yet. Officials are conducting "numerous" interviews, and ask anyone with information to contact them at 623-349-6411.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Liberty Elementary School District and Buckeye Police Department for more information, but did not hear back.
Rescue teams in Arizona are "relentlessly" searching for a hiker who remains missing nearly a week after leaving his cellphone charging at a campground, authorities said Wednesday.

Jeffrey Stambaugh, 63, of Tucson, was last seen around 10:30 a.m. on Friday at the Yavapai Campground within the Granite Basin Recreation Area in Prescott, the Yavapai County Sheriffs Office said.

Stambaugh had given his cell phone to the camp host so it could be charged but left without it, according to investigators.

After arriving in Prescott, Stambaugh had sent a text message to a friend in the area and asked if they'd like to meet up at some point. The friend later reported Stambaugh missing.

ARIZONA HIKER FOUND DEAD DAYS AFTER TEXTING HUSBAND SHE HAD GOTTEN OFF ROUTE

The sheriffs office received the missing persons report on Saturday and later found Stambaughs vehicle at the Metate Trailhead.

Search and rescue teams have used drones, helicopters, K-9, 4x4 and Off-Highway Vehicle units to scour "every trail and rugged wilderness area near and around the trailhead, Granite Basin, and Yavapai Campground," the sheriffs office said.

Stambaugh had made reservations to stay at the campground from Sept. 27 through Sept. 29.

Authorities asked anyone with information about this case to call the sheriffs office at 928-771-3260 or Yavapai Silent Witness at 1-800-932-3232.
Photo credit: Audi

With the shift away from internal-combustion engines to electrification and the march toward automated and autonomous vehicles, we're in the most transformative moment in automotive history. Audi is one of the earliest adopters of new technology, and as engineering evolves, so does design. Rather than creating radically different designs for its initial e-tron EV offerings, Audi opts for more traditional styling that creates a bridge between the past and future, but that's only the first step.

We sat down with Oliver Hoffmann, Audi's chief development officer, and head of design Marc Lichte in Audi's Malibu, California, Design Loft to hear their thoughts on Audi's next steps.

As Lichte points out, having design studios in both California and Beijing allows designers to draw inspiration from Audi's most important markets. There are different sensibilities related to each, but appearances must still remain unmistakably Audi. As he describes it, "A Coke bottle is recognizable anywhere in the world, but the tastes vary slightly depending on the region."

With the advent of EV architecture's "skateboard" chassis, designers have newfound freedom with fewer of the constraints found with internal-combustion drivelines. That's not to say battles between designers and engineers are a thing of the past. Hoffman quips that there are still discussions on millimeter scales, usually in regard to vehicle height.

Design technology is also evolving. Upon entering the Malibu Design Loft, there's no scent of clay or markers. Everything is now digital and incorporates 3D VR modeling for a more seamless and efficient workflow that spans continents. As a result, Audi has been creating concepts at a rapid pace.

Reinventing the SUV?

Audi christened the Design Loft last year with a rollout of the Skysphere variable-wheelbase concept. The "sphere" nomenclature refers to the interior space, which receives priority over exterior styling at first. China responded with the Urbansphere minivan-esque vehicle, which gives us a glimpse of how automated driving will affect interiors since the driver will be freed from driving duties.

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Photo credit: Audi

Next up is the forthcoming Activesphere concept, which Lichte says will integrate automated driving and represent the next big step in Audi's design direction. He hints that even the definition of an SUV will evolve as vehicles will have reduced ride heights to maximize aerodynamic efficiencies.

His enthusiasm for this next concept is palpable, and we're admittedly excited to see how Audi adapts and evolves to this changing landscape. One thing is certain: the future will look very different.

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The services are about to get underway on a plan to rename nine Army posts, two Navy ships and remove or modify a host of monuments and tributes to the Confederacy, per recommendations from an independent commission approved Thursday by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Austin has convened a working group that will oversee the removal and replacing of tributes to the Confederacy and Confederate military starting in December, after a mandatory 90-day waiting period, he wrote in a memo.

I thank the Commission for its tremendous work and dedication, its determination to respond to the directives of our elected representatives in Congress, and its sensitivity to the concerns and emotions raised by this important discussion, he wrote. The Commissions thorough and historically informed work has put the Department on a path to meet Congressional intent  and to remove from U.S. military facilities all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederacy.

The list of military items named for Confederacy is more than 750 long

Among the forthcoming changes are:

The renaming of Forts Lee, Pickett and A.P. Hill in Virginia; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Forts Gordon and Benning in Georgia; Fort Rucker, Alabama; Fort Polk, Louisiana; and Fort Hood, Texas.

The renaming of the cruiser Chancellorsville and the oceanographic survey ship Maury, at the discretion of the Navy secretary.

Renaming of buildings and street names, as well as removal of artwork, monuments and other tributes at the U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Naval Academy.

The commission has drawn the ire of many who believe that the rebranding paints over U.S. history and undoes the reconciliation with the South that many of the original names intended.

Former President Donald Trump was a vocal critic of the effort, though Congress overruled his veto of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, with an overwhelming majority, to put the commission into law.

The Commissioners do not make these recommendations with any intention of erasing history,  commissioners wrote in the second of three recommendation reports. The facts of the past remain and the Commissioners are confident the history of the Civil War will continue to be taught at all Service academies with all the quality and complex detail our national past deserves.

DoD has until Jan. 1, 2024, to complete all renaming and removals.
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia on Thursday proposed an overhaul of consumer privacy rules that will help facilitate targeted data sharing between telecommunication firms and banks following a massive data breach at Optus, the country's second largest mobile operator.

Last month's cyber attack on Optus, owned by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (Singtel), was one of Australia's biggest data breaches, and compromised data of up to 10 million customers including home addresses, drivers' licenses and passport numbers.

The changes will enable telcos to share government-issued identification documents with banks to allow them to implement enhanced monitoring for customers impacted by data breaches.

"They've been carefully designed with strong privacy and security safeguards to ensure that only limited information can be made available temporarily to prevent and respond to cyber security incidents, fraud, scams and related activities," Treasurer Jim Chalmers said during a media conference.

The government will recommend to the governor-general to amend the privacy regulations, he said.

The proposed changes will also allow for increased fraud detection in the broader financial services sector through existing industry mechanisms to report fraudulent transactions, such as fraud information exchanges.

Chalmers said the government would not disclose details of financial institutions that receive the data from Optus due to data security reasons.

Information received must be destroyed by banks when it is no longer required and can only be used for the sole purpose of preventing or responding to cyber security incidents, fraud, scam activity or identity theft, the treasurer said.

Australia's telecommunications, financial and government sectors have been on high alert since the cyber attack at Optus and had flagged changes to privacy rules to help banks take immediate actions to prevent fraudulent transactions.

The Australian government, which believes the breach at Optus was due to a basic security gap, had slammed the company for describing the attack as sophisticated and for delays in updating affected customers.

(Reporting by Renju Jose; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
Australians shared that visitors shouldn't interact with wildlife but that they should try Vegemite when visiting the land down under. Khaichuin Sim/Getty Images/Monica Humphries/Insider

Insider spoke to 13 Australians about what tourists should know before visiting the land down under.

Some said that exploring Australia's outback and trying Vegemite is a must.

Others said you should skip eating kangaroo meat if you see it on the menu.

1. "We're laid back people," one Australian said.

Australians and tourists at a community pool in Cairns, Australia. Monica Humphries/Insider

When it comes to Australians, almost everyone Insider spoke to agreed that the people who live in the land down under are kind, welcoming, and chill.

"We're typically pretty laid back, and you can't really offend us," the Gibson family told Insider. "But our humor can take a bit to get used to."

The Gibsons also said that visitors shouldn't hesitate to chat with locals. Chances are, they will be happy to share their travel tips for exploring Australia.

2. Take time to learn about Australia's rich indigenous culture.

Uluru, an Aboriginal sacred site in Australia. Joel DUCANGE/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

If Indigo Rampson had one piece of advice for travelers, it would be to learn more about Australia's Indigenous culture and history.

"The Sydney Opera House and the Eye are what's advertised about the country, but there's a lot of really rich and interesting Indigenous culture here," Rampson told Insider.

For example, Uluru, a sandstone formation in the center of Australia, is sacred to some of Australia's Aboriginal people. According to ITV, it's a resting place for ancient spirits of the region.

David Goebel, who works at Doongal Aboriginal Art and Artefacts in Cairns, Australia, said one of the easiest ways to appreciate and learn about Australia's Indigenous culture is to have conversations with Aboriginal Australians.

"How do you go out and meet Aboriginal people? It's how you meet any Australian. Go to a pub," Goebel said.

3. Make sure to explore Australia's pub culture.

A ginger beer at an Australian pub. Monica Humphries/Insider

Stacpoole said that visitors should make sure to stop at a pub before leaving the country.

"Pubs are a big thing here," Stacpoole said.

The Australian National University states that pubs "are a key part of Australia's cultural identity and have been central to many great yarns and tall tales in Australian folklore."

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The setting is an ideal place to spark conversations with locals, Stacpoole said, plus you'll get to taste some of the country's quintessential meals like fish 'n chips and chicken parmesan.

4. Some visitors don't realize how large Australia is until they arrive.

An aerial view of Australia's coast near Cairns, Australia. Monica Humphries/Insider

Australia is the world's sixth-largest country and only slightly smaller than the US. Just as you can't see all of America in a single trip, it's also impossible to see all of Australia.

"People don't realize how bloody big the country is," John McGee, who is originally from Ireland and has lived in Australia for 52 years, said. "You need to take into consideration how far everything is."

Unless you have months to explore Australia, the Aussies Insider spoke with agreed that you should pick one or two places for your vacation.

They also suggested that travelers plan a trip around their interests, which could be anything from a tropical getaway on the Great Barrier Reef to an excursion through the outback to a metropolitan city escape in Sydney.

5. If you're traveling all the way to Australia, make sure you leave big cities and see the outback.

Mount Sonder in Australia's Northern Territory. Posnov/Getty Images

Jack Thomas' advice is simple: "Go regional. Go out to the bush or to any small town."

Thomas, who is from Brisbane, Australia, said that some of the more remote areas of Australia help visitors get a sense of the region's culture, traditions, and norms.

So rent a car and head inland to the country's 2-million-square-mile region, he said.

6. If you stop in a major city like Sydney, budget accordingly, one person said.

The Sydney Opera House. Monica Humphries/Insider

Australia is ranked a top-visited destination, with 33 million visitors in 2019, according to Australia's online visa website, for a reason: The city is filled with delicious food, trendy neighborhoods, and popular tourist attractions like the Sydney Opera House.

But its appeal comes with a hefty price tag for tourists.

In a 2014 survey in TravelMag, Sydney ranked second for the average cost of lodging, which at the time was about $90 dollars a night. Bryon Bay, another town in Australia, placed first.

Richard Preen, who is from the UK and has lived in Australia for 18 years, warned travelers of Sydney's sometimes steep prices and recommended budgeting extra.

"Sydney is the most expensive city you'll visit in Australia," Preen said.

7. You won't find koalas, kangaroos, and crocodiles everywhere in Australia.

A kangaroo near Melbourne, Australia. Tsvi Braverman/EyeEm/Getty Images

"People think crocodiles are everywhere. They're not. They're in the estuaries and rivers and such," Paul Donlon from New Castle, Australia, said.

The same thing applies to other native animals like kangaroos and koalas. Chances are, you won't run into kangaroos or koalas in Australia's major cities.

Donlon said that if you want to see the country's native animals, you'll have to travel to national parks, which tend to be farther inland since many of Australia's larger cities are on the coast.

8. You don't need to be afraid of wildlife, but you do need to be aware.

A sign warning visitors or recent crocodile sightings. Monica Humphries/Insider

"There's a lot that can kill you in Australia," Sally Smith, who lives in Innisfail, Australia, said. "So be aware of the danger."

Donlon agreed but added that visitors don't need to be fearful during their trip.

"First-time travelers, there's definitely a fear factor. I've had to pacify so many people," Donlon said. Instead of traveling in fear, Donlon suggests staying calm and not interacting with the wildlife you encounter on your trip.

Mia Santos shared a similar sentiment and stressed that visitors shouldn't feed any wildlife when visiting.

9. Some Australians mentioned that their lingo could be hard to pick up.

A menu advertises "toasties" instead of "sandwiches" or "grilled cheeses." Monica Humphries/Insider

Most Australians speak English, but some Aussie words and phrases can stump travelers, the Gibson family said.

"That's the hardest part  learning our lingo," Alex Gibson said.

During a trip to Australia, you might hear the term "bushwalking," which means hiking or walking.

And while you may be more familiar with french fries, you might see "hot chips" written on the menu instead. What's more, you'll dip your hot chips in tomato sauce, not ketchup.

Additionally, Donlon said that it's not just the words Aussies use but how they form sentences that can also trip up tourists.

"People here shorten everything when they talk," Donlon said.

So if you get stuck on what someone's telling you, ask for clarification. Like the Gibson family said, Aussies are laid back and will be happy to teach you their favorite slang words.

10. Multiple Australians agreed that exploring the country by car is the best way to see the land down under.

An aerial view of a car driving in Australia's outback. Felix Cesare/Getty Images

While Australia's major cities have accessible public transportation, transportation options can be limited when you leave the city.

While travelers can still see these more remote areas by tour bus, Thomas recommends renting a car instead. By being behind the wheel, travelers can explore off-the-beaten-path activities and have a flexible schedule that allows them to explore Australia's hidden gems.

If you decide to rent a car, RV, or van and drive in the outback, Preen recommends only driving during sunlight hours.

During dusk, dawn, and night, large animals like kangaroos can jump out, which leaves you at a greater risk of hitting an animal, Preen said.

"They're like deer. They just stand there, and they swerve with you," Preen said. "So don't drive at night."

11. If you swim in Australia, make sure to swim in designated areas and keep an eye out for rip currents.

Bondi Beach in Sydney. Monica Humphries/Insider

Australia has plenty of beaches where tourists can take a swim, but make sure you're swimming in designated areas to avoid any unwanted encounters with sea creatures.

Swimmers should also be prepared for rip currents, Brittanie Stacpoole told Insider. These are powerful channels of water that can carry swimmers out to sea.

"One important thing when it comes to swimming is if you ever get caught in a rip, don't swim head on to the beach. Swim at an angle or parallel to the shore," Stacpoole said.



If you swim directly toward the shore, you might lose energy, which puts you at a greater risk of drowning. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, most rip currents are less than 80 feet wide, so if you swim parallel to the shore, you'll be able to swim out of the current.

12. Make sure to sample local foods like meat pies and Vegemite.

Vegemite, butter, and toast is a common breakfast in Australia. Monica Humphries/Insider

Australia has some classic foods that visitors should try when heading to the land down under.

Since many of the country's major cities are on the coast, seafood is a must. Smith said that barramundi is a popular fish, while fish 'n chips is an easy, grab-and-go meal.

You'll also be amiss if you don't try Vegemite in Australia, Stacpoole said. The yeast spread is typically slathered on bread and served for breakfast.

13. Eating kangaroo, crocodile, and emu isn't as common as some tourists think.

An arrow points to a crocodile curry on a menu in Australia. Monica Humphries/Insider

Some Australians agreed that restaurants that serve crocodile, kangaroo, and emu meat are typically catering to tourists.

While some Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians eat kangaroo, the meat tends to be tough and gamey, Goebel said.

Goebel recommends avoiding kangaroo, but if you are determined to try it, he suggests eating it in a meat pie, where flavors and juices from the pie's ingredients can better mask the toughness of the kangaroo meat.

14. Australia's tipping culture is simple  you don't need to tip.

Few restaurants in Australia even gave customers the option to tip. Monica Humphries/Insider

A few Aussies mentioned that you don't need to tip when visiting Australia.

Instead, restaurant workers receive a liveable wage, so tipping isn't expected. Santos said the same applies to other jobs like cab drivers, bartenders, and hotel staff.

For example, Santos said it's not expected to tip your Uber driver after completing your ride.

If you receive exceptional service, she said you could leave a tip, but it's not the norm or required.

15. Talk to locals, listen to suggestions, and don't get fixated on having specific Australian experiences.

Kangaroo skins at a tourist shop in Kuranda, Australia. Monica Humphries/Insider

Terry Edwards from Innisfail said visitors sometimes come to Australia expecting to see kangaroos everywhere and run into crocodile hunters at restaurants.

But Edwards said he hopes visitors arrive with an open mindset and a willingness to explore.

"Don't be fixated on certain Australian things," Edwards said. "Try new experiences."

While exploring the Sydney Opera House and crossing the Sydney Harbor Bridge are popular activities, some of the most exciting parts of the country are places you've never heard of, he said.

Read the original article on Insider
Barstow PD's school resource officer imposed a brief lockdown in Barstow High School and Barstow STEM Academy due to shots nearby Thursday morning.

Barstow Police have arrested a man and woman for allegedly being the source of gunshots that prompted lockdowns Thursday morning at two local K-12 schools.

The police department's school resource officer "called out shots fired near Barstow High School" and imposed a lockdown in both the high school and nearby Barstow STEM Academy at about 9 a.m. Thursday, Barstow PD said in a post on its Facebook page.

Officers and detectives responded and identified "an adult female leaving in a green vehicle south on Mount Vernon [St.]," then stopped the vehicle and "detained both a male driver and a female passenger," per the post.

"The initial investigation revealed the shots did not occur from the high school, but instead from across the street between the female and male during a domestic dispute," the department stated.

More news: Kidnapped California family, including 8-month-old, found dead

The schools remained in lockdown while officers processed the scene until about 10 a.m., when they returned to normal operations. The department said officers and school staff were available at the high school to answer any questions from parents Thursday morning.

Barstow PD couldn't be immediately reached for further clarification on the identify of the man and woman who were arrested or the current status of their detainment. A photo posted by the department on Facebook showed police tape restricting the intersection of Mount Vernon and Mountain View St., presumably the scene of the arrest.

Charlie McGee covers Californias High Desert for the Daily Press, focusing on the city of Barstow and its surrounding communities. He is also a Report for America corps member with The GroundTruth Project, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization dedicated to supporting the next generation of journalists in the U.S. and around the world. McGee may be reached at 760-955-5341 or cmcgee@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @bycharliemcgee.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Barstow police arrest couple after shots near high school prompt lockdown
Erin Jones, a teller for Ent Credit Union, counts out cash for a withdrawal for a customer at Ent Credit Union in Timnath in 2021. Bellco Credit Union will expand into the Fort Collins market later this year with a new branch on East Harmony Road.

Denver-based Bellco Credit Union is joining the fray of member-owned credit unions expanding into Fort Collins with a new branch at 1526 E. Harmony Road, Suite 300.

The branch, expected to open later this year, brings the total number of Bellco branch locations to 27, including 26 along the Front Range.

The new 2,000-square-foot branch will provide full- and self-service banking options including an express teller machine, 24-hour ATM service and offices for members to meet with Bellco staff.

More:Credit union or bank? How to determine which is right for you

Bellco currently has nearly 7,000 members in Northern Colorado, and we are always looking at ways we can better serve all our members, said John Rivera, Bellco's chief retail officer, in a press statement. Its important for Bellco to have a strong presence where our members live and work, and this is the perfect location for our ongoing branch expansion.

The 86-year-old Bellco has more than $7 billion in assets and 360,000 members. As of July 2021, it was one of 77 credit unions in Colorado. Although it had a hearing before the Colorado Division of Financial Services in 2021 for permission to serve Larimer County, a spokesperson said at the time the credit union had no immediate plans for a physical location here.

Bellco is just the latest credit union to expand into Fort Collins as the region's population explodes and federal legislation that helped expand credit union membership helps attract bigger players like Ent, Elevations and now Bellco to the market.

Thirteen years ago, there was a handful of credit unions in Fort Collins: Credit Union of Colorado, Norbel, Norlarco, Security Service and a facility for Anheuser-Busch employees.

Norbel and Norlarco were liquidated during the 2009-10 financial crisis. Norbel's assets folded into Security Service Federal Credit Union, and Norlarco's assets were purchased by Public Service Credit Union, which later rebranded as Canvas Credit Union.

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Today, there are at least eight credit unions operating in the county, including Ent, Elevations, Blue and Canvas  all major players that opened multiple branches in Larimer County in the past eight years. Credit Union of Colorado, Security Service, First Tech Federal Credit Union and Together  a rebranded credit union for A-B employees and retirees  are still in play.

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Bank or credit union: What's the difference?

Unlike banks, credit unions are tax-exempt nonprofit entities that are owned by their members (depositors) and chartered either by the Colorado Division of Financial Services or the federal National Credit Union Administration (similar to the FDIC).

They provide an array of financial services and deposits, just as banks do, and deposits are insured up to $250,000. But unlike banks, credit unions must limit their customer base to whats called a field of membership, which can be defined as a company, school, place of worship, geographic area or membership in an organization.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Bellco, one Colorado's largest credit unions, opening in Fort Collins
The first signs of winter are approaching as colder temperatures are starting to creep their way into southeastern South Dakota with the area's first freeze a possibility.

The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls has put much of the state under a freeze warning, with significant freezing temperatures expected. Sioux Falls, and surrounding areas, are just outside the freeze warning zone and are under a freeze watch, with the potential for significant widespread freezing.

How long is the freeze warning/watch in effect for?

The warning will start at midnight Thursday into Friday until 10 a.m. A large portion of South Dakota will see temperatures drop to 26 degrees. Most of the remainder of southeastern South Dakota, and a portion of southwestern Minnesota and northwestern Iowa are under a freeze watch for the same time period, according to the NWS.

A Freeze Warning has been issued from Midnight tonight until 10 AM Friday morning. A large portion of SD will have temps down to 26F. Most of the remainder of southeastern SD, and a portion of southwestern MN, and northwestern IA are under a Freeze Watch for the same time period. pic.twitter.com/ia7p0caf3S  NWS Sioux Falls (@NWSSiouxFalls) October 6, 2022

Is a freeze warning for Sioux Falls possible?

Samantha Garrett, meteorologist at the NWS, said the predictions made by the NWS can change by the hour, and as of 1:15 p.m. Thursday, the NWS was planning to change the freeze watch Sioux Falls was under.

"Right now based off the new model data, we are planning on going from a freeze watch to a freeze warning in Sioux Falls," Garrett said.

The forecast low for the city heading into Friday is at 31 degrees, according to Garrett. That's enough to freeze any plants left outside.

A look at the days ahead, according to the NWS:

Tonight: Widespread frost, mainly after 4 a.m. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 31. North wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

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Friday: Widespread frost before 10 a.m.. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 50. North wind around 5 mph.

Friday night: Widespread frost after midnight. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 28. West northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Saturday: Widespread frost, mainly before 8 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 62. Light southwest wind becoming west southwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39. West southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 67.

Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41.

Native American Day/Columbus Day: Sunny, with a high near 68.

Monday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 51.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 74. Breezy.

Tuesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 51.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Freeze warning, watch issued for parts of South Dakota, Sioux Falls
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb) has decided to leave public office. (Photo: TASOS KATOPODIS via Getty Images)

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb) has decided to leave public office. (Photo: TASOS KATOPODIS via Getty Images)

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) is taking a top job at the University of Florida and plans to resign from the Senate in the coming months.

Politico and NBC firstreported Thursday that Sasse is likely to leave his Senate seat by the end of the year. The Tampa Bay Times, meanwhile, reported that Sasse is the sole finalist in the University of Floridas search for a president.

The senator himself confirmed the news shortly afterward. He tweeted the Tampa Bay Times story without comment, and then followed up with a tweet about how delighted and excited he is to take the university job.

Sasse also suggested hes been a hot ticket among outside institutions eager to hire him, and that this time he finally said yes.

Melissa and I have been pursued by wonderful institutions the past two years, but weve resisted being named a finalist, he tweeted, referring to his wife. This time is different because the University of Florida is very different: I think Florida is the most interesting university in America right now.

The senator did not give a precise date for his planned resignation.

Sasse, 50, isnt up for reelection until 2026. That means the Nebraska governor will have to appoint a replacement to finish out his term.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska is the sole finalist to be the next president of the University of Florida, the university announced Thursday in a news release that included a statement from Sasse. If he accepts, Sasse would likely have to resign from his Senate seat before his term ends.

Sasse was reelected to a second term in 2020, and his term doesn't expire until 2027. Under state law, his seat would be filled by a gubernatorial appointment, which in this case would be by GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts. University of Florida's Board of Trustees still needs to formally consider Sasse, before any confirmation can be made by the Florida Board of Governors.

"The University of Florida is the most interesting university in America right now," Sasse said in a statement included in the University of Florida's news release. "It's the most important institution in the nation's most economically dynamic state  and its board, faculty and graduates are uniquely positioned to lead this country through an era of disruption. The caliber of teaching and research at UF is unmistakable, carried out through the core principles of shared governance and academic freedom. I'm thrilled about the opportunity to work alongside one of the nation's most outstanding faculties."

The Nebraska Republican was one of the seven Senate Republican senators who voted to convict Trump on the charge of inciting an insurrection over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol.

Sasse holds degrees from Harvard University and Yale University.

This is a developing story.

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On Tuesday, Beyonce threw a Club Renaissance party during Paris Fashion Week, and it was a star-studded affair. Tyler, the Creator, Doja Cat, Halsey, Naomi Campbell and Baz Luhrmann were just a few of the celebrities spotted at the invite-only party.

An invite posted by Pop Crave shows that Beyonce required attendees to provide a negative same-day COVID-19 test result, in addition to banning all phone use within the event. With no photos floating around from the event, it seems Beyonce succeeded in keeping the event hush-hush.

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The party, hosted at Yoyo Pais De Tokyo, was in partnership with Tiffany & Co.

Its no surprise Beyonce would take Paris Fashion Week as an opportunity to throw an exclusive celebration. She teased fans with Renaissance-themed listening parties in Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Ghent, Belgium ahead of her albums July release.

The Parisian shebang is just one of many Club Renaissance parties Beyonce has reportedly thrown in secret around the globe. Soon after her album drop, she threw a secret party in New York City, which reportedly had a Studio 54 theme, in tribute to the citys iconic disco club. Donald Glover, Chloe and Halle Bailey, Kendrick Lamar, Janelle Monae and Questlove all took the opportunity to rub shoulders with Queen Bey at the NYC event.

Beyonces Renaissance is her seventh studio album and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The accomplishment made Renaissance the first album released by a woman in 2022 to hit No. 1.

Click here to read the full article.
Drew Angerer/Getty

Every American with a past conviction for violating federal marijuana possession laws will be pardoned, President Joe Biden announced on Thursday, part of an enormous reversal in national drug policy that will have far-reaching ramifications for criminal justice and public health.

Bidens executive actions also direct the Departments of Justice and of Health and Human Services to begin the process of potentially changing the drug classification of marijuanawhich is currently scheduled on the same level as heroin. The move would potentially allow for marijuana to be given the green light for medical use nationally, as well as be used in studies for potential applications ranging from cancer treatment to mental health.

No one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana. Today, Im taking steps to end our failed approach, Biden said, before announcing the pardon of all federal sentences for marijuana possession. There are thousands of people who were previously convicted of simple possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result. My pardon will remove this burden.

Additionally, Biden called on the nations governors to issue similar pardons for state-level marijuana possession convictions. Roughly 6,500 people have been convicted for federal marijuana possession offenses, but state-level convictions number in the millions.

Im calling on governors to pardon simple state marijuana possession offenses, Biden said. Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely for possessing marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either.

Dems Knock White House for Out of Touch Stance on Weed

The actions amount to a massive reversal in policy for Biden, who has long refused to end the federal war on cannabis, despite promises on the campaign trail to end prison time for federal possession convictions. During the presidential campaign, Biden broke with some of his more liberal rivals on the issue, saying that he needed to know a lot more about the science before agreeing to marijuana reform.

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Theres not nearly enough evidence that has been acquired as to whether or not it is a gateway drug, Biden said in 2019. Its a debate, and I want a lot more before I legalize it nationally.

Bidens personal discomfort with relaxing marijuana laws has even extended within his own administration, with dozens of administration staffers sacked or sidelined over past marijuana use in the early days of his presidency, although later policies have relaxed some federal restrictions.

In May of last year, the Drug Enforcement Administration approved the growth of cannabis for medical research, and federal convictions for marijuana possession have slowed from the Trump administration, although the issue is not as partisan as it once was: On his final day in office, former President Donald Trump issued clemency for a dozen people with marijuana-related convictions, some of whom were serving sentences under drug laws passed by Biden in 1994. Vice President Kamala Harris, too, has been seen as a potential ally within the administration on the issue.

The actions were greeted as long overdue by Erik Altieri, executive director of the cannabis legalization group NORML.

We are pleased that today President Biden is following through on this pledge and that he is also encouraging governors to take similar steps to ensure that the tens of millions of Americans with state-level convictions for past marijuana crimes can finally move forward with their lives, Altieri said. Since 1965, nearly 29 million Americans have been arrested for marijuana-related violationsfor activities that the majority of voters no longer believe ought to be a crime.

Bidens announcement did not include a push for full-scale legalization of marijuana possession and cultivation, as some Democrats have called for. Biden cited the need for important limitations on trafficking, marketing, and under-age sales to remain in place as the reason for continued cannabis regulation, but acknowledged that too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana.

Its time that we right these wrongs, Biden said.

On the heels of Bidens announcement, a Department of Justice spokesperson announced that the department would expeditiously implement the order, restoring political, civil, and other rights to those convicted.

The proclamation announcing the pardon stipulates that the pardon is exclusively retroactive, and applies only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

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President Biden on Thursday pardoned thousands of individuals convicted for possessing marijuana at the federal level.

Bidens order does not apply to state-level offenses but he urged governors to follow his example and forgive this crime in their respective states.

Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either, Biden said in a statement.

The declaration means 6,500 individuals with prior convictions for simple marijuana possession will not have to serve their punishments and will have certain privileges and liberties restored. It also relieves convicts in Washington, D.C.

There are thousands of people who were convicted for marijuana possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result, Biden said. My pardon will remove this burden on them.

Biden also directed Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and Attorney General Merrick Garland to consider whether marijuanas federal designation as a schedule one substance deserves a downgrade. Schedule one drugs are those with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse

The federal government currently classifies marijuana as a schedule one substance, the same as heroin and LSD  and more serious than fentanyl, he said. It makes no sense. Many Republicans and Democrats alike have argued that marijuana, while a drug, is more benign, as its technically not a narcotic, and can sometimes be involved in non-violent contexts.

Libertarian scholars have claimed that marijuana decriminalization will snuff out illegal trading. However, case studies such as that of Colorado, which was the first state to legalize marijuana, show that a large percentage of marijuana sales still go through the black market. In California, over 80 percent of marijuana traffic happens in the illegal marketplace to evade cannabis taxes.

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In response to the news, marijuana stocks Tilray Brands and Canopy Growth soared, increasing roughly ten percent and give percent, respectively, in afternoon trading.

Sending people to jail for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives  for conduct that is legal in many states. Thats before you address the clear racial disparities around prosecution and conviction. Today, we begin to right these wrongs, Biden added.

More from National Review
President Biden will pardon everyone who has been convicted of simple possession of marijuana under federal law, the White House announced Thursday.

There are thousands of people who have prior federal convictions for marijuana possession, who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result. My action will help relieve the collateral consequences arising from these convictions, Biden said in a statement.

The pardons will also include people who have been convicted of simple possession in the District of Columbia.

The announcement represents the most significant action on marijuana the Biden administration has taken to date  and a major step towards decriminalization.

Marijuana is illegal under federal law, even as states have moved toward legal use for recreational and medical purposes.

As a candidate, Biden stopped short of endorsing legalization of recreational marijuana, but he supported moving towards decriminalization.

Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. Its time that we right these wrongs, he said in a video announcing the move.

The White House is urging governors to take similar action. Administration officials told reporters the pardons could benefit about 6,500 people, though officials said there is nobody in federal prison for simple marijuana possession.

Officials noted there are far more people who have been convicted under state law.

In addition, Biden is asking the secretary of Health and Human Services and the attorney general to expeditiously review how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.

Marijuana is a Schedule I drug, meaning it is in the same category as drugs like heroin and LSD. According to the federal government, it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical value.

A senior administration official said the review will take time because it must be based on a scientific review of the evidence, and the White House is not going to set an arbitrary deadline.

Updated at 3:33 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
President Biden on Thursday announced that he is pardoning thousands of people who have federal convictions for simple possession of marijuana, part of what his administration is calling a three-step plan to ending the countrys failed approach to criminalizing the drug.

As I often said during my campaign for President, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana, Biden said in a statement. Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit. Criminal records for marijuana possession have also imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. And while white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates.

President Biden, pictured here speaking in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on Thursday, announced he was pardoning thousands of Americans for federal marijuana possession convictions. (Tom Brenner/Reuters)

Biden said he has directed Attorney General Merrick Garland to develop an administrative process to issue the pardons to eligible individuals, of which there are an estimated 6,500.

There are thousands of people who have prior federal convictions for marijuana possession, who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result, Biden said. My action will help relieve the collateral consequences arising from these convictions.

The president is urging governors in all 50 states to do the same.

Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either, Biden said.

Marijuana plants for the adult recreational market inside a greenhouse at Hepworth Farms in Milton, N.Y. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

He is also asking Garland and Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra to review expeditiously how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.

Marijuana is currently under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the classification meant for the most dangerous substances, including heroin and LSD, and even higher than the classification of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

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Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana, Biden added. Its time that we right these wrongs.

There has been increasing public support for marijuana legalization in the United States over the past few decades  and increasing pressure on the Biden administration to address the issue.

Senate Democrats, led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, introduced a plan to decriminalize the drug earlier this year.

Marijuana is currently legal for recreational use in 19 states plus the District of Columbia.

A recent Gallup poll found that more than two-thirds of Americans (68%) support legalizing marijuana, matching the record high reached a year ago. A Pew Research survey released in June showed nearly nine out of 10 Black Americans supporting legalization of some sort (57% said the drug should be legal for both medical and recreational use, while 28% said it should be legal only for medical use).

Advocates for legalization also point to the racial disparity in arrests tied to cannabis, as outlined in a 2020 report from the American Civil Liberties Union.

And a Gallup poll in August found that for the first time, more Americans say they now smoke marijuana than tobacco.
On Thursday, Oct. 6, more than 6,500 federal offenders who had previously been convicted of simple marijuana possession could breathe a sigh of relief after receiving a pardon from President Joe Biden. The pardon also applied to those charged in the District of Columbia.

Biden penned a statement regarding marijuana reform, in which he describes a multistep plan to change the perception and treatment of the substance in the eyes of the law.

POTUS announced the new statement on Twitter.

As Ive said before, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana. Today, Im taking steps to end our failed approach. Allow me to lay them out, he tweeted via his official account.

As Ive said before, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana. Today, Im taking steps to end our failed approach. Allow me to lay them out.  President Biden (@POTUS) October 6, 2022

The statement continued, First: Im pardoning all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession. There are thousands of people who were previously convicted of simple possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result. My pardon will remove this burden.

The president then called on local officials to do the same on a state level.

Second: Im calling on governors to pardon simple state marijuana possession offenses, POTUS said. Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely for possessing marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either.

The president then criticized the current classification of marijuana, as it is compared to more deadly drugs.

Third: We classify marijuana at the same level as heroin  and more serious than fentanyl. It makes no sense, wrote the president. Im asking [Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra] and the Attorney General to initiate the process of reviewing how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.

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Marijuana is currently classified in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the classification meant for the most dangerous substances, which is the same category heroin and LSD are in. And its in a higher class than fentanyl and methamphetamine, two substances which have established the raging opioid crisis in the country.

Sending people to jail for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives  for conduct that is legal in many states. Thats before you address the clear racial disparities around prosecution and conviction. Today, we begin to right these wrongs.  President Biden (@POTUS) October 6, 2022

Like many, Biden agrees that the countrys failed approach to marijuana has upended too many lives and has incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit. In his statement, he acknowledges that many of those who are affected the most are Black and brown.

While white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates, he stated in the White House press briefing.

Reactions to Biden's decision poured in:

Reactions to Bidens executive action have already began pouring in.

We applaud President Biden for taking these transformative steps to right the historic injustices of the failed War on Drugs by reforming our approach to marijuana criminalization. Possession of marijuana has upended far too many lives and incarcerated Black people at an alarmingly disproportionate rate for activities that many states no longer prohibit. Criminal records for marijuana possession have also imposed insurmountable barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities for countless Black and brown Americans.  Joyce Beatty, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus

The United States will never justly legalize marijuana until it reckons with the outdated policies that equated thousands of young Black men with hardened drug pushers. President Bidens righteous action today will give countless Americans their lives back. They were thrown behind bars for years on end for simple possession, a non-violent offense, for a substance that red states and blue states are now legalizing at a furious clip. This held them back from jobs, homes, and the general dignity they now get back with this full pardon. The National Action Network began pushing for these reforms nearly a decade ago, when it became clear the conversation around legalization began to change. We will continue to monitor the legalization and hold the federal government to its word. I echo the Presidents call on governors to follow suit and deliver this same justice at the state level. They cannot legalize marijuana at the state house until they rectify what went on at the jail house.  Rev. Al Sharpton

We are thrilled to see President Biden holding true to his commitment to pardon every person with simple marijuana possession charges at the federal level, including people in D.C. And we are further encouraged by his efforts to get Governors to take similar actions at the state level. This is incredibly long overdue. There is no reason that people should be saddled with a criminal recordpreventing them from obtaining employment, housing, and countless other opportunitiesfor something that is already legal in 19 states and D.C. and decriminalized in 31 states.

We, however, hope that the Biden Administration will go further and fully deschedule marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), rather than initiate a process that could lead to rescheduling. Keeping marijuana on the federal drug schedule will mean people will continue to face criminal charges for marijuana. It also means that research will continue to be inhibited and state-level markets will be at odds with federal law. We urge the President to support the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, introduced in the Senate earlier this year, which would fully remove marijuana from the CSA, provide expungement and resentencing for past marijuana convictions beyond simple possession, and comprehensively repair the harms of marijuana criminalization.  Kassandra Frederique, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance
President Biden lashed out at a federal appeals court on Wednesday, after it ruled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was illegally implemented by the Obama administration.

In a statement, the president called the decision "unlawful" and urged Congress to make permanent legislative protections to help more than 600,000 immigrants currently protected by DACA.

On Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Courts three-judge panel determined the Obama administration lacked the authority to institute the DACA program. However, the court stopped short of judicially dismantling it and said DACA migrants could continue to receive legal protections.

"I am disappointed in today's Fifth Circuit decision holding that DACA is unlawful. The courts stay provides a temporary reprieve for DACA recipients, but one thing remains clear: the lives of Dreamers remain in limbo," Biden said.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES OBAMA-ERA DACA PROGRAM ILLEGAL, BUTS SAYS 600,000 ALREADY IN US CAN STAY

President Biden in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

"Todays decision is the result of continued efforts by Republican state officials to strip DACA recipients of the protections and work authorization that many have now held for over a decade," 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," Biden continued, "it is long past time for Congress to pass permanent protections for Dreamers, including a pathway to citizenship."

BIDEN ADMIN MOVES TO STRENGTHEN OBAMA-ERA DACA PROGRAM AMID LEGAL CHALLENGES

The circuit court also ruled the U.S. government could not process new applicants for DACA and ordered a Texas federal judge to review the program.

"A district court is in the best position to review the administrative record in the rulemaking proceeding and determine whether our holdings as to the 2012 DACA Memorandum fully resolve issues concerning the Final Rule," the court wrote.

President Biden on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Biden specifically blamed "MAGA-Republican officials" for the courts decision as several Republican-led states sued the federal government over the DACA program. Governors allege the program negatively impacts their local economies as they have to foot the bill for DACA recipients education and healthcare.

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"My Administration is committed to defending Dreamers against attacks from Republican officials in Texas and other states," Biden concluded. "This challenge to DACA is just another example of the extreme agenda being pushed by MAGA-Republican officials."

The rule takes effect Oct. 31.

Fox News Adam Sabes, David Spunt and Allie Simon and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Joe Biden leaves Holy Trinity Catholic Church before attending the Phoenix Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images

LASHING OUT - Biden again scolds MAGA Republicans after court strikes down DACA. Continue reading 

WOKE ADMINISTRATION - Under Biden, diversity, equity and inclusion dominate policy priorities across agencies. Continue reading 

WOULDNT EVEN CONSIDER' - Violent crime decreases in city where the Democratic mayor has vowed not to defund the police. Continue reading 

THAILAND MASSACRE - More than 30 killed in mass shooting, knife attack at day care center, including children. Continue reading 

DIFFERENT ROUTES - Experts break down obstacles Tom Brady, Gisele face ahead of a potential divorce. Continue reading 

-

TICKING TIME BOMB - Graham, Cruz tell Mayorkas he's on notice for possible impeachment over border crisis. Continue reading 

HOT MIC MOMENT - President Biden caught joking in an explicit conversation while on Hurricane Ian visit. Continue reading 

SOCIETY IS NOT SAFER  Wisconsin GOP gubernatorial candidate blames state's rising crime on weak leadership. Continue reading 

FOLLOW THE SCIENCE? - Biden contradicts his own top hurricane expert to push climate agenda. Continue reading 

'OFFENDED AND ENTITLED'- Parents fuming after a professor gets fired over students' poor grades. Continue reading 

ATTACKING AGAIN  Taylor Lorenz blasts Washington Post colleague over absurd, insensitive COVID tweet. Continue reading 

IT JUST SUCKS  Hurricane Ian Coast Guard hero speaks out ahead of firing over vaccine refusal. Continue reading 

CATASTROPHIC EFFECTS  Dr. Phil slams COVID-19 lockdowns, says he anticipates difficulties for decades to come. Continue reading 

JESSE WATTERS - Democrats are living in an alternate reality. Continue reading 

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Story continues

LAURA INGRAHAM - Other countries are controlling our destiny. Continue reading 

TURNING PURPOSE INTO ACTION - Veteran who nearly committed suicide now works to help other veterans overcome mental health struggles. Continue reading 

WE AREN'T GIVING IN - Biden administration demands Alabama embrace genderless schools or else, Alabama's attorney general writes. Continue reading 

STUDENT LOAN HANDOUT - What you need to know before applications arrive. Continue reading 

GUNNED DOWN - University community left in deep shock after professor shot, killed on campus by former student. Continue reading 

Whats it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading

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A marijuana activist holds a flag during a march on Independence Day on July 4, 2021 in Washington, DC. Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Joe Biden's pardons for federal marijuana possession will help thousands with past convictions.

Today, however, few people  less than 150  are in federal prison simply for cannabis possession.

In 2017, the last year for which there is such data, 92 people were put in federal prison for possession.

President Joe Biden's decision to grant pardons to people who have been convicted of marijuana possession at the federal level reflects a broader, bipartisan shift away from incarceration for cannabis.

In a statement on Thursday, Biden said that "no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana." And while his pardons will be welcome news for those with a federal conviction  an obstacle to stable housing and steady employment  only a handful of people will be freed because of it.

The vast majority of those serving time for drug possession are doing so at the state level, though in his statement announcing the pardons Biden encouraged governors to do the same with prisons in their jurisdictions.

According to the United States Sentencing Commission, a federal agency, in the fiscal year 2021, which ended last June, just 149 people were in federal prison for simple possession of marijuana, down from more than 2,000 in the fiscal year 2015.

The last time the US Sentencing Commission reported federal convictions for simple marijuana possession was in the fiscal year 2017. Then, 92 people were put behind bars for the offense, reflecting a years-long decline in such cases. By comparison, there were 160 such convictions in 2007  and 267 a decade earlier.

Of those serving time for marijuana offenses, the vast majority were convicted of trafficking. In the fiscal year 2021, according to the commission, 1,005 people were in federal prison for trafficking marijuana, compared to just under 3,500 in 2015.

The overwhelming majority of those in federal prison today for drug offenses are in fact those convicted of trafficking, including of heroin and cocaine: some 17,608 people, per the most recent data, or a little over 30% of all federal prisoners. Just over 300 people  or 0.5% of the total prison population  are behind bars for any sort of drug possession.

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Advocates of criminal justice reform said Biden's pardons will indeed change thousands of lives, but there's more the White House can do to right what the president now calls the wrongs of the war on drugs.

"Congress is so broken, it's hard to get some things done, especially on criminal justice  it's gotten so politicized," Kevin Ring, president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, told Insider. "It's really important that he uses clemency authority in a smart way like this  and keeps going."

Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com

Read the original article on Business Insider
There was once an old saying, A dog is mans best friend. And sure, we certainly love our pets. But traveling with a dog or cat can be a challenge. Fortunately, Black-owned pet hotels are a welcome retreat for pets AND their owners.

What are Pet Hotels?

A pet hotel is an overnight living space for pets to stay while their owners are away. They typically include other services such as daycare, grooming, and training. Some larger pet hotels can even accommodate animal clinics and hospitals.

But aside from your standard care, some pet hotels offer deluxe services and experiences to their furry guests. These services can include anything from complimentary facials to pet massages.

Why are They Important?

Pet hotels help owners rest easy knowing that their furry friend is being cared for in their absence. But not only do they provide room and board for furry friends, they also maintain structure.

Hotel employees take dogs for daily walks, ensure they get a proper nights rest, and even administer medication. Maintaining elements of their daily routine helps them to better adjust to living in a new environment.

Plus, they can also provide a lot of emotional support to animals, from soothing an anxious cat to comforting a homesick dog.

Black-owned Pet Hotels For Traveling Pet Parents

For animal lovers, pets are a true companion, with some owners even calling them their children. But unfortunately, pet owners cant always be with their pets. However for many, boarding services are a useful solution. Even better, there are a number of Black-owned boarding services to support during your travels. Here are five Black-owned pet hotels to consider when planning a trip away from your furry friend:

Paws and the City - Texas

If you cant bring your pet along with you, let the sitter come to you! Paws and the City is a Dallas-based pet daycare center owned and operated by Judie Boots.

Many travelers purchase cramped and stuffy kennels for their pets while theyre away. Instead, allow your fur baby to relax in the comfort of his home with Paws and the City. Services include playtime, walking, feeding, and more. Plus, they can accommodate a number of pets, including dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and even horses!

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At Paws and the City, your pet is a priority. From feeding to exercise, the pet center is committed to providing quality care and service to your furry loved one.

MaryMac's Doggie Retreat - Lousiana

Some dogs develop separation anxiety when their owners are away for long periods of time. As a result, a dog might relieve themselves in unexpected areas of the residence, chew or scratch at furniture, or even escape.

To combat this, try Mary Macs Doggie Retreat located in Louisiana. There, they provide daycare, boarding, grooming, and other services for dogs of all ages and sizes.

Their Traditional Boarding package includes walking, feeding, medication administration, structured group play, and the option for communal sleeping. Your dog can even stay in a pet suite, complete with memory foam beds, individual blankets, raised bowls, a pillow, and soft jazz music at bedtime.

Or if you have a puppy or senior dog, the doggie retreat can accommodate their special needs as well, from providing teething toys to administering geriatric care.

The Bark Shoppe - New York

If youre planning a trip to New York, The Bark Shoppe is a choice pet hotel to leave your fur baby. Whether you plan to stay for a night or a week, The Bark Shoppe has you covered.

For pet safety, The Bark Shoppe pairs dogs based on personality type, temperament, and size. Part of the itinerary includes two daily walks, meal time, sensory training with TV and speakers, interactive playtime, and much more. Plus, the pet hotel provides text updates to owners so they can rest easy knowing their pet is well taken care of.

Not to mention, the shoppe also offers grooming services, some of which include a complimentary facial!

Harlem Doggie Day Spa - New York

Harlem Doggie Day Spa is the ultimate luxury experience for your pet.

At Harlem Doggie Day Spa, your dog can enjoy playtime, naptime, TLC sessions, summer pool parties, belly rubs, and head scratches. And thats just at the daycare!

For traveling pet owners, the day spa also offers cage-free boarding services. Services include meal times, monitored group sleeping, backyard playtime, and much more. Plus, Harlem Doggie Day Spa welcomes all breeds of dogs for your convenience.

Schedule a grooming session for your dog, complete with a bath, nail trim, ear cleaning and haircut. Or pamper your pup with their spa services, including blueberry facials, mud baths, teeth brushing, hair coloring, and more.

PupStars Pet Care - Illinois

Located in Illinois, Pupstars Pet Care is the perfect place to leave your pets while youre away. From pet training to puppy parties, Pupstars Pet Care is dedicated to providing the highest quality support to you and your furry friend.

Customize their stay with a la carte menu items like bedtime cookies and 15-minute treadmill sessions. For nervous pets, add a calming CBD treat to their nighttime routine. Or for high-energy fur babies, request a 30-minute iFetch session, so your dog can get the zoomies out in time for bed.

You can even choose between a condo and a suite if you have more than one pet. But if not, dont worry! Your pet is sure to make plenty of friends in the facilitys ample daycare space.
A book. Illustrated | Getty Images

Horror films offer a little something for everyone, even the timidest of thrill seekers. But if you're looking for a break from the screen this Halloween season, books in the horror genre are a welcome alternative.

To help, here are a few recommendations based on your favorite horror movie subgenre:

If you like psychological horrors like "Psycho" (1960) or "Midsommar" (2019), read "The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Wild" (2021)

Unlike psychological thriller books, which follow a mystery, psychological horror books "inspire fear through suggestion, paranoia, and implication, rather than through violence, pursuit, or even gore itself," Book Riot explains. Think Alfred Hitchock's Psycho, but in literary form.

If you're looking for a book that scratches that part of your brain, look no further than The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Wild. The book centers around an old, boarded-up house at the dead-end of Needless Street. The dilapidated home has three inhabitants: a teenage girl who never leaves the house, a drunken man, and a bible-reading house cat. The three are bound together by a horrifying secret that threatens to be revealed with the arrival of a new neighbor. And as readers are drawn into the novel's sinister world, the trio's secret only grows more elusive. You probably won't see the ending coming, but it's sure to stick with you long after you're done.

If you're into slasher films like "Halloween"(1978) or "Freaky" (2020), read "My Heart is a Chainsaw" by Stephen Graham Jones (2021)

Slasher films like the beloved Halloween have spawned generations of horror fans. Often featuring dangerous killers (like the infamous Michael Myers) and now-classic horror movie tropes (like "the final girl"), slasher films typically pit a group of people against a knife-wielding murderer who picks them off one by one.

For those looking to get their psycho-killer fix from a book, try My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones, which NPR describes as "a beautiful love letter to horror movies." Jones certainly pays homage to classic slasher films, and even name-drops a few, like Scream. The story follows Jade, a teenage girl with a gruesome infatuation with slasher films. An outcast with an abusive father and an absent mother, Jade finds solace in these movies, amassing an encyclopedic knowledge of the genre to cope with the horrors of her real life. But when it seems like a slasher is targeting her lonely town of Proofrock, Jade uses her knowledge of horror flicks to figure out what will happen to her community.

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If you're a fan of demonic possession films like "The Exorcist" (1973) or "Hereditary" (2018), read "Come Closer" by Sara Gran (2003)

Tales of demonic possession have frightened people for hundreds of years, and movies have only furthered that fascination. Fans have found themselves captivated by the projectile vomit, floating furniture, and sacrilegious outbursts typical of possession films, such as the quintessential The Exorcist from 1973.

Come Closer by Sara Gran is perfect for horror fans of the demonic possession variety. Protagonist Amanda is overwhelmed by a voice in her head persuading her to wreak havoc in her own life. Unexplained noises, an expletive-laden memo about her boss, and a sudden urge to burn her husband with cigarettes cause her to question her sanity. At night she dreams of a demonic apparition and starts to wonder: Is she possessed or is she losing her mind?

If you're into paranormal horror like "The Amityville Horror" (1979) or "The Conjuring" (2013), read "Mexican Gothic" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2020)

Paranormal or supernatural horror is often home to ghosts and ghastly apparitions, but dolls and clowns (looking at you, Pennywise) sometimes take the lead in these terrifying tales. Haunted houses are also a staple  how frightening would it be if your home became a monster?

2020's Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia made a major splash with horror lovers thanks to its cultural twist on the classic gothic ghost story. The New York Times best-selling book is also being developed into a series for Hulu, so now would be the perfect time to try it out. Set in Mexico in the 1950s, the book follows debutante Noemi as she leaves her glamorous life in Mexico City for the Mexican countryside after receiving an alarming letter from her cousin, Catalina. Catalina claims her new husband is trying to harm her, and that "fleshless things" or ghosts are harassing her. But when Noemi rushes to Catalina's defense, she's confronted by her cousin's overbearing husband and a mysterious house that seems to be infiltrating her dreams with "visions of blood and doom." Noemi struggles to separate reality from this dream world, and starts finding it increasingly difficult to escape.

If you're drawn to found footage films like "The Blair Witch Project" (1999) or "The Bay" (2012), read "The Troop" by Nick Cutter (2014)

Found footage horror is one of the more contemporary subgenres of horror flicks. The granddaddy of all found footage film, The Blair Witch Project, broke barriers and left viewers questioning if what they just watched was real. The subgenre has since then begun incorporating Zoom calls, vlogs, and surveillance cameras into its terrifying tales  all of which will have you side-eyeing your laptop.

If you're looking for a book that similarly blurs the line between reality and fiction, The Troop by Nick Cutter is a solid choice. The book comes highly recommended by horror aficionados, including author Stephen King, who said, "The Troop scared the hell out of me, and I couldn't put it down. This is old-school horror at its best." The story follows a group of boy scouts and their group leader as they travel into the Canadian wilderness. But their journey is suddenly interrupted by a haggard stranger, who exposes the group to a bio-engineered virus. By interweaving the group's subsequent struggle for survival with news reports and interviews detailing the disease's origins, Cutter successfully mimics the reality-infused tension typical of found-footage horror movies.

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Lizzo invited for an encore flute performance at James Madison's home
The days of Spot-like robots being leveraged as a weapons platform and actual Spots training alongside special forces operators are already coming to an end; Atlas as a back-flipping soldier of fortune will never come to pass. Their maker, Boston Dynamics, along with five other industry leaders announced on Thursday that they will not pursue, or allow, the weaponization of their robots, according to a non-binding, open letter they all signed.

Agility Robotics, ANYbotics, Clearpath Robotics, Open Robotics and Unitree Robotics all joined Boston Dynamics in the agreement. "We believe that adding weapons to robots that are remotely or autonomously operated, widely available to the public, and capable of navigating to previously inaccessible locations where people live and work, raises new risks of harm and serious ethical issues," the group wrote. "Weaponized applications of these newly-capable robots will also harm public trust in the technology in ways that damage the tremendous benefits they will bring to society."

The group cites "the increasing public concern in recent months caused by a small number of people who have visibly publicized their makeshift efforts to weaponize commercially available robots," such as the Vision 60 from Ghost Robotics, or the Dallas PD's use of an EOD bomb disposal robot as an IED as to why they felt the need to take this stand.

To that end, the industry group pledges to "not weaponize our advanced-mobility general-purpose robots or the software we develop that enables advanced robotics and we will not support others to do so." Nor will they allow their customers to subsequently weaponize any platforms they were sold, when possible. That's a big caveat given the long and storied history of such weapons as the Toyota Technical, former Hilux pickups converted into DIY war machines that have been a mainstay in asymmetric conflicts since the '80s.

"We also pledge to explore the development of technological features that could mitigate or reduce these risks," the group continued, but "to be clear, we are not taking issue with existing technologies that nations and their government agencies use to defend themselves and uphold their laws." They also call on policymakers as well as the rest of the robotics development community to take up similar pledges.
Harry Kanes eighth goal of the Premier League season pushed Tottenham Hotspur into third place on the Premier League table with a 1-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.

Tottenham was playing with heavy hearts following the death of fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone at 61 years old earlier this week.

Brighton competed well for new boss Roberto De Zerbi, who couldnt add to the point he oversaw in a thrilling 3-3 draw versus Liverpool.

Tottenham moves third on the Premier League table with 20 points, three back of Man City. Spurs have one fewer point than second-place Arsenal, who hosts Liverpool on Sunday.

Brighton dips into sixth place, six points behind Spurs with a match-in-hand on their Saturday visitors.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

Premier League news Everton vs Man United: How to watch live, stream link, TV, team news Christian Pulisic Watch: How did USMNT star play for Chelsea vs Wolves? Red-hot Manchester City hammer Southampton

What we learned from Brighton vs Tottenham

Harry Kane keeps scoring, limps off: Theres a multi-verse in which were discussing the fact that Harry Kane is on pace to break the Premier League single-season goal record but Erling Haaland. Kane has eight goals in nine matches this season, on pace for 33.7 goals in a season (Cant wait to see what that .7 looks like in real life).

Unfortunately for the England captain, Erling Haaland is making the scoring leaders list look like it belongs in indoor soccer. And double unfortunately, Kanes attempted clearance in the 90th minute coincided with Alexis Mac Allisters left-footed shot attempt at the same ball, catching him on the back of the ankle. He had to leave the match as precaution at a minimum, and anything with Kanes problematic ankles will be closely monitored by Spurs fans.

Brighton will feel it couldve gotten more: The Seagulls forced four saves out of Hugo Lloris and put Spurs under threat on a few lengthy occasions over the course of the 90 minutes; Throw-in the fact that Tottenham played UEFA Champions League football earlier in the week and the fact that this was a home game and Brighton will feel it shouldve come away with at least a point.

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Tactical focus

Spurs fans got their 3-5-2 to start the match and its fitting that Kane and Heung-min Son teamed up for a goal in the first 22 minutes. Brighton found its foothold in the game but Antonio Conte was proactive and went for the win by bringing in Richarlison for Yves Bissouma (who was on a yellow).

[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ]

Stars of the show

Heung-min Son

Harry Kane

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

Moises Caicedo

Alexis Mac Allister

Whats next?

Brighton goes to Brentford on Friday, while Tottenham hosts Everton at 12:30pm ET Saturday.

How to watch Brighton vs Tottenham live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 3pm ET, Friday

TV Channel: USA Network

Online: Stream via NBCSports.com

Key storylines & star players

Brightons been getting so much of its offense from Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard, the latter coming off a hat trick and in the upper end of the Premier League leaders in both goals and assists. Alexis Mac Allister has been solid in the midfield and at the penalty spot.

Spurs continue to use Harry Kane in the Starting XI time and time again, and the English center forward hasnt worn down yet. A midweek scoreless draw in Germany against Eintracht Frankfurt will see Spurs show up to the party with more miles on their legs than the home team.

Brighton team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: Jakub Moder (knee), Enock Mwepu (illness)

Tottenham team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: Emerson (suspension), Dejan Kulusevski (thigh), Japhet Tanganga (knock), Lucas Moura (calf)

Our line-up for this afternoon's game  For Gian Piero  pic.twitter.com/fpp3fYMvzU  Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 8, 2022

Tottenham wins at Brighton behind Harry Kanes eighth of the season originally appeared on NBCSports.com
Edward Enninful has condemned the UK governments plan to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda, with the British Vogue editor-in-chief instead calling for a more helpful and inclusive policy.

Enninful spoke candidly about the flaws he sees in the government plan during a conversation with Sky News Sarah-Jane Mee, which aired on Thursday.

While discussing the policy, which would see the UK government send asylum-seekers to Rwanda where they may be granted refugee status or be forced to seek asylum elsewhere, the Vogue editor referenced his own background as a refugee.

This country was built on refugees, people from India, people from Africa, from the Commonwealth, and sort of embraced all these countries, Enninful said. So I feel like sending people to Rwanda is not really the solution. Im a refugee, and I think refugees contribute to the country so we have to have empathy. I think sometimes its quite hard for people to show [empathy], but I think thats the only way forward when it comes to refugees.

Enninful himself immigrated to Britain after fleeing Ghana with his family in the 1980s. The journalist discussed his working-class childhood growing up in Ghana, and how his mother, a dressmaker, influenced his first teachings in the fashion world in his memoir A Visible Man.

The memoir, released last month, sees Enninful reflecting on his experience arriving in London in 1985, which he described as landing into another kind of war zone as a result of Thatchers cruel and repressive policies.

In place of the governments current plan, Enninful says he would like to see a more helpful and inclusive policy in place.

"You could be turning incredible people away."



Vogue UK editor-in-chief Edward Enninful - a former refugee - tells @skysarahjane that "we have to have empathy" towards refugees.



More on this story: https://t.co/PCLISgGS3B



 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/iCkC7fp25D  Sky News (@SkyNews) October 6, 2022

Because when you tell people that theyre not needed, when you tell people that theyre not wanted, thats a problem in itself, Enninful told Mee. You might be saying no to the next doctor who is going to discover the next vaccine, or the next prime minister. You could be turning incredible people away, so we have to be very careful.

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Despite the criticism and ongoing legal challenges over the government plan, which was first signed in April, Britains Home Secretary Suella Braverman recently said the government plans to continue with the policy, and potentially expand it.

Were looking actively at negotiating with countries who will take our asylum seekers, she said Tuesday.

Elsewhere during the interview, Enninful was asked about the possibility of UK Prime Minister Liz Truss being featured in British Vogue.

He explained that the magazine features people who are sort of doing things at the moment, who have something to do with the zeitgeist.

So, you know, were waiting to see how she progresses, he said. And then we will have that conversation again.

Enninful was also asked by Sky News about whether he felt there was a racist undertone to the tabloid coverage of the 2019 special issue of British Vogue guest-edited by Meghan Markle, and whether it resonated with his own experience taking over as the editor of Vogue in 2017.

I think to just say its racism really simplifies everything. When I took the job, I was an outsider, and I think she was seen as an outsider. I was Black, I was gay, I was working class, I was a refugee. So I was an outsider coming to take up this institutional role, he said.

What people didnt realise was that he was the ultimate insider, Enninful said, referencing his extensive background in fashion journalism.

I just buckled down and did the work, and I think thats what shes doing, he added.
Brittney Griner EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Brittney Griner is "very afraid" and feels that she is being forgotten about in Russia, according to her wife, who had a "disturbing" phone conversation with her.

Cherelle Griner spoke with CBS Mornings almost eight months after her wife, Brittney Griner, was arrested in Russia for having cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage. Cherelle said she has had two phone conversations with Brittney beginning in August, the first of which left her feeling that "we can survive this." But things changed with the second call.

"It was the most disturbing phone call I've ever experienced," she said, explaining "you could hear" that Brittney "was not okay" during the brief conversation. "I don't know if she has anything left in her tank to continue to wake up every day and be in a place where she has no one," she added.

In August, Griner was sentenced to nine years in Russian prison after being convicted on drug charges, and she has an appeal hearing scheduled for Oct. 25. But Cherelle Griner told CBS that her wife is "at her absolute weakest moment in life" and is "very afraid about being left and forgotten in Russia." She also said that Brittney told her, "I feel like my life just doesn't matter. Y'all don't see me? Ya'll don't see the need to get me back home? Am I just nothing?"

Cherelle expressed concern that her wife could be moved to a Russian labor camp, though she told CBS she believes President Biden is "doing what he can" to bring her home.

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Lizzo invited for an encore flute performance at James Madison's home
Mass fish deaths in Hanoi's West Lake

Lots of fish have been found dead in Hanois West Lake over the past few days.















Lots of fish have been found dead in Hanois West Lake over the past few days



The dead fish were found in the area near Nguyen Dinh Thi Street, causing a bad odour.



Speaking to Dantri/Dtinews on October 5, Tay Ho District People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Dinh Khuyen, said an estimated 100 kilos of dead fish have been gathered from the lake.



"We've asked the Hanoi Water Drainage Company to collect the dead fish and investigate the case," he said.













A representative from the Hanoi Water Drainage Company said that the fish deaths started in early October and might have been caused by changing weather.



"The dead fish might also have been newly released by local people and have not adapted to the water here," the representative explained.



Earlier in 2016 and 2018, hundreds of tonnes of fish were also found dead at West Lake. Test results from the Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment showed that the fish died from a lack of oxygen.
Cherelle Griner says Brittney is at her absolute weakest moment in life right now facing a hearing in Russia for her sentence appeal.

WASHINGTON (AP)  WNBA star Brittney Griner is at her absolute weakest moment in life right now as she faces a hearing in Russia later this month for her appeal of a nine-year prison sentence for drug possession, Griners wife said in an interview aired Thursday.

Cherelle Griner told CBS Mornings that her wife, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who was playing in Russia during the WNBA offseason, is afraid of being forgotten by the United States.

Shes very afraid about being left and forgotten in Russia, or just completely used to the point of her detriment, Cherelle Griner said.

Cherelle Griner (above), wife of jailed WNBA star Brittney Griner, says Brittney is at her absolute weakest moment in life right now as she faces a hearing in Russia later this month for her appeal of a nine-year prison sentence for drug possession. (Photo: Nam Y. Huh/AP, File)

She said Brittney Griner told her in a phone call that she felt like my life just doesnt matter.

Like, yall dont see the need to get me back home? Am I just nothing? Cherelle Griner quoted her wife as saying. It wasnt clear when the call took place.

Brittney Griner was convicted Aug. 4 after Russian police said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow. Her defense lawyers said she had been prescribed cannabis for pain. The WNBA star said she had inadvertently packed them and had no criminal intent.

She is appealing her prison sentence; the hearing is scheduled for Oct. 25. But Cherelle Griner said after that hearing, her wife could potentially be moved to a labor camp elsewhere in Russia.

My brain cant even fathom it, she said in the CBS interview.

President Joe Biden met with Cherelle Griner at the White House last month. He also sat down with Elizabeth Whelan, the sister of Paul Whelan, another American currently imprisoned in Russia. The Biden administration said in July that it had made a substantial proposal to get them home. The administration has not provided specifics about its proposal, but a person familiar with the matter previously confirmed it had offered to release Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms dealer imprisoned in the U.S.

Story continues

WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted from a court room after an August hearing in Khimki, just outside Moscow, Russia. (Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP, File)

Cherelle Griner said the president is doing what he can, but theres another party in this situation. She said its going to take Russian President Vladimir Putin changing his mindset.

Though Brittney Griner was arrested in February  amid escalated tensions because of Russias invasion of Ukraine - the couple did not speak on the phone until August. Cherelle Griner said the first conversation was just so delightful and felt optimistic that her wife would survive the ordeal. But the second conversation, she said, was the most disturbing phone call Ive ever experienced.

You could hear that she was not OK, Cherelle Griner said.

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The vast majority of Americans support diplomacy with Iran to constrain its nuclear program, a survey found Wednesday, amid a stalemate in negotiations to restore a 2015 deal.

A wide-ranging annual survey by the Eurasia Group Foundation found that nearly 79 percent of US voters believe the United States "should continue to pursue negotiations to prevent Iran from obtaining or developing a nuclear weapon in the near future."

Former Republican president Donald Trump pulled out of the accord in 2018, calling it the "worst deal ever," and reimposed sweeping sanctions.

But the survey found that close to 72 percent of Republicans backed nuclear diplomacy with Iran. It did not ask about specific details of the 2015 accord.

President Joe Biden supports a restoration of the accord, but negotiations have repeatedly broken down, with Iran most recently demanding an end to the UN watchdog's probe of previous suspicious activities.

Political pressure has also built on Biden not to give Iran economic relief amid major protests against the clerical state triggered by the death of a young woman in the custody of morality police.

The Eurasia Group Foundation polled 2,002 US adults of voting age from September 2-8.

The survey also found a rise in the percentage of Americans who would back the use of force to expel Russian forces if they invade a NATO ally in the Baltics.

Nearly 65 percent agreed, up from less than 50 percent in 2021, although support was also high in previous years.

Biden has led a campaign to punish Russia and arm Ukraine over Moscow's invasion but has ruled out direct attacks on Russia, a rival nuclear power.

But Biden has warned of a response to any attack on NATO members, in line with the Western alliance's promises of common defense.

sct/tjj/to
Generally, when a single insider buys stock, it is usually not a big deal. However, when several insiders are buying, like in the case of ITV plc (LON:ITV), it sends a favourable message to the company's shareholders.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

See our latest analysis for ITV

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At ITV

The insider Peter Bazalgette made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK99k worth of shares at a price of UK0.80 each. That means that even when the share price was higher than UK0.59 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.

While ITV insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

ITV is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Insider Ownership Of ITV

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Our data suggests ITV insiders own 0.2% of the company, worth about UK4.1m. I generally like to see higher levels of ownership.

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So What Does This Data Suggest About ITV Insiders?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. While we have no worries about the insider transactions, we'd be more comfortable if they owned more ITV stock. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. When we did our research, we found 3 warning signs for ITV (2 are concerning!) that we believe deserve your full attention.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

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.

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Dockery named VP at VyStar Credit Union

Ken Dockery recently was named the new vice president for VyStar Credit Unions new location at 6435 N. Wickham Road in Suntree.

Ken Dockery

Dockery is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a 1986 graduate of Coastal Carolina University.

He had been at Bank of America for the past 24 years, and moved to Palm Bay last year.

Im excited about what VyStar brings to the community, Dockery said. Theyre involved in nonprofits, and theyre willing to give back a lot of money and time. Thats what banks dont do these days.

More: Business newsmakers: Horst named to Brevard public information team

More: Business newsmakers: Malik joins Truist Bank as vice president/commercial banker

VyStars Suntree branch expands its footprint in Brevard County, where the credit union opened its Titusville branch earlier this year.

VyStar now has more than 15 branches across Central Florida, with plans for future growth in the region.

VyStar Credit Union is the second-largest credit union headquartered in Florida, and now serves more than 830,000 members with assets of more than $13 billion.

VyStar is the largest mortgage lender in Northeast Florida and a major employer in the region, with more than 2,000 employees.

VyStar membership is open to everyone who lives or works in the 49 contiguous counties of Central to North Florida, and 26 Georgia counties.

WhiteBird's OConnor named to 'Best Lawyers' list

Ryan OConnor, a lawyer with WhiteBird PLLC, recently was named to the 2023 edition of Best Lawyers: One to Watch in America.

Ryan OConnor

Best Lawyers noted OConnors caliber of work in both appellate practice and commercial litigation.

OConnor joined WhiteBird earlier this year following several years as a lawyer for Am Law, which has offices in Orlando and Tallahassee.

WhiteBird started in January 2020, and is a full-service law with 10 attorneys with two offices  one in Melbourne and one in Vero Beach.

For more information go to www.whitebirdlaw.com.

Story continues

Best Lawyers One to Watch list recognizes U.S. lawyers who are earlier in their careers, for outstanding professional excellence in private practice.

Four get new positions at The AD Leaf marketing firm

The AD Leaf, a full-service marketing firm, recently announced a number of promotions of key personnel and staff additions.

The staff changes include:

Brian Wallace to senior vice president and chief of marketing and revenue officer.

Brian Wallace

In this new role, Wallace will be responsible for leading the organization's newly formed franchise division business line.

Wallace has been with The AD Leaf since 2021, and has played an instrumental role in its growth and success since his beginning as vice president of growth and marketing.

Sean Williams was hired as vice president of growth and marketing.

Sean Williams

His responsibilities include developing and executing marketing plans that drive the company's customer acquisition and revenue growth.

Williams graduated from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Before joining The AD Leaf, he held various marketing positions, giving him more than 10 years of experience in the field, including being marketing chair at the board of directors for the Florida Association of Veteran-Owned Businesses.

Shannon Sullivan was promoted to vice president of marketing team operations.

Shannon Sullivan

Sullivan graduated cum laude from Florida Institute of Technology, where she received her business administration degree focused in marketing. She completed her masters in music business at New York University.

She started with The AD Leaf as a social media specialist in 2019.

Ebony Marks was named director of team operations.

Ebony Marks

With more than eight years of experience in the music and marketing industries, she will oversee all marketing operations.

If you have a Business Newsmakers item you'd like to publish, please email details to Wayne T. Price at wtpkansas@yahoo.com or contact him at 321-223-0230.

Support local journalism and journalists like me. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: VyStar Credit Union names Dockery as vice president
The remains of a woman who was murdered 18 years ago were finally identified this week using genetic genealogy, a cutting-edge field of DNA science.

The Sacramento County Sheriffs Office originally found the remains in March 2008 and a coroner determined that the woman died by homicide sometime in the fall of 2004.

Law enforcement reviewed hundreds of missing persons reports, distributed photographs of her clothing and jewelry to the media, and created a composite drawing of what she may have looked like, but the case went cold for years.

In 2021, investigators reopened the case using genetic genealogy and were able to identify the woman as Shannon Vielguth by comparing her remains to the DNA of a close family member.

NEW YORK MAN ACCUSED OF WIFE'S COLD-CASE AX MURDER 37 YEARS LATER

Vielguth, who was 35 years old at the time of her disappearance, had been a transient for about six months before she was murdered, according to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office.

"Based on law enforcement records, Vielguth was most likely in Reno, NV and Sacramento in October 2004, which coincides with the time she was most likely killed," the sheriff's office said.

Scientist pipetting a DNA sample into a petri dish with a DNA profile in the background. TEK IMAGE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images

Police are now trying to track down who was responsible for Vielguth's death. Anyone with information about her disappearance or murder can call the Sacramento County Sheriffs Homicide Bureau at 916-874-5057.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  The United Nations is proposing a humanitarian corridor in Haiti's capital to help people get gasoline and aid amid a mounting crisis as gangs keep blockading roads and access to some areas, including to one key fuel terminal in Port-au-Prince.

The U.N. office in Haiti said in a press release that the blockades, in particular the one accessing the Varreux fuel terminal, undermine efforts to resolve problems in the Caribbean country, in particular the resurgence of cholera after three years without reported cases.

The U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Office in Haiti made the proposal on Wednesday.

Late Wednesday, Prime Minister Ariel Henry also called for help from the international community to address his country's crisis, worsened last month when he announced that fuel subsidies would be eliminated, causing prices to double and people, including gang members, to protest in the streets.

Haitis most powerful gang even decided to block access to the largest fuel terminal, warning its members will stay there until Henry resigns and prices for fuel are reduced.

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021, violence has soared in Haiti as gangs battle over territory, and the government has struggled to crack down.

The U.N. said that the blockade on the fuel terminal has led to the closure of health centers over the last weeks now, and caused the interruption of water treatment services, posing a problem to prevent cholera.

The crisis that Haiti is going through affects the population throughout the territory and the most vulnerable people are the first to suffer from the blockage, it added on its press release.

The fuel depot blocked by gangs has been inoperable since Sept. 12, cutting off about 10 million gallons of diesel and gasoline and more than 800,000 gallons of kerosene stored on site. Many gas stations are closed, and others are quickly running out of supplies.
By Anna Mehler Paperny

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's Supreme Court Justices questioned whether asylum-seekers that Canada sends back to the United States are really automatically detained and if "safety valves" are available, peppering lawyers with questions during a hearing on Thursday over a U.S.-Canada asylum-seeker pact.

A years-long battle over the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement has reached Canada's highest court, where lawyers sparred over whether existing protections are sufficient for asylum-seekers turned back at the Canada-U.S. border.

The agreement, signed 20 years ago, allows each country to turn back asylum-seekers at official land border crossings on the grounds they should seek refugee status in the first "safe" country they arrived in.

It predominantly applies to people trying to cross into Canada, which is seen as having a more welcoming asylum system.

A decision could have implications for Canada's justice system beyond asylum rules, lawyers told Reuters.

Lawyers for refugees argued Thursday morning that by turning back asylum-seekers to the United States, Canada denied them "effective protection."

Lawyers argued the agreement violates asylum-seekers' rights to equal treatment and to life, liberty and security of the person under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Lawyer Andrew Brouwer said if Canada wants to rely on the United States as a refugee protection partner then Canada should have confidence its neighbour will uphold international obligations towards asylum-seekers. But Canada "is sending refugees to a circumstance where they face a risk of detention and refoulement."

The Canadian government said not everyone turned back is subject to detention and that there are adequate "safety valves" in place.

A government lawyer said on Thursday that because this challenge deals with a foreign state, the bar for determining whether the Charter is breached should be higher.

Story continues

If Canada's Supreme Court finds the agreement breaches the Charter, Canada could no longer be party to the bilateral agreement.

The hearing ended Thursday. There is no set time frame for a decision.

Canada is also lobbying the United States to extend the agreement so it applies the length of the Canada-U.S. border, not just at formal crossings. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told reporters Thursday these talks were "on the right track."

(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Editing by Josie Kao)
Carnival Pride, a Spirit-class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line, sails across the Tagus River. Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Carnival Cruise Line said disruptive guests face a $500 fine, detainment, and disembarkment.

The warning applies to passengers whose behavior impacts the enjoyment and safety of those on board.

There are a higher number of passengers with "more agitated behavior," Carnival said.

Carnival Cruise Line has announced new rules that could lead to disruptive guests being fined $500 as it attempts to deal with increasingly rowdy passengers.

The US cruise company recently added a warning under the compliance with rules section in its Ticket Contract.

Carnival wrote in the contract that any passenger whose behavior impacts "the comfort, enjoyment, safety or well-being of other guests or crew" is expected to be detained onboard and taken off the ship. The passenger could also be banned from sailing on Carnival Cruises in the future, per the contract.

Violating the disruptive behavior clause could lead to a fine of $500 and "reimbursement of expenses incurred by Carnival as a result of the detainment or disembarkation," the company wrote in the contract.

"Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated," it added.

A spokesperson for Carnival told Insider there has been "an increase in more agitated behavior by a small number of guests."

"Our commitment to the health, safety and security of all of our guests and team members is being demonstrated through the implementation of various measures to assure that our ships remain a welcoming, family-friendly place, including a revised guest code of conduct," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said this trend was affecting other areas of the tourism industry, including amusement parks, sporting events, and airlines.

Flight attendants told Insider's Hannah Towey that this summer's mass cancellations and delays have increased the risks of unruly passenger incidents. The Federal Aviation Administration (the FAA) in July proposed that airlines installed a second cockpit barrier on commercial flights to protect crews and prevent passenger violence.

Story continues

Since the pandemic started in 2020, the cruise industry has been navigating rocky waters. Like many operators, Carnival has experienced a worker shortage and higher demand than available ships. It also experience disruption when Hurricane Ian descended on Florida, recently.

Some companies have recently dropped their ticket prices. For example, one four-night Carnival cruise from Orlando to the Bahamas costs $26 a day.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Five years have passed since Hurricane Maria destroyed parts of Puerto Rico and killed thousands.

The damage forced families to leave the island and move to Central Florida.

During Hispanic Heritage Month, Channel 9s Alexa Lorenzo met with one of the students who made that move.

For thousands of students at Colonial High School, it was just the start of another typical day.

But for a handful of them, it was the start of what felt like another life.

Read: Puerto Rican UCF grad student paving way for women in aerospace industry

Its OK to be sad, said UCF student Zuleyka Avila. Its OK, its OK to cry.

Avila was one of the roughly 3,000 students who enrolled in an Orange County Public School after Hurricane Maria decimated Puerto Rico in 2017.

She remembered how frantic everything was and the fear she and so many others felt when arriving in Orlando.

Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez helped register students, but once they arrived in the classroom, the dread and doubt remained.

Read: New data shows Hispanics twice as likely to be killed by gun violence in Florida

Just that sense of loss and not feeling like you belonged was very impactful, she said.

Orange County School Board member Johanna Lopez was a teacher at Colonial High in 2017 and she saw the struggle.

Once students started enrolling from Puerto Rico, she set up a class with nearly 70 kids from the island to make them know they belonged.

They need that type of a familia environment, like a home, Lopez said.

Read: WATCH: Hurricane Maria: Power & Perseverance

And for Zuleyka, that was all the difference.

It changed my life, she said.

Zuleyka graduated from Colonial High School, received her associates degree at Valencia College, and is now a few months away from graduating with her bachelors degree in elementary education from UCF.

I always look back and see what they did for me, Avila said. When Im now at the classroom, I see those kids that came here for different reasons, and I say, you know, I feel empathy with them.

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Avila is now interning at an Orange County Public School and hopes to secure a full-time job with the district.

Many students found success in Central Florida like Zuleyka.

But Superintendent Vasquez said that if they find themselves in that situation again, they are now better prepared to support those who seek refuge, both academically and from a mental health standpoint.

I think that the coordination of agencies has gotten much better, she said. We have systems that were able to deploy much quicker.

Five years after Hurricane Maria, Zuleyka knows this journey is going to lead her to the most rewarding moment in her life when she walks across the stage as a UCF graduate and hopefully an OCPS educator.

Thank you, God, I made it, Avila said. Incredible.

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.
(Bloomberg) -- Liz Cheney said Wednesday night that if she lived in Arizona she would be voting for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Katie Hobbs, the secretary of state, over fellow Republican Kari Lake, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

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The Wyoming congresswoman and daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney also backed the Democratic candidate for Arizona secretary of state over the GOP nominee.

I dont know that I have ever voted for a Democrat. But if I lived in Arizona now, I absolutely would, for governor and for secretary of state, Cheney said, during an appearance at a McCain Institute event in Tempe.

Lake, a former news anchor, has embraced Trumps unfounded claims that the 2020 election was stolen. Polls show her race against Hobbs to be close.

The Republican candidate for secretary of state, Mark Finchem, also denies that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Trump has endorsed him in his race against Democrat Adrian Fontes.

We cannot be in a position where we elect people who will not fundamentally uphold the sanctity of elections. Thats got to be more important than anything else, Cheney, who was defeated by a Trump-backed rival in an August primary, said at the event held on Arizona State Universitys campus in Tempe.

Her comments came when she was asked by a member of the audience whether Republicans alienated by the Trump tilt of the GOP should consider moving to a third party.

Cheney, who is vice chair of the House Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol, is one of the Republican Partys fiercest critics of Trump. She responded she was not ready to say were going to allow Trump and those who are at war with democracy to hijack our party. Im not ready to give that fight up.

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While declaring the Republican Party to be in a very bad state, Cheney urged Republicans to battle anti-democratic forces within the party at the state and local levels, such as by running for precinct chairs and other posts.

Trump plans to hold a rally in Mesa, Arizona, on Sunday.

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Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury walks hand and hand with wife Cherelle Watson after defeating the Dallas Wings at Feld Entertainment Center on August 10, 2020 in Palmetto, Florida. Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images

Brittney Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, said she's "terrified" she may never see her wife again.

Cherelle sat for her first interview with CBS's Gayle King since Brittney was sentenced in August.

"It feels like my wife is stuck in a hostage situation," Cherelle Griner told King this week.

Cherelle Griner is "terrified" that she may never again see her wife, WNBA player Brittney Griner, whom she described as being "stuck in a hostage situation."

Negotiations between the US and Russia have seemingly stalled since the Biden administration said in August it made a proposal to swap Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, a former Marine who has also been wrongfully detained in Russia for nearly four years, in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who is serving a 25-year sentence in the US.

Recent reporting, however, suggests a deal still may be a ways away after a White House official said Russia was trying to tack on an additional convict to the proposed prisoner exchange.

The lack of news has Cherelle Griner feeling grim.

In her first interview since Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison in August, Cherelle Griner told CBS's Gayle King that the last eight months have felt like a movie.

"In no world did I ever think our president and a foreign nation's president would be sitting down having to discuss the freedom of my wife," she told the outlet.

Brittney Griner was arrested at the Moscow airport in February after officials alleged they discovered vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. The athlete was in Russia to play with the Russian Premier League during the WNBA off-season.

Griner pleaded guilty to drug smuggling charges in July and was later sentenced to nine years in prison. Legal experts told Insider at the time that Griner's guilty plea was a strategic move in order to try and speed up the process of her return.

The State Department moved her case to the Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs in May, reclassifying her detention as "wrongful" and President Joe Biden has since taken an active role in Brittney Griner's recovery efforts. The president met with Cherelle Griner last month to discuss ongoing efforts to bring her wife home.

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"It feels like my wife is stuck in a hostage situation," Cherelle Griner told King this week.

"It terrified me because when you watch movies, sometimes those situations don't end well," she added. "Sometimes they never get the person back."

A Russian court is set to hear an appeal of Brittney Griner's sentence later this month, but the White House said it would be "another sham judicial proceeding."

"I'm sitting here like do we get her back?" Cherelle Griner said. "Do I ever get to see my wife again?"

Read the original article on Insider
Oct. 5A new chef and general manager have joined the culinary management for the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum and Royal Gorge Bridge Park. Service Systems Associates provides the food staff for these venues and others in Colorado.

John Kuespert is the executive chef for the zoo and the museum, and Paul Marcely is the general manager at the Royal Gorge Bridge Park. We met them both Sept. 23 at The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey's Harvest Fest winemaker's dinner, held at the Royal Gorge Bridge Park. Kuespert prepared an impressive array of dishes to pair with the Abbey's award-winning wines. There were nine tasting stations scattered around the visitor center at the park. All the dishes were beautifully presented and tasted as delicious are they looked. Stay tuned for what promises to be more of Kuespert's amazing food to be served at all three locations for special events.

Top Chef Latino

Hispanic Top Chef takes place at CSU-Spur Denver, a research and educational center, 4817 National Western Drive, Denver, Oct. 15 from noon to 5:30 p.m. Six chefs from across the U.S. will compete for the title, including two from Colorado Springs: Roberto Reyes, executive chef at Milagros Cocina Mexicana, and Mario E. Viguie Perez, chef de cuisine at The Broadmoor.

The judges include Pablo Aya, once the executive chef of Master Chef Mexico; Manny Barella, James Beard Award nominee, 5280 Editor's Choice Top of the Town Chef for 2022 and executive chef at Denver's Bellota, which is located at the Source Hotel; and Dana Rodriguez, James Beard Award nominee and Denver-based restaurant owner/executive chef.

Cost is $65 to enjoy the competition with food tastings from other Hispanic Top Chefs along with wine, mezcal and tequila tastings. VIP tickets are $125, which includes a special meet-and-greet with some of the chefs on the roof overlooking the Denver skyline with some special tapas and cocktails. There will also be a silent auction to benefit the Hispanic Restaurant Association. Visit tinyurl.com/ykhru2kp.

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Sugar up

Choctoberfest at Arapahoe County Fairgrounds Event Center, 25690 E. Quincy Ave., Aurora, is 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. There you will find thousands of chocolates and sweets to sample. Dozens of regional and national vendors will have their goods for purchase, too. There will be free face painting, pumpkin bowling, photo booth, a live polka band, bounce house, stage events and contests.

Admission to Choctoberfest is $10 (taste tickets sold separately, $10 for 12 tickets). Kids age 12 and younger are admitted free. A limited number of VIP packages are available for $50, which include exclusive chocolates, early entry and line-skipping. Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door. (VIP enter at 10:30 a.m.) Parking is free. Details and tickets at cochocolatefests.com.

Taste of Italy

Pizzeria Rustica, 2527 W. Colorado Ave., is gearing up for the Passport to Italy wine dinner series. For $79 (plus tax and tip), you get a five-course dinner paired with Italian wines, 6 p.m. Oct. 18. The event benefits Happy Cats Haven. Reservations required at Coaltrain Fine Wine, Craft Beer and Spirits, 719-475-9700.

Mystery dinner series

The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa, 321 17th St., Denver, is getting ready for the spooky season with "Dark and Stormy Murder" at The Brown Palace dinner series. The interactive theater mystery is presented by Adams Mystery Playhouse during service of a three-course meal, Saturday-Oct. 15 and Oct. 21-30, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $140 per person, $1,000 for table of eight and $600 for the Murder Mystery Dinner Room Package, which includes dinner for two, overnight accommodations and complimentary valet parking. Visit tinyurl.com/msj2c4rb.

Contact the writer: 636-0271.
Det. Jay Halstead has turned in his badge.

Just weeks after Chicago P.D. star Jesse Lee Soffer announced he would exit the long-running police procedural series, his final episode aired Wednesday, Oct. 5  leaving fans heartbroken over Halsteads fate and the actor grateful for the viewers who watched him play the beloved character for more than nine seasons.

"I left it all out there for this one," Soffer said of his performance in the episode, titled "A Good Man," in a post he shared to Instagram shortly before showtime.

And once the episode aired, the 38-year-old switched over to Twitter to share the emotional experience with fans, who watched the drama unfold as Halstead covered up for a criminal (for the best of reasons) and stabbed a man (in self-defense).

After turning himself in to Chief Patrick ONeal, Halstead left the CPD Intelligence Unit (and his wife, Hailey, played by Tracy Spiridakos) behind.

For anyone thats ever been a Halstead fan, I just want you to know that Im grateful. Thank you for going on this journey with me. Im just grateful.   Jesse Lee Soffer (@jesseleesoffer) October 6, 2022

As fans tweeted their virtual tears upon his exit, Soffer responded with a sentimental message of his own.

"For anyone thats ever been a Halstead fan, I just want you to know that Im grateful," he wrote. "Thank you for going on this journey with me. Im just grateful."

In September, Soffer shared a similar message to fans, as well as to everyone who worked on the Dick Wolf-created series, in a statement he gave TODAY.

I want to thank the incredible fans for their unwavering support during the past 10 years and want to express my deepest gratitude to Dick Wolf and everyone at Wolf Entertainment, Peter Jankowski, Matt Olmstead, Derek Haas, Michael Brandt, Rick Eid, Gwen Sigan, NBC, Universal Television, my fellow castmates and our incredible crew, Soffer wrote. To create this hour drama week after week has been a labor of love by everyone who touches the show. I will always be proud of my time as Det. Jay Halstead.

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After "A Good Man" aired, Soffer's co-star LaRoyce Hawkins (who plays Ofc. Kevin Atwater), took to social media and wrote of his friend's exit, "To make a long story short, it will never be the same."

But while that may be true, never say never about Soffer's character.

Chicago P.D. - Season 10 (Lori Allen / NBC)

After all, Halstead left Intelligence for an army job tracking down cartel leaders in Bolivia, not the grave. He told his wife that they would get through the eight-month separation.

Youre the love of my life, he said, and if Im yours, then youll know that you have to let me go.

Halstead also said goodbye to Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) at the airport, telling the sergeant, I do want to be you. But its like youve always told me: Im not, and I shouldnt try.

Maybe goodbye really is temporary, as Halstead told Hailey. And as viewers have seen in the past, familiar faces often come and go in the "One Chicago" universe.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Chicago police say a man walked into a police station on Wednesday with a gun and began shouting "anti-police sentiment" while pointing the gun at officers before being shot.

The man entered the Ogden District station at 12:52 p.m., according to Chicago Police Department Superintendent David Brown, adding that the man walked into the police station with a gun inside of a plastic bag wrapped around his hand.

Brown said the suspect pointed a gun at officers who were working at the front desk.

"One of the officers immediately sees what appears to be a barrel of a gun protruding from the wrapped plastic bag that the offender is holding in his hand," Brown said. "The offender shouts and rants anti-police sentiment and then begins pointing the guns at the officers that are working the front desk in the lobby. As this occurs, officers draw their weapons, [and] fire their weapons."

CHICAGO POLICE SHOOT INTRUDER BREAKING INTO STATION THROUGH FIRE ESCAPE, ALLEGEDLY POINTING GUN AT COPS

After being shot by police officers, the suspect was wounded in the arm and taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The suspect has not yet been identified, and police said he is not being very cooperative. Brown said he believes three officers fired their weapons.

CHICAGO ACTIVISTS PATROLLING PUBLIC TRANSIT AFTER VIOLENT TRAIN ROBBERY: REPORT

According to FOX 32, no police officers were injured. The police officers who fired their weapons in the incident are being placed on routine administrative duties for the next 30 days.

The shooting comes just over a week after an individual used a fire escape to enter the Chicago Police Department's Homan Square facility on Oct. 26. The person picked up a gun and pointed it at police officers in the building, according to officials.

The suspect in the Homan Square facility incident was shot and taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Fox News' Louis Casiano and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
CHICAGO  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 happened 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.

The man had a plastic bag 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.

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.

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 him 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.

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.

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Brown said the department is looking into adding a layer of security for officers working in police facilities after these two recent incidents.

Were asking for the citys prayers, Brown said.


Associated Press

A shipwreck has emerged along the banks of the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as water levels plummet  threatening to reach record lows in some areas. The ship, which archaeologists believe to be a ferry that sunk in the late 1800s to early 1900s, was spotted by a Baton Rouge resident walking along the shore earlier this month. During the summer, receding waters in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area revealed several skeletal remains, countless desiccated fish, a graveyard of forgotten boats and even a sunken World War II-era craft that once surveyed the lake.
Christian Bale arrives at the London premiere of "Amsterdam" on Sept. 21. (Vianney Le Caer / Invision / Associated Press)

Christian Bale shared his side of the "American Hustle" drama between Amy Adams and director David O. Russell, nine years after the Oscar-winning film premiered.

In GQ's November cover story published Wednesday, the Oscar-winning actor recalled trying to keep the peace during his time on the set of "American Hustle," where Adams said she butted heads with director Russell.

"If I can have some sense of understanding of where its coming from, then I do tend to attempt to be a mediator," the Batman actor said. "Thats just in my nature, to try to say, 'Hey, come on, lets go and sit down and figure that out. Theres gotta be a way of making this all work.'"

Six years ago, Adams told British GQ that the Oscar-nominated "Silver Linings Playbook" director made her cry during her time on "American Hustle." In addition to her conflict with Russell, Adams said she learned through an email hack at Sony that she was being paid less than her male co-stars, including Bale.

"I was really just devastated on set," Adams said to British GQ.

Also revealed in the Sony hack was that Bale told the director to "stop acting like an a" while filming "American Hustle." On Wednesday, he not only confirmed that he stepped in on Adams' behalf, but said that it was inevitable "there are gonna be upsets," given the "crazy creative talent" of Adams and Russell.

Adams, however, wasn't the only star who has spoken out against Russell and his toxic behavior on set. George Clooney alleged in 2000 that Russell screamed and humiliated some of the people on his "Three Kings" set, including a camera-car driver and script supervisor.

Then in 2004, a video from the set of "I Heart Huckabees" showed Russell arguing with star Lily Tomlin, who complained of a "barrage of changes," and kicking props while yelling profanities at Tomlin. In 2015, TMZ reported that Russell and Jennifer Lawrence engaged in a heated conversation on the set of "Joy."

Bale told GQ that his time as a "mediator" on "American Hustle" won't taint how he looks back on the film.

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"They are f phenomenal," he said of the director and his former co-star. "Also, you got to remember, it was the nature of the character as well. Right? Those characters were not people who back down from anything, right?"

When asked how he felt about taking action on "American Hustle," Bale said, "I did what I felt was appropriate, in very Irv style," referring to his "American Hustle" character, Irving Rosenfeld, based on con artist Melvin Weinberg.

Attention around Russell's behavior has resurfaced with the release of his latest film, "Amsterdam," in which Bale stars. The cast also features Margot Robbie, John David Washington and Taylor Swift.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Amy Adams and Christian Bale in 2011. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Amy Adams and Christian Bale in 2011. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Christian Bale says he had to act as a mediator between actor Amy Adams and director David O. Russell during filming of the 2013 movie American Hustle.

In GQs November cover story, published Wednesday, Bale recalled trying to keep the peace between the two. Adams had previously said she butted heads with Russell on the film set.

If I can have some sense of understanding of where its coming from, then I do tend to attempt to be a mediator, the Oscar-winning actor said about the friction between Adams and Russell. Thats just in my nature, to try to say, Hey, come on, lets go and sit down and figure that out. Theres gotta be a way of making this all work.

Adams and Bale filming a scene from American Hustle in 2013. (Photo: Boston Herald via Getty Images)

Adams and Bale filming a scene from American Hustle in 2013. (Photo: Boston Herald via Getty Images)

In 2016, Adams told British GQ that the Silver Linings Playbook director made her cry during her time on American Hustle.

Adams said she also learned through an email hack at Sony that she was being paid less than her male co-stars, including Bale, which added to her frustrations.

I was really just devastated on set, Adams said to British GQ.

The Sony hack also revealed that Russell so abused Amy Adams that Christian Bale got in his face and told him to stop acting like an asshole on the American Hustle set.

Bales interviewer noted in his recent GQ profile that when he questioned Bale about standing up to Russell on Adams behalf, he responded by nodding yes.

Adams, Bradley Cooper and David O. Russell at the Critics' Choice Awards in 2013. (Photo: Christopher Polk via Getty Images)

Adams, Bradley Cooper and David O. Russell at the Critics' Choice Awards in 2013. (Photo: Christopher Polk via Getty Images)

Bale, however, was careful with his choice of words while confirming that he stuck up for Adams, saying there are gonna be upsets, given the crazy creative talent of Adams and Russell.

Adams is not the first actor to report having difficulty working with Russell.

In 2004, a video from the set of I Heart Huckabees showed Russell yelling profanities at star Lily Tomlin and angrily throwing props. In 2015, TMZ reported that Russell and Jennifer Lawrence engaged in a heated conversation on the set of Joy. Lawrence did try to clear up rumors that they fought by releasing a statement that Russell is one of my closest friends and we have an amazing collaborative working relationship.

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Although Bale told GQ that he acted as a mediator on the set of American Hustle, hes also been caught being far less composed on set.

In 2009, a viral video seemed to show Bale viciously ripping into the director of photography on the set of Terminator Salvation. Shane Hurlbut received the profanity-filled tongue-lashing after he made the mistake of walking into Bales scene during a take.

Bale later confirmed that he did have the on-set temper tantrum and apologized for his actions, calling his behavior inexcusable and admitting he acted like a punk.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Nine years after the Oscar-winning film "American Hustle" premiered, Christian Bale is speaking out about his role on and off-screen.

During a recent interview, the "Batman Begins" actor revealed he played "mediator" behind the scenes between Amy Adams and director David O. Russell, as the two would often get into heated interactions.

"I did what I felt was appropriate, in very Irv style," he explained, referencing his character in the film.

"If I can have some sense of understanding of where its coming from, then I do tend to attempt to be a mediator," Bale, 48, remarked.

CHRISTIAN BALE CREDITS LEONARDO DICAPRIO FOR HELPING CAREER: 'ANY ROLE ANYBODY GETS' IS 'BECAUSE HE PASSED'

"Thats just in my nature, to try to say, Hey, come on, lets go and sit down and figure that out. Theres gotta be a way of making this all work.'"

During a recent interview, "Batman Begins" actor Christian Bale revealed he played "mediator" behind the scenes. Getty Images

In March 2016, Adams, now 48, got candid about her experience while filming "American Hustle" and said the "Silver Linings Playbook" director made her cry "most days" on set, according to British GQ.

Regardless of Christian Bale having to step in between Amy Adams and the director, he said his feelings toward the finished film has not changed. Photo by Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

"He was hard on me, thats for sure. It was a lot," Adams expressed at the time. "I was really just devastated on set."

Adams comments came on the heels of a leaked email from a WikiLeaks hack of Sony allegedly announcing that Russell, 64, "abused" Amy to the point where Bale had to intervene.

CHRISTIAN BALE WOULD RETURN AS BATMAN UNDER ONE CONDITION: ID BE IN

The Sony leak was between journalist Jonathan Alter and former Sony CEO Michael Lynton.

Alter, whose brother-in-law is Lynton, allegedly wrote that Russell "so abused" the actress on the "American Hustle" set.

"His abuse and lunatic behavior are extreme even by Hollywood standards," Alter noted.

Regardless of Bale having to step in between Adams and the director, he said his feelings toward the finished film have not changed.

"Youre dealing with two such incredible talents there," Bale said.

"Look, if I feel like we got anywhere closeand you only ever get somewhere close to achieving; our imagination is too incredible to ever entirely achieve itbut if you get anywhere close to it, and when youre working with people of the crazy creative talent of Amy or of David, there are gonna be upsets. But they are f---ing phenomenal," he continued.

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"Also, you got to remember, it was the nature of the characters as well. Right? Those characters were not people who back down from anything, right?"

His latest project, "Amsterdam," also starring Chris Rock and Rami Malek, is about a group of friends in Amsterdam in the 1930s who become suspects in a murder they were witnesses to.
MILTON, Ga.  It seemed like things couldnt get much worse for Herschel Walker on Monday night. The Daily Beast had just dropped its explosive story showing evidence that the Republican Senate candidate in Georgia once paid for his girlfriend to get an abortion. The news undercut Walkers insistence that he is pro-life and backs abortion bans with no exceptions.

But then everything got much worse.

Walkers son Christian, a 23-year-old conservative with his own following on social media, started attacking his dad publicly for the first time.

I know my mom and I would really appreciate if my father Herschel Walker stopped lying and making a mockery of us, he tweeted. Youre not a family man when you left us to bang a bunch of women, threatened to kill us, and had us move over 6 times in 6 months running from your violence.

Herschel Walker has presented himself as a Christian family man. One of his campaign ads even builds on this theme, with Walker stating, Georgia is my family. The United States is my family. So Im going to fight to take care of them.

But Christian Walkers comments broke that image. He also backed up his mothers allegations of domestic abuse, alleging that Walker was violent toward him as well.

And since then, many Republicans have dismissed Christian as a disgruntled, troublesome kid.

Cynthia Berglund, a dental hygienist from Milton, Georgia, said she had a hard time believing somebody that kept receipts from that long ago, referring to the former girlfriend. She also wasnt convinced by Walkers son, suggesting Walkers ex-wife may be responsible for turning her son against his father.

Divorces are shitty, Berglund, a registered Republican, told HuffPost on Thursday outside a Walmart on the outskirts of Atlanta. A lot of times the kids take sides depending on how the parents behave. Ive seen a lot of moms just poison their kids against their father. And fathers poison kids against moms. That I take with a grain of salt.

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Ive got to get back to him and spank him.Herschel Walker, joking about his son Christian

Walker was married to Cindy DeAngelis Grossman, Christians mother, from 1983 to 2002. She has alleged that Walker choked her and threatened her with guns and knives.

The first time he held the gun to my head, he held the gun to my temple and said he was going to blow my brains out, she said in a 2008 interview.

I stayed silent as the atrocities against my mom were downplayed, Christian said in another social media post Tuesday. You have no idea what me and my mom have survived. We could have ended this on Day 1.

On Monday night, Walker tweeted, I LOVE my son no matter what. In an interview Wednesday morning on Fox News, when asked about the damage his son is doing to his campaign, Walker somewhat nonsensically replied, The damage hes doing, hes letting people know that the left will do whatever they can to win this seat. He reiterated that he loves his son unconditionally.

At a lunch event in Atlanta on Tuesday, Walker joked about how he needs to spank his 23-year-old son  perhaps not the best joke for someone who has been accused of violence against that son.

In the audio shared with HuffPost, Walker started to recount a story he once told his son and added as an aside, Ive got to get back to him and spank him.

Walkers campaign didnt return a request for comment.

Christian didnt seem to be getting much support from some Republicans. One GOP official close to Herschel Walker told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Christian was a deeply disturbed kid with obvious issues of his own who is a spoiled brat and is solely to blame if Herschel loses the race.

A writer on the conservative site RedState called Christian a mouthy, ungrateful little punk.

Christian didnt reply when asked for comment from HuffPost, but in a video he posted online, he said hes been hearing from people wondering why he appeared to support his fathers Senate run initially.

You know nothing about my life, he said. My parents went through a dirty divorce, I went through a lot as a child. And you dont know anything. You dont know the ebbs and flows of our relationship. Nobody knows anything. So for everyone making these wild theories and whatever, thats crazy. This is about a bunch of lies.

Asked about Christian Walker calling his dad a liar, Wanda Bettis, a part-time cook from northern Georgia, shrugged and said, Were all sinners.

Weve all done some things were not proud of, she told HuffPost. Im sure hes done some things hes not proud of. You cant blame him always for things hes done in the past.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Dozens of CIA agents have said the agency has not done enough to investigate the mysterious neurological illness known as Havana Syndrome, according to a report.

The strange phenomenon was the subject of at least three dozen communications between agents with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and members of Congress over the past year, CNN reported on Thursday.

Those who reached out to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees reportedlyaexpressed concerns about the ongoing investigation into Havana Syndrome.

While similar concerns have been raised before, the CNN report was the first time CIA agents were said to have contacted US lawmakers about their experiences and the intelligence agencys work to understand Havana Syndrome.

Beginning in 2016, injuries including dizziness, loss of balance, nausea and a ringing sound in sufferers ears have been reported among an estimated 200 or more people.

A preliminary report released in February this year found that a foreign adversary was not likely behind the symptoms associated with Havana Syndrome. Officials have however been unable to pinpoint what is exactly causing the illness however.

Theres just no answer, said one House Intelligence Committee member briefed on the CIA investigation to CNN. Theyve done an immense amount of work, literally spreadsheeting every catastrophic set of symptoms down to the headache and theres just nothing. None.

In some instances, Havana Syndrome has left sufferers with long-term brain damage, a CIA doctor sent to investigate the first reports of the illness in Havana, Cuba, in 2017 said this month.

It gets to the point where you just dont want to go out of the house because you say whats the point? Dr Paul Andrews (using a pseudonym) said in an interview with CNN. I want to go do this, but I know its going to make me sick. I dont want to be nauseated. I dont want to be tripping and falling.

Outside the US embassy in Havana, Cuba (Getty Images)

The CIA said in its preliminary report that a pulse electromagnetic energy, particularly in the radio frequency range, plausibly explains symptoms associated with the strange illness, although that remains unconfirmed.

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Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior intelligence officials have pledged to help those effected as well as investigate the phenomenon, which has affected US staffers and their families in locations including Austria, China, Russia and Vietnam.

We are going to continue to do everything we can, with all the resources we can bring to bear, to understand, again, what happened, why, and who might be responsible, Mr Blinken said in January. And we are leaving no stone unturned.

Mark Zaid, an attorney who is representing some of those seeking compensation from the CIA, meanwhile questioned such claims and told CNN: From what I have seen, there are tons of significant, credible leads that to the best of our knowledge the agencies are not addressing.

He continued: Leads that clients of mine put into the system  and theyre not doing it. To me, this is where they need to be held accountable to explain why.

A spokesperson for the CIA told CNN following the new report that it is fulfilling its profound obligation to conduct the most rigorous investigation possible and that the agency had great confidence in those working on the probe.

The Independent has approached the CIA and US state department for comment.
National K-12 education nonprofit City Fund today announced veteran political leader and current City Fund partner Marlon Marshall will lead the organization as CEO starting next month, with founder Neerav Kingsland stepping down from his role as Managing Partner.

As schools struggle to recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic and the associated learning loss, City Fund is doubling down on its strategy of helping cities create a system of quality schools that meet the diverse needs of all students, the organization told supporters in a Thursday email obtained by The 74. Marlon is well positioned to lead City Fund in the next stage of its work.

The full announcement is printed below.

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Before joining City Fund as a partner in 2020, Marshall was a founding partner at the progressive political strategy firm 270 Strategies. Previously, he served in the Obama White House Office of Public Engagement as special assistant to the president and principal deputy director. He was also deputy national field director for the Obama re-election campaign and states director for Hillary for America.

A City Fund spokesperson notes that Marshalls selection as CEO came with the unanimous endorsement of City Funds partner team and the organizations board, which includes Founder and Co-Chair of Arnold Ventures John Arnold, Walton Family Foundation Director of K-12 Education Programs Romy Drucker, Netflix Chairman/CEO Reed Hastings and Teach For America CEO Elisa Villanueva Beard.

In describing Marshalls journey to the organization, todays email notes he is the son of a public school teacher who has served students in St. Louis for over 35 years: Marlon brings first hand experience with the challenges and opportunities in our urban public school systems. He is a fierce advocate for creating more great schools for the kids and families who need them most.

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Marshall will assume the role of CEO in November; Kingsland will transition into a senior advisor role for the rest of the year before joining the organizations board in 2023.

Related: 74 Interview: The City Fund Founders Talk About Their New Campaign to Identify Americas Most Innovative Public School Systems and the First Metro Areas Where Theyll Be Investing

Kingslands founding of City Fund in 2018 marked the culmination of more than 15 years spent working on efforts to improve educational opportunities across the country. City Fund works to reform public school systems by providing funding support to local leaders, educators, and advocates. Under Kingslands leadership, City Fund has helped to launch 132 schools across 15 cities.

In a Feb. 2020 essay that looked back at the organizations first year and ahead to the key education priorities in City Fund cities, Kinglsand wrote that over the past decade, cities like Denver, New Orleans and Washington, D.C., saw citywide improvement by empowering educators to run nonprofit schools, giving parents the freedom to find the education that is the best fit for their child and implementing citywide policies like transparent enrollment systems designed to ensure equity for all students.

Our country is increasingly polarized, and our federal government is often deadlocked, he continued. But pragmatic city leaders are finding solutions in their communities.

Kingsland is departing City Fund to join the leadership team at Anthropic, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) safety and research company.

Read the City Funds full Thursday announcement:

Dear Partners and Friends of City Fund,

After more than fifteen years dedicated to improving educational opportunities for students, Neerav Kingsland will transition from his role as Managing Partner of the City Fund to a seat on the Board. Neerav will also pursue the next step in his professional career outside of education.

Were incredibly grateful to Neerav for his founding vision and tireless effort in growing the City Fund to where it is today. Hundreds of thousands of students have been touched by his work and the impact will be felt for generations.

Were thrilled to announce that Marlon Marshall will be the new CEO of City Fund. Marlon joined the organization two years ago after two decades in national politics fiercely pursuing policies to improve the lives of the families we serve. The son of a public school teacher in St. Louis for over 35 years, Marlon brings first hand experience with the challenges and opportunities in our urban public school systems. He is a fierce advocate for creating more great schools for the kids and families who need them most.

Marlon is well positioned to lead City Fund in the next stage of its work. As schools struggle to recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic and the associated learning loss, City Fund is doubling down on its strategy of helping cities create a system of quality schools that meet the diverse needs of all students. City Fund has never been better positioned to execute on this mission.

We appreciate the support and partnership with you and your organizations. Together, we will commence the next stage of this work to provide better educational outcomes for all children.

The City Fund Board of Directors

Related: City Fund Founder Reflects on Lessons From Year One  and Points to Priorities for the Work Ahead

Disclosure: The City Fund provides financial support to The 74. City Fund Board Member Romy Drucker is also the co-founder of The 74 and sits on the organizations board of directors; she played no part in the reporting or editing of this article.
The family of Daniel Prude, a Black man who died after he was restrained by police officers in Rochester, N.Y., will receive $12 million in a settlement with the city, according to a new court filing.

After months of mediated negotiations, the parties agreed to allocate half of the $12 million as compensation for Prudes pain and suffering and another half as compensation for his childrens financial losses resulting from their fathers death, according to a Thursday order from a U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of New York.

Prudes children alleged in the wrongful death lawsuit, which was first filed in 2020, that Rochester police used unlawful force to restrain him during a mental health arrest, and that the officers actions led to his death.

Prude, who was experiencing a mental health crisis when police arrived, died by asphyxiation a week after officers put a hood over his head and pressed his face into pavement to restrain him.

A medical examiner later determined that Prudes death was a homicide, according to court documents.

The lawsuit also accused the police department of a cover up and a refusal to discipline the involved officers. News of Prudes death sparked protests over police brutality and racism in arrests.

The settlement means the lawsuit will be dismissed with no admission of liability, and with the right to appeal waived. Minus attorney fees, the settlement money will go to Prudes five children.

Given the costs of continued litigation, this settlement was the best decision. It would have cost taxpayers even more to litigate, and would have placed a painful toll on our community, Rochester Mayor Malik Evans (D) said of the $12 million settlement in a statement to The Hill.

It is now time to look forward so we may work together and focus our efforts on Rochesters future, Evans said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The City of South Fulton is building a new headquarters for the police department.

Channel 2s Candace McCowan learned that the city bought nine acres at the intersection of Old National Highway and Jonesboro Road for $1.4 million.

Currently, South Fulton police do not have its own facilities. Instead, they work out of makeshift spaces that dont always work out.

In July, the police precinct on Old National Highway shut down due to safety concerns.

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We were concerned about some environmental issues associated with that particular facility, so we had to shut it down about two months ago. Because we lost that space, it put us in an even tighter bind, South Fulton Police Chief Keith Meadows said.

The 5-year-old department is currently squeezing into existing buildings that dont always meet their needs.

We are all kind of cramped in here together, Meadows said. Right now, we are kind of treading water a little bit.

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They are hopeful that this new facility will be one of the best in the country.

Police officials say they are collecting community surveys and bringing in outside experts to make it the best it can be.

We are talking about putting a real time crime center in there. Right now, we have our own drone patrol program, we are talking about a fusion center where we have a video integration center embedded in this facility, Meadows explained.

Civilian employee Veronica Carew told McCowan that the move cant come soon enough.

When you have seven different entities working in the same location, its kind of hard to get space, she said.

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The facility will take five years to build fully. The city is set to approve a lease for a new temporary space next week.
Rising global temperatures caused by the burning of fossil fuels made this summers brutal droughts across the Northern Hemisphere  which dried up rivers, sparked unprecedented wildfires and led to widespread crop failure  20 times more likely, according to a new study.

Climate change is rewriting normal weather patterns in real time, said the study by World Weather Attribution, a consortium of international scientists who examine the link between rising average global temperatures and extreme weather. The droughts that affected North America, Europe and Asia this summer were so extreme that they would normally be considered a 1-in-400-year event, the study found, but due to climate change, the planet can now expect a repeat of those conditions every 20 years.

Individual daily temperature records in Europe were repeatedly broken over the summer of 2022, and the extreme heat was blamed for 24,000 deaths on the continent. Higher average temperatures also dramatically increase evaporation rates, drying out soils and vegetation and leading to a heightened wildfire risk, all of which negatively impact farming.

In Europe, drought conditions led to reduced harvests. This was particularly worrying, as it followed a climate-change-fueled heat wave in South Asia that also destroyed crops, and happened at a time when global food prices were already extremely high due to the war in Ukraine," Friederike Otto, professor of climate science at Grantham Institute in the U.K. and one of the authors of the study, said in a statement.

The Loire River under extreme drought conditions in Loireauxence, France, on Aug. 16. (Stephane Mahe/Reuters)

But as the summer of 2022 showed, climate change amplifies seemingly contradictory effects, worsening drought while also dramatically increasing the risks of extreme precipitation events. In addition to drying out soil, increased evaporation rates due to higher temperatures result in higher levels of atmospheric moisture. A study published in Science in June found that climate change was disrupting monsoon seasons across Asia, making them wetter and more deadly.

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That is exactly what played out in Pakistan this summer, when a monsoon season that dumped six times as much rain as the 30-year average displaced more than 32 million people and killed more than 1,300.

In other words, climate change is ushering in a new normal that is characterized by chaotic swings from one extreme to another, according to a study published in March by climate researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Dried-up corn plants near Ferrara, Italy. (Gabriele Pileri/Reuters)

Twenty-first century trends in hydroclimate are so large that future average conditions will, in most cases, fall into the range of what we would today consider extreme drought or pluvial [increased rainfall] states, the study reads.

Peter Gleick, the founder of the Pacific Institute, who edited the UCSB study and told Yahoo News last year that the hydrologic cycle is the climate cycle, has long warned that climate change will lead to exactly the kinds of outcomes witnessed this summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

The warnings that the climate cycle and the water cycle are changing and that those impacts are going to be increasingly severe are now coming true, Gleick said.

The #climate is changing. What used to be normal is no longer normal, and were not approaching a new, stable normal  a new normal. Rather were entering a period of rapid, unstable changes, and were not adequately prepared, Gleick said.https://t.co/cOeh6PT9mD  Peter Gleick  (@PeterGleick) October 5, 2022

The study by World Weather Attribution is just the latest such report to make those assertions.

Our analysis shows that last summers severe drought conditions across large parts of the Northern Hemisphere were fueled by human-induced climate change. The result also gives us an insight on what is looming ahead. With further global warming we can expect stronger and more frequent droughts in the future, Dominik Schumacher, researcher at ETH Zurich and one of the authors of the study, said in a statement.
After Hurricane Ian ravaged the US state of Florida, media pundits claimed online that there is no link between such storms and climate change. This is misleading; while hurricanes have always existed, scientists say their intensity and potential for destruction are increasing as the planet warms.

"No trend in landfalling Florida hurricanes since 1903," says a September 29, 2022 tweet from Fox News commentator Steve Milloy. "Not in frequency. Not in intensity. Not in anything. Climate is a hoax."

The post shares a link to an article from "Watts Up with That?" -- a website that has previously promoted misinformation about climate change.

Screenshot of a tweet taken October 5, 2022

The tweet was published one day after Hurricane Ian, a powerful Category 4 storm, slammed into southwest Florida. It is part of a trend in which social media posts doubt the science of climate change following major hurricanes in the US.

Similar claims circulated online here, here, and here. Liz Wheeler, a conservative commentator with more than 1.4 million followers on Facebook, said on her show that hurricanes are at an all-time low and dismissed scientific projections that such storms will continue to intensify in the future due to rising global carbon emissions.

Wheeler has repeatedly called climate change a "hoax."

Screenshot of a Facebook post taken September 30, 2022

Authorities say at least 93 people died because of Hurricane Ian, which flattened neighborhoods on Florida's southwest coast and knocked out power for millions of people before heading toward the Carolinas.

AFP consulted several scientists and experts to investigate the link between hurricanes and climate change. While causality is hard to prove, all of them agreed global warming is making tropical storms more intense and potentially more destructive.

Hurricane formation

Hurricanes are large, intense storms that form over warm tropical waters and produce winds that extend hundreds of miles.

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According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Florida sees more hurricanes than any other US state.

From 1851 to 2004, 110 hurricanes were recorded in the state, including 35 storms rated Category 3 or higher. And between 1991 to 2020, an average Atlantic hurricane season had "14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes," according to National Hurricane Center (NHC) data.

These tropical storms form due to multiple factors, including the rise of warm, moist air.

The formation of hurricanes

"The energy source of a hurricane primarily comes from the evaporation of water at the ocean surface," said Minghao Zhou, a PhD student who studies hurricanes at the University at Albany in New York.

As water vapor rises, Zhou said it "turns into cloud, rain, snow, ice and even hail, and releases heat."

He compared it to "the hot steam condensing on the lid of a kitchen boiler -- that steam is hot."

Jayantha Obeysekera, director of the Sea Level Solutions Center at Florida University International, said oceans absorb more than 90 percent of the heat caused by global warming. Hurricanes are driven by that heat.

"In the case of Ian, you saw this in and around the Gulf (of Mexico) when the storm went through rapid intensification when it went over warmer water," he said.

Intensifying storms

Measuring how greenhouse gases affect tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean is difficult to gauge.

One of the challenges is that the natural variability of hurricanes interferes with the detection of human-caused factors. Scientific studies point to this oscillation as the biggest contributor to active tropical storms.

"The way hurricanes have been measured over time has not been consistent," said Lisa Alexander, a chief investigator at the Climate Change Research Centre in Australia. "Therefore trying to find a 'trend' is very challenging."

There is no strong evidence of a statistically significant trend in landfalling US hurricanes, according to NOAA.

"Of course, even a small change (that may not be yet detectible) can have a catastrophic impact with hurricanes," said Robert Tuleya, an adjunct professor with the Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography at Old Dominion University in Virginia. "On the other hand, the anthropogenic impacts on temperature, sea level rise and rainfall are now detectible and are a grave concern."

Scientific models project that, globally, the number of hurricanes that reach Category 4 or 5 will increase by about 13 percent with 2 degrees Celsius of global warming, according to data shared by NOAA in an email sent to AFP in 2021.

"Evidence continues to grow that many aspects of hurricane behavior are affected by human-caused factors, including sea-level rise, which results at least in part from greenhouse gas-induced global warming," the agency said in a 2020 report.

"The overall seasonal activity (a combination of frequency, intensity, duration) of hurricanes has increased across the globe," said Jhordanne Jones, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University Corporation of Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and Purdue University.

Suzana Camargo, a research professor at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, also told AFP: "The current scientific status is that we expect hurricanes to become more intense, have more rainfall associated with them and lead to higher storm surge levels in the future." That is evidenced by storms such as Hurricane Harvey, she added.

Karthik Balaguru, a climate scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), concurred. "Studies have shown that hurricanes are intensifying more rapidly and hurricane rain rates have increased," he said.

"Coupled with rising sea levels, climate change does seem to make hurricanes more damaging."

Destructive potential

As tropical cyclones worsen, so too will the destruction of such storms.

Coastal regions are becoming more susceptible to multiple, cascading hazards due to changes in regional climate, according to a recent report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Globally, an estimated 46 million people are at risk of flooding from storm surges each year.

As some social media posts claim, fatalities from cyclone-related coastal flooding are declining globally -- due to improved forecasting and evacuation, according to the IPCC. But "deaths are not the only impact of storms in coastal populations," Camargo said.

"Just see the tremendous economic and social impacts that the cities in Florida suffered in the last few days. It will take years or decades for those towns to recover," she said.

A man stands in front of his destroyed house in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Matlacha, Florida on October 3, 2022 ( AFP / Ricardo ARDUENGO)

According to NOAA, tropical cyclones are the most costly natural disaster in the US. While they represent less than a fifth of extreme weather events, they account for more than half of the damage attributed to weather and climate disasters since 1980.

"We should absolutely be concerned about the increasing human cost of these storms," said Meredith Welch-Devine, associate professor in climate change adaptation and extreme weather impacts at the University of Georgia. "In addition to the staggering economic costs, the disruption to people's lives and livelihoods is catastrophic."

NOAA told AFP by email that "population growth and development in US coastal areas" will affect future hurricane risks. Jones said there can be "compounding impacts" on local communities also.

"Another storm or other hazards (e.g., heat waves, tornadoes, droughts) may follow closely behind a storm in the same season," she said.

This was the case with Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which hit Puerto Rico and surrounding islands in quick succession in 2017.

Investing in the preparation and prevention of impacts from extreme weather events is less costly than recovery, according to the latest series of reports published by the IPCC.

Alexander said: "We might not get an increase in the number of tropical cyclones but the 'extremeness' of the storms we get will likely increase."

AFP has fact-checked other false and misleading claims about climate change here.
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
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
Though it was suspected when Colorado State University had to put incoming students in a nearby hotel, transformed common spaces into dorm rooms and hired additional staff to teach core classes, its now confirmed: The university welcomed its largest class in history this fall.

Interim Chief Academic Officer Roze Hentschell presented the schools preliminary enrollment numbers for the 2022-23 school year at the CSU System Board of Governors meeting on Thursday. Those numbers showed a 7% increase over last years freshman class.

Despite the large increase in freshmen, total enrollment at the university stayed fairly flat. The total student headcount was 27,956, a slight decrease from last years 28,580 students.

The increase in freshmen is notable as CSUs enrollment took a hit during the pandemic, which hurt the universitys revenue. And while overall enrollment didn't shift much, Hentschell said it's an accomplishment to stay flat following the pandemic.

First-year CSU student Emma Anderson, right, gets help from dad, Art Anderson, and sister, fifth-year CSU student Erin Anderson, at center, as she moves into her dorm room during fall move-in at the CSU campus on Aug. 17.

Last year, first-year student enrollment increased by 13% compared to the previous year, 2020, in which CSU saw a nearly 12% decrease in freshmen and a 3.6% decrease overall.

But this year, the universitys flagship location welcomed 5,517 students, 60% of whom are Colorado residents; 500 students came from rural areas. CSU had previously announced it would prioritize attracting Colorado residents, first-generation students and rural students to diversify its student body.

Students returning to campus in record numbers is wonderful news for our students, the state and its workforce, and it demonstrates how well people understand the long-term value of a college credential, CSU System Chancellor Tony Frank said in a news release.

For our campuses, this enrollment progress will also help to address the deep financial hits of the pandemic, from which were continuing to rebuild. But our ultimate goal is to see that all the students we enroll leave CSU with a diploma that will benefit them throughout their lives.

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This years entering class at the Fort Collins campus is 28% diverse, similar to last years entering diversity levels, and 25% of the class are the first in their families to attend college.

Not all news for CSU was positive, however.

Hentschell did tell the board that the first time, first-year student retention rate was down 1.6%. From fall to spring that retention rate is still at 84%. CSU has been pouring resources into increasing student success, and Hentschell said the attention on student success should hopefully help that number in the future.

CSU news:CSU, partners break ground on Timberline apartments, workforce housing

Pueblo campus saw first-year increase, CSU Global saw enrollment dips

CSU Pueblo saw its largest class of first-year students in four years with 645 enrolling, a 12% increase from the year prior. The campus also saw a 26% increase in transfer students, but its number of continuing students declined.

Overall, Pueblo's campus size was essentially the same as last fall with 3,529 students total.

CSU Global, the System's online offering, was the only campus that didn't see an increase in first-year students.

Global runs on a different academic system than the other campuses, but the total headcount for the first half of fall enrollment was 7,267, which showed an early decrease of about 10%.

The numbers presented by all campuses to the Board of Governors were preliminary, and final census numbers are set to be presented in December.

More:Here's what we learned from Interim President Rick Miranda's fall address to CSU community

Molly Bohannon covers city government for the Coloradoan. Follow her on Twitter @molboha or contact her at mbohannon@coloradoan.com. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: CSU officially has its largest first-year class in history
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.
Students at the University of North Carolina can continue their lawsuit seeking monetary damages for fees they paid before in-person fall 2020 classes were canceled due to COVID-19, a state appeals court ruled.

A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals decided on Tuesday that a trial judge correctly last year refused to dismiss litigation filed by two students against the UNC Board of Governors. The students  Landry Kuehn at UNC-Chapel Hill and the Joseph Lannan at North Carolina State University  also sued on behalf of other students at the two schools who paid similar fees.

The lawsuit alleged a breach of contract occurred when the students who registered for the fall 2020 semester paid health service, campus security and parking fees among others with an understanding that services and benefits would be provided, but they werent. The students alleged they failed to receive proper refunds when campuses like N.C. State and UNC-Chapel Hill moved in-person classes online, evicted all students from on-campus housing and curtailed health services.

ALSO READ: App State incentives students, staff to get COVID booster shot

Lannan is due about $1,500 and Kuehn about $1,125, the lawsuit alleges, while other students at their schools at that time should be recompensed, too. The boards lawyers have written previously that students had been informed that the instruction format during the semester could change and that fee refunds would not be forthcoming if that occurred.

The Board of Governors argued on the appeal in part that the lawsuit should be dismissed on grounds of sovereign immunity, which blocks such litigation against state government unless an agency consents.

Writing for the panel, Court of Appeals Chief Judge Chris Donna Stroud said the plaintiffs adequately alleged the existence of an implied contract, which can waive such immunity. Judges Chris Dillon and Darren Jackson joined in Strouds opinion. The UNC board could ask the state Supreme Court to take up the case, but the justices arent obligated to do so given that the opinion was unanimous.

North Carolina campuses similarly eliminated online classes and closed dormitories during the spring 2020 semester, but the General Assembly passed a law that year giving public and private colleges immunity from pandemic-related legal claims for tuition and fees. But it didnt apply to claims in future semesters.

(WATCH BELOW: North Carolina makes pitch to host 2027 World University Games)
This story was originally published online by The Current.

Lafayette Consolidated Government can continue charging $1 per page for digital copies of public records pending another hearing or council action, a district court judge ruled Wednesday.

Fifteenth Judicial District Court Judge Marilyn Castle sided with LCG on only two matters before the court. Not resolved yet is whether LCGs new fees are reasonable, according to state law. That matter is pending another hearing expected before the end of the year.

LCG attorney Jim Gibson attacked the news organizations credibility in defending the case, saying attorneys for The Acadiana Advocate and The Current misrepresented facts in their petition. Because Acadiana Advocate reporter Megan Wyatt ultimately paid for a batch of visitor logs, Castle said there was no pressing issue before the court.

Castle denied a request to pause charges to give the councils time to pass ordinances setting fees. In a purely legal discussion, she found Mayor-President Josh Guillory was within his authority to assess the fee. Gary McGoffin, attorney for The Current, disagreed. The council has that authority, he said. Not the mayor-president.

Get caught up:Josh Guillory is only charging news outlets his new fee for public records

Now the issue of reasonableness (of $1-per-page digital fee), we have not decided yet, Castle said.

Lafayette's city and parish council members may act on their own. Castle noted while Lafayettes Home Rule Charter and state law may not preclude the mayor-president from setting a charge, it likewise allows the councils to overrule him by ordinance. McGoffin says City Council members may take up that idea.

The City Council is interested in doing so on an expedited basis and making sure we do it right, with an open process to get input from the people affected by it, McGoffin said.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Court backs Lafayette mayor charging fee for digital public records
(Getty/iStockphoto)

Ever since the British government ended all legal Covid-19 restrictions earlier this year, cases numbers have continued to fluctuate.

Even as Boris Johnson published his Living with Covid plan in February, ending mandatory masks, social distancing and self-isolation measures, the arrival of the contagious Omicron BA.2 sub-variant quickly drove the infection rate up before it fell away in spring, a pattern of ebb and flow that has continued ever since.

About one in every 17 people in the UK had coronavirus at the peak of the most recent wave in July, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), since which time the case numbers have mercifully fallen to just 120,000 per day.

The Living with Covid plan brought an end to the legal requirement for employees to tell their employers when they have tested positive for the virus and need to self-isolate.

But with the threat from Covid still very real, is going to work when sick really such a good idea?

Can I go to work with Covid?

Yes, you can go to work even after testing positive for Covid and there is no legal obligation to tell your employer if you are infected.

However, workers are encouraged to follow the governments guidance for people who become infected with the virus and self-isolate for seven days.

Do I have to test for Covid before going to work?

No, you dont have to test for Covid before going anywhere, including to work.

Most people in England are no longer advised to get tested and can no longer get free lateral flow tests from the NHS unless you are one of a small number of people who are eligible.

Those who want to get tested must buy a Covid-19 test from pharmacies and other retailers.

What should I do if I feel unwell?

The government has set out guidance for people who have symptoms of a respiratory infection but have not taken a test for Covid-19, as well as for those who have taken a test and received a positive result.

Symptoms of common respiratory infections and Covid-19 include a continuous cough; high temperature or fever; loss of, or change in normal sense of taste or smell; shortness of breath; lack of energy; lack of appetite; headache; sore throat and stuffy or runny nose.

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According to the Department for Health and Social Care, you should work from home if you can and avoid contact with other people if you are experiencing these symptoms.

It is especially important to avoid close contact with anyone you know who may be at higher risk of becoming seriously sick if they catch Covid-19.

If you must leave your home, you should wear a face covering and avoid crowded or poorly ventilated places.

If you receive a positive Covid-19 test, you are also advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for five days after the day you took your test.

However, you should avoid meeting people at higher risk of serious illness from Covid-19 for 10 days after the day you took your test.
By Ludwig Burger and Natalie Grover

(Reuters) -A new COVID-19 wave appears to be brewing in Europe as cooler weather arrives, with public health experts warning that vaccine fatigue and confusion over types of available vaccines will likely limit booster uptake.

Omicron subvariants BA.4/5 that dominated this summer are still behind the majority of infections, but newer Omicron subvariants are gaining ground. Hundreds of new forms of Omicron are being tracked by scientists, World Health Organisation (WHO) officials said this week.

WHO data released late on Wednesday showed that cases in the European Union (EU) reached 1.5 million last week, up 8% from the prior week, despite a dramatic fall in testing. Globally, case numbers continue to decline.

Hospitalisation numbers across many countries in the 27-nation bloc, as well as Britain, have gone up in recent weeks.

In the week ended Oct 4, COVID-19 hospital admissions with symptoms jumped nearly 32% in Italy, while intensive care admissions rose about 21%, compared to the week before, according to data compiled by independent scientific foundation Gimbe.

Over the same week, COVID hospitalisations in Britain saw a 45% increase versus the week earlier.

Omicron-adapted vaccines have launched in Europe as of September, with two types of shots addressing the BA.1 as well as the BA.4/5 subvariants made available alongside existing first-generation vaccines. In Britain, only the BA.1-tailored shots have been given the green light.

European and British officials have endorsed the latest boosters only for a select groups of people, including the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. Complicating matters further is the "choice" of vaccine as a booster, which will likely add to confusion, public health experts said.

But willingness to get yet another shot, which could be a fourth or fifth for some, is wearing thin.

"For those who may be less concerned about their risk, the messaging that it is all over coupled with the lack of any major publicity campaign is likely to reduce uptake," said Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

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FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY

"So on balance I fear that uptake will be quite a bit lower."

"Another confounder is that quite a high proportion of the population might have also had a COVID episode in recent months," said Penny Ward, visiting professor in pharmaceutical medicine at Kings College London.

Some may erroneously feel that having had a complete primary course and then having fallen ill with COVID means they will remain immune, she added.

Since Sept. 5, when the roll-out of new vaccines began in the European Union, about 40 million vaccine doses produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have been delivered to member states, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

However, weekly vaccine doses administered in the EU were only between 1 million and 1.4 million during September, compared with 6-10 million per week during the year-earlier period, ECDC data showed.

Perhaps the biggest challenge to uptake is the perception that the pandemic is over, creating a false sense of security.

"There must be some complacency in that life seems to have gone back to normal  at least with regards COVID and people now have other financial and war-related worries," said Adam Finn, chair of ETAGE, an expert group advising the WHO on vaccine preventable diseases in Europe.

He added that some law-makers, too, were dropping the ball.

Italy's Gimbe science foundation said the government, soon to be replaced after an election, was ill prepared for the autumn-winter season, and highlighted that a publication on the government's management of the pandemic had been blocked.

The health ministry declined to comment.

Meanwhile, British officials last week warned that renewed circulation of flu and a resurgence in COVID-19 could pile pressure on the already stretched National Health Service (NHS).

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt, Natalie Grover and Jennifer Rigby in London, Emilio Parodi in Milan, Editing by William Maclean)
ZURICH (Reuters) - Beleaguered bank Credit Suisse is looking to sell its famed Savoy Hotel, located on Paradeplatz in the centre of Zurich's financial district, it said on Thursday.

The Swiss bank regularly reviews its property portfolio as part of its global real-estate strategy, a spokesperson said.

"As part of this process, the bank has decided to start a sales process for the Hotel Savoy," she said. "We will carefully assess all offers and potential investors and communicate any decision in due course."

The almost 200-year-old hotel closed this year to undergo a major refurbishment and will reopen in 2024 as the Hotel Mandarin Oriental Savoy Zurich.

The finance blog Inside Paradeplatz, which first reported the news, reported the building could be worth 400 million Swiss francs ($408 million).

Credit Suisse has had to raise capital, halt share buybacks, cut its dividend and revamp management after losing more than $5 billion from the collapse of investment firm Archegos in March 2021, when it also had to suspend client funds linked to failed financier Greensill.

It has been working on possible asset and business sales in a bid to return to profitability. A source familiar with the situation said the sale had nothing to do with a strategic review due to be presented on Oct. 27.

($1 = 0.9795 Swiss francs)

(Reporting by Noele Illien; Editing by Mark Potter)
Crypto exchange Binance got a license to operate in Kazakhstan, according to a press release on Thursday.

The license from the Astana Financial Services Authority(AFSA) will enable Binance to have the status of a regulated platform that can operate as a digital asset and custody services provider at the Astana International Financial Center.

The Astana International Financial Center is a regional platform that focuses on the development of services related to digital assets. In August the exchange got preliminary approval from the Astana Financial Services Authority.

The exchange has been working with Kazakhstan to help it develop rules for cryptocurrency firms as the country looks to boost its digital asset industry.

In May, Binance said that it would help the country develop digital asset regulation. At the same time, the exchange has bolstered its compliance team and garnered approvals and provisional approvals from other countries and jurisdictions, including France, Dubai and Spain after drawing the ire of regulators in countries such as the U.K. and Japan last year and Uzbekistan and Israel this year.

We are proud to announce that Binance has taken another step in its quest to be a compliance-focused exchange, Gleb Kostarev, Binance's Asia director, said in the press release.
In a sign that pure equity financing is getting harder to come by, cybersecurity firm Arctic Wolf, which last July raised $150 million at triple its previous valuation ($4.3 billion), opted for all debt in its latest funding round. The company today announced that it secured $401 million in convertible notes from Owl Rock, with participation from new and existing investors Viking Global Investors, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Neuberger Berman. Should an initial public offering (IPO) come to pass, as was at one point Arctic Wolf's plan, the debt will convert to shares at a premium to the price.

The Information reported in late August that Arctic Wolf was in talks to raise $300 million, making this round a decided success in a punishing macroeconomic environment. While cybersecurity startups continue to attract funding (see: NetSPI's $410 million growth round), with investments in the sector totaling close to $4 billion in Q2 2022, the deal flow and size of deals are starting to dip, Crunchbase reported in July. This week, Crunchbase further noted that while cyber startups saw more funding in H2 than all of 2020 ($8.9 billion), funding to VC-backed cybersecurity startups isn't on pace to hit last years high (over $23 billion).

"We evaluated a number of different options, including traditional equity raise, but [debt] was the best for Arctic Wolf, for our stage of hyper-growth," CEO Nick Schneider said via email. "In a turbulent economic environment, security will remain a top priority for companies. Being able to secure this amount of funding from both new and existing investors is a testament to what our team continues to accomplish and reflects the fact that Arctic Wolf continues to be perceived to be among the top performing private software-as-a-service companies by the investment community."

The debt brings Arctic Wolf's total raised to $900 million, $499 million of which is venture capital. Schneider tells TechCrunch that the debt will be put toward product development, strategic mergers and acquisitions investments and global expansion, with a particular focus on growing the company's presence in the Asia-Pacific region and Australia and New Zealand.

Brian NeSmith and Kim Tremblay co-founded Arctic Wolf in 2012, spurred on by the belief that cybersecurity had an "effectiveness problem." NeSmith, now executive chairman, was the company's CEO until August 2021, when Schneider assumed the role after serving as Arctic Wolf's president and chief revenue officer.

Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based Arctic Wolf originally built its solutions to target mid-size enterprises that couldnt afford to staff dedicated security teams. But in the subsequent years, the company began pitching its products in larger enterprise markets, rolling out security awareness and training programs and launching a restructured partner program with tiered support services.

"Arctic Wolf [adopts an] operational approach to security through a cloud-native platform," Schneider said. "Security isnt solely a tools or staffing problem -- it is an operational problem. It needs to be solved by a foundational and unifying platform that offers action-based intelligence. Unlike other industries like customer relationship management, which has Salesforce, or HR, which has Workday, this system-of-record platform has never been accomplished in cybersecurity -- until Arctic Wolf."

Arctic Wolf's flagship software platform ingests data from a company's endpoints, cloud environments and networks to provide a unified view of potential cybersecurity threats. Tools from Symantec, Cisco and startups like Rapid7 already accomplish this, but Schneider claims Arctic Wolf is differentiated by its concierge security teams. Consultants from the company monitor organizations data and learn their business, requirements and remediation steps, tailoring Arctic Wolfs software for their particular environment.

For instance, to cut down on alert fatigue (it's not uncommon for security teams to receive hundreds of alerts per day, most of which are false positives), Arctic Wolf uses machine learning to validate cybersecurity incidents. Schneider says that of the more than 2.5 trillion weekly observations taken in by the company's platform, fewer than five are forwarded to the average customer each week.

"The biggest challenge that both security vendors and internal security teams face is that threat actors are working around the clock to find new ways to exploit and attack their victims," Schneider said. "In many ways, the bar of innovation in cybersecurity is set from the outside, as our industry races to stay one step ahead of threat actors, creating an ever-present challenge for the cyber teams protecting businesses of all sizes."

Arctic Wolf has over 3,000 customers worldwide, including more than 100 state and local government agencies in the U.S. Schneider declined to disclose current revenue -- last September, Arctic Wolf reported $200 million in annual recurring revenue over the preceding 12-month period -- but said the transition to hybrid work during the pandemic continues to bolster Arctic Wolf's business growth as organizations grapple with protecting their data and systems remotely.

"[The pandemic] triggered a digital transformation trend that is a long-term driver for Arctic Wolf's business and next-gen security spending in general," Schneider added. "Additionally, the cybersecurity and broader enterprise industry face a massive skills shortage, as businesses clamor for in-house security talent to defend and mitigate these attacks."

Artic Wolf's embrace of debt comes as the broader VC market slows down. According to Crunchbase data, VC-backed startups in the U.S. raised close to $15.9 billion in debt through the first seven months of the year. Through the same period in 2021, startups had around $13.3 billion of debt.

But debt isn't a death knell. For companies that have high recurring revenue and visibility into future performance, debt historically has been a huge asset. Loans can provide money to grow while preventing dilution; profitable, cash-flow positive, late-stage startups -- e.g. Spotify, which raised $1 billion in convertible debt in 2016 ahead of its IPO -- are prime candidates because defaulting on the loan risks pulling the company under.

Owl Rock's David Jar and Ilan Aharoni expressed confidence in Arctic Wolf's near-term growth trajectory, unsurprisingly -- which might or might not include an IPO. Schneider hinted in January the firm might go public by the end of this year, but he's toned down the talk in recent months.

"When we first invested in Arctic Wolf, we saw a massive market opportunity, a clear market leader and a phenomenal team to execute on the thesis," Jar and Aharoni said. "While the teams execution has been world-class, we believe the company is only in the early innings of its journey. Today, organizations of all sizes have neither the resources nor the expertise to appropriately secure themselves from cyber threats. Arctic Wolf fills that gap with its one-stop, cloud-native solution and its delivery model. We are thrilled to deepen our relationship with the company."
LONDON (Reuters) - The publisher of the Daily Mail newspaper on Thursday refuted allegations of phone-tapping and other breaches of privacy by a group of individuals including Britain's Prince Harry and singer Elton John.

"We utterly and unambiguously refute these preposterous smears," a spokesman for the publisher, Associated Newspapers, said. "These unsubstantiated and highly defamatory claims - based on no credible evidence - appear to be simply a fishing expedition by claimants and their lawyers."

(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; editing by William James)
Dane Cook's new comedy special "Above It All" premiered Wednesday on the Moment platform, and the "Good Luck Chuck" actor took the opportunity to roast himself for his 26-year age gap with new fiancee, Kelsi Taylor.

In a trailer for the special, the 50-year-old said of his 23-year-old partner, "She was doing her homework, and I said, Where have you been all my life?' And then I remembered she wasn't alive for the first 26 years of it."

Cook, who has been dating Taylor for over five years, proposed in August. Cook's sister took engagement photos of the couple.

DANE COOK'S GIRLFRIEND KELSI TAYLOR, 20, CELEBRATES COMEDIAN'S 47TH BIRTHDAY WITH SWEET MESSAGE

In an interview with E! News, Cook said Taylor was involved in the creative process for the show. "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."

He added, "If we can't laugh at it, then nobody else is allowed."

OLDER STARS WHO DATE TEENS

Dane Cook's comedy special was taped at his personal home. Matt Winkelmeyer

Cook has had no problem being the butt of his own jokes in the past and has been extremely open about the age gap in his relationship.

In a previous interview with Jimmy Kimmel, the comedian joked saying, "People are like, Youre robbing the cradle.' I was like, She hasnt slept in a cradle for like 9 years  relax!'"

Of his relationship with Taylor and how it folds into his comedy, Cook told E!, "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  So, she got the exclusive. We tried it out, and she said, I approve of that. That's a good one.'"

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

Dane cook discussed the nearly three-decade age gap with his fiancee, Kelsi Taylor. Greg Doherty/Getty Images for HollyShorts Film Festival

The comedian filmed his special at his home in California, inviting fans into his personal backyard.
The family of Daniel Prude, a Black man who died more than two years ago after he was detained by upstate New York police, has reached a $12 million settlement with the city of Rochester.

The city announced the news Thursday but did not acknowledge any wrongdoing in Prude's March 2020 death. Prude died following an encounter with police after they restrained him with handcuffs and placed a spit hood over his head.

In a statement, Mayor Malik Evans said the settlement was the best decision "given the costs of continued litigation."

"It would have cost taxpayers even more to litigate, and would have placed a painful toll on our community," Evans said. "It is now time to look forward so we may work together and focus our efforts on Rochester's future."

Daniel Prude (Provided by family attorney Elliot Shields)

Attorneys for Prude's family released a statement praising the settlement, which they believe to be the largest of its kind in Rochester history, but said it will not solve the larger issue of police violence.

The current Rochester city administration is to be commended for seeing the need to resolve this case in order to move forward from this painful tragedy, attorney Steve Schwarz said.

Attorney Matthew Piers said: This settlement is a very large monetary recovery for a very serious fatal civil rights violation. A damages recovery is all the Estate of Daniel Prude is entitled to as a matter of law. No purely monetary settlement can truly address the fundamental problem of police violence that underlies this tragic case. Policing in this country must be reformed to be more humane."

Prude, 41, was having a mental health episode when police restrained him on March 23, 2020. His brother, Joe Prude, had called 911 for help with his brother's behavior. Daniel Prude had undergone a mental health check at a hospital the previous day.

When officers arrived, Prude was naked. He immediately complied with their commands to lie on the ground facedown and to put his hands behind his back.

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In a video released by Prude's family, he was seen speaking gibberish and told the officers to take note of his genitals. He repeatedly asked for a gun, the video showed.

At one point in the footage, a handcuffed Prude sat up but officers pushed him back down on the ground after he again asked for a gun. One officer placed his knee on Prude's back, according to the video.

Prude started whimpering unintelligibly. The video showed the officers laughing and joking with paramedics. When police noticed that Prude was limp and nonresponsive, paramedics were called over and CPR was started.

He died days later at a hospital. According to an autopsy report from Monroe County Medical Examiner Nadia Granger, Prude died of "complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint," with the drug PCP listed as a contributing factor.

A New York grand jury last year declined to indict any of the officers involved. New York Attorney General Letitia James said at the time that the jury was presented with the "strongest case possible."

Seven officers were placed on paid suspension, but only one was served with departmental charges following an internal investigation. Officer Mark Vaughn was cited for unnecessary or excessive force and discourteous/unprofessional conduct, the department said last year.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The United States and South Korean held joint missile drills a day after North Korea launched a missile over Japan, while Washington also sent an aircraft carrier and strike group into the waters east of North Korea.

Well explain why the two allies are making such military moves, plus new climate action plans from the Air Force, Space Force and the Army and how the United States might respond to a Russian nuclear attack in Ukraine.

This is Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, Im Ellen Mitchell. A friend forward this newsletter to you? Subscribe here.

Pentagon holds drills after missile launch

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.

What was involved: 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.

A malfunction: During the live fire drills, however, a South Korean ballistic missile malfunctioned as it landed, according to multiple reports.

The explosion caused a fire that 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.

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An earlier provocation: 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.

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.

Additional response: 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.

Read the full story here

Air Force, Army unveil climate action plans

The Air Force and Space Force, as well as the Army, released climate action plans on Wednesday, with the former seeking to operate bases at net-zero emissions by 2046, an ambitious goal that would beat by four years the Biden administrations own targets.

The Air Force plan is the first to be released from the military services after the Pentagon last year began its biggest effort ever to prepare for the effects of climate change. The document is meant to be a road map to help the branch better consider and prepare for what effects climate change will have on its operations, training, installations, planning and business processes when making decisions.

Preperation: Our mission remains unchanged, but we recognize that the world is facing ongoing and accelerating climate change and we must be prepared to respond, fight, and win in this constantly changing world, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in a statement alongside the plans release.

In the plan, Kendall allowed that extreme weather and environmental conditions are already imposing high costs on Air Force installations and missions, while simultaneously posing new risks to our ability to train and operate effectively.

A major contributor: He also acknowledged that of all the military services, the Air Force is the largest producer of greenhouse gases, the main cause of global warming and subsequent extreme weather conditions.

Also released: Later on Wednesday, the Army separately released its own climate action plan that includes upping the number of microgrids at bases over the next five years.

Microgrids are local electrical systems which can reduce energy costs and if needed, can disconnect from the larger power grid and operate independently during outages.

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, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said in a statement alongside the plan. This climate implementation plan will improve our resiliency and readiness in the face of these changes.

Dire costs: The Pentagon has offered stark examples of how climate change is already affecting its forces and the threats expected in the near future, including flooding in the Midwest, wildfires that have forced evacuations at bases in the western United States and hurricanes that have prompted the same on the East Coast.

Read more here

How US could react to a nuclear attack in Ukraine

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.

Twofold: A 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.



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.

No backing down: 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.

Allies consulted: 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.

Read the full story here

ON TAP TOMORROW

The Center for Strategic and International Studies will host a discussion on The Implementation Plan for the Army Climate Strategy, at 9 a.m.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies will hold a talk on Ukraine: Back to the Future (of Warfare)? with former Defense Undersecretary for Policy Michele Flournoy, and Ukrainian Maj. Gen. Borys Kremenetskyi, defense attache at the Embassy of Ukraine, at 11 a.m.

The Atlantic Council will host a virtual forum on How Can We Deter China in the 2020s? with former Defense Undersecretary for Policy Michele Flournoy, at 1 p.m.

WHAT WERE READING

Thats it for today. Check out The Hills Defense and National Security pages for the latest coverage. See you tomorrow!

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ronald Foley's death has left an empty space in wife Juanita's heart made all the worse by the timing.

"It's just sad right now. Today would have been our 26th wedding anniversary," she said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "(His death) just hit me hard. It's awful."

Foley was 72, a veteran and a former policeman. He died due to flooding caused by Tropical Storm Ian, one of five Volusia County residents to perish in the storm and its aftermath.

Ronald Foley, a Deltona resident who drowned while trying to save his home from flooding during Tropical Storm Ian, was a U.S. Army veteran and an an officer and deputy sheriff with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office for 30 years.

Foley was in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps. He also served in Korea, his wife said. After he retired from the Army, he worked as a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office deputy for 30 years.

Juanita Foley said she and her husband moved to St. Augustine when she got a job with the St. Augustine Record. The couple then relocated to Palm Coast, and shortly after, her husband retired and they moved to Deltona in 2002.

"He was a good man. He was so dedicated and helped many people," she said.

He is survived by three daughters and grandchildren in Texas.

Ronald Foley, who drowned on Thursday protecting his Deltona home from Tropical Storm Ian's floods was a U.S. Army Military Policeman.

Volusia County sheriff's investigators said he drowned on Thursday at 1 a.m. in a canal behind his house. He was draining excess water from his swimming pool and investigators believe he slipped down a steep hill.

Juanita Foley said her husband was worried that the pool, which was quickly filling with rain, would overflow into their house so he decided to pump the water from the pool into the canal.

Ronald Foley and his wife, Juanita Foley, together last October celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. Ronald Foley drowned in a canal on Thursday as he drained his Deltona home's swimming pool to stop it from flooding his home during Tropical Storm Ian.

Path of destruction: Tropical Storm Ian leaves path of destruction in Volusia and Flagler counties

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'He was able to save the house from flooding.'

"The pool was real close to the porch and it was getting real high. We were afraid it was going to flood our home," she said.

She saw her husband manning the hose but her view was then blocked by the screen door, so she didn't see him fall. But over the loud noise of the rain and wind, she said she heard a cry for help three times. She said she went looking for her husband and did not see him.

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"It was black and rainy, and then I saw a light in the canal about 35 feet away," Juanita Foley said. "I just ran into the house and called 9-1-1. I didn't even know that it was my husband."

In an incident report, sheriff's deputies said they arrived at the home and found Ronald Foley face down in the canal where they saw the beam of the flashlight projecting through the water.

He was rushed to AdventHealth Fish Memorial in Orange City where he died, sheriff's investigators said.

"Then they called and told me he had passed," she said. "It was just devastating. I can't even describe how it felt."

And then, as an afterthought, she said: "He was able to save the house from flooding."

Juanita Foley about her husband: He was a good man

Juanita Foley said she didn't expect any less from her husband, whom she has seen do brave things, a habit perhaps carried over from his military experience.

After retiring from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Foley went back to work as a security guard at John Knox Village, a senior living community, in Orange City.

He worked at John Knox Village for 10 years before retiring for good, Juanita Foley recalled.

"For 10 years he never missed a day (of work)," she said.

Though she is devastated by her husband's death, she said she has many fond memories of her husband she will hold dear to her heart. They were enjoying their retirement going on trips, going out to eat or spending time at their timeshare in the Smoky Mountains.

"He loved Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We went there every year for 15 years," she said. "We had a nice retirement."

Meatballs and romance

As painful as her husband's death is, she said she doesn't regret meeting the man who became her husband for 26 years.

She and Ronald Foley met in 1995 in Jacksonville while taking pictures for Great Expectations, a dating service. They became friends and attended socials and get-togethers at comedy clubs organized by the dating service.

But love swooped in when Juanita had a singles party at her house and she invited Ronald. They started dating and got married in 1996.

After they were married, Ronald Foley confided in his wife that he was about to leave the singles party but stayed when she served her specialty meal - meatballs.

But despite all the beautiful memories, Juanita mourns the loss.

"I'll miss his kind, quiet personality and his great sense of humor," she said. "He made me laugh."

Funeral services for Ronald Foley will be on Sunday Oct. 16. The viewing will be at Fraser Funeral Home at 8168 Normandy Blvd. in Jacksonville from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. with a service starting at 3 p.m.

He will be buried at Jacksonville National Cemetery, 4083 Lannie Road, Jacksonville, FL 32218.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Deltona army veteran and former sheriff's deputy drowns in storm flood
By Ted Hesson, Paul Ratje and Kristina Cooke

EL PASO, Texas (Reuters) - The Democrat-led border city of El Paso, Texas, has sent more migrants on buses to New York City and Chicago than a campaign by Texas' Republican governor, a twist in an ongoing partisan battle over U.S. border security.

El Paso, which sits across the border from Juarez, Mexico, has bused roughly 7,000 migrants to New York City since late August and sent more than 1,800 to Chicago, a city-run effort that far exceeds the more ad-hoc transportation of the past.

The city's busing effort has received less attention than a separate statewide campaign by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is seeking a third term in Nov. 8 midterm elections. Abbott has bused more than 3,000 migrants to New York City and more than 900 to Chicago as part of a high profile campaign to put a spotlight on the record crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Texas and Arizona combined have also bused over 10,000 migrants to Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis recently flew a group of about 50 migrants to Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts, but those who boarded the planes have said they were misled.

The Republican initiatives to move migrants, including those seeking asylum, away from the border have called attention to the issue with the election just weeks away. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showed U.S. voters prefer them over Democrats for addressing immigration issues.

The Democratic administration of U.S. President Joe Biden and Democratic mayors receiving the migrants have criticized the Republican governors for creating confusion with surprise drop-offs and say the busing campaign strains resources.

But El Paso's Democratic leaders say they are coordinating with receiving cities and that migrants take their chartered buses voluntarily. City officials say their buses were needed because up to 2,000 migrants were arriving daily, including impoverished Venezuelans without family in the United States to pay for onward travel.

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Coordination between sending and receiving cities is crucial, according to Theresa Cardinal Brown, a managing director with the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington-based think tank.

"If there's not coordination," she said, "you're basically dropping penniless people who don't speak the language in an unknown city and saying, 'Fend for yourself.'"

Still, El Paso's coordination could be better, said New York City mayoral spokesperson Kate Smart. El Paso informs New York when a bus is traveling to the city, but, she adds, officials from both states should discuss beforehand whether the bus actually needs to go New York and how many migrants are onboard.

Many of those sent to New York are Venezuelans, who have been arrested at the border in higher numbers than ever before. The United States cannot expel them to Mexico under a pandemic-era order as it can other migrants.

El Paso's program is not new: last year, the city hired a handful charter buses to transport migrants to nearby cities, a city official said.

But when overwhelmed U.S. border authorities began releasing hundreds of migrants at a time in El Paso in August and September, the city started busing to New York and Chicago.

'COMPLETELY DIFFERENT'

The buses now depart from a converted warehouse in northeast El Paso that serves as a migrant processing center. On Monday, several hundred migrants waited for buses to New York City and Chicago, among them Frederick Pinango, 28, and his wife and 3-year-old daughter.

The Venezuelan family trekked through the Darien Gap, an often dangerous passage through a jungle separating Colombia and Panama. They worked their way through Central America and Mexico by cleaning bathrooms, emptying trash and begging, according to Pinango.

They took a bus to New York because they had no contacts in the United States and it was free.

"I have faith that they will help us with some shelter, so I can start to work," he said.

Edwin Rico, a 28-year-old Venezuelan who boarded a bus to Chicago on Monday, said the food that El Paso officials provided for the trip was not enough, but he rationed it.

"I dont have money, so Im grateful for the help," he said.

El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser, a Democrat, said the city's program is "completely different" than the other busing efforts and that they seek to "treat people with respect."

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, also a Democrat, has slammed Abbott, the Republican governor, for his refusal to share information about bus arrivals. Adams said in a mid-September press conference that Leeser, unlike Abbott, was willing to meet and "figure out a humane way to coordinate."

New York City officials traveled to El Paso last month to watch the process firsthand. During the visit, they discussed adding drop-off points in cities on the way to New York, Leeser said.

El Paso keeps in contact with the Biden administration and is seeking federal reimbursement for busing costs, Leeser said, and a U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed the coordination.

"This is a federal issue," Leeser said. "Theyre not coming to El Paso, theyre coming to the United States."

(Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington, Paul Ratje in El Paso, Texas, and Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; Editing by Mica Rosenberg and Aurora Ellis)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (right) being interviewed by Brendon Leslie, founder of the far-right website Floridas Voice. (Photo: via Florida's Voice)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (right) being interviewed by Brendon Leslie, founder of the far-right website Floridas Voice. (Photo: via Florida's Voice)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gave a four-minute interview to a right-wing broadcaster wearing the insignia of the Three Percenters militia group and who on Jan. 6, 2021, was among the mob assaulting the Capitol as part of Donald Trumps coup attempt.

You have national, regime media, that they wanted to see Tampa [get struck by Hurricane Ian], because they thought that would be worse for Florida, DeSantis said in response to a question of whether there would be any accountability for news outlets for how they have covered the storm.

Neither DeSantis governors office nor his campaign responded to HuffPost queries about why he would agree to an interview with someone openly wearing the domestic terror movements logo on his sleeve.

But Christina Pushaw, a campaign spokesperson, praised the interviewer, Brendon Leslie, in a social media post Wednesday evening. Formerly relevant, powerful establishment lib media in Florida are jealous of him and his team. The smears wont work, she wrote.

Leslie, 29, was a broadcast journalist at one of the Fort Myers television stations before quitting to form a pro-Trump website, Floridas Voice, which now also supports DeSantis. He has previously interviewed DeSantis multiple times, but it is unclear whether he ever was wearing the militia group markings prior to Tuesday, when he spoke with the governor after he had finished a news conference in Cape Coral.

He denied being a member of the loosely organized militia group, and said he purchased the T-shirt from a North Carolina online store because The shirt is really cool and badass and I dont care what you or any liberal journalist thinks.

The store acknowledged that the logo on the sleeve  13 black stars surrounding the Roman numeral three and the year 1776  was a Three Percenters symbol but told HuffPost that the same shirt, which features an AR-15 rifle with the Florida flag stylized into the ammunition clip was available in black without the militia logo.

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Three Percenters believe that, just as a small revolutionary vanguard overthrew the tyrannical British rule in America, a dedicated group of modern patriots could rid the United States of todays alleged tyranny, according to the Anti-Defamation League website.

The Three Percenters are among the domestic terror groups whose members took part in the former presidents attempt to remain in power, using violence and the threat of violence, despite losing the November 2020 election.

Several Three Percenters have been arrested and charged with trying to obstruct an official proceeding, including Guy Reffitt, a recruiter for the Texas Three Percenters who received a seven-year prison sentence in August, one of the longest to date of any of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists.

There were Three Percenter flags waving over the insurrection as people were charging into the Capitol, said Alex Friedfeld, an investigative researcher with the ADLs Center on Extremism.

DeSantis governors office also would not explain what he meant by the phrase regime media, but the term is frequently used by followers of the former president to suggest that President Joe Biden was not legitimately elected.

Leslie attended Trumps pre-insurrection rally on Jan. 6 near the White House along with other Trump supporters who traveled there by bus and then marched on the Capitol at Trumps request. He admitted in an interview with a Fort Myers TV station the day after Trumps coup attempt that he entered the building to occupy the Capitol but did not participate in any violence.

In a video Leslie posted to Facebook, he is seen back outside the Capitol on Jan. 6 and urging others, whom he referred to as our people, not to attack police officers or damage the building.

He also acknowledged that he had entered the Capitol illegally, telling others that the Capitol and Washington, D.C., police were only doing their job by keeping Trump supporters out. They have to. Were trespassing, he said on the video. Its one thing to occupy and its another thing to attack Were doing this wrong. This is doing wrong.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
For many, the main point of investing is to generate higher returns than the overall market. But in any portfolio, there will be mixed results between individual stocks. At this point some shareholders may be questioning their investment in The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE:BK), since the last five years saw the share price fall 25%. We also note that the stock has performed poorly over the last year, with the share price down 24%.

Although the past week has been more reassuring for shareholders, they're still in the red over the last five years, so let's see if the underlying business has been responsible for the decline.

See our latest analysis for Bank of New York Mellon

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

During the unfortunate half decade during which the share price slipped, Bank of New York Mellon actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) improve by 3.4% per year. Given the share price reaction, one might suspect that EPS is not a good guide to the business performance during the period (perhaps due to a one-off loss or gain). Or possibly, the market was previously very optimistic, so the stock has disappointed, despite improving EPS.

By glancing at these numbers, we'd posit that the the market had expectations of much higher growth, five years ago. Looking to other metrics might better explain the share price change.

In contrast to the share price, revenue has actually increased by 0.3% a year in the five year period. A more detailed examination of the revenue and earnings may or may not explain why the share price languishes; there could be an opportunity.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

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Bank of New York Mellon is a well known stock, with plenty of analyst coverage, suggesting some visibility into future growth. If you are thinking of buying or selling Bank of New York Mellon stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst consensus estimates for future profits.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for Bank of New York Mellon the TSR over the last 5 years was -14%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

A Different Perspective

We regret to report that Bank of New York Mellon shareholders are down 22% for the year (even including dividends). Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 18%. 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. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 3% over the last half decade. 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. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Bank of New York Mellon .

We will like Bank of New York Mellon better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.

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.

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A box of ivermectin sits on a pharmacy counter. The drug has been promoted as a treatment for COVID-19 despite a lack of evidence that it helps people with the disease. (Mike Stewart / Associated Press)

California doctors will soon be subject to disciplinary action if they give their patients information about COVID-19 that they know to be false or misleading.

On its face, the new state law sounds like a clear blow to the forces that have fueled skepticism about life-saving vaccines, encouraged anxious people to trust discredited and dangerous drugs like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, and reduced face masks to symbols of political partisanship. The measure was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last week and goes into effect on Jan. 1.

But critics of the law, including many mainstream doctors who have advocated passionately for masks and vaccines, say it could end up curbing well-intentioned conversations between patients and physicians about a disease that's still changing from one month to the next.

Theres clear misinformation thats happening thats as black and white as you can get. But theres a lot of gray out there too, said Dr. Eric Widera, a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco who specializes in geriatrics.

With COVID-19, he said, the standard of care has changed a lot in 2 years. Earlier in the pandemic, he recorded instructional videos for his childrens school on how to properly wear cloth face masks. Today such masks are largely dismissed as ineffective.

Thats a nonclinical example of a truth about the evolution of medical research, Widera said: What was misinformation one day is the current scientific thinking another day.

The new law applies only to conversations between patients and their doctors about the patients care. It will not cover, for example, any fringe claims that a COVID-19 skeptic with a medical degree might air on social media or at a public rally. An attempt to limit a physicians public pontifications would probably not survive a 1st Amendment challenge in court, a legislative analysis of the bill found.

In his signing statement, Newsom acknowledged that he was concerned about the chilling effect of legislating doctor-patient conversations.

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But this law, he wrote, is narrowly tailored to apply only to those egregious instances in which a licensee is acting with malicious intent or clearly deviating from the required standard of care while interacting directly with a patient under their care.

The text of the measure doesnt spell out what constitutes an egregious instance, or what metrics will be used to determine malicious intent.

Investigating and adjudicating an alleged violation by traditional physicians will be the responsibility of the Medical Board of California. The law also applies to osteopathic physicians, and the Osteopathic Medical Board of California will handle those cases. Penalties include probation, suspension and loss of license.

In some ways, the legislation seems more symbolic than substantive. State law already bars doctors from lying to their patients or doling out subpar medical advice that fails to meet the basic standard for quality care. That applies to care for all diseases, including COVID-19.

Medical treatment changes as understanding of a disease evolves, and the boards grievance process is designed to accommodate the reality that medicine in general is an ever-changing field, said Carlos Villatoro, a spokesperson for the state medical board.

When a complaint against a physician comes in, the board uses physicians who are experts in their field to review the individual facts and circumstances involved in the situation under investigation, and opine on the appropriate standard of care that should have been followed at that time, Villatoro said. No two cases are the same, and the Board would make this determination based on the facts and circumstances of the given case.

By making the prohibition against COVID-19 lies unambiguously clear, the new law will strengthen a medical board's hand if a physician who has been sanctioned tries to challenge that decision, said state Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), a pediatrician and co-author of the measure.

This isnt Californias first law against a specific type of medical misconduct. Over the years, the state Business and Professions Code has been updated to explicitly bar physicians from breaking laws related to human cloning and to the long-discredited cancer treatments laetrile and amygdalin. The code specifies that its unprofessional conduct to distribute liquid silicone for breast implants, or to fail to give patients written summaries before cosmetic collagen injections.

The code is there to protect patients. Its authors wrote it with the most glaring examples in mind, Pan said, such as Dr. Simone Gold, the Beverly Hills physician who founded the anti-vaccine group Americas Frontline Doctors. Gold has promoted debunked COVID-19 treatments such as the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine and has spread outlandish claims about vaccine safety.

(Gold also participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and pleaded guilty to unlawfully entering the building. She was sentenced to 60 days in prison and had her medical license suspended after her conviction.)

"When someone blatantly provides misinformation, totally inaccurate information  especially with intention  that harms patients," Pan said. "That takes away the patient's ability to make appropriate decisions."

The new law was endorsed by the California Medical Assn., which represents nearly 50,000 physicians throughout the state. But critics say they are worried that singling out a rapidly evolving and relatively new disease could have unintended harms.

I am concerned this bill will not take into account how quickly information changes in COVID-19, said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF.

She cited as an example the antiviral medication Paxlovid. The Food and Drug Administrations guidelines for emergency use of the drug arent updated fast enough to reflect the latest research showing that while it helps senior citizens, it doesn't do much for patients under 65.

Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and health policy expert at George Washington University, said it would be easy to imagine a similar law being used to suppress factual medical information.

We should be very concerned about the chilling effect on medical practice and scientific discourse  and look out for copycat legislation from other states on other issues (i.e. reproductive care) that use politics in an attempt to censor physicians, Wen said in an email.

Its not an idle worry. Since the start of the pandemic, 14 states have introduced legislation to protect doctors who spread COVID-19 misinformation from professional censure.

In 2021, the Federation of State Medical Boards warned that doctors who spread misinformation about COVID-19 could place themselves at risk of losing their licenses. When Tennessees Board of Medical Examiners attempted to adopt the national FSMB policy as its own, the state legislature threatened to disband the board if it took such an action, the legislative analysis pointed out.

Misinformation around this pandemic has caused deep and irreversible harm. Of the more than 1 million deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. thus far, as many as 318,000 could have been prevented with available vaccines, according to an analysis from the Brown School of Public Health and others. People have died because they made choices based on false information spread by people in a position to know better.

Both the law's authors and its critics say their arguments are based on the same notion: Patients should be able to trust their doctors.

Trust in ones physician is one of the most important tools we have when talking with patients about the importance of evidence-based interventions like COVID vaccines, Widera said. If patients are under the impression that their doctors can't speak freely, he said, "it will only further worsen the ongoing trust issues we have seen in the last 2 years.

Updates:

12:23 p.m. Oct. 6, 2022: This story was updated to include the California Medical Assn.'s position on the new law.



This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Alexi Rosenfeld

Immediately following Fox News pivotal 2020 election night call of Arizona for Joe Biden, the networks CEO Suzanne Scott warned colleagues that we cant give the crazies an inch as then-President Donald Trump tore into the conservative cable giant and some of the networks stars publicly undermined the projection.

Scotts words are now being used against Fox News by voting software firm Dominion Voting Systems in its $1.6-billion defamation lawsuit accusing the network of peddling election fraud claims, NPR reported on Thursday.

In a court proceeding earlier this week, Dominions lawyer Justin Nelson revealed Scotts remarks while arguing that his legal team should be able to review the employment contract of 13 Fox News executives, including Scotts. Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric M. Davis ruled on Wednesday that Dominion is entitled to the contracts.

Additionally, Nelson argued that senior Fox News executives tried to stop pro-Trump network stars Lou Dobbs and Maria Bartiromo from booking Trumps campaign lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell on their shows in the aftermath of the election to push baseless voter fraud conspiracies. This came as Team Trump was pressuring the network to reverse its Arizona decision, even going so far as to directly implore Foxs owners to step in and rescind the call.

The hosts, however, did give the former presidents alliesand even Trump himselfairtime to push their evidence-free assertions that Dominions machines had rigged the election and stolen the White House from Trump. (The cancellation of Dobbs show was announced the day after another voting software company filed a similar $2.7-billion defamation suit against Fox.)

During the hearing on Tuesday, Foxs attorney Justin Keller didnt deny that Scott had made those remarks. Nor did he dispute that management tried to prevent Dobbs and Bartiromo from hosting the Trump lawyers to peddle their debunked election claims. Keller instead objected to Dominions request for the executives contracts, insisting that it was overkill considering the number of docs Fox had already handed over.

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Outside of Scott, other executives whose contracts Dominion is seeking are Fox News president Jay Wallace and executive vice president of primetime programming Meade Cooper.

Foxs attorneys, meanwhile, continue to dispute Dominions allegation that the networks executives knowingly let discredited election fraud conspiracy theories air on its programming to court the MAGA viewership that abandoned the channel following the Arizona call. Keller, for instance, argued on Tuesday that the channels execs were far removed from the day-to-day decisions on its telecasts.

Nelson, though, pointed to documents obtained from Fox that talks about the daily editorial meeting that occurs, including almost all of these executives that were looking at right now. Judge Davis, meanwhile, noted that Dominions allegation is Fox sought to profit off a lie and whether it's true or not, well stay for the trial. The trial is scheduled to begin in April.

This all comes a few weeks after Dominions legal team argued that Fox News host Jeanine Pirro should be compelled to provide additional testimony in the case after Fox invoked journalistic privilege during her original deposition. NPR reported last month that a distressed Fox News producer implored her colleagues in November 2020 to pull Pirro off the air because she was peddling election fraud lies from the fringe web.

Furthermore, veteran journalists Peter Baker and Susan Glasser reported in their new book The Divider that intense MAGA anger over the Arizona call even prompted chief political anchor Bret Baier to ponder giving in to Trumps demands that the network rescind its decision.

The sooner we pull iteven if it gives us major eggand we put it back in his column the better we are in my opinion, Baier said in an email shortly after Election Night, adding that the situation was really uncomfortable because he personally keeps having to defend this on air.

The book also noted that Wallace later overrode the Decision Desks analysis and instructed the channels anchors not to announce that Biden won Nevada as well, which would have pushed Biden to a full White House win.

The full context of the e-mail is not reported in this book. I never said the Trump campaign was really pissed- that was from an external email that I referenced within my note, Baier said in a statement, disputing the characterization of the email in the book.

This was an email sent AFTER election night. In the immediate days following the election, the vote margins in Arizona narrowed significantly and I communicated these changes to our team along with what people on the ground were saying and predicting district by district, he added. I wanted to analyze at what point (what vote margin) would we have to consider pulling the call for Biden. I also noted that I fully supported our decision desk's call and would defend it on air.

After the election, according to the book, two editors overseeing the Decision Desk were later fired, but the announcements were delayed two months because executives did not want the embarrassment of publicly owning their decision to push out journalists for making the right call. Fox News political editor Chris Stirewalts exit was painted as a restructuring while longtime Fox News D.C. managing editor Bill Sammon was said to have retired.

FOX News made an election night call of historic magnitude and was first to do so, a network spokesperson said in a statement about the books allegations. We stood by the call in the days that followed, it was proven correct, and other news organizations eventually joined us.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Dr Anthony Fauci, the White House chief medical adviser, is warning Americans we should not be surprised if a new Covid variant drives another winter surge in cases.

We should anticipate that we very well may get another variant that would emerge that would elude the immune response that weve gotten from infection and/or from vaccination," Dr Fauci said on Tuesday during an event at the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism .

"We are entering into the winter months, where no matter what the respiratory disease is, theres always a risk of an uptick, he added.

New coronavirus cases, hospitalisations, and deaths are all down to nearly their lowest levels this year, according to federal data , but we shouldnt start acting like the pandemic is over, experts say.

"I think it would be a bit cavalier to all of a sudden say were completely through with it," Dr Fauci added at the event.

Scientists are monitoring a number of new variants and descendants of Omicron like BQ.1 in the Uk, BA.2.75 and BA.2.75.2 in India, and BA.2.3.20 in Singapore, which could drive cases this winter.

Im fairly confident that at least one of these variants or a combination of them will lead to a new infection wave, Tom Wenseleers, an evolutionary biologist at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, told Nature . "And, because they all seem to be behaving similarly, at the end of the day its not that important which of these become the next big thing.

The two worst surges of the pandemic, the Delta and Omicron waves, took place in January of 2021 and 2022, as the winter months pushed more people indoors and spurred holiday travel, making disease spread more likely.

More concerning  and more tangible  than the risk of a new variant becoming dominant is the slow rate at which Americans have sought out their latest booster shots.

The question is not whether we will see an increase in cases and hospitalizations  we will  but by how much, University of California San Francisco infectious disease expert Peter-Chin Hong told the San Francisco Chronicle .

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People getting their boosters, plus the high rate of past infections in the US, would mean a new variant might only cause a modest increase in cases because of the highly protected community, Dr Hong told the paper.

Meanwhile, if booster rates remain at their measly 4 per cent of eligible patients getting the new jab, it could mean a larger surge of cases and hospitalizations, he added.

The thing I worry about isnt about whether a surge comes with omicron, but if we dont get a lot of uptake of the updated vaccine, and we continue to see a lot of mutation, and we have a variant emerge that is really different from anything weve seen previously, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr Allison Arwady told NBC Chicago . Thats what happened last December and January.

America ranks 16th in the world, and above all other wealthy per nations, when it comes to Covid deaths per population, according to Johns Hopkins University data , but politicians in Washington are largely acting like the US has made it through the pandemic.

In September, President Joe Biden reportedly shocked his own public health teams by declaring, "The pandemic is over.

"We still have a problem with Covid, he told CBS . Were still doing a lot of work on it ... but the pandemic is over.

(He later clarified that he meant the pandemic was no longer where it was in the past.)

Virtually all US states and cities have dropped their mask mandates, and earlier this year, a federal court in Florida ended the federal mask mandate for interstate transit facilities.

Republicans in Congress have balked at the White Houses request for $22.4bn more in Covid funding.

It isnt a question of authority; you have the authority. It isnt a question of money; you have been given astonishing amounts of money, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions ranking member Richard Burr of North Carolina said during a hearing in mid-September.

As a result, funding for free Covid vaccines could run out as soon as January 2023, meaning the coronavirus shot will likely become prohibitively unaffordable for those without insurance in the coming months.

As of September, a federal programme sending out free at-home Covid tests also ended.

Its potentially history repeating itself. Whether it was first SARS or Zika, or H1N1 back in 2009, the history of public health funding is this predictable feast-famine, Brent Ewig, chief policy and government relations officer at the Association of Immunization Managers, told Roll Call .

Even the Biden administrations own officials dont seem hopeful about where things are heading on the funding front.

This is an obvious movement for the kind of partnership we saw with Operation Warp Speed, White House Covid-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha told POLITICO, referencing the Trump administration public-private partnership to develop the original Covid vaccines.

Without an infusion of funds for vaccines and new research, the US will soon be in a very difficult situation he continued.

Our toolbox is dry because every company in America understands the U.S. government does not have funding to do this, he said.
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.
WASHINGTON  Eastern Shipbuilding Group said it plans to take its fight over a recent U.S. Coast Guard contract to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims after withdrawing its complaint with the Government Accountability Office.

The Florida shipbuilder said it will seek in court the disclosure of materials the Coast Guard did not release during the GAO protest process. The companys attorneys are preparing their initial filing now, an Eastern Shipbuilding spokesperson told Defense News.

Eastern today is building the first four ships in the Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter program, which the Coast Guard calls its top acquisition priority. The service recompeted the program for the next 11 ships, and on June 30 awarded that Stage 2 contract to Austal USA.

Eastern Shipbuilding in mid-July protested the award with the Government Accountability Office. Under GAO policy, the Coast Guard had 30 days to provide a report responding to the protest arguments, Eastern would then have 10 days to respond to that report, and GAO would have about two months to consider the case.

GAO confirmed to Defense News in July it faced an Oct. 24 deadline to decide on this case.

In this instance, though, the company spokesperson said the Coast Guard exercised its option to file for a protective order. The Coast Guard has declined to release Austals winning proposal or its own scoring evaluations under this protective order, meaning neither Eastern Shipbuilding nor GAO could review the material.

A Coast Guard spokesman declined to comment further on this matter.

When the Coast Guard selected Austal as the competition winner, it did not elaborate on why it chose the Alabama shipbuilder.

GAO updated its website Wednesday to note the protest has been withdrawn. That same day, the Coast Guard announced it was allowing Austal to proceed with work on its first cutter, which could not begin while the protest was in active consideration.

Austal can now begin its detail design work. The Coast Guard said its Stage 2 detail design and construction effort was meant to maintain commonality with earlier OPCs [built by Eastern Shipbuilding] in critical areas such as the hull and propulsion systems, but provide flexibility to propose and implement new design elements that benefit lifecycle cost, production and operational efficiency and performance.
Twitter rejected requests from Elon Musk's team for a discount, according to a report. Alex Kantrowitz

Representatives for Musk were reportedly engaged in private discussions with Twitter, per the NYT.

The talks centered on the price of the platform, with Musk's team reportedly seeking a reduction.

They had asked for a 30% discount but Twitter rejected the request, per the NYT.

Elon Musk reportedly sought a lower price for Twitter before reviving his original bid of $44 billion.

The New York Times reported the news.

In recent weeks, representatives for Musk have reportedly been engaged in private discussions with Twitter about the price of the social-media platform, sources told the New York Times.

Musk's team originally sought a 30% reduction in price, according to three anonymous people familiar with the talks. The discount would have valued the company at around $31 billion.

Twitter rejected the offer and the discussions moved to a 10% reduction in price, per the NYT. These talks were also unsuccessful, prompting Musk's decision to revive his bid of $54.20 a share, which he originally made in April, per the NYT.

Representatives for Elon Musk did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside of normal working hours.

On October 4, Musk filed a letter with the SEC offering to pay $44 billion for the social media platform. Twitter has confirmed it plans to close the deal at that price.

"We received the letter from the Musk parties which they have filed with the SEC," a Twitter spokesperson told Insider on Tuesday. "The intention of the Company is to close the transaction at $54.20 per share."

Representatives for Twitter did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the talks.

In a recent tweet, Musk claimed that the purchase will accelerate the creation of X, his long-discussed "everything app."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Elon Musk has doubled down on his pro-Putin tweets after US senator Lindsey Graham called the Tesla billionaires comments on the Ukraine invasion dumb on Twitter.

With all due respect to Elon Musk  and I do respect him  I would suggest he needs to understand the facts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mr Graham said in a Twitter thread on Wednesday.

Suggesting we end the Russian invasion by simply giving Russia parts of Ukraine  after all the suffering  is dumb. It is also an affront to the bravery of the Ukrainians fighting to defend their homeland, he added.

The senator also said that the signing of the Budapest Memorandum in 1994 had led to Ukraine giving up its nuclear weapons arsenal in exchange for protection of its territorial integrity.

Mr Graham said the agreement was signed by Russia and included protecting Crimea and the Donbas as part of Ukraine.

If you want peace in Ukraine  which we ALL do  simply demand Russian honour the boundaries they agreed to in 1994 and withdraw their forces, he added.

If Elon Musk and others want the world to continue to be in chaos, then by all means capitulate to Putin and reward his aggression.

Mr Musk responded to the senator and said some eastern portions preferred Russia and that the will of the people matters.

Assuming you believe that the will of the people matters, we should, in any given conflict region, support the will of those who live there, Mr Musk replied.

Most of Ukraine unequivocally wants to be part of Ukraine, but some eastern portions have Russian majorities and prefer Russia, he added.

Assuming you believe that the will of the people matters, we should, in any given conflict region, support the will of those who live there.



Most of Ukraine unequivocally wants to be part of Ukraine, but some eastern portions have Russian majorities and prefer Russia.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 6, 2022

The senator also wrote in his Twitter thread about revisiting the electric vehicle tax credit boondoggle.

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The billionaire tycoon replied back, saying Tesla hasnt had that consumer tax credit for years & we didnt ask for this one  GM & Ford did.

First of all, Tesla hasnt had that consumer tax credit for years & we didnt ask for this one  GM & Ford did  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 6, 2022

Mr Musks earlier Twitter poll on the Ukraine invasion angered president Volodymyr Zelensky, who called it insane.

He had earlier praised Mr Musks Starlink for its role in keeping Ukraine connected to the rest of the world.

The Tesla owner had, earlier in March, challenged Vladimir Putin to a fight for Ukraine.

I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to single combat, he tweeted, using the Russian alphabet to write Mr Putins name. Stakes are Ukraine, he continued, writing the countrys name in its own language.

In a follow-up tweet, Mr Musk then posted a whole message in Russian. Do you agree to this fight? he wrote, tagging the Kremlins official English language Twitter account.

Mr Musk then replied to another Twitter user who suggested that the Russian president would easily win any fight.
Lawyers for Elon Musk have officially asked to cancel the upcoming trial with Twitter, as the two sides attempt to negotiate a deal. In a new court filing, Musks lawyers asked the judge to call off the trial, which is currently scheduled to begin October 17th.

Earlier this week, Musks camp had proposed proceeding with the original deal, to buy Twitter at $54.20 a share, contingent on Musks financing going through and the adjournment of the trial. Twitter responded that it was also intent on closing the deal.

While that certainly seemed to put the two sides a lot closer to an agreement, it wasnt an immediate end to the litigation. The New York Times has since reported that Twitter does not want to call off the trial until a deal is finalized and the companys shareholders have been paid. There are likely other sticking points, too. Bloomberg reported Tuesday that Musk is also seeking to reserve his rights to file a fraud suit over his claims the platforms executives misled him and other investors about the number of spam and robot accounts.

In their latest filing, Musks lawyers confirm the disagreement over the trial, writing that Twitter is now endangering the deal. Twitter will not take yes for an answer, Musks lawyers write. Astonishingly, they have insisted on proceeding with this litigation, recklessly putting the deal at risk and gambling with their stockholders interests. Instead of allowing the parties to turn their focus to securing the Debt Financing necessary to consummate the transaction and preparing for a transition of the business, the parties will instead remain distracted by completing discovery and an unnecessary trial.

Notably, the filing comes on the same day Musk was scheduled to be deposed in the case. The deposition was delayed  for the second time. Musk's lawyers say they expect the deal could close "on or around October 28."

Update 6 PM ET: The judge in the case has stayed the trial until October 28th, the date Musk's lawyers said they expected to close. "If the transaction does not close by 5 p.m. on October 28, 2022, the parties are instructed to contact me by email that evening to obtain November 2022 trial dates," Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick wrote.
Elon Musk and Twitter

Musk this week revived his offer to buy Twitter, potentially avoiding a legal showdown with the company. Credit - Muhammed Selim KorkutataAnadolu Agency

Twitter could be about to get some major updates.

With Elon Musk in position to take over the social media platform after a surprise U-turn, a number of technical and operational changes could soon be coming. I have a ton of ideas, Musk texted Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal in April, right before he agreed to join the companys board. I just want Twitter to be maximum amazing.

Musk this week revived his offer to buy the company, and hopes to avoid a legal showdown with the company over the deal he had previously been trying to back out of. The Tesla CEO has publicly hinted at several ways he might transform the platform if the deal goes through, from loosening content moderation to restoring banned accounts and adding an edit feature. And a juicy set of text messages between Musk and his business associates, made public in a court filing last week, provide an even closer look into how he might monetize and overhaul the platform.

There are some hurdles to overcome before the deal can proceed. Twitter still has to accept Musks $44 billion takeover offer, and the parties are reportedly stuck on financing terms. After Musk requested that the litigation be dropped and Twitter objected, a Delaware Chancery judge ruled on Thursday that if the deal isnt done by 5 p.m. on Oct. 28, she would set new trial dates in November. But if the deal does go through, analysts warn that Musks focus on unmoderated free speech could present new challenges, which could have huge implications for the digital town square just weeks before the U.S. midterm elections.

No ones prepared for the kind of onslaught thats going to come, says Angelo Carusone, president and CEO of Media Matters, a non-profit media watchdog. We know the people hes been talking to and we see all the indicatorsthis is a real threat.

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Heres how Twitter could change under Musk.

Current leadership could be fired

The first move Musk makes is widely anticipated to be cleaning house, starting with Twitters chief executive, Agrawal, who took the helm at the company last year after co-founder Jack Dorsey stepped down. Text messages between Musk and his business associates reveal how frustrated he was with Agrawals leadership, even though the two had initially sought to work together.

Agrawal told Musk on April 9 that his habit of tweeting negative things like Is Twitter dying? was not helping me make Twitter better.

Read More: The Big Takeaways From Elon Musks Twitter Texts

What did you get done this week? Musk, who at the time was in discussions about joining Twitters board, replied. This is a waste of time, he added, saying instead he would make an offer to buy the company.

The complicated relationship between the two could result in Agrawal being fired on Musks first day of ownership, Carusone says, and likely replaced with one of Musks allies. Fixing Twitter by chatting with Parag wont work, Musk texted Twitter board chair Bret Taylor.

Musk has also expressed displeasure with other Twitter executives, tweeting a meme about the companys top lawyer Vijaya Gadde that cast her as an icon of Twitters left wing bias.

Donald Trump and other suspended accounts could be allowed back

Musk has said for months that his top priority would be to preserve free speech on Twitter and restore access to former President Donald Trump, who was permanently suspended last year after the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

I think Musk will restore his account immediately, Carusone says, the second that he gets the keys. But its unclear if Trump will ultimately come back to Twitter if hes invited since he launched his own social media platform, TRUTH Social, earlier this year.

Other suspended users could also be replatformed, analysts say, including right-wing voices that were barred for spreading conspiracy theories or hateful rhetoric. Musk previously told Agrawal via text message that he wanted to reverse all permanent Twitter bans except for spam accounts and those that explicitly advocate violence.

That means Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, whose personal Twitter account was suspended this year for repeatedly sharing misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, could be allowed back. It also means The Babylon Bee, a conservative satire site that lost Twitter access after it published a transphobic humor piece, could return.

Are you going to liberate Twitter from the censorship happy mob? Joe Rogan, the controversial podcast host, texted Musk the day his investment in Twitter became public, but before he made an offer to buy the company. Musk responded: I will provide advice, which they may or may not choose to follow. (Musks latest offer would take the company private).

Fewer guardrails against misinformation and extremism

Along with reversing the bans on several accounts, Musk could also undo some of Twitters policies designed to make the platform safer for vulnerable userstypically women, LGBTQ individuals and people of colorsuch as its ban on misgendering transgender people.

He has previously said that the platform would have more lenient content moderation policies under his leadership. If in doubt, let the speech exist, Musk said in an on-stage interview in April. If its a gray area, I would say, let the tweet exist. But obviously in the case where theres perhaps a lot of controversy, you would not necessarily want to promote that tweet.

Still, Twitters algorithm has in the past been found to amplify extreme political rhetoric or conspiracy theories in harmful ways by suggesting new accounts and content that users might be interested in. Those concerns could become even more prominent if there are fewer guardrails against misinformation and extremism.

Its going to dramatically scale the number of extremists that are on the platform, Carusone says. Not just by restoring accounts, but also by signaling to a whole bunch of other users that dont currently use the platform that its open season.

In one of the texts released last week and sent in April, Musk wrote to Michael Kives, head of an investment firm: Twitter is obviously not going to be turned into some right wing nuthouse. Aiming to be as broadly inclusive as possible.

A new edit button could be added

Musk has expressed interest in allowing users to edit their tweets, something many users had been requesting for years. Roughly 74% of his Twitter followers said they supported adding the edit feature, according to a poll he ran in March.

Among the cache of text messages released was one from Gayle King, co-host of CBS This Morning, who told Musk she supported the idea of an edit button.

Twitter began testing the edit button last month after originally pushing back on the notion, giving Twitter Blue members who pay for its subscription model in Canada, Australia and New Zealand early access.

Twitter said that the feature would come to U.S. subscribers soon, but Musk may expedite the process once in charge.

Currently, users with early access to the function can only edit their tweets up to five timesa way to prevent people from changing the original content of their tweets too often. But there are still concerns that the edit feature could be used with malicious intent to spread misinformation or harmful messages if users were to replace their popular tweets to messages with sinister sentiments.

Musk could try to remove spam bots and revamp Twitter Blue

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Musk is expected to take action on spam botsor fake accountson the platform, which he cited as his main reason for backing out of the original deal. Its unclear what he might have planned, but the idea of a blockchain-based future for Twitter, in which users have to pay a small fee to send messages, initially seemed appealing to Musk since bots wouldnt be able to get past the paywall. He later said this idea wouldnt work because the bandwidth and latency requirements cannot be supported by a peer to peer network.

If he did push through a plan to get rid of most bot accounts on Twitter, Musk himself would lose an estimated 13.5 million followers, according to a data analysis by Scottish digital skills academy CodeClan.

Musk has also been very critical of Twitter Blue, the companys subscription service that offers exclusive features like bookmark folders and ad-free articles for $4.99 a month. Jason Calacanis, an entrepreneur and one of Musks strategic advisors on Twitter, texted him that Twitter Blue is an insane piece of sh-t and these dipsh-ts spent a year on Twitter Blue to give people exactlyNothing they want!

He could create a new everything app called X

Musk said this week that he wants to create a new app called X after buying Twitter, which could be an all-in-one super app modeled after Chinas WeChatoften described as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Paypal rolled into one central portal.

Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app, he tweeted Tuesday, later adding that the acquisition could accelerate the apps creation by 3 to 5 years.

Its unclear what Musk is planning, but he has long expressed his desire for Twitter to emulate the success of WeChat by branching out to offer other features beyond tweets.

Read More: A Complete Timeline of Elon Musks Business Endeavors

I think an important goal for Twitter would be to try to include as much of the country, as much of the world, as possible, the billionaire businessman said at a town hall with Twitter employees in June. You basically live on WeChat in China because its so usable and helpful to daily life, and I think if we can achieve that, or even get close to that at Twitter, it would be an immense success.

Musk already has some experience with payments platforms, which could help with creating a super app with that function. He co-founded PayPalwhich he had previously called X.comone of the early online payment platforms that has grown to become globally popular.

Employees might leave

Musks very public criticism of Twitter and its leaders, combined with his backing out of the deal, has created a significant erosion of trust, says Robert McCann, an adjunct professor at UCLAs Anderson School of Management. At Twitter, its hit employee morale significantly, spooked advertisers and I think the deeper issue is that it has created a sense of confusion, he told TIME in July. Some employees may choose to leave once Musk takes over, and some have already headed for the exit, according to an Insider report. Morale at the company was low after Musk renewed his offer to buy the company earlier this week, according to a report from Platformer.

Read More: Whether or Not He Buys Twitter, Elon Musk Has Thrown the Company Into Turmoil

With Musk promising to oversee a number of technical and operational changes at Twitter, questions about his onerous schedule and leadership style could also impact what hes able to accomplish. Running just one company is enough to overwhelm even the most skilled Fortune 500 CEOs, but Musk already oversees the day-to-day management of at least four organizationsTesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and The Boring Company.

Theres a reason that in a universe of incredibly talented, highly ambitious individuals who are CEOs of companies, hardly any of them try to lead more than one at a time, Eric Pliner, CEO of management consulting firm YSC Consulting and author of Difficult Decisions, told TIME in July. Leadership of any enterprise requires focus. It requires clarity of purpose, and it requires the ability to lead other people. For one person to attempt to spread his attention across so many different enterprises is challenging at best and impossible in some circumstances.
A Grab motorcycle rider checks his mobile phone in Bangkok, Thailand

I'm stuck at home taking care of a sick child, when a familiar feeling suddenly hits - a craving for durian.

But there's no need to head out to a durian stall or supermarket to buy the tropical fruit, lug it home, and wrestle open its spiky husk.

I just whip out my phone, open an app called Grab, and make a few taps.

Forty-five minutes later, there's a knock on my door. A deliveryman hands over a bag: it's my durian, freshly shucked and sealed in plastic tubs, ready to eat.

From ordering cabs and food, to paying our bills and booking holidays, super-apps like Grab offer a mindboggling array of services. They don't exist yet in the West - Elon Musk is thinking of creating one called X - but in many parts of Asia they've already been a vital part of our everyday lives for the past few years.

In Singapore, you can now buy durian on an app and have it delivered to your home

I mostly use Grab to get a ride home after a night out, or order Thai takeaway when I haven't got the energy to cook dinner for the family.

But many in Singapore also use it to send parcels and documents, or shop online - one colleague just purchased a home karaoke set.

Other extensions allow you to book bus and ferry tickets, make hotel reservations, and even arrange for someone to come to your home and do a professional Covid swab test.

These can be paid for through the app's finance system. There's an e-wallet linked to your bank account or credit card, or you can set up instalment plans, or pay with points which you earn with every activity done through the app.

It can also be used for cashless payments - you pay for items at a shop by scanning a QR code with the app, or you can get a physical card linked to your account.

You can get a physical Grab card linked to your account

But Grab is not the only player in town.

There are super-apps aplenty from Indonesia's GoJek to India's PayTM and they allow you to do even more, such as book a manicure, order fuel for your motorbike, pay your traffic fine and purchase gold.

They have caught on in a region of digital natives - in South East Asia alone, about three-quarters of our population use the internet, and of that group, 88% own a smartphone.

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Then, there's China's WeChat - the original Asian super-app said to be the inspiration for Mr Musk's X.

It's a messaging and social media platform that's evolved into one of the region's biggest apps in terms of its range of services and number of users. At last count it's estimated to have 1.29 billion users in China alone.

WeChat is also one of China's biggest payment networks, with consumers using it to pay for goods and services and to send money to each other.

Some research suggests that a Chinese user spends as much as a third of their waking life on WeChat alone.

Much has been written about how its ubiquity in Chinese everyday life, operating in a society tightly controlled by the government has seen WeChat become a tool of surveillance and censorship.

Messages, posts and even accounts are routinely blocked for content deemed politically sensitive, and there are concerns of how it could contribute to the various controversial "social credit" schemes in China, where citizens' lives can be restricted based on their bank credit scores or social behaviour.

In China, even vegetable markets use WeChat as a payment system

In 2020, WeChat introduced its own scoring system where users get extra privileges if they have good in-app credit records.

The example of WeChat highlights the main concern about super-apps - with everyone doing practically everything on just a few platforms, these apps end up collecting a vast trove of data on people, and could wield some power over our daily lives.

How such data is treated and to what extent governments should have access to it will be part of the debate in societies where privacy is particularly prized. Mr Musk's X super-app - if it does come to fruition - may be seen by some with suspicion as a double-edged Swiss Army knife.

For others though, the convenience and simplicity of living life on one app is an easy trade-off to make. There's always the option of scaling back their use, for those with deep concerns about privacy.

And in open markets, specialty apps will continue to vie for users' attention, reducing the likelihood of most of the data ending up in the hands of just one or two companies - one reason for WeChat's dominance in China is because some apps like Twitter and WhatsApp are blocked there.

Here in Singapore, I don't do everything on Grab. It's not because I distrust it, but I prefer using specialty apps to do other things like grocery shopping and buying clothes as they're just better at it.

So I'm fine with Grab humming away in the recesses of my phone because it doesn't know everything about me, just some things - like the fact that I love delivery durian.
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. Horgan says the New Democrat government's crime-fighting agenda involves more than increasing arrests of alleged violent offenders. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

B.C. Premier John Horgan says the New Democrat government's crime-fighting agenda involves more than increasing arrests of alleged violent offenders.

Horgan says he agrees with Attorney General Murray Rankin who told the legislature on Tuesday that a focus on more arrests of prolific offenders to curb crime would be "futile."

Those remarks came under criticism from Opposition BC Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon, who called on the government drop a "catch and release" approach toward repeat violent offenders, saying people in B.C. were living in fear of going outside in their own communities.

But Horgan accused the Liberals of engaging in a "bumper sticker" approach to the issue.

He cited remarks by newly elected Liberal MLA Elenore Sturko, a former RCMP officer, who told a campaign event that police "cannot arrest our way out of these problems."

Horgan says his government is approaching crime in a "multi-faceted way," with reform of the Police Act, reviewing the prosecution service, and increasing budgets for courts, mental health and addictions programs.
Elon Musk and Talulah Riley attend The Huffington Post pre-inaugural ball at the Newseum on January 19, 2009 in Washington, DC. Paul Morigi/WireImage/Getty Images

Recently revealed texts from Elon Musk included conversations with a contact 'TJ.'

The texts were from Elon Musk's ex-wife, Talulah Jane Riley, Bloomberg reported.

In the weeks before his Twitter offer, she called on Musk to "fight woke-ism'' at the company.

Elon Musk's ex-wife Talulah Riley texted the billionaire about his Twitter acquisition weeks before he announced his plans to buy the company, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Riley, who's middle name is Jane, is the mysterious "TJ" that texted Musk, asking him to "buy Twitter and make it radically free speech," the publication said, citing sources familiar with the issue. The texts were released as a part of the pretrial discovery process in Twitter's lawsuit against Musk. They are some of hundreds of messages between Musk and top names in media and finance, including Larry Ellison, Marc Benioff, and Joe Rogan.

A spokesperson for Riley did not respond to a request for comment from Insider ahead of publication.

"Can you buy Twitter and then delete it, please!? xx" Riley allegedly texted Musk on March 24. "America is going INSANE."

At the time, Musk had become the largest shareholder of Twitter and had been invited to join its board of directors. It wasn't until April 14 that the billionaire offered to purchase the social media company.

In the texts, "TJ" called social media the "scourge of modern life" and dubbed Twitter "worst of all."

"It's very easy to exploit and is being used by radicals for social engineering on a massive scale. And this shit is infecting the world," the text to Musk reads. "Please do do something to fight woke-ism. I will do anything to help!"

"Absolutely," Musk responded. "What we have right now is hidden corruption!"

The messages that are allegedly from Riley went on to criticize Twitter for suspending the conservative satirical site The Babylon Bee, calling it "crazy" and "stupidity."

"Raiyah and I were talking about it today," Musk's contact texted. "It was a fucking joke. Why has everyone become so puritanical?" Bloomberg reported that Riley's Raiyah is a reference to Raiyah Bint Al-Hussein, the Princess of Jordan.

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The Babylon Bee was suspended for 12 hours on March 21 after it mocked transgender government official Rachel Levine by awarding her the title of "Man of the Year." At the time, Musk polled his followers about free speech. The billionaire sat down for an interview with the satirical site in December.

"Maybe buy it and change it to properly support free speech xx," Musk texted back.

Riley is a British actress, who is most recognized for minor roles in "Westworld" and "Inception," as well as for playing Mary Bennet in the 2005 adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice." The actress married Musk twice, but most recently divorced him in 2016.

On Monday, Musk made a U-turn on his decision to abandon his Twitter purchase, but the social media company has yet to accept the offer. On Wednesday, the judge presiding over the case said in a court filing that the case will continue in the meantime.

Read the original article on Business Insider
STORY: In a bare kitchen, Umm Zakaria al-Sharaabi prepares for a daily challenge: creating a meal out of virtually nothing to feed the 18 people in her extended family.

Today, we have yet to make lunch. We dont have lunch. Everyday is like this. This is our kitchen, its empty. We have nothing in the kitchen, we have nothing. The kitchen is empty.

Eight years of conflict have devastated the economy and left millions of people across Yemen struggling to feed themselves.

A now-expired truce agreed in April offered some respite, but the United Nations says the number of families who lack adequate food has continued to grow since then.

Sanaa resident Umm Hani al-Sharaabi knows this too well

Nowadays, I swear, we cant afford flour, look at the kitchen and everywhere. Even flour, simply flour, we dont have. And we dont have rice. We are waiting for what God bestows. We will look for anything to prepare. I wont say we dont have anything. We have a little bread Ive just brought from the bakery. We will eat it with tomato sauce or anything available.

The Sharaabi household's struggles are shared across Yemen, both in the main populated areas like Sanaa controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthis, and the rest of the country held by forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition.

Both sides have come under international pressure to reach a peace deal.

The United Nations says about half of Yemen's population is experiencing what it calls acute food insecurity, where shortages put people's lives or livelihoods in immediate danger.

The World Food Programme, which is running the largest operation it has ever undertaken anywhere in Yemen, says aid from donor states meets only half of the country's needs.

Nabil al-Qadasi works for a Houthi-run humanitarian relief agency.

"The school feeding and humanitarian relief project has been facing many difficulties in distributing food aid. The biggest challenge to the distribution of this aid was the inadequacy of aid compared to the number of those in need who continue to increase on a daily basis, especially amid war in the country."

Families like the Sharaabis have battled on. Those who could, sold assets or family heirlooms, even parcels of land. Others have been supported by neighbors or relatives overseas.
By Khaled Abdullah and Abdulrahman al-Anisi

SANAA (Reuters) - In a bare kitchen in her house in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, Umm Zakaria al-Sharaabi prepares for a daily challenge - creating a meal out of virtually nothing to feed the 18 people in her extended family.

"Today we have yet to make lunch," she says, gesturing at an empty stove. In the corner, a bag of bread and a few containers of spices are the only scraps of food to hand. "Every day is like this... We have nothing in the kitchen, we have nothing."

Eight years of conflict, which started when Houthi rebels seized Sanaa and then expanded as a Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes against them, have devastated the economy and left millions of people across Yemen struggling to feed themselves.

A truce agreed in April offered some respite but the United Nations says the number of families who lack adequate food has continued to grow since then. The truce expired on Monday without agreement on another extension.

Umm Zakaria's mother-in-law Umm Hani, who shares their home in central Sanaa, says before the war they lived modestly but well on her husband's salary from his job at the education ministry and money she earned as a maid.

"Our situation was okay. I used to work for a family continuously and my son... worked and his brother too."

"Nowadays, I swear, we can't afford flour," Umm Hani says. "Look at the kitchen and everywhere. Even flour, simply flour, we don't have it. And we don't have rice..."

"We have a little bread I've just brought from the bakery. We'll eat it with tomato sauce or anything available."

The Sharaabi household's struggles are shared across Yemen, both in the main populated areas like Sanaa controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthis, and the rest of the country held by forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition. Both sides have come under international pressure to reach a peace deal.

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The United Nations says 19 million people - or 60% of the population - are experiencing what it calls acute food insecurity, where shortages put people's lives or livelihoods in immediate danger.

Aid from donor states meets only half of the country's need, according to World Food Programme (WFP) which is running the largest operation in Yemen it has ever undertaken anywhere, supplying flour, pulses, oil, sugar and vouchers for food.

Families like the Sharaabis have battled on. Those who could, sold assets or family heirlooms, even parcels of land. Others have been supported by neighbours or relatives overseas.

"The Yemen people's coping capacity in this time of conflict is enormous," WFP's Yemen representative Richard Ragan said. "(They are) doing all the coping things that someone does in a time of crisis. But it's not easy. I think many people in the country are at a breaking point."

Although the truce reduced the violence, Ragan said WFP was still building stockpiles and tackling the impact of fuel shortages. "When you are feeding almost 20 million people on a regular basis, it's very hard to turn that on and off," he said.

In the second half of the year, the number of people whose food insecurity was deemed an emergency has risen by a quarter to 7.14 million while those "in catastrophe" rose five-fold to 161,000, according to UN estimates.

"The biggest challenge ... is that the inadequacy of the aid compared to the number of those in need continues to increase daily," said Nabil al-Qadasi of the Houthi-run School Feeding and Humanitarian Relief Project, which delivers food to 3 million people in 12 of Yemen's 21 provinces.

In Sanaa's northern district of Geraf, Amal Hasan and her husband and three children live in a small single room where they moved after their previous rent became too high.

Hasan travels to work as a maid in another part of the capital, spending most of her income on transport and saving just 1,000 to 2,000 riyals ($1.7 to $3.4) each time.

She is looking for a home with affordable rent, but says her day is dominated instead by worry about feeding her family.

"When they finish breakfast I start thinking of where to get them lunch. After that, I worry about dinner. I had never had the chance to think about how to build their future or educate them because we could barely manage to think of their food."

(Additional reporting by Adel al Khader; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
BRUSSELS (AP)  EU lawmakers on Thursday condemned the crackdown on media freedom in military-ruled Myanmar and called for the release of every unfairly detained journalist."

Since the military seized power in February last year, it has forced at least 12 media outlets to shut down and arrested about 142 journalists, 57 of whom remain detained. Most of those still detained are being held under an incitement charge for allegedly causing fear, spreading false news or agitating against a government employee.

In its resolution adopted by show of hands, the EU Parliament cited the cases of BBC freelance producer Htet Htet Khine; Sithu Aung Myint, a Frontier Myanmar columnist and contributor to Voice of America; and freelancer Nyein Nyein Aye.

Strongly condemning the military juntas violent and illegitimate rule in Myanmar, MEPs urge it to drop all politically motivated charges against the members of the press and media workers, and unconditionally release every unfairly detained journalist," the EU Parliament said.

They also call on the junta to immediately end its abuses, including arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, sexual violence and other ill-treatment, as well as unfair trials against people working in the media."

According to Reporters Without Borders, Nyein Nyein Aye was sentenced in July to three years in prison with hard labor on charges of causing fear, spreading false news and agitating crimes against a government employee.

Htet Htet Khine was sentenced on Sept. 15 to three years hard labor. On Sept. 27, a court sentenced her to a further three years, with a reduction for time served. She has been in detention since August 2021.

We remain concerned for her safety and wellbeing in detention, and call for the release of Htet Htet Khine and other media workers who have been unjustly detained in Myanmar," said BBC Media Action Chief Executive Officer Caroline Nursey.

Sithu Aung Myint was arrested in August 2021 along with Htet Htet Khine.

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Some of the closed media outlets have continued operating without a license, publishing online as their staff members dodge arrest. Others operate from exile.

The armys takeover led to mass public protests that the military and police responded to with lethal force, triggering armed resistance and escalating violence that have led to what some U.N. experts characterize as a civil war.

According to detailed lists by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a watchdog group based in Thailand, 2,336 civilians have died in the military governments crackdown on opponents and at least 15,757 people have been arrested.

EU lawmakers also called for restoration of the civilian government and the unconditional release" of Myanmars former president, Win Myint, and former leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
(Bloomberg) -- European Union member states are poised to give Hungary two extra months to comply with demands to rein in corruption and fraud before deciding if the bloc should withhold access to billions of euros in funding.

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EU justice ministers may agree to the extension at an Oct. 13 meeting, according to a person familiar with the deliberations. An overwhelming majority of EU members are in favor of giving Hungary more time.

Last month, the European Commission proposed suspending access to 7.5 billion euros ($7.4 billion) of Hungarys EU funding due to graft concerns, an unprecedented step against a member state. Another 5.8 billion euros in pandemic-recovery funds is also pending approval.

EU finance ministers have one month to decide, until Oct. 19, any funding freeze but they have the option to extend the deadline by as much as two months, which is what theyll likely do, according to the person, who asked not to be identified becuase the discussions are private.

A qualified majority of member states is required for the commission proposal to take effect.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbans government was pushing for the delay to allow itself time to push through parliament 17 pieces of legislation it had agreed to in talks with the commission, including cutting the number of single-bid tenders and stepping up corruption investigations.

This week lawmakers in Budapest passed five of those measures, though Orban unexpectedly asked for a constitutional review of a key law that would create a mechanism to overrule police or prosecutorial decisions on dropping suspected graft cases involving public funds.

Story continues

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Leaders from Ukraine, Britain and Turkey joined their EU counterparts on Thursday for an inaugural summit of the "European Political Community" aimed at bringing the continent together in the face of Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

The gathering in Prague -- a brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron -- has been billed by Brussels as a "platform for political coordination" for the 44 nations attending.

But there are deep disagreements -- and even open conflict -- among some of the participants and scepticism that the one-day event will only be a photo opportunity.

Those meeting in the historic Prague Castle also include the leaders of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland.

"It sends first of all a message of unity," Macron said as he arrived for the summit.

"The objective is first of all to share a common reading of the situation affecting our Europe and also to build a common strategy."

Russia, which is not invited, will loom over the meeting as discussions focus on the economic and security turmoil from its invasion of its pro-Western neighbour.

"If you just look at the attendance here, you see the importance," said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

"The whole European continent is here, except two countries, Belarus and Russia. So it shows how isolated those two countries are."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky -- currently overseeing a counter-offensive against Moscow's forces -- was connecting via video link from Kyiv. His prime minister Denis Shmyhal was standing in for him in Prague.

"Europe is facing its biggest crisis since the Second World War with unity and resolve," British Prime Minister Liz Truss tweeted.

"We must continue to stand firm to ensure that Ukraine wins this war, dealing with the strategic challenges that it has exposed."

Despite the rhetoric there are expected to be few concrete results from the summit.

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France said it hopes to define potential room for cooperation among the leaders on protecting critical European infrastructure such as pipelines, cybersecurity and energy supplies.

EU officials expect to agree to hold a follow-up gathering of the community in six months in a country outside the bloc, with Britain and Moldova both offering to host.

While there are major questions over the usefulness of the enterprise, there will be a lot of activity on the sidelines as leaders hold bilateral talks.

- 'Talking shop' -

The gathering at least passed its first hurdle of convincing key European powers outside the EU to show up.

Truss, a fierce supporter of Britain's independent path since Brexit, came on one of her first major trips abroad after taking office.

London was wary about the event being dominated by the European Union and reportedly wanted to change the name from "community" to "forum".

Truss may be hoping for a respite from her woes at home after unleashing turmoil on Britain's economy. But she could face a tricky ride from EU counterparts over UK efforts to renegotiate the post-Brexit trade deal for Northern Ireland.

"I welcome the opportunity to work with leaders from across the continent in this new forum," Truss wrote in the Times newspaper.

"But this must not cut across the G7 and NATO, and it must not be a talking shop."

The presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had been a sore point for some.

EU members Greece and Cyprus have long-standing disputes with Ankara and the unpredictable Turkish leader is proving a headache for Sweden and Finland as a threat to their bids to join NATO.

Even more fraught could be the attendance of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, whose troops continue bloody clashes along their volatile frontier.

Armenia's prime minister has said he will meet Azerbaijan's president together with Macron and EU chief Charles Michel in Prague.

Those pushing to join the EU -- Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and the Western Balkan nations -- have welcomed the initiative, but are on their guard about it being an alternative to membership.

"Please don't treat European political community as a substitute," said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.

del/rmb/imm/it/frj/ach
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday there was nothing worth discussing with Greece at the moment and, at the inaugural meeting of the European Political Community, he accused Athens of basing its policies on "lies."

"They are not where they are supposed to be," Erdogan told a press conference in Prague. "Their entire policy is based on lies, they are not honest. We have nothing to discuss with Greece."

Erdogan said Athens understood Ankara's message when Turkish officials have said "we may suddenly arrive one night" - a comment that Greek and some other Western officials have condemned as a threat to a neighbouring state.

(Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Jonathan Spicer)
Soprano Patricia Petibon with pianist Susan Manoff

Patricia Petibon and Wonsick Oh, Oxford Lieder Festival 

Song is the eternal bedrock of music the world over, but in classical music one gets the sense that while orchestral and chamber-sized concerts are holding their own, song is hanging on by its fingernails. Its not hard to see why. The spectacle of a tenor in full evening dress singing about a lovesick nightingale or the agonies of a jilted farmhand seems hopelessly antiquated.

But that scenario can seem real in a great performance, and besides not all classical song is so remote. The excellent and indispensable Oxford Lieder Festival refuses to accept that classical song is a lost cause. Apart from its unfortunately hoity-toity name, borrowed from the German word for art-song  why not just Oxford Song Festival?  the festival brilliantly achieves its goal of making classical song feel exciting and even fun. They promote young artists, experiment with the song-concert format, explore unknown areas of this vast musical territory, and blur the divide between art and popular song.

All these virtues were on display at Sunday nights song concert in Europes oldest purpose-built concert hall, the Holywell Music Room  though the 30-minute Emerging Artist showcase which opening the evening reverted to an old-style seriousness. That was it should be, because the songs chosen by Korean bass Wonsick Oh were all sad or even tragic.

He has a voice of rich, unforced gravity, exactly right for Tchaikovskys famous None but the Lonely Heart, Rachmaninovs luxuriantly sad Oh do not sing for me, fair maiden and also two sad Korean songs, in which Oh and pianist Aron Goldin didnt stint on the heartbreak. Oh has dignity and gravity to spare  if he can find a more nuanced stage presence and flexibility of tone, he could be really something.

In those respects, he could really learn from the evenings star turn, the French soprano Patricia Petibon. She might just be the most gifted showman of any classical singer alive. Over a 75-minute recital of breathless changeableness and surprise, she howled into the piano, danced with a stuffed fish, duetted with a stuffed parrot, and finally  in a performance of Leonard Bernsteins witty setting of French recipes La Bonne Cuisine  donned a cooks apron and became a surreally manic chef, tossing kitchen utensils around the stage as she shrieked Bernsteins comically manic songs.

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For entertainment value, Petibon and her equally histrionic pianist Susan Manoff scored highly. For artistic value, I wouldnt say nuls points, but it was a disappointing evening, especially as here and there both showed themselves to be real artists. Petibon found a lovely joyousness in Canteloubes dialect song Shepherdess if you love me, and as with all the songs she danced and mimed the feelings as much as she sang them. In Reynaldo Hahns song about a pretty grape-presser felled by a mystery illness, Petibon caught exactly the songs sudden change to hollow desperation, as the pretty maenad with an angels eyes develops a sickly pallor and fades away.

There was a nicely wry comedy in the Spanish songs, especially Turinas Your Eyes are Blue. But the fidgety back-and-forth between comedy and heartbreak, and Petibons tendency to sometimes sing flat (and to over-egg the pudding  a good comic song doesnt need a clowns nose) meant the evening wasnt the unalloyed pleasure it could have been. IH

The Oxford Lieder Festival continues until Oct 29; oxfordlieder.co.uk

Nash Ensemble, Wigmore Hall 

Mountainous, baggy-trousered, folk-song-loving conservative: Ralph Vaughan Williams with his second wife, Ursula, in the 1950s - From the collection of Ursula Vaughan Williams

The music of Vaughan Williams has been like healing balm these past years, rising serenely above culture wars and political turmoil, offering a vision of an English nation that is suspicious of ideology and triumphalism, rumbustiously humorous and quietly visionary, all at once.

We were immersed in that vision last night at the Wigmore Hall, in a tribute to VW performed just four days after his 150th anniversary by Britains most venerable small-scale group, the Nash Ensemble. And it was a generous affair, with 25 musicians and a feast of music that lasted almost three-and-a-half hours. (One could argue that it was too generous; the curators should have taken their courage in both hands, programmed only VW, and omitted the accompanying bits and bobs of Elgar, Bax and Bridge).

Not everything we heard confirmed the familiar image of the mountainous, baggy-trousered, folk-song-loving conservative. The very first piece, the Nocturne and Scherzo from 1906 offered a very different VW, thoroughly immersed in the heated, late-romanticism emanating from The Continent. The side-slipping harmonies and sensuous undulations of the Nocturne rivalled Schoenberg for over-heated emotionalism, and they were performed with sultry, sighing intimacy by the Nashs string players.

It seems po-faced to speak of lessons in connection with a concert as heart-warming and radiant as this. Nevertheless there was a lesson in the Phantasy Quintet that came later and above all in the 6 Studies in English Folksong for cello and piano. To find his inimitable musical voice VW had to renounce the amazingly fluent, perfectly formed romanticism of that early work and find a new folk-based simplicity that can seem austere and even a bit awkward. It took the perfect focus and sensitivity of Adrian Brendel and Philip Moore to reveal the quiet but burning glow of these little pieces.

Elsewhere we were reminded that VW could be startlingly original, as in the bell sounds heard as if from afar in the fifth song of On Wenlock Edge, performed with moving intensity by tenor Alessandro Fisher. But the moment that raised the evening to the sublime was baritone Roderick Williamss performance of the Five Mystical Songs, above all the third, Love Bade me Welcome. The little drama of the timid Christian soul persuaded to accept Loves blessing took on a tender radiance that melted us all, before the assembled 25 musicians gave a full-throated performance of the still more radiant Serenade to Music. It was a wonderful ending to an evening which evoked the whole man, in all his rounded humanity. IH

Isata Kanneh-Mason, Barbican Hall 

Isata Kanneh-Mason - Robin Clewley

Isata Kanneh-Mason, the eldest of the seven extraordinarily gifted Kanneh-Mason siblings dubbed the worlds most musical family, may not be quite as famous as her younger cello-playing brother Sheku. But the British pianists career is pretty spectacular, with an impressive international concert diary and a recording contract with the venerable Decca label.

None of this has gone to her head. She shares with Sheku a pleasing modesty and straightforwardness, and a playing style that is elegant, beautifully modulated, and never draws attention to itself with striking interpretative moves or arresting gestures. On Monday night, she played a programme of pieces inspired by childhood, which on the face of it might seem an easy option. In fact, music that evokes childhood is far from simple, because after all its composed by an adult, who might look on childhood with very un-childlike feelings such as ironic tenderness, humour or nostalgia.

We reached those areas of feeling, eventually, but first Kanneh-Mason played Mozarts variations on the nursery rhyme known in this country as Twinkle twinkle. She despatched it with wide-eyed grace, though she could have been more expressive when the music turned briefly serious and minor-key.

With the Easter sonata by Fanny Mendelssohn, sister of Felix, Kanneh-Mason seemed to come to life. She made the sonatas portrayal of the Easter story vividly alive, with furious left-hand thundering for the earthquake that followed Christs death, and a beautifully radiant hymn to end.

Then we arrived at the first of those complicated childish pieces, Debussys Childrens Corner. It started disappointingly, with a rendition of Debussys witty evocation of childish piano exercises that was too slick and fast (moderately animated is what Debussy wanted). But the later movements were more varied emotionally. The Snow is Dancing had a lovely muffled mystery, and the final Cakewalk was appropriately tongue-in-cheek.

After the interval, we had the much more cosy, nostalgic and occasionally rumbustious Schumanns Scenes from Childhood, qualities thaht Kanneh-Mason caught but in a way that was fleeting and understated. I wanted her to linger on the nostalgia a little more, and be more unbuttoned in the rumbustious moments. Interestingly, the most unbuttoned performance came in the piece that stood aside from overall mood of innocence. Cwicseolfor (Quicksilver), an evocation of mercurys shimmering glitter by Jamaican composer Eleanor Alberga, was flung off by Kanneh-Mason with startling wildness. It proved theres real fire lurking under that smiling humility. IH

Isata Kanneh-Masons most recent album Summertime is released on Decca

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/Kirill Karabits, Lighthouse, Poole 

The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, under Kirill Karabits

In the context of the vast suffering of the war in Ukraine, the displacement to Poole in Dorset of the world premiere of a long-lost Ukrainian cello concerto, which should have taken place in war-torn Kharkiv, might seem very small beer. But it demonstrates how the struggle for Ukrainian survival is now being fought in the cultural sphere too, as Putin sets about destroying Ukrainian identity.

So, this premiere of a concerto composed exactly 100 years ago by little-known Ukrainian composer Feodor Akimenko didnt feel at all small. It felt like a triumph, for the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the cellist Victor Julien-Laferriere who performed it, and above all the orchestras Ukrainian Chief Conductor Kirill Karabits, who rescued the piece from oblivion.

Karabits is on mission to unearth forgotten music by Ukrainian, Russian and other eastern-European composers, and recently discovered Akimenkos piece slumbering in a Parisian library. Wednesday nights performance of the concerto was the first ever, and two of the violinists who were due to perform in the Kharkiv premiere travelled all the way to Poole to join the BSO.

It was a shrewd move to preface Akimenkos concerto with the brilliant bouquet of orchestral fireworks that is Stravinskys Scherzo Fantastique. Stravinsky was briefly a composition student of Akimenkos, and though the older mans concerto had none of the younger mans brilliance, there was certainly a family resemblance between the pieces.

There was a similar feeling of exotic magic in the harmony, and in the slow lyrical passages you could detect a distinctly Wagnerian sultriness. But Akimenkos piece was much more solid and serious, and the Wagnerian element much more prominent. Julien-Laferrieres performance of the very virtuoso part was beyond praise, and he and the orchestra and Karabits brought out the special flavour of the concerto, poised intriguingly between Germanic romanticism and Russian exoticism. We must hope this team play the piece again soon, before the memory of that flavour fades.

After the interval, the orchestra (still with the Ukrainian violinists) gave a performance of Mahlers Fifth Symphony that traced the journey from funereal blackness to joy and sunlight with total conviction (all praise to horn player Alexander Wide, stentorian and subtle by turns). But though it was the uproarious ending of Mahlers symphony that brought everyone to their feet, it was the experience of that subtle, moving concerto and all it symbolised of defiance and survival that made the evening special. IH

Listen to this concert for 30 days at bsolive.com
Oct. 6Eastern Washington University students reported multiple sexual assault and misconduct incidents on campus in the first few weeks of the fall quarter, prompting police to send a campuswide email on the issue.

Since students moved into residence halls on Sept. 15, the EWU Police Department has responded to three reports of sexual assault and two instances of sexual misconduct, said Chief Jewell Day.

All the incidents took place in campus housing, he said. Police continue to investigate some of the cases, but in others the victim did not want to press charges, he said. No one has been arrested in connection to the assaults. Each assault was an isolated incident, Day said.

The number of reports in such a short period prompted Day to send the campuswide email last week that included resources for victims and safety tips.

"While circumstances around sexual misconduct can vary, it is important to emphasize that acts of sexual violence are never the victim's fault," the email read. "The blame lies solely with the perpetrator."

Police encouraged students to lock their residence hall rooms, not accept drinks from strangers, consume alcohol responsibly, be responsive bystanders and call for help if needed.

"We have a zero tolerance for that type of behavior here on campus," Day said.

While some of the victims in the recent assaults elected not to pursue charges, their report triggers a student conduct investigation, which could result in campus discipline.

By sharing resources, Day hoped to empower victims and remind students they get to set boundaries and be vocal when someone crosses the line.

"It's a power issue, right, so we want to do everything we can to put the power back in the hands of the victim," Day said.

The full email sent to the EWU campus, including resources is available on the university's website.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes told a member of the extremist group before the 2020 election that he had a contact in the Secret Service, a witness testified Thursday in Rhodes' Capitol riot trial.

John Zimmerman, who was part of the North Carolina chapter, told jurors that Rhodes claimed to have a Secret Service agent's number and to have spoken with the agent about the logistics of a September 2020 rally that then-President Donald Trump held in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The claim came on the third day of testimony in the case against Rhodes and four others charged with seditious conspiracy for what authorities have described as a detailed, drawn-out plot to stop the transfer of power from Trump to Democrat Joe Biden, who won the election.

Zimmerman could not say for sure that Rhodes was speaking to someone with the Secret Service  only that Rhodes told him he was  and it was not clear what they were discussing. Zimmerman said Rhodes wanted to find out the parameters that the Oath Keepers could operate under during the election-year rally.

The significance of the detail in the government's case is unclear. Rhodes, from Granbury, Texas, and and the others are accused of spending weeks plotting to use violence in a desperate campaign to keep Trump in the White House.

Trump's potential ties to extremist groups have been a focus of the House committee investigating the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Another Oath Keeper expected to testify against Rhodes has claimed that after the riot, Rhodes phoned someone seemingly close to Trump and made a request: tell Trump to call on militia groups to fight to keep him in power. Authorities have not identified that person; Rhodes' lawyer says the call never happened.

A Secret Service spokesperson said the agency is aware that individuals from the Oath Keepers have contacted us in the past to make inquiries. The agency said that when creating a security plan for events, it is not uncommon for various organizations to contact us concerning security restrictions and activities that are permissible in proximity to our protected sites.

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The others on trial are Thomas Caldwell of Berryville, Virginia; Kenneth Harrelson of Titusville, Florida; Jessica Watkins of Woodstock, Ohio; and Kelly Meggs of Dunnellon, Florida. The trial is expected to last several weeks.

Authorities say the Oath Keepers organized paramilitary training and stashed weapons with quick reaction force teams at a Virginia hotel in case they were needed before members stormed the Capitol alongside hundreds of other Trump supporters.

Jurors also heard testimony from a man who secretly recorded a Nov. 9, 2020, conference call held by Rhodes in which the leader rallied his followers to prepare for violence and go to Washington.

The man, Abdullah Rasheed, said he began recording the call with hundreds of Oath Keepers members because Rhodes' rhetoric made it sound like "we were going to war with the United States government.

Rasheed said he tried to get in touch with authorities, including the U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI, about the call but that no one called him back until after it all happened. An FBI agent has testified that the bureau received a tip about the call in November 2020, and when asked if the FBI ever conducted an interview, he said not to my knowledge." The man contacted the FBI again in March 2021, was interviewed and gave authorities the recording of the call.

Rhodes' lawyers have said the Oath Keepers leader will testify that his actions leading up to Jan. 6 were in preparation for orders he believed were coming from Trump, but never did. Rhodes has said he believed Trump was going to invoke the Insurrection Act and call up a militia to support his bid to hold power.

The defense says the Oath Keepers often set up quick reaction forces for events but they were only to be used to protect against violence from antifa activists or in the event Trump invoked the Insurrection Act.

Zimmerman, the former Oath Keeper from North Carolina, described getting a quick reaction force ready for the Million MAGA March in Washington on Nov. 14, 2020, in case Trump invoked the Insurrection Act. Thousands of Trump supporters that day gathered at Freedom Plaza along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington to rally behind Trumps false election claims.

Zimmerman told jurors that the Oath Keepers stashed at least a dozen rifles and several handguns in his van parked at Arlington National Cemetery to serve as the quick reaction force. He said they never took the guns into Washington.

Zimmerman wasnt in the city on Jan. 6 because he was recovering from the coronavirus and he said that after the Nov. 14 event, the North Carolina Oath Keepers split from Rhodes. Zimmerman said the split came over Rhodes' suggestion that the Oath Keepers wear disguises to entice antifa activists to attack them so the Oath Keepers could give them a beat down.

Zimmerman said Rhodes suggested dressing up as older people or mothers pushing strollers and putting weapons in the stroller.

I told him 'No, that's not what we do,' Zimmerman said. That's entrapment. That's illegal.

In a separate case on Thursday, Jeremy Joseph Bertino of North Carolina became the first member of the Proud Boys extremist group to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6 attack. Three Oath Keeper members have also pleaded guilty to the charge.

___

For full coverage of the Capitol riot, go to https://www.apnews.com/capitol-siege
Photo: The Canadian Press The flag flies in front of the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa, on Thursday, June 17, 2021.

Two men convicted in the 2007 Surrey Six mass murder were before the Supreme Court of Canada Tuesday as the justices heard a prosecution appeal of a B.C. appeal court decision.

At trial in B.C. Supreme Court, Cody Haevischer and Matthew Johnston were found guilty for their part in the murder of six men inside a Surrey apartment building.

The killings were part of the escalating Lower Mainland gang conflict. Two innocent bystanders were also killed.

That conviction was in 2014 but the pair appealed in October 2020. In January 2021, the B.C. Court of Appeal upheld the guilty verdicts and denied a request for a new trial.

But, it also quashed the convictions and allowed the men a hearing to argue for a stay of proceedings due to an abuse of process.

B.C. prosecutors are appealing that.

The six victims were shot in the back of the head as they lay defenceless, face down on the floor, documents filed in the Ottawa court said.

The Crown said the trial judge had acknowledged police misconduct in the case but noted a stay of proceedings would have been disproportionate given the gravity of the charges.

Haevischer and Johnstons lawyers, however, argue they should be allowed to proceed with their stay applications given the behaviour of police and prison authorities.

Johnstons court filings said police officers exploited the trust of key protected female witnesses in order to have sex with them  including girlfriends of the men they ultimately charged.

The officers endangered the safety of these young women, lied to their superiors, and manipulated overtime and expense claims to cover up their alcohol-fuelled revelry, the filing said.

Further, it alleges police directed prison authorities to subject the men to conditions of confinement akin to torture for more than a year  including an always-lit cell smeared with mucous, feces and blood  isolating them from meaningful human contact and limiting their access to counsel. The conditions were characterized by the trial judge as cruel and unusual punishment.

Red Scorpions

Red Scorpions gang leader Jamie Bacon pleaded guilty to his role in the killings where his associates went to the apartments for Bacon's drug-dealing rival, Corey Lal.

Michael Le also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge.

And, another person, known as Person X in court files, pleaded guilty in April 2009 to the second-degree murders of three of the victims and to conspiracy to commit murder.

It was Lal, his brother, two of his gang associates and the two bystanders with gangland connections that died in the gunfire.

Bystanders, Christopher Mohan, 22, happened to walk out of his apartment when the hitmen were standing there. Mohan was dragged into Lal's apartment and executed with the rest.

Gasfitter Edward Schellenberg happened to be there on a service call.

There is no indication when the high court may rule in the case.
By Alexandra Alper and Karen Freifeld

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Biden administration plans to spare SK Hynix and Samsung from the brunt of new restrictions on memory chipmakers in China aimed at thwarting Beijing's technological ambitions and blocking its military advances, sources said.

The Commerce Department, which plans to release new curbs on exports of technology to China this week, will likely deny requests by U.S. suppliers to send equipment to Chinese firms like Yangtze Memory Technologies Co Ltd (YMTC) and ChangXin Memory Technologies, Inc (CXMT) if they are making advanced DRAM or flash memory chips, the sources said.

However, license requests to sell equipment to foreign companies making advanced memory chips in China will be reviewed on a case by case basis, sources said, potentially allowing for them to receive the equipment.

"The goal is not to hurt non-indigenous companies," one of the people briefed on the matter said.

The White House and Commerce Department declined to comment. SK Hynix Inc, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, YMTC, and CXMT did not respond to requests for comment.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington on Thursday described the expected rules as "sci-tech hegemony." It accused the United States of using its "technological prowess ... to hobble and suppress the development of emerging markets and developing countries."

The move could assuage the worst fears of South Korean memory chipmakers that the United States might hobble their China-based manufacturing business in its effort to thwart China's rise, cripple YMTC and protect vulnerable U.S. memory chipmakers.

They still worry, however, that the case-by-case review standard is far from an explicit greenlight for U.S. equipment to be shipped to their Chinese facilities and could result in bickering with regulators over what shipments to approve.

Details of some of the new regulations facing China-based memory chipmakers have not been previously reported.

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The new curbs target China-based producers of DRAM chips, which hold information from applications while the system is in use, and NAND chips, which are used for data and file storage.

U.S. suppliers seeking to ship equipment to China-based semiconductor firms would not have to seek a license from the Commerce Department if selling to firms producing DRAM chips above the 18 nanometer node, NAND Flash chips below 128 layers, or logic chips above 14 nanometers, the sources said.

However, U.S. companies selling sophisticated technology to indigenous Chinese chipmakers producing DRAM chips at 18 nanometers or below, NAND flash chips at or above 128 layers or logic chips at or under 14 nanometers would have to apply for a license that would be reviewed with the tough "presumption of denial" standard.

U.S. suppliers seeking to sell the equipment to non-Chinese origin companies operating in China and producing those same types of chips would also face a license requirement but the applications would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, the sources added.

If published as expected, the rules would mark the first U.S. bid through export controls to target Chinese production of memory chips without specialized military applications, representing a more expansive view of American national security, according to export control experts.

They would also hit YMTC, a rising power in manufacturing NAND chips founded in 2016. Its expansion and low-price offerings represent "a direct threat" to U.S.-based Micron Technology Inc and Western Digital Corp, the White House said in a June 2021 report.

YMTC is already under investigation by the Commerce Department over whether it violated U.S. export controls by selling chips to Chinese telecoms company Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. Its chips are being evaluated by Apple Inc for inclusion in some of its iPhones in China, a major concern for U.S. lawmakers and the Biden administration.

The rules could also hurt CXMT, a state-backed Chinese company that is working to enter the DRAM market.

LAM Research Corp, Applied Materials Inc and KLA Corp, major U.S. vendors of equipment to make chips, are likely to be hit by the restrictions. LAM and Applied Materials did not respond to requests for comment. KLA declined to comment.

South Korea's Samsung has a facility producing NAND Flash memory chips in China's Shaanxi Province. South Korean rival SK Hynix has purchased Intel Corp's NAND flash memory chip manufacturing business in Dalian and produces DRAM chips at another China-based facility.

According to consulting firm Yole Intelligence's Walt Coon, 25% of SK Hynix's and 38% of Samsung's NAND wafer production is based in China, and about 50% of SK Hynix's DRAM production is in China.

Reuters first reported that the United States was considering limiting shipments of American chipmaking equipment to memory chip makers in China including YMTC, part of a bid to halt China's semiconductor sector advances and protect U.S. companies.

Reuters also reported last month that the Biden administration planned in October to broaden curbs on U.S shipments to China of semiconductors used for artificial intelligence and chipmaking tools.

(Reporting by Alexandra Alper and Karen Freifeld; Editing by Chris Sanders and Richard Chang)
Tunvarat Pruksachat/Getty Images

The Federal Aviation Administration announced a new rule on Tuesday that extends flight attendant rest.

The new rule mandates flight attendants to get 10 hours between shifts instead of the former nine hours.

Aviation lawyer Ken Quinn told Insider that the rule could impact airline flexibility and add costs.

The Federal Aviation Administration has followed through on its promise to increase flight attendant rest.

On Tuesday, the agency finalized a proposed rule that extends the flight attendant rest period to 10 consecutive hours when they're scheduled to work for 14 hours or longer. The rule will take effect in roughly 30 days.

The new rule will also eliminate any option for airlines to reduce rest to less than 10 hours. Prior to the change, airlines could schedule flight attendants for nine hours of rest, and, in some cases, as little as eight hours between shifts, according to the FAA.

"Flight attendants, like all essential transportation workers, work hard every day to keep the traveling public safe, and we owe them our full support," US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in a press release. "This new rule will make it easier for flight attendants to do their jobs, which in turn will keep all of us safe in the air."

The move comes after years of pressure from unions like the Association of Flight Attendants, which was ignited by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. The bill focused on things like improving safety, expediting airport projects, and reducing aircraft noise. Of particular note was increasing flight attendant rest.

However, members of the House Committee of Transportation and Infrastructure said in August that the final rule has taken too long to implement and that the "significant, prolonged delay is unacceptable and presents continued risk to aviation safety."

The FAA made progress in November 2021 when it announced a proposed rule that would extend the rest period to 10 hours, but failed to make it official until nearly a year later.

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In its proposal, the FAA acknowledged there was a "potential for fatigue to be associated with poor performance of safety and security related tasks," with examples of a near inadvertent slide deployment and poor response to passenger events.

According to CNBC, unions have told the FAA that many carriers, like Delta Air Lines, already schedule their flight attendants for 10 hours of rest.

Partner at Clyde & Co Ken Quinn, who is an aviation-focused lawyer and former attorney for the FAA, said the rule could take away flexibility from the airlines and potentially add costs and scheduling issues.

"It's not just nine hours to 10, it's eliminating any kind of flexibility of an airline to schedule less than 10, which used to be eight," he explained. "It's helpful for airlines to have some flexibility without the need to create huge buffers, so 10 hours becomes 11 hours [of rest] because you have to take into account the uncertainty of a delay or maintenance."

He further explained that changing schedule flexibility tends to increase costs because airlines will need additional people on call, there can be new-hire turnover, and there's scheduling software all associated when dealing with the "lack of flexibility" in the new rule.

"In addition to immediately requiring additional costs, which seems to be baked in, it's just another aspect of increasing labor costs, especially during this labor shortage, that is creating higher ticket prices for the traveling public," Quinn said.

Airline lobbying group Airlines for America estimates the additional hour of rest could cost all US carriers $1 billion over 10 years and result in a loss in wages for flight attendants, per a comment set to the FAA.

"This is certainly a victory for labor unions, but one that I think management has come to terms with and is not going to be fighting," Quinn told Insider. "Fatigue management is a legitimate issue, and we want people to be rested and alert to carry out their safety-critical jobs."

Read the original article on Business Insider
By John Chalmers

(Reuters) - The inaugural meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) takes place in Prague on Thursday, bringing together leaders from 44 nations of the continent, including the 27 member states of the European Union.

WHAT IS THE IDEA BEHIND THE EPC?

The new pan-European grouping was an initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron, who sees it as an opportunity to structure dialogue on an equal footing between EU members and non-members on issues that confront them all.

The EPC includes several countries waiting to join the EU and the only one ever to leave the bloc, the United Kingdom, and it brings together nations on shores stretching from the Caucasus to the North Sea and the Mediterranean.

A key aim is to embrace EU candidate countries that are losing patience waiting for membership of the bloc, and in doing so counter attempts by Russia and China to gain influence in the continent's southern and eastern fringes.

The idea is also to keep Britain, a major military power, inside a European forum following its exit from the EU.

WHAT ISSUES WILL THE EPC SUMMIT ADDRESS?

The half-day meeting at the Prague Castle will start with roundtable discussions on threats to peace and security, and on the crises Europe faces on energy, climate, the economy and immigration. The leaders will then come together in the evening over dinner to review their conclusions.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the gathering would highlight Moscow's international isolation over the war in Ukraine, and was "a way of looking for a new order without Russia".

No formal communique is expected after the summit.

There will be a flurry of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.

British Prime Minister Liz Truss's decision to attend could facilitate a reset of ties between Brussels and London that have been frayed by post-Brexit wrangling over Northern Ireland.

WILL IT WORK AS A FORUM?

Borrell said in a blog ahead of the meeting that clarity is still needed on the EPC's core rationale, its final membership, its relationship with the EU, how it should take decisions and even whether it should have a budget of its own.

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A charter of EPC principles could ultimately be drawn up.

However, some have already written off the EPC as just another talking shop that will struggle to agree on concrete policy deliverables.

EU officials helped organise the first meeting, and while Brussels is wary that the EPC will appear like an offshoot of the bloc if it continues to take the lead, getting things done would be harder if it doesn't.

Sceptics point out that there are just too many nations around the EPC table, several - such as Azerbaijan and Armenia, and Greece and Turkey - that are traditional rivals, and too much diversity of culture and politics to keep them united.

French officials retort that the G20 is just as diverse and manages to agree on issues such as international finance rules.

WILL THERE BE REGULAR MEETINGS OF THE EPC?

There are tentative plans to hold meetings of the EPC twice a year, and many expect Moldova or Britain to host the next ones. Future EPC meetings could be held among ministers of the member states, not just their leaders.

(Reporting by John Chalmers; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)
BANGKOK (Reuters) - A former policeman killed 34 people including 22 children in a gun rampage at a daycare centre in eastern Thailand on Thursday, later shooting dead his wife and child at their home before turning his weapon on himself, police said.

It is one of the worst mass killings in recent Thai history.

Here are some other recent high-profile gun crimes in Thailand and facts about its gun laws and culture.

RECENT SHOOTINGS

- In February 2020, a soldier angry over a property deal gone sour killed at least 29 people and wounded 57 in a rampage that spanned four locations in and around the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima.

Most of the victims were at the Terminal 21 shopping centre where the 32-year-old shooter held out against an overnight siege with an assault rifle and ammunition stolen from his army base. He was later shot dead.

- Just 10 days after that mass shooting, a man killed his ex-wife and wounded another person at a shopping centre in Bangkok.

- In June 2021, a former soldier fired gunshots in a coronavirus field hospital near Bangkok, killing a 54-year-old patient after earlier shooting dead a convenience store employee. The 23-year-old gunman had believed the patients in the hospital were drug addicts and said he hated drug addicts.

GUN LAWS

- Gun laws are quite strict in Thailand. Illegal possession of a firearm carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to 20,000 baht ($536), but gun ownership is high compared with some other countries in southeast Asia.

- Illegal weapons, many brought in from strife-torn countries, are common but mass shootings remain rare.

- The estimated total number of guns held, legally and illegally, by civilians in Thailand was 10.3 million in 2017, or one for about every seven citizens. Of those, about 4 million were illegal.

- The annual number of deaths resulting from firearms was 1,292 in 2019, down from 2,953 deaths a decade earlier, Gunpolicy.org said.

- Applicants for a gun owner's licence must give a genuine reason to possess a firearm, such as for hunting or to be part of a collection. The applicant must be aged at least 20 and first undergo background checks which consider personal conduct, living condition, income and any criminal records.

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PUBLIC ATTITUDES

- Thais often complain online about a perceived decrease in personal safety and say guns are idolised by some as symbols of power and privilege because they are expensive and not easy to obtain legally.

($1 = 37.3100 baht)

(Reporting by Bangkok bureau; Writing by Gareth Jones; Editing by Edmund Blair)
BERLIN (Reuters) - Russians have piled across the border to neighbouring states since President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation on Sept. 21 for the war in Ukraine.

Here is a guide on how many people have crossed and how countries are reacting:

HOW MANY HAVE FLED RUSSIA SINCE MOBILISATION WAS ANNOUNCED?

Getting precise totals is difficult but the number of Russians who have left could run into hundreds of thousands, based on media reports and figures released by neighbouring states. Figures are not usually broken down, so can include men facing the draft, family members and other travellers.

The independent Novaya Gazeta Europe reported on Sept. 26 that 261,000 men had left since the mobilisation was declared, citing a Kremlin source. The report could be independently verified.

Russia has denied some reports in Russian media saying 700,000 Russians had fled the country since the announcement.

On Oct. 4, Forbes Russia reported that the number of people who have left the country since Putin ordered the draft could be as high as 700,000, citing a Kremlin source.

"I don't have exact figures, but of course they are far from what's being claimed there," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Flight ticketing data has pointed to a surge of people leaving. The number of one-way tickets sold from Russia rose 27% from Sept. 21 to Sept. 27 compared with the week prior, according to Spain-based ForwardKeys, which analyses booking reservations.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Russia planned to enlist 300,000 men and, on Oct. 4, said more than 200,000 people had been drafted so far.

WHERE ARE MOST OF THEM GOING TO?

Some are heading to Kazakhstan, which shares the world's second-longest land border with Russia. Russians can enter without a passport or a visa.

The Kazakh interior minister said on Oct. 3 that more than 200,000 Russians had entered since Sept. 21, while about 147,000 left in the same period, although their final destination was not clear.

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The interior ministry of Georgia, where Russians can also enter without a visa, said 68,887 Russians had arrived from Sept. 21 to 29, while 45,624 had left.

For both countries, it was unclear how many of the Russians who left had travelled to third countries.

ForwardKeys' air travel booking data reported a triple-digit increase for the week ended Sept. 27 in one-way tickets from Russia to Tbilisi, Almaty, Istanbul, Tel Aviv and Dubai.

Turkey, a popular tourist destination for Russians and others, reported a rise in Russian arrivals and flights since mobilisation was announced. One man told Reuters he flew to Istanbul airport the next day partly to avoid conscription.

Some 3 million arrived in Turkey from Russia this year until the end of August, up 22% from last year, official data showed.

Many Russians have also been heading to Europe.

HOW MANY GET TO THE EU OR OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES?

The European Union saw a surge in arrivals after Putin's announcement. Some 66,000 Russian citizens entered the bloc from Sept. 19 to 25, a 30% rise from the previous week, data from the bloc's border agency Frontex showed.

The number fell to 53,000 in the week starting Sept. 26, Frontex said, citing a stricter EU visa policy and Russian measures to keep military-age men from leaving.

Most Russians entering the EU already had residence permits or visas, while others had dual citizenship, Frontex said.

Finland, which has a 1,300-km (800-mile) border with Russia, has been the main point of arrival in the EU. Finnish data showed the number of Russian tourists arriving via four southern border crossings doubled in the days after Sept. 21.

From Sept. 21 to Oct. 5, 59,975 Russians arrived in Finland through the four checkpoints, with many leaving to other European countries, while 36,116 Russians went home, Finnish border guard authority data showed on Oct. 5.

HOW ARE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES REACTING?

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland began turning away Russians holding tourist visas issued by any of the EU's Schengen states on Sept. 19. Finland followed suit on Sept. 30.

Norway's Arctic border with Russia is the last direct route into Europe open to Russian Schengen tourist visa holders. Norway's justice minister said on Sept. 30 the government could ban further arrivals from Russia at short notice if necessary.

Since mobilisation began, German embassies in Armenia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Belarus have seen a surge in enquiries from Russian citizens seeking to travel to Germany and the EU.

An interior ministry spokesperson told Reuters the German constitution enshrined the right to political asylum but said: "Due to this case-by-case examination and the severely limited possibilities to travel from Russia to Germany, we assume that there are only a few cases."

A French minister said France would also be selective on who was allowed to remain in the country, taking into account a person's situation and the security risk.

"We will make sure dissident journalists, people who fight the regime, artists and students can still come here," Junior Minister for European Affairs Laurence Boone said on Oct. 5.

(Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York, Caleb Davis in Gdansk, Alexander Ratz in Berlin, Joanna Plucinska, Olzhas Auyezov, Jake Cordell, Terje Solsvik, Essi Lehto, Geert De Clercq, Jonathan Spicer; Writing by Rachel More and Madeline Chambers; Editing by Edmund Blair and Alex Richardson)
Parents Jasleen Kaur, 27, and Jasdeep Singh, 36, their 8-month-old, Arrohi Dheri, and the child's uncle, Amandeep Singh, 39, have been found dead, according to the Merced County Sheriff's Office. (Photo: MERCED COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE)

Parents Jasleen Kaur, 27, and Jasdeep Singh, 36, their 8-month-old, Arrohi Dheri, and the child's uncle, Amandeep Singh, 39, have been found dead, according to the Merced County Sheriff's Office. (Photo: MERCED COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE)

All four family members who were kidnapped from a California business on Monday have been found dead in a farm area, the Merced County sheriff said Wednesday night.

A farmworker came across the bodies of 8-month-old Arrohi Dheri; her mother, Jasleen Kaur, 27; father Jasdeep Singh, 36; and uncle Amandeep Singh, 39; in a Merced County orchard, according to Sheriff Vern Warnke.

Its horribly, horribly senseless, Warnke said. The bodies were all found in the same area, he said.

The California Department of Justices crime lab is expected to process the scene with investigators. The sheriff said authorities dont yet know the motive.

Warnke said hed been able to speak to the suspect, who is in custody after apparently trying to take his own life, but the sheriff did not share any details.

On Tuesday afternoon, Jesus Manuel Salgado, 48, was arrested after Merced County investigators linked him to the kidnapping. Salgado attempted suicide just before authorities found him. He was listed in a critical condition at an area hospital and was unable to communicate with authorities, Warnke said at a news conference earlier Wednesday.

Warnke said in that news conference that he suspected the motive for the kidnapping may have been financial. Salgado was convicted in 2005 of theft and false imprisonment. He was released on parole in 2015.

The family was last seen on surveillance footage being forced from a Merced trucking business at gunpoint on Monday morning. The four family members were the only people in the business at the time, the sheriff said.

Salgado was reportedly seen walking up to and entering the business around 9 a.m. and then escorting the family into a pickup truck belonging to Amandeep Singh. In the surveillance images, Jasdeep and Amandeep Singh appeared to have their hands zip-tied behind their backs.

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Warnke said Wednesday night that the victims families had been notified.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
The bodies of a South Asian family of four, including an infant, who were kidnapped at gunpoint in Northern California were discovered in a rural farm area in Merced County.

On Monday morning, the family was abducted from their trucking business in Merced County.

Sheriff's officials released surveillance video of the incident on Wednesday. The footage shows an armed man walking into the familys business. The man can be seen leaving with 36-year-old Jasdeep Singh and his 39-year-old brother Amandeep Singh with their hands bound behind their backs. They are loaded into a truck and driven away.

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Once the truck returns, Jasdeeps 27-year-old wife Jasleen Kaur and their 8-month-old daughter Aroohi Dheri can also be seen exiting the building and being directed toward the vehicle.

According to authorities, the family was reported missing after their family vehicle was found abandoned and on fire that morning.

On Tuesday, authorities identified Jesus Manuel Salgado, 48, as a person of interest in the kidnapping. Before he was apprehended, Salgado reportedly confessed his involvement in the kidnapping to his family and attempted suicide. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition, according to reports.

More from NextShark: Video of kneeling 12-year-old girl slapped in the face over 20 times by teens goes viral in Hong Kong

Salgado was previously convicted of a robbery in 2005 and released on parole in 2015, according to County law enforcement officials.

Officers were called to a rural farm area at around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday by a farmworker who discovered the victims bodies. Deputies and detectives found the bodies of the victims relatively close together, according to Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke.

Tonight, our worst fears have been confirmed, Warnke told reporters on Wednesday. We found the four people from the kidnapping, and they are in fact deceased.

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More from NextShark: University in China bans professor whose wife alleges he beat her over 1,000 times

Investigators have yet to determine their causes of death. No possible motive or connection between Salgado and the victims have been released.

As of Wednesday morning, Salgado has not communicated with investigators. He has yet to be criminally charged in the case.

Theres a special place in hell for this guy, Warnke said at a news conference. This is completely and totally senseless. A whole family wiped out, and we still dont know why.

More from NextShark: Video of elephant giving birth in Kenya reserve goes viral

Although the main suspect is in custody, investigators believe that there may have been others involved in the killing.

I fully believe that we will uncover and find out that there was more than just him involved, Warnke said.

Featured Image via CBS News
By Tyler Clifford

NEW YORK (Reuters) -The family of Daniel Prude, a Black man whose March 2020 death under police restraint sparked protests in upstate New York, has agreed to a $12 million wrongful death settlement with the city of Rochester, Mayor Malik Evans said on Thursday.

The city admitted no wrongdoing as part of the agreement with Prude's estate, which Evans said would allow Rochester, a city with 200,000 residents, to avoid a costly court battle.

"Given the costs of continued litigation, this settlement was the best decision," Evans said in a statement. "It would have cost taxpayers even more to litigate, and would have placed a painful toll on our community."

The agreement is believed to be the largest civil rights settlement in the city's history, according to Matthew Piers, a lawyer for the family.

"No purely monetary settlement can truly address the fundamental problem of police violence that underlies this tragic case," he said in a statement. "Policing in this country must be reformed to be more humane."

In September 2020, Prude's family had released body-worn camera footage it had obtained showing Prude naked, lying in a dark, snowy street, being restrained by officers. A mesh "spit hood" had been placed over his head after he told officers he was infected with the coronavirus.

After release of the video, the head of Rochesters police union, Michael Mazzeo, defended the officers, saying that they had followed protocols in using a hood to restrain Prude.

The footage led to a round of protests in Rochester against police violence and racial injustice. It came months after nationwide demonstrations triggered by the police killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky.

Last year, the Prude family filed the lawsuit in federal court alleging that the officers caused Prude's death by restraining him when he was dealing with a mental health crisis.

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In the suit, the family said the city was responsible for his death, alleging it had failed to properly train its officers and hold them accountable for wrongdoing.

Seven officers involved were suspended from the force as state Attorney General Letitia James led an investigation into the incident. Rochester Police Chief La'Ron Singletary resigned amid protests days after the video's release.

In February 2021, a grand jury declined to indict any of the officers.

(Reporting by Tyler Clifford in New York; Editing by David Gregorio and Bill Berkrot)
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP)  The family of the victim in the murder case chronicled in the first season of the Serial podcast has asked Maryland's intermediate appellate court to halt Adnan Syeds court case pending the familys appeal of a judges overturning of Syeds murder conviction.

Young Lee, the brother of victim Hae Min Lee, asked the Maryland Court of Special Appeals in a six-page motion filed late last month to suspend further proceedings, including an Oct. 18 deadline by which prosecutors must decide whether to drop the charges against Syed or retry him for the killing. He contends that the family was not given enough notice about a court hearing last month over whether Syeds conviction should be overturned.

The Lee family is not seeking, through this motion or through the appeal, to impact Mr. Syeds release from custody, said the familys attorney, Steve Kelly. If the wrong person has been behind bars for 23 years, the Lee family and the rest of the world want to understand what new evidence has led to that conclusion.

Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn overturned Syeds conviction on Sept. 19. The Baltimore States Attorneys Office said it found evidence that should have been disclosed to Syed's attorneys.

Prosecutors moved to vacate Syeds conviction on Sept. 14. That followed a yearlong investigation and was two days after they notified the Lee family, the familys motion says. Then on Sept. 16, Syeds attorneys and prosecutors discussed the motion at a meeting in Phinns chambers.

Phinn ordered a new trial, but prosecutors were given 30 days  until Oct. 18  in which to dismiss the charges or proceed with a new trial.

Syed has always maintained his innocence. His case captured the attention of millions in 2014 when the debut season of Serial focused on Lees killing and raised doubts about some of the evidence prosecutors had used, inspiring heated debates across dinner tables and water coolers about Syeds innocence or guilt.

Syed was serving a life sentence after he was convicted of strangling 18-year-old Lee, whose body was found buried in a Baltimore park.

Prosecutors said a reinvestigation of the case revealed evidence regarding the possible involvement of two other possible suspects. The two suspects may be involved individually or may be involved together, the states attorneys office said.
Federal investigators believe they have compiled enough evidence to charge President Bidens son Hunter Biden with tax crimes and on allegations related to falsifying paperwork having to do with a gun purchase in 2018, according to a report by The Washington Post on Thursday that cited people familiar with the case.

Hunter Biden has reportedly been under federal investigation by prosecutors seeking more information about his business dealings abroad, particularly income he received from a Ukrainian natural gas company as well as his business dealings in China and Kazakhstan. The investigation became central to former President Trumps 2020 campaign.

The Post reported the next step in the process is whether the U.S. attorney in Delaware will decide to bring forth charges. That office is led by David Weiss, who was appointed by Trump in 2018, the same year the investigation into Hunter Biden began.

A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney in Delaware declined to comment to The Hill on the Posts report.

Attorney General Merrick Garland, who was appointed by President Biden, has made clear Weiss was in charge of overseeing the case, according to the Post.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Chris Clark, an attorney for Hunter Biden, suggested in a statement to The Hill that if a federal agent leaked information about the investigation, they had committed a federal felony.

Clark noted that he has had no contact whatsoever with any federal investigative agent.

Therefore, a rendition of the case from such an agent is inherently biased, one-sided, and inaccurate. It is regrettable that law enforcement agents appear to be violating the law to prejudice a case against a person who is a target simply because of his family name, Clark said.

Chloe Folmar contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Chief of defence staff Gen. Wayne Eyre is ordering an immediate halt to all non-essential activities in favour of boosting military recruitment and retention, with the Canadian Armed Forces facing an unprecedented personnel crisis.

Eyre issued the sweeping order to senior commanders across the country on Thursday, saying dramatic action is needed to ensure the military has the troops it needs to respond to growing demands and threats at home and abroad.

The reconstitution order sets a completely new direction for the military after years of high-tempo deployments and operations in Canada and overseas by making the recruitment and retention of personnel its top priority.

The interim goal is to address shortcomings that are preventing the CAF more specifically from being in the position it needs to (be) in order to excel as a modern and combat-ready military force, the order reads.

It later adds: The rebuilding process needs to occur on an accelerated timeline given the geopolitical environment that we find ourselves operating within, especially in light of the invasion of Ukraine.

Expected for several months, the order follows a period of unprecedented activity by the military. That includes large-scale deployments to Iraq, Mali, Ukraine and Latvia as well as helping with the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters in Canada.

It also coincides with lagging recruitment rates and a shortage of experienced personnel to train new recruits and lead actual missions, which Eyre said continue to imperil our ability to recruit, train, employ and retain diverse Canadian talent, thus jeopardizing the readiness and long-term health of Canadas defence capabilities.

The Armed Forces is supposed to be adding about 5,000 troops to the regular and reserve forces to meet a growing list of demands, but is instead short more than 10,000 trained members  meaning about one in 10 positions are currently vacant.

The problem has become so acute that some senior offers have started using the word crisis in interviews with The Canadian Press, including the commander of the navy and the officer responsible for military recruitment and training.

Eyres order reflects on the seriousness of the situation, saying: Owing to personnel and staffing levels that have been compounded by the CAFs heavy commitment to operations, the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and a culture crisis, National Defence continues to lose its ability to deliver and sustain concurrent operations at the scope and scale necessary.

To that end, the order directs commanders to prioritize fully staffing recruiting centres and training schools and calls for a complete reassessment of the militarys current structure and composition.

Military commanders will take a closer look at what missions and other activities are no longer critical, whether certain positions in their units are no longer needed, and even whether certain recruitment targets are still realistic.

Eyre also opens the door to more flexible working arrangements for service members while emphasizing the continued need to change the militarys culture to better attract and retain women, Indigenous people and other under-represented groups.

Culture change will remain the top departmental priority throughout the reconstitution process, the order reads. This endeavour will require significant resources and a willingness to embrace recommendations from external review authorities.

The new approach wont come without risks, which Eyre acknowledged in directing a reduction of large-scale training exercises in favour of more individualized classes as the military focuses on getting enough troops with basic skills into the ranks.

While military commanders have previously underscored the importance of large-scale exercises, the order says Eyre will be ready to accept the associated reduction in readiness levels using a risk-based approach.

And while many Armed Forces members join to serve on missions, the defence chief ordered commanders to strike a balance between providing deployment opportunities to junior members and the need to rebuild our mid-level leader capacity.

The defence chief indicated the reconstitution effort will take up to eight years, with the immediate goal of growing the force, and working toward the broader objective of ensuring the militarys size and structure are lined up with future needs and missions.

External events such as major domestic emergencies caused by climate change, economic crises impacting the federal governments fiscal flexibility, and widespread disinformation campaigns creating a lack of public confidence in national institutions could impede efforts to reconstitute, he added.
A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked key parts of a New York law that aimed to restrict the carrying of firearms, ruling that some of the limits put in place under the new state statute likely ran afoul of the Second Amendment.

In a 53-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Glenn Suddaby said some of the laws heightened licensing requirements and location-specific bans  including a prohibition of guns in Times Square  went too far.

He ordered New York officials to halt enforcement of the provisions at issue, but delayed his decision from taking effect for three business days to give the defendants an opportunity to seek emergency relief from a federal appeals court.

The dispute arose after the group Gun Owners of America brought a legal challenge against a New York law enacted this summer in the wake of a landmark Supreme Court decision that interpreted the Second Amendment as broadly protecting the right to carry a firearm in public for self-defense.

At the same time, the 6-3 Supreme Court ruling said guns could be restricted in certain sensitive locations, but left that term largely undefined.

In response, New York passed a law in July criminalizing the concealed carry of guns in airports, houses of worship, Times Square and other sensitive places and imposing new licensing requirements, prompting the legal challenge.

In his Thursday ruling, Suddaby, a George W. Bush appointee, said New York officials had justified only some of those new limits on constitutional grounds, while failing to adequately defend others contained in the new law, known as the Concealed Carry Improvement Act (CCIA).

Although this Court has found that most of the CCIAs list of sensitive locations violate the Constitution, the Court does so not because the list (or a portion of the list) must rise or fall in its entirety but because Defendants have simply not met their burden of sifting the historical materials for evidence to sustain New York States statute, Suddaby wrote, citing the Supreme Courts recent gun rights decision.

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Specifically, the judge ruled that New York officials failed to legally justify gun restrictions in places of public transportation, Times Square and entertainment venues such as theaters, stadiums, concerts and bars.

Based on the historical analogues located thus far, it does not appear permissible for New York State to restrict concealed carry in the following place: the area commonly known as Times Square, Suddaby found.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) called the ruling disappointing, vowing to do everything in my power to combat gun violence.

While this decision leaves aspects of the law in place, it is deeply disappointing that the Judge wants to limit my ability to keep New Yorkers safe and to prevent more senseless gun violence, Hochul said. We are working with the Attorney Generals office to review the decision carefully and discuss next steps in an appeal.

On the other hand, the judge let stand provisions restricting guns from property that is owned or temporarily restricted by the government; polling places; houses of worship, with some exceptions; schools; and public assemblies.

Separately, Suddaby ruled that some licensing requirements created by the new law, including a requirement that gun applicants disclose their social media activity, were likely unconstitutional.

The plaintiff in the case, Gun Owners of America, hailed the ruling.

Anti-gunners like Kathy Hochul and [New York City Mayor] Eric Adams lied and misrepresented the Second Amendment to the courts, putting New Yorkers at a great disadvantage in the midst of rising crime. We are grateful to Judge Suddaby for his quick action to restore the right of the people to keep and bear arms, said Erich Pratt, the groups senior vice president.

Updated at 3:24 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Hunter Biden. Paul Morigi/Getty Images for World Food Program USA

Prosecutors think they have enough evidence to bring a criminal case against Hunter Biden.

The Washington Post reported they believed they could charge Biden with tax crimes.

Investigators also think they can charge him with making a false statement linked to a gun purchase.

Federal prosecutors believe they have enough evidence to charge President Joe Biden's son Hunter with financial crimes and making a false statement, The Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the case.

The younger Biden acknowledged in December 2020 the existence of the federal investigation into him, saying in a statement that prosecutors were looking into his taxes.

"I learned yesterday for the first time that the U.S. Attorney's Office in Delaware advised my legal counsel, also yesterday, that they are investigating my tax affairs," the statement said. "I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors."

The Post reported Thursday that investigators also thought they had enough evidence to charge Biden with making a false statement related to a gun purchase. The US attorney in Delaware will now decide whether to move forward with a criminal case.

CNN reported prosecutors started investigating Biden's taxes in 2018 but temporarily halted the inquiry because of Justice Department rules barring prosecutors from taking actions that could influence the outcome of an election. While the case initially centered on Biden's taxes, it expanded to focus on whether he failed to report all his income and whether he lied on paperwork linked to a gun purchase in 2018, The Post reported.

An indictment against Biden would mark the biggest test yet of the president's pledge to restore independence and public trust in the Justice Department.

Chris Clark, a lawyer representing the younger Biden, did not comment on the substance of The Post's story and accused investigators of leaking details.

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"It is a federal felony for a federal agent to leak information about a Grand Jury investigation such as this one," Clark said in a statement to the news outlet. "Any agent you cite as a source in your article apparently has committed such a felony. We expect the Department of Justice will diligently investigate and prosecute such bad actors.

"As is proper and legally required, we believe the prosecutors in this case are diligently and thoroughly weighing not just evidence provided by agents, but also all the other witnesses in this case, including witnesses for the defense. That is the job of the prosecutors. They should not be pressured, rushed, or criticized for doing their job."

This story is breaking. Check back for updates.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Gov. Henry McMaster wrote a letter Friday to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division requesting that the agency works with local law enforcement and public school districts to analyze the response to a string of threats against schools across the state on Wednesday.

Several fake calls were made to 911 centers across the state, claiming active shooters were inside more than a dozen schools. That led to a massive response by law enforcement agencies to local South Carolina schools that left students and families worried.

According to media coverage of the hoax calls, hundreds of law enforcement officers and first responders immediately rushed to the schools, some officers made it to campus and were inside the school buildings within two minutes, the governor wrote in his letter. I believe this situation provides our states law enforcement agencies with a rare opportunity to learn from this unprecedented incident; to learn what worked best and what can be improved upon.

School districts quickly assessed the situation earlier in the week.

We understand this was a traumatizing situation. We actually had an administrator that went into each classroom to have a discussion and debriefing with each child, said Bryan Vaughn, with the Lancaster County School District.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Authorities respond to several schools across SC after false reports of active shooters

The district said it is still working with investigators on the fake 911 call that forced officers to search South Middle School and Brooklyn Springs Elementary for an active shooter. Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over the schools in Lancaster County Wednesday, where a large police presence could be seen.

Similar hoax calls also came into Chester Countys 911 center and the Rock Hill Police Department.

The head of York County 911 told Channel 9s Tina Terry that hoax calls like that are very rare but very serious. Allen Brandon said when a situation like this happens, multiple agencies work together to make sure justice is served.

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Yesterday the hoax call that came in it went out to a number of counties, probably 15 counties in South Carolina and impacted a little more than 20 schools, so it was a great disruption. And with that being said, I think its more important for us to find out where that came from and thats why state and federal entities are certainly interested in those calls and where they came from, Brandon said Thursday.

ALSO READ: 2nd student charged after threats made at Fort Mill High School, police say

Officials could not comment on Wednesdays cases but said call centers in Lancaster and York counties have technology that allow them to see certain details about 911 calls. And theyre giving all the information that can to investigators.

Anytime you file a false report, theres consequences and you could be jailed, said Robert Purser, Lancaster County Public Safety Director.

School officials said 104 children were absent from South Middle School Thursday. On a normal day, that number would be around 20.

At this point, SLED and local authorities said no arrests have been reported.

(WATCH BELOW: Authorities respond to several schools across SC after false reports of active shooters)
Federal investigators are weighing whether to charge Hunter Biden with various tax and foreign lobbying violations, false statements and more, with a former official telling Fox News that an outcome to the case could be "imminent."

Fox News first reported in July that the federal investigation into President Bidens son had reached a "critical stage." Hunter Biden has been under federal investigation since 2018.

The investigation is being conducted by Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a prosecutor appointed by former President Donald Trump.

Fox News reported in July that the federal grand jury looking into Hunter Bidens business dealings wrapped up its latest term in June and expired. A source, at the time, said no charges had been filed.

HUNTER BIDEN PROBE REACHES 'CRITICAL STAGE' AS OFFICIALS WEIGH POSSIBLE CHARGES: SOURCE

A former senior Justice Department official told Fox News on Thursday, though, that the government does not need to have an active grand jury in order to file charges as part of a plea agreement.

That official also told Fox News that renewed focus on the investigation, especially by the media, suggests a disposition, or resolution, may be "imminent" in advance of a possible Republican takeover of the House of Representatives.

A source told Fox News that no final decision has been made on whether to charge Hunter Biden and stressed that the investigation is ongoing. Teresa Kroeger/Getty Images

Congressional Republicans have vowed to use subpoena power if they take the majority to investigate Hunter Biden.

A spokesperson for Weiss declined to comment on whether a new grand jury has been empaneled.

Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco have been briefed on the investigation.

Fox News reported in July that Weiss and Justice Department officials were looking into whether to charge Hunter Biden with various tax violations and, more seriously, possible foreign lobbying violations.

The source, at the time, said Hunter Biden could face possible false statements charges.

The Washington Post on Thursday reported that a possible false statement charge could be related to whether he lied during a gun purchase in 2018.

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Fox News first reported last year that police had responded in 2018 to an incident in which a gun owned by Hunter Biden was thrown in a trash can outside a market in Delaware.

HUNTER BIDEN GUN INCIDENT AT MARKET IN 2018 LED TO POLICE INVESTIGATION

A source with knowledge of the Oct. 23, 2018, police report told Fox News that it indicated that Hallie Biden, the widow of President Biden's late son, Beau, and who was in a relationship with Hunter at the time, threw a gun owned by Hunter in a dumpster behind a market near a school.

A firearm transaction report reviewed by Fox News indicated that Hunter Biden purchased a gun earlier that month.

On the firearm transaction report, Hunter Biden answered in the negative to a question that asked if he was "an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?"

Hunter Biden was discharged from the Navy in 2014 after testing positive for cocaine.

Hunter Bidens lawyer, Chris Clark, told Fox News that it is a "federal felony for a federal agent to leak information about a grand jury investigation such as this one."

HUNTER BIDEN COMMITTED FRAUD AGAINST BUSINESS PARTNERS, TONY BOBULINSKI TELLS TUCKER CARLSON

"Any agent you cite as a source in your article apparently has committed such a felony," Clark said. "We expect the Department of Justice will diligently investigate and prosecute such bad actors."



"As is proper and legally required, we believe the prosecutors in this case are diligently and thoroughly weighing not just evidence provided by agents but also all the other witnesses in this case, including witnesses for the defense," Clark continued. "That is the job of the prosecutors. They should not be pressured, rushed or criticized for doing their job."

Clark added that "as lead counsel for the defense in this case, I have had no contact whatsoever with any federal investigative agent."

"Therefore, a rendition of the case from such an agent is inherently biased, one-sided and inaccurate," Clark said. "It is regrettable that law enforcement agents appear to be violating the law to prejudice a case against a person who is a target simply because of his family name."

A source told Fox News that no final decision has been made on whether to charge Hunter Biden and stressed that the investigation is ongoing.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys Office in Delaware declined to comment on the possible charges.

Fox News first reported in December 2020 that Hunter Biden, left, was a subject/target of the grand jury investigation. Paul Morigi/Getty Images for World Food Program USA

Fox News first reported in December 2020 that Hunter Biden was a subject/target of the grand jury investigation, according to a well-placed government source. According to the source, a "target" means that there is a "high probability that person committed a crime" while a "subject" is someone you "dont know for sure" has committed a crime.

The federal investigation into Hunter Biden was predicated, in part, by suspicious activity reports (SARs) regarding suspicious foreign transactions.

HUNTER BIDEN UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION FOR 'TAX AFFAIRS;' LINKS TO CHINA FUNDS EMERGE, SOURCES SAY

Another source familiar with the investigation told Fox News in December 2020 that the SARs were regarding funds from "China and other foreign nations."

A Treasury Department official, who did not comment on the investigation, spoke broadly about SARs, telling Fox News that SARs are filed by financial institutions "if there is something out of the ordinary about a particular transaction."

The official told Fox News that the mere filing of a SAR does not mean there has been a criminal act or violation of regulations but instead flags that a transaction is "out of the ordinary" for the customer. The official noted, though, that a SAR could be part of a money laundering or tax investigation.

Hunter Biden, weeks after the 2020 presidential election, released a statement acknowledging the federal investigation of his "tax affairs."

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"I take this matter very seriously, but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisers," he said in the December 2020 statement.

President Biden has repeatedly denied discussing Hunter's business ventures with him.

Fox News' David Spunt, Bill Mears, Tyler Olson and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
(Getty/iStock)

Everyones afraid of something. Whether were talking about something as arch as killer clowns, or something as commonplace as intimacy, theres probably not a person alive without some kind of idiosyncratic phobia nestled deep in their subconscious.

Though the trappings of fame and fortune can insulate a person from some of lifes hardships, many celebrities seem to fall victim to unusual  and sometimes even downright bizarre  phobias. Take US TV personality Tyra Banks, for instance, who admitted to a lifelong fear of dolphins (delfiniphobia), which manifested as a recurring nightmare. Or One Direction star Niall Horan, who has confessed to a crippling fear of pigeons  something corroborated by ex-bandmate Harry Styles. I think pigeons target me, Horan confessed, after an incident in which one of the feathered fiends flew in through his bathroom window.

Theres a chance Stephen King may be responsible for more nightmares than any other human on the planet, but he himself was not immune to a scare: the Shining author has confessed to having triskaidekaphobia, a fear of the number 13. When Im writing, Ill never stop work if the page number is 13 or a multiple of 13, he once said. Ill just keep on typing till I get to a safe number.

These and other celebrity phobias are explored in The Book of Phobias and Manias: A History of the World in 99 Obsessions, a new non-fiction book by Kate Summerscale. Walking us through 99 distinct examples of either phobias or manias, the book mixes psychological insight with intriguing case studies  many of which are lifted from pop culture.

Which came first: alektorophobia or ovophobia? (The fear of chickens, or the fear of eggs?) Im not sure anyone knows, but Alfred Hitchcock claimed to suffer from the latter. They revolt me, he told Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci in 1963, before describing the foodstuff with an almost extra-terrestrial sense of repulsion. That white round thing without any holes, and when you break it, inside theres that yellow thing, round, without any holes Brr!

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One of the stranger fears to have been pathologised is taphephobia  a fear of premature burial. Several cultural figures were renowned for this, including composer Frederic Chopin and Hans Christian Andersen, who left a note by the side of his bed every night specifying that he was only sleeping. Brazilian entrepreneur Freud de Melo even constructed an elaborate crypt with air vents, a fruit pantry, a television and megaphones, in case of such an eventuality.

Johnny Depp, meanwhile, has spoken about his fear of clowns (coulrophobia). There always seems to be a darkness lurking just under the surface a potential for real evil, he once said. I guess I am afraid of them because its impossible  thanks to their painted-on smiles  to distinguish if they are happy or if theyre about to bite your face off.

Often, the very idea of phobias comes across as more amusing than sinister. But its not always so innocuous. Macaulay Culkin spoke about becoming agoraphobic after the success of Home Alone. Doctors classify agoraphobia as a complex phobia (unlike, say, a fear of a particular animal or object), which, per the NHS website, tend to be more disabling than simple phobias. It felt like the buildings were going to eat me, Culkin told Larry King in 2004. There was always photographers in the bushes and things like that. Hes certainly not alone in this fear: Summerscale notes that agoraphobia has become increasingly prevalent during the Covid pandemic, with symptoms often exacerbated in those already suffering.

The artist Salvador Dali had a terrible fear of bugs and insects (entomophobia), and once sliced his back with a razor blade after mistaking a pimple on his back for a tiny flea. (Scarlett Johansson shares a similar ailment, once disclosing to a journalist that she had a mortal fear of cockroaches.)

Stephen Kings It plays on its audiences fear of clowns (Warner Bros)

Some phobias can be detrimental to a celebritys career  not least glossophobia, the fear of public speaking. The Book of Phobias and Manias recalls the actor Ian Holm being paralysed by fright during a performance of The Iceman Cometh at the Aldwych Theatre in 1976, prompting him to withdraw from stage acting for 15 years.

Sometimes, however, a fear can be boon. Not in an evolutionary sense  though I suppose a healthy fear of grizzly bears must have saved many a prehistoric wanderer. But take Steve Jobs, the late co-founder of Apple. Supposedly, Jobs was said to suffer from koumpounophobia: a fear of buttons. This both resulted in his signature turtlenecked appearance, and  if design engineer Abraham Faraq is to be believed  the buttonless computer mouse which would become a key design feature of his computers.

Roald Dahl suffered from pogonophobia  a fear of beards  and channelled his disgust into literary gold. Mr Twit, the bearded grotesque from his childrens classic The Twits, was one such example; Dahl even wrote an essay on the subject in which he described the facial accessory as disgusting and hairy smoke-screens behind which to hide. Margaret Thatcher was also said to have shared the affliction, though the cause may have been less congenital and more to do with the beards association with counterculture and the political left.

What are we to do with this information? Are we, as a species, doomed to have our lives domineered by fears and neuroses? Maybe not. The bright side of the phobias phenomenon is that they can usually be treated. Whether its through exposure therapy, talking therapy (counselling, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy) or medication, phobias rank among the most successfully treatable mental disorders around. So before you go building a live-in crypt to satiate your fear of burial, maybe try talking it through with someone first.

The Book of Phobias and Manias: A History of the World in 99 Obsessions by Kate Summerscale is out now, published by Profile Books
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  In his campaign for a crucial U.S. Senate seat, Democrat John Fetterman takes credit for reinventing Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor's office, transforming it from a political pit stop into a bully pulpit from which he's advanced progressive causes.

Records from Fetterman's four years in office, however, offer a different portrait of his time in the $179,000-a-year elected job. They show Fetterman typically kept a light work schedule and was often absent from state business, including presiding over the state Senate, which is one of his chief duties, according to an Associated Press review of his daily calendars and attendance records.

The review found that Fetterman's daily schedule was blank during roughly one-third of workdays from January 2019, when he first took office, to May of this year, when he suffered a serious stroke. Even on days where his schedule showed he was active, a typical work day for Fetterman lasted between four and five hours, the records show.

The findings, which focus entirely on his tenure before his stroke, are notable because Fetterman points to his time as lieutenant governor as a leading credential in his Senate campaign. And as his bid for a seat that could swing the Senate majority becomes more competitive, some Democrats privately worry that Fetterman is proving a lackluster candidate and losing ground in the campaign.

Fetterman's campaign didn't explain the gaps in his schedule. In a statement, his spokesman, Joe Calvello, said that this report is a misleading and inaccurate reflection of John's actual schedule that totally fails to capture the breadth of his official work and his accomplishments.

Fetterman didn't respond to interview requests, but he said in a statement that he's shown I can have an impact beyond the prescribed power of a given office.

As lieutenant governor, he said, "my record of showing up and shaking up this office has transformed the Board of Pardons, saved Pennsylvania millions in taxpayer dollars, and grown support in our state for defending LGBTQIA+ rights, weed legalization, union workers, and raising the minimum wage.

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The job of lieutenant governor is typically a stopover for politicians seeking higher office and often comes with limited duties. In Pennsylvania, the primary legal responsibilities for a lieutenant governor are presiding over Senate sessions, chairing the Board of Pardons and heading up the governors emergency management committee.

There's no suggestion that Fetterman's absences prevented the state from conducting important business, and his formal calendars may not capture the full range of his activities.

And, due at least in part to Fettermans criminal justice advocacy, the state agency that handles applications for pardons and commutations of life sentences saw a surge in activity while he chaired it. That produced a big jump in grants of clemency by Gov. Tom Wolf.

Fettermans defenders say the pandemic sapped opportunities for him to take a more active role and note that Wolf did not call on him to take on a bigger workload.

I believe he ... would have to liked to, state Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, said of Fetterman. Every time (Wolf) called on John to communicate, he did.

In a statement, Wolf said Fetterman's office has limited responsibilities but called him a dedicated public servant who has supported my priorities over the past four years.

Fetterman's daily schedules offer a window into his time in office, detailing his obligations including meetings, phone calls, hearings and even drive time to events around the state.

In 2019, Fetterman's first year in office, he regularly attended ribbon cuttings and conducted a statewide listening tour focused on legalizing marijuana. Still, on 47 different work days he had nothing on his schedules.

His workload plummeted after the coronavirus pandemic hit, the schedules show.

For months, starting in March 2020, his work days often consisted of a morning meeting focused on the pandemic that typically lasted 45 minutes, sometimes followed by interviews with local and national journalists. Occasionally he would attend virtual events.

But Fetterman also did not take an active role and seldom participated in the daily Cabinet meetings, even though he was tapped to head a task force on disparities in the COVID-19 response. It produced a 32-page report.

In some cases, he booked national media interviews during times he otherwise had state business to attend to, including presiding over the Senate, or pandemic work group meetings.

During a one-month period beginning in October 2020, the vast majority of events listed on Fetterman's calendar were interviews with national or Washington-based news outlets, with a scattering of official duties and events mixed in, the records show.

In 2021, Fetterman's calendars showed 115 work days with no activities or events listed. That includes a period that stretched from the end of June to mid-September where Fetterman's schedules were largely blank, listing a total of about 11 hours worked during that period.

In the first half of 2022, lasting up to his stroke, there are nearly 70 days with nothing on listed on his schedule.

Fetterman's work ethic has been a persistent focus of attack in the Senate campaign by Republicans who characterize the 53-year-old as a trust fund beneficiary who never had a paying job until he was elected lieutenant governor. Fetterman's father was a partner in an insurance firm.

Asked on a radio program Wednesday to respond to the claim that he'd never worked a day in your life, Fetterman said it wasn't true.

For 13 years he was the mayor of Braddock, a tiny, struggling steel town of 2,000 residents outside Pittsburgh.

He called being mayor a full-time job, fighting to bring (back) a community that was abandoned, left behind. Fetterman has also told of working for an insurance firm in Connecticut in the 1990s. He also held a job helping young people get GED certificates.

Still, Fettermans 2015 financial disclosure when he first ran for U.S. Senate showed that he was paid just $1,800 a year to be Braddock's mayor and lived off $54,000 given to him by his parents that year alone. Property records show that he bought his home in Braddock from his sister for $1.

That has fueled a 25-second digital ad from the campaign of Republican nominee Mehmet Oz that touts the legend Freeloading Fetterman over the vague image of a man in a black hoodie  Fetterman wears hoodies just about everywhere he goes. The narrator finishes, Thank goodness for daddy's deep pockets.

At a rally in Wilkes-Barre last month, former President Donald Trump called Fetterman a spoiled and entitled socialist loser who leeched off his parents' money  you know he lives on his parents' money  until he was 49 years old.

It's a line of criticism first used by Fetterman's Democratic rivals in past campaigns, whispering that he blew off city council meetings rather than face critics while serving as mayor of Braddock.

Records show that Fetterman skipped at least 53 city council meetings during his 13 years as the town's mayor, or roughly one-third of the meetings held during his tenure.

It's a trend that extends to his duties presiding over the Pennsylvania state Senate.

In 2020, Fetterman did not preside during 27 of the 53 Senate sessions that year, according to Senate journals, a period when the chamber adapted to the pandemic by letting numerous members connect to sessions through video links.

Fetterman did not show up for one-third of the Senates 59 session days in 2021. This year, he was present for 15 of 16 session days before suffering a stroke in May.

He came back to preside over the Senate's session on Sept. 21  then skipped the next two days of Senate sessions as he returned to the campaign trail.

Fettermans campaign attributes 20 of his absences in 2020 to COVID-19 restrictions  although that did not stop a number of senators from attending sessions in person. It also attributed 10 absences to conflicts with Board of Pardons meetings or other official business.

___

Slodysko reported from Washington.
Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore



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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.

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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!

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CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA)  A Florida deputy was attacked by a 14-year-old boy while on patrol Thursday, according to the Charlotte County Sheriffs Office.

According to a release from the sheriffs office, the deputy spotted the boy riding a bike in Babcock Ranch, Florida, just after 2 a.m. A nightly curfew is in effect for the area under the state of emergency for Hurricane Ian.

The boy told the deputy he was fishing in the area despite not having any fishing equipment, according to the sheriffs office.

Caretaker used patients credit card to pay for car, Pinellas deputies say

Deputies said the boy tried to walk away during the stop before turning around and hitting the deputy on the head. As the deputy tried to call for backup, a struggle ensued and the teen stabbed him behind the ear with a pocketknife, the sheriffs office said.

The deputy was stabbed six times but was able to use a Taser and restrain the boy as he waited for help to arrive, the sheriffs office said. The deputy was flown to a hospital for treatment and later released.

Deputies said the 14-year-old boy was a Babcock Ranch resident who told them he was planning to break into shuttered restaurants in the area. The sheriffs office said that in addition to the pocketknife, he also had a hammer in his backpack.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
More than a year after a federal judge backed Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings in a constitutional challenge to Floridas ban on so-called vaccine passports, the legal battle could be poised to end.

The Miami-based Norwegian said in filings this week in federal district court and an appellate court that it has lifted requirements that passengers show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 before boarding ships. As a result, it said the states appeal in the case is moot and that a preliminary injunction should be scrapped.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams in August 2021 issued the preliminary injunction, blocking the state from enforcing its vaccine-passport ban against Norwegian. The state appealed Williams ruling to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where the issue has been pending.

In light of these updated policies, NCLH (Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings) respectfully suggests that this appeal is likely moot, attorneys for the company wrote in a document filed Tuesday. This is an appeal from a preliminary injunction against a statute that prohibits a business practice NCLH is no longer engaging in, for now, and in the foreseeable future. NCLH recognizes that it cannot claim relief from a statute that is not presently posing injury to NCLH.

Gov. Ron DeSantis last year made a priority of blocking businesses, including the cruise industry, from requiring proof of vaccinations from customers. He issued an executive order preventing the use of vaccine passports, and the Republican-controlled Legislature later passed a bill that put the ban into law.

Norwegian filed the lawsuit in July 2021, alleging that the law violated First Amendment rights and what is known as the dormant Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The cruise industry shut down in 2020 after high-profile outbreaks of COVID-19 and also grappled with federal Centers for Disease Control requirements about safely resuming operations.

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In granting Norwegians request for a preliminary injunction, Williams wrote that the state law was a content-based restriction on speech, as it targeted documentation but allowed businesses to request other information from customers about issues such as vaccinations.

While companies cannot require customers to verify their vaccination status with documentation, the statute does not prohibit businesses from verifying vaccination status in other ways (e.g., orally), Williams wrote. Accordingly, under (the law), businesses could still discriminate against unvaccinated individuals by adopting a vaccination requirement, which they could enforce by requiring oral verification of vaccination status before entry or by deterring unvaccinated patrons from entering by putting up signs that read vaccinated customers only and unvaccinated patrons are not allowed.

In appealing Williams decision, the DeSantis administration disputed that the law violated the First Amendment.

The law simply prohibits businesses from conditioning service on customers providing documentation certifying COVID-19 vaccination, state lawyers wrote in a brief. Norwegian may still request that documentation from its customers, its customers may voluntarily provide it, and both parties are free to discuss the topic. What Norwegian may not do is deny service to customers who fail to provide that documentation.

In a news release Monday, Norwegian said it had updated its global health and safety protocols by removing all COVID-19 testing, masking and vaccination requirements, with the change taking effect Tuesday.

Health and safety are always our first priority; in fact, we were the health and safety leaders from the very start of the pandemic, Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line, said in a prepared statement. Many travelers have been patiently waiting to take their long-awaited vacation at sea, and we cannot wait to celebrate their return.

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A tense hostage situation Tuesday in Delray Beach  where a man was threatening to kill his mother  ended with both the mother and son hospitalized after a deputy opened fire, authorities said.

Around 9:30 p.m., Palm Beach County Sheriff deputies were called to an armed attempted suicide attempt in the 5300 block of Madison Road, the sheriffs office said.

Thats when deputies found Nitin Mathew, 37, threatening to stab his mother with a pink knife and commit suicide.

Nitin Mathews knife

When deputies sparked a conversation with him, Mathew grabbed his mother and again threatened to kill her, the sheriffs office said. One of the deputies fired his gun, hitting Mathew in the shoulder and his mother in the elbow.

Both were taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Once Mathew is released from the hospital, the sheriffs office said he would be charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder/false imprisonment while armed.

The deputy who fired his gun is on paid administrative leave, which is standard practice for the department as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates further with PBSO and the State Attorneys Office.
I attended the (Kelowna) mayors debate Oct. 4 at the Rotary Centre for the Arts.

(Full disclosure, I have made it pretty clear that I am voting for Tom Dyas this time around after voting for Colin Basran in the past.)

At the debate, (incumbent) Basran made the assertion, as he has before, that he has built relationships with provincial representatives and other mayors that a new mayor couldnt possibly replicate. Basran consistently talks about his work as co-chair of the B.C. Urban Mayors Caucus.

I admit, I dont know a lot about this groups work beyond what I read on the website, but it seems to be an alliance of the 13 largest cities in the province. These mayors work collaboratively on the all-important challenges cities face, such as mental health (substance use and treatment), transit, housing etc. This makes sense. Thirteen heads are better than one.

The way this seems to be presented by our current mayor is almost as if this work is a bonus he carries out for our city. Im going to assume though, that it is actually part of his job description and is required of him. He is paid to do it. Im also going to assume there are travel, hotel and meal expenses to cities like Vancouver for these meetings.

This type of travel is sometimes referred to as a perk of the job.

Im not begrudging any of these expenses, dont get me wrong. Its part of running a city. Cities working together on initiatives and concepts is logical. It stands to reason these mayors are generally on the same page and become friends because they have the same goals. This is likely why some of these mayors appear in Basrans campaign videos, suggesting (residents) of Kelowna should vote Basran.

I dont know if some of the other mayors are in each other's campaign videos, but why not? Support your buddy right?

What about the mayors closer to home though? What about the mayors and (First Nation) chiefs of smaller, less significant cities in the Central Okanagan, such as West Kelowna, Peachland, Lake Country and WFN.

Smaller yes. Less significant? Not when you consider the fact these centres are our neighbours and not when the average tourist doesnt know, or care, where Lake Country or West Kelowna borders stop or start. Its all the same to them and it should be the same to Basran.

I pay city taxes in Kelowna but consider West Kelowna, Peachland, WFN and Lake Country my home as well.

I dont know where these cities rate on our mayors priorities but I think they should be at the very top of the list, ahead of the other big 12 based on population.

Our mayor did mention these neighbours at the debate. Unfortunately he was throwing them under the bus in the process.

When Dyas talked about Kelownas crime rate, Basrans response was to blame West Kelowna, Peachland, Lake Country and the WFN when he said Kelownas crime rate was lower when these areas were factored out.

Im guessing that caused some ears in those areas to perk up, as no doubt the occasional council meeting there discusses crime from Kelowna crossing over into their neck of the woods.

I dont know if Basran has the same tight relationships with our neighbouring mayors that he does with those closer to the Lower Mainland or not. But I do hope next month, our mayorwhether it be Basran or Dyaswill work with our neighbours on crime because to me, we should all be in this together.

Lets make our alliances closer to home our first priority.

Blake Roberts
The once hard-hitting Alabama safety inked a new deal with the New York Giants on Thursday morning. He once played for the Giants from 2015 to 2018.

Collins, the Louisiana native, spent three seasons at Alabama. He was a unanimous All-American during his junior season in 2014. He was a key part of Alabamas first College Football Playoff appearance in 2015 against Ohio State.

Following the season finale, he declared for the 2015 NFL Draft and was drafted No. 33 overall by the New York Giants. Collins would spend four years with the organization before signing as a free agent with the Washington Commanders.

Now, he will reunite with the Giants once again. He is scheduled to join the team in London but isnt expected to play this weekend against the Green Bay Packers. It will be an interesting reunion considering how his free agency unfolded in 2018 when he chose to sign with a division rival.

The New York Giants are reuniting with 2015 second-round pick Landon Collins after he spent three seasons in Washington. https://t.co/GKnnEBWP0D  TheGiantsWire (@TheGiantsWire) October 6, 2022

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Collins professional career as well as other former Alabama players in the NFL.

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Story originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire
There is no "military reason" for Russian President Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons in Russia's conflict with Ukraine, Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, a former CIA Moscow station chief, said. Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Rolf Mowatt-Larssen said it'd be irresponsible of the West to view Putin's threats as "bluster."

The former CIA official said Western leaders appeared to be taking the threats very seriously.

As Ukraine gets stronger, he added, Putin might see nuclear weapons as his "only good option."

Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, a former CIA Moscow station chief, said on a podcast uploaded Wednesday that it would be "terribly irresponsible" of Western leaders not to take Russian President Vladimir Putin's threats of nuclear warfare seriously.

Michael Morell, the host of the CBS podcast "Intelligence Matters" and a former acting director of the CIA, asked Mowatt-Larssen during the episode whether he thought Putin's threats to use tactical nuclear weapons were a bluff or genuine threat.

"It would be terribly irresponsible, Michael, if anyone, any Western leader, thought of these threats as being bluster or saber-rattling or empty," Mowatt-Larssen said.

"I'm quite certain that all the Western leadership, based on at least the people I know and things I hear, are taking the threats very seriously," he added.

Despite the threat, Mowatt-Larssen said he believed there was no "military reason" for Putin to use nuclear weapons.

"In other words, he can't use tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield to win a war he can't win with an army," he said. "Nuclear weapons don't take territories. They don't hold territories. It is a way to try to strike back at an enemy you can't stop with an asymmetric weapon of mass destruction. That's the danger."

Mowatt-Larssen said that as the Russian army weakened and Ukraine got stronger and refused to agree to a cease-fire, the risks would rise of Putin seeing the use of nuclear weapons as his "only good option."

"Now, it suddenly looks as if he may feel  and I believe it's a horrifically misguided judgment if he comes to it  that somehow he'll be advantaged if he uses these weapons," Mowatt-Larssen said of Putin.

Commenting on why Ukraine has declared that it will not negotiate with Russia, Mowatt-Larssen said doing so would be an act of capitulation for Ukraine and its leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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"And he's in no mood to do that. They fought too hard. They've lost too much," he said of Zelenskyy. "So that means that he's likely to continue to defy Putin by continuing his attacks and intensifying the battle on the ground. So that puts Vladimir Putin in a very bad position because, if that's successful, his options are also dwindling."

Putin has annexed four regions of Ukraine  Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk, which comprise about 15% of Ukraine's territory. The Russian president's declaration came following sham referendums organized by pro-Russian separatists in the four occupied regions.

Experts have voiced concerns that Putin may use nuclear weapons in Ukraine and have interpreted Putin's annexation of these regions as a sign that Russia is determined to escalate the conflict.

CIA Director William Burns recently said it was difficult to tell whether Putin was bluffing about his willingness to use nuclear weapons.

"We don't see any practical evidence today in the US intelligence community that he's moving closer to actual use, that there's an imminent threat of using tactical nuclear weapons," Burns told CBS in an interview previewed on September 27 and aired in full on Sunday.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Murad Dervish, 46, is a former University of Arizona student who allegedly shot and killed professor Thomas Meixner, according to UA police (UAPD)

A University of Arizona professor was shot and killed by a former student, officials said.

Thomas Meixner, 52, was a professor at the University of Arizona. On Wednesday, a man who police believe to be a former student of Mr Weixner's shot and killed him.

The Tucson Sentinel reports that the suspect, Murad Dervish, 46, was arrested several hours later outside Gila Bend, about 120 miles away.

Just before 2pm that day, UA police received a report that a "former student" had entered the campus building that houses the university's Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences. Mr Meixner's office was located in that building.

The individual who reported the "former student" to police asked that officers remove the man from the building, according to the university police. The department claimed the man who had entered the building was Mr Dervish, and noted that he had been banned from the building in the past.

The shooting occurred shortly afterwards, around 2.06pm, while officers were moving to intercept the alleged gunman. After the shooting, the gunman fled the scene.

Thomas Meixner, 52, was a professor and researcher at the University of Arizona, where he led the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences (University of Arizona)

Mr Meixner was rushed to Banner University Medical Center but was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Mr Dervish has no prior criminal record, but had been recently evicted from a guest home in a university-adjacent neighborhood.

The Tucson Sentinel spoke with several neighbours, who claimed they had a "bad feeling" about the man. A married couple claimed they saw him have "bad interactions" with young women who lived in the main house on the property where he was staying. The couple became so worried for them they offered to let the girls stay with them.

Another neighbour, speaking on condition of anonymity to the Tucson Sentinel, said Mr Dervish had revealed that his university experience "wasn't going well." It is unclear what  if any  connection exists between Mr Dervish and Mr Meixner. Police have not revealed a motive for the shooting.

Police did not initially release the name of the victim following the shooting, but the Tucson Sentinel confirmed through multiple university sources that Mr Meixner was the man who was killed. The university confirmed the name publicly on Wednesday.

The professor had taught and researched hydrology at the university since 2005. He eventually became the head of the university's Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences in October of 2019.

"This incident is a deep shock to our community, and it is a tragedy. I have no words that can undo it, but I grieve with you for the loss, and I am pained especially for Toms family members, colleagues and students," UA President Robert Robbins wrote in a statement.
The Fort Jackson recruit accused of hijacking a school bus full of children with an empty rifle has indicated he intends to assert he is not guilty by reason of insanity, according to documents filed in the Richland County Court.

An order requiring that Jovan Collazo submit to an evaluation of his criminal responsibility and capacity was filed in the Richland Circuit Court on Sept. 27. The order requires that Collazo, who fled Army basic training at Fort Jackson in May 2021, be evaluated by the state Department of Mental Health within 60 days.

Circuit Judge Debra McCaslin issued the order with the consent of both the defense and the prosecution after defense counsel has indicated the intent to assert the defense of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Collazo, 24, has been charged with nineteen counts of kidnapping as well as armed robbery, carjacking, pointing a firearm, carrying a weapon on school property and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to court records.

In South Carolina, the defense is responsible for proving to a jury that Collazo is not guilty by reason of insanity. If Collazo is found legally insane, he would not be incarcerated in a state prison. Instead, he would be confined for care and treatment, according to South Carolina law.

The 5th Circuit Solicitors Office, which is prosecuting the case, said its policy is to not comment on ongoing prosecutions.

Following his arrest, Collazo allegedly attempted to escape from the Richland County jail. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said Collazo assaulted a guard before breaking his leg in the escape attempt.

But Collazos attorney, 5th Circuit chief public defender Fielding Pringle, characterized it as a desperate act by a troubled man on suicide watch.

People who are thinking clearly and normally do not run around jail dorms completely naked with their hands cuffed behind their back running into locked steel doors and jumping from the second tier to the floor below, Pringle said, at the time.

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These are not the actions of a healthy and clear-minded individual who is trying to escape. They are the actions of a very troubled young man who was on suicide watch at the time, Pringle said.

The State was not able to reach Pringle for this story.

Collazo fled basic training at Fort Jackson on the morning of May 7, 2021. After hopping the perimeter fence of the countrys largest Army basic training facility, Collazo attempted to hitch rides from passing cars on Interstate 77. Armed with his unloaded rifle, Collazo then hijacked the school bus, Lott said at the time.

Authorities say that Collazo ordered the bus driver to take him to the next town. But he got frustrated when the children began asking him questions, and he told the bus driver to stop after traveling about 3.5 miles. He ordered the children and driver off the bus and then drove a few more miles before being arrested by sheriffs deputies.
(Reuters) - Four family members in California, including an 8-month-old girl, were found dead in a rural area after they were abducted in the city of Merced on Monday, authorities said in an update on the case.

"Tonight our worst fears have been confirmed. We found the four people from the kidnapping and they are in fact deceased, Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said in a video statement late on Wednesday.

The victims, including the 8-month-old girl Aroohi Dheri, were abducted along with her mother Jasleen Kaur, 27, her father Jasdeep Singh, 36, and the baby's uncle, 39-year-old Amandeep Singh.

(Reporting by Jyoti Narayan and Ann Maria Shibu in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
The European Union is under pressure by France to target senior officials and hold them responsible for their actions, stated foreign minister Catherine Colonna to the parliament Tuesday. This was in reference to the protests after the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in a hospital in Tehran, India.

Demanding justice

Colonna proposed sanctions on the officials such as freezing their assets and their right to travel. Colonna also criticized Tehran officials stating they repress on one hand and send many of their own children to live in the West on the other. France is now working with countries such as Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, and the Czech Republic on sanctions against Tehran.

A fallen patriot for change

Amini, who was only 22 years old, was attacked by Kurdish Iranian police for not properly wearing her hijab. She was detained and brutally beaten by police according to witnesses, then pronounced dead on September 16.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Daily Show (@thedailyshow)

Worldwide protests

Protestors were enraged over her death and caused the biggest protest to hit Iran in almost three years. Many have lost their lives and over 1,000 people arrested.

US President Joe Biden Monday vowed further costs on perpetrators of violence against peaceful protesters.

Now efforts for a nuclear deal between Iran and other powerful nations are at a standstill due to the death of Amini. Conversations had revived in 2015, however the current climate of Iran has put a pause on negotiations.
(Bloomberg) -- Anger is mounting about plans to strip an Australian hospital of its Indigenous title and rename it after the late Queen Elizabeth II as the nation continues to grapple with the divisive legacy of its colonial past.

Most Read from Bloomberg

More than 50,000 people have signed a petition urging Dan Andrews, the Premier of Victoria state, to reverse his decision to rename the Maroondah Hospital in east Melbourne, according to a statement from the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria. His government recently announced the name change alongside plans for a A$1 billion ($650,000) redevelopment of the facility.

The Greens party branch in Victoria -- one of two Australian states named after British royalty -- is also calling on the Labor government to scrap the renaming. Victoria state elections are being held next month.

Weve lost enough of our culture, our history and our people thanks to colonialism, Assembly Co-Chair Marcus Stewart said in Thursdays statement. It would be a real misstep to erase an Aboriginal name to make room for the very symbol of colonialism.

Maroondah is a word from the language of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people which means throwing leaves.

Critics argue there are plenty of buildings and monuments honoring British royalty in Australia and too few paying respect to Indigenous history and culture. The former colony still counts the monarch as its head of state after a 1999 referendum to become a republic was narrowly defeated, and debate has simmered ever since. Polls suggest the population is roughly split about breaking from Britain.

Issues faced by First Nations people have been pushed to the forefront by Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses government, which has promised to hold a referendum on including a voice for Indigenous Australians to Parliament in the constitution by 2025. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were only given the right to vote in Australia in 1962.

Story continues

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Gabrielle Union has joined several celebrities in sharing their support for Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson after Kanye West insulted her on Instagram this week.

The Inspection actor shared a Women Crush Wednesday post dedicated to Karefa-Johnson on Instagram Wednesday, calling on her followers to help lift her up in the light of goodness and hold her there!

Union posted a fun video montage of Karefa-Johnson  a longtime contributor and global fashion editor at large at Vogue  and celebrated her mark in the fashion industry.

Its likely your favorite celeb has been styled by [Karefa-Johnson.] In fact, she became the first Black woman to style a Vogue cover, and now has consistently worked on cover after cover with the publication, Union wrote.

In addition to Karefa-Johnsons unique sense of style, Union celebrated how she often voices her opinion.

I admire her strength and bravery on speaking out on whats not right, and believe she should NOT be silenced, she wrote.

Gabriella Karefa-Johnson at the 2022 Inaugural Fifteen Percent Pledge Benefit Gala on April 02, 2022 in New York City. (Photo: Bennett Raglin via Getty Images)

Gabriella Karefa-Johnson at the 2022 Inaugural Fifteen Percent Pledge Benefit Gala on April 02, 2022 in New York City. (Photo: Bennett Raglin via Getty Images)

West, who legally changed his name to Ye last year, drew wide criticism on Tuesday after he attempted to mock Karefa-Johnsons fashion choices by posting photos of her in since-deleted Instagram posts, writing that she is not a fashion person, among other insults.

The rappers remarks were in response to Karefa-Johnsons critiques of Wests show at Paris Fashion Week on Monday, where he debuted White Lives Matter shirts. West was photographed wearing a shirt featuring the reactionary phrase deemed a hate slogan by the Anti-Defamation League.

Karefa-Johnson shared many thoughts in her Instagram Stories about the shirt, writing that although she knew what he was trying to do, she found the slogans display to be deeply offensive, violent, and dangerous.

Vogue released a statement of support for the editor on Instagram, writing that she was personally targeted and bullied by West.

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The publication confirmed that Karefa-Johnson had since had a private meeting with the rapper, who claimed in a later Instagram post that they apologized to each other for the way we made each other feel during that meeting.

Karefa-Johnson opened up about the ordeal in an Instagram post on Wednesday, writing that she has endured fatphobic attacks amid the drama with West.

Ive fielded some serious volatility over the last couple of days, but nothing has been quite as bad as what people have said about my body and the way I look, she wrote.

The fat phobia JUMPED out. Yes, I am fat. No, I am not humiliated to show up as my authentic self in the world, she continued, celebrating designers like Chopova Lowena for their body inclusivity.

To my fellow fat sisters and brothers, put that lil dress on, grab your miniskirts: We ride at dawn! she added.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
A look at the shareholders of Galan Lithium Limited (ASX:GLN) can tell us which group is most powerful. We can see that individual investors own the lion's share in the company with 60% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

Meanwhile, individual insiders make up 18% of the companys shareholders. Institutions will often hold stock in bigger companies, and we expect to see insiders owning a noticeable percentage of the smaller ones.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Galan Lithium.

View our latest analysis for Galan Lithium

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Galan Lithium?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Galan Lithium. 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 Galan Lithium's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Galan Lithium. The company's CEO Juan Pablo de la Vega is the largest shareholder with 5.7% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 5.6% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 5.1% by the third-largest shareholder.

A deeper look at our ownership data shows that the top 19 shareholders collectively hold less than half of the register, suggesting a large group of small holders where no single shareholder has a majority.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. Our information suggests that there isn't any analyst coverage of the stock, so it is probably little known.

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Insider Ownership Of Galan Lithium

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

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 information suggests that insiders maintain a significant holding in Galan Lithium Limited. It has a market capitalization of just AU$369m, and insiders have AU$66m worth of shares in their own names. It is great to see insiders so invested in the business. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying recently.

General Public Ownership

The general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, collectively holds 60% of Galan Lithium shares. With this amount of ownership, retail investors can collectively play a role in decisions that affect shareholder returns, such as dividend policies and the appointment of directors. They can also exercise the power to vote on acquisitions or mergers that may not improve profitability.

Private Company Ownership

Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 7.0%, of the company's shares. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Galan Lithium better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Galan Lithium (2 are a bit unpleasant) that you should be aware of.

If you would prefer check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, backed by strong financial data.

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.

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BANJUL, Gambia (AP)  Gambia has launched an urgent door-to-door campaign to remove cough and cold syrups blamed for the deaths of more than 60 children from kidney injury in the tiny West African country.

Speaking to The Associated Press, the Director of Health Dr. Mustapha Bittaye confirmed the wave of child deaths from acute kidney injury, sending shockwaves across the country of 2.4 million people and around the world.

The World Health Organisation has issued an alarm in response to the deaths.

WHO has issued a medical product alert for four contaminated medicines identified in The Gambia that have been potentially linked to acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement issued Wednesday.

The loss of young lives is beyond heartbreaking for their families, he said.

The four medicines are cough and cold syrups produced in India, said the WHO statement.

While the contaminated products have so far only been detected in Gambia, they may have been distributed to other countries, said the statement. WHO is pursuing investigations with the company and regulatory authorities in India, it said.

"WHO recommends all countries detect and remove these products from circulation to prevent further harm to patients, it said.

Teaming up with the Gambia Red Cross Society, the Ministry of Health has dispatched hundreds of young people to collect the suspect syrups through a house-to-house campaign.

Gambia's Medical Research Council has also issued an alarm.

Over the last week, we admitted a child with this condition (acute kidney injury) ... and she has unfortunately died. We were able to confirm that she had taken one of the drugs that is suspected to be causing this, prior to her arrival at our clinic. It had been bought at a pharmacy within The Gambia, the council said in a statement. The drug has been identified as containing a significant amount of a toxin which damages kidneys irreversibly.
Hoi An aims to become dog and cat meat-free city

Hoi An City in the central province of Quang Nam has approved non-refundable aid of USD50,000 from the Four Paws animal welfare organisation for its project to become Vietnams first dog and cat meat-free city.



The fund is part of a memorandum of understanding signed between Hoi An and the Four Paws in December 2021 on putting an end to dog and cat meat consumption and supporting rabies elimination.





Hoi An and the Four Paws sign a memorandum of understanding on putting an end to dog and cat meat consumption and supporting rabies elimination in 2021





The project to develop Hoi An as a dog and cat meat-free city along with supporting rabies elimination by Four Paws kicked off in September and will finish in December 2023.



Under the project, the city will set up fixed news bulletin boards in public places and release publications to help raise public awareness of the danger of rabies and encourage people not to eat dog and cat meat.



The city will also give financial assistance for the rabies vaccination of local dogs and cats.



Phasing out dog and cat meat consumption and eradicating rabies are part of local efforts to develop an ecological, cultural, and tourism-focused city.



Around five million dogs and one million cats in Vietnam are slaughtered for meat trade annually, affecting animal safety and human health.
Photo: The Canadian Press Ombudsperson Jay Chalke releases releases a report during a press conference in Victoria, B.C., on Thursday, April 6, 2017. Chalke's office is investigating how provincial government programs supported residents forced from their homes and communities during wildfires and floods last year. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

British Columbia's ombudsperson is investigating how provincial government programs supported residents forced from their homes and communities during wildfires and floods last year.

A statement from the Office of the Ombudsperson says two programs are being examined to determine if they were administered fairly to those displaced for long periods.

Ombudsperson Jay Chalke says the probe will focus on the Emergency Support Services and Disaster Financial Assistance programs to identify any gaps in services when extreme weather events occur.

A questionnaire has been posted on the ombudsperson's website asking about awareness and timeliness of supports and services linked to the two programs under review.

The statement says responses to the questionnaire will be anonymous, although respondents will have the option of leaving contact information if they want to speak to someone about their experiences.

The questionnaire will be open to the public until Dec. 31.

The review is being launched because Chalke says wildfires, including the one in June that destroyed the village of Lytton, and torrential floods in November that swept away homes, devastated farmland and tore up huge chunks of southern B.C. highways, had "profound" effects on "both individual well-being and community cohesion."

Our investigation will seek to determine how the two government programs addressed any disproportionate impacts experienced by particular communities, including Indigenous communities, Chalke says in the statement.

Details from the questionnaire could help the ombudsperson's office determine if it should recommend improvements so those programs can better serve displaced residents in future.
Fox News political commentator Geraldo Rivera has sent a scathing message to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after his political stunt involving Venezuelan migrants.

Rivera took to Twitter and predicted that Mr DeSantis will face serious consequences at the ballot box for sending two flights of migrants to Marthas Vineyard last month.

According to a Mason-Dixon poll released on Wednesday, Mr DeSantis leads the gubernatorial race in the Sunshine State by 11 points over Democrat Charlie Crist.

Governor DeSantis will soon feel the wrath of Floridas Latino voters outraged by his toying with the lives of those Venezuelan refugees he exploited, Rivera tweeted in reference to the more than 40 migrants who were told they were being sent to Boston to obtain work papers through a programme sponsored by the Florida government.

The migrants began their flight in San Antonio, Texas, before going to the panhandle in Florida and then on to Marthas Vineyard  DeSantis later took credit for the innovative relocation measure.

The Republican has been lauded by fellow anti-immigration political leaders, while immigration activists, Democrats and the White House have deemed the measure deeply alarming.

The new Florida governor will be elected on 8 November, with more than 1.4m Latinos expected to cast ballots, according to the NALEO Educational Fund.

It is not the first time that Rivera has condemned Mr DeSantis over the stunt.

Governor DeSantis will soon feel the wrath of Floridas Latino voters outraged by his toying with the lives of those Venezuelan refugees he exploited.  Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) October 5, 2022

Last month, he also tweeted that, DeSantis and Abbott have succeeded in making the problem front page news and challenged those hungry, hugely ambitious politicians to come up with specific policies to alleviate the border crisis.

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In response to the initial backlash, Mr DeSantis said that Florida is not a sanctuary city and that he will facilitate the transport for migrants to able to go to greener pastures.

The migrants arrived at the wealthy islands airport on 14 September. Some of them later accepted a Massachusetts-sponsored programme and have already been relocated to other places in the state.

The last dozen of migrants on the island are expected to leave this weekend, the Associated Press reported.

It has since emerged that the group was given $10 McDonalds gift cards and the promise that their children would be taken care of upon arrival, a fellow migrant and recruiter, who wished to remain anonymous, told CNN.

The individual told CNN that he was approached by a woman named Perla, who gave him clothes and food so he would join the scheme in which 48 mostly Venezuelan migrants landed unannounced on the wealthy island.

The man said he was unaware of the political stunt behind his recruitment and that Perla had promised him the migrants would have a better future in Massachusetts.

The group of migrants have sued Mr DeSantis and his administration, claiming they were victims of a fraudulent and discriminatory scheme.

The class action lawsuit comes as at least one law enforcement agency, the Bexar County Sheriffs Office in Texas, is investigating the governors plans for allegedly luring migrants with false promises of employment and financial assistance.
A mounting energy crisis in Europe is starting to strain relations between traditional allies.

Germany, which prior to the Ukraine war tapped Russia for 55% of its gas supplies, is in a particularly perilous position, and a top government official is urging friendly nations like the U.S. and others to do more.

In an interview Wednesday with local outlet NOZ, German economic minister Robert Habeck called on both the U.S. and the European Union to provide more solidarity to vulnerable countries and help curb soaring gas prices.

Some countries, including friendly ones, can achieve astronomical [natural gas] prices. Of course, that brings with it problems that we have to talk about, he said.

Energy solidarity

Winter isnt here yet, but the European energy crisis is already starting to take its toll.

Utility bills have tripled in many places, and high energy prices are forcing factories to furlough workers and slow production. And in Germany, after years as Europes economic leader, the crisis is becoming especially dire.

The German government plans to borrow 200 billion ($197 billion) so it can subsidize soaring utility bills for households and businesses and has already bailed out major energy companies that are unable to keep up with rising prices. And the prospect of a colder than average winter in Europe creates even more uncertainty over how much natural gas Germany will actually need, raising the likelihood of energy rationing.

As a result, Germanys government is urging allies for more support.

In his interview on Wednesday with NOZ, Habeck pressured Germanys European Union neighbors to step up efforts to keep natural gas prices down, noting their enormous market power. He said the EU bloc should pool its market power and orchestrate smart and synchronized purchasing so that individual EU countries do not outbid each other and drive up world market prices.

Habeck also recalled how Germany acted in solidarity with the Western world in March by releasing 60 million barrels of oil from its own strategic reserves to reduce soaring global oil prices immediately after the Ukraine war began.

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We are making a contribution to the international concert. In times like these it is important to act as one, Habeck said of the decision at the time.

In his interview with NOZ, he appealed directly to Washington by saying that such solidarity would also be good for curbing gas prices in the future.

Global supply

Since Russia began cutting natural gas flows to Europe earlier this year, the U.S. has become one of the continents main suppliers, shipping thousands of tons of liquefied natural gas to the continent daily. Nearly 60% of U.S. natural gas exports in August went to Europe, according to commodities data firm Vortexa, up from a 19% share in August 2021.

With global natural gas supply shortages and high demand, the profits of U.S. energy companies have soared. Earlier this year, those companies were slow to increase production owing to uncertainty that demand would remain high.

But with natural gas supply from Russia likely to continue shrinking, European demand for U.S. liquefied natural gas shipments is expected to remain high. U.S. oil and gas companies have pledged to increase production, which is now projected to grow by 4% by March 2023 compared with last winters production levels, according to a report this week by the Natural Gas Supply Association.

However, natural gas is likely to remain in short supply globally for most of 2023, the International Energy Agency warned this week.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Memphis rapper GloRilla has continued to gain popularity since the release of her hit single F.N.F (Lets Go) .

At the 2022 BET Hip-Hop Show awards this Tuesday, GloRilla made a career milestone with her first award win for Breakthrough Hip Hop Artist.

The Memphis native hit the charts with her summer hit F.N.F (Lets Go) and recently collabed with Cardi B for her track Tomorrow 2.

After signing with Yo Gottis record label CMG in July the rapper is working to have her debut album released by the end of the year.

In an XXL interview Glorilla shares that she was a church girl growing up and was a fan of rappers Lil Wayne, Bow Wow, and Souja Boy. But she wasnt influenced to start rapping until she heard music from Chicago drill rapper Chief Keef.

In her acceptance speech, the rapper thanked God, her mother, her team, and Yo Gotti, ending the speech with saying, Lets Go!

GloRillas a rising star so there will definitely be some more awards to come in her future.
Occupants could steal dental crowns from a local dentist

The reporters met with the dentist and showed him a photo of the box, which was widely shared across social media as evidence of Russias torture tactics.

The teeth look like those stolen from my office, the dentist, identified as Serhiy, explained.

Read also: Invaders rigged dam in Kharkiv Oblast with about 650 kilos of explosives

My house was burglarized. They used to belong to people I have treated all these years. I removed these teeth because they were bad.

The doctor suggested that the invaders had stolen the teeth because they assumed they were made of gold, when in fact they were stainless steel.

"The locals told me that the Russians probably used them to intimidate people," Serhii said.

Law enforcement in Kharkiv Oblast discovered the torture chamber while examining the liberated village, the head of investigations for Kharkiv Oblast police, Serhiy Bolvinov, wrote on Facebook on Oct. 4.

Read also: Ukraines SBU finds another Russian torture chamber in liberated Kharkiv Oblast

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.

Neighbors constantly heard screams from there, he wrote.

Read also: Ukraine detains several collaborators in Kharkiv Oblast

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 the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
(Bloomberg) -- Contract workers at Googles data centers allege that they were fired for supporting a union and faced retaliation after pushing for better benefits, according to a pair of complaints filed this week with the US National Labor Relations Board.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Alphabet Workers Union, whose members include both direct employees and subcontracted staff for Googles parent company, claims that two workers at a data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa, were terminated for discussing their working conditions and because of their affiliation with the labor organization, according to documents viewed by Bloomberg.

Another worker at the site faced retaliation for having a role in the union, according to the complaint, which was filed on Wednesday against Google and Modis, an information-technology firm that serves as a subcontractor.

Labor groups have been pushing to make inroads this year in big tech companies, long seen as resistant to union organizing. In addition to Google, Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc. have faced labor campaigns in recent months -- with mixed results.

In another complaint filed with the NLRB on Wednesday, two contract security guards working at Google data centers in North and South Carolina allege that they lost their security clearances after discussing working conditions. The workers said they had spoken out about a lack of benefits such as sick days and parental leave and have been unable to work without their security clearances.

The cases appear to be the first in which Alphabet Inc. workers were fired for their union membership, according to Parul Koul, a Google software engineer and the executive chair of AWU, a so-called minority union that doesnt have collective bargaining authority but advocates on behalf of workers. Google is named in the complaints as a joint employer, or a company with sufficient control over a group of workers to be legally liable for their treatment.

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Google didnt have an immediate comment. Modis, which is owned by Adecco Group AG, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Claims filed with the NLRB are investigated by regional officials. If they find merit in the allegations and cant secure a settlement, they issue a complaint on behalf of the labor boards general counsel, which is considered by an agency judge. Those judges rulings can be appealed to the NLRB members in Washington and then to federal court.

The agency has the authority to order companies to reinstate fired workers and change policies, but generally cant hold executives personally liable for alleged wrongdoing or issue any punitive damages.

Last year, another NLRB complaint filed by AWU on behalf of a subcontracted Google data-center worker in South Carolina led to a settlement. As part of that agreement, the tech giant promised to obey federal law by not silencing workers about their pay.

The treatment of the workers in Council Bluffs violates that settlement, AWU alleges. In June, one of the workers, Eli Cave, who uses they and them pronouns, suggested a walkout to protest a new timekeeping system that they feared could lead to lost wages. Shortly thereafter, a manager said Caves actions could be considered insubordination and threatened to put Cave on a performance improvement plan, according to a statement of facts in the case viewed by Bloomberg.

In July, two other workers at the site, Dustin Sommers-Hehn and Leilani Morton, met in the data centers common area to discuss working conditions, according to the statement of facts. Later that week, management gave Sommers-Hehn a final warning for having a union meeting and told Morton that discussing unions was forbidden, the document states. Sommers-Hehn and Morton learned in August and October, respectively, that their contracts wouldnt be renewed.

The other complaint filed Wednesday is tied to security guards at Google contractor Allied Universal. Earlier this year, Allied workers realized they werent receiving key benefits, such as sick days, special leave for Covid-19 and parental leave, though they were guaranteed under Googles minimum benefits standards for US contractors, according to the complaint.

Allied rolled out some benefits in September after a petition circulated by employees attracted hundreds of signatures, workers said. Cynthia West, who was working as a security guard in North Carolina, said she helped organize the petition, but she feels she has paid a steep price. Shortly after accepting a new job at another Google contractor on the site, she learned that she had lost her security clearance.

A representative for Allied didnt have an immediate comment.

Although she was employed by Googles contracting firms, West said that the client bears responsibility for working conditions on the site.

The client does or should have some culpability for that, said West, 37, who is cited by the AWU complaint. If they dont know, they need to know.

Another worker who is part of the complaint against Google and Allied, Heather Smith, said she had spoken out about the lack of benefits and also advocated on behalf of a pregnant colleague.

In late September, she learned she had lost her security clearance. It was a blow out of nowhere, said Smith, 31. I was terminated without them actually saying terminated.

(Adds detail from complaint in sixth paragraph.)

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2022 Bloomberg L.P.
At today's Pixel 7 event, Google has announced a new accessibility feature that will help blind and visually-impaired users take better selfies. "Guided Frame" is a voice coach that will tell users where to hold their phones in order to, for instance, take a selfie. Hold the device in front of you, and it'll ask you to go up, down, or to the side, until its AI believes you're in the best place to shoot. When it does, it'll even trigger the shutter automatically, telling the user when they can relax their hand.

It's part of a number of features the company has unveiled today to burnish its accessibility and inclusivity, including True Tone. Google said it has teamed up with a number of photographers and artists who are people of color to help ensure that photos are accurate and representative of everyone's skin tone. In addition, it says that the Pixel 7 series' Night Sight feature, courtesy of the new Tensor G2 chip, is faster and better at shooting scenes while in the dark.

Follow all of the news from Google's Pixel 7 event right here!
(Bloomberg) -- Alphabet Inc.s Google on Thursday said its new Pixel phones will deliver improved voice and camera features while bringing back facial recognition for unlocking the device as it seeks to better compete with Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The companys Pixel 7 and 7 Pro devices offer more affordable prices than the dominant duo of the mobile market, coming in at $599 and $899, respectively, and introduce the second generation of Googles in-house Tensor chip. The 6.7-inch Pro version has an additional zoom camera, better display and more memory than the 6.3-inch Pixel 7.

Googles Pixel phones every year serve as the showcase for the companys latest Android software and artificial intelligence-based services, such as the Google Assistant. They demonstrate how Google hopes device-making partners will best use its operating system. Google continues developing its own hardware, which has only ever sold in small numbers, in part as insurance against missteps by Samsung, the only credible Apple rival in the US.

Google cannot afford to bet its future on Samsung not just for the US market but for the higher-end market across the board, said Atlanta-based mobile industry analyst Carolina Milanesi. It also needs a clean experience to show off its AI.

Google AI shows up in the upgraded language-processing capabilities of its latest software. The Recorder app for voice memos can now automatically label different speakers in transcriptions, and transcriptions are also being added to audio messages in the new Pixels messaging app.

The Pixel lineup had only 2% of the North American market in the second quarter, whereas Apples iPhone commanded 52%, according to Canalys data. Still, Google said its now the fastest-growing smartphone developer, in comments ahead of its launch event in New York Thursday.

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Also introduced at the event was the $349 Pixel Watch. Its the first smartwatch from the company to bear the Pixel name and undercuts the latest-generation Apple Watch, which starts at $399. Google will equip its smartwatch with an on-board app store, Google Wallet for mobile payments and Fitbit health sensors and workout services, the company said. There will be models with and without cellular connectivity and Google promises up to 24 hours of battery life for the round-faced device. It will be available Oct. 13, alongside the new phones.

What Bloomberg Intelligence Says

Google could aggressively diversify its supply chain as it has expanded into various categories including wearables, security systems and smart speakers. Hardware makes up about $10 billion, or 4% of Alphabets sales, and could grow much faster if the company expands into AR/VR and robots.

-- Mandeep Singh and Ashley Kim, BI analysts

Click here for the full research

Among Googles other smartphone upgrades this year is a promised 72-hour battery life on low-power mode, up from last years 48 hours. The higher-tier Pixel 7 Pro has three rear cameras, including a 50-megapixel wide-angle lens with the ability to take macro shots and a 48-megapixel telephoto lens with 5X optical zoom. It can record 4K video at 60 frames per second. The standard model benefits from the same macro camera but misses out on the zoom; it also has a slower 90Hz screen rather than the 120Hz display of the Pro.

Both phones see the return of face unlock, matching most of the high-end handsets on the market, after that biometric authentication option was removed from the Pixel line with the fifth-generation model in 2020. Google also matches a feature introduced with much fanfare on the iPhone 13 last year: a Cinematic Blur mode that can synthesize depth of field and background blur in videos.

Questions about the long-term viability of the Pixel line have circulated for years and may intensify now that all tech companies, Google included, are looking at ways to control costs and streamline operations. Success in the smartphone business requires significant upfront and marketing investment.

If Google does not become serious about the hardware business, Im afraid this product will be another lost opportunity to expand its phone business in critical markets, such as North America and Europe, IDCs Francisco Jeronimo said ahead of the launch event.

Also at its Thursday event, Google teased details about its new Pixel Tablet, which was first announced at the companys I/O developer conference in May. Like the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, the tablet will run Googles Tensor G2 chip, said Rose Yao, vice president of product management. It will be made from 100% recycled aluminum and have a charging speaker dock that magnetically attaches to the back of the device. When the Pixel Tablet is docked, it will essentially act as a Nest Hub, allowing people to control their smart home with Google Assistant.

Google didnt announce any pricing information or a specific release date, only that the tablet would arrive by 2023.

(Updates to add details on new tablet in final paragraph)

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2022 Bloomberg L.P.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Google's Russian subsidiary has filed a lawsuit against Russian state bailiffs, court documents show, in a year that has seen the unit file for bankruptcy in Russia and have more than 7.7 billion roubles ($127 million) in funds seized.

Alphabet Inc.'s Google declined to comment.

In May, Russian bailiffs seized funds from Google that it had been ordered to pay late last year. A month earlier, Tsargrad, a Russian Orthodox television channel blocked by YouTube, said bailiffs had seized 1 billion roubles from Google.

Google's subsidiary filed for bankruptcy in June after saying that authorities had seized its bank account, making it impossible to pay staff and vendors.

Court documents published on Oct. 4 showed the Moscow Arbitration Court had accepted an application from Google LLC dated Sept. 30 and would consider the case.

The court listed the Moscow department of Russia's Federal Bailiffs Service and one of its senior officials as the defendants.

Russia's Federal Bailiffs Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The RIA news agency reported in August that the same Moscow court had rejected Google's demand that the 1 billion roubles seized in the Tsargrad case be returned, with the TV channel still unable to access all Google services.

Tsargrad TV is owned by businessman Konstantin Malofeev, who was sanctioned by the United States and European Union in 2014 over accusations that he funded pro-Moscow separatists fighting in Ukraine, something he denies. Russia considers such Western sanctions illegal.

Tsargrad TV had no immediate comment.

($1 = 60.5000 roubles)

(Reporting by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Mark Potter)
Merced County Sheriffs Office

The family of four who were kidnapped Monday at gunpoint have been discovered dead, authorities confirmed late Wednesday night, as details begin to emerge about their suspected kidnappers violent past.

Merced County Sheriff Vernon Warnke announced the deaths in a press conference, saying our worst fears have been confirmed, with the missing family members bodies located in an extremely remote area.

The kidnapping itself was captured on closed circuit TV, which showed the masked suspect entering a business in Californias Central Valley before escorting the victims outside moments later with their hands zip-tied behind them.

The kidnapping itself was captured on closed circuit TV, which showed the masked suspect entering a business in Californias Central Valley before escorting the victims outside moments later with their hands zip-tied behind them.

Merced County Sheriffs Office

The infant, Aroohi Dheri, and parents Jasleen Kaur, 27, and Jasdeep Singh, 36, along with an uncle, Amandeep Singh, 39, were all taken against their will, cops confirmed Monday.

Investigators were continuing their work at the scene overnight Wednesday with a crime lab from the Department of Justice involved in processing. Sheriff Warnke said he got the call at around 5:30 p.m. from a farm worker in the area who stumbled across the bodies during the course of his job duties. Police and detectives arrived shortly afterward.

The family were found relatively close together, Sheriff Warnke said. He described the area where the bodies were found as extremely remote, adding, not a lot of folks come down here.

Theres no words right now to describe the anger I feel and the senselessness of this incident. Theres a special place in hell for this guy and I mean it. What were going to deal with tonight is bad, and were going to have to be out here all night having to deal with it.

The suspected kidnapper, identified as ex-convict Jesus Salgado, 48, was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon.

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Salgado was previously convicted of first-degree robbery, attempted false imprisonment, and dissuading a witness related to a 2005 home invasion. He pleaded no contest and served eight years in prison.

Now, a victim from that terrifying night has spoke out, detailing Salgados heinous acts nearly two decades ago that are eerily similar to what was captured by security cameras on Monday.

The 2005 victim, who owned a trucking company like the family in Merced, told CBS47 that Salgado was his employee for two years before he fired him.

After his termination, Salgado went rogue and showed up at the home of his former boss in December 2005.

The man, who was not identified by the station, opened up his front door to see Salgado there with a ski mask and a gun. Salgado then pointed a gun at the back of his head, he said, and forced his way inside.

There, Salgado restrained the man, his wife, and their 16-year-old daughter with duct tape as he robbed them blind, taking all the money we had, rings, that kind of stuff.

Already traumatized, Salgado then marched the family to their backyard pool and forced them in, the man said. Before he left, he threatened the family: If you call the police, I will kill you.

The homeowner called 911 and Salgado was arrested the following day, CBS47 reported. Now, 18 years later, it appears Salgado may have taken his terror to another levelthis time with a whole family wiped out, Sheriff Warnke said.

In an emotional press conference Wednesday, Warnke said he hopes the victims family can have some closure at least, despite it not being the closure we were hoping for.

Salgado tried to kill himself Wednesday prior to law enforcement involvement, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, citing law enforcement officials. He was in critical condition as of Wednesday and was still hospitalized on Thursday.

Before he was captured, cops told CBS47 that Salgado had used one of the victims debit cards at an ATM. His own family members also tipped off authorities, calling 911 to say he was responsible for kidnappings.

The bodies of the family were ultimately found by a rancher in an orchard field near Dos Palos, cops said.

Sheriff Warnke said cops were still trying to figure out what happened, though he had seen the scene of the crime and confirmed investigators will be very methodical.

It sucks on many levels, he said. Horrible, senseless as to what happened here.

Despite Sheriff Warnke initially saying police were unaware of the killers motivations, he told CBS47 on Thursday that it was related to money or anger. Warnke said Salgado was still recovering in the hospital but, once hes released, he hopes the district attorneys office will file for the death penalty.

Youre dealing with a child here, the sheriff said. Im just livid inside because this was completely and totally senseless, we have a whole family wiped out.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Photo: The Canadian Press A solar ship of Deutsche Post DHL is unloaded by employees at 'Westhafen' Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. DHL launches parcel transport by water with an electrically powered solar ship. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)

Germans are using too much gas to avoid a potential energy emergency this winter, the head of Germanys national network regulator warned Thursday.

Gas consumption increased by too much last week, said Klaus Mueller, head of Germanys network agency.

With the reduction in natural gas flows from Russia amid the war in Ukraine, German officials have urged citizens to cut back on gas usage and conserve energy heading into the colder months.

Rather than a reduction in gas consumption, figures from the national network regulator show there has been an increase in usage. Last weeks gas consumption among households and small businesses was nearly 10% higher than the average consumption from 2018 to 2021, they said.

We will hardly be able to avoid a gas emergency in winter without at least 20% savings in the private, commercial and industrial sectors, Mueller said. The situation can become very serious if we do not significantly reduce our gas consumption.
A former gynecologist and pharmacist illegally sold and distributed prescriptions to drug addicts in Georgia, federal authorities say.

Anthony Mills, 56, who was a gynecologist, and Raphael Ogunsusi, who owned Evansmill Pharmacy and Retox Pharmacy, pleaded guilty to operating an Atlanta-area pill mill, according to an Oct. 5 news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office, Northern District of Georgia.

They were charged with multiple counts of Unlawful Dispensing and Distribution of Controlled Substances and Aiding and Abetting, court documents show.

Between at least October 2018 and July 2020, Mills and Ogunsusi worked together and with several others to prescribe and distribute prescription medications to drug dealers and addicts, the release says.

Mills specialty was listed as gynecology with the state medical board, but he did not maintain a practice, court documents say. Instead, Mills operated from his home, writing prescriptions without obtaining any medical records, conducting exams or establishing a patient-doctor relationship.

Despite his specialty, most of the patients Mills served were male. Furthermore, court documents say that some of the prescriptions were issued to identities that had been stolen or to people who were deceased or incarcerated.

Most of the prescriptions Mills issued were filled by Ogunsusi, who was aware of the pill mill, officials say. In exchange for fulfilling the illegitimate prescriptions, Ogunsusi accepted large cash payments. To hide the drastically inflated prices, he and others falsified pricing information on his pharmacys computers.

His pharmacies were in Stonecrest and Conyers, two towns more than 20 miles southeast of Atlanta.

Ogunsusi also required patients to buy other additional non-controlled substances, referred to as the Shebang, to maximize his profits for illegal dispensing, officials say.

With the payments he received, Ogunsusi purchased an airplane, according to officials. He also pleaded guilty to money laundering as a result of this purchase.

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Among the drugs prescribed and sold were oxycodone, percocet and promethazine with codeine, court documents show.

The dispensing of addictive prescription pain medication under the guise of a doctors care isnt about the good of the community or an individuals specific health needs  its about greed, Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEAs Atlanta Field Division said.

Mills will be sentenced Feb. 7, 2023. Ogunsusi does not have a sentencing date yet. Criminal charges are pending against eight other defendants, the release says.

Neither Mills nor Ogunsusis attorneys immediately responded to McClatchys request for comment.

EMT replaced fentanyl with another liquid while working for ambulance service, feds say

Doctor preying on drug addicts sold hundreds of fake prescriptions, Florida cops say

85 arrested after drugs sent in checked bags through Orlando airport, Florida cops say
The family of Hae Min Lee is asking the Maryland Court of Special Appeals to halt Adnan Syeds circuit court case pending the familys appeal of a Baltimore judges decision to vacate Syeds murder conviction in Lees death.

In a six-page motion filed Sept. 29, Hae Min Lees brother Young Lee asked the appellate court to halt further proceedings in the case because the family was not given enough notice about the hearing to overturn Syeds conviction.

The Lee family is not seeking, through this motion or through the appeal, to impact Mr. Syeds release from custody, the familys attorney Steve Kelly told the Sun in a statement. If the wrong person has been behind bars for 23 years, the Lee family and the rest of the world want to understand what new evidence has led to that conclusion.

Syeds case became a matter of international intrigue following the 2014 release of the Serial podcast, which reexamined his now 22-year-old murder conviction.

Maryland law does not specifically say how much notice a victims family needs before a hearing, but it is inferred that they should be given a reasonable amount of time. Kelly filed notice of the Lee familys appeal last week, on the grounds the family didnt receive enough notice about Syeds hearing.

Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn overturned Syeds conviction on Sept. 19 after prosecutors in the Baltimore States Attorneys Office said they found evidence suggesting Syeds innocence that had not previously been disclosed to defense attorneys in the case.

Prosecutors moved to vacate Syeds conviction on Sept. 14, two days after notifying the Lee family and following a year-long investigation, the Lee familys motion said. Then, on Sept. 16, Syeds attorneys and prosecutors discussed the motion at a meeting in Phinns chambers, where the judge scheduled a hearing for on whether to vacate Syeds conviction for the following Monday, Sept. 19  less than one full business day.

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Mr. Lee was not notified of this proceeding, had no opportunity to attend or to be heard at the proceeding, Kelly wrote in the motion.

Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosbys office notified the Lee family Friday afternoon and did not receive a response until Sunday, the day before the hearing, Becky Feldman, chief of Mosbys sentencing review unit, said in court.

According to the Lee familys motion, Feldman did not tell Young Lee that he had a right to participate in the Sept. 19 hearing. Kelly argued unsuccessfully in court that the hearing should be postponed seven days to give Lee an opportunity to travel from California to appear in person.

A jury in 2000 convicted Syed of murdering Lee, his former high school girlfriend, and burying her in a shallow grave in Leakin Park. Syed, still charged with murder pending current prosecutors decision on whether to retry him or dismiss the charges, has always maintained his innocence.

Phinn ordered a new trial in the matter, but under Maryland law, prosecutors have 30 days to either dismiss the charges or to continue with a new trial.
A combination of fuel shortages, food insecurity, gang violence, political instability and a public health crisis is leading Haiti to a humanitarian catastrophe, Helen La Lime told an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

As BBC reported on Monday, the Caribbean country is experiencing weeks of violence and attacks on food aid warehouses have rocked the nations food security. In protest of the dire situation, businesses have closed and transport services are not running.

Thousands are calling for Prime Minister Ariel Henrys resignation.

Civil unrest across the island escalated after he announced an end to government fuel subsidies on 11 September, which caused gas and diesel prices to skyrocket.

Since then, protests and looting have intensified, with the capital, Port-au-Prince, at the heart of it.

Read the main aspects of the current and dire situation in Haiti, one of the most important countries in the history of the African Diaspora:

Food Insecurity

The economic crisis has caused food prices to soar.

La Lime told the UN Security Council on Monday that an estimated 2,000 tonnes of food aid, valued at close to $5m, were lost following repeated attacks on local warehouses of the UN Food Programme.

That would have collectively supported up to 200,000 of the most vulnerable Haitians over the next month, she said.

The insecurity has also severely curtailed humanitarian access and made it very difficult and dangerous to deliver, according to Valerie N. Guarnieri, Deputy Executive Director at the World Food Programme (WFP).

We expect food security to further deteriorate this year, surpassing the record high of 4.5 million people estimated to face crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity, including 1.3 million people in emergency, she said.

Gang Violence

Getty Images

The UN estimates that at least 1.5 million people in the Caribbean country have been directly impacted by recent unrest, with gender-based violence, and in particular, rape being used systematically.

Story continues

Barricades have been erected throughout the country, prompting a nationwide shutdown, with the situation persisting in the capital for a full five days.

Fuel Crisis

Protests broke out in Haiti after the Prime Minister announced on 11 September that the Government will reduce some $400 million in fuel subsidies in efforts to increase revenue for social programmes.

By the following day, one of the largest gang alliances also blocked the main fuel terminal there on 12 September. The siege lasted for over a week, despite concerted operations by the police over the weekend.

Cholera Outbreak

After more than 3 years with no cases of cholera reported in Haiti, on 2 October 2022, the national authorities reported two confirmed cases of Vibrio cholerae O1 in the greater Port-au-Prince area.

In addition, as of 2 October 2022, clusters of suspected cases and deaths are under investigation in various communities of Ouest Department, including the communes of Cite Soleil and Port-au-Prince.

Cholera is an illness that is caused by drinking water or eating food contaminated with cholera bacteria. It can trigger severe diarrhea as well as vomiting, thirst and other symptoms.
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry on Wednesday called on the international community to help the Caribbean nation, as a gang blockade of a key fuel terminal has created widespread shortages of goods including drinking water.

Gangs have since last month been blocking the entrance to the Varreux fuel terminal, creating dire shortages of diesel and gasoline and crippling day-to-day activities in Haiti.

Authorities over the weekend confirmed an outbreak of cholera, which is typically propagated by contaminated water.

"I am asking the entire international community, all countries that are friends of Haiti, to stand with us and help us fight this humanitarian crisis," Henry said in a televised address.

"We want potable water and medicine to reach sick people when cholera starts to return, for factories that produce potable water to start working again. We need doctors and nurses ... to reach the hospitals."

He did not elaborate on what specific type of assistance he was seeking.

The fuel blockade began shortly after his Sept. 11 announcement that the government would cut fuel subsidies, triggering anger among Haitians already struggling with sky-rocketing prices.

Henry on Wednesday said the subsidies were an unsustainable expense for the Haitian state.

"When we ... subsidize a single product for the benefit of a group of people, there is no longer any way to help mothers and fathers send their children to school," he said. "There is no money left for subsidies to lower food prices."

(Reporting by Harold Isaac and Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
Pro: The Handmaids Tales June and Luke have their second date night this season in Episode 5, which is good for their relationship and shared sense of well-being! Con: Said date night takes place so physically close to Gilead you can smell the sanctimony, and the evening ends in dismemberment and capture. But hey, theres also bowling?

Read on for the highlights of Fairytale.

More from TVLine

NO MANS LAND, HERE WE COME | June is having a happy dream of being at an aquarium with Hannah in the beforetimes when her phone rings: Its Lily from Mayday, whos letting them know that a Guardian is coming into No Mans Land, and hell have information on Wife Schools like the one Hannah is in. Before we know it, June, Luke and Moira are on their way to Lilys camp, passing a pretty intense anti-refugee protest on the way. When they arrive, things are chaotic: Gilead has just stepped up its border patrols as June & Co. were driving over, meaning theres no way they can safely cross out of Canada to meet with the Guardian.

Luke doesnt care. Everything we want to know about Hannah is there, he says. And soon, June announces shes going with him. (Moira, meanwhile, thinks they are insane to risk so much.) They take bags of supplies for exchange and get a map and a code word; they should reach the meeting spot by morning. Moira hugs them and they walk into the woods, holding hands. A stone marker they pass indicates when theyve officially exited the Great White North.

After nightfall, they come across a hanged man festooned with a sign that reads Rapist. Is that Gilead? Luke says, shocked. Gilead doesnt use words, June says plainly. Please note what will become a recurring theme in this episode: Luke is (of course!) horrified by the violence theyve encountered, while June (unfortunately) has seen it far too often.

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WHOS UP FOR BOWLING?

| Eventually, Luke and June meet up with their contact  the code phrase is Raspberry Beret (ha!)  but they balk when he immediately says they need to go somewhere else to chat, because being out in the open isnt safe. The whole thing smells like a trap, but they are desperate for info on Hannah, so they eventually decide to follow him into an abandoned bowling alley he sometimes holes up in during especially cold patrol shifts.

He reports that the plums, aka the wives-in-training who wear purple, are treated very well as they learn to run their households. They pass through the schools pretty quickly, he adds, so they can be matched up with husbands. Shes TWELVE, Luke says. The Guarian shrugs. Thats just how it works, he replies. The good news: If shes still at the school, she hasnt been married yet. And he gives them a thumb drive full of related intel. But when June and Luke go to leave, the Guardian protests, saying its not safe to cross during the day. If they can wait until after sunset, hell lead them back. And even though this is feeling more and more like a Very Bad Idea, Luke and June agree to stay.

They take very different approaches to biding their time with the Guardian. Luke chats and bowls with the guy. June stays on guard, wondering how no one ever hears him knocking around in there and being suspicious of how he was able to get the beer he offers them from a cooler. Hes relatively young and was a kid when America fell. Eeverything from before is foggy, you know? Like a dream, he tells them, oblivious to the knife in their hearts as they think of how Hannah must feel the same way. He says he doesnt hate Gilead but is working to bring it down because people should be able to talk to each other. When hes out of earshot, a flummoxed June tells Luke, Ive never seen anyone in Gilead whos pure like him.

With her guard slightly relaxed, she listens as Luke plays Al Greens Lets Stay Together on the alleys organ, singing along. And then Hannahs folks slow-dance without any music while the Guardian turns his flashlight on the disco ball, giving them ambiance.

CAPTURED! | Hope you liked that sweet interlude, because things are about to get bloody. After dark, when theyre almost back to the Canadian border, the Guardian steps on a landmine. He goes flying; when he lands, one of his legs is no longer attached to his body. He gasps for June and Luke to run, but June insists on tying a tourniquet on his leg in an effort to save him. But when she and Luke hear the kids fellow Guardians approaching, calling for him, its time to run.

June and Luke haul buns to the border, and theyre SO CLOSE when a truck pulls into their path, blocking the way. Armed men jump out and grab them, pulling them apart as the episode goes to black.

WHEELER FAMILY VALUES

| While all of this is going on, Serena is settling in at the Wheeler house. Breakfast with Alanis Wheeler is an intense affair; shes definitely a 15-outta-10 on the Gilead Fan Meter. Later, Mrs. Wheeler throws a little get-together in which her friends swing by and look at Serenas pregnant belly with a very creepy awe. The affair makes Serena flashback to a time during Gileads early years when she and Naomi Putnam toured an orphanage (aka a repository of kids who had been separated from their parents) and decided that they didnt want to raise someone elses baby, so maybe theyd consider getting handmaids.

The party with Alanis and her infertile friends does serve as something of a brainstorm session for Serena, who later tells Lawrence and Commander Putnam that focusing the Toronto center on Gilead was a mistake  it should be set up as a fertility center, instead. Its about the babies. Thats what people want to hear, Serena says. People will be clamoring to keep the doors open. Commander Putnam is disinterested but hes also dumb; Lawrence knows a good thing when he hears it, and hes intrigued.

We also learn that Lawrence has a plan he calls New Bethlehem that would welcome back terrorists whove harmed and/or escaped Gilead and offer them amnesty. He has very little support. If we keep the walls up and the borders closed, this country will die, he reasons. All of this will have been for nothing.

IRON-WILLED | At the Wheeler house, all signs point to things getting much more bleak for Serena, and very soon. When she wants to commune with a supporter whos arrived at the property, Ezra wont let her, because Mr. Wheeler left instructions for the wrought iron gate to stay closed.

Shes praying in her bedroom later when Ryan Wheeler (played by Raising Hopes Lucas Neff) finally shows up. He tells her that Gilead is going to move forward with her ideas for the center, calling it a real stroke of genius. Shes psyched, and wants to jump into the work, but he says nope. Your babys needs come ahead of any plans or ambitions, he patronizingly informs her, then he pours her some water and kinda menacingly makes her take her iron supplements while he stands there and watches. Just before he leaves, Serena asks for a cell phone, but he says no, citing security concerns. Sucks to be pregnant, cut off from everyone you know and left to the whims of crazy people, doesnt it, mama?

Now its your turn. What did you think of the episode? Sound off in the comments!

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Oct. 6CONCORD  A major firefighters union is backing U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., while a Senate Republican-linked super PAC is carpet-bombing Hassan with an expensive attack ad buy that labels her as soft on crime.

The Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire represent more than 2,000 members from 41 fire and emergency medical service departments across the state.

PFFNH President Brian Ryll said Hassan helped secure more grants to first responders during COVID-19, along with other programs under the federal American Rescue Plan Act passed in 2021.

"Senator Hassan is a longtime ally of our firefighters," Ryll said in a statement. "She has always prioritized the safety of New Hampshire citizens, and she's advocated for the resources that Granite State fire departments need to keep our communities safe."

Hassan vowed to keep fighting to help first responders in the future.

"Our firefighters put their lives on the line every day to respond to emergencies and keep Granite State communities safe," Hassan said.

This union often supports Democratic candidates, but endorsed Republican Gov. Chris Sununu late last month.

The Senate Leadership Fund aired a new ad earlier this week suggesting Hassan favored defunding the police and had voted for legislation to give early release to sex offenders.

This Mitch McConnell-connected super PAC has already said it intends to spend $23 million in New Hampshire from Labor Day through the Nov. 8 election.

A Hassan campaign spokesperson said its latest ad was riddled with inaccuracies and falsehoods.

"This ad is a desperate smear that completely misleads about Senator Hassan's long record of standing with law enforcement, supporting public safety, fighting for the victims of sexual violence, and holding sex offenders accountable," said Maggie for NH spokesperson Sydney Petersen.

In recent weeks, crime has become a TV ad staple for GOP candidates running in the nationally-targeted Senate races that include New Hampshire.

Story continues

But crime ranks as only the 12th most important issue, according to the latest Saint Anselm College poll done for the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. Only seven people out of the 901 in the poll said crime was the most important issue.

Hassan has opposed defunding the police and backed more spending for law enforcement as former governor and in the Senate, Hassan's campaign said.

Legislature repealed early parole law Hassan backed

As a state senator in 2010, Hassan did vote for a bipartisan bill aimed at reducing prison recidivism that made sex offenders and many other inmates eligible for earlier parole.

The state Senate passed it unanimously.

In response to negative press reports after some violent offenders won early release, the Legislature passed and then-Democratic Gov. John Lynch signed a bill repealing the entire reform measure.

Michael Gallagher, retired Seabrook police chief, also came to Hassan's aid.

"Senator Hassan is an unwavering ally of the men and women in uniform, and any suggestion otherwise is an outright lie," Gallagher said.

Hassan can't defend her law enforcement record, according to a Bolduc campaign spokesperson.

"Crime is out of control across New Hampshire and Maggie Hassan is nowhere to be seen. While our borders stay dangerously open and drugs continue to pour into our country, Maggie Hassan is falling in line behind President Biden, putting his liberal agenda ahead of keeping Granite Staters safe," said Kate Constantini.

The New England Police Benevolent Association, a group that backed Donald Trump for President in 2016 and 2020, has endorsed Bolduc.

The GOP establishment's financial support for Bolduc is critical since Hassan has already raised more than a record $30 million in this race while Bolduc has raised less than $2 million.

Bolduc was only able to put his first television ad of the entire campaign on earlier this week, highlighting his military background as a retired brigadier general with 10 deployments to the Middle East.

The Bolduc campaign noted he raised nearly $1 million over the past two weeks, the first time in the entire campaign he's raised that much in a fortnight.

klandrigan@unionleader.com
Oct. 6Kaiser said it has been been working to increase its number of mental health clinicians and intends to double its behavioral health staff by the end of 2025.

More than a dozen state lawmakers are urging Kaiser Permanente to come to an agreement with its mental health clinicians who have been striking for more than a month. The workers, represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, say that severe understaffing has put their patients' health at risk and Kaiser needs to boost salaries and benefits to attract more employees.

In a letter sent today to Greg Adams, CEO of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, the legislators applaud the striking workers for "standing up for their patients " and call on Kaiser to "match the state's commitment to investing in timely, accessible mental health care."

"Kaiser enrollees deserve to receive medically-necessary mental health services, " the legislators write. "Timely care is required by state and federal law. It is also essential for protecting the wellbeing of individual patients, our communities, and our state."

The approximately 60 striking employees include psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses and chemical dependency counselors.

The letter is signed by Reps. Amy Perruso, Jeanne Kapela, Dee Morikawa, Linda Clark, Angus McKelvey, Nicole Lowen, Dale Kobayashi, Sonny Ganaden and Sam Kong. On the Senate side, signatories include Sens. Laura Acasio, Lorraine Inouye, Rosalyn Baker, Bennette Misalucha, Kurt Fevella and Mike Gabbard.

Kaiser said in a statement that it has been been working to increase its number of mental health clinicians and intends to double its behavioral health staff by the end of 2025.

"Kaiser Permanente is committed to remaining an employer of choice for our mental health professionals, " Kaiser said in a statement. "We do this in part by offering market-competitive wages and benefits to attract and retain top-quality employees."
The teaser trailer for the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie just dropped and it already has fans divided over some of the moviemaking decisions.

Today in health, President Biden announced he will be pardoning all federal offenses for simple marijuana possession and will also look into rescheduling the drug altogether. Plus: the CDC will no longer report daily COVID numbers.

Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where were following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. For The Hill, were Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi. Want a copy of this newsletter in your inbox? Subscribe here.





Biden to pardon marijuana possession offenses

President Biden will pardon everyone who has been convicted of simple possession of marijuana under federal law, the White House announced Thursday.

There are thousands of people who have prior federal convictions for marijuana possession, who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result. My action will help relieve the collateral consequences arising from these convictions, Biden said in a statement.

The pardons will also include people who have been convicted of simple possession in the District of Columbia.

About 6,500 people would be pardoned according to administration officials who previewed the presidents announcement.



But the number of people convicted in states is far larger  the impact will be limited if the states do not follow suit.



Biden stopped short of calling for full decriminalization, though the announcement is a major push in that direction.

Rescheduling? In addition, Biden is asking the secretary of Health and Human Services and the attorney general to expeditiously review how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.

Marijuana is a Schedule I substance, meaning it is in the same category as drugs like heroin and LSD. According to the federal government, it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical value. Even fentanyl is not Schedule 1.

Story continues

Read more here.





CDC to stop reporting daily COVID-19 cases

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will stop reporting daily COVID-19 cases later this month and switch to weekly reports after more than two years of near-constant daily updates.

In an update regarding its coronavirus data and surveillance, the CDC said it was transitioning from daily to weekly reports to allow for more flexibility and to reduce the burden on state and local governments. The change in case reporting will take place on Oct. 20.



Data processing cutoffs for jurisdictions will be every Wednesday at 10AM ET for line level case and death data, and Wednesday at 5PM ET for aggregate case and death data, the CDC stated.

This move to weekly reports could be similar to how the CDC covers the annual flu season. The agency typically updates its influenza data on a weekly basis, with reports containing compiled data on one site as opposed to the COVID-19 dashboard that is currently being used.

This is the latest in a series of recent developments where the federal government has pulled back on the amount of resources and scrutiny being used in the pandemic.

Read more here.





US to divert and screen all travelers from Uganda

The Biden administration on Thursday said it will begin redirecting travelers coming from Uganda to one of five different airports where they can be screened for Ebola.

Beginning on Friday, all U.S.-bound passengers who have been in Uganda in the 21 days prior to their arrival will be routed to New York JFK, Newark Liberty International, Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, OHare International in Chicago, or Dulles International in Washington, D.C., for enhanced screening out of an abundance of caution, according to the U.S. Embassy in Uganda.

To date, cases have only been confirmed in Uganda and there have been no probable or confirmed cases of Ebola in the United States.



Still, the outbreak is concerning because of its rapid growth and because it is being caused by the Sudan strain, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments.

According to an administration official, passengers can expect a temperature check, and fill out a health questionnaire about Ebola. The contact information will be shared with U.S. state and local health departments to follow-up with arrivals in their jurisdiction.

Its unclear how long the screenings will remain in place.

Physician and Ebola survivor Craig Spencer said he was worried about what hes heard so far, and the U.S needs to be doing more to help on the ground.





SURVEY: ADOLESCENTS FAVOR DISPOSABLE, FLAVORED E-CIGARETTES

More than 2.5 million U.S. middle and high school students reported that they are using e-cigarettes, according to new government data published Thursday, with the majority of them choosing flavored, disposable e-cigarettes.

According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey, 14.1 percent of high school students and 3.3 percent of middle school students said they vaped in the past 30 days.



The numbers appear to be down from pre-pandemic levels, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which conducted the National Youth Tobacco Survey, said not to compare the results to previous years.

The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration said the results show the continuing challenge facing public health agencies as nontraditional cigarettes continue to be popular among teenagers.

This study shows that our nations youth continue to be enticed and hooked by an expanding variety of e-cigarette brands delivering flavored nicotine, said Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of the CDCs Office on Smoking and Health.

When asked about their usual brand, Puff Bar was the most common, followed by Vuse, Hyde, and SMOK. Juul was not mentioned.

Read more.





MOST HOLD NEGATIVE VIEWS OF HEALTH CARE COST, EQUITY: GALLUP

More than half of Americans in a new Gallup poll said they have negative views of the cost and equity of health care in the United States.

Three-quarters of respondents in the West Health-Gallup poll released on Thursday gave the U.S. health care system failing grades for affordability. Americans rated the systems affordability negatively no matter their income, with upward of 70 percent at every income level giving the system failing grades.



The poll also showed that 56 percent of Americans rated the U.S. health care system negatively in terms of its provision of equitable care. The percentage was higher among women and Black and Asian American respondents, who were more likely to give the system a failing grade for equity.

Where the U.S. scored well: U.S. health care did receive more positive reviews on access and quality, with 62 percent rating access to care positively or satisfactorily and 83 percent giving the quality of care higher grades.

The vast majority of respondents in the poll agreed that there should be limits on health care costs. Regardless of political party, more than 70 percent of Americans said the federal government should place limits on costs.

Read more here.





Seniors top list of COVID-19 deaths this summer: analysis

More seniors than any other age group died from COVID-19 this past summer amid a disease surge fueled by COVID-19 subvariants, according to an analysis published Thursday from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).

The foundation analyzed COVID-19 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and found that death rates rose much faster for Americans older than 65, despite widespread vaccine coverage within the group.

Between April and July of 2022, the number of coronavirus-related deaths among seniors rose above 11,000 in July and August. While deaths rose for those under 65 as well, the total was about five to six times smaller for younger Americans.



In April of this year, 1,306 under the age of 65 died, according to CDC data. The monthly total for this demographic has officially dipped below that number as of September.



Two thousand more people over age 65 died in September than in April. However, this number still represented a drop of about 4,500 deaths from the month of August.

The share of COVID-19 deaths within the over-65 age group has risen since the beginning of this year, from 24 percent in January to 40 percent in September.

The organization pointed to this data as an indication of the importance of continued vaccination against the coronavirus. Primary vaccination among seniors was particularly high  95 percent  but enthusiasm for subsequent boosters has waned.

Read more here.





WHAT WERE READING

86% of kids under 17 have antibodies from a past COVID infection, CDC data shows (ABC News)

More than two dozen abortion clinics closed in the first 100 days post-Roe (The 19th News)

FDA and Covis release dueling documents over the fate of a controversial drug for premature births (Stat)



STATE BY STATE

Demand for abortions in Michigan doubles among out-of-state residents (Detroit Free Press)

Some nursing home residents are still displaced after Hurricane Ian (WUSF)

Masks still required in Oregon health care facilities this winter, despite recent CDC rules (KGW)



THE HILL OP-ED

 Ensure access to all vaccines

Thats it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hills Health Care page for the latest news and coverage. See you tomorrow.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
heartstopper

It looks like Nick and Charlie are going continental!

Netflixs Heartstopper is in the middle of filming its second season, and in a newly leaked set-photo, it looks like Charlie and Nick (played by Joe Locke and Kit Connor respectively) will be having a romantic rendezvous in Paris!

In the image, it looks like Nick and Charlie are enjoying a summer vacation, as they sit outside at a cafe wearing shorts and t-shirts. Theres also a third man at the table they seem to be talking to.

The second season of the show will continue to follow Nick and Charlies relationship. Alice Oseman, the shows creator, also told Digital Spy some things she hopes to explore in the new season.

[I] definitely want to be bringing in the themes of mental health, because that's something that's really important in the books," she said. "The challenge of writing Heartstopper is exploring those darker issues while keeping the tone so optimistic and hopeful. That has been, like, the struggle of writing it for me the whole way through."

Last month, the Heartstopper crew announced they were officially filming the new season when they released a cute video reading scripts and greeting fans. The video also gave us a first look at some of the new characters who will join for season 2.

While Nick and Charlie, and their friends Elle, Tao, Tara, Darcy, and Isaac will be back, theyll be joined by several newcomers to the show.

The new members include Leila Khan, who will play Sahar Zahid, a Higgs school student; Jack Barton, who will play David, Nicks older brother; Bradley Riches, who will play James McEwan, a Truham school student; and Nima Taleghani as Mr. Farouk, a Truham school teacher.

Season one of Heartstopper is currently streaming on Netflix, and the show has been renewed for seasons 2 and 3.

RELATED | 13 LGBTQ+ TV Shows We Loved That Only Lasted One Season
Photo: The Canadian Press Pharmacist Cathy Wang works at the 360Care Denman Pharmacy in Vancouver, B.C., Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. Starting Oct. 14, B.C. pharmacists will be able to administer more vaccines and renew prescriptions for up to a two-year period for people whose family doctors have retired or left their practices. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Pharmacists in British Columbia are welcoming an expansion of their powers to prescribe drugs and give vaccines, but they also say that how the changes are implemented will matter.

Cathy Wang, pharmacist and owner of 360Care Denman Pharmacy in Vancouver, described the shift as "very positive."

"It's a very exciting day for us," she said, adding it will mean more access to care for patients.

Health Minister Adrian Dix announced the expansion last week as part of a plan to address human resource challenges that are contributing to an ongoing health-care crisis.

Starting Oct. 14, B.C. pharmacists will be able to administer more vaccines and renew prescriptions for up to a two-year period for people whose family doctors have retired or left their practices.

Next spring, they will begin prescribing drugs for minor ailments like urinary tract infections and allergies, as well as contraception.

The changes bring British Columbia in line with guidance from Health Canada and other provinces. Alberta gives pharmacists more leeway, including allowing them to administer things like cosmetic injections and order lab work, while Ontario was the last province before B.C. to empower pharmacists to issue prescriptions for minor ailments.

As the changes are rolled out, B.C. pharmacists said the smoothness of the transition will depend on the reimbursement model, staffing supports and whether there's an added administrative burden.

Like many health professionals, pharmacists have faced burnout and labour shortages since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

A survey of 1,399 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians early this year commissioned by the Canadian Pharmacists Association found almost all pharmacy professionals  92 per cent  reported being at risk of burnout. Nearly half report abuse or harassment from patients on a weekly basis.

The unrelenting demands, coupled with added administrative burdens and staffing challenges, have pushed us to a tipping point, chief pharmacist officer Danielle Paes said in a statement when the survey was released in May.

As an independent, Wang said she has some control over the workload, but she said she'd like to see supports in place to protect others from unreasonable demands.

At the same time, she said expanding the scope of pharmacists may actually help with retention. It's been discouraging for some pharmacists not to use their skills and training to their full potential, she said.

"There's actually a lot of young practitioners who have left the profession because there's not enough reward. There's a huge gap in what we learn in school, in terms of clinical practices," Wang said.

"I think, in short, there may be a little bit more workload but it will probably increase the morale."

Wang also said she'll be keeping an eye on the reimbursement model. Currently, when doctors give an injection, they receive a fee for service, she said. Unless the government supports the same for pharmacists, the costs may be passed on to patients, she said.

In a submission to the B.C. government ahead of Budget 2023, the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada proposed a professional services fee of $20 per assessment, which it said is in line with other provinces with remuneration frameworks. In Saskatchewan, it estimates that every $1 invested in the program saves the health-care system $2.53.

The association estimates B.C. pharmacies could assess about 60,000 minor ailments a year for $1.2 million.

A pharmacist working in the Fraser Valley, who wished to go unnamed because he didn't want to put his job at risk, said he supports the changes but hopes they don't come with too much extra administrative work, which already involves one to two hours per day.

"We already have a lot of filings that we have to do behind the scenes," he said.

Giving COVID-19 and flu shots has added extra work, he said. However, the bigger concern is the need to report data through a provincial portal that is cumbersome, taking more than 15 minutes per patient, he said.

"The COVID shots and this year's flu shots, they changed the whole system. That is definitely a little bit more pressure to us," he said.

However, the pharmacist said it's overall positive to expand the scope of pharmacists to better use their skills and training.

It should also help reduce bottlenecks, like when a patient asks for a refill and the pharmacist has to contact the doctor  a process that can take one or two days, he said.

Parm Johal, pharmacist and owner of Wilson Pharmacy, said he's generally happy with the news.

The COVID-19 pandemic gave pharmacists the opportunity to step up and show their value, he said. The new changes mean they'll continue being able to help relieve pressure on other health-care providers and ensure continuity of care.

"We feel it's a long time coming," he said. "There's a few of us who have always been advocating for it."
Photo credit: Cars & Bids

Everyone knows about the Toyota Land Cruiser, but not many people are familiar with its bigger, more hardcore sibling, the Mega Cruiser. Sold in Japan through the late Nineties, it's a civilian version of a military SUV built by Toyota for the Japanese government. Very few were sold, which isn't surprising considering its Hummer-like design and proportions.

As such, Mega Cruisers have become extremely collectable pieces of machinery, making them incredibly tough to find for sale. If you're on the hunt, today's your lucky day. Because there's a Mega Cruiser for sale right now on Cars & Bids, and it's already here in the United States.

According to the listing's description, this Mega Cruiser was imported from Kazakhstan, of all places, under our 25-year law. It has around 56,600 miles on the clock, and sports a host of mods, including a roof rack, heated seats, wood interior trim, LED interior lighting, and a fuel-system pre-heating kit for the diesel engine. Even more impressive is the previous owner's decision to convert the truck to left-hand-drive, making it easier to drive on U.S. roads.

If you thought Land Cruisers were tough, wait until you hear about the Mega Cruiser's standard kit. There are portal axles, locking differentials on both ends, a four-wheel steering system, and an interior big enough to dwarf your average New York City apartment. It's one of the most capable vehicles Toyota has ever sold to the public.

This one is an especially good buy because not only has it already been imported, but it's already been titled in the U.S. as well, meaning you won't have to deal with any importation stuff at the DMV. Of course, be prepared to payMega Cruisers of this quality regularly sell for six figures, and we don't expect this one to be any different.

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Volunteers with 15 groups seeking to boost voter turnout have begun fanning out across 27 low-turnout precincts in Spartanburg city and county in hopes of adding more voters to the registration rolls.

Their goal is to add more than 7,000 voters to make up for some of the people who were removed from the rolls over the last few years.

Elections Director Adam Hammons said that on Nov. 1, the day before the Nov. 2, 2021, general election, the county had a total of 208,617 registered voters. As of this week starting on Sep. 19, there were 201,332 registered voters, he said. That's 7,285 fewer voters.

Currently, there are 3,361,613 registered voters in South Carolina, 201,591 fewer than on Nov. 1, 2021, when there were 3,563,204 registered voters, Hammons said.

Elections in Spartanburg County:New early voting in SC and what to know in 2022

Elections in Greenville County:New early voting in SC and what to know in 2022

Elections in Anderson County:New early voting in SC and what to know in 2022

The number of inactive voters is higher the last two years when 13,974 Spartanburg County Voters were removed from the rolls and made inactive or archived via the statewide biannual "confirmation mailing process," Hammons said.

"These are voters that have not voted, updated their address, or had any contact with our office in four years," Hammons said. "These voters are mailed a card asking them to confirm their registration and the state processes these voters based on the response or lack of from each voter."

Charles Mann, who is participating with the Spartanburg Get Out the Vote (GOTV) coalition, which represents 15 nonpartisan organizations, is coordinating the effort to register new voters and boost turnout.

"We have to replace those (7,285) voters (removed from the voter rolls)," Mann said. "I think we can make a big dent, but replacing 7,000 is aspirational."

He said teams of volunteers will go door to door in precincts that have traditionally posted low-turnout numbers. There are 98 precincts countywide (including the city), and 27 of them were identified as key to boosting registration numbers.

Story continues

With voter registration forms and ID on hand, volunteers will knock on doors. If no one answers, they will hang a voter information card on the door handle, he said.

Mann said the canvassing will focus on "registering (those) who have not voted before, including college students, new residents and high schoolers."

Early voting expansion:South Carolina took a big step by enacting early voting, but some believe more can be done to boost turnout

The national NAACP is also planning to send out direct mailers in Spartanburg, Mann said.

Mann said those who already are registered are urged to check their current information on file with the State Election Commission to make sure they know their correct precinct.

During the county's recent redistricting process, lines of precincts were redrawn and some addresses ended up in a new precinct. County Council approved the new maps in March.

The city is about to start its redistricting process. City Council on Monday agreed to hold a work session at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28. A schedule of the process and when a final vote may come has not been developed yet, according to Mann.

Mann said he doesn't believe Spartanburg voters are disenfranchised.

"While I am deeply concerned about efforts to disenfranchise voters across the country and our state, in this moment, I am more concerned about low voter turnout," he said. "Because low voter turnout enables the disenfranchisement of voters. It means the potential election of candidates to office who further the cause of restricting voters, it enhances the cause of creating barriers to voting because people are not voting."

The precincts that will be canvassed include: C.C. Woodson, Jesse Bobo Elementary, Roebuck Elementary, Holy Communion, Cleveland Elementary, Park Hills Elementary, Mt. Moriah Baptist, Travelers Rest Baptist, Swofford Career Center, Powell Saxon Una, Woodland Heights, Wellford, E.P. Todd Elementary and Cedar Grove Baptist.

Also, Boiling Springs Elementary, Boiling Springs Intermediate, Boiling Springs 9th Grade Campus, Colley Springs Baptist, Anderson Mill Elementary, Bethany Baptist, Ebenezer Baptist, Southside Baptist, Fairforest Middle, Hendrix Elementary, Cornerstone Baptist, Hayne Baptist and Chapman High School.

Fighting low voter turnout in the 2022 midterm election

Mann said many voters don't bother to vote because they believe "their vote doesn't count, that nothing will change and they don't have the time (to vote). They also don't know who to vote for. We have to figure out how to let them know their vote counts."

One example where every vote counts is a 2019 City Council race that ended in a tie, he said.

District 1 City Councilwoman Meghan Smith tied incumbent Councilman Sterling Anderson in the 2019 election. Each had 351 votes. In the runoff, Smith won by a margin of 335 votes to 306 votes.

Spartanburg, statewide Democrats:Here's how the party plans to contend in elections

Mann said voter turnout is particularly low in mid-term and in off-year elections. In the 2021 municipal election, statewide turnout averaged 10.9%. In Spartanburg County, turnout was 10%  just 20,896 ballots were cast out of 208,643 registered voters.

In the June 2022 primary, turnout averaged 17% statewide and was just 12.3% in Spartanburg County.

"You shouldn't want to be in a democracy where 17% decides for 83% of us," Mann said.

Voter registration rally in Spartanburg

The effort to boost turnout kicked off Tuesday with a Voter Registration Rally at Morgan Square in Spartanburg.

"It's a two-step process," Mann said. "You've got to register, then take 15 minutes out of your day to vote (on Election Day)."

The rally was part of National Voter Registration Month when civic groups across South Carolina and the nation canvass neighborhoods and hold rallies to boost voter participation.

Rallies were held in Anderson County by the League of Women Voters and the United Way of Anderson County, and in Greenville by the Greenville NAACP, League of Women Voters of Greenville County, Greenville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and Public Education Partners of Greenville.

Carolyn Williams, left, Election Clerk holds a form for voter registration near Carissa Smith, voter services supervisor, in the booth outside the Anderson County Board of Voter Registration and Elections office in downtown Anderson, SC Tuesday, September 20, 2022.

The nonpartisan organizations that comprise Spartanburg Get Out the Vote Coalition are: Upstate Action Alliance, League of Women Voters of Spartanburg County, West Spartanburg NAACP, Spartanburg County NAACP, Scholar Connections, Rebuilding the Southside, Liberty Heights Neighborhood Association, Spartanburg County Baptist Association and College Park Neighborhood Association.

Also, Spartanburg Initiative for Racial Equity Now, PLFAG Spartanburg, Spartanburg Divine 9 Fraternities and Sororities, Unitarian Universalist Church of Spartanburg, Alianza Spartanburg and South Converse Neighborhood Association.

Speakers explain importance of voting

At Tuesday's rally, several speakers, including 17-year-old Jacqueline Perez Bravo and 18-year-old Mayraivett Santiago Cedillo of South Carolina High School Democrats, talked about the importance of voting.

"I've only been on this Earth for 18 years," Santiago said. "For my entire life, I've only known two things to be certain. One is that my parents love me. And two, that South Carolina will always be red. However, being part of the next generation of voters, I want to change that.

"That's why I'm here today," she added. "To register voters and to help change the future, making your voice be heard and voting for people that have the same values as you. The right to vote is a privilege. We need to use it."

LeRoy Madison of West Spartanburg NAACP and Leonard Starks of Spartanburg Divine 9 Fraternities and Sororities said African-Americans have long faced obstacles to voting and must continue the fight to remove them.

"Our rights are only valid until the next election," Madison said. "This is not a time for any of us to sit back and let those dictate what's not in our best interest."

Voting registration deadline approaching

The deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 8 general election is Sunday, Oct. 9, according to the S.C. State Election Commission.

The form can be found online at scVOTES.gov and must be completed and returned to the county voter registration office. In Spartanburg County, the office is located at 366 N. Church St., lower level, Suite 1630, Spartanburg.By mail, the returned form must be postmarked by Tuesday, Oct. 11.

The deadline to register in person at the county voter registration office is Friday, Oct. 7.

Jannie Bolden, left, of Anderson arrives to talk with Carolyn Williams, middle, Election Clerk and Carissa Smith, right, voter services supervisor, about registering to vote in the booth outside the Anderson County Board of Voter Registration and Elections office in downtown Anderson, SC Tuesday, September 20, 2022.

Early voting is an option

There are two weeks of early voting, from Monday, Oct. 24, to Saturday, Nov. 5. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

There are three places in Spartanburg County voters can cast their votes early:

 Spartanburg County Administration Building, Conference Room 6, 366 N. Church St.;

 Spartanburg; Boiling Springs Library, 871 Double Bridge Road, Boiling Springs;

 Woodruff Library, 270 E. Hayne St., Woodruff.

On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at all precincts countywide.

For more information on how to register, how to vote and who's on the ballot, the League of Women Voters has a website, VOTE411.org.

For more links with voting brochures, go the S.C. Election Commission's link.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: SC groups plan to add more voters to registration rolls. Here's how
Oct. 6TURNER  The state's highest court heard arguments Wednesday while convening at Leavitt Area High School on appeals filed by a Peru man after he was convicted of double murder and a judge had imposed two life sentences.

Mark D. Penley, 53, appealed his convictions on two counts of murder as well as his sentences.

Rory McNamara, who represented Penley in arguing before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, claimed that the judge at Penley's trial had mistakenly admitted into evidence statements made by one of the victims in the days before her shooting death that she had been afraid of Penley and had been in the process of seeking a protection-from-abuse-order against him.

That woman was Penley's ex-girlfriend, Heather Bickford, 31, of Canton, who was fatally shot along with her boyfriend, Dana Hill, 31, of Paris, at his Market Square apartment in Paris on Jan. 1, 2019. Hill was the father of their two children.

McNamara told the court Wednesday that four witnesses had testified that Bickford was so afraid of Penley that she had pursued a court order for protection against him.

Justice Thomas Warren, who presided over the trial, admitted that information into evidence "for its truth to prove that Heather was scared of defendant," McNamara said.

"There are at least four problems with that," he said.

McNamara asked the high court why Bickford's state of mind at that time was irrelevant to the case against Penley.

Except in "very limited circumstances not present here," the state of mind of a deceased victim "is irrelevant," according to case law McNamara cited in his written brief to the court, he said.

If Bickford's state of mind was actually relevant, then how does that evidence not violate the rule against introducing the defendant's "prior bad acts?" McNamara asked.

"The prosecutor clearly implied that because Heather was scared of the defendant, the defendant was more likely to be the killer," he said. "That's not permitted."

Story continues

Even if Bickford's state of mind was allowed to be introduced as evidence under a rare exception, the risk that that same evidence poses to the defendant in the form of "unfair prejudice" would outweigh the allowance of the evidence of her state of mind, McNamara said.

Lastly, the trial judge didn't instruct the jury to consider Bickford's state of mind, if only in a limited way, McNamara said. "As a matter of law, jurors were free to use Heather's fear for any purpose. And the prosecutor's argument invited jurors to use it to infer that the defendant, rather than others, must have been the killer," McNamara said.

Justices probed McNamara's arguments, taking turns to ask him pointed questions.

Among many text messages Penley had left for Bickford was one that threatened her for having considered a protection order against him.

McNamara was asked whether that message helped establish Penley's motive, intent and his own state of mind before the murders.

McNamara said he didn't believe that text message would have been allowed at trial had the judge not allowed the evidence of Bickford's filing for a protection order, calling it "the tail wagging the dog."

He said: "That's part of the corpus of evidence that we're complaining about."

Justice Andrew Mead said Penley's text message alone "does two important things: It identifies (Penley) as possible killer; it puts him right in there. He threatened to kill her and she ended up being murdered. And it also shows the basis, the motive, of why he was doing this, which is, 'You're getting  you put a PFA on me, protection from abuse'  that shows anger. This is a violent, angry, vulgar message."

Mead asked why prosecutors couldn't have simply offered that text message as evidence.

"That provides identification of him and motive for him, even the absence of the other stuff coming in," Mead said.

Justice Joseph Jabar said the trial judge allowing into evidence Penley's threatening text message to Bickford and Bickford's fearful state of mind as recalled by witnesses shouldn't be viewed as a single issue.

"Those are two separate issues and they're not related," Jabar said.

Assistant Attorney General Donald Macomber told the panel of justices that the trial judge ruled properly by allowing references to Bickford's fear of Penley that led to her consideration of filing for protection.

"The trial court did not abuse his discretion by admitting evidence that one of the victims was afraid of Penley and was about to seek a protection from abuse order of him," Macomber said.

"The evidence was clearly relevant to show the relationship of the parties, the victim's state of mind, and the defendant's motive and intent. And the trial court limited the prejudicial impact of that evidence by not allowing the state to introduce the specific incidents of conduct that were referenced in her seeking the protection from abuse order," he said.

Moreover, Macomber said that although the trial judge could have instructed jurors to limit their consideration of Bickford's pursuit of a protection order only in the context of Penley's text message that references it, Penley's defense attorney hadn't called on the judge to provide that instruction to the jury at trial.

"And there's no obligation on the trial court's part to do that" independently, without a request from Penley's attorneys, Macomber said.

Mead asked whether Bickford's fear of Penley was part of the state's case against him.

"Absolutely, your honor," Macomber said.

"This case was tried as a who-done-it. Mark Penley said, 'I didn't do it.' ... and he named a whole slew of alternative suspects," Macomber said. "The state was introducing evidence that she was afraid of Penley in the days before she was killed by Penley to show that it was more likely than not that he was the one she was afraid of to the point where she was going to seek a protection from abuse order against him."

A justice asked how Bickford's fear of Penley made it more likely he was her assailant, Macomber said: "I cited numerous cases in my brief showing that a victim's fear is one of the things that's relevant in a homicide trial and her fear of the defendant is relevant."

Justice Jabar asked how a defendant would be able to cross examine that victim's fearful state of mind if the victim is dead and can't testify?

"Well, that's true," Macomber said, "and we can't call the victim to say that it was Mark Penley who did it, either. That's kind of a truism. But what you can do (as a defense attorney) is introduce evidence, like you just suggested, saying, 'I was privy to their relationship and she wasn't afraid of him.'"

Prosecutors were asked whether they needed to introduce at trial evidence that Bickford intended to file for a protection order, considering there was significant physical evidence connecting Penley to the crimes, including DNA evidence. Macomber said: "In any homicide case, the state is going to use whatever evidence that we have to establish guilt. We don't want to be left standing in front of you saying, 'Well, we had this other evidence, but we didn't want to use it because we thought it was overkill.'"

McNamara also argued that the trial judge, in sentencing Penley, considered the domestic violence aspect of the crime during two separate steps of Maine's three-step sentencing process.

In the first step, the judge is tasked with setting a basic sentence for the crime by comparing the way it was committed in other similar cases for that type of crime. In the second step, the judge is supposed to consider aggravating and mitigating factors, including a defendant's criminal history.

Macomber argued Wednesday that the trial judge had factored into his sentencing analysis in only one of the steps the domestic violence nature of Penley's relationship with Bickford.

A jury of seven women and five men in Oxford County Superior Court roughly a year ago convicted Penley after two-and-a-half hours of deliberations.

Bickford's and Hill's two daughters, an 8-year-old and a 3-month-old at the time, had been in the apartment with their parents when they were killed.
Hilary Swank in 2011 during filming for "New Year's Eve." Warner Bros. Pictures

Hilary Swank announced yesterday that she's pregnant with twins.

The star is 48  which health experts consider to be advanced maternal age.

She'll likely need additional monitoring and may have complications, OBGYNs said.

Hilary Swank is pregnant at 48, not just with one baby, but with two.

"This is something that I've been wanting for a long time," the actor said on Wednesday in an appearance on "Good Morning America." "My next thing is, I'm going to be a mom."

Being an older pregnant person and carrying twins both increase the risk for pregnancy complications, Dr. Kecia Gaither, who is double board-certified in OBGYN and maternal-fetal medicine and is the director of perinatal services and maternal-fetal medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln in the Bronx, said.

Older moms are at increased risk for complications including gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and preeclampsia. They're also more likely to miscarry, experience stillbirth, or undergo preterm labor.

However, it's possible for an older mom like Swank to safely deliver twins, Dr. G. Thomas Ruiz, the OBGYN lead at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, said.

"As long as the patient understands the complications and risks prior to pregnancy and is willing to go along with everything, you can have a healthy baby and mom at 48 years," Ruiz said. "It's just more work for the mom."

Pregnancies in older people need more monitoring

Swank is likely working with a high-risk perinatologist, according to Ruiz. That's because it's standard for older moms and people carrying multiples to have more frequent appointments, including ultrasounds every three to four weeks.

"We're doing all the surveillance necessary so we can stay on top of any complications," Ruiz said.

Doctors closely monitor a person's fluid levels, cervix length, and other measures of a healthy pregnancy. It's also not uncommon for moms to be put on modified bed rest in the third trimester to prevent preterm labor, Ruiz said.

Story continues

A spontaneous pregnancy at 48 is unlikely

The chances of a 48-year-old getting pregnant without intervention is about 5%, Gaither said. The likelihood of a healthy pregnancy is much less, Ruiz said, since genetic abnormalities in the fetus increase as the mother ages. For example, by the time a pregnant person is 45, their chances of conceiving a fetus with Down syndrome are one in three.

Because genetic abnormalities in the fetus increase the risk of miscarriage, older moms are more likely to miscarry. Interestingly, the odds of naturally conceiving twins increase with age.

Some ways around a few of these complications are freezing eggs or using donor eggs.

People considering older pregnancy should understand the risks

Ruiz has personally delivered twins to a 51-year-old mother. While it's becoming more common for older people to try to get pregnant, Ruiz likes to make sure his patients understand both the odds and the risks. If someone over 45 expresses a desire to carry a pregnancy, he sends them for bloodwork and other testing to understand their specific likelihood of getting pregnant.

Then, he's upfront about the physical and emotional toll of pregnancy at an advanced age, including all the monitoring and potential for bed rest.

"We can get you through this safely, with appropriate management and care, as long as you understand it's going to be a harder pregnancy than when you were 28," he said. "You can get through it safely."

Read the original article on Insider
Hilary Swank is going to be a mom  of two!

The Million Dollar Baby actor, 48, announced on Wednesday that she and her husband, Philip Schneider, are expecting twins.

Im so happy to share it with you and with America right now, this is something that Ive been wanting for a long time, and my next thing is Im going to be a mom, the Oscar winner announced on Good Morning America. Im going to be a mom  and not just of one but of two. I cant believe it.

Swank, whos in her second trimester, said in another interview that shes feeling great right now and that twins run in her husbands family.

Its a total miracle. Its unbelievable, she said of being pregnant with two babies.

Swank and Schneider, an entrepreneur, have been married for four years. They wed in a redwood grove in Carmel, California, in 2018, two years after they met on a blind date in 2016.

It was a blind date set up by actor Misha Collinss wife, Vicki, and another close friend, Jean. We met at 10 a.m. and parted ways at 11 p.m., Swank said of their first date, a bottomless brunch. We clearly enjoyed our time!

Swank was previously married to actor Chad Lowe, from 1997 to 2007.

Swank stars in the new TV drama Alaska Daily, which premieres Thursday on ABC. In it, she portrays an investigative journalist seeking a fresh start in Anchorage. Swank has won two lead actress Oscars, for Boys Dont Cry in 1999 and Million Dollar Baby in 2004.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
To view past editions of The Hills 12:30 Report, click here: https://bit.ly/30ARS1U

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> 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

Herschel Walkers defense took a hit:

The Daily Beast reported earlier this week that Georgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker urged a woman he dated in 2009 to get an abortion and reimbursed her for the procedure. Walker repeatedly denied the report, arguing he does not know the identity of the woman who made the claims.

Well, theres an update: The Daily Beast now reports that the woman who made the claim is the mother of one of Walkers own children.

Keep in mind: Walker has said throughout his campaign that he opposes abortion, even in the case of rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother.

HOW WALKER REACTED:

In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt: Walker is still denying the report.

I say the same thing I said, that you know, I know this is untrue. I know its untrue, and they keep telling me things like that, and its totally, totally untrue, Walker said on The Hugh Hewitt Show. More from Walker

WALKERS CHRISTIAN FANS UNFAZED BY ABORTION REVELATIONS:

According to Politicos Natalie Allison

Its Thursday. Im Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and whats coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: The Hills 12:30 Report is taking a long weekend! We will publish next on Wednesday, Oct. 12. Cheers!

 In Congress

Heres the tea:

Tensions flared between Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and swing Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) during then-President Trumps first impeachment trial in the Winter of 2020, according to an exclusively obtained excerpt from a new book.

Story continues

How so?: McConnell pressured Murkowski to vote against calling more witnesses in the trial. Murkowski was disturbed by McConnells pledge to work with Trumps lawyers. Murkowski saw her role as an impartial jury.

Why this is important: New revelations about what McConnell did behind the scenes to help Trump during his first impeachment trial shows the minority leader was one of Trumps most effective Senate allies before their dramatic falling out after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

What went down

The forthcoming book: Unchecked: The Untold Story Behind Congresss Botched Impeachments of Donald Trump by Rachael Bade and Karoun Demirjian will publish on Oct. 18.

 Headlines from the campaign trail

A MAJORITY OF GOP NOMINEES  299 IN ALL  DENY THE 2020 ELECTION RESULTS:

From The Washington Posts Amy Gardner

INTERESTING TIDBIT  YOUNG WOMEN ARE TRENDING LIBERAL. YOUNG MEN ARE NOT:

According to Gallup Poll data analyzed by the Survey Center on American Life.

The numbers

TEN 2024 CONTENDERS FACING BIG STAKES IN MIDTERMS:

From The Hills Niall Stanage

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT BERNIE SANDERS OR ELIZABETH WARREN?:

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. The Hills Hanna Trudo looks into the intensified debate on who might be the next faces of the movement.

 In Asia

North Korea is looking for attention:

The Associated Presss Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung report that North Korea flew 12 warplanes near its border with South Korea on Thursday, prompting the South to scramble 30 military aircraft in response, Seoul officials said.

Plus: The highly unusual incident came hours after North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the sea in its sixth round of missile tests in less than two weeks.

How South Korea reacted: The military said South Korea responded by scrambling 30 fighter jets and other warplanes, though they didnt engage in any clash with the North Korean aircraft.

How tense the situation has become

In the White House

Harriss motorcade was in a minor car accident:

The vehicle driving Vice President Harris to work on Monday hit a curb in a tunnel, causing the motorcade to stop in Foggy Bottom, according to The Washington Posts Carol D. Leonnig

What is giving some pause: How the Secret Service reported the accident. It sent an electronic message of the incident, calling it a mechanical failure.

Keep in mind  these drivers have *a lot* of training: The routine nature of the travel and the high level of training required for agents who drive the president and vice president led many in the Secret Service, as well as Harris, to question how such an accident could happen.

The full story: https://wapo.st/3rz7XPM

 Latest with COVID

Stephen Colbert, host of The Late Show took Anthony Fauci, the nations infectious diseases expert, to get his COVID-19 booster shot. Watch the clip

 THE COVID-19 NUMBERS

Cases to date: 96.3 million

Death toll: 1,055,293

Current hospitalizations: 21,242

Shots administered: 619 million

Fully vaccinated: 67.9 percent of Americans

CDC data here.

 Notable tweets

Someone, please help the state of North Carolina:

The North Carolina Department of State Treasurer is hiring a graphic designer. The graphic for the job posting is *chefs kiss*

Because you all know by now how much I *love* space launches:

Just in case you missed the SpaceX-NASA launch yesterday, CNN tweeted video.Watch the spacecraft head for the International Space Station

 On tap

The House and Senate are out. President Biden is in New York and New Jersey. Vice President Harris is in Washington, D.C.

10 a.m. : Biden left for Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

1:20 p.m. : Biden tours IBM.

3:05 p.m. : Biden leaves for Red Bank, N.J.

4 p.m. : Harris ceremonially swears in Arati Prabhakar as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

5 p.m. : Biden participates in a Democratic National Committee (DNC) reception.

6:15 p.m. : Biden leaves for New York N.Y.

8 p.m. : Biden participates in a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee reception.

10:50 p.m.: Biden returns to the White House.

All times Eastern.

 What to watch

11 a.m. : White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre gaggled with reporters aboard Air Force One. Watch

11 a.m. : Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen delivered remarks on the global economy. Watch

2 p.m. : Biden delivers remarks on creating jobs in the Hudson Valley and lowering costs. Livestream

4 p.m. : The SpaceX crew arrives at the International Space Station. Livestream



 In lighter news

Today is National Noodle Day!

You gotta hand it to them. This was a smart idea:

A canned water startup company called Liquid Death is now worth $700 million. The full story and photo  the packaging does not make it look like water

Well, this is gorgeous:

Fox 40 meteorologist Mark Tarello reposted an Instagram photo of the foliage in Westmore, Vt. Photo

And to leave you on an entertaining note, here are bears adjusting to the learning curve of a hammock.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Elon Musk is seeking a stay in his trial with Twitter as he looks to close his deal to buy the company for $54.20 per share.

Well also dive into the conviction of a former Uber executive over charges that he obstructed a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation involving two hacks of the company.

This is Hillicon Valley, detailing all you need to know about tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Send tips to The Hills Rebecca Klar and Ines Kagubare. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Musk looks to avoid trial on Twitter deal

Elon Musks attorneys asked a court for a stay Thursday in the trial between the billionaire and Twitter, the social media company he is seeking to buy.

The attorneys said proceeding with the trial, set to begin later this month, would be an enormous waste of party and judicial resources given the agreement Musk and Twitter reached earlier this week to close the transaction, according to a copy of the motion.

As a result there is no need for an expedited trial to order Defendants to do what they are already doing and this action is now moot, Musks attorneys wrote.

Musks request for a stay in the trial comes just days after he agreed to follow through on his offer to buy Twitter at his original offer price of $54.20 a share, after trying to back out of the deal initially reached this spring. Twitter sued Musk in an attempt to force him to follow through with the purchase.

A Twitter spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In response to Musks letter agreeing to pay for the company under the initial agreement, a Twitter spokesperson said the intention of the Company is to close the transaction at $54.20 per share.

Read more here.

Former Uber exec convicted

A former Uber executive has been convicted on charges that he obstructed a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation involving two hacks of the company that happened in 2014 and 2016.

Story continues

A jury found Joe Sullivan guilty of obstruction of proceedings of the FTC and misprision of felony, which is taking steps to conceal a felony from authorities, on Wednesday after a four-week trial.

Sullivan was hired as Ubers chief security officer in 2015 while the FTC was investigating the 2014 data breach in which hackers obtained about

50,000 customers personal information, including names and drivers license numbers.



Sullivan supervised Ubers responses to the FTCs questions, participated in a presentation to the agency in March 2016 and testified under oath to the FTC that November on the companys data security practices, according to a Justice Department (DOJ) release. He mentioned steps he had taken to keep customer data secure during his testimony.

Read more here.

RUSSIAN-SPEAKING HACKERS KNOCK STATE SITES OFFLINE

A Russian-speaking hacking group on Wednesday claimed responsibility for knocking a number of U.S. state government websites offline, according to news reports.

Government websites in Colorado, Mississippi and Kentucky were impacted Wednesday, CNN reported, including a Kentucky Board of Elections site with information on voter registration, though the group had not listed the latter as a target.

A Telegram post from the group Killnet included the state websites in a list of targets it planned to hit with service disruptions, according to translations. The list also included government pages from Florida, Alabama, Delaware and Hawaii, among other states, as well as a U.S. tax payment site.

Connecticuts sites were also among those disrupted Wednesday, according to Newsweek.

Read more here.

AMAZONS HOLIDAY HIRING

Amazon announced Thursday it will hire 150,000 workers in the U.S. for the upcoming holiday season.

The e-commerce giant said the new hires will come in full-time, part-time and seasonal gigs to help with the busy holiday season.

John Felton, Amazons senior vice president of worldwide operations, said the company is proud to offer a wide variety of roles for people of all backgrounds.

Whether someone is looking for some extra money for a few months or a long-term career, the holidays are a great time for people to join Amazon, and many of our seasonal employees return year-after-year or transition into full-time roles, Felton said in a statement.

Read more here.

BITS & PIECES

An op-ed to chew on: How the Supreme Court could change social media as we know it

Notable links from around the web:

Facebook Is the Only Game in Town for Digital Political Ads (Bloomberg / Anna Edgerton)

Prominent influencer sues TikTok over ads she says misused her image (The Washington Post / Taylor Lorenz)

A Twitter trial would expose Elon Musk to scrutiny. Buying Twitter might help him avoid it. (Vox / Whizy Kim)

 Lighter click: What a wonderful kind of day

One more thing: Toyota restarts EV production

Toyota has restarted its electric vehicle (EV) production after fixing issues with car wheels and airbag units following a mass recall earlier this year.

The Japanese automaker announced on Thursday that it plans to restart production on its EV series model, the bZ4X, after a three-month delay.

The bZ4X was recalled in June after the company discovered problems with the models wheel parts, citing that sharp turns and sudden braking can cause the wheels bolts to become loose, resulting in an accident, Reuters reported.

Globally, 2,700 bZ4X models were recalled, most of them sold in Europe, North America and Asia.

Read more here.

Thats it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hills Technology and Cybersecurity pages for the latest news and coverage. Well see you tomorrow.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Hokes Bluff man was found guilty Wednesday by a District of Columbia jury of misdemeanor charges in connection with his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Russell Dean Alford, 62, was found guilty on four charges: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct; disorderly conduct in the Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol building.

Alford was interviewed at his business in Hokes Bluff weeks after, according to the release, "his actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election."

According to the governments evidence, on Jan. 6, 2021, "Alford attended a 'Stop the Steal' rally near the Ellipse and then walked (toward) the U.S. Capitol, where he entered the upper House door on the southeast side of the building, at approximately 2:43 p.m.," a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office stated.

"He went into the building through doors that had been broken by others. He remained inside for approximately 15 minutes. He later posted videos and photographs on social media, including to his YouTube page," the release continued.

"When FBI agents approached Alford outside his business in January 2021, prosecutors said, he said, 'I wondered when yall were going to show up. Guess youve seen the videos on my Facebook page.'

Alford was arrested on March 29, 2021, in Birmingham.

His sentencing will be Jan. 23, 2023. The four charges he was convicted on carry a combined statutory maximum penalty of three years' incarceration and possible fines.

According to the release, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors will be considered in determining Alford's sentence.

The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from the Department of Justice National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Alabama. The case is being investigated by the FBIs Birmingham and Washington field offices, with assistance provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

Story continues

In the 20 months since Jan. 6, 2021, according to the release, more than 870 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the Capitol breach, including more than 265 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

The investigation is ongoing; anyone with tips is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Russell Alford guilty of misdemeanor charges in Jan. 6 Capitol breach
A Philadelphia man and Marine veteran who pleaded guilty to conspiring with a New Jersey couple on a bogus feel-good story of helping a motorist in distress that garnered more than $400,000 in online donations has been sentenced to three years probation.

Johnny Bobbitt Jr., 39, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, was also ordered Monday in federal court in New Jersey to pay $25,000 in restitution. He earlier was sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty in 2019 to state charges of conspiracy to commit theft by deception.

Prosecutors said Bobbitt aided Mark DAmico and Katelyn McClure in a feel-good story in late 2017 about the homeless veteran giving his last $20 to help McClure when her car ran out of gas on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia.

The three conducted newspaper and television interviews and solicited donations, ostensibly to help Bobbitt, through a GoFundMe campaign they named Paying It Forward, prosecutors said.

The homeless Marine vet who is now famous never finished his first enlistment

The campaign raised more than $400,000 from about 14,000 donors in about a month and at the time was the largest fraud perpetrated through the crowdfunding platform, according to the prosecutors office in Burlington County, New Jersey.

Authorities began investigating after Bobbitt sued the couple, accusing them of not giving him the money. They eventually determined that all of the money was spent by March 2018, with large chunks spent by McClure and DAmico on a recreational vehicle, a BMW and trips to casinos in Las Vegas and New Jersey.

DAmico pleaded guilty in December 2019 and was sentenced in August to five years in state prison, a term running concurrent to an earlier term imposed on separate federal charges.

McClure was sentenced to a year on federal charges and is awaiting sentencing on state charges. Both have been ordered to fully reimburse GoFundMe.

Bobbitt Jr. served as an ammunition technician from December 2002 until February 2004, according to the Marine Corps Manpower and Reserve Affairs office, Marine Corps Times previously reported.

Bobbitt left the Marine Corps as a private, the services lowest rank. He was assigned to the E-1 pay grade four months before his discharge, according to his official Marine Corps personnel records.

Its unclear why Bobbitt left the Marine Corps after only 14 months when most enlistment contracts require a four-year service commitment. Corps officials declined to provide any information about the type of discharge that Bobbitt received.
Marshall County Sheriff Phil Sims said a tip led investigators to human remains Sept. 30 that have been identified as a man missing from the Guntersville area.

Marshall County investigators found the remains in rural Blount County near the town of Susan Moore. The Alabama Department of Forensic Science now has identified the remains as James Tracy Denson, who'd been reported missing Aug. 6; he was last seen in Guntersville Aug. 1.

Sims said the Susan Moore police and fire departments, the Blount County Sheriff's Office, the Blount County Coroner's Office and the Marshall County District Attorney's Office assisted with recovery of the body.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Human remains found in Blount County identified as Marshall County man
By Alexandra Valencia

QUITO (Reuters) -United Nations human rights officials are concerned about Ecuador's prison violence crisis, they said on Thursday, after yet another riot at a Guayaquil jail left at least 13 inmates dead and more than 20 prisoners and police injured.

Violence has plagued Ecuador's prison system since early 2021, with close to 400 killed in clashes since February last year, according to the Andean country's SNAI prison authority.

The violence is due to decades of state abandonment of the prison system, a delegation from the United Nations' Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture said in a statement.

The existence of self-governance within Ecuador's so-called mega prisons, including by inmates belonging to criminal gangs, has led to human rights violations, the statement added.

Ecuador's government did not immediately respond to the U.N. agency's findings.

Two deadly riots rocked Ecuadorean prisons this week alone, with the most recent taking place at the Penitenciaria prison in Guayaquil on Wednesday.

The SNAI authority raised the number of prisoners killed to 13, up from five it reported earlier, after authorities were able to get inside the facilities.

At least six police officers were also injured during that riot, authorities said.

Clashes at a prison in the city of Latacunga, south of the country's capital Quito, on Monday and Tuesday left at least 16 prisoners dead and left 43 injured.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which criticized conditions in Ecuador's jails earlier this year, called on the government to investigate the riots in Latacunga.

The riots are a reminder of the urgent reforms Ecuadorean prisons require, Juan Pappier, senior researcher for the Americas at advocacy group Human Rights Watch, told Reuters via WhatsApp.

"President Guillermo Lasso should prioritize addressing overcrowding and wresting control of detention facilities from organized crime," Pappier said.

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Families waiting for information about their loved ones outside of the Guayaquil prison were dispersed by police using tear gas on Wednesday night, according to local advocacy group the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Ecuador.

"A lot of people here are only asking for information about their relatives, but there's no one coming to say if their relative is OK or not," said Fabiola Zambrano, who has waited outside the prison for news of her cousin since Wednesday.

The government attributes prison violence to infighting between gangs over territory and drug trafficking routes.

The prisons house some 33,500 inmates and exceed maximum capacity by 11.3%, according to official figures.

"Here it's like there are no authorities," Zambrano said. "Here, the strongest survive."

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia in QuitoAdditional reporting by Yury Garcia in Guayaquil and Oliver Griffin in BogotaWriting by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Richard Chang)
The sight of a Democratic president and Republican governor working together to help the residents of a critical battleground state that could determine the future of the country seemed almost as striking of an image as the damage left from Hurricane Ian.

President Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis were cordial, if not stiff at times, as they met in Fort Myers, Fla., on Wednesday afternoon to tour the community ravaged by Ian last week. Biden shook hands briefly with DeSantis upon exiting his motorcade, along with Floridas first lady Casey DeSantis. First lady Jill Biden walked over wearing aviator shades matching the presidents.

President Biden with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife, Casey DeSantis, as they tour the damage caused by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Fla. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

DeSantis commiserated with residents about the destruction to Sanibel Island. Biden, just off to his side, took off his blazer and his sunglasses as he listened to Floridians. DeSantis praised Biden and the federal government, while Biden colloquially thanked the gov as he took the lectern after DeSantis spoke.

This is about America coming together, Biden said.

In the most highly charged political environment in recent memory, with criminal investigations swirling around the Jan. 6 insurrection, threats of violence against elected officials of all stripes and rampant misinformation clouding the national debate  the normalcy of the interaction was almost jarring.

All of the speculation of whether or not they would meet was a colossal waste of time. Of course the incumbent president and the incumbent governor were going to meet at a time of emergency, said veteran Republican strategist Doug Heye.

The Bidens with Ron and Casey DeSantis in Fort Myers Beach, Fla. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

But even major national disasters have been infused with partisan fighting, dating back to then-President Barack Obamas support a decade ago for Republican governors in Florida and New Jersey (which enraged conservative voters) and carrying through Trumps time in office, as he threatened to withhold aid from Democratic-led states.

And the stakes heading into the 2024 election, with the potential that Biden and DeSantis could face each other, elevated the attention paid to what might have been considered a routine tour.

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Even Trump, who inserted himself into the debate Wednesday during a speech in Miami, held his fire, saying of his potential 2024 rival DeSantis, God bless our governor.

Asked by pool reporter Francesca Chambers of USA Today why he set aside politics, Rep. Byron Donald, R-Fla., said the priority was getting people back on their feet.

Because our area needs all the help it can get, so well deal with the politics later, Donald said. The response has been good. Everybody has been all hands on deck, which is what we needed.

Thumbnail credit: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
As floodwaters rose in Florida in the wake of Hurricane Ian, animal lovers have been rising to the occasion to rescue stranded pets.

Capt. Greg Hubbard of Orange County Fire Rescue in Orlando led a special operations team that donned dry suits, wetsuits or other protective gear and brought boats door to door in flooded neighborhoods.

The collaboration between Orange County Fire Rescue, Orange County Sheriffs Department and the Florida National Guard rescued hundreds of residents  and numerous dogs and cats. (Courtesy Orange County Government, Florida)

What it ended up being more than anything was flash flooding like we had never seen before, Hubbard told TODAY. We were driving boats down residential neighborhoods and hitting the top of peoples mailboxes with our boats.

Florida's Orange County Government shared photos like this on Facebook with the caption, Pets are family. Period. (Courtesy Orange County Government, Florida)

In the Rio Pinar neighborhood about 8 miles east of downtown Orlando, nearly every house had pets  often at least two dogs. One family of four had seven cats.

There were at least three or four dozen animals that we rescued out of that neighborhood alone, he said. These people were all taken by surprise because none of these areas were considered in flood zones.

Flash flooding from Hurricane Ian affected Orange County neighborhoods, including Rio Pinar, University Acres and Orlo Vista. (Courtesy Orange County Government, Florida)

Though the people sometimes seemed panicked, the dogs were all calm and almost seemed appreciative, he said. Not a single dog growled, barked or nipped.

I almost feel like the dogs had a calming effect on the people and the rescuers, he said.

Not a single dog seemed panicked and almost seemed appreciative during rescues following Hurricane Ian, according to Capt. Greg Hubbard of Orange County Fire Rescue. (Courtesy Orange County Government, Florida)

One woman told Hubbard, Dangers coming out. He asked  with some trepidation  Whos Danger?

Danger turned out to be a senior, overweight dog who posed absolutely no threat to rescuers.

I got a chuckle out of that: the dogs name is Danger but he was anything but dangerous, he said.

But mainly, he is moved by the families whod lost everything yet still felt grateful to be alive.

Youd walk into their house and its just absolute devastation. Raw sewage inside the house, really dirty water. All of their worldly possessions just destroyed, he said. But they were in really good spirits. Some of the couples even said, We made it out, our animals made it out. We can replace everything else.

Capt. Greg Hubbard of Orange County Fire Rescue suggests people evacuating before or after hurricanes bring their pets crate because it makes rescues easier  and because pet-friendly emergency shelters often require them. (Courtesy Orange County Government, Florida)

Hubbard, who was born and raised in Orange County, said hes immensely proud of the 1,400 members of his hometown fire department. His team was about 16 hours into the water rescues when they were called to a nursing home that had lost power due to a flooded generator. They evacuated more than 225 residents and around 100 staff members.

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We worked nearly a 24-hour shift and not one person complained, he said. They get their houses ready to the best of their ability and they know when they come to work, theyre probably going to be there for three or four days without going home. And thats exactly what happened.

A rescuer carries a cat to safety following Hurricane Ian. (Courtesy Orange County Government, Florida)

He left his own wife, two kids and two dogs  including 10-week-old puppy, Mattis  to help his neighbors, no matter their species.

We would never leave a dog behind, he said. I think its safe to say we exceeded the capacity of the boats in some instances, but I think some rules were meant to be broken, and that was one rule we were willing to break on that day and under those circumstances.

Rescuers were not willing to leave any people or pets behind. (Courtesy Orange County Government, Florida)

Meanwhile, staff and volunteers at many rescue organizations in Florida have been working together to help evacuate shelter pets from devastated areas  even when theyve lost their own homes.

That was the case at the nonprofit Humane Society Naples, according to Denise Deisler, president and CEO of Jacksonville Humane Society, who also leads Florida Leaders in Lifesaving, a network of animal shelters and rescue organizations with the goal of saving more animals across the state.

Despite the fact that some of their own staff members lost their homes in this, nonetheless, they were on-site and ready to respond, she told TODAY. Their shelter is newer and stood up to the storm  it suffered very little damage. They immediately went to Gulf Coast Humane Society (in Fort Myers), which did incur flooding and didnt fare nearly as well.

To take in animals from damaged shelters, Florida Leaders in Lifesaving helps shelters arrange to drive or fly their own shelter pets elsewhere to make room for the newly displaced pets. On Monday, rescuers in Naples loaded 51 cats and 15 dogs on a plane flown by the nonprofit Wings of Rescue and funded by Petco Love to Brandywine Valley SPCA in Delaware.

Animal rescuers in Naples, Florida, load adoptable dogs and cats on a plane bound for Delaware on Oct. 3, 2022. (Humane Society Naples)

What weve seen and experienced here in Southwest Florida in the last few days is beyond words. We have heartbreaking devastation and destruction but at the same time, an amazing community has come together to get things done for our animal friends who are in desperate need, Sarah Baeckler, CEO of Humane Society Naples, told TODAY via email. I am beyond grateful to our friends at Petco Love and Brandywine Valley SPCA for jumping at the chance to help us at our darkest hour, and to Jacksonville Humane Society for connecting us all through their Florida Leaders in Lifesaving program. Together we will save hundreds of lives.

Closer to home, Jacksonville Humane Society has taken in around 80 transported cats from Edgewater Animal Shelter, which was flooded by Hurricane Ian. It was a collaboration with Volusia County Animal Services and Halifax Humane Society in Daytona Beach, according to Deisler.

Kittens await transport after Hurricane Ian. (Courtesy Humane Society Naples)

The cats will all be vetted and added to the nonprofit's adoption program.

Deisler noted that when it comes to donations, money is usually best. Some well-meaning folks might want to send food, blankets or other supplies, but in hard-hit areas, there might not be anyone to receive and process the goods.

Part of the reason were having to fly in and out is that road travel is still sketchy, she noted. There are bridges out.

Shelter teams in Florida are working overtime to help pets affected by Hurricane Ian. (Humane Society Naples)

Another way to help is if you find a lost dog or cat, check to see if they are microchipped at a veterinary clinic or animal shelter. Deisler also recommends uploading photos of both found and lost pets to the free database of Petco Love Lost, which uses facial recognition software to help reunite people and pets.

Some rescuers have continued working to help animals without knowing the state of their own homes, Deisler said. She noted that Liz McCauley, executive director of Cape Coral Animal Shelter in Cape Coral, Florida, worked at her shelter for five days before she had the chance to check on her house. (It sustained damage but is still standing.)

This was a monster of a storm that hit this state. Theres barely anybody in this state that didnt feel some effect from it  yet it didnt stop us from helping, Deisler said. I cant say enough about the power of helping your neighbor next door.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Hurricane Ian wake-up call: Should we rebuild?

Laurence Reisman had an excellent piece in Sunday's newspaper, "Hurricane Ian shows united human spirit: What if we all acted like that daily?"

Ian is a wake-up call. Mother Nature is a powerful force and uncontrollable. Often with devastating impact, as we just witnessed with Ian and other climate-related events in many parts of the world.

It is abundantly clear, its time to do some heavy thinking. It is time for some hard choices.

The typical response in these circumstances is to rebuild, pretty much as it was before the event. I do not think that is the right response. Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Take the delta in Pakistan that floods every year as an example. I think its time to build infrastructure in more viable locations and encourage people to move. Movement would be automatic if devastated areas are not rebuilt. Resources for rebuild are expensive and need to be treated as though they are not endless. I think the endless rebuild in the delta is a waste of valuable resources.

It's the same for other parts of the world and for the west coast of Florida. I cannot fathom the price tag for this loss. Do you think its smart to rebuild a causeway to Sanibel for a tiny piece of land that is at sea level? I think not. Nor for Captiva and all the other barrier islands that got battered. It's the same for large parts of the coastline lined with beautiful homes and high rises.

I encourage Reisman to pursue a tough line in his writing and encourage his colleagues to do the same. It's a very difficult topic, especially difficult in the political world of today.

Barbara Ruddy, Vero Beach

A damaged causeway to Sanibel Island is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian , Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, near Sanibel Island, Fla.

Putin tactics: Will history repeat itself?

Having served as a U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, I'm haunted now by what is happening.

Adolf Hitler seized the Sudetenland in October 1938, following the disastrous Munich Agreement. It was a part of Czechoslovakia, inhabited by German-speaking people. They were "liberated to join the Fatherland."

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U.K. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in Munich said Hitler could have it; just don't take anything else. In March 1939, Hitler took the rest of Czechoslovakia, and then Poland.

Russia's Vladimir Putin is applying the same Hitler "ethno-nationalist" logic in Crimea and Donbas. The Crimea is 50% Russian speakers, so Putin thought it should be Russian territory. He illegally invaded and annexed Crimea in 2014.

The rest of Donbas has 25% Russian speakers. Enough to justify annexing?

Putin appeared recently with goose-stepping Russian soldiers to announce four new "regions" would be integrated into Mother Russia, and bizarrely claimed America is a "colonial power" forcing nations to submit.

Putin is defending "freedom-loving peoples" from our dictatorship? No, he is the dictator, following strategy of Hitler and Nazi fascism. Putin's claim about U.S. and NATO "colonialist action" to force Russia to submit is delusional nonsense.

Remember, it was Russia, under Katherine the Great and other czars, who expanded Russian colonialism into central and western Europe. They even seized the Russian Far East from China.

This current referendum is a sham. Most who opposed it have fled.

Hitler was not opposed in his Sudetenland annexation, and we all know what happened next. A world war. Is history going to repeat itself?

David W. Hunter, a retired diplomat who served at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, 1990-2000, lives in Vero Beach.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives to deliver his speech at the concert marking the eighth anniversary of the referendum on the state status of Crimea and Sevastopol and its reunification with Russia, in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 18, 2022. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Support act to improve mental health worldwide

Mental health affects everyone, regardless of your income, geographic location, gender, social status, etc.

It is no secret that to this day, there is a big stigma and predisposition toward mental health and people that suffer from it.

The global pandemic has increased the mental health rate for many throughout the world. However, it created a tremendous impact on countries living in extreme poverty since they do not have access to mental health programs. This has especially affected children and their education, causing higher rates of trauma, abuse, delinquency, anxiety, and depression.

If we think about the issues these countries face on a daily basis, such as hunger and malnutrition, disease, war, and lack of education to name a few, it is clear that we must call to action and help in any way we can.

The MINDS Act is the first bill to address mental health and psychosocial support through American social global development assistance. As a Borgen Project ambassador, I urge Florida's U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, and every person reading this to support this bill that will substantially improve the well-being and formation of these children.

Natasha Hall-Trujillo, Port St. Lucie

Why publish anti-Trump comments from PAC leader?

I want to thank the editors of this newspaper for including a column by Jessica Floyd, Wheres the FEC? Trump raises 2024 cash without legal limits.

Thats pretty rich considering we have George Soros money to thank for a string of left-leaning attorney generals and others across the country.

I disagreed with pretty much everything she said, but I did a search of her organization, American Bridge 21st Century, and learned a lot. One has to wonder where the money for this super Pac came from. From its website, it apparently goes after all Republican candidates and of course, its main goal is to further tarnish Donald Trump.

I am sickened by her last paragraph: Since the 2020 election, weve seen Trump and his endorsed candidates working overtime to change electoral rules and skirt the will of the people.

What Republican leaders are attempting to do is to restore the election rules and regulations that were changed by Democrats in Pennsylvania and other states, using COVID as an excuse. Organizations like Ms. Floyd's are desperate to maintain this laxity, even though it has resulted in people no longer trusting that their votes will count.

She calls keeping these disastrous changes leveling the playing field. What a joke.

I would think this paper could find other more balanced contributors than the president of a left-leaning super PAC trying to sway the public before an important midterm election.

The loosening of election standards and safeguards has resulted in the election of one of the worst presidents in Americas history. Hows that working out for the people of this great country and how is this news organization in any way helping to correct the situation we now find ourselves in?

Patricia A. Perrone, Stuart

Editor's note: The Opinion Page offers a variety of perspectives.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Why rebuild after Hurricane Ian? Let Trump help: Letters, Oct. 6, 2022
KYIV (Reuters) - International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said on Thursday that the U.N. nuclear watchdog considered the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to be a Ukrainian facility.

Russia captured the plant in southern Ukraine in March, shortly after invading Ukraine, and Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his government on Wednesday to take control of it.

The plant is Europe's largest, and Ukrainian staff have continued to operate it.

"This is a matter that has to do with international law ... we want the war to stop immediately, and of course the position of the IAEA is that this facility is a Ukrainian facility," Grossi told reporters in Kyiv.

He was due to travel to Moscow for talks to meet Russian officials following his talks in the Ukrainian capital.

(Reporting by Max Hunder, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. (AP)  Rotting fish and garbage lie scattered in Sanibel Island's streets. On the mainland, debris from washed-away homes is heaped in a canal like matchsticks. Huge shrimp boats sit perched amid the remains of a mobile home park.

Think of a snow globe. Pick it up and shake it  thats what happened, said Fred Szott.

For the past three days, he and his wife Joyce have been making trips to their damaged mobile home in Fort Myers, cleaning up after Hurricane Ian slammed into Florida's Gulf Coast.

As for the emotional turbulence, he says: You either hold on, or you lose it.

The number of storm-related deaths rose to at least 101 on Thursday, eight days after the storm made landfall in southwest Florida. According to reports from the Florida Medical Examiners Commission, 92 of those deaths were in Florida. Five people were also killed in North Carolina, three in Cuba and one in Virginia.

Ian is the second-deadliest storm to hit the mainland U.S. in the 21st century behind Hurricane Katrina, which left more than 1,800 people dead in 2005. The deadliest hurricane ever to hit the U.S. was the Great Galveston Hurricane in 1900 that killed as many as 8,000 people.

Residents of Floridas devastated barrier islands are starting to return, assessing the damage to homes and businesses despite limited access to some areas. Pamela Brislin arrived by boat to see what she could salvage.

Brislin had stayed through the storm, but is haunted by what happened afterward. When she checked on a neighbor, she found the woman crying. Her husband had passed away, his body laid out on a picnic table until help could arrive. Another neighbors house caught fire. The flames were so large that they forced Breslin to do what the hurricane could not  flee with her husband and a neighbors dog.

Ian, a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour (240 kilometers per hour), unleashed torrents of rain and caused extensive flooding and damage. The deluge turned streets into gushing rivers. Backyard waterways overflowed into neighborhoods, sometimes by more than a dozen feet (3.5 meters), tossing boats onto yards and roadways. Beaches disappeared, as ocean surges pushed shorelines far inland. Officials estimate the storm has caused billions of dollars in damage.

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The broken causeway to Sanibel Island might not be passable until the end of the month. Officials on the island had ordered a complete curfew after the storm passed, allowing search and rescue teams to do their work. That meant residents who evacuated were technically blocked from returning.

The city of about 7,000 started allowing residents back from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday. City manager Dana Souza told residents in a Facebook Live stream that he wished the municipality had resources to provide transportation but that, for now, residents would have to arrange visits by private boat.

Pine Island is closer to the mainland than Sanibel, and temporary repairs to its causeway were finished on Wednesday.

But the island was hit hard by the storm. Cindy Bickford's house is still standing. Much of the damage was from flooding, which left a thick layer of rancid muck on her floors. She's hopeful that a lot can be salvaged.

Well tear the home apart so we can live in it, said Bickford, who wore a T-shirt that said Relax, Refresh and Renew.

Its not our stuff were worried about. Its our community. Pine Island is extremely close-knit, said Bickford, who arrived Thursday for the first time.

Jay Pick said the island still feels cut off from the outside, and a bit chaotic.

People are trying to do the right thing and help people, and yet other people are stepping up and taking their gas cans and stealing generators, he said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, at a news conference Thursday in the Sarasota County town of Nokomis, praised the widespread restoration of running water through the storm-hit zone and the work toward restoring power. Some 185,000 customers remain without electricity, down from highs above 2.6 million across the state.

He said rescue workers have conducted around 2,500 missions, particularly on barrier islands on the Gulf coast as well as in inland areas that have seen intense flooding. More than 90,000 structures have been inspected and checked for survivors, he said.

He said residents areas devastated by the hurricane had been showing great resilience over the past week.

President Joe Biden toured some of Floridas hurricane-hit 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 could take years.

___

Calvan reported from Pine Island, Florida. Associated Press writers Anthony Izaguirre in Tallahassee and Ian Mader in Miami contributed to this report.

___

This story has been updated to correct the number of deaths in Florida. It is 92, not 98.
Writer Christina Catherine Martinez, left, and artist Tita Cicognani sit in a hot tub in Cicognani's installation at the UCLA Hammer Museum. (Wesley Lapointe / Los Angeles Times)

Shortly before the pandemic, I had a prophetic studio visit with a sculptor who was holding a sale out of his workspace. I left with a fog machine, a strobe light, rainbow colored light bulbs, and some books of artist writings, one titled "Failure," the other, "Appropriation." I asked what the occasion was for the sale and he shrugged and replied, Im dematerializing my practice, which I took as shorthand for pivoting to video  something many online magazines tried in 2015 and what most of us were forced to do in 2020.

New York-born, Los Angeles-based artist Tita Cicognani had worked mainly in sculpture and assemblage, an insistently material practice with funny invitations to the body, like a chair with a spiked seat titled "Bad Student" (2019) or a pink-lit installation of BDSM furniture, all covered in soft white shearling ("Fuzz Dungeon," 2019). She didnt want to dematerialize. Her 2020 video "I Am So Full of Longing and Desire It Gushes Out of My Knees as They Scrape the Ground Upon Which I Crawl Toward You" is almost a protest against the conditions of its own making. The title might give you a feel for the tone  CGI animations of a writhing figure with gray skin and a black bikini are cut with chaotically short clips from "The Notebook," "Titanic," Taylor Swift and Christina Aguilera videos, and various internet memes  a greatest hits montage of pop culture romance and Top 40 seduction. She also started making large installations combining her videos with sculptural elements and soundscapes around a central element: inflatable hot tubs. There are three iterations of the tubs, she says, all very different.

Were sitting in her current installation, sturdy, noninflatable, currently installed at the Hammer Museum, where she has agreed to an interview with me outside of normal museum hours, when visitors can sign up for a 45-minute slot to soak in "Heart Tub" (2022), which is exactly that: the schmaltzy stalwart of low-budget love nests that began to appear in places like the Poconos in the early 1970s, barreling Americas obsession with hysterical love into the Decade That Taste Forgot.

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Artist Tita Cicognani stands against the hot tub that's part of her new multimedia installation at the UCLA Hammer Museum. (Wesley Lapointe / Los Angeles Times)

Funny thing about the heart-shaped tub: what began as an overdetermined catalyst for romance has since devolved into a symbol of tackiness (see: "Failure"). But loving is nothing if not embarrassing, its expressions always a little infra dig. Cicognanis "Heart Tub" installation doubles down on tackiness to the point of religious frenzy, a trance at the secular altar of desire. The tub isnt just red, its red crocodile-skin vinyl (red crocodiles dont even exist! Who comes up with this stuff!) pocked on all sides with embedded video screens and sitting under floating holograms of flying saucers and bubbly hearts plucked straight off a Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper.

"The first tub I made was during the first stage of COVID lockdown and it was in our temporary grad school studios in Chinatown, she says. It was certainly related to what I was feeling at the time  very isolated and very alienated. I was craving this type of physical interaction and sharing, this kind of  she splashes a bit of water at me  real physical space. My notebook is wet.

Artist Tita Cicognani, right, built a hot tub for a show on view at the Hammer Museum. Christina Catherine Martinez takes notes. (Wesley Lapointe / Los Angeles Times)

During the fall of 2020, while I was wrangling those rainbow lights and fog machines to try to jazz up the many livestream performances I was doing out of my apartment, Cicognani was using party-store special effects in combination with video projections and aforementioned tub to create what became "Mothership" (2021), a small, inflatable pool rimmed with mirrors and LED lights, and topped with a disco ball, like a tiny wet fun house. Its vaguely redolent of the Gravitron  a county fair staple where I spent many a summer scooting myself upside down, pinned to its vinyl sides by centrifugal force. Physics is one of the few energetic thrills available to bored suburban kids who love Jesus too much to touch drugs or alcohol (but not, as it turns out, one another).

Cicognanis work operates on a similar horseshoe of affect where religious and corporeal ecstasy get weirdly close. Her earlier projects include "Prayer Cards" (2019), taking on the look and feel of the small devotional pictures usually reserved for images of saints, and replacing them with an image of the artist herself in a state of stigmata, or sexy submission, or both. The cards are done up in a Smarties palette of pink and purple and teal, printed with the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. The prayer sounds not entirely unlike the kind of soft-core self-help infographics that circulate on Instagram. Oh, Im not on social media, Cicognani says. Im not surprised. Her aesthetic often pulls from a generationally shared pool of pop references and the newly fashionable Catholicism and UFO culture, but her work never flattens into mere aesthetic. Cicognani is always trying to pull the body out of the screen. Like a benevolent Cronenberg.

Artist Tita Cicognani sits in the hot tub she created. (Wesley Lapointe/Los Angeles Times)

Her second tub, "Grotto Tub" (2022), was even more carnal. Installed at the artist-run space Leroys, a gallery in the former Thanh Vi Restaurant in Chinatown that very much bears the architectural features of its previous life. That was really wonderful because the space is also a bar. A lot of people were coming late at night with their friends and drinking in the tub. Opening night the space was flooded because thered be like six, seven, eight people in there at a time. It was really wild and kind of gross, in a really nice way. "Grotto Tub" looked more like a Madonna Inn rock shower and delighted in its earthiness. PVC pipes sticking out of its walls pumped a steady stream of unidentified brown goo. Accompanying videos contained footage of Cicognani and her friends mud wrestling. There were less protocols in place there, Cicognani admits. During her initial talks about bringing the project to the Hammer, Aram Moshayedi, the Robert Soros senior curator at the museum, affectionately referred to "Grotto Tub" as art student soup.

The current installation at the Hammer is an exercise in scaling up certain forms of intimacy attached to the tubs in their more clandestine forms. Realizing it here involved navigating new logistics like scheduled time slots, release forms and building codes. Even this, Cicognani says, motioning toward the chrome heart-shaped handrail that makes the installation ADA compliant. Thats not something I thought of before, but its beautiful, it works.

We sit back and watch the 40-minute video "I Still Believe" (2022) looping on a large screen against one wall. Its like being at a drive-in, or rather, soak-in. The video follows a green-skinned CGI avatar of the artist with enlarged hands, traipsing around a cheap motel complete with its own heart-shaped tub. The low-res background image is taken straight from Booking.com (see: "Appropriation"). The figure falls through the water into an infinite underwater void, freaking out, emerging, encountering UFOs and immaculately conceiving an alien progeny. The figure toggles between astral heights and glowering depths, never quite able to sit still here, on the surface of the Earth, where Cicognani and I sit together, watching it all unfold. My notions of desire and beauty and love were all kind of built on pop music and shiny things, she says. Its something that I definitely rejected for a really long time and somehow in the past couple of years Ive revisited and embraced it.

Writer Christina Catherine Martinez, left, and artist Tita Cicognani watch Cicognani's multimedia video from a hot tub. (Wesley Lapointe / Los Angeles Times)

The contemporary art school is a curious institution  it's kind of like a religion, though its orthodoxy is more cerebral than corporeal. I had the feeling that all of that is very corny and Im not like that. Im very serious! That was my first year and a half of grad school: telling myself I needed to make work that I could relate always to theory, focusing on things that were interesting to me, but only on an intellectual level.

There are intellectual levels here too. "Heart Tub" knows its place among other bodies of water in museums, most notably a work from the Museum of Contemporary Arts 2010 exhibition Suprasensorial: Experiments in Light, Color, and Space, which included a 1973 pool installation by Brazilian artists Helio Oiticica and Neville D'Almeida titled "CC4 Nocagions." I was fortunate enough to take a dip in that work as well. My memory of it felt more slick and abstract, unlike the cascade of images that float in and around "Heart Tub."

There is a potent class-dimension to exploring bibleots of desire marketed to an underclass in constant search of a disappearing middle. We talk about the economic subtext of a word like tacky and whether the 2010 film "Hot Tub Time Machine" is as valid a reference as the late theorist Lauren Berlants writings on desire. When I started building the first one the voice of Craig Robinson saying, it must be some kind of  hot tub time machine kept coming into my head," she says. "It just made me laugh and was a reminder of the absurdity of the entire project. We laugh.

As we dried off with the custom made towels Cicognani designed for the show, I regarded my own body. The pea-green towels are embroidered with an image of the baby alien from her video underneath the words "I still believe." Please, keep it! Cicognani insisted. A representative of the museum offered to send me a fresh one. I declined, absolutely. I feel like its part of the work, I said, knowing that lots of people used this one. They assured me the towels are washed after each use.

Christina Catherine Martinez is a writer, actress, comedian and daughter of Los Angeles. She is a recipient of the Creative Capital/Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant and has been named a Comedian You Should Know by both Time Out L.A. and New York magazine. Her book of essays, Aesthetical Relations, is available from Hesse Press. She was born and raised in Southern California.

Visitors can make an appointment to sit in the hot tub Tita Cicognani created. (Wesley Lapointe / Los Angeles Times)

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Tensions flared between Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and swing Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) during then-President Trumps first impeachment trial in the Winter of 2020, according to an exclusively obtained excerpt from a new book.

New revelations about what McConnell did behind the scenes to help Trump during his first impeachment trial shows the minority leader was one of Trumps most effective Senate allies before their dramatic falling out after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

They also show that while McConnell is now supporting Murkowskis re-election bid against a Trump-backed challenger, Kelly Tshibaka, just two years ago the two senators were at loggerheads over how to respond to questions about Trumps conduct and fitness for office.

The forthcoming book, Unchecked: The Untold Story Behind Congresss Botched Impeachments of Donald Trump, reveals that McConnell leaned hard on Murkowski to vote against calling more witnesses at Trumps impeachment trial on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Murkowski at the time said publicly she was disturbed by McConnells pledge to work in total coordination with Trumps legal team and take my cues from the presidents lawyers.

Murkowski saw senators more as members of an impartial jury, not an extension of the defense team, and told a reporter in Alaska shortly before Christmas 2019 that McConnell had further confused the process.

Murkowskis criticism of McConnell started trending on Twitter. When she woke up the next morning after a late night of wrapping Christmas presents at her cabin outside of Anchorage, she found a snarky message from McConnell in her email inbox.

It was a missive that would zap all the holiday cheer out of her for two days. The leader was not happy with her comments. And he wanted to talk to her, longtime Washington reporters Rachael Bade and Karoun Demirjian write in Unchecked, which will go on sale Oct. 18.

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McConnell later tried to mend fences with Murkowski, whom he knew would be a key Republican vote. If she defected, the charges against Trump would have posed a huge political liability for the president and his party heading into the 2020 election.

After returning to Washington after the recess, McConnell summoned Murkowski to walk over to him on the Senate floor and told her: You and I are on the same page.

He signaled he didnt have lingering hard feelings by recalling how in the same interview in which Murkowski criticized him, she also criticized Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for rushing the impeachment investigation.

And he tried to defend his statement that he would coordinate closely with the White House legal team by arguing that Democrats had done the same thing during Bill Clintons 1999 impeachment trial.

But it still was a sore subject for Murkowski.

Well dont advertise it! she had snapped back.

Bade, the co-author of Politico Playbook, and Demirjian, a member of The Washington Posts national security team, write that Murkowski also struggled with herself over how to handle the trial, and how to vote on the crucial question of allowing House Democratic prosecutors to call additional witnesses, which would have extended the trial for weeks or even months.

McConnell worked behind the scenes to persuade her not to defect and vote with Democrats.

He knew he couldnt bully her so he had to use the tactic he had deployed so effectively over his years as leader to convince wayward Republican colleagues to toe the party line.

McConnell never threatened. He never bullied. And though he often left her space to follow her own intuition, he was an expert at laying the guilt on thick and backing her into a corner, the authors write.

Murkowski was a critical player in the 2020 impeachment trial because she turned out to be the deciding swing vote on the question of calling more witnesses.

Unlike the vote on convicting the president and removing him from office, which requires two-thirds of the Senate  which was never a real possibility in January of 2020  the procedural vote on calling more witnesses only needed a simple majority.

Republicans controlled 53 seats, but moderate Sens. Susan Collins (R), who was up for re-election in Maine, a Democratic-leaning state, and Mitt Romney (R-Utah), an outspoken Trump critic, were expected to vote for additional witnesses. If Murkowski joined them, there would be a 50-50 tie on the question and it would have fallen to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to decide or punt on the crucial question.

McConnell knew that Murkowski respected Roberts, who was presiding over the Senate trial, and exploited that to his full advantage. He warned that if she voted with Democrats to call witnesses, Roberts would be thrown into a political maelstrom along with other judges who would be forced to rule on Trumps legal appeals.

The most consequential vote during this impeachment is not about whether to convict or acquit, McConnell told Murkowski carefully, according to the book. Its about how to vote on witnessesand what position that will put the courts in.

He told Murkowski that it would be up to her to protect the integrity of the judicial branch and stop what he viewed as a politically motivated impeachment trial from damaging the federal judiciarys reputation as standing above politics.

If you dont want to do this for the presidency, if you dont want to do it for the Senate, if you dont want to do this for 2020 colleagues, do it to save the courts, he said.

This and other anecdotes in Unchecked are gathered from interviews the authors conducted with the key players in Trumps impeachment trial. The sources were granted anonymity to protect them from political and personal recriminations.

Though Murkowski was torn over the question of witnesses, she felt sure that Trump had acted improperly by using his power as president to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to dig up dirt on then-former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter on a July phone call.

Yet the Alaska senator thought House Democrats had rushed the impeachment investigation and had dumped an incomplete case in senators laps, asking them to finish their work by taking on the burden of fact finding.

Murkowski wondered why the House had not handled the case with more care and concern. She thought that Democrats were just as guilty of playing politics as her Senate Republican colleagues who reflexively circled around Trump to defend him, even though his conduct raised serious ethical and legal questions.

Republican leaders, much to her frustration, were constantly telling their rank and file: You gotta circle. You gotta circle together and protect one another here  which meant, of course, circling to protect Trump. Just like musk ox, Murkowski thought, imagining the hulking creatures, who circle around their young with their horns turned out and their rears tucked in during times of danger, according to Unchecked.

She ultimately decided the House impeachment investigation and Senate trial were flawed, but she felt there wasnt anything she could do to rectify the situation or alter the outcome that Trump would be acquitted on the final vote.

She and then-Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the other Republican swing vote, ultimately decided they would not support calling new witnesses, putting the trial on the path for a speedy conclusion and giving McConnell the political win he wanted.

As Murkowski deliberated over what to do, she concluded: Republicans were too afraid to actually check this president, and Democrats didnt really care about putting him awayjust about getting impeachment over with and using it to do maximum damage to the GOP in the 2020 election.

Because of that, she thought sourly, Trump would get away with everything. And she had no choice but to be complicit, the authors write.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Two Ashland University students are walking on campus near the library and the garden with the soaring eagle statue on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. TOM E. PUSKAR/TIMES-GAZETTE.COM

Construction of Intel's $20 billion chip plant in Central Ohio has led to a partnership between 11 area colleges and universities to help train workers for the technology-related jobs expected to come.

Ashland University has joined the Ohio TechNet Northeast Ohio Semiconductor Workforce Consortium, led by Lorain County Community College.

The higher education partnership will develop semiconductor careers by providing training programs, according to a news release from Ashland U.

"The consortium that Ashland is a part of will help support semiconductor fabrication and equipment operations, including automation, robotics, microelectronics, semiconductor processing, cleanroom technical training, cybersecurity and data analysis," the release states.

The education initiative will focus on "expanding the talent pipeline, broadening the regions ability to deliver curriculum and experiential learning models, building on existing regional programs, resources and stakeholders and rapidly spreading effective strategies within the consortium."

Our part in the consortium will focus on one of the greatest strengths at Ashland University  teacher education," said Shawn Orr, dean of eAshland, in the release. "Over the next three years, as we work with high school STEM teachers and industry professionals newly entering academia, well bring our passion and belief in the transformational power of education to support Ohios workforce.

Semiconductor bootcamps will train teachers to help educate a new workforce

Ashland will work on developing two projects  smart manufacturing semiconductor bootcamps and an industry educator teaching certificate program.

The manufacturing bootcamp is designed from field-based manufacturing bootcamps that AU has been delivering to hundreds of Ohio educators the last five years. The semiconductor camps will include a week-long field experience in smart manufacturing for technical college, community college and university faculty, as well as future instructors.

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Faculty or future faculty will earn continuing education credit as they engage in workshop content, including visiting multiple manufacturing facilities, enhancing their understanding of the semiconductor manufacturing industry, exploring career opportunities for their students and collaborating with colleagues from across Ohio.

The industry educator teaching certification program will be a new online offering from AU for industry professionals to become college faculty within their area of expertise. It will address teaching and learning in a higher education environment and include academic philosophy, quality improvement, curriculum development, learning theories and evidence-based teaching.

For more information about the bootcamps, contact Jim Powell, executive director of professional learning, at jpowell1@ashland.edu, and for information on faculty certification, contact Stephanie Meeks, director of workforce development, at smeeks2@ashland.edu.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Intel impact: Ashland U other Ohio schools look to train new workforce
By Parisa Hafezi and John Irish

DUBAI (Reuters) -France lashed out at Iran for "dictatorial practices" and taking two of its citizens hostage after a video aired on Thursday in which they appeared to confess to spying, amid weeks of unrest that Tehran has tied to foreign foes.

Iran's intelligence ministry said in May it had arrested two Europeans for allegedly fomenting "insecurity" in Iran. France has condemned their arrest and demanded the immediate release of Cecile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris.

Irans state media often air purported confessions by suspects in politically charged cases.

"I am Cecile Kohler, I am an intelligence and operations agent at the DGSE (Directorate General for External Security) ... We were in Iran to prepare the ground for the revolution and the overthrow of the regime of Islamic Iran," Kohler said in the video, while wearing a headscarf, refering to the French external intelligence service.

The video sparked outrage in Paris with Foreign ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre saying for the first time that the two citizens, along with two others also being held in Iran, were "state hostages".

"The staging of their alleged confessions is outrageous, appalling, unacceptable and contrary to international law. This masquerade reveals the contempt for human dignity that characterizes the Iranian authorities," Legendre said in one France's statements on Iran in several years.

"These alleged confessions extracted under duress have no basis, nor did the reasons given for their arbitrary arrest.

State TV said the French couple had entered Iran with "chunks of money ... which was meant to fund strikes and demonstrations."

"Our goal at the French security service is to pressure the government of Iran," said Jacques Paris in the video.

CRACKDOWN

The French couple's appearance on TV coincides with weeks of anti-government protests in Iran over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody last month. It also comes a day after a debate in the French senate in which all political parties condemned Iran's crackdown and backed the government to toughen its stance on Tehran.

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France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna last week summoned Iran's top diplomat in Paris and said on Tuesday she expected the EU to impose sanctions in the coming weeks on Tehran.

"Such manipulations and practices, worthy of the show trials of the worst dictatorial regimes, will not distract international attention from the legitimate aspirations of the Iranian people," Legendre said.

Ties between the two countries have deteriorated in recent weeks as talks to revive nuclear talks in which Paris is one of the parties have stalled. Neither country currently has an ambassador in place.

The International Federation for Human Rights and London-based Justice for Iran said in a report in 2020 that Iranian state media have aired more than 355 forced confessions in the previous decade. Iranian officials reject such accusations.

Four French citizens are jailed in Iran while France is assessing whether another one may have been arrested during the nationwide protests. Iran said last month that nine Europeans had been arrested during the unrest.

Western countries, including France, have repeatedly accused Iran's clerical rulers of holding their citizens arbitrarily.

The nationwide protests have received wide international support, prompting Tehran to lash out at its critics by accusing the United States and Israel of exploiting the unrest to try to destabilise the Islamic Republic.

(Writing by Parisa Hafezi and John Irish, Editing by William Maclean)
As protests flare across Iran over the death of young Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, the Kurdistan region of neighbouring Iraq has paid a price, coming under bombardment from the Islamic republic's forces.

Their target is the long-exiled Iranian Kurdish opposition, installed in Iraq under Saddam Hussein during his war with Iran in the 1980s.

Tehran regards these armed factions as "terrorists" and accuses them of attacking its territory.

A general in Iran has charged that the Kurdish opposition groups have been inciting the Mahsa Amini protests in Iranian Kurdistan, in the face of a lethal crackdown by the security forces.

Amini, 22, was pronounced dead on September 16, days after Iran's notorious morality police detained her for allegedly breaching Iran's strict dress code for women.

According to Adel Bakawan, director of the French Centre for Research on Iraq (CFRI), Iran needed to "find an enemy" to blame for stoking the nationwide protests.

"The weakest link that could be targeted without provoking consequences was the Iranian Kurds," he said.

On September 28, Iran unleashed a deluge of fire on positions of Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, killing 14 people and wounding 58, including civilians. It has followed up with less bloody attacks.

On Monday, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani reiterated Tehran's accusation against these groups, saying they threaten the country's national security.

However, experts say the far-left groups have practically ceased all military activity, focusing on political action instead.

- Protected presence -

Any fighters they still have could be viewed as reservists, keeping up training.

Iranian Kurdish journalist Raza Manochari said there has been an agreement since the 1990s between such groups and the government of Iraq's own Kurdistan region.

It protects their deployment, "and in exchange, they do not engage in military activities, to avoid causing problems for relations with Iran", he said.

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Manochari, who has himself lived in Iraq for eight years, highlighted the ties between Kurds in the two countries: they speak the same Sorani dialect, and many have relatives on both sides of the border.

Massud Barzani, leader of Iraq's Kurdistan Democratic Party and former president of the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region, was born in 1946 in Iran.

He is the son of iconic Kurdish nationalist leader Mulla Mustafa Barzani, a head of the only breakaway state in Kurdish history founded in the Iranian town of Mahabad until it was crushed by Iranian troops in 1946 after a year.

Today, Iran's Kurdish minority -- about 10 million people out of a population of 83 million -- complain of marginalisation.

"In Iran, the Kurds don't have many basic cultural and political rights," said Shivan Fazil, researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

"The right of education in their mother tongue continues to be outlawed," he said.

- 'Never use Iraqi soil' -

Their plight is bleaker than that of Kurds elsewhere in the region, Fazil said, citing Kurds in parliament in Turkey since 2015, a de facto autonomy in northeast Syria and the regional Kurdish government in northern Iraq.

Aso Saleh, an executive committee member of the Iranian Kurdish party KDPI targeted by Tehran last month, said the party has "never used the soil or the territory of Iraq to launch any attack on Iranian forces".

Sweden-based Saleh said the movement was "predominantly located inside Iranian Kurdistan", where its activities must remain "covert".

Only "the leadership and bureaucratic apparatus" were present in Iraq.

"This movement is trying to bring democracy and federalism to Iran," he told AFP of the party founded in Iran in 1945.

Edris Abdi of the Iraq-based Komala Iranian Kurdish nationalist group told AFP: "We do not engage in military activity."

Hardi Mahdi Mika, a political scientist at Iraq's Sulaimaniyah University, points to the Kurdish minority's marginalisation.

"In terms of economic growth and unemployment, the Kurdish regions are the poorest" in Iran, he said. "The government is neglecting these regions."

Kurdish workers cross the border every day in search of temporary jobs in Iraq that are better paid than at home in sanctions-hit Iran.

Even in Iranian provinces where they are in the majority, "the Kurds have no say in local governance", Mika said.

str-burs-tgg/srm/hc/it
Demonstrators in Sherman Oaks rally in solidarity with protests in Iran. One participant waves a wig to protest Mahsa Amini's death in Iranian custody and the nation's compulsory hijab laws. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Standing before her bathroom mirror, Elnaz Rahimpour fluffed her curly hair before braiding the tendrils into four pieces.

She reached for the scissors and cut each dark lock with tears in her eyes, as an old Iranian resistance anthem streamed over the video she posted to Instagram  her own gesture of protest in solidarity with the movement that has coursed through Iran in the weeks since a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, died at a Tehran hospital after reportedly being brutalized by the country's morality police.

Amid protests across Iran, many women in the country have adopted the political symbolism of cutting their hair  at once a statement against oppression and the rules of compulsory hijab for women, and an act of defiance in honor of Amini, who was arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic's modesty laws.

Iranian American artist Samy Rose, left, utilizes theatrical blood as Yadviga Krasovskaya of Belarus cuts her hair during a rally in downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 1, 2022, in solidarity with protesters in Iran. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)

"So many others of my friends are still there dealing with this," said Rahimpour, 29, a student at Marshall University in West Virginia. "I wanted to show how horrible it is to kill someone because of something as simple as hair.... Only because of her hair, Mahsa died. To me, it just felt like the right thing to do."

The protests that erupted across Iran on Sept. 16 have been led by women encompassing broad cross-sections of Iranian society  and quickly tapped into wider discontent over women's rights and government corruption. The Norway-based nonprofit Iran Human Rights estimates that at least 154 people have been killed during the protests. Hundreds more have been arrested in violent crackdowns.

Videos of protests in Iran show women  most of them young  waving their hijabs in the air, some of them throwing their head scarves into bonfires; others defiantly leave their hair uncovered as they pour into crowds that chant "zan, zendegi, azadi"  "woman, life, freedom," a rallying cry of the movement  or call for "Death to the dictator!"

Young schoolgirls and high school students have also grown into a force in the movement. Videos posted on Twitter showed students heckling a paramilitary officer while taking off their head scarves, and several images shared across social media appear to show girls at school protesting in front of classroom chalkboards with their hair flowing down their backs.

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Demonstrators hold up images of Mahsa Amini outside the Dom Cathedral in Cologne, Germany on Sept. 21, 2022. Amini, 22, died in custody after her arrest by Iran's morality police. ( Ying Tang / NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Yet it is the symbolism of hair-cutting that has persisted not only in Iran, but also around the world.

Videos circulating on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram show a woman cutting her hair over her brother's coffin during his funeral, slamming her locks on top of the flowers that cover his casket. Video captions assert that her brother was killed while protesting.

A photo circulating on Twitter and Instagram appeared to show a young woman, her head shaved, standing beside her mother's grave while holding the hair she'd cut in her hand.

In Los Angeles, an Iranian American protester sat on the steps to City Hall and snipped her hair, crying out, "For Iran!" In Istanbul, media coverage showed an Iranian woman cutting off her ponytail during a demonstration outside the Iranian Consulate.

To some, the practice evokes rituals described in ancient Persian poetry and literature in which women cut their hair in mourning or protest. In "Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings," the poet Ferdowsi refers to the hero Siavash's wife cutting "her musky tresses" and binding them to her waist to protest his death. For others, it is a demonstration of power that shows that women cannot be controlled by the hair on their head.

Scholars following the current protests in Iran say that the movement is distinct because it has unified Iranians across socioeconomic lines, geographic regions, ethnicity and gender under the banner of women's rights and the need for systemic governmental change.

"It's about compulsory hijab, it's about the subjugation of women's bodies by the state, by the Islamic Republic. There are slogans against the oppression of the Islamic Republic, so this brings together all the previous protests against autocracy and despotism in Iran," said Mohammad Ali Kadivar, an assistant professor of sociology and international studies at Boston College.

"This protest started with the death of a Sunni, Kurdish woman, which brings together again the intersection of women's issues, and also ethnic minorities," he added, referring to the Shiite Muslim-majority population of Iran.

The protests are also global, he said, noting this month's demonstrations in solidarity with Iran that spanned roughly 150 cities, from Los Angeles to London.

The protests differ from Iran's 2009 Green Movement, during which many Iranians disputed a presidential election they argued was fraudulent, Kadivar said. Those protests prompted a violent crackdown in which dozens were killed and thousands arrested. Authorities tortured prisoners and held Stalin-style show trials in which defendants were forced to confess they were foreign agents.

"The discourse of that movement was a reformist discourse, it was not calling for a full break from the framework of the Islamic Republic," he said. "Women were present in 2009.... Women's issues were I think articulated in 2009. But they didn't have the leading role that they have now."

Demonstrations held in solidarity with protests in Iran include one in Pershing Square in downtown L.A. that drew thousands of people. (Laura Nelson / Los Angeles Times)

Watching Iranian women rallying in the streets inspired Nicole Ansari to post an Instagram video of herself cutting her hair. She watched as her counterparts in Iran reached for the scissors and felt that she also needed to take action.

"I thought, what am I doing here? You know, here I am so privileged. What can I do to amplify the voices other than just reposting things that are happening there?" said Ansari, an actor and director who lives in New York. "I read in one of the posts the significance of cutting your hair and how it's a sign of mourning, and it comes from an ancient Persian tradition before Islam. And I thought, let me at least do that."

As she snipped away the highlighted light brown hair hanging at her neck, she felt "liberated." Like many in the diaspora, she believes this protest differs from previous movements even if she doesn't know what the outcome will be.

Ansari, who hasn't visited Iran since she was a child  during the shah's reign before the 1978-79 revolution  said that watching the protests from afar has been "an emotional roller coaster."

"I am in mourning for those women who have given their lives, those people who give their lives for freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom of choice to wear the head scarf or not," she said.

It's not just women who are cutting their hair. Both in Iran and abroad, men are also shaving their heads in solidarity and standing beside women as they call for equality and freedom. That kind of support sets this round of protests apart from other movements in Iran, said Abbas Milani, director of Iranian studies at Stanford University.

Several women cut their hair during a protest in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2022, over the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran. (Emrah Gurel / Associated Press)

"More and more, men are saying, yes, if we really want democracy in Iran, we have to fix this problem. Women's rights are the most important measure of democracy everywhere," Milani said. "And men have finally, I think, in the largest ever numbers, recognized that if they don't fight for women and for their equality, you're never going to have a democracy."

Arash Mofakham, who moved to California from Iran to pursue his master's degree, felt that shaving his head and posting about it online was the best way to raise awareness about the protests  even if doing so was outside his comfort zone.

"It actually worked well, because a lot of people started reading about the news in Iran after they saw the video that I posted," said Mofakham, who was born and raised in Tehran. "They came to me and they gave sympathy and they just shared their feelings about what's going on. And they hugged me. I thought, this is kind of like what I was looking for."

The 36-year-old said he lived in Iran in 2009 and regularly protested during the Green Movement. The images he sees online today remind him of his experience 13 years ago.

"Even though it's a different purpose right now, it's a different generation, I think we all fight for the same reason at the end of the day," he said. "We want to have the freedom of speech, rights and basically reform and change the regime."

Protesters in Iran are looking for substantive regime change, he added, not reforms to the current government.

Although the protest movement hasn't yet united around a specific leader, Mofakham said, people have concluded that the current system doesn't work.

"After 40 years, there is no correction," he said. "There is no reformists. We still have have the same issues  basic, basic issues  that they cannot solve, which means they are not capable."

For Rahimpour, who lived in Shiraz with her family from the age of 6 to 16, the act of cutting her hair felt deeply personal because of her upbringing in Iran. She remembers the panic that would rush through her if a gust of wind pulled her head scarf down, and quickly having to adjust the fabric  a byproduct of "this fear that's [instilled] in you from such a young age."

"I don't want any other generation growing up in this fear of not being able to live a basic life," she said.

When she was 12, she was taken into custody by Iran's morality police on her way home from school. She had pushed up her sleeves enough to reveal part of her wrists, she said, and a few wisps of her hair fell out of her head scarf.

"I was just quietly walking home. And I remember three women in all black clothing in their chadors," Rahimpour recalled. "They're like, 'We need to talk to you real quick.' I said no. I just broke down crying in that moment."

She was driven downtown and pushed into a dark room. Several hours later, a woman lectured her after telling her that her parents were outside.

"She was just telling me how much I've sinned and she read some Quran for me," Rahimpour said. "This lady was educating me on how wrong I am and how I'm gonna go to hell.... She made me pull out a string of hair. She said, 'If that hurts, imagine getting hanged by your hair for all eternity.' And I just I didn't know what to say."

Her detention by the morality police still haunts her, she said. Even living in the U.S., she's afraid of public displays of affection with a partner. She feels afraid to hold hands in public, despite knowing that she wouldn't be punished.

"When this happened, I just couldn't stop thinking about what happened to me," she said of Amini's death. "I could have died in that scenario. I could have been kept overnight if my parents hadn't gotten me out that night. And maybe this would have been me."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel rejected on Thursday revisions requested by Lebanon to a U.S.-mediated border demarcation proposal, throwing into doubt years of diplomatic efforts to enable both enemy countries to extract gas in or around a disputed Mediterranean prospect.

An Israeli official, announcing Prime Minister Yair Lapid's decision to reject the revision requests, added that any further negotiations would cease should Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement threaten Israel's Karish gas rig.

(Writing by Dan Williams)
Italian sales company True Colours has taken international distribution rights to Roberto Andos La Stranezza (Strangeness), toplining Toni Servillo (The Great Beauty) as the Nobel-prize-winning playwright Luigi Pirandello.

This tragicomic period piece about how Pirandello found inspiration to write his masterpiece Six Characters in Search of an Author will launch from the Rome Film Festival and concurrently have its market premiere at the Eternal Citys upcoming MIA Market, which runs Oct. 11-15.

More from Variety

Starring alongside Servillo are popular Sicilian comedy duo Salvo Ficarra and Valentino Picone, who are known in Italy as Ficarra and Picone.

Strangeness is set in 1921, the year when Pirandello returned to Sicily for the 80th birthday of his mentor, famous novelist and playwright Giovanni Verga.

Upon arriving in the city of Agrigento, the playwright becomes captured by a world populated by strange personalities, ghostly visions, distant memories and melancholy apparitions, all of which inspire him to write Six Characters, the play that marked a milestone in 20th-century world theater.

The new work by Ando  a veteran Italian auteur who previously worked with Servillo on The Confessions  is produced by Bibi Film, Tramp Limited, RAI Cinema and Medusa, which will release Strangeness in Italian theaters on Oct. 27.

For True Colours, Strangeness marks the second collaboration with Ando after they scored sales to more than 20 territories on The Confessions, which starred Daniel Auteil alongside Servillo, and went to Karlovy Vary.

True Colours, which is headed by Gaetano Maiorino, also previously sold Ficarra and Picones hit comedy Its The Law to more than 15 countries.

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LaToya Calhoun emotionally speaks about the domestic violence death of her sister LaShonda Wilson in front of her before an abusive partner turned his gun on himself.

LaShonda Wilson thought she had done everything right to get away from her abusive, possessive and domineering husband in July 2003, sister LaToya Calhoun says.

As Calhoun joined Hubbard House shelter staff, police and prosecutors to kick off Domestic Violence Awareness Month, she said her 21-year-old sister had secretly moved out and gotten an injunction against James Arthur Reed, a registered sex offender with an arrest record for domestic battery, assault and a firearms violation.

Then late on July 16, 2003, the women heard a window shatter in their new second-floor apartment, and Reed killed his wife before shooting himself to death as Calhoun was nearby.

2020 domestic-abuse deaths still high in Jacksonville: The latest is a pregnant 21-year-old

Domestic Violence Prevention Month kicks off in 2016: Tales from a victim who almost died

"It is her story that I tell with the hope of encouraging anyone out there who needs to find support to find it, find the strength and the help to leave," Calhoun said, still emotional 19 years later.

"There are organizations like Hubbard House here to help you," she said. "And for anyone else out there, be there for the survivors and offer your support."

LaShonda Wilson

Those pleas become more urgent with the release of 2021's 17 domestic abuse fatality cases reviewed by the State Attorney's Office's Fatality Review Committee, showing 19 people dead, four more than 2020's total.

"The goal of reaching zero domestic homicides may be a challenge, but it is nonetheless a meaningful goal," Assistant State Attorney Khary Gaynor said. "... We cannot achieve this alone. We call our community to action and vigilance in pursuing abuses. As police have pointed out, no one deserves to be abused."

His words were reinforced by Gail Patin, CEO of Hubbard House, Jacksonville's longtime domestic abuse shelter and counseling site. Patin said the community must be there for all survivors and report any signs of abuse.

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"'I encourage everyone to pledge, no more. No more sitting by and hoping for things to get better," Patin said. "Instead, we can all join in saying to survivors, 'I am here for you," and 'We are here for you.' It is a message to survivors that you are not alone."

Flanked by officers from Jacksonville, its Beaches communities and Clay County, Hubbard House CEO Gail Patin (at podium) is joined by Jennifer Rodriguez (left), CEO of St. Johns County's Quigley House, and Kelly Franklin (right), CEO of Clay County's Betty Griffin Center.

Domestic violence statistical breakdown

Gaynor is part of a team of law enforcement and prosecution experts who have researched domestic abuse cases for the past 25 years as part of an annual Fatality Review Committee. They seek patterns in domestic abuse deaths that might have been prevented by revised responses from law enforcement or other agencies.

Reviewing all of 2021's deaths, 71% involved male suspects, the report states. In 11 intimate partner cases, 64% were male suspects. That compares to past reports done from 1997 to 2021 showing that males committed 75% of intimate partner homicides.

"These show an overwhelming disparity in that women remain extremely vulnerable in domestic violence situations," Gaynor said.

In 2021, 67% of the victims were Black, 28% white and the rest Hispanic.

Jacksonville man pleads guilty in wife's stabbing death: As trial was set to begin; she was divorcing him

Guns remain the primary weapon used in domestic homicides, 2021's 71% figure is 7% higher than in 2020, the report said. Knives were the next most common at 18%.

Three of the suspects (27%) were women killing men, while 18% involved same-sex couples, the report said. And 73% were between people who were living together.

"It is recommended that more consideration be given when victims request injunctions that restrict an abuser from returning to the home, and law enforcement and social services should refer victims to shelters," Gaynor said.

In the 1997 to 2021 statistics, 75%t of the overall cases were men killing women, with 22% for women killing men, and the rest involving same-sex couples.

Domestic sadness in 2022

So far this year there have been plenty more domestic-related homicides.

 On Sept. 19 Gabrielle Nichole Bolton, 18, was found dead wrapped up in a shower curtain and towel in her home on West 33rd Street, according to an arrest report. The next day, Isaiah Jamal Greene, also 18, was charged in her death. They were a boyfriend and girlfriend living together, but Greene called his mother stating Shes lying and cheating on me and I didnt mean to do it."

Family relieved as Sheriff's Office announces arrests: 2019 death of pregnant Jacksonville woman

 On July 23 Tasheka Young, a radio personality also known as "Tysheeks," was a pregnant shooting victim at the Mission Pointe Apartments on Biscayne Boulevard. Bursey Jerome Armstrong, the 33-year-old father of their two children, was later charged with killing her and her unborn child, according to court records.

 On July 12, 23-year-old Beverly Ann Febres's body was found in Marco Lake on Sorrento Road, police said. On July 28, police arrested boyfriend Dedric Jaquan Rashan Wesley, 26, on a murder charge. Febres had two gunshot wounds to her head, with a tattoo on her arm with Wesley's name, police reports state.

Beverly Febres' body was found on July 12, floating in Marco Lake on Sorrento Road, police said.

 On April 29 three siblings were shot dead at River City Landing apartments on University Boulevard. One, 34-year-old Johnisha Tamara Williams, was the mother of the suspect's son. Terrell Maurice Lewis, 37, was arrested in their deaths. He had multiple domestic-violence arrests and injunctions and also is charged with the March 20 homicide of a 24-year-old woman on Welland Road.

JSO: Jacksonville woman arrested in poisoning case after declaring 'He wouldn't shut up'

But based on the Fatality Review Committee's investigation of 2022 domestic violence homicides as of late summer, Gaynor said the numbers do not appear to be higher than they have been in recent years.

Typically there's not more than 20 but is usually 15 to 20, he said.

"Not all domestic homicides would be qualified under the fatality review," he noted. "... All sibling violence and things like that are not necessarily calculated."

Sadly, Gaynor said, law enforcement isn't notified of ongoing domestic violence in many cases.

Wilson tried to do the right things

Then there is Wilson's 2003 homicide.

At that time, homicide Sgt. Scott McLeod told the Times-Union that her husband was intent on killing her. The 26-year-old had threatened to do so, forcing her to seek a restraining order against him.

"I am in fear for my life," she wrote in the order, adding that Reed had told her "if I ever left him, he would kill me."

Jacksonville shooting suspect has past domestic-violence issues: Wife filed injunction same day

A judge granted a temporary injunction, but police hadn't served Reed with it when Wilson was killed, McLeod said.

Calhoun said the family had seen warning signs of an abusive relationship, such as when "he would pull a gun on her" or locked her in a house without her phone so she could not call for help. But as Wilson spent years hiding the mental, verbal and physical abuse she underwent, Calhoun said the family thought this is who Wilson wanted to be with.

Khary Gaynor, deputy director of the State Attorney's Office's Special Victims Unit, speaks during the Oct. 3 kickoff of Domestic Violence Awareness Month at the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

Finally, Wilson filed that restraining order as Calhoun helped her secretly move. But Reed found out and kept calling.

"She answered, and just from that short call, I can tell from her voice now that she's scared," Calhoun said Monday.

Reed then showed up at their home one day "beating at the door," she said.

"I found 'Bumper' hiding between the dresser and the bed with a look of horror on her face," Calhoun said, using her sister's nickname. "She said, 'He is going to kill me.'"

In a 2003 interview, McLeod said Reed returned the next night to the apartment with a ladder and sawed-off shotgun and climbed up to Wilson.

Family mourns Jacksonville woman: Shot by boyfriend; nephew wounded

"She said, 'I will go with you, baby," trying anything she could to calm him down," Calhoun remembered. "... He said 'If I can't have you, nobody will,' and he shot her in the face."

Reed then shot himself, she said.

On Monday, Sheriff's Office Investigations Director Jackson Short said "help is just a phone call away" for those suffering from domestic abuse or those who witness it in family or friends.

"I wish I had known what else could have been done," Calhoun said. "Now it is awareness, offering help and letting people know that they are not alone."

dscanlan@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4549

Domestic abuse resources

Jacksonville's Hubbard House 24-hour hotline: (904) 354-3114 and 24-hour text message line (904) 210-3698

Clay County's Quigley House 24-hour Crisis Hotline: (904)284-0061

Nassau County's Micah's Place 24-hour hotline and text message line: (904) 225-9979

Florida Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 500-1119

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville cites increase in domestic violence deaths
WASHINGTON  Nearly three dozen people charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol who are being held at Washington, D.C.'s jail have asked to be transferred to the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, if conditions don't improve at their facility.

On seven pages of yellow legal pad paper recently submitted in federal court, the 34 defendants described the jail in the nation's capital as having "medieval standards of living" and "hellacious conditions" that it "insists on tormenting its traumatized guests with." They demanded that their problems be addressed, saying they no longer want to be "trapped within the wretched confines of cruel and unusual punishment."

The group listed numerous concerns and complaints about their experiences across more than two pages. They said, for example, that they "continue to endure" things like "begging for help/water/medical aid." They claimed they are not allowed visitations, access to religious services or access to their attorneys. They reported that their laundry has been returned with "brown stains, pubic hair and or reeking of ripe urine."

The inmates said they have found "worms" in their food and have not been provided with calorie counts for meals. They wrote that "due to malnourishment," they have experienced hair loss and loss of eyesight. Defendants said they have seen mice and cockroaches in their cell blocks and have seen rust in the water and black mold on walls, floors and vents.

Serious complaints about inhumane living conditions have been lodged against the Washington jail for years. In November, for example, the U.S. Marshals Service transferred 400 inmates at the jail because of such conditions and treatment to a prison in Pennsylvania, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

The Jan. 6 detainees also wrote in their complaint that they have been presented with critical race theory "propaganda" on tablets, along with "re-education propaganda" and "racially-biased information." They claimed they have been physically harassed, Maced and assaulted by guards.

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"We hereby request to spend our precious and limited days, should the government continue to insist on holding us captive unconstitutionally as pre-trial detainees to be transferred and reside at Guantanamo Bay," said their letter, which added that the Cuba facility, which houses detainees charged with terrorist acts, provides "nutritional meals, routine sunlight exposure, top notch medical care, is respectful of religious requirements, has centers for exercise/entertainment."

The Washington Corrections Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Dominic Pezzola inside the Capitol building (Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP file)

More than 850 people have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection, the vast majority of whom were not detained before trial. The defendants who have been ordered held at the Washington jail are largely accused of more serious crimes, like assaulting police.

The defendants who signed the letter include Ronald Sandlin, who pleaded guilty in early October to two felony charges relating to his assaulting police officers and breaking into the Senate chamber during the Jan. 6 riot, which he recorded. Another signer, Andrew Taake, who was arrested and accused of pepper-spraying and attacking police officers with a whip that day, was tracked down with the help of the dating service Bumble. Jonathan Mellis, nicknamed #cowbodyscreech by online sleuths who have identified rioters, is charged with assaulting police and took credit online for storming the Capitol after he got mad that people were crediting antifa for the insurrection. David Dempsey was arrested in August 2021 and accused of using a crutch, a metal pole and other bludgeoning weapons on Jan. 6, according to the FBI. And Chris Quaglin, who went by "Chris Trump," was recorded on video wearing a MAGA sweatshirt during the riot spraying an officer directly in the face with bear spray. In September, he threatened to go on a hunger strike in jail because he was worried about his gluten intake. Taake, Mellis, Dempsey and Quaglin have all pleaded not guilty.

The New York Times reported last year that conditions at Guantanamo Bay had been relaxed in recent years, but it had long been known for its harsh practices. During the period when the CIA held and interrogated the prisoners after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, detainees spent their days and nights in isolation, the report said.

"When they were allowed out of their cells, guards would take them in shackles and chains so short they could only shuffle," The Times said.

About three dozen detainees remain at the facility, according to a recent update by a tracker published by The Times. Over the last 20 years, about 780 people have been imprisoned there.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Japanese documentary filmmaker Toru Kubota, who was detained in Myanmar in July, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in the military-ruled Southeast Asian country. The Japan Times reports a junta-controlled court gave Kubota three years for sedition and seven years for electronic communications-related violations, he is expected to serve the terms concurrently.

The 26-year-old Kubota was initially arrested in late July while filming a protest against the military in Yangon. At the time, it was reported he faced charges of breaking an immigration law and encouraging dissent, Reuters reports.

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Per the Japan Times, the military claims Kubota, whose Light Up Rohingya won the AFP and Student Awards at the United for Peace Film Festival in 2016, entered the country from neighboring Thailand using a tourist visa, and that he was participating in the demonstration and communicating with protesters while filming.

Proceedings are still underway over his alleged violation of immigration law. The next hearing is scheduled for October 12.

We have been asking Myanmar authorities for Mr. Kubotas early release, and we intend to keep on doing so, a Japanese ministry official said, according to Reuters.

Responding to reports, Amnesty Internationals Deputy Regional Director for Campaigns Ming Yu Hah said, With this latest verdict Myanmars military is cementing its reputation as one of the top jailers of journalists in the world. Filming a protest is not a crime. Myanmars military should release Toru Kubota immediately and let him go home. It should also drop charges against and release all journalists arrested and sentenced simply for doing their job.

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Since the military overthrew an elected government in February last year, Myanmars junta has arrested over 15,000 people including politicians, bureaucrats, students, journalists and photographers, and revoked broadcasting licenses in an effort to quash dissent. Earlier this year, Htun Zaw Win, who uses the professional name Wyne, was arrested following a year on the run evading charges of encouraging government employees to join protests against local military rule.

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A group of activists holding placards in Tokyo calling for the release of Kubota

A Japanese documentary filmmaker has been sentenced to a total of 10 years in jail by a court in Myanmar.

Toru Kubota, 26, was first detained in July near an anti-government rally in the capital Yangon.

He was sentenced to three years on sedition charges and seven years for violating an electronic communications law. It's not clear if he will be able to serve these concurrently.

He faces another charge of breaking an immigration law next week.

According to Japanese news agency Kyodo, the Myanmar junta claims Kubota entered Myanmar from neighbouring Thailand using a tourist visa, and that he had participated in anti-government demonstrations in 2021.

They also said that he had previously reported on the Rohingya minority.

Kubota, who first arrived in Myanmar in July, was filming a "documentary featuring a Myanmar person", a friend of his was reported to have said earlier this year.

According to filmmaker site Film Freeway, Kubota started his career when he met a Rohingya refugee in Japan in 2014, and subsequently made "several films about refugees and ethnic issues in Myanmar".

His Instagram profile also features several pictures of Rohingya refugees from as far back as 2017.

"Myanmar's detention of Japanese journalist Toru Kubota shows that the military regime will stop at nothing to suppress independent news reporting," Shawn Crispin, the Committee to Protect Journalists' senior Southeast Asia representative said earlier this year.

"Myanmar's junta must stop treating journalists as criminals."

Earlier last year, a Japanese freelance journalist was also arrested and charged with spreading false news - the first foreign journalist known to be charged since the military took power in February 2021.

He was later released, with Myanmar authorities maintaining he had violated the law but saying they were releasing him at the request of the Japanese government.

It's estimated more than 15,600 people - including lawmakers, activists and journalists - have been arrested since the military overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government in February 2021 - sparking huge protests across the country and a widespread resistance movement.
Jared Leto is going to co-produce and star in a new biopic on Karl Lagerfeld.

The American actor and musician will produce the film alongside his partner Emma Ludbrook, via their production company Paradox. The pair will co -produce with the designers House of Karl Lagerfeld.

Lagerfeld was a prolific German fashion designer who died in February 2019, aged 85. Many of his close friends and colleagues will also work on the production: Pier Paolo Righi, Caroline Lebar, and Sebastien Jondeau who all worked with Lagerfeld for over 10 years will all help to retell his story.

Karl has always been an inspiration to me, said Leto on his relationship with the designer. He was a true polymath, an artist, an innovator, a leader and, most importantly, a kind man.

Discussing the forthcoming biopic he said: When we came together with the Karl Lagerfeld team, we immediately shared a creative vision of doing a respectful ode to Karl while pushing the artistic boundaries of what a biopic can be.

Im so grateful to Karo, Pier and Seb for allowing us to go on this journey together, he added.

Righi, who is the current CEO of the brand, said: Over the years, we have been approached by several Hollywood producers who suggested to partner on a movie about Karls iconic life,

It has been only since we met Jared and Emma that we felt truly confident about the story being told in the artistic way Karl would have loved to see, he added of Letos and Ludbrooks involvement in the film.

Throughout our conversations, we have created an equally trustful and inspiring creative relationship that will allow us to work together very fluidly on this beautiful project.

Details of the biopics storyline are yet to be revealed but the film is said to cover significant relationships in the designers life.

Leto recently starred in the biographical crime drama House Of Gucci, which The Independent gave four stars, calling it a titillating, ridiculous and utterly engrossing soap opera.
The new Vista Tower nears completion along the Chicago River across from the former Spire site on Nov. 9, 2020. The building designed by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang has been renamed the St. Regis Chicago since these photos were taken. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

The biggest restaurant group in Chicago just revealed the chefs and concepts it will open next year in one of the newest skyscrapers in the city.

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises will open a Japanese restaurant and a Tuscan steakhouse at the St. Regis Chicago in the Lakeshore East neighborhood.

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The curving glass tower, designed by world-renowned architect Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang, stands as the third-tallest building in the city, and the tallest in the world designed by a woman.

Hisanobu Osaka, a Lettuce Entertain You chef formerly at Japonais by Morimoto and Intro Chicago, is expected to unveil a Japanese restaurant first in spring.

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Evan Funke, the critically acclaimed Los Angeles chef and restaurateur behind Felix and Mother Wolf, will then debut an Italian project, his first collaboration with the restaurant group.

The restaurants will be unlike any other g LEYE concepts.

These will be two unique concepts, said Scott Barton, executive partner with Lettuce Entertain You, adding they havent solidified names just yet. Right now, were in the development stage.

Barton said the all-day Japanese restaurant will have a sushi program and hot food as well.

Meanwhile, Funke may perhaps be best known for his handmade pastas.

Im incredibly excited about this project with Lettuce Entertain You at the St. Regis, the chef said. It is a privilege to be working with two champions of hospitality in the great city of Chicago.

Expectations have soared with the $1 billion development. The building opened in 2020 with 393 condominiums, The Residences at The St. Regis Chicago. A four-bedroom condo on the 71st floor recently sold for more than $20 million, one of the highest recorded sale prices of any home in the history of Chicago.

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The St. Regis Chicago Hotel is expected to open 192 rooms on the first 12 floors of the 101-story building March 20, according to its website. The historic hotel brand was founded in New York City in 1904.

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The St. Regis will be an incredible addition to downtown Chicago and we are excited that Lettuce will be a part of the opening of the brands first Midwest location, said R.J. Melman, president of Lettuce Entertain You in a release. His father, Rich Melman, cofounded the family-owned restaurant group in 1971, celebrating its 50th anniversary last year.

The Alinea Group had previously planned to operate restaurants and bar-lounge spaces on the second and 11th floors of the hotel, but canceled last December.

Magellan Development Group announced in May that Lettuce Entertain You would create the culinary experiences at the hotel it is developing instead. The space will feature an outdoor terrace, a lounge overlooking the Chicago River and private dining rooms.

Lettuce Entertain You knows how to deliver the exceptional luxury dining experiences and compelling cuisine that is expected by The St. Regis Chicago guests, visitors and residents, said J.R. Berger, managing principal at Magellan.

lchu@chicagotribune.com

Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)  Kentucky's sweeping abortion ban was challenged Thursday by three Jewish women who brought a lawsuit arguing that it violates their religious rights under the state's constitution.

The legal challenge, filed in state court in Louisville, says the state's Republican-dominated legislature imposed sectarian theology by prohibiting nearly all abortions. The lawsuit bears similarities to legal challenges to abortion bans in at least two other states.

Plaintiffs religious beliefs have been infringed: they are Jewish and Jewish law (halakha) asked and answered the question of fetal personhood thousands of years ago and rabbis, commentators and Jewish legal scholars have repeatedly confirmed these answers in the intervening millenia," the Kentucky lawsuit reads. While a fetus is deserving of some level of respect under halakha, the birth giver takes precedence. Jews have never believed that life begins at conception.

Kentucky's Republican attorney general, Daniel Cameron, signaled he will fight the lawsuit, which names him as a defendant. Cameron has defended the state's abortions restrictions in various courts, touting his anti-abortion stance in his campaign for governor. The gubernatorial election will be in 2023.

The General Assembly has made it clear that Kentucky will protect unborn life and these laws are an important part of the commonwealth, Cameron said Thursday in a statement.

It's the latest attempt to strike down Kentucky's far-reaching abortion prohibitions, but the newest suit offers another legal twist by basing the challenge on religious grounds.

Kentucky's Supreme Court has set a November hearing in another case challenging the abortion restrictions. The high court allowed the near-total ban to remain in place while it reviews that case.

Also, abortion will be on the ballot next month when Kentuckians decide the fate of a proposed constitutional amendment that would eliminate the right to abortion in the state.

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The lawsuit filed Thursday in Jefferson County Circuit Court in Louisville delves into theology and medical science. The question of when human life begins, it reads, is a religious and philosophical question without universal beliefs across different religions.

Judaism has never defined life beginning at conception, the suit said, adding that millenia of commentary from Jewish scholars has reaffirmed Judaisms commitment to reproductive rights.

Under Jewish law, a fetus does not become a human being or child until birth, it said.

The abortion ban also violates Kentucky's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the women said in their lawsuit. That law states that government shall not substantially burden a persons freedom of religion unless it proves a compelling interest and uses the least restrictive means" to do so, it noted.

The suit also claims that Kentucky's abortion law infringes on constitutional religious rights in regard to use of in vitro fertilization. Two plaintiffs have a child conceived through IVF, the suit said.

The IVF process often results in surplus embryos that must either be kept frozen at high costs or discarded by the clinics with the consent of the donors, the lawsuit reads.

Plaintiffs religious beliefs demand that they have more children through IVF, yet the law forces plaintiffs to spend exorbitant fees to keep their embryos frozen indefinitely or face potential felony charges under the states fetal homicide law, the suit said.

This dilemma forces plaintiffs to abandon their sincere religious beliefs of having more children by limiting access to IVF and substantially burdens their right to freely exercise these sincerely held religious beliefs, it added.

The Kentucky case echoes lawsuits that were filed in Florida and Indiana to block state abortion bans on the grounds that the measures violate religious freedom.

Kentuckys legislature enacted a trigger law banning nearly all abortions that took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court Court in June stripped womens constitutional protections for abortion. The only exception under the Kentucky law is when the health of the mother is threatened.

Lawmakers also passed a separate six-week ban. Those laws already are being challenged by the two remaining clinics in Kentucky that provide abortions, both in Louisville.
US-POLITICS-BIDEN-WEATHER-IAN

U.S. President Joe Biden arrives to speak in a neighborhood impacted by Hurricane Ian at Fishermans Pass in Fort Myers, Florida, on October 5, 2022 as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis looks on. Credit - OLIVIER DOULIERYAFP/Getty Images

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been a vocal critic of Joe Bidens presidency, sniping at Bidens immigration policies by misleading migrants in Texas to board chartered flights to Marthas Vineyard, rejecting COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and taking aim at federal actions to protect the rights of LGBTQ students.

But when Biden toured the storm ravaged Florida coast on Wednesday, the two men set aside their political grievances in light of the deadly damage left by Hurricane Ian. We worked hand in glove, Biden said in Fort Myers Beach. We have very different political philosophies, and  but we worked hand in glove. And hes been on  on things related to dealing with this crisis, weve been completely lockstep. Theres been no difference.

DeSantis thanked Biden for the team effort. We were very fortunate to have good coordination with White House and with FEMA from the very beginning of this, he continued, standing in the ruins of a waterfront marina. We got a major disaster declaration approved by the President and we really appreciated that, and that basically set off the massive mobilization that we had ready.

Read More: Migrants Are Leading Clean-up Efforts in Florida, Despite DeSantis Crusade Against Them

Gone were the the biting taunts that have characterized DeSantis governing style and his combative bid for reelection next month against Democratic challenger Charlie Crist. Yet despite the compliments exchanged between the two politicians, it was hard to forget the political rancor thats looming in the background. DeSantis is making a play for the national political stage, with an eye towards running on the Republican ticket to defeat Biden in 2024.

On Wednesday, the Governor and the President stayed focused on the tragedies and response to Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 storm that swept through southwest Florida and claimed more than 100 lives. Biden heard from officials on the ground about the massive federal and state mobilization of resources to handle the aftermath. Rescue crews were put in place before the storm, and those units have so far checked 70,000 homes and rescued some 3,000 people who survived the hurricane and storm surge, officials said. More than 40,000 linemen were stationed in Florida to be ready to repair downed power lines and restore electricity more quickly to hard hit areas. Today we have one job and only one job, and thats to make sure the people of Florida have everything they need to fully thoroughly recover, Biden said. Remember this is the United States of Americawere all in this together.

They did touch on one political issue: how to respond to climate change. DeSantis has pioneered a new Republican approach by funding projects that help communities adapt to the changing climate, but stopping short of supporting steps to address the root cause of continuing carbon emissions in the atmosphere. Even there, Biden focused on the positive, praising DeSantis for acknowledging that the world is changing.

As Biden exchanged handshakes, chest bumps, and hugs with local residents and business owners amid the gutted buildings and upturned boats in Fort Myers Beach, video footage captured a glimpse of Bidens rough edges showing through, and a hint of the fierce political sparring that had been paused on Wednesday. At one point, Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy, in a tan shirt and sun hat, walked up to shake Bidens hand and thank him for coming to Florida, telling him to keep the faith. As the two conversed, Biden, said, No one f-cks with a Biden.
A Superior Court judge has ruled that there is no need to delay the upcoming trial over the states heartbeat abortion law.

The law says it is illegal to have an abortion or to provide one after six weeks of pregnancy in most cases.

Gov. Brian Kemp originally signed H.B. 481 into law in 2019. The ACLU challenged it almost immediately and won.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and returned decisions on the legality of abortions back to the states.

In early August, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law was constitutional and ordered a lower court to reinstate it.

Georgia abortion providers and advocates then filed a lawsuit challenging the ban in Fulton County Superior Court, arguing the ban was void from the start because it violates federal constitutional precedent and because of Georgias right-to-privacy laws.

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Advocates also asked for a temporary injunction against the law until the case could go to trial, but the judge later denied that request.

The state has since asked the judge to either cancel or delay the trial, but that motion was denied on Wednesday.

The State has offered four reasons for this cancellation, which can be summarized as We are really busy with other things, There are no facts in dispute, We dont know what facts are in dispute, and You cant do what you are trying to do. The Courts response, detailed below, can be summarized as Who isnt?, There are, You do, and I can, the judges ruling said. The Court finds that this schedule is both workable and reasonable, given the skill, knowledge, and resources already deployed and available to both sides.

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As of right now, the case is scheduled to go to trial on Oct. 24.

Several metro Atlanta district attorneys have told Channel 2 Action News that they will not prosecute women and doctors involved with abortion procedures.

District attorneys in DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Douglas, Clarke and Oconee counties have made similar pledges. Between those six counties, thats nearly a third of all Georgians who would be exempt.

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A federal judge dismissed a legal challenge to President Bidens student loan cancellation plan on Thursday, determining the plaintiff did not have standing as a taxpayer.

The Brown County Taxpayers Association filed one of the most recent challenges to Bidens plan on Tuesday, arguing the president did not have the authority to forgive up to $20,000 in student debt per borrower and the plan violated the Equal Protection Clause because the administration indicated it was designed to especially help Black borrowers.

Under court precedent, taxpayers do not automatically have standing to sue simply because a government spending plan would cause a tax increase.

But the association, which is represented by Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, argued its case should fall under an exception crafted previously by the Supreme Court for some suits involving religious freedom violations.

U.S. District Court Judge William Griesbach rejected that argument on Thursday, adding that even if the group did have standing for the case to proceed, it is unclear if they would succeed in their request to temporarily block the plan.

The case is one of multiple legal challenges to Bidens cancellation announcement. Six Republican-led states filed a challenge late last month that remains ongoing, and outside groups have also contested the plan.

Attorneys representing the Brown County Taxpayers Association said they plan to appeal and seek emergency relief given the Biden administrations indication that the debt forgiveness could begin in the coming weeks.

This case involves an extraordinary abuse of executive authority which, in our view, requires an exceptional use of taxpayer standing, said Rick Esenberg, one of the groups attorneys. These issues will now be reviewed by the appellate courts.

The judge on Thursday noted that if the associations claims were accurate, a future administration could look to collect the purportedly forgiven debts.

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Because Plaintiff lacks standing, that issue is not before the court at this time, Griesbach wrote. Those seeking to take advantage of the program, however, may wish to consider this possibility before placing undue reliance on the benefits promised.

The group had argued that beyond usurping Congresss authority, the debt cancellation plan violated the 14th Amendments Equal Protection Clause because the White House touted the initiative as being designed to advance racial equity.

By targeting relief to borrowers with the highest economic need, the Administrations actions are likely to help narrow the racial wealth gap, the White House wrote in a fact sheet. Black students are more likely to have to borrow for school and more likely to take out larger loans.

The taxpayers association cited the statement in the now-dismissed complaint.

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, they wrote.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A federal district judge on Thursday tossed a conservative legal group's lawsuit challenging President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty sued Biden and U.S. Education Department officials earlier this week, arguing that the plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for millions of borrowers was illegal executive overreach.

WILL vowed to appeal the judge's decision.

This is an extraordinary case based on an extraordinary claim of executive power by the President," WILL deputy counsel Dan Lennington said in a statement. "This case was always destined to be decided by higher courts, and we will continue the fight to the Court of Appeals and then the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.

The lawsuit, one of several challenging the program, attracted national attention for being the first to bring race into play.

The White House has said the plan will help narrow the racial wealth gap and advance racial equity. WILL argues the statements amount to improper racial motive and violate the constitutions guarantee of equal protection of the laws.

White House officials did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment on the judge's decision.

More: Legal challenges stack up for Biden's student debt forgiveness plan

More: When will student loans be forgiven? What to know about debt relief applications

WILL filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Brown County Taxpayers Association, which includes more than 100 members who pay federal taxes and are "on the hook" to pay for Biden's plan, they argued.

Judge William C. Griesbach, who was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush, ruled Thursday that the taxpayers association doesn't have standing before the court, or the grounds to sue.

"The Supreme Court has repeatedly held, however, that the payment of taxes is generally not enough to establish standing to challenge an action taken by the Federal Government," he wrote in his decision.

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The application for borrowers to apply for loan forgiveness is expected to be rolled out sometime this month.

WILL had asked the court to immediately block that from happening for the time being. But even if the taxpayers association had standing, Griesbach said, it's unclear if he could grant their injunction request because "a substantial question remains as to whether Plaintiff can demonstrate that it will suffer irreparable harm."

About 685,000 borrowers in Wisconsin will be eligible for relief under Biden's plan, which calls for cancelling up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers who earn less than $125,000 per year, or less than $250,000 for married couples, or up to $20,000 for those who received federal Pell Grants.

The Education Department on Wednesday warned borrowers against sharing their financial aid ID to anyone asking by phone or email, or paying anyone to help them apply for forgiveness.

About 8 million borrowers whose income is already on file with the department will have their loans automatically forgiven without having to apply. Others can sign up at ed.gov/subscriptions to be notified when the form goes live.

Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KellyMeyerhofer.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin lawsuit targeting Biden's student debt relief plan tossed
The morale and energy of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange  held in jail for three-and-a- half years  has been greatly boosted by plans for a human chain to encircle Britains parliament, his wife has said.

Several thousand supporters of Mr Asange, 51, have signed up to form the chain in which they will link arms and spread themselves around parliament in protest over his detention and possible extradition to the US.

If enough people show up on Saturday October 8, campaigners plan to have the human chain spread over Westminster Bridge over the River Thames, turn right on the South Bank, then return to parliament by means of Lambeth Bridge.

Mr Assanges wife, Stella Morris, told The Independent the human chain was part of a day of international demonstrations over his continued incarceration in Belmarsh Prison, as lawyers fight an attempt by the US authorities to force him to go on trial in America.

The Houses of Parliament are the seat of democracy, and Julian represents democracy at its strongest - government accountability and democratic movement, she said.

So the human chain around parliament symbolises the support people have for Julians release and for what he represents.

Stella Morris the wife of Julian Assange talks to the media outside Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, after the Wikileaks founder was formally issued with an order for extradition to the US to face espionage charges (PA)

The US has charged Mr Assange with a total of 18 counts, some under the Espionage Act, and which in theory could carry a total of 175 years in jail.

They have accused him of publishing confidential military records and diplomatic cables, some of which were leaked to him by a former US army intelligence officer.

Mr Assange and his supporters say he was exposing what they believe were war crimes committed by the US and UK as part of the so-called war on terror. He has received the support of journalism and press freedom organisations around the world, and a UN torture envoy has denounced the way he is being treated.

A lower court initially rejected the extradition request, stating it feared Mr Assange, an Australian citizen, would likely take his own life if put in US custody.

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In April, an appeals court said Mr Assange could be sent to face trial in the US, leaving it up to then Home Secretary Priti Patel to review the case. She signed off on his extradition in June.

Ms Morris said the human chain was intended to be separate from the legal appeal that is taking place, and to highlight that every day he remained in Belmarsh Jail was a punishment.

Its to remind people that this is a political case, and his imprisonment is politically motivated, said Ms Morris, who is the mother of two children with the WikiLeaks founder.

Popular expressions over how intolerable that is are necessary in order to bring this to an end. Im convinced the resolution here is not in the court, its in the governments getting together and actually finding a solution.

She said the Australian government had said the case had gone on too long and should be brought to an end.

Mr Assange was arrested in April 2019 having spent five years in the Ecuadorean embassy in London after he sought political asylum.

He fought extradition to Sweden, where police said they wanted to investigate him over two accusations of sexual assault. Mr Assange has denied the claims and said he believed he would be taken to the US.

Ms Morris said her husband knew about the plans for the human chain and that it had given him a boost.

Its incredibly energising for him to know that he has support, she said. You know, its all over the world.

She added: It gives him huge moral support, to know that people havent forgotten him, rather that theyre waking up to the enormous injustice this is.
A Cumberland County man was sentenced to at least 23 years in prison today for multiple rapes and burglaries he committed from June 2009 to November 2010.

Editors note: This is a corrected version of the original story. In the original, the name of Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Aul was incorrect.

A Parkton man will spend at least 23 years in prison for a string of rapes and burglaries from 2009 to 2010 that he perpetrated by breaking into women's homes late at night and early in the morning.

Superior Court Judge Pat Nadolski handed down two separate sentences to Johnnie B. Green, 48, which will run simultaneously. Green was sentenced to a maximum term of 28 years, five months in prison for at least 10 rapes and multiple burglaries he committed in Fayetteville, Cumberland County and Hope Mills from June 2009 to November 2010. He was arrested a decade after the rapes in May 2019 through a genetic testing service, part of a Cumberland County initiative to process a backlog of untested sexual assault kits.

According to the Fayetteville Police Department at the time of his arrest, he was suspected in rapes throughout the city including two in the area of Ireland and Village drives; two in the area of Raeford and McPherson Church roads; one in the area of Bragg Boulevard and Cain Road; one in the area of Pamalee Drive and Blanton Road; one in the area of a Cliffdale and Glensford roads; one in the area of Morganton Road and Bonanza Drive and one in the area of Rosehill and Shaw Mill roads.

He pleaded guilty Sept. 12 to 45 charges in the assaults of 10 women, District Attorney Billy West said.

"In six of the 10 cases, we have DNA," Assistant District Attorney Alicia Mark Flowers said prior to sentencing, explaining that in four of the cases, Green's DNA was a definite match.

In two of those cases, she added, DNA testing did not result in a solid match but could not exclude Green as the assailant. The DNA was obtained from sexual assault kits and washcloths taken from the scenes, Flowers said.

Previous coverage: Man charged in multiple rapes in 2009, 2010

"The modus operandi was similar in that there was a demand of money from the victim after he broke in, and a pillow or blanket was placed over the victim's head so they could not see him," Flowers said.

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At least five survivors watched the proceedings from the jury box. Some held hands with friends and family who'd come with them; others glared at Green and clutched tissues provided by a victim advocate.

The strength of the survivors was a common theme among those he victimized and who addressed Green and the court before his sentencing; two of the survivors were not present in courtroom but had their statements read aloud by Flowers and Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Aul. Nadolski heard seven victim impact statements in total.

"'To all the other warrior women, keep fighting, every single day, because you matter,'" Flowers said, reading aloud from the first impact statement.

The first survivor to address Green in person said she could not escape the flashbacks of the night he kicked in her door and raped her. She said she attended the hearing in honor of her father, who wanted to address Green personally but died last year before he got the chance.

"That night, you took my soul," she sobbed. "I was living my best life, and you came and took it."

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The second survivor to speak in person said Green's assault forced her to quit her job, which involved working with traumatized children  a weight she felt she could no longer carry in the wake of her own trauma.

"Who is this shell of a woman standing before me?" she read from a journal entry she wrote the day after the attack. "I don't recognize the woman looking back at me in the mirror."

The woman said she moved back to her hometown and no longer felt safe in the area. Just the sight of the town marker on the highway terrified her, she explained. In spite of this, she said, she was able to find peace when she learned the detective calling her to inform her of Green's arrest was the same police officer who responded to the scene.

"It was a full-circle moment, and I saw God in it," she said, sniffling. "Justice is finally here, and I will gladly use my voice to declare it."

The fourth woman to address the court said she had been on the phone with her mother when Green broke into her home.

"She could hear my screams for help," she said tearfully. After the attack, she added, she banged on her neighbors' doors for help, but no one would come outside.

The final survivor present in the courtroom emphasized that Green's crimes had ruined her life and many other lives. Her husband had no choice but to leave the Army after her assault, she said, because she could no longer bear to be alone and could not hold down a job due to her mental health.

"I couldn't even shower without my husband," she said, voice shaking. "That night altered my brain."

The woman had been told she was the last person to be raped by Green, but she didn't believe that was true, she said, asking for the maximum sentence possible.

In handing down the sentence, the judge thanked the victims for their strength.

"I do want to tell those that have spoken  it's mere words, but I'm very sorry for the horrible trauma that you've had to experience," Nadolski said. "I have a lot of respect for y'all doing this."

Green will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and remain under satellite-based monitoring for 10 years, Nadolski said.

Public safety reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at ABSolomon@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Cumberland County serial rapist sentenced to 23 years in prison
A Kansas City man facing a murder charge in Jackson County Circuit Court is accused of killing his cousin with an AR-15 in an Independence apartment on Saturday in an abrupt act of violence that witnesses say arose during a card game.

Jordan D. Huff, 23, is charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the killing of 25-year-old James P. Robertson, identified in court records as his cousin. Prosecutors have requested Huff be held in the Jackson County jail without bond.

According to court records, Independence police officers were dispatched at 9:32 p.m. Saturday to an apartment in the 3900 block of Redwood Drive for a reported shooting. A 911 caller told the dispatcher the gunshot victim did not have a pulse.

Preliminary findings from the medical examiners office would later show that Robertson was shot in the arm, back and chest.

Officers arrived as a resident of the apartment reported her brother had been shot, and that three young children  ages 1, 3 and 4  were inside a bedroom unharmed. Medical and fire department personnel arrived and declared Robertson dead at the scene.

Investigators found eight bullet holes in kitchen drywall that exited the apartment. Bullet damage was also located in the room where the young children were, according to court records.

Witnesses told police they had gathered in the apartment for dinner and spent some of the after hours drinking and playing Uno and Spades as the children were in the next room. At one point, Huff allegedly commented on a hand, then retrieved a rifle from a couch and started shooting, the witnesses said.

One reporting witness told police Huff carries firearms at all times, including after a court-ordered seizure of other weapons he had. They also said Huff suffers from mental health and substance abuse issues, according to court papers.

After the shooting, one resident told police she ran into the bedroom to hide the children in the closet, on the ground. Huff then allegedly stole a family members vehicle at gunpoint and took off.

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Along with witness statements, detectives investigating the case were provided video footage from a Ring doorbell surveillance camera that captured video of Huff arriving at the apartment and leaving, according to court papers. The vehicle reported stolen was found the next day in Kansas City.

Officer Jack Taylor, an Independence police spokesman, said Huff was arrested late Wednesday morning during a car stop in Kansas City. Huff was later transported to the Independence police station.

Court papers did not list a defense attorney for Huff as of Wednesday evening.
Kate Middleton was confronted about not being in her "own country" during a surprise visit to Northern Ireland.

The Princess of Wales met with members of the public when a woman shook her hand and confronted her.

"Nice to meet you, but it would be better if it was when you were in your own country," she said in a video obtained by PA Media.

Northern Ireland is in the U.K. like England, Scotland and Wales. However, there has been conflict since England first occupied Ireland in the 1600s. In 1920, an act was passed that split the country into Northern Ireland, part of the U.K., and the Republic of Ireland, People magazine noted.

PRINCE WILLIAM CHEERS ON SOCCER TEAM FOR 10TH ANNIVERSARY, KATE MIDDLETON VISITS MATERNITY UNIT OF HOSPITAL

The British princess smiled, let go of the woman's hand and continued to greet others in the crowd. The heckler, who filmed the encounter on her phone, replied, "Ireland belongs to the Irish."

Catherine, Princess of Wales, greets the public during a visit to Carrickfergus Castle Oct. 6, 2022, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was there that the mother of three was heckled by an unnamed woman. Liam McBurney-Pool/Getty Images

The Prince and Princess of Wales are on a one-day trip. Its their first visit to the country since Queen Elizabeth IIs death.

During their visit, the couple decided to shake things up by competing in a bartending battle.

The couple, both 40, visited Trademarket, a new outdoor street food and retail market in Belfast. The couple made their way behind the bar and took part in a friendly competition to see who was the fastest at making a cocktail.

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After rushing to shake and pour their libations, the couple enjoyed a toast and a sip. Their Twitter account shared a video from the competition.

"Who did it better?" the caption said.

The couple is known for showing off their competitive sides at times during royal outings.

After the contest, William and Middleton chatted with vendors to learn about them putting measures in place to ensure the site is environmentally sustainable. This includes removing single-use plastics.

PHOTO OF KING CHARLES, PRINCE WILLIAM AND THEIR WIVES SHOWS 'STUNNING EXAMPLE OF FAMILY UNITY': EXPERT

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During their visit, the couple visited the PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland (PIPS Charity), which aims to provide support for those at risk of self-harm. They met with charity staff and counselors to learn how theyre helping those struggling with their mental health, a cause theyre known to champion. The couple also learned about Carrick Connects mentoring service, which helps young people.

Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, speaks to new mother Sylvia Novak while holding Sylvia's newborn daughter Bianca during a visit to the Royal Surrey County Hospital's maternity unit in Guildford, southwest of London Oct. 5, 2022. Alastair Grant/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

It's noted that the couples visit to Northern Ireland follows King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, who previously traveled to Belfast in the early days of his new reign. Following the queens passing, Charles, 73, committed to touring all four nations of the United Kingdom.

With their new royal titles, the couple has been raising awareness of their charitable causes. On Tuesday, William gave a speech about the scourge of illegal wildlife poaching and trade. On Wednesday, the pair met with professionals and parents at a maternity unit in London.

The queen died Sept. 8 at Scotlands Balmoral Castle. She was 96. Following her death, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were named the new Prince and Princess of Wales.
The Princess of Wales, prime minister Liz Truss and reality TV star Georgia "Toff" Toffolo were all spotted wearing the same style dress this week. (Getty Images)

During a visit to the maternity unit at the Royal Surrey County Hospital on 5 October, Kate, Princess of Wales stepped out in a mustard ochre yellow midi dress, with a belted waist and pleated skirt detailing, from high-street brand Karen Millen. She accessorised with black court shoes, a black suede clutch and gold earrings, accompanied by her usual perfectly blow-dried curls.

Named the Structured Crepe Forever Pleat Belted Midi Dress, it's currently available to buy online for 175.20, having been reduced from 219. While The Kate Effect means it's flying off hangers, there is still some stock left in white, bluebell, black, blue and blush.

However, it's not just the Princess of Wales who is a fan, newly appointed prime minister Liz Truss was also seen wearing a similar style dress in a rust brown at the Conservative Party Conference 2022 in Birmingham on the same day as Kate.

But what makes this dress so great - and what's the swirling controversy about? Allow us to explain...

The Princess of Wales and Liz Truss dress explained in 9 points...

(Getty Images)

Shop Kate's dress

On 5 October, Kate donned the ochre yellow Karen Millen dress to visit the maternity unit at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in her first solo royal engagement since the Queen's death. She spoke to staff and patients about how the hospital provides support to pregnant women and new mothers.

(Getty Images)

Later that same day, prime minister Liz Truss walked on stage to the tune of Moving On Up by M People at the Conservative Party Conference 2022 in Birmingham, wearing a similar style in a rust brown shade.

(Getty Images)

Made in Chelsea star Georgia "Toff" Toffolo was then photographed at the Conservative Party Conference with former prime minister Boris Johnson's father, Stanley Johnson, wearing a similar style, in white with a heart belt.

Filmed on Monday wearing THE dress. Am I part of the conspiracy too  pic.twitter.com/kUTt4LQnjs  Georgia Toffolo (@ToffTalks) October 6, 2022

Toffolo then shared a video of her in the dress on Twitter on 6 October, claiming to have worn it during filming for an upcoming project on Monday 4 October. She also referenced a conspiracy sparked by screenwriter Russell T Davies, who pointed out the similarity between Truss's dress and one worn by a fascist prime minister character in his 2019 dystopian drama, Years and Years.

Despite Kate's dress in ochre yellow since selling out, Karen Millen still has the dress in stock in some sizes in white, bluebell, black, blue and blush. Reduced from 219 to 175.20, the Structured Crepe Forever Pleat Belted Midi Dress is smart, stylish and perfect for work.

Karen Millen also offers a similar dress with a shorter hemline, in a form-fitting design with no pleating but a built-in belt. It's on offer too, reduced from 225 to 180 and is still available in sizes six to 16 across red, black, pink and rust brown.

Kate's dress has proven to be a popular style for Karen Millen, who also sells a Long Sleeve Pleated Figure Form Crepe Mini Dress, reduced from 135 to 108. It has the same pleated skirt and belted waist, with added long sleeves and a rounded neckline. This would also be suitable for the office and in winter we'd pair it with tights and boots.

If you are as obsessed with the yellow shade of Kate's dress as we are, ASOS has embraced the summery hue with its ASOS DESIGN dobby twist front pleated midi dress in yellow, for 52. It has a deep v-neckline, long sleeves and a pleated A-line skirt.

Keeping with the colourful tailored theme of Kate's dress is this style from Coast. Its Tuxedo Wrap Front Full Skirt Midi Dress is on offer too, discounted from 199 to 159.20. The wrap front mimics a blazer and the midi length means it's still an easy-to-throw-on piece for the office. While size 14 is currently sold out, it's available in sizes eight to 18.
Some of the broken clocks and watches collected by artist Barbara Koenen on display at Design Museum of Chicago on Sept. 2, 2022. The timepieces are stopped on different times and Koenen aims to collect enough to represent every minute in the twenty-four hours of a day. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

When Barbara Koenen describes her revelation, you picture time slowing, time stopping, time pausing on its unending march to oblivion. You imagine a young woman in Chicago struck suddenly with a single overwhelming sense of purpose and mission: She must collect broken clocks.

Every broken clock that comes her way, she must have.

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She had a great idea.

This was back in 1989, years ago. Like 17.7 million minutes ago. Back then, Koenen  now a longtime Chicago artist and executive director of the Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange  was a graduate student at the School of the Art Institute. She was listening to a lecturer when he repeated a familiar saying: Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Koenen, incredibly, had never heard this. The point fascinated her.

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It didnt stop fascinating her.

The other day, decades later, she stood in the Design Museum of Chicago in the Loop, which is now showing the 800 broken clocks shes collected since 1989. Her goal then  her great idea  was to gather so many clocks, stopped at so many different times, she would have a broken clock representing every minute of 24 hours. Or 1,440 clocks.

Unfortunately, the 800 broken clocks represent only about 13 hours.

But then Koenen is 62.

She has time.

Eventually, she may even have all the time in the world.

Artist Barbara Koenen at Design Museum of Chicago with some of the broken clocks and watches she has collected. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

The Design Museums exhibition of her clocks  recently extended to Oct. 17, and ironically titled The Correct Time  has been a chance for strangers and friends (and Design Museum founder Tanner Woodford) to bring her even more broken clocks. Since the show opened last summer, Koenen has been gifted 100 additional broken clocks.

OK, so right about now youre either all in on this and think its incredible, clever and profound, or youre screaming that Koenen needs another hobby. For instance, her husband, former Chicago city historian Tim Samuelson, collects player-piano rolls, jazz records, lost building decor. That you get. But as Koenen explained, her clock project was conceived in absurdity. Should you need a little more background, a basic why, she continues: I suppose its a metaphor, for the drive of humanity to try to create a system or mechanism to capture and quantify nature and forces that are larger than ourselves.

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On the other hand, she also thinks its just kind of hilarious that somewhere on these walls, any time of the day, will be the correct time. You will have to find it, but its there.

Time, of course, is among an artists blue-chip subjects.

Its grander than a bowl of fruit or languid Sunday in the park  though even with those, time is partly of the essence. Koenens broken clocks  half conceptual extravaganza, half stunt  is maybe closest in practice to another clock spectacular: Swiss American artist Christian Marclays 2010 opus The Clock, a 24-hour-long film composed of 12,000 film clips showing clocks at various times of the day, edited and projected so that the time on-screen corresponds to the time in real life. There is also Author Clock, designed by engineers in Chicago who raised $1.3 million on Kickstarter this year; its a digital clock that tells time using quotes from books, each one including a different minute of the day.

The Design Museum, playing off Koenens collection, slipped an Earth Clock into the show, a digital, online clock using Google Earth images of landscapes that resemble numbers. Art about the march of time tends toward austere meditations on impermanence and age  Koenen said her own art is often about the ultimate futility of anything we do at all  but works like the broken clock collection and Marclays Clock attempt to hold time in place, assign it an image. You might even say the same of your friend who compulsively posts on Instagram all morning, afternoon, late into the night.

All are trying to wrestle the hour, the minute, the second, to the ground  stay!

Stopped timepieces collected by artist Barbara Koenen seen on display at Design Museum of Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

But Koenen, in 1989, had few art-world precedents to reference, and no internet to solicit broken clocks. She posted flyers on telephone poles and handed out business cards explaining her project. She mailed press releases asking reporters to ask their readers to donate broken clocks. She went on radio shows at three in the morning. She asked friends, family and colleagues. She went to the Mallers Building, which houses dozens of jewelers in the Loop, and introduced myself to the watch repair people, so they opened a drawer of unrepairable watches. They thought I was weird. Since this was at the time a fellow student, the Chicago artist known as Dread Scott, made national headlines with an exhibition that seemed to ask viewers to step on a United States flag, boxes of broken clocks mailed to Koenen at SAIC were sometimes mistaken for bombs.

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This was one of those clocks, Koenen said, bending down in the Design Museum gallery to show an elaborate, two-level clock constructed of popsicle sticks. Conversely, nearby was a clock the size of a fingernail, so tiny one could only assume it stopped.

Koenen gathered so many clocks that she began to keep a ledger of who donated and the time that each clock stopped. Jeanne Broussards stopped at exactly 6:00. Tony Phillips stopped at 7:51. The late Chicago artist Ray Yoshidas clock stopped at 3:32.

And so on.

The exhibition includes everything shes collected, plus every clock donated in the past several weeks. Some look ready to start again, some look very broken. Some are scratched, some are missing everything but their slight resemblance to a clock.

Some clocks of the clocks collected by artist Barbara Koenen on display at Design Museum of Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

There is a long row of wristwatches, a bunch of cuckoo clocks, a grandfather clock, old flip-number bedside clocks, marble clocks, wooden clocks, plastic clocks, glass clocks, handmade clocks, industrial clocks, foldable travel clocks, clocks that look like the clock your grandmother owned for 60 years, clocks shaped like airplane propellers and toilet seats. Schlitz promo clocks and a drug manufacturers freebie clock that for some reason shows the face of Sigmund Freud. Clocks featuring Charlie the StarKist tuna and Mickey Mouse and the Joker and a fish-theme clock that once bubbled on the hour.

When she started the project, she would routinely adjust the times to fill in the minutes she hadnt yet collected. We can play around with time until we get it right, Koenen said. But over the decades, she has been more likely to leave the clocks as they are; which means, she has a handful of duplicates.

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Paired with the clocks are an assortment of letters written by their donors, often touching memories of long-ago lives. The clock donated by an Irish immigrant. The clock that traveled with its owner around the world. The clock that kept watch over a familys holidays, arguments and dinners for decades. Many mark an owners transition to adulthood: My first serious watch bought for my first serious job at the Chicago firefighters union. Almost every watch she has came with a great story, Koenen said.

Wall clocks, grandfather clocks and cuckoo clocks as part of a collection of broken clocks and watches on display at Design Museum of Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

As part of the show, the Design Museum invited artists to create new clock faces; there is also a smatter of Chicago clock history, and recently included, remarkably, the original wooden hands from the Wrigley Buildings clock face, located by Samuelson on eBay.

But Koenen  whose history of conceptual art includes hand grenades nuzzled in knitted cosies, a gumdrop tree in Skokie and Afghan-inspired war rugs made of spices  dominates through sheer volume. The problem is, when the show ends, these 800 broken clocks need a new home. Koenen no longer wants to keep 800 broken clocks in her studio. Go figure. Shes been wondering if someone in Chicago would give them a permanent artful installation. A CTA station would be perfect, she said.

After all, time, like the Blue Line and the 147 bus, waits for no man.

cborrelli@chicagotribune.com
By Dawit Endeshaw

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Kenya's Safaricom launched its mobile network in Ethiopia on Thursday, becoming the first private operator in one of Africa's largest telecoms markets.

State-owned Ethio Telecom has until now enjoyed a monopoly in Ethiopia, Africa's second-most populous country with an estimated 118 million people.

Safaricom Ethiopia switched on its network and services in the capital Addis Ababa on Thursday following network pilots in 10 cities, it said in a statement.

Hours later Ethiopia's finance minister, Ahmed Shide, said his government had granted the company a licence to operate a mobile money service.

Safaricom Ethiopia CEO Anwar Soussa said the mobile money service would take two to three months to roll out.

Safaricom leads a consortium entering the market including South Africas Vodacom and Britains Vodafone.

Its network was supposed to launch in April but was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic and logistical challenges.

Safaricom Ethiopia said it plans a national network rollout to reach 14 additional cities by April 2023.

"We are optimistic about how the technology and connectivity we are providing will contribute to a digital future and eventually transform people's lives," said Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa.

Kenyan President William Ruto, who attended the launch, said the mobile money licence had not been agreed when he departed from Nairobi, Kenya's capital, on Thursday morning.

Ruto said he "had a mission to come back with a deal."

Safaricom launched the world's first-ever mobile phone-based money transfer service 15 years ago, and the business, known as M-Pesa, has evolved to account for roughly half of the company's annual revenue.

The government announced plans to partially privatise Ethio Telecom after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took power in 2018 but said in March that it had decided to postpone the process, citing economic challenges.

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Ethiopias telecoms industry is considered the big prize in Abiy's push to liberalise the economy.

But Abiy's efforts to open up the economy to investment have been damaged by a nearly two-year-long war in the northern region of Tigray, which has killed thousands and uprooted millions.

Abiy and Ruto were due to speak later on Thursday at Safaricom Ethiopia's official launch ceremony in Addis Ababa.

(Reporting by Dawit Endeshaw in Addis Ababa; Writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Hereward Holland and Matthew Lewis)
Kevin Spacey. ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

Kevin Spacey is facing a $40 million sexual assault lawsuit filed by "Rent" actor Anthony Rapp.

Spacey has denied allegations that he made unwanted sexual advances at a party in 1986 when Rapp was 14.

The allegations led to Spacey being fired from "House of Cards" and being digitally edited out of a film.

Kevin Spacey arrived at New York City federal court Thursday morning as a trial began over allegations he sexually assaulted fellow actor Anthony Rapp when the latter was 14 years old.

Rapp sued Spacey in 2020, claiming Spacey made unwanted sexual advances toward him at a party in 1986 at Spacey's Manhattan home. According to the lawsuit, Rapp accused Spacey of grabbing his buttocks, lifting him onto a bed, and then laying down on him, before Rapp ran to the bathroom "fearing for his safety."

Rapp said he left the bathroom a few minutes later and then left the apartment, despite Spacey's attempts to get him to stay. Spacey would have been 26 years old at the time.

Rapp is asking the jury to award him $40 million in damages.

Spacey has denied the allegations.

"We look forward to a trial by jury with actual evidence rather than trial by social media," his lawyer, Jennifer Keller, said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

The trial began with jury selection Thursday morning, and Judge Lewis A. Kaplan is presiding.

Anthony Rapp arrives at Manhattan federal courthouse as trial gets underway in his lawsuit against Kevin Spacey on October 6, 2022. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Rapp  who had an originating role in the musical "Rent" spoke up about Spacey at the beginning of the Me Too movement, detailing the alleged assault in an article for BuzzFeed News.

The revelation would lead to a windfall of other men coming forward with similar allegations against Spacey and quickly made the Academy Award-winning actor a pariah in the industry. He was fired from his starring role in the Netflix show "House of Cards" and was digitally edited out of his role as J. Paul Getty in the film "All the Money in the World."

Spacey is also facing criminal sexual assault charges in the UK in connection to alleged incidents between March 2005 and April 2013 involving three accusers. That trial is scheduled to start in June, and Spacey has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Read the original article on Insider
Kevin Spacey ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

Five years after Anthony Rapp accused Kevin Spacey of sexual assault, the disgraced House of Cards actor is facing the allegations in court.

Spacey appeared in federal court in New York on Thursday, where jury selection in his sexual assault trial will begin. This is a civil trial, which came after Rapp sued Spacey for alleged sexual assault.

The Rent and Star Trek: Discovery actor first came forward with his claims in October 2017, telling BuzzFeed News that Spacey climbed on top of him and made an unwanted sexual advance in 1986, when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26. "My stomach churns," Rapp told BuzzFeed. "I still to this day can't wrap my head around so many aspects of it. It's just deeply confusing to me."

In a statement on Twitter at the time, Spacey said he didn't remember the encounter with Rapp but that "if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior." Rapp's allegation prompted a wave of other men to come forward with similar claims against the actor.

Rapp filed a lawsuit against Spacey in 2020, alleging he "sustained psychological injuries" including "severe emotional distress, humiliation, fright, anger, depression and anxiety." He's seeking damages. Spacey's team has denied Rapp's allegations, maintaining that the actor "never had a sexual encounter with Mr. Rapp," BuzzFeed News reports.

This trial comes after Spacey was charged in the U.K. in May with sexually assaulting three men. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges. According to The Associated Press, his New York trial is expected to last less than two weeks.

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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.

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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.
Kent Carter, of the Arlington County NAACP was killed on vacation while riding in a shuttle van back to his hotel. Police say a gang of men started shooting at the vehicle, which murdered Carter and injured another passenger in the van.

What happened:

Just a really great, standup guy, you know? One of the best neighbors you could have, stated Robert York to FOX 5. York was a neighbor to Carter and couldnt believe the news of what happened. He and his family, just really great neighbors. So this is just incredibly sad news, York said.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kent Carter (@kentcarter_broker)

These criminals began to indiscriminately shoot into the vehicle, said Trevor Botting, police commissioner in Turks and Caicos. Botting states the van Carter was riding in was ambushed by gunmen. Murdering Carter and injuring a staff member.

The aftermath:

After the incident, police found the vehicle the gunmen were in and engaged in a shootout. The gunmen had automatic weapons and police ended up killing one of the shooters.

Our deepest condolences go out to the family of those who were murdered, Botting said.

Carter spent time in executive leadership at the NAACP of Arlington County and was on the countys police practices working group.

A great loss to the community:

Carter was in executive leadership at the NAACP and was also apart of Arlington Countys police practices working group. He was also a realtor in the community.

I know that he has a young daughter, and I have a kiddo that lives with me as well, and we definitely bonded around. We got to work around school pickup, we got to work around homework time, things like that, as I was buying the house, and he was just so great about that, said Rachel Saathoff, who was a client of Carter.

The investigation:

The authorities in Turks and Caicos are still searching for answers and looking for the rest of the gunmen involved.

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Botting says the shooting was tied to the drug trade in Turks and Caicos, inspired by turf wars and revenge.

Julius Spain, Senior President of the NAACP Arlington told FOX 5, Mr. Carter was not only a friend but a true champion of civil rights and social justice. Spain says he knew Carter for more than ten years and said he was a gentleman with a gentle heart.

Carters girlfriend who was also in the vehicle spoke with Spain. She said they were headed back to the hotel after the beach. Carter, who is a veteran and former special agent, used his body to shield her from the gunfire.
After years of financial turmoil, the operator of the Port of Wilmington on Monday created a new leadership team composed of two corporate restructuring experts and a former cabinet member to Gov. John Carney.

The state of the port today comes in stark contrast to the vision Emirati port operator Gulftainer pitched before taking over operations in 2018. Then, Gulftainer officials said they could transform the Port of Wilmington into one of the East Coast's largest gateways and potentially double the number of jobs at the port.

Four years later, the port operator owes Delaware at least $3 million, a promised new facility has yet to be built and the state is still subsidizing some port operations.

RECENT REPORTING: Port operator's financial issues prompt board changes, pushback from key supporter

Gov. John Carney speak to the attendees before signing a final agreement with Emirati port operator Gulftainer to privatize the Port of Wilmington.

Why did Delaware privatize the Port of Wilmington?

Carney in September 2018 said the deal to privatize the Port of Wilmington would secure and grow the state's 5,700 port and maritime-related jobs and halt the loss of "blue-collar jobs" in the state. The state of Delaware had been operating the port at an annual loss of $10 million in the years prior.

Delaware was "out of the business of subsidizing the port," Carney said.

Who is Gulftainer?

Gulftainer is a privately owned independent port operator based in the United Arab Emirates.

Founded in 1976, it operates two U.S. ports: the Port of Wilmington and Port Canaveral in Florida. It also has ports in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Gulftainer is the parent company of GT USA Wilmington, which operates the port.

The Port of Wilmington was privatized in September 2018 in an effort to preserve and add jobs.

What was in the agreement with Gulftainer?

The state and Gulftainer negotiated a 50-year lease beginning in 2018.

Among the terms set in a 150-page agreement between Delaware and Gulftainer subsidiary GT USA Wilmington are that "there shall be no continuing financial commitment" from Delaware; that the port shall never be used as a liquefied natural gas terminal; and that GT USA invest $585 million into Port of Wilmington infrastructure, mostly for construction of a massive new container terminal. The terminal is supposed to be constructed at Edgemoor, a former DuPont chemical site north of Wilmington along the Delaware River.

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The former DuPont and Chemours chemical site north of Wilmington along the Delaware River is where state and port officials have long planned the construction of a massive new container terminal.

GT USA is required to pay Delaware at least $3 million each year to operate the port.

PORT DISPUTES: After Port of Wilmington blocked Wawa trucks, judge rules against port operator in lawsuit

What moves through the port? How large is it?

At the time the state privatized the port, it was moving about 7 million tons of goods each year, about a quarter of which were bananas and plantains. The port's throughput was slightly larger than that of its competitors in South Jersey, but smaller than that of the Port of Philadelphia.

When did the port operator begin to struggle?

Gulftainer executive Peter Richards in late August 2021 told employees, "We're actually running a port for three years now, running a port for three years and losing money all of the time."

PREVIOUS REPORTING: After years of losses, can Gulftainer deliver on Port of Wilmington promises?

His comments followed more than a year of observable turmoil at the port, featuring the departure of key finance executives, lawsuits, threats of a work stoppage following delayed paychecks, and claims by one Delaware state senator that "all of the contractors on site" were not being paid.

A cargo ship is docked at the Port of Wilmington Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020.

Is Delaware still subsidizing the port?

The state has committed multiple recent subsidies.

The Bond Bill included a $5 million appropriation for a "Port Terminal Access and Training Facility."

The Diamond State Port Corporation, a state entity that ran the port before its 2018 privatization and now oversees GT USA Wilmingtons operations, committed nearly $3 million in April to pay the costs of a settlement that resolved a dispute between GT USA Wilmington and a union health insurance fund.

Officials at the corporation also approved what could become $20 million more for expenses related to obtaining and defending permits for construction of the container terminal at Edgemoor.

Earlier this year, GT USA Wilmington failed to make its first quarter lease payment to the state  a delinquent amount to taxpayers that totals at least $750,000. It has not made subsequent payment to Delaware since, Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock said last month.

State representative Debra Heffernan in a letter to Carney and Bullock Monday said GT USA has not made a lease payment in more than a year  indicating a delinquent amount to taxpayers of at least $3 million. Heffernan said despite the "breach of contract," Delaware has continued "to contribute financially to the port in ways that appear to conflict with the terms of the original lease agreement."

The Chiquita Passion cargo ship at the Port of Wilmington Thursday, May 20, 2021.

Who else does GT USA Wilmington owe money?

As state officials negotiated the lease with Gulftainer in early 2018, they pressured Gulftainer and Murphy Marine Services  a local ship loading company already doing business at the port  to combine operations, according to court documents.

The companies agreed to combine operations, but couldn't agree on a price that Gulftainer subsidiary GT USA Wilmington should pay to take over the smaller Murphy Marine.

PREVIOUS REPORTING: What a $28M ruling from a Delaware judge means for the Port of Wilmington and its future

Murphy Marine wanted roughly $26 million, but Gulftainer officials saw the company as far less valuable. The dispute landed in Chancery Court where a judge ruled last month that GT USA Wilmington must pay Murphy Marine Services more than $28 million  a $21.5 million payment plus interest.

Why did GT USA Wilmington form a new leadership team?

GT USA Wilmington created a new leadership team with a board of directors now composed of two corporate restructuring experts and one former cabinet member to Carney. No one from the Gulftainer team that sold its privatization bid to Delaware officials in 2018 is on the board.

GT USA Wilmington said in a statement Wednesday that it reconfigured its board as a part of the further development of the Port.

When asked Tuesday about the new board of directors, Secretary of State Jeff Bullock said GT USAs creditors  to which it owes $100 million  exercised their ability under a lending agreement to name an independent board with the goals of expanding growth at the Port of Wilmington.

The board restructuring came less than a month after a judge directed GT USA Wilmington to pay more than $28 million to a ship loading company that previously operated at the port.

The new board includes Tim Pohl and Michael Sullivan  each corporate restructuring consultants  and Mike Jackson, who served as director of the Delaware Office of Management and Budget between 2017 and 2020.

Contact Brandon Holveck at bholveck@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @holveck_brandon.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Port of Wilmington operator Gulftainer missed payments to Delaware
Knox County Courthouse

GALESBURG  Knox County States Attorney Jeremy Karlin filed a lawsuit Wednesday that aims to change the Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act.

The complaint  filed in Knox County Circuit Court against the state of Illinois' attorney general, speaker of the house of representatives, senate president and governor J.B Pritzker  asks for a judge to find the SAFE-T Act unconstitutional.

The SAFE-T Act was passed by the states legislature in 2021 and is posed to enact significant changes to Illinois criminal justice system, particularly the abolishment of cash bail on Jan. 1, 2023.

In a news release explaining his rationale, Karlin said he whole-heartedly agrees that a persons freedom should not depend on the size of their bank account and will continue to work with regional legislatures to ensure bail reform takes place in Illinois.

But Karlin said the SAFE-T Act is otherwise full of contradictions, ambiguities and is so poorly drafted that planning uniform enforcement across the state has proven impossible.

More:Galesburg raises fees, adds trash service, considers SAFE-T Act

Karlin wrote that he believes it is in the best interest of the people of Knox County that the constitutional issues within SAFE-T Act be resolved through one filing, otherwise the acts unintended consequences will be raised through hundreds of individual cases once it goes into effect next year.

Despite meeting since the Act was signed into law, government committees made up of judges, states attorneys and defense attorneys have been unable to articulate uniform guidelines to comply with the act, Karlin wrote. As a result, the SAFE-T act will look different in all of the 102 counties in Illinois.

Such stark differences in a defendants experience based on where they were arrested creates significant liability for counties from lawsuits under the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S Constitution.

In bringing forward litigation, Karlin is joining other Illinois states attorneys who intend to consolidate all of their lawsuits together with the Illinois States Attorney Association in order to fast track their case to the Illinois Supreme Court. Knox Countys outgoing sheriff David Clague has joined Karlins suit as a plaintiff.

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Providing specific examples of the SAFE-T Acts issues, Karlin pointed out that under the current system, a person is entitled to a trial within 120 days.

The SAFE-T Act would require a person to be entitled to a trial within 90 days instead, which Karlin wrote is too short of time for cases that require the scientific analysis of evidence like DNA, fingerprints, firearms or drugs.

Karlin also pointed out the majority of felony cases in Knox County are related to possession of a controlled substance. A common condition of release for people charged with this crime is to report to pretrial services so they can be drug tested and bail is set within less than 24 hours of arrest.

Karlin wrote that, under the SAFE-T Act, a defendants release would instead require a multiple hearing process, resulting in a person who is pending trial to spend more time in jail.

This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: Illinois SAFE-T Act; Knox County State's Attorney sues state
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed during a phone call on Thursday that a clear message should be sent to North Korea that its provocation would face consequences, South Korea's presidential office said.

The leaders strongly condemned North Korea's recent missile tests as acts of serious provocation and said reckless provocation must be stopped, it said.

(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Peter Graff)
Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

The Kremlin has given permission for some state media to start acknowledging Russia's recent defeats in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported.

Russia's tightly-controlled state media has recently been unusually critical of Vladimir Putin's war.

Questioning Putin or his decision to invade Ukraine remains off the table for state media.

Russia's tightly-controlled state media has recently been unusually critical of Vladimir Putin's war with Ukraine and Moscow's military setbacks on the battlefield.

However, the increased scrutiny may have the blessing of Putin himself: The Kremlin has given permission for some state TV hosts to start acknowledging Russia's recent defeats by Ukrainian forces amid the more than seven-month-long war, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

The policy shift involving Russian state media  which typically pushes Putin's propaganda  was confirmed to Bloomberg by anonymous sources who the news outlet described as "people familiar with the Kremlin's tight message management."

Andrey Kartapolov, the head of Russia's State Duma Defense Committee, said this week during an online popular talk show, "We have to stop lying," Bloomberg reported.

"Our people aren't stupid," the former general said.

News director and anchor Ekaterina Kotrikadze of Russian independent channel TV Rain noted to CNN in an interview published Thursday that pro-Kremlin pundits have begun to ask questions on air about the state of the war.

"This is something really new," Kotrikadze said, noting that the change only started a couple weeks or a month ago.

Last month, Ukrainian forces launched a lightning-fast counteroffensive in the war, resulting in them reclaiming vast swathes of territory from Russian occupation in the eastern Kharkiv and Donetsk provinces.

The pro-Moscow pundits, said Kotrikadze, "are scared to death because if Russia fails in this war then something changes in Russian Federation systematically."

Kotrikadze added, "They understand that something is really wrong with their own prospects and they are furious right now."

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Russian state TV may have been given the go-ahead to discuss Moscow's military defeats in Ukraine, but they haven't gone so far as to put the blame on Putin.

Questioning Putin or his decision to invade Ukraine remains off the table, Bloomberg reported.

"They don't mention [Putin] personally," Kotrikadze said of state TV hosts. "But they're asking questions about the heads of army and others responsible. They're trying to find who to blame."

The Kremlin has been trying to clear Putin of any responsibility for Russia's battlefield defeats and instead place the blame on "underinformed military advisors within Putin's circle," according to an assessment published last month by the Institute for the Study of War.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Essi Lehto and Anna Ringstrom

HELSINKI/STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -A crime scene investigation of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines from Russia to Europe found evidence of detonations, strengthening suspicions of "gross sabotage", Sweden's Security Service said on Thursday.

Swedish and Danish authorities have been investigating four leaks after the pipelines, which link Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea and have become a flashpoint in the Ukraine crisis, were damaged at the start of last week.

Europe, which used to rely on Russia for about 40% of its gas, is facing an energy crisis in the aftermath of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine which has cut off supplies of the fuel in a continuing stand-off.

It is investigating what caused the leaks as Moscow seeks to pin the blame on the West, suggesting the United States stood to gain. Washington has denied any involvement.

"After completing the crime scene investigation, the Swedish Security Service can conclude that there have been detonations at Nord Stream 1 and 2 in the Swedish economic zone," it said.

The security service added that there was extensive damage to the gas pipelines and it had retrieved some material from the site that would now be analysed. The evidence "has strengthened the suspicions of gross sabotage", it added.

The crime scene investigation conducted by the Swedish Coast Guard and Navy would have involved unmanned vehicles, Swedish navy spokesperson Jimmie Adamsson said.

"The pipes are at a depth of 70-80 metres and at those depths you use unmanned underwater vehicles," he added.

Russia said it had been informed via diplomatic channels that it was not able to join the investigation.

"As of now, there are no plans to ask the Russian side to join investigations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that Moscow replied it was not possible to conduct an objective investigation without its participation.

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The operators of the pipelines owned by Russia and European partners said this week they were unable to inspect the damaged sections because Danish and Swedish authorities had cordoned off the area on Monday.

Sweden's Prosecution Authority said on Thursday the area, where gas spewed into the sea for almost a week, was no longer cordoned off.

It was not possible to let others take part in a Swedish criminal investigation, Sweden's justice minister said on Wednesday in response to the Kremlin.

Denmark's Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod told Reuters on Thursday that a police-led taskforce between Denmark, Sweden and Germany was in charge.

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, said on Thursday that Moscow would insist on a "comprehensive and open investigation" that includes Russian officials and Gazprom.

"Not to allow the owner (of the pipelines) to witness the investigation means there is something to hide," Zakharova said.

The Swedish government has received no application from Gazprom or Nord Stream to investigate the damage themselves, an enterprise minister spokesperson said.

ITALY STORAGE NEARLY FULL

As European countries try to reassure consumers that they will have enough power as the cold months draw near, the chief executive of energy group Eni said on Thursday that Italy will have its gas storage nearly full ahead of winter.

Nonetheless, the supply situation is tight, and Italy should be alert to uncertainties that could arise in case of a colder winter or unexpected problems with energy infrastructure, Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said.

Last year, Italy sourced 40% of its gas imports from Moscow, and Eni was the country's biggest importer of Russian gas.

The head of Germany's Federal Network Agency, which would be in charge of gas rationing in the event of a supply emergency, repeated his warning a week ago that consumption was too high.

"We will struggle to avoid a gas emergency this winter without at least 20% savings in private households, businesses and industry," Klaus Mueller of the Bundesnetzagentur said.

"The situation may become very serious if we do not significantly reduce our gas consumption," he told Reuters.

(Reporting by Reuters and Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen; Writing by Alexander Smith; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
Michael Kutza did not build any of the dozens of skyscrapers he can see from his apartment on the top floor of the downtown high rise in which he lives. But what he accomplished as the founder and energetic director of the Chicago International Film Festival has helped shape the cultural landscape of the city and given it a star-studded atmosphere.

Or, to hear him put it, I magically transformed Chicago into Hollywood for more than 50 years. Thats the immodest but accurate subtitle of a new book that charts his career. Its title is, simply, Starstruck.

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The festival he hatched in 1964 brought hundreds of good movies to town, some bad ones too, but also enough stars and directors to wow the populace.

Hundreds of them pack the pages of this book, which is a memoir of sorts but also a fascinating take on the meaning of stardom and celebrity. He is sometimes brutally honest in his assessment of the galaxy he encountered, more than willing to share stories that are not always flattering but ring true. And its all a great deal of fun.

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Sitting in his movie memorabilia-filled apartment, he says, The best part of the book is that most of the people in it are dead so I have some freedom. But I did get to know so many beyond their star surface. I tried to always be respectful. I was no crazy, fawning fanboy and so I got to know that many of these people away from the camera are real people, with real problems.

He credits former Sun-Times columnist Irv Kupcinet with helping him launch the festival by introducing him to former film star Colleen Moore Hargrave, who lived in Chicago and helped connect him with some of her Hollywood elite pals.

The book is organized in a cagey and effective fashion, with each short chapter reflecting a movie title. So in West Side Story, we learn that as a child growing up on our citys West Side, Kutza would nail a white bedsheet to the wall of the basement of his familys home and show movies. He put on puppet shows and he was wowed by the shows he frequently attended as a young teen with one of his mothers friends at the Chez Paree nightclub. He started making short films and, unable to find a theater here that would show them, started entering film festivals in other countries, and winning prizes.

This was not the career his parents had in mind for him. His mother, father, aunt, uncle and cousins were all doctors and, as he writes, I went through the motions of pretending I was destined for a career in medicine. He went to college  a few of them  for a short time, but movies would be his lifes work.

The first Chicago International Film Festival took place in 1965 at the bygone Carnegie Theater on Rush Street. Bette Davis would come to town for the awards ceremony but the first night was a disaster. As Kutza writes, We had one spotlight shooting up into the sky and a big black limousine waiting in front  it looked like a big deal  The only problem was no one showed up  I was staring out at 500 empty seats.

Things, needless to say, got better. Kutza recalls his first meeting with Mayor Richard J. Daley, who told one of his minions, Give this kid McCormick Place for his movies but then advised the young festival creator, Remember, dont put my name on anything. Those films you show will lose me votes.

Michael Kutza, the founder of the Chicago International Film Festival, at one of the first editions held in 1965. (Cinema/Chicago)

Yes, as he writes, I was always on the lookout for sensitive sexual subjects, but he also brought to town such items as Martin Scorseses first film, a pair of John Lennon and Yoko Ono cinematic offerings, and introduced all manner of great foreign directors to the city as well as star after star after star.

He would spend six months each year traveling the globe to find his festivals films and he was always pleasantly surprised at stars and moviemakers desire to visit Chicago. I never really had trouble with that. Most of them wanted to see the city, most of them didnt know much more than Al Capone, Mayor Daley and architecture. And the people here were delighted. This is a star-starved city.

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This book does contain a lot of photos but it is a shame that there are none by the late Victor Skrebneski, since his estate keeps a very tight handle on his archive. None of his spectacular festival poster shots are in this book. But Kutza writes, (Victor) made us instantly famous with a single photo  model Paulette Lindberg, soaking wet, holding our award statue in her arms. You may remember some others.

Kutza stepped down as artistic director of the festival in 2018, accepting the title of CEO emeritus. He is thinking about writing another book, about my personal friends, he says. Maybe I will title it The Crazies. He is in discussions with some documentary filmmakers about filming his life story. He consults, he travels, he dines with friends.

He appears to have few, if any, regrets. He talks enthusiastically about the podcast that he started in 2019. Called Nose to Nose, he and aspiring stand-up comic Geno Suarez, a smart and thoughtful guy, talk about and review movies and discuss anything else on their minds.

A poster from the Chicago Film Festival in the Chicago home of festival founder Michael Kutza on Sept. 20, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Kutza is ever eager to share stories, to gossip, to offer opinions. He is a generally upbeat guy but he will also tell you that he is worried about the future of the movie business. I asked myself, Will people go back into theaters to see movies? They did it for Top Gun and Elvis but streaming has become the way in which so many seem comfortable watching films, he says. And it makes me remember the glory of seeing movies at McClurg, at the Granada, the movie palaces.

The sun begins to set across the city. High-rise lights flicker. Kutza is talking again about the movie adventures of his youth and the early days of the festival when he is asked what sort of doctor he might have been had he followed in his familys footsteps.

He laughs and says, I think I might have been a good doctor, he says. I have been told I have a great bedside manner. Whatever that means.

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rkogan@chicagotribune.com
Michigan state Rep. Kyra Harris Bolden won the Democratic nomination for a seat on the state's Supreme Court. Photo taken in Lansing, MI. (Photo: Photo courtesy of Julia Pickett)

Michigan state Rep. Kyra Harris Bolden won the Democratic nomination for a seat on the state's Supreme Court. Photo taken in Lansing, MI. (Photo: Photo courtesy of Julia Pickett)

Michigan state Rep. Kyra Harris Bolden decided to pursue a career in politics after learning about the 1939 lynching of her great-grandfather.

The 35-year-old Democrat was still an undergraduate student when her great-grandmother told her the story of how Boldens great-grandfather Jesse Lee Bond was lynched by white store owners in Tennessee in 1939 and how his murderers were never brought to justice.

He was beaten, castrated and thrown into a local river by a lynch mob because he asked for a receipt at a store, Bolden, a candidate for the Michigan Supreme Court in the midterm elections, told HuffPost in an interview.

The coroner said his death was an accidental drowning.

Though Bonds death went largely unreported for decades, the Lynching Sites Project (LPS), a Memphis-based organization that identifies Tennessee lynching victims, helped bring light to his death and the deaths of other victims of the racist laws and systemic oppression of the time.

This story was shared with me late in my college career, and from there, I knew I needed to go into politics, Kyra told HuffPost.

Her familys story inspired Bolden to follow a career in law and politics, and if she wins a seat on the Michigan Supreme Court this November, she could be the first Black woman to do so in the states history.

I always wanted to know who made the laws, Bolden said. The ambiguity of laws and how they were being executed bothered me. I knew I had real-world knowledge of how these laws affect people, and Ive always been an advocate for change.

Michigan state Rep. Kyra Harris Bolden (right), here with Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, during Bolden's first bill signing. She studied politics and law after learning her great-grandfather had died in a lynching. Photo taken in Lansing, MI. (Photo: Photo courtesy of Kyra Bolden Harris)

Michigan state Rep. Kyra Harris Bolden (right), here with Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, during Bolden's first bill signing. She studied politics and law after learning her great-grandfather had died in a lynching. Photo taken in Lansing, MI. (Photo: Photo courtesy of Kyra Bolden Harris)

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In 2018, Bolden was elected to Michigans House of Representatives for the states 35th District, where shes currently serving her second term in office.

Over the past 10 years, the Michigan native carved out a path in politics as a criminal defense attorney at the 46th District Court, in her hometown of Southfield and as a staff attorney at the Wayne County 3rd Circuit Court in Detroit. While in these positions, Bolden advocated for the fair treatment of Michiganders through its legal system by drafting opinions on civil issues, voting for pro-environment legislation and advocating for sexual assault victims.

The Democrat has also centered her work on criminal justice reform and bipartisan cooperation, and helped pass vital pieces of legislation such as the Medically Frailprison reform package that allows ailing prisoners who arent a threat to society to be paroled.

Bolden, who was vice chair of Michigans Progressive Womens Caucus, has previously said that she tends to be more progressive.

In a January 2021 interview with The Gander, a Michigan-based partisan news site, Bolden said it was important to have lawmakers with progressive views in power, suggesting that the legislature would benefit from having a Democratic majority.

I think its really important that we lift our voice to these issues, the Democrat told The Gander. Its also very important that those with progressive views are in positions of power. That means flipping the Michigan House from red to blue.

Though Bolden may make history in Michigan in November, the state representative has spent much of her legal career in the company with other history makers.

Michigan state Rep. Kyra Harris Bolden has called herself a progressive and said she'd like to see the state flip from red to blue. Photo taken in Farmington, MI. (Photo: Photo courtesy of Julia Pickett)

Michigan state Rep. Kyra Harris Bolden has called herself a progressive and said she'd like to see the state flip from red to blue. Photo taken in Farmington, MI. (Photo: Photo courtesy of Julia Pickett)

After graduating from the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law, the bulk of Boldens legal experience came under the tutelage of prominent Black legal experts who have made history in Michigan, including Circuit Judge John A. Murphy in Wayne County, who is the longest serving Black judge in the state.

Early in her career, Bolden also worked as a civil litigator for Lewis & Munday, which is known as one of the nations oldest and largest law firms founded by Black attorneys. The firm has represented some of the biggest corporations in the U.S., including AT&T, Pepsi and Ford Motor Co.

Bolden told HuffPost she was grateful to learn from such prominent lawyers, especially considering that Black people are still a minority within the profession. According to the American Bar Association, Black attorneys make up only 5% of all lawyers.

Its been a life-changing experience for me to be trained under Black attorneys that have such a vast knowledge about the legal system, Bolden said.

Michigan state Rep. Kyra Harris Bolden worked as a civil litigator for Lewis & Munday, one of the nations oldest and largest firms founded by Black lawyers. Photo taken in Lansing, MI. (Photo: Photo courtesy of Julia Pickett)

Michigan state Rep. Kyra Harris Bolden worked as a civil litigator for Lewis & Munday, one of the nations oldest and largest firms founded by Black lawyers. Photo taken in Lansing, MI. (Photo: Photo courtesy of Julia Pickett)

There are currently two seats open on the state Supreme Court in Novembers election.

The Democratic nominees for the open seats are Bolden and incumbent Richard Bernstein, who is seeking reelection for a second term on the bench.

The Republican nominees are incumbent Brian Zahr, who has already served one full term and one partial term, and Paul Hudson.

Bolden, who will be the only Black candidate on the ballot for the open seats, hopes to bring back diversity to the bench.

The state Supreme Court has had an all-white bench since the end of 2018, after former state Justice Kurtis Wilder lost reelection. It marked the first time in 33 years that the bench did not have a justice of color, according to The Detroit News.

The lack of diversity concerned Rev. Wendell Anthony, the head of Detroits NAACP branch.

We can count the number of African Americans that have been on the Michigan Supreme Court on ... on one hand, Anthony told The Detroit News in 2018. It is supposed to be the highest (court), but you cannot be all of that unless you really reflect the highest values and traditions of all people.

As the possible first Black woman on the states Supreme Court, Bolden takes this campaign very seriously.

Diversity on the highest court in the state of Michigan is important, and I dont take this moment lightly, Bolden said.

Its hard to be what you cant see, which is why representation is so important, Bolden said. When you see someone that looks like you doing great things, it makes it easier for another person to repeat these actions.

Behind the scenes! Whos ready for our first commercial!? #BernsteinBoldenpic.twitter.com/C9JQKxjsws  Kyra Harris Bolden (@KHBforjustice) September 23, 2022

If Bernstein and Bolden win, the Michigan Supreme Court would shift from a 4-3 Democratic balance to a 5-2 balance.

There is a third chance for Bolden to get on the bench if she doesnt win during the midterms. Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack, a 10-year veteran of the bench, recently announced that she was retiring after Nov. 22.

At that point, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will appoint a new justice.

Bolden says shes always looked up to McCormack as a mentor.

I first met Justice Bridget Mary McCormack at a Labor Day parade, Bolden said. She was always kind, genuine and compassionate. She saw people for who they were and incorporated things they wanted to see from the court. I volunteered with her campaign in 2012 and was impressed by her willingness to engage with people, which is something that I took with me and still use today.

With a November victory, Bolden would join other history-makers on her states Supreme Courts in the federal high court, including Otis M. Smith and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Smith became the first African American justice of the Michigan Supreme Court in 1961, while Jackson became the first black woman ever to serve in the U.S. Supreme Court when her nomination was confirmed in April.

Bolden believes that any justice on the state Supreme Court must have the fortitude to look into cases which may be riddled with discrimination and biased decision-making.

For me, having access to justice means having a fair opportunity to be seen, heard and not judged because of circumstance or previous cases, Bolden said. You always want to make sure you have every piece of information to make a good decision, which is what Ive done as a state representative. Im really hopeful that we can bring the win across the finish line and send a powerful message to those who look like me.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

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The Department of Labor will publish a final rule next week that increases workplace protections for temporary migrant workers in the agricultural sector.

The rule has been in the works for months, but notice of its finalization comes just one week after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said farmers need illegal immigrants to "pick the crops."

Seasonal migrant workers hired by U.S. agricultural producers are not picked at random from groups of illegal immigrants, and instead must obtain a visa to work in the U.S. under the H-2A temporary agricultural workers program.

On Thursday, the Department of Labor released a copy of the final rule that adjusts the H-2A program in ways that will increase protections for migrant workers and make it easier for U.S. agricultural producers to employ these workers.

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Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh with President Biden.

"The major provisions contained in this final rule will strengthen protections for workers, modernize and simplify the H-2A application and temporary labor certification process, and ease regulatory burdens on employers," the Labor Department said in its rule.

"It is the policy of the Department to maintain robust protections for workers and vigorously enforce all laws within its jurisdiction governing the administration and enforcement of nonimmigrant visa programs," it continued.

Among other things, the rule requires U.S. farmers to ensure migrant workers are given housing that meets certain standards. The rule gives as examples, "minimum square footage per occupant, sanitary food preparation and storage areas, laundry and washing facilities."

Employers will have to certify to the federal government that migrants will have access to facilities that meet these standards.

The rule also increases the value of surety bonds that U.S. employers must post before hiring H-2A workers. These bonds cover any liabilities that might arise if an agricultural producer fails to honor its contract with migrant workers and is a way to protect those workers from abusive employment conditions.

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The Labor Department rule makes other technical changes aimed at making it easier for farmers to apply for H-2A workers, including by allowing them to file electronic applications.

Contrary to Pelosi's commented last week, the process of allowing migrants to work in the U.S. for seasonal agricultural work is a complicated one.

First, a producer in the U.S. must ask the Labor Department for a certification that there is a shortage of "able, willing, and qualified" workers in the U.S. to do the work, and that "employment of the alien in such labor of services" will not affect the wages of U.S. workers in similar jobs.

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A handful of Labor Department offices are involved in decisions to grant the producer a temporary agricultural labor certification. Once granted, the producer must petition the Department of Homeland Security to hire nonimmigrant workers.

If DHS gives the producer the go-ahead, foreign migrant workers living outside the U.S. must apply for a non-immigrant H-2A visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate and get permission from U.S. Customs and Border Protection to enter the U.S. to do the work.

The Labor Departments new rule governing the H-2A program is expected to be formally published next week and will take effect in November.
A federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled that immigrants enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program can renew their Dreamer status but that new applicants are blocked as Biden administration revisions of the program are sent back to a lower court for review.

Today, DACA recipients can breathe a sigh of relief, but the urgency remains to pass a permanent solution that brings stability to the lives of DACA recipients, said Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.).

DACA, which was created in 2012 by former President Obamas administration, is aimed at protecting Dreamers, who brought into the U.S. as children, from deportation.

A federal district judge in Texas last year declared that the Department of Homeland Security violated procedural rules when they created DACA.

The Biden administration appealed, and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday ruled to uphold the lower courts decision but sent it back for review due to a new rule put forth by the administration, effective Oct. 31.

DACA has been jeopardized by a number of legal challenges, causing supportive lawmakers to seek a legislative solution to protect Dreamers.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has called for 10 Senate Republicans to join all Democrats in the upper chamber and pass the Dream and Promise Act, which would allow the Dreamers to apply for citizenship. The bill passed the House in March of last year.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) echoed the call to advance the bill in order to ensure that all Dreamers are safe from deportation and provided a roadmap to citizenship whether or not DACA remains in place.

Todays decision shows that DACA will continue to be threatened by xenophobic, anti-immigrant attacks from the right. Dreamers who continue to benefit from DACA deserve better than to have to worry about whether or not they will be able to stay in the only country they know as home each time the program is attacked in court, Jayapal said in a statement.

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The DACA case is being sent back to the same judge who declared it illegal last year, Judge Andrew Hanen in Texas.

Hanens court is where policies intended to protect immigrants from harsh enforcement have for years gone to die, Jorge Loweree, managing director of programs at the American Immigration Council, said in a statement.

National Immigration Law Center Executive Director Marielena Hincapie said Congress needs to enshrine DACA protections because the program is legally and morally right, but it was always meant to be temporary.

Even the immigrant youth who, under the federal courts new ruling, can remain enrolled in the program must renew every two years  and continued legal challenges jeopardize the protections it affords.

Emphasizing the urgent need for legislative action, Hincapie said that immigrant youth cannot be expected to continue to live with the constant uncertainty wrought by politicized attacks on the policy and argued that we cannot sit by awaiting another adverse ruling.

Erika Andiola, a DACA recipient and the communications director at the Young Center for Immigrant Childrens Rights, said the program has never been enough to protect immigrant communities long term.

Andiola noted that any solution from Congress or the Biden administration must provide permanent protections to ensure the immigrants would be safe from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which she said has long been a rogue agency.

Sergio Gonzales, executive director of the advocacy group the Immigration Hub, called out MAGA Republicans gunning for DACA through the courts as they did with abortion and asked for Biden, Democrats and any commonsense Republicans left in Congress to take action.

The good news is that those currently with DACA will continue to live and work under the protections of the program. The bad news is that DACA is hanging by a thread. The only question is when it will end  with many experts predicting the Supreme Court will declare the program unlawful and end it next year, Gonzales said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Marco Aquino and Marcelo Rochabrun

LIMA (Reuters) -A bloc of leftist Latin American nations ramped up pressure against Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido on Thursday at a diplomatic summit, although they failed to pass a motion to discuss ousting his representation from the organization.

Guaido has claimed to be Venezuela's rightful president since 2019 and the Organization of American States, which is hosting its General Assembly in Lima, has recognized him.

But Guaido has never actually held power, and the country remains led by socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

At the OAS Summit, major Latin American nations led by leftist leaders voted in favor of discussing the possibility of ousting Guaido's representation to the OAS.

While 19 nations voted in favor and only four against, the motion fell short of the necessary 24 votes. The OAS counts 35 nation members.

"I would ask those 19 countries that voted against the permanence of Venezuela in the OAS, which side would (Venezuelan independence hero Simon) Bolivar be on? That of Maduro, a criminal against humanity ... or with the Venezuelans who persist and ask for free elections?," Guaido said in a video posted on social media.

The Venezuelan politician also asked those 19 countries to stand for democracy and thanked the countries who supported his delegation.

The vote was symbolic of a recent shift in Latin America, with leftist leaders replacing more conservative governments in Chile, Colombia and Peru since last year.

Nations voting against Guaido included Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru. Brazil and Ecuador abstained.

Guaido's OAS representation announced ahead of the Assembly that they would not attend. Maduro announced his withdrawal from the OAS in 2017.

Peru's vote was notable as the Andean nation was once the driving force behind the so-called Lima Group, a bloc of nations opposing Maduro that once backing Guaido's claim to the presidency.

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Peruvian foreign minister Cesar Landa told Reuters last week that the Lima group had "ceased to exist."

"Countries have been stepping away and Peru is promoting dialogue so Maduro's government is recognized, as well as a legitimate opposition and for transparent elections to be held," Landa said.

(Reporting by Marco Aquino and Marcelo Rochabrun; Additional reporting by Sarah Morland and Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Christopher Cushing)
Latino representation in the media industry remains low and has grown only a small amount in recent years, according to a report released Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office. Rep. Joaquin Castro, who requested the report alongside other members of the Hispanic Caucus, said the findings demand intervention at the federal level.

The report estimated that from 2010 to 2019, the percentage of media workers who are Latino grew from 11% to 12%  compared to an estimated rise from 15% to 18% for Latino workers in other fields.

Latinos make up 18.9% of the U.S. population, according to a 2020 census report, and the report estimated that they comprise about 17% of the civilian workforce.

The term "media workers" encompasses those who work in television, film, news and other publications, including actors, camera operators and journalists.

"It's distressing that we are still talking about this issue of Hispanic media underrepresentation," Sonia Perez, CEO of the Latino nonprofit advocacy organization UnidosUS, said at a Wednesday press conference.

Film, television and news industries have been criticized for years for the lack of diversity in their workforce, including discrepancies in gender parity and access to management opportunities.

Between 2015 and 2019, Latina women made up an estimated 3% of the media workforce, compared to 7% for Latino men, the report found.

Looking at a similar data set, the report found that while Latino workers make up an estimated 19% of service workers in the industry, they only comprise an estimated 4% of senior and executive management staff.

"The media industry is failing the Latino community at a time when in many ways Hispanics are the nation's future," Perez said.

Castro, a Texas Democrat, told CBS News that the majority of the solution must come from the government and from companies that have been resistant to diversifying their workforce.

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"There's got to be a stronger discrimination enforcement from the federal government and corporations," Castro said.

The report recommends that the office of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) share data about discrimination charges against media companies and ensure local unions share demographics of their members.

"My office is sending a letter to the FCC and the EEOC that asked them to move swiftly to execute the recommendations," Castro said.

Such calls for diversity are only expected to grow as the Latino population in the U.S. rises. According to a forecast from the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2060, Latinos will account for 28% of the population.

"It's a community that not only doesn't deserve to be invisible, but really for the sake of the country can't afford for it to be invisible," Rep. Castro added.

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Weeks after Hurricane Fiona triggered an islandwide blackout in Puerto Rico, residents as well as members of Congress and island legislators, still don't know when power will be fully restored in the U.S. territory.

In a lengthy and contentious legislative hearing in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives on Wednesday, Luma Energy President Wayne Stensby and other company officials answered questions from local legislators worried about the company's ability to restore electricity to more than 88,000 power customers who remain in the dark.

Company officials in charge of power transmission and distribution have touted their efforts to re-energize 95% of power customers more than two weeks after Hurricane Fiona made landfall on Sept. 18.

Stensby described their response to Fiona, a Category 1 hurricane that brought more than 30 inches of rain and gusty winds, as "unprecedented."

Local Rep. Rafael Hernandez Montanez responded: This is not historic. This is business as usual in a Caribbean nation."

Against that backdrop, local representatives asked why entire neighborhoods across dozens of towns are still fully in the dark.

Residents of many such communities have taken to the streets to protest against Luma Energy.

Ponce Mayor Luis Irizarry Pabon and dozens of residents protested in front of a Luma Energy municipal office Wednesday, demanding that the company restore power to 70 communities that still don't have electricity.

"We are going to be here, every day, until the town of Ponce has electricity," Irizarry Pabon said on Twitter, convening another demonstration for Thursday evening.

Irizarry Pabon was also joined by Villalba Mayor Luis Javier Hernandez, who is one of several mayors who created their own brigades of workers and experts to bring fallen light posts and cables back up to where they belong. The idea was to help Luma Energy rebuild as much as possible so it could focus just on re-energizing the system.

Hernandez blasted Luma Energy for not tracking power restoration efforts by municipalities.

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Hurricane Fiona Hits Puerto Rico, Knocking Out Power Across The Island (Jose Jimenez / Getty Images)

"They should disclose which sectors in each municipality have not had [power] for 17 days," Hernandez said on Twitter, adding that if its true that 95% of Puerto Rico has power, then towns like his "should see MOST of the brigades working on the [remaining] 5%. I HAVE NOT SEEN THEM!"

There had also been protests Monday, when residents of San German joined a demonstration outside one of Luma Energys municipal offices to demand that the company restore service to the town, where roughly 65% of power customers still dont have electricity, Mayor Virgilio Olivera said.

The mayors of Hormigueros, Sabana Grande and Guanica, all of which remain mostly in the dark, as well, also joined the demonstration Monday.

Stensby and Luma Energy officials declined to provide data broken down by municipality at Wednesday's legislative hearing. Legislators gave the company three days to provide them with such information.

Luma Energy breaks down data only by regions, which aggregate multiple municipalities, leaving an unclear picture of which towns or neighborhoods remain in the dark. Daniel Hernandez of Luma Energy also said the technology the company uses sometimes "does not detect 'pockets,' referring to electrical connections outside of the main lines.

During the legislative hearing, Puerto Rican lawmakers identified deficiencies in how Luma Energy coordinates and communicates with agencies to restart water pumps considered to be of "high priority" and keep power lines cleared of overgrown vegetation.

Residents in areas where power has been restored have also reported having unreliable power access.

"On any given day if a customer loses power we respond as quickly and safely as possible to restore power," a Luma Energy spokesperson told NBC News in a statement, adding that any unreliability in service could be attributed to the significant damage Fiona caused to the electric grid.

"It inflicted damage to 30% percent of transmission lines, 50% of distribution feeders, submerged 7 substations and impacted generation facilities," the statement said. Luma Energy officials estimate the grid suffered over $1 billion in damage.

Luma Energy declined to say how often it responds to power outages in areas where electricity had been restored after the blackout.

It isnt the first time Luma Energy has been under fire. When the company started operating on the island over a year ago, customers endured rolling blackouts and outages that werent attributed to natural disasters.

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter to Stensby last week "demanding answers for the companys ongoing challenges with providing reliable power to the islands residents."

Ongoing outages and the complete disruption of power following Hurricane Fiona amplify concerns that LUMA has failed to adequately develop and maintain crucial electrical infrastructure in Puerto Rico despite its lucrative 15-year contract, the letter said.

The Luma Energy spokesperson said the company plans to respond to the letter and the committee's additional request for information by Tuesday, the deadline established by leaders of the committee.

Cayey Mayor Rolando Ortiz convened a protest outside Luma Energy's municipal offices in his town for Friday.

"Lets protest. If you dont have electricity, I invite you to join us. If you have services, join us," Ortiz said on Facebook. "There are many elderly and sick people who suffer."

Follow NBC Latino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
At least 36 people died, including 22 children, when a former police officer opened fire at a day care center in northern Thailand on Thursday, police said.

Col. Jackrapat Wijitwaitaya, police superintendent at Naklang Police, told NBC News 19 boys and three girls were among the 22 children killed in the attack in Uthai Sawan, which is about 300 miles northeast of the capital city of Bangkok.

Police identified the gunman as 34-year-old Panya Khamrab, a former police officer at Na Wang Police Station in Nong Bua Bamphu province until he was arrested on methamphetamines charges.

Khamrab died by suicide after killing his wife and child, according to police. Wijitwaitaya told NBC News police are still investigating a motive for the attack.

Thailand Shooting (Thai PBS via AFPTV / AFP - Getty Images)

Police said the shooting began around 12:30 p.m. local time. District official Jidapa Boonsom told Reuters there were about 30 children inside at the time of the attack, and that the attacker forced his way into a locked classroom where children were sleeping.

At least 12 others were injured during the attack, eight of them critically wounded, according to the office of Police Gen. Surachete Hakparn.

After the shooting, Khamrab hit people with his vehicle and fired shots on the street as he fled the scene, according to the Royal Thai Police. Once he arrived at his home, he killed his wife and child before he killed himself, police said.

Earlier in the day before the shooting, Khamrab had been in court on the drug charge that he was fired from the police force over, according to the Royal Thai Police.

Prayuth Chan-ocha, Thailand's prime minister, called the shooting "shocking" in a statement, and ordered Lt. Gen. Yanyong Wech-Osoth, commander-in-chief of the police, to fly to Nong Bua Lamphu province to assist with the investigation.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
A former policeman killed 36 people, including 24 children, during a knife and gun rampage at a child-care center in northeast Thailand on Thursday.

The attacker was identified as Panya Kamrab, a 34-year-old former policeman who was dismissed last year over drug allegations. Kamrab was in court earlier in the day for the drug charges filed against him.

After his hearing in Nong Bua Lamphu province, he headed to the child-care center in Uthai Sawan to pick up his 2-year-old stepson. When he could not locate him, he started his killing spree, according to police spokesperson Paisal Luesomboon.

Kamrabs mother reportedly told Deputy National Police Chief Gen. Torsak Sukwimol that her son appeared to be stressed out from his hearing. He allegedly took some drugs and became paranoid.

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The shooter came in around lunch time and shot four or five officials at the childcare center first, district official Jidapa Boonsom, who was working nearby at the time of the incident, said. Its really shocking. We were very scared and running to hide once we knew it was shooting. So many children got killed, Ive never seen anything like it.

There were reportedly about 30 children, whose ages ranged from 2 to 5 years, at the facility when Kamrab arrived. He managed to break into a locked room where 24 children were sleeping and killed 23 of them.

Luesomboon noted that most of the deaths resulted from stabbing wounds. A teacher who was eight months pregnant was among those stabbed to death.

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As the gunman fled the scene, he also reportedly fired randomly at people on the street. He drove home, where he murdered his wife and stepson before killing himself, according to police.

In total, Kamrab took the lives of at least 36 people, including 24 children.

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I have ordered the police chief to travel to the scene immediately to take necessary actions and all involved parties to provide immediate relief to all affected people, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha said in the statement.

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The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) sent condolences to the victims families and condemned the attack.

No child should be a target or witness of violence anywhere, anytime, UNICEF reportedly said in a statement. Early childhood development centers, schools and all learning spaces must be safe havens for young children to learn, play and grow during their most critical years.

The massacre is believed to be the deadliest rampage in Thailands history. Thailand reportedly has one of the highest civilian gun ownership rates in Southeast Asia, and the nations gun homicide rate is among the highest in Asia. According to police, Kamrabs gun was obtained legally.

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Featured Image via CNA
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon and Israel are at "a critical stage" in negotiations to demarcate their shared maritime border and "gaps have narrowed," a U.S. official said on Thursday.

"We remain committed to reaching a resolution and believe a lasting compromise is possible," the official said.

(Reporting by Timour Azhari; Editing by Chris Reese)
David O. Russells Amsterdam is very plush in the looks department. Enjoying the costumes and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezkis lighting and some of Russells shot designs will get you through it. But only if you dont have to listen to it, or track it, or believe in the people on screen.

This is not an actor problem, even if one of its three leading players isnt doing much of anything. Some deft flourishes, amusing or affecting or both, pop up in the frustrating narratives margins: Zoe Saldanas meticulous calm as a Depression-era nurse; Mike Myers and Michael Shannon as a Mutt-and-Jeff pair of fastidious bird-watching spies.

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At the movies core lies a rich and troubling true story. In 1933, a group of wealthy American businessmen plotted to overthrow the newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Widely dismissed as conspiracy theory nonsense at the time, the fascist-leaning coup never came to fruition. In 1934, U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler, whose fictionalized equivalent in Amsterdam is played by Robert De Niro, testified before a U.S. House of Representatives committee about the existence of the fascist-minded Business Plot, also known as the Wall Street Putsch.

Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington in a scene from "Amsterdam." (Courtesy of 20th Century Studios/AP)

Against this, writer-director Russell centers a fictional trio, friends since World War I, two of whom are framed for murder years later, in 1933, for reasons they must unravel or else. The 1918 flashback component of Amsterdam shows how a facially scarred future plastic surgeon, Burt Berendsen (Christian Bale), his attorney and fellow WWI vet Harold Woodman (John David Washington) and Valerie Voze (Margot Robbie), a nurse of mysterious origins, make their way to Amsterdam. Theyre inseparable, even when Valerie and Harold fall in love.

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We cant be together in this country, Valerie says years later, when all three are back in Depression-era America. Their freewheeling Amsterdam memories haunt the movie, though the better word, unfortunately, is nag; the flashbacks have a way of interrupting, rather than amplifying, whats happening in the 1933 scenes.

Theres a murder to be solved: an old, admired WWI commander (Ed Begley Jr.) has been poisoned, and when the dead mans daughter (Taylor Swift, briefly) is pushed under a car on the streets of Manhattan, Burt and Harold are wrongly implicated in the crime. To clear their names, they zig and zag their way closer to the people, the money, the greed and the political ruthlessness behind the plot against FDRs regime.

Clockwise from left: Anya Taylor-Joy, Rami Malek, Christian Bale, Robert De Niro and Margot Robbie in a scene from "Amsterdam." (Merie Weismiller Wallace; SMPSP/AP)

Little in Russells back-and-forth structure, or risky mixture of facetiousness and seriousness, cant also be found in American Hustle (2013), one of the filmmakers most stimulating historical picaresques. Somethings amiss here, though, right away, with the banter and the bon mots straining for wit. It feels like Russell doing karaoke, backed by a Wes Anderson movie. The dreamy Jules and Jim approach to the Amsterdam scenes is, by design, a blunt contrast to Depression-era New York. But in the 1933 storyline, sizable characters played by Chris Rock and others appear, announce themselves, reiterate themselves and struggle to develop or push the events forward. Too often the film seems to be moving sideways, or skipping like a needle on an old LP.

This is Russells first film since Joy (2015), a similar case of stylistic uncertainty redeemed, partially, by the genial skill of its key actor. With Amsterdam, Russell and Bales third collaboration, they created the character first over several years, that of Burt, the injured WWI veteran who goes on to help his fellow veterans on the homefront and gets mixed up in the Business Plot part of the plot.

Watching Bale and Robbie and Washington together, you cant help but see how Bale and Robbie work to activate the stakes while Washington doesnt, quite. In a hugely expensive whatzit like Tenet, Washingtons range appeared to narrow by the minute, and while he has done well in many films (notably BlacKkKlansman), Amsterdam appears to have flummoxed his dramatic instincts. Right now hes on Broadway in a revival of August Wilsons The Piano Lesson. That play, and the part hes tackling, may well lead to the expressive breakthrough he needs as a performer.

Its the breakthrough Amsterdam is too busy being busy to provide.

Amersterdam  2 stars

MPAA rating: R (for brief violence/bloody images)

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Running time: 2:14

How to watch: Premieres in theaters Thursday evening Oct. 6.

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

mjphillips@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @phillipstribune

Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here.
Augustine Hurtado tosses feed to pigeons at Santa Monica State Beach on Aug. 6. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: Feeding wildlife is illegal in California, and stories such as Steve Lopez's about a homeless man who spends his days giving food to birds and cats should not be featured in your pages.

Human food is not good for wildlife  gulls are fish eaters  and wild animals do not need us to feed them to survive. Injured animals should be referred to responsible, licensed agencies, not cared for at home.

Moreover, if The Times insists on extolling wildlife feeders, you cannot then decry the targeting of "problem" coyotes, which rely on people for food. One problem begets another.

Let's learn to live in proper balance with wildlife. More stories on that would be good.

Mary Lawrence Test, San Pedro

..

To the editor: Reading about the daily struggles of Augustine Hurtado  a man who has been homeless in L.A. for about three years and has found his purpose by feeding birds and cats  brought tears to my eyes.

Hurtado prefers living in a tent rather than in a cabin offered by his daughter, and when he plays his harmonica for tips, he can earn enough to afford the animal food that costs as much as $150 per day. He travels up to two hours each way daily on a three-wheel electric scooter with his dog Sparky, and he does this because he believes it is his purpose.

It was heartwarming to read about courage and selflessness when most of the news is about death, violence and the loss of many things that we hold dear. Hurtado teaches that everyone should have a reason for living, and that making a difference even through adversity can still allow us to enjoy each day.

Judy R . Martin, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: Hurtado is described as homeless, but I bet Hurtado would say his tent in downtown L.A. is his chosen home. He accepted his daughter's offer to live in her high desert cottage, and the venture lasted two weeks. And due at least to loneliness, Hurtado came back home.

Lopez charts a day in the life of this "modern-day St. Francis of Assisi." His insightful story is a powerful challenge to L.A. leaders to take a nuanced, sensitive approach to "homelessness."

Jim Walters, Claremont

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Lindsey Graham and Elon Musk are feuding over Twitter about the Ukraine war.

Graham wrote that Musk's suggestion for Russia to be given part of Ukraine's territory was "dumb."

Musk wrote in reply that recognition needed to be given to those in Ukraine who want to join Russia.

Billionaire Elon Musk is feuding with Sen. Lindsey Graham on Twitter over the Ukraine war, particularly whether Russia should be allowed to annex Ukrainian territories.

"With all due respect to Elon Musk  and I do respect him  I would suggest he needs to understand the facts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine," Graham tweeted on Wednesday.

Graham's post came after Musk's Twitter post on Tuesday in which he shared his idea for peacefully resolving the conflict. Sharing a poll that appeared to parrot Kremlin talking points on Russia's invasion, Musk called for his followers to vote on whether his list of conditions  which included re-doing the sham referendums in the four Ukrainian regions annexed by Russia and ensuring Ukraine's neutrality in the region  would work to achieve this goal.

The South Carolina senator objected to Musk's position, tweeting on Wednesday: "Suggesting we end the Russian invasion by simply giving Russia parts of Ukraine  after all the suffering  is dumb. It is also an affront to the bravery of the Ukrainians fighting to defend their homeland."

Graham also said that Musk's plan would be akin to capitulating to Putin and rewarding aggression, which would cause more "chaos" in the world.

In response, Musk wrote that if the senator believed that "the will of the people matters," those who live in Ukraine should be given the right to choose the country they belong to.

"Most of Ukraine unequivocally wants to be part of Ukraine, but some eastern portions have Russian majorities and prefer Russia," Musk said, sharing an electoral map from 2012 that showed a political split in Ukraine.

However, journalist Aaron Rupar pointed out in response to Musk that the 2012 electoral map pre-dated aggressive actions in the region from Russia, including the 2014 annexation of Crimea.

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Musk has received a considerable amount of backlash for posting the poll.

Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, blasted Musk in a tweet on Tuesday that stated: "Fuck off is my very diplomatic reply to you." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also hit back at Musk, posting a poll of his own that asked if people like a Musk who supports Russia or a Musk who supports Ukraine more.

For his part, Musk insisted in a separate tweet on Tuesday that he is "obviously" pro-Ukraine and that his company, SpaceX, has spent millions funding Starlink to keep the internet going in Ukraine.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Washington  Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming said Wednesday during an appearance in Arizona that if she lived in the state, she would vote for the Democratic candidates for governor and secretary of state on the ballot in November, and urged voters there to reject the Republican nominees.

"For almost 40 years now, I've been voting Republican," Cheney said during an event hosted by the McCain Institute at Arizona State University. "I don't know if I have ever voted for a Democrat, but if I lived in Arizona now, I absolutely would for governor and for secretary of state."

Cheney has been sounding the alarm about the future of American democracy in the months since the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol and has been the most vocal GOP critic of former President Donald Trump, signaling last month she would leave the Republican Party if he were the presidential nominee in 2024.

She was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting the insurrection at the Capitol, and she is the vice chair of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack.

The Wyoming congresswoman, who lost her primary to Trump-backed Harriet Hageman in August, stressed the importance of Arizona's elections this year, saying the outcome is "important for the nation and for the future functioning of our constitutional republic."

Cheney specifically highlighted Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and GOP nominee for secretary of state Mark Finchem, who have spread Trump's baseless claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, as a risk to the nation's future.

"They both said that they will only honor the results of an election if they agree with it," she said, highlighting the recounts, audits and failed legal challenges that affirmed President Biden's win in Arizona. "They've looked at all of that  the law, the facts and the rulings of the courts, and they've said it doesn't matter to them."

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Cheney continued: "If you care about democracy and you care about the survival of our republic, then you need to understand, we all have to understand, that we cannot give people power who have told us that they will not honor elections."

In an interview with CBS News on Wednesday, Finchem refused to say Mr. Biden was legitimately elected, but acknowledged he is the president. Finchem was among the crowd of Trump's supporters who marched to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and he was interviewed by the House select committee and Justice Department in their investigations.

Both Lake and Finchem have been endorsed by Trump, and the former president is holding a rally in Arizona on Sunday in support of Lake as well as the GOP nominee for Senate Blake Masters and the "entire Arizona Trump ticket," according to his political organization, Save America PAC.

Other Republicans, such as Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, have also rallied support for Lake, and Cheney criticized them for doing so.

"Glenn Youngkin should not come here and campaign for Kari Lake. Ted Cruz, who absolutely knows better, absolutely knows that what he's advocating is unconstitutional, that what she's saying is unconstitutional, they know it," she said. "And as Republicans, there have to be consequences and we have to make sure that people understand that we're going to vote for those that we can trust and depend on to do the right thing and uphold their oath."

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(Bloomberg) -- The London Metal Exchange began a formal discussion on a potential ban on new Russian metal as a response to growing concerns in the market over how to handle the countrys supplies.

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Any move by the LME could have a significant impact on global metals markets such as aluminum, nickel and copper, which so far have not been targeted by broad western sanctions against Russia. It could also hit top Russian producers like United Co. Rusal International PJSC and MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC by making traders and manufacturers less willing to buy their metal.

The LME didnt express a preference for any particular course of action, but laid out a series of possible options ranging from taking no action through to banning all new deliveries of Russian metal to its warehouses as soon as the results of the discussion are published. Market participants have three weeks to submit their views.

The metals world has been wrestling for months over how to handle Russian production, but the debate has recently come to a head as the industry began its annual ritual of renegotiating supply contracts. Some buyers are shunning Russian metal, and there are concerns that big volumes of unwanted supplies could end up dumped on the LME, creating distortions in the global benchmark price.

Until now the LME, which is owned by Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd., had said it wouldnt act beyond the scope of western sanctions against Russia. However, the exchange believes that consumers willingness to use it has evolved, it said in its discussion paper on Thursday.

As the current negotiation period for 2023 supply agreements progresses, the LME understands that an increasing number of consumers may be expressing an unwillingness to accept Russian metal in 2023, it said. As a result, and in light of the potentially changing market landscape, the LME now considers it appropriate to gather further data and views.

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Metal producers typically sell directly to consumers and traders, and banning new deliveries of Russian metal into the LME wouldnt necessarily stop that flow. But the ability to deliver metal to the exchange is an important backstop for traders and financiers of commodities, particularly in economic downturns when demand from manufacturers falls. As a result, metal that cant be delivered to the LME typically trades at a discount to metal that can.

Russian producers like Rusal and Nornickel have historically provided a large share of the metal traded on the LME, meaning that a ban could have a significant impact on the markets. Over the past decade, Russian nickel accounted for as much as 65% of exchange inventories, Russian aluminum had accounted for as much as 74%, and Russian copper for as much as 95%, the LME said.

For the LME price, banning new deliveries of Russian metal would remove a potential source of supply. When Bloomberg first reported the LMEs plans to issue a discussion paper last week, aluminum jumped by the most on record.

The most draconian option set out by the LME would involve immediately banning all deliveries of Russian metal as soon as the results of the discussion paper are published. The exchange is seeking feedback by Oct. 28. While it didnt say how soon after that the results would be published, on previous occasions it has reached a conclusion within weeks -- meaning a ban could be in place as soon as November.

Applying the suspension to all Russian metal (excluding that which is already warranted) is the most straightforward approach from a practical perspective, the LME said. This option would also limit the risk that large volumes of Russian metal could be delivered before a suspension.

Impending Crisis

The debate over Russian metal has intensified over the past month, with some large US and European metal companies waging a campaign to block new deliveries from the country, Bloomberg reported earlier this week. Top US aluminum producer Alcoa Corp. wrote a letter to the LME urging it not to accept Russian metal to avert an impending crisis.

Russian aluminum giant Rusal responded with its own lobbying efforts, insisting there is no basis for a ban and warning in a letter to customers that any move to restrict deliveries of its metal would damage the LMEs standing in global markets. The company has said it has no plans to deliver large amounts of metal to the LME.

The timing of the consultation ensures that the debate over Russian metal will dominate the LME week gathering that begins in London on Oct. 24.

It also comes at a bruising juncture for the LME, which stumbled into the global spotlight for its widely-criticized handling of a nickel short squeeze in March. The exchange is facing legal action from hedge funds and trading firms over its decision to cancel billions of dollars in nickel trades during the crisis, and its actions are being investigated by regulators.

Rusal, which previously took legal action against the LME over its warehousing reforms in 2013, implied in its letter to customers this week that it could seek to challenge any move against Russian metal.

Provided the LME follows applicable laws, as they have previously and publicly stated they will do, there is no basis upon which to take any action regarding warrantability of Russian metal, Rusal said in the letter.

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The City of Dayton has announced the newest investments of Dayton Recovery Plan funds following approval of contracts by the City Commission, according to a news release.

>>RELATED: Dayton introduces new program, invests $7 million in first floor businesses

The Ronald McDonald House will receive investments of $500,000 and the Boys & Girls Club of Dayton got $300,000 to support new or improved facilities crucial to the non-profits missions.

These two organizations have a demonstrated history of making a difference in the lives of families and children, and the City of Dayton is please to support them through the Dayton Recovery Plan, said Shelley Dickstein, City Manager. Their renewed commitment to their missions through facility improvements will have a positive impact in Dayton neighborhoods as well.

Funding for both awards will be provided through the Dayton Recovery Plans $7.3 million Aiding Community and Small Business Recovery component, the release said.

This section of the plan focuses on supporting community health and wellness, assisting small business and organizations, and providing educational opportunities.

The Ronald McDonald House funding will support architecture and design fees as well as engineering fees, according to the release.

The Boys & Girls Club of Dayton will use the Dayton Recovery Plan funds for construction/renovation services at its West Stewart facility, including electrical, plumbing and other services.

The Dayton Recovery Plan is a $138 million framework for community Covid relief and investment for the future, made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act, according to the City of Dayton.
Iranian schoolgirls have come to the fore in protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, removing their hijabs and staging sporadic rallies in defiance of a lethal crackdown by the security forces.

Amini, 22, was pronounced dead days after the notorious morality police detained the Iranian Kurdish woman last month for allegedly breaching the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women.

Anger flared at her funeral and spread to become the biggest wave of protests to rock Iran in almost three years, despite the backlash by the security forces that has killed scores and seen hundreds arrested.

Students rallied at the weekend before being confronted by riot police who cornered them in an underground car park of Tehran's prestigious Sharif University of Technology before hauling them away.

Schoolgirls have since taken up the baton around the country, removing their hijabs, shouting anti-regime slogans and defacing images of the clerical state's leaders.

"Death to the dictator," a group of bare-headed girls is heard chanting in reference to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as they force a man, reportedly the principal, out of a school in Karaj, west of Tehran, on Monday in a video verified by AFP.

Another group of girls sang "Woman, Life, Freedom!" as they marched through the Karaj neighbourhood of Gohardasht.

"These are really extraordinary scenes. If these protests are going to achieve anything, it will be because of the schoolgirls," Esfandyar Batmanghelidj of the Bourse & Bazaar news and analysis website tweeted in response.

- 'Lethal force' -

Schoolgirls were also seen leaving classrooms and appearing in flash-mob protests to avoid detection, in other footage shared online.

One boisterous group of girls yelled "Get lost, Basiji", in reference to the paramilitary force, at a man standing at a podium in the southern city of Shiraz, in a video shared by the 1500tasvir social media channel.

AFP has been unable to independently verify the footage.

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But in an apparent admission that schoolgirls have been involved in the protests, Prosecutor General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri on Wednesday blamed the influence of social networks.

"The fact that 16-year-olds are present in the events of these days is because of the social media," Montazeri said, according to ISNA news agency.

In a widening crackdown, Iran has rounded up high profile supporters of the movement and blocked social media access.

On Wednesday, New York-based Human Rights Watch decried internet shutdowns and said it had verified 16 protest videos that show "police and other security forces using excessive and lethal force against protesters" in Tehran and other cities.

The crackdown "indicates concerted action by the government to crush dissent with cruel disregard for life", HRW researcher Tara Sepehri Far said in a statement.

Concern also grew about what caused the death of 16-year-old Nika Shahkarami who had joined the protests, even as Iran's judiciary denied there was any link between her death and the demonstrations.

Reports from Persian media based outside Iran have said that the grieving girl's family was not allowed to bury her body in her hometown, while two close relatives have also reportedly been arrested.

- Sanctions loom -

At least 92 protesters have been killed in the unrest, according to Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR).

Amnesty International has confirmed 53 deaths, though Fars news agency put the death toll at "around 60" last week, while HRW said the number was "likely significantly higher". At least 12 security personnel have been reported killed.

More than 1,000 people have been arrested, but the judiciary said upwards of 620 protesters had been released from jail in Tehran province alone.

Another 63 people were killed last week when security forces "bloodily suppressed" a protest sparked by accusations that a regional police chief had raped a teenage girl of the Baluch Sunni minority in Zahedan, near Iran's southeastern border with Pakistan, said IHR.

The deadly crackdown has drawn global condemnation.

On Tuesday, the European Union joined the United States in warning that it was considering tough new sanctions on Iran.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Wednesday warned EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell against any "hasty political action" that would "encourage rioters and terrorists".

"We will have a reciprocal response to it," he told Borrell in a phone call.

Iran has repeatedly accused outside forces of stoking the unrest.

Also Wednesday, the Iranian foreign ministry summoned British ambassador Simon Shercliff to hear a protest over "meddlesome statements".

The unrest has overshadowed 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.

But the White House said the "problems with Iran's behaviour" are separate from efforts to revive the nuclear deal.

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Jesse Owens, Luz Long

One of the most consequential Olympic medals ever awarded is on the auction block  the silver medal captured in 1936 by Germanys Luz Long, the long jumper who walked arm in arm through the stadium with Jesse Owens to celebrate their triumphs while Adolf Hitler watched from the stands.

Longs family has decided to auction the medal and other collectibles from the German jumpers career. Long was killed in World War II in 1943.

The auction house selling the medal has labeled Longs collection The Beacon of Hope.

The story of Jesse Owens never seems to end, said Longs granddaughter, Julia Kellner-Long, in a phone interview from her house in Munich. My grandfather has always been inspirational and influential in the way I choose to see the world, and this is something I think the world outside needs. Now more than ever. It gives us hope.

Long cemented himself in Olympic lore during the Berlin Games when he was the first to congratulate Owens on his triumph in the long jump. Later they walked around the stadium together and posed for pictures.

Theres also the story Owens told of Long approaching him after he fouled on his first two attempts in the preliminary round. With only one more try to make the final, Owens said Long suggested he take off a foot in front of the board, to assure he wouldnt foul on his last try. Owens took that advice and went on to win the title  one of four he captured in Berlin  with a then-Olympic record jump of 8.06 meters (26 feet, 5 1/2 inches).

Owens was Black, and his stirring success at those Olympics was said to have annoyed Hitler by puncturing the Nazi myth of Aryan racial superiority.

The camaraderie between Owens and Long, and the relationship that ensued between the men and their families, are often held up as the prime example of what the Olympics are supposed to be about  a peaceful coming together of people from different countries and cultures who set their differences aside in the spirit of competition.

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It took a lot of courage for him to befriend me, Owens said, years later. You can melt down all the medals and cups I have and they wouldnt be a plating on the 24-karat friendship I felt for Luz Long at that moment. Hitler must have gone crazy watching us embrace.

The decision to sell came shortly after Luzs son (and Julias father), Kai, died at age 80. Kellner-Long said the great responsibility of preserving her grandfathers memorabilia should be passed onto an individual, or museum, that has the time and resources to do so. The family also wanted to use the sale to rekindle the story of Long and Owens.

Even 86 years later, shining a beacon of hope is an important and realistic value, especially in a time of increasing racism, increasing exclusion and hatred, Kellner-Long said.

The auction house started the bidding for Longs medal at $50,000, and estimated the value at somewhere between $500,000 and $1 million. The bidding runs through Oct. 15. The value of Olympic medals on the open market varies widely. One of Owens four gold medals from 1936 fetched $1.46 million. Bill Russells gold medal from the 1956 Olympics recently sold for $587,500.

David Kohler of SCP Auctions, which is conducting the sale, said the medal is about Long, but also the story of the courageousness and the athlete and what he did there.

Long didnt live long enough to see his legacy play out. He was killed in 1943 in the battle of St. Pietro on the Italian island of Sardinia. Shortly before that, he wrote a letter to Owens, one he predicted would be the last letter I shall ever write.

In it, Long asked Owens to go to Germany after the war and find his son.

Tell him, Jesse, what times were like when we were not separated by war, Long wrote. I am saying  tell him how things can be between men on this earth.

Owens and Kai Long met several times over the years, including at Berlins Olympic Stadium in 1966. Owens later was a best man at Kais wedding.

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Our Beacon of Hope: The Luz Long Collection Auction is NOW OPEN! The sale is headlined by one of the most historically significant Olympic medals, Long's silver medal won competing against Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Olympics #thehobby #whodoyoucollect #olympics #jesseowens pic.twitter.com/EUrEGZbt4U  SCP Auctions (@SCPAuctions) October 5, 2022

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Luz Longs Olympic silver medal for sale from Jesse Owens long jump duel originally appeared on NBCSports.com
PRAGUE (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday European countries would send Ukraine more military equipment to counter Russia, including more French Caesar-type howitzers.

"We are working indeed on several requests, with several members of the EU, including on new Caesars," Macron said.

(Reporting by Michel Rose; Editing by Chris Reese)
Canton Police

CANTON  A 37-year-old Malvern man was arrested on a warrant after being accused of shooting another man on 15th Street NW.

Canton police were called around 10:53 p.m. Wednesday to the 1300 block of 15th Street NW for a shooting victim.

More crime news:Suspect arrested after shooting/standoff near Clarendon Intermediate School in Canton

More crime news:Canton police investigating early morning shooting, person of interest in custody

Police found a 23-year-old Canton man in a carport area of an apartment building. He was unresponsive and had several gunshot wounds to his lower body, the report said.

The Canton Fire Department transported the man to Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital with life-threatening wounds, police said.

Investigators determined the identity of the suspect and obtained an arrest warrant with the help of the Stark County Prosecutor's Office. The suspect was later arrested by the Carroll County Sheriff's Office.

He is charged with felonious assault and having weapons while under disability, and was booked in the Stark County Jail.

The investigation continues and police are asking anyone with information to call the Canton Police Detective Bureau at 330-489-3144. Anonymous tips can be sent through Tip411 or the Stark County Crimestoppers. Sign up for Tip411 at www.cantonohio.gov/police.

This article originally appeared on The Independent: Malvern man arrested in Canton shooting
The Seattle Police Department announced Thursday that a 32-year-old man has been arrested in connection to the case of human remains that were found in a greenbelt near the University of Washington in June.

The remains were found June 20. The King County Medical Examiner determined that the 56-year-old womans death was a homicide.

SPD detectives who are investigating the case developed a person of interest and later connected him to DNA evidence from the scene.

The man was arrested Tuesday and booked into the King County Jail.

Detectives are still investigating the case to determine whether there are other suspects connected to the womans murder.

The suspect made his first court appearance Wednesday, where a judge found probable cause for homicide and set his bail at $5 million.

According to court documents, the suspect killed the woman at his apartment after bringing her there with someone else. The suspect told detectives that the body stayed at his apartment for a long period of time before eventually being removed.

Court documents also say that the suspect told detectives that there were instruments and supplies in the apartment that he had used to alter the victims body and to transport it from his apartment.

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"'Untitled' (Portrait of Ross in L.A.)" is a 1991 conceptual work by the late Cuban American artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres displayed in the Art Institutes Modern Wing on Oct. 3, 2022. (Hannah Edgar photo / Chicago Tribune)

Following social media outcry, the Art Institute of Chicago amended the descriptive label to one of the most eye-catching works in its modern and contemporary collection last week.

How that contentious label text and its replacement came to be, however, is a case study in the behind-the-scenes considerations and pressure points in art curation.

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Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), a 1991 conceptual work by the late Cuban American artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres, is a huge cluster of candies in variously colored wrappers  sometimes heaped in a pile against a wall or corner, sometimes pooling out on the floor, other times neatly arranged in a geometric shape. In a breach of the usual unspoken museum convention, patrons are invited to take a candy, depleting the pile over time.

When the Art Institute displayed Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) between 2015 and 2017, the placard explained that Ross was Ross Laycock, Gonzalez-Torress life partner, who died of AIDS-related complications in January of that year. After his diagnosis, the couple spent time in Los Angeles, renting an apartment there as Laycocks health declined. The original placard observed that the artworks largest size at any given time  specified by Gonzalez-Torres to be 175 pounds  can be seen to correspond to Laycocks ideal body weight, while its gradual shrinking parallels Laycocks weight loss prior to his death. The accompanying audio guide also included this context.

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The Art Institute next displayed Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) briefly in 2018, then acquired the artwork earlier this summer as part of its permanent collection, reinstalling it in July. In 2018 and this summer, it was accompanied by a vaguer description  though the audio guide, which discusses Laycock and the AIDS crisis at length, remained unchanged.

The ideal weight of the work, 175 pounds, corresponds to the average body weight of an adult male. As visitors choose to take candy from the work, the volume and weight of the work decrease, the placard read in part.

On Sept. 28, museum subscriber William Scullin tweeted pictures of the two placards from 2017 and later side by side.

When I dont renew my @artinstitutechi membership for the first time, its because AIC desecrated Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) by Felix Gonzalez-Torres, he wrote. The erasure of Rosss memory and Gonzalez-Torress intent in the new description is an unconsciable (sic) and banal evil.

When I don't renew my @artinstitutechi membership for the first time, it's because AIC desecrated "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) by Felix Gonzalez-Torres. The erasure of Ross's memory and Gonzalez-Torres's intent in the new description is an unconsciable and banal evil. pic.twitter.com/qzwUaja8s8  Will Scullin (@willscullin) September 28, 2022

Scullins tweet promptly went viral, with the vast majority of the outrage directed squarely at the Art Institute. Critics accused the museum of gay erasure. One user compared the change to Nazi book burnings.

The pictures werent taken by Scullin but his friend, Zac Thriffiley, an English teacher at Beacon Academy in Evanston who first noticed the change. Thriffiley, also an Art Institute member, said that whenever he hosts visitors from out of town, he always takes them to see Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.).

Thats precisely what he was doing when he noticed the placard change on Sept. 24.

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(My friend) read the description and said, I dont get it. I said, What do you mean, you dont get it? Thats when I read the (new) description, Thriffiley said.

The following day, Thriffiley sent a letter protesting the change to the Windy City Times and posted photos of the old and new placards side by side on Facebook. He also contacted the Art Institutes engagement department, inquiring after the change.

He heard back from the department on Oct. 4, after the tweet had gone viral, which noted that the museum had changed the text the previous week, restoring some of the previous details.

They didnt offer any explanation at all as to why the description was originally changed, or why it was changed back, Thriffiley said.

The Art Institute confirmed in a timeline to the Tribune that it replaced the label on Sept. 29 with new text incorporating more biographical information about Gonzalez-Torres and Laycock. The museum stressed that curatorial decisions are guided by the cooperation and participation of an artists estate.

In concert with artists and their estates/foundations, we continually update labels to introduce different types of context. In this case, we heard visitor feedback to the previous label and took the opportunity to revise the text, an Art Institute representative wrote.

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In this case, the estate in question is the New Yorkbased Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation, which fields exhibition requests and licenses copyright permissions to exhibit Gonzalez-Torress work. When Gonzalez-Torres died in 1996, he left his artistic estate in the hands of Andrea Rosen, an influential art dealer and his personal friend.

The foundations statement of purpose online states its commitment to foster(ing) expansive thinking, and to uphold(ing) Gonzalez-Torress intention to maintain space for diverse and changing points of view and questioning around the work.

In a phone conversation and written statement shared with the Tribune, a spokesperson for the Gonzalez-Torres Foundation once again asserted this plurality as being central to Gonzalez-Torress ethos and work.

Gonzalez-Torres often spoke about how his work set up possibilities for deep questioning, and audiences active roles of keeping his work in the present: As he told an interviewer in 1995, We need our own space to think and digest what we see. And we also have to trust the viewer and trust the power of the object. And the power is in simple things. I like the kind of clarity that that brings to thought. It keeps thought from being opaque.

In this way, we are always happy to see the work of Gonzalez-Torres inspiring impassioned discourse. The Art Institutes conscientious choice to present diverse information simultaneously  in the wall label as well as the accessible audio guide  sets an example of trust in the viewer to take an active role in their experiences, interpretations, and contributions to the work.

The new label strikes a middle ground between the 2015-2017 placard and the now-removed text.

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Regardless of its physical shape, the label lists its ideal weight, likely corresponding to the average body weight of an adult male, or perhaps the ideal weight of the subject referred to in the title, Ross Laycock, the artists partner who died of complications from AIDS in 1991, as did Gonzalez-Torres in 1996, it reads.

The text also resolves the 2015-2017 labels slippage around the phrase ideal weight. Gonzalez-Torress candy works  and there are 20 of them, all of which are interactive, depleting and repleting over time  almost all mention an ideal or original weight or height. (Gonzalez-Torres let exhibitors puzzle over what ideal or original meant in that context.) The text also corrected his birth year to 1957.

Joshua Chambers-Letson, a performance studies professor at Northwestern University, has published extensively on Gonzalez-Torres, most recently in his 2018 book After the Party: A Manifesto for Queer of Color Life. Despite having their own qualms with the contested placard text, Chambers-Letson disagreed with the arguments at the heart of the online criticism.

Felix left a lot of responsibility in the hands of the people who exhibit the piece, and he was very generous in allowing spectators to produce any meaning that they need to in relationship to the work, Chambers-Letson says. I dont think the AIC made that decision in bad faith.

Chambers-Letson also pushed back against criticism that the label text had erased Laycock from the piece.

I can understand that persons reaction, but also, Ross is in the title. Felix secured for the rest of all time that there would be a reference to Ross (in the work).

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Of Gonzalez-Torress 20 candy works, three are portraits. Untitled (Portrait of Dad), made the same year as Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), uses the same ideal weight specified in the latter: 175 pounds. Meanwhile, the weight for Untitled (Lover Boys), also from 1991, specifies an ideal weight of 355 pounds, or roughly the combined weight of two people about that size.

Given this, the Art Institutes initial conflation of Gonzalez-Torress use of ideal with Laycocks ideal body weight could be seen as suffusing the artwork with charged language around body image and physicality  a valid reading, to be sure, as Laycock was a dedicated runner whom a friend remembered as being in perfect shape. But not the only reading.

(Gonzalez-Torres) knew how to be strategically oblique in order to infiltrate spaces where he might not otherwise be able to work, Chambers-Letson said.

When asked how he balanced artist intent versus interpretation, Thriffiley, the teacher whose photos spurred the original change, acknowledged the challenge, especially with an artist like Gonzalez-Torres.

His (Untitled, 1989) in the same gallery is a mixture of events from his personal life, events from American history, and more recent events in queer history. Its a deliberate blending of the very personal and a larger community and history, Thriffiley said.

During an Oct. 3 visit to the Art Institutes Modern Wing, the room around Gonzalez-Torress extraordinary work of art seemed pretty, well, ordinary, though a nearby guard observed that the area was seeing higher-than-average foot traffic. A teenage couple stifled giggles when they saw the pile of candy slouched against the wall. A family visiting from out of town veered around the work in a huge crescent moon, heads bowed in respect, as though Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) was a tombstone. Few stepped forward to take the candy, until the guard assured them  and then reassured them, multiple times  that it was allowed.

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Nearby, Dat Ly, a hobbyist photographer visiting the Art Institute from Calgary  coincidentally, the city where Ross Laycock was born  egged them on. Ly had visited the work earlier in the summer, when it was accompanied by the now-defunct label. Hed returned to snap instant photos of the moment visitors realized that they could, in fact, take the candy. Some figures do so leaning on their back heel, uneasy at the transgression. Others are an excited blur.

Its always hesitancy, at first. Because you know, youre so used to going to a museum, you cant touch anything, Ly said. Usually, its the security guards or people who are familiar with it who say, Its OK to take the candy, guys. Its part of the thing.

That thing changed for Ly when he compared the removed label  which hed photographed on his phone  to the new one in live-time.

That section  woof, he said. Yeah, it does change the way I look at the art now. Its more serious. I dont want to say the first one is vapid. But it makes out the work to be more fun.

And why not both?

Hannah Edgar is a freelance writer.
Social media posts claim an image shows an alligator in a flooded Florida house following Hurricane Ian's devastation of the US state. This is false; the image was manipulated using a years-old photo of a massive saltwater crocodile from Australia.

"My dawg in Florida sent me this n said he woke up and came downstairs the gator was looking at him just like this," says one September 29, 2022 Facebook post shared more than 74,000 times. "I would of died!"

Another post with more than 10,000 shares says: "Someone sent my this picture, of a gator swimming through some one living room, after Harricane Ian."

Screenshot from Facebook taken October 6, 2022

Screenshot from Facebook taken October 6, 2022

The image spread further on Instagram and Twitter, as well as in videos uploaded to TikTok.

"A Florida resident house after the storm," says the caption of one TikTok video watched more than 25,000 times.

There are approximately 1.25 million American alligators in the state of Florida, according to the nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, a state government agency, warned that alligators and snakes could be more visible after Hurricane Ian, and some footage appears to show alligators in floodwaters.

But the image supposedly showing an alligator inside a flooded home is not authentic.

Reverse image searches revealed the animal in the photo was lifted from a genuine picture of a saltwater crocodile in Australia -- not an American alligator -- that has been online since at least 2010. The ridges on the crocodile's back and other identifying details match those seen in the image of the flooded home.

A closely cropped version of the original picture appears in a gallery on the website for Adelaide River Cruises, a company that runs "jumping crocodile" tours in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Adelaide River Cruises told AFP the crocodile in the photo is an 85-year-old beast named Dominator, who measures nearly 20 feet in length.

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A zoomed-out version of the same photo of Dominator appeared in a 2014 Daily Mail article about a giant crocodile known as Brutus. The Daily Mail credited the photo to Adelaide River Cruises.

The saltwater crocodile -- also known as the estuarine crocodile -- is "not native to Florida," said Michael Heithaus, director of the Marine Community Ecology Lab at Florida International University in Miami. He said the image shared online appeared to be "Photoshopped."

"The photo is of a very large adult, male saltwater crocodile," added Gregory Erickson, professor of biological science at Florida State University. "It is native to estuarine habitats from eastern India, southeast Asia and northern Australia."

Another species of crocodile, the American crocodile, is found in south Florida, though it is far less prevalent than the American alligator.

The image in the posts must be "fakery," Erickson told AFP, given the type of crocodile it shows lives on the other side of the world. The reptiles are also likely "too large to pass through doorways" and end up inside someone's house, Erickson said.

The same manipulated image appeared on Reddit as early as 2020. Social media users have falsely connected it to other weather events, such as flooding in Bengaluru, India.

It is not clear where the picture of the flooded room originated.

AFP has debunked other misinformation about Hurricane Ian here.
President Joe Bidens stunning announcement Thursday that he would pardon marijuana offenders and that his administration would reform federal law comes after decades of inaction by Congress despite growing popular support for cannabis legalization.

The House of Representatives earlier this year passed a bill to legalize marijuana but the measure stalled in the Senate amid opposition from Republicans and even some Democrats, such as Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.).

Its hard to imagine what it would have taken for Congress to ever act on its own to legalize marijuana unless Democrats somehow won a Senate supermajority.

Marijuana reform advocates had instead been rooting for lawmakers to adopt a modest change that would allow marijuana businesses that are legal under state laws to access federally-insured banking services.

The federal Controlled Substances Act since the 1970s has put marihuana in the same category as the most dangerous drugs, ones that the government considers ripe for abuse with no possible medicinal use.

Congress could have amended the law but didnt bother, even as cannabis has become widely used for treating pain, nausea and other health issues.

The president cant unilaterally change the Controlled Substances Act. Still, the law allows the administration to change marijuanas status through a formal rule-making process with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice. On Thursday, Biden said he would ask HHS secretary Xavier Becerra and Attorney General Merrick Garland to initiate that process.

Federal law currently classifies marijuana in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the classification meant for the most dangerous substances, Biden said in a statement. This is the same schedule as for heroin and LSD, and even higher than the classification of fentanyl and methamphetamine  the drugs that are driving our overdose epidemic.

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Marijuana advocates applauded the announcement but also sounded a note of caution and said Congress should still change the law itself.

The president has the power to pardon people at the federal level, Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, told HuffPost. He does not have the power to change the law.

Armentano said Thursdays announcement came as a surprise. Hes concerned that the rule-making process could result in marijuana remaining illegal at the federal level under a less strict schedule of the Controlled Substances Act.

That power has never been used by the attorney general, and its unclear if the attorney general has the power to de-schedule as opposed to reschedule, Armentano said.

Over the past several decades, cities and states have acted independently, changing their laws to legalize marijuana for medicinal and recreational use even as it remained illegal under federal law.

Public opinion on whether marijuana should be legal has dramatically changed over time. In 1980, two-thirds of voters opposed legal pot, but by 2019 two-thirds supported it.

A Pew Research Center survey from April 2021 found only a microscopic number of Americans  just 8%  thought marijuana should be illegal in all circumstances. A full three-fifths of Americans thought it should be legal for medical and recreational use, with 31% supporting it being legal only for medical purposes.

Support was high across demographic groups, though Asian Americans, older Americans and conservative Republicans were less likely to support full legalization. Just 32% of Americans over age 75  the age group Biden himself falls in  support legal recreational marijuana, compared to 70% of Americans aged 18-29.

The issue also splits GOP voters along age and ideological lines. Just 39% of conservative Republicans support legalization, compared to 60% of moderate or liberal Republicans. The age gap is even more pronounced: 63% of 18-to-29-year-old Republicans support full legalization, compared to just 27% of Republicans over age 65.

The split in reaction was visible among Republican lawmakers. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), perhaps the member of Congress most eager to throw people in prison, said Bidens move was a desperate attempt to distract from failed leadership and linked it to crime, a major part of the GOP message ahead of Novembers election.

In the midst of a crime wave and on the brink of a recession, Joe Biden is giving blanket pardons to drug offenders  many of whom pled down from more serious charges, he wrote on Twitter.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who represents a Republican-leaning swing district and has some libertarian leanings, backed Bidens move.

Applaud the Administration for their necessary big step forward in bringing justice to so many, she wrote.

The impact on the forthcoming midterm elections is unclear. While reforming marijuana laws is popular, it typically is not a top issue for voters and is rarely discussed in campaign advertising. A March survey from the Democratic group Data for Progress found 68% of voters support Biden pardoning nonviolent marijuana users.

Democrats are hopeful, however, that the move will appeal to key constituencies whose turnout lags in midterm elections, like Black voters and young people.

President Biden has delivered huge victories for young people in recent months from historic action on climate legislation to student debt cancellation, and today we celebrate this remarkable move forward on marijuana policy, said Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez, the president of NextGen America. One thing is clear: This is the youth agenda in action.

The move is also a victory for one critical Democratic candidate, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.

Fetterman, the partys candidate in a crucial Pennsylvania Senate race, has long backed marijuana legalization and pressed Biden on the issue for 20 minutes when the president was in Pittsburgh last month.

This is a BFD and a massive step towards justice, Fetterman said in a statement, throwing in a shot at his GOP opponent. I dont want to hear any bullshit from Dr. Oz or any Republican conflating decriminalizing marijuana with seriously harmful crime. As mayor of Braddock, I worked to combat serious crime. I know what it looks like. And I know that marijuana just doesnt fit the bill.

Oz, the celebrity doctor who won the GOP nomination, has opposed marijuana legalization as a candidate, even though he supported changes to marijuana laws when he was a pundit on health care issues.

There are not enough Pennsylvanians to work in Pennsylvania, Oz told NewsMax earlier this year. So giving them pot so that they stay home is not, I dont think, an ideal move.

While major marijuana reform was always unlikely to move through Congress, it was equally unlikely that Biden would wind up the president to try to effectively legalize marijuana and extend selected amnesty to Americans harmed by the War on Drugs. Thats because Biden was one of the nations biggest proponents of the Drug War in his four decades in the Senate.

Biden came up with the idea of a federal drug czar and even coined the phrase in a 1982 New York Times interview. He advocated for a dramatic increase in federal funding to fight the Drug War and one person to call the shots. He then worked with the Ronald Reagan administration to enact legislation to create the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the executive branch for the drug czar to lead while pumping billions more into the drug fight.

Biden teamed up with segregationist Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) in 1984 to enact a crime control bill that supercharged civil asset forfeiture, allowing law enforcement to seize property from people without ever proving a crime. It has since become a widespread practice by police departments to seize property from people who are never charged with a crime and resell it to finance their budgets. Biden and Thurmond teamed up again in 1986 to enact the crack-cocaine sentencing disparity, which charged crimes involving crack, who were predominantly Black, at 100 times of those charged with crimes involving powder cocaine, who were predominantly white.

On the same day that President George H.W. Bush announced his drug war plans in a nationally televised address where he held up a plastic bag filled with crack he claimed dealers sold right in front of the White House (it was a setup), Biden responded by saying Bushs drug policy was not punitive enough. He demanded harsher penalties for drug dealers, including the death penalty, and that the federal government hold every drug user accountable.

In the 1990s, Biden led the enactment of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which significantly increased funding for prisons, including private prisons, and imposed stricter sentences for drug crimes.

Biden also pushed through the RAVE Act in 2003, which expanded the crack-house law to include raves and other electronic music parties. The law made it harder for those running the events to save the lives of people suffering adverse reactions to drugs by discouraging party promoters from providing medical assistance, cool-down rooms, drug test kits or even free water to party-goers. At least one study found the law increased the danger of drug use at these events.

Despite this history, Biden could now be the first president to truly begin dismantling the War on Drugs. Just as only Richard Nixon, who became famous as a red-baiting anti-communist, could go to China, so too, only Biden, a chief architect of the drug war, could legalize marijuana.

And Bidens skepticism of marijuana did not end in the early 2000s. During his 2020 presidential campaign, even as he supported expunging marijuana convictions, he also mused about the downwind negative effects of legalization.

The truth of the matter is, theres not nearly been enough evidence that has been acquired as to whether or not it is a gateway drug, Biden said at a town hall in Las Vegas in November 2019.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Arizona Senate hopeful Blake Masters (R) faces a critical moment with this weeks televised debate against Sen. Mark Kelly (D) as he seeks to turn around his struggling campaign.

The past several weeks have seen prospects dimming for Masters, who has struggled to break through amid concerns over his hard-right views and the decision from a super PAC with ties to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to yank millions of dollars of spending from the race.

Now with less than five weeks to go before the midterms, Republicans are hoping Masters, who has the backing of former President Trump, can use the opportunity to appeal to a broader swath of voters in a race that is seen as crucial to flipping the upper chamber.

Blake is a real smart guy, that is not in dispute, said GOP strategist Barrett Marson, whos previously worked on Masterss campaign. However, he has made some gaffes in the recent past that have not helped him, so just hoping he practices. Practice, practice, practice. And that he has his talking points and that hes scripted.

Masters, a venture capitalist with ties to GOP megadonor Peter Thiel, leaned into the culture wars before and even after the primary, falsely claiming children were being taught to be transgender and slamming Democrats over their diversity obsession. Hes taken heat for his past comments on issues like abortion and gun violence, including when he claimed that abortion rights advocates saw the medical procedure as a religious sacrifice and for suggesting that Black people were the cause of gun violence.

Post-primary, Masterss campaign scrubbed some of his far-right stances from his website and made attempts at moderating his messaging. But recent polling shows that tactic might not be working among voters.

 The primary was such a narrow band when compared to the general election population of likely voters that what Mitch McConnell said and meant, talking about poor candidate selection, were seeing on the ground here, said Kevin DeMenna, an Arizona Republican consultant and longtime supporter of former Rep. Matt Salmon (Ariz.), who lost the GOP nomination for governor this year.

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Republicans and political observers also point to the wide cash advantage that Kelly holds over Masters. Kim Fridkin, a foundation professor for the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University, said that the financial advantage has allowed Kelly to define himself early on in the race, especially given that the former NASA astronaut didnt have a primary challenger.

Masters is pretty much an unknown in the state, I would say still, and so he didnt really get a chance to define himself, and that I think is problematic, she said.

Republicans see the debate as an important platform for Masters to make his case to voters and contrast himself with Kelly. But time is running out, as early voting in the state starts Oct. 12 and Election Day is less than five weeks away.

Blake Masters has the issues in his favor. Hes a very intelligent and successful guy. The debate offers him a chance to hammer Mark Kelly on the issues that Arizonans know he has failed them on, namely inflation, border security, and crime. If he does that effectively, and we know he will, he will see a nice bounce coming out of Thursday night, said T.W. Arrighi, national press secretary for Senate Republicans campaign arm.

Masters needs to use the debate to appeal to moderates and split-ticket voters, Republicans say.

The message that Blake Masters needs to deliver has to have appeal to the middle, the Arizona centrist voter, and it has to be authentic, DeMenna said.

Winning the support of unaffiliated voters in Arizona in particular will be critical for both candidates. Data as of August from the Arizona secretary of states office shows that Republicans and voters listed as other make up roughly the same percentage of voters in the state  34.5 percent and 33.7 percent, respectively. Democrats follow closely behind, at about 31 percent.

Some polling shows Kelly leading Masters by as much as double digits among the independent voter bloc. A Marist Poll released last week found that Kelly led Masters 51 percent to 34 percent among independent voters alone, while another poll released last month by OH Predictive Insights found the senator receiving 43 percent of support among independents, while Masters only received 28 percent.

A CBS News-YouGov Battleground Tracker survey released Wednesday showed Masters closing the gap with independents, receiving 48 percent compared to Kellys 49 percent.

When Trump selected Masters, the Trump bump paid off. The dividend that it paid was his winning that primary, DeMenna said. At this point, the Arizona electorate is divided into the thirds, one-third is Republican. And frankly, only half of that is what it takes to win that primary, but not what it takes to have general election appeal.

Masterss campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

In a sign that Republicans have renewed their efforts in the race, CNBC reported that Thiel suggested to guests during a fundraising event that he hosted at his home in Los Angeles for Masters that he would be helping the Republican candidate, though its uncertain how.

Trump is also returning to the state on Sunday to give a boost to his endorsees in the state, including Masters, gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R) and others. Republicans see sharing the stage with the former president as an important moment for Masters and one that will increase media attention of the candidate, but some acknowledge Trump may focus the rally on past grievances instead of the midterms.

Democrats, for their part, see Trumps visit as a sign of weakness.

The fact that Trump feels like he has to come here a month out from Election Day shows you where the race is, said one Democratic strategist.

The same strategist noted that the relitigation of the Big Lie  thats 100 percent going to be the focus of Trump while hes there. And so Masters will have be back to defending that, and I think thats not helpful.

Arizona Democratic consultant Bill Scheel agreed that the former presidents presence in the state would not be helpful to Masters, suggesting that the more its about Trump, the worse for him.

Others are also unconvinced that Thursdays debate will move the needle with voters. Fridkin, the professor, said its unlikely many will tune into the debate and suggested that Kelly would need to have a problematic performance in order for the dynamic to shift.

Debate aside, Republicans still think Masters has a shot at the seat but acknowledge its coming down to the wire.

I think Blake has to be buoyed by the fact that there has been, again, tens of billions of dollars spent on him on TV. I cant turn on the TV without seeing either a pro-Kelly or anti-Blake Masters ad, and yet hes still within striking distance, said Marson, the GOP strategist.

Hes had a couple of fundraisers that brought in probably decent money, so hes up with his own ads as well, he also said of Masters. You know, its not too late. But the clock is getting closer to midnight.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Following the lead of Vineyard Wind, which is building a wind farm just west of the Nantucket Shoals, Mayflower Wind  a second company looking to harness the winds in the same area  has pledged to train and employ American union workers in building and operating the project.

Company executives, joined by U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, recently signed a memorandum of understanding with leaders from North Americas Building Trades Unions and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, promising top-shelf training and good paying jobs to union members in the offshore wind industry.

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey joined leaders from North Americas Building Trades Unions (NABTU), the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, and Mayflower Wind on Sept. 30 to announce a partnership that will generate good paying jobs to American union workers in the Massachusetts offshore wind industry.

Mayflower Wind's project could generate 2,400 megawatts of energy

The pact was signed during a formal event on Sept. 30 at the John F. Kennedy Federal Building in Boston. A similar agreement was completed between Vineyard Wind and the trade unions last fall.

Mayflower Wind is a joint venture of Shell and Ocean Winds, which is pursuing similar offshore wind farming in Moray Firth, a North Sea inlet off the northern coast of Scotland.

More: Fisheries groups oppose fast tracking offshore wind development in Gulf of Maine

The company is looking to develop an offshore lease area 30 miles south of Martha's Vineyard and 20 miles south of Nantucket that, according to its website, has the potential to generate more than 2,400 megawatts of low-cost clean energy. The company anticipates starting to deliver energy by the end of the decade.

In remarks delivered ahead of the signing, Markey said with Massachusetts blazing the trail in what he calls the offshore "wind revolution," there are many opportunities not only to develop clean energy that is essential to combatting climate change, but also guaranteeing that "the workers of Massachusetts  the union workers  are going to be fully included."

He credited Mayflower Wind CEO Michael Brown for making the commitment to skilled American union workers.

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More: Mayflower Wind plans to run electric transmission cable through Falmouth draws mixed views

"I've appreciated the many conversations that I've had with Mayflower about the importance of engaging with our labor unions and with the building trades about how we can supercharge our training" for domestic, offshore wind workers, he said.

"It will lead to good-paying, local union jobs, both on shore and off shore. The partnership will also help identify the skills and the training necessary to build a union offshore wind construction work force," Markey said.

Markey and Warren said they are committed to making sure the Senate's Maritime Transportation Reauthorization Act includes further work force development provisions, supporting apprenticeship programs and training resources.

Wind energy part of efforts to cut emissions

"We need to develop the offshore wind work force, and we need to develop our incredible wind resources, and this partnership will help us to get there," Markey said.

Warren called the partnership between Mayflower and the unions "a watershed moment" for Massachusetts, saying it is bringing union workers and clean energy together "to not only drive our economy, but also to combat the climate crisis."

"President Biden made offshore wind a core component of his strategy to tackle climate change by slashing green house emissions in half by 2030, and to help us get there he set some really high goals  30,000 megawatts of offshore wind electricity generation capacity by 2030," she said.

More: No longer a 'future problem,' Cape Cod schools teach climate change

Companies like Mayflower Wind are rising to that challenge, she said, with Massachusetts projects alone looking to achieve more than 10% of the president's national goal.

"Once again Massachusetts is leading the way," she said.

Commitment to employ diverse work force

She noted that wind farm developers are drawn to Massachusetts because of the wind strength off shore, as well as the strength of the state's skilled work force.

"It takes highly skilled, great workers to build these projects, and Massachusetts has the muscle and the know how to make it happen," Warren said.

Both legislators also praise Mayflower Wind for committing itself and its contractors to paying prevailing wages, as well as the commitment to employ a diverse work force.

"We have a recipe for great success in creating a whole new generation of thousands and thousands of new workers here in Massachusetts in this industry," Markey said.

More: Cape Cod firefighters to aid Hurricane Ian search and rescue effort: What they will do

Brown said his company is proud of the agreement made with the unions. Mayflower Wind, he said, "is committed to helping develop skilled, trained workers so that we can construct and operate our wind farm long term."

"We are seeing recently the impacts of climate change on the coasts of the U.S. This can't continue. Climate will continue to deteriorate if we do not take the bold steps that we need, like Massachusetts has done and lead for the whole United States," he said.

The agreement is expected to lead to jobs for "thousands of local and diverse workers," Brown said. Toward that end, he noted that Mayflower Wind has provided a $250,000 grant to Browning the Green Space to support that organization's efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the clean energy industry.

"We believe that offshore wind is for everybody," Brown said. "If you want a job and you want to work in offshore wind, you should have that opportunity."

Massachusetts Building Trades President Frank Callahan said the unions have been working on advancing their workers for the clean energy industry for a long time, "because we know it's important to get in on the ground floor."

"We want to make sure that the workers are getting their fair share and their due at the outset," he said.

The understanding signed with Vineyard Wind last year, and the one signed with Mayflower Wind this month, accomplish that.

More: Venezuelan migrants leaving Joint Base Cape. Here's where they are going.

"When we first started negotiations on Vineyard Wind  we're talking about the skilled work force  all we heard about was it's a mature industry in Europe and we didn't know how to do it," Callahan said.

But that is changing through agreements such as the one signed last week.

"Our members have the skills," Callahan said. "We're going to upgrade those skills to meet the unique aspects of this project to work off shore."

And the work force will only expand out, he said, to other projects  both as builders and as long-term operators.

Keep connected with the Cape. Download our free app.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Mayflower Wind, labor unions sign pact for off-shore wind jobs
(NEXSTAR)  An entirely new generation of trick-or-treaters will soon know the joy of collecting candy in a festive bucket that faintly smells of stale McDonalds french fries.

On Thursday, McDonalds confirmed the return of its Halloween Happy Meal pumpkin pails, which often doubled as trick-or-treating buckets for kids in the mid- to late-80s.

We heard you loud and clear if spooky SZN doesnt include McDonalds Halloween Pails, then you dont want it, McDonalds wrote in a press release. Thats why were bringing back the most iconic Halloween trio  McBoo, McPunkn and McGoblin  that first came on the scene back in 1986.

McDonalds to offer adult meal boxes with bizarre little figurines

The Halloween Happy Meal pails have returned from time to time in the decades since, often with updated artwork or new shapes, and sometimes themed after characters from Scooby Doo or Monsters High.

(McDonalds)

The newest iteration, meanwhile, looks to be a throwback to the white, orange and green pails first offered in the late 80s. Each of the three new buckets  McBoo, McPunkn and McGoblin  will also feature three different faces on the outside of the pails, as seen in photos shared by McDonalds, and confirmed by a spokesperson.

The new pails will be available at participating McDonalds restaurants between Oct. 18  31 with the purchase of a Happy Meal, but only while supplies last, according to McDonalds.

Move over Chick-fil-A, new drive-thru crowned the fastest

The announcement of the buckets long-awaited return comes weeks after employees reportedly leaked news of the Halloween Happy Meals, according to the website Nightmare Nostalgia. McDonalds even appeared to reference the rumors in its press release, alluding to weeks of anticipation leading up to the announcement.

The news also follows another nostalgia-inducing promotion from McDonalds, which launched a Happy Meal-style offering for adults on Monday. The meal, known as the Cactus Plant Flea Market Box, is packaged in a similar box as the original Happy Meal, and comes complete with one of four bizarre little figurines.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Melinda French Gates said recently that the COVID-19 pandemic helped facilitate her unbelievably painful divorce from Bill Gates.

I had some reasons I just couldnt stay in that marriage anymore, French Gates, 58, told Fortune magazine in an interview this week. But the odd thing about COVID is that it gave me the privacy to do what I needed to do.

The philanthropist said she and her Microsoft co-founding ex still operate their Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation together, presenting awkward challenges.

I kept working with the person I was moving away from, and I needed to show up and be my best self every single day, she said. So even though I might be crying at 9 a.m. and then have to be on a video conference at 10 a.m. with the person Im leaving, I have to show up and be my best.

I learned as a leader that I could do it. It reminded me that the foundation calls me to be my best, she continued.

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates pose together in Kirkland, Washington. (Photo: Elaine Thompson via Associated Press)

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates pose together in Kirkland, Washington. (Photo: Elaine Thompson via Associated Press)

The two, who have three young-adult children, announced their split in May 2021. A report emerged shortly afterward that Microsofts board of directors determined in 2020 that Gates needed to step down from the board amid a probe that he had a past affair with an employee. He admitted to the extramarital relationship, which began in 2000, but said through a spokesperson that he resigned from the board of his own accord.

A report in October 2021 said Gates was warned by executives in 2008 to stop sending flirtatious emails to employees.

The couples divorce was finalized in August 2021.

French Gates said previously that her reasons for the divorce could be distilled into no longer being able to trust what we had.

It wasnt one moment or one specific thing that happened, French Gates told host Gayle King on CBS This Morning. There just came a point in time where there was enough there where I realized it just wasnt healthy, and I couldnt trust what we had.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

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FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP)  The head of a Virginia company accused of exploiting immigration detainees seeking bail has now been charged with defrauding the brother of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz.

The Augusta County Sheriff's Office said Mike Donovan, the CEO of Nexus Services in Verona, Virginia, was arrested Wednesday after being indicted on fraud charges. The indictment states that the victim is Zachary Cruz, 22, who for several years has lived with Donovan and his spouse, Richard Moore, in Fishersville.

Moore, who is a part owner and executive with Nexus, and three others are also facing charges along with Donovan.

Donovan denies that Cruz has been defrauded. He said the charges are retaliation for efforts he has undertaken to expose corruption in the sheriff's office and hold it accountable for two police shootings last year.

I want to go to a jury. I will call witnesses and expose these people, Donovan said in a phone interview Thursday.

Donovan and Moore took Zachary Cruz in nearly four years ago. Donovan said he became acquainted with Zachary Cruz after learning he was facing $500,000 bail on a trespassing charge for skateboarding at the high school where the shootings occurred.

After getting to know him, they offered him a home in Virginia and Donovan said he considers Cruz to be part of the family.

When you see what he's gone through, and what he's been able to accomplish, it's pretty inspiring, Donovan said.

He said he's offended by authorities' suggestion that Zachary Cruz is mentally incapable of making his own decisions.

A search warrant affidavit filed in May 2021 states that Shenandoah Valley Social Services launched an investigation last year after receiving a report that Zachary Cruz was being financially exploited by Donovan and Moore.

The affidavit alleged that Cruz lacked the mental capacity to make his own financial judgements, even though he is an adult, and that a $428,000 inheritance he received after his mother's death was transferred into other accounts.

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Donovan said federal prosecutors investigated those allegations and exonerated him. He said that at this point, the inheritance money is spent and that Donovan and Moore are essentially supporting Cruz financially with a weekly stipend.

The county sheriff's office did not return a call Thursday seeking comment.

Cruz could not be reached for comment Thursday. His attorney, Amina Matheny Willard, who also represents Donovan, denied that Cruz has been victimized by his new family.

Last year the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and three states, including Virginia, sued Donovan and his company, alleging that a subsidiary  Libre by Nexus  has exploited immigrant detainees by charging excessive fees to get them released on bail while they await hearings. That lawsuit is ongoing.

Donovan has vociferously defended his conduct. He says his company has helped tens of thousands of immigrants avoid prolonged detention while they await adjudication in a broken immigration system.

Zachary's older brother, Nikolas Cruz, pleaded guilty last year to fatally shooting 14 students and three staff members at Parkland, Floridas Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.

A sentencing trial is currently ongoing to determine whether Nikolas Cruz will receive the death penalty. Defense lawyers have argued that Nikolas Cruz suffered brain damage because his birth mother drank during pregnancy.

Zachary Cruz is two years younger and has the same birth mother. Both were adopted and grew up together in Parkland. Testimony during the trial has highlighted the boys' unstable family life.

Zachary Cruz had been listed as a defense witness but was not called to testify.
By Kylie Madry

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexican Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier stepped down on Thursday, depriving Mexico of one of its key trade negotiators as her government scrambles to head off a major dispute over energy with the United States and Canada.

Clouthier, a scion of a powerful political family who became economy minister early last year, said she had first told President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador she intended to quit not long after the energy disagreement threatened to become costly for Mexico.

Her resignation was effective immediately.

The United States requested dispute settlement talks with Mexico over energy on July 20. Clouthier said she had first discussed her desire to step down with Lopez Obrador on July 26, using baseball as a metaphor to explain her decision.

"Like in the game, one needs to know when to retire," Clouthier said as Lopez Obrador stood alongside her.

Lopez Obrador, a baseball fan, has made strengthening state control of energy a cornerstone of his economic agenda. The policy has upset U.S. and Canadian investors who argue their companies have been put at an unfair disadvantage.

The U.S. energy complaint, which Canada joined, put Clouthier in a tough position, forcing her to defend policies that Mexican officials privately concede very likely breach a North American trade deal Lopez Obrador is also committed to.

Visibly moved while reading from her resignation letter in a government news conference, Clouthier said she had also raised her plan to resign with Lopez Obrador in September.

Lopez Obrador said he respected her decision. "We insisted she stay, but she's a woman with convictions," he added.

A replacement for Clouthier will be announced on Friday, Lopez Obrador said.

Dario Celis, a prominent Mexican financial newspaper columnist, said on Twitter that Raquel Buenrostro, head of Mexico's tax authority, was set to be the new economy minister.

A person familiar with the president's thinking told Reuters Buenrostro was being lined up for the job. Neither Buenrostro's office nor that of the president immediately replied to requests for comment.

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Clouthier's departure comes just days after an initial consultation period for the energy dispute was set to expire. Washington had the option to request a dispute panel after 75 days, but U.S. and Mexican officials told Reuters talks would continue.

If the dispute does end up at a panel, Mexico risks getting hit with punitive trade tariffs, trade experts say.

Clouthier thanked the president for showing her "there's no exhaustion, sickness or barrier that can't be overcome when it comes to public service."

Lopez Obrador did not respond when asked by a reporter if Clouthier was ill.

Clouthier, a former congresswoman and onetime member of the opposition center-right National Action Party (PAN), later joined forces with the leftist Lopez Obrador and played a major role in helping run his campaign for president in 2018.

(Reporting by Kylie Madry; Additional reporting by Sarah Morland and Raul Cortes; Editing by Dave Graham and Jonathan Oatis)
An illegal immigrant from Mexico shot and killed while in custody in Texas allegedly first charged at Border Patrol agents with an "edged weapon" after escaping a holding cell, FBI El Paso said Wednesday.

Manuel Gonzalez-Moran, a 33-year-old Mexican national previously deported twice before following a violent crime conviction in Colorado, was encountered alone by U.S. Border Patrol agents and brought to the Ysleta Border Patrol Station in El Paso on Tuesday to be processed for illegal re-entry.

"Once at the station, Moran later charged out of a holding cell past an USBP Agent and grabbed an edged weapon off a desk in the processing area," FBI El Paso said in a statement obtained by KFOX14. "Agents provided verbal commands and attempted to gain control by utilizing non-deadly force methods, specifically taser, which was unsuccessful. Agents continued providing verbal commands. However, Moran continued to advance upon them with the edged weapon at which time he was shot by Agents."

Border patrol agents provided immediate medical attention until EMS arrived at the scene, according to the FBI, and Moran was transported to Del Sol Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

TEXAS NATIONAL GUARDSMAN DIES BY SUICIDE AT SOUTHERN BORDER POST

This file photo shows Border Patrol agents detain a group of migrants near the border wall near El Paso, Texas, on February 3, 2022. HERIKA MARTINEZ/AFP via Getty Images

The Washington Post reported that the edged weapon was a pair of scissors.

When Moran was initially picked up by border patrol agents, he was carrying a metal pipe in his hand but initially "complied with Agents" and was taken into custody and brought back to the station, the FBI said.

In 2011, Gonzalez-Moran was arrested in Colorado by the Pueblo County Sheriffs Office on a charge of attempted first-degree murder. He was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon resulting in seriously bodily injury and was removed from the U.S. to Mexico in 2012. The FBI said Gonzalez-Moran was caught attempting to illegally reenter the U.S. in March of this year but was deported back to Mexico.

This file photo shows Venezuelan migrants walk along the U.S. Border fence after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico to turn themselves in to the U.S. Border Patrol on September 22, 2022 in El Paso, Texas. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Mexican Consulate in El Paso said the man fatally shot at the Ysleta Border Patrol Station was a Mexican citizen who was being processed at the station when criminal charges against him were discovered, according to the Associated Press. Its not clear if those were pending new charges.

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The shooting happened days after two migrants were shot, one fatally, while reportedly getting water along the U.S.-Mexico border in rural Hudspeth County, about 90 miles east of El Paso.

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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. Both the man killed and the woman wounded in that incident were also from Mexico, according to the Mexican consulate.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
US Higher Education Fair 2022 opens in Hanoi

The US Embassy has just hosted the EducationUSA Higher Education Fair in Hanoi.

Participants at the event





60 US universities and colleges offering undergraduate and graduate programs in hundreds of different majors participated in the event, organized on October 4 by EducationUSA for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.



The fair brought together more than 1,000 students, parents and professionals with representatives from US universities, who provided the latest information about degree programs, career perspectives, scholarships, and financial aid for international students.

At the fair, an Embassy officer provided updated information on student visas and optional practical training programs for international students. Prospective undergraduate and graduate students also had the opportunity to learn more about standardized tests used for admissions decisions and merit-based scholarships at US universities and colleges.

Currently, Vietnam is the sixth leading place of origin for international students studying higher education in the US, with nearly 30,000 students on American campuses.



For more information about EducationUSA, visit: https://vn.usembassy.gov/education-culture/educationusa/
A Miami businessman was sentenced Tuesday to one year and three months in prison for illegally importing large amounts of air-conditioning refrigerant from China.

Jorge G. Murrillo, 69, pleaded guilty in July to conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act by importing more than 680,000 pounds of hydrochlorofluorocarbon-22 that was worth about $1.5 million, according to federal court records.

His plan was to sell the refrigerant on the black market for residential use, prosecutors said. HCFC-22 was widely used for air-conditioning and heat-pump systems but was being restricted for environmental reasons.

Murrillo had been living for a decade outside the country before his arrest in May of this year. He faced up to five years in prison before U.S. District Judge Donald Graham, who gave him the lesser sentence in Miami federal court.

The Clean Air Act regulates air pollutants, including ozone-depleting greenhouse gases such as HCFC-22, which are now being phased out. Under an international treaty to reduce consumption, the United States issued limited allowances for the production and importation of HCFC-22.

To legally import the compound gas coolant, a person or company had to obtain an unexpended consumption allowance from the Environmental Protection Agency. A decade-old indictment alleged that Murrillo and his Miami Beach company, JP Money Inc., did not have permission from the federal government when the businessman imported HCFC-22 from China to South Florida in 2007.

According to court records, Murrillo and a co-conspirator negotiated with a Chinese manufacturer and bought large quantities of HCFC-22, importing the refrigerant through South Florida ports. At no point were Murrillo and his company allowed to import HCFC-22 from China, according to federal prosecutor Thomas Watts-Fitzgerald.

Murrillos co-defendant, Norberto Guada, pleaded guilty in 2012 to illegally importing HCFC-22. He served six months in prison and another six months of home confinement, court records show.
Miami University's College of Engineering and Computing will establish its first endowed dean, thanks to a $2 million gift from alumnus Dinesh Paliwal and his wife Ila Paliwal.

Miami University alumnus Dinesh Paliwal and his wife Ila Paliwal are gifting $2 million to the university's College of Engineering and Computing to establish a scholarship fund and the school's first endowed dean, according to a Wednesday news release.

The Dinesh and Ila Paliwal Endowed Dean will help the university attract and retain prestigious faculty leaders, the university's news release states. The Dinesh and Ila Paliwal Engineering and Computing Scholarship fund will support underrepresented meritorious students.

It is a privilege and highly gratifying to give back to the university that provided the foundational platform that my humble achievements have been built upon, Dinesh Paliwal said. The College of Engineering at Miami University continues to evolve, and I am pleased to help strengthen the school to ensure it stays a relevant and leading force for engineering education in the U.S. through growth in robotics, blockchain, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and other software applications."

Paliwal earned master's degrees in computational science and engineering and an MBA in finance from Miami, and currently serves on Miami's board of trustees. He is a partner at KKR, a leading global investment firm headquartered in New York City and serves on the board of directors for Fortune 500 corporations Nestle and Raytheon. He also is chairman of the automotive electronics corporation Marelli.

Beena Sukumaran will serve as the endowed dean. She received her bachelor's degree in India, her master's at Auburn University and her Ph.D. at Purdue University. Sukumaran served as a professor, research fellow and vice president for research at Rowan University in New Jersey before coming to Miami in 2020.

Paliwal described Sukumaran as "a transformational leader" in the university's news release.

"I hope this endowment will help realize her vision," Paliwal said.

That vision, Sukumaran said in the release, includes providing high-quality education in the in-demand fields of engineering and computer science to a diverse student body. Preference for the new scholarship will be given to underrepresented groups and female students.

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"Dinesh and Ila have been generous supporters of academic programs and scholarships at Miami for many years," Miami University president Greg Crawford said in the release. The Paliwals previously created the Dr. Bill Scott Leadership Scholarship in the Paper Science and Engineering Foundation and the Dinesh and Ila Paliwal Innovation Chair and a scholarship program in the Farmer School of Business.

"It's exciting to have gifts like this to lead the charge and encourage others to support the university, our faculty, and students in record ways," Crawford said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Miami to establish endowed dean of engineering with $2 million gift
Michael Cohen said SCOTUS would reveal its corruption if it took up Trump's case.

Trump asked SCOTUS to intervene in his dispute with the FBI over documents seized from Mar-a-Lago.

Cohen added that if the Supreme Court intervenes, the justices on the bench would "have to go."

Michael Cohen, who was once Donald Trump's lawyer and fixer, believes the Supreme Court would reveal its corruption if it gets involved in the former president's legal tussle with the FBI over top-secret documents found at Mar-a-Lago.

Cohen commented in a TikTok video on Tuesday about Trump's request for the Supreme Court to intervene in his dispute with the FBI over the seizure of more than 11,000 records from Mar-a-Lago. The remarks came after the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit overturned Judge Aileen Cannon's decision to include around 100 classified documents in the special master's review, pausing their use in the criminal investigation.

Trump is now attempting to get the Supreme Court to keep these documents under the purview of the special master.

"Delay, delay, delay, that's what he's gonna do," said Cohen, referring to Trump. "This is exactly what he does in every single case. He will drag it now as far as he possibly could."

In September, Cohen admitted that he had helped Trump create a "playbook" for dealing with legal troubles, which included delaying lawsuits as a tactic for avoiding prosecution.

Cohen said that Trump's request to the Supreme Court was his "only move" but also weighed in on what could happen with the court's decision.

"If the Supreme Court ends up listening to this bullshit, the fact that this fucking asshole can have top-secret documents, which is in violation of the Presidential Records Act, as well as the National Archives with their multiple subpoenas, requests, and so on for the return of the documents, we'll know that the fucking Supreme Court is corrupt," Cohen said on Tuesday.

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He added that if the Supreme Court intervened and took Trump's side, all the justices on the bench would "have to go."

A spokesperson for Trump's post-presidential office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

The Department of Justice has been looking into whether Trump broke any of three federal laws  including the Espionage Act  by keeping classified documents at his Florida residence.

In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to felonies, including tax evasion, campaign finance violations, and bank fraud. He was sentenced in December that year to three years in prison and was disbarred in February 2019 by the New York Supreme Court .

Since his release, Cohen has become an outspoken Trump critic and has gleefully weighed in on the former president's many legal troubles. In September, he also announced that he would be selling t-shirts that depicted Trump behind bars to "celebrate the fall of the mango Mussolini."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Michaela Coel has shared what convinced her to star as Aneka in Marvels highly anticipated sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

In the comic book series on which the movie is based, Coels Aneka is the captain of the Dora Milaje, Wakandas valorous all-female crew of warrior protectors.

However, her forbidden romance with fellow warrior Ayo (played by Florence Kasumba) eventually disrupts the ranks.

That sold me on the role, the fact that my characters queer, Coel explained to Vogue in a new interview.

I thought: I like that, I want to show that to Ghana, the 35-year-old actor said.

To this day, Ghana continues its enforcement of antigay laws, which date back to the colonial era. A bill calling for some of the harshest anti-LGBTQ+ legislation Africa has ever seen has recently been put to the countrys parliament.

If approved, it could make identifying as gay or even an ally, a second-degree felony, with a punishment of five years in prison.

Lupita Nyong'o and Letitia Wright in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Disney)

People say, Oh, its fine, its just politics. But I dont think it is just politics when it affects how people get to live their daily lives, Coel said.

Thats why it felt important for me to step in and do that role because I know just by my being Ghanaian, Ghanaians will come.

The forthcoming film will see Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), MBaku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje fighting to protect their nation from opposing world powers after the death of King TChalla.

TChalla was played by the late Chadwick Boseman, who died in August 2020 from colon cancer.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is scheduled to be released in cinemas on 11 November.
Korean Spicy Soup (left) and Korean Spicy Chicken instant noodles. (PHOTOS: SFA)

SINGAPORE  Two Korean-inspired instant noodles from Indonesian brand Mie Sedaap are being recalled due to the presence of ethylene oxide, a pesticide linked to cancer.

The pesticide was found in them during a survey of food products after it was detected in Haagen-Dazs ice cream products in August, said the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) in a press release on Thursday (6 October).

It was not detected in any of the food products other than the Mie Sedaap Korean Spicy Soup instant noodles and Korean Spicy Chicken instant noodles, said SFA, adding that it has directed the supplier of the products, Sheng Sheng F&B Industries, to recall them.

The implicated batch of Korean Spicy Soup noodles has an expiry date of 17 March 2023, while that for the Korean Spicy Chicken noodles expires on 21 May 2023.

"SFA is continuing regulatory testing of other Mie Sedaap instant noodle products. We are also working with the importers and Indonesian authorities to investigate and rectify the cause of ethylene oxide contamination."

Ethylene oxide can be used to fumigate agricultural products to prevent microbial contamination. Under the Singapore Food Regulations, the pesticide is allowed to be used in the sterilisation of spices but is otherwise not authorised for use in food.

Although there is no risk from the consumption of food contaminated with low levels of ethylene oxide, long-term exposure to it may lead to health issues, said SFA.

Consumers who have consumed the implicated products and have concerns about their health should seek medical advice, according to SFA. They may also contact their point of purchase for enquiries.

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.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  Mississippi's capital city is still grappling with a troubled water system, and it could soon see garbage piling up outside homes and businesses.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba announced Thursday garbage collection will cease after Saturday unless the city starts paying a company that has been doing the work without compensation since April.

Lumumba and the Jackson City Council have been feuding for several months over the garbage contract for the city of 150,000 residents.

The trash clash continued even as most of Jackson lost running water for several days in late August and early September because torrential rainfall exacerbated problems with the city's main water treatment plant. For seven weeks from late July to mid-September, people in Jackson were also told to boil water to kill contaminants because the state health department found cloudy water that could make people ill.

Crews are still making emergency repairs to the water plant, and questions remain about the quality of water in the city where 80% of residents are Black and a quarter live in poverty.

The city council voted multiple times against awarding the garbage collection contract to a New Orleans-based company, Richard's Disposal. The mayor said the company had submitted the lowest and best bid. City council members said they thought the company that previously had Jacksons garbage contract, Houston-based Waste Management Inc., had a better bid.

Early this year, Lumumba issued an emergency order to award a garbage collection contract to Richards Disposal.

The mayor and the council have been arguing in state court over whether the mayor has the power to veto the council's rejection of his choice for a garbage collection company. That dispute awaits consideration at the Mississippi Supreme Court.

Richard's Disposal is still pursuing a federal lawsuit that seeks to force the city to pay for the garbage collection services the company has provided. It originally filed the lawsuit in July.

The company filed papers Wednesday asking a federal judge to rule in its favor. Attorneys said the company "has continued to provide solid waste collection services in good faith."

News outlets reported the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality could fine the city $25,000 a day if residential garbage pickup stops.
An associate of the Gambino Crime Family, an infamous mafia organization, was sentenced to 40 years in prison in the killing of his long-time friend among other charges, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Anthony Pandrella had been given $750,000 by Vincent Zito, a 77-year-old loan shark and friend of 30 years, to hold for safekeeping, according to an Oct. 5 news release from the U.S. Attorneys office. But Pandrella refused to return the money when asked.

In October 2018, Pandrella went to Zitos home in Brooklyn and shot him in the back of the head before making off with his expensive wristwatches, according to the release.

Zitos 11-year-old grandson discovered his body when he returned home from school, the release said, and the murder weapon was later found at Zitos home with Pandrellas DNA on the grip and trigger.

Footage from a neighborhood security camera also showed Pandrella returning home and changing his shoes, clothing, and removing a floor mat from his car to be cleaned, the release said.

Pandrella was convicted by a federal jury of the charges in June following a one and a half-week trial, according to a previous news release from the U.S. Attorneys office.

Pandrellas attorney did not immediately respond to McClatchy News for a request for comment, but he told the New York Daily News, Anything far beyond the 10-year statutory minimum is going to be a death sentence. Pandrella suffers from diabetes and gangrene, according to the outlet.

The Gambino Crime Family was one of the five major families who controlled organized crime in New York, but their influence has declined in recent decades, according to a 2019 article in the New York Times.

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For the past decade, Kaitlin Preble of Tucson, Arizona, said she has gone to her local pharmacy each month to pick up her daughter's prescription for methotrexate, a drug that is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, among other things.

Preble's daughter, Emma Thompson, was diagnosed at age 3 with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, an autoimmune disease that can cause joint pain and inflammation in body parts including the hands, knees and ankles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Now 14, Emma relies on methotrexate and a combination of other medications to be able to do basic functions like walking, brushing her hair and attending school in-person, according to Preble.

Preble told "Good Morning America" that in the 10 years Emma has been prescribed methotrexate, she had not encountered any difficulties accessing the drug -- until last month.

In late September, just days after a near-total ban on abortion went into effect in Arizona, Preble said she was denied the medication by a pharmacist at her local Walgreens.

"I went into Walgreens because I'm like, this is my baby, I need to see why they're not going to give it to her," said Preble. "The pharmacist said, 'I denied it because she's 14 years old.' "

PHOTO: Emma Thompson, now 14, is seen in photos with her mom, Kaitlin Preble. (Kaitlin Preble)

Methotrexate, while prescribed to treat conditions like Crohn's disease, psoriasis and cancer, in addition to arthritis, can also be used at higher dosages to medically terminate pregnancies.

Preble said she believes Emma's prescription for the medication was initially denied because of confusion under Arizona's abortion restrictions that were put in place after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.

On Sept. 24, a 15-week abortion ban that was signed into law in March 2022 by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey went into effect in the state.

Separately, on Sept. 23, a state judge granted Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich's request to lift an injunction on a near-total ban on abortion, passed in 1901, only allowing exceptions to save the life of the mother.

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Preble said the month prior, she had been questioned when picking up Emma's prescription for methotrexate about how much she took and why she took it, but was given the medication.

PHOTO: Methotrexate pills are displayed, Aug. 2, 2022, in Johnson City, Tenn. (Earl Neikirk/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

She described being in tears upon learning that this time, the medication was denied, saying, "I was scared for my daughter. It's the unknown."

Preble said she interacted with a pharmacy tech at Walgreens, who conferred with the pharmacist on duty and ultimately gave her the medication.

MORE: Young women are angry about abortion rights, but will they tip the midterm elections?

"I did end up leaving with the medication that day, but I don't know if it's going to be filled next month," she said. "I don't know what the future holds right now, and not only for my daughter, but for every little girl that that needs this medication, whether it's for arthritis, whether it's for Crohn's disease, and not just girls, women in general."

A Walgreens spokesperson told "GMA" the company cannot comment on individual patients, but said it is working to help pharmacists "understand the latest requirements" in different states.

"Our focus is meeting the needs of our patients and making sure they have access to the medications they need, in compliance with applicable pharmacy laws and regulations," the spokesperson said in a statement. "New laws in various states require additional steps for dispensing certain prescriptions and apply to all pharmacies, including Walgreens. In these states, our pharmacists work closely with prescribers as needed, to fill lawful, clinically appropriate prescriptions. We provide ongoing training and information to help our pharmacists understand the latest requirements in their area, and with these supports, the expectation is they are empowered to fill these prescriptions."

Preble's story went viral after Emma's doctor, Deborah Jane Power, a Tucson-based pediatric rheumatologist, shared it on Twitter, writing, in part, "Welcome to AZ. Today a pharmacist denied the MTX refill for my adolescent patient. She's on 5 mg/wk to prevent AHCA Ab production. MTX denied purely because she's a female, barely a teenager. Livid!"

Welcome to AZ. Today a pharmacist denied the MTX refill for my adolescent patient. She's on 5 mg/wk to prevent AHCA Ab production. MTX denied purely because she's a female, barely a teenager. Livid! No discussion, just a denial. Now to fight for what's best for this pt.  Deborah Jane Power (@bonespower) September 27, 2022

Power told "GMA" that Emma was her first adolescent patient to face a denial of a methotrexate prescription.

She said she shared it on Twitter as a wake-up call to people that non-abortion related health care was being impacted in a state like Arizona with abortion restrictions.

"I wanted folks to think about the ramifications beyond the obvious, banning abortion, how it affected women's health in a broader aspect," said Power. "This is health care for women, period. It's not just reproductive health, but it's their health in terms of rheumatologic problems and so many other conditions."

Power said she contacted state and federal legislators and the state pharmacy board about the incident, and plans to keep speaking out.

"We are part of the noise of getting the word out and I think that's how you start to affect change," said Power. "None of my male patients have had methotrexate denied. There's been no issue about getting their refills."

This week, the Arizona Medical Association and a physician filed a lawsuit, asking a court to provide clarity amid what they say is "significant confusion" over the state's abortion laws.

In July, the American College of Rheumatology issued a statement addressed to policymakers, calling on them to continue to make methotrexate "accessible."

"Methotrexate remains the standard of care for a variety of autoimmune diseases. Therefore, methotrexate must remain accessible to people with rheumatic diseases, and legal safeguards must protect rheumatology professionals, pharmacists, and patients from potential legal penalties," the college said.

MORE: Students at more than 50 schools, universities stage reproductive justice protests

Preble said she will continue to speak out and fight for Emma's access to methotrexate because she has seen what a difference the medication has made in Emma's life.

Since being diagnosed at age 3, Emma has faced countless hospitalizations and years of being barely able to leave the house due to pain, according to Preble.

PHOTO: Emma Thompson, now 14, has faced several hospitalizations since being diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at age 3. (Kaitlin Preble)

This year, Emma's freshman year of high school, is the first in many years that she's been able to attend fully in person.

Both Preble and Power said it took several years to get the right dosage of methotrexate with other medications to allow Emma to live her life.

PHOTO: Emma Thompson, 14, of Arizona, was diagnosed at age 3 with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. (Kaitlin Preble)

"She's able to walk to her classes. She's staying healthy and getting good grades. She's able to shower on her own, able to stand up and go out to eat if she wants," said Preble. "She's feeling good enough to do those things, where before it was just, 'I want to stay home. I don't feel very good.' "

"It fills me with so much happiness to see where she is right now, and I couldn't imagine her not being able to continue where she wants to go in life," she added.

ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab contributed to this report.

Mom speaks out after 14-year-old daughter was denied arthritis medication due to abortion law originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com
Story at a glance

On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, a 50-year precedent that affirmed the constitutional right to abortion.

Oct. 2, 2022, marked 100 days since that decision, and 66 clinics across 15 states have been forced to cease offering abortions.

Thats because after June 24, a surge of states rushed to enact restrictive abortion laws and forced many clinics to either shut down completely or limit their services.

The month of October marks 100 days since the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion, triggering a dramatic surge in states enacting restrictive abortion laws and forcing health care clinics across the country to shut down.

New data collected by the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion advocacy and policy group, found that since the Supreme Courts June 24 decision to overturn the 50-year precedent set by Roe v. Wade, 66 clinics across 15 states have been forced to stop offering abortions.

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana and Oklahoma are among those states that experienced clinics closing, all enacting abortion laws that outright ban the procedure or have imposed limited circumstances when its permitted.

Before the Supreme Courts decision, these 15 states had a total of 79 clinics that provided abortion care100 days later it dropped down to only 13, all of which are located in the state of Georgia. That means there are no providers currently offering abortions in 14 of the 15 states.

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Thats because Georgia currently allows abortions, but only until six weeks of pregnancy, which is typically when a fetal heartbeat can be detected by an ultrasound but before many people know they are pregnant. The law does include exceptions for rape, incest and medical emergencies.

Among the 66 clinics where abortion is no longer provided, Guttmacher found 40 are still operating by offering non-abortion services, like prescribing birth control or helping patients find abortion care in other states. Twenty-six clinics have shut down entirely.

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There are still more clinics that are in limbo, with Rachel Jones, principal research specialist at Guttmacher, explaining that Indiana, Ohio and South Carolina each had total or six-week abortion bans go into effect briefly before they were temporarily blocked in court.

These bans could go into effect again soon. Disruptions to service provisioneven when temporaryaffect the ability of established providers to quickly resume abortion care, said Jones, in a statement.

Guttmacher calculated that within the 14 states where abortion is currently unavailable, 125,780 abortions occurred there in 2020. In Georgia, the 15th state where there are still operating abortion clinics, 41,620 abortions took place in 2020.

Altogether, these 15 states are home to almost 22 million women of reproductive age, which is between 15 to 49 years of age and means about 29 percent of the total U.S. population of women of reproductive age are living in a state where abortion is either unavailable or severely restricted.

Guttmachers new data follows the state of abortion clinics 30 days post-Roe, when at that point 43 clinics across 11 states had been forced to stop offering abortion services.

When abortion clinics close down or stop offering abortion care, it becomes a lost source of health care for entire communities. The loss isnt isolated either, as neighboring states and even those farther away end up filling that void, explained Jones.

Abortion clinics in these states are being inundated with people from states with abortion bans seeking care. Such dramatic increases in caseloads mean clinic capacity and staff are stretched to their limitsresulting in longer wait times for appointments even for residents of states where abortion remains legal.

Illinois is one of those states, becoming an abortion safe haven overnight as nearby Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky all enacted restrictive abortion laws. It prompted Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) to expand its operation to accommodate an influx of patients, with Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of PPIL, describing Illinois as, an oasis for care in a vast abortion desert, here in the middle of the country.

Through a state legislative tracker, Guttmacher predicts there are 26 states certain or likely to ban abortion within one year of Roe being overturned.

Limiting access to abortion has serious consequences for the U.S., as health care providers expect abortion bans to increase the number of maternal deaths  an area the country already struggles with. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates about 700 women die annually from pregnancy-related complications.

One estimate from the University of Colorado found denying all wanted abortions could result in an estimated 49 maternal deaths within the first year of an abortion ban  a 7 percent increase. In subsequent years, there could be 140 additional deaths  a 21 percent increase.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
More than half of Americans in a new Gallup poll said they have negative views of the cost and equity of health care in the United States.

Three-quarters of respondents in the West Health-Gallup poll released on Thursday gave the U.S. health care system failing grades for affordability. Americans rated the systems affordability negatively no matter their income, with upward of 70 percent at every income level giving the system failing grades.

The poll also showed that 56 percent of Americans rated the U.S. health care system negatively in terms of its provision of equitable care. The percentage was higher among women and Black and Asian American respondents, who were more likely to give the system a failing grade for equity.

U.S. health care did receive more positive reviews on access and quality, with 62 percent rating access to care positively or satisfactorily and 83 percent giving the quality of care higher grades.

Opinions on access to care break down along racial and ethnic lines, however, with Black and Hispanic Americans more often giving U.S. health care failing grades on access.

The vast majority of respondents in the poll agreed that there should be limits on health care costs. Regardless of political party, more than 70 percent of Americans said the federal government should place limits on costs.

More than 8 in 10 respondents  84 percent  said the government should negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to lower the cost of drugs, and 80 percent said the government should place limits on what these companies can charge.

Democrats voiced stronger support than Republicans on the federal governments involvement, but more than half of Republicans said they agreed that the government should be able to negotiate or place limits on various costs.

The poll was conducted on June 21 and 30 with 5,584 adults, and the margin of error was 1.6 percentage points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Pennsylvania woman is accused of gathering her four children into a van, driving to a creek and trying to drown them, according to State Police.

The mother, 32, believed her children were possessed, and to save them, they needed to be baptized, according to a criminal complaint obtained by WHTM.

Pennsylvania State Police began looking for McElwee and her kids in Middle Paxton Township, on the morning of Sept. 6, the station reported.

A resident saw the family walking down a road around 3 a.m. and the woman explained that she had run out of gas, though many other things she said made little sense to the Good Samaritan, WHTM reported.

Hours later, police received a call from the womans boyfriend and he had alarming news, WPMT reported. . She and the kids apparently disappeared two days earlier and he hadnt seen them since.

Police learned the woman could be suffering from mental health problems and possibly using methamphetamine, WHTM reported.

Officers found the woman and her children in the afternoon, thanks to a call from a homeowner in North Middleton Township, WPMT reported.

Investigators spoke with the kids, ages 3, 7, 10 and 12, who said they had been riding around with their mom for several days, the station reported. She kept seeing people who were part man and part animal and she told her kids they were the only true Christians.

At the creek on the morning of Sept. 6, she forced one childs head under the surface, yelling that they would all die, before letting them go. She went farther with a second child, a girl, holding her head underwater until she went still.

The woman ordered her kids to dig a hole for the girl, to bury her so that she could come back to life, WPMT reported. She wanted all of them to be resurrected in this way.

As they piled rocks onto the girl, the homeowner who called police came over and stopped them.

McElwee is facing two counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault of a victim younger than 13, and four counts of endangering welfare of children, court records filed on Sept. 29 show.

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She was booked into the Dauphin County Prison and her bond is set at $750,000.

McClatchy News is not naming the mother to protect the childrens identities.

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Raymond Allen lived on the Isle of Wight most of his life

The writer behind the hit 1970s BBC sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em has died aged 82, his family has said.

Raymond Allen, who lived on the Isle of Wight, created the hapless character of Frank Spencer, immortalised by actor Michael Crawford.

The sitcom ran from 1973, attracting audiences of up to 20 million.

Michael Crawford paid tribute to Mr Allen as a "one-off". His family said he had given "joy and laughter to many millions of people".

Mr Allen wrote a total of 22 episodes of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em featuring the well-meaning and utterly accident-prone Frank Spencer who became one of the best-known characters of British TV comedy.

It was renowned for its heart-stopping stunts - all performed by Crawford himself.

Cinema cleaner

Speaking on a BBC documentary in 2016, Mr Allen recalled finding out his script had been commissioned while working as a cinema cleaner in Ryde.

"I'd been writing for 16 years, all I got was rejection slips," he said.

"I was mopping the ladies loos and remembered I had a letter from the BBC in my pocket. It said, 'We'd like you to come to London to work for us'. I was so excited.

"I rushed and told the other cleaners. They looked at me and one said said, 'I cant understand that - you'd think they'd have their own cleaners'."

He described Frank Spencer as "a sort of loser - he was totally incompetent, very childlike".

Some Mothers Do Ave Em starred Michele Dotrice as Betty and Michael Crawford as Frank Spencer.

During his career Mr Allen also wrote scripts for other comedy stars, including Frankie Howerd and Dave Allen.

Mr Allen's family said he died peacefully on Sunday following a short illness.

"His life's work gave joy and laughter to many millions of people not just in this country but all around the world," a statement said.

"Raymond has left us all with wonderful memories filled with fun, laughter and love."

Michael Crawford posted a tribute on Twitter, describing his writing as "the epitome of innocence and naivety".

"He gave me, as Frank, the most wonderful dialogue to perform, we travelled a very long journey together," he said.

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"Ray was a 'one off' for sure and still people watch 'Some Mothers...' with their great-grandchildren. Farewell, lovely man and thank you."

So very sad to hear of Raymond Allen's passing. I send love and strength to his dear wife, Nancy and their family. [1/3]  Michael Crawford (@CrawfordMichael) October 5, 2022

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Burn bans have now been put in place across much of FOX13s viewing area in Easter Arkansas. In West Memphis, residents can no longer receive burning permits at all.

Despite the bans, many counties havent restricted agricultural burns, which could be found in high numbers Wednesday.

Traffic along I-40 slowed around noon as emergency crews worked to put out several fires along the interstate.

Its very easy to set that median on fire. As of right now the grass is starting to die, Dewayne Rose, director of Emergency Management for West Memphis said.

Rose said dry weather combined with heavy traffic create prime conditions for wildfires along highways.

A lot of traffic means youve got a lot of heat on that roadway, he said. So someone having a flat tire or pulling a trailer with a chain and creating a spark, anything like that can be a recipe for disaster.

Outside city limits, though, massive agricultural burns were abundant. One farmer attributed that to the low winds.

In some parts of Mississippi County, which is not under a burn ban, dark gray clouds of smoke could be seen for miles and large-scale open burns persisted until late into the evening.

I just want people to be very mindful of their surroundings, Rose said. Just be very cautious if you have to have any type of open flame.

Rose said the rural areas where wildfires often break out can cause issues for responders not faced in city limits.

Normally, those fires are located in areas where you dont have a municipal water source or anything like that, he said.

That can mean additional units must be used to shuttle water to the scene.

Its something we are very used to because we experience these dry, low-humidity conditions normally this time of year, Rose said.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture lists the entire state as being in the high risk category for wildfires.

Rose said the burn bans are not likely to be lifted until rain comes, which is not in the forecast anytime soon.

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Two women were killed as a result of a rocket attack on Zaporozhye

One woman of the victims died on the spot, and another in an ambulance. 10 people were injured. The three year old girl has been hospitalized, Starukh reported.

At least five people are believed to remain under the rubble, and numerous residential structures have been damaged or destroyed.

Read also: Enemy fires S-300 missiles into Zaporizhzhya city, destroys rehabilitation center for children

Rescue operations continues at the scene.

A second rocket attack followed in the afternoon, though no details were available at time of publication.

Acting Zaporizhzhia Mayor Anatoliy Kurtev noted that the Russian projectiles also struck a numbers infrastructure facilities.

Read also: Russia launches fresh missile strikes on Zaporizhzhya city and oblast

"Damned rascists do not leave the city in peace, Kurtev stated, using a term that has become a popular portmanteau of Russian and fascist.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musks proposal to revive his $44 billion offer for Twitter Inc. followed earlier discussions about cutting the price that failed to yield an agreement, according to people familiar with the matter.

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Musks representatives and Twitter held talks in the past few weeks about a buyout for less than the $54.20 a share, which didnt go anywhere, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks were private.

The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times earlier reported the discussions, with the Times saying Musk had sought a 30% reduction in the price.

A representative for Twitter declined to comment. A spokesman for Musks legal team didnt immediately return an email seeking comment late Wednesday.

This week, Musk said in a letter to Twitter that he would be willing to complete the deal for the original price. A deposition of Musk wont be taking place on Thursday as earlier scheduled, Bloomberg News reported earlier.

A deal at the original price could close as soon as within the next week if the two sides can reach a stipulated agreement, though theres no certainty that they will come to one on that time line, one of the people said. In that scenario, the banks would be expected to fund their debt commitments and likely syndicate the offering with investors after the deal closes.

Delaware Chancery Judge Kathaleen St. J. McCormick said Wednesday that since neither side has yet asked to pause the case, shes pressing ahead with a trial set for Oct. 17. In a securities filing this week, Musk offered to go forward with the deal if Twitters suit was put on hold.

The case is Twitter v. Musk, 22-0613, Delaware Chancery Court (Wilmington).

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TOKYO (Reuters) - A court in military-ruled Myanmar has sentenced a Japanese documentary filmmaker to 10 years in prison for violating sedition and communications laws, a Japanese foreign ministry official said on Thursday.

Toru Kubota, 26, was arrested in July at a protest in Myanmar's main city of Yangon. At the time, it was reported he faced charges of breaking an immigration law and encouraging dissent against the ruling military.

Kubota was on Wednesday sentenced to three years in prison for sedition and seven years for violating a law on telecommunications, the ministry official said, citing the filmmaker's lawyer.

However, he was expected to serve the sentences concurrently, media in Myanmar reported, citing the junta's communications team.

A court hearing on his alleged violation of the immigration control law was scheduled for Oct. 12, the Japanese ministry official said.

"We have been asking Myanmar authorities for Mr. Kubota's early release, and we intend to keep on doing so," he said.

Calls to a Myanmar military spokesperson seeking comment were not answered. The junta says Myanmar's courts are independent and those arrested are receiving due process.

Myanmar has been trapped in a spiral of violence since the military overthrew an elected government last year. The junta has arrested thousands including politicians, bureaucrats, students, journalists, and foreigners as it attempts to smother dissent.

A Japanese freelance journalist was arrested last year and charged with spreading false news in his coverage of anti-coup protests. He was later freed with the junta saying his release was in recognition the two countries' close ties.

(Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor, Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Robert Birsel)
NASA and SpaceX sent the first Native American woman into space on Wednesday along with the first Russian cosmonaut to launch from U.S. soil in 20 years.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Wednesday afternoon from the Kennedy Space Station in Florida, carrying four members of Crew-5 aboard the Dragon Endurance Spacecraft in SpaceXs fifth full space flight with NASA, according to a news release.

NASA astronaut Nicole Mann, an Indigenous woman and the crews mission commander, joined fellow NASA astronaut and pilot Josh Cassada. Also with them were Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina.

Looking forward to launch tomorrow. Let's do this! pic.twitter.com/xtmPj56R0A  Nicole Mann (@AstroDuke) October 4, 2022

Crew-5 will serve as mission specialists overseeing research studying cardiovascular health, bioprinting and fluid behavior in microgravity on the International Space Station.

Along with other NASA astronauts, Roscosmos cosmonauts and European Space Agency astronauts currently living on the space station, there will be 11 people on the space station for a few days until the next departure.

While NASA sent John Herrington, the first Native American into space, in 2002, Mann became the first Indigenous woman in space.

Mann was born in Petaluma, Calif., but lives in Houston with her husband and son. She became an astronaut in 2013 and is a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps and a member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes.

She told The Wall Street Journal before takeoff the trip was going to be just incredible and that it was important for children to believe they can do momentous things such as go to space regardless of their race or gender.

There are people that still grow up in communities where there are boundaries, Mann told the newspaper. And if they can realize that these boundaries are being broken down and can be broken down, hopefully that empowers them to really pursue their dreams.

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Mann said she planned to bring her dreamcatcher, a gift from her mother, with her.

Kikina on Wednesday also made headlines after she became the first Russian to launch from U.S. soil since 2002.

The cosmonaut swapped places with a NASA astronaut as part of a crew-swap deal with Russia signed in July.

The NASA astronaut, Frank Rubio, launched aboard a Soyuz spaceflight last month in Kazakhstan.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Flooding is one of the most common natural disasters in the U.S. but for most homeowners, flood insurance is optional.

Now many who are recovering from Hurricane Ian are realizing they dont have this kind of policy cover.

A recent nationwide survey shows only about 27% of homeowners reported having flood insurance.

But as extreme weather becomes more severe, some experts say middle-class communities are becoming more vulnerable.

Theyre going to be having to navigate, rebuilding, repairing and deciding what to do next, with far fewer resources than they might have had with flood insurance coverage, said Anna Rhodes, assistant professor of sociology at Rice University.

Getting flood insurance can be expensive. FEMA estimates the typical flood policy costs about $700 a year, with an average claim payout around $52,000.

Professors Rhodes and Max Besbris from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found several disparities after examining recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey.

Rhodes said households who had flood insurance ahead of the storm often had higher incomes compared to those who didnt have policies. She said people without insurance can apply for FEMA assistance, but those homeowners are offered much lower payouts.

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Flood insurance coverage can be up to $350,000  $250,000 to repair the property and $100,000 for contents, if you max out your policy, and households without flood insurance coverage could only receive a maximum of $33,300 in FEMA assistance, said Rhodes. So, there was just a really large difference in the financial starting points of those households.

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Sometimes homeowners get a government loan to cover repairs, but Rhodes said that can led to major debt. She calls this a pattern of growing inequities.

Where the most advantaged households become more advantaged in the aftermath of a storm, and the disadvantaged households often become more disadvantaged, said Rhodes. Thats true in the hardest hit communities, which are likely to be disadvantaged communities from the start.

Rhodes said she wants FEMA, state and local agencies to improve outreach to homeowners and consider new strategies to shift people away from vulnerable coastal areas.

Right now, youre only required to have flood insurance if youre in a FEMA-designated flood zone.
Trevor Milton touted his electric vehicle company, Nikola, as the next Tesla, but federal prosecutors say the company was built on a series of lies meant to defraud investors.

Miltons meteoric rise as the founder of electric vehicle company Nikola  and his sudden fall last year after whistleblowers released a damaging report tearing into the entrepreneurs claims that he had created a new hydrogen fuel cell technology to transform Americas trucking industry  are explored in the latest episode of American Greed, airing Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CNBC.

Milton is now facing federal charges of securities and wire fraud in connection with his alleged scheme to defraud and mislead investors about the development of products and technology by the company he founded, federal prosecutors said in a statement announcing the charges.

As alleged, Trevor Milton brazenly and repeatedly used social media, and appearances and interviews on television, podcasts and in print, to make false and misleading claims about the status of Nikolas trucks and technology," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said at the time. "But todays criminal charges against Milton are where the rubber meets the road, and he now will be held accountable for his allegedly false and misleading statements to investors.

According to American Greed, Milton  a serial entrepreneur who once owned a home security company and second-hand sales online marketplace  created his energy and trucking company in 2015 while living in Salt Lake City, Utah.

He convinced friend Jimmy Rex and others to invest in the new start-up that he promoted as a company that could change the transportation industry by producing hydrogen fuel cell semi-trucks, reducing overall emissions produced by diesel trucks.

I recognized that it was technology and transportation and energy all in one and I was like Dude, you have to let me invest, Rex, who said he invested $500,000 of seed money into the company, recalled in American Greed.

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Jimmy Rex and Trevor Milton featured on American Greed

Jimmy Rex and Trevor Milton Photo: CNBC

Milton capitalized on the need to reduce greenhouse gases and create a more energy-efficient and cost-friendly way to transport goods across the country.

This was a very appealing story right from the get-go, when you look at the possibilities of semi fleets cutting their emissions and being more cost effective, theres a ton of companies that would look at a truck hydrogen-powered and say we want a piece of that, said Phil LeBeau, an auto and airline industry reporter for CNBC.

Milton unveiled the truck, which he named Nikola One, at an event in December of 2016, telling attendees it fully functions and works, authorities said.

The company would later share a video of the truck in motion on its social media pages in January of 2018, further strumming up excitement and interest in the trucks possibilities, according to prosecutors.

In an interview of the companys headquarters, Milton touted the truck as the most advanced semi-truck the world has ever seen, and repeatedly compared the company in the media interviews to the automotive and clean energy giant, Tesla.

In March 2020, Nikola announced plans to go public through a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, which bypassed the usual quiet period placed on executives through traditional IPOs, according to American Greed.

The companys stock soon skyrocketed, helped in part by retail investors stuck at home during the pandemic and looking to find the next big thing.

As the stock prices grew, Milton  who was restricted from selling his shares for the first six months  quickly became a billionaire and purchased a lavish multi-million home in Utah.

Sherri Papini Pd

The company also touted another new vehicle, a new electric pickup truck called the Badger, marketed to compete against the popular Ford F-150.

Its the coolest electric pickup truck the worlds ever seen, Milton said in one interview.

He claimed to have discovered a way to cleanly produce usable hydrogen  using solar panels on the roof of the companys Arizona headquarters  that drastically cut the cost of its production.

But a group of whistleblowers cast doubt on the company's story.

They knew that he was the guy who would say or do anything to close the deal, Mark Pugsley, a securities fraud attorney who represents the whistleblowers in a pending civil lawsuit, told "American Greed."

The group, working alongside the research firm Hindenburg Research, released a bombshell report in 2020, alleging that Nikola had gone to elaborate efforts to mislead investors to believe the Nikola One was a working vehicle, even staging that earlier video of the truck moving by pushing it down a hill to make it appear like the truck was driving on its own.

As federal authorities would later allege, Milton was also accused of lying about the Nikola One being a fully functional truck at the unveiling event in 2016.

In fact, the Nikola One prototype was not completed, let alone tested and validated, by the time of the unveiling event," the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York stated in July 2021. "Rather, the prototype was wholly missing significant parts, including gears and motors, and the control system (i.e., the system that communicates the drivers directions to the vehicle) was incomplete."

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Authorities said Nikola was also not producing any hydrogen and had been using hydrogen it purchased from other sources.

The deceptions allegedly extended to the companys Badger as well, which turned out to be a rendering rather than an actual truck.

It was never a truck," CNBC reporter LeBeau said. "It was never built.

Two days after the Hindenburg report was published, Milton stepped down from Nikola.

Jeffrey Block, who represents clients who lost significant money when the companys stock plunged, told American Greed he believes that Milton had been hyping the company in media interviews to drive up the stock price so he could cash out after six months and profit from the alleged deception.

Thats a classic pump and dump, he said.

While some of the companys investors lost their life savings believing in the companys promise, Milton made hundreds of millions. In the three months after he was charged with securities fraud, he sold $300 million of his stock, according to American Greed.

Milton, who declined to comment on the allegations to the shows producers, is currently on trial in federal court for two counts of securities fraud and two counts of wire fraud, according to CNBC. He's pleaded not guilty.

Nikola Motors, which continues to operate, also declined to comment.

For more stories like this, watch "American Greed" on CNBC, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP)  Sonny Dykes has built winning programs all over the country, from Louisiana Tech to California to SMU and now TCU, where he has the Horned Frogs ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in more than three years.

If anybody can appreciate the job that Lance Leipold has done at Kansas, it's probably him.

It's really pretty remarkable just how quickly, you know, he's been able to convince them and teach them really how to win. I think that sometimes takes a long time, said Dykes, who will lead his No. 17 Horned Frogs (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) against the No. 19 Jayhawks on Saturday. You can tell that they're completely bought into his way of doing things.

It helps when it's a winning way.

Leipold won six Division III titles at Wisconsin-Whitewater and turned around Buffalo in his first shot as a Division I head coach. But it's the job he has done with the traditionally downtrodden Jayhawks (5-0, 2-0) that has made him an early frontrunner for national coach of the year. Kansas is unbeaten at this point for the first time since 2009, when it was last ranked in the Top 25, and has a surprising Heisman Trophy contender in quarterback Jalon Daniels.

It's been enough to create football fever in basketball-mad Lawrence. The school announced Wednesday it had sold out for the third consecutive game, and ESPN is bringing its popular College Gameday show to campus for the first time.

The winner Saturday remains atop the Big 12 as mid-October nears.

Who would have thought that before the season?

A year ago we were a ways away, Leipold acknowledged this week. I try to do a good job in this program of keeping this balance, but yeah, there's a moment where you pinch yourself a little bit.

Leipold made it perfectly clear that he wants his players, many of whom suffered through multiple coaches during those many failed seasons, to enjoy the moment. They've earned all the plaudits coming their way. But he also understands that success can be fleeting; the last Kansas team to start 5-0 lost its final seven games.

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It's a similar message to what Dykes is giving the Horned Frogs, who opened eyes across the nation with their 55-24 romp past Oklahoma last week. They have not won their first five games in a season since 2017, when they won seven straight under Gary Patterson before finishing 11-3 and winning the Alamo Bowl.

Just do what we've been doing, you know what I mean? Dykes said. So far I think we're in a good state of mind, and Im hopeful that it doesnt change between now and Saturday. Were going to do everything we can on our end to ensure it doesnt. But you know, the players have to decide for themselves either were going to listen to this or were not.

BACK AT 'BACKER

TCU linebacker Marcel Brooks thought he'd miss eight weeks when he got hurt midway through fall camp. Instead, he was back last week against the Sooners, and now should help the Horned Frogs against the nation's No. 12 scoring offense.

This week is about being disciplined: know your reads, know what you need to do, execute your job, he said. It's all about doing your job this week, honestly. I'm not really so focused about Kansas.

MAN DOWN

The Jayhawks will be without running back Daniel Hishaw for the foreseeable future after he was carted off with a lower body injury last week against Iowa State. That means Devin Neal and Sevion Morrison will carry the load for the Jayhawks, while Daniels will continue to provide dual-threat problems for opposing defenses.

It really stinks for Daniel, obviously, right? Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said. "Thats a tough deal but regardless of however a players unavailable, we have to have the next-man-up mentality.

SPEAKING OF QBS

Good luck finding a better quarterback showcase than Saturday in Lawrence. Daniels has thrown for 983 yards and 11 touchdowns with one pick while slicing up defenses on the ground. TCU counterpart Max Duggan leads the nation in passing efficiency while throwing for 997 yards and 11 touchdowns without a pick.

BRICK WALL

Horned Frogs running back Kendre Miller leads active Power Five players at 7.43 yards per carry for his career. But he'll be facing a suddenly stingy Kansas defense that held Iowa State to 26 yards rushing last week, the fewest yards allowed on the ground by the Jayhawks since a 2009 game against UTEP.

FRONT RUNNERS

Dykes warned his players about the Jayhawks' propensity for quick early leads, but TCU is the one that has been the frontrunner. The Horned Frogs have not trailed since the first 24 seconds of the second quarter of their opener against Colorado State, when Derius Davis returned a punt for a TD. Their last three wins have been wire-to-wire affairs.

___

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PARIS (AP)  French author Annie Ernaux won this years Nobel Prize in literature Thursday for blending fiction and autobiography in books that fearlessly mine her experiences as a working-class woman to explore life in France since the 1940s.

In more than 20 books published over five decades, Ernaux has probed deeply personal experiences and feelings  love, sex, abortion, shame  within a society split by gender and class divisions.

After a half-century of defending feminist ideals, Ernaux said it doesnt seem to me that women have become equal in freedom, in power, and she strongly defended womens rights to abortion and contraception.

I will fight to my last breath so that women can choose to be a mother, or not to be. Its a fundamental right, she said at a news conference in Paris. Ernaux's first book, Cleaned Out, was about her own illegal abortion before it was legalized in France.

The prize-giving Swedish Academy said Ernaux, 82, was recognized for the courage and clinical acuity" of books rooted in her small-town background in the Normandy region of northwest France.

Anders Olsson, chairman of the Nobel literature committee, said Ernaux is not afraid to confront the hard truths.

She writes about things that no one else writes about, for instance her abortion, her jealousy, her experiences as an abandoned lover and so forth. I mean, really hard experiences, he told The Associated Press after the award announcement in Stockholm. "And she gives words for these experiences that are very simple and striking. They are short books, but they are really moving.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: Annie Ernaux has been writing for 50 years the novel of the collective and intimate memory of our country. Her voice is that of womens freedom, and the centurys forgotten ones.

While Macron praised Ernaux for her Nobel, she has been unsparing with him. A supporter of left-wing causes for social justice, she has poured scorn on Macron's background in banking and said his first term as president failed to advance the cause of French women.

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Ernaux's books present uncompromising portraits of life's most intimate moments, including sexual encounters, illness and the deaths of her parents. Olsson said Ernaux's work was often written in plain language, scraped clean. He said she had used the term an ethnologist of herself rather than a writer of fiction.

Dan Simon, Ernaux's longtime American publisher at Seven Stories Press, said that in the early years, she insisted that we not categorize her books at all. She did not allow us to refer to them as fiction and she did not allow us to refer to them as nonfiction.

Ultimately, he said, Ernaux has created a genre of fiction in which nothing is made up."

"Shes a great storyteller of her own life," Simon said.

Ernaux worked as a teacher before becoming a full-time writer. Her first book was Les armoires vides in 1974 (published in English as Cleaned Out). Two more autobiographical novels followed  "Ce quils disent ou rien" (What They Say Goes) and "La femme gelee" (The Frozen Woman)  before she moved to more overtly autobiographical books.

In the book that made her name, La place (A Mans Place), published in 1983 and about her relationship with her father, she wrote: No lyrical reminiscences, no triumphant displays of irony. This neutral writing style comes to me naturally.

La honte (Shame), published in 1997, explored a childhood trauma, while "Levenement" (Happening), from 2000, dealt like Cleaned Out with an illegal abortion.

Her most critically acclaimed book is Les annees" (The Years), published in 2008. Described by Olsson as the first collective autobiography, it depicted Ernaux herself and wider French society from the end of World War II to the 21st century. Its English translation was a finalist for the International Booker Prize in 2019.

Ernaux's "Memoire de fille" (A Girls Story), from 2016, follows a young womans coming of age in the 1950s, while Passion Simple (Simple Passion) and Se perdre (Getting Lost") chart Ernaux's intense affair with a Russian diplomat.

Ernaux has described facing scorn from France's literary establishment because she is a woman from a working-class background.

My work is political," she said at the news conference. She described growing up in a milieu outside the elite, a world of people above you and the seeming impossibility of becoming a famous writer.

The literature prize has long faced criticism that it is too focused on European and North American writers, as well as too male-dominated. Last years prize winner, Tanzanian-born, U.K.-based writer Abdulrazak Gurnah, was only the sixth Nobel literature laureate born in Africa.

More than a dozen French writers have captured the literature prize, though Ernaux is the first French woman to win, and just the 17th woman among the 119 Nobel literature laureates.

Olsson said the academy was working to diversify its range, drawing on experts in literature from different regions and languages.

"We try to broaden the concept of literature but it is the quality that counts, ultimately," he said.

Ernaux said she wasn't sure what she would do with the Nobel's cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (nearly $900,000).

I have a problem with money," she told reporters. "Money is not a goal for me. ... I dont know how to spend it well.

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.

Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser and Austrian Anton Zeilinger won the physics prize on Tuesday for work showing that tiny particles can retain a connection with each other even when separated, a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement.

The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded Wednesday to Americans Carolyn R. Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, and Danish scientist Morten Meldal for developing a way of snapping molecules together that can be used to explore cells, map DNA and design drugs to target cancer and other diseases.

The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday and the economics award on Monday.

The prizes will be handed out on Dec. 10. The prize money comes from a bequest left by the prizes creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, in 1895.

___

Keyton reported from Stockholm and Lawless from London. Masha Macpherson in Clergy, France; John Leicester in Le Pecq, France; Frank Jordans in Berlin; Naomi Koppel in London; Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

___

Follow all AP stories about the Nobel Prizes at https://apnews.com/hub/nobel-prizes
North Korea on Thursday pushed back at the U.S. militarys recent activity in the region, calling it a serious threat to the stability of the Korean Peninsula.

It marked the first time Pyongyang has responded publicly since the country began its most recent round of missile launches on Sept. 24.

The isolated nation fired two more ballistic missiles into the ocean earlier Thursday, with North Koreas foreign ministry suggesting the latest launch was in response to the U.S. repositioning the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and strike group off the Korean Peninsula.

The missile launch, the countrys sixth in 12 days, also occurred after the U.S. military and South Korean forces held joint missile drills.

Pyongyang argued that its recent launches  which violate United Nations Security Council resolutions  were just counteraction measures against the U.S. exercises with its allies.

The United States, South Korea and Japan have held military drills since August to show readiness should a conflict with the North arise, arguing that the exercises are defensive.

But North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns government views the wargames as hostile and has claimed its missile tests and nuclear program are necessary to protect itself.

Washington, Seoul and Tokyo have all condemned the Norths launches, with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida saying they absolutely cannot be tolerated.

On Thursday, North Koreas military also flew a dozen warplanes  including fighter jets and four bombers  near the border with the South, prompting a response from Seoul, which sent up 30 of its own fighter jets, The Associated Press first reported.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
North Korea fired two more ballistic missiles into the ocean on Thursday as the Pentagon deployed a U.S. aircraft carrier to the region.

The short-range ballistic missiles landed in North Koreas eastern waters, according to The Associated Press, with the first missile flying more than 200 miles and the second nearly 500 miles.

Pyongyang also flew 12 warplanes near its border with South Korea on Thursday, prompting its neighbor to launch 30 warplanes in response.

The South Korean military said it believes the planes were conducting air-to-surface firing drills.

The U.S. and South Korea conducted joint military exercises on Tuesday, after Pyongyang tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan on Monday.

The U.S. also announced the redeployment of the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier east of North Korea.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea flew 12 warplanes near its border with South Korea on Thursday, prompting the South to scramble 30 military aircraft in response, Seoul officials said. The highly unusual incident came hours after North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the sea in its sixth round of missile tests in less than two weeks.

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 said.

The military said South Korea responded by scrambling 30 fighter jets and other warplanes, though they didnt engage in any clash with the North Korean aircraft.

In this image taken from video, South Korean Air Force's F15K fighter jets prepare to take off Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, in an undisclosed location in South Korea. (South Korean Defense Ministry via AP)

The North Korean planes were probably dozens of kilometers away from the border, South Korean media said.

North Korea has previously sent military aircraft near the border, but Yonhap news agency said this is likely the first time it has mobilized so many warplanes for such a provocative flight and firing exercises.

Tensions have risen sharply on the Korean Peninsula as North Koreas recent barrage of missile tests prompted South Korea, the United States and Japan to conduct joint drills in response.

North Korea fires 2 ballistic missiles toward sea

Earlier Thursday, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters. The launches came after the United States redeployed an aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula in response to North Koreas launch of a nuclear-capable missile over Japan earlier this week.

North Korea has conducted a record number of missile tests this year. South Korean officials said the North may further raise tensions by testing an intercontinental ballistic missile or conducting its first nuclear test explosion since 2017, following an old pattern of heightening animosities before trying to wrest outside concessions.

Some experts say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is determined to expand his nuclear arsenal in defiance of international sanctions. They say North Koreas goal is to eventually win recognition as a legitimate nuclear state from the United States and the lifting of sanctions, though Washington and its allies have shown no sign of doing so.

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The latest missiles were launched 22 minutes apart from North Koreas capital region and landed between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The first missile flew 217 miles and reached a maximum altitude of 50 miles and the second flew 497 miles with an apogee of 37 miles.

Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said the second missile was possibly launched on an irregular trajectory. It is a term that has been 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.

U.S., South Korean and Japanese destroyers launched joint drills later Thursday off the Korean Peninsulas east coast to horn their abilities to search, track and intercept North Korean ballistic missiles, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The U.S. destroyer is part of the strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, which returned to the waters in what South Koreas military called an attempt to demonstrate the allies firm will to counter Norths continued provocations and threats.

The strike group was in the area last week as part of previous 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 and views training involving a U.S. carrier more provocative.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida spoke by phone Thursday and agreed that North Koreas recent missile tests are a serious, grave provocation that threatens international peace, according to Yoons office. Kishida said the two reaffirmed the importance of the deterrence capability of the Japan-U.S. and South Korean-U.S. alliances, as well as security cooperation among the three countries.

Moon Hong Sik, a South Korean Defense Ministry spokesperson, said North Koreas accelerating tests also reflect an urgency to meet Kim Jong Uns arms development goals.

Kim last year described an extensive wish list of advanced nuclear weapons systems, including more powerful ICBMs, multiwarhead missiles, underwater-launched nuclear missiles and tactical nuclear arms.

On Tuesday, North Korea staged its most provocative weapons demonstration since 2017, firing an intermediate-range missile over Japan, forcing the Japanese government to issue evacuation alerts and halt trains.

Experts said the weapon was likely a Hwasong-12 missile capable of reaching the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and beyond.

Other weapons tested in recent days included Iskander-like missiles and other ballistic weapons designed to strike key targets in South Korea, including U.S. military bases there.

North Koreas Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that 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 ministry said it strongly condemns U.S.-led efforts at the U.N. Security Council to tighten sanctions on the North over its recent missile testing, which it described as a just counteraction to joint U.S.-South Korean drills.

After the Norths intermediate-range missile launch, the United States and South Korea also carried out their own live-fire drills that have so far involved land-to-land ballistic missiles and precision-guided bombs dropped from fighter jets.

The United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council. But the session Wednesday ended with no consensus, underscoring a divide among the councils permanent members that has deepened over Russias war on Ukraine.

Russia and China insisted during the meeting that U.S.-led military exercises in the region had provoked North Korea into acting.

The United States and its allies expressed concern that the councils inability to reach a 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.

North Korea has fired more than 40 ballistic and cruise missiles over more than 20 launch events this year, using the stalled diplomacy with the United States and Russias war on Ukraine as a window to speed up arms development.

Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi and Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed to this report.
North Korea

People at the Seoul Railway Station watch a television broadcast showing a file image of a North Korean missile launch on May 04, 2022 in South Korea. Credit - Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

Not long after North Korea launched its fifth weapons test in 10 days Tuesday, firing a ballistic-missile high above northern Japan, a familiar routine began to unfold. Leaders from the U.S., South Korea and Japan issued strongly worded statements condemning the dangerous and destabilizing provocation. American and South Korean militaries conducted show of force exercises, sending fighter jets to bomb a deserted island in the Yellow Sea, later lobbing several missiles of their own into the vast Sea of Japan. On Wednesday, the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan was moved off the east coast of the Korean peninsula. Within hours Pyongyang launched another missile into the Sea of Japan and then, on Thursday, flew 12 fighter jets and bombers near its border with South Korea, triggering the South to scramble 30 warplanes in response.

For more than 30 years, the U.S. and its Asian allies have responded to North Korean demonstrations of ever-advancing weapons technology with their own shows of force. But the escalation spiral of the last few days is the latest indication that coercive tactics by the U.S. and its allies are failing to compel North Korea to curtail its missile and nuclear programs. With signs that the North may soon perform its seventh underground nuclear test, the now-routine countermoves to Pyongyangs provocations, embraced by Republican and Democratic presidents alike over the decades, look more the motor-reflex response than a strategy to prevent the unacknowledged truth: that North Korea is a full-blown nuclear power.

Estimates vary, but analysts say North Korea has produced enough fissile material for between 20 to 60 warheads to go along with an arsenal of several hundred short- and medium-range ballistic-missiles capable of hitting South Korea, Japan, and U.S. military bases and territories in the region. Pyongyang has also demonstrated long-range missiles that could theoretically reach every major city in the continental United States.

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As the nations nuclear capabilities have grown, multilateral diplomatic efforts to rein it in have ground to a halt. President Joe Bidens team has made multiple public overtures to meet North Korean officials without preconditions, but Pyongyang has thus far ignored them. By waiting for Pyongyang to decide whether to engage, the White House is effectively endorsing the status quo. It appears that North Koreas unchecked nuclear weapons expansion has become at most a distraction for an Administration thats mired in Russias land war in Ukraine and Chinas military threats on Taiwan. North Korean leaders know that President Biden is sensitive to the potential criticism that the U.S. policy is failing on the Korean Peninsula, and so its the right time for North Korea to start putting pressure on the U.S., says Narushige Michishita, a former Japanese Defense Ministry official who teaches at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo.

Read More: A Korean War Veterans Remains Were Lost for 70 Years. Heres What Brought Him Home

Ultimately, experts inside and outside the government say, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hopes hell be able to use his growing nuclear war chest as leverage to keep his dynastic grip on power and lift economy-crippling sanctions from his isolated country. Whats needed, some analysts say, is a diplomatic road map that would show North Korea how they might get what they want, in exchange for freezing their programs and granting international inspectors access to them.

Kim has launched more missiles this year, 41, than any since he took power in 2011. Already armed with city-busting hydrogen bombs, his government is now developing smaller yield tactical nuclear warheads that are designed to fit on short-range missiles for regional targets, according to U.S. intelligence estimates. Emboldened by its technological progress, North Korea passed a law last month declaring its nuclear status as irreversible and forbidding any talks aimed at disarming them. Bidens stated approach toward Pyongyang remains nonetheless focused on complete denuclearization.

On the one hand, we want to deny North Korean status as a nuclear weapons state but on the other hand, North Korea is already a nuclear weapons state, says Moon Chung-in, who advised former South Korean President Moon Jae-in on national security and foreign affairs. Washington, Seoul and Tokyo will always be wrestling with this fundamental dilemma.

Dismantling North Koreas sprawling missile and nuclear weapon infrastructure would not only likely take a years-long diplomatic effort, the logistics are equally as daunting. Successive American presidential administrations have sought a deal to disarm North Korea with little to show for iteven before its first nuclear test in 2006.

The U.S. and North Koreas diplomatic relationship is defined by a boom-bust cycle of crisis and rapprochement. Now Kim appears to be replaying his strategy wielded in 2017 when he launched dozens of missiles and detonated an underground nuclear bomb. The tense period brought Washington and Pyongyang to the brink of war with then-President Donald Trump threatening to unleash fire and fury on the peninsula.

The U.S. and North Korea engaged in a detente of sorts in 2018 when Trump accepted a proposal to meet Kim face to face. The President took trips to Singapore, Hanoi, and even a presidential walk across the demilitarized zone into North Korea. Yet even as Kim held back from missile tests in 2018 and launched just a handful in 2019, 2020 and 2021, he did not abandon his weapons programs.

North Koreas renewed rounds of missile launches this year have prompted widespread alarm in Japan, because many land in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, where fishing and shipping lanes separate the two countries. The missile launches violate long-standing UN Security Council resolutions, but it has now become nearly impossible for the U.S. to enact new sanctions on Pyongyang because it needs Russia and China to sign on.

In Tuesdays test, a ballistic missile flew an estimated 2,850 miles, marking the longest distance a North Korean weapon ever traveled, soaring above the northernmost prefecture in mainland Japan before plunging into the Pacific Ocean. North Korea hadnt launched a missile over Japan in five years.

At around 7:23 a.m. local time, cellphones and public speakers lit up with take-cover alerts through Japans early-warning systems, known as Emergency Network and J-Alert. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected and tracked the launch just outside Pyongyang, flying east for 22 minutes and reaching an apogee of 602 milesor more than twice the altitude of the International Space Station.

The range suggested the missile was the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile, which North Korea unveiled in 2017 to threaten U.S. military bases in the region, namely the air base on Guam, a U.S. territory about 2,000 miles to the south with more than 100,000 American citizens. Initial assessments by the U.S. military indicated that it did not pose a threat to North America nor to Guam.

Read More: Inside the $100 Billion Mission to Modernize Americas Aging Nuclear Missiles

The test came just days after Vice President Kamala Harriss visit last week to the region and anti-submarine drills between Washington, Seoul and Tokyo. The Administration has worked to build stronger ties between the three nations to confront North Korea, which has resulted in increased collaboration and an ongoing build-up of a ground- and sea-based radar network with defensive missiles.

The U.S. and South Korea recently reconvened the so-called Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group, which aims to draw up plans to guard against North Koreas nuclear threats. Such bilateral planning, like the joint live-fire military exercises, has drawn further condemnation from North Korea.

Now, the world awaits for yet another nuclear test at Punggye-ri underground facilities, where U.S. surveillance satellites have detected preparation activities. If they do such a test, from our perspective, that would clearly constitute a grave escalatory action that seriously threatens regional and international security instability, Defense Department spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder told reporters at the Pentagon. Were calling on (North Korea) to cease these types of destabilizing and unlawful actions.

Although the U.S. did not detail the penalties it would enact for another conducting nuclear test, long-time Korea watchers dont expect to be surprised by the measures when theyre announced.
VALENTYNA ROMANENKO  THURSDAY, 6 OCTOBER 2022, 11:57

Oleksii Danilov, the Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, has pointed out that the number of citizens that left Russia recently is twice the number of those conscripted across the country.

Source: Oleksii Danilov on air during the national joint 24/7 newscast on 6 October

Quote: "We know for certain the number of citizens of the Russian Federation that are called up within the total mobilisation as of today.

We also know that the number of citizens of the draft age who left Russia is twice the number of conscripted people.

We understand where they are located; [we] understand how they want to be formed today. But I would like to mention that lately, after this big mistake of Putins [that will] mainly [affect] his own political future and Russia, the number of those who want to fight with our country is decreasing in geometrical progression

We have a large volume of information regarding soldiers refusing to fight [and] train Local [protest] rallies are starting."

Details: Danilov has also reminded that Ukraine launched a state project called Khochu Zhyt (I Want to Live), which is dedicated to helping Russian soldiers safely surrender to Ukraines Armed Forces.

"Ukraine is a civilised country where the Geneva Conventions are applied to all citizens; we advise Russians to surrender via a hotline," he added.



Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
(Bloomberg) -- Beto ORourkes best hope for becoming Texass first Democratic governor in almost three decades runs through a county where ultra-conservatives are remaking education with book bans and limits on teaching about racism.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Welcome to the changing terrain of Tarrant County, home of Fort Worth and a Republican stronghold for decades that has been slowly morphing into a place where Democrats can be competitive. Transplants from liberal bastions like Los Angeles and Chicago are now arriving to the county of 2.1 million people in big enough numbers to make a difference, and some locals who used to vote GOP say theyre increasingly uncomfortable with the culture-war rhetoric.

Gretchen Veling, a 49-year-old accountant and mother of two sons, is the kind of voter ORourke is hoping he can count on. She grew up in North Texas surrounded by people who voted Republican and found herself doing the same after she settled in Keller 21 years ago. But lately shes shifted toward Democrats, largely because their positions on social issues.

I literally cant vote Republican anymore, Veling said, citing gun control in the wake of the Uvalde massacre, LGBTQ rights and abortion access as key issues. Theyve given me no choice.

Texas political makeup is slowly changing from solidly Republican to a more-competitive landscape, with an important caveat: The shift is only taking hold in big cities. Democrats now routinely win in the urban counties around Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and Houston while the GOP still dominates rural areas. But ORourke is betting he can bring Tarrant, with its mix of city life and bucolic suburbia, to his column on election day Nov. 8.

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The 50-year-old former congressman from El Paso won Tarrant during his 2018 senate bid against Ted Cruz, squeaking by with a 4,000-vote margin. And in 2020, Joe Biden eked out a win in the presidential race, topping Donald Trump by 1,826 votes. He was the first Democrat to carry the county since 1964.

Support for the GOP can be seen lower down on the ballot, where residents have voted in Republicans for Fort Worth mayor, for Tarrant County judge and for eight of the 11 state representatives from the area.

Underdog Battle

Tarrant County is still very much up for grabs, said Joanne Green, a political science professor at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Its still going to be a battleground.

Statewide, polls show ORourke trailing incumbent Greg Abbott by five to nine percentage points. But the race is tighter in Tarrant, where likely voters favored Abbott by three points in an August survey by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston and Texas Southern University.

ORourkes campaign says that his support for gun control, abortion rights and public education will lure moderates in Tarrant County. His strategy is not just to rally the base, but to fight for every vote he could possibly get. That means hes making appearances all over the countrys second-biggest state on a wager that his bread-and-butter issues can win converts.

Republicans, were glad that youre here. Democrats, youre welcome as well. Independents, youre in the right place, ORourke told a cheering crowd at a recent rally in Fort Worth. He promised to fight for womens right to abortion and protect transgender children, but also waded into less partisan issues with pledges to recruit more school teachers and lower property taxes.

Classroom Culture Wars

Still, it seems unlikely any of that outreach will do him much good with the most strident conservatives, and Tarrant County has plenty of those. In recent months, theyve rallied around issues related to education, railing against what they say are efforts to indoctrinate children with woke values and poison their minds with school library books that feature queer characters or deal frankly with racism.

In August, a graphic-novel version of The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank was briefly banned in some school libraries, and last year a Black principal was forced out of a high school following accusations he was promoting critical race theory. School boards in at least four of the 20 school districts in the county have been taken over by conservatives advocating for major changes in teaching.

Last month, the board at Grapevine-Colleyville district voted to put limits on classroom discussions of race and gender and gave the trustees more control over library books.

Thank you for allowing me as a parent to prevent my fourth-grader from being sexualized in his school, a mother said at a raucous board meeting attended by more than 200 people.

Its unclear how much of that sentiment represents broadly held convictions, or whether ultra-conservatives were just lucky to catch their opponents off guard when it came to school-board positions far down the ballot. Its also uncertain if Tarrant County elections have seen the full impact of the many new arrivals.

Changing Demographics

The countys population grew 17% in the decade through 2020, adding more than 300,000 people, and the boom seems likely to have continued as the state becomes a magnet for corporate relocations and expansions, including for financial services firms near Dallas.

Most of Tarrants new residents came from within Texas, but there were also large out-of-state contingents from Southern California, Chicago and New York. The county has become more diverse, with Asian, Hispanic and Black people becoming a greater share of the population over the past decade.

So while in 2000, Tarrant was more Republican than Texas as whole, thats shifted. Its voters are now 5.8 percentage points more Democratic than the average for Texas.

While it would be logical to assume that the influx of newcomers and the increase in racial diversity in the area has contributed to its purple hue, Tarrant County GOP Chair Rick Barnes says that many out-of-staters come to the county to flee liberal policies.

They want to get away from the very things that Robert Francis ORourke stands for, Barnes said, using the candidates full name.

Others see Republicans losing more ground if the culture wars go so far that they repulse moderates.

Thats the expectation of Piper Ogan, a Fort Worth resident who leads the local chapter of the Mothers Against Greg Abbott political action committee. Ogans children attend Keller ISD -- the district that briefly banned the graphic adaptation of Anne Franks memoir along with the Bible, among other books.

I know people who voted for Trump and I think the trigger was whats happening with our schools and now they wont vote that way again, Ogan said.

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Stewart Rhodes, founder of the citizen militia group known as the Oath Keepers speaks during a rally outside the White House in Washington, on June 25, 2017. Susan Walsh/AP

A former Oath Keepers member took the witness stand in the trial of Elmer Stewart Rhodes.

John Zimmerman recalled that the Oath Keepers leader claimed to have a Secret Service contact.

Rhodes called an unknown person the night of January 6 to try to speak directly with Trump.

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes claimed he was in contact with a Secret Service agent in the months leading up to the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, a former member of the far-right group testified at trial Thursday.

Federal prosecutors called John Zimmerman, a former Oath Keepers member, to testify Thursday in the trial of Rhodes and four others charged with seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol siege.

In his testimony, Zimmerman recalled how the Oath Keepers gathered weapons in preparation for the possibility that then-President Donald Trump would invoke the Insurrection Act  a move the armed civilian group saw as giving it standing to step in and forcibly prevent the peaceful transfer of power.

Asked whether he was aware of any direct connection between Trump and Rhodes, Zimmerman answered, "Not that I recall specifically."

"But," Zimmerman added, "he did have a number for a Secret Service agent  or claimed to be a Secret Service agent  back in September."

Zimmerman testified that he witnessed a phone call between Rhodes and his purported Secret Service contact in September 2020 at a Trump rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina. A former county leader of the Oath Keepers, Zimmerman said heard only one side of the call and could not confirm that Rhodes' contact was, in fact, an active Secret Service agent.

During the call with the unknown individual, Rhodes asked about the "parameters" under which the Oath Keepers could operate during the rally. From the questions Rhodes was asking, Zimmerman said, "it sounded like it could've been" a Secret Service agent on the other end of the call.

The testimony offered a potential clue in a mystery that has hung over Rhodes' prosecution.

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In a separate case against an Oath Keeper, prosecutors said Rhodes attempted on the night of January 6 to speak with Trump directly and urge him to call on groups to block the certification of President Joe Biden's electoral victory. Rhodes placed the call over speakerphone and "repeatedly implored the individual to tell President Trump to call upon groups like the Oath Keepers to forcibly oppose the transfer of power," prosecutors said in a May court filing.

The recipient of the call has so far gone unidentified. Once that person declined to connect him with Trump and hung up, Rhodes turned to the group gathered with him inside a Washington, DC, hotel suite and said, "I just want to fight," according to the court filing.

In his testimony Thursday, Zimmerman said he joined the group while under the impression that it served as an "extension" of community law enforcement services. Zimmerman said he was not in Washington, DC, on January 6 because he was recovering from COVID, but he did travel to the nation's capital in November 2020 for the "Million MAGA March."

It was during that trip, Zimmerman said, that he grew disillusioned with the Oath Keepers. Zimmerman said Rhodes proposed an idea to "dress up as elderly or be like a single parent pushing a baby carriage with some weapons in the baby carriage." The aim, he said, was to draw members of those groups into conflict and give them a "beatdown" and possibly give Trump reason to invoke the Insurrection Act.

"If we're going to trick people into attacking us so we can give them a beatdown ... that's not what we do," he said.

Zimmerman took the stand as the second witness called to testify against Rhodes and four others  Kelly Meggs, Jessica Watkins, Kenneth Harrelson, and Thomas Caldwell  in the first seditious conspiracy trial that has arisen out of the nearly 900 prosecutions connected to the Capitol attack.

In the early days of the trial, prosecutors have detailed how the Oath Keepers stored a cache of weapons in a hotel outside Washington, DC, for a so-called "quick reaction force" that would rush into the nation's capitol if Trump invoked the Insurrection Act. The trial has also featured encrypted messages members of the Oath Keepers exchanged in the months leading up to the Capitol siege, including one sent just days after the 2020 election in which Rhodes wrote, "We aren't getting through this without a civil war."

In an opening statement, prosecutor Jeffrey Nestler on Monday said the Oath Keepers "concocted a plan for an armed rebellion to shatter a bedrock of democracy"  the peaceful handoff of power. Prosecutors have also shown jurors video footage of Oath Keepers entering the Capitol in a military-style "stack formation," and Nestler on Monday pointed to a recording of a meeting days after January 6 in which Rhodes could be heard complaining about a lack of more lethal weaponry at the Capitol that day.

"My only regret is that they should have brought rifles," Rhodes said, adding, "We could have fixed it right there and then."

Prosecutors are planning to call more Oath Keepers to the stand  and Rhodes is expected to testify in his own defense. On the first day of the trial, Rhodes' lawyer Phillip Linder said jurors would hear from the Oath Keepers founder "himself about who he is."

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Chris Gallagher

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -"Zombie Killer" tomahawk axes were among the weapons that Donald Trump supporters recommended bringing to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, an FBI agent testified on Thursday at the trial of five members of the far-right Oath Keepers.

FBI agent Michael Palian read from what he described as a planning document prepared by Thomas Caldwell, one of the five on trial for charges including seditious conspiracy for their alleged role in planning the attack, which was intended to overturn then-President Trump's election defeat.

"Each team member shall be equipped with a striking weapon," Caldwell wrote in the document sent on Dec. 2, 2020, Palian said in his third day of testimony. "When the battle is joined, apply the striking weapon wherever it will do the most good."

Knives, multitools and "Zombie Killer" tomahawks were recommended as weapons.

Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and four associates - Caldwell, Kenneth Harrelson, Kelly Meggs and Jessica Watkins - are accused of plotting to prevent Congress from certifying the election victory of Democrat Joe Biden on Jan. 6, 2021, in a failed bid to keep Trump, a Republican, in power.

Some of the defendants are among the Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol building after the then-president falsely claimed the election had been stolen from him through widespread fraud, prosecutors say.

The five defendants are charged with several felonies, including seditious conspiracy, a Civil War-era statute that is rarely prosecuted and carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Defense attorneys have said the evidence will show that the defendants did nothing illegal and that the Oath Keepers are simply a peacekeeping group that has done security work at events around the country in recent years.

Caldwell, in the operations plan, instructed Oath Keeper members not to use their actual names, how to create cover stories for their "mission" and to use "burner phones" because their personal cellphones were traceable, Thursday's testimony showed.

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"The OTC (Overall Tactical Commander) should consider having limited firearms available which can be rapidly introduced into the mission area," Caldwell also wrote. He added that they should make weapons "non-attributable" by wearing gloves and wiping them down before use to remove any fingerprints.

QUICK REACTION FORCE

Prosecutors have said the defendants trained and planned for Jan. 6 by stockpiling weapons at a northern Virginia hotel outside the capital for a "quick reaction force," or QRF, that would be ready if called upon to transport arms into Washington.

A second witness, John Zimmerman, a former Oath Keeper from North Carolina, testified on Thursday that he had been part of a QRF for a rally in support of Trump in Washington on Nov. 14, 2020. Zimmerman was not in Washington on Jan. 6.

Zimmerman said he had previously interacted with Rhodes at a pre-election rally for Trump in North Carolina, at which Rhodes spoke on the phone with someone he said was a Secret Service agent.

Zimmerman said Oath Keeper members discussed the need for weapons on Nov. 14 because they were concerned about potential violence by counterdemonstrators.

"The need for the weapons would be if President Trump enacted the Insurrection Act," Zimmerman cited Rhodes as telling them. The Insurrection Act is a law that empowers the president to deploy the military to suppress civil disorder.

Zimmerman volunteered his van, in which members stored roughly six handguns and 12 to 15 rifles, he said. He and others in the van waited in Arlington National Cemetery, the nation's largest military cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington during the rally but were never called upon.

Zimmerman also said he had joined the Oath Keepers believing it was an emergency response team, but he was unhappy with tactics Rhodes was suggesting, including acting like a parent pushing a baby stroller -- but with weapons in the carriage.

"I told him that's entrapment," Zimmerman said. "If we're going to trick people into attacking us so we can give them a beatdown? That's not what we do."

(Reporting by Chris Gallagher; editing by Scott Malone, Richard Pullin and Jonathan Oatis)
Three men charged with sex crimes against minors decided not to take their cases to trial and instead worked out plea deals with prosecutors on Monday.

State v. Daniel Gray

Ocala resident Daniel Gray pleaded no contest to attempted lewd and lascivious molestation on a child younger than 12 and was sentenced to a 15-year prison term, according to court records.

Gray, 43, has 771 days of credit for time already served at the Marion County Jail. He must register as a sexual predator, records show.

In court: Man sentenced to probation in plea deal for sex offense; listed as sexual predator

Resolved: Ocala felony cases resolved: 20-year prison term in child sex case; probation in gun scheme

Sentencing: Court appearances: A look at what happened with cases at the Marion County Judicial Center

In late August 2020, sheriff's deputies were told that Gray touched a young girl. Deputies said Gray fled Marion County and was captured in Louisiana after a car crash.

He eventually returned to Marion County, where he was charged.

State v. Christopher Barnett

Christopher Barnett was adjudicated guilty and sentenced to a nine-year prison term, followed by three years of probation, after pleading no contest to sexual battery, court records show.

Barnett, who's presently out on bail, was told he must report to the county jail by Oct. 10 at 8 a.m. Officials familiar with the case said he was allowed this delay so he could take care of some personal affairs.

The 49-year-old Dunnellon man was told if he did not show up on the date, then he could be re-sentenced to any possible legal sentence, according to court documents. He has 31 days of credit for time already spent at the jail.

He will be labeled as a sexual predator.

Sheriff's deputies arrested Barnett in 2019 after a minor girl told deputies that he had sex with her. He denied the charge.

State v. Donald Ladd

Donald Ladd was sentenced to a 15-year prison term and 15 years of probation after pleading no contest to attempted sexual battery, according to court records.

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A charge of lewd/lascivious molestation of a child was dropped by prosecutors, court documents show. Ladd will be listed as a sexual predator.

Ladd has credit for 998 days already spent at the jail.

The 60-year-old Silver Springs man was taken into custody by sheriff's deputies in 2020 after he was accused of touching a girl. When he was interviewed by detectives, Ladd denied the charge.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: In Ocala, Florida, three men sentenced for sex crimes involving minors
FOX13 has learned more about a crash that shut down part of I-40 in Arkansas on Tuesday.

An Arkansas Highway Patrolman was involved in a crash on the interstate in St. Francis County, about a half-mile outside of Forrest City, the department told FOX13.

The crash brought traffic to a halt on the interstate for hours.

An Arkansas Highway Patrol officer was injured after a crash on I-40 in St. Francis County, Arkansas on Tuesday, October 4, 2022.

That officer was flown by helicopter to Regional One Hospital in Memphis, the Arkansas Highway Patrol said.

The injured officer has been with the highway patrol since 2014.

A spokesperson for the Arkansas Highway Patrol declined to comment on that officers condition, but that officer was still recovering at Regional One as of Wednesday night.

Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood.

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A registered sex offender in Berea, Ohio, was charged last week after being caught on camera inappropriately touching his 16-year-old stepdaughter during a virtual class on Sept. 28.

Ohio man groped 16-year-old stepdaughter on camera during online class: cop https://t.co/clXz2kwb8O pic.twitter.com/T2cZnla1b7  New York Post (@nypost) October 6, 2022

Authorities mentioned that the teenagers stepfather, David Lowe, 52, was seen groping the girl online by her teacher and 39 classmates. Lowe was charged with the sexual imposition on Sept. 29 and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Lowe posted a $50,000 bond after the arrest, Cleaveland 19 reports.

Lt. Tom Walker with the Berea Police Department said the class witnessed Lowe rub his penis against the back of the teens head.

The Ohio Virtual Academy reported to our department that a female high school student was attending class online at her home in Berea when a male identified as her stepfather came up behind her wearing only his underwear and rubbed his crotch against the back of her head, Lt. Walker said.

The teenagers teacher quickly called the cops after seeing the behavior.

The teacher seeing this obscene behavior reached out to our department and knowing that the student was attending online here at her home in Berea and made us aware of what she had seen, Lt. Walker said.

See something, say something, Lt. Walker said. As law enforcement officials, its our job to protect the children in our community, and we want to be aware of any obscene behaviors that occur like this.

According to the NY Post, the Ohio Virtual Academy said in a statement it is offering counseling resources to its students following the incident. Kristin Stewart, the head of the school, said any mental health support needed would be given to their students.

As a rule, OHVA always offers students access to licensed school counselors and the availability of outside clinical staff through our partnership with Syntero for any further mental health support needed by students, Stewart said.

Police are now advising parents to oversee online classes as well on top of already monitoring their online habits.
Around 113 new jobs could be coming to Acadiana after an oilfield services company announced it would be investing $11.5 million to centralize its North Gulf Coast divisions in Lafayette, according to a release from Louisiana Economic Development.

Schlumberger announced plans to consolidate the divisions at a newly-renovated hub in Lafayette, which is expected to bring 44 new direct jobs and 69 indirect jobs to the Acadiana region, while also retaining nearly 1,400 existing jobs in Louisiana.

Schlumberger has been an economic driver in Louisiana for more than half a century, and the company remains a vital contributor to our states "all of the above" approach to energy, Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a release. This investment not only creates dozens of high-paying jobs in Lafayette, it demonstrates a commitment to the future of more than 1,000 existing energy jobs around the state. In the midst of a historic transition, Louisianas energy sector remains strong.

Lafayette businesses: US could face a recession in 2023. Lafayette could still get more jobs

The hub will be in the company's former Pathfinder office building in Lafayette Parish, which is currently unoccupied. The building is undergoing extensive renovations that will result in 195 construction jobs at the peak of construction. The renovation is expected to be finished in 2025.

We are excited to announce our expansion in Lafayette, where we will be able to better support our Gulf of Mexico customers with a central location optimizing logistics and supply chain, and a highly skilled workforce providing more efficient servicing and maintenance of our equipment, said Lyndal Cissell, the North America Offshore managing director for Schlumberger. We are humbled by the warm welcome that we have received, and we look forward to participating in the Lafayette communities where we live and work.

Schlumberger is one of the largest employers in Lafayette Parish, ranking 19th with around 508 employees, according to the Lafayette Economic Development Authority. The company also has operations in Morgan City, New Iberia, Berwick and Broussard.

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Lafayette historically has been a service and production gateway to the Gulf of Mexico, and the creation of Schlumberger's North Gulf Coast Operations Hub reflects that legacy and the ongoing contributions to the region's overall economy by the energy sector, said Mandi D. Mitchell, president and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority. Recent global concerns have demonstrated the importance of domestic production. Lafayette and Acadiana are proud to remain a vital player in that sphere.

More:When will Louisiana be back to pre-COVID job numbers? Some cities could wait a year or more

The state offered Schlumberger an incentive package including a $2 million performance-based grant for facility expansion and improvement. The company is also expected to participate in the Quality Jobs Program.

The business operates in more than 100 countries, and the NGC Hub will be used to support its operations throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Schlumberger is a giant in the energy industry, and this expansion is a testament to its commitment and trust in Lafayette, Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory said. As the oil and gas industry continues to have an impact on our local economy, Schlumbergers growth and investment are important to creating quality jobs and economic growth.

CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING TODAY: Help support journalists like William Taylor Potter

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Schlumberger to make Lafayette the hub for Gulf of Mexico operations
Natasha LaTour was homeless, dealing with a decades-long drug addiction, when she found herself face-to-face with a silent stranger pointing a gun at her by the Stockton train tracks.

Ms LaTour was 46 at the time on 16 April 2021  when she became the only known survivor of an alleged serial killer in the California port city.

Six days beforehand, a 40-year-old man had been shot dead in Oakland with the same gun; ballistics have also linked five more murders in Stockton beginning in July of this year to the 2021 attacks, police said this week.

Now sober, employed, married and happy, Ms LaTour described her attack in detail to local outlet 209 Times. She could hear a train coming around two or three in the morning, she said, but also heard another sound and turned around to see a figure coming towards her around a corner  with a gun.

There was no words exchanged, Ms Latour told 209 Times, adding that the attacker didnt say anything, didnt come any closer, just started shooting.

She said she believes the attacker was a male, though she could not see the shooters face.

He had on dark-coloured pants  not black  dark-coloured pants, she said. I dont know if they were jeans ... he had an open hoodie that was either navy blue or black, and he had a COVID mask on that was worn, like, perfectly  and it went across the bridge of his nose.

I didnt see the hair part, and so the top part of the hood was ... fitted, she said, comparing his look to the Unabomber ... without the glasses.

She said it looked like the attacker had thrown clothes on to do something real quick.

Initially, Ms LaTour said, the shooter held the gun sideways and palm downward like a thug  and I was really hoping his aim was going to be off.

Then, she said, he crouched to closer to her height of 56  she reckons the shooter was between 510 and six foot  like a movie star pose, with both hands training the gun on her.

She was shot up to ten times; shes not sure, but the hospital told her seven bullets were removed from her body, she told 209 Times.

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She spent 12 days in the hospital, during which she was withdrawing from drugs in addition to recovering from her significant wounds. She has been sober since 1 May 2021, she said.

Ms Latour demonstrates how her attacker held the gun as she was shot up to ten times (209 Times)

The following month, Ms LaTour says she was told by police that ballistics had matched her assault to the murder of a 40-year-old Hispanic man on 10 April just after 4am.

When it came to her own attack, she said: I always knew that there was nothing personal, because I didnt do anything to anybody. I didnt have an altercation ... I dont roll like that and have any problems.

It wasnt until this month, however, that she heard there might be a serial killer on the loose in Stockton  and noticed similarities in the circumstances. She not only obtained a new copy of her police report to show to 209 Times but also told the outlet she believed there was video from the night she was shot that she has not yet been shown.

The first public announcement of a possible serial killer came last Friday, when Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden held a press conference regarding the murders of five men beginning in July 2022 which police believed were linked due to ballistics and similar circumstances.

The victims were ambushed, none were robbed, and all were shot dead in dimly lit areas under darkness.

A dark-clad figure was caught on camera near the scenes of several of the shootings (Stockton Police Department)

Paul Alexander Yaw, 35, was found fatally wounded on 8 July at a park in north Stockton. On 11 August, Salvador William Debudey Jr, 43, was shot dead in a parking lot along a commercial stretch with strip malls and fast-food joints. Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, was killed 19 days later; on 21 September, yet another man out alone at night, 52-year-old Juan Cruz, was shot dead at 4.27am.

Six days later, 52-year-old Lorenzo Lopez was found dead on the sidewalk of a primarily residential area.

Earlier this week, police said two April 2021 crimes had also been linked to this summers murders by ballistics  including the assault on Ms LaTour.

All but one of the murder victims was Hispanic; Mr Yaw was white. Ms LaTour, however, think she could have fit the profile of a Hispanic male when she was attacked.

I could easily be mistaken for a Mexican man at nighttime, said Ms LaTour, who is Black with a light complexion. I have been before.

Police have released seconds-long footage of a dark-clad person of interest who was captured on video near the scenes of several shootings; the individual has an uneven gait and unusually straight posture.

When I saw the image of the person from the back, even though I never seen their face, [I knew] that that was the person that tried to kill me, Ms LaTour said.

A reward of $125,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the string of killings.

She told 209 Times that she was angry the public had not been informed earlier of linked crimes  and believes there could be more victims out there.

They didnt warn the public, she said of officials, adding: Basically, five people died because [officials] didnt listen to me.

Lorenzo Lopez, 52, is believed the be the latest victim of a suspected serial killer in Stockton, California (Facebook/Cathy Lopez Leal)

She said she felt unheard by police because of her homelessness and drug addiction.

They basically treated me as it if was a drug deal gone bad  as if I knew something ... that I wasnt sharing, she said.

Because of that, she said, its possible others had fallen victim to the same attacker or attackers unbeknownst to investigators.

If you were in a situation to where ... youve been homeless here in Stockton, and you got hurt, you got shot, you know, Im saying ... I think you should come forward, she said.

She added:  no doubt that theres somebody thats been, you know, shot and either thought that because [of] their lifestyle that they deserved it ... or knew that the police werent going to do anything; they could have heard about me.

She said she came forward to hopefully prevent more deaths.

Lets face it: Theres a serial killer out there, she said, And Im not dead ... so I had to pray on that.

But I knew that it has to be told, she says.

Incredibly, Ms Latour said she forgives her attacker and hopes the person or persons will turn themselves in  and hopefully find the same solace in religion as she has. On the night she was shot, she heard her late grandmothers voices urging her to survive, she said  and found strength in Jesus.

Ms LaTour has even found a unique way of looking at her near-death experience, 18 months after being riddled with bullets while homeless and still in the throes of addiction.

They may, in a strange kind of way, they saved my life, she told 209 Times. You know, they were trying to destroy me but they saved my life.

Neither Ms LaTour nor the Stockton Police Department immediately returned requests for comment from The Independent on Wednesday evening.
Good afternoon, OnPolitics readers!

It's Amy here with the top politics stories of the day. 

Billionaires are opening their wallets wide  very wide  to support political candidates and causes as a crucial election nears that will decide control of Congress for the next two years  and hence legislation that could benefit the ultra wealthy.

A USA TODAY analysis, by Donovan Slack, Rachel Looker and Javier Zarracina, found billionaires contributed nearly $675 million so far this election cycle  with almost all of that coming from the top 50 mega-rich givers, according to data tracked by OpenSecrets.

Thats more than 10% of the total pumped into the political system, a gigantic proportion compared to their miniscule share of the population. There are roughly three billionaires for every million adults in the United States.

 Which party is giving the most? Republicans were the favored recipients, collecting $360 million from billionaires compared to $300 million logged by Democrats. Republican candidates and groups banked multimillion-dollar contributions from Home Depot founder Bernard Marcus and tech titan and Hawaiian island owner Larry Ellison, among others.

More than a third of Democrats take came from a single man  hedge fund mogul George Soros, a longtime bogeyman for conservatives and target of conspiracy theorists.

 Dig deeper: Top billionaire spenders in 2022 election

OnPolitics newsletter: Sign up to stay in the conversation

Real quick: stories you'll want to read

Biden pardons federal convictions for marijuana possession : President Joe Biden announced that he is pardoning people with federal convictions for simple possession of marijuana, a historic move that could help more than 6,500 people and sends a powerful message on how such actions should be treated.

White House seeking 'alternatives' to OPEC oil production cut : President Joe Biden said his administration is looking for ways to lower gas prices after oil-exporting countries announced plans to cut production by 2 million barrels a day, a move that will likely raise prices at the pump. Read more about why OPEC made that decision here.

RNC sues Maricopa County over poll workers : The Republican National Committee is suing Arizona's Maricopa County after weeks of back-and-forth over whether the county recruited enough Republican poll workers for the August primary election. The lawsuit claims that county officials aren't complying with a public records request.

Federal appeal court rules against DACA policy : A federal appeals court Wednesday ruled that an Obama-era policy that protects undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children violated federal law, but it sent a Biden administration effort to shore up the same program back to a lower federal court for further consideration.

Herschel Walker denials at event: After holding a rally in South Georgia, the Republican Senate nominee called Democrats desperate for trying to make the race about his family. Walker vowed not to back down, and said he still intends to participate in a U.S. Senate debate scheduled for Oct. 14.

 It's official: Another Jan. 6 hearing is happening. The House committee investigating the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, announced its next hearing will be Oct. 13 at 1 p.m.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These billionaires are spending millions on 2022 election campaigns.
A great egret in marshland at the Salton Sea. Birds and other wildlife depend on the lake more and more because other wetlands have disappeared. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Californias largest inland body of water is in trouble. Inflows to the Salton Sea have decreased, salinity is growing, the ecosystem is collapsing, and neighboring communities are suffering high rates of respiratory illnesses caused, many believe, by contaminants in dust blowing off the exposed former seabed.

Its not possible to import enough water quickly enough to save the ecosystem and cover the contaminants. The solutions must be more practical: Fixing the salinity will be the key to saving this crucial habitat. A targeted approach can also reduce dust.

After decades of neglect, a foreseeable problem has devolved into an urgent crisis. Each year more salt flows in while the sea shrinks due to agriculture-to-urban water transfers and the Wests years-long drought, making the ecosystem less habitable to remaining wildlife.

The longer this continues, the harder it becomes to fix. California and the federal government must act now before its too late.

The state commissioned an independent review panel a year ago to consider ways to import water and restore the Salton Sea, which is northeast of San Diego. We participated in the panels review process and concur with its recent conclusion that a no water importation approach would restore the ecosystem and mitigate air pollution within a reasonable period of time.

The sea shouldnt be refilled. Instead, it should be allowed to arrive at its new equilibrium volume and elevation. When talking about Californias largest lake, a smaller Salton Sea still means an enormous body of water. Saving the Salton Sea ecosystem is about reducing its salinity, not increasing its volume.

The panel rejected the idea of building a desalination plant on Mexicos Sea of Cortez and pumping purified ocean water north to refill the Salton Sea. Instead, a large desalination plant could be built right on the shore of the Salton Sea as part of the solution.

The facility would pull salty, polluted water out of the lake and return purified water. The brine effluent would be dried in evaporation ponds and the dried salt  initially a massive amount until the sea became purer  could be transported to landfills using railroad cars and existing tracks.

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Over time, the sea would arrive at a new equilibrium of ocean-level salinity fit for fish and birds. As other Southern California water sources disappeared in recent decades, the sea became a crucial stopover on the Pacific flyway for migrating birds and a year-round home for others. More than 400 bird species have been found at the sea, and 46 of those have some level of state or federal protection. They are at risk today because of the seas collapsing food web, but they could thrive following its restoration. So could fishing and other recreation.

The desalination plant would have to be large  twice the size of the Carlsbad desalination facility. A plant this size is needed to save remaining sea life and reduce the waters salinity over time. The state should commence design and permitting for such a plant immediately.

California also needs to secure water each year to make up for water lost from the desalination process. This could be acquired through a voluntary, compensated fallowing program at the nearby Imperial Irrigation District. In addition to paying farmers for fallowing fields and letting their irrigation water flow to the sea, the state would compensate the irrigation district, Imperial County, farmworkers and agricultural businesses harmed by fallowed farm fields. Expensive, yes, but it would solve a century-long water problem.

Critically, this combination of desalination and voluntary fallowing could be in operation as soon as 2033, with steady improvement and ocean-level salinity achieved less than 20 years after that. The panel found that the proposal to pull water from the Pacific would begin to deliver purified water in 2045 at the earliest.

A smaller Salton Sea, however, will result in a larger playa, as the exposed former seabed is known locally. Projects are already underway to stabilize the playa and reduce how much dust is stirred up by wind. The state announced in 2017 a plan to minimize dust and restore habitat across almost 30,000 acres near the Salton Sea. The state needs to be more aggressive in funding these projects.

Like the rest of the review panel, we believe the ecology of the sea can be restored. Its elevation can be stabilized with its salinity close to ocean salinity, and the playas risk of dust pollution can be greatly reduced. A robust program can revive opportunities for the tourist economy and protect human health. The sea can again be a bird haven and tourist destination, not a looming disaster.

Brent M. Haddad, a professor of environmental studies at UC Santa Cruz, is the author of Rivers of Gold: Designing Markets to Allocate Water in California. Robert Glennon, a professor emeritus of law at the University of Arizona, is the author of Unquenchable: Americas Water Crisis and What to Do About It.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
OPEC+ announced itll slash output by 2 million barrels per day (bpd) on Wednesday (Oct. 5), the biggest cut since the pandemic started in 2020. The White Houses reaction was swift, calling the decision shortsighted and accusing the oil cartel of aligning with Russia.

Saudi Arabia, which controls about one-third of OPECs oil reserves and is seen as a US ally, has not heeded president Joe Bidens plea against taking such a drastic step. Three months ago, Biden traveled to the Middle Eastern nation to convince the kingdoms de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, to pump more barrels.



Read more

The production cut is meant to pull the price of oil, which had been falling for the past four months, back up to triple digit dollars. Anticipation of OPECs decision this week has already lifted oil prices to more than $90 a barrel.

Saudi Arabias decision, which is likely equal parts about politics and oil prices, reminds the West who is boss when it comes to this prized commodity, and has the US reevaluating its foreign policy priorities such as sanctions against Venezuela.

The damage OPECs cut will do

The cut in production, in reality, will be lower than 2 million because OPEC and its allies have been underproducing. In August, the coalition missed its targets by 3.58 million barrels per day. In Nigeria, for instance, oil production hit a 32-year-low amid pipeline vandalism and theft.

According to Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman, the real cuts will be around 1 million bpd, and analysts put that figure even lower, as Reuters reported.

The shortfall in production, exacerbated by Russias war in Ukraine, has put upward pressure on energy prices. Earlier, in May, Biden reached into the USs Strategic Petroleum Reserve to keep oil prices, and therefore petrol prices, in check. After the OPEC+ cuts, he might have to resort to releasing more oil again.

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US oil, by the digits

180 million: largest-ever release of oil barrels from the reserve stockpile the Biden administration announced in May; 1 million barrels to be sold daily for 180 days

155 billion: oil barrels sold between May and October

10 million: oil barrels Biden committed to selling in November, extending the 180 day deadline

416 million: barrels of oil left in the reserve; lowest level since July 1984

$3.29: most common gas price per gallon across US pumps. Although, it is north of $5 in some states, and climbing up, already

15-30 cents: the expected increase in US gas prices per gallon on average after OPECs decision, according to GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan

datawrapper-chart-gcOqP

Bidens attempts to keep prices down

OPEC+s decision is especially poorly timed given the US midterm elections are coming up in November. Any further rise in gas prices would reverse all the cheers Biden got for bringing gas prices down in the last few months.

The Biden has a options on the table, but they come with challenges:

 The Biden Administration is weighing a ban on fuel exports to build domestic inventories and keep consumer prices down, but the largest US oil groups are not on board. They argue a ban would decrease inventory levels, reduce domestic refining capacity, put upward pressure on consumer fuel prices, and alienate US allies during a time of war.

The US is looking to ease sanctions on Venezuela to allow Chevron, the last major US oil producer operating in the country, to pump oil there. Millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil could make up for lost Russian supplies. But first Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro must agree to resume talks with the countrys opposition to work towards a free and fair presidential election in 2024.

Related stories

Falling oil prices are prompting OPEC to take drastic measures

The White House will lower gas prices today by purchasing oil tomorrow

 Lower gas prices are making Americans feel better about everything else
A rare bipartisan consensus is emerging in America. Campaign managers from both sides of the aisle have decided that debates  the transparent, open exchange of ideas where candidates must answer questions and respond to their opponents in a live format  are simply too perilous. They must be curtailed or canceled altogether.

This is a huge mistake.

Campaigns sometimes offer high-minded excuses for avoiding debate. The Republican National Committee claimed bias in its decision to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates earlier this year. In Arizona, the Democratic candidate for governor is refusing to debate because she doesnt want to give a platform to opposing views she deems extreme. In Wisconsin, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona, dueling campaigns have grudgingly reduced debate to a single event  and then only if certain (contested) conditions can be met. In Nevada and Missouri, senators are now set to be elected this year without a single public debate. Gavin Newsom in California and Jim Pillen in Nebraska are refusing to debate even with opponents who dont stand a chance of winning the governorships of their states.

So why are candidates really dodging debates?

First, follow the money. In the financial arms race of modern campaigns, debates level the field, giving all candidates 90 minutes of free, unfiltered prime-time exposure. This is a particular threat to well-funded campaigns with the ability to outspend an opponent. If campaigns can kill debates, they can keep their opponent from public view, avoid potentially unflattering comparisons to a competitor and leverage their financial advantage to control the scripted environments of radio, TV and online media.

Second, debates disrupt targeted messaging. Previously, even well-funded campaigns wouldnt skip a debate because it was key to reaching elusive undecided voters in prime time. With the advent of social media and mobile phones, data-savvy campaigns can micro-target key voter cohorts in every neighborhood and demographic group with selective messages. One cohort may get targeted with a candidates messages on crime and immigration, but not on abortion. Another may be targeted with images of the candidate holding his golden retriever, but never his shotgun. Data analytics let campaigns script nuanced, specific messages to individual voters. Debates disrupt selective messaging with an adversarial and competitive format that forces candidates to own and defend all their views, including the controversial ones.

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Finally, a debate can wreck a candidates carefully constructed image. The format doesnt just highlight the range of issues, it also reveals character under pressure. Candidates have to express and defend their beliefs in a live, unscripted environment without the support of a teleprompter or staff. They can easily make mistakes, forget facts, go off-script, or react emotionally. In the last few weeks of a campaign, candidates are often sleep-deprived, frustrated with the press and have contempt for their opponent, or at least their attack ads, on key issues. Tempers run short, and the format is live and face to face. It is, in short, unpredictable  a campaign managers worst nightmare.

But what makes debates dangerous for campaigns are exactly what make them great for democracy.

The competitive and adversarial aspect of debate forces those seeking the exceptional powers to govern our lives to clearly lay out their views. This format privileges people who have really thought about what they believe and can explain to others  including their opponent  why they should believe it too. They may not convince everyone, but at least the public will have some sense of where they stand.

Debates are so critical to a healthy democracy that they should be made essentially mandatory for candidates. Heres how to do it.

First, states should pass bipartisan legislation establishing requirements for debates so they arent subject to the fickleness of campaign managers. For elections to the most important statewide positions, like senator or governor, candidates should be made to participate in no fewer than two live broadcast debates before voting begins. Each party could nominate a slate of moderators from which the other party can pick in alternative debates, and questions from the public can be drawn by lottery to ensure fairness.

In the absence of legislation, campaigns that choose to opt out should still be made to pay dearly. TV stations that sponsor debates can continue to hold them and ensure absentee candidates are highlighted by an empty chair with a will not debate sign printed beside their name. Attending candidates can have a rigorous prime-time exchange with a fair moderator instead of losing the opportunity to reach people because of another campaigns refusal to debate.

Finally, debate formats can be flexible. Live TV and streaming are best, but in states where campaigns have already canceled these debates, media platforms should work out alternatives. A TV station could offer short, concurrent, taped online interviews of candidate responses to a series of identical questions, with follow-up responses. A newspaper could offer candidates a series of short-form side-by-side op-eds on key issues that highlight differences and offer follow-up rebuttals or clarifications. Its not the best way to test the candidates, but its better than nothing.

Debate is dangerous precisely because it can torpedo well-financed, image-heavy, selective-messaging campaigns. It can have an invaluable leveling effect on a race while also raising the discourse by creating live, face-to-face accountability for ideas and messages that are otherwise reduced to attack ads. This accountability of saying what you believe to someone directly is why the power of debate has allowed some of our greatest and least likely leaders to emerge from underfunded campaigns with unorthodox ideas. Just ask Lincoln.



CORRECTION: A previous version of this report incorrectly described the position of the Maryland Democratic candidate for governor.
The fate of Paul and Ruben Flores in the Kristin Smart murder trial is now in the hands of their respective juries, meaning the 26-year-old case could come to a close in a matter of hours or days.

For more than three months, Paul Flores has been on trial for the 1996 murder of Smart along with his father, Ruben Flores, who is accused of helping his son conceal the crime.

Closing arguments for the two men concluded Wednesday, and the juries have been sent into separate deliberation rooms at the Monterey County Courthouse in Salinas with directions to reach a unanimous, unbiased verdict.

The juries have been given specific instructions on how to apply the law to the evidence theyve been presented at trial.

They are deliberating this week, so verdicts could come as early as Friday. Court will be dark on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, so if they dont reach verdicts, deliberations would resume on Thursday.

Heres a look at what theyre considering and what happens next.

What options do Paul Flores jury have?

Paul Flores is charged with murdering Smart in the commission of a rape or attempted rape.

Its important to note that the rape piece of the charge is not a separate accusation  its part of the evidence code, rather than the penal code.

That is why the two women who said Paul Flores raped them were allowed to take the stand. According to the evidence code, if the defendant is charged with a sexual offense, evidence of other sexual offenses are admissible in court.

Accusations of other sexual offenses do not need to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt to be considered by jurors in their deliberations. They just need to be proven more likely to happen than not.

The jurors have three ways to find Paul Flores guilty of murder.

The first two options lead to murder in the first degree, a crime punishable by a sentence of 25 years to life in state prison, life in prison without parole or the death penalty  though it should be noted Gov. Gavin Newsom put a moratorium on capital punishment sentences and halted awaiting death sentences in 2019.

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If jurors unanimously find that Paul Flores hunted Smart, as San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Chris Peuvrelle argues, and the murder was planned or premeditated, then Flores will be convicted of first-degree murder.

Flores can also be convicted of first-degree murder if jurors find he is guilty of felony murder, meaning Smarts death was the result of Flores committing a separate felony  in this case rape or attempted rape. Jurors can reach this verdict even if they believe Smarts death was unintentional or negligent during the course of a rape or attempted rape.

The third option is second-degree murder, which is punishable by up to 15 years to life in state prison. This would occur if jurors find Paul Flores did murder Smart, but it was unplanned and not in the commission of a rape.

Jurors do not need to unanimously agree on how the murder took place, only the degree of murder.

Theres also a fourth possible outcome.

If the jury tells the judge it is deadlocked and cant reach a unanimous verdict, the judge will likely send jurors back to continue trying to reach agreement. If they are unable to do so, the case would be declared a mistrial.

The District Attorneys Office would then have to decide whether it wants to retry the case.

What about Ruben Flores jury?

Ruben Flores is charged with accessory after the fact, meaning he did not help commit the crime, only conceal it.

The charge, known as Penal Code 32, applies to anyone who helped someone hide or conceal any felony after the crime was committed.

Under the penal code, concealing a crime can include hiding evidence, lying to law enforcement or hiding evidence.

Sentencing guidelines for the charge are the same no matter the felony the person charged is alleged to have helped conceal, carrying a maximum three-year sentence in county jail or state prison.

That means someone who is charged with accessory after the fact for felony shoplifting could theoretically receive the same sentence as someone charged with accessory after the fact for murder or rape.

Before jurors can find Ruben Flores guilty of the crime hes charged with, they first have to decide if there was a crime to cover up.

This is why his jury heard almost all the same evidence as Paul Flores jury  they need to find Paul Flores guilty before they can consider finding Ruben Flores guilty.

Ruben Flores jury does not need to agree on the degree of murder that took place, only that one did.

If they do find that a murder occurred, they then need to evaluate the evidence as to whether or not Ruben Flores knowingly helped cover it up.

How the verdicts will work

The two juries are deliberating separately, so its possible for one to find a guilty verdict and the other to find a not-guilty verdict.

Paul Flores jury could decide it doesnt have enough evidence to find him guilty of murder, while Ruben Flores jury could decide there is sufficient proof.

So its conceivable Paul Flores could be exonerated and set free while his father goes to jail and vice versa.

If jurors reach a not-guilty verdict for either Flores man, the defendant cannot be retried or charged with the same offense, even if new compelling evidence develops in the future, such as the discovery of a body. This is a right protected under the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution known as double jeopardy.

But if either man is found guilty, they will be taken into custody and sentenced within 20 days. They can file to appeal the verdict to the California Court of Appeal.

The verdicts wont be revealed until both juries have completed their work. They will then be read separately but back-to-back so that news of one verdict isnt inadvertently leaked to a juror deciding on the other.

The public and media will be given a one-hour notice before both verdicts are read.

Jurors are released from their oaths as soon as the verdicts are read.

At that point, they will be able to view media about the case, talk about it with friends and family and make public statements.
The Florida amusement park ride where a 14-year-old boy fell to his death in March will be taken down, the ride's operator announced.

Orlando Slingshot, which operated the Orlando FreeFall ride at ICON Park in Orlando, said Thursday it will be shutting down the 400-foot ride following the death of Tyre Sampson on March 24.

"We are devastated by Tyres death. We have listened to the wishes of Tyres family and the community, and have made the decision to take down the FreeFall," Ritchie Armstrong of Orlando Slingshot said in a statement. "In addition, Orlando Slingshot will honor Tyre and his legacy in the classroom and on the football field by creating a scholarship in his name."

The ride, which opened in late 2021, takes riders 400 feet in the air before plunging down at speeds over 75 mph, according to the park. It was advertised as the world's tallest free-standing drop tower.

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The Orlando FreeFall at ICON Park is the worlds tallest free-standing drop tower, according to the park. Once the 30 riders reach the top, the ride tilts forward before falling at more than 75 mph.

An accident report released in April found the seat Tyre sat in was manually adjusted and unsafe. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services found sensors on two of the ride's seats were modified so the ride could be operated. But those seats had openings twice as large as normal, meaning the gap may have expanded just before Tyre fell.

There were no mechanical or electrical issues when the accident occurred, the report said.

Tyre, from Missouri, was visiting Orlando during spring break when he died of blunt force trauma. Tyre weighed 383 pounds, well above the ride's limit of 287 pounds, according to an autopsy report.

A month after the accident, Tyre's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the park, ride operator and manufacturer, accusing each party of negligence. The companies had failed to warn of the teen's height and weight restrictions, failed to properly train employees and failed to have an appropriate restraint system, according to documents of the lawsuit provided to USA TODAY.

Story continues

"While this announcement is long overdue, the news today is a relief to Tyre Sampsons grieving father, who has been advocating for this since the day Tyre fell to his death," Ben Crump and Bob Hilliard, attorneys for Tyres father, said in a statement to the Associated Press.

The ride had been closed indefinitely since Tyre's death. ICON Park said it "welcomes and appreciates" the decision to close the ride. Orlando SlingShot said the timeline for when the ride will be taken down will be determined at a later date.

Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY; Associated Press

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Orlando FreeFall ride at ICON Park to be shut down after teen's death
A Florida amusement park ride will be permanently shut down following a 14-year-old boy's fatal fall from the ride in March, the operator announced Thursday.

Ritchie Armstrong of Orlando Slingshot, which operates the 400-foot-tall FreeFall ride at ICON Park in Orlando, said the ride will close following the death on March 24 of Tyre Sampson, who was visiting Florida from Missouri with football teammates.

We are devastated by Tyres death," Armstrong said in the statement. "We have listened to the wishes of Tyres family and the community, and have made the decision to take down the FreeFall. In addition, Orlando Slingshot will honor Tyre and his legacy in the classroom and on the football field by creating a scholarship in his name.

A makeshift memorial for Tyre Sampson (Phelan M. Ebenhack / AP)

The FreeFall ride and another ride owned by Orlando Slingshot were both temporarily shut down after the fatal fall.

The timeline to remove the ride is not immediately clear, said the statement, which notes that it will require the approval of "all involved parties and regulatory entities."

The statement also said details of the scholarship are still being developed, adding that more details will be shared "in the future and after consultation with the family of Tyre."

ICON Park, where Orlando Slingshot leases land for the ride, said in a statement that it supports the decision.

Tyres death is a tragedy that we will never forget. As the landlord, ICON Park welcomes and appreciates Orlando Slingshots decision to take down the ride."

The day after the death, officials called the ride an "immediate serious danger to public health."

Officials have said "operator mis-adjustments" contributed to Tyres sliding out of his seat to his death.

Manual adjustments had been made to the sensor for the seat in question that allowed the harness-to-restraint opening to be almost double that of the normal restraint-opening range, state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said in April.

Tyre, who was 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighed about 380 pounds, making him about 100 pounds above the weight limit, slipped through the gap between the harness and the seat, according to a state report.

Story continues

Photos and video posted online apparently show that Tyre was not fully buckled into the ride.

In video of the incident obtained by NBC News, a voice is heard asking: Why doesnt this have the little clicky click to it, like the seat belt?

As the ride starts, a voice from the ground shouts: Hey, did you check your seat belt on the left side? Seat belt! Seat belt!

Officials said the ride had last been inspected about three months before Tyre's death, on Dec. 20, and that no deficiencies had been found.

Florida officials have said there is no federal or state oversight of what thrill-ride manufacturers put in their manuals dictating safety measures.

Tyre's parents, Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in April against Orlando Slingshot, ICON Park and Funtime Handels GMBH and Gerstlauer Amusement Rides GMBH, the Austrian company that designed and manufactured the ride. They said they hope the lawsuit will spark change.

He could have been a doctor, lawyer, astronaut, anything, Yarnell Sampson said in April. We both dealing with this day by day, second by second, minute by minute, to be honest with you. The best thing to do is to get the ball moving towards the right direction  we can make change together.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The Orlando FreeFall ride at ICON Park will be taken down following Tyre Sampsons death in March.

The teenager died after falling from the ride on March 24.

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Orlando SlingShot announced the decision on Thursday.

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Read: 9 things to know about the Orlando FreeFall at ICON Park

We are devastated by Tyres death. We have listened to the wishes of Tyres family and the community, and have made the decision to take down the FreeFall, said Orlando SlingShot Group CEO Ritchie Armstrong in a statement.

Armstrong said the company will also be creating a scholarship in Tyres name.

Armstrong said the timeline for taking the ride down has not been determined.

READ: Safety expert: I have serious concerns about harness in teens death on Orlando FreeFall

ICON Park officials said they support the decision to take the ride down.

Tyres death is a tragedy that we will never forget. As the landlord, ICON Park welcomes and appreciates Orlando Slingshots decision to take down the ride, said ICON Park.

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Oxygen therapy can kill cancer cells available on Mexico

Oxygen therapy has different treatment methods that are designed to stifle tumors and cancerous cells using oxygen. There are different ways of applying these treatments that range from injections to oral medication.

This alternative treatment to fight against cancer suggests that introducing an excess of oxygen into tumors can prevent the proliferation of cancerous cells, forcing tumors to stop growing.

There are different treatments that apply oxygen. For example, the IV hydrogen peroxide treatment, which is an intravenous application. The peroxide contains oxygen and it is believed that it can be toxic for cancerous cells. Through controlled levels of hydrogen peroxide in the body, cancerous cells can potentially be killed and stop the tumor from growing.

Another oxygen therapy is UVB ozone, which consists in extracting the patients blood and exposing it to ultraviolet light. Once the blood has been beneath the light long enough, it is reintroduced into the patients body. This exposure makes oxygen blood levels increase.

Find out more about personalized cancer treatments by calling MedBaja at (619) 333-6066 or fill out the form down below.

Autohemotherapy with ozone is a therapy that, just like UVB ozone, extracts the patients blood. Once it is taken, it is injected with ozone gas to increase oxygen before being reintroduced into the blood flow. This treatment increases blood flow and circulation, and stimulates the patients immunity system.

Rectal ozone therapy through insufflation, as its name indicates, consists in introducing ozone through the patients rectum. Theories suggest that rectums walls absorb ingested substances quicker through insufflation, producing the expected effect.

Another type of oxygen therapy is hyperbaric therapy. It consists in exposing the patient to high oxygen quantities. To carry it out, the patient must be placed inside an hyperbaric oxygen chamber in order to breathe in pure oxygen well above normal levels. The goal of this treatment is to recover patients damaged tissue and restore body functions, filling the blood with enough oxygen.

This oxygen treatment can also be applied to cure other infections caused by flesh wounds or diseases such as Alzheimers and HIV/AIDS.

All methods that use oxygen must be provided according to the needs and health of each patient, as well as the size of the tumor and how serious the cancer is.

Oxygen therapy tends to not be invasive and most of them can be applied safely, as an alternative option to radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

This type of therapy can be found at the medical center Immunity Therapy Center (ITC), as well as thirty different therapy types for patients different needs. Each treatment is based on several factors including initial diagnosis, medical history, previous treatments, as well as the patients physical and mental health. All of this is taken into account when these treatments are applied which include treatments such as mononuclear cellular activation, intratumoral immunotherapy, biomagnetic cancer therapy, among others.

Find out more about personalized cancer treatments by calling MedBaja at (619) 333-6066 or fill out the form down below.

Though Mexico is ranked among the first places internationally when it comes to medical tourism, the city of Tijuana is where one can find the best options to treat cancer.

In Tijuana one can find ITC, which is verified as a specialized center to treat cancer that offers personalized services for each patient that wishes to get treated in these facilities.

This oxygen treatment can also be applied to cure other infections caused by flesh wounds or diseases such as Alzheimers and HIV/AIDS.

All methods that use oxygen must be provided according to the needs and health of each patient, as well as the size of the tumor and how serious the cancer is.

Oxygen therapy tends to not be invasive and most of them can be applied safely, as an alternative option to radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

This type of therapy can be found at the medical center Immunity Therapy Center (ITC), as well as thirty different therapy types for patients different needs. Each treatment is based on several factors including initial diagnosis, medical history, previous treatments, as well as the patients physical and mental health. All of this is taken into account when these treatments are applied which include treatments such as mononuclear cellular activation, intratumoral immunotherapy, biomagnetic cancer therapy, among others

Though Mexico is ranked among the first places internationally when it comes to medical tourism, the city of Tijuana is where one can find the best options to treat cancer.

In Tijuana one can find ITC, which is verified as a specialized center to treat cancer that offers personalized services for each patient that wishes to get treated in these facilities.

Find out more about personalized cancer treatments by calling MedBaja at (619) 333-6066 or fill out the form down below.

Learn More about Immunity Therapy Center

Types of alternative cancer treatments

More than 21 alternative therapies and natural treatments for cancer are combined with traditional treatments. Some of the options are:

 Enzyme therapy

 Vitamin and mineral therapies

 Oxygen therapy

 biomagnetic therapy

 Laser therapy

 HALO therapy

 Hyperthermia



It is important to note that most stays are for six weeks, but depending on the patient and the progress of their condition, this period may be longer or shorter. Instructions are provided so that the patient can continue their treatment at home after leaving the center.



This type of treatment is unique because of its use of alternative therapy, and therefore not covered by medical insurance, so each patient must pay for his or her own expenses. Patients can contact the center for help finding the best payment option.



Most patients come to the center accompanied by a loved one, so that they have the support and company of someone they trust, which is crucial when undergoing treatment for disease.



To learn more about the center and its therapies, visit the following link. This could be the life opportunity youve been looking for.

Get in contact with a specialist and learn about Alternative Cancer Treatments in Tijuana, fill-out the contact form below:

Alternative Cancer Treatment in Mexico | Survivor Testimonials

Call us at MedBaja Services on (619)333-6066 to find out more about this cheap, revolutionary, and holistic approach to cancer treatment, or fill out the form below so we may contact you immediately.

INDEX: CANCER TREATMENTS IN MEXICO

Immunity Therapy Center focuses on the physical, spiritual, and mental health of their patients

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TAIPEI (Reuters) - The president of Palau said on Thursday that his small Pacific island nation is committed to supporting Taiwan despite "mounting aggressions", offering his strong backing at a time Beijing is ramping up pressure against Taipei in the region.

The Pacific is the site of a diplomatic tug-of-war between Beijing and Washington, and in 2019 China snatched away two of Taiwan's then-allies there, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.

Palau, which has a population of fewer than 20,000 people and is a close U.S. ally, is one of only 14 countries to maintain formal diplomatic ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan.

Speaking at a welcome ceremony on a visit to Taipei, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. praised relations which he said were based on a shared commitment to freedom and democracy.

"The people of Palau deeply value the friendship between our two nations and are committed to supporting Taiwan despite the mounting aggressions in our region," Whipps said, standing next to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.

Whipps condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special military operation" to disarm the country.

"In face of attempts by nations to change the international status quo by force, we must continue to work together and encourage international cooperation in order to ease military tensions," he added.

Taiwan has faced increased military pressure from China, especially since Beijing staged war games near the island in August after a visit to Taipei by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Tsai told Whipps that he was a good friend.

"Taiwan greatly appreciates Palau's friendship," she said.

Whipps will attend Taiwan's national day celebrations on Monday.

In the Pacific, Nauru, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands have, like Palau, stuck with Taipei.

China says Taiwan is one of its provinces with no right to state-to-state ties, which the democratically-elected government in Taipei strongly refutes.

Story continues

The United States has accused China of enticing developing Pacific nations with generous loans, charges Beijing denies.

Taiwan provides development aid to Palau, including healthcare.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
(Bloomberg) -- Peloton Interactive Inc. is laying off a significant number of employees for the fourth time this year as part of an effort to save the struggling business, Chief Executive Officer Barry McCarthy told staff on Thursday.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The fitness technology company is cutting its workforce by roughly 500 globally, or 12%, leaving it with about 3,825 employees. McCarthy said the company is making the move, along with other reductions in operating expenses, in order to reach the break-even point on cash flow by the end of fiscal 2023.

I know many of you will feel angry, frustrated and emotionally drained by todays news, but please know this is a necessary step if we are going to save Peloton, and we are, McCarthy said in a memo. Our goal is to control our own destiny and assure the future viability of the business.

Investors applauded the belt-tightening move, sending Peloton shares up 4% to $8.83 in New York.

Peloton told staff that the latest round of job reductions marks the bulk of our restructuring work being complete. The company let about 2,800 employees go in February, part of a shake-up that included McCarthy coming aboard as CEO. Peloton eliminated roughly 570 jobs in July as part of a move to outsource hardware manufacturing, and then dismissed an additional 800 people in August to further lower expenses.

And the cuts arent entirely over. The company plans to begin closing the majority of its retail stores in North America next year.

We lost more than $100 million on retail last year, which is why we must restructure this segment of the business, McCarthy told staff. Our commitment is to provide updates on which retail operations will be impacted by this decision in the coming months as our analysis and negotiations with landlords progress.

Story continues

Later on Thursday, McCarthy sent a follow-up memo to employees in an attempt to clarify comments made to the Wall Street Journal. The CEO implied in an interview that the company had six months to improve or it may need to be sold.

In the past youve heard me say were all held accountable for our performance. Me included, the CEO wrote. But to be unequivocally clear, there is no ticking clock on our performance and, even if there was, the business is performing well and making steady progress toward our year-end goal of break-even cash flow.

He added that the idea of Peloton needing to be sold in six months if the company doesnt show improvement is at odds with the story we told and the state of the business. Thats on me and I apologize.

McCarthy released a public statement later in the afternoon. To be clear, there is no time clock nipping at our heels. If my comments to the WSJ suggested otherwise, then I misspoke, as that is simply not true, he said.

We are in the business of driving performance, and the business is indeed performing, McCarthy said. By any measure, we have made remarkable progress in record time.

Still, Pelotons turnaround effort has been slow to resonate with investors, who have sent the shares down almost 90% in the past year. The company had been a highflier in the early days of the pandemic, when cooped-up customers sought out its exercise bikes and fitness classes.

Growth sputtered after consumers began returning to offices and gyms, and Peloton found itself with a glut of inventory. The company has attempted to juice sales by offering its equipment through Amazon.com Inc., Dicks Sporting Goods Inc. and Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. It also hiked prices on some machines and unveiled a new rowing device.

McCarthy is counting on partnerships, sales of digital app subscriptions and a shift to pushing content to third-party devices to bring in more revenue.

I know we can make Peloton a great comeback story if we continue to fight for it, he told staff. As I have said, this is not easy, but Ive never been more confident in Peloton and where we are going.

Here is the memo in full:

This will be a difficult day for approximately 500 global team members whose positions are being eliminated. I want to start by acknowledging them and thanking them for their many contributions to our company.

We are eliminating these positions and reducing other operating expenses, in order to reach break even cash flow by year-end FY23. Our goal is to control our own destiny and assure the future viability of the business.

I am acutely aware many of those impacted by these changes arent just colleagues but are also close friends. I know many of you will feel angry, frustrated and emotionally drained by todays news, but please know this is a necessary step if we are going to save Peloton, and we are.

With todays announcement, the bulk of our restructuring work is complete.

The final building block, which I have previously outlined, is the right-sizing of our retail footprint. We lost more than $100 million on retail last year, which is why we must restructure this segment of the business. Our commitment is to provide updates on which retail operations will be impacted by this decision in the coming months as our analysis and negotiations with landlords progress.

While todays news is difficult to hear, lets remind ourselves of the significant and purposeful changes we have made since the beginning of the year.

Together, we have:

 implemented a restructuring plan to variablize our cost structure and generate significant annual cost savings,

 secured $750 million in financing as well as maintained a liquid cash balance of more than one billion dollars,

 simplified our operations by exiting owned-manufacturing in Taiwan,

 shifted our last mile delivery by expanding relationships with our third party partners,

 affirmed our pricing and premium brand positioning,

 entered into new partnerships with iconic retailers Amazon and Dicks Sporting Goods, and

 introduced the Peloton Row, forever changing the rowing category.

Together, we have dramatically restructured Pelotons business. You should be incredibly proud of what we have accomplished. This has not been easy. And, I want to reiterate how grateful I am to each of you for your hard work, contributions, and commitment to this company, our mission and our Members.

In closing, I want to offer my deepest gratitude to those who are directly impacted by todays actions. Twice in my career Ive found myself in a similar situation. The first time was brutally hard. The second time Id learned from the first. Resilience is a conscious choice. Sooner or later, we all get knocked down in life. But we all deal with setbacks in our own way. However you deal with it, dont ever lose faith in yourself, and dont ever stop getting up off the ground when you get knocked down.

I know we can make Peloton a great comeback story if we continue to fight for it. As I have said, this is not easy, but Ive never been more confident in Peloton and where we are going.

Me to you. You to me. You to each other. And all of us to our Members.

-Barry

(Updates with new internal memo from McCarthy in 11th paragraph.)

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Police at the University of Pittsburgh have reported their third sexual assault near the university campus within a month.

According to university police, a woman was sexually assaulted in a stairwell at the campuss Cathedral of Learning. The report said a man approached the woman, pushed her against a wall and sexually assaulted her while he held her against it.

The suspect is a college-aged thin black male with short curly hair. He has a buzz cut style of haircut. He is around 5 feet, 8 inches tall and has brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a dark maroon shirt, black shoes and sweatpants with a black backpack.

The report said the sexual assault happened on Oct. 5.

This is the third sexual assault investigated by the University of Pittsburgh police within the past month.

Officers responded to reports of a sexual assault at the 100 block of University Place on Sept. 6.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Pitt police investigating alleged sexual assault on campus

A few weeks later, the University of Pittsburgh police assisted Pittsburgh police with a sexual assault investigation at the 200 block of Dithridge Street on Sept. 17.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Pittsburgh police investigating sexual assault near Pitt campus

We have reached out to Pitt Police for more information and are waiting to hear back.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Planned Parenthood's political arm announced a $5 million investment Thursday in North Carolina's battleground races as Democrats fight to preserve the governor's veto power in one of the last abortion access points in the Southeast.

Just 32 days from Election Day, with absentee voting now underway, Planned Parenthood Votes and Planned Parenthood Action PAC North Carolina are targeting 14 legislative swing districts with ads, mailings, phone banks and canvassing. The investment is part of an existing $50 million national campaign to protect reproductive rights in nine target states  the largest-ever electoral program in its history.

Abortions are legal in North Carolina until 20 weeks of pregnancy, as of an Aug. 17 federal court ruling. But with Republicans just five seats shy of a supermajority in the General Assembly  three seats shy in the House and two in the Senate  Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's power to veto more stringent abortion restrictions hinges on the November outcome.

Related video: Planned Parenthood launching mobile abortion clinic in Illinois

As its neighboring states slash abortion access in the months following the June U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, North Carolina has become one of the South's few safe havens for the procedure.

Emily Thompson, deputy director of Planned Parenthood Action PAC North Carolina, said several of the state's races play a critical role in cementing access to life-saving care for patients in the Tar Heel state and those traveling from other Southern states where abortion is already banned.

The committee's chief priority, she said, is preventing a Republican supermajority in the General Assembly by focusing attention and resources on five battleground state Senate races.

If we dont elect reproductive rights champions in five key state Senate races, an anti-abortion supermajority will have the votes to ban abortion in North Carolina, Thompson said. And if we dont defend two critical North Carolina Supreme Court seats, we will lose our last line of defense against restrictive state laws designed to rob us of our right to make our own health care decisions.

Story continues

In an interview this week, GOP state Senate leader Phil Berger said Democrats' accusations that Republicans would fully ban abortion in North Carolina if they obtain veto-proof majorities are misguided.

Berger said he is not aware of a General Assembly GOP leader who has said they personally support legislation outlawing abortion outright, with no exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the patient.

Theyve not been able to point to anybody because it doesnt exist, Berger said Wednesday. He recently said he preferred approving restrictions on abortions after roughly the first three months of pregnancy.

House Speaker Tim Moore has said he personally supports restricting abortions once an ultrasound first detects fetal cardiac activity  typically about six weeks after fertilization and before many patients know they're pregnant.

In addition to state legislative races, Planned Parenthood is funneling resources into North Carolina's high-profile U.S. Senate contest and two state Supreme Court races, which have become recent magnets for Democratic groups working to protect abortion rights nationwide.

Democrats currently hold a 4-3 majority on the panel, but with two Democratic seats up for grabs this November, Republicans need to win just one to retake control of the high court for the first time in six years. The candidates have largely avoided the topic of abortion, instead pitching themselves as the neutral solution to an increasingly politicized judiciary.

But abortion rights have taken center stage in the intensely competitive U.S. Senate race between Democrat Cheri Beasley and Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Budd, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump. North Carolina is one of the few states where Democrats have a strong shot at flipping a seat in the narrowly divided chamber, making Beasleys campaign a crucial component of the partys plan to codify abortion rights into federal law.

___

Associated Press writer Gary Robertson in Raleigh contributed to this report.

___

Hannah Schoenbaum is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow her on Twitter at @H_Schoenbaum.
PROVIDENCE  The political arm of Planned Parenthood endorsed all five Democratic candidates for Rhode Island's top state offices on Thursday, including Gov. Dan McKee, who is facing an aggressive challenge from Ashley Kalus, who describes herself as a "pro-life" Republican.

The Planned Parenthood Votes! Rhode Island PAC also endorsed Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos, Atty. Gen. Peter Neronha, state Rep. Gregg Amore, a candidate for secretary of state, and former Central Falls Mayor James Diossa, a candidate for state treasurer.

With abortion rights taking center stage in campaign year 2022, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, McKee told a gathering outside the State House on Thursday that: "Governors are the last line of defense."

Roe v. Wade: Abortion-related services insurance coverage funds included in RI agency requests

He cited his own actions, including the issuance of an executive order protecting women who travel to Rhode Island  from states that ban abortion  for "safe reproductive care," and the health-care workers who provide the care.

Dobbs decision: Ads roll out as abortion politics take center stage in RI races for governor, Congress

He also backed the inclusion of money in the budget requests currently streaming in from state agencies for state-paid insurance coverage for state workers and Medicaid recipients seeking abortions.

Gov. Dan McKee

"I believe in choice. My opponent believes in no choice. She will not fight to protect a woman's right to choose."

"Let's be clear," added Neronha. "The fight is real. It's not hypothetical, it's real...nationally and here in Rhode Island."

"We know that in Washington, Republicans [now] want to pass a national abortion ban," Neronha said.

Mid-terms 2022: Many Catholic Latinos don't think abortion should be illegal, despite personal views

Attorney General Peter Neronha

And in Rhode Island, he said, his office is geared up to go another round if necessary in defense of the "Reproductive Privacy Act" passed in 2019 to safeguard abortion rights in Rhode Island.

Story continues

Political Scene: From teen mom to a felony charge to populist victory in Pawtucket

The state's high court dismissed a challenge brought by the advocacy group Catholics for Life and several other activists. The groups had argued that the state Constitution bars the General Assembly's unilateral passage of a law confirming a fundamental right to abortion. They lost.

"Not satisfied with that result, the plaintiffs are attempting, yet again, to roll back access to health care for women in Rhode Island, this time with a petition for a writ of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court....We have conveyed to the Court in no uncertain terms that we...believe this petition does not merit the Supreme Courts review."

First Amendment questions: A teacher's perceived anti-trans views led to protests, but could she be fired?

"Where do candidates stand on that issue?" Neronha asked rhetorically. "Is the governor's opponent prepared to go into court and file a friend of the court brief to support the Reproductive Privacy Act? Is the lieutenant governor's opponent prepared to do that? Is my opponent prepared to do that?"

"Are they prepared to fight for R.I. women?" Neronha asked. "I know where this governor stands? He's a champion for choice."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Planned Parenthood's RI PAC endorses McKee, other Democrats in 2022
Police in one New Hampshire city stopped nearly 150 drivers in a span of five hours on Wednesday in an effort to crackdown on excessive speeding, officials said.

Officers on the Everett Turnpike in Nashua pulled over 147 drivers, more than half of whom were traveling more than 20 mph over the posted speed limit of 55 mph, according to the Nashua Police Department.

Police say they upped the presence of officers in the area of the Turnpike, as well as Amherst Street, East and West Hollis Street, Main Dunstable Road, Concord Street, and the Herni A. Burque Highway after receiving multiple complaints regarding speeding vehicles and aggressive driving.

In a statement, the department said, This operation will be conducted during the month of October and its purpose is to target the excessive speeding, aggressive driving, and other motor vehicle infractions that are being reported by the citizens of Nashua. This operation will be conducted during all hours of the day and night and its goal is to shield the commuting traffic that utilizes the roadways within the boundaries of Nashua from unsafe conditions.

Three of the drivers who were stopped were arrested for driving-related offenses, officials noted.

Anyone with questions or concerns is urged to contact Nashua police at 603-594-3500.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Boston Police are seeking help from the public in identifying a man accused of robbing a woman with a knife after following her from a South Boston convenience store Tuesday.

The man, who was armed with a knife, followed the victim from a corner store at K and East 7th streets around 8:30 p.m. before he approached her from behind and tried to take her bag, police said.

The suspect then punched the victim in the face before fleeing on foot toward H Street.

Police said the suspect is believed to be a Black man, who is about 20-30 years old. He was wearing a dark-colored leather jacket and dark pants.

Anyone with information on this individual is urged to contact Area C-6 detectives at 617-343-4742.

Although no victim is ever to blame for the actions of an attacker, Boston police said people should review these safety tips:

Be aware of your surroundings, especially at night. Keep your head up. Make quick eye contact with those around you, and try to avoid poorly lit or isolated areas when possible.

When possible, walk with friends and people you know, especially late at night.

Avoid the distractions created when talking on a cell phone or listening to an iPod/similar device. Avoid wearing earbuds or headphones in both ears.

If you believe someone is following you, change direction, cross the street, seek a populated location and call 911.

Remember descriptive information about the person following you to report to the police.

If confronted, believe in your ability to fight back and defend yourself. Creating distance and yelling words like: fire, help, or rape are smart ways of drawing attention and alerting people that you need help.

Keep your car keys in your hand to use as a weapon to ward off an attack.

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
It will become much cheaper to send parcels from Poland to Ukraine

Parcels qualifying for this discount are accepted at Polish post offices that take EMS shipments., with delivery to any branch of Ukrposhta estimated to take 7 to 14 days. Prices start at 42 PLN per parcel (approximately $8.3).

Read also: Poland wants complete ban on entry into EU for Russian citizens

According to Ukrposhta General Director Ihor Smilyanskyi, "the next step will be the revision of rates for the delivery of shipments from Ukraine to Poland, which will further advance cooperation between the two post services and the two countries."

Since the beginning of the year, more than 640 tons of imported shipments, and another 150 tons of free parcels, have arrived from Poland to Ukraine.

Read also: Ukrainian postal operators returning to liberated Kharkiv Oblast towns

Earlier it was reported that Nova Poshta (a private postal operator in Ukraine) reduced the rates for delivery of goods from online stores in France.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
ROME (AP)  Pope Francis upcoming trip to Bahrain blends three of his top priorities as pope: Ministering to a tiny Catholic community, promoting dialogue with the Muslim world and fostering relations with other Christian communities, according to details released Thursday by the Vatican.

The Nov. 3-6 visit will mark Francis' second trip to the Gulf, his second to a majority Muslim nation in as many months and his second to participate in an interfaith gathering sponsored by someone other than the Vatican to promote dialogue among people of different faiths.

Just as he did in Kazakhstan last month, when Francis participated in an interfaith peace conference, the 85-year-old pope is set to close out the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence.

In doing so, he will become the first pope to visit Bahrain. Francis' landmark visit to Abu Dhabi in 2019 made him first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula.

On the sidelines of the conference, Francis plans to meet again with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, the seat of Sunni learning in Cairo, as well as the Muslim council of elders.

In 2019, Francis and al-Tayeb signed a document in Abu Dhabi pledging Catholic-Muslim cooperation to work for peace, a pact endorsed by Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa as well as other Muslim leaders.

According to the Bahrain trip itinerary, Francis would also preside over an ecumenical prayer service in the desert town of Awali and minister on several occasions to the country's small Catholic community.

Bahrain is home to the Gulfs first Catholic Church, the Sacred Heart Church located in the capital Manama, as well as its biggest one, Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral, which opened last year in Awali.

Francis has acknowledged traveling is difficult for him now that uses a wheelchair and a cane to get around because of strained knee ligaments.

But he has pressed ahead with trips abroad that involve relatively little moving around and where he can promote his Human Fraternity initiative, seeing dialogue and occasions for encounter as a way to foster understanding even in times of conflict and war.

___

Follow AP's coverage of Pope Francis at https://apnews.com/hub/pope-francis
Wawa fans in Georgia, rejoice.

The popular gas station chain announced on Wednesday that it is planning to expand into the Peach state.

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The company will open its first Georgia location by 2024 after its success in Florida.

Our continued expansion plans will allow us to reach more customers with our quality fresh food, beverages and community support friends and neighbors, said John Poplawski, Vice President of Real Estate for Wawa. Expanding to Georgia is a natural extension from the Florida Panhandle, and we look forward to serving more communities along the East Coast.

TRENDING STORIES

Wawas announcement did not mention where it plans to open the first store. The company says it could potentially open at least 20 more locations in Georgia.

Wawa started as an iron foundry company in 1803 in New Jersey, but didnt operate as a food market until 1964 in Pennsylvania after its owner became interested in dairy farming.

Since then, it has been a popular spot for northerners for decades. Wawa currently operates nearly 1,000 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and Washington, D.C.

Wawa isnt the only popular chain that is expanding to Georgia. Tim Hortons announced in April its plans to open 15 locations. Whataburger also broke ground on several locations in metro Atlanta.

IN OTHER NEWS
The Port Huron Police Department and Michigan State Police will co-host a Faith and Blue event at the Municipal Office Center on Saturday.

The Port Huron Police Department and Michigan State Police will co-host a faith-based event Saturday as a way to foster positive relationships and dialogue between police and the community.

The Faith and Blue event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Municipal Office Center, 100 McMorran Blvd., and will include local faith-based organizations, a touch-a-truck, free candy, police dog demonstrations, a gaming trailer, interfaith prayer and food trucks. Costumes are encouraged but not required.

People from all faith and religious backgrounds, as well as those not affiliated with any faith or religion, are welcome to attend, said Port Huron Police Community Service Officer Sam Baker.

Michigan State Police Public Information Officer Kimberly Vetter said all posts will hold community events this weekend as a way to strengthen law enforcement's relationship with the community.

All St. Clair County law enforcement departments were also invited to attend, Baker said.

Faith and Blue is a national organization that encourages dialogue and cooperation between law enforcement and faith organizations as a way to build strong communities through mutual respect and understanding, according to their website.

Baker also said he hopes the event facilitates dialogue between law enforcement, faith organizations and residents in a relaxed, casual setting. Faith organizations reflect the community's diversity, and are often one of the largest organizations in a community, he said.

"The faith community is a pretty good demographic and a makeup of the communities that you serve, so it's basically putting those two pillars of the community, law enforcement and faith-based organizations, together and having a day or some time to just be able to have some dialogue," Baker said.

Andrew Seppo, executive director of Operation Transformation, said his organization is excited to participate in the event and show their support for the police department.

Its just a great morale booster for everybody to see were all the same page and were all believing and praying this area is going to be and remain safe and protected," Seppo said.

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Mark Fancher, a staff attorney for the ACLU Racial Justice Project, said any efforts by police departments to hold community events and facilitate meaningful dialogue should be applauded.

Faith organizations could be an especially beneficial sector of the community to partner with for law enforcement departments. Most religions and faith traditions promote love, compassion, empathy and charity for others as a core belief, which departments can learn from and implement in their own practices, Fancher said.

"Most faith traditions have a set of values, a set of beliefs and tenants that are very much based on ensuring compassion for fellow human beings, assistance for them, elevation of the protection of them, things that affirm the humanity of all people, those are among the best features of most religious beliefs and communities of faith," Fancher said. "And I think for law enforcement, if they would be so bold, they can evaluate themselves, evaluate their culture, evaluate their practices and their policies against those kinds of standards."

Contact Laura Fitzgerald at (810) 941-7072 or lfitzgeral@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Port Huron Police Department to co-host first faith-based community event
A claim has been shared in multiple social media posts in the Philippines that two mainstream broadcasters did not report on billions of dollars' worth of investment pledges that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr secured during state visits to Indonesia and Singapore in September 2022. But the claim is false. The broadcasters, GMA and ABS-CBN, both produced video and text reports about the deals.

"This was not reported by GMA or ABS," reads the caption of a post shared on Facebook here on September 11.

It contains a video report from local broadcaster NET25 about investment pledges worth 800 billion pesos ($13.6 billion) that Marcos secured during state visits to Indonesia and Singapore.

According to local media outlet Inquirer.net, NET25 is the TV station of a religious sect that backed Marcos for president during the 2022 election.

Tagalog-language text above the video, which appears to have first been shared on TikTok, reads, "Wow P800-B investment was secured by PRES BBM from Indonesia and Singapore".

The initials BBM refer to Marcos, whose nickname is "Bongbong".

Text below the video reads, "Our beloved President BBM is making us very proud".

Screenshot of the misleading Facebook post, captured on October 4, 2022

GMA and ABS-CBN, two of the biggest television networks in the Philippines, are frequent targets of misinformation spread by Marcos supporters.

AFP has previously debunked false claims the channels did not cover Marcos' attendance at a memorial for slain police officers or his visit to shelters erected after a powerful typhoon.

According to local news outlet Rappler, pro-Marcos accounts stepped up online attacks against journalists ahead of the 2022 election that Marcos won.

Ahead of the election, the Marcos camp also declined an interview with a reporter from GMA because they believed she was biased against the Marcoses", according to Inquirer.net.

The claim that GMA and ABS-CBN did not report on the investment pledges was also shared elsewhere on Facebook here, here and here.

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The claim, however, is false; both networks reported on the deals in their flagship evening news programmes and posted their reports on social media.

Extensive reports

Keyword searches on Google found ABS-CBN posted a report about the investment pledges on its official Facebook page on September 8.

"P800-B investment pledges were brought home by Marcos from Indonesia, Singapore," reads the title of the Facebook post.

The ABS-CBN report includes clips of Marcos talking about the signing of agreements at a press conference -- footage that was also used in the Net25 report.

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left) and a corresponding frame in ABS-CBN's report (right):

Screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left) and a corresponding frame in ABS-CBN's report (right)

The broadcaster also published an article about the deals on its website showing a breakdown of the pledges from Indonesia and Singapore.

GMA News also reported on the deals in a video report published on its official YouTube channel on September 8.

"P800-B worth of investment, brought by PBBM from his state visit to Indonesia and Singapore," reads the title of the YouTube post.

Articles about the agreements were also published on the GMA News website on September 6 and 7 here and here.

The pledged investments were also covered by other Philippine media organisations, including Inquirer.net, Manila Bulletin and Philstar.
Authorities were slowly restoring electricity in Cuba on Wednesday following an 18-hour power outage in the country caused by Hurricane Ian, which killed two people and left widespread damage.

Western Cuba was battered Tuesday by the fierce tropical storm that left the country's power network damaged and its 11.2-million population in the dark.

"Work is underway in all of the affected municipalities in the western provinces. A detailed study is being carried out to determine and quantify the damage to begin the process of restoring the system," said the state electricity company Union Electrica, the only authorized power supplier in the communist nation.

Union Electrica said that shortly after 5:00 pm on Tuesday, two high-voltage lines triggered protection systems after cables were broken by the fierce winds.

"This situation provoked a power imbalance due to the excess generation in the western area and the lack of generation in the central-eastern zone," leading to "a total outage."

By midday on Wednesday, the progressive restarting of eight central thermoelectric plants and generators had begun.

"It's back!" shouted residents in Havana's old town as they ran to check on the food inside their refrigerators.

Power was restored for some residents in Havana and another 11 provinces, but not in the three worst-affected provinces in western Cuba.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel visited Pinar del Rio, one of the hardest-hit provinces, on Wednesday to view the damage.

The state electricity company had said late Tuesday that the entire country was "without electrical service."

Cubans have had to get used to increasingly frequent power cuts since May, but not on a nationwide scale.

Much of the country's power infrastructure is obsolete and poorly maintained.

"The electricity went out yesterday at 6:00 pm and we don't know when it will be back on," farmer Alejandro Perez, 35, told AFP by telephone from the eastern town of Santiago de Cuba earlier on Wednesday.

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By contrast, on Isla de la Juventud island, which was the first part of the country struck by Ian, "we have had electricity since 5:00 pm yesterday," Roxana Gonzalez, 75, told AFP.

Given the island lies 340 kilometers (210 miles) south of Havana, it has its own separate electricity grid.

Ian caused five buildings in the capital to collapse, while another 68 were partially damaged, authorities said.

cb/rd/yow/bc/to
Prince Andrew processes behind Queen Elizabeth's coffin to the Committal Service in Windsor Castle, his nephews William and Harry walk behind them, 2022. (Getty Images)

Prince Andrew reportedly met with his lawyer earlier this year to discuss some sort of public rehabilitation, Yahoo News UK understands.

Writing for Yahoo UK in his weekly column, royal executive editor Omid Scobie said a palace source revealed the Duke of York met with members of his team in early spring this year to discuss a return to public life.

Andrew has been forced to take a back seat in royal life since he was ignominiously stripped of his military titles and royal patronages by the Queen in January 2022 after a US judge ruled a civil trial over sex assault allegations by Virginia Giuffre could go ahead.

Read Omid's full column - Prince Andrew wanted a comeback, but his family has ended that dream - here

That withdrawal from the spotlight was reinforced when the Duke of York agreed to pay an undisclosed out-of-court settlement to Giuffre after agreeing to settle the lawsuit.

Not that he ever thought he would be a working royal again, a source told Scobie. 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.

Prince Andrew attends the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, 2022 (Getty Images)

While Andrew has consistently denied all accusations of wrongdoing and made no admission of liability, any chance of such a return appears to have been ruled out following the death of the Queen, with King Charles appearing adamant that his slimmed-down monarchy holds no place for his brother.

The Queen's recent period of mourning did see Andrew re-enter the spotlight. However, one of his few public appearances during the 10-day period of mourning was marred when a protester heckled him during the procession of the Queen's coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles Cathedral.

Andrew did play a role in several other ceremonies, including processing behind his mother's coffin with his siblings and taking part the Princes' Vigil.

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He was also permitted to wear his military uniform during the Vigil in Westminster Hall, but wore a morning suit for the processions and the funeral itself.

Prince Andrew, dressed in a morning suit, processes behind Queen Elizabeth's coffin with his siblings, London 2022. (Getty Images)

In June this year, it was initially reported that Prince Andrew would attend the traditional Order of the Garter Day Procession at Windsor Castle. However, he did not make an appearance, after a reported intervention from Charles and William.

Andrew's name was printed in the official Garter Day program, so it is likely the change was made last minute.

In March, the Duke of York made a high-profile appearance at a Service of Thanksgiving in honour of his late father, Prince Philip.

Andrew accompanied the Queen to the service and escorted her out. Front and centre, this was said to be a sign of the late Queen throwing her public support behind her son. This perceived attempt at publicly rehabilitating Andrew was widely criticised.
Prince Harry is among the group, a law firm for one of the members said (Getty Images)

A group of individuals including Prince Harry, Sir Elton John has launched legal action against the publisher of the Daily Mail newspaper over allegations of phone hacking.

A law firm acting for some members of the group announced the action on Thursday against Associated Newspapers.

The action claims the individuals "have become aware of compelling and highly distressing evidence" they have been "victims of abhorrent criminal activity" and "gross breaches of privacy by Associated Newspapers".

The individuals are aware of evidence pointing to breaches of privacy by Associated Newspapers, including placing listening devices inside people's cars and homes as well as commissioning the bugging of live, private telephone calls, law firm Hamlins said in a statement.

Also in the group is Baroness Doreen Lawrence, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, the statement added.

The allegations include the commissioning of individuals to surreptitiously listen into and record peoples live, private telephone calls whilst they were taking place and the impersonation of individuals to obtain medical information from private hospitals, clinics, and treatment centres by deception.

Additional claims include the accessing of bank accounts, credit histories and financial transactions through illicit means and manipulation.

The publisher, Associated Newspapers, did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.

Prince Harry successfully sued Associated Newspapers in the past, with a judge ruling in July that parts of an article in The Mail On Sunday were defamatory.

And in 2021 he accepted an apology and substantial damages over false claims he snubbed the Royal Marines after stepping down as a senior royal.

This summer the Duke of Sussex launched a legal challenge against the Home Office over a decision to withdraw his permanent security team amid tensions around his exit from the royal family,

His legal counsel argued the decision was unfair because Prince Harry did not know details of how it was made and was not given the opportunity to make representations to the board involved.

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A representative previously said that he wants to bring his children to visit from the US, but he and his family are unable to return to his home because it is too dangerous.

In February 2020, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (known as Ravec) announced that the duke, his wife and children would no longer be automatically granted police protection on visits to the UK.

The High Court was told that the duke did not know the committee existed, or that members of the royal household were involved, and believed that its decisions were independent.

Legal documents filed by his representatives said that at the time, there were significant tensions between the duke and the Queen's private secretary, Sir Edward Young.

More follows...
Princess Kate Middleton swiftly dodged a heckler while doing a walkabout with her husband, Prince William, In Northern Ireland on Thursday.

While greeting well-wishers outside of Carrickfergus Castle, the Princess of Wales shook hands with a woman who was recording on her phone.

Nice to meet you, but it would be better if it was when you were in your own country, the woman seemed to say to the British royal.

Kate didnt appear too frazzled by the awkward encounter as the woman added, Ireland belongs to the Irish.

The 40-year-old smiled politely and continued to meet more people who were waiting to speak with her.

When meeting members of the public on her visit to Northern Ireland, the Princess of Wales was challenged by a woman who suggested Kate was not in her own country pic.twitter.com/XtaIXFrn96  PA Media (@PA) October 6, 2022

In the 1920s a controversial act was passed that split Ireland into the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. During that time the northern part of the country remained part of the U.K., along with Wales and Scotland, and caused a rift between residents.

It is a sad and regrettable reality that through history our islands have experienced more than their fair share of heartache, turbulence and loss  with the benefit of historical hindsight we can all see things which we wish had been done differently, or not at all, Queen Elizabeth said of the conflict at a 2011 state banquet in Dublin in, according to The Guardian.

As part of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Cornwalls visit to Northern Ireland, the royal pair met with various community organizations that support those in need.

William and Kate started their day at PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland. The organization helps those at risk of suicide and self-harm.

Along with volunteers, the mom and dad of three helped pack up Little Boxes of Hope care packages for the charity, which will be given to children following their time with the non-profit.

Counsellors, volunteers and brilliant Boxes of Hope which help @PipsCharitys service users to practice good mental health are at the centre of this truly inspiring charity in Belfast, The duo wrote on Instagram.
Ukrainian soldiers wave a national flag as they ride on a personnel armoured carrier on a road near Lyman, Donetsk region on October 4, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images

Pro-Kremlin pundits are "furious' over Moscow's setbacks in the Ukraine war, a Russian independent reporter said.

The pundits are "scared to death" about the prospect of Ukraine defeating Russia in the war, Ekaterina Kotrikadze told CNN.

Last month, Ukrainian forces launched a counteroffensive in the war, resulting in them reclaiming territory.

Pro-Kremlin pundits are "scared to death" and "furious" over the recent disastrous defeats Moscow's forces have suffered in Vladimir Putin's war with Ukraine, an independent Russian journalist said.

News director and anchor Ekaterina Kotrikadze of Russian independent channel TV Rain told CNN in an interview published Thursday that state TV hosts and analysts have begun to ask questions on air about the more than seven-month-long war.

"This is something really new," Kotrikadze said, noting that the change only started a couple weeks or a month ago.

Last month, Ukrainian forces launched a lightning-fast counteroffensive in the war, resulting in them reclaiming vast swathes of territory from Russian occupation in the eastern Kharkiv and Donetsk provinces.

Kotrikadze explained that Russian state TV anchors "are core faces of Russian propaganda" who regularly take notes directly from the Kremlin and "always repeat what they are told to say."

"But right now they're asking questions because they are feeling some kind of a big change in the situation" in Ukraine, Kotrikadze said.

The pro-Moscow pundits, said Kotrikadze, "are scared to death because if Russia fails in this war then something changes in Russian Federation systematically."

"It means their own lives, their own careers, they're own futures, because these guys are also criminals," Kotrikadze said. "They are responsible partly for what is going on in Ukraine."

Kotrikadze added, "They understand that something is really wrong with their own prospects and they are furious right now."

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Russian state TV hosts have been asking questions and trying to find those "responsible" for Moscow's setbacks in Ukraine, Kotrikadze said, explaining that they won't go so far as to point the finger at Putin, Russian's leader.

"Of course they don't mention him personally," she said. "But they're asking questions about the heads of army and others responsible. They're trying to find who to blame."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Update: Police said officers entered the residence around 9:25 p.m. and took the suspect into custody without incident.

Kansas City police were engaged in a standoff with a possibly armed suspect Thursday afternoon after officers were called to a residence in the Ward Parkway Estates neighborhood on a reported disturbance involving gunfire.

Capt. Leslie Foreman, a department spokeswoman, said in a statement that police were called around 12:15 p.m. to the 9000 block of Holly Street to investigate after a property owner and civil process server were shot at while attempting to enter a residence there.

The bullet was shot through the front door but no one was struck, Foreman said.

Last week, a tenant of the residence was legally evicted, Foreman said. The owner and server were there to reclaim the property.

Tactical officers, including negotiators, were on the scene as of Thursday afternoon and had been speaking with the suspected shooter in an attempt to get him to peacefully exit the residence, Foreman said.
NEW YORK (AP)  A judge ordered a psychiatric examination Thursday for a man charged with fatally stabbing an emergency services officer, and the man's lawyer said his client has had mental health problems for four years.

Arraigned by video from Bellevue Hospital, Peter Zisopoulos initially said he didn't consent to the remote proceeding, but he then agreed to it. Through his attorney, he pleaded not guilty to murder.

Zisopoulos, 34, is charged killing Lt. Alison Russo-Elling, who was abruptly attacked last week near the Queens fire station where she worked. The 61-year-old EMS officer, who was posthumously promoted to captain, was months away from retiring.

Russo-Elling had responded to thousands of emergency calls, including the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, during her 25 years with the Fire Department of New York. At her funeral Wednesday, Mayor Eric Adams hailed her as a hero.

Authorities haven't disclosed a motive for the unprovoked midafternoon attack, which happened as Russo-Elling was headed to a corner store for something to eat.

There's no indication that she knew Zispoulos, who fled to his apartment and was arrested after locking himself inside for a time, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.

This is a tragic case and a devastating loss for the family as well as our city, Katz said in a statement.

Zispoulos' lawyer, Wilson LaFaurie, said he believes his client doesnt understand the charges against him. Zispoulos has a past psychiatric history going back to 2018, LaFaurie told the court.

Zispoulos followed the proceedings via video and phone. When Judge Ushir Pandit-Durant asked whether he consented to being arraigned without being in the courtroom, Zispoulos said no.

LaFaurie then asked questions to ensure that his client could hear, knew the attorney's role and recalled that they had discussed a not guilty plea. Is that what you want to do? he asked.

Yes, Zispoulos said.
PEORIA  OSF HealthCare is planning to build a 100-bed behavioral health hospital in Peoria.

The facility, which is being developed in partnership with US HealthVest, will be Illinois largest inpatient behavioral health treatment facility south of Chicago, according to a news release issued by the hospital Thursday morning.

"We are excited to announce our partnership with US HealthVest to bring an inpatient behavioral hospital to the region because the need is great," said Dr. Ralph Velazquez, chief medical officer at OSF HealthCare. "Access is a challenge, and between people who dont seek the care they need and those who seek care in other settings, we know the true gap and the number of potential persons served is even higher."

Thousands of people must travel out of the 13-county central Illinois area each year to obtain needed behavioral health care, according to the Community Health Needs assessment conducted every three years. The 2022 assessment prioritized mental health  especially depression, anxiety and suicide  as one of three significant health needs impacting Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties.

More:Looking for a job in Peoria? These major employers are hiring

The new hospital, which will be located on a tract of land already owned by OSF HealthCare on Route 91 in north Peoria, will provide a full continuum of behavioral health services. It will be open 24/7 with a crisis center providing free assessments as well as specialized programs with evidence-based care. Partial hospitalizations and intensive outpatient programs will also be offered.

US HealthVest is a developer of psychiatric hospitals with locations in Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Boston and Indianapolis. It currently is licensed for more than 400 beds in Illinois, all in the Chicago area.

OSF and US HealthVest have already begun the process of obtaining regulatory approvals and anticipate opening in late 2024 or early 2025.

Leslie Renken can be reached at (309) 370-5087 or lrenken@pjstar.com. Follow her on Facebook.com/leslie.renken.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: OSF announces plans to build a psychiatric hospital in north Peoria
Americans support for a third major political party dipped in September, after reaching a record high in early 2021, according to a new Gallup poll released on Thursday.

Just over half of Americans  56 percent  said they believe the Republican and Democratic parties do such a poor job that a third political party is needed, the poll found. This is down from January 2021, when a record 62 percent said a third party was needed.

Septembers numbers are more in line with the polls average since 2003 of 55 percent.

Independents are much more likely than Republicans or Democrats to support a third political party, with 75 percent in the new poll saying a third party is needed in American politics. Independent support for third parties has not dropped below 70 percent since 2013, according to the poll.

Moderate and liberal Republicans are also increasingly supportive of the concept of a third party. Six in 10 have said that a third party is needed, according to data from throughout President Bidens term. This is up 24 points from President George W. Bushs presidency.

Gallup suggested that [d]issatisfaction with former President Trump could be a factor in this groups elevated interest in having a third party.

This years midterm elections have largely been viewed as a referendum on Trump and his support within the Republican Party. Trump saw mixed results in the primaries, after throwing his weight behind several far-right candidates.

His endorsed candidate for Wyomings at-large congressional district, Harriet Hageman, managed to oust his key rival Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). Cheney, once Republican royalty, voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 riot and serves on the committee investigating the attack. Several other pro-impeachment Republicans also failed to hold onto their seats in the primaries.

The Gallup poll was conducted on Sept. 1-16, 2022, with a random sample of 812 adults, and had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during a meeting with the winners and finalists of the School Teacher of the Year national contest via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo/Associated Press

Putin said Wednesday Russia has always respected Ukraine's people and culture.

The Russian president has repeatedly dismissed Ukraine's right to independent statehood.

Russia's invasion has also killed nearly 5,800 Ukrainian civilians, according to the UN.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said he has always respected the people and culture of Ukraine  a neighboring country his forces invaded without provocation earlier this year, starting a war that has claimed thousands of civilian lives.

"We always, and even today despite the current tragedy, hold great respect for the Ukrainian people, Ukrainian culture, language, literature, and so on," Putin said while speaking at an award ceremony for teachers, according to Reuters' translation.

But, Putin went on to say, Russia couldn't allow what was happening in Ukraine to the Russian culture and the Russian language, according to a video of his remarks shared by Ukraine World. Putin appeared to be alluding to his prior claim that Ukraine was committing genocide against ethnic Russians, however, no evidence has ever emerged supporting this assertion.

Despite his remarks about respecting Ukrainian culture, Putin has repeatedly dismissed the country's right to exist. When justifying his invasion in February, Putin baselessly asserted that Ukraine was not a real country, was created by the Soviet Union, and had no legitimate right to statehood.

Many historians have rejected that assessment, citing overwhelming evidence of Ukrainian culture and history that predates the Soviet Union, which was formed in 1922.

The histories of Russia and Ukraine are intertwined, and parts of Ukraine were at some point part of the Russian Empire. But Cliff Kupchan, chairman of the political Eurasia Group, a political risk consulting organization, told The New York Times in February: "Putin's argument today that Ukraine is historically subsumed by Russia is just not right."

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Kupchan added that "the breadth and vehemence with which he went after all things Ukrainian was remarkable."

Putin also has falsely said Russia gave Ukraine the right to break away after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In fact, the Ukrainian people overwhelmingly voted for independence in a 1991 referendum. About 84% of eligible voters went to the polls and more than 90% voted in favor of independence.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the United Nations has confirmed more than 14,000 civilian casualties, with 5,767 killed, as of September. However, the true numbers are believed to be much higher. Ukrainian officials said in August about 9,000 Ukrainian service members had also died during the war.

Russian forces have repeatedly carried out attacks that struck residential areas in Ukraine, killing civilians, though the Kremlin has denied ever targeting anything other than military assets. A UN investigation concluded last month that Russian forces had carried out war crimes, including killing civilians, torture, and rape.

Speaking Wednesday, Putin also said he would stabilize the four regions of Ukraine that he has claimed are now part of Russia, an annexation dismissed as illegal and invalid by Ukraine and the West.

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Wichitas decision to repeal its marijuana laws could bring an end to the citys 95-year war on loco weed deeply rooted in racism, disinformation and prohibition-era police tactics  a war that continues to disproportionately affect racial minorities.

Wichitas decision to decriminalize brings the city to nearly full circle on its marijuana policies. The drug was legal in Wichita for 57 years before a racial panic helped touch off a chain reaction across the country that eventually led to a federal prohibition that remains in place.

The Wichita City Commission outlawed marijuana in the city in 1927, ten years before federal prohibition. In September, the Wichita City Council voted to decriminalize marijuana after city data showed Black residents are nearly nine times more likely to be charged with marijuana crimes in municipal court than non-Hispanic white residents.

In the 95 intervening years, Wichita went from being one of the first cities in the country with a marijuana ban to one of the last major cities to decriminalize it  despite a recent green wave of marijuana-friendly laws in surrounding states and nearby major cities.

Wichita is now aligned with the two largest cities in Missouri  Kansas City and St. Louis  and nearly 100 other cities that have recently reduced or eliminated low-level marijuana penalties.

But a statewide prohibition means Wichita pot smokers could still be arrested by Wichita police and face charges in state court. Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, and Kansas is one of the few remaining states with a blanket prohibition.

All of its surrounding states have legalized or decriminalized marijuana. Recreational use is legal in Colorado. Medical use is allowed in Missouri and Oklahoma. Nebraska decriminalized possession of small amounts, but marijuana sales remain a felony.

The Kansas House passed a medical marijuana bill last year that died in the Senate. Senate leaders have said it could come up again in the 2023 session.

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While Kansas voters field ballot questions on whether to grant the Legislature more power to regulate abortions or state agencies, voters in Missouri and Oklahoma will soon get to decide whether to legalize recreational use of marijuana.

Nineteen states, two territories and the District of Columbia have legalized small amounts of marijuana for adult recreational use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. They have also reaped the benefits of more tax dollars, which are usually directed to boost funding for schools, law enforcement and local government.

The Tax Foundation estimates Kansas is forgoing at least $45 million in annual tax revenue by banning marijuana. But that could be a conservative estimate. Colorado, which legalized adult-use recreational marijuana in 2012, brought in an additional $423 million in tax revenue from marijuana sales last year.

Plant war

Marijuana was first viewed as a rather benign substance with some medicinal use. Then it was demonized and treated as a deadly, dangerous and highly addictive drug that would turn users into violent predators. Now, even the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency recognizes its short-term effects are no more serious than sedation, coughing and increased appetite. No overdose deaths of marijuana have been reported, according to the DEA.

Cannabis  especially hemp, which does not produce a high when smoked  had been embraced by the United States government since the Colonial Era. For five decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries Wichita newspapers ran ads promoting its use.

But in the 1920s, that all changed.

A fear campaign successfully convinced the Sunflower state that marijuana was a deadly drug that had been brought to Kansas by a growing population of Mexican migrants.

Cannabis indica became known as loco weed. East India Hemp became Marihuana.

A drug that had been advertised in Wichita as a cure for foot pain and common cold since the 1870s was rebranded as a Mexican dream drug that would turn white teenagers into homicidal maniacs.

Wichitas ban was driven largely by a railroad agents racist disinformation campaign, which was amplified by a major media empire and law enforcement officials across the state.

C. H. Almond, Topekas special agent of the Santa Fe Railroad, directed the campaign to outlaw marijuana in Kansas. This photo ran in the Oct. 31, 1926 edition of the San Francisco Examiner, the flagship paper William Randolph Heasts newpaper empire.

C. H. Almond, special agent for the Santa Fe Railway in Topeka, stumped across the United States spreading racist lies about the dangers of cannabis and its proclivity to turn Mexican railroad workers into violent criminals. His claims were amplified by media mogul William Randolph Hearst, who saw hemp as a threat to his investments in the paper milling industry.

In a 1926 piece in The San Francisco Examiner, Hearsts flagship newspaper, Almond is credited with discovering the Kansas peril and directing the campaign to ban marijuana in Kansas under the guise of protecting Kansas youth from becoming addicted to a narcotic worse, if possible, than opium, cocaine or heroin.

Hearsts newspaper chided Kansas for its inaction on marijuana and urged it to take a leading role in cannabis prohibit, as it had done by being the first state to outlaw liquor.

School children are smoking it, prisoners are growing it secretly in the jailyards, grown-ups soak it in perfume. Scores have already gone crazy from it and hundreds are getting that way as fast as they can, the article proclaimed.

The Examiner warned that Kansas was overrun with marijuana plants and addicts  and that there is evidence that Kansas is not only consuming the drug but spreading it to the outlying states.

It also advocated for total eradication of hemp plants, which the article falsely claimed could destroy the soil at Kansas farms.

Ottawa Universitys student newspaper debunked The Examiners story almost immediately, writing that professors and researchers were unable to find any record of the plant in Kansas.

But, for the rest of the Kansas press, Almond became the leading authority in the state on marijuana. And the loco weed panic began.

Within a year of the San Francisco newspapers account, the Wichita Police Department declared a war on marijuana, and the Kansas legislature passed a state law criminalizing marijuana.

Wichitas Mexican migrant population had increased from 135 in 1915 to anywhere between 934 to 2,500 in the early 1920s, spurred in large part by work on the railroads. At the time, the total population in Wichita was just over 70,000.

A 1920 report by the Interchurch World Movement said most of Wichitas Mexican families lived in the packing house district along both sides of the Santa Fe railroad tracks north of 13th Street, which agents like Almond would have patrolled, and along the Union railroad tracks near Gilbert street.

Almond warned that Mexican migrants were bringing marijuana to Kansas and that the big danger of the marihuana in this country is that its use might be taken up ignorantly by the flaming youth of the country who do not realize the dangers involved in the drug.

He claimed nine out of ten Mexicans who go crazy are the victims of marihuana smoking.

The Wichita Eagle also indulged in the racist moral crisis.

The police raiding squad will have to convert their sledges into scythes when the first vegtation (sic) appears here this spring, The Eagle wrote on March 21, 1927. The state legislature has outlawed the marihuana plant, a dream producing drug.

It is not unusual for colored men and Mexicans to be lodged in the city jail with marihuana in their pockets, The Eagle wrote. In the Mexican section, the plant has grown unbothered for the past 30 years. A prolific plant, it has spread over a wide area. The supply in Wichita has always exceeded the demand.

The marihuana plant grows freely in Wichita along the railroad tracks, The Eagle declared.

Wichita police didnt wait for state law to take effect to start arresting for marijuana. The citys first arrest was a 35-year-old Mexican man named Francisco Bezuo, arrested mid-April of 1927. The city attorney charged him with vagrancy and drunkenness because police knew of no other term under which to book him. He was fined $25 and sentenced to 60 days in jail.

Wichita police declared a war on marijuana in 1927, before the City Commission passed an ordinance banning cannabis. This article appeared in the Wichita Eagle on March 21, 1927.

In November 1927, the Wichita City Commission passed a law banning marijuana. It carried a $100 to $500 penalty and up to six months in jail.

The Wichita Eagle, a week after the city passed its ordinance, called marijuana the low-class Mexicans substitute for cocaine, heroin and other brain-destroying narcotics that, when smoked, produces temporary insanity  often of the homicidal type. It does not soothe like morphine, it does not stimulate like cocaine. It simply flogs the addict into a terrific activity which more often than not takes a criminal turn.

The first conviction under the new city law was Manuel Barrerto, a 25-year-old Mexican man who received a 60-day sentence for a handful of loco weed, the Wichita Beacon reported Dec. 2, 1927.

Within five years, Wichita police began using marijuana as a pretense to increase patrols of Wichitas Mexican neighborhoods, largely concentrated near the railroad tracks on the north and south sections of the city.

Wichita police told Eagle reporters in 1932 that rising popularity of marijuana among Wichita school youths had prompted police investigations in the Mexican districts.

A Wichita Eagle photo shows Capt. H. L. Pennington and Hugh Friel, investigator of the Kansas attorney general, from July 19, 1938, one year after the federal government criminalized marijuana. Authorities celebrated the bust as the largest in state history at the time.

By the late 1930s, the marijuana panic had spread across the country. The federal government outlawed it across the United States in 1937.

Except for a brief pause in 1969 and early 1970, it has been illegal at the federal level ever since.

New policy

The 2022 repeal of Wichitas marijuana prohibition isnt the first time Wichita has moved towards decriminalizing marijuana.

But its the first time in nearly a century that city officials followed through on the idea as states and cities around the country move towards legalization of recreational use, medical use or some form of decriminalization.

A city advisory board in 1977 recommended decriminalizing marijuana possession; but the proposal was ultimately dropped when the Kansas Attorney Generals Office provided an informal opinion that marijuana crimes could still be prosecuted in district court.

Thats what we thought it would say, Kenneth Kimbell, chairman of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Advisory Board, said at the time. I guess theres nothing we can do.

The situation hasnt changed. But Wichita City Council members are banking on the fact the district attorney does not have the resources to prosecute all of the offenses.

Were going as far as we can as a city to stop ruining peoples lives, Whipple said. The citys getting out of the business of increasing the number of young people and people of color with criminal records over something thats legal in every state that surrounds us. Were done waging war on our own talent pool.

Still, Wichita falls short of other cities that have recently decriminalized marijuana.

The smell of marijuana has long been used as a tool by police to search vehicles and other property without a warrant. The City Council held that Wichita police can continue to make arrests for marijuana possession or use it as a reason to search their person or property.

Other localities have taken a different approach.

State legislatures, cities and courts have held that marijuana odors cant be used as probable cause for searches of property, especially in places where its use has been legalized.

The most recent example is St. Louis. In December, its local government passed an ordinance decriminalizing marijuana and banning its police department from using the odor or visual presence of cannabis as the sole reason for a police officer to initiate an interaction with a civilian.

On paper, Wichita is no longer treating marijuana possession as a crime in municipal court.

In practice, the Wichita Police Department may still use it as a reason to initiate a search without a warrant and as probable cause to make an arrest. The Sedgwick County district attorney can also charge people in state court with misdemeanor possession for small amounts.
In total, Tyson paid Easterday Ranches more than $233 million for the "ghost" cattle. Hans Neleman/Getty Images

A rancher charged Tyson and another company $244 million to look after cattle that didn't exist.

He pleaded guilty to the charges last year, which included sending fraudulent invoices.

A district judge has sentenced the Washington-based rancher to 11 years in prison.

A rancher has been sentenced to 11 years in prison, following accusations that he charged Tyson Foods and another company $244 million to look after hundreds of thousands of cattle that didn't exist.

The Department of Justice said Cody Easterday, who owned Easterday Ranches in Pasco, Washington, had defrauded the companies for years.

Easterday Ranches had entered agreements in which it would purchase and feed cattle, and the two companies would advance it the costs of those. Easterday would then repay these costs once the cattle were slaughtered and sold, the DOJ said.

Under the agreements with Tyson, first made in 2014, Easterday Ranches billed Tyson twice monthly for the costs associated with growing the cattle to market weight until they were sent for slaughter at Tyson's plant in Pasco, the DOJ said.

In similar agreements with the second company, which the DOJ didn't name, Easterday Ranches agreed to raise the cattle until they were ready for slaughter in exchange for the other company advancing it purchase funds and money to buy feed.

But between 2016 and 2020, Easterday submitted "false and fraudulent invoices" for the purported costs of purchasing and feeding over 265,000 cattle that his ranch didn't purchase and "that did not actually exist," the DOJ said.

This included sending Tyson false invoices in May 2020 seeking payment for $5.3 million for around 6,300 heads of cattle that he'd never bought, the DOJ said.

In total, Tyson paid Easterday Ranches more than $233 million for the "ghost" cattle and the other company paid $11 million.

According to the DOJ, Easterday used the fraud proceeds for his personal use and also for the benefit of his company, including to cover around $200 million in commodity futures contracts trading losses he'd incurred.

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Easterday also defrauded CME Group by submitting falsified paperwork, the DOJ said.

Easterday was charged with wire fraud in March 2021 and pleaded guilty later that month, including paying the $244 million back to the companies in restitution.

Chief judge, Stanley Bastian, sentenced Easterday on Tuesday to 11 years in prison and said that the case involved "the biggest theft or fraud I've seen in my career."

The Spokesman-Review quoted his attorney, Carl Oreskovich, as saying that the sentence "took our breath away."

"We were expecting something different," Oreskovich said.

By 2020, Easterday Ranches had more than 22,000 acres of farmland, 150 employees, revenues of more than $250 million, and even a private plane and hangar, according to the US attorney's office for the eastern district of Washington.

Easterday Ranches and another of his companies, Easterday Farms, both went into bankruptcy shortly after the fraud was uncovered. Over the following 18 months, the companies and their assets  including real estate, farm equipment, and aircraft  were liquidated and Tyson and the other company were able to recover around $65 million from the bankruptcy proceedings.

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Merced County residents reacted with anger, fear and heartbreak Thursday after the discovery of four kidnapped family members found dead on a rural farm.

The bodies of 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her parents Jasleen Kaur, 27, and Jasdeep Singh, 36, and her uncle Amandeep Singh, 39, were found on the farmland near Dos Palos on Merced Countys west side.

The family was taken by gunpoint on Monday from a business they operated just south of Merced, leading to a search for the family until the tragic conclusion Wednesday.

Priya Lakireddy, a Merced resident for about 13 years, said the local Indian community is close and mourning with the surviving family. A vigil and march are planned on three nights of mourning each night at 7 p.m. in downtown Merced.

I was there yesterday, and it was heartbreaking to see a family suffer, she said. The family is suffering, but ultimately the community is suffering.

Merced has a significant population of professionals of Indian descent, which includes business owners, according to Edwin Kainth, who heads the Merced Hotel and Lodging Association. He said many are left reeling and wondering what police can do to keep them safe.

The Indian community is still having anger inside, he said. But theyre peaceful people.

He said the tight-knit community has pulled together to care for the mourning family with food and other needs but noted Amandeep Singh left behind a wife and two children.

Theyve lost their income sources, he said. They just bought a new house recently.

To that end, the community is putting together a fundraising page online, he said.

Merced County residents reacted with anger, fear and heartbreak Thursday after the discovery of four kidnapped family members found dead on a rural farm. The bodies of 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her parents Jasleen Kaur, 27, and Jasdeep Singh, 36, and her uncle Amandeep Singh, 39, were found on the farmland near Dos Palos on Merced Countys west side.

The Merced community

Merced Councilmember Jesse Ornelas said the community had been closely following the news of the kidnapping and its tragic ending.

A piece of me was holding out for a happy ending, he said. In the back of my mind  this hurts me to say  in this community, we dont have a lot of happy endings. I really wanted a happy ending.

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A program manager for Youth Leadership Council, Ornelas said young people have been watching and so have his own children.

Then the news came of the bodies being discovered Wednesday evening.

I was pissed. I was pissed off at that piece of s---, Ornelas said. Even my children were aware of the missing family. I knew I was going to have to tell my kids.

He said he hopes the community, which has been through three difficult years during the pandemic, will find a way to heal following this latest tragedy.

Family of four found

Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke confirmed Wednesday the bodies were located in an extremely remote area near the intersection of Indiana and Hutchins roads. He said a farmworker made the gruesome discovery and authorities were notified at around 5:30 p.m.

Jesus Manuel Salgado

Earlier Wednesday, the Merced County Sheriffs Office released video footage of the kidnapping that took place Monday morning at the victims business.

The video shows an armed masked man who walked onto the business premises. The man then led Jasdeep Singh (the babys father) and Amandeep Singh (the babys uncle) at gunpoint into Amandeeps black Dodge Ram pickup truck.

Authorities have identified 48-year-old Jesus Manuel Salgado as the suspect. He was taken into custody but not before he attempted suicide. He was under medical care, and Warnke said has begun to speak with investigators.

Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke speaks at a news conference about the kidnapping of 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her mother Jasleen Kaur, her father Jasdeep Singh, and her uncle Amandeep Singh, in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Relatives of the family kidnapped at gunpoint from their trucking business in central California pleaded for help Wednesday in the search for an 8-month-old girl, her mother, father and uncle, who authorities say were taken by a convicted robber who tried to kill himself a day after the kidnappings. (Andrew Kuhn/The Merced Sun-Star via AP)

The community of Indian descent

A long-time community leader in Livingston, Gurpal Samra said the Merced family was not well-known in the town north of Merced, but some of their relatives owned a gas station there more than a decade ago.

The family attended a small Sikh temple in Merced, according to a family friend.

Nonetheless, the reverberations of the crime were felt in a Livingston community that is about 17% Punjabi and largely Sikh.

These are names that were used to pronouncing and saying, he said of the family. You can relate because they come from a similar background and ethnic makeup.

Many residents were scratching their heads over the motive to kill an entire family. Killing a person of any age or ethnicity is wrong, of course, but the crime seemed particularly heinous, he said.

Think about the cruelty of a person who did this to an 8-month-old, he said.

Authorities close a section of Indiana Road as they investigate after the bodies of four kidnapped victims in a rural area north of Dos Palos in Merced County, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022.

The death penalty

During a news conference Wednesday, Warnke said he hopes the Merced County District Attorneys Office will seek the death penalty in the case.

Theres no words right now to describe the anger I feel and the senselessness of this incident, he said. I said it earlier, there is a special place in hell for this guy.

The DAs office does not expect to get the case any earlier than next week, according to a spokesperson.

The case is still under investigation by the sheriffs department, a statement from the DA said. They intend to bring it to us next week and we will evaluate it as we do any cases.

Outgoing District Attorney Kimberly Lewis lost a re-election campaign and will be replaced in January by Supervising Deputy District Attorney Nicole Silveira.

At this time, I do not have enough information to comment on whether or not we will seek the death penalty, Silveira said in an email. Given the nature of the case, it will be discussed once we have more information about the crimes.

The decision to seek capital punishment is likely moot, at least in the short term.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, in March 2019, gave a moratorium to the more than 700 inmates on Californias death row.

Newsom, also in 2019, withdrew the lethal injection regulations that death penalty opponents already challenged in courts and moved to close the execution chamber at San Quentin State Prison.

In 2016, voters in California passed a measure to speed up the death penalty. California hasnt executed anyone since 2006, when Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor.
Reese Witherspoon claims that she doesnt really notice how much she resembles her daughter, Ava Phillippe.

The 46-year-old actor discussed her relationship with her children during an appearance on Today with Hoda & Jenna on Tuesday. Witherspoon shares Ava, 23, and Deacon, 18, with ex-husband, Ryan Phillippe. She also shares her 10-year-old son, Tennessee, with husband Jim Toth.

During their conversation, Jenna Bush Hager described Witherspoon and Ava as twins, a comment that Hoda Kotb agreed with.

However, the Big Little Lies star didnt necessarily feel the same way, responding: You think so? You see it? [Ava] and I dont see it that much.

Witherspoon then opened up about raising her children, two of whom are now adults, and how shes continued to establish a different relationship with each of them.

First of all, youre managing them a lot when theyre little and its very physical, she explained. And then its more emotional support. And suggestions, not telling them what to do when they get a little bit older.

She went on to emphasise the importance of maintaining a healthy bond with her children, adding: But you have to really nurture your adult relationship with your children too. And give them respect and space to become who they are, not who you want them to be.

Although Witherspoon claimed that she doesnt look like Ava, this isnt to say that she takes issue with them being mistaken for each other. During a conversation on CBS This Morning in November 2021, the actor said she loves when fans mistake her for Ava because it makes her feel young.

Well, I love being mistaken for her because it makes me feel so young. Im so proud of her, the Legally Blonde star said. She really rolls with it. Im sure its not easy looking exactly like your mother.

Witherspoon also said that there are moments where Ava is frustrated by her resemblance to her mother, which has prompted the pair to have discussions about Zoe Kravitz, another actor who looks a lot like her own mother, Lisa Bonet.

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We talk to Zoe Kravitz a lot. Because she and her mother [Lisa Bonet] look exactly alike, so whenever Ava is frustrated, I go: Call Zoe, text Zoe, she knows what to talk about, she said. I mean, thats another mother-daughter combo thats like identical twins.

In January, Ava took to her Instagram Story to open up about her familys fame after being asked if she thought her life wouldve been different if [her] parents werent celebrities. She said yes, very, but that she wouldnt change a thing about having famous parents.

The good and the not so good all made me who I am and gave me so many amazing opportunities, she wrote.

Last month, The Morning Show star also celebrated her daughters birthday on Instagram with a sweet tribute, writing: Every day that I get to watch you become the most amazing woman is such a gift. Your gigantic heart, generous spirit, and endless creativity inspire me every day. I love you so much.
'Remarkable reversal': President Biden just (quietly) scaled back student loan forgiveness  and the change could impact up to 1.5M borrowers. Are you one of them?

The Department of Education reversed course last week by quietly scaling back on eligibility for President Bidens student loan forgiveness plan.

Borrowers with certain loans issued and managed by private lenders but guaranteed by the government now will not be able to receive relief under the new guidelines, which were updated on the departments website at the end of September.

This "remarkable reversal," as NPR put it, could affect hundreds of thousands of borrowers. And with legal disputes being launched, the future of forgiveness seems less certain than when it was announced six weeks ago.

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Hundreds of thousands of borrowers will be affected

Bidens student loan forgiveness plan made waves when it was first announced in August, with the promise that billions of dollars were about to be wiped from student loan records.

The departments website originally stated that borrowers with privately held federal student loans, such as through the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and Perkins programs, could receive relief by consolidating these loans into the Direct Loan program.

However, the guidance now specifies, that consolidation loans comprised of any FFEL or Perkins loans that arent held by the Education Department are only eligible for forgiveness if the borrower applied for consolidation before Sept. 29, 2022.

The FFEL program was shuttered in 2010, but an administration official told NPR about 800,000 borrowers would now be excluded from relief.

And even more people could be affected by receiving less relief as there are 1.5 million borrowers who have both Direct Loans (which do qualify for cancellation) and FFEL loans.

What could have triggered the reversal?

While the Department of Education (ED) made no explanation for narrowing the eligibility requirements on its website, a spokesperson provided NPR with a statement declaring its goal was to provide relief to as many eligible borrowers as quickly and easily as possible.

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The statement went on to add that this move will allow the ED to achieve that goal while it continues to explore additional legally-available options to provide relief to the borrowers now excluded from forgiveness.

Read more: Do you fall in America's lower, middle, or upper class? How your income stacks up

According to the departments website, its currently reviewing its options and in discussions with private lenders to find a way to offer relief to borrowers with federal student loans not held by the ED, including FFEL Program loans and Perkins Loans.

Based on the statement provided to NPR, that may mean FFEL borrowers could receive one-time debt relief without having to consolidate.

Pushback against forgiveness intensifies

The move from the ED happened on the same day that six Republican-led states announced they would be suing the Biden administration over the plan, accusing it of overstepping its executive powers. They allege that Missouri's loan servicer is facing a number of ongoing financial harms by losing revenue from FFEL loans.

And earlier in the week, Sacramento law firm Pacific Legal Foundation filed a suit against the U.S. Department of Education over the potential tax liability for Americans.

The plaintiff  a lawyer with the foundation  argues that under his current Public Service Loan Forgiveness plan, hell already have his debts canceled after hes made payments for 10 years. And on top of that, with Bidens forgiveness plan, hell be saddled with an additional state tax bill which he wouldnt have under his current plan.

That being said, the Biden administration has indicated that borrowers can choose to opt out of the forgiveness plan if they wish.

In the meantime, applications for those who are eligible for debt forgiveness are expected to open sometime in early October and be available until December 31, 2023. Borrowers eager to get their applications in can also sign up for email updates.

What to read next

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
PHOENIX (AP)  Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney on Wednesday said the Republican candidates for Arizona governor and secretary of state pose a huge risk for democracy because both say they will refuse to certify election results if they dont like the results.

Cheney, a prominent critic of former President Donald Trump and one of just 10 U.S. House Republicans who voted to impeach him after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, made the comments at an event organized by the McCain Institute at Arizona State University.

Cheney also leveled broadsides as what she said was a growing Putin wing of the Republican Party who want America to withdraw from the world stage and refuse to defend freedom in other countries.

She has spent a lot of time thinking about Arizona and the upcoming elections here.

In Arizona today you have a candidate for governor in Kari Lake, you have a candidate for Secretary of State in Mark Finchem, both of whom have said  this isnt a surprise, its not a secret  they both said that they will only honor the results of an election if they agree with it, Cheney told the audience filled with ASU students.

She said both looked at Trumps 2020 loss in Arizona, and both know that it was carried out following state law, and that there were counts, recounts, audits and court challenges that all went against Trump.

Rep. Liz Cheney, vice chair of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, speaks with reporters as she walks to the House chamber during final votes at the Capitol in Washington on Sept. 30, (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite via Associated Press)

Rep. Liz Cheney, vice chair of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, speaks with reporters as she walks to the House chamber during final votes at the Capitol in Washington on Sept. 30, (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite via Associated Press)

Theyve looked at all of that, the law, the facts and the rulings, the courts, and theyve said it doesnt matter to them, Cheney said. And if you care about democracy, and you care about the survival of our republic, then you need to understand, we all have to understand, that we cannot give people power who have told us that they will not honor elections.

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Cheney, who is vice chair of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress and was trounced in Wyomings Republican primary as a result of her refusal to back Trump, spoke of what she believes is a wider threat to the nation from a Republican Party that is now fully in Trumps control.

The first thing that we have to understand is that weve never been where we are, Cheney said. Weve never been in a phase, a place where were facing this kind of a threat. And thats because were facing a threat from a former president who is attempting to unravel the Republic.

Cheney, daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, spoke of how 30 years ago she worked overseas for the International Republican Institute when former Arizona Sen, John McCain chaired the groups board. She said she saw firsthand how fragile some of those democracies were.

And I think I knew on some level that even in the United States this was fragile, she said. But I certainly didnt understand just how fragile. I think thats such an important lesson that we need to take from history.

Cheney, who said her first vote was for Ronald Reagan and is a traditional conservative Republican who favors low taxes and international engagement by the United States, also took shots at Fox News Channel.

The issue came up after she was asked by the moderator, McCain Institute Democracy Fellow Sofia Gross, about the meaning of patriotism.

Cheney said being a patriot means loving country more than whatever political party someone belongs to.

And that means that you put your love of country above politics, you put it above your political career, she said.

She said McCain stood for that idea that American is a nation based on freedom, and that carries with it an obligation to help defend freedom around the world.

You cant look at something like whats happening today with Russia and Ukraine, and say America is neutral in that, Cheney said. Thats a frontline in the war of freedom and America must support Ukraine.

She pointed to what she called a growing Putin wing of the Republican Party, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

And you see news outlets like Fox News, running propaganda, she said. Youve watched it not just on Tucker Carlsons show, although he is the biggest propagandist for Putin on that network.

And you really have to ask yourself ... whose side is Fox on in this battle? Cheney added. And how could it be that you have a wing of the Republican Party that thinks that America would be standing with Putin as he conducts that brutal invasion of Ukraine?

Cheney has floated the idea of running for president in 2024, if nothing else than to serve as a foil if the former president runs again.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Rep. Haley Stevens is reportedly calling it quits with her husband, announcing the split just weeks after her first wedding anniversary.

The Michigan Democrat said in a Wednesday statement to The Detroit News, After careful thought and consideration, my husband Rob and I have decided to end our marriage.

Stevens, 39, called the divorce a mutual decision that the couple came to at the end of the summer.

The lawmaker tied the knot with Rob Gulley, a software engineer, in September of last year. Although high school classmates, Stevens said she connected with Gulley again years later after calling him as part of a fundraising pitch for her congressional run. Stevens, whos currently running for her third term in the House, found love in a hopeless place: fundraising for Congress, Elle magazine once said in an article detailing the pairs love story.

A Stevens spokeswoman didnt immediately return ITKs request for comment.

We wish nothing but the best for each other, Stevens said in a statement, asking for privacy during this time as we both move forward.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON  Vice President Kamala Harris' vehicle was involved in a minor crash Monday during a motorcade to the White House that was initially described as a mechanical failure.

Harris, who was in the vehicle at the time, and Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle expressed concern that details of the accident had initially been mischaracterized, The Washington Post first reported Wednesday.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement Wednesday to USA TODAY that a vehicle that was part of the motorcade had a minor overcorrection and struck a curb. Harris was transferred to another vehicle and continued to the White House.

An accident involving Vice President Kamala Harris' vehicle Monday initially was described as a mechanical failure.

Initial radio traffic indicated this was a mechanical failure and that was communicated to agency leadership by personnel supporting the motorcade movement, Guglielmi said in the statement. After the protective movement was completed, leadership was verbally updated with additional pertinent facts that the vehicle struck a curb.

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The initial report that the crash was a mechanical failure has caused concern. Cheatle was disturbed by the initial inaccuracy of the alert related to the vice presidents delay, according to The Post.

No one was injured.

Harris spokeswoman, Kirsten Allen, said in a statement that Harris sustained no injuries and appreciates the quick response by her USSS detail to get her to the White House safely.

Reach Rebecca Morin at Twitter @RebeccaMorin_

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Report: Harris, Secret Service head concerned over motorcade accident
By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Senator Ben Sasse, who voted in 2021 to impeach Donald Trump, suggested on Thursday that he was likely to leave the U.S. Senate, the latest Republican critic of the former president set to leave or lose political office.

Sasse, 50, represents Nebraska and was one of seven Republican senators who voted to hold Trump accountable on charges related to inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

His expected resignation will not alter the balance of power in the Senate, which Democrats control by a razor-thin margin, as Nebraska's Republican governor, Pete Ricketts, would appoint a successor.

Sasse, whose term does not expire until January 2027, said on Twitter that he was in talks with the University of Florida. The university, on its website, said its presidential search committee "unanimously recommends" Sasse as its next president.

Trump, who has hinted that he will run for president in 2024 and maintains sway over the Republican Party, has used the November mid-terms to target those who backed his impeachment, achieving high-profile success with the ouster of congresswoman Liz Cheney.

Of the 10 Republicans in the House of Representatives who supported impeachment, it is possible that only one will be in Congress after November's election. Only one of seven Republican senators who supported impeachment is up for re-election this year.

In his Twitter post, Sasse said he was talking with the University of Florida, a public school, about building "a vision" for the institution, which he called the "most interesting university in America."

Sasse, a former president of Nebraska's Midland University, first took office in early 2015 and handily won re-election in 2020.

Sasse publicly denounced Trump's false claims of widespread electoral fraud in the 2020 elections and said there was no basis to object to Democrat Joe Biden's election victory.

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The University of Florida "is the most important institution in the nation's most economically dynamic state," Sasse said on Twitter. "Washington partisanship isn't going to solve these workforce challenges - new institutions and entrepreneurial communities are going to have to spearhead this work."

The university's board of trustees and board of governors must vote to formalize the appointment of a new president, which is expected to happen over the next few weeks into November.

According to the university's website, it had a student body of roughly 53,000 students as of fall 2020

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; additional reporting by Costas Pitas in Los Angeles; editing by Richard Pullin and Leslie Adler)
Oregon may be on the verge of electing its first Republican governor in a generation next month.

It would be a heavy blow for Democrats, an indictment of the partys brand in what has been one of the most progressive states in the country. Portland, its largest city, has been an epicenter of left-wing activism in support of causes like defunding the police and drug decriminalization.

But by all accounts, Portland is struggling. Crime is up, the city is facing a homelessness crisis and residents are worried. Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a Portland native who has represented much of the city in Congress since 1996, called Portland broken when he announced his reelection bid earlier this year.

Theres just a huge feeling of lawlessness, a Portland resident told the Oregonian this week.

Things are so bad, in fact, that some of the states left-leaning voters might support a Republican candidate for governor this November.

Republican Christine Drazan, a former state House minority leader, is campaigning hard on the issues of homelessness, drug addiction and crime. In the last week or so, she has surged to claim a 1-point lead in the FiveThirtyEight polling average over her main opponent, Democrat Tina Kotek, a former state House speaker.

Christine Drazan, the Republican nominee for governor of Oregon, at a debate in July. (Jaime Valdez/Pamplin Media Group/Pool via AP)

A poll by the Oregonian found homelessness to be the top issue for voters in the state, with crime and public safety the next most important. The survey found that 64% of Oregonians think the states justice system is not tough enough on crime.

Theres no doubt that things in Portland and around much of the state are grim. More than two-thirds of residents think Oregon is on the wrong track, and Democratic Gov. Kate Brown is the most unpopular state executive in the country, with a 54% disapproval rating, according to Morning Consult.

The murder rate is on pace to break another record, after 2021 set a new one. Last weekend, four Portland people were killed in separate incidents, two by shootings and two by stabbings involving homeless persons. One of the stabbings occurred in the Old Town neighborhood around lunchtime.

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A few neighborhoods away, more than 50 people woke up Saturday morning to find that the tires on their cars had been slashed.

My state is going to hell, Betsy Johnson, an independent candidate for governor who has been competitive in the polls, said in a recent interview on Fox News. Johnson, a Democratic state senator since 2005, has said Portland is becoming a city of roaches. She has also called Kotek Tent City Tina, an attack on Kotek's sponsorship in 2021 of state House Bill 3115, which restrained local governments from criminalizing homeless people for camping in public places.

From left, Drazan, Democratic nominee Tina Kotek and unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson at the July debate. (Jaime Valdez/Pamplin Media Group/Pool via AP)

Johnson  who has raised more money than Kotek or Drazan but has remained in third place at around 20%, likely keeping Koteks support from surpassing Drazans  said Kotek is so woke that she sided with the rioters over the police. Portland saw some of the most sustained and intense clashes between protesters and police after the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The Portland City Council slashed $15 million from the police budget that year, but then restored $5 million in 2021 following a spike in crime.

Kotek responded to the crime wave over the weekend by saying on Twitter that this level of violence is unacceptable. As Governor, I won't sit back as crime rises in Portland. I will work with local law enforcement AND fight to get illegal guns off our streets.

Homelessness weighs on voters minds because it is such a visible and omnipresent reminder of the regions problems.

In an interview with Yahoo News, Kotek acknowledged that all the things we've been doing, it's not enough.

People are frustrated about the pace of progress, and we need to bring more urgency to it, she said.

Tents line a Portland sidewalk in 2020. (Craig Mitchelldyer/AP)

But Kotek is running against a stiff headwind, created by the simple fact that Democrats have held a monopoly on power in Oregon for a long time now.

On homelessness, she has much more detailed plans for how to address the problem than Drazan does. Kotek was a religious studies major in college and has a background in humanitarian causes. She worked for the Oregon Food Bank in the late 1990s, and then for a group called Children First for Oregon.

Shes done more than any other leader in the state, maybe the country, on housing and homelessness, former state Rep. Alissa Keny-Guyer told Willamette Week.

Drazan has not offered much in the way of specific plans for how to address a problem that most experts readily admit is a complicated, hard-to-solve issue. And in 2020 she led Republicans in refusing to show up for the state legislative session, in order to prevent Democrats from passing a climate change bill. Another bill that failed to pass because of the GOP walkout: a declaration of a statewide homelessness emergency, which is what Drazan now touts as one of her top steps to combat the problem.

But because many Oregon residents appear to be exhausted after the last few years, Drazan has gained ground by blaming Kotek for the homelessness problem.

"Homelessness skyrocketed in Oregon over the course of Tina Kotek's near-decade in power as speaker of the House. She had Democrat governors and supermajorities in the state Legislature. If she wanted to tackle homelessness, the only thing stopping her was herself, Drazan spokesman John Burke told Yahoo News.

Kotek can try to pass the buck on this as much as she wants, but Oregonians know she and her allies are responsible for this humanitarian crisis.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek speaks to supporters in Portland in May. (Craig Mitchelldyer/AP)

Drazan has worked to make herself more palatable to voters who lean left on social issues like abortion, by removing her website's references to her endorsement by Oregon Right to Life. Shes also been accompanied on the campaign trail lately by another moderate Republican governor from a state dominated by Democrats, Maryland's Larry Hogan.

Drazan has said she would lead an effort to repeal Measure 110, a law passed in 2020 that decriminalized small amounts of hard drugs such as heroin or methamphetamines. The bill was part of a larger effort to push drug users toward treatment and keep them from overcrowding prisons.

Addiction experts told a state Senate committee last month that the problem of overdoses and addiction is due to lax enforcement and not enough institutionalized pressure to push people toward seeking treatment. They did not recommend repealing Measure 110.

Kotek told Yahoo News that the inability to stem the drug problem comes from a failure by Brown, the Democratic governor, and by the states health agency to distribute around $500 million in funding to ramp up treatment center availability.

Gov. Brown has been absent on making sure that money has gotten out the door, Kotek said. And the Oregon Health Authority, she said, has done a very poor job of moving those resources.

Im very frustrated by the leadership at the Oregon Health Authority, she said.

Koteks challenge, then, is really in convincing enough voters that she represents a new chapter rather than more of the same. Right now, Drazan is having a field day portraying herself as the change candidate and calling Kotek a continuation of the status quo.

Its a laughable characterization, Kotek said. Anybody who knows me knows I am a change agent.

Whether Kotek can convince voters to give her and her party another chance to fix Oregon will largely depend on whether they believe her.
German powerhouse Constantin Film and Frank Spotnitzs Big Light Productions have teamed to make a high-end drama series about the events surrounding the Nuremberg Trials.

The drama, currently unnamed, follows the prosecution of Nazi officials after World War II, the first time in history that people were held accountable for war crimes, exploring characters from all sides of the trials.

More from Deadline

The series will be executive produced by Oliver Berben and Robert Kulzer for Constantin Film, Spotnitz and Emily Feller (Leonardo, Medici, Trust Me, Ordinary Lies) for Big Light, and Ron Maxwell (Gettysburg) along with Jeff Berg of Northside Services.

This series is a real powerhouse, said Spotnitz. Its an investigative mystery, a suspense thriller set both in a courtroom and on the global stage, and one of the most searing moral dramas imaginable. The characters and the issues all seem startlingly relevant and contemporary.

On May 8, 1945, Nazi Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allies, but the world remained in a state of unrest and global powerplay, said Robert Kulzer of Constantin Film. Our show describes the intricate and multi-layered chess game how the United States took the reins on establishing the post-war power structure and how the Nuremberg Trials became the tipping point that signaled to the world that law and order will be restored.

Constantin Film was nominated for an Oscar for 2004 film Downfall, which covered the final hours and collapse of the Nazi regime. Most recently, It produced The Conference, a historically accurate drama about a meeting that was part of planning the Holocaust, which was awarded Best Feature Film at the 2022 New York Festivals and won the German Television Prize for Best TV Film and Best Screenplay Fiction.

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Big Light is behind shows such as The Man in the High Castle for Prime Video and three seasons of Italian drama Medici for Rai and Netflix. It also has Hunted for the BBC and HBO and Ransom for CBS and more recently made Leonardo for Rai, France Televisions, Sony and Amazon Prime Video UK, starring Aidan Turner and Freddie Highmore.

Big Light is represented by WME and attorney Jared Levine at Yorn Levine.

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Click here to read the full article.
Two men were eating dinner at a restaurant in Texas when they were shot and killed, according to a local news outlet.

Houston police officers were called to Tai Loi at about 11:05 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, according to a news release from the police department.

The officers found two men unresponsive in a booth, each with several gunshot wounds, police said. They were pronounced dead in the west Houston restaurant.

Their identities are pending verification, but police said one victim was 63 years old. The other man was believed to be between 30 and 40 years old.

The two victims and restaurant employees were the only ones inside the restaurant when police arrived, KTRK reported.

Police said all other customers were already gone before officers arrived.

There are believed to have been 1 to 3 shooters who fled the scene, according to the police report.

The shooting is still under investigation, but police believe it may have been a targeted shooting, according to KRIV.

No other injuries were reported.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600. Tipsters who would like to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.

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Peopleimages / iStock.com

In Airbnbs latest annual survey, approximately 35% of hosts worldwide said they host to help cover the rising cost of living. Retirees are part of that group, and with the economy like it is, more and more retirees are choosing to rent out their properties on Airbnb.

If youve never hosted on Airbnb, you might be apprehensive. After all, youll be opening up your home to complete strangers. And while you do need to do your homework before you list your property on the platform, choosing to be an Airbnb host can be rewarding in more ways than boosting your bank account.

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Greg and Teri Gault, retirees and Airbnb hosts of Vasquez Mountain View Ranch in Agua Dulce, California, have never looked back since they started hosting.

Initially we were concerned about having strangers on our property, but every concern we had has been completely alleviated, said Teri Gault. We decided we had to take the plunge and listed our Airbnb just three days before New Years Eve and have been booked solid ever since. Every guest is welcome back any time, and weve enjoyed meeting wonderful people, dogs and even cats from all over the world. Heres what novice retirees need to know to get started hosting on Airbnb.

Know What Makes for a Successful Listing

If youre thinking of listing your property as a retiree on Airbnb, there are a few things you need to do in order to make sure your listing is successful, said Kym Tolson, LCSW, CSAC, aka The Traveling Therapist.

First, take some time to browse other listings in your area to get an idea of what guests are looking for. Then, take clear and well-lit photos of your space, highlighting any unique features. Next, write a detailed and accurate description of your property, including any relevant amenities and nearby attractions. Finally, set a competitive price that reflects the value of your listing. By following these simple tips, youll be sure to attract guests and earn top ratings on Airbnb.

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Stock the Kitchen

Stock the kitchen with staples like coffee, cream, sugar, vegetable oil, spice rack, napkins, paper plates, toothpicks and salt and pepper, said Gault. List the goods you provide in your amenities so that your guests dont have to overpack.

Stock the Bathroom

Stock the bathroom with shampoo, body wash and conditioner and [list those items] on the amenities, said Gault. Post a sign inside the medicine cabinet, Forgot something? Take and keep it. Stock new unopened items like deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, etc. No one has ever wiped out our supply but only taken whatever theyve needed.

Take Our Poll: Have You Ever Lost Wealth Due To a Natural Disaster?

Make Safety a Top Priority

First, be sure to thoroughly vet all potential guests in advance, recommended Tolson. This includes reading reviews from previous stays as well as conducting your own background check.

Be aware that Airbnb does conduct background checks on guests prior to their stay as long as an accurate first and last name and birthdate is provided.

Additionally, its always a good idea to have a solid understanding of your insurance coverage in case of any damages or accidents that may occur during the stay, said Tolson. And finally, be sure to leave clear instructions for your guests on how to use any amenities in your home, as well as any safety features like fire extinguishers or carbon monoxide detectors. By taking a few simple steps, you can help create a safe and welcoming environment for all your visitors.

Have Expectations for Your Guests

Hosts should absolutely expect guests to keep a rental space relatively clean, behave themselves, and keep noise levels down, said Leonard Ang, CEO of iPropertyManagement. Dont be afraid to put restrictions on things like parties, alcoholic drinks or renting to people attending certain events like sporting events.

Be Available to Your Guests if Needed

Expect that as hosts you will need to be available to deal with queries and problems at any time of day, said Amy Stride, longtime Airbnb host and owner of Oakwood West Holidays. Some guests will be completely self-sufficient and others will expect you to be available to assist them at all times. If you are renting out your home when travelling, youll need to have an agency or a local representative to deal with these. This cost will need to be factored into pricing. If you are renting out part of your home, its really important to consider the potential effect of being on call 24/7.

Stride recommends giving your guests as much information upfront as possible to reduce their need to contact you during their stay.

Be Prepared To Give Your Guests Privacy

Provide contactless check in and check out, said Gault. And know that some will want to keep to themselves. Other guests may initiate conversation which weve really enjoyed getting to know. Many return on a regular basis, and weve connected as friends. But again, let your guests initiate further contact.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: A Retirees Guide To Hosting on Airbnb
PROVIDENCE - Results for the state's annual standardized tests won't be released until mid-November, which is after the state's general election, leading GOP gubernatorial candidate Ashley Kalus to accuse the McKee administration of delaying the results.

The Rhode Island Department of Education, in a statement Wednesday, denied delaying the release of the Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System or RICAS. Test scores tanked last year in the wake of the pandemic.

"Historically, since RICAS was first administered, the release of results has ranged from October to late November," said RIDE spokesman Victor Morente. "In 2018, it was November 29. This years results will include additional informational resources for families and students to better understand what these results mean and how they can inform their decision-making regarding education."

Kalus wasted no time in accusing the McKee administration of intentionally delaying the results.

Given that last years RICAS scores showed only 33 percent of Rhode Island students were proficient in English and only 20 percent were performing at grade-level in math, it should come as no surprise that Dan McKee wants to suppress the results until after the election," she said in a statement. "He clearly fears the likelihood of concrete data showing parents his administration is failing children."

Kalus called on McKee and state education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green to release the results on Oct. 19.

"The public should not allow Dan McKee to brush his shortcomings under the rug," she said.

McKee's campaign fired back, saying: Despite Ashley Kalus's best efforts to make our childrens education about politics, it is not  and so we will defer to RIDE to explain the process, which, as RIDE has pointed out, is not delayed.

This isn't the first time that gubernatorial candidates have sparred over the timing of the state test scores' public release.

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In 2018, Cranston Mayor Allan Fung accused then-Governor Raimondo of "hiding those numbers" until after the Nov. 6 election.

"I'm hearing she's got the numbers," Fung said at the time. "I'm hearing that the numbers are an abject failure."

Independent candidate Joseph Trillo called the delay on test results "dirty politics, at its worst."

In August 2018, then-state education Commissioner Ken Wagner told school districts that the new standardized test scores would be released to the public the week of Oct. 1.

Raimondo's office denied that politics played a role in the delayed announcement. Raimondo spokeswoman Jennifer Bogdan said that Wagner notified the governor's office in mid-September that it would need additional time for analysis because the state has switched to a new standardized test.

In a Sept. 21 field memo to school leaders, Wagner backed away from the October release date, saying that the Department of Education needed more time to interpret the data from the new test implemented this year for grades 3 through 8.

Linda Borg covers education for The Journal.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RICAS scores to come out mid-November
By Isabel Kua

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Wealthy mainland Chinese have been the top foreign buyers of expensive private properties in Singapore this year as the city-state reaps the benefits of post-pandemic reopening and a relatively strong currency, despite tax increases.

Mainland Chinese buyers accounted for about one-fifth of the 425 luxury units - defined as costing more than S$5 million ($3.52 million)- sold from January to August this year. This was followed by 34 units bought by Americans and 28 units by Indonesians.

Singapore has long been a magnet for the mega-rich, wooed by the Southeast-Asian city-state's stable politics, strong currency, and reputation as a safe haven to park assets, analysts said. Singapore's property prices have also tended to accelerate gradually, with few booms and wild busts seen in other popular markets.

Meanwhile, China is facing a property crisis, with slumping sales and developers defaulting on debts, and consumer confidence has been soured by repeated COVID-19 lockdowns.

All in, the number of luxury units sold to foreigners in Singapore in the first eight months of this year - including those with permanent residency - has outpaced the 282 in the same period in pre-pandemic 2019 and the 322 in 2018.

The data, from the Urban Redevelopment Authority and property consultancy OrangeTee & Tie, show that Singapore property remains popular among foreigners despite the government raising taxes for purchases last December.

In a bid to cool the private property market, stamp duties for foreigners without permanent residency were raised from 20% to 30%.

Still, 143 luxury apartments were sold to these foreigners from January to August this year - higher than the 136 during the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.

In a bulk purchase in June, one Chinese tycoon splurged over S$85 million on 20 new units in central Singapore, while another Chinese buyer snapped up four units for around S$60 million.

Singapore has also been actively wooing the ultra rich, giving tax incentives to family offices -- entities created by wealthy families to manage their money -- and issuing visas to those earning more than S$30,000 a month.

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The number of family offices increased from 400 at the end of 2020 to 700 last year. High profile ones include billionaire Liang Xinjun, formerly the co-founder of China investment firm Fosun International.

Nicholas Mak, head of research and consultancy at ERA Realty Network, said mainland Chinese and Malaysians were the two biggest buyers of Singapore property before the pandemic.

Professor Sing Tien Foo, who analyses real estate at the National University of Singapore, said the 30% tax was "a lot of money" to the average buyer but merely "part of the transaction costs" for the ultra rich.

The Singapore dollar with its history of being a stable currency also encourages foreigners to park assets in Singapore, said Mak.

"When you invest in foreign assets, you want to make sure that the currency doesn't depreciate 30% when you want to exit," he said.

Since Singapore progressively opened its borders from last year, there has been a flood of relocations to the country including from Hong Kong, where COVID restrictions were still tight. This has driven up home rental and purchase prices. Even government subsidised flats on the resale market are passing the million dollar mark.

Just last week, the government tightened loan limits for public flats in an attempt to dampen demand.

Home rents have risen to a seven-year high in Singapore, already one of the world's most expensive cities, even though its population has dipped in the past two years.

($1 = 1.4216 Singapore dollars)

(Reporting by Isabel Kua; Editing by Xinghui Kok and Kim Coghill)
The Richmond Police Department says late Officer Seara Burtons K9, Brev, has been retired and they already have plans for their next K9.

Following Burtons death last month, the Police Department Administration made the decision to retire Brev from active service. News Center 7 previously reported that Brev is now living with Burtons mother and stepmother.

>> K-9 Brev, Officer Seara Burtons partner, has retired from the Richmond Police Department

Brev has adjusted extremely well to his new retired life and is in the best possible place a dog could hope for, Richmond Police Chief Michael Britt, Major Jon Bales and Major Aly Tonuc said in a joint release.

Prior to being retired, Brev had been cared for by Detective Scott Glover, a former K9 handler. since Burton was shot on Aug. 10.

Britt told News Center 7 Wednesday that the decision to retire Brev was the right thing to do. Britt explained that there is a process for police officers and K9s to select each other and they didnt know how pairing Brev up with another officer would go.

Brev came to the Richmond Police Department from Vohne Liche Kennels in Denver, Indiana. In the wake of Brevs retirement, Vohne Liche Kennels have offered to provide Richmond PD with its next K9 at no cost.

>> Its touched everyones heart; How the community has come together after Seara Burtons passing

A new K9 costs, on average, about $20,000, according to Britt. The cost includes training, as well as ancillary expenses such as sophisticated electronic lock and release mechanisms for police cars in the event of a loss of air conditioning.

Ken (Licklider) and his team were deeply moved by the tragic loss of Seara. His willingness to extend this offer to RPD is greatly appreciated and shows the tight bond between Vohne Liche Kennels, the department, and the entire K9 community, the release stated.




FORT BELVOIR, Va.  The Armys mixed reality goggle is headed to soldiers in a three-step process in which developers expect two early versions released next year will help with redesigns for a third version to roll out across the Army.

The Integrated Visual Augmentation System, or IVAS, is a nearly $22 billion program that the Army is developing to bring night vision, thermal vision, tactical edge computing and the situational awareness of a fighter pilot down to the lowest-level infantry soldier. The device will likely be the most advanced single technology ever fielded exclusively to the close-combat, squad-level soldier in military history.

The Army will deliver 5,000 IVAS 1.0 versions and another 5,000 IVAS 1.1 versions this coming year, said Brig. Gen. Christopher Schneider, the Program Executive Office-Soldier commanding general. Previous budget reports indicate the Army will purchase 40,000 devices or more.

The combined 1.0 and 1.1 fielding is a delay from the previous first unit equipped planned date of September 2022, which was delayed from another previous initial fielding planned for late 2021. But the short-term holdup is critical to ensure soldier acceptance of the device, according to Army officials.

Schneider spoke with Army Times about the IVAS program recently, noting the new rollout plan will field the two existing versions and begin developing the IVAS 1.2 version in parallel with those first fieldlings. IVAS 1.2, which will have a new low-light sensor and hardware redesign, is scheduled to field in the fiscal year 2025.

We dont want to rush IVAS to the field until its ready, Schneider said.

Despite delay, mixed reality goggle for soldiers, Marines on schedule for 2022

The Army will send 5,000 IVAS 1.0 devices to units in Training and Doctrine Command, such as the Maneuver Center of Excellence, for use in training, schoolhouses and experimentation.

The 5,000 IVAS 1.1 devices will go to not-yet-identified operational units and can be used in garrison, field training and on combat deployments. Units such as the 82nd Airborne Division, 75th Ranger Regiment and 101st Airborne Division often receive such technology first, due to their unique missions.

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The 1.0 and 1.1 versions look similar from the outside. Both have night vision as good or better than most fielded systems. Both also have thermal sights in the same device, present only in one other goggle thats had limited fielding to a select group of close combat forces, the Enhanced Night Vision Device-Binocular.

Rangers from 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment participate in new equipment training on the IVAS Capability Set 4 during tropical weather testing in Camp Santiago, Puerto Rico, in March 2021. (Army)

Both versions also allow for passive targeting. This lets users identify aiming points and targets without being seen by other night vision users.

If we have to plan to fight a near peer threat, theyre going to be equipped with night vision, too. And if you use a laser, they see a laser too, Schneider said.

With passive targeting, thats not a concern.

They have no idea youre targeting them until a bullet hits them, Schneider said.

The challenge is that the IVAS is expected to be more than a night vision goggle. Its designed to provide mixed reality, information sharing, situational awareness tools and a host of other capabilities to the individual soldier.

People think of IVAS as a night vision goggle, Schneider said. But its more about learning how to use the cloud at the tactical edge. How to train with the device, execute missions and mission planning.

What the Army wants

IVAS is a standalone system that contains situational awareness tools in one package, beyond any of the Armys current systems, including Nett Warrior, a long-running soldier-borne computer in a smartphone or tablet.

The device also works as a vehicle, ground or air integration tool for dismounted soldiers.

Thats part of ongoing work with soldiers integrating the IVAS with helicopters, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the Stryker, Brig. Gen. Larry Burris, Cross Functional Team-Soldier Lethality director and Infantry School commandant told Army Times recently.

Soldiers using wireless routers in the Bradley were able to see the same view as the vehicle commander, driver or gunner through their optics, Burris said.

But the most success so far, he added, has come with the Stryker.

Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, Blackhorse Company, 2-3 Infantry Regiment, 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team wear upgraded Integrated Visual Augmentation System goggles while sitting atop Stryker armored vehicles preparing for a movement-to-contact urban raid exercise on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., August 24, 2022. (Spc. Chandler Coats/Army)

You look around and its as if theres no armor on the vehicle, Burris said, referencing what its like to wear the device from the point of view of vehicle occupants. I turn my head to the right and it automatically detects the camera thats off the right side of the vehicle.

And in all platforms, soldiers passed data and used voice communications with the device, he added.

That work has involved PEO-Ground Systems and the Armys Combat Capabilities Development Command.

With the current fielding plan, Burris expects to see novel applications and get more feedback from TRADOC and operational units as they use the device.

Mixed reality is a kind of augmented reality common now in gaming devices that places simulated objects, terrain or characters overlaid on the real world. It gives soldiers a tool only available now in laboratories or training facilities.

That feature can be used on the fly, in a barracks parking lot, on a training range or hours before an actual mission for rehearsal.

Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division don the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) during their training with the Squad Immersive Virtual Trainer (SiVT) in the Soldier Integration Facility (SIF) at Fort Belvoir, VA on 14 August 2020. (PEO Soldier/Army)

We can pipe in ISR feeds into the device, we can scan areas with the device and build 3D models, Schneider said.

The simulation tech is promising but still needs some work. Schneider said indoor facilities are no problem for scanning, mapping and rehearsals. But outdoor locations challenge the current technology.

If a soldier scans an area, then a car moves, or the sun shifts and shadows change, it can alter a soldiers view. But, Schneider said, once resolved, a soldier will be able to see a computer-generated avatar that can interact with the real world. That provides a realistic training option that previously required human role players.

Technology limits

But the Army still has some technical hurdles to overcome.

Current tech limitations create challenges to having both a digital low-light sensor and thermal sight in the same device with the level of data fusion, integration and information-sharing that the Army wants.

The legacy technology, known as I2, has been developed over nearly 70 years and uses an analog, tube-based design. That is an extremely capable technology for providing night vision, Schneider said.

The current I2 systems, high resolution, works really well, but it doesnt allow us to share or leverage what a soldier sees, Schneider said. You cant employ computer vision software, you cant employ (Artificial Intelligence) with the analog solution today.

For example, thermal sights cannot see through glass, but low-light sensors can. Meanwhile, low-light sensors cant see through dust, smoke or other obscurants, but thermals can. By combining the two, users get the best of both.

A Ranger from 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment executes a live fire exercise with the IVAS Capability Set 4 during tropical weather testing in Camp Santiago, Puerto Rico, in March 2021. (Army)

After 70 years of fine tuning, the I2 technology has nearly reached its optimum performance levels, Schneider said.

The tradeoff is that the existing low-light sensor and camera works on digital technology. That provides a good night vision capability, to a point. But the existing camera will drop off under dark, less than quarter-moon conditions. The legacy tech can work at those levels, but it does degrade. At a certain point, the digital tech basically stops working.

Were trying to replace that technology with something thats new, we think weve finally found a digital low-light sensor that will do it, Schneider said.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville restated his own commitment to the program and its eventual use, providing some context from his own career as a helicopter pilot, during remarks at the Maneuver Warfighter Conference at Fort Benning, Georgia, on Sept. 13.

If you flew back when I was flying with night vision goggles in 81 they were big, full-face goggles and how we flew with them, I dont know, McConville said. We had weights in the back of our head. It was not very smart, but we werent very smart then, we just did it.

The days of pushing out hard-to-use new tech are no longer the norm, the chief said.

Program delays

The Army planned to have the device to soldiers in 2021, but problems with software reliability, display warping and moisture issues paused the plan. PEO Soldier conducted additional tests through most of the past year.

The Army pushed back release for additional testing, as well as some hardware and software fixes. Those included reducing the originally ambitious field of view to resolve image distortion problems. After further testing and funding approvals, the device release has again been pushed, now to 2023 with versions 1.0 and 1.1.

Most existing night vision goggles have about a 40-degree field of view, meaning you can see about a 40-degree wedge in front of the goggle. That does not cover a users peripheral vision.

IVAS and Microsoft developers of the HoloLens, the commercial device the IVAS started with, initially sought to double that to an 80-degree field of view.

Soldiers from Third Platoon, Blackhorse Company, 2-3 Infantry Regiment, 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team wear upgraded Integrated Visual Augmentation System goggles while sitting inside a Stryker armored vehicle preparing for a movement-to-contact urban raid exercise on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., August 24, 2022. (Spc. Chandler Coats/Army)

But image distortion required a scale back to 70 degrees, still nearly twice the existing range, officials previously told Army Times.

A Department of Defense Inspector Generals audit of the IVAS program, released earlier this year, directed developers to seek more soldier input to avoid, wasting up to $21.88 billion in taxpayer funds to field a system that soldiers may not want to use or use as intended.

Despite dozens of soldier touch points, the report noted, the Army hadnt determined how it would measure soldier acceptance of the device.

PEO Soldier spokesman David Patterson told Army Times shortly after the IG report released that officials recognized the importance of soldier acceptance of the goggle, but it was not the only factor.

Soldier feedback was incorporated into numerous design decisions and updates in the prototyping process, Patterson said.

The published IG audit included soldier feedback, but those portions were redacted from the publicly released version.

A test report planned for completion in October could determine the next round of funding. Members of Congress in both chambers appropriation committees recommended cuts to the program following previous delays.

The next funding installment in the current plan would be for more than $424 million.

Another report on the most recent reliability fixes and anticipated changes is due in October, officials said.

Changes

The IVAS 1.2 version will see a form factor redesign. The current systems use straps to fix it to the users face and over the helmet, almost like ski goggles, 1.2 will be helmet mounted, like currently fielded night vision devices.

A cable that in versions 1.0 and 1.1 runs down the front of the user and connects to batteries will be moved to the rear of the helmet off the users chest and shoulder. The 1.2 version will also be slimmer and lighter.

The entire IVAS 1.0 system, excluding the radio, is about 3.4 pounds. Of that, 2.4 pounds is on the soldiers head.

In version 1.2, developers seek to cut that total weight to 2.85 pounds or less, same or better than the ENVG-B, officials said.

Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division used the latest prototype of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) during a trench clearing exercise in October at Fort Pickett, Va. (Bridgett Siter/Army)

Humidity control and moisture problems noted in last years review have been fixed for IVAS 1.0 and beyond.

All three versions work with the Family of Weapons Sights-Individual and Rapid Target Acquisition software. FWS-I was included in the ENVG-B fielding and allows users to wirelessly link their goggle to their rifle optic to view targets without shouldering the weapon.

RTA uses software to cue a target within the optic or goggle view, much like what vehicle-mounted soldier systems do. The combination also gives soldiers a picture-in-picture view option that lets them see the terrain but also a smaller version of the optic view.

The current ENVG-B lowlight sensor does outperform the IVAS 1.0 lowlight sensor. But an improved sensor is planned for both 1.1 and 1.2 versions, officials said.

A lowlight sensor being examined for 1.1 already exceeds all other individual night vision optics, except for the ENVG-B.

Both Schneider and his predecessor at PEO-Soldier, Maj. Gen. Anthony Potts, repeatedly acknowledged unplanned delays in the program but defended some of those with the ambitious strides the organization is taking on the edges of existing technology to merge all the capabilities into one individual-soldier-borne device.

Despite those challenges, Schneider stressed in his interview with Army Times that the fielded IVAS devices need to work as advertised to achieve soldier acceptance.

This plan allows that. We are listening, were going to fix the camera and were going to get the form factor right. We have to get this right for soldier adoption, Schneider said. And weve got to maintain trust with them that were doing the right thing. But weve also got to push, push the limits.
Here's a roundup of recent incidents and announcements from Ventura County agencies:

Ventura police arrest teen after threats; weapons confiscated

VENTURA  The Ventura Police Department arrested a 14-year-old high school student Tuesday after he allegedly made threats about the school on social media.

The arrest was made around 2:30 p.m. at Foothill Technology High School at 100 Day Road in Ventura.

Police were notified earlier in the day about a threat made on Instagram regarding the school, authorities said. Officers investigated in collaboration with Ventura Unified School District officials to determine its credibility and learned it was made by a student at the school.

Police officials said in a release they, along with the Ventura Unified School District, take "all threats to our campuses and students" seriously.

"When adolescents are involved, it is sometimes difficult to determine the intent of these types of threats, as they are occasionally done as a prank or joke," Cmdr. Rick Murray said in the statement.

Murray said Thursday he didn't know whether Tuesday's incident was meant as a prank, but regardless of a teen's intent, the outcome can be serious when threats are made.

"We want to make sure people realize the consequences are severe," he said.

School wasn't in session at the time so campus operations weren't affected, Murray said.

The student was detained at the campus and arrested on suspicion of criminal threats. Officials contacted his parents, who cooperated with the investigation, police said.

Several weapons owned by the family were later turned over to police and the student was booked into Ventura County Juvenile Hall.

In a statement emailed Thursday, school district spokesperson Marieanne Quiroz said the district is following its disciplinary protocols but cannot comment on specifics due to privacy laws and the suspect being a minor.

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Situations such as the one that occurred at Foothill Technology High School concern our entire community," Quiroz wrote. "We are grateful for the quick response from a community member who alerted us to their concern over an online threat. We consistently encourage our community to say something when they see or hear something that concerns them.

No injuries were reported.

Animal shelter burglary suspect released on bail

Pretty Girl, a rescue dog stolen from the Paw Works facility in Camarillo in June.

VENTURA COUNTY  The suspect in a burglary at a Camarillo animal rescue facility was released from jail Tuesday after his bail was reduced during a court hearing earlier that day.

Miles Berry, 33, of Newbury Park, pleaded not guilty last Friday to charges of commercial burglary, grand theft and animal cruelty stemming from two incidents at the Paw Works Animal Rescue facility on Pleasant Valley Road.

Authorities allege Berry broke into the shelter on June 9 and stole a 3-year-old German shepherd named Pretty Girl. The dog died hours later when she was found along Highway 101 in Newbury Park where she had been apparently hit by a car.

Berry is also accused of attempting to break into the same facility on Sept. 4. No animals were taken during the second incident.

At a bail review hearing on Tuesday, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Nancy Ayers reduced Berry's bail from $50,000, the amount set when he was arrested, to $10,000, which she said is the amount scheduled for second-degree burglary.

Berry's release terms require him to find another home for his pet cat and stay at least 100 yards away from Paw Works. He is also prohibited from owning any animals or burglary tools and is subject to searches for such items while out of custody.

Berry was released Tuesday night on a bail bond, online jail records show. He is due to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. Monday in room 12.

Security footage shows a person stealing rescue dog Pretty Lady from the nonprofit Paw Works facility in Camarillo in June.

Former county spokesperson takes plea deal in DUI case

VENTURA COUNTY  Ashley Bautista, the former chief spokesperson for Ventura County government, took a plea deal Friday in a DUI case that led to her resignation from the high-profile position in June.

Bautista pleaded no contest on Friday to charges of driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or greater and hit-and-run, both misdemeanor violations. She was sentenced to serve five days in county jail and three years probation, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

Additionally, Bautista is required to enroll in a three-month DUI Program, attend two Mothers Against Drunk Driving victim offender groups and pay an undetermined amount of restitution, prosecutors said.

Bautista's attorney did not return a call for comment.

Bautista was arrested on June 17 near Ocean and South Seaward avenues in Ventura. She had been driving along Paseo de Playa and was waiting to turn onto Harbor Boulevard when she rear-ended the vehicle in front of her. She continued driving for approximately 2 miles before getting pulled over by Ventura police. She resigned from her position on June 21 after news of her arrest broke.

DUI arrest in crash near Oak View

VENTURA COUNTY  A 26-year-old Ventura man was arrested on suspicion of DUI after his car went off a mountainside near Oak View early Sunday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The crash was reported around 1:10 a.m. along the southbound side of Highway 33 south of Encino Drive.

CHP officers found the vehicle about 200 feet over the side of the cliff with the driver, the vehicle's sole occupant, out of the vehicle and suffering major injuries.

The driver, who showed signs of intoxication, was transported to a local hospital for treatment. He was arrested on suspicion of DUI and remains hospitalized, the CHP said.

Officers remained at the scene for hours to remove the vehicle from the mountainside.

Items may be updated.

Jeremy Childs is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at 805-437-0208, jeremy.childs@vcstar.com, and on Twitter @Jeremy_Childs.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: Ventura teen school threat arrest, Paw Works suspect released
The risk of nuclear "Armageddon" is at the highest level since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, President Joe Biden said during a fundraiser Thursday amid the threat Russian President Vladimir Putin will deploy nuclear weapons to ward off Ukraines attempt to reclaim control of Moscow-occupied areas.

Biden's warning follows talks among Russian officials about the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons after suffering massive setbacks in the eight-month invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also repeatedly alluded to using his country's vast nuclear arsenal.

"We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis," Biden said at a fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, suggesting Putin's threat is real "because his military is  you might say  significantly underperforming."

For months, U.S. officials have warned of the possibility of Russia using weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine. But officials said this week that they have seen no change to Russia's nuclear forces that would require a change in the alert posture of U.S. nuclear forces.

The U.S. has been "clear" to Russia about what the "consequences" of using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine would be, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

TURNING POINT IN THE WAR? As Russia admits defeat in Kharkiv, Ukraine regains land, confidence

Other developments:

The head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, met Thursday in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and praised not only Ukraine's success on the battlefield but the country's "ongoing efforts to strengthen its democracy and its economy. She said the U.S. would provide an additional $55 million to repair heating pipes and other equipment.

Swedens domestic security agency said its preliminary investigation of leaks from two Russian gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea confirmed they were caused by "detonations,'' and that the findings have "strengthened the suspicions of serious sabotage.

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Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., a prominent Kremlin critic who was jailed for allegedly spreading false information about the war in Ukraine, has been charged with treason by Russian authorities.

The European Union on Thursday froze the assets of an additional 37 people and entities tied to Russias war in Ukraine, including officials involved in the annexation of four Ukrainian provinces.

Polish officials said they are distributing potassium iodide tablets to regional firefighter stations in case Ukraines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is damaged.

PUTIN SEIZES EUROPE'S LARGEST POWER PLANT: Putin also signs laws annexing Ukraine land; OPEC cuts oil production, helps Russia

People look through second hand clothes at a humanitarian aid distribution point in Slavyansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.

Ukraine regains 150 square miles of land in expanding counteroffensive

As Ukraine consolidates the territory it has recaptured in the northeastern Kharkiv province, it continues to make gains in the east and south of the country.

Since the start of October, Kyiv's forces have taken back more than 150 square miles of land in the southern Kherson province that had fallen to the Russians early in the war, Ukraines southern military command said Thursday. Spokesperson Natalia Humeniuk added the situation along the southern front remains fluid.

At the same time, the Ukrainian counteroffensive that drove Russian troops out of Kharkiv and across the border has extended to the neighboring provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk, which make up the industrial Donbas region that Russia covets. Among the prize gains was the strategically important city of Lyman.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his officials announced Wednesday the retaking of villages in those provinces. Zelenskyy proclaimed, The return of the Ukrainian flag means that a peaceful and socially secure life is once again possible for Donbas.

With the attempted Russian annexation of four provinces as a backdrop, further Ukrainian progress in parts of Luhansk appears probable because of favorable terrain and lack of Russian reinforcements, according to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

"Ukraines ongoing northern and southern counteroffensives are likely forcing the Kremlin to prioritize the defense of one area of operations at the expense of another, potentially increasing the likelihood of Ukrainian success in both," the institute said.

'PEOPLE WILL BE STARVING': Nuclear war between US, Russia would leave 5 billion dead from hunger, study says

2 Russians escaping draft seek US asylum after landing in Alaska

Two Russians who said they're escaping President Vladimir Putin's military conscription are requesting U.S. asylum after landing on a remote Alaskan island in the Bering Sea, the office of Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said.

Murkowski and fellow Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, both Republicans, said the Russians arrived at a beach near Gambell, an isolated community of about 600 people on St. Lawrence Island. Gambell is about 36 miles from the Chukotka Peninsula in Russia's region of Siberia.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement the Russians arrived on a small boat Tuesday and were taken to Anchorage for screening and processing. The statement did not provide information on their asylum request.

A statement from Sullivan urged federal authorities to come up with a plan in case more Russians flee to Bering Strait communities in Alaska.

Kremlin accuses NATO of 'pumping up' nuclear talk

A Kremlin spokeswoman on Thursday appeared to tamp down controversy over any nuclear option in Ukraine and blamed NATO for an escalation in nuclear rhetoric.

"The Russian Federation is fully committed to the principle of the inadmissibility of nuclear war," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Zakharova said she won't "participate in pumping up the degree of nuclear rhetoric," saying it served the interests of NATO countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in announcing a partial military mobilization for his country last month, vowed to use all available means to deter attacks against Russia, an allusion to Russias tactical nuclear arsenal. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg then warned of severe consequences for Russia if Putin were to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. The U.S. issued a similar warning.

Missile attacks draw close to Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia

Russia launched two missile attacks Thursday that hit more than 40 apartment buildings in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, close to Europe's largest nuclear power plant, authorities said. At least seven people were killed and five were missing, regional Gov. Oleksandr Starukha said.

The strikes came hours after Ukraine announced that Russian occupation forces had been driven out of three more villages in regions illegally annexed by Moscow.

Each side has blamed the other for rocket attacks roaring harrowingly close to the Zaporizhzhia plant. Putin on Wednesday declared the plant Russian property, a decree quickly rejected by Ukraine.

Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

MONTHS OF WAR: The entire world is losing. A look at where we go from here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine live updates: Presidnet Biden warns of nuclear 'Armageddon'
Russia's UN. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia

Read also: Russian "referenda" in occupied parts of Ukraine have no legal value, UN Secretary-General says

The vote concerns a UN General Assembly resolution that condemns Russia's sham referendums and its "attempted illegal annexation" of Ukrainian territories.

Read also: Ukraine requests urgent UN Security Council meeting over sham referendums

"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 the UN.

He insisted that a secret ballot was imperative because Western lobbying may cause difficulties if positions are expressed publicly.

Read also: Ukraine calls on allies to declare Russia a terrorist state in response to annexation of Ukrainian land

Diplomats said the General Assembly would likely have to vote publicly on whether to hold a secret ballot.

On Sept. 27, Russian occupiers announced the "results" of sham referendums staged in the occupied territories of the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. The results, which had been prepared beforehand, showed invented figures of nearly or over 90% support for annexation. These figures are false.

Read also: Turkey condemns Russia's illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory

On Sept. 30, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin ordered the Donbas puppet authorities, as well as collaborators in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, to sign papers agreeing to this claimed annexation.

On Oct. 4, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy implemented a National Security and Defense Council decision that renders negotiations with Putin impossible, though he stated that Ukraine is ready to negotiate with Putins successor. The Ukrainian president also officially recognized Putin's decrees on the annexation of Ukrainian territories as null and void.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
VALENTYNA ROMANENKO  THURSDAY, 6 OCTOBER 2022, 15:04

On the morning of 6 October, Russian aviation launched a missile attack on Ukraine from the territory of Belarus.

Source: Oleksii Hromov, Deputy Head of the Main Operational Directive of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; Yurii Ihnat, Spokesman for the Air Force, speaking to Ukrainska Pravda

Quote: "This morning, four of the aggressor countrys Tu-22 M3 strategic aircraft carried out an airstrike on the territory of Ukraine from the airspace of Belarus.

The last use of aircraft from this direction was on 28 August."

Details: Air Force Spokesman Yurii Ihnat explained to Ukrainska Pravda that it was an attack on Khmelnytskyi Oblast, which the occupying forces hit with Kh-22 missiles.

Previously: Russian troops launched a missile attack on the Shepetivka district in Khmelnytskyi Oblast on the morning of 6 October, during the air raid alert. One of the two missiles fell near an infrastructure target.

The other missile fell on wasteland.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Getty

Just over two weeks since Vladimir Putins latest hail mary in his war against Ukraine, things are going so well for the Russian leader that draftees are rioting, his top allies are at each others throats over a series of losses, and his defense minister has now been urged by his own team to blow his brains out.

Yes, really, many are saying that a defense minister who allowed such circumstances to arise could, as an officer, just shoot himself. But, you know, for many the word officer is not clear, one of Russias puppet leaders in Kherson said Thursday in the latest sign of the wheels falling off the Russian war machine.

Kirill Stremousov now joins a rapidly growing list of Putin loyalists openly venting about recent Russian failures on the battlefieldand blaming worthless Russian military brass for the humiliating debacle.

After weeks of complaints by pro-Kremlin military bloggers, anger at the military has now officially carried over into a more formal setting: even some Russian lawmakers are now lashing out at defense officials, with retired army officer Andrei Kartapolov on Wednesday demanding the army stop lying about war losses.

Propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, interviewing Kartapolov, suggested the only solution would be to execute the defense officials guilty of the mounting setbacks.

Its Time to Brace for Putins Greatest Meltdown Yet

The very public infighting could not come at a worse time for the Kremlin, as Ukraines eye-popping counteroffensive to reclaim the countrys land has already forced Russian troops out of territories Putin boasted were officially now part of Russia just days ago.

The meltdown also comes, quite fortuitously, just in time for the Russian presidents birthday on Friday, which the Kremlin says he will spend in his hometown of St. Petersburg, more than 800 miles from Belgorodthe scene of the latest episode showing that Putins partial mobilization is going, quite spectacularly, not according to plan.

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Just two weeks after Putin announced to all of Russia that he would be summoning hundreds of thousands to face likely death on the battlefield to stop the West from weakening and dividing the country, his own troops are clearly divided: video has emerged of draftees straight-up rioting over the dysfunctional call-up, and more than a hundred of them are now said to have refused to fight.

An estimated 500 draftees were filmed in Belgorod trashing Putins chaotic partial mobilization this week in a video widely shared by social media channels linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner Group puppet master who human rights groups say personally recruited hundreds of prison inmates to fight in Ukraine in order to win this damn war for Putin.

Nobody needs us, there is absolutely zero preparation! one of the draftees can be heard shouting in the video.

As if the footage of Russian troops deriding their own leaders was not bad enough, the video was also widely seen as evidence of further infighting between Putin loyalists behind the scenes, as several men seen in the video were donning Wagner insignia. The video immediately sparked suspicions that Prighozin himself may have leaked it in order to further smear top Russian defense officials hes openly criticized for recent war failures, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. That theory appeared to gain traction as news broke that Alexei Slobodenyuk, a staffer for one of Prigozhins media projects known for attacking Shoigu, was arrested by a spetsnaz unit in Moscow.

But similar scenes have played out elsewhere, and even new legislation threatening deserters with up to 10 years in prison has apparently not deterred Russian draftees from opting out of the war.

More than 100 newly mobilized troops from Bryansk are now said to be refusing to go to the front.

Where are they sending us? We have no experience, we have nothing, an unnamed draftee said in an interview with the news outlet Sota published Thursday.

The soldier said military leadership intends to send him and roughly 100 others who are refusing to fight to take back Lyman in the Donetsk region, from where Russian troops were forced to retreat last weekend.

About a hundred and something people were sent there [before] and one remains alive, hes in a hospital, the soldier said.

Were Fucked: Vladimir Putins Great Russia Plan Just Went Up in Smoke in Lyman

Apart from refusing to fight, many of the new troops Putin mobilized also appear to be more busy devouring each other than defending the Motherland as the Russian leader hoped. Residents in the Moscow regions city of Serpuhkov are afraid to leave their homes as draftees drunkenly fight in the streets; draftees in Penza beat up a lieutenant-colonel accused of calling them meat for the slaughter; and draftees and conscripts engaged in a mass brawl near Moscow that required police intervention, according to Mozhem Obyasnit.

At least 10 Russian draftees have died before even making it to the frontline, according to local media reports. Those already on the battlefield are also revolting, according to human rights group Rus Sidyashaya, which revealed Thursday that 13 soldiers hijacked defense ministry vehicles and fled from a military base in occupied Kherson with weapons and ammunition in tow.

And thats to say nothing of the nearly 700,000 citizens who fled the country after Putins mobilization order, according to a new report by Forbes Russia.

In the face of such losses, however, the Kremlin appears to prefer sticking to what it does best: playing dumb.

I dont even know what the Russian publication Forbes is, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday when asked about the mass exodus. Is it published? Is there even such a publisher?

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russian missiles hit apartment buildings in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Thursday, killing at least seven people, with at least five others missing, in a region that Moscow has illegally annexed, a local official said.

Two strikes damaged more than 40 buildings hours after Ukraine's president announced that his military had retaken three more villages in another of the four regions annexed by Russia, Moscow's latest battlefield reversal.

The Zaporizhzhia regional governor, Oleksandr Starukh, who provided the casualty figure, said more than 20 people were rescued from the multistory apartment buildings. Rescuers who earlier took a 3-year-old girl to a hospital continued to search the rubble early Friday. Starukh wrote on Telegram that Russian forces used S-300 missiles in the attacks.

Russia has been reported to have converted the S-300 from its original use as a long-range antiaircraft weapon into a missile for ground attacks because of a shortage of other, more suitable weapons.

Absolute meanness. Absolute evil," Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskky said of the attacks, in a video speech to the inaugural summit of the European Political Community in Prague. "There have already been thousands of manifestations of such evil. Unfortunately, there may be thousands more.

Zaporizhzhia is one of the four regions of Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed as Russian territory in violation of international laws. The region is home to a sprawling nuclear power plant under Russian occupation; the city of the same name remains under Ukrainian control.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, announced Thursday after meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv that the U.N.s atomic energy watchdog will increase the number of inspectors at the Zaporizhzhia plant from two to four.

Grossi talked with Ukrainian officials  and later will confer in Moscow with Russian officials  efforts to set up a protection zone around the nuclear power station. Grossi said mines appear to have been planted around the perimeter of the plant, which has been damaged during the war and caused worries of a possible radiation disaster. Zelenskyy said Russia has stationed as many as 500 fighters at the plant.

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Putin signed a decree Wednesday declaring that Russia was taking over the six-reactor facility, a move Ukraines Foreign Ministry called a criminal act that was null and void.

Ukraine's state nuclear operator, Energoatom, said it would continue to operate the plant, whose last operating reactor was shut down Sept. 11 because of frequent outages of external power needed to run critical safety systems. Transmission lines to the plant have been repeatedly shelled, and Grossi on Thursday reported shelling in an industrial area close to the plant's access road.

Outside the battlefront, Russian authorities detained several hundred Ukrainians trying to flee Russian-occupied areas Wednesday near the Russian-Estonian border, according to Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets. Citing the Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs, he wrote on Facebook that Russian forces took the Ukrainians on trucks to an unknown destination.

Most of the detained Ukrainians had fled through Russia and Crimea and were seeking to enter the European Union  Estonia is a member state  or find a way to return home, Lubinets wrote.

Russian has forced thousands of Ukrainians into filtration camps to determine their loyalties. Zelenskyy said Thursday more than 1.6 million Ukrainians have been deported to Russia.

The precise borders of the areas in Ukraine that Moscow is claiming remain unclear. Putin has vowed to defend Russias territory  including the annexed Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine  with any means at his militarys disposal, including nuclear weapons.

Ukrainian forces are seizing back villages in Kherson in humiliating battlefield defeats for Russian forces that have badly dented the image of a powerful Russian military. Ukrainian officials said Thursday they have retaken 400 square kilometers (154 square miles) of territory, including 29 settlements, in the Kherson region since Oct. 1.

Ukraine also was pressing a counteroffensive in the Donetsk region, which Moscow-backed separatists have partially controlled since 2014 but which remains contested despite Putin's proclaimed annexation.

In battered Chasiv Yar, a city in the Donetsk region 7 miles (12 kilometers) from heavy fighting, the human impact became clear as retirees waited to collect their pension checks at a post office.

We are hoping for victory of the Ukrainian army, Vera Ivanovna, 81, a retired English and German teacher, said as artillery booms echoed. We lived in independent Ukraine as you are living in America. We also want to live how you are living.

At least two Russian strikes have hit Chasiv Yar in recent days, with one person reportedly buried under the rubble of a dormitory. More than 40 people were killed in July when Russian rockets struck a residential building.

Russia said it had seized the Donetsk region village of Zaitsevo. The governor of the neighboring Luhansk region said Ukrainian forces had recaptured the village of Hrekivka. Neither battlefield report could be independently confirmed.

The U.S. government, meanwhile, sent its international development chief to Kyiv on Thursday, the highest-ranking American official to visit Ukraine since Russia illegally annexed the four regions. The head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, met with government officials and residents and said the U.S. would provide an additional $55 million to repair heating pipes and other equipment.

USAID said the United States had delivered $9.89 billion in aid to Ukraine since February. A spending bill that U.S. President Joe Biden signed last week promises another $12.3 billion for Ukraines military and public services needs.

This war will be won on the battlefield, but it is also being won in Ukraines ongoing efforts to strengthen its democracy and its economy, Power told reporters at Kyivs train station.

She said Ukraines success as a democratic country with a modern economy tackling corruption incensed Putin.

The European Union on Thursday froze the assets of an additional 37 people and entities tied to Russias war in Ukraine, bringing the total of EU blacklist targets to 1,351. The newly sanctioned included officials involved in last weeks illegal Russian annexations and sham referendums. The latest sanctions also widen trade bans against Russia and prepare for a price cap on Russian oil.

At the United Nations in New York, Russia called for a secret ballot next week on a Western-backed resolution that would condemn Russia's annexation of the four Ukrainian regions and demand that Moscow reverse its actions. Russia apparently hopes to get more support from the 193 nations in the General Assembly if their votes aren't made public.

Russia vetoed a legally binding Security Council resolution on Sept. 30 to condemn annexation referendums in the four Ukrainian regions as illegal. The General Assembly's resolutions aren't legally binding.

___

Associated Press writers Hanna Arhirova in Ukraine and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Russian television and radio host Vladimir Solovyov pose for a photo during an awards ceremony in Moscow's Kremlin on Dec. 25, 2013. RIA Novosti Kremlin/AP

A Russian TV host discussed the recent gains Ukrainian forces made in the Kherson region.

He claimed that a counter-strike is being timed to ruin President Vladimir Putin's birthday on October 7.

A counter-offensive began early in September, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

A Russian TV host and propagandist recently claimed that Ukrainian forces are timing a counter-strike in the next two days to spoil President Vladimir Putin's upcoming 70th birthday on October 7  despite the fact that Ukraine's military embarked on a counter-attack against Russia as early as the beginning of September.

In his interview Thursday with Andrey Gurulyov, a former deputy commander and current member of Russia's lower parliament, Russian TV host Vladimir Solovyov discussed what he called "worrisome" reports of Ukrainian forces making headway in the Kherson region and Luhansk and that Ukraine plans to strike again in the upcoming days.

"It's obvious that today and tomorrow will be extremely intense days, that the enemies will attack from all directions," Solovyov claimed. "Their goal is to ruin the Russian president's birthday. They like symbolism."

Solovyov continued to cite a report from that day that stated Ukraine's military entered a portion of the "Luhansk People's Republic," a reference to the Luhansk region.

But the suggestion that Ukraine has timed a counter-offensive to "ruin" Putin's birthday is misleading, since the strikes began around September 6, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

"Ukrainian forces began the maneuver phase of their counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast  which has now reached Luhansk Oblast  on September 6," according to an October 5 report from the think tank.

Since the counter-attack, Ukraine has recaptured about 500 towns and villages, according to The New York Times. And its troops continue to make progress in the east and south portions of the country.

On Thursday, the UK Defense Ministry reported in an intelligence update that Ukraine began to recapture the southeastern region of Kherson on Sunday, pushing back Russian troops. However, it's possible that the retreat is a strategic maneuver by Russia to strengthen its defense in the key city of Kherson, the region's capital, according to The Washington Post.

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.

Ohio reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 12,101 new cases. That's down 16.8% from the previous week's tally of 14,536 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Ohio ranked 18th 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 3.51% of the country's population, Ohio had 3.74% 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.

Sandusky County reported 80 cases and no deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 105 cases and no deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 16,123 cases and 247 deaths.

Across Ohio, cases fell in 75 counties, with the best declines in Cuyahoga County, with 1,224 cases from 1,694 a week earlier; in Franklin County, with 1,162 cases from 1,398; and in Hamilton County, with 663 cases from 794.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Within Ohio, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Butler County with 230 cases per 100,000 per week; Guernsey County with 188; and Williams County with 172. 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 Cuyahoga County, with 1,224 cases; Franklin County, with 1,162 cases; and Butler County, with 883. Weekly case counts rose in 12 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Butler, Lucas and Brown counties.

In Ohio, zero people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 12 people were reported dead.

A total of 3,143,746 people in Ohio have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 39,856 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.

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>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Ohio'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: 1,776

The week before that: 1,971

Four weeks ago: 2,141

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.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Sandusky County reported 80 additional COVID-19 cases this week
Khanh Hoa to have more direct flights to Kazakhstan

Budget carrier Vietjet Air will begin carrying tourists from Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, to the central province of Khanh Hoa later this month, as an effort to boost tourism recovery post COVID-19.













Vietjet Air aircraft in Cam Ranh International Airport (Photo: VNA)

This is the outcome of cooperation between the airline and Anex Vietnam Travel and Trading Co., Ltd., according to deputy managing director of the company Bui Quoc Dai.



As planned, the carrier will operate two weekly flights on the Cam Ranh-Almaty route from the end of this month to April next year.



The first flight is scheduled to depart from the Cam Ranh International Airport to the Almaty International Airport on October 25. It will return from Kazakhstan the following day. Each flight will transport some 180-200 passengers, according to Dai.



Tourists from Kazakhstan will spend their vacation for one to four weeks at hotels and resorts in Khanh Hoa, go shopping and take a city tour, among others.



The first flights are expected to bring delegations to Khanh Hoa to survey tourism potential and advantages of Vietnam in general and the central province in particular.



In the first nine months of 2022, Khanh Hoa welcomed over 2.1 million tourists, including 150,000 foreigners  a 7.3fold increase over the same period of last year.
One of the most exciting times for 7-year-old Zhang Ruoyun during weekdays is at midday, when she waits for classroom chairs to turn into loungers for her to take a nap.

At around 12:30 pm, her teachers instruct Ruoyun to adjust her desk, pull back her chair into a reclining lounger, and pull out a small quilt she brought from her home to enjoy an hour's nap at her lunch break.

"It has been great. I do not have to take a noon nap by resting my head on the desk," she said.

A second grader at Chunguang Primary School in Handan, Hebei province, Ruoyun said she finds the whole process of adjusting her chair and desk a delight.

Wang Huixiao, Ruoyun's mother, said her daughter's school started to introduce the "lying-down napping project "last year and parents and students have welcomed the initiative.

Ruoyun had developed the habit of taking a comfortable nap in kindergarten, so after she started first grade, she had a difficult time adjusting to napping on her desk, Wang said.

"My daughter told me that she felt numbness in her arms and legs afterwards. I think it was bad for spinal development and affected the quality of her sleep," she said.

Her teacher also said that Ruoyun used to doze off during classes in the afternoon, and sometimes she also fell asleep while doing homework at night, Wang said.

She started to pick her daughter up at noon so she could get some quality rest at home during the break. However, given that both Wang and her husband work, picking up Ruoyun twice every day was a challenge for the family.

Zhu Fangfang, the mother of a third-grade student at the school, said her son also liked the new sleep initiative a lot.

"We do not have time to pick him up at noon, so he had to eat lunch at the school and sleep on his desk," Zhu said. "It is very hard to expect little boys to sleep well in such an uncomfortable position."

After the school introduced the new initiative, her son brought his favorite pillow to school. Naptime with his classmates has become one of his favorite times of day, she added.

Hao Yufang, the vice-principal, said the school bought the adjustable chairs and tables online. The costs were covered by local education authorities.

Aside from students waking up with neck and arm stiffness under the old system, she said that since students had trouble falling asleep, they would sometimes chat with each other, interrupting naptime and keeping many from resting adequately.

Now, being able to lie down to nap, students have enjoyed better quality of sleep and are more energetic in the afternoon, she said.

A teacher at the school posted videos of students adjusting the tables and chairs on the short-video site Douyin, which led to online praise for the school's sleep initiative.

"Hope all schools will use this kind of chairs and tables so students get a nice nap," said one commenter.

More than 21,000 primary school students in Handan now lie down for their noon nap, according to Xinhua News Agency. Zhang Hehong, director of Handan's education bureau, told China Education Daily that all urban students in Handan will be taking part in the new sleeping initiative within the next three years.

Xingfuhe Elementary School in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, also won praise for letting its students sleep for an hour at noon in tents set up in spacious event rooms and libraries.

The school allows students to decorate their tents, make sleeping rules and name each tent, according to Qianjiang Evening News.

Zhou Hong, principal of the school, said that through the special sleeping initiative, the school encourages students to pay attention to sleeping and enjoy it. It also teaches them to be independent, given that they are in charge of their own tents, and to become accustomed to having their own space, she said.

"They have become more independent, which is an indispensable quality to teach students as they grow up."

The Ministry of Education has taken different measures to ensure that primary and secondary school students get enough daily sleep. In April 2021, the ministry issued a guideline to require primary school students to go to bed before 9:20 pm, middle school students before 10 pm and high school students before 11 pm, even if they did not finish their homework in time.

Primary school classes should start after 8:20 am and secondary school classes after 8 am. Schools should not ask students to come to school earlier than the time set for group study, and they should ensure a certain amount of nap time for students, the guideline said.

Schools also should limit the amount of homework so that primary school students are able to finish all written homework at school and secondary school students are able to finish most of it on campus, it said.

Lyu Yugang, director of the ministry's department of basic education, said in a survey of 77.14 million parents in December, 76.2 percent of respondents said their children were getting the recommended sleep of 10 hours every day for primary school students and nine hours for those in secondary school, up by 40 percent before the guideline was issued, Lyu said.

A total of 98.7 percent of schools have asked parents to monitor their children's sleep and study time, and 99.8 percent of primary and secondary schools banned students from bringing smartphones to classrooms, he said. Also, 96.1 percent of primary schools are starting classes at 8:20 am, and 97.4 percent of secondary schools are starting at 8 am or later.

"Homework, after-school tutoring courses and online games should all take second place to ensure students get sufficient sleep," Lyu said.

Jiang Fan, director of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine's treatment center for children's sleeping disorders, said enough sleep has a significant impact on the physical, cognitive, psychological and mental growth of students, as well as their metabolic development.

Based on her team's research, short-term sleep deprivation and disorders can lead to a loss of concentration and a drop in school grades. Over the long term, such deprivation can lead to brain disorders, depression, anxiety and impulsive behaviors, while adding considerably to the risk of obesity and other metabolic diseases, she said.

Based on global data, about 25 percent of children and teenagers have or have had sleeping problems, and the main contributing factors include overuse of electronic devices and an excessive academic workload, Jiang said.

Schools, teachers, parents and students should improve their awareness of the importance of sleep and set up appropriate schedules for young students, she said.

While the ministry says primary school students should sleep 10 hours a day and middle school students nine hours, parents can adjust the amount of time their children sleep based on their own judgment.

They need to set a good example for their children by developing good sleeping habits themselves, and parents should also limit the time children spend on electronic devices, she said.

"More importantly, they should not add too much to students' academic workload or ask them to stay up late doing excessive academic tasks, which can harm their learning efficiency the next day and adversely affect the development of their brain and body."
Sangamon County State's Attorney Dan Wright speaks on the increased gun violence in the community during a press conference held outside of Clay's Popeye's BBQ in Springfield, Ill., Friday, March 5, 2021. The press conference was held across the street from a shooting that occurred at the former beauty supply store on South Grand Avenue that left one person dead and four others injured. [Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register]

Following a growing number of state's attorneys throughout Illinois, Sangamon County State's Attorney Dan Wright and Sheriff Jack Campbell have filed a lawsuit against the state over Public Act 101-0652, commonly known as the SAFE-T Act, which will end cash bail starting this January.

Constitutional questions are at the heart of the 39-page lawsuit filed in Sangamon County Circuit Court on Wednesday. It alleges a violation of bail provisions in the state constitution and procedural violations such as a failure to confine the bill to one subject. Named as defendants are Gov. JB Pritzker, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel C. Welch and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon.

The SAFE-T Act is becoming a common talking point among Republicans such as gubernatorial candidate state Sen. Darren Bailey and attorney general candidate Thomas DeVore.

Wright said in a press release that his decision to file the lawsuit is not about election season politics and he actually supports portions of the act.

Instead, he supports a trailer bill to address both the concerns of public safety officials while maintaining the proper reforms enacted by the legislature.

Related:Indepth: There's more than no cash bail in Illinois' pretrial detention system overhaul

"Getting criminal justice reform right for all citizens of Illinois is too important to allow our public discourse to devolve into hyperbole divorced from the plain language of the Act, our Constitution, and common sense," a press release from his office reads.

In its totality, the 764-page SAFE-T Act is an omnibus bill regarding criminal justice reform in Illinois  including updates to use-of-force standards and a requirement for all police departments to have body cameras by 2025 among others. Yet, perhaps what is most controversial is the end of cash bail.

Cash bail will be no more in Illinois effective Jan. 1, 2023, and, as written, Wright said the act would prevent a judge's current ability to detain any suspect after an assessment of the circumstances. Alternatively, he says the act will "strictly limit the charged offenses eligible for pretrial detention" dependent on the degree of the crime.

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That limitation is seen in Section 110-6.1 of the legislation, Wright said, which makes misdemeanors and Class 4 felonies not explicitly stated essentially non-detainable. Among those charges are aggravated assault with a firearm, threats of violence at a school, concealment of death and more.

Per Section 110-2 of the act, pretrial detention "only shall be imposed when it is determined that the defendant poses a specific, real and present threat to a person, or has a high likelihood of willful flight."

Other forcible felony charges in the act such as second-degree murder, robbery and arson are probational, Wright said, which means judges would no longer be able to detain a defendant regardless of their potential danger to the community as a whole.

The state's attorney argued that willful flight standard is "narrowly defined," as the act does not permit a past failure to appear before the court to be considered as evidence of a future non-appearance. With this definition of willful flight, Wright said the detention would be "extremely unlikely."

Related:Where Illinois GOP governor candidate Darren Bailey stands on abortion & cash bail

With the Illinois General Assembly's return to Springfield approaching in just less than five weeks, the November veto session would likely be the last time the legislature could enact reform to the act. Already, there have been calls to do so by Republican and Democrat lawmakers.

In a virtual press conference held Wednesday, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said the legislation will drive-up costs for local government  a consequence he claims Pritzker and the Democratic majority in the General Assembly failed to consider.

As a result of these mandates, Durkin said two police departments in Clark and Knox counties were forced to disband as they cannot afford to operate without tax increases.

"This means less law enforcement on the street," he said. "That's called de facto defunding and there's more to come."

Other suggested reforms come from state Sen. Scott Bennett, D-Champaign, whose bill would allow judges to deny pretrial release for any alleged crime if the individual is a threat to a person or the community.

Pritzker has been a steadfast defender of the SAFE-T Act dating prior to his signature of the bill in January 2021, saying it will keep murderers, domestic abusers and violent criminals behind bars. The current standard of cash bail, he has said, favors those with the money to post bail instead of those who may commit additional offenses or flee prosecution.

Fourm:Pritzker considering SAFE-T Act changes; Bailey urges full repeal

Asked whether he supports Bennett's bill  Senate Bill 4228  the governor did not fully endorse it but did not eliminate the possibility of reform.

I haven't gone through every provision that he has proposed, but I know that Senator Bennett, who was a prosecutor, a Democrat from Champaign and Vermillion counties, is somebody who is very careful in the way he approaches issues like this and I'm always open to working with people who are rational and reasonable in their proposals, he said during the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors governor forum last week.

With the lawsuit, Sangamon County joins fellow counties such as Knox, La Salle and Douglas in opposition to the SAFE-T Act. Republicans have claimed that 100 out of 102 state's attorneys are not in favor of the legislation.

Contact Patrick Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Sangamon County state's attorney, sheriff file lawsuit over SAFE-T Act
Sen. Ben Sasse is expected to resign his Senate seat, Fox News has confirmed, and is likely to accept a new job as president of the University of Florida.

The University of Florida announced Thursday that Sasse, R-Neb., is the lone finalist being considered by its presidential search committee.

"UF is the most important institution in the nation's most economically dynamic state," Sasse said in a tweeted statement. "Washington partisanship isn't going to solve these workforce challenges  new institutions and entrepreneurial communities are going to have to spearhead this work. If UF want to go big, I'm excited about the wide range of opportunities."

Sasse would likely resign his post in December and start his new job at University of Florida in February.

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., is expected to resign from his Senate seat. Tasos Katopodis-Pool

AS GOP RALLIES BEHIND HERSCHEL WALKER, BACKERS SAY ABORTION ALLEGATION DOESN'T MATTER

"This is right for the University of Florida, right for the state of Florida and right for the Sasse family," Rahul Patel, the chair of the school's presidential search committee, said. "Ben brings intellectual curiosity, a belief in the power and potential of American universities, and an unmatched track record of leadership spanning higher education, government and the private sector."

"Having taught at the University of Texas, and served as a college president, Bens experiences are also deep and broad  from healthcare and technology to history and philosophy," Patel added.

Sasse was the president of Midland University before being elected.

TOM COTTON BLASTS BIDEN'S CONCESSIONS ON WORLD STAGE: DICTATORS CAN SMELL THE WEAKNESS

The senator, who was one of the most vocal GOP critics of former President Donald Trump and voted to convict him on his second impeachment, tweeted a Tampa Bay Times article about the University of Florida president search.

MANCHIN LEARNS ABOUT PAYING THE FIDDLER AS HIS PIPELINE PLAN COLLAPSES IN THE SENATE

Sasse was first elected in 2014 and reelected in 2020. That means his current Senate term is not up until 2026. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, a Republican, will appoint Sasse's replacement, who will serve until a 2024 special election is held for the seat.

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After that, Nebraska will hold a regular election for a senator to serve a full six-year term.

"I appreciate Senator Sasses service to our state and nation. He would make an excellent president for the University of Florida," Ricketts said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "He has one of the most conservative voting records in the Senate, and we need more conservative voices in our universities."

Regarding Sasse's replacement, Ricketts spokesperson Alex Reuss said that the governor's office isn't, "going to speculate at this point. Right now, Senator Sasse is a sitting U.S. Senator and theres no appointment to be made."
In 2020, I paid off $30,000 in student loan debt. While there are no one-size fits all strategies for debt repayment, I was able to accomplish this with a mixture of increasing my income, decreasing my spending, and creating and sticking to a budget. One of my motivations for paying down my debt was so that I could travel more. And for the past year, Ive been able to do that and have traveled from London to Dubai, all while working remotely and building a brand.

The holiday season is one of the tightest times for our finances. With all parties and presents, its easy to allow our spending to get out of hand. However, starting now, you can beat the holiday pressure to spend more. You can take control of your finances with a tactful plan and discipline.

When affording the dream holiday vacation, consider these tips below.

Be Flexible:

When looking at flight and hotel stays, be flexible with your dates. Certain times in the month are cheaper to fly, and the same for hotels. If a part of your holiday can fall on a few weeknights, you might find it a better rate than the weekend. Also, be flexible with your food choices as well. I usually book AIRBNB or vacation homes and shop at a local market to cook a few meals. You can also be flexible with the airport you fly in and out of. Try looking at the surrounding airport in your city so that youre not flying from the main hub.

Set Boundaries

After lockdown, it seems like everyone wants to be outside. But you dont have to feel the social pressure to go to events, especially if its not within your budget. Its important to set boundaries with friends and family about what you can and can not participate in. Setting boundaries around your finances will allow you to stick to your budget and spend your hard-earned coins on things you value.

Get Creative

Instead of vacationing in popular destinations, try thinking of lesser-known places to travel to during the holiday season. Also, you dont have to go far to have a good time. Look into destinations in your hometown for a fun staycation experience. Instead of buying many gifts for friends and family, think of valuable gifts that dont break the bank, such as handwritten notes or acts of service. I personally love sending people postcards from my travels.
A new political ad from Republican nominee Derek Schmidt claims Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly cut funding to police but public safety funding has increased since she took office.

The ad invokes images of racial justice protests in the summer of 2020 and seeks to frame Kelly as anti-law enforcement.

When defund the police radicals rioted, liberal Laura Kelly joined their crusade, claims the ad, which was paid for by Schmidts campaign.

Schmidt, the states attorney general since 2011, leaned heavily into GOP messaging on crime during Wednesdays debate with Kelly in Overland Park.

The ad, which was launched the following day, says Kelly called police racist, in reference to an op-ed she published in the Topeka Capital Journal in which Kelly said systemic racism in law enforcement must end. The ad also says Kellys Commission on Racial Equity and Justice pushed for anti-policing laws.

Then Laura Kelly cut police funding, and undermined morale even more, the ad says.

In fact, Kansas spending on public safety through its general fund has increased under Kelly by more than $100 million.

When Kelly took office in the 2019 fiscal year, the state general fund allocated $411.2 million to public safety. It stands at $553.2 million in the 2023 fiscal year, which began in July.

Kelly had proposed $569.5 million for public safety, but the GOP-controlled Legislature approved a budget that spent more than $10 million less than Kellys proposal.

Gov. Laura Kelly, shown, and Attorney General Derek Schmidt square off in a final gubernatorial debate before Novembers election Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at the Doubletree Hotel in Overland Park.

Kelly signed a Republican-approved budget for the 2021 fiscal year that reduced public safety funding by $20 million, but that reduction was made up for through more than $100 million in increases by the current fiscal year.

C.J. Grover, Schmidts campaign manager, pointed to two budget decisions that he said amounted to a cut in funding by Kelly  her elimination of the Safe and Secure Schools grant program in 2020 and a 2021 veto on a raise for Capitol Police officers.

Kelly did eliminate the Safe and Secure Schools grant program but the program did not fund law enforcement at the time. According to the Kansas Department of Education, the grants could only be used for school infrastructure and technology improvements when they were initially in effect during the 2018 and 2019 fiscal years.

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When lawmakers reinstated the program this year following a shooting at Olathe East High School, they amended the rules and allowed schools to use the grants to fund school resource officers. Kelly signed the budget that included the change.

Kellys veto of the Capitol Police pay raise did not reduce police funding. Ultimately, the Legislature and Kelly approved a 5% pay raise for all state employees, including officers, this year.

In a statement Grover, Schmidts campaign manager, said the Safe and Secure schools grant would have provided equipment for school resource officers.

Never in her four years has the governor included continuation of that funding in her budget even after it was added by the Legislature in previous years. That is a cut to police funding, and is wrong for Kansas, Grover said.

Kellys campaign spokeswoman, Lauren Fitzgerald, said in a statement that Kelly had always supported law enforcement and would continue to.

These false smears wont work because Kansans know Governor Kelly has worked with both parties to deliver historic investments in law enforcement, including officers having better pay, better equipment, and better family benefits, Fitzgerald said.

The ad uses talking points Republicans adopted in 2020 and have continued using during the midterms. Theyve sought to tie Democratic politicians to activist calls to defund the police and have argued Democrats would harm public safety.

In 2020, Republican congressional candidate Jake LaTurner defeated Democrat Michelle De La Isla after falsely insisting she had defunded police as the mayor of Topeka.

Schmidts ad presented the Republican as a contrast to Kelly, referencing endorsements from the Fraternal order of Police and Kansas State Troopers Association.

Derek Schmidt backs the blue. Derek Schmidt will keep Kansas families safe, it said.
A photo of Hollywood producer Eric Weinberg displayed before a news conference (AP)

Scrubs producer Eric Weinberg has been arrested in Los Angeles on sexual assault charges amid allegations he targeted dozens of women over a seven year period.

Mr Weinberg, who was not working on the hit television series at the time of the allegations, was taken into custody on Tuesday, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said in a Wednesday press conference.

His arrest followed a series of reports of sexual assault from women who told investigators the 62-year-old lured them in using his Hollywood credentials before assaulting them, said Mr Gascon.

The claims stem from five women during a period between 2014 and 2019. Scrubs ended in 2010.

This is incredibly traumatic, said Mr Gascon of the women, they were victims of these horrible crimes, and sometimes we know that the system itself can be very traumatising and without them we would not be able to hold this suspect accountable.

Mr Weinberg, who has been charged with 18 counts of sexual assault, was previously arrested in July on claims he allegedly committed several sexual assault between 2012 and 2019, but had been released on $3.2mm bail, as The Los Angeles Times reported.

On Wednesday, Mr Gascon criticised that decision and said society needed to do more to protect women and girls as the now-former Hollywood producer was handed a $5m bail, according to the Times.

LAPD News: Serial Sexual Assault Suspect Arrested pic.twitter.com/4Pvxl2yMoz  LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) July 14, 2022

If youre wealthy, you get to bail out. If youre poor, you get to stay in regardless of the seriousness of the offence, said the district attorney, adding: Mr Weinberg was able to commit these crimes due to his power and wealth and privilege.

Mr Gascon said investigators in the case believe there may be other victims of Mr Weinberg dating back to the 1990s and urged any such victims to come forward. An investigation is ongoing.

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The 62-year-old is now facing multiple charges of sexual penetration by use of force, forceable rape, and sexual battery by restraint as well as forcible oral copulation, The Los Angeles Times reported.

An attorney for Mr Weinberg, Robin Sachs, has been approached for comment by The Independent. He previously told The Times in an unrelated child custody case that allegations of sexual assault against the former producer were a blatant smear campaign.

His arraignment was scheduled for 25 October.
A Hollywood writer and former co-producer of Scrubs has been charged with sexually assaulting five women in six years, the Los Angeles County district attorney said Wednesday.

Eric Weinberg, 62, is charged with 18 counts, including sexual penetration by use of force and forcible rape, District Attorney George Gascon said.

The defendant relied on his Hollywood credentials to lure young women for photo shoots where he allegedly sexually assaulted them, Gascon said in a statement.

Weinberg is free after having posted $5 million bond, the district attorneys office said.

Weinbergs criminal defense attorney could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday. A spokesperson for Weinberg declined to comment.

Police initially arrested him in July in Los Angeles.

In some of the cases, Weinberg approached women in public places, told them he was a photographer and sexually assaulted them when they went to his home, prosecutors said.

Weinberg was a co-executive producer of "Scrubs" and "Californication," and he worked on other shows.

Weinberg is charged with six counts of sexual penetration by use of force, four counts of oral copulation, three counts of forcible rape, two counts of sexual battery by restraint and one count each of assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury, attempted sexual penetration by use of force and false imprisonment by violence, the district attorneys office said.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 25, the DAs office said.

Weinberg is charged in connection with incidents alleged to have occurred in 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019, the district attorney's office said.

There could be other victims. When police announced the arrest in July, they said detectives believe there could be victims going back to the 1990s who have not been identified.

Gascon said at a news conference Wednesday that the charges filed Wednesday relate to five victims and that the investigation continues.

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More tips have come in since July, Los Angeles Police Detective Ryan Lamar said Wednesday.

Theyre all being currently worked on and thoroughly investigated at this time, Lamar said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
NBC

Every so often, a story comes along that makes us throw out everything we were planning on doing that night on the show, Seth Meyers said on Wednesday. He was of course talking about the airplane bathroom anecdote from Maggie Habermans new book, Confidence Man.

According to the New York Times reporter, Donald Trump made it a point to loudly complain about the odor after Giuliani had used one of the planes bathrooms, so that other aides could hear, yelling, Rudy! Thats fucking disgusting!

This is one of those shocking stories that you also could have predicted, the Late Night host said. No one thinks Rudys making good smells. But while Meyers wasnt surprised that Giulianis shit stinks, he was surprised that it was so bad that Trump complained about it, given his infamously terrible eating habits.

Meyers then suggested that Trump was just trying to beat Rudy to the punch because Giuliani definitely has the vibe of a dont go in there kind of guy.

Im not exaggerating when I tell you that this is the most important story weve ever covered on this show, Meyers added. This is our Watergate. As he explained, we now know why Trump is always complaining about toilets, including his repeated insistence at rallies that they need to be flushed 15 times. Even for Donald Trump, that seems like a lot of flushes, he said. But now I know there was a second pooper!

The host even found a way to link the airplane bathroom tale to other, less important stories like the investigation into Trumps mishandling of classified documents, pointing to the reports that the former president would frequently clog White House toilets by trying to flush papers he did not want archived.

Dammit, we cant get away from this toilet story! Meyers exclaimed. Every time I think Im out, they flush me back in!

For more, listen and subscribe to The Last Laugh podcast.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Cyntoia Brown-Long, now free after serving 15 years of a life sentence for killing a man after being forced into prostitution, has made it her mission to help women and girls in situations she once found herself in.

Brown-Long, 34, runs the Foundation for Justice, Freedom and Mercy, a nonprofit based in Nashville that mentors girls at risk of being exploited. She does it in partnership with Epic Girl, an organization with similar goals, and speaks to women and groups across the country about her experiences.

The work she and others are doing is slowly changing how sex-trafficking victims who commit crimes can defend themselves in court and how the criminal justice system and society views them.

Im literally living the life that I dreamed about, said Brown-Long, who also runs JFAM Consulting LLC, a firm dedicated to developing new approaches for correctional agencies.

Cyntoia Brown Long (Mark Humphrey / AP file)

At 16, she was a runaway living with her 24-year-old boyfriend, known as Kut Throat, who she says raped and abused her and forced her into prostitution.

In 2004, she met Johnny Mitchell Allen, 43, who allegedly paid her for sex. She said he took her to his house in Nashville, where she shot and killed him when they were in bed after she saw him reaching for what she believed to be a gun.

Her lawyers argued she did it in self-defense, but prosecutors successfully challenged the claim. She was convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated robbery in 2006 at 18 years old. Tried as an adult, she was ordered to serve 51 years in prison before being eligible for parole.

In 2019, after her case gained celebrity attention, then-Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam granted her full clemency. She had already served 15 years.

Im not going to let you down, Long-Brown told the state parole board as she pleaded for her release.

Image: Cyntoia Brown (Lacy Atkins / Pool via AP)

She said it took her years to consider herself a trafficking victim.

My situation wasnt considered to be trafficking, they called it teen prostitution, she said, adding that many of the girls she works with felt they had nowhere else to go.

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These are runaways  whether its because their home life wasnt the greatest or because they have trouble, Long-Brown said. Now they find themselves on the streets and they cant go get a job. They cant do the things that other people would do  put a roof over their heads and put food in their mouth.

But then theyll run into adults, adult males who will take advantage and so, actually, they dont see themselves as being victimized. They see that theyre going to survive. And so theyre just trying to be good.

Of the more than 25,000 cases of children and teenagers who had run away from home and were reported missing to The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2021, 1 in 6 were most likely the victims of sex trafficking, the center said, with 64% of them minors and 96% Black, Latino or another racial minority.

Like Brown-Long, other sex-trafficking victims have killed their alleged abusers or pimps. In 1995 in California, Sara Kruzan, 16, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for killing George Gilbert Howard as he attempted to sexually assault her. He had sex-trafficked her for years, starting when she was a teenager.

Sara Kruzan (California Department of Corrections via AP file)

Her sentence was commuted to 25 years to life by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2010, and three years later, she was re-sentenced to 19 years to life. After serving 18 years in prison, she was released by then-Gov. Jerry Brown, and she was officially pardoned in July by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

And sex-trafficking survivor Alexis Martin was 15 when she collaborated with a friend and two other people to rob the home of her pimp, Angelo Kerney, who was killed during the incident, according to court documents. Martin was sentenced to prison in 2013 at age 17 for her role in the shooting.

Through advocates, including Kim Kardashian, who featured Martin on Oxygens Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project, she was freed in 2020 after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine partially commuted her sentence.

Martin was sent back to prison in February to serve the remainder of her initial 21-years-to-life sentence after she violated the conditions of her parole, according to The Washington Post.

This year, sex-trafficking victims are looking to the case of Chrystul Kizer as a possible step forward. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in July that Kizer, 22, will be allowed to argue self-defense in the 2018 shooting death of Randall Volar III, who she says sexually abused her when she was a minor.

She is also accused of robbing Volar and setting fire to his home before killing him when she was 17.

Image: Chrystul Kizer (Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post via Getty Images file)

The court found that a crime that is unforeseeable or that does not occur immediately after a trafficking offense is committed can be a direct result of the trafficking offense, so long as there is still the necessary logical connection between the offense and the trafficking.

Although some advocates say Kizers case demonstrates how far the legal system has come in trying to better understand victims of sex trafficking, particularly children, others are not so sure.

When were talking about more serious offenses, offenses, where for example, a life was lost, or someone was physically injured, there is a tremendous amount of resistance in terms of changing our view of the person who committed that act, said Kate Mogulescu, an assistant professor of clinical law at Brooklyn Law School.

Brown-Long said people who work in the criminal justice system often talk about helping victims but hesitate when they commit crimes or make mistakes.

The minute one of them crosses that line, then you think, Oh, now theyre a criminal. Now we have to lock them away for good, she said. What happened to you caring about them as an abuse victim?

Brown-Long remains on probation through 2029 and has to carry a card that identifies her as a "violent offender" in case she gets pulled over by police. She must also undergo routine drug tests.

She was freed from prison with the help of law student Gabby Cannone, whom she met through Canonnes sister, Adrianna, when the two attended class inside the Tennessee Prison for Women. Lipscomb University in Nashville offered a program that enabled students and incarcerated women to learn together.

Cyntoia Bronw-Long, right, with her husband, Jamie Long, and Gabbie Cannone. (Courtesy Gabby Cannone )

Cannone, who helped prepare Brown-Longs clemency application, said working on the case gave her a better understanding of what leads young women and girls to become victims of sex trafficking.

I think that it opened my eyes to see the depth of brokenness to a greater extreme than what I had before, she said in a phone interview.

Cannone now works as a law clerk advocating for women and children who are victims of sex trafficking.

Brown-Long continues to push for change in Tennessee, where a first-degree murder conviction carries a minimum sentence of 51 years in prison, regardless of age. The Tennessee Supreme Court is debating whether that requirement is too harsh for juveniles.

Brown-Long said she sees some hope in the case of 17-year-old Pieper Lewis, a sex trafficking survivor who was ordered by an Iowa judge last month to pay $150,000 in restitution to the family of her accused rapist instead of serving time for first-degree murder.

Even though the prosecutors acknowledged that she was a victim in this situation  over the next five years, anything that she does can trigger her having to serve a 20-year sentence, Brown-Long told PBS NewsHour last month.

I wouldnt call it justice exactly. However, it is a lot better than what it could have been.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Shell Ben van Beurden Gas Oil Price Cap Profits - Benoit Tessier/Reuters

Shell, the oil and gas giant, has signalled its run of record profits is cooling as it makes less money from refining oil and producing chemicals.

The FTSE 100 companys shares slid as it warned of a near halving of margins at its refineries and negative margins at its chemicals plants.

Oil giants have seen surging profits in the last year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent prices up and boosted refining demand as Russian refineries went offline. Several refineries have closed around the world in recent years following a slump in margins two years ago.

In May, North Sea oil and gas drillers were hit with a windfall tax by the UK government, taking their tax rate from 40pc to 65pc potentially up to 2025, to help fund help for households facing soaring energy bills.

Liz Truss, the prime minister, has said she is opposed to further windfall taxes, but is under pressure to do so after announcing energy bill help for households and businesses expected to cost 60bn over the next six months.

Shell's third quarter results from its natural gas trading division are also expected to be weaker than the previous quarter due to volatile markets.

However, Shell is still expected to report profits of $10.5bn (9bn) in the third quarter, according to analysts' forecasts.

That compares with profits of $11.5bn in the second quarter, amid climbing oil and gas prices in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking this week in London, Shells boss Ben van Beurden signalled support for windfall taxes, while arguing against any cap on gas prices as is being discussed in Europe.

He said: One way or another there needs to be government intervention.

Protecting the poorest, that probably may then mean that governments need to tax people in this room to pay for it.

In a trading update on Thursday ahead of its third quarter results on October 27, Shell said indicative refining margins dropped to $15 a barrel compared with $28 a barrel in the previous three months.

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However, that was still double the level recorded a year ago.

Meanwhile, indicative chemicals margins dropped to negative $27 per tonne versus a positive $86 in the second quarter after demand for plastics slumped.

Shell said the combined hit to adjusted third-quarter profit could be as large as $2bn.

Biraj Borkhataria, an analyst at RBC, branded the update disappointing and said Shell may be forced to downgrade its full-year forecasts.

The lacklustre results also dragged down shares in energy rivals including SSE and British Gas owner Centrica.

It came as Cederic Cremers, executive vice president for liquefied natural gas at Shell, warned Russian gas supplies to Europe may be halted even after the Ukraine war ends.

Speaking at an energy conference in London, he said: Probably we have to assume that it will not be back.

He added that Europes energy crisis could be even more severe next winter than in the coming months.

We should not forget that there was still a lot of Russian gas flowing into the European market across 2022, which is possibly not going to be there at all.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced at a news conference Wednesday that he was banning Inspector General Max Huntsman from department facilities. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced this week that he is banning Inspector General Max Huntsman from the department's facilities and databases, effectively blocking the county watchdog from doing his job overseeing the Sheriff's Department.

The extraordinary move ramps up a years-long power struggle that has been marked by Villanueva launching criminal investigations into Huntsman and leveling personal attacks, including an unfounded claim that Huntsman is a Holocaust denier. Huntsman has said repeatedly that Villanueva has routinely broken the law when trying to circumvent Huntsman's authority to oversee the sheriff and his department.

"Mr. Huntsman will be removed from all access to Department facilities, personnel, and databases effective immediately," Villanueva wrote in a letter Wednesday to the Board of Supervisors. "This standard is applied to all Department personnel who are named as a suspect in a criminal case involving felony crimes."

In an email reviewed by The Times, acting Capt. James Peterson of the Sheriff Department's Data Systems Bureau advised staffers Thursday morning that Huntsman's access to the department network was being disabled.

"I want to make sure I'm not missing any loopholes that might allow him access to something outside of our network that we have control over," Peterson wrote.

Huntsman declined to comment Thursday.

In a statement, Supervisor Janice Hahn said: This is yet another attempt by the Sheriff to block effective oversight of his department."

The Sheriff's Department has been investigating Huntsman since at least 2019, alleging that he and members of his staff stole confidential files the department keeps on high-ranking officials. Huntsman has said his office accessed the files in the course of his normal job duties.

More than three years have gone by and Huntsman has not been charged with any crimes.

When asked at a news conference Wednesday why he was implementing the ban now, Villanueva said: "Because now he's a suspect in a second case. This is a second case he picked up."

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The second case centers around the raids on the home and office of Supervisor Sheila Kuehl last month. In interviews with reporters outside her home that day, Kuehl said she had been alerted about the raid by county counsel, who she said had heard about it from Huntsman.

Sheriff's investigators seized Kuehl's phone and searched it for evidence of who, if anyone, told her about the raid, according to court papers filed by the Sheriff's Department.

According to the court filing, it was not Huntsman.

The night before the raid, Kuehl's chief of staff texted her that a county attorney relayed that the sheriff may have obtained a warrant to search the supervisor's home the next morning, according to the filing.

About an hour and a half later, the county attorney texted Kuehl about the impending raid, saying she found out about it from Huntsman, according to the filing.

The raids were part of the Sheriff's Department's long-running investigation into a series of contracts awarded by Metro to a domestic violence nonprofit, Peace Over Violence.

Deputies searched the homes of Kuehl and Patti Giggans, the head of the nonprofit who is a friend of Kuehl's and also serves on the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, as well as Metros headquarters and other county offices.

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta took control of the controversial criminal investigation shortly after the raids, saying that sidelining the department was in the public interest.

The Board of Supervisors appointed Huntsman to oversee the Sheriff's Department, a job that includes monitoring conditions in the sprawling jail system run by the agency by conducting regular inspections as well as monitoring in-custody deaths and uses of force. His office also is authorized to inspect patrol activities, on-duty shootings and other significant events.

Huntsman has a team of attorneys and inspectors who conduct many of the inspections. It was not clear how the ban on Huntsman will affect them.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A man was shot and killed by Pueblo County sheriff's deputies responding to a report of a burglary in Colorado City late Wednesday night.

Deputies responded to the burglary report at a home on Santa Fe Drive around 11:45 p.m., where they say they encountered an armed suspect and "shots were fired," according to a news release from Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.

The suspect was injured and transported to a local hospital but later died from his injuries. No deputies were injured.

The name of the deceased will be released by the Pueblo County Coroner's Office. The names of the deputies involved in the shooting are "not being released at this time," according to PCSO's release.

A sheriff's office spokesperson said they could not provide additional details Thursday and noted more information will become available as the investigation continues.

The incident is being investigated by the 10th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team, a task force comprised of members of the Pueblo Police Department, Colorado State Patrol, 10th Judicial District Attorney's Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigations and the sheriff's office.

Wednesday's shooting marks the a fourth involving a law enforcement officer in Pueblo County this year; five Pueblo police officers were put on administrative leave following a series of incidents in June.

Cpl. Richard Giconi was placed on leave in connection to a shooting involving an allegedly armed and suicidal man on June 26; Sgt. Richard Reyes was placed on leave on June 28 in connection to a vehicle pursuit and shooting on Interstate 25; and officers Sean Davis and Jonathan Vicars were placed on leave after exchanging gunfire with an alleged shooting suspect near Fountain Creek.

A fifth Pueblo police officer was also placed on leave but was not identified by police because the officer, who was involved in the June 26 incident, did not fire his weapon.

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Capt. Dustin Taylor, a spokesperson for the Pueblo Police Department, told the Chieftain Thursday that all five officers have since returned to active duty.

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @jayreutter1.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo deputies kill man while responding to burglary in Colorado City
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

Police have released the identity of a suspect detained after a mass stabbing attack on the Las Vegas Strip on Thursday left two people dead and six more injured.

Yoni Barrios, 32, has been charged with two counts of open murder with a deadly weapon and six counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release.

No motive has yet been found for the attack, authorities said, however two witnesses who spoke with a reporter for KTNV said some of the victims were Las Vegas showgirlsperformers known for taking photos with tourists along the Strip.

A woman who claimed to employ at least four of the wounded showgirls explained that, before the attack began, the suspectarmed with a knifehad approached the women, identifying himself as a chef. He attacked the group after the showgirls declined to take a picture with him, she said.

A large kitchen knife was recovered from the scene, according to police.

#BREAKING: The suspect in today's stabbings on Las Vegas Boulevard has been identified as 32-year-old Yoni Barrios. He has been booked into CCDC on two counts of open murder with a deadly weapon and six counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon. pic.twitter.com/8UzwgeBKP8  LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 7, 2022

This was an isolated incident, Deputy Chief James LaRochelle said in the news release. All evidence indicates Barrios acted alone and there are no outstanding suspects at this time.

Las Vegas locals Brent Allan Hallett, 47, and Maris Mareen Digiovanni were named by the Clark County coroners office as the victims killed in the attack, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. The identities of the wounded victims have yet to be released.

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One of the victims was pronounced dead at the scene, while a second victim later died at University Medical Center. The other six victims were rushed to local hospitals, where three remained in a critical condition late Thursday.

Police said the attack unfolded at around 11:42 a.m. near the Wynn hotel and casino.

Barrios was taken into custody in front of The Venetian, a resort less than a mile away from the Wynn. Witnesses say the suspect had a significant amount of blood on his sleeves, police told KTNV.

#BREAKING Im speaking w/ woman who says 4 injured showgirls work for her. She says the suspect had a knife & claimed he was a chef & wanted to take a picture with the showgirls, when they said no that is when the stabbings started, we are waiting for info from Metro now @KTNV pic.twitter.com/MhqqjLTrcE  Joe Moeller (@joemoeller44) October 6, 2022

Traffic along Las Vegas Boulevard was shut down on Thursday afternoon as an investigation was conducted.

Barrios is due in court on Friday, online records show.

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Shoppers walk past the French luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton store in Hong Kong. (LightRocket via Getty Images file photo)

SINGAPORE  A Singaporean woman was fined $5,500 on Thursday (6 October) for under-declaring and evading goods and service tax (GST) on her luxury bags and shoes, including those from Louis Vuitton and Chanel.

Teo Hwee Ling, 37, pleaded guilty at the State Courts to one charge of fraudulent evasion of GST amounting to about $890 across seven luxury goods. Another charge of furnishing false information was taken into consideration during her sentencing.

On 1 May, Teo arrived at Changi Airport on a flight from Frankfurt, and was stopped by Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers for a check on the items in a paper bag that she was carrying, Singapore Customs said in a press release on Thursday (6 October).

She was then directed to the Singapore Customs office where she declared two branded bags, a Louis Vuitton backpack and a Loewe bag, for tax payment, according to a report by CNA.

When asked by a Singapore Customs officer to produce the invoices for the two bags, Teo declared that these were gifts from her friend residing in Germany and she had no knowledge of their value.

As there was no documentation to establish their value, Teo provided a verbal declaration of 1000 ($1,470) and made a GST payment of $68.20 for the bags after deducting the GST import relief for travellers. A relief of $500 was granted to her as she had spent over 48 hours outside of Singapore.

Later in the same month, Singapore Customs received information that there were discrepancies in the declaration made by Teo and her overseas purchases. She was asked to report to Singapore Customs for further investigations.

The agency said investigations revealed that Teo had suppressed the value of the two bags which she declared as gifts when they were her purchases with a value of about $5,060.

"In addition, Teo had also failed to declare five other items, which were valued at about $9,240, on her return to Singapore on 1 May," Singapore Customs added. In total, the seven items were valued at over $14,000.

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The five items are a pair of Ferragamo shoes, perfumes, and cosmetics, as well as a Longchamp bag, a Chanel bag, and a Louis Vuitton sling bag, according to court documents seen by CNA. These belonged to her and were brought out of the airport's arrival hall in a luggage without declaration, said Singapore Customs.

The GST short-paid on the two under-declared bags was about $250 and the GST leviable on the five undeclared items was about $640, it added.

"It is the responsibility of all arriving travellers to make accurate and complete declaration of the dutiable and taxable items in their possession for duty and GST payment," said Singapore Customs.

Under the Customs Act, any person found guilty of fraudulent evasion of GST can face a maximum fine of 20 times the amount of tax evaded or a jail term of up to two years, or both.

Those who refuse to answer questions or knowingly give false information or furnish false documents can face a maximum fine of $5,000 or a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.

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.
ANTIGO - Marge Gibson carefully cradled the juvenile barn owl and looked into its eyes.

"You are just perfect," said Gibson, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and executive director of Raptor Education Group Inc. in Antigo.

Extremely rare, too.

Among the many hundreds of Wisconsin-bred wild animals REGI takes in this year, none will be more rare than the two barn owls it received in June.

In fact the birds, a male and a female, were from the only known barn owl nest in the state.

The cavity in the big, dead, silver maple gained notoriety in 2021 when it hosted the first barn owl nest documented in Wisconsin in 20 years, said Ryan Brady, conservation biologist with the Department of Natural Resources.

This year adult barn owls used the western Wisconsin site again, producing at least three hatchlings.

A juvenile barn owl is given a physical exam Sept. 26 at Raptor Education Group, Inc. The bird, which was rehabilitated for four months at REGI, was cleared for release to the wild. It is now being acclimated in an aviary with its sibling near their nest site in western Wisconsin.

But in early June owners of the private property found two young barn owls on the ground beneath the tree.

They called in experts, including Karla Bloem, executive director of the International Owl Center in Houston, Minnesota; Laura Johnson, a veterinarian who works out of Prairie du Chien; and staff at the Coulee Region Humane Society in Onalaska.

Despite repeated attempts to return them to the nest, the birds kept jumping out, perhaps because they were pestered by black flies.

Enough was finally enough.

"They weren't going to stay (in the nest)," said Bloem, who had installed a remote camera to observe activity in the tree cavity. She confirmed the presence of a problematic number of black flies as well as continued attempts by the adults to feed the young.

But since they kept jumping and were deemed underweight, in early June the two owlets were transported to REGI.

The rare birds had no way of knowing their good fortunes.

Juvenile barn owls stand Oct. 2 in an aviary in western Wisconsin. The tube is used to provide food for the owls without direct human contact. The birds are being acclimated to the area before release to the wild.

The Antigo rehab facility has an adult European barn owl in its flock of unreleasable birds.

The European barn owl took over foster parent duties for several weeks until the young birds could eat on their own.

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"I know it sounds simple, but you can't overemphasize how important it is for their future life in the wild that they learn to be barn owls from another barn owl," Gibson said.

The young barn owls were kept together in an outdoor flight enclosure at REGI; to avoid contact with humans, food (mostly mice) was placed inside via a trap door.

Barn owls can be identified by their unique, white, heart-shaped face.

Their head, back and upper wings are a mix of buff and gray while their face, body and underwings are white. The species lacks ear tufts seen in other familiar owls.

An adult barn owl weighs about 1 pound, stands about 15 inches high and has a wing span of about 3 feet.

Since they are almost entirely nocturnal and rarely call, they are not easily seen or documented by birders.

Among the species' impressive abilities: It hunts entirely on the wing and relies almost exclusively on its outstanding hearing to locate prey.

A common hunting scenario is a barn owl flying at night over grasslands, turning abruptly and plunging down to grab a mouse or other rodent, Bloem said.

Barn owls typically nest and roost in tree cavities, abandoned barns and buildings. They are also one of the most widespread birds in the world and have been documented on all continents except Antarctica.

They are mostly found in more southerly latitudes in North America so historically the species was present but uncommon in Wisconsin.

Numbers in the state declined by the 1980s and the species was put on the state endangered species list.

Only three barn owl nests were detected during the first Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas field survey from 1995 to 2000, the last in Grant County in 1999, according to the DNR.

Sightings were few and no nests were detected for many years, leading the DNR to remove the barn owl from the state endangered species list in 2014 for a lack of records.

Marge Gibson, executive director of Raptor Education Group, Inc. in Antigo, holds a juvenile barn owl Sept. 26 during a physical examination of the bird and its sibling. The owls were rehabilitated at REGI for four months and are now being acclimated in western Wisconsin prior to a planned release to the wild later in October.

Soon after, nest box programs that help maintain critical nesting habitat in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana began to see a slight increase in barn owls.

As more barn owls were produced, some moved into Wisconsin and sightings started to pick up locally, Brady said.

A pair of barn owls, but no nest, was found in Iowa County during the second Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas field survey conducted from 2015-19.

In addition to nest box programs in surrounding states, Brady said warmer winters are potentially allowing more barn owls to survive in northern states again.

If an annual breeding population is found in the state, barn owls could warrant consideration for Wisconsins endangered and threatened species list, Brady said.

So the nests the last two years in western Wisconsin have encouraged biologists about the future prospects for barn owls in the Badger State.

Unfortunately, the large, hollow silver maple that hosted the nests fell in a wind storm this summer. A dead barn owl chick was found in the debris.

So far its two siblings have fared much better. After being transferred to REGI, they grew well and have developed into full size.

If successfully reintroduced to the wild, the duo could give a boost to the fledgling barn owl population in the state.

Marge Gibson, Katie Helland and Audrey Gossett (left to right) hold juvenile barn owls Sept. 26 at Raptor Education Group, Inc. in Antigo. The birds were rehabilitated at the facility and have been transferred to an aviary in western Wisconsin where they are being acclimated prior to a planned release to the wild.

Gibson and her associates at REGI gave the birds final physical examinations Sept. 26. Feathers were checked for "stress bars," weak spots that can be caused by malnutrition and cause breakage; eyes and ears were assessed; weights were measured (1.19 pounds for the female, 1.08 for the male) and hearts and lungs were checked with a stethoscope.

Gibson pronounced the owls "raring to go."

On Oct. 1 they then became the definition of "precious cargo" when Gibson drove them, along with a ruby-throated hummingbird, black-and-white warbler, green heron and broad-winged hawk, to western Wisconsin for the next phase of their lives.

The barn owls were placed in an aviary, a 10 by 10 by 12 foot enclosure with two windows, where they are being acclimatized to the sights and sounds of the area.

Juvenile barn owls sit on a limb Oct. 2 in an aviary in western Wisconsin. The birds were found on the ground in June at a nest in the region and rehabilitated over the summer at Raptor Education Group Inc. in Antigo. They are now being acclimated near their hatching site before being released to the wild.

The structure is within "flying distance" of the birds' original nest, said Johnson, the veterinarian.

She and Bloem of the owl center are watching and caring for the birds. A video camera in the aviary provides images of the owls around the clock.

So far, so good, said Johnson. The owls are eating well, flying and splashing in a small pool in the enclosure.

If all goes according to plan, sometime later this month the windows will be opened and the birds will be allowed to fly out. Food will continue to be provided in the aviary if they want to come back during a transition to the wild.

Or they can go off on their own and live the mostly secretive life they were born to.

"It's an exciting time for these birds and for the species in Wisconsin," Johnson said. "These two young ones could be part of a new wave of this secretive, charismatic breed in our state."

Support barn owls

Wisconsinites can support the barn owl population by reporting observations, leaving up dead trees when safe to do so, and refraining from using pesticides and rodenticides.

Report barn owl sightings to Wisconsin eBird or by using the DNRs rare species reporting form.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Young barn owls are rehabilitated and on course to be released to wild
Low clouds and fog moved back into the region Thursday morning, bringing reduced visibility to most of Western Washington.

High pressure is taking more control of the forecast, producing sinking air in the upper levels and some light offshore wind in the low levels.

The fog and low cloud cover will slowly lift, but not until the afternoon hours.

There will be some haze pushing back into the area on Thursday and it will stick around for the next few days. The sinking air from the high pressure is already producing a temperature inversion  air warming with height instead of cooling  which can produce some stagnant air and trap haze and smoke over the area. Find smoke and

Temperatures will warm a bit more on Friday with highs in the mid-70s. Seattles record for Friday is 75 degrees, and right now, I have us at 74 degrees, said KIRO 7 Meteorologist Nick Allard.

Expect warm and dry conditions through the weekend at least in the mid-70s with sun. However, it does look hazy until we see some fresh air and possibly a few showers on Monday.

It should stay in the 60s next week.

#HappyFridayEve! It is foggy this morning with visibility around 1/2 of a mile or less. The low clouds, drizzle and fog will slowly decrease for some afternoon sun. Haze will also move in and stick around. #NickKnows #wawx pic.twitter.com/c5A6NE9XCA  Nick Allard (@NickAllardKIRO7) October 6, 2022
Citizen engagement through social media leads to a significant improvement in government response and a decrease in water and air pollution, a new study has found.

Using China as a testbed, an international team of researchers said they asked citizen volunteers to send out both public and private messages appealing for action after industrial plant violations occurred.

Public appeals for action  sent through the Twitter-like social media site Weibo  reduced violations by more than 60 percent, according to the study, published on Thursday by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago.

Such appeals decreased air and water pollution by 12.2 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively, the researchers found.

We found that social media is the new public street, galvanizing momentum for change in much the same way as a protest or march, and the more popular the social posts are, the more effective they are in generating action from the government, study co-author Michael Greenstone, director of the Energy Policy Institute, said in a statement.

More specifically, it demonstrates that providing the public with information about individual polluters emissions can lead to pollution reduction, Greenstone added.

When the visibility of social media posts increased through likes and shares  boosting the appearance of public support  government regulators were 40 percent more likely to respond and 65 percent more likely to inspect the plants in question, according to the study.

While private appeals  sent through a government hotline or online messaging platform  also led to improvements, they do so by a lesser amount, the researchers noted.

Our study found that social media can be a very effective, and easy, tool to involve citizens in the government process and hold regulators accountable, Shaoda Wang, deputy faculty director for the Energy Policy Institutes China branch, said in a statement.

The fact that the more popular social posts spurred more action from government officials is not surprising, but does confirm that there is a lot of opportunity for citizens to participate in governance and help improve government accountability, Wang added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
South Korea scrambled 30 military planes in response to 12 warplanes that North Korea flew near the border with its neighbour in an apparent bombing drill on Thursday.

The countrys military said eight North Korean jets and four bombers flew in formation, and are believed to have conducted air-to-surface firing exercises.

South Korea has not yet shared further details over how close to the border the North Korean jets flew.

Earlier, North Korea had fired two short-range ballistic missiles towards its eastern waters in the direction of Japan as a US aircraft carrier and allied warships held a drill simulating shooting down of one of the Norths missiles.

The North has so far launched about 40 missiles this year, including its largest intercontinental ballistic missiles, with officials in Seoul and Washington believing the country appears to be ready to hold its first nuclear test since 2017.

The latest missile launches suggested leader Kim Jong-un is determined to boost the countrys nuclear arsenal as he aims to defy international sanctions. Many experts believe his eventual goal is to force the US into recognising Pyongyang as a legitimate nuclear state and getting the sanctions lifted.

The latest missiles were launched 22 minutes apart from the Norths capital region and landed between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, said South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff. While the first missile flew 350km, reaching a maximum altitude of 80km, the second flew more than double the distance, covering 800km on an apogee of 60km.

The flight details were similar to Japanese assessments announced by defence minister Yasukazu Hamada, who confirmed the missiles didnt reach Japans exclusive economic zone.

He, however, added that the second missile was possibly launched on an irregular trajectory, a term 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 defences.

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The launch followed the return of the carrier, USS Ronald Reagan, to waters off the Korean Peninsula and occurred an hour after North Korea condemned the US for talking to the UN Security Council about Pyongyangs just counteraction measures on joint South Korea-US drills, suggesting its missile tests are a reaction to the allied military moves.

In this handout image released by the South Korean Defense Ministry, South Korean Air Force F-15Ks and US Air Force F-16 fighter jets fly over the Korean Peninsula in response to North Koreas intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch at an undisclosed location (Getty Images)

It was the sixth missile launch in 12 days and the first since North fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan on Tuesday, prompting joint South Korean and US missile drills in which one weapon crashed and burned.

The launch was reported by South Koreas joint chiefs of staff and the Japanese government.

South Koreas military said it also boosted its surveillance posture and maintains readiness in close coordination with the US, while the US Indo-Pacific Command said the launches didnt pose an immediate threat to the country or its allies, but still highlighted the destabilising impact of North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida spoke on phone o Thursday and agreed that North Koreas recent missile tests are a serious, grave provocation that threatens international peace.

The two leaders also decided to cooperate to sternly deal with North Korean provocations, according to Mr Yoons office.

Mr Kishida earlier said the Norths continued launches were absolutely intolerable.

This is the sixth time in the short period, just counting the ones from the end of September, he said. This absolutely cannot be tolerated.

Earlier on Wednesday, the US had accused China and Russia of enabling Mr Kim by blocking attempts to strengthen UN Security Council sanctions on Pyongyang.

Mr Yoon and Mr Kishida also said a clear message must be sent to North Korea that its provocation would bring consequences, the formers office said.

The leaders also condemned the Norths recent tests as acts of serious provocation, it added.

Tokyo lodged a vehement protest with North Korea over Thursdays launches through delegations in Beijing, the Japanese defense minister said.

North Korea has relentlessly and unilaterally escalated its provocation especially since the beginning of this year, Mr Hamada told reporters.

Additional reporting from agencies
A Southwest Airlines pilot is suing the airline, her union and a former co-worker who pleaded guilty over a 2020 incident in which he exposed his genitals and watched pornography during a flight.

Christine Janning alleges in the lawsuit that the airline retaliated against her after she reported the former pilot, Michael Haak, to the company and the FBI. She claims that the airline kept her grounded and that the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association conspired with Southwest Airlines and did not support her after the incident.

Janning is suing Haak on accusations of sexual assault. He pleaded guilty to intentionally committing a lewd, indecent or obscene act and was sentenced to probation and a $5,000 fine. Haak admitted at the time that after a flight from Philadelphia to Orlando, Florida, reached its cruising altitude, Haak got out of the pilots seat, disrobed and watched pornography on a laptop, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Maryland.

Janning filed the lawsuit last week in Orange County, Florida. Court documents say Janning alleges that Haak said there was something" he wanted to do on the flight before retiring, then bolted the door of the cockpit, exposed himself and watched pornography. Janning alleges Haak took several photos and videos of himself and encouraged her to also take photos, which she did in order to create a record.

Travel: United Airlines to stop service at JFK airport temporarily, starting in late October

Arrest made at gate: Unruly passenger sucker punches AA flight attendant

Haaks attorney, Michael Salnick, told USA TODAY that Janning asked Haak if there was something he wanted to do before he retired, "and that's how he ended up flying naked." At his sentencing hearing last year, Haak called the incident a consensual prank.

Janning accused Haak of masturbating after exposing himself. Salnick denied the accusation.

Among other allegations, Janning also claimed that after reporting the incident in November 2020, she was told that because Haak had retired, Southwest's investigation was closed. She then went to the FBI, which charged the former pilot.

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Janning said she was grounded for more than three months, which cost her a portion of her salary. She said she also was required to take unnecessary training before working again.

She also claimed that her union, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, did not advocate on her behalf, though its leaders did write a letter to Haaks judge that said he had a spotless" record.

USA TODAY has reached out to the union for comment. Southwest Airlines, in a statement to USA TODAY, said that "Southwest Airlines takes all matters related to workplace conduct very seriously, with a well-defined policy and process for harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation claims."

"Our corporate Culture is built upon treating others with mutual respect and dignity, and we plan to vigorously defend against allegations made in this recent complaint."

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Southwest pilot sues after coworker stripped, watched porn on flight
Billboards in space that are made using a swarm of about 50 satellites, can provide global coverage of advertisements and potentially turn a profit at a cost of $65m, a new study has estimated.

The research, recently published in the journal Aerospace, calculated the feasibility of satellite formation-flying missions for space advertising.

Space-based advertising has been discussed since the Apollo Moon launch era, and current approaches include adding logos on rockets, providing branded food delivery to the International Space Station and even a car being launched to space.

Scientists, including those from the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Russia, said long term advertisements would rely on a complex satellite system orbiting the Earth and demonstrating images to observers on Earth.

In the new study, they assessed the technical and economical viability of space advertising using a formation of solar sail-equipped small satellites.

A swarm of about 50 small satellites entering a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500-1,000km, where they would be in direct sunlight at all times as they pass around the Earth, could make the idea technically feasible, said researchers.

Once in orbit, these satellites would deploy their reflectors and shine sunlight down Earth to the area they are soaring over for about five minutes.

At lower orbits, scientists said the mission lifetime could suffer from excessive fuel expenditure to counteract effects of atmospheric drag.

The best strategy for making the idea economically feasibile, they said, is to target these space ads at megacities with large populations.

The month in which the space advertisement is projected should be considered since the likelihood of viewing any outdoor demonstration reduces in winter due to weather conditions.

Given the altitude range, there remain two possible orbits to be used  the one that performs 15 revolutions per day and has 568.13km altitude and another that performs 14 revolutions per days and has an altitude of 895.45km, researchers wrote in the study.

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The latter can be chosen as it offers a larger access area, yielding greater mission revenue, they say.

While satellites covering larger ground areas as they sweep through the sky could project the ads to more people, scientists said this could also dim the demonstrated image.

An optimum mission of this kind could cost about $65m, with the manufacturing costs for 50 satellites ($48.7m) making up the biggest fraction of expenditure, and the engineering, testing, support and launch making up the remaining costs.

With a satellite formation operating for about 91 days, they said nearly 24 image demonstrations can be performed, collecting a net income of nearly $111m.

From adding to the erasure of our night sky heritage to being a threat to the ability to do astronomical research from the ground, dark sky advocates & astronomy experts explain why billboards in space will contribute to problems caused by light pollution. https://t.co/RPd82I344c  IDA Dark-Sky (@IDADarkSky) January 17, 2019

While the study assessed the feasibility of a billboard in space, experts have also warned such missions could contribute to problems caused by light pollution and threaten the ability to conduct astronomical research from the ground.

From adding to the erasure of our night sky heritage to being a threat to the ability to do astronomical research from the ground, dark sky advocates & astronomy experts explain why billboards in space will contribute to problems caused by light pollution, US-based nonprofit International Dark-Sky Association had said.
 Flash

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.
Satellites orbiting Earth

The war in Ukraine has underlined the growing importance of space to armies on the ground.

In an interview with the BBC, the head of the US Space Force, General Jay Raymond, describes it as the "first war where commercial space capabilities have really played a significant role". It's also the first major conflict in which both sides have become so reliant on space.

Gen Raymond - whose service is the newest branch of the US armed forces - avoids giving precise details of how the US and its allies have been helping Ukraine.

But he gives a clear indication of what it's been doing. "We use space to help strike with precision, we use space to provide warnings of missiles, of any threat that could come to the United States or to our allies or partners," he says.

Gen Raymond warns that "there's a full spectrum of threats" from space

There are already more than 5,000 satellites in space - most are operated for commercial purposes.

But among them are hundreds of dedicated military satellites - the US, Russia and China having the largest number.

Ukraine has none. But it has received significant help from the West in a number of ways.

SURVEILLANCE

ISR satellites have also been essential for "telling the truth" about the war - like the massacre in Bucha, near Ukraine's capital Kyiv

The first is providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance - or ISR.

Ukraine has had access to unprecedented amounts of commercial satellite imagery.

At a recent conference, the director of the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency said it had more than doubled the commercial imagery available over Ukraine in the run-up to the war.

Air Vice-Marshal Paul Godfrey, who heads the UK's Space Command, says that along with commercial and civilian ISR provided to Ukraine "there's an awful lot of nations with military capabilities in space - they're looking at Ukraine as well".

Space ISR helped identify the initial build-up of Russian forces before the invasion on 24 February and the movement of troops and military hardware ever since. Satellites have been used to track Russian warships in the Black Sea, including the cruiser Moskva which was sunk by Ukraine.

Early warning radar - like the giant one at RAF Fylingdales in North Yorkshire - have also been able to track the launch of ballistic missiles.

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Air Vice-Marshal Godfrey says ISR satellites have also been essential for "telling the truth" about the war.

He gives the example of the massacre in Bucha, near Ukraine's capital Kyiv. He says Russian claims that the bodies of dead civilians were already on the streets when they arrived were contradicted by time-stamped satellite imagery showing otherwise.

Media organisations, including the BBC, have also had unprecedented access to commercial satellite imagery - which can be used to corroborate claims on the ground. That includes identifying mass graves or Ukraine's recent attack on a Russian airbase in Crimea, a southern Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.

Early warning radar have also been able to track the launch of ballistic missiles.

The US is also now in detailed discussions about installing more giant radar in the UK to keep an eye on what's happening in space.

And recently Ukrainian volunteers have fundraised enough money to buy an entire satellite to help the country's military in detecting Russian targets.

The Sar (Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite of the Finnish company ICEYE has proved to be extremely effective - in just the first two days of its usage the Russian military damages exceeded $16m - more that the cost of the satellite purchase, Ukrainian officials say.

COMMUNICATIONS

Elon Musk has sent thousands of Starlink internet kits - like this one in the southern Odesa - to Ukraine

Space has also been crucial to communications throughout the war.

At the start of the war Russia conducted a series of military strikes and cyber-attacks to take out Ukraine's key communication nodes.

Air Vice-Marshal Godfrey credits Elon Musk with "essentially getting the internet back up and running in Ukraine" - helped by an appeal on Twitter by the Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov.

@elonmusk, while you try to colonize Mars  Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space  Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand.  Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 26, 2022

Elon Musk has sent thousands of Starlink internet kits to Ukraine giving access to SpaceX's constellation of satellites in orbit.

They've been essential to providing Ukraine's military with secure communications and situational awareness throughout the war. I've seen them being used from Ukrainian command bunkers in the country's eastern Donbas region.

PRECISION WEAPONS

Ukraine has been highly successful in targeting key Russian targets by high-precision HIMARS rockets

Both Russia, and more recently Ukraine, have been relying on space-based positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) to conduct precision strikes on key targets, with Russia's cruise missiles using its own Glonass positioning satellites to find their targets.

For Ukraine, the addition of US-supplied precision weapons to its arsenal have been key to its recent advances.

Himars rockets - which have a range of up to 50 miles (80km) and are guided by GPS - have been used to destroy key targets, such as ammunition dumps and command centres well behind the frontline.

More recently, the US has supplied Ukraine with GPS guided Excalibur artillery shells - more accurate than so-called dumb ammunition. Precision has made a difference.

THE FUTURE OF WARFARE IN SPACE

The increasing reliance on space raises concerns that conflict could spread beyond land, sea and air.

Russia and China have both conducted tests to destroy their own satellites, and Admiral Tony Radakin, the UK's Chief of the Defence Staff, has recently warned that Russia could carry out attacks on Western targets in space.

Gen Raymond says "there's a full spectrum of threats we're concerned about". He lists GPS and communications jamming, direct energy weapons like lasers, or missiles fired from the ground which could be used to target satellites.

He says the US and its allies want to make sure that there's always safe and responsible behaviour in space - but adds "what worries me is not everybody shares that view".

In reality, the militarisation of space is well under way.
Sii, a pitbull mix, adopted from the Animal Protective League.

A Springfield woman pleaded guilty to an animal cruelty charge in Sangamon County court Wednesday.

Taryn Goodwin, 32, was sentenced to two years' probation after authorities found a pit bull mix dead in her residence. The dog had no access to food or water.

The state's attorney's office requested Judge Raylene Grischow order a psychological examination of Goodwin, which was granted, said Mary Beth Rodgers, felony division chief.

Goodwin cannot own or reside with any domesticated animals for the duration of her probation.

If Goodwin violates probation, she could be sentenced to prison ranging from 1 to 3 years at 50%.

Goodwin took part in a "402 Conference" with Grischow on Sept. 21.

A "402 conference" is held away from the courtroom and includes the judge, the prosecutor, the defendant and the defendant's attorney. The meeting is designed to gauge a sentencing range if the defendant pleads guilty.

Two other misdemeanors against Goodwin were dismissed.

More:District 186 board member and former president Mike Zimmers passes away

Shane Sullivan, Goodwin's landlord, found the dog, named Sii, dead in a residence in the 1200 block of East Ash Street on Dec. 5, 2020.

The case brought an outpouring of support for the Animal Protective League of Springfield, including a vigil highlighting some of the services APL provides.

Goodwin adopted Sii through APL, said Deana Corbin, APL's executive director.

At the vigil, Corbin described Sii as "a sweet dog. He was beautiful, very happy. He loved other dogs. He was great in play groups. He was one of our favorites. Some of them kind of stick with you, and he was one of those everyone remembered. It always looked like he was smiling."

Sii came to APL from Tazewell County through the New Hope Program. Through that program, APL took in mostly dogs from about 30 animal control facilities, where they would be euthanized to make space for more animals.

Sii's name comes from the Samoan phrase "sii i luga," meaning "to lift up."

Story continues

This story will be updated.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield woman gets probation on animal cruelty charge
Oct. 6Last week was a good one for SEC football in the state and brought back memories of Mississippi Mayhem in 2014.

This week, Mississippi State is at home against an Arkansas team that slid out of the national rankings while the Bulldogs jumped in. Ole Miss is at Vanderbilt to take on a traditional opponent that has sometimes surprised the Rebels  but not since 2018.

Arkansas at Mississippi State

The Bulldogs played their best game of the year against Texas A&M.

They'll most likely face a better quarterback when the Razorbacks get to town.

The status of KJ Jefferson, Arkansas' QB1, remains unclear at this time. Arkansas coach Sam Pittman would not confirm that Jefferson has spent this week in concussion protocol, but he talked around the edges of that. The time required to exit protocol is all over the map depending on the severity of the hit to the head.

Jefferson, a native of Sardis, suffered his hit to the head in the fourth quarter of the Hogs' 49-26 loss to Alabama last week. If he plays, Jefferson will be the best quarterback the Bulldogs have faced. He's not only a runner, but a big runner who's harder to bring down, and he's grown as a passer.

State didn't do a great job of shadowing LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels in Week 3. They'll have to be better against Jefferson.

Arkansas peaked at No. 10 in The AP Top 25 when it was 3-0, but is now unranked after back-to-back losses, the first against the Texas A&M team that the Bulldogs just walloped.

MSU fans may choose to take comfort in the Arkansas-A&M score but should note that the transitive property of mathematics doesn't apply to college football.

MSU coach Mike Leach has spent a lot of time this year talking about the consistency of his team or, in his words, the lack thereof. A&M was the Bulldogs' best effort in terms of being at their best throughout the game. Maybe that game flipped a switch. Maybe Leach's message has been noted and acted upon by players.

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Among the bright spots in Starkville last week was the Bulldogs' revamped offensive line that allowed no sacks against the Aggies. Arkansas leads the nation in sacks at 5.0 per game. If LaQuinston Sharp and the gang can protect Will Rogers, he'll likely find some holes in an Arkansas defense that ranks No. 126 in passing yards allowed at 302.5 per game.

I like the Bulldogs to ride the momentum of a big win over A&M into another big SEC home win. The Hogs will bother Rogers more than the Aggies did, but Rogers will remain vertical enough to get things done. LSU sacked Rogers four times, but that game gets a lot closer  and the Bulldogs likely win  if they hang on to half their drops and don't fumble a punt.

It's being good almost every play and great on occasion.

Prediction: MSU 35, Arkansas 27

The Beat Guys: DeRosa, MSU; Katz, Arkansas

Ole Miss at Vanderbilt

The Commodores have not yet become one of the best teams in the nation as predicted by coach Clark Lea at SEC Media Days.

They're better though.

They've won three games to surpass last year's win total, but they still haven't won an SEC game under Lea. It's a small SEC sample size this season, and unfortunately the opponent is Alabama which defeated Vanderbilt 55-3.

Wake Forest, the only other Power Five team on the schedule so far, beat Vanderbilt 45-25.

Alabama notwithstanding, Vanderbilt has been functional on offense. The Commodores are averaging 34.2 points a game, a field goal less than Mississippi State but a PAT more than Arkansas. It's unusual to see Vanderbilt with more scoring prowess than Florida, Auburn and Texas A&M, but that's what the numbers say.

Lea made a change at quarterback three weeks ago in favor of freshman AJ Swann who went the whole way against Alabama, which showed Lea's commitment to change. Swann was 13 for 26 but did not throw an interception. He was sacked five times, which bodes well for the Rebels' chances to get him off his spot. Ole Miss is second in the SEC in sacks.

Lea has had an extra week to get Swann ready since Vanderbilt was open last week.

The Commodores rank No. 120 in total defense, No. 107 in scoring defense. Ole Miss needs to respect the opponent, but this is one of those games where the Rebels should be able to focus on themselves, on improvement for Jaxson Dart at quarterback, better center snaps, on a sustained running game and on clamping down defensively for four quarters.

Auburn visits next week, and Ole Miss has a good chance to be 7-0 going to LSU on Oct. 22. But Ole Miss needs to get better at some things. Nashville will be a good environment to begin some of that improvement.

Prediction: Ole Miss 45, Vanderbilt 19

The Beat Guys: DeRosa, Ole Miss; Katz, Ole Miss

Elsewhere in College Football

Last Week: Theo 6-3, PA 6-3, Michael 6-3

Overall: Theo 37-6, PA 34-9, Michael 33-10

Texas vs. Oklahoma

Alford: Texas

DeRosa: Oklahoma

Katz: Texas

Tennessee at LSU

Alford: Tennessee

DeRosa: Tennessee

Katz: Tennessee

Utah at UCLA

Alford: Utah

DeRosa: Utah

Katz: Utah

Texas A&M at Alabama

Alford: Alabama

DeRosa: Alabama

Katz: Alabama

South Carolina at Kentucky

Alford:Kentucky

DeRosa: Kentucky

Katz: Kentucky

Florida State at North Carolina State

Alford: NC State

DeRosa: NC State

Katz: NC State

Southern Miss at Troy

Alford: Southern Miss

DeRosa: Troy

Katz: Troy

Recipe of the Week

Boston Butt Burnt Ends

The best part of pulled pork in every bite.

The contents: Boston Butt, 2 cups BBQ sauce, 3 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp brown sugar.

The process: Rub with your favorite spice, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces, smoke for three hours at 250. The key is that bark has formed when you add pieces to the mixture. Mix remaining ingredients and add to pieces in foil pan. Cover and return to smoker for 60-90 minutes at 200-225. Remove cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

PARRISH ALFORD is the college sports editor and columnist for the Daily Journal. Contact him at parrish.alford@journalinc.com.
Stanford Graduate School of Business has released its MBA Class of 2024 profile showing a big drop in international students but an uptick in minority representation. Elena Zhukova photo

Like most of its peers, Stanford Graduate School of Business did not avoid the widely felt (and reported) application downturn in 2021-2022, with apps to the GSBs MBA program dropping 16.5%  its lowest total in many years. And at first blush when reading Stanfords MBA Class of 2024 profile that was released today (October 6), it appears that unlike most other top B-schools, Stanford opted not to lean into a pool of international talent to fill the gap, as the worlds most selective B-school reports that 37% of its new class are international.

But that data point is misleading. For the first time this year, Stanford reported international enrollment using the Graduate Management Admission Councils GME Admissions Reporting Standards, by which dual citizens are assigned to either the domestic or international column based on their primary citizenship. Previously, Stanford adhered to a policy of pooling all international and dual citizens. Using the latter approach, Stanfords international population this year is actually 46%  only 1 percentage point below last years class, not 10 points as it initially appears (and as P&Q initially reported  see note at the bottom of this page).

Whether 37% or 46%, anyone who has visited Stanfords campus in Palo Alto or talked at length with the schools leadership and students knows that the GSB has a rich international flavor. This years class is well in line with that tradition, hailing from 56 countries and boasting 77 languages, up from last years 66.

GMAT, GRE & GPA ALL SLIGHTLY DOWN

Besides retaining its global essence, Stanford improved its diversity markedly in 2022: For the first time, more than half of its classs U.S. citizens and permanent residents identify as people of color (51%), with the numbers of Black (12%) and Hispanic (13%) students reaching their highest levels in history under the programs multi-identity reporting. U.S. minority students also jumped, to 35% from 24% last year.

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Academically, Stanford bucked at least one other big trend this year: Its Graduate Management Admission Test score did not grow. As B-schools have made the GMAT and the Graduate Record Exam interchangeable  and in many cases made it possible to waive either, giving admissions teams the luxury of choosing from only the best scores  averages have climbed across graduate business education.

But not at Stanford, which to be fair didnt have much room to move up, being already at a school record 738 last year. The Class of 2024 reported a GMAT 1 point lower, 737, with a range between 630 and 790. And while more class members submitted GRE scores than last year, 25%, matching the school record set in 2020, GRE averages slipped as well: The average GRE Verbal score was 164, down 1 point from last year, with a range between 149 and 170; the average GRE Quantitative score was 163, down 2 points, with a range between 150 and 170.

A third academic yardstick is also down slightly: The average GPA for the Class of 2024 was 3.76, down from 3.78. Yet even with the slight drop in some academic measures, Stanford still outpaces its peers. See the table below.

'THE CLASS OF 2024 DELIVERED ON ALL COUNTS'

Stanford enrolled a similar class this year compared to last in a couple of tangible ways: size, and women. The new crop of MBA students numbers 424 this year, just two seats fewer than the Class of 2023. And at 44%, the school maintains its gender makeup from last year, though it is down from 47% in 2020 and 2019.

Among the new Stanford MBA students are "highly decorated military veterans, former White House policy advisers, film directors and musicians, world-class athletes, teachers, financial analysts and consultants, and social impact entrepreneurs who are tackling complex problems across the globe," the school declares in its announcement.

Every year, we seek out students who demonstrate enormous potential, an eagerness to contribute to the Stanford GSB community, and a commitment to make the world a better place, says Kirsten Moss, assistant dean of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid.

The Class of 2024 delivered on all counts. We are so excited to welcome them to campus.

This story was edited after publication to clarify Stanford's use of a new reporting guideline to categorize student nationality, under which the school has 37% international students. Using previous years' policy, the school has 46% internationals this year.

Kirsten Moss, assistant dean of admissions and financial aid for Stanford's Graduate School of Business, has admitted her last class. She will step down at the end of the calendar year

As usual, there was little significant change in the pre-MBA industry or undergraduate major makeup of Stanford's new MBA class. Class of 2024 members studied at 162 undergraduate institutions in the U.S. or abroad, down from 164 last year; 13% have advanced degrees, down from 19%; and 12% are the first in their family to graduate from a four-year university or college, same as last year.

Before joining Stanford, 24% of the class studied engineering (down from 25%), 21% majored in economics (down from 22%), 20% studied the social sciences (up from 15%), 19% were business majors (up from 15%), 9% studied math or science (down from 14%), and 6% studied arts or humanities (down from 8%).

One-fifth of students with previous professional experience worked in investment management, private equity, or venture capital roles, same as last year (see table below), and another 20% worked in consulting, up 1 point. Fifteen percent of the class worked in the technology sector, down 1 point; 8% of the class previously worked in government, education, or the nonprofit sector, same as last year; 4% are veterans, down 1 point; and 3% have worked in manufacturing, down 1 point. On average, incoming MBA students in the Class of 2024 have nearly five years of professional experience, about the same as every year; the range of work experience, however, jumped from 0 to 11 years to 0 to 18 years.

A 'RICH DIVERSITY OF BACKGROUNDS'

This is the last class to be admitted to Stanford under the admissions leadership of Kirsten Moss, who announced last week that she would be leaving Stanford at the end of the calendar year. She leaves on a high note, with the newest MBA cohort the first to achieve racial parity at the school, an achievement that surely will be among the most important in Moss's legacy.

In her five years at the school, she has contributed to establishing partnerships with such groups as QuestBridge, which connects low-income and first-generation students with partner colleges and universities, and the Forte Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting women in graduate business education. Moss also launched the Building Opportunities for Leadership Diversity Fellows Fund in 2021 to provide assistance to students who face financial hardship and are committed to the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion; the number of BOLD Fellows in the Class of 2024 increased by 25% since the programs inaugural year.

Our newest students have already reached significant milestones in their personal and professional lives, Moss says. The rich diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives will enable them to work together to tackle some of societys most pressing challenges.

DON'T MISS STANFORD REPORTS A RECORD GMAT FOR IT S MBA CLASS OF 2023 and STANFORD ADMISSIONS CHIEF KIRSTEN MOSS RESIGNS

The post Stanford MBA Class Of 2024: Apps Down 16.5%, But Program Gets More Diverse appeared first on Poets&Quants.
Illinois has welcomed its first licensed predominantly Black-owned cannabis business thanks to the helping hand of a disrupter in the space.

Star Buds, a weed company based in Colorado, partnered with SB IL Grow LLC to help them get their feet wet in Illinois.

The cannabis social equity corporate entity is two-thirds Black-owned and will push forward Star Buds goal to create more jobs in a state heavily impacted by the war on drugs, Black Cannabis Magazine reports.

If youre really looking at eradicating the generational wealth gap in minorities youve got to bring access and diversity into business such as this that can do just that, said Tiffany Hightower, part owner of Star Buds, according to Black Cannabis Magazine.

Earlier this week, Star Buds joined SB IL Grow LLC for a ribbon-cutting ceremony held by the Illinois Department of Agriculture as they also commemorated becoming the first craft grower to open in The Prairie State.

Proud to a part of an amazing team with an amazing group of people. We all really worked our butts off to get here. To be the first Responsible Vendor approved by the state of Illinois , The First Cannabis Transportation license, now to be the first Predominately Black Owned Craft Grow to open is a Blessing, said partner Victoria Williams, according to the outlet.

Star Buds feat is yet another addition to the movement of Black-led companies receiving the green light to distribute within states. As AfroTech just told you, Terry Donnell Gwinn also secured a victory in the sector as a Black farmer who leads the first business to be licensed as a medical marijuana operator in Florida.

These victories are all the more important as only two percent of Black entrepreneurs have ownership in the cannabis space.

Mr. Gwinn is very pleased that his application was selected for licensure and is grateful for the hard work by the Florida Department of Health, Office of Medical Marijuana Use, to complete the review of the applications received. He looks forward to working with the office to complete the final steps to licensure, Gwinns attorney, Jim McKee, said in a statement, according to Orlando Sentinel.
If youre planning to go overseas any time soon its important you check the State Department website for new Travel Advisories for France, Belize, and Italy, as well as other countries across the globe.

Theres 81 new advisories on the site, with four Level 4 for Russia, Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, and Belarus. Level 4 means Americans should not travel to those countries because of greater likelihood of life-threatening risks.

Threat levels-

As for Level 3 advisories, there were ten in total. People traveling to Level 3 countries should either reconsider travel due to risks to safety and security. Some of the countries included in the Level 3 notice are El Salvador, the Cayman Islands, and Colombia.

Italy?

Adrian Krajcar

Among the list of countries under the advisory updates was Italy. Stating there could be potential acts of terrorism at large public events. Including, sporting events, nightclubs, public transportation, and tourist sites. The State Department also mention that the terrorist would be using less sophisticated methods such as 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.

Italy is also going through a moderate rate of crime such as pickpockets and purse snatchers. Not violent crimes. Mostly getting charged with fines and the buying and selling of counterfeit goods.

When traveling to Italy you should keep your eyes open and stay alert around large crowds and tourist traps.

France?

Louvre Museum, Paris, France

Another country issued with a Level 2 advisory was France. Similar to Italy, France is also prone to terrorist attacks. Their police and military are always patrolling tourist areas and public places for potential threats. Americans should prepare for random inspections in public places and certain private businesses.

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As of late, many parisians have been protesting the recent death of Mahsa Amini, who was brutally beaten by police in Tehran for not wearing her hijab in what was deemed a respectable manner. Once the people started protesting they were met with rubber bullets, water cannons, and tear gas. Demonstrations are expected to continue in France and surrounding countries until justice is served.

Belize?

PEDRO PARDO/AFP/Getty Images

Belize has currently been listed as a Level 2 for the rise in crime. The country has been ridden with armed robberies and sexual assault. Regions such as the south side of Belize City and areas along the countrys borders. Most of the crimes are gang-related and even happen in broad daylight in and around 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.

Some travelers fall victim to scams and pickpockets but it can also escalate to violent crimes.
 Read the full article on Motorious

He whines like a baby, then mommy shows up

Street takeovers are annoying and sometimes deadly, plus they make gearheads look like were all thugs, so we have zero sympathy for anyone who participates in them. Thats why we openly laugh at this kid who thought hed use his clapped-out Hyundai Genesis to run from Arkansas State Police, only to get a gnarly PIT done on him, his car wrecked, and his mommy to show up on the scene.

Watch the latest Motorious Podcast here.

The whole thing went down back in December of 2019 but the dashcam footage was only recently uploaded onto YouTube. We get to watch from Trooper Robert Sanfords dashcam as he aggressively charges through stopped traffic on the highway while punk kids do burnouts and donuts so their friends can record everything, posting it on social media to get likes and even monetize the criminal behavior.

After Trooper Sanford swims through the stopped vehicles, he zeroes in on easy prey as all the muscle cars and tuners scatter: a Hyundai Genesis Coupe. No doubt this kid thought he was pretty hot stuff, but his ride with bolt-on mods was no match for the Dodge Charger Pursuit, especially when the trooper is a far better driver.

During the brief chase, we cant tell if this kid was trying to feint turning left or right constantly or if he genuinely couldnt keep control of his Hyundai. Whatever it was, the trooper was able to PIT him twice, the second time also blocking the stopped Korean sport coupe with the much heavier sedan. Before too long, the kid is thrown in the backseat and looks like he shouldve worn the brown pants for the meeting with his online friends.

Funny enough, a few Mopars drive by the stopped police car. While we dont know for sure, we wouldnt be surprised to find out if they were the one kids buddies who wanted to see who got caught. They were probably amused by the damage done to the Genesis Coupe.

Finally, a woman shows up who people are saying is the mother and owner of the car. She doesnt look too happy and doesnt go talk to the driver. We can hardly blame her. Theres likely some structural damage done to the Hyundai and she might not be getting it back, at least for a while.

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Check out the video for yourself.

Images via YouTube

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Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has voiced her regret over the latest elimination on the hit BBC dance series.

Last weekend, Kaye Adams and Kai Widdrington were voted off the series after losing a dance-off to Bros star Matt Goss and Nadiya Bychkova.

Speaking on Wednesday nights (5 October) instalment of The One Show, Ballas revealed that she thought the far superior contestant had gone.

I just felt on the evening both couples made mistakes but the quality of Kaye was by far superior on that evening and I was absolutely mortified that she left, to be quite honest, she said.

I love my fellow judges and were all there to do a job, but in my opinion, that was one they didnt quite get right.

She continuted: Sometimes Im just delighted when they can agree and its not my job to send someone home. But [Kaye] had the most beautiful, beautiful movement. She was fluid, and I like fluidity, so there you go.

During the episode, judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke all voted to save Matt and Madiya, while Ballas voted for Kaye and Kai.

Strictly Come Dancing airs weekly on Saturday and Sunday night on BBC One. Episodes are available to stream on iPlayer after airing.
A glass of wine with dinner. A beer to relax after work. Drinking alcohol is something most of us do without usually giving it a lot of thought.

Even small amounts of alcohol can present health consequences, which is prompting a researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to push for stronger warning labels on all alcohol products.

The Centers for Disease Control released new statistics indicating that alcohol consumption now accounts for about 140,000 deaths every year in the U.S and we know those rates have been rising over the last 20 years or so, said Anna Grummon, Ph.D.

A big spike in alcohol consumption happened throughout the pandemic.

We have increasing research showing that most Americans are not aware of some of the most serious harms of alcohol consumption, added Grummon.

Cirrhosis of the liver tops the list.

Unfortunately, this increase in cirrhosis, as well as deaths related to cirrhosis, is being disproportionately seen in our younger adults between the ages of 25-34, said Doctor Michael Curry of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Alcohol first and foremost can result in an increase of liver cancer, explained Dr. Curry. There are approximately seven other cancers where alcohol has some effect. Also, we see an increase in breast cancer in women who have histories of heavy alcohol intake.

Grummon recently co-wrote an article that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. It made the case for stronger warning labels on alcohol.

The best warning labels are warnings that are front and center.

Right now, alcoholic beverages just contain a short blurb stating the danger to pregnant women and from operating heavy machinery.

We have a large body of evidence from other domains like tobacco control, that when we move away from text-only warnings that are small, and on the back of the package, to warnings with better designs that are large, that have pictures, etc., that really boost their efficacy.

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Grummons goal is to empower consumers with more information.

The goal wouldnt be to drive consumption to zero, explained Grummon. It would be to present consumers with the information that currently most of us arent aware of, and to do it at the exact moment when were making a decision about whether to buy a product or consume a product, so its easily accessible.

Alcohol-related health problems are a worldwide issue.

Doctor Curry says about three million deaths are linked to alcohol annually, representing about 5% of all deaths.

Boston 25 News reached out to the two largest industry groups that represent alcohol manufacturers. Neither had any comment on this proposal.

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Four people were killed and 25 others wounded after a bomb explosion ripped through a mosque next to Afghanistan's Interior Ministry on Wednesday.

"A blast occurred at a mosque near the Ministry of Interior on Wednesday. Four worshippers were martyred and 25 others were injured," Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Nafi Takor confirmed on his Twitter account, adding that an investigation is underway.

Nafi also noted that the mosque was outside the Interior Ministry compound where ordinary people and employees of the ministry often used to offer their prayers.

This is the fourth blast in Kabul over the past week.

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast yet.
Oct. 5SOCIAL CIRCLE  For kids who enjoy nature as well as creating artwork, Georgia's 17th annual Youth Birding Competition invites resident children and teens to celebrate birds through a T-shirt art contest.

A winner will be picked from each of four age categories: primary (pre-K-second grades), elementary (third-fifth), middle school (sixth-eighth) and high school. One winner will be awarded the grand prize: Their artwork will appear on the 2023 Youth Birding Competition T-shirt, and they'll receive a $100 Amazon gift card. The three other winners each will receive a $50 Amazon gift card.

Entering is easy. Participants must draw or paint a native Georgia bird that has not been previously featured on a Youth Birding Competition T-shirt (more details at georgiawildlife.com/YBCTshirtArtContest). Artwork must be flat (not 3D) and may be created on paper or canvas. To enter the contest, email a full-frame JPG photo (from a camera or smartphone) of the artwork by March 13 to Linda.May@dnr.ga.gov.

Be sure to provide the participant's name, school, age, grade level, city, phone number and e-mail address, and the species name of the bird depicted in the artwork.

The illustrated bird must be a wild species that is native to Georgia. Artwork of exotic or domesticated species (such as European starlings, pigeons, yellow ducks, peacocks and parrots) will be disqualified. Draw or paint the bird's features as accurately as possible. A simple background that provides habitat context is good to include, but make sure the bird stands out well and is the focus of the artwork. Also keep in mind that deep, contrasting colors scan best for a T-shirt.

Only one entry per person is allowed, and it must be the entrant's original artwork. Participation in the Youth Birding Competition, scheduled for April 2023, is encouraged but not required to submit artwork for the T-shirt Art Contest.

In the 2023 Youth Birding Competition, teams will try to see or hear as many bird species as possible throughout Georgia in a 24-hour period during the contest dates. Details, including how to register a team, will be posted later this year at georgiawildlife.com/YBC. Contact competition coordinator Tim Keyes at (912) 262-3191 or tim.keyes@dnr.ga.gov for additional information.

For more information on the T-shirt Art Contest, visit georgiawildlife.com/YBCTshirtArtContest. You also can contact art contest coordinator Linda May at (706) 319-0211 or linda.may@dnr.ga.gov.
Part of the Guadiana River in Spain has dried up. Thomas Coex/AFP via Getty Images

The summer droughts that affected parts of the United States, Europe, and China were made 20 times more likely by climate change, according to a new study by World Weather Attribution.

China had its driest summer in 60 years, while drought conditions in Europe sparked brush fires and dried up rivers. The researchers with World Weather Attribution  an international organization comprised of scientists who study the connection between climate change and extreme weather  analyzed weather data, computer simulations, and soil moisture across those areas, and discovered "climate change made dry soil conditions much more likely over the last several months," The Associated Press reports.

Researchers say that if not for human-caused climate change, this type of drought would happen across the Northern Hemisphere just once every 400 years. Because the climate has warmed by 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit, they anticipate these conditions will now repeat every two decades.

Many catastrophic weather events took place in the summer, including months of rain in Pakistan that flooded entire communities. These disasters are "the fingerprints of climate change," climate scientist Maarten van Aalst, a study co-author, told AP. "The impacts are very clear to people and are hitting hard, not just in poor countries, like the flooding in Pakistan ... but also in some of the richest parts of the world, like western central Europe." Van Aalst added that one way to reduce the "compounding and cascading" effects of climate change around the world is to reduce emissions.

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Kim Kardashian speaks onstage during the 2020 Winter TCA Tour Day 12 at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on 18 January 2020 in Pasadena, California (David Livingston/Getty Images)

Two surviving victims of a murder which has become the subject of a true crime podcast by Kim Kardashian have spoken out against the program.

The System began airing on Monday (3 October) on Spotify. It focuses on the conviction of Kevin Keith for a triple murder dating back to 1994. Keith has always maintained his innnocence.

Three people  Linda Chatman, 39; her niece Marichell Chatman, 24; and Marichells four-year-old daughter Marchae Chatman  were killed in February of that year in Bucyrus, Ohio.

They had all been in the same apartment, along with Marichells boyfriend Richard Warren and her two young cousins. According to The System, a man showed up, asked to speak with Linda, and once inside the apartment, pulled out a gun and opened fire.

Richard Warren and Marichells cousins, Quentin Reeves and Quanita Reeves, survived the attack. Quentin and Quanita were respectively four and six years old at the time.

Kevin Keith was arrested two days later and charged with three counts of aggravated murder, on which he was later convicted. According to the podcast, he was never questioned by the police. Keith was sentenced to the death penalty. In 2010, then-Ohio Governor Ted Strickland commuted that sentence to life without parole.

Ive only been on the case about a year. It really spoke to me. The whole situation sucks, Kardashian says in the episode. And I just dont feel like he was given a fair shot.

Speaking to The Daily Mail, Quentin and Quanita, now 33 and 35 years old, shared their side of the story.

Quentin asserted that he believes Keith to be the perpetrator, telling the outlet: We saw it with our own eyes. You dont forget something like that. I dont care what Kim Kardashian says  Kevin did it.

Quanita shared the same belief, stating: It was Kevin. He came in, and shot up the place.

Both Quentin and Quanita allege they were not contacted about the podcast, with Quentin telling the website of Kardashian: She did not contact us, not one time. If Kim Kardashian wants to get involved, she should come and meet us face-to-face.

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Sources close to the podcast disputed that assertion to The Daily Mail and said the siblings were in fact contacted.

The Independent has contacted Spotify, which airs the podcast, and Kardashians representative for comment.

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, Kardashian says on the show. Kevin was represented by defense attorney James Banks. Banks had never worked on a capital murder case before.

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, Banks, the defence attorney for 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.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  Swedens domestic security agency said Thursday that its preliminary investigation of leaks from two Russian gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea has strengthened the suspicions of serious sabotage as the cause and a prosecutor said evidence at the site has been seized.

The Swedish Security Service said the probe confirmed that detonations" caused extensive damage to the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines last week. Authorities had said when the leaks off Sweden and Denmark first surfaced that explosions were recorded in the area.

The agency, which said what happened in the Baltic Sea was very serious, didn't give details about its investigation.

But in a separate statement, Swedish prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said seizures have been made at the crime scene and these will now be investigated.

Ljungqvist, who led the preliminary investigation, did not identify the seized evidence. Ljungqvist said he had given directives to temporarily block (the area) and carry out a crime scene investigation."

Now that the initial probe is completed, a blockade around the pipelines off Sweden will be lifted, he said.

The governments of Denmark and Sweden previously said they suspected that several hundred pounds of explosives were involved in carrying out a deliberate act of sabotage. The leaks from Nord Stream 1 and 2 discharged huge amounts of methane into the air.

Last week, undersea explosions ruptured Nord Stream 2 and its sister pipeline, Nord Stream 2, at two locations off Sweden and two off Denmark. The pipelines were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany.

Danish authorities said the two methane leaks they were monitoring in international waters stopped over the weekend. One of the leaks off Sweden also appeared to have ended.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of attacking the pipelines, which the United States and its allies have vehemently denied, noting that Russia has the most to gain in wrecking havoc on Europe's energy markets.

Separately the Swedish coast guard said the remaining emissions is more or less unchanged, and that it was returning to its ordinary environmental rescue operations.
By Orhan Qereman, Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Phil Stewart

QAMISHLI, Syria (Reuters) -A rare U.S. helicopter raid on a government-held village in Syria's northeast killed an Islamic State militant hiding out there and a separate U.S. air strike later on Thursday killed two others, the U.S. military said.

The United States has carried out previous raids in Syria against members of Islamic State, but Thursday's would be the first known operation against the group in a zone held by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

Early on Thursday, U.S. special forces carried out the rare operation on the government-held village of Muluk Saray in the northeastern province of Hasakeh, Syrian state television said in its Telegram channel.

The U.S. military's Central Command said the target was Rakkan Wahid al-Shammri, an Islamic State member "known to facilitate the smuggling of weapons and fighters." It said he was killed during the operation, while one of his associates was wounded and two others detained by U.S. forces.

"No U.S. forces were injured or killed during the operation, no civilians were killed or wounded, and there was no loss or damage to U.S. equipment," said the Florida-based Central Command, which oversees American troops in the Middle East.

It did not specify the precise location of the raid, describing it only as near the village of Qamishli, which is located at Syria's border with Turkey.

Central Command later on Thursday said a separate U.S. air strike at 6:32 pm (1532 GMT) in northern Syria killed an Islamic State leader it named as Abu-Hashum al-Umawi and another senior member of the group it said was associated with him.

'PEOPLE THOUGHT HE WAS A SHEPHERD'

A security source said the man who was killed in the earlier U.S. raid was responsible for coordinating Islamic State sleeper cells in the area.

"This operation aims to expand the scope of targeting this organisation's members across different parts of Syria," the source added.

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The second security source said U.S. forces had taken his body with them as they retreated.

A local source said the man had moved to the village of Muluk Saray in recent years from Taif, a town near the border with Iraq that was once an Islamic State stronghold.

"People thought he was a shepherd - no one knows his true identity," said the source.

The local source said U.S. forces also raided a building used by Syrian security and detained "several people" there.

Other residents of the area confirmed the raid to Reuters.

One said that U.S. helicopters landed in the village after midnight and told residents by loudspeaker to stay indoors and keep their lights off. The resident said the operation lasted several hours and that there was no exchange of fire with the U.S. troops.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi in Amman, Lina Najem in Dubaim, Orhan Qereman in Qamishli and Phil Stewart in Washington; Writing by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Deepa Babington and Christopher Cushing)
(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan will make an announcement on extending its four-month military conscription requirement by the end of this year, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said, in the latest sign Taipei is taking a potential war threat from China more seriously.

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Any change to military service would come with a one-year notice period, Chiu told lawmakers in Taipei on Wednesday, noting that the ministry was still seeking opinions from various departments.

Insufficient manpower in the military is one of the reasons for extending military service, Chiu said Wednesday. Four months of service is not enough as threats from the enemy are now severe.

Chiu said the government was still weighing exactly how long to make military service, declining to answer lawmakers questions on whether a one- or two-year requirement was most likely. Currently, all Taiwanese men over 18 must serve four months in the military.

READ: Taiwan Will Treat China Flights Into Airspace as First Strike

The timeframe Chiu outlined could delay a decision on conscription until after Novembers local elections, seen as a mid-term test for President Tsai Ing-wen ahead of a presidential vote in 2024. Extending military service is an unpopular idea among many young Taiwanese, most of whom support Tsais Democratic Progressive Party.

Taiwan is trying to bolster its combat readiness in the wake of increased military pressure from Beijing after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosis August visit to the island the Communist Party considers its territory. China responded with unprecedented military drills that eroded a decades-old buffer zone around Taiwan.

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Tsai told the Global Taiwan Institute Annual Symposium on Wednesday that Chinas persistent military activity in recent months had threatened peace in the Taiwan Strait. We are working to adapt our defense strategy to the changing threats, she said.

Taiwan will now treat any Peoples Liberation Army incursion into the islands airspace as a first strike, Chiu told lawmakers Wednesday, after a recent spate of closer flights by Chinese warplanes and drones. So far, Chinese military aircraft and warships have kept well outside the smaller 12-nautical-mile (22 kilometer) area that Taiwan regards as defining its territorial sea and airspace.

Taiwan is set to be a core issue at the twice-a-decade congress of Chinas ruling Communist Party, scheduled to begin Oct 16. Chinese President Xi Jinping is widely expected to secure a third term in power, and could face greater pressure to bring Taiwan under Beijings rule, as part of a longer-term goal of national rejuvenation.

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An off-duty Pittsburgh police officer is accused of punching a woman in the face at the Five Finger Death Punch concert at Star Lake amphitheater in September.

According to the criminal complaint obtained by Target 11, Chas Kulow became aggressive towards and uncooperative with EMS as they were treating his girlfriend.

Police say Kulow appeared under the influence and very agitated.

He then left the staging area, but later returned.

The complaint says when the victims attempted to calm Kulow down, he punched the female victim in the right cheek area. She was bleeding from the mouth.

Police say Kulow then complained of chest pains and was transported by ambulance to Weirton Hospital, where police say he became belligerent and uncooperative with hospital staff and officers.

In Weirton, West Virginia, he was charged with disorderly conduct.

Hes accused of simple assault, disorderly conduct, harassment and public drunkenness for the incident at Star Lake.

Pittsburgh police tell Target 11 that Kulow has been on paid administrative leave since the incident, and they are now reviewing the charges and will take appropriate action.

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The Tennessee Department of Childrens Services has brought in armed security and highway patrol to handle some high-risk youth forced to sleep in state offices as an increasingly dire bed situation traumatizes staff and kids, the departments new commissioner said Wednesday.

Tennessees juvenile detention centers are 100% filled, new DCS Commissioner Margie Quin told lawmakers at a legislative committee meeting, while the state also lacks enough foster families for kids not involved in the justice system.

When a youth becomes particularly unruly in a detention center, the sheriff's department says you have to come get this youth, we have no choice but to go get that youth, Quin said of the young people in DCS custody. In addition to unarmed security, the department has needed the assistance of armed security and highway patrol in some situations.

We're having to do more and more of that as our bed situation becomes more and more dire, Quin said.

Margie Quin, seen here in 2016 when she was a TBI assistant special agent in charge, is now the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Children's Services.

Quins comments came amid a legislative effort to probe criminal sentencing and supervision issues in Tennessee in the wake of two high-profile violent crimes in Memphis last month, and as some lawmakers want to look at the role of early intervention for at-risk children in the state.

Staffing and placement capacity issues have plagued DCS for years, though stakeholders in the juvenile justice system have raised serious concerns in recent months about ongoing concerns. Knoxville Judge Tim Irwin, who sits on the Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, told another legislative committee last month the department is near collapse.

Special report:Assaults, love letters and $137K in unexplained OT: Records detail chaos inside Tennessee youth center

More on DCS:A DCS employee was fired after making $137K in overtime pay she couldn't explain

Quin, who took over DCS in September, told lawmakers on Wednesday shes digging, digging, digging for expedited answers to why Tennessee cannot find enough appropriate placements for kids in state custody, including youth in the juvenile justice system and those who simply need foster care. Its possible the state would need to increase provider rates, and that other states could be outbidding the state for youth placements at private providers in Tennessee, Quin said.

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Rep. Antonio Parkinson, D-Memphis, pressed Quin for more specifics on the issue.

A lot of the children are being traumatized at home, and then they're coming into state custody and being traumatized again, Parkinson said.

"Yes, and my employees are being traumatized because they're sitting in offices with real high-needs children, in some cases very angry, very combative, very violent children, Quin replied. I've got a traumatized workforce, a traumatized group of kids, and we need to expedite the answers to these questions as quickly as we can.

Wilder Youth Development Center:'Noodles on heads': From bounties to beatings, new report details abuses at state-run youth center

The General Assembly convened the ad hoc committee last month, and lawmakers expect to hear presentations from different corners of the states justice system over the coming weeks. On Wednesday, representatives from Gov. Bill Lees office, the Tennessee Department of Corrections and the parole board presented, while the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is expected on the next meetings agenda.

More:Lawmakers create committee to review prison sentences, as Lee calls for state to be 'smart on crime'

Lawmakers devoted Wednesday afternoon to the juvenile justice system, which included representatives from DCS, state mental health services and juvenile court judges.

Judge Sheila Calloway, a juvenile justice court judge in Davidson County, told lawmakers we have to do more from the beginning.

Calloway's court conducted its own study of youth that came through the court and were eventually transferred to the adult judicial system to determine "where we went wrong."

More:'Emergency situations': 27 children in state custody forced to sleep at state office building

At least 70% of the youth first presented within the system in a custody case or a child neglect case, Calloway said, indicating a pressing need for early intervention in childhood issues. Calloway also suggested lawmakers look into systems that meld juvenile rehabilitation with adult punitive sentences that some states such as Indiana employ.

Calloway said it's a "struggle" with DCS, which doesn't have enough staff to "do case management the way they should be able to."

"We've got to get it where case workers aren't carrying 40 or 50 cases, when they can't see the children on a regular basis," Calloway said.

Reach Melissa Brown at mabrown@tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee DCS staff, kids 'traumatized' by worsening placement issues
Fire officers tackle one of the many arson attacks on Kenyan schools last year

A school dormitory in western Kenya burned down a few weeks ago and several students were arrested on suspicion of arson - just the latest instance of a devastating criminal pattern that has dominated the country's education system for more than 30 years.

Last year saw a particular spike in the number of boarding school arson attacks by the pupils, which students blamed on an intensified curriculum following time lost to the Covid lockdown. The second half of the year saw an average of three a week. The BBC has spoken to students whose schools have been set on fire to investigate what lies behind the regular attacks.

The names of the students have been changed

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It was about 16:30 on a Sunday afternoon when someone on the school field spotted the fire. At first, Lillian wasn't too worried. It was just the matron burning rubbish, someone said. But before long, screaming students began streaming out of the school building. Smoke was pouring out of Lillian's dorm.

Lillian [not her real name], 15 at the time of the attack last October, was terrified. She knew her good friend was in the building having a nap.

"People were crying, they were traumatised [I could see] smoke had covered the entire dorm."

They watched as students at Buruburu Girls High School - in the capital Nairobi - began jumping from the windows to escape.

Lillian doesn't know for sure what provoked the arson attack. But she claims that students were deeply unhappy about the amount of academic pressure they were under in the run up to national exams.

"We're usually in class by 4.30am every morning," Lillian told the BBC last November. Independent study then continued to 22:00, she said.

Lillian, studying at home in Nairobi

Boarding schools are the main educators of secondary school-aged children in Kenya - seen as a way of getting good quality subsidised education, and places where children can concentrate on their studies.

Another student, Mary, 16, confirmed that there had been no extra curricular activities last year, and said the academic schedule had been intense.

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"We had to add more lessons to cover the syllabus in time it was quite challenging."

Her mother confirmed that her daughter had complained of long hours and poor student-teacher relations.

The BBC asked Buruburu Girls High School to comment but it did not respond.

Kenya's boarding schools are educationally demanding, admits Dr Newton Mwangi, a former principal of Passenga Secondary School who retired last year.

"Nowadays a child who does not make a good score to take him or her to university is like a condemned child," he says.

Arson attacks are not a new issue in Kenyan boarding schools - the deadliest Kenyan school arson took place 20 years ago, killing 67 students in Machakos County, south-east of Nairobi.

The fires are particularly dangerous because they are usually lit in dormitories, as was the case in Lillian's school. Although her friend finally emerged through the fire exit unscathed, 59 of the girls were reported by local media to have received hospital treatment for smoke inhalation, minor burns, and fractures.

Such attacks have historically been debated only behind closed doors - the government refuses to share data with the media on the number of school arson attacks, or discuss the issue.

But in November 2021, the Ministry of Education issued a response to a parliamentary committee which had requested more information on the school arson crisis and revealed that there were 126 arson cases between January and November last year.

It revealed that 302 students had been arrested in connection with those incidents and of those, 41 had appeared in court accused of arson and destruction of property.

We don't know how many of those 41 were found guilty, because Kenyan courts restrict reporting on crimes involving children, children's lawyer Paul Muchiri told the BBC.

One of the few convictions we are aware of took place earlier this year. An 18-year-old was found guilty of manslaughter for starting a fire that resulted in the death of 10 students at Moi Girls High School in Nairobi in 2017 when she was 14. The student, only identified as TWG, was handed a five-year prison term.

Requiem mass for girls who died in a fire at Moi Girls School, Nairobi, in September 2017

The Ministry of Education statement issued in November listed what it believed to be the reasons behind the arson epidemic, which included: overcrowding, poor teacher-student relations, drug abuse, and inadequate counselling services within schools. It suggested however that the fault did not just lie with academic institutions, remarking that parents were "overprotective" of their children when accused of misbehaviour, and that the law hindered teachers' ability to discipline pupils.

Its recommendations included recruiting professional school counsellors - but it also suggested "critically" examining the role of boarding schools in Kenya's education system.

Lillian not only missed nine days of school as a result of the destruction, but all students' families were asked to pay collective damages, a common policy according to local media reports. Lillian's mother shared a letter from the school with the BBC dated 5 November - five days after the fire - requesting 1,500 Kenyan shillings [10] "for damages incurred". The family lives in a slum and she says this was a huge amount of money for the family to find.

The Ministry of Education did not respond to the BBC's request for an interview.

School arson is not unique to Kenya, says Elizabeth Cooper, a Canadian academic and anthropologist who has spent years in Kenya studying the issue.

But she says what is remarkable is its frequency, severity and collective nature.

"Many students participate, sometimes planning in advance, sometimes being coerced to participate by other students [which] points to this idea that there could be some consensus around the logic of using arson," she told the BBC.

Dr Cooper believes this might be because students feel as though setting fire to their schools is working to an extent, and that it might be time to consider a different approach to education in Kenya, which currently relies on "trying to strong-arm [students] into compliance". The potential to shift thinking on this might lie with teacher training colleges, she says, but parents, governors and politicians would all need to be brought on board, meaning it will take time "to try shifting the culture of how education is done".
A man convicted of killing his wife will not be able to get out of jail while awaiting a new trial.

The Georgia Supreme Court overturned Tex McIvers 2018 conviction. His new court case is scheduled for next month.

Friends and former co-workers of Diane McIver, his deceased wife, spoke in court Friday about why he shouldnt get out  and so did the woman who was inside the car when McIver allegedly shot his wife.

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I am fearful of his release. I know he blames me and Billy Corey for his incarceration, said Diane McIvers friend, Dani Jo Carter.

Carter was driving the car in 2016 when prosecutors say Tex McIver -- sitting in the back seat of a car -- shot and killed his wife.

McIver appeared in court Friday in leg-and-hand shackles for a bond hearing. The state Supreme Court ruled he gets a new trial because jurors didnt get proper instructions.

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Carter told the court Friday during his bond hearing that she feared McIver would try to reach out to her as she says he did during his first trial.

Tex McIver did have contact with me, coming into my salon and getting his haircut, sending me notes by Messenger. I didnt report this because I wasnt sure it wasnt an accident, Carter said.

But McIvers defense said hes innocent of the charges and he wouldnt reach out to anyone this time. He would stay with his sister who lives in Dallas, Texas, and would wear an ankle monitor.

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But the judge didnt buy it.

Most of all I am concerned about your willingness to return to court for your trial, Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney said.

McIvers attorneys did not want to speak after court.

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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.
Texas Gov Greg Abbott (AP)

Texass Gov Greg Abbott used loopholes in federal law and insufficient federal oversight to ensure that at least $1bn of federal Covid funding meant for his states residents actually went to his controversial efforts to fight immigration.

A new report published on Thursday in The Nation reveals how the Texas Republican governor used money from federal Covid relief packages for his program designed to bus groups of migrants out of Texas and around the continental US. Its a shocking direct decision to ignore the stated purpose of those funds that seems to have been made legal through loopholes allowing states to recoup lost revenues.

The Nation reports that an unnamed congressional aide (it wasnt clear of which party) referred to Mr Abbotts financial maneuvering of Covid funding as a kind of shell game; another expert explained that the governor had swapped out revenues from various state agencies with Covid-19 funding, then used those revenues (which unlike the Covid funding, was not bound to any purpose) for his immigration enforcement activities.

The result was roughly a billion dollars used to supplement those various programs launched by Mr Abbott, including Texass own efforts to construct fencing along the US-Mexico border as well as the controversial busing plan that has led to dozens of migrants being dropped off at a time in places like Washington DC outside of the vice presidential residence as well as the wealthy northeastern summer community of Marthas Vineyard.

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Texas Wesleyan University halted its production of Down in Mississippi, a play about registering voters in the 1960s, after criticism from students who said racist epithets in the script could contribute to a hostile, unwelcoming environment. Its author said he was using that language to represent the reality of the period.

The play by Carlyle Brown, a Black playwright based in Minneapolis, focuses on the efforts of a movement that led to passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed racial discrimination and protected Black voters. The plot, which is set during the Freedom Summer campaign, centers on three student activists as they travel from New York City to the South to register Black voters.

In telling that story, the playwright included a scene in which a white character used a racial slur, repeatedly, to refer to Black people, opening up a controversy on campus that also spotlighted a larger rift in American society over discussions of race and the portrayal of the struggles of people of color in media and the arts.

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Two students who were not part of the production, and were described as a Latinx woman and a Black woman, heard about the scene through word-of-mouth and submitted bias reports to the universitys administration Sept. 23, said Chatashia Brown, the universitys assistant director for student diversity and inclusion programs.

Their complaints prompted administrators of the university, in Fort Worth, Texas, to host a listening session Sept. 29, which had been previously scheduled as the opening night of the play. Students, actors and members of the universitys faculty and staff joined the open forum, as did Carlyle Brown.

Black students said that the explicit language in the play would further aggravate problems on a campus that they said did not cater to the needs of its significant population of students of color. As of fall 2021, 58% of students at Texas Wesleyan identified as Asian, Black, Latino or biracial.

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They wanted to kind of come in and be able to see the story and understand its impact without being triggered by it, Chatashia Brown said.

The students who expressed their concerns said that the repetition of the racial slur, spoken about a dozen times in the play, would have caught them off guard and negatively affected their mental health. They worried that the play could lead other students who are not Black to feel more comfortable repeating the slur.

We pretty much all understand what harmful language is and how its been used because a lot of them still deal with that today, Chatashia Brown said. So they just thought the timing and the place of it was pretty upsetting.

The playwright said that his intentions were for the performance to be historically accurate. To him, the past shouldnt be sanitized  and he said that the racial slur was used provocatively, for audience members to feel the impact it has had in real life. The scene portrays one of the plays three students, who is white, showing the Black student how he would be treated on their journey. Training sessions like the one portrayed were common at the time and were intended to help people understand the severity of the behavior they could face.

Carlyle Brown, who joined the listening session on a video call, said the play seems to have become a catalyst for a discussion about racial relations on campus that is separate from his work.

As the conversation went on, a couple students went up and looked at my image on the screen and said, Its not your play, Mr. Brown; its just not the play at this place, at this time, he said in an interview.

Last school year, the president of the Black Student Association went on a hunger strike to raise awareness of the lack of diversity on Texas Wesleyans campus. Among the sources of her discontent: The university didnt have substantial classes focused on ethnic or racial studies, despite having a diverse student body, and no established multicultural center existed for students to convene.

The protest, along with other feedback from students about concerns with the campus climate and diversity, prompted the university to announce earlier this year that it would emphasize community, engagement and inclusion through a strategic plan, which included measures such as incorporating multiculturalism, inclusion and anti-intolerance in its curriculum; engaging in culturally relevant teaching to connect with students of diverse backgrounds; and identifying a space on campus for multicultural student programs.

However, the discussions around the play showed that students grievances had not been addressed to the extent they wanted, said Jaylon Leonard, president of the student body.

It was not the play itself, but about some things that we had dealt with in the past with the school in regard to diversity and inclusion recently that the administration answered but did not satisfy students who had raised concerns, he said, adding that for this to be thrown on top of those issues, it was something that we were not ready to accept.

Production dates for Down in Mississippi were first delayed, and the theater program considered hosting the play off campus at the Jubilee Theater, a Fort Worth venue that puts on plays that highlight African American experiences. But the faculty of the Texas Wesleyan theater department decided not to put on the play at all, after students involved expressed their discomfort, said Joe Brown, theater chair and professor of theater arts.

The theater program has produced plays about the Holocaust, the gay rights movement, religion and political extremism, and they have been well-regarded in the campus community, Joe Brown said. All of the upcoming plays this season will examine the theme of exclusion.

Our motivation was, whats happening in the United States right now is pretty scary with womens rights and LGBTQ rights and voter suppression and Black rights, he said. Theres some scary things happening in different states, so we felt the timeliness of Is history repeating itself?

Students in the play sought the guidance of D. Wambui Richardson, the artistic director of the Jubilee Theater, early in the production process, since he has put on several other plays with similar themes. He has heard the critique that the approach of a play could be glorifying negative aspects of the Black experience, citing an act on police brutality as an example, Richardson said.

Our response was, if were not creating a space for the conversations to be had in a safe and nurturing environment, then those conversations are not being had, he said.

He offered for the production of Down in Mississippi to be moved to his theater, but Richardson came to understand that the Fort Worth student community did not seem ready for it.

A message is only as important and vital as the lips that will repeat it, the ears that will hear it and the legs that will carry it, Richardson said.

As the only Black person on the production team, Mya Cockrell, who was responsible for the scenic design, had reservations but felt that she had to come to terms with the show.

She appreciated that members of the cast went out and spoke with people involved in the civil rights movement and learned about the history, but she said that the greater campus community would have benefited from that discussion.

I personally dont think that the theater was in a place to put on a show like this, Cockrell said, because I think theres a lot more that we can do as a community to help people, and I dont think we were necessarily doing that or educating people outside of the theater.

 2022 The New York Times Company
BANGKOK (Reuters) - A mass shooting on Thursday at a daycare centre that killed at least 34 people, including 22 children, was a shocking incident, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said, sending condolences to the families of the victims.

On his Facebook page, Prayuth ordered all agencies to urgently treat the wounded.

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor)
This week in Black style: Off-White goes blue, Pharrell gets into the auction game, Black models are celebrated with a new docuseries, and more.

October has only just begun, but in the world of fashion, its the end of a very full month, one replete with miles of runway, countless parties and street style for days  or Fashion Weeks, if you will. The four-week marathon known as Fashion Month came to a close on Tuesday, having kicked off in New York City in early September with stops in London and Milan before its grand finale in Paris. As always, there was plenty to see, plenty of folks there to be seen and more than a bit of controversy before the month came to a close. Weve got a recap of its highlights and much more of this weeks fashion in TheGrio Style Guide.

From left: Zendaya, Law Roach and Naomi Campbell are a front row to be reckoned with at the Valentino Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 2, 2022, in Paris, France. (Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Vogues November cover star may destroy you

Its fair to say Wakanda Forever fever is officially upon us, with the highly anticipated sequel to Black Panther dropping in a little over a month. Fueling that fire is one of the franchises newest stars  and Vogues November cover star, screenwriter and actress Michaela Coel. The BAFTA and Emmy-winning creator and lead actress of streaming hits Chewing Gum and I May Destroy You is clearly ready for her big-screen closeup, styled by Off-Whites Ib Kamara in a chartreuse sequin made-to-measure gown by Gucci and photographed by Malick Bodian in Accra, Ghana.

Teasing the character Coel will inhabit in the upcoming sequel, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler told Vogue: Aneka, the character Michaela plays, is kind of a rebelIt made a lot of meta sense with Michaela being someone who is pushing the industry forward and carving out her own space.

Comic-book heads will recognize Aneka as a Dora Milaje captain and combat instructor, as well as the first openly queer character to be introduced to the film franchise. The latter was a selling point for Coel, especially in light of Ghanas deeply anti-gay political policies, which are becoming increasingly dangerous to LGBTQ+ citizens. That sold me on the role, the fact that my characters queer, she tells Vogues Chioma Nnadi in the cover story. I thought: I like that, I want to show that to Ghana.

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However, Coels involvement was equally about furthering the legacy of the late Chadwick Boseman. There was a sense that we have to bring this baby home in the name of Chadwick, she told the magazine. I thought to myself, Im rolling up my sleeves and Im getting in. I dont need to be front and center, Im here to support.

Read more of Coels journey through Accra, which includes a sweet cinematic moment with her Ghanaian father and grandmother, in Vogues November issue.

Beyonce revives summer for Tiffany & Co.

Okay, so they may not be the visuals weve all been anticipating since the release of Renaissance in July, but Bey is back to let us know summer isnt over yet. On Wednesday, she released a new promo with luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co. titled Lose Yourself in Love. Set to Summer Renaissance, the black-and-white visuals give us a minute-long glimpse of the wall-to-wall party hosted by Beyonce that weve been envisioning since the album dropped  a version of which apparently occurred as Fashion Months closing event in Paris on Tuesday night.

This made me want to relive the party, commented Kerry Washington in response to the promo on Beys IG page, cruelly reminding us exactly what we missed out on, our invite clearly having been lost in the mail). So please, Bey  release the visuals!

Fashion Months French Exit

From Sept. 8 to Oct. 4, fashions four global capitals once again rolled out their red carpets and runways for Fashion Month. But Paris remains the pinnacle of luxury fashion, and its Fashion Week did not disappoint, teasing the trends and collections that will be dropping for Spring-Summer 2023, as well as attracting some of the worlds most stylish celebrities  including Zendaya, Janet Jackson, Erykah Badu, Doja Cat, and more. Oh, and for the grand finale, Tiffany & Co. hosted a party in honor of its campaign star, Beyonce.

So, who all was at Paris Fashion Week?

Zendaya went dark at Valentino

Zendaya made headlines for shutting it down at the Valentino Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show, for which the brand ambassador was one of the few to eschew Valentinos PinkPP shade, which has dominated fashion since the labels all-pink Fall 2022 collection. Instead, V opted for an all-black, stunningly sheer ensemble to attend the SS 03 presentation on October 02, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Erykah Badu kept her cool

Never count out Gen X; Erykah Badu earned W magazines approval for best street style this season, as she graced several of Paris Fashion Weeks most exclusive front rows. (Photos: Getty Images)

Ms. Jackson, if youre fancy

Janet Jackson attends the Thom Browne Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on October 03, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Jacopo Raule/GC Images)

Doja goes for the gold

Doja Cat arrives at the Jacquemus store as part of the Paris Fashion Week  Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023  Day Nine on October 04, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images)

keeping it campy

Halloween may still be weeks away, but Doja Cat has never shied away from a costume. The style chameleon gave a dramatically different look each day, complete with elaborate makeup. (Photos: Getty Images)

yet chic

But never let it be said Doja didnt understand the assignment, as she dialed the drama up and down, at her whim. (Photos: Getty Images)

Cynthia Erivo was elegant for LV

Cynthia Erivo attends the Louis Vuitton Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on October 04, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/WireImage)

Halle Bailey had her moment

From under the sea to on the scene, our favorite Little Mermaid kept it fresh in oceanic hues. (Photos: Getty Images)

Christian Louboutin and Janet Jackson

Christian Louboutin (L) and Janet Jackson attend the Louis Vuitton Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on October 04, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/WireImage)

Halsey goes high fashion

From Vivienne Westwood to Beyonces fete, Halsey remained polished for Paris Fashion Week. (Photos: Getty Images)

but took a casual approach at Chanel

Halsey attends the Chanel Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on October 04, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)

Doja Cat and Erykah Badu capture the moment

Doja Cat and Erykah Badu take a selfie after the Thom Browne Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week at Palais Garnier on October 03, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Richard Bord/Getty Images)

Olivier Rousteing

Olivier Rousteing attends the Tiffany & Co Is Hosting Beyonce Party as part of Paris Fashion Week at Yoyo Palais De Tokyo on October 04, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/Getty Images)

Aweng Ade-Chuol

Aweng Ade-Chuol attends the Tiffany & Co Is Hosting Beyonce Party as part of Paris Fashion Week at Yoyo Palais De Tokyo on October 04, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/Getty Images)

Victor Cruz

Victor Cruz attends the Tiffany & Co Is Hosting Beyonce Party as part of Paris Fashion Week at Yoyo Palais De Tokyo on October 04, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/Getty Images)

Naomi Campbell

Naomi Campbell attends the Tiffany & Co Is Hosting Beyonce Party as part of Paris Fashion Week at Yoyo Palais De Tokyo on October 04, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/Getty Images)

Doja Cat

Doja Cat attends the Tiffany & Co Is Hosting Beyonce Party as part of Paris Fashion Week at Yoyo Palais De Tokyo on October 04, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/Getty Images)

Imaan Hammam and Cindy Bruna

Imaan Hammam (l) and Cindy Bruna attend the Tiffany & Co Is Hosting Beyonce Party as part of Paris Fashion Week at Yoyo Palais De Tokyo on October 04, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/Getty Images For Tiffany&Co)

Zendaya went dark at Valentino

Zendaya made headlines for shutting it down at the Valentino Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show, for which the brand ambassador was one of the few to eschew Valentinos PinkPP shade, which has dominated fashion since the labels all-pink Fall 2022 collection. Instead, V opted for an all-black, stunningly sheer ensemble to attend the SS 03 presentation on October 02, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

The #BoF500 celebrates its Class of 2022

Who are the true forces of the fashion world? BoF  an acronym for the industry outlet Business of Fashion  celebrated its 2022 class of the #BoF500 during Paris Fashion Week, adding 103 new members to its influential global community based on their leadership, creativity, innovation and impact across eight categories, as selected by the outlets editors.

Among its Black honorees are Vogue Global Fashion Editor-at-Large Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, Supreme Creative Director Tremaine Emory, TikTok influencer Khaby Lame, Good American co-founder Emma Grede, model Paloma Elsesser and more, many of whom were present at the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week on Saturday night; view them all in our carousel below.

Imran Amed and Gabriella Karefa-Johnson

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Imran Amed and Gabriella Karefa-Johnson attend the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Victor Boyko/Getty Images for BoF)

Law Roach

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Law Roach attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Jourdan Dunn

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Jourdan Dunn attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

(L to R) Edward Enninful, Natasha Poonawalla, and Imran Amed

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: (L to R) Edward Enninful, Natasha Poonawalla, and Imran Amed attend the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Victor Boyko/Getty Images for BoF)

Lori Harvey

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Lori Harvey attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Jasmine Tookes

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Jasmine Tookes attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Jaden Smith

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Jaden Smith attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Leyna Bloom

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Leyna Bloom attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

FKA Twigs

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: FKA Twigs attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Precious Lee

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Precious Lee attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Ikram Abdi

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Ikram Abdi attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Kedar Williams-Sterling

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Kedar Williams-Sterling attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Lindsay Peoples Wagner

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Lindsay Peoples Wagner attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Yai Anok

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Yai Anok attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Paloma Elsesser

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Paloma Elsesser attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Malick Bodian

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Malick Bodian attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Aweng Chuol

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Aweng Chuol attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Tamu McPherson

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Tamu McPherson attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Khaby Lame

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Khaby Lame attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Richie Shazam

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Richie Shazam attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Carlos Nazario

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Carlos Nazario attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Ayo Amusan

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Ayo Amusan attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Bloody Osiris

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Bloody Osiris attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Kai-Isaiah Jamal

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Kai-Isaiah Jamal attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Morin Oluwole

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Morin Oluwole attends the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for BoF)

Imran Amed and Gabriella Karefa-Johnson

PARIS, FRANCE  OCTOBER 01: Imran Amed and Gabriella Karefa-Johnson attend the #BoF500 gala during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on October 01, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Victor Boyko/Getty Images for BoF)

Off-White goes blue in Celebration of Virgil Abloh

Performers on the runway during the Off-White Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on September 29, 2022, in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Off-Whites Spring-Summer 2023 collection was a colorful celebration of late founder Virgil Abloh, resounding with African rhythms and centered on a vibrant blue hue heavily favored by the Ghanaian-American designer. Taking place on Thursday, the eve of what wouldve been Ablohs 42nd birthday, the first collection designed by his successor and collaborator Ib Kamara debuted on the Paris Fashion Week runway in a presentation aptly titled Celebration.

Were embracing blue as a color in the brand, and its something we are passionate about as we move forward, the Sierra Leonean designer told Womens Wear Daily. Blue is otherwordly. Its alien, but its human. Its explorative. Its a vulnerable color.

Off-White Blue  best described as an emotion-inducing electric blue  will reportedly also be registered with proprietary color specialists Pantone. As WWD notes, the hue would no doubt have Ablohs approval, as its the same shade he used on the cover of his Figures of Speech exhibition catalog in 2019 and on the opening garment of his Fall 2021 Off-White presentation in Paris.

He really created conversation and disruption in the most beautiful way, so theres evidence of that in this collection, I think, said Kimara, who is also editor-in-chief of Dazed magazine and a sought-after stylist in the luxury arena. A beautiful thing that [Virgil] did was [that he said] luxury doesnt have a color, its for everyone, and he really investigated that to the very end.

The Met Gala  but (why) make it Lagerfeld?

Designer Karl Lagerfeld departs from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala on May 5, 2008, in New York City.

(Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

Via media partner Vogue, the Met Gala officially announced its 2023 theme on Friday, which will be an homage to the late Karl Lagerfeld, one of the fashion industrys most legendary  and controversial  figures. Lagerfelds over 65-year career included helms at European luxury houses Balmain, Patou, Chloe, Fendi, Chanel, and his eponymous label, making the German designer one of the industrys most influential up until his death in 2019. Its a legacy Jared Leto has newly announced he will be exploring in a biopic, and one the Met is also eager to commemorate, even if doing so somewhat contradicts Lagerfelds own ethos.

[H]e was always looking to the future in his own work  he hated looking back at the past, Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institutes Wendy Yu Curator in Charge, told Vogue. It was something he had a very conflicted relationship with.

Similarly, many have conflicted feelings about honoring Lagerfeld on the first Monday in May, given the designers often cruel and insensitive demeanor. As pointed out by Buzzfeed, this included Lagerfelds vocal disdain for more inclusive casting in fashion; in 2009, The Guardian quoted the designer as saying no one wants to see round women. Confusingly, he also said of thinner models: They arent deliberately skinny because they want to be models, theyve probably had family problems or suffered from other traumas.

Oooh, people can show up on the red carpet and recite their favorite Karl Lagerfeld quotes about fat people, sexual assault, immigrants and the Holocaust. So many to choose from. Bravo, Anna Wintour. Great choice: https://t.co/gxb4Bs2sgr https://t.co/FJKCLYXYmv  Saeed Jones (@theferocity) September 30, 2022

As Buzzfeed further notes, Lagerfelds not-so-hot takes also extended to sexual assault; he reportedly sent flowers to accused rapist Dominique Strauss-Kahn and openly scorned the #MeToo movement. Also showing little respect for ethnic differences, Lagerfeld infamously put supermodel Claudia Schiffer in blackface and yellowface for a 2010 editorial campaign and derided Muslims as the worst enemies of Jewish people in 2017.

So why does The Met or Vogue feel this is a fashion icon worth celebrating? Amid numerous calls to boycott the event on the official Met Gala Instagram announcement, neither entity has issued a comment on the growing controversy. But it will be interesting to see which celebs show up for Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty on May 1.

Black beauty reigns Supreme in new docuseries

Im constantly challenging the status quo, said Iman in a recent interview with People magazine. The legendary supermodel and fashion equity advocate is one of the trailblazing Black beauties featured in the six-part docuseries Supreme Models.

Supreme Models was inspired by the 2019 art book of the same name by journalist, stylist and media personality Marcellas Reynolds, who executive produced the docuseries with YouTube Originals and the Black Voices Fund. The careers of Iman and fellow living legend Bethann Hardison  who turned 80 on Friday  as well as groundbreaking 1973 fashion event The Battle of Versailles are the primary focus of the series second episode.

Its timely, and I wanted us to tell our story, said Iman, now 67, of her involvement in the project, which she also co-executive produced. So, as much as it is historical and as much as it is based on the culture from the civil rights era, that is beautiful. We are that tribe who are still carrying that torch from one generation to the other.

The docuseries, which Iman told People is based on Black beauty and the impact on our culture, also features luminaries like Edward Enninful, Zendaya, Indya Moore, Joan Smalls, Law Roach, Lindsay Peoples Wagner, Olivier Rousteing, Pat Cleveland, Precious Lee, Sergio Hudson, Pat Cleveland, Veronica Webb, Joan Smalls, Cindy Bruna, Paloma Elsesser, Duckie Thot, and more.

The first two episodes of Supreme Models are now available on YouTube.

Style was en pointe at the New York City Ballets Fall Fashion Gala

The big news of the 10th annual Fall Fashion Gala was undoubtedly the debut of the dynamic ballet Play Time, scored by Solange Knowles. But with a well-heeled roster of guests and event chairs that included Laverne Cox, veteran journalist Deborah Roberts (wife of Al Roker), Sarah Jessica Parker and Elaine Welteroth, the evening was equally about fashion.

Proud mama Tina Knowles-Lawson and big sister Beyonce may have skipped the events red carpet (although the latter did treat us to a peek via Instagram), but there were several familiar faces in attendance, including those of Billy Porter, Nicole Ari-Parker and more. You can peep the highlights in our carousel below.

Pharrell bids on the resale market

Call it the most glamorous garage sale ever: Pharrell Williams is launching an online auction platform to part with his massive collection  reportedly 11 storage units worth  of fashion rarities, collaborations and designs. Called Joopiter, the new online platform will sell the fruits of his journey through the fashion world, according to Financial Times, which spoke exclusively with Williams about his newest venture.

Pharrell Williams is pictured during his speech at the The Met Costume Institute Press Presentation as part of Paris Fashion Week on Sept. 30, 2022, in Paris, France. (Photo by Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images)

Explaining that current auction formats feel too siloed for his diverse and undeniably luxe collection, Williams told FT: Im not going to sell furniture on StockX  Im not going to sell, you know, 20-plus-carat diamond rings on [The] RealReal.

Joopiter, which Williams describes as a high-touch, white-glove operation, will launch on Oct. 11 with an array of the multi-hyphenate moguls own cast-offs, some of which can be previewed on the new brands Instagram page; prospective buyers can also sign up for updates on the Joopiter website. Future plans include selling other highly curated, high-end collections and an as-yet-undetermined philanthropic element.

Williams closet clean-out may be well above most of our pay grades, but his perspective on selling a portion of his fashion legacy is relatably cathartic. Spiritually its a very rich experience, an enlightening experience, to let  stories go, he told FT.

Sothebys celebrates Black brilliance

Pharrells not the only Black excellence hitting the auction space. As reported by Womens Wear Daily, Sothebys London is hosting a selling exhibition of jewelry by Black designers from around the world titled Brilliant & Black: The Age of Enlightenment.

Curated by British jewelry expert, curator and journalist Melanie Grant and timed to coincide with Black History Month in the U.K., jewelers taking part have created at least one new piece in response to the Enlightenment, the movement that swept through Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, and focused on individualism, intellectual reason, and skepticism, reports WWD. The exhibition is the second annual installment of its kind, having debuted in New York last year. For 2022, the array of jewelry is even larger, featuring over 70 pieces from 25 contemporary designers reportedly ranging in price from a surprisingly affordable $420 to over $1 million.

Historically, Sothebys has represented the curation and presentation of the highest quality and excellence throughout history, and their role is integral in creating generational wealth and value, New York City-based luxury jewelry designer Sheryl Jones, who created three pieces for the exhibition, told WWD. As they showcase designers like me in shows like Brilliant & Black, they are expanding the tent, and are partners in creating a valuable legacy of Black designers for generations to come.

Munroe Bergdorf brings her moxie to British Vogue

Munroe Bergdorf first came to global attention when she took on LOreal after the cosmetics giant fired her  its first transgender U.K. campaign model  for calling out the racial violence of white people. Three years later, when she pointed out its hypocrisy in supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, LOreal rehired Bergdorf in 2019, clearly understanding she was a force with which to be reckoned.

Model and Activist Munroe Bergdorf speaks onstage during the Its Not the Time to Pat Ourselves on the Back session by Unstereotype Alliance at the Debussy Theatre during the Cannes Lions Festival on June 21, 2022, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Richard Bord/Getty Images)

After co-starring on British Vogues August 2022 cover, Bergdorf is now bringing that firebrand energy to the magazine as its newest contributing editor, penning an essay that both praises what has become a richly diverse industry and recognizes how much further it has to go, writing:

Fashion shapes us as much as we shape it, which is why its crucial we ensure that all are represented, that difficult subject matter isnt shied away from, diluted or censored, because fashion is for everyone. Fashion does more than predict and form trends, it can help to shift engrained mindsets, expand beauty standards and spark conversations that hold the potential to combat social stigma and increase visibility through the representation of marginalized groups and experiences. Source: British Vogue

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. TheGrios Black Podcast Network is free too. Download theGrio mobile apps today! Listen to Writing Black with Maiysha Kai.

The post TheGrio Style Guide: Bey drops visuals, Michaela Coel covers Vogue, and Fashion Weeks finale appeared first on TheGrio.
Computer programmer working with male colleague in office 10'000 hours/Getty Images

A survey of over 1,000 managers and executives found 52% want employees to return to the office.

One third of managers think employees are more motivated if they're being watched in the office.

Over 60% of employees surveyed said they would come into the office if they got a salary increase.

A third of managers and executives polled in a new survey want employees to return to the office full time because they think employees are more motivated when they know management is watching them.

Twenty-four percent said they wanted employees working in the office full time because they are less likely to take long breaks.

The nationwide Return to Office survey, conducted by freelance marketplace Fiverr in partnership with Censuswide, surveyed over 1,000 managers and executives at medium and large businesses.

The findings highlight some of the motivations of employers looking to transition back to in-office work at a time when many workers are speaking out in favor of continued flexibility for remote work.

Around 52% of survey respondents said they wanted employees to return to the office five days a week. A little over 12% of managers and executives said they are flexible with letting employees work remotely.

A majority of respondents, almost 42%, said they wanted employees to return to the office full time because access and communication with company infrastructure is easier. Around 41% of respondents said working in the office full time is better for development and career progression.

A majority of the managers and executives surveyed who are flexible with remote work, around 48%, said they allow it so employees can spend more time with family. Forty-five percent of flexible managers and executives said remote work makes workers more productive.

While 33.3% of managers and executives said they wanted employees to work full time in the office because they think it motivates them more if they know they're being watched, 29% of managers and executives who allow remote work said employees can concentrate on their tasks better when working from home. Over 21% said employees don't want to feel monitored by their bosses and colleagues.

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"High performing American workers don't want to be watched by a manager at all times," said Shany Malbin, a general manager at Fiverr, a business built around freelancers. "They do not want to be timed when they are taking a break. It is attitudes like this that are fueling the growth in the number of highly skilled workers turning to freelancing as a full time career."

In another Fiverr survey of over 1,000 employees, 61.24% said they would consider coming back to the office if they got a salary increase. Around 39% of employees said free lunches or meals would be compelling enough to give up remote work to return to the office.

Almost 21% of employees in the survey said no incentives could get them to return to the office, and almost 42% said they would quit their job if their company stopped allowing remote work. The sentiment against returning to the office runs especially high among younger Gen Z workers. In a different survey of over 32,000 workers in 17 countries, 71% of people between 18 and 24 years old said they would consider looking for a different job if their employer made them come back to the office full time.

In a statement shared with Insider, Malbin said the data shows "there is still a tug of war between employees and their managers."

"This is all contributing to the growing sector of the country's workforce choosing independent work," Malbin said. "These highly skilled employees no longer want to be told by a boss or manager how and when and where they should work. They are choosing a freelance lifestyle in order to have that flexibility and autonomy."

Read the original article on Business Insider
A 20-month-old vanished from his home the morning of Oct. 5, rattling a town and prompting a massive search that now involves the FBI, police in Georgia said.

Quinton Simon was last seen at his home on the 500 block of Buckhalter Road in Savannah at 6 a.m. and reported missing around 9 a.m., according to a news release from the Chatham County Police Department.

Simon was last seen wearing a light blue Sesame Street shirt and black pants, according to the release.

More than 75 law enforcement officers joined the search on Wednesday to find the boy. Drones, helicopters, heat sensors, horses and K-9s were involved in the search, police said.

We know the disappearance of this child has hurt many hearts, and we know thousands of people are hoping and praying that he is found safe, police said.

On Oct. 6, the police department announced that the FBI was assisting in the search.

Officers have responded to two service calls at Simons residence within the past two years, but the release said neither was about a missing child. Officers say they do not believe his disappearance is related to a custody dispute.

This is a fluid situation. All things are still possible. We dont have one concrete theoryall things are possible, Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said in a news release.

Law enforcement has not issued an Amber Alert because it has not been determined if Simon was abducted, and evidence of an abduction is necessary for an Amber Alert, according to police.

Anyone who has information about Simons whereabouts is urged to call 911.

Girl on playground struck by gunfire after shooting erupts nearby, NC cops say

Cops drive head-on into car with mom and kids, she says. They thought it was someone else

Dentist performed unnecessary baby root canals on children, New York officials say

Deacon took video of young boys while they used the church bathroom in Florida, feds say
Update:

SpaceX will plan another launch attempt of its Falcon 9 rocket on Friday, with the launch window opening at 7:06 p.m. Eastern Time.

The company said that the rocket auto-aborted with 30 seconds left in the countdown but did not provide what caused it to do so.

Falcon 9 auto abort at T-30 seconds. Rocket and payload are in good healthteams are working toward tomorrows 69-minute launch window opening at 7:06 p.m. ET  SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 6, 2022

Original report:

SpaceX plans to launch the Galaxy satellites from Floridas Space Coast on Thursday.

The Falcon 9 rocket will carry the Intelsat G-33/G-34 missions from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Station.

The launch window will open at 7:06 p.m. and last about an hour.

Read: WATCH: NASA, SpaceX launch Crew-5 mission to International Space Station

The first stage booster from the Falcon 9 rocket will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Galaxy 33 and Galaxy 44 are geosynchronous communication satellites to help ensure service to Intelsats customers.

Read: NASAs SpaceX Crew-5 Mission: Meet the astronauts who flew into space today

If the rocket goes up, you can watch the launch stream here and live on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.

Watch the Crew 5 launch below.

WATCH: ULA launches Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral

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.
On Monday (Oct.3), Trae The Truth returned to Houston after spending time in Florida aiding in Hurricane Ian relief. During an interview with local news outlet KHOU 11, the rapper shared details of the 5-day experience with his nonprofit, Relief Gang.

We rescued newborns, to the elderly, to disabled, to everything. Its been a hectic weekend, the 42-year-old revealed, noting that hes counted over 300 rescues. Its definitely different to see big yachts turned upside down like theyre toy boats. Ill have to say itll be a long time before they get back to normal.

More from VIBE.com

Hurricane Ian Damage

Trae tha Truth attends BET+ event

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Trae Tha Truth Donates Supplies To Families Affected By Mississippi Water Crisis

Its hurricane season. What do we expect people to do when it comes our way? Were going to expect help, or were going to need help, the Swang rapper added. So with me being a representative of Houston, if I can go down there and extend that hand and make an impact, we may need that helping hand at another time. So sometimes you just got to pay it forward ,you know?

On Sept. 23rd, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced federal emergency aid has been made available to the state of Florida to supplement the state, tribal and local response as the storm brewed. Hurricane Ian officially made landfall in The Sunshine State on Sept. 28 as a category 4 storm, CNN reported.

According to the Associated Press, at least 75 people were killed in Florida, five in North Carolina, three in Cuba, and one in Virginia since Ian touched down in the Caribbean before it moved to the States.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the federal governments response to Hurricane Ian

Wednesday (Oct. 5), President Joe Biden visited areas impacted by Hurricane Ian and delivered official remarks on the federal governments response to the storm. According to a White House press release, a total of $5.2 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has been approved for Florida, with over 100 specific projects already identified, including funding for repairs to roads and bridges, public transportation enhancements, and lead pipe replacement.

I think the one thing this has finally ended is a discussion about whether or not theres climate change and we should do something about it, remarked POTUS. Jill and I have had you all in our prayers, and I mean that sincerely. And were here today because we wanted to tell you in person that were thinking of you and were not leaving. Were not leaving until this gets done. I promise you that.

Click here to read the full article.
A hacker in the Transit Swap recent hack will consider returning more funds after Transit Swap completes the first phase of user returns, according to a message transmitted on blockchain from one of the hackers addresses on Thursday.

See related article: Hacker returned 70% of stolen US$23M in funds: Transit Swap

Fast facts

Decentralized cross-chain exchange Transit Swap was hacked on Sunday and reported that some US$28.9 million worth of tokens were stolen. The hackers returned 65% of the stolen token value on Monday, amounting to about US$18.9 million.

Transit Swap announced on Wednesday that it will return all stolen tokens to customers in two phases. The first phase will return the assets that the hackers have returned. Transit Swap plans to return the remaining hacked amount in the second phase but has not firmed up plans for this.

Transit Swap has said that it could seek the intervention of law enforcement agencies to recover all funds.

On Monday, another hacker said it hoped to retain 30% of the hacked amount but Transit Swap has counter-offered with 5%. The hacker said that if Transit Swap guarantees a 100% return of users funds, it is willing to lower its request from 30% to 10% and is encouraging others like me do the same.

Transit Swap has identified eight perpetrators of the hack.

See related article: Why blockchain bridges have become DeFis Achilles heel
Photo credit: Netflix

It's period drama time, as Netflix's new historical romance series The Empress is taking the platform by storm.



Fans have been obsessed with the unlikely relationship between Elisabeth and Emperor Franz, set within the Austrian royal family, with viewers all saying the same thing about the series.

And if the Netflix six-parter wasn't enough, it turns out The Empress is actually based on real events. So, who was the real Elisabeth, and what's the true story behind The Empress?

Who was the real Elisabeth von Wittelsbach?

Born in 1837, Elisabeth von Wittelsbach, nicknamed Sisi, was the daughter of a Bavarian Duke (Bavaria now makes up part of southern Germany). She married Emperor Franz of Austria in 1854 at the age of 16, then becoming Empress consort of Austria and queen of Hungary.



Photo credit: Netflix

The Emperor and Empress had four children together, and Elisabeth became famous for her beauty, becoming almost a celebrity at the time. Sadly, in 1898 she was assassinated during a trip to Geneva, Switzerland, dying at age 60.

How did the real Elisabeth and Franz meet?

While Elisabeth and Franz' relationship is romanticised in The Empress, their reality is a little less happy. The pair met in 1853 when Elisabeth, age 15, travelled from Munich to Austria with her mother and older sister, Helene, in order to meet Emperor Franz.

Photo credit: ilbusca - Getty Images

Franz had intended to formally propose to Helene, who was his first cousin, but the pair didn't forge a connection. Instead, Franz became infatuated with Elisabeth, saying he wanted to marry her or nobody at all. The pair became engaged after five days later and married eight months later.

Sadly for Elisabeth, she didn't like Franz, then 23, as much as he liked her, reportedly finding him dull and unfunny. Historical accounts claim that the 16-year-old bride was seen crying on her wedding day, going on to live in the restrictive and formal Viennese Court.

Photo credit: Netflix

How did the real Elisabeth die?

Elisabeth was tragically assassinated while travelling in Geneva in 1898. The Empress was walking to catch a ferry when Italian anarchist, Luigi Lucheni stabbed her with a sharpened needle file. She died soon after at 60 years old.

Story continues

The Empress is streaming now on Netflix.

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 Flash

A Chinese ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday urged all related parties to stay calm and exercise restraint and not to make any moves that may escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

China has noticed the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) recent missile launch activities, and that the U.S. and other countries have recently held joint military exercises in the region.

"The DPRK's recent launch activities are all before and after military exercises, and they do not exist in isolation," said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN.

Geng said the DPRK's recent missile launches are directly related to a series of recent military exercises in the region. He said the U.S. and other countries have carried out nuclear submarine cooperation and also claimed to deploy strategic assets in the region.

"These actions are intensifying conflicts, creating tension, and raising the risk of confrontation," Geng said. "The settlement of the peninsula issue is inseparable from a sound political and security environment. It is hoped that the relevant countries will put regional peace and security first and create a favorable environment for peace and stability on the peninsula."

The DPRK launched two ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Thursday, as the U.S. redeployed one of its aircraft carriers near the Korean Peninsula in response to the DPRK's launch of a long-range ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday.

Thursday's launch was the DPRK's sixth round of weapons firings in less than two weeks.

The U.S. and the Republic of Korea have been responding by firing land-to-land ballistic missiles and precision-guided bombs dropped from fighter jets.

"At this critical moment when the situation on the Korean Peninsula continues to be tense, all parties concerned should focus on the overall situation of peace and stability on the peninsula, remain calm, exercise restraint, be cautious in words and actions, and avoid moves that may exacerbate tensions or lead to escalation of the situation on the peninsula," Geng told a UN Security Council meeting on nonproliferation/DPRK.

Geng said the peninsula issue is intricate and fundamentally a contradiction between the U.S. and the DPRK.

"However, the U.S. side did not respond according to the action-for-action principle," said Geng.

"The denuclearization measures taken by the DPRK side have not been responded to, and its legitimate concerns have not been resolved, resulting in a deadlock in the DPRK-U.S. dialogue and worsening mutual trust between the DPRK and the U.S.," he said.

At the same time, said Geng, the U.S. has recently strengthened its military alliance in the Asia-Pacific region, heightened the risk of military confrontation, and pursued double standards and political manipulation on the nuclear issue, which has "poisoned the regional security environment. Against this background, the situation on the peninsula will inevitably become tense," said Geng.

Geng said that historical experience shows that dialogue and consultation are the only viable way to resolve the peninsula issue. If dialogue advances smoothly, positive progress will be made. If dialogue is stalled or even backtracks, tensions will escalate.

"China calls on the U.S. to take concrete actions, show its sincerity and address the DPRK's legitimate concerns, so as to create conditions for the early resumption of dialogue," the envoy said.

Geng pointed out that resolving the issue requires the Security Council to play a constructive role, rather than just exerting pressure.

"Its discussion and deliberation should contribute to de-escalation, not fuel tensions; promote the resumption of dialogue, not widen differences; forge unity, not create divisions," he said.

"As a close neighbor of the peninsula, China has been closely following developments on the peninsula and has always insisted on maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, achieving a denuclearized peninsula, and resolving the issue through dialogue and consultations," said Geng.

The Global Security Initiative proposed by China has important, guiding significance for the settlement of the peninsula issue, Geng said.

"China once again calls on all parties concerned to handle and resolve the Korean Peninsula issue in keeping with the principle of indivisible security, take the dual-track approach guided by the principle of moving forward in phases with synchronized steps, and jointly promote the process of political settlement of the peninsula issue," Geng said, adding that China is willing to continue to play a constructive role in that regard.
Donald Trump has falsely accused his predecessor Barack Obama of moving 33 million pages of official documents to a totally unsafe former furniture store after demitting the Oval Office.

The former president also railed against US federal agencies probing his handling of sensitive government records in a speech at the Hispanic Leadership Conference organised by the America First Policy Insititute in Miami, Florida on Wednesday.

Using the event to attack his opponents, the former president claimed the FBIs search of his Mar-a-Lago estate is being used to unjustly, illegally and unconstitutionally target him as he called the federal investigation a hoax.

So how do we know this document hoax is indeed a hoax or a charade? he began. Just look at how every other president has been treated when they left office. Theyve been given all the time needed and complete deference to their documents and their papers, he said, claiming no other president has been targeted like him.

Barack Hussein Obama moved more than 20 truckloads over 33 million pages of papers classified and unclassified to a poorly built and totally unsafe former furniture store with no security whatsoever, he claimed, without showing evidence.

The National Archive and Records Administration (Nara) had previously debunked the claims, which Mr Trump has repeated often, saying it assumed exclusive legal and physical custody of Obama Presidential records when he left office in 2017.

Nara moved approximately 30 million pages of unclassified records to a Nara facility in the Chicago area where they are maintained exclusively by Nara, it said in a statement issued on 12 August 2022.

Additionally, Nara maintains the classified Obama Presidential records in a Nara facility in the Washington, DC, area. As required by the [Presidential Records Act], former President Obama has no control over where and how Nara stores the Presidential records of his Administration.

Story continues

Trump: So how do we know this document hoax is indeed a hoax? Just look at how every other president has been treated. Theyve been given all the time needed.. Barack Hussein Obama pic.twitter.com/jP78mLUkTT  Acyn (@Acyn) October 5, 2022

The countrys national record keeper issued a statement again on 8 September debunking claims about the missing records from the Obama administration.

Some news outlets and individuals on social media are mistakenly reporting that the National Archives and Records Administration (Nara) confirmed that a large number of boxes of Presidential records are missing from the Barack Obama administration. This is false, it said.

Nara has never issued any such statement and is not aware of any missing boxes of Presidential records from the Obama administration.

During his speech, Mr Trump demanded to know whether there was an investigation into the handling of documents by the George Bush and Bill Clinton administrations.

The one-time president also issued another attack at Hillary Clinton, saying she should have perhaps been charged, without elaborating further.

The president had earlier bizarrely claimed the FBI was looking for Ms Clintons emails at Mar-a-Lago during their search.

The document hoax is just that. Its a hoax and a charade and am being unjustly, illegally, and unconstitutionally being targeted. It is a violation of the 4th amendment, you know, Mr Trump said at conference.
Former President Donald Trump talks about lifting weights as he speaks at an America First Policy Institute agenda summit at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, Tuesday, July 26, 2022. Andrew Harnik/AP Photo

Trump mocked Cassidy Hutchinson's January 6 testimony during a speech in Miami Wednesday.

He said the account that he lunged at a Secret Service agent made him look "physically tough."

Hutchinson testified that she heard secondhand that Trump demanded to be taken to the Capitol.

MIAMI, Florida  Former President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he almost didn't want to refute a secondhand account that he tried to lunge at a Secret Service agent on January 6, because it made him look "physically tough."

Trump was referring to former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony before the January 6 Committee, in which she relayed that she heard secondhand that the former president tried to grab the steering wheel of his SUV and lunged at one of his Secret Service agents on January 6, demanding they take him to the Capitol where his supporters were headed.

Trump didn't mention Hutchinson by name but in a speech before the Hispanic Leadership Conference, organized by America First Works, he referred to "this one very sick individual" and recounted the details of her testimony.

"If you listen to this one very sick individual, in order to get the Secret Service to take me to the Capitol, I grabbed one around the neck," he said to laughs in the audience in a ballroom at the InterContinental Miami. "I almost didn't want to dispute it, because a lot of people said, 'I never knew you were that physically tough.'"

"If I had grabbed him around the neck, I would have been in very serious trouble," Trump added, calling the story "phony."

Hutchinson became a star witness to the January 6 Committee investigating the attack on the Capitol that attempted to decertify the 2020 election. During her testimony, she relayed Trump's efforts to go to the Capitol on January 6 after the rally at the Ellipse, though his aides and lawyers shot down the idea.

Hutchinson said Tony Ornato, the White House deputy chief of staff, recounted the lunging incident to her immediately after it occurred.

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She testified that Trump "said something to the effect of, 'I'm the effing president, take me up to the Capitol now,' to which Bobby responded, 'Sir, we have to go back to the West Wing.'" Hutchinson was referring to Bobby Engel, head of Trump's protective detail.

"The president reached up towards the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheel. Mr. Engel grabbed his arm, said, 'Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel, we're going back to the West Wing, we're not going to the Capitol.' Mr. Trump then used his free hand to lunge towards Bobby Engel," Hutchinson said, adding that when Ornato "recounted the story to me, he had motioned towards his clavicles."

The account was anonymously scrutinized by sources who spoke to NBC News, but Secret Service agents haven't testified about that day under oath and before the committee  even though a Trump ally says they've offered to do so.

A former Secret Service agent was skeptical of the account in an interview with Insider, saying Trump would have had to squeeze through an "extremely tight" space to be able to grab the steering wheel of an SUV and lunge at a Secret Service agent. Trump's "girth," the former agent said, would have made the feat difficult.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former President Donald Trump said that banks have "gone woke" and should be "penalised very severely for it" during a recent speech at the right-wing Hispanic Leadership Conference in Miami.

Mr Trump was the keynote speaker at the Florida event on Wednesday. The event was organised by the America First Police Institute.

During the speech, the former president railed against banks he claimed have not done enough to support "the Hispanic community."

"The big banks like Chase and like Bank of America have done much less for the Hispanic community than they should," he said. "They've gone woke and they should be penalised very severely for it, the banks have let the community down, let the country down."

Mr Trump did not give examples of how the banks have "gone woke" before or after his statement at the conference, nor did he elaborate on how exactly the banks have underserved Hispanic Americans.

The former president isn't the first Republican to complain about "woke banks. Republican officials in West Virginia have made similar claims and have taken action against the institutions.

Fox Business reports that Republicans in West Virginia moved to bar banking institutions including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan from entering into banking contracts with the state treasurer's office or any state agency over what they deem as harmful policies.

The policies that have rankled Republicans in West Virginia are commitments by major US banks to reach net-zero financed emissions by 2050. While these targets do not explicitly prevent banks from funding fossil fuel expansions, they would result in a reduction to financed emissions in the oil and gas sector by 26 per cent and power sectors by 60 per cent, according to an analysis by environmental activist organisation The Sierra Club.

West Virginia collected $769m in severance taxes from the fossil fuel industry in the last fiscal year, accounting for 13 per cent of the states general revenue funds generated, according to the Weirton Daily Times.

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The state's treasurer, Riley Moore, told Fox Business that the state would not stand for the banks' decision to commit to fossil-fuel reduction.

Were not going to pay for our own destruction, were not going to subsidize that, he said. They have weaponized our tax dollars against the very people and industry that have generated them to begin with. That is why were pushing back against this ESG movement.

ESG references environmental, social, and governance investing, which are policies intended to encourage companies to act ethically and responsibly with their investments.

Governor Ron DeSantis called ESG policies a "woke ideological agenda" in a statement released just two months before Hurricane Ian destroyed portions of the state, becoming what meteorologists say is the worst storm Florida has faced since 1935.

While the climate crisis does not increase the number of hurricanes that might occur in a year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that the warming of ocean waters does make the storms more powerful and contributes to heavier rainfalls, which then results in worse flooding.

Mr DeSantis has proposed that the state's Board of Administration fund managers discount any data regarding ESG policies when determining how to invest Florida's pension money.
A trustee on the board of a U.K. charity for transgender children resigned Monday following an unearthed speech he had given to an organization that promotes services to people sexually attracted to minors.

Dr. Jacob Breslow, who serves as associate professor of gender and sexuality at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), tendered his resignation to Mermaids, a nonprofit whose website says it "has been supporting transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse children, young people, and their families since 1995."

Breslow's resignation came after it was reported that when he had been a graduate student in 2011, he had given a presentation at a conference with the Maryland-based B4U-ACT, according to the Times of London.

B4U-ACT, which was cofounded in 2003 by Michael Melsheimer, who served four years in federal prison for aggravated sexual assault involving children, promotes services and resources "for self-identified individuals  who are sexually attracted to children and desire such assistance," according to its website. Melsheimer died in 2010.

The organization did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment by time of publication.

OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY PLACES PROFESSOR ON LEAVE AFTER INTERVIEW DEFENDING MINOR-ATTRACTED PERSONS

According to his website, Breslow's research "brings together critical race, trans, feminist, queer, critical migration, and psychoanalytic theories to explore the role of childhood in shaping and challenging the disposability of young black life, the steadfastness of the gender binary, the queer life of childrens desires, and the precarious status of migrants."

In his 2011 presentation before the B4U-ACT symposium, titled "Sexual Alignment: Critiquing Sexual Orientation, The Pedophile, and the DSM V," Breslow said in part, "Allowing for a form of non-diagnosable minor attraction is exciting, as it potentially creates a sexual or political identity by which activists, scholars and clinicians can begin to better understand Minor Attracted Persons."

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"This understanding may displace the stigma, fear and abjection that is naturalized as being attached to Minor Attracted Persons and may alter the terms by which non-normative sexualities are known," he continued. "Furthermore, this paper argues that this distinction is potentially another step towards the complete re-thinking of paraphilias within the DSM  a step that follows historically and theoretically from the removal of homosexuality."

LICENSED PENNSYLVANIA SEX THERAPIST DEFENDS MINOR-ATTRACTED PERSONS IN VIRAL VIDEO

Mermaids is a transgender rights nonprofit based in Leeds, U.K. The organization has distanced itself from a former trustee who gave a presentation about "minor-attracted persons" in 2011. Richard Klune via Getty Images

In press statement following his resignation, Breslow said: "I unequivocally condemn child sexual abuse. My work is about protecting marginalized children and young people, not exposing them to harm."

"It was my understanding in 2011 that B4U-ACT was an organization that promotes treatments to prevent offending by pedophiles. I believed at the time that the purpose of the conference was to enable better treatments and interventions that prevent harm to children. I would not have attended the symposium otherwise. I have not been affiliated with B4U-ACT since," Breslow continued.

"I decided to resign as a Trustee of Mermaids as I did not want to distract from the good work the charity is doing to help transgender and gender-diverse children," he added.

"Mermaids has been made aware of Dr. Breslow's historical participation in a conference that is completely at odds with our values," Mermaids said in a statement to the BBC. "Once notified we took swift and decisive action to investigate. Dr. Breslow tendered his notice on the same day."

CHRISTIAN PARENTS WIN IN COURT AFTER SCHOOL LABELED 6-YEAR-OLD SON POTENTIALLY TRANSPHOBIC

Emphasizing the importance of safety, the nonprofit also said they will be reviewing their "processes and procedures in light of this event to make them even more robust."

Belinda Bell, the chair of the organization, also released a statement online assuring the public that Breslow "had no interactions with any of our young people or families and only attended one regular quarterly board meeting."

A protester holds the trans flag and snaps in solidarity with other speakers, during a demonstration at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, on June 25, 2021. Stephen Zenner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

According to the Times of London, parents expressed concern last week after a revelation that children on the Mermaids' online forum were trying to move conversations about experimental hormone treatments and surgeries onto less closely supervised platforms.

The National Lottery paused its 500,000 grant to the charity, which is being investigated by the country's Charity Commission amid allegations that it was providing "breast binders" to children as young as 13 behind their parents' backs, the Times of London reported.

UK SCHOOL CHAPLAIN SUES AFTER BEING FIRED, REPORTED AS TERRORIST FOR SERMON QUESTIONING LGBTQ ACTIVISTS

Mermaids was also cited in the U.K.'s Cornwall Schools Transgender Guidelines , which were originally published in 2015. In addition to suggesting how best to implement gender-neutral toilets, the guidelines used in many U.K. schools also encourage acceptance of cross-dressing and gender transition among children.

The guidelines are being reevaluated after the government recently settled in court with Christian parents Nigel and Sally Rowe, who had sued the U.K. Department of Education after a primary school had labeled their son potentially "transphobic" when he was 6 years old.

Using the term "minor-attracted persons" to describe pedophiles has also stoked controversy in the United States. A video went viral in August of Miranda Galbreath, a licensed sex therapist and counselor in Pennsylvania, where she appeared to defend "minor-attracted persons."

"They are probably the most vilified population of folks in our culture," Galbreath said in the video posted on YouTube titled "Lets talk about minor-attracted persons."

In 2021, Old Dominion University, a public university in Norfolk, Virginia, put professor Dr. Allyn Walker on leave following viral comments he made apparently attempting to normalize the phrase "minor-attracted persons."
ANKARA, Turkey (AP)  Turkey has appointed a new ambassador to Israel, the state-run news agency reported Thursday, in the latest step between the two countries efforts toward normalizing ties.

Sakir Ozkan Torunlar, a senior diplomat who had served as Turkeys consul general in Jerusalem between 2010 and 2013, was named to the post, Anadolu Agency reported.

He takes up the position four years after Turkey withdrew its ambassador from Israel and ousted Israels ambassador in protest of the killing of dozens of Palestinians by Israeli gunfire during protests along the frontier with Gaza.

Israel and Turkey once enjoyed warm relations but relations began to sour following the election of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an outspoken critic of Israels treatment of the Palestinians, as prime minister in 2003. Tensions peaked in 2010, when Israeli forces stormed a Turkish ship that broke through an Israeli blockade to deliver humanitarian aid to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Nine Turkish activists were killed.

In a step toward rapprochement, Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Turkey in March to meet with Erdogan.

Last month, Israel named Irit Lillian as its ambassador to Turkey. Lillian had been in charge of the Israeli Embassy in Ankara for the last two years.
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday he could meet with Syrian counterpart Bashar Al-Assad when the time was right and would not rule that out, reinforcing tentative recent steps to thaw ties between combatants in Syria's war.

"As of now such a meeting is not on the agenda. But I cannot say it is impossible for me to meet with Assad," Erdogan told a press conference at the Prague meeting of the European Political Community.

"When the right time comes, we can also go to the way of meeting with the President of Syria," he added.

Any normalisation between Ankara and Damascus would reshape the decade-long Syrian war. Turkish backing has been vital to sustaining Syrian rebels in their last major territorial foothold in the northwest, after Assad defeated the insurgency across the rest of the country, aided by Russia and Iran.

(Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Jonathan Spicer)
(Bloomberg) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met Thursday to hold the first talks in 13 years between the leaders of the two countries amid a push to establish diplomatic relations.

Most Read from Bloomberg

I sincerely believe that we can achieve our goal of full normalization in our region on the basis of good neighborliness, Erdogan told a televised presser after meeting Pashinyan. There were certain demands and they were duly conveyed to our special envoys, he said without elaborating. Foreign ministers of both countries were also instructed to prepare to take steps to forward the normalization process, Erdogan said.

The meeting in Prague comes as the two sides seek to overcome the legacy of decades of hostility linked to the 1915 mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey that the US, Russia, France and many other nations recognize as genocide, a characterization Ankara rejects. Its the first encounter between the leaders of Turkey and Armenia since a failed effort to build ties in 2009.

The talks take place as international efforts also intensify to resolve Armenias conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan over the long-disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan, and gave military support to its ally during a 44-day war two years ago that killed thousands until Russian President Vladimir Putin brokered a truce.

Since then, Pashinyan and Erdogan have started a process to try to establish ties. Azerbaijan and Armenia also began talks aimed at reaching a comprehensive peace agreement even as hundreds have died in repeated border clashes between their troops.

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In the latest fighting last month, Armenia accused Azerbaijan of invading some of its territory, prompting interventions from the US and France to try to ease tensions and persuade Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to pull back. Azerbaijan denies occupying Armenian territory.

Aliyev and Pashinyan are due to hold four-way talks in the Czech capital on Thursday with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Charles Michel. Erdogan is also expected to meet with Macron at the informal summit of European leaders in Prague.

Armenia and Azerbaijan are striving to delineate their common border and to open up transport routes as part of the cease-fire accord. Aliyev expressed optimism Wednesday about reaching a peace deal.

We are adopting a peace agenda, Pashinyan told Armenian lawmakers in the capital Yerevan on Wednesday. I see a path to follow.

The clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan have cast a shadow over a beautiful climate, Erdogan said Sept. 20. Still, he said, We believe that it is possible to sign a comprehensive peace agreement between the two countries as soon as possible.

Erdogan has argued that Azerbaijans defeat of Armenia means there is no longer an obstacle to establishing relations between Ankara and Yerevan. Representatives of the two sides began talks in Moscow in January and agreed in July to begin direct air cargo trade and to open their border to citizens of third countries.

The legacy of the killings of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians more than a century ago isnt on the agenda. Pashinyan has said that recognition of the Armenian genocide has never been a precondition for establishing relations.

During the 2020 war, Azerbaijan took over part of Nagorno-Karabakh and reclaimed seven surrounding districts that Armenian forces had occupied for decades. Under the truce negotiated by Putin, Russia deployed 2,000 troops as peacekeepers to Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave largely populated by Armenians that is recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan.

(Updates with remarks from Erdogan in second paragraph)

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2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Twitters lawyers fired back at Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a court filing Thursday, accusing the companys recalcitrant buyer of engaging in "mischief and delay" with his renewed bid for the company.

Twitter said Musks latest proposal to buy the company for $44 billion cant be trusted. The claim came in a court document opposing Musks earlier request on Thursday for a Delaware judge to halt the court proceedings against him in the parties merger deal gone sour.

The case was set for trial in Delaware Chancery Court on Oct. 17, but after Twitter's filing on Thursday, the judge agreed to stay the case until Oct. 28.

News emerged Tuesday that Musk was willing to go through with the $44 billion deal under its original terms after his decision to back out in July prompted a lawsuit from Twitter seeking to force him to go through with the deal. While Twitter confirmed that it intended to close the deal, negotiations grew acrimonious on Thursday after the company objected to Musk's proposal to halt the trial.

Now, on the eve of trial, [Musk] declares [he] intend[s] to close after all. Trust us, they say, we mean it this time, and so they ask to be relieved from a reckoning on the merits, the document filed by Twitter's lawyers states. Defendants proposal is an invitation to further mischief and delay.

Tesla founder Elon Musk attends Offshore Northern Seas 2022 in Stavanger, Norway August 29, 2022. NTB/Carina Johansen via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NORWAY OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NORWAY.

In its latest filing, Twitter objected to what it says are proposals from Musks lawyers for an indefinite time to close the deal and a conditional withdrawal of his July 8 termination for the agreement.

"The merger should have closed long ago, as [Musk's] recent concessions confirm," they said.

Since sending a termination letter to Twitters board in early July, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX tried to extricate himself from the deal, citing among other objections his allegation that Twitter lied to securities regulators when it reported that bots or spam accounts make up less than 5% of its monetizable user accounts.

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In response to the letter, Twitter sued Musk to hold him to the terms of the agreement reached April 25. The company has maintained that Musks stated concern over fake accounts is pretext for ditching the agreement and that he had taken the spam and bot issues into account before he agreed to buy Twitter.

Twitter accused Musk of breaching the agreement by not using his "best efforts" as required under the contract to close the deal. It said due to Musk's delays, its shareholders are owed interest on the $44 billion sale.

The obstacle is that [Musk] still refuse[s] to accept [his] contractual obligations, Twitters filing states. For months, [Musk] [has] pursued increasingly implausible claims and over and over sought to delay trial on the merits to enforce the merger agreement.

Defendants can and should close next week. Until they do, this action is not moot and should be brought to trial, Twitters lawyers wrote.

Musk's Thursday court filing seeking to halt the October 17 trial said, "There is no need for an expedited trial to order defendants to do what they are already doing."

"Yet, Twitter will not take yes for an answer," Musk's lawyers wrote. "Astonishingly they have insisted on proceeding with this litigation, recklessly putting the deal at risk and gambling with their stockholders' interests."

Elon Musk did not immediately reply to Yahoo Finance's request for comment.

Alexis Keenan is a legal reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow Alexis on Twitter @alexiskweed.

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The two men who took Nikolas Cruzs brother under their wing in the wake of the Parkland massacre have been arrested for allegedly exploiting him  just as the mass shooters sentencing trial is drawing to a close.

Mike Donovan and Richard Moore, both 45, were arrested at their home in Virginia on Wednesday and charged with exploiting a mentally incapacitated person and obtaining money by false pretences.

They were each released on $50,000 bond later that day.

The couple, who cofounded bond servicing company Nexus, took Zachary Cruz, 22, under their wing after his brother murdered 17 students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentines Day 2018.

Zachary and Cruz, who shared the same biological mother Brenda Woodard and were adopted and raised together by Lynda and Roger Cruz, had been left orphaned in November 2017 when their adoptive mother died.

Her death meant the two sons were set to inherit around $428,000 each from her estate, according to court records.

Neither Mr Donovan nor Mr Moore had ever met the two brothers prior to the mass shooting but reached out to Zachary soon after, when he was arrested for trespassing on the massacre site.

Zachary, who turned 18 just one week after his brother carried out one of the deadliest mass shootings in US history, then moved from Florida to Virginia to live with the couple and their son.

Mr Donovan and Mr Moore are now accused of financially exploiting Zachary between 26 April 2019 and 20 April 2020, according to the indictment seen by the Sun-Sentinel.

Search warrants were executed at both their home and business as part of the investigation on Wednesday  coming at a time when the mass shooters sentencing trial is ongoing back in Broward County, Florida.

Nexus Vice President Timothy Shipe was also charged with exploitation and Santos Vicente Putul-Ax and Mr Donovans father Timothy Donovan have been charged with obstruction.

Mr Donovan denied exploiting Zachary and said that they had fallen foul to corrupt cops.

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Richard Moore at the Broward County Courthouse on 18 August 2022 (AP)

I want to point that out that first of all, I didnt exploit Zach, and secondly, Zach isnt mentally incapacitated, he told the Sun-Sentinel.

He said that Zachary had spent his inheritance money already and was now living on a monthly stipend.

Mr Donovan accused the Augusta County Sheriffs Office of corruption and slammed law enforcement for continuing to try to break the only surviving relative of Cruz.

When you fight against corrupt cops, sometimes the corrupt cops snap back, and I guess thats what happened today, he said.

Zach is this incredible young man and he really should be broken, and hes not, Donovan said. Its like, why are you continuing to try to break this guy? His brother is a madman, but Jesus Christ, hes his own person. He doesnt deserve this.

He told the paper that the 22-year-old was not able to speak because he was out skateboarding.

Zacharay, who is 14 months younger than his 24-year-old murderer brother, has stood by Cruz ever since he carried out one of the deadliest school shootings in US history.

He hit headlines himself in the aftermath when he was given six months probation for trespassing at the school where his brother went on his murderous rampage.

Authorities said that Zachary visited the site of the massacre at least three times following the attack  despite warnings to stay away  and became fascinated with the idea that the fame from his brothers crime would help to attract female attention.

He had long been expected to testify for his brothers defence in his sentencing trial.

But, jurors didnt hear from the killers sibling because Cruzs legal team made the bombshell move to rest after calling less than half of the people on its witness list.

After the defence rested, Zachary released a statement saying that he had declined to testify because he did not want to face further harassment from law enforcement.

Broward prosecutors partnered with a racist Virginia Sheriff and a corrupt prosecutor to attempt to arrest me, search my home, and subject me to a conservatorship, he said.

Zachary Cruz, brother of Nikolas Cruz, appears in court in Fort Lauderdale in March 2018 on trespassing charges (AP)

Attorneys for Zachary and Mr Moore had filed a motion earlier in the trial asking the judge to ban prosecutors from asking them certain questions they deemed not appropriate. The judge denied the motion and Mr Moore was also not called to testify.

Despite not taking the stand, Zachary has cropped up repeatedly during his brothers sentencing trial, where jurors have learned about the mass shooters early years in life.

Jurors have heard testimony that Zachary bullied his older brother and that Lynda struggled with both of her sons behaviour, calling the police to the family home dozens of times in the years before the massacre.

Prosecutors also said at one point in the trial that Zachary was starring in a reality show called Being Zachary Cruz.

Mr Moores name has also cropped up in the proceedings, with prosecutors saying that he has sent thousands of dollars of commissary to Cruz in prison this year alone and that he speaks regularly to the mass shooter in jailhouse phone calls.

While Zachary hasnt been spotted in the courthouse, Mr Moore has attended several days of Cruzs trial and was seen at the courthouse when the defence began presenting its case.

He previously said that he doesnt approve of what Cruz did but believes nobody should face this alone.

Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in October 2021.

A jury will determine whether to sentence him to life in prison or to death.
A pair of Russian men fled the country by boat to a small Alaskan island to avoid being forced into military service, US Senator Lisa Murkowski's office said.

The Associated Pressreports that the men arrived on a small island in the Bering Sea after leaving Russia and have asked for asylum.

Karina Borger, a spokeswoman for Ms Murkowski, told the AP that the senator's office has been working with the US Coast Guard and US Customs and Border Protection, saying "the Russian nationals reported that they fled one of the coastal communities on the east coast of Russia to avoid compulsory military service."

The men reportedly landed at a beach near Gambell, a small community of about 600 people on St Lawrence Island. Senator Dan Sullivan said his office was alerted to the men by a "senior community leader from the Bering Strait region" on Tuesday morning.

According to one of Mr Sullivan's spokespeople, his office understands that men arrived on the island by boat.

Gambell is approximately 200 miles (320km) southwest from Nome and about 36m (58km) from the Chukotka Peninsula in Siberia.

Ms Murkowski, a Republican, said the incident was illustrative of the need for heightened security in the US's Arctic region.

We are actively engaged with federal officials and residents in Gambell to determine who these individuals are, but right now, we already know that the federal response was lacking. Only local officials and state law enforcement had the capability to immediately respond to the asylum seekers, while Customs and Border Protection had to dispatch a Coast Guard aircraft from over 750 miles away to get on scene, Ms Murkowski said. This situation underscores the need for a stronger security posture in Americas Arctic, which I have championed throughout my time in the Senate.

Mr Sullivan, also a Republican, said he advised DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and officials at US Customs and Border Patrol that they should develop a plan to handle more potential cases of Russian asylum seekers fleeing the country to escape military service.

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This incident makes two things clear: First, the Russian people dont want to fight Putins war of aggression against Ukraine. Second, given Alaskas proximity to Russia, our state has a vital role to play in securing Americas national security," Mr Sullivan said. "This is why Senator Murkowski and I have been pressing officials in Washington D.C. so hard on the need to prioritize capabilities in the Arctic  including infrastructure, Coast Guard assets, ports and strategic defense assets.

Reuters reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin's order to draft men into military service has prompted tens of thousands of Russian men to flee the country. Many have taken to driving into neighboring countries or finding other methods of leaving the nation to avoid suspicion at airports.

Kirill Ponomarev, a 24-year-old journalist from Russia who fled the country to Armenia told the outlet he spent a week traveling by car, train, and later plane to make the more than 6,000 mile (10,000km) journey out of the country.

"My sense was that 90% of my carriage were Russian men of military age," he said. "Everyone looked at each other in silence, but we all understood what was going on."

Moscow has denied the claims that upwards of 700,000 people have fled the country in the wake of Mr Putins call-up orders.
A pair of Canadian mothers were violently mauled by a black bear while hiking a trail in northeastern British Columbia.

Leosette Canoy and her niece, Wenneli, were joined for a nature walk on Monday by her friend Analyn Shurtliff Bartolome and the womans teenage son. The group took off on a cross-country trail on Bear Mountain, located just south of Dawson Creek in the western Canadian province.

The group had set out to take in some of the seasons changing foliage, an activity that Ms Canoy enjoyed as she was a keen lover of the Canadian wilderness since emigrating from the Philippines nearly 15 years ago, her husband told CBC News.

The group was looking for nice spots to take fall pictures with the autumn leaves, Gary Hansen, Ms Canoys husband, told the Canadian news outlet.

It wasnt until it was beginning to get dark that the otherwise uneventful day took a turn that not one of the hikers is soon to forget.

Leosette [Cheng] Canoy, a mother in British Columbia, was violently mauled by a black bear on Monday while walking on a trail with her niece and two friends (GoFundMe)

As the group began to head back home at around 7pm, the teenage son of Ms Bartolome heard a scuffle behind them that sounded like footsteps, but when he scoured the perimeter to find the source of the noise, he couldnt locate it.

When he looked back he did not see anyone, he stayed behind the group and continued on toward the trailhead, the organiser for the GoFundMe of Ms Bartolome wrote. The young man then heard the footsteps again, but this time when he whipped around, he found himself staring down at a black bear.

He alerted the group and turned back to find the bear charging them, organiser and family friend DeAnna Wry wrote.

The teenager then did as the British Columbia Parks Service advises when confronted with a predatory bear: he fought back.

Analyns teenage son punched the bear in an attempt to scare it off, this did not deter the bear, the friend wrote, adding that this landed the teen with bad bruising around his ribs.

Family members say Analyn Shurtliff Bartolome, who was mauled by a black bear on Monday, has a 50 per cent chance of losing her left arm due to injuries from the attack (GoFundMe)

The bear then lunged for Ms Bartolome, and it was at this point that her friend  Ms Canoy  would sustain the lions share of her injuries as she leapt to her friends defence.

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The pair of mothers, now severely injured by the large male black bear, lay on the ground of the trail with darkness falling. After attempting to lure the bear off again with a large stick, the teenage boy and Wenneli realised that their attempts at rescuing the women by themselves were futile.

The pair were able to reach safety and dial out to 911. When Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officers (RCMP) arrived at the scene, they found the pair of women still lying prostrate on the dirt with the black male bear encircling them.

A detachment commander for the Dawson Creek RCMP, Staff Sgt Damon Werrell, told the CBC in an interview how the bear appeared to be guarding the victims.

The officers shot and killed the bear and were able to retrieve the women, with Ms Canoy being medevacked to the Edmonton Royal Alexandra Hospital  nearly 600km away  and Ms Bartolome being airlifted to Vancouver.

Ms Canoy remains sedated and is on a ventilator. She has undergone more than six hours of surgery for the maiming injuries she received to her arms, head, back, and ear.

British Columbia is home to an estimated 120,000 to 160,000 black bears, which is about one quarter of all black bears in Canada (AFP via Getty Images)

Shes my gift from God. Its horrific to see my wife like that. The bear chewed her up bad, Mr Hansen, said of his wife, who he described to CBC as being a lover of the outdoors, often partaking in hiking, camping and riding ATVs.

Ms Bartoleme, while stable, remains in critical condition at an ICU in Vancouver. In her latest update shared in the online fundraiser, her family friend reported that she currently has a 50 per cent chance of losing her left arm due to injuries from the bear attack and she is at high risk of infection from the multiple lacerations running up and down her body and across her scalp.

Both women are members of the small but close Filipino community based out of Dawson Creek and are described as both being members of their local churches.

Analyn worked very hard to provide for her family and her husband has only recently started a new job, wrote Ms Wry in the online fundraiser, noting how the funds from the fundraiser will go towards covering the lost income and travel fees for visits with Ms Bartoleme and her husband and their two teenage sons.

Though encounters between bears and humans have been on the rise in recent years, due to habitat loss and blossoming urban sprawl, fatal attacks in British Columbia  and Canada for that matter  remain relatively rare.

According to the British Columbia Conservation Foundation, there are on average less than one fatal black bear attack on humans every five years in the province.

Both grizzly bears and black bears reside in British Columbia, with about 15,000 of the former and between 120,000 to 160,000 of the latter, meaning the province accounts for more than a quarter of all black bears in the country.

Despite living in a part of the world that plays host to so many of the large mammals, Mr Hansen admits that he wouldve suspected his family to be the last to be the victim of such a brutal attack.

We live in Canada here, and we hear about bear attacks, but we never think its gonna be us, you know? he told CBC. And now here it is with my family, and its been a horrible ordeal. Im overwhelmed.

As of Thursday afternoon, Ms Canoys fundraiser had collected over $10,000, more than double what theyd initially hoped for, and Ms Bartolemes fundraiser had brought in more than $11,600, nearly double what theyd originally asked.
Memphis Police is asking the publics help for information on two women who stole from a Kohls in Cordova.

On Sep. 29 at approximately 12:15 PM, two women walked into a Kohls on Germantown Parkway.

The two put 27 pieces of clothing into a shopping cart, then left without paying, police said.

Police also said that the value of the stolen items is $1,436.

The two suspects fled the scene on foot.

Suspect #1 was described as a woman with long black hair, wearing a multi-colored shirt.

Suspect #2 was described as a woman wearing a blue shirt, with a black shower cap on her head.

Anyone with information about this incident should call Crime Stoppers at 528-2274.

You can also submit your tip at http://www.crimestopmem.org.

If an arrest is made, you could be eligible to receive cash from Crime Stoppers of Memphis and Shelby County, Inc.

Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood.

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By Guy Faulconbridge

LONDON (Reuters) -U.S. intelligence agencies believe parts of the Ukrainian government authorised a car bomb attack near Moscow in August that killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist, the New York Times reported.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report, which cited unidentified U.S. officials. Ukraine repeated on Thursday its denial of any involvement in the attack.

The United States took no part in the attack on Dugina and was not aware of it ahead of time, the Times reported. American officials later admonished Ukrainian officials over the assassination, the Times said.

Dugina, 29, was killed when a car bomb tore through the Toyota Land Cruiser she was driving on Aug. 20. Her father, Alexander, who had been in a separate car, was pictured holding his head in shock as he surveyed the wreckage of the vehicle.

After the killing, Ukraine denied any involvement, while Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) accused Ukraine's secret services of being behind it.

In a message to Dugina's family, President Vladimir Putin described her as a "bright, talented person with a real Russian heart - kind, loving, sympathetic and open". He called her murder a "vile, cruel crime".

If Ukraine were behind the killing, it would illustrate Kyiv's ability to strike at targets in Moscow while also potentially opening up the Ukrainian elite in Kyiv to revenge attacks from Russia.

"The involvement of the Ukrainian state in this terrorist act, in this murder of a young girl was argued and proven by our special services," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

Peskov said the Times report was positive in the sense that it appeared that U.S. intelligence agreed with Russia on who was behind the killing.

However, he added: "I really want to hope that this is not some attempt by our American colleagues to absolve themselves of responsibility for any preparations for future terrorist acts which the Ukrainian state, the Ukrainian regime, might prepare."

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KILLING

The U.S. officials cited by the Times did not disclose which elements of the Ukrainian government were believed to have authorised the attack, who carried it out, or whether President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had signed off on the mission.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian presidential adviser, told Reuters on Thursday that "objectively speaking" Dugina had been of no interest to Kyiv before she was killed.

"Before Dugina's murder, the people of Ukraine and representatives of the Ukrainian authorities did not know about her public activities and her influence on propaganda programmes," he wrote on WhatsApp in response to a Reuters request for comment.

"In our opinion, the key beneficiary of Dugina's murder was certain Russian radical supporters of the war (in Ukraine). Including a section of the (Russian) special services."

The New York Times said some U.S. officials suspected that Dugina's father, a vocal supporter of what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine, had been the actual target of the assassination.

After the killing, Dugin told mourners that his daughter had died for Russia.

"If her tragic death has touched anyone, she would have asked them to defend sacred (Russian) Orthodoxy, the people and the Fatherland," Dugin said.

"She died for Russia, in the motherland and on the frontline, which is not in Ukraine but here."

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Pavel Polityuk in Kyiv; Editing by Peter Graff, Alex Richardson and Gareth Jones)
The American diplomat tasked with helping to end the grinding civil war in Yemen  which has claimed close to 400,000 lives and left the majority of the country's people dependent on humanitarian aid for survival  lamented on Wednesday the end of a six-month ceasefire without a truce agreement to replace it. U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking told reporters on a State Department telephone briefing that he feared the failure to reach a new peace agreement would bring a "return to war."

Lenderking said that if the fighting between Yemen's Saudi Arabian-backed central government and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who hold a huge swath of the Arabian nation, does resume, it will "bring nothing but casualties and destruction on Yemen and will create further confusion as to where this conflict is headed."

The Houthis, whom Lenderking blamed for the failure of the negotiations, made it clear to CBS News that the fighting was indeed likely to resume, as they warned of an imminent "return to military operations."

U.N. seeks help to defuse "ticking time bomb" off Yemen's coast

The veteran American diplomat spoke soon after representatives from Yemen's government and the Houthis failed to strike a deal to extend the six-month nationwide ceasefire that was brokered by the United Nations. He blamed the Houthi rebels, accusing them of "imposing maximalist and impossible demands that the parties simply could not reach."

The truce had brought relative peace to Yemen after years of vicious fighting in the civil war that erupted in 2015. As of the end of 2021, the conflict had left more than 377,000 people dead, according to the U.N.

About two thirds of those people have died not from actual warfare, the U.N. says, but as a result of the dire humanitarian crisis inflicted upon the impoverished nation by the conflict  "indirect causes such as lack of food, health services, and infrastructure."

The war has left 73% of Yemen's population of 30 million entirely dependent on humanitarian aid.

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Lenderking said "key elements of the truce" were still holding, but there were reports of "low level" violence re-emerging around the country.

"Fuel ships continue to offload into Hodeidah port," the U.S. diplomat noted, referring to a key logistics hub held by the Houthis that Saudi-led forces had blockaded for months, preventing essential goods from entering the country. "There will be more continuity in civilian, commercial flights from Sanaa airport. These particular elements of the truce have been extremely effective and have delivered tangible results to the Yemeni people over the last six months."

/ Credit: Getty/iStockphoto

Lenderking indicated that one of the key sticking points in the failed negotiations over extending the ceasefire was getting Yemeni state employees paid. Many haven't received a salary in years.

"This has been a core demand of both parties, to have the ability to pay Yemeni civil servants who have not been paid for many years: teachers, nurses, civil servants," said Lenderking.

The Houthi negotiating team has demanded that police, military and other security personnel get their back-pay first.

"I think if we see more flexibility from the Houthi side going forward, then this opens the road, I think, to this much better peace option," Lenderking said. He is expected to return to the region as soon as next week to keep the negotiations going.

U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking takes part in a conference on Yemen's devastating war, hosted by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, in the Saudi capital Riyadh, March 30, 2022. / Credit: FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty

"We want to see that those channels remain open," he said Wednesday. "They can create a path to durable peace. This is why I will return to the region in the very near future to continue this very energetic U.S. engagement to complement the efforts of the U.N. envoy."

Lenderking's hopes for greater flexibility by the Iranian-backed rebels were dealt an 11th-hour blow in the most recent negotiations: Just hours before the truce expired on Sunday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree took to Twitter to threaten private oil companies still working in the country. He warned them to leave Yemen or their facilities would be seized.

"The fossil fuels belong to the people of Yemen and could be used to pay public servants' salaries," Saree tweeted.

A November 24, 2021 file photo shows Houthi fighters attending the funeral of fellow rebel fighters killed in fighting with forces of Yemen's internationally recognized government, in Sanaa, Yemen. / Credit: Hani Mohammed/AP

"This is not an impossible demand," Nasreddine Amer, another spokesperson for the Houthis, who heads the group's media center, told CBS News. "We only demand a true right of the Yemeni people Those employees have children, wives and families that they support from those salaries that were stopped. When we demand such payments, isn't that a humanitarian request?"

Amer blamed the failed effort to extend the ceasefire largely on the U.S. government, as the Houthis have done regularly. He accused Washington of backing the "stubborn" stance taken by the Saudi-led coalition.

"They did not adhere to the terms of the truce. So as the truce ended and they are still stubborn, I expect a return to military operations," he said. "This is not an analysis but an official declaration by our armed forces."

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By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Thursday expressed support for New York City's lawsuit seeking to halt the spread of "ghost guns," as city and state officials try to hold sellers of the largely untraceable firearms accountable.

In a "statement of interest" filed in Manhattan federal court, the Department of Justice expressed "serious concerns" about the proliferation of ghost guns, and said kits containing the weapons' components are classified as firearms under federal gun control law.

"Ghost guns are a major contributor to the ongoing plague of gun violence," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace in Brooklyn said in a statement accompanying the filing, which U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in Manhattan also signed.

New York City and state Attorney General Letitia James on June 29 filed two lawsuits accusing 10 out-of-state distributors of creating a public nuisance by selling unfinished frames and receivers to buyers within the state.

Ghost guns lack serial numbers and can be acquired without background checks, potentially letting people otherwise ineligible to buy firearms to construct finished guns.

"We are not going to let gun companies turn New York into a city of mail-order murder," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said when announcing the city's lawsuit.

Both lawsuits were filed six days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a century-old New York law that strictly limited the carrying of guns outside the home.

Federal law largely shields gun makers from lawsuits over shootings. There is an exception for when sellers knowingly violate statutes governing firearms sales and marketing.

Three of the five defendants in the city's lawsuit have settled, and agreed to stop sales to city residents.

Christian Waugh, a lawyer for Indie Guns, one of the remaining defendants, in an email said "no one seriously believes that craft guns" contribute to rising crime rates.

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"While I have hope that governments will ultimately pursue policies based on science and evidence, that hope got a little bit smaller with the DOJ's statement of interest," he said.

A lawyer for the fifth defendant, Arm or Ally, was not immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)
By Daphne Psaledakis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on seven Iranian officials over the shutdown of internet access and the crackdown on peaceful protesters following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police.

The nationwide unrest sparked by Amini's death has spiraled into the biggest challenge to Iran's clerical leaders in years, with protesters calling for the downfall of the Islamic Republic founded in 1979.

"The United States condemns the Iranian governments Internet shutdown and continued violent suppression of peaceful protest and will not hesitate to target those who direct and support such actions," Brian Nelson, the Treasury Departments undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.

The department said it imposed sanctions on Iran's minister of interior, Ahmad Vahidi; Communications Minister Eisa Zarepour; and Vahid Mohammad Naser Majid, the head of the Iranian Cyber Police, among others.

Washington accused Zarepour of leading the attempts to block internet access in a bid to slow the protests and Majid of using the cyber police to monitor Iranian internet users, filter websites and block content.

The United States also targeted two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and senior officials with Iran's law enforcement forces.

Washington accused the law enforcement forces, overseen by the interior minister Vahidi, of using lethal force against protesters on multiple occasions and said its actions have led to thousands of deaths, including at least dozens in recent demonstrations.

Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. action freezes any U.S. assets of those designated and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. Those that engage in certain transactions with them also risk being hit with sanctions. Canada imposed sanctions on Monday.

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Rights groups say thousands have been arrested and hundreds injured in the crackdown waged by security forces including the Basij, a volunteer militia affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Rights groups put the death toll at over 150.

The United States last month imposed sanctions on Iran's morality police over allegations of abuse of Iranian women, saying it held the unit responsible for the death of Amini, an Iranian Kurd who died after being detained in Tehran on Sept. 13 for "inappropriate attire."

Washington in September also issued guidance expanding the range of internet services available to Iranians despite U.S. sanctions on the country.

(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Tim Ahmann; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Alistair Bell)
Joseph Sullivan, who used to serve as Uber's security chief, was convicted of federal charges for hiding a 2016 data breach from authorities. According to The New York Times, a jury in a San Francisco federal court has found Sullivan guilty of obstructing the FTC's ongoing investigation into Uber at the time for another breach that occurred in 2014. He was also found guilty of actively hiding a felony from authorities. Sullivan's case, believed to be the first time an executive has faced criminal charges over a hack, revolves around how the former executive dealt with the bad actors who infiltrated Uber's Amazon server and demanded $100,000 from the company.

The hackers got in touch with Uber shortly after Sullivan sat for a deposition with the FTC for its investigation of the 2014 cybersecurity incident. They told him they found a security vulnerability that allowed them to download the personal data of 600,000 drivers and additional information linked to 57 million drivers and passengers. As The Washington Post reports, it was revealed later on that the hackers found a digital key that they used to get into Uber's Amazon account. There, they found an unencrypted backup collection of personal data on passengers and drivers.

Sullivan pointed them to the company's bug bounty program, which had a max payout of $10,000. The hackers wanted at least $100,000, however, and threatened to release the data they'd stolen if Uber didn't pay up. The former security chief paid them the amount they demanded in bitcoin and made it appear as if they'd been paid under the bug bounty program  an action reportedly sanction by then Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick. He also tracked them down and made them sign nondisclosure agreements.

The former executive's camp argued that Sullivan felt Uber's user data was protected after the hackers signed an NDA. "Mr. Sullivan believed that their customers data was safe and that this was not some incident that needed to be reported. There was no coverup and there was no obstruction," his lawyer David Angeli said. But prosecutors disagreed and viewed his use of NDAs as a way to cover up the incident. Further, they stressed that the incident shouldn't have been qualified for a payout under the bug bounty program, which is meant to reward friendly security researchers, when the bad actors threatened to release users' personal information if they didn't get paid the amount they wanted.

In the end, the jury agreed with the prosecutors that Sullivan should have notified the FTC about the data breach. It wasn't until Dara Khosrowshahi took over as CEO that the FTC was informed of the event. A sentence hasn't been handed down yet, but Sullivan now faces five years in prison for obstruction and up to three more years for failing to report a felony.
By Humza Jilani

LONDON (Reuters) - British companies are the most downbeat about the outlook for their profits since the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2020 despite widespread plans to raise prices, a major survey showed on Thursday, adding to signs of gloom about the economy.

Only one in three businesses are confident their profits will increase in the coming year, while 39% expect a decline, according to the British Chambers of Commerce's (BCC) quarterly survey, the largest of its kind.

Some 62% of companies said they planned to raise prices in the next three months, just below the record 65% that said they would have to do so in the previous quarter.

Concerns that soaring inflation will become entrenched have spurred the Bank of England to hike interest rates. 37% of businesses said they were worried about the effect of rising interest rates and almost 80% expect either no change or a decrease in investment spending.

"Many firms are caught in the pincer movement of soaring inflation and rising interest rates," said David Bharier, head of research at the BCC.

The survey was conducted prior to the announcements of the government's energy support package and controversial mini-budget. The mini-budget pushed up government bond yields - a benchmark for borrowing costs in the wider economy - and briefly pushed the pound to a record low against the U.S. dollar.

"The devaluation of the pound has also added a huge cost base for businesses reliant on imports," Bharier said.

Indicators trended downwards across the board. Businesses complained of shrinking cash flow, declining sales, and rocketing input prices.

Amid economic and financial uncertainty throughout the economy, businesses are eager to see a long-term plan from the government to boost confidence, the BCC said.

The BCC surveyed 5,200 firms between Aug. 22 and Sept. 16, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises.

(Reporting by Humza Jilani; editing by David Milliken)
As Ukrainian forces mow through cities once held by Russia, Kyiv is reworking its weapons wish list from Western countries while troops prepare to dig in for bitter winter fighting.

At the top of their list is new air defenses, due to fears that Vladimir Putin will step up missile attacks on civilian targets as his front lines collapse.

Ukraine has been able to prevent most Russian attacks, but we may expect increased Russian missile attacks against critical Ukrainian infrastructure in the coming weeks, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former NATO chief, said in an interview.

Rasmussen is meeting with U.S. officials in Washington this week. Hes on a mission from Kyiv, where he worked with President Volodymyr Zelenskyys top adviser, Andriy Yermak, to develop the Kyiv Security Compact. The plan encourages Western powers to commit to long-term security guarantees with Ukraine, including steady material support for the war effort and rebuilding the Ukrainian defense industry so the country can begin to manufacture and provide its own weapons in the coming years.

We need to deliver all assets that Ukrainians need to protect themselves against those missile attacks from Russia, he added.



No new air defense capabilities were included in the Biden administrations $625 million military aid package announced Tuesday, which instead focused on precision artillery and rocket systems and ammunition. Those weapons and munitions will be critical over the next several weeks as Ukrainian forces continue their counter-offensives.

Kyiv is, however, slated to receive two Raytheon-made National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems by November, Defense Department officials have said. The systems can knock down drones, missiles and helicopters  which is just what Ukraine is looking for.

Yet there are worries that those systems, along with six more slated to be contracted and delivered in the future, wont arrive quickly enough to give Ukraine the air cover it needs.

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The first two NASAMS this fall are not sufficient air defense, said one Ukrainian adviser who asked to speak anonymously to discuss arms deliveries. We're not talking Stingers here. We're talking about something that has mid-range and higher ranges.

It will likely take time for those weapons to arrive. Western countries are reluctant to give up their own advanced missile defense capabilities. Plus, contracting, building and training crews on how to operate them takes years.



The Biden administration has been arming Ukraine in a deliberate manner, sending artillery and munitions for the immediate fight, and contracting with the defense industry for weapons such as NASAMS. Its a two-pronged strategy that officials have said meets Kyivs immediate needs while setting up a consistent flow of weaponry in the coming years. The U.S. is also holding quiet talks with Ukraine and the defense industry about whether to eventually acquire capabilities such as Patriot batteries and F-16 fighter planes.

Asked for comment on the Ukrainians requests for the winter, a senior Defense Department official pointed out that the U.S. has provided air defense radars for Ukraine along with the two NASAMS. The U.S. also assisted with the transfer of a Slovakian S-300 air defense system in April, after which the U.S., Germany and the Netherlands all deployed their own Patriot batteries to Slovakia to backstop the countrys air defense.

The U.S. and allies have been notoriously short on Patriot air defense systems, and in the U.S. Army, Patriot batteries for years have been the most deployed units, as commanders around the globe clamor for the weapon. Likewise, NATO allies that operate the system have been careful when and where to deploy their own batteries.

If Putin launches a renewed missile campaign against critical infrastructure, the dangers to civilians will be higher than ever, the DoD official said, since Russian stocks of precision-guided munitions are running low, so attacks are becoming even more indiscriminate.

The official, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said that Russia has targeted civilian infrastructure throughout this campaign, so its not a leap to think they would continue.

And Russian missiles do continue to fall. One of the deadliest attacks in recent months came last Friday when at least 30 people were killed and more than 100 wounded when Russian missiles hit a convoy of civilian vehicles near the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia. Amnesty International confirmed the vehicles were providing humanitarian relief well behind the front lines.



Given Ukraines large size and hundreds of miles of front lines, its impossible to protect everything from missile attacks launched by Russian submarines in the Black Sea and long-range bombers flying close to Ukraines borders.

The lack of capabilities isnt just a Ukrainian problem, however, which could cause more delays in rushing equipment into the country. Over the past two decades, the U.S. and its allies have deprioritized short-range air defense and homeland cruise missile defense, and regional cruise missile defense is way behind, said Tom Karako at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. And so what has Ukraine taught us? Turns out there's a big demand for air defense that cant be easily or quickly filled.

We can help the Ukrainians with Javelins and Stingers because they've been sitting in the barn for decades, but we don't just have things sitting in the barn for cruise and ballistic missile defense, Karako said.

The attack in Zaporizhzhia hits at the heart of Ukrainian concerns and the difficulty of predicting Putins next moves. The strike came the same day Russia declared it was annexing four territories in Ukraine, even as Ukrainian forces continued to push deep into those areas.

Putins announcement and his promises to defend Russian territory back the Kremlin into a corner. It represents a point of no return for the [Russian] regime where their minimal war aims are fundamentally incompatible with Ukraines and now cannot be easily revised, said Michael Kofman, of the CNA think tank.

One of the capabilities that can be delivered to Ukraine relatively quickly and in numbers is German-made Leopard tanks, Rasmussen said, though Berlin still refuses to deliver them, citing the lack of heavy armor donated by other major powers.



The issue  as well as air defenses  is expected to be on the table at NATOs gathering of defense ministers next week in Brussels, which will also feature a meeting of the 50-nation Ukraine Defense Contact Group as it grapples with how to equip Ukraine for the next steps in the war and the long, uncertain winter months ahead.

As a European, I'm embarrassed by what I would consider very modest European contributions to the fight in Ukraine, Rasmussen said. While I have to admit that it has increased in recent months, the Germans could do more. They should deliver the Leopard tanks and France should deliver more Caesar mobile howitzers. The Ukrainians desperately need those capabilities, so I hope that the two countries will step up their endeavors.

Rasmussen said the plan he and Yermak delivered to Zelenskyy would in the long run take the pressure off of Europe and the U.S. to equip the Ukrainian military, since rebuilding the shattered Ukrainian industrial base would allow Kyiv to provide for its own defense. Rasmussen kicked off his tour of Western capitals in Washington, visiting the White House and Capitol Hill, before heading to Europe to pitch the plan.

It's important to tell Putin that this is not only a years worth of weapons deliveries from the West, and we aren't speaking about deploying our troops on Ukrainian soil, he said. It's really to make them capable of defending themselves in the long-term.
Ukrainian troops carry rocket-propelled grenades and sniper rifles toward the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, on March 13. Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images

Ukrainian forces have turned the tide against Russia despite Moscow's military advantages.

Ukraine has benefited from international support and from Russia's failings on the battlefield.

Kyiv's "indirect" methods also help tilt the battlefield in its favor, top UK military leaders said.

ABOARD HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH  Ukraine has turned the tide against Russia since Moscow launched its invasion in late February, forcing the Russian military to reduce its ambitions and call up additional troops.

Heavy weapons and a strong will to fight, as well as Russia's military failings, have enabled Ukraine's success, but its creative use of technology has also helped shape the battlefield in its favor, two of the British military's highest-ranking officers said at the Atlantic Future Forum on September 28 and 29.

Speaking aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, which sailed to New York City to host the forum, Adm. Tony Radakin said the war showed the importance of being able to innovate and incorporate new technology quickly.

What's also visible is how Ukraine has "shifted away from being a 'little Russia' fighting a 'big Russia' in a very direct way and is adopting more indirect methods and how they are impacting on Russia's ability to maintain the territory it's gained," said Radakin, who is chief of the defense staff and the British military's highest-ranking officer.

"The direct method is really the classic war of attrition, and you're almost in a symmetry of the way that your enemy's fighting," Radakin added. "I think Ukraine has been adept at recognizing that if it fights as 'little Soviet' against 'big Soviet' or 'big Russia,' then 'big Russia' will win."

Russian tanks during military drills in the Leningrad region on February 14. Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

Ukraine's military declined in size and quality after the Cold War and was still mostly a Soviet-style force when Russia seized Crimea in 2014. Since then, Kyiv has modernized its forces and trained closely with the US and other NATO militaries.

Early in the war, Ukraine used small, mobile teams with anti-tank missiles to slow Russia's armored forces, which often advanced with little infantry support.

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The war then became more static, with elements of a war of attrition such as heavy bombardments by artillery and cruise and ballistic missiles, mostly launched by Russia. In recent weeks, a rapid Ukrainian offensive has retaken vast swaths of territory in eastern Ukraine.

Radakin said that Ukrainian "bravery" in defense of cities forced Russia to limit its operations to eastern Ukraine and that Kyiv's willingness to cede territory in the east "allowed it to strengthen its defenses" and gave it "the capacity to do more in the south" as well as "impose pressure on parts of Russia and what Russia's trying to defend."

Some of those efforts have been narrow in scope but had a broader impact, Radakin added. "If you look at some of those attacks into Crimea, on their own they're tactical attacks, but what they actually do is they put Crimea at risk."

Other Ukrainian successes in the Black Sea, including the sinking of the Moskva and the recapture of Snake Island, "enabled the backdrop to be created for the grain to start flowing," Radakin said, referring to the resumption of grain exports in July.

Battlefield innovations

An image of a crashed Russian Sukhoi jet in Ukraine shared by Ukraine's defense ministry. Ukrainian Defense Ministry

Older weapons of Soviet origin used by both militaries have played an important role in the war, but new weapons and older weapons used in new ways have also had an impact.

At the Air, Space, and Cyber Conference held outside Washington, DC, in September, Gen. James Hecker, the commander of US Air Forces in Europe, attributed most of Russia's aircraft losses to Ukrainian S-300 and Buk anti-aircraft missiles, both of Soviet design.

But Hecker also highlighted innovations, including the modification of a US-made anti-radiation missile to work with Ukraine's Soviet-era jets, allowing them to target Russian radars.

That modification was "no easy feat, but we did it in a couple weeks," Hecker told reporters. "I kind of joked with some of my folks that if we tried to do something like this on one of our planes, it would have taken a year."

Neither Ukraine nor Russia have gained air superiority, but Chris Dougherty, a former US Defense Department official, said during a Defense One event in September that both have substituted low-level drones "for more traditional forms of airpower for tactical targeting and intelligence gathering."

A Ukrainian soldier launches a reconnaissance drone in the Kyiv region on August 2. AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

"The scale and scope with which both sides in this fight are using small tactical drones as basically forward observers for artillery strikes is really, really something," said Dougherty, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

US military leaders have said that the fighting in Ukraine demonstrates the utility of and challenges posed by drones, and their use in the war has left an impression on US arms makers.

"As someone who's paid to make airplanes for a living, I find the use of drone technology by both sides to be very interesting," Tom Jones, the president of aeronautics at Northrop Grumman, said at the forum.

"Looking at that, as we now are trying to figure out how we better incorporate uncrewed systems into our own force structure and understanding what that family-of-systems approach ought to look like, will be useful," Jones added.

Ukraine has also found military uses for civilian technology. Kyiv has credited Starlink with keeping its troops and civilians online, and it repurposed an app meant to provide government services to take reports about Russian military activity.

Ukrainian troops use smartphones in the center of Kyiv on June 22. SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images

"They had built an app, which was called Diia, which was a passport app," Eric Schmidt, the former chairman of Google and Alphabet, said at the forum.

Ukrainians can take a photo of a tank and submit it through the app to be identified using artificial intelligence, "and then a human makes a decision to target and shoot the tank," Schmidt said. "It's a completely different way of running a war."

Speaking alongside Schmidt, Gen. Patrick Sanders, the chief of the general staff and the British army's highest-ranking officer, said the war offered a glimpse of how new technology and old methods would mix on future battlefields.

"There are elements of it that look no different to what you were seeing in 1916, 1917," Sanders said, "but overlaid on top of that are some foretastes of what you can do to give yourself an advantage when you begin to apply those new technologies."

Sanders echoed Radakin, saying those advantages haven't been decisive but have allowed Kyiv to take an "indirect approach" and avoid "a symmetrical fight" with Russia.

"For me, we can forecast out to what a war with China or a very high-tech peer might look like, but there are clearly some facets that are enduring," Sanders said. "Right now, you're seeing how you can combine that sort of innovation and creativity with the stuff that will never change in warfare  the close combat, attrition, mass, and then maneuver."

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Pavel Polityuk

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked parliament on Thursday to approve banker Andriy Pyshnyi, who has helped advise the government on implementing sanctions against Russia, as the new central bank chief.

Pyshnyi is set to replace Kyrylo Shevchenko, who quit on Tuesday citing health reasons and said on Thursday he had been identified as a suspect in an investigation into "illegal activities" at a bank he led before his central bank role.

Shevchenko issued a statement denying any wrongdoing.

Pyshnyi, 48, is the former head of Ukraine's state-run Oschadbank and has helped advise the government on sanctions against Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February, and against Moscow's ally Belarus.

Yaroslav Zheleznyak, the first deputy of parliament's finance, tax and customs policy committee, said on the Telegram messaging app that the committee would consider Pyshnyi's nomination later in the day.

Parliament has formally accepted Shevchenko's resignation and Zheleznyak has said Pyshnyi could be appointed by the end of this week.

Shevchenko issued his statement after the National Anti-Corruption Bureau said five officials had been notified that they were suspected of "illegal activities" that led to the loss of more than 206 million hryvnias ($5.58 million) at Ukraine's Ukrgasbank between 2014 and 2019.

The bureau did not name Shevchenko but said those notified included the person who was chairman of Ukrgasbank until 2019 - a role Shevchenko had at the time.

Shevchenko said in his statement on Facebook that he was abroad having medical treatment, and that he had learnt of the bureau's notification from media.

"I consider the resuscitation of a criminal case which is already 3-1/2 years old, and has not been investigated all this time, to be a manifestation of political persecution and settling of accounts," he said.

He said he had been under political pressure as chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine, but Thursday's events were unexpected.

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"I am ready to answer for each of my signatures! Because every deal concluded by Ukrgasbank under my leadership was 100% market-based," he said.

He said the "revealed facts" announced by the bureau were based on "premature conclusions made on the basis of hasty and unproven judgments".

Ukrgasbank said in a statement that the bank had carried out "the necessary internal checks", the results of which "did not reveal any violations".

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage, Nick Macfie and Mark Heinrich)
Ukrainian service members attend a flag raising ceremony in the town of Lyman, recently liberated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine October 4, 2022 Donetsk Regional Military-Civil Administration/Handout via Reuters

Ukraine's counter-offensive in occupied regions is making Putin's "annexation" increasingly unrealistic.

Independent reports and Ukraine's army announce daily gains in the four regions.

The Kremlin said there is "no contradiction" between this reality and Putin's claims.

Ukraine's counter-offensive is hampering Russia attempts to claim control in regions that President Vladimir Putin has claimed to have annexed.

Ukrainian forces are continuing the drive to recapture northeastern territory that led to September's stunning reversals in Kharkiv  and now well beyond.

As of October 2, the Ukrainian army also began pushing south into the Kherson region, according to the UK's Ministry of Defence.

On Wednesday, Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov tweeted a map of his forces' claimed offensive so far:

"While the 'Russian parliament' is intoxicated from the futile attempts at annexation, our soldiers continue moving forward," Reznikov wrote.

Much of the territorial gains he reported have been confirmed independently.

To the east of the country, as of Wednesday Ukraine had likely recaptured Hrekivka and Makiivka in Luhansk, as well as claiming to have liberated a number of villages in the region, per an assessment by the Institute for the Study of War think tank.

And to the south, Ukraine as of Tuesday had retaken a cluster of settlements in the Kherson region, generally sitting around 75 miles from the city itself, the ISW said.

Russia is losing land it claims

The intense fighting is taking place in the four regions  Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson  that Putin claimed after holding illegal referendums.

Russia's claim of annexation is based its claim that the Ukrainians living there have expressed their will to become part of Russia through the vote.

But those votes  held under military occupation  have been decried as illegal by the UN and have not been recognized by the West or much of the wider international community.

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And Russia does not currently occupy 100% of any of those regions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on a massive screen in Red Square, in front of crowds at a concert marking Russia's claimed annexation of four regions of Ukraine, September 30 2022 Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via Reuters

And just as Putin announced the annexation to crowds in Moscow's Red Square on Friday, Ukrainian troops were busy chasing their Russian counterparts out of one of the supposedly newly Russian cities  the strategic hub of Lyman, at the western edge of the Donetsk region.

It's a stark  and for Putin, embarrassing  example of how the daily-changing reality on the ground differs strongly from Moscow's claims.

Despite having claimed the four regions as Russian, the Kremlin has declined to clarify exactly where "Russia" begins and ends in those regions.

During a Wednesday conference call, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov would not specify the exact borders of the areas claimed to have been annexed, Reuters reported.

A Russian map seen by Reuters claims the full territory of all four regions as "new regions" of Russia, but marks some of them as being under Ukrainian control.

Asked about the apparent contradiction between Putin's decree and military reality, Peskov said: "There is no contradiction whatsoever. They will be with Russia forever and they will be returned," according to the outlet.

Rescuers work at the site of a residential building heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, October 6, 2022 Stringer/Reuters

Putin said in his speech that the citizens of those regions "will become Russian citizens forever."

And yet Russia has attacked those regions since  something that, by his own logic, would be an attack on Russians.

Russian destroyed an apartment building in the city of Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday night, killing at least three people and injuring a further 12 , as Reuters reported.

"Overnight, seven Russian missiles have hit people sleeping peacefully at their homes," said Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, on Twitter.

Russia did not immediately comment on the attack.

Although Russia claims to have annexed Zaporizhzhia region, it does not control the city itself, where the missile struck.

Nonetheless, by the false logic of Putin's annexation decree, it appears that the attack would have hit newly "Russian" people.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Russia has lost about 61,330 of its troops since the beginning of their full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Read also: Zelenskyy presents photos of war-torn Lyman after Russian occupation

The Russian army suffered the greatest losses on the Kramatorsk, Avdiyivka, and Kryvyi Rih axes over the last 24 hours.

Read also: Lukashenko confirms Belarus participation in war against Ukraine

The invading troops have also lost over 15,000 units of equipment, among them (loss over past day in parentheses):

Tanks - 2,449 (+14)

Armored combat vehicles - 5,064 (+26)

Artillery systems - 1,424 (+10)

Multiple launch rocket systems - 344 (+3)

Air defense systems - 177 (+0)

Warplanes - 266 (+0)

Helicopters - 232 (+0)

Unmanned aerial vehicles - 1,047 (+15)

Cruise missiles - 246 (+0)

Warships / military boats - 15 (+0)

Motor vehicles and fuel tankers - 3,854 (+13)

Specialized vehicles - 134 (+2).

Russia attacked Ukraine on Feb. 24. Oct. 6 marks the 225th day of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Invading Russian forces initially tried to advance from the north, east and south, attacking peaceful cities throughout Ukraine. Civilian targets across Ukrainian cities remain under sporadic Russian air strikes, while settlements along the Russian border are regularly shelled.

Read also: Negotiations have no chance of ending Russias war against Ukraine, says Germany

During this time, the Kremlin has changed its war goals in Ukraine several times. After a failed operation to seize Kyiv, Russian troops retreated from Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy oblasts to concentrate on fighting for the parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts that were under Ukrainian control before the full-scale invasion.

Kherson is the only provincial capital under Russian control. Invading Russian forces currently occupy parts of Kherson, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhya oblasts.

Read also: Russia facing dilemma in light of Ukraine's offensive in Kherson Oblast, says British intel

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have launched a counter-offensive in the south and east of Ukraine, striking at Russian ammunition depots and manpower clusters.

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Shortly after the beginning of the Kherson counter-offensive, the Ukrainian army launched another counter-offensive in Kharkiv Oblast in the north-east of the country. Most of the oblast was liberated from Russian occupation in just a few days.

After the successes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the battlefield, the Kremlin puppet authorities in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya oblasts held sham referendums on joining Russia, and on Sept. 30, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of the captured Ukrainian territories. Prior to that, on Sept. 21, partial mobilization was declared in Russia.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
UKRAINSKA PRAVDA  THURSDAY, 6 OCTOBER 2022, 09:29

Over the past day, 5 October, the Armed Forces of Ukraine took down 15 Russian UAVs, 3 missile systems, 14 tanks, and killed approximately 330 occupiers.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Details: The Russian forces have suffered their greatest losses on the Kramatorsk, Avdiivka and Kryvyi Rih fronts.

Total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February and 6 October 2022 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses  ed.]:

Approximately 61,330 (+330) military personnel;

2,449 (+14) tanks;

5,064 (+26) armoured combat vehicles;

1,424 (+10) artillery systems;

344 (+3) multiple-launch rocket systems;

177 (+0) air defence systems;

266 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft;

232 (+0) helicopters;

1,047 (+15) operational-tactical UAVs;

246 (+0) cruise missiles;

15 (+0) ships/boats;

3,854 (+13) vehicles and fuel tankers;

134 (+2) other vehicles and equipment.

The information is being ascertained.

Background:

Ukrainian air defence units have destroyed nine Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drones in Ukraines south. Russia used these drones to attack Ukraine on the night of 5-6 October.

Ukraines air defence detachments also shot down six kamikaze drones that attacked Odesa and Mykolaiv oblasts during the night of 5-6 October.

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KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's armed forces have advanced up to about 55 km (34 miles) over the last two weeks in a counteroffensive against Russian forces in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine, a Ukrainian general said on Thursday.

Brigadier General Oleksiy Gromov told a briefing that Ukraine had taken back 93 settlements and liberated over 2,400 square km (926 square miles) in the region since Sept. 21.

Reuters could not independently verify Gromov's remarks.

Ukrainian forces have been advancing in the east and south of the country under a counteroffensive that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday had made major and rapid advances.

Gromov said Russian troops were fighting to slow a Ukrainian advance out of Kupiansk, a recently liberated railway hub town, the loss of which he siad had significantly complicated Russia's logistics in the area.

"In the direction of Kupiansk-Svatove, the enemy is attempting to... slow the progress of our forces," Gromov said.

(Reporting by Max Hunder, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
By Brian Ellsworth and Harold Isaac

(Reuters) -The United Nations on Thursday called for the creation of a "humanitarian corridor" in Haiti that would allow the distribution of fuel amid dire shortages created by a gang blockade of the country's principal fuel terminal.

Gangs last month blocked the entrance to the Varreux fuel terminal to protest Prime Minister Ariel Henry's announcement of a cut in fuel subsidies, paralyzing Haiti's economy as supplies of gasoline and diesel dried up.

Haitians also face a shortage of drinking water amid an outbreak of cholera, the spread of which is controlled through hygiene and clean water.

"The blocking of the Varreux Terminal, the main entry point for fuel in Haiti, has led to the closure of health centers over the last weeks now, and caused the interruption of water treatment services and private treated water production and distribution companies," the U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Office in Haiti wrote in a statement.

The agency called for "the immediate opening of a humanitarian corridor to allow the release of fuel to meet the urgent needs of the population."

Such an arrangement would likely require reaching a deal with gangs to allow fuel trucks through. Gang leaders have not yet signaled willingness to do so.

Gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, who goes by the nickname Barbecue, appeared in an online video standing at the entrance of the fuel terminal in front a trench that had dirt piled behind it.

"We are sending this message to Ariel Henry: 'Resign. Resign to give the country a chance'," he said. "For the moment, you are the one executing the plan to destroy the Haitian people. We are removing you because of that."

Henry on Wednesday made a broad plea to the international community to help with the situation in Haiti, where vast portions of the country are under the control of gangs.

Earlier on Thursday, people sacked a warehouse belonging to U.N. children's agency UNICEF, an agency official said in a phone interview, signaling the growing desperation caused by the shortages.

U.S. lawmakers last week said the United States should sanction Haitian gangs and those who help finance them.

(Reporting by Brian Ellsworth and Harold Isaac; Editing by Bernadette Baum, Mark Porter and Sandra Maler)
One of Japans largest retailers is testing the waters in the U.S. And if it works, shoppers can expect the company to follow in the footsteps of its sister brand, Uniqlo, and add its nameplate to big cities around the country.

GU, which has 450 stores, mainly in Japan, on Friday will open its first store outside of Asia in New Yorks SoHo district. GU was established in 2006 and is the second-largest brand in the Fast Retailing Groups portfolio after Uniqlo. The company, which had 250 billion yen, or $1.73 billion at current exchange, in sales in the last fiscal year, is eyeing 1 trillion yen in sales in the near future.

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The name GU, which is pronounced by the letters G and U, is similar to the Japanese word jiyu, which means free and unconfined.

The New York store is located at 579 Broadway between West Houston and Prince Streets and is 2,900 square feet. It is technically a pop-up  the company signed a one-year deal for the space  but if successful, it will look for a space triple the size for a permanent store, according to Osamu Yunoki, chief executive officer of GU Co. Ltd.

Yunoki, who traveled from Tokyo to New York for the opening, said the decision to come to the U.S. is the first step in a plan to globalize the GU brand. Weve been focused on Japan, mainland China and Hong Kong and we may go to Southeast Asia next, but we decided to accelerate the growth by coming to the center of the world.

Although hes still taking a wait-and-see attitude and views the SoHo store as a good test of the American market, Yunoki said his dream is to have the U.S. ultimately be larger than Japan. Were going to learn and study and then after a year, we will restart, he said.

He said its also undecided how many stores the U.S. market can support, but wed like to open as many as Uniqlo, he said. It will be difficult to catch up, but the goal is to open GU stores side-by-side with Uniqlo flagships around the world. Uniqlo operates 2,300 stores worldwide and 44 in the States.

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He said the two concepts have different positioning, so opening next door wouldnt be an issue. GU offers more trend-focused products that attract a younger customer and prices are lower. For example, in the SoHo store, bombers retail for $59.90, heavyweight or cropped sweaters for $29.90, pleated pants for $39.90, a heat-padded puffer for $59.90 and T-shirts for $14.90. The store also carries sneakers and other shoes as well as accessories like hats.

The store is located in the heart of SoHo.

Among the most popular items in its home country are cropped cable turtlenecks for women, the heat-padded puffer made from recycled polyester, sweatshirts, a wide-legged womens pant and a super-wide mens cargo that has become popular with women.

Yunoki said the mix in the SoHo unit is less than half of what we have in Japan because of the smaller size of the store. Although there are a few dressier pieces such as blazers and pinstriped pants for women, the assortment has been curated to focus on what are expected to be the bestsellers here. Theyre easy to choose, combine and purchase, and theyre easy on the purse, he said.

The assortment was brought directly from Japan so there are signs throughout the store warning customers that the sizes run small. Yunoki doesnt expect that to be a problem and said the sizing can be adjusted in the future. But hes willing to observe and absorb the results before making any other major moves.

The store will employ six osharista, or style advisers, who will work with customers to find the right products and suggestions free of charge. For the New York opening, it also tapped three TikTok creators  Isa Sung, Ella Mendelsohn and Davis Burleson  to select some of their favorite pieces from the collection. These are exhibited in the store.

It is a great honor to be opening our first store in the United States, he said. New York is a place where people with diverse backgrounds come together from around the world, an exciting city where fashion, art, music and other varied cultural elements intersect. By opening a pop-up shop in the center of SoHo, we will be able to reach a wide range of customers, including New York residents as well as tourists, offering them products filled with the sense of trendiness exemplified in the GU brand message of Your Freedom, and allowing them to enjoy outfits that freely express their individuality.

The store opens to the public Friday.

According to Fast Retailing, for the first nine months of its fiscal year that ended in May, GU reported revenues of 190.5 billion yen, down 5.1 percent from the prior-year period with an operating profit of 17.8 billion yen, a 26.7 percent fall from the year before.

The parent company blamed the downward trend on sluggish sales of spring items, and production and distribution issues that caused the delivery of popular items to be delayed. Colored slacks, light denim tuck-wide pants, sweatshirt-style T-shirts, etc., performed well, but we couldnt introduce them in a timely manner, so overall sales failed to rise, and markdowns had to be taken, the earnings report said.

Fast said that beginning in June, however, the delayed products began arriving in stores, so the outlook for the future is brighter.

We were suffering from supply chain and COVID-19 issues, Yunoki said. Uniqlo offers more basics and they can carry over items to the next year. We cannot do that with trendy items so we had to offer a lot of discounts, but its better now.

In addition to GU and Uniqlo, there are six other brands in the Fast Retailing Group: Theory, PlsT (Plus T), Comptoir des Cotonniers, Princesse tam.tam, J Brand and Helmut Lang. Overall, the corporation operates more than 3,500 stores around the world.

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The father of a man accused of fatally shooting a professor at the University of Arizona on Wednesday said his son is disturbed and has a violent criminal history.

Dolgun Dervish, 76, of Marion, South Carolina, is the father of Murad Dervish, 46.

Authorities in Arizona said Wednesday the younger Dervish fatally shot Thomas Meixner, the head of the department of hydrology and atmospheric sciences, at the Tucson campus before he was arrested 120 miles away by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Dolgun Dervish told NBC News on Thursday he has been estranged from his son for more than a year and was unaware he was accused in a deadly shooting. Before he was told his son was in jail, he said: Im afraid of my life now."

Hes a very disturbed young man, the elder Dervish said. He tried to kill me. He tried to kill his mother in San Diego.

"We have reached out to Dr. Meixners family, and ask that their grief and privacy be respected," university President Robert C. Robbins said in a statement.

Professor Thomas Meixner. (University of Arizona)

University Police Chief Paula Balafas identified the suspect as Dervish.

Its a tremendously tragic event. We feel so incredibly bad for the professors family, friends and colleagues, and our hearts really just go out to them, Balafas said at a news conference.

A staffer called the university just before 2 p.m. and said a former student was in the John W. Harshbarger Building and should not be there, Balafas said.

The caller asked police to escort the former student out, but the shooting occurred before officers arrived, Balafas said. A handgun was used, she said.

The shooter then ran from the building through the main doors, she said.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety arrested Dervish near Gila Bend, about 120 miles away, during a traffic stop at 5:10 p.m., Balafas said.

There were no other injuries.

It was not clear whether there was any relationship between the suspect and the professor, and Balafas said she did not know of a motive.

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University of Arizona Police Chief Paula Balafas briefs the media about the shooting at the campus, on Oct. 5, 2022. (The University of Arizona via YouTube)

Robbins declined to go into details on the investigation, referring questions to school police.

The university of around 47,000 students issued public safety alerts, canceled classes for the day and instructed everyone to leave campus or go to their dorms.

The university said counseling services were available to support students.

The incident is under investigation.

Records showed Murad Dervish was arrested by San Diego police in July 2011. Bond was set in the case at $500,000.

Additional records showed Murad Dervish was arrested by the probation department in June 2012.

He also had a record in Northampton County Pennsylvania. Records showed he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to between 90 days to 12 months for DUI an unauthorized use of a vehicle in 2005. That same year, he was sentenced in the same jurisdiction to between two months and 11.5 months in custody after pleading guilty to simple assault in July 2005, records showed.

Dolgun Dervish said he has sought mental help for his son, who a professional once said he thought he may have Asperger syndrome. He said his son never sought treatment.

It was not clear whether Dervish had been charged or whether he had an attorney Wednesday night. A spokesperson for the Pima County district attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dervish was listed Thursday as an inmate at the Pima County Adult Detention Center, according to jail records. There was no bond set for him and no charge was listed, records said.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey tweeted that the state was ready to assist the university in any way.

Arizona is praying for the family and friends of the professor and those affected by todays tragedy in Tucson, Ducey wrote.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
WASHINGTON  The State Department on Thursday approved a $3 billion medium-range missile defense system sale for Kuwait.

The move paves the way for Kuwait to get the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS. The weapon is manufactured as a joint venture between U.S.-based Raytheon Technologies and Norways Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace, though the principal contractor on the Kuwait sale is Raytheon. The United States itself uses NASAMS to protect the airspace over the White House and the Pentagon.

Both Hungary and India have also purchased NASAMS to defend their territories in recent years.

The Pentagon announced in July that it would purchase NASAMS for Kyiv with $770 million in aid from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. The long-term goal is wean Ukrainians off the Soviet-era air defense systems that it has so far used to repel Russian attacks. Still, it will take several months or years for Kongsberg Defence and Raytheon to manufacture the system for Ukraine.

While the estimated cost for Kuwait comes in at $3 billion, the final dollar amount is subject to change until the Defense Department finalizes a contract with Raytheon. The State Departments approval kicks off the 30-day congressional review period.

Congress has advanced legislation in recent months to hasten the slow-moving delivery of weapons to customers across the world, although the efforts so far have largely centered on a $14 billion backlog of foreign military sales to Taiwan as the United States seeks to deter China from retaking the island by force.
WASHINGTON  With competition to field the U.S. Armys light robotic combat vehicle starting in the third quarter of 2023, the projects programmers are working on new testing and evaluation criteria to certify the technology.

Although autonomous vehicles have slowly made their way into the commercial realm, the Pentagons efforts to build robotic vehicles have been almost two decades in the making. For its part, the Army considers combat vehicles a top modernization priority.

Winners from the competition will deliver the first prototype units by 2028, according to Maj. Cory Wallace, the robotic requirements lead with the Armys Next Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Team. In the meantime, programmers are taking a new look at how they will test the technology before it hits the battlefield, and that could include taking lessons from the civilian world.

With the RCVs, we are looking at such new systems and new approaches, Wallace said in an interview with C4ISRNET. A lot of the testing procedures that are currently employed are not the most efficient.

Military combat vehicles have historically needed to pass certain benchmarks, such as a specific number of test miles driven. The robotic vehicles, which are intended to be autonomous, might not need to pass the same thresholds, he said.

Instead, Wallace said, the service could look to certify the vehicles in a virtual environment as opposed to actually driving the vehicles the same number of miles required for regular combat vehicles. Testing and evaluation metrics might also look to companies already in the autonomous vehicle space to see what could be replicated in the military sphere.

Programmers have been very open to try new means of testing, Wallace said. Were trying to draft [off] what weve done in the civilian world, as well, to see if we can gain efficiencies by implementing their testing standards.

Over the next five years, the Army plans to spend nearly $750 million on developing light robotic vehicles, according to fiscal 2023 budget justification documents. While the bulk of the funding will go toward developing the robotic platform and its control system, the Army will run a second acquisition program in parallel that focuses on software and building out autonomous capabilities that will eventually be added to the platform.

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When testing the software capabilities, Wallace emphasized the need to develop a method that looks at changes between iterations rather than checking each line of code. If programmers get bogged down in evaluating the softwares code, he said, the program could lose momentum during the certification process.

By separating out the software acquisition pathway, the service aims to develop software-centric capabilities that can support any future robotic combat vehicle configuration, Maj. Gen. Glenn Dean, the Armys program executive officer for ground combat systems, told C4ISRNET.

A core element of the program that were executing is about establishing the base-vehicle architecture and the base-software architecture so that you can come in and subsequently add capabilities as modules of software that dont require you to go back and test every other module of software to verify that it still functions appropriately, he said.

The Army has sought to develop three types of robotic vehicles  light, medium and heavy  to use as scouts or escorts for crewed fighting vehicles, beginning with the light program.

Surrogate prototypes of both the light and medium versions underwent testing this summer at Fort Hood, Texas. However, in the spring, the service said it would first focus on smaller platforms and defer work on medium vehicles.

According to Brig. Gen. Geoffrey Norman, the director of the Next Generation Combat Vehicles Cross-Functional Team, the Fort Hood testing and future experiments help examine the range of capabilities that fit with a light vehicle versus a medium platform.

Once those experiments lead to refined requirements, the team will start on a specific program focused on medium-sized vehicles, Dean said.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The United States will begin screening travelers coming from Uganda for Ebola as an additional precaution aimed at trying to prevent an outbreak in the African country from spreading, the Biden administration said Thursday.

There have been no Ebola cases from the outbreak reported outside Uganda, and the risk in the U.S. is considered low. U.S. officials described the screening move as an additional precaution.

The screenings will begin rolling out immediately. Travelers who have been in Uganda at any point during the past 21 days, which is the incubation period for the virus, will be redirected to one of five U.S. airports for Ebola screening: Kennedy International Airport in New York, Washington Dulles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, Chicago's OHare International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The screening applies to any passenger who was in Uganda, including U.S. citizens. It involves a temperature and symptom check conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC will also collect contact information that will be shared with local health departments at the travelers' destination.

The administration says about 145 people per day enter the U.S. from Uganda, with most already arriving at the five large airline hubs. Anyone scheduled to fly into a different airport will be rebooked by their airline, the administration said.

Also Thursday, the CDC sent a health alert to doctors, urging them to get a travel history from patients who have Ebola-like symptoms.

The Ebola virus disease is mainly spread through contact with blood and other bodily fluids of an infected person who is sick or died. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and sometimes bleeding. There are Ebola vaccines, but not for the Sudan strain causing the current outbreak.

This marks the sixth Ebola outbreak in Uganda, but this one has escalated quickly. As of Thursday, there have been 44 confirmed cases and 10 confirmed deaths since the first case was diagnosed Sept. 19.

___

Stobbe reported from New York.
(Bloomberg) -- The Biden administration has no plans to change its sanctions policy toward Venezuela without positive actions from President Nicolas Maduros government, the National Security Council said after a report that the US would scale down restrictions affecting Chevron Corp.

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Our sanctions policy on Venezuela remains unchanged, NSC spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement. We will continue to implement and enforce our Venezuela sanctions. As we have previously made clear, we will review our sanctions policies in response to constructive steps by the Maduro regime to restore democracy in Venezuela and alleviate the suffering of the Venezuelan people.

Chevron said in a statement that we continue to conduct our businesses in compliance with the current sanctions framework provided by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Read more: Venezuela Frees Americans in Biden-Approved Swap With Maduro

The comment came after the Wall Street Journal reported that the US was preparing to allow Chevron to resume pumping oil, smoothing the road for a possible reopening of US and European markets to oil exports from Venezuela. The newspaper cited people familiar with the proposal who it didnt identify.

Venezuela has been under economic and oil sanctions since 2019, after the US and dozens of other countries recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the countrys legitimate president.

Over the weekend, the Biden administration said Venezuela had freed seven Americans, including oil executives and a former Marine, in a swap involving two members of Maduros family imprisoned in the US.

Story continues

(Updates with Chevron comment, in third paragraph.)

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Federal officials will preserve more land surrounding the site of one of the deadliest military attacks on Native people in U.S. history.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced on Wednesday that the United States bought nearly 3,500 acres of Colorado prairie land to expand the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. In 1864, soldiers attacked hundreds of Cheyenne and Arapaho families camping for the winter along the creek. More than 230 Native people, mostly women and children, were killed.

We will never forget the hundreds of lives that were brutally taken here  men, women and children murdered in an unprovoked attack, Haaland said in a written statement. Stories like the Sand Creek Massacre are not easy to tell but it is my duty  our duty  to ensure that they are told.

Tribal courts now have more power over non-Native defendants. Here's what to know

Haaland and National Park Service Director Chuck Sams gathered at the site Wednesday with leaders of the tribes whose relatives were killed, wounded and forced out of Colorado: the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, now based in Oklahoma; the Northern Arapaho Tribe, based in Wyoming; and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, based in Montana. Colorados U.S. senators and other state leaders also attended the event.

The Sand Creek Massacre historic site, located 115 miles east of Pueblo, was established in 2007. But tribal historians believe the attack also occurred on nearby land that remained in private hands.

A tribal delegate in Congress? Cherokee campaign ramps up, citing treaty promise

Federal officials did not disclose the purchase price of the additional 3,500 acres but said three nonprofits helped cover the cost. They described the newly acquired land as vital to preserve for many reasons, including that it may have been where Cheyenne and Arapaho families were camped before the attack, site superintendent Janet Frederick said.

With the added acreage, the site is now one of the largest shortgrass prairies on federal land.

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The land purchase is the latest move during Haalands time leading the Department of the Interior to protect places and landmarks considered sacred or significant to Indigenous people. In September, her agency changed the name of hundreds of places on public lands to erase a racist term for Native Americans. She has also made public lands more accessible for cultural practices and brought in tribal nations to help manage the lands where they have lived for centuries.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, shown in a July file photo, has launched several initiatives aimed at reckoning with the damage inflicted by the U.S. government on tribal nations.

'It was 12 years of hell': What we know about the federal investigation into Native American boarding schools

Haaland and Sams are both the first Native American people in their roles overseeing tribal relations and federal lands. Haaland is an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico. Sams is Cayuse and Walla Walla and is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon.

Molly Young covers Indigenous affairs for the USA Today Network's Sunbelt Region. Reach her at mollyyoung@gannett.com or 405-347-3534.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: US buys land to expand Sand Creek Massacre site in Colorado
An Islamic State weapons smuggler was killed by U.S. forces Wednesday in a helicopter raid in northeast Syria, the Pentagon announced Thursday.

U.S. Central Command forces targeted ISIS official Rakkan Wahid al-Shammri, conducting the raid near the Syrian city of Qamishli, the Defense Departments combatant command said in a statement.

USCENTCOM is committed to our allies and partners in the enduring defeat of ISIS, said Central Command spokesman Col. Joe Buccino.

Al-Shammri, who was killed in the raid, was known to facilitate the smuggling of weapons and fighters to support ISIS operations, according to CENTCOM.

An associate of al-Shammri was injured, according to the release, but no other injuries or deaths were reported, and no U.S. equipment was damaged or lost.

Two additional associates were detained by U.S. forces, CENTCOM said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Danish military video of bubbles in Baltic Sea resulting from damage to the Nord Stream pipeline. Danish Defense Command

The US has considered analyzing underwater audio recordings of the Nord Stream pipelines' damage, per CNN.

It depends in part on the quality of Sweden and Denmark's sound recordings, sources told CNN.

The Navy told CNN it was prepared to help investigations into the Nord Stream pipeline damage.

The US Navy is weighing whether to analyze underwater audio recordings captured when the natural-gas pipelines between Russia and Europe were recently damaged in a suspected attack, sources told CNN on Wednesday.

Four severe leaks were discovered last week on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which European leaders attributed to an act of "sabotage." The section of the pipelines that experienced the damage are laid approximately 50 meters below the water.

Damage from the incident  suspected to be the result of underwater explosions  caused natural-gas to erupt like geysers from the surface of the Baltic Sea.

Satellite images taken above the Nord Stream pipelines at the time of the event are difficult to examine because of cloudy weather, according to the European Space Agency. Examining underwater audio of the explosions could provide crucial information for the investigation, the sources told CNN.

The US has advanced technology to process underwater sounds, two sources with knowledge of the matter told CNN. The technology could provide more information about how the damage in the Nord Stream pipeline was caused and what was in the surrounding area at the time, consequently helping with an investigation into the leaks, they said.

Sweden and Denmark have the audio recordings, but whether the US can contribute to the investigation will depend in part on the quality of the sound, per CNN's sources.

A Navy spokesperson declined to confirm to CNN that the US had offered to look into the audio recordings, but said it was prepared to help the investigations into the Nord Stream pipelines' damage.

The Navy didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

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Denmark and Sweden told the UN Security Council on Friday that they believed the Nord Stream pipelines were damaged by TNT, as the magnitude of the explosions was measured at 2.3 and 2.1 on the Richter Scale  "probably corresponding to an explosive load of several hundred kilos," they said in a joint statement.

European leaders said the incident was sabotage and some German lawmakers pointed the finger at Russia. The Kremlin said sabotage couldn't be ruled out but claims that Moscow was involved were "stupid and absurd."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The United States, South Korea and Japan have begun ballistic missile defense exercises in the Sea of Japan in response to a series of North Korean missile launches, the Pentagons top spokesperson said Thursday.

The exercises  involving the USS Ronald Reagan strike group, two Japanese destroyers and one South Korean destroyer that arrived east of the Korean peninsula on Oct. 5  are meant to send a clear message of allied unity between our nations and enhance the interoperability of our collective forces, press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters.

The new trilateral exercise comes days after the U.S. military and South Korean forces held joint missile drills in response to North Korea launching an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan.

North Korea fired two more ballistic missiles into the ocean earlier on Thursday and suggested that the launch was in response to the U.S. moving the Navy strike group near its waters. The missile launch was the countrys sixth in 12 days.

Ryder said the United States strongly condemns the launch, which he called an irresponsible act that violates numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions.

North Korea is urged to immediately cease actions that  escalate military tensions, destabilize the region and endanger the peace and security of innocent people, Ryder said.

That test and the others around it have raised alarms over the isolated nations growing nuclear capabilities and fears it may soon conduct its first nuclear test since 2017.

As part of its saber rattling, Pyongyangs military also flew a dozen warplanes  including fighter jets and four bombers  near the border with the South on Thursday, prompting a response from Seoul, which sent up 30 of its own fighter jets.

Ryder said that while its clear North Korea is testing its missile program and looking to adapt, he would not say if the U.S. is preparing a further response to North Korea provocations.

We do assess that, that North Korea has been making preparations. If and when they do conduct a nuclear test, Im not going to speculate, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Two busts were smashed by a disgruntled American tourist at the Vaticans Chiaramonti Museum on Wednesday 5 October 2022 (YouTube/Musei Vaticani)

A disgruntled American tourist hoping to see the Pope while visiting the Vatican lashed out in disappointment by smashing ancient Roman sculptures.

On Wednesday a man described as an American tourist  his identity has not been released  demanded to see the head of the Catholic Church, according to Roman newspaper Il Messaggero.

After being informed that this vacation wish could not be granted, the man reportedly took off in a fury and snatched one of the ancient Roman busts that line the wall of the Chiaramonti Museum and dropped it to the floor.

Inside the Chiaramonti Museum, which joins the small Palace of the Belvedere to the Vatican Palaces, there are more than 1,000 pieces of art and the site is considered to house one of the most important collections of Roman portrait busts.

Of those busts, at least two were damaged in the mans tantrum, according to Director of the Press Office for Vatican Museums Matteo Alessandrini, who confirmed the damages with CNN.

The two busts have been damaged but not particularly badly. One lost part of a nose and an ear, the head of the other came off the pedestal, he told the news outlet.

The cost to repair these busts will come at a price tag of an estimated 15,000 euros ($14,800 US) and will take approximately 300 hours to restore, Adnkronos reported.

Oh no.



"an American tourist who smashed no fewer than two ancient Roman sculptures into pieces at the Vatican on Wednesday.

The man had demanded to see the pope"https://t.co/0U7Ss44bX0



You survive for 2000 years and then this. https://t.co/CzkPrJpzDh  Fake History Hunter (@fakehistoryhunt) October 6, 2022

The man, who was estimated to be in his 50s, was handed over to Italian authorities after Vatican police were able to quickly intercept him from doing more harm, CNN reported.

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He is expected to face charges of aggravated damage, USA Today reported.

This incident marks just the latest occasion in the last few months that Roman artefacts and tourist sites have been under attack by tourists.

In July, a Canadian tourist visiting the Italian city carved their name into the side of the Colosseum.

The Spanish Steps in the Italian capital were also the target of not one but two defacements after a Saudi Arabian visitor drove their luxury Maserati down the iconic stairs and later a pair of American tourists shoved electric scooters down the 297-year-old architectural monument, causing $27,000 of damage, Insider reported.
Vancouver police have identified a man accused of violently attacking a 19-year-old Asian woman last week.

Mohammed Majidpour, 35, is now wanted Canada-wide for the unprovoked assault, which occurred in downtown Vancouver at around 9:50 a.m. on Sept. 27, according to reports.

The victim, who is a student, was reportedly walking near Dunsmuir and Cambie Streets when a man hit the back of her head with a pole. The assailant allegedly yelled anti-Asian slurs before fleeing the scene.

Witnesses called 911 following the incident. The victim, who reportedly suffered non-life-threatening injuries, was treated at the scene by first responders.

More from NextShark: NC State graduate Abby Lampe becomes world cheese-rolling champion in England

Majidpour is facing an assault charge. A man with the exact same name was reportedly charged in a stalking case in April 2021, but it is not clear whether they are the same person.

Now that Majidpour has a warrant for his arrest, our next goal is to get him back into custody as soon as possible, Constable Jason Doucette said in a release. We are asking the public to have a good look at his photo and to call 911 if they spot him.

More from NextShark: Phi Nhung, Vietnamese American musical icon, passes away from COVID-19

Police described Majidpour as around 5 feet and 7 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds and having black hair and brown eyes. He is also usually unshaven.

While anyone who spots Majidpour is urged to call 911, police said he should not be approached.

Featured Image via Vancouver Police Department

More from NextShark: 16-year-old from India is youngest ever to defeat Magnus Carlsen during his World Chess Champion reign

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Asian Americans Mourn Passing of Civil Rights Icon and Congressman John Lewis
Little Women is available to stream on Netflix now (Netflix)

Vietnam has reportedly asked Netflix to remove its recent Little Women series over a distorted depiction of the Vietnam War.

The series, a South Korean drama based loosely on the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott, has been released internationally on the streaming service.

The controversy stems from episode eight of Little Women, which features a scene in which a Korean military veteran discusses the achievements of Korean soldiers during the war.

In our best battles, the kill-to-death ratio for Korean troops was 20 to one, the character says at one point. Thats 20 Viet Cong killed for one Korean soldier dead.

In a letter seen by Vietnamese newspaper Truoi Tre, (per Bloomberg), the Vietnamese Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information said that the series had contravened Vietnamese press law.

Specifically, the series is alleged to have breached Clause Four, Article Nine of the document, which precludes media from inciting war, infringing upon the countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity, or distorting history.

Vietnamnet reports that Netflix is currently processing the request, also claiming that the series is expected to be removed from the streamers catalogue in Vietnam later this week.

The Independent has contacted Netflix for comment.
SheKnows

Its clear that in the past year, Denise Richards has really shown off her confident spirit and toned body at any chance she has. We love seeing her embrace her sexuality, and sharing show-stopping photos for her fans to see. Weve seen her rock super colorful swimsuits and plunging gowns, all of which have made []
Story at a glance

Voters in nine battleground states agree that the right to same-sex marriage should be protected by federal law, according to polling data from TargetPoint shared exclusively with Changing America.

Most voters in states including Wisconsin say they are more likely to vote for a senate candidate that supports the Respect for Marriage Act.

The polls findings are consistent with other surveys that have found support for marriage equality among American voters is at an all-time high.

Senators that dont support the Respect for Marriage Act or are undecided on the bill could find themselves in a tough spot come November, with voters in key battleground states more likely to support candidates that have backed the measure to codify same-sex and interracial marriage.

Majorities of voters in nine states  Alaska, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming  believe same-sex marriage should be legally valid and protected under the law, according to new polling data shared exclusively with Changing America.

Interviews with thousands of registered voters were conducted in August by TargetPoint, a consulting firm that has worked closely with campaigns for GOP leaders including former President George W. Bush and Sens. Mitt Romney (Utah) and Mitch McConnell (Ky.).

More than half of all voters in each target state believe same-sex marriage should be recognized as valid, according to the TargetPoint poll, and large majorities of voters agree that nationwide marriage equality should remain in place, including more than 70 percent of voters in Utah and Wisconsin.

America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.

The findings are consistent with recent polling from Gallup that found support for same-sex marriage has ticked up to an all-time high among American adults. A July Politico and Morning Consult poll similarly found that nearly 60 percent of Americans believe marriage equality should be enshrined in federal law.

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The Respect for Marriage Act, introduced by House lawmakers in June following a Supreme Court opinion that suggested landmark cases including Obergefell v. Hodges should be revisited, would address a national patchwork of marriage laws by requiring each state to legally recognize same-sex and interracial marriages.

Statutes or constitutional amendments that prohibit same-sex marriage remain in place in 35 states but are unenforceable as long as the courts Obergefell ruling, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, stays intact.

Republicans in Congress have said theres little chance of Obergefell being overturned, but some have also insisted that the case was wrongly decided when it went before the Supreme Court in 2015, arguing that states should be able to decide their own marriage laws.

After the conservative court in June rolled back federal abortion protections by striking down Roe v. Wade  reversing nearly 50 years of precedent  same-sex couples and their allies began to worry that LGBTQ+ rights could be next on the chopping block.

Its not currently clear whether the Respect for Marriage Act will have enough support among Republicans in the Senate when it comes to a vote after the November elections, but most voters in the TargetPoint poll said they would be more likely to vote for a senator that has expressed public support for the measure.

That could be enough to push some undecided Senate Republicans facing tough elections over the edge, John Feehery, a GOP political strategist, told Changing America. Others that have voiced opposition to the bill may reconsider their position.

A lot of senators in this cycle are very risk averse, Feehery said. They dont want to take votes that make their life complicated when they face voters.

Still, support for the Respect for Marriage Act isnt unanimous, and voters in several key states are largely split on whether they want their elected representatives to back the bill, according to the TargetPoint poll.

More than 40 percent of voters in Wisconsin, for instance, said they would be more likely to support a Senate candidate that backs the measure, but a large share (35 percent) also said their decision-making at the polls isnt likely to be influenced by how a candidate plans to vote on the bill.

Another 22 percent said they would be less likely to vote for a senator that supports the legislation.

That could explain why Ron Johnson was kind of all over the place, Feehery said. The second-term Wisconsin senator in July said he had no reason to oppose the measure, but abruptly flipped his position early last month, telling reporters that he would not support the bill in its current state.

Johnson, considered one of the most at-risk GOP senators this cycle, is locked in a close race with his Democratic opponent, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes. Recent polls have shown Johnson with a slight lead.

Feehery said other Republicans running in states with large Catholic populations may face a difficult decision when it comes to backing the bill, which has been criticized by some for lacking adequate religious liberty protections.

But according to the TargetPoint poll, a majority of Republican voters in battleground states agree that while people of faith may disagree on same-sex marriage, religious and personal freedoms will remain protected under existing legislation should the Respect for Marriage Act pass.

Dozens of religious organizations last month urged senators to pass the bill, writing in a letter to Congress that the right to marry is a matter of human dignity.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A wanted man was arrested early Thursday morning after officials say he he took officers on a high-speed chase that involved two counties and damaged a patrol car.

At 2 a.m., deputies with the Nash County Sheriffs Office pulled over a rental car traveling west on U.S. 64 for a traffic violation, according to a news release.

After one deputy approached the car, the driver sped away.

The driver, 30-year-old Joe Albert Ashley Jr. of Rocky Mount, led the deputies into Wake County where he got off the highway at New Hope Road in Raleigh, the release stated.

In the chase, officers with the N.C. State Highway Patrol also joined in the pursuit to stop Ashley.

At Poole Road, Ashley tried to make a U-turn when he struck one of the patrol cars, damaging its front end, according to Maj. Eddie Moore of the Nash County Sheriffs Office.

The collision caused Ashleys car to overturn on the highway. He was taken to WakeMed for evaluation and then to the Nash County Detention Center in Nashville, Moore said in a phone interview with The News & Observer.

He said the entire chase lasted about 20 minutes.

Neither Ashley nor the state trooper was injured in the crash.

Fugitive charges

According to the Nash County Sheriffs Office, Ashley has been charged with felony fleeing to elude arrest and careless and reckless driving and is being held in jail on $50,000 bail for those charges.

Ashley also has two fugitive warrants for his arrest in Virginia and Maryland on probation and drug violations, the release said. As of Thursday, Ashley he is being held in custody without bail on those charges, Moore said.

Authorities in Maryland and Virginia will now seek extradition to take Ashley into custody, Moore said.

He will stay in Nash County until they come and get him, he said.
Some military families living on base in housing run by private landlords still do not have the right to dispute housing concerns, according to a newly released Pentagon watchdog report.

The Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Defense report reveals that of 14 private landlords across 172 installations around the U.S., five of those landlords have not implemented some of the provisions outlined in the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in lease agreements that were already in place previously.

According to the report, this means some military families are missing out on access to the homes 7-year maintenance history, the right to enter into a dispute resolution process, and the right to withhold rent payments through the Basic Housing Allowance (BAH) until the dispute is resolved.

A big part of the issue is that the landlords must voluntarily agree to include these provisions in existing agreements, and they are not legally required to do so.

As a result, tenants whose landlords refused to voluntarily include the FY 2020 NDAA provisions retroactively in existing legal agreements do not have access to the same rights as tenants whose landlords agreed to include those provisions, the report said.

At least one housing company listed in the report pointed the blame back to the Defense Department, telling our Washington News Bureau that it is waiting on the DOD to finalize the universal lease agreement before implementing the provision about the rent segregation and will be willing to do so once that is complete.

Another company said it already offers tenants all the rights specified in the FY 2020 NDAA but just hasnt included the language in the leases yet but is working on it.

In response to the report, defense officials told our Washington News Bureau that nearly 96% of military families in privatized housing have access to all of the rights specified in the FY 2020 NDAA.

The Department continues to pursue agreement from the private companies at the five remaining installations while ensuring that all MHPI companies/projects fully comply with their project legal agreements with the Military Departments, as well as all applicable federal, state, and local housing codes and laws, defense officials said. Military families who reside at the five remaining installations have access to at least 15 of the 18 MHPI Tenant rights, and all rights established in their tenant lease. Specifics about the Military Departments efforts to obtain the five remaining private companies voluntary agreement to implement the remaining rights at their projects are business sensitive. As a high-level example, one of the MHPI companies is working in coordination with the respective Military Department to resolve state-specific legal issues that have made the company unwilling to proceed with implementing the remaining rights.

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This report comes after weve told you about widespread reported problems at military bases around the country.

Last month, our Washington News Bureau spoke with two military spouses at Fort Belvoir in Virginia who were displaced because of mold and dead animals in the walls.

Home is supposed to be a safe place, said Rachel Vidot, a military spouse. Why arent we safe? Why arent we being taken care of?

Theres no oversight and theres no one really willing right now to make them do the right thing, said Breanna Bragg, a military spouse.

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CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated the combined gross domestic product of the Pacific Coast region.

The leaders of California, Oregon, Washington state and British Columbia have signed an agreement to expand the regions climate partnership  with hopes of accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy.

We dont have all the answers. And so we seek to share best practices, we seek to compete, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said at a Thursday press conference in San Francisco.

That competition has brought us to where we are today, the governor continued. Were in the how business.

Newsom gathered with his colleagues Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D), Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) and British Columbia Premier John Horgan to sign the Pacific Coast Collaborative Statement of Cooperation  an updated agreement that recommits the region to climate action.

The renewed partnership will promote investments in climate infrastructure, such as electric vehicle charging stations and a clean electric grid, according to the agreement.

Participating officials also pledged to protect their residents from climate impacts like drought and wildfire, while ensuring that all communities are included in the clean energy transition.

This is not about electric power, Newsom said. This is about economic power. This is about dominating the next big global industry.

The Pacific Coast leaders signed the agreement at the Presidio Tunnel Tops in San Francisco, where they were hosted by the citys mayor, London Breed (D).

The Tunnel Tops  a 14-acre national park built on top of a highway tunnel  are what Newsoms office described as a model for building climate resiliency in urban areas and providing equitable access to green spaces.

The Pacific Coast Collaborative Statement of Cooperation signed on Thursday builds on the ongoing work of the Pacific Coast Collaborative, a regional partnership launched in 2016.

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The states of California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, as well as the cities of Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles, are all members of the collaborative.

Theyre showing the way for the rest of the United States and folks around the rest of the globe, Newsom said. Im here in that spirit of optimism, recognizing the headwinds of the moment, recognizing the opportunity that were paving.

The Pacific Coast region  which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050  represents 57 million people with a combined gross domestic product of $3.5 trillion, according to Newsoms office.

Taken as a whole, thats the fifth largest economy in the world, Gregor Robertson, former mayor of Vancouver and Pacific Coast Collaborative ambassador, said in a video statement.

In Thursdays agreement, the U.S. and Canadian officials said they came together to strengthen regional approaches while working on their own individual climate agendas.

These four leaders youre hearing from today  we have watched, we have smelled, we have suffered through the smoke, Inslee, the governor of Washington, said at the press conference.

We understand what its doing to our communities. We understand what its doing to the health of our children. We understand its economic disadvantage to our economies, Inslee continued.

But fundamentally, we are leaders and we are three states and one province who can see through the smoke, the governor added.

Chief among the agreements specific goals was support for an equitable and just transition to a low carbon and resilient future  with an emphasis on funding for overburdened communities.

Inslee stressed the importance of a capital investment bill in Washington that commits 35 to 40 percent of clean energy-related expenditures to such populations, crediting his neighbors for enacting similar such legislation.

He and his colleagues pledged to invest in climate infrastructure, including electric vehicle charging stations, green ports and a clean and reliable electric grid. Already, Inslee noted, the partners are working on an electric corridor up and down Interstate 5.

Were demonstrating that we are much more powerful and impactful than when were working alone, added Brown, the governor of Oregon.

Growing our economy and protecting our planet are not mutually exclusive goals, she continued. Rather, they are moral imperatives.

With Thursdays signing, the leaders agreed to protect both their communities and lands from wildfire, drought, heat waves, ocean acidification and flooding.

A community called Lytton in my province no longer exists because of wildfires, said Horgan, the British Columbia premier, referring to a 2021 blaze that wiped out the Canadian town.

We had atmospheric rivers, we had heat domes  terms that weve never heard of before  that have had a profound impact on our people, on our economy and our way of life, the premier continued.

And in order to address those challenges, we have to collaborate, we have to work together, Horgan added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The terrifying effect air pollution has on the health of the UK has been laid bare by new research that reveals unborn babies have air pollution particles in their developing lungs and other vital organs as early as the first trimester.

Scientists at the University of Aberdeen, UK, and Hasselt University, Belgium, studied air pollution nanoparticles, called black carbon or soot particles, and discovered they can reach the foetus  leading to stillbirth, pre-term birth, low-weight babies and disturbed brain development

Air pollution is the United Kingdoms biggest environmental health threat, with outdoor pollutants estimated to contribute to 40,000 excess premature deaths per year according to a 2016 study by the Royal College of Physicians.

The economic cost is equally shocking, costing the UK economy more than 20 billion annually.

The health impacts of air pollution in the United Kingdom are linked to a range of diseases and health conditions such as asthma, heart disease, lung cancer, and stroke.

Within the areas of the United Kingdom found to exceed the governments legal limits for nitrogen dioxide, the highest levels were found within the Greater London area, with the next highest levels of pollution in South Wales, the West Midlands area, and Glasgow, according to an analysis by environmental campaigners ClientEarth.

Also among the most polluted areas are the Eastern Zone, which includes Cambridge and Norwich, Southampton, and Edinburgh.

Fine particulate matter also presents a significant health hazard in the UK. In IQAirs 2019 World Air Quality Report, the UKs most polluted city was Chatham in England, followed by Stockton, Belfast, Christchurch, and Sheffield, all of which exceed the World Health Organisations recommended annual exposure limit by more than 25%.

The ground-breaking findings, published in Lancet Planetary Health, show that the newborn baby and its placenta are exposed to air pollution and black carbon nanoparticles proportionally to the mothers exposure.

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Scientists at the University of Aberdeen and Hasselt University also found nanoparticles cross the placenta into the foetus in the womb as early as the first trimester of pregnancy and get into its developing organs, including its liver, lungs, and brain.

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.

Good news: Bradford is the latest UK city to introduce a Clean Air Zone to help protect the local community from dirty air. Help & support is available to help affected drivers move on to cleaner forms of transport. #BradfordCAZ https://t.co/Fr84VWJ1LW  ClientEarth (@ClientEarth) September 26, 2022

Previous studies by the Hasselt University team found that black carbon nanoparticles get into the placenta, but there was no solid evidence that these particles then entered the foetus.

Professor Tim Nawrot added: We know that exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and infancy has been linked with stillbirth, pre-term 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.

To answer the question of whether these particles travel from the placenta to the foetus, Professor Nawrot linked up with Professor Paul Fowler whose team studies first and second-trimester human foetuses.

Professor 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.
jennifer-coolidge-as-tanya-mcquoid-huntc - Credit: Fabio Lovino/HBO

The family drama continues  but this time, the chaos is happening abroad. On Thursday, HBO dropped the trailer for the second season of The White Lotus, and the three-minute teaser leaves fans with more questions than answers about whats to come.

The trailer opens with Jennifer Coolidge arriving at Sicilys White Lotus as her character Tanya McQuoid-Hunt says, Whenever I stay at The White Lotus, I always have a memorable time. Always. And the clip sure teases some memory-making drama.

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The trailer follows Dominic (Michael Imperioli), accompanied by his son Albie (Adam DiMarco) and father Bert (F. Murray Abraham), as they look to explore their roots in Italy. Were on a family vacation, and its only the three of us because all the women in our family hate you, Albie tells his dad.

Then comes Aubrey Plazas character Harper Spiller, whos on vacation with her husband Ethan (Will Sharpe) and two new (can we call them shallow and kinda dumb?) friends for a brand new storyline. Are these the kind of people were going to be hanging out with now? Plaza asks.

Theres also an especially cringe scene with Dominics father, Bert, who, at 80, says, flirting is one of the pleasures of life. The women I desire remain young. You can relate to that, says Bert, before a clip of Dominic bringing two young women into a hotel (and paying them for their service) flashes on the screen.

Needless to say, there are drugs, sex, drama, and plenty of spilled tea. Its just been a series of very bad decisions, Coolidge says.

The second season of the HBO favorite is set to feature seven episodes, with the first debuting on HBO and HBO Max on Oct. 30.

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A family of four that was kidnapped in California on Monday has been found dead in an orchard, authorities said.

Our worst fears have been confirmed, said Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke, at a news conference late on Wednesday night.

Mr Warnke did not release any information about how and when the victims were believed to have been killed.

He said they were found close to each other when discovered by a farm worker in a remote area.

Earlier on Wednesday, authorities released footage of the moment the family of four were kidnapped at gunpoint from their trucking business.

Surveillance footage showed a masked suspect leading brothers Amandeep Singh, 39, and Jasdeep Singh, 36, from a building on Monday with their hands zip-tied behind their backs.

The truck departs for a few minutes before returning, when Jasdeeps wife Jasleen Kaur, 27, and their eight-month-old child Aroohi Dheri, are led from the building into the truck.

Mr Warnke said they were taken by a convicted robber who tried to kill himself a day after the kidnappings.

Authorities named 48-year-old Jesus Salgado, who had been taken into custody and was in critical condition, as a person of interest.

Mr Warnke added that Mr Salgado had been talking to the police.

Theres no words right now to describe the anger I feel and the senselessness of this incident, he said.

I said it earlier: Theres a special place in hell for this guy.

Authorities have not yet established a motive for the kidnapping.

We have a whole family wiped out and for what? We dont know yet, Mr Warnke said.

The family was taken from their business in Merced, located about 200km (125 miles) southeast of San Francisco in the San Joaquin Valley.

The sheriff added that the victims families had been notified about their deaths.

Were hoping that they can now at least have some kind of closure, Mr Warnke said. Its not the closure we were hoping for; its not the closure they were hoping for.

The familys relatives in India said that they could not believe the news of their kins deaths.

In the northern Indian state of Punjab, Kaurs sister-in-law Amandeep Kaur said to The Indian Express that they cannot bear this loss.

Kaurs mother Gurmeet Kaur and her farmer father Gurnam Singh were not in a state to speak, the outlet reported.
Cherelle Griner has had two very different phone calls with her wife, Brittney Griner, since the WNBA star was arrested in Russia for drug possession in February. The first time, she was delighted. "It was just so delightful just to hear her voice," Cherelle disclosed about the first call. She thought her wife was okay and that they "could survive this."

But the second phone call had her worried. "You could hear that she was not okay. If you think about just a person's suffering and when they have suffered to a maxshe was at the max that day," Cherelle told "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King.

Griner remains in a Russian prison ahead of an appeal hearing on Oct. 25.

Cherelle said that after the second call ended, "I think I cried for about two, three days straight. It was the most disturbing phone call I'd ever experienced."

"It's just the most still, I think, moment I've just ever shared with my wife," she added. "I didn't have words."

The WBNA all-star and Olympic gold medalist was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after she was found with less than a gram of hash oil in vape cartridges, which she had prescribed for chronic pain. In August, she was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison.

"I do believe a crime should warrant a punishment," Cherelle remarked. "But it must be balanced."

"B.G. has truly suffered beyond her crime already," she added.

Cherelle said she is hoping a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia happens before the upcoming hearing. A recent meeting at the White House reassured her that President Biden is fighting alongside her.

"He's doing what he can. But there's another party in this situation, and we also are dealing with the need for Russia to have mercy on B.G. as well," Cherelle said.

She said she fears what will happen if Griner's appeal is denied.

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"Once that hearing is held, and the order is finalized, B.G.'s now in the position where she could be moved to a labor camp," Cherelle said. "My brain can't even fathom it."

She added that Griner is already struggling as she waits for her freedom.

"I don't know if she has anything left in her tank to continue to wake up every day and be in a place where she has no one," Cherelle said.

Cherelle said that her wife is "at her absolute weakest moment in life right now," and fears that she will be forgotten in Russia.

"She's, like, saying things to me like, 'My life just don't even matter no more,'" Cherelle said. "You know, 'I feel like my life just doesn't matter. Like, I'm just being tossed around, like, for people's enjoyment and gain.'"

When the WBNA all-star was sentenced in August, she told the courtroom that she made an honest mistake, and that she hoped that the court's ruling doesn't end her life. Cherelle said that as Griner questions if her life matters, she wants her to know that she is fighting to bring her back to the United States.

"Those are all valid emotions to feel and I don't have answers for, except the fact that your life matters to me, and I wanna get you back home," she said. "I'm gonna continue to pray every day that, you know, the people that are the decision-makers in this situation will have mercy and will sit down, and they will too see that your life matters, and do whatever they can to agree  on terms."

Cherelle said she felt some hope when she heard about the release of Trevor Reed, the former U.S. Marine who gained his freedom in a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia.

"When Trevor Reed was released, you woulda thought that it was Brittney Griner, because that's how happy I was. And I had not met the Reed family yet, but I just know immediately, I went on Instagram and I made a post and I was so happy for his family. Because I know what I'm feeling. And I'm just, like, wow. Like, it ended for them that day. What I'm feeling ended for them that day, and I was so happy," she said.

The White House said it has a substantial deal on the table, and has urged Russia to consider it, or bring a strong counteroffer.

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A wig store owner in Downtown Los Angeles Fashion District was stabbed to death while trying to stop a robbery.

The store owner, Du Young Tommy Lee, 56, was working at his shop near the intersection of Wall Street and Olympic Boulevard when two 17-year-olds tried to rob him at around 1 p.m. on Oct.1.

They were looking at a wig. And then all of a sudden they made a run for it. Tommy had a record of being tough and going after robbers, the landlord of the store told FOX 11 after watching the surveillance video of the incident.

Lee was fatally stabbed multiple times when he tried to stop the two robbers, a male and a female.

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He started chasing them around the shopping center and then the boy pulled out a knife and shanked him right in the heart, the landlord added. I dont think he ever imagined he would be murdered over a wig.

Lee was discovered unconscious and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Los Angeles Police Department Officer Matthew Cruz.

The suspects were arrested shortly after the attack. Their identities were not released because they are minors.

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Mr. Lee was killed in the middle of the day on a busy street in downtown LA while simply trying to run his business, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said in a press release on Wednesday. His death is a tremendous loss for his friends, family and all who knew him. I want to make it clear that my office will work diligently to hold accountable individuals who engage in violent acts  even if they are minors.

The teens each face one count of murder and one count of second-degree robbery.

Lee immigrated to the U.S. from South Korea and had been operating his wig shop for over 20 years.

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His 25-year-old daughter Chaerin has set up a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to help raise money for her fathers funeral expenses in the U.S. and in South Korea.

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Over the past five years, my father has been in multiple incidents like this. Every time he would come back home with injuries like this, I would tell him, Just give it to them, its too dangerous, but not once did he listen, Chaerin wrote.

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Following the incident, Chaerin spoke with one of her fathers neighboring store owners.

Tommy wasnt fighting for himself, he was protecting all the small business owners there. Because if you just let them steal easily, they are going to keep coming back. He was more like a brave heroic figure to us, one of the store owners told Chaerin.

After hearing this, aside from anger, I am proud of my father and his bravery, Chaerin wrote. It is deeply saddening for me that my father is now gone, but as his only daughter, and the only remaining family member he has here in the United States, I know it is my duty to send him in peace. Physically I am now here alone in the United States, but I know my father will guide me for the rest of my life with his bravery and love. I know I am not alone.

Featured Image via Chaerin Lee via GoFundMe
Wineries from across the state will have fruit of their vines  in liquid form  available Oct. 15 and 16 at Wills Creek Vineyards and Winery for the second Alabama Wine Festival.

This festival will bring 12 of the state's 25 vineyards to Attalla, to offer wines for tasting and for sale, giving wine fans who want to branch out the opportunity. In addition to the wines, there will be music and food vendors at Wills Creek Vineyard, at 10522 Duck Springs Road, from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. each day.

The wineries participating in the festival include:

Corbin Farms, Calera

High Country Cellars, Hefliin

Junavelli Winery, Brewton

Jules Berta Winery, Albertville

Maraella Vineyards & Winery, Hokes Bluff

Novi Vineyards & Winery, Alpine

Robyn's Garden Winery, Huntsville

South Ridge Wine, Crenshaw County

Tiss Valley Winery & Vineyard, Midway

Whipporwill Vineyards, Notasulga

White Oak Vineyards, Anniston

Wills Creek Vineyards, Attalla

Tickets for the Alabama Wine Festival are available online at www.willscreekwinery.com. Advance tickets are $40 for one-day Saturday tickets; $35 for one-day Sunday tickets and $60 for two-day tickets through Oct. 13. Tickets at the gate are $50 for one-day tickets and $70 for two-day tickets. Designated driver tickets are $10 per person, and driver ticket holders will receive a $10 food voucher.

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The wine festival is an adults-only event; identification will be checked. Shuttle service will be provided to local hotels or bed and breakfasts.

It's the nearest wine festival, but it's not the only one this fall, according to Kimberly Bearden, president of Alabama Wine Inc. People can warm up for the Wills Creek Vineyard event at Montgomery's Riverwalk Wine Festival.

The 12th annual festival is 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 14, under the Historic Union Station Train Shed. There will be food vendors and live jazz from Dan Cunningham & Friends, with special guests Kim and the Commotion. Tickets are $30 and are available for purchase online at mgmcityevents.com or www.montgomeryal.gov.

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Next month, Tennessee Valley Wine Tours embarks on a bus ride to some of North Alabama's wineries, from Huntsville to Hokes Bluff. The big white bus boards at 11 a.m. Nov. 20 in the public parking lot adjacent to Gateway Greenway Park at the corner of Cleveland Avenue and Meridian Street in Huntsville, and the tour takes five or six hours depending on traffic and weather conditions.

It includes Jules Berta Vineyards in Albertville, Wills Creek Vineyards & Winery and Maraella Vineyards and Winery in Hokes Bluff. Tickets for this tour have sold out.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Alabama Wine Festival: Try 12 state wineries at Wills Creek Vineyard
Import expo gears up as China furthers opening-up

Xinhua) 09:10, October 06, 2022

* The fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE), set to be held a month from now, is in the final preparation stage with foreign companies expecting it to provide market opportunities.

* The expo, to be held in China's economic hub Shanghai, is on schedule despite the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, and showcases the country's commitment to further opening up its massive market for shared growth.

* More than 280 of the world's top 500 enterprises and industry giants will participate in this year's CIIE, with nearly 90 percent of the participants from last year also joining this year.

SHANGHAI, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE), set to be held a month from now, is in the final preparation stage with foreign companies expecting it to provide market opportunities.

The expo, to be held in China's economic hub Shanghai, is on schedule despite the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, and showcases the country's commitment to further opening up its massive market for shared growth.

Photo taken on Oct. 5, 2021 shows a decorative installation near the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the main venue for the China International Import Expo (CIIE), in east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

FINAL PREPARATIONS

As the fifth CIIE approaches, exhibits are arriving in Shanghai via various means. On Sept. 20, the first batch of inbound exhibits, with a declared value of 560 million yuan (about 78.7 million U.S. dollars), cleared customs at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

The China-Europe freight train has also become a popular choice of transportation among companies attending the CIIE, said Wang Jinqiu, chairman of Shanghai Oriental Silk Road Multimodal Transport Co., Ltd., adding that this is the second year that the service has delivered products to the CIIE in Shanghai.

Photo taken on Oct. 22, 2021 shows decorative installations near an entrance of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the main venue for the China International Import Expo (CIIE), in east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

According to Shanghai Customs, the peak of exhibit arrivals is expected to occur in October. Shanghai Customs said it will continue to optimize the clearance process of exhibits and provide safe, convenient, and efficient customs clearance services.

Sun Chenghai, deputy director of the CIIE Bureau said the work of inviting enterprises to participate in the fifth CIIE had been completed and positive progress is being made in terms of setting up exhibitions.

Thousands of miles away, Roy van den Hurk, general manager of Theland Global R&D at Milk New Zealand Dairy, is busy applying for his visa to attend the coming 2022 expo.

"China's huge consumer market helps foreign trade enterprises like us to find opportunities in the green food industry and promote global economic recovery," said van den Hurk, who has participated in the event three times.

The expo has helped the New Zealand company to embark on the "fast track" of development in China, van den Hurk noted, as Theland is now even available in supermarkets in small counties in central and western China.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Data shows that more than 280 of the world's top 500 enterprises and industry giants will participate in this year's CIIE, with nearly 90 percent of the participants from last year also joining this year.

Will Song, global senior vice president and China chairman of Johnson &Johnson, said that over the last four years the company had brought dozens of debuts to the CIIE each year, and this year at the fifth expo, it will unveil about 40 debuts.

China's Vice Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping said the CIIE has given full play to its role as a window for building a cooperation platform for those engaged both at home and abroad, and has become a place for exhibitors to debut their new global products, cutting-edge technologies and innovative services.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Commerce, from 2018 to 2021, exhibitors at the four previous editions of the CIIE launched more than 1,500 new products, technologies and services, with an accumulated intended turnover exceeding 270 billion U.S. dollars.

An exhibitor (2nd L, front) negotiates with potential buyers while attending a pre-expo supply-demand matchmaking meeting for the Intelligent Industry &Information Technology Exhibition Area of the fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE) at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in east China's Shanghai, Aug. 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

"We felt that the CIIE is a very good opportunity to showcase what we can bring to China and to contribute our share to the further improvement of the healthcare system," said Felix Gutsche, President &CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim China.

Gutsche said that the CIIE provides a very good platform to meet, not only with other companies, but particularly with a lot of relevant authorities and stakeholders.

"The expo also demonstrates China's sincere desire to share market opportunities with the world, and reflects China's efforts to promote the recovery of the world economy," he said.

He noted that the company has benefitted from China's improving business environment, especially the registration process of new medicine, which allows it to launch new products much sooner in China than before, and the protection of intellectual property.

MARKET CONFIDENCE

The CIIE shows China's firm commitment to opening up, which has boosted the confidence of many foreign enterprises.

"Despite the uncertainty of the external environment, the CIIE will be held offline as planned. It is this kind of certainty that gives the world even more confidence in China's sure-footedness and determination to grow with its global partners," said Pietro Brambilla, Chief Financial Officer of L'Oreal North Asia Zone &China.

People have a discussion while attending a pre-expo supply-demand matchmaking meeting for the Intelligent Industry &Information Technology Exhibition Area of the fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE) at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in east China's Shanghai, Aug. 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

The preference of foreign capital demonstrates the market attractiveness of China. Statistics from the Ministry of Commerce show that foreign direct investment in the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 16.4 percent year on year to 892.74 billion yuan in the first eight months of this year.

China, which has signed 19 free trade agreements with 26 countries and regions, will also ink more free trade agreements with willing partners, and work to enhance the effectiveness of these agreements to benefit businesses and people better and faster, said Shu Jueting, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, at a recent regular media conference.

The CIIE has spawned huge benefits far beyond China's borders, allowing companies to experience solid gains and enjoy tremendous progress, Brambilla noted.

"I believe this is why so many companies, like L'Oreal, are back at the CIIE once again and why more and more new partners have joined us as we begin this exciting countdown to the fifth CIIE," he said.

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Bianji)
By Timour Azhari

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Lebanese woman who last month held up a Beirut bank to retrieve her own savings was released on bail on Thursday after she handed herself in to authorities following weeks on the run, her lawyer said.

Sali Hafiz, 28, was ordered to pay 1 million Lebanese pounds ($25) and slapped with a 6-month travel ban over the Sept. 14 bank holdup that turned her into a folk hero in a country where hundreds of thousands of people have savings trapped in banks.

The money was intended to pay for treatment for her sister who has cancer, she said.

Lebanon's informal capital controls were put in place by banks in 2019 as the financial system imploded and never formalized by law, leading depositors fed up with the arbitrary measures to take matters into their own hands.

More than a dozen depositors have held up banks to access their own savings in the past month alone. Most of those have only faced brief detention but Hafiz's case differs as she went on the run.

Banks say they make exceptions for humanitarian cases and have called on the government to pass formal controls and work to resolve the crisis.

Lenders closed for about a week last month after a spate of hold-ups. They have since reopened with heightened security - but frustrated savers have shown no signs of letting up.

On Wednesday, Lebanese lawmaker Cynthia Zarazir held a sit-in at her bank branch north of Beirut to retrieve $8,500 trapped in the bank that she said she needed for a surgery.

Such actions have been met with widespread popular support as government authorities fail to tackle the crisis with slow implementation of reforms required to unlock an IMF bailout.

Hafiz managed to retrieve nearly $12,000 from her account when she entered the bank and threatened employees with what later turned out to be a fake pistol.

(Reporting by Timour Azhari; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
In an extraordinary move, the Woonsocket City Council removed Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt from office in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The 3-to-2 vote took place around 1:30 a.m, after nearly 12 hours of contentious meetings that spanned two consecutive nights.

Baldelli-Hunt is poised to return to City Hall as soon as December. She is running unopposed for reelection this year.

As required under the city charter, City Council President Daniel Gendron will serve as interim mayor. Gendron recused himself from voting on Baldelli-Hunt's removal, saying that he wanted to avoid the perception of a conflict of interest, and was sworn in immediately after the meeting.

Previously: Woonsocket Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt Encouraged by Support at Removal Hearing

The removal proceedings were triggered by a complaint filed by Councilwoman Denise Sierra, alleging that Baldelli-Hunt had repeatedly overstepped her authority as mayor. (Sierra also abstained from voting on the mayor's removal, and is not running for reelection this year.)

Baldelli-Hunt, mayor since 2013, has feuded with the council for years. Many of the disputes have boiled down to a difference of opinion over how much decision-making authority is granted to the mayor.

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Baldelli-Hunt argues that by removing her from office, the council is disenfranchising the citizens who voted for her. During the proceedings, her attorney, Michael Lepizzera, indicated that the mayor would probably appeal to the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

The turmoil has drawn attention to Woonsocket being the only Rhode Island community where the City Council has the power to remove a sitting mayor.

Good-government advocates  without weighing in on the case against Baldelli-Hunt  say that process needs more safeguards.

Currently, the city charter "makes it too easy for the council to overturn the will of the voters," said John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island.

Story continues

Ouster follows disputes over dog pavilion, police raises

Tensions between Baldelli-Hunt and the Woonsocket City Council have flared for quite some time, but some council members point to a recent schism over police contracts as a breaking point.

In July, the council approved two new collective-bargaining agreements with the police union. Baldelli-Hunt vetoed those contracts, arguing that negotiating with unions was the mayor's job and that the council had usurped her authority.

The council overrode the veto. However, according to Sierra's complaint, police did not receive the raises that they are entitled to.

During this week's proceedings, Baldelli-Hunt maintained that the contract was "illegal." She also indicated that she wanted larger raises for police officers.

In what was described as a "warning shot," the council voted to censure Baldelli-Hunt over a different separation-of-powers dispute last year.

The council had authorized spending more than $11,000 to build a shade pavilion at Woonsocket's existing animal shelter. However, Baldelli-Hunt had the pavilion built at the Rivers Edge Recreation Complex, where the city was creating a new dog park.

Baldelli-Hunt said that the proximity of the sewage-treatment plant had made it impossible to construct the pavilion at the shelter, but conceded that she should have sought council approval before having it built at a different site, according to the Woonsocket Call.

The nine-count complaint that Sierra filed last month also accused Baldelli-Hunt of ignoring directives or making decisions without council approval on a number of other occasions.

"Her disdain of the city charter and the City Council's role in government is palpable," Sierra said during the proceedings.

An intense cross-examination by Baldelli-Hunt's attorney, which went on for several hours on Tuesday night, revealed that some of the charges in the complaint relied on incomplete or incorrect information. The council ultimately voted to reject five of the counts.

Four counts were sustained  including the charge that Baldelli-Hunt had willfully violated the city charter by failing to recognize the new police bargaining agreement.

Mayor seeking to unseat council members who voted to remove her

Voting in favor of Baldelli-Hunts removal were council members John Ward, James Cournoyer and Roger Jalette.

All said that they were not enthusiastic about doing so but felt that the mayor had left them with no choice since she had already received a warning in the form of a censure.

This has been a hassle, its been a time-suck, it has been a distraction, Cournoyer said.

The two dissenting votes came from David Soucy and Valerie Gonzalez, who argued that removing the mayor would be unfair to the voters who put her in office.

"I want to put it on record that I believe this was a massive waste of tax dollars," Gonzalez said. "Weve had to hire three different attorneys and I don't look forward to seeing the bills."

In an attempt to unseat her foes on the City Council, Baldelli-Hunt has been supporting a slate of candidates who are challenging Gendron, Ward, Cournoyer and Jalette in the November election, the Valley Breeze reported.

She told WPRI that she believed that the attempt to remove her from office was "orchestrated" and intended to hurt the candidates she is backing.

Concerns raised about council's power

Some of Baldelli-Hunt's most persistent critics have voiced misgivings about her ouster, citing discomfort with the council's ability to unseat a sitting mayor.

The council serves as the "judge" for removal proceedings initiated by one of its own members, former council member Alex Kithes noted on Twitter. Meanwhile, the council president, who is next in line to replace the mayor, stands to benefit from the outcome.

Woonsocket is an "outlier," according to Marion, of Common Cause Rhode Island.

In other Rhode Island communities where voters elect a mayor  including Providence, Cranston, Warwick, Pawtucket, East Providence, Central Falls, North Providence and Johnston  the city council does not have the authority to remove that individual from office.

A number of other cities, including Providence, allow voters to recall the mayor. However, several ban recall attempts in the months leading up to an election, Marion noted. (Woonsocket also allows recall elections but does not have any such rule.)

The process for the Woonsocket City Council to initiate removal proceedings is "dangerously simple," according to Steve Brown, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island. The only thing required is a written complaint from one member of the council.

Once that complaint is filed, the council is supposed to hold a hearing and make a decision within 10 days  an "unconscionably short timeline," Brown wrote in a recent letter to the Woonsocket City Council.

He suggested that the city charter should be revised so that the council has a higher bar to clear before it can "essentially overturn the results of an election."

Marion, similarly, said Woonsocket's current charter was "woefully deficient from a separation-of-powers standpoint" and "makes it far too easy for the legislative branch to remove the head of the executive branch."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Woonsocket Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt removed by city council
A three-decker at 913 Main St., Worcester, has been renovated and houses Clark University students. The original owner was Frank Reed in 1888.

WORCESTER  When Finn Wertz looked for an apartment in late 2020, he was looking for something that was practical for the life of a student.

He wanted something cheap and close to Clark University, where the 21-year-old studied geography.

After some research, he turned his future roommates attention toward the first-floor apartment at 913 Main St., only a three-minute walk from school, where rent would be split four ways, at $475 each.

But what was most attractive to Wertz was the character of the building  an 1888 three-decker that also had a name.

The Frank Reed Three-Decker.

Clark University student Finn Wertz lives in the three-decker at 913 Main St., Worcester. The original owner was Frank Reed in 1888.

The most striking thing was the outside facing of it, what I assume to be Victorian (style), with the framing on the roof peaks, and the details that give the building a little bit more elegance, Wertz said. I was kind of amazed that we found such a beautiful house for so cheap. I'm from Pennsylvania; we don't really have quite the same architecture.

From the time the first one was built in 1858, the three-decker has been Worcesters sweetheart for the housing it provides, and the uniqueness of the architecture.

Whether the first one was found on John Street or Endicott Street, historians agree that the goal was to make housing for factory worker immigrants of Swedish, French Canadian, English Canadian, Irish, Polish and Lithuanian origin who flocked to the city by the tens of thousands from 1890 to 1910.

They were built with two and three bedrooms and were spacious enough, so they would not only be practical but would also have the style and feeling of a home with eight-foot ceilings, separate living and dining room spaces with a total living space that ranged from 800 to 1,500 square feet per unit.

Name taken from battleships

Named after 18th century battleships for their similarity to three-level vessels, more than 13,000 three-deckers were built mostly in the Vernon Hill and Grafton Hill neighborhoods.

Accounts differ, but the last one is thought to have been built no later than 1936.

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Clark University student Finn Wertz lives in this three-decker at 913 Main St., Worcester.

To buy one in 1914 it cost $3,000, which was considered a renting venture that a working man with a family could own, as the Telegram reported on March 15, 1957. In today's dollars, the cost would be about $88,883.

To make a three-decker, it cost $900 for the carpentry, $500 for complete plumbing for three baths and three soapstone kitchen sinks, and $300 for three coats of exterior and interior painting.

The doors cost $2.83 each.

It was a building that provided ample, comfortable, economical rental housing, wrote the editorial. It was an arrangement that made practical use of city-street frontage and expensive sewerage and water installations.

In the 1980s, Clark University researchers narrowed down the architectural styles to seven  Italianate, Mansard, Early Queen Anne, Late Queen Anne, Early Classical Revival, Gambrel and Late Classical Revival.

Depending on style, detailing included low-pitched fish-scale roofs, turrets, protruding jogs with bay windows, porches, dark woodwork, ornamental stained-glass windows and the unique sliding wooden laundry window in the rear.

'A menace to life, ugly'

But to call them beautiful was not the original idea.

In 1912, the Worcester Board of Trade, an earlier version of the Chamber of Commerce, called three-deckers a scourge, a nuisance, a menace to life and unattractive.

Original decorative detail of a keyhole door plate at 913 Main St., Worcester.

The word ugly was also thrown around in late 1960s Telegram editorials, where a story from Sept. 24, 1967, in which an owner would attempt to renovate his three-decker was led with the surprised A beautiful three-decker?

Major deterioration of the buildings occurred during World War II, when we had a shortage of building materials and laborers, as Micheal F. Fleming, the chief sanitarian (city inspector) was quoted in a Telegram story from Mar. 21, 1971.

Owners often took everything out of these buildings and put nothing back, said Fleming. Then they chopped them up. Three-family buildings became six-family. Permits were not taken out. Now were finding violations 10 to 20 years old.

In many cases, deterioration crossed safety lines, with an inspection in 1968 on 8 Edgeworth St. (which doesnt exist anymore) finding rotted support columns on porches, rotted rear entrance, a cracked wall, no rear entrance handrails, bulging and cracked ceilings, an unsanitary sink, cracked plaster and illegal wiring.

Add to that the proximity to one another, and the buildings become a major fire hazard.

A May 22, 1964, fire on Bellflower Street in South Boston  which burned 35 homes, 29 of them three-story dwellings  alarmed Worcester for the fire risks that three-deckers could pose.

A story from a few days after the fire reported that it had started on one side of Bellflower Street, but then the wind had blown flames across the street to buildings on the other side, which were then carried to parallel streets one block on either side.

Structure poses fire risk

Worcester Fire Deputy Chief Adam Roche said that three-deckers are a fire risk because of their structure and the materials that they are made of.

A three-decker's structure is surrounded by void spaces in whats called balloon frame construction,  Roche said. The hazard is that if the fire gets into walls, it can spread throughout the structure which is made of natural fibers, of lumber.

A renovated three-decker at 913 Main St. in Worcester with its so-called balloon frame construction.

Despite the flammability, Roche stressed the importance of human behavior in preventing fires in older buildings such as careless discarding of smoking materials, updating of electrical systems and kitchens.

Still, three-deckers make for an ideal renting solution in Worcester.

This was clear in the 1970s when renovation plans resurfaced, and the idea of selling the apartments in the style of condominiums  at an average price of $7,000 at the time  was becoming not so strange of an option.

In the 1980s, the word beautiful started to resurface, with a Sept. 22, 1985, editorial piece headlining with Those Fabulous 3-Deckers."

The story pointed out how interest for them increased as a viable option for renting, which propelled the prices to $95,000 for one in good shape in a bad area, as Janet McCorison, executive director of the Worcester Heritage Preservation Society, put it.

This contrasted with just five years before, when one in good shape in a good area would sell for $45,000.

Three-deckers are all right, wrote another reporter on April 3, 1985. You can keep your ultra-expensive condominiums. You can keep your absurd apartment complexes with walls like rice paper and names like Woodsong and Meadowville. You can keep your split-level ranches and cute little capes and cottages. I like three-deckers.

That mentality continues to today, with three-deckers continuing to be a great option for renting, especially in the current housing market.

Prices zoom to $500,000-plus

Being desirable, the price for a three-decker has skyrocketed to $400,000, and even $500,000 and higher for ones with three-bedroom units, according to real estate agent John Pouliot of Worcester-based Pouliot Team.

Pouliot, who has listed a three-decker on Houghton Street that was built in 1900, said that it is an affordable venture for a landlord even with the expenses that include cosmetic and plumbing updating.

A three-decker at 215 Cambridge St. in Worcester.

Central air installations are often seen replacing oil furnaces as well.

What you're going to pay for is going to be what the rents are generally, Pouliot said, but the rents are very healthy in Worcester. That's why so many can afford these prices.

In Worcester, rent hovered in July between $1,250 and $1,800 for two-bedroom apartments, and toward $1,800 and $2,500 for three-bedroom apartments, many of which are three-decker units.

Some of those three-deckers are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1981, Douglas L. Johnson, director of the Worcester Heritage Preservation Society and an associate professor of geography at Clark University, had argued that out of the 4,239 remaining three-deckers at the time, 70 to 80 were well-preserved and worthy of consideration for the register.

As of the Aug. 26, 2022, update, the National Register of Historic Places has listed 75 three-deckers in Worcester, each named after their first owners.

While they may look like so many soldiers all wearing the same uniforms, wrote a Telegram reporter on Oct. 24, 1982, if you check closely you will notice they are very different.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Three-deckers Worcester history
FRAMINGHAM  A Taunton man and his family have filed a $1.6 million lawsuit against the city after the man was injured while working on a road project three years ago.

Jon Eldridge suffered long-term injuries, loss of income and pain and suffering in the Aug. 15, 2019, incident, according to his lawyer, Ronald Stoia, writing in a lawsuit filed last month in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn.

Eldridge, along with his wife, Melissa, and their two minor children filed the lawsuit against the city, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and RJV Construction Corp. of Canton.

According to documents filed in court, Eldridge worked for RJV Construction. The company was hired in 2019 to dig test pits along the eastbound side of Route 9, near the intersection of Route 135, as part of a project to replace water mains.

More: Pedestrian death on Route 9 prompts MassDOT to accelerate safety plans

As part of the work, the road top was pulled off by a piece of construction equipment. Eldridge then operated a special truck to conduct "hydro-excavating," a process in which water is used to push soil away from objects, such as pipes, that need to be exposed and inspected.

According to the lawsuit, Eldridge could not see the open hole, described as a trench, and another co-worker had to direct him where to park the truck. That was what was supposed to happen on the day of the incident.

"He (Eldridge) told his fellow worker not to direct the hose-truck to a position directly over the trench," according to the document. "However, he (Eldridge) was directed over the trench, and in doing so, his truck obscured the illumination from the large light pole that was just above him. He was therefore unable to see the contour of the trench."

More: Flooding impacts Route 9 Framingham trouble spot once again

Eldridge, after parking the hose-truck, then got out with the goal to inspect it before beginning the hydro-excavation.

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"He then fell into the trench," Stoia wrote. "He fell about six feet, smashed his right shoulder and sustained a concussion."

Eldridge went to MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham and was treated. He remains on workman's compensation to this day. He will have shoulder surgery "soon" and sees a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to be treated for concussion symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder, Stoia wrote.

Eldridge, in the lawsuit, said there was an inspector from the Framingham Highway Department at the scene and argued the inspector did not do his job, which would have prevented his injury.

"The job of the inspector is to make sure that the job is run safely, not only to protect the property, but also to protect the safety of the workers," according to the lawsuit. "It was his (the Highway Department worker's) task to intervene if necessary to see that everything is done safely."

In the suit, Eldridge alleges one count each of negligence against the city, the water authority and his employer.

More: Flooding improvements for Framingham Route 9 overpass on schedule for 2022

Eldridge's wife and children each allege one count of loss of consortium against all three defendants, because, due to the injuries, they have "suffered loss of love and affection, companionship and support."

None of the defendants has filed a response to the lawsuit.

Neither Stoia nor representatives from the city could be reached for comment on Wednesday.

A representative for RJV Construction Corp. declined to comment, other than to say that the issue is "in the hands" of the company's insurance company.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Man working on Framingham road project files $1.6M suit against city
First-of-its-kind gathering will launch a national movement to end stigma

Snowbird, UT --News Direct-- Shatterproof

On World Mental Health Day (Monday, October 10), more than 180 leaders from across the country are gathering to launch a national movement to end the stigma around mental health and substance use disorders. World Mental Health Day kicks off the two-day Summit where organizations representing different industries and sectors, including federal and NGOs, will unite their drive and expertise to create powerful strategic actions to end the shame and prejudice caused by stigma. Media is invited to attend the press conference in person or virtually via Zoom. Leaders will speak for 2-3 minutes followed by Q&A. One-on-one interviews will be available following the Q&A.

Who: National leaders on mental health and substance use disorders including:

 Kristin Kroeger, Chief of Programs, Policy, & Partnerships, American Psychiatric Association

 Jared Skillings, Chief of Professional Practice, American Psychological Association

 John MacPhee, Chief Executive Officer, The Jed Foundation

 Gary Mendell, Founder and CEO, Shatterproof

 Eve Byrd, Director of Mental Health Programs, Carter Center

 Janet Lindow, PhD, Executive Director & Co-Founder, Rural Behavioral Health Institute

Complete list of national organizations attending the Summit

When: Monday, October 10. Media preset time is 12:25 p.m.

Press conference will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m. (MST)

Where: Cliff Lodge, Snowbird Resort (Entry 4), Primrose B (Floor L)

9320 Cliff Lodge Dr, Snowbird, UT 84092

Or Virtual via Zoom

Meeting ID: 925 7820 1741

Password: summit

Why: 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year and substance use disorder affects more than 20 million Americans aged 12 and over. Moreover, 9.5 million adults over 18 have both a substance abuse disorder and a mental illness. While the numbers of people experiencing mental health and substance use disorders are staggering, stigma often prevents individuals and many communities from seeking the help they need.

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Visuals: Press conference and a collaborative session on road mapping the path to end the stigma around mental health and substance use disorders.

About Shatterproof: Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the U.S. Shatterproof harnesses the models of business, the rigor of science and the power of a national movement to create change and save lives through three pillars of work: revolutionizing the addiction treatment system, breaking down addiction-related stigmas and supporting and empowering our communities. Find Shatterproof on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube: @ShatterproofHQ or follow them on Instagram at @weareshatterproof. To learn more, visit www.Shatterproof.org.

Contact Details

Shatterproof

Lauren Lawson-Zilai

+1 240-910-5483

press@shatterproof.org

Huntsman Mental Health Institute

Jerilyn Stowe

+1 801-243-5764

jerilyn.stowe@hsc.utah.edu

R&R Partners

Kelsey Richardson

+1 801-913-9454

kelsey.richardson@rrpartners.com

Company Website

https://www.shatterproof.org/

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/world-mental-health-day-press-conference-with-national-experts-on-mental-health-998940753
Visitors to the museum can take in the spectacle that is the Worlds Largest Cast Iron Skillet.

Sarah Unger / Lodge

If you're a regular reader  or perhaps just have a Google alert set up for "World's Largest Cast Iron Skillet"  you may remember that, indeed, the World's Largest Cast Iron Skillet made headlines back in January when it was seen being hauled down Interstate 59.

At the time, the massive pan wasn't totally ready for its big debut. But it's hard to conceal a 18-foot, 14,360-pound skillet as it's speeding down the highway, and so Lodge Cast Iron had their hand forced in telling people about their creation as the cookware was being transported from Alabama, where it was manufactured, to Lodge's cast iron museum in South Pittsburg, Tennessee.

If you were driving down I59 yesterday, you might have seen something special headed north! The World's Largest Cast Iron Skillet made its way to our campus to find its home in the Lodge Cast Iron Museum that is currently under construction. Learn more: https://t.co/ccaO9ysccD pic.twitter.com/eYO1VQH06g  Lodge Cast Iron (@LodgeCastIron) January 13, 2022

One small problem, though: Despite all that initial publicity, the museum wasn't slated to open until later this year. After making its journey, the World's Largest Skillet was tucked inside, meaning anyone who was enticed into seeing it had to wait until now.

Today, Lodge Cast Iron  which, at 126 years old bills itself as "the oldest family-owned cast iron cookware manufacturer"  announced that its brand new, officially-titled Lodge Museum of Cast Iron will officially open this Saturday. And yes, along with all its other exciting cast iron displays, guests will be able to visit the World's Largest Cast Iron Skillet in person.

Americas beloved cast iron company, Lodge, celebrates the grand opening of the first Museum of Cast Iron

Sarah Unger / Lodge

The museum promises "a number of interactive exhibits" including How It's Made, which is "a recreation of the foundry experience;" The Lodge History & Legacy, "which walks visitors through the story of Lodge Cast Iron over multiple generations;" and Cast Iron in Culture, "where the versatility of cast iron is put on display," a section that also highlights Southern food and culinary figures in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance.

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Museum of Cast Iron located in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, Lodges hometown since its founding in 1896

Sarah Unger / Lodge

But the biggest selling point is, as Lodge describes it, "the spectacle that is the World's Largest Cast Iron Skillet," adding that it's "already a celebrity after making its way up I-59 earlier this year."

"After years of development, we're thrilled to be opening the Lodge Museum of Cast Iron right here in our hometown to invite visitors from near and far to experience our history and culture," Mike Otterman, CEO and president of Lodge Cast Iron, stated. "We are taking our Lodge community beyond their kitchens, backyards and campfires and bringing them right into the heartbeat of cast iron, peeling back the curtain to offer an experience unlike any other."

Lodge says that, starting this Saturday, guests can enter the museum through Lodge Cast Iron's Factory Store from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission is $10. More info can be found at lodgecastiron.com/museum.

Is $10 too much to see the World's Largest Cast Iron Skillet? Who knows. But good luck paying less and seeing one this big anywhere else!
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  The suspect in the kidnapping and killings of an 8-month-old baby, her parents and an uncle had worked for the familys trucking business and had a longstanding feud with them that culminated in an act of pure evil, a sheriff said Thursday.

The bodies of Aroohi Dheri; her mother Jasleen Kaur, 27; father Jasdeep Singh, 36; and uncle Amandeep Singh, 39, were found by a farm worker late Wednesday in an almond orchard in a remote area in the San Joaquin Valley, Californias agricultural heartland.

Investigators were preparing a case against the suspect  a convicted felon who tried to kill himself a day after the kidnappings  and sought a person of interest believed to be his accomplice. Relatives and fellow members of the Punjabi Sikh community, meanwhile, were shocked by the killings.

Right now, Ive got hundreds of people in a community that are grieving the loss of two families, and this is worldwide. These families are across different continents, Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke told The Associated Press. Weve got to show them that we can give them justice.

The suspect, 48-year-old Jesus Salgado, was released from the hospital and booked into the county jail Thursday night on suspicion of kidnapping and murder, the Sheriff's Office said. It wasn't clear if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.

Earlier, Warnke called for prosecutors to seek the death penalty. The sheriff called it one of the worst crimes he has seen over his 43 years in law enforcement and pleaded for Salgado's accomplice to turn himself in.

Theres some things youll take to the grave. This to me was pure evil, he said in an interview Thursday.

The city of Merced, where the family's trucking business was located, will hold evening vigils in their memory Thursday through Sunday. The victims' bodies were found near the town of Dos Palos, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Merced.

Warnke on Thursday would not discuss the condition of the adults remains in the orchard but said it was unclear how the baby died. Warnke said the child had no visible trauma and an autopsy will be conducted.

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Salgado was previously convicted of first-degree robbery with the use of a firearm in Merced County, attempted false imprisonment and an attempt to prevent or dissuade a victim or witness. Sentenced to 11 years in state prison in that case, he was released in 2015 and discharged from parole three years later, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He also has a conviction for possession of a controlled substance, the department said.

Relatives of Salgado contacted authorities and told them he had admitted to them his involvement in the kidnapping, Warnke told KFSN-TV on Tuesday. Salgado tried to take his own life before police arrived at a home in Atwater  where an ATM card belonging to one of the victims was used after the kidnapping  about 9 miles (14 kilometers) north of Merced. Efforts to reach Salgados family were unsuccessful Thursday.

The victims were Punjabi Sikhs, a community in central California that has a significant presence in the trucking business with many of them driving trucks, owning trucking companies or other businesses associated with trucking.

Public records show the family owns Unison Trucking Inc. and relatives said they had opened an office in the last few weeks in a parking lot the Singh brothers also operated. The feud with Salgado dated back a year, the sheriff said, and got pretty nasty in text messages or emails. Other details about Salgado's employment and the nature of the dispute were not immediately available.

Warnke said he believes the family was killed within an hour of the Monday morning kidnapping, when they were taken at gunpoint from their business.

Surveillance video showed the suspect  later identified as Salgado  leading the Singh brothers, who had their hands zip-tied behind their backs, into the back seat of Amandeep Singhs pickup truck. He drove the brothers away and returned several minutes later.

The suspect then went back to the trailer that served as the business office and led Jasleen Kaur, who was carrying her baby in her arms, out and into the truck before the suspect drove them away shortly before 9:30 a.m.

Hours later, firefighters on Monday found Amandeep Singhs truck on fire in the town of Winton, 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Merced. Police 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 sheriff's to report them missing.

They were likely already dead.

___

Dazio reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writer Robert Jablon in Los Angeles and News Researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report.
By David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday urged the World Bank Group and other multilateral development banks to revamp their business models and dramatically boost lending to address pressing global needs such as climate change.

In a speech ahead of next week's World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings, Yellen said she would ask World Bank management to develop an "evolution roadmap" for changes by December, with "deeper work" beginning by the spring of 2023.

Among changes she is requesting are plans to harness more private capital and use more concessional loans and grants to fund investments that more broadly benefit the world, such as helping countries transition away from coal power.

"Given the scale of the challenges, the development banks must continue to explore financial innovations to responsibly stretch their existing balance sheets," Yellen said at the Center for Global Development, a think tank in Washington.

Her directive was made just weeks after World Bank President David Malpass came under fire for declining to say whether he accepted the scientific consensus on global warning.

Malpass said his answer to a question on the topic at a forum was mishandled and that he believes human activity is responsible for climate change, but no shareholders have asked him to resign.

A World Bank spokesperson said the institution was actively working to expand climate-related trust funds, grants and donor guarantees as it explores ways to increase lending capacity.

"We welcome the discussion on capital adequacy and Secretary Yellen's leadership on the evolution of IFIs (international financial institutions) as developing countries face a severe shortage of resources, the risk of a world recession, capital outflows, and heavy debt service burdens," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Yellen made clear that climate change was a prime example of a global challenge that required changes by development banks, calling it "an existential threat to our planet."

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She announced a $950 million Treasury loan to the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), a multilateral trust fund that helps developing countries accelerate their transition from coal power to clean energy, the first of its kind from the Treasury.

BALANCE SHEET STRETCH

Yellen said the World Bank and other multilateral development banks (MDBs) need to adopt stronger targets for mobilizing private finance and deploy a broader range of instruments, including loan guarantees and insurance products.

She said MDBs needed to preserve their ability to borrow from financial markets, but did not mention the debate over whether they could accept lower credit ratings.

Nancy Lee, a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, said the World Bank could boost lending capacity by hundreds of billions of dollars without jeopardizing its credit rating. This could be done by including callable capital - money pledged by governments but not currently "paid-in" - as part of its capital adequacy framework, she added.

The development think tank and other groups are advocating that the World Bank also launch a "green capital increase" focused on boosting lending to address climate change.

On macroeconomic issues, Yellen said the top priority for countries facing high inflation was to return to an environment of stable prices - a fight she said was primarily the responsibility of central banks.

She said the Group of Seven members have "committed to market-determined exchange rates. But we are attentive to the political consequences of exchange rate movements."

(Reporting by David Lawder and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Paul Simao and Richard Chang)
Two Georgia men who came to Yonkers to sell guns with a third man who was killed after shooting a detective have pleaded guilty to federal gun trafficking charges.

Xavier Simms, Bryce Martin and Bryant Jackson traveled to Yonkers from Georgia on April 19, 2022, with several weapons, at least five of which they gave to an unnamed person to sell.

The following day, members of the FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force went to confront them at an Elm Street bodega.

Several Yonkers police officers converge on the intersection of Elm Street and Linden Street in the Nodine Hill section of Yonkers, following a police involved shooting April 20, 2022.

Iron pipeline:Inside gun trafficking plot that led to shooting of detective

Video:Shooting of detective caught on camera

Yonkers:Quick-thinking NYPD brother saved detective's life

Jackson opened fire with a Glock 19, hitting Yonkers Det. Brian Menton in the stomach. An FBI agent then returned fire, killing Jackson. Simms and Martin were arrested and four guns, including a ghost gun, were recovered from the trio.

Menton was a week shy of retirement. He survived after he was rushed to a hospital by his twin brother, an NYPD detective who was also part of the task force.

Evidence from cellphones belonging to Simms and Martin showed they had access to several specialized firearms, including machine guns, with prices ranging from $1,200 to $3,500.

Simms, 22, and Martin, 23, pleaded guilty Wednesday to trafficking guns and conspiracy to traffic guns before U.S. District Judges Philip Halpern and Vincent Briccetti, respectively.

The bodega where a Yonkers detective was shot and a suspect killed on April 20, 2022

Their actions contributed to the flow of illegal guns into New York, which too often results in gun violence in our communities, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement announcing the guilty pleas.

Each defendant faces up to 10 years in prison, although sentencing guidelines call for about half that, according to their plea agreements with federal prosecutors.

Martins guideline is between 4 1/4 and 5 1/4 years. Simms, who has a prior robbery conviction in Georgia, has a guideline sentence of between 4 3/4 and just under six years.

The judges must consider the guidelines but are not bound by them. Both defendants have agreed not to appeal any sentence within the guidelines.

Simms is scheduled to be sentenced in April and Martin in January.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Georgia men plead to gun charges in shooting of Yonkers detective
YouTube personality Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, said he would consider running for president in 20 years.

Maybe in like 20 years, Donaldson said of the possibility of running for the White House in a recent interview. Well see.

Donaldson, who has 105 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, said he thinks it could be fun to run when hes in his 40s.

I think were due for younger presidents, he said. Im tired of them always being in their 70s.

At 79, President Biden is the oldest person to ever assume the office. Former President Trump took the oath of office at age 70. Both men are considered likely candidates for the 2024 presidential election.

Donaldson also suggested that he would give away all of his wealth prior to running for office.

I want to try to make a ton of money and then just like give it all away right before I announce my campaign, he said. Imagine I have like $10 billion and then I just give it all away and Im just like I cant be bought.  Thats pretty powerful.

Instead of like giving into lobbyists or agendas, I just like do whatevers good for the American people, Donaldson added. It sounds like it would be a good idea.

The YouTube personality would join the ranks of other celebrities who have considered running for office. Rapper Kanye West also suggested that he would run in the 2020 election and actor Matthew McConaughey strongly considered joining the race for governor of Texas in 2022.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called for the international community to take preventive action to deter the potential use of nuclear weapons by Russia in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

In an address to the Lowy Institute, a nonpartisan international policy think tank in Australia, Zelensky underscored the importance of preventive strikes, preventive action so that Russia can get a better picture of the potential consequences if they move to use nuclear weapons.

Preemptive steps are crucial to deterrence, Zelensky said. He cautioned against waiting for the nuclear strikes first.

The Ukrainian presidents press secretary, Sergii Nykyforov, later clarified Zelenskys comments after some media interpreted the suggestion to include preemptive nuclear strikes, rather than nonnuclear steps like sanctions.

You will never hear such calls from Ukraine, Nykyforov said in a translated Facebook post, asserting that only Russia would resort to blackmail the world with nuclear threats.

Zelensky has long called upon the international community to take preventative measures to deter Russia from escalating the conflict, which has waged on for more than seven months.

His comments to the Lowy Institute come after Moscow moved to annex parts of occupied Ukraine by holding referendums considered illegitimate by much of the international community.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also recently threatened that Russia would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons against what it perceived as a severe threat, further worrying the global community about the stakes of the ongoing war.

Ukraines capital of Kyiv is reportedly prepping for a potential nuclear attack on the city, stocking evacuation centers with potassium iodine pills, which can help against radiation absorption.

In his address Thursday, Zelensky repeated his concerns about Russian military presence at Ukraines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe.

Nearby fighting and Russian control of the Ukrainian workers that still man the site have endangered the plants operations on more than one occasion, mounting concerns about a possible nuclear accident.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO  THURSDAY, 6 OCTOBER 2022, 20:31

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to strongly condemn Russias "international raiding" of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which Russia has decreed its "federal property".

Source: website of the President of Ukraine

Details: President Zelenskyy held a meeting with Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, in Kyiv on Thursday, 6 October.

Zelenskyy said that the IAEA must condemn the decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin to transfer the Zaporizhzhia NPP to Russias federal property. Zelenskyy stated that it is actually an "international raiding".

"We have been waiting for a tough statement from the IAEA on this issue. Society is expecting [the IAEAs] condemnation. I personally think that this is a raiding," Zelenskyy stressed.

He added that the only way to guarantee the radiation safety of the power plant, Ukraine and of Europe is to completely demilitarise the territory of the ZNPP. Zelenskyy stated that there are still up to 500 Russian military personnel at the power plant.

For his part, Grossi emphasised that the decision of the Russian president to transfer the Zaporizhzhia NPP to the ownership of Russia was a violation of international law. He assured Zelenskyy that the IAEA will discuss all issues related to the ZNPP only with Ukraine.

Background:

On 5 October, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree according to which the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, captured by Russian forces, became Russias federal property.

Energoatom, the operator of nuclear power plants in Ukraine, called Putins decree on the transfer of ZNPP to Russias ownership null and void.

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, believes that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is Ukrainian, despite the statements of the Russian Federation about the transfer of the facility under its control.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
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.
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.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  Mississippi utility regulators have approved a new incentive program for renewable energy despite objections from Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and large utility companies.

Some lower-income customers who pay most of the cost of installing a system such as rooftop solar panels could receive a $3,000 rebate from their power company.

Incentives are also available to 85 of the state's 142 public school districts.

The Public Service Commission voted Tuesday in favor of the new rule, which will take effect Jan. 1. Democrat Brandon Presley, of the northern district, and Republican Brent Bailey, of the central district, voted in favor of the program. Republican Dane Maxwell, of the southern district, opposed it, WLBT-TV reported.

The governor said the program would translate into more expensive energy for ratepayers.

It's a bad deal, Reeves wrote Monday on social media. The PSC should slow down. If not, the legislature must reverse it.

Maxwell said he supports solar projects, but he believes people who don't participate in the program should not have to fund the incentives.

Our country is so unstable right now and with the cost of everything else, Im not going to add another cost on our ratepayers, Maxwell said.

Bailey said Mississippi is heavily dependent on natural gas and needs to diversify its energy sources.

Several groups weighed in during the 20-month debate about the program.

Entergy and Mississippi Power questioned whether the commission had the authority to create the incentives. They argued that the program would add costs for customers who arent participating.

Stephen Wright, director of Gulf States Renewable Energy Industries Association, said the incentives will position Mississippi to effectively compete for solar manufacturers, builders, and financiers in a highly competitive market.
Wapello County Sheriff Don Phillips said a 911 call came in around noon Tuesday for a reported home explosion in Chillicothe on High Street. Crews responded and located a nearly leveled home.

A man who lived at the home was airlifted by medical helicopter to an unknown hospital after suffering severe burns "to a good portion of his body," Phillips said. Authorities have not identified the man. He was able to speak to authorities and said he was the only individual home at the time.
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 prosecutors review committee, which he said unanimously agreed there was not enough evidence to pursue commitment.

The prosecutors 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.

Its doubling down on the kind of harmful rhetoric weve told these folks is very dangerous already, Crow said.

This article has been updated to include information about the prosecutors review board which determines whether a person is a sexually violent predator.
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 now 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.

INMATE DEATH: A 72-year-old inmate being held by the Iowa Department of Corrections died Monday while in hospice.

George Vantrece died at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville, where he had been housed due to chronic illness, according to a news release.

Vantrece had been serving a 35-year maximum term for drug and other charges from Polk County. His sentence began on May 16, 2011.

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Ethiopias federal government has accepted the African Unions invitation to hold peace talks with Tigray forces in South Africa this weekend, which are aimed at ending the ongoing civil war and halting hostilities against the countrys Tigray region leadership.

African Union (AU) chief Moussa Faki Mahamat extended the invitation to the peace talks in a letter addressed to the leaders of the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray region. Redwan Hussein, the national security adviser to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, confirmed Wednesday (5 October) that the federal government has accepted the invitation, thus re-affirming Addis Ababas preference for talks mediated by the AU. The government of Tigray also responded Wednesday that it was ready to participate in the talks.

Fighting in Ethiopias 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. Mediation efforts by the AUs 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 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.
Captain Ibrahim Traore was appointed president of Burkina Faso on Wednesday (5 October), less than a week after the latest coup that deposed Damiba amid growing violence in the Sahel.

The Sahel country plunged into political turmoil on 30 September after the second coup in less than nine months that saw a group of officers removing Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba  who had seized power in January  due to his inability to deal with a worsening armed uprising, dissolving the transitional government and suspending the constitution. Traore has been appointed as Head of State, Supreme Head of the Armed Forces, according to an official statement that also said that the new president would now be the guarantor of national independence, territorial integrity and continuity of the State.

Earlier this week, delegates from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) visited the country on a fact-finding mission and held meetings with religious and traditional leaders as well as the new military ruler. Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been battling an escalating wave of violence attributed to rebel fighters allied to both al-Qaeda and the ISIL (ISIS) armed group, claiming hundreds of lives and displacing two million. The coup was followed by protests against France, which colonized Burkina Faso in the past, and the emergence of Russian flags among demonstrators, leading to speculations that the new leader may forge close ties with Moscow. The United States has warned the army of the risks of allying with Russia, saying they condemned any attempt to exacerbate the current situation in Burkina Faso.
Ugandas President Yoweri Museveni has apologized to Kenya after his son, a general who has been outspoken on social media, tweeted threats to invade the neighboring country and capture its capital in two weeks and also provoking remarks about Kenyas recent elections.

I ask our Kenyan brothers and sisters to forgive us for tweets sent by General Muhoozi, Museveni said in a statement on Wednesday (5 October), adding that public officers should not interfere in the affairs of other countries. I know for a fact that General Muhoozi is a passionate Pan-Africanist, Musaveni said, adding that however, the correct method for Pan-Africanists is confidential interactions or using the available [forums]. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who later said he made the provoking comments about Kenya in jest, is widely known for having been outspoken on social media, frequently sparring with opposition figures and weighing into politics. Ugandas opposition and analysts have long believed the countrys 78-year-old president, who has ruled the country since 1986, is grooming his son to succeed him when he retires.

Kainerugaba was crucial in restoring relations between Uganda and neighboring Rwanda this year after a nearly two-year row between his father and President Paul Kagame. But he was removed from his post as commander of land forces on Tuesday (4 October) after sending a flurry of tweets suggesting Uganda and Kenya drop their colonial borders and be united. It wouldnt take us, my army and me, 2 weeks to capture Nairobi, he tweeted. At the same time, Kainerugaba was promoted to the rank of four-star general to encourage him for his positive contributions, Museveni said, adding that he had spoken to his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, about the matter.
Afreximbank has approved $200 million toward financing of a contested oil pipeline to export Ugandas crude, while a report released by two environmental NGOs has warned of potentially unacceptable damage caused by a controversial project involving French oil giant TotalEnergies and Chinas National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

The Nigeria-based bank was also willing to finance construction of a refinery in the East African country, Ugandas presidency has said. The two companies signed a $10-billion agreement earlier this year to develop Ugandan oilfields and ship crude through a 1,445-km pipeline to Tanzanias Indian Ocean port of Tanga. But the $3.5 billion pipeline has drawn increasing criticism from environmentalists and European Union lawmakers. Frances TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA), the lead developer of the pipeline, is facing mounting pressure to drop the project or re-route it because of protests over potential harm to the environment and livelihoods of local communities.

the promoters of the project boast that it will be the longest heated pipeline in the world. Why is it heated? It will be heated to 50 degrees because the oil in Uganda is too viscous and so they need to heat it to liquefy it and make it go through the pipeline easily. So its a climate aberration, says Juliette Renaud, an environmental activist with Friends of the Earth France. The NGOs also accuse TotalEnergies and CNOOC of not putting in place adequate measures to safeguard communities and the environment. Echoing campaigns by local and international environmentalists, the European Parliament already passed a resolution last month saying that more than 100,000 people were at risk of being displaced by the pipeline and called for them to be adequately compensated. Ugandas President Yoweri Museveni reacted angrily to the resolution, calling the EU lawmakers insufferable.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres renewed concerns over the continued restrictions imposed by the separatist polisario front to freedom of movement of MINURSO agents and its provocative maneuvers undermining the UN-led political process on the Sahara.

In his report to the UN Security Council, which is expected to renew this October the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), the Secretary General expressed concerns over the Polisarios actions, particularly its restrictions that hamper the work of the UN peacekeeping mission.

I strongly urge the Frente POLISARIO to remove all restrictions to the free movement of MINURSO military observers, ground convoys, air assets, and personnel east of the berm, the UN report urged.

The UN Secretary-General argued that without full freedom of movement, MINURSO may soon be unable to sustain its presence east of the berm.

Antonio Guterres admitted that the Polisario Front obstructed the ground patrols that were supposed to be carried out by the MINURSO mission within the front units, similar to the patrols it is carrying out in the sites of Moroccos Royal Armed Forces.

The annual report of the United Nations on the Moroccan Sahara confirmed that the missions ground patrols attempted to conduct a total of 4,072 visits to the Polisario units, but the fronts leaders prevented them from reaching those spots, as they hampered the movement of the MINURSO logistical land convoys.

The UN document pointed out that the acting commander of the MINURSO mission force was unable to establish direct contact with the military elements of the Polisario Front, and all contacts were made only through written correspondence, indicating that the front also rejected requests to increase the frequency of the missions logistical trips.

The UN Secretary General reported on Polisarios reluctance to engage in talks and in-person contacts with MINURSO leadership, and underlined the Polisario Fronts categorical rejection of the missions efforts to investigate air or ground patrols east of the berm.

MINURSO ground patrols attempted to conduct a total of 2,407 visits to Frente Polisario units and headquarters but were denied access, the report said, emphasizing that Polisario denied MINURSOs group patrols inside Polisario headquarters.

Meanwhile, the report stated that cooperation and communications at the strategic level continued between the UN Mission and the leadership of the Royal Armed Forces without change. In this connection, the UN Secretary General commended Moroccos engagement with his Special Representative, saying the MINURSO mission in the Moroccan Sahara was able to conduct 6,167 visits to the headquarters of the Royal Armed Forces, as well as sub-units and observation posts, west of the berm.

I welcome the resumed engagement between Morocco and my Special Representative and urge Frente Polisario to resume regular contacts in person with the MINURSO leadership, both civilian and military, paragraph 96 of the UNSG report reads.

The report also voiced the international communitys concern over the presence of drug smugglers and criminal elements in the region.

With regard to the military war promoted by the Polisario Front in the region, the UN report said that the mission was unable to directly monitor the exchange of fire through the security wall, or verify the details of individual incidents, explaining that the mission was unable to verify the information independently.

The document warned of the risk of escalation between the parties in the buffer zone after the ceasefire agreement, which contributes to increasing tension in the region, and called on the parties to the conflict to deal with the UNSGs personal envoy Staffan de Mistura with an open mind in order to facilitate the peaceful political process.

The annual report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the Sahara conflict also called on the countries of the region to engage in good faith in political negotiations to end the conflict, pointing to the United Nations readiness to hold intensive meetings with all concerned with the file.
Several human rights militants and vocal critics have been unfairly included by the Algerian authorities in its bogus terrorism list in blatant violation of international conventions and laws.

In a press release, the Geneva-based NGO Al-Karama has denounced lately the use by the Algerian regime of counterterrorism laws against human rights defenders and journalists in a desperate move to muzzle them, violating their right to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.

The UN Human Rights Committee had already slammed the violation by the Algerian regime of the rights of political opponents, saying the authorities use broad and vague terms in defining the crime of terrorism, allowing the prosecution of militants.

Al-karama had submitted to several UN experts, including the Special Rapporteur on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, a report on the decrees issued by the Algerian regime to criminalize the peaceful demands of the Hirak protesters.

On 18 May 2021, the unelected Algerian High Security Council (HSC) designated two peaceful political opposition movements RACHAD and MAK (Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie) as terrorists without any judicial review, the NGO recalled.

Following the HCS designation and move, many peaceful activists, journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders were prosecuted and imprisoned for their links to the two movements.

In response to these serious attacks on the rights and fundamental freedoms of Algerian citizens exiled abroad, Alkarama called on UN experts and international community to be cautious in their cooperation with the Algerian regime in the fight against terrorism, saying the illegal Algerian terror lists are made by security bodies outside of any judicial procedure and serve only to hunt down political opponents in exile.

Consequently, Interpol has refused to follow up on requests by the Algerian authorities to issue Red Notices against the listed individuals. The judicial authorities of several countries around the world have also refused to extradite opponents due to unfounded charges, which is an embarrassing rebuke for the ruling Algerian junta.

While some States such as France, Italy and Switzerland have rejected Algerias extradition requests against peaceful opponents, deeming their requests unjustified, few others cooperate with the Algerian regime and back its repressive policy in return for gas supplies and cash.
Col. Assimi Goita, leader of the transition in Mali, held a telephone conversation with Russias President Vladimir Putin to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

I had a rich telephone conversation with H.E. Vladimir Putin. We discussed ways and means to strengthen bilateral cooperation, especially economic and security, Goita said in a tweet.

The leader of the transition branded the relation between the two sides win-win, adding it is based on mutual respect.

Mali, under Goita who came to power in May last year following a coup, has shifted from France, the former colonizer, to Russia in what Malian authorities consider diversification of partners.

The country took delivery in August from Russia of more than six L-39 and SU-25 fighter planes, Mi-8 maneuvering helicopters, an Airbus Casa 295 tactical transport plane, and other weapons and ammunition.
Libyas Presidential Council, PC, has taken distance from the energy agreement signed between the Libyan outgoing Government of National Unity (GNU) and Turkey.

The PC said in a statement that the agreement requires consultation with the Council, stressing at the same time the importance of cooperation with all brotherly and friendly countries in the interest of the Libyan people.

Signing agreements and memoranda of understanding between governments aimed at strengthening cooperation needs to be approved by legislative bodies, the statement pointed out.

The Presidential Councils statement comes after a strong rejection of the agreement by parliament and 73 members of the High Council of State.

A high-level Turkish delegation paid a visit to Tripoli on Monday and signed a MoU that allows Turkey to explore oil and gas fields in some areas of the eastern Mediterranean, over which Greece claims to have sovereignty.

The Speaker of Libyas parliament Angela Saleh also indicated that he sent a letter to UN Chief Antonio Guterres in which he stressed the invalidity of any memorandums of understanding concluded by GNU and its leader Abdulhamid Dabaiba.

Saleh adds that the agreement is illegal as the GNU mandate expired on December 24, 2021.
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 faces up to 50 years in prison for each charge, said Judge Jeffrey Wightman at Millers arraignment Wednesday in Dawson County Court. Miller has requested a court appointed attorney.

Millers bail is set at 10% of $500,000. Dawson County Attorney Elizabeth Waterman asked for a high bail amount, saying Miller is a dangerous individual.

A preliminary hearing has been set for 11 a.m. Oct. 24.

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 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.
SUTHERLAND  Practice prepares workers at Gerald Gentleman Station to handle adverse situations should they arise.

On Wednesday, a surprise plantwide fire drill tested workers response. Nebraska Public Power District conducted the exercise to evaluate where improvements might be made.

The simulation took place at the fire training section at the east end of the plant, where the fire safety team regularly conducts its practices.

Cyrus Tilford, fire safety lead, said training is vital and taken seriously.

We set up a drill with the fire brigade, doing a liquid spill fire, a class B fire, Tilford said. The firefighters had to cool the fire, put a foam blanket on it and get rid of the spill fire.

He said part of the exercise was a simulated explosion with two victims.

One victim had some trauma and minor burns. The other one was severely burned, Tilford said.

As part of the drill, Great Plains Health was called and sent its helicopter to transport the simulated burn victim.

They made the call, got the helicopter landed and got the patient loaded up in the helicopter for transport, Tilford said.

The drill Wednesday was in addition to six weeks of fire training the Fire Safety Team undergoes every year.

We get everybody involved in the plantwide drill, Tilford said. Everybody between incident commander, operations leader, safety leaders, EMTs and fire brigade all come together and train as if its the real thing.

He said the hope is there is never a real incident at the plant.

But if there is one, were ready and everybody knows what their role is to successfully take care of a patient who is down, Tilford said.

The workers are a family, Tilford said, and that is the reason the training is taken seriously. After the simulation, Tilford said, the team will look at the results.

After this, well have everybody debrief and do a critique over the whole situation, he said.

He said they will listen to what the observers saw and the leaders will write a review on the drill.

Well try to make everything better, Tilford said.

We also instruct local fire departments during annual fire training out here, Tilford said. They come out here and train and run through drills as well.

All the local departments are part of a mutual aid agreement, he said.
An Omaha woman has been charged with vehicular homicide following a crash that killed two people in Bellevue.

Maria Diaz Castelan, 33, was arrested Wednesday in connection with a Sept. 23 crash that killed 23-year-old Kirsten Fritz and 30-year-old Victor Munoz Garcia, according to a news release from the Sarpy County Attorneys Office.

Around 8:15 p.m. the night of the crash, Castelan was driving a Honda Odyssey southbound on Fort Crook Road when she ran a red light at Cornhusker Road and struck two cars, a GMC Envoy and a Kia Sorento, according to the Bellevue Police Department.

Garcia, a passenger in the Odyssey, and Fritz, the driver of the GMC, were both killed in the crash. Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene, and Fritz died at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, police said.

All three occupants of the Kia Sorento  Sally Harrington, 38, Ladell Harrington, 46, and an unnamed 16-year-old girl  and Castelan were taken to the Nebraska Medical Center with injuries, according to police.

Both alcohol and speed appear to be factors in the crash, according to the attorneys office.

Castelans charges include two counts of motor vehicular homicide by DUI and two counts of motor vehicular homicide by reckless or willful reckless driving, according to an arrest warrant filed on Sept. 29.
Sen. Ben Sasse will resign from the U.S. Senate to accept the presidency of the University of Florida, returning to academia after representing Nebraska in Washington for eight years.

Sasse was unanimously recommended by the university's search committee and will visit the campus in Gainesville on Monday to meet with students, faculty and other members of the community before he is formally selected by its board of trustees.

Sasse, a solid conservative Republican vote in the Senate, helped steer new conservative nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court through the Senate Judiciary Committee and onto ultimate Senate confirmation while also voting to convict former Republican President Donald Trump of incitement to insurrection in his second impeachment trial in 2021.

Only seven Republican senators cast votes to impeach the former president for his actions related to the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol as Congress met to formally confirm the election of Joe Biden as president after he defeated Trump in the 2020 election.

There always had been an open hint that Sasse's stay in Washington might not be long, certainly not as long as some of the veteran senators who have made it a career and grown old in the Senate.

His website bluntly stated: "An opponent of perpetual incumbency, he has no intention of spending his life in the Senate."

Gov. Pete Ricketts will appoint a successor to fill the Senate seat until January of 2025. Nebraska voters will elect a new senator in 2024.

Sasse's departure opens a future political pathway for Ricketts if he chooses to seek a seat in the Senate after he is term-limited out of the governor's office at the end of the year. Ricketts was the Republican Senate nominee in 2006, losing to incumbent Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson.

In a brief telephone interview, Sasse said he was excited to fill the leadership role in "the most important institution in the most dynamic state."

"The future of work is the biggest challenge we face," Sasse said, one that universities need to tackle.

"I am excited to be able to help build the University of Florida's potential."

In a statement, the University of Florida presidential search committee pointed to Sasse's "distinguished academic career" with degrees from Yale and Harvard, as a faculty member at the University of Texas in Austin and five years as president of Midland University in Fremont.

"This is right for the University of Florida, right for the state of Florida and right for the Sasse family," Rahul Patel, chair of the presidential search committee, said.

"Ben brings intellectual curiosity, a belief in the power and potential of American universities and an unmatched track record of leadership spanning higher education, government and the private sector," he said.

The search committee said it focused on a dozen highly qualified and diverse candidates, including nine presidents at major research universities and Sasse was its unanimous choice.

"The University of Florida is the most interesting university in America right now," Sasse said. "It's the most important university in the nation's most economically dynamic state."

While Sasse won all 93 counties and racked up record vote counts in his two Senate races in Nebraska, his opposition to Trump sparked condemnation and censure by the Nebraska Republican Party.

"The anger in this state party has never been about me violating principle or abandoning conservative policy -- I'm one of the most conservative voters in the Senate -- the anger's always been simply about me not bending the knee to one guy," Sasse said last year.
(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putins warnings that he may resort to deploying tactical nuclear weapons must be taken seriously. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiys staff clarified comments he made Thursday after Russian officials seized on them to accuse the Ukrainian president of calling on NATO allies to carry out a nuclear strike against Russia.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Russias top energy official, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, said a price cap on its exports would backfire and might lead to a temporary cut in production. Novak reinforced the Kremlins warning that his country wont sell oil to any countries that adopt the cap. The Kremlin said the production cut isnt a sign of solidarity.

Moscows forces launched multiple rockets against the city of Zaporizhzhia, about 52 kilometers (32 miles) from the namesake nuclear plant, on Wednesday night. And two Russians sought refuge in the US after fleeing to Alaska to avoid their countrys conscription.

(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)

Key Developments

Biden Team Seethes Over OPEC+ Cut That Darkens Election Outlook

Biden Says Putin Threats Real, Could Spark Nuclear Armageddon

Mark Carney Sounds Alarm Amid Weaponization of Fossil Fuels

Kremlin Lets State Media Tell Some Truth on Putins Stalling War

On the Ground

Five of Russias drones -- four of them made in Iran -- were destroyed by Ukraines anti-missile forces on Thursday, the Ukrainians said in a statement on Facebook. Ukraines General Staff said Moscows troops are still trying to disrupt Kyivs counteroffensive, while continuing attempts to conduct offensive actions in the direction of Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Kyivs forces are advancing farther in the Russia-occupied Kherson region.Two missiles were launched by Russian jets from Belarusian air space - for the first time since late August, and both hit the area near Shepetivka in central Ukraine, hundreds of miles from the front line.

Story continues

(All times CET)

Biden Says US Trying to Find Off-Ramp for Putin (3:55 a.m.)

Biden said the US is trying to find an off-ramp for Putin and worries that his threats to use tactical nuclear weapons are real and could lead to Armageddon.

Were trying to figure out what is Putins off-ramp? Where does he get off? Where does he find a way out? Biden said Thursday at a fundraiser in New York City. Where does he find himself in a position that he does not, not only lose face but lose significant power in Russia?

He is not joking when he talks about potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological and chemical weapons, because his military is, you might say, significantly underperforming, Biden added.

Russia Pounces on Zelenskiys Strike Comment (10:04 p.m.)

Zelenskiys staff issued a statement clarifying comments he made earlier Thursday after Russian officials seized on them to accuse the Ukrainian president of calling on NATO allies to carry out a nuclear strike against Moscow.

Zelenskiy said that in the days before Russia invaded his country in February, NATO should have deterred the Kremlin from using nuclear weapons by carrying out preventative strikes. His office said he meant sanctions, which were the only measures on the table at the time.

Colleagues, you have gone a little too far with your nuclear hysteria and are now hearing nuclear strikes even where there is none, Zelenskiys staff said in the statement.

Two Russians Seek Refuge in Alaska, Fleeing Conscription (9:46 p.m.)

Two Russians are seeking refuge in the US after fleeing to Alaska to avoid military conscription for the war in Ukraine.

The pair arrived Oct. 4, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. According to a spokesman, they were brought to Anchorage where their claims under US immigration law will be processed.

This incident makes two things clear: First, the Russian people dont want to fight Putins war of aggression against Ukraine, Senator Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican, said in a statement. Second, given Alaskas proximity to Russia, our state has a vital role to play in securing Americas national security.

Zelenskiy Urges IAEA Chief to Condemn Russian Claim to Nuclear Plant (8:01 p.m.)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he urged Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to condemn Russias move to take formal ownership of Ukraines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russian troops have been occupying since March.

We have been waiting for a tough IAEAs statement, the societys waiting too, Zelenskiy said after meeting with Grossi in Kyiv. The president also wants to resume the plants operation, which would allow the government to ensure the electricity supply to Ukrainian and European customers.

Grossi will also visit Russia as the IAEA pushes for a safety zone around the nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe.

Ukraine Picks Successor to Central Bank Chief Accused of Graft (7:55 p.m.)

Ukraine tapped a former bank chief to replace central bank Governor Kyrylo Shevchenko, who said anti-graft authorities had accused him in an embezzlement case. Zelenskiy nominated Andriy Pyshnyi, formerly the chief executive of government-controlled lender Oschadbank and a politician, to take over from Shevchenko.

Earlier, the anti-corruption bureau said it sent a notice of suspicion in an embezzlement case to an unnamed senior official involved in an alleged scheme to siphon 206 million hryvnia ($5.6 million) from a state-run lender. Shevchenko, who resigned Tuesday citing health reasons, denied wrongdoing, calling the investigation politically motivated.

Shevchenko wrote on Facebook that he decided to cite my deteriorating health as the sole reason for his resignation because I was fully aware of my responsibility for Ukraines financial stability and reputation. But he added, I decided not to talk about the almost two years of political pressure, which had intensified on the eve of my resignation, and seriously aggravated my health problems.

Kremlin Lets State Media Tell Some Truth (6:20 p.m.)

With its troops losing ground almost daily, the Kremlin has told some of its state media to start admitting some of the failings of President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine, worried that its relentlessly upbeat propaganda was fueling growing public doubts.

We have to stop lying, Andrey Kartapolov, a former general who now heads the Defense Committee in the lower house of parliament, said on a popular online talk show this week. Our people arent stupid.

Ex-Banker Pyshnyi Top Candidate for Ukraine Central Bank (2:30 p.m.)

The nomination of Andriy Pyshnyi, formerly the chief executive officer of government-controlled lender Oschadbank and a politician, is to be submitted to parliament on Friday. He is the top candidate to take over Ukraines central bank after Governor Kyrylo Shevchenko unexpectedly resigned this week.

Ex-Banker Pyshnyi Top Candidate for Ukrainian Central Bank Chief

US Giving Ukraine $55 Million for Winter (1:45 p.m.)

The new funding will be administered via the USAID Energy Security project , its administrator, Samantha Power, said in Kyiv, according to the agencys website. The aid package will help support the reparation and maintenance of pipes and other equipment to deliver heating nationwide.

Seven million Ukrainians will benefit from the assistance for homes, hospitals, schools and businesses. Power generators, alternative fuel and shelters will also be provided, including for the socially vulnerable and for internally displaced people.

Putin Critic Charged With State Treason, Tass Says (12:57 p.m.)

Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza has been charged with state treason for allegedly working for a NATO state, the Tass state news service reported, a move that threatens him with as much as two decades in prison.

Kara-Murza has been in detention since April, charged with spreading disinformation about the Russian army in Ukraine.

Kara-Murza twice suffered near-fatal poisonings. According to an investigation by the Bellingcat group, the same Russian intelligence agents accused of poisoning opposition leader Alexey Navalny in 2020 also tailed Kara-Murza.

Sweden Says Detonations Damaged Nord Stream Pipelines (12:45 p.m.)

The Swedish Security Service stated that the detonations caused the damage to the Nord Stream pipeline system in the countrys exclusive economic zone.

The completed investigation has strengthened the suspicions of serious sabotage, the Security Service said in a statement.

OPEC+ Decision Not Sign of Solidarity, Kremlin Says (12:26 p.m.)

The OPEC+ decision to cut production isnt a sign of solidarity with Russia, but is aimed at stabilizing the oil market, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in response to a question about US criticism that the deal reflects closer ties between Moscow and Saudi Arabia.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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On Wednesday 5th October, OPEC+, at its 45th Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee meeting held in Vienna, agreed to cut daily oil production by 2 million barrels per day. As it was the first in-person ministerial meeting for OPEC+ since March 2020, which itself signaled that a major announcement was looming, it was fitting that the group announced the biggest oil production cut since the start of the Covid pandemic. The size of the cut, equivalent to around 2% of global daily oil production, was significantly larger than the expected figure of 1 million bpd. However, according to Reuters, as several OPEC+ member states fell short of their target production levels in August, the real cut is estimated to be less than 1 million barrels per day. Given the magnitude of this step, it is worth looking into the role the group plays in the global oil market and how this latest production cut might affect prices.

OPECs Role

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, was founded in 1960 and consists of 13 members which account for around 82% of global oil reserves and 30% of oil production. While neither the US nor Russia is part of the group, the latter is part of OPEC+, a wider association that includes 10 non-OPEC countries with shared interests in the oil market. The group, unofficially led by Saudi Arabia, sets production targets for its member countries which influence the global supply of oil, although its targets are not always met by all members. While there are other influencing factors on both the supply and demand side, OPEC+ does exercise a significant influence on the supply and therefore the price of crude oil.

OPEC has been accused on many occasions of behaving like a cartel, unnecessarily restricting supply in order to maintain high revenues from oil exports. The group denies this; OPECs secretary general Mohammad Barkindo stated earlier this year that the organisation had no control over the spike in oil prices following Russias invasion of Ukraine. However, it remains true that due to the proportional significance of oil revenues to OPEC members economies, the group certainly benefits from high oil prices.

Related: Germany Needs To Slash Natural Gas Consumption To Avoid A Winter Emergency



Brent Crude Oil prices in the past 6 months.

Incentives to Intervene

In the past few months, there has been notable price volatility in the oil market, though the overall trend has been bearish since the Q2 peak of $123.58 per barrel on June 8th as shown in the graph above. In the past 10 days, oil prices have been hovering between $84 and $90 per barrel and the threat of oils value slipping even further is a key reason behind the decision taken by OPEC+.

A second reason behind the cut is the need to improve the spare capacity of some of the key oil producing nations, particularly Saudi Arabia. With the looming threat of a US-led price cap being imposed on Russian oil exports, the expectation is that supply may become even tighter, at which point Saudi Arabia would then increase production once again to take advantage of higher prices. In cutting production ahead of any price cap being introduced on Russian oil, OPEC+ is also sending a strong message to the US that buyers will not dictate oil prices.

Russia also has much to gain from higher oil prices. Due to the sanctions imposed on the nation following its invasion of Ukraine, the buying market into which Russia can sell its oil has been reduced to a few remaining participants. Furthermore, Russia and Saudi Arabia arguably have more to gain from high oil prices than anywhere else; the nations are the third and second largest producers of oil, only behind the US, yet their energy revenues are more proportionally more significant than in the diversified economy of the United States.

The movement towards an alliance between Riyadh and Moscow will frustrate the United States. Earlier this year, President Biden travelled to Saudi Arabia ostensibly to negotiate commitments to greater oil production from the nation. The trip was particularly significant given Bidens criticism of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in relation to his alleged connection to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. This latest announcement from OPEC+ casts Bidens trip to Riyadh in an unfavourable light, and adds pressure to his administration in the run-up to the nations midterm elections in November.

Record Refinery Margins

While the oil market headlines will initially be dominated by OPEC+ announcements, another part of the industry that will come under examination in the coming months is the refinery sector. Refinery utilisation rates have been unusually strong this year and, as noted by Reuters, could remain above 90% in the US for a third consecutive quarter in Q4 2022. The US has particularly maximised its refinery capacity due to pressure on the industry from the Biden administration to lower domestic gasoil and diesel prices as the midterms loom.

Elsewhere in the world, refineries have also been run at high levels for two reasons. The first is due to the capacity that was lost as plants were forced to close during the Covid pandemic, meaning there is now a lesser total amount of global crude oil refining capacity. The second, more significant, reason is that margins for refiners have ballooned to record levels this year. This issue was explained by Erwin Seba for Reuters: the margin from selling diesel from a barrel of oil and replacing that barrel, called the diesel crack spread, this week [26/09/22 - 02/10/22] was about $54 per barrel on the Gulf Coast, compared to about $12 a year ago, according to Refinitiv. This level of profiteering within the refinery industry may come under closer inspection if global oil prices rally back north of the $100 per barrel mark.

Back in August, Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman cited extreme volatility as a key reason why OPEC might need to step in and protect the integrity of the oil market. Wednesdays announcement of a production cut of 2 million barrels per day is unlikely to instantly relieve the oil market of the price volatility seen during 2022, but it may alter the wider trajectory of oil prices to point higher once again. It remains to be seen whether the Energy Minister will remain as concerned about market volatility if prices rise above $100.

By ChAI Predict

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The design and build of the battery itself remain the most critical area for EV makers, with hydrogen fuel cell technology becoming increasingly competitive and the price of electricity climbing.

The race to build the most sustainable and cost-effective electric vehicle is well underway, with companies using everything from recycled plastics to fossil fuel-free steel.

As Citroen introduces its new electric vehicle (EV)  made from recycled cardboard  it makes us wonder which other materials could be used in EV manufacturing to make cars both faster and greener. With automakers racing to create the most innovative, cost-effective EV designs, non-traditional components could help car manufacturers come out on top.

In September, Citroen announced a new concept car to be made from recycled cardboard. The new EV  oli, is expected to weigh just 1,000 kilograms, or one metric tonne, and achieve a range of 248 miles. Its can reach a speed of 68 mph - allowing it to maximize efficiency, with a 20 percent to 80 percent charge time of 23 minutes.

Citroen says that olis parts can be reused or recycled. The four-seater car includes a flat bonnet, roof and pick-up bed panels that are made from re-cycled honeycomb cardboard, according to the French automaker. The materials are both lighter weight and require fewer resources to produce. Citroen insists that despite the unusual materials used, the cars body is still heavy-duty and can resist someone standing on top of it. The oli also has mesh material car seats, removable Bluetooth speakers, a screen-free dashboard, and mobile charging appliances.

The aim when creating oli was to make a smaller, simpler EV, rather than a heavy, multi-gadget car. The firms CEO, Vincent Cobee, explained of the development: Obviously, and I think we can all agree with it, the drive towards an electrification [of] individual transport is a very important element of a sustainable future. He added, Im not even talking about regulation, Im talking mostly about societal expectations How we get there is a very important question.

Cobee emphasized the importance of an affordable EV for the everyday driver. While many automakers have been moving towards a smarter, faster, longer-range EV, it has bumped up prices significantly, meaning that not everyone will be able to afford the switch to electric as countries introduce a ban on internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. But oli offers an alternative. Although the concept car wont be available for purchase, the materials and design will be used in commercial Citroen models.

Recent reports suggest that rising electricity prices have meant EV charging has become almost as expensive as fueling a car with petrol in Europe. As consumer costs continue to rise, many are concerned about their ability to continue using a car, as EVs become the norm. Greater innovation in materials and EV components could help automakers to become more competitive and prevent consumers from giving up on a switch to electric.

Car manufacturers are now looking to incorporate innovative  and particularly more eco-friendly  materials into their EV and car battery production. As sustainable consumerism becomes more normalized, and people hold companies accountable for their ESG practices, automakers are looking to provide more environmentally friendly options to consumers looking to invest in an EV. Options such as vegan leather interiors and bio-based upholstery are now being offered in many electric cars.

In the move away from fossil fuels, its not just the engine that had to change as manufacturers must also consider the petrochemicals that go into making several of a cars components. For example, some firms are producing cars using fossil-free steel. Volvo recently announced that it would be using green hydrogen to power its steel plant to decrease its CO2 emissions. Steel can comprise as much as 60 percent of a cars structure, meaning that making the metal fossil fuel-free will help automakers decarbonize operations significantly.

Other companies are exploring recycled plastics as an alternative for several car components. Dashboards and bumpers could both be produced using recycled plastic bottles. The EU is even discussing the possibility of making the use of recycled plastics in EVs mandatory. In addition to becoming more eco-friendly, using materials other than heavy leather, wood, and steel could make new EVs more streamlined and lighter in weight, as car manufacturers finally have the drive to look for innovative alternatives.

And its not only the cars design that can benefit from these types of materials but also electric batteries. As some automakers are advancing hydrogen fuel cells for cars, battery makers are looking to make their battery design more competitive. Hydrogen cars could offer a far longer range than battery EVs, as well as a significantly faster charging time  similar to that of an ICE car. Therefore, constantly innovating the electric battery design is key to remaining competitive.

Traditional EV batteries use graphite anode materials that have a low energy storage capacity, meaning a shorter range. So, now, producers are looking to alternatives such as silicon  which has a storage capacity of around 10-times greater than graphite. However, the volume of silicon materials expands rapidly meaning that its storage capacity decreases over time. While there is promise yet for the material, it requires greater testing to respond to this challenge.

While some car manufacturers are developing their EVs to be the fastest, most-advanced product possible, other automakers are looking to streamline their design to make them more sustainable and lower cost. However, the research and development of alternative EV materials will require a great deal of investment and time to see a real change in the market.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

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After OPEC+ yesterday agreed to cut production by 2 million bpd, oil prices rose but in a much more limited way than many wouldve predicted as it remained to be seen how much of the cut would be physical and what the U.S. would do in response to the move.

The market wasnt thrilled since the actual cuts would be half what the headline number suggests, Velandera Energy Partners CFO Manish Raj told Market Watch.

Goldman Sachs went further, estimating the actual production cuts at half a million barrels daily because of the gap between targets and output.

Indeed, OPEC+ has been undershooting its own production targets for months, with the August figure at over 3 million barrels daily. This led some analysts to suggest that the production cut agreed at this meeting would be more of an attempt to move targets closer to actual production than anything else.

Until it becomes clear whether OPEC+ will be cutting actual production or moving targets, the price rally forecast ahead of the meeting in Vienna on Wednesday will probably wait.

Regarding the reaction of the United States, there has been a signal from President Biden that the likely response would be to release yet more crude from the strategic petroleum reserve. The Biden administration needs low fuel prices and it needs them now and over the next month until the midterm elections.

Despite the lack of details about the implementation of the production cut, Goldman raised its oil price target to $110 per barrel of Brent for the final quarter of the year. JP Morgan also suggested Brent could rebound to $100 in the current quarter, following OPEC+s move to cut.

Meanwhile, headwinds remain, the strongest among them being the fear of a global economic slowdown, with recessions expected for some of the worlds biggest economies such as Germany. These headwinds are likely to put a cap on any price rises unless supply shrinks significantly.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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The benchmark U.S. natural gas prices rose by more than 3% early on Thursday ahead of the weekly EIA gas inventory report, to the highest level in two weeks, amid expectations of higher demand for the fuel next week.

As of 9:05 a.m. ET on Thursday, the front-month futures at the Henry Hub, the U.S. benchmark, were trading 3.20% higher at $7.125 per million British thermal units (MMBtu). Demand for natural gas across the United States is expected to rise in the coming days more than previously expected, according to Reuters estimates.

U.S. natural gas prices were rising early on Thursday despite a forecast of a bigger-than-average gas in storage build expected to be reported by the EIA later today. The steeper-than-average stock build was expected due to milder weather in the past days, halts of two LNG export facilities, and a rise in wind power generation.

Estimates point to the EIA reporting later today a build of 113 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas in storage for the week that ended September 30. While generally in line with the build from the same week of 2021, this would be above the five-year average build in gas in storage stocks of 87 bcf, according to Reuters.

Gas demand has faltered lately due to mild weather and power outages in Florida after Hurricane Ian. Moreover, there has been more gas available domestically in recent days as the Cove Point LNG export facility in Maryland started a three-week annual planned maintenance on October 1.

The Freeport LNG export facility continues to be out until at least early November after a fire in June.

Earlier this week, U.S. natural gas futures dipped by 6% on Monday, extending losses from Friday, as market participants fretted over receding domestic demand prospects, rising production, and possible disruption for American LNG exports.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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On September 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan, declared Pakistan as one of Moscows primary partners in Southeast Asia. As the Russian leader put it, I would like to note that we see Pakistan as a priority partner in Southeast Asia as well as the continent as a whole. Relations between our countries are developing absolutely positively, and we are pleased about that (Kremlin.ru, September 15). Formerly Cold War rivals, Russia and Pakistan share a troubled history. During the Cold War, Pakistan was the front-line ally of the United States in its war against the defunct Soviet Union. Having leverage over the Afghan Mujahideenthe Talibans predecessorIslamabad played a crucial role in the exit of Russians from Afghanistan.

It was only in 2011 that Islamabad extended a friendly hand to Moscow, after US-Pakistani relations seriously deteriorated following the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by US special forces inside Pakistan. Ties between Moscow and Islamabad have gradually improved over the past decade. In 2016, for the first time, both counties held joint exercises in Pakistan (Express Tribune, April 11).

Perhaps, the most consequential project that will strategically connect Russia with Pakistan is an energy pipeline supplying Russian gas to Islamabad. During his meeting with Sharif, Putin demonstrated a willingness to deliver gas to energy-starved Pakistan, as some infrastructure for this already exists in Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan (Geo TV, September 15).

In this light, Putin has offered to reactivate the Pakistan Stream gas pipeline, which was originally finalized in 2015 but has yet to become operational. Pakistan needs reliable energy supplies from Russia to fuel its industrial sector and for domestic use (Dawn.com, September 17).

In 2021, Islamabad and Moscow signed a revised deal for the construction of the $2.5 billion Pakistan Stream pipeline, also known as the North-South gas pipeline, which was designed to supply gas from the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals at the port cities of Karachi and Gwadar to the city of Lahore in Punjab province. This project will not only deepen Russias growing involvement in Southeast Asia, but it will also strengthen Pakistans energy security (see EDM, August 3, 2021).

However, the main hurdle with most pipeline projects from Central to Southeast Asia has been the rampant political instability in Afghanistan, through which most pipelines must traverse before entering Pakistan and beyond. For example, the TurkmenistanAfghanistanPakistanIndia (TAPI) gas pipeline has so far remained only a pipe dream, as the project could not be finished due to security concerns in Afghanistan. Thus, Putin sought Islamabads cooperation in settling the Afghan issue during his meeting with Sharif.

Today, the presence of terrorist groups in a post-US Afghanistan raises security concerns in both Moscow and Islamabad. A United Nations report warned that transnational terrorist groups, such as al Qaeda and the Islamic State, are growing in strength in Afghanistan (Dawn.com, July 21). Without a stable government in Kabul, it is difficult to check the expansion of such terrorist groups and their operations in the Central Asian republics and Russia (Express Tribune, April 20, 2021). In 2021, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Islamabad to relay that the Kremlin was open for any form of cooperation, from the construction of gas pipelines to defense cooperation (Express Tribune, April 11, 2021).

In the past, Afghanistan served as the battlefield for the Russian-Pakistani rivalry during the Cold War. The US-Pakistani strategic partnership during the 1980s against the Soviets in Afghanistan was instrumental in the breakup of the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, presently, that same Afghanistan could be the stage for rapprochement and a deepening of strategic ties between Moscow and Islamabad.

Moreover, the Kremlin views Pakistan as one of Chinas closest ally and strategic partner. And for Islamabad, its road to Moscow actually goes through Beijing. On February 4, Putin attended the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. The Russian leader was there to win Chinas backing in Russias showdown with the US and its Western allies over Ukraine. Then-Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan also attended the ceremony to show solidarity with China and Russia amid the Wests boycott of the Olympic Games and position on Ukraine (Express Tribune, February 4).

Related: China Is Reselling U.S. LNG To Europe For Big Profits

Some observers even believe that China had actually arranged Khans visit to Moscow on February 24 when Russia re-invaded Ukraine. The visit, which raised eyebrows in the US, provided the Kremlin with an opportunity to impede India, Pakistans arch rival, from joining the West in condemning Russias re-invasion of Ukraine (Dawn.com, March 2).

Finally, Russia supports Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and has even demonstrated interest in joining the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the BRIs flagship project. Moscows interest in CPEC is a direct result of growing Russian-Pakistani relations over the past decade. In 2019, Moscow and Islamabad, during a meeting of the Pakistan-Russia Consultative Group on Strategic Stability, agreed to a proposed seven-point road map for boosting bilateral relations; Russian participation in CPEC was one of the seven priorities (Times of Islamabad, March 28, 2019). In November 2020, Russia, along with other SCO members, except India, fully supported CPEC in a joint communique issued at the end of the SCO council of heads of government in New Delhi (Hindustan Times, November 30, 2020).

Russias expected future participation in CPEC will further strengthen the Beijing-Moscow-Islamabad nexus and strategic partnership, thus expanding Moscows influence in Southeast Asia. The Kremlins participation in CPEC will also open greater opportunities for China, Russia and Pakistan to enhance trilateral cooperation. If Russia formally joins CPEC, it would be a critical breakthrough in Moscow-Islamabad bilateral relations and open a gateway to opportunities and economic prospects for both countries (see EDM, August 3, 2021).

By The Jamestown Foundation

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The European Union needs to quickly intervene in its gas and energy markets, including by imposing a price cap on wholesale gas, to avoid a spiral of deindustrialization and social unrest amid sky-high energy prices, Belgiums Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told the Financial Times in comments published on Thursday.

The EU will look to reform the electricity market to decouple the dominant influence of gas on the price of electricity, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in the middle of September.

These are all emergency and temporary measures we are working on, including our discussions on price caps, the Commission's president said, without referring to specific price caps on gas, or Russian gas only.

Commenting on the need to adopt measures as soon as possible, Belgiums De Croo told FT that if the EU didnt intervene in the gas market, we are risking a massive deindustrialization of the European continent and the long-term consequences of that might actually be very deep.

The energy crisis is already pushing Germany  Europes biggest economy  into a recession, which will deepen as we head into the winter months amid the ongoing natural gas and energy crisis. Across Europe, industries are forced to curb or shut down production due to soaring energy prices.

The prime minister of Belgium, which has been one of the EU member states calling for a gas price cap for months, said the EU could impose a hard cap on Russian gas and a flexible ceiling on LNG imports, which would still be high enough for LNG exporters to have the incentive to bring it to Europe.

The European Commission has been reluctant so far to propose a gas price cap precisely because of the concern that by limiting the price, LNG exporters will simply skip Europe and sell their cargoes to customers in Asia.

Ben van Beurden, CEO at the worlds top LNG trader, Shell, admitted as much earlier this week. A price cap on gas would make Shells and other traders efforts to bring more LNG to Europe much more difficult, he said at the Energy Intelligence Forum in London on Tuesday.

We will do our best to bring gas to Europe where its needed, but if the market signal is not there its going to be really challenging, said van Beurden.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Leaders from more than 40 countries are gathering in Prague for an inaugural summit of a continental forum aimed at bringing Europe together in the face of Russia's war in Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis.



The stated aim of the European Political Community -- a brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron -- is to improve cooperation between European Union countries and nonmembers such as Britain, Turkey, and the states of the Western Balkans and the Caucasus region.

Among those set to meet in Prague Castle on October 6 are the leaders of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and Switzerland.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal is set to attend in person while President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is due to join by video.

The gathering has been billed by Brussels as a "platform for political coordination," but despite the rhetoric, few concrete results are expected from the summit.

Russia, which is not invited, will loom over the meeting as discussions focus on the economic and security fallout from its invasion of Ukraine.

The meeting is likely be dominated by differences about how to cap gas prices to contain soaring energy costs driven by the war.

The group meets for a plenary session followed by a family photograph.

Participants will then hold several smaller roundtable discussions on security, energy, climate, and the economy.

Related: OPEC+ To Cut Oil Production By 2 Million Barrels Per Day

Participants are then expected to outline the conclusions during a working dinner.

While the usefulness of the meeting has been doubted by observers, some say the the most important events will be the bilateral meetings held on the sidelines.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has said he will meet Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev together with Macron and EU chief Charles Michel in Prague to discuss their ongoing conflict over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Countries pushing to join the EU -- Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and the Western Balkan states -- have had reservations about the event, concerned that it could end up being a consolation prize to replacing serious membership discussions.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's attendance has also been viewed with reluctance by EU members Greece and Cyprus, who have long-standing disputes with Ankara.

By RFE/RL

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The worlds largest crude oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, left the official selling price of its flagship Arab Light grade unchanged for November loadings compared to October, sources familiar with the latest pricing told Reuters on Thursday.

Saudi Arabias Arab Light will sell in November to Asia at a premium of $5.85 per barrel over the average of the Oman/Dubai benchmarks, unchanged from this month, according to Reuters sources.

Refiners and analysts in Asia were expecting a rise in Saudi oil prices for Asia for November in response to signs of recovering crude demand in one of its biggest markets and the new batch of fuel export quotas issued by Beijing.

As a result of this higher demand, Saudi Arabias official selling prices were expected to rise by $0.25 per barrel for the flagship Arab Light crude, refiners participating in a Reuters survey said.

On the one hand, the new quotas suggest higher near-term demand for crude. On the other, refining margins have sunk after the announcement of the new quotas in anticipation of a flood of new fuel supply. As a result, survey respondents forecast a relatively moderate hike in Saudi Arabias prices.

But Saudi Arabia left the Arab Light price unchanged, as well as the Super Light prices for November in Asia unchanged. The Kingdom cut the Extra Light price by $0.10 per barrel to a premium of $6.35 over Oman/Dubai, and raised by $0.25 a barrel the prices of Medium and Heavy grades.

Saudi Aramco, which releases official selling prices (OSPs) for the following month around the fifth of each month, also typically releases the prices after the monthly OPEC+ meeting.

At the OPEC+ meeting on Wednesday, the alliance agreed to cut the collective oil production target by 2 million barrels per day (bpd). The actual cut would be around 1 million bpd, of which Saudi Arabia, which has been trying to produce to quota, will reduce 526,000 bpd of output as of November and will have a target of 10.478 million bpd.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The United States is considering an easing of sanctions on Venezuela in order to increase the flow of Venezuelan oil to U.S. and European markets, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources in the know.

The sanction relief is aimed at Chevron, which used to operate in Venezuela but sanctions made it pull out of the country.

According to WSJ sources, the deal with the Maduro government will see the latter resume talks with the opposition to discuss holding fair elections in 2024. In exchange for that, Washington has agreed to free some Venezuelan state assets frozen in U.S. banks. These will be used to pay for food, medicines, and equipment for Venezuelas electricity grid and water supply network.

There are no plans to change our sanctions policy without constructive steps from the Maduro regime, said a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, as quoted by the WSJ.

The softer U.S. course towards Venezuela began earlier this year, after Russias invasion of Ukraine, when sanctions began to pour on Moscow, targeting, among others, its hydrocarbon industry. The U.S. was the first country to impose a ban on Russian oil imports and found itself needing replacement supplies.

Europe also needs urgent replacement of Russian oil ahead of an embargo entering into effect in December. Reports in March suggested that the U.S. was ready to lift some sanctions on Venezuela to make it easier for Venezuelan crude to start flowing into global markets again but since then there has been little reported progress.

Venezuela is ready and willing to fulfill its role and supply, in a stable and secure manner, the oil and gas market that the world economy needs, Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro said last month. In August, Venezuela suspended oil deliveries to Europe under an oil-for-debt program and asked companies to provide it with fuel in exchange for future cargoes.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Taiwan has lifted all its COVID-19 entry restrictions, allowing tourists unfettered access to the self-ruled island after over 2 1/2 years of closed borders. Dozens of visitors from Thailand were among the first tourists to arrive Thursday at Taiwans Taoyuan International Airport. Visitors to Taiwan are no longer required to quarantine upon entry or take any PCR tests. Instead, they will need to monitor their health for a week after arriving and obtain a negative result on a rapid antigen test the day they arrive. If people want to go out during the weeklong monitoring period, they need a negative test from either that day or the day before.
Eleven people working for one of the nations leading turkey producers have been charged with animal cruelty in Pennsylvania after state police said they were caught on video kicking, stomping and beating turkeys at several farms.

The workers were responsible for capturing and crating turkeys destined for slaughter, Pennsylvania State Police said Thursday. Police launched the probe in August 2021 in response to a complaint from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The animal rights group said it sent an undercover investigator to Plainville Farms to evaluate the marketing claims of a third-party labeling program that had designated Plainville as animal welfare certified.

The PETA investigator worked on a Plainville Farms crew for about three weeks and captured graphic video that appeared to show workers mistreating the birds.

Every night, at every farm the crews worked at, these men threw turkeys, viciously kicked and stomped on them, and killed them in the most rampant, top-to-bottom display of cruelty to farmed animals weve ever seen, Dan Paden, a PETA vice president, said in a phone interview.

The mistreatment took place at farms in Chester, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Perry and Union counties, police said. A total of 139 charges were filed, including six felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and 76 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. PETA said its unaware of a cruelty-to-livestock case involving more criminal counts.

This was a lengthy, detailed investigation that involved reviewing a lot of evidence at multiple locations, said Cpl. Michael Spada, a state police animal cruelty officer.

Plainville continues to advertise its turkeys as humanely raised in a stress-free environment, even after the company was suspended from an animal welfare and labeling program run by Global Animal Partnership. Its turkey products come with an Earthwise seal  which is not an independent labeling program, but a term Plainville trademarked in 2008.

PETA has asked the Federal Trade Commission to prohibit Plainville from using false or misleading claims in advertising its turkey products. An FTC spokesperson declined comment on whether the agency is investigating.

New Oxford, Pennsylvania-based Plainville has zero tolerance for anything like the alleged actions of these former employees, said Matt Goodson, the privately held companys chief executive officer. The company fired the employees implicated in the abuse, began using stationary and body cameras during the catching process, and took other measures to prevent a recurrence, he said.

Plainville remains committed to the highest welfare standards for our animals and customers. We believe that its important for incidents like this to come to light in order to challenge our industry to do better, he said in a statement Thursday.

The companys turkey products are sold at supermarket chains including Publix and Wegmans.

Plainville employs about 600 workers and slaughtered about 90 million live pounds of turkey last year, according to WATT PoultryUSA, a trade publication.

PETA has long criticized Global Animal Partnerships humane certification program as misleading and insufficient, and it chose Plainville from a long list of Global Animal Partnership-certified suppliers as a way to investigate the program, said Paden, the PETA vice president, adding that Plainville happened to have a job opening on a catching crew.

The undercover PETA investigator, who was hired by a staffing agency, documented instances in which co-workers stomped and kicked turkeys, clubbed them with rods, and picked them up by the heads and violently shook them, according to a brief video compilation released by PETA. The video appeared to show dead turkeys and injured turkeys writhing on the floor.

The PETA investigator did not take part in the abuse  gently herding the birds instead  and was berated for taking too long, Paden said.

He was told repeatedly, Theres not time for that, and if thats how youre going to do this, you need to find a different job, Paden said.

In a statement, Global Animal Partnership said it took swift action to suspend Plainville from the certification program in the wake of the PETA investigation. The partnership has certified more than 4,000 farms in 11 countries and says each farm is visited by a third-party inspector every 15 months to ensure compliance with the groups animal welfare standards.

In terms of Plainville, what happened was egregious, horrendous, and completely unacceptable, the group said, adding it does not tolerate the cruel treatment of turkeys, or any animal, in our program.

This story has been updated to correct the name of one of the supermarket chains to Wegmans, instead of Wegners.
A new historical marker commemorating a grim chapter in Omahas past  the 1891 lynching of George Smith  will be unveiled Friday on the grounds of the Douglas County Courthouse.

The ceremony will also memorialize George Smith, a Black man who was murdered by a White mob outside the courthouse. The Omaha Community Council for Racial Justice and Reconciliation will lead the event. Its scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Friday on the north lawn of the courthouse, 17th and Farnam Streets.

The Equal Justice Initiative, based in Montgomery, Alabama, provided the marker. That organization and the local racial justice and reconciliation group have worked together to raise awareness of racist violence with events commemorating the lynching of Smith and that of Will Brown, who was murdered by a mob in 1919 outside the courthouse.

The event Friday will include remarks from community leaders and public officials as well as prayer, poetry readings and musical performances.
An Omaha woman has been charged with vehicular homicide following a crash that killed two people in Bellevue.

Maria Diaz Castelan, 33, was arrested Wednesday in connection with a Sept. 23 crash that killed 23-year-old Kirsten Fritz and 30-year-old Victor Munoz Garcia, according to a press release from the Sarpy County Attorneys Office.

Around 8:15 the night of the crash, Castelan was driving a Honda Odyssey southbound on Fort Crook Road when she ran a red light at Cornhusker Road and struck two cars, a GMC Envoy and a Kia Sorento, according to the Bellevue Police Department.

Garcia, a passenger in the Odyssey, and Fritz, the driver of the GMC, were killed in the crash. Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene, and Fritz died at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, police said.

Castelan and all three occupants of the Kia  Sally Harrington, 38, Ladell Harrington, 46, and an unidentified 16-year-old girl  were taken to the Nebraska Medical Center with injuries, according to police.

Both alcohol and speed appear to have been factors in the crash, according to the County Attorneys Office.

Castelans charges include two counts of motor vehicular homicide by DUI and two counts of motor vehicular homicide by reckless or willful reckless driving, according to an arrest warrant filed on Sept. 29.

This was a horrific motor vehicle crash that killed two people and injured three others, Bonnie Moore, chief deputy county attorney, said in the release. These types of crashes are preventable with safe driving. No measure of justice will bring the victims back. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims.
Nebraska State Fair Executive Director Bill Ogg announced Wednesday that he plans to resign after heading the organization since May 2020.

Ogg will transition to executive director emeritus after the Nebraska State Fair Boards meeting on Oct. 14 while the Nebraska State Fair decides on the hiring process for Oggs successor, according to a news release.

In the emeritus position, Ogg will work with deputy executive director Jaime Parr to transition duties and responsibilities until a new executive director is hired, the release said.

Ogg was hired at a tumultuous time for the Nebraska State Fair, which had experienced two consecutive years of declining revenue. His predecessor, Lori Cox, discovered and reported potential fraud prior to stepping down for what she described as health reasons.

A state audit later found that a company created by the fairs former finance chief, Patrick Kopke, received payments of nearly $150,000 over the course of a year, the Lincoln Journal Star reported. Kopke pleaded no contest to three counts of felony theft in August 2021.

Ogg appears to have placed the state fair on more stable footing. According to the news release, the fair went from a $1.7 million deficit to having nearly $9 million cash on hand under his leadership.

I was hired in 2020 to right the ship,  Ogg said in the release. The 2022 Nebraska State Fair, with record numbers in several areas and positive surveys of exhibitors, vendors and the public, is once again heading in the right direction and full steam ahead. The effort we put in has been both exhilarating and exhausting, and I am ready to invest more time with my family and for myself.

Ogg, a Wyoming native who came to Nebraska from Walla Walla, Washington, said in the release that becoming executive director in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic was both challenging and rewarding. At the time he was hired, it was uncertain whether there would be a 2020 Nebraska State Fair. Ultimately there was a fair that year, though it was pared back.

At the conclusion of the 2022 fair, Ogg reported an 8% increase in attendance compared to the previous year.

We are grateful for Bills hard work on behalf of the Nebraska State Fair and Aksarben Stock Show, Bob Haag, Nebraska State Fair Board chairman, said in the release. His efforts through the difficulties of COVID-19, our increased attendance and positive financial position are testaments to Bills leadership.

In the coming weeks, the fair board plans to announce a process for identifying, recruiting and selecting the next executive director, the release said.
No magic wand

Illegal immigration is increasing at an alarming rate. We know the causes: extreme poverty, hunger, violence, lack of job opportunities, dangerous drug cartels, and no hope for a livable future. The solutions to the immigration problem are not easy. The easiest solution is to wave a magic wand and improve living conditions to the point that more people would choose to live in their home countries. Unfortunately, there is no magic wand.

The United States cannot open its borders without limits. The immigrant problem is too massive. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency there are 65.6 million displaced people in the world. Therefore, we must have safe and secure borders.

There are some steps our government can do to help the immigration situation:

1. Establish generous, but sustainable limits on immigration.

2. Reform the farm worker program to provide farmers with the workers they need. This may also result in a lower price for food.

3. Increase the number of employer based visas to help meet the current market demand for skilled workers.

We should never forget that immigrants have made strong contributions to our economy, communities, and way of life. An orderly, thoughtful, caring approach to immigration reform is needed.

David and Barb Daughton, Omaha

Keep ads about issues

I have seen the ads for Tony and Don. As someone who has seen this nation nosedive from year 2020 onward, I am really upset about certain things. I hate the attack ads on both of these candidates. I saw tonight a positive ad from Don Bacon. I have seen a positive ad from Tony Vargas. As a Nebraskan I think that both of them are great human beings. I am happy with either one winning. The thing I want to see most is that one of them shakes the others hand when this is all done.

Seth Gottberg, Omaha

Just the facts

As the election is approaching, Im sure all of us are overloaded with political ads on TV. I watch some TV and I started keeping score on the congressional race between Vargas and Bacon. Im tired of the amount of attack ads and would like to see more positional ads on TV. The scare tactics of attack ads are tiresome and frankly makes me want to vote against the scare tactic politician.

I have been keeping score on the ads while watching TV. Over four days of watching mostly prime time TV I found Vargas used 10 positive/positional ads and only five negative ads. However, Bacon used eight positive/positional ads and 27 negative ads. Vargas had 15 ads for a 33% attack ad average. Bacon on the other hand had 35 ads, 27 of which were attack ads for a whooping 77% attack ads. Im asking all candidates to stop the attack ads which have no believable value and give me the facts on what you will do if you are elected.

I would like to get to know the candidates better by having debates however one gubernatorial candidate refuses to debate so give the other candidate time on the air to put her views out to the public if he wont debate. Why is Pillen hiding from the debate stage?

David Snow, Omaha

Disappointed in Kleine

How many times have I voted for Don Kleine? How many times has he run for office? Thats the answer. I tried to understand during the summer 2020 protests, there were surely things he knew as county attorney that justified his non-action in the shooting in the Old Market but I was relieved when an outsider was appointed to handle the case. I understood when Mr. Kleine felt attacked by the party that he had been so loyal to for decades and chose to leave but really bothered by the presser where he stood shoulder to shoulder with all the major players of the Nebraska Republican party. But when he fervently proclaimed his adoration and voted for Donald Trump, that was the final straw. I dont understand him, no longer respect him and will never vote for him again. I am sad and disappointed in Don Kleine.

Bonnie Price, Omaha
PONTIAC  The Livingston County man who was convicted in three shooting deaths was sentenced Wednesday afternoon to life in prison.

Clifford Brewer, 55, of Cullom was found guilty in August of killing his wife, Shirley Brewer, 48; his son, Christian Brewer, 27; and his neighbor Norman Walker, 51, on Christmas Day 2019.

In this particular case, there really is no discretion, said Judge Jennifer Bauknecht. I believe the statute is very clear: The defendant must be sentenced to natural life because there was more than one victim and the defendant was over 18 years of age at the time.

She sentenced him to three terms of natural life in the Department of Corrections  one for each victim, as charged. Because the Livingston County jury also found Brewer had used a firearm in these offenses, three 25-year enhancements were added to his sentence, Bauknecht said.

Since Brewers sentence was effectively determined by state statute, the attorneys on both sides gave minimal argument before the judge made her ruling.

States Attorney Randy Yedinak called these offenses devastation that the defendant caused and emphasized the impact on the surviving victims.

We have to remember that theres no amount of laws or their enforcement, for that matter, that can undo what the defendant did, he said. Victims can be a lot of things, but they are, more importantly, human beings. I think we oftentimes lose sight of that  human beings who are loved and oftentimes needed.

Yedinak read two victim impact statements submitted by Walkers daughters.

You have taken away the man that taught my sister and I everything.  My father had a huge heart and would do anything for anyone, like taking in your kin when they needed it and never asking for anything in return, he said, reading Valerie Brewsters statement. I dont understand how you claim my father was your best friend or buddy and then put a gun to his face and pull the trigger.  I cannot and will not forgive you for murdering my father.

Walkers other daughter, Alicia Walker Brockett, wrote that Brewer had ruthlessly and mercilessly taken the glue that held our family together.

Before receiving his sentence, Brewer turned to face the courtroom gallery and spoke directly to Brewster.

He said he was sorry for her loss and he had tried to stop my wife. During the trial, Brewers attorneys Stephen and Joshua Richards made the case that Shirley Brewer had killed her son and Walker before turning the gun on herself. They argued she died during a struggle for the gun between her and Brewer.

He was a good man and he was a good friend and I valued him to the end, Brewer said, speaking of Walker.

Each time he spoke Wednesday, Brewer maintained that he was innocent.

Before the sentencing proceeded, he said, I know what happened; I know the truth.  The fact is I didnt do it. Ive (said) that from the beginning.

Yedinak said he expects Brewer to appeal the outcome of the case.
From 1883 to 1929, Scottish-American businessman Andrew Carnegie donated much of his wealth to build public libraries worldwide, including 1,689 in the U.S. and 106 right here in Illinois. Another five Carnegie libraries were built at Illinois colleges.

Coming from an immigrant family, Carnegie believed in hard work as the path to success, with books and education being a major part of that path. While his libraries varied in design style, most did include a staircase leading up to the main doorway, symbolizing a persons elevation by learning, and a lamppost or lantern near the entrance, as a symbol of enlightenment.

Carnegies libraries also made open-shelf, self-service collections the norm. Previously, most libraries stacks were closed to the public, and patrons had to ask staffers to retrieve books for them.

Central Illinois has 16 Carnegie buildings that continue to operate as public libraries. Here are the details:

Arcola Public Library

Location: 407 E. Main St., Arcola

Grant amount: $10,000, on March 27, 1903

Library opened: 1905

Worth noting: Designed by architect Paul O. Moratz of Bloomington, known for working on the citys historic White Place neighborhood. Library features a gabled portico entrance, tiled foyer, domed atrium, and roof cornice and cupola, all in the Classical Revival style.

Ayer Public Library District

Location: 208 Locust St., Delavan

Grant amount: $10,000, on April 25, 1911

Library opened: 1914

Worth noting: Classical Revival style

Carnegie-Schuyler Library

Location: 303 E. 2nd St., Pana

Grant amount: $14,000, on Jan. 31, 1911

Library opened: 1913

Worth noting: The library was named Carnegie-Schuyler for Andrew Carnegie, who donated the funds, and Henry N. Schuyler, who donated the land.

Charleston Carnegie Public Library

Location: 712 6th St., Charleston

Grant amount: $15,000, on Oct. 3, 1901

Library opened: 1904

Worth noting: 2008 addition was made to match original style; library maintains original wood trim, coffered ceilings and fireplaces.

El Paso District Library

Location: 149 W. 1st St., El Paso

Grant amount: $6,000, on Sept. 1, 1905

Library opened: 1907

Worth noting: Designed by architect Paul O. Moratz of Bloomington, known for working on the citys historic White Place neighborhood. Richardson Romanesque design features rounded turrets on either side of the front door linked together by an arch.

Elwood Township Library District

Location: 104 N. State St., Ridge Farm

Grant amount: $9,000, on April 28, 1909

Library opened: 1910

Worth noting: Ridge Farm is the smallest U.S. town with a Carnegie library still in operation.

Havana Public Library

Location: 201 W. Adams St., Havana

Grant amount: $8,000, on Oct. 3, 1900

Library opened: 1902

Worth noting: Blonde brick building in Classical Revival style with four bays separated by five Ionic pilasters.

LaSalle Public Library

Location: 305 Marquette St., LaSalle

Grant amount: $25,000, on June 2, 1904

Library opened: 1907

Worth noting: Designed by architect Victor Matteson, based in both LaSalle and Chicago

Lincoln Public Library District

Location: 725 Pekin St., Lincoln

Grant amount: $25,000, on March 6, 1901

Library opened: 1903

Worth noting: Designed by W.A. Otis of Chicago. Classical Revival design features entrance portico, red tile roof and cornices.

Mattoon Public Library

Location: 1600 Charleston Ave., Mattoon

Grant amount: $25,000, on June 21, 1901

Library opened: 1903

Worth noting: 1995 addition was designed to match the librarys original style as closely as possible.

Paris Carnegie Public Library

Location: 207 S. Main St., Paris

Grant amount: $18,000, on March 14, 1902

Library opened: 1904

Worth noting: Designed by Charles Henry & Son of Akron, Ohio

Paxton Carnegie Library

Location: 254 S. Market St., Paxton

Grant amount: $10,000, on March 20, 1903

Library opened: 1903

Worth noting: Designed by architect Paul O. Moratz of Bloomington, known for working on the citys historic White Place neighborhood. Library has been restored with original furnishings, including the oak circulation desk.

Peoria Public Library  Lincoln Branch

Location: 1312 W. Lincoln Ave., Peoria

Grant amount: $20,000, on Dec. 13, 1909

Library opened: 1911

Worth noting: First dedicated library on Peorias south side. Classical Revival style designed by Hotchkiss and Harris of Peoria.

Shelbyville Public Library

Location: 154 N. Broadway, Shelbyville

Grant amount: $10,000, on Jan. 22, 1903

Library opened: 1905

Worth noting: Classic French Renaissance style with arches, fluted pilasters and fireplaces. Renovations in 1995 brought back period furnishings, including lighting fixtures, and concealed the air conditioning system.

Streator Public Library

Location: 130 S. Park St., Streator

Grant amount: $35,000, on Feb. 19, 1901

Library opened: 1903

Worth noting: Classical Revival style designed by Patton & Miller. Library has original grand staircase, woodwork, shelves, stained glass, and many of the original oak tables. Two-story rotunda has murals installed in 1905 and depicting scenes of Shakespeare, Longfellow and Socrates.

Tuscola Public Library

Location: 112 E. Sale St., Tuscola

Grant amount: $10,000, on April 13, 1903

Library opened: 1904

Worth noting: Classical Revival style

Sources: Individual library websites, Wikipedia

LIBRARIES NO MORE  Chillicothe, DeLand, Greenup, Peru and Taylorville have buildings that once served as Carnegie libraries, but have since been repurposed for other uses.  Decatur, Pekin and Springfield once had Carnegie libraries, but they were all demolished in the 1970s.
Madam Stella Gyimah Larbi, a 34year- old teacher of Adenta Community School in Adenta Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, was yesterday adjudged the 2022 National Best Teacher.



She took home GHC300,000 for a three-bedroom apartment.



Madam Fati Issifu of Buipe Girls Model School in the Central Gonja District of the Savannah Region was adjudged the first runner-up and took home a brand new pickup, whilst Mr David Harrison Mensah of Sefwi Benkwai SDA went home with a saloon car as second runner up.



Addressing the gathering, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia said Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos government acknowledged the values of education to human development and nation-building.



He said the massive investments in education system in the country included the teachers of this country.



He added that, the massive investments in education would come to nothing if teachers could not rise to the occasion and respond positively to the great vision of transforming the nation through education



The theme for this years World Teachers Day was The transformation of education begins with teachers.



The Vice President speaking on theme said, this was in line with the governments education transformation agenda, adding that no nation in the world had developed without a conscious investment in their education system and teachers.



Dr Bawumia said the transformational agenda of the government hinged on the training of the people to be creative, innovative, critical thinking and technologically astute to lead the forward match of the fourth industrial revolution.



He said the government had introduced the standard base curriculum that focused on the Rs to lead the 21st century skills of critical thinking, innovation, collaboration, communication and problem-solving.



The Vice President said the government was convinced that, the education transformation agenda could only be successful if no person of school-going age was not left behind.



We cannot afford to allow cost to deny any Ghanaian child the right to education, Dr Bawumia added.



Dr Bawumia said steps had been taken to make technical vocational education and training (TVET) more attractive to students with emphasis on skills development.



He said they had strategically created the Ghana TVET Service to focus on skills training and development, and government had equipped a lot of the TVET institutions with state-of-the- art equipment to provide skills learning to the youth of this country.



He stated that with the construction of 32 TVET institutions, coupled with the introduction of Free TVET, it would go a long way to create more jobs for the youth when completed



The Vice President added that, as part of the education transformation agenda of the government, they were targeting tertiary enrollment ratio of 40% by the year 2030.



He said the current enrollment ratio was not enough to propel the nation towards industrialised development.



Dr Bawumia said, the government was therefore investing heavily in tertiary institutions to absorb the number graduating from the TVET and the Senior High schools.



He, therefore, called on teachers to remain committed to their work as the government was working tirelessly to transform the education sector of this country.



The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) earlier assisted fifty needy students in the hinterland as part of the celebration.



The items the students received were, school uniforms, school bags, canvases and socks



The beneficiary schools included, Mankarigu DA KG and Primary School in the North Gonja District and Luulugu DA KG and Primary School in the Gusheigu and Karaga Districts

Source: Ghanaiantimes.com.gh









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Professor Nicholas N.N Nsowah-Nuamah, Chairman, Council for Independent Universities, has encouraged private universities to work hard to meet the Ghana Tertiary Education Commissions (GTEC) criteria for a Presidential Charter.



That, he said, would enable the private universities to award their own degrees and diplomas after being mentored by a public university.



The Government merged the National Council for Tertiary Education and the National Accreditation Board under the new Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023) to form the GTEC in August, 2020.



Following the creation of the GTEC, under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), it is no longer mandatory for new tertiary education institutions to go into affiliation arrangements with existing chartered institutions to be accredited.



As part of the new transitional arrangements for the granting of a Charter, all existing University Colleges have been given up to the end of 2024 to demonstrate their capability and readiness for a Charter, by meeting the prescribed conditions.



The Act states that, if an affiliated institution is unable to meet the requirements for a Charter within the specified four-year period, but demonstrates sufficient cause for preparing for a Charter, an additional two years may be given by GTEC to the institution to enable that institution meet the requirements for Charter.



President Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, August 30, 2022, awarded Presidential Charters to Methodist University College, Presbyterian University College, and Catholic University College. This means they have transitioned into autonomous Universities, with the capacity, now, to award their own degrees and diplomas.



Prof Nsowah-Nuamah, in an interview on the side lines of a workshop on quality assurance for private Universities, urged founders and management of private Universities to make funds available to meet the charter requirements.



He said GTEC organised a workshop in Koforidua for private universities to take them through the charter system, adding that todays meeting was to assess members' preparedness in meeting the criteria for a Charter.



We have asked members to prepare the self-assessment document indicating their strengths and weaknesses and find ways to address the gaps, he said.



The Professor said the participants were taken through topics like conceptualizing quality and quality assurance in tertiary education, charter policy dimension and regulatory framework, among others.



Prof Albert Addo-Quaye, President of Kings University College, said over the years, admission into the private universities had reduced which had affected their revenue strength, making it difficult to pay for the institutional affiliation fees.



The workshop, Prof Addo-Quaye stressed, was timely and would enable participants to know how to prepare for the Presidential Charter.



Mr Anthony Kwame Archiabah, Computer Engineer, said he had manufactured a software application dubbed Performance Machine to provide security in education, transport, cyber and other sectors.





Source: GNA









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Deputy Majority Leader in the Ghanaian Parliament and Leader of the Ghanaian delegation to the Community Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has noted that the idea of Free Movement of Goods and Services in the West Africa sub-region should be welcomed and embraced by all member states.



According to him, this is to create an atmosphere where ECOWAS citizens would not be limited by borders; but was quick to point out that member states do have their challenges in the wake of security and political instability.



Hence member states are trying to control the Free Movement of People in a manner that they can manage to know who is coming in and going out and citizens in member states are supposed to meet certain conditions as they trade in the sub-region.



In an interview on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, he noted that MPs should create awareness for citizens to know the community protocols if they want to move from their home country to another.



We should be able to interact and explain more to our people at the same time we should let our citizens appreciate the security challenges. My country Ghana for instance is much concerned about its Northern border with Burkina Faso, the instability in Mali and Burkina Faso is of great concern to Ghana.



"If we do not control the influx, it would undermine our own security in this case it cannot be that in controlling you put in measures to prevent an influx, you are breaching community protocol, there is an essential need to ensure there is security in your country.



This, he said, is important to ensure that people would not come into your Country under the pretext of ECOWAS citizens to destabilise your country, and need to look at it in that contest of what is being done on the whole citizens in the sub-region to allow free movement to Togo, Ivory Coast, Benin and Nigeria.



Also, traders move in and out generally, but he does not think citizens have been denied that opportunity that much, but there is the need to put in measures to ensure that extremists do not take advantage of free movement to destabilise our sub-region.



Again, there is a military, and the government in Guinea Conakry, Burkina Faso, does serve the good of the sub-region in terms of democracy. We need democracy. As a key imperative for economic growth you need democracy for stability, if there is no democracy and we allow adventurists to come in as and when they wish to influence by external and internal forces at the end of the day the whole idea and objective of the sub-region to ensure democracy and stability would get compromised.



Furthermore, he noted, "we cannot say the sub-region should unduly interfere in the affairs of member states, but we should be mindful of the principle of responsibility to protect. It happened in the Gambia, where the sub-region was proactive and there was stability in the Gambia; Liberia, it got to a point the sub-region took control which led to stability in Liberia.



And there are instances in Ivory Coast, for instance, a situation even as the AU at the time has to come in, the sub-region was very proactive at the end of the day it led to the stability that we have in Ivory Coast.



The sub-regional political leadership has the responsibility to protect, invoke some powers which if implemented in a united form will send a strong signal to those adventures who are thinking that 'let us organise our self and organise a coup', it would deter people who think I can always stage a coup and find an excuse to say there is going to be transition and the sub-region body cannot bit and can generally talk and all that. I think one must be looked at critically and urgently, he noted.

Source: Ghanaweb









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The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has condemned the brutal assault of a toddler in a video gone viral on social media.



A statement issued by the Public Affairs Unit of the Gender Ministry in Accra, said the one minute, nineteen seconds video portrayed a man severely molesting and beating a toddler under a tree.



It said: The Ministry on behalf of Government strongly condemns this cruel, inhumane and barbaric act meted out to the child.



The statement said the act, portrayed in the video was against the Children's Act 1998 as well as the Criminal code of Ghana, which explicitly states that, A person shall not subject a child to torture or any other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment including a cultural practice which dehumanizes or is injurious to the physical and mental well-being of a child.



It stated that the act was a clear violation of the law which was punishable.



We commend the Ghana Police Service and Child Rights International (CR) for launching a manhunt for the suspect in the matter and also staking a reward claim to any individual who will be able to provide information that leads to the arrest of the individual and rescue the child, the statement said.



The Ministry, therefore, appealed to the public to support the Police with any information relevant to the matter and the arrest of the man.



We finally urge citizens to be vigilant and continue to report individuals who engage in this unlawful act, it said.



The statement advised parents and guardians to correct their children with love and care when they made mistakes but not in a violent manner.



The General Public can reach the Ministry's Helpline of Hope Call Centre on its toll-free number on 0800-800-800 or O800-900-900 for complaints and enquiries. Also, issues of sexual and gender-based violence can be reported to the Domestic Violence Call Centre Via toll-free number 0800-111-222, it said.







Source: GNA









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The Ghana Police Service (GPS) has called for a strong partnership between Ghana and Nigeria to tackle rising human trafficking, particularly, for commercial sex work in both countries.



Chief Superintendent Mike Baah, the Director of Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the GPS said it was worrying about 90 percent of traffickers and their victims in the country were Nigerians, including minors, trafficked for commercial sex work.



The situation has worsened that some of the trafficked victims for sex work have graduated to Madams, using innocent and unsuspecting girls from Nigeria to enrich themselves, he stated when speaking at a five-day training workshop, underway in Accra.



Expertise France, a French public cooperation is organising the workshop, being attended by 20 selected Journalists, 10 each from Ghana and Nigeria and aimed at empowering them to pitch and produce compelling stories in both countries.



The workshop forms part of the NGOs regional project to support the fight against human trafficking in the Gulf of Guinea countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Guinea, Cote DIvoire and Togo being implemented by the organisation with funding from the European Union (EU).



That notwithstanding, C/Supt. Baah said the Unit was doing well to clamp down on traffickers, saying this year only Ghana had had five convictions including eight individuals who were serving various jail terms, and out of those convicts five were Nigerians.



We recently rescued a victim who was sleeping with 13 men a day. Some of these victims had gotten pregnant and delivered, he said, adding that trafficking is all over the place and as the fourth arm of the government, the media must intensify public education to help stem the menace.



C/Supt. Baah expressed worry that when arrested many Nigerian traffickers kept changing their identities, saying the Police was collaborating with the Nigerian High Commission in Accra to help identify the identity of the traffickers, publish, name, and shame them.



He said Ghana and Nigeria remained a source, transit, and destination countries for victims of trafficking, saying aside the conviction, Act 964, Section 40, 2005 enjoined the nation to confiscate the properties of traffickers.



Human trafficking is basically trading in human beings and remain the third highest criminal wealthy-making venture in the world, C/Supt. Baah stated, indicating that cyber-related trafficking was also gaining grounds in the country.



This year alone, he added the Police had rescued 60 cyber-trafficked victims who were all Nigerians, and asked Journalists in both countries to also build and strengthen cooperation to help tackle the menace.



Mr Charles Autheman, a France-based media consultant and a facilitator would take the participants through key terminologies, international conventions and the required skills and abilities for pitching and writing compelling human trafficking stories.

Source: GNA









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Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has said that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's meeting with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and chiefs on the fight against illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) will have no impact.



According to him, the meeting will have no effect because the president has all the powers needed to fight the menace but has chosen not to use same.



Speaking in a Joy News Interview monitored by GhanaWeb on Wednesday (October 5), Kofi Bentil added that the president organised the meeting just to show that he is doing something in the fight against galamsey.



It (the meeting) will not make any difference. It is the president that has all the power. So, when you have the power to do what you need to do and you go round suggesting that you are seeking the assistance of other people, who do not have any power or dont have any real power to deal with the matters, it is just window dressing.



I think he wants to show some activity. Activity is not necessarily progress. Unfortunately, I dont think it is going to yield anything, he said.



Kofi Bentil further stated that chiefs and MMDCEs whom the president met might be involved in galamsey and they will not be putting in the needed efforts or help with the needed information to stop it.



He added that the president needs to call for a state of emergency if he truly wants to stop galamsey.



That is why again I go to the call of Occupy Ghana to impose a state of emergency. The president can actually impose a state of emergency and go to Parliament even after the fact or can go to Parliament and request that it should be imposed now. If he doesnt do it then he doesnt want to do it because he can do it, he said.



Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo, during his meeting with chiefs and MMDCEs in Kumasi, urged chiefs across the country to get themselves involved in the fight against illegal small-scale mining since they are the custodians of lands in the country.



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 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, he noted.









Source: ghanaweb.com









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Ghana has been classified as a high debt distressed country, according to the World Bank.



The Banks October 2022 Africa Pulse Report, Ghanas rising debt-to-Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is now projected to reach 104 percent by the end of this year.



This would represent an increase from 76.6 percent a year earlier with the report attributing the development to the depreciation of the cedi, widening government deficit and rising debt service costs.



It further attributed Ghana losing its access to international capital markets as another contributing factor.



Debt is expected to jump in Ghana to 104.6% of GDP, from 76.6% a year earlier amid a widened government deficit, massive weakening of the cedi, and rising debt service costs," the report noted.



The countrys debt is expected to remain elevated at 99.7% and 101.8% of GDP in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Tightening of financial conditions globally along with the fall of the domestic currency widened the sovereign spread by 233 basis points since December 2021, it added.



The forecast by the World Bank comes within a period where Ghana has commenced negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for an economic support programme.



Ahead of the possible programme, officials from the Fund are conducting a Debt Sustainability Analysis for Ghana which is a key requisite exercise for the country which is facing a heavy debt burden.



But the World Bank said despite Ghana's target of accessing $3 billion from the Fund to restore macroeconomic stability and shore up public finances, investors remain nervous about the countrys debt sustainability.



It however highlighted these concerns on the back of recent economic downgrades by international credit rating agencies such as Fitch, Moodys, Standards and Poors into deeper junk status.



The agencies on their part cited recent macroeconomic deterioration, further heightening of the governments liquidity and debt sustainability difficulties as well as increasing risk of default as reasons.

























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Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Franklin Cudjoe, has opined that godfathers of illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) met yesterday October 5 to feign a fight against the menace.



His comment comes on the back of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos meeting with the National House of Chiefs at Manhyia to discuss matters concerning the galamsey menace.



In a Facebook post on October 5, Franklin Cudjoe said the stakeholders who met only disowned their child but will continuously benefit from it.



He wrote: Galamsey just got another bad name today. The godfathers assembled to disown their own child but will continue benefitting from its existence.



Akufo-Addo courts House of Chiefs support anti-galamsey fight



President Akufo-Addo in an address to the National House of Chiefs expressed concerns over galamsey activities which he admits has been a lost battle over the years.



He said even though he put his presidency on the line to combat the menace in 2017, it results has not been what he expected.



The president said he paid an electoral price for his fight as he lost votes and, in some cases, NPP MPs in the 7th Parliament lost their reelection bid in mining communities.



He stated that the fight against illegal mining can only be won with the support of chiefs as well as stamping out politics from it.



It can only succeed if it is a truly national battle that 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, President Akufo-Addo said.



Ghana has been waging war on the activities of illegal miners however it is widely believed that the fight has not yielded the desired results.



The discolored nature of water bodies as well as general environmental degradation has been used as a testament to the failed fight.















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Executive Director for Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building, Adib Saani, has urged Ghanas security apparatus to look into possibilities of terrorist and jihadist groups in the West African sub-region raising funds in Ghana.



According to him, there is a high possibility that the terrorist groups are already engaging in illegal mining activities (galamsey) as well as the sale of cattle in the northern parts of Ghana to raise funds to finance their activities.



In an interview with GhanaWeb, Adib, a security analyst, added that the re-arrest of a prominent Fulani Imam, Sheikh Dukere, who was reported to be the emergency contact of five terrorists killed in Burkina Faso, indicates that there might be terrorists who have passed through Ghana or are currently living in the country.



His (Sheikh Dukeres) arrest is significant because it tells us a lot about the presence of alleged militants in Ghana. The probability that they are in Ghana is extremely high.



The possibility that there is a sleeper cell in Ghana recruiting Ghanaians is also very high. And the possibility that they are organizing or planning something against our interest in Ghana is very high.



And we also need to look at the sale of cattle. It is a potentially huge source of income for militants. The terrorists bring in cattle which they steal from neighbouring countries and export to Ghana to be sold by their agents, who then send back the monies realised to these militants.



We also need to look at the gold mines, especially in the north. It is a source of revenue for these terrorist groups. The possibility that terrorists have infiltrated the mining sites is very high, he said.



According to a Joy News report, Sheikh Osman Dukere was arrested for the second time in Ghana by National Security, together with 12 of his followers on Saturday, October 1, 2022.



Although the reason for his arrest has not been disclosed, the Imam was arrested in 2019 with 20 of his disciples when he was accused of having links with a jihadist group in Burkina Faso.



The first arrest was made after the security operatives in Burkina Faso informed the National Security of Ghana that Imam Dukuri was the emergency contact of 5 jihadists it had killed in a gunfight.







Source: ghanaweb.com









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The President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II, has dared Ghanaians to make available evidence that proves that the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Chairman Wontumi, is involved in illegal mining, also known as galamsey.



In his view, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo can only act when there's sufficient evidence that his appointees are involved in illegal mining activities.



On September 30, 2022, the Minerals Commission issued a statement asking Akonta Mining, a company owned by Chairman Wontumi, to stop mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, describing the activities of the company as illegal.



But critics have said that the chiefs in the area should have rather asked President Nana Akufo-Addo to punish Chairman Wontumi over his involvement in the galamsey activities.



Reacting to the claims, the President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II, argued that traditional authorities do not operate on rumours.



He however stated that persons with concrete evidence to back the claims should make it available for the necessary actions to be taken on them.



"I have heard that Wontumi is doing galamsey. Whether it is true or not, I don't know and I don't have any evidence, so how do I tell the president about Wontumi in such a forum or expect me to speak about an issue on national television when I don't have any facts or direct evidence on Wontumi's activities?



So, if you have the evidence or anyone has evidence that Wontumi is into galamsey, make it available to the president and he will act on it," he told Morning Show host of Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV, Kwesi Parker-Wilson.



Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II also cautioned chiefs against engaging in illegal mining.



He insisted that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has their full support in arresting and prosecuting persons involved in the act in spite of their status in the society.



"The chiefs have been warned against the practice because we have asked the President to deal with anyone who is involved, whether a chief, a politician or whoever must be arrested to curb the menace," he added.







Source: ghanaweb.com









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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 that could have caused victims losses 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 National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) launch 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 Ministry's development of the Computer Emergency Response Ecosystem 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. Under 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 Act's passage 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 a month for cyber security awareness creation each year.













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The time for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to extend a hand of cooperation to stakeholders across the spectrum to rescue the economy from further decline is now, the Minority in Parliament has stated.



In the view of the caucus, Ghana has the requisite personnel to turn the economic situation around if the government opened up for alternative views.



Their call comes on the heels of a World Bank report which pegged Ghanas Debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at 104.6 per cent, further impairing the economy.



At a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Minority said if the government had listened to the opposition parliamentary wing when it was cautioned against the excessive borrowing the regime engaged in.



If they had listened to the Minority from 2017, certainly, we wouldnt have been where we are today. Today, Ghana has become a laughing stock in the world.



This mismanagement and incompetence is legendary and must be stopped and I think that the president must call on all of us to come onboard as citizens of this country to secure our future.



We have the people who can do it. There are excellent people in academia and in civil society and in the other political parties.



There is the need for us to come together to rescue our country because it is very clear that this government cannot steer us out of this economic meltdown, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Minority Spokesperson on Finance said.



The caucus, Dr Forson, MP for Ejumako/Enyan/Essiam said was vindicated by its long-held view that government is guilty of subterfuge in relation to Ghanas debt.



The Minority in the past has maintained that the US$2 billion sinohydro deal was a loan contrary to governments position that it was a barter trade between the Chinese company for them to extract bauxite worth the amount.



This position which the government denied, Dr Forson said has come to light.



They have hidden ESLA, they have hidden Sinohydro, they have hidden Daakye, and in fact, they have added debt through Road Fund and they are all public debt.



Since 2017, we have been raising this concern that [the sinohydro and other loans calculated below the line] are public debts but this government thought they are wiser than all of us. Today, their master, the IMF, is in town.



All the above debts, Dr Forson said, have eventually been added to the public debt which has pushed the countrys debt to over 100 per cent of GDP.



Over the years, they have been deceiving stakeholders, you and I, creating the impression that our debt is sustainable. Today it is obvious that due to this governments reckless management of the economy and the way they have piled the fiscals in an unsustainable manner, our debt is 104 per cent of our GDP, Dr Forson said.

Source: Ghanaiantimes.com.gh









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Exexutive Director for Media Foundation for West Africa, Sulemana Braimah, has said President Akufo-Addo can not be trusted in fighting the Galamsey menace.



According to him the President appointed all the people in charge of lands, minerals, forests, regions, districts but everything is being destroyed yet all his appointees are intact and still at post.



"You are the President. All of Ghana's gold is entrusted to you. You appointed all the people in charge of lands, minerals, forests, regions, districts etc. Everything is being destroyed yet all your appointees are intact. You want us to believe you're fighting Galamsey? No," he posted on his twitter page Thursday moring.





Succesful Galamsey Fight Requires Collaborative, National Effort  Prez Akufo-Addo



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 in Ghana continue to be under the custody of Chiefs, whereas the remainder of twenty percent (20%) is held in trust by the President.



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.







Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Metropolitan Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Sam Pyne, has appealed to all Ghanaians to commit to the fight against the galamsey menace.



Joining Thursday's panel on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, the KMA Boss urged the citizenry to assist the President in achieving his vision of eradicating the menace.



The President, on Wendnesday, October 5, 2022, held a meeting with the National House of Chiefs and MMDCEs at Manhyia in Kumasi, Ashanti Region.



President Nana Addo urged the Chiefs, MMDCEs and the entire nation to collaborate on stopping the menace.



"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.



"It is obvious that, if we are to win the fight, it would require a collaborative effort to do so. The fight against Galamsey 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 said.



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 asserting we have to win that fight to keep our environment clean, and protect our heritage for our descendants, as you did in the past.



Sam Pyne also pleads with Ghanaians to heed the President's call saying, "it is the responsibility of all of us to ensure the right thing is done".



"The soldiers that we are deploying to do the job should be truthful to the nation . . . Let's charge those we have placed in charge of the job to be sincere, true and nationalistic ensuring a better future for the country," he added.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah says he is utterly disgusted by the letter written by Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, to Akonta Mining Ltd for encroaching on the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Amenfi West Municipality in the Western Region.



It could be recalled that personnel from the Forestry Commission were recently chased out of the forest reserve by some muscular men when they went to stop workers of the company from mining.



Following the incident, Akonta Mining Ltd, a mining company owned by the ruling New Patriotic Party's (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Bosiako a.k.a Chairman Wontumi, has been stopped by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources from mining in the forest reserve.



According to the Ministry, even though Akonta Mining Limited has a mining lease to undertake mining operations in some parts of Samreboi, outside the Forest Reserve, the company has no mineral right to undertake any mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.



Our records show that Akonta Mining Ltd, on August 25, 2022, applied for a Mining Lease to undertake mining operations in the said Forest Reserve. By a Ministerial Directive, all reconnaissance, prospecting and/or exploratory activities in Forest Reserves in the country are suspended, except in exceptional circumstances.



Although this directive does not affect mining in Forest Reserves, Akonta Mining Limiteds application has not been determined. Accordingly, any alleged activity being undertaken by the company in the Forest Reserve is illegal, the statement further disclosed.



The statement also said the Minister has directed the Forestry Ministry to forthwith, ensure that the company does not carry out any operation in the Forest and to take the necessary action against any person found culpable in this matter.



But Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah is unconvinced by the instructions from the sector Minister to the company to halt their mining operations in the specified forest reserve.



"I feel so disgusted with the letter that Jinapor wrote. Why are we giving someone warning to take his machines away? Have we given Ghana for work and pay?", he questioned.



Establishing his argument, he said; "We are in this country and some people doing galamsey had their machines burned. Why is someone else doing something that is said to be illegal rather getting a warning to remove his machines from the forest?"



To him, the directive to Akonta Mining not to carry out its operation in the forest without any accompanying punishment sounds discriminatory.



"Are we being discriminatory? Are we being true to ourselves? What is this?", he exclaimed.



"If we keep doing this, then we are heading towards nowhere" with the fight against galamsey, he added.



Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah made these submissions on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show.









Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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A former Ashanti regional Minister in the erstwhile late Jerry John Rawlings administration and former Ghanas Ambassador to the United States, Daniel Ohene Agyekum, has described as frivolous claims that the current Ashanti regional Chairman of the opposition NDC, Andrew Augustus Nana Akwasi squandered party funds or took money from the ruling NPP during the 2020 general elections.



Commenting on the leaked Fact-finding Committee report on a local radio station, Ambassador Agyekum said, "nowhere in the report affirmed or concluded that, indeed the regional Chairman of our party sold our votes or squandered monies allocated for the general elections."



None of the accusers was able to provide concrete evidence. There were 17 witnesses who appeared before the committee, and I tell you no one was able to prove that he (Nana Akwasi) took money from the NPP or squandered party money during the elections, he said.



The NDC secured over 600,000 votes in the Ashanti region in the 2020 general elections, bettering the 2016 performance of 400,000 votes.

Source: Onuaonline.com









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Bangladesh suffered its worst blackout since 2014 on Tuesday (Oct. 4), a symptom of disrupted fuel supplies and a preview of what other countries might face in the coming months.

Around 80% of the country faced power outage starting at 2 pm local time, Bangladesh Power Development Board official Shameem Hasan told Reuters. Traffic came to a standstill, shopkeepers tried to work with flashlights, and people flocked to fuel stations to get diesel to run generators.

Read more

Tuesdays blackouts happened after a transmission line was overloaded, creating a cascading effect on other lines, Yeakub Elahi Chowdhury, executive director of Power Grid Co. of Bangladesh, told Bloomberg. We instantly went into a protection mode to prevent it from becoming a bigger problem.

It took seven hours for the electricity to be fully restored. But even when the power was back, the power woes werent entirely gone. This wasnt an anomalous event.

Bangladeshs power crisis has Europe to blame

For the past couple of months, Bangladesh has resorted to frequent power cuts to ration supplies amid high global fuel prices. Extreme measures have included shutting school an extra day each week and getting government offices and banks to shorten their work days.

Even before the war broke out, gas supplies heading to Asia were being diverted to Europe. Now with Russia-Ukraine war squeezing supply, the richer European nations are getting dibs on whatever is up for grabs. With winter and a cap on Russian fuel imports approaching, European buyers will look to stock up on even more LNG.

This is coming at the cost of not just Bangladesh, but several developing nations. India is grappling with its worst power crisis in 6 years while struggling to find suppliers in international markets. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are also finding it difficult to source gas because of shortages in the EU pushing up prices.

Story continues

Over a decade ago, Pakistan had forged long-term contracts with foreign liquified natural gas (LNG) suppliers in Italy and Qatar specifically to insulate itself from volatile prices. But now, these firms continue to serve lucrative European markets while defaulting on Pakistan. The government even took Italian energy firm Eni and Swiss commodity trader Gunvor to court seeking $40 billion in damages. Still, the country is failing to attract LNG bids because producers are overcommitted to European countries as well as China and Japanricher countries that are able to pay higher prices. All this while millions of citizens continue to live without electricity for more than 12 hours a day.

The crises after the power crisis

Looking at cash-strapped Pakistan, power outages knock-on effect on the economy will be felt across various sectors.

 Its getting increasingly difficult to produce fertilizer for livestock, pushing food prices up

 Cell phone towers that are using backup generators to sustain service through the blackouts are running out of fuel

 The fuel shortage is bringing the countrys railway services to a standstill

Load-shedding goes to Europe

Even after scraping the bottom of the gas suppliers barrel, European countries could be looking at shortages this winter. Several governments have already warned that people may have to deal with timed blackouts, take shorter showers, and use less heating.

To developing countries that have always struggled to get and distribute power, the practice sounds overly familiar. To conserve and ration resources while protecting power grids, the authorities often cut off power for some people for some time with prior notice. India even has a name for it: load-shedding.

Related stories

To fix its broken power market, Europe has to break it more



Rich countries need to start switching off the lights at night

How will Europe cope with its energy crisis this winter?
CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama assured residents in Barangay Apas that he will discuss possible remedies with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia following the turnover of lots from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Visayas Command to the Cebu Provincial Government.



Rama told SunStar Cebu Thursday, October 6, 2022, that the City Government has the moral obligation to look for the welfare of the citizens who are worried that they might be asked to vacate the properties they are occupying.



Last October 3, the Capitol recovered at least 17.5 hectares of the 80 hectares of land occupied by Camp Lapu-Lapu and Apas village chief Virgil Cabigon said that around 5,000 households might be affected.



However, Garcia said on Wednesday that only around 1,000 households would be affected by the development.



Rama said that he will be sending representatives to sit down with the governor and discuss the concerns of the residents.



Unsa man ilang kabalak-an nga I was reading the comments of the governor. Mga homeowners man ni sila unya as part sa City Government we also have moral obligation anang dapita diha kay part man sila sa residents sa Cebu City, said Rama. (IRT, PJB)
Illustration of atom probe tomography analysis. The 3D map on the left shows the measured distribution of atoms, with each point representing one atom. From the APT data, the researches can build precise atomic-scale models as shown on the right. They can identify individual atoms, here titanium (Ti), that have been added the material (ErMnO3) to tailor its properties. Credit: Kasper Aas Hunnestad, NTNU

Although nanotechnology and materials science are complicated topics for most of us, the research in these fields is of great importance to almost everyone. Your digital gadgets, for example, are completely dependent on it.

Today, all microelectronics depend on semiconductors. These are materials that are not very good at conducting electricity. But you can add tiny amounts of other substances to them, a process known as doping. This improves the semiconductor's performance so they're not so bad after all.

"In the past, we doped semiconductors and saw that this drastically changed the electrical properties of the material," says Ph.D. candidate Kasper Aas Hunnestad at NTNU's Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

This is all well and good. It's nice when something works. But beyond the fact that it works, we haven't always understood very much of why it does. This is especially true at the atomic level.

"Now, we know much better how we can image the individual added atoms, which previously used to be almost impossible to find. This gives us new insight and allows us to understand how they affect that material's properties," says Hunnestad.

Why 'knowing why' is important, too

So what? Why on Earth should we care about single atoms and why something works? Isn't it good enough just to know that it does work? If this was the case, physicists and chemists would certainly have fun doing the research, but the rest of us wouldn't benefit much from it.

"Only when you know more about how something works, can you manipulate the material and optimize it," says Dennis Meier. He is a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at NTNU, who led the project.

This way, for example, you can make more efficient, environmentally friendly, or cheaper materials for the job to be done. Or you can assign new properties to a material that you already have available with much greater precision. This is also key for developing future materials for sustainable technology.

"Often, we want to introduce new functionality to materials. For that we need to know exactly what role each individual atom plays," says Meier.

The NTNU-SINTEF team. Sverre M. Selbach, Muhammad Zeeshan Khalid, Antonius T. J. van Helvoort, Kasper A. Hunnestad, Constantinos Hatzoglou, Dennis Meier and Per Erik Vullum. Credit: Geir Mogen, NTNU

Advanced imaging techniques make it possible

Hunnestad and colleagues present the results of many, many hours of work using "atom probe tomography" (APT) in a recent article in Nature Communications.

APT is an advanced piece of cutting-edge equipment that NTNU acquired a few years ago. The machine can provide a three-dimensional representation of what a material looks like, right down to the atomic level, explains Constantinos Hatzoglou. He is a senior engineer in the APT laboratory at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Hunnestad and colleagues utilized this outstanding capability to study a new type of oxide-based semiconductor to which very small amounts of a substance have been added to tailor its properties.

"Conventional microscopy techniques didn't allow us to observe how small amounts of additives positioned themselves in semiconductors," says Hunnestad. The new results show that the investment in the very best technical equipment, such as this APT machine, pays off enormously and makes ground-breaking research possible.

Shows the enormous potential

The research is still not exactly easy using APT either. But by bringing together colleagues with different experimental and theoretical backgroundsalong with hard and inspired workthe NTNU team has found solutions.

"This isn't just a wonderful achievement. It also shows the enormous potential of the APT technique for research fields where it has not been applied before. It shows the unique opportunities we have thanks to the modern infrastructure available in NTNU's NanoLab and TEM Gemini Center," says Meier.

Hunnestad has worked with APT for about three years. He has carried out extensive correlated microscopy measurements, supported by Antonius van Helvoort and Per Erik Vullum. Van Helvoord is a professor at NTNU's Department of Physics and experts in high-resolution electron microscopy, while Vullum is a professor II at NTNU, Department of Physics and senior researcher at SINTEF Industry.

Hunnestad and Meier are enthusiastic about all the fascinating possibilities that have already emerged from their APT-based research and the novel perspectives for the characterization of functional materials at the atomic scale.

Imaging of individual titanium atoms mixed into a semiconductor

For their recent article, the research group looked at the oxide-based semiconductor Er(Mn,Ti)O 3 . For this purpose, their collaborators at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the U.S. added tiny amounts of the element titanium (Ti) to erbium manganate (ErMnO3).

"With the atom probe, we can get a three-dimensional representation of how the titanium atoms are positioned in the semiconductor," says Meier. "This allows us to link the new electrical properties of the material all the way down to individual atoms."

Dr. Muhammad Zeeshan Khalid is a member of the team headed by Sverre Selbach, a professor at NTNU's Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He supplemented the experiments with calculations. These calculations provide further insight into the effects that individual atoms can have on the physical properties.

One of the advantages of what the researchers have done is that they can use the method on many other substances as well. It is not just limited to the substances that the research team at NTNU has experimented with.

"The procedures and the results are of broad interest. They can extend our understanding of oxide-based semiconductors and functional materials in general. The research opens completely new doors," Meier says.

Cooperative approach strengthens research

Many people from different departments at NTNU contributed to make this scientific breakthrough possible. SINTEF, the Research Council of Norway, the Norwegian Micro- and Nano-Fabrication Facility (NorFab), the Norwegian Laboratory for Mineral and Materials Characterization (MiMaC), the Norwegian Center for Transmission Electron Microscopy (NORTEM) and NTNU Nano supported the work.

The researchers point out that this collaborative effort nicely showcases the strength of interdisciplinary research. It shows what can be accomplished with a solid start-of-the-art infrastructure.

The details of how Hunnestad achieved such outstanding results are probably not easily digestible for most of us. But the link to the research article below will give you something to chew on if you want to dig in.

Explore further Great progress for electronic gadgets of the future

More information: K. A. Hunnestad et al, Atomic-scale 3D imaging of individual dopant atoms in an oxide semiconductor, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications K. A. Hunnestad et al, Atomic-scale 3D imaging of individual dopant atoms in an oxide semiconductor,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32189-0
An electron beam placed at a series of locations on a sheet of twisted hBN intensifies the light emission from each location. The brightness depends on how long the beam sits at a given point, or the electron flux delivered to that point. The result is an illuminated pattern. Credit: Su et al. 2022

Achieving scalability in quantum processors, sensors, and networks requires novel devices that are easily manipulated between two quantum states. A team led by researchers from the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has now developed a method, using a solid-state "twisted" crystalline layered material, which gives rise to tiny light-emitting points called color centers. These color centers can be switched on and off with the simple application of an external voltage.

"This is a first step toward a color center device that engineers could build or adapt into real quantum systems," said Shaul Aloni, a staff scientist at Berkeley Lab's Molecular Foundry, who co-led the study. The work is detailed in the journal Nature Materials.

For example, the research could lead to a new way to make quantum bits, or qubits, which encode information in quantum computers.

Color centers are microscopic defects in a crystal, such as diamond, that usually emit bright and stable light of specific color when struck with laser or other energy source such as an electron beam. Their integration with waveguides, devices that guide light, can connect operations across a quantum processor.

Several years ago researchers discovered that color centers in a synthesized material called hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), which is commonly used as a lubricant or additive for paints and cosmetics, emitted even brighter colors than color centers in diamond. But engineers have struggled to use the material in applications because producing the defects at a determined location is difficult, and they lacked a reliable way to switch the color centers on and off.

The Berkeley Lab team now solves these problems. Cong Su, a postdoc from the research group led by Alex Zettl, a faculty senior scientist at Berkeley Lab and professor of physics at UC Berkeley, examined how color centers behaved in different sophisticated forms of hBN. The researchers found that two stacked and twisted layers of the material resulted in the activation and enhancement of ultraviolet (UV) emission from a color center, which can be shut off when a voltage is applied across the structure.

"It's like a sandwich with two pieces of bread, but one rotated relative to the other," said Zettl. The rotation between the two layers activates the color centers at the interface to become extremely bright. The applied voltage then easily and reversibly tunes the intensity from bright to completely dark, without "unrotating" the halves.

Aloni's development of a modified electron microscope that not only probed the material's structure but also collected the emitted light for analysis turned out to be key for this study. The setup uses an electron beam to excite the color centers; the researchers also found that they could use the electron beam to activate color centers and draw patterns, such as a smiley face, onto hBN.

"People typically zap the material with lasers or ions, but we've instead zapped it with a beam of electrons," said Zettl.

The study achieves three steps toward realization of a scalable quantum device. First, the UV color centers in hBN can be reliably activated to exceptional maximum brightness, by twisting the crystal interface. Second, these color centers can then be gradually and reversibly dimmed by a simple applied voltage. Finally, electron beam treatment allows further precise spatial positioning of these color centers.

Theoretical calculations led by Steven Louie, a faculty senior scientist at Berkeley Lab and distinguished professor of physics at UC Berkeley, provided candidates for the UV color center atomic configuration to help explain why their brightness depended on the twist angle. The light emission process involves an excited electron wandering around and recombining with a hole at the color center. But a typical hBN structure has many traps that could capture the electrons, preventing light emission.

"Twisting the crystal layers removes many of these traps, or 'quantum parking lots,' near the interface," said Louie.

The team next intends to prepare samples that allow atomic characterization to pinpoint the specific atomic structures behind this mechanism and add additional levels of control.

"The work is pointing us in the direction of new types of mechanisms that we can use to control the emission even better, and this is very important for many applications in quantum information sciences," said Aloni.

Explore further The era of single-spin color centers in silicon carbide is approaching

More information: Cong Su et al, Tuning colour centres at a twisted hexagonal boron nitride interface, Nature Materials (2022). Journal information: Nature Materials Cong Su et al, Tuning colour centres at a twisted hexagonal boron nitride interface,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41563-022-01303-4
Barry Sharpless, one of three winners of this year's chemistry Nobel for click chemistry.

The Nobel Chemistry Prize was awarded to three scientists on Wednesday for their work on click chemistry, a way to snap molecules together like Lego that experts say will soon "change the world".

But how exactly does it work?

Imagine two people walking through a mostly empty room towards each other then shaking hands.

"That's how a classical chemical reaction is done," said Benjamin Schumann, a chemist at Imperial College London.

But what if there was lots of furniture and other people clogging up the room?

"They might not meet each other," Schumann said.

Now imagine those people were molecules, tiny groups of atoms that form the basis of chemistry.

"Click chemistry makes it possible for two molecules that are in an environment where you have lots of other things around" to meet and join with each other, he told AFP.

The way click chemistry snaps together molecular building blocks is also often compared to Lego.

But Carolyn Bertozzi, who shared this year's chemistry Nobel with Barry Sharpless and Morten Meldal, said it would take a very special kind of Lego.

Even if two Legos were "surrounded by millions of other very similar plastic toys" they would only click in to each other, she told AFP.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022.

'Changed the playing field'

Around the year 2000, Sharpless and Meldal separately discovered a specific chemical reaction using copper ions as a catalyst which "changed the playing field" and became "the cream of the crop", said Silvia Diez-Gonzalez, a chemist at Imperial College London.

Copper has many advantages, including that reactions could involve water and be done at room temperature rather than at high heat which can complicate matters.

This particular way of connecting molecules was far more flexible, efficient and targeted than had ever been possible before.

Since its discovery, chemists have been finding out all the different kinds of molecular architecture they can build with their special new Lego blocks.

"The applications are almost endless," said Tom Brown, a British chemist at Oxford University that has worked on DNA click chemistry.

But there was one problem with using copper as a catalyst. It can be toxic for the cells of living organismssuch as humans.

So Bertozzi built on the foundations of Sharpless and Meldal's work, designing a copperless "way of using click chemistry with biological systems without killing them", Diez-Gonzalez said.

Previously the molecules clicked together in a straight flat linelike a seat beltbut Bertozzi discovered that forcing them "to be a bit bent" made the reaction more stable, Diez-Gonzalez said.

Bertozzi called the field she created bioorthogonal chemistryorthogonal means intersecting at right angles.

'Tip of the iceberg'

Diez-Gonzalez said she was "a bit surprised" that the field had been awarded with a Nobel so soon, because "there are not that many commercial applications out there yet".

But the future looks bright.

"We're kind of at the tip of the iceberg," said American Chemical Society President Angela Wilson, adding that this "chemistry is going to change the world."

Bertozzi said that there are so many potential uses for click chemistry, that "I can't even really enumerate them".

One use is for developing new targeted medicines, some of which could involve "doing chemistry inside human patients to make sure that drugs go to the right place," she told the Nobel conference.

Her lab has started research on potential treatments for severe COVID, she added.

Another hope is that it can lead to a more targeted way to diagnose and treat cancer, as well make chemotherapy have fewer, less severe side effects.

It has even created a way to make the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease become fluorescent so it is easier to spot in water supplies.

Already, click chemistry has been used "to create some very, very durable polymers" that protect against heat, as well as in forms of glue in nano-chemistry, Meldal told AFP.

Wilson said other future applications include personalized medicines, antibacterial and antiviral drugs, brightening agents and more.

"I think it's going to completely revolutionize everything from medicine to materials," she said.

Explore further Nobel prize for three chemists who made molecules 'click'

 2022 AFP
Professor Chioma Blaise Chikere at work. Credit: SciDev.Net

Chioma Blaise Chikere is at the pinnacle of her career, as a professor of environmental microbiology and biotechnology at the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria and director of the institution's Entrepreneurial Center.

Yet in this part of the world, such an achievement by a female scholar can be misleading.

Peel away the trappings that come with her office and you reveal a litany of struggles, obstacles and stereotypes that continue to dog the careers of many women scientists from the global South.

"My dream of becoming a world-class scientist was slipping through my fingers due to lack of funds," Chikere says of her earlier struggles. "My journey during early career days as a researcher and scientist was seriously limited by lack of access to educational resources for internationalization."

From a lack of access to standard scientific equipment and laboratories, to inadequate mentorship and scholarship opportunities, Chikere's career progression was in serious doubt.

Her story mirrors that of many researchers from the global South who still struggle to be on par with their counterparts in the North in terms of funding, collaboration and publishingwith negative impacts on global development.

"If there were biases in knowledge, then those biases translated themselves into innovations, creativity and development," says Elizabeth Pollitzer, the founder and director of Portia, a non-profit organization established to advance understanding of gender issues in science.

"Research shows that when you have a gender balance in a team, the collective intelligence of that team goes up. We need this diversity of cognitive approaches and problem solving."

Climate of exclusion

Despite progress on gender representation in science and research in recent decades, disparities still exist. Women author fewer of the papers that are published in journals than men, and higher numbers of women leave research, according to the findings by the scientific publisher Elsevier.

The gender gap is particularly prevalent in climate science. Only about 20% of published climate change research was attributed to female authors, according to an analysis by the International Center for the Study of Research, published in Scopus, Elsevier's abstract and citation database.

It considered research output data between 1996 and 2020, and showed that nearly 80% of all climate change research was attributed to men.

Regionally, the global North still dominated the climate change research landscape, accounting for more than 80% of all research in the past two decadesand this global share rises to more than 90% if China is excluded from the list of global South countries.

Pollitzer condemns "a culture that excludes women," adding, "Even when you have enough women in the talent pool, it's the men who will be invited to join research teams.

"Something strange happens where women appear to be systematically excluded."

Research funders, academic institutions and publishing firms must make deliberate efforts to increase the visibility of women researchers from the global South, Pollitzer says.

Visibility gaps

Chikere is one example of how institutional support can benefit the careers of women scientists.

The opportunity for Chikere came in 2017 after she applied for the Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge, a competition jointly run by the Elsevier Foundationpart of the corporate responsibility program of global publishing body Elsevierand Elsevier's chemistry journals team. The challenge recognizes individuals and organizations whose projects use green and sustainable chemistry solutions to tackle the developing world's greatest sustainability challenges.

Chikere was awarded second prize at the finals in Berlin, Germany. Her project entailed eco-friendly field-scale clean-up of an oil-polluted site in Tombia village in the Degema local government area in Nigeria.

The project, which involved use of poultry droppings as bio-stimulants and soil conditioners to enhance hydrocarbon removal, embraced circular economy, citizen science, indigenous knowledge and integrated waste management.

Earlier, Chikere acquired a Ph.D. fellowship by the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD). The Elsevier Foundation collaborates with OWSD to address visibility issues among women researchers through awards and recognition programs for talented early career women scientists from Africa, the Arab region, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

"The Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge and other gender-based initiatives that encourage and support women scientists in the developing world to build their capacities in research need to be encouraged," Chikere says.

"I can say the support from Elsevier Foundation has greatly enhanced my career trajectory."

Bridging the gap

Nitya Rao, director of the Norwich Institute for Sustainable Development (NISD), a member of the global research group the Adaptation of Research Alliance (ARA), says gender gaps in climate change research persist because of a lack of understanding of gender.

She says existing gender training is often reduced to women's issues and there is a need to look at the wider factors which underpin gender disparity.

"The gaps can be bridged if we make changes in different elements of research cycle," says Rao, gender and development professor at the University of East Anglia's School of International Development.

"From identification of the research question/problem, to the methods of data collection, analysis and writing, often gender monitoring and evaluation focus only on numbersmen and women who have attended meetings, or are co-authors of papers. We need to go beyond this."

Sheela Patel, founder and director of the Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centers (SPARC), an India-based NGO focusing on the urban poor, says the criteria for researcher selection needs to change.

"So long as it's the number of research papers published [which] remains the criteria for who to invite to do research, then women will always be disadvantaged, as highlighted by the latest data on climate change research output."

Explore further 'Prestigious' author rights go to men in health studies

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Scientists at SIT and University of Normandie developed bulk MgB 2 with promising superconductivity. This picture shows unreacted magnesium oxide and boron in the matrix of MgB 2 , and the inset shows energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy curves for boron, oxygen, and magnesium. Credit: Muralidhar Miryala from SIT, Japan and Prof. Jacques G. Noudem from UN, France

From superfast magnetic levitation trains and computer chips to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines and particle accelerators, superconductors are electrifying various aspects of our life. Superconductivity is an interesting property that allows materials to transfer moving charges without any resistance, below a certain critical point. This implies that superconducting materials can transfer electrical energy in a highly efficient manner without loss in the form of heat, unlike many conventional conductors.

Almost two decades ago scientists discovered superconductivity in a new materialmagnesium diboride, or MgB 2 . There has been a resurgence in the of popularity MgB 2 due to its low cost, superior superconducting abilities, high critical current density (which means that compared to other materials, MgB 2 remains a semiconductor even when larger amounts of electric current is passed through it), and trapped magnetic fields arising from strong pinning of the vorticeswhich are cylindrical current loops or tubes of magnetic flux that penetrate a superconductor.

The intermetallic MgB 2 also allows adjustability of its properties. For instance, the critical current density values (J c ) of MgB 2 can be improved by decreasing the grain size and increasing the number of grain boundaries. Such adjustability is not observed in conventional layered superconductors.

To widen the applications of MgB 2 , however, there is a need to simplify the method of its preparation. Recently, a team of researchers embarked on a journey to do so. They fabricated a novel bulk MgB 2 via a process called spark plasma sintering (SPS).

In their recent article, published on July 27, 2022 in Nanomaterials, Prof. Muralidhar Miryala from Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT), Japan, who led the group, explains that "spark plasma sintering (SPS) is a very interesting techniqueit is a rapid consolidation method, where powder is turned into a dense solid."

"The heat source in this procedure is not external but is an electric current that flows across the die, causing the powder to sinter into a bulk material. The sintering kinetics can be understood and controlled better with SPS. Unlike other similar techniques, it allows grain growth control. What's more, it also has a shorter processing time!"

Prof. Miryala and Prof. Jacques G. Noudem (from the University of Normandie, France) had used this unconventional method to prepare bulk samples of MgB 2 . The resultant material had excellent superconducting properties and a density that reached 95% of what was theoretically predicted for the material. The study team included Prof. Pierre Bernstein and Yiteng Xing, who is a double degree Ph.D. student at SIT and the University of Normandie.

To synthesize the bulk MgB 2 , the team loaded two powdersmagnesium and amorphous boroninto a tungsten carbide (WC) mold and sintered them using SPS at different temperatures ranging from 500750C, and pressure ranging from 260300 megapascal (MPa), then cooled the formed material. The total processing time was about 100 minutes. The team then analyzed the density and the structural properties of the prepared material, using various imaging and testing methods.

Their experiments revealed that the material had a very high density of 2.46 g/cm3 and a high packing factor of 95% (indicating that the atoms in the bulk material were situated very close to each other). It also showed the presence of nano-grains and a large number of grain boundaries.

Moreover, it did not exhibit Mg-depleted phases like MgB 4. Electromagnetic characterization of the material showed that it exhibited an extremely high J c of up to 6.75 105 ampere/cm2 at about -253C. This means that even at that high a current density, the bulk MgB 2 made by the team would act as a superconductor. "Its J c was quite remarkable for pure, undoped MgB 2 ," commented Prof. Miryala.

Curious as to how the material exhibited such excellent properties, the team dug deeper. They concluded that the prepared MgB 2 's superconducting properties were due to its high density, excellent grain connectivity (due to no Mg-depleted phases), and the strong pinning of vortices availed by the presence of nano-grains and grain boundaries.

This study provided a new way to improve the properties of superconducting materials like MgB 2 . Given this material's high J c , it can be used in liquid hydrogen-cooled technology. It is also emerging as a promising candidate for liquid hydrogen-based transportation, storage, and fuel systems.

"Global warming is one of the major threats humanity is facing today and shifting to a renewable energy economy is one of the most effective solutions to this problem. Given the material's potential use in liquid hydrogen systems and its excellent structural and superconducting properties, our work is a positive step towards the realization of greener technology," concludes Prof. Miryala.

Explore further Keeping bulk magnesium diboride superconducting at higher current densities

More information: Yiteng Xing et al, High Critical Current Density of Nanostructured MgB2 Bulk Superconductor Densified by Spark Plasma Sintering, Nanomaterials (2022). Yiteng Xing et al, High Critical Current Density of Nanostructured MgB2 Bulk Superconductor Densified by Spark Plasma Sintering,(2022). DOI: 10.3390/nano12152583

Provided by Shibaura Institute of Technology
Extended D calculation and application to Direkli4 specific allele sharing. (A) Extended D statistic. To control for gene flow with the Capra genus, we condition on variants derived in Direkli4 (H3) and a genome X (H2), but ancestral in other populations (here: Sheep, non-bezoar Capra genomes, bezoar from Direkli Cave, and other bezoar). Values are calculated relative to a set of Neolithic goat from the Zagros Mountains, and normalized similarly to the D statistic. (B) Extended D statistic values for Direkli4 using transversions, (C) plotted through time. Each symbol is a test genome, with shape denoting time period. Black borders indicates a |Z| score 3, using 1000 bootstrap replicates and 5 Mb blocks. Credit: eLife (2022). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.82984

Geneticists from Trinity College Dublin, together with a team of international collaborators, have discovered a previously unknown lineage of wild goats over ten millennia old. The research has just been published in the journal eLife.

The new goat type, discovered from genetic screening of bone remains and referred to as "the Taurasian tur", likely survived the Last Glacial Maximum (the ice age), which stranded their ancestors in the high peaks of the Taurus Mountains in Turkey where their remains were found.

A chance discovery at Direkli Cave

Over 12,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers in the Taurus Mountains of southern Turkey relied heavily on local game for food and subsistence. Located near the present-day village of Dongel and at an elevation of ~1,100 m above sea level, Direkli Cave was used for roughly three millennia (~14,000-11,000 years ago) as a seasonal camp for these hunters and may have been inhabited year-round.

"Among the artifacts found at Direkli Cave were large amounts of bone remains with distinct processing marks, indicating that wild goats were butchered there for consumption," says Dr. Kevin Daly, from Trinity's School of Genetics and Microbiology, who is first author of the research article.

"With the cave surrounded by high peaks, reaching ~2,200 m, the wild goat or bezoar ibex (Capra aegagrus) that inhabit the region today were likely the target of these Late Pleistocene hunters."

During genetic screening of goat bone remains from Direkli, the geneticists noticed something unusual: many of the goats carried mitochondrial genomes similar to a different species of wild goat.

Whereas the domestic goat is derived from the bezoar ibex, other species of wild goat are still alive today and are found in relatively restricted regions. These include the East and West Caucasus tur, two sister species (or subspecies) of wild goat now found only in the Caucasus Mountains in Georgia. Many of the Direkli Cave samples carried mitochondria related to these Caucasus tur, despite Direkli Cave being around 800 km from their current habitat.

Dr. Daly adds that "an even greater surprise came when we examined the Direkli Cave goats' nuclear genomes: while most looked like the bezoar ibex, as expected, one sample appeared different from the rest. This sample, Direkli4, showed more ancestral genetic variants than other Direkli goats, indicating it might have been a different species than the others."

To better understand this, the Trinity team collaborated with researchers from Museum national d'Histoire naturelle of Paris to generate genetic data from other species in the Capra group.

A new lineage of Tur

The team was surprised to see that the Direkli4 sample in fact grouped with the Caucasian turappearing to be a sister group to both East and West types. Intrigued, the team screened more material from Direkli Cave and found an additional two samples with a "tur-like" genome, suggesting that a population of these tur relatives lived in the Taurus Mountains close to local bezoar ibex, with both hunted by humans in pre-historic times.

The team suggest a name for the discovered Taurasian tur: Capra taurensis or Capra caucasica taurensis; researchers still classify living tur as either subspecies or two distinct species.

As tur are larger and heavier than other wild goats, with a distinctive horn shape, it should be possible to identify a group of tur relatives in animal remains. Horn remains are absent at Direkli Cave, despite the large numbers of remainspossibly pointing to these being a valuable prize among hunters. But archaeozoologists in the team showed there were a lot of large-bodied goats at Direkli Caveand possibly at other mountainous locations in southwest Asia.

"We hope that this will encourage re-evaluation and analysis of faunal remains in the region as there could be some exciting discoveries still to be found," added Dr. Daly.

A victim of climatic change and human activity?

The team suggest that the ancestors of tur lived across a broader geographical area over the past 100,000 years, from the Caucasus Mountains to the Taurus Mountains by the Mediterraneanand that climate change may have caused habitat fragmentation.

Dr. Daly says that "the Last Glacial Maximum, or ice age, may have made many areas inhospitable, forcing these goats to compete with other species. The Taurasian tur may have been a leftover group, restricted to the peaks in the Taurus Mountains. Increasing human activity would have placed additional pressure on the Taurasian tur, with hunting evidenced at Direkli Cave."

"While we don't know exactly when or how this goat lineage became extinct, additional genomic surveys in the region might show that their genomes live on in present day wild goats."

Explore further 10,000-year-old DNA pens the first tales of the earliest domesticated goats

More information: Kevin G Daly et al, A novel lineage of the Capra genus discovered in the Taurus Mountains of Turkey using ancient genomics, eLife (2022). Journal information: eLife Kevin G Daly et al, A novel lineage of the Capra genus discovered in the Taurus Mountains of Turkey using ancient genomics,(2022). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.82984
Grey whales can grow to as many as 15 meters long and weigh up to 40 tonsequal to the combined weight of about 20 cars. Credit:  ArtDary, Shutterstock

The gray whale is the focus of research projects anticipating its eventual return to European waters after an absence of a half-millennium.

Youri van den Hurk is preparing for a possible big welcome-home eventthe return of the gray whale to European waters after an absence of about 500 years.

The gray whale disappeared from the eastern Atlantic in the 15th century and from the western Atlantic around the 17th to 18th century, according to van den Hurk.

A research fellow at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), van den Hurk is part of a project inspired in part by several sightings in the Atlantic Ocean over the past decade of individual gray whales from the North Pacific population.

"The gray whale is the only whale species that has completely disappeared from an entire ocean," he said. Van den Hurk is part of the Demise of the Atlantic Gray whale project (DAG), which is looking into whether the species might eventually return to European waters.

A better view of the future, of course, requires a clearer understanding of the past. That's why DAG is also assessing the causes of the gray whale's eradication in the eastern Atlantic five centuries ago, seeking information on factors that might lead to a return of the coastal cetaceans.

Gray whales can grow to as many as 15 meters long and weigh up to 40 tonsequal to the combined weight of about 20 cars. Their lifespan is generally 50 to 70 years.

Baleen whales

They are part of a class of whales whose mouths feature comb-like plates of bone known as baleen rather than teeth. All baleen whales eat by filtering plankton, krill and small fish out of the seawater.

Gray whales suck food from the sea floor while swimming and rolling on their sides, a practice known as bottom-feeding uncommon for other baleen whales. The resulting "mud plumes" are important to the ecosystem because they churn up nutrients and crustaceans that enrich other sea

Located in the North Pacific, the population of gray whales totaled around 27,000 in 2016, according to the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service.

Gray whales have one of the longest known migrations of any mammal, leaving their Arctic feeding grounds in SeptemberOctober and swimming south as much as around 10,000 kilometers along the coastline to breed in the warm waters off Mexico.

"It's unclear what triggered their disappearance from the Atlanticwhether it's an environmental factor, a human factor or a combination of both," van den Hurk said.

Researchers do know that the population of Atlantic gray whales began to decline gradually approximately 50,000 years agoa process that the experts suspect was driven by environmental factors. By the 16th century, various whaling cultures were active across Europe, leading van den Hurk to suspect they contributed to the whales' extinction.

Still, determining the exact factors that caused this eradication remains the basic challenge.

Answering this question will be crucial to conservation efforts in Europe should the species return, according to van den Hurk.

Under the supervision of Dr. James Barrett, a historical and environmental researcher at NTNU, van den Hurk analyzed the collagen preserved in the whale bones found at sites that various tribes across Europe, including Spain, south-western France, Normandy and Scandinavia used to inhabit. His total sample amounted to 717 bone fragments, including 109 from gray whales.

"Where people lived they often took bone remains of the species that they caught or it could also be that the whales stranded at the shore and that the locals took their bones with them to their settlements," van den Hurk explained.

The samples were taken to a laboratory at the University of Cambridge in England where researchers performed mass spectrometry, an analytical technique used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. A bone protein known as collagen plays a central role in the analysis.

"We look at the collagen that is preserved in the bone," van den Hurk said. Subtle differences make it possible to tie the collagen to a specific whale species.

Furthermore, the stable isotopes preserved in bones sheds light on the migration routes of the gray whales.

Malign influences

Once the results have been compiled, the next step will be to model the whales' migration routes to provide information on malign influences such as plastics pollution or ship noise, which are likely to affect any repopulation of the eastern Atlantic.

Noise from vessels is the research focus of Jakob Tougaard, a professor at the Department of Marine Ecology at Aarhus University in Denmark. As part of another research project called SATURN, he has been examining the responses of marine mammals to underwater noise from whale-watch boats.

"Lots of noise, most of the time, that's a problem," said Tougaard. "In open waters, the main source is commercial shipping and closer to shore it's small, private boats."

Such disturbances reduce the time whales spend hunting for food or feeding offspring, threatening their survival, he said.

The SATURN project advises regulators and stakeholders on acceptable limits of vessel noise and best approaches to reduction of underwater radiated noise.

Underwater noise

While enacting new shipping regulations can generally be "a painfully slow process," he anticipates the implementation of tougher European rules to limit underwater noise.

"I'm optimisticthere are many people who are screaming for action now," Tougaard said. In the coming years, he expects to see agreements within the EU setting new limits on ship noise.

Back in Norway meanwhile, as van den Hurk of NTNU contemplates the possible return of the gray whale to European waters, he thinks climate change may increase the chances.

As a result of rising temperatures, the Northwest Passagethe sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific via the Arctichas been open for longer. This has prompted at least four whales to take a wrong turn in North Alaska, leading them into the Atlantic rather than back into the northern Pacific, according to van den Hurk.

In the summer of 2021, a gray whale ended up off the coast of Morocco and was spotted close to France and Italy as well.

Hopeful message

It could take decades for gray whales to reclaim their habitat in the eastern Atlantic, according to van den Hurk. In any case, the mere prospect of their return sends a "hopeful message," he said.

"It shows that the impact we have on our surroundings can potentially still be reversed," van den Hurk said.

Explore further Gray whale off coast of Namibia swam halfway around the world to get there

More information: DAG

SATURN
Artwork depicting one dinosaur's experience of the Chicxulub impact. Credit: Hermann Bermudez

Some 66 million years ago, a 10-kilometer asteroid hit Earth, triggering the extinction of the dinosaurs. New evidence suggests that the Chicxulub impact also triggered an earthquake so massive that it shook the planet for weeks to months after the collision. The amount of energy released in this "mega-earthquake" is estimated at 1023 joules, which is about 50,000 times more energy than was released in the magnitude 9.1 Sumatra earthquake in 2004.

Hermann Bermudez will present evidence of this "mega-earthquake" at the upcoming GSA Connects meeting in Denver this Sunday, October 9. Earlier this year, Bermudez visited outcrops of the infamous Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction event boundary in Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi to collect data, supplementing his previous work in Colombia and Mexico documenting evidence of the catastrophic impact.

In 2014, while doing fieldwork on Colombia's Gorgonilla Island, Bermudez found spherule depositslayers of sediment filled with small glass beads (as large as 1.1 mm) and shards known as "tektites" and "microtektites" that were ejected into the atmosphere during an asteroid impact. These glass beads formed when the heat and pressure of the impact melted and scattered the crust of the Earth, ejecting small, melted blobs up into the atmosphere, which then fell back to the surface as glass under the influence of gravity.

Spherule deposits on Gorgonilla Island. Credit: Hermann Bermudez

The rocks exposed on the coast of Gorgonilla Island tell a story from the bottom of the oceanroughly 2 km down. There, about 3,000 km southwest of the site of the impact, sand, mud, and small ocean creatures were accumulating on the ocean floor when the asteroid hit. Layers of mud and sandstone as far as 1015 meters below the sea floor experienced soft-sediment deformation that is preserved in the outcrops today, which Bermudez attributes to the shaking from the impact.

Faults and deformation due to shaking continue up through the spherule-rich layer that was deposited post-impact, indicating that the shaking must have continued for the weeks and months it took for these finer-grained deposits to reach the ocean floor. Just above those spherule deposits, preserved fern spores signal the first recovery of plant-life after the impact.

Bermudez explains, "The section I discovered on Gorgonilla Island is a fantastic place to study the K-Pg boundary, because it is one of the best-preserved and it was located deep in the ocean, so it was not affected by tsunamis."

Deformed spherule-rich layer at Gorgonilla Island (Colombia) showing that seismic activity persisted for weeks or months after impact. Credit: Hermann Bermudez

Evidence of deformation from the mega-earthquake is also preserved in Mexico and the United States. At the El Papalote exposure in Mexico, Bermudez observed evidence of liquefactionwhen strong shaking causes water-saturated sediments to flow like a liquid. In Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas, Bermudez documented faults and cracks likely associated with the mega-quake. He also documented tsunami deposits at several outcrops, left by an enormous wave that was part of the cascading catastrophes resulting from the asteroid collision.

Bermudez will deliver a talk about evidence for the mega-earthquake at the GSA Connects meeting in Denver on Sunday, October 9. He will also present a poster about his observations of tsunami deposits and earthquake-related deformation on Monday, October 10, which will be available in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Chinese. In discussing his research, he emphasized the important role collaboration has played in visiting and studying so many outcrops that tell the story of this extreme event in Earth's history.

Explore further Dinosaur-killing asteroid triggered global tsunami that scoured seafloor thousands of miles from impact site
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Migration often serves as an arena for conflicting values. In this context, religious groups, civil society organizations and local authorities often show a more liberal attitude than the state. The political scientist Julia Mourao Permoser applies a new analytical approach to this as yet unexplored aspect.

More than ever, social debate is focusing on refugees and migration. While policy makers respond with strict laws and regulations, members of the public protest against these or protect asylum seekers threatened with deportation. A stir was caused in Austria in recent years by three cases of asylum seekers destined for deportation who were protected by the church: in July 2018, the Archbishop of Salzburg granted church asylum to 23-year-old Ali Wajid, who was to be deported to Pakistan despite being in the middle of an apprenticeship. In November 2019, the parish priest of Unken in Pinzgau took in 26-year-old Sayed Moshtaq Sadat, who was being threatened with deportation to Afghanistan a few months before his final apprenticeship exam. A month later, the police broke a taboo by entering the cloistered area of the monastery in Langenlois to arrest Ziaulrahman Zaland, an Afghan student who had been taken in by the nuns there.

Church sanctuary has a long tradition

Protecting refugees by granting them church sanctuary is a practice known since ancient times in almost all cultures and religions. In Germany and the U.S., there is currently a large church sanctuary movement, says political scientist Julia Mourao Permoser, who conducts research and teaches at the Universities of Innsbruck and Vienna. Some church communities are very open in communicating their willingness to host asylum seekers sought by the authorities.

In the U.S., but also in Europe, there are even entire cities that consider themselves "sanctuary cities." There, administrative staff will not ask about a person's residence status or will not be allowed to pass on such data to the immigration authorities, explains Mourao Permoser. Her research project "Migration as Morality Politics" is investigating the moral conflicts surrounding migration in Europe and the U.S. using a multi-method approach: she conducts in-depth interviews with people who grant church asylum or other forms of "sanctuary," analyzing self-representations and contributions to debates by advocacy groups, and she sheds light on the attitudes of the other side.

Help as a form of protest

The researcher is also studying a third form of support for refugees with irregular status: rescue ships in the Mediterranean, such as the Sea Watch, and organizations that rescue refugees from death in the desert between Mexico and the U.S.

"With their active protests, all of these groups are taking a moral and political stance against the immigration and asylum policies of various countries," explains Mourao Permoser. In some cases they enter into direct confrontation with the state, as for example when NGOs show resistance to various coercive measures taken by the authorities against rescue ships in the Mediterranean.

Closing the research gap

Although refugee rescue organizations, asylum-granting churches and sanctuary cities pursue "grassroots" migration policy in the name of human rights and humanity, the literature on migration policy has not yet sufficiently taken this phenomenon into account, as Mourao Permoser underlines: "So far, migration research has mainly dealt with security interests or economic interests, but not with ethical values."

In the literature on value conflicts in politics, on the other hand, known as "morality politics," the role of religions is taken into account in discussions on sexuality, women's rights, abortion, same-sex marriage or stem cell research: all of these being areas where religions usually take a conservative stance. The fact that religious actors take a liberal stance in migration policy is a special phenomenon that has not so far been examined in detail. It is interesting to note that in both cases their attitude is based on the same traditional valuesdefending human life and human dignity. "With the new focus on the role of values, I have a contribution to make to both migration research and research on morality politics," says Mourao Permoser.

Explore further Legal indifference to refugees

More information: Itamar Mann et al, Floating sanctuaries: The ethics of search and rescue at sea, Migration Studies (2022). Itamar Mann et al, Floating sanctuaries: The ethics of search and rescue at sea,(2022). DOI: 10.1093/migration/mnac007 Julia Mourao Permoser, What are Morality Policies? The Politics of Values in a Post-Secular World, Political Studies Review (2019). DOI: 10.1177/1478929918816538
An example of the 1,800 medically relevant crystal structures in the CSD that were identified as conglomerates. These structures have spontaneously enriched chirality on crystallization, presenting more starting materials that medicinal chemists could use in drug design. Credit: The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC)

The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Center (CCDC) today highlights that a search of the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) has found nearly 1,800 conglomerate crystal structuresmolecules that have spontaneously enriched chirality upon crystallizationrepresenting a 37% increase on available chiral pool.

These 1,800 structures augment the limited biological chiral pool of synthetic building blocks used by medicinal chemists in drug synthesis, opening new synthetic routes to existing drugs and could lead to new drugs for more effective treatment of disease.

This finding from a team led by Mark Walsh and Matthew Kitching from Durham University, published in JACS Au, introduces a new and potentially unlimited pool of chiral molecules outside of the chiral molecules derived from the natural worldthe biological chiral pool. This pool is used by medicinal chemists to introduce chirality to their molecules.

Most biological substances are chiral, including protein binding sites, so drugs that bind to these receptors must also be chiral. Famously the drug Thalidomide was withdrawn from the market when one enantiomer was found to cause birth defects, only 20 years later did scientists find that the other chiral form is safe.

One way used by medicinal chemists to obtain enriched chiral molecules during synthesis is by conglomerate crystallization (where molecules spontaneously crystallize into single enriched crystals) or by using chiral compounds from the limited chiral pool. This research adds a significant alternative source of chirality.

The researchers first mined the ~1.2 million crystal structures in the CSD for those in Sohncke space groups with the potential to be chiral. This produced a subset of over 21,000 crystal candidates that then had their synthesis examined (by reference to the primary literature) to identify those that were produced by conglomerate crystallization. 1800 compounds were identified that were synthesized by racemic methods but spontaneously crystallized in an enriched chiral form.

"We hope that the curation of this list of conglomerate crystals aids the development of preferential crystallization and spontaneous deracemization protocols, while also furthering the understanding of the formation of conglomerate crystal behavior," says Mark Walsh of Durham University.

"I'm delighted to see that the value of the 1.2 million crystal structures in the CSD is once again being utilized in another scientific field beyond crystallography. Medicinal chemists can now use the CSD to greatly widen their options to introduce chirality to their molecules than previously," says Dr. Jurgen Harter, CEO of the CCDC.

Explore further Ultraviolet metasurfaces can discriminate the handedness of biomolecules with attomolar sensitivity

More information: Mark P. Walsh et al, Identifying a Hidden Conglomerate Chiral Pool in the CSD, JACS Au (2022). Mark P. Walsh et al, Identifying a Hidden Conglomerate Chiral Pool in the CSD,(2022). DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00394

Provided by CCDC - Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The SpaceX taxi service from the Space Coast took flight again Wednesday with NASA's Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station.

The four-person crew from NASA, Japan and Russia hitched a ride in the Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket that lifted off from KSC's Launch Pad 39-A just after noon.

"That was a smooth ride," said Crew-5 commander and NASA astronaut Nicole Mann. "You've got three rookies that are pretty happy to be floating in space right now and one veteran astronaut who's pretty happy to be back as well."

Once again, SpaceX was able to recover its first-stage booster on recovery ship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic while the spacecraft made it to orbit.

Mann is joined by fellow NASA astronaut and pilot Josh Cassada and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikinaall three flying for the first timeplus Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, who is making his fifth trip to space having flown on several space shuttle missions and one Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

With roughly a 29-hour ride before arriving to the ISS, the crew could be seen clapping hands and throwing fist pumps as a plush Albert Einstein doll floated about the cabin.

"We're experiencing Einstein's happiest thoughts," said Cassada explaining Einstein had a brainstorm that a person in freefall would not feel their own weight. "We call this little guy our freefall indicator. We're here to tell you there's plenty of gravity up here. In fact, that's what's keeping us in orbit right now and preventing this trip on a Crew Dragon from being a one-way trip."

The launch is the second of three from the Space Coast this week following a Tuesday night Atlas V liftoff and a planned SpaceX Falcon 9 launch Thursday from neighboring Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Weather has been near perfect all week.

"It was picturesque, you know with the blue sky, the blue background, a beautiful day here in Florida," said NASA commentator and astronaut Bob Behnken, who flew on the first crewed Dragon flight Demo-2 back in May 2020. "The only thing I wish was that I was there with them because the one place that it's better to watch the launch from than right here at the Kennedy Space Center is onboard the rocket ship."

The quartet woke up at 4:30 a.m., suited up around 8 a.m. and walked out for last chance goodbyes with family before heading out to the launch pad in a trio of white Teslas, each featuring custom license plates that read "BLA5TOFF." Mann and Cassada led the way after arriving to the pad doing what commentators called the "rocket recline" looking up at the rocket before heading up the launch tower to board the spacecraft.

They made their entrance and took the two middle seats as commander and pilot just after 9:15 a.m. followed by mission specialists Kikina and Wakata. With 2 1/2 hours before liftoff, Mann and Kikina broke into ear-to-ear smiles with all four trading off a series of fist bumps while secured in their seats.

During an initial hatch closing procedure before 10:30 a.m., teams identified potential foreign object debrisa hairin the seal, and cleaned it out followed by a second closure and good side-hatch leak check.

"It's really important that that area is super pristine," Behnken said. "That hatch is going to be closed for six months as they make their way into orbit and then that won't get open until they come back aboard the recovery ship."

The closeout team left the tower and the crew access arm has swung away from the capsule allowing the arming of the capsule's launch escape system and then propellant load.

"Crew-5 is go for launch," Mann said with just under an hour before liftoff.

Mann is the first woman to command a Crew Dragon flight, and will also be the first Native American woman to fly into space.

"She's very excited about flying in space," said NASA Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich after a Launch Readiness Review on Monday. "It's very exciting for Commercial Crew to have our fist female commander in our program and we're very excited to fly Anna Kikina."

Kikina is the first cosmonaut to ride on a Crew Dragon.

"We just continue what was started many years ago in 1975 when Apollo-Soyuz crew worked together," said Sergei Krikalev, executive director for Human Space Flight Programs with Roscosmos during a post-launch press conference. "Now we continue our cooperation."

Crew-5 marks the fifth rotational mission to the ISS that sends up four astronauts at a time for six-month stays on board. SpaceX and Boeing with its CST-100 Starliner were contracted under NASA's Commercial Crew Program to provide the service flights ending NASA's reliance on rides from Russia during the decade after the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011.

"SpaceX has really been inventive, creative," Nelson said. "They've been a good partner for NASA and it shows that this commercial public-private partnership is actually working."

SpaceX sent its first Crew Dragon with passengers on a test flight with NASA astronauts Behnken and Doug Hurley less than 2 1/2 years ago, and has also since flown missions with civilians among its four Crew Dragon spacecraft so that Crew-5 marks the eighth capsule flight now having taken 30 people into space. Crew Dragon Endurance is making its second flight having also launched on the Crew-3 mission in 2021.

Boeing's Starliner has yet to fly its first humans, but could be making that trip by February 2023 so that the Crew-5 members will get to welcome them on board during their stay. Until Boeing's Starliner is certified, SpaceX is on tap to continue the twice-a-year rotational flights with Crew-6 slated to arrive in March 2023.

When Crew-5 arrives, targeting arrival Thursday at 4:56 p.m., the ISS population will grow to 11 until the four members of Crew-4 who have been on the ISS since April will return home with a splashdown off the coast of Florida as early as next week.

"We're looking forward to another handover mission," said NASA's International Space Station manager Joel Montalbano. "This handover between the two crews will be about five days. Once we get on orbit and get moving we'll be able to refine the landing time for Crew-4."

Crew-5 is slated to stay on board about 150 days, he said, with more than 230 experiments on tap of human research, commercialization and technology development.

Kirt Costello, NASA's chief scientist for the ISS program said 76 are new investigations to the space station. He highlighted three including a custom-fitted bio monitoring suit to investigation astronaut cardiorespiratory health, a "gut on a chip microbiome study" with 10 different species of bacteria that have a role of human health, and the return of a 3D human tissue printing experiment that will among its goals print tissue "used for organ repair and hopefully one day transplantation."

With less than a week since Hurricane Ian passed right between launch pads 39-A and 39-B, Kathy Lueders, NASA's associate administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate praised those who put in extra effort to pull off Wednesday's launch.

"These are real human endeavors and there's a team here that had to recover from the hurricane last week, get back, get the Kennedy Space Center back open, get things cleaned up, get us ready to go," she said. "The fact that we're here today is a testimony to all that work that that team did."

2022 Orlando Sentinel.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Awareness of non-nativeoften called "invasive"species has vastly increased over the past half-century, to the point where anyone with a green conscience has heard of them and their negative impacts.

Less recognized are the benefits of non-native speciesand according to Brown University biologist Dov Sax, that needs to change.

In a review article published on Thursday, Oct. 6, in Trends in Ecology and Evolution, Sax and two co-authors pointed out that most research on non-native species focuses on their negative consequences. They argued that long-standing biases against non-native species within the scientific literature have clouded the scientific process and hindered public understanding. In the new article, the authors try to shift the focus to consider the benefits of non-native species for a more balanced discussion.

"Positive impacts of non-native species are often explained as serendipitous surprisesthe sort of thing that people might expect to happen every once in a while, in special circumstances," said Sax, a professor of environment and society, and of ecology, evolution and organismal biology. "Our new paper argues that the positive impacts of non-native species are neither unexpected nor rare, but instead common, important and often of large magnitude."

Saxwho is affiliated with the Institute at Brown for Environment and Societysaid the study borrows from a recent framework that examines the benefits of biodiversity for people and nature and applies it to non-native species, showing the diverse, frequent and important ways that non-native species provide positive value for people and nature.

"We want to provide a framework for the way that scientists can think about non-native species constructively going forward and explicitly document their benefits," Sax said. "It's only then that we'll be able to accurately and fully compare and contrast them in order to perform the kind of cost-benefit analyses that can be truly helpful in making policy decisions."

The authors, who include Martin Schlaepfer from the University of Geneva and Julian Olden from the University of Washington, recognized that some non-native species, such as introduced pathogens and agricultural pests, involve indisputably large net costs. But they noted that most domesticated species, including food like wheat and tomatoes, fibers such as cotton and wool, and pets including dogs and goldfish, provide large net benefits to human societies. They focused their review on species that are not directly managed by peopleso-called "wild" or "naturalized" species, noting that many of these simultaneously provide both costs and benefits for people and nature.

As one example of a non-native species with underappreciated benefits, Sax cited the earthworm. While they can negatively change forest ecosystems, Sax said that earthworms can also augment organic agriculture: Some research has shown that when earthworms are present, there can be a 25% increase in agricultural productivity. The resulting decrease in food cost and increased ability to feed people is a direct economic benefit, Sax said.

Sax also extolled the unexpected benefits of another non-native speciesbrown trout. Looking at New Zealand as an example, he said most of the non-native species that have invaded the country have negative consequences, and residents therefore focus on eradicating them. Yet the nation has effectively embraced brown trout, Sax said: New Zealanders value the nutritional benefits of eating brown trout and the recreational benefits of fishing brown trout so much that they've established new environmental regulations to protect the species within their waters.

The framework the authors used to considered non-native species describes a comprehensive range of nature-based values, including intrinsic, instrumental and relational values.

"We posit that this framework provides a useful topology for considering the diverse array of ways that non-natives provide value and use this framework here to illustrate representative, but not exhaustive, examples of these values from diverse ecosystems and regions," they wrote.

The authors advocate using the same framework often used to talk about the benefits of nature, especially the benefit of biodiversity, and apply that to non-native species. "How people relate to nature, to the intrinsic value of nature, to the ecosystem services, to the provisioning of resourcesthese are all things that we value in native species, and there are also ways to see that non-native species are contributing to these benefits, too," Sax said. "It's not like there's some inherent trade-off: Non-natives aren't the boogie man."

For example, non-native species can be a leading cause of species extinctions, but also contribute, through their own migration, to regional biodiversity; they can reduce certain ecosystem functions, such as water clarity, while increasing others, such as erosion control; they can provide new resources, such as recreational hunting and fishing opportunities.

Yet because of the research bias against non-native species that focuses on threats and harm, Sax said that the net consequences of most non-native species are less certain. That is why he and his co-authors call for a re-evaluation of non-native species, informed by data.

"We argue that long-standing biases against non-native species within the literature have clouded the scientific process and hampered policy advances and sound public understanding," they wrote. "Future research should consider both costs and benefits of non-native species."

Explore further New standardized framework allows conservationists to assess benefits of non-native species

More information: Dov F. Sax et al, Valuing the contributions of non-native species to people and nature, Trends in Ecology & Evolution (2022). Journal information: Trends in Ecology and Evolution Dov F. Sax et al, Valuing the contributions of non-native species to people and nature,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.08.005
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Pakistani nationals of the Hindu faith migrate to India based on religion, caste, culture and historyand lately Indian government officials all the way up to the prime minister have been encouraging them to "return," according to Natasha Raheja, assistant professor of anthropology in the Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences (A&S).

But at the border, many hopeful migrants find that Indian citizenship is not assured.

"Pakistani Hindus may imagine their migration as an enactment of their 'right of return,' but they in fact experience an ambivalent welcome on arrival," Raheja wrote in "Governing by Proximity: State Performance and Migrant Citizenship on the India-Pakistan Border," published Sept. 8 in Cultural Anthropology.

While embedded among migrants in the western Indian city of Jodhpur, Raheja found that Indian officials use physical closeness and digital connection to entice would-be citizens while keeping them waiting for recognition and basic welfare.

For the past eight years, Raheja worked with migrants from Pakistan waiting for Indian citizenship, as part of her broader inquiry on how border crossings demand new ways of imagining our geopolitical nation-state order.

"I wanted to understand how migrants continue to pursue recognition in the face of repeated deferral," Raheja said. "During fieldwork, I noticed the enchantment and cynicism associated with the visits of national politicians to borderland regions. In this article, I make sense of these mixed affects of state performances through the concept of governing by proximity."

Proximity is a modality of governance that yields mixed results, Raheja said. When politicians get close to constituents, either physically or digitally, they manage expectations and offer assurances to constituents. But they also expose themselves to scrutiny, giving people the chance to see beyond the performance into imperfect government workings.

"Proximity is like a magnifying glass that amplifies both stature and shortcomings," Raheja said. "On one hand, when people in powerful positions are close to us, we can feel special and as if we personally belong. On the other hand, we can observe their shortcomings and inconsistencies."

In Jodhpur, a city with a high concentration of Pakistani migrants from different castes, Raheja met Meera, an Indigenous farmworker hoping to get Indian citizenship for herself and her husband, parents and 10 children at a two-day citizenship camp.

"For Meera, meeting with high-ranking officers and seeing digital clips of welcoming political speeches in the palm of her hand made Indian citizenship feel like a close possibility," Raheja wrote. "At the same time, she had relatives and acquaintances whose visa and citizenship applications had been delayed or rejected."

Elsewhere in the citizenship camp, a man named Pankajlal waited for an hour to apply based on the fact that his mother, with him in the line, had been born in "undivided India" before the 1947 partition, which created the separate nations of India and Pakistan. When they finally reached the desk, they were refused because the affidavit Pankajlal had acquired was not sufficient; instead, they needed a birth certificate.

"The burden always falls on the common people, the way weight always falls on the wheel of a cycle," Pankajlal said. "There [in Pakistan], they call us infidel Hindus; here [in India], bloody Pakistanis."

But a fellow applicant encouraged Pankajlal to speak up. Together they approached government representatives to complain about the criteria for birth certificates.

"Their exchange conveys how this site, centered on a performative avowal of their special status as desirable Indian citizens, also generated refugee-migrants' critiques of the Indian government," Raheja wrote. "A few hours later, a Ministry of Home Affairs official came on the loudspeaker to make a special announcement: He had decided that, in lieu of birth certificates, the officers at the camp would accept applications with affidavits attesting to a parent's birth in undivided India."

Raheja's wider research looks to migration to understand how majority-minority politics exceeds national frames. Her studies of the India-Pakistan border raise wider questions of state power over migration at borders worldwide.

"Across borders, manufactured national belongings and state legitimacies require maintenance," Raheja said. "As the article carefully details, governing by proximity enchants but also generates fatigue and doubt. It is in this gap that there is potential for migrants to refuse and imagine alternatives."

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More information: Natasha Raheja, Governing by Proximity: State Performance and Migrant Citizenship on the India-Pakistan Border, Cultural Anthropology (2022). Natasha Raheja, Governing by Proximity: State Performance and Migrant Citizenship on the India-Pakistan Border,(2022). DOI: 10.14506/ca37.3.09
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

In the 1950s, computers were bulky, inefficient and limited. They ate up entire rooms but couldn't go beyond rudimentary calculations.

As you know, these machines didn't stay simple; the mid-20th century computer modernized, compacted, and went on to change the world. This is the path many believe quantum computers are now on: elementary todaytransformative tomorr... well, we'll see.

The promise of computers based on subatomic physics is tantalizing. In theory, problems that would take classical computers years to solve could be handled by quantum computers in minutes, bursting open advancements in finance, chemistry, artificial intelligence, logistics, cybersecurity and more.

With exponentially enhanced calculating power, scientists may have the tools to discover new medicines. Financial firms could better optimize portfolios. Companies would route supply chains more efficiently, and meteorologists would grow more accurate. Hackers might use quantum's power to bypass passwords but companies and nations could counter by deploying quantum computing to strengthen their cyber defenses.

The possibilities of what quantum could accomplish are vast and hard to pinpoint. Researchers don't know when a real-world quantum breakthrough will occur, but many do say "when," not "if."

"Quantum is progressing faster than many people are anticipating," said Eric Ghysels, a finance and economics professor at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. "This thing is coming, and you better be prepared."

Governments, businesses and universities worldwide are spending heavily to prepare for quantum. And in the past few years, the three corners of North Carolina's Research TriangleDuke University, North Carolina State University, and UNChave each made distinct contributions to this emerging field, turning the state into a legitimate quantum hot spot.

The power and the noise

In 2018, IBM picked N.C. State's Centennial Campus as the site of its first IBM Quantum Hub in North America.

Two years later, Duke partnered with the Maryland-based company IonQ to open the Duke Quantum Center inside downtown Durham's Chesterfield building. Under their arrangement, IonQ has exclusive rights to the intellectual property the lab produces while Duke has received equity in the public company.

IBM and IonQand by extension N.C. State and Dukeare racing toward a common goal: to achieve what's known as "quantum advantage," the still-elusive moment when a quantum computer can perform a real-world task better than a classical computer. (The term "quantum supremacy" refers to a moment when a quantum computer achieves something a classical computer could never accomplish.)

But chasing quantum advantages is where similarities between the two facilities end, said Chris Monroe, cofounder of IonQ and the director of the Duke Quantum Center. "IBM's approach and our approach couldn't be more different," he said.

To understand their differences, it helps to understand some of quantum's underlying science.

Quantum computers reflect the physics of the subatomic world to manage information. While classical computers run on bits represented by digital 1s and 0s, quantum computers use quantum bits, called qubits, to display microscopic states in a much more complex manner.

A pair of quantum mechanical phenomena make these machines exponentially more advanced. The first is called superpositionthe capacity of a qubit to be in multiple positions at once until it's measured. The second is entanglement, which is how different qubits are interwoven.

All this can be quite confusing to the layman, and even to other scientists, quantum researchers acknowledge.

"The laws of microscopic physics look very, very different from what you and I experience on a normal day," said Patrick Dreher, the chief scientist at N.C. State's IBM Quantum Hub.

Instead of single answers, quantum computers spit out probability distributions. For example, they wouldn't say 2 + 3 = 5 but would answer with a range of probabilities peaking around 5. This is one of the reasons researchers say quantum computers will augment, but never fully replace, digital Macs or PCs. Quantum machines could handle massive calculations, but quotidian tasks like Microsoft Word, basic mathematics and streaming videos may always be best served by classical computers.

So, what's keeping quantum computers from reaching their potential? There are several hurdles.

As one might expect, the subatomic realm is difficult to control. Atoms naturally bounce around, which can cause contamination that leads to "noisy" results. The microscopic interactions computers must capture occur incredibly quickly, requiring extreme precision, and when errors arise, attempts to correct one qubit can easily interfere with other qubits.

"It's a fragile machine," Dreher said. "And because they are noisy, they have a limited ability to keep doing computations forever."

Despite their limitations, quantum computers have evolved from theory to tangible, functioning machines. Researchers have named this current stage the Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum, or NISQ, era. There are several intermediate-scale, noisy computers running today, with Dreher saying no one knows which will be "the home run."

Lasers, atoms and gold chandeliers

Of all the quantum computers in the world, IBM's are likely the most ornate. Nicknamed "chandeliers," they feature gold-plated, five-level apparatuses with an orderly progression of tubes and wires running down to single silicon processor chips. At the bottom rung, each chandelier cools a superconducting chip.

And by cool, IBM means really, really frigid.

Quantum researchers attempt to control subatomic activity by creating extreme environments, and the chandelier does this with temperature. At its lowest level, the temperate is .01 degrees Kelvin, making it one of the coldest places in the universe.

IBM operates more than 20 quantum computers around the world, from upstate New York to Japan, and they offer members of their quantum networklike N.C. Stateexclusive access to advanced computers which are kept inside a metal silo and behind a glass cube like a museum art piece. As a member of the IBM Quantum Network, N.C. State scientists can run remote experiments on these computers through the cloud.

Duke students, on the other hand, have access to a quantum computer they can touch. The Duke Quantum Center studies a type of computer called ion-trap, which levitates individual atoms above a gold-plated silicon chip in an airless vacuum. Lasers are then shot at the atom to modify the state of the qubits inside the atom and affect how they interact. Chris Monroe compared the process to plucking a guitar string.

The handful of ion-trap computers at Chesterfield are esthetically less impressive than IBM's chandelier. They stretch out like a crowded cityvacuum chambers, camera lenses, modulators and lasers intricately huddled together. Monroe touts these machines as the most advanced ion-traps in the world and believes once the engineering obstacles are overcome (in short, it's very difficult to precisely strike atoms with lasers), IonQ computers can be widely available.

"We envision a future where quantum computers are in people's pockets," he said.

UNC tackles fintech

While N.C. State and Duke focus on quantum research, UNC is a national leader on quantum technologies in finance.

In May 2020, the school started one of the country's first webinar series on applying quantum to business. To meet the growing demand for quantum, the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School has adjusted its curriculum to include more about quantum. "The stakes are high," said Eric Ghysels. "A lot of financial institutions realize they better get started now, even if the science is a few years away."

The financial industry is well positioned for early quantum applications. First, it's an analytic-based industry where precise timing and price modeling can mean billions. Many foresee quantum optimizing portfolios and delivering unprecedented account security. Second, with so much money on the line, deep-pocketed companies are making significant investments in the field.

In March, Fidelity entered a partnership with N.C. State's hub, and IBM itself is interested in the research its hub produces for finance purposes. "In terms of fintech, the Triangle is becoming a considerable force," Ghysels said. "Companies want to hire here and settle here."

The Triangle lacks the concentration of quantum companies seen in cities like San Francisco, Boston and New York, but there are signs the commercial side of quantum is burgeoning locally as larger companies like Apple and Google enter the market.

The California quantum computing manufacturer Atom Computing recently based its executive office in Cary, and startups like Dark Star Quantum Lab in Apex seek to find a niche in quantum consulting.

"It makes sense this would be a good place for quantum in terms of applications," said Dark Star CEO Faisal Shah Khan.

Khan noted the Triangle's relative proximity to the financial capital of New York City (same time zone, quick flight away) makes it an even more attractive place for quantum and fintech.

'It will fail in some interesting way'

So when will quantum computers be ready?

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be here as a professor," Patrick Dreher said. "I'd be on Wall Street, or I'd be talking to (venture capitalists). You're asking me in 1949, 'When are we going to build a digital computer that won't have vacuum tubes and need a whole room to make it work?' This is why people win Nobel Prizes."

In 2019, Google announced it had achieved quantum superiority on a contrived mathematical problem, meaning one that doesn't relate to a real-world situation. IBM pushed back on Google's claim, and the quantum superiority debate lingers.

Quantum technology remains in a "pre-competitive stage," said Dennis Kekas, an associate vice chancellor at N.C. State's Centennial Campus. By this, Kekas meant companies generally still share their findings in service of scientific advancement. In academia, UNC, Duke and N.C. State host a weekly Triangle Quantum Computing Seminar Series throughout the school year, inviting experts from around the globe.

At Chesterfield, Duke Ph.D. students are on the front lines of quantum research. Their current lab work focuses on getting ion-trap computers to communicate with each other, sharing information between machines like classical computers can do now. In recent years, they have seen colleagues go on to jobs as quantum business consultants, continue in academia, join IonQ, or get brought into national labs like Los Alamos.

Asked about the future of quantum, the students' perspectives were a reminder that no one knows for surenot them, not their teachers, not the companies that might hire themif the quantum dream will ever be realized. They spoke of keeping the long view in mind and noted quantum advantage isn't likely to be right around the corner.

Jameson O'Reilly, a fourth-year Ph.D. student at the lab, said he believes quantum advantage will eventually be achieved, but if it isn't, he said it still will have been worth the effort.

"I think that if it doesn't happen, it will fail in some interesting way," he said. "In a way that gives us more understanding of the universe."

Explore further Quantum computer works with more than zero and one

2022 The News & Observer.

Distributed at Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Stress-strain curves of representative artificial and natural silks. Credit: Jingxia Wang, Tiantian Fan, & Zhi Lin

Spiders hold the market for the strongest silks but are too aggressive and territorial to be farmed. The next best alternative involves incorporating spider DNA into silkworms, an expensive and difficult-to-scale process. On October 6 in the journal Matter, scientists at Tianjin University show how the silk naturally produced by silkworms can be made 70% stronger than spider silks by removing a sticky outer layer and manually spinning the silk.

"Our finding reverses the previous perception that silkworm silk cannot compete with spider silks on mechanical performance," says senior author Zhi Lin, a biochemist at Tianjin University.

Historically, silkworm silk has been used in fashion as a source of luxury robes and apparel fitting of royalty, but today, silk-based materials are more likely to be found in biomedicine as a material for stitches and surgical mesh. It's also used for tissue regeneration experiments due to its mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability.

The most common way to acquire silk is by farming silkworms. However, these silks are not as durable and are weaker than silk spun by spiders, specifically spider dragline silks which naturally do well under high tension. "Dragline silk is the main structural silk of a spider web. It is also used as a lifeline for a spider to fall from trees," says Lin. Silkworms, on the other hand, use their softer silks for the construction of their cotton-ball-like cocoons during transformation into their moth forms.

While other groups have combined DNA from spiders to make silk, Lin's group wanted to use common silkworms, which are more accessible and easily managed. They were by inspired by the artificial spinning of spider eggcase silk, which is a close relative to silkworm silk and has been shown to do well in the spinning process.

Natural silkworm silk fiber is composed of a core fiber wrapped by silk glue, which interferes with the spinning of the fibers for commercial purposes. To get around this, the researchers boiled silk from the common silkworm Bombyx mori in a bath of chemicals that could dissolve this glue and minimize the degradation of silk proteins. Then, to enhance the silk for spinning, the research team solidified the silk in a bath of metals and sugars.

"Since silkworm silk is very structurally similar to eggcase spider silk, which has previously been demonstrated to do well in a mix of zinc and iron baths, we thought to test this alternative method to avoid hazardous conditions used elsewhere," says Lin. "Sucrose, a form of sugar, may increase the density and viscosity of the coagulation bath, which consequently affects the formation of the fibers."

Once manually spun and drawn, the silks are thinner than the original silkworm silk, reaching nearly the same size as spider silks. Upon observation under a microscope, Lin describes them as "smooth and strong," indicating that the artificial fibers could withstand force.

"We hope that this work opens up a promising way to produce profitable high-performance artificial silks," Lin says.

Explore further Spider silk properties analyzed for use as bio-based fibers in the medical field

More information: Zhi Lin, Artificial superstrong silkworm silk surpasses natural spider silks, Matter (2022). www.cell.com/matter/fulltext/S2590-2385(22)00517-3 Journal information: Matter Zhi Lin, Artificial superstrong silkworm silk surpasses natural spider silks,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2022.08.028
This high-resolution image, captured by Pleiades Neo, shows the Nord Stream gas pipeline leak seen on 29 September. Credit: Pleiades Neo

Following unusual seismic disturbances in the Baltic Sea, several leaks were discovered last week in the underwater Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, near Denmark and Sweden. Neither pipeline was transporting gas at the time of the blasts, but they still contained pressurized methanethe main component of natural gaswhich spewed out producing a wide stream of bubbles on the sea surface.

With the unexplained gas release posing a serious question about the incident's environmental impact, a suite of complementary Earth observation satellites carrying optical and radar imaging instruments were called upon to characterize the gas leak bubbling in the Baltic.

Although methane partly dissolves in water, released later as carbon dioxide, it is not toxic, but it is the second most abundant anthropogenic greenhouse gas in our atmosphere causing climate change.

As the pressurized gas leaked through the broken pipe and traveled rapidly towards the sea surface, the size of the gas bubbles increased as the pressure reduced. On reaching the surface, the large gas bubbles disrupted the sea surface above the location of the pipeline rupture. The signature of the gas bubbling at the sea surface can be seen from space in several ways.

Owing to the persistent cloud cover over the area, image acquisitions from optical satellites proved extremely difficult. High-resolution images captured by Pleiades Neo and Planet, both part of ESA's Third Party Mission Program, showed the disturbance ranging from 500 to 700 m across the sea surface.

On 26 September, Planet satellites captured an image of the Nord Stream Gas pipeline rupture in the Baltic Sea, approximately 20 km southeast of Bornholm Island, Denmark. Credit: Planet Labs PBC

Several days later, a significant reduction in the estimated diameter of the methane disturbance was witnessed as the pipelines' gas emptied. Images captured by Copernicus Sentinel-2 and US Landsat 8 mission confirmed this.

As disturbances such as these cause a "roughening" of the sea surface, this increases the backscatter observed by Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instruments, which are extremely sensitive to changes in the sea surface at such a scale. These include instruments onboard the Copernicus Sentinel-1 and ICEYE constellationthe first New Space company to join the Copernicus Contributing Missions fleet.

ESA's Scientist for Ocean and Ice, Craig Donlon, said, "The power of active microwave radar instruments is that they can monitor the ocean surface signatures of bubbling methane through clouds over a wide swath and at a high spatial resolution overcoming one of the major limitations to optical instruments. This allows for a more complete picture of the disaster and its associated event-timing to be established."

One of the ruptures occurred southeast of the Danish Island of Bornholm. Images from Sentinel-1 on 24 September showed no disturbance to the water. However, an ICEYE satellite passing over the area on the evening of 28 September acquired an image showing a disturbance to the sea surface above the rupture.

This radar image was captured on 28 September by ICEYE the first New Space company to join the Copernicus Contributing Missions fleet. Credit: ICEYE 2022

What about the methane released?

Although optical satellites can provide us with the radius of the methane bubbling over water, they provide little information on how much methane has been released into the atmosphere.

Monitoring methane over water is extremely difficult as water absorbs most of the sunlight in the shortwave infrared wavelengths used for methane remote sensing. This limits the amount of light reaching the sensor, thus making it extremely difficult to measure methane concentrations over the sea at high latitudes.

GHGSat, a leader in methane emissions monitoring from space and also part of ESA's Third Party Mission Program, tasked its satellites to measure the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline leak with its constellation of high-resolution (around 25 m) satellites. By tasking its satellites to obtain measurements at larger viewing angles, GHGSat were able to target the area where the sun's light reflected the strongest off the sea surfaceknown as the "glint spot."

On 30 September, the estimated emission rate derived from its first methane concentration measurement was 79,000 kg per hourmaking it the largest methane leak ever detected by GHGSat from a single point-source. This rate is extremely high, especially considering its four days following the initial breach, and this is only one of four rupture points in the pipeline.

In response to the gas leak, GHGSat, a leader in methane emissions monitoring from space and also part of ESA's Third Party Mission Programme, tasked its satellites to measure the pipeline leak with its constellation of high-resolution satellites. By tasking its satellites to obtain measurements at larger viewing angles, GHGSat were able to target the area where the suns light reflected the strongest off the sea surface  known as the glint spot. On 30 September, the estimated emission rate derived from its first methane concentration measurement was 79 000 kg per hour  making it the largest methane leak ever detected by GHGSat from a single point-source. This rate is extremely high, especially considering its four days following the initial breach, and this is only one of four rupture points in the pipeline. Credit: GHGSat

GHGSat Director for Europe, Adina Gillespie, said, "Predictably, the media and the world have turned to space to understand the scale of the Nord Stream industrial disaster. While we await further investigation on the cause, GHGSat responded quickly, measuring 79,000 kg per hour of methane coming from the leaks. We will continue tasking GHGSat satellites for the Nord Stream sites until we no longer detect emissions."

Claus Zehner, Copernicus Sentinel-5P, Altius and Flex Missions Manager, mentions: "Besides GHGSat, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite provided methane concentration measurements emitted by this pipeline leak which highlights the feasibility to use both public funded and commercial satellites in a synergistic way."

Environmental impact

Although closed at the time, the two Nord Stream stems contained enough gas to release 300,000 metric tons of methanemore than twice the amount released by the Aliso Canyon leak in California over several months in 201516.

As large as it may be, the Nord Stream release pales in comparison with the 80 million metric tons emitted each year by the oil and gas industry. The latest release is roughly equivalent to one and a half days of global methane emissions.

This map shows the pair of Nord Stream natural gas pipelines that runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. It comprises the Nord Stream 1 pipeline running from Vyborg in northwest Russia, near Finland, and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline running from Ust-Luga in northwest Russia near Estonia. Ship traffic in the map can be identified as blue and yellow lines and uses data from the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). Red stars in the image depict the observed leaks as detected by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission. Click here to observe the area highlighted in images captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites. Credit: ESA

Methane observations from the Sentinel-5P satellite can observe regions with enhanced methane concentrations from strong point sources all over the world. Satellite observations are a powerful tool for improving estimates of emission strength, seeing how they change over time and can also help detect previously unknown emission sources.

Looking ahead, the upcoming atmospheric Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring mission (CO2M) will carry a near-infrared spectrometer to measure atmospheric carbon dioxide, but also methane, at a good spatial resolution. This mission will provide the EU with a unique and independent source of information to assess the effectiveness of policy measures, and to track their impact towards decarbonizing Europe and meeting national emission reduction targets.

Yasjka Meijer, ESA's Scientist for Copernicus Atmospheric Missions, commented, "The CO2M Mission will provide global coverage and has a special mode above water to increase observed radiances by looking toward the sunglint spot, however it will be equally limited by clouds."

Explore further Nord Stream leaked less methane than feared: atmospheric monitor
China RMB settlements with Belt and Road countries up in 2021

Xinhua) 09:15, October 06, 2022

Aerial photo taken on June 9, 2022 shows a container terminal in Qingdao Port, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo by Yu Fangping/Xinhua)

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: Xian Jiangnan, Bianji)
Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez (R) and Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov are seen during the 2nd Azerbaijan-Turkiye Energy Forum in Istanbul, Turkiye, Oct. 6, 2022. With bilateral accords soon to be signed, energy cooperation between Turkiye and Azerbaijan will reach a higher level, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez said on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)

ISTANBUL, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- With bilateral accords soon to be signed, energy cooperation between Turkiye and Azerbaijan will reach a higher level, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez said on Thursday.

"A new era will begin in the energy field with the upcoming accords to be signed between Turkiye and Azerbaijan," Donmez said at the 2nd Azerbaijan-Turkiye Energy Forum held in Istanbul.

The minister revealed that the two countries are working to advance their already-strong energy relationship with new cooperation on renewable green energy and a partnership between state-owned oil companies.

"Soon we will sign an intergovernmental treaty, and a new company born from the partnership between BOTAS and SOCAR (Turkish and Azerbaijani state-owned oil companies) will start its joint operations," Donmez announced.

He emphasized the importance of the robust relationship between Turkiye and Azerbaijan as the two countries supply a crucial amount of energy to the surrounding regions, including Europe, with projects such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, South Caucasus, and Trans-Anatolian gas pipelines.

Joint group meetings were organized on the sidelines of the forum on hydrocarbon and petrochemical products, renewable energy use, energy efficiency, and the electricity market.

First held in December 2021 in Baku, the forum was established as part of the efforts in economic cooperation between the two countries to strengthen strategic energy cooperation, according to the press release. 

Photo taken on Oct. 6, 2022 shows a view of the 2nd Azerbaijan-Turkiye Energy Forum in Istanbul, Turkiye. With bilateral accords soon to be signed, energy cooperation between Turkiye and Azerbaijan will reach a higher level, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez said on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)

Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez (R) and Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov are seen during the 2nd Azerbaijan-Turkiye Energy Forum in Istanbul, Turkiye, Oct. 6, 2022. With bilateral accords soon to be signed, energy cooperation between Turkiye and Azerbaijan will reach a higher level, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez said on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Counterclockwise from top: Californias Mono Lake was the site of a field test for JPLs Ocean Worlds Life Surveyor. A suite of eight instruments designed to detect life in liquid samples from icy moons, OWLS can autonomously track lifelike movement in water flowing past its microscopes. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Are we alone in the universe? An answer to that age-old question has seemed tantalizingly within reach since the discovery of ice-encrusted moons in our solar system with potentially habitable subsurface oceans. But looking for evidence of life in a frigid sea hundreds of millions of miles away poses tremendous challenges. The science equipment used must be exquisitely complex yet capable of withstanding intense radiation and cryogenic temperatures. What's more, the instruments must be able to take diverse, independent, complementary measurements that together could produce scientifically defensible proof of life.

To address some of the difficulties that future life-detection missions might encounter, a team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California has developed OWLS, a powerful suite of science instruments unlike any other. Short for Oceans Worlds Life Surveyor, OWLS is designed to ingest and analyze liquid samples. It features eight instrumentsall automatedthat, in a lab on Earth, would require the work of several dozen people.

One vision for OWLS is to use it to analyze frozen water from a vapor plume erupting from Saturn's moon Enceladus. "How do you take a sprinkling of ice a billion miles from Earth and determinein the one chance you've got, while everyone on Earth is waiting with bated breathwhether there's evidence of life?" said Peter Willis, the project's co-principal investigator and science lead. "We wanted to create the most powerful instrument system you could design for that situation to look for both chemical and biological signs of life."

JPLs OWLS combines powerful chemical-analysis instruments that look for the building blocks of life with microscopes that search for cells. This version of OWLS would be miniaturized and customized for use on future missions. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

In June, after a half-decade of work, the project team tested its equipmentcurrently the size of a few filing cabinetson the salty waters of Mono Lake in California's Eastern Sierra. OWLS found chemical and cellular evidence of life, using its built-in software to identify that evidence without human intervention.

"We have demonstrated the first generation of the OWLS suite," Willis said. "The next step is to customize and miniaturize it for specific mission scenarios."

The science autonomy software on JPLs OWLS tracks particles as water flows past the microscope, using machine-learning algorithms to look for evidence of lifelike motion. Here, particle tracks that the autonomy believes belong to motile organisms are colored magenta. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Challenges, solutions

A key difficulty the OWLS team faced was how to process liquid samples in space. On Earth, scientists can rely on gravity, a reasonable lab temperature, and air pressure to keep samples in place, but those conditions don't exist on a spacecraft hurtling through the solar system or on the surface of a frozen moon. So the team designed two instruments that can extract a liquid sample and process it in the conditions of space.

Since it's not clear what form life might take on an ocean world, OWLS also needed to include the broadest possible array of instruments, capable of measuring a size range from single molecules to microorganisms. To that end, the project joined two subsystems: one that employs a variety of chemical analysis techniques using multiple instruments, and one with several microscopes to examine visual clues.

OWLS' microscope system would be the first in space capable of imaging cells. Developed in conjunction with scientists at Portland State University in Oregon, it combines a digital holographic microscope, which can identify cells and motion throughout the volume of a sample, with two fluorescent imagers, which use dyes to observe chemical content and cellular structures. Together, they provide overlapping views at a resolution of less than a single micron, or about 0.00004 inches.

Water ice and vapor are seen spraying from Saturns frozen moon Enceladus, which hosts a hidden subsurface ocean, in this image captured by NASAs Cassini mission during a 2010 flyby. OWLS is designed to ingest and analyze liquid samples from such plumes. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

Dubbed Extant Life Volumetric Imaging System (ELVIS), the microscope subsystem has no moving partsa rarity. And it uses machine-learning algorithms to both home in on lifelike movement and detect objects lit up by fluorescent molecules, whether naturally occurring in living organisms or as added dyes bound to parts of cells.

"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack without having to pick up and examine every single piece of hay," said co-principal investigator Chris Lindensmith, who leads the microscope team. "We're basically grabbing big armfuls of hay and saying, 'Oh, there's needles here, here, and here.'"

To examine much tinier forms of evidence, OWLS uses its Organic Capillary Electrophoresis Analysis System (OCEANS), which essentially pressure-cooks liquid samples and feeds them to instruments that search for the chemical building blocks of life: all varieties of amino acids, as well as fatty acids and organic compounds. The system is so sensitive, it can even detect unknown forms of carbon. Willis, who led development of OCEANS, compares it to a shark that can smell just one molecule of blood in a billion molecules of waterand also tell the blood type. It would be only the second instrument system to perform liquid chemical analysis in space, after the Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA) instrument on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander.

OCEANS uses a technique called capillary electrophoresisbasically, running an electric current through a sample to separate it into its components. The sample is then routed to three types of detectors, including a mass spectrometer, the most powerful tool for identifying organic compounds.

Sending it home

These subsystems produce massive amounts of data, just an estimated 0.0001% of which could be sent back to faraway Earth because of data transmission rates that are more limited than dial-up internet from the 1980s. So OWLS has been designed with what's called "onboard science instrument autonomy." Using algorithms, computers would analyze, summarize, prioritize, and select only the most interesting data to be sent home while also offering a "manifest" of information still on board.

"We're starting to ask questions now that necessitate more sophisticated instruments," said Lukas Mandrake, the project's instrument autonomy system engineer. "Are some of these other planets habitable? Is there defensible scientific evidence for life rather than a hint that it might be there? That requires instruments that take a lot of data, and that's what OWLS and its science autonomy is set up to accomplish."

Explore further Device could help detect signs of extraterrestrial life

More information: For more about JPL's OWLS project, go to: For more about JPL's OWLS project, go to: www.jpl.nasa.gov/go/owls
Custom artwork illustrates an abacus made from bacterial cells known as spores used to count stimuli. Credit: Anne Hashimoto

Facing starvation and stress conditions, some bacteria enter a dormant state in which life processes stop. Shutting down into a deep dormancy allows these cells, called spores, to withstand punishing extremes of heat, pressure and even the harsh conditions of outer space.

Eventually, when conditions become favorable, spores that may have been dormant for years can wake up in minutes and spring back to life.

Spores wake up by re-hydrating and restarting their metabolism and physiology. But until now scientists did not know whether spores can monitor their environment "in their sleep" without waking up. In particular it was not known how spores deal with vague environmental signals that do not indicate clearly favorable conditions. Would spores just ignore such mixed conditions or take note?

University of California San Diego biologists have solved this mystery in a new study published in the journal Science. Researchers in the School of Biological Sciences discovered that spores have an extraordinary ability to evaluate their surrounding environment while remaining in a physiologically dead state. They found that spores use stored electrochemical energy, acting like a capacitor, to determine whether conditions are suitable for a return to normal functioning life.

A microscopy time-lapse movie depicts the color-coded electrochemical potential value overlaid on top of the phase image of a single spore. As revealed by the phase image, the spore remains dormant while exhibiting the ability to count stimuli, as indicated by the multicolor-coded flashes of electrochemical potential changes. Credit: Suel LabKaito Kikuchi

"This work changes the way we think about spores, which were considered to be inert objects," said Gurol Suel, a professor in the Department of Molecular Biology. "We show that cells in a deeply dormant state have the ability to process information. We discovered that spores can release their stored electrochemical potential energy to perform a computation about their environment without the need for metabolic activity."

Many bacterial species form sporespartially dehydrated cells surrounded by a resilient protective coatas a survival strategy that allows them to remain dormant for thousands of years. Such a remarkable capability makes them a threat in the form of bacterial anthrax as well as a contamination hazard in medicine and the food industry.

This microscopy time-lapse movie shows the color-coded jumps in electrochemical potential value of a single spore in response to short stimuli. With each stimulus, the spore gets closer and closer to exiting dormancy, as visualized by the color transitioning from deep purple to yellow. Credit: Suel LabKaito Kikuchi

Suel and his colleagues tested whether dormant Bacillus subtilis spores could sense short-lived environmental signals that were not strong enough to trigger a return to life. They found that spores were able to count such small inputs and if the sum reached a certain threshold, they would decide to exit the dormant state and resume biological activity.

Developing a mathematical model to help explain the process, the researchers discovered that spores use a mechanism known as integrate-and-fire, based on fluxes of potassium ions for appraising the surrounding environment. They found that spores responded to even short-lived favorable signals that were not enough to trigger an exit from dormancy. Instead of waking up, spores released some of their stored potassium in response to each small input and then summed consecutive favorable signals to determine if conditions were suitable for exiting. Such a cumulative signal processing strategy can reveal whether external conditions are indeed favorable, and prevents spores from "jumping the gun" into a world of unfavorable conditions.

A composite movie showing the phase contrast of a single spore (top left) to visualize the dormant state. A movie (top right) shows the color-coded electrochemical potential of the same spore. The plot (bottom left) shows the corresponding time trace of the electrochemical potential values changing over time. Finally, a corresponding bar plot (bottom right) visualizes the jumps toward the threshold for returning to life. Credit: Suel Lab

"The way spores process information is similar to how neurons operate in our brain," said Suel. "In both bacteria and neurons, small and short inputs are added up over time to determine if a threshold is reached. Upon reaching the threshold spores initiate their return to life, while neurons fire an action potential to communicate with other neurons." Interestingly, spores can perform this signal integration without requiring any metabolic energy, while neurons are among the most energy-dependent cells in our bodies.

A microscopy image reveals several spores with their electrochemical potential color-coded according to the strength of the signal. Credit: Suel LabKaito Kikuchi and Leticia Galera

The researchers believe the new information about spores reframes popular ideas about cells in extremely dormant states that seem dead. Such findings hold implications for evaluating life on objects such as meteors as well as space missions seeking evidence of life.

"This work suggests alternate ways to cope with the potential threat posed by pathogenic spores and has implications for what to expect from extraterrestrial life," said Suel, who holds affiliations with the San Diego Center for Systems Biology, BioCircuits Institute and Center for Microbiome Innovation. "If scientists find life on Mars or Venus, it is likely to be in a dormant state and we now know that a life form that appears to be completely inert may still be capable of thinking about its next steps."

Authors of the Science paper include: Kaito Kikuchi, Leticia Galera-Laporta, Colleen Weatherwax, Jamie Lam, Eun Chae Moon, Emmanuel Theodorakis, Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo and Gurol M Suel.

Explore further Protein synthesis, ATP unnecessary for bacterial spore germination

More information: Kaito Kikuchi et al, Electrochemical potential enables dormant spores to integrate environmental signals, Science (2022). www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abl7484 Kaito Kikuchi et al, Electrochemical potential enables dormant spores to integrate environmental signals,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.abl7484 Jonathan Lombardino et al, An electric alarm clock for spores, Science (2022). doi.org/10.1126/science.ade3921 Journal information: Science
Neighbors venture out of their homes after a Boston snowstorm in 2022. Social connectedness helps us make sure that no one in the community is going to be left behind, says coauthor Justin Hollander, A96, a professor of urban and environmental policy and planning. Credit: Shutterstock/Darius Boamah Photography

When a heat wave drives the temperature in your apartment over 100 degrees or your power goes out during a brutally cold winter storm, knowing your neighbors can save your life. Research has shown that communities with strong social tieswhere people check in with each other and have someone to call in a crisisare better prepared to deal with emergencies and recover from them after the fact.

These community connections are becoming more important as climate change fuels an increase in extreme weather events. Researchers at Tufts University, in partnership with Communities Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW), spent a year investigating social connectedness in two Boston neighborhoods. Their study provides a framework for better understanding the factors influencing social connectedness in Boston (where it is already getting media attention) and helps to create a roadmap for building resilience and community connections in the face of climate change.

"Social connectedness helps us make sure that no one in the community is going to be left behind," says coauthor Justin Hollander, A96, a professor of urban and environmental policy and planning in the School of Arts and Sciences.

"Maybe there's someone who is a bit independent, who doesn't have immediate family nearbythose tend to be the people who die in extreme weather events," he said. "So how do we connect with those people? How do we make sure that people in our community know who those people are and can look out for them?"

Hollander and his colleagues focused their efforts on the neighborhoods of Chinatown and Roxbury's Grove Hall, which an earlier study by the Conservation Law Foundation had identified as two of Boston's most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. That's because of physical factors that make them more likely to trap heat during hot days or flood during storms and social factors such as the number of elderly individuals or low-income households.

But that work didn't examine interpersonal connections within communities. Hollander, along with James Intriligator, director of Tufts' human factors engineering program and professor of the practice in mechanical engineering, and Joshua Ellsworth, a lecturer in the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, wanted to add this important aspect of climate-change resilience to the picture and find ways to help vulnerable communities develop support networks.

Tufts students and CREW staff, led by Rev. Vernon Walker, AG23, CREW's program director and a graduate student in public policy, made multiple trips to each neighborhood to interview people at bus stops, grocery stores, and other public locations. These conversations revealed that while most people knew of individuals, organizations, and services they could reach out to for support related to COVID-19, they didn't have the same network for weather-related emergencies.

"You wouldn't believe how many people said they don't know their neighbors," Hollander says.

Those who didn't feel very connected to their neighborhood cited language barriers, personal independence, and isolation during the pandemic. People that did have strong social connections often found them through neighborhood events, work and school environments, and faith-based organizations. The researchers point to the value of walking clubs, block parties, and other local activities as ways to form and grow these connections.

The researchers also analyzed anonymous cell phone data to begin to understand where people spend their time and come together. They identified places, such as schools, cultural centers, and even a 7-Eleven, that could be used as "resilience hubs"locations that could serve as outreach, engagement, and communication centers to help people build community and prepare for extreme weather events. Some of these locations might also be able to provide direct support or serve as emergency shelters in the future.

"Our findings point to different strategies that might help build social connectedness and community resilience, such as having locations that can be specifically identified by both community leaders and city leaders as places that will be open if there's an emergency," Hollander says. "Identifying resilience hubs and developing communication plans to let people know about them will help bring people together around this topic."

Explore further Climate change and extreme heat are making us more anxious

More information: Extreme Weather & Social Connectedness Community Study: Extreme Weather & Social Connectedness Community Study: www.climatecrew.org/tufts_social_study
Map of social and natural risk in the Great Lakes region, using data from the FEMA National Risk Index ranks and the CDCs Social Vulnerability Index. Dark green represents high vulnerabilities in both FEMA risk and the social vulnerability index. Gray indicates low vulnerabilities for both. Blue indicates high FEMA risk, while green indicates a high social vulnerability index ranking. Credit: Earth's Future (2022). DOI: 10.1029/2022EF002942

Communities in the Great Lakes region need to start planning now for a future that may include "climate migrants" who leave behind increasingly frequent natural disasters in other parts of the country.

And user-friendly web-based tools can be a central part of that planning process.

Those are the main messages of a commentary published online Oct. 6 in Earth's Future by a University of Michigan geographer and several colleagues. The authors are developing web-based tools, such as interactive maps, that will enable residents, city planners, engineers, researchers and policymakers to envision various in-migration scenarios.

The goal is to better prepare for the future while improving conditions for current residents of the eight-state Great Lakes region.

"While we do not know if people will come, how many, who they might be and where they might settle, it is important that Great Lakes communities prepare and plan for a potential future that includes new residents," said Derek Van Berkel, assistant professor at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability and lead author of the commentary.

"This is necessary to prevent further negative impacts on the current residents of cities that may already be living in conditions that are unequal, unjust and vulnerable to climate and environmental impact."

Last year, the World Bank estimated that some 200 million people worldwide may migrate in coming decades in response to stressors exacerbated by climate change. While climate-driven migration will undoubtedly be traumatic for the victims, a few U.S. communitiesincluding Great Lakes coastal cities such as Duluth, Minnesota and Buffalo, New Yorkhave openly wondered whether it might also be an opportunity.

Compared to the drought- and wildfire-ravaged U.S. West, the hurricane-susceptible Gulf of Mexico states and the sea level rise-exposed East and West coasts, the Great Lakes region may fare relatively well in the face of a changing climatethanks in part to abundant fresh water and projected milder wintertime temperatures in the future, say Van Berkel and colleagues.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's national risk index, most neighborhoods in the Great Lakes rank well below the national risk average for exposure to 18 natural hazardsfrom avalanches to volcanic activity and wildfires.

Top: The Federal Emergency Management Agencys National Risk Index ranks total community exposure to 18 natural hazards: avalanche, coastal flooding, cold wave, drought, earthquake, hail, heat wave, hurricane, ice storm, landslide, lightning, riverine flooding, strong wind, tornado, tsunami, volcanic activity, wildfire, and winter weather. Census tracts in the Great Lakes region, which can roughly be described as neighborhoods, rank well below the national risk average (blue line). Bottom: The Center for Disease Control and Preventions Social Vulnerability Index ranking system combines 15 social factors including poverty, lack of vehicle access, and crowded housing to assess total social vulnerability per census tract. Great Lakes region neighborhoods are, on averagewith the exception of New Yorkbelow the national social vulnerability average. Credit: Earth's Future (2022). DOI: 10.1029/2022EF002942

Most of the Great Lakes region (GLR) also scores below the national "social vulnerability average" for 15 social factorsincluding poverty, lack of vehicle access and crowded housingevaluated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Given these apparently favorable environmental and social conditions, the tantalizing possibility that the GLR may experience renewed population growth relative to other U.S. regions has emerged as an important question that can critically affect how GLR urban communities prepare and plan for the future," according to the commentary authors.

However, understanding how such population shifts might affect current residents is essential if the region is to avoid exacerbating existing inequalities and climate vulnerabilities, the authors say.

With support from GLISA, the Great Lakes Integrated Science and Assessment project, Van Berkel and colleagues are developing web-based toolsformally known as a public participatory GIS systemto help residents, planners and researchers visualize various in-migration scenarios.

For example, they have combined the FEMA and CDC risk/vulnerability data into an interactive point-and-click regional map that allows users to zero in on individual census tracts. The web tools will be shared with the public by GLISA, which is a partnership between U-M and Michigan State University, supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"The public is becoming increasingly familiar with using this kind of interactive data through navigation tools like Google Maps," said Van Berkel, co-principal investigator on the project. "We are tapping into this geoliteracy to broaden and increase participation in these prioritization and planning endeavors."

The existing inequalities and climate vulnerabilities mentioned in the commentary include things like aging and poorly maintained infrastructure in Great Lakes cities such as Detroit, where increasingly frequent heavy rainstorms can cause flooding and community damages. Similarly, the lack of adequate city-cooling green space in some communities can amplify summer heat waves, which are expected to become increasingly common in the Great Lakes region.

"In many cities, historical socioeconomic disparities have deepened prevailing vulnerabilities to environmental hazards, as demonstrated by the Flint water contamination crisis," according to the commentary authors.

"Without careful recognition of how responses to migration might further exacerbate inequality and climate vulnerability affecting GLR urban communities, cities may move even farther from realizing a sustainable and just future for both current residents and future in-migrants," they wrote.

Explore further Report outlines growing climate change-related threats to Great Lakes region

More information: Derek Van Berkel et al, Planning for Climate Migration in Great Lake Legacy Cities, Earth's Future (2022). Journal information: Earth's Future Derek Van Berkel et al, Planning for Climate Migration in Great Lake Legacy Cities,(2022). DOI: 10.1029/2022EF002942
Jennie Darlington, left, with Edith Jackie Ronne, the first two women to be part of an Antarctic expedition, in 1947. Credit: Polar Journal

A federal report that, in the words of its key finding, "sexual assault, sexual harassment, and stalking are problems in the U.S. Antarctic Program community"and that efforts "dedicated to prevention [are] nearly absent"drew attention around the world. But as a historian of Antarctic science, I did not find it surprising at all.

The report, released in August 2022 by the National Science Foundation, which runs the United States Antarctic Program, found that many scientists and workers believe human resources staff "are dismissing, minimizing, shaming, and blaming victims who report sexual harassment and sexual assault." A report with similar findings about its national program was released by the Australian Antarctic Division in late September 2022.

The fields of Antarctic science and exploration have long excluded women from the region altogether and still have a strong culture focused on masculinity and chauvinism.

An early opportunity

The first Antarctic expedition to include women was the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition, in 19471948, a U.S.-based expedition with funding from the government and private sources, led by U.S. Navy Capt. Finn Ronne. His wife Edith "Jackie" Ronne accompanied her husband, as did Jennie Darlington, the wife of one of the pilots, Harry Darlington.

Their inclusion was groundbreaking. But their presence also was perceived by many in the polar community to contribute to tensions between the young and inexperienced men, "hardening into a mold of accusation, innuendo, and dissension.  Tension and turmoil were to take precedent over pioneering," as one historian wrote.

Jackie Ronne would return to Antarctica several times. But at that first expedition's conclusion, Jennie Darlington asserted that "women do not belong in the Antarctic" because of the harsh conditions, which might cause a person to require assistance or even rescue. She wrote, "Men should not be put in the position of endangering his own safety for another, lesser physical human."

Darlington also reflected on the emotional burden she undertook. Many men, including her husband, believed that "Antarctica symbolized a haven, a place of high ideals and that inner peace men find only in an all-male atmosphere in primitive surroundings." She wrote, "My job was to be as inconspicuous within the group as possible. I felt that all feminine instincts should be sublimated.  I was determined not to act like a woman in a man's world."

She also commented on the psychological difficulty for both the women: "It was a tenuous balance, in which as women, we bore the major responsibility for the men's conduct toward us.  Any drawing of attention to myself, any gesture or indication that I expected certain courtesies, any show of bossiness or pretense would have been resented."

Excluding women

The global scientific effort called the International Geophysical Year in 19571958 changed the nature of Antarctic research from relatively small, short-term expeditions to the establishment of permanent bases on the continent. But as various countries shaped their respective Antarctic programs, many were adamant that women would not be included.

U.S. Navy Adm. George Dufek, the supervisor of U.S. programs in Antarctica, declared in 1957 that "women will not be allowed in the Antarctic until we can provide one woman for every man," implying that there would be no need for women in Antarctica except as sexual partners for the men.

Vivian Fuchs, the director of the British Antarctic Survey from 1958 to 1973, took a similar position in the 1950s and declared as late as 1982: "Should it happen one day that women are included as part of the base complement, problems will certainly arise [and] lead to the breakdown of that sense of unity which is so important to the group."

The first women to formally participate in United States fieldwork were those in the expedition led by geochemist Lois Jones in 1969. Jones was permitted by the National Science Foundation to visit Antarctica only if she could form an all-women's expedition.

From left, the first six women ever to visit the South Pole, in 1969: Pam Young, Jean Pearson, Terry Tickhill, Lois Jones, Eileen McSaveney and Kay Lindsay. Credit: U.S. Navy via National Science Foundation

Her team of four was among the first six women to visit the South Pole, in a publicity stunt orchestrated by the U.S. Navy in which the women were labeled "powder puff explorers" by the media.

A senior New Zealand geologist, whom Jones had lobbied for assistance with her initial application, later appeared to regret it. He wrote a sexist screed declaring, "The flood gates opened and every feminist world-wide screamed sexism, racism etc. if they were refused an expensive three month Antarctic trip. It is an age-old desire of unmarried females to be where the boys are and in many I have met, there is no question this was the dominant urge."

Obstacles abound

Irene Penden, the first woman to work in the Antarctic interior, went in 1970 to study the movement of very low radio frequency waves. But it wasn't easy. She later wrote, "For whatever reason, probably because there had been so much foot-dragging about and resentment of the first women going there, a mythology had been created about the women who'd gone to the coastthat they had been a problem. I heard that their presence had been a problem and they had not been productive because they had not published anything yet." Yet it had only been a few months since that first group of women had finished their research season, and generally it takes more than a year for field data to be converted into scientific articles.

Further, the U.S. Navy, which controlled the transportation to, from and within Antarctica, also argued that Penden should be forbidden because of the lack of women's bathrooms on board ships and in the Antarctic generally. It is a complaint that was echoed throughout the period of women's integration into Antarctic national programs through the 1990s, as well as in other settings such as the military and outer space.

While most principal investigators did not need to write a proposal to get a trip to Antarctica, to put pressure on the Navy, the National Science Foundation required that she write a specific proposal for a short-term trip, have it peer-reviewed, and get it approved internally. After "I went through that whole rigamarole  they kept dragging their feet," she wrote. So Penden arranged to give a briefing on her work to relevant people from the National Science Foundation and the Navy so that Navy leadership "could see how totally scientific and professional I was [and] would realize that I was not some adventuress just trying to get down there where all the men were, which was the kind of thing they were saying."

The admiral in question did not come to the meeting. However, he later gave permission for her travel if she could find a woman to accompany her. Rather than find another scientist, Penden was accompanied by a New Zealand mountaineer, Julia Vickers. While on the ice, Penden was warned by the station chief, "If you fail, there won't be another woman on the Antarctic continent for a generation."

Hostility builds

One major result of the practice of excluding women and singling them out as outsiders was that behavior explicitly hostile to women became commonplace in Antarctica.

While women started being part of the United States research program in 1969, the British Antarctic Survey did not fully integrate until 1996, finally allowing women to spend the winter at their remote Halley Station. In the bases and expeditions mounted by both nations, and other countries too, Antarctica remained constructed as a place that was decidedly male.

Pornographic material was publicly consumed and even created. Walls were often decorated with images of nude or scantily clad women. The carpenter's hut at Australia's Mawson Station famously included the "Sistine Ceiling," with clippings of over 90 Playboy models plastered over the ceiling and walls.

This remained at Mawson until 2005, 20 years after women were allowed to work at the station. That year it was destroyed by an unknown person to the disappointment of some, who felt the destroyer had "assumed the right to play heritage vandal or moral police for everyone."

Today, the idea that Antarctica is a region dominated by adventurous hero-scientists persists. The stereotypical image of a man sporting an ice-encrusted beard remains the most emblematic visage of an Antarctic explorer. And this view of Antarctica as a place for men continues to create barriers to women's participation both on stations and in remote fieldwork.

Indeed, Antarctic science remains highly male-dominated, which, during the early days of the #MeToo movement in 2017, revealed many troubling allegations about the dangers that women continued to face, including sexual harassment and even sexual assault. So while this recent National Science Foundation report may have many shocking and revealing elements, none of it is a surprise to any woman who has either worked or attempted to work in Antarctica.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
QUEENSBURY  A Queensbury man pleaded guilty in Warren County Court on Wednesday in a case in which he was charged with sexually assaulting multiple children in May.

Brian A. Combs, 33, entered the plea before Warren County Judge Robert Smith to one felony count of first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, according to a news release from Warren County District Attorney Jason Carusone.

After an investigation by state police, Combs was accused of sexually assaulting two children under the age of 13 on multiple occasions and for having sexual contact with a child under the age of 11, police said.

At the time, police said Combs knew the victims.

As a result of Wednesdays guilty plea, Combs agreed to serve 10 years in a state correctional facility, serve an additional 10 years of post-release supervision when he is released, register as a sex offender and provide a sample of his DNA for the New York state database, the news release said.

Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 16 in Warren County Court.

The victims showed true bravery by coming forward to law enforcement and standing firm through the course of the prosecution. Their resolve and the state police investigation helped our office hold the defendant accountable and protect the community from this sexual predator, Carusone stated.

Combs was prosecuted by Warren County assistant district attorneys Benjamin Smith and Ann Vondrak, with assistance from Senior Crime Victim Specialist Manon Affinito.

Combs is being held in Warren County Jail pending sentencing.
GLENS FALLS  Police arrested a man on Tuesday they say is responsible for vandalism at St. Marys Catholic Church in August.

Michael W. Briggs, 27, of Lake George, was arrested by Glens Falls Police and charged with two misdemeanors in connection with vandalism that occurred at the Glens Falls church on Aug. 20, when several statues and outdoor event tents were written on and defaced.

According to police, Briggs allegedly damaged church property and painted graffiti on a statue, a storage shed and an outdoor canopy. He was identified through surveillance video police collected from the area. Police said this was an isolated incident and Briggs appears to have no connection to the church.

He was arraigned in Glens Falls City Court and released with an appearance ticket.

In August, Tim McNulty, a trustee of St. Marys, said the Glens Falls Police Department was notified after the incident and an initial report was filed, with a follow-up to be made later that week. McNulty said the church was waiting to hear back from the police department weeks after the incident.

The Post-Star initially reported Allah was written on three sides of the churchs tent, which McNulty said would have to be painted over, but the church does not believe this was done by a Muslim group.

We do not believe there is a Muslim sect in Glens Falls targeting Catholics, but we do believe this should be investigated as a hate crime, he said in August.

McNulty said the statues would need to be replaced due to stains on the stone.
GLENS FALLS  While the third mural funded by the DRI (Downtown Revitalization Initiative) grant was initially postponed, it will now find a home in the heart of the Glens Falls Arts District.

This mural was initially proposed for 103 Warren St., but city officials were told that the location would not qualify for grant funding because it is outside of the arts district.

The new location is at 207 Glen St. on the wall of the Charles R. Wood Theater in the alleyway between the theater building and the building housing Spot Coffee.

After hearing comments from the Glens Falls Planning Board and the public via an online survey, Kate Austin, co-founder and administrator of the district, said there was overwhelming support for an art piece that depicts Glens Falls history.

This mural will be slightly different from the other two in that it will be comprised of multiple panels lining the wall leading further down the alley.

It will consist of 35 to 40 smaller pieces, which represent the history of the city of Glens Falls. One panel will be a large pizza because the city once broke the record for making the largest pizza.

Another one will be of Charlotte Hyde, who donated art to found The Hyde Collection.

Austin said that the district is considering adding a QR code to either each individual art piece, or just including one main QR code. Onlookers will be able to scan the code and receive information about the individual pieces.

The artist, Michael Ferrarell, is from Chicago. He will begin painting in mid-October, according to Austin.

The other two murals that were funded by the grant are now complete.

The 144 Glen St. mural, which depicts a quintessential Adirondack scenery with hot air balloons and a fox, was painted by Jesse Melanson, and it completely covers the Dominos Pizza wall that faces Centennial Circle.

The 20 Warren St. mural, painted by local artist Hannah Williams, created a cosmic-like nature scene with the centerpiece punctuated by a big bear.
You might see people walking down Main Street in the Erie County village of 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 villages 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.

Mondays 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 doesnt 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 dont 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.

Its 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 dont generally see too many issues, Evans Police Chief Gregory Szarowicz said. Its 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 heartbreak, Whelan said.
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa once housed as many as four restaurants featuring the talents of Iron Chefs. The Food Network-enhanced name recognition from culinary legends like Wolfgang Puck and Bobby Flay undoubtedly brought heads in the door, and continues to do so at places like Michael Symons spectacular Italian concept Angeline. But one could make a strong argument that when it comes to former celebrity chef-branded spots at Borgata, the restaurants that replaced them ended up being better than those with the famous name on the marquee. American Bar & Grill has only gotten better since Wolfgang Pucks name was removed from it, and the brand-new B-Prime Steakhouse is the latest to show up a big name star with a superior offering.

The restaurant opened up this summer in the space once occupied by Bobby Flay Steak, and to say it is a welcome addition would be selling it way short. Flays former restaurant was an underwhelming experience, one often marred by subpar cuts of meat swimming in rich, dense sauces clearly designed to cover up for the fact that the steaks you were being served just werent very good. There was an obvious reliance on the fact that the name Bobby Flay would be enough to keep people coming in regardless of what level of food came out of the kitchen.

Thats why B-Prime is such a fabulous breath of fresh air  they got everything right this time.

The experienceSince the recent shuttering of Neros at Caesars, Borgata is now the only Atlantic City casino to boast two onsite steakhouses, with both of them falling under the fine dining category. While traditionalists may flock to Old Homestead, B Prime maintains the young and fresh vibe present throughout much of Borgata.

We created B Prime as a modern alternative to the classic steakhouse, said Borgata Vice President of Hospitality Anthony Caratozzolo in a recent press release.

And thats exactly what it is. General stuffiness and the obligatory tuxedoed wait staff are nowhere to be found, instead the room buzzes with a palatable energy thanks to sleek and trendy design and decor elements and a curated soundtrack of 80s and 90s pop, rock and new wave hits  all played at a volume that falls well above what you would expect from your average fine dining establishment, but still low enough to make conversation easy and enjoyable.

The wait staff  who dress somewhere between formal and casual Friday  look sharp but not haughty in their pressed jeans, neckties and vests, and manage to knock it out of the park with their level of service.

The main waiter on our visit was Lewis, who doubled as a mind reader and magician, regularly appearing seemingly out of nowhere to freshen up drinks, scrape away crumbs and fulfill requests  often before we even considered making them. He also did a remarkable job recommending various dishes throughout the meal, steering us away from the more gimmicky choices and making sure everything we ended up with was top notch.

A creative kitchenHip atmosphere and a great wait staff are nice plusses, but what the kitchen puts out is ultimately what makes or breaks any restaurant. The executive chef at B-Prime is Howard Stilianessis, whose execution is masterful and whose menu is surprisingly lengthy for a steakhouse, offering an eclectic mix of apps and entrees to please all palates.

StartersA raw bar opens things up with a list of the usual suspects, like oysters, shrimp cocktail and the Prime Plateau  a $165 tower of lobster, shrimp, oysters, clams and tuna tartare thats as visually impressive as you might expect.

The list of apps features some tasty coconut shrimp, enhanced by a spicy sriracha-lime aioli as well as crab cakes, garlic prawns, a so-so cacio e pepe, and a fabulous house-made cheese bread served with Calabrian chili butter.

But the absolute rock star of the bunch was the Wagyu Cheesteak Bites  two mini cheesesteaks prepared with wagyu beef, caramelized onion, aged provolone and truffle served on a buttered Parker roll. Truly the only shame here is that this dish is relegated to being merely an app on a steakhouse menu. No one should have to search this deep for something this good. Borgata should have a stand selling nothing but full-size versions of these as you walk in the lobby. Its easily the best cheesesteak in South Jersey.

SteaksSteak dishes at B-Prime include options from Japan, including Saga Beef ($33 per ounce), Olive Beef ($42 per ounce) and a True A5 Kobe Beef ($36 per ounce), each of which require a 3-ounce minimum. There is also a tasting flight of all three in 1-ounce portions which can be had for $100 per person. Hey, nobody ever said the good life was cheap.

More traditional steak options are divided between classics like the 20-ounce bone-in NY Strip from Creekstone Farms, domestic Wagyus from Texas Farms including Flat Iron, Ribeye Filet and NY Strip options and a subgroup of shareables, such as the impressive B-Prime Tomahawk ($135)  a 32-ounce Pat Lafrieda behemoth that will have other tables craning their necks in envy.

Our favorite steak was the 16-ounce Creekstone Farms Delmonico ($72)  a recommendation from Lewis which delivered on every level. Buttery and seared to a perfect medium rare, this was one of the most flavorful and fabulous steaks we have tried anywhere in Atlantic City.

All steaks can be topped with blue cheese, truffled bordelaise or crab Oscar, should you feel the need, but covering up the beauty of these would be a shame in our opinion.

Beyond the beefThose looking to avoid red meat are still catered to at B-Prime, as the menu delves nicely into seafood faves like Dayboat Scallops ($40) served with sweet Jersey corn and an herb pistou; Miso-Glazed Chilean Seabass ($49) with bok choy and lotus root; and both Maine Lobster Tail ($54) and Whole Maine Lobster (MP) dishes. Cauliflower Steak ($28) and a Half Roasted Chicken ($39) round out the non-beef options.

Side dishes include the basics like steak fries, roasted mushrooms, charred broccolini and mac & cheese, but the Michael Jordan of the bunch is the Chipotle Corn Brulee, a unique, creamy and spicy side dish that will go twice as quick as the rest of them.

Sweet endingsFilling up on your apps and entrees is pretty much a given here, but if you do manage to save some room, the dessert list is a fun one. It rotates, and has things like homemade donuts and cheesecake on it, but on the night we came the Oreo Creme Brulee was the perfect kiss goodnight to a damn fine meal. If they have it, get it. If not, ask Lewis what else is good. Hell know.
Israeli troops patrol with their vehicles along the border with Lebanon near the northern Israeli city of Nahariya, on Oct. 7, 2022. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Thursday instructed the defense establishment to prepare for any possible escalation with Lebanon hours after Israel rejected Lebanon's amendments to the U.S.-brokered proposal for demarcating a maritime border. Last week, U.S. energy envoy Amos Hochstein sent Israel and Lebanon a draft of an agreement on a maritime line between the two countries. The dispute concerns an area of some 860 square km of the Mediterranean Sea. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Israel rejected Lebanon's requested revisions to the U.S.-brokered proposal for a maritime border deal on Thursday.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid was "updated on the details of the new substantial changes that Lebanon is seeking to make in the agreement, and ordered the (Israeli) negotiating team to reject them," a senior Israeli official told Xinhua.

Lapid stressed that he will not compromise Israel's security and economic interests, "even if it means that there will be no agreement soon," the official said.

"Israel will produce gas from the Karish rig as soon as it is possible to do so," the Israeli official added, referring to the Karish natural gas field that is located in the disputed area.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz tweeted on Thursday that "whether the agreement is signed or not, we are prepared to protect our infrastructure and our sovereignty."

"If Hezbollah seeks to harm them, the military price that Lebanon and Hezbollah will pay will be very heavy," he said.

Hezbollah has not issued an immediate response.

Also on Thursday, Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that the deal "is of strategic importance" and allows for "avoiding a war in the region," the Lebanese state news agency of NNA reported.

Last week, U.S. Energy Envoy Amos Hochstein sent Israel and Lebanon a draft of an agreement on a maritime line between the two countries. The dispute concerns an area of some 860 square km of the Mediterranean Sea.

According to Israeli media, a major point of dispute between Israel and Lebanon was Lapid's announcement that Israel will receive some of the revenues from Lebanese extraction in the Qana natural gas field, located partially in the disputed area.

Israel and Hezbollah fought a deadly war in 2006 that ended with a fragile truce. 
An Atlantic City High School social studies teacher arrested late last month is accused of having had sexual encounters with a 17-year-old student on and off campus, according to an affidavit of probable cause for his arrest.

Joseph Scalfaro, 47, of Absecon, was arrested in the high schools parking lot Sept. 30, according to his arrest report. He is charged with endangering the welfare of a child, criminal sexual contact and official misconduct.

High school Principal Constance Days-Chapman did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Scalfaro was released from the Atlantic County jail following a detention hearing Wednesday. He is scheduled to appear again in Atlantic County Superior Court on Nov. 14 before Judge Pamela DArcy, court clerk Stephanie Whitland said Thursday. Interviewed by detectives Sept. 23, the student said Scalfaro interacted with her sexually both on and off school property, according to the affidavit.

Atlantic City High School teacher accused of improper relationship with ex-student An Atlantic City High School teacher is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with

While in school, Scalfaro and the student, on multiple occasions, kissed inside a classroom, the affidavit says. The student said the teacher would then exit toward a restroom to sexually touch himself, according to the affidavit of probable cause. The student also told detectives that Scalfaro and she would kiss in his vehicle, and that they met at an Absecon park for intimate encounters, the affidavit says.

Records obtained from a Quality Inn in Galloway Township back up the students claim that Scalfaro checked the pair into the hotel March 8, the affidavit says.

The student said Scalfaro kissed her, took off her shirt and then sexually touched himself in front of her, the affidavit says.

Detectives also gathered recorded audio between Scalfaro and the student, in which he admits to only sharing physical relations with her and no other students, the affidavit says.
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A Seaside Heights man was indicted on attempted murder charges stemming from a summer stabbing in the city, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said Thursday.

Porfirio Serrano-Cruz, 39, was also indicted on charges of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, burglary and possession of a controlled dangerous substance (clonazepam).

About 5:15 a.m. June 30, Seaside Park police responded to a residence on O Street, where the caller said Serrano-Cruz broke into the home and tried to kill him. Officers found a 39-year-old man with multiple stab wounds to the arms, chest, abdomen and groin. He was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune and was subsequently released, authorities said.

Serrano-Cruz was arrested later that day. He has been in the Ocean County jail since.
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP  In a unanimous vote Wednesday, the Township Committee approved the creation of a new advisory group to take on quality-of-life issues in the Rio Grande section, a major commercial hub for Cape May County.

The area, which includes neighborhoods and businesses around the intersection of Routes 9 and 47, is also the site of intractable social problems, including encampments of homeless people and drug use.

At the public hearing before the final vote on the ordinance, residents and officials offered a glimpse of some of the challenges facing the area, and just what the new Rio Grande Community Partnership could be up against.

Mayor Tim Donohue and city Business Administrator Kimberly Osmundsen described an effort by police to break up a homeless encampment at the site of a former concrete plant, an overgrown stretch behind a line of busy retail stores.

According to Osmundsen, a group of social workers accompanied the officers, offering help in getting housing assistance and applying for other programs.

Only one person took their help. The rest of them refused. They felt as though they were entitled to be there, she said.

Donohue said Osmundsen visited the site to talk to the people staying there, calling that perhaps unwise.

The way she was treated was abominable. And we were there trying to help them, Donohue said. The Rio Grande Community Partnership will be charged with coming up with answers for homelessness and drug use in the area, as well as for petty crime and a shortage of housing.

The partnership is set to include nine members, who have not yet been appointed. The members are expected to be named Oct. 17. In the meantime, those interested in participating can contact Deputy Business Administrator Suzanne Schumann at 609-465-8853.

Participants do not need to live in Rio Grande but do need to be township residents.

The organization was suggested by Committee member Jim Norris, who grew up in Rio Grande and has since moved to another section of the township. He said the area has changed dramatically since he was a kid, with more residents and more problems.

Rio Grande has a reputation. Middle Township wants to change that. MIDDLE TOWNSHIP  At the center of Rio Grande stands a crossroads, the intersection of two m

Bringing all interested parties together to deal with these multifaceted concerns provides our greatest opportunity for success, Norris said.

Representatives and advisers from local and county government and the Police Department will be on the board. The township will appoint a staff member as secretary to the board and provide legal counsel from the municipal solicitor.

At the Township Committee meeting, much of the discussion concerned drug use.

Residents, advocates and officials at every level have described opioid use in Cape May County as an epidemic. A 2019 report from the state showed more than 1,000 substance abuse admissions of people whose primary reported drug was heroin, a number narrowly second to those for whom alcohol was the substance of abuse.

A resident who spoke at the meeting, who described himself as speaking for the homeless, said drug abuse was making life difficult for the residents, business owners and the homeless population. He used the term druggies to describe those without homes who also had addiction issues.

We need them out of there. Theyre ruining it for everybody in the community, he said.

Crime down in Rio Grande, across Middle Township, police chief says MIDDLE TOWNSHIP  Crime is down throughout the township, with a steep drop in the Rio Grande

That appears easier said than done. Donohue said township officials are just as frustrated by the problem.

The people who are arrested and removed from the street are back in two hours, Donohue said.

He suggested many people do not want the assistance that is available.

If they go to that place, they are no longer allowed to do the things that they want to do, which is inflict self-harm on themselves. Its very sad, Donohue said.

No solution will address the problem without addressing the root causes of homelessness, Osmundsen said. She described the private organizations operating in Rio Grande to help the homeless as heroic, but also suggested that their presence draws more homeless people to the area.

Police and residents have long reported encampments in the wooded areas of Rio Grande.

Chief: Crime down in Rio Grande, across the township MIDDLE TOWNSHIP  Crime is down throughout Middle Township, with a steep drop seen in the Ri

The resident who addressed the Township Committee said people were being relocated from sites because they were not authorized. He suggested approving a spot for people to stay, saying he would fund portable toilets and a trash receptacle.

Are you saying were doing nothing about this? Donohue said.

I dont see anything, sir. Maybe you are, but I dont see it the man replied.

Weve done all we can within the law to deal with the homeless situation, to deal with the drug situation, Donohue said. Month after month, laws are passed in Trenton that restrict the ability of our police to deal with these issues.

The speaker suggested finding a site where people could stay without fear.

If they want to be like that, let them be like that, but lets have an authorized place that they can be like that, where theyre not going to get arrested. Thats all Im asking, the resident said.

I think they call that a no-go zone, and I dont think we want one of them to be in our town, Donohue replied.

Another resident expressed concern for the young Coast Guard recruits who often visit Rio Grande on their first day of liberty during basic training at the base in Cape May. She said they will be protecting Americans, and the township should protect them.

Donohue said he had not heard any concerns from recruits. He added there is nothing the township can do about someone feeling uncomfortable.

Someone has a right to stand on the sidewalk. They have a right to beg as long as its not an aggressive form of begging. Its complicated, Donohue said.
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A Bettendorf man initially accused of attempted murder for allegedly trying to kill his brother received a sentence of probation on Wednesday after entering a plea agreement.

Scott County authorities accused Todd A. Laing, now 50, of placing his hands over the mouth of his brother in November of 2020, expecting to cause his death, according to the initial complaint and affidavit filed by the Bettendorf Police Department in September of 2021. A family member allegedly witnessed Laing committing the act, and Laing allegedly admitted taking the action.

On Wednesday, Scott County District Associate Judge Cheryl Traum sentenced Laing to up to two years in prison on the lesser charge of assault with intent to inflict serious injury, according to county court records. That sentence, however, was suspended and Laing must instead successfully complete up to two years of supervised probation.

The reduced charge was the result of a plea agreement with the Scott County Attorneys Office that District Court Judge Tom Reidel approved on Sept. 21, according to county court records.
A Davenport man who pleaded guilty in July to a charge of second-degree murder in connection with the April 9, 2020, shooting death of 40-year-old Jabari M. Scurlock was sentenced to a mandatory 50 years in prison during a hearing Wednesday in Scott County District Court.

Princesun Emmanueral Murphy, 38, must serve 70%, or 35 years, of his sentence under Iowa law before he becomes eligible for parole.

District Court Judge Thomas Reidel presided over Murphy's sentencing hearing.

Murphy had been charged with first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the death of Spurlock, of Racine, Wis.

Murphys jury trial started July 18 in Scott County District Court, but on July 26 he tendered a plea agreement, pleading guilty to the lesser included charge of second-degree murder. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm was dismissed at sentencing.

According to the affidavit in support of the federal complaint filed by now former Davenport Police Officer Bryon Grothus, who was attached to the department's Major Case Unit, at 1:12 a.m. on April 9, 2020, officers responded to the 900 block of Marquette Street to find a man, later identified as Scurlock, lying dead after being shot in the face.

Detectives located video that captured the shooting. On the video, Scurlock can be seen walking northbound on the west side of Marquette Street.

At the same time a truck is seen traveling northbound on the east side of the street.

The truck makes a U-turn, now facing southbound on the west side of the street. Scurlock then approaches the passenger side of the truck.

After a brief interaction between the victim and occupant of the truck, a flash can be seen from inside the truck cab. Scurlock falls to the ground and the truck flees south on Marquette Street.

According to surveillance video, this occurred at 1:07 a.m.

Detectives were able to gather additional surveillance from around the city and tracked the truck through town both before and after the shooting.

From the videos officers were able to get a good description of the truck.

At 4 a.m., April 9, officers found a 1999 Ford F-150 parked in the 900 block of East 10th Street and later in the day were able to match the vehicle to the truck in the video.

At 4:15 p.m. on April 9, officers conducted surveillance on the vehicle and watched as a man they identified as Princesun Emmanueral Murphy drove the truck to several different places before returning to the East 10th Street address.

On April 10, officers watched Murphy drive the vehicle again, including going to Sterilite. Officers confirmed that Murphy worked there but was not working the night of the homicide. Officers also learned that Murphy arrived at work at 7 a.m. on April 9 but was sent home for the day by management after he showed them an injury from the night before.

Also on April 10, officers took Murphy from Sterilite and took him to the police station for questioning. Officers also searched the home on East 10th Street and seized a blue bag from inside of a shelving unit in the bedroom. Inside the bag was a sawed-off 20-gauge shotgun with a barrel measuring 13.5 inches and a defaced serial number.

On April 22, Murphy was charged in U.S. District Court, Davenport, with being a felon in possession of a firearm. That charge was dismissed without prejudice in deference to the Iowa charges. However, that charge can be refiled by federal authorities at a later date.

Murphy was arrested May 8, 2020, and charged with Scurlocks murder.
A Scott County judge ruled Thursday that a Davenport man accused of killing his mother with a power drill was not responsible for his actions.

Dianne Rupps body was found Feb. 16, 2021, in a residence in the 2600 block of West Central Park Avenue, Davenport.

Andrew Rupp, now 54, was initially charged with first-degree murder. He was also charged with possession of a controlled substance  second offense.

The state argued that Rupp frequently quarreled with his mother and that money may have been a motive for murder, while Rupps defense team argued Rupp, who is mentally ill, was insane at the time of the killing and not responsible for his actions.

Rupp asked for a bench trial, so Jeffrey Bert, the presiding judge, weighed the evidence and made the determination on Rupps culpability.

Bert ruled during a morning hearing Thursday that Rupp was not guilty by reason of insanity on the lesser included charges of second-degree murder and possession of a controlled substance  first offense.

The evidence proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Andrew Rupp was responsible for the death of his mother, Bert wrote his report on his verdict. The real issue in this tragic case was Andrew Rupps mental condition.

Rupp has a mental illness that includes him at times experiencing delusions, hallucinations and disorganized thinking, among other things, according to information presented at trial.

A mental-health expert who testified for the defense said it appeared that Rupp was in a psychotic state and believed Dianne Rupp was not his mother but an imposter. He thought she had a robotic device in her skull, which he attempted to remove.

A power drill was the weapon used in the killing.

Crime-scene and autopsy photos showed what appeared to be drill-bit marks in the 77-year-olds skull. A coroners report concluded she had been struck 28 times.

Robert Rupp, Andrew Rupps father, said after the hearing that the verdict was appropriate.

I think it was fair and just, Robert Rupp said.

At the hearing, Bert also ordered that Rupp, receive a psychiatric evaluation at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center-Oakdale in Coralville. He will also remain in custody without bond pending further proceedings.

Iowa code states that the chief medical officer at the reviewing facility will provide to the court an opinion and diagnosis about whether the defendant is mentally ill and dangerous to the defendants self or to others.

The chief medical officers findings must be reported to the court within 15 days, but there is an option for an extension of up to another 15 days, according to state code. The defense also has the option to have an independent evaluation performed.

Once the evaluation process is complete, there will be another hearing at which the court must determine whether the defendant is mentally ill and a danger to themselves or to others, according to state code.

If they are deemed not mentally ill or a danger, they are released, code states. If they are found to be mentally ill and a threat, then they can be committed to a state mental health facility or the states medical and security facility until they are deemed to no longer be mentally ill or a danger.

Barb Ickes contributed to this report.
A Rock Island woman charged in the December 2020 stabbing death of 14-year-old Lyric D. Stewart pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree murder during a hearing Wednesday in Rock Island County Circuit Court.

Chief Circuit Judge Frank Fuhr accepted the plea of Jimena Jinez, 20. A charge of mob action was dismissed in the plea agreement.

First-degree murder is a Class M felony under Illinois law that carries a mandatory prison sentence of 20-60 years.

However, in accordance with the plea agreement Rock Island County prosecutors and Jinezs defense team agreed to a cap of 30 years in prison.

Fuhr scheduled a sentencing hearing for Jan. 6 in circuit court.

Jinez was charged with first-degree murder and mob action in connection with the death of Stewart, of Rock Island.

The stabbing occurred Dec. 30, 2020, in the 1200 block of 11th Street.

Stewart initially was hospitalized in the Quad-Cities but was later transferred to University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, where she died on Dec. 31, 2020.

During a preliminary hearing in the case held Feb. 9, 2021, in circuit court, Rock Island Police Detective Brett Buchen provided an outline of the events investigators believe occurred the night that Stewart was stabbed.

Buchen was questioned by Rock Island County Assistant States Attorney John McCooley and Andrew Larson, Jinezs defense attorney, during the hearing.

He testified Jinez was called to a home on that block where a juvenile relative of hers was involved in a quarrel with Stewart, and the relative and Stewart were being encouraged to fight by other people there.

When she arrived, Jinez allegedly fought with Stewart, Buchen testified.

A video of the fight was allegedly recorded on a cell phone, he told the court. The knife is not visible in the footage, but someone can be heard saying there was a knife, and a second later Stewart backs away and can be heard saying she had been stabbed.

Stewart suffered a single stab wound in the chest, the detective testified.

Stewart is not seen to have a weapon during the video, nor did a witness state she was armed, Buchen said.

A knife with possible blood on it was recovered from Jinezs residence.
An Israeli Navy vessel is moored at the Mediterranean sea in northern Israel's Rosh Hanikra bordering Lebanon, Oct. 7, 2022. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Thursday instructed the defense establishment to prepare for any possible escalation with Lebanon hours after Israel rejected Lebanon's amendments to the U.S.-brokered proposal for demarcating a maritime border.

"In light of the developments in the maritime border negotiations with Lebanon ... Gantz instructed the defense establishment to prepare for any scenario in which tensions increase in the northern arena, including defensive and offensive readiness," his office said in a statement.

The instruction was made following a situational assessment with Israel's security chiefs, his office noted, adding Israel's security cabinet held a meeting later in the day to discuss the U.S.-mediated proposal Israel received last week.

Last week, U.S. energy envoy Amos Hochstein sent Israel and Lebanon a draft of an agreement on a maritime line between the two countries. The dispute concerns an area of some 860 square km of the Mediterranean Sea.

Earlier on Thursday, a senior official with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid told Xinhua that Lapid was "updated on the details of the new substantial changes that Lebanon is seeking to make in the agreement, and ordered the (Israeli) negotiating team to reject them."

The official added the prime minister will not compromise Israel's security and economic interests "even if it means that there will be no agreement soon."

Following Israel's rejection, Lebanon's leading negotiator Elias Bou Saab said the U.S.-mediated deal is at a "make or break" point.

Bou Saab, also Lebanon's deputy parliament speaker, said that he has contacted Hochstein to remove the emerging obstacles to the deal, Elnashra news website reported.

According to Israeli media, a major point of dispute between Israel and Lebanon was Lapid's announcement that Israel will receive some of the revenues from Lebanese extraction in the Qana field, located partially in the disputed area.

Lebanese authorities are trying to end a dispute with Israel over maritime borders, which has escalated after Israel on June 5 sent a vessel to the Karish field, which Israel claims is within its economic zone, while Lebanon claims in disputed waters. 

A warning sign is seen by the sea in northern Israel's Rosh Hanikra bordering Lebanon, Oct. 7, 2022. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)

An Israeli Navy vessel is moored at the Mediterranean sea in northern Israel's Rosh Hanikra bordering Lebanon, Oct. 7, 2022. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)

Photo taken on Oct. 7, 2022 shows a sea view in northern Israel's Rosh Hanikra bordering Lebanon. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)
The Power in Our Numbers Coalition launched this year under the banner of educating voters. That work continues Saturday.

Joined by St. Ambrose Latinos Unidos, LULAC, and the NAACP, the Power in Our Numbers Coalition will host a forum focused on the candidates for Scott County Auditor, Scott County Recorder and Scott County Attorney.

The forum will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday at the Eastern Iowa Community College (EICC) Urban Campus in the Community room, 101 West Third Street.

The doors will open at 9:30 a.m.

All of the candidates for the three positions have agreed to attend the forum - Republican Kerri Tompkins and Democrat Ashley Schimanski for auditor; Caleb Copley (D) and Kelly Cunningham Haan (R) for county attorney; Rita Vargas(D, and Michele Darland (R) for recorder.

Tompkins and Vargas are incumbents.

Frank Holley, the associate minister at Third Baptist and a member of the NAACP, said said the fact all candidates will be on hand lends Power in Our Numbers credibility. It is the first voter forum hosted by the coalition.

"The candidates were very positive about this event and we've gotten a really positive reaction from people who plan to attend," Holley said. "These offices might be a little overlooked, but they are very important to people who live in Scott County.

"The decisions made by the people elected to these offices effect all of us."

The county attorney, recorder, and auditor races will each be allowed 30 minutes and during that time each candidate an opportunity to answer questions asked by event sponsors and members of the audience.

Holley said the forum is just a continuation of voter education efforts of the coalition.

Last month, Power in Our Numbers took the lead in a voter-registration drive that provided packets on how to register and pick up an absentee ballot, as well as biographies of candidates in Scott and Rock Island counties.

Holley stressed the goal of the coalition is make sure people know how to vote and information about all of the candidates.

"Many don't know where they can vote  or how they can apply for an absentee ballot," Holley said. "That's not because people are uninformed or because they are not interested. Registering to vote can be confusing, or maybe overwhelming, or people might think they don't have the time.

"That's where the education part of our efforts come in  helping people understand what they have to do to have their vote counted."
A new biography about the late chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain, who took his own life while filming CNNs Parts Unknown in 2018, has been raising hackles well in advance of its Oct. 11 publication date  especially among those who knew Bourdain best.

The Times dipped into Down and Out in Paradise: The Life of Anthony Bourdain, by Charles Leerhsen, to break down whats making some relatives and friends of the Emmy winner cringe.

Bourdains brother, Christopher, has called the book hurtful and defamatory fiction. However, in an email sent last week to The Times, Leerhsen said other Bourdain family and friends with advance copies have confirmed that my take on the Bourdain family dynamic is accurate.

But first, a word of warning: Leerhsen relies on many confidential sources and quotes some people, including Bourdains girlfriend, Asia Argento, and separated wife, Ottavia, who wont confirm they spoke to him on the record. It also seeks concrete explanations for suicide, which, as Times columnist Mary McNamara wrote recently, makes it a whodunit in which the answer  addiction and mental illness  is obvious.

Heres why Down and Out in Paradise is making waves.

Blame for Bourdains suicide

Leerhsen repeatedly suggests that messages from Argento, Bourdains girlfriend at the time of his death, triggered his decision to kill himself. Leerhsen writes, Not being able to end that relationship [with Argento] may have cost him his life. Other people are also brought into the blame game. Leerhsen writes that the qualities that Bourdains former boss, the late Formerly Joes owner Andy Menschel, brought out in [him]  I believe, figured very strongly in his final decision in that hotel room.

Texts with Argento

Argento declined to speak on the record with Leerhsen, but that did not keep the author from quoting her. His book shares an excerpt from an email she sent him in which she cited Oscar Wilde (It is always Judas who writes the biography). Shes listed in the Down and Out acknowledgments as one of the people Leerhsen spoke with and did not mind being named, though the actor recently told the New York Times that she wrote clearly to this man that he could not publish anything I said to him.

Leerhsen also includes private text messages and emails exchanged between her and Bourdain from a confidential source.

Here are some of the alleged conversations:

According to Leerhsen, Argento asked Bourdain in 2016 for a good reason not to do Charlie [her nickname for cocaine], not long after they met for the first time in May of that year on the Parts Unknown set. Bourdain allegedly responded, Because you will feel really horrible and neurotic  Also because I love you and it makes me frantic with worry and concern when you harm yourself or are unhappy.

On June 8, 2018, the day of Bourdains suicide, after images of Argento and French journalist Hugo Clement in the lobby of Romes Hotel de Russie surfaced online:

Bourdain: I am okay. I am not spiteful. I am not jealous that you have been with another man. I do not own you. You are free ... But you were careless. You were reckless with my heart ... I meant and mean everything I have ever said to you. But I hope you will have mercy on me for these feelings.

Argento: I cant take this.

Later that day, Bourdain asked: Is there anything I can do? Argento replied, Stop busting my balls. Okay, Bourdain responded. According to Leerhsen, Argento continued texting about wanting to break up, apparently unaware Bourdain had already hanged himself.

Seemingly reacting to the biography, Argento posted a picture to Instagram last week. The photo showed Argento wearing a T-shirt that featured former professional bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman with the phrase Stop busting my balls written over it.

Representatives for Argento did not immediately respond to The Times request for comment.

Bourdains support for Argento during #MeToo scandal

Bourdain allegedly offered to pay for Argentos personal trainer, told her to hire a nanny and that he would take care of all childcare expenses. The book claims he also tried to find her a ghostwriter to support her activist career following her sexual assault accusations against Harvey Weinstein during the peak of the #MeToo movement.

In November 2017, Argento learned she was being sued by Jimmy Bennett, who claimed the Italian actor sexually assaulted him when he was underage. According to a confidential source cited in the book, Bourdain later paid her legal fees, hired a private investigator to blackmail [Bennett] or sully his reputation and gave Bennett $380,000 in exchange for his promise not to pursue further legal action.

Bourdain allegedly pressured a colleague to speak against Mario Batali

Leerhsen claims Bourdain pressured his assistant Laurie Woolever, who had once worked for Batali, to share her own inappropriate stories about the chef. This was in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment and abuse that were made against Batali, an old friend and TV guest of Bourdains.

When she hesitated (and ultimately declined to speak about Batali), Bourdain allegedly texted, No comment aint gonna work. You will need something ready, specifically saying if you saw anything untoward. We have seen this with Weinstein and the people who worked with him. If you are fast and firm and decisive you will be fine.

Bourdain leaked information about Batali to the media, the biography also claims.

Private conversations with separated wife

Leerhsen also shared Ottavia Bourdain quotes from a confidential source. These include an exchange in advance of the birth of their daughter, Ariane. When she became pregnant before they married, Ottavia allegedly asked if Bourdain wanted to discuss a plan B.

When allegations against Weinstein surfaced, Leerhsen writes, Ottavia told a friend Bourdain seemed paranoid all the time and started seeing a therapist in the spring of 2018. He was afraid he would have drunk himself to death otherwise, she allegedly told the friend.

Ottavia is also quoted about Bourdains alleged steroid use. When Bourdain was photographed looking particularly muscular, rumors swirled that he was using steroids. Ottavia allegedly told a friend that Bourdain asked her to deny the rumors under a false name. If someone said anything negative about him ... it was the end of the world, Ottavia allegedly told the friend. Leerhsen claims the rumors were true and Bourdain did use steroids.

Ottavia is not listed in the books acknowledgments among the 103 people who spoke with Leerhsen on the record. But Bourdains estate, which she controls, has not objected to the biography, according to the New York Times. (The estate includes files and messages pulled from Bourdains phone and laptop.)

Bourdains relationship with prostitutes

Again based on confidential sources, Leerhsen reports that Bourdain continued to solicit prostitutes up to the time of his death, and that the last website he visited before committing suicide, after a few more Asia Argento googles, was a prostitution service.

Bourdains continuous drug use

Leerhsen details Bourdains drug use from childhood to throughout his professional career, including just weeks before his death, when he allegedly ingested the hallucinogenic peyote plant between takes of Parts Unknown and discussed his interest in an acid trip. Bourdain had written extensively of his heroin and cocaine usage earlier in his career as a chef, but he allegedly continued to drink, sometimes heavily.

Bourdains tension with his daughter

By the time Bourdains daughter, Ariane, was 9, he was increasingly absent. When he did come home, a source claims hed go to great lengths to act like he wasnt in his wifes company. (According to Leerhsen, Argento bristled at him seeing Ottavia, despite their open relationship.)

Ottavia allegedly told a friend that Bourdain would ask her to have dinner ready when he came home since he didnt have much time to be with his family. But later, hed post Instagram Stories of himself alone at a bar, for Asias sake.

But the problem was that Ariane had Instagram. She was seeing it, too, Ottavia supposedly said to a friend. And it confused her and broke her heart.

____
The city of Box Elder received funding in the amount of $198,000 for the citys Foxborough Trail System upgrade, Grant Writer/Administrator Rob Timm announced at its regular council meeting Tuesday night.

The funding, which came through an approved application with the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Recreational Trails Program, will be used to connect the Foxborough Trail System to the Veterans Park trail and will consist of the rebuild of the trail system with a nine-foot asphalt trail. The upgrade will also include a new bridge in Foxborough Park, Timm said.

The project still needs to be pushed up to the South Dakota Department of Transportation, Timm said, and likely wont happen until 2023. Also slated for 2023, the citys Phelps Pond improvement project is awaiting final signatures from Game, Fish & Parks, Timm said. Once the agreement is signed, work will begin next summer. The project will create a fishing pier, a temporary gravel parking lot and an ADA-accessible gravel trail from the parking lot to the fishing pier.

Timm also informed the council that during the past weeks South Dakota Board of Water and Natural Resources meeting, the state approved the citys drinking water project in the amount of $6.6 million, under the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund. The project will address water main replacement and upgrading, new well equipment and water tank improvements.

The city was also approved in the amount of $6.2 million for a wastewater improvement project. The project will include the Cheyenne Boulevard sewer interceptor, the West Gate sewer interceptor and South Box Elder Sewer Trunk Main improvements.

Thats a lot of money, Timm said. He also said the state announced it would forgive $3.28 million, "and thats pretty exciting, he said.

In other business, after an executive session, the council took a roll call vote on a reclassification and title change for Brent Hendrickson, economic and community development/marketing and events director, with the effective date backdated to July 3 and an annual salary of $90,247.06. The motion passed 5-1, with Council President Jeff Hollinshead voting no.

The council also met Monday night for a special meeting to update Box Elder residents on the flash flooding experienced earlier this summer, and to allow an opportunity for public comment.

Matt Connor, public information officer for the city, provided opening comments both to summarize and set the context of our discussion, he said. Several residents affected by Box Elder flooding were in attendance Monday evening.

Connor said there were important distinctions to be recognized between the storm in early July he characterized as a statistical 150-year intensity and prior strong events that were lower intensity and impacted fewer residential lots.

I believe the contrast between these distinctions is important for us tonight, Connor said.

He referenced an engineering report and letter sent to residents that focused on the July 1 storm, which Connor referred to as a cloudburst. He said the nature of the storm made it difficult to assess due to the short duration, scarcity of firsthand reports, lack of pictures and unconfirmed weather data.

Connor announced the formation of the Raider Pointe Solutions Team  a team consisting of city administrators, representatives from Raider Pointe, builders, site contractors and Ellsworth Air Force Base engineers.

The objective of this team is to partner together to focus on implementation of site-specific or internal improvements for the Raider Pointe development and about house to house assessment, Connor said. Moving forward there is a growing sense of confidence that the RPST can work together to reduce the risks of flood.

The July 1 storm dumped four to six inches of heavy rain, wind and hail on Box Elder, causing significant, localized flooding for a number of residents. A media release from the city described a severe thunderstorm with torrential rains and dime-sized hail causing several roadways to flood and turning creeks into rivers.

Residents impacted by the flood had voiced concerns at previous council meetings, and expressed frustration Monday evening at the lack of progress. Several residents addressed the council, asking whats going to happen to fix the drainage issue, and when and how that will be done.

Questions were asked about builders and who signed off on plans for homes they felt should have been built higher. Residents also expressed concern that the flooding issues are preventing homes from being sold.

Im a little more than frustrated, one resident said, saying theyve spent thousands and thousands of dollars related to flooding, and that its not just 150 years  I cant stress that enough.

Another resident said their basement has flooded twice in less than two months, so I dont think it has anything to do with a 125- to 150-year storm. They said theyre glad to hear a team has been put together, adding theyve also spent thousands of dollars on flood damage.

City Attorney Matt Naasz said the team met for the first time last Thursday, and took a very good temperature reading of that situation, talking for 90 minutes. We all left with a good, strong understanding, he said. Were going to work together  it was a partnership, now were going to work together to find solutions.
A partnership between Western Dakota Technical College and Rimrock Church is establishing food, hope and friendship in an impoverished community in Costa Rica.

In July and August, four WDT faculty members and two WDT students  plus Rimrock Churchs youth pastor, Josh Hodgson, and a team of nine fathers and sons from the church  worked in the Cartago region of Costa Rica to install an aquaponics system. Aquaponics creates its own ecosystem in which food can be grown more quickly and consistently.

Its a sustainable agriculture system process where we use fish (waste) for food to fertilize plants. Its a combination of hydroponics and aquaculture, said Bryan Mitchell, program director for WDTs electrical trades program and co-director of the controlled environment agriculture program. (In Costa Rica) we set up a series of pipes and tanks to harvest recycled aquaculture water and turn it into plant food.

Part of the reason you do aquaponics is the timeline for growing is compressed. If you grow lettuce in the dirt (for example), it would take three times as long, said Jeremy Johnson, electrical trades instructor at WDT.

Crops grown on farmland can suffer or be destroyed by unpredictable elements such as weather and insect infestation. The aquaponics system limits the variables that are detrimental to crops so food can be grown and harvested repeatedly, with shorter production time. Mitchell said a study hes read indicates a 10x10-foot aquaponics system has the potential to feed a family of four indefinitely.

Mitchell said WDT already has aquaponics systems set up on the WDT campus and at East Middle School in Rapid City, and WDT is nearing the final stages of having a geothermal greenhouse on campus as well.

A WDT graduate, advisory board member and longtime Rimrock Church member, Lee DeLange, helped forge a partnership between the school, church and community in Costa Rica.

Since 2006, Rimrock has partnered with INCRESE, a ministry established in 2002 by Eduardo Castillo. The INCRESE community where WDT and Rimrock teams worked is in the Cartago province of Costa Rica near the capitol city of San Jose.

Castillo and INCRESE serve a community that is very impoverished, Mitchell said.

WDT was involved with the design and construction of the project and part of what we had to do with the design is we created  the system for the location and the people at the location. It was engineered in such a way to be low electrical consumption and very high  efficiency, Mitchell said.

Although Costa Rica has abundant and good farmland  including some on the side of a volcano that WDT staff and students visited  Mitchell said this aquaponics system can benefit people who dont have farmland.

People in Costa Rica live very full lives with very little, Mitchell said. They dont have a lot of space. The people we were involved with didnt even have a yard. Everything is done in such a small space because of the economic situation. This (aquaponics) can make an impact and provide a sustainable food source.

A long-term solution

In this project, WDT and Rimrock shared a desire to create a resource that the Costa Rican people could use to be self-sustaining.

We think its much more effective for locals to support their own ministry, for them to get initial training and support, DeLange said. If they can do something locally that provides service to their community and a means of income for their church and pastor, theyre much better off.  Were (Rimrock) still there to pray and have people from our church partner.  Getting to the state they can be self-sustaining is a much better model long-term.

All of our missions kind of aligned, Mitchell said. The whole message of people first is where WDT came from with our involvement. Were having an opportunity to help these folks in a spot they could use the help. We ended up coming together and making amazing things happen.

The project was not without logistical difficulties and language barriers. Mitchell and Johnson were two of the faculty members who traveled to Costa Rica. One of their first challenges was transporting 350 pounds of plumbing supplies by airplane from the United States to Costa Rica.

The cost of buying supplies in Costa Rica was so high that taking the materials to Costa Rica kept the project financially feasible, Mitchell said.

Johnson translated when there was a need to purchase materials locally.

We got to spend a lot of time at hardware stores with Jeremys basic Spanish. Trying to translate what plumbing fittings were  it was very funny, Mitchell said.

Trying to explain hydroponics in another language, it was an interesting conversation and we were able to make friends at the hardware store, Johnson said.

The hardware store staff gave Johnson and Mitchell a discount because they were so impressed at what WDT and Rimrock were doing to help the local residents, Johnson said.

Building relationships with the Costa Ricans was a vital part of the trip and helped the project proceed more smoothly, Johnson said.

We ended up feeling a lot like family at the end, he said.

Rimrock Church has sent teams to assist with a variety of INCRESE projects over the past 16 years. On this trip, the teams goal was to build a Quonset hut that would house the aquaponics system WDT designed.

However, the materials for the hut were delayed. Instead, the Rimrock team did some maintenance chores, but its main task was digging a trench about 330 feet long to bury power lines for the building where WDT will eventually put its equipment, Daren Beckloff said.

Beckloff and his son, Cole, were part of the Rimrock team. Beckloff is an electrical engineer by profession who said he was pleased to use some of his knowledge to aid the aquaponics project.

Rimrock hopes to send another team to Costa Rica this winter to build the Quonset hut when the materials arrive.

For now, the aquaponics system is housed partially outdoors under a roof at a convention center thats under construction. Next summer, Mitchell said, WDT hopes to send a team and collaborate with Costa Ricans to build a more commercial aquaponics system that will generate enough profits to maintain its operation and help the INCRESE ministrys work in the community.

This was Beckloffs first trip to Costa Rica. He was impressed by the countrys beauty, as well as the food and coffee.

Its just a different culture and an interesting culture. We were near Cartago. There was a pilgrimage going on at a church. There were just masses and masses of people walking from the capital down to Cartago. It was hard to get around if you were driving, which we had to do to go get parts, Beckloff said.

It was a father and son trip, so it was a good  experience with our sons and getting to show them a different culture and different part of the world, Beckloff said.

Mitchell said the WDT students who traveled to Costa Rica had their trips almost completely paid for thanks to scholarships and donations from the community to the WDT Foundation.

The impact (local support) has on students and the community is palpable, Mitchell said.
For the fifth year, a charity 5K has ushered in October in the Bitterroot Valley with an event to honor cancer warriors, promotes healthy living and encourage regular screenings.

The Colors of Cancer 5K hosted a rainbow of color-coded participants on Oct. 1, who were running, walking, riding bikes and pushing strollers. Many donned homemade T-shirts honoring those whove endured a cancer diagnosis, including a mother/daughter team who were dressed in bright yellow in memory of one who lost a battle with sarcoma.

Jeremy Davidson crossed the finish line a full minute before any other runners around the 23-minute mark followed by Tyson Burrows, a repeat of last years two fastest runners.

Jeremy ran with his younger brother Jonas, his mother and his grandmother, Molly Chugg, who is currently fighting kidney cancer.

Im obviously doing well despite the cancer, Chugg said. This was a good race for me.

Jeremy was proud to be part of a three-generation team dressed in matching tie-dye shirts and was motivated to run for his grandmother, but also for the treats at the finish line.

I think I ran faster today because I was thinking about the frozen lemonades we got last year, Jeremy said. I was hoping youd have them again, he said as he took a bite.

The first woman to finish was Courtney Shanahan, a provider at Bitterroot Healths Corvallis Clinic who said she was running for her mom who was recently diagnosed with cancer and will be starting chemotherapy next week.

Jackie Peterson of Corvallis had a group of family members supporting her run with hand-painted cardboard signs and enthusiastic cheers at the finish line.

Im so excited for a new infusion center, she said. I wanted to support this fundraiser to help build it, so I dont have to go to Missoula for treatments.

Peterson was diagnosed with multiple schlerosis in 2019 and receives an infusion every six months as part of her treatment plan.

Having MS is a good reason to keep moving, she said at the end of her run. It felt great.

All proceeds from last Saturdays event are designated to support the construction of a new cancer and infusion center at Bitterroot Health  Daly Hospital. The new addition to the south side of the hospital will expand the services provided to those needing infusions in a beautiful space designed especially for the hours-long treatments. The new center will feature 14 comfortable infusion bays and will be open each weekday. Currently, infusion treatments in Hamilton occur on Wednesdays in a small clinic that can accommodate four patients at a time.

While fundraising for this new clinic has been ongoing, all funds raised during October of each year under the Colors of Cancer campaign will be matched by hospital administration and earmarked for the center.

For the first time, the annual Colors of Cancer 5K included a group wearing peach hats, peach & gray shirts with peach-colored balloons tied to the baby strollers they pushed.

Peach is the color of ribbon designated by the American Cancer Society to recognize those fighting endometrial or uterine cancer.

Twenty-seven-year-old Kaitlyn Bauer is a young mother to three children, Leighton, Brielle and Teigan. She was diagnosed in January with Stage 1 endometrial cancer after a hysterectomy divulged the terrible news. By the end of February, the cancer had progressed rapidly and she was reclassified to Stage 3B. She said she received intense internal and external radiation treatments three days per week in the Spring and then she transitioned to daily external radiation for a period of time.

It was May, right before Mothers Day, that I had my first clear scan, Bauer said. Since then, Ive had clear lab work and now Im waiting for another scan next week and hope that its still clear.

Because of the complications with her last two pregnancies, she said, Ive always joked that I had an old uterus, but we were definitely shocked. I always knew something was going on, but wasnt sure what it was so I had a hysterectomy and thats when the cancer was discovered.

Her mother, Kris Stensatter, is an employee at Bitterroot Health and sponsored the peach team as they ran and walked together.

Stensatter said her extended family has participated in many events that honor those fighting breast cancer, So to participate in an event that is designed to recognize my daughters struggle and to be with her for her was just so impactful.

This was her first appearance out as a survivor, Stensatter said. So it was a bit emotional for us, but being able to share the event with my daughter was really special.

Bauer said, Ive done all these 5Ks to represent my aunts who had breast cancer, but it was a different feeling going as a survivor for the first time. I wasnt sure how Id feel, but Im definitely proud to be where I am. I felt loved and supported by everyone around me.

Stensatter said she Appreciates the hospitals approach to recognizing all kinds of cancers. There arent really celebrations for those fighting something other than breast cancer, so this event is really very valuable. It gave my daughter a platform, the ability to stand up and show her strength. She is my cancer warrior and an inspiration.

The Colors of Cancer 5K was the second in a three-race promotion to encourage support for autumn-time charity 5Ks in the area. Those who ran on October 1st received a punch card and an opportunity to also support the Moriah Hughes Memorial 5K (that can be run virtually) and the Tammany Trot on October 15 that supports improvements at the Daly Mansion. To register for those races go to www.bit.ly/2022MoriahRun or www.DalyMansion.org. Participants who successfully finish the Trifecta races will receive a medal and be entered into a drawing to win a $500 cash prize on October 15.

Grassroots Colors of Cancer events will continue throughout the month of October. Evans Ace Hardware in Hamilton sponsors Team White for lung cancer and employees at Valley Drug & Variety in Stevensville will be wearing purple and gold shirts honoring those fighting bladder cancer. Both stores have raffles and promotions going on all month. For more information on local events to support cancer warriors and to raise funds for the new cancer and infusion center in Hamilton, go to www.bitterrroothealth.org/EVENTS or call the Bitterroot Health Foundation at 406-375-4674.
The Bitterroot National Forest is preparing for fall prescribed burning operations to reduce hazardous fuels, restore wildlife habitat by promoting new growth in the ecosystems, and better protect communities by preventing and mitigating wildfire. Prescribed burning could begin as soon as this weekend across the Forest.

Dependent upon favorable weather, the West Fork Ranger District plans to kick off fall burning this weekend, starting with the Lower West Fork Units 5 and 6 (58 acres), south of Lavene Creek along Forest Service Road 5630A (Trapper Peak Trailhead Road). Smoke from this burn will likely be visible while traveling along West Fork Highway and Hwy 93 between Darby and Conner.

Prescribed burning allows us to mimic the effects of natural wildfire in a controlled method, Bitterroot National Forest Fuels Specialist David Tingley said. As we watch for favorable conditions and weather, we will be burning on days that allow us to do it safely and minimize smoke impacts to the valley.

Prescribed burning is one of the most important tools the Forest Service uses to improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk. Through a written burn plan, prescribed burns are carefully planned and implemented. Burn plans identify  or prescribe  the best conditions under which trees and other plants will burn to get the best results safely. Prescribed burning operations will only be conducted if weather conditions are favorable. Favorable conditions include temperature, humidity, wind, vegetation moisture, and conditions for the dispersal of smoke. When prescription criteria are met, firefighters implement, monitor, and patrol each burn to ensure it meets forest health and public safety goals.

This fall, in predetermined treatment areas, both underburning and pile burning will be conducted. Underburning, a type of prescribed fire treatment, is a planned fire ignited under a forest canopy that is intended to burn surface and ladder fuels but not the overstory trees. Frequent, low-intensity underburning is essential for improving habitat conditions for wildlife by regenerating fire-adapted vegetation and encouraging new growth of forage for wildlife. Fuel that can carry a fire burning in low-growing vegetation to taller vegetation is called ladder fuels. Ladder fuels allows a surface fire to move into the tree canopy creating a crown fire. Crown fires are much more difficult for firefighters to control during a wildfire.

The Forest Service works with the Montana Department of Environment Quality (DEQ) to identify good windows for burning based on when smoke will be dispersed. All prescribed burns will be implemented in compliance with Montana air quality standards and coordinated with the Ravalli County health department to reduce the impacts of smoke. Smoke may settle in the valley bottom overnight, but it is expected to dissipate.

For additional information about these projects, you can visit the interactive map at https://usfs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7b743b38029e4973b2e6523c976b097b or use https://tinyurl.com/3dm8n2yz
One of the worlds most recognizable and consistent alternative bands is making a stop in Richmond on its current tour.

Death Cab for Cutie will perform at Virginia Credit Union Live! at Richmond Raceway at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, with support from Thao, as part of the North American leg of its Asphalt Meadows tour.

The tour is in support of the bands 10th and latest album, Asphalt Meadows, released in September. Its the quintets first project during a pandemic and the first time they all had to write separately, to an extent. But bassist Nick Harmer said these obstacles only strengthened the groups bond.

It took us a little bit to figure it out, he said. But once we got started on the process of writing remotely and trying to make music remotely, we kind of figured out our routine around it. I think we got really comfortable writing that way, and it became a real positive, creative thing for us to do.

Harmer said the pandemic was undoubtedly not an ideal situation for anyone, including musicians trying to continue their craft, since not being able to gather together in the same room and play for the first time poses some obvious barriers, but the forced separation allowed them to pursue new avenues they might not have before.

It definitely forced us to find new ways to create together, Harmer said. I think we learned to kind of trust each other more and give each other a little bit more space to try new things and explore different ideas.

The end product was an 11-track album that dropped four years after Thank You for Today, which is the longest span of time the band has gone between releasing LPs (The Blue EP, however, came out in September 2019). That extended period, Harmer said, gave the groups members more time to let their innovation run wild.

Even though they found some good within the pandemic, they missed performing live. The band started a Live From Home series during the pandemic to keep playing together in some capacity  even releasing a free livestream concert from frontman Ben Gibbards house a week before Asphalt Meadows dropped to celebrate the new album  but it doesnt feel the same as an in-person crowd screaming the lyrics back.

Harmer said he enjoys playing everything from deep cuts like Summer Skin to I Will Possess Your Heart live. With the latter, the band doesnt necessarily follow the arrangement that appears on 2008s Narrow Stairs, allowing guitarist Dave Depper to take on some prolonged solos and make the song improvisational so theres a different live product every time. He also has fun playing the hits, such as Soul Meets Body, and watching the crowd light up every time.

He hopes, however, that fans welcome the new material with open arms and love it as much as the band does.

What I hope more than anything is that the crowds are able to embrace the new material that were playing and see how it all fits into the bigger picture of our catalog of work, Harmer said.
David Deal had no intention of the paranormal becoming a part of his daily life. When he became the executive director of the Hanover Tavern Foundation in 2010, his focus was historical preservation.

But as he got to know the taverns employees, it became apparent that nearly everyone had their own story about a supernatural encounter on-site. It was only a matter of time until this phenomenon touched his own family.

Deals wife, Pati, was visiting one day when she felt a hand touch her shoulder, though no one was near her. At a tavern tea the Deals were hosting, David sent his daughter, Catie, to the kitchen to fetch more tea. En route, she encountered a woman in black in the parlor of the home. The woman smiled at her before disappearing into the hallway.

David recounted his most memorable experience. One morning I was standing in the theater rehearsing my lines, because a first-grade field trip was about to come through. I felt as though there were someone behind me, Deal recalled. I turned around and saw a man in a brown suit. I couldnt make his face out. Then he disappeared. It didnt have a negative feeling tied to it. Deal is cavalier about the presence of spirits around him. I hear faint voices all the time, though I can never make out what theyre saying.

The theater sits in the original basement of the tavern, circa 1791. Its notoriously haunted by the spirit of a playful little girl. Countless actors and stagehands have seen her shadow darting in and out of the aisles, giggling behind chairs.

As an act of kindness, one employee brought a box of toys to leave backstage for her. Though every toy is put away before employees close the tavern, they are regularly found scattered about in the morning. Once during a play, a ball rolled across the stage.

The encounters were adding up, so in 2013, Deal reached out to his friends at the Henricus Park Foundation to find out who carried out the ghost investigations at their historical site. Enter Transcend Paranormal.

Locally based, Transcend Paranormal has been investigating historical sites and family homes since 2010, and has about 14 members.

These investigators take a scientific approach to the paranormal. Relying more on data than vibes, Transcend Paranormal invested in highly sensitive equipment to gauge things such as electromagnetic fields, cold spots and faint sounds undetectable to the naked ear. Transcend started as a pure pursuit of the paranormal. We quickly found the reward in helping others  both families and historical sites. Our hope is to work with others to preserve historical sites, said Steve Dills, director of Transcend Paranormal.

Guests at the groups investigations are asked not to wear perfume or whisper, and to politely announce if any noises came from digestion (its common). Transcend Paranormal also conducts deep dives into the history of the places it investigates.

When Transcend Paranormal conducts ghost investigations at Hanover Tavern, groups are divided to be more intimate, and the groups rotate among the tavern, the Old Stone Jail and the courthouse. Transcend Paranormal shuts off the lights and turns on its technical gear, which looks very Ghostbusters. The investigators check for cold spots, electromagnetic frequencies, sounds. People can ask questions, poke around and wait to see if anything pops up.

Hanover Tavern is not an easy place to pin down a narrative. Whereas residential homes are tied to public record, the tavern survived two wars and served as a family home, an inn for traveling guests, a dance hall, a bar, a post office and a theater. Patrick Henry called it home during the Revolutionary War, and George Washington was a guest. It was integral during the Civil War, where both Confederate and Union troops stopped on their way to and from battlefields. Transcend Paranormal had its work cut out for it.

Through research, Transcend Paranormal likely pinned down the identity of the woman in black. The dress described by Catie was a Victorian dress for women in mourning, circa 1860 to 1870. She was spotted in the parlor of the tavern, where long ago, deceased loved ones were laid for visitation.

Ann Chisholm was a resident of the tavern during the Civil War and was a tragic figure. Two of her daughters died at the tavern at a time when outbreaks of diphtheria, typhoid and smallpox were rampant.

The paranormal tour of Hanover Tavern includes the Hanover Courthouse and the Old Stone Jail across the street. All three properties are active for ghosts, according to guests and researchers. The historic courthouse (c. 1735) was used for trials until the 1970s; its now a site for meetings and weddings. Though visitors have heard men speaking in the empty building and caught shadowy figures walking about, the energy isnt reported to be ominous. The adjacent Old Stone Jail is a different story.

According to paranormal investigators, the jail is rife with a dark energy. Inmates suffered from harsh conditions. There was no glass on the barred windows, which made for harsh winters  especially considering that inmates were not given any bedding. Some were captured enslaved people who attempted to break free; others were true criminals. Inside, there is a gallows.

Tickets for the paranormal investigations are fundraisers for the Hanover Tavern Foundation. Transcend Paranormal gets called because of ghost sightings, but it ultimately forms partnerships with these groups, because it helps preserve historical sites, and builds cultural interest.

We want people to come and enjoy the tavern. Were not your traditional museum. We offer tours, but also other activities, like the paranormal investigations, to introduce and bring a diverse group to the tavern, Deal said.

And if you go, it can feel like a real-life Ghostbusters, right here in Virginia.
The Hanover School Board requested more than $12,000 from the countys Board of Supervisors in response to a question about whether School Board members have disclosed private student information. Treating the question like a Freedom of Information Act request, the School Board said it would need to search through 4,900 emails in order to survey any potentially responsive emails.

The correspondence follows allegations that Hanover School Board Chair John Axselle violated federal student privacy law known as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

The School Board says Axselle did not violate FERPA when he sent private student information that he received in his professional capacity from his personal email address to the conservative legal advocacy organization Alliance Defending Freedom.

Axselle was not chair when he sent the email to ADF in February, and the School Board had not yet voted to retain ADF as legal counsel.

Neither Axselle nor the Board of Supervisors Chair Angela Kelly-Wiecek responded to phone calls and emails seeking comment.

In an Aug. 31 letter to the School Board obtained by The Times-Dispatch, the Hanover Board of Supervisors lays out concerns about potential FERPA violations and the treatment of people who attend School Board meetings.

The Hanover County Board of Supervisors has enjoyed a long, close partnership with the Hanover County School Board, begins the letter signed by Hanover County Attorney Dennis Walter. The document goes on to ask a series of questions related to Axselles behavior.

The letter asks if any School Board members have sent personal student information from their School Board-provided accounts to any personal accounts  whether their own or some other party.

The Hanover School Board responded in a letter dated Sept. 19 obtained by The Times-Dispatch. It said that school administration would need to review all emails to and from School Board members over the timeframe in question in order to comprehensively survey any potentially responsive emails.

That would require a deposit of $12,747.50, the letter said.

Public bodies are not required to charge for public records requests, but reasonable charges are allowed under the law. The letter states that it would take about 250 person hours at a blended rate of $50.99 an hour to complete the search. The School Board also said it invites the supervisors to narrow its request in order to avoid the cost.

Supervisors also asked for the unredacted emails that Axselle sent from his private account to ADF, or alternatively to allow one or two supervisors to view the unredacted emails in a secure setting.

The School Board denied these requests, and reasoned that it would be a FERPA violation.

In the correspondence, the School Board said that Axselle did not violate the law when he emailed ADF from his personal account, because there is an exemption in FERPA that allows school divisions to share student information with school officials, including legal counsel.

Supervisors asked for anything that would have authorized Axselle to use his personal email account to communicate with ADF on behalf of the School Board, or to transmit documents from the custody of Hanover County Public Schools to his personal email account or any outside entity. The School Board said: there are no responsive records.

Request for video

In the letter, supervisors also shared that they are concerned about the treatment of School Board meeting attendees.

At an Aug. 16 meeting, Axselle interrupted resident Wendy Kersey who was speaking at public comment about the Hanover Patriots, a conservative organization that is involved in the local education scene. Axselle continued to interrupt the speaker and asked her to stay on the topic of a proposed transgender policy. Axselle then directed a deputy to usher Kersey out of the room as she spoke about ADF.

The supervisors letter to the School Board requests a video of that meeting.

The supervisors letter concludes, The board acknowledges that this is an unusual request given the long-standing spirit of cooperation between the two boards; however, given the seriousness of the concerns raised by Hanover County residents, which are shared by Board members, of possible improper handling of student education records and questionable conduct by certain school board members at recent school board meetings, the Board believes that it must proceed in this manner to ensure that a review of these concerns is done in a transparent way to maintain the publics confidence in the work of the board and the school board.

At a meeting last month, County Attorney Dennis Walter gave a presentation to the Board of Supervisors about the legal process to remove appointed School Board members from office. Walter avoided naming Axselle, but supervisors spoke about the emails to ADF.

Virginia Code dictates that there are two specific requirements needed to remove a public officer for improper conduct. The officer must have done something that constitutes either neglect of duty, misuse of office, or incompetence in the performance of duties. And, that neglect of duty and misuse of office has to have a material, adverse effect upon the conduct of the office.

Supervisors had a lengthy discussion at the Sept. 14 meeting while tip-toeing around specifics of the circumstance, but the board did not take any action related to the removal of a School Board member at the meeting.
Shahd Hesham, an oud player and teacher, plays the oud at Arabic Oud House in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

by Mahmoud Fouly

CAIRO, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- A young Egyptian lady was playing a piece of music on the oud, an ancient Arabian musical instrument, at the Arabic Oud House for teaching oud playing in a historical area of the Egyptian capital Cairo.

The piece she was playing was the Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower, or Mo Li Hua, which is usually played in China on the Chinese oud-like instrument pipa.

Shahd Hesham, 19, an oud player and teacher at the Arabic Oud House, played a piece of Egyptian music and highlighted the similarities between the tones created by oud and pipa and between Egyptian and Chinese folk music.

"Egyptian and Chinese folk music can communicate and complete one another in many areas. For example, we can take music sentences from a Chinese track and play them in an Egyptian style, while the Chinese can take Egyptian music sentences and play them in their own style," the Egyptian oud teacher told Xinhua.

She explained that the Chinese pipa is a string instrument just like the oud, but it is a little smaller, it sounds a little sharper, and it is played vertically while the oud is played horizontally.

Oud is the origin of many string instruments in the East, she added.

"When different cultures cooperate and jointly present a concert, the result is so beautiful and diversified," Hesham told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, Mario Saied, an oud teacher and music composer, was on stage making a sound test for his oud before leading a performance in the yard of the Arabic Oud House.

Saied, 24, expressed his belief that cooperation between different cultures in music means "richness."

"Difference in music is beautiful, and what's more beautiful is to have cooperation among different music instruments, which produces beautiful tones," said the Egyptian oud player.

"We're always trying and searching for a beautiful sound of combining instruments, so we try the oud with the Chinese pipa, the mandolin, the Indian sitar, etc. Each experience is richness in itself," the young man told Xinhua.

The Egyptian musician described the Chinese culture as "great," expressing his obsession with Chinese historical sites and artifacts.

"I have on my cell phone a photo gallery of Chinese artifacts and museums, which I am fond of. So, I hope there will be a chance for future music cooperation not only between Egypt and China but between Egypt and every place where there is music," Saied said. 

People learn oud playing at Arabic Oud House in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A worker makes an oud at a workshop in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A worker makes an oud at a workshop in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A worker colors an oud at a workshop in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Mario Saied, an oud teacher and music composer, tunes the oud at Arabic Oud House in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
Virginia House and Senate Democratic leaders sent a letter Thursday to a state oversight agency asking for an investigation of how the political media firm that works for Gov. Glenn Youngkin landed a $268,600 state contract in an unusual process with tight work deadlines and only one bidder.

The Virginia Tourism Corporation awarded Richmond-based Poolhouse a contract in May to produce a tourism video featuring Youngkin, to be shown at Virginia airports and welcome centers, as well as seven large wall panels to be displayed at airports.

The decision came at a time Poolhouse is helping Youngkin boost his national image as he considers a possible 2024 presidential run. The firm was instrumental in creating his strategy and branding during his successful campaign for governor last year.

The work schedule on the video was too tight for The Martin Agency, which usually does such work for the Virginia Tourism Corporation, to bid, according to state documents. The contract was the first of its kind in Virginia for Poolhouse.

The company chosen to produce the ad, Poolhouse, has direct ties to Governor Youngkin, wrote Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, and House Minority Leader Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth, in their letter to the Office of the State Inspector General. Poolhouse was paid over $1.5 million for political advertisements during the 2021 Gubernatorial election cycle by Governor Youngkins Campaign Committee.

In a recent media interview, VTAs Executive Director acknowledged that the VTA was aware of the companys familiarity with Governor Youngkin and found that to be attractive in awarding the bid.

That interview was reported by Virginia Public Media.

Their letter also said Poolhouse had no history of working with state government, the Virginia Tourism Corporation had never featured a governor in such an ad, and such an ad would confer taxpayer benefits on him while he builds his name identification and familiarity with persons outside of Virginia in anticipation of his run.

The situation presents serious questions regarding the use of taxpayer dollars for political purposes.

And they also wrote that the situation will prompt scrutiny of whether the Virginia Tourism Corporation should continue to be exempt from state procurement law.

Rita McClenny, Virginia Tourism Corporations president and CEO, was appointed to the post a decade ago by then-Gov. Bob McDonnell and serves at the pleasure of the governor.

She told the Richmond Times-Dispatch in an interview on Thursday that after meeting with the governor and first lady when they visited the tourism office in March, she had the idea of creating a tourism video with Youngkin and decided to reach out to Poolhouse, using her discretion to select the firm and not open the project up for bids.

McClenny said she wanted to get the video ready for the summer travel season and wanted it done faster than it would have been if the agency sought bids.

She said she chose to go with Poolhouse in March based on their creative work and knowing the governor and the subject of the video.

It was my idea that we should go to Poolhouse, said McClenny, adding that neither the governor nor anyone on his government or political staff suggested Poolhouse before she made her decision.

After the contract was agreed to with Poolhouse, the governors office expressed concern about the perception that the process was biased, according to the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

The administration said, well we should go out and get bids, McClenny said.

She said she believed that administrations concern was expressed directly to her in a conversation but said she couldnt remember which individual with the governors staff raised it. I dont recall the exact person. ... Im pretty sure it was probably a phone call.

The Office of the State Inspector General was created in 2012 and investigates fraud, waste and abuse in the executive branch of state government, as well as identifying inefficiencies. The agency has subpoena power.

The lawmakers asked Inspector General Michael Westfall to report findings to legislative leaders of both parties.

[W]e would ask that you report to us if any state employee or third party is not cooperative with your investigation or if any member of the Governors Office attempts to exert undue influence on your investigation pursuant to  2.2-310.1 which became effective on July 1, 2022, the letter to Westfall said.

That new law prohibits the governor or his aides from interfering in an OSIG investigation or trying to pressure OSIG investigators.

It stems from a situation in 2020 when senior staffers to Democratic then-Gov. Ralph Northam reprimanded Westfall over an investigation OSIG was conducting of abuses at the Virginia Parole Board, prompting Westfall to tell colleagues he feared for his job.

The inspector general is appointed by the governor.
Careers in Construction Month is an annual observance that aims to increase public awareness and appreciation of construction craft professionals and the entire construction workforce. More than that, its an opportunity to change the perception of the construction industry so it is viewed as a top career of choice and a rewarding opportunity that helps grow Virginias community.

Like other industries facing workforce shortages, the construction sector needs skilled workers willing to roll up their sleeves and help move Virginia forward. According to the Associated General Contractors of America, 2022 marks the first time in over 20 years where the number of construction job openings has exceeded the number of new hires. Here in Richmond, construction employment is down 3% since March 2021 and a recent workforce survey found that over 70 percent of construction firms in Virginia have unfilled craft positions.

With the passage of a $1 trillion infrastructure bill and Gov. Glenn Youngkins plans to restructure Virginias workforce development efforts, now is the time to invest in the skilled trades and inspire the next generation of craft professionals. I encourage all construction industry representatives and educators in Virginia to take the Build Your Future pledge to make an industry and education connection to reach students and help shape positive perceptions of construction.

Construction jobs offer a variety of career options for almost any skill set, and most craft professionals dont need a college degree to start on their career path. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for many career options ranges from $55,000 to $70,000 per year before bonuses and overtime. These professionals typically start their careers with earnings higher than recent college graduates and those with similar skills. Many can find and easily apply for jobs in the industry and quickly learn a new trade and how to stay safe on the job to get started within weeks.

One common misconception is unsafe work conditions in the construction industry. Many are working hard to ensure everyone is safe from injury while on the job. On way we are helping to ensure safety on construction sites is through our partnership with the Department of Labor and Industrys Virginia Occupational Safety and Health program. The BEST program, which stands for Building Excellence in Safety, Health and Training, is designed to encourage and recognize member construction companies who implement safety and health management systems to benefit construction workers. Under the BEST program, Virginias construction companies work together to both encourage and mentor one another. This system benefits workers and companies alike in the construction industry by increasing employee participation, improving policies and procedures, reducing risk, and producing more qualified subcontractors.

Overall, the industry is working to attract and retain employees for a long-term career in construction. You can be an integral part to achieving and moving Virginia forward.
Blackberries, cherry tomatoes, pumpkins, peppers and peas are among specialty crops funded for Virginia Tech to research, according to a recent state grant award.

Developing and teaching practices to grow blackberries on trellises are objectives of a grant awarded to Virginia Techs Department of Food Science and Technology. Researchers are also tasked to develop easy recipes for blackberry-based beverages.

Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on Thursday announced eight grants totaling $614,000 for specialty crop projects in the state, based on a competitive application process. Virginia Tech was named in seven of those grant awards.

Postharvest diseases hamper the shelf-life of pumpkins, and potential exists to explore specialty pumpkins suitable for production in Virginia, according to another grant. Virginia Tech will convey its research via the Virginia Cooperative Extension to pumpkin growers, who have identified those two issues as the most critical for their specialty market.

Fifty-six different types of hydroponically-grown pepper plants will be evaluated for their aromatic flavor, according to another grant description. Virginia Tech researchers will develop protocol for measuring the flavor of pepper fruits, and establish breeding populations of different snacking pepper varieties.

Developing snacking pepper cultivars suitable for vertical farming will help make the snacking pepper a new cash crop and create new job opportunities in Virginia, according to a news release about the grants from the Virginia governors office.

Cherry tomatoes will be subject of further hydroponic research at Virginia Tech, in partnership with Virginia State University. Flavor, nutrition and shelf life of cherry tomatoes from conventional outdoor fields will be compared to indoor hydroponic cherry tomatoes, to determine and market the merits of both growing methods.

This research will directly support the competitiveness of the Virginia cherry tomato industry and other specialty crops, according to the release.

Virginia Tech is also named in a grant to research and spread awareness of yellow field peas as an ideal cover crops for potatoes, soybean, and other crops susceptible to nematodes.

Some of this specialty crop research will occur not only at Virginia Tech facilities in Blacksburg, but also at its facilities in Danville, Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore.

These and other Specialty Crop Block Grants fund important projects that create new market opportunities, especially in rural areas, said Gov. Glenn Youngkin in the release.

As Virginias top private industry, agriculture continues to play a leading role in Virginias economy, Youngkin said. To ensure this sector stays at the forefront of our economy, we must continue to support research and technological advancements that enhance the competitiveness of our specialty crops.

Saied Mostaghimi is associate dean for research for the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He said the college appreciates Youngkins support.

These specialty crops help producers increase their bottom line by developing new crops and streams of revenue, Mostaghimi said in an email. We are excited to conduct the relevant research programs to support the industry.
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.
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NAIROBI, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration (NCIA) to promote mediation as a means to settle commercial disputes.

The two entities will mainstream alternative dispute resolution and sensitize the private sector in the region on the need to avoid costly litigation that bodes ill for a conducive investment climate, the KEPSA said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

KEPSA's CEO Carole Kariuki said an agreement with the Center will enhance the peaceful resolution of commercial disputes, and spur investment and economic growth.

Kariuki said the private sector lobby will leverage infrastructure provided by the arbitration center to fast-track the conclusion of cases arising from commercial disputes.

Kenya recently hosted the second annual international conference on arbitration and alternative dispute resolution where delegates endorsed a framework for resolving commercial disputes outside the formal court processes.

The conference discussed emerging trends in alternative dispute resolution in Africa, which has proved less costly and more efficient as opposed to litigation in the courts.

Kariuki stressed that the local private sector stood to gain from enlarged regional markets and attract venture capital once they entrench alternative dispute resolution in their operations.

Lawrence Ngugi, CEO and Registrar of the NCIA, said preference for alternative dispute resolution as opposed to courtroom litigation has gained traction in Africa, driven by growing international trade, investments, and business innovation in the continent.

Other factors behind the embrace of alternative resolution of commercial disputes in Africa include higher state spending on infrastructure projects, and opening of new markets and industries, Ngugi added. 
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The views and opinions expressed are those of Joan Hartmann and Gregg Hart as individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the entities they represent. For identification purposes only, Joan Hartmann is elected to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors representing the Third District and Gregg Hart is elected to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors representing the Second District and is a current candidate for the State Assembly, District 37.
LAKE CITY, S.C.  The Meeting Street Scholarship Fund, a nonprofit that helps high-achieving students pay for college, on Thursday announced its second class of scholarship recipients.

This group of students includes 71 freshmen from eligible Pee Dee counties and 106 college freshmen from Charleston County. Additionally, four college sophomores from Charleston County earned a scholarship upon meeting the Meeting Street Scholarship Funds eligibility criteria at the end of their freshman year.

The Meeting Street Scholarship Fund expects to award up to $2.4 million in scholarships to this group of hardworking students for the 2022 -23 academic year.

With the support of the Darla Moore Foundation, students from the Pee Dee region are now eligible for the scholarship, bringing the opportunity to students in nine South Carolina counties.

Students who reside in Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, or Williamsburg counties who work hard in high school and meet five simple criteria can earn a scholarship of up to $10,000 per year for up to four years of college.

Higher education opened the doors to success for me, and I am thrilled to see this group of Pee Dee students taking advantage of every opportunity available to them, said Darla Moore, founder of the Darla Moore Foundation. This is a truly impressive group of students, and I look forward to seeing what they achieve in the years to come.

This years recipients attend some of South Carolinas best colleges, including the University of South Carolina at Columbia, Clemson University, the College of Charleston, and Claflin University.

Additionally, the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund has recipients on campus for the first time at Anderson University, Newberry College, the Citadel, and Wofford College.

Each Pee Dee student who qualifies for the Meeting Street Scholarship must:

Reside in Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, or Williamsburg County.

Graduate from an eligible Pee Dee public or public charter high school in 2022 or 2023.

Complete the FAFSA and receive a Pell Grant.

Earn an SC LIFE or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship:

Attend an eligible South Carolina college or university with a six-year graduation rate of 50% or higher

To continue receiving the Meeting Street Scholarship throughout college, students must demonstrate financial need by receiving a Pell Grant and maintain academic excellence by retaining their SC Life or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship.

Scholarship applications for the 2023 -24 school year will open Oct. 10.

The portal has been updated to simplify the application process on mobile devices and email alerts will notify students of missing information to help expedite their application process. Additionally, the portal has been updated to allow for students to apply if they meet the criteria for the first time as college students, which will tailor the application to their education journey.
By Jeslyn Lerh and Emily Chow

SINGAPORE, Oct 6 (Reuters) - China's demand for commodity shipments is expected to improve in the fourth quarter as investments in infrastructure projects and steel production pick up pace, while Beijing ramps up oil products exports, senior shipping executives said.

The world's top commodities buyer reduced energy and metals imports in the first half this year as COVID-19 restrictions ravaged its economy although Beijing has pledged to support growth through stimulus measures.

But China's steel production has shown signs of improvement, while the outlook for commodities demand was supported by the prospect of easing COVID-19 lockdowns, Berge Bulk's Chief Executive Officer James Marshall told Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON) 2022.

"We are quite confident in Q4 in terms of dry bulk rates and the volumes going into China in particular," Marshall said.

China's steel production had recovered from a low point in June, which is an optimistic indicator for the dry bulk sector, said Marshall, who operates one of the world's leading independent dry bulk fleet.

He said that the easing of pandemic lockdowns in China could boost the resumption of economic activity and lift infrastructure spending.

Jacob Meldgaard, chief executive officer at global refined oil products carrier TORM, is also optimistic about robust orders for ships in China's shipbuilding industry into next year.

The growth in orders is expected to support demand for commodities such as iron ore, according to Meldgaard.

Meanwhile, Beijing's decision to allow refiners to export more refined oil products will lead to a surge in demand for oil products tankers.

China could play an important role in the world's refinery system to supply missing barrels into Europe, Meldgaard said.

The European Union is expected to ban seaborne Russian crude and oil products in December and February, respectively, as part of sanctions on Russia for the Ukraine invasion, a move that will tighten global oil markets. (Reporting by Jeslyn Lerh and and Emily Chow; Editing by Florence Tan and Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
The Prince and Princess of Wales stepped out for a surprise appearance in Northern Ireland and wore coordinating blue outfits in different hues.

This week, Princess Catherine paid a visit to the maternity unit inside the Royal Surrey County Hospital. While there, she learned about their efforts and resources to help women who are expecting and new mothers.

Buckingham Palace released a photo of the new British monarch, King Charles III, and his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles (Queen consort), posing next to Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Sophie (Countess of Wessex and Forfar) did something that no British royal has done before: visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo .

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will receive a new celebrity neighbor now that Ariana Grande is moving out of their star-studded Montecito community.

Professional photographer Misan Harriman released not one, but two never-before-seen portraits of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle . (The pics were taken last month when the couple attended the One Young World summit in Manchester.)

The Royal Mint released a sneak peek of an official coin featuring King Charless face. The memorial collection will honor the life and legacy of the late Queen Elizabeth, who was previously featured on the coin.

King Charles and Bowles stepped out for their first joint engagement since the queens funeral. The couple visited Dunfermline in Scotland to celebrate its new status as a city.

The Princess of Wales revealed what her three childrenPrince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louisthink of her and Prince Williams engagement photos.
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.
STOCKHOLM  Three scientists were jointly awarded this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry 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 and bioorthogonal reactions.

"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 Prize in 2001 and is now the fifth person to receive the award twice, first proposed the idea of connecting molecules using chemical "buckles," 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, 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.

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, speaking by phone 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 wakened by roughly 2 a.m. call was her father, William Bertozzi, a retired physicist who was still awake watching TV.

"Dad, turn down the TV, I have something to tell you," she said she told him. 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."

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 a half-hour before the announcement. "This is a huge honor," he said.

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 and bioorthagonal 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 precise tool to build complex new molecules for drugs, synthetic materials and other uses.

However, the first iteration 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 news 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.

For example, that has allowed scientists to attach dyes to cancer cells to track their movements and analyze how they differ from healthy tissue.

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.

Winning the Nobel is "very much an opportunity  when you get this kind of award to argue for our young people to take chemistry as a discipline at the university," Meldal said at a news conference in Copenhagen. "Chemistry is the solution to many of our challenges."

A week of Nobel Prize announcements kicked off Monday and continues with literature on Thursday. The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced Friday and the economics award Monday.

The prizes carry a cash award of 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.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russian missiles hit apartment buildings in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Thursday, killing at least seven people, with at least five others missing, in a region that Moscow has illegally annexed, a local official said.

Two strikes damaged more than 40 buildings hours after Ukraine's president announced that his military had retaken three more villages in another of the four regions annexed by Russia, Moscow's latest battlefield reversal.

The Zaporizhzhia regional governor, Oleksandr Starukh, who provided the casualty figure, said more than 20 people were rescued from the multistory apartment buildings. Rescuers who earlier took a 3-year-old girl to a hospital continued to search the rubble early Friday. Starukh wrote on Telegram that Russian forces used S-300 missiles in the attacks.

Russia has been reported to have converted the S-300 from its original use as a long-range antiaircraft weapon into a missile for ground attacks because of a shortage of other, more suitable weapons.

Absolute meanness. Absolute evil," Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskky said of the attacks, in a video speech to the inaugural summit of the European Political Community in Prague. "There have already been thousands of manifestations of such evil. Unfortunately, there may be thousands more.

Zaporizhzhia is one of the four regions of Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed as Russian territory in violation of international laws. The region is home to a sprawling nuclear power plant under Russian occupation; the city of the same name remains under Ukrainian control.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, announced Thursday after meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv that the U.N.s atomic energy watchdog will increase the number of inspectors at the Zaporizhzhia plant from two to four.

Grossi talked with Ukrainian officials  and later will confer in Moscow with Russian officials  efforts to set up a protection zone around the nuclear power station. Grossi said mines appear to have been planted around the perimeter of the plant, which has been damaged during the war and caused worries of a possible radiation disaster. Zelenskyy said Russia has stationed as many as 500 fighters at the plant.

Putin signed a decree Wednesday declaring that Russia was taking over the six-reactor facility, a move Ukraines Foreign Ministry called a criminal act that was null and void.

Ukraine's state nuclear operator, Energoatom, said it would continue to operate the plant, whose last operating reactor was shut down Sept. 11 because of frequent outages of external power needed to run critical safety systems. Transmission lines to the plant have been repeatedly shelled, and Grossi on Thursday reported shelling in an industrial area close to the plant's access road.

Outside the battlefront, Russian authorities detained several hundred Ukrainians trying to flee Russian-occupied areas Wednesday near the Russian-Estonian border, according to Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets. Citing the Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs, he wrote on Facebook that Russian forces took the Ukrainians on trucks to an unknown destination.

Most of the detained Ukrainians had fled through Russia and Crimea and were seeking to enter the European Union  Estonia is a member state  or find a way to return home, Lubinets wrote.

Russian has forced thousands of Ukrainians into filtration camps to determine their loyalties. Zelenskyy said Thursday more than 1.6 million Ukrainians have been deported to Russia.

The precise borders of the areas in Ukraine that Moscow is claiming remain unclear. Putin has vowed to defend Russias territory  including the annexed Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine  with any means at his militarys disposal, including nuclear weapons.

Ukrainian forces are seizing back villages in Kherson in humiliating battlefield defeats for Russian forces that have badly dented the image of a powerful Russian military. Ukrainian officials said Thursday they have retaken 400 square kilometers (154 square miles) of territory, including 29 settlements, in the Kherson region since Oct. 1.

Ukraine also was pressing a counteroffensive in the Donetsk region, which Moscow-backed separatists have partially controlled since 2014 but which remains contested despite Putin's proclaimed annexation.

In battered Chasiv Yar, a city in the Donetsk region 7 miles (12 kilometers) from heavy fighting, the human impact became clear as retirees waited to collect their pension checks at a post office.

We are hoping for victory of the Ukrainian army, Vera Ivanovna, 81, a retired English and German teacher, said as artillery booms echoed. We lived in independent Ukraine as you are living in America. We also want to live how you are living.

At least two Russian strikes have hit Chasiv Yar in recent days, with one person reportedly buried under the rubble of a dormitory. More than 40 people were killed in July when Russian rockets struck a residential building.

Russia said it had seized the Donetsk region village of Zaitsevo. The governor of the neighboring Luhansk region said Ukrainian forces had recaptured the village of Hrekivka. Neither battlefield report could be independently confirmed.

The U.S. government, meanwhile, sent its international development chief to Kyiv on Thursday, the highest-ranking American official to visit Ukraine since Russia illegally annexed the four regions. The head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, met with government officials and residents and said the U.S. would provide an additional $55 million to repair heating pipes and other equipment.

USAID said the United States had delivered $9.89 billion in aid to Ukraine since February. A spending bill that U.S. President Joe Biden signed last week promises another $12.3 billion for Ukraines military and public services needs.

This war will be won on the battlefield, but it is also being won in Ukraines ongoing efforts to strengthen its democracy and its economy, Power told reporters at Kyivs train station.

She said Ukraines success as a democratic country with a modern economy tackling corruption incensed Putin.

The European Union on Thursday froze the assets of an additional 37 people and entities tied to Russias war in Ukraine, bringing the total of EU blacklist targets to 1,351. The newly sanctioned included officials involved in last weeks illegal Russian annexations and sham referendums. The latest sanctions also widen trade bans against Russia and prepare for a price cap on Russian oil.

At the United Nations in New York, Russia called for a secret ballot next week on a Western-backed resolution that would condemn Russia's annexation of the four Ukrainian regions and demand that Moscow reverse its actions. Russia apparently hopes to get more support from the 193 nations in the General Assembly if their votes aren't made public.

Russia vetoed a legally binding Security Council resolution on Sept. 30 to condemn annexation referendums in the four Ukrainian regions as illegal. The General Assembly's resolutions aren't legally binding.

Associated Press writers Hanna Arhirova in Ukraine and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
MANILA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The unemployment rate in the Philippines went up to 5.3 percent in August, compared to the previous month's record of 5.2 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Thursday.

PSA data showed 2.68 million Filipinos were out of work in August, higher than the 2.60 million recorded in July. However, the number is much lower than the 3.9 million in August 2021.

Many of the areas in the Philippines are now under COVID-19 alert level one, the lowest and most lenient of the five-tiered coronavirus restrictions. The lenient rules allow the country to open many businesses providing jobs to people.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan stressed the need to strengthen the government's efforts to generate more jobs and high-quality jobs that provide adequate income for Filipino workers and reduce poverty significantly. 
COVID-19 cases continue to trend down in Nebraska and nationally, but the virus is still proving deadly, especially for those not protected by vaccinations.

The 35 Nebraskans who were added last week to the states toll of confirmed or probable COVID-19 deaths brought the total for the 2-year pandemic to 4,542. For perspective, thats over 100 times the 44 people who died in the states last pre-pandemic flu season.

And pandemic experts say the vast majority of COVID deaths today are preventable.

Almost all of them, said Dr. James Lawler, co-executive director of the University of Nebraska Medical Centers Global Center for Health Security. 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.

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 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows those who arent vaccinated are over 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. Even among the most vulnerable age 65 and over population, while some 94% received initial vaccinations, only 74% received a booster, and only 34% got the recommended first two boosters. The U.S. figures are even more dismal.

Now a new bivalent booster shot is available to specifically target the omicron variant that has sparked most recent cases. But national figures suggest people arent rushing out to get it. Unless people have received all recommended boosters, Lawler said, they are not fully vaccinated.

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.

But he also called out a failure of messaging among state and federal political leaders that goes right to the top, noting President Joe Bidens recent statement that the pandemic is over.

I think calling the messaging weak would be a compliment, Lawler said.

Lawler said the nation also has lost the understanding that vaccinations are needed on a societal basis to stamp out a disease, just as they were long accepted to eliminate diseases like measles and mumps. He noted that one of the nations first vaccination mandates came when George Washington required his Revolutionary War troops be inoculated against smallpox.

I understand America is all about rugged individualism, and thats a great thing, Lawler said. But Americans have also understood there are exceptions to that.

Nationally, the pandemic has claimed over 1 million lives, and continues to claim about 400 a day.

In addition to the deaths, Lawler said, its estimated some 25 million Americans are dealing with the health uncertainties associated with long COVID, with symptoms persisting for weeks, months or years. We are still learning the long-term health consequences of COVID-19, Lawler said, including among children.

According to CDC data for last week, the state recorded 1,224 new virus cases, down from 1,424 the previous week and marking the fourth straight weekly decline. Weekly cases are now down 70% from levels in late July.

Hospitalizations are also trending down, with the average daily figure of 125 in Nebraska down 23% from the week before.

Deaths are harder to track, as they tend to be added to CDC totals in bunches, including the 35 last week. But since early July, the state has added an average of 15 deaths a week to its pandemic death toll.

Its difficult to say where the unpredictable pandemic will go next, as cases surged during the winter months in both 2020 and 2021.

While some are hopefully projecting that wont be the case this time, 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.
SIOUX CITY -- The Sioux City Public Museum, 607 Fourth St., will be offering free family activities celebrating Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, presented in English and Spanish.

From 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Legend of the Cempasuchil, a children's program featuring the reading of "Child of the Flower-Song People," a reader's theater with stick figure puppets, will be performed.

Classes on making a paper cempasuchil (marigold) for the Museum's altar display will occur from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The Sioux City Public Museum will also offer several more Dia de los Muertos activities for both children and adults throughout the month of October. For more information, call 712-279-6174 or visit siouxcitymuseum.org.

This year's theme, Creciendo Nuestras Raices (Growing Our Roots), focuses on the indigenous elements of the Mexican Day of the Dead. The marigold flower -- or the flower of the dead -- takes its name from the Aztec language.
SIOUX CITY -- A Texas man accused of traveling to Sioux City to entice a 13-year-old Sioux City boy to have sexual contact with him now faces federal prosecution.

Isaac Herrera, 21, of Brownsville, Texas, has pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to one count of sexual exploitation of a child.

Herrera was arrested June 7 after East Middle School staff members found him outside the school looking for the boy and claiming to be his guardian before giving a fake name to an officer.

Police determined Herrera had met the boy a year and a half ago while playing online video games. In an interview with police, Herrera said he had been in town since June 1 and had been hanging around with the boy and two other 13-year-old boys at a place he was renting, court documents said.

According to a federal indictment, from March through June 7, Herrera used and attempted to use one or more minors to engage in sex acts that he planned to record on his iPhone.

A search warrant was executed on Herrera's phone, and communications between Herrera and the boy revealed conversations about the two performing sexual acts on each other. Herrera also had asked the boy to send him nude photos of himself.

Herrera was initially charged in Woodbury County District Court with enticing away a minor and lascivious acts with a child. The case was dismissed after he was indicted in federal court.
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 Sioux City man has pleaded guilty of using an 11-year-old girl to help him sell marijuana and soliciting her to engage in sexual activity.

Darrell Hall, 20, entered his plea Wednesday in Woodbury County District Court to single felony counts of utilizing a person under age 18 to traffic a controlled substance and lascivious acts with a child and misdemeanor charges of dissemination and exhibition of obscene materials to minors and sexual exploitation of a minor.

Sentencing was scheduled for Nov. 18. Under terms of a plea agreement, no sentence is agreed upon, but the prosecution will request a 10-year prison sentence. Hall's attorney will be free to request a suspended sentence and probation, but may not request a deferred judgment.

Thirteen other charges, including drug possession, sexual abuse and indecent contact with a child, will be dismissed.

Hall admitted recruiting the girl to help him complete a marijuana transaction on Feb. 16-18 while he was caring for her, the girl's 10-year-old friend and a 1-year-old child for their parents at a trailer at 3290 N. Martha St.

Police later conducted a search warrant at the trailer and seized large amounts of marijuana and cash.

Hall also solicited a sex act with the girl, offering to pay her. Hall told police he did not know she was under age 14, court documents said.
SIOUX CITY  A Sioux City man has pleaded guilty of shooting a woman in the legs.

Apollo Houston, 20, entered his plea Wednesday in Woodbury County District Court to charges of willful injury and reckless use of a firearm.

Sentencing was scheduled for Nov. 16. According to terms of a plea agreement, no sentence has been agreed upon, but Houston could receive up to 15 years in prison. A charge of aggravated assault will be dismissed.

Houston shot Kaleigh White on May 7 inside a residence in the 1900 block of Ingleside Avenue.

According to court documents, White's sister brought Houston to the home, and they began drinking. When White's sister and Houston began arguing, White quit drinking and went to the basement. Her sister and Houston eventually joined her and began arguing again, so White went back upstairs and called a friend.

While White was on the phone, Houston came upstairs, sat next to her on the couch and was waving a gun, eventually pressing it against White's left leg and shooting her. The bullet traveled through both of White's legs. White said she had no idea why Houston shot her.
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.
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.
Biden: Nuclear 'Armageddon' risk highest since '62 crisis

NEW YORK (AP)  President Joe Biden said Thursday that the risk of nuclear Armageddon is at the highest level since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, as Russian officials speak of the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons after suffering massive setbacks in the eight-month invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking at a fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin was a guy I know fairly well and the Russian leader was not joking when he talks about the use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons.

Biden added, We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis." He suggested the threat from Putin is real because his military is  you might say  significantly underperforming.

U.S. officials for months have warned of the prospect that Russia could use weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine as it has faced a series of strategic setbacks on the battlefield, though Biden's remarks marked the starkest warnings yet issued by the U.S. government about the nuclear stakes.

It was not immediately clear whether Biden was referring to any new assessment of Russian intentions. As recently as this week, though, U.S. officials have said they have seen no change to Russias nuclear forces that would require a change in the alert posture of U.S. nuclear forces.

Riot plea: Proud Boys member admits to seditious conspiracy

WASHINGTON (AP)  A North Carolina man pleaded guilty Thursday to plotting with other members of the far-right Proud Boys to violently stop the transfer of presidential power after the 2020 election, making him the first member of the extremist group to plead guilty to a seditious conspiracy charge.

Jeremy Joseph Bertino, 43, has agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department's investigation of the role that Proud Boys leaders played in the mob's attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, a federal prosecutor said.

Bertinos cooperation could ratchet up the pressure on other Proud Boys charged in the siege, including former national chairman Henry Enrique" Tarrio.

The guilty plea comes as the founder of the another extremist group, the Oath Keepers, and four associates charged separately in the Jan. 6 attack stand trial on seditious conspiracy  a rarely used Civil War era offense that calls for up to 20 years behind bars.

Bertino traveled to Washington with other Proud Boys in December 2020 and was stabbed during a fight, according to court documents. He was not in Washington for the Jan. 6 riot because he was still recovering from his injuries, court papers say.

Biden pardons thousands for 'simple possession' of marijuana

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden is pardoning thousands of Americans convicted of simple possession of marijuana under federal law, as his administration takes a dramatic step toward decriminalizing the drug and addressing charging practices that disproportionately impact people of color.

Biden's move also covers thousands convicted of the crime in the District of Columbia. He is also calling on governors to issue similar pardons for those convicted of state marijuana offenses, which reflect the vast majority of marijuana possession cases.

Biden, in a statement, said the move reflects his position that no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana.

Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana," he added. Its time that we right these wrongs.

According to the White House, no one is currently in federal prison solely for simple possession of the drug, but the pardon could help thousands overcome obstacles to renting a home or finding a job.

Judge delays Twitter trial, gives Musk time to seal buyout

A judge has delayed a looming trial between Twitter and Elon Musk, giving the Tesla CEO more time to close his $44 billion deal to buy the company after months spent fighting to get out of it.

Musk had asked to halt the upcoming Delaware court trial, where the Tesla billionaire was expected to fare poorly against Twitter's lawsuit to force him to complete his April merger agreement. Musk revived the takeover offer on Monday but said he needed time to get the financing in order.

Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, head of the Delaware Chancery Court, said Thursday that Musk and Twitter now have until Oct. 28 to close the deal. A trial originally set for Oct. 17 will happen in November if they dont, she said.

Twitter had asked McCormick earlier Thursday to proceed with the trial, saying the billionaire refuses to accept the contractual obligations of his April agreement to buy the social media company and take it private.

Twitter disputed Musks claim that the San Francisco-based company is refusing to accept his renewed bid. Musk told Twitter earlier this week hes ready to buy the company once again after trying to back out of the deal over the summer, accusing it of refusing to give him information about spam bot accounts on the service.

Ian evacuees return to mud, rubble as death toll hits 101

SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. (AP)  Rotting fish and garbage lie scattered in Sanibel Island's streets. On the mainland, debris from washed-away homes is heaped in a canal like matchsticks. Huge shrimp boats sit perched amid the remains of a mobile home park.

Think of a snow globe. Pick it up and shake it  thats what happened, said Fred Szott.

For the past three days, he and his wife Joyce have been making trips to their damaged mobile home in Fort Myers, cleaning up after Hurricane Ian slammed into Florida's Gulf Coast.

As for the emotional turbulence, he says: You either hold on, or you lose it.

The number of storm-related deaths rose to at least 101 on Thursday, eight days after the storm made landfall in southwest Florida. According to reports from the Florida Medical Examiners Commission, 92 of those deaths were in Florida. Five people were also killed in North Carolina, three in Cuba and one in Virginia.

Sheriff: Killing of kidnapped California family 'pure evil'

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  The suspect in the kidnapping and killing of an 8-month-old baby, as well as her parents and uncle, had once worked for the familys trucking business and had a longstanding feud with them that culminated in an act of pure evil, a sheriff said Thursday.

The slayings left relatives mourning worldwide as investigators prepared a case against the suspect  a convicted felon who tried to kill himself a day after the kidnappings  and sought a person of interest believed to be his accomplice.

Right now, Ive got hundreds of people in a community that are grieving the loss of two families, and this is worldwide. These families are across different continents, Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke told The Associated Press. Weve got to show them that we can give them justice.

The suspect, 48-year-old Jesus Salgado, remained hospitalized Thursday as Warnke called for prosecutors to seek the death penalty. The sheriff called it one of the worst crimes he has seen over his 43 years in law enforcement and pleaded for Salgado's accomplice to turn himself in.

Theres some things youll take to the grave. This to me was pure evil, he said in an interview Thursday.

Fired police sergeant attacks Thai day care center, kills 36

UTHAI SAWAN, Thailand (AP)  A former police officer facing a drug charge burst into a day care center Thursday in Thailand, killing dozens of preschoolers and teachers and then shooting more people as he fled. At least 36 people were slain in the deadliest rampage in the nations history.

The assailant, who was fired earlier this year, took his own life after killing his wife and child at home.

Photos taken by first responders showed the school's floor littered with the tiny bodies of children still on their blankets, where they had been taking an afternoon nap. The images showed slashes to their faces and gunshots to their heads and pools of blood.

A teacher told public broadcaster Thai PBS that the assailant got out of a car and immediately shot a man eating lunch outside, then fired more shots. When the attacker paused to reload, the teacher had an opportunity to run inside.

I ran to the back, the children were asleep, said the young woman, who did not give her name, choking back her words. The children were two or three years old.

Judy Tenuta, brash 'Goddess of Love' comedian, dies at 72

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Judy Tenuta, a brash standup who cheekily styled herself as the "Goddess of Love and toured with George Carlin as she built her career in the 1980s golden age of comedy, died Thursday. She was 72.

Tenuta died Thursday afternoon at home in Los Angeles, with her family around her, publicist Roger Neal told The Associated Press. The cause of death was ovarian cancer.

She was a very funny, amazing performer," Neal said, and it was always a happy time to be around her."

Tenuta had claimed her birthdate as Nov. 7, 1965, but she was born in 1949, Neal said. She was old school so she would never tell her real age, but now that shes gone we can tell her real age, he added.

Her heart-shaped face, topped by bouffant hair with a flower accent, conveyed an impression of sweet innocence that was quickly shattered by her loud, gravelly delivery and acidic humor, expletives included. The accordion she made part of her act was an instrument of love and submission, as she fondly called it.

Peloton to cut 500 jobs as turnaround efforts continue

Peloton is cutting hundreds of jobs in a corporate reorganization of its stalled business as the pandemic-related surge ebbs.

The maker of high-end exercise equipment cut approximately 500 jobs, or about 12% of its workforce, Peloton said Thursday.

Peloton Interactive Inc. said it's completed the vast majority of a restructuring plan begun in February. That plan included a new chief executive and a smaller store base.

The changes we have made, combined with the performance of the business, are moving us closer to our fiscal year-end goal of break-even cash flow, with a renewed focus on growth, said CEO and President Barry McCarthy.

Peloton experienced incredible sales growth during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The New York-based company's share price multiplied by more than five times in 2020 amid lockdowns that made its bikes and treadmills popular among customers who pay a monthly fee to participate in its interactive workouts.

MLB's postseason is here: A guide to the 12-team playoffs

Major League Baseballs postseason has a little more heft this season.

The playoffs are here, with the first games played on Friday. The postseason begins with a field of 12 teams  up from last years 10  and includes a best-of-three format for the opening wild-card round.

The expanded postseason has produced some spicy early postseason matchups. San Diego's newly acquired slugger Juan Soto against the 101-win New York Mets? Ageless star Albert Pujols and the Cardinals against Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and the Phillies?

Buckle up, they're happening this weekend.

MLB's new wild-card format is similar to the one currently used in college baseball for the NCAA Super Regional round: The three games will be scheduled on three consecutive days from Friday to Sunday at the higher seed's field. The first team that gets two wins advances.
Biden: Nuclear 'Armageddon' risk highest since '62 crisis

NEW YORK (AP)  President Joe Biden says the risk of nuclear Armageddon is at the highest level since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, as Russian officials speak of the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons after suffering massive setbacks in the eight-month invasion of Ukraine. Speaking at a fundraiser Thursday for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin was not joking when he talks about the use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons. Biden added, We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Riot plea: Proud Boys member admits to seditious conspiracy

WASHINGTON (AP)  A North Carolina man has pleaded guilty to plotting with other members of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group to violently stop the transfer of presidential power after the 2020 election. Jeremy Joseph Bertino is the first Proud Boys member to plead guilty to a seditious conspiracy charge. Bertino also pleaded guilty on Thursday to a charge of unlawfully possessing firearms. Bertino has agreed to cooperate with the Justice Departments investigation of the role that Proud Boys leaders played in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Former Proud Boys national chairman Henry Enrique Tarrio and four other group members also have been charged with seditious conspiracy.

Biden pardons thousands for 'simple possession' of marijuana

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden is pardoning thousands of Americans convicted of simple possession of marijuana under federal law, as his administration takes a dramatic step toward decriminalizing the drug and addressing charging practices that disproportionately impact people of color. He is also calling on governors to issue similar pardons for those convicted of state marijuana offenses, which reflect the vast majority of marijuana possession cases. Biden says the move reflects his position that no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana. He says his action will ease the consequences for people who have prior Federal convictions for marijuana possession, who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result.

Judge delays Twitter trial, gives Musk time to seal buyout

A judge has delayed a looming trial between Twitter and Elon Musk. The move gives the Tesla CEO more time to close his $44 billion deal to buy the social media company after months spent fighting to get out of it. Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, head of the Delaware Chancery Court, said Thursday that Musk and Twitter have until Oct. 28 to close the deal. She said that a trial set for Oct. 17 will happen in November if they don't. Musk renewed his offer Monday and asked to halt the trial to get the financing in order. Twitter objected because he'd already backed out once.

Ian evacuees return to mud, rubble as death toll hits 101

SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. (AP)  Hurricane Ians death toll has climbed into the triple digits. The number of recorded storm-related deaths rose Thursday to at least 101 in the eight days since the storm made landfall in southwest Florida. Of the total deaths, 92 were in Florida, according to reports from the Florida Medical Examiners Commission. Other storm deaths include five in North Carolina, three in Cuba and one in Virginia. Ian is the second-deadliest storm to hit the mainland United States in the 21st century behind Hurricane Katrina, which left more than 1,800 people dead in 2005. The deadliest hurricane to ever hit the U.S. was the Great Galveston Hurricane in 1900 that killed as many as 8,000 people.

US carrier, S Korea warships start new drills amid tensions

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  The nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan has begun a new round of naval drills with South Korean warships. The two-day training that began Friday came a day after North Korea fired two ballistic missiles toward the sea and flew 12 warplanes near the border in an escalation of its weapons tests. The Reagan and its battle group returned to the waters near the Korean Peninsula after North Korea earlier this week launched a nuclear-capable missile over Japan in response to the carrier groups earlier training with South Korean navy ships. North Korea views U.S.-South Korean military exercises as an invasion rehearsal. South Korea's military says the latest drills occur off the peninsula's east coast.

Sheriff: Killing of kidnapped California family 'pure evil'

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Authorities say the suspect in the kidnapping and killing of a central California family was a former employee who had a longstanding dispute with them. Relatives of the slain family told investigators that Jesus Salgado had sent angry text messages or emails about a year ago after working with their trucking business. Authorities say Salgado kidnapped an 8-month-old baby, her parents and uncle on Monday and killed them, leaving their bodies in an almond orchard. The remains were discovered in the remote area by a farm worker late Wednesday. Investigators say they're seeking a person of interest who may have acted as Salgados accomplice.

Fired police sergeant attacks Thai day care center, kills 36

UTHAI SAWAN, Thailand (AP)  A former police officer facing a drug charge burst through a locked door at a day care center in northeastern Thailand, killing dozens of preschoolers and teachers and then shooting more people as he fled. At least 36 people were killed Thursday in the deadliest rampage in the nations history. The assailant took his own life after killing his wife and child at home. The attack took place in Nongbua Lamphu province, in one of the countrys poorest regions. Police identified the attacker as a former police sergeant fired this year because of the drug charge. Authorities said the main weapon used was a 9mm pistol that the man had bought himself. He also had a shotgun and a knife.

Judy Tenuta, brash 'Goddess of Love' comedian, dies at 72

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Judy Tenuta, a brash standup who cheekily styled herself as the Goddess of Love and toured with George Carlin as she built her career in the 1980s golden age of comedy, has died. She was 72. Her publicist says Tenuta died Thursday afternoon at home in Los Angeles, with her family around her. She was among a generation of performers who drove the popularity of live comedy in clubs nationwide including the Comedy Store in Los Angeles, Laff Stop in Houston and Carolines in New York City. A typically male-dominated field found room for women, including Tenuta. She first gained national attention in 1987 with Women of the Night, a HBO special.

MLB's postseason is here: A guide to the 12-team playoffs

Major League Baseballs postseason has a little more heft this year. The playoffs are here, with the first games played on Friday. The postseason begins with a field of 12 teams and includes a best-of-three format for the opening wild-card round. That's up from 10 teams last season. The playoffs include a best-of-three format for the opening wild-card round. The three games will be scheduled on consecutive days from Friday through Sunday at the higher seeds field. The first team that gets two wins advances. After that, the playoffs will be business as usual. The division series will be best-of-five, while the league championship series and World Series will be best-of-seven.
CANBERRA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The number of occupations facing skills shortages in Australia almost doubled in the past year, according to a government report.

The National Skills Commission (NSC) on Thursday released its annual update of the Skills Priority List, revealing 286 occupations are struggling to fill vacant jobs in 2022, up from 153 in 2021.

Registered nurses, software engineers, care workers, construction managers, childcare workers and mechanics are the most in-demand employees.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government was committed to "giving people on-the-job work experience" by funding more apprenticeships and traineeships.

Of Australia's 20 biggest employing occupations more than half are facing skills shortages.

Brendan O'Connor, minister for skills and training, will on Friday meet with state and territory officials to address the crisis.

"This is a staggering increase, highlighting the urgent need to respond to the biggest skills and labor shortages in decades, which is compounding economic challenges," he said.

"By investing in skills, we can capitalize on the demonstrable connection between a trained and skilled workforce and a more productive economy," he said.

The federal government in September increased Australia's permanent skilled migrant intake for the current financial year from 160,000 to 195,000 in a bid to address the skills shortages. 
JERUSALEM (AP)  The Israeli military on Thursday cleared itself of wrongdoing in the death of a 7-year-old Palestinian boy whose family says he died of fear after an encounter with Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank.

The United States, European Union and United Nations had demanded an investigation into the death of second-grader Rayan Suleiman, which became the latest lightning rod in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as outraged Palestinians blamed Israel for his death last week.

Rayans parents allege he was chased by Israeli soldiers on his way home from school and that he collapsed when troops appeared at his home in the Palestinian town of Tequa. They say he fell unconscious after troops interrogated his father and threatened Rayan and his brothers with arrest.

Doctors who treated Rayan said a preliminary examination showed Rayan experienced cardiac arrest induced by what could be described as a severe panic attack. A Palestinian hospital said it had conducted an autopsy but its findings have not yet been made public.

Israel closed its investigation into his death on Thursday, denying any violence in the encounter between Israeli soldiers and Rayans family and saying the soldiers acted as expected of them, while adhering to the (armys) values.

Israeli military investigations have long drawn criticism from rights groups and Palestinians who charge that they are not independent or effective, citing a low indictment rate. The military insists the system works.

In its probe into Rayan's death, the army said one of its commanders searched several houses in Tequa for suspects who had fled after hurling stones at motorists last week.

It said the soldier summoned Rayans father with his two children to their doorstep for interrogation last Thursday, describing the encounter as a conversation held in a respectful manner, without any form of physical contact and certainly without the use of verbal or physical violence.

The troops next saw the father in a car with his son on his lap, the army said, noting that it found no evidence Rayan suffered physical damage as the result of Israeli military activity.

Hundreds of people attended Rayan's funeral last Friday, and his death struck a nerve with Palestinian parents. Fear for their childrens safety and the dread of soldiers knocking on the door are part of daily life under an entrenched Israeli military rule that is now in its 56th year. Human rights groups say Israeli soldiers routinely arrest children and teenagers during night raids.

Rayan's death came as violence escalates in the occupied West Bank, where nearly half a million Israeli settlers live on land that Palestinians want for a future independent state. Israel has conducted arrest raids almost every night since a series of deadly Palestinian attacks in Israel last spring. The incursions have killed over 100 Palestinians this year  a seven-year high.

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 died in the violence.
PRAGUE (AP)  The leaders of historic foes Turkey and Armenia on Thursday held their first face-to-face meeting since the two countries agreed to improve relations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Prague on the sidelines of a summit by the leaders of 44 countries to launch a European Political Community aimed at boosting security and economic prosperity across Europe. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was also present at what appeared to be an informal gathering of the three leaders.

Later, Erdogan and Pashinyan led bilateral talks between their countries' delegations.

I sincerely believe that we will achieve full normalization (of relations) on the basis of good neighborly relations, Erdogan later told journalists, adding that the meeting was held in a friendly atmosphere.

Turkey and Armenia, which have no diplomatic relations, agreed last year to start talks aimed at putting decades of bitterness behind and reopen their joint border. Special envoys appointed by the two countries have held four rounds of talks since then. Their discussions have resulted in an agreement to resume charter flights between Turkeys largest city, Istanbul, and the Armenian capital of Yerevan.

Erdogan said Armenia made some demands during the talks, but did not elaborate. The two countries' special envoys and foreign ministers would continue with their efforts toward normalization, he said.

We don't have any preconditions, Erdogan said. We just said (to them), Make sure the relations between you and Azerbaijan come to a certain level of maturity and come to a peace agreement.

Turkey, a close ally of Azerbaijan, shut down its border with Armenia in 1993 in a show of solidarity with Baku, which was locked in a conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

In 2020, Turkey strongly backed Azerbaijan in the six-week conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, which ended with a Russia-brokered peace deal that saw Azerbaijan gain control of a significant part of the region.

Turkey and Armenia also have a more than century-old hostility over the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in massacres, deportations and forced marches that began in 1915 in Ottoman Turkey.

It is Ankara and Yerevan's second attempt at reconciliation. Turkey and Armenia reached an agreement in 2009 to establish formal relations and to open their border, but the agreement was never ratified because of strong opposition from Azerbaijan.

Last month, Armenia and Azerbaijan negotiated a cease-fire to end a flare-up of fighting that killed 155 soldiers from both sides.
VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP)  The city council in Vancouver, Washington, has approved a permanent ban on new fossil fuel developments after years of temporary moratoriums.

While new facilities that distribute, extract, refine or process fossil fuels have been temporarily prohibited by the Vancouver City Council since 2020, the council this week unanimously made the ban permanent, The Columbian reported.

Were concerned fossil fuel facilities pose a risk to the areas health and safety, Chad Eiken, the city's community development director, said in a news release. There are currently six bulk facilities that are susceptible to liquefaction and hazardous materials could potentially flow into the Columbia River, wetlands and other wildlife habitats in the case of a seismic event. These code changes are intended to reduce this risk and also minimize greenhouse gas emissions.

The ordinance is set to take effect in early November.

Residents who supported the ordinance filled the Vancouver City Councils public hearing session, many of whom have followed the long process to permanently ban new bulk fossil fuel facilities. In 2018, Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed a plan to develop the nations largest crude-oil-by-rail terminal at the Port of Vancouver, after nearly five years of debate.

The council's ordinance prohibits large new fossil fuel facilities in all zoning districts while facilities with a capacity of 60,000 gallons or less are permitted in industrial zones. Cleaner fuel facilities with a holding capacity up to one million gallons are permitted.

It also includes the capacity for existing bulk fossil fuel facilities to expand by 15% if switching to cleaner fuels and upgrading to seismic standards, subject to other requirements.
After a viral "Stranger Things" Halloween display in the Chicago suburbs was shut down due to a neighbor's complaint, the family behind it has been given the OK to reopen it this weekend.

After the homeowners opened the display to crowds, a neighbor became upset with all the traffic, so the display was shut down.

The display featured a floating Max Mayfield from the Netflix show "Stranger Things." Sporting red locks, blue jeans and retro jacket, a girl is suspended high above a driveway, facing a houses garage. Its scarily similar to a scene when Max (Sadie Sink) levitates while in the grip of an otherworldly evildoer.

The family behind the spectacular decoration posted videos that went viral on TikTok.

On Wednesday, the homeowners visited Joliet City Hall to make sure they weren't breaking any rules. Although the house is in Plainfield, Illinois, the city of Joliet provides services. Joliet city leaders gave their approval.
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP)  A man accused of fatally shooting a hotel clerk in suburban Detroit during a dispute over money then barricading himself inside a room has surrendered to police, authorities said.

The gunman's surrender at the Hampton Inn in Dearborn occurred shortly before 9 p.m. EDT Thursday, or nearly seven hours after the standoff began. Businesses in the surrounding popular dining and shopping area had been evacuated or locked down.

The man was armed with a rifle, many times threatened officers, and it was quite tenuous, Dearborn police Chief Issa Shahin told reporters. But fortunately, we were able to resolve that peacefully.

The shooting stemmed from a dispute over money with staff, Shahin said. The man who was shot, identified as a 55-year-old from Riverview, was taken to a hospital and died, Shahin said.

He was "just trying to do his job," Shahin said.

Shahin said the suspect, who was not identified by police Thursday, had a history of mental illness and substance abuse.

Shots were reported shortly after 1 p.m. in the busy district in Dearborn, a city of over 100,000 people just west and southwest of Detroit. The suspect was contained in the hotel, police Cpl. Dan Bartok told reporters.

Police evacuated the hotel and surrounding businesses. Traffic into the downtown was blocked, Michigan State Police Lt. Mike Shaw said.

Earlier, state police tweeted that the situation is active and dangerous and that shots still were being fired by the suspect.

Officers in tactical gear could be seen, as well as emergency vehicles.

Some businesses near the hotel, including Dearborn Federal Savings Bank and Better Health Market, locked down with customers inside.

"There are police everywhere, said Cheryl Seguin, a security officer at the bank. Police from multiple jurisdictions and federal, county, state agencies. Multiple police cars and other types of units -- EMS, just about everything.

Patrick Collins, manager of the Better Health Market, described seeing police, automatic weapons and ambulances. Three customers were inside the market.

Theres a lot going on, he said.

Savage reported from Chicago. Williams reported from West Bloomfield, Michigan.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  Police in Mississippi's capital city have agreed to pull back on aggressive roadblocks in response to a lawsuit that said Jackson officers were violating peoples constitutional right to be free of unreasonable search and seizure.

A settlement was filed Wednesday in the federal class-action lawsuit that the Mississippi Center for Justice and the MacArthur Justice Center filed in February against the city of Jackson and its police chief. The settlement bans general checkpoints and limits arrests and towing if drivers are ticketed for a traffic violation.

The lawsuit accused the police department in the 80% Black city of using roadblocks in majority-Black and low-income neighborhoods to try to catch crime suspects.

Checkpoints  which dont fight crime  are costly and wreak havoc on disproportionately impacted poor and Black communities," Mississippi Center for Justice president and CEO Vangela M. Wade said in a statement Thursday.

The settlement says Jackson police can conduct safety checkpoints only for constitutionally acceptable purposes" and with a minimal amount of intrusion or motorist inconvenience.

Jackson  which has a Black mayor, a Black police chief and a mostly Black police force  has been using roadblocks for years, with multiple officers stopping vehicles to check for drivers licenses and auto insurance and to try to find people who are wanted on arrest warrants.

The lawsuit challenged the Jackson Police Departments Ticket Arrest Tow effort that started in January, with vehicles being towed if drivers were arrested. Chief James Davis said in February that checkpoints were set up in areas with high rates of violent crime to find people with outstanding warrants for murder, aggravated assault or other charges.

During a Feb. 14 news conference, Democratic Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba described roadblocks as useful tools."

Cliff Johnson, director of the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi law school, said attorneys in the lawsuit understand people in Jackson want law enforcement to take action against violent crime.

But we must make certain that new initiatives by the police make good sense and dont violate peoples rights," Johnson said Thursday. Studies show clearly that efforts like illegal roadblocks and hyper-enforcement of misdemeanor offenses are destabilizing and actually cause more crime.

Two of the plaintiffs, married couple LaQuenza Morgan and Lauren Rhoades, told The Associated Press in February that police conduct roadblocks every few months in their mostly Black, working-class neighborhood. Hes Black and shes white, and they said officers treat them differently. Rhoades said officers dont even look at her driver's license. Morgan said he cant recall officers ever waving him through without checking his license.

Under the settlement, police will not be allowed to conduct checkpoints for general crime control or deterrence, or to check for narcotics or outstanding warrants for drivers or passengers.

The settlement also says if a person is stopped at a checkpoint for any reason other than a driving offense, officers may give tickets  but may not make arrests  if they find the driver without auto insurance or with a suspended driver's license.

Also, people arrested during a roadblock must be allowed to identify another person to take custody of their vehicle. If the vehicle cannot be retrieved but can be legally parked, it can be parked instead of towed.

JPD personnel shall only call a towing service as a last resort, the settlement says.

The city also must ensure that towing companies make towed vehicles retrievable within 24 hours, including on weekends, and towing companies may not charge a storage fee for a vehicle within 24 hours.

Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  A Wisconsin judge is prohibiting voters from canceling their original absentee ballot and casting a new one, siding with a conservative group created by prominent Republicans that said the practice known as ballot spoiling is illegal.

The ruling Wednesday from a Waukesha County judge who was a former Republican attorney general comes as voters in the battleground state are submitting their absentee ballots for the Nov. 8 election. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson are both on the ballot.

Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections filed the lawsuit on behalf of Brookfield voter Nancy Kormanik last month. It challenged the guidance issued on Aug. 1 to more than 1,800 local election clerks by the state elections commission detailing how they can spoil an absentee ballot at the request of the voter after its already been returned.

Ballot spoiling got more attention in the August primary after a Republican candidate for governor and three top Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate dropped out of the races, but their names were still on the ballots. The elections commission made clear then that voters who had cast their ballots for one of them absentee could spoil it and vote again for someone still in the race.

The commission did not immediately have numbers Thursday of how many ballots had been spoiled in the primary.

This is not a common policy across the country, and only a few states do something similar due to logistical challenges associated with pre-processing of ballots, according to Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections for the nonpartisan voter advocacy group Common Cause.

In most states, local election officials can begin verifying mail ballots and processing them ahead of time, which involves removing them from their envelopes so there is no way to track who voted which ballot.

RITE argued that the practice in Wisconsin is both against the law and creates additional opportunities for fraud and confusion. The group was created in July by former U.S. Attorney General William Barr, longtime Republican strategist Karl Rove, GOP donor Steve Wynn and others. The group has also filed election-related lawsuits in the battleground states of Arizona and Pennsylvania.

The Democratic National Committee joined the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission in fighting the lawsuit.

Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel, who was attorney general from 2015 to 2019, sided on Wednesday with RITE and ordered the election commission to rescind its guidance. He also denied a request to put his oral ruling on hold. A written order was expected Thursday.

There doesn't seem to be a compelling security reason why this should happen, said David Levine, an elections researcher with the German Marshall Fund's Alliance for Securing Democracy. According to Levine, the ability to spoil a ballot doesn't create significant risk for election fraud due to checks and balances clerks have in place.

Levine said it remains to be seen whether the ruling will discourage absentee voting or affect accessibility.

Thursday's ruling is the latest legal defeat for the election commission, which Republican lawmakers who created it have targeted for abolishment. Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels also supports doing away with the commission. The commission and its guidance became a target after Donald Trump narrowly lost Wisconsin in 2020, an outcome that's withstood numerous lawsuits, two partial recounts, a nonpartisan audit and partisan reviews.

A judge last month ruled that commission guidance allowing election clerks to fill in missing information on a witness certification for absentee ballots was illegal and must be rescinded. Two other lawsuits are pending seeking orders on what constitutes enough of an address for an absentee ballot to be accepted.

We disagree with this decision to restrict voting access in Wisconsin, particularly as voters in the state have already begun to cast their ballots. We will appeal the ruling so that every eligible voter can cast a valid ballot and have it counted, DNC spokeswoman Brooke Goren said.

Spokespeople for elections commission and the state Department of Justice did not immediately return messages seeking comment Thursday on the latest ruling.

Derek Lyons, president of RITE, called the ruling another major victory for Wisconsin voters.

WECs unlawful guidance destroys voter confidence and taints the integrity of Wisconsins elections, he said in a statement. Once a vote is cast, it is cast. Period.

Associated Press writer Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Harm Venhuizen 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 Venhuizen on Twitter.
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (AP)  President Joe Biden predicted Thursday a $20 billion investment by IBM in New York's Hudson River Valley will help give the United States a technological edge against China, hailing the expansion during an appearance with two House Democrats in competitive races in next month's critical elections.

The president cited IBM's commitment as part of a larger manufacturing boom, spurred by this summer's passage of a $280 billion measure intended to boost the semiconductor industry and scientific research. That legislation was needed for national and economic security, Biden said in Poughkeepsie, adding that the Chinese Communist Party actively lobbied against it.

The United States has to lead the world of producing these advanced chips  this law is going to make sure that it will, Biden said.

The speech was part of a whirlwind trip that focused heavily on campaigning and included two fundraising events. During one, he warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin's threat about using nuclear weapons as his Ukrainian invasion has floundered is the most severe threat of Armageddon since Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

Democratic candidates have largely avoided election-year appearances with Biden, whose approval ratings remain underwater. Bucking that trend in New York were Reps. Sean Patrick Maloney and Pat Ryan, who attended the president's remarks at IBM.

The lawmakers, along with Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, greeted Biden upon his arrival at Stewart Air National Guard Base.

When I heard @POTUS was looking to see the benefits of the CHIPS & Science Act first-hand, I told him that the Hudson Valley was the perfect place, Maloney wrote Wednesday on Twitter. Im thrilled to host him in Poughkeepsie this week to celebrate the major wins and good-paying jobs we are delivering here in NY.

The CHIPS and Science Act, which Biden signed in August, was a rare bill for which the president was able to win bipartisan support.

IBM's $20 billion investment over the next decade is intended to bolster research and development and the manufacture of semiconductors, mainframe technology, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

As we tackle large-scale technological challenges in climate, energy, transportation and more, we must continue to invest in innovation and discovery  because advanced technologies are key to solving these problems and driving economic prosperity, including better jobs, for millions of Americans," said Arvind Krishna, IBM's chairman and CEO.

IBM's commitment comes on the heels of chipmaker Micron announcing this week an investment of up to $100 billion over the next 20-plus years to build a plant in upstate New York that could create 9,000 factory jobs. In his remarks, Biden also celebrated Intel's plant groundbreaking in Ohio and an investment by WolfSpeed for chip production in North Carolina.

Maloney, chairman of the Democratic congressional campaign fundraising arm, is running against Republican state Assemblyman Mike Lawler in the 17th Congressional District. Ryan faces state Assemblyman Colin Schmitt in the 18th District.

The boundaries of most New York districts, including Maloney's and Ryans, have been affected by redistricting.

Ryan in August won a close special election to serve out the term of Democrat Antonio Delgado, who vacated his 19th District seat after he was appointed lieutenant governor by Hochul. Ryan is running for a full term in the 18th District, where he lives.

Maloney, who had represented that district since 2013, decided to run in the 17th District. His Hudson Valley home fell inside the new boundaries after redistricting.

Hochul, who took office last year after Democrat Andrew Cuomo resigned amid sexual harassment allegations, is looking to win a full term as governor. Her opponent is Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin.

Later Thursday, Biden spoke out against Republicans at a fundraiser at the home of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy in support of the Democratic National Committee. The president has warned that followers of former President Donald Trump who deny the results of the 2020 presidential election are a threat to U.S. democracy, labeling them through Trump's slogan of Make America Great Again.

Not all Republicans are MAGA Republicans," he said, but a good 35% are Trumpites."

In the evening, Biden attended a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee fundraiser in Manhattan hosted by James Murdoch, the son of News Corp. publisher Rupert Murdoch. He warned about Putin hinting in a speech last month about deploying Russia's nuclear arsenal, a possible response to the recent loss of territory to Ukrainian forces.

We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis, Biden said.

James Murdoch and his wife, Kathryn, a climate change activist, were major donors to Bidens 2020 presidential campaign. In 2020, Murdoch resigned from the board of News Corp. amid differences over editorial content at his father's company, which operates The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post. The elder Murdoch is also chairman of Fox Corp., which includes Fox News Channel.

While Biden has been kept at arms length by many Democratic candidates, he's been a prodigious fundraiser for his party this election cycle, raising more than $19.6 million for the Democratic National Committee.
MANILA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos said on Wednesday night that the Philippines is ready to take the role in peacekeeping in Southeast Asia, emphasizing the peacemaker role is good for the country's interest and regional security.

During a media forum, Marcos said the Philippines has a vital role in keeping peace, particularly amid geopolitical tensions in the region. "So we have a very important part to play in that because we have a great interest," he added.

Marcos also stressed the need to strengthen the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to make it more responsive to future challenges and enable the regional bloc to do more than it has accomplished, suggesting he will raise the issue at ASEAN meetings in November.

He said that ASEAN should try and push its member countries to present a united front and move it forward in order to make sure the group "has a function to do in the normal scheme of the geopolitics."

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. 
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

(THE CONVERSATION) The 2022 Nobel Prize in physics recognized three scientists who made groundbreaking contributions in understanding one of the most mysterious of all natural phenomena: quantum entanglement.

In the simplest terms, quantum entanglement means that aspects of one particle of an entangled pair depend on aspects of the other particle, no matter how far apart they are or what lies between them. These particles could be, for example, electrons or photons, and an aspect could be the state it is in, such as whether it is spinning in one direction or another.

The strange part of quantum entanglement is that when you measure something about one particle in an entangled pair, you immediately know something about the other particle, even if they are millions of light years apart. This odd connection between the two particles is instantaneous, seemingly breaking a fundamental law of the universe. Albert Einstein famously called the phenomenon spooky action at a distance.

Having spent the better part of two decades conducting experiments rooted in quantum mechanics, I have come to accept its strangeness. Thanks to ever more precise and reliable instruments and the work of this years Nobel winners, Alain Aspect, John Clauser and Anton Zeilinger, physicists now integrate quantum phenomena into their knowledge of the world with an exceptional degree of certainty.

However, even until the 1970s, researchers were still divided over whether quantum entanglement was a real phenomenon. And for good reasons  who would dare contradict the great Einstein, who himself doubted it? It took the development of new experimental technology and bold researchers to finally put this mystery to rest.

Existing in multiple states at once

To truly understand the spookiness of quantum entanglement, it is important to first understand quantum superposition. Quantum superposition is the idea that particles exist in multiple states at once. When a measurement is performed, it is as if the particle selects one of the states in the superposition.

For example, many particles have an attribute called spin that is measured either as up or down for a given orientation of the analyzer. But until you measure the spin of a particle, it simultaneously exists in a superposition of spin up and spin down.

There is a probability attached to each state, and it is possible to predict the average outcome from many measurements. The likelihood of a single measurement being up or down depends on these probabilities, but is itself unpredictable.

Though very weird, the mathematics and a vast number of experiments have shown that quantum mechanics correctly describes physical reality.

Two entangled particles

The spookiness of quantum entanglement emerges from the reality of quantum superposition, and was clear to the founding fathers of quantum mechanics who developed the theory in the 1920s and 1930s.

To create entangled particles you essentially break a system into two, where the sum of the parts is known. For example, you can split a particle with spin of zero into two particles that necessarily will have opposite spins so that their sum is zero.

In 1935, Albert Einstein, Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen published a paper that describes a thought experiment designed to illustrate a seeming absurdity of quantum entanglement that challenged a foundational law of the universe.

A simplified version of this thought experiment, attributed to David Bohm, considers the decay of a particle called the pi meson. When this particle decays, it produces an electron and a positron that have opposite spin and are moving away from each other. Therefore, if the electron spin is measured to be up, then the measured spin of the positron could only be down, and vice versa. This is true even if the particles are billions of miles apart.

This would be fine if the measurement of the electron spin were always up and the measured spin of the positron were always down. But because of quantum mechanics, the spin of each particle is both part up and part down until it is measured. Only when the measurement occurs does the quantum state of the spin collapse into either up or down  instantaneously collapsing the other particle into the opposite spin. This seems to suggest that the particles communicate with each other through some means that moves faster than the speed of light. But according to the laws of physics, nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. Surely the measured state of one particle cannot instantaneously determine the state of another particle at the far end of the universe?

Physicists, including Einstein, proposed a number of alternative interpretations of quantum entanglement in the 1930s. They theorized there was some unknown property  dubbed hidden variables  that determined the state of a particle before measurement. But at the time, physicists did not have the technology nor a definition of a clear measurement that could test whether quantum theory needed to be modified to include hidden variables.

Disproving a theory

It took until the 1960s before there were any clues to an answer. John Bell, a brilliant Irish physicist who did not live to receive the Nobel Prize, devised a scheme to test whether the notion of hidden variables made sense.

Bell produced an equation now known as Bells inequality that is always correct  and only correct  for hidden variable theories, and not always for quantum mechanics. Thus, if Bells equation was found not to be satisfied in a real-world experiment, local hidden variable theories can be ruled out as an explanation for quantum entanglement.

The experiments of the 2022 Nobel laureates, particularly those of Alain Aspect, were the first tests of the Bell inequality. The experiments used entangled photons, rather than pairs of an electron and a positron, as in many thought experiments. The results conclusively ruled out the existence of hidden variables, a mysterious attribute that would predetermine the states of entangled particles. Collectively, these and manyfollow-upexperiments have vindicated quantum mechanics. Objects can be correlated over large distances in ways that physics before quantum mechanics can not explain.

Importantly, there is also no conflict with special relativity, which forbids faster-than-light communication. The fact that measurements over vast distances are correlated does not imply that information is transmitted between the particles. Two parties far apart performing measurements on entangled particles cannot use the phenomenon to pass along information faster than the speed of light.

Today, physicists continue to research quantum entanglement and investigate potentialpractical applications. Although quantum mechanics can predict the probability of a measurement with incredible accuracy, many researchers remain skeptical that it provides a complete description of reality. One thing is certain, though. Much remains to be said about the mysterious world of quantum mechanics.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/what-is-quantum-entanglement-a-physicist-explains-the-science-of-einsteins-spooky-action-at-a-distance-191927.
Nebraska Beef Ltd. has entered an agreement with federal prosecutors on allegations the company misrepresented beef grading records.

The Omaha meat processing company is pleading guilty and agreed to a $200,000 fine, according to the plea agreement filed in September in U.S. District Court in Omaha.

The case comes on the heels of cases filed against two former employees  Dolese Tippery, an accountant, and chief financial officer, James Timmerman  who both got probation and $1,000 fines earlier this year for making false representations of inspection and grading of agricultural products.

In the plea agreement in the new case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Kleine said on June 3, 2016, Nebraska Beef was served with a grand jury subpoena and ordered to produce grading records for 30 carcasses of beef.

He said a corporate officer altered the grading records before providing them to the company's attorneys five days later, who in turn provided them to the U.S. Attorney's Office and the grand jury.

In Tippery's case, Kleine said on June 3, 2016, USDA Agricultural Market Service graders visited the company for an inspection and found at least 30 carcasses of beef ungradable and designated them No-Roll because of their age. But they later found the carcasses with what appeared to be USDA ink stamps designating them as Prime grade.

In Tippery's plea agreement, prosecutors said as early as 2012, boxes of beef processed at the main plant would be labeled initially with the correct grade, such as No-Roll and Select, then transported to an off-site warehouse, where employees "would remove original labels on the boxes of beef and replace them with higher-grade labels such as Choice and Prime. The relabeled product was then returned to the food-processing company and put into inventory."

Kleine said Timmerman altered the records and Tippery, knowing that the relabeling was occurring, created false internal records to conceal the scheme.

Joshua Weir, Nebraska Beef's attorney, said the law provides that a company must accept responsibility for the acts of its employees, even when the acts are contrary to the employers instructions or against the corporations policies.

He said a former employee has said he misreported industry information to the government in 2016.

"The former employee took this action unilaterally. The information was technical in nature and there was no economic or any other consequence of any type to any party. The negotiated agreement between the company and the government resolves all issues related to the case," Weir said.

At sentencing in November, the company faces up to five years of probation in addition to the fine, the max on the charge.
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 the 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.
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.
A donation of books Friday will provide Nebraska prison inmates more opportunities to learn about an Omaha native who spent time in prison before becoming a leading voice for Black Americans and an internationally known human rights activist.

The Omaha-based Malcolm X Foundation gave 96 copies of The Autobiography of Malcolm X to the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha and Paul Feilmann of Omaha delivered the books to the department.

The book, first published in 1965, was a collaboration between Malcolm X and journalist Alex Haley. It came out the same year that Malcolm X was shot and killed.

McKinney said he believes the book can have a positive impact on those in prison.

Its important for them to know the story, because Malcolms story is a story of redemption and perseverance, he said. It shows how he was able to change his life overall.

Born in Omaha in 1925 as Malcolm Little, Malcolm X spent time in foster care during his teenage years and wound up in prison as a young man. He went on to become a major advocate for Black empowerment and a prominent figure during the civil rights movement.

During his lifetime, Malcolm X was a controversial figure. McKinney said some people may still see him as controversial because they do not know his whole journey. I believe his message was ... to stand up and be proud of who you are and to not allow your situation to define you and not to allow others to hold you back from the things that you believe in and that you seek, McKinney said.

Feilmann helped arrange the book donation. He said he got inspired when the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission voted last month to add Malcolm X to the Nebraska Hall of Fame. He will be officially inducted in 2024.

State Corrections Director Scott Frakes welcomed the donation. He said he read the book at age 12, at the urging of a friend, and credited it with helping him see the world in a much different way. He said he would recommend it to others.
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.
Last week, Omahas first protected bikeway was rolling toward its final days. Then the Sherwood Foundation hit the brakes.

A donation from the Susie Buffett-backed Sherwood Foundation reversed the course set a week before, when Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert announced that the Harney Street bikeway wouldnt continue beyond its 18-month pilot program.

Stothert said Thursday that a private donor had come forward to provide funding to maintain the protected bikeway until construction of the citys streetcar system begins on Harney Street. In the meantime, the bikeway will be restriped, and new bollards and delineators will be installed.

Its unclear when conversations of extending the pilot program began between the Mayors Office and Sherwood Foundation, but an email was sent Wednesday night from a representative of the foundation to city officials and members of the advisory committee of Metro Smart Cities, which is made up of city officials and community partners.

As the funder of the pilot, we would love to see an extension of the pilot (at least until work on the streetcar actually starts) and ultimately a permanent protected bike lane, wrote Kerri Sanchez, the Sherwood Foundations director of urban initiatives. We believe by learning from other cities with similar climates and issues, we can make this pilot work long term.

The Sherwood Foundation would be happy to pay for an extension, including additional costs such as snow removal or moving the lane to the north side of Harney Street, Sanchez wrote in the email.

Known as the Market to Midtown Bikeway, the protected bike lane was established through a pilot program that began in July 2021 and ended Friday. The two-way, 2-mile lane runs along Harney Street from 10th Street to Turner Boulevard. The bike lane is set between the curb and parallel parking spaces with bollards providing a barrier from the vehicles.

The Sherwood Foundation didnt respond to an inquiry from The World-Herald on Monday.

Stothert said last week that the cost of maintaining the bike lane over a three-year period could exceed $250,000.

The foundation agreed to fund maintenance costs and the cost for the study and conceptual design, according to the Mayors Office.

Metro Smart Cities created a maintenance cost estimate for the rest of 2022 through 2025, plus study and design. They concluded that about $600,000 would be needed.

The original decision to end the pilot program was finalized during a Metro Smart Cities meeting Sept. 21, which was not open to the public.

Since its founding in 2016, Metro Smart Cities has brought together city officials from the metro area with leaders of local businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions and community members to develop and implement pilot projects to solve mobility and accessibility challenges in the greater Omaha metro area.

The group did not hold a vote to decide if the bikeway pilot would be extended, but Stothert said no concerns or objections were raised at the time.

Stothert declined to share with The World-Herald a list of those in attendance, noting the meeting was private.

A spokesperson with the Mayors Office said there was no sign-in sheet for the meeting so there is not a record of who attended in person and/or by Zoom.

Sanchezs email to the Metro Smart Cities advisory committee was in response to an email from Stephen Osberg, senior director of transportation and urban development with the Greater Omaha Chamber.

In his email, Osberg advocated for a protected bikeway as a safety feature for cyclists along the streetcar route.

The limited research out there seems to reinforce the point I raised during the meeting, Osberg wrote. Regardless of what we do in the short term, we ought to do our best to install a permanent protected bikeway on Harney Street with construction of the streetcar.

Last month, the Omaha Streetcar Authority approved a route concept for the streetcar. A portion of the route would see streetcars running east along Harney Street.

Stothert cited issues in Seattle where cyclists have been injured or killed after bike tires got stuck in streetcar tracks. Those incidents have led to a number of lawsuits brought against the city, she said.

Osberg in his email contended that Seattle cites protected bikeways on streetcar routes as a remedy to the problem, not as the problem itself.

In a letter to City Council members sent after the Metro Smart Cities meeting, the mayor credited the Harney Street pilot program with providing enough data for an evaluation and future decisions about protected bikeways in our urban core. The evaluation would include consideration of Harney Street and other east-west streets for locating a permanent protected bikeway.

I remain 100% committed to dedicated protected bikeways, and I am grateful to the donor making this possible, Stothert said in a statement last week.
A free and robust press is a central ingredient of a flourishing and democratic society  and given the existential crises we now face, also critical to its survival. But newsroom jobs have declined while local news deserts continue to grow and spread.

A major cause is the rise of powerful internet platforms such as Google and Facebook, which control the bulk of digital advertising. A huge number of search results on Google link to news stories, reproducing enough content for users to consume.

But 65% of these users do not click through to the news publishers websites. This means that even when their work has delivered value to the public, the businesses actually investing in and doing the work of journalism cant earn sufficient advertising revenue to cover their costs. This is not economically sustainable.

Its important to recognize what is driving the problem here: It isnt the free market or even technological changes per se, but the specific market design, which current law helps to shape.

These dominant internet platforms have effectively collected market power within their own corporate boundaries, ultimately allowing them to dictate terms to other businesses whose content they use. Yet the law prevents journalistic enterprises from coordinating among themselves to bargain with these giant platforms for the value of their product.

A straightforward solution to the problem is to allow news outlets to band together for the purpose of negotiating with the internet platforms for payment for the content they create.

That is what the bipartisan Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, now in Congress, would do. It would authorize news outlets to create joint negotiating entities to bargain for compensation from internet platforms for the news stories they use. It would also require binding arbitration if no agreement is reached. The largest national newspapers and television networks would be excluded, and the legislation would sunset after eight years.

The bill also creates an exemption from federal antitrust law, the statutory framework that regulates economic competition and coordination. This legal framework  which most people think of as simply promoting competition  today already allocates economic coordination rights to large, powerful corporations such as Google and Facebook, to the detriment of smaller players.

Some critics oppose the JCPA because they say it would create a news media cartel. But this criticism misunderstands both antitrust law and how economies actually work. Despite its current tendency to delegate market management to powerful firms such as the dominant internet platforms, antitrust law has also long authorized many forms of coordination between otherwise independent enterprises in circumstances similar to the one proposed for news media companies.

The antitrust exemption for labor negotiations as well as long-standing exemptions for agricultural businesses and fisheries are all examples of authorized economic coordination in which smaller, less powerful players are allowed to band together to bargain with a more powerful and dominant actor -- in this case, an internet platform.

Not only are such exemptions from antitrusts regulation of coordination already well-established in the legal architecture of our economy, it is hard to imagine the economy functioning well without them.

Productive economic activity and the systems of distribution and commerce built on top of it require competition and coordination, and our law and institutions, including antitrust law, recognize this while channeling and shaping both.

Indeed, the powerful platforms with whom news publishers now deal, and with whom they would collectively negotiate, are vast sprawling empires containing distinct but interconnected operations and investments. The bargaining power they have amassed is vast. Its reasonable to balance their substantial coordination abilities with the relatively modest coordination rights granted to journalistic enterprises under the proposed bill.

Australia used a competition law to impose a similar rule last year, which has effectively required Facebook and Google to pay for the news content they distribute. That new system has already resulted in more investment being channeled back into the work of journalism.

The JCPA falls squarely within the American antitrust tradition. It is good policy that effectively responds to an urgent need.
Nov. 8 is an important date for all eligible voters to cast their votes for the candidates they want to represent them in local, state, and fe
VALLETTA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Malta has spent more than 1.6 billion euros (1.58 billion U.S. dollars) on support measures since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, the country's Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said on Wednesday.

Of the 1.66 billion euros spent on tackling coronavirus, 1.5 billion euros came from the national treasury. Some 150 million euros was provided through the European Social Fund and the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-EU).

Just over 662 million euros were spent on measures in 2020, the Finance Minister explained. This increased to just over 706 million euros in 2021, but support dropped to just under 300 million in 2022.

Most of the funds were spent on supplementing wages, with workers being offered around 800 euros a month to help employers sustain their jobs. This measure alone cost around 842 million euros.

Several sectors also received direct support, such as the agriculture and fisheries sectors, and the voucher scheme which helped retail outlets. (1 euro = 0.99 U.S. dollars) 
Immigrants in the Hawkeye state have always held a special place in my heart and the hearts of many Iowans. In fact, 40% of our states population growth in 2020 came from immigrants alone. They are critical to our labor force, enrich our cities and counties with culture, stabilize enrollment in many of our schools and otherwise contribute to Iowas thriving communities in countless ways.

This is especially true when it comes to Iowas Dreamer population, who came to the U.S. with their families at a young age and have spent most of their lives knowing Iowa as home. Thanks to temporary deportation protections and work authorizations under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, over 2,000 individuals have been able to earn an education, launch their careers, raise a family and fully integrate themselves within our communities. As a result, our economy flourished due to annual contributions and our communities have been enriched by the talents and gifts of these men and women who now call Iowa home.

Unfortunately, DACA recipients are facing imminent danger as the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will rule on the legality of the DACA policy any day now. It is anticipated that a decision will be negative and result in the termination of the policy that will also halt renewals, potentially leading to a tumultuous battle in the Supreme Court. With this looming, and without Congress establishing a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients, and all Dreamers, these individuals and their families are bracing for impact  not to mention the communities and businesses they support.

According to a recent report by FWD.us, ending DACA without a solution from Congress will cost Iowas economy $188 million in annual GDP losses. Well also lose hardworking and valuable community members across Iowa. Without DACA, men and women across Iowa would not have been able to achieve higher education and secure jobs where they are making a difference in our cities and counties across the state. Despite their ambition, skills, and willingness to work hard, these DACA recipients will be unable to continue providing for our state if the policy is struck down.

As a faith leader and a former law enforcement official, I know how important it is for everyone in the community to work together towards a goal of creating a better community for all. In my current position as chief of staff and director of Pastoral Planning for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City, I have been able to further explore my passion for service, and this is a community that clearly serves us in return. DACA recipients, and all Dreamers, fill much-needed jobs, contribute to our economic prosperity and give of themselves to better our country and our communities. In a region that continues to experience a reduction in population the shimmering lights of hope come from a growing and emerging immigrant population inclusive of our DACA recipients and our Dreamers.

I see the cultural and economic consequences Iowa will suffer without action by Senators Grassley and Ernst to find a bipartisan solution that provides a permanent legislative solution for Dreamers. So far, Congress has dropped the ball on legislation to protect Dreamers, even though most Americans agree on a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. It is my prayer that this impending court decision will be the nudge lawmakers need to pass a bipartisan solution.

Now is the time to act before it is too late.

Deacon Mark Prosser is the chief of staff and director of Pastoral Planning for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City. He oversees Multicultural Ministries for the Catholic Diocese. He further serves on the board of directors for the National Immigration Forum based in Washington, D.C.
Its the statistical equivalent of an alligator in the drive-thru: Florida accounts for 9 percent of the nations homeowners insurance claims, but 79 percent of insurance lawsuits. Thats more than 100,000 lawsuits every year, compared to just a few thousand in more populous California. To hear the industry tell it, the states status as the insurance-lawsuit capital of America is due to an epidemic of roof-repair scams, in which fraudulent contractors have taken advantage of unwitting homeowners and plaintiff-friendly state statutes to drive the honorable insurance man clear across the state line.

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Whether trial lawyers and unethical contractors are really responsible, one things for sure: Floridas property insurance market is deeply broken, and the timing couldnt be worse. The average premium is three times the national average, and rates are rising by 30 to 50 percent a year. Allstate and State Farm have limited their exposure there, and smaller companies are foundering: Six insurers have already become insolvent this year, and another two dozen are at risk of a credit downgrade from the generally sympathetic rating agency Demotech. It has even become a political issue, with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist labeling incumbent Ron deSantis the worst property insurance governor in Florida history. Period.

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Weve labeled it the most unstable home insurance market in the U.S., and this was without hurricanes, said Mark Friedlander of the Insurance Information Institute, an industry-funded group. After all, the past three years have been nearly hurricane-free in the Sunshine State.

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Then came Hurricane Ian, which demolished entire towns in Southwest Florida and drowned scores of residents, becoming the deadliest storm to strike Florida since 1935. Friedlanders group estimates the damages will amount to $60 billionwhich would make it the second-most costly natural disaster in recent history after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The most important question now for Floridians in the storms trail is whether their homes were damaged by wind or by water. Flood insurance is too risky for private insurers and must be underwritten by the National Flood Insurance Program, a federal money pit that has been criticized for subsidizing ill-advised development that floods over and over again. But because flood coverage is not part of the usual home-insurance package, many Floridians with water damage may find they are stuck with a big bill: Just 29 percent of residents in the nine-county disaster area have flood insurance, according to E&E News. Federal disaster aid could also help, though FEMA disbursals after the Kentucky floods this summer averaged under $10,000 per household.

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Wind damage such as a blown-off roof or a tree through your wall, on the other hand, is covered by a typical insurer. The largest of them, Citizens Property Insurance Corps., estimates it will pay out between $2 and $4 billion, an amount covered by its $6.7 billion surplus.

If that is indeed the scale of the damage, it would be very good news indeed. As the name implies, Citizens is run by the state, and if Citizens runs out of money to pay out claims, it levies a so-called Hurricane Tax on almost every insurance policy in Florida.

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How did a publicly managed company, established in 2002 as an insurer of last resort, come to back up more than a million Florida homeowners?

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Just as there are no atheists in a foxhole, there are no libertarians when it comes to providing homeowners insurance in Florida. Once characterized as an extraordinary step to protect consumers by helping provide policies in parts of the state where no private company would go, Citizens has picked up the slack as national insurance companies retreat and smaller operators fold.

In 2018, Citizens had 400,000 policies; today it has more than a million; by 2023, the company projects it will hit 2 million. In the Miami area, public insurance now covers 40 percent of the market. A spokesperson told Bankrate that Citizens is, the only game in town right now. And its a good deal for policyholders: Unlike private insurers, Citizens rate increases are capped by state statute, insulating its customers from the choppy free market.

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Whose fault is it that private insurance companies keep going under? The industry says its the fault of trial lawyers and roofing scams, though some observers say its a little simpler than that: Florida is a risky place to build and insure houses. When was the last time you had a $30 billion to $40 billion loss in Illinois? Matthew Carletti, an insurance analyst for JMP Securities, told CNN.

R.J. Lehmann, an insurance expert with International Center for Law & Economics who lives in St. Petersburg, told me Floridas perilous position had its roots in the brutal period from 2004 to 2006 when a handful of huge storms caused widespread damage. In most of the country, you do not find companies that only write homeowners insurance. Its not a very profitable line, he said. National insurers minimized their exposure, and smaller ones havent been able to take the heat.

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Citizens seems likely to survive Hurricane Ian. But it is about to gain hundreds of thousands of new policyholders from companies that dont, increasing its size and vulnerability to future storms.

Having one public company insure all of the states most vulnerable communities is not a good idea, experts agree. First, insurance works by spreading risk, and Citizens is doing something like the opposite. Second, a tough season for Citizens (and two other state-backed insurance providers) will get paid out by taxes on Floridians other insurance policies, which may not come as much of a relief to hard-hit homeowners.

Third is that Citizens is repeating, at a state level, the mistake that the National Flood Insurance Program is making nationally: It subsidizes people who build and buy in places that they probably shouldnt. The useful role of insurance is that prices convey information about risk. You shouldnt build somewhere people cant afford the insurance, Lehman said. Living on barrier islands is probably not a thing we cant allow anymore. Its difficult to move people. But at least stop future development. High premiums send a message: This is not a safe place to live.
Much like the once-thriving coal towns Donald Trump promised to revive, the mining of the Trump presidency for newsy nuggets has become a bit moribund. Its not that the source wasnt rich in dishy or appalling anecdotes. No previous administration even comes close to Trumps in its production of jaw-dropping, norm-flouting, outrage-inducing incidents. But sooner or later every well gets tapped out, and so there isnt much in the way of scandalous revelations in New York Times reporter Maggie Habermans Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America. We already knew Trump floated the ideas of bombing Mexico and ordering the army to shoot Black Lives Matter protestors in the legs. We knew Trump saved what he called love letters from dictator Kim Jong-un and showed them to White House visitors, flaunting the flattering missives which, as Haberman notes in a masterful dig, he appeared to believe the North Korean leader had written himself. In a post-presidency interview at Mar-a-Lago, she almost catches Trump admitting that he illegally took the letters with him when he left the White House. Almost, but not quite.

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As for the argument that theres stuff in this book, or in any of the dozens of books on the Trump presidencywhether written by reporters or former staffthat should have been revealed earlier, when it might have made a difference? Please. The man was impeached twice on decent evidence that he tried to use crucial aid to extort a foreign leader into digging up dirt on his political rival and incited an insurrection intended to overturn the 2020 election.* Then there was the incontestable stuff, the stuff he said out loud, from denigrating John McCains war heroism to claiming that some of those marching in Charlottesville were very fine people. (Yes, yes, Trump did exempt the white nationalists in that group from his praise, but since everyone in the group was a white nationalist, that is mere pettifoggery.) As Trump himself famously put it, he could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue and not lose any votes, and as long as he commands his voters, he can command enough of the GOP leadership to shield him from the consequences of any news, no matter when its reported.

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As for the argument that theres stuff in this book that should have been revealed earlier, when it might have made a difference? Please.

What Confidence Man offers its readers, as much of the pre-publication heralding of the book explains, is an in-depth portrait of Trump himself from a reporter who has covered him for years and who hails from the same New York City that formed him. The result is less a series of scoops and more an authoritative biography, a portrait of the man who transformed American politics. Haberman doesnt even get to the 2016 election until more than halfway through the book, but by then shes shown Trump caught in dozens of lies and wriggling his way out of almost as many legal and financial pickles, including four Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings. Its all a bit sordid and numbing, but Haberman does demonstrate that Trump expected his political career to operate the same way his New York and New Jersey real estate development enterprises did. You buttered up or bribed the people powerful enough to help you get what you wanted, and the law was merely a cumbersome technicality that you could elude if your lawyers were good enough.

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This insight explains some aspects of Trumps behavior that career public servants found baffling. His crushes on such dictators as Kim Jong-un, Turkeys Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and above all Vladimir Putin reflect Trumps long history of kissing up to the sort of officials who could liberate him from a regulatory tangle or onerous municipal tax obligation. Its all about relationships, you see, and Trump believed that if these tyrants genuinely liked him, then he could charm them into greasing the wheels for him in some way, and this would increase his own power and influence. Conversely, he had no respect for anyone who had already submitted to a deal with the U.S. (aka, our actual allies) and suspected all of them of ripping us off, because thats what he would do to any sucker fool enough to make a deal with him.

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Haberman ends Confidence Man with a striking pair of sentences, the first relating that during her four years of covering Trump, people constantly asked her to explain him, but that she suspects that ultimately, almost no one really knows him. Then she concludes by writing, he is often simply, purely opaque, permitting people to read meaning and depth into every action, no matter how empty they may be. What a way to finish a biography! But is it actually true? Trump can certainly be capricious, but once you understand the basic configuration of his character, his behavior is, if not quite predictable, fairly easy to understand. Even Trump admitted to his own narcissism, and his inability to find any value in anything that did not personally enrich or flatter him was plain for all to see.

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When asked to choose between California and Washington in allocating a navy hospital ship during the early months of the pandemic, Trumps go-to metric was not public need or even party politics, but the rationale of a toddler deciding who to share a toy with on the playground: [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom said nice things about me. [Washington state Gov. Jay] Inslee said bad things about me. That also reflected Trumps obsession with appearances and the media, despite his constant denunciations of the latter. Raised by a monstrous, withholding father, Trump has a bottomless hunger for praise and attention. He doesnt read (some of Habermans sources speculate about a possible learning disorder), cant concentrate on anything of substance for long, and yet returned insistently to certain crackpot ideas (closing the borders, sending troops to subdue protestors, buying Greenland), no matter how many times his aides pointed out that such actions would be impossible or illegal. He had no grasp of how government works and no concern for the national welfare or even any conception of a value that might transcend self-interest. Whenever anything went wrong, he blamed somebody else.

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Trump is actually, in other words, a fairly simple character, relatively free of internal conflicts or ambivalence.

Trump is actually, in other words, a fairly simple character, relatively free of internal conflicts or ambivalence. You could even call him predictable, as long as you didnt expect him ever to behave like a responsible adult with a moral compass. As has been much-repeated, Trump told an onlooker during one of their post-presidency interviews that he loved talking to Haberman (a reporter he often denounced to his Twitter followers) because she is like my psychiatrist. Haberman shrugs this off as meaningless because the reality is he treats everyone like they are his psychiatristsreporters, government aides, and members of Congress, friends and pseudofriends and rally attendees and White House staff and customers. Trump, that is, is constantly revealing to anyone who will listen his motivations and his inner self (such as it is), summarized by Haberman as a narcissistic drama-seeker who covered a fragile ego with a bullying impulse. Yet, as soon as he began his presidential campaign, and especially after he took office, the people around him were flummoxed because they expected him to be someone different from the man he kept telling them he is.

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Trump is a void, as the final line in Habermans biography acknowledges. He is a bottomless pit intent on sucking in an endless stream of praise and adulation, a desire to which even his greed is subordinate. His dubious wealth serves first and foremost as justification for the admiration he craves, and Id hazard a guess that if Trump had to choose, in the classic conundrum, between being secretly rich or merely appearing to be fabulously wealthy, hed choose the latter. Haberman relates a story Trump told her about securing a hard-to-get restaurant reservation for a friend who was rich but, unlike Trump himself, not famous. That, she goes on to observe, was what he wanted from the presidency, which was for him a vehicle for famenot an opportunity to change the world, let alone to serve his country.

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Haberman had the unenviable task of covering this empty person, a man who routinely, obviously, and often pointlessly lied to her, who abused her publicly when it served him while flattering her privately in hopes of getting her to write nice things about him. Confidence Man is an accomplished piece of reporting about the nothingness that is Trump. But whats fascinating about Trump and his presidency is not him, but the people around him, from the delusional Javanka, who believed they could preserve their sleek, professional-class image while benefiting from their carnival-barker patron, to craven sycophants like Lindsey Graham and Mark Meadows, and from the so-called Axis of Adults who accepted cabinet appointments and staff positions with the intention of curbing and redirecting the presidents impulses toward their own pet policy goals to the tormented public servants who were convinced, not without cause, that if they left the posts in which they were routinely berated and humiliated, someone would take over who would pitch the nation into a constitutional crisis. Like Saruman and Gollum, their compromises and torments are more interesting than the dark lord they served.

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And finally, theres Trumps base, without which none of this fiasco would have transpired. Why did they settle on a sleazy New York real estate developer as their messiah? Why did they credulously swallow his impression of an effective executive on TV even as they claim to regard all media with skepticism? At the 2016 Iowa caucuses, Haberman asked a man why he planned to vote for Trump, and the man told her, I watched him run his business.

Why did they love him so much when he clearly cares only about what he can milk them for? Habermans book will be the definitive account of Trumps character and how it was formed, a subject both obvious and elusive. But this also seems like a waste of her talents, this task of proving what can be seen by everyone except those determined not to have it proven to them. Haberman has spent half a decade with Trump occupying her entire field of vision. But that means she hasnt been able to scrutinize the crowd standing behind her, looking on and cheering for him. This is the real mystery at the heart of Trumps presidency, and one that has yet to be fully solved.

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DahmerMonster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (yes, that really is its title, hyphen and all) stars Evan Peters as the serial killer notorious for having dismembered and cannibalized his victims. The show arrives courtesy of Glee and American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy and has quickly become one of Netflixs biggest ever, up there with Squid Game and Stranger Things.

That success has not come without controversy, with detractors accusing Netflix of sensationalizing the tragedy or sympathizing too much with Dahmer. The show devotes much of itself to painstaking recreations of some of his crimes and also reaches back to Dahmers childhood in an attempt to trace the origin of his bloodlust. Among Dahmers critics is the sister of victim Errol Lindsey, Rita Isbell, whose statement at Dahmers sentencing in 1992 is recreated in the series.

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Dahmer, who killed 17 men before his arrest in 1991, particularly targeted gay men, many of them Black. Dahmer details the years of indifference on the part of law enforcement to goings-on in Dahmers apartmentthe consequences, the show suggests, of police homophobia and racism. Niecy Nash costars as Dahmers suspicious neighbor.

On this weeks Slate Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss Dahmer and debate whether it brings anything new or valuable to the true-crime genre. This transcript has been edited and condensed.

Stephen Metcalf: Julia, let me start with you. The Dahmer story is certainly nothing if not familiar territory. Why do you think creators return to it, and how do you think they did with this new retelling?

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Julia Turner: Steve, I have never felt more alienated from American pop consumption habits than I have watching this show. This is one of the most successful launches on Netflix in years. And I hated it. I hated it. I think it is baddeeply morally wrong, and coats itself in a veneer of righteous, modern recasting of how were thinking about this story. Man, I could not have disliked this more. I am not interested in this weirdo, and I dont want to spend time in his company, and I dont want to stare at him for hours at a time, as he slowly, malevolently sidles down hallways and turns up and turns down the temperature of his ominous glower. What is wrong with people? Just leave him alone. I dont want to know about it. I dont want to be there. Is it that its a horror movie and people like horror movies and I dont like horror movies?

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Is that what Murphys trying to do here? But it seems so enamored of [Dahmer] and curious about him, and it just made me furious. I dont think his depravity is worthy of curiosity. And maybe thats an inhuman response. Of course people are interested in freakshows. I dont know. I really detested this show. The show is thoughtful about really emphasizing the fact that these crimes were committed largely on queer men of color. And Dahmers Black, female neighbor tried desperately to get someone to take her seriously in her conviction that something deeply wrong was happening, as she literally, in the depiction of the show, watched young men disappear around her after walking into his apartment. And I am not a completist on all previous tellings, but theres sort of a righteousness in the portrayal of how systemic racism is part of what enabled him to be so evil. That is no doubt true, but somehow the way that that is done felt so glossy and thin, overlaying this lets just stare at the monster fundamental interest of the show. And I did not like it. How about you guys?

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[Read: How Netflixs Dahmer Is Landing With the Communities He Hurt Most]

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Dana Stevens: I mean, now I feel like it makes me a morally depraved individual that I wasnt outraged at every second while watching it. I will start by saying Im not a watcher of true crime. I have no desire to revisit the Jeffrey Dahmer story. So, I went into this knowing that it was not going to be my personal thing and I was not going to sort of groove with the series, but because it was such a big hit on Netflix. Apparently also they marketed it hardly at all, in part, I think, because of fear about the controversywhich we can get toits ignited. So in spite of this complete lack of publicity, it does incredibly well for them, proving that people cannot get enough true crime and theres a giant appetite for it out there.

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I went in a little bit more with a cold, experimental eye of, I want to understand how this storys being told and what the appeal of it is in this format. Especially given that Netflix is just about, in two or three days, to drop a non-scripted documentary series, Conversations With a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes, thats based on the recordings he made, I think, with his legal team before the trial. So theyre about to bombard us with more Dahmer, and I wanted to understand the appetite for it more than to see whether it was artistically successful for me. And Im still not sure I do after watching over half of the show. But I will say that I think I have more respect for what the show is trying to do than Julia. I mean, if you take it as a given that there is this massive appetite for true crime.

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Does this show unfold or complicate or do anything new in that genre? I think it does, to a certain extent. And I think that starts to happen in the second half of the series. Its a 10-episode series, and I watched through Episode 6. In part, I watched that far because I had read that it takes a big turn in the second half and stops being as much about Dahmer. Episode 6 is almost completely from the point of view of one of his victims. Its really the best episode so far, because it is telling a story besides the one Julia is talking about: very slowly paced, very sordid, somebody who from childhood had a serious something wrong with them kind of protagonist. Which is not necessarily somebody you want to spend five hours with before you get to visit with anyone else.

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This is one of the most successful launches on Netflix in years. And I hated it.  Julia Turner

But the main character of Episode 6, who, unfortunately, by the end of Episode 6 has been horribly killed by Jeffrey Dahmer, is a fascinating character, this Black, queer man whos deaf, whos played by a deaf actor [Rodney Burford] whos fantastic in the role, and who is an aspiring model and who has an actual relationship of sorts with Dahmer. He flirts with him in a bar and then they date a few times. Its much more of an actual something approaching a love story than any other episode so far. So I dont know. I mean, Im not saying stick with it for five hours, and then youll like it. That is not what Im saying, but Im saying that that combined with the framing, the very first shot of the show is of Niecy Nash, of the neighbor, watching something on TV and being aware that theres something next door to her thats wrong. So I think that in a way, this show is trying to skew the way that we look at the white serial killer so that its not just some sort of sick, glorified vision of him.

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Turner: No, and Episode 7, which is all about Niecy Nashs experience, is incredible and powerful and makes its own resonant points about how frustrating it is to not be listened to, and then in its final shotwithout revealing what happens in the episodesuggests that the motives of the people who are finally listening to her are not necessarily that much better and are going to leave her in a whole different heap of trouble. And the show is well-crafted and well-shot and sort of beautiful in how it depicts that.

I dont know why its attention to those themes felt insincere to me. Those are important themes, obviously, to look at in the context of this story. I was, I think, struck and influenced by a piece that Jessica Winter wrote for the New Yorker about the story that notes that in its deep exploration of how it is that Dahmer came to be the way that he was, the show just makes a bunch of stuff up. If its true crime, if its a psychological portrait, and were staring at the monster and how he became a monster, but then its just adding a whole bunch of random filigree on top, what are we doing here? I dont know. Steve, help us out. Adjudicate.

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Metcalf: Well, I can break the tie by saying: Team Julia. Id be curious to know if either one of you can think of an analogy, but Ive just never seen something so deliberatively paced. I mean the agonizingly slow buildup in Episode 1 to the violence is drawn out, incredibly elongated, like taffy. And it already began to lose me there a little bit. But then oddly enough, and I hear you Julia, theres a didacticism to Niecy Nash was a Black neighbor who got totally ignored in favor of the white serial killer and the weird nonsensical alibis offered by the white serial killer. Point taken, thats well-depicted I think, as is the oddity of cops repeatedly showing up at the door and not seeing what was pretty much right under their noses for years. I thought that that was admirable and well done.

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What offended me about it in a way, oddly enough, was the idea that you can tell a revealing narrative about the causal factors that go into creating someone whos evil. Its just Shakespearean in a way, what he says about Iago, its just motiveless malignancy. I mean, theres just a certain kind of wickedness that cant possibly fit into: If X, then Y. Because by definition, theyre a person who doesnt really exist within the same narrative constraints as virtually the rest of humanity. And I could only get to about midway through Episode 3. I found it just so totally repetitive and off-putting. I wasnt, in the end, learning anything about why. And now to find out that many of those are fabricated details from his childhood, I began to think it was useless. Dana, I just cant answer the question: Why? And I dont know that watching five hours to get to some glimmer of that is a fair ask.

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[Read: The One American Serial Killer Whose Star Wont Stop Rising]

Stevens: Yeah, I agree. I mean, Im also like Julia, somewhat amazed that there is such a huge thirsty appetite for this kind of programming. It just does not seem like a thing you would want to flop down after a long day and watch on Netflix. But given that that is the case, I guess I was surprised, especially given that its Ryan Murphywho I have never been a fan of and who I find sensationalizes everythingI was surprised that this movie had as much respect and care as it did for the victims, for the fact that these stories are hard to tell and not there to be sensationalized.

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This show is not that gory, given the fact that its about someone who did things that would be very easy to portray in a horror movie, sort of gore-ish way. The mood has to do with horror sometimes, but its not slash or gore. And I have to hand it that it does not relish the scenes of violence in that way. Also, we havent mentioned it yet, and this is kind of a given when Ryan Murphy is at issue, but the acting is really good. Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer, I mean, talk about a role that is thankless, incredibly demanding while not allowing you to earn any of the audiences love or charm them at all. I think he brings a lot of pathos to it and underplays it more often than he overplays it.

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Turner: Yeah, no, theres a ton of craft here thats good. And I really want to be clear that I think the part of the project that is about explaining how structural and systemic inequity is part of what allowed this terrible thing to happen feels really well done. I mean, I love your word: taffy. Its like dread taffy. The whole thing is so slow and oppressive. And theres a moment in the second episode where Dahmers dads talking to the cops and theyre like, Howd he get this way? And its like, flashback to the school bus. And I was like, Are you fucking kidding me? Were going to the school bus? It just doesnt seem like the right way to think about this guy.

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There have been protests from the families of Dahmers victims objecting to the show and objecting to the fact that they were not contacted about the fact that it was being made and objecting to having the stories of their loved ones death and dismemberment exploited once again for the profit of a major corporation and the glory of a bunch of actors and directors. And I have great sympathy for those complaints. As a journalist, terrible stories and inequities can be told. And I dont think it is up to the victims of the world to determine who gets to tell their stories. Im sympathetic to their complaints, but I think journalists have the right to describe the truth of the world as they discover it. And I think artists have the right to tell whatever stories they want.

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But I wonder if this show tripped those complaints becauseeven though it does make some interesting formal experiments with how it thinks about the victims and their storiesfundamentally, what the first batch of episodes seems to do is almost treat what happened to their loved ones as a thrill ride. Like, youre trapped in the apartment, youre full of dread. You dont know if you can get out. Who is this guy? Why is he so weird? Then he turns sort of compelling. It does feel exploitative. And the curiosity about what made him that way thats technically driving the plot feels actually incurious if theyre just making up details for dramatic effect. And so, I just have sympathy for these people. I think there is a Dahmer project that I would defend and I defend the right of artists to try and make projects. And sometimes people make projects and they come out well or poorly. But just the fundamental project here seems excited about putting you in the shoes of Dahmers victims in a way that felt deeply gross.
While Netflixs hit miniseries Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, focuses primarily on the gruesome journey of a serial killer from odd child to murdering man, it also pays close attention to the systematic failures that allowed Dahmer to continue his killings. In one harrowing sequence early in the series, Dahmer (Evan Peters) lures a 14-year-old boy, Konerak Sinthasomphone (Kieran Tamondong), to his apartment, drugs him, and assaults him. The boy briefly escapes, but despite the pleas of Black neighbors Milwaukee police officers believed Dahmers claims that everything was fine, and sent Sinthasomphone back into the apartment, where he was killed.

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I grew up in Milwaukee, and the Dahmer case made apparent to the entire city the sharp tension between the mostly-white city government and Black residents, immigrants, and queer Milwaukeeans. The killings were a horror, yes, but it was clear one reason theyd gone on for years was that no one in authority cared about the victims. I wanted to know how the success of the Netflix series was landing in Milwaukee, and whether things felt different in the city, 30 years later. I spoke to Justin Roby, the director of HIV care at Diverse and Resilient, a Milwaukee-based nonprofit focused on LGBTQ health care and safety. Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Dan Kois: As a Milwaukee native, I always feel a lot of shame when the Dahmer story comes up in conversation. Its like the most awful thing for my hometown to be known fornot only for the killings themselves, but for what they seemed to display about the city. Do you feel that Milwaukee has gotten over those killings at all?

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Justin Roby: Oh, we absolutely have not gotten over those killings. My mother and my uncle were friends with Tony Hughes and spent time with him at Tinas. She always said he was the life of the party. Ive been living a lot of her vicarious trauma the last few weeks.

Thats terrible. But I understand thats not unusual in your community.

No, there are a lot of connections. After the series released on Netflix, my Facebook feed was inundated with people talking about their experiences, describing some of the victims, remembering what it was like at that time. And reconciling with the fact that that could have been us. Younger people, we are looking at our former selves. Theres no other way to put it. People are saying, Yep, that wouldve been me. I wouldve been caught. I wouldve been one of Dahmers victims if this was now and here in this day and age.

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I was a white teenager in the Milwaukee suburbs in 1991. It was the first real glimpse I had into the way that the citys black and gay populations were totally invisible to people in powerthat more than a dozen people could disappear, and everyone in those communities could know something was going on, but no one in my world was talking or writing about it. Do you think that that has changed? Could something like this happen now?

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I absolutely believe that it is still possible for a Jeffrey Dahmer situation to happen here in 2022. We cant pretend that we have all of a sudden started to value Black and brown queer lives when we havent. This year alone here in Milwaukee, two Black trans women were murdered. We were at one vigil, and I could count maybe 30 of us, all from within our community. We did not have the larger community there. We did not have the Milwaukee Police Department there with us that day as we pleaded for someone to come forth with information about who killed our sister.

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The MPD held a press conference Monday in which they talked about the Netflix series. They talked about being a new department with new outreach to the LGBTQ community. Have you or your organization seen results from this?

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Not at all. As a matter of fact, our voice wasnt even included. Yes, I do believe MPD is trying to make a safe space, but it still does not center the most disproportionately affected people within our community.

It seemed to me that the reason that they were responding specifically to the series is because of the scene in Episode 2, the Konerak Sinthasomphone sequence. Thats a very well-known story to Milwaukeeans, but its been very shocking to a lot of viewers who are not familiar with that part of the story. I found the scene really, really hard to watch. What did it mean to you when you watched that scene?

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It is difficult. And then to know that that was actual fact, that was not part of the dramatization of the series. To hear that officer on the police radio say that he needed to be deloused after being in that apartmentthat just points to the level of discrimination that is swept up under the rug within police departments around the United States, not just here in Milwaukee.

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They placed those officers on administrative leave, but ultimately that was overturned. They got their jobs back. So ultimately it was a huge slap in the face because we know the police are going to protect their own in a way that is empowered by their budgets, that is empowered by their power, all of which the LGBTQ community dont have. [In the series they are given Officer of the Year commendations, which did not happen, but one did later become the president of the local police union.]

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So it is hard to watch an officer be able to respond that way without repercussions. And then to hear stories again throughout my timeline of Black and brown people wanting to engage with the police, but then were told that they dont believe the story, or they think that we put ourselves in this danger because of the community that we are in. All we ask for is safety. That is all we ask for, human rights. And those seem to not be important to institutions like MPD who think that, after experiencing us, you need to be deloused.

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In the scene, there are Black residents there exhorting the police officers to do something. That too really happened. And then watching these three white guys, the two cops and Jeffrey Dahmer, walk back into the apartment, and despite all of those warning signs, the two white cops feel like they still had more in common with the serial killer than they did with any of those other people. Thats really hard to see.

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Im really just surprised that MPD hasnt released a better statement, to say, like, Yes, this is a part of our past. We own it. This happened, but this is how were going to move forward. We cant change how it happened or how it played out at this point, but staying silent means that, like, yep, thats who we are. Who are these people? We dont owe them an apology.

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I wonder if the series is worth it. Do you think the show is a kind of tribute to the victims? On your Facebook feed, are people responding to this series positively, because theyre glad the victims story is being told? Or do people feel like its digging something up that they wish they didnt have to think about?

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Definitely 50/50. Look, I enjoyed it. I binged it. It was a story. But the amount of vicarious trauma that is around this situation  What is the value in reliving things and bringing up facts that we already know? I think there was nothing brought to light that was new. Its just a retelling of the same thing. Theyre opening up the same wounds.

Was it for the victims? No, I dont think so. I think it was more so for capitalism. Now itd be different if they took the money and said, well theres no memorial, so heres a check. Because this is what we are saying that were trying to do for the victims. But right now it just seems like youre just, youre using our pain, our trauma of this story to elevate yourself.

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Yeah, the show ends with that little note about how theres no memorial in Milwaukee to the victims. Its delivered like, Shame on you, Milwaukee. But it does seem like a really complicated question whether there should be a memorial. What are the arguments around that question?

The argument against establishing a memorial is that there will ultimately be fans of Jeffrey Dahmer who will show up, people who have idolized him. Is that really want the families of the victims want? I feel like there is value in a memorial, even if itswe have the Hoan Bridge here in Milwaukee, that we light up for different events. So even if its just an evening where we light the Hoan and just acknowledge the victims, and the families can come out and share words. I think a healing process is necessary. This wont be the last time Dahmer is immortalized in film. So what do we do to counter that?
Our first glimpse of Lydia Tar (Cate Blanchett) comes aboard a private jet, where the world-famous conductor, napping under a sleep mask, is being ferried to her next international appearance. In the foreground, on a cellphone wielded by an unseen user, a snarky exchange of texts hints cryptically at past indiscretions that would undermine the authority of this glamorously remote figurebut then, in an example of the point-counterpoint structure that governs this deeply musical movie, comes a long scene that places her once more in the seat of power. Shes onstage at the New Yorker Festival, where the writer Adam Gopnik, wryly playing himself, plies her with a series of questions that double as character backstory. Tar, we learn, is a former piano prodigy now serving as the first woman conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic; she is an EGOT, having won all four of the most coveted American cultural prizes (the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony); she has just released an autobiography, Tar on Tar, and is preparing to conduct a live recording of Gustav Mahlers notoriously tricky Symphony No. 5; and she is a spiky, quicksilver-smart, bullshit-averse lesbian who balks at praise for her feminist bona fides. Being a woman, she insists, has not hindered her professional success in any notable way. Her list of musical heroes includes some women (including the Icelandic composer Hildur Gunadottir, who wrote the score for this film), but her mentor and main inspiration is the late composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, who broke down the barriers between high art and popular culture and became that rare thing: a classical music eminence who was also a beloved household name.

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For all her admiration of Bernsteinlater, at a low point, she will put on an old VHS tape of him lecturing and well up with uncharacteristic vulnerabilityTar has no apparent aspirations to the beloved part of that maestros public persona. The very next scene, filmed in an unobtrusively brilliant single take, finds her leading a master class for conducting students at Juilliard. One student tells her that, as a BIPOC pangender person, they have always resisted playing or conducting the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. As proof of that dead white composers place in the patriarchy, the student adduces Bachs fathering of 20 children (over the course of two marriages in a time before medical birth control, but still). In response, Tar delivers an extended dressing-down that steers an unsteady course between harshness and cajolery. In the first of many acts of pedagogical seduction (some linked to would-be physical seduction, some not), she sits down at the piano with the student and goes through a short Bach passage, demonstrating how its call-and-response structure emphasizes what she calls the question, and using humorincluding a mini-impression of the eccentric pianist Glenn Gouldto coax the reluctant student into a smile. Tar makes a passionate and convincing case, but then pushes her rhetoric a bit too far, waxing ironic about the students commitment to identity politics until the student storms out of the seminar calling her a fucking bitch.

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Is she one? Like Bach composing a partita for keyboard, this deliberate, exacting, complex, and beautifully crafted movie emphasizes the question over the answer. Tar is only the third film writer-director Todd Field has made since his 2001 debut, In the Bedroom, and his first since Little Children in 2006. (Whether you know it or not, you have likely also seen Fields much more prolific work as one of those that guy actors in the 1990s and mid-2000s, when he showed up in everything from Eyes Wide Shut and Walking and Talking to Twister.) In the Bedroom was a powerful drama about bereaved parenthood, while Little Children was an odd but effective mix of cheeky satire and queasy psychological study. Tar, Fields first film not adapted from a novel or short story, takes the director somewhere entirely new: into the luxuriously appointed, fiercely competitive, enviable-yet-despicable world of classical musicians operating at the peak of their field. Much of the first hour of this 2-hour-and-38-minute film is devoted to introducing us to that world in minute but telling detail: Tars relationship with her assistant Francesca (Portrait of a Lady on Fires Noemie Merlant), a seemingly loyal acolyte and aspiring conductor who may or may not be the one sending those snarky texts; Tars loving, troubled marriage to her orchestras first violinist, Sharon (the great German actress Nina Hoss), who shares her austere-yet-swanky apartment in Berlin and serves as primary parent to their adopted daughter (Mila Bogojevic); Tars complex web of frenemies in the music world, including the donor (Mark Strong) with whom she runs a scholarship program for women musicians, the assistant conductor (Allan Corduner) whom she is angling to oust from his current spot, and a former protegee named Krista Taylor, who appears only in flashesa dream sequence, a glimpse of a social media post. (From here on, this discussion of the film will reveal some, not all, of the twists from the second half, so proceed with that in mind if you havent seen it yet.)

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Early on it becomes clear that something must have happened between Tar and Krista. The latter has been bombarding the former with gifts and pleas for a meeting, which Tar crisply instructs her assistant to ignore in the interest of the young womans mental health. Later on, when the news comes that Krista has died by suicide and an inquest is being conducted about her time under Tars mentorship, the conductor orders her assistant to delete her history of email correspondence with Krista. Because this film unfolds elliptically, with tactical omissions, we never fully learn what took place between Krista and Tar. But the boardroom murmurings and social media chatter about the incidentand ultimately, at least one damaging report in the New York Postmake it clear that theirs was only one of many of Tars master-pupil relationships to have raised eyebrows.

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The conductors marriage grows strained, especially when a recent arrival to the Berlin ensemble, a young Russian cellist named Olga (real-life musician Sophie Kauer), becomes Tars new favorite. The orchestras sessions rehearsing the Mahler symphony get ever more Mahler-esque in their larger-than-life psychodrama. One day Tar shows up with an injured face, claiming she was the victim of a street attack, when the truththat she was unwisely traipsing around the basement of an abandoned building in pursuit of Olgawould reveal too much. Later, she gives Olga the plum solo part in an upcoming performance, while the first-chair cellist who has spent years waiting patiently for such an opportunity swallows her resentment and smiles. Slowly it becomes clear that every relationship in Tars life is transactional, with the exception of her love for her daughter. Even there, though, Tars parental protectiveness has a cruel edge. When her child is bullied at school, Tar locates the perpetrator on the playground and icily threatens her with unspoken but dire consequences if it ever happens again. This is female power as we seldom see it on screen in 2022: not cute girlboss badassery but masterful, if sadistic, control of the self (and, more ominously, of others.)

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If Tar were a satisfying moral fable about a gifted but malevolent womans well-earned fall from grace, it would be so much easier to write about, and so much less interesting to discuss. Instead, as our (anti-?)heroine faces the repercussions of what appears to be years of at best unethical and at worst illegal behavior toward those with less power than her (which is to say, almost everyone), the questions keep multiplying. What exactly has Tar been accused of, and are the allegations both credible enough and serious enough to warrant her expulsion from the heights of the classical music scene? When a video circulates that has been edited to make that classroom confrontation at Juilliard look and sound more abusive and bigoted than Tar actually seemed in the moment, are we meant to take it as an example of targeted witch-hunting or a necessary recontextualization? Late in the film, when Tar is reduced to conducting an orchestra for an audience of cosplaying video gamers at what appears to be a fan convention in Southeast Asia, should we feel satisfaction at her comeuppance or pathos at the thought of her squandered talent? The analogy with disgraced Metropolitan Opera conductor James Levine, whose career ended after a series of sexual abuse allegations (the first of which were similarly reported in the New York Post), is never made explicit, though Levine is once mentioned by name. If the main character of Tar had been a man, how would we feel differently about his actions? And in making her instead an attractive and charismatic woman, is Field stacking the deck in the characters favor or encouraging us to interrogate our own assumptions about gender and power? What if we had seen Tars deeds ourselves, from the perspective of her alleged victims, rather than only oblique glimpses filtered through Tars own experience?

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Its to Tars eternal credit that, without being wishy-washy, it allows the audience the time, space, and breathing room (not to mention the faith in our intelligence) to sit with these questions all the way through, and well after, the closing credits. Cate Blanchetts titanic, almost fanatically well-researched performanceshe switches effortlessly between English and German with a soupcon of French thrown in, does her own piano playing, and conducts a real orchestra with utter verisimilitudethrillingly embodies both Tars intense charisma and her monstrous skill at manipulation. Its impossible not to feel conflicted about this self-destructive whirlwind of a protagonist: We are appalled by her selfishness even as a part of us wants to remain forever in the company of her ready wit and hyperattuned musical ear. We identify with Tars admirers, both because we feel empathy for her calculating misuse of them and because, like them, we cant stop wanting her to really be everything she presents herself as: the uncompromising artist, the intellectually generous mentor, the loving parent and devoted spouse.

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On a technical level, Tars thematic ambitions are supported by its meticulous formal craft. Cinematographer Florian Hoffmeisters camera floats unhurriedly through a rarefied world of pale, neutral colors and posh interior spaces, letting us feel both the luxurious comfort and the suffocating privilege of the protagonists cosseted life. The ingenious sound design (with a recurring motif of intrusive noises that break through Tars attempts to work and concentrate) keeps the audience perpetually on edge. My only cavil would be that one melodramatic late plot turn strains credibility in its attempt to provide ample reason for Tars eventual banishment. But the final few scenes, with the displaced protagonist wandering alone through an unfamiliar city where shes been invited as a guest conductor, return to the tone of cool, keenly observed detachment that characterizes most of the rest of the movie. The adjectives that come to mind to describe Tar apply also to its protagonist: Todd Fields third film is magisterial, enigmatic, self-contradictory, and wickedly seductive. Like her, it invites you to think and feel intensely about the nature of performance, art, and fame. But unlike Lydia Tar (who, as we learn in a scene at her childhood home, is a self-created persona, an elaborate alter ego for an ordinary working-class girl born Linda Tarr), Tar the movie is the real thing.
Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. In addition to our traditional advice, every Thursday we feature an assortment of teachers from across the country answering your education questions. Have a question for our teachers? Email askateacher@slate.com or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group.

My son Jack has been in sixth grade for a month now. Hes transitioned to middle school well, but he often comes home complaining about his classmate Aiden. Aiden is in most of Jacks classes, and hes really disruptive in all of them. My son says he talks and makes noises while the teacher is talking, messes with stuff on other kids desks, wont follow directions, and tries to start arguments. Aiden isnt the only kid to ever act up like that, but he does it the most often and the worst.

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Jack says the teachers send Aiden out sometimes (he says his social studies teacher does it almost every day), but hes usually back quickly. Aiden isnt violent, thankfully, so Jack isnt scared or in physical danger, hes just frustrated and in danger of falling behind in school. One day I asked how his day was and he said it was great, because Aiden was absent and they actually got to do stuff. Today, he came home really upset and freaking out about how hes going to fail math. (Math has historically been a tough subject for Jack.) He was confused about something and needed help for the last 15 minutes of class, but both teachers were so busy with Aiden that they never got to him. One was dealing with Aiden and the other was on the phone calling different people to see if they could come get him.

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Im sorry for whatever Aiden is going through that makes him act like this, but it is not okay for him to prevent other kids from learning! Do I complain to the teachers? The principal? Do I ask for my sons schedule to be changed? I dont even know how possible a schedule change is; Jack has ADHD and a learning disability, so hes in math and ELA classes that have a second teacher, plus a special learning support class that Aiden is also in. And Im worried about making my son go through the disruption of a schedule change only to end up in classes with another Aiden. What should I do? Please help!

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Problem Child

Dear PC,

I always tell parents the same thing: Start with the teacher. Alert them of Jacks anxiety and your own concerns and see what they have to say.

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I say alert because the verb you chose was complain, which isnt what I would advise. The best way to help your son throughout his educational career is to partner with teachers and administrators whenever possible to solve problems, so rather than complaining, I would approach every meeting with every educator with an open mind and the goal to report concerns, gather facts, and decide together on the best course of action.

My wife and I have certainly had issues over the years with our own children, but in every case, we approached our childrens teachers and principals with an awareness that we might not have all the facts, and a certainty that the best way to solve a problem is to come together as a team. This has admittedly meant postponing a phone call or email for a day or two if Im especially annoyed because I also know that little is accomplished through anger or outrage. You may get what you want, but your child wont be better in the long run if you and your childs teachers have a heated or antagonistic relationship.

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If there is no resolution after your conversation with the teacher, you may need to approach the principal in the same way. In fact, the teacher may ultimately want you to speak to the principal. In some cases, a teacher needs the support of parents in order to expedite a solution to a problem, but always start with the teacher. They are the ones who see your son every day and likely have the most information and influence over the problem.

Mr. Dicks (fifth grade teacher, Connecticut)

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My newly 3-year-old son just started at our churchs Montessori preschool. Before this he was always home with me and his 20-month-old sister, so this is his first experience with school. I spoke with the teacher before he started, because hes never shown any interest in dressing himself, and independence is a big thing in Montessori. She said that she was sure that seeing the other children dressing themselves would motivate him.

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Theyve been working on having all the children change into their indoor shoes once they get to school. My son though has refused to put his own shoes on. He says, you do it for me to the teacher, or tells her, my mama will do it. As a result, the teacher has kept him confined to a small towel all day (4 hours), until he makes the right decision to put on his shoes. This has been going on now for a week. It has turned into a battle of wills. The teacher is convinced that he can put his shoes on, and that he is stubborn. I asked her to please help him a little bit, but she is adamant that she will not make exceptions for him, as its important that he understand that he has to follow the rules like everyone else. Keeping him on a mat all day seems extreme. I dont know what to do, other than to pull him out of this school. I am hesitant though, as I really wanted him to do Montessori and learn to be more independent (I havent been successful at fostering that in him). Just not like this!

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Doubting Montessori

Dear Doubting,

The key to understanding Montessori schools is any school can claim to be a Montessori school without going through a certification process; no one is going to stop them.* Most preschools use at least some of Maria Montessoris work in their programmingfor example, blocks known as Montessori blocksbut a preschool can simply say they are using the Montessori method, whether or not its even true. All of which is to say that its possible your Montessori school isnt right for your son. Maybe they are using a version of the Montessori method, but since that can vary wildly school to school, the mix they are using might not be the right mix for your child.

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I am uncomfortable with the behavioral intervention his teacher is using. This method is, technically speaking, a form of time-out, and theres no reason to continue an ineffective behavior intervention beyond a week, especially one this restrictive. To be frank, I dont even think she should have used time-out as a first strategy (if she absolutely must not help him, the strategy I wouldve used would have been hand-over-hand prompting to walk him through the steps, but even that seems like an extreme first step). I agree that this is a power struggle between her and her child, and that means no good is going to come of it.

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I would suggest looking for another school, whether Montessori or not. This power struggle doesnt bode well for this teachers ability to actually teach your child any independent skills, and it shows a rift in your sons rapport with his teacher that I doubt is going to be mended. I would also, for the record, suggest working on putting on shoes (or dressing more generally) on his own. The only credit I will give your sons teacher is that 3-year-olds generally have the capacity to learn to put on their own shoes. I dont know if your son specifically has this skill, but he could. You can start by having him do the last step (velcroing or zipping boots or whatever) and then doing progressively less until he can do it on his own. One of the tenets of Montessori is that kids can do more on their own than we give them credit for. If you do less for your child, you can teach him some of that independence you were looking for regardless of what you do about preschool.

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Ms. Sarnell (early childhood special education teacher, Colorado)

I am a seventh grader in a good school. I have good teachers, and a good workload. My problem is that I am on an IEP, and it causes me to miss classes I dont want to miss for one-on-one meetings with teachers that have no benefit to me. I only get orchestra 3 times a week, and I really hate to miss it. Classes are less than an hour, and I have to get pulled 15 minutes before class ends.

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I am on the autism spectrum and have had trouble with social skills in the past, but I dont have those problems anymore. Even if I explain that to my mom, she wont take me off the IEP. The meetings mostly consist of the teacher asking if I have any concerns about school, friends, family, etc. and me shrugging and saying, not really. These meetings are a waste of my time, but to get rid of them, I have to get off the IEP. How do I bring up the subject with my mom, and convince her that I dont need any extra help at school?

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Ready to Drop It

Dear Ready to Drop It,

Im sorry youre struggling with this issue, but great job advocating for yourself! Let me start by countering one premise in your letter: You dont have to get off the IEP in order to change this service. In fact, given your diagnosis, your school is unlikely to exit you from Exceptional Children servicesthats not a decision thats made lightly. What you should remember is that people with autism and other disabilities fought hard to guarantee a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for all children, and schools need to document that they are providing it. One way to do that is with IEPs. The good news is IEPs can be modified at any given time.

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So, what does that mean for you now? You should begin by talking to your mom. If you can, leave behind any emotional charge that may have existed in previous conversations with her. If you come at her with anger, annoyance, or resentment, the conversation likely wont go well. I recommend you get curious instead. What does she want these meetings to do for you? Why does she feel like theyre important? It probably doesnt feel like it sometimes, but parents dont make decisions about their kids educations arbitrarily. Your mom believes the meetings are providing some kind of support that you need.

Once you understand her point of view, counter it gently. You can say something like, Mom, I understand you want me to get support with [xyz], but Im not getting that from these teacher conferences.

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Then Id explain how important orchestra is to you. What do you learn? How does it make you feel? Perhaps its even meeting the need that your mom thinks the conferences are! Tell her how missing class affects you in a negative way.

Next, be ready to compromise. If your mom is unwilling to let go of the conferences completely, could they happen at a different time? Could you meet less? Would once a week work? What about once a month?

I commend you for wanting to be an advocate for yourself. I hope your mom listens!

Ms. Scott (high school teacher, North Carolina)

Our family consists of an 8-year-old, 4-year-old, and a 2-month-old baby. Theres a discussion about having our 4-year-old start school early. Her birthday is within a week of the cutoff date. She is developing well and loves her Montessori school. My plan was to stay home, educate her and our baby. My partner believes she should start earlier. But a year early makes me very concerned. Is there advice you have about discussing my fears about her being the youngest in her class?

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 Thoughtful in Texas

Dear Thoughtful in Texas,

Whenever I am asked this questionand it comes up a lotI say this:

I dont believe anything bad can happen from holding back your child for one more year except that she will be better prepared to take advantage of the education being offered, better prepared to resolve conflicts amongst her peers, and more likely to feel confident about herself and her abilities in the classroom.

There is some conflicting research on how age affects academic performance, but I look to the research that shows the compounding advantages to the oldest children in their grade levels are profound. This is not to say that the youngest children in the class wont perform brilliantly, but statistically speaking, the advantages that the eldest children possess in school more often yield positive results. Listen to the recent episode Outliers, Revisited on Malcolm Gladwells podcast Revisionist History for some more insight into this.

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Even better, youll be gifting her an extra year of childhood. By holding her back a year, that means she will have one more year under your roof before graduating high school and launching herself into the world. I cant imagine a greater gift to offer a human being than allowing her to be free from adulthood for one more blessed year.

I hope this helps.

Mr. Dicks (fifth grade teacher, Connecticut)
As Ive said before, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana.



Today, Im taking steps to end our failed approach. Allow me to lay them out.
October 12 is a national holiday in Spain: everything you need to know about Spain Day



Businesses and schools are closed every Oct 12 in Spain to celebrate the public holiday

Next Wednesday October 12 is a national holiday in Spain, celebrated annually as Dia de la Hispanidad, also known as the Fiesta Nacional de Espana or Spain Day.

Traditionally, people have the day off work and sometimes even a day either side if it falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday to make a long puente bank holiday weekend, which is unfortunately not the case this year.

Businesses, schools and post offices will be closed on Wednesday October 12 for the national public holiday, but there should still be plenty of restaurants and bars open.

The next bank holidays that mean a day off for the whole of Spain are on November 1 (All Saints Day), December 6 (The Day of the Constitution) and December 8 (The Feast of the Immaculate Conception).

See also: Here are all the bank holiday days in Spain for 2023

Why is October 12 a public holiday in Spain?

The historical significance of the date October 12 is that it is the day in in 1492 that Christopher Columbus (known in Spain as Cristobal Colon)  sailing under the patronage of Spains Catholic monarchs, the Reyes Catolicos  made contact between Europe and America. Of course, at that time Columbus believed that he had reached the Indies, and didnt know he was in America, but the day is still celebrated in Spain as an important event.

How do people in Spain celebrate their national holiday?

The Dia de la Hispanidad event on October 12 is normally marked with a military parade along the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid, which is attended by the King and important high-ranking Spanish officials, plus personalities from the economic, social, sporting, educational, cultural and media spheres.

Often the most popular part of the parade, which is televised live on Spanish TV, is when the military aircraft, including fighters, transport planes and helicopters, fly over the Madrid skies in formation.

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Slovak honey protected by the EU, Czechia extends controls at the border with Slovakia.

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Good evening. The Wednesday, October 5 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

Slovaks' change of heart about the war in Ukraine

Local resident Ekaterina, 22, stands next to her residential building that was damaged after an overnight Russian attack in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, Tuesday, October 4, 2022. (Source: AP - Andriy Andriyenko)

A new Globsec poll has found that Slovaks want Ukraine to win the war which Russia fanned on February 24.

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The results have been published by Globsec, a Bratislava-based think-tank, less than a month after the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) released the findings of its own poll from July that claimed the opposite.

Globsec has learnt that 47 percent of 1,009 respondents wished for Ukraine's victory in late September 2022 compared to 19 percent supporting Russia.

More stories from The Slovak Spectator website

Disinformation: Slovak authorities no longer have any power to block disinformation websites.

Slovak authorities no longer have any power to block disinformation websites. Tatras: More than 100 kilos of rubbish were pulled out of four lakes in the Tatras last week.

More than 100 kilos of rubbish were pulled out of four lakes in the Tatras last week. EU: Honey from eastern Slovakia has been given protected status by the EU.

If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you.

FEATURE STORY FOR WEDNESDAY

Find in Slovak cave rewrites Late Palaeolithic history of the country

Entrance of the Huciva cave in the Belianske Tatras. (Source: Archive of Marian Sojak)

Until now, it had been thought the western European Magdalenian culture was widespread in Spain, France, and subsequently other parts of Europe, including Switzerland, Austria, Bohemia, and Poland, but did not cross the Carpathians.

However, the new findings in a cave in northern Slovakia say otherwise.

IN OTHER NEWS:

The Czech Republic will extend temporary border controls with Slovakia by 20 days, until October 28.

with Slovakia by 20 days, until October 28. The salaries of health workers in hospitals and related facilities will increase from January. Parliament approved a change that increases the salaries of 25 health professions on Wednesday. Starting in January, their salaries will increase from 6.9 to 45.8 percent. Even after the increase, their real salaries will remain lower than in the Czech Republic. (Dennik N)

from January. Parliament approved a change that increases the salaries of 25 health professions on Wednesday. Starting in January, their salaries will increase from 6.9 to 45.8 percent. Even after the increase, their real salaries will remain lower than in the Czech Republic. (Dennik N) Slovakia has fulfilled all conditions to apply for the second payment of 815 million from the recovery plan, PM Eduard Heger announced. Slovakia submitted its request for the first payment in April 2022.

from the recovery plan, PM Eduard Heger announced. Slovakia submitted its request for the first payment in April 2022. By the end of the year, one million vaccines adapted to Omicron will arrive in Slovakia, said Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky. In addition, Slovakia has contracted another 5 million vaccines.

A rider tries to stay on a bull during a bull-riding competition at Ranch 13 near Nemsova on Saturday, September 24, 2022. (Source: TASR - Radovan Stoklasa)

Police President Stefan Hamran said he would like to send Slovak police officers to the Hungarian-Serbian border to help fight illegal migration, but he admitted that the Slovak police are understaffed.

to help fight illegal migration, but he admitted that the Slovak police are understaffed. Slovakia will submit to the European Commission its own vision of how solidarity commitments in migration should be fulfilled, the government said. (SITA)

should be fulfilled, the government said. (SITA) The new NATO multinational battle group in Slovakia is operational after a recent integration training, the alliance announced. (TASR)

is operational after a recent integration training, the alliance announced. (TASR) The Bratislava tourism organisation Bratislava Tourist Board launched the video campaign 'Bratislava Is Also My City' in cooperation with the Slovak National Theatre on Wednesday.

If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
DENVER, United States, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Coloradans are encouraged to balance wildlife conservation with outdoor recreation after the latest data showed elk was facing additional threats to its survival due to human encroachment and excessive hunting.

Colorado has some 300,000 elk roaming the Rocky Mountains, followed by 45,000 in nearby Arizona and 13,500 in California, according to wildlife informer.com.

Elk is a member of deer family, which includes moose and caribou, and is only second in size to the averagely 1,800-pound (816.5 kilograms) Moose. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, adult "Bull Elk" males typically weigh 1,100 pounds (about 499 kilograms).

Elk is decreasing in numbers due to "human encroachment into the areas it uses to migrate, seek food and shelter, and give birth," according to a recent analysis released in late September by sportsmen's group the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP).

The report described the impact of the state's booming outdoor recreation industry and the more than 64,000 km of mapped trails used by hikers, mountain bikers, ATV riders and others.

"Nearly 40 percent of the most important elk habitat statewide identified in the report overlaps with trails, resulting in the animal potentially avoiding more than 8 million out of nearly 22 million acres," said the report.

The analysis warned that threats to those areas would further undermine the animal's health and population, which has been declining in Southwest Colorado.

"I think the most important message is that there are impacts to all of our recreational pursuits," Liz Rose, the Colorado field representative for the TRCP, told the Denver Post on Wednesday.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which manages the state parks system and the wildlife of the state, said the elk population peaked at 305,000 in 2001 and then decreased year by year. As of 2022, the number is estimated at 280,000.

In comparison, recreation tied to wildlife -- hunting, fishing, tourism -- has become a booming business in Colorado. It generates 5 billion U.S. dollars a year and supports 40,000 jobs on average, according to the Post, while Colorado Encyclopedia, an education group, said about 250,000 hunters pursue elk each year, harvesting nearly 50,000.

The TRCP report also acknowledged outdoor recreation's contribution of 9.6 billion dollars to Colorado's economy in 2020 and more than 120,000 jobs across the state, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. 
Only three countries were worse at using money from EU funds.

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Unspent EU funds are supposed to help Slovakia out of the energy crisis. The amount and possibilities are still up for debate.

Slovakia has been lagging in spending the money assigned to the country. Now, the money that the country was at risk of losing may be re-assigned to help cope with the energy crisis. Finance Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) reported the outcome from the Council of Finance Ministers of the European Union meeting he attended in Luxembourg on October 4.

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Such a measure would allow us to support households and companies in Slovakia through the energy crisis with the helping hand of the state. The final finance aid numbers reach the billions of euros, said Matovic after the Ecofin Council meeting.

Slovakia is the only member state to have asked for this kind of help, the minister added. It is also the only EU member state that could benefit from reassigning EU funds.

The EU has been discussing measures to counter the energy crisis, but Slovakia's earlier proposal regarding the distribution of funds from the windfall tax have not come through. The government is thus not ruling out that it may be forced to nationalise the energy produced in the country, as a last-resort solution.

Slow spending could turn out to be a plus
What it's like to climb a national icon. Rainbow flag ban attempt fails, associate ESA membership approved. Learn more in today's digest.

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Good evening. Here is the Thursday, October 6 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

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Checks at borders to stay longer

(Source: TASR - Jaroslav Novak)

Last week, both Austria and the Czech Republic introduced checks on their respective borders with Slovakia, citing rising illegal migration.

The measure was supposed to be in place for 10 days, but is now being extended until October 28, with the Czech Interior Minister saying it has 'paid off'.

Police say they have already caught a number of people smugglers and hundreds of illegal migrants.

More stories on Spectator.sk

If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you.

Feature story for today

It is said that each Slovak should climb this symbol of the Slovak nation  its curved profile was put on Slovak euro coins  at least once during their lifetime.

The hike up Krivan is a demanding one though as there is no hut or cottage on the way at which hikers can sleep or get refreshments.

Climbing a national icon Read more

Picture of the day

A special tyre prototype developed with a pattern inspired by the Valley of Puchov, as shown during the Job Forum event in Trencin, western Slovakia.

(Source: TASR)

In other news

Weather forecast for Friday and the weekend according to the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute. Friday will be mostly cloudy, with daily maximum temperatures between 17 and 22 degrees Celsius expected. Saturday will be mostly cloudy again, with a mild drop in daily temperatures to between 16 and 21 degrees. Sunday will be cloudy, with daily temperatures down slightly to between 14 to 19 degrees.

Friday will be mostly cloudy, with daily maximum temperatures between 17 and 22 degrees Celsius expected. Saturday will be mostly cloudy again, with a mild drop in daily temperatures to between 16 and 21 degrees. Sunday will be cloudy, with daily temperatures down slightly to between 14 to 19 degrees. A proposal to ban public institutions from flying rainbow flags, symbols of the LGBT+ community, has failed to move past a first reading in parliament . Of the 129 MPs present , only 74 voted with 44 were in support of the ban, and 28 against.

. Of the 129 MPs present , only 74 voted with 44 were in support of the ban, and 28 against. Parliament has approved Slovakia's associate membership of the European Space Agency. Of the 134 MPs present during the vote, 5 were against. Membership is expected to bring new opportunities and projects for the country, strengthen its research potential, and open new markets for companies.

Of the 134 MPs present during the vote, 5 were against. Membership is expected to bring new opportunities and projects for the country, strengthen its research potential, and open new markets for companies. The Ruzina Dam near the town of Lucenec, south Slovakia, is gradually filling up. Currently, it is at 17 percent of its volume, with weather influencing water volumes. The dam had been completely emptied in 2020 for reconstruction work, having previously operated for 46 years without being drained.

Currently, it is at 17 percent of its volume, with weather influencing water volumes. The dam had been completely emptied in 2020 for reconstruction work, having previously operated for 46 years without being drained. The Louis Pasteur University Hospital (UNLP) in Kosice announced that people who want to get a fourth dose of a Covid-19 vaccine can from Friday now opt for the Spikevax vaccine from company Moderna. The vaccine is intended for people who have already had a second or third dose. Read more about the booster doses here.

The vaccine is intended for people who have already had a second or third dose. Read more about the booster doses here. On this day 78 years ago, the liberation of Slovakia from fascist occupiers began with the Carpathian-Dukla Operation. "Dukla still reminds us of the courage and patriotism of our ancestors. It is a symbol that every totalitarian regime inevitably succumbs sooner or later to the indomitable human desire for freedom," Slovak President Zuzana Caputova wrote on social media. The president is currently abroad and could not participate personally in local ceremonies.

"Dukla still reminds us of the courage and patriotism of our ancestors. It is a symbol that every totalitarian regime inevitably succumbs sooner or later to the indomitable human desire for freedom," Slovak President Zuzana Caputova wrote on social media. The president is currently abroad and could not participate personally in local ceremonies. This year's pollen season is coming to an end. Daily air concentrations of the pollen of the last strong autumn allergen are very low. This has been put down to lower temperatures and significant recent precipitation.

If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
Groups slam minister's comparisons with Nazi propagandists.

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International press freedom campaigners have said they are dismayed by the recent attacks on journalists by Finance Minister Igor Matovic.

In a statement, seven organisations condemned as "unacceptable" comments in the past few weeks in which the minister compared Slovak journalists to Nazi propagandists and personally insulted individual reporters.

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"These comments clearly overstepped the bounds of legitimate criticism and represented unacceptable attacks on independent journalism. They were rightly condemned," the groups said, and warned that the attacks undermined wider government efforts to improve media freedom.

Related article

Related article Just not fair, Matovic complains, blaming journalists Read more

Personal attacks

In one of his many attacks on Slovak media over the last few weeks, the minister wrote an insulting Facebook post in personally attacking Matus Kostolny, the editor-in-chief of the Dennik N daily, for a critical opinion piece.

And in parliament last week, Matovic accused unspecified media of being corrupt and spreading lies, likening their journalism to Nazi propaganda.

"Hitler had journalists exactly like that," he said, after alleging that it is now possible for politicians to order journalists what to write.

But he repeatedly mentioned the name of the murdered investigative reporter Jan Kuciak as an example for other journalists.

Matovic also claimed journalists only write well of people with the "right opinions", and that they are mocking of those with conservative ideologies. He added that only "the right journalists" need protection.

Related article

Related article Matovic remains minister - at least until Tuesday Read more

Words need to be followed by action

However, his comments have drawn the ire of not just press freedom campaigners, but also some of his own MPs, some of whom have openly criticised the minister for his attacks, as was noted by the press freedom campaigners.

"Our organisations welcome Prime Minister Eduard Hegers statement defending journalists and the criticism of the ministers comments by nine MPs from his OLANO party," read the joint statement.

"We also stand behind the powerful joint statement issued on September 30 by 22 of the countrys leading editors-in-chief, who condemned the ministers rhetoric and refused to be pressured into silence for carrying out their role as public watchdogs," the groups added.

Although Matovic issued an apology "to all honest journalists" on October 3, this needs to be followed by action, they said.
https://sputniknews.com/20221005/alec-baldwin-reaches-settlement-with-widower-of-halyna-hutchins-1101551434.html

Alec Baldwin Reaches Settlement With Widower of Halyna Hutchins

Alec Baldwin Reaches Settlement With Widower of Halyna Hutchins

On October 21, 2021, during the filming of the movie Rust, actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun which discharged a live round and injured director Joel Souza... 05.10.2022, Sputnik International

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American actor Alec Baldwin, 64, has reached a legal settlement with the family of Halyna Hutchins, who tragically died while filming the western film Rust almost a year ago. Baldwin and the widower of the director of photography who was killed on set, Matthew Hutchins, reached a settlement on Wednesday.Hutchins had filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the producers of Rust in February, alleging that 15 safety violations occurred on set, including that the armorer, 24-year-old Hanna Gutierrez-Reed, was absent from set before the tragic accident took place. The suit also pointed to two other misfires occurring before Hutchins was killed, including Baldwins stunt double firing a blank on accident and a prop master shooting herself in the foot.We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed, Hutchins said in a statement.The settlement is undisclosed and can still be subject to court approval, according to Hutchins widower. As part of the settlement, he will also be an executive producer of the film.Baldwin expressed his gratitude on Instagram for the resolution of a painful situation.We are pleased to announce today the settlement of the civil case filed on behalf of the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Throughout this difficult process, everyone has maintained the specific desire to do what is best for Halynas son, Baldwin wrote on Instagram. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful situation.Souza, the director of the film who was also injured during the shooting, said that moving forward he would devote his work on the film to Halynas legacy.Hutchins original lawsuit had also alleged that the production team and companies had cut corners and intentionally hired an unqualified armorer, referring to Gutierrez-Reed, and also asked the 24-year-old to work a second job on the set as an assistant props master.Four other lawsuits brought by Rust crew members are still pending, and the state of New Mexico has also granted funds to pay for possible criminal prosecutions. Heather Brewer, a spokesperson for the Santa Fe District Attorney, warned that the settlement does not impact the shootings ongoing criminal investigation.While civil suits are settled privately and often involve financial awards, criminal cases deal only in facts, said Brewer in a statement. If the facts and evidence warrant criminal charges under New Mexico law, then charges will be brought. No one is above the law.

https://sputniknews.com/20220420/baldwin-fatal-shooting-report-finds-rust-management-showed-plain-indifference-to-employee-safety-1094919306.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220814/alec-baldwin-pulled-trigger-of-gun-that-killed-cinematographer-halyna-hutchins-fbi-report-says-1099571779.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221005/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-towards-sea-of-japan-1101551232.html

North Korea Fires Two Ballistic Missiles Toward Sea of Japan

North Korea Fires Two Ballistic Missiles Toward Sea of Japan

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - North Korea fired two ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the South Korean military and... 05.10.2022, Sputnik International

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According to the Japanese Coast Guard, North Korea launched two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. The missiles were fired at 15-minute intervals and landed outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone.It was reported earlier that only one ballistic missile was launched.North Korea on Tuesday morning also fired a ballistic missile that flew over the territory of Japan and fell in the Pacific Ocean.The test-launched ballistic missile was the first in five years to travel over Japan. The latest launch saw the missile fly for 4,600 kilometers (2,858 miles), which is farther than previous launches. The projectiles tested last week flew between 300 and 400 kilometers.The US and South Korea launched four missiles in protest of North Korea's Tuesday ballistic missile test. Leaders in the west condemned the unannounced missile test. Earlier on Wednesday, the US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the United States aims to increase sanctions on North Korea in response to its latest ballistic missile launches.By contrast, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Anna Evstigneeva said sanctions do not ensure security in East Asia and produce zero results when it comes to addressing matters concerning North Korea.Chinese Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Geng Shuang echoed Russia's statement, adding that sanctions cannot solve everything and would not help ease the situation with North Korea.The Russian and Chinese envoys said North Korea's ballistic missile launches are not random, pointing out that the United States and its allies in the region have conducted joint military exercises that concern Pyongyang. Russia believes that North Korea's missile test launches are a consequence of the United States' military activities in the region, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Anna Evstigneeva said.Evstigneeva added that the situation on the Korean peninsula cannot be taken separately from what is going on in the world.The Western member states on the UN Security Council requested the meeting on North Korea that was held on Wednesday afternoon.

https://sputniknews.com/20221003/residents-on-japans-hokkaido-advised-to-seek-shelter-after-dprk-ballistic-missile-launch-detected-1101481743.html

https://sputniknews.com/20221004/austin-discusses-n-korea-missile-launch-with-japan-s-korea-counterparts---pentagon-1101511958.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/biden-does-not-rule-out-venezuelan-alternative-to-address-opec-oil-production-cut-1101579399.html

Biden Does Not Rule Out Venezuelan Alternative to Address OPEC+ Oil Production Cut

Biden Does Not Rule Out Venezuelan Alternative to Address OPEC+ Oil Production Cut

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States is looking for alternative means to address energy supply concerns, including possibly through Venezuela, following a... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T15:43+0000

2022-10-06T15:43+0000

2022-10-06T15:55+0000

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At the same time, Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese said that further releases from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve remain on the table.The Biden administration condemned the OPEC+ decision to cut oil production amid a looming winter energy crisis in Europe, calling the move "shortsighted." The White House also announced a 10 million barrel release from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve in response to the decision.Biden is also considering a loosening of sanctions on Venezuela to allow energy company Chevron to start pumping oil there, US media reported following the OPEC+ decision. The move could help raise global oil supply and lower energy prices to offset the negative market impacts of western sanctions on Russia.On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump suggested the US boost its domestic energy production instead of "begging Venezuela" and other foreign countries for oil. Trump also urged the US to send energy to Europe this winter to offset the impacts of the looming energy crisis on the continent.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/colombia-and-eln-announce-that-peace-talks-will-resume-1101555985.html

Colombia and ELN Announce That Peace Talks Will Resume

Colombia and ELN Announce That Peace Talks Will Resume

The ELN was founded in the 1960s and currently counts around 4,000 fighters in its membership. It became the largest guerilla group in Colombia when the... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T03:44+0000

2022-10-06T03:44+0000

2022-10-06T03:44+0000

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The government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN), the countrys largest remaining guerilla group, have announced that they are resuming peace talks for the first time since 2018.The two sides met in Caracas, Venezuela. After the meeting, both sides released a statement announcing that a date for the talks would be announced after the first week of November. Cuba, Norway, and Venezuela will act as guarantor states during the talks, ensuring that negotiators are protected.No venue for the talks was announced, but Antonio Garcia, a commander for the ELN who participated in the initial discussions, says that they could be done in stages across Cuba, Norway and Venezuela.Gustavo Petro, Colombias newly elected leftist president, promised to seek peace with the ELN and other groups. Petro was once a member of a guerilla group, M-19, though sources differ on whether he participated in actual fighting. After helping negotiate a peace deal between M-19 and the Colombian government, he moved into politics. He served for two decades in Colombias Congress before being elected mayor of the Colombian capital, Bogota, in 2011.It is not clear what the ELN wants in exchange for laying down their arms, but Garcia gave some hints that it will involve addressing inequality in the country. 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.Petro made it a major part of his platform to address the root causes of inequality in Colombia, which has some of the highest wealth inequality in Latin America.In the 2016 peace deal with the Farc, that guerilla group got 10 seats in Congress, the ability to form a political party, and the government agreed to finance land titling schemes and rural development projects.The previous peace talks between the ELN and the Colombian government fell apart in 2018 after Petros predecessor, Ivan Duque Marquez, ended them in response to an attack by the ELN on a Colombian police station. Those talks took place in Havana and used Cuba as a guarantor. After the attack, Marquez demanded that Cuba break from its obligations as a guarantor  against the recommendations of the team that negotiated the peace deal with the Farc  and extradite the ELN negotiators. Cuba refused and in response, former US President Donald Trump redesignated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. Many feared at the time that Marquezs actions would prevent the ELN from ever coming back to the negotiating table and discourage other countries from acting as a guarantor.

https://sputniknews.com/20220924/venezuela-colombia-revive-military-ties-1101190992.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220903/eight-officers-die-in-explosives-attack-on-police-vehicle-in-colombia---president-1100328493.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/danish-tabloid-pledges-to-destroy-its-archive-of-underage-girls-photos-following-pedophile-scandal-1101557160.html

Danish Tabloid Pledges to Destroy Its Archive of Underage Girls' Photos Following Pedophile Scandal

Danish Tabloid Pledges to Destroy Its Archive of Underage Girls' Photos Following Pedophile Scandal

The newspaper Ekstra Bladet also reviewed its digital archive and blurred the images of 1,649 undressed underage girls, after Save the Children had criticized... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T05:10+0000

2022-10-06T05:10+0000

2022-10-06T05:10+0000

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The Danish tabloid newspaper Ekstra Bladet, which ranks among the Nordic country's most popular outlets, has vowed to destroy its physical archive of underage page 9 girls.Per the newspaper's own admission, the archive consists of brown envelopes with pictures of hundreds of girls under age 18 who throughout the 1970s and 1980s and up until 2003 posed for Ekstra Bladet, and is stored the basement of the media company JP/Politikens Hus. The exact goal of the archive and how it came around in the first place has stirred debate before. Aarhus University associate professor in criminal law Nicolaj Sivan Holst told the newspaper Politiken that today the images would be considered child pornography.Ekstra Bladet also reviewed its digital archive and blurred the images of 1,649 undressed underage girls, after Save the Children had slammed the images and alerted the newspaper that they were used on websites that promote child pornography.Earlier this year, the tabloid became caught in yet another scandal involving minors, as a former Ekstra Bladet employee was revealed to be a leader of international pedophile network that dealt in grooming.In late September, the 47-year-old man was charged with hundreds of cases of indecent assault against at least 40 children and 6 cases of rape, TV2 reported. While the six cases of rape involve sexual behavior other than intercourse, since the aggrieved children were under 12 years of age at the time of the alleged abuse, it is legally equated to rape. The man's own children are among the alleged victims. During a search of his house, the police found a total of 24,121 files that showed naked children or the sexual abuse of children in varying degrees of severity. The verdict is due in late October.Ekstra Bladet was founded in 1904 as an independent socialist newspaper, but has since the 1960s shifted to more sensationalist content, commonly with sexual connotations. Its former editor-in-chief Hans Engell described it as Denmark's most politically incorrect newspaper. It is also known for its page 9 section, which features photographs of fully or partially nude young women. Notably, when the magazine launched in 2010 as an app for the iPad, the page 9 section was not included due to Apple's publishing rules for nude content.

https://sputniknews.com/20210427/9-in-10-finnish-children-face-online-grooming-survey-finds-1082736696.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/erdogan-pashinyan-shake-hands-in-prague-ahead-of-first-face-to-face-talks-1101580473.html

Erdogan, Pashinyan Shake Hands in Prague Ahead of First Face-to-Face Talks

Erdogan, Pashinyan Shake Hands in Prague Ahead of First Face-to-Face Talks

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shook hands firmly on the sidelines of a summit in Prague... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T16:19+0000

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recep tayyip erdogan

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Erdogan and Pashinyan smiled at each other and looked positive, according to the footage.The first official meeting between Erdogan and Pashinyan is scheduled for 16:00 GMT, during which the parties intend to discuss the resumed process of normalizing relations between Turkey and Armenia.Earlier in the day, a conversation between Erdogan, Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev took place on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit, which was the first meeting in this format. The topic of the conversation was not disclosed.Turkey and Armenia do not have official diplomatic relations. The border between the two countries has been closed at Ankara's initiative since 1993. Tensions between the nations arose over a range of issues, including Turkey's support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its opposition to the process of international recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/eu-may-face-energy-price-explosion-supply-fall-over-8th-sanctions-package-professor-says-1101575237.html

EU May Face Energy 'Price Explosion,' Supply Fall Over 8th Sanctions Package, Professor Says

EU May Face Energy 'Price Explosion,' Supply Fall Over 8th Sanctions Package, Professor Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The EU may face energy "price explosion" as it is moving forward with setting price caps on Russian oil, while the restrictions are likely... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T13:37+0000

2022-10-06T13:37+0000

2022-10-06T13:37+0000

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The expert has warned that the situation could "completely derail energy supply in Europe."Gas and electricity prices had experienced a "period of fever," but the price hike has slightly eased in recent weeks, with petrol trading around 1.6-1.7 euros per liter ($1.58-1.68) at the pump and more expensive diesel at around two euros per liter, Ernst noted.A scenario of price surge exceeding 2.5 euros per liter is quite possible, with Europe having to turn to countries which do not approve of the bloc's approach and refuse the idea of price caps, the expert opined.Earlier in the day, the EU agreed on the eighth package of sanctions against Russia over Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine.Apart from a price cap on Russian crude, the new package of sanctions also includes economic measures and personal restrictions and provides for the expansion of the ban on import and export of goods such as steel products, machinery, chemicals, plastics, and cigarettes. It also prohibits the sale of civilian firearms, ammunition, spare parts, military vehicles and equipment to Russia as well as the provision of IT, engineering, and legal services to Russian companies and servicing crypto assets of Russian citizens.

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Tourists visit Palace Museum during National Day holiday

Xinhua) 09:34, October 06, 2022

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)

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Bianji)
Send Network Unveils New Values, Leadership Team, Spanish Website

NEWS PROVDED BY

North American Mission Board

Oct. 6, 2022



ALPHARETTA, Ga., Oct. 6, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- At a national meeting of more than 275 field staff at the North American Mission Board's (NAMB) headquarters Thursday, Oct. 6, Send Network President Vance Pitman unveiled a slate of new leaders, a Spanish-language website and all-new values guiding North America's largest church planting network.



"As a family of churches planting churches everywhere for everyone, we want to be clear about the values that drive our decisions," Pitman said. "These values impact everything we do."

Seek first the kingdom  God is at work locally and globally.

Deepen devotion  Without prayer and the Word, we are powerless.

Stick together  We are a family united by a mission.

Think multiplication  God's global mission demands disciples and churches that multiply.

Engage your city  The gospel changes lives, families and communities.

The roll-out of changes comes just days after it was announced that funding for Send Network  the church planting arm of the NAMB with some 1,050 currently endorsed church planting missionaries  hit an all-time high this year of $68.9 million given by Southern Baptists through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.



Pitman also introduced a new executive leadership team: Felix Cabrera as vice president of Send Network Espanol, Matt Carter as vice president of mobilization, Michael Crawford as vice president of strategies and development, Bryan Loritts as vice president of regions, and Travis Ogle as executive vice president.



Loritts and Crawford are continuing in their current roles as teaching pastor at The Summit Church, and executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, respectively  serving covocationally with Send Network  while the others are full-time staff of the organization.



Pitman also introduced the network's first-ever Lead Team of Planters  visionary, seasoned practitioners who have a proven track record of planting churches:

Adam Bailie, Christ Church, Phoenix, Ariz.



Brian Bloye, West Ridge Church, Dallas, Ga.



Matt Carter, Sagemont Church, Houston, Texas



Michael Crawford, Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware



Dean Fulks, Lifepoint Church, Columbus, Ohio



Dean Inserra, City Church, Tallahassee, Fla.



Jon Kelly, Chicago West Bible Church, Chicago, Ill.



Mark Lee, VantagePoint Church, Eastvale, Calif.



Bryan Loritts, The Summit Church, Durham, N.C.



Troy Nesbitt, Cornerstone Church, Ames, Iowa



Vance Pitman, Hope Church, Las Vegas



James Roberson, The Bridge Church, Brooklyn, N.Y.



Sean Sears, Grace Church, Boston, Mass.



Brian White, Harvest Church, Carmel, Indiana



Keith Wieser, Resonate Church, Pullman, Wash.



Ron Zappia, Highpoint Church, Naperville, Ill.

Their collective planting and pastoral experience totals more than 260 years, Pitman said, with ministries responsible for 882 church plants in North America, and churches that have baptized more than 22,000 new believers and have a current weekend attendance of more than 45,000 people.



Pitman described the Lead Team of Planters as carrying the responsibility of being the face of Send Network, the voice for Send Network and the heart shaping Send Network.



"A lot of planters and their sending churches join Send Network for the unparalleled resources and support we offer," Pitman said. "But if the money and systems all went away tomorrow, we would still be a family of churches planting churches, led by this godly group of torchbearers and so many pastors and planters like them."



During the meeting, Cabrera commissioned champions of Hispanic church planting, charged to connect and equip churches as those churches send planters to start new Spanish-language and Hispanic-majority churches across North America, including:

Jorge Altieri  U.S. Ohio Valley



Julio Crespo  Southern U.S.



Jose D. Fasolino  Canada



David Godoy  Western U.S.



Leonardo Lopez  U.S. Mountain West



Alejandro Molero  Northeastern U.S.



Jorge Rodriguez  Midwestern U.S.



Xavier Torrado  Puerto Rico

"The opportunity to make new disciples and start churches among the Hispanic community is growing rapidly in North America," Cabrera said, noting the more than 1,360 Hispanic SBC churches that were already planted from 2011 to 2021. "We are not talking only about Spanish-speaking, first-generation Hispanics, but also second- and third-generation Hispanics. This is an amazing opportunity."



Cabrera also unveiled an all-new, Spanish-language website serving Hispanic planters and churches with contextualized resources and information, at SendNetworkEspanol.com.



"We have an amazing group of missionaries who are all about taking the gospel to hard-to-reach places in North America," NAMB President Kevin Ezell said, as he announced the record-breaking funding to the organization's board of trustees earlier this week at a separate meeting in Chicago. "I'm grateful for each one of them and the sacrifices they and their families have made to follow God's calling. These gifts are already making a difference."



About NAMB

The North American Mission Board engages and equips Southern Baptist churches to make an impact in their own communities, across the continent and around the world. Through compassion ministry, church planting, chaplaincy and disaster relief, the North American Mission Board helps congregations serve the spiritual and physical needs of the hurting. Whether it's removing storm debris, establishing new churches or providing counsel to prison inmates, the North American Mission Board connects people in need with people who care.



SOURCE North American Mission Board



CONTACT: Scott Knuteson, 770-317-0499


https://sputniknews.com/20221006/ex-policeman-reportedly-kills-at-least-32-in-shooting-attack-on-childrens-center-in-thailand-1101562272.html

Ex-Policeman Kills 36 in Shooting Attack on Children's Center in Thailand

Ex-Policeman Kills 36 in Shooting Attack on Children's Center in Thailand

The assault occurred at the Child Development Center in Uthaisawan Na Klang district, Nong Bua Lamphu, reports suggest citing a statement from the Prime... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T08:04+0000

2022-10-06T08:04+0000

2022-10-06T12:07+0000

world

thailand

shooting

mass shooting

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Panya Khamrap, a 34-year-old former police officer, at least 36 people dead in a daycare nursery in Thailand, authorities said on Thursday.Later, reports suggested that the death toll had risen to 38.Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha alerted all agencies to apprehend the suspect, and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. He also ordered a probe into the incident, calling it "horrifying".At least 23 of the victims are believed to be children, aged two to three, police colonel Jakkapat Vijitraithaya stated.Several videos, purportedly showing people outside the daycare, where the attack took place, are circulating online.At the same time, the ThaiPBS broadcaster reported that the shooter had killed his wife and child and committed suicide. The police reportedly found a pickup truck, in which the criminal fled the crime scene, in a parking lot of his house. After that, the building was surrounded. The officers tried to negotiate with Khamrap, as they believed the man was inside the house, teh report suggests. However, no one reportedly showed signs of life in the building, and therefore policemen thought that the perpetrator had left the building.After some time, police officers decided to enter the house, ThaiPBS reported. They found bodies of Khamrap, his wife and child with bullet wounds inside. The injuries were consistent with the gun that Khamrap used during shooting at the nursery. The gun was also found in the house near the body of the gunman, the police were quoted as saying by the broadcaster.Police general Paisal Luesomboon said that the shooter may have been under the influence of drugs during the massacre. The perpetrator was fired from the service last year for failing a drug test and was due to go on trial in court tomorrow.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/indian-air-force-equips-more-su-30mki-jets-with-extended-version-of-brahmos-supersonic-missiles-1101562478.html

Indian Air Force Equips More Su-30MKI Jets With Extended Version of BrahMos Supersonic Missiles

Indian Air Force Equips More Su-30MKI Jets With Extended Version of BrahMos Supersonic Missiles

On May 12, the Indian Air Force (IAF) announced the successful firing of the extended range version of the BrahMos air-launched missile from Su-30 MKI fighter... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T08:56+0000

2022-10-06T08:56+0000

2022-10-06T08:56+0000

brahmos-a missile

brahmos

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russia

su-30

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At least 25-30 Russian-built Su-30MKI IAF fighter jets will be equipped with extended range BrahMos missiles, Indian media reported. The extended range of the missile allows it to hit any designated target at a distance of approximately 500 km with a precision strike.The decision to arm multi-role fighters with the new range of the air-launched version of BrahMos comes following a successful test in May.The IAF official added that some of the extended range versions of the BrahMos have been fitted onto Su-30 MKI warplanes with structural, mechanical, and software modifications at Hindustan Aeronautics Limiteds Nashik facility.The 2.55 ton missile is designed for a release from a Su-30MKI at heights varying from 500-14,000 meters (1,640-46,000 ft.).The length of the air-launched version of Indo-Russian jointly developed BrahMos is 50 cm shorter than the 8.4-m length of the ground-launched variant.Following the successful firing of the extended range of BrahMos in May, the IAF said that it has achieved the capability to carry out precision strikes from Su-30MKI aircraft against a land/ sea target over very long ranges.The Indian Air Force has already equipped 42 Su-30MKI aircraft with BrahMos missiles. In January 2020, the IAF commissioned the BrahMos armed multirole Su-30MKI squadron, the 222 Tigersharks in southern India to boost its capability in the Indian Ocean Region.

https://sputniknews.com/20220817/brahmos-brotherhood-russian-indian-aerospace-co-officials-spill-the-beans-on-secret-to-cooperation-1099669724.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/indonesia-wants-to-join-brics-russian-senate-speaker-says-1101572637.html

Indonesia Wants to Join BRICS, Russian Senate Speaker Says

Indonesia Wants to Join BRICS, Russian Senate Speaker Says

Back in June, Argentina, along with Iran, applied for full BRICS membership, while Algeria has also voiced an interest in entering the club of emerging... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T13:17+0000

2022-10-06T13:17+0000

2022-10-06T13:17+0000

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Indonesia is willing to join the BRICS group, speaker of the Russian Federation Council Valentina Matvienko stated after talking to President Joko Widodo on the sidelines of the G20 parliamentary summit in Jakarta.She also noted that Moscow and Jakarta have great potential to boost their cooperation.BRICS is an informal association of the major developing economies that was formed in 2006 to enhance cooperation between the nations and elaborate common approaches to global economic challenges. Members of the bloc, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, account for around 40 percent of the global population and almost a quarter of the global GDP.Over the past year, Argentina and Iran have applied for BRICS membership, while Algeria expressed an interest in joining the format. According to BRICS International Forum President Purnima Anand, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia may also join the bloc "very soon."

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/iranian-deputy-energy-minister-says-west-suffered-from-sanctions-against-russia-iran-1101557324.html

Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Says West Suffered From Sanctions Against Russia, Iran

Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Says West Suffered From Sanctions Against Russia, Iran

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - The West, having imposed sanctions against Tehran and Moscow, suffered from these sanctions itself and faced an energy crisis, Iranian... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T05:06+0000

2022-10-06T05:06+0000

2022-10-06T05:06+0000

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"Now the world needs gas and oil. It would be good to treat this topic carefully, to take a transparent position. Sanctions against Iran and Russia are not good for the West, it will suffer from them. Today there is a gas crisis in Europe, there are problems. The same is true for oil," the minister said.Since 2021, energy prices have been surging globaly. 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 Western governments to resort to contingency measures.Iran has been under Western sanctions for years, primarily because of its nuclear program, with the sides negotiating a return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in Vienna with no tangible results.The JCPOA deal was agreed on in 2015 by Iran, China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the European Union. Former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from JCPOA in 2018 and re-imposed comprehensive sanctions on Iran.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/kashmir-breaks-tourist-record-during-first-eight-months-of-2022-indian-govt-says-1101577531.html

Kashmir Breaks Tourist Record During First Eight Months of 2022, Indian Gov't Says

Kashmir Breaks Tourist Record During First Eight Months of 2022, Indian Gov't Says

The Indian government launched development projects worth around $250 million on Wednesday to enhance employment opportunities in the disputed Jammu and... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T17:25+0000

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Around 16.2 million tourists have visited Jammu and Kashmir since January 2022, the Indian government said on Thursday, a day after Home Minister Amit Shah wound up his three-day visit to the region. Of these, two million reportedly visited the Kashmir valley, indicating a sharp improvement in the security situation in the region which witnessed over 42,000 deaths in three decades of terrorism.Goyal attributed the Narendra Modi governments "transformative initiatives and reforms" to the record number of tourists in the Union Territory.The Indian government has announced a slew of investment-friendly reforms since it abrogated the state's special status in 2019. Besides introducing night flights to the state capital Srinagar, Delhi has also launched direct flights to Sharjah.The Indian government said that the state has attracted around $7 billion in investment since August 2019, against less than $2 billion in the last seven decades.

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Enerhodar's Authorities, IAEA Staff Discussing Safety of Zaporozhye NPP - Administration

ENERHODAR (Sputnik) - The specialists of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stationed at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant are maintaining contact and discussing issues of the plant's safety and operation with the authorities of the city of Enerhodar, Alexander Volga, the head of Enerhodar's administration, has told Sputnik.

"There is contact with IAEA staff, who are on the territory of the plant. We are discussing only working issues related to the safety and operation of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, as well as the work of the administration to ensure the life-activity of the city and citizens who live here," Volga said.

Volga added that a breakthrough by Ukrainian troops to the Zaporozhye NPP and Enerhodar is impossible as the Russian military has full control of the situation.

"Regarding the Ukrainian fighters' breakthrough into the city of Enerhodar in the direction of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and all the infrastructure, which surrounds the nuclear power plant - we consider this situation is impossible," Volga said.

He added that any offensive actions will be complicated by the presence of a water barrier near the plant.

Located on the left bank of the Dnieper River, the Zaporozhye NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe in terms of the number of units and output. During the military operation in Ukraine, launched by Russia on February 24, the nuclear plant and surrounding area went under the control of Russian forces and has since been targeted by Ukrainian troops multiple times, though Kiev has blamed the attacks on Moscow.

An international mission led by the IAEA visited the Zaporozhye NPP from August 31 to September 3. As a result of the visit, the agency issued a report on the situation at the facility and called on all sides of the conflict to end the shelling of the plant and establish a safety zone around it.
https://sputniknews.com/20221006/modis-biggest-strength-is-that-voters-see-him-as-symbol-of-aspiration---political-analyst-1101571290.html

Modi's Biggest Strength Is That Voters See Him as 'Symbol of Aspiration' - Political Analyst

Modi's Biggest Strength Is That Voters See Him as 'Symbol of Aspiration' - Political Analyst

India's federally ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lost many of its traditional allies since 2014. While the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ended its alliance... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T13:42+0000

2022-10-06T13:42+0000

2022-10-10T07:41+0000

india

narendra modi

narendra modi

bharatiya janata party (bjp)

yogi adityanath

opposition

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opposition party

arvind kejriwal

aam aadmi party

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In August, Bihar state chief and JD (U) boss Nitish Kumar severed ties with the BJP in the state and is now at the forefront of efforts to unite the opposition parties to take on Modi in the 2024 national polls.Since, Nitish Kumar has held several meetings with top opposition leaders, including former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Lalu Prasad Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD of Bihar), Telangana state chief and Bharat Rashtra Samithi supremo K. Chandrashekar Rao, Sitaram Yechury and D Raja of the Left parties, Delhi State Chief Arvind Kejriwal and Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav.Shantanu Gupta is a political analyst with a special focus on India's federally ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is the author of six books, including the widely acclaimed, The Monk Who Became Chief Minister which is the biography of Uttar Pradesh state chief Yogi Adityanath.In an interview with Sputnik, Shantanu Gupta discussed if Nitish Kumar could emerge as PM Modi's principal challenger, could the Modi-Yogi combo help the BJP sweep Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 elections, the chances of Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party in the Gujarat state elections in December and many more issues.Sputnik: How do you see Nitish Kumar as PM Modi's challenger in the 2024 national elections?Shantanu Gupta: First of all, Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, and Rahul Gandhi may not allow him to become the prime ministerial face of the opposition. If it happens somehow, which party will he represent - will he represent JD (U) or some other party because recently his party said that he could contest elections from Uttar Pradesh (UP)?I think in UP, where you don't have any kind of base, Nitish wants to contest based on Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party's popularity. Can you imagine a prime ministerial candidate fighting an election from a seat where his party doesn't even exist?A lot of people would say that Modi also went to fight from Varanasi but he had a strong party in Uttar Pradesh. Modi did not go randomly to a state where his party didn't have a strong presence - he didn't fight from Tamil Nadu or any southern state where BJP is comparatively weak.Kumar's home state Bihar has a maximum of 40 seats from which of 40 seats from where JD (U) can win from a maximum of 20 constituencies. Can you imagine a party having 20 seats in parliament leading a coalition? During the times of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, even the BJP had more than 150 seats. With 20 or 30 seats, you can't be the granddaddy or the umbrella of a coalition. So, it sounds very improbable.When Nitish Kumar goes to Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, or the Northeast, who will vote for him? It sounds like a very paper calculation. Against a stalwart like Narendra Modi who has now occupied the country's top post for eight years, Nitish Kumar doesn't have any track record, plus he has been changing partners every four years.Sputnik: You have known Uttar Pradesh state chief Yogi Adityanath for years, do you think PM Modi's charisma and Yogi Adityanath's appeal can help BJP sweep the state in the 2024 national elections?Shantanu Gupta: This is proven beyond doubt multiple times that PM Modi is the biggest leader of the nation after Indira Gandhi, although I don't agree with a lot of things that Indira Gandhi did, including the emergency. But she was a mass leader of sorts and after her, we have Narendra Modi as a mass leader.In states, we need someone who can double up for him - someone like Yogi Adityanath who doubles up or adds up his aura. That's why we say Yogi-Modi in the same breath. When people know that they are voting to choose the country's prime minister and they also know that Yogi is doing a fantabulous job, it adds up, and now the surveys are saying that BJP may clinch 76-78 seats in Uttar Pradesh.Sputnik: What is PM Modi's biggest strength - his Hindutva credentials (Mascot of the Hindus), his government's welfare schemes, or the emotional connection he shares with voters?Shantanu Gupta: Modi's biggest strength comes from voters. Why voters are voting for him is because they are not dumb, they are very smart entities, they are smarter than all the "media wallas" put together and they vote like an equation in their mind.Largely to my understanding, these have two or three component values - one is the governance delivery, how you are delivering things - from road to infrastructure to schemes everyone needs. Maybe someone like me may not need a lot of schemes, but I want good infrastructure, people in rural India need a lot of welfare schemes - free rations, etc.Second, a lot of people look for your foreign policy and defense policy.Someone connects with him today because he stands with the Hindu cause. Now I am not ashamed of being a Hindu which many of us were before 2014. So a lot of people may relate to him as someone who promotes start-ups, others may relate to him as someone who supports environmental causes, so everyone finds his peace of similarity with Narendra Modi and that's his character, that he has something for everyone. I think these are the elements that make him a phenomenon.Sputnik: How do you rate Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party's chances in Gujarat state, which is also PM Modi's home state?Shantanu Gupta: Any political party - be it the BJP, the Congress, or Arvind Kejriwal's party, when they go to elections they will make tall claims, they will make a winning claim, otherwise, how will they motivate their workers? Nobody will go to a state, [and say] Oh, I am contesting here to win five seats, nobody will say that.The two governments the Aam Aadmi Party has formed, it has been taken from the Congress, the Delhi government was run by Sheila Dixit for a long time before Kejriwal snatched it and the Punjab government was also run by the Congress and now he has usurped them from there as well.In Gujarat, Kejriwal will look to occupy the Congress's space, and, very interestingl,y the Congress is fast ceding its space. Interestingly in Gujarat, the talk should be about BJP and Congress but it is sounding like BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Though I doubt in this election, AAP would be able to take the Congress's space but it would become a 5-7 seat party there.

https://sputniknews.com/20220930/video-of-modi-stopping-his-convoy-to-give-way-to-ambulance-goes-viral-on-social-media-1101380570.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220920/modi-modi-chants-greet-delhi-state-chief-arvind-kejriwal-in-gujarat---video-1101013107.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/moscow-denmark-excludes-russia-from-nord-stream-probe-as-it-may-already-know-perpetrator-1101568570.html

Moscow: Denmark Excludes Russia From Nord Stream Probe as It May Already Know Perpetrator

Moscow: Denmark Excludes Russia From Nord Stream Probe as It May Already Know Perpetrator

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Denmark's unwillingness to involve Russia in the investigation of the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream pipelines may indicate that... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T10:43+0000

2022-10-06T10:43+0000

2022-10-06T10:43+0000

nord stream sabotage

nord stream 2

nord stream pipeline

russia

denmark

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On Wednesday, Denmark and Sweden stated that they plan on excluding Russia from the investigation of the situation of the incidents at the Nord Stream gas pipeline.The spokeswoman stated that these actions could suggest that Denmark knows the perpetrator of the attacks.Nord Stream pipelines suffered fuel leaks and rapid pressure drop on September 26, while Sweden and Denmark registering explosions in the area. The operator company Nord Stream AG later said that the damage to the pipeline system is unprecedented.President Putin stated that it was a deliberate assault on European energy infrastructure, hinting that the US and Britain are responsible for the blasts. At the same time, Moscow launched an investigation into the terror attack, also noting that the decision by Denmark and Sweden not to cooperate with Russia in their probe caused major concerns.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/north-korea-launches-missiles-in-response-to-us-south-korean-drills---foreign-ministry-1101554806.html

North Korea Launches Missiles in Response to US-South Korean Drills - Foreign Ministry

North Korea Launches Missiles in Response to US-South Korean Drills - Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - North Korea sees ballistic missile launches as a countermeasure to joint US-South Korean drills that are increasing tensions in the region... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T01:10+0000

2022-10-06T01:10+0000

2022-10-06T01:10+0000

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North Korea on Tuesday morning fired a ballistic missile that flew over the territory of Japan and fell in the Pacific Ocean. Last week Pyongyang also conducted several missile launches.According to the ministry, the redeployment of the US forces to the shores of the Korean Peninsula poses a serious threat to stability in the region.On Wednesday, the UN Security Council held a meeting on the North Korean missile lounches. While Western countries unequivocally condemned North Korea, the Russian and Chinese envoys said North Korea's ballistic missile launches are not random, pointing out that United States and its allies in the region have conducted joint military exercises that concern Pyongyang.On September 25, Pyongyang launched a short-range ballistic missile for the first time since June 5 and conducted several missiles launches last week. The first test-launch was carried out amid the arrival of the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group to participate in the combined drills with the South Korean navy.On Wednesday, a Pentagon official confirmed to Sputnik that the US carrier strike group led by USS Ronald Reagan has returned to the Sea of Japan after North Korea conducted ballistic missile launches.

https://sputniknews.com/20221005/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-towards-sea-of-japan-1101551232.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/polands-claims-to-russia-on-wwii-reparations-are-political-fantasies---foreign-ministry-1101555881.html

Poland's Claims to Russia on WWII Reparations Are Political Fantasies - Foreign Ministry

Poland's Claims to Russia on WWII Reparations Are Political Fantasies - Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Poland's claims to Russia regarding reparations for the losses of Warsaw during World War II are political fantasies, Oleg Tyapkin, director... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T03:25+0000

2022-10-06T03:25+0000

2022-10-06T03:25+0000

world

poland

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Earlier, the Polish authorities said they were demanding 6.2 trillion zoty (about $1.3 trillion) from Germany in reparations for damages from World War II. At the same time, Polish politicians have repeatedly stated that they hope to receive reparations not only from Germany, but also from Russia."Their flagrant immorality is obvious: after all, had it not been for the victory of the USSR over Nazi Germany, Poland as a national state of the Polish people would not exist, and millions of Poles would have faced the unenviable fate of enslavement and extermination at the hands of the Nazis," he said.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/potential-ghislaine-maxwell-revelations-may-spell-more-problems-for-prince-andrew-lawyer-argues-1101578321.html

Potential Ghislaine Maxwell Revelations May Spell More Problems for Prince Andrew, Lawyer Argues

Potential Ghislaine Maxwell Revelations May Spell More Problems for Prince Andrew, Lawyer Argues

Having been sentenced to 20 years behind bars for trafficking underage girls to Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell may try to cooperate with authorities to... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T15:49+0000

2022-10-06T15:49+0000

2022-10-06T15:49+0000

world

prince andrew

ghislaine maxwell

secrets

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Defense lawyer Spencer Kuvin - who represented several of Jeffrey Epsteins victims - has suggested that the Duke of York Prince Andrew may face further legal troubles, the MailOnline has reported. Facing civil accusations, Prince Andrew reached a settlement with Virginia Giuffre, a former sex slave of Epstein who claimed that she was forced to have sex with the royal when she was 17.Kuvin pointed out that former Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of recruiting underage girls to be sexually abused by the mogul, now seeks to appeal her sentence.Maxwell might be inclined to cooperate with the authorities in an attempt to reduce her sentence, Kuvin argued, apparently suggesting that she may be privy to some information that is potentially damaging to Andrew.Prince Andrew ended up stepping down from royal duties in November 2019 after his reputation took a major hit over the sex-trafficking scandal involving disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a former pal of the Duke of York.One of Epsteins victims, Virginia Giuffre (nee Roberts) also brought a civil lawsuit against Andrew in New York, claiming that she was trafficked by Epstein to the Duke of York and forced to have sex with the royal. The litigation came to an end this year after the prince made an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed amount with his accuser.

https://sputniknews.com/20221003/sins-of-the-father-king-charles-iii-may-strip-prince-andrews-daughters-of-royal-titles---expert-1101463232.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/president-joe-biden-heard-saying-no-one-f-with-a-biden-during-trip-to-florida-1101555549.html

President Joe Biden Heard Saying, No One F**** With a Biden During Trip to Florida

President Joe Biden Heard Saying, No One F**** With a Biden During Trip to Florida

The Presidents hot mic incident may have some remembering when he was caught saying, This is a big f****** deal, to former President Barack Obama as vice... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T02:37+0000

2022-10-06T02:37+0000

2022-10-06T02:37+0000

viral

joe biden

hurricane ian

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President Joe Biden was caught on a hot mic again. While surveying damage in Florida on Wednesday, Biden was caught cursing on a hot mic to Ray Murphy, the Fort Myers Beach mayor, following a joint news conference with Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL).No one f**** with a Biden, the president said to Murphy, while grasping his hand.Yeah, youre g****** right, Murphy responded, laughing. The two politicians shook hands and then parted.Bidens potty mouth is nothing new, according to a report by Politico. Several past and current aides have said that the president has a penchant for crude language.When he gets going he definitely gets going, said one White House official, regarding the presidents foul language.Some of Bidens favorite phrases include: F*** them, What the f*** are we doing? Why the f*** isnt this happening? As well as his go-tos like bulls***, d*****, and f***. And, in the instances when he needs to press his aides on their answers or comments, he will say, Dont bulls*** a bulls****er.During a press conference in January, Biden called Fox News reporter Peter Doocy a stupid son of a b****.On Wednesday, the president traveled to Florida to meet with local officials and to survey the destruction that Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 storm, brought to the coastline of Southwest Florida. The storm killed more than 100 people, with 55 of those deaths reported in Lee County.The Biden administration extended full federal funding for debris removal on Wednesday, in addition to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) disaster declaration the administration also approved earlier this week for 13 counties affected by the storm. According to PowerOutage.us, by Wednesday evening at 9:54 p.m. Eastern Time, 250,297 customers in Florida were still without power. Lee County, where at least half of the casualties of Hurricane Ian took place, had 145,865 customers without power.

https://sputniknews.com/20221005/florida-recovery-from-hurricane-ian-will-take-years-us-government-aid-to-persist---biden-1101550734.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/russia-exclusion-to-dent-credibility-of-eu-probe-into-nord-stream-attacks-scholar-says-1101559493.html

Russia Exclusion to Dent Credibility of EU Probe Into Nord Stream Attacks, Scholar Says

Russia Exclusion to Dent Credibility of EU Probe Into Nord Stream Attacks, Scholar Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - An EU investigation into the crippling attacks on the Russian underwater gas link to Germany will be invalid without Russia, Samuele... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T06:43+0000

2022-10-06T06:43+0000

2022-10-06T06:43+0000

nord stream pipeline

russia

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday Moscow was concerned by the recent news conferences in Sweden and Denmark, in whose waters gas leaks occurred, because they suggested that it might be barred from the probe into terror attacks on the Russian infrastructure.Russia and the European Union have traded blame for the gas leaks, which were reported last week in three of the four Nord Stream gas pipelines. Peskov rejected the accusations as "absurd," while President Vladimir Putin hinted at the United States and the United Kingdom as the possible culprits.Furfari suggested that a powerful ally of Germanys, the prime beneficiary of cheap Russian gas supplies, might have sabotaged the pipelines to prevent Moscow from tempting Berlin into reopening the taps during the cold winter months. He argued that the fledgling government of UK Prime Minister Liz Truss was unlikely to have played a role.But the expert cautioned against pointing the finger of blame without getting proof first. An international inquiry into the attacks, he said, must include Russia and Germany as the primary investigators as well as Sweden, Denmark and possibly Poland and the United States, even though Washington has no objective reason to participate.The attacks on Russian pipelines have exacerbated the global energy crisis. The European Union was already struggling to replace shortfalls from Russian natural gas when the pumping stopped.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/russia-in-preliminary-talks-with-many-states-about-flying-astronauts-on-soyuz-roscosmos-says-1101556826.html

Russia in Preliminary Talks With Many States About Flying Astronauts on Soyuz, Roscosmos Says

Russia in Preliminary Talks With Many States About Flying Astronauts on Soyuz, Roscosmos Says

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida, (Sputnik) - Many countries are interested in flying their astronauts on Russias Soyuz, however, it is too premature to talk... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T04:19+0000

2022-10-06T04:19+0000

2022-10-06T04:19+0000

russia

roscosmos

space

astronauts

moon

us

nasa

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"There is interest in participating in flights," Krikalev said. "In fact, the negotiations are ongoing with many countries. There have been talks with India, there were conversations with Mongolia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and others. Well, in short, all this is still a conversation at a preliminary level. That is, it is still too early to talk about some kind of advancement."Krikalev shared that they were very pleasantly surprised at the time by the activity of the United Arab Emirates.In July, Roscosmos and NASA signed an agreement on integrated flights of cosmonauts and astronauts to the ISS. As part of the agreement, the Soyuz-2.1a rocket with a Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft was launched from Baikonur to the ISS on September 21 carrying a crew including Russian cosmonauts Sergei Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin as well as NASA astronaut Francisco Rubio.The only female cosmonaut at Roscosmos, Ann Kikina, is currently flying with the Crew-5 team to the ISS aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft named Endurance.Krikalev also told Sputnik that during his current visit to the United States he has met with NASA Chief Bill Nelson and the two discussed directions for further collaboration as well as the need for stable technical cooperation.During the meeting with Nelson they recalled that the Soyuz-Apollo began at the very height of the Cold War.Krikalev attended that launch of the SpaceX Crew-5 mission spacecraft carrying two NASA astronauts, one Japanese astronaut, and a Russian cosmonaut, earlier in the day. The vehicle successfully blasted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Krikalev also revealed that the Russian cosmonauts are currently training in Houston and American astronauts are training in Star City in Russia.Lunar Transport System CompatibilityMaking lunar transportation systems of Russia and the United States compatible is expedient because that will allow the two countries to use each others capabilities during emergency situations, Krikalev outlined.Krikalev also reminded that in 2017, during a conference in Australia, it was officially announced that Russia was taking part in the Gateway project."Then, based on the results of technical studies on the Russian side - it was not an American initiative, but the Russian initiative - we stepped aside a little, so to speak, but until the last moment we say that interaction is possible and expedient," he said. "And, by the way, the Americans also emphasize this, because we are building our own transport system."Russian cosmonauts will be able to set foot on the lunar surface by 2030, Russian space agency Roscosmos head Yuri Borisov said on Tuesday.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/south-korea-and-japan-condemn-north-korean-missile-launches-1101556132.html

South Korea and Japan Condemn North Korean Missile Launches

South Korea and Japan Condemn North Korean Missile Launches

TOKYO (Sputnik) - The South Korean National Security Council on Thursday strongly condemned North Korea's missile launches as a serious challenge to the entire... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T03:47+0000

2022-10-06T03:47+0000

2022-10-06T03:47+0000

world

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japan

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north korea

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On Tuesday, North Korea test-launched a ballistic missile over Japan for the first time in five years. On Thursday morning, North Korea fired yet another two short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan.The council also said it would expand military cooperation between South Korea and the United States, as well as between South Korea, the United States and Japan, and take measures to strengthen the joint defense capabilities of South Korean and American forces. The resolution passed by Japan's upper house condemning North Korea's missile tests read, "For the first time in five years, North Korea launched a missile that flew over Japan. This is a serious threat to our national security and is totally unacceptable. We protest and condemn this action in the strongest possible terms." The consideration of the document by Japan's upper house was broadcast on its official channel.On Wednesday, Japan's lower house passed a resolution in condemnation of North Korea's missile tests. Later in the day, the UN Security Council held a meeting on the North Korean missile launches. While Western countries unequivocally condemned North Korea, the Russian and Chinese envoys said North Korea's ballistic missile launches are not random, pointing out that the United States and its allies in the region have conducted joint military exercises that concern Pyongyang.On Thursday morning, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan.On Wednesday, the UN Security Council held a meeting on the North Korean missile launches. While Western countries unequivocally condemned North Korea, the Russian and Chinese envoys said North Korea's ballistic missile launches are not random, pointing out that United States and its allies in the region have conducted joint military exercises that concern Pyongyang.On September 25, Pyongyang launched a short-range ballistic missile for the first time since June 5 and conducted several missiles launches last week. The first test-launch was carried out amid the arrival of the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group to participate in the combined drills with the South Korean navy.On Wednesday, a Pentagon official confirmed to Sputnik that the US carrier strike group led by USS Ronald Reagan has returned to the Sea of Japan after North Korea conducted ballistic missile launches.

https://sputniknews.com/20221005/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-towards-sea-of-japan-1101551232.html

https://sputniknews.com/20221005/in-photos-south-korea--us-conduct-drills-in-response-to-dprk-ballistic-missile-launch-1101534290.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/swedens-completed-probe-into-nord-stream-terrorist-acts-increases-suspicions-of-sabotage-1101570066.html

Sweden's Completed Probe Into Nord Stream Terrorist Acts Increases Suspicions of Sabotage

Sweden's Completed Probe Into Nord Stream Terrorist Acts Increases Suspicions of Sabotage

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The investigation of the Swedish Security Services into the Nord Stream terrorist acts, which was completed on Thursday, confirmed... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T11:47+0000

2022-10-06T11:47+0000

2022-10-06T11:47+0000

nord stream sabotage

sweden

russia

nord stream pipeline

nord stream 2

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The incidents on Nord Stream 1 and 2 occurred on September 26, as the operator of the system reported rapid pressure drops and leaks. Later, Sweden and Denmark registered explosions in the area and dispatched their forces to secure the area. According to the operator, the damage to the pipeline is unprecedented.Russia alleged that it was a deliberate terrorist attack targeting the European energy system, hinting that Washington and London were to blame. At the same time, the Russian prosecutor general's office informed that it is investigating the pipeline incidents as acts of international terrorism. Sweden and Denmark, however, refused to cooperate with Moscow in their probe.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/three-stabbed-in-central-london-attack-1101581304.html

Three Stabbed in Central London Attack

Three Stabbed in Central London Attack

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Three people were taken to hospital after being stabbed in Central London on Thursday morning, City of London Police said, in an incident... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T16:30+0000

2022-10-06T16:30+0000

2022-10-06T16:30+0000

world

europe

uk

stabbing

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"We received reports of three stabbings & a person pushed to the floor on Bishopsgate at 9.46am [08:46 GMT] & officers arrived at the scene at 9.51am. Three victims were taken by LAS to a nearby hospital to be treated. This is an ongoing situation, but is not being treated as terror-related," the police force tweeted.The motive for the attack, which took place in the heart of London's financial center, has not been established. However, the Daily Mail reported that eyewitnesses claim the victims attempted to stop two people on electric bicycles from stealing a mobile phone. Another theory relayed by the Guardian was that someone was attempting to steal a bicycle.City of London Police force later clarified that a video circulating on social media showing their officers arresting a suspect did not relate to this incident.More than 11,100 offenses were recorded by the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police between March 2021 and March 2022, an increase of 10% on the previous year, according to the Office of National Statistics.The issue of knife crime, in particular relating to fatal stabbings of boys and young men, overshadows political debate in London. Some attacks have been treated as terror-related. On November 29, 2019 a convicted terrorist on early release stabbed five people, killing two on London Bridge in the City, before police officers shot him dead.Carrying most knives in public without a good reason is an illegal in the United Kingdom.

https://sputniknews.com/20210928/uk-motorist-runs-over-knife-wielding-man-amid-alleged-petrol-dispute---video-1089469439.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/turkish-navy-air-force-to-counter-greek-militarization-in-aegean-sea-1101558732.html

Turkish Navy, Air Force to Counter Greek Militarization in Aegean Sea, Ankara Says

Turkish Navy, Air Force to Counter Greek Militarization in Aegean Sea, Ankara Says

ANKARA, (Sputnik) - Turkish air force and navy have been instructed to join forces in countering the deployment of Greek armored vehicles on the neutral Aegean... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T05:52+0000

2022-10-06T05:52+0000

2022-10-07T06:43+0000

world

turkey

greece

aegean sea

nato

military & intelligence

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Akar, during a speech at the National Defense University in Ankara, said that Turkey refuses to give in to Greece either on the ground or at the negotiation table.At the same time, Akar added that Ankara still seeks to settle all the differences with Greece in the Aegean region peacefully.Akar also noted that the Turkish armed forces have taken all necessary precautions and are ready to oppose "any provocations of the Greek Cypriot side" amid Washington's recent decision to lift the arms embargo on the Greek administration of southern Cyprus.Turkey and Greece have been trading accusations of provocative actions in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean seas, where they have conflicting military and energy interests. Most recently, Turkey has accused its NATO ally of militarizing neutral Aegean islands close to its shores.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221006/us-russia-back-each-other-on-space-matters-not-only-via-integrated-flights---roscosmos-1101554936.html

US, Russia Back Each Other on Space Matters Not Only Via Integrated Flights - Roscosmos

US, Russia Back Each Other on Space Matters Not Only Via Integrated Flights - Roscosmos

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (Sputnik) - The United States and Russia are backing each other on space matters including human flights and not only through integrated... 06.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-06T01:42+0000

2022-10-06T01:42+0000

2022-10-06T01:42+0000

science & tech

russian federal space agency roscosmos

yuri borisov

nasa

international space station (iss)

spacex

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Krikalev said integrated flights are another stage in US-Russia space cooperation. A proposal for such integrated flights was made by the American side, and Russia supported it, he added.Krikalev went on to note that this is not the only area where Russia and the United States work in this way."In the American control center there are our specialists, in our control center, there are American specialists. And this group is just designed to support their Mission Control Center (MCC). If you remember many years ago, just when I was flying at Expedition 11, Houston was hit by Hurricane Katrina, and the entire staff of the MCC was evacuated, and the support group of American specialists that was in the Moscow MCC took over the duties of managing the American segment," he said.That is, he, added, they secured themselves both at the level of ground services, and at the level of specialists who are engaged in training and at the level of astronauts.Roscosmos and NASA Remain DiplomaticRoscosmos Head Yuri Borisov and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson have had a phone conversation during which they extended an invitation to each other, Roscosmos Human Space Flight Programs Executive Director Sergei Krikalev told reporters.A meeting between NASA the two is being worked on and may take place by the end of the year, Human Space Flight Programs Executive Director Sergei Krikalev told reporters.Krikalev said the meeting could be held before the end of the year and any place could be considered."But depending on the political situation, it may be more rational to have a meeting on a neutral territory," he said. "But again, the discussion will show, our international departments and NASA departments will probably find some kind of mutually acceptable solution."Integrated Flights Have Brought Astronauts and Nations TogetherUS astronaut Nick Hague told Sputnik that he would definitely want to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the integrated crew program. Hague spoke on the eve of NASAs launch of the SpaceX Crew-5 mission with US and Japanese astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station (ISS). When asked whether he would like and thinks he will have a chance to fly onboard the commercial vehicle, Hague said, "I'm part of the current astronaut corps. I'm assignable." "So I do have aspirations of flying again," he shared. "I'd like to say that any spaceflight would be an amazing spaceflight, whether that's on a Dragon or Starliner, or Soyuz, I wouldn't turn any of them down. I have heard that the ride on the SpaceX is pretty miraculous. So I'd be game for sure." In July, Roscosmos and NASA signed an agreement on integrated flights of cosmonauts and astronauts to the ISS. As part of the agreement, the Soyuz-2.1a rocket with a Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft was launched from Baikonur to the ISS on September 21 carrying another crew including Russian cosmonauts Sergei Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin as well as NASA astronaut Francisco Rubio. The only female cosmonaut at Roscosmos, Anna Kikina, will fly to the ISS on the US-made Crew Dragon spacecraft on Wednesday. In 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded US astronaut Nick Hague with the Order of Courage for the bravery that he showed during the aborted launch of Russia's Soyuz-FG rocket in October 2018. On October 11, 2018, the Soyuz-FG booster failed to launch the Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft, which was supposed to bring Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission was aborted due to booster malfunction minutes after liftoff. The two-man crew escaped in a rescue capsule and returned to the ground unharmed. As Russian State Space Corporation Roscosmos and NASA agreed to organize a new flight promptly, Hague and Ovchinin arrived at the ISS on March 15, together with NASA astronaut Christina Koch. On October 3, Hague and Ovchinin returned to Earth aboard a Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft, together with the first UAE astronaut, Hazzaa Al Mansoori.

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Fraser Downs hosted pacing freshmen on Wednesday night (Oct. 5) in two $15,000 divisions of the Robert Millbank Memorial second preliminary, for colts and geldings, and in a single $20,000 split of the Betty Millbank Memorial second preliminary, for fillies.

Mickie Mantle (pictured above) landed a repeat victory in the first division of the Robert Millbank Memorial, this time winning one day after New York Yankee Aaron Judge broke the American League record for single-season homeruns. Driver Kelly Hoerdt sat third with Mickie Mantle through a :29 first quarter and 1:00 half before launching after pacesetter Dillon James to three-quarters in 1:28.3. Pressuring the leader to the final turn, Mickie Mantle overpowered Dillon James in the lane to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:57.1 with Rum N Raisins another four lengths behind in third and More Monet another seven lengths back in fourth.

Chris Lancaster conditions Mickie Mantle for owner Fred Gilbert and Kelly Hoerdt. The son of Custard The Dragon won his second race from five starts and has now banked $23,098. He paid $2.30 to win.

The other Robert Millbank division went the way of front-stepping Son Of A Beach, who held off his stablemate to score a narrow win in 1:57.4. The colt by Sunshine Beach took the front to a :28.3 first quarter and cruised to a :59.4 half before barn buddy and even-money favourite Domi came calling first over to three-quarters in 1:28.3. Domi continued to dig into Son Of A Beach spinning for home, but the pacesetter held firm to the finish to win by a neck with Speakdollarsncents finishing third off a pocket ride and Shots Fired taking fourth.

Son Of A Beach won his second race from four starts and has now earned $13,080. John Abbott drove the Rod Therres trainee owned by Wild Dunes Stables. He paid $12.90 to win.

Therres then took the single division of the Betty Millbank Memorial with a pocket-pouncing victory by Custard Or Nothing in 1:57.2. Stalking leader Snowpeak through early fractions of :28.3 and :59.1, Custard Or Nothing vacated the cones to three-quarters in 1:28.3 and battled with Snowpeak all through the stretch to edge three-quarter lengths in front at the beam while Westcoast Captive closed to finish third and Side Piece took fourth.

Custard Or Nothing competes for Rod Therres, who drove and co-owns the filly with Blair Miller, Dairen Edward and Veikko Pajunen. She won her third race from four starts, has now earned $23,520 and paid $3.10 to win.

In the co-featured $10,000 Open Pace, the six-year-old Captaintreacherous gelding Armycaptin Hanover collected his 29th victory from 98 tries with a 1:52.2 victory. Trainer-driver Kelly Hoerdt, who co-owns the winner with Blair Corbeil, raced third as Jewels Dragon set a tempo of :26.4 and :56.3 before making his move. Pushing up the rim through three-quarters in 1:24.3, Armycaptin Hanover persisted into the straightaway and slid a half-length better than Jewels Dragon to the finish while Mach Steady gave pursuit from the pocket in third. Armycaptin Hanover, sent off as the odds-on favourite, paid $2.90 to win.

To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results - Fraser Downs.
Fillies reigned supreme in the market of the fourth session of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 6) with pacing filly Amsterdam garnering the highest purchase price of the day.

Purchased as Hip No. 635 by Amanda Fine of Guelph, Ont. from consignor Diamond Creek Farms, Amsterdam exited the ring for $90,000. She is a daughter of Sweet Lou from the Somebeachsomewhere mare Someomensomewhere, a Breeders Crown winner at two and a foal from millionaire mare Omen Hanover.

The Chapter Seven filly Oaks In Kountry, Hip No. 764, led trotting fillies on the day when leaving at the hammer's slam to $82,000. M&L of Delaware / Alabama Harness Association of Wilmington, Del. acquired the filly from Anvil And Lace Farm. She is the first foal out of the Father Patrick mare Whispering Oaks, a stakes winner and earner of over $300,000.

Tactical Strike sold for the third-highest tag of the session when auctioning for $80,000 to one Gino Toscani of Mount Hope, Ont. The filly, consigned by Hunterton Sales Agency and selling as Hip No. 748, is by Tactical Landing and the first foal out of the Holiday Road mare Sorceress Seelster. Her great granddam Higher Love is a half sister to champion mare Lookout Victory, a winner of over a million dollars.

Another Tactical Landing daughter attracted a high price in Black Button, Hip No. 693, who sold for $75,000 to Douglas Overhiser of New Smyrna, Fla. Consigned by Peninsula Farm, she is the fourth foal out of the Andover Hall mare Love U Overandover, who is a half sister to unplaced mare Luv U All  dam of 2021 Hambletonian winner Captain Corey.

Next in the ring came another yearling for $75,000: The Bettors Wish filly Desirous, Hip No. 694. Burke Racing Stable LLC of Fredericktown, Pa. signed the slip on the Hunterton Sales Agency-consigned filly who is the ninth foal from the Art Major mare Lovely Assistant, a half sister to millionaire Idyllic. The yearling is also a half sister to world champion Somestarsomewhere.

Session four beat 2021's sales figure despite one less yearling going to auction. From 164 yearlings, sales grossed $4,946,000 for an average of $30,159, besting 2021's gross of $4,771,000 from 165 yearlings for an average of $28,915. The 2022 sale has already beat 2021's total with one session still to go on Friday. With over 100 fewer horses selling in 2022, the sale has grossed $60,440,000 for an average price of $80,802. Through five sessions in 2021, the sale handled $56,687,500 and an average price of $65,687.

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This story has been updated from its original version.

A jury found a Culpeper County sheriffs deputy not guilty on Wednesday of reckless driving in a two-vehicle fatal crash on State Route 3 in Culpeper in 2021.

Two women and five men deliberated for 45 minutes Wednesday in finding Ashleigh Baughan, 42, innocent in the March 30, 2021, collision where the four-lane divided highway meets Carrico Mills Road. The jury also declined to convict the deputy on a less serious, improper driving charge.

Helen Marie Quarles, 65, of Locust Grove died in the accident about 6 p.m. as she tried to turn left from the center median, heading east. Quarles, a mother and grandmother, was on her way home from work at a state probation office.

This case is a tragedy, Manassas defense attorney David Dischley said in closing arguments. Everyone sitting here could find ourselves in the position of Ashleigh Baughan or Ms. Quarles  nobody intended this to happen.

Quarles pulled out in front of the defendant, who was unable to avoid hitting her, the attorney said.

Tragedies like this happen every day on our roadways  it breaks my heart for the family  but it is not criminal recklessness, Dischley said. What we have here is just speeding.

After the daylong trial, the attorney declined comment on its outcome.

Baughan left the courtroom in tears, surrounded by her family. A lieutenant at the time of the crash, Baughan has worked in courthouse security since the accident.

Evidence shows the defendant was traveling in the left lane at 75 mph, 20 miles over the speed limit, in her department-issued Chevy Tahoe SUV as she approached the Route 3 intersection the evening of the crash.

Baughan, heading west toward Culpeper, was in uniform and on duty, but not responding to an emergency.

Virginia law states that someone can be found guilty of reckless driving if they are going 20 miles over the speed limit while driving in a manner so as to endanger the life, limb or property of any person.

Special prosecutor Scott Hook, the Fauquier County commonwealths attorney, tried the case heard by Substitute Judge Richard Potter.

Hook argued that the crash was avoidable if Baughan had been driving the speed limit.

Was she driving in a reckless manner? I suggest she was, he said.

Hook said a prudent person would slow down at a busy intersection, especially one known to be accident-prone, as was heard in court about the Carrico Mills junction.

She was casually driving her cruising speed  it resulted in the death of someone  Why was she in the left lane? If she was in the right lane, Ms. Quarles would most likely be here today, the prosecutor said.

Baughan took the stand as the defenses final witness. She testified that she was working the day shift6 a.m. to 6 p.m.on the day of the crash.

She had been dispatched to the Culpeper Department of Social Services office to give a homeless woman a ride to Germanna Community Colleges Locust Grove campus to the east on Route 3.

Baughan testified that she was not on her phone or distracted as she drove west back to the office in Culpeper to finish her work day after dropping off the woman. She described approaching Carrico Mills Road, a section of highway several described as having a dip in the road, potentially decreasing visibility.

The deputy testified that as she was coming up the hill, she noticed the vehicle, being driven by Quarles, slow roll through a stop sign and enter the center median of the highway.

I am screaming to get out of the way, the deputy said, testifying Quarles was looking right, toward Culpeper, and did not see her coming from the east.

I smashed it to the floor as hard I could, Baughan said of applying her brakes. If I could have Flintstone-d it, I would have.

The deputys SUV struck the drivers side door of Quarles car and spun around in the collision. Both vehicles suffered heavy damage.

Baughan testified that she pried herself out of her vehicle and ran to render aid to the other vehicles occupant. The deputy testified she could not get Quarles out or administer CPR, due to her vehicle being locked.

She said Quarles still had a pulse.

Baughan testified that it felt like an eternity before police and rescue arrived about seven minutes later. Responders busted out the window on the victims car and used an automated external defibrillator to try and revive Quarles.

On cross-examination by Hook, Baughan said she did not know at what speed she was traveling when the wreck happened.

I dont stare at my speedometer, she said. I was looking at my surroundings. I felt like I was not traveling at a high rate of speed.

Baughan said she made every attempt to avoid the collision and to stop before hitting Quarles vehicle.

In closing, Hook said that if the defendant had been traveling 55 mph on her entire trip back to Culpeper, she never would have encountered Quarles.

She would have been miles back, the special prosecutor said.

A video of the accident was captured by the dash camera of motorist Matthew Deem of Bristow. He testified in court that he was in his work truck behind Quarles car at the stop sign on Carrico Mills Road when she entered the highway.

Deem testified he remained stationary in his vehicle and did not pull up to the stop sign after Quarles pulled onto Route 3 for fear his vehicle would be impacted.

It was pretty imminent what was about to happen, he testified.

My thought was they need to get out of the way pretty quickly, Deem said of Quarles vehicle stopped in the center median on Route 3.

Virginia State Police handled the investigation and did not file a criminal charge, saying the crash was unavoidable.

Baughan was charged by direct indictment initiated by Hook, who brought the case to a grand jury last year.

State Police Sgt. Brent Coffey testified at length in court Wednesday as an expert witness on crash reconstruction and analyzing information contained in event data recorders, a vehicles black box. The recorders imprint a vehicles speed five seconds prior to a crash or an air-bag deployment.

Coffey testified the data showed Baughan was traveling 75 mph in a 55-mph zone prior to the collision.

There was no photo shown to the jury of Ms. Quarles or testimony heard from her family about the impact on their lives, since her death. That would have come at sentencing if the jury had found the deputy guilty.

At least a dozen family members of the deceased attended the day's proceedings, including Quarles' only child, son Lee Braxton. He got up and left the courtroom within seconds of the verdict being read, the jury still seated in the box to see him walk out.

In the past 18 months, Braxton has been outspoken about seeking justice for his mother, hosting local protests with family and friends, including one in May 2021 outside the state police headquarters in Culpeper.

Braxton has also filed a civil wrongful death suit in the case through Culpeper County Circuit Court, and a civil rights complaint with the Dept. of Justice.

Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins attended the morning session of the trial Wednesday, arriving during jury selection, standing at the entrance to the courtroom with bailiffs.

He sat in the public section of the courtroom, on the defense side, for opening statements and witness testimony until the lunchtime break.
Members of the Gering High School student council did their part to help the community heal from a wildfire that tore through the Carter Canyon area in August.

On Saturday, Oct. 1, five members of the student council, and sponsor Matt Salomon, planted hundreds of trees on property owned by Leo and Rita Urbanek.

Salomon said the project was the student councils community service project for the school year.

We thought this would be productive, he said. Its not in the city but, I mean, its close enough and still helping the community. This was really, really devastating.

Lauren Doll, a freshman member of the student council at GHS, said she felt like they needed to do something to help.

The student council likes helping the community and likes doing stuff to make the community prettier, and better. So, thats kind of why we did this. We wanted to help out where we could, she said.

The project also hit home for her, she said.

I know a lot of people whose houses were almost destroyed by this fire and a lot of land and animals were also affected so I kind of wanted to give back and help, Doll said.

Among the trees planted Ponderosa Pines, Mountain Mahogany and American Plum, Todd Filipi, the resource conservation coordinator for the North Platte Natural Resources District, said. The trees all came from the Charles Bessey Tree Nursery in Halsey, a part of the USDA Forest Service.

While the trees made the long trip from Halsey, for many, it was a return trip of sorts.

Some of these trees are from seed that was actually collected here in the Wildcats, Filipi said. We took the seed to the nursery and they grew them up, sprouted them and were able to bring them back home.

In addition to helping repopulate the area of the wildfire with trees, Filipi said the saplings also have other purposes.

These guys will hopefully help hold the soil until the grasses and some of that come back. Additionally, all these species are good for wildlife and we hope to do great things that way, he said.

Filipi said the Urbaneks were chosen to receive the trees after speaking with them after the fire had swept through the area.

A lot of these landowners, after the fire, were stressed, concerned and had anxiety about what theyd ever see again in their landscape. (The Urbaneks) happened to be one of the landowners who we met with initially that was very interested in having some trees back, he said. This is a smaller property here. We thought this would be good for access for the kids and give them a taste of everything, without getting too messy.

Filipi said there will be more trips in the spring to help repopulate the trees in the Carter Canyon area.

A lot of the folks up here are interested in having some trees back, he said. We have some larger grants through the Nebraska Forest Service. Were potentially going to bring 30,000 Ponderosa Pine back while its being offered up to us, he said.

Salomon already expressed interest in bringing back students in the spring to help with that effort.

Meanwhile, Leo Urbanek said the tree planting project will go a long way to bringing beauty back to the property he fell in love with.

Were from Wyoming; we didnt want to get out of Wyoming. But this was so lovely, he said of the tree-lined hills that made up the landscape before the fire. I mean, every morning, we just get up and count our blessings. Its just those trees. All the trees just rolled, rolled, rolled.
Gering High School students expanded their views of food and the world at a demonstration of Japanese cuisine on Tuesday.

All students had the opportunity to try karaage don, a Japanese fried chicken dish, as one of their school lunch options that day, due to the work of Chef John Sugimura.

Sugimura is a second-generation Japanese chef who works with food management company, Taher, to bring Japanese cuisine and culture into schools.

Food Service Director Mary Carman said it was Sugimuras expertise that enabled the schools kitchen staff to prepare this dish for lunch.

Its done in authentic Japanese style, Carman said. The chef trains all the staff on how to do it, and then we execute it. Its fun, the kids love it, and its delicious.

Some students got an even more in-depth experience. Sugimura stuck around to teach culinary arts students how to prepare his grandmothers dumpling recipe and tell them the story of his Japanese-American family.

I cook food to tell the Japanese-American story, Sugimura said at the start of his presentation.

Sugimuras grandparents came to America from Japan in 1917. His grandfather died shortly after, leaving his grandmother as a single mother of five.

She needed to be self-sufficient, so she opened up a restaurant in Sacramento, said Sugimura. A highly regarded Japanese restaurant, female chef, female-owned, in the 30s. Theres still a mystique about that today, but unheard of in the 30s.

That hard-earned success was ended prematurely after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1942.

My grandma, with my dad, aunts, and uncles, closed the restaurant on Wednesday night like any other night, went home, and they were ordered into a prisoner of war camp Thursday morning, Sugimura said. They never returned to the restaurant, their home, any of their belongings.

Authorities kept Sugimuras family in that internment camp for over four years, and the experience led to another untimely death.

I never met my grandmother because after four and a half years, she came out of the camp with undiagnosed breast cancer, so she passed away long before I was born, said Sugimura.

Sugimuras family, like many other Japanese-American families, did their best to move on and forget what had been done to them. Sugimura said that this was due to a tenet of Japanese culture called gaman.

It means youre not a victim, dont pretend like youre a victim. Just put one foot in front of the other, smile, and go on, Sugimura explained to the students.

As a second-generation Japanese-American, Sugimura felt unable to forget. The story of his grandmother left him with unanswered questions, including one that is permanently lost to time.

Theres still one ingredient missing from his grandmothers dumpling recipe because none of her children can remember what it was, and she is no longer around to tell them.

It was that same recipe that Sugimura shared with Gering students on Tuesday, including a copy for them to take home and share with their own families.

In addition to sharing the story of his family and culture, Sugimura feels a need to expand the horizons of young people.

My motive is always to extend the world past the end of their driveway. To open their world, he said. These kids deserve more interesting food. They deserve food thats good for their body. They deserve food that tells a story.

This passion is driven by another tenet of Japanese culture that Sugimura holds very dear.

Theres a Japanese term called ikigai, and theres four principles: Do something that you love, do something that youre good at, do something that the world needs, and do something you can make a living at.

Three of those four principles were apparent to Sugimura, but it wasnt until he started visiting schools that he realized that the world truly did need someone to do exactly that.

Sugimuras story certainly made an impression on Gering students, including Kaden Malcolm.

I think it was really cool, Malcolm said after the demonstration. He has something to cook for, a motivation for why hes cooking. Its sad what happened to his grandma, but I think its awesome that he didnt let it make him sad.

Sugimura sees his work as a continuation of his familys history that keeps it from being a sad story.

If it was a book, the last chapter of that book would be that grandma died, grandma lost the restaurant, grandma lost the house, the family was homeless after the war, he said.

But it didnt end there, because that womans grandson grew up to operate the most popular and highly-rated Japanese restaurant in the country. One of the principles that has pushed Sugimura to that level of success is a simple question  Would this make grandma proud?

Sugimura will provide the same experience for students at Scottsbluff High School on Friday, Oct. 7. He plans to return in the future to teach students about another dish: yakisoba  grilled noodles, with vegetables and chicken skewers.
Tuesday, May 10, 2022, struck me as a rather sad day in Statesvilles history. It was on May 10 that the last of the furniture and other boxed-up items were moved out of the Statesville Record & Landmark building at 222 E. Broad St. The Record & Landmark had occupied the building near downtown Statesville since October 1956. Iredell Countys first newspaper was the Iredell Express, started by Eugene B. Drake in December 1857. For the first time in 164 years, there is no city newspaper office in Statesville.

During the COVID pandemic, the Record & Landmark office had been closed to the public as had many businesses across the country. The paper was still published, but the editors, reporters and other staff members worked from home creating the paper electronically before it and the Mooresville Tribune were printed at the Winston-Salem Journal location.

Having proven that the paper could be published more efficiently and at a lower cost, Lee Enterprises decided to continue having the paper published with much of the staff working from home. Lee Enterprises owns the Statesville Record & Landmark, Mooresville Tribune, Hickory Daily Record, Morganton News Herald, Marion McDowell News, Concord Independent Tribune, Winston-Salem Journal and Greensboro News & Record.

The Record & Landmark building on East Broad Street was once the location of the Second Presbyterian Church, an African American church built by the Rev. Amos D. Billingsley in the 1880s. The Record & Landmark building was built in 1956 when Joseph P. Jay Huskins was over the paper. The building has now been sold to the American Renaissance School.

On Thursday, Local History Librarian Shellie Taylor will present a program on Using Newspapers for Genealogy at 6 p.m. at the Iredell County Public Library in Statesville. The Iredell County Public Library has the Statesville Record & Landmark back issues available online and on paper and microfilm. Genealogy and local history researchers use the papers regularly to look up marriages, obituaries and Iredell County history.

There were several historical items in the Record & Landmark office that have been relocated to the library in Statesville where they remain on loan for public display. The oldest item and perhaps the most historically important is the desk used by J.P. Caldwell while he was owner and editor of The Landmark from 1880 to 1892.

Caldwell purchased The Landmark from J.S. Ramsey in January 1880. The first issue of The Landmark under J.P. Caldwell lists him as, JOS P. CALDWELL, Editor and Proprietor and is published on Jan. 9, 1880. In his first editorial, Caldwell aligns himself and The Landmark with the Conservative-Democratic Party. During this period, newspapers were political instruments and the Republican Party was seen as the Northern party or party of Lincoln while the Democratic Party was seen as the Conservative party of the old South.

Politics aside, I shall seek to make The LANDMARK a journal of interest to every class of subscribers. It will always have an eye to the material welfare of Statesville, Iredell and all the counties composing what is known as the Northwestern corner. Caldwell ends by saying, With a due sense of the solemn responsibility that is upon me. I lay before the public this my first issue of The Landmark.

Joseph (J.P.) Pearson Caldwell (6/16/1853-11/22/1911) was the son of Joseph Pearson Caldwell Sr., a former state legislator from Iredell County in 1833 and 1834 and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1849-50 and 1851-52. J.P. was barely 2 weeks old when his father died, and at the age of 14, he entered the newspaper business working at the Statesville American for Eugene B. Drake and his son William P. Drake. The Statesville American had previously been the Iredell Express, but changed names in 1865 after the Civil War ended.

Caldwell left the Iredell Express when Drake aligned the paper with the Republican Party of Lincoln in 1872 and went to work at The Statesville Intelligencer, a Conservative (Democratic) party paper. The Intelligencer was started under Charles R. Jones in 1872 and was the forerunner of The Landmark. In January 1874, Jones relocated to Charlotte after purchasing the Charlotte Observer. Caldwell also left to work for newspapers in Charlotte and Raleigh.

On June 19, 1874, the first issue of The Landmark was published by owner John B. Hussey, a Statesville attorney. The Landmark was a Democratic Party paper published by Hussey and his brothers-in-law, E.G. Mallard and James Mallard. In 1877, Hussey sells The Landmark to J.S. Ramsey, who in January 1880, sells the paper to J.P. Caldwell who returns to Statesville.

Over the next 12 years, Caldwell redefined what a small-town weekly newspaper could be. Many of Caldwells contemporaries called The Landmark the best newspaper in North Carolina, weekly or daily. In January 1892, Caldwell and Daniel Augustus Tompkins purchased the Charlotte Chronicle, the successor to the Charlotte Observer and sold half interest in The Landmark to Rufus Reid Clark who took over as The Landmarks editor.

Caldwell changed the name of the Chronicle back to the Charlotte Observer and as the papers editor, turned the Charlotte Observer into the most important newspaper in N.C. and one of the most important in the South. In 1900, he would help revolutionize newspaper editorials when he broke with the Democratic Party in N.C. and refused to endorse William Jennings Bryan for president. In doing so, Caldwell made the Charlotte Observer into an independent newspaper free from political party control.

The Charlotte Observer under J.P. Caldwell became a newspaper of record, a newspaper whose editorials and news stories were accurate and authoritative with creditable sources. Caldwell sold his half ownership of The Landmark to Rufus Clark in 1907. On March 8, 1909, Caldwell suffered a stroke of paralysis and was unable to continue as the Observer editor. During his life, he had been a supporter of medical care for the mentally ill and served for a time as the director of the State Hospital in Morganton. He was cared for there at his request until his death on Nov. 22, 1911. J.P. Caldwell is buried in his hometown of Statesville in Oakwood Cemetery.

Kept on top of J.P. Caldwells desk was another piece of furniture built by John Elam Cochrane (8/29/1858-12/26/1920) whom we believe also made the desk in the 1880s.

Cochrane was a master wood craftsman who ran an art gallery in Statesville selling easels, molding, showcases, curtain poles and fixtures. In the July 26, 1895, issue of The Landmark, an ad by Cockrane reads, I will make any article of furniture from original designs. If you could describe it and it could be made out of wood, Cockrane could built it.

The piece on top of Caldwells desk was an upright piece of furniture made with cubby holes to separate and store items such as mail, bills or business papers. A metal tag on the front identifies it as having been built by John E. Cochrane, Statesville, N.C. Cochrane would later relocate to Charlotte, where he built showcases before relocating to Lincolnton where he founded Cochrane Hardwood Mfg. Co. in 1905 with his wife, Emma McCoy Cochrane. Cochrane Furniture operated for more than 100 years before closing in 2009.

J.P. Caldwells growth as a newspaperman began while he was over The Landmark in Statesville. When he took over The Landmark in 1880, he was firmly opposed to any government spending that involved new taxes. For instance, he opposed the creation of public schools as it would involve taxpayer money and more government, but gradually he changed his position and became a supporter of public schools.

During J.P.s day, the newspaper office was a meeting place for local officials, businessmen and pretty much anyone who came into town and wanted to hear the latest news or talk politics. J.P. referred to them as the boys and would report on what the boys thought about a local news item. The Landmark  and later the Statesville Record & Landmark  offices were important fixtures in Statesville and were part of the citys identity.

J.P. Caldwells desk along with other historic items from the newspaper are now on display in the Local History Room at the Iredell County Public Library in Statesville.
Admitting that she pointed a pistol at an off-duty deputy in January, a Speedwell woman was convicted of three felonies on Tuesday.

Melissa Gail Huffman, 51, pleaded guilty in Wythe County Circuit Court to attempted malicious wounding, felony hit and run, and using a firearm in commission of a felony.

In a plea agreement with prosecutors, Huffman, who had no criminal record, was sentenced to serve three years in jail and will be on probation for two years after her release.

Police said off-duty Investigator E.W. Kirby was visiting family on Danner Road when Huffmans SUV hit his parked vehicle, kept going and hit another parked vehicle.

The officer followed the SUV to a Fort Chiswell Road hotel where another motorist whose vehicle had been hit confronted Huffman, police said.

After Kirby identified himself as a deputy, Huffman pulled out a revolver and pointed it at him, according to police. He grabbed the gun and Huffman cocked the hammer.

Police said the other motorist grabbed the gun, and Kirby got the woman on the ground and handcuffed.

A responding state trooper said Huffman, who said shed had two drinks of beer, was unruly when he arrived.

In April, she was found not guilty of driving while intoxicated and two misdemeanor counts of failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

As part of Tuesdays plea agreement, an attempted murder charge was amended to attempted malicious wounding.

Held without bond since her January arrest, Huffman is in the New River Valley Regional Jail in Dublin.
BANGKOK (AP)  A former police officer killed at least 24 children and 11 adults in a gun and knife attack that began at a child care center in Thailand on Thursday, authorities said. The assailant fled the first scene, shooting from his car as he drove home, before killing his wife and child and taking his own life.

Photos and videos posted online of the day care showed the floor of one room was smeared with blood and sleeping mats scattered about. Alphabet pictures and other colorful decorations adorned the walls.

In videos from the scene, frantic family members could be heard weeping outside the building. Ambulances stood by as police and medical workers walked around.

Authorities identified the assailant as a former police officer and said he entered the child care center after noon in the northeastern Thai town of Nongbua Lamphu.

Twenty-two children and two adults were killed in the building before the assailant fled, according to a police statement. But he continued to shoot people from his car, police Maj. Gen. Paisal Luesomboon told The Associated Press.

After arriving home, he killed his wife and child and then himself, police said.

Police said he killed another two children and nine adults outside the child care center, including his wife and his son.

Firearm-related deaths in Thailand are much lower than in countries like the United States and Brazil, but higher than in countries like Japan and Singapore that have strict gun control laws. The rate of firearms related deaths in 2019 was about 4 per 100,000, compared with about 11 per 100,000 in the U.S. and nearly 23 per 100,000 in Brazil.

Last month, a clerk shot co-workers at Thailand's Army War College in Bangkok, killing two and wounding another before he was arrested.
A 43-year-old Longview man was charged Tuesday after allegedly taking photos of a teenager while in the bathroom showering.

Jerry Whayne Bowers is charged with first-degree voyeurism and second-degree possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Longview police were dispatched at 7:45 a.m. on Sept. 29 to Oregon Way after receiving a 911 call. The teen told arriving police officers they noticed a cell phone peaking under the bathroom door while showering and the lens of the phones camera was pointing at them while nude. The minor told police the phone belonged to Bowers, as they knew each other prior to the incident.

Police said a family member saw and deleted the nude photos from Bowers phone; however, Bowers later told police he deleted the pictures from his phone, according to a police report.

While being questioned by police, Bowers said he took multiple photos of the minor while drying off in the bathroom and that the minor was unaware of being photographed. He told officers the photos were for himself.

A no-contact order to prevent Bowers from communicating with the teen was filed Sept. 29.

Bowers was in Cowlitz County Jail as of Wednesday afternoon with bond set at $30,000. He is expected to appear in Cowlitz County Superior Court on Oct. 13 for his arraignment.
KALAMA  Cory Torppa was called to fix something Tuesday in the Kalama High School gymnasium. He had no idea he was about to become one of five recipients of a $100,000 award.

Out of a pool of 758 applicants nationwide, Torppa was named as one of five grand-prize winners of a $100,000 grant through the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools teaching excellence program, which gave money for teachers who had plans to develop career and technical education at their schools.

Im speechless just even talking about it, to be honest, Torppa said.

The award came after Torppas 18 years of experience in the Kalama School District. Districts in the area have been ramping up career and technical education efforts.

To apply, Torppa said, Harbor Freight wanted to hear about his general vision for his classes. That vision: to teach students basic construction skills and attempt to build tiny homes in Kalama.

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I dont sugarcoat it, Torppa said. Its just, Here are your options. Right now, with things going well, the skys the limit on where you want to go. And its hard for me, because what industry needs, what people all say, is we need somebody that shows up on time and is willing to work ... (that) is just something that I try to model (in) my classroom.

When Torppa was called to fix something in the gym Tuesday morning, he was met with an assembly of students and school administrators who watched him receive the award, a complete surprise to him. The reason he continues to teach career and technical education, he said, comes down to the students and what they get out of it.

To see some students literally crying when I won that award because they know what Im going to do for our program and where were headed is priceless, Torppa said. Theyve bought into the program. They know how hard I want to work. Theyre working hard, and to see them crying and the congratulations that they were saying in class yesterday. Its a big deal.

The award went out to teachers across 15 states, according to a Harbor Freight news release. In Washington state, only two were selected. The other state recipient is Clark County educator Bill Culver of Vancouvers Evergreen High School.

National tool retailer Eric Smidt of Harbor Freight launched the teaching excellence prize in 2017 to give more recognition for teachers who focused on skills trades across high schools in the U.S.

We deeply appreciate the work skilled-trades teachers do to prepare and inspire our next generation of tradespeople, Smidt said in a news release. Their work is urgently needed, because while our countrys need for building and repairs is growing, our skilled trades workforce is shrinking.

The 20 winners chosen nationwide in total received $1.25 million from the grant. The five grand-prize winners, which includes Torppa, will spend $70,000 on their schools skilled trade program and had the option keep $30,000, though Torppa said he chose not to do that option.
The final draft of a federal report on rebuilding salmon and steelhead populations in the Pacific Northwest includes a call for removing the four lower Snake River dams, among other actions.

To say Im deeply disappointed by the Biden administrations report ... is an understatement, Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., said as the final draft was released Friday.

The report says it supports efforts to ensure a reliable, affordable and carbon-free energy support, Newhouse said, but there is no clean energy future in Washington state and throughout the Pacific Northwest without these hydroelectric dams.

The four Eastern Washington hydroelectric dams targeted for breaching are those from Ice Harbor Dam near the Tri-Cities upriver to Lower Granite Dam near Lewiston, Idaho.

The initial draft of Rebuilding Salmon and Steelhead in the Columbia River Basin was released in July by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, with the final report released Friday drawing largely the same conclusions.

Salmon recovery actions

Breaching the four dams is just one of the actions the final report recommended for salmon recovery the Columbia Basin river system. It also calls for:

 Increasing habitat restoration

 Reintroducing salmon into blocked areas, including the upper Columbia River and possibly the middle Snake River and Yakima River

 Managing predators, such as seabirds, nonnative northern pikeminnow and sea lions

 Reforming fish hatcheries and harvest

 Improving water quality, especially toxic pollutant level

 Reconnecting floodplain habitat

 Managing marine ecosystems

The final report added more discussion of reducing human impacts on the ocean environment and on the topic of toxic pollutants.

It said that for Snake River fish, the centerpiece action needed is restoring the river through dam removal.

That would decrease travel time for juvenile fish, reduce fish injuries and death at the dam powerhouses, reduce stress on juvenile fish that may contribute to them dying after they reach the ocean, and provide additional habitat for spawning and for young salmon, the report said.

Preparing for breaching

The final NOAA Fisheries report was released about a month after a study of what would be needed to replace the hydropower and other benefits of the lower Snake River dams, should they be breached. It was commissioned by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.

Both the governor and also the senator concluded, based on their report, that the benefits of the dams must be replaced before any decommissioning or breaching of the dams.

Benefits include allowing barging of large quantities of wheat and other agriculture products that otherwise would be moved to the coast for export by trucks and rail, increasing carbon emissions, and irrigation of farmland.

While salmon cannot be allowed to become extinct its clear that breach is not an option right now, Murray said in August.

While many mitigation measures exist, many require further analysis or are not possible to implement in the near-term. Importantly, the Pacific Northwest cannot delay its decarbonization goals as we confront the climate crisis, she said.

But the benefits of breaching the dams are significant and they must be mitigated or replaced, the governor said in August.

Both Inslee and Murray called for federal and state governments to move forward with steps that would in time allow the dams to be removed.

The final NOAA report confirms that recovering Snake River salmon and steelhead to healthy, harvestable levels requires removal of the four lower Snake River dams and that the need to move forward is urgent, said Rob Masonis, vice president of western conservation of Trout Unlimited.

The Murray-Inslee report establishes that it is feasible to replace the dams benefits with smart investments. So, the roadmap is clear  we must begin planning to remove the dams and replace their benefits, Masonis said.

Opposition to breaching

But Newhouse said that the NOAA report acknowledges that the greatest threats to salmon are ocean and climate conditions and the report also acknowledges that it lacks precise measures or estimates of the benefits of its recommended actions.

To take such drastic recommendations on the basis of such uncertainty is ludicrous, Newhouse said.

He accused the Biden administration of playing politics with the energy future of Central and Eastern Washington, while ignoring recent data showing spring and summer chinook returns at higher levels than they have been in years.

I will continue to educate my colleagues on the truth of this matter  dams and fish do coexist, he said.

The final NOAA report was written in collaboration with groups that have campaigned for years for dam removal, said Kurt Miller, executive director of Northwest RiverPartners, which represents Northwest electric utilities, plus river transportation and agriculture interests.

While it acknowledges the challenge of climate change for salmon, it neglects to recognize that removing productive hydroelectric dams would make climate change worse and cost the region billions of dollars, Miller said.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  The Supreme Court on Monday kicked off what promises to be another contentious and high-stakes term with oral arguments in a North Idaho couples case that could see the courts conservative supermajority roll back federal protections for the nations wetlands.

At issue is what exactly counts as waters of the United States, which are protected from pollution by the Clean Water Act of 1972. In previous cases, the high court has agreed the law applies to wetlands  which play important roles, including flood control and filtering pollutants  in addition to navigable bodies of water. But in a muddled 2006 decision, the courts nine justices split three ways, leaving conflicting tests for lower courts to apply in deciding if a wetland is protected.

Now, the court will try to resolve that ambiguity through a long-running case that centers on less than an acre of land in North Idaho.

The 15-year legal saga began after Chantell and Mike Sackett bought an undeveloped lot about 300 feet from the shore of Priest Lake in 2004. When they started filling it with sand and gravel to prepare for construction in 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency said that because the property sat on federally protected wetland, the couple needed to obtain a costly federal permit or face heavy fines.

Instead, the Sacketts sued the EPA in 2008 and their case has since wended its way up and down the federal court system, first reaching the Supreme Court in 2012, when the justices ruled unanimously that the couple could immediately challenge the EPAs order in federal court. When a district court judge in Idaho ruled in favor of the EPA and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision, the Sacketts petitioned the Supreme Court to take another look at their case.

The Supreme Court agrees to hear only about 1% of the cases brought before it. Jerry Long, a law professor at the University of Idaho, said the justices likely chose to consider the Sacketts argument for one of two reasons: They wanted either to constrain the federal governments regulatory authority or simply to clarify a confusing ruling in the 2006 case, Rapanos v. United States.

In that case, the late Justice Antonin Scalia, joined by three of his fellow conservatives, wrote that wetlands should be protected by the Clean Water Act so long as they had a continuous surface connection with a navigable body of water, such as Priest Lake. Under Scalias definition, the Sacketts argued in their brief, their plot of land should not be federally protected.

In an amicus brief, associations representing water regulators and managers said applying Scalias test would exclude at least 51% of the nations wetlands from the protection of the Clean Water Act.

But since Scalias opinion failed to gain the support of a majority of the court, lower courts have often followed a separate definition offered by former Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote that the statute encompassed any wetland that shared a significant nexus with navigable body of water, such that polluting it would affect the physical, chemical, or biological health of the clearly protected water.

The Obama administration tried to clear up the ambiguity by making a federal rule based on Kennedys test, promptly drawing legal challenges. The Trump administration subsequently created a rule based on Scalias test, which is still being challenged in court.

Its the biggest mess of overlapping litigation youve ever seen, said Todd Wildermuth, policy director at the University of Washingtons regulatory environmental law and policy clinic.

The Biden administration is in the process of crafting a new rule that aims to combine Scalias and Kennedys tests, but the Supreme Courts decision could upend that process, too.

Wildermuth emphasized that Congress could resolve the dispute at any time by passing new, clearer legislation, but that appears unlikely.

The Sacketts asked the Supreme Court to apply Scalias test, but in Mondays oral argument, justices on both sides of the courts ideological divide expressed concern that such a narrow reading may conflict with the intent of the 1972 law.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, in her first words from the bench since being confirmed to the high court by the Senate in April, got to the crux of the issue.

You say the question is which wetlands are covered, which I agree with, Jackson said to Damien Schiff of the Pacific Legal Foundation, the attorney representing the Sacketts. She then asked Schiff why Congress would draw the line between abutting wetlands and neighboring wetlands when the objective of the statute is to ensure the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nations water?

At the same time, the courts six Republican-appointed justices seemed worried that the governments definition of protected waters is unreasonably vague and risks unfairly penalizing landowners. Justice Neil Gorsuch asked the Justice Department attorney representing the EPA, Brian Fletcher, to define exactly how close a wetland must be from a navigable body of water to be considered adjacent.

When Fletcher declined to specify a distance, Gorsuch asked, So, if the federal government doesnt know, how is a person subject to criminal time in federal prison supposed to know?

Stakeholders weighed in on both sides of the argument in dozens of amicus briefs, including the Idaho Conservation League, which argued the Sacketts property must be considered adjacent to the lake because groundwater flows from their land into the lake.

The Congressional Western Caucus, a group of House Republicans led by Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse of Sunnyside, argued that the Clean Water Act gave the federal government far narrower authority than the EPA has interpreted and said, local communities are capable of making land use and water decisions far better than a bureaucrat thousands of miles away.

A group of 18 Native American tribes, including the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, said they depend on the Clean Water Act to protect both waters on their reservation and those off their reservations to which they have treaty rights.

Tribes have always known what science fully demonstrates: Waters of the United States, including wetlands, are connected, and the Clean Water Act must comprehensively cover waters to protect and restore the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nations waters, consistent with Congresss purpose and direction, the tribes wrote.

The court is likely to issue its decision in the Sackett v. EPA case next summer.
Made by Google launch event: Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro will be launching today. Here is when and where to watch the event live online.

Google is all set to officially introduce the latest Google Pixel devices including Google Pixel 7, Google Pixel 7 Pro, and the Google Pixel Watch on Thursday, October 6 at the Made by Google launch event. The launch event will start at 10 am ET (7:30 pm IST). Informing about the same Google said, "On October 6, 2022 at 10 am ET, we will officially introduce the latest Google Pixel devices during a live event." Along with the Google Pixel line up, the company will also announce additions to the Nest smart home portfolio. People will be able to watch the Made by Google launch event live online. Here is all you need to know.

Made by Google launch event: When and where to watch it live online

The Made by Google launch event will start at 10 am ET (7:30 pm IST) today. The launch event will take place in the Williamsburg neighborhood of NYC. While the in-person event is limited to invited members of the press, you can tune in live at GoogleStore.com/events, available to users in the U.S., Great Britain, and Australia. If you are looking to watch the event outside of one of those countries, you can check out the livestream at Made by Google YouTube channel. Click on the direct link here.

You can also follow @madebygoogle for real-time updates across social media during and after the event. You can even set a reminder for the same in order to not to miss the event on YouTube. All you need to do is simply visit the Made By Google YouTube channel and click on the 'Notify Me' option.

About the Google Pixel 7 Phones

Google first gave a sneak peek of the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and the Google Pixel Watch during the keynote at Google I/O in May 2022. The Pixel 7 phones will run on Android 13 and feature the next generation of Tensor, Google's custom mobile chip, which will bring more personalized features for photos, videos, security, and speech recognition.

The Google Pixel Watch will offer WearOS experience, and is designed to work with all Pixel and Android phones, as well as Pixel Buds Pro and Pixel Buds A-Series wireless earbuds.
Most brands tend to have an exclusive membership to cater to loyal fans and customers. In celebrating its 3rd Anniversary, OPPO Malaysia is offering promotions to its My OPPO App members. But what do they usually offer besides promotions? Read on below to find out more.

Since its launch three years ago, My OPPO App already has over 2 million users in Malaysia. From time to time, Members Day celebrations with amazing rewards will happen from the 16th to the 18th of every month. Once you register as a My OPPO App member, you can unlock new levels and privileges by earning experience points through product purchases. A variety of gifts and coupons are prepared such as Birthday Reward, Exclusive Discounts on Repair Costs, Food & Beverage Vouchers and so much more.

My OPPO App also connects members via exclusive O-Time experiences. These engagements are closed-door events that facilitate in-depth interaction between members and brands. This includes First-hand Experience with the latest products, Experiential Lifestyle Workshops such as Cooking and Baking Classes, Product Knowledge Sharing and Interactive Sessions, which allow members to grow with OPPO.

Being an OPPO customer, you are entitled to enjoy a wealth of free services such as send-in repair service, labour cost, service day discount, disinfection service, software upgrade and 1-hour flash fix on a general basis. According to OPPO Malaysia, their Net Promoter Score (NPS), also known as Customer Satisfaction Rate is rated 94%.

On top of that, to enhance the transparency of the services provided, OPPO Malaysia has been gradually integrating its after-sales services into stores since November 2019. There are now 17 My OPPO Spaces, 2 Service Centers and 1 Send-in Repair Service Center around Malaysia, ensuring every customers issue can be resolved in the shortest amount of time.

To know more and join the OPPO Members community, as well as celebrate the My OPPO 3rd Anniversary with fantastic deals and offers right now, you can visit the official webpage right here.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Apple Inc. has been illegally threatening Oklahoma City retail workers in the lead-up to a unionization election next week, the Communications Workers of America alleged in a U.S. labor board filing.

The company is violating federal labor law by engaging in surveillance and interrogation of employees, according to the CWA's claim, which was filed with the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday. Apple held mandatory "captive audience" anti-union meetings, threatened to withhold new perks from stores that unionized and told staff that supporting a union would be futile, the labor group said.

Apple, based in Cupertino, California, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The tech giant's retail chain, which has about 270 stores in the U.S., has become a key target for union activists after years of evading organized labor. The Oklahoma City employees are slated to vote Oct. 13 and Oct. 14 on whether to join the CWA, making their store the company's second unionized U.S. location.

Retail staff at an Apple location in Towson, Maryland, voted in June to unionize with the International Association of Machinists, marking one of several recent labor wins at prominent U.S. companies. Union drives have also made inroads at Amazon.com Inc., Starbucks Corp., Trader Joe's and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.

On Friday, the NLRB's general counsel issued a complaint against Apple in New York City, finding merit in allegations from the CWA that the company interrogated employees at a World Trade Center store about their workplace activism and discriminated against union supporters in enforcing a no-soliciting policy.

The agency's complaint accused Apple of "interfering with, restraining and coercing" staff in their exercise of legally protected rights. The CWA has also filed a still-pending complaint with the NLRB in Atlanta. The labor group had petitioned in April for an election at a store in that city, but then withdrew the request a week before the scheduled vote, citing the company's conduct.

Apple said following the New York City complaint that it disagreed with the allegations. "We are fortunate to have incredible retail team members and we deeply value everything they bring to Apple," the company said in a statement Tuesday. "We regularly communicate with our teams and always want to ensure everyone's experience at Apple is the best it can be."

Claims unions file with the labor board are investigated by regional offices andif found to have merit and not settledcan be prosecuted by the agency's general counsel and heard by administrative law judges. The rulings can be appealed to NLRB members in Washington and from there can go to federal court. The agency can require remedies such as posting of notices and reversals of policies or punishments, but it has no authority to impose punitive damages.

While the NLRB has previously held that companies can require employees to attend anti-union meetings, the agency's current general counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, views such "captive audience" sessions as inherently coercive and illegal. Her office is pursuing cases that could change the precedent.

Apple employee Michael Forsythe, a leader in the Oklahoma campaign, said that the company has recently brought in several out-of-town managers so that his store's usual bosses can spend their time holding group and one-on-one anti-union conversations.

In one meeting he attended, the store's manager told employees that even if they unionized, their representatives would have no power to make Apple spend more money on their store. "The budget is the budget, and the only thing you can do is reallocate pieces of the pie," the manager said, according to Forsythe.

Forsythe said he's hopeful that the company will change its approach if the union prevails in next week's vote.

"Regardless of what happens, we all still have to work together," he said. "I hope it'll be a much more cooperative path forward to a contract."

Explore further Amazon anti-union confabs deemed illegal by labor officials

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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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.

Here's what you need to know about the cable reform:

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 everyonefrom frustrated consumers to our vulnerable environment."

Can Apple chargers be used in Europe?

The law would effectively force Apple to switch its proprietary Lightning charger to USB-C on iPhones.

Apple's 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 Apple's 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."

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."

Explore further EU lawmakers impose single charger for all smartphones

(c)2022 U.S. Today

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Electronic signage at an Optus telecommunications retail store is seen at the central business district of Sydney, Australia, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. The government has announced changes to telecommunications law, Thursday, Oct. 6 to protect customers of Australia's second-largest wireless carrier, Optus, whose personal details were stolen in a major cyberattack. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Baker

A police investigation of a cyberattack on an Australian telecommunications company in which the personal data of more than one third of Australia's population was stolen has resulted in its first arrest, investigators said Thursday.

Police launched Operation Hurricane in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Bureau Investigation after Optus, Australia's second-largest wireless carrier, lost the personal records of 9.8 million current and former customers on Sept. 21.

The hacker dumped the records of 10,000 of those customers on the dark web last week as part of an attempt to extort $1 million from Optus, a subsidiary of Singapore Telecommunications Ltd., also known as Singtel.

A 19-year-old Sydney man was arrested on Thursday and charged with using the dumped data in a text message blackmail scam, police said in a statement.

The man, who has not been identified publicly, has yet to appear in court on two charges that carry prison sentences of up to 10 and seven years.

Police allege he sent text messages to 93 Optus customers demanding 2,000 Australian dollars ($1,300) be deposed in a bank account or the data would be used in a financial crime. None of the targets paid.

One of the extortion targets, identified only as Belinda and described as a mother of a 5-year-old child with cancer, told Nine Network News last week, "To be honest, it's just not what we need."

"I guess they're just trying to hopefully pressure people into paying," she told Nine.

Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough said the investigation is continuing.

"The Hurricane investigation is a high priority for the AFP and we are aggressively pursuing all lines of inquiry to identify those behind the attack," Gough said.

"Just because there has been one arrest does not mean there won't be any more arrests," she added.

The Australian government announced changes to its telecommunications law to protect vulnerable Optus customers.

The changes to the Telecommunications Regulations allow Optus and other providers to better coordinate with financial institutions and governments to detect and mitigate the risk of cybersecurity incidents, fraud, scams and other malicious cyber activities, a government statement said.

Optus ran full-page ads in Australian newspapers on Saturday under the headline, "We're deeply sorry."

The ad included a link to an Optus website that details actions that customers can take to avoid identity theft and fraud.

The government can change regulations without legislative approval. But the government hopes to pass changes to the Privacy Act in Parliament during the final four weeks of its 2022 session in response to the Optus breach.

The changes would include increased penalties for companies with lax cybersecurity protections and curbs on the quantities and types of customer data that businesses can amass, as well as the duration for which personal information can be kept.

Explore further Australia updates law to protect data after Optus hack

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Oil and gas prices skyrocketed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in spring 2022, creating a global energy crisis similar to the oil crisis of the 1970s. While some countries used the price shock to accelerate the transition to cleaner sources of energy, such as wind, solar and geothermal, others have responded by expanding the production of fossil fuels.

A new study appearing this week in the journal Science identifies the political factors that allow some countries to take the lead in adopting cleaner sources of energy while others lag behind. The findings offer important lessons as many governments around the world race to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the devastating impacts of climate change.

"We are really interested in understanding how national differences mediate the responses of countries to the same kind of energy challenge," said study lead author Jonas Meckling, an associate professor of energy and environmental policy at the University of California, Berkeley. "We found that the political institutions of countries shape how much they can absorb costly policies of all kinds, including costly energy policies."

By analyzing how different countries responded to the current energy crisis and to the oil crisis of the 1970s, the study reveals how the structure of political institutions can help or hinder the shift to clean energy. Meckling carried out the analysis in collaboration with study co-authors Phillip Y. Lipscy of the University of Toronto, Jared J. Finnegan of University College London, and Florence Metz of the University of Twente, in the Netherlands.

Because policies that promote the transition to cleaner energy technologies are often costly in the short-term, they can garner significant political pushback from constituents, including consumers and corporations. The analysis found that the countries that were most successful at pioneering cleaner energy technologies had political institutions that helped absorb some of this pushbackeither by insulating policymakers from political opposition or by compensating consumers and corporations for the extra costs associated with adopting new technologies.

For example, Meckling said, many countries in continental and northern Europe have created institutions that allow policymakers to insulate themselves from pushback by voters or lobbyists or to pay off constituencies impacted by the transition. As a result, many of these countries have been more successful at absorbing the costs associated with transitioning to a clean energy system, such as investing in greater wind capacity or upgrading transmission grids.

Meanwhile, countries that lack such institutions, such as the U.S., Australia and Canada, often follow market-driven transitions, waiting for the price of new technologies to drop before adopting them.

"We can expect that countries that can pursue the insulation or compensation path will be early public investors in these very costly technologies that we need for decarbonization, such as hydrogen fuel cells and carbon removal technologies," Meckling said. "But once these new technologies become cost competitive in the market, then countries like the U.S. can respond relatively rapidly because they are so sensitive to price signals."

One way to help insulate policymakers from political pushback is to hand over regulatory power to independent agencies that are less subject to the demands of voters or lobbyists. The California Air Resources Board (CARB), a relatively autonomous agency that has been tasked with implementing many of California's climate goals, is a prime example of such an institution. Thanks in part to CARB, California is often considered a global leader in limiting greenhouse gas emissions, despite being a state within the U.S.

Germany, another global climate leader, is instead using compensation to achieve its ambitious climate goals. For example, the Coal Compromise brought together disparate groupsincluding environmentalists, coal executives, trade unions and leaders from coal mining regionsto agree on a plan to phase out coal by the year 2038. To achieve this goal, the country will provide economic support to workers and regional economies that are dependent on coal, while bolstering the job market in other industries.

"We want to show that it's not just resource endowments that shape how countries respond to energy crises, it's also politics," Meckling said.

The U.S., as a whole, does not have strong institutions in place to absorb political opposition to costly energy policies. However, Meckling said that policymakers can still drive the energy transition forward by leveraging the leadership of states like California by focusing on policies that have more dispersed costs and less political oppositionsuch as support for energy research and developmentand by clearing the way for the market to adopt new technologies once the cost has gone done.

"Countries like the U.S. that do not have these institutions should at least focus on removing barriers once these clean technologies become cost competitive," Meckling said. "What they can do is reduce the cost for market actors."

More information: Jonas Meckling, Why nations lead or lag in energy transitions, Science (2022). www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adc9973 Journal information: Science Jonas Meckling, Why nations lead or lag in energy transitions,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.adc9973
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Colorado state government's homepage, Colorado.gov, was taken down Wednesday due to a cyberattack by an anonymous agent, according to news release.

A temporary landing page, with links to unaffected government services, was put in its place. Officials had no estimate on when the main page will be available again.

The cyberattack was claimed by an anonymous group that targeted state government services and websites across the country, according to Brandi Simmons, a spokesperson for the Governor's Office of Information Technology. She did not respond immediately when asked if there were any ransom demands or what other governments might have been affected.

The outage does not appear to be affecting all Colorado state government. The Department of Revenue's website, secretary of state's website and the state Legislature's website, for example, did not appear affected as of about 2:30 p.m. Mountain time Tuesday.

The governor's office did not have an immediate comment on the outage.

The Governor's Office of Information Technology and State Emergency Operations Center are working with other state and federal agencies to restore access to the homepage, according to the release. It is also taking additional security measures to ensure other websites and serves are not affected.

A cyberattack on the government isn't a unique phenomenon in Colorado. Wheat Ridge's city government faced a ransomware attack in late August, with hackers demanding $5 million in a hard-to-trace cryptocurrency to put things right. Those city leaders opted to keep their money and rebuild its databases and computer systems itself with existing backups.

And last October, hackers accessed the personal information of more than 30,000 current and former students and employees at the University of Colorado, Boulder. University officials said then that the accessed database included names, student ID numbers, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers and genders, but not financial information or Social Security numbers.

Explore further Attempted cyberattack disrupts Louisiana state government

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Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Eviation's 'Alice' landed successfully at the conclusion of its first flight on September 27, 2022 in Moses Lake, Washington.

Recent test flights suggest the era of electric airplanes is coming closer, but aviation experts caution that achieving commercial use hinges on regulatory approval which has an unknowable timeframe.

Eviation Aircraft successfully completed a test flight in Washington state last week, showcasing a plane the company plans to begin delivering to airlines in 2027.

That came on the heels of an Icelandair flight in August which carried Iceland's president and prime minister among its passengers.

Besides the benefit in eliminating carbon dioxide emissions, electric airplane travel potentially means less noise than conventional plane transport, as well as eliminating the need for jet fuel, a major expense for commercial airlines.

Gregory Davis, chief executive of Eviation, called last week's test flight the start of "the next era of aviation," and said it offered a glimpse of what "affordable, clean and sustainable aviation looks and sounds like."

But industry experts speak of a hazy timeframe before that future becomes reality, in part because of murkiness over how quickly US air safety authorities will move to greenlight new technology from a seven-year old company with no operating history.

Eviation is "stepping into some unknown areas as far as how you certify and support electric aircraft," said Glenn McDonald, a principal at AeroDynamic Advisory, a consultancy.

While the 2027 timeframe for the Eviation plane "could be realistic," McDonald noted that the Federal Aviation Administration has taken a more painstaking approach to certifications since the Boeing 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019.

The two-seat Velis Electro, certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in 2020, is the only electric plane currently cleared for service.

Michel Merluzeau, director of aerospace and defense analysis at AIR consultancy, said the end of the decade was probably a more realistic timeframe than 2027 for the US market.

"It's fundamentally early days," said Merluzeau, adding that the FAA will only approve the vehicle after exhaustive testing.

Eviation CEO Gregory Davis observing the all-electric 'Alice' aircraft after its test flight on September 27, 2022.

Much testing ahead

The September 27 test flight of Eviation's "Alice" aircraft was an eight-minute voyage that reached an altitude of 3,500 feet (1,065 meters) on a sunny morning.

The company plans to produce a cargo plane, a six-seat "executive" version and a "commuter" model carrying up to nine passengers on flights of up to 250 nautical miles.

Davis characterized the test plane as "prototype aircraft built by hand." The commercial version is expected to be the same size and weight, but with more advanced battery technology.

"We fully expect to have our choice" of battery, Davis told AFP in an interview.

Among those closely watching the process is Global Crossing Airlines Group, a Miami flight company that has signed a letter of intent for 50 aircraft it plans to fly in Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Alice's appeal stems from the savings in jet fuel costs, said Ryan Goepel, chief financial officer at Global Crossing, which has said it expects to begin receiving planes in 2027.

"We see this as a product that has a lot of demand and really low operating costs," Goepel said, adding that the test flight represented a "huge milestone."

Davis said the next step will be to analyze flight data, and the company expects to begin FAA testing in 2025, with commercial production also beginning that year.

The agency declined to comment directly on Eviation, but a spokesman said, "speaking generally, the FAA can certify these new aircraft through its existing regulatory framework."

The all-electric aircraft 'Alice' taxis on the tarmac after its test flight on September 27, 2022 in Moses Lake, Washington.

"Some certifications could require the FAA to issue special conditions or additional airworthiness criteria, depending on the type of project," the official said in an email.

Setting specific conditions is a typical response from the FAA when addressing new technologies but that process can "take a while," said Waruna Seneviratne of the National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State University.

Testing will be extensive before the FAA allows the jet on the market for the flying public, Seneviratne predicted.

"The goal is to find that one incident, one bad part that's going to take an airplane down," he said.

Merluzeau said the fact Alice is a new plane rather than an established model reconfigured with an electric engine amounts to "an incredibly complex assignment" for the FAA.

A lengthy, costly certification process would be a challenge for the young firm.

"How do you survive long enough as a company when you know the certification is going to take a long time?" Merluzeau said. "How will they be able to do that when they are burning through cash?"

Eviation is currently backed by the Clermont Group, a Singapore private investment group chaired by Richard Chandler, whose wealth is estimated by Forbes at $2.6 billion.

An Eviation spokeswoman said the company "will be pursuing additional funding on the path to certification and production."

Explore further Prototype electric airplane takes first flight

 2022 AFP
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Emergency crews responding to hurricane-damaged areas may soon get an assist from a machine learning model that can better predict the extent of building damage soon after the storm passes.

The model uses remote sensing from satellites that can generate building footprints from pre-hurricane images and then compare them with images taken after the storm.

While some previous models could only tell if a building was damaged or not damaged, this deep learning model can accurately classify how much damage buildings sustainedkey information for emergency responders, said Desheng Liu, co-author of the study and professor of geography at The Ohio State University.

"Often it is difficult or impossible to rapidly assess the impact of a hurricane or other natural disaster from the ground," Liu said. "Our goal is to be able to provide near real-time information about building damage that can help emergency crews respond to disasters."

Liu conducted the study with Polina Berezina, a graduate student in geography at Ohio State. Their results were published earlier this year in the journal Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk.

The researchers tested their new model on data from Hurricane Michael in 2018 and found that its overall damage assessment was 86.3% accurate in one region of Floridaan 11% improvement over one current state-of-the-art model.

The research study area included Bay County and parts of neighboring Calhoun, Gulf, Washington, Leon and Holmes counties on the panhandle of Florida. Panama City is the major metropolitan area included in the study.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated the total damage to the U.S. economy from Hurricane Michael to equal $25 billion. Of that amount, $18.4 billion worth of damage occurred in Florida.

The researchers obtained commercial satellite images for the study area. Pre-hurricane images were from October or November 2017. Post-event imagery was obtained on cloud-free days directly after the hurricane impact, mostly on Oct. 13, 2018. The hurricane had made landfall on Oct. 10.

Within the dataset the researchers used, the study area included 22,686 buildings.

Berezina and Liu used a type of machine learning called convolutional neural networks (or CNN) to first generate building footprints from the pre-hurricane satellite imagery and then classify the amount of damage after the storm. Their model classified buildings as undamaged, minor damage, major damage or destroyed.

Overall, the new model has an overall accuracy of 86.3%, improving upon the 75.3% accuracy of the support vector machine model (or SVM) to which it was compared.

"The SVM struggled to distinguish between minor and major damage, which can be a major issue for teams responding after a hurricane," Liu said. "Overall, our results for Hurricane Michael are promising."

In live hurricane situations, Liu said the model could be used to rate the probability that individual buildings are in a certain damage classsuch as minor damage or major damageto help direct emergency management and first responders to where they should check first.

Explore further Remote sensing research improves hurricane response

More information: Polina Berezina et al, Hurricane damage assessment using coupled convolutional neural networks: a case study of hurricane Michael, Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk (2022). Polina Berezina et al, Hurricane damage assessment using coupled convolutional neural networks: a case study of hurricane Michael,(2022). DOI: 10.1080/19475705.2022.2030414
Credit: Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

In September, California took steps to crack down on "cyberflashing," following Texas and Virginia to become the third state to pass a law aimed at curbing this form of digital harassment.

California's Forbid Lewd Activity and Sexual Harassment, or FLASH, Act gives people who have electronically received unsolicited, explicit material the ability to pursue up to $30,000 in civil damages. Ari Waldman, a Northeastern professor of law and computer science, says the FLASH Act is another move in the right direction, but he argues more needs to be done at the state and federal level to get online platforms actively involved.

"Legal institutions are not used to getting involved in understanding algorithms and understanding how defaults work and understanding design," says Waldman, who also serves as faculty director of the Center for Law, Information and Creativity. "What they're used to doing is telling platforms that they have to give people notice and that's not enough here, so [laws like this] are a convenient way to get involved in something."

From dating apps to wireless file sharing, cyberflashing has become a serious concern for both users and platform holders. A survey done by Bumble, which describes itself as a "women-first" dating app, found that one of out of every two women said they had received an unsolicited nude while using the app. Bumble threw its support behind the bills passed in all three states and is working on getting similar legislation passed in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

When it comes to getting involved in the often-tricky world of regulating online activity, civil laws like the ones passed in California and Virginia are "a convenient approach that doesn't involve the complex nitty gritty of actually doing something about it on a systemic level," Waldman says. Civil laws like the FLASH Act are designed to deter negative behavior by giving people who have suffered harm a legal mechanism to get compensation. Texas opted to take a different approach by criminalizing cyberflashing altogether.

The debate over whether civil or criminal law is better equipped to deter behavior like this is not new to cyberflashing, Waldman says.

"Some people feel that making it a criminal law has more of an effect because with criminal laws, you can go to jail, you have higher fines," Waldman says. "Other people feel that criminal law is not really the best tool at regulating stuff related to sex and sexual expression."

Waldman says in taking a criminal law approach in any situation can also have "complicating factors."

"What happens when a cyberflasher happens to be under 18, and then the person who receives it without their consent also is now in possession of child pornography?" Waldman says. "Passing one lawcriminal or civilis not the end of these stories."

Criminal law can play a role, Waldman says, but it has to be deployed deliberately and purposefully.

However, Waldman argues more of a difference can be made by working to encourage, and even require, platforms and technology companies to make changes on their end. In some cases, it means changing the design philosophy and "defaults" associated with the technology, including Air Drop. The Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled feature on iPhones allows file-sharing between iPhone users from up to 30 feet away, even if they're not on each other's contact lists. It has also been used to send unsolicited obscene photos to total strangers.

"When Air Drop is defaulted to 'anyone can send you anything,' that is a design choice that is creating a particular vision of how this company feels people should connect," Waldman says. "That vision is open connection. We need to encourage platforms to be more protective of privacy and safety than open connection."

Platforms also tend to approach cases of harassment as one-off incidents instead of viewing them as part of a larger pattern of harassment. Waldman says if a user wants to report an incident of cyberflashing or get a harassing comment taken down, they can flag it but platforms rarely "look beyond the four walls of the one picture you flagged."

"If you are more able to provide contextand platforms don't really like thatand show how all of these tools are being used against you as part of a larger pattern, then there might be more options for redress," Waldman says.

Unfortunately, there are some concrete barriers to regulating online platforms. One is that lawmakers typically don't understand what platforms do or how they work, Waldman says. But more concerning is a major legal and constitutional hurdle: Section 230.

"The main obstacle for states telling platforms what they can and cannot allow is that, for better or for worse, the First Amendment doctrine and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act pretty much immunizes these platforms from regulation and from lawsuits and a lot of other things that could provide outside limits on what they do," Waldman says.

Section 230 is a federal law that was passed in 1996 as part of the CDA and provides near blanket immunity for online platforms when it comes to third-party content.

Recent developments in online law could also make it even more difficult for states or the federal government to get companies to remove or regulate content on their platforms. Texas' House Bill 20 prohibits social media companies from removing posts or users based on a political "viewpoint."

The Texas law is part of a broader conservative movement that claims there is an anti-conservative bias among major tech companies and social media platforms. Although these claims have been disputed, social media companies do have policieseffective or ineffectivethat prohibit graphic content, hate speech and bullying.

"Any conversation about the law's role here has to be told with a context that there is one major political party that's trying to use law to manipulate platforms to do what it wants to, to advance its causes," Waldman says. "You can't talk about these laws without talking about the disingenuous activities that one side is engaged in because they color how we approach law generally."

The days of changing how platforms regulate cyberflashing are still a ways off, Waldman says. But the FLASH Act and the recent rush of new legislation that's making its way through state legislatures is at least a place to start.

"Obviously, there are limitations for how this is going to work, but it's a convenient approach that doesn't involve the complex nitty gritty of actually doing something about it on a systemic level," Waldman says.

Explore further Singapore proposes new law to tackle harmful online content
Traders gather around a post as Twitter shares resume trading on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Seth Wenig

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 oneif 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 areunderstandablyanxious 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 publicor whether he will undertake a full-scale overhaul."

Muddling things further, on Tuesday Musk tweeted that "Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app," without further explanation.

Although Musk's tweets and statements have been cryptic, technology analysts have speculated that Musk wants to re-create a version of China's WeChat app that can do video chats, messaging, streaming, scan bar codes and make payments.

He gave a little more detail during Tesla's annual shareholder meeting in August, telling the crowd at a factory near Austin, Texas, that he uses Twitter frequently and knows the product well. "I think I've got a good sense of where to point the engineering team with Twitter to make it radically better," he said.

Handling payments for goods could be a key part of the app. Musk said he has a "grander vision" for what X.com, an online bank he started early in his career that eventually became part of PayPal, could have been.

"Obviously that could be started from scratch, but I think Twitter would help accelerate that by three-to-five years," Musk said at the August meeting. "So it's kind of something that I thought would be quite useful for a long time. I know what to do."

For now, Twitter has immediate and pressing problems Musk will need to deal with if he takes ownership of the company. Its social media rivals are struggling with declining stock prices and some, like Snap, even announced layoffs. Government regulation and attracting younger users away from TikTok are also challenges. And Musk's vision of a free speech haven has social media and content moderation experts, as well as digital and human rights advocates, concerned.

"When this all started in the spring, we had indicators and a strong sense of what Musk might do with the platform," said Angelo Carusone of Media Matters, a watchdog group that opposes the takeover. "Because of the lawsuit, we know who he's been talking to, what he's been saying and the types of far-right ideological decision makers he wants to put in place. To put it bluntly, the worst fears have been confirmed."

Twitter employees, under former CEO Jack Dorsey and his predecessors, have spent years working to tame the platform once called the "free-speech wing of the free-speech party" where hate and harassment abound into something where all are welcome and safe. While it's far from perfect, critics worry Musk's ownership will mean turning back the clock on years of this work.

"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," Carusone said.

The company, for instance, was an early adopter of the "report abuse" button in 2013, after U.K. member of parliament Stella Creasy received a barrage of rape and death threats on the platform, echoing the experiences of other women over the years.

In subsequent years, Twitter continued to craft rules and invest in staff and technology to detect violent threats, harassment and misinformation that violates its policies. After evidence emerged that Russia used their platforms to try to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, social media companies also stepped up their efforts against political misinformation.

The big question now is how far Musk, who describes himself as a "free-speech absolutist," wants to ratchet back these systemsand whether users and advertisers will stick around if he does.

Aiming to tamp down such worries, Musk said in May he wants Twitter to be "as broadly inclusive as possible " where ideally, most of America is on it and talkinga far cry from the far-right playground his critics are warning against.

And while Musk has hinted he'd consider reinstating Trump's account, it's not clear the former president, who has since launched his own social media platform, would return.

Then there's the matter of Twitter's employees, who've been living with uncertainty, high- (and low-) profile departures and a potential owner who's publicly derided them on their own platform. Musk has also targeted Twitter's work-from home policy, having once called for the company's headquarters to be turned into a "homeless shelter" because, he said, so few employees actually worked there.

As a hyper-frequent Twitter user with over 100 million followers, Musk does know how to use the platform. During an all-hands staff meeting Musk attended in June, he said his goal was to make it "so compelling that you can't live without it." If he's able to realize this, it could finally put Twitter in the big leagues of social media, with TikTok and Meta's Facebook and Instagram, where users are counted in the billions, not mere millions.

Of course, Musk is also well known for predictions that are delayed or may not come true, such as colonizing Mars or deploying a fleet of autonomous robotaxis.

"This is not a car manufacturer where, good enough, all you have to do is beat General Motors. Sorry, that isn't really that hard," said David Kirsch, a professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland who's studied Twitter bots' effect on Tesla's stock price. "You are dealing here with all of these other companies (that) also have very sophisticated AI programs, very sophisticated Ph.D. programmers...everyone is trying to crack this nut."

Explore further A timeline of billionaire Elon Musk's bid to control Twitter

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
DNA Journey: SR4: Ep2 on ITV and ITV Hub. Pictured: Kate Garraway discovers she is related to Paddington Bear. Voltage TV

Kate Garraway discovers a surprise relation in tonights episode of DNA Journey on ITV.

The show sees celebrity pairs head off on a to find out where their heritage from and unearth secrets from their past with the help of cutting edge DNA technology and genealogy.

In the second episode of the new series this evening, daytime Queens, Kate Garraway and Alison Hammond embark on a road trip to find out about their family history.

From Bristol, to London, to Jamaica, they cover the globe and find out that some of their own colourful and extraordinary ancestors would definitely make an eye opening item of one of their morning shows.

Kate heads to London to meet her cousins for the first time and finds out shes related to Michael Bond, creator of Paddington Bear.

Later, over in Jamaica, Kate is amazed to learn she also has a deep connection to James Bond. She learns her ancestor was in the elite secretive unit, T-Force in World War II and this unit was the inspiration for the worlds most famous spy, James Bond.

For Alison, visiting Jamaica, homeland of her recently deceased Mum, is an incredibly emotional and moving journeyone that brings her closer to her Mumas she finds out the most jaw dropping of maternal histories.

She learns that her 3 x Great Grandfather, not only campaigned for the rights of free people of colour; he was instrumental in gaining their freedoms by attracting attention at the highest level  in the House of Commons  at great personal sacrifice.

DNA Journey airs Thursday at 9PM on ITV and ITV Hub.
The Salvation Army of Bryan-College Station has opened enrollment for its annual Angel Tree Christmas Assistance Program through Oct. 21, which gives low-income families the opportunity to have gifts for their children on Christmas Day.

In 2021, the Salvation Army of B-CS assisted 1,041 families in the Brazos County area, by providing Christmas gifts for 2,563 children, according to Capt. Andrea Israel, Salvation Army Bryan-College Station corps officer.

We really want to encourage individuals to apply if they feel that they are in need. We would love the opportunity to help assist families in our community through the Angel Tree program, she said. The Angel Tree process as a whole for Brazos County is for families who find themselves in financial need where they believe they will not be able to provide Christmas presents for their children.

The program is open to Brazos County residents who have newborn children up to 12 years old. The application process includes a verification of financial need, and those who qualify will be placed on an Angel Tree. Israel said she appreciates how the Angel Tree Program helps those families in most need.

There are so many times when I have had individuals come up and [say], When I grew up I was on the angel tree. Now I am in the position where I have the opportunity to give back, and I want to give back because I know how much of a difference it made that one Christmas, she said. In our household, we benefitted from the angel tree and we wanted to give back. This program communicates and instills a sense of hope and joy to all individuals that are involved, to the recipients, to the givers. It is just a great event.

Once the angels are established, the Angel Tree Program opens up to community members to adopt the angels by purchasing Christmas gifts for them, she said. Those gifts are then given to the B-CS Salvation Army which will distribute them to the families before Christmas Day.

We are aiming to help the individuals that are in the most need in our community, which is beneficial for our donors as well that they know they are helping out individuals that truly are unable to provide Christmas presents to their own children, she said.

Israel said those who may not have internet access can apply at the kiosk in their main office located at 2506 Cavitt Ave. in Bryan. The free online application is also available in English and Spanish.

Once enrollment is complete, Israel said, from Nov. 11 to Dec. 12 angels can be adopted to receive a gift at the Post Oak Mall in College Station and their Salvation Army facility each day except on Sundays and Thanksgiving Day. Gifts will be distributed to families through Dec. 16.

The Salvation Army of B-CS is also accepting volunteers for its Angel Tree Program. Those interested can call their office between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at (979) 361-0618.

To enroll in the Angel Tree Program, visit saangeltree.org.
HUNTSVILLE  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.

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 1/2 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.

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.

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.
Country

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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. 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Local election registrars are scrambling to notify voters whose registration through the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles had been delayed since last spring.

Virginia Elections Commissioner Susan Beals confirmed on Wednesday that the Department of Elections had forwarded approximately 107,000 voter registrations recently submitted through the DMV to local registrars to update voting rolls with new registrations, updated addresses and other changes.

The Virginia Public Access Project, a nonprofit elections website, first reported on Wednesday what it described as a computer glitch between the two state agencies that had resulted in a sharp drop-off in motor voter registrations that began in May.

We had registrations that were dated from May until September, said Hanover County Registrar Teresa Smithson, who received an estimated backlog of about 1,100 registration applications in her office this week.

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Beals, appointed this year by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, said the department had detected a problem last week and attributed it tointermittent network issues within the Department of Elections. DMV officials could not be reached for comment.

No voter registration data was lost, but the issue will cause an increase in processing voter registration applications at the local level, she said in a statement.

The increase is significant for local registrars and their elections offices in the Richmond area, which received thousands of backlogged registration applications this weekmore than 5,000 in Chesterfield County alone.

The local offices, which say theyre already thinly staffed, will have to notify the newly registered voters of their voting precincts and polling places, with early voting already underway for congressional races and local elections on Nov. 8.

Every registrars office could use about 10 more people right at this moment, Chesterfield Registrar Missy Vera said Wednesday.

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Henrico County Registrar Mark Coakley said he received 4,490 registration applications on Wednesday morning that had been originally submitted to DMV and then processed through the Department of Elections VERIS computer system

Somewhere theres a disconnect, Coakley said.

The disconnect is untimely, with local elections offices already trying to explain to some voters why they are registered to vote in entirely new congressional and legislative districts, due to new political maps that the Virginia Supreme Court approved on Dec. 28 after a newly established independent redistricting commission failed to do the job because partisan fighting.

Voters have another year before they cast ballots in races in new districts for the House of Delegates and Senate, but voting already has begun in mid-term elections that will determine party control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

In western Henrico and western Chesterfield, residents who previously had voted in the 7th Congressional District, represented by Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat who lives in western Henrico, might now live in the new 1st Congressional District, represented by Rep. Rob Wittman, a Republican who lives in Montross on the Northern Neck.

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Other Henrico and Chesterfield voters might live in the 4th Congressional District, represented by Rep. Donald McEachin, a Democrat from South Richmond, whose district is mostly unchanged.

We still have voters wanting their 7th District ballots, Coakley said.

More than 72,000 Hanover voters are part of the 1st, while 13,000 voters in western Hanover, as well as Powhatan and Goochland counties, are now part of the 5th Congressional District, represented by Rep. Bob Good, a Republican who lives outside of Lynchburg in Campbell County.

In Richmond, the congressional boundaries havent changed, but Registrar Keith Balmer said his office just received about 4,100 backlogged registration applications it has to process quickly.

It just means were going to have to work long hours to get it done, Balmer said.

Some jurisdictions also are holding local special elections, including the Beaverdam District seat on the board of supervisors in Hanover and the Midlothian District seat on the board of supervisors in Chesterfield. Others, including Henrico and Chesterfield, are holding referendums on issuing bonds for public capital projects.

Were getting the back end of it for the voters, Coakley said of the state computer glitch.

Beals, the state elections commissioner, said she wont know exactly how many new registrations were delayed until local registrars finish processing them.

She said voters can check their registration status through the Department of Elections Citizen Portal at https://www.elections.virginia.gov/citizen-portal/.

The Department of Elections is committed to supporting accurate, fair, open and secure elections for the citizens of the Commonwealth, Beals said.
GRAND ISLAND  Grand Islands old post office at 204 W. South Front St. is being demolished this week. The downtown facility served as Grand Islands main post office from 1968 to 2018.

The property is owned by the Union Pacific Railroad. The building was abandoned in 2018 when the U.S. Postal Services lease with Union Pacific expired. At that time, the citys postal operations shifted to 3835 Old Potash Highway. That building had formerly served as the Postal Services processing and distribution facility in Grand Island.

Robynn Tysver, a Union Pacific representative in Omaha, said the city of Grand Island asked the railroad to demolish the building. The city of Grand Island had been asking us to do this for some time, Tysver wrote in an email.

Union Pacific does not have any specific plans for the property at this time, Tysver said. We leased the property to the U.S. Postal Service for 50 years, from 1968 to 2018.

The demolition work is being done by ONeill Transportation of Grand Island. The city issued a demolition permit to ONeill on Sept. 23.

Preparations for the actual demolition began the last week of September. Part of that work involved removing items.

We hope to have this project done by the end of October, at the latest, Tysver wrote.

The Postal Service also operates the Webb Plaza Station, which is at 2418 N. Webb Road.
Editors note: In 1999, as part of the York News-Times Celebrate 2000 initiative at the turn of the century, the York County Ag Hall of Fame was created, to honor influential people in York Countys rich agricultural history. The intent was  and continues to be  to memorialize the stories of local people who have played a major role in the biggest part of our economy and heritage  agriculture.

Each year, nominations are received from the public. After the inductees are chosen, the YNT staff writes their stories which are placed on plaques that will hang in perpetuity at Wessels Living History Farm.

On Sunday, Oct. 9, at 1:30 p.m., two more plaques will be hung. The public is encouraged to attend. If someone hasnt seen the display before, or they havent seen it in a long time, this is a wonderful opportunity to read the stories about neighbors, relatives, mentors, teachers, ancestors and friends who have had an impact on the countys rich agricultural history and economy. The induction ceremony will be held in the historic church at the Living History Farm.

Commonly known among York County residents as The Three Rs, brothers Roger, Ronald and Ross Hirschfeld are the sons of J.D. and Verla (Cotner) Hirschfeld and the grandsons of Ernest and Lucille (Stallings) Hirschfeld. Ernest and J.D. Hirschfeld were earlier inducted into the York County Agriculture Hall of Fame, meaning the brothers are the third generation of one family to be honored in this way.

Roger was born Dec. 18, 1945, in York. Ronald was born Dec. 22, 1946 in York. Ross was born Nov. 30, 1949, in York and passed away on Dec. 4, 2016.

Along with their sister, Linda, all siblings graduated from Benedict High School.

They grew up near Benedict on the farm with their father and grandfather. Learning from their forefathers with a strong desire to continue the tradition, the brothers have given all they have and sacrificed much for decades in pursuit of making their father and grandfather proud. Their ultimate goal has been to expand a diversified operation so future generations of Hirschfelds have the opportunity to carry on the legacy.

That has been the case, as today, along with their sons and grandsons, they own and operate about 5,500 acres of cropland; 1,500 acres of grassland; and have about 350 head of cattle which they calve and feed out on their feedlot. Over the years, theyve raised pigs, farrow to finish, and developed a successful purebred swine operation.

Rogers son, Todd, who is a fourth generation Hirschfeld farmer, said the changes his dad and uncles have seen in agriculture over the years is tremendous. In their decades of farming, their tractor driving skills have gone from maneuvering a clutch on a John Deere Model B to being perplexed with a GPS system of todays John Deere 8000 series. Harvest for them has gone from a John Deere 227 mounted two-row corn picker as young boys to the 12-row combines used today. Irrigation has extremely changed over their farming tenure. The brothers remember their dad putting in the first irrigation well in York County in 1957. At one point, they remember having 11 miles of gated irrigation pipe, which had to be moved from field to field to water all acres. Today, they irrigate with 33 full pivots and 11 short ones, which can be monitored from cell phones.

Although they would all admit the technology involved with 21st century equipment has been frustrating, theyve learned to be flexible and open minded.

Ross son, Chad, also a fourth generation Hirschfeld farmer, commented, My dad and uncles were never afraid of change or afraid to take a risk. This is evident in the efforts theyve made over the years to stay progressive and cutting edge. Theyve changed farming practices to improve yield and be more efficient.

The brothers remember their father talking about buying his first quarter section of land for $180 an acre. The brothers purchased Ross home place for $800 an acre and everyone thought they were crazy. Today, land goes for $14,000 an acre.

As kids, they remembered being excited for 180 bushels of corn per acre. Today, they hope for 230-250 and remember being just short of 300 bushels an acre as their all-time best.

Their father, who passed away in 1999, believed that in the age of specialization, his farm had to diversify in order to accommodate all three boys making a living. Not only did the Hirschfelds continue to raise corn, beans and alfalfa, they ran 350-700 cows and at one point farrowed 1,000 sows. Their goal has always been to add as much value as possible to the product, whether it is grain or four-footed.

In the late 1980s, a Slurrystore and confinement feedlot was added to the farm. The Slurrystore collects the animal waste from the lots and is converted into fertilizer for their cropland. Because of this, theyve always said, Theyve never lost any money feeding cattle, but theyve hauled out some high-priced manure.

In staying diversified, the brothers started new partnerships  Triple R Pork and A Cut Above boar studding fueled by Ross passion for pigs. Their latest adventure has been a contract with Lincoln Premium Poultry to provide the land for 16 chicken finish barns which produces 4.5 million birds a year. The benefit of this is that the chicken manure is used on Hirschfeld acres.

Jason, Ross youngest son, also a fourth generation Hirschfeld, said, When thinking about my father and uncles, I can promise you very few have a stronger work ethic. The hours of labor and heart put into their operation are evident of the success it has yielded. I learned at a young age there is no substitute for hard work by the example these three exhibited every single day. When looking to expand their operation, they never took the easy route. They put their backs into everything they have accomplished.

All three have served in the military: Roger, Air National Guard, 1966-1972; Ron, National Guard, 1966-1972; and Ross, Army Reserves, 1970-1976.

Between the Three Rs, they have had involvement in the Benedict United Methodist Church, the Benedict School Board, York County Ag Society, York County Pork Producers and the Lively Livestock 4-H Club. Ross was a Hall of Fame inductee for the National Spotted Swine Record Association.

Roger and his wife, Betty, have two children, two grandsons and two great-grandsons. Ronald and his wife, Sharon, have one daughter, one grandson and two granddaughters. Ross and his wife, Patty, have three children, three grandsons and five granddaughters.

The Hirschfeld brothers have worked tirelessly to provide for their families and pave the way for the next generations. From milking cows and doing chores before school to combining and calving in their late 60s and 70s, theyve worked toward their lifelong dream of leaving a legacy for the Hirschfeld generations to come.
Cybersecurity Legislation

New California Law Requires Schools to Report All Cyberattacks Impacting 500 or More

Mandate is the Nation's First to Require Tracking of Cyber Incidents at K-12 Schools

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into a law a new requirement for K12 schools in that state to report any cyberattack impacting more than 500 pupils or personnel, becoming the first in the nation to require disclosure even if a data breach has not occurred.

Assembly Bill 2355, introduced in February by Democratic legislator Rudy Salas, requires every California school district, county office of education, or charter school to report to the California Cybersecurity Integration Center any alteration, deletion, damage, or destruction of a computer system, computer network, computer program, or data caused by unauthorized access or any unauthorized denial of access to legitimate users of a computer system, computer network, computer program, or data if such incident impacts 500 or more students or staff, according to the text of the legislation.

Codified by the governors signature on Sept. 23, the new law does not address whether the reports will be made public at any point, but it does require Cal-CSIC, the states cybersecurity oversight agency, to track reports of cyberattacks at K12 schools and to annually report to the governor and legislature a summary of the cybersecurity incidents reported by the states public schools.

The bill enjoyed unanimous approval in several committees in both houses before being passed with no opposition by the California Assembly in May and by the California Senate in late August  a week before Californias largest school district, Los Angeles Unified, suffered a ransomware attack that made headlines around the world.

While ransomware attacks even against small school districts usually  eventually  are disclosed either by school leaders, staff members, or the press, there are no federal requirements for public schools to tell anyone about cyberattacks or even breaches of minor students private information.

In several recent reports from national cybersecurity nonprofits and the private sector, IT professionals have called for greater transparency and accountability from school districts in their cybersecurity efforts  including mandated public disclosure when student or staff data has been breached. Existing California law requires notification to the states Attorney General of any unauthorized access to private data stored by a business or agency, but sometimes the breach of data is not discovered for months after a cyber incident  if it is discovered at all.

In March, a national nonprofit dedicated to public schools cybersecurity, K12 Security Information Exchange, reported statistics showing that ransomware  where a schools student and/or staff data is stolen and a ransom is demanded  has become the most common type of publicly disclosed cyber incident at U.S. schools, but many districts impacted by cyber incidents share little or no information to the community stakeholders affected by those incidents.

K12 schools are not required to publicly disclose or report cyber incidents, and requirements for vendors to disclose incidents  where mandates exist  are weak and rarely enforced, said K12SIXs State of K12 Cybersecurity Year in Review report. Vendor data breaches tend to impact scores, if not hundreds, of schools at a time, the report noted, and companies can face fines and lawsuits if they decline to disclose such incidents.

Public K12 schools, however, are not overseen by any regulations requiring disclosure of cyber incidents or data breaches. Higher education institutions are required to report data breaches of any size, under a 2018 U.S. Department of Education rule affecting any college or university that accepts federal student aid funds.

Theres no question schools should be disclosing these incidents to their communities, K12SIX National Director Doug Levin told THE Journal. Maybe they think they can avoid backlash from the community if they dont disclose a cyber incident. But these schools are spending the communitys tax dollars. School board members and those with oversight of the school budget need all the information to do their jobs appropriately, and the community needs to know whether the districts resources are being spent on the right things.

Every public school impacted by a cyber incident should be disclosing basic information such as the fact an incident occurred; who was affected in a potential data breach; the amount of money recovery will cost the district; and recommended steps those affected should take to protect themselves, he argued.

Levin, as national director at K12SIX, is tasked with tracking all publicly disclosed cyberattacks at K12 schools in the United States. He helps school district IT leaders across the country to improve their protections, and he advocates for more resources and stronger security standards alongside cybersecurity officials at the state and national level as well as with tech companies whose IT and security products are used in public school districts.

He told THE Journal that he has concluded from his many discussions with tech and IT professionals across the K12 sector that cyber incidents at K12 schools are being kept secret all the time  including incidents where student and staff data has been compromised.

In our State of K12 Cybersecurity report, we featured some investigative journalism where cyber attacks were not disclosed until the journalists began looking into them or published documentation of them; they wouldnt disclose it at all unless they were called on it, he said. Then theres another set of schools that didnt even know they had a cyber incident or data breach: There are plenty of examples of security researchers finding student data on the dark web and when they reached out to the district, the district apparently had no idea that it had happened.

Another recent report from education advocates at Project Tomorrow calling for greater awareness and action on K12 cybersecurity is the National K12 Education Cybersecurity Research Study, for which Project Tomorrow and cloud software provider iboss surveyed 600 K12 administrators and IT leaders nationwide.
STEM & STEAM Grants

Samsung Raises Prize Pool for 2023 Solve for Tomorrow Contest

Samsung Electronics has announced its 13th annual Solve for Tomorrow $2 million contest to teachers of U.S. public school students in grades 612. The contest encourages teachers to submit ideas on how their students can help their communities by problem-solving with the help of classroom technology and other supplies. Application deadline is Nov. 2, 2022.

Students are challenged to use STEM resources to create solutions to needs in their communities. The contest is part of Samsungs Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People initiative to empower students to achieve their full potential and pioneer positive social change, the company said in a release.

The contest was launched in 2010 and has awarded $20 million in technology and materials to U.S. public schools since its inception.

The project theme for the 2022 contest is short- and long-term environmental impact with a commitment to sustainability. To that end, Samsung has increased its Sustainability Innovation Award to $50,000.

We challenge this years applicants to find issues theyre passionate about and see firsthand the true impact STEM can have to better their community and the planet, said Michelle Crossan-Matos, SVP, Corporate Marketing, Citizen & Communications officer at Samsung Electronics America. We enjoy seeing the diverse projects that students conceptualize each year and are excited to see the innovations to come out of the 13th annual competition.

Winners will be chosen in several categories: 300 State Finalists from the pool of applicants will receive a $2,500 prize package; 50 State Winners will receive a Samsung Video Kit to assist in video development, as well as $12,000 in Samsung technology and supplies for classroom use; one of the 50 State Winner schools will be chosen as the Sustainability Innovation Award Winner to win an additional $50,000 prize package of environmental classroom technology.

From there, 10 National Finalist Schools will be selected to participate in the pitch event where they will present their project to a panel of judges. For achieving National Finalist status, seven of these schools will be awarded $50,000 in technology and supplies while the remaining three will be named National Grand Prize Winners.

Three National Grand Prize Winner schools will each receive $100,000 in classroom technology and supplies.

Of the top 10 schools, one Community Choice Winner will also be determined through online public voting and will be eligible to win an additional $10,000 in Samsung technology, and one Employee Choice Winner will be selected by Samsung employees to also receive $10,000 of technology in addition to their national winnings.

Visit the contest rules page to learn how to apply and for more information.
President Joe Biden has decided to ban Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia's economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. The United States generally imports about 100,000 barrels a day from Russia, only about 5% of Russia's crude oil exports, according to Rystad Energy. Last year, roughly 8% of U.S. imports of oil and petroleum products came from Russia. Gas prices have been rising for weeks due to the conflict and in anticipation of potential sanctions on the Russian energy sector. The U.S. national average for a gallon of gasoline soared 45 cents a gallon in the past week and topped $4.06 on Monday, according to auto club AAA. Should the US ban Russian oil imports over Ukraine war?

You voted:
CARBONDALE  On Oct. 10, The Renfrew Center, a national foundation with facilities that offer treatments for women battling eating disorders, will host 10 different virtual events to recognize World Mental Health Day.

Gari Matsey, a site director at The Renfrew Center in Chicago, worked with her team to organize the free programs to spread awareness for mental health.

We are kind of really making it a big initiative for us just to spread awareness. We are the first residential eating disorder treatment facility for women, Matsey said. "We just really decided that it's something that we wanted to dig into.

The Renfrew Center has offered similar programs to the ones that will be available Monday.

These events will be virtual. Some of them will include things like a live Instagram hosted by one of our professional counselors, and professional relations managers, Ashley Vicari, Matsey said. We will have some tutorials for folks like, [on] how to track your emotions, we'll be offering a virtual yoga class, and some discussions on the importance of mental health awareness and education.

These 10 support opportunities are offered to alumni of the program and the community. Its free to register.

At 11 a.m., there will be an Instagram live on the organization's profile @RenfrewCenter hosted by Ashley Vicari. She is going to talk about why mental health is significant and share a small activity with attendees. Erin Birely, a licensed clinical professional counselor, and Monica Jampo will host a supportive space at 3 p.m. to talk about how mental health can play a positive or negative role in life.

Sondra Rosenberg and Kyle Congdon are two creative arts therapists at The Renfrew Center of Philadelphia. At 6 p.m., they will host an interactive virtual art workshop.

There are two support opportunities offered on demand, at no scheduled time, that will be available only on Oct. 10.

The first one is a tracking emotion tutorial, where viewers will get an opportunity to recognize their emotions with hopes of normalizing them. The tutorial will be directed by Dr. Samantha DeCaro, PsyD. The second event is a virtual yoga class by Victoria Mengel, a Hatha yoga-trained instructor and Creative Arts Therapist at The Renfrew Center of Philadelphia.

Five other resources will be available and specific to the theme Make Mental Health & Well-Being for All a Global Priority on Oct. 10, including recommended websites, podcasts, and hotlines that advocate for mental health. There will also be a list of 10 mental health tips, a blog post on social media 5 Tips for Finding Balance, a mental health pledge to show commitment and support to others around you, and a journal prompt to highlight appreciation for yourself.

Matsey said one of the reasons these support opportunities are important is to help people feel comfortable and supported.

I think it creates a safe space to have discussions. Advocacy is awareness and awareness is key in identifying and treating problems. I think it creates a unified treatment community where people are feeling comfortable about talking about their differences and talking about their struggles, specifically in this day, and this challenge, Matsey said. I think, [we] will really help people do the internal searching [or] internal motivation finding needed to make the right step towards their recovery.

You can find more information about how to register for the events and get access to these opportunities on World Mental Health Day by visiting renfrewcenter.com/worldmentalhealthday/.
MARION  Deaconess Health System Inc. and Deaconess Regional Healthcare Services Illinois Inc. have signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire Crossroads Community Hospital in Mount Vernon, Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Red Bud Regional Hospital in Red Bud and Union County Hospital in Anna.

The network is a natural fit for us geographically and strategically, as we join its continuum of care for the Tri-State Area, Ed Cunningham, vice president of Southern Illinois Market and CEO of Heartland Regional Medical Center, said in a press release. We are excited to join this 130-year legacy of progressive, patient-centered care.

Crossroads Community Hospital is a 47-bed facility offering inpatient and outpatient care, diagnostic imaging, emergency services and surgical care.

Heartland Regional Medical Center is a 106-bed facility offering a comprehensive range of health and hospital services, including diagnostic, medical, surgical, and emergency services.

Red Bud Regional Hospital is a 25-bed facility offering inpatient and outpatient care, emergency, medical and surgical services, rehabilitation, and diagnostic imaging. Connected to the hospital is a 115-bed skilled nursing facility.

Union County Hospital is a 25-bed facility with inpatient and outpatient care including emergency, medical and surgical services.

The purchase, subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions, is expected to be completed before the end of the year. At this time, the four Southern Illinois hospitals will join Deaconess continuum of care across a tri-state area.

Deaconess is located east of the Southern Illinois network and spans across 48 counties in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. It has a footprint of 12 hospitals, including Ferrell Hospital in Eldorado and Lawrence County Memorial Hospital in Lawrenceville.

We look forward to further enhancing access to quality care for our current and future patients in Southern Illinois, said Shawn McCoy, the CEO of Deaconess. As with other hospitals that have joined Deaconess in recent years, we will maximize the strengths of each organization to enhance the communitys most needed services.

For more information about regional healthcare services in Illinois, visit www.Deaconess.com.
On the record, officials at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale say they are pleased with their 2022 fall enrollment of 11,107. Despite a 1.4% decline in total enrollment from last fall  the eighth consecutive year with a decrease  the university enrolled its largest freshman class in more than a decade and reported its third consecutive year of an increase in freshmen. The university also saw an increase in students from Southern Illinois.

Two years ago, we made the decision to focus on the Southern Illinois region and beyond to increase our incoming class with the hopes of building a solid foundation for future enrollment increases, SIU Chancellor Austin A. Lane said in a media release. We stand by our goal to achieve 15,000 enrolled by 2030 and look forward to focusing on the incoming fall 2023 class.

Analysis of enrollment figures from some of the institutions SIU competes with for students shows that some universities are growing while others are suffering enrollment declines.

EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

2.9% Increase

In total, the Charleston institution saw an overall increase in enrolled students for fall 2022, with 8,857 total enrollments. The university uses the word enrollments because its total student count includes a sizeable number of high school students enrolled in dual credit programs. The total student headcount without these students is 6,532, a decrease of 4.78 over the same metric last year.

Eastern Illinois reported an 11% increase in new freshmen over fall 2021.

ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY

2% Increase

Illinois State also saw growth in freshmen, welcoming its largest freshmen class in 35 years, jumping 18% from last fall. Total enrollment in Normal stands at 20,683. The increase is the first in several years at ISU, which posted a 2.4% decline last year.

MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY

2.3% Increase

In Kentucky, universities do not report enrollment figures until later in the year, but early indications are that enrollment will has about 9,600 students, an 2.3% increase over fall 2021.

NORTHERN ILLINOS UNIVERSITY

3.6% Decrease

In DeKalb, total students dropped 3.6% for the 2022 fall semester after a 3.2% decrease last year. Total enrollment at NIU now sits at 15,649.

Like other schools, NIU is doing a good job of attracting freshmen, recruiting its largest freshmen class since 2014. In a media release announcing enrollment figures, NIU said the overall decrease in students was to be expected.

The decline was anticipated in the wake of impacts of the prolonged pandemic, including steep declines in the pipeline of community college students, pandemic related stresses on students and a strong job market that might have enticed some students to delay their education, the university said.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNVIERSITY

1% Increase

SEMO called its enrollment flat with a modest 1% increase to 9,949 students. It is the first enrollment increase at Southeast Missouri in several years.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY EDWARDSVILLE

3.8% Decrease

The news is not as good for SIUs sister campus in Edwardsville. Despite a 67% growth in international students and 4% growth in the number of student in graduate, doctoral and professional programs, SIUEs total enrollment declined 3.8%, with 491 fewer students enrolled than last year.

WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

2.5% Increase

Like SIU and EIU, Western Illinois University saw a jump in new freshmen, with WIUs increasing 16.7%. Combined with a record-breaking enrollment of international students, the Macomb institution has 7,643 students, up 2.5 %. The increase is a turnaround for WIU, which has had slight declines in each of the past two years.

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

0.6% Increase

The states land grant institution continues to set enrollment records. The University of Illinois enrolled 7,957 freshmen, second in size only to last years record class. A very modest 0.6% increase in students bumps enrollment to 56,444.
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.
NORMAL  A fraternity at Illinois State University has expelled seven members and the students may face other consequences from the university after anti-LGBTQ+ vandalism took place last week.

The students were members of the Upsilon-Upsilon chapter of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, which said they were expelled from the organization after it conducted an internal investigation.

The former members reportedly painted a slur for LGTBQ+ people on signs at several other Greek houses at ISU.

In a statement, the executive board of the fraternity chapter said it would work to ensure that "misguided individuals like those involved with this incident" would never have a place in the fraternity. The seven were expelled based for violating the chapter's code of conducts, the executive board said.

"We will work diligently to regain the trust of the community of Illinois State University, the town of Normal, and the rest of the Greek Community," the statement said.

The actions were not related to initiation, the board said.

A statement from the national Kappa Sigma organization mirrored most of the language provided by the local chapter.

A university spokesman said the matter was being investigated, and the involved individuals may face penalties through the student conduct process.

As Illinois State University strives to be a welcoming and inclusive campus community, these offensive and unacceptable actions are completely counter to the University's core values and are deeply hurtful to individuals and the campus community, spokesman Eric Jome said in a statement.

The office for Sorority and Fraternity Life at ISU acknowledged the vandalism in a social media post and invited those affected to an event held Wednesday to help students process the incident.

The ISU Interfraternity Council, which governs a number of the fraternities at the university, said it would take formal action against Kappa Sigma and create an education program for the fraternity to complete.

The acts committed by this chapter do not align with our values, and we are profoundly apologetic. We do not condone the behaviors of this chapter, the council's executive board said in a statement.

The council further encouraged students affected by the incident to contact the universitys counseling services.

The incident also brought condemnation from Pride, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group at ISU. In a statement on social media, it urged the Interfraternity Council to take action beyond an apology and enact steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.

"All too often in the history of marginalized groups, slurs have been utilized as a tool to demand, diminish, and dehumanize, the organization said. Words often spur action, and allowing this kind of language directed towards those under the LGTBQIA+ umbrella to continue can incite violent measures against our community."

Prides executive board declined to comment beyond the statement.
Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College is preparing to fulfill the requirements for having its accreditation reaffirmed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Every ten years, colleges and universities accredited by SACSCOC must demonstrate that they comply with the standards contained in the principles of accreditation and with the commissions policies and procedures. This process is called reaffirmation of accreditation.

The SACSCOC Board of Trustees will vote in December 2026 whether to affirm the college or not. In the meantime, the college must have its draft report completed by December 2025 and sent in the spring of the following year.

OCtech President Dr. Walt Tobin explained during an Area Commission meeting last month that part of the reaffirmation process includes the commission members conducting a self-assessment.

Based on the assessment, if you identify some area of improvement or change, we must demonstrate change occurred. We must have multiple years of assessment, Tobin said later.

The president recommended that the assessments be made on a calendar year basis so that the college will have three years worth of data by 2025.

We will add to the calendar to do the assessment every September or October, Tobin said.

The president also gave a review of the South Carolina Technical College Systems legislative agenda for the upcoming year.

That includes seeking $23.2 million in recurring funds; $51.1 million for lottery tuition assistance; $20 million in equipment for high-demand job skills training; $2 million for ReadySC project funding and $95 million for SC Wins, a statewide technical college scholarship program designed to address workforce shortages in South Carolina.

This is our legislative request for 2023-2024 as they (state lawmakers) begin the session in January 2023. The request is for the South Carolina Tech System. Our share of the state funds is approximately 3.5 percent, Tobin said.

Also in his report, Tobin said the college has partnered with the American Association of Community Colleges and Google to provide training for students to become Google Career Certificate graduates.

This partnership allows Orangeburg and Calhoun (county) residents to take on jobs in the digital economy and will enable them to work from home. The training is free, Tobin said.

Project management, data analytics, IT support and user experience will be included in the first cohort of classes.

We will evaluate how it goes, Tobin said. Graduates have the potential to earn between $50,000 and $75,000 working from home.

Google and AACC have Fortune 500 companies that will hire these employees, he said.

In other matters, the president reported on the town hall meeting that the Regional Medical Center held regarding its partnership with the Medical University of South Carolina.

As part of the transition, a new, 18-member Constituency Advisory Board will be formed and tasked with providing the new hospital board with policy recommendations based on the identified health care needs of the area served by the hospital and the entities that interact with the hospital.

Tobin said while he was initially tapped to serve as an advisory board member from the college, he has asked Dr. Stefanie Gadson Brown, dean of healthcare prep and workforce, to serve in that capacity instead.

The president also reported that the college recognized faculty and staff members for their exceptional work during the colleges fall convocation.

Billy Etheridge, dean of business, computer education and public service, was named faculty member of the year. Sherisse Jackson, an advanced manufacturing instructor, was named faculty member of the year for teaching and innovation. Dayna Smoak was named staff person of the year.

Finance

OCtech Vice President of Fiscal Affairs Kim Huff stated that the college reported revenue of $10.5 million at the end of August, with expenses standing at $3.6 million.

Fall enrollment is down, even slightly more than we anticipated. The college still has HEERF funds to help cover the tuition shortfall. The HEERF funds are available until June 2023, Huff said later, referring to the federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund money the college has received.

Huff also reported that the college already received 88 percent of its state appropriations, and that the colleges prior approval of opening a Local Government Investment Pool account with the state Treasurers Office should provide much better investment earnings for the college.

The college has four projects in progress, Huff said, including a new digital sign for which proposals are being reviewed.

The renovation of buildings T, S and K are among the other projects. Bids have been received for work on the Building T renovation, while architects are working on design documents for the remaining two projects.

Academic Affairs

OCtech Vice President of Academic Affairs Williette Berry said the S.C. Technical College System approved the colleges certificates in advanced EMT, advanced welding and introduction to engineering.

The state Tech College System already approved the colleges certificate in HVAC basics last month.

Berry also noted that the college faculty had completed its last Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, session during its fall convocation. The topic was Equity Root Cause to Improve Outcomes for Men of Color.

The deans and I are now having conversations about how to incorporate what was learned into courses by implementing culturally relevant teaching across all curriculums, Berry said.
Orangeburg resident Timothy C. Brown is preparing to lend a helping hand to those in hurricane-ravaged Florida with the assistance of the local community.

The community has donated everything from household items to bottled water for the cause.

This is needed. People are hurt, and there's a lot of damage right now, Brown said.

The 77-year-old Brown, a Vietnam veteran and pastor of True Vine Christian Church, plans to take his trusty 1989 Ford Econoline van to Ft. Myers, Florida this week in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

It's running pretty good. It'll get me there. I have to take my time. I can't be running up and down 70 and 80 miles an hour, but it'll take me there and back. The old girl is in pretty good shape, Brown said.

Brown, who is president of the nonprofit Global Disaster Crisis Relief Center Inc., has a generator, propane cylinders and other supplies which were acquired through the nonprofit, along with items from local businesses and organizations, including, but not limited to, The Salvation Army, Morehouse Huber Inc., Home Builders Supply Co. Inc., Jumper's Auto Parts, Chestnut Grill and the Piggly Wiggly on Columbia Road.

We even had the Hearing Center on Carolina Avenue give me a check of $250 for gasoline, said Brown, noting that helping people who have been hurt and displaced following the hurricane is a calling from God.

Along with delivering supplies, Brown is offering his services as a heavy equipment operator and commercial vehicle driver to aid organizations such as the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

His mission could last up to 10 days, he said.

It just depends on what happens when I get there. If they need heavy equipment operators, I do that, too. If they need that, I'm sure I'll stay for that. I'll stay probably eight to 10 days. This is not my first rodeo with hurricanes, Brown said.

He has used his commercial driving skills to transport utility workers to and from their worksites during hurricanes in the past.

I'm going to head down to the most-hard hit areas. When I arrive down in there, FEMA will direct us into where we need to drop off, or areas we need to penetrate, said Brown, who is going on the mission by himself.

I don't feel that I really need to take anyone right now because, first of all, I don't know anybody that would be in position to go because most people I know work. Anybody else would kind of like be a liability. So I think I need to go by myself, he said.

Brown considers Global Disaster Crisis Relief Center Inc. to be a mini Red Cross.

Whenever there's a disaster, we try to do whatever we can with whatever resources we have. In this case, I've picked up at the different businesses here in Orangeburg, he said, including household items and plumbing supplies.

He said his nonprofit has been in operation with disaster relief since January of 2011.

We received our (nonprofit) credentials in Sept. 5, 2010. Then we started operations. We started doing projects in January of 2011. We had a partnership program with some of the retail stores in Columbia, he said.

People who experienced burnouts in the local community, for example, were supplied with needed items as part of the outreach effort.

His trip to Florida is a continuation of the group's efforts to help those in need. He said the mission is dear to his heart.

Being a preacher, too, you do this. This is what we do, this is what community leaders do. ... I hadn't been in position really to do this too much because I was in school here lately in the last few years. ... Now I'm out of school, I have time to get out and do disaster relief," Brown said.
BEIRUT - Lebanon has recorded its first case of cholera since 1993, likely the result of a serious outbreak in neighboring Syria crossing the porous border between the countries, caretaker Health Minister Firas Abiad said in an interview on Thursday.

Abiad said the case was recorded on Oct. 5 in the rural northern Lebanese region of Akkar and that the patient, a Syrian national, was receiving treatment and in stable condition.

A cholera outbreak in Syria has claimed dozens of lives, stirring fears in crowded camps for the displaced who lack running water or sewage systems.

The outbreak of the waterborne disease was first linked to contaminated water near the Euphrates river that bisects the country, but has spread across Syria, with thousands of suspected or confirmed cases reported.

The widespread destruction of national water infrastructure after more than a decade of war means much of the Syrian population is reliant on unsafe water sources.

Lebanon's water infrastructure is also derelict and the healthcare system has been hit hard by a three-year financial crisis and the August 2020 Beirut port blast that destroyed critical medical infrastructure in the capital.

Despite humanitarian aid from donor countries, Abiad said the sector would struggle to cope with a large-scale outbreak.

"We have a very clear signal that the Lebanese healthcare system needs support," he said. "Otherwise ... it won't be able to hold."

Recommendations from the Ministry

Following this announcement, the Ministry of Public Health released the following recommendations and urged citizens and residents to abide by them to prevent the spread of the disease:

. Drink water from sealed water containers that are from a guaranteed source

. Avoid sharing the same utensils with others

 Wash hands with soap and water on a regular basis before preparing or eating food, and after using the toilet

 Maintain personal hygiene and food hygiene

 Cook the food very well and eat it immediately after cooking it

 See your doctor immediately in case of persistent diarrhea





Reporting contributed by Timour Azhari.
JACKSON  On state trust land near Teton Village, 800 units of storage and 11 glamping sites are being installed, even though Teton County commissioners have asked the courts to review the states decision to approve both operations.

West Bank residents are wondering why a legal appeal didnt stop construction  and, specifically, why the Teton County Board of County Commissioners didnt seek an injunction, aiming to halt installations while the county wrestles with the state over its controversial June decision to approve temporary use permits for both businesses.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, the parcels neighbor to the north, opposed both operations.

But some Teton County residents wrote state officials to say they supported the storage units, proposed by businessmen Scott Hardeman and Peter Cornfoot, lamenting the countys lack of affordable storage options.

But Andrew Chekian, who lives near Lake Creek, roughly half a mile south of the 640-acre parcel where both operations were approved, wants the county to be more aggressive in fighting the approval.

Its got to be a huge issue for them, Chekian said. If they dont fight this one, or they lose this one, what are the ramifications for all the other properties that the school trust owns?

Chief Deputy County Attorney Keith Gingery, representing the commissioners, said that he didnt file for an injunction because Teton County was asking the courts to review the approvals  and because the injunction was not what I was asked to do by my clients.

Some county commissioners, however, said they wanted to put a hold on work while the issue is being argued in Jackson Judge Melissa Owens Ninth District Court.

Luther Propst, the commissions vice-chair, said the News&Guide would have to ask Keith about why an injunction wasnt filed.

Commissioner Mark Newcomb said he originally thought there was no avenue for a stay  and that hed planned to ask about an injunction when residents first asked him why there wasnt one. But with other high-profile items on the countys agenda, like a controversial development on Fish Creek Road, it slipped through the cracks.

Both commissioners, who are running for reelection, said they want to explore halting construction now.

Day late, dollar short, Newcomb said. I think we should request an injunction or a stay.

Gingery, however, said the case is now tied up in legal wrangling over whether the county has any authority to request a review of a state agencys decision. The state says the county does not.

To be successful on an injunction, the judge has to find that there is a strong likelihood that you will prevail at the end, Gingery said. But right now, the deputy county attorney said, that could be difficult considering the county cant even get past this first step of whether or not we can even bring the suit.

Teton County residents, Gingery said, would likely have a stronger argument as to standing. Propst, likewise, said, the county doesnt have a monopoly on the lawsuit, arguing others could join the fray.

The Teton County commissioners asked Owens to review the states decision in June.

That was roughly three weeks after the State Board of Land Commissioners  a five-member statewide board that consists of the governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer and superintendent of public instruction  voted unanimously to approve the glamping and 3-2 to approve the storage facility.

Gov. Mark Gordon and Auditor Kristi Racines voted against the storage, arguing it was likely not as temporary as the permit it was approved under, a temporary use permit, would suggest.

The two five-year permits were approved with a slate of other, less controversial stockpiling and landscaping uses on the site, setting the state up to receive at least $600,000 annually from the parcel. Thats a 13-fold increase to the roughly $46,000 a year the state was making earlier from the land, and a change that moves the needle in favor of the states coffers.

Led by Rep. Steve Harshman, R-Casper, the Wyoming Legislature has tasked the Office of State Lands and Investments, which manages state land, with maximizing revenue for Wyoming schools from state trust lands in Teton County.

Theyre interested in capitalizing on high land values in Jackson Hole as revenue from state lands elsewhere in the state have fallen, mirroring the decline of the states coal industry.

In 202, revenue for schools from state trust lands hit a 15-year low.

The county took issue in its appeal with the decision to approve the storage and glamping under temporary use permits, which is part of why the state said it doesnt have to follow local land development regulations.

The county, however, contends that the state should have reviewed the proposals under special use permits, which require the state to follow county code. The county argues those permits, intended for industrial, commercial and recreational purposes are more appropriate for storage and glamping.

Both proposals, the county argues, arent temporary.

They, like Gordon and Racines, said it would be difficult to remove the operations in five years.

Now, however, the State Board of Land Commissioners, represented by the Wyoming Attorney Generals office, is attempting to dismiss the case.

The state is pointing to the Wyoming Administrative Procedures Act, which says that any person aggrieved or adversely affected in fact by a final decision of an agency in a contested case ... is entitled to judicial review.

The statute goes on to define a person as a individual, partnership, corporation, association, municipality, governmental subdivision or private organization of any character other than an agency.

Counties are included in the acts definition of what constitutes an agency.

The county, meanwhile, has argued that it does have standing to sue the state because of its disregard for local land development regulations adopted to protect the general welfare, health and safety of the citizens of Teton County.

It also argues the county is a governmental subdivision and thus a person.

And it is arguing the case at hand is not a contested case  so the rules the state cited wouldnt apply  but rather an appeal based on the actions of an agency: the State Board of Land Commissioners.

If the commissioners suit is successful, it could compel the five state elected officials to reconsider their decision and the storage and glamping proposals under a special use permit and, by extension, Teton County land development regulations.

If the uses are then found to be inconsistent with local code, Gingery said the two outfits could no longer be allowed to use the property, according to the state boards policy.

But if that were to happen it would require a sequence of ifs to break in the countys favor. And right now, with the state arguing that the county doesnt have standing to petition for review, Gingery said the best people to ask for an injunction are neighbors like Chekian  potentially more legally sound persons.

They probably have better standing than the county, Gingery said.

Chekian said that a number of West Bank residents are discussing suing, but that the feedback theyve received so far from an attorney is that a citizen lawsuit against the state was not going to fly.

Neighbors are also hesitant to file a lawsuit, Chekian said, after a lengthy legal imbroglio involving the Bar J Chuckwagon property. In that dispute, a neighborhood alliance was sued for millions of dollars by a developer who alleged the neighbors improperly interfered with plans to build on the property.

A judge ultimately ruled against the developers, but Chekian said the case has had a chilling effect.

You know how nasty its gotten in the valley, he said.

Meanwhile, construction work is moving forward, surprising Commissioner Propst.

I thought, with a lawsuit pending, they probably wouldnt want to commit the funding to level the place, Propst said of the glamping operation. But they did.

Cornfoot, who along with Hardeman is behind the storage units, did not return a request for comment. Ryan Thomas, co-founder and CEO of Basecamp Hospitality, the Utah-based company thats installing 11 geodomes on the state trust parcel, said he was working in partnership with the state.

Our partners are the state of Wyoming and were working very closely with them and under their direction for our build schedule and construction schedule, Thomas told the News&Guide.

He said the geodomes should be installed in the next few months. After that the plan is to beautify the property. Berms are going up to block the site from the road this fall and trees should be planted come spring.

Thomas said the company hasnt yet figured out what it will do to manage sewage, but is working with health officials to figure out the specifics. He hopes to have guests staying there this winter.

Its very possible, Thomas said.
Wyomings Department of Family Services received 115 complaints of fraud related to the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program during a one-year period ending Aug. 1, a records request by the Star-Tribune found.

As of mid-September, the agency considered 28 tenants and landlords in active violation of the programs rules.

The Emergency Rental Assistance Program is a temporary relief fund created to help tenants struggling to pay rental complaints.

About 80 of the 115 complaints were against tenants, records show. The majority claimed tenants had pocketed ERAP money without paying past due rent and utilities.

Another 30 or so complaints involved landlords. Of those, 17 reported landlords for allegedly being overpaid by ERAP and not giving the extra money back, or applying for assistance on behalf of tenants they no longer had.

Many of the complaints appear to have stemmed from miscommunication or misunderstandings between landlords and tenants  and were never grounds for violations in the first place, records show.

In one case, an applicant received rental assistance but mistakenly confused it with a federal stimulus check. The issue was resolved after the Department of Family Services reached out to the renter.

More than a few times, applicants were reported for things that werent actually against the programs rules. Occasionally, the Department of Family Services discovered the person being reported was never approved for ERAP in the first place.

Several complaints couldnt be substantiated because the complainant never responded to outreach attempts by the agency.

Tenants accounted for 25 of those still considered non-compliant; and landlords, three.

A total of 21 cases were pending investigation by the Department of Family Services as of September, according to the records.

Tenants and landlords promise to use ERAP money for its intended purpose when they apply to the program.

But fraud is definitely possible, said Kristie Arneson, a Department of Family Services administrator.

Most tenants who apply to the program use it to cover their rent and utilities. Those tenants  and their landlords  must fill out applications on the Department of Family Services website.

Once those applications are approved, the Department of Family Services sends a check to the landlord reimbursing the tenants rent. (Sometimes landlords decline to participate ERAP, though  in that case, the agency sends the check to the tenant instead.)

When Department of Family Services discovers someone has misused ERAP money, it tries to make contact with the offending party and make arrangements for the program to be paid back.

And if that landlord or tenant still doesnt follow through? The agency asks the attorney generals office to get involved, Arneson said.

As of Sept. 30, ERAP has provided about $59 million in assistance to Wyoming residents  including $46 million paid directly to landlords, $9.1 million to renters, $3.5 million to utilities companies and $17,000 to reimburse moving costs, according to the Department of Family Services website.

Since last winter, the program has seen a steady increase in applications.

ERAP in August received record demand from Wyoming residents. The state gave out $6.6 million in rental assistance that month.

September saw a high amount of interest, too, Arneson said  but the Department of Family Services was waiting on its next wave of funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which slowed things down a little.

Under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Wyoming has access to up to $152 million in federal rental assistance. That money is set to expire in 2025.

August a record-breaker for Wyoming rental assistance program The state gave out $6.6 million in federal Emergency Rental Relief Program money last month. The previous record, in June, was $5.4 million.
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 former student who police said shot and killed a University of Arizona professor has a history of violent crime, including trying to kill his parents, his father said.

On Oct. 5, Murad Dervish, 46, entered the John W. Harshbarger Building, near East Second Street and North Mountain Avenue and fatally shot Professor Thomas Meixner. Meixner was the head of the schools hydrology department and an expert on desert water issues.

Dervish fled the scene and was later found on Interstate 8 at Gila Bend after the Arizona Department of Public Safety conducted a traffic stop. A UA police spokesperson said Dervish was booked into the Pima County jail on Thursday morning.

Dervish, who has lived in San Diego and in Pennsylvania, is being charged on suspicion of first-degree murder and aggravated assault of a deadly weapon, the spokesperson said. A handgun was used in the shooting, police said.

Growing up in Pennsylvania, Dervish received good grades in school and had a normal childhood, Dolgun Dervish, his father said. When it came to having friends or joining clubs, though, Dervish strictly stuck by his parents side.

He did not have any friends. He did not join in any groups. He did not want to take any pictures. He was a different child, Dolgun said in an interview Thursday.

As Dervish grew older, Dolgun said he developed an issue with alcohol. Although Dolgun never had alcohol in the house, Dervish got alcohol from work and loved it.

Dolgun also said Dervish had been in prison three times.

In one violent incident, he said Dervish put a scarf around his mothers neck and tried to strangle her. One morning he got up with a crowbar with no reason at all, attacked me and he also tried to kill me, Dolgun said.

Online records show Dervish was arrested on serious charges by the San Diego police in 2011 and he was later sentenced to prison. Records do not show what the charges involved, and officials could not be reached in California to provide information about the case.

Due to the violence, Dolgun said he became estranged from his son and hadnt spoken to him in years.

Im very, very sorry for the family that is suffering right now who lost a father or son, Dolgun said about the UA shooting.

According to UA police, Dervish was not allowed on campus due to his expulsion from the school. Although he was expelled, Dervish hadnt been put on the exclusionary order list yet.

Dervish was someone who was known to staff members that as a former student he should not be in the building, UA Police Chief Paula Balafas said at a news conference Wednesday.

UA police were working on the exclusionary order for Dervish and had it filled out, however officers had to make contact with him first. Dervish was unable to be contacted before the shooting took place, the spokesperson said.

The only court record Dervish had in Pima County was an eviction notice. Last week, the Tucson Justice Court gave Dervish a five-day notice after he failed to pay his $895 rent, court records show. Dervish failed to appear for his hearing.

According to San Diego court records, Dervish had a restraining order filed against him in 2020 along with a domestic violence case that involved his mother in 2011. Other court records show he had been arrested for driving under the influence in Pennsylvania.
A former student fatally shot a faculty member inside a building at the University of Arizona on Wednesday afternoon, sending the campus into a lockdown as officers searched for the gunman, police said.

Police said the shooting took place shortly after 2 p.m. inside the John W. Harshbarger Building, near East Second Street and North Mountain Avenue. The building houses the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences. The victim was identified as a male professor in the Department of Hydrology, but his name was not immediately released.

UA Police Chief Paula Balafas said the suspect was arrested by the Department of Public Safety shortly after 5 p.m. on Interstate 8 at Gila Bend. He was identified as Murad Dervish, 46.

Balafas said that just after 2 p.m. UA police received a call from someone inside the building that a former student was there and that the ex-student was not allowed inside the building. The person requested officers come to Harshbarger and escort the person out. Before officers arrived within a few minutes another caller reported a shooting inside the building.

"Someone recognized the student and knew that he was not allowed inside the building," Balafas said. She said the time from the initial call to the shooting call was only a "matter of minutes." It was not disclosed Wednesday why Dervish was not allowed inside the building.

The campus was locked down and students and staff were asked to shelter in place for more than an hour as police searched for a gunman. The shooter was identified by police, but he had fled from the building before officers arrived.

Video shot outside the building showed Tucson Fire personnel carrying a man outside the building to a waiting ambulance. The patient was then placed on a gurney and put into the ambulance, which quickly drove away. The victim was taken to Banner-University Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

Veer Nayyar, an undergraduate student, was nearby when he heard sirens and saw officers running into the building. He later saw emergency personnel put a victim on a stretcher. Nayyar said the victim looked to be an older person and he did not see anyone running away from the scene.

A faculty member who was in the building at the time said he heard seven to 10 gunshots. The faculty member asked not to be identified. Police later said a handgun was used in the shooting.

All remaining in-person classes, activities and performances on the UA campus were canceled for the rest of Wednesday, according to a UA police update. At about 3:30 p.m., UA police said the campus lockdown and shelter-in-place have been lifted, but people should stay away from the Harshbarger building. No decision had been made on whether there would be in-person classes on Thursday. The building where the shooting occurred will be closed indefinitely.

Balafas encourages students and faculty who may be shaken up by the incident to get in touch with the UA's Counseling and Psych Services. CAPS is able to provide crisis counseling.

"I don't know what the suspect's issue was in this case, but if you see something, don't just say something but do something. If you know someone struggling with mental health issues or anger issues, please reach out," Balafas said.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of a shooting at the UA College of Nursing in which three professors were killed by a failing student, who then took his own life on Oct. 28, 2002.

More recently, a 20-year-old UA sophomore was fatally shot in a campus parking garage on Feb. 20, 2021. Forrest Keys was killed during a confrontation with three people in a car who drove by him late at night. Two 18-year-old men received 30-year prison sentences for the slaying.
Michael Bogan and Thomas Meixner spent many hours together on the banks of the Santa Cruz River in Tucson. They both studied water at the University of Arizona and would take trips down to the river to conduct research. They were colleagues, yes, but they were also longtime friends.

When I took the job here, Tom was the first person to reach out to me and welcome me to campus, said Bogan, who is an assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment. He was always generous with his time and energy to help people around him. He always had a smile on and had an infectious laugh.

But on Wednesday afternoon, Bogan was out at the river without him. Meixner was back on campus working through the midweek grind in his role as head of the Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences Department, which is housed in the J.W. Harshbarger Building on the UAs main campus.

A little after 2 p.m. Bogan, who hadnt been checking his phone while working on the river, received several texts from friends asking if he was OK. Confused, Bogan got online and read about how an unidentified person had been shot at the Harshbarger Building.

As soon as I learned what building it was, I texted Tom, Bogan recalled Thursday morning. When I didnt hear back, I thought maybe as the department head he was helping take care of the people around him. That wasnt too hard to imagine. Helping people in need was the kind of person Meixner was to his core, Bogan said, describing him as a rare combination of funny, witty, warm and generous.

As afternoon faded into evening, an unseasonably late rainstorm gathered over Tucson, and Bogan still hadnt heard from Meixner.

It started pouring at 5:45, he said. As soon as that happened, I thought: Thats Tom. This is a storm he would have loved.

About 10 minutes later, Bogan got the confirmation: A former student who was barred from entering the hydrology building, Murad Dervish, had reportedly shot and killed Meixner. Police apprehended Dervish later that evening outside of Gila Bend.

Meixners killing, Bogan said, leaves a huge void at the UA and the greater Tucson community.

Saving the worlds most precious resource

Known among his colleagues as a prolific researcher with a passion for water conservation, Meixner, who was 52, earned his doctorate in hydrology and water resources from the UA in 1999, and joined the faculty in 2005. He became department head in 2019.

As a hydrologist, Meixner worked on several projects related to water conservation and sustainability, including helping to improve the stormwater infrastructure, as well as investigating the Colorado River shortages and over-pumping of regional aquifers. According to his colleagues, he also saw the importance of studying water through a social justice lens, researching the potential impacts of the proposed Rosemont Mine and how groundwater pumping for border wall construction could affect desert springs.

In his personal life, Meixner was an active member of his church, St. Cyril of Alexandria Roman Catholic Parish, and devoted family man.

He was a great man, a deeply faith-filled and devoted husband and father. He was passionate about hydrology, and one of the last acts he performed on this earth was to teach a class, Meixners family wrote in a statement. He described his work as making the world better through biogeochemistry, but to us, he was trying to save the worlds most precious resource.

The dad

Ty Ferre, a distinguished professor in the hydrology department, first met Meixner when they were both in grad school at the UA in the 1990s. Years later, they both came back to work in the same department.

He was a leading researcher, but that was never his most important thing. He always put people first, said Ferre, who lauded his late friends personable and effective leadership skills as a department head. Despite rising to the top of his career by his early 50s, Meixner never took himself too seriously.

We taught field school together, and wed have all the students outside. Tom would sing Bruce Springstein loud and terribly, Ferre remembered with a tempered chuckle. Students referred to him as the dad. They always knew he was there if they needed or wanted him, but also knew he wouldnt sugar-coat things.

While Meixner was a steady mentor for so many students, he also knew what it was like to face hardship himself. He was diagnosed with leukemia, a disease he beat back once during graduate school and again in more recent years.

Brittany Ciancarelli, a program manager and academic advisor in the hydrology department, said she will never forget how her boss, Meixner, treated her with empathy and compassion when she experienced a recurrence of colon cancer last year. He immediately told her to work from home and rest whenever she needed to  whatever she had to do to get through her treatments.

I felt so grateful for that because thats not the case for everyone going through treatment. Some people just have to buck up and go to work, and I could take it easier because he allowed me to, Ciancarelli said. I dont know if I would have gotten through it without him and his compassion.

Brilliant, but humble

In addition to creating a warm and lively department culture, Meixner also valued academic collaboration, constantly involving professors from other departments in interdisciplinary research projects.

Courtney Crosson, an associate professor of architecture whose research focuses on water, said she had known Meixner for several years and appreciated his support of her career. The two had just received a grant from the National Science Foundation to be co-principal investigators on a project. But instead of focusing on that Thursday morning, she brought a bouquet of flowers to lay on the makeshift memorial sitting in front of the Harshbarger Building.

He was so well-respected from across all different departments, said Crosson, who also left a handwritten sign describing Meixner as talented, brilliant and hardworking at his memorial. He was an amazing example to everyone around him. He was a full professor and department head, but still willing to be humble and willing to be present for everyone. He was a fantastic example of a human being and a great mentor for faculty and students.

Could have been anyone

Heidi Harley, a professor of linguistics at the UA, was also sitting outside the Harshbarger Building on Thursday afternoon, holding a sign calling for a ban on firearms. Harley said she did not personally know Meixner, but wanted to both help memorialize him and call attention to the gun violence that killed Meixner and thousands of other Americans this year alone.

In 2020, which is the most recent data available, 45,222 Americans died in a gun-related incident, according to the Pew Research Center.

And Meixners killing is not the first time a UA faculty member has died by gun violence perpetrated by a student. In 2002, a troubled student killed three professors in the College of Nursing before taking his own life.

Theres no law that says that if you are in the grip of strong emotion you shouldnt have a gun, said Harley, who devoted the first few minutes of her class Thursday morning to talking about Meixners life. In the context of the greater spectrum of gun violence in this country, (Meixners slaying) is a smaller event. But it strikes me personally, and I just cant stand it.

While Harley decided not to cancel her classes Thursday, several other professors did, which may have contributed to the eerily quiet tone near the crime scene. But in other areas, like the Student Union Memorial Center, students were operating as usual  cramming for tests, eating lunch and chatting with friends.

Its a little unnerving, the fact that someone on campus wanted to kill their professor for some reason. That could have happened to any of my professors, said Manny Ries, a sophomore pre-business major who was camped out with his laptop near the union Thursday afternoon. But at the same time, thats the world we live in. Theres so much unrest, and a lot of school shootings lately.

Ries, who did not know Meixner, said none of his professors canceled classes and none of them mentioned the professors killing.

We just carried on with the class like nothing happened. Its lingering, though, Ries said. Even though I wasnt at the scene and wasnt involved, I know that could have easily been one of my professors, me or another student.
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.
PHOENIX  Republicans are suing other Republicans here in a dispute over whats required under state election laws and rules.

The Arizona Republican Party and the Republican National Committee contend in new legal papers that Maricopa County is not complying with requirements to have inspectors from both political parties at polling places. Similar requirements exist, the lawsuit says, for the boards that oversee processing of early ballots, vote adjudication boards and the boards that oversee operations at county election headquarters.

What that resulted in, attorneys for the national party charge, is the county hiring 857 Democratic poll workers but only 712 Republicans. And 11 county voting centers in the 2022 primary had no Republican poll workers at all.

So attorneys for the party want Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Daniel Kiley to issue orders to ensure that the county has more GOP poll workers for the upcoming general election. And they want to be sure those poll workers come from lists created by the Republican Party.

In a joint statement, supervisors Chairman Bill Gates and Stephen Richer, the county recorder, called the lawsuit a political stunt.

We contact everyone on the list the parties provide us, the two officials said.

And theres something else.

The idea that a Republican recorder and four Republican board members would try to keep Republicans out of elections is absurd, they said.

Get the latest 2022 election news with the Star's Election Roundup newsletter Subscribe to our free Election Roundup newsletter and get the latest coverage of upcoming elections and Southern Arizona candidates sent right

There was no denial by the county of the claim that some polling places came up short of Republican watchers. But in a separate posting, the county Elections Department said its not because of the lack of efforts.

Unfortunately, not all are willing or able to serve, the agency said. And then theres the problem of election workers quitting at the last minute.

Our recruiters do their best to backfill these positions with someone from the same party, the statement says. But there are some instances when that is not possible.

In those cases, according to the Elections Department, it follows the state Election Procedures Manual to ensure that election boards still have a diversity of parties and affiliations.

And Megan Gilbertson, spokeswoman for the County Recorders Office, pointed out that the legal requirement for diverse election boards does not necessarily mean each major party gets someone at every site.

Bipartisan could mean a Republican and an independent, a Democrat and a Libertarian, she said.

The lawsuit comes amid increasing hostility between the state party, whose top official, Kelli Ward, has backed the baseless claim that Donald Trump actually won the 2020 election, and county officials who say they ran a clean and legitimate election and are defending the results that showed Joe Biden outpolling the now-former president by 45,109 votes. That was enough to overcome Trump support elsewhere and give Biden a 10,457-vote victory and the states 11 electoral votes.

Ward even filed suit against Vice President Mike Pence right after the 20202 election in a bid to void the laws which given the ultimate authority to Congress to decide which Electoral College delegates should be counted. Instead, she asked the court to order that Pence has and must exercise unilateral power to decide which slate of electors from Arizona and other disputed states should be counted  or if none of the electoral votes for Biden from Arizona should be counted at all.

And Ward, along with husband, Michael, were part of a slate of fake electors on a list sent by the state GOP to Washington saying that Trump had won Arizona.

The new lawsuit contains no claims about the 2020 vote. Instead, it picks up on the theme that Maricopa County is conducting its elections this year in ways that violate state laws, action that the party lawyers say inevitably breeds distrust and doubts among the electorate.

Lawyers for the GOP contend there is no reason the county cannot find qualified Republicans to serve as election workers what with more than 830,000 registered party adherents. But whats happening, they said, is the county has established onerous hours requirements and created unduly inhospitable working conditions and then used that to say why they cant find enough people who, while paid a nominal amount, essentially are volunteers.

Telling such potential board members that they will not be appointed unless they agree to lengthy and onerous day and hour commitments screens out anyone with full-time employment or family commitments and thus many of the individuals the Republican Party has nominated, the lawsuit claims. What is also does, the lawyers say, is screen out many elderly and disabled people who would otherwise be willing to serve.

Gilbertson acknowledged there are requirements for many of the jobs that could deter some from agreeing to serve. But she said these cannot simply be waived.

Each position has a certain amount of time that is needed, from the number of hours in the day to the number of weeks required, she said. And Gilbertson said state law says anyone working at a voting location on Election Day cannot leave.

If you leave, you couldnt come back, she said.

She acknowledged the hours are long.

Check-in, Gilbertson said, is 5:30 a.m., a half hour before the polls open.

They dont leave until the last voter gets to cast their ballot, break down the voting location, and bring the memory cards and ballots back to the Elections Department, she said.

Gilbertson said other election positions have different requirements, like picking up heavy boxes or being able to sit at a table for long periods of time.

The attorneys for the GOP were not persuaded. They argued to Kiley that the requirements for equal access by the parties to polling places and other sites where election work goes on trumps any working conditions the county imposes.

No date has been set for a hearing.

The increasingly hostile situation over election issues has shown up in other  and less legal  ways: threats against those involved in the process.

Most recently, the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday arrested an Iowa man accused of sending threatening communications Maricopa County Supervisor Clint Hickman. According to the indictment, Mark Rissi left a voicemail last year threatening to hang Hickman.

When we come to lynch your stupid lying Commie (expletive), youll remember that you lied on the (expletive) Bible, you piece of (expletive), the indictment quotes Rissi as saying.

This wasnt protected speech, Hickman said in response to the indictment. This was a serious threat to me and my family.

The incident, he said, is not an aberration, saying he and other supervisors received numerous threats during the past two years, as has Richer.

And worst of all, county elections staff doing their job honorably are getting calls and emails threatening violence, calling them traitors, Hickman said. Its despicable.

Rissi is separately charged with leaving a phone message with Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, also last year, saying that Brnovich knows the 2020 election was fraudulent and that he is is aware of images of conspirators deleting election fraud data from the countys computer system.

Do your job (Brnovich) or you will hang with those son-of-a-bitches in the end, was the message. We will see to it. Torches and pitchforks.
They are Thomas Grossnicklaus, chief of staff/general counsel; Evan Brown, director of legislative affairs; Amy Loftis-Walton, deputy director of business development and Hopper Smith, state director of aerospace and defense.

"I am very excited for these new additions to the Commerce team," Brent Kisling, executive director of the Department of Commerce, said in a statement. "They each bring a wealth of knowledge and experience that I am confident will help us better serve Oklahomans, businesses and our communities.
Collinsville Public Schools is bringing more technology to the classroom  and garnering national attention as a result.

U.S. Sen. James Lankford and his wife, Cindy, visited the area Thursday to witness Collinsville FFA demonstrate a new robotic welder recently installed in the high schools agricultural building.

The state-of-the-art machine will provide CHS students with a unique platform to receive hands-on instruction and improve their knowledge of the welding industry.

Were always looking for, Whats something our kids are missing? Whats something that can better prepare our kids for life after high school? said Jennifer Hamlin, Collinsville FFA advisor and agricultural education instructor. It (the robotic welder)  gives them a skillset that no one else here has.

The machine features a variety of advanced equipment, including a BotX arm shipped from Denmark-based Universal Robotics  a first for a U.S. public school district.

The BotX, developed by Nashville, Tennessee-based Hirebotics, produces automation quality with small-batch part runs. Students can control the arm with an intuitive app on any smartphone or tablet to create different welding designs.

Collinsville High Schools Future Farmers of America now has access to a cutting-edge welding tool so students can learn more about the industry and can be prepared for one of the many high-tech manufacturing jobs in our state, Lankford said. It was great to spend time with the students who are exploring career paths in one of these good-paying jobs.

Brady Stephens, owner of Stephens Truck Center and Bad Ass Tow Products in Owasso, formed a development partnership with Collinsville FFA, and pieced together the robotic welder for the school district to use.

The more we can partner private industry with public education is where were going to have the biggest bang for our buck, Stephens said. It was good for him (Sen. Lankford) to see how were doing it here in Collinsville, and were hoping that he will take that back to Washington, and its something that maybe they can do across the country.

Hamlin, added, We know technology is everywhere  manufacturing is coming back into Tulsa, so to be able to provide something extra for our students is very exciting. Their career choices are pretty unlimited right now.
A man who allegedly broke into a Claremore home and stole a womans car before leading police on a pursuit ending on the Will Rogers Turnpike has died after he was shot by authorities.

On Wednesday, Claremore police responded after Bobby Joe Johnston reportedly broke into a womans home, accosted her and stole her vehicle, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

Johnston evaded officers during a short pursuit and eventually crashed the stolen vehicle on Interstate 44 about five miles east of Claremore.

At the scene, Johnson reportedly approached a perimeter set by Claremore police officers and Rogers County sheriffs deputies, and two officers and a deputy shot at him. He was taken to a Claremore hospital, where he died, the OSBI said in a news release Thursday.

The investigation involves Native Americans and falls under the McGirt Supreme Court decision, according to the release, which adds that the FBI is assisting in the investigation.
Ukraine in talks over grain exports deal extension: official

Xinhua) 10:15, October 06, 2022

KIEV, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said that Kiev is holding talks over the extension of a key grain exports deal, which expires next month, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Wednesday.

Ukraine does not conduct direct negotiations with Russia, but is involved in a dialogue with Turkiye and the United Nations within the negotiating groups, Podolyak said.

Describing the talks as "difficult", Podolyak voiced his hope that Ukraine will manage to extend the mandate on exporting grain from its ports.

On July 22, Ukraine and Russia separately signed a deal with Turkiye and the United Nations in Istanbul to resume food and fertilizer shipments from Ukrainian ports to international markets via the Black Sea.

Since the deal came into effect on Aug. 1, a total of 274 vessels carrying 6.2 million tons of agricultural products departed from Ukrainian ports for the countries in Asia, Europe and Africa, according to Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry.

The agreement is due to expire on Nov. 19.

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Bianji)
A manhunt for the driver who caused a vehicle pile-up in Nha Trang City under Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam has commenced following the five-car accident this week.

The car numbered 79A-41291 was traveling on Pasteur Street in Nha Trang at around 11:30 pm on Tuesday before it hit four other cars parked along the opposite side of the street.

The chain reaction of the collision pushed a car with the license plate 47A-49039 onto another car with the license plate 79A-03025.

The other cars were also pushed backward.

All five cars were damaged, but there were no casualties.

After causing the accident, the driver of the car bearing the license plate 79A-41291 fled the scene.

Police officers are currently looking for him.

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Doctors at the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Hanoi said on Wednesday that they had successfully nurtured newborn twins born preterm at 25 weeks' gestation and weighing barely 500 grams each.

Le Minh Trac, director of the neonatal care center at the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said that this was the first time the hospital had managed to nurture preterm twins born at 25 weeks' gestation and discharged them after four months of treatment.

To assess whether the infants' intestines were receptive, doctors gave the two babies 16 meals of milk with one milliliter each over the first two weeks," Trac said.

In the following weeks, the babies consumed six milliliters per meal, gradually increasing to twenty milliliters apiece.

As of Wednesday, the twins weighed 3.4 and 3.6 kilograms, which equates to a gestational age of 41 weeks.

Trac added that the twins have avoided all preterm birth complications, including retinal complications, hemorrhage, breathing difficulties, heart problems, and other complications.

In addition to consuming 600-700 milliliters of milk per day, the two infants had very distinct emotions when they were close to their mother.

V., the mother of the twins, stated that she got pregnant with the support of assisted reproductive technology.

Her husband contracted COVID-19 when she was 25 weeks pregnant, and she had direct contact with him.

Therefore, she was very anxious and experienced many contractions before her water broke and she gave birth to the twins at a very early gestational age of 25 weeks.

"My family was extremely worried at that time, but thankfully both babies are now healthy, she said.

Tran Danh Cuong, director of the National Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, said that doctors and nurses cared for the infants as if they were still in the womb.

The successful care and feeding of both infants demonstrate the hospital's expertise in obstetrics and gynecology, which not only enables infertile women to conceive but also helps mothers keep their preterm newborns.

In 2010, the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Hanoi successfully raised a premature baby weighing 500 grams.

In 2021, a baby weighing 400 grams at birth was also well cared for at the hospital and did not experience any complications.

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On Mondays Four Corners, DNA: The End Of Crime?  looks at how genealogy databases around the world are being used to solve crimes and cold cases.

This looks at the Golden State Killer who was also profiled in the trume crime doco, Ill be Gone in the Dark.

He was a predator that was very sophisticated, highly intelligent, he employed tactics that most serial rapists or serial killers dont employ. US investigator

Joseph DeAngelo  known as the Golden State killer  was one of Americas most prolific serial killers, responsible for more than 50 rapes and 13 murders. Hed gone undetected for 40 years until investigators decided to try something different. They sent his DNA to an online genealogy research service.

Think about this, the Golden State killer case, for 44 years, 15 different law enforcement jurisdictions. With the genealogy tool, it took six of us four and a half months! Cold case investigator

Since this case was solved, genetic genealogy has been used to catch hundreds of killers in the United States. On Monday Four Corners examines how genealogy databases around the world are being used to solve crimes and cold cases.

The hiding places are taken away; they can no longer hide and do their horrible deeds because we will find them and they have to know that. US detective

The program also looks at the emergence of a new form of private investigator: the DNA detective.

I dont need everyones DNA; I really just need a very small percentage of the population. Its somewhere between 1 and 3 per cent of the population. That would be enough to solve many of the cold cases. DNA detective

As DNA databases continue to grow, law enforcement agencies are becoming increasingly confident criminals will eventually be exposed.

Anyone who has left their DNA behind at a crime scene should plan on being identified. It might be next week, it might be next year, it might take a little more time but there is no doubt that they will be identified. DNA detective

Monday 10th October at 8.30pm on ABC.
Nine Queensland has breached a condition of its licence after A Current Affair broadcast a private telephone conversation.

The conversation, which was recorded in Queensland, was between an employee of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and a member of the public who had suffered an adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccination. An Australian Communications and Media Authority investigation found the conversation was published without the consent of the TGA employee.

ACMA found that in airing the conversation Nine breached Queensland privacy laws and therefore was also in breach of its broadcasting licence condition that it will not use its service to offend against a law of a state or territory.

ACMA Chair Nerida OLoughlin said, Reporting on the side-effects of COVID-19 vaccinations was clearly in the public interest. But, in broadcasting this private conversation, Nine exceeded what was reasonable or necessary for keeping the public informed on matters of public health and safety.

Nine has aired this phone conversation without the consent of all the participants. This is unacceptable, especially from such a high-profile program with experienced reporters.

In response to the licence breach, Nine will make its ACA staff aware of the ACMAs finding and its implications for future programming, and conduct additional training on staffs obligations to operate within the stations licence conditions.

We consider these actions proportionate to the breach, but will be very concerned if we see additional licence condition breaches by Nine in the future, Ms OLoughlin said.
University of Dayton teacher education students will offer intensive tutoring to local elementary students under an Ohio Department of Education grant aimed at addressing COVID-19s impact on learning.

Because of the pandemic, for two years, many students lost a lot of time interacting with teachers in reading and math skills, said Connie Bowman, associate professor of teacher education and UDs lead for the grant. It was difficult, especially if students were already behind.

The tutoring effort is in partnership with Wright State University and the local nonprofit Learn to Earn and will continue through 2024. UD students will tutor third, fourth and fifth graders in 14 Dayton Public Schools.

Working with students grades three to five is especially important because they are getting into a more difficult level of content and advanced vocabulary, Bowman said. We want to help them improve their reading and math skills so they can continue on in elementary school and beyond in a positive, successful manner.

The Ohio Department of Education reports the pandemic negatively impacted student learning, resulting in lower scores on math and literacy tests in 2020-21.

UD students will conduct pre- and post-assessments during each tutoring session to evaluate what reading and math skills they should address in subsequent sessions with each elementary student, Bowman said.

Its going to be a great experience for our students to use what they learn in their classes working with students individually or in small groups to help the elementary students improve reading and math skills, Bowman said.

Read more about the grant on Wright State Universitys website.
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 AFP 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.

Kyiv has long been demanding deliveries of German-designed Leopard II tanks. But Berlin has not agreed, preferring that any such transfer be part of a wider accord among Western allies.

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, who was the first head of an EU institution to visit Kyiv, back in April, said countries willing to give tanks would be reimbursed from an EU fund, the European Peace Facility, which has released 2.5 billion euros ($2.5 billion) for Ukraine military purchases.

"I think these are discussions we need to have now, especially because we are seeing Russia is escalating but also on the flipside when we are seeing Ukraine successfully pushing the Russians out," she said.

Several EU countries are concerned that major donations from their arsenals could compromise their own national defence capabilities.

Metsola contended, though, that Leopard tank deliveries "would not significantly dent" individual countries' overall preparedness.

- Ukraine's EU bid -

The parliament president also reiterated her call for Ukraine to have an "accelerated" entry into the European Union.

Kyiv in June obtained candidate status to start that process, but the vetting and analysis stages typically run to years, and Metsola did not want to forecast how long it might take in Ukraine's case.

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But, she said, "We have a country that has shown us its intention, and overwhelming willingness to join, and surpassing expectations and meeting goals that other countries would have taken months or years."

She also said Moldova, which obtained candidate status at the same time as Kyiv and which is vulnerable to Russia's expansionism because of a Moscow-backed breakaway territory within its borders, must not be forgotten.

Albania and North Macedonia, which are further along the path towards EU adhesion, additionally need attention, otherwise "these countries could look elsewhere," she cautioned.

Friday's EU summit in Prague will be preceded by a broader one on Thursday inaugurating a "European Political Community" with Ukraine, Moldova, Albania and North Macedonia among 44 countries represented.

Metsola underlined that the gathering, a brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron, will not "replace the enlargement process".

alm/rmb/bp
Northern Oil & Gas NOG recently declared that it has signed an acquisition agreement to take over certain oil and gas assets in the Northern Delaware Basin in the United States from privately owned Alpha Energy Partners. The initial consideration, which is worth around $157.5 million in cash, is subject to closing adjustments.

The properties are mainly situated in the Lea and Eddy counties in New Mexico and Loving County, TX. These include about 2,800 acres, 9.6 net producing wells, 2.8 net AFEs and wells in process and approximately 21.2 net undeveloped locations. These assets are primarily operated by Mewbourne Oil. Meanwhile, other operators include the likes of Conoco and EOG.

The company expects production between 3,000 and 3,500 barrels of oil equivalent (Boe) per day in 2023 from the acquired assets. Moreover, due to robust growth and a strong free cash flow profile, with $32 million average annual capital spending projected on the assets over the next three years, the assets will deliver an output of more than 4,000 Boe per day in 2024 and 2025.

This acquisition, which NOG intends to fund with cash on hand, operating free cash flow and borrowings under its revolving credit facility, is anticipated to be closed in December 2022.

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc., the Minnetonka, MN-based independent upstream operator, is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas properties. The firm is primarily focused on the three leading basins of the United States  Williston, Permian and Appalachian.

Founded in 2007, NOG employs a unique strategy. It owns non-operating, minority interests in thousands of oil and gas wells, which are majority-owned and operated by some leading producers.

Northern Oil and Gas currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Investors interested in the energy space might also look at some other similar-ranked stocks  Liberty Energy LBRT, NexTier Oilfield Solutions NEX and EnLink Midstream ENLC. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Libertys 2022 earnings is pegged at $1.81 per share, up about 277.4% from the year-ago loss of $1.02.

LBRT beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in two of the trailing four quarters, the average being around 31.7%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NexTiers 2022 earnings stands at $1.35 per share, suggesting an increase of about 413.9% from the year-ago loss of 43 cents.

NEX beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in all the trailing four quarters, the average being around 269.5%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EnLinks 2022 earnings stands at 43 cents per share, up 720% from the year-ago earnings of 5 cents.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ENLCs 2022 earnings has been revised upward by about 16.2% over the past 60 days from 37 cents to 43 cents per share.



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By Pamela Barbaglia

LONDON (Reuters) - Barclays has promoted Luca Maiorana to lead its financial institutions group (FIG) across Europe, the Middle East and Africa as part of its efforts to deepen its ties with key clients who are grappling with the turmoil in financial markets. Maiorana, who heads Barclays' fintech and asset management franchise, will become co-head of EMEA FIG investment banking and will share responsibilities with Enrique Pinel who has been in charge of the business since 2020, a memo seen by Reuters said. The move comes amid a broader reshuffle of the bank's senior dealmakers aimed at boosting revenues at its advisory business and tightening relationships with large European corporate clients.

Barclays picked FIG veteran Tim Main as its investment banking boss in EMEA on Tuesday while former Bank of America banker Arif Vohra succeeded Main as global co-head of FIG and Reid Marsh became global chairman of investment banking. Italy-born Maiorana has been focused on the financial services industry since starting his career at HSBC in 2006. He joined Barclays in 2010 after a 2-year stint at Rothschild where he worked primarily with Italian clients including insurer Generali. At Barclays he rose through the ranks advising on a number of deals involving Greek banks such as Eurobank and National Bank of Greece and their efforts to raise cash and sell assets.

He became head of FIG for emerging Europe - which includes Central and Eastern Europe as well as Greece and Turkey - and worked on Metlife's disposal of its insurance business in Poland among other deals. More recently he spearheaded the bank's fintech and asset management coverage advising companies including digital wealth manager Moneyfarm on its fundraising plans.

In his new role, he will work closely with Barclays' global co-heads of FIG investment banking, Joel Fleck and Arif Vohra.

(Reporting by Pamela Barbaglia. Editing by Jane Merriman)
Chinese civil war refugee makes love for Taiwan flag a dining experience Chang Lao-wang speaks to Reuters at the park he decorates with Taiwanese flags ahead of Taiwan National Day in Taoyuan

By Sarah Wu and Ann Wang

TAOYUAN, Taiwan (Reuters) - Days away from Taiwan's National Day, a long line of people snakes out of Chang Lao-wang's restaurant, where the Chinese civil war refugee displays his ardent love for Taiwan's flag while serving up Yunnan rice noodles to the lunchtime crowd.

Chang has hung 30,000 flags around his "National Flag House" restaurant and an adjacent park ahead of the public holiday that marks the founding of the Republic of China - Taiwan's official name.

"This national flag, the whole country must love it together. Only if everyone collectively loves the flag, does the country have a future," Chang, 81, told Reuters at the park in Taiwan's northern city of Taoyuan.

"If everyone loves this flag, other countries won't dare to bully you."

The red flag, featuring a white sun against a blue sky, holds different meanings for people in Taiwan, and is generally not flown outside of Taiwan as other countries seek to avoid upsetting China, which views Taiwan as its own territory and not a country.

Many in Taiwan, especially among the younger generation, associate the flag with the martial law era of the Kuomintang party that fled to the island with the defeated Republic of China government in 1949 at the end of a civil war with Mao Zedong's communists.

Some Taiwanese think a new flag is needed to avoid association with China.

But Chang is proud of the flag, the sight of which he says helped him and his mother track down his father after battles. His family would not have stayed together and found safety in Taiwan if not for the flag, Chang said.

Born in China's southwestern province of Yunnan, he and his family fled to Myanmar at the end of the civil war along with the remnants of Kuomintang troops before arriving in Taiwan in 1953.

Chang started hanging flags at age 37, putting out fewer than 100. Back then, Taiwan's flags were ubiquitous around National Day, but he says he sees few people hanging them today.

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Each year, he receives complaints, with some describing the flags as "garbage" and asking him to take them down.

But his flag-raising ceremony draws large crowds each year, with an estimated 20,000 last year, Chang said.

"In those moments, I forget myself," he said. "I think 'Oh, there are still so many people who love this flag and my heart feels very comforted."

(Reporting by Sarah Wu and Ann Wang; Editing by Ben Blanchard & Simon Cameron-Moore)
The climate crisis is raising the risk of violence against women and girls, a UN human rights expert has warned.

Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, says socio-political and economic phenomena that arise with environmental issues  including armed conflict, displacement and resource scarcity  put more women at risk.

Climate change is the most consequential threat multiplier for women and girls, with far-reaching impacts on new and existing forms of gendered inequities, according to Alsalem.

Climate change is not only an ecological crisis, but fundamentally a question of justice, prosperity and gender equality, and intrinsically linked to and influenced by structural inequality and discrimination, she added.

Evidence shows the climate crisis aggravates all types of gender-based violence ranging from physical to psychological and economic all the while curbing the availability and effectiveness of protection mechanisms and further weakening the potential to prevent violence, the UN expert said.

When slow or sudden-onset disasters strike and threaten livelihoods, communities may resort to negative coping mechanisms, such as trafficking, sexual exploitation and harmful practices like early and child marriage and drop out from schools  all of which force women and girls to choose between risk-imbued options for survival.

#Climate change & environmental degradation are escalating the risk & prevalence of violence against women & girls across the world @UNSRVAW presents new report at #UNGA77.



Climate change is the most consequential threat multiplier for women & girls



https://t.co/n1zv9lEo30 pic.twitter.com/jO8Xi1DSeh  UN Special Procedures (@UN_SPExperts) October 5, 2022

In February it was reported that the havoc climate change is wreaking on farming communities in Zimbabwe is forcing young women and children into prostitution.

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It is estimated hundreds of girls from the nations rural regions have joined the sex trade in towns and cities after droughts and flash floods destroyed their crops.

Teenager Chipo told Al Jazeera she fled to the town of Epworth after her rural home was devastated by flash floods.

Chipo, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, said: I came at the age of 16. I could not supplement my education because of no money. Later on, I found myself joining sex work.

Alsalem urged the international community to double down on the commitment to gender equality and anchor the response to climate change and disaster risk mitigation in human rights.

For our concerted efforts against climate change to be truly gender sensitive and transformative, measures to address the vulnerabilities faced by women and girls must build on a recognition of their role and agency as powerful stakeholders in the policy space, she added.

The wellbeing and the rights of women and girls should not be an afterthought and must be placed at the centre of policies and responses.
FILE - Former Honduran first lady Rosa Elena Bonilla de Lobo leaves court after her conviction on corruption charges in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Aug. 20, 2019. A judge sentenced Bonilla de Lobo to 14 years in prison Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, on corruption charges, the second time Bonilla had been sentenced. (AP Photo/Elmer Martinez, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP)  A judge sentenced former Honduran First Lady Rosa Elena Bonilla de Lobo to 14 years in prison Wednesday on corruption charges, the second time Bonilla had been sentenced.

Bonilla will be allowed to appeal the sentence within 20 days, court spokesman Carlos Silva said.

The first time Bonilla was convicted and sentenced to 58 years in prison, but the conviction was tossed out due to inconsistencies in the process. She was re-tried in March and convicted of fraud and embezzlement.

She embezzled more than $1 million in government funds between 2010 and 2014, when her husband Porfirio Lobo was president. Last year, the United States government barred former president Lobo from entering the country due to allegations of drug trafficking.

In July, Bonilla and Lobos 23-year-old son Said Omar Lobo Bonilla was killed along with three others when they were ambushed by gunmen leaving a club in the capital.

Bonillas private secretary Saul Escobar was also sentenced Wednesday to seven years and three months in prison for fraud.
Outernet's interior (Photography by Jake Davis of Khroma Collective (www.instagram.com/khromacollective)

As the Outernet District opens to gig-goers for the first time, the venues operators have told Rolling Stone UK how its set to bring live music back to the heart of central London.

The development, which first opened last month on Charing Cross Road, marks the largest purpose-built venue to central London to open since the 1940s. From the outside, it is impossible to miss the huge gold frontage that looms large outside Tottenham Court Road Station, as well as the imposing LED screens (in fact the biggest in the world).

But once inside, the heart of the venue comes in the form of HERE, a 2000 capacity gig space over two floors which boasts state-of-the-art audio technology and LED screens that will come to life when the likes of Gang of Youths, Eurovision hero Sam Ryder, Alfie Templeman and Berwyn take to the stage in the coming months.

The technological advancements of HERE mean it is firmly facing the future, but it is situated in an area only too aware of its musical past. Outernet backs onto the historic Denmark Street, which was the epicentre of Londons music scene in the 70s  with guitar shops, recording studios and bars frequented by the likes of David Bowie, the Sex Pistols and the Rolling Stones.

Inside The Lower Third

That heritage is reflected in The Lower Third (a nod to one of David Bowies first ever bands), which was previously known as the 12bar  a dive bar that hosted early shows from The Libertines. It has now been redeveloped and brought into Outernet.

The Lower Third, we were very conscious of that space and what it meant to music fans and the music industry, says the venues operating partner Karrie Goldberg.

It was also only one floor before, so weve added a second room upstairs to really bring live music back to Denmark Street. No one wanted to turn it into Disneyland. We wanted to acknowledge the importance of what the 12 Bar was, but nudge it forward a little bit in terms of what the programming could offer.

Goldbergs co partner Robert Butters adds: For The Lower Third we want bands with a following today, but also those who can say in the future they started here. We want it to be a place where bands make their name, much like the Astoria and 12 Bar were.

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The bar at HERE  Photography by Jake Davis of Khroma Collective (www.instagram.com/khromacollective)

Still, HERE appears to be a venue that very much benefits from its future-facing approach. A mezzanine on all three sides means fans are left with no shortage of vantage viewing points, while a team of architects have specifically designed the walls to absorb sound. When paired with the high-end sound system, it is almost like the designers have specifically ticked off every minor quality quibble that gig-goers could possibly have .

As for the programming ahead, Goldberg says programming manager Chloe Mitchell has a broad understanding of the shows in the months ahead.

Weve got a huge variety of shows coming up. Weve got people who know their lanes very well and they are strategically booking the calendar to add to that.

It is a huge draw to artists too. A tour of the venue reveals one of the most envious backstage areas that Rolling Stone UK has ever seen  with two luxe lounges equipped with all the facilities that a performer could possibly desire.

For all the venues innovations and charms, however, there still remains scepticism in some circles about its accessibility and affordability. It is a world away from the sweat and sawdust vibes of past Charing Cross Road venue The Astoria  which closed in 2009 to make way for Crossrail.

 Photography by Jake Davis of Khroma Collective (www.instagram.com/khromacollective)

Allaying those concerns, Goldberg adds: Were very conscious of promoters putting an accessible price on their ticket. The case in point is Sam Ryder, it was 15 and it sold out immediately. The artists and promoters still have to make money, but so far we havent had pushback.

Butters, meanwhile, confirms that a pint will cost 6.50. While that wont be for everyone, it is largely in line with the average price to be found in the area.

Ultimately though, its hard not to feel like Outernet is bringing music back to Central London at a time when nearly all venues in the immediate area have been forced to shut their doors. It is hoped that the music shops of Denmark Street will benefit from the trade of visiting musicians, while emerging musicians have just been given another possible location at which they can make their name. For fans and industry alike, you sense its opening can only be a good thing.
At least 22 migrants have died and 30 more are missing after two boats sank in separate incidents in Greek waters.

Around 80 migrants from Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan were rescued after their boat broke up near cliffs in stormy weather near the island of Kythira in southern Greece.

The rescues happened after dozens scrambled ashore near the village port of Diakofti.

One resident described seeing the boat "smashing against the rocks" and people climbing up them to try and "save themselves".

"It was an unbelievable sight," Martha Stathaki said. "All the residents here went down to the harbour to try and help."

Rescuers lowered ropes down to the seafront to help survivors climb up the cliffs to reach safety.

Those rescued said around 11 were still missing.

A nearby school has also opened to provide shelter for those who have been rescued, local officials said.

With many people still missing, navy divers are expected to continue searching the area on Thursday.

Read more:

'They shot us with rifles'

'Migrants paid 8,000' to be smuggled

Channel crossings reach record high

Further east, a total of 17 bodies have been recovered by rescuers near the island of Lesbos after a dinghy carrying around 40 people got into difficulty on Wednesday night.

Ten people were rescued and around 13 remained missing.

The second rescue effort was launched several hundred miles to the west, off the island of Kythira, where a boat struck rocks and sank.

The bodies of at least four migrants were seen amid floating debris.

Most migrants reaching Greece travel from neighbouring Turkey, but smugglers have changed routes in recent months to avoid heavily patrolled waters around Greek islands near the Turkish coastline.

Greece has toughened its migration policy in recent years and regularly carries out interceptions of boats at sea - a move which has been criticised by some human rights groups.

The country has repeatedly blamed Turkey for not taking sufficient measures to stop migrants from making the dangerous journey.

Kythira is some 250 miles (450km) west of Turkey and part of a route often used by smugglers to bypass Greece and head directly to Italy.
In the video Cllr Patel responded to messages sent to him asking him his views on the video where Liz Truss says she is a 'Zionist'. (Saddam/PA)

A Conservative Blackburn councillor has hit out after he was accused of following a Zionist supporting party', by saying former Iraqi tyrant Saddam Hussein was his "hero".

Cllr Altaf 'Tiger' Patel said he had been sent many messages over the past few days from people who had accused him of supporting an Zionist and anti-Muslim party.

It follows a message being shared in the community which showed Prime Minister Liz Truss saying she was a Zionist and a huge supporter of Israel at a Conservative Friends of Israel meeting.

Earlier this summer Cllr Patel had sent out a video publicly backing Liz Truss in her bid to become a Prime Minister, and was pictured with her during the Manchester hustings during the Tory leadership election.

With strong feelings within his community over Palestine and the treatment of Palestinians by the government of Israel, Cllr Patel was asked to respond to the comment made by Liz Truss.

It prompted Cllr Patel to share another message, which featured Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer talking about Jewish heritage within his family.

Cllr Patel said: I got some people sending me the message over the past few days.

In my opinion none of the parties stand up for Muslims when it comes to Israel. So, to single out the Conservative Party is wrong.

I do not agree with what Liz Truss said. I am against it. That is her personal opinion not mine.

When she was a candidate, I supported her as she knows about British culture. I stand by that.

As a councillor I may be Conservative but people voted for me because of the work I have done. My job is to support the local community in any way I can.

Cllr Patel said he was forced to compare the actions of the Tory party in foreign affairs with that of Labour in a further message.

In it, he accuses the Labour Party of igniting anti-Muslim sentiment following the ill-fated invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the overthrow of brutal dictator Saddam Hussein.

He said: All the Labour people accusing me need to take a long hard look at what the Labour Party was doing under Tony Blair.

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Saddam Hussein was my hero. He kept the whole region in check and he was a security for the region.

They hung Saddam in 2007.

I didnt see people making big issues then. Millions of Muslims died due to the wars and it was the Labour Party government in charge.

What have Labour party supporters got to say to about that? Speak out.

Labour councillor Salim Sidat who also represents the Audley and Queens Park ward said he would not respond to the comments made by Cllr Patel.

He said: Any response needs to be directed at the local Labour party leadership.
The trade mission will aim to enhance Scotland's links with Barbados

A SCOTTISH trade mission aiming to establish a direct exporting route from Scotland to Barbados is set to take place between November 20 and 25.

The mission will bring together a range of delegates from sectors including finance, education and hospitality to highlight trading and investment opportunities in Barbados.

It is hoped this can act as a gateway to markets in the rest of the Caribbean and Latin America.

Organised by the Renfrewshire Business Network (RBN) in collaboration with Invest Barbados and Department for International Trade Scotland (DIT), the mission will seek to promote the considerable opportunities available and highlight the success of Scottish companies who have invested on the island.

READ MORE: Scotland to fall into recession, say Fraser of Allander Institute as Tory budget measures bite

Jo Smith of RBN said: RBN was established in 2012 to encourage businesses to connect and grow, so the trade mission is an ideal fit with this ethos.

Scotland has many links with Barbados, such as the barrels in the Mount Gay distillery coming from Islay; a shared patron saint in St Andrew, and their beautiful Scotland district.

RBN members are already setting up in Barbados, and Im looking forward to seeing further opportunities for business growth there. The support of Invest Barbados and the DIT has been invaluable.

Barbados has ambitions to become a digitally-enabled nation and is on track to achieve its goal of 100% renewable energy generation by 2030.

A company whose involvement in a previous trade mission has led to success is Aberdeen-based OGV Taprooms.

Director of OGV Taprooms Kenny Dooley said: "In addition to our bar in Aberdeen, we currently operate a bar on the lovely island of Barbados at El Sueno.

"The local market has proven a fantastic opportunity, and it is clear that there is much affection for Scotland from Bajans.

"We have been inspired to such an extent that over the next few years our goal is to expand into five new locations across the Caribbean, with Barbados very much acting as the gateway to achieving this.

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Aberdeen-based company OGV Taprooms owns a bar in Barbados

We attended last years trade mission and had a very positive experience, and I would definitely recommend it to other businesses.

"While our initial bar location fell through, we were able to make several follow up trips to Barbados and we eventually managed to find a location in El Sueno that was ultimately a better option."

The CEO of Invest Barbados, Kaye-Anne Greenidge, added: "We are delighted to be co-hosting and being the main sponsors for this event. Scotland enjoys extensive connections with Barbados, and we hope that this trade mission will support the establishment of a direct exporting route and highlight the immense business opportunities available."
 

According to the Ukrainian official, the state of nuclear weapons in Russia is quite questionable. Reznikov cited data from the second president of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, who claimed that the term of validity of all nuclear capabilities, including Russias, expired in 1997. Therefore, the use of such weapons "will have unpredictable consequences".

Read also: NATO secretary general says Putins nuke threat is dangerous, reckless rhetoric

"When was the last time the Russians conducted a nuclear test? he wondered.

In the 90s, in Kazakhstan at an appropriate test site. That is, since the 90s, they have not conducted any tests, they have carriers, they have nuclear stocks, but no one knows how they are activated, how they fly and work, including them.

Reznikov doubts that if Moscow does resort to nuclear weapons against Ukraine, it will be on the front line as there are their troops there, and the territories captured by Russians are nearby. Also, according to the Minister, it is unlikely to be a point in the Black Sea, as there are three nearby NATO member states: Bulgaria, Turkey, and Romania.

"That is, where to target? What is the point?" he said.

Reznikov believes that by threatening a nuclear strike, the Kremlin probably just wants to scare Ukraine. At the same time, the Defense Minister stressed that the risk remains, and it is unwise to rule it out.

Read also: Pentagon does not confirm rumors of transport of Russian nuclear weapons to Ukrainian border

"But if we estimate in percentage terms the probability of its [nuclear weapons] use, it is much lower than anything else, he added.

And this is confirmed by our partners, including the United States and the United Kingdom.

Earlier, Ukrainian intelligence stated that they consider the threat of Russia's use of tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine "very high". At the same time, according to the head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov, Russia will not launch a nuclear strike in the near future.

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Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov previously stated that there is a risk of Russia's use of tactical nuclear weapons, but their quality and condition raise questions.

The United States has insisted that in case Russia uses nuclear weapons against Ukraine, Washington and its allies will respond decisively. The White House also warned the Kremlin of "catastrophic consequences".

Read also: Expect good news by end of year, says defense minister Reznikov

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, after announcing mobilization in Russia on Sept. 21, once again threatened Western countries with the use of nuclear weapons, saying that "this is not a bluff".

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The leaders of 44 European countries stretching from Iceland all the way to Turkey met Thursday in what many said was a united stand against Russia's war on Ukraine, as an energy crisis and high inflation fueled by the conflict wreak havoc on their economies.

The inaugural summit of the European Political Community involves the 27 European Union member countries, aspiring partners in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, as well as neighbors like Britain  the only country to have left the EU  and Turkey.

Russia is the one major European power not invited, along with its neighbor and supporter in the war Belarus.

What you will see here is that Europe stands in solidarity against the Russian invasion in Ukraine," Icelandic Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir told reporters at Prague Castle in the Czech Republic, where the gathering was taking place.

Her Belgian counterpart, Alexander De Croo, said if you just look at the attendance here, you see the importance. The whole European continent is here, except two countries: Belarus and Russia. So it shows how isolated those two countries are.

Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said the fallout from Russia's war on Ukraine is something they all have in common.

Its affecting all of us in the security sense, and its affecting all of us through our economies, through the rising energy costs. So the only way that we can handle this is working together, and not just the European Union. All the European countries need to work together, he said.



Read more on FRANCE24



Read also:

'Occupiers trying to escape': Russians under pressure in southern Ukraine

After Brexit, Truss's surprise 'yes' boosts Macron's European Political Community

North Macedonia lawmakers approve deal with Bulgaria to clear way for EU membership talks
FILE PHOTO: A security guard sits behind a security fence at a gate leading into the ExxonMobil PNG Limited operated Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant at Caution Bay, located on the outskirts of Port Moresby

MILAN (Reuters) - Planned gas production by Italy's Adriatic LNG terminal operator could be reduced because of an unscheduled outage on Thursday, Italian energy group Edison said in a message posted on Italy's specialist GME platform.

The Adriatic LNG terminal operator, whose annual regasification capacity has recently been increased to 9 billion cubic metres a year, is working to resolve the situation, Edison added. It did not give a timeframe for fixing the problem.

A government source told Reuters that the issue seems manageable and should not have a serious impact on gas supply to Italy.

The terminal located in the Adriatic Sea, about 15 km off the Veneto coastline, can cover around 12% of Italy's annual national gas consumption, according to its website.

Adriatic LNG is controlled by ExxonMobil, which owns a stake of 70.7%, with QatarEnergy and Italian gas grid operator Snam owning the rest. The terminal, which became operational in 2009, has a work hub in the Italian city of Rovigo.

Italy's gas storage is nearly full ahead of the winter as it seeks a buffer against potential disruptions of supplies from Russia, on which it has reduced its reliance, Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said earlier on Thursday.

He also said that Italy should be alert about unexpected technical or operational problems with the country's infrastructure that could jeopardise its energy security.

(Reporting by Francesca Landini and Giuseppe Fonte, editing by Gianluca Semeraro and Keith Weir)
The Rosetta Stone in the British Museum in 2018 (In Pictures via Getty Images)

Leading Egyptian archaeologists have demanded the British Museum return the Rosetta Stone 200 years after it was deciphered.

The prized historical artefact, one of the centrepieces of the British Museums collection, dates to 196 BC and was unearthed by Napoleons army in northern Egypt.

It became British property after Napoleons defeat in 1801, and has been housed in the museum in Bloomsbury, north London, since 1802.

An online campaign by Egyptian archaeologists for its return has gathered 2,500 signatures and aims to "tell Egyptians what has been taken from them, said Monica Hanna, acting Dean of the College of Archaeology in the Egyptian city of Aswan.

The stone bears inscriptions of the same text in Hieroglyphs, Demotic and Ancient Greek, which allowed it to be used to decipher Hieroglyphs in 1822.

There have been previous calls for the museum to return the artefact, but the archaeologists hope increasing moves by Western museums to return exhibits that were removed from countries under colonial rule will help their cause.

I am sure all these objects eventually are going to be restituted because the ethical code of museums is changing, its just a matter of when," said Ms Hanna.

The stone is a symbol of cultural violence, the stone is a symbol of cultural imperialism.

So, restituting the stone is a symbol of changing things - that were no longer in the 19th Century but were working with an ethical code of the 21st Century.

General view of the interior of the British Museum (PA Archive)

A British Museum spokesperson told Reuters there had been no formal request from the Egyptian government for the return of the Rosetta Stone.

A spokesperson noted that 28 artefacts engraved with the same decree written by Egyptian priests had been discovered, starting with the Rosetta Stone in 1799. 21 of these remain in Egypt.

The museum said it was opening an exhibition entitled Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt on October 13, which would shed light on the role of the Rosetta Stone.

The British Museum greatly values positive collaborations with colleagues across Egypt," the statement added.

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Egyptian officials have previously called for the return of artefacts to help boost its tourism industry and plans to open a large new museum near to the Giza pyramids in the next few months.

It comes after Liz Truss appeared to rule out a deal with Greece over the status of the Elgin Marbles, also housed in the British Museum.

The 2,500-year-old sculptures were brought to Britain by Thomas Bruce, Earl of Elgin, in the early 19th century from Greece, then under Ottoman occupation.

While the museums chair, former Conservative Chancellor, George Osborne, has previously suggested some form of a deal with Greece could be done over the sculptures, Ms Truss said when asked Tuesday: I dont support that.
The King has held an audience with Australias governor of Victoria.

The monarch, who is just under a month into his reign, welcomed Linda Dessau to Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands.

Charles III, who is also King of Australia, wore a grey suit with a burgundy patterned tie and pocket handkerchief.

The King during his audience at Balmoral with Linda Dessau, governor of Victoria, Australia (Andrew Milligan/PA)

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.
Ukraine war: EU countries agree new sanctions on Russia that includes a price cap on Russian oil

The European Union has approved new sanctions against Russia, including a price cap on the maritime trade of Russian oil.

It comes in direct response to the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions.

The latest sanctions, endorsed on Wednesday morning by EU ambassadors, also introduce new exports and imports ban, as well as a brand-new provision that would prevent EU nationals from sitting on governing boards of Russia's state-owned companies.

New individuals and entities accused of undermining Ukraine's territorial sovereignty are being added to the extensive blacklist.

Fossil fuels are Russia's main source of revenue and make up 45% of the country's federal budget.

According to Russia's central bank, in 2021, sales of Russian crude oil amounted to $110.2 billion while refined oil products, such as diesel and gasoline, brought in $68.7 billion.

Western countries want to slash these huge revenues, which they fear are being funnelled into the costly invasion of Ukraine.

The price cap on oil was agreed in principle by the G7 in early September and needs to be transposed into EU law in order to make it effective and enforceable.

The G7 intends to forbid their insurance and shipping firms from providing services to Russian companies that sell oil at a price that exceeds the agreed-upon cap.

Commercial oil tankers need insurance to cover the costs of incidents beyond their control, such as delays, damage to supplies, theft or even war.

EU and UK-based insurers enjoy a dominant position in this services market, making it difficult for Russian vessels to find coverage elsewhere.

The shipping industry of Greece, Cyprus and Malta also plays a key role in transporting Russian oil around the world.

Discussions among EU ambassadors focused on addressing the concerns of these three coastal states, who fear their business opportunities will be captured by countries like Liberia, Panama or the Marshall Islands.

The oil cap is meant to have an extraterritorial dimension because once implemented, it will affect international trade beyond the EU and the G7 borders.

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Russia is the world's largest oil exporter, putting out between 7 to 8 million of barrels per day, 60% of which used to go to Europe. The EU is already phasing out imports of Russian oil under a gradual embargo.

"This oil cap will help reduce Russia's revenues and keep global energy markets stable," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last week while unveiling the proposal.

The new package of EU sanctions simply provides the "legal basis" to underpin the oil cap.

The ground-breaking initiative will now go back to the G7's table, where the price range of the cap and other practical details will have to be defined.

It's still unclear how many countries outside the G7 will be willing to participate in the untested scheme, which in practice amounts to the establishment of a cartel.

India and China have in recent months ramped up purchases of Russian oil that Moscow sells with a pronounced discount. The current difference between a barrel of Brent and Urals crude is $23.

Besides the oil cap, the new round of sanctions, the eighth since the invasion began in February, imposes stricter import bans to keep certain Russian products out of the EU market, such as steel, wood pulp, paper, machinery, chemicals, plastic and cigarettes.

This will deprive the Kremlin of 7 billion in revenues, according to Commission's estimates.

Exports of EU-made goods, particularly key technology used in the Russian military, will also be prohibited, together with IT, engineering and legal services.

The exact list of banned products and services has not yet been made public.

The sanctions will come into force after their publication in the EU's official journal.
A "truly brave and courageous" Irishman has been killed fighting in Ukraine, his family has confirmed.

Rory Mason, 23, from Dunboyne in County Meath, died while fighting for Ukraine's International Legion in the Kharkiv counter-offensive near the Russian border.

Ukraine war live updates

His father Rob said: "Rory was a private young man of drive, purpose and conviction.

"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 in March, his family said he had been working in Germany to help fund his travel ambitions.

The International Legion paid tribute to their "brother-in-arms", who it said was killed in action when his unit came under attack.

Read more on Ukraine:

Putin's difficulties make use of tactical nuclear weapons 'more likely'

Released Ukrainian prisoner of war reveals torment at hands of Russians

The legion said: "We are in contact with the family and in coordination with them, following their wishes and instructions, the International Legion and the Armed Forces of Ukraine are handling the repatriation process.

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"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."

Mr Mason leaves behind his parents Rob and Elizabeth and a 22-year-old brother and 21-year-old sister.
Singapore authorities have made their biggest ever seizure of rhino horn with a US$830,000 haul confiscated from a smuggler arriving from South Africa, officials said Wednesday.

The city-state's National Parks Board said 20 pieces of horn weighing a total of 34 kilograms (75 pounds) were discovered Tuesday in two bags at Singapore Changi Airport.

The contraband was detected by sniffer dogs and belonged to a passenger travelling onward to Laos, the board said, adding that the suspect had been arrested.

"This is the largest seizure of rhinoceros horns in Singapore to date," it said in a statement.

Rhinos are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and international trade in their horns is prohibited.

The board said genetic testing is being carried out on the seized horns to identify the species, after which they will be destroyed to prevent them from re-entering the market.

Rhino horns are considered status symbols and believed to have medicinal properties in parts of Asia. They are also carved into jewellery and household items including combs, buttons and belt buckles.

The Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said in August that poaching and the illegal trade in horns have decreased in recent years but remain grave threats to rhinos.

It said more than 2,700 rhinos were poached in Africa between 2018 and 2021, of which 90 percent were killed in South Africa, mainly in the Kruger National Park.

South Africa is home to nearly 80 percent of the world's rhinos.

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Almost five decades after the death of Francisco Franco, Spanish lawmakers passed a flagship law Wednesday seeking to honour the victims of the 1936-1939 civil war and the ensuing dictatorship.

Honouring those who died or suffered violence or repression during war and decades of dictatorship that followed has been a top priority for the left-wing government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez since he came to power in 2018.

The senate approved the law -- which aims to pay homage to those who died, were subjected to violence or persecution during the Franco years -- with 128 votes in favour, 113 against and 18 abstentions.

Known as the "law of democratic memory", the legislation seeks to advance the search for and exhumation of victims buried in mass graves and upending decades-old political convictions.

"Today we are taking another step towards justice, reparation and dignity for all victims," tweeted Sanchez after the vote.

But it threatens to fuel tensions in a nation where public opinion is still divided over the legacy of the dictatorship that ended with Franco's death in 1975.

The right-wing opposition Popular Party (PP) has vowed to overturn the law if elected in the next election, which is due by the end of 2023.

"History cannot be built on the basis of forgetting and silencing the vanquished" of the civil war, reads the preamble to the law.

Franco assumed power after the civil war in which his Nationalists defeated Republicans, leaving the country in ruins and mourning hundreds of thousands of dead.

While his regime honoured its own dead, it left its opponents buried in unmarked graves across the country.

- Finding mass graves -

The bill, which was approved by the lower house of parliament in July, will for the first time make unearthing mass graves a "state responsibility".

It also calls for a national DNA bank to be established to help identify remains and for the creation of a map of all mass graves in the country.

"The state must exhume the remains of the victims of the Franco dictatorship," Sanchez told parliament in July.

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"There are still 114,000 people who were forcibly disappeared in Spain, mostly Republicans," he said, referring to people whose fate was deliberately hidden.

Only Cambodia, he said, had more "disappeared" people than Spain, its population suffering atrocities under 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge regime.

Up until now, it has been associations who have led the search for those who went missing during the Franco era, as portrayed in Spanish director Pedro Almodovar's most recent film "Parallel Mothers".

The new legislation seeks to build on a 2007 "historical memory" law, which experts and activists say fell short of excavating the hundreds of still untouched mass graves scattered across Spain.

Sanchez's predecessor, Mariano Rajoy of the PP, famously bragged that he had not spent a euro of public money in furthering the provisions within the law.

- Annulling Franco-era convictions -

The new law will also annul the criminal convictions of opponents of the Franco regime and appoint a prosecutor to probe human rights abuses during the war and the ensuing dictatorship.

Previous attempts to bring Franco-era officials to justice in Spain have been blocked by an amnesty agreement signed by political leaders after his death.

The deal was seen as essential to avoid a spiral of score-settling as officials sought to unite the country and steer it towards democracy.

And the law will also mean that for the first time, "stolen babies" will be recognised as victims of Francoism.

Those babies were newborns who were taken away from "unsuitable" mothers -- Republican or left-wing opponents of the regime, then unwed mothers or poor families.

But not everyone was pleased with the outcome of the vote, with the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory (ARMH) saying the new legislation did not go far enough.

The law "perpetuates impunity for the Francoists" because it leaves the amnesty agreement in force, "it will not put anyone on trial" nor will it "compensate the families of the disappeared", it said in a statement.

The PP has accused the government of needlessly opening the wounds of the past with the law.

This is Sanchez's second major effort to tackle the Franco legacy.

In 2019, he had Franco's remains removed from a vast grandiose mausoleum near Madrid and transferred to a discreet family plot, despite opposition from the late dictator's relatives and right-wing parties.

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Just weeks before Halloween, law enforcement officials are warning about a deadly drug packaged in pills that "look like candy."

So-called rainbow fentanyl began showing up on the streets on the West Coast in February and has gradually made its way across the country.

This week, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and law enforcement partners announced the first significant seizure of rainbow fentanyl. It happened on Sept. 28 when agents and officers stopped a vehicle on the Manhattan side of the Lincoln Tunnel that contained 15,000 multicolored pill with an estimated street value of $300,000.

The multicolored pills are similar in look to party drugs and meant to be more appealing to young people, according to the DEAs Frank Tarrentino, who called it newly packaged poison.

Fentanyl is everywhere and it is on everything, Tarrentino said, noting some of the pills seized in the car were discovered in a yellow Lego box.

The pills look like candy, said New York Citys special narcotics prosecutor Bridgette Brennan. We believe it is critically important to educate the public about this new form fentanyl is taking.

Illicitly manufactured fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, is one of the primary drivers of the significant increases in drug overdose deaths in recent years. More than 56,000 people died of from overdoses involving synthetic opioids in 2020, an increase of 56% from the previous year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

PHOTO: Brightly-colored fentanyl pills that are being seized by the DEA. (DEA)

The pills are often made to resemble real prescription opioid medication like Oxycontin, Vicodin, and Xanax, or stimulants like Adderall, according to the DEA. Most are made in Mexico, with China supplying the chemicals.

In a warning issued in August, the DEA said that brightly colored fentanyl is being distributed not just in pill form but also "powder, and blocks that resembles sidewalk chalk."

PHOTO: Examples of brightly-colored fentanyl cubes resembling sidewalk chalk that is being seized by the DEA. (DEA)

According to the agency, 2 milligrams of fentanyl, the equivalent of 10 to 15 grains of table salt, is "considered a lethal dose."

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"Without laboratory testing, there is no way to know how much fentanyl is concentrated in a pill or powder," the DEA said. "Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country."

Amid all the recent warnings, statistics about rates of overdoses by so-called rainbow fentanyl are not available yet.

In response to the growing threat and the recent rise in deaths due to fentanyl, school districts in Florida, Texas and California have announced new plans to fight the crisis.

MORE: Mom warns others using a billboard after daughter dies due to fentanyl-laced pill

The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest school district, announced last month that naloxone, a medicine used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, would be available at all K-12 schools in the district in the coming weeks, provided for free by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

The announcement comes after several suspected overdoses in the last month, with one juvenile dying at Bernstein High School in Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Here are questions about fentanyl and the growing crisis, answered.

Why does fentanyl exist?

Pharmaceutical fentanyl is used frequently in medical settings. Developed for the pain management treatment of cancer patients, it is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin, according to the DEA.

"It is a very good and effective medicine at relieving pain in appropriate quantities managed by anesthesia," Dr. Kimberly Sue, medical director of the National Harm Reduction Coalition and an addiction specialist at Yale University, told ABC News last year. "What we're seeing in the opioid overdose deaths in this country is related to fentanyl that is obtained outside of the context of medical prescriptions, usually on the street."

Why is fentanyl so deadly?

Fentanyl is dangerous because it "depresses" a person's respiratory function and central nervous system, and can cause a person to stop breathing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If fentanyl is inhaled, consumed or injected it can be deadly, but a person cannot overdose by touching it.

How does a person know if they've taken fentanyl?

There is no way to know whether a pill or powder contains fentanyl by simply looking at it, and fentanyl has no distinctive taste or smell.

"In the case of a pill that you buy off the street, people should assume there is fentanyl present even if it is labeled as some other medication," said Sue. "I've taken care of many patients who think they're buying oxycodone or heroin and there's nothing in it. It's just fentanyl."

Fentanyl test strips are one tool people can use to test for the drug before consuming something that could be laced with fentanyl, like a pill, powder, nasal sprays or eye drops.

To use the strips, a person dissolves a small amount of the substance in water, and then dips the test strip into the water. The strips can give results in as little as five minutes, according to the CDC.

Is there a way to reverse a fentanyl overdose?

Naloxone, the medication being made available at all Los Angeles public schools, is the main tool used to reverse an overdose.

The medication, also known under the brand name Narcan, can restore normal breathing within two to three minutes in someone who has overdosed, according to the CDC.

MORE: LACDPH to give all K-12 schools naloxone amid opioid overdose increase: District

Naloxone is available in all 50 states, can be used without medical training and can be delivered by either nasal spray or injection.

In most states, naloxone can be purchased from a pharmacy without a prescription, according to the CDC.

Where does illicitly manufactured fentanyl come from?

Police and other experts say fentanyl and fentanyl-laced pills have been illegally imported from as far out as China and even smuggled through the U.S.-Mexico border.

Of the more than 11,000 pounds of fentanyl that made its way into the U.S. last year, more than half of it came through the border between Mexico and San Diego, according to investigators.

In some instances, Chinese drug suppliers send the ingredients to make fentanyl to cartels in Mexico. After creating the fentanyl, either in raw powder or pill form, the cartels would ship them across the border in trucks, according to investigators.

Border patrol agents have stepped up their searches for the pills and other related fentanyl contraband, officials told ABC News in May.

What do I do to help a person who is overdosing?

If you think a person is overdosing but are not sure, the CDC says to treat it like an overdose.

Signs that a person is overdosing may include small and constricted pupils, slow and shallow breathing, choking sounds, falling asleep or losing consciousness and pale, blue or cold skin, according to the CDC.

The first thing to do is call 911 immediately.

Next, the CDC says to administer naloxone to the person if it is available.

While administering help, try to keep the person awake and breathing and lay them on their side to help prevent choking.

Editor's note: This report has been updated because the original version had an unverified TikTok video that has since been removed.

If you or someone you love is in need of help, call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit http://www.samhsa.gov/find-help to reach SAMHSA's 24-hour helpline that offers free, confidential treatment referral and information about mental and/or substance use disorders, prevention and recovery.

ABC News' Luke Barr, Quinn Owen, Sony Salzman, Ivan Pereira and Teddy Grant contributed to this report.

Officials warn about candy-lookalike 'rainbow' fentanyl ahead of Halloween originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com
By Ha Huong

Dogs as pets, sure. Cats, absolutely. Birds and rabbits, of course. But crabs? Really?

It turns out that one man in Ha Noi is so crazy for crabs he has dozens upon dozens of them as pets. Ha Xuan Loc even breeds them for a living and claims people are snapping up these cute crustaceans like theres no tomorrow.

The hobby of keeping crabs was very popular many years ago, especially in Thailand and China, Loc told Viet Nam News. In the past few years, it has spread to young people here in Viet Nam.

The 34-year-old animal lover was first attracted to crabs six years ago on a trip to Thailand. He fell so deeply in love with the creatures that he decided to bring some home to live with him.

Loc did his homework assiduously and learned that there were many beautiful species of crabs in Viet Nam and Indochina, particularly in mountainous areas.

This was Locs lightbulb moment, and he decided to shell out and go into businesses breeding them.

The pet-shop owner sought expert advice and set up a farm raising crabs and tropical fish in the northern province of Son La. But as with all tough tasks, the breeding process was no easy feat, and he found out that different species of crabs had many different characteristics and idiosyncrasies.

Weather plays a huge part in the lives of crabs, so he has to ensure the temperature is appropriate in tanks at his farm.

He mostly breeds cua cang cong (Hainanpotamon rubrum), crabs with curved claws; and cua chan dai (Tiwaripotamon vietnamicum), crabs with long legs. The latter is more difficult to breed in a man-made environment.

At the beginning, each time I put crabs in the tanks, they fought against one another. The number of new babies was not as many as the adult crabs that died in the process," he said.

It was very disappointing. In 2018, we even thought about opening a crab noodle shop because I struggled to sell the crabs as pets, particularly to foreigners.

But Loc stuck with it and was determined to make a go of his crab-breeding business. He decided to go back to Thailand to study the process more.

The weather in Viet Nam is suitable for raising wild crabs like in Thailand, he said. But it is far from simple to make them breed well and give birth to babies on a mass scale.

Loc said that crabs could live for more than 10 years and be raised in a plastic box or a glass tank with a water level of 50-60 per cent and plenty of oxygen.

He even learned to make his own food for the crabs, from shrimp and fish powder.

The crabs come in various colours. When eating, the crabs also eat local soil, which gives them their own colours like red, yellow, orange, green, blue, and white. The grey ones have red eyes.

Loc raises thousands of crabs on his farm, including hundreds of couples specifically to mate. The crustaceans are kept in indoor boxes placed on top of one another.

Most of the crabs reside in semi-water conditions. But when they are domesticated, they can be raised in deep water tanks with fish.

A crab will change its shell once every 3-4 months in good conditions. But the more it grows, the less often it changes the shell. When it reaches one year old, it only changes the shell once a year. A crab gives birth at eight months, and each year, it gives birth to multiple crab babies (zoea) at once.

The price of each crab depends on its size (from 3-7cm, and average 120 grams in weight), which ranges from VN100,000 to 350,000 (US$4-15).

At first, Loc targeted foreign markets like Hong Kong, Thailand and China. But in the past two years, he has seen more and more buyers in Viet Nam and supplies from pet shops and collectors.

Each month, he sells up to 1,000 crabs throughout the country and can earn around VN100 million.

There are now hundreds of crab species in the world, many of which can be kept together with fish, he said. I think these kinds of crabs can be kept as pets for a long time. Some crabs should be kept alone, and some rare ones need special conditions to be raised.

His crabs survive well in man-made conditions without being attacked by worms or parasites that harm the fish in the same tank.

In the cross-breeding process, Loc said he finds inspiration when he suddenly creates some breeds with new colours from those with popular basic colours.

I am satisfied with these cross-breeding results, he said. Crabs with rare colours include brown, green with yellow legs, purple and pink colours or white body with red eyes.

Loc has concentrated on local breeds as he has not been able to check if the imported ones are dangerous to the local environment.

I am passionate about these breeds of crabs because they are of Vietnamese origin, he said. I also want to keep various kinds of local fish as pets, but I want to share these original Vietnamese pets with other people around the world.

Loc also has a shop in Kuala Lumpur and will open one in Bangkok next month.

Crab lovers

Le Thanh Tuyen, 24, from Can Tho, ordered six crabs of various colours from Locs shop in June after she saw them on a TikTok clip by Loc.

I like the colours, so I try to raise them in a one-metre-long fish tank, she said.

The crabs were transported from HCM City to Can Tho and have stayed healthy ever since.

They seem to grow well, she said. They eat various kinds of food from fresh shrimp to dry food for fish.

Tuyen found the crabs are much easier to raise than fish. She has even ordered some more for her friends as they visited her home and liked them.

Tran Chi Dung from Lao Cai Province bought six crabs in February, and he intends to buy more.

Raising crabs is quite simple, he said. They live well with the fish. My tank looks more colourful now. I think anyone can keep them as pets. VNS
Vietnams economy looks set for a rapid rebound in 2022. This promising outlook is expected to have positive knock-on effects on its retail sector  which is itself in the midst of several significant transformations.

To help retailers better understand Vietnams retail sector in the new context, Deloitte Vietnam releases the Retail in Vietnam 2022: Omnichannel Takes Off report, which explores some of these transformative trends and opportunities that they present for retailers to innovate and develop multi-fold strategies.

One trend that stood out was the accelerated normalisation of omnichannel retail on the back of the pandemic. Today, most Vietnamese consumers in urban areas are used to omnichannel purchasing, making purchases via brick-and-mortar stores, brand websites, and third-party instant messaging platforms and food delivery apps  toggling between them to find the right delivery slot or promotional deals.

The report also explores the impacts of COVID-19 on non-grocery and grocery retail segments in Vietnam and the ways in which their market dynamics have evolved over the last two years. While the report highlights the sales by type and how the locations of retail stores and shopping malls affect purchasing behaviours in the non-grocery retail segment, Deloitte experts have an in-depth analysis of the grocery retail segment.

Consumers who typically purchased from traditional grocery retailers have shifted their consumption to other grocery retail channels such as convenience stores, supermarkets, and hypermarkets, with many noteworthy changes.

Convenience stores develop omnichannel presences: Amidst the pandemic, many convenience store chains quickly moved to develop their omnichannel presences, and expand their presences on food delivery platforms. Some players have also built and launched their own proprietary mobile applications to engage more directly with their customers. Regarding the market share, foreign chains dominate Vietnams convenience store sub-segment, with four of the top five brands owned by foreign multinationals.

Hypermarkets grow in popularity for bulk buying and assortment: During the pandemic, the hypermarkets sub-segment had sought to capitalise on the shift to digital channels by expanding their online presence, both in terms of e-commerce and mobile commerce. In summary, foreign multinationals continue to dominate the hypermarkets sub-segment, with many players able to leverage their unique product assortments as a competitive advantage.

Supermarkets capitalise on private label products and smaller formats: the supermarkets sub-segment had benefited from the shift in consumer expenditure away from traditional grocery retailers during the pandemic. Moreover, as consumers become increasingly price-conscious, supermarket chains have also been able to capitalise on this with the attractive pricing of their own private label products.

Vu Duc Nguyen, head of Vietnam Consumer Industry at Deloitte shared, In the year ahead, Vietnams retail sector is expected to experience a rapid rebound. We believe that at least some of the new omnichannel habits will become permanent as consumers grow accustomed to the convenience that they offer. Looking ahead, we also expect two other developing trends to continue to play out in the retail sector, with wide-ranging, long-term knock-on effects. They are accelerated uptake of digital wallets and non-cash payments; and growth in the wholesale e-commerce segment.

Buy Now Pay Later - The future of retail payment? Foreign and Vietnamese companies are placing large bets on the buy now, pay later approach in Vietnam, thanks to a significant increase in the use of the payment method, but the sector still presents certain dangers.
Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) is completing its restructuring scheme for 2021-2025 to submit to the Committee for Management of State Capital at Enterprises. One of the highlights is that industrial real estate will be one of three core business sectors, and the company will foster divestment from the rubber sector to mobilise resources for the industrial real estate sector.

Developers eager to cultivate funding in industrial real estate - illustration photo

VRG general director Le Thanh Hung said that by 2025, the groups revenue is expected to increase by 30 per cent, and profit will increase by 25 per cent. The groups consolidated revenue is expected to climb to VND161 trillion ($7 billion), and consolidated pre-tax profit will be $1.49 billion. The after-tax profit of the parent company will be $536.9 million.

To achieve the above goals, the group will apply for a license to convert part of the rubber area to land for industrial production, contributing to improving economic efficiency, Hung said.

Currently, VRG manages nearly 492,000 hectares of rubber plantations, 342,000ha of which are in Vietnam, with the majority in the Southeast region and Central Highlands.

According to the industrial real estate development strategy for 2021-2030, VRG plans to develop 48 industrial parks (IPs) with a total area of 37,400ha and 28 industrial clusters with a total area of 1,800ha, which will be mobilised from converted rubber plantation areas.

VRG is managing 12 IPs with a total area of 6,000 hectares, of which it has filled over 4,000ha of the subleasing land and warehouse. New projects such as the expansion of Nam Tan Uyen IP, An Dien, and Minh Hung III are in the process of implementing legal procedures for investment.

Leaders of Binh Phuoc Peoples Committee will support the group in the conversion. At a meeting in late August, Vice Chairman Huynh Anh Minh asked departments to conduct detailed surveys on the areas to be converted. The province will prioritise IP and high-tech agricultural projects funded by VRG and its members.

In early September, DIC Group announced plans to establish a subsidiary called DIC Urban and Industrial Zone Development Co., Ltd. (DIC Urbiz) through a capital contribution by the board of directors.

The new member company has a charter capital of $2.17 million. The main task of DIC Urbiz is to implement procedures to be selected as an investor for projects in IPs, export processing zones, or high-tech parks.

DIC Urbiz will be the 13th subsidiary of DIC Group, but the first in industrial real estate.

Nguyen Thien Tuan, chairman of the board at DIC Group, said that industrial real estate was an attractive investment channel. Previously, when the Ministry of Construction entirely managed DIC Group, the group was allocated to develop urban real estate. After restructuring and divestment of the state-owned stake, the group is pivoting to industrial real estate.

Matthew Powell, director of Savills Hanoi said, Vietnam is still the leading investment destination for investors. Meanwhile, China still maintains a strict pandemic policy, which has shifted international business to other countries in Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam.

Foreign capital inflows are still pouring into the country while existing IPs and economic zones have an average of 70.9 per cent fulfilment. In Hanoi, Bac Ninh, and Bac Giang, the fulfilment ratio is up to 96 per cent, which shows the urgent need for new IPs and economic zones.

Several hurdles remain and VRG, for example, may not find it easy to convert rubber plantation areas to industrial land. Despite grand ambitions, the reality of converting land is not easy.

According to MB Securities, the area that VRG wants to convert must come under the localitys socioeconomic plan, and the group also needs the approval of the Vietnamese prime minister.

The selling prices of surrounding land areas planned for investment projects are fluctuating. Investors may discover difficulties negotiating compensation with property owners and find it takes a long time for land clearance, said Tran Dai Nghia, an investment project policy advisor.

On October 6, the Department for Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment under the Ministry of Planning and Investment will cooperate with the Korea Energy Agency and carbon-neutral solutions group Verywords to organise a conference themed Promoting Green Growth in the Industrial Sector: the Orientation to Develop Eco-industrial Parks in Vietnam. The conference is to be held in Daewoo Hanoi Hotel. The conference has been organised in the framework of the National Strategy on Green Growth for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. The participants will discuss the strategy and policy for developing infrastructure in eco-industrial parks in Vietnam. It is an occasion for enterprises to study partners which specialise in developing infrastructure for eco-industrial parks, as well as the opportunities for cooperation between domestic and South Korean enterprises.

Industrial park approved for Vinh Phuc Province Vinh Phuc Province has announced an investment project for the Dong Soc Industrial Park, which will cover 207ha with a total investment of nearly VND2.23 trillion (US$96.9 million).
Schaeffler Vietnam Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of Schaeffler group  a global automotive and industrial supplier  is becoming impatient with the failure to be allocated land for its expansion in the southern province of Dong Nai. The land was supposed to be handed over in late 2021, but could be delayed for three years.

Various investors have experienced procedural issues in acquiring land for expansion, Le Toan

According to Schaeffler, the company put $45 million into phase 1 of a greenfield plant in 2019, at Amata Industrial Park. Leaders of Schaeffler and Amata agreed that once the first phase of the greenfield operation was operating steadily, a plot of land neighbouring the plant would be allocated to the company to expand its operation.

In September, Schaeffler sent a document to the prime minister outlining its difficulties. Due to the pandemic, Amata changed the timeline to this year. However, some weeks ago, it said they would hand over land on December 2024 instead due to the change in land management policy. Thus the province will have to change the overall planning, and this work will take a very long time, it said.

If the land allocation is delayed, we are forced to look for elsewhere in the region to build the expanded plant, and many other investors will also face a similar solution.

Dong Nai Industrial Zones Management Authority (DIZA) deputy director Duong Thi Xuan Nuong told VIR, The authority received the groups complaint, and we have worked with the Ministry of Planning and Investment numerous times to report the problem to the government to get a solution.

In late August, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the revision of the Law on Land, which deals with a wide scope and relates to many other laws. PM Chinh asked the drafting body to consult government members, experts, scientists, and relevant parties to finalise and submit the draft to the National Assembly this month. One of the key measures in the draft revised Law on Land is decentralising land management decision-making to localities to unleash resources. Once approved, the revised Law on Land is expected to make it easier for localities to allocate land to investors, creating favourable conditions to expand their operations in Vietnam.

It is not the first time an investor has faced difficulties with land acquisition in Dong Nai. Danish jewellery brand Pandora had previously visited the province to survey and rent land in Long Thanh Industrial Park to build a new jewellery facility. But due to a lack of land, the province forced the investor to wait too long, and they took the project to the southern province of Binh Duong instead.

According to the report from Dong Nai Department of Planning and Investment, many foreign-invested enterprises are waiting for the province to allocate 100-hectare land plots to develop factories.

Nguyen Van Lam, director of a cocoa and coffee processing company in the Central Highlands of Gia Lai, has also experienced problems acquiring land for expansion.

I worked with provincial authorities to get more land to grow crops, but the procedure is complicated. To get just one square metre of land, it needs 100 signatures and stamps, he told VIR.
Perry said on October 5 that Indonesia has linked the payment system with Thailand and will soon link it with Malaysia and Singapore. But he did not provide details about the deal with the Philippines.

Illustrative image (Photo: jakartaglobe.id)

In late August, BI and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) agreed to cooperate on QR code payments between the two countries to encourage payment connectivity in ASEAN.

This initiative marked an important milestone in strengthening financial collaboration between the two nations.
Over the last two months, Indian investors have organised events and field surveys across the country to look for opportunities.

A view of the 2022 Horasis India Meeting (Photo: VNA)

The Confederation of Indian Industries led a delegation of 15 leading companies to Vietnam on September 25-28 to participate in the India-Vietnam Business Forums held in the southern province of Binh Duong and Hanoi.

Indian investors are looking for local partners to enhance bilateral cooperation in various sectors, such as energy, electric vehicles, IT, petrochemicals, healthcare, water treatment, food and beverages, fertilisers, and food processing.

We want to establish a joint venture with local partners to set up an integrated biotech laboratory, which can be used to manufacture biotech products for agriculture, veterinary products, and aquaculture products, said Mekala Lakshmi Prasad, managing director of agri- and aquaculture group Sujay Biotech.

In late August, 25 automotive component manufacturers from India arrived in Vietnam to look for funding opportunities. The manufacturers are all members of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA), which has over 800 members and accounts for 85 per cent of component production revenue in India.

Yuvraj Kapuria, chairman of the ACMA Young Business Leaders Forum (YBLF), said, Vietnam attracts many of the worlds leading groups in the automotive industry, including original equipment manufacturing facilities and tier-1 solar panel factories. The ACMA wants to cooperate with domestic automotive manufacturing vendors to exploit this potential. We accept all investment methods, including direct investment.

These businesses will work with authorities, ministries, and associations in the automotive sector and meet first-tier vendors in Vietnam.

India considers Vietnam an important pillar of its Act East policy, and the Indian business community appreciates the potential for comprehensive cooperation in sci-tech, energy, and education and training, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh said at the Horasis India Meeting 2022 in Binh Duong on September 26.

The business community of the two countries has much room for cooperation. The Vietnam-India relationship has been upgraded from a bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, and the countries are also implementing a 2021-2023 action programme, which aims to implement various agreements and discussions from official meetings.

Statistics from the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investments Foreign Investment Agency showed that Indian investors poured money into 340 projects with the total investment capital of about $1 billion as of September 20. Calculating the capital placed through a third country, the figure is estimated at $1.9 billion.

This capital inflow is expected to make breakthroughs thanks to more billion-dollar projects in the pipeline. Adani Group will cooperate with Anh Phat Investment Construction and Trading JSC to develop Lien Chieu Port, among the groups proposed investment projects in Vietnam with an expected value of $10 billion.

The port infrastructure will combine a harbour area, container yard, warehouse complex, piers, waterways, and a transport system. The project is expected to handle ships with a capacity of 100,000DWT and container ships of up to 8,000TEU, while the total cargo going through these harbours would be 3.5-5 million tonnes annually. Danang Peoples Committee is letting investors look at the details of the projects.

Additionally, SMS Pharmaceuticals and Vietnams Dai An Group have plans to build a billion-dollar pharmaceutical park in the northern province of Hai Duong.

Indian, Vietnamese firms seek stronger ties in building material sector A visiting delegation of Indian business executives from the ceramic tile, porcelain floor, wall and decoration tile, bathroom sanitary ware and related industries met with their Vietnamese counterparts in Ho Chi Minh City to compare notes and seek tie-ups.

Vietnam, India have potential for automobile cooperation: insiders Vietnam and India have substantial opportunities to cooperate in the automobile industry as Vietnam is accelerating FDI attraction in the sector, an official has said.
Vietnam is experiencing a shortage of domestic employees in mid and high-level management positions, so is looking overseas to recruit, according to a new report.

Lenders look further afield for recruitment- illustration photo

The Navigos Group report on the recruitment demand for mid- and senior-level personnel in Vietnam in the second quarter of 2022 said that there is a lack of Vietnamese candidates for jobs that require deep expertise. The report takes the banking industry as a prime example, looking at the ongoing demand for digital banking and risk management.

The recruitment market in this field is increasingly heating up with a series of joint-stock commercial banks, especially the big four of Agribank, BIDV, VietinBank, and Vietcombank, continuously recruiting in extremely high numbers. The first half of 2022 saw a 20 per cent increase in job postings compared to the same period in 2021.

The banking industry in recent years has been undergoing a digital transformation race to stay in line with international practices. This has led to a great demand for recruitment in IT, data, and solution architecture.

According to a Vietnam IT human resources market report in 2021 by TopDev, the country has had a shortage of IT human resources for the past five years. In 2021, Vietnam needed 450,000 IT personnel, while the total number of programmers was 430,000, meaning 20,000 positions could not be filled.

This shortfall comes from the disparity between the programmers qualifications and real-world business requirements. The report assessed that only about 30 per cent of students majoring in IT met the skills and requirements needed for businesses. This is causing financial institutions to look overseas.

In July, Techcombank organised an overseas talent roadshow in both Singapore and London. This was the first time a Vietnamese bank had conducted an international recruitment campaign targeting Vietnamese talent living and working abroad.

Explaining the choice, a Techcombank representative said, Candidates joining Techcombank from these markets, in addition to decent remuneration, will be given the best conditions to develop available international experiences, thereby contributing to the growth of Techcombank and Vietnams banking industry.

The campaign has been considered a success for Techcombank, as there has been sufficient interest from overseas candidates.

After this campaign, Techcombank plans to expand its search for international human resources in other markets. In 2021, the bank recruited about 4,300 new employees, of which 700 were in the technology, digital, and data sectors. With the banks current digital transformation strategy, these numbers are expected to almost double in the near future.

Likewise, MB Bank and the Association of Vietnamese Youth and Students in the United States (AVSPUS) in August established a collaboration for the bank to recruit Vietnamese talent in the US.

MB also plans to collaborate with other organisations to jointly coordinate and sponsor events, seminars, knowledge-sharing, skills exchange and provide AVSPUS with the banks financial services.

This collaboration is opening up new horizons for both sides, said Le Xuan Vu, member of MBs Board of Management. With a global ambition, MB is confident to accompany AVSPUS in delivering top-notch, world-class services to the young Vietnamese population in the US. The bank aspires to cement its position by deploying talent dynamically and building a strong, solid future workforce through the partnership.

Doan Thi Minh Phuong, an AVSPUS representative, also expressed enthusiasm for the possibilities the partnership would bring.

For the first time, we have witnessed cooperation between a joint-stock commercial bank here and an association in a foreign country, Phuong said. This not only demonstrates MBs enthusiasm for overseas talent and the Vietnamese community, but is also a significant step forward in the banks brand promotion in developed markets like the US.

The domestic market is also witnessing a wave of international students returning home upon graduation. Elena Nguyen, head of HR at a financial consulting company in Hanoi, said that in the past few years, the company had received many applications from returning international students for a wide range of positions.

Many foreign-invested groups are willing to pay high salaries for students studying abroad, along with attractive promotion opportunities as these students have a wide range of knowledge and broad perspectives. Compared to employment abroad, offers from Vietnam are sometimes even more attractive, she said.

Jens Lottner-CEO, Techcombank When we started digital transformation two years back, we had maybe 450-500 people in our IT Department. Probably at the end of the year, we will have 1,300 or 1,400. As we brought in many people, they need to organise themselves with the rest of the organisation because no one is doing things in isolation. From an organisational structure standpoint, we work in multifunctional teams with people in business, technology, and legal. And we ask them to solve problems jointly. So while we still have blocks like any traditional bank, we probably have around 1,000 people working on these projects, and thats a way for digital transformation to accelerate. Right now, everyone is trying to get into Vietnam because its a high-growth market with a young population. International recruitment is a way for us to diversify our staff base.

Lenders reinforcing presence with bond issuance Commercial banks, with participation from local and foreign-backed institutions, are engaging in bond issuance despite severe regulations placed on this and volatile market conditions.

Lenders juggle with tax info obligations Cybercriminals and the exposure of account information remain significant barriers for all stakeholders, with commercial banks now required to identify and collect holding information of customers to relevant authorities in a bid to fulfil tax obligations.
Participants at the global workshop on October 4 in Hanoi

In an effort to foster concerted action to address son preference and gender-biased sex selection, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) organised a policy dialogue with decision-makers, experts, and civil society representatives from eight countries, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, China, Georgia, India, Nepal, and Vietnam.

The workshop, taking place in Hanoi on October 4-6, also saw the participation of ambassadors and representatives from Australia, Canada, Norway, and Sweden.

In several countries in Asia, the Balkans and the Caucasus, and Africa, the preference for having a son remains a pervasive form of gender inequality and discrimination, according to the State of World Population Report published by UNFPA in 2020.

Bjorn Andersson, regional director for UNFPA Asia-Pacific said that son preference and gender-biased sex selection are, first and foremost, an issue of gender inequality and a violation of human rights.

We must address social norms that diminish the value of girls and women and support national and community efforts which strive to address preference for sons and sex selection. It is encouraging to see many experts and government officials, as well as civil society representatives coming together to share their knowledge and learnings. The gathering also reinforces the importance of south-south collaboration in promoting gender equality and rights, and ending gender-based discrimination and harmful practices, added Andersson.

Increased maternal deaths, sexual violence, imbalanced sex ratios, and human trafficking are far-reaching harmful and negative impacts on societies based on gender-biased sex selection.

Vietnam has issued policies and legal frameworks, as well as many solutions and interventions, to address gender-biased sex selection, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha.

In Vietnam, gender equality is a cross-cutting issue in all the guidelines of the Party and the state and is part of the countrys socioeconomic development strategy which aims to build Vietnam into a prosperous, democratic, and fair country, thus ensuring national security and sustainable development, said Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha.

Vietnam has issued policies and legal frameworks, as well as many solutions and interventions, to address gender-biased sex selection, confirmed Ha.

Norway gives high priority in its development policies to strengthening and defending global norms against harmful practices and promoting the rights of girls and women. Hilde Solbakken, Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam said, We are proud to support UNFPAs Global Programme to Prevent Son Preference and the Undervaluing of Girls and we are very pleased to work together with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and UNFPA in addressing this issue in Vietnam.

Naomi Kitahara, UNFPA representative in Vietnam said, We have clearly created a movement by setting up policy and legal frameworks, introducing innovative and communication activities geared towards behavioural change driven by young people and providing integrated services. This is one of the best partnerships I have seen between the government, development partners, civil society organisations, and UNFPA, working together to achieve a common objective in addressing gender-biased sex selection.

Activities that foster South-South collaboration and shared learning across nations of UNFPA under the financial contributions from the European Union and Norway have supported the development and strengthening of evidence-based national strategies, policies, and programmes to address son preference and gender inequality across Asia and the Caucasus.

Addressing gender-biased sex selection in Vietnam Multi-sectoral cooperation among all parties is required to challenge gender stereotypes and address the issue of gender-biased sex selection (GBSS) in the nation. Central to this is to promote gender equality while raising the importance of giving birth to girls and recasting mens roles in society.
Without mutual support, domestic manufacturers continue to wait for market capacity to be large enough to accept competition with suppliers from outside.

With the right incentives, localisation is expected to boost manufacturing nationwide

As many final consumer products require a series of manufacturing processes, when mass producing, one cannot do it all by themselves. This is how new supply chains are formed, however, without the concept of supporting or ancillary industries.

Within the motorbike market, each year Vietnam consumes nearly three million units. Such output is very attractive for manufacturers, who easily achieve efficiency brought about by mass production.

When implementing localisation, it is not difficult to attract suppliers whose supply chain is specialised and professional at each stage. The supply chain is formed by the needs and advantages of the market, without requiring a policy for the development of the supporting industry.

Meanwhile, for Vietnams auto industry, the development conditions are completely different. Although the total market capacity has recently reached 200,000 locally assembled vehicles and more than 100,000 complete vehicles  with dozens of them assembled in Vietnam  manufacturing components of each type can only reach an output of up to 2,000 per year. It will be difficult for any investment calculation when the output is so small. No corporate income tax incentive, land rent reduction, or any other attractive and supportive policy can offset the investment costs in equipment, human resources, and required management systems as these are much higher than in the production of components for two-wheelers.

Non-dividing competition

The electronics sector is also becoming more prominent, attracting billions of US dollars of foreign investment, and contributing to a large proportion of the countrys total export turnover. In 2021, the export turnover of computers and electronic components reached almost $51 billion, up over 14 per cent compared to 2020 and accounting for over 15.1 of the countrys total export turnover of goods, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Although output is large, the need to develop the production of components on the spot, which often takes a long time, is not urgent. The current policy is too favourable in terms of land, infrastructure, and income tax at the assembly stage, in addition to the provision of cheap labour and the import of components, which is not limited in terms of tariff barriers and supply capacity from outside.

Looking at Vietnams industry, the size of an industry and its potential for supply chain development depend first on the market. Attracting investment in a specific industry, such as automobiles, is the main factor to meet the domestic market demand, but policies sometimes restrict the market with taxes, fees, and registration procedures.

For industries that have a domestic market size and can export, the ability to develop the supply chain depends on the limitations of external supply capabilities and the ability of enterprises to rise up in the country.

In Vietnam, an investment attraction policy is an orientation. Enterprise resources are also common resources in the country. An industry already has a number of investors, but may not yet meet the development expectations of the national industrial plan. The problem may be the size of the market itself, not the capacity of investors.

Continuing to invite and attract investment with special incentives can help new enterprises find competitive advantages over existing businesses, but not necessarily solve other development expectations. The steel industry is an example. While the capacity to produce construction steel is redundant, the invitation to invest in more large-scale steel plants does not necessarily create a manufacturing steel industry.

Attracting investment to the automobile industry in the past 25 years is also a typical example related to the market size. Despite the presence of the worlds leading auto manufacturers, the investment in the localisation of auto components cannot disregard the market reality.

While participating in the supply chain of a certain product, the opportunity is often open to all players. When competing with foreign investors in the Vietnamese market, domestic enterprises are often limited in technological and management capabilities.

Except for some technologies that domestic enterprises cannot develop themselves and cannot receive through a transfer, in the remaining cases, the limitations in human resources and management capacity have made it impossible to meet the requirements of the domestic market and original opportunities.

The motorcycle industry has a high localisation rate. Yet, among the hundreds of component manufacturers, foreign-invested suppliers dominate. When only looking at this in terms of the domestic production rate, there is no distinction between domestic and foreign investors. However, from a fair perspective, domestic enterprises do not have as many opportunities in the process of industrialisation as their counterparts in some of the surrounding countries.

Reciprocal support

Except for export processing zones, the most important objective of attracting investment for the domestic market is to promote localisation development. When the domestic market is too small, it is not possible to develop domestic supply. However, preferential policies through tariff barriers also need to be reciprocated by supporting the development of domestic supply chains.

Without the support of investors with global supply chains, it is difficult for domestic manufacturers to fulfil their role, even as secondary suppliers, as they are inferior in all aspects. If domestic enterprises are actively looking for opportunities in foreign markets, they must largely rely on partners who are foreign suppliers looking for more competitive secondary supplies from Vietnam.

Any preferential policy must start from the ground up. Favourable support for businesses must begin with the establishment of a business, access to loans, production premises, and labour recruitment. Some policies from the government that can create favourable conditions for enterprises in the manufacturing industry support technology transfer, building management systems, and the training of human resources, among others.

Given the current conditions of Vietnam, incentives for any manufacturing industry will have an impact on other industries. Incentives for one business can also lead to the pinching of one or several other businesses. Incentives that lead to a decrease in revenue for one business can lead to pressure to increase taxes and fees on other businesses and consumers.

New steering committee suggested to resolve issues for supporting industries The government should establish a national steering committee, headed by a deputy prime minister, to promptly resolve problems and challenges facing supporting industries, according to Nguyen Hoang, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Association for Supporting Industries (VASI).

Hanoi to develop supporting industries The capital city of Hanoi has set up many solutions to develop other supporting industries, aiming to increase the municipal supporting industry development index.
Designed and constructed to be the greatest metalworking event in ASEAN, METALEX Vietnam has provided machine suppliers with comprehensive metalworking experiences over many years.

In a competitive business climate, metalworking tools and solutions and industrialists are looking to boost their productivity. This year's event will be held from October 6 to 8, 2022, at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center in Ho Chi Minh City, with the theme "Shape The Next Normal."

The exhibition returns with over 250 brands from 20 countries, including Accretech, Epson, Mitutoyo, Takamaz, Yamaha, Hiwin, LKM, and Showadenki, as well as several international group pavilions. Vietnam's metalworking industry is propelled by the introduction of innovative technology and a wealth of knowledge.

Vietnam is shifting from a low-middle-income nation to a high-middle-income nation by 2030, and to a modern, industrialised, high-income nation by 2045. The country's economic growth has averaged 6-7 per cent per year for the past 36 years.

Vu Trong Tai, the general director of RX Tradex Vietnam said, "Compared to other developing markets in the region, Vietnam is rising as a major market in the supply and production of commodities. The development of the Vietnamese machinery sector parallels the development of other industries. Supporting sectors have mostly experienced tremendous growth in the past few decades."

Nobuyuki Matsumoto, chief representative of the Japan Trade Promotion Organization (JETRO) in Ho Chi Minh City said, "Trade and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Japan has advanced significantly over the past few years. According to our survey, 55.3 per cent of Japanese businesses want to grow their operations in Vietnam during the next one to two years, the highest percentage in Southeast Asia."

"Compared to the rest of Asia, this number is only exceeded by India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. In contrast, only 2.2 per cent of enterprises in Vietnam indicated that they would 'narrow' their operation, the smallest proportion in Southeast Asia and the second-smallest in Asia after Pakistan," he said.

Since 2021, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry has introduced an aid programme for businesses to broaden international supply chains. Through five aid project choices, a total of 103 projects have been selected. Among them, Vietnam accounts for the biggest number with 41 selected projects, which demonstrates the level of interest in the initiative.

However, Vietnamese firms also face other obstacles. To take advantage of the possibility for international corporations to invest in and grow factories in Vietnam and to penetrate deeply into the global supply chain, Vietnamese manufacturers must update their machines to enhance their competitive edge, increase production, reduce consumption, and raise the level of human resources through machines and modern technologies.

JETRO in Ho Chi Minh City, the Investment & Trade Promotion Centre of Ho Chi Minh City, and the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Supporting Industries Development will organise the "Supporting Industry Show 2022" at METALEX Vietnam to encourage the development and growth of supporting industries.

Participating in the exhibition are Japanese companies displaying equipment and spare parts they are looking for and Vietnamese component manufacturers presenting their industrial components.

This exhibition will open up opportunities for domestic component suppliers to connect with Japanese assembly companies to create an effective partnership for both sides.

It also aims to enhance the experience for industrialists with excellent customer engagement activities and services for all parties involved. Participants can also expand their skills and experience in technology to get the utmost advantage from the project.

Within the framework of the expo, the "Technology Runway" will showcase breakthroughs and outstanding functionality of enterprise machines while gaining new insights into buyer needs.

A workshop themed Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) and Potential Applications will delve into the latest developments in metal 3D printing, applications and solutions, and future trends from leading industry experts.

For the first time in Ho Chi Minh City, the organiser brings an exciting experience to Vietnamese industrialists through the Puzzle Challenge, a much-anticipated event highlight. Winners will go through three difficulty levels to get an exclusive laser engraved gift from the organisers.

In addition, the Vietnam Welding Society will cooperate with RX Tradex Vietnam to organise the "Welding Competition 2022." The competition aims to recognise and honour outstanding individuals and companies in the field of welding technology and create an effective platform for business exchange and connection.

Takashi Matsuike, general manager of Mitutoyo said, We strongly believe in the professionalism of RX Tradex in organising high-quality exhibitions. I will invite industrialists to experience innovative technologies and new ideas and expand connections in this exhibition.

The expos present ample opportunity for visitors to connect with international pavilions, including in India, Taiwan, Germany, Korea, Japan, China, and Thailand that will showcase their unique technologies and services and attractive opportunities to expand beyond borders.

METALEX Vietnam 2022 will continue to affirm its key role in the manufacturing sector in Vietnam, being an ideal choice for suppliers and customers to connect and expand the business and industrial exchange.

METALEX Vietnam and Supporting Industry Exhibition 2022 shape the new normal Vietnam continues to be a safe destination for foreign investors as a result of its adaptable economic policies and successful vaccination campaign.

METALEX Vietnam 2019 officially kicked off METALEX Vietnam 2019, Vietnams International Exhibition on Machine Tools & Metalworking Solutions for Production Upgrade, officially opened this morning.
Late last month, FPT Semiconductor officially launched the first line of integrated circuit (IC) chips used in Internet of Things (IoT) products for the medical field. The ICs, which are designed in Vietnam and manufactured in South Korea, will be delivered to customers and current strategic partners in Australia, Taiwan, and China. Next year, FPT Semiconductor plans to supply 25 million chips globally in seven types to meet diverse needs in telecommunications, IoT, automotive technology, energy, electronics, and others.

Vietnam picking up slack as hub for chips - illustration photo

The chipmaker intends to deploy and supply Vietnamese chips to domestic corporations to develop sustainably and contribute to completing the supply chain of manufacturing equipment for users in Vietnam between 2023 and 2025. According to a Technavio report, Vietnams semiconductor industry is estimated to exceed $6.16 billion by 2024.

According to US-based technological research and consulting firm Gartner, the global semiconductor IC industry generated nearly $600 billion in revenue by 2021. Realising the promising land of the industry, global semiconductor makers have in recent years been betting on the Southeast Asian country as an alternative production destination to China.

Last month, CEO Roh Tae-Moon unveiled that Samsung will make an additional investment of $3.3 billion in Vietnam, enabling the South Korean tech giant to start producing semiconductor components in the country by July 2023. Intel, a long-term chip manufacturer in Vietnam, increased investment in ICs by nearly 50 per cent in 2021 and pledged to further expand investment in the country.

Experts said that the investments of Intel and Samsung  two of the three largest chip manufacturers in the world  in the production of semiconductor devices and components in Vietnam are considered significant improvements in attracting foreign investors in high-tech.

Seizing the opportunities from the shortage of ICs around the world and the raising demand for electronic products, it is easy for Vietnam to become an electronics manufacturing hub and realise the strategy of calling investment into high technology, said Van Duc Phu from the Investment Promotion Centre for Northern Vietnam.

Other top foreign-invested enterprises have revealed investment plans to produce semiconductor devices and components in Vietnam. A few months ago, Bac Ninh Peoples Committee and Amkor Technology Company from South Korea signed an agreement to develop a factory for manufacturing, assembling, and testing semiconductors with a total amount of $1.6 billion by 2035.

Also, mobile phone and smart electronics producer Hana Micron Vina Co., Ltd. from South Korea plans to expand its factory in the northern province of Bac Giang with a total investment of $600 million, including an additional investment of $249 million during 2023-2026.

As manufacturers all over the world are racing to digitally transform and develop device ecosystems, the production of integrated semiconductor chips has become the backbone for designing electronic systems and the technology industry.

Seizing the opportunity and the progress of foreign investors in the ICs industry, local tech giant FPT Semiconductor will develop and commercialise chip products and bring chip lines to domestic and international markets, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States, Europe, and China.

Tran Dang Hoa, FPT Software CEO and FPT Semiconductor chairman, expressed confidence in the local workforces brains and skills to develop this industry. FPT Semiconductor is our next step in confirming Vietnamese intelligence and achieving success with all of our global partners, Hoa said.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, about $12.1 billion was poured into processing and manufacturing in the first nine months of the year, while the registered foreign investment into Vietnam saw a yearly decline of 15.3 per cent to over $18.7 billion. Despite being less than the 2019 peak, processing and manufacturing funding was improved during 2018-2021.

According to the latest data from the Chinese business registry service, signalling the sputtering state of the countrys chip self-sufficiency drive, a record number of semiconductor-related Chinese corporates ceased to exist in the first eight months of the year. As many as 3,470 companies  including entities that use the Chinese word for chip in their registered names, brands, or operations  were deregistered by August. That number surpassed the 3,420 businesses that closed in 2021 and the 1,397 that went defunct in 2020. The semiconductor industry is a capital-intensive sector, said Zheng Lei, an adjunct professor at the Shenzhen Finance Institute of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He indicated that some newly-registered chip producers may find it hard to stay in business against tough competition and the current harsh market environment. The wave of closures has come after an investment frenzy by Chinas public and private sectors in the past two years to help deliver on Beijings goal of semiconductor self-sufficiency. The extended lockdown in Shanghai, where many multinational and domestic manufacturers are located, also dimmed the prospects for many chip producers. Many of the companies permitted to operate during that period worked at a fraction of their full capacity amid broken supply chains and disrupted logistics.

Indonesia gears towards self-reliance in semiconductor chips Indonesian Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said on August 31 that the country is moving towards self-producing semiconductor chip products, in line with the government's goal of reducing dependence on import.
Amata Industrial Park in the southern province of Dong Nai, which Thailands Amata Group has invested in, is currently transferring to an eco-industrial park (eco-IP) to align with the Global Eco-Industrial Park Programme.

IPs share the same concerns about building a legal framework for reusing treated waste and wastewater. Photo: Le Toan

According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) report, the park has worked with the Ministry of Planning and Investment to implement a pilot eco-IP model, and there are 30 criteria to meet international standards.

Amata IP currently fits most of these criteria, and it is on the way to meeting the remaining criteria to become an eco-IP by the end of 2023. However, it is not easy to meet the full criteria because it depends on the connection and consensus of businesses in the park, UNIDO noted.

The Amata IP investor has said it is facing difficulties reusing treated wastewater despite meeting ISO standards. Meanwhile, salvaging natural resources and energy is among the leading criteria for determining eco-industrial parks.

Each manufacturer has different production processes and standards. Therefore, it is complicated to create a business community in which they can create a circular network for reusing each others water, treated waste and energy sources. There has yet to be comprehensive planning, an Amata Group representative said at a workshop organised in Ho Chi Minh City on September 17.

The workshop, on eco-IP development and implementation, was held by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), UNIDO, and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.

Amatas IPs in Thailand have reused treated water for many years. However, in Vietnam, we cannot take advantage of this precious resource because the current regulations on using treated wastewater for irrigation and daily life are not specific. Each year, Amata IP must discharge 3 million cubic metres of treated water into the environment, which is a waste, the representative added.

Many industrial park developers are concerned about the lack of a price bracket for reused water, which fails to motivate enterprises to develop eco-industrial parks when the output for the treated water has yet to be determined.

Bruno Jaspaert, general director at DEEP C Industrial Zones in Haiphong, said that water was the most important resource for circulation in an ecological IP.

Although we always try to become a pioneer in developing the eco-IPs in Vietnam. In reality, the quality of the treated wastewater from the park, after being tested, shows better parameters than the water provided by water companies. Besides, the treated wastewater has ISO certification. However, the enterprises cannot sell to each other in DEEP C due to lack of a license to do so, he said.

Danang Hi-tech Park and Industrial Zones Authority and the Haiphong Economic Zone Authority have the same concerns about creating a symbiotic relationship and have built similar proposals relating to building a legal framework for reusing treated production waste and wastewater.

Despite many obstacles, Vietnam is determined to transition traditional IPs to ecological models gradually. The government approved the plan that by 2030, a total of 40-50 per cent of localities will have plans to make the shift. Between 8 and 10 per cent of localities will add eco-IPs in their socioeconomic development planning.

The transition to a more circular model is the key factor to improving the competition capacity and simultaneously ensuring sustainable development for every IP as well as economic zones, localities, and the economy, said deputy minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc.

The MPI will consult the business community and localities to build suitable solutions. The important thing is that the success in this transition process also depends on the support of finance and technology from developed countries.

Localities like Danang also have plans to switch existing IPs to ecological models as well as develop new ones. Danang Peoples Committee last month called for investors to develop the 120-hectare Hoa Cam IP with total funding of $95.7 million. A key criterion is that the investors equity accounts for at least 15 per cent of the projects total investment.

Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee will also convert Hiep Phuoc IP into the citys first eco-IP. Established in 2007, Hiep Phuoc is in Nha Be district on Ho Chi Minh Citys outskirts. It is the citys largest IP, covering nearly 1,700ha.

Quang Tris IPs, EZs house investments worth over 20 billion USD Industrial parks (IPs) and economic zones (EZs) in the central province of Quang Tri has attracted 221 projects worth over 472.2 trillion VND (20.3 billion USD) by the end of May, statistics show.

Some 268 mln USD to develop three northern IPs The Government has given in-principle approval to developing three industrial parks (IPs) in Hai Phong, Bac Giang and Ha Nam in the north, whose combined investment totals of around 6,232 trillion VND (268.62 million USD).

Bac Ninh IPs lure nearly 60 million USD in investment in July The total newly registered and adjusted investment capital that poured into the northern province of Bac Ninhs industrial parks (IPs) in July hit 59.96 million USD. Of the sum, 36.41 million USD was foreign direct investment (FDI).
Star party spots available

Waco Mammoth National Monument, 6220 Steinbeck Bend Drive, will have a stargazing party from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 15.

The event is rescheduled from May, and people who made reservations then have been contacted to re-register. A few spots are left for Oct. 15.

Beginning at 8 p.m. the National Park Service will host a program highlighting the marvels of the night sky and about preserving dark skies. The host is retired Park Ranger Larry Smith, a dark sky expert from Central Texas.

Participants should dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable shoes. Flashlights are recommended, and lights with a red filter are preferable.

To reserve a spot, call 254-299-2669 or email waco_info@nps.gov.

Free mammograms Friday

Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center, with support from Bird Kultgen Ford, will offer free mammograms from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at the dealership, 1701 W. Loop 340.

Mooreville fish fry

Mooreville United Methodist Church, 206 Farm-to-Market Road 2643 near Chilton, will have its annual fish fry Oct. 15.

Plates cost $15. Serving time is 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. followed by a live auction.

Daughters of the Republic

Daughters of the Republic of Texas will meet at 1 p.m. Thursday at the First Methodist Church downtown campus, 1300 Austin Ave.

Diana Mason will present the program, First Texian Navy.

For more information, call 254-848-5818.

Cameron Park walk

Mark Firmin, author of William Cameron Park: A Centennial History, will narrate a walking tour of Cameron Park at 9 a.m. Saturday as part of the Waco Walks series.

Cameron Park has been considered the crown jewel of Waco since it was dedicated for the pleasure of the people in 1910. The 1.5 mile walk will begin near the Redwood Shelter and is free.

Food giveaway Saturday

St. John Catholic Church, 1312 Dallas St., will host a giveaway of nonperishable food from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.

For more information, call 254-495-5292.

Toddler Time program

Bledsoe-Miller Community Center has launched a free Toddler Time program for children ages 4 and under to enjoy games, activities and exercise.

The program is offered from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Thursdays at the center, 300 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Parents and guardians, along with area child care centers, are invited to sign up their kids.

For more information or to register, call 254-750-8684.
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.
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.
WATERLOO  A Waterloo man who was recently released from prison for a 2020 shooting has been arrested following a chase with police Wednesday night.

Police arrested Rayshawn G. Bourrage, 23, for eluding, interference and felon in possession of a firearm. He was also arrested for voluntary absence.

According to court records, Bourrage was placed on work release in April after serving time for weapons charges in a March 2020 incident in which he allegedly fired a .357-caliber revolver at a person he said was shooting at him.

On Sept. 9, 2022, he signed out of the work release facility to go to his job and then allegedly failed to return.

Bourrage remained at large until around 9:50 p.m. Wednesday when patrol officers spotted a Cadillac STS driving without headlights in the area of Vinton Street and Independence Avenue.

The Cadillac didnt pull over for police, and the chase headed west and ended when the car failed to make a turn at Elm and Sycamore streets. The driver ran off and went through an abandoned building before officers found him running from the area a short time later.

Authorities found a loaded and cocked .45-caliber Llama handgun tucked in the drivers seat.







PHOTOS: Former church demolished in Cedar Falls
WATERLOO  A Waterloo man recounted how shotgun blasts in 2016 left him with a missing finger and other injuries to his arm and hip as trial began Wednesday for the man accused of pulling the trigger.

Daytrell Raymond Pendleton, 32, is charged with attempted murder in the attack outside the Franklin Street Kwik Star convenience store. His attorneys have argued he acted in self-defense.

Prosecutors said Pendleton opened fire on Andrew Spates Jr., who was recently filed for divorce from Pendletons mother, Ronnette Spates. Ronnette Spates also had taken out a restraining order against Andrew Spates Jr., and on April 24, 2016, Pendleton had threatened to shoot Spates, according to Spates testimony.

Then on the morning of May 12, 2016, Spates said, he had pulled into the Kwik Star to get gas before heading to his janitorial job early when he noticed Pendletons pickup parked on a frontage road that doubles as a parking lot extension for the store.

I stopped my truck and hopped out, Spates said. He said he saw Pendleton reaching for something, so he climbed back inside.

I started to drive off because thats when the shooting started, Spates said. I bent down, leaned over, because bullets.

Prosecutor Brad Walz asked Spates what it felt like to be shot.

Not good, Spates responded.

Did it hurt? Walz asked.

Yes, Spates answered.

Spates said he later woke up in an Iowa City Hospital, where he stayed for a few weeks.

On cross-examination by the defense, Spates said he didnt know anything about Ronnettes vehicle being shot up six days before the convenience store shooting and said he had nothing to do with a brick that crashed through a window of her home a few hours before he was shot.

Witnesses said they found a metal rod near the convenience store shooting scene, and Spates said he didnt know if he had been carrying it when asked by the defense.

The shooting happened as an off-duty sheriffs deputy was driving to work. The deputy, Harold Oliver, said he pulled his personal Subaru onto the frontage road and detained Pendleton. A shotgun was found in his truck, according to testimony.

This is the second time a jury has been seated in the case. In February 2020, a judge declared a mistrial after a day of testimony because of family emergencies and other complications that depleted the jury panel.
WATERLOO  A committee looking at making changes to Waterloo Community Schools dress code policy met earlier this week to review what other districts are doing.

Data from a survey conducted by Supt. Jared Smith found most people are unhappy with the current dress code. Beth Strike, director of creative services and communications for Central Rivers Area Education Agency, is leading the talks and found the biggest themes in the survey were consistency, clarity and ensuring everyone has a voice.

I am committed to it being uniquely Waterloo, Strike said.

It was the second time students, parents and staff gathered to work on revamping the current policy. Groups examined the policies of Cedar Falls, Council Bluffs, Cedar Rapids, Mason City and College Community school districts.

There were many cons for the College Community, Council Bluffs and Cedar Rapids districts. Main themes the groups disliked included lack of specificity, inconsistencies for educators and stigmatization of students.

Mason Citys and Cedar Falls policies were the most liked, with committee members describing them as specific and enforceable. The focus of the evening became reworking Cedar Falls Schools policies to make them applicable to Waterloo Schools.

One topic of major discussion was hats and hoodies, which ended with the groups choosing to table the issue. Strike decided to convene a small group to discuss the headgear.

Many educators said hoodies and hats fall into a safety concern, noting they hide the face and figure of a person who could commit a crime at the school. Others said the clothing could also be affiliated with gangs.

A few people disagreed with this sentiment.

Not everything is gang-related, one woman said. A bandana, a hat, a hoodie is not gang-related.

Others mentioned that hats and other head wear are parts of culture.

If we want to honor all cultures, a part of Black culture is headgear, said Gina Weekly, diversity, equity and inclusion coordinator for Central Rivers. Were being extremely cautious.  Were right back where we were.

Students seconded this, saying hats and hoodies are not as big of a problem as teachers and parents make them out to be.

We want to prepare (students) for what they stand up for, for what they believe in and how they live their lives, one student said. Having students stop at the door and having to drop their culture just for a professional environment, thats completely just throwing everything off, and it creates a lot of insecurities with people and their culture.

Another talking point around hats and hoodies was that some students with anxiety resort to clothing to help them feel safe.

I dont think well have something thats always 100% applicable, Strike said. I think theres always going to be that need for human touch.

Other deal breakers for the group included addressing shortness of pants, skirts and dresses; the width of sleeves and straps of shirts; and the elimination of headphones in the policy altogether.

The group meets again Oct. 18.
CEDAR FALLS  The University of Northern Iowa department of political science will hold its Women in Politics bipartisan scholarship benefit Tuesday.

The benefit will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, 7213 Nordic Drive. The social hour is at 6 p.m. and dinner is at 6:30 p.m.

The gathering helps celebrate the contributions of Iowa women in public service while raising money for the Women in Politics scholarship fund, awarded to UNI undergraduate students studying political science or public administration with an interest in public service. The scholarship is supported by an advisory board of over two dozen women business and community leaders, co-chaired by Doris J. Kelley and the Rev. Cathy Young.

This years event will feature a presentation by Col. Beth A. Behn, chief of transportation/commandant, U.S. Army Transportation School. She is a native of Cedar Falls.

Register online by Friday at givecampus.com/campaigns/30503/donations/new. Cost for the fundraiser is $50 per person. Those looking to support the scholarship, but who are unable to attend, can donate via the online link.
SPRINGDALE, Ark.  Tyson Foods is donating 4 million meals and deploying other disaster relief efforts to support storm victims, volunteers, and first responders in Florida, devastated by the recent flooding and severe weather from Hurricane Ian.

The company is partnering with Walmart to help distribute more than a million pounds of protein to feed those in need in Fort Myers and surrounding areas. The company is also partnering with Publix, Feeding America and three of their local member food banks  All Faiths Food Bank, Harry Chapin Food Bank and Feeding Tampa Bay  to provide protein to people affected by the storm.

In addition to its commitment to donate 1 million pounds of protein, the company will provide ongoing support to Feeding America and other relief agencies to best serve the ongoing needs of the community as it moves from response to recovery in the wake of the storm.

The impact of Hurricane Ian is absolutely devastating, and were deploying resources where we can make the most impact, Tim Grailer, Tyson Foods senior director of corporate social responsibility, said in a news release. This response wouldnt be possible without the support of our disaster relief partners and customers, who are all volunteering time and resources to make sure our response is as successful as possible. Our hearts go out to those who suffered tremendous losses in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

Tyson Foods plans to locate its disaster relief trailer at Walmart in Fort Myers, Florida, this week and will have volunteers on site who will distribute food, water, and ice. The volunteers involved include grill teams from Tyson Foods facilities in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. Volunteers from other Tyson locations in Arkansas will also assist.
NEW YORK (AP)  Kevin Spacey's lawyer told a jury Thursday that a sexual misconduct allegation that derailed his theatrical career was the product of a young actor's inability to tell the difference between real life and a scene he played on Broadway eight times a week.

Jurors in a New York courtroom heard opening statements in what is expected to be a two-week trial in a lawsuit brought by Anthony Rapp, the actor who in 2017 became the first in a string of people to publicly accuse the House of Cards star of inappropriate touching or sexual advances.

The lawsuit stems from an alleged encounter between the two men in 1986, when Rapp was a 14-year-old getting praise for a role in the play Precious Sons and Spacey, then 26, was having his own breakout moment on Broadway as the co-star of Long Day's Journey Into Night.

Rapp says the older actor invited him to a party at his Manhattan apartment, then tried to seduce him in a bedroom after the other guests had left.

In interviews and the lawsuit, he has said a drunk, swaying Spacey swept him up in his arms, like a groom carrying a bride, then laid him on a bed and climbed on top of him. Rapp said he quickly wriggled away and left, then kept quiet about what happened for three decades as both actors saw their careers take off.

In her opening statement to the jury, Spacey's lawyer, Jennifer Keller, noted that the incident Rapp described bore a close resemblance to a scene in Precious Sons. In the scene, an inebriated father, played by Ed Harris, mistook his son, played by Rapp, for his wife and climbed on top of him. In another scene, Harris lifted Rapp in his arms.

How did Mr. Rapp come up with such an inventive and original story?" Keller asked the jury. Eight times each week, actor Ed Harris picked up Mr. Rapp like a groom picks up a bride.

What does Mr. Rapp claim? Mr. Spacey falls on him drunkenly. No kissing. No grinding. No touching of his genitals. No request to touch his genitals. Nothing, just like in the play," she said.

Rapps lawyer, Peter Saghir, said the encounter between the actors was real and that Spacey tried to "gratify his sexual desire by pressing his pelvis into Rapp's hips when they were on the bed.

This was a deliberate act, he said. This is not horseplay.

When Rapp told his story to Buzzfeed in 2017 as the #MeToo movement began to grip Hollywood, he addressed the similarity with the scene in Precious Sons, saying that perhaps he was initially able to set aside the trauma of his encounter with Spacey because he was weirdly accustomed to the action, because it had been happening in the play.

Spacey said at the time he had no recollection of the incident. But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, he said.

Since then, though, Spacey's legal team has said the accusation is false. Rapp never attended the party, they said. And even if it had happened as Rapp described, they have argued, it wouldn't constitute a sexual advance.

Rapp wants compensation for mental and emotional suffering, medical expenses and loss of work.

Keller said Spacey was looking forward to testifying at the trial.

He wants justice, she said. Once you've heard both sides, you'll be convinced this alleged assault never happened at all.

The trial comes at a fraught time for Spacey, now 63.

Three months ago, he pleaded not guilty in London to charges that he sexually assaulted three men between 2004 and 2015 when he was the artistic director at the Old Vic theater.

A judge in Los Angeles this summer approved an arbitrator's decision to order Spacey to pay $30.9 million to the makers of House of Cards for violating his contract by sexually harassing crew members.

Those setbacks followed some victories for Spacey, who has recently been acting in films again.

In 2019, prosecutors in Massachusetts dropped indecent assault and battery charges filed after a man said Spacey groped him at a Nantucket bar. Spacey said he was innocent. His accuser also dropped a civil lawsuit.

Spacey won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in American Beauty, a 1999 film in which he played a frustrated suburban father who lusts after his teenage daughters best friend.

Rapp, who as a teenager acted in films including Adventures in Babysitting, was part of the original Broadway cast of Rent," and is now a regular on Star Trek: Discovery on television. He is also expected to testify at the trial.
Schools across the country and the Quad-Cities are increasingly falling victim to false reports of threats.

It's a trend called "swatting" because falsely reporting a threat sometimes triggers a SWAT response. The prank 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 a swatting incident 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.

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."
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, 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 whats politically expedient, Kinney said of Bohannan.

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 state 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 30 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.
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According to the Department of Justice, hundreds of kids are isolated in residential treatment facilities every year instead of getting treatment that would allow them to remain with their families.
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President Joe Biden is pardoning thousands of Americans convicted of simple possession of marijuana under federal law, as his administration takes a dramatic step toward decriminalizing the drug and addressing charging practices that disproportionately impact people of color
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
FILE - A man sits outside the gate of an overcrowded asylum seekers center where hundreds of migrants seek shelter in Ter Apel, northern Netherlands, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022. A Dutch court on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022 ordered the government and its asylum seeker accommodation agency to significantly improve conditions at overcrowded and unsanitary emergency migrant housing facilities.
While traditional braces are still made of metal, most adult patients opt for newer technologies like 3D computer-generated aligners, which look like thin pieces of clear plastic and are placed over the top and bottom teeth. Featheringham estimates that about 80 percent of her adult patients decide to use aligners to straighten their teeth. Occasionally, depending on the bite problem, metal braces or pieces may be needed to achieve the intended result.

To start with, says Featheringham, an orthodontist will see you for an examination and will make X-rays and take photos of your bite. Then, using a scan, theyll create a digital representation of your teeth and mouth. Computer software is then used to virtually move your teeth to a better position and a good bite. This produces a computer simulation that the orthodontist uses to show you what your future smile and bite will look like. The software is then used to create a series of clear aligners that youll change every week or two.

Do adult braces take longer?

How long it will take to fix your teeth depends on the complexity of your problem. Most patients have treatment that lasts between 10 and 24 months, and come for appointments to check progress and make needed adjustments every 6 to 12 weeks, says Featheringham. Adult braces can be more complicated than kid braces because the loss of baby teeth can make planning easier.

Clear aligners are worn all the time, except when patients are brushing their teeth or eating. Featheringham says its probably this feature  being able to remove them to eat and clean their teeth  that patients appreciate the most. Aligners are typically changed on a weekly schedule.

When I weighed the pros and cons, says Gainer, my primary issue was the cost. But most orthodontists will see you and advise you without charge before embarking on a plan. Gainer also considered her appearance and her health, and shes found that its easier to floss and brush with her teeth more properly aligned.

Because their teeth are healthier and its easier for them to chew, older adults who have had orthodontic treatment are also now better able to eat healthier foods, Forsea says.

The costs of dental appliances are comparable to the cost of metal braces. A 2020 American Dental Association Survey estimated that the average cost of braces and aligners for adults was $5,500, with variations based on geographical location. Gainer says that most orthodontists will negotiate payment plans that can make the costs easier to handle.

Its really never too late, says Gainer, and in addition to having a more beautiful smile, Im taking better care of myself and am healthier.

Based in New York, Barbara Sadick is a freelance health journalist. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report and The Washington Post, among other publications.
If youre a proud owner of one of the new iPhone 14 series models Apple unleashed in September, you might notice that the SIM tray  the removable mechanism on your smartphone that holds your Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) chip card  is missing.

SIM cards link your phone number and account credentials to your service provider. Theyre known for being tricky to remove, usually requiring the insertion of a paper clip or other pointy ejector tool into the tiny hole along the edge of the handset.

But Apple went all digital with embedded SIMs, dubbed eSIMs, on its latest devices. That likely signals that physical SIMs, even in rival brands, could eventually join a list of near-extinct smartphone features, such as memory card slots and user-replaceable batteries.

While the demise of physical SIMs wont happen right away, many phones now on the market support eSIM technology, including some Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy and other Android operating system devices introduced in the past few years, as well as 2018s iPhone Xs and Xr models. A notable exception: iPhones sold in mainland China dont support eSIMs.

Some phones have both

For now, phones can accommodate both physical SIM cards and embedded eSIMs. Some hardware also supports dual SIMs that feature either a single tray for a pair of very small SIM cards  they come in three sizes, standard, micro and nano  or technology that permits one physical SIM and one eSIM already included. The chief benefit here is the ability to run two phone lines on the same device, perhaps one line for business and the other for personal use.

To be sure, most people have gotten by for years without ever having to pull the physical SIM card from a cellphone, which may happen only when you get a new phone, switch wireless carriers or perhaps travel internationally. However, it can be irritating, especially if you accidentally drop the SIM card, insert it wrong, or worse, get it stuck in the phone incorrectly.

eSIMs are a tremendous improvement for those with physical disabilities who will never again have to deal with tiny little SIM cards and those teeny, tiny SIM card ejection holes, says tech analyst Avi Greengart of New Jersey-based Techsponential.

Jeff Howard, AT&Ts vice president of hardware and partner solutions, agrees: From our perspective, were looking at it literally as an improvement in customer experience. It does simplify the activation process and allows the control to be right on the device. You dont have to engage in shipping physical SIM cards; customers dont have to identify the appropriate hole on the device to insert the tool.

3 benefits to eSIMs

Even if you havent needed to perform SIM surgery, the new technology promises other advantages.
A man is accused of bringing his dads gun to Valley High School on Tuesday in Northwest Albuquerque.

Kenneth Rhodes, 20, is charged with unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon on school campus in the incident.

Rhodes was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on Tuesday. Rhodes family declined to comment.

Prosecutors have filed a motion to detain him until trial.

(Rhodes) actions put everyone, including fellow students, in extreme danger, according to the motion.

Albuquerque police responded to Valley High School after a gun was found inside Rhodes backpack, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan court. Two students had told the principal that Rhodes had a gun in his bag.

Police said the principal went through the backpack but found no gun and sent Rhodes back to class. Twenty minutes later, a third student searched Rhodes locker and found the gun in the bag and told the ROTC chief.

The chief took the bag and gun to the principals office where Albuquerque police met with Rhodes, according to the complaint. Rhodes initially told police he didnt bring a gun to school before being shown the gun in his backpack.

Police said Rhodes mother confirmed the gun, a 9mm handgun, was his fathers and Rhodes said he wanted to confess. Rhodes told police he brought the gun to school to show two of his ROTC friends.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

A previous attempt to make standing in medians illegal in Albuquerque  thus severely restricting panhandling  was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge.

Now, Mayor Tim Kellers administration is proposing a pedestrian safety ordinance rewrite that it claims walks the fine line between protecting people on foot and in cars without restricting free speech.

The ordinance specifically bars individuals from standing in or entering street and highway travel lanes unless they are legally crossing. It also prohibits using or occupying medians on 30 mph or faster roads where there is not a flat surface at least 4 feet wide.

Due to the  large number of pedestrian/vehicle-involved crashes, Albuquerque seeks to address general pedestrian safety concerns, and to prevent further unnecessary deaths and injuries resulting from pedestrian occupation of medians by amending the Traffic Code to disallow occupancy by pedestrians in medians, Keller wrote in a September memo to Albuquerque City Council President Isaac Benton.

Benton and Councilor Brook Bassan are sponsoring the legislation on the administrations behalf.

The bill deletes some language from the pedestrian safety ordinance, including a section that prohibited people in cars from engaging in any physical interaction or exchange with a pedestrian and another section that generally banned occupation of areas within 6 feet of highway entrance and exit ramp travel lanes.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, on behalf of multiple plaintiffs, successfully sued the city of Albuquerque over the pedestrian safety ordinance it adopted in 2017. Judge Robert Brack of U.S. District Court in Albuquerque ruled in 2019 that the ordinance violated free speech protections because it was not narrowly tailored to meet the Citys interest in reducing pedestrian-vehicle conflicts.

The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals last year upheld Bracks ruling.

The court explained that the city was unable to establish that the ordinance does not burden substantially more speech than necessary to further its interest in pedestrian safety and, in addition, has almost completely failed to even consider alternative measures that restrict or burden the speech at issue less severely than does the ordinance.

The appeals court also noted the plaintiffs argument that city accident reports failed to support the need for several of the ordinances provisions, as they actually belied any assertion that pedestrian presence near highway ramps or on medians, or pedestrian involvement in physical exchanges with vehicles occupants, gave rise to significant safety concerns.

Kellers administration said it heeded that ruling.

A city spokesman said the new proposal represents common-sense regulations and is responsive to specific Court of Appeals concerns.

Most significantly, the City limited the scope of the new ordinance, spokesman Babaak Parcham said in a written statement. The ordinance only prohibits people from standing on dangerous medians that are four feet or narrower. This change is designed to protect both pedestrians and the travelling public, while also allowing for protected speech.

Violations would be considered petty misdemeanors punishable by up to a $100 fine, though the ordinance gives police discretion to issue a warning in lieu of citation or arrest. It also names the Albuquerque Community Safety Department as the preferred responder in such cases. ACS is a relatively new public safety option that responds to calls with behavioral health professionals and outreach workers.

ACLU of New Mexicos executive director said the organization is reviewing the new proposal.

We are still analyzing the bill and the Citys actions for consistency with the Courts order and how the city council votes, Executive Director Peter Simonson said in a written statement. We are committed to making sure that people in our city do not suffer criminal legal consequences for taking part in life-sustaining activities that are protected by basic constitutional rights.

Benton said he believes the new version can withstand a potential legal challenge. He said it does not specifically target people who are homeless, as it would also apply to people fundraising or otherwise using medians.

If theyre doing it on a 2- or 3-foot-wide median in heavy traffic, thats just not a safe situation, he said.

In a separate effort, one Bernalillo County official said hes exploring a pedestrian safety ordinance for unincorporated areas of the county not bound by Albuquerque city regulations. He said he hopes to move a bill later this month.

County Commissioner Walt Benson said he is piggy-backing on a recently proposed county ordinance to ban camping in arroyos, something officials said was intended to keep people from getting swept up by fast-moving water during storms.

We have way more people dying from pedestrian deaths than flash floods, so I think this is warranted, Benson said.

Editors note: This story was corrected to reflect the status of Bernalillo Countys proposal to ban camping in arroyos.
NAME: Harlan Vincent

POLITICAL PARTY: Republican

OCCUPATION: Businessman, owner and operator of Flash Paving and Flash Quality Hunts

CITY OF RESIDENCE: Glencoe

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: 25 years in public safety with the Ruidoso Fire Department, retiring as fire chief in 2016. Oversaw budgets, capital outlay projects, personnel, grant writing. Commander of the Emergency Operation Center. Chaired the Sierra Blanca Wild Land Fire Academy. Graduate of Leadership Lincoln. Businessman, very familiar with New Mexico laws, regulations, and tax policy affecting business and industry.

EDUCATION: Associate degree in fire science

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: HarlanVincentforNM.com

1. New Mexico is highly reliant on the oil and natural gas industries to generate revenue to fund state programs, as evidenced by recent oil boom and bust cycles. What steps should the Legislature take to diversify the states economy and revenue base?

Rather than thinking up ways to diversify, we should change leadership so New Mexicans can develop assets we already possess. We have abundant resources and dedicated business leaders and entrepreneurs restrained by government stumbling blocks created in Santa Fe. The Legislature should repeal the laws that discourage creativity and entrepreneurship.

2. During the last regular legislative session, there was an unsuccessful push to make it easier to keep certain defendants behind bars until trial. Should New Mexico law be changed to make it easier to hold individuals charged with violent offenses such as murder and first-degree child abuse behind bars until trial?

Yes. New Mexicans are being killed and injured by criminals with a string of repeat offenses daily since the implementation of the catch-and-release laws under Democratic leadership. A primary function of government is to prevent its citizens from being victimized by criminals and the current administration has failed New Mexicans.

3. What steps should the Legislature take to address crime and public safety as New Mexico faces one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation?

End catch and release policies. Provide sufficient funding for police and school resource officers. Restore qualified immunity to our police officers so that our counties and municipalities can spend money on preventing and solving crime instead of paying lawyers and lawsuits. I will work for these common-sense solutions.

4. Given the U.S. Supreme Courts recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, do you support or oppose codifying abortion protections in state law? And do you support or oppose enacting any restrictions on abortion in New Mexico?

The court ruled, correctly, noting that there is no reference in the Constitution to abortion. They simply stated that the issue is one thats left to state legislatures. The Legislature needs to create a statute which provides protections for the unborn as well as the health and welfare of women.

5. New Mexico has already implemented several gun control laws in recent years. Would you support or oppose legislation that banned or restricted the sale of AR-15-style semi-automatic weapons, such as raising the age limit for purchasing such weapons? And what about legislation making it a crime to fail to safely secure firearms around children?

Unlike my opponent, Im a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, and Im endorsed by the National Rifle Association. The Lincoln County Commission passed a resolution affirming that it would defend our Second Amendment rights and liberties against unconstitutional infringement. My opponent, was the only commissioner voting No in Lincoln County.

6. The state agency tasked with keeping New Mexico children safe has faced recent scrutiny over transparency issues and its handling of high-profile child abuse cases. What changes would you support to improve the operations of the Children, Youth and Families Department?

The governor vetoed a bill  that had bipartisan support  that provided for independent oversight of CYFD. I would reintroduce that bill to ensure that the agency cannot continue to operate in the dark and will be held accountable for its failures so that real improvement can take place.

7. What changes, if any, should New Mexico make to its gross receipts tax code?

For a long time, our gross receipts tax laws have been a deterrent to investment and economic development. We need to overhaul our tax system, eliminate the GRT, and replace it with a system that is friendly to business and that encourages economic development and entrepreneurship.

8. New Mexico is currently the only state that does not pay its legislators a salary, though lawmakers do get per diem payments and can qualify for a legislative pension. Do you support or oppose a salaried Legislature and, if so, how much should lawmakers be paid?

I oppose creating a Legislature of salaried professional politicians. That would simply create more bureaucracy, more employees, and higher costs. Its best that our legislators are in Santa Fe as infrequently as necessary. We need minimal law-making and lots of law-repealing. Less government is better than more government.

9. What more, if anything, should the Legislature do to address a court ruling that found New Mexico is failing to provide a sufficient education to all students, especially Native Americans and those who dont speak English as a first language?

The education system is supposed to be about the students and their families, not about union bosses in Albuquerque. We need to expand charter school opportunities, provide support for homeschoolers, and give parents full range of options for their children. I support empowerment of parents and local school boards.

10. In recent years, New Mexico has steadily increased spending on early childhood programs, such as home visiting, prekindergarten and child care assistance, and created a new early childhood trust fund. Do you support or oppose the proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would withdraw more money from the states permanent school fund to increase funding for early childhood services and K-12 education?

No. New Mexico spends more on education per student than several other states and continues to rank 50th. Money is not the problem. It is corruption and misspending  like the Democratic legislator who apparently stole more than $1 million from Albuquerque schools. We should not raid the permanent fund.

11. In order to address climate change and air quality issues, do you support or oppose legislation limiting greenhouse gas emissions and requiring the state achieve net-zero emissions by 2050?

Keep in mind that the U.S. has already done much to reduce greenhouse emissions. Its important that we act based on scientific study and not in response to pop culture. The Democrats plans for eliminating fossil fuels and getting everyone into electric cars will not work.

12. Do you believe changes should be made to the emergency powers held by a governor during a pandemic or other time of crisis. If so, do you believe such powers should be expanded or reduced and in what specific ways?

Such powers should only come from the people  through legislation. As we all now know, the governor ordered lots of solutions in search of nonexistent problems  shutting down businesses and inflicting irreparable harm on our school kids. We need leadership that understands and respects the constitutional limits of governmental powers.

13. Would you support a merit-based evaluation system to determine how the state spends its capital outlay funding?

Such a system could work, in theory. However, the system would have to consist of truly bipartisan evaluators without favoritism or political deal making and behind-the-scenes shenanigans. Local representatives who know their local needs best must be intimately involved. We do not need to expand the already bloated bureaucracy.

14. Do you believe former President Donald Trumps claim that he was the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election? (Yes or No answer only, please)

Respondent did not limit answer to yes or no as requested.

15. What changes, if any, would you support to New Mexicos election laws?

Require photo IDs for voters. Strengthen ID requirements for mail ballots, including mandatory signature verification. Eliminate drop boxes. Immediately remove thousands of voters who have moved out of state or died. Drastically increase transparency for challengers and watchers during the voting process as well as in vote-counting and canvassing.

Personal background

1. Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens?

No.

2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding?

No.

3. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunken driving, any misdemeanor or any felony in New Mexico or any other state? If so, explain.

No.
NAME: Lisa Meyer-Hagen

POLITICAL PARTY: Republican

OCCUPATION: Real estate broker

CITY OF RESIDENCE: Albuquerque

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: Law abiding citizen

EDUCATION: B.A. psychology; minor in human services; literacy specialist

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: LisaForNM.com

1. New Mexico is highly reliant on the oil and natural gas industries to generate revenue to fund state programs, as evidenced by recent oil boom and bust cycles. What steps should the Legislature take to diversify the states economy and revenue base?

Diversify education options for the next generation. Open trade and vocational schools giving students viable employment options and reason to remain in New Mexico. Be business friendly: reduce crime, improve education, eliminate N.M. personal income tax. N.M. has not grown at all on these metrics in the last decade.

2. During the last regular legislative session, there was an unsuccessful push to make it easier to keep certain defendants behind bars until trial. Should New Mexico law be changed to make it easier to hold individuals charged with violent offenses such as murder and first-degree child abuse behind bars until trial?

Yes. Individuals charged with murder, first-degree child abuse or any other violent offense should be kept behind bars until trial.

3. What steps should the Legislature take to address crime and public safety as New Mexico faces one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation?

Eliminate catch and release. Strengthen and encourage family units to stay together through tax incentives to reduce number of absent father homes. Return to community policing.

4. Given the U.S. Supreme Courts recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, do you support or oppose codifying abortion protections in state law? And do you support or oppose enacting any restrictions on abortion in New Mexico?

Abortion throughout nine months of pregnancy remains legal in New Mexico in spite of Roe v. Wade reversal. Seventy percent of New Mexicans, of which I am one, disagree with the current New Mexico abortion law.

5. New Mexico has already implemented several gun control laws in recent years. Would you support or oppose legislation that banned or restricted the sale of AR-15-style semi-automatic weapons, such as raising the age limit for purchasing such weapons? And what about legislation making it a crime to fail to safely secure firearms around children?

Keep the main thing the main thing. Prosecute violent criminals. Leave law abiding gun owners alone.

6. The state agency tasked with keeping New Mexico children safe has faced recent scrutiny over transparency issues and its handling of high-profile child abuse cases. What changes would you support to improve the operations of the Children, Youth and Families Department?

CYFD has horrendous caseloads, mismanagement, understaffing, strained relationships amongst employees, poor communication between CYFD and law enforcement, 20 plus dead children since 2021 while being on CYFDs radar. CYFD needs new and experienced leadership immediately who have the will and resolve to run an agency that keeps our kids safe.

7. What changes, if any, should New Mexico make to its gross receipts tax code?

Empower small business to thrive. Restructure tax code so as to eliminate GRT altogether. Priority is to make tax code more business friendly including eliminating the N.M. personal income tax.

8. New Mexico is currently the only state that does not pay its legislators a salary, though lawmakers do get per diem payments and can qualify for a legislative pension. Do you support or oppose a salaried Legislature and, if so, how much should lawmakers be paid?

While legislators are servants of the people a workman is deserving of their wages. Instead of tempting legislators to become beholden to special interest groups for personal financial benefit because of not being paid for their elected service pay them a respectable wage.

9. What more, if anything, should the Legislature do to address a court ruling that found New Mexico is failing to provide a sufficient education to all students, especially Native Americans and those who dont speak English as a first language?

Intact families are number one indicator of educational success. Support family unit and encourage parent involvement in their kids education. Honor, value, support and empower Native American cultures to lead themselves. Legislators need to get out of the way.

10. In recent years, New Mexico has steadily increased spending on early childhood programs, such as home visiting, prekindergarten and child care assistance, and created a new early childhood trust fund. Do you support or oppose the proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would withdraw more money from the states permanent school fund to increase funding for early childhood services and K-12 education?

Oppose. FY 2022 New Mexico will spend $12,146 per pupil for the year. We remain last in education. More money is not going to fix the problem. Strengthen family unit and education results will increase. Give the money to the students and let them, their parents, choose their school.

11. In order to address climate change and air quality issues, do you support or oppose legislation limiting greenhouse gas emissions and requiring the state achieve net-zero emissions by 2050?

Using climate models, while disregarding empirical evidence, have many shortcomings and are not plausible as policy tools. We need an honest, televised conversation on the topic of climate change. Scientists on both sides of the issue need the freedom to voice their position in the context of a civil debate.

12. Do you believe changes should be made to the emergency powers held by a governor during a pandemic or other time of crisis. If so, do you believe such powers should be expanded or reduced and in what specific ways?

Yes. Indefinite, unilateral decision making by one branch of government during a pubic emergency, without the input of the Legislature or courts, is bad government. Emergency Powers Code should not continue for longer than 30 days unless extended by a joint resolution of the Legislature in regular, special or extraordinary session.

13. Would you support a merit-based evaluation system to determine how the state spends its capital outlay funding?

Amount of capital outlay money should be based on proportion of population and demographics of each district. Legislators and constituents should decide what is best for their districts.

14. Do you believe former President Donald Trumps claim that he was the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election? (Yes or No answer only, please)

No response.

15. What changes, if any, would you support to New Mexicos election laws?

Voter ID, paper ballots with watermark, no drop boxes, vote on day of election. Absentee ballots for military, valid out of town excuses and very sick only.

Personal background

1. Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens?

No.

2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding?

No.

3. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunken driving, any misdemeanor or any felony in New Mexico or any other state? If so, explain.

No.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Standing before throngs of supporters two weeks ago, former President Donald Trump repeated a series of falsehoods about the 2020 election.

He called the election rigged and stolen and claimed to have won both times he ran.

He also suggested hell launch another presidential campaign.

We may have to do it again, Trump said Sept. 23 in the North Carolina rally.

But even as Trump continues to make unsubstantiated election claims, many Republican candidates in New Mexico wont say whether they agree with him.

Just eight of the 20 Republicans who responded to a Journal questionnaire for legislative candidates provided a direct yes-or-no answer  as requested  when asked whether they believe Trumps claim that he was the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election.

Only one of three Republican candidates for Congress gave a yes-or-no response.

Candidates in other parties offered straight answers at a much higher rate. Thirty-four of the 35 Democratic, Libertarian and independent candidates who filled out the questionnaire responded with a yes-or-no. All but one of the 34 said they didnt agree with Trumps election claim.

And the three Democratic candidates for Congress responded with a simple no.

Republican Robert Moss, whos running for an open legislative seat on the West Side of Albuquerque, was among those who didnt provide a direct answer.

Questions such as this shouldnt be legitimized because they perpetuate the tribalism tearing (the) U.S. apart, Moss wrote.

Harlan Vincent, a Ruidoso Downs Republican running for an open seat, delivered a similar rebuke.

Demanding Yes or No is one example of whats wrong with the nationwide arguments, he wrote in his Journal questionnaire.

Whether its a worthy question, of course, is for voters to decide.

But proposed election laws are often among the most intensely debated proposals at the Legislature. The outcome of the presidential race, in particular, has been a focus of recent partisan clashes.

Republican state Rep. Cathrynn Brown of Carlsbad, for example, announced last year that she would introduce legislation to decertify New Mexicos electoral votes for Joe Biden. The bill never did surface. Brown is unopposed for reelection this year.

In 2020, meanwhile, five designated Republican electors submitted a certificate that aimed to award New Mexicos five electoral votes to Trump, though with the caveat that they were doing it in case a legal effort to overturn the election results was successful.

Biden, for the record, won the race in New Mexico by 11 percentage points, or 99,720 votes  a result confirmed by the post-election canvass conducted by Democratic and Republican election officials. A certified public accountant also oversaw a hand tally of ballots in random precincts to verify the accuracy of voting machines.

The Trump campaign dismissed its own lawsuit challenging the New Mexico results. Legal challenges in other parts of the country also failed. But prosecutors in New Mexico and other states have said they are looking into the issue of fake electors.

Direct question

As part of an online voter guide this year, the Albuquerque Journal sent issue questionnaires to candidates in every contested legislative race, along with statewide and congressional races. The questions covered crime, education, taxes and other topics, in addition to elections.

One question asked: Do you believe former President Donald Trumps claim that he was the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election? (Yes or No answer only, please)

It was not meant as a gotcha question, Journal editor Karen Moses said.

Our readers deserved to have the candidates on the record on whether they agreed with Trumps claim or not, she said. Allowing anything but a yes-or-no answer would allow candidates to waffle or talk around a direct answer.

The Journal published only the candidates responses that complied with the request for a direct answer. Failing to enforce the yes-or-no instruction, Moses said, would have been unfair to candidates who did follow it.

Out of 38 Republican candidates in contested legislative races, 18 didnt respond to the questionnaire at all. Twenty-nine of 34 Democrats responded, by contrast, as did all five independents and the lone Libertarian.

Two of the 20 Republicans who responded had no problem affirming their support for Trumps election claims.

John Block, whos running in an Alamogordo-based district, and Patrick Sais, campaigning on the West Side of Albuquerque, said yes when asked about believing Trumps election claims.

Six Republicans said no or that they do not in response to the questionnaire: Alan Martinez of Bernalillo; Robert Godshall, Kurstin Johnson and Bill Rehm of Albuquerque; Jane Powdrell-Culbert of Corrales; and John Foreman of Las Cruces.

In some cases, they went on to elaborate after giving a firm answer.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Ronchetti also said no, as did Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Democratic Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver.

The GOP candidate for secretary of state, Audrey Trujillo, didnt respond to the Journal questionnaire, but she has previously cast doubt on Bidens victory in New Mexico.

Nine of 20 Republican legislative candidates who responded didnt limit their answer to yes-or-no and offered instead a less-direct answer.

Republican Robert Salazar, whos running in southeastern Albuquerque, said there isnt enough information to know the truth of Trumps claims. State Rep. Stefani Lord, R-Sandia Park, responded by asking and answering her own questions  on other topics  in the space provided.

Republican candidate Ellis McMath, whos running for an open West Side seat, came close to offering a yes-or-no answer.

A number of Federal judges have determined that there was not enough evidence of fraud to change the outcome of the election, he wrote. Unless additional information should come forth, we need to honor their decision.

Three other Republicans filled out the Journal questionnaire but left the Trump question blank.

Of the candidates who arent Republicans, only one  independent David Lansford of Clovis  left the question blank.

One independent candidate for the Legislature, Elaine Allen of Lincoln, said yes, backing up Trumps claim that he was the legitimate winner. The other independent, Libertarian and Democratic candidates who answered all said no.

In the congressional races, Republican Alexis Martinez Johnson was the lone GOP candidate to say no, she doesnt believe Trumps election claim. The other two Republicans  incumbent Yvette Herrell and Michelle Garcia Holmes  provided less-direct answers.

The questionnaires results are published in the Journals online voter guide. For candidates who wouldnt give a direct answer, the questionnaire notes: Respondent did not limit answer to yes or no as requested.

Online Voter Guide

Visit ABQJournal.com and scroll down for the link to the Journal voter guide. Issue questionnaires were sent candidates in contested legislative and other races.
KYTHIRA, Greece  Bodies floated amid splintered wreckage in the wind-tossed waters off a Greek island Thursday as the death toll from the separate sinkings of two migrant smuggling boats rose to 22, with about a dozen still missing.

The vessels went down hundreds of miles apart, in one case prompting a dramatic overnight rescue effort as island residents and firefighters pulled shipwrecked migrants to safety up steep cliffs.

The shipwrecks further stoked tension between neighbors Greece and Turkey, who are locked in a heated dispute over maritime boundaries and migration. Both vessels are believed to have left from Turkey.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis voiced deep sorrow for the tragic loss of life, and praised rescuers heroic efforts.

This is a time to really cooperate much more substantially in order to avoid these types of incidents occurring in the future and to completely eradicate the smugglers who prey upon innocent people trying to reach Europe in unseaworthy boats, Mitsotakis added.

The coast guard on Greeces eastern island of Lesbos said the bodies of 16 young African women, a man and a boy were recovered after a dinghy carrying about 40 people sank. Coast guard officials said 25 people were rescued by late Thursday.

The women who were rescued were in a full state of panic so we are still trying to work out what happened, coast guard spokesman Nikos Kokkalas told Greek state television.

The second rescue effort was launched several hundred kilometers (miles) to the southwest, off the island of Kythira, where an Italy-bound sailboat struck rocks in the night and sank.

The bodies of at least four migrants were seen amid floating debris from the yacht under the cliffs. The deaths would be officially recorded when the bodies were recovered, officials said. They added that 80 people, from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, had been rescued while a search continues for as many as 11 still believed to be missing.

The waves was too much high, about 6 meters (20 feet), said Abdul Ghafar Amur, a Afghan survivor of the wreck. We tried to save our lives, but most of our friends, they have died.

He said the people on the yacht had been at sea for two days when the vessel sank.

With gale-force winds overnight on Kythira, survivors clinging to ropes were pulled to safety up steep cliffs as others were buffeted by waves as they waited their turn on rocks at the bottom.

All the residents here went down to the harbor to try and help, island resident Martha Stathaki told The Associated Press. 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.

Amur said he paid smugglers $9,000 to be transported from Turkey to Italy, which matched accounts by other survivors. The fate of the yachts captain was unknown, though some survivors said he was lost during the wreck.

Kythira is 400 kilometers (250 miles) west of Turkey and on a route often used by smugglers to bypass Greece and head directly to Italy.

A volatile dispute is taking place between Greece and Turkey over the safety of migrants at sea, with Athens accusing its neighbor of failing to stop smugglers active on its shoreline and even using migrants to apply political pressure on the European Union.

Most migrants who reach Greece travel from nearby Turkey, but smugglers have changed routes  often taking greater risks  in recent months to avoid heavily patrolled waters around eastern Greek islands near the Turkish coastline.

Once again, Turkeys tolerance of gangs of ruthless traffickers has cost human lives, Greek Shipping Minister Yannis Plakiotakis said. As long as the Turkish coastguard does not prevent their activities, the traffickers cram unfortunate people, without safety measures, into boats that cannot withstand the weather conditions, putting their lives in mortal danger.

Turkey denies the allegations and has publicly accused Greece of carrying out reckless summary deportations, known as pushbacks.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accused Greece of turning the Aegean Sea into a graveyard. ___ Follow APs coverage of global migration: https://apnews.com/hub/migration
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

An officer exchanged gunfire with a suspect following a carjacking and a SWAT standoff at a house in a neighborhood near Constitution and Eubank NE on Wednesday night.

No one was injured in the shooting.

An Albuquerque Police Department spokesman said detectives are still investigating the carjacking and the shooting to determine charges for those crimes.

Two men who were involved in the standoff were booked into jail on unrelated charges.

Daniel Rodriguez, a 28-year-old who lived at the house, according to court documents, was arrested on a probation violation for a 2019 case. In that incident detectives followed him in a stolen car to the same house  in the 1400 block of Betts NE  and pointed a gun at him after he pulled a firearm out of his waistband. He tried to run but was arrested.

Rodriguez pleaded no contest to resisting an officer, possession of a firearm by a felon and tampering with evidence in that case.

The other man, Jacob Cormier, 33, was arrested on a warrant for a probation violation in a case where he pleaded guilty to larceny in 2019.

Neighbors told the Journal they frequently saw cars without license plates outside the home.

On Thursday afternoon two men were parked in front dismantling the interior of a car because, they said, the police had their keys. No one at the home wished to comment on the previous nights events.

In an early morning briefing, Police Chief Harold Medina said the incident began around 5:40 p.m. when officers were called to a carjacking at an apartment complex in the 6300 block of Montgomery NE.

A female had returned home from work and as she was exiting her vehicle, she was approached and she was robbed of her vehicle, Medina said.

Less than two hours later, officers had tracked the womans car to the house on Betts.

Detectives surrounded the home and a tactical team arrived to help. Some people exited and surrendered but one person fled through the back, reentered and eventually fired shots at officers around 8 p.m., Medina said.

At least one officer did return fire, he said.

The incident will be investigated by the Multi-Agency Task Force.

Detectives will have to work to be able to charge this individual for the robbery of the female and also for the aggravated assault on our officers when he fired his firearm at officers, he said.

This is the fifth time this year police have shot at someone but missed. In total they shot at 15 people  seven of whom were killed, three of whom were injured and one who killed himself right before the officer fired.
UTHAI SAWAN, Thailand  A former police officer facing a drug charge burst into a day care center Thursday in Thailand, killing dozens of preschoolers and teachers and then shooting more people as he fled. At least 36 people were slain in the deadliest rampage in the nations history.

The assailant, who was fired earlier this year, took his own life after killing his wife and child at home.

Photos taken by first responders showed the schools floor littered with the tiny bodies of children still on their blankets, where they had been taking an afternoon nap. The images showed slashes to their faces and gunshots to their heads and pools of blood.

A teacher told public broadcaster Thai PBS that the assailant got out of a car and immediately shot a man eating lunch outside, then fired more shots. When the attacker paused to reload, the teacher had an opportunity to run inside.

I ran to the back, the children were asleep, said the young woman, who did not give her name, choking back her words. The children were two or three years old.

Another witness said staff at the day care center had locked the door, but the gunman shot his way in.

The teacher who died, she had a child in her arms, the witness, whose name wasnt given, told Thailands Kom Chad Luek television. I didnt think he would kill children, but he shot at the door and shot right through it.

At least 10 people were wounded, including six critically, police spokesman Archayon Kraithong said.

The attack took place in the rural town of Uthai Sawan in Thailands northeastern province of Nongbua Lamphu, one of the countrys poorest regions.

A video taken by a first responder arriving at the scene showed rescuers rushing into the single-story building past a shattered glass front door, with drops of blood visible on the ground in the entryway.

In footage posted online after the attack, frantic family members could be heard weeping outside the building. One image showed the floor smeared with blood where sleeping mats were scattered around the room. Pictures of the alphabet and other colorful decorations adorned the walls.

Police identified the attacker as 34-year-old former police officer Panya Kamrap. Police Maj. Gen. Paisal Luesomboon told PPTV in an interview that he was fired from the force earlier this year because of the drug charge.

In a Facebook posting, Thai police chief Gen. Dumrongsak Kittiprapas said the man, who had been a sergeant, was due in court Friday for a hearing in the case involving methamphetamine, and speculated that he may have chosen the day care center because it was close to his home.

Earlier, Dumrongsak told reporters that the main weapon used was a 9mm pistol that the man had purchased himself. Paisal said he also had a shotgun and a knife.

Thailand Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who planned to travel to the scene on Friday, told reporters that initial reports were that the former officer was having personal problems.

This shouldnt happen, he said. I feel deep sadness toward the victims and their relatives.

Police have not given a full breakdown of the death toll, but they have said at least 22 children and two adults were killed at the day care. At least two more children were killed elsewhere.

Some family members of those killed in the attack were still at the scene of the rampage late into the evening. Mental health workers sat with them, trying to bring comfort, according to Thai TBS television.

Firearm-related deaths in Thailand are much lower than in countries such as the United States and Brazil, but higher than in Japan and Singapore, which have strict gun-control laws. The rate of firearms related deaths in 2019 was about 4 per 100,000, compared with about 11 per 100,000 in the U.S. and nearly 23 per 100,000 in Brazil.

Mass shootings are rare but not unheard of in Thailand, which has one of the highest civilian gun ownership rates in Asia, with 15.1 weapons per 100 population compared to only 0.3 in Singapore and 0.25 in Japan. Thats still far lower than the U.S. rate of 120.5 per 100 people, according to a 2017 survey by Australias GunPolicy.org nonprofit organization.

The countrys previous worst mass shooting involved a disgruntled soldier who opened fire in and around a mall in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima in 2020, killing 29 people and holding off security forces for some 16 hours before eventually being killed by them.

Nearly 60 others were wounded in that attack. Its death toll surpassed that of the previously worst attack on civilians, a 2015 bombing at a shrine in Bangkok that killed 20 people. It was allegedly carried out by human traffickers in retaliation for a crackdown on their network.

Last month, a clerk shot co-workers at Thailands Army War College in Bangkok, killing two and wounding another before he was arrested.

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the TV station, Kom Chad Luek, not Kom Chad Leuk, and to correct the police chiefs name to Dumrongsak Kittiprapas, not Damrongsak Kittiprapha.

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Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul, Elaine Kurtenbach and Grant Peck in Bangkok contributed to this report.
PARIS  French author Annie Ernaux won this years Nobel Prize in literature Thursday for blending fiction and autobiography in books that fearlessly mine her experiences as a working-class woman to explore life in France since the 1940s.

In more than 20 books published over five decades, Ernaux has probed deeply personal experiences and feelings  love, sex, abortion, shame  within a society split by gender and class divisions.

After a half-century of defending feminist ideals, Ernaux said it doesnt seem to me that women have become equal in freedom, in power, and she strongly defended womens rights to abortion and contraception.

I will fight to my last breath so that women can choose to be a mother, or not to be. Its a fundamental right, she said at a news conference in Paris. Ernauxs first book, Cleaned Out, was about her own illegal abortion before it was legalized in France.

The prize-giving Swedish Academy said Ernaux, 82, was recognized for the courage and clinical acuity of books rooted in her small-town background in the Normandy region of northwest France.

Anders Olsson, chairman of the Nobel literature committee, said Ernaux is not afraid to confront the hard truths.

She writes about things that no one else writes about, for instance her abortion, her jealousy, her experiences as an abandoned lover and so forth. I mean, really hard experiences, he told The Associated Press after the award announcement in Stockholm. And she gives words for these experiences that are very simple and striking. They are short books, but they are really moving.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: Annie Ernaux has been writing for 50 years the novel of the collective and intimate memory of our country. Her voice is that of womens freedom, and the centurys forgotten ones.

While Macron praised Ernaux for her Nobel, she has been unsparing with him. A supporter of left-wing causes for social justice, she has poured scorn on Macrons background in banking and said his first term as president failed to advance the cause of French women.

Ernauxs books present uncompromising portraits of lifes most intimate moments, including sexual encounters, illness and the deaths of her parents. Olsson said Ernauxs work was often written in plain language, scraped clean. He said she had used the term an ethnologist of herself rather than a writer of fiction.

Dan Simon, Ernauxs longtime American publisher at Seven Stories Press, said that in the early years, she insisted that we not categorize her books at all. She did not allow us to refer to them as fiction and she did not allow us to refer to them as nonfiction.

Ultimately, he said, Ernaux has created a genre of fiction in which nothing is made up.

Shes a great storyteller of her own life, Simon said.

Ernaux worked as a teacher before becoming a full-time writer. Her first book was Les armoires vides in 1974 (published in English as Cleaned Out). Two more autobiographical novels followed  Ce quils disent ou rien (What They Say Goes) and La femme gelee (The Frozen Woman)  before she moved to more overtly autobiographical books.

In the book that made her name, La place (A Mans Place), published in 1983 and about her relationship with her father, she wrote: No lyrical reminiscences, no triumphant displays of irony. This neutral writing style comes to me naturally.

La honte (Shame), published in 1997, explored a childhood trauma, while Levenement (Happening), from 2000, dealt like Cleaned Out with an illegal abortion.

Her most critically acclaimed book is Les annees (The Years), published in 2008. Described by Olsson as the first collective autobiography, it depicted Ernaux herself and wider French society from the end of World War II to the 21st century. Its English translation was a finalist for the International Booker Prize in 2019.

Ernauxs Memoire de fille (A Girls Story), from 2016, follows a young womans coming of age in the 1950s, while Passion Simple (Simple Passion) and Se perdre (Getting Lost) chart Ernauxs intense affair with a Russian diplomat.

Ernaux has described facing scorn from Frances literary establishment because she is a woman from a working-class background.

My work is political, she said at the news conference. She described growing up in a milieu outside the elite, a world of people above you and the seeming impossibility of becoming a famous writer.

The literature prize has long faced criticism that it is too focused on European and North American writers, as well as too male-dominated. Last years prize winner, Tanzanian-born, U.K.-based writer Abdulrazak Gurnah, was only the sixth Nobel literature laureate born in Africa.

More than a dozen French writers have captured the literature prize, though Ernaux is the first French woman to win, and just the 17th woman among the 119 Nobel literature laureates.

Olsson said the academy was working to diversify its range, drawing on experts in literature from different regions and languages.

We try to broaden the concept of literature but it is the quality that counts, ultimately, he said.

Ernaux said she wasnt sure what she would do with the Nobels cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (nearly $900,000).

I have a problem with money, she told reporters. Money is not a goal for me.  I dont know how to spend it well.

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.

Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser and Austrian Anton Zeilinger won the physics prize on Tuesday for work showing that tiny particles can retain a connection with each other even when separated, a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement.

The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded Wednesday to Americans Carolyn R. Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, and Danish scientist Morten Meldal for developing a way of snapping molecules together that can be used to explore cells, map DNA and design drugs to target cancer and other diseases.

The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday and the economics award on Monday.

The prizes will be handed out on Dec. 10. The prize money comes from a bequest left by the prizes creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, in 1895.

___

Keyton reported from Stockholm and Lawless from London. Masha Macpherson in Clergy, France; John Leicester in Le Pecq, France; Frank Jordans in Berlin; Naomi Koppel in London; Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

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Follow all AP stories about the Nobel Prizes at https://apnews.com/hub/nobel-prizes
SAN FRANCISCO  The suspect in the kidnapping and killings of an 8-month-old baby, her parents and an uncle had worked for the familys trucking business and had a longstanding feud with them that culminated in an act of pure evil, a sheriff said Thursday.

The bodies of Aroohi Dheri; her mother Jasleen Kaur, 27; father Jasdeep Singh, 36; and uncle Amandeep Singh, 39, were found by a farm worker late Wednesday in an almond orchard in a remote area in the San Joaquin Valley, Californias agricultural heartland.

Investigators were preparing a case against the suspect  a convicted felon who tried to kill himself a day after the kidnappings  and sought a person of interest believed to be his accomplice. Relatives and fellow members of the Punjabi Sikh community, meanwhile, were shocked by the killings.

Right now, Ive got hundreds of people in a community that are grieving the loss of two families, and this is worldwide. These families are across different continents, Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke told The Associated Press. Weve got to show them that we can give them justice.

The suspect, 48-year-old Jesus Salgado, was released from the hospital and booked into the county jail Thursday night on suspicion of kidnapping and murder, the Sheriffs Office said. It wasnt clear if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.

Earlier, Warnke called for prosecutors to seek the death penalty. The sheriff called it one of the worst crimes he has seen over his 43 years in law enforcement and pleaded for Salgados accomplice to turn himself in.

Theres some things youll take to the grave. This to me was pure evil, he said in an interview Thursday.

The city of Merced, where the familys trucking business was located, will hold evening vigils in their memory Thursday through Sunday. The victims bodies were found near the town of Dos Palos, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Merced.

Warnke on Thursday would not discuss the condition of the adults remains in the orchard but said it was unclear how the baby died. Warnke said the child had no visible trauma and an autopsy will be conducted.

Salgado was previously convicted of first-degree robbery with the use of a firearm in Merced County, attempted false imprisonment and an attempt to prevent or dissuade a victim or witness. Sentenced to 11 years in state prison in that case, he was released in 2015 and discharged from parole three years later, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He also has a conviction for possession of a controlled substance, the department said.

Relatives of Salgado contacted authorities and told them he had admitted to them his involvement in the kidnapping, Warnke told KFSN-TV on Tuesday. Salgado tried to take his own life before police arrived at a home in Atwater  where an ATM card belonging to one of the victims was used after the kidnapping  about 9 miles (14 kilometers) north of Merced. Efforts to reach Salgados family were unsuccessful Thursday.

The victims were Punjabi Sikhs, a community in central California that has a significant presence in the trucking business with many of them driving trucks, owning trucking companies or other businesses associated with trucking.

Public records show the family owns Unison Trucking Inc. and relatives said they had opened an office in the last few weeks in a parking lot the Singh brothers also operated. The feud with Salgado dated back a year, the sheriff said, and got pretty nasty in text messages or emails. Other details about Salgados employment and the nature of the dispute were not immediately available.

Warnke said he believes the family was killed within an hour of the Monday morning kidnapping, when they were taken at gunpoint from their business.

Surveillance video showed the suspect  later identified as Salgado  leading the Singh brothers, who had their hands zip-tied behind their backs, into the back seat of Amandeep Singhs pickup truck. He drove the brothers away and returned several minutes later.

The suspect then went back to the trailer that served as the business office and led Jasleen Kaur, who was carrying her baby in her arms, out and into the truck before the suspect drove them away shortly before 9:30 a.m.

Hours later, firefighters on Monday found Amandeep Singhs truck on fire in the town of Winton, 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Merced. Police 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 sheriffs to report them missing.

They were likely already dead.

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Dazio reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writer Robert Jablon in Los Angeles and News Researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report.
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.  President Joe Biden predicted Thursday a $20 billion investment by IBM in New Yorks Hudson River Valley will help give the United States a technological edge against China, hailing the expansion during an appearance with two House Democrats in competitive races in next months critical elections.

The president cited IBMs commitment as part of a larger manufacturing boom, spurred by this summers passage of a $280 billion measure intended to boost the semiconductor industry and scientific research. That legislation was needed for national and economic security, Biden said in Poughkeepsie, adding that the Chinese Communist Party actively lobbied against it.

The United States has to lead the world of producing these advanced chips  this law is going to make sure that it will, Biden said.

The speech was part of a whirlwind trip that focused heavily on campaigning and included two fundraising events. During one, he warned that Russian President Vladimir Putins threat about using nuclear weapons as his Ukrainian invasion has floundered is the most severe threat of Armageddon since Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

Democratic candidates have largely avoided election-year appearances with Biden, whose approval ratings remain underwater. Bucking that trend in New York were Reps. Sean Patrick Maloney and Pat Ryan, who attended the presidents remarks at IBM.

The lawmakers, along with Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, greeted Biden upon his arrival at Stewart Air National Guard Base.

When I heard @POTUS was looking to see the benefits of the CHIPS & Science Act first-hand, I told him that the Hudson Valley was the perfect place, Maloney wrote Wednesday on Twitter. Im thrilled to host him in Poughkeepsie this week to celebrate the major wins and good-paying jobs we are delivering here in NY.

The CHIPS and Science Act, which Biden signed in August, was a rare bill for which the president was able to win bipartisan support.

IBMs $20 billion investment over the next decade is intended to bolster research and development and the manufacture of semiconductors, mainframe technology, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

As we tackle large-scale technological challenges in climate, energy, transportation and more, we must continue to invest in innovation and discovery  because advanced technologies are key to solving these problems and driving economic prosperity, including better jobs, for millions of Americans, said Arvind Krishna, IBMs chairman and CEO.

IBMs commitment comes on the heels of chipmaker Micron announcing this week an investment of up to $100 billion over the next 20-plus years to build a plant in upstate New York that could create 9,000 factory jobs. In his remarks, Biden also celebrated Intels plant groundbreaking in Ohio and an investment by WolfSpeed for chip production in North Carolina.

Maloney, chairman of the Democratic congressional campaign fundraising arm, is running against Republican state Assemblyman Mike Lawler in the 17th Congressional District. Ryan faces state Assemblyman Colin Schmitt in the 18th District.

The boundaries of most New York districts, including Maloneys and Ryans, have been affected by redistricting.

Ryan in August won a close special election to serve out the term of Democrat Antonio Delgado, who vacated his 19th District seat after he was appointed lieutenant governor by Hochul. Ryan is running for a full term in the 18th District, where he lives.

Maloney, who had represented that district since 2013, decided to run in the 17th District. His Hudson Valley home fell inside the new boundaries after redistricting.

Hochul, who took office last year after Democrat Andrew Cuomo resigned amid sexual harassment allegations, is looking to win a full term as governor. Her opponent is Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin.

Later Thursday, Biden spoke out against Republicans at a fundraiser at the home of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy in support of the Democratic National Committee. The president has warned that followers of former President Donald Trump who deny the results of the 2020 presidential election are a threat to U.S. democracy, labeling them through Trumps slogan of Make America Great Again.

Not all Republicans are MAGA Republicans, he said, but a good 35% are Trumpites.

In the evening, Biden attended a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee fundraiser in Manhattan hosted by James Murdoch, the son of News Corp. publisher Rupert Murdoch. He warned about Putin hinting in a speech last month about deploying Russias nuclear arsenal, a possible response to the recent loss of territory to Ukrainian forces.

We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis, Biden said.

James Murdoch and his wife, Kathryn, a climate change activist, were major donors to Bidens 2020 presidential campaign. In 2020, Murdoch resigned from the board of News Corp. amid differences over editorial content at his fathers company, which operates The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post. The elder Murdoch is also chairman of Fox Corp., which includes Fox News Channel.

While Biden has been kept at arms length by many Democratic candidates, hes been a prodigious fundraiser for his party this election cycle, raising more than $19.6 million for the Democratic National Committee.

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Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in New York City and Michael Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey, contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON  A North Carolina man pleaded guilty Thursday to plotting with other members of the far-right Proud Boys to violently stop the transfer of presidential power after the 2020 election, making him the first member of the extremist group to plead guilty to a seditious conspiracy charge.

Jeremy Joseph Bertino, 43, has agreed to cooperate with the Justice Departments investigation of the role that Proud Boys leaders played in the mobs attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, a federal prosecutor said.

Bertinos cooperation could ratchet up the pressure on other Proud Boys charged in the siege, including former national chairman Henry Enrique Tarrio.

The guilty plea comes as the founder of the another extremist group, the Oath Keepers, and four associates charged separately in the Jan. 6 attack stand trial on seditious conspiracy  a rarely used Civil War era offense that calls for up to 20 years behind bars.

Bertino traveled to Washington with other Proud Boys in December 2020 and was stabbed during a fight, according to court documents. He was not in Washington for the Jan. 6 riot because he was still recovering from his injuries, court papers say.

Bertino participated in planning sessions in the days leading up to Jan. 6 and received encrypted messages as early as Jan. 4 indicating that Proud Boys were discussing possibly storming the Capitol, according to authorities.

A statement of offense filed in court says that Bertino understood the Proud Boys goal in traveling to Washington was to stop the certification of Joe Bidens victory and that the group was prepared to use force and violence if necessary to do so.

On Jan. 6, Bertino applauded the insurrection from afar and sent messages encouraging other Proud Boys to keep pushing toward the Capitol.

DO NOT GO HOME. WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF SAVING THE CONSTITUTION, he wrote on a social media account. That night, he messaged Tarrio, You know we made this happen.

Bertino also pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawfully possessing firearms in March 2022 in Belmont, North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly agreed to release Bertino pending a sentencing hearing, which wasnt immediately scheduled.

Justice Department prosecutor Erik Kenerson said sentencing guidelines for Bertinos case recommend a prison sentence ranging from four years and three months to five years and three months.

A trial is scheduled to start in December for Tarrio and four other members charged with seditious conspiracy: Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola. The charging document for Bertinos case names those five defendants and a sixth Proud Boys member as his co-conspirators.

Tarrios case is among the most serious charged in the attack, which sent lawmakers running and left dozens of officers bloodied and bruised.

Nayib Hassan, one of Tarrios attorneys, said Bertinos cooperation doesnt change the landscape for his clients case. He described Bertino as just another individual who is going to be testifying. Tarrio is still looking forward to his day at trial, Hassan added.

The indictment in Tarrios case alleges that the Proud Boys held meetings and communicated over encrypted messages to plan for the attack in the days leading up to Jan. 6. On the day of the riot, authorities say Proud Boys dismantled metal barricades set up to protect the Capitol and mobilized, directed and led members of the crowd into the building.

Video testimony by Bertino was featured in June at the first hearing by the House committee investigating Jan. 6. The committee showed a clip of Bertino saying that the groups membership tripled, probably after Trumps comment at a presidential debate that the Proud Boys should stand back and stand by.

Tarrio wasnt in Washington on Jan. 6, but authorities say he helped put into motion the violence that day. Police arrested Tarrio in Washington two days before the riot and charged him with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a protest in December 2020. Tarrio was released from jail on Jan. 14 of this year after serving his five-month sentence for that case.

More than three dozen people charged in the Capitol riot have been identified by federal authorities as leaders, members or associates of the Proud Boys. Two  Matthew Greene and Charles Donohoe  pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress for certifying the Electoral College vote.

Proud Boys members describe the group as a politically incorrect mens club for Western chauvinists. They have brawled with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.

Nordean, of Auburn, Washington, was a Proud Boys chapter president and a member of the groups national Elders Council. Biggs, of Ormond Beach, Florida, is a self-described Proud Boys organizer. Rehl was president of the Proud Boys chapter in Philadelphia. Pezzola is a Proud Boys member from Rochester, New York.

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For full coverage of the Capitol riot, go to https://www.apnews.com/capitol-siege
CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Dennis Duran of Las Vegas caught a 22.5-inch brown trout on the Cimarron River using a nightcrawler worm Oct. 1.

Rosa Torres of Las Cruces caught a 23-inch rainbow trout at Eagle Nest Lake using a worm Oct. 2.

Zach Huffman of Ruidoso caught a 19.5-inch catfish at Grindstone Reservoir using shrimp Sept. 29.

Matthew Medina of Albuquerque caught five kokanee salmon at Navajo Lake using snagging hooks Oct. 1.

Tyrese Shije of Santo Domingo Pueblo caught a 14.5-inch brown trout on the Pecos River using a fly Sept. 29.

Hugh Howard, 4, of Santa Fe caught a 12-inch rainbow trout at Seven Springs Brood Pond using a black woolly worm fly Oct. 2.

If you have a catch of the week story, send it to funfishingnm@gmail.com.

NOTES FROM GAME & FISH

Northeast fishing report

Cabresto Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Charette Lakes was good using Joes Flies and salmon, peach PowerBait.

Streamflow on the Cimarron River near Cimarron on Monday morning was 39 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fishing for trout was good using nightcrawler worms.

Clayton Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for smallmouth bass at Conchas Lake was fair using chartreuse and white crankbaits.

At Costilla Creek, the department is implementing the final phase of a project to expand Rio Grande cutthroat trout in 120 miles of the Costilla watershed in northern New Mexico. The final phase involves the removal of fish within a designated area (Rio Costilla from Costilla Dam downstream to the Valle Vidal Boundary, including all tributaries and Comanche Creek from the road culvert crossing on Forest Road 1950 downstream to its confluence with Rio Costilla and all tributaries). Tentative stocking of Rio Grande cutthroat trout is set for spring 2023.

Cowles Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.

Coyote Creek had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for rainbow trout at Eagle Nest Lake was good using worms, Woolly Bugger flies and Joes Flies. Fishing for pike was fair to good using Mepps #5 red and gold spinners, and gold Double Cowgirl spinners.

Fishing for trout at Eagle Rock Lake was good using pink PowerBait Mouse Tails.

National forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access on the Gallinas River. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest closure information.

Fishing for trout at Hopewell Lake was good using ginger flies and green Pistol Pete spinner flies with a water-filled bobber.

Fishing for catfish at Lake Alice was fair using nightcrawler worms.

Fishing for trout at Lake Maloya was good using Trout Magnet lures, garlic PowerBait and worms.

Fishing for trout on the Los Pinos River was fair using Panther Martin spinners and nymph flies.

Maxwell Lake 13 had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Monastery Lake was fair to good using small spinners and trout marshmallows.

Morphy Lake State Park has reopened to the public and there are no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Pecos River near Pecos on Monday morning was 79 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using 3-inch brown trout-pattern Rapala lures near Santa Rosa and good using nightcrawler worms near Pecos.

Streamflow on the Red River below the Red River Hatchery on Monday morning was 73 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using salmon eggs and beadhead nymph flies.

Streamflow on the Rio Grande below the Taos Junction Bridge on Monday morning was 359 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using golden hares ear flies.

Streamflow on the Rio Hondo near Valdez on Monday morning was 36 cfs.

Streamflow on the Rio Mora near Terrero on Monday morning was 22 cfs.

Streamflow on the Rio Pueblo near Penasco on Monday morning was 21 cfs.

Santa Cruz Reservoir had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Shuree Ponds was fair to good using caddis dry flies and beadhead nymph flies.

Springer Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Storrie Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Stubblefield Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for walleye at Ute Lake was slow using live minnows in 30-40 feet of water. Fishing for white bass was fair using deep-diving lures while trolling and vertical jigging with spoons. Fishing for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass was fair using small swimbaits, crankbaits and various soft plastics fished on drop shot rigs on rocky points. Fishing for crappie was slow. Fishing for catfish was fair using punch bait and nightcrawler worms. The main lake water surface temperature was in the low 70s and the water clarity was clear.

Northwest fishing report

Fishing for smallmouth bass and catfish at Abiquiu Lake was slow to fair using live worms.

Streamflow on the Animas River below Aztec on Monday morning was 430 cfs.

Albuquerque Area Drains had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for tiger muskie at Bluewater Lake was fair to good using Whopper Plopper lures, Rat-L-Trap lures and homemade streamer flies.

Fishing for trout on the Brazos River was good using hopper dry flies and black and gold Panther Martin spinners.

Fishing for trout at Canjilon Lakes was good using worms, Pistol Pete spinner flies and orange PowerBait.

Fishing for catfish at Cochiti Lake was fair using chicken liver and cut bait.

El Vado Lake can be accessed at Hargroves Day Use Area off State Road 322 and the Main Park area off State Road 112. The Rio Chama can be accessed at the North El Vado Day Use Area on State Road 95, 10 miles west of U.S. Highway 84. Lake levels are steady but expected to drop as crews work on the El Vado Dam. The Dam Day Use Area is closed due to the ongoing construction. State Road 112 over the dam will experience periodic closures. For more information, visit El Vado Lake State Parks webpage or call 575-588-7247.

Fishing for trout at Fenton Lake was good using leech-pattern flies and Woolly Bugger flies.

Grants Riverwalk Pond has dried up due to pump failure. The city is planning to repair the pumps but is taking this opportunity to dredge the pond. They expect the pond to be offline for at least two to three months. Fish stockings will be discontinued until all work is done.

Heron Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

At the Jemez Waters, streamflow near Jemez Springs on Monday morning was 30 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using mop flies and worms.

Fishing for trout at Laguna del Campo was fair to good using silver spinners and orange PowerBait.

Lagunitas Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Farmington had no reports from anglers this week.

Stocking efforts have been suspended due to extremely low water levels and unstable ground conditions at McGaffey Lake. Conditions will be monitored and stocking will resume once conditions improve.

Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass at Navajo Lake was fair using Ned Rigs. Fishing for pike was slow to fair using jerkbaits. Fishing for kokanee salmon using snagging hooks was fair near the edges of the dam.

Streamflow on the Rio Chama below El Vado Lake and below Abiquiu Lake on Monday morning was 135 cfs and 96 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was fair using nightcrawler worms and small Rapala trout pattern lures. Fishing for trout below Abiquiu Lake was fair using worms and PowerBait. Please remember, from the river-crossing bridge on U.S. Highway 84 at Abiquiu upstream 7 miles to the base of Abiquiu Dam is special trout waters with a bag limit of two trout only.

Rio Grande had no reports from anglers this week.

Riverside Park Pond (Aztec Pond #1) had no reports from anglers this week.

San Gregorio Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the San Juan River near Archuleta on Monday morning was 564 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good using chocolate foam wing emerger flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was fair to good using worms.

Fishing for trout at the Seven Springs Brood Pond was good using gold beadhead nymph flies and black, woolly worm flies.

Tiger Park Reservoir had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish at Tingley Beach was slow using hot dogs.

Fishing for trout at Trout Lakes was good using olive leech pattern flies.

Southwest fishing report

Fishing for bass at Alumni Pond was fair using small, perch-pattern diving lures, jointed swimbaits and flies. Fishing for catfish was slow using worms.

Fishing for all species was slow at Bear Canyon Lake.

Bill Evans Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for crappie at Caballo Lake was slow to fair using white grubs. Fishing for bass was slow to fair using crankbaits. Fishing for white bass was fair using small crankbaits. Fishing for catfish was good using live shad and gizzard shad cut bait.

Fishing for catfish at Elephant Butte Lake was good using shad and cut bait. Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass was slow using plastic worms. Fishing for white bass was good using white and chartreuse curly-tail grubs. Fishing for crappie was slow to fair using grubs and live minnows. Fishing for walleye was slow using nightcrawler worms.

Escondida Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Gila River near Gila on Monday morning was 38 cfs. Fishing for catfish was good using cut bait.

Fishing for trout at Glenwood Pond was fair using brown dry flies.

Fishing for trout at Lake Roberts was fair to good using chartreuse PowerBait and flies. Fishing for catfish was fair to good using chicken pieces and nightcrawler worms.

Percha Dam had no reports from anglers this week.

Quemado Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Rancho Grande Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Rio Grande below Elephant Butte Dam on Monday morning was 0 cfs.

Snow Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for bass at Trees Lake was fair using nightcrawler worms.

Fishing for all species was slow at Young Pond.

Southeast fishing report

Alto Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish at Bataan Lake was slow using shrimp and night crawler worms.

Berrendo Creek had no reports from anglers this week. Please visit the Open Gate webpage for more information on this property.

Streamflow on the Black River at Malaga on Monday morning was 11 cfs.

Blue Hole Park Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Bonito Lake is closed until further notice by the City of Alamogordo due to fire damage.

Bosque Redondo Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Bottomless Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Brantley Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Chaparral Park Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Corona Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for largemouth bass at Eunice Lake was fair using wacky rigged watermelon red flake plastic worms,

Fishing for catfish at Green Meadow Lake was fair using hot dogs.

Greene Acres Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish at Grindstone Reservoir was fair to good using shrimp.

Jal Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish at Lake Van was slow using stink bait.

Fishing for bass at Oasis Park Lake was fair using garlic nightcrawler worms.

Streamflow on the Pecos River below Sumner Lake on Monday morning was 100 cfs. Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass was good using 3-inch paddle-tail swimbaits.

Perch Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Rio Bonito had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Rio Ruidoso at Hollywood on Monday morning was 7 cfs.

Rock Lake Hatchery Kids Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish at Santa Rosa Lake was fair to good using bluegill cut bait.

Sumner Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Timberon Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark  Swedens domestic security agency said Thursday that its preliminary investigation of leaks from two Russian gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea has strengthened the suspicions of serious sabotage as the cause and a prosecutor said evidence at the site has been seized.

The Swedish Security Service said the probe confirmed that detonations caused extensive damage to the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines last week. Authorities had said when the leaks off Sweden and Denmark first surfaced that explosions were recorded in the area.

The agency, which said what happened in the Baltic Sea was very serious, didnt give details about its investigation.

But in a separate statement, Swedish prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said seizures have been made at the crime scene and these will now be investigated.

Ljungqvist, who led the preliminary investigation, did not identify the seized evidence. Ljungqvist said he had given directives to temporarily block (the area) and carry out a crime scene investigation.

Now that the initial probe is completed, a blockade around the pipelines off Sweden will be lifted, he said.

The governments of Denmark and Sweden previously said they suspected that several hundred pounds of explosives were involved in carrying out a deliberate act of sabotage. The leaks from Nord Stream 1 and 2 discharged huge amounts of methane into the air.

Last week, undersea explosions ruptured Nord Stream 2 and its sister pipeline, Nord Stream 2, at two locations off Sweden and two off Denmark. The pipelines were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany.

Danish authorities said the two methane leaks they were monitoring in international waters stopped over the weekend. One of the leaks off Sweden also appeared to have ended.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of attacking the pipelines, which the United States and its allies have vehemently denied, noting that Russia has the most to gain in wrecking havoc on Europes energy markets.

Separately the Swedish coast guard said the remaining emissions is more or less unchanged, and that it was returning to its ordinary environmental rescue operations.
China sees further rise in international influence, ability to inspire, power to shape

10:23, October 06, 2022 By He Yin ( People's Daily

China today is more than the country itself; it is very much a part of the world.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, socialism with Chinese characteristics has crossed the threshold into a new era.

Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, China has overcome many obstacles and challenges, accomplished a great number of big, important undertakings, and scored ground-breaking historic achievements on all fronts.

With a further rise in international influence, ability to inspire, and power to shape, China has written a splendid chapter of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

Today, the international balance of power is undergoing profound adjustments, unilateralism, protectionism, hegemonism, and power politics are posing greater threats to world peace and development, and the anti-globalization trend is growing. The world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation.

Facing complex and severe international situations and unprecedented external challenges, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has implemented the national rejuvenation strategy within the wider context of once-in-a-century changes taking place in the world.

It is holding high the banner of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and focusing on the central task of serving national rejuvenation and promoting the human progress, to advance major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

China in the new era follows a path of peaceful development, promotes the building of a new type of international relations, and injects positive energy into the healthy development of international relations.

With a broad vision for the future of the world, China has proposed to build a community with a shared future for mankind, which marks the deep interaction and close relation between China and the rest of the world.

China advocates forging a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, equity, justice and win-win cooperation, and embarks on a new path of state-to-state relations with the preference of dialogue over confrontation and partnership over alliance.

China has actively explored and facilitated the building of a framework of major-country relations that is generally stable and balanced, The country adheres to the policy of building friendship and partnership with neighboring countries and follows the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in conducting neighborhood diplomacy, and stays committed to the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and the approach of pursuing the greater good and shared interests in cooperation with other developing countries.

It has forged partnerships with over 110 countries and regional organizations in various forms, building a comprehensive, multilevel, and multifaceted network of global partnerships. The constantly expanding "circle of friends" mirrors the unprecedented frequency of China's interaction with the rest of the world.

China in the new era remains committed to a win-win strategy of opening-up, injecting new strength into the common development of the world.

Major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has made important contributions to building a world of common prosperity by promoting open cooperation.

For instance, the major decision to launch the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific process was made at the 22nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, drawing a new blueprint for Asia-Pacific connectivity.

A total of 28 specific outcome documents were issued during the G20 Hangzhou Summit, including the first time to give priority to development in global macro policy framework, the first time to draft an action plan for the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the first time to take collective actions to aid the industrialization of Africa and least developed countries, setting up a new "global benchmark" to the international community.

Besides, China has held four consecutive sessions of the China International Import Expo, during which a series of new measures of opening up were announced.

Over the past 10 years, China has been working actively to promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. It has established the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the New Development Bank, and the Silk Road Fund and pushed for the high-quality implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

It is believed globally that China, by promoting common development with other countries, is creating a brighter future for global development.

China in the new era holds high the banner of true multilateralism and actively joins the reform of the global governance system.

As the world's largest developing country and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China firmly safeguards the basic norms governing international relations, promotes democracy in international relations, opposes hegemonism and power politics, and safeguards international equity and justice.

China proposed to build a community of common health for mankind, providing a basis for safeguarding the lives and health of mankind.

With unprecedented ambition and actions to cope with climate change and protect biodiversity, the country charts the course for global ecological civilization and builds a community of life for man and nature.

By proposing and implementing the Global Development Initiative, and the vision of building a global community of development with a shared future, China is steering global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth.

The country has put forward the Global Security Initiative, and is joining hands with all relevant parties to tackle governance issues. The initiative is a vivid practice of the concept of the community with a shared future for mankind in the security area.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appreciates China's key role in supporting multilateralism and promoting international cooperation and sustainable development. He said the UN's partnership with China is an important pillar supporting the organization and multilateralism.

"Boundless is the ocean where we sail with the wind." Chinese ideas, commitments, responsibilities and wisdom help the world cope with present challenges and eye on the building of a better future.

China will always adhere to the path of peaceful, open, cooperative, win-win and inclusive development, and work with the rest of the world to make new contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting common progress.

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Bianji)
Arun Srinivas has been hired as Director and Head of the Ads Business by Meta India. He will be in charge of Meta Indias business strategy and revenue expansion across all Meta platforms.

Im pleased to announce that I will be assuming a new position with Meta!  Director & Head of the Ads Business for Meta India. I will supervise business strategy and revenue growth for all businesses in India across all Meta Platforms in this role, and I will also be a member of the India Leadership Team, he said in a LinkedIn post.

In addition, he said that in the years to come, there would be tremendous opportunity for large, medium, and small firms as the digital landscape redefines how companies interact with and reach consumers.

In this capacity, Srinivas oversaw the companys strategic partnerships with top brands, agencies, and partners in India in order to boost Facebooks revenue growth in those markets and collaborate with the media and creative ecosystems to hasten the use of digital tools by businesses.

To manage the strategy and execution of the India Marketing Solutions charter, which is targeted at significant advertisers and agencies, Srinivas joined Meta as the Director of Global Business Group in September 2020.

Srinivas has more than two and half decades of experience working in senior sales and marketing positions for organisations including Unilever, OLA and Reebok. He also served as the head of the consumer vertical for the investment firm WestBridge Capital Partners.

Prior to Meta, he served as the global chief marketing officer and chief operating officer of OLA Mobility. After beginning his career with Reebok, Srinivas moved to Unilever where he worked for more than 15 years in the beverage, skincare, food, and personal care categories. He attended the Indian Institute of Management in Kolkata, India.
Bioreva Dublin, a brand of Bioreva Sciences Limited, recognized for its unique skincare solutions, has entered the Indian market in collaboration with Zee Laboratories Limited, launching products such as Eye Repair Cream with patented Mulitsal Delivery System, Retinol with Hyaluronic Acid Serum infused with Ashwagandha, Vitamin C Serum powered with Amazonian Buriti Oil, Brightening Serum with patented compounds, and SPF 50 with skin mimicking technology, are of its greatest and top-selling skincare products. This also marks Zee Labs, a well-known name in pharmaceutical and affordable medicine, entry into the aesthetic dermatology segment in India, which in India is by far the fastest growing therapy segment.

Designed by dermatologists and German formulation experts, Bioreva Dublin is a skincare brand that strives to offer a scientifically proven, highly efficient range of skincare solutions, with an unrivalled concentration of active ingredients that are targeted to heal skin concerns like acne, pigmentation, eye puffiness, dark circle reduction, dry skin, and more. At Bioreva Dublin we want to fulfil your desire for flawless skin, maximize your beauty, and boost the youthfulness of your skin. Our skincare solutions are precisely targeted to correct and perfect the individual needs of your skin.

Bioreva Dublin brings you the world of Smart Ageing. The idea is simply to offer products that work on your key skin issues and to break the clutter by bringing in targeted and hyper-concentrated ingredients. We believe that it doesn't matter what our age is, we humans age every day! In today's day and age, we are exposed to an array of external and internal stresses, and all these factors accelerate the aging of our skin cells. Our skin is aging faster than it did for our parents and grandparents. So, it doesn't matter if you are a young and hip person in your 20s or a wise soul in your 50s, we all need something to help stop and hopefully reverse this 'ageing'. To age normally and gracefully.
Godrej aer, Indias leading home, bathroom and car fragrance brand, brought their signature range of fragrances to add to the festive fervor at Durga Pujo pandals in Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. The brand set up fragrance zones within these pandals that were equipped with aer smart matic, Indias first automatic fragrance diffuser. These zones were active at a number of pandals in Kolkata including the one on UNESCOs Heritage Must-Visit Kolkata 2022 list, Maddox, Deshopriyo Park, and Shib Mandir. In Mumbai, the freshness zones welcomed devotees at Powai and Durga Bari Samaj Mandir, which is one of the citys oldest pandals. Delhis CR Park, which is said to be one of the capitals biggest pandals, also saw visitors being enthralled by the fragrance zones.

Durga Pujo pandals saw increasing footfalls this year after a hiatus during the pandemic and these freshness zones helped organisers and visitors ensure a comfortable experience for all. In addition to this creative activation, , Marketing News

Speaking about this consumer outreach initiative, Somashree Bose Awasthi, Chief Marketing Officer, Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL) said, Durga Puja is a very special time of the year when people step out of their homes to revel in the festivities. As a customer-centric brand, we are all about creating unique experiences to reach out to our audiences and this collaboration with key pandals across Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi fit in seamlessly with our strategic goals. We are buoyed by the response Godrej aer matic fragrance zones have received during this festive period and that inspires us to innovate with the way we reach and interact with our consumers.

Godrej aer matic is available in 6 different fragrances to cater to different taste profile. Every kit contains a single unit of the device along with a refill. Priced at INR 569/- every refill guarantees 2,200 sprays and keeps room fragrant 24x7. The aer matic refill pack is priced at just INR 285.
Established in September 2004, natural and herbal skincare beauty brand, Jovees, has built up a strong market presence  both on all major e-commerce platforms and in more than 50,000 stores. The brand has also extended its reach in international market and is currently present in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Bangladesh, the Middle East and other countries.

Jovees recently rolled out its brand campaign with actress Parineeti Chopra as the brand ambassador. Apart from television, the campaign will be present on OTT, digital, print and outdoor. Through this campaign, Jovees is aiming to increase its retail presence by 3X and also its marketing budget by 4X. It aims to offer the highest quality products and services to its customers and reach more consumers.

Known for its emphasis on a good skin care routine and freshness, Jovees crossed the Rs 100-crore mark three years ago. In the past it has collaborated with actress Karishma Tanna and launched its campaign Face Ka Workout.

In conversation with Adgully, Rakhi Ahuja, CEO, Jovees Herbal, speaks about onboarding Parineeti Chopra as the brand ambassador, the festive season plans, an aggressive marketing push in the next two years and more.

What is the concept behind the latest campaign launched by Jovees?

With this collaboration, we aim to provide our customers with the highest quality products and services. We are planning to increase the marketing budget by 4X. This increase will allow the company to reach a wider audience through TV and other advertising channels. Parineeti Chopra has been chosen to help us to achieve this goal and we are confident that shes a great asset to the brand. We are aiming to increase our retail presence by 3X with the help of this campaign.

Why was Parineeti Chopra taken as the brand ambassador for the campaign? How does her image resonate with the brands personality?

Parineeti was our natural choice as the brand ambassador for Jovees Herbal for two reasons. Firstly, her personality resonates with the brand  she is lively, chirpy, optimistic and stands her ground for her beliefs. Her love for marine animals aligns with the cruelty free nature of the brand. Also, she is transparent when it comes to her personality and that clicks with the brand as we at Jovees Herbal also believe in providing all the information possible with any existing or potential customer(s).

Secondly, theres no denying that she is very well known all across India and we wanted such a personality to help us take our brand building forward.

Her natural beauty and fresh face make her the perfect choice to represent Jovees Herbals commitment to providing only the best to its customers. She has always been an advocate of natural and herbal products. With her strong following and influence, we are confident that she will help us reach a wider audience and strengthen our position as a leading player in the herbal skin and haircare market.

How do you plan to promote the campaign?

We are promoting the campaign across numerous platforms pan-India, including TV, Digital, OTT and Print Media.

What are the current ad and marketing spends of Jovees?

Our marketing budget for FY 22-23 is around Rs 20 crore as now we have Parineeti Chopra as our brand ambassador. We are excited to share with our customers the interesting content that has been created with her. We firmly believe in allocating 70 % of our budgets on amplifying the content on various media platforms as there is no point in creating the content if its not reaching the maximum number of people. Over the next 3 years, the brand is looking to spend about Rs 75 crore on marketing as we have exciting plans for the future, both in terms of product range and marketing.

What are the expectations out of the campaign?

Jovees Herbal is available on various leading e-commerce platforms and in over 35,000+ store outlets. This campaign will allow the brand to reach a larger online and offline audience. The company also intends to further expand its presence in the international market. The brand is currently present in Sri Lanka, Middle East, France, Malaysia, Mauritius, and other countries.

How did the brand fare during the pandemic period?

We are primarily an offline retail brand and the two years of the pandemic were certainly difficult for us. However, it also gave us an opportunity to scale up our e-commerce strategy and we are now available across all top platforms.

What are the offers by Jovees during this festive season? What are your festive marketing plans?

We offer festive offers as per market feedback, which includes promotions, free products on certain purchases and certain gift items depending on the market.

We are in the midst of our campaign and we have a 360-degree campaign, which includes TV, Outdoor, Digital Marketing, OTT platforms and Social Media.

What are the expansion plans of Jovees?

In the next 5 years we look to be the most preferred brand in our category. We are looking to increase our store footprint by 4X and grow our e-commerce business 5X. We are coming out with a huge marketing campaign with a spend of over Rs 60+ crore over the next 2 years.

We crossed the Rs 100-crore mark 3 years ago and sell our products not only in India but also Sri Lanka, Qatar, Malaysia, Dubai, Mauritius, France and Czech Republic. Today, we have a wide range of more than 150 products for skin, hair, and body care.

How have consumer behaviour and attitudes changed in the beauty product sector over the years?

Rising disposable income has assisted the growth of Indias beauty and personal care industry in recent years, along with a growing expectation to look beautiful among Indian customers.

The key factor driving the Indian beauty and personal care market is the growing focus among individuals on personal hygiene and skin health. Product demand is being fuelled across the country by an increasing female workforce, rising fashion trends, and the popularity of social media outlets.

The Indian beauty and personal care industry attained a value of Rs 54,558 crore in 2020, owing to increased spending on personal care products. The market is estimated to increase at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period of 2022-2027, aided by the increasing penetration of a diverse range of brands and the growing popularity of herbal products.
Motilal Oswal Asset Management has appointed Mr. Prateek Agrawal as its Executive Director.

Prateek has rich experience of over 28 years in fund management and equity research. He joins MOAMC from ASK Investment Managers, where he served as Business Head and Chief Investment Officer. Prior to ASK, he has worked with BoI AXA Mutual fund and BNP Paribas Mutual Fund as Head of Equity and Head of Research at SBI Capital Markets. At Motilal Oswal AMC, Prateek will lead Business & Investment Strategy. Prateek is Bachelor of Engineering from NIT Rourkela and PGDM in Finance & Marketing from XIM-Bhubaneshwar.

Commenting on this appointment, Navin Agarwal, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Motilal Oswal Asset Management said, We are delighted to welcome Mr. Prateek Agrawal as Executive Director, Motilal Oswal Asset Management Business (MOAMC). Prateek brings with him rich fund management experience and an excellent track record of wealth creation for investors. He will be overseeing the Business & Investment Strategy of MOAMC. We are confident that his appointment will further enhance our vision of creating wealth for investors and accelerate the growth of MOAMC."

Prateek Agrawal said, Asset Management Companies have provided an ideal platform for investors to participate in India's growth story and investor participation has been accelerating in recent times. With favourable structural reforms and a positive macro-economic outlook, there are great value creation opportunities for investors. I thank Motilal Oswal AMC for giving me this opportunity to lead Business & Investment Strategy of an already well established and highly successful business.
Innoterra, a leading Swiss-Indian food and technology Platform Company with an operational footprint across 14 countries, today announced the appointment of Raj K. Mallavarapu as the Group Chief Human Resources Officer. Raj will be based in Mumbai and lead Innoterras Human Resources divisions globally.

Equipped with over 18 years of experience at the intersection of talent and transformation, Raj has held leadership positions in HR, Business Strategy & Digital Transformation in Fortune 500 companies including Saint-Gobain Group, Monsanto Company and Bayer AG. Rajs diverse experience has helped him develop expertise in partnering with executive teams to enable transformation, creating people strategies, driving integrated talent management, and building a dynamic work culture that champions inclusion and diversity.

Speaking about his new role, Raj K. Mallavarapu said: I am excited to join Innoterra, a diverse and multinational agri-tech platform that is growing and scaling rapidly. I look forward to partnering with the leadership team to shape the people function at Innoterra and continue to position and promote Innoterra as a great place to work.

, Group COO of Innoterra said: Innoterra is currentlPascal Foehny experiencing stellar growth and expanding its business footprint. At this crucial juncture, we are happy to have a leader of Rajs calibre and experience to steer our HR division. I am confident that Raj will add significant value to Innoterra.



Raj holds an MBA in HR from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune and a bachelors degree in Commerce from Andhra University. He has additionally completed senior executive programs on Digital Transformation & Business Analytics from IMD Business School, Switzerland. A certified Executive, Hogan & Life Coach, Raj is passionate about coaching leaders and teams.
Miss Super Talent of the World season 15, held in collaboration with Paris Fashion Week, has declared Miss India - Rachel Gupta & Miss Poland - Weronika Nowak as joint winners. About fifty countries all over the world had sent representatives to compete for the title. The finale was held on September 28, 2022, at the Pavilion Cambon, the largest fashion venue in the worlds fashion capital, Paris.

With the title, Rachel Gupta of She Is India organisation, brought laurels to the country. Currently -She is India organisation by Richa Singh holds the official franchise for Mrs. Universe India and Miss Super Talent of the World in India. Prior to this Miss Super Talent of the World was known as Miss Asia Pacific World and the franchise of this prestigious pageant was with FEMINA and I AM SHE a company led by Former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen.

Rachel is a gifted young lady and belongs to the ancient city of Jalandhar, Punjab. She is not only pursuing her academics but is a successful entrepreneur at the young age of 18. As an animal lover, she is conscious of animal cruelty and turned vegan for the same reason. Cocoaberry trained her for the pageant, and her pageant wardrobe was provided by Label Ambrosia Couture.

On getting the crown Rachel Gupta affirmed I could not be happier. Wearing this crown and standing here on the Miss Supertalent stage is a dream that many women in my country carry. Today, I represent all of them and the country on this very prestigious stage. It is an honor and a responsibility at the same time. I understand that a lot of women hesitate in pursuing their dreams. Either due to the baggage that they carry or lack of faith. I hope my journey inspires and encourages them to have aspirations, break the chains and work towards accomplishing their dreams.

Miss Super Talent of the World is a title that is meant to recognise the journey of women, and what they have grown into now as a personality. Over the years, we have been able to identify some really inspiring personalities that have justified the recognition by not stopping but moving ahead, and pursuing more ambitions. We are glad that we have been able to make a difference in the world, and we shall continue doing so. We certainly do not expect any less from our new Miss Super Talent of the World Rachel Gupta, who has come a long way and stands distinguished today with us, said Thomas Zilliacus, Chairman, Miss Supertalent of the World.

We at She Is India are overjoyed that Rachel Gupta has reclaimed the title of Miss Super Talent of the World after nearly a decade. This is a golden opportunity for us to let Rachel pave the way for young girls of her age, to inspire them, and show them that no dream is too big; they can achieve anything they want if they strive for it. This is also Rachels chance to become the unheard voice of girls suffering silently. Domestic violence in India is not limited to spousal abuse; it also affects the children of abusive families. Similarly, physical abuse is not the only type of abuse. Abuse manifests in myriad ways. She Is India will use this prospect to let Rachel be the voice and raise awareness with the hashtag #itsnotoktobeok. We firmly believe women are brave, bold, and beautiful on the inside and out. Their power is within them, and it is time for every woman to recognise their strength, potential, and value, said Richa Singh, Founder, She Is India organisation

The high-end event brought together several dignitaries from the corporate, media, and fashion industry as well as a power-packed audience. The jury of Miss Super Talent of the World Season 15 was led by Mr Thomas Zillacus , the founder of Global Investment Group, Mobile Future works, and former CEO- Nokia Asia Pacific. Other notable judges included Patricia Contreras (CryptoQueen), Tony Para (Former PR Director Chanel), Roberto Basilone (Hair & Make-up CHANEL for 25 years), Nicole Foucher( Principle Esmode Paris), Laneyu Jeonga Kim (Head Designer If Laneyu), Byeonggoog Park (Chairman of BNT Worldwide) and Mauricio Amuy. Hollywood Actor & Producer  Mauricio Amuy crowned both the winners and also facilitated a recognition award to the 1st Runner up  Miss Belgium. Candidates had to go through multiple rounds to win the competition, which tested the contestants intelligence as well as their beauty and confidence.
The Holocaust didnt begin in the gas chambers, Sharav said. It developed in phases  9 years of incremental phases during which people lost their rights  their legal rights, their civil rights, and human rights. It happened in stages because Hitler wanted to see if anyone would object. So the problem, really, with a holocaust, is with the onlookers who obey orders blindly and they keep escalating and escalating the human rights violations until youve got genocide on your hands, Sharav explained.

People have been programmed through an education system that teaches people to defer to authority. Deferring to authority and obeying what is dictated by authority, is collaborating in ones enslavement, she said.

Public health officials influenced medical examiners to falsify death certificates at the behest of the CDC. The new rules stated if a person tested positive for COVID-19 and died, it was classified as a COVID death. The departure from traditional protocols of death determination certainly played a role in the mounting deaths being attributed to the virus rather than the true cause of death. This is the type of control the authoritarians seek, through fear and propaganda, Sharav warns.

FREEDOM, WISCONSIN, October 5, 2022  As was the case in World War II, a coordinated effort using physicians, nurses, scientists, and media propaganda, the world today adopted Nazi-style methods to control billions of people, according to Vera Sharav, a Holocaust survivor who was rescued from a concentration camp in Ukraine when she was a young girl. She is a public advocate for human rights, and the founder and president of the Alliance for Human Research Protection (AHRP) which serves as an information resource and public interest watchdog organization whose goal is to unlock the walls of secrecy in biomedical research and bring accountability to that endeavor.

Yesterday was the start of the solemn Jewish holiday of Atonement, Yom Kippur. When Dan Olmsted was alive, we wrestled with the intent and appropriateness of bringing the Holocaust into any of our writing. Today, to do so if often met with swift reprisal. At the start of the lockdown, there was worry how people with special needs would or would not be treated. And terror at the thought of our kids alone in a hospital. Vera Sherav was herself a child doomed by Nazi Germany, and who escaped death. Below is a press release from Vera and Scott Schara, co-founder and president of Our Amazing Graces Light Shines On, Inc., an organization created in memory of his daughter, Grace, a 19-year-old girl with Down Syndrome who lost her life at the hands of medical personnel at St. Elizabeths Hospital (Ascension) in Appleton, Wis., on Oct. 13, 2021. Two people of deep faith. Different. And yet, joined by a common decency and urgency. Shalom.

Over the last three months, Sharav has joined forces with Scott Schara, co-founder and president of Our Amazing Graces Light Shines On, Inc., an organization created in memory of his daughter, Grace, a 19-year-old girl with Down Syndrome who lost her life at the hands of medical personnel at St. Elizabeths Hospital (Ascension) in Appleton, Wis., on Oct. 13, 2021, to warn people of the coming atrocities. Despite their stories being than 70 years apart, they share a significant bond in their desire to prevent others from having to undertake what theyve lived through.

The story of the Holocaust is such a parallel because Grace was in the first group  along with the elderly  to be taken out, Schara said. Whats different this time is theyve been setting this up for a lot longer. They took the lessons learned from the failures of the Nazis during the Holocaust and corrected them to ensure more people would die. God tells us to be fruitful and multiply, but the world tells us we have too many people and population reduction is urgent. What better way to reduce the population than to use scientists and doctors to make it look altruistic?

The unethical withholding of beneficial medicines such as hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin and budesonide meant a guaranteed rise in deaths simply from doctors choosing not to do anything for a patient, other than make him go home until he got worse, at which point the hospital could feign justification for ventilator use, ICU-designation and expensive, toxic drugs in remdesivir ($3,000/dose) and tocilizumab ($22,000/dose) that showed harm to patients in clinical trials. All in all, a COVID-designated ICU patient can create upwards of $400,000 for a hospital. And if the patient dies, the hospital, preposterously, gets an additional $13,000 bonus.

People always seem to focus on money, which is an easy tie into the comparison. They cant comprehend money drives everything and evil drives money, Schara said. If you look at the fact that 67 percent of kids with Down Syndrome in the United States are already murdered before theyre born  thats called the banality of evil, which means evil is so common you dont recognize it. Aborting Down Syndrome children is the standard of care  thats completely evil. The government is paying hospitals bonus money to facilitate an evil agenda. Think about these medical personnel who were taking care of Grace. They never would have even had her, so of course they viewed her as a worthless eater.

That term was used in Nazi Germany under the T-4 euthanasia program that attempted to eliminate the disabled from society. The belief was the country shouldnt be burdened by those who cant produce, so doctors made the choice to kill off those with special needs and physical disabilities starting with German children under the age of 3, then went onto the older disabled children, to the mentally ill entirely, and then to the nursing homes, said Sharav.

The disabled are dying in hospitals at an 11-times greater rate than the normal population, said Schara, citing research out of the U.K. he found as he began connecting the dots as to why he believes his daughter was murdered.

What its about is eugenics, where people are categorized according to their value to society. Who decides whos valuable and whos not valuable? Once you do that, you open the gates of Hell, Sharav said. And with COVID, what happened early on, in March and April of 2020, was the governments across western Europe, United States, Canada, Australia and others issued orders to hospitals to not treat the elderly. As a result, the elderly were medically murdered. Graces story is appropriate in this context to show that history is repeating itself, she said.

Both Sharav and Schara believe the way to end this current genocide is through mass noncompliance and questioning authority, neither of which happened during the Holocaust. God does not want us to obey Satanic laws and mandates designed to control us. He will provide the strength to resist, Schara said.

Their two organizations collaborated on a short, animated video to get their message out to the world.

They are proud of the work theyre doing together because they see its helping wake people up.

Ive had people tell me they felt like something was wrong throughout COVID, that things just didnt match up. Looking at it through this lens of history is what made them realize their intuition was spot on. We have to keep spreading the word and continue to save lives, Schara said. The first step to waking up is to realize youve been programmed, Schara added.

The duo continues to book interviews. Contact Kevin Tuttle at kevin@ouramazinggrace.net to reserve a time.

--
Researchers at Purdue University in Indiana, USA, having already developed the worlds whitest paint, as seen in this years edition of the Guinness World Records have gone a step further and created a new formulation that is thinner and lighter  ideal for radiating heat away from airplanes, cars and trains. The Purdue team say the paint keeps surfaces so cool that it could reduce the need for air conditioning, thanks to the use of nanoparticles of barium sulphate that reflect 98.1% of sunlight, cooling external surfaces more than 4.5C below ambient temperature.

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The original white paint would make an aircraft look super-clean and eye-catching  ideal for a simple livery such as JALs  but as Xiulin Ruan, a Purdue professor of mechanical engineering and developer of the paint explained, applying it to such a large surface created a problem: To achieve this level of radiative cooling below the ambient temperature, we had to apply a layer of paint at least 400 microns (around 0.4mm) thick. Thats fine if youre painting a robust stationary structure, like the roof of a building. But in applications that have precise size and weight requirements, the paint needs to be thinner and lighter.

Thats why Ruans team began experimenting with other materials, pushing the limit of their capability to scatter sunlight. Their latest formulation is a nanoporous paint incorporating hexagonal boron nitride as the pigment, a substance mostly used in lubricants. This new paint achieves nearly the same benchmark of solar reflectance (97.9%) with just a single 150-micron (0.15mm) layer of paint.

Hexagonal boron nitride has a high refractive index, which leads to strong scattering of sunlight, said Andrea Felicelli, a Purdue PhD student in mechanical engineering who worked on the project. The particles of this material also have a unique morphology, which we call nanoplatelets.

Ioanna Katsamba,, another PhD student in mechanical engineering at Purdue, ran computer simulations to understand if the nanoplatelet morphology offers any benefits added,. The models showed us that the nanoplatelets are more effective in bouncing back the solar radiation than spherical nanoparticles used in previous cooling paints.

The paint also incorporates voids of air, which make it highly porous on a nanoscale. This lower density, together with the thinness, provides another huge benefit: reduced weight. According to the Purdue team the newer paint weighs 80% less than barium sulphate paint, yet achieves nearly identical solar reflectance.

This light weight opens the doors to all kinds of applications, said George Chiu, a Purdue professor of mechanical engineering and an expert in inkjet printing. Now this paint has the potential to cool the exteriors of airplanes, cars or trains. An airplane sitting on the tarmac on a hot summer day wont have to run its air conditioning as hard to cool the inside, saving large amounts of energy. Spacecraft also have to be as light as possible, and this paint can be a part of that.

This sounds good, but can aircraft operators buy the paint? Xiulin Ruan explained, We are in discussions right now to commercialise it. There are still a few issues that need to be addressed, but progress is being made.

Either way, these Purdue researchers look forward to what the paint could accomplish. Using this paint will help cool surfaces and greatly reduce the need for air conditioning, Ruan added. This not only saves money, but it reduces energy usage, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions. And unlike other cooling methods, this paint radiates all the heat into deep space, which also directly cools down our planet. Its pretty amazing that a paint can do all that.

Patent applications for this paint formulation have been filed through the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization. The research was performed at Purdues FLEX Lab, Ray W. Herrick Laboratories and Birck Nanotechnology Center facilities.
With news that Israeli intelligence has detected an irregular presence of nuclear-capable Russian bombers near Finland and retired general David Petraeus casually saying NATO would likely sink Vladimir Putins Black Sea fleet if Russia used a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, its perhaps time for a few questions:

First, can we discuss a situation that could very well result in thermonuclear war  and the end of life as we know it  intelligently and rationally? Or must all questions about our Dr. Strangelove policy be met with childish name-calling (e.g., stooge of Putin!) designed to silence debate?

Second, is it a good idea to essentially tell a man who controls 6,200 nuclear weapons, and who our pseudo-elites may label crazy, you want to kill him? This is what Joe Bidens and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyys call for Russian regime change really amounts to, mind you.

Its important realizing that this conflict means infinitely more to Putin than it does to us. Our pseudo-elites are playing some kind of geopolitical game (with our lives and our childrens) as is their wont.

To Putin this is an existential crisis. Our globalist chicken hawks have ensured that.

Putin currently has no graceful exit from this situation. Its apparently all or nothing, victory or death. Do you really think the wounded Bear will collapse into the waiting arms of those whod devour him and not lash out, no-holds-barred, driven by self-preservation? Do we know what the phrase Nothing to lose means?

Its time now for some realpolitik (there is a moral component here, too; more on that momentarily). In the early 19th century, we formulated the Monroe Doctrine, which stated that foreign intervention in the Americas could be considered a hostile act against the United States. Now, question:

Does Russia have a right to its own Monroe Doctrine? Or, a better question may be, can we realistically prevent it from effecting such?

Some may now say that Putin had no right to invade Ukraine. Fair enough. But we invaded Mexico in 1846 and overthrew Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz in a CIA-backed coup in 1954, to mention just two of our Latin American interventions. Whether we had a right to do so, or were right in doing so, is not the point here. We could enforce our will in our sphere of influence because we had the power. Saddam Husseins Iraq, for example and in contrast, could not  i.e., when annexing Kuwait  because it didnt have the power. Yet Russia is no Iraq.

So, is this all about Might makes right? Not exactly. One element of whats known as Just War Doctrine is that for a proposed military action to be moral, it must do more good than harm. Is this the case with our playing of chicken with Putin? The best-case scenario is that we help an internationalist pseudo-elite, Zelenskyy, retain power and preserve the borders of what even the left-wing Guardian called in 2015 the most corrupt nation in Europe.

The worst-case scenario is global thermonuclear war.

Do we really need the Fugaku supercomputer to do the cost-benefit analysis here?

Some may now wonder: Why do we have to back down? The answer is simple: Russias Monroe Doctrine.

Consider: President John F. Kennedy took a firm stand during the Cuban Missile Crisis, establishing a naval blockade of Cuba after the USSR deployed missile bases on the island. JFK took this hard line because it was our backyard, and you cant back down at your own doorstep without losing an unacceptable amount of credibility on the world stage.

And so it is with Russia, with Ukraine being its Cuba. Like it or not, you cant stomp around in another great powers backyard like a t-Rex in Jurassic Park. That Moscow would lose too much face globally is, along with Putins existential concerns, another reason why Russia wont back down in Ukraine.

Yet if this analogy is valid, what was the equivalent here of the USSR having put missiles in Cuba? Answer: The prospect of Ukraine joining NATO.

Putin said, repeatedly, that this was a red line for him. A little history is in order here, too.

NATO was created to counter the Soviet Union; thus, that evil empires early-90s collapse made it rational for NATO to, in a sense, stand down. This is especially true since after the Berlin Walls fall, Russia pulled its army back to within its borders and arguably began behaving in a more pro-American fashion. Why, there was perhaps an even opportunity to forge friendly ties with Moscow, which, being characteristically European and Christian as we were, couldve been a culturally congruent ally against China.

Instead, the pseudo-elite globalists expanded NATO to Russias very borders, the equivalent of Russia or China forging a military alliance with Mexico, Cuba, Canada and the Bahamas. In fact, despite then-U.S. secretary of state James Baker assuring Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990 that NATO would extend not one inch [farther] eastward, there are now on Russias borders four NATO members: Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Again, whats the cost-benefit-analysis verdict here? Its clear how this military pact  and our Founders warned us about entangling alliances and involvement in European wars  benefits Estonia. But if theres a Red Dawn and Russia or China lands troops on our soil tomorrow, will we say, You know, normally Id be beside myself. But let not your heart be troubled: Estonias got our back!?

The insanity continues now, too. Finland and Sweden are poised to join NATO, and Ukraine is applying for expedited alliance membership. Of course, the latter could mean triggering WWIII with Russia, immediately. Is this rational?

Some do, of course, liken Putin to Hitler and warn that if we dont take a stand now, its Ukraine today, the world tomorrow! This is more unserious, reckless talk at a perilous moment. Our planet is replete with evil leaders (its basically the norm), but not all are Hitler. Hitler was 44 when assuming power in 1933, and within six years had begun his war of conquest. Putin is 69, has been at the pinnacle of Russian power for more than two decades, has never exhibited world-conquest ambitions and perhaps is in his twilight years. But if the Hitler analogy must be entertained, alright, lets follow it out.

Imagine its April 1945, and Hitler is in his bunker seeing his empire crumbling around him. But instead of being entirely impotent, he has at his disposal 6,200 nuclear weapons. What do you think hed do?

There could be a reason to risk atomic annihilation  that Red Dawn scenario comes to mind. But does it make sense to possibly turn Putin into a man who just may want to see the world burn? All, too, over a corrupt nation in Russias backyard, whose battles are not our own?

And what's with the regime-change obsession, anyway? China annexed Tibet and perpetrates cultural and demographic genocide there, and the Soviets rolled tanks into Czechoslovakia in 1968. But we dont arm the Tibetans and didnt do so with the Czechs, and in neither case is/was regime change a goal. We did invade Panama in 1989 and remove strongman Manuel Noriega from power, but he couldnt incinerate the world. Taking this position with one of the worlds three nuclear superpowers is unprecedented  and seems far crazier than Putin could ever be.

Our betters  the same people who messed up Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya and who managed COVID with not even that level of competence  may say, as Lindsey Graham has, that a Putin underling would shoot him before allowing him to launch nukes. Well, thats a lot to bet our lives on.

But, hey, our pseudo-elites may have well-equipped fallout shelters to retreat to. And you?

Contact Selwyn Duke, follow him on MeWe , Gettr or Parler, or log on to SelwynDuke.com

Public domain image
On Sunday, October 30, 1938, thousands of radio listeners heard terrifying news: aliens had invaded New Jersey.

From a New York Daily News article, October 31, 1938:

A radio dramatization of H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" which thousands of people misunderstood as a news broadcast of a current catastrophe in New Jersey created almost unbelievable scenes of terror in New York, New Jersey, the South and as far west as San Francisco between 8 and 9 o'clock last night.

Ridiculous, you say. Why would people believe that aliens had invaded? They believed because it was news. Orson Welles's adaptation of the War of the Worlds novel used familiar, trusted devices to report the fictional attack  news bulletins, updates from live reporters on the ground. He used actual government positions like New Jersey governor and secretary of interior and physical locations like Trenton, Mercer, and Princeton. These positions and locations were all too familiar to those listening to the "news" updates  confirmation that the reports were real.

Still, does hearing it on the news make it any less impossible? Apparently, because thousands were convinced right up until they switched channels or heard the retraction. But what would have happened if War of the Worlds had been on every channel, reported by all news outlets? What if there'd never been a retraction? Wouldn't millions have believed the impossible?

These lessons were not lost on power brokers around the world. In the U.S. today, eight billionaires control our once free press, while their oligarch allies monopolize social media. Their messages are not only uniform across all channels, but often repeated word for word. And because it's every mainstream media channel, because nearly every social media site backs it up, fake news is the order of the day  fabricated stories, nonexistent sources, blatant propaganda presented as fact.

So how could these information power brokers use this imperium? Could the "news," say, take a story made from whole cloth, total fiction, and make it real, use it to damage and possibly remove a sitting president? They could, and they did.

For more than two years, media hammered the story that Trump and Vladimir Putin are best buds who conspired to rig the 2016 election. Reporters interviewed experts, former and current government officials, to cloak the story in realism. The DOJ even assigned a special prosecutor to investigate the crime. It was clear: Trump and Putin stole the election from Hillary Clinton.

Except not only were the charges false, but the whole thing was just a fairy tale, a fantastical story brought to life by media. Eventually, the special prosecutor cleared Trump, and it's since been established that Hillary Clinton's campaign conjured up the scandal. Yet how many Americans still believe the Russian hoax?

Could media use their superpower to, say, push for a civil war? Could they sound the alarm of an enemy within plotting to riot, to overthrow the government? They could, and they did. They can, and they are.

It seems that though millions of citizens have attended peaceful MAGA (Make America Great Again) rallies without incident, they've suddenly turned into violent insurrectionists who are out to destroy America. Resident Biden recently labeled MAGA "full of anger, violence, hate, and division." Across media, the same trigger words are repeated verbatim, the same predictions of a MAGA uprising. Again, there are no facts to support these accusations, but when the lies are supported by intelligence agencies, when they're spread all across print and electronic media, it's treated as fact, it's believable.

Fine, you say  but Trump, MAGA, it's all politics, and they all play dirty, they all lie. True...but what non-political havoc could media wreak with this superpower?

Could they, say, create public hysteria over a virus with a 99% survival rate for most age groups? Could they support martial law, closed schools and businesses, even churches? Could they make people go into hiding, make them mask up and vax up in a fight for their lives? They could, and they did.

News personalities breathlessly reported the growing crises in, Italy, Iran, and other countries. It's a pandemic! News channels ran news tickers 24/7 showing huge numbers of people "infected" by a highly transmissible virus. Hysterical citizens raided stores, stockpiled water, groceries, toilet paper. The run on goods caused shortages, which increased the panic, confirmed the news of a coming apocalypse.

But once a judge ruled that airlines couldn't mandate masks and people saw there was no ensuing black plague, the public temperature started to come down. Then a weaker strain of COVID (omicron) hit, and herd immunity kicked in. Then, though seemingly everyone was getting the virus, bodies weren't piling up, hospitals stayed open, and the fear began to subside.

Could these powerful information soothsayers actually control minds, convince people reality isn't real, the physical isn't physical, and people can't believe what they see? They could, and they did. They can, and they are.

Mainstream and social media, Hollywood, government all push the delusion that men can be women and women can be men, that gender is a mental state unrelated to one's physical make-up. Thus, a man can keep his male body and still live as a female. Men can and do dominate women's sports, as men are physically stronger and faster than women. A man can even be declared "Woman of The Year."

This is not only delusional; it's straight-up crazy. And though most people know this, many not only share the delusion, but push their derangement on others, demanding that we all partake in the lunacy.

In spite of this jump-the-shark moment, many still trust the news. They don't look for other sources, don't question the reports.

"You are young yet, my friend, but the time will arrive when you will learn to judge for yourself of what is going on in the world, without trusting to the [reports] gossip of others. Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see." Edgar Allan Poe, "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether"

It falls to those who seek truth to help those who can't "judge" for themselves. We must expose media as the enemy, be armed with facts from reliable sources, expose the lies, and reject the illusions. It falls to us to educate others.

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. The functionaries of every government have propensities to command at will the liberty and property of their constituents. There is no safe deposit for these [liberty and property] but with the people themselves; nor can they be safe with them without information." Thomas Jefferson

But hey, don't be too quick to judge those who believed that aliens had invaded New Jersey, that President Trump's a secret Russian agent, that MAGA is actually a terrorist organization, that a virus with a 99% survival rate for most is a killer plague, or that we can't tell a boy from a girl  can't even be sure which we are. These believers aren't ignorant, not uninformed. They get their facts from the same trusted sources we've relied on since the country's founding.

They heard it on the news.

Image via Needpix.
Hurricane Ian was the only major tropical storm to strike the U.S. so far this season, but it was a powerful one  among the most powerful in U.S. history. Parts of southwest and central Florida suffered extensive damage and loss of life. And right on cue, climate alarmists are pointing to this as evidence of the "catastrophe" we face unless we eliminate fossil fuels.

For environmental radicals, Ian is proof that storms are getting stronger and more frequent and that seas are rising, but just shouting "climate change" doesn't explain much about what is really happening  and it is useless as a tool for future policy-making.

To begin, hurricanes have not been striking the U.S. more often, nor are they more deadly. In the five-year period between 2017 and 2021, there were 16 U.S. landfalls, seven of them deemed "major hurricanes" by NOAA, with a total altogether of seven fatalities.

By comparison, in that same period, there were some 3,500 murders in Chicago alone and over 80,000 in the U.S. as a whole. Hurricanes are spectacular, and they cause a great deal of property damage, but they are not catastrophic in terms of loss of life and need not be catastrophic in terms of property damage. Even with Ian, the fourth strongest storm ever, the death toll stands at 68. That many are murdered in Chicago every month.

I don't wish to minimize the suffering caused by Hurricane Ian. Along with the loss of life, tens of thousands are homeless, thousands of businesses have been damaged or destroyed, and hundreds of thousands lost power and clean water, at least for a time. The truth is that hurricanes have become far less costly in terms of human life, but a storm like Ian can be extremely costly to property in some localized areas.

Again the facts: Storms like Ian and Katrina are extremely powerful, and at the same time, seas have been slowly rising. But there have always been powerful hurricanes, and seas have risen less than a foot over the last 125 years. To be precise, the seas rose an estimated 6.7 inches in the 20th century, and a 2007 IPCC report predicted a rise of between 7 inches and 1.9 feet for the 21st century. That estimate has since been raised, by some at least, based on so-called scientific models, to an upper limit of 4.9 feet by 2100. But since sea levels have risen only 3 inches in the past 25 years, they have a long way to go to make 4.9 feet or even 1.9 feet by 2100.

The real reason behind increasing property damage is over-development on barrier islands and in low-lying coastal areas.

Even some mainstream news commentators are beginning to realize this. Just after Ian struck, AP reporters Ben Finley and Steve Helber published an analysis of "the risks and costs of living on barrier islands." Finley and Helber quote a Tulane professor who states: "We can't build back everything to what it was  we can't afford that."

Nor should we build back there.

Tropical storms have been striking North America for eons, with little damage or loss of life until humans began building in low-lying coastal areas. The devastating Galveston hurricane of September 1990 produced waves of 9 to 12 feet (even before "climate change"); the elevation of Galveston is 7 feet. The hurricane inundated nearly all of the city and killed some 8,000 residents of the area. At the time, Galveston was a boom-town based on its busy port trade. In just the decade before the storm, the population had grown from 31,000 to some 38,000. Thousands of homes had been built on land that was barely above sea level. It was inevitable that Galveston would be inundated sooner or later, but the building continued.

Galveston was not the first place where settlers had built on dangerous, low-lying areas. The very first English settlers made the same mistake.

When the British arrived at Roanoke Island in July 1584, only a few wretched inhabitants were living there and on the nearby barrier islands. Native Americans understood, as we do not, that sandy beaches are barren, windy, dangerous, low-lying places  useful only for breaking the force of storms and blocking storm surges. In fact, one theory regarding the disappearance of the Roanoke Colony is that the danger of hurricanes caused the British to relocate inland, where they joined well established Carolina Algonquian tribes. Any dwelling built on a coastal island was going to be swept away eventually, so why remain there?

Why, indeed? Yet today those barren islands are prime real estate, and millions of people live at or near sea level in homes and condos from Nantucket to South Florida. A currently listed home on Ocean Blvd. in Manalapan, Florida, with "150 feet of direct beachfront," is listed for $45,000,000. The elevation of Manalapan, Florida is three feet.

Another example is Homestead, Florida, which Hurricane Andrew stuck in August 1992, destroying or severely damaging most of the city's homes and businesses. Over the past 30 years, the city of Homestead has been rebuilt and now has a population of 81,000. Yet the elevation of Homestead is just 7 feet, similar to that of Galveston and hundreds of other coastal communities.

Indians living near America's coasts had a much longer memory than modern-day builders. They located their large villages inland because they knew that it was dangerous to live on the coast at sea level  and that danger had nothing to do with climate change or rising seas. Why defy the odds and build where you will be swept away?

Liberal media are now claiming that Hurricane Ian was the product of climate change. It is true that seas are rising modestly, though I can find no compelling evidence of more frequent or more powerful storms. The most powerful hurricanes to strike the U.S. were the Labor Day hurricane of 1935 and, second, Hurricane Camille of 1969  both long before academics and the media discovered "climate change."

We are not facing catastrophe from rising seas or stronger storms, just a manageable problem. There have always been powerful hurricanes in the Gulf and Atlantic, and they have always caused damage and loss of life (much greater in the past than at present). Mankind cannot control the Earth's climate, but we can decide where and how to build.

Curtailing our use of fossil fuels will not significantly alter the situation; it will only make life more expensive and unlivable for ordinary working Americans  and deprive them of the income they need to protect themselves from all sorts of natural events, including hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, and winter storms.

The simplest solution to the problem of storm damage is to avoid building, or rebuilding, in low-lying coastal areas. The Algonquian tribes were wiser than today's coastal residents. If a property lies in a flood plain, why build there?

Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture including Heartland of the Imagination (2011).

Image: NASA via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0.
If youre in the United States, youre probably living through a government emergency. Whether it is COVID-19, droughts, or infant formula shortages, authorities across the United States are taking emergency action more readily than ever. The real crisis, though, is how this hasty expansion of government power leads to fraud and abuse at the expense of small businesses.

While many governors have taken steps to let their emergency powers expire, over a dozen states still live under COVID-19 disaster declarations. In many cases, the state of emergency allows authorities to restrict a range of economic activity. Take California, for example, where Governor Gavin Newsom retains the power to reinstate lockdowns, waive statutes to encourage vaccination and restrict so-called price gouging.

We shouldnt be fooled into thinking that emergency powers have tapered off as the pandemic has slowed down. Across the country, emergencies and disasters are still being declared daily.

In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul and NYC Mayor Eric Adams announced an emergency over the monkeypox virus, granting them a wide range of authority to restrict citizen activities and collect data on ordinary Americans. The infant formula shortage, hospital staffing problems, and many other difficulties have also been labeled emergencies.

Each of these emergency declarations comes with orders that modify or create new rules for businesses and individuals; in some cases, they free up funds for those that apply. If we learned anything from COVID-19, its that moves like this disproportionately benefit wealthy people and corporations.

Consider the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was offered by the federal government during the pandemic to help offset payroll costs during lockdowns. The funds were distributed without sufficient supervision. This led to egregious mismanagement -- an estimated 10% of the PPP money was wasted on fraudulent claims alone, and less than a quarter of the $800 million tapped for small businesses went to their designated targets.

I nstead, over $500 million was sent to large companies and well-connected individuals who could game the system better than small-time entrepreneurs. Even A-list celebrities like Diddy and Khloe Kardashian were given millions of dollars, money that was supposed to go to small businesses.

The effects of such emergency regulations are clear. In NYC, the number of small businesses in 2020 collapsed by almost 45%. Yet somehow, Hochul and Adams still feel bold enough to seize emergency powers.

This is not just a blue state problem. In Texas, the policy failures at the southern border are being treated like natural disasters. Governor Greg Abbott has used the situation to justify his controversial migrant busing program. To meet the need for buses, Wynne Transportation secured a lucrative contract to transport migrants at approximately $1,300 per person, well above the typical rate of $300 for such a trip.

This kind of soft cronyism is not new, nor is it slowing down. A quick perusal of the Federal Registry for Disaster Declarations and Assistance shows the staggering number of special federal relief measures for those affected by inclement weather. There arent many datasets about where this money goes, but high-profile cases of disaster relief have resulted in fraud and abuse that appear eerily similar to the problems that plagued the PPP funds.

Emergency powers can undoubtedly be useful. However, when leaders rely on hastily enacted policies, small businesses lose out in the scramble to secure contracts or comply with rapidly-changing orders.

Local businesses deserve a seat at the table. Governors must be held accountable, especially when theyre doling out public funds. Like it or not, were living in a constant state of emergency. If we cant end these disaster declarations we should at least get better at enduring them.

Sean-Michael Pigeon is a Young Voices fellow. He has been published in USA Today, the Boston Herald, National Review, and more. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from Yale University.

Image: O'Dea.
The Biden administration will not say who is visiting Biden when hes at his Delaware homes, even though hes spent almost 30% of his administration at those locations. The New York Post filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain that information and received a most peculiar response: The Secret Service claims no such records exist. Thats not as nonsensical as it sounds according to my theory, which is that a very specific class of people doing the visiting is so well known, no records are necessary.

Heres what the Post has to say:

The Secret Service says it checked again and still cant find any records that identify visitors to President Bidens Delaware residences  where he has spent roughly one-fourth of his presidency  outraging Republicans and prompting one congressman to say the stonewalling and gaslighting must stop. The agency made the baffling claim in its denial of a Freedom of Information Act appeal from The Post. Secret Service deputy director Faron Paramore wrote in a letter dated Sept. 27 that the agency conducted an additional search of relevant program offices for potentially responsive records. This search also produced no responsive records, Paramore wrote. Accordingly, your appeal is denied.

Writing at RedState, Nick Arama explained that this response is complete nonsense:

The Secret Service has to check out visitors to Biden, to make sure that he is safe. So to claim that they have no responsive records is to try to suggest to us that they have no records of who is visiting him, that theyre not doing their job checking people out.

Arama is correct. If a stream of strangerssay, foreign businessmen representing China, Ukraine, and God alone knows what other foreign nations are filing into Joe Bidens presence, you can be assured that the Secret Service is carefully investigating them. That investigation wont prove that theyre a danger to America, but it will prove if theyre an immediate risk to Biden himself. And of course, any investigation will produce records responsive to the New York Posts FOIA request. If Joe is seeing such people then the Secret Service isnt responding honestly to the FOIA request.

Image by Andrea Widburg using a freepik image by DCStudio and a YouTube screen grab.

However, theres another way to look at what could be going on in Delaware. There are people whom the Secret Service automatically lets into a presidents presence without the need for a background check: People well-known to them or the president. For example, no matter how sleazy and corrupt he is, Hunters not getting checked every time he shows up at whichever Delaware residence Biden is occupying. Likewise, close family friends wont get a security colonoscopy.

This gets me to my suspicion about one other class of person that is waved in without the necessity for a security check: Bidens doctors. My suspicion is that Joe isnt getting visitors from Kazakhstan or Beijing. Ive long believed that Bidens frequent trips to Delaware are to get medical treatment to hold him together for as long as possible. The administration, however, cannot afford to have it known that Biden requires regular contact with his doctors to maintain his minimal level of mental functioning.

If these hypothetical doctors are real and are Delaware regulars, the Secret Service is just going to wave them in, with no record-keeping required. And thats why Faran Paramore can claim with a straight face that, despite the President of the United States spending almost half his time in his Delaware homes, there are no records showing any visitors.

Assuming my theory is correct, the truth is as bad as, if not worse than, a lie: Biden is no longer busy selling out his country. Instead, hes sitting in the Oval Office, signing documents, making policies (including policies about the war in Ukraine or oil from Saudi Arabia), while held together by nothing more than glue, spit, and some completely under-the-radar medical intervention. I wont name names, but there have been political leaders in the past who were on heinous medical concoctions that could well have affected their decision-making capacities in dangerous and even deadly ways for their countries and the world at large.
The recent protests in Iran, which many called a revolution, are the most significant wave of anger towards the dictatorial regime in Iran since 2009s strikes and demonstrations. In one day, conflicts between the people and police forces spread to seventy locations in Tehran, eventually reaching 164 cities, in all 31 provinces, including 110 universities. The demonstrators came to the streets shouting slogans such as Death to the dictator and We will fight, we will die, we will take Iran back.

The videos that made it to social media show extreme police brutalitye.g., the police beat a woman and smash her head against the edge of the curbstone and beat a young man so brutally his death seems to be their object. The IRGC also opened fire on the crowd. They are fighting young girls who stand in front of a crowd of motor patrols or forcing the police forces water cannons and armed patrol jeeps to retreat with their bare hands. Some Iranians are making Molotov cocktails to defend themselves. In many areas of Tehran and other cities, you can hear Death to Khamenei echoing from windows and rooftops at night for hours.

The street battles for the past 20 days, indicate that the regimes repression apparatus is broke, and cannot deal with the peoples uprising. Its power weakening daily.

Ayatollah Khamenei dragged President Ebrahim Raisi over the finish line to stop a rebellion at the time of the elections. However, Mahsa Aminis brutal murder shows Raisi failed to accomplish his mission.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Raisi tried to divert attention from the uprising by speaking primarily about the nuclear accord with America. He didnt mention Aminis death although he said earlier that it would be investigated.

Image: Protests in Iran. YouTube screen grab.

The riots, however, show Raisi has lost control of the narrative. The regime can no longer rely on news suppression or propaganda to make itself appear like a normal government that wants peace. Too many Iranians provably want regime change.

Suddenly, think tanks and experts are talking about regime change as if its really possible. Major European and American media outlets are also imagining the prospect. Part of this is because in this uprising, the people really are standing together, as well as forming organized groups challenging the regime. Moreover, the people, especially the young and women, are showing their willingness to face the Mullahs repressive forces. The Mullahs have responded by claiming that the protesters are essentially foreign agents.

Whats helped is that the world is paying attention to the uprising. Since it began, the people of Iran witnessed a wave of international and public support from all over the world. Many artists, scientific and academic figures, parliamentarians, and political figures have sent messages applauding the peoples desire for freedom:

All of them have a common message that the world must stand with Irans women and girls as they fight against extensive restrictions on womens rights, against the violation of freedom of speech, freedom of press and freedom of assembly, as well as against the incredibly cruelty of a police state that depends on the death penalty, extrajudicial executions, torture, and forced disappearance.

It appears that this uprising can lean to regime change in Iran. Its to be hoped that all Iranianswhether teachers and educators, university professors, workers, farmers, businessmen, oil workers, students, nurses, or doctorsjoin the strikes to help the continuation of the uprising.

Hassan.Mahmoudi is an Iran & Middle East Political and Economic researcher.
Isn't it strange that some of the smartest people in our society are socialists?

Albert Einstein was no dummy; if there were a contest for the brainiest man who ever lived, he might be not only a contender, but the winner. Noam Chomsky made important contributions to linguistics; he didn't just limit himself to parsing sentences. Bernie Sanders is an intelligent man. You don't get to be a U.S. senator if you have nothing at all upstairs.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of the list of very bright individuals who are lefties, many of whom have made important contributions to science and mathematics. Others include Stephen Jay Gould, Peter Kropotkin, Richard Levins, Richard Lewontin, John Rawls, and Bertrand Russell.

In addition to mentioning specific names, the case that the "best and brightest" of us are oriented in a socialist direction can also be made in a macro manner. Although no evidence is available to demonstrate this, it is reasonable to speculate that the educational credentials (e.g., Ph.D.s) of people in the blue and coastal states are higher than those in the red states. (Apart from the University of Chicago, most of our prestigious universities are located on our two coasts). Ashkenazi Jews have the reputation of being very smart, yet they overwhelmingly vote Democrat. It is quite possible that university professors, particularly at the elite schools; journalists; and clergy are more credentialed on average than plumbers, carpenters, and mechanics  and are also much more likely to be in thrall to socialist nostrums.

Even economists, economics being one of the most free-enterprise disciplines in the academy, are biased in a leftward direction, albeit to a lesser degree than their colleagues in sociology, anthropology, history, philosophy, and black-queer-feminist "studies."

This is more than passing curious because whenever socialism has been tried, it has been a dismal failure  not only economically, but also in terms of the number of innocent people killed. This stretches all the way from the national socialism of Hitler and the Nazis to the international socialism of communists Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot. In addition, we have on record two examples that constitute almost double-blind controlled experiments testing this claim: East and West Germany, North and South Korea. These peoples had in common the same two languages, cultures, histories, presumably intelligence levels. They were alike in any other dimension anyone would care to mention. They were separated solely by an adventitious act of war. One member of each of these pairs adopted a communist economic system, the other something more akin to capitalism. The subsequent migration patterns told the tale: virtually no one was trying to get into East Germany or North Korea. The traffic was almost entirely in the other directions, despite the mortal risk.

How can we explain this pattern? Hayek accounts for this correlation because the very intelligent people who favor laissez-faire capitalism have more opportunities outside academia, in the corporate and financial worlds. But this explains only why universities are leftist playgrounds. It ignores the fact that businesses, too, are now overrun by the politically correct. Schumpeter's explanation is that this imbalance stems from the fact that intellectuals have little or no business experience. This account, too, is vulnerable to the objection that the modern-day corporate world is now also a bastion of lefties.

Other elucidations include government subsidies for higher education: the G.I. bill; massive student "loans"; the fact that even private colleges attain immense funding, let alone the public ones; the alphabet soup of government agencies that hire highly credentialled college graduates, such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the USDA, the Federal Reserve System, etc. But what explains this system in the first place?

In my view, each of these explanations uncovers a part of the truth. However, I see Milton Friedman's contribution as one of the best. He claimed that the rise of leftism at universities stemmed from the U.S. policy during Vietnam war of exempting people in college from the draft. Leftists took advantage of this program to a far greater degree than rightists, and the former are now the leaders not only of academia, but of almost all of our more influential institutions. And why, in turn, was this policy instituted? It may well be that this was almost accidental and non-ideological  merely support for education per se.

I am tempted to say that these socialist intellectuals are "too smart for their own good." But this is not quite true. Their leaders, at least, make out like bandits compared to how they would prosper in a purely free-enterprise system.

Image: ElisaRiva via Pixabay, Pixabay License.
Allow me to concisely interpret, for your convenience, a rather lengthy news item. I may have editorialized just a bit to save space.

The US military is falling seriously short of new recruits. This is dangerously weakening our national security. Many applicants are rejected because they are too fat. Others are too stupid or too poorly educated to pass the dumbed-down qualification testsincluding those who are functionally illiterate. Some do not adequately speak the English language. Some are drug addicts. Some are convicted criminals. Some have excessively large grotesque or obscene tattoos, including on the face.

Photo from: Just Jokes and Memes (slug.com)

Among those who might otherwise qualify, many do not even apply to join. Why? Some of them are too lazy to get up early in the morning to attend reveille, for example. Others have relatively lucrative civilian jobs. Many have refused to be injected with what are erroneously called vaccines.

The smartest ones, and perhaps those most qualified, include those who refuse to take orders from men who are wearing womens clothes. As for women, the standards required of them have in many cases been lowered to the point where, in actual combat, they would get themselves killed, along with their male and female comrades in arms. Finally, in all too many cases, many American males are so sissified that they would collapse in weeping, the first time a grizzled first sergeant barked orders at them.

There, now you don't have to read the article.
Planned Parenthood officials recently announced plans for a mobile abortion facility  a 37-foot-long R.V.  that will stay in Illinois, where infanticide abortion is legal, but travel close to the borders of adjoining states that have put strict limits on the "procedure" since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade earlier this year. The facility on wheels will serve prospective abortion patients in the neighboring states of Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood's St. Louis office, stated: "The mobile abortion clinic is a way to reduce travel times and distances in order to meet patients at the Illinois border. This will make a dramatic impact on their access."

That Planned Parenthood would invest in "one particularly lethal recreational vehicle," to paraphrase a line from the movie Stripes, illustrates its unquenchable lust for killing kids...and making money. The organization will do almost anything to increase abortion access...and pad its bottom line.

Yamelsie Rodriguez, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, said that the R.V. would begin traveling by the end of the year and include two exam rooms, a lab, and a waiting room. Initially, it will provide medication abortions up to 11 weeks of gestation, but Planned Parenthood aims to provide surgical abortions after the first few months of operations.

According to a report in the Associated Press, both McNicholas and Rodriguez declined to comment on the safety and security of the mobile facility. I can report that it is extremely unsafe for the unborn.

What says "recreation" more than abortion? This macabre R.V. is bizarrely mindful of an ice cream truck. Will it, too, play a jolly little tune as it drives around neighborhoods and haunts state borders looking for its next victim client?

What's next (a question I ask myself often of late)? I'm guessing mobile transgender assistance facilities that will have the ability to chemically castrate or surgically alter kids who are confused or who have succumbed to peer pressure.

I can almost picture the mobile unit slowly winding around a suburban cul-de-sac, playful kids' music emanating from its speakers. Inside a home on the cul-de-sac, a young boy hears the approaching vehicle and excitedly runs to his mother.

"Mom, the transgender truck is here, the transgender truck is here! Hear it? Can I please change genders now? Huh? Can I, please? There is a whole list to choose from right on the side of the truck! And Uncle Joe gave me a hundred bucks last week for my birthday, so I can even help pay for my transition!"

Image via Pixabay.
A few days back, Politico, the foremost among Democrat media mouthpieces, carried an article by Matt Dixon that attempted to depict Florida governor Ron DeSantis as ungrateful and hypocritical.

The piece begins by claiming that DeSantis, despite being a persistent critic of Biden, still likes one thing about the president: his wallet.

Dixon dedicates highlights the following to make his case:

Florida stands to benefit from billions of dollars in federal assistance in response to the devastating damage from Hurricane Ian.

DeSantis requested Biden for an emergency declaration for all of Floridas 67 counties, which Biden approved, freeing up federal money for counties devastated by Hurricane Ian.

For the past two years, DeSantis administration received billions of dollars in federal aid during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DeSantis used pandemic fund used to pay for a wide range of non-pandemic-related programs, programs that Biden is critical of.

DeSantis previously accepted billions of dollars in federal aid to fund high-profile spending items, despite Florida having a $20 billion budget surplus.

DeSantis used interest from federal money totaling $12 million, to fund a migrant transportation program from Florida to Democratic strongholds such as Marthas Vineyard.

DeSantis used $200 million from the federal coronavirus funding to give Floridians a gas tax break in October.

DeSantis used federal dollars to give teachers and police $1,000 bonuses.

The piece then reveals that nearly a decade ago, DeSantis as a congressman opposed billions of dollars in relief for Hurricane Sandy, citing unrelated provisions and unnecessary spending.

When matters have devolved to such ludicrousness, it is worth revisiting the fundamentals

When the Revolutionary War ended, George Washington received an offer to become king of the United States. But Washington rejected the overture and said that I did not defeat King George III to become King George I.

The founding fathers always wanted the U.S. to be a representative democracy which was defined by Abraham Lincoln as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

This means is citizens are the stakeholders and the owners of the government.

The citizens lend their power to a representative via their votes for a representative.

The elected representatives do not own the power or the funds accrued from taxpayers meant for the constituency. The elected representatives are subordinates to the citizens.

This applies to each and every elected official within America from the president to the city counsel members.

Now for federalism.

This is achieved by cooperation, collaboration, and coordination between the federal government and the state governments.

The federal government has certain powers that are given to it by the Constitution and the 50 state governments have powers that are reserved for them. There are also powers that are shared by both the state and federal governments.

When the United States was first established in 1787 the country operated under the system of dual federalism whereby the federal government and the state governments functioned within their own spheres of influence.

However beginning in 1937, the U.S. moved to cooperative federalism where the federal government exerts more and more influence in the affairs of the states. The state often has to rely on the federal government for help and aid.

In a democracy, citizens have an inherent right to be unsparingly critical of their subordinates, i.e., the elected representatives when they err. Even elected representatives have the right to be critical of each other.

However, it is the duty of the elected representatives in the federal and state government to set their personal differences aside at times and work together for the citizens. This is essential during a crisis.

In a democracy, the news media also reports to the citizen, and must function as a government watchdog.

So what happens now?

The representatives who have been lent power by the citizen think that they own power. They look at citizens as subjects and themselves as rulers. They look upon political opponents as impediments to their supremacy and enemies.

Instead of becoming a watchdog against the powerful, the news media has become a lapdog for the Democrat party.

Consequently, Politico carries an article calling referring to taxpayers' money collected by the federal government as the presidents wallet, i.e., federal funds belonging to Biden.

They purposefully conflate a working relationship with a personal relationship. They attempt to portray DeSantis as a self-centered individual who only contacts friends in times of peril, but badmouths his benefactors during sunny times.

The article implies that since DeSantis is critical of Bidens policies, he has no right to seek federal funds.

The piece also implies that DeSantis should be grovelingly and personally grateful to Biden for doing his duty and providing federal support during Hurricane Ian, the COVID-19 pandemic, etc.

The piece complains that DeSantis used federal funds in areas other than their stated purpose.

Well, as long as funds were spent on the citizens, DeSantis has committed no offense.

It is hilarious that the Democrat media are suddenly concerned about government spending.

What about the claim that DeSantis voted against federal aid for Hurricane Sandy but is seeking funds for Florida?

The Sandy relief cost $50 billion. It dedicated funds for future mitigation efforts. It raised the debt-ceiling deal by another $9.7 billion with no plan to offset the spending with cuts elsewhere which is not fiscally responsible. To sum it up, like all Democrat bills, the relief bill focused on everything besides its stated objective and its name. It intended to misuse the crisis to further its far-left agenda.

Politico conveniently doesnt mention that DeSantis has on occasion rejected federal funds when his state didnt need them and used state funds instead.

In a odd way, the hit piece, despite its intent to cause political damage, end up portraying DeSantis as a capable governor and even a principled congressman.

As governor, during a crisis, DeSantis places his differences asides and works with Biden. He is fiscally responsible, resulting in a state budget surplus. He astutely funds state programs by rerouting federal funds or using interest from federal funds. Unlike the Democrats, DeSantis doesnt spend the money he doesnt have on items the public doesnt need.

As a congressman, he wasnt deceived by the name of the bill and voted 'no' based on its content.

The Politico piece is an obscenity in its tone, content, and blatant sycophancy of Biden.

As always, the self-righteous are devoid of self-awareness, or else someone on the editorial board of Politico would have not only rejected the article but have asked the author to re-read the Constitution, the tenets of democracy, and the principles of federalism.

It reveals the mindset of the Washington Democrat Establishment that thinks of Democrat leaders as the rulers of the country.

They expect state governors and citizens feel 'much obliged' that a Democrat-led federal government is doing its job.

They are confusing a duty with a favor.

Image: Mikhanbd via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A few days ago, the press made an example of four or five suspected looters busted for robbing homes or businesses in hurricane-ravaged Fort Myers Beach, where some of the worst destruction occurred.

Dont even think about looting. Dont even think about taking advantage of people in this vulnerable situation. And so local law enforcement is involved in monitoring that, [Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis] said during a Friday news conference. You can have people you know 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, and I would not wanna chance that if I were you, given that were a Second Amendment state, he added.

That was followed by photos of the four or five, sitting on the ground, at least three with their hands cuffed behind their backs.

Sheriffs deputies told me Thursday afternoon these people were arrested for looting on Fort Myers Beach. pic.twitter.com/j8JKRremlP  Gage Goulding - NBC2 (@GageGoulding) September 30, 2022

What's the news on them now? Three were here in the country illegally, traveling not just 50 miles from their homes in Florida to loot houses, but traveling from some other country in order to break U.S. immigration laws.

DeSantis had plenty to say about that revelation.

According to the New York Post:

Most of the heartless looters busted in hurricane-ravaged Florida were illegal immigrants, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday  as he said hed like to drag them out by the collars and send them back to where they came from. Weve had four looters that were arrested  and they need to be brought to justice, the tough gov said during an update on the devastation from historic Hurricane Ian. But you know, three of the four are illegal aliens, said DeSantis, one of the fed-up Republican governors who has been sending border-crossers to Democratic sanctuary destinations. And so these are people that are foreigners, theyre illegally in our country  and not only that, they tried to loot and ransack in the aftermath of a natural disaster, the incredulous-sounding governor said.

It probably shouldn't have surprised anyone. People who have no respect for U.S. immigration law are naturally not going to have respect for any other U.S. laws, let alone respect for their neighbors. Illegal immigration is basically a 'me first' proposition that involves cutting border lines, looting benefits from taxpayers without making any contributions whatsoever, stealing I.D. cards to loot some American's job, and refusing to assimilate -- which is to say, carrying on in the thievy way one has always carried on with in one's home country, given that most of these places are crime pits.

Not all cultures are alike. When one lives in a society where theft is the only way anyone gets ahead, these migrant-exporting societies  looking at you, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico  tend to have lots of thieves.

It belies the big myth posited by the Open Borders lobby, that unvetted illegal immigrants are always going to be upstanding citizens whose only problem is an absence of "papers."

The reality is, when you open the border wide to all comers, thieves and criminals hear the message most loudly of all. Illegal aliens, according to some studies, form about a third of the prison populations in the U.S. and that's just the ones who get caught in cities without leftist Soros-financed district attorneys. Illegals know they can't get into the U.S. if their local records of crime ever become known, so an open border becomes their only chance for fresh pickings in the states. Many take that opportunity, particularly when, as is the case in Venezuela, there is literally nothing left to steal back home.

Thus far there haven't been a lot of looters caught in Florida, perhaps because of the ferocious warnings issued by DeSantis and the local Florida sheriffs. But of the ones who were  sure enough, the illegal alien community was, so to speak, "overrepresented." That ought to be a warning about what kinds of problems to expect as Joe Biden continue to leave the border wide open and millions of unvetted migrants pour in.

Image: Twitter screen shot.
Successful revolutions, both violent and peaceful, tend to result in tyrannical rule with very few exceptions. The history of revolutionary governments proves that history does repeat itself.

From ancient Greece to Venezuela, a bloody path of brutality has almost always been left in the wake of new governments coming to power. They either cast off the entirety of the old governments or leave some small remnants for show. In both cases, countless billions have suffered.

With Rome, the Senate became a puppet to Caesars who had absolute power. And more often than not, cruelty from the likes of Nero and Caligula were carried out on Romans.

The French Revolution led to the complete removal of government and a replacement by mob rule. It was the psychopath, Robespierre, who controlled the mob. The mob brutalized and murdered anyone he wanted them to target without question.

The French Revolution created nothing but chaos. When anyone who had any idea about running government was killed or in hiding, very little got done. The chaos ended up with Robespierres head being severed, and after a shambling interval, Napoleon taking power.

A tyrant replaced a psychotic tyrant, who replaced a tyrant. The average French people were no better off under any of them.

The October Revolution led to Lenin coming to power in Russia. He put in place the early instruments that Stalin would use to terrorize the Russian people, and beyond. Lenin was a tyrant who left everyone under Soviet control worse off than they were before. When people who know how to run a government are slaughtered, it becomes impossible to govern effectively.

The Nazis' "peaceful" revolution ended up with Hitler keeping the appearance of the government that existed, without any power. Hitler was a modern-day Caesar who ruled with brutality over the German people and many more.

Venezuela was another relatively peaceful revolution where, like Rome and Germany, some of the vestiges of "democracy" were left in place, without the people who knew what they were doing in power to effectively govern.

The Venezuelans have been suffering and starving ever since.

Look at just about any successful revolution. The same thing happens almost every time. Regardless of tyrant being in power prior to their rise, tyranny almost always follows.

There are outliers in history that prove a rare exception to the brutality of successful revolutions.

The American Revolution was one of those rare instances where no tyrant rose to power. They did not just keep the vestiges of government for show. They were kept because that could be used to prevent a tyrant from taking power. The revolutionaries did not want complete destruction of all that came before, leaving a power vacuum to be filled.

The American revolutionaries were made up of varying political beliefs that included moderates who were already in colonial government, like George Washington. Washington was a moderate in Virginia. Any other revolution and Washington would have been targeted by the revolutionaries.

Since American revolutionaries used existing politicians to lead the revolution, they already knew how to govern. And how to put protections in place to prevent a tyrant from coming to power.

There was also the strong leadership of George Washington who never succumbed to the temptations of absolute power, which he had throughout the war. Had it been a morally weaker man leading the military, America easily could have ended up with a tyrant.

The reason successful revolutions so often end up poorly for the majority who suffer following victory is the tendency to kill off those who know how to govern or limit their power to make them worthless. Most importantly is a leader who cannot resist temptation of power due to moral weakness.

Revolutionaries tend to follow charismatic leaders who fill the void of power, and almost never let that power go. Power is a corrupting force that almost no one can resist.

Bob Ryan is a writer who has an MBA. He is an American Christian Zionist who staunchly supports Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. He has been a weekly blogger at the Times of Israel since 2019.

Image: TrotskyChilde via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Russian president Vladimir Putin put the world on strategic nuclear alert with an ominous message. He linked his threat to use nuclear weapons with justification of the U.S. ending WWII by bombing Japan with two atomic bombs.

MOSCOW, Sept 30 (Reuters)  Russian President Vladimir Putin said the United States had created a "precedent" by using nuclear weapons against Japan at the end of World War Two, in a speech filled with hostility towards the West delivered from the Kremlin on Friday. Fears of nuclear war have grown since Putin said last week he was "not bluffing" when he said Russia was prepared to use nuclear weapons to defend its territory.

Best take note: if someone is threatening to kill you, believe him  and Putin was building up to putting nuclear weapons front and center even before he invaded Ukraine.

The past is prologue, because he had previously announced in 2019 that his military, specifically his naval submarine force, has essentially developed an operational nuclear doomsday 100-megaton torpedo.

Readers of American Thinker may remember when, on March 14, 2019, I asked a simple, direct question:

Is President Putin diabolically smart or simply a psychopath? Perhaps he is both, because by his direct action, the world is now a much more dangerous place as the former KGB officer creates a nuclear doomsday scenario backed by real Russian naval capabilities: Russia is said to have built a new 100-megaton underwater nuclear doomsday device, and it has threatened the US with it. The device goes beyond traditional ideas of nuclear war fighting and poses a direct threat to the future of humanity or life on Earth. Nobody has ever built a weapon like this before, because there's almost no military utility in so badly destroying the world.

Now his threat is being made real  and right now, today, is triggering a second Battle of the Atlantic.

As an Annapolis graduate in 1969, I was blessed with having the WWII "Victory at Sea" generation as instructors and powerful senior military courageous leaders. All of us studied the U.S. and Allied forces fighting the Battle of the Atlantic against Nazi subs.

Our first superintendent was Admiral Draper Kauffman, with two Navy Crosses and founder of the SEALs. When he retired, our second superintendent was Admiral James Calvert, with two Silver Stars and two Bronze Stars, having been present on his submarine for the Tokyo Bay surrender ceremonies.

Admiral Calvert also authored one the most important books ever penned about applied U.S. Navy submarine deterrence capability; Surface at The Pole, in which he took his nuclear submarine the USS Skate to the North Pole to show Russia we can fight you anywhere, any time.

Sadly, those dangerous old days of fighting a submarine war in the north Atlantic are now coming back with a vengeance. A powerful breaking headline from Fox News was just published: "Russian nuclear submarine armed with 'doomsday' weapon disappears from Arctic harbor."

Putin's Belgorod submarine is said to be capable of creating a 1,600-ft 'radioactive tsunami.'

The first Battle of the Atlantic was a "kill or be killed" fight in the unforgiving North Atlantic, especially in winter. The losses were staggering on both sides, but victory was achieved because of the 36,000 German U-Boat sailors, only 3,000 survived the end of the war.

Getting ready for another Battle of the Atlantic since Putin's threat in 2019, the U.S. Navy anticipated such events and has brilliantly stayed a step ahead. The Navy reconstituted our 2nd Fleet, reaching from the Atlantic seaboard into the far reaches of the Arctic, on August 25, 2018.

Giving credit where credit is due, in my lifelong connection with our Sea Services since Annapolis and earlier in my schooldays, with my father serving on the USS Triton, SSRN/SSN-586, and then the Henry Clay, SSBN-625, I believe that the thenchief of naval operations (CNO), Admiral John Richardson, is perhaps the smartest CNO in my time. Admiral Richardson selected Vice Admiral Woody Lewis, who was widely respected as visionary fighting admiral, to stand up the 2nd Fleet.

In a recent book with my co-author Robbin Laird, A Maritime Kill Web Force in The Making, we devote an entire chapter to the stand-up of the 2nd Fleet. Now reported  as often said, ripped from the headlines  on October 3, 2022, the newest and most powerful aircraft carrier in the world, the USS Gerald Ford, CVN-78, just sortied out of Norfolk to join the 2nd Fleet. And another fighting admiral, now commanding the 2nd Fleet, was just quoted:

Vice Adm. Daniel Dwyer, commander of the US 2nd Fleet said that CSG 12, which the Ford carrier is leading, will range throughout the Atlantic Ocean operating with navies of allied and partner nations.

Facing down the Russian threat of death to all Americans, we all should wish the 2nd Fleet Godspeed, good luck, and good hunting. Our lives may soon depend on our fighting Navy. And the U.S. Navy doesn't bluff.

Image: World Economic Forum via Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Google has agreed to pay $85 million to settle a data privacy lawsuit in Arizona. The lawsuit was filed in 2020 over Androids location tracking.

Lawsuits against Google and its user tracking features have no end. The search giant has recently paid $100 million to Illinois residents over violating their privacy in the Google Photos app. The company will now have to pay another $85 million to Arizona.

In 2020, Arizonas Attorney General accused Google of collecting location data from Android users for targeted ads, which was done without their consent. According to Arizonas Attorney General Mark Brnovich, this is one of the largest settlements in the states history. Brnovich says Google has used dark patterns and deceptive practices to collect users location data.

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Google will pay $85 million to Arizona state over a data privacy violation

The lawsuit claims Google has used mapping and weather apps to collect the location data even when the location tracking has been turned off. This act is seemingly against Arizonas state laws, and now Google should pay a hefty fine to settle the lawsuit.

However, this is not the only accusation against Google. The lawsuit also accused Google of deliberately complicating privacy settings and making it difficult for users to find location tracking features.

Meanwhile, Google believes the lawsuit is filed based on outdated policies. We provide straightforward controls and auto delete options for location data and are always working to minimize the data we collect, companys spokesperson Jose Castaneda said.

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Arizona is not the only state suing Google for violating privacy rules. Indiana, Texas, and Washington have already sued Google for the same thing. Additionally, Google has numerous privacy lawsuits in Australia, France, the UK, etc. Recently, British and Dutch courts filed a lawsuit against Google for its unfair advertising practices. The search giant should pay $25.4 billion in fines if it couldnt win the case.
(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 6 - The European Union will be able to overcome its differences on energy policy at the upcoming EU summit, President Sergio Mattarella and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier agreed in talks in Malta Thursday, according to Italian sources.

"We must ease the consequences of energy cost hikes on the lives of households and businesses," said Mattarella. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 6 - Brothers of Italy (FdI) leader Giorgia Meloni on Thursday denied having clashed with outgoing Premier Mario Draghi over Italy's post-COVID National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP or PNRR).

On Wednesday Meloni, who is set to succeed Draghi after FdI led the right coalition to victory in last month's general election, said there were clear delays in the NRRP, which is being funded by close to 200 billion euros of grants and low-interest loans from the EU.

Draghi said the EU would not have approved the payments of the tranches of funding allocated up to now if there were any delays.

"It does not seem to me that there has been a clash," Meloni said as she arrived at the Lower House for meetings to prepare her government team.

"However, the government writes in the NADEF (economic blueprint) that, by the end of the year, it will spend 21 billion of the 29.4 billion we had.

"So we say, in a constructive spirit, that we must do even better". (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 6 - Outgoing Premier Mari Draghi told a Prague summit Thursday it must face the energy crisis together.

"WE must work together to face the energy crisis," he told a round table debate on Energy, Climate and Economy involving Italy, Germany, Portugal, Ireland, Belgium, Bulgaria, Liechtenstein, Norway, Ukraine and Serbia.

"We can also do so separately but we would lose European unity," he warned. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 6 - The European Union will be able to overcome its differences on energy policy at the upcoming EU summit, President Sergio Mattarella and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier agreed in talks in Malta Thursday, according to Italian sources.

"We must ease the consequences of energy cost hikes on the lives of households and businesses," said Mattarella.

The Italian head of state added: "Faced with those who make of energy an instrument of international pressure and speculation, the European Union is called to react with a sense of community and solidarity". (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 6 - The force of human rights is unstoppable, President Sergio Mattarella said on protests by Iranian women after the death in police custody last month of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini who was accused of breaking the Asian country's strict dress codes.

"The force of European values in defence of rights, freedom and democracy is unstoppable, as shown by the situation in Iran," Mattarella said at the Arraiolos United for Europe meeting on Malta.

"We must therefore equip ourselves with adequate instruments.

"A common foreign and defence policy for the (EU) is indispensable".

Dozens of people, mostly women, have been killed in a crackdown on the protests that started after Amini's death on September 16. (ANSA).


Literary festival Folio starts in Portugal Until October 16 in Obidos with several international guests

(ANSAmed) - LISBON, OCTOBER 6 - International literary festival Folio has opened in Obidos, a fortified citadel some 80 kilometers north of Lisbon. Created in 2015 with the intention of turning the location into Portugal's literary capital, the festival will host as usual, amid the ancient walls of Obidos, editorial stands, stages, bookstores inside deconsecrated churches, and other locations for gatherings and, most importantly, many national and international authors.



This year's theme of the festival is 'Power' and guests will include US activist Nadine Strossen, Israeli author Zeruya Shalev and many Portuguese-speaking intellectuals from Portugal, Africa and Brazil. Two Nobel laureates will be at the event: Poland's Olga Tokarczuk, who will discuss with journalist Carlos Vaz Marques on Saturday, October 8; and Nigeria's Wole Soyinka, who on Saturday, October 15, will debate with literary critic Jose Mario Silva. The program also provides for concerts, exhibitions and the presence of food and wine stands. The event closes on October 16. (ANSAmed)
International Fair of Energy Transition to open in Tunis At Utica headquarters to gather all renewable energy partners

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, 06 OTT - The first International fair of energy transition will take place in Tunis on October 19-21.



Organized by the union of the photovoltaics industry (Csvp), in collaboration with the Tunisian industry, trade and crafts confederation (Utica), the fair is an exhibition-conference on the theme: "Sustainable development in Tunisia". It will gather all actors of the renewable energy sector, both private and public partners, as well as high officials and representatives of public and private institutions in Tunisia and abroad.



The private sector, according to a statement released by organizers, provides for an investment of some 20 billion Tunisian dinars (nearly 3 billion dollars) to reach 80% of the objectives of the Tunisian solar plan (Pst) to distribute 4,500 megawatts (Mw) of renewable energy over the next seven years.



The event will focus on the role of the private sector in the implementation of a national strategy for sustainable development in Tunisia and in reaching Pst objectives, the statement said. "The event will highlight the role of renewable energy (EnR) in Tunisia, all sectors included, and their role in the transition towards a low-carbon economy and the collective responsibility of all interested sides and public as well as private economic operators; and in reaching sustainable development in Tunisia".



To reach this, organizers said, the time has come to "remove legislative, administrative and financial barriers, both at the level of the government and of the main actors of the energy sector in Tunisia (STEG, ANME and other donors, among others)", said the president of Cspv, Ali Kanzari during a meeting held at the headquarters of Utica.



Tunisia could take advantage of the opportunity offered by the current energy crisis caused by the Russia-Ukraine war to recuperate the delay in the distribution of renewable energy, accelerate the transition and possibly become an exporter of green energy to Europe, participants said. "Northern Mediterranean countries, the main consumers of energy, could obtain green electricity from southern Mediterranean countries, including Tunisia and Morocco. Great Britain has already appealed to Morocco to receive green energy through the Atlantic, and prepare for cold weather over the next winters", stressed Kanzari. Tunisia, which has a strategic position, could do the same under better conditions given its proximity to Europe. "An interconnection through Sicily is enough" with the Italian island "just 200 km away from El Haouaria, or north of Rome (some 800 km from the Tunisian coast), where the central networks are located for the transmission of energy towards western Europe, to transport green energy produced in Tunisia to Europe", the official noted. (ANSAmed)
16 migrants dead as sea searches continue in Greece Two separate incidents see more tragic loss of life

(ANSAmed) - ATHEN, 06 OTT - At least 16 migrants and refugees have been reported dead in the Aegean and Ionian Seas in Greece on Thursday with dozens more still missing after two all-night search and rescue operations took place near the islands of Lesvos and Kythira.



Two vessels loaded with people, including many women and children, sank in treacherous conditions late on Wednesday evening, sparking two huge search and rescue operations in the waters around Lesvos in the North East Aegean and Kythira in the Ionian Sea near the south Peloponnese region.



Greece's coast guard authorities said that "15 bodies were recovered from the sea near Lesvos after a dinghy carrying about 40 people sank", while many more are feared dead. Some harrowing video footage released by the coast guard showed dozens of people clinging and climbing onto cliffs and rocks as huge waves smashed around them.



The second rescue effort was launched several hundred kilometers (miles) to the west, near Kythira, where a sailboat reportedly carrying about 95 migrants hit rocks and also sank as it faltered with winds in the area up to 70 kph (45 mph).



The coast guard published a short statement, saying: "The operation is being conducted under adverse weather conditions, as the area is experiencing strong NE winds of 7-8 BF with gusts of 9-10 BF. According to the statement of the passengers, there were approximately ninety-five (95) people on board. So far, seven (07) people have been rescued." In the wake of yet another tragedy in Greek waters, Greece's minister for migration and asylum Notis Mitarakis called on immediate actions from Turkey and the EU to prevent further incidents.



"Urgent call to Turkey to take immediate action to prevent all irregular departures due to harsh weather conditions. Already today many lives have been lost in the Aegean, people are drowning in unseaworthy vessels. The EU must act," he commented via his personal Twitter account.



Additionally, Greece's Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Yiannis Plakiotakis, added: "Once again, Turkey's tolerance of the rings of unscrupulous traffickers is costing human lives. As long as the Turkish Coast Guard does not prevent their actions, traffickers pile unfortunate people, without safety measures, into boats that cannot withstand the weather conditions, putting their lives in mortal danger. The superhuman efforts of the officers of the Coast Guard, the Navy, the Air Force, the Fire Brigade, the Greek Police, and volunteers once again has saved dozens of our fellow citizens in Kythira and Lesvos. Unfortunately, not everyone. Turkey must respect its agreement with the European Union. As long as it doesn't, they will put human lives at risk." Only last weekend there was another incident with 56 migrants rescued on Saturday night after the vessel they were sailing in got into trouble near the Ionian islands of Kefalonia.



A rescue operation was launched by the Hellenic Coast Guard after the sailing boat - which was bound for Italy - with 56 migrants on board was spotted unmanned around 33 nautical miles southwest of Kefalonia.



It was already announced this week on Tuesday that Turkish nationals had been arrested in connection with that incident for allegedly transporting irregular migrants trying to reach Italy in the sailboat. During the preliminary investigation, authorities determined that three men were responsible for transporting the migrants from the Turkish shores to the shores of Italy.



This incident is just the latest in a long line of similar occurrences that have taken place over the course of the summer with thousands of migrants attempting to enter Europe via Greece's sea and land borders, with the issue adding to already troubled political relations between Greece and neighboring Turkey.



Indeed, Greek officials announced last month that as part of new, increased security measures, they plan to boost its border patrol force with extra boats and aircraft for its coast guard in the eastern Aegean Sea, as well as install new electronic monitoring devices.



Athens will also extend the border fence along the northeastern border with Turkey, where there has also been a lot of activity over the summer, following a meeting of the council for foreign affairs and defense in August.



A government statement said the meeting - held between top immigration, security and military officials and chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis - discussed "the problem of increased pressure for illegal entry, both along the land border and along the sea border'' in the eastern Aegean Sea. (ANSAmed).




Over 350 migrants arrived in Spain in less than 48 hours Arrivals both on the islands and in the south-east and south

(ANSAmed) - MADRID, 6 OCTOBER - Over 350 migrants reached the Spanish shores on Tuesday night, landing in different areas of the country according to the Spanish news agency Efe, authorities and emergency services. The main points of arrival, as is usually the case in recent years, were the Canary islands and the Balearic isles. In the case of the former, migrants usually depart from Morocco or Western Sahara, while, in the latter, the most frequent point of departure is Algeria. Other boats reached the coasts of Alicante, Almeria, Granada and Cadiz, areas in the south-east and south of the country, added Efe.(ANSAmed).




MADRID - Sixteen women and one child died in a shipwreck off the island of Lesbos. While ten women were rescued, the search continues to try to find the missing persons on board. The boat had approximately 40 people on board according to reconstructions of the story. The Greek Coast Guard's spokesperson, Nikos Kokkalis, commented to the news daily Kathimerini, that rescue operations of the shipwrecked migrants proceed with great difficulty due to weather conditions. "These are both very difficult operations- explained Kokkalis- it is difficult for the boats to conduct the search due to the strong winds- between eight and ten on the Beaufort scale- which have been raging relentlessly on both sides of the coasts since last night". According to Kokkalis, the situation in Kythira is particularly bad and "the chances of finding someone still alive are very few".



The mayor of Kythira, Stratos Charchalakis, told Skai TV that he saw five migrants die in front of him, overwhelmed by the waves. Both shipwrecks took place last night: in Kythira a sailboat with approximately 95 persons crashed against the rocks and sunk, 80 migrants were rescued and they are still searching for the missing 15 people. "In the case of Lesbos, there is some hope of finding survivors", added Kokkalis to the newspaper Kathimerini. "Locals who live on the island said that last night they saw some shipwreck survivors on the shore, so we still have some hope of finding some people alive", explained the Coast Guard's spokesperson.




Greece: shipwrecks, Athens call on Turkey to stop departures Greek Migration Minister: we know other boats ready to leave

(ANSAmed) - ATHENS, 6 OCTOBER - The Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum, Notis Mitarachis, commented on his twitter profile on the shipwrecks which took place last night off the Greek islands of Lesbos and Kythira. "The Coast Guard and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs are doing all they can. We are talking about smugglers who put people on board ships who have no idea how to deal with the sea. I have publicly asked Turkey to intervene, as we have information proving there are other ships that are about to attempt a similar journey from Turkey with winds in the Aegean sea reaching 7 on the Beaufort scale", he stated.



In the first hours of the morning, Mitarachis, again through his twitter profile, stated: "I call on Turkey to act urgently and immediately to impede all illegal departures due to the poor weather conditions. Many lives were already lost at sea in the Aegean Sea, people are drowning after boarding ships that are ill-equipped to make such a journey. The European Union must act". Even the spokesperson for the Greek government, Yannis Economou, expressed his sadness and commented: "Until Turkey will not apply the law, until it will support smugglers, until it will not honor the signed agreements, unfortunately we will find ourselves before similar tragedies". For the moment the total number of deaths at sea stands at 17, with 30 people missing.(ANSAmed).




Paying nurses a decent wage is the only way to prevent them leaving the NHS and to fill thousands of vacancies, the head of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said as the union ballots on strike action.

For the first time in its 106-year history, the RCN is asking all of its UK members if they are prepared to walk out over pay.

General secretary Pat Cullen said nurses will still provide critical care if the strike goes ahead, as the RCN asks for a pay rise which exceeds inflation by 5%.

But Prime Minister Liz Truss refused to budge when pressed on the issue, telling broadcasters during a visit to Prague: I just want to thank nurses for the fantastic job they do.

They worked incredibly hard during Covid.

We now face a huge backlog after the Covid crisis.

They do a great job.

What we have offered nurses is a 1,400 pay rise.

That was recommended by the pay review body.

So I do hope that they will continue to work through this winter, but I do want to say a great thank you to our nurses for the brilliant job they do.

Ms Cullen earlier told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Nurses will do nothing to add to the risk that patients are facing every single day as a consequence of not having those nurses in the system to look after them.

We continue to provide critical services throughout any strike.

She said nurses are taking action to save the health service, adding they are currently struggling to provide safe care for their patients due to a lack of staff.

Nurses have made every attempt to get Government to listen to the fact that theres hundreds of thousands of nursing vacancies across this country and nurses are struggling to provide safe care for their patients, she said.

The only way that were going to address those vacancies and ensure that we recruit nurses into our health services and hold on to the brilliant services that weve got is if we pay them a decent wage.

Were very clear. Our position is that in order to address the crisis within the profession, its (pay of) 5% above the rate of inflation.

If this Government does not address that, then our fear is that well continue to lose the great nurses weve got.

Were losing thousands of nurses from our health service and thats against a backdrop of thousands and thousands of vacancies.

She added that the Governments offer of a 3% wage rise makes a difference to a nurses wage of 72p a week.

She added: I dont think thats the decent thing to do for nursing staff or the decent thing to do for patients.

Nurses will start voting on Thursday on whether to strike over pay, with 300,000 members asked to take part in the ballot.

The RCN said new analysis by London Economics to coincide with the ballot launch shows pay for nurses has declined at twice the rate of the private sector in the last decade.

Our biggest ever strike ballot is now open. Were encouraging eligible members across the UK to vote yes to strike action and fight for safe staffing. Read more: https://t.co/yiLjWz2bIO #FairPayForNursing pic.twitter.com/prOSCKfMZ9  The RCN (@theRCN) October 6, 2022

Nurses real-terms earnings have fallen by 6% compared with 3.2% for private sector employees, it was found.

The ballot closes on November 2.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer repeatedly said he does not want strikes to go ahead, though he added he understands why nurses are considering them.

On whether he would back them, he told BBC Radio Devon: I completely understand why people are concerned and considering industrial action.

But let me be clear I dont want these strikes to go ahead.

The last thing that anybody who works in the NHS wants is to go on strike, what they need is a resolution of the issues.

Pressed again on whether he would offer nurses his support should they choose to strike, he said: I understand why they are wanting to take action. I dont want the strikes to go ahead.

I dont think they want strikes to go ahead. Of course they dont.

"There are so many patients, but not enough staff". Roshan, an internationally recruited nurse from India has seen too many colleagues leave the NHS. Read why he hopes the strike ballot will be 'eye-opening' for governments. #FairPayForNursing https://t.co/J5INiFc81O  The RCN (@theRCN) October 5, 2022

The RCN is inviting members of the public to co-sign a letter to Prime Minister Liz Truss which says: On behalf of the nursing profession, I implore you to see sense.

Protect nursing to protect the public.

The union said new polling carried out by YouGov showed support from two-thirds of the public for nurses taking strike action, while three-quarters of respondents said there are too few nurses to provide safe care in the NHS.

The trade union Unison is already balloting more than 50,000 health workers on strike action, while the Royal College of Midwives in Scotland opened its ballot last month.

Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has promised NHS staff he will make a significantly improved offer after the record 5% pay rise put forward by his Government was rejected.

In 2019 and 2020, thousands of nurses in Northern Ireland walked out over pay and staffing.

The Health and Social Care Board said 4,749 hospital appointments were cancelled as a result of the 2019 action.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she has reservations about relaxing immigration controls as part of any trade deal with India.

Earlier this year, then prime minister Boris Johnson indicated an agreement could mean accepting Delhis demands for an increase in Indian migration to the UK.

It is the second time in less than a week that the Home Secretary has expressed a view that risks putting her at odds with Government policy.

Earlier this week, she was criticised by a senior Government source for saying she believes the UK should leave the European Convention on Human Rights.

Prime Minister Liz Truss is struggling to enforce party discipline, following an annual conference which descended into public disagreements between prominent Tory members, including the Cabinet.

Speaking to the Spectator magazine, Ms Braverman also said her party has not met previous manifesto commitments to reduce immigration, and suggested she would like to see people who have retired early return to the workforce.

Speaking about a trade deal with Delhi, Ms Braverman said: I have concerns about having an open borders migration policy with India because I dont think thats what people voted for with Brexit.

Responding to a suggestion that the issue is about visa flexibility and not open borders, the Home Secretary reportedly accepted there may be flexibility for students and entrepreneurs.

But I do have some reservations, Ms Braverman told the Spectator. Look at migration in this country  the largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants.

We even reached an agreement with the Indian government last year to encourage and facilitate better co-operation in this regard. It has not necessarily worked very well.

Under Boris Johnsons leadership, the Government said it wanted the majority of trade talks to be concluded with India by the end of this month.

Addressing the wider question of immigration, Ms Braverman said: I campaigned to leave the EU because in part I wanted migration to fall.

That was in our 2019 manifesto. If you look at net migration figures, they have not fallen  were pretty much at the same level as pre-Brexit.

Weve got the levers in place. Priti Patel and Boris Johnson put in the points-based system I think we should start exercising that power.

The Home Secretary suggested she wanted net migration to be in the tens of thousands, but said: Ultimately, Im not going to put a date on when were going to get there. It will take some time, but we do need to get the numbers going down.

She also told the magazine that she disputes the suggestion immigration rules should be relaxed to improve national economic performance, reportedly pointing to the number of people receiving benefits as a potential source of additional workers.

Ms Braverman said: We have a large cohort who can work but are not working  and theyre doing that out of choice in many cases. There are people who are choosing early retirement.

The number of over-fifties who are not working has considerably increased. I think that is a cohort that can be in gainful employment.

We have people who are choosing to work part-time and top up their income through tax credits  a choice that theyre making because theyre making more money on welfare.
Tobacco giant Imperial Brands has revealed plans for a 1 billion share buyback as it hailed the recovery of global travel markets for buoying duty-free sales and revealed a boost from the battered pound.

The group behind brands such as blu, Gauloises cigarettes and Rizla said the boost from travel markets has driven higher sales across southern Europe and in duty-free markets, which is helping partly offset a drop in sales by volume, particularly in northern Europe.

It added that the growth rate of tobacco net revenues had improved over the second half of its financial year due to price changes.

Imperial has also been given a fillip by the weak pound, which is seeing the group benefit from exchange rates on its international earnings, with a gain of about 1% on full-year net revenues and 2% on annual underlying earnings per share.

The pound hit an all-time low against the US dollar last month amid concerns over the Governments economic plans and while it has clawed back some lost ground, it is still down heavily this year.

On a constant currency basis, Imperial said it remains on track for full-year revenues and underlying earnings to grow by around 1%.

Imperial announced the launch of its share buyback programme, saying its strengthened balance sheet position means we are now in a position to start to return surplus capital to shareholders.

It will buy back up to 1 billion of shares until the end of September next year, bringing total capital returns over 2022-23 to more than 2.3 billion.

Stefan Bomhard, chief executive of Imperial Brands, said: The launch of our new buyback programme is an important milestone in our five-year strategy announced in January 2021.

Over the past two years, increased investment and a more consumer-centric approach have improved delivery in both our priority combustible markets and next generation product operations.

Disciplined capital allocation has strengthened our balance sheet to reach our target leverage levels.

Todays announcement is underpinned by this improving performance and our confidence in being able to continue generating strong cash flows to support growing shareholder returns in the years to come.

The groups update added that it was rolling out its vaping and heated tobacco products  or so-called next generation products  into new markets, having recently launched its heated tobacco brands Pulze and iD in Italy, which is Europes largest heated tobacco market.

Shares lifted 4% after the update.
Irelands premier has warned difficulties exist in reaching an agreement on the Northern Ireland Protocol but he said there is a genuine desire from all sides to do so.

Micheal Martin said space is now needed to allow the UK and the European Union to reach a resolution.

He was speaking as negotiations on the protocol got under way between officials on Thursday afternoon.

Earlier, Irelands deputy premier Leo Varadkar conceded the protocol is a little too strict.

He said the protocol is working despite not being fully implemented, demonstrating there is room for further flexibility for some changes.

Speaking in Prague, Mr Martin said: There is a genuine desire on all sides including the UK Government that there will be a negotiated resolution to this, but that doesnt in any way understate the difficulties involved in arriving at a resolution.

But I do think theres good faith on all sides.

If the will is there, issues can be resolved  I dont want to comment any further other than to say theres a process in place, I think we should create space to allow people to work out a resolution to this.

The European Commission earlier this week confirmed the two sides will meet for technical level talks.

My pleasure to host UK Foreign Secretary @JamesCleverly at the Irish Embassy London for a working dinner. James & I discussed Brexit, the protocol, the war in Ukraine as well as our shared work at the UN Security Council. We agreed to work closely together on all.  pic.twitter.com/To01YdO6nW  Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) October 6, 2022

A meeting between Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly took place in London on Thursday evening.

It was the first bilateral meeting between the UK and Ireland since Liz Truss became UK Prime Minister.

Mr Coveney tweeted: James and I discussed Brexit, the protocol, the war in Ukraine as well as our shared work at the UN Security Council.

We agreed to work closely together on all.

On Friday, Mr Coveney will co-chair a British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar discussed the protocol at an industrial relations conference in Dublin on Thursday (PA)

Mr Varadkar told reporters on Thursday morning: We should not forget that the protocol is working. It was designed to prevent a hard border between north and south, and there is no hard border between north and south.

It was designed to protect the integrity of the single market and it has, and also the Northern Ireland economy is outperforming the rest of the UK economically.

But one thing that I would concede is that perhaps the protocol, as it was originally designed, was a little too strict.

The protocol has not been fully implemented and yet it is still working.

I think that demonstrates that there is some room for further flexibility for some changes that hopefully would make it acceptable to all sides.

The protocol was agreed by the UK and EU as part of the Withdrawal Agreement and sought to avoid a hard border with Ireland post-Brexit.

Simon Coveney, left, and Chris Heaton-Harris will co-chair a British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (Niall Carson/PA)

But the arrangements have created trade barriers on goods being shipped from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

The protocol is vehemently opposed by many unionists in Northern Ireland and the DUP is currently blocking the formation of a powersharing executive in Belfast in protest.

Mr Varadkar said an agreement would be very beneficial as it would allow for the restoration of powersharing.

Stormont collapsed earlier this year amid a row over the protocol and has not returned despite elections in May.

The Fine Gael leader said there is a window of opportunity over the next couple of weeks to see if an agreement can be reached.

That would be very beneficial for Ireland and Northern Ireland because it would allow us to get the executive up and running, and could be helpful for Britain as well in economic terms, he said.

Meanwhile, the Tanaiste welcomed UK Northern Ireland minister Steve Bakers apology over his previous ferocious negotiating stance on Brexit, but said it remains to be seen if it is significant.

Steve Baker, the UKs minister for Northern Ireland, has apologised over his previous ferocious negotiating stance on Brexit (Aaron Chown/PA)

Mr Baker, a former strident Brexiteer and member of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of MPs, said relations with Ireland are not where they should be, and added that ministers need to act with humility to restore relationships with the Republic and the EU.

Mr Varadkar said: It remains to be seen what the significance of them are, but they are very welcome comments and (I) would agree with the Taoiseach on that.

Asked about the political instability surrounding Ms Truss, he said the Irish Government does not concern itself with the UKs domestic politics.

Thats just not the way we operate, he said. Liz Truss is the Prime Minister, and the British Government is the British Government, and the European Union, including Ireland will negotiate with them and try and come to an agreement if we can.

We wont concern ourselves about any individual countrys domestic politics.

Legislation to enable the UK Government to effectively tear up parts of the protocol is to return to Westminster on October 11.

The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill has already cleared the House of Commons and will be debated at second reading by the House of Lords, which is expected to consider it at length, next week.
Liz Truss hailed Emmanuel Macron as a friend on Thursday, as the two countries signalled that a new agreement could be close to tackle small-boat crossings in the Channel.

The pair met at the first summit of the European Political Community in Prague, a gathering pushed for by the French president.

There, the pair said they looked forward to an ambitious package of measures this autumn to address issue of migration across the Channel.

And in a sign that Ms Truss hopes to improve relations with Mr Macron, she had no hesitation in labelling him a friend, just weeks after refusing to do so.

Then-foreign secretary Ms Truss was widely criticised after she declined to say whether Mr Macron was a friend or foe when asked during the Tory leadership contest.

Mr Macron later suggested it was a problem if Britain could not call itself a friend of France.

But Prime Minister Ms Truss adopted a different tone ahead of a meeting with Mr Macron in Prague on Thursday.

She told broadcasters: I work very, very closely with President Macron and the French government and what were talking about is how the UK and France can work more closely together to build more nuclear power stations and to make sure that both countries have energy security in the future.

Were both very clear the foe is Vladimir Putin, who has through his appalling war in Ukraine threatened freedom and democracy in Europe and pushed up energy prices which were now all having to deal with.

Asked if he was then a friend, Ms Truss said: He is a friend.

A group of people thought to be migrants walk up the beach in Dungeness, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA)

The bi-lateral meeting between the two leaders, which took place towards the end of the day, appeared to signal some progress on the issues of migration and energy, both areas Ms Truss had raised as priorities ahead of the summit.

Thank you for being here, Mr Macron told the PM when they met.

It also emerged that the two countries have agreed to hold a joint summit next year to take forward a renewed bilateral agenda, in a further sign of the desire for warmer relations between the two countries.

On migration, a joint statement said the leaders agreed to deepen cooperation on illegal migration within the bounds of international law, to tackle criminal groups trafficking people across Europe, ending in dangerous journeys across the Channel.

Liz Truss in Prague (Alistair Grant/PA)

PA news agency analysis of government figures shows 7,961 people arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in September.

As well as stressing a determination to provide all necessary support to Ukraine for as long as it takes to restore Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, the two leaders also discussed future co-operation on energy.

They confirmed the full support of the UK and French governments for the new nuclear power station at Sizewell and expect the relevant bodies to finalise arrangements in the coming month, the statement said.

The leaders committed to advance and increase UK-France civil-nuclear co-operation, including on innovation, infrastructure development and workforce skills, ahead of next years UK-France summit.

They further agreed to deepen co-operation on illegal migration within the bounds of international law, to tackle criminal groups trafficking people across Europe, ending in dangerous journeys across the Channel.

Interior ministers should conclude an ambitious package of measures this autumn.

Leaders agreed to reinforce co-operation with near neighbours, including through an early meeting of the Calais group.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are in Northern Ireland for a day-long visit to the region.

William and Kate are fulfilling a number of engagements with cross-community organisations that provide support to people from all backgrounds.

They began with a visit to suicide prevention charity PIPS in north Belfast.

The Prince of Wales talking to North Belfast MP John Finucane during a visit to PIPS charity (Liam McBurney/PA)

Lord mayor Tina Black and Sinn Fein MP for the constituency John Finucane were among those who welcomed the royal couple on arrival.

Inside, 12-year-old Elyse Quinn, the daughter of the charitys executive director Renee Quinn, presented the princess with a bouquet of flowers.

PIPS was founded in 2003 following the loss of 14 young people to suicide in Belfast over a short period of time the previous year.

Compelled to act, stakeholders from across the city came together to try to tackle the issue.

During their visit, William and Kate spoke with staff about their work helping people at risk of suicide and self-harm.

The charity also arranged for them to take part in an art therapy session, painting pumpkins, with some vulnerable children who have been supported by PIPS.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation has seen a significant rise in those reaching out for help.

That includes an increase of more than 500% among young people.

The Princess of Wales speaks to a volunteer during a visit to PIPS (Liam McBurney/PA)

At the close of their visit, the prince and princess joined a group of volunteer counsellors in packing up the charitys Little Boxes of Hope.

The support packages are given to children following their time with PIPS to assist their ongoing recovery and ensure that their parents and guardians feel better equipped to cope.

After the visit to PIPS, the couple travelled into Belfast city centre to view Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market where they took part in a spirited cocktail making race.

After William was declared winner, the couple heard more about the Trademarket enterprise which transformed a previously vacant site, aiming to showcase new businesses while also increasing footfall in a less visited area.

The Prince and Princess of Wales tasting drinks after a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket (Brian Lawless/PA)

They also met with representatives from Kainos, a Belfast-based software company provided the site for the market at a peppercorn rent.

The final visit of the day was to the town of Carrickfergus in Co Antrim.

The royal couple were greeted by cheering crowds who had lined the streets as they arrived to visit youth charity Carrick Connect which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties.
The daughter of a man who was detained in Iran for almost five years has cut her hair live on television in solidarity with female protesters in the Middle East country.

Elika Ashoori, the daughter of Anoosheh Ashoori, who was released from an Iranian prison alongside Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in March, cut her hair live on ITVs Lorraine on Thursday morning.

She cut her hair to show solidarity with thousands of Iranians who have taken to the streets in protest at the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by police in the capital Tehran for allegedly not adhering to Irans strict Islamic dress code.

Since Ms Aminis death, many Iranian women have shared videos and pictures of them cutting their hair or taking off their hijabs on social media.

A protester in Paris shows a portrait of Mahsa Amini during a demonstration to support Iranian protesters (Aurelien Morissard/AP)

Speaking on Lorraine, Ms Ashoori said: I have brought a pair of scissors today to show my solidarity to my sisters in Iran and this pales to the bravery that theyre showing in the streets, risking death.

So Im going to cut my hair as well, just to show that we are all behind you.

As she cut the other side of her hair, she added: This one is for what the European, US and UK governments need to do with their trade and deals with Iran.

They need to stop and cut everything. Just like that.

Ms Ashoori said that western governments should sanction Iranian government officials.

She said: We know that there have been sanctions on Iran but there needs to be sanctions on the officials of the government. Travel bans, freeze their assets, do not let them come to European countries, do not trade with them.

Because of the sanctions on Russia, the governments have gone to Iran for oil and they hope that with the nuclear deal actually happening they would then have an oil supply for the winter. But this is putting a Band-Aid on a wound that needs surgery.

She also called on the British public to show solidarity with Iranian women, saying: People need to not normalise pain and suffering in the Middle East.

People have become desensitised when they see news come from the Middle East.

They need to be enraged. They need to see what is happening to these girls as no different to what would happen anywhere in the world.

What if they were your sisters, your daughters, your mothers?

Ms Ashoori is the latest of many women who have cut their hair in solidarity with the protesters.

On Wednesday, Iranian-born Swedish MEP Abir Al-Sahlani cut off her ponytail during a speech in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

More than 50 high-profile French women, including actress Marion Cotillard and Julie Gayet, wife of former French president Francois Hollande, filmed themselves cutting their hair in a compilation video which appeared on Instagram on Wednesday morning.
YvanDube / iStock.com

Costco has 828 warehouses and 113.1 million member cardholders worldwide, and those members likely will attest to the same thing: Costco has quality products at consumer-friendly prices. Households in the U.S. shell out $60 a year for a Gold Star membership to take advantage of the warehouse prices on everything from milk to mattresses and dog food to diamonds.

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Among the favorites of customers are the store's house label Kirkland Signature offerings, which the Washington-based company says are designed to be "of equal of better quality than national brands" and include foods, household items, luggage and clothing.

But what's the real allure of some of Costco's products? What is the company's secret to success? Read on to learn more about 10 offerings at the warehouse and what makes them so special in customers' eyes.

Costco

Nuts

Costco shoppers are nutty about the store's nuts. So are the team members who source and purchase the products for the shelves. To bring a 2-pound bag of Kirkland Signature Heart Healthy Mixed Nuts, the buyers worked with suppliers of almonds, pistachios and walnuts in the San Joaquin Valley of California, and then turned to hazelnut suppliers in Turkey to find the finest quality of that nut to add to the mix, according to the Costco Connection magazine.And the nut prices are legendary. On the store's website, Kirkland Signature Unsalted Mixed Nuts are listed at $19.99 for 2 1/2 pounds. At Whole Foods, the 365 Everyday Value Roasted & Unsalted Deluxe Mixed Nuts cost $8.99 for 16 ounces. Buying them at Costco is like getting almost a half-pound for free.Take Our Poll: Do You Have an Emergency Fund Established?

JodiJacobson / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Cake

The Costco brass learned in mid-2020, shortly after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, not to mess with success. Or cake. For years, the Costco half-sheet cake has been immensely popular, but when the pandemic hit and big gatherings ceased, Costco pulled the under $20 cake from its offerings. Who needed a cake to serve 48? Americans revolted, started a petition drive through Change.org and got their beloved treat back. Fun fact: A Costco half-sheet cake weighs more than 9 pounds.

calimedia / Shutterstock.com

Alcohol

In most states, you can buy alcohol at Costco even if you don't have a membership, and people flock to the warehouses to take advantage of a high-quality product at a low price. Speculation long has abounded as to who makes Costco's Kirkland house brand wines and liquors, but actual manufacturers remain a mystery. In a February 2021 article, Thrillist tried mightily to come up with the answers, and its expert couldn't precisely name the manufacturer but compared several Kirkland products favorably with the biggest names in liquor.When it came to the Kirkland Signature Blended Canadian Whisky, for example, the expert surmised it was made by noted producer Crown Royal. The cost difference? A 1.75-liter bottle of Kirkland brand sells for $18.99, while a 750-milliliter bottle of Crown Royal starts at about $24.99 at discount retailers.

Rouzes / Getty Images

Pizza

If Costco were a pizza chain, it easily would fall within the top 20 in the United States based on sales volume. At just under $10 for a large 18-inch pizza, it's a delicious steal. Costco has mastered pizza-making efficiency, keeping the price down, but that efficiency also has led to consistency in taste.According to Kitchn, a daily online food magazine, a Costco pizza begins in a flattening machine, which presses the dough before it makes its way to the sauce robot for covering. Employees then cover it in mozzarella and provolone cheeses before the pizza hits the oven. Kitchn reported the pizza ovens need just six minutes for the finished product.

Costco

Olive Oil

Costco's olive oil has a cult following. Samin Nosrat, the host of "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat" on Netflix (and the writer of the book), told The Seattle Times in an interview in 2019 that the Kirkland brand organic extra-virgin olive oil is her go-to for everyday use. "It's really good!" she said.And also really affordable. A 2-liter (about 67 ounces) bottle of Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil costs $15.99 on the Costco website. At Trader Joe's, the Trader Giotto's Selezione Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil sells for $7.99 for 16.9 ounces.

Costco

Toilet Paper

Some of the enduring images of the early days of COVID-19's arrival in the United States  even before it was declared a pandemic  were the photos of Costco shoppers packing their carts with what would become a valuable commodity: toilet paper. They stocked up on a higher-quality paper at a value price; a New York Times analysis of toilet from February 2021 gave the Kirkland Signature brand high marks for wet strength, softness and cleaning power (it didn't fare as well for absorption). With the Delta variant causing continued COVID-19 concerns, in late September, Costco announced it would be limiting per-person sales of key items, including toilet paper, to maintain supply.

cihatatceken / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Tires

Costco is the tire store for many car owners, and Readers' Digest said there is a secret to the store's tire pricing: A different brand goes on sale each month. If the tire you want is available at a price you don't want to pay, wait a few months if you can. The Costco website also features offers to save you bundles on a set of four tires. A bonus if you buy tires here: Costco will repair flats and rotate tires at no cost as long as you have them.That could be a considerable saving, with flat repairs typically starting at about $15 and tire rotation costing $35 and up. Tires should be rotated, in general, every 6,000 to 8,000 miles.

Tim Boyle / Getty Images

Chicken

It really isn't a secret that Costco shoppers love the store's legendary $4.99 rotisserie chicken, and shoppers gobbled up about 101 million of them in 2020, Reader's Digest reported. Costco has steadfastly refused to raise the price on them through the years, even if it is taking a loss on each one sold. Reader's Digest reported the chain loses as much as $40 million per year on the chickens, but those chickens keep shoppers coming through the door. Who among us hasn't walked in for a $5 chicken and walked out with $100 worth of stuff in the cart?

Joel Carillet / iStock.com

Gift Cards

When is $40 worth $50? When you buy a Cinemark gift card through Costco's website. Members can spend $39.99 to purchase a $50 gift card for the theater chain, which can be used for admission tickets or refreshments. Costco has other great deals on gift cards, too, including a $50 card for Jiffy Lube for just $37.99 or a $50 card at sports retailer Fanatics for $39.99.

PeopleImages / Getty Images

Tech Support

When it comes to buying a computer, camera, home theater system, tablet or television, consumers have lots of choices of stores and online sites. But Costco has developed a following as the place to buy electronics for one reason: free tech support. The tech team is available from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. PT, seven days a week, to answer questions about setup or to troubleshoot problems. While tech support isn't necessarily a "product," its availability drives business to the store.More From GOBankingRatesThe Downsides of Retirement That Nobody Talks About

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Photo Disclaimer: Please note photos are for representational purposes only.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Secrets Behind These 10 Popular Costco Products
When President Joe Biden met Ray Murphy, the mayor of Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Wednesday, the two quickly discovered they had a lot in common. Maybe too much in common.

They got chummy very quickly, so much so that the president may have forgotten that television cameras and microphones were close enough to hear him tell the mayor: No one f---s with a Biden.

Biden made the remark as he was chatting with Murphy during his second storm-related trip this week, this time to survey Hurricane Ian's damage to the Fort Myers region, where Murphy has been mayor since 2020.

The president met with Murphy and other local officials and residents and delivered remarks at a joint news conference with the states Republican governor, Ron DeSantis.

It was not directed at anybody. It was just two guys talking, Murphy said in a phone interview shortly after Biden's remark went viral. It didnt faze me one bit. Thats just the way two guys talk to each other from our respective backgrounds.

President Joe Biden shakes hands with Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy as he tours the area impacted by Hurricane Ian, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. (Evan Vucci / AP)

Murphy said he had never met Biden before Wednesday, "which is remarkable, because we know a lot of the same people."

A college roommate of Murphys at Villanova University, for example, grew up in Biden's hometown, Scranton, Pennsylvania. Villanova is also the alma mater of first lady Jill Biden. As they dug deeper, Biden and Murphy found mutual connections in Rehoboth and Dewey Beach, Delaware. The Bidens have a house in Rehoboth.

It was one thing after another. We familiarized ourselves with each other. And to me, that was great, because hopefully they dont forget about us, Murphy said.

Murphy said he couldnt recall exactly what he might have said that led Biden to drop the bomb, as he put it. But he said he felt a kindred spirit when Biden said it.

Were both Irish Catholics. Were both devout Catholics. But every once and a while a little salty language comes out, Murphy said.

The White House declined to comment on Bidens hot mic remark.

Murphy is serving his second tour as mayor, having been elected to the Town Council in 2019 and then voted by the council to be mayor in 2020 and 2021. He had previously served on the Town Council for six years after the community incorporated in 1995, but he retired after six years.

He said he was drawn back into public service because of environmental issues, frustrated by the towns handling of red tide algae.

No sooner do I get elected and Covid broke [out]. And if Covid wasnt enough, now a hurricane, to boot, Murphy said. As the Irish would say, if we didnt have bad luck, we wouldnt have any luck.

Murphy said he has been pleased with the state and federal governments response so far but knows theres a long road ahead. He said he made just one simple ask of Biden during their private conversation: to help get us back on our feet, and well take it from there.
Hurricane Ian, which hit western Cuba last week with Category 3 force winds and brought devastating flooding to the western provinces of Pinar del Rio and Artemisa, damaged or destroyed more than 77,000 homes, Cuban authorities said.

According to the Office of the Presidency, 68,370 homes suffered damage in Pinar del Rio alone, including 7,664 that were totally destroyed by the storm, which made landfall on the provinces southern coast on Sept. 27 and spent several hours barreling over its territory. More than a thousand people remain in government shelters, the presidents office said on Twitter on Thursday.

More than a week later, most residents in Pinar del Rio still have no electricity. Cubas electric company has been able to restore service to about 20% of its clients in that province. Many also remain without running water, though authorities have not provided precise numbers.

In nearby Artemisa, where low coastal towns like Batabano suffered severe flooding, another 9,015 homes were damaged. Of those, 7,200 lost some or all of their roof, the presidents office reported. In some of the most heavily hit towns in Artemisa, like Bahia Honda, only a third of its residents have electricity.

Even in the capital, Havana, which was not directly in the path of Ians center, 1,227 homes suffered some damage, authorities said.

The figures come from a government meeting held on Wednesday to check recovery efforts, also reported by Cubas Communist Party newspaper Granma.

Despite the widespread devastation, the government said it would sell construction materials and other goods, such as mattresses, for the hurricane victims at half price. Authorities said they would also offer financing options and, in some cases, which must be verified by social workers, total subsidies. But the poor conditions of the private homes destroyed, many made of wood and zinc roofing, suggest these are vulnerable groups with little resources to buy what they need to rebuild. Cuba also has no home insurance system in place.

As Cubans demand freedom, Diaz-Canel says he will not tolerate illegitimate protests

In Havana, the site of multiple protests following days of blackouts resulting from the collapse of the countrys electrical grid after the storm, local authorities said most services are back to normal.

According to Justicia 11J, a group tracking arrests of activists and dissidents in Cuba, at least 28 people were arrested during the days-long demonstrations that started out asking for the restoration of electricity and quickly evolved to include political demands. Salome Garcia Bacallao, an activist with Justicia 11J, said one demonstrator, 38-year-old tattoo artist Jose Adalberto Fernandez Canizares, was beaten so badly by state security forces that he needed 37 stitches on his face and shoulder. After receiving medical treatment in a hospital in Havana, he was detained and charged with public disorder and contempt of authorities, she said.

"Aqui no ha venido nadie a saber de nosotros": pinarenos denuncian desatencion del gobierno.#SOSCuba pic.twitter.com/DCT5SGhdpN  Cubanet (@CubanetNoticias) October 4, 2022

Cuban leader Miguel Diaz-Canel warned protesters that their behavior was illegitimate and counterproductive, and hurting the very same people that were supposed to help with their problems.

But residents in some small rural communities in Pinar del Rio said government officials were a no-show and that authorities have done little to repair their homes or provide their residents with water, food and medical assistance.

The town is devastated, and no one has come here to ask us what happened to us, a resident in Punta de Cartas, a remote coastal community in San Juan y Martinez, in Pinar del Rio, told independent news outlet Cubanet.

The children are starving; they have nothing to eat, no bread, no milk, another woman said.

They were left with nothing: Cubans in Pinar del Rio face uncertain recovery after Hurricane Ian

A short documentary produced by Cubanet shows the towns residents carrying water tanks in horse-pulled wagons. They said they pumped it from an unsanitary well. Other residents are seen trying to fix some zinc roof tiles without nails, a man said.

What we want is for people to remember we are here, said another woman. That people live here.
At least 18 migrants dead in shipwreck off Greece's Lesbos Migrants shipwreck on the island of Lesbos

ATHENS (Reuters) -At least 18 people, most of them women, died when their vessel sank off the Greek island of Lesbos early on Thursday, the country's coastguard said, in the second maritime disaster involving migrants in the Aegean Sea in under a day.

The boat was carrying about 40 people, authorities said, citing people who had been rescued so far. Eighteen bodies were recovered, including a man and a boy, and 25 other people were rescued. The search for survivors was continuing under adverse weather conditions, the coast guard said.

The boat sank east of Lesbos, which lies close to Turkey's Aegean coast.

"Strong winds blowing in the area are making our work difficult," coast guard spokesman Nikos Kokkalas told state TV ERT earlier on Thursday.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaking from Prague as he arrived for the inaugural summit of the European Political Community, urged Europe to "work together, in a much more meaningful way," to prevent such incidents.

"And to completely neutralise the traffickers who are exploiting innocent people, desperate people, who are trying to reach the European continent on boats that are clearly not seaworthy," he said.

Greek authorities had on Wednesday rescued 80 migrants - among them 18 minors - whose boat sank in stormy waters near the island of Kythira in southern Greece.

Greece was on the front line of a European migration crisis in 2015 and 2016, when around a million refugees fleeing war and poverty in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan arrived in the country, mainly via Turkey.

The number of arrivals has fallen since then. But Greek authorities said they had recently seen an increase in attempted entries through the country's islands and Turkish land border.

On Thursday, Shipping Minister Ioannis Plakiotakis said Turkey was not preventing human traffickers from exploiting migrants and urged it to respect a 2016 deal with the European Union to keep refugees and migrants away from Europe.

"As long as the Turkish coast guard does not prevent their actions, traffickers will pile unfortunate people, without safety measures, into boats that cannot withstand the weather conditions," he said.

Turkey says it has ramped up measures to prevent people smuggling. Greece has faced repeated accusations from Ankara as well as from rights groups and the United Nations' Refugee Agency UNHCR of pushing back migrants and refugees and sinking their boats, something Athens denies.

(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos; Additional reporting Renee Maltezou, Karolina Tagaris and Deborah Kyvrikosaios. Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Peter Graff, John Stonestreet and Jane Merriman)
File photo of ambulance in Thailand. (Getty Images)

BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thirty-four people were killed in Thailand on Thursday in a gun and knife attack at a daycare centre by a former policeman who killed his wife and child before turning his weapon on himself, police said.

There were 22 children among the victims of the suspected attacker, who had been discharged from the service last year for drug-related reasons, district police official Chakkraphat Wichitvaidya told media.

He cited witnesses as saying the gunman was also seen wielding a knife.

About 30 children were at the centre when the gunman arrived, fewer than usual, as heavy rain had kept many people away, district official Jidapa Boonsom, who was working in a nearby office at the time, told Reuters.

"The shooter came in around lunch time and shot four or five officials at the childcare centre first," said Jidapa, adding that among them was a teacher who was eight months pregnant.

"At first people thought it was fireworks," she said.

The gunman then forced his way into a locked room where children were sleeping, Jidapa said, to kill children there with a knife.

Videos posted on social media showed sheets covering what appeared to be the bodies of children lying in pools of blood at the centre in the town of Uthai Sawan, 500 km (310 miles) northeast of Bangkok in the province of Nong Bua Lamphu.

Reuters could not immediately authenticate the footage.

Mass shootings are rare in Thailand, even though the rate of gun ownership is high compared with some other countries in the region, and illegal weapons are common.

In 2020, a soldier angry over a property deal gone sour killed at least 29 people and wounded 57 in a rampage that spanned four locations.
A farewell to one of the victims of the Sept. 26 shooting at School No. 88 in Izhevsk, Russia. (Dmitry Serebryakov / Associated Press)

When a gunman wearing a swastika on his T-shirt and a black balaclava burst into School No. 88 in the Russian city of Izhevsk on Sept. 26, panicked kids as young as 7 fled through the halls and stairwells or huddled in classrooms. The shooter killed 17 people  including 11 children  and wounded 24 before killing himself.

Its the same old story, Im sorry to say, that is so familiar in our own country. And when police finally reached the body of the gunman, they encountered another recognizable trope of school shootings everywhere: a direct reference to the massacre 23 years ago at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.

This time, they found braided cords labeled Dylan and Eric attached to two of the Izhevsk attackers pistols.

Those names must have been immediately recognizable even to Russian police. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris were the trenchcoated Columbine seniors who in 1999 shot dead 13 people and injured 24 others before killing themselves, in the infamous attack that made them role models and glorified antiheroes to far too many troubled young people.

Their cultural staying power has been extraordinary. The Columbine effect, as the wave of subsequent copycat attacks has been called, was identified soon after 1999. Like most people, Id heard of it and was aware that Klebold and Harris had achieved a macabre, folk-hero status among some would-be imitators.

But I wasnt aware of just how many attacks have been directly influenced by the two, or the degree to which they've gone global. Columbine has been been cited or studied by killers and plotters in Canada, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland, among other countries.

In February, the Russian state news agency Tass reported that the Russian Supreme Court had designated something called the Columbine movement as a terrorist organization. According to the New York Times, Russias prosecutor general described it as a decentralized group of gunmen that is coordinated using the capabilities of the internet. It has been banned.

Russian authorities connected two attacks to the movement, including a school shooting that killed nine people in Kazan in May 2021 and a university shooting in Perm in September 2021 in which six people were killed.

Of course, these attacks cant be entirely blamed on Columbine. The copycat phenomenon is only one piece of a complex equation. School shootings can be related to bullying and harassment. They can have roots in the consumption of violent media. In toxic, hyper-masculinity. In the availability of guns. In childhood trauma. In mental illness, often undiagnosed.

But theres no question that Columbine has helped inspire shooters for nearly 25 years.

Take Sebastian Bosse, who attacked his former school in Emsdetten, Germany, in 2006 wearing a long black coat and carrying two rifles, a pistol and homemade bombs. He wrote in his diary: Eric Harris is God!

Seung-Hui Cho, who killed 32 people at Virginia Tech in 2007, called Harris and Klebold martyrs and handed in an English paper saying he wanted to repeat Columbine.

Adam Lanza, who killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, was obsessed with Columbine, according to Connecticut investigators, and kept hundreds of documents and videos about it.

Kylian Barbey, 17, who injured eight people when he opened fire in 2017 at a high school in the southern French city of Grasse, had been watching videos of the Columbine killings shortly before his attack.

Those are just a few examples. By the 20th anniversary of Columbine in 2019, it had directly influenced dozens of plots and attacks around the world.

How did it become the model? Harris and Klebold werent the first school shooters, nor the last, nor even the most deadly. So what is it?

E. Fuller Torrey, founder of the Treatment Advocacy Center in Virginia, says Columbine was the first school shooting to become a giant, 24-hour-news-cycle story and therefore served as a historical marker for those that followed. It was well-documented by videos and writings by the perpetrators, which became available on the internet. Furthermore, Torrey said, Harris and Klebold did not present as psychopaths, yet they held the power of life or death over their schoolmates, including those who had ridiculed and bullied them, refused to date them or excluded them.

They were appealing to the losers of the world, Torrey told me.

Ralph Larkin, a sociology professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, says Klebold and Harris presented themselves in their manifestos as defenders of outcast students. Theyd been bullied and subjected to humiliation  accused of being gay, doused in ketchup, that sort of thing. They posted that they wanted to start a revolution of students, to rise up against their tormentors, something troubled students could relate to.

Harris and Klebold wrote the cultural script, Larkin says. They produced a paradigm that has been followed to this day.

Many people also blame the media, which aired weeks of relentless Columbine coverage and made the killers famous. Some people say news organizations shouldnt even report the names of mass killers because it encourages copycats.

These days, we  in the U.S., at least  live in a world of active shooter drills, school escape routes, lockable classroom doors and choke-point entrances. Teachers, classmates and parents are supposed to be on the alert for bullying and distress that could feed another shooter.

But the attacks continue. The Washington Post says there were more school shootings in 2021 than in any year since 1999, when it began to keep track.

My heart goes out to the people of Izhevsk. Their childrens deaths barely made our front pages last week, even though the gunman took at least some of his inspiration from our own twisted, demented example.

The Columbine cultural script continues to endanger us all today, here and abroad.

@Nick_Goldberg

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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.

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.
Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic in a time of unprecedented political polarization, some of the most heated races in the November election are occurring in an anomalous place: local school boards.

Across eight local districts, San Luis Obispo County voters will fill 19 school board seats, choosing from a competitive field of 47 candidates.

The crowded field follows schools being put under a magnifying glass after students spent the last two years working from home during distance learning, and then later returned to campuses with stringent  and controversial  health measures in place.

Those difficulties were then compounded as national discussions and reckonings on racism, gun control, LGBTQ+ rights and climate change reached boiling points.

In response, more parents began turning up at virtual meetings and in person to voice their concerns regarding their kids education, sometimes coalescing through activist groups such as Moms for Liberty.

After some districts saw recall efforts and meetings devolve into shouting matches with police being called over topics such as mask policies, history curricula and protections for LGBTQ+ students, a few of those parents are now running for seats on the dais.

And theyre bringing pointed critiques with them, some taking clear partisan stances and even calling out districts for the so-called indoctrination of children.

The result has left voters with choices in this election that, depending on the outcome, could drastically shift the direction of school boards for years to come.

The Tribune spoke with or received written testimony from 27 of the school board candidates running for election this November. We asked why they were running, whether they thought school boards should be nonpartisan bodies and what their positions are on topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic recovery, LGBTQ+ rights, classroom curricula and books in the school libraries.

Why some school board candidates are running

Some candidates noted they were called to run for the board over a specific event or issue that occurred over the past few years.

Adrienne Garcia-Specht, for example, said she was compelled to run for Cuesta Colleges board of trustees when the incumbent, Pete Sysak, was censured and asked to resign by the board after posts to his Facebook page were made public. The now-deleted posts were called racist, homophobic, misogynistic, xenophobic and anti-immigrant by critics, and the board deemed them to be offensive, disrespectful, demeaning social media posts that violated the trustee role, according to the boards December 2020 censure resolution.

Im bringing a fresh perspective that is very informed by the current challenges that colleges are facing, that students are facing, that faculty and staff are facing, said Garcia-Specht, a Latina and financial aid counselor at Cal Poly. I think I bring compassion to the board, and a sense of professionalism that the board needs right now.

When asked about that 2020 controversy, Sysak told The Tribune that the California Community College Chancellors Office asked each college to adopt certain diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and he supported some elements of that.

Both of the Cuesta board of trustees candidates are strong advocates for expanding the community colleges programs to the more southern reaches of the county.

Somewhat similarly, Sondra Williams, a candidate for Paso Robles Joint Unifieds school board, said she was running because of the political controversies that arose in the North Countys board over the past few years. She noted that these have interfered with the boards typical agenda items.

I am invested in the success of these students, she wrote in response to Tribune questions. I am tired of letting national politics govern more of our school boards time than actually serving our children. We owe it to our students and our educators to actually discuss issues and plans relevant to their success.

Other San Luis Obispo County school board candidates said they have felt compelled to run against incumbents because of what they described to be a lack of communication between the board, community and school district administration. Candidates said they felt it was important that school board members have kids in the district.

I want to be that bridge between the community, families and the school district, said Loren Leidinger who has a daughter at Morro Bay High School and is running against longtime incumbent Marilyn Rodger for a seat on the San Luis Coastal Unified School District board of trustees. It is time that the school board represent those with current and recent experience on the ground at the schools.

Rodger, whose kids graduated from the district well over a decade ago and has served on the board for 20 years, said shes running again because she brings longtime experience on the board and her perspective as a blue-collar worker.

I have consistently represented the desires of families like mine, working families, that have a lot of hopes for their kids, and they want their education to be good, and they want the best for them, Rodger said. They may not be able to be really participatory because theyre working one or two jobs, but they need representation. Those kids need it. And I hope that I have been their voice.

Another new candidate, Gary Joralemon, who is running for a seat against longtime incumbent Colleen Martin on Lucia Mar Unifieds board of trustees, noted that he has been asked by some community members to run in the past, but it never felt like the right time until now.

I think most of us would acknowledge that fresh eyes on the problem are usually a good thing, Joralemon said. The parents who approached me clearly felt dismissed and disrespected by the current board.

Martin, who was one of the candidates who community members attempted to recall from the board in 2021, wrote to The Tribune that she is running again because her leadership has made a difference.

I know I have the knowledge and experience to make the best decisions to move Lucia Mar forward as a welcoming district that serves all students and families and encourages them to reach their highest potential, she wrote. I will not be dissuaded by bullies trying to intimidate me and will work to represent all children no matter their circumstances.

Should school boards remain nonpartisan bodies?

All of the candidates interviewed by The Tribune said school boards should remain non-partisan bodies. Many noted that the purpose of the board is to help provide students with a better education, and that education should remain the sole focus  not political agendas.

But thats not always the case.

They can stay nonpartisan bodies, and all that really means is you dont have an R or a D or something like that behind your name when you appear on the ballot, said Paso Robles Joint Unified School District incumbent candidate Chris Arend. Our political interests are going to play a role. Not really partisan political interest, but political philosophies will obviously play a role in the school district as weve seen.

Arend is running against Peter Byrne and Jim Cogan.

Byrne did not return any Tribune requests for comment. However, he sent out a flier in the mail to voters in his district that, in bold font, said one of his goals was to stop the LGBTQ+ indoctrination of students and remove the LGBTQ section in the library.

Other goals Byrne emphasized include having the school board vote to not allow any references to or training for transsexual conversion, including chemical or surgical castration, mastectomies or similar procedures, his flier said.

He also wishes vaccinations for COVID-19 or COVID-related infections to be voluntary, and to restrict the teachers union from having any input in forming school administration policy.

Cogan noted that he thinks the school board should remain nonpartisan and said its important to find the common ground that everyone can agree on.

That common ground is going to be on the basis that our kids need the best education they can get, he said. And that starts by ensuring everyone feels welcome, supported and is not negatively impacted by our board.

Concern over indoctrination of students

The consistent concern of indoctrination of students was clear in some school board candidates written testimonies to The Tribune.

The school is not to be used for partisan politics, exposing children to controversial lifestyle choices or for social experimentation, wrote Atascadero Unified candidate Rebekah Koznek. Our schools are going backwards in quality, taxpayers are being cheated and, frankly, home values are negatively affected by the perception of the ranking of the school. The library should have books that are free from inappropriate content and are reflective of the traditional American values that the vast majority of Atascadero voters support. If outside influences want to indoctrinate students, it should not be at the taxpayers expense.

Others noted that they want parents to have more control over their kids educations to ensure indoctrination was not happening.

Jennifer Grinager, a candidate for Templeton Unifieds school board, wrote to The Tribune that she would advocate for parents needs and make sure the board is free from ideological influence, outside influence and groups attempting to indoctrinate students into making choices that they are too young and inexperienced to make.

I am extremely concerned because there has been national news of pornographic and sexually charged curriculum in the schools, she wrote in response to Tribune questions. People in Templeton have felt that is not going to happen here, but we need to safeguard our kids and be on the alert. As a board member I would make sure there is transparency, parents are involved and that any inappropriate material is brought to the forefront.

Running for a seat on the Paso Robles school board, Laurene McCoy, who did not respond to Tribune questions, has expressed her discomfort regarding books with LGBTQ+ characters in the library during board meetings.

There are books in our library system that are very damaging to our childrens psychological growth, and I feel as though its not right, she said at an Aug. 23 Paso Robles school board meeting. These books need to be moved out of the library.

However, others told The Tribune they trust school staff and librarians to make informed and smart choices on curriculum and library books.

Our curriculum is vetted by our education professionals, approved by the state and the community is given a chance to review before it is implemented, said Matt Allison, another candidate for Templeton Unifieds board. What I am concerned about is the book-banning movements backed by organizations such as Moms for Liberty. The vast majority of the books targeted for removal by Moms for Liberty and other groups feature characters of color, discuss race and racism in American history, and include LGBTQ+ identities.

It is clear that these book-banning movements are driven by political and ideological agendas, he continued. We should allow our schools the freedom to provide these books, within the confines of our approved curriculum, and our students the freedom to access these books.

Grinager is chair for the San Luis Obispo chapter of Moms for Liberty, while Koznek is co-chair. The national organization aims to defend parental rights at all levels of government, its website says.

Are schools doing enough to support LGBTQ+, students of color and other marginalized students?

There was also divide among the candidates about whether their school districts were doing enough to support LGBTQ+ students, students of color and other marginalized groups.

Many candidates simply noted that there is always more to do to help those students.

Its about doing more and doing it correctly  and it shouldnt be just a one-time thing, it needs to be ongoing, said Atascadero Unified candidate Tracy Ellis-Weit. Teaching racial equity and history, supporting LGBTQ+ and marginalized students in the TK-12 curriculum is critical in creating a school climate that is tolerant and respectful of diversity.

Roxana Maldonado, a candidate for a seat on Lucia Mar Unifieds board of trustees, wrote to The Tribune that the district should focus on providing more mental health resources for historically marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ students and students of color.

She added that while the district makes decisions, it should work to include all stakeholders in the process, that means greater efforts at community outreach and hiring interpreters who speak English, Spanish and Mixteco, she wrote.

Jim Irving, a candidate for Paso Robles school board, wrote to The Tribune that he wasnt sure if more support for marginalized students at the district is needed, though I believe students may need safe havens to discuss their concerns.

Tami Gunther, an incumbent candidate for the Atascadero Unified board, wrote a similar response to The Tribunes questions, noting that there is always more her district could be doing to support marginalized students.

One thing I would like to see is expanded use of student advisory groups to help us understand the concerns our students have, and how we might be able to address those concerns, she wrote.

Some candidates argued that certain groups of students shouldnt be given special treatment, even though they may belong to marginalized groups.

There is no need to single out and separate groups. We need to really be inclusive in the true sense of the word, unite people and treat all people as equal, Koznek wrote to The Tribune. Treating people as victims only reinforces marginalization, it does not improve their chances at success in life. We just need to make sure that all the students have the best resources to guarantee their academic success, which includes making sure their mental health is considered as well.

Other candidates gave similar responses to Koznek. They didnt expressly say whether LGBTQ+ students, students of color and other marginalized students should have more support at the district for which they are running for school board.

I believe our district needs to provide the academic resources needed for ALL of our students to be successful, wrote Atascadero Unified candidate Denise McGrew Kane in response to Tribune questions. When it comes to matters outside of academics, I believe in the Golden Rule and that we should always encourage our children to be kind, empathetic, and most importantly, treat others how they would like to be treated if they were in their shoes.

That statement was largely echoed by Daevin Thomas, an incumbent candidate for Lucia Mar Unifieds school board, in his response to Tribune questions.

He wrote that he is focused on having representation of all voices in policies and strategies of the district.

School board candidate forums

School board candidates will be participating in a couple of forums in the coming weeks.

The Paso Robles school districts forum was on Sept. 28. You can watch a recording at bit.ly/3RMUQpa.

Templeton Unified candidates will hold their forum on Wednesday, Oct. 12, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Vineyard Elementary School.

And Atascadero Unified candidates will have a forum on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 19.
This image from video released by the City of Uvalde, Texas shows Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Crimson Elizondo responding to a shooting at Robb Elementary School, on May 24, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. The former Texas state trooper under investigation for the law enforcement response to the deadly school shooting in Uvalde has been hired by the school district as a campus police officer. (City of Uvalde via AP)

UVALDE, Texas (AP)  Following new outrage by Uvalde parents, school officials Thursday abruptly fired a former Texas state trooper who was on scene of the Robb Elementary School massacre and then hired by the school district after the shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers.

The firing came after CNN reported that Crimson Elizondo, who resigned from the Texas Department of Public Safety after the May 24 attack, was hired by the Uvalde school district following one of the deadliest classroom shootings in U.S. history.

Elizondo was among more than 90 state troopers  and nearly 400 law enforcement officers in all  who rushed to Robb Elementary during the massacre but waited more than hour to confront a gunman with an AR-15-style rifle shooting inside a fourth-grade classroom.

In police body camera footage, CNN reported, Elizondo is heard telling other officers at the scene of Robb Elementary: If my son had been in there, I would not have been outside. I promise you that.

Elizondo, whose profile was on the Uvalde school district's website Thursday morning, had been removed by the afternoon.

We sincerely apologize to the victim's families and the greater Uvalde community for the pain that this revelation has caused," the district said in a statement.

The statement did not address whether Uvalde school officials knew Elizondo was on the scene of the attack or her involvement. A district spokesperson did not immediately return messages Thursday.

Hours before the firing, families had gathered outside the Uvalde Independent School Districts administrative office to protest the hiring.

We are disgusted and angry at Uvalde Consolidated Independent School Districts (UCISD) decision to hire Officer Crimson Elizondo. Her hiring puts into question the credibility and thoroughness of UCISDs HR and vetting practices, a statement from some of the victims' families said. "And it confirms what we have been saying all along: UCISD has not and is not in the business of ensuring the safety of our children at school.

In July, a damning report cited egregiously poor decision making by law enforcement officers who waited more than an hour before confronting the 18-year-old gunman. The campus police chief, Pete Arredondo, was fired in August.

State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, whose district includes Uvalde, said Elizondo's hiring slapped this community in the face.

A DPS trooper was on scene within two minutes of the shooter and failed to follow training, protocol, and the duty they were sworn to," he said. Peoples children died because DPS officials failed to do their job.

A DPS spokesperson did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Thursday.

___

For more AP coverage of the Uvalde school shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting
What if he didnt have a gun?

What if it wasnt so easy to squeeze a trigger?

What if the bullet had gone more toward her heart?

The what ifs will be running through the minds of those close to a Lexington County shooting victim and her husband, who killed himself after shooting his wife.

A question South Carolina residents and policymakers should be asking is what if we reduced access to guns?

The States Noah Feit reported on the case of 70-year-old William P. Burrow of Gilbert, who shot his wife and turned the gun on himself Tuesday. She was hospitalized with serious injuries and was in stable condition as of Wednesday morning, investigators said. Deputies found Burrows body near the edge of some woods not far from the house where he shot his wife.

The shootings lay bare the issues of domestic violence and suicide facing South Carolina and shows that gun access connects both.

South Carolina has historically had one of the highest rates of domestic violence and women being killed by men, according to studies by the Violence Policy Center. In 2019, South Carolina ranked 6th among states in the rate of women killed by men, though the rate has decreased in recent years.

In 2020, a gun was used in 79% of the domestic violence killings of women by men in South Carolina, the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA) reported.

In this country, guns and domestic violence are inextricably linked, said Sara Barber, executive director of SCCADVASA.

Among high income countries, the United States has an extremely disproportionate amount of homicides of women, she said.

Lax gun restrictions at the federal level factor into homicides of women, and we know South Carolina has even less restrictive gun laws, Barber said. Guns are also used as an ongoing part of emotional and physical abuse.

Beyond the numbers and statistics, ask yourself this. If South Carolina can do more to stop women from being killed by domestic violence, should it?

The answer should be a resounding yes.

The boyfriend loophole is wide open in South Carolina. The states domestic violence laws only apply to spouses, ex-spouses, men and women living together or to people who have a child together. A woman being abused by a boyfriend who doesnt live with her isnt afforded the protections of SCs domestic violence laws, which can restrict gun ownership by the abuser.

South Carolina lawmakers should remove all conditions that allow a person convicted of domestic violence or under a restraining order to own guns. As is, South Carolina law allows people convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence to own guns if a judge doesnt prohibit it.

While federal law bars gun ownership for anyone convicted of domestic violence, South Carolina police cant enforce federal law. South Carolina needs stronger gun restrictions for domestic violence offenders so local and state police can enforce those laws.

South Carolina also has no red flag laws which would allow police to confiscate weapons from people who pose an extreme risk of harming others.

Not only does South Carolina suffer high rates of fatal domestic violence shootings, the state also has high rates of suicides by guns.

While homicide shootings in neighborhoods and public places draw greater attention, more people in South Carolina were killed by suicide involving guns than homicides involving guns every year from 2010 to 2020, according to two studies. South Carolina has a higher suicide-by-gun rate than the national average.

Preventing suicide is complex and multi-faceted but restricting access to guns can be key.

In a plan to reduce suicides by 20% from 2018 to 2025, a coalition of suicide prevention groups supported by the state Department of Mental Health said: Firearm owners are not more suicidal than non-firearm owners; rather, their suicide attempts are more likely to be fatal. Many suicide attempts are made with little planning during a short-term crisis period. If highly lethal means are less available and temporarily postpone their attempt, the odds are increased that they will survive.

Whatever actions can be taken to restrict access to guns, promote safety locks and safe storage, South Carolina policymakers should take those actions.

Could these changes and strategies have prevented this weeks shooting and suicide in Lexington County? Nobody can say that definitively, but its clear a gun was used. The state needs to listen to organizations that study shooting deaths and their recommendations and highly consider enacting some of those policies.

What if gun violence affects you or someone you know next? Will you say to yourself that South Carolina has done enough?
The Northern Ireland Protocol as it was originally designed is a little too strict, Irelands deputy premier has said.

Leo Varadkar said the protocol was working despite it not being fully implemented, demonstrating there is room for further flexibility for some changes.

He added that a window of opportunity now exists for agreement to be reached between the EU and the UK.

His remarks come as negotiations between officials on the protocol are due to get under way later today.

The European Commission earlier this week confirmed the two sides will meet for technical level talks.

A meeting between Irelands Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is scheduled to take place in London this evening ahead of Mr Coveney co-chairing a British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris on Friday.

Speaking in Dublin, Mr Varadkar said: We should not forget that the protocol is working. It was designed to prevent a hard border between north and south, and there is no hard border between north and south.

It was designed to protect the integrity of the single market and it has, and also the Northern Ireland economy is outperforming the rest of the UK economically.

But one thing that I would concede is that perhaps the protocol, as it was originally designed, was a little too strict.

The protocol has not been fully implemented and yet it is still working.

I think that, you know, demonstrates that there is some room for further flexibility for some changes that hopefully would make it acceptable to all sides.

Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris will co-chair a British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (Niall Carson/PA)

The protocol was agreed by the UK and EU as part of the Withdrawal Agreement and sought to avoid a hard border with Ireland post-Brexit.

But the arrangements have created trade barriers on goods being shipped from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

The protocol is vehemently opposed by many unionists in Northern Ireland and the DUP is currently blocking the formation of a powersharing executive in Belfast in protest.

Mr Varadkar said an agreement would be very beneficial as it would allow for the restoration of powersharing in Northern Ireland.

Stormont collapsed earlier this year amid a row over the protocol and has not returned despite elections in May.

Steve Baker, the UKs minister for Northern Ireland, apologised over his previous ferocious negotiating stance on Brexit (Aaron Chown/PA)

Speaking after an industrial relations conference at University College Dublin, Mr Varadkar also told reporters: There is a window of opportunity now over the next couple of weeks to see if we can come to an agreement on the protocol.

That would be very beneficial for Ireland and Northern Ireland because it would allow us to get the executive up and running, and could be helpful for Britain as well in economic terms.

The Tanaiste welcomed the UKs Northern Ireland Minister Steve Bakers apology over his previous ferocious negotiating stance on Brexit but said it would remain to be seen if they would prove to be significant.

Mr Baker, a former strident Brexiteer and member of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of MPs, said relations with Ireland are not where they should be, and added that ministers need to act with humility to restore relationships with the Republic and the EU.

Mr Varadkar said: It remains to be seen what the significance of them are, but they are very welcome comments and (I) would agree with the Taoiseach on that.

Asked about the political instability surrounding UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, he said the Irish Government does not concern itself with the UKs domestic politics.

Thats just not the way we operate. Liz Truss is the Prime Minister, and the British government is the British government, and the European Union, including Ireland will negotiate with them and try and come to an agreement if we can, he said.

We wont concern ourselves about any individual countrys domestic politics.

Legislation to enable the UK Government to effectively tear up parts of the protocol is to return to Westminster on October 11.

The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill has already cleared the House of Commons and will be debated at second reading by the House of Lords, which is expected to consider it at length, next week.
The parents of a brain-damaged baby who tried to breathe after doctors said he was dead have failed in appeal bids after losing the latest stage of a life-support treatment fight and are devastated, a lawyer has said.

A High Court judge recently ruled that ending life-support treatment is lawful and in the five-month-old boys best interests.

Mr Justice Poole, who reconsidered evidence at the latest in a series of hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London, said treatment is futile.

Solicitor Amy Rowe, who represents the couple and works for law firm Dawson Cornwell, said appeal judges refused to overturn Mr Justice Pooles decision.

The couple made written applications to the Court of Appeal in London and the European Court of Human Rights in France, but both bids had been rejected, Ms Rowe said.

A High Court judge oversaw a private trial but allowed reporters to attend (PA)

She told the PA news agency: My clients and their family are understandably devastated.

The couple lost an earlier High Court fight; Mr Justice Poole oversaw a second trial after they successfully appealed.

Lawyers representing Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, which is responsible for the boys care, had asked for decisions about what moves are in his best interests.

The boy, who will be six months old on Friday and is in a specialist unit at a London hospital, was found unresponsive in June, judges have heard.

Doctors said his brain was starved of oxygen for over 30 minutes and he suffered devastating brain damage.

Specialists said the boy, who is on a ventilator, has no prospect of recovering. They said he should be taken off the ventilator and given palliative care.

The boys parents, who are Muslims of Bangladeshi origin, urged the judge to give him more time to make progress or for Allah to intervene.

Mr Justice Poole oversaw a private hearing but allowed reporters to attend.

He said the case can be reported but neither the boy nor medics involved in his care can be identified in media coverage.

He was told the boys parents were interviewed by police after evidence suggested he suffered what appeared to be non-accidental injuries.

No charges had been brought but the couple remained under investigation.

The boy was declared dead in June after doctors diagnosed him as brain-stem dead, the judge heard.

He remained on a ventilator because his parents were unhappy with the diagnosis and litigation had begun.

A nurse subsequently noticed him trying to breathe.

Another High Court judge, Mr Justice Hayden, had earlier decided that treatment should end.

The parents represented themselves at a trial overseen by Mr Justice Hayden.

Appeal judges concluded that Mr Justice Hayden should have adjourned the trial to give them time to find lawyers.

Barristers Victoria Butler-Cole KC and Arianna Kelly, and Dawson Cornwell, represented the couple free of charge at the trial overseen by Mr Justice Poole.

:: The mother of a severely disabled five-year-old girl is embroiled in a High Court life-support treatment fight.

Doctors say ending treatment is in the youngsters best interests. The girls mother disagrees.

Mr Justice Hayden began considering evidence at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court on Wednesday.

The Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, in London, has responsibility for her care and bosses have asked for a ruling on what moves are in her best interests.

Mr Justice Hayden said the girl, who is receiving ventilation, cannot be identified in media reports.

A judge is due to oversee a trial on Friday.

Mr Justice Hayden has overseen a number of child life-support treatment cases in recent months.

In July, he ruled that doctors could lawfully stop providing life-support treatment to a 12-year-old boy who suffered brain damage in an incident at home in Southend, Essex, in April.

Archie Battersbee died after his mother, Hollie Dance, and father, Paul Battersbee, failed in bids to overturn Mr Justice Haydens ruling.
The first planned blackouts in decades might hit parts of the country this winter if power plants cannot get enough gas to keep running, the body that oversees Britains electricity grid has warned.

Households are being encouraged to help avoid blackouts, save money and back Britain by using more energy during off-peak times.

In what it called an unlikely scenario, the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) said that households and businesses might face planned three-hour outages to ensure that the grid does not collapse.

Planned blackouts hit the UK during the 1970s in response to the miners strikes and the oil crisis. There have also been major unplanned outages in storms, including in 1987 when over 1.5 million people were left in the dark.

But the lights will stay on this winter unless the gas-fired power plants that produced 43% of Britains electricity over the last year cannot get enough gas to continue operating.

It is the most dire of three possible scenarios that the ESO laid out on Thursday for how Britains electricity grid might cope with the worst global energy crisis for decades.

In the other two scenarios, the operator hopes that by paying people to charge their electric cars at off-peak times and firing up backup coal plants it can offset the risk of blackouts.

The margins between peak demand and power supply are expected to be sufficient and similar to recent years in the National Grid Electricity System Operators (ESO) base case scenario for this winter.

But in the face of the challenging winter facing European energy supplies following Russias invasion of Ukraine, the grid operator is also planning for what would happen if there were no imports of electricity from Europe.

To tackle a loss of imports from France, Belgium and the Netherlands, there are two gigawatts of coal-fired power plants on stand-by to fire up if needed to meet demand.

National Grid Gas Transmission separately said that while gas demand will increase this winter, it expects Britain to be able to get enough gas to take it through a Beast from the East scenario or a long, cold winter.

People are being encouraged to sign up with their electricity supplier to a scheme which will give them money back on their bills to shift their use of power away from times of high demand to help prevent blackouts.

Households tend to consume a fifth of their daily energy between 4pm and 7pm, according to data from Ovo Energy. The supplier on Thursday said its customers could save 100 if they signed up to use energy at off-peak times.

In addition, larger businesses will be paid for reducing demand, for example by shifting their times of energy use or switching to batteries or generators in peak times.

The demand flexibility service will run from November to March, and it is expected to swing into action 12 times whatever happens to ensure people get rewarded for being part of the scheme  with additional use if needed to protect supplies.

It is hoped it will deliver 2GW of power savings to balance supply and demand.

The ESOs director of corporate affairs, Jake Rigg, said: The demand flexibility service is a first of its kind and a smart way for signed-up consumers in homes and businesses to save money and back Britain.

If you put your washing machine or other electrical appliances on at night instead of the peak in the early evening, you can get some money back when we all need it.

The service is due to launch in November, so watch out for further details soon. This really is a window into the future where a flexible energy system will be cleaner and lower cost to alternatives.

Without the scheme, there might be days when it was cold and still  creating high demand and low levels of wind power  when there would be a potential need to interrupt supply to some customers for limited periods, National Grid ESOs winter outlook said.

The ESO also warned that if there is not enough gas to keep the countrys power stations going in January it could force distributors to cut off electricity to households and businesses for three-hour blocks during the day.

In the unlikely event we were in this situation, it would mean that some customers could be without power for pre-defined periods during a day  generally this is assumed to be for three-hour blocks, the ESO said.

It said the number of people left without electricity would depend on how many gas power stations would be forced to shut down because there is not enough gas.

While the ESO does not see any material reduction of consumer demand due to high energy prices, households are expected to slash their gas use, according to National Grid Gas Transmission.

Gas power plants are expected to use around a fifth (22%) more gas this winter, according to the outlook from the Gas Transmission arm of National Grid.

This is because there will probably be less electricity imported from France, Belgium and the Netherlands over the cold months.

Some of the extra electricity generated by burning gas in the UK will be exported to mainland Europe to help keep the lights on there.

The gas operator set out several scenarios, including one where the winter is so cold it pushes demand to similar levels as in the winter of 2010.

If this happens Britain will need to start importing gas from storage sites in mainland Europe at high prices.

If another Beast from the East hits the UK will need to tap into its own gas storage sites.

If the cold snap happens early in the winter when storage sites are still relatively full they can supply all of the extra gas needed.

But if it happens later in winter when storage levels are low the UK will need to import more gas from the continent.

Responding to the winter outlook, a Government spokesperson said: The UK has a secure and diverse energy system.

To strengthen this position further, we have put plans in place to secure supply and National Grid, working alongside energy suppliers and Ofgem, will launch a voluntary service to reward users who reduce demand at peak times.

The spokesperson said Britain is not dependent on Russian energy imports, and has access to North Sea gas reserves, imports from Norway, and via ports which can handle liquefied natural gas, as well as clean energy sources.

Energy regulator Ofgem said: We have one of the most reliable energy systems in the world and we are in a favourable position.

However, it is incumbent on a responsible and prudent energy sector to ensure the right contingency measures are in place.
Liz Truss pitched the UK as a key ally in Europe in the fight against authoritarianism, as she spoke with key European leaders at a crunch summit in Prague.

The Prime Minister, who has endured a difficult few days after a Conservative Party conference dominated by internal division and backbench opposition to some of her key policies, landed in the Czech capital on Thursday for a day of diplomatic catch-ups and key bilateral meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders.

It is understood that Ms Truss used a five-minute speaking slot to stress the UKs commitment to Ukraine and to urge her fellow leaders to seek out more resilient energy supplies.

She will later meet Mr Macron, as well as Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, with Ms Truss expected to focus on migration and progress on joint operations to disrupt people-trafficking gangs.

Ms Truss also had a brief chat with Irish Premier Micheal Martin ahead of the summits plenary session, amid hopes in Brussels and Dublin of a change of tack by the UK over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Her first meeting was with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala came early in the day, at which No 10 said the pair noted opportunities for future collaboration on securing long-term energy supplies, while she also thanked him for attending the funeral of the Queen in London last month.

According to No 10, the pair said they were also in strong agreement on the need for like-minded European democracies to present a united front against Russian president Vladimir Putins brutality towards Ukraine.

It is understood that Ms Truss used the post-communist history of the Czech Republic and the example of its first president Vaclav Havel, to impress upon her fellow leaders the need to stand up for freedom when she spoke earlier.

Prime Minister Liz Truss with prime minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala, at Kramars Villa, his official residence (Alistair Grant/PA)

Ms Trusss presence in Prague has also attracted the interest of the European media, given the UKs frosty relations with the EU in recent years and the ongoing row over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Are you happy to be in Europe, Prime Minister? one reporter shouted at her as she walked into the gothic building hosting the summit.

She did not speak to the media when she arrived at the grand surroundings of Prague Castle, where she was greeted by Mr Fiala.

Prime Minister Liz Truss arrives for the European Political Community summit at Prague Castle (Alistair Grant/PA)

Even in Prague, Ms Truss could not escape from some of the turmoil in the Conservative Party, as former Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries, a backer of hers during the leadership race, warned that the Prime Minister must change course or risk leading the Tories to a landslide defeat at the next general election.

Ms Dorries told The Times: I understand that we need to rocket-booster growth but you dont do that by throwing the baby out with the bathwater. You dont win elections by lurching to the right and deserting the centre ground for Keir Starmer to place his flag on.

If we continue down this path, we absolutely will be facing a Stephen Harper-type wipeout. Im sure shes listened and will stop and rethink.

Former Canadian prime minister Mr Harper lost power to Justin Trudeau in the 2015 election.

It was also reported the Conservatives have stopped working with Isaac Levido, the Australian political strategist who played a key role in the Tory election win in 2019.

Lee Cain, former communications chief to Ms Trusss predecessor Boris Johnson, said it was a monumental error given that Mr Levido helped spearhead the best election campaign in decades.
Liz Truss will call for unity from European leaders to address the fundamental causes of energy and migration challenges as she attempts to move beyond splits within her party.

The Prime Minister will attend a summit of European leaders in Prague on Thursday, with French president Emmanuel Macron among those she is expected to meet.

Ms Truss travels to the Czech Republic for the meeting of the European Political Community after a difficult Conservative Party conference dominated by internal division and backbench opposition to some of her key policies.

Nadine Dorries supported Liz Trusss campaign to be Conservative Party leader (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

Conservative former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries, a backer of Ms Truss during the leadership race, warned that the PM needs to change course or risk leading the Tories to a landslide defeat at the next general election.

Ms Dorries told The Times: I understand that we need to rocket-booster growth but you dont do that by throwing the baby out with the bathwater. You dont win elections by lurching to the right and deserting the centre ground for Keir Starmer to place his flag on.

If we continue down this path, we absolutely will be facing a Stephen Harper-type wipeout. Im sure shes listened and will stop and rethink.

Former Canadian prime minister Mr Harper lost power to Justin Trudeau in the 2015 election.

It was also reported the Conservatives have stopped working with Isaac Levido, the Australian political strategist who played a key role in the Tory election win in 2019.

Lee Cain, former communications chief to Ms Trusss predecessor Boris Johnson, said it was a monumental error given that Mr Levido helped spearhead the best election campaign in decades.

Ms Truss is expected to meet Mr Macron for a bilateral meeting on Thursday after holding talks with him during a UN summit in New York last month.

Downing Street said Ms Trusss talks with Mr Macron and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte will focus on migration and aim to secure progress on joint operations to disrupt people-trafficking gangs.

No 10 added that the Prime Minister will encourage countries to act more quickly to end Europes reliance on Russian energy supplies in light of its invasion of Ukraine.

Ms Truss is expected to tell the opening plenary session in Prague: Europe is facing its biggest crisis since the Second World War. And we have faced it together with unity and resolve.

We must continue to stand firm  to ensure that Ukraine wins this war, but also to deal with the strategic challenges that it has exposed.

Ms Truss will seek to stress the UKs role in European matters  including Ukraine  despite leaving the EU, Downing Street said.

The Prime Minister will say: The threat was left to fester for far too long. Now, at last, we are tackling Putins aggression head on.

And we should take the same approach with other challenges before us  including long-standing regional issues like energy and migration.

Instead of the old approach which merely dealt with the symptoms, its time to address the fundamental causes.

Ms Truss is expected to join Czech premier Petr Fiala for a working lunch.

As foreign secretary she was a sceptic of the planned summit, so her decision to attend has caused some surprise.
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
The Prince of Wales earned a slightly controversial victory in Belfast in a race against his wife to make the quickest cocktail.

The royal couple accepted the challenge during a visit to Trademarket in Belfast, stepping around to the other side of a bar and listening carefully to instructions.

Poised to start pouring, Kate exclaimed: Hes started, to chuckles from William, and started herself, deftly pouring measures of the various drinks into a cocktail maker to create Up the Lagan in a Bubble.

The Prince of Wales mixes a cocktail (Brian Lawless/PA)

William remained marginally ahead, shaking the ingredients together, quickly pouring the drink over ice before adding a sprig of mint, and was declared the champion.

But there were no hard feelings as the couple clinked glasses before sampling what they had made.

The drink-mixing came during the second stop on the couples one-day trip to Northern Ireland.

The Prince of Wales is declared the winner (Brian Lawless/PA)

They arrived at the recently opened outdoor street food and retail market on the Dublin Road to cheers from fans who had caught wind of the visit.

The couple met entrepreneur Will Neill and heard about his aim for Trademarket, to showcase new businesses while also increase footfall in a less-visited area of the city centre.

He described a bit of a controversial finish to the cocktail making race.

I think someone is being accused of starting too early but no, it was great fun and really nice of them to take part in that, he said.

It was great to be even thought of for such a visit so early on from the founding, but I think it can only benefit our artisans and benefit the location as a whole.

The royal couple also met representatives from Kainos, a Belfast-based software company which provided the site for the market at a peppercorn rent, as well as measures to ensure the site is both ethically and environmentally sustainable, including the removal of single-use plastics and a commitment to pay staff a real living wage.

The Prince of Wales with Barkley (right) and Waggins during a visit to Trademarket (Brian Lawless/PA)

The Prince of Wales proved to be a hit with both humans and canines at the market, receiving an approving lick from cocker spaniels, Waggins and Barkley.

The dogs caught Williams eye as they prepared to leave.

I have to stroke them, William said, kneeling down with a smile before he received a collar for Orla, the couples own cocker spaniel.
The Princess of Wales has been challenged by a woman in Northern Ireland who suggested she was not visiting her own country.

The exchange unfolded when Kate and William were undertaking an impromptu meet and greet with people in north Belfast.

The royal couple, who were on a one day visit to Northern Ireland, were shaking hands with the public on the citys Antrim Road after visiting a suicide prevention charity.

The woman reached out and shook Kates hand and while doing so said: Nice to meet you but it would be better if it was when you were in your own country.

The Princess of Wales speaks to a volunteer during a visit to the PIPS charity in north Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)

The woman, who appeared to be videoing the exchange on a mobile phone, added: Ireland belongs to the Irish.

Kate smiled at the woman before moving on to shake hands with a well-wisher.

The encounter happened in what is a predominantly nationalist area of Belfast.

William and Kate received an otherwise warm reception as they were greeted by other members of the public who gathered outside the Public Initiative for Prevention of Suicide and Self Harm (PIPS) charity.

The encounter also jarred with the welcome the royal couple were afforded on the rest of their trip to Northern Ireland.

The PIPS charity was their first stop of the day, with Lord mayor of Belfast Tina Black and Sinn Fein MP for the constituency John Finucane among those who welcomed the royal couple on arrival.

The Prince and Princess of Wales tasting drinks after a cocktail-making competition during a visit to Trademarket in Belfast (Brian Lawless/PA)

Inside, 12-year-old Elyse Quinn, the daughter of the charitys executive director Renee Quinn, presented the princess with a bouquet of flowers.

PIPS was founded in 2003 following the loss of 14 young people to suicide in Belfast over a short period of time the previous year.

During their visit, William and Kate spoke with staff about their work helping people at risk of suicide and self-harm.

The charity also arranged for them to take part in an art therapy session, painting pumpkins, with some vulnerable children who have been supported by PIPS.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation has seen a significant rise in those reaching out for help, including an increase of more than 500% among young people.

At the close of their visit, the prince and princess joined a group of volunteer counsellors in packing up the charitys Little Boxes of Hope. The support packages are given to children following their time with PIPS to assist their ongoing recovery and ensure that their parents and guardians feel better equipped to cope.

The Prince and Princess of Wales meeting the Vice Lord Lieutenant of County Antrim, Miranda Gordon, as they arrive for a visit to Carrick Connect (Liam McBurney/PA)

After the visit to PIPS, the couple travelled into Belfast city centre to view Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market where they took part in a spirited cocktail-making race.

After William was declared winner, the couple heard more about the Trademarket enterprise which transformed a previously vacant site, aiming to showcase new businesses while also increasing footfall in a less-visited area.

They also met with representatives from Kainos, a Belfast-based software company which provided the site for the market at a peppercorn rent.

The final visit of the day was to the town of Carrickfergus in Co Antrim.

The royal couple were greeted by cheering crowds who had lined the streets as they arrived to visit youth charity Carrick Connect which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties.
South Africa: Government tackling climate change with science based approach

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister, Barbara Creecy, says government is committed to mitigating climate change and building communities resilience towards its effects.

She was speaking at the 11th Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation Conference on Wednesday.

South Africa is fully committed to contributing our best efforts to mitigating climate change and supporting the adaptation capabilities of communities and regions to build climate resilience. In this regard, we submitted an updated Nationally Determined Contribution in September 2021, which includes a significantly more ambitious mitigation target, she said.

The country faced the devastating reality and effects of global warming and climate change during the deadly floods in KwaZulu-Natal this year, which took the lives of at least 450 people.

Following the disaster, scientists at the World Weather Attribution said the probability of an event such as the rainfall that resulted in this disaster has approximately doubled due to human-induced climate change.

Creecy warned that unless addressed, the threat that climate change poses is expected to only grow.

Climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution threaten the environment on which we depend and weaken our economic and social systems [and] concern for the environmental crisis is no longer confined to multilateral institutions or the non-governmental sector.

This year, the World Economic Forums annual Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) identified climate action failure, extreme weather events, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse as the top three of the top ten global risks by severity over the next ten years, she said.

Government, the Minister said, is actively seeking science-led solutions and interventions.

In the context of these interlinked global risks, the role of scientific research in promoting evidence based decision making becomes more important than ever before. Equally important is the role of scientific research in finding innovative solutions to the existential challenges facing mankind.

To ensure a science-based response to the climate crisis, which is centrally important to our just transition, we are funding a wide range of research, development and innovation programmes and interventions, she said.

These interventions include:

The Global Change Research Plan (GCRP) and its associated programmes and interventions

The South African Risk and Vulnerability Atlas (SARVA)

Multiple programmes on moving towards a circular economy

The development of the draft White Paper on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africas Biodiversity as well as South Africas first Game Meat Strategy.

The [draft white paper and Game Meat Strategy] provide a clear understanding of our intentions and aspirations as we promote the sustainable use of our natural heritage to enable and facilitate transformative socio-economic development, but also to ensure that we conserve biodiversity for current and future generations.

In other words, the actions we take today must not only secure ecological sustainability into the future, but must also promote justifiable economic and social development to reduce poverty, inequality, and unemployment, especially for our rural communities, she said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-10-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China to keep working with rest of world to build community with shared future for mankind

10:25, October 06, 2022 By He Yin ( People's Daily

Some say it is a wild crop; some say it is a lifeline. Oh, it is an amazing crop. It is food, medicine and hope...

So goes a Lesothos folk song about Juncao, literally meaning fungus grass in Chinese, which was developed by Chinese scientists after decades of research and cultivation.

The Juncao technology has been shared by China with over 100 countries, becoming a grass of happiness that benefits the people in developing countries. It is a miniature of Chinas joining hands with other countries to pursue common development in the new era, and it mirrors Chinas sincerity and ceaseless efforts to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind has constantly gained new connotations, and the paths to it have become increasingly clearer. It is a correct approach with practical nature and well suits todays world, serving as a great banner pointing the way forward for our times and humanity.

Building a community with a shared future for mankind conforms to the trend of history and the times. It responds to the universal aspiration of all countries for development and progress, and captures the greatest common denominator among the people of all nations in aspiring to a better world.

The vision has been incorporated in multiple bilateral and multilateral documents as well as UN resolutions, building broad consensus around the world and demonstrating strong vitality and appeal.

Many international personages said that the Communist Party of China can always catch the signal of the evolution of the times, and some said the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind mirrors a worldview going beyond national ideologies and builds a new path to world peace and development.

The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, taking building a new type of international relations as a premise, has blazed a new trail of international relations.

While promoting the vision, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the world to forge a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation. China holds that all countries and all peoples should enjoy dignity and security and share development fruits.

On national governance, China has proposed to build a community of shared future in cyberspace, a community of common health for mankind, a community of life for man and nature and a maritime community with a shared future.

At the bilateral level, China is working with a number of countries to build a community with a shared future, including Pakistan, Cambodia, Laos, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

At the regional level, China is committed to building a community with a shared future with neighbors, an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future, a China-ASEAN community with a shared future, a Shanghai Cooperation Organization community with a shared future, a China-Africa community with a shared future, a China-Arab community with a shared future and a China-Latin American and Caribbean community with a shared future.

The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind is to continuously build global consensus in safeguarding and practicing multilateralism, and enhancing global governance. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres once said that the goal of practicing multilateralism is to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind is an inevitable choice for the world to cope with global challenges. It has paved a broad path for all people in the world to pursue a better life.

A leader of a foreign political party noted that the vision aims at the common interests of mankind and draws a blueprint for human development in the future. What he said revealed the profound significance of the vision.

To build a community with a shared future for mankind, China has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, the world's broadest-based and largest platform for international cooperation. The country has launched the most intensive and wide-ranging emergency humanitarian operation since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, injecting constant strength into the global fight against COVID-19.

China proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI), which has been responded by over 100 countries and multiple international organizations, including the UN. More than 60 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI. Besides, the China-proposed Global Security Initiative is also widely welcomed around the world.

The Chinese actions to build a community with a shared future for mankind fully demonstrated the countrys sense of responsibility and have turned peoples aspiration for a better life into reality. Guided by the vision, employees working in the Chinese-invested Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, Cambodia are embracing a better life; millions of Pakistani families are connected to a safe and stable power supply; the Smederevo steel plant, Serbia is revitalized; and modern rail services are brought to the people in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Building a community with a shared future for mankind is a beautiful goal that calls for efforts to be made by generations. China will keep working with relevant parties to jointly pursue this goal and build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Bianji)
Reliance Jio has started providing 5G services to select customers in parts of four cities and Bharti Airtel in parts of eight cities. (Representational image: PTI)

New Delhi: Mobile subscribers will get up to 600 megabit per second speed in 5G network 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.

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PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha ordered an urgent probe after a former police officer shot dead more than 30 people

This frame grab from video footage by Thai PBS made available via AFPTV and taken on October 6, 2022 shows medical staff carrying a stretcher out of an ambulance in the northern Thai province of Nong Bua Lam Phu, where a former policeman shot dead at least 30 people in a nursery. - A former police officer stormed a nursery in Thailand on October 6, shooting dead at least 30 people, most of them children, before killing himself and his family. (Photo: AFP)

BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha on Thursday ordered an urgent probe after a former police officer murdered more than 30 people, most of them children, in a rampage at a nursery.

"Concerning this horrifying incident... I would like to express my deepest sorrow and condolences to the families of the dead and injured," Prayut wrote on his official Facebook page, adding that he had told the national police chief to "fast-track an investigation".
Union Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal speaks during the silver jubilee function of Quality Council of India, at Ambedkar Centre in New Delhi, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. (Photo: PTI)

NEW DELHI: Union minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday asked the industry to ensure their products meet international quality standards and help build a 'Brand India' as the country aims to become a developed nation by 2047.

Addressing an event organised by the Quality Council of India (QCI), Commerce and Industry Minister Goyal also called for convergence of various quality certification related organisations whether it is FSSAI, the BIS, the Rail or Defense establishments.

"I would urge the ministry as well as QCI to work to bring in convergence...so that the investment environment that we have created can go from strength to strength and can help India achieve our mission of becoming a developed nation by 2047," he said, and added quality will define 'Brand India'.

Speaking at another event organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) earlier in the day, the minister stressed that more women should take up the profession of chartered accountancy.

He called upon Chartered Accountants of India to strive in making India's Chartered Accountancy firms global level companies.

Goyal expressed satisfaction at the global footprint of ICAI with over 168 branches, present in 47 countries with 77 centres in different cities of the world.

Congratulating ICAI for its efforts to establish 100 centres across the world, the minister asked the institute to expand its presence in the continent of South America as well.

He expressed confidence that the Chartered Accountants (CAs) of India will not only live up to the expectations of their countrymen but also those of the world. He also asked young CAs to explore the paths of entrepreneurship too, along with auditing, accounting, management consulting.
by Mathias Hariyadi

The first two to enter the race are Jakarta Governor Anies Basweden and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo. While the former is disliked by many in his own party, the latter has gained in popularity thanks to social media and his anti-corruption work.

Jakarta (AsiaNews)  After the National Democratic Party (NasDem)[*] named Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan as its candidate for the presidential election in 2024, the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI)[], which is especially popular among young Indonesians, responded by picking Ganjar Pranowo, Governor of Central Java.

As a result, Indonesias race for the presidency has kicked off, but choosing Anies already appears very unpopular, both among voters and within his own party  in many provinces, scores of members have resigned in protest.

President Joko Widodo declined to comment on Aniess candidacy, whom he had appointed as education minister before dropping him during a cabinet reshuffle.

Last June Anies was accused of corruption in connection with a Formula E event. Indonesia's Anti-Corruption Commission is still investigating the case.

Many in the country fear the return of discriminatory practices and sectarianism, which enabled NasDem to win in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election defeating Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, an ethnic Chinese and a Christian who was heavily criticised by Islamic extremists for making improper remarks about the Quran.

Many view Anies as a politician who makes empty boasts, all slogans but no actions, someone who has repeatedly made controversial statements (like the rains must return to Earth, as the Lord wills it, and not flow into the sea) and implemented policies contrary to what he had promised in the election campaign, including slum clearance around Jakarta.

Ganjar is seen as different, with a broader appeal among voters. Rising in the ranks of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P),[] he became popular thanks to a skilful use of social media.

As governor, he introduced a policy of cheap loans, set at 2 per cent (the lowest in Indonesia at the time), with no collateral nor administrative fees.

Now the model  which was praised by President Joko Widodo  has been adopted in other Indonesian provinces.

In 2015, the Anti-Corruption Commission awarded the Central Java administration a prize for reporting corruption, a recognition achieved thanks to Ganjar's crackdown on tipping local officials.

[*] Partai Nasional Demokrat.

[] Partai Solidaritas Indonesia.

[] Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan.
Such a step would help people trying to avoid Putin's call-up for war in Ukraine. Avigodor Lieberman sees the proposal as a temporary measure, which the cabinet is currently examining. Some Israeli lawmakers oppose it accusing the Finance Minister of "destroying" the countrys Jewish identity.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews)  The Israeli government is considering extending the Law of Return to fourth-generation descendants of Russian Jews trying to flee from Vladimir Putin's mass call-up of reservists for the war in Ukraine.

Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that the government is vetting the proposal, adding that it could be a temporary measure.

According to the Times of Israel, Lieberman raised the issue during the cabinets weekly meeting on Sunday, arguing that the fourth generation could somehow be eligible to citizenship.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid said that the issue would be further addressed at an in-depth inter-ministry discussion.

On Twitter, Lieberman said that citizenship would not be automatic, but rather to treat them (Russian Jews) on the basis of our historical obligation to humanitarian and Jewish values.

The Jewish people experienced no shortage of tragedies and misery in the Second World War, which was at a time when no country accepted Jewish refugees.

This is the fourth generation, the offspring of Jews who have a clear link to Judaism and a direct connection to their families living in Israel."

The Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, promulgated the Law of Return on 5 July 1950, along with the Citizenship Law.

It repealed the so-called White Paper and offers citizenship to people of Jewish descent in the world, who intend to move to Israel and live in the country. Depending on the age, this would require undergoing military service (three years for men and two for women).

The Finance Minister's proposal, however, is opposed by some Knesset members. Zionist MK Simcha Rothman tweeted that The Law of Return was enacted so that Israel would be a Jewish state," while Lieberman is working on destroying Israel's Jewish identity."

To exercise the right to return, applicants must have at least one Jewish grandparent.

According to an Israeli source who spoke to the Jerusalem Post, at least 55,000 eligible Russian Jews are waiting for the green light to leave Russia for Israel. About 40,000 have visas, while another 15,000 have started the process.

Another 70,000 Russian Jews would be eligible to immigrate under the Law of Return but are currently living in extremely difficult conditions in Russias neighbours but are not in contact with the Israeli authorities.

The issue recently arose with Ukrainian refugees and the possible repercussions for the "Jewish identity" of the State of Israel.
Not counting the attacks in the last month, 700 members of the Shia minority have been killed in 13 attacks by the Islamic State in little more than a year. The girls who had taken to the streets to ask for protection were struck by food poisoning: probably a deliberate act by the Taliban. Also yesterday another explosion against the Afghan authorities.

Milan (AsiaNews) - "I had not yet opened my eyes properly on the morning of 30 September when I read the news that the Kaaj education centre had been attacked by terrorists". So says Amena Baturi, a 16-year-old Hazara girl who fled Afghanistan a little over a year ago after the Taliban took over.

"I was very angry, I couldn't believe it, I tried everyone I had contact with, classmates, friends: no response. Only after several hours, through social media, did I find out about the killing and wounding of several pupils, including some former classmates". Fifty-three people died in the explosion, including 46 Hazara students.

Amena, a national and international Taekwondo champion since her childhood, had also attended the public school in the Dasht-e-Barchi district in Kabul, which was hit by an Is-K (Islamic State of Khorasan Province) terrorist attack at the end of last month. The young sportswoman wanted to study mathematics because 'we hoped for a better future for our generation'.

On the morning of 30 September, Amena had immediately called her friend Omulbanin, also a Hazara refugee now living in Italy and also a former student at the Kaaj education centre: 'Amena shouts and asks me to call Maryam, Sharifa and Rehela. Only one of their friends, Maryam, late for her scheduled exam that morning, managed to save herself.

"After two days I called her back and asked her how she was," Omulbanin continued, "I will never recover," her friend replied. "I wish that no one in this world would get tired of living because of belonging to a group or ethnicity."

The Taliban, who had reported 30 dead, threatened the students and teachers not to take pictures for the media and not to report the incident. In the days following the attack, women took to the streets in protest to demand the right to study and an end to the genocide against the Hazara community, the Shia minority that has always been persecuted in Afghanistan, first by the Taliban, now by the Islamic State fundamentalists who consider the country's new authorities lukewarm on Islamic ideology. About fifty girls then ended up in hospital with food poisoning: according to some sources, this was a deliberate act by the Taliban to put an end to the demonstrations.

According to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report published a month ago (thus not including the most recent attacks, including the one on 30 September), over 700 Hazaras have been killed in at least 13 attacks by the local branch of the former Isis in the past year.

The most recent attack, which seems to have been directed at the Taliban and not at religious minorities, took place yesterday: an explosion took place in a mosque near the Ministry of Interior in the late afternoon. It is not known the exact number of victims (according to some sources there are at least 20) because the authorities insist on giving the impression that they are capable of administering the country.

Clearly this is not the case: the Human Rights Watch report accuses the Taliban government of not being able to protect minorities and of failing to provide adequate medical care for the victims and their families, despite having pledged to do so when they took power in August last year.

"The problem is not that the Taliban are responsible for the violence. They are responsible for not providing adequate security for their people,' explained John Sifton, regional director of Hrw Asia. 'If they are going to act as a governing authority their first priority should be to protect the population from the violence' of Is-K. The organisation also fears that many suicide attacks - especially those in remote provinces - go unreported because of the Taliban's control over the media.
Today's headlines: The WHO links the deaths of dozens of young children in Gambia to a cough syrup produced in India; the average age of protesters arrested in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini is 15; the Vatican representative urges Catholics in East Timor to accept sanctions against Bishop Belo; the Buddhist leader of Russia's Kalmykia region condemns the war in Ukraine, the first senior religious leader to do so.

KOREA

Pyongyang fired two more ballistic missiles towards the east coast. This was reported by government sources in Seoul, according to which the new launch is connected to the joint exercises of the past 24 hours between South Korea and the United States, initiated in response to North Korean missile tests. This is the sixth launch in 12 days and the first since the test involving a medium-range missile.

IRAN

The average age of those arrested in Iran for taking to the streets to protest over the death of Mahsa Amini and the free choice of headscarf is only 15. This is said by the Guardians of the Revolution themselves, confirming that the ongoing demonstrations are fuelled by the youngest. For the Pasdaran, they are victims of the manipulation of social networks and foreign newspapers that push them to 'sacrifice'.

INDIA - GAMBIA

The deaths of dozens of young children in Gambia with kidney injuries could be caused by 'contaminated' cough and cold syrups produced by an Indian pharmaceutical company. This is according to the WHO, which is investigating the reasons for the suspicious deaths of at least 66 children. New Delhi-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and the Indian Ministry of Health are not commenting.

EAST TIMOR - VATICAN

The Vatican representative in East Timor is calling on local Catholics to accept the sanctions imposed on Bishop and Nobel laureate Msgr Carlos Ximenes Belo for the 'serious crimes' committed. The charge d'affaires of the nunciature in Dili, Msgr Marco Sprizzi, asked the local community to remain "faithful" to the Church even in a complex and controversial situation.

MYANMAR

The military junta ordered the transfer of at least 250 political detainees from Insein prison in Yangon to Tharyarwaddy prison in the Bago region, which is notorious for psycho-physical abuse and torture. In the Mandalay region he killed a dozen people, including Nld members. A court sentenced Japanese documentary filmmaker Toru Kubota to 10 years for 'sedition'.

RUSSIA - TURKEY

Turkey exerts economic pressure on Moscow, demanding to pay for gas supplies at a lower price and over a longer period of time. The aim is to postpone the current agreements to 2024 and at the same time renegotiate prices at a 25% discount. The sum would have to be paid partially in roubles, depriving Gazprom of substantial revenues. The parties are negotiating around these demands.

MONGOLIA - RUSSIA

The leader of the Buddhists of the Russian Kalmykia region, lama Telo Tulku Rinpoche, gave an interview during a trip to Mongolia, speaking in defence of Ukraine and condemning Russian aggression. It is the first anti-militarist statement by a senior Russian religious leader.
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Divi Vadthyas first solo trip abroad could not have been more memorable! She recently visited the sets of Hollywood film Equalizer 3 which is being shot in the beautiful city of Rome. Interestingly, it was the films cinematographer, Academy-award winner Robert Richardson, who organised Divis visit.

Giving us the back story, Divi shares that she had assisted Richardson and his team three years ago when he was shooting for an ad commercial in Hyderabad. I had coordinated and worked with his team for the ad commercial, so we share a great rapport, she reveals.

So, when the actress learnt that Equalizer 3 was being shot in Italy, she told the cinematographer of her wish to visit the sets. And he promptly told her to come over. It felt great to be able to meet the films unit in Rome  something that I had never imagined. And I had a blast on the sets of Equalizer 3, Divi beams.

The actress had first-hand experience of how Hollywood films are made.

The cast was rehearsing for a scene. I was thrilled to see the way they were operating. I spent a week with the unit and closely observed and followed their style of work, she shares. Meeting the director Antoine Fuqua and Hollywood star Denzel Washington was incredible too, says Divi.
Share This: When we covered Tesla in the early days, much of the news surrounded the company's original automotive factory in Fremont, CA, as well as its battery Gigafactory in partnership with Panasonic, located near Reno, NV, in Sparks.

However, it seems construction and expansion efforts at the battery factory slowed years ago, leaving the factory much smaller than originally planned.

Tesla moved on to building new factories, sourcing battery cells from various makers and developing and producing its own new batteries.

Recently, an executive from Tesla said the company is finally at the point it has access to all the batteries it needs for its cars and energy products. We also learned recently Tesla hopes to build a battery materials refining factory in Texas or nearby. The company is also reportedly aiming to add a battery materials facility in Nevada.

According to Electrek, Tesla's Gigafactory Nevada has been sitting at about 30% of its intended size for years now. Over those years, the automaker has talked about continued construction efforts and expansion, but there hasn't been much progress.

This is not to say the company isn't cranking out battery packs, Powerwalls and the like in Nevada. Tesla has also finally been putting solar panels on the roof, and there's been periodic work on the grounds and the inside of the building. But it's been above five years since Tesla added to the Gigafactory's footprint.

The massive Tesla Gigafactory was touted to eventually be the largest factory on the planet. In fact, if it were to grow to its full potential, it could be the largest building ever constructed. Tesla shared early plans revealing the battery factory would eventually produce...
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Heres how a 2022 Tesla Model 3 with LFP batteries fared in the real world after the range estimator dropped to zero miles.The fact that Tesla is using LFP batteries in some of its vehicles isnt something new. However, the automaker chose to install these energy storage units starting with the cheapest vehicles it makes. Hence, the Model 3 Standard Range Plus (now known simply as the Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive) was one of the first cars to come out of the factory with LFP batteries. They are cheaper to make, are considered safer, and promise prolonged usability.However, the main disadvantage of the LFP batteries is that their energy density is not as good as the Li-ions. But a small drop in range could be acceptable when you factor in all the advantages.But are they any good after the zero percent state of charge is reached while driving? Let's find out.To put all these positive claims to the test and other worries to rest, a YouTuber borrowed an almost brand-new 2022 Model 3 with LFP batteries. He decided to find out how far the Tesla can be driven after the cars computer displayed zero percent remaining. Thehas a 60.6-battery pack meaning thats the entire energy available for a 100% to 0% drive.The journey begins with just 6.3 kWh of energy left in the battery pack. The scanning tool showed there was a generous energy buffer of 7 kWh available after the cars computer would have eventually displayed 0 percent. This meant the total energy available was, in fact, 13.3 kWh. So, the Tesla Model 3 could have gone approximately double the distance that was shown as possible when there were 6.3 kWh left in the battery, even though it is not recommended to drop below 0% state of charge and continue driving.Nonetheless, Bjorn Nyland kept pushing on until the Model 3 started displaying visual and audio warnings that the range was too low. The vehicle shifted into neutral and cut off the acceleration completely, which forced the driver to stop. After pulling over into a bus stop, the Tesla showed a warning on the central screen that it was going to shut down and advised the driver to charge immediately or risk potential battery repair.The impressive thing is that he managed to drive 56 km (35 mi) after the vehicle displayed 0% remaining in the battery in 48-degree Fahrenheit (nine-degree Celsius) weather. It could be enough to get you to a place where there's a plug available.But this is not something that you should try with your electric vehicle. Nyland came prepared and had a portable charger in the trunk that was capable to replenish the high-voltage energy storage unit.The American manufacturer recommends charging the LFP battery at least once per week to 100% and even setting the charging limit to the maximum. Thats important because it helps the battery management system (BMS) calibrate the energy storage unit to perform as best and as safely as it can.The EV maker also cautions owners to not leave the Model 3 with LFP batteries unplugged for long periods because it could lead to permanent battery damage.Since the Tesla used in this test is a newer model, the energy reserve threshold may have been set higher automatically. This allows the BMS to figure out how much energy is needed for those occasions when the owner doesnt charge the car before it reaches the 0% state of charge. Thus, results may vary. If you try to replicate the YouTubers test, then your car's battery might behave differently.Lastly, internal combustion engine () vehicle owners rarely drive with little fuel left, so EV buyers should do the same and charge before the tank is empty.
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We should all remember that Toyota first talked about the updates arriving for the new model year back in May , and then in July also revealed what it had in store (additional smart tech goodies) for the European version. But now they are finally ready to talk numbers about the North American version.Naturally, the biggest novelty is the companys decision to give all gasoline Highlanders a new turbocharged inline-four engine with more torque and fewer emissions. The new mills EPA estimate is up to 25 miles per gallon (9.4 l/100 km) while the Highlander Hybrid offers 36 combined mpg (6.53 l/100 km).Plus, there are  additional updates (which) include offerings of larger multimedia screens and other amenities for greater value across all grades and powertrains. Now, back to the four-pot, the 2.4-liter has 265 horsepower and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque, trumping the previous 3.5-liter V6s rating of 263 lb-ft (357 Nm) by a significant margin.Equipped with Trailer Sway Control (TSC), the new Highlander turbo models can tow up to 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg) and have a standard Stop and Start Engine System. Additionally, Toyota has added an elegant new Cypress green exterior hue to the color palette. Pricing kicks off at $36,420 (MSRP does not include the additional DPH - delivery, processing, and handling - taxes) for the front-wheel drive Highlander L turbo, followed by the LE, XLE, XSE, Limited, and Platinum grades, which can reach up to $49,075.The all-wheel drive Highlander L goes for $38,020 and has the same trim grid, surging to $51,025 for the Platinum. Toyota starts the Highlander Hybrid at the LE tier with an MSRP of $40,220 and options also include the Highlander Hybrid Bronze Edition for $45,780 or $47,380 withand AWD, respectively.
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Refurbished and modified by a South Carolina-based company by the name of Himalaya 4x4, the open-top beach cruiser in the photo gallery is described as the perfect option for clients looking for a truly classic Land Rover aesthetic alongside a decidedly civilized driving experience. Finished in powder blue, the convertiblefeatures a GM-sourced engine in the guise of a free-breathing V6 that belts out in the ballpark of 300 horsepower.Connected to a 6L80-E automatic, this engine should be more than adequate for this vehicle, although a small-block V8 would be more appropriate for a restomod. The modern drivetrain is complemented by a coil-sprung chassis with Fox suspension for a smoother ride. It also stops on a dime, thanks to the Wilwood brakes. Pictured on body-color steelies and with a matching spare wheel out back, the muscularly-stanced rig is pretty special on the inside.The list of improvements is opened by high-grade chestnut leather that shrugs off any wet weather. Superb-looking instrumentation is also featured, along with Alpine high-fidelity audio with Bluetooth connectivity. A wood-rimmed steering wheel with three spokes and a wooden bed sums up the reassuringly simple yet exquisite-looking interior of this off-roader.Our new open-air builds are fantastic rigs for warm weather and tropical climates, said Himalaya 4x4 president Greg Shondel. Celebrated as the original Land Rovers that started it all for the brand, our beach cruisers feature a markedly different design than the classic Defenders that came after them. These IIA are a perfect representation of Himalayas attention to detail from the performance upgrades down to the smallest nuts and bolts on the truck, all with nothing but blue skies overhead, concluded Shondel.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Thedenied the petition in September 2022, requiring FCA US LLC to amend the recall. Mere weeks later, therequested the Italo-American automaker thats currently a part of Stellantis to file a new recall instead of amending the prior recall.What seems to be the problem? As it happens, a handful of vehicles may have been equipped with a front amber side reflex reflector that may not meet the photometric requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard 108. The suspect headlight assemblies, which bear part numbers 05116288AC, 68200084AB, 05116289AC, and 68200085AB, were fitted to 83,453 units of the Dodge Journey from August 2017 to July 2018.The attached document lists the supplier of the suspect headlight assemblies as HBPO North America Inc., headquartered in Troy, Michigan. Dealers and owners will be notified on November 8th, yet FCA US LLC highlights that a remedy is under development at press time. The automaker expects the remedy to become available by years end, but its impossible to guess if the remedy will consist of brand-new reflectors or headlight assemblies.In the meantime, owners may contact Fiat Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403. An easier way to tell if your crossover has been recalled comes from the NHTSA, namely the VIN look-up tool on the federal watchdogs website.Introduced for MY09 and discontinued after MY20, the Dodge Journey ended production after more than 1.1 million units rolled off the assembly line in Toluca, Mexico. Based on a variant of the GS platform that was shared between a plethora of brands, the Journey was replaced in Mexico with a badge-engineered Trumpchi GS5. Over in the United States, the Durango serves as the indirect replacement for the mid-size crossover.
Thus, let us quickly get back to classic times when the America vs. Import wars dominated the scene. So, the videographer behind the Drag Racing and Car Stuff channel on YouTube has a quirky little new racing feature focused on a feisty Japanese two-door coupe meeting a hulking, Americana muscle car It all happened at the Beech Bend Park Dragstrip Raceway in Bowling Green (Richardsville), Kentucky for a very brief moment of black-versus-black performance car action, and was uploaded to the YT channels reel on October 6th. The protagonists were a nimble, stickered (so we know its tuned, in advance) fifth-generation Honda Prelude (1996-2001) Japan-made coupe, and the mighty Chevy Camaro, also a fifth generation (2010-2015). Neither version of these cars was properly identified in the description, though, so we approached the ensuing race with proper caution.Like virgins, we fully expected the unexpected, only knowing that Americas pony car representative was in for the fight of its life  specifically judging by the tuned hints present all over the little Prelude , including those meaty front tires. Alas, there was still a little bit of front wheel spin met by the rivals ducking of the tail to signal that it, too, meant quarter-mile dragstrip business.Interestingly, both dark menaces kept the suspense until the very end, seemingly going head-to-head for almost the entire duration of the race. Or perhaps this was all due to the angle of the footage. In the end, this turned out to be one of those  close, but not close enough  cases where the winner sent the loser back to racing school with a mighty 10.06s pass (at a huge 150 mph/241 kph trap speed) against the opponents 11.04s time and much lower 117 mph/188 kph trap speed. Now, care to see whos who?
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The Prologue is 192 inches (4.88 meters) long, 78.3 in (1.99 m) wide, 64.7 in (1.64 m) tall, and has a wheelbase of 121.8 in (3.09 m). Thats the same wheelbase as the Cadillac Lyriq, which shows the premium electricis also related to the Honda and the Blazer EV . If you check their glasshouses, the similarities are there for anyone to see. Luckily, all three brands managed to create unique designs for all of these vehicles, kicking out any possibility of badge engineering.Ironically, Honda has just released the dimensions and did not talk about range, power, or torque. GM did, which allows us to have an idea of what the Prologue may offer its customers.The Cadillac Lyriq has a 102-battery pack that offers an estimated EPA range of 312 miles (502 kilometers) in the RWD derivative. The Blazers best estimate is 320 mi (515 km). The Cadillac has a 255-(342 hp) rear motor with 440 Nm (325 pound-feet). Theversion offers 373 kW (500 hp) and 610 Nm (450 lb-ft). Curiously, the Blazer can be, RWD, or AWD. Expect the Prologue to offer similar numbers. The one in the pictures is AWD. Honda said it will put the Prologue for sale in 2024, which is quite some time to wait. That probably has to do with GMs availability to produce it. Before making the Prologue to Honda, the company will worry about delivering the Blazer EV in the summer of 2023. With that, the Japanese carmaker gains time to start manufacturing its own EVs on the Honda e:Architecture in North America. The plan is to make that happen by 2026.
That's because there are plenty of premium models out there to hunt for. And if you get carried away, you might end up spending thousands of dollars each month just to get them all. But we dare not think how much it would cost to carry out your completionist dream.It may well be in the tens of thousands of dollars, and at that point, another question arises. Are you better of buying a real-life sportscar instead? Hot Wheels are nice to own, just like video games are to play. But nothing beats the real world!With that out of the way, there's a new premium set you might want to look for in stores. The Premium Collector Sets consists of four vehicles that have diorama-style packaging to go with them. Hot Wheels introduced this format in 2020, with a set that was focused on Nissan vehicles. The Fast & Furious collection was up next and it seems that each year the company releases four sets in total. Each one contains three vehicles and a fantasy hauler.The most recent one was the BMW M Series set that contained the 2016 BMW M2, the 2001 BMW M5 E39, the BMW M3 E46, and the Fleer Flyer. But now we are headed straight for Japan with a collection that pays tribute to the golden era of JDM cars, the '90s!We've already known for a while that Mattel will be unveiling the new 1991 Nissan Sentra SE-R casting, and we're happy to see it up close at last. The Metalflake Navy Blue paint job hasn't been covered in decals which most collectors will be happy to see.The Mini Real Rider 5-Spoke Modern wheels are quite rare, as Hot Wheels only started using them earlier this year. This vehicle is without doubt the highlight of this set, but the other two aren't half bad either.The Honda Civic EG is now at its fifth iteration if you don't consider the drag racing version used in Mainline. There has only been one non-premium version of this casting so far, with the introduction of the Honda Civic series. Yellow might just be the best color for it so far, even though we have seen this paint job before.The 1995 Toyota Celica GT-Four is the second-rarest car included in this set. It first showed up earlier this year as part of the Car Culture: Mountain Drifters set, when it sported a Super Bright Yellow finish.This Super Red version looks just as stunning, especially with the Golden 10-spoke rims on. The Fleet Street hauler adds a nice touch to the set and can make for some interesting shots if you're keen on improving your diecast photography skills. This is its third appearance so far, but you can never have too many haulers on display.We haven't seen the Japanese Tuners Collector Set anywhere online yet, but when it does show up it will probably set you back anywhere between $30 to $100. If you can overcome your FOMO, you'll get it at the lower end of that price range. Sure, there are plenty more detailed dioramas out there to look for, but this packaging will do nicely if all your budget is aimed at buying collectibles instead.
Andhra University Vice Chancellor Prof. P.V.G.D. Prasad Reddy felicitates Minister for Higher Education and Research, Govt. of Togo, West Africa, Prof N. Ihou Wateba during his visit to the AU Campus in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.  DC Image

Visakhapatnam: The Union Government has chosen Andhra University (AU) from the Telugu states, among others, for a bilateral project for educational and employment cooperation between India and the west-African nation, Togo.

Togo's minister of education and research, Dr. Wateba, is currently on a 10-day tour till October 11, visiting 11 scheduled institutions including JNU-Delhi, IGNOU, Chandigarh University, AU-Vizag, VIT-Vellore, IIIT-Bangalore, the Infosys Campus, ISRO, Karnataka Skill Development Corporation and Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle at AU on Thursday, Wateba said he was exploring opportunities for collaboration with AU in areas like teaching, information technology, incubations, skill development and research.

A total of 840 students from 54 countries are studying on AU campus. About 565 of these are from Africa. Four among them are from Togo.

We expect the number of Togolese students in Indian institutions to increase. Our youths love to study in India, especially AU in Vizag, because of its qualities of life, environment and education, Wateba said.

The Government of Togo provides fellowships and scholarships for Togolese pursuing higher education in India. Approximately, the fees including hostel fee total Rs 3 to Rs 5 lakh a year per student in AU-Vizag.

Indian Ambassador to Togo, Sanjiv Tandon, recently participated in the education fair held in Togo's capital Lome. The AU team also joined the embassy team to explain about education and research opportunities in Indian institutions, including AU, to sign an agreement with the Lome and Kara universities of Togo.

It was in response to the Indian Embassy's presence at the fair that the Togo minister Wateba and his team visited India.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine at the beginning of the year, many other states not willing to take a direct part in the conflict have condemned Russias invasion of its neighboring country by imposing sanctions. In theory, these sanctions would discourage Putin and his allies from the war by cutting off funding for the war effort. In practice well, lets just say that things are far more complicated than that.One of the most publicized aspects of sanctions was the seizure of luxury assets, including superyachts, car fleets, private jets , and premium real estate. In the case of superyachts, which incur massive costs on a weekly basis, problems became apparent right away because local authorities that seized them were (and are now) forced to pay for maintenance, docking, and all manners of assorted fees. The unprecedented legal situation has given way to various attempts on the part of the owners to find loopholes around the sanctions, whether by suing authorities for the right to use the yachts or allegedly buying them through third parties to get them back.This could be one such case: the proposed hushed sale of MySky, a beautiful, fully custom vessel delivered by Heesen in 2015. MySky has been in the news before in recent months because its supposedly owned by Russian tobacco king Igor Kesaev, who was put on sanctions lists in the UK and the EU in April this year. Coincidence or not, in May, MySky disappeared in the Maldives, turning off its AIS tracking (automatic identification systems).At the beginning of September, reports started making the rounds that MySky was being offered for sale through Burgess, a Europe-based luxury broker. One month later, Reuters got hold of a leaked email from U.S.-based Merle Wood & Associates, which calls itself one of the premier yacht brokerage firms worldwide. It mentioned the listing of MySky for 29.5 million ($29.3 million at the current exchange rate) and asked that it not be publicly advertised.Reuters reached out to the brokerage firm and was instead diverted to Burgess, of which Merle Wood said was the primary brokerage representative. Burgess, for one, would not comment on the reported planned sale, directing the media outlet back to the U.S. company. Shortly after Reuters reached out, Burgess took the listing for MySky as a charter vessel offline.One of the things about superyachts belonging to sanctioned individuals is that they cant be sold off by their owner or any other representative acting on their behalf. The situation is a bit murkier with superyachts whose exact direct beneficiary has not been determined beyond any trace of doubt (an oftentimes-impossible action in itself), but even so, brokering a deal for a vessel known to be associated with a sanctioned individual is a big no-no. This would apply to Merle Wood, which is based in the U.S. where Kesaev is not currently sanctioned, but especially to Burgess, as its involvement would contravene European sanctions (because its a European entity).After the story got out, Burgess rushed to point out that it wasnt doing that: MySky is not associated with any sanctioned individual, a spokesperson for the brokerage says. In fact, the direct beneficiary of the vessel is not on any sanctions lists, which they have been able to establish after doing full due diligence. Heesen , the shipyard that built MySky, is staying mum on the topic, as most shipyards do: the identity of their customers is never made public if they dont want to. But theres this: in April 2021, a Dutch story noted that the Kesaev family is well known to Heesen, having commissioned Sky and MySky over the past decade. A spokesperson for Heesen confirmed the accuracy of the statement to Reuters, but the story itself went offline after the inquiry. MySky has never changed hands since 2015, at least not as far as online records of ownership go.You dont have to be some sort of tinfoil-hat-wearing conspiracy theorist to see that the waters are getting muddled around MySky. Based on the facts, it definitely looks liketried to sell this gorgeous, one-of-a-kind superyacht in secret and got busted and called out by Reuters. That someone might be Kesaev, or this is just the biggest string of convenient coincidences.
EV

Before the bZ4X , Toyota also sold the RAV4in the U.S. The vehicle had two different generations  the last of which used Tesla battery packs  with both accounting for less than 5,000 units. The bZ4X is the first one conceived from the ground up to be electric and the first with ambitions to break the 10,000-unit barrier.Reuters said that only 232 bZ4X had been sold in the American market before Toyota halted sales and advised these customers not to drive their EVs. Considering that the Part 573 Safety Recall Report 22V-444 talks about 661 vehicles involved, Subaru had sold more Solterra units until that point: 429. Most of these 2,700 bZ4Xs must be in Europe. In Japan, they are only leased.When Toyota announced the production restart, it disclosed the bZ4X had to go through another recall involving the airbags. According to Reuters , they were improperly installed in some units and could either fail or cause injury because of how a strap was placed inside the airbag assembly. The Japanese carmaker did not disclose how many EVs were involved with this new recall, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also does not present any information about that on its website so far.Although Masahiko Maeda informed about the bZ4X getting back into production, he refused to answer how much money Toyota spent on the recall processes. The Japanese automakers chief technology officer also did not disclose the defect with the hub bolts. Toyota just informed the Japanese transport ministry that all of them were replaced, and the new ones were properly tightened.


Florida's state attorney general's office, through a press release, warned price gauging violators are subject to civil penalties that could amount to the tune of $1,000 (per violation) to a total of $25,000 (multiple violations).











If youve been following our pieces, we featured a couple of stories last week showing the trail of losses and havoc caused by Hurricane Ian on luxury car owners in affected states. Well, things arent getting any better, and for those whose cars escaped getting submerged in flood water  it was time to flee.A recent post on Reddit shows a driver duck-boating his Lamborghini through flood water. What followed next was a forceful rear bumper delete. Its unclear why the owner chose to expose their supercar to flood water, but we suspect price gauging has something to do with it.They say, with chaos comes opportunity. Unfortunately, some people are reading too much into this quote and taking advantage of difficulties caused by the natural calamity to charge exorbitant prices for basic services, forcing residents to take matters into their own hands.The trend has gotten so bad that Florida Attorney General Ashely Moody warned residents against price gauging, disaster scams, and fraud in the aftermath of the Hurricane, Myfloridalegal reported It's a bit puzzling why someone would drive a supercar worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in flood water, aware of the risks involved. Water damage on the engine and electrics, as well as rust, are costly repairs on any car  in some cases, unredeemable.Comments on the post were varied, with most bent on the possibility of price gauging that forced the driver to take matters into their own hands. Others felt the Lambo owner was being sketchy, risking their expensive car instead of paying for a tow truck.He probably could afford it, but when hurricane Harvey hit, tow trucks were charging people $1,000 to go 3 miles, one commenter said. I know they have price gouging laws in Florida. You cannot drastically change the price once price gouging is in effect during a disaster. The average price going back 30 days prior to the disaster is used as a baseline. In California, you cannot increase the price by more than 10% once a disaster strikes, another commenter explained.
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Ambassador Harsh Jain meeting the Mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko

Kyiv (Ukraine)



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. 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.

Right from 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.
Women protesting in Iran (Twitter)

Kingshuk Chatterjee

The ruling regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran appears to be in a fix unlike any other since 1979. The death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish girl of 22 from the town of Saqez in north-western Iran during her visit to Tehran, is turning out to have been more potent in its symbolism than just another excess perpetrated against its citizens by an increasingly repressive regime. Iranian women, middle-aged as much as young, and now even schoolgirls are removing their headscarves (even burning them), cheered on by men.



The protests seem to be spreading from cities to provincial towns, leaving almost no place in Iran undisturbed. Significantly, the protests may not be driven by any overtly political agenda (as in 2009, over the disputed re-election of the then President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) or even something as immediate as the unrelenting rise in prices (such as in 2019), and yet the protesters seem to be assailing the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic itself by shouting out the slogan Marg beh Diktatur (Death to the Dictator) against no less a functionary than the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei himself.

It is important to put these protests in perspective. The hijab issue has been one of the most divisive in Iranian society for the last hundred years, and more. Historically, women in Persia/Iran had enjoyed far greater freedom and mobility than in almost any other part of the Muslim world, with many social and familial activities being virtually the exclusive preserve of the female members of the family.



In early twentieth century Persia, during a period of prolonged intellectual and political churning, the Iranian people had embarked on a phase of modernization that involved a degree of secularisation, including the forced removal of the hijab from any woman who chose to wear it. While women from the upper and middle echelons of society (especially in urban areas) embraced this set of changes gladly, women from the more traditional sections of the section found this forced secularisation disconcerting and removed themselves from the public space under duress.

When the modernizing but authoritarian Pahlavi regime was overthrown in 1979, one of the issues that divided the secular constitutionalist opponents of the Pahlavi rulers from the Islamic revolutionaries led by Ayatollah Khomeini was the fate of secularisation as an agenda. The Islamic element of the 1979 revolution was derived primarily from the more traditionalist provincial segments of the Iranian society, and once they successfully put their stamp on the revolution, the public space of Iran was deliberately and purposefully Islamised, which made the hijab mandatory was an important component.

Urban Iranian women were forced to resume wearing the hijab in public for fear of punishment, but in the private space of their own homes (and those of others), many Iranian women took off their hijab before they removed even their shoes.

An Iranian girl holding her hair and standing next to her mother's grave. The mother was killed while protesting against the hijab

was killed The Islamic regime was fully aware of the reluctance over the hijab, hence they resorted to its enforcement very deliberately right from 1979. A section of the revolutionary youth during the heady days of the 1980s, (later organized as the Basij militia with which Ahmadinejad was associated) was authorized by the more conservative sections of the establishment to function like a morality police. In the 1990s, as the wave of reformism began to blow in the country with Sayyid Mohammad Khatami as first the Minister for Islamic Culture and Guidance, and then the President (1997-2005), enforcement by morality police was relaxed somewhat.

The state looked away when women covered up their heads only perfunctorily (paying lip service to the law) and women were encouraged back into public spaces (such as municipal parks) unaccompanied if they so choose. Such social progressivism under Khatami gave Iranian women a degree of freedom and hope that they did not have since 1979.

However, among the more socially conservative elements, this sparked a debate over the distinction between Khob-hijab/bad-hijab (proper hijab where no hair could be seen] and improper hijab [where some hair could be seen]). When Ahmadinejad became President, he gave voice to this conservative section by instituting morality police into the Gasht-e Ershad, as a designated body to enforce Islamic morality of which hijab was a very crucial component.

The incident that triggered the recent round of protests pertained to the arrest of Mahsa Amini from Iranian Kurdistan by the morality police of Tehran for putting on a bad-hijab. It seems the feisty girl resisted arrest because she was wearing the hijab (in this case a headscarf) and was then badly beaten up and her head was banged against a hard surface, (probably the police vehicle) causing death presumably from concussion.

Such rough handling by the morality police is altogether not uncommon (albeit not necessarily resulting in death). What is turning out to be uncommon is the determination with which for the first time since 1997 (the year of Khatami) the women of Iran are appearing prepared to stand up for their rights calling for Zan, Zendegi, Azaadi  i.e (dignity for the) Woman, (a decent) Life and Freedom. Further, this is the first time that the landscape of protest is spread across the country, across all the provinces, in big towns and small.

Still more significantly, during previous occasions demanding greater rights, there has seldom been any reference to the Supreme Leader (the incumbent being Ali Khamenei) as a dictator  indicating that the protests might acquire a political agenda over some time, not unlike 2009. The mere possibility seems to have rattled the regime  internet services have been severely curtailed in Iran for the last three weeks; from all accounts, brutal repression has been unleashed on the people, in line with the arch-conservative President Ebrahim Raisis promise to that effect. Khamenei himself took more than two weeks to give his first public reaction and blamed the disturbances squarely on instigation by America and the Zionist state of Israel  meaning that the regime sees this as an existential struggle for which no instrument of repression need be spared.

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And yet Both President Raisi and Ali Khamenei have also tried to appear slightly mollifying, by lamenting the death of Mahsa Amini as extremely painful and breaking [my] heart. This defensiveness is uncharacteristic of the regime and might bring about some kind of course correction (such as on the issue of hijab). It could even be that the establishment fears that the disaffection over the hijab might conflate and converge with other issues  such as the economic disquiet over the relentless rise of prices and economic hardship, and the growing authoritarian disposition of the establishment. This might just be a turning point at which the Iranian society can turn, and begins the process of enduring changes in the country.

Kingshuk Chaterjee is Faculty, Department of History, Calcutta University
All four Sikh family members, including an eight-month-old baby girl, who were kidnapped in the US state of California earlier this week, have been found dead in an orchard. (ANI)

Los Angeles: All four Sikh family members, including an eight-month-old baby girl, who were kidnapped in the US state of California earlier this week, have been found dead in an orchard, authorities said on Wednesday.

The family, originally from Harsi Pind in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, was kidnapped from their newly-opened trucking business in Merced County, California, on Monday.

Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said the bodies of 36-year-old Jasdeep Singh, 27-year-old Jasleen Kaur, their eight-month-old child Aroohi Dheri and the baby's uncle, 39-year-old Amandeep Singh were found on Wednesday evening in an orchard near Indiana Road & Hutchinson Road.

Our worst fears have been confirmed," he said.

Warnke said that a farm worker near the orchard found the bodies and immediately contacted authorities.

All of the bodies were found close together.

"There are no words to describe the anger I feel," Warnke said during a press conference Wednesday evening.

"There's a special place in hell for this guy," he said about Jesus Manuel Salgado, the suspect, who attempted to kill himself.

It's horribly, horribly senseless, he said.

Family members said nothing was stolen from the trucking company but that their relatives were all wearing jewellery.

Warnke had said that after the kidnappings, an ATM card belonging to one of the victims was used in Atwater, about 14 kilometers north of Merced. Warnke said the kidnapper made no ransom demands in what he believes was a financially motivated crime.

Earlier in the day, the Merced County Sheriff's Office released a chilling new video showing the moment the family was kidnapped.

Jasdeep and Amandeep Singh came out of the business with their hands zip-tied together. Moments later, the video shows the kidnapper leading Jasleen and her 8-month-old baby, Aroohi, out of the building into a truck. Salgado, 48, the person of interest, was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon and remains in the hospital in critical condition after he tried to kill himself.

The sheriff's office said his own family contacted authorities reporting that Salgado had admitted to them he was involved with the kidnapping of the family.

According to the Merced County Sheriff's Office, the investigation began on Monday at 11:39 am, when the California Highway Patrol responded to a 2020 Dodge Ram that was on fire and asked the Merced Police Department to help track down the vehicle's owner.

Roughly an hour later, at 12:35 p.m., Merced police officers arrived at the truck owner's address and met with a family member there. Officers tried to contact the couple and the child's uncle, but they were not able to reach them.

During the primary investigation, Detectives determined that the individuals were kidnapped, the sheriff's office stated on Tuesday.

The kidnapping involved a gun and restraints, according to Deputy Alexandra Britton, public information officer for the sheriff's office.

In an initial statement about the case Monday, the sheriff's office said it believed the family was taken against their will from a business in the 800 block of South Highway 59 in Merced, which sits between Modesto and Fresno in central California.

We have no motivation behind it. We just know they are gone, Warnke said.

Investigators have not found a link between Salgado and the family to show they knew each other before the kidnapping.

Family members told KXTV-TV that the office for Unison Trucking Inc, the family's business, had only opened about a week earlier.
A man charged in the murder of a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation counselor who was shot and killed had his pre-prelimi
An Indonesian soldier stands guard near detained Vietnamese fishermen onboard an Indonesian warship off the Natuna Sea in Anambas, Kepulauan Riau province, Dec. 5, 2014.

One month after a Vietnamese fisherman was seriously injured in a shooting incident near the Spratly islands, authorities have yet to identify the attackers with some sources pointing to a possible piracy attack.

Vietnamese analysts, meanwhile, are calling for a clear demarcation of maritime boundaries in the South China Sea, as well as a better cooperation mechanism in overlapping, disputed areas to avoid potential conflicts.

The fishing boat from Quang Ngai province with 12 crew on board was attacked by a group of armed foreign men on Sept. 9, about 40 nautical miles (74 km) southeast of Pigeon Reef, a Vietnamese outpost in the Spratly islands.

In the brief shooting that followed, one fisherman, Vo Minh Quan, 52, was hit in the leg and could be forced to retire from fishing.

As the incidents location was not far from Malaysias Sabah state, as well as the Philippines Palawan island, and easily accessible from a rock occupied by China in the Spratlys, its impossible to say where the attackers came from, said Vu Thanh Ca, a former senior government official turned maritime analyst.

They might even be pirates, Ca told Radio Free Asia (RFA), an online news affiliate of BenarNews, in an earlier exchange.

A Malaysian analyst seconded the suggestion, saying that, as the injured fisherman was not brought back to Malaysian shores, it was unlikely that the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) was involved.

In every case when the MMEA initiated shooting, it must be for self-defense and if the target is injured or dead they would be brought back to the Malaysian side, said the analyst who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the issue.

An MMEA spokesman told BenarNews that there were no Vietnamese or Chinese fishing boats spotted on that date in the Malaysian waters in the South China Sea.

No reports or no incident as such. It happened outside Malaysian waters, said the spokesman who cannot be named as he did not get clearance to speak to the media.

In another incident two years ago near Malaysias Kelantan state, a Vietnamese fisherman died after being shot by the MMEA. His body was brought to shore with other crew members who were detained by Malaysia for illegal fishing, illegal entry and attempted murder over allegations they resisted authorities efforts to inspect their boat.

Kelantan Maritime director Capt. Muhd Nur Syam Asmawie Yaacob points to a Vietnamese boat that was held by the Malaysian Coast Guard, Aug. 17, 2020. [AFP]

Armed robbery with military involvement?

In a separate development, the Malaysian Home Ministry said 20 people, including military personnel, have been arrested for piracy in the waters off Sabah state.

Malaysian media quoted Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin as saying that the detained were accused of two cases of armed robbery near Pulau Si Amil on Sabahs eastern coast on Aug. 15 and 18.

They have been released on bail as the investigation continues, Hamza was quoted as saying. The crime of gang robbery can carry prison sentences of up to 20 years as well as whipping.

Piracy and sea robbery have been a problem in the waters around the Spratly islands. In March 2017, a fisherman from Quang Ngai province was shot dead by unknown assailants, probably pirates, in the area.

Fishing is a hard job and a very unstable income source, the fisherman injured in the Sept. 9 incident, Vo Minh Quan, told local media.

It has been getting more difficult to catch fish in recent years, Quan said, adding: Were also facing greater risks of being attacked by unknown vessels.

Vietnamese fishermen operating in the South China Sea have also been chased and detained by law enforcement agencies from neighboring countries which hold overlapping, sometimes conflicting claims with Vietnam over certain areas of the sea.

Malaysia detained more than 400 Vietnamese fishermen in 2021. More recently, Malaysia detained 42 Vietnamese fishermen in June and released them after three months.

In 2021, Indonesia seized 42 Vietnamese fishing boats, sank some of them and detained more than 270 Vietnamese fishermen.

Unclear maritime borders

The European Commission issued a yellow card warning against Vietnams illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in 2017 and, despite the governments efforts to eradicate illegal fishing, the results are far from desirable.

In the first quarter of this year, 19 fishing boats with 131 fishermen from seven provinces in Vietnam were caught by authorities from neighboring countries, detained and fined, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

One of the main problems, according to Tran Cong Truc, a leading maritime analyst and former head of Vietnams Border Committee, is that the boundaries between waters and continental shelves in certain areas in the South China Sea including between Vietnam and Indonesia, as well as between Vietnam and Malaysia in the south of the Spratlys, are not clearly defined.

In some cases, they are set unilaterally by a single claimant therefore are not being considered legitimate and respected by others, Truc told RFA. Fluid borders cause grave misunderstandings, sometimes conflicts, between neighboring countries.

In the similarly named chapter of his book The Outlaw Ocean, journalist Ian Urbina described a confrontation involving both Vietnamese and Indonesian law enforcement ships that he witnessed in 2017.

In the days after the confrontation, I emailed James Kraska, an international law professor at the U.S. Naval War College in Rhode Island and an expert on the South China Sea. I sent him the coordinates of where the clash occurred and asked him whose waters those were. Impossible to say, he replied.

Countries have to agree on where to draw these lines, he said. In the South China Sea, Indonesia and Vietnam have never come to such an agreement, he explained, reads an excerpt of the book.

Foreign boats are destroyed near an Indonesian island after being accused of fishing illegally in its waters in this undated photo. [Reuters]

Vietnamese fishermen and law enforcement agencies all need to learn thoroughly and in detail about existing maritime boundaries in the South China Sea, including the unilateral and disputed ones, said Tran Cong Truc.

The government should instruct relevant agencies to come up with different scenarios and regulations, to which fishermen should abide, he said.

Most urgently, we need to accelerate negotiations with other countries to either work out a final set of demarcations or a temporary joint development cooperation.

The main goals are not only to ensure a deal that is fair for every country but also to protect the natural resources of the South China Sea, the Vietnamese expert said.

This report was produced by Radio Free Asia with contributions by Nisha David for BenarNews from Kuala Lumpur .
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) meets with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare at the Pacific Islands Forum in Suva, Fiji, July 13, 2022.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has used a brief official visit to Australia to vow that his government wont allow foreign military installations or do anything to jeopardize security in the Pacific.

Sogavare met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra on Thursday following months of tension between the Solomon Islands and U.S. ally Australia that stemmed from the Sogavare governments deepening relationship with China.

Solomon Islands will never be used for foreign military installations or institutions of foreign countries because this will not be in the interest of Solomon Islands and its people, Sogavare said.

Solomon Islands will not do anything that will undermine our national security and jeopardize the security of any or all [Pacific Island] Forum countries, he said.

Albanese said he welcomed Sogavares clear commitments.

We regard security in our region as being critical, and we also regard the need to uplift the living standards and quality of life of people in the Pacific as being absolutely critical, he said.

Earlier this year, the Solomon Islands signed with Beijing a secret security agreement, which amplified U.S. concerns about increased Chinese influence in the Pacific.

Neither country has released the text of the final agreement, but a purported draft that circulated online said China would be able to send security forces to protect its interests in the Solomon Islands.

The U.S. and Australia have indicated they want to prevent a permanent Chinese military presence in the region.

Over the past two decades, Beijing has amassed substantial goodwill with economically lagging Pacific island countries by building infrastructure and providing other assistance.

The United States last week promised more than U.S. $800 million in assistance to the region over a decade as it tries to rebuild relationships with island countries after a period of neglect.

Relations between Australia and the Solomon Islands have a history of tension.

Sogavare, who has been Solomon Islands prime minister four times, resented the power wielded by the Australian-led military intervention in the Solomon Islands from 2003 to 2017.

Known as the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, the Solomon Islands government requested support after lawlessness and economic collapse threatened to overwhelm the country.

Earlier this year, Sogavare gave a speech in the Solomon Islands parliament that criticized what he saw as the hypocrisy of Western media coverage of his governments security pact with Beijing.

He said Australia also had not consulted with countries in the region before it entered its security and nuclear submarine pact with the United States and the United Kingdom, known as AUKUS.

On Thursday, Sogavare said his governments priority is working with other countries to meet the substantial development needs of the Solomon Islands.

The key to long-term peace and security in Solomon Islands rests with our ability to address the priorities of all provinces  including roads, bridges, market outlets for products, schools and hospitals, the list goes on, he said.
The Philippines must lead in peace-keeping efforts amid rising tensions in Southeast Asia and beyond, new President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said as he pledged this week to propose concrete steps at an ASEAN summit in November for addressing conflicts.

Marcos said the time has come to strengthen the Association of Southeast Asian Nations  of which the Philippines is a founding member  and make it a significant force in an Indo-Pacific region roiled by international tensions. As examples, he cited tensions over North Korean missile tests, the Rohingya issue in Myanmar, and the push and pull between rival superpowers the United States and China over Taiwan.

So we have a very important part to play in that because we have a great interest. It must be a subject of central concern in our foreign policy and in the defense of the nation in the Philippines, Marcos said.

He made the remarks while fielding questions after a speech at the Manila Overseas Press Club on Wednesday night. A transcript from the event was made available Thursday.

So I do not think we have a choice. We must play a leadership role because it is in our interest. And if we do not do it, we are not doing our jobs as the protectors of our country, of our state, of our territory, of our people, if we do not take that leadership role, said Marcos, the namesake son of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos who led the Philippines from 1965 until 1986, when he was ousted in a people-power revolt.

Since taking office on June 30, the younger Marcos has vowed to pursue an independent foreign policy where the country is a friend to all, enemy to none.

I think ASEAN can do more than it has done thus far, Marcos said of the 10-member regional bloc.

I think we should continue  to move that united front forward so that we can say that ASEAN as a political, geopolitical aggrupation, economic aggrupation, has certainly shown that it has a function to do in the normal scheme of the geopolitics. But when crisis comes, that they come to the fore, Marcos said.

This was a similar refrain during his state visit to Indonesia in September, where the Philippine president and Indonesian counterpart Joko Jokowi Widodo called on ASEAN to lead the way in bringing peace in the region.

In his remarks, however, Marcos did not mention territorial disputes in the South China Sea, which is known here as the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines and several of its neighbors in ASEAN as well as Taiwan and China have contending claims in the strategic waterway.

Marcos said he would propose concrete steps in the upcoming ASEAN summit in November on how to bring Myanmars military government to the table and discuss the Rohingya crisis.

I intend to propose several actions that ASEAN can take specific to the different conflicts that we are seeing in our region, he said. And if the Philippines can play a part, then that would certainly be a good thing.

ASEAN has been widely criticized for its failure to compel the Burmese military to live up to a five-point consensus for bringing peace to post-coup Myanmar that the junta chief agreed to during an emergency summit of Southeast Asian leaders in April 2021. Since then, the Burmese military has largely carried on unchecked in bloodily crushing the political opposition while fighting various insurgencies.

The 55-year-old regional bloc, which operates by consensus, has been seen as failing repeatedly to issue a strong stance against perceived Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea, the Mekong River dams, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A civilian boat delivers supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal) in the South China Sea, in this undated photo.

The Philippines this week completed its third successful resupply in as many months of its outpost at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, a task subjected to frequent harassment by Chinese ships in recent years.

Civilian commercial boats hired by the Philippine government brought food, water, maintenance equipment, medicine and other equipment to a small crew of marines who live aboard the outpost, the BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated World War II-era ship that was run aground in the Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal) in 1999.

The shoal is about 174 nautical miles from the city of Puerto Princesa in western Palawan island that faces the South China Sea, which Manila refers to as the West Philippine Sea. The shoal is one of the nine areas occupied by Filipino troops in disputed waters.

The mission to deliver the supplies to the ship was the third one since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in late June and the 10th one completed in 2022, military official said.

This is the third consecutive resupply activity undertaken by the government with neither any escort nor untoward incident, said Maj. Cherryl Tindog, spokeswoman for the militarys Western Command (WESCOM).

In June, just before Marcos formally assumed the presidency, Chinese ships shadowed military-escorted supply boats and challenged them through a radio broadcast.

Last year, two Chinese coast guard ships chased a boat carrying a crew from local broadcaster ABS-CBN Corp. The most dramatic sea chase occurred in 2014 when a Filipino resupply boat, which was also carrying journalists managed to evade a Chinese ship harassing it.

Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, the WESCOM chief, said the military deliberately did not escort the recent supply ships.

Still, a Philippine Coast Guard ship, the BRP Malapascua, patrolled near the area during the resupply mission while two China Coast Guard and five Chinese militia ships were spotted as the supply boats entered and exited the shoal.

The absence of Philippine government escort vessels was deliberate. We are exhausting all available means to peacefully co-exist until all WPS issues are finally resolved, Carlos said using an acronym for the West Philippine Sea.

Our current thrust is part of the trust-building efforts we are undertaking in response to the guidance of the president to exhaust all means to resolve the issues in the West Philippine Sea. Hence, continuing dialogues with Chinese authorities is one such approach, Carlos said.

Scarborough Shoal

Meanwhile on Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard said it had monitored four China Coast Guard ships near Scarborough Shoal including two in territorial waters during aerial surveillance flights. Called Bajo de Masinloc by the Philippines, the shoal is about 124 nautical miles west of Zambales province on Luzon island.

Two Chinese militia vessels were also observed outside the said vicinity waters. There was no challenge made between the PCG and the CCG during the aerial surveillance, the coast guard said.

In 2016, Manila won an arbitral ruling against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. The ruling nullified Chinas expansive claims to the sea region, including in waters that lap on the shores of its neighbors.

Among the first foreign dignitaries who visited Marcos Jr. shortly after he assumed the presidency in June was Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who pledged to maintain friendly ties with Manila while working out overlapping claims in the sea region.

Given the uncertain, unstable and complex regional and international dynamics, it is even more important for China and the Philippines, as two close neighbors, to join hands to further enhance mutual trust (and) expand mutually beneficial cooperation, Wang said at the time.

This will not only serve the common interest of the two countries and two peoples but will also be our important contribution to peace and stability in our region, he said, noting that cooperation during the previous administration of President Rodrigo Duterte brought tangible benefits to both countries.
The body of gunman Panya Khamrab is seen inside a body bag at the Na Klang Police Station following a mass shooting in Uthai Sawan, Nong Bua Lam Phu province, Thailand, Oct. 6, 2022.

Updated at 2:57 p.m. ET on 2022-10-06

A former cop on Thursday shot and stabbed to death dozens of people, mostly preschoolers, in attacks on a daycare center and his own family that left Thailand grasping for answers into what motivated one of the worst mass killings in its history.

The attacker, who had been fired from the police department after he was caught with drugs, forced his way around lunchtime into the center in Nong Bua Lam Phu, a province in the countrys northeast, before killing the children and others, a senior police officer said.

The man, identified as Panya Khamrab, 34, then returned home and killed his wife and their 3-year-old son before turning the gun on himself, Pol. Col. Jakrapad Wijitwaitaya, chief of the Na Klang station, told reporters. The small boy was enrolled at the daycare center.

He [Panya] had personal problems, had just been fired, and was addicted to drugs. So that might be the cause of the incident, Jakrapad said.

As condolences poured in from around the world, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha said the nation was reeling from the shooting, which he called a shocking event.

The country will fly its flag at half-mast on Friday to mourn the tragedy, he announced in a Facebook post.

My deepest condolences to the bereaved and injured families. Let all parties involved help and heal those affected urgently, the PM said.

I have ordered the police chief to travel to the scene immediately to take necessary actions and all involved parties to provide immediate relief to all affected people.

His office said that on Friday Prayuth would visit the scene of the massacre.

A police officer stands guard outside a day care center that was the scene of a mass shooting in Uthai Sawan, Nong Bua Lam Phu province, Thailand, Oct. 6, 2022. [Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters]

The killings occurred at a nursery operated by a local government organization in Tambon (village cluster) Uthai Sawan in Na Klang district, some 500 kilometers (310 miles) northeast of Bangkok.

The total death toll on Thursday night had risen to 38, including the killer, his wife and their child, a hospital source told BenarNews on condition of anonymity because that person was not authorized to speak to reporters.

The victims included 24 children, most of them aged from two to five years old, according to officials.

At least ten others were injured, some of whom are in serious condition, authorities said, but they would not say if the wounded included children.

Two teachers and one police officer were among the fatalities, according to the police.

The nurserys acting chief described the horrific scene when the attacker barged into the building armed with a gun and knife.

There were some staff eating lunch outside the nursery and the attacker parked his car and shot four of them dead, Nanthicha Punchum told Agence France-Presse. The shooter smashed down the door with his leg and then came inside and started slashing the childrens heads with a knife.

Another eyewitness said the assailant was known in the area as a drug addict. Paweena Purichan said she encountered Panya driving erratically as he fled the scene, AFP reported.

The attacker rammed a motorbike into two people who were injured. I sped off to get away from him, she told the news service. There was blood everywhere.

Local television channels Thairath and Amarin broadcast a video clip of the husband of a pregnant teacher who was slain in the attack.

My wife is due next month. I never got to see my wife and child, the man said, weeping.

The culprit went insane

As of late Thursday, the killers exact motive was still not known.

Police said Panya Khamrab was a former lance corporal who was discharged from the force earlier this year for drug possession.

A senior police officer said Panya had been to court to face drug-related charges earlier in the day, with the ruling slated for Friday.

He might have been stressed and under the influence of narcotics and consequently committed this tragic act, Gen. Damrongsak Kittiprapas, the national police chief, told reporters.

The culprit went insane, mainly used a knife, and killed many children. After leaving the daycare center, he used a gun and knife to attack people on his way. Then he reached home where he was besieged and ended his life.

Gen. Torsak Sukwimol, Thailands deputy police chief, said the gunmans mother told him that her son had seemed stressed after the court hearing on Thursday.

The attacker also took some drugs and started acting paranoid, Torsak said.

In an interview with local television, a woman identified as the killers mother said her son had become hooked on drugs.

I dont know the motive. But he was addicted to Yaba. I warned him often to stop it. He became an addict after moving from Bangkok to here, the woman told Thairath TV.

Yaba, or crazy medicine, is an illicit drug tablet that contains methamphetamine and caffeine. They are widely used in Southeast Asia.

The assailant appeared to become agitated when he could not find his son at the nursery, local media quoted witnesses, including one of the teachers at the scene, as saying.

Police said most of the children were stabbed as they were sleeping.

Damrongsak said the killers gun was legal, purchased, privately owned, and not police property.

Videos and photos posted on social media showed bloodied clothes and sheets covering what appeared to be the bodies of children at the center. Some also showed distraught parents weeping in a shelter outside the center.

According to local media reports, people lined up outside the local hospital in Nong Bua Lamphu to donate blood for the injured being treated there.

Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul arrived at the provincial hospital late in the evening and met with some of the injured people being treated there.

He also thanked the health workers and others for supporting the local community.

A woman reacts as people gather outside a daycare center where a massacre occurred in Uthai Sawan, Nong Bua Lam Phu province, Thailand, Oct. 6, 2022. [Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters]

In Bangkok, the Thai government announced that it would provide financial support to the victims families for funeral expenses and medical treatment.

Several world leaders, meanwhile, sent condolences including heads of governments of Western countries that had experienced mass shootings at school and university campuses.

I am shocked to hear of the horrific events in Thailand this morning. My thoughts are with all those affected and the first responders. The U.K. stands with the Thai people at this terrible, British Prime Minister Liz Truss said on Twitter.

In March 1996, a gunman killed 16 students and a teacher at a primary school in Dunblane, Scotland, before he turned the gun on himself.

Its impossible to comprehend the heartbreak of this horrific news from Thailand. All Australians send their love and condolences, said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

In Bangkok, the U.S. Embassy issued a statement saying it was saddened by the tragic event in Nong Bua Lam Phu.

We stand with the people of Thailand and offer our deepest condolences to the victims and their families, said the embassy representing the United States where hundreds of people have died in gun-related attacks and mass killings at schools in recent decades.

Among many other deadly incidents at schools, attacks ranging from a massacre at Columbine High in Colorado in 1999, to mass killings at Newtown Elementary in Connecticut in 2012 and Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas in 2022 have become seared into the American conscience.

People gather outside of a daycare center, which was the scene of a mass killing in Uthai Sawan, a town in Nong Bua Lamphu province, Thailand, Oct. 6, 2022. [Sakdipat Boonsom/Handout via Reuters]

Thursdays attack in Thailand occurred less than a month after an army officer shot two of his colleagues dead at a Bangkok base.

In Thailand, illegal weapons are common, but mass shootings are rare.

The country has strict gun laws, with illegal firearm possession carrying a prison sentence of up to 10 years, but enforcement has been an issue, according to experts.

According to a 2020 study by the Geneva-based organization Small Arms Survey, Thailand has the highest number of firearms in civilian possession among ASEAN countries.

The research found more than 10 million firearms in civilian hands as of 2017  about 15 percent of the population. The survey group said six million in circulation were registered arms, while the rest were unregistered.

Thailands number is far fewer than the United States rate of 120 guns per 100 people in 2017.

In 2020, a Thai soldier angry over a property deal gone wrong went on a shooting spree, killing at least 29 people and injuring dozens of others at four locations in Nakhon Ratchasima city.

After an hours-long standoff overnight, he was gunned down the following morning. Authorities said he went on the rampage after suffering a psychotic break.
Harvest Fest is coming to downtown Bennington on Oct. 15. The festival will close Main, School and Pleasant streets, as well as filling up Merchants Park with activities, vendors, food, music and more. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. It will feature over 50 vendors, 25 activities, four stages with 13 performances and medieval jousters.
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.
'LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI'

Bestselling author Rinker Buck wanted to experience floating down the Mississippi, so he built a flatboat and did

Rinker Buck began his career in The Eagle newsroom. Now, he's a bestselling author with a new book about floating down the Mississippi on a raft
Local newspapers are dying. Try as they might, changes in American society, aided and abetted by the internet, have forced many of these institutions to the brink of insolvency. Their demise could impact you in ways that you might never have imagined.

The newspaper industry, as most readers are aware, has been in a steady decline for years. A loss of readership and advertising, both traditional sources of revenue for centuries, have migrated to other media, such as the digital arena. The pandemic and the resulting economic impact on the U.S. economy only worsened what was already a bad situation, at least from an economic viewpoint.

Penelope Muse Abernathy and Tim Franklin at Northwestern Universitys Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communication recently released a study titled The State of Local News 2022." Here is what they found: Since 2005, more than 2,500 newspapers have closed around the nation, on average, 100 newspapers per year or two a week have shut their doors.

As a result, the number of newspaper employees have declined by 60 percent and on-staff photographers fell by 80 percent. Today, there are only 7,000-plus newspapers still publishing in the U.S. Over 80 percent are weeklies located in small and rural areas of a nation with a circulation under 15,000.

Of the 3,143 counties in the U.S., 200 of them no longer have a newspaper. That may seem small, but the loss impacts 3.2 million people and counting. Two thousand counties no longer have a daily newspaper, and 1,630 counties get by with only one newspaper, usually published weekly. All together that amounts to 70 million people.

As a result, news deserts have cropped up throughout the country. These are bland spots among local communities, according to research by the University of North Carolina, that no longer have access (or diminished access) to news and information that many consider necessary to the survival of a grassroots democracy.

To make matters worse, thanks to mergers and acquisitions, the 25 largest publishers now control about one-third of all newspapers, including two-thirds of all daily newspapers. Today, the 10 largest newspaper owners control half the daily newspapers in the county.

The main loser within this trend has been local communities as the focus of these competing media sources concentrates on international and national news. The resources devoted to covering community news and events have shrunk dramatically. This gives rise to a growing number of ghost newspapers.

Ghost newspapers is a term used to describe the disappearance of important local coverage that was provided to the community in the past. Since community news has historically been the driver of newspaper readership, less coverage translates into less readership, which generates less revenues and a further decline in local news coverage. This is what one calls a vicious circle.

In 2005, newspaper revenues were more than $50 billion, according to the Northwestern study. Since then, revenues have declined to $20 billion.

I wish I could say that this circle has been broken but it is getting worse. The decline in local spending in newspapers is predicted to continue to decline. BIA Advisory Services, a firm that tracks ad spending in local media, predicts by 2025, newspaper print ad sales will decline to $5 billion, a massive decline from revenues today.

Historically, local newspapers have been the prime, and sometimes only, source of credible and comprehensive news and vital information. It is why the First Amendment was included in the U.S. Constitution. The facts are that newspapers have affected the quality of life in thousands of small and mid-sized communities around the country for centuries.

Newspapers have been in the thick of public policy debates in every state, city, town and village in America. The stories, the extended coverage of issues, and their editorials have not only shaped, but have made history time and time again.

Today, they are still doing that. From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, if you are like me, the critical information I needed to safeguard and protect my family and friends was supplied by my local newspaper on a daily basis. It was a lifeline that no national news source could hope to furnish.

I believe climate change is a mounting danger that communities throughout the country will need to face. Frequent information on local weather conditions, road emergencies, hospitals, shelters and other critical alerts will become increasingly important.

We need local newspapers today, now more than ever. Just look at what is happening in Florida today, or Eastern Kentucky, or communities that depend on the Colorado River for survival to see where we are heading.

Local communities have a choice. The way I see it, unless something is done to save this industry, we are all in trouble. We need to figure out a way to preserve and resuscitate the local newspapers or face an increasingly unknown future without them.

The burning question is how? In my next column, I will examine what communities and local newspapers are doing today to not only stem the tide but reverse the direction of the newspaper industry and enhance their communities at the same time. This publication, The Berkshire Eagle, has an interesting view on this issue, which we will discuss next week.
On Oct. 6, 1973: War erupted in the Middle East as Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel during the Yom Kippur holiday. (Israel, initially caught off guard, managed to push back the Arab forces before a cease-fire finally took hold in the nearly three-week conflict.)
A North Carolina man has pleaded guilty to plotting with other members of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group to violently stop the transfer of presidential power after the 2020 election
The Pittsfield Licensing Board rescinded the liquor license for the previous managers of Tito's Mexican Grill on Monday, clearing the way for new owners to seek a license transfer.
The Stockbridge Select Board has approved a nearly $1 million plan to enhance traffic and pedestrian safety in the heavily traveled downtown corridor. Town voters will decide in the spring.
Donald Morrison is an Eagle columnist and co-chairman of the advisory board. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of The Berkshire Eagle.
IDAHO FALLS - The Idaho Falls Police Department recently announced the expansion of their Police K-9 Unit and welcomed several new police dogs to their department.

According to a news release, for the past several years IFPD has had two to three canine (K-9) handlers and dogs. Two of the K-9's were trained in narcotics detection and one was trained in explosives detection.

With the newly announced expansion, IFPD now has six police K-9s in various stages of active service and training, and two others who are expected to retire by the end of this year.

Rocky - Narcotics Detection - Expected to retire by the end of this year. Harry - Explosives Detection - Expected to retire by the end of this year. Argo - Narcotics Detection - Joined IFPD in 2020 Ardis - Electronic Source Detection - New to IFPD this year. Skadi - Explosives Detection - In Training - New to IFPD this year. Ghost - Narcotics Detection - In Training - New to IFPD this year. Rip - Narcotics Detection - In Training - New to IFPD this year. Kahn - Narcotics Detection - In Training - New to IFPD this year.

Pictures and descriptions of each dog can be seen on the Idaho Falls Police Department Facebook page.
MOSCOW - The University of Idaho issued a memo last month telling its employees not to provide reproductive health counseling or contraception to students to comply with a state law.

The memo sparked outrage nationwide and was the target of criticism from President Joe Biden this week.

On Wednesday, the school issued a new memo on abortion law in Idaho, and how it impacts the institutions employees. The memo, released by University President Scott Green and Provost Torrey Lawrence, intends to clarify the previous memo. You can read it below.

Clarifying Points About State Abortion Law

On September 23 a memo titled Guidance on Abortion Laws from U of Is Office of General Counsel was sent. The memo quickly took on a life of its own with misinformation, confusion and emotion leading the conversation. This included those outside our university using this occasion to advance their own political agendas. This is, without a doubt, a divisive and complicated topic. The Idaho laws, brought to the forefront by the overturn of Roe v. Wade, are indeed complex, unclear and written to be punitive for state employees. We cannot make any guarantees about how the state will choose to enforce them. But, to clarify where the university stands, please understand:

1. No university policies have been added or changed as a result of the No Public Funds for Abortion Act passed by the Idaho legislature.

2. Penalties of the law are criminal in nature. The university does not impose criminal charges nor conduct criminal investigations.

3. There are no changes to our academic freedom policy. The university supports faculty leading discussions on any related educational topic within the classroom.

4. There is no change to student access to contraceptives. Condoms continue to be available in restroom dispensers and campus offices. The Vandal Health Clinic and its sister clinics operated by Gritman Medical Center will continue to meet the reproductive health needs of all students and employees.

More nuanced guidance in the form of an FAQ is being developed to help you understand our states laws.

As Vandals, we remain united in our mission of providing access to an affordable education, illuminating and elevating our students and conducting research that matters to Idaho industry. That work does not end when we face challenges. Lets not forget who we are. The Vandal family is resilient, supportive and kind to one another.

Go Vandals!

Scott Green

President

Torrey Lawrence

Provost and Executive Vice President




First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Modern experiential department store, We Are Egg, opened its second store at The Zone @ Rosebank in Johannesburg on Saturday, 1 October.

Source: Supplied

Originally launched in Cavendish Square in December 2020, in the thick of the Covid-19 lockdown, by Paul Simon and Arie Fabian in partnership with Old Mutual, the new Rosebank store has been created with the Joburg customer in mind and has been built on a similar model to the iconic UK-based Selfridges department store.

The curated 3,000m2 space features a host of local and international brands across mens, women's and kids fashion, beauty, home and jewellery departments, with the addition of a restaurant and bar, all under one roof.

"With the spirit of an independent, Egg has the scale of a department store. The 150 brands have poured their creative souls into this project, and when you enter, you will feel the passion in the air," the company said.

These are some of the brand highlights visitors can expect at the new store.

Rich Mnisi

Rich Mnisi has launched his first physical retail offering at We Are Egg. Widely heralded for his fusion of contemporary pop culture and traditional African heritage, Mnisis designs infuse his own personal narrative into extremist yet minimalist structures. He works across genders, seasons, geographical lines and creative disciplines, with a twin devotion to craftsmanship and experimentation.

His work has made international headlines in media outlets such as Dazed, i-D, Vice, Vogue Italia and WWD. He draws influences from film, music and photography, and he frequently art directs editorial and campaign shoots.

Source: Supplied

We are super excited for our community to fully engage with the Rich Mnisi universe, as they step into a physical realm as an extension to our online presence as we introduce our first brick and mortar space, says Rich Mnisi, founder and owner of Rich Mnisi.

Diane Paris

Diane Paris is focused on creating elegant womens ready-to-wear collections, with high-quality luxe garments that are suited for any occasion from the boardroom to a cocktail event. Each Diane piece comes from an intimate process that begins in Paris, where luxury fabrics are handpicked from various top houses ensuring timeless luxury in every garment. Once selected, the fabrics are sent to Poland where an internal manufacturing process takes place to create classic effortless designs.

Source: Supplied

Commenting on what you can expect at We Are Egg, Paris says, Diane-Paris imbues love and confidence into every design with the goal of leaving each person feeling comfortable and confident in looking good. The Diane Paris brand has built a reputation that stands for elegance and timeless glamour. Our focus is functional easy luxe pieces that you can use for any occasion. Were classic with a twist and we strive for comfort and confidence using our pieces to elevate each womans journey.

Anea

In a first for South African indoor retail, Cape Town-based artisanal terrarium creator Anea launched its products inside a custom, conservatory-styled greenhouse at We Are Egg Rosebank. Until now, Anea handcrafted terrariums have only been available online and in Cape Town for inland enthusiasts.

Source: Supplied Source: Supplied

Creator Denny Mo is excited about the new development. We are thrilled to be opening the first greenhouse in a mall in South Africa, this is the single most exciting thing to happen in a retail space. Our team and Eggs architects have spent a lot of time designing the greenhouse together. We've built over 250 terrariums all hand-made from Cape Town. This launch will bring nature into retail like no one has seen before

The Piercery

Founded by Roxy Burger, The Piercery is both a piercing studio and a jewellery store that performs ear, face and limited body piercings inside Egg. It offers ear styling and curation featuring a vast range of implant-grade surgical steel, titanium and solid gold jewellery.

Source: Supplied

Swiitch Beauty

At just 14 years old, Rabia Ghoor started Swiitch Beauty in her bedroom in Pretoria with just two products and an Instagram page.Offering a wide range of cosmetics and skincare, today the brand has a huge customer base and has become one of the most popular local beauty brands in SA.

Crystal Birch

Milliner extraordinaire Crystal Birch is a leading lady in the sartorial landscape of South Africa - and when it comes to hats or anything adorning the head, she is the go-to for the countrys most creative characters. Although Birch remains a guardian of millinery tradition, her power lies in her ability to elevate hat-making as effortlessly chic and relevant for the 21st century. Under her watchful eye, every hat is designed and imbued with its own unique essence by the in-house team, championing local production for global locations.

Some of the other brands on offer include: Cultish, Me & B, Puma Select, Rosey & Vittori, Michelle Ludek, Float, Converse, Heron Preston, Artclub and Friends, Sol Sol, Stiebeuel, New Balance, Fuata Moyo, Birkenstock, Crocs and Culture of Brave.
Advertising on trusted news websites provides huge benefits for South African businesses.

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Historical under-investment in mental-health services in South Africa has been compounded by an increase in insurance incapacity claims for mental-health issues, compounded by long-Covid health conditions.

Source: Supplied. Myrna Sachs, head of AlexForbes Health Management.

Alexforbes Health Management Solutions (HMS), a health risk manager within the employee wellbeing space, has seen up to a 40% increase in such incapacity cases over the past year.

According to Gareth Friedlander, Discovery Life deputy chief executive, the insurer was concerned about the growing prevalence of claims related to mental-health conditions.

Liberty reported a spike in mental-health claims from its clients during 2021, particularly among working people between 35 and 54 years. This is largely attributed to the stresses brought on by the pandemic.

Some individuals suffering from long Covid symptoms do not realise it, which increases anxiety and mental-health conditions, said Alexforbes HMS head, Myrna Sachs.

Long Covid is defined as Covid19related symptoms that are present 28 days or more after the onset of acute infection, and can last months. Symptoms can be physical and psychological.

Long Covid is not the only driving force increasing mental-health issues. The actual impact of the pandemic (financial and psychological) for those affected and infected has also highlighted the need for more awareness and support, said Sachs.

The link between mental health and incapacity

Mental-health conditions are a cause of incapacity, disability and exclusion. They affect peoples ability to contribute to their workplace and families.

The World Bank considers mental illness to be the greatest thief of productive economic life. Yearly global costs from mental-, neurological- and substance-use disorders are estimated at between $2.5 and $8.5tn dollars a year, projected to double by 2030.

The impact of poor mental health among employees therefore has highly apparent and direct repercussions for employers, Sachs said.

An article on mental health in Africa published in The Lancet Global Health journal noted that there are 1.4 mental-health workers per 100,000 people, compared with a global average of nine per 100,000.

In South Africa, access to psychologists and counsellors is limited to the wealthy, and even then, you can wait weeks for an appointment.

"Government hospitals and clinics do not have the capacity or professional staff to deal with the increase in mental health. This is not a new problem.

Stigma breeds silence

"Mental health has always been neglected and this is now exacerbated by the current situation, Sachs said. Therefore an opportunity exists for employers to fill this gap by offering access to professional counsellors.

Sachs said mental-health conditions were generally under-reported due to the attached stigma. Employees dont want to divulge that they have a problem, or they are not aware that they have a problem.

"They just relate their symptoms to something physical, so they dont get treated timeously. Employees are still scared they will lose their job if they disclose; they feel they will be ostracised and they feel vulnerable.

Sachs said employers play an important role in breaking the stigma around mental health by conducting education sessions and having employee wellness programmes in place.

Employees need supportive, open communication and an empathic approach from management.

The onus is on employers to create an environment which is more conducive to dealing with mental-health illness. They should have policies in place which look after the wellbeing of employees by monitoring absenteeism, as this is one of the early warning signs of poor mental health.

Poor mental health of an employee affects business, resulting in poor productivity and low morale, as well as affecting other employees. There are bottom-line losses due to productivity, as well as direct and indirect costs of absenteeism.

Sachs said employees needed to be empowered to know how to access mental-health support and champion this, as mental health challenges are also a major contributor to physical health and general wellness.
With over two decades of experience, we have grown into a prosperous company with an established clientele in a relatively short period. Our personnel constantly enjoy their time at work, fostering a positive environment, so our guests feel welcome and at ease when they enter our establishment.

JR Promotions expanded its activities to Cape Town by opening a new branch in the city.

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Why choose JR Promotions?

The promoters of JR Promotions engage in a vast array of promotional activities. JR Promotions provides skilled and dependable people to promote your brand, product, or service and, more importantly, to generate excitement and interest to maximise brand exposure.

The crew at JR Promotions is skilled and committed, with a wealth of expertise and knowledge to collaborate with you on new concepts or develop tried-and-true ideas. In addition, JR Promotions strives to establish a relationship between the customer and your business by giving the consumer the chance and motivation to engage with your company.

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Trump asks U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in FBI raid case

Xinhua) 10:31, October 06, 2022

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. President Donald Trump has requested that the Supreme Court get involved in his conflict with the Department of Justice (DOJ) over classified documents that were removed from his Florida home by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In a filing of around 300 pages submitted on Tuesday, Trump's lawyers asked the highest court in the nation to block an earlier ruling by a lower court that enabled the DOJ to continue using classified documents in the department's case against the former president.

The case revolves around whether Trump broke federal laws regarding the custody of government documents.

U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida Aileen Cannon had earlier ruled that an unbiased third party, or "special master," be appointed to examine thousands of documents to determine whether the records were under the jurisdiction of "attorney-client privilege."

Attorney-client privilege is a rule that allows communications between lawyers and their clients to be private.

Trump's lawyers continue to label the dispute with the DOJ as an argument over White House documents.

"In what at its core is a document storage dispute that has spiraled out of control, the government wrongfully seeks to criminalize the possession by the 45th President of his own presidential and personal records," the former president's attorneys wrote.

Trump has accused the FBI of searching Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, for political purposes, while claiming that some of the documents were protected by attorney-client privilege and executive privilege.

The DOJ had argued Trump did not have the authority to claim executive privilege from his time in the White House since he is no longer in office.

A preliminary triage of the documents taken from Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8 by the FBI was said to have found 184 unique documents bearing classification markings, including 67 marked as "CONFIDENTIAL," 92 marked as "SECRET," and 25 marked as "TOP SECRET," according to a redacted affidavit.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and claimed all the seized documents were declassified.

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Bianji)
Jason Goliath will once again hit the Johannesburg stage this November with a one-man comedy show.

Image supplied: Jason Goliath is returning to the stage in November

The new show is a follow-up to Jasons one-man motivational comedy stand-up, Manstruation: Surviving a Wife, which took place in October 2019, and is currently available on Showmax.

Johannesburg audiences are in for a treat when Dala What You Must, It Is What It Is takes over Theatre on The Square in Sandton City from 15 to 27 November.

Dala What You Must, It Is What It Is, is inspired by the most important word Jason grasped during lockdown; acceptance and will include unfiltered, never-before-heard anecdotes about his life, his journey, uncomfortable truths and how he learnt to dala (do) what he had to, to persevere.

He hopes to not only entertain his audience but share his experience of overcoming lockdown and offer palpable solutions to everyday stressors.

The realisation that nobody is going to bed worried about my debit orders, my lifestyle or my problems, means I have to hold myself accountable and responsible. This also means the only way to achieve my dreams is to accept where and what I am and do what I have to do. Dala (do) what you must, because it is what it is, says Goliath.

Commenting on the objective of his new style of comedy, which fans can experience in Dala What You Must, It Is What It Is, he says that although the show is as educational as it is funny, the ultimate goal is to make people laugh. Funny first always!

I curate my stories so that they have relatable messaging and messages that in some way, shape or form will impact someone. Will the whole show impact everybody? No. The objective is for one part of the show to impact a few, for others to leave with something, and for all to leave having a good laugh! affirms Goliath.

He plans on taking the show on tour across South Africa, visiting the likes of Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha and more, so keep an eye out.

Dala What You Must, It Is What It Is takes place at Theatre On The Square  Sandton City from Tuesday 15 to 27 November. Tickets are available [[https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/Event.aspx?itemid=1518753638 here] and cost R200.
At the beginning of this month, the international Patron Perfectionists cocktail competition opened for 2023, bringing a new bartender education and engagement programme to South Africa. The programme gives mixologists a chance to showcase their skills and pursuit of perfectionism.

Patron Perfectionists Global Finals 2022, Hacienda Patron

As the cocktail competition has significantly broadened its reach and distinction in the mixology world, Patron tequila has extended its long-standing commitment to inspire and support South African bartenders. Through the programme, mixologists will grow their skillset with the Academia Patron Perfectionists Education Programme launch. This year, 19 countries and cruise liners will participate in the cocktail competition, with additional countries signing up for the global training modules and workshops.

While exciting new layers have been added to accompany participants on their journey to perfection, the core entry of the programme still asks bartenders to create a recipe reflecting their homes and the unwavering commitment to quality that goes into every drop of Patron tequila.

The Academia Patron Perfectionists Education Programme will allow the bartenders to appreciate that the best flavour develops slowly and naturally. Handcrafted to perfection, Patron never takes shortcuts and uses only high-quality raw ingredients with zero additives.

The entire tequila-making process takes place at Hacienda Patron, where only Patronis made. Pride is taken in everything about it, especially in the people involved in making the worlds finest tequila  it takes 60 hands from beginning to end to make one bottle of Patron tequila.

The entry challenge, called Hometown Hero, requires entrants to develop a cocktail that blends Patron Silver tequila with the bartenders culture, using ingredients from a prescribed list. The initial entry submissions will be judged on appeal, appearance, inspiration, and originality.

The Academia Patron Perfectionists Education Programme was a real learning curve for me, not only in perfecting my bartending skills, but the entire process of making Patron. One of my most significant lessons was that it is sourced from a specific species of plant that takes a really long time to mature, then we make something as delicious and authentic as tequila. Every entrant is bound to grow their skills, knowledge, and experience, just by participating, said last years Patron Perfectionist winner, Cassandra Eichhoff, hailing from Windhoek, Namibia.

Bartenders are invited to attend Academia Patron Perfectionists Masterclasses, alongside other educational initiatives hosted throughout South Africa. Focusing on flavours, ingredients, techniques, and topical trends in the tequila category and mixology, the Patron Masterclass modules support professional growth and the preparation for the Patron Perfectionists competition entry.

Following the education and entry stages, 10 bartenders will be shortlisted for the national finals due to take place throughout November and December. This years national finals will engage bartenders across various topics and challenges, and the bartenders cumulative scores will determine the South African winner.

This year, a special Wild Card Entry will also be selected by a global judge from the contestants of the national finals. All national winners and the Wild Card winner will go on to the much-coveted global finals experience taking place at Hacienda Patron, Mexico, in March 2023. During the global finals, bartenders will undertake a new series of challenges, testing each part of a bartenders skillset.

Cameron Hawkins, sub-Saharan Africa brand ambassador for Bacardi, said: "We are incredibly excited for the upcoming 2023 Patron Perfectionists programme. Over the years, it has brought an invaluable contribution to the category thanks to the advocacy of bartenders creating and sharing outstanding Patron recipes around the globe. We are lucky enough to call these bartenders our Patron family, and we cannot wait to welcome many more. The bartenders who enter the Perfectionists competition have a common thirst for knowledge, growth, and connections. With this enhanced format, we will support them further throughout their journey as they strive for their vision of perfection, said Hawkins. This years Patron Perfectionists entries are open until 7 October 2022 and are to be submitted via the entry portal www.academiapatron.com/patronperfectionists.

South African finalists will be announced by mid-October and receive guidance on the upcoming national final events from Patron.




The Oceana Group is selling its Commercial Cold Storage (CCS) business for R760m. The transaction will enable the fishing group to invest in and expand its core fishing business.

The CCS business is being bought by a consortium comprising African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), a subsidiary of Old Mutual Alternative Investments dedicated to infrastructure investment in Africa; Bauta Logistics, a specialist food logistics company in mid- and East Africa and Mokobela Shakati, a strategic investment and empowerment partner.

Pattara Singsuwan via 123RF

"This deal is a win-win. The transaction offers good value for Oceana. It strengthens our balance sheet allowing us to focus on leveraging the scale and capabilities of our fishing and fish-processing operations. It also gives CCS the access to capital it needs to remain competitive and grow," says Neville Brink, Oceana CEO.

He says the transaction will come as no surprise to anyone who knows Oceana. CCS has been considered non-core for some time and has not been prioritised in terms of expansive capital allocation.

Regional expansion, strategic customer relationships

AIIM Investment director, Damilola Agbaje says: "The cold chain logistical infrastructure sector is underdeveloped, and in places non-existent, across sub-Saharan Africa and this investment diversifies AIIMs current portfolio into high growth and high impact area. CCSs technical expertise and operational track record provides a crucial platform for regional expansion and securing strategic customer relationships."

CCS has six cold stores, five in South Africa and one in Namibia, of which three are owned and three are long-term leases. The total storage capacity is some 100,000 pallet spaces. Oceana, mainly its Lucky Star fish imports, represents between 15% to 20% of CCS revenue, with the bulk of its business coming from third-party manufacturers, importers and exporters.

Brink says that Oceana will retain its relationship with CCS as long as service levels are maintained, and rates remain market-related. As part of the transaction, Oceana has entered into a three-year contract with CCS from the date of implementation, with an option to renew. Oceana will continue to provide transitional services to CCS for a year following implementation.

The parties aim to conclude the transaction by 28 February 2023, subject to regulatory approval. These include approval from the competition authorities in South Africa and Namibia and the exemption or transfer of fish processing establishment rights in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act.

Webber Wentzel acted as legal advisor and Investec as financial advisor to Oceana on the transaction.
On 6 October, Loeries announced the winners of the Film and Film Craft category.

Image by Danette Breitenbach: All the Film and Film Craft gold winners

Loeries Creative Week is the largest gathering of its kind in the region, bringing together the very best in the industry for a festival of networking, celebration, and recognition of great work.

Annually, this category sees entries from across the region and is awarded to exceptionally well-crafted and executed brand communications work in the film category.

As always, deliberation was tough, as the judges examined each entry closely.

As can be expected, the Loeries Film and Film Crafts panels had robust discussions and I am really proud of the results, says Loeries CEO, Preetesh Sewraj, I know that the winning work will serve as the benchmark for greater Film innovation across Africa and the Middle East.

Gold winners

Burger King and M&C Saatchi Abu Dhabi (CMS) for As Good as the Original in TV and Cinema Commercial  above 90s.

Chicken Licken and Joe Public United for Feel The Fire in TV and Cinema Commercial  above 90s.

Volkswagen South Africa and Ogilvy South Africa for Lets Go in TV and Cinema Commercial  above 30s.

Craft Gold winners

Chicken Licken and Romance for Feel The Fire in Direction.

Mami Wata and Giant Films for Luck is Alive in Cinematography.

Volkswagen South Africa and Bioscope Films for Lets Go in Production Design.

Volkswagen South Africa and Ogilvy for Game On in Animation.

Burger King and M&C Saatchi Abu Dhabi (CMS) for As Good as the Original in Performance.

Jury president Debbi Vandeven says that this year saw many incredible and inspiring entries for the awards. The trends that really stood out at the Loeries was the innovative use of humour and storytelling, she says. And of course, the exceptional quality in the craft work.

This year, over 2,500 entries were received, with 16% of entries from outside South Africa. Overall, 607 brands were represented by 262 agencies from 18 countries across Africa and the Middle East.

The awards were judged by over 110 judges and regional industry leaders including Natalie Lam, CCO Publicis Groupe, Asia Middle East and Africa, Debbie Vandeven Global CCO, VMLY&R Kansas City, Mariana O'Kelly, Global ECD, Ogilvy Chicago, Esra Gulmen, Artist and Designer, Berlin and Karin Onsager-Birch, Vice President Creative of Lyft San Francisco.

A total of 231 Loeries were awarded across 17 professional categories including 8 Grands Prix, 27 Golds, 48 Silvers, 94 Bronzes, 18 Craft Golds and 36 Craft Certificates.

All Grand Prix Awards will be announced on 7 October 2022.
At the second Google for Africa event that took place on 5 October, Google announced its intent to establish a new Google Cloud region in South Africa. According to research by AlphaBeta Economics, the cloud region will contribute more than a cumulative $2.1bn to the country's GDP and will support the creation of more than 40,000 jobs by 2030.

Niral Patel, director of Google Cloud Africa | image supplied

Niral Patel, director of Google Cloud Africa, said: Along with the cloud region, we are expanding our network through the Equiano subsea cable and building dedicated cloud interconnect sites in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Lagos and Nairobi.

South African deputy minister of communications and digital technologies Philly Mapulane, said: Our National Development Plan 2030 calls for stimulating growth in the information, communication and technology (ICT) sector and innovation by driving public and private ICT investment, especially in network upgrades and expansion. Google's recent efforts in this regard have been particularly encouraging. The Equiano cable landed in Cape Town recently, and the improved speed and reduced internet costs that this can deliver has the potential to drive much fuller internet participation for many more South Africans.

More support for African languages in Gboard and a refreshed Street View

Earlier this year, Google announced plans to open its first African product development centre in Nairobi. At the event, Google announced the launch of voice typing support for nine more African languages in Gboard, the Google keyboard (isiNdebele, isiXhosa, Kinyarwanda, Northern Sotho, Swati, Sesotho, Tswana, Tshivenda and Xitsonga)  while 24 new languages are now supported on Google Translate, including Lingala, which is used by more than 45 million people across Central Africa.

To make Maps more useful, Google also refreshed Street View in Kenya, South Africa, Senegal and Nigeria with nearly 300,000km of imagery. This helps people virtually explore and navigate neighbourhoods on Google Maps. They are also extending the service to Rwanda, meaning that Street View is now available in 11 African countries.

Hustle Academy and Africa Investment Fund

Africas internet economy has the potential to grow to $180bn by 2025  5.2% of the continents GDP. To support African entrepreneurs in growing and developing their talent, Google continues to support African small businesses through the Hustle Academy and Google Business Profiles and to help job seekers learn the skills they need through Developer Scholarships and Career Certifications.

Google, through its $50m Africa Investment Fund that targets equity investments in tech startups, has since invested in three businesses over the past nine months - SafeBoda, a transportation app in Uganda and Nigeria, Carry1st, a South African mobile gaming startup and Lori Systems, an e-logistics company based in Kenya.

Nitin Gajria, managing director of Google Africa, added: We are collaborating with governments, policymakers, NGOs, telcos, business leaders, creators and media so that we can help accelerate Africas digital transformation. And its the talent and drive of the individuals in the countries and communities of Africa that will power Africas economic growth..
Tractor Outdoor general manager Michael Brits weighs in on how compliance will contribute to more sustainable outdoor industry.

Michael Brits

Out of home (OOH) media is a powerful tool for conveying your brand message. And just as you would choose a creative agency to design an impactful campaign or an expert media buyer to optimise the roll-out, there are experienced media owners or partners who will guide you in choosing the right inventory and developing sites for your campaigns.

Compliance, in an outdoor media context, involves adherence to the local municipalities by-laws, which differ from region to region. These by-laws are there to regulate the industry; govern outdoor advertising on municipal and private property; and ensure the health and safety of consumers, the broader community and the environment. In other words, theyre there for the good of all stakeholders.

The current trend of non-compliance can lead to an oversaturated market, which is hurtful to the entire OOH industry. It also makes it incredibly difficult for an advertiser to make well-informed site selections when booking with various media owners or partners.

Compounding this issue is the fact that in general, the South African outdoor industry is not always well-regulated. This is down to many factors, but one of the largest contributors is that municipalities remain under pressure, and do not always have the necessary resources to prevent illegal sites from being erected or to enforce their removal.

There are many factors around what is considered an illegal or legal site. Currently, several municipalities are busy with by-law and signage reviews and are working to update legislation nationally. It can be a long process and one that is overdue, however, we remain supportive of the proposed changes that have been made available to the industry through various workshops and educational initiatives. These will benefit the OOH sector as a whole and allow for exciting new opportunities across the industry.

Yet given these factors, more onus has fallen to the advertiser and media owner to ensure that their outdoor campaigns are legally compliant. The good news is that there are multiple OOH media owners and partners who can guide a client in the site selection process, especially in the case of clients who are hesitant to book OOH due to uncertainty around the various legislation that affects media, such as the Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA) regulations.

Two things to keep in mind from a compliance perspective, when planning your next OOH campaign:

1. Drive education As an advertiser, get to know your media owner or partner  they will become your friends and be willing to answer the hard questions. As a media owner, you want to encourage clients to get onboard and familiarise themselves with the OOH by-laws across the various regions, as these are nuanced and differ from area to area. 2. Assess your inventory Do some homework on the sites youre investing in. Ensure that the site images presented to you by the media owner are a current and accurate picture. For example, make certain that the site does exist and hasnt since been obscured by new developments or some other structure. Ensure that the site images tie up with the rate card  check to see if there is missing information that could increase the value of the site.

In closing, each part of South Africa will be subject to different by-laws that govern the area, and it is important that all media owners, partners and advertisers comply with the relevant legislation that applies to their area.

Ongoing dialogue and collaboration between all media owners, shareholders, landlords, media partners and councils will allow us to build a more cohesive and sustainable outdoor industry, which is ultimately to the benefit of all stakeholders.




Digital/Brand Account Manager

Remuneration: R25000 - R35000 per month negotiable to be discussed Benefits: company phone and laptop & petrol allowance. Plus 13th cheque Location: Durban, Morningside Remote work: Some remote work allowed Education level: Diploma Job level: Mid Own transport required: Yes Travel requirement: Occasional Type: Permanent Reference: #Lemonade AM Company: Lemonade

Job description

Client facing role as main point of all communication.

Oversee all the activities for a given account to ensure client expectations are met.

Oversee client billing and forecasting.

Plan, present and implement digital strategies for clients.

Analyse the effectiveness of digital campaigns.

Proactively recommend and implement digital projects to increase the ROI for our clients.

Manage an internal agency team to achieve KPIs.

Prepare and present reports on clients digital progress.

Keep abreast with new trends in digital technology.

Build strong, long-term relationships.

Weekly status meetings and monthly director meetings.

Address client queries effectively and in a timely manner.

Investigate and determine clients wants and needs.

Project manage all responsible parties for on-time, on-budget deliverables.

Requirements

Proven work experience of at least 2-4 years as a digital account manager in an agency environment or Brand Manager.

Relevant marketing degree/certification in marketing studies or digital marketing and advertising.

Excellent understanding of the digital marketing landscape and the management of digital marketing activities/campaigns, as well as traditional.

Knowledge and experience with digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Google AdWords and Google Analytics etc.

Experience with customer service or CRM.

Experience in planning, implementing, and managing digital marketing campaign.

Demonstrate excellent knowledge of digital marketing metrics and strategy to be able to generate digital performance reports.

Experience in client service, you need to have excellent presentation skills and you need to be presentable.

Business skills such as sales, presentation, administration and financial project management.

You must be able to work under strict deadlines to deliver on client requirements. Due to the nature of the work, longer studio hours may be required, especially around deadlines.

Ability to thrive under pressure and work independently in a fast-paced environment.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Positive, energetic, team player.

Results and outcomes orientated.

High levels of initiative.

Ability to travel locally.

Understanding of omnichannel marketing.

Creative.

Collaborative yet decisive.

Company Description

Lemonade Design Co. are looking for an experienced and self-driven digital/brand account manager, with 2-4 years hands-on experience to join our growing team. Your role will be to plan, develop and manage our clients digital strategies and to improve their web and social media presence, to achieve their marketing goals with a strong foundation in traditional marketing and digital marketing.To ensure success as our account manager, you should be able to implement complex, detailed digital strategies, with traditional marketing elements, in an accurate and timely manner. We are looking for a sociable, creative individual with the ability to interpret clients needs.Duties and responsibilities:Communicate and brief all client requirements to strategists, developers, designers, photographers and creativesExperience and skills:Advantageous skillset:Lemonade is design agency full of creative Lemons offering a boutique brand experience. We mix art and purpose to connect people and brands. We are passionate about design solutions. We believe that good design can change the world. We are purposeful creativity Posted on 06 Oct 15:47, Closing date 31 Oct
Carl von Clausewitz

With the sole possible exception of the great Sun Tzu and his Art of War, no military theorist has had such an enduring philosophical impact as the Prussian General Carl Philipp Gottfried von Clausewitz. A participant in the Napoleonic Wars, Clausewitz in his later years dedicated himself to the work that would become his iconic achievement - a dense tome titled simply Vom Kriege - On War. The book is a meditation on both military strategy and the socio-political phenomenon of war, which is heavily laced with philosophical rumination. Though On War has had an enduring and indelible impact on the study of military arts, the book itself is at times a rather difficult thing to read - a fact that stems from the great tragedy that Clausewitz was never actually able to finish it. He died in 1831 at the age of only 51 with his manuscript in an unedited disorder; and it fell upon his wife to attempt to organize and publish his papers.

Clausewitz, more than anything, is famous for his aphorisms - Everything is very simple in war, but the simplest thing is difficult - and his vocabulary of war, which includes terms such as friction and culmination. Among all his eminently quotable passages, however, one is perhaps the most famous: his claim that War is a mere continuation of politics by other means.

It is on this claim that I wish to fixate for the moment, but first, it may be worthwhile to read the entirety of Clausewitzs passage on the subject:

War is the mere continuation of politics by other means. We see, therefore, that War is not merely a political act, but also a real political instrument, a continuation of political commerce, a carrying out of the same by other means. All beyond this which is strictly peculiar to War relates merely to the peculiar nature of the means which it uses. That the tendencies and views of policy shall not be incompatible with these means, the Art of War in general and the Commander in each particular case may demand, and this claim is truly not a trifling one. But however powerfully this may react on political views in particular cases, still it must always be regarded as only a modification of them; for the political view is the object, War is the means, and the means must always include the object in our conception. On War, Volume 1, Chapter 1, Section 24

Once we cut through Clausewitzs dense and verbose style, the claim here is relatively simple: war-making always exists in reference to some greater political goal, and it exists on the political spectrum. Politics lies at every point along the axis: war is begun in response to some political need, it is maintained and continued as an act of political will, and it ultimately hopes to achieve political aims. War cannot be separated from politics - indeed, it is the political aspect that makes it war. We may even go further and state that war in the absence of the political superstructure ceases to be war, and instead becomes raw, animalistic violence. It is the political dimension that makes war recognizably distinct from other forms of violence.

Let us contemplate Russias war-making in Ukraine in these terms.

Putin the Bureaucrat

It is often the case that the most consequential men in the world are poorly understood in their time - power enshrouds and distorts the great man. This was certainly the case of Stalin and Mao, and it is equally true of both Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. Putin in particular is viewed in the west as a Hitlerian demagogue who rules with extrajudicial terror and militarism. This could hardly be farther from the truth.

Almost every aspect of the western caricature of Putin is deeply misguided - though this recent profile by Sean McMeekin comes much closer than most. To begin with, Putin is not a demagogue - he is not a naturally charismatic man, and though he has over time greatly improved his skills as a retail politician, and he is capable of giving impactful speeches when needed, he is not someone who relishes the podium. Unlike Donald Trump, Barack Obama, or even - God forbid - Adolf Hitler, Putin is simply not a natural crowd pleaser. In Russia itself, his imagine is that of a fairly boring but level headed career political servant, rather than a charismatic populist. His enduring popularity in Russia is far more linked to his stabilization of the Russian economy and pension system than it is to pictures of him riding a horse shirtless.

Trust the plan, even when the plan is slow moving and boring

Furthermore, Putin - contrary to the view that he wields unlimited extralegal authority - is rather a stickler for proceduralism. Russias government structure expressly empowers a very strong presidency (this was an absolute necessity in the wake of total state collapse in the early 1990s), but within these parameters Putin is not viewed as a particularly exciting personality prone to radical or explosive decision making. Western critics may claim that there is no rule of law in Russia, but at the very least, Putin governs by law, with bureaucratic mechanisms and procedures forming the superstructure within which he acts.

This was made vividly apparent in recent days. With Ukraine advancing on multiple fronts, a fresh cycle of doom and triumph was set in motion: pro-Ukrainian figures exult in the apparent collapse of the Russian army, while many in the Russian camp bemoan leadership which they conclude must be criminally incompetent. With all of this underway on the military side, Putin has calmly ushered the annexation process through its legal mechanisms - first holding referendums, then signing treaties on entry in the Russian Federation with the four former Ukrainian oblasts, which were then sent to the State Duma for ratification, followed by the Federation Council, followed again by signature and verification by Putin. As Ukraine throws its summer accumulations into the fight, Putin appears to be mired in paperwork and procedure. The treaties were even reviewed by the Russian constitutional court, and deadlines were set to end the Ukrainian hryvnia as legal tender and replace it with the ruble.

This is a strange spectacle. Putin is plodding his way through the boring legalities of annexation, seemingly deaf to the chorus which is shouting at him that his war is on the verge of total failure. The implacable calm radiating - at least publicly - from the Kremlin seems at odds with events at the front.

So, what really is going on here? Is Putin truly so detached from events on the ground that he is unaware that his army is being defeated? Is he planning to use nuclear weapons in a fit of rage? Or could this be, as Clausewitz says, the mere continuation of politics by other means?

Expeditionary War

Of all the phantasmagorical claims that have been made about the Russo-Ukrainian War, few are as difficult to believe as the claim that Russia intended to conquer Ukraine with fewer than 200,000 men. Indeed, a central truth of the war that observers simply must come to grasps with is the fact that the Russian army has been badly outnumbered from day one, despite Russia having an enormous demographic advantage over Ukraine itself. On paper, Russia has committed an expeditionary force of less than 200,000 men, though of course that full amount has not been on the frontline in active combat lately.

The light force deployment is related to Russias rather unique service model, which has combined contract soldiers - the professional core of the army - with a reservist pool that is generated with an annual conscription wave. Russia consequentially has a two-tiered military model, with a world class professional ready force and a large pool of reserve cadres that can be dipped into, augmented with auxiliary forces like BARS (volunteers), Chechens, and LNR-DNR militia.

The nations sons - bearers of vitality and sinew of the state

This two-tiered, mixed service model reflects, in some ways, the geostrategic schizophrenia that plagued post-Soviet Russia. Russia is an enormous country with potentially colossal, continent spanning security commitments, which inherited a Soviet legacy of mass. No country has ever demonstrated a capacity for wartime mobilization on a scale to match the USSR. The transition from a Soviet mobilization scheme to a smaller, leaner, professional ready force was part and parcel of Russias neoliberal austerity regime throughout much of the Putin years.

It is important to understand that military mobilization, as such, is also a form of political mobilization. The ready contract force required a fairly low level of political consensus and buy-in from the bulk of the Russian population. This Russian contract force can still accomplish a great deal, militarily speaking - it can destroy Ukrainian military installations, wreak havoc with artillery, bash its way into urban agglomerations in the Donbas, and destroy much of Ukraines indiginous war-making potential. It cannot, however, wage a multi-year continental war against an enemy which outnumbers it by at least four to one, and which is sustained with intelligence, command and control, and material which are beyond its immediate reach - especially if the rules of engagement prevent it from striking the enemys vital arteries.

More force deployment is needed. Russia must transcend the neoliberal austerity army. It has the material capacity to mobilize the needed forces - it has many millions in its reservist pool, enormous inventories of equipment, and indigenous production capacity undergirded by the natural resources and production potential of the Eurasian bloc that has closed ranks around it. But remember - military mobilization is also political mobilization.

The Soviet Union was able to mobilize tens of millions of young men to blunt, swamp, and eventually annihilate the German land army because it wielded two powerful political instruments. The first was the awesome and far reaching power of the Communist Party, with its ubiquitous organs. The second was the truth - German invaders had come with genocidal intent (Hitler at one point mused that Siberia could be turned into a Slav reservation for the survivors, which could be bombed periodically to remind them who was in charge).

Putin lacks a coercive organ as powerful as the Communist Party, which had both astonishing material power and a compelling ideology which promised to bring about an accelerated path to non-capitalist modernity. Indeed, no country today has a political apparatus like that splendid communist machine, save perhaps China and North Korea. So, in the absence of a direct lever to create political - and hence military - mobilization, Russia must find an alternative route to creating a political consensus to wage a higher form of war.

This has now been accomplished, courtesy of western Russophobia and Ukraines penchant for violence. A subtle, but profound transformation of the Russian socio-political body is underway.

Creating Consensus

Putin and those around him conceived of the Russo-Ukrainian War in existential terms from the very beginning. It is unlikely, however, that most Russians understood this. Instead, they likely viewed the war the same way Americans viewed the war in Iraq and Ukraine - as a justified military enterprise that was nevertheless merely a technocratic task for the professional military; hardly a matter of life and death for the nation. I highly doubt that any American ever believed that the fate of the nation hinged on the war in Afghanistan (Americans have not fought an existential war since 1865), and judging by the recruitment crisis plaguing the American military, it does not seem like anyone perceives a genuine foreign existential threat.

What has happened in the months since February 24 is rather remarkable. The existential war for the Russian nation has been incarnated and made real for Russian citizens. Sanctions and anti-Russian propaganda - demonizing the entire nation as orcs - has rallied even initially skeptical Russians behind the war, and Putins approval rating has soared. A core western assumption, that Russians would turn on the government, has reversed. Videos showing the torture of Russian POWs by frothing Ukrainians, of Ukrainian soldiers calling Russian mothers to mockingly tell them their sons are dead, of Russian children killed by shelling in Donetsk, have served to validate Putins implicit claim that Ukraine is a demon possessed state that must be exorcised with high explosives. Amidst all of this - helpfully, from the perspective of Alexander Dugin and his neophytes - American pseudo-intellectual Blue Checks have publicly drooled over the prospect of decolonizing and demilitarizing Russia, which plainly entails the dismemberment of the Russian state and the partitioning of its territory. The government of Ukraine (in now deleted tweets) publicly claimed that Russians are prone to barbarism because they are a mongrel race with Asiatic blood mixing.

Simultaneously, Putin has moved towards - and ultimately achieved - his project of formal annexation of Ukraines old eastern rim. This has also legally transformed the war into an existential struggle. Further Ukrainian advances in the east are now, in the eyes of the Russian state, an assault on sovereign Russian territory and an attempt to destroy the integrity of the Russian state. Recent polling shows that a supermajority of Russians support defending these new territories at any cost.

All domains now align. Putin and company conceived of this war from the beginning as an existential struggle for Russia, to eject an anti-Russian puppet state from its doorstep and defeat a hostile incursion into Russian civilizational space. Public opinion is now increasingly in agreement with this (surveys show that Russian distrust of NATO and western values have skyrocketed), and the legal framework post-annexation recognizes this as well. The ideological, political, and legal domains are now united in the view that Russia is fighting for its very existence in Ukraine. The unification of the technical, ideological, political, and legal dimensions was, just moments ago, described by the head of Russias communist party, Gennady Zyuganov:

So, the President signed decrees on the admission of the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions into Russia. Bridges are burned . What was clear from the moral and statist points of view has now become a legal fact: on our land there is an enemy, he kills and maims the citizens of Russia. The country demands the most decisive action to protect compatriots. Time does not wait.

A political consensus for higher mobilization and greater intensity has been achieved. Now all that remains is the implementation of this consensus in the material world of fist and boot, bullet and shell, blood and iron.

A Brief History of Military Force Generation

One of the peculiarities of European history is the truly shocking extent to which the Romans were far ahead of their time in the sphere of military mobilization. Rome conquered the world largely because it had a truly exceptional mobilization capacity, for centuries consistently generating high levels of mass military participation from the male population of Italy. Caesar brought more than 60,000 men to the Battle of Alesia when he conquered Gaul - a force generation that would not be matched for centuries in the post-Roman world.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, state capacity in Europe deteriorated rapidly. Royal authority in both France and Germany was curtailed as the aristocracy and urban authorities grew in power. Despite the stereotype of despotic monarchy, political power in the middle ages was highly fragmented, and taxation and mobilization were highly localized. The Roman capacity to mobilize large armies that were centrally controlled and financed was lost, and warfare became the domain of a narrow fighting class - the petty gentry, or knights.

Consequentially, medieval European armies were shockingly small. At pivotal English-French battles like Agincourt and Crecy, English armies numbered less than 10,000, and the French no more than 30,000. The world historical Battle of Hastings - which sealed the Normal conquest of Britain - pitted two armies of fewer than 10,000 men against each other. The Battle of Grunwald - in which a Polish-Lithuanian coalition defeated the Teutonic Knights - was one of the largest battles in Medieval Europe and still featured two armies that numbered at most 30,000.

European mobilization powers and state capacity were shockingly low in this era compared to other states around the world. Chinese armies routinely numbered in the low hundreds of thousands, and the Mongols, even with significantly lower bureaucratic sophistication, could field 80,000 men.

The situation began to shift radically as intensified military competition - in particular the savage 30 years war - forced European states to at last begin a shift back towards centralized state capacity. The model of military mobilization shifted at last from the servitor system - where a small, self-funded military class provided military service - to the fiscal military state, where armies were raised, funded, directed, and sustained through the fiscal-bureaucratic systems of centralized governments.

Through the early modern period, military service models acquired a unique admixture of conscription, professional service, and the servitor system. The aristocracy continued to provide military service in the emerging officer corps, while conscription and impressment were used to fill out the ranks. Notably, however, conscripts were inducted into very long terms of service. This reflected the political needs of monarchy in the age of absolutism. The army was not a forum for popular political participation in the regime - it was an instrument for the regime to defend itself from both foreign enemies and peasant jacqueries. Therefore, conscripts were not rotated back into society. It was necessary to turn the army into a distinct social class with some element of remoteness from the population at large - this was a professional military institution that served as an internal bulwark of the regime.

The rise of nationalistic regimes and mass politics allowed the scale of armies to increase much further. Governments in the late 19th century now had less to fear from their own populations than did the absolute monarchies of the past - this changed the nature of military service and at last returned Europe to the system that the Romans had in millennia past. Military service was now a form of mass political participation - this allowed for conscripts to be called up, trained, and rotated back into society - the reserve cadre system that characterized armies in both of the world wars.

In sum, the cycle of military mobilization systems in Europe is a mirror of the political system. Armies were very small during the era where there was little to no mass political participation with the regime. Rome fielded large armies because there was significant political buy-in and a cohesive identity in the form of Roman citizenship. This allowed Rome to generate high military participation, even in the Republican era where the Roman state was very small and bureaucratically sparse. Medieval Europe had fragmented political authority and an extremely low sense of cohesive political identity, and consequently its armies were shockingly small. Armies began to grow in size again as the sense of national identity and participation grew, and it is no coincidence that the largest war in history - the Nazi-Soviet War - was fought between two regimes that had totalizing ideologies that generated an extremely high level of political participation.

That brings us to today. In the 21st century, with its interconnectedness and crushing availability of both information and misinformation, the process of generating mass political - and hence military - participation is much more nuanced. No country wields a totalizing utopian vision, and it is inarguable that the sense of national cohesion is significantly lower now than it was one hundred years ago.

Putin, very simply, could not have conducted a large scale mobilization at the onset of the war. He possessed neither a coercive mechanism nor the manifest threat to generate mass political support. Few Russians would have believed that there was some existential threat lurking in the shadow - they needed to be shown, and the west has not disappointed. Likewise, few Russians would likely have supported the obliteration of Ukrainian infrastructure and urban utilities in the opening days of the war. But now, the only vocal criticism of Putin within Russia is on the side of further escalation. The problem with Putin, from the Russian perspective, is that he has not gone far enough. In other words - mass politics have already moved ahead of the government, making mobilization and escalation politically trivial. Above all, we must remember that Clausewitzs maxim remains true. The military situation is merely a subset of the political situation, and military mobilization is also political mobilization - a manifestation of societys political participation in the state.

Time and Space

Ukraines offensive phase continues on multiple fronts. They are pushing into northern Lugansk, and after weeks of banging their heads against a wall in Kherson, they have finally made territorial progress. Yet, just today, Putin said that it is necessary to conduct medical examinations of the children in the newly admitted oblasts and rebuild school playgrounds. What is going on? Is he totally detached from events at the front?

There are really only two ways to interpret what is happening. One is the western spin: the Russian army is defeated and depleted and is being driven from the field. Putin is deranged, his commanders are incompetent, and Russias only card left to play is to throw drunk, untrained conscripts into the meat grinder.

The other is the interpretation that I have advocated, that Russia is massing for a winter escalation and offensive, and is currently engaged in a calculated trade wherein they give up space in exchange for time and Ukrainian casualties. Russia continues to retreat where positions are either operationally compromised or faced with overwhelming Ukrainian numbers, but they are very careful to extract forces out of operational danger. In Lyman, where Ukraine threatened to encircle the garrison, Russia committed mobile reserves to unblock the village and secure the withdrawal of the garrison. Ukraines encirclement evaporated, and the Ukrainian interior ministry was bizarrely compelled to tweet (and then delete) video of destroyed civilian vehicles as proof that the Russian forces had been annihilated.

Russia will likely continue to pull back over the coming weeks, withdrawing units intact under their artillery and air umbrella, grinding down Ukrainian heavy equipment stocks and wearing away their manpower. Meanwhile, new equipment continues to congregate in Belgorod, Zaporizhia, and Crimea. My expectation remains the same: episodic Russian withdrawal until the front stabilizes roughly at the end of October, followed by an operational pause until the ground freezes, followed by escalation and a winter offensive by Russia once they have finished amassing sufficient units.

There is an eerie calm radiating from the Kremlin. Mobilization is underway - 200,000 men are currently undergoing refresher training at ranges around Russia. Trainloads of military equipment continue to flood across the Kerch bridge, but Ukraines offensive plods on with no Russian reinforcements to be seen at the front. The disconnect between the Kremlins stoicism and the deterioration of the front are striking. Perhaps Putin and the entire Russian general staff really are criminally incompetent - perhaps the Russian reserves really are nothing but a bunch of drunks. Perhaps there is no plan.

Or perhaps, Russias sons will answer the call of the motherland again, as they did in 1709, in 1812, and in 1941.

As the wolves once more prowl at the door, the old bear rises again to fight.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Its only been a few weeks since Kate Hudson dropped her son Ryder off at college in New York, and back in LA shes still feeling the pain of separation. That was a big moment, she says. Im still crying, I still have moments where I cant believe hes not here. I really feel his absence. But hes having so much fun. Hudson never went to college. She had enrolled in the Tisch school of arts at New York University but deferred for a year to act and to audition and to sing and it all worked out a lot better than shed expected. I just immediately got work and then I got Almost Famous at the end of that deferred year and so that was it, it took my college life away from me, she says. I was gratefully on my way, but now that I look back I didnt get to have that. So the fact he is doing this is such a dream of mine. Jokingly, she suggests she might even enroll in a history class just to see the look on her boys face as she takes the desk next to his. Hudson has three kids, and talking to her it quickly becomes clear they are a huge part of her life. As well as 18-year-old Ryder, her child with ex-husband Chris Robinson (frontman of the Black Crowes), she has 11-year-old Bingham Hawn Bellamy (with Muse frontman Matt Bellamy) and soon-to-turn-four Rani Rose Hudson Fujikawa with fiance Danny Fujikawa, yet another musician. Id say my heart is about 70-30 art versus commerce, says actress and businesswoman Kate Hudson. Credit:Laurent Koffel/Getty She co-founded the Fabletics activewear business in 2013 in large part, she says, because I wanted to spend more time at home, because its challenging to be gone from your kids daily life, and I really wanted to figure out a way I could balance my life up to feel like Im being creative. That business now has revenues of more than half a billion dollars a year (parent company Tech Style has just launched a spin-off label called Yitty in partnership with the musician Lizzo).

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When it took off the way it did and became such a big part of my life, it definitely took over more than my acting, says Hudson of the label, which works on a subscription model and claims to have more than 2 million members. And thank God, because it allowed me so much more time with my kids. Actually famous: Hudson with her stepfather Kurt Russell and mother Goldie Hawn in 2017. Credit:Nina Prommer Its also given me the great gift of being able to be more selective, to only do the things that I really love, she adds. For a while the business part took over, but lately its been balancing out and my creative life, the artist life, is taking over again. After almost a decade in which she mostly did only small movies, Hudson has begun to re-emerge on screen. She starred in the second season of the Apple series Truth Be Told last year, she received a Golden Globe nomination for her work in Sias much-maligned directing debut Music, and she took on a role originally destined for Toni Collette in A Little White Lie (aka Shriver), a comedy about a handyman (Michael Shannon) who is mistaken for a famous and reclusive writer. Next month, in the Netflix whodunnit Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Hudson will feature in an ensemble cast that also includes Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn and wrestler-turned Galaxy Guardian Dave Bautista, while Daniel Craig reprises his Foghorn Leghorn accent as detective Benoit Blanc in the sequel to Rian Johnsons 2019 whodunnit comedy. Its just like a summer banger, she promises. Get ready to have fun. Right now, though, she can be seen in Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, a quirky arthouse tale with elements of supernatural, superhero and family drama.

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Hudson plays Bonnie, an exotic dancer in New Orleans who is bringing up a son on her own. Shes tough, sassy and in no way ashamed of or embarrassed about what she does for a living. Shes a stripper and she likes it, says Hudson. I think shes really happy there because it provides her the ability to put food on the table. Shes very clear that shes probably not a great mother, shes more self-centred, but survivals at the base of that. Im literally nothing like Bonnie, but I do feel connected to the single mother, the person paying the bills, really living to provide for your kids. That part of me and Bonnie connect. Kate Hudson as Bonnie and Jeon Jong-seo as Mona Lisa in Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon. When Mona Lisa (Korean actress Jeon Jong-seo, who made her screen debut in the arthouse hit Burning in 2018), stumbles into her life, Bonnie thinks shes found the golden goose. An escapee from a psychiatric hospital, Mona Lisa has the uncanny ability to force people to do what she wants simply by staring into their eyes and miming an action (withdrawing money from an ATM, say, or shooting themselves in the leg). As is her wont, Bonnie does her best to exploit her new friends unique talent  by conning the men at the club to hand over every bill theyve got. Son Charlie (Evan Whitten) can see how badly this will end. He may be only 10 or so, but hes the grown-up in the household. Hes also quick to form a genuine bond with Mona Lisa, the friend he so desperately craves. From English-born, American-raised writer-director Ana Lily Amirpour, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon is as easy to enjoy as it is difficult to categorise. And, says Hudson, working with Amirpour was much the same.

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She is a very specific kind of director, says Hudson. When you speak with Lily, you realise shes just wild and expressive and direct and really sees things through her own lens. And thats kind of what it feels like when youre working with her. There were moments, she says, when she simply had to take it on trust that Amirpours vision would make sense in the end. So when I got to see the movie, I really didnt know what to expect, but I loved it. It reminds me of a throwback 1980s John Carpenter movie, but modern, and I love movies like that. I mean, its just a cool movie. In some ways, working with her Korean co-star involved a similar leap of faith. She doesnt speak English, which was the first time Id ever had that with a scene partner. We communicated through our body language and our eye contact and it was really wonderful. With Patrick Fugit in Almost Famous, the film that made her a star. The way she can use her face is pretty extraordinary. I loved watching her act with no words. I love watching anybody do what theyre good at, and shes just really talented. Given that shes proved to be pretty good in two quite distinct fields, I wonder how Kate Hudson sees acting now. Is it the main game or just a bit on the side? I can see that its great to create a business and grow it, and its an interesting world, but we need more art, she says. Id say my heart is about 70-30 art versus commerce.

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Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Nick Cave is longing for Australia. I havent been there in over two years and Im aching to get back, the 65-year-old musician, writer and visual artist explains from London. In late November, Cave will embark on a tour of his home country to perform the album Carnage (2021) with fellow Aussie musician and long-time collaborator Warren Ellis. Im incredibly excited to go back to Australia and play, Cave says enthusiastically. Whenever I step back onto Australian soil, I feel this immediate sense of relief, and a deep connection to the land. But its going to be a difficult trip this time around, he says with a sigh. In the past two years, Cave lost his beloved mother, Dawn, and his former partner and musical collaborator, Anita Lane. The pandemic meant he could not return for their funerals. A long, sombre pause follows. Then my son died, he says. So Australia is definitely going to feel like a different place for me now. In May, Cave publicly announced the death of his oldest son, Jethro, 31, who had a successful modelling career and was based in Melbourne. It followed the death in 2015 of another son, Arthur, who was 15 when he fell from a cliff near their home in Brighton, on the British south coast. Cave has two other sons: Arthurs twin, Earl, and Luke. Cave in New York in March 2022. Credit:Megan Cullen There will always be suffering/It flows through life like water, as Cave poignantly put it in the song Lime Tree Arbour from the 1997 album The Boatmans Call. Processing pain has been a consistent theme in Caves musical career, which begun in the early 1970s when he formed the Boys Next Door with fellow Caulfield Grammar students including Mick Harvey and Phill Calvert. The band became the Birthday Party in 1980 and left for London not long afterwards. Some members remained in Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, who formed in West Berlin in 1983, and have since released 17 studio albums. Cave, who was born in Warracknabeal, Victoria, on September 22, 1957, has recently co-published Faith, Hope and Carnage, a series of long-form interviews with journalist Sean OHagan. Each life is precarious, and anything can turn catastrophic at any time, personally, for each of us, Cave tells OHagan at one point.

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In a chapter about the loss of his mother, he describes her love as the undercarriage of my life and talks about the last time he saw her at her home in Elsternwick. She stood at the door of her unit, hunched over her walking frame, and waved goodbye, and, as always, there was that unspoken sorrow between us, that this might be the last time we would see each other. And, well, this time it was. I was quite reticent at the start in these interviews with Sean, and then became more open to them by the end, Cave tells me. Perhaps that has something to do with the concept of conversation itself: where you sit with somebody, and over time firm up your views about where you really think on these matters. Cave uses the long-form interview format to speak openly and honestly about art, addiction, absence, grief, trauma and the lifelong search for transcendence. He focuses extensively on the undeniable change in his musical style since Arthurs death. Cave describes the albums Skeleton Tree (2016) and Ghosteen (2019) as operating from a distracted semi-conscious place of surrender. Cave with his wife, Susie Bick, and their son, Earl, in Los Angeles in 2019. Credit:Getty Images He also remarks on the prophetic nature of the lyrics. Take, for example, the song, Jesus Alone from Skeleton Tree, which begins with Caves thundering, baritone voice, in spoken word, uttering the haunting phrase: You fell from the sky/Crash landed in a field near the river Adur. Remarkably, Cave wrote those lyrics before Arthur died. In Faith, Hope and Carnage, he floats the idea that maybe we have deeper intuitions than we realise, and that songs perhaps sometimes act as mystical channels through which a deeper understanding is released into the world. He also describes Ghosteen as having a prayer-like aspect. I mention a gig I attended in June, in Zagreb, Croatia, and the frantic energy of the bands live performance. At times it seemed closer to a communal religious experience than a run-of-the-mill summer rock concert.

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I dont have any problem describing the Bad Seeds concerts [and the solo gigs from me and Warren] these days as religious, says Cave. Religion, to me at least, means community, and an exchange of love that operates in a circular way. In that Zagreb gig you mention, it felt like the crowd had literally been released from prison. Perhaps because it was the first major festival there since lockdown. There was a kind of ecstasy from that, which was spiritual uplifting, and instantly brought me and the whole band to life when we went on stage. I do tend to have, shall we say, a kind of apocalyptic aesthetic in my art. But Im much more of an optimist than many people might think. Nick Cave Cave also mentions reading the work of American Episcopal priest Cynthia Bourgeault, who has provided some important spiritual and cultural direction of late, especially in how Cave approaches music today. The Christian mystic preaches about inhabiting a space of mind and imagination, wholly devoid of rational thought and egoic impulses. Cave has pretty much discarded the traditional songwriting format. Typically, he used to write songs on the piano and the band would simply follow his instructions. Now he begins his musical craft almost like an abstract painter, with a single image. Improvised music then follows, and the song is built accordingly. Crucially, though, there is no end point at this stage. These images tend to come from dream-like unconscious states. Cave in New York in March: I do sometimes still long for a traditional song. Credit:Megan Cullen I cite an image Cave mentions in the book. He says it haunted him for many nights following Arthurs death. It concerns a man standing on a beach surrounded by panicking animals; the hills are made of fire, and there are screaming animals racing back and forward, as sea creatures leap out of the ocean. It could easily be a line from, say, a poem by William Blake, W.B. Yeats, or a passage from The Book of Revelation. Yeah, there is definitely that, Cave agrees. And I do tend to have, shall we say, a kind of apocalyptic aesthetic in my art. But Im much more of an optimist than many people might think.

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Approaching songwriting in this collaborative way, where improvisation is key to the process, is both liberating and frustrating, Cave admits. Its liberating because [Warren and I] have made some really beautiful records. But the lyrics have become more abstract, atmospheric, and mysterious through this process of improvisation we now use, where the music is dealing much more with the subconscious. I do sometimes still long for a traditional song, says Cave, admitting that his signature rock sound has moved further and further towards the avant garde in recent years. Ellis creative input has been central to that transition. A composer and co-founder of the instrumental rock trio Dirty Three, he became an official member of the Bad Seeds during the mid-1990s. At the turn of the millennium, Cave and Ellis began to make film scores together; these collaborations include The Assassination of Jesse James, The Road and The Proposition. In 2021, during lockdown, they recorded Carnage, their first full-length studio album as an exclusive musical duo. Warren is much more experimental and extreme in his creative process than I am, Cave explains. My lyrics are concerned with images, and how those images reverberate on a subconscious level. Warren, however, has a much more developed sense of understanding of music than me: he can see further into the future with a song than I can. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis on stage in Italy in July. Credit:Getty Images Cave describes their creative relationship as a traditional-conservative songwriter coming up against a totally berserk and wigged-out human being. The tension that happens between the two of us in the studio helps us make very beautiful, atmospheric music, but also very literate songs, he says.

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Cave speaks about making music as a form of spiritual yearning, where the ultimate goal is reaching the divine and the mysterious. Breaking through that creative and spiritual barrier requires patience and trusting intuition and feeling, he explains. But it also means giving up on the notion that you have control. In the same way, as, say, someone might give themselves over to a higher power during prayer. Caves fascination with religion, the Bible, and the life of Christ in particular began in early childhood in the Anglican Church in Wangaratta, where he attended services twice a week as a choirboy. He recalls buying a little wooden cross from the cathedral gift shop, with a silver Jesus on it. Reading the Bible from an early age heightened Caves literary sensibility. The brutal, jealous, vengeful and merciless voice of God he found in the Old Testament was especially inspiring for a young artist. By his early 20s Cave viewed the world as a dark and deeply disturbing place. Having a heroin habit probably didnt help matters. Im deeply concerned about our culture, and what can happen to our culture, if ideas and artists just become dispensable for the sake of [political correctness]. Nick Cave By his mid-30s, however, he had reacquainted himself with the Gospels, finding a more hopeful and positive tone in the New Testament. The message of redemption, love and healing softened the tone of Caves musical output too. It also helped him master a genre of songwriting that has been at the heart of his life-long artistic quest: the melancholic love song. Cave quit using junk and got clean more than two decades ago, via Narcotics Anonymous. But his faith also helped him overcome his problems with addiction. Im a religious person, he says. As far back as I can remember I have always had a deep interest in religion. But I had a slightly amorphous relationship with the practicalities of it. I guess the older I get, the less sceptical I become of the whole process. I feel more able to park my scepticism, to a certain degree, and embrace what is good about religion, he adds. But the biggest problem I find with religion is the certainty of belief, which tends, ultimately, to lead to a kind of moral superiority, or dogmatism. Cave says he finds such views extremely problematic, not just in religion, but within much of the current thinking in the world today too. He is hesitant to use phrases such as woke or cancel culture. Nevertheless, he points to the extreme political correctness of the liberal left. Especially the self-righteous nature the angry rabble assume on social media. We are in danger of creating a society that will ultimately be devoid of mercy or forgiveness, he says.

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Read more of our population pressure coverage See all 7 stories .

Booming suburbs in Melbournes outer west will wait at least another six years before work gets underway to deliver the Metro train services promised by the Andrews government four years ago.

Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday pledged $650 million to improve V/Line train services to Melton by rebuilding its station and extending platforms at Bacchus Marsh, Cobblebank, Rockbank, Caroline Springs, Deer Park and Ardeer stations.

Booming suburbs along the Melton and Wyndham lines are still serviced by V/Line trains. Credit:Eddie Jim

Andrews, who also confirmed he would  if re-elected next month  remain as premier for the full four-year term, said the work will allow nine-car VLocity trains to run through the rapidly growing area, carrying 50 per cent more passengers.

Four level crossings will also be removed along the Ballarat train line at Coburns, Exford and Ferris roads in Melton and Hopkins Road in Truganina by 2028.
Parts of western Victoria received a months rain in just a few hours as storms battered the state, resulting in more than 600 calls for help to emergency services.

Suburbs in Melbournes outer south-east were pelted with rain on Thursday night and throughout Friday, and some households reported flooding as the Bureau of Meteorologys website rain radar crashed.

Frankston North was among the heaviest-hit suburbs with 37.4 millimetres of rain, while 26.4 millimetres fell in just one hour in Frankston.

Rain also drenched the inner-city, with cars caught in water that rose above their headlights at the York Street underpass in South Melbourne.
Independent MP Dai Le has spoken out against the repatriation of Australian family members of Islamic State fighters from Syria, saying the prospect was very hurtful to Christian refugees in her south-west Sydney electorate.

Deradicalisation experts have said they believe the risks involved in repatriation are relatively small given that most of the Australians involved are young children and the women will be closely monitored by law enforcement authorities.

However, Le, who arrived in Australia as a refugee from Vietnam, said the prospect was causing alarm among Assyrian refugees in her electorate.

Independent Fowler MP Dai Le. Credit:James Brickwood

Hearing the news that women and children of ISIS soldiers might be repatriated to western Sydney is very hurtful for refugees in my community of Fowler, many of whom have fled persecution from ISIS, she said.
A large number of single-issue and micro-parties hoping to contest the November state election are struggling to be registered in time for polling day, potentially preventing them from running candidates in crucial upper house seats.

Almost twice as many new parties have applied for registration in Victoria this year compared with 2018, but the Victorian Electoral Commission has so far been unable to verify by post the 500 members needed for the registration of nine new parties.

Crossbench MP Catherine Cumming at the freedom rally last year. Her Independence Party has struggled to become registered ahead of the 2022 poll. Credit:Jason South

The Age has confirmed the Independence Party, Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia, and the Angry Victorians Party are struggling to be registered in time to run candidates.

Upper house MP Catherine Cumming says her Independence Party has more than 1000 members but claims an archaic mail-in process has caused delays to registration. The party intends to field two candidates in all eight upper house regions.
The culprit ... mainly used a knife and killed many children. After leaving the daycare centre, he used a gun and the knife to attack people on his way. Then he reached home where he was besieged. Police said the killers mother had told investigators that he was agitated after leaving the court on Thursday and consumed methamphetamine before driving to the daycare centre, where he had previously dropped off his son. A police officer stands guard outside the childcare centre. Credit:Getty The boy was not there ... so he started shooting as well as stabbing people at the nursery, local police chief Major General Paisan Luesomboon told CNN. All but one of the kids died in that room. He also used a knife to stab both children and staff at the centre, the local police chief said.

He then shot and mowed down another nine bystanders on his way home, the Bangkok Post reported a provincial police spokesman as saying. Thailands King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida will reportedly travel to the province on Friday to meet with victims of the massacre and relatives of those slain, as will Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Pink and white coffins adorned with gold and bearing the bodies of the children killed in the rampage were loaded onto a truck late on Thursday. Thailands deputy prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, clasped his hands together and bowed his head as the truck, followed by ambulances carrying the bodies of further victims, pulled away. All Thai people, and all people around the world who know about this ... will feel so depressed and saddened, Anutin said.

Rescue workers had earlier brought the bodies of the victims to a local police station and placed them into the coffins as medical staff stood by solemnly and relatives of the dead gathered, some wiping away tears. People react outside the childcare centre where the shooting took place. Credit:Getty Nobody wants this to happen. Its a scene that nobody wants to see. Its harrowing, said Piyalak Kingkaew, who led the rescue team that was the first to arrive. His team shared images with Reuters of the scene of the massacre at the daycare centre, which showed tiny bodies laid out on blankets. The body of one boy dressed in a Manchester United Shirt was seen on a Winnie the Pooh bed cover in a room with walls decorated with cartoon animals.

We are used to seeing a large number of bodies, weve been through it before, but this incident is the most harrowing of all, Piyalak added. They were little kids who were still sleeping. A teacher told ThaiPBS that on Thursday the assailant got out of a car and immediately shot a man eating lunch outside, then fired more shots. When the attacker paused to reload, the teacher had an opportunity to run inside. I ran to the back, the children were asleep, said the young woman, who did not give her name, choking back her words. The children were two or three years old.

Another witness said staff at the daycare had locked the door, but the suspect shot his way in. The teacher who died; she had a child in her arms, the witness, whose name wasnt given, told Thailands Kom Chad Luek television. I didnt think he would kill children, but he shot at the door and shot right through it. Firearm-related deaths in Thailand are much lower than in countries such as the United States and Brazil, but higher than in Japan and Singapore, which have strict gun-control laws. The rate of firearms related deaths in 2019 was about four per 100,000, compared with about 11 per 100,000 in the US and nearly 23 per 100,000 in Brazil. Mass shootings are rare but not unheard of in Thailand, which has one of the highest civilian gun ownership rates in Asia, with 15.1 weapons per 100 people compared to only 0.3 in Singapore and 0.25 in Japan. Thats still far lower than the US rate of 120.5 per 100 people, according to a 2017 survey by Australias GunPolicy.org non-profit organisation.
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There is only one week to go until the mortgage industrys night of nights returns as an in-person event for the first time in three years.

Hosted at The Fullerton Hotel, Sydney, on Friday October 14, 2022, the black-tie event is the most important on the industry calendar.

The AMAs celebrate the best brokers, aggregators, lenders and BDMs within the industry and is an opportunity to connect with colleagues and industry professionals who have demonstrated a high level of commitment and achievement throughout the year.

The AMAs are proudly organised by Key Media and supported by Australian Broker and Mortgage Professional Australia.

Read more: Australian Mortgage Awards 2022 - Excellence Awardees revealed

Westpac is once again the event partner for this years celebration  the 13th consecutive year Westpac has supported the AMAs.

The awards are also sponsored by Adelaide Bank, Bankwest, BOQ, Commonwealth Bank, Dye & Durham, Equity-One, FBAA, Firstmac, La Trobe Financial, Liberty, MFAA, Mortgage Choice, MSA National, Nextgen, OnDeck, Pepper Money, PropTrack, Prime Capital, Resimac and Trilogy Funds.

This years event will feature 25 categories plus the two major awards - Westpac Australian Broker of the Year and Liberty Australian Brokerage of the Year.

Australian comedian, radio and television presenter Ed Kavalee, regular panellist on Have You Been Paying Attention?, will be the MC on the night and attendees can dance the night away to Furnace & the Fundamentals once the award ceremony wraps up.

Read more: Winning an Australian Mortgage Award helps broker flourish

La Trobe Financial chief lending officer Cory Bannister said the non-bank was delighted to support this years AMAs and award the prestigious Broker of the Year  Commercial award on the night.

This is an incredibly important segment of the market and economy, Bannister said. The finalists are very worthy winners in their own right and we wish them all the best on the night.

Anthony Waldron, CEO financial services and CEO Mortgage Choice, REA Group, said he was thrilled to support the Best Non-Bank BDM category on October 14.

More than ever, BDMs are crucial to delivering success for brokers and their businesses, which in turn creates incredible customer experiences, Waldron said. Once again, Mortgage Choice is proud to the support the Australian Mortgage Awards and the Best Non-Bank BDM Award.

Trilogy Funds head of lending Clinton Arentz, meanwhile, said he cannot wait to celebrate Australias most valuable and innovative brokers at the 2022 AMAs.

Brokers are vital and are in such an important role in the nations property industry, Arentz said. We cannot wait to see you there!

The full list of 2022 Awards and nominees can be seen here.
Driven by a rise in sales during the current year, German luxury carmaker said on Thursday that the company is expecting a growth in sales of around 8-10 per cent in the next few years. This comes at a time when the company is ready to surpass the previous highest sales of 15,538 vehicles (2018) in 2022.

During the first half, the company sold 7,600 units. It already has an order bank of around 7,000 vehicles.

In 2021, the company sold 11,242 vehicles. In the next few years, we expect to see around 8-10 per cent growth per annum. This will be our best year in terms of sales with more than 15,000 vehicles. The market is seeing strong recovery, said Martin Schwenk, chief executive officer, .

The company is betting big on electric vehicles (EVs) in India as part of its growth strategy and expects a majority of its models in India to be electric by 2030.

In the next five years, we expect around 25 per cent of our sales to come from the electric segment. By the end of this decade, most of our vehicles will be electric. We see India as a market that is EV-ready and it will see a successful transition to electric cars in the next five to 10 years, he said.

This comes at a time when the countrys largest luxury carmaker came up with a Made-in-India luxury EV  the EQS 580 4MATIC.

For the current year, the other two electric models the company is betting big on are the AMG EQS 53 4MATIC and the EQB all-electric sport utility vehicle.

The company expects the Centre and states to continue with their pro-EV policy measures to improve demand in the segment.

However, Schwenk said there are no plans yet to manufacture EV batteries locally. We are always reviewing our production portfolio and our localisation levels. With added volume, it always makes sense to deepen localisation, added Schwenk.

Mercedes-Benzs first electric car in India was the EQC, launched in 2020.

To further encourage EV adoption, India will set up the largest ultra-fast charging network by a luxury carmaker, covering 80 per cent of India by the end of this year. The ultra-fast charging network will be exclusive to Mercedes-Benz customers, with free round-the-clock charging services being offered for the first year.

When asked about the semiconductor shortage and container crisis, Schwenk said, We have seen significant restrictions when it comes to the supply of semiconductors and we still cannot say the problem is resolved. We have a very high order bank of around 7,000 vehicles. Some of our models have an eight- to 10-month delivery waiting period, he added.
Falca, an technology start-up, has raised more than $3 million in funding led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV). The pre-series A funding also saw participation from LetsVenture, Mumbai Angels and high-net-worth individuals (HNIs).

The company said it will use the fund to expand, acquire talent, and build technology infrastructure. "We directly work with farmers and offer them end-to-end solutions through a tech based Phygital platform. We are working with 100,000 farmers currently along with more than 60 input manufacturers and around 65 corporate buyers enabling transactions worth Rs. 1.4 billion," said Santosh Danegoudar, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Falca.

Falca enables farmers to sell their products directly to consumers without extra costs like logistics, middlemen and packaging, the company said in a statement. It offers free analytical support for weather conditions, supply-demand gaps, market prices, and suitable harvest times. Agricultural can list their products/commodities on Falcas platform.

Falca aims to educate the farmers through its platform and make them well versed with the usage of technology for cultivation and the benefits that Falca has to offer to make a better living and profitable business. IPV aims to further strengthen the support for the community with FALCA, said Vinay Bansal, founder and CEO of Inflection Point Ventures.

technology (agritech) helps the Indian economy by exporting quality goods/commodity. The market today stands at $375 billion. Agritech is expected to reach $24 billion by 2025 with only 1 per cent being addressed today, said Falca.
With the festival sales in full swing, e-commerce firms are ramping up hiring to meet the increasing consumer demand. Close to 300,000 new jobs have been created in the sector so far and over 500,000 more jobs are expected to be added till Diwali, according to a report by TeamLease.



The demand for gig workers is, however, not restricted to tier-1 cities. Tier-2 and tier-3 cities have seen an increase of 40 per cent, with a higher demand for delivery workers, according to a TeamLease report.



Hiring in the logistics domain has also increased as e-commerce are trying to crunch their delivery time. In fact, the fast-growing third party logistics segment is expected to add 800,000 jobs by December 2022, said Ajoy Thomas, vice-president and business head (retail, e-commerce, logistics and transportation) at TeamLease.



Quick-commerce, QSRs, retail stores, FMCG, and FOS (foots-on-the-street) salesmen are the most in-demand roles other than delivery executives, he added.



Currently, India is considered a low-margin market where 300,000-400,000 people work as delivery executives. E-commerce are, hence, looking for ways to tackle management costs of their delivery fleets. For start-ups, 50 per cent of their expenses come from managing the biker fleet, the report revealed.



Taskmo, a gig platform with over 750,000 registered workers, said that it has witnessed a 50-70 per cent surge in seasonal hiring from e-commerce platforms, especially since July, due to the festival season.



The platform said it was completing around 500,000-600,000 tasks per month, up from 300,000 in May.



We have witnessed around 8x to 10x increase in tasks completed during the last two weeks, said Prashant Janadri, co-founder of Taskmo. We have onboarded around 4x more gig workers than mandated to meet the e-commerce demand, with significant participation coming from tier-2 and tier-3 cities, he added.





To meet Diwali demand, we have been acquiring a lot more taskers for the past two months, he added.

According to logistics unicorn Ecom Express, there has been a surge in demand for delivery talent which has grown by 35 per cent over the previous year.



We can see an increase in demand for delivery personnel. For the peak season rush, Ecom Express is hiring seasonal staff and onboarding gig workers, seeing a 35 per cent jump from last year. About 60-65 per cent of the hiring will take place in tier-3 and 4 cities and remote parts of the country, said Ashish Sikka, chief strategy officer of Ecom Express.



Jobs and professional networking platform Apna.co has also seen an increase in demand for e-commerce gig workers due to the festival season.



In the last few months, we have seen an uptick in the demand for gig workers on our platform. We have recorded a 100 per cent increase in job posts for roles such as delivery partners during this time period (July-September), said Manas Singh, chief business officer at Apna.co.
In a setback for Xiaomi, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday refused to stay competent authoritys confirmation of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) order to seize Xiaomi Indias bank assets worth over Rs 5551.27 crore.

The competent authority, formed under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA), confirmed the order of the ED to seize the assets of the smartphone company on September 19.

The competent authority said the company had transferred the mentioned amount in an unauthorised manner and that its actions violate Section 4(dealing with the holding of foreign exchange, etc) of .

Xiaomi then moved the Karnataka High Court on October 5 and the matter was heard on Thursday by the vacation bench of Justice Sanjay Gowda.

The competent authority in its order last week held that the ED is right in holding a foreign exchange of 5,551.27 crore. The ED had passed an order of seizure of the sum against for illegally remitting foreign exchange outside India under the guise of royalty payments.

Senior Advocate Uday Holla, appearing for Xiaomi, prayed before the court to put a stay on the competent authoritys order. He also asked the court to extend its May 5 order in which the court allowed the company to operate its bank accounts for only day-to-day activities.

Holla said now the company cannot even do this after the competent authoritys order.

Meanwhile, the Centres counsel said the company has no ground to challenge the provisions of . He also said that if the company is aggrieved by the competent authoritys order, it should approach the appellate tribunal under FEMA.

The Centre said the amount of about 5500 crore was supposed to be utilised in the Indian market but it was transferred to Qualcomm for royalty payments.

Qualcomm is an American multinational corporation that owns patents important to the 5G, 4G, and other mobile communications standards.

said that over 84 per cent of the Rs 5,551.27 crore was the royalty payment made to Qualcomm and without this technology, smartphone manufacturing was not even possible in India.

Hearing the arguments, the court said that it would pass an interim order if the company furnishes a bank guarantee of 5500 crore. The company said it would set up an escrow account to make payments from January from smartphone sales.

The court rejected this contention and expressed that if the company fails to deliver on this promise, it would be unfair to the other party. The revenue department will be left high and dry, the court said.

The court was also informed by the centre that the company before had 7000 crore in their bank account and now they only have close to 4000 crore.

"If the charges against Xiaomi are right, as per our view, ED's seizure order is good and the Courts reluctance in interfering is just and fair, at least for the time being and till the entire facts come out. Further, the seizure did not become an impediment in running the day-to-day activities of the company as the bank accounts were allowed to be operated for day-to-day activities," says Bharat Chugh, former Judge & Advocate Supreme Court of India.

The matter is likely to be heard again on October 14.
An Indian court on Thursday declined to lift a freeze on Corp's $676 million worth of assets, even as the Chinese smartphone group said this enforcement action had "effectively halted" its operations in its key Indian market.

The froze Rs 5,551 crore of assets in April, alleging the company made illegal remittances to foreign entities by passing them off as royalty payments. Last week, an appellate body confirmed the seizure.

Xiaomi, which denies any wrongdoing, challenged the asset freeze in the of southern Karnataka state, saying in its legal filing it "is severely disproportionate and has effectively halted the operations" of the company.

and Samsung are market leaders in India's smartphone market, the world's second biggest after China, based on data from Counterpoint, with an 18% share each.

On Thursday, Xiaomi's lawyer Udaya Holla sought to end the freeze by seeking relief from the judge, but the court said the company must first provide bank guarantees covering the $676 million in assets that are frozen.

Holla told the court such bank guarantees would mean depositing the entire amount, making it difficult for the company to function and pay salaries and make inventory purchases ahead of Hindu festival of Diwali - when consumer sales boom in India.

The judge declined any immediate relief, and adjourned the case until Oct. 14.

Nargund M B, one of India's Additional Solicitor Generals, who was representing the Enforcement Directorate, urged the court not to grant any immediate relief to Xiaomi, and also asked for the bank guarantees.

Xiaomi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Xiaomi has previously said its royalty payments were all legitimate and truthful, adding it will "continue to use all means to protect the reputation and interests."

Many Chinese have struggled to do business in India due to political tensions following a border clash in 2020. India has cited security concerns in banning more than 300 Chinese apps since then, including popular ones such as TikTok, and also tightened rules for Chinese investing in India.

(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.)
Mumbai Angels, a company, has raised $2 million in funding for TurboHire, a platform. The pre-series A investment round was co-led by Pentathlon VC and The Chennai Angels, and also saw participation from T- Fund, Purvansh Holdings, Mumbai Angels and Hyderabad Angels, and global strategic investors Samir Khosla and Francisco Arcilla.

The fund will be used for improving TurboHires product and scaling up its revenue contribution from global markets. TurboHire aims to have a compounded monthly growth rate (CMGR) of 20 per cent and make international deals 25 per cent of its total revenue.

TurboHire, which began in 2019 and has more than 130 as clients globally, said it combines resume intelligence, automation, and workflows in an easy-to-use user interface. Its technology ensures accuracy in candidate selection and reduces the cost and time spent to hire to the tune of 65 per cent and 78 per cent, respectively.

The team at TurboHire works every day on creating the future and this round is a testament to the investors' belief that TurboHire is on its way to build and lead the Software category, globally, said Deepak Agrawal, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of TurboHire.

With talent recruitment challenges compounding with time, AI is the way forward for ensuring the right and speedy placement of candidates for future profitability. We wish TurboHire great success as it endeavours to advance its growth and impact across geographies with fresh funds, said Nandini Mansinghka, co-founder and CEO of Mumbai Angels.
(OVL) will invest $1 billion in a Brazilian offshore hydrocarbon block and will raise its stake. Currently, Brazil's Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) owns a 75 per cent stake in the block and the remaining 25 per cent is held by OVL. According to a report in Mint, the block was discovered in 2019 and is expected to start production by 2026.

The 320 sq km block lies in the Sergie Alagos Offshore Basin.

"Energy diversification is an important agenda before the Indian government with investments planned in Brazil," the Mint report quoted a person aware of the matter as saying.

Recently, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) signed an agreement with to import crude oil.

The focus of Indian oil has been on Latin America. Indian Oil Corporation (IOL) has also signed an agreement with Colombia's Ecopetrol SA to procure oil.

OVL, Indian Oil Corp. (IOC) and Ltd are also looking to invest jointly in the 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, Mint added.

India imports 85 per cent of its oil requirements from abroad. It also imports 55 per cent of all its needs. The central government and have been making an effort to diversify the sources in order to get protected from future disruptions.

"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," Brazil's spokesperson was quoted as saying by Mint.
/ -- Star Air, the aviation arm of Sanjay Ghodawat Group, inaugurated its direct flight services between Mumbai and Kolhapur under the Regional Connectivity Scheme.

The launch of Kolhapur not only celebrates the expansion of Star Air's travel route but also marks the airline's homecoming, as it serves as the base of Sanjay Ghodawat Group's operations. With Kolhapur transitioning itself into a commercial hub, Star Air looks forward to serving its passengers with seamless connectivity, utmost care and comfort by reducing the current 8-10 hour travel time via road and rail to just under an hour.

Owing to its spiritual history, Kolhapur is also known as 'Dakshin Kashi'. Not only is it one of the oldest civilizations in the country, but it has also become an important industry and tourism hub. Famous for its agricultural and manufacturing industry, pilgrim sites, jewellery, leather chappals, historical monuments, and sports, particularly wrestling, it is a confluence of culture and tradition that promises great connectivity and economic prosperity.

Commenting on the milestone achievement, Mr Shrenik Ghodawat, MD - Star Air, said, "We are pleased to announce our homecoming flight. With the beautiful city of Kolhapur serving as SGG's operations base, it is a surreal feeling to connect Star Air to its parent company. With the launch of Kolhapur as our 19th destination, it promises easy access to tourist attractions like the famous Town Hall, Khasbag Maidan, Panhala Fort, and religious destinations like the Mahalaxmi Temple. The launch of our new destination will not only bolster trade but also strengthen tourism between the cities. We hope to add many more regional cities to the travel map of India in the future."



Star Air will operate thrice a week between Mumbai and Kolhapur on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday to begin with and will plan to expand the frequency to a daily service after observing the passenger response. These scheduled plan to offer passengers the most affordable prices under the popular UDAN scheme.

Currently, Star Air offers scheduled flight services to 19 Indian destinations that include Ahmedabad, Ajmer (Kishangarh), Bengaluru, Belagavi, Delhi (Hindon), Hubballi, Indore, Jodhpur, Kalaburagi, Mumbai, Nashik, Surat, Tirupati, Jamnagar, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Bhuj, Bidar, and Kolhapur. For more information, please visit www.starair.in. Connect with Star Air on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Sanjay Ghodawat Group



Sanjay Ghodawat Group (SGG) is a prominent Indian business conglomerate that has a presence in various high-value business verticals. Aviation, Consumer Products, Education, Energy, Mining, Realty, Retail, and Textiles are some of its key business domains. SGG was founded in 1993 and since then it has witnessed impressive growth under the splendid stewardship of its Founder and Chairman - Mr. Sanjay Ghodawat. It has a strong base of millions of customers globally, an employee strength of over 10,000, and a student base of over 16,000. SGG is moving ahead with great vigour and bringing significant changes in people's lives with its wide range of high-quality products and services.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1915218/Star_Air.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1734796/Star_Air_Logo.

(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.)
Nine people were killed and 38 others were injured after a tourist bus carrying students crashed into a State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus at Mangalam near Vadakkenchery area of Palakkad, minister M B Rajesh said on Thursday.

The horrific road accident occurred after the tourist bus rear-ended into the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus. The tourist bus carrying students and teachers of the Baselios Vidhyanikethan School was headed to Ooty from Ernakulam, while the KSRTC bus was on its way to Coimbatore.

The deceased include five students, one teacher and three passengers from the KSRTC bus.

A total of 38 people have been admitted to the hospital.

"Five people sustained serious injuries but they are said to be out of danger," Rajesh said.

Further details are awaited.

Previously, in another instance from Uttarakhand, as many as 32 people were killed and eighteen injured in the Pauri Garhwal bus accident, informed State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) on October 4.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced financial assistance to the kin of the deceased in the Uttarkashi and Pauri Garhwal tragedies.

Earlier on October 3, 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 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.

(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.)
It has been nearly a month since the students of (AU) in Uttar Pradesh have been protesting over the 400 per cent hike in fees, varsity officials said.

A series of meetings between the students and the district and university administration have proved inconclusive.

Ajay Yadav 'Samrat', who is leading the agitation, said, "The hike in fees is completely unacceptable. Students from economically weak backgrounds come here to study and make a future for themselves but the university administration obviously does not care for them. Our agitation will continue till the hike is rolled back."

In the past few days, agitating students have tried various ways of .

They tried to take "bhu-samadhi" (voluntarily burying themselves alive) earlier this week to push their demand.

A group of students have been on a relay hunger strike.

The protestors were, however, stopped by police personnel, who pulled them out of the ditches that were dug by students near the university's Union Hall.

This led to a scuffle between the police and the student leaders. Fortunately, no student sustained any serious injury during the incident.

In September, one student reportedly committed suicide to register his but the varsity administration claimed that the student Ashutosh Tiwari was not a student of the and was staying in the Tarachand hostel illegally.

The university in a statement said that a probe had been ordered into the incident.

On Tuesday, the city administration and university representatives held a meeting with student leaders regarding the ongoing agitation.

The protesting students put forward the demand for a complete rollback of the fees hike and of bringing back the student union by holding the student union elections.

The university clarified its stand on both the issues giving reasons and justification for the fees hike and stating that the matter regarding the student union is sub-judice and so no decision can be taken by the University authorities in the matter.

A major point that was put forward by the university administration was that the Vice-Chancellor Sangita Srivastava has given her complete assurance that no meritorious or poor student would remain deprived of education because of the fee hike.

"AU officials told the protesting students that the fee realised from poor and from the reserved category students is returned 100 per cent to them in form of scholarships and if any student cannot afford to pay the fee, he or she can always represent their case to the AU administration and varsity will take care of the fee," said City Magistrate, Satyapriya Singh.

"This is a vague and subjective offer. Will the Vice-Chancellor give in writing that poor students will not suffer due to fee hike. Most of us come from economically weaker backgrounds and cannot afford the fees," said Samrat.

The ongoing students' agitation has already got support from the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, though the students have avoided any direct involvement of politicians in their agitation.

"We do not wish to politicise the issue but it has been a month and the government has not addressed our issues. We will now think of a fresh strategy but we will not give up," the student leader added.

--IANS

amita/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.)
Finance Minister on Thursday said the (CCI) would need to keep pace with global developments on the merger and acquisition front and combine them with Indian laws.

Speaking at the launch of CCIs new offices in Navi Mumbai, the finance minister stressed upon the need for the federal competition watchdog to communicate more.

As we move towards a digital economy, the challenges that brings are also very important for us, we cant ignore them. They are very important issues, particularly for competition authorities. It will also be benchmarked against global best practices, the FM said.

Sitharaman said that in an increasingly globalised and digitised world, companies were carrying out mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers across the value chain, with there being holding companies, shell companies etc.

Issues of fair competition do arise in such a situation. They have to be fairly dealt with as per the law of the land. The CCI can keep one eye on Indian law and evolution of competition and fair trade laws. But it equally has to keep an eye on what is developing in other parts of the world and benchmark it against best practices that can be brought to Indias advantage, she said.
The (ISRO) on Thursday said that it will launch 36 satellites of UKs global communications network OneWeb onboard its heaviest launcher LVM3 or the Launch Vehicle Mark III later in October. The will launch the satellites under the OneWeb India-1 mission/ LVM3 M2', which will mark LVM3s entry into the global commercial launch service market.

This contract with M/s OneWeb is a historic milestone for NSIL and ISRO, as LVM3 is making its entry into the Global commercial launch service market. As part of the Contract, 36 satellites will be placed into orbit by one LVM3, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre," the said in a statement.

For the launch of satellites, ISRO's commercial arm NewSpace India Limited has signed two contracts with OneWeb to launch low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband communication satellites.

As part of the contract, 36 satellites will be launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota and will be placed into orbit one LVM3, the space agency said.

to launch 36 satellites of OneWeb onboard LVM3, nominally during the second half of Oct 2022. With this LVM3 M2/ OneWeb India-1 Mission, the 1st LVM3 dedicated commercial launch on demand through NSIL, LVM3 enters the Global commercial launch service market. @OneWeb pic.twitter.com/7vyvnRDPMW  ISRO (@isro) October 6, 2022

A global communications network that is powered from space, OneWeb enables connectivity for governments, businesses, and communities. Headquartered in London, OneWeb was launched in February 2019.

OneWeb will have over 70 per cent of its planned Gen 1 LEO constellations in orbit after this launch.

ISRO said that the integration of the cryogenic upper stage of the launch vehicle and the integration of payload fairing with 36 satellites will take place in the coming days. The space agency said that the launch was envisaged in the third or fourth week of October.
India on Thursday recorded 2,529 new cases of Covid-19, taking the nation's tally from the pandemic to 44,604,463. With four new deaths in the last 24 hours, India's Covid toll has reached 528,745. India's tally of cured Covid cases has reached 44,043,436, as 3,553 people recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours.



Maharashtra Chief Minister and his predecessor on Wednesday accused each other of betrayal as the groups headed by them held Dussehra rallies in Mumbai. While branded Shinde and his supporters as traitors for teaming up with the BJP to wrest power, the latter said Thackeray had betrayed people of Maharashtra who voted for the Sena and BJP to form an alliance government, by teaming up with Congress and NCP after 2019 Assembly elections.

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. 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.



A centrally mandated authority has shut 344 industries in Delhi and the Capital Region (NCR) for violating air pollution norms since last December. In its first round of inspections and fines, the Commission for Air Quality Managements (CAQM) flying squad issued closure notices to 484 units or establishments. Apart from industries, 99 construction and demolition (C&D) sites, and 41 diesel generator (DG) sets were issued closure notices by the commissions Enforcement Task Force (ETF).
The have arrested a man from in connection with anonymous calls threatening to target industrialist and his family members, an official said on Thursday.

A police team picked up the suspect, Rakesh Kumar Mishra, from Darbhanga district around Wednesday midnight and he was brought here on Thursday, he said.

Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital at Girgaon in south Mumbai had received two calls on Wednesday, wherein the unidentified caller threatened to blow up the hospital along with Ambani's residence 'Antilia' in south Mumbai. The caller also issued threats to the industrialist and his family members, officials had said.

Mishra was produced before a court here, which remanded him in police custody till Monday, 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.)
If you ever relished Nirula's Hot Chocolate Fudge, you will definitely miss the huge void as India's very first fast food chain -- started by Nirula brothers, Lakshmi Chand and Madan Gopal, as a 12-room hotel in Connaught Place in 1934 -- has lost Deepak Nirula, who made the brand famous across north India.

Deepak, son of Madan Gopal Nirula, passed away on Wednesday at age 70, leaving behind a legacy that will live on forever in iconic offerings at Nirula's that include ice creams, sundaes, burgers and pizzas (especially Salami pizza).

"Deepak Nirula, son of Lakshmi and Madan Nirula -- the family behind #Nirula's iconic Hot Chocolate Fudge, has passed away today (October 4th) at the age of 70. I wonder whether the Indian media will pick it up tomorrow. RIP," tweeted Aryan D'Rozario.

Several food lovers took to Twitter on Thursday, remembering Deepak Nirula and his immense contribution.

"Nirula's was such an iconic place in the 90s! Deepak Nirula one of the pivots of Nirula's is no more! Remember the hot chocolate fudge and Banana Split ice cream! Miss the old Nirula's," posted Aditya Shah.

Atul Karmarkar tweeted: "As kids, we enjoyed having "fast food" and ice cream at Nirula's in Delhi and it was a weekend outing we always looked forward to. #RIP Deepak Nirula".

A bachelor of science in hotel management from Cornell University in the US in 1974, Deepak has been listed as a noteworthy food service executive by 'Marquis Who's Who'.

Born on April 3, 1952 in New Delhi, Deepak helped the brand expand in north India and today, the restaurant chain is present across 70 locations in the country.

Ever since 1977 when the Nirula family opened the first restaurant in Connaught Place, it has been creating epic moments for generations.

In 2006, Navis Capital Partners bought Nirula's Group.

In 2007, Nirula's opened India's first ice cream museum inside its ice cream factory in Noida.

In the same year, the chain introduced three new outlet formats, including "Nirula's Express", Food Court Unit and Ice-Cream Kiosks, with the first Express outlet opening at the Delhi Airport.

In 2012, Navis "agreed to sell its 100 per cent stake in Nirula's Group," to A2Z Excursions Pvt. Ltd for an undisclosed amount.

Today the chain has outlets across North India, in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bhiwadi, Dehradun, and Patna.

Recently Nirula's opened its first franchise in Patna, their first outlet in the east zone.

Nandini Chatterjee, Chief Communications Officer, PwC India, tweeted: "Nirula's. The place we went to from school and college to celebrate. The place where we took our children to relive the many happy memories linked with Nirula's. Can only thank them for thinking ahead of their time and giving us memories of a lifetime. RIP Deepak Nirula."

Today, some outlets survive but a new generation will never relish the taste of a chilli chicken pizza and mango with fresh cream at Nirula's.

--IANS

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It was a day of solitude on his 70th birthday on Thursday within his cell at the Presidency Central Correctional Home for former Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General, Partha Chatterjee, the principal accused in the multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam.

State Prison Department sources said that throughout the day the former minister mostly confined himself within the cell, and avoided interaction with anybody by spending most of the time lying down and closing his eyes. There was no special menu on the occasion and whatever was served to him in breakfast and lunch, he consumed it silently, an official said.

It is learnt that the former minister also confined himself within his cell during the last four days of Durga Puja from October 2 to October 5, as he was denied permission by the correctional home authorities to participate at the Puja within the jail premises on security grounds.

On October 1 afternoon before the full-fledged Puja rituals began, Chatterjee was taken to the pandal within the jail premises under security cover for just around 10 minutes.

However, till last year, he used to celebrate his birthday at his party office at Behala by cutting cakes and interacting with his followers and fellow party leaders. Last year, on this occasion, he was also seen accompanied by his close associate Arpita Mukherjee who is also in judicial custody now on the same charges.

Recently, during the course of hearing in the matter a number of times the former minister broke down into tears as he pleaded for release on bail under any circumstances. But every time his bail application was rejected. Now with both Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) having filed their first charge sheets in the WBSSC scam, it is now highly uncertain when the second-in-command both in the state government as well as in Trinamool will be able to step out under the open sky.

--IANS

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More than 70 people were injured in the traditional fight with sticks during celebrations in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district.

Like every year, two groups attacked each other with sticks during Banni Utsav held as part of celebrations at Devaragattu village in Holagonda 'mandal' (block) late on Wednesday.

The injured were admitted to hospitals at Adoni and Alur and the condition of some of them is stated to be critical.

The stick-fight is organised every year as part of celebrations at Mala Malleswara Swamy temple located on a hillock. Like in the past, the villagers defied the police orders to organise the fight, which they claim to be part of their tradition.

As part of the annual celebrations, people from different villages divide in two groups to fight with sticks to secure the idols of the deity.

This year, the fight was delayed due to rains. The fight led to a huge traffic jam in the area. A boy died on the way to participate in the celebrations. The boy was identified as Ravindranath Reddy, hailing from Karnataka. Police said he was suspected to have died of cardiac arrest.

Every year, people of villages around the temple divide into two groups and fight with sticks to take control of the idols.

Villagers from Neraniki, Neraniki Tanda and Kottapeta villages fight with devotees of Arikera, Arikera Tanda, Suluvai, Ellarthi, Kurukunda, Bilehall, Virupapuram and other villages. They mercilessly attack each other with sticks and in the fight many receive grievous injuries. However, devotees consider these injuries as a good omen.

Attempts by authorities to dissuade villagers from organising the fight have not yielded results. Every year, the police deploy forces to prevent the fight but the villagers defy the orders and organise the fight.

Villagers believe that Lord Shiva took the form of Bhairava and clobbered two demons, Mani and Mallasura, with sticks. The villagers enact the scene on Vijayadashami day. Group of villagers from the demon's side try to snatch the idols from the rival group, called god's team. They fight with sticks to take control of the idols.

Thousands of people from various parts of Kurnool and surrounding districts and neighbouring states like Telangana and Karnataka gather at the village to watch the traditional fight.

--IANS

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India on Thursday abstained from voting on a draft resolution in the UN Human Rights Council on holding a debate on the human rights situation in China's restive region.

Human rights groups have been sounding the alarm over what is happening in the resource-rich north-western Chinese province for years, alleging that more than one million Uyghurs had been detained against their will in a large network of what Beijing calls "re-education camps".

The draft resolution on holding a debate on the situation of human rights in the Uyghur Autonomous Region of was rejected in the 47-member Council after 17 members voted in favour, 19 members voted against, including China, and 11 abstentions, including India, Brazil, Mexico and Ukraine.

The draft resolution was presented by a core group consisting of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, UK and USA, and co-sponsored by a range of states, including Turkey.

director at Human Rights Watch, Sophie Richardson, said in a statement that for the first time in its history, the UN's top human rights body considered a proposal to debate the human rights situation in the region of .

While the Council's failure to adopt the proposal is an abdication of responsibility and a betrayal of Uyghur victims, the extremely close vote highlights the growing number of states willing to take a stand on principle and shine a spotlight on China's sweeping rights violations, Richardson said.

Richardson noted that nothing will erase the stain of China's crimes against humanity, laid bare by a recent report of former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

We urge incoming High Commissioner Volker Turk to brief the Council on his office's report, and we call on states, companies, and the international community to implement the report's recommendations and hold Chinese authorities accountable for their international crimes, Richardson added.

Serious allegations of against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim communities in China were brought to the attention of the UN Human Rights Office and UN human rights mechanisms since late 2017.

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Effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhakarna went up in flames at various places in the capital during Ramlila celebrations, which were held with great pomp and show and without Covid restrictions on Wednesday.

The festivities were low key events in the last two years due to COVID-19.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and Chief Minister participated in the celebrations, which culminated with the burning of the effigies, in separate places.

Dhankar and former president Ram Nath Kovind attended the celebrations organised by Shri Dharmic Leela Committee near the Red Fort.

True to the meaning of "Ram Rajya", demonic and destructive forces are losing today and goodness is prevailing over them, Dhankar said.

He said it was his first public programme in after taking over as the Vice President and that he felt overwhelmed by people's love and affection.

The organisers presented him with a mace (gada) and he also released white pigeons, symbolising peace.

Earlier in the day, Dhankhar extended greetings to the people on Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, saying the festival reinforces faith in righteousness.

"Symbolising the victory of good over evil, reinforces our faith in 'Dharma' or righteousness," the Vice President Secretariat tweeted quoting him.

Saxena recited the famous bhajan, "Thumak Chalat Ramchandra", as a mark of respect for his Hindi teacher in school.

Former Union minister Harsh Vardhan was also present.

Not far from this venue, Kejriwal attended a programme organised by the Lav Kush Ramlila Committee. 'Baahubali' fame actor Prabhas provided the glamour quotient to the event and he shot arrows. Interestingly, the actor plays Lord Ram in the soon-to-be-released movie 'Adipurush'.

Kejriwal ceremoniously shot arrows at the three effigies to symbolise the triumph of truth over evil.

He was presented with a harcopy of Ramayana, a Ram darbar, a mace and shawls.

"Lord Ram lived a life of sacrifice. He could have become the king if he wished to. The people were with him, but at the behest of his parents, he left the kingdom and went in exile for 14 years," the chief minister said.

He also expressed hope that people come together to make India the "Number One" and the most powerful country in the world.

The Ramlila ground was jam-packed with scores of devotees thronging there to witness the event and also gorge on some popular delicacies of Delhi.

Kejriwal said he has fond memories of watching Ramlila in his childhood and requested people across the country to attend the events in person instead of watching them on television.

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Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh global investor summit 2023, Chief Minister will lead from the state in wooing investors for Brand UP in four countries, including the US.

The government is aiming to attract private sector investment of Rs10 trillion during the proposed three-day investor summit on February 10-12 next year in Lucknow.

In the run-up to the event , the Cabinet, including the CM, will hold meetings in domestic and international cities.

The UP government has identified two dozen cities globally, including Thailand, Russia, and Mauritius, for roadshows from next month.

UP Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak will lead high-level delegations to some of the most prominent global business hubs, including Paris, London, San Francisco, Toronto, Rio de Janeiro, etc.

Other senior UP Cabinet members will participate in the dialogue process with the investors in top Indian cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

Adityanath had recently held a review for the summit and suggested constituting separate groups of ministers for the roadshows to extract maximum leverage for the state industrial development.

He also directed officials to amend the existing industry-related policies to improve business environment and attract private investment. The state is targeting to become a trillion-dollar economy in the next five years.

In the 2018, the state had garnered a total investment of nearly Rs4.68 trillion.
The Department of Commerce is considering the formation of dedicated units called "subject matter divisions" to build expertise in industries like services, agriculture, medicines, trade remedies, and digital trade as part of a more aggressive approach to free trade agreements, Livemint reported. India wants to be able to negotiate agreements with other nations at the World Trade Organization from a position of strength.

It is also considering hiring industry experts, including those from the private sector, who will contribute their knowledge and experience during discussions. The general idea behind the plan is to fortify the infrastructure for negotiations with the appropriate knowledge, reliable end-to-end procedures, and a clearly defined goal.

A government official said that the move aims to participate in negotiations fully prepared. With the being comprehensive nowadays, it is important to have experts from different domains, who have insights and so it is important to bring in people, if required, from outside the bureaucracy, the official added.

India is negotiating a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) with the UK, EU, and Canada while it has already struck a free trade agreement with the UAE and an interim accord with Australia.

While the experts have welcomed the move, they have cautioned that the approach might only succeed if there is a clean break from business-as-usual. Vijay Kalantri, chairman, MVIRDC World Trade Centre, Mumbai said to Livemint, Getting subject-matter experts is a step in the right direction, but the problem is, will it be implemented? Private sector experts will always give practical approaches but bureaucracy always tends to complicate things. And they are people who will take the decision."

Creating separate negotiating teams for bilateral and multilateral agreements is another idea being considered by the ministry.
Living in the shadow of Maoist violence, a good number of in Chhattisgarhs restive Dantewada district have been absorbed in multinationals through the platform provided by National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC).



The countrys largest iron-ore miner is running two institutes in Dantewada district -- DAV Industrial Training Institute in Bhansi and DAV Polytechnic in Jawanga.



Of the three mechanised iron-ore mines operates, two are in Dantewada district, with the lions share in the companys output.



Besides mining, the company has pioneered development initiatives and steered changes in improving the quality of education in remote areas as part of its (CSR).



As the countrys mining major, NMDC is committed to shaping a sustainable and resilient future for India. We are consulting our stakeholders on every step and harnessing the power of technology at our mines to ensure growth for our company and the community, Chairman and Managing Director Sumit Deb said after the company recently bagged an award for  and Sustainability.



Both institutes are making efforts to provide for the local youth. In pursuance of this, domestic and multinational companies are organising placements on campus.



In the institute of Jawanga, 116 found jobs in multinationals. According to NMDC officials, they were selected by two leading multinationals -- in Bengaluru and in Hyderabad -- through written tests and interviews.



In another campus interview in Bhansi, 43 were selected in a leading automobile multinational and 94 students participated in the campus placement drive. According to officials, the selected students will attend a training session before being inducted for probation.



Company officials associated with activities said students from remote areas of Dantewada were awaiting exposure to the outside world.



Besides multinationals, domestic firms associated with the solar energy, mining and automobile sectors have recruited students from both the institutes.



Executives of renowned companies visiting Dantewada and organising campus interviews itself is an indicator of the changing scene. The fear was so high in the region that one of the countrys leading steelmakers abandoned the plan of setting up a plant in Bhansi.
Governor on Thursday launched a new 'SupTech' initiative DAKSH - the bank's Advanced Supervisory Monitoring System, which is expected to make the supervisory processes more robust.

In a statement, the of India (RBI) said it has been taking various initiatives in strengthening supervision, which among other initiatives include adoption of latest data and analytical tools as well as leveraging technology for implementing more efficient and automated work processes.

"DAKSH is a web-based end-to-end workflow application through which RBI shall monitor compliance requirements in a more focused manner with the objective of further improving the compliance culture in Supervised Entities (SEs) like Banks, NBFCs, etc," it said.

The application will also enable seamless communication, inspection planning and execution, cyber incident reporting and analysis, and provision of various MIS reports, among others, through a platform which enables anytime-anywhere secure access.

DAKSH means 'efficient' and 'competent', reflecting the underlying capabilities of the application, the RBI said.

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At least 18 people were killed and three injured in a deadly shooting incident in southwest Mexico, media reports said, in what appears to be an instance linked to organised crime.

The gunmen opened fire at city hall in the state of Guerrero on Wednesday afternoon, killing more than a dozen people including the city mayor, BNO News reported citing local officials.

This shooting happened in San Miguel Totolapan city, the photos of which made rounds on Twitter.

"Among the more than 20 dead, they confirm a minor under 12 years of age in San Miguel Totolapan. Guerrero # #Violencia In the centre of the city, in front of the Town Hall, rides were being set up for the fair," a Mexican journalist Jacob Morales A said in a tweet.

Guerrero State Governor Evelyn Salgado Pineda deeply regretted the death of the San Miguel Totolapan mayor Conrado Mendoza Almeda.

"I condemn the facts and reiterate that in the @Gob_Guerrero there will be no impunity in the face of the cunning aggression against the municipal president and officials of the City Council," Pineda tweeted in Spanish.

"Our commitment is firm, we will not take a step back to provide security to the population of San Miguel Totolapan and to our entire region of Tierra Caliente," she added.

Confirming the city mayor's death, the PRD political party, to which Mendoza belonged, said the party condemned the attack and called for justice.

"The National Executive Directorate of #PRD condemns the cowardly murder of our colleague Conrado Mendoza Almeda, Mayor of San Miguel Totolapan, #Guerrero. We demand justice @FGEGuerrero, enough of violence and impunity," the party tweeted.

The shooting incident is the latest in the series of attack which has rattled in recent weeks.

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External Affairs Minister on Thursday held "warm and productive" talks with his counterpart Nanaia Mahuta during which the two leaders exchanged views on issues of concerns such as the Indo-Pacific and the Ukraine conflict.

It is Jaishankar's first visit to as External Affairs Minister.

"Warm and productive talks with Foreign Minister @NanaiaMahuta this afternoon. Two societies, respectful of tradition and culture, are seeking to forge a more contemporary relationship," Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting.

"Appreciated the exchange of views on (issues of) concerns such as the Indo-Pacific and the Ukraine conflict. Value our working together in multilateral forums including the UN and Commonwealth," he said.

India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the resource-rich region.

China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. China also has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.

India has repeatedly emphasised on the immediate cessation of hostilities in Ukraine and the need to resolve the ongoing conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

Jaishankar also took up the issue of Indian students impacted by COVID measures in New Zealand and urged expeditious processing of those desirous of studying in New Zealand now.

India is the second largest source of students in New Zealand pursuing higher education in various disciplines such as information technology, hospitality, science, engineering and architecture.

He also met Associate Minister for foreign affairs Aupito William Sio during his meeting with Mahuta.

"Pleasure to meet Associate Minister for foreign affairs @AupitoWSio_MP during my talks with FM @NanaiaMahuta



Benefitted from his insights on Pacific Islands," Jaishankar tweeted.

On Wednesday, Jaishankar met Indian-origin minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan, and also had an interactive session with prominent personalities of the country.

Good to meet Minister @priyancanzlp today in Auckland. Thank her for an interactive session with prominent personalities of New Zealand. Committed to furthering our relationship, he tweeted.

Radhakrishnan is New Zealand's Minister for Community and Voluntary Sector, Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, and Youth. She is the first person of Indian origin to become a minister in New Zealand.

New Zealand has approximately 2,50,000 persons of Indian origin and NRIs, a vast majority of which have made the country their permanent home.

During the visit, Jaishankar will join Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday 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 Mahotsav in New Zealand," an External Affairs Ministry statement said on Monday.

Jaishankar will also launch the book 'Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery'.

A book showcasing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special bond with the Sikh community 'Heartfelt - The Legacy of Faith' will also be released on the occasion.

Further, he will interact with parliamentarians, members of the business community as well as the Indian diaspora, including students.

In Wellington, Jaishankar will inaugurate the newly constructed building of the High Commission of India.

Jaishankar is on a week-long visit to New Zealand and Australia.

In Australia, the External Affairs Minister will visit Canberra and Sydney.

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Since the start of the Russia- war, has captured 460 Russian main battle tanks. They have also captured 92 self-propelled howitzers, 448 infantry fighting vehicles, 195 armoured fighting vehicles and 44 multiple-launch rocket systems, a report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said.

Russia, on the other hand, has captured 109 Ukrainian tanks, 15 self-propelled guns and 63 infantry fighting vehicles since February.

Ukrainians, according to WSJ, have vast experience in operating different weapons in a short span of time. This has helped them in repurposing the captured weapons and using them in the war. The number of captured weapons is greater than the supplies it is getting from the West.

"We started off as an infantry battalion, and now we are sort of becoming a mechanized battalion," a deputy chief of staff in a Ukrainian battalion that entered Izyum last month, Ruslan Andriyko, was quoted in the report as saying. Andriyko's battalion seized 10 modern T-80 tanks and five 2S5 Giatsint 152-mm self-propelled howitzers after entering the town.

They also captured more modern T-90 tanks and BTR-82 infantry fighting vehicles with automatic cannons in Izyum. Commanders of several brigades have reportedly been seen travelling on the captured vehicles. This includes the commander of the 92nd Brigade who was seen riding a T-90. The 92nd Brigade played a major role in Kharkiv.

The smaller weapons are kept with the units and larger items like tanks and artillery are distributed in the military.

However, all the weapons captured are not high-tech. is mixing them with modern equipment to improve efficiency.

"Gaining the trophies gives us a sense of pride and raises everyones combat spirits," a Ukrainian commander told WSJ.
Group AGs Christopher Chua is leaving the bank to help oversee the Asia business at Plc, people with knowledge of the matter said.



Chua, a Hong Kong-based managing director and deputy head of for Asia-Pacific at Credit Suisse, has resigned from the bank, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential information.

A representative for couldnt immediately provide comment, while a spokesperson for HSBC didnt respond to requests for comments. Chua declined to comment.

Chua was appointed to his role at the in September last year, adding to his job as Greater China head of . The appointment at the time was part of a reorganization of the firms investment-banking team in the region amid an effort to drive growth.

Poaching

has become a poaching ground for rivals in recent times, with the lender struggling to contain the fallout of a series

of scandals and flagging performance. Its due to unveil a strategic review this month thats expected to include a large-scale investment-banking retreat.

Its wealth business in Asia has also been rocked by high-level departures recently, the latest being its deputy wealth management head for the region who is leaving after about two decades with the bank.

HSBC, meanwhile, has been adding to its ranks of top dealmakers in Asia. Earlier this year, the UK lender hired Sandeep Pahwa from Barclays Plc for a senior role in South Asia.
India, joining the US, and France, has strongly condemned North Korea's launch which overflew Japan, with New Delhi underlining that these launches affect the peace and security of the region and beyond.

The missile fired on Tuesday was the first from to fly over Japan in five years. The launch mark the 24th time this year that has conducted missile tests.

We have noted with concern the reports of launches by the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said at a UN Security Council meeting on DPRK on Wednesday.

"These follow the launch of the intercontinental by the DPRK in March this year, which was discussed in this Council, as well as other successive launches, she said.

Later, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield delivered a joint statement on behalf of Albania, Brazil, France, India, Ireland, Japan, Norway, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States at the UN Security Council stakeout on North Korea's ballistic missile launches.

The United States, Albania, Brazil, France, India, Ireland, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, strongly condemn the DPRK's long-range ballistic missile launch which overflew Japan on October 4 and its seven other ballistic missile launches conducted since September 25, the joint statement said adding that has now launched over 35 ballistic missiles this year alone.

These launches violate multiple Security Council resolutions and pose a threat to not only the region, but to the entire community, the joint statement said.

North Korea on Tuesday conducted its longest-ever weapons test, a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that flew over Japan and could reach the US Pacific territory of Guam.

Kamboj, in her remarks to the Council, stressed that these launches constitute a violation of the resolutions of the Security Council relating to the DPRK and they affect the peace and security of the region and beyond.

India called for full implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions relating to DPRK and reiterated the importance of addressing the proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies related to DPRK in our region. These linkages have an adverse impact on peace and security in the region, including on India.

Kamboj said the Global South has already been disproportionately affected by the prevailing geopolitical situation and related challenges. It is therefore important to continue to make all efforts to maintain peace and stability.

Ensuring peace and security in the Korean Peninsula is in our collective interest. Going forward, we will continue to support dialogue and diplomacy as the means to resolve the issues in the Korean Peninsula," she said. Kamboj reiterated New Delhi's continued support for denuclearisation towards peace and security in the Korean peninsula.

In the joint statement, the 11 countries said that North Korea had made its intentions clear in April and September when its leader signaled an effort to accelerate the DPRK's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and even alluded to pre-emptive use of nuclear forces.

We are witnessing the DPRK's pursuit of this objective, it said.

We call on all UN member states, especially Council members, to join us in condemning this reckless behavior and in urging the DPRK to abandon in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner its unlawful weapons programmes and engage in diplomacy toward denuclearisation, the joint statement said, recalling the Council's decision referring to further significant measures.

The US Ambassador said Washington, and those who have joined her at the podium for the joint statement remain committed to diplomacy and continue to call on the DPRK to return to dialogue.

But we will not stay silent as the DPRK works to undermine the global nonproliferation regime and threaten the community, she said. The joint statement called on the member states to fully implement the relevant Security Council resolutions.

Noting that following North Korea's provocations and escalatory behaviour in 2017, the Council came together and unanimously took action to hold the DPRK accountable for its unlawful actions, the joint statement said that now again the DPRK is testing the Council's resolve and we must act accordingly. The Council will continue to engage over the course of the next week to find a unified voice and way forward.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had strongly condemned the launch of the ballistic missile, calling it a reckless act and a violation of Security Council resolutions.

Guterres said it is also of serious concern that North Korea has again disregarded any consideration for flight or maritime safety. The Secretary-General urged North Korea to resume dialogue with the key parties concerned with a view to achieving sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

(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 leaders of and held talks in Wednesday, two days before both participate in an summit to discuss Europe's crisis derived from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez hosted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the northwestern city of A Corua. The two centre-left leaders were accompanied by 15 ministers from their governments.

The EU summit in Prague on Friday will likely include discussions on Germany's plan to subsidise gas prices for its consumers and businesses, a move that has raised questions from France and Italy.

Snchez said that he empathises with due to its pressing need to find alternatives to Russian gas and oil, while adding that the EU should find common solutions. Both Snchez and Scholz support reforming the EU's 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 empathise with the situation that is in, Snchez said. (And) Germany is Europe's leading economy, so it is in all our interests that Germany does well.

Scholz, meanwhile, reiterated his support for Spain's 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 Germany's suggested European anti-missile defence 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 and the war in Ukraine.

(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.)
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 Pyongyang's 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 sanctions. Many experts say Kim's goal is to eventually win US recognition as a legitimate nuclear state and the lifting of those sanctions, though the community has shown no sign of allowing that to happen.

The latest 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 Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada, who confirmed that the missiles didn't reach Japan's 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 modelled 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 defences.

South Korea's military said it has boosted its surveillance posture and maintains readiness in close coordination with the United States. The US Indo Pacific Command said the launches didn't pose an immediate threat to United States or its allies, but still highlighted the "destabilising impact" of North Korea's nuclear and programs.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was expected to hold a telephone call with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol over the North Korean threat later Thursday, said the North's continued launches were "absolutely intolerable".

Yoon's office said his National Security Director Kim Sung-han discussed the launch at an emergency security meeting where members discussed plans to prepare for further North Korean hostilities, including military provocations.

The launches were North Korea's sixth round of weapons tests in less than two weeks, adding to a record number of missile launches this year that has prompted condemnation from the United States and other countries.

South Korean officials the North may up the ante soon by testing an intercontinental or conducting its first nuclear test explosion since 2017 and seventh overall, escalating an old pattern of heightening tensions before trying to wrest outside concessions.

On Tuesday, staged its most provocative weapons demonstration since 2017, firing an intermediate-range missile over Japan, forcing the Japanese government to issue evacuation alerts and halt trains.

Experts said the weapon was likely a Hwasong-12 missile capable of reaching the US Pacific territory of Guam and beyond.

Other weapons tested earlier included Iskander-like missiles and other ballistic weapons designed to strike key targets in South Korea, including US military bases there.

Thursday's launches came as the US 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 North's 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. considers such US-led drills near the peninsula as an invasion rehearsal and views training involving a US carrier more provocative.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that 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 ministry said it strongly condemns US-led efforts at the UN Security Council to tighten sanctions on the North over its recent missile testing, which it described as a "just counteraction" to joint US-South Korean drills.

After the North's intermediate-range missile launch, the United States and South Korea also carried out 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 the ground at an air force base in the eastern coastal city of Gangneung. South Korea's military said no one was hurt and civilian facilities weren't affected.

After Tuesday's North Korean launch, the United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. But the session Wednesday ended with no consensus, underscoring a divide among the council's permanent members that has deepened over Russia's war on Ukraine.

Russia and China during the meeting insisted to fellow Security Council members that US-led military exercises in the region had provoked North Korea into acting.

The United States and its allies expressed concern that the the council's inability to reach consensus on North Korea's record number of missile launches this year was emboldening North Korea and undermining the authority of the United Nations' most powerful body.

North Korea has fired nearly 40 ballistic missiles over more than 20 different launch events this year, using the stalled diplomacy with the United States and Russia's war on Ukraine as a window to speed up arms development.

(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.)
Electronics is not considering a cut in production of its memory chips despite slowing demand amid concerns over a global economic recession, a senior company executive has said.

"There is no internal discussion (about a cut in memory chip production) at the moment," Han Jin-man, executive vice president and head of the memory global sales and marketing at Electronics, said at the annual Tech Day in San Jose, California on Wednesday.

"Samsung's basic position on this matter is that there should not be artificial production cuts," he said, while stressing that Samsung "is trying to make sure there is neither a chronic shortage nor oversupply of chips in the market."

His comments came as US chipmaker Micron Technology said it would cut capital spending by up to 30 percent and chip equipment spending up to 50 percent to slow supply growth in fiscal year 2023, reports Yonhap news agency.

It is "prudent" to "bring our supply in line with demand" in the current "unprecedented" environment that has impacted demand and caused "the unprecedented level of inventory adjustments by our customers," Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said during the company's earnings call late last month.

Micron is the world's third-largest DRAM maker with a 24.8 per cent market share, trailing behind industry leader Samsung with 42.7 per cent and runner-up SK hynix Inc. with 27.1 per cent, according to global market researcher Omdia.

Samsung shared its memory chip development plans, stating that DRAM with a gate width of 12 nanometers will go into mass production in 2023. Its most recent, eighth-generation vertical NAND flash will go into mass production this year, while the ninth-generation vertical NAND will come out in two years.

The world's largest memory chip maker also unveiled a vision to become a total chip solutions provider by "maximizing the synergy between" its wide range of products, around 900 in total, that include System-on-a-Chips (SoCs), image sensors, modems, display driver integrated circuits (ICs) and power management ICs.

"In an age that requires machines to learn and think as people do, the importance of logic chips, which play the roles of the brain, heart, nervous system and eyes, is growing to unprecedented levels," Park Yong-in, president and head of Samsung's System LSI Business, said.

"Samsung will converge and combine its technology embedded in various products like SoCs, sensors, DDIs and modems, in order to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution as a total solutions provider."

Samsung said it will focus more on developing technologies for better performing neural processing units and graphics processing units going forward, which are key to the development of artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things and quantum computing.

On the memory chip front, Samsung said it will strengthen collaborations with partners, partly to advance in intelligent mobility solutions.

--IANS

na/

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Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General discussed matters related to India, China, Afghanistan in his meetings with top US administration officials on his recent visit to Washington, sources told Geo News on Thursday.

The army chief left for after concluding his week-long visit to America, where he held meetings with top US officials.

Sources said that General Bajwa told the US officials that seeks an early resolution of the Kashmir issue, Geo News reported.

He also called for improvement in bilateral relations, trade and investment between Pakistan and the US.

"Pakistan has been a long-standing partner of the US," the sources quoted the army chief.

Meanwhile, General Bajwa was accorded an honour cordon by US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon.

In a meeting with the COAS, Secretary Austin said that the "long-standing partnership" between the two countries continues, The News reported.

"This long-standing partnership continues today with discussions focused on opportunities to address key mutual defence interests," the US defence department said in its press statement after General Bajwa's meeting with Secretary Austin.

"This year marks the 75th anniversary of relations between the US and Pakistan. It was my pleasure to host Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General to the Pentagon," Austin said in a statement on Twitter later.

He said the two leaders discussed long-standing defence partnership and areas of mutual interest between Pakistan and the US.

General Bajwa was heading the delegation, diplomatic sources said, terming the visit an important one that portrayed "robust relations" between the two countries.

During the visit, the army chief met the US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman during which "matters of mutual interest, regional security situation and bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed," according to the ISPR.

--IANS

san/dpb

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Technologies Inc.s former chief was convicted of concealing a massive in a case that prosecutors tied to the companys troubled past under its original leadership.



Joe Sullivan was found guilty in San Francisco federal court Wednesday by a jury which rejected his claim that other executives at the ride-hailing giant were aware of the 2016 hack and were responsible for it not being disclosed to regulators for more than a year.

The trial featured almost four weeks of testimony that explored management as well as a shakeup at in 2017 when a series of scandals drove co-founder out as chief executive officer.

Sullivan was convicted of both charges against him, obstructing a government investigation and concealing the theft of personal data of 50 million customers and 7 million drivers.

Sullivan, a former federal prosecutor who previously headed for Facebook, is well-known for his expertise in the field in Silicon Valley. He faces as long as eight years in prison, though his sentence will likely be far less.

While we obviously disagree with the jurys verdict, we appreciate their dedication and effort in this case. Mr. Sullivans sole focus -- in this incident and throughout his distinguished career -- has been ensuring the safety of peoples personal data on the internet, said David Angeli, a lawyer for Sullivan. We will evaluate next steps in the coming days.





are required under state and federal laws to promptly disclose data breaches. Ubers mishandling of the 2016 attack on its servers resulted in the company paying $148 million in a settlement with all 50 states, which at the time was the biggest data-breach payout in US history. had previously been reprimanded by the Federal Trade Commission over a similar from 2014.

Sullivan affirmatively worked to hide the from the Federal Trade Commission and took steps to prevent the hackers from being caught, Stephanie Hinds, US attorney for San Francisco, said in an emailed statement. We will not tolerate concealment of important information from the public by corporate executives more interested in protecting their reputation and that of their employers than in protecting users.

Sullivan was accused of quietly arranging for Uber to pay the hackers $100,000 in Bitcoin to delete the stolen data under the guise of a program used to reward security researchers for identifying vulnerabilities, known as a bug bounty. In return, the two hackers agreed not to disclose that they had stolen the data. The hackers later pleaded guilty for their role in the incident.

The October 2016 hack stayed secret until the following November when it was disclosed by the new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, about three months into his tenure. At the same time, he fired Sullivan.

Khosrowshahi testified that after discovering inconsistencies in Sullivans account of what happened, he decided it was time to replace his security chief. I couldnt trust his judgment anymore, he said.

Sullivans defense was that Ubers legal department and other managers were aware of the incident before it blew up publicly.

Angeli challenged the notion of a coverup by pointing to Sullivans sharing of information with numerous employees, before Khosrowshahi arrived at the company. Jurors were shown a 1:24 a.m. text that Sullivan sent to Kalanick describing the breach less than 12 hours after it happened.

Remember, Mr. Kalanick is the top person at Uber, Angeli said at closing arguments. Mr. Sullivan could not have reported this to someone higher up at the company.

Prosecutors argued that Sullivan, who joined Uber in 2015, was well aware of the requirements to disclose the breach, especially after the companys dealings with the FTC over the 2014 hack.

Sullivan, who was supposed to have improved security after the earlier breach, didnt want the details of the new hack to get out because it would have hurt his reputation, prosecutor Ben Kingsley told jurors.

Rather than disclose it, Sullivan prioritized his reputation, and the companys reputation, over his obligations, he said.

Sullivan didnt testify, nor did Kalanick.

The case is U.S. v. Sullivan, 20-cr-00337, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).
Britain's Indian-origin Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has cast doubts over a proposed (FTA) with India over the issue of migration and branded Indians as the largest group of people who overstay their visas in the UK.

Expressing concerns over what she feared would be an open borders migration policy in an interview with The Spectator' on Thursday, the senior minister seemed to indicate that she would not offer Cabinet backing to a trade deal that offers India greater visa concessions.

It would pitch her in a possible clash with British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who wants an FTA with India now in the final round of negotiations within the Diwali deadline set by her predecessor Boris Johnson.

I have concerns about having an open borders migration policy with India because I don't think that's what people voted for with Brexit, Braverman told the British weekly news magazine.

Asked about visa flexibility for students and entrepreneurs under an India-UK FTA, she said: But I do have some reservations. Look at migration in this country the largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants.

We even reached an agreement with the Indian government last year to encourage and facilitate better cooperation in this regard. It has not necessarily worked very well, the 42-year-old minister said.

Braverman was referencing the Migration and Mobility Partnership (MMP) clinched between her predecessor in the Home Office, Indian-origin former Home Secretary Priti Patel, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in May last year.

This landmark agreement with our close partners in the government of India will provide new opportunities to thousands of young people in the UK and India seeking to live, work and experience each other's cultures. This agreement will also ensure that the British government can remove those with no right to be in the UK more easily and crack down on those abusing our system, Patel said of the MMP at the time.

But Braverman's contention that the pact has not worked very well is seen as a clear indication that she is unlikely to back her boss, Liz Truss, on any further visa offers that are expected to be a part of a wider FTA.

It comes in the wake of her comments at the Conservative Party annual conference earlier this week, where she targeted low skilled migrants and the growing numbers of student visas being issued.

We should be looking more at students. We've had a massive increase in the number of students coming into this country. I do think we do get to a point where we have to look at some of the courses that people are doing in this country, some of the institutions, they are not always very good quality, said Braverman.

I think it's legitimate to question whether that is going to serve our economic objectives, and taking a more discerning, smart approach to the number of student visas I think is highly consistent with our agenda for growth, she noted.

Her intervention comes at a time when India has overtaken China as the country with the highest number of student visas issued to study at higher education institutions in the UK. According to the latest Home Office data, around 118,000 Indian students received a UK student visa in the year ending June 2022 an 89 per cent increase from the previous year.

Indians have also consistently topped the charts of high skilled migrants issued visas to live and work in the UK.

Under a new FTA, it has been widely expected that India would be seeking to bolster that trend for its students and professionals as part of an enhanced two-way exchange across different sectors.

Braverman was named as the Home Secretary by Prime Minister Liz Truss on September 6.

The mother of two children is the daughter of Hindu Tamil mother Uma and Goan-origin father Christie Fernandes. Her mother migrated to the UK from Mauritius while her father migrated from Kenya in the 1960s.

(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.)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he held a phone conversation with Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration.

Zelensky on Wednesday added that he coordinated further steps with Stoltenberg on Ukraine's path toward integration with NATO, Xinhua news agency reported.

Separately, Secretary-General tweeted that will sustain and step up support for for "as long as it takes".

On September 30, the Ukrainian President said that would apply for membership in NATO under an accelerated procedure.

--IANS

int/khz/

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Shares of climbed 9 per cent to hit a record high of Rs 453.65 in Thursdays intra-day trade, on the back of heavy volumes and hopes of strong order inflow in the coming quarters. The stock surpassed its previous high of Rs 448.25, which it had touched on January 20, 2022.

At 12:20 PM; quoted 8 per cent higher at Rs 448.15 per share, over two-fold jumped in average trading volumes. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 0.66 per cent at 58,449 points. A combined 5.41 million shares changed hands on the NSE and BSE so far.

Praj is engaged in the business of process and project engineering. The company caters to both domestic and international . Further, the company also provides design and engineering services.

The company remains optimistic of the ethanol industry beyond E20 target. Several policy measures under discussion like flex fuel vehicles, stationary diesel engine conversion to ethanol, diesel blending program, export of ethanol under certain circumstances, are all likely to drive the demand of ethanol further. These auger well for sustained demand for ethanol beyond the calendar year 2025 (CY25), said the company.

That apart, they also believe that the commissioning of first 2nd generation ethanol plant will reinforce confidence among potential developers from both domestic as well as global level.

"The ecosystem development is still underway for the Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) business in India. Commissioning of initial commercial scale CBG projects in immediate future will demonstrate end to end functioning of the value chain. This will help in creation of meaningful CBG capacity as envisaged in the SATAT Policy," said the management.

Analysts believe that the company sounded positive about the strong order inflows in the coming quarters, given government's target to achieve 20 per cent ethanol blending by 2025 (EBP-20).

"2G ethanol, in managements view, is significant in context of carbon reduction and there is a lot of interest not only in India but also from overseas market particularly from Europe. They further indicated that Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) is at the beginning stage and there is interest from both the government and private sector, particularly after indexing its prices with CNG," analysts at Kotak Institutional Securities said.

Besides, analysts also believe that the company's technological capabilities in bioenergy segment and future technology will reduce carbon footprint.

"There are significant opportunities in 1G, 2G, CBG (Compressed Bio-gas), SAF (sustainable aviation fuel), etc. In our view, Praj can command premium over its historical valuation based on the strong market position in the space, which is well supported by positive outlook on order book and robust business prospects in the long term, the brokerage firm added.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Thursday cancelled the recognition certificate granted to Brickwork Ratings India, one of the seven registered agencies (CRAs) in the country, for repeated lapses and irregularities in discharging its duties.

The directed Brickwork to wind down its operations within six months and intimate its clients about the same. During this period, Brickwork cannot onboard any new clients or take fresh mandates.

Officials of ratings agencies said the cancellation of Brickworks licence could have ramifications for the banking industry.

The instruments rated by Brickwork will have to be rated by other ratings agencies. There is a risk that many of them will get downgraded. If that happens, banks would be required to set aside more capital, as their risk-based provisioning could go up, an industry official said, adding that the might have to make special arrangements for banks rated by Brickwork.

said Brickwork, which counts Canara Bank as its promoter, had failed to take corrective measures despite penal actions in the past. The noticee (Brickwork) failed to exercise proper skill, care and diligence while discharging its duties as a agency, which has defeated the very purpose of regulations i.e. investor protection and orderly development of the securities markets, Ashwani Bhatia, whole-time member, Sebi, said in an order.

Repeated lapses, noticed across multiple inspections conducted by Sebi, show that governance changes recommended in earlier inspections and monetary penalties imposed have not proved effective or deterred the noticee in addressing the very basic requirements of running a CRA. Strict regulatory actionis required at this juncture to address the issue and protect the market ecosystem, Bhatia added.

BRICKWORK AT A GLANCE Obtained CRA licence in 2008

Was among 7 registered with Sebi

Canara Bank holds 10% stake; Founder & MD Vivek Kulkarni and family hold over 60%

Has conducted more than 9,000 credit ratings

Rated over 100 issuers

Experts said the unprecedented action against the ratings agency was expected to send a strong signal to the market, improve the ratings standards and deter the practice of rating shopping.

are considered as the gatekeepers of the financial and customers rely on these ratings while making investment decisions.

carried out a series of inspections against Brickwork, which obtained its licence as a CRA in 2008, starting April 2014, which led to multiple adjudication proceedings against the firm.

In January 2020, Sebi and the undertook a joint inspection of Brickwork, where the two regulators found several irregularities. Following this, Sebi issued an administrative warning and directed it to rectify the discrepancies and take corrective measures.

An enquiry report submitted in April 2021 had several adverse observations against Brickwork, following which it was recommended that its licence should be cancelled. Some of these observations included failure to follow a proper rating process, failure to exercise due diligence while providing ratings, failure to make correct disclosures in its press releases, and failure to address the issue of conflict of interest arising due to a rating committee member.

In July 2021, Sebi was served a notice by the High Court (HC), where Brickwork had challenged the recommendation of cancellation of its licence. Thereafter, Sebi moved a special leave petition before the Supreme Court (SC), challenging the HC order. Last month, the SC allowed Sebi to conclude the proceedings for Brickwork licence cancellation.

In the past, the market regulator imposed penalties on the rating agency for several lapses such as a delay in recognition of default of debentures issued by Bhushan Steel and failure to downgrade the rating for the debentures issued by Gayatri Projects.
To curb the misuse of Power of Attorney (PoA) given by clients to stock brokers, on Thursday widened the scope of the Demat Debit and Pledge Instruction (DDPI) for pledging and repledging of securities for margin purposes.

Mutual fund transactions executed on stock exchange order entry platforms and tendering of shares in open offers through stock exchange platforms will also be covered under the DDPI, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said in a circular.

The DDPI serves the same purpose of PoA and significantly mitigate the misuse of PoA.

The guidelines, which will be effective from November 18, also comes against the backdrop of instances of misuse of PoAs.

"In view of the representations by and consultations with broker associations and depositories, it has been decided to widen the scope of DDPI to include mutual fund transactions being executed on stock exchange order entry platforms and tendering shares in open offers through stock exchange platforms," said.

In July, had extended the deadline by two months to September 1 for implementation of the guidelines related to pledging and repledging of stocks for margin purposes. With the implementation of the guidelines, the Demat Debit and Pledge Instruction (DDPI) replaced the PoA document.

With the DDPI, clients can explicitly agree to authorise the stock broker and depository participant to access their beneficial owners' account for the limited purpose of meeting pay-in obligations for the settlement of trades executed by them.

The use of DDPI is limited only to two purposes. One is for the transfer of securities held in the beneficial owner account of the client towards stock exchange-related deliveries or settlement obligations arising out of trades executed by such a client.

The second purpose is for pledging or re-pledging securities in favour of the trading member or clearing member for the purpose of meeting the margin requirements of the client.

A client can use the DDPI or opt to complete the settlement by issuing a physical Delivery Instruction Slip (DIS) or electronic Delivery Instruction Slip (EDIS) themselves.

However, the existing PoAs will continue to remain valid till the time client revokes the same. Thus, the stockbroker and depository participant will not directly or indirectly compel the clients to execute the DDPI or deny services to the client if the client refuses to execute the DDPI. It should be adequately stamped and can be digitally signed by the clients.

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The fire fighters found one charred body of a male on the second floor of a building in Delhi's Gandhi Nagar cloth market where a major fire had erupted.

"The fire was declared of a medium category. A total of 28 fire tenders are engaged. Fire is now under control and confined to the top floors," said Deputy Chief Fire Officer SK Dua.

Fire Service received information on a fire that broke out in Gandhi Nagar market at 5:36 pm on Wednesday.

After getting information, fire tenders rushed to the spot. The shop is located in a narrow alley.

According to Fire Department, there were 30 fire tenders on the spot to put the fire under control.

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JSW Energy rallied 3.36% to Rs 303 after the company said that its wholly-owned subsidiary, JSW Neo Energy, has entered into a MoU with the Government of Maharashtra for setting up a 960 MW capacity hydro pumped storage project.

JSW Neo Energy, subsidiary of JSW Energy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra Government for setting up a 960 megawatt (MW) capacity hydro pumped storage project (PSP) viz. Pane (Raigarh) pump storage project in the state of Maharashtra.

With rapid addition of renewable energy capacity in the country, development of energy storage solutions such as hydro PSP become essential to solve intermittent power supply from renewables. Hydro pump storage is a well-established technology that provides adequate peaking power reserves, reliable grid operation, and energy balancing and storage capacity, the company said.

JSW Energy through its green growth vehicle JSW Neo Energy has been expeditiously securing key resources for Hydro PSPs in various resource rich states for projects with a targeted capacity totalling upto 10 GW. With the signing of the aforesaid MoU, the company has secured resources for approximately 6 gigawatt (GW) hydro PSPs with the Governments of various states (Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Rajasthan), the company stated in the press release.

JSW Energy said that its platform capacity stands at approximately 9.1GW (share of renewables at 65%) including 1.75 GW renewable assets under acquisition from Mytrah and about 2.5 GW of under-construction/in-pipeline wind and hydro projects which are likely to be commissioned in phases over the next 12-24 months. Further, the company is well ahead of timelines in achieving its near-term capacity target of 10GW by FY25, it added.

Prashant Jain, joint managing director and CEO of JSW Energy, said, We are excited to actively participate in the strong prospects of Hydro PSPs in sustainably solving the problem of intermittency of renewable power. In continuation to our target to achieve 10GW of Hydro PSP capacity we are pleased to have signed second MoU with Government of Maharashtra. Our proven excellence in safely building hydro plants and operating the largest hydro portfolio in the private sector has uniquely enabled us to develop Hydro PSPs in the country.

The company said that it has set an ambitious target for a 50% reduction in its carbon footprint by 2030 and achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050 by transitioning towards renewable energy. The company has set a target to reach 20 GW capacity by 2030, with the share of renewable energy increasing to approximately 85%. Around 2.5 GW of renewable energy projects are currently under-construction/in-pipeline, Wind projects of 1.26 GW tied with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), are expected to be fully commissioned in the next 12-18 months.

Further, the company has received LoA for 300 MW project from SECI under its tranche XII auctions and with the acquisition of Mytrah Energy's 1.75 GW RE assets, total platform capacity will increase to 9.1 GW.

JSW Neo Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of JSW Energy, is a vehicle formed as a part of re-organisation of business to own all the renewable/green and new energy businesses. The company is evaluating opportunities to foray into emerging energy businesses of hydro pumped storage, battery energy storage, green hydrogen, and becoming an energy products & services company.

JSW Energy is one of the leading private sector power producers in India and part of the $22 billion JSW Group. JSW Energy has presence across the value chains of the power sector with diversified assets in power generation, and transmission.

JSW Energy's consolidated net profit surged 178.7% to Rs 560.43 crore in Q1 FY23, as against Rs 201.10 crore in Q1 FY22. Net sales climbed 75.2% YoY to Rs 3,026.27 crore in Q1 FY23.

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Mahindra Lifespace Developers advanced 1.24% to Rs 478.40 after the company said that it has entered into an agreement with Actis to establish a joint venture platform for developing industrial and logistics real estate facilities across India.

Under the joint venture platform, the companies will acquire upto 100 acre of land with ready infrastructure in the two Mahindra World Cities, offering a built-up potential of over two million square feet, subject to requisite approvals.

The joint venture will also simultaneously acquire and develop other greenfield and brownfield sites in key markets across India, aiming to become a leading real estate solutions provider to global and local corporations. The total investment in the business over the initial years, including debt, is estimated to be Rs 2,200 crore.

Actis will own a majority stake, and Mahindra Lifespaces will have a significant minority. Industrial and warehousing have emerged as a high-growth real estate asset class buoyed by rising consumer demand and accelerating manufacturing investment, said the company.

Arvind Subramanian, managing director & CEO of Mahindra Lifespaces, said, With our experience in building and operating thriving integrated cities and industrial parks and our ready-to-market plug-and-play infrastructure in Mahindra World Cities in Chennai and Jaipur, we are well-positioned to cater to this demand. We look forward to combining the expertise of both partners in infrastructure development and asset management and contributing to the vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.

Ashish Singh, partner and head of India and SE Asia Real Estate at Actis, said, Actis sees enormous growth potential in the sector as India grows to become the third largest consumption economy globally by the turn of this decade. The demand for industrial real estate is on the rise as India benefits from a renewal of domestic capital investment cycle, realignment of global supply chains in many sectors and as the Government's PLI schemes catalyse more and more investment in manufacturing locally.

Yet, there is need for more dependable real estate solution providers and institutional owners in this sector. Actis is excited to partner with Mahindra Lifespaces to invest in the development of modern and sustainable warehousing and industrial space in India which will improve logistics efficiency and support industrial growth, both key focus areas for the Government.

Mahindra Lifespace Developers (MLDL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra is one of the leading real estate development companies in India. The company is engaged in the development of residential projects and large formats developments such as integrated cities and industrial clusters.

The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 75.41 crore as against a net loss of Rs 13.87 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q1 FY22. Net sales declined 36.2% YoY to Rs 94.55 crore in Q1 FY23.

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Pfizer Ltd is quoting at Rs 4459.75, up 1.21% on the day as on 12:44 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 20.04% in last one year as compared to a 2.24% fall in NIFTY and a 9.28% fall in the Nifty Metal.

Pfizer Ltd is up for a fifth straight session in a row. The stock is quoting at Rs 4459.75, up 1.21% on the day as on 12:44 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.68% on the day, quoting at 17391.75. The Sensex is at 58450.33, up 0.66%. Pfizer Ltd has added around 2.74% in last one month.

Meanwhile, Nifty Metal index of which Pfizer Ltd is a constituent, has added around 4.05% in last one month and is currently quoting at 13233.45, down 0.17% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 32793 shares today, compared to the daily average of 27076 shares in last one month.

The PE of the stock is 40.35 based on TTM earnings ending June 22.

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Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (Ujjivan SFB) rallied 4.09% to Rs 24.15 after the bank's gross loan book jumped 44% to Rs 20,938 crore as on 30 September 2022 as against Rs 14,514 crore recorded on 30 September 2021.

On quarter on quarter (QoQ) basis, the gross loan book rose by 8% as compared with Rs 19,409 crore posted on 30 June 2022.

The bank said that the advances grew on the back of sustained growth in disbursement, which improved to Rs 4,867 crore as on 30 September 2022, up 56% YoY and up 12% QoQ.

Total Deposits aggregated to Rs 20,389 crore as on 30 September 2022, up 45% YoY and up 11% QoQ. The growth in total deposits was mainly driven by strong momentum in retail deposits.

CASA ratio stood at 26.9% as on 30 September 2022 as against 22.5% as on 30 September 2021 and 27.9% as on 30 June 2022. CASA deposits increased to Rs 5,492 crore as on 30 September 2022, rising 73% YoY and up 7% QoQ.

Collection efficiency was at 100% for the month of September 2022, with restructured and NPA book showing healthy collections. The bank continues to focus on stressed buckets and reducing incremental overdues.

GNPA (including IBPC/Securitisation) for September 2022 stood at 4.4%, for August 2022 was 5.4% and for July 2022 was 5.6%.

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank serves 66 lakh customers through 575 branches and 16,664 employees spread across 248 districts and 24 states and union territories in India.

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank reported net profit of Rs 202.94 crore in Q1 FY23 as against net loss of Rs 233.48 crore in Q1 FY22. Total income rose 40% to Rs 1,000 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q1 FY22.

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It is said that one can fool some of the people all the time; and all the people some of the time; but not all the people all the time. This adage has been proven correct on the Line of Actual Control (LAC)  the de facto boundary between India and China  where New Delhi has refused to acknowledge Chinas military land-grab in April 2020 in at least seven spots in Eastern Ladakh. Notwithstanding the governments insistence that all is well on the LAC, a highly credible section of local Ladakhis  the nomadic yak graziers who live along the borders  have publicly lamented that Chinese troops and border guards are denying them access to their traditional borderland pastures. Even worse, they are without support from the Indian government: The army and the Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP), which polices the border, are doing nothing to safeguard Ladakhi graziers while they take their animals to their traditional pasturelands.
The "huge" crowd at Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Dussehra rally in Mumbai showed who leads the real Shiv Sena, Deputy Chief Minister said here on Thursday.

He also dubbed the other rally held by president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday as "Shimga", a pejorative term used to describe abusive rhetoric. He himself did not listen to the speeches of both Thackeray and Shinde when they were underway, the BJP leader said. He was busy with the Dhammachara Pravartan Din celebration in Nagpur but got the gist of the two speeches and listened to Shinde's speech on YouTube later, Fadnavis said. "I will not give any reaction on Uddhav Thackeray's speech. No need to give reaction on 'Shimga', he told reporters.

The Shimga celebration in parts of Maharashtra ahead of the Holi festival involves lighting of bonfires, but revellers using cuss words or obscene language in a light-hearted way was also customary during the festival once.

"There was nothing in the speech except Shimga," Fadnavis said. "There was a huge gathering at the BKC ground whose capacity is the double of that of Shivaji Park (where Thackeray spoke), and the BKC ground was filled to the brim... Shiv Sainiks proved that Shinde's Sena is the real and that is why I would like to congratulate him," the BJP leader further said. On opposition's jibe that Shinde, who rebelled against Thackeray's leadership in June this year and broke away to form a new government, read out the BJP's 'script' at the rally, Fadnavis said those who say this should find a new writer.

"How many times you will say the same thing? Ask your writer to use creativity or get a new writer," he said.

Fadnavis, a former chief minister, parried a question about Thackeray's assertion that he was ready to swear on his parents that the BJP had promised the CM's post to the for half the term before the 2019 elections.

He had already given his reaction, Fadnavis said.

The reason for the split in the Shiv Sena was that Thackeray put Shiv Sena's ideology aside and accepted the NCP and Congress's ideology and sat beside people 'who had connections with the Mumbai blasts and those who abuse freedom fighter V D Savarkar', he said. "I should congratulate Shinde as he talked about development. He talked about what we are doing and he talked about what we are planning to do. This was missing when Uddhav Thackeray was CM. He always spoke like a party chief," Fadnavis 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.)
Deputy Chief Minister hailed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's rally and exuded confidence for the upcoming Assembly elections.

"Will congratulate the Chief Minister, yesterday he showed who is the real Shiv Sena, yesterday there were twice the number of people in BKC than Shivaji Park," said Fadnavis.

He also highlighted "saffron" and "real Shiv Sena's" victory.

"There will be saffron on the assembly but that saffron will be the saffron of the real Shiv Sena i.e. Shinde of Shiv Sena and BJP alliance," he added.

He also alleged former CM Uddhav Thackeray has shielded the Mumbai blast convicts.

"He (Uddhav Thackeray) supported the Mumbai bomb blast convicts, took along those who called Savarkar bad every day, and therefore he is seeing such times," he said.

Earlier on October 5, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during his rally hit back at Uddhav Thackeray for his Katappa remark, saying that even Katappa had self-respect and did not have double standards.

"They call me 'Katappa'. I want to tell you that even 'Katappa' had self-respect and did not have double standards like you," Shinde said.

Recently Uddhav Thackeray said, "The only thing I feel 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 thinking that I will never return from hospital."

Slamming Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said that if Balasaheb Thackeray had been alive, Narayan Rane would have become the CM.

"He (Uddhav Thackeray) didn't feel ashamed of taking the oath of CM. If Balasaheb Thackeray had been alive he would not have become CM, Balasaheb would have made Narayan Rane CM", CM added.

Balasaheb Thackeray's other son Jaidev Thackeray came to show his support and shared the stage with CM Eknath Shinde during the rally at Mumbai's BKC ground on Wednesday.

Extending support to CM Shinde, Jaidev Thackeray said, "Don't leave Eknath Shinde alone. He is working for farmers and commoners".

CM Eknath Shinde and leaders from his faction attended the Shiv Sena Dussehra rally on MMRDA ground.

Shinde paid tribute to Balasaheb Thackeray. 'Shashtr pooja' (worship of arms) was performed for the 51 feet sword for which a Mahant was called from Ayodhya in UP."

Shinde lambasted his former party leader Uddhav Thackeray over the alliance with Congress and called him a traitor. "Balasaheb Thackeray made an alliance with BJP. You did 'gaddari', we are not 'gaddar'. You have committed a sin... go apologise to Balasaheb samadhi at Shivaji Park".

Shinde further lauded his governance and said that while Uddhav Thackeray betrayed the people of Maharashtra and sold the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray, he brought about a revolution. "You point at us for stealing your father but you have sold your father and the packed ground here shows this," 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.)
Congress president DK Shivakumar on Thursday said that the has turned down his plea for exemption from appearance before the agency on October 7 in a money laundering case.

In a fresh message to Shivakumar, the ED has told him to make himself available before the agency on Friday.

"You are once again directed to present yourself before me at my office for recording of your statement on October 7, 2022 as per summons dated September 23, 2022," said an email sent by ED Assistant Director Kuldeep Singh.

Shivakumar, who is presently participating in the Congreess' Bharat Jodo Yatra which is passing through Karnataka, had requested the probe agency to allow him exemption from appearance till October 21.

"I had requested for time to appear before the ED which has been denied.I will take a call on whether to appear before the agency after talking to my leaders, Shivakumar said.

The has summoned Shivakumar for questioning in its ongoing money laundering probe into the operations of the Congress party-owned National Herald newspaper, official.

The 60-year-old former cabinet minister was last questioned by the federal agency on September 19 in the national capital in another money laundering case linked to alleged possession of disproportionate assets.

The latest summons comes at a time when the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' of the Congress party, led by its leader Rahul Gandhi, entered on September 30, and will be in the state for 21 days.

Shivakumar is involved in the conduct of this leg of the yatra.

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The induction of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Prachanda helicopter into the Indian Air Force's role as a light combat helicopter (LCH) is a plus to developing homegrown weapons.

Indian PM Narendra Modi noted the addition of the LCH is a drive to make India less dependent on foreign arms makers, especially in the self-defense department.

India Boosts Arms Development

PM Modi called the addition of the new advanced India attack chopper an outstanding addition to the Indian armed forces, reported Indian Defence News.

PM Modi was involved with the Cabinet Committee on Security that approved the acquisition of 15 of these LCHs for using the air force and army.

Ten of the 15 limited series production helicopters approved are for the IAF and five for the army. Officials have confirmed it can land and take off from a high elevation of 5,000 meters while carrying weapons and fuel, noted The Economic Times.

Singh mentioned that LCH could enhance its capability and increase defense manufacturing, illustrating India's dedication to self-reliance in defense manufacturing. The official stated that the LCH was developed after twenty years of research and development and that the timing was perfect for its introduction at a time when it was most needed.

The addition of the light combat helicopter to the force will aid the Indian Air Force with aerial superiority in combating compatible threats.

HAL's Prachanda helicopter can fight slow-moving planes like the A-10 and the Su-25 Frogfoot, as well as armed and reconnaissance drones, but it is best suited to attacking unprotected MBTs, IFVs, and light tanks, as well as personnel.

Read Also: Volodymyr Zelensky Net Worth 2022: How Wealthy Is the Ukraine President?

But MANPADs can be counteracted by standoff weapons that might be better than the Hellfire Romeo and Longbow. The LCH is a specialized combat helicopter designed and developed in India and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

HAL Chairman and Managing Director CB Ananthakrishnan added that the aerospace company's offering is top-notch innovative technology as the best combat choppers in the world.

To date, it's an attack chopper that is customized to work at 5,000 meters up, take off, and land in the highest ranges compared to the AH-64 Apache or a similar Russian copter.

Indian Light Combat Helicopter

Knowing the competition it would meet, HAL ensured it would smoke adversaries with power to spare with dual Turbomeca Shakti-1H1turboshaft engines (1,384 shp).

Powerful dual powerplants with a top speed of 268 to 330 km/h as the top most speed; a range of 550 km with fully topped-out fuel tanks. Armed with the Mistral 2 air-to-air missiles of French origin, also a safe and effective armament in combat, per Bulgarian Military.

When dealing with opposing personnel or other aircraft, it is a 20 mm M621 cannon mounted on a THL-20 turret. A plethora of laser targeting and tank killer guided missiles can rock vehicles with cluster bombs and dumb bombs too.

Adding the LCH to the Indian Air Force was followed several days after a government committee signed the buying of the HAL's Prachanda helicopter(15 units) as a light combat helicopter.

Related Article: US Army Develops 7-Ton Robotic Combat Vehicle Equipped with Anti-Armor, Anti-Tank Rockets

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The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the national political party launched by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, will soon hold a Dalit conclave in .

This was announced by Rao when prominent Dalit leader and Tamil Nadu MP Thirumavalavan and leaders from other states called on him here on Thursday.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, said that many schemes are being implemented for the development of Dalits in Telangana and it is imperative to implement them all over the country with the same spirit of Telangana.

The Chief Minister said that a Dalit Conclave will be held soon in under the banner of BRS with Dalit brothers from all over the country. On this occasion, Thirumavalavan honoured KCR with a shawl.

Thirumavalavan said that he came to know about the various welfare schemes introduced by the Telangana government for Dalits, and appreciated it for introducing numerous schemes for Dalit empowerment and said that no state is implementing such a huge number of programmes in the country. He commended the state government for implementing the Dalit Bandhu scheme.

Thirumavalavan, President of the VCK, had also attended the meeting of TRS general body on Wednesday, where a resolution was passed to convert the TRS into the BRS.

Farmer association leaders from various states, Rakesh Rafiq, Akshay (Odisha), senior journalist Vineet Narayana (Delhi), Samyukta Kisan Morcha leader Gurnam Singh (Haryana), Maharashtra farmer leader Dasharath Sawant and others also met KCR on Thursday.

--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.)
Since the last 15 days, Gujarat President C.R. Patil while addressing party workers at various places has repeatedly said that this time party candidates will be finalised by Prime Minister and Union Home Minister so they should not come for recommendation.

Contrary to this statement, on Wednesday during his visit to north Gujarat, Patil gave green signal to two candidates.

He told local media, " workers are well aware that party's parliamentary board, and the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister takes final call on party candidates, but Alpesh Thakor is our senior party leader, so he will contest from his Radhanpur constituency and we are confident that he will win, we wish him all the best."

The Gujarat BJP President added that Dilip Thakor, the sitting BJP MLA from Chanasma Assembly constituency, too, will contest and win the seat.

On Monday, Alpesh Thakor while addressing people in his constituency had announced that he will contest upcoming state Assembly elections and had sought support of the Thakor community and people. He also reminded the people that last time, due to lack of support he had lost the by-election in 2019 which should not happen this time.

On the other hand, local Thakor leaders are against the nomination of Thakor from Radhanpur constituency. One such group is led by Lavingji Thakor, who had given the slogan to local voters that "Local will win election, and migrant candidate will be defeated" directly targeting Alpesh Thakor, a turncoat, who switched over side from Congress to the BJP.

--IANS

har/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.)
Lok Sabha member Shrikant Shinde on Thursday objected to chief "dragging" the name of his one-and-a-half year old son during his Dussehra rally speech a day ago, and asked whether targeting a child suited his Hindutva.

Shrikant Shinde is the son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The rebel Sena MP represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat in Thane district.

In an open letter, Shinde said late founder Bal Thackeray seared his political opponents, but never resorted to such "lowly" remarks.

"Do you understand the views shared by you on Hindutva? I just want to ask you one thing whether such dragging a one-and-half-year old son suits your Hindutva? Shinde asked.

On Wednesday, both the factions of the - one led by Thackeray and other by CM Shinde - held their rallies that saw attacks and counter attacks against each other.

During his speech, Thackeray attacked CM Shinde as he referred to his son (Shrikant) as a brat and said his grandson Rudransh has an eye on the corporator's post. Thackeray slammed the chief minister for "betraying" him despite enjoying various positions as he was made a minister and his son an MP.

Berating Thackeray, Shrikant Shinde in a long Facebook post asked how a former chief minister could use such a language against a child.

Meanwhile, taking a dig at Eknath Shinde, Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said while spoke extempore, Shinde was "reading" his speech for one hour and 28 minutes.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar also took a dig at Shinde. "Some speeches were stretched beyond any reason," Pawar said without naming the chief minister.

(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.)
Eknath Shinde faction of is set to meet the on Friday to stake claim for the party's 'bow and arrow' poll symbol ahead of the Andheri East assembly bypoll in Maharashtra.

The move by the Shinde faction of the is seen as a bid to deny the 'bow and arrow' election symbol to the Uddhav Thackeray group which has decided to field Rutuja Latke, widow of MLA Ramesh Latke, for the November 3 bypoll.

"We are meeting the on Friday in connection with the party election symbol," Rahul Shewale, leader of the Shinde faction of in the Lok Sabha, told PTI.

BJP, an ally of Shinde faction, has decided to field Murji Patel, a corporator in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, for the bypoll necessitated due to the death of Ramesh Latke.

Congress and the NCP have decided to support the candidate of the Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, their coalition partner in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

Shinde had raised a banner of revolt against Thackeray for entering into an "unnatural alliance" with the Congress and NCP. Over 40 of the Shiv Sena's 55 MLAs had supported Shinde, leading to the resignation of Thackeray from the post of Maharashtra Chief Minister.

Twelve of the 18 Lok Sabha members of the Shiv Sena also came out in support of Shinde, who later claimed to be the leader of original Shiv Sena.

The Andheri East bypoll is the first after Shinde and the BJP unseated the MVA government in June, and is considered by political analysts as a precursor to settling of claims by Shinde and Thackeray to be the "real Shiv Sena".

(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 on Thursday said the Election Commission's recent proposal to change the model code goes against the spirit of competitive and will be "yet another nail in the coffin of democracy".

The EC has asked all recognised and state political parties to provide authentic information to voters on the financial viability of their poll promises, saying inadequate disclosures have far-reaching ramifications.

The EC has asked parties to submit their views by October 19.

Asked about the development, general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said it was simply not the business of the .

"It goes against the very essence and the spirit of competitive and will be yet another nail in the coffin of democracy in India," he said.

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, Ramesh added.

Several parties have raised their opposition, with the Left parties saying it was not the poll body's job to "regulate" policy pronouncements.

In its letter, the EC said, "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 poll panel said if the parties make adequate disclosures on the financial implications of their promises, the electorate will be able to make informed poll choices.

(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 AAP on Thursday asked Lieutenant Governor why he has not yet ordered a probe into alleged toll tax scam worth Rs 6,000 crore even though Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia sent him a complaint in this connection with documents" two months ago.

Addressing a press conference here, AAP's civic body election in-charge Durgesh Pathak also wondered if Saxena was not able to "muster courage" to order a probe into the alleged scam as some very senior leader of the BJP was involved in it.

There was no immediate reaction from the LG office to the AAP's charge.

It's been about two months since Deputy CM Manish Sisodia sent a letter to the LG, along with documents, asking for a probe into the scam. Leave aside ordering a probe, LG has not even sent an acknowledgment of Sisodia's letter so far, Pathak said.

He said Lieutenant Governor Saxena has ordered several probes against the AAP government in so far since he assumed charge and authorities investigating them are yet to achieve any breakthrough.

LG orders a probe against the AAP government every other day without any proof. But, we welcome it. Investigate as much as you want. We welcome all probes, Pathak said.

But, why is the LG running away from ordering a probe into this toll tax scam worth Rs 6,000 crore? Which BJP leader he is trying to protect. It seems some very senior BJP leader is involved in this scam. That's why, it seems LG is not able to muster courage and order a probe into the scam, he charged.

The AAP leader demanded that the LG order a probe into the alleged toll tax scam.

On August 10, Sisodia had written to Saxena and demanded a CBI probe into the alleged toll tax scam worth Rs 6,000 crore in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

(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 CBI alleged that the total amount of duty saved on import by RMCL was Rs 16.81 crore against which the company was required to fulfil export obligations to the tune of Rs 135 crore

The has booked a joint director general of foreign trade for allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs 1 crore from a businessman in 2018 in a fraud case of Rs 118 crore, officials said Thursday.

Following the registration of the FIR against Joint Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Sambhaji A Chavan and Deputy Prakash S Kamble, 2008 and 2013-batch Indian Trade Service officers respectively, and businessman Ramesh Manohar Chavan, among others, the conducted searches at nine locations in Delhi, Daman, Mumbai and Pune, they said.

"It is alleged that eight Export Promotion Credit Guarantee (EPCG) licenses were issued in the name Radha Madhav Corporation Ltd (RMCL) by Directorate General for Foreign Trade for import of 'capital machinery' and as per the scheme, RMCL had the obligation to export eight times the value of duty saved on the goods imported," the FIR alleged.

The Central Bureau of Investigation alleged that the total amount of duty saved on import by RMCL was Rs 16.81 crore against which the company was required to fulfil export obligations to the tune of Rs 135 crore.

"However, RMCL was found to have exported goods only worth Rs 17 crore, which was Rs 118 crore short of the obligation. The said obligation was overlooked at first but later when the matter was highlighted during CAG in the year 2017, only then further action was initiated by DGFT," the FIR alleged.

The company allegedly filed bogus shipping bills of a different company with "totally unrelated" export items with the to make them appear as "documents in support of the export obligations", the officials said.

Sambhaji Chavan and Kamble allegedly conspired with Ramesh Chavan and his chartered accountant to "overlook the requirements" pertaining to third-party exports and other requirements, they said.

"It is also alleged that bribe in cash for the above said illegal act was demanded and accepted by the public servant, Sambhaji Chavan, from the consultant, Ramesh Chavan, as disclosed before the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials himself by Ramesh Chavan," the FIR alleged.

The agency has taken action against the officers after taking sanction from the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, they 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.)
Inc. won a 728 million-euro ($715 million) reduction to the record 1.1 billion penalty it was hit with in 2020 for anti-competitive agreements with two favored distributors.



The Paris court of appeals reduced Apples total fine on Thursday to about 371.6 million after judges decided to trim the duration of one of the infringements and lower the increases applied to the penalty that took into account the firms economic power.

The 90% multiple is disproportionate, the court said in its ruling. A 50% multiple is sufficient to guarantee that the penalties are repressive and dissuasive.

Frances competition arm has kept a close eye on Silicon Valley firm in recent years. Last year, Google was fined 500 million for failing to follow an order to thrash out fair deals with news publishers. The California tech giant then settled on the substance of that case to avoid further fines but had previously received hefty penalties in separate cases. Meta similarly clinched an agreement earlier this year to steer clear of fines after making pledges concerning the online advertising market.

More broadly, regulators across Europe have been battling to rein in the dominance of Big Tech through a combination of fines and regulatory actions. The firms have shown they are willing to appeal the decisions, drawing out costly investigations for years.

said it plans to file another appeal at Frances top court to bring the penalty down to zero. We believe it should be overturned in full, it said in a statement.

The French antitrust agency, Autorite de la concurrence, said its considering lodging its own appeal.

We would like to reaffirm our desire to guarantee the dissuasive nature of our penalties, especially when it concerns market players of the caliber of Silicon Valley firms, said Virginie Guin, an official at the Autorite.

At a hearing last year in the appellate case, accused French regulators of bending antitrust rules for political objectives when they doled out the record-breaking fine as part of a campaign to crack down on tech giant dominance

When it dished out the fine in 2020, the French agency said Apple conspired with two wholesalers -- Tech Data and Ingram Micro -- in a move that thwarted wholesale competition for non-iPhone products such as Apple Mac computers. The duo were also slapped with fines of 76.1 million and 63 million.

Tech Datas fine was reduced to about 25 million and Ingram Micros penalty was cut to 19.5 million. Representatives for the two firms didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.
If the preliminary discussions in government lead to a planned new law, giants may risk penalty for violating the proposed behavioural norms, reported Livemint. These norms are intended to ensure that digital stay competitive and established corporations do not abuse their position.



According to a person familiar with government deliberations on the matter, two parliamentary standing committees have examined the need for such "dos and don'ts" for businesses in the digital economy, and discussions for a Digital Act, which would prescribe the behavioural norms, are ongoing.



The source, who asked to remain anonymous, claimed that these standards, which forbid actions like "self-preferencing" by e-commerce platforms (promotion of their private labels) and using business user data in the e-commerce platform to compete in the market, are likely to carry a penalty for violation. The penalty is likely to be based on how much money the defaulting business made during the years in which they were at fault.



Currently, (CCI) has the authority to fine a company found guilty of anti-competitive agreements or abuse of dominance up to 10 per cent of its annual sales. According to the source, discussions on the matter have taken place between the (CCI), the ministries of corporate affairs, and electronics, and information technology. The general structure of the proposed law, however, is yet to be decided.



The proposed "dos and don'ts" represent a significant change in the country's approach to competition regulation because they would give the regulator more control over market oversight and ex-ante regulation of Big Tech rather than investigations based on anti-competitive behaviour that has already occurred.



It is also anticipated that the proposed code of conduct will outline the standards that enterprises must meet in terms of ethical conduct. It is anticipated that this will also cover system interoperability.



The guidelines are not likely to apply universally in segments like search engines, social media platforms, and e-commerce and to be identifies based on their market reach. These are expected to cover only large businesses. These norms which will be called "digital market gatekeepers.
New Delhi [India], October 6 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), a top-ranked, global, non-profit provider of leadership development, highlighted in its report titled Beyond Doing Good - Six mindset shifts for purposeful leadership how leadership teams will need to nurture organizational purpose, making it more central in culture, business strategy, and talent engagement.

Authored by Sunil Puri, Head of Research and Development, CCL and Elisa Mallis, Managing Director & Vice President, APAC, CCL, the report examines how the pandemic has awakened leaders across Asia to the need to move towards stakeholder capitalism as opposed to shareholder capitalism.

Based on in-depth interviews with 20 C-suite leaders and board directors across Asia, the report articulates the six shifts organizations must make as they evolve into more socially accepted and financially better-off versions of themselves in the future.

The six mindset shifts outlined include altruism to impact, nation-centric to world-centric, short-term to long-term, exclusive to inclusive, organizational to personal, and why to how.

Business leaders across the private and public sector recognize that the world has entered an era where inclusive growth is essential to preserving global stability and well-being. Focusing primarily on maximizing profits to shareholders is no longer enough. Business focus has been shifting at an accelerated pace, evident from 2019 when 181 CEOs of the (https://www.businessroundtable.org) Business Roundtable adapted a new statement on the "purpose of a corporation," declaring that "companies should serve not only their shareholders, but also deliver value to their customers, invest in employees, deal fairly with suppliers, and support the communities in which they operate."

Business leaders now recognize that longer-term, inclusive growth requires an ecosystem approach, focusing on the well-being of employees, customers, suppliers, communities, and the environment.

Speaking about the report, Sunil Puri, Head of Research and Development said, "Drawing from the collective wisdom of C-suite and board leaders, we have found that the post-pandemic world has created a new set of rules that corporations must live by. Adapting to this new world order will require a shift towards a purpose-driven organizational culture, where the top management is able to flex a different set of leadership muscles that encompass traits like humility, courage, and empathy."

For more information and to download the report, visit this (https://www.ccl.org/articles/white-papers/beyond-doing-good-6-mindset-shifts-for-purposeful-leadership) link.

Notes to the Editor:

Quotes by some leaders from the research paper are as follows:

"This is a new era, and we are not going back to the narrative of shareholder primacy; any company that dares follow that route will be 'punished' by the society, customers, employees, and most certainly by investors," as articulated by a senior corporate leader.

"Altruism is not very commonly associated with business; conventional wisdom suggests that business is played on a competitive playground and often a zero-sum game, but interestingly it [altruism] forms the basis of our organization," shared a senior business leader in a regional organization.

"Green washing can provide some short-term gains; in the long term, however, stakeholders are able to see through the dressing up of the sustainability report," a senior leader said.

(https://www.ccl.org/about-us) Center for Creative Leadership

The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) is a top-ranked, global, nonprofit provider of leadership development. Over the past 50 years, we've worked with organizations of all sizes from around the world, including more than 2/3 of the Fortune 1000. Our cutting-edge solutions are steeped in extensive research and our work with hundreds of thousands of leaders at all levels. To learn more visit (https://www.ccl.org).

About Authors

SUNIL PURI Center for Creative Leadership

Sunil Puri is Asia Head of Research and Product Development at the Center for Creative Leadership. He is a seasoned leadership and human capital researcher and thought leader with more than 20 years of experience across large global organizations. Sunil has authored several research studies, including BOLD 3.0: Future Fluent Board Leadership in Asia, Imagining Asia 2030: Future Fluent Asian Leader, Architecting Future Fluent Culture: Critical Role of Human Resources (Asia Study), Developing Global Asian Leaders: From Local Stars to Global CXOs, CHRO 3.0: Preparing to Lead the Future HR Function in Asia, HR Leadership Stall Points and Developing Next Generation Indian Business Leaders: The Keys to Success. In 2015, he co-edited a book titled Human Capital Insights: Inspiring Practices from Asia, for Asia. Sunil is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, India, and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, India.

ELISA MALLIS Center for Creative Leadership

With over 20 years of experience as a business leader with a focus on transformational change and human capital strategy, Elisa, Managing Director and Vice President, APAC of the Center for Creative Leadership, leads CCL's efforts in SE Asia, India, North Asia, and Australia to accelerate the leadership development and results of clients throughout the region, and is also a member of CCL's Executive Team.

Based in Singapore, Elisa contributes to CCL's unique Asia-focused research agenda, presenting highlights at regional conferences and most recently featured on BBC World News, Bloomberg Radio, CNBC, and Forbes. Elisa holds an M.A. in Organization Development and an M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology from Columbia University. She currently serves on the Board of Governors for the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore.

This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)

DISCLAIMER

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Chinese firms drive decent housing provision in Botswana: official

Xinhua) 10:33, October 06, 2022

GABORONE, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- With almost 3 out of every 4 Botswana citizens living in urban areas and the figure expected to grow to 4 in every 5 by 2050, the southern African country is pinning hopes on Chinese companies who can contribute to the provision of affordable decent housing in the southern African country.

Currently, the cheapest low-cost house in Botswana sells for more than 35,000 U.S. dollars, which is above what the market can afford, Kefentse Mzwinila, Botswana's Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services said when marking World Habitat Day in Gaborone, capital of Botswana.

"For affordable housing to make progress, house prices should be in the 20,000 USD to 25,000 USD range. And Chinese construction companies are making it easier for Botswana to provide decent housing because their charges are not that expensive," said Mzwinila.

Mzwinila said to build the 50,000 housing units over the next decade at a price point of 20,000 USD, Botswana has invested more than one billion U.S. dollars.

He said companies like Unik Construction, China Civil Engineering Construction (Botswana) Pty Ltd and others are doing a sterling job in providing decent housing to the locals, especially public servants.

Speaking at the same event, Masego Mogwera, the president of the Botswana Public Employees Union, said Chinese firms have played a positive role in providing decent housing in Botswana.

"For the past ten years or so, we have witnessed a much-improved advancement in provision of accommodation for government workers," said Mogwera, adding that President Mokgweetsi Masisi has been making great strides in growing bilateral relations between China and Botswana.

This year, World Habitat Day is observed under the theme "Mind the Gap. Leave No One and Place Behind."

In 1985, the United Nations designated the first Monday of October every year as World Habitat Day. The idea is to reflect on the state of towns and cities and the basic right of all to adequate shelter.

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Bianji)
News that Ankara will abandon the Russian Mir payment system due to threats of US-authored sanctions. Even if the withdrawal of Mir will impact the Turkish economy, it prefers not to anger the Biden administration, according to experts telling Sputnik.

US Doubles Down on Imperatives

Russia has been developing alternative means to drop the US dollar and western currencies with a native system for banking, reported Sputnik News.

Several monetary systems are the System for Transfer of Financial Messages (STFM) and the Mir Card for credit and debit. In 2019, Turkish banks used it to facilitate transactions between Russian tourists for goods and services, noted Windobi.

In the middle of September, the US treasury threatened all banking systems, even those outside of the US, as subject to its blanket ban on the Mir card outside Russia.

The US has placed secondary sanctions to stop other nations from dealing with Moscow; some of these institutions are banks in Turkey. One of these institutions is the Ziraat Bank, which told the outlet it was coerced by sanctions to sever itself from the Russian banking system.

One of these specialists, Gareth Jenkins, who is connected to several institutions, is studying the impact of such blanket bans via US-authored sanctions. He added that the economic effect of the pullout from Russia's Mir payment systems would then presumably be less than if it had occurred during the summer when a lot of Russian tourists had been touring Turkey.

Read Also: Mark Zuckerberg Net Worth 2022: How Did Facebook Founder Lose $30 Billion in 1 Day?

Furthermore, many Russians in Turkey are going to visit, and the cessation of Mir would make it more difficult for many to make payments, citing YRT News.

Moscow, Turkey Relations

Moscow and Turkey have had good relations as co-partners in critical areas where they both benefit, but it has not always been smooth sailing.

One example is Washington, which has not approved its link with Moscow, but the last straw for the Biden administration is seeing President Tayyip Erdogan do a tightrope.

By this, it means not condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin for the special operation in Ukraine. The US government does not want Turkey to have an independent stance, hence the threat of secondary sanctions if the Mir card remains.

Jenkin mentioned that Moscow knows the Turkish leader must have a link to Russia, especially with the state of the economy. He remarked that angering Putin is more important than concerning itself with what Joe Biden thinks at times.

Due to sanctions, Turkey appears to be ready to abandon the Mir system; how to keep the economic link intact to ward off rash punitive actions.

Jenkins explained how to have an alternative to the Russian system, claiming that Erdogan will struggle to find something as good as Mir. Furthermore, the US will intimidate leaders like him into forcing the country to follow the White House's lead.

Another is that Erdogan is facing another election this coming June, and the crisis will have an opening to lessen his chances of re-election.

Ankara is squished by US intent for it to abandon Russia's mir payment systems by the US-authored sanctions, which is illegal according to some sectors, but no one stops Washington.

Related Article: Turkish President Erdogan To Decide If Russian Mir Payment Will Stay in Banking System

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New Delhi [India], October 6 (ANI/GPRC): PROSE Technologies, a leader in wireless antenna, transmission, capacity and coverage solutions, today announced a new Active DAS system for the 5G network. 5G services were launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the India Mobile Congress 2022 (IMC 2022). PROSE is also participating in the IMC 2002 and showcasing its entire range of base station antennas, distributed antenna systems, microwave antennas and Open RAN products.

India leapfrogged from the 3G era to 4G and we are now stepping into the 5G era. With 5G, India is setting a global standard in technology. PROSE technologies that has played a role of an active enabler in 3G and 4G, is geared to offer seamless high-speed connectivity in antennas and solutions for 5G.

Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have aggressive plans to deliver 5G mobile network to every city, town, village and taluka across India by 2024. 5G is revolutionising in-building coverage by providing higher data speeds, massive network capacity, lower latency, and greater bandwidth to support the abundant IoT devices of today. PROSE Technologies is proud to announce the first launch of 5G in-building DAS in one of the biggest commercial complex of Mumbai with best user throughput experience. By deploying these solutions, operators will be able to provide better indoor coverage and unlock the full potential of 5G.

With the huge offtake capacity in RANs, PROSE Technologies has been working closely with operators to help them scale up their backhaul using E-band microwave solutions. After understanding the key needs of the consumers, PROSE Technologies offers multiple solutions, to meet the exact requirements. Besides the customised 4G+5G antennas and A+P antennas, PROSE Technologies is also building mMIMO solutions, which are the key to realising the benefits of 5G.

Mr Jaideep Redkar, President, PROSE Technologies, India said, "At PROSE, we connect the daily lives of millions of consumers throughout the world, and we are honoured to be acknowledged as a market leader. Our extensive portfolio includes multi-port, multi-band, multi-beam, TDD/FDD hybrid, 5G small cell, and Massive MIMO antennas for 4G and 5G. As a tech-first company, we will continue to invest in R & D and develop high-performance connectivity solutions that will offer better connectivity and reduce latency."

The 'Make in India' program by the Government of India has helped to stimulate manufacturing in India and to incentivise manufacturing-specific investments. The efficacy of the program is demonstrated by the confidence of the world's top tech companies in setting up a base in India. PROSE Technologies is completely aligned with the Make In India mission and is making its entire range of product solutions in India at its facility in Pune.

PROSE Technologies is a global leader in base station antennas, offers a comprehensive portfolio including multi-port, multi-band, multi-beam, TDD/FDD hybrid, 5G small cell and Massive MIMO antennas, for 4G and 5G.

It also has a wide range of in-building wireless systems that include active, passive and Tetra distributed antenna systems (DAS), wireless repeaters, and RF components, which can assist with the ongoing demand for ubiquitous wireless coverage in residential or dense urban areas.

PROSE discovers, designs and builds technologies that enable networks around the world to connect people to their families, their work and everything in between. From our antenna technologies, open RAN innovations, in-building solutions, and full cell site offerings, we help people to connect to their everyday.

Find out more at (https://www.prosetechnologies.com).

This story is provided by GPRC. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/GPRC)

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Just a week ago, 14 years after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers triggered a global financial crisis, the liquidation of its brokerage unit ended. More than $115 billion was paid out to Lehmans 1.1 lakh customers, secured and unsecured creditors, and a trustee who oversaw the brokerages liquidation and his law firm.

Lehman Brothers had been USs fourth-largest investment bank before filing the largest bankruptcy in American history by far on September 15, 2008, leaving over $600 billion in debt.



Today, on the other side of the Atlantic, growing concerns over the financial health of Switzerlands second-biggest lender have sparked fears on whether the world should brace for another Lehman-like financial fallout. Its bigger Swiss peer UBS Group had received a state bailout in the 2008 crisis.

has been assuring staff, counterparties, clients and investors that its liquidity and capital position are strong. But its shares have fallen 55% over the past year, giving it a market cap of about $11 billion. This is lower than several Indian banks like HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, SBI, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank.

One of the biggest banks in Europe, had $1.6 trillion in assets under management at the end of 2021. It has wealth management, investment banking and asset management operations, besides a domestic .

Swiss central bank has designated it one of the countrys global systemically important banks, whose failure would cause significant harm to the Swiss economy and financial system.

The banks credit default swaps (CDS), an instrument that measures the cost to insure its bonds, hit their highest levels since 2009. CEO Ulrich Koerner, who took charge in August, is attempting to restore the banks profitability.

Over the past three quarters alone, Credit Suisses losses have hit nearly $4 billion, while ratings downgrades increased its financing costs.

The collapse of US family office Archegos Capital Management cost the bank $5.5 billion last year. It suffered further losses from lending to the now-defunct supply-chain finance company Greensill Capital.

Multiple changes in top leadership since 2020 and high-profile risk management failures have also attracted investor scrutiny. The bank is due to present a transformation plan when it releases third-quarter results on October 27.

Credit Suisse had total assets of $735 billion at the end of June. The strategic review launched by the new CEO will focus on strengthening the banks flagship wealth management business and scaling back investment banking into a capital- light, advisory-led business. Asset and business sales are also on the cards.

It is also evaluating strategic options for its securitised products group, a trading business. Analysts estimate it could face a capital shortfall of as much as $6 billion.



Amit Jain, Co-Founder, Ashika Global Family Office Services says, at this stage, only govt can support Credit Suisse. . European economy may face a shock, he believes. Indian markets may see a temporary correction.

Given the negative news flow, Citigroup analysts see significant execution risk in any new strategic plan. In the short term, they said widening credit spreads can exacerbate market fears and damage counterparty confidence as well as drive funding costs higher.

And in the long term, the fall in its share price will further dilute its capital raising capability. And it will throw a spanner in plan for any investment banking restructuring that Credit Suisse can undertake.

Santosh Joseph, Founder and Managing Partner, Germinate Investor Services LLP says, finance costs have gone up, Eurozone is struggling. Credit Suisses story isnt a surprise, stakeholders can act. If India gets impacted, itll be the first to bounce back, he says.

Jose Antonio Alvarez, the CEO of Santander, one of Euro zones biggest banks, said that liquidity in the banking sector was extraordinarily high and therefore did not see contagion risks in the sector.

Even in the worst scenario, any spillover from a potential Credit Suisse blowout will only have a transient impact on Indias financial markets whereas any contagion to Indian banking systems is unlikely. Credit Suisses Indian branch has a balance sheet size of just 20,732 crore as of FY22 end.

But investors will be closely watching any action from the Swiss government and whether or not Credit Suisse will be able to execute its soon-to-be-released restructuring plan.
A news from one of the worlds leading financial centres has a strong sense of deja vu about it. The free fall in the stock of and a string of departures from the top signal that there is something seriously wrong with the Switzerland's second largest bank. Its newly-appointed CEO Ulrich Koerner too has conceded that the firm was facing a critical moment and needed an overhaul. And just like Lehman Brothers in 2008, the financial cost of potential collapse of would be huge.

The ongoing global upheaval has played out differently for India. While it is getting cheap oil from Russia, the supply of natural gas has become a bit of an issue. And ahead of winter, Europe is making desperate attempts to purchase natural gas from sources other than Russia, putting Asia in a tight spot. What does it mean for India?

Let us move on to financial now. Beginning next week, India Inc. will start delivering July to September quarter results for this fiscal year. Starting from index heavyweight, TCS, HCL Technologies, Wipro, and Infosys will later join the league. Our next report delves into what investors should expect from the Q2 earnings season, and the markets trajectory thereon.

Sebi recently levied about 6 lakh fine on three individuals for violating the norms in the shares of PVR Ltd. It is not for the first time that the regulator has acted tough against . But what exactly is This podcast explains it in detail.
Hammerson has announced that fresh handmade cosmetics brand Lush will open its biggest store in Ireland at Dundrum Town Centre.

The new store, which measures 2,311 sq ft and is creating 25 new job roles, is due to open in the run up to Christmas, as it strategically expands across Ireland. Lush, which is synonymous for pioneering beauty products such as the fizzing bath bomb, is a high-street brand for fresh cosmetics, skincare and gifts.

Established over 27 years ago, Lush becoming beauty product pioneers through the creation of the fizzing bath bomb, shower jellies and solid shampoo bars, all using fresh ingredients such as organic fruits and vegetables.

The brand fights tirelessly against animal testing and operates a comprehensive Ethical Buying department, developing fair and direct trade initiatives. It has also played a strong role in the industry battle on over-packaging, developing products that can be sold naked to consumers whilst running various public awareness campaigns.

Speaking this week, Head of UK&I Property at Lush, Ellen Peters said, "Were thrilled to be opening our 4th Irish shop before Christmas this year. With a trading area of 130sqm it will be double the size of our current largest store in Ireland and will be home to our full range of Fresh Handmade Cosmetics. Our goal is always to leave the world Lusher than we found it and when fitting out shops, we utilise the same values as when sourcing ingredients for our products, working closely with suppliers to source durable and ethical materials."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Russian President Vladimir Putin formally integrated four Ukrainian areas into Russia on Wednesday, amid the withdrawal of its troops from key areas in Ukraine and impending additional sanctions from the European Union.

Putin signed into law the annexation of the additional regions, which account for up to 18 percent of Ukraine, part of which is not under Moscow's administration.

Zelensky Vows to Knock Out Russian Forces

According to Reuters, Moscow is staking claim to 22 percent of Ukraine if Crimea is included, which it annexed in 2014. It has not yet specified where all of the boundaries will be, and its soldiers have been forced to withdraw on different fronts. The annexation of eastern Ukrainian cities like Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as southern Ukrainian cities like Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, was completed with the signing of formal documents by the Russian leader.

Kyiv has reclaimed hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of its area in previous weeks. The Russian army appears to be targeting large portions of Ukraine under the rule of the Ukrainian forces, which have been making significant progress in the east and this week also made progress in the south, according to a map released by the state-run media organization RIA.

After staging what it termed referendums over several days beginning on September 23, ballots that were criticized by Kyiv and Western nations as unlawful and coercive, Moscow proceeded with its annexation plan. With the final approval of the annexation by Putin, the Russia Ukraine war has intensified, in which Moscow has launched military mobilization and threats to use nuclear weapons.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to reclaim even more territory from Russian soldiers in the eastern Donbas region. Zelensky stated in his evening address on Saturday that "more Ukrainian flags have been raised in Donbas" and there will be "even more in a week," NDTV reported.

Read Also: US Navy Deploys New Aircraft Carrier That Boasts New Technology, Including EMALS System [Full Details]

EU To Slap More Sanctions on Russia in Wake of Annexation

The Ukrainian president made the remarks after Kyiv said its forces had moved into the strategic eastern town of Lyman and the defense ministry broadcast a video of soldiers hoisting a yellow and blue Ukrainian flag in the town. The Russian defense ministry said that Russian soldiers had been "withdrawn" from the city and redeployed to better positions.

Zelensky said Russians will be "knocked out" gradually as long as Vladimir Putin kept his position as Russian president. Calling the Russia Ukraine war a "historic mistake" for the Kremlin, Zelensky warned that Russian officials who initiated the "senseless war" will be eliminated "one by one" until "the one who started it all" solves the conflict.

In a related update from AP News, EU countries reportedly decided Wednesday to slap further penalties on Russia after it unlawfully seized four Ukrainian areas, including a price ceiling on Russian oil.

According to an official of the union, the details of the new sanctions might be released on Thursday. A limit on the cost of Russian oil is likely to be one of them, along with restrictions on the sale of aviation parts and steel to Russia from the European Union.

These measures are in addition to the unusual European penalties imposed on Russia since the start of the war in February. Russian energy imports are currently restricted, financial transactions with Russian institutions, including the central bank, are prohibited, and more than 1,000 individuals and 100 organizations have had their assets frozen.

Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: Diplomat Warns USA's Military Aid Is Worsening Conflict

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President Joe Biden visited Florida on Wednesday and promised assistance to rebuild after the massive devastation caused by Hurricane Ian.

Biden and the Republican Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, a possible 2024 opponent, set aside their politics to comfort local folks. In the southwestern town of Fort Myers, President Biden remarked that the only purpose of his visit was ensure that "people in Florida get everything they need to fully, thoroughly recover," according to AP News.

Speeding Up Relief Efforts

He admitted that the journey to recovery from the hurricane-ravaged state would take a very long time, and he hoped there would be no roadblocks. But Biden assured Floridians "we're still going to be here with you" even after the media coverage of his visit.

Governor DeSantis and his wife Casey received President Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, at Fisherman's Wharf, where houses and businesses lay in ruins following Hurricane Ian. After speaking separately next to a boat the hurricane had blown into a cafe, President Joe Biden and Governor Ron DeSantis spoke with locals who had been severely impacted by the storm.

The damage left by Hurricane Ian was monumental in scale. Trees in the path of Biden's motorcade had been slashed by the wind, with some completely toppled and others having their branches ripped back by the force of the storm. Lagoons of standing water formed in the fields just off the roadway.

Ian made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Florida's Gulf Coast last week and has left widespread destruction and floods. It has destroyed entire seaside towns and turned many structures into ruins, per Politico. The death toll is now at least 72 as search and rescue efforts persist.

DeSantis stated that electricity has been restored to more than 97% of the state. The governor detailed an enormous effort, saying that 2,505 people had been rescued, that 28 distribution centers had opened, and that 45 million bottled water had been delivered.

Read Also: Roe v. Wade: Biden To Announce New Reproductive Rights Measures 100 Days After Supreme Court Overturned Landmark Ruling

Hurricane Ian Ends Climate Change Debate

The Republican Florida Governor also thanked everyone in government for their collective effort and for "cutting through the bureaucracy." Biden has suggested that the first step for Floridians in need after the disaster is to enlist to see what support they qualify for. In addition, he promised to add more staff to reduce the wait time for assistance over the phone.

In recent years, Biden and DeSantis have disagreed on a wide range of issues, including immigration policy, the best way to combat COVID-19, and more.

Biden and DeSantis each took the opportunity to comment on the current crisis, wherein the president stated that the destruction he witnessed from Ian put a stop to the debate over whether climate change is actually happening and if action is necessary to stop it, according to WCHS TV's Eyewitness News.

While talking to media organizations, President Joe Biden noted that Hurricane Ian has "finally ended" the argument "whether or not there's climate change."

Biden: "I think the one thing [the hurricane] has ended is the discussion about whether or not there is climate change and we should do something about it." pic.twitter.com/bBgnJcpvlX  Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 5, 2022

Hurricane Ian's most intense rainfall was 10% worse due to climate change, according to the first-look study by two US climate experts, as per a report from Bloomberg.

Related Article: US Navy Deploys New Aircraft Carrier That Boasts New Technology, Including EMALS System [Full Details]

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The daughter of a famous Russian nationalist, Daria Dugina, was killed in a car bombing near Moscow in August. According to US intelligence services, the incident was part of a covert operation that US officials worry could escalate the conflict.

According to officials, neither through supplying intelligence nor any other support, the United States participated in the attack. Additionally, American officials claimed that had they been consulted before the operation, they would have objected to the killing. After that, they claimed, American officials reprimanded Ukrainian officials for the assasination.

US Believes Ukraine Behind Darya Dugina Assassination

The US government was informed last week of the closely held assessment of Ukrainian complicity, which has not previously been revealed. Immediately following the attack, Ukraine denied involvement in the death and senior officials

Although Moscow has not specifically responded to the assassination, the United States is concerned that this could lead to Moscow launching its operations against important Ukrainian officials despite the assaults' strong symbolic importance. American officials have expressed frustration with Ukraine's lack of candor over its military and clandestine plans, particularly those involving Russian territory.

Ukraine's security services have proven they can reach Russia to carry out sabotage operations since the start of the war. But assassinating Dugina would be one of the most audacious operations to date, demonstrating Ukraine's ability to approach important Russians, as per NewYork Times.

The claim was quickly refuted by Oleksii Danylov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security Council. We have nothing to do with this lady's murder; the Russian secret services are responsible, he said in August. At the time, Mykhailo Podolyak, a Zelensky aide, added that the Russian claim was indicative of the fictional universe that the Russian leadership was living in.

If the information about Ukraine's participation is genuine, it would show a daring escalation of Ukraine's clandestine operations to target a prominent political person just outside of Moscow. Attacks on military installations and fuel stores in towns near the Russia-Ukraine border, including Belgorod, have accounted for the majority of Ukrainian strikes inside Russia to date, the US nonetheless does.

Read Also: Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Program Will Start Soon; Here's What You Need To Apply!

US Hints Ukraine's Wider Espionage Campaign in Russia

According to a Ukrainian official, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser for the US, and Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, did not discuss the conclusions reached by the US intelligence community at their earlier this week meeting in Istanbul. It's unclear if President Joe Biden brought up the subject more recently during their Tuesday phone conversation with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The State Department has charged Project Lakhta with using online trolls to meddle in US elections through the operation of a website called United World International, which was run by Dugina and had English and Turkish versions.

Following Russia's invasion in February, the US imposed sanctions on both Dugin and Dugina, charging them with disinformation campaigns and efforts to destabilize Ukraine, CNN reported.

The US officials also suggested that there may be a larger espionage operation by the Ukrainians inside Russia. They expressed their frustration with the lack of transparency with which it is being carried out, which stands in stark contrast to the open cooperation the two countries enjoy on the military front.

They also included the US's strong opposition to highly symbolic killings of people like Dugina or her father, which have little impact on the battlefield but might provoke a ferocious response from Moscow. If Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could have approved of the murder, the government didn't say. On August 20, Dugina perished in a car bombing that was purportedly caused by a discreetly inserted remote explosive device.

However, at least one think tank expert has expressed skepticism about Ukrainian involvement, suggesting that the Kremlin or even Dugin himself was behind the assassination. The Russian security service claims to have solved the case and placed the blame on two Ukrainians they claim were working with Ukrainian intelligence, according to Washington Examiner.

Related Article: US, South Korea Launch Ground-to-Ground Missiles in Response to North Korea's Nuke Rocket Against Japan

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President Joe Biden visited Florida to witness firsthand the devastation brought on by Hurricane Ian, bringing attention once more to his tense relationship with Gov. Ron DeSantis, the combative Republican leader who is rumored to be the Democrat's potential opponent in the 2024 presidential election.

Since the hurricane's catastrophic collision with Florida's west coast, Biden and DeSantis' administrations have cooperated, putting their on-the-ramp political competition on hold for the time being. This was demonstrated on Wednesday.

Biden-DeSantis Florida Meeting

Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife, Casey, met President Joe Biden at Fisherman's Wharf shortly after the president had taken a helicopter tour of the hurricane-damaged Gulf Coast villages. There, they engaged in a lengthy conversation amidst the debris.

After making a joint appearance a little while later, Joe Biden and Ron DeSantis stressed to reporters that despite frequent disagreements, their two governments are closely collaborating on the rescue and recovery efforts. Biden praised the amazing level of cooperation, stressed the willingness of Americans nationwide to lend a hand in times of need, and urged Floridians to one day repay the favor.

Later, Biden told reporters that DeSantis had done a tremendous job leading Florida through this crisis and called the Republican response pretty exceptional. In the wake of a tragedy, Biden and DeSantis have welcomed a brief truce twice in the previous week.

Biden and DeSantis sat together in a public act of bipartisan sorrow a week after a condo tower in Surfside, Florida collapsed last year, killing 98 people. In front of the cameras, they exchanged pleasantries, with Biden giving DeSantis a warm arm pat, as per CNN.

Biden's trip to Florida to assess the hurricane damage was thanked by DeSantis, who also praised the excellent cooperation between his administration and the White House. DeSantis commended the federal government's decision to extend the period during which it will cover all expenditures associated with debris removal and other expenses from 30 days to 60 days.

The governor claimed that the expense of debris removal would exceed some cities' entire budgets. DeSantis will most likely need to request another extension, according to Biden.

After viewing the storm damage from the air and receiving information about the recovery efforts, Biden claimed that he had given his administration the go-ahead to assemble every aspect of the federal government to assist with both short-term needs and long-term rebuilding.

Read Also: Indications That Vladimir Putin's Threat of Nuclear War is True; Here Are Places To Be Affected Most!

Biden Vows More Support to Help Florida

Reporters questioned Biden on DeSantis' handling of the hurricane response after he had finished speaking. On Wednesday, immediately after landing in Fort Myers, Biden flew in a chopper over areas of Florida that had been affected by hurricanes.

Federal, state, and local officials will next brief the public at the debris-strewn Fisherman's Wharf, followed by a meeting with residents and small business owners, according to USA Today. Biden vowed additional funding to aid Florida in recovering from the category four hurricane when he visits the state.

More than 4 million households and businesses in Florida as well as over 1.1 million in North and South Carolina lost power as a result of the hurricane. In recent years, partisanship between the White House and governors of the opposing party has broken down when it comes to federal assistance for states.

Republican governors Chris Christie of New Jersey and Charlie Crist of Florida, whose states had also been devastated by natural disasters at the time, received handshakes and hugs from Barack Obama. The hug destroyed Crist's political career and hurt Christie, who is now a Democrat against DeSantis in 2022.

DeSantis doesn't have to be concerned that Biden's visit will undermine his GOP influence and popularity because his political strategy concentrates on criticizing far-left initiatives. With fewer than five weeks until the midterm elections, the president and the governor were able to speak with each other on the phone and complement each other in a rare display of cooperation, Daily Mail reported.

Related Article: $400 Stimulus Check To Automatically Hit Your Account Within 4 Days; Here's Who Can Claim The Direct Payments!

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Former United States Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Wednesday said that it was unlikely, but possible, that Russian President Vladimir Putin would use nuclear weapons in his war on Ukraine.

The official said that the more that Ukraine takes back control of its territory from Russian control, especially in the east and south, the more desperate Putin becomes. He noted that this has been a strategic failure in multiple ways since the beginning of the invasion in February.

Russia's Nuclear Weapons

Per CNN, Esper said that he thinks the Russian president continues to paint himself in a corner and limit his options in order to get out of the mess that he made himself. The former defense secretary estimated that if Moscow would use nuclear weapons, it would likely be somewhere between one and 10 kilotons.

For reference, Esper noted that the 15-kiloton nuclear weapon that the United States used in Hiroshima, Japan, killed 70,000 people and laid waste to five square miles of territory. The American official added that the U.S. and its allies can respond to the heightened threat by communicating to Moscow that if there is any indication they plan to use a "tactical" nuclear weapon, they would put an air cap above Ukraine, as per The Hill.

The Russian strongman has continued to issue his nuclear threat in recent weeks as his military forces have been forced to retreat from parts of eastern and southern Ukraine. A day after Putin announced the formal annexation of four Ukrainian regions, Russian forces withdrew from the city of Lyman in the Donetsk region, which is one of the four recently-annexed territories.

On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who previously dismissed Putin's prior nuclear threats as bluffs, warned that the Russian strongman's latest threats "could be a reality."

According to AOL News, the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv has already started preparing evacuation centers in the case of a possible nuclear attack by Russia. They come with potassium iodine pills to help fight against radiation absorption.

Read Also: Russia-Ukraine War: Putin Finalizes Ukraine Annexation Measures as Zelensky Vows To Retake More Areas

War in Ukraine

Putin has been considered to be bluffing over his continuous threats of nuclear equipment used in its conflict with Ukraine. A military analyst based in Prague, Yuri Fyodorov, said that what would happen in a week or month from now is difficult to anticipate.

CIA Director William Burns, when asked if the Russian president was moving towards the use of nuclear weapons, said that they had to take the matter seriously. However, the official noted that U.S. intelligence had no "practical evidence" that Putin was moving towards the use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

The head of Russia's Chechnya region, Ramzan Kadyrov, said that Moscow should consider using low-yield tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. These types of weapons are essentially nuclear weapons used on the battlefield for tactical reasons. They are much less powerful than the big bombs that were used to destroy large cities.

While Russia has specialized nuclear forces trained to fight in such an apocalyptic battlefield, it remains unclear how its troops, mercenaries, drafted reservists, and local militias would adapt to the situation, Reuters reported.

Related Article: Indications That Vladimir Putin's Threat of Nuclear War is True; Here Are Places To Be Affected Most!

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'Detonations' cause 'extensive damage' to the Nord Stream 1, Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, says Swedish Security Service

LONDON (AA) - Sweden on Thursday said suspicions of gross sabotage in the recent Nord Stream gas leaks had strengthened after a preliminary investigation, according to local media.

"Detonations" caused "extensive damage" to both the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, public broadcaster SVT Nyheter reported, citing the Swedish Security Service (SAPO) intelligence agency.

Underlining that Swedish authorities would analyze the damage to the pipelines, SAPO chief Karl Melin stopped short of giving details on the damage as that would be "endangering" to the investigation, according to the outlet.

In a press release on the matter, the Swedish Public Prosecutor's Office highlighted the gravity of the situation, adding that the "authorities involved are fulfilling their respective tasks in the best possible way."

Sweden's outgoing Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson also said the gas leaks were likely not a coincidence.

"It is likely that a deliberate act -- in other words, sabotage -- caused the leaks, which are located in the Swedish and Danish economic zones. This is thus not a direct attack on Sweden," said Andersson in a statement published on the government's website.

Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde, for her part, said the incident was the most serious security policy issue that Sweden has faced since 1980, SVT Nyheter reported.

She added that the situation of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 should be seen as an sign "of the deteriorating security policy" in and near Europe.

"At the moment, we are not sure who did it. However, the suspicion of sabotage should not be perceived as a military threat to Sweden," Linde said.

SAPO launched an investigation into the incident after four leaks were identified in the Russian-owned pipelines, which run from Russia to Germany and pass through both Denmark and Sweden's exclusive economic zones in the Baltic Sea.

The two Nordic countries raised suspicions soon after the leaks were detected that they were caused by two undersea explosions and were the result of a deliberate act.

Similar sentiments were echoed by the EU, which said the gas leaks were not accidental.

The Danish Energy Agency and Russian energy company Gazprom had announced earlier that the pressure levels in the pipelines have returned to normal, indicating that the gas leaks have stopped.

Leila Nezirevic/AA
Former United States President Donald Trump was revealed to have taken credit for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' election win in newly-released audio by Maggie Haberman.

The Republican businessman said that DeSantis only won the race thanks to Trump's endorsement at the time. The audio clip, which was released on Wednesday, is the product of one of Haberman's interviews with the former president.

DeSantis vs Trump

Trump could be heard calmly describing to Haberman how he "rescued" DeSantis' gubernatorial campaign that was on the brink of defeat. The former president noted that the now-Florida governor was at 3% at the time, adding that DeSantis was a great defender of his in the Russia hoax.

The former president then said that DeSantis came to him to ask for his endorsement, with Trump saying that the Florida candidate had no chance with his current numbers. He went on to say that Floridians did not associate DeSantis with the word "governor."

The audio reveals Trump's latest attempts to take credit for the success of successful GOP politicians. The former president frequently touts the success of Republican candidates that he endorses, particularly in GOP primaries, as per Independent.

Eventually, DeSantis won his general election campaign against Democrat Andrew Gillum by less than half a percentage point. However, since then, his popularity has been on the rise both in his home state and nationwide with Republicans in other areas declaring their intentions to turn their territories into the "Florida" of whatever region they are from.

This resulted in DeSantis being viewed as a credible 2024 Republican candidate and a potential threat to Trump, who clearly is planning for the next election cycle. The majority of polls have shown the former president handily leading DeSantis in a hypothetical 2024 matchup.

According to Insider, the situation comes as Haberman claims that Trump talked about DeSantis to his aides more than any other potential candidate in the Republican Party. Despite the former president's claims, the reported behind-the-scenes relationship between the two politicians differs from Trump's accounts.

Read Also: Biden Visits Hurricane-Ravaged Florida With Republican Rival DeSantis

Behind The Scenes Criticisms

Two sources close to Trump said in September that the former president was nervous about DeSantis getting attention from a political stunt that involved chartering two planes to transport 50 migrants to Martha's Vineyard.

The sources said that the former president was irritated about DeSantis getting credit for the move and complained to his aides that the Florida governor had timed the flight in order to boost his profile among the Republican base.

Furthermore, Trump negatively reacted to the implication that the Florida governor might run against him to try to secure the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. The former president, in July, lashed out at "Fox & Friends" for mentioning a poll that showed DeSantis ahead of him. He accused the hosts of the show of going to "the dark side."

On the other hand, DeSantis previously called Trump a "moron" in private, said a report that detailed the popular Republican leader's recent rise to prominence. A staffer said that the Florida governor claimed that the former president had no business running for president of the United States, Daily Mail reported.

Related Article: Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Program Will Start Soon; Here's What You Need To Apply!

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Holcim partners with TotalEnergies to fully decarbonise Obourg plant

ICR Newsroom By 06 October 2022

Holcim has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TotalEnergies to work together to fully decarbonise the cement producers Obourg plant in Belgium.



In a bid to create the first carbon-free cement plant in Belgium, various energies and technologies will be assessed for the efficient capture, utilisation, and sequestration (CCUS) of around 1.3Mt of CO 2 emitted by the facility every year. Technologies include an innovative new air-oxyfuel switchable kiln, to facilitate the capture and purification of CO 2 in the flue gases, as part of Holcims upgrade of the current cement plant, and the transportation and use of the captured CO 2 by TotalEnergies for an innovative e-fuel producing scheme and/or deposit in geological storage in the North Sea.

TotalEnergies will assess the development of renewable projects to power a new electrolyser, which would generate the green hydrogen needed to produce e-fuels. This new renewable energy production capacity would also power Holcim's new oxyfuel kiln, thus contributing to the decarbonisation of the cement plant. The oxygen emitted by the electrolyser would be used to fuel the new kiln.

"The unique, integrated and sustainable solution that we are looking to provide to Holcim for the full decarbonisation of its cement plant emissions  with its range of technologies and new decarbonised molecules  is a first, marking a milestone in the decarbonisation of heavy industry and its hard-to-abate emissions. We are pleased to partner with Holcim to work on the development of sustainable and carbon neutral industries in Europe, in partnership with our clients and in line with their decarbonisation strategy," said Christophe Sassolas, senior vice president, OneB2B Solutions at TotalEnergies.

"TotalEnergies is looking forward to deploying other integrated solutions like this one elsewhere, as we move toward reducing our Scope 3 emissions, in line with our Climate Ambition to get to Net Zero emissions by 2050, together with society," he added.

"Cement industry decarbonisation is extremely challenging because of the process's inevitable CO 2 emissions, which put us firmly in the hard-to-abate sector. CCUS is vital for Obourg to become the first net carbon neutral clinker plant in northwest Europe. We are very happy to work with TotalEnergies to accelerate the development of these CCUS solutions for GO4ZERO. By joining the first movers, we want to set the standards for future clinker manufacturing plants," commented Bart Daneels, CEO, Holcim Belgium.

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Dangote's Obajana cement factory closed off

ICR Newsroom By 06 October 2022

Dangote Cement's Obajana cement factory in Kogi state, Nigeria, has been sealed off by Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS).



The plant has been closed off because KGIRS is investigating the company over tax evasion and acquisition controversy, according to Politics Nigeria.



In explaining the action, Kingsley Fanwo, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information, said: Pursuant to the Constitutional authorities of the Kogi State House of Assembly, and upon petition by the people of Kogi State, an investigation was carried out on the acquisition of Obajana Cement Company by Dangote Company. It was found that no valid acquisition took place, as Dangote could not show evidence of what was paid as consideration for the acquisition.

Upon Dangote Cements failure to meet legislators in Kogi state, the House of Assembly ordered the plant closure until credible evidence is produced of a valid acquisition.

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Saint-Gobain and Ecocem join forces to speed up delivery of low carbon products

ICR Newsroom By 06 October 2022

Saint-Gobain and Ecocem have announced a major partnership focused on accelerating the delivery of low carbon products to market. Designed to reduce CO 2 emissions from cement, mortar and concrete, these products will support the acceleration of the construction industrys transition to a low-carbon economy.

Commenting on the partnership, Benoit Bazin, chief executive officer of Saint-Gobain, said, As the worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain develops innovative materials and solutions that enable the sectors transition towards a low-carbon economy. This pioneering spirit is also reflected in our policy of openness. For many years, we have been forging fruitful and innovative collaborations that enrich our low-carbon offers. This partnership with Ecocem is part of this history and is perfectly in line with our goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.



Donal ORiain, chief executive officer and founder of Ecocem, said, The potential exists today to reduce cement industry emissions dramatically by 2030 and to align with the targets set by the Paris Accord. Ecocems new generation of scalable low-carbon cement technologies can deliver on this potential. Our deep partnership with Saint-Gobain will support our efforts to scale these technologies and demonstrate to the world how we can decarbonise the cement, concrete and mortar industries.



An ambitious R&D cooperation between Ecocem and Chryso, Saint-Gobains construction chemicals unit, will accelerate the development of high-performance admixtures to enable low-carbon cements.This partnership will also cover Saint-Gobains mortar business Weber in Western Europe and the distribution and concrete manufacturing activities of POINT.P in France.

Ecocem has been developing, manufacturing and supplying low-carbon cements for over 20 years using a clinker substitute. The companys innovative expertise has resulted in a new generation of scalable low-carbon technologies. As a 25 per cent shareholder, Saint-Gobain has been a significant investor in Ecocem for almost fifteen years, supporting its development and the delivery to market of new scalable, low carbon cement and concrete technologies, which are already in use in major projects in Europe, including HS2, a high-speed railway line in the UK, and the Grand Paris Express, a public transportation network in the French capital.

To fast-track the adoption of these technologies and demonstrate their impact, Saint-Gobain and Ecocem have agreed to deepen their cooperation in a move that will enhance Saint-Gobains ability to reduce the Scope 3 CO 2 emissions of its cement use and concrete sales, as well as its mortar production. Saint-Gobain is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. To do so, it has set intermediate targets for 2030 to reduce by 33 per cent its CO 2 emissions on Scopes 1 and 2 and by 16 per cent its Scope 3 CO 2 emissions. This new partnership will decisively contribute to reaching these goals, acording to the company.

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A United States Federal Appeals Court has determined that the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is illegal but allows the roughly 600,000 immigrant "dreamers" already in the country to stay.

The program is a policy that protects undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country as children. The court said that the policy violated federal law but sent it to a lower federal court for further consideration.

Obama-Era DACA Policy

The three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit's decision sided with Texas and other conservative states that sued in 2018 but maintained the status quo for the DACA program.

The judges made it clear that it was not ruling on a new regulation that was created by the Biden administration in August. The appeals court also sent the case back to the federal district court to review that rule. The Obama-era issue that the court ruled on was already set to run out at the end of this month, as per USA Today.

The appeals court added that there was no clear congressional authorization for the power that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims. The panel noted that the DACA policy violates the substantive requirements of the "federal law that prescribes how federal agencies are supposed to approve new policies."

The DACA policy, which was created by former President Barack Obama in 2012, put a pause on deportations and provided work permits for certain immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children. In time, they were called "Dreamers" and by 2018, there were more than 814,000 people who benefitted from the policy.

According to CBS News, despite the decision, the appeals court did not order President Joe Biden's administration to shut down the DACA policy completely or stop processing renewal applications. The court instead decided to leave in place an order from US Judge Andrew Hanen that leaves the policy intact for current beneficiaries.

Read Also: Florida: Joe Biden, Ron DeSantis Put Up Unified Front Amid Relief Efforts for Hurricane Ian Victims

Protecting Immigrant Families

Hanen is now responsible for reviewing regulations that the Biden administration revealed 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 Department of Justice (DOJ), which represents the federal government in lawsuits, said that it did not agree with the ruling. Authorities vowed to "vigorously defend the lawfulness of DACA as this case proceeds."

Furthermore, the Biden administration is most likely going to file a formal appeal that would pave the way for the conservative-leaning high court to issue a final decision on DACA's legality next year.

In a statement, DHS Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that he was deeply disappointed by the court's decision on Wednesday. He denounced the "ongoing uncertainty it creates for families and communities across the country."

The Republican-led states that supported the decision argued that they were being financially burdened by spending hundreds of millions of dollars on services such as education and health care for people who are being allowed to stay in the United States illegally, Fox News reported.

Related Article: Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Program Will Start Soon; Here's What You Need To Apply!

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Longtime Ringgold-area furniture dealer, Lindermans Furniture, donated over $10,000 in home furnishings to East Ridge Residence as part of a new partnership with the independent senior living community at 1417 North Mack Smith Road.



We cant thank John Linderman and his company enough for the amount of joy they have delivered to East Ridge Residence, said Amy Silvers, executive director. He has a heart for this community and I couldnt be more honored that his kindness and generosity will be a blessing to our residents for many years to come.



Lindermans Furniture donated sofas, chairs and other home furnishings for several common areas at the community, such as the entry foyer, model rooms and library.

Ive always had a special place in my heart for East Ridge Residence. My grandmother was a resident there for many years, said Mr. Linderman, owner of the furniture store. So when the idea of a partnership first came up, I knew we wanted to do this because Ive always wanted to see this place thrive.

Its so wonderful to have community partners like Lindermans Furniture who go above and beyond in their support for East Ridge Residence, said Jessica Harthorn, community relations director. Every day I see our residents enjoying the new furniture throughout the community and the light in their eyes says it all. We are so grateful for Lindermans generosity.
Dr. Beth Norton, vice president for Academic Affairs, on behalf of Dr. Rebecca Ashford, president, Chattanooga State Community College and Dr. Brian Noland, president, East Tennessee State University signed an articulation agreement between the two institutions.

"This agreement will develop a strong partnership that will facilitate a smooth and seamless movement of students that complete their associate degree at Chattanooga State to ETSU.," officials said.



The ETSU Transfer Pledge supports Chattanooga State students who complete their program of study under the Tennessee Promise to then successfully transfer to ETSU to complete their bachelors degree.

This Pledge strengthens the enrollment-to-employment pipeline ETSU is building to power the workforce and improve the quality of life for communities in our region and around the world, stated Dr. Noland. Through this partnership with Chattanooga State Community College, we have put in place the resources and support students need to seamlessly transfer to ETSU, continue their education and earn a bachelors degree.



In addition, ETSU will consider scholarships for ChattState students who transfer to ETSU in the amount of $3,000 per year for up to six semesters, based on achievement of a 3.5 GPA while at Chattanooga State.

Chattanooga States programs offer a rock-solid foundation they can build upon at ETSU, putting them on a track for lifelong learning and success, noted Dr. Noland.



This agreement with ETSU provides an important opportunity for our graduates to continue their pathway to a prosperous future that began at Chattanooga State, stated Dr. Ashford. Our graduates will be able to take advantage of a seamless transition to a high-quality bachelors degree at ETSU and then on to their careers. I am so very proud of the opportunities this agreement provides our graduates.



To learn more, contact Director of Records Kelli Roach at records@chattanoogastate.edu or Director of Recruiting Dr. Kisha Thomas at kisha.thomas@chattanoogastate.edu or call 423-697-2689.
The County Commission on Wednesday approved the $8 million purchase of the former Cigna headquarters on Goodwin Road in East Brainerd for use as an elementary school.

The deal comes with 19 acres and with an office building full of furniture. The office includes 98,562 square feet.

Justin Witt of the county schools said it is expected to cost $15 million to $20 million to convert the office for school use.

County Mayor Weston Wamp said the agreement worked out earlier called for the county to pay for the purchase and for the schools to fund the remodeling.

The Cigna headquarters was built in 1990 and renovated in 2020. It is LEED certified. It includes 700 parking spaces.

The purchase was from Empire Communities, which plans to develop the remainder of the 95-acre property with a variety of residential, office and commercial.

Casting the only no vote was Warren Mackey, who said the building was not large enough and would be filled with students when it opened.
Riverview home of Sam Dewees is on the left and of Warren Dewees on the right

The brothers Sam T. and Warren A. Dewees were longtime Chattanooga grocers as well as Cameron Hill residents. They first got a taste of life high on the prominent downtown hill. Then they settled in a big house at 309 West Sixth St. that was home to a host of Deweeses.

They were sons of Thomas and Wilhelmina Pennypacker Dewees. The father was a native of Pennsylvania and the mother was from Virginia. After the parents married, they settled in Ohio, where Thomas Dewees was a bricklayer.

The couple had seven sons. Warren, who was the fifth, was born in 1853 in Stark County, Ohio. He learned the bricklayer trade from his father. After arriving in Chattanooga in 1869, he was a bricklayer until 1872 when he took a job as driver for the Southern Express Company. He rose quickly through the ranks until he was the supervisor over 14 employees.

Sam Dewees was in Chattanooga during the war period after volunteering for the Union Army when he was only 15. As a 16-year-old he was present at the fierce fighting at Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge. During one bombardment, he ran for protection to one of the trenches in Fort Wood. A cannonball struck the ground a few yards in front of him. Being almost spent, it rolled into the trench. The cannonball struck the man at Dewees' side squarely in the forehead, though it did not crush his skull. The victim of this mishap survived, but he "did not recover his senses."

Sam Dewees returned to Chattanooga in 1868 and was first a clerk at the M. Block Drug Company. He was an alderman during the trying days of the Yellow Fever epidemic in 1878. He became a grocer in Chattanooga and a Cameron Hill resident. He was living on Magazine Street near James (West Ninth) in 1876, and Warren at the time was nearby on East Terrace close to James. By 1882, both were living on Poplar Street at the corner of Fifth. It was 1884 when they moved into 309 West Sixth.

The Dewees brothers were also joined in Chattanooga by two other brothers, Charles and Edward. Edward also went into the grocery business. Edward lived for a time at the 309 West Sixth house.

Warren stayed a bachelor, though Sam married Lida Strauss. Their children included a son Warren and another son, Tom S., who moved to Coral Gables, Fla. One daughter married Tom Selman. Another married Oscar Seagle, who was born at Ooltewah in 1877. He was a renowned baritone who traveled the United States and Europe giving concerts, including at Carnegie Hall. The Seagles lived at Schroon Lake, N.Y. Their talented son was named John Dewees Seagle. He was born in 1906 when they were living in Paris. The Seagles and Warren Dewees had gotten to Paris on the steamship Olympic at the time of the Titanic disaster. They were not informed about it until they landed in France.

Warren helped in the operation of the grocery that was on Market Street in addition to his work at Southern Express. Later, Warren rejoined his brother full-time in the grocery at 810 Market.



Sam and Warren Dewees built homes on the same lot in Riverview in 1911. Sam Dewees died in July 1928. Warren Dewees was living with the Selmans when he passed away in March 1934.

The house they had so long enjoyed at 309 West Sixth passed on to S.G. Light. L.L. Hudson was one of its final owners.




A woman told police she put her items behind a dumpster at the Quality Inn at 7013 Shallowford Road and when she returned all of her stuff was scattered across the parking lot. She said a taller black male with dreadlocks and a patchy beard said his items were gone and asked to look through the womans stuff. She agreed and the man then found his backpack. He then started to search through the womans purse and was getting irritated. The woman told him to not look through her purse but she ended up walking away. When she came back, her purse, ID, phone and $22 in cash were taken. She doesnt know the who the man is, but knows that he goes by Maurice.



* * *

An officer was called to Hamilton Place at 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd. where a man said he was sitting in his vehicle when he saw a woman in the car parked next to him open their door striking his vehicle, causing a chip in the paint. The man said the woman walked away as if nothing happened. The officer ran the plate of the vehicle next to him, a red Honda Accord. The officer attempted to locate the woman and eventually she returned to her car and the officer was able to get her side of the story. The woman said she didnt realize it happened. She apologized and provided her information.

* * *

The manager of Walgreens at 2289 Gunbarrel Road told police a homeless black male had shoplifted from the store. He was seen selecting merchandise, consuming it, and then leaving without paying for anything. The officer attempted to watch video however, it is hard to see the suspect as the camera footage has a purple tint that obscures vision. The estimated total value of merchandise consumed was around $15. If the suspect is identified, Walgreens wishes to prosecute and trespass the suspect.

* * *

An employee at REI, 2507 Lifestyle Way, told police a customer found a live 9mm bullet in the parking lot. This was given to the employee who gave it to police. The bullet was turned into CPD Property.

* * *

While on patrol, an officer saw a man panhandling on the interstate off ramp to Shallowford Road. The officer told the man of the laws regarding panhandling and being on the freeway. He was made clear not to panhandle on the interstate.

* * *

A woman on E. 18th Street told police her car was broken into. She said the car door was unlocked because there was no damage to the vehicle. There was a PlayStation 4 and Chrome Notebook that were taken from the car, valued at around $550. There is no suspect information at this time but another officer took a report from the neighbor who also had stuff taken from his car.

* * *



A woman on N. Marks Avenue told police someone attempted to steal her A/C unit. She said the unit was moved off of its base and that is why she believes someone attempted to steal it.

* * *

A man on Judys Lane told police he has a "Twitch" account and was contacted by someone in the chat claiming to be with "Lizard Squad Hacking". They told him they had all of his important information. They listed a previous address and his current phone number. Soon after, he started getting phone calls from an unknown number. A man left a voicemail, but no demands or threats were made at that time. He said it sounded like the caller had a British accent. The officer did a search on the number and found that it belongs to a California company. The man is worried that the hackers could gain access to his personal information and information on his computer pertaining to his work. He works from home. The officer told the man to contact his bank and start monitoring his credit report. The officer also asked him to contact Twitch and make a report with them and to contact his IT department at work and have them check his computer for a possible hack.

* * *

A woman on 6th Avenue told police she parked her 2011 Chevy Malibu on the side of the street in front of her residence. Sometime during the night, someone broke into her car and stole several items. She said the left side window was scratched and the right side window cracked.

* * *



A man on Preserve Drive told police a tenant pays him rent by direct deposit into his account with First Bank & Trust and recently the man noticed that an additional $1,000 had been deposited into his account by mistake and there was $2,100 extra in total. The man had been communicating with the tenant by email about this problem and the tenant told him to wire the $2,100 to an account with Wells Fargo and the name of the account holder read as "Jee H Kim". The mans bank then told him he had made a mistake and the money didnt go out when he tried to wire it, so he didn't lose any money. Then the man realized this was a scam attempt when the tenant called from a LaGrange phone number and became more demanding by email. He also realized that his tenant's email had been hacked by the suspect who had been communicating under the tenant's identity.

* * *

A woman on E. 17th Street called police and said she left her bicycle chained to her front porch the previous night and saw it around 10 p.m. She discovered that it was gone around 6 a.m. The chain had been cut.

* * *

Runners in the area of 724 N. Market St. called police complaining that an older, white, bearded man with a guitar case was yelling and cussing at the group as they ran by. Police arrived and spoke with the man. He seemed agitated but was cooperative with police. He said the runners were harassing him, calling him crazy. He agreed that a ride to the Community Kitchen was in his best interest before he began his journey back to Georgia, since he had grown annoyed with Chattanooga and its inhabitants. An officer transported the man to the Community Kitchen per his request. He thanked the officer for the assistance.
Members of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, NSDAR, from all over the United States attended the three-day Dedication Day at Kate Duncan Smith DAR School in Gunter, Al. last week. The Alabama Society DAR dedicated the Kate Duncan Smith school in 1924. The location in the Appalachian Mountains was selected to develop the social and economic growth of the people in that area. Much of the population at that time were descendants of Revolutionary War patriots. The schools mission is to provide opportunities for educational and personal growth for students while promoting patriotism, responsible citizenship, and the historic legacy of the school. To learn more about KDS visit, kdsdar.org.



Meg Lance, Chief John Ross Chapter DAR Schools chair, was in attendance at the Dedication Day celebration. While there learning more about KDS and seeing the children with their patriotic spirit, Mrs. Lance was able to meet the National Societys President General Pamela Wright, and the Tennessee State Regent Emily Robinson. The highlight of the event was the awards. Awards were presented from the NSDAR for $64,000 and from the Tennessee State Society for over $11,000. The NSDARs mission is to promote education, historic preservation and patriotism. The mission of education includes additional sponsored schools. These schools are Berry College, Crossnore School and Childrens Home, Hillside School, Inc. and Hindman Settlement School, Inc. DAR Schools Committees theme for the term 2022-2025 is Schools are the Jewels of DAR.



Chief John Ross Chapter in Chattanooga has grown steadily in membership since its founding almost 100 years ago and is proud now to be the third largest chapter in the state of Tennessee with 181 members. Any female 18 years or older who can prove that a Revolutionary War patriot is in her direct line is eligible and welcome to join the Chief John Ross Chapter, NSDAR.



The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a womens service organization whose members can trace their lineage to an individual who contributed to securing American independence during the Revolutionary War. Todays DAR is dynamic and diverse, with over 185,000 members in 3,000 chapters in the United States and abroad. DAR members annually provide millions of hours of volunteer service to their local communities across the country and world. DAR chapters participate in projects to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism. Over one million members have joined the organization since its founding in 1890.



To learn more about DAR membership visit www.tndar.org/-chiefjohnross/ or contact Jennifer Harvey, regent, at jenniferharveydar@yahoo.com.
The annual Teen Maze was held the week of Sept. 26 for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.



More than 2,000 10th graders from Whitfield County, the City of Dalton, Murray County and local private schools took part in the event at the North Georgia Fairgrounds. Students navigated through the maze that presented different scenarios and consequences related to underage drinking, driving under the influence, drug abuse, teen pregnancy and more.



It is so great to be back and doing this in person for our 10th year, said Tracie Simmons, who is a lead social worker for Whitfield County Schools and one of the Teen Maze coordinators. The Teen Maze is like the old board game of Life, and it demonstrates in a very safe space, that your choices have consequences, but they dont have to define who we are or who we become.



Ms, Simmons added that giving students this information is helpful because if theyre put in that real life situation, they will be able to make a better choice.



In one of the scenarios, students are directed to an emotional presentation by Chris Sandy and Eric Krug. Were just on a mission to help people get a reality check and make good choices, said Mr. Sandy, who served 8 years in prison for two counts of vehicular homicide by DUI.



It was the worst day of my life. Mr. Sandy says during his talk to the students, standing in front of a stage with a seven-foot by 12-foot imitation of a solitary confinement cell in prison. Beside him is Mr. Krug, who was a victim of a drunk driving accident. Mr. Krug suffered a traumatic brain injury on his 21st birthday that left him with the inability to talk and limited body function.



Eric and I met in 2006, and together we have teamed up to really give the kids we talk to an eye opener, Mr. Sandy says.



It takes an incredible amount of time and effort from more than 10 organizations to make the Teen Maze successful.



The whole community involvement is what is so amazing, said Lori McDaniel, director of Whitfield County Family Connections and one of the Teen Maze coordinators. It takes a lot of people to make this work. Every day we would have 200 or more volunteers all week helping to make this happen.



And after the Teen Maze when the students go back to school, Ms. McDaniel added, we send out a survey to ask if there is anything else we need to add or what we need to focus on more, which is extremely helpful, especially for the school social workers.



Individuals interested in volunteering for the Teen Maze in 2023 are encouraged to contact Whitfield County Family Connections at 706-934-2851.
Monday, Oct. 10, Online: October 10, MFGDay: Manufacturing Updates from China

2:30-3:30 p.m.

TN-China Network bring you this on-the-ground perspective on how to minimize risk, navigate challenges and seize growth opportunities in China.

Register here.

No cost.

Monday, Oct. 10, Online: QuickBooks Can Do WHAT?!

noon-1 p.m.

Learn how to use the most underutilized (and coolest) features in QuickBooks Online, along with recently added features. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the class, and you can ask any QBO questions you have.

Register here.

No cost.

Tuesday, Oct. 11

Hixson Council Community Coffee

8-9 a.m.

Country Inn & Suites in Hixson - 5000 New Country Dr.

Join us at our Monthly Hixon Council Community Coffee that happens the Second Tuesday of the month. We will have a great time of networking; remember to bring a fresh stack of business cards.

No Cost.

Tuesday, Oct. 11, Blood Drive

9 a.m.-noon

Business Development Center: 100 Cherokee Blvd.

Blood Assurance will be coming to the INC for a blood drive. This event is open to the public, so tell your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to join us. No registration is necessary, but for more information about Blood Assurance and donation requirements, visit their website here.

No cost.

Tuesday, Oct. 11, Ambassadors

noon-1 p.m.

Jonathans  East Ridge: 631 Camp Jordan Pkwy.

Come join the Chattanooga Chamber Ambassadors for lunch to learn more about how to volunteer to better engage with member businesses.

Please RSVP to Meredith Rivers, mrivers@chattanoogachamber.com

Wednesday, Oct. 12, Online: Ask an Attorney (Q&A)

11 a.m.-noon

In this one-hour Q&A session, you have access to an attorney and can ask your business-related legal questions at no cost.

Register here.

No cost.

Wednesday, Oct. 12, Minority Business Financial Literacy Series Part 4

5:30-7:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Chamber's Business Incubator, 100 Cherokee Blvd.

Join us for the fourth session of the Minority Business Financial Literacy series, this free event will educate minority business owners on how to navigate business money management. Bethany Gardner-Grant of Regions Bank will facilitate a five-part series introducing minority business owners to steps and tactics of how to develop and maintain a sufficient banking relationship.

Register here.

Thursday, Oct. 13

Southside Council Meeting

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Green|Spaces, 63 E. Main St.

Come Network with us, and hear from Shawnessey Cargile, Enrollment and Matching Specialist at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga. Sponsored by Conversant Group, catered by Wanderlinger Brewing Co.

Register here.

Meeting cost $15

Friday, Oct. 14

MidTown Council Coffee at the Airport

8-9 a.m.

Chattanooga Airport Parking Garage  4th Floor / Observation Deck

Join the MidTown Council for coffee and networking.

Register here.

Meeting Cost: Free  Donations for Brainerd Community Food Pantry Requested

Friday, Oct. 14, Ribbon Cutting for Biomat USA

5-5:30 p.m.

Biomat USA: 5744 Brainerd Road

Join the Chattanooga Chamber for a ribbon cutting event for Biomat USA.

No cost.
On Thursday, as the US redeployed one of its aircraft carriers close to the Korean Peninsula in retaliation for the North's recent firing of a potent missile over Japan, the North launched two ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters.

The launches on Thursday morning were spaced 22 minutes apart, according to a statement from the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea. According to the report, South Korea has increased its surveillance posture and keeps itself ready in close conjunction with the US.

North Korea Launches More Missiles

The launches Thursday were North Korea's sixth round of weapons firings in less than two weeks, which has prompted condemnation from the United States and other nations. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also confirmed the North Korean missile launches, calling the firings intolerable.

For the first time in five years, North Korea launched an intermediate-range missile over Japan on Tuesday, prompting the Japanese government to issue evacuation advisories and halt rail service.

This was North Korea's most recent provocative weapon demonstration. According to experts, the weapon was probably a Hwasong-12 missile that could travel as far as Guam in the US Pacific region, as per NBC News.

After the US held military exercises in the waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula with South Korea and Japan, the North conducted a flurry of recent weapons tests. The purpose of the drills on Tuesday was to demonstrate a shared capability to thwart a North Korean strike on the South.

The allies launched two Army Tactical Missile System missiles each during training bombing missions by F-15 attack jets utilizing precision ammunition. Nevertheless, during the exercise, one of South Korea's ballistic missiles malfunctioned and fell on shore, causing alarm among the inhabitants of the coastal city of Gangneung.

These actions are thought to be North Korea's practice for an invasion. Hours before the exercises, the nation made its most provocative display since 2017 by launching its missile. The launched nuclear-capable ballistic missile has a range that allows it to reach Guam, which is home to one of the biggest US military installations in Asia.

In 2017, North Korea again conducted missile tests that were able to reach the US mainland. Following Tuesday's launch, the United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway, and Ireland demanded that the UN Security Council convene in an emergency session, according to CBS News.

Read Also: US Navy Deploys New Aircraft Carrier That Boasts New Technology, Including EMALS System [Full Details]

US Navy Sends Aircraft Carrier in Japan

In the meantime, after the rogue nation flew an intermediate-range missile over Japan for the first time in five years on Tuesday, the US Navy sent an aircraft carrier to the waters between North Korea and Japan.

Navy images show that on Tuesday, the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan passed through the Tsugaru-Kaikyo Strait, which separates Honshu and Hokkaido, the two largest islands in Japan.

The action follows Pyongyang's fifth missile test in the previous two weeks. The Reagan is headquartered in Japan and frequently patrols the Western Pacific, but according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the carrier's shift on Wednesday was intended to retaliate against North Korea, as reported by The Korea Herald.

The Navy would comment on whether Reagan's relocation to the area was in response to Pyongyang's most recent launch, adding that it does not comment on future activities, although the service did confirm the ship remained in the Sea of Japan on Wednesday.

In reaction to North Korea's most recent missile test, the US and South Korea have been practicing live fire. A South Korean ballistic missile malfunctioned and burst as it struck the ground during one of these drills, terrifying the locals in the area, New York Post reported.

Related Article: Indications That Vladimir Putin's Threat of Nuclear War is True; Here Are Places To Be Affected Most!

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The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the Department of Communication announced the passing of Dr. David Sachsman, the George R. West, Jr. Chair of Excellence in Communication and Public Affairs.The announcement to campus was made by Provost Jerold Hale. Felicia McGhee, head of the Department of Communication, penned the following tribute.For the last 30 years, Dr. Sachsman has been a valuable member of the university and the department. He regularly taught the departments Senior Seminar and a course in Public Communication and Environmental Issues, touching the lives of thousands of communication majors.His contributions to scholarship in the fields of environmental communication, environmental risk reporting, and journalism history are eminence.He published 23 books and dozens of articles covering a range of topics including journalism history, environmental communication, journalism, and mass communication. At the time of his death, Dr. Sachsman was working on his 24th book.As the West Chair of Excellence, Dr. Sachsman hosted an annual Symposium on the 19th Century Press, the Civil War, and Free Expression. Started in 1993, the symposium created a supportive environment for scholars studying a range of topics related to U.S. mass media of the 19th century, the Civil War in fiction and history, and freedom of expression in the 19th century. Dr. Sachsman was particularly proud of how the symposium fostered new scholars, with many first attending as graduate students and then continuing to participate in the conference as their career progressed. Since 2000, work from the symposium has been published in eight books edited by Dr. Sachsman, as well as dozens of other publications created by symposium attendees.Dr Sachsman joined UTC in 1991. Before coming to UTC, he was the founding dean of the School of Communications at California State University, Fullerton from 1988 to 1991, and chair of the Department of Journalism and Mass Media at Rutgers University from 1983 to 1988. He was also a Senior Fulbright-Hays Scholar in the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.Dr. Sachsman had over 50 years of teaching experience, having taught at these institutions as well as at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and at California State University, Haywood.Dr. Sachsman earned a Ph.D. in Public Affairs Communication and a masters degree in Communication from Stanford University. He earned a bachelors degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania.Dr. Sachsman leaves behind his wife Judy, daughter Suzanne, son Jonathan, and four grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are forthcoming.
The city of Chattanooga on Thursday announced that its new wet weather equalization station, consisting of three large storage tanks that can hold up to 30 million gallons of wastewater, has effectively prevented untreated wastewater from overflowing into the Tennessee River during heavy rains since it became fully operational in June.

Officials said, "By protecting the river from contamination by tens of millions of gallons of raw sewage that would otherwise be overflowing into it every year, the new facility is helping preserve one of the regions most important assets, while also satisfying the terms of the citys consent decree."

Mayor Tim Kelly said, The Tennessee River is literally and figuratively the essence of our sustainability - the source of our drinking water, our scenic beauty, and our recreation, as well as a major driver of our economic vitality. Thats why this facility is so important for our future. By protecting our river, it will help preserve our future growth and prosperity, ensuring we can attract global talent and provide residents and visitors alike a cleaner, greener, more sustainable city for generations to come.

The storage tanks are among a number of improvements Chattanooga has constructed in order to end the discharge of untreated sewage into the Tennessee River, said Mark Heinzer, interim director of the Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus.

He said, On Aug. 10 of this year, when Chattanooga was hit with a 10-year rain event that flooded streets, parking lots, and buildings, one very important thing did not happen - not one gallon of untreated wastewater overflowed into the Tennessee River, thanks to the citys new wet weather equalization station. Instead, 18 million gallons of wastewater and rainwater overflow was pumped into tanks and later slowly released into our treatment plant for purification. This represents a huge step forward in our work to preserve our outdoor resources and create a more sustainable future for our city, and I want to thank all of the talented, dedicated partners and teams who helped make it possible, including our Department of Public Works, Jacobs Engineering, Hazen and Sawyer, and Reeves Young Construction.

Officials said in addition to the completion of the equalization station, the Department of Public Works has made significant progress in repairing and rehabilitating other parts of the citys wastewater system since entering into the consent decree in 2013, including:

Rehabilitating 12 pump stations, with four more on the way in 2023.

Completing 12 capital projects to improve the Moccasin Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant

Inspecting and evaluating 284 miles of pipe and rehabilitating 73 miles of pipe, or about 25 percent of the system

Rehabilitating over 2,000 manholes

Cleaning approximately 1 million feet of pipe throughout the city annually

Officials said a consent decree "is simply an agreement between the federal government and local government meant to correct a violation of federal law to avoid costly litigation. In this case, Chattanoogas old and inadequate sewer system, which combined both sewage and the citys often torrential rainfall into one combined system, was repeatedly overflowing during heavy rains, causing nearly 100 million gallons of untreated wastewater to flow into the Tennessee River every year.

"The resulting contamination of the Tennessee River violated the federal Clean Water Act, and in response, the city entered into a consent decree with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the EPA in 2013 to start rehabilitating and renewing its wastewater system.

"Chattanooga is approximately half way through its $1.1 billion, 17-year commitment under the consent decree, and the construction of the new equalization station marks a significant milestone in the citys work."
General Sessions Court Judge Lila Statom on Thursday set a $500,000 bond along with a $1,500 bond on failure to render aid on a vehicular homicide case that happened in September.

Police said Neil Peter Meyer, 36, was driving a motorcycle with his girlfriend as a passenger when he hit a guardrail and wrecked. He then left the scene.

Killed was 39-year-old Kristie Leigh Hudson, of nearby Harbor View Drive.

Police said she had been dragged about 50 feet on the motorcycle.

Police said Meyer went back to the residence at Hidden Harbor where he met her children, ages 16, 14 and 7. Meyer ran into the house, then soon left in a Dodge Ram.

Meyer sent a text to the 16-year-old, saying he "admitted to blacking out and not sure what happened." He said he "hit his head so hard and didn't remember much." He said he "tried to pick her up, but his legs, lungs, abs, ribs were smashed and he so sorry the road was wet and had no traction."

A damaged motorcycle helmet was found at a cul de sac near the woman's home.

Chattanooga Police Department Traffic Division responded to the call in the 5300 block of Fairview Road. According to the affidavit filed by traffic investigator Steven York, a motorist spotted the victim lying in the front yard of the residence. Upon checking her he discovered that she was deceased from injuries sustained in the crash.

Investigators found a 2018 Harley Davidson motorcycle at the scene along with two helmets. No other person was at the scene than the deceased.

Meyer was charged with vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to render aid, tampering with evidence and violation of the registration law in connection with the crash. Hamilton County magistrates had signed warrants and Meyer was picked up in Hamblen County. They already assigned a $50,000 bond on the tampering with evidence.







Meyer was located in Morristown and was later transported to the Hamilton County Jail from there.







In the bond hearing held Thursday, Officer York testified that his investigation had found out that Meyer was originally from California and moved to Tennessee. While in California he was part of the 5 Diamonds Motorcycle Gang, the officer said.

Assistant District Attorney General James Pulido pointed out to Judge Statom that Meyer had previous DUI history in California along with some drug charges.

Judge Statom set conditions with the bond that a hearing must be held prior to the bond being made to determine where the funds came from and that upon release he would be on pre-trial probation and wear an ankle monitor.
Former Chattanooga mayor Andy Berke was appointed on Thursday by President Joe Biden to serve as administrator of the Rural Utilities Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Officials said, "Mr. Berke is a dedicated public servant with a history of advocating for rural communities in federal, state and local government. Most recently, he served as a special representative for Broadband at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in the U.S. Department of Commerce. Prior to joining NTIA, Mr. Berke served as mayor of Chattanooga, from 2013 to 2021, during which he established a first-of-its-kind program to expand free high-speed internet service to families with children receiving free or reduced lunch at school. In addition, his administration launched efforts to reduce poverty, improve aging infrastructure and increase the use of clean energy. During his time as mayor, Mr. Berke was named a Digital Inclusion Trailblazer by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Municipal Leader of the Year by American City and County magazine, and City Executive of the Year by State Scoop. He was also awarded the Digital Inclusion Award from Next Century Cities in 2017."

In 2007, Mr. Berke was elected to the Tennessee State Senate, where he served until 2012. During his tenure, he was on the Senate Transportation and Education Committees and was appointed to the Governors State Workforce Development Board and Interagency Coordinating Council on Early Learning. Mr. Berke also served as a law clerk for the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and as a legislative assistant for U.S. Representative Bart Gordon of Tennessee.

Throughout his career, Andy has demonstrated a clear and constant vision to improve the lives of rural Americans, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Andys advocacy for better services, safer streets and improved infrastructure makes him an inspired choice for the role of Rural Utilities Service Administrator. I look forward to his continued leadership at USDA.

Outside of government, Mr. Berke has been a partner at urban planning and consulting firm Cityfi, a special advisor to the Chancellor of Vanderbilt University, and a managing partner at Berke, Berke & Berke.

He received his Bachelor of Science from Stanford University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Chicago Law School.
Filmmaker Ali Abbasi makes an infuriating and terrifying cultural feature with Holy Spider. He tries to avoid making any political or religious statement, but the subject he chose requires it. This serial killer drama explores the fascinating, yet enraging idea of a culture that predominantly celebrated a mans misogynistic killings of female sex workers. Holy Spider is consistently engaging, but its perspective gives too much sympathy to a man and his twisted ideas that deserve none.

Holy Spider introduces a misogynist killer based on a true story

Zar Amir-Ebrahimi as Rahimi | Utopia

Based on the Spider Killers 2000-2001 crimes in Iran, Holy Spider takes place in the dark underbelly of Mashhad. Rahimi (Zar Amir-Ebrahimi) is a journalist who enters the city with the intent of digging into the brutal murders of female sex workers. She questions why the police havent found a shred of evidence to track him down, but its because they arent actually looking very hard to find him.

Little does Rahimi realize, when Saeed (Mehdi Bajestani) isnt prowling the streets for his next victim, hes a family man. He has a wife and children, but intends to keep the two parts of his life separate. However, Saeed doesnt believe that hes doing anything wrong  he thinks that hes cleansing the streets of sinners.

Writer/director Ali Abbasi peeks into a society that created a monster

Holy Spider opens with the following text: Every man shall meet what he wishes to avoid. The more literal meaning behind this quote applies to the Spider Killer as a man who tries to evade sin and his community from discovering his actions. However, another way of looking at this quote is to remove gender from its use of man and apply it to all humans, including the female sex workers he hunts. Abbasis initial perspective character is a woman who becomes a victim via strangulation. Mashhad contains many dangers for sex workers, and this killer intends to serve every woman like her exactly what they wish to avoid  hatred, violence, and death.

Misogyny overflows every corner of the narrative. Rahimi travels alone and finds herself unable to check herself into a hotel room without a man accompanying her until she presents herself as a journalist. Even in a socially respectable career, shes unable to escape the cultures prejudices that also haunt the sex workers. Other people define Rahimi by the men who exploit her, regardless of whether thats a previous employer or the self-righteous Spider Killer who yearns to see his crimes end up in the newspaper.

The Spider Killer only pursues the women he perceives as corrupt by his own moral and religious compass. However, this comes from a place of inadequacy, as he seeks to find meaning in his life. Despite having a family that relies on him, he pursues the path of martyrdom, which only further displays the corruption of power in Iran. Unfortunately, the Spider Killer isnt alone in his vile beliefs that deem certain lives as worthless, disgusting, and worth ending for good.

Holy Spider is a frustrating, but captivating crime drama

Holy Spider Zar Amir-Ebrahimi as Rahimi | Utopia

Abbasi filmed Holy Spider in Jordan, but its clear that the spirit of Mashhad is a character all its own. The film goes to great lengths to make the city come alive, often utilizing city sounds and the bass in cars passing to generate a natural uneasiness. The streets never feel safe when viewed through a womans eyes.

The Spider Killers identity is intentionally revealed early on, removing all of the tension from Rahimis investigation for the truth. Abbasi and Afshin Kamran Bahramis screenplay puts emphasis on the drama than the thriller in this true crime story. Saeeds identity doesnt really matter for the point that theyre getting at, which is how culture has the power to create and support a serial killer. The most haunting element of this is how it has the ability to encourage other killers to take their place.

Tragically, this provides Saeed with the most substantially dramatic moments. Rahimi is the lens that allows the audience to somewhat relate to this world, as shes not a local to the area. However, it takes the power away from her narrative. The killer has more character development, while Rahimis character arc is hardly visible. The Spider Killers hatred of corrupt women and viewing them as worthless objects perhaps isnt critiqued as much as it should be. Abbasi presents a male gaze into the lives and worth of sex workers, failing to give them nuance.

He wants the story of the Spider Killer to exist in a vacuum of cultural intrigue, but to ignore the other factors that play into his narrative is a disservice. Amir-Ebrahimi turns in a phenomenal performance, but much like the sex workers, her character is tossed aside, only worth the lens that she serves as for the viewer. Nevertheless, its an experience guaranteed to spark a reaction. Holy Spider is an emotionally stomach-churning crime drama thats sure to leave your fists clenched with anger.

Holy Spider is Denmarks official submission for the 95th Academy Awards for Best International Feature.

RELATED: Speak No Evil Movie Review [Sundance 2022]: Politeness Makes for Disturbing Horror Fare
Josh Hartnett Challenged Taking off His Shirt in Films Because He Didnt Like His Body

Actor Josh Hartnett was once seen as one of Hollywoods most popular heartthrobs. But despite his growing status as a sex symbol, Hartnett was against showing off his skin on camera.

Josh Hartnett took a break from Hollywood because of his stardom

Josh Hartnett |Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan

In his younger years, Hartnett was considered an A-list superstar with several noticeable films under his belt. It helped that his looks and charisma gave him a reputation of being a heartthrob. But eventually, Hartnett chose to take a break from the spotlight. The attention that came with his newfound celebrity profile became too much for his personal life.

I was on the cover of every magazine. I couldnt really go anywhere. I didnt feel comfortable in my own skin. I was alone. I didnt trust anyone. So I went back to Minnesota and got back together with my old friends  ended up getting back together with my high school girlfriend for a while  and I didnt do any filming for 18 months, Hartnett once said in an interview with Details(via HuffPost). Im still finding my way through all that.

After returning to the film industry, Hartnett found himself fighting for roles in a way he didnt have to before. But he considered this a good thing.

I didnt have to struggle as an actor, although I think that Ive made up for it now, Hartnett added. I still get offered films and TV roles, luckily, but years ago, if I saw a role I wanted, there was a good chance I could grab it. When I see a role now, Ive got to fight for it. Its not bad. Its actually more rewarding. Depressing when something doesnt go your way, but only for a minute.

Josh Hartnett would challenge taking off his shirt in films

Hartnett was willing to go shirtless on screen if the film called for it. But whenever the opportunity presented itself, the Penny Dreadful actor confided that hed fight to keep his clothes on.

Im not comfortable with it yet, but well see. Some people have this meat-market mentality, so youve got to take your shirt off because it will bring girls into the theater. When that comes up on set, I challenge it, he once said speaking to Interview.

One of the reasons Hartnett didnt feel comfortable going shirtless was because of issues regarding his body.

I dont have a very good body. Some of these guys work out every day. I work out maybe once a year, so theyve got me beat, he added.

Josh Hartnett only feels alright with nudity if it serves a purpose

Although the Pearl Harbor star has expressed his concerns for nudity, disrobing is easier for him if it has a purpose behind it.

On film, if it doesnt help the story, its not my favorite thing. I do show some stuff in the show, but I fight to make sure that its funny or character driven, Hartnett once confided to Elle.

RELATED: Why Josh Hartnett Wishes He Had Played Batman: Ive Definitely Said No to Some of the Wrong People
TL;DR:

Mick Jagger wrote a Rolling Stones lyric about dreams.

He was asked whether he had ever been to a psychiatrist so he could discuss his dreams.

Jagger said the risque line was a joke.

The Rolling Stones Mick Jagger | Evening Standard/Getty Images

The Rolling Stones Mick Jagger was asked about one of the songs from the album Exile on Main St. He related the song to discussions of dreams by Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare. Subsequently, he said the lyric in question was a joke.

The Rolling Stones Mick Jagger had a lot to say regarding a line about dreams from 1 of his songs

During a 1978 interview with Rolling Stone, Jagger was asked about the line I only get my rocks off while Im dreaming from The Rolling Stones Rocks Off. I dont dream more than anybody else, he said. But dreams are a great inspiration for the lowliest rock n roll writer to the greatest playwrights.

Jagger discussed how some famous writers related to their dreams. Chaucer was a great one for dreams, he said. He was a great one for explaining them and making fun of the astrological explanations. He used to take the piss out of most of them, but some of them he took seriously.

Shakespeare, too, knew a lot about early English witchcraft and religion, and Chaucer had some sort of similar knowledge, he added. Today we have psychiatrists to interpret dreams.

RELATED: Mick Jagger Said The Rolling Stones Werent Trying to Sound Like The Beatles on Their Lennon-McCartney Song

Mick Jagger took his dreams seriously even though he did not like to jot them down

Jagger was asked if hed visited a psychiatrist. Never, not once, he replied. Ive read a lot of [Carl] Jung, and I would have gone to see him because he was interesting, do you know what I mean? For context, Jung was a famous psychiatrist known for his interpretations of dreams and myths.

Anyway, dreams are very important, and I get good ideas from them, Jagger revealed. I dont jot them down, I just remember them  the experiences of them  theyre so different from everyday experiences. But the line in Rocks Off is really a joke.

RELATED: The Rolling Stones Mick Jagger Was Asked if Keith Richards Overshadowed Him as a Musician

How The Rolling Stones Rock Off performed on the pop charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

Rocks Off was a promotional single that never charted on the Billboard Hot 100. The track appeared on the album Exile on Main St. The album topped the Billboard 200 for four weeks, staying on the chart for a total of 57 weeks.

The Official Charts Company reports Rocks Off didnt chart in the United Kingdom either. Meanwhile, Exile on Main St. topped the U.K. chart for a single week. It lasted on the chart for 16 weeks altogether.

Rocks Off was never a hit but it provoked interesting discussion about dreams.

RELATED: Marianne Faithfull Wanted All Royalties From a Song She Wrote With The Rolling Stones Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Prince Williams Real Feelings Toward Camilla Parker Bowles Revealed: Sees Her as Fathers Wife but Not a Step-Grandmother to His Children Claims Royal Author

A royal author reveals Prince Williams real feelings toward Camilla Parker Bowles in a new book. The Prince of Wales welcomed Camilla to his family as his father, King Charles IIIs wife, in 2005. However, when it comes to his children, Princes George, Louis, and Princess Charlotte, Williams feelings are reportedly quite different. The author claims the Prince of Wales doesnt consider Camilla a step-grandmother to his children.

Prince William and Camilla Parker Bowles | Victoria Jones  WPA Pool/Getty Images

Prince William was an adult when King Charles III married Camilla Parker Bowles

King Charles III and Camilla wed in 2005 after a relationship spanning over 30 years. Robert Jobson, the author of the book Williams Princess, spoke to Express, discussing William and his brother Harrys reactions to their fathers second marriage.

Although the family was publicly united, the brothers reacted quite differently privately. Jobson claims William and Harry were unhappy their father was marrying Camilla. Privately, their mood was more one of acceptance than undiluted joy at the prospect of having Camilla as their stepmother.

It has been challenging for William and Harry to accept Camilla as a fixture in their fathers life, said the author. King Charles IIIs sons were pleased with their fathers happiness but had complicated feelings about his and Camillas relationship.

Jobson wrote the idea their mother; the late Princess Diana, was sacrificial in thier love story was hurtful. They loved their mother and are fiercely loyal to her memory  and know that Camilla was the cause of her terrifying unhappiness.

Royal author writes of Prince Williams reported claims that Camilla wont be a step-grandmother to his children

Kate Middleton, Prince William and children Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte | Jonathan Brady  Pool/Getty Images

In a book titled Camilla: From Outcast to Queen Consort, royal author Angela Levin told Express how the queen consort manages her relationships with her husbands children and grandchildren.

Levin wrote: William has made it clear that Camilla is his fathers wife, but not a step-grandmother to his children. The author added that William believes his three children have two grandfathers but only one grandmother.

However, Levin applauded the queen consort for the way she handled her delicate relationship with her stepsons. She was a friendly grown-up they occasionally saw at royal gatherings. She tried to be encouraging rather than influential, the author wrote.

Nor has she tried to take over any responsibility as a step-grandmother to the Cambridges children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, especially as Catherines parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, are so close.

King Charles reportedly leans heavily on the Prince of Wales and queen consort in his new role

? Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort with Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales.



Taken at Buckingham Palace on 18th September by @ChrisJack_Getty . pic.twitter.com/heUi1C5E15  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 1, 2022

According to Us Weekly, King Charles III has been leaning heavily on his son and wife since beginning his reign as the king of the United Kingdom. An official portrait of King Charles III, Camilla, William, and Kate Middleton, was a study of family unity.

During his first official speech after assuming the throne after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Charles spoke lovingly of his wife and son.

I count on the loving help of my darling wife, Camilla. In recognition of her loyal public service since our marriage seventeen years ago, she has become my Queen Consort. I know she will bring to the demands of her new role the steadfast devotion to duty on which I have come to rely so much, Charles stated.

As my Heir, William now assumes the Scottish titles which have meant so much to me. He succeeds me as Duke of Cornwall and takes on the responsibilities for the Duchy of Cornwall, which I have undertaken for over five decades.

Today, I am proud to create him, Prince of Wales. With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center ground where vital help can be given, the king of the United Kingdom concluded.

RELATED: Would Prince William Have Been Able to Keep His Childhood Promise to Restore Princess Dianas HRH Title as King?
See How Kate Middleton Conducted Herself While Being Heckled During a Royal Walkabout

While Kate Middleton was meeting and greeting a crowd on a royal tour of Ireland, she encountered a person who heckled her right to her face.

Was the Princess of Wales able to keep her famous composure, or did the remarks elicit a reaction? And why might someone from Ireland feel compelled to confront Kate? Read on to find out.

Kate Middleton | Liam McBurney/POOL/AFP/Getty Images

A heckler confronted Kate Middleton and told her Ireland belongs to the Irish

While in Northern Ireland with Prince William, meeting well-wishers during a walkabout, someone heckled Kate. As reported by People, the princess shook the individuals hand, and they told her, Nice to meet you, but it would be better if it was when you were in your own country.

If the interaction bothered the royal, she didnt show it to the untrained eye. Kate laughed graciously and continued shaking hands while the person, who was also recording the interaction, added, Ireland belongs to the Irish.

But Kate didnt respond further, moving on to greet others with a smile. Its easy to believe that she followed some well-established royal protocol for graceful etiquette in uncomfortable situations.

"Ireland belongs to the Irish", one woman who shook Kate Middleton's hand told her during a visit to Northern Ireland on Thursday. 'Nice to meet you, but it'd better if you were in your own country', she said, to which the British royal laughed (via @chrisshipitv) pic.twitter.com/nmaDE0j1UT  Jack Quann (@jqbilbao) October 6, 2022

Someone heckled Kate Middleton after 800 years of conflict over Irish independence

According to Smithsonian Associates, Ireland and Britain share a troubled past. Since England first invaded the country more than eight centuries ago, Ireland has suffered from war, religious conflict, and political division.

Furthermore, the encounter between the English and the Irish has also left a profound legacy in Irish culture and even in the landscape itself.

After centuries of conflict, Ireland eventually split into two factions: Northern Ireland, which is still part of the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland, an independent country. But through the years, voices like Sir Paul McCartney have called to Give Ireland Back to the Irish.

And that history might have motivated Kates heckler.

Queen Elizabeth II once expressed her deep sympathy for the sad and regrettable history between the U.K. and Ireland.

As reported by the Guardian, the late Queen Elizabeth II broke her tradition of living by the family motto of never complain, never explain when she made the closest thing to a public apology Ireland had seen. She expressed her deep sympathy in 2011.

It is a sad and regrettable reality that through history our islands have experienced more than their fair share of heartache, turbulence, and loss , she said at a dinner at Dublin Castle. With the benefit of historical hindsight, we can all see things which we wish had been done differently, or not at all.

She added, To all those who have suffered as a consequence of our troubled past, I extend my sincere thoughts and deep sympathy.

Notably, those who suffered included her family, as a member of the Irish Republican Army assassinated her husbands uncle in 1979. To honor what had been lost, she said she wanted to bow to the past but not to be bound by it.

The beloved monarch explained, The lessons of the peace process are clear: whatever life throws at us, our individual responsibilities will be all the stronger for working together and sharing the load .

RELATED: Kate Middleton Cradles a Newborn in Adorable New Photos From Her Recent Hospital Visit
A paper just published in the journal Chemical Science calls for urgent attention to the crucial role that chemistry must play in tackling the multiple crises that are now unfolding due to the transgression of planetary boundaries. Nine boundaries, first proposed in 2009, define safe operating spaces within which humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations to come. Several of the boundaries have been quantified in terms of the concentrations of chemicals released into the environment. Prof. Henning Hopf of Technische Universitat Braunschweig together with Prof. Stephen Matlin, Visiting Professor in the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, and an international group of scientists propose three crucial steps for chemists to respond to the worldwide crises.

The Planetary boundaries are concerned with climate change (driven by greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide and methane); change in biosphere integrity (biodiversity loss and extinctions); stratospheric ozone depletion; ocean acidification; nitrogen and phosphorus flows to the biosphere and oceans (biogeochemical flows); land-system change; freshwater consumption and the global hydrological cycle; atmospheric aerosol loading (particulate matter in the air, partly originating from burning fossil fuels and biomass); and release of novel entities.

Chemistrys extraordinary success as the science of transformation of matter, bringing huge benefits to the health, wealth and wellbeing of humanity, has been central to the expanding quantity and diversity of artefacts generated by human beings. The production of anthropogenic mass (global total dry mass of material contained in inanimate solid objects made by humanity) doubled every 20 years since 1900, in 2020 reaching 30 billion tonnes per year and totalling c. 1.1 trillion tonnes present on the planet. This accumulated amount equalled the dry weight of total biomass on Earth for the first time and, on current trends, total anthropogenic mass will be triple the dry weight of biomass by 2040. Concomitantly, the global chemical industrys production capacity (excluding pharmaceuticals) almost doubled between 2000 and 2017, from about 1.2 to 2.3 billion tonnes.

Recent assessments alarmingly indicate that many of the worlds leading chemicals are transgressing one or more of the nine Planetary Boundaries. In the case of novel entities, for which no Planetary Boundary control variable has yet been agreed internationally, it has been proposed that a measure of the production and release of plastics is one possible parameter  and this boundary has also already been transgressed.

The deepening and accelerating crises cannot be ignored and there is a once-in-a-century opportunity for chemistry to make a critical difference to the future of people and planet. The international group of authors of the paper in Chemical Science propose three crucial steps for chemists to respond to the wake-up call: (1) urgently working to understand the nature of the looming threats, from a chemistry perspective; (2) harnessing the ingenuity and innovation that are central to the practice of chemistry to develop sustainable solutions; and (3) transforming chemistry itself, in education, research and industry, to re-position it as chemistry for sustainability and lead the stewardship of the worlds chemical resources. This will require conservation of material stocks in forms that remain available for use, through attention to circularity, as well as strengthening engagement in systems-based approaches to designing chemistry research and processes informed by convergent working with many other disciplines. The paper has been designated pick-of-the-week by Chemical Science, which is the flagship journal of the UKs Royal Society of Chemistry.

The authors of the paper, Chemistry must respond to the crisis of transgression of planetary boundaries, are scientists affiliated with the Chemists for Sustainability group of the International Organization for Chemical Sciences in Development (IOCD). This organization is a not-for-profit international non-governmental organization founded in 1981 and registered in Namur, Belgium. IOCD promotes the pursuit and application of the chemical sciences for sustainable development and economic growth and its current priority focus is on the role of the chemical sciences in global sustainability. The IOCD group Chemists for Sustainability (C4S) is an international group of chemists who believe that chemistry and related sciences have indispensable roles to play in helping the world to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The group has served advocacy and think-tank roles through written articles, lectures at various fora and web materials.
The launch of a missile by North Korea on Thursday morning occurred in the midst of a UN Security Council discussion on the rising threats Pyongyang poses.

The US ambassador to the UN claimed that by protecting Pyongyang from sanctions, Russia and China were supporting the regime.

US Lashes at North Korea in UN

According to Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Two members of this council have gone out of their way to defend the DPRK's repeated provocations and resist every effort to update the sanctions regime. She urged the UN representatives to maintain their unity despite recent conflicts. However, the envoy of China accused the US and its partners of conducting military drills in the area. He says they've made the confrontation much harsher.

Eleven nations, including the US and Japan, issued a joint statement strongly denouncing the launches after the summit. They claimed that the North had threatened the international community and violated numerous Security Council resolutions, as per NHK World Japan.

After testing a ballistic missile on Tuesday that flew over Japan for the first time in five years and triggering a warning for citizens there to seek cover, the 15-member council on North Korea met on Wednesday. A public council meeting was opposed by China and Russia because they believed it would not help to defuse the crisis.

The Security Council must act constructively instead of relying exclusively on harsh language or pressure, according to Geng Shuang, China's deputy UN ambassador. China and Russia publicly divided the UN Security Council for the first time since it began punishing Pyongyang in 2006 when they blocked a US-led effort to impose additional UN sanctions on North Korea over its repeated ballistic missile tests in May.

The Security Council was informed by Russia's deputy UN ambassador, Anna Evstigneeva, that introducing fresh sanctions against DPRK is a dead end and brings zero results. We are certain that the UN and Security Council tools need to be utilized to facilitate the inter-Korean dialogue and multilateral negotiations rather than obstruct them, the official added.

Read Also: Russia Nuclear Bomb: Former Secretary of Defense Reveals What US Can Do If Vladimir Putin Sends Nuclear Weapon to Ukraine

China, Russia Against UN Sanctions on North Korea

The Security Council has long prohibited North Korea from conducting nuclear testing and ballistic missile launches and has therefore tightened sanctions. China and Russia, two countries with veto power, have recently proposed UN sanctions against North Korea be loosened for humanitarian reasons and to draw Pyongyang back to stalled international negotiations intended to persuade Kim to denuclearize.

Joint military drills between the United States and South Korea were held responsible by China and Russia for inciting North Korea. Thomas-Greenfield disagreed with the comments, claiming that "these two pursuits are not equivalent, according to NDTV.

Tokyo ordered citizens to seek cover after North Korea performed its longest-ever weapons test on Tuesday, during which a nuclear-capable ballistic missile soared over Japan. Early on Tuesday, the government issued a warning advising citizens in Japan's northeastern prefecture of Aomori and its northernmost main island of Hokkaido to remain indoors.

According to the White House, US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida confirmed that they would continue to closely coordinate their short- and long-term responses on a bilateral, trilateral, and international level.

North Korea fired missiles last week in what appeared to be a protest against joint naval exercises involving the US and South Korea. North Korea has conducted a record number of missile tests under the Kim Jong-un leadership as it increases the size of its arsenal, ZeeNews reported.

Related Article: Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Program Will Start Soon; Here's What You Need To Apply!

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The two materials researchers Nicole Kleger (l.) and Simona Fehlmann want to conquer the market with 3D-printed framework out of salt.

Materials scientists Nicole Kleger and Simona Fehlmann have developed a 3D printing process for creating salt templates that they can fill with other materials. One area of application is the creation of highly porous lightweight metal components. The two Pioneer Fellows are now trying to transfer this process to industry.

Not that long ago, materials researchers scored a coup: they used a 3D printer to create a framework out of salt, which they then filled with liquid magnesium. After the lightweight metal had cooled and hardened, the researchers leached out the salt framework, resulting in an object made of highly porous magnesium that would be suitable, for example, as a biodegradable bone implant.

Original technology successfully enhanced

Now the lead author of that study, Nicole Kleger, and her former Masters student, Simona Fehlmann, have published another paper in the journal Advanced Materials: in it, they report that, together with an interdisciplinary team, they have refined and modified their process to produce more complex salt scaffolds with even finer pores.

Instead of using an extrusion-based printer that prints out thin filaments of salt paste in a grid-like pattern from a fine nozzle, the researchers led by Kleger and Fehlmann used a stereolithography device and an ink based on salt particles. By mixing the ink with suitable monomers, the scientists made it light-sensitive. This means that, once exposed to light, the monomers combine to form hard polymers during the process. This makes it possible to build complex structures layer by layer. The salt framework created in this way then serves as a mould, or a negative template, to be filled with another material.

In the next step of this novel process, the materials scientists then filled the prefabricated structures not just with magnesium but also with aluminium, plastic, or wrapped it with carbon composite material instead. Their new technique lets the researchers produce much more complex objects and also reduce the pore size from 0.5 millimetres to 0.1 millimetres.

From basic research into practice

This work is set to go beyond being purely academic. Kleger and Fehlmann began a Pioneer Fellowship in early July. They have one year to demonstrate if it is possible to commercialise the technology.

We want to find out if the process can pass the test of real-world use, Kleger says. Her business partner is equally keen to ensure that the lab results dont simply gather dust in a drawer. Its important for me to always have an application in mind, as that keeps me motivated, Fehlmann says.

For use in jaws and in space

The two researchers already have several specific ideas for commercialising their process. One possible application is jaw implants. If one loses a tooth, the jawbone underneath disintegrates very quickly, Kleger explains. Before a dental implant can be inserted, the bone must first be rebuilt. Surgeons currently do this using bone material from the hip  but that requires a second surgical site. Alternatively, they could opt for customised bone implants made of magnesium alloys, into which bone-forming cells can migrate and which will degrade over time. Kleger and Fehlmann could use their process to produce precisely this type of implant.

An idea that heads in a similar direction is to produce three-dimensional scaffolds for cell cultures. Cells dont behave in the same way in 3D space as they do on a 2D plane such as a standard laboratory Petri dish. With this in mind, the researchers have contacted scientists who work with such cell cultures in the lab. It isnt yet clear whether these scientists would prefer to produce such scaffolds themselves using Klegers and Fehlmanns process, or whether they would instead opt to buy the scaffolds ready-to-use.

The two young entrepreneurs see another possible application in space travel. On space missions, weight is money, Kleger says. Because every gramme counts, lightweight metal components manufactured using their process would be ideal for use in spaceships or rockets.

Customisation, not mass production

However, one thing is already clear to these two Pioneer Fellows: their products will not be cheap mass-produced items, but rather relatively expensive mass customized products. This is because the manufacturing process is rather slow and doesnt allow very large batches to be produced in a short time. Were not going to position ourselves in the mass market, Fehlmann says.

They have yet to make a final decision regarding their business model. Were currently analysing the market to find out who our potential customers are and what they really need, Kleger explains. They have already had countless discussions with dentists and cell biologists, and also with companies that manufacture printing equipment.

Steep learning curve in business

What were doing now is in some areas very different to my doctoral project  and the learning curve is correspondingly steep, Kleger says with a smile.

Fehlmann adds, Were getting a lot of new input, and we have to approach things differently from how we do in research. Thats enriching and exciting.

The two women are also receiving start-up help from ETH Professor Andre Studart, in whose Complex Materials Group they did their research. Among the things he will provide them with in the coming year are a laboratory workplace and printing equipment. Were delighted that we can continue to work here for a while, Kleger says.

Moreover, they will be in a position to benefit from the experience of other start-up founders from Studarts group. Were in close contact with all four companies that have emerged from the group so far, Kleger says.

They have also come up with a name for their start-up: Sallea, a portmanteau of salt leaching. So the process they want to bring to market has given the young company its name. At some point, they will apply for the label of ETH spin-off. But for now, there is still a lot of development work to be done  and then the two Pioneer Fellows will see whether their successful research work turns into a profitable company.
Cheshire Chief of Police Neil Dryfe is always looking for ways to establish a relationship of trust between his department and the community.

Like many police department heads across the nation, he feels that the twin shockwaves from the COVID-19 pandemic and the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020 eroded the openness and mutual respect that should exist between citizens and the officers charged with protecting them.

These have been some rough years for police and the communities we serve, Dryfe says.

Pointing to the fact that Cheshire officers were forced to do some of their duties over the last few years via Department-issued cellphones or while wearing face masks, he believes such requirements limited our ability to be accessible in the community to an extent.

To help re-establish some of the good relationship enjoyed between the people of Cheshire and the Department, Dryfe asked Sergeant Tracy Gonzalez to look into putting together some events this year that would allow town residents, especially youngsters, to interact with officers in a more relaxed setting. It was something both Dryfe and Gonzalez felt was needed after years of distancing, in order to strengthen the ties and bonds, and get people together in non-police roles, said Dryfe.

To that end, the Department will be participating in the nationwide Faith & Blue weekend, beginning on Friday, Oct. 7, and lasting through Monday, Oct. 10. The entire community is welcome to attend all the various events, which Gonzalez has worked with local groups to organize.

The first day will feature Storytime with a Cop, where officers will read to children, and Create a Wreath, a crafting program. Both will be held at White Oak Baptist Church, 120 Main St., from 5 to 7 p.m. Proceeds from the wreath-making activity will go toward Books to the Rescue. Cheshire police officers carry these books in their vehicles, and they can hand them out to children in crisis, explains Gonzalez.

On Saturday, Oct. 8, a Bingo Night will be held at St. Bridget of Sweden Parish, 175 Main St., from 6 to 8 p.m.

Then on Sunday evening, Oct. 9, there will be a prayer vigil at the Franciscan Life Center located at 271 Finch Ave. in Meriden, from 3 to 5 p.m. Like all the events, this activity is not limited to those of any particular religion and is open to everyone.

Mondays event is a child-friendly coffee-and-refreshments session at Cavalry Life Family Worship Center, 174 East Johnson Ave., from 10 a.m. to noon.

Faith & Blue is a nationwide coalition consisting of over 1600 faith-based organizations and over 750 local law enforcement partners, according to its website. Its major partners include dozens of federal, state, and county law enforcement agencies along with several religious organizations. Dryfe, in his role as president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, has been a leader in moving Connecticut toward participating.

Faith & Blue came about in 2020, partially through the support of the U.S. Department of Justices Office of Community Oriented Policing and partially through the advocacy work of Movement Forward, an Atlanta-based group founded by Reverend Markel Hutchins. The groups mission is to finish the work of building the Beloved Community envisioned by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by providing innovative, inclusive, and solution-focused advocacy via another generation of change agents who are committed to the peaceful, nonviolent tradition of social activism.

As Dr. King himself wrote, Faith transforms the whirlwind of despair into a warm and reviving breeze of hope.

Neither Dryfe nor Gonzalez claims to be particularly religious themselves, but both agree that having faith of some sort is critical to a career in policing.

Its not necessarily God. You do have to believe in something to do this job, says Gonzalez, whether thats just in yourself, in doing the right thing, making a difference by helping others. Faith is really necessary to our work.

Dryfe points to the long history of religious figures who have been connected to the police department, such as chaplains being present at police events, performing invocation or convocation ceremonies that give solemn meaning to the life-staking duty that the job implies. These days, he says the traditions run the gamut of different religions, as departments seek to be more and more inclusive and representative of their communities, while maintaining moral courage as a pillar of service.

As Dryfe also says, We want to be seen as your friendly neighborhood police officers. These events, he believes, are a step in that direction.
American evangelicals are moving away from orthodox understandings of God and Scripture. This years State of Theology survey revealed the top five misconceptions that US evangelicals hold:

Jesus isnt the only way to God.

Jesus was created by God.

Jesus is not God.

The Holy Spirit is not a personal being.

Humans arent sinful by nature.

CT polled three Christian leaders in the Philippines, Singapore, and Cambodia to find out if these modern heresies are also widespread in their respective regions, how believers can address them, and what heresies may be more common in their contexts.

Timoteo D. Gener, president, FEBIAS College of Bible, Valenzuela, Metro Manila, Philippines

With Catholics making up 80 percent of the Philippines population and Protestants, including evangelicals, making up around 10 percent, these five heresies are not common among those who call themselves Christians, especially evangelicals who are part of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC).

There remains high regard for the authority of the Bibleas well as belief in the Trinityamong these Christ-followers. There are, however, indigenous non-Trinitarian heretical groups like Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ), Ang Dating Daan (The Old Path), and the more recent Kingdom of Jesus Christ, whose pastor-founder Apollo Quiboloy claims that he is the Appointed Son of God.

Many years ago, Benigno Beltrans Christology of the Inarticulate (1987) revealed the prevalence of modalism, the belief that God is a single person who reveals himself in three forms, among folk Catholics. Countering modalism in faith and practice remains a continuing challenge for biblical Christians in the country. It helps that PCEC has a theological commission addressing the challenges of false teachings in the churches.

Modalism seems to be an easy way out among unthinking believers in understanding the mystery of the triune God. Perhaps we need a fresh rethinking of the Trinity from an Asian perspective that looks at the concept through the lens of the family, yet being mindful and cautious not to veer into tritheism.

Soo-Inn Tan, director of Graceworks, a Christian publishing and training ministry, Singapore

Most churches in Singapore are evangelical and/or Pentecostal and so are orthodox in doctrine. I doubt any church would knowingly be guilty of the five heresies except perhaps No. 4: The Holy Spirit is not a personal being. Although all will confess that we worship one God, in practice and language we tend to see the three persons as completely separate and the Holy Spirit as more of a force.

Singapore is a very busy society obsessed with productivity, and this approach to life is very much in the church as well. We may hold to all the right doctrines, but we dont invest the time needed to work through the implications of what we believe for life and discipleship. Followers of Jesus are concerned with running many church programs but are not encouraged to invest time in reflecting on what we believe and therefore how we ought to live.

I believe it is not just a matter of what we teach but how we teach. At Graceworks, we believe that lives and minds are shaped relationally, so Graceworks is committed to promoting spiritual friendship and spiritual mentoring. We also publish books that try to connect the Word with the issues of the day, such as sexual identity, mental illness, and racism. If people see that the Word speaks to current events, they might be more interested in going deeper into theology proper.

Radha Manickam, president, Cambodian Ministries for Christ International, Seattle

Today in Cambodia, people are open to anything religious, and we are seeing more and more cult groups appear and sow confusion among the churches here. This includes cult groups from Korea, China, and the Philippines. In several, the founders claim to be the son of God and say Jesus did not complete the act of salvation. One Cambodian church leader said God was also swayambhu, a Sanskrit term referring to Hindu self-existing gods. He also claimed all Khmer Christians worship the eldest angel, as Cambodians often pray to devas, or angels. But the Bible says we dont worship angels; angels are the servants of God.

I teach several classes where I address this issue and we go back to basic Christian doctrine and see what the Bible says and what it doesnt say. One thing that we stress is that the Bible says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, (John 1:1) and The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. (v. 14). When Jesus was on the cross, he said, It is finished. (John 19:30). Many other verses point to the fact that Jesus is God. No one can claim to be God or the Savior, because salvation is through Christ and Christ alone.
Protesters demand Attorney General Garland's impeachment following raid on pro-life activist's home

WASHINGTON  A pro-life group is calling for the impeachment of United States Attorney General Merrick Garland following a raid on a pro-life activist's home.

Led by Terrisa Bukovinac of the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, pro-life activists held a press conference outside the Department of Justice Wednesday, less than two weeks after the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania arrested Mark Houck, a pro-life activist, for allegedly violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

The FACE Act subjects federal charges on anyone who intentionally injures, intimidates, or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person aiding or performing abortions. The DOJ maintains that the defendant is alleged to have twice assaulted a man because he was a volunteer reproductive health care clinic escort, according to a statement.

However, a fundraiser set up following Houcks arrest contends that the pro-life activist and his 12-year-old son were harassed by the clinic escort as they prayed outside a Philadelphia Planned Parenthood facility: When one of the escorts began harassing Marks son, they walked down the street away from the entrance to the building. The escort followed them, and when he continued yelling at Marks son, Mark pushed him away.

The early morning raid on Houcks home, followed by his arrest, sparked outrage in the pro-life community. In remarks at the press conference, Bukovinac cited the raid on Houcks home as the latest example of the DOJs targeting of pro-life activists while allowing violent pro-abortion extremists to terrorize churches and pregnancy centers across the country.

Bukovinac said she has watched in horror as the U.S. Department of Justice has been weaponized to arrest peaceful, non-violent pro-life activists. She added that the FACE Act was cited as the justification used to charge at least 18 peaceful, nonviolent protesters in the past year with federal crimes. Bukovinac characterized the legislation, passed in 1994, as an effort that was designed to crush a nonviolent resistance that mobilized tens of thousands of people for direct action on behalf of the unborn.

Randall Terry, the founder of the pro-life group Operation Rescue, was the reason that the FACE Act was enacted in the first place, she added.

When Bill Clinton was elected, he appointed Janet Reno as his attorney general, Terry recalled in his comments at the news conference. When she came up to the microphone in her press conference, she said one of her top priorities was to break the back of Operation Rescue.

Noting that the FACE Act passed less than two years later, Terry insisted that it was always designed to isolate people of faith who wanted to defend the unborn.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Terry said that between 1987 and 1994, we accumulated over 75,000 arrests around the country for peacefully blockading abortion clinics.

We would sit there, 100, 200, 500 people and not let anyone in. We closed them for the whole day and saved the babies that were scheduled to die that day, he added. Under the FACE Act, pro-life activists went from facing local trespass charges to now facing a federal misdemeanor for the first offense and a federal felony for the second offense. Terry added that once that law was passed, it effectively broke the back of our movement.

Theres no basis for FACE anymore, Bukovinac told CP, because FACE is predicated on the ruling in Roe v. Wade that the Supreme Court now says was egregiously wrong from the beginning.

While most of the news conference focused on the DOJs efforts to prosecute pro-life activists, Bukovinac echoed the concerns of other pro-life activists that the Department of Justice has allowed more than 50 pregnancy centers to be attacked. She noted that the FACE Act is designed to protect pregnancy centers and churches as well.

The Christian Post has compiled lists of churches and pro-life pregnancy centers that have found themselves subject to vandalism and firebombing after Politico published a draft opinion of the Supreme Courts ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization indicating that the justices were poised to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, as well as the additional vandalism that has taken place following the June 24 Dobbs decision.

We have also seen churches blocked by pro-abortion radicals without any action taken by the Department of Justice, Bukovinac lamented. This is unjust. We cannot allow this discrimination to continue. We are urging Congress to take action; we are urging them to impeach Garland to protect justice and to dismantle the FACE Act altogether.

Another speaker at the news conference, Jonathan Darnell of the advocacy group Get Serious Church, discussed the legal challenges he faces as a result of his pro-life activism: About two years ago, I was videotaping a peaceful pro-life rescue at a local abortion clinic and thats all that happened. I went home a free man at the end of the day. I didnt hear anything from DC authorities, nothing from the FBI, nothing, not a letter, nothing, for two years.

Then, this March, at [the] crack of dawn in the morning, [the] FBI breaks down my door. A bunch of agents come through with guns drawn, just like they did with Mark Houck. Thankfully, there [were] no kids in our house.

Now, Darnell finds himself subject to up to 11 years in prison for violating the FACE Act. Darnell pleaded with pro-life governors across the U.S. to take action by urging the FBI to stop persecuting citizens based on a political bias.

I would like to know what pro-life governors are doing allowing the FBI to operate in their states anymore, he said. When theyre behaving like this, why are you even allowing the federal government to do these [sorts] of things within your states? he asked.

Darnell's message to pro-life governors is: If the federal governments not going to do its job, if Merrick Garlands going to walk, just dont let them operate in your state. He also called on pro-life police officers as well as individual FBI agents to refrain from carrying out orders that violate their oath of office.

The event that led Darnell to face charges under the FACE Act took place at Dr. Cesare Santangelos abortion clinic in Washington, D.C., in late October 2020. Darnell founded Get Serious Church as part of an effort to address the lack of numbers of pro-life people that want to be active.

Nobody wants to rescue, nobody wants to be on the street with a sign or talk to their neighbors, he said. Most people just want to pray and vote, sometimes march at the March for Life or give a little money to the [crisis pregnancy centers].

Wednesday's protest outside the DOJ concluded with the pro-life leaders and onlookers shouting chants proclaiming Protect justice, impeach Garland.

PAAU will lead a separate protest in front of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, the federal court that spearheaded Houck's arrest, on Thursday.

When asked if PAAU and pro-life activists would hold a protest in front of the FBI headquarters, Bukovinac responded, its possible. She predicted that as the DOJs actions become more and more draconian, more and more people are going to come out wanting to oppose this tyranny, and I think youre going to see a lot more events.

Bukovinac expressed confidence that the actions of the FBI and DOJ that led PAAU to organize the protest would have an unintended effect of actually mobilizing people for direct action rather than quashing it, which is their intention.

Last year, Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., introduced articles of impeachment against Garland over the DOJs memo likening parents concerned about sexually explicit curriculum, LGBT ideology and critical race theory in public schools to domestic terrorism. The effort to impeach Garland has gained little traction in the Democrat-controlled Congress.
Muslim mob attempt to kill Christian woman on trial for sharing WhatsApp message

ABUJA, Nigeria  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 blaphemy 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 WhatApp 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, 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 (ATBUTH), 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.
German exports to China rise 2.9 pct in August

Xinhua) 10:33, October 06, 2022

BERLIN, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Germany's exports to China in August rose 2.9 percent month-on-month to 9.2 billion euros (9.1 billion U.S. dollars), according to provisional data published by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Wednesday.

With imports from China rising 2.2 percent to 15.4 billion euros, China remained Germany's biggest foreign trade partner in August, Destatis said.

With slight increases in both total exports and imports, Europe's largest economy had a foreign trade surplus of 3.4 billion euros in August, around 10 billion euros less than a year ago. Germany's foreign trade surplus has continuously declined over the last five years.

"Sentiment among German exporters has cooled," Clemens Fuest, president of the ifo Institute for economic research said last week. The index for export expectations in September fell to its lowest level since May 2020, as most manufacturing industries were pessimistic about future business.

"There is currently no sign of growth in exports and, as the global economy is slowing, there is also no reason to expect any major change in the medium term," Fuest warned.

Germany is set to enter a recession in 2023, with a decline in gross domestic product (GDP) of 0.4 percent, according to a recent joint forecast by leading economic institutes in the country.

Having still forecast growth of 3.1 percent in spring, the revision mainly reflects the extent of the energy crisis, the RWI Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH), the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, and the ifo Institute said.

Germany's wholesale and export trade industry has concerns there will be a "corporate extinction" due to skyrocketing energy prices. Some companies are "facing a situation that threatens their very existence," said Dirk Jandura, president of the industry association BGA last month.

To stabilize Germany's economy during the energy crisis, the country is putting up a "defensive umbrella" of up to 200 billion euros, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced last week. (1 euro = 0.99 U.S. dollars)

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Bianji)
As part of a new documentary probing his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, several royal specialists have called Prince Andrew an idiot, a spoiled brat, and a narcissist. The prince is ready for a new PR nightmare as a result.

The shocking film Prince Andrew: Banished, whose US debut airs this evening on the channel Peacock, also describes the 62-year-old Duke of York as the runt of the litter who couldn't keep his pants on.

Former Royal Family Officer Says Prince Andrew is a 'Bully'

The book will go into detail about how Prince Andrew's antics as a prince brought controversy and dishonor upon his family and the privilege, jealousy, want, and money that led him to associate with wealthy pedophile Epstein and his sidekick Ghislaine Maxwell.

After being forced to pay millions of pounds in an out-of-court deal to sex assault complainant Virginia Giuffre earlier this year, Prince Andrew's royal career came to an end in shame.

She said that in 2001, when she was 17 and had been trafficked by Epstein, Prince Andrew sexually attacked her three times, despite his repeated denials of any wrongdoing. As part of the settlement, the purportedly favorite son of the Queen had his royal patronages and honorary military titles revoked; nonetheless, this did not amount to an admission of guilt.

Reporter Annette Witheridge said in the documentary that the "entire affair boils down to sex and greed" while describing the ordeal. Prince Andrew is described in the documentary as a nasty tyrant who had a revolving door of ladies visiting his rooms at Buckingham Palace, according to a disgraced former royal protection officer.

Page Six reports that Paul Page, who served in the security capacity from 1998 to 2004 before being imprisoned for a real estate fraud, 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. The page also said that Andrew is just a horrible person.

Read Also: Prince Andrew Assault: 2 Men Charged Over Abuse Against Duke of York During Queen Elizabeth II's Coffin Procession

Representative For Epstein's Victims Says Duke of York is 'Disrespectful'

In the video, Page also describes how he found between 50 and 60 teddy bears on Prince Andrew's bed, along with a laminated diagram of how he likes them to be set up in a neighboring drawer. The former royal protection officer was cruelly defrauding several innocent investors in a multi-million-pound property scam when he was sentenced to six years in prison in 2009.

During the time of sadness following his mother's passing, Prince Andrew returned to public life despite losing his royal honors and being restrained from performing royal tasks.

According to a representative of Epstein's victims, Prince Andrew's public performances in the Queen's honor were disrespectful and insulting to the individuals affected. Following the passing of the Queen, he has been accused of attempting to rehabilitate his public image, as per Daily Mail.

The man is a moron, according to Dickie Arbiter, a former royal press secretary. Author of Royal Phil Dampier claims that his major thing is "sex and that he has never smoked, used drugs, or drunk alcohol." Helen Jones, a journalist, also said that Prince Andrew "thought he was more than just a royal."

Prince Andrew's antics throughout his tenure as a Royal brought scandal and dishonor to the 1200-year tradition of the British Royal Family, according to the synopsis of the documentary.

He will be reduced to the role of dogwalker in chief under King Charles, according to experts, and he risks being excluded from royal life. A representative for Prince Andrew declined to respond, The Sun reported.

Related Article: Meghan Markle Takes Bombshell Lawsuit Against Sister To Protect Dad, Prince Harry from Being Deposed in Civil Case

@Youtube

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
I had one hand on the door: Couple credit pro-life activist Mark Houck with saving their baby's life

A Philadelphia couple is crediting a pro-life advocate with helping to prevent them from aborting their child as the man faces potential prison time.

The Justice Department and the FBI have faced immense pushback over the raid on pro-life activist Mark Houcks home two weeks ago. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced on Sept. 23 that it had arrested Houck on charges of allegedly violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which imposes federal charges on anyone who intentionally injures, intimidates, or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person aiding or performing abortions.

The U.S. Attorneys Office claims that Houck, who resides in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, twice assaulted a man" who's an abortion clinic escort at a Philadelphia Planned Parenthood clinic, resulting in injuries that required the escort to seek medical attention. However, a fundraiser set up for Houcks family insists that the incident stems from the escort harassing, Houck's son, who was 12 at the time, as they prayed at the abortion clinic in October 2021.

When they walked down the street away from the entrance to the building, the escort followed them and continued yelling at Marks son, whereupon the pro-life activist pushed him away, the fundraiser explained.

As Houck faces the possibility of 11 years in prison, the Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia published a YouTube video telling the story of a family whose lives were forever changed by Houcks pro-life activism.

When I first found out that I was pregnant, I just felt shame and guilt, the woman in the video, identified as Jadda, recalled. Feeling that she wasnt ready to have a baby, Jadda scheduled an abortion. She remembered feeling sad, confused, overwhelmed and scared, shameful and disgusted with herself.

Before she entered the abortion clinic, Jadda encountered Houck: I had one hand on the door about to go into Planned Parenthood and then Mark stopped us and he was like, You guys dont have to do this. Jaddas partner, Markeem, praised the way Houck reached out to them, saying he really got through to us like literally before we walked into the doors.

"He was really trying to get to know us on a deeper level than us just getting an abortion," Jada said while holding their baby named Nevaeh, which is Heaven spelled backward. "And

thats another reason why [we were] real easy and quick to open up to him, because it wasnt like a judgmental thing at all. He was really like digging deep.

Markeem agreed, Anybody can be a crutch but cant nobody fix yours, and thats what he did. He told us and made us feel like We got this.

He was right, Markeem added. He opened my eyes to a lot of stuff.

Jadda said her daughter, who was born two months early, was heaven sent, a gift straight from God Himself.

Shes been through a lot. Shes been a warrior since she came out of the womb two months early, 1 pound, 7 ounces strong. So, theres definitely nothing but God in her.

Markeem expressed gratitude that Houck came into their lives as that extra push, lamenting that she wouldnt be here, [and] we probably wouldnt be together otherwise. Jadda contended that without Houcks influence, We would have went through with it and I would have been living with regret.

Maintaining that pro-lifers definitely were there for us every step of the way, they praised anti-abortion advocates as the first support system that they had.

The couple concluded the video by delivering a message to supporters of the Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia: We dont even know where we would be without you guys. From day one, youve been there beyond the support system, you guys are definitely like family.

As for Houck, the fundraiser set up following his arrest has raised more than $367,000 as of Thursday afternoon, nearly two weeks after federal agents reportedly entered Houcks home with guns drawn and shields up in the faces of Mark, his wife, and their seven young children, as characterized by the fundraiser. The pro-life activist was released from jail on $10,000 bond and must surrender his passport and firearms.

Houck is also prohibited from traveling outside the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where the legal proceedings against him are unfolding, and is prohibited from engaging in sidewalk counseling or prayer outside the Planned Parenthood clinic where the altercation with the clinic escort took place.
Revelation 4: The government of God

In recent years some fantastic stories have been told by people who literally died, stepped into eternity, and later lived to talk about it. There have been movies about the subject.

Unlike some, I have no reason to doubt these stories unless they say something contrary to Scripture, which is how we must measure the legitimacy of every experience. The Bible says while being stoned to death, the first Christian martyr, Stephen, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55).

My father had a cardiac arrest several years ago and was technically dead for 20 minutes before the cardiologists defibrillator paddles helped bring him back to life. He was a devout Christian, and many people asked him if he had an afterlife experience. He humorously replied, No, and I didnt see Elvis either.

A former parishioner of mine, who died after a severe heart attack, was revived and shared with me that he had an afterlife experience. He would become very emotional whenever he tried to explain it to me. He said he saw things in that realm that there werent sufficient words to describe it. He said what he witnessed was mostly unfamiliar and knew he had been in Heaven.

His experience intrigues me the most because it sounds similar to what the apostle John said he saw after he was raptured into Heaven in Revelation chapter 4.

John described a dimension with which we have little earthly reference. As John Phillips writes in Exploring Revelation, It is like being in a strange country where language, customs, and architecture are sufficiently like our own to be recognized, yet sufficiently exotic and strange to make us feel somewhat ill at ease.

The apostle writes, "And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones  like jasper and carnelian (vs. 2-3).

The apostle said he saw a throne. A throne represents government and sovereignty. What John saw was Gods throne. What was depicted is Gods sovereignty over everything.

How can we possibly reconcile Gods sovereignty with mans free agency?

How can God be in complete control, but leave man to choose? Such matters are of heavenly origin and difficult for finite minds to comprehend fully.

A.W. Tozer, in The Knowledge of the Holy, makes this attempt:

An ocean liner leaves New York bound for Liverpool. Its destination has been determined by proper authorities. Nothing can change it. This, at least, is a faint picture of sovereignty. On board the liner are several scores of passengers. These are not in chains, nor are their activities determined by decree. They are completely free to move about as they will. They eat, sleep, play, lounge about on the deck, read, talk, altogether as they please, but all the while, the great liner is carrying them steadily onward toward a predetermined port. Both freedom and sovereignty are present here, and they do not contradict each other. So it is, I believe, with mans freedom and the sovereignty of God. The mighty liner of Gods sovereign design keeps its steady course over the sea of history. God moves undisturbed and unhindered toward the fulfillment of those eternal purposes which he purposed in Christ Jesus before the world began. We do not know all that is recorded in those purposes, but enough has been disclosed to furnish us with a broad outline of things to come and to give us good hope and firm assurance of future well-being.

God sits upon His throne and never loses control. His will may seem thwarted for a time, but even human defiance is overruled to work for the performance of his ultimate ends. Judas betrayed Christ, Pilate condemned him, and the soldiers crucified him, but while they committed these heinous acts according to the Lords permissive will, they fulfilled Gods perfect will in that Christ was slain for the sins of the world. Gods government is undefeatable and shall reign forever and ever.

The apostle also employs the symbol of stones to describe the character of Gods government, for his government is based upon his person. John says the One sitting upon the throne was like the brilliant gemstones  jasper and carnelian (sardine).

The jasper emphasizes the hardness connected with the government of God, for jasper is hard and adamantine in nature. There is a very real sense in which Gods government is like that. His laws are fixed and firm, unyielding and unrelenting, writes Phillips. All science is predicated on the rigidness of Gods laws. If we put water on the stove to boil, we expect it to steam, not ice. A stone thrown from the top of a building will fall down, not up. Gods moral laws are just as inflexible as his physical laws. One day the Lord Jesus will rule the world with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:9), the very symbol of hardness and unyieldedness. The world in which we live desperately needs a firm hand, and God has pledged himself to just such a government for mankind. Here, then, is a throne where the government is like jasper.

What a strange and self-defeating time we are living in today. We are told a woman can be a man, and a man a woman. God says marriage is between a man and a woman. But now were told marriage is between two adults  even if they are of the same sex. A few days ago, a Planned Parenthood doctor erroneously told Congress that a man could get pregnant. Today vice is said to be a virtue, and virtue is said to be vice. True love and compassion for the wayward are said to be hate and bigotry while celebrating what is wayward is said to be love.

This foolishness of humanity will not last, for the Lords government is like the Carnelian stone  the sardine stone. The sardine is red and resembles fire. Gods government is like a consuming fire that will, with fervent heat, destroy everything in opposition to the One on the throne.

The sardine stone is also a bloody stone. It speaks of sacrifice and atoning blood. It points to the first coming of Christ when His blood was shed for the worlds sins.

Moreover, these two stones, jasper, and carnelian, were carried on Israels High Priests robe, over his heart, into the Old Testament Tabernacle. The High Priest wore four rows of twelve stones representing each tribe of Israel. The sardine stone was the first, with the name of the firstborn of Israel, Reuben, engraved on it. The last stone in the last row was jasper and had the last of Israels sons, Benjamin, written on it. Reubens name means behold the Son. Benjamins name means the son of my right hand or the son of my power.

Interestingly, in the New Testament book of Revelation, the order of these two stones is reversed. Is there any significance?

As H.A. Ironside has written:

In the Old Testament, the saints looked forward to the Cross and therefore saw the sardius, the red stone, first, and beyond that, the jasper, the stone representing his power and rule at his second coming. However, when John had the experiences of which Revelation 4 tells us, he was on this side of the Cross and the rapture, and therefore, looking back, he saw first the jasper stone and beyond that the red stone of the Cross and sacrifice.

The greatest lesson here, however, is whether born in Old or New Testament times, if one would be part of Gods glorious forever kingdom and reign with Christ, the first begotten Son of God, the One in whom God has vested all power, we must all come by way of faith in the Cross alone.

Nathanial Hawthornes incredible story about the great stone face says there was once a boy where there was a mountain with a rock formation that the people in his village called the great stone face. Legend had it that someday a man would come who looked like the great stone face. He would dole out blessings innumerable to the people. The legend had profound significance on this young lad. Throughout his life, he would gaze at the great stone face at every opportunity, and he dreamed of that day when the name who looked like the great stone face would arrive. Many years passed, and the young man became an older man. One day, far into his senior years, the man shuffled down the street and heard someone shout: He has come! He has come! The one who looks like the great stone face is here! This man had looked at the great stone face for so long that now he bore his image.

There is something about looking into heavenly things that change us.

As we gaze upon them earnestly and sincerely in faith, we begin to personify the hope that is in them.

May everything about the Second Coming of Christ that gives hope change you after Christs image and prepare you for that day when he appears.
Judge dismisses Pastor Stovall and Kerri Weems defamation lawsuit against Celebration Church

Ruling that the court does not have jurisdiction over ecclesiastical matters, a Florida judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by Pastor Stovall Weems and his wife, Kerri, against leaders of the 12,000-member Celebration Church in Jacksonville they allege ousted them from the church in a coup earlier this year.

The dismissal of the Weems defamation lawsuit was made last Wednesday by Florida Circuit Judge Marianne Lloyd Aho.

Because the plaintiffs claims on their face as currently written require this court's involvement in ecclesiastical, doctrinal matters, neutral principles of law cannot be used to consider the issues at hand. As such, this Court DISMISSES WITHOUT PREJUDICE the plaintiffs complaint, Aho wrote.

The Weemses who founded Celebration Church in 1998 and resigned as leaders in April, filed their defamation lawsuit following the release of an internal investigation commissioned by the church that painted them as abusive leaders who exploited church staff and finances until they were forced to resign.

The single word used most frequently to describe Stovall Weems was narcissist. Nearly every witness we interviewed used that specific word, a 22-page report on the investigation produced by the Nelson Mullins law firm said.

The law firm was retained to conduct an investigation after the church's board of trustees voted in January to suspend the Weemses over "questionable financial practices and other pastoral issues under the Weemses leadership."

According to the report, the Weemses leadership had been inconsistent and unbiblical" since at least 2019. Investigators allege that Stovall Weems leadership was marked by rampant spiritual and emotional abuse, including manipulation, a profound sense of self-importance and selfishness, superiority and entitlement, overbearing and unreasonable demands on employees time, a lack of accountability or humility, and demands of absolute loyalty.

In dismissing the Weemses defamation case, the judge pointed out that the church autonomy doctrine, or ecclesiastical abstention doctrine, is rooted in both the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of the United States Constitution and ensures that the highest ecclesiastical authorities, as opposed to the secular courts, have the final say on ecclesiastical matters.

The doctrine, she explained, prevents civil courts from deciding matters that require adjudication of theological controversy, church discipline, ecclesiastical government, or the conformity of the members of the church to the standard of morals required of them.

In their lawsuit, the Weemses argued that because Celebration Church is a congregational church, as opposed to a hierarchical church, the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine should not apply. Aho ruled, however, that case law does not support that position.

Celebration Church officials argued for a dismissal of the Weemses lawsuit because even if appearing secular on their faces their claims are so inextricably intertwined with matters of Celebration Church's discipline, employment, and internal organization that ecclesiastical issues would necessarily need to be considered by the court to settle their claims.

And Aho, citing case law, agreed.

As pled, these claims would require this Court to impermissibly examine the inner workings of Celebration Church, including the church's internal financial policies and by laws, as well as the duties and actions of Pastor Weems, she wrote. In order to determine whether Celebration Church defamed Pastor Weems as currently alleged, this Court would need to look to the time Pastor Weems was employed by the Church to see whether he did or did not partake in the actions as alleged by the Church and whether those actions were forbidden by the Church's bylaws and other internal policies.

The consideration of these issues, she said. Would require: this Court to impermissibly entangle itself within matters of church governance and pastor qualifications.
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.
Corrections

An article on May 2, 2016 incorrectly reported that attorney Michael Kaplen represented the NFL. In fact, Mr. Kaplan's interests directly oppose the Class Counsel as well as the NFL. In addition, the following quote was incorrectly attributed to Mr. Kaplen who never stated such statement: "This latest appeal is heartbreaking news for the 99 percent of the retired player community that has supported this agreement. We will continue to forcefully defend this important settlement through the appeals process. Go to Article 

An article on April 19 incorrectly reported that Dino Rizzo was on staff at Church of the Highlands in 2011. Rizzo was a staff at Healing Place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the time Go to Article 

A previous version of this story attributed a statement on Pastor Jimmy King's comments to John Dyer, executive director of Communications and Educational Technology at DTS. The comment should have been attributed to DTS president Mark L. Bailey and has been updated in this version of the report. Go to Article 

An earlier version of this article incorrectly described John Blandford as working for Online for Life. Mr. Blandford works for Heroic Media. Go to Article 

An article on Friday, November 14, 2014, about a Muslim prayer held at the National Cathedral incorrectly described the Cathedral as a Catholic church. It is an Episcopal church. Go to Article 

An article on October 26, 2014 incorrectly reported that church elders that wrote a joint letter asking Pastor Mark Driscoll to resign were fired. Justin Dean, communications manager for Mars Hill Church, said they were not fired. Go to Article 

An article on August 5, 2014 incorrectly stated that NewSpring Church was in North Carolina, it is in South Carolina. Also The Gauntlet summer youth program is in its ninth year, not its eighth. Go to Article 

An article on Nov. 5, 2013, incorrectly reported that the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C., was built on the same grounds as Graham's childhood home. Billy Graham's childhood home was actually moved and reassembled on the library site, not the original site. Go to Article 

An article on Monday, Oct. 21, 2013, incorrectly attributed the quote "The first impact was a moral indiscretion by a lead pastor. Next a building program was overspent resulting in a mortgage that created financial stress on the church. Over the years a couple of lead pastors and staff pastors have left and started other churches in the Orlando area," said Rhoden. "The changing music climate in the church world has been a challenging issue. While these factors are not the sum total of the reasons for the decline, they represent the lion share," to Debbie Carey. The quote was made by Dr. Bob Rhoden, Orlando-area Calvary Assembly's interim pastor. Go to Article 

An article on Friday, Sept. 27, 2013, reported that the Center for Inquiry is located in Hartford, Conn. CFI is located in Amherst, N.Y. Go to Article 

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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."
Tony Perkins slams NY courts polygamy ruling: Conservatives were right about slippery slope

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins has denounced a New York judge's ruling that nonmonogamous relationships should be treated equally to marriage under the eyes of the law.

Last month, Judge Karen May Bacdayan of the New York City Civil Court ruled in the case of West 49th St., LLC v O'Neill that the time has arrived for non-monogamous relationships to be given legal recognition.

Bacdayan argued that the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage while revolutionary, nevertheless still adhered to the majoritarian, societal view that only two people can have a family-like relationship.

Why then, except for the very real possibility of implicit majoritarian animus, is the limitation of two persons inserted into the definition of a family-like relationship for the purposes of receiving the same protections from eviction accorded to legally formalized or blood relationships? Bacdayan wrote in her decision.

In a commentary published by The Washington Stand on Tuesday, Perkins said the decision showed that conservatives' claims about a same-sex marriage slippery slope were correct.

The media laughed off the conservative movements concerns about the slippery slope when Democrats pushed to sexualize the military 20 years ago, Perkins wrote.

Now, almost two decades later, with American parents in the fight of their lives over transgenderism and judges paving the way for plural marriage, it unfortunately proves we were right.

Perkins also pointed to a recent Gallup poll that found 23% of respondents believed polygamy was morally acceptable, well above what it was a generation ago.

And why not? If love and consent are all that define a relationship, then proponents of incest, pedophilia, and group marriage can follow the LGBT playbook all the way to validity, Perkins added. The Left has been quick to say that polygamy isnt the next gay marriage. But who could possibly take them seriously?

During the debate over same-sex marriage legalization, conservative politicians and activists argued that if same-sex marriage was legalized, polygamy would follow soon after.

In his dissent in the 2015 ruling Obergefell v. Hodges, Chief Justice John Roberts argued that the reasoning behind the majority opinion legalizing gay marriage could be argued in favor of a fundamental right to plural marriage.

If a same-sex couple has the constitutional right to marry because their children would otherwise suffer the stigma of knowing their families are somehow lesser  why wouldnt the same reasoning apply to a family of three or more persons raising children? Roberts wrote.

In 2014, U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups finalized a ruling in which he struck down part of Utahs ban on polygamy, though he stopped short of declaring polygamy a constitutional right.

At issue was whether Kody Brown, star of the reality TV series "Sister Wives," could be married to four women at once. Brown argued that the state ban violated his religious freedom.

Brown and his family belonged to a small Mormon denomination that, unlike the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, still practices plural marriage.

Waddoups ruled that Brown could marry a fourth time while cohabitating with his three wives, but those other marriages would not receive official legal recognition.
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Authorities in New York detained a New Jersey woman after finding 15,000 rainbow fentanyl pills hidden inside a Lego box.

Latesha Bush, 48, of Trenton, New Jersey, was seen carrying a black tote bag wrapped around a large object as she entered a vehicle in Manhattan on September 28. At the time, New York state drug authorities were looking into suspected drug trafficking, the US Drug Enforcement Administration reported Tuesday.

NY Officials Seize Thousands of Fentanyl Pills

According to reports, when the vehicle was halted, cops saw Bush in the back seat with two black tote bags and a Lego box. Lego blocks and brick-shaped products with black lettering were found inside the crate. One of the packages, according to the authorities, was only partially opened, exposing the rainbow-colored pills.

The pills appeared to contain fentanyl, according to preliminary investigations. Further inquiry found Bush had driven a rented car from New Jersey, and the drugs may have originated in Mexico. The pills had an "M" and "A 30" imprint on them to make them look like Oxycodone pills.

The largest fentanyl bust in New York City to date, according to officials. Bush was detained and accused of first- and third-degree felonies, both of which involve criminal possession of a controlled narcotic, as per USA Today.

The Lego boxes in her car appeared to be innocent enough, but the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force was able to see through them to the packages of pills that were concealed inside. This is New York City's greatest seizure to date. There is cause for alarm as more of these rainbow fentanyl pills are being found every day.

The candy-colored fentanyl pills are lethal even in little doses. In 2017, Sharon Richmond's son Vincent passed away from a heroin overdose.

She claims that the 25-year-old unknowingly used cocaine that had been fentanyl-laced while he was battling addiction. She now advocates for increased sanctions for drug dealers while raising awareness of the issue, CBS News reported.

Read Also: Angry North Korea Targets Japan, Fires 2 Ballistic Missiles; US Deploys Aircraft Carrier in Tokyo

Authorities Warns Against Taking Rainbow Fentanyl Pills

One of the main causes of the recent sharp rises in drug overdose mortality is illicitly produced fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that in 2020, more than 56,000 people overdosed on synthetic opioids, a 56% rise from the previous year.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) claims that the drugs are frequently synthesized to look like stimulants like Adderall or legitimate prescription opioid drugs like Oxycontin, Vicodin, and Xanax. The chemicals come from China, but the majority are produced in Mexico.

The DEA said that colorful fentanyl is being sold in powder, and blocks that resemble sidewalk chalk in addition to tablet form. Despite all the recent cautions, figures regarding the prevalence of so-called rainbow fentanyl overdoses are not yet accessible. The agency states that 2 milligrams of fentanyl, or the equivalent of 10 to 15 grains of table salt, is considered a deadly dose.

School districts in Florida, Texas, and California have made new plans to address the situation in light of the escalating danger and the recent increase in fentanyl-related fatalities.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will be providing naloxone, a drug used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, free of charge at all K-12 schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the country, starting this coming week.

The news follows several suspected overdoses in the previous month, including the death of a young person at Bernstein High School in Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is harmful since it depresses a person's respiratory function and central nervous system and can make them stop breathing. Fentanyl can be fatal when ingested, injected, or breathed, but it is impossible to overdose simply by touching it, as per Yahoo News.

Related Article: $400 Stimulus Check To Automatically Hit Your Account Within 4 Days; Here's Who Can Claim The Direct Payments!

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Privacy Policy

Last updated on Sept 22 2021

This page describes the terms and conditions that govern your use of The Christian Post digital properties, including www.ChristianPost.com, mobile sites and applications, offered by The Christian Post and certain of its subsidiaries (CP, us or we).

Information That We Gather

The information gathered when you use The Christian Post falls into two categories: (i) Personal Information, which includes personal information you provide when you subscribe, order, complete a survey, register for an account, enter a contest or provide your email address and (ii) non-personal information collected through technology, which includes tracking information collected by The Christian Post, third parties, vendors or advertisers.

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You may choose to link a Facebook or Twitter account with your The Christian Post registration by signing in CP Website using your Facebook or Twitter credentials. By associating accounts, you are giving these third parties permission to send us certain information from your profile there. The information sent depends on your privacy settings with the third parties or their privacy policies. We will use the information they share with us in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You can disassociate your registration with The Christian Post from any third party accounts at any time.

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If you have registered for The Christian Post account, we will track and aggregate your activities on the Website. By participating in our Website, you elect to share and display those activities via our Website, and those activities may be included in RSS feeds, APIs and made available to other websites. Therefore, your activities on The Christian Post may appear in other websites, blogs, social media platforms or feeds. We are not responsible for any personal information you choose to make public, and you agree that such sharing will be deemed to have been done by you, not The Christian Post.

When you recommend or share links to content on a third party platform, such as Facebook, Twitter or Google+, that action and any information you share will be covered by their privacy policy.

Contest, Sweepstakes and Special Offers

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Reader Surveys

The Christian Post may collect personal information from you in connection with voluntary surveys conducted via the Website. The information you provide may be shared with advertisers and partners unless we notify you otherwise at the time of collection.

Non-Personal Information Collected Using Technology

We use various Internet technologies to manage our Website and track use of the Website. Non-personal information that we collect using these technologies may be combined with other information about you.

Device Information: We may collect non-personal information about the computer, mobile device or other device you use to access The Christian Post website, such as IP address, geolocation information, unique device identifiers, browser type, browser language and other transactional information.

Cookies, Beacons, Local Storage and Other Similar Technologies: We use "cookies," Web beacons, HTML5 local storage and other similar technologies. These technologies allow us to manage access to and use of the Website, recognize you and provide personalization, and help us understand how readers use the Website.

The Christian Post may transmit non-personally identifiable website usage information about our visitors to a reputable third party in order to show you advertising for The Christian Post when you visit other sites.

Analytics Technologies: The Christian Post works with third parties to provide us information, reports and analysis about the usage, browsing patterns of readers of our website.

IP Addresses: We may log your IP address. We use IP addresses for system administration and troubleshooting purposes, to customize content for specific regions, including currency display, recommendations and serving certain advertisements and to track access and use of our website.

Log Files and Your Reading History: We automatically log certain usage information about your use of The Christian Post website, including a reading history of the pages you view. We use this information in order to provide you with customized Recommendations on www.ChristianPost.com based on your reading history

Location Information: Some of our mobile applications can deliver content based on your current location if you choose to enable that feature of the app. If you enable the location-based feature, your current location will be stored locally on your device, which will then be used by the app. If you elect to have a location-based search saved to your history, we will store that information on our servers. If you do not enable the location-based service, or if an app does not have that feature, the app will not transmit to us, and we will not collect or store, location information.

Ads may be displayed within our mobile site and apps. The ads you see are not targeted to you based on your current GPS location, but they may be targeted to you based on your device's IP address or ZIP code.

Information Collected by Third Parties

Some of the services and advertisements included in The Christian Post, including on www.ChristianPost.com and within our mobile site and apps, are delivered or served by third-party companies. These companies may place or recognize cookies, Web beacons or other technology to track certain non-personal information about our website users. In the course of serving certain advertisements, an advertiser may place or recognize a unique cookie on your browser in order to collect certain information about your use of The Christian Post website. In many cases, this information could be used to show you ads on other websites based on your interests.

We do not have access to, nor control over, advertisers' or service providers' use of cookies or other tracking technologies or how they may be used.

You have choices about the collection of information by third parties on our website:

If you would like more information about advertisers' use of cookies, and about your option not to accept these cookies, please visit http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/. If you would like to opt-out of having interest-based information collected during your visits to this or other sites, please visit http://www.aboutads.info/choices/.

Your access to our websites should not be affected if you do not accept cookies served by third parties.

Our partners may place or recognize a cookie on your computer, device, or directly in our emails/communications, and we may share personal information with them if you have submitted such information to us, such as your name, postal address, email address, or device ID. Your data may be transferred outside of the country from which it was originally collected.

Here Is How We Use Your Information

Customizing Your Experience: We use the information that we collect to allow advertising to be targeted to the users for whom such advertising is most pertinent. We also use this information to customize certain features of the Website to provide you with an enhanced experienced based on the type of device you are using to access The Christian Post. We may use demographic and preference information to allow advertising on the Website to be targeted to the users for whom they are most pertinent. This means users see advertising that is most likely to interest them, and advertisers send their messages to people who are most likely to be receptive, improving both the viewer's experience and the effectiveness of the ads. We disclose information to third parties only in aggregate or de-identified form.

Statistical Analysis: We perform statistical, demographic and marketing analyses of readers of The Christian Post, and their subscribing and purchasing patterns, for product development purposes and to generally inform advertisers about the nature of our reader base. We use this information for analysis purposes, including analysis to improve customer relationships.

Email Newsletters: We will periodically send you email newsletters or promotional email about services offered by The Christian Post and its advertisers.

Here Is With Whom We Share Your Information

Within The Christian Post: We may share your information with companies that are affiliated with us.

Third Parties: If you have used The Christian Post, we will not sell, rent, swap or authorize any third party to use your email address or any information that personally identifies you without your permission. We also share information about our audience in aggregate or de-identified form.

Vendors: We contract with other companies to provide services on our behalf, including credit-card and billing processing, ad serving, shipping, email distribution, list processing and analytics or promotions management. We provide these companies only with the information they need to perform their services. These vendors are restricted from using this data in any way other than to provide services for The Christian Post, and they may not share, resell or use the data for their own direct marketing purposes.

We reserve the right to disclose your opt-out information to third parties so they can suppress your name from future solicitations, in accordance with applicable laws. We may occasionally release personal information as required by law, for example, to comply with a court order or subpoena.

Email Policies

Account and Service-Related Email: The Christian Post reserves the right to send you email relating to your account status. This includes order confirmations, renewal/expiration notices, notices of credit-card problems, other transactional emails and notifications about major changes to The Christian Post website and/or to our Privacy Policy. If you have registered for online discussions or other services, you may receive email specific to your participation in those activities.

Email Newsletters: The Christian Post offers several email newsletters. If you no longer wish to receive a specific newsletter, follow the "unsubscribe" instructions located near the bottom of each newsletter.

Promotional EBlast: The Christian Post may periodically email you messages about products and services from our advertisers. You can choose not to receive messages in the future by following the "unsubscribe" instructions located near the bottom of each email.

Survey Email: We may send you an email inviting you to participate in user surveys, asking for feedback on our website and existing or prospective products and services, as well as information to better understand our users. User surveys greatly help us to improve The Christian Post, and any information we obtain in such surveys will not be shared with third parties, except in aggregate form.

HTML Email: When you sign up to receive email from us, you can select either plain text or HTML (with images) format. If you select the HTML format, we may place a one-pixel gif to determine whether or not readers viewed the email. This process does not leave any information on your computer, nor does it collect information from your computer.

Emails From You: If you send us emails, you should be aware that information disclosed in emails may not be secure or encrypted and thus may be available to others. We suggest that you exercise caution when deciding to disclose any personal or confidential information in emails. We will use your email address to respond directly to your questions or comments.

Email This Article Feature: ChristianPost.com readers may use this feature to email links to articles. The email addresses that you supply to this service are saved for your convenience for future articles you may wish to email; these addresses are not used for any other purpose, and will not be shared with any third parties.

Compliance With Legal Process

We may disclose personal information if we are required to do so by law or we have a good faith belief that such action is necessary to (1) comply with the law or with legal process; (2) protect and defend our rights and property; (3) protect against misuse or unauthorized use of The Christian Post website; or (4) protect the personal safety or property of our users or the public (among other things, this means that if you provide false information or attempt to pose as someone else, information about you may be disclosed as part of any investigation into your actions).

COPPA Compliance.

The Christian Post does not knowingly collect or store any personal information about children under the age of 13.

Your California Privacy Rights

Under the California "Shine The Light" law, California residents may opt-out of The Christian Post's disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. As detailed above, you may choose to opt- out of the sharing of your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes at any time by e-mailing us at info@christianpost.com. It is important to note that this opt-out does not prohibit disclosures made for non- marketing purposes, including but not limited to subscription management.

International Safe Harbor Privacy Principles

The Christian Post adheres to the Safe Harbor Frameworks concerning the transfer of personal data from the European Union and Switzerland to the United States of America. Accordingly, we follow the Safe Harbor Privacy Principles published by the U.S. Department of Commerce (the Principles) with respect to all such data. The Christian Post has certified that it adheres to the Safe Harbor Privacy Principles of notice, choice, onward transfer, security, data integrity, access, and enforcement. This privacy policy outlines our general policy and practices for implementing the Principles, including the types of information we gather, how we use it and the notice and choice you have regarding our use of and your ability to correct that information. For more information about the Safe Harbor Privacy Principles, please visit the U.S. Department of Commerces Safe Harbor website at http://www.export.gov/safeharbor/.

Changes to This Policy

This Privacy Policy may be amended from time to time. Any such changes will be posted on this page. If we make a significant or material change in the way we use your personal information, the change will be posted on this page thirty (30) days prior to taking effect.
Terms And Conditions of Use

Last updated on January 29, 2019

This page describes the terms and conditions that govern your use of The Christian Post digital properties, including www.ChristianPost.com, mobile sites and applications, offered by The Christian Post and certain of its subsidiaries (CP, us or we).

General Rules And Definitions

Welcome to The Christian Post! As used in these Terms and Conditions, the term "Website" refers to the Website located at www.ChristianPost.com as well as online services that include, but are not limited to, our E-mail newsletters, our archives, our premium online content, our mobile sites and applications, RSS, API, software, other downloads, and our online discussion forums. The Christian Post does not control, and is not responsible for, any third-party site to which the Website links.

You agree that your use of the Website is subject to the following Terms and Conditions. These Terms and Conditions may be changed, added, removed or modified at any time and from time to time, which shall become effective immediately upon posting; the date of the most recent changes or revisions will appear on this page. Continued access to the Website by you will constitute your acceptance of any changes or revisions to the Terms and Conditions. If any of these rules or any future changes are unacceptable to you, please do not use this Website.

We may also change, suspend or discontinue any aspect of the Services at any time, including the availability of any Services feature, database, or content. We may also impose limits on certain features and services or restrict your access to parts or all of the Services without notice or liability.

Content Of The Services

The materials contained on the Website are provided by The Christian Post as a service to you for your noncommercial, personal use on an "as is, as available" basis and may be used by you for information purposes only. The materials published on the Website (including, but not limited to news articles, photographs, images, illustrations, audio clips and video clips, also known as the Content) are protected by copyright, and owned or controlled by The Christian Post or the party credited as the provider of the Content. You shall abide by all additional copyright notices, information, or restrictions contained in any Content accessed through the Website.

The content of Services is owned or licensed to The Christian Post. Certain Content is furnished by The Associated Press, Reuters, which will not be liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any such Content, or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof, or for any damages arising therefrom.

Copyright

All materials published on the Website are protected by U.S. and international copyright laws, and may not be reproduced, republished, distributed, transmitted, resold, displayed, broadcast, or otherwise exploited in any manner without the express written permission of either The Christian Post or, in the case of content licensed by The Christian Post from third parties, the entity that is credited as the copyright holder of such licensed content. You may download freely accessible material (one copy per page) from this Website for your personal and noncommercial use; or for ministerial or educational purposes only, without altering or removing any trademark, copyright, or other notice from such material. For commercial use, you must pay a fee to access articles from our archives and our premium online content.

Permission from The Christian Post for its articles to appear on a non-Christian Post online site is required. You may however use a three-paragraph summary that is no longer than 150 words with a direct link to the full article available on www.ChristianPost.com or the URL that is visible in the browser location/address bar.

For any other use, advance permission must be obtained from The Christian Post. Please contact the general administrator for copyright permission via our Contact Us page or by sending a letter and self-addressed envelope to the address below:

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Digital Millennium Copyright Act

If you are a copyright owner or an agent thereof and believe that any Content infringes upon your copyrights, you may submit a notification pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") by providing our Copyright Agent with the following information in writing (see 17 U.S.C 512(c)(3) for further detail):

A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed;

Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site;

Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled and information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to locate the material;

Information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to contact you, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an electronic mail;

A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and

A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

The Christian Post's designated Copyright Agent to receive notifications of claimed infringement is

Yen-Yi Anderson, Esq.

Address: 61 Broadway #2809, New York, NY 10006

Email: legal@christianpost.com

Fax: 646 349 4396

For clarity, only DMCA notices should go to the Copyright Agent; any other feedback, comments, requests for technical support, and other communications should be directed to The Christian Post customer service through The Christian Post Contact Us page. You acknowledge that if you fail to comply with all of the requirements of this Section 5(D), your DMCA notice may not be valid.

Counter-Notice: If you believe that your Content that was removed (or to which access was disabled) is not infringing, or that you have the authorization from the copyright owner, the copyright owner's agent, or pursuant to the law, to post and use the material in your Content, you may send a counter-notice containing the following information to the Copyright Agent:

Your physical or electronic signature;

Identification of the Content that has been removed or to which access has been disabled and the location at which the Content appeared before it was removed or disabled;

A statement that you have a good faith belief that the Content was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or a misidentification of the Content; and

Your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address, a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal court in New York, New York, and a statement that you will accept service of process from the person who provided notification of the alleged infringement.

If a counter-notice is received by the Copyright Agent, The Christian Post may send a copy of the counter-notice to the original complaining party informing that person that it may replace the removed Content or cease disabling it in 10 business days. Unless the copyright owner files an action seeking a court order against the Content provider, member or user, the removed Content may be replaced, or access to it restored, in 10 to 14 business days or more after receipt of the counter-notice, at The Christian Post 's sole discretion.

The Christian Post

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User Generated Content

The Christian Post, through its blogs, discussion boards and forums, provides users an opportunity to post content to the Website. The Christian Post does not endorse, support, sanction, encourage, or agree with content posted by users. You shall not post or transmit any unlawful threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, deliberately disrupt discussions with repetitive messages, meaningless messages or spam, or indecent information of any kind, including without limitation any transmissions constituting or encouraging conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate and local, state, national, or international law, or infringe upon another's copyright or trademark. You understand that all information, data, text, software, music, sound, photographs, video, messages, or other materials posted or transmitted in a The Christian Post forum, whether publicly posted or privately transmitted, is the sole responsibility of the person from whom such content originated. This means that you, and not The Christian Post, are entirely and solely responsible for all content that you upload, post, or otherwise transmit via the Website. The Christian Post does not and cannot review the content posted by all users and is not responsible for such content. However, The Christian Post shall have the right, but not the obligation, to delete, remove, or edit any content that violates this agreement or is otherwise objectionable as determined by The Christian Post in its sole discretion and without notice.

Furthermore, The Christian Post reserves the right to terminate, without notice, subscriber's access for any activity related to threatening to injure, intimidate, interfere with, oppress or otherwise coerce any other person in connection with the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege guaranteed to him or her under the United States or any national or state constitution on account of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender or sexual orientation or because the subscriber perceives that another has one or more of these characteristics. This includes, but is not limited to, threats to inflict evil, injury or damage on another individual.

If you upload, post, or otherwise transmit content to the Website, you acknowledge that any such submissions may be edited, removed, modified, published, transmitted, and displayed by The Christian Post in any medium now existing or hereinafter invented, and for any purpose, including commercial uses. You waive any moral rights you may have in having the material edited, removed, modified, published, transmitted, or displayed in a manner not agreeable to you.

The Website shall be used only in a noncommercial manner. You shall not, without express written approval of The Christian Post, distribute or otherwise publish any material containing any solicitation of funds, advertising or solicitation for goods or services.

You grant The Christian Post a perpetual, nonexclusive, world-wide, loyalty-free, sub-licensable license to the submissions, which includes without limitation the right for The Christian Post and any third party it designates, to use, copy, transmit, excerpt, publish, distribute, publicly display, publicly perform, create derivative works of, host, index, cache, tag, encode, modify and adapt (to streaming, downloading, broadcast, mobile, digital, thumbnail, scanning or other technologies) in any form or media now known or hereinafter developed, any submission posted by you on or to the Website or any other Websites owned by The Christian Post, including any submission posted on or to the Website through a third party.

By making the submission, you also consent to its display and publication on the Website and for related online and offline promotional uses.

Presentations And Warranties

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According to Gov. Newsom, the baby in the womb is not our neighbor

Governor Gavin Newsom is not simply pro-choice. He is pro-abortion, to the point that he tweeted last month, Just launched billboards in 7 of the most restrictive anti-abortion states that explain how women can access careno matter where they live. To any woman seeking an abortion in these anti-freedom states: CA will defend your right to make decisions about your own health.

Newsom, in fact, is a pro-abortion radical, as evidenced by the pinned tweet on his account. It states:

Abortion is legal in California. It will remain that way. I just signed a bill that makes our state a safe haven for women across the nation. We will not cooperate with any states that attempt to prosecute women or doctors for receiving or providing reproductive care.

Tragically, it appears that his views are quite popular. The tweet currently has one million likes.

Worse still, on at least one of the billboards paid for by Gov. Newsoms election campaign, the words of Jesus were quoted in support of abortion, specifically Mark 12:31: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these.

This billboard was posted in Oklahoma, sometimes referred to as the buckle of the Bible belt.

So, this demented logic would say, If youre dealing with lots of Christians, you need to quote the Scriptures.

Talk about a misuse of the Word of God. Talk about butchering the Bible.

As pro-life leader Marjorie Dannenfelser exclaimed:

This makes me sick. Gavin Newsom quoting Scripture ("Love your neighbor as yourself" - Mark 12:31) in his billboard going up in Oklahoma today advertising California as an abortion tourism destination. Simply no words for how twisted this is.

Newsom has now drawn the ire of Pastor John MacArthur who sent an open letter of rebuke to the governor, calling for his repentance.

It begins with these words:

Almighty God says in His Word, Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people (Proverbs 14:34). Scripture also teaches that it is the chief duty of any civic leader to reward those who do well and to punish evildoers (Romans 13:17). You have not only failed in that responsibility; you routinely turn it on its head, rewarding evildoers and punishing the righteous.

The letter continues,

In mid-September, you revealed to the entire nation how thoroughly rebellious against God you are when you sponsored billboards across America promoting the slaughter of children, whom He creates in the womb (Psalm 139:1316; Isaiah 45:912). You further compounded the wickedness of that murderous campaign with a reprehensible act of gross blasphemy, quoting the very words of Jesus from Mark 12:31 as if you could somehow twist His meaning and arrogate His name in favor of butchering unborn infants. You used the name and the words of Christ to promote the credo of Molech (Leviticus 20:15). It would be hard to imagine a greater sacrilege.

And, speaking personally and directly, Pastor MacArthur writes:

My concern, Governor Newsom, is that your own soul lies in grave, eternal peril, urging him to repent and find salvation in Jesus. And, he notes, Our church, and countless Christians nationwide, are praying for your full repentance. Please respond to the Gospel, forsake the path of wickedness you have pursued all your life, turn to Christ, ask for forgiveness, and use your office to advance the cause of righteousness (as is your duty) instead of undermining it (as has been your pattern).

This is what you call Gospel rebuke, providing an excellent example of a leading pastor interfacing with politics.

It is not about Republicans vs. Democrats. It is a matter of an elected official defiantly sinning in the face of God, using the Bible to back his cause. And this is the same Gavin Newsom who, when mayor of San Francisco, illegally issued marriage certificates to same-sex couples.

As for those blasphemous billboards, an effective counter-campaign could depict a baby inside the mothers womb, plaintively asking Gov. Newsom, Am I not your neighbor? That would say it all.

Right now, in the name of loving your neighbor, Newsom is bringing the blood of the innocent on California.

May God grant him repentance, forgiveness, and a transformed new life where his fearless zeal can be used for good rather than for evil. And may Christians throughout the state awaken to righteousness and declare, Not on our watch!

By a miracle of divine intervention, California may one day become a sanctuary for life.
Conservatives are still part of the problem

Leftists are a bigger threat to society, but Christless conservatives arent the solution. Actually, theyre part of the problem.

I said that in an article earlier this year after conservatives like Candace Owens celebrated Dave Rubins announcement that he and his gay partner had adopted two children through surrogate mothers.

On her podcast earlier this week, Candace Owens said she was surprised that some conservatives called Dave Rubins announcement ungodly and anti-family. Then she said:

I was asked at that time to offer my commentary and I didnt because first foremost I felt that we were using these two individuals as a conduit to a more important discussion. Like we were just sort of saying you two (Dave Rubin and his partner) and now were all going to yell about it There was something that felt wrong to me about attacking these two children. I love life, and I cant imagine these kids growing up and seeing that their birth announcement went so sideways  We should have this discussion, but we shouldnt be using Dave Rubins [and his partners] birth announcement as a conduit.

Just as I admire Dave Rubin despite his ungodliness, I also admire Candace Owens despite her (support for) ungodliness. Candace Owens has been a bold and persevering advocate for many of the issues Im passionate about.

Ive been following her since before she became famous. Ive watched her change from an apathetic or unsure person on abortion to a strong pro-life advocate. So maybe one day shell change her mind on gay marriage and gay parenting.

Nevertheless, since I dont mince words with leftists  I wont mince words with Candace Owens when she argues like a leftist.

Its difficult to believe shes telling the truth when she says the reason why she didnt comment on Dave Rubins announcement is that she didnt want to use his announcement as a conduit to a more important discussion.

When has Candace Owens refused to use any individual story as a conduit to a more important discussion? Isnt she infamous for using George Floyd as a conduit to a more important discussion about how our culture and especially black culture justify and romanticize black criminals like George Floyd?

In fact, in the same podcast episode, she hypocritically names a number of celebrities who have used surrogacy as a conduit to a more important discussion on the surrogacy industry.

Still, her inconsistency is less disappointing than her absurd suggestion that conservatives were attacking Dave Rubins children. That ridiculous assertion is straight out of the leftist playbook. Conservatives who are disappointed with Dave Rubin are not attacking his children. Conservatives who are concerned for his children are not attacking his children.

When Candace Owens expresses her anger over parents who take their trans children to get mastectomies, penectomies, and vaginoplasties, is she attacking the children?

Of course not. Yet she claims conservatives and Christians are attacking children when we criticize her friends harmful parenting.

However, Candace Owens friendship with Dave Rubin isnt the only reason why I think she supports his gay parenting.

Though shes a professing Christian, like many supposed conservatives  she supports homosexuality and gay marriage. Though she says a person cannot be a Christian and pro-abortion because of the Bibles words on abortion  she apparently believes people like her can be Christian and pro-gay marriage despite the Bibles words on homosexuality.

As I shared in a recent tweet: I dont like referring to myself as a conservative Christian. Im a conservative because Im a Christian. Christian theology makes me conservative politically. Leftist Christianity is a contradiction in terms. Leftism and Christianity are incompatible.

In the same way, homosexuality and Christianity are incompatible. You cannot be pro-gay marriage and pro-Jesus Christ. You cannot unrepentantly practice homosexuality and practice Christianity. You cannot support homosexuality and serve Jesus Christ.

God instituted marriage between a man and a woman. Meaning, He instituted parenting between a man and a woman.

Therefore a man needs a woman for a wife, a woman needs a man for a husband  a child needs a man for a father and a woman for a mother.

Children need their fathers and mothers. Gay couples who use surrogacy to have children are stripping their children from their most basic needs.

One of the reasons why Candace Owens support for gay marriage and gay parenting is especially disappointing is because shes talked about the importance of the nuclear family in the past  especially since fatherlessness is the biggest problem for black people today.

As many of you know, I was raised in a fatherless household. I suffered all the painful challenges that fatherless children tend to experience. I had sexual experiences by the age of 5; I suffered poverty from conception; I was involved in over 20 violent altercations before I was 18; and I didnt graduate from high school.

And yet, its better to be raised by a single mother than a same-sex couple.

Single mothers are not ideal. Single fathers are not ideal. But same-sex parents are an abomination to God.

Children raised by a single mother are more likely not to learn good habits. But children raised by same-sex parents are more likely to learn bad habits.

Men who think they can take a mothers role are no different than men who think they can take a womans gender.

And whats the difference between same-sex marriages or same-sex parenting with transgenderism, anyway?



Same-sex parents are trans-parenting. Men who think they can replace mothers are no different from men who think they can become a woman. The attack on gender today started with the attack on gender roles decades ago.

Gay marriages and gay parenting are just as unnatural as transgenderism. And unnatural parenting creates unnatural child development. This is why same-sex couples are significantly more likely to raise transgender children.

Conservatives who do not conserve the nuclear family are not conservatives. Therefore we Christians should remember that Christless conservatives are not the solution.



Conservatives like Dave Rubin and Candace Owens are still part of the problem, and the Gospel and ethics of Jesus Christ are the only solution.

As I said in my interview with the Daily Wire last year, the only thing that can save America and Western nations from disaster is also the only thing that can save sinners from the wrath of God: the Gospel.

Originally published at Slow to Write.
Archaeologists discover burial cave filled with intact pottery dating to Ramses II, Exodus from Egypt

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.

Its a find of a lifetime, said Eli Yannai, an expert on the Bronze Age at the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Its like a set from Indiana Jones  a cave with vessels on the floor that havent been touched for 3,300 years, Haaretz quoted Yannai as saying.

Its from the Late Bronze Age, exactly the time of the notorious pharaoh, Ramesses II.

Ramesses II, also known as Ramesses the Great who reigned from about 1279 B.C. to 1213 B.C., expanded ancient Egypts sway as far as modern Syria to the northeast and Sudan to the south.

The ancient cave provides a full picture of burial traditions during that period, Yannai added.

It was discovered accidentally at the construction site of Palmahim Beach National Park on the southern Israeli coast after a tractor moved a rock and revealed the caves ceiling, The Jerusalem Post reported, adding that an inspector for the Nature and Parks Authority, Dror Czitron, was then called to the site.

A team of archaeologists descended a ladder into the dark cave that appeared to have frozen in time, according to a statement by the IAA, which said they found several items in it.

Some items  like amphorae and bowls of various types and forms, cooking vessels and oil lamps  were seemingly meant to serve the deceased in the afterlife, they said.

The other items included tiny vessels with small amounts of precious substances that were possibly brought from Tyre, Sidon and other ports in Lebanon.

The cave also had bronze arrowheads and spear tips.

In the cave, mainly dozens of pottery vessels of various sizes and shapes were left, Yannai was quoted as saying.

The vessels included shallow bowls, some of them painted red, and cooking pots, jugs and clay candles with oil for light, Yannai added.

The IAA statement did not say if the team found in the cave any human remains, or any inscriptions or artifacts that could possibly identify the individual(s), Live Science noted.

The news of the discovery of the cave spread like wildfire in the academic world, and we have already received requests from many scholars to take part in the planned archaeological excavation, Eli Eskosido, the IAAs director-general, and Raya Shurky, director of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, were quoted as saying in a statement.
Belgium failed to properly review depressed woman's assisted suicide case, human rights court rules

The European Court of Human Rights has upheld Belgium's euthanasia law but ruled that the government didn't conduct a proper, independent review of the circumstances surrounding the case of a woman who suffered from depression.

In a decision Tuesday, the Strasbourg international court rejected three of four charges made against Belgium by Tom Mortier, a Belgian national whose mother was euthanized in 2012.

Mortier's mother, Godelieva de Troyer, was euthanized at the age of 64 because of "chronic depression" that she experienced for around 40 years. Mortier contends that doctors never consulted any of her family members.

According to court documents, Mortier believed that the state did not properly process the request and filed a criminal complaint against various parties in 2014, which was discontinued in 2017 due to "insufficient evidence." In November 2017, Mortier lodged a complaint against the Belgian government before the European Court of Human Rights.

Mortier claimed his mother's assisted suicide violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the "right to life," and Article 8 of the convention, which protects the "right to respect for private and family life."

The judges ruled 5-2 that the Belgian euthanasia law did not violate Article 2, stating that "the statutory provisions on euthanasia constituted in principle a legislative framework that specifically ensured the protection of the right to life of the patients as required by Article 2 of the Convention."

Additionally, the judges ruled 5-2 that there was no violation of Article 2 "on account of the conditions in which the act of euthanasia had been carried out in the case of the applicant's mother."

"The Court took the view that it could not be said from the evidence before it that the act in question, performed in accordance with the established statutory framework, had breached the requirements of Article 2 of the Convention," they stated.

The judges also ruled 6-1 that there was no violation of Article 8. The court found that "the doctors assisting the applicant's mother had done everything reasonable, in compliance with the law, their duty of confidentiality and medical secrecy, together with ethical guidelines, to ensure that she contacted her children about her euthanasia request."

However, the human rights court ruled unanimously that the state failed to properly review the case in violation of Article 2. The court considered the "system put in place by the Belgian legislature for the review of euthanasia, solely on the basis of the anonymous part of the registration document, did not satisfy the requirements under Article 2 of the Convention."

The issue at hand is how the case was handled by the federal commission overseeing euthanasia.

"The procedure under section 8 of the Euthanasia Act did not prevent the doctor who performed the euthanasia from sitting on the Board and voting on whether his or her own acts were compatible with the substantive and procedural requirements of domestic law," the ruling states.

"The Court considered that the fact of leaving it to the sole discretion of the member concerned to remain silent when he or she had been involved in the euthanasia under review could not be regarded as sufficient to ensure the independence of the Board."

The court found that the state "failed to fulfill its procedural positive obligation, on account of the lack of independence of the Federal Board for the Review and Assessment of Euthanasia and the length of the criminal investigation in the case."

ADF International, a conservative legal nonprofit that helped to represent Mortier, released a statement Tuesday expressing approval of the high court ruling in their favor on one of the counts.

Robert Clarke, deputy director of ADF International who argued before the human rights court, said that the ruling "counters the notion that there is a so-called 'right to die.'"

"Unfortunately, while the Court indicated that more 'safeguarding' is an appropriate solution to protecting life, in its own ruling, it makes clear that laws and protocols were indeed insufficient to protect the rights of Tom's mother," Clarke stated.

"It is unfortunate that the Court dismissed the challenge to the Belgian legal framework; however, the takeaway is that the 'safeguards' touted as offering protection to vulnerable people should trigger more caution toward euthanasia in Europe, and the world."

Belgium legalized euthanasia in 2002, allowing physician-assisted suicide for children and adults suffering from non-terminal illnesses like mental health problems. Labeled by PBS as "the world's most liberal law on physician-assisted suicide," surveys reportedly show the law has broad support among Belgian citizens.
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.
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.
Taiwan's defense minister issued a warning on Wednesday, saying that any Chinese fighter planes or drones that violate Taiwan air space will be considered a "first strike" as the island attempts to fortify its defenses in defiance of increasing military pressure from Beijing.

Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told parliamentarians about China's new intimidatory tactics, which have seen Chinese airplanes and drones fly near Taiwan.

Taipei's territorial limit is 12 nautical miles (22.2 kilometers) from its coastline, and Chiu did not say how the government would react if People's Liberation Army (PLA) planes crossed that line.

Chiu Kuo-cheng remarked that Taiwan's position in the past was "we won't be the first to strike, which meant we will not fire the first shot without (China) firing artillery shells or missiles first."

At a legislative committee hearing, he said that the meaning had shifted now that China has employed devices like drones. Hence, any airborne crossing into Taiwan airspace is regarded as a "first strike."

President Tsai Ing-wen said in the early part of the year that Taiwan's military would take appropriate and "forceful countermeasures" against Chinese gray area combat methods, which include "drone harassment."

Signs of China's Possible Invasion of Taiwan

Amid the continued Taiwan-China conflict, an ex-CIA analyst presented signs that would reveal China's plans to invade Taiwan in full force.

An article written by John Culver and published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace details the indicators that China is planning an invasion of Taiwan. Culver's judgment is based on PLA combat preparations 18 to 24 months before invading Taiwan.

In Culver's estimation, the increased stockpiling of ballistic, cruise, anti-air, and air-to-air missiles and rockets to loosen up coastal regions would be one of the first obvious signals at least a year before "D-Day."

Culver noted that China would try to protect its economy, military, and other vital industries against disruptions and penalties by taking precautions as the Taiwan-China conflict escalates further.

Additionally, emergency supplies would be hoarded, vital exports would be placed on hold, measures would be made to curb demand or limit products, and critical inputs would be prioritized for military production. The government of China also plans to limit the trips abroad of its leaders and highly prominent officers.

Read Also: Somalia on Brink of Catastrophic Famine After Suffering Worst Drought in Decades

Beijing will also aim to psychologically prepare the public for a lengthy battle with tens of thousands of soldiers and civilian losses from US and Taiwan retaliation attacks, Culver wrote in the article.

However, the expert pointed out that if a war were planned for 2024, indicators would have shown by now, but they haven't, indicating that it's improbable that one will break out the following year.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin believes that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is not imminent and the US is committed to "helping Taiwan defend itself."

Taiwan Will Not Depend on Foreign Allies To Defend Its Sovereignty

On Wednesday, while praising a US guarantee for the democratically ruled island's protection, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen remarked that Taipei would not rely on outsiders for defense.

The comments by Pres. Tsai, filmed in advance and shown at a symposium in Washington, DC, came after US President Joe Biden pledged in September to defend Taiwan against an "unprecedented invasion" by China.

Tsai commended the Biden administration and US Congress for upholding Taiwan's security and current US military equipment purchases amid the Taiwan-China conflict.

"But we will not depend on others to come to our own defense," Pres. Tsai said.

The Taiwanese head of state reiterated that Taiwan will always ensure the safety of its people and do its best to safeguard its democratic system.

Critics believe that, whether on purpose or not, Biden undermined a US posture of not taking a position on Taiwan's independence, despite White House assurances.

Related Article: Russia, China Protect, Help North Korea as Kim Jong Un Enjoys 'Blanket of Protection' from 2 Nations, US Claims at UN Meeting

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Thirty people, including a dozen children, were slain Thursday when a shooter stormed a daycare in Thailand and continued firing from his vehicle as he drove away, according to officials.

The incident deadliest mass shooting in Thai history, according to AP News.

After murdering his wife and kid, the attacker, who was an ex-police officer, then committed suicide.

Pictures and videos of the daycare facility shared online showed blood splattered over the floor of one room and sleeping mats lying about. Its walls were covered with bright interior decorations and images of the alphabet.

Cries of anguish could be heard from outside the building as family members filmed the scene on their phones. Police officers and medical personnel were walking around near the ambulances waiting to transport them.

At the scene, an eyewitness told Thailand's Kom Chad Leuk television that they had shut the door after seeing the perpetrator come with a weapon, only to have the gunman shoot right through.

The unidentified woman said that the teacher who got killed "had a child in her arms. She added that it never crossed her mind that the suspect would "murder children" when he fired at the door and "went through it."

The perpetrator entered the child care center in the northeastern Thai town of Nong Bua Lamphu at about midday, according to authorities.

The perpetrator killed 22 children and 2 adults before fleeing, authorities said.

Gunman Identified as Ex-Cop Involved with Drugs

Police Maj. Gen. Paisal Luesomboon told The Associated Press that the suspect resumed firing shots from his automobile.

He is alleged to have killed two other children and nine adults outside the daycare.

The suspect is former officer Panya Kamrap, 34. Paisal said in an interview with PPTV that drug-related violations led to his dismissal from the force earlier this year.

# #: Thai police reported shooting and casualties in Uthai Sawan subdistrict, Nong Bua Lam Phu province.



Public urged to stay at home or in safe places. Assailant, believed to be armed, fled the scene in a vehicle. Police is searching for the person pic.twitter.com/XOBxZsZ9WA  Pichayada P. (@PichayadaCNA) October 6, 2022

Read Also: Somalia on Brink of Catastrophic Famine After Suffering Worst Drought in Decades

According to the Royal Thai Police, as reported by The New York Times, Panya was discharged from the force after being caught with methamphetamine.

Maj. Gen. Jirapob Puridet of Thailand's Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), the suspect had been in court in the Nong Bua Lamphu province just hours before "opening fire" while the children were asleep."

The local police chief stated that the suspect's stepson, who is two years old, attended the facility that the suspect assaulted on Thursday.

Paisan said that the Thailand mass shooting culprit "went to look for his two-year-old son" but he was not able to find him. So the shooter opened fire and stabbed people at the nursery, as per a report from CNN.

Paisal stated he used a revolver, shotgun, and knife in the Thailand mass shooting.

The police said that when he reached home, the suspect killed his wife and child, and then took his own life.

The Prime Minister's Office Acting Spokesperson, Anucha Burachaisri, stated that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has issued orders for government agencies to aid the injured.

Illegal Firearms a Problem in Thailand

Even while gun ownership rates are high in Thailand, mass shootings are extremely uncommon there, per BBC.

The Reuters news agency claims that the country in south-east Asia is plagued with illegal weaponry.

Less than a month before the nursery shooting, an army officer in Bangkok shot and killed two of his fellow officers.

In 2020, a soldier in the City of Nakhon Ratchasima killed 29 people and wounded hundreds more.

Related Article: New York Crime: 15,000 'Candy-Like' Fentanyl Pills Discovered Inside Kids' Toy LEGO Box; Authorities Warn About Deadly Drug Ahead of Halloween

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
SpaceX's groundbreaking Crew-5 mission lifted off from Launch Pad 3A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at noon EDT (1600 GMT), beginning a 29-hour trip to the International Space Station (ISS).

A Dragon capsule carrying four Crew-5 astronauts was on top of a Falcon 9 rocket when it launched from the historic Launch Pad 39A on Wednesday, Space.com reported.

Crew-5 from 'Very Unique, Different Backgrounds'

The four astronauts included NASA's Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata and Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina. Mann was the first Native American woman in space, and Kikina is the first Russian cosmonaut to be launched into space on a private American spacecraft.

Mann said he was "very proud to represent Native Americans and my heritage," Mann said in an Oct. 1 press conference. Mann described the Crew 5 members as "coming from very unique, different backgrounds, different educations and job specialties."

As the Falcon rocket soared, the nine Merlin engines that boosted the rocket's first stage roared to life, and they launched the 230-foot-tall (70 meters) rocket off the pad.

Read Also: SpaceX is Working on Some Changes Following Falcon 9 Rocket Transport Damages

Two minutes and 40 seconds into the flight, the engines were shut off, and the upper stage capsule detached from the first-stage booster. Twelve minutes after launch, the Crew-5 capsule Endurance separated from the upper stage as planned, beginning its long solo chase of the ISS.

As this happened, Wakata told mission control that the astronauts enjoyed a "smooth ride" and that he saw "three happy faces here."

Crew-5 Part of 'Golden Era' of Commercial Space Exploration

According to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, the Crew-5 mission is "proof we are living through a golden era of commercial space exploration. The mission, he said in a NASA post, is part of "a new era powered by the spirit of partnership, fueled by scientific ingenuity, and inspired by the quest for new discoveries." Crew-5 is set to conduct in the ISS more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations, including studies on printing human organs in space and a better understanding of heart disease.

This is the first spaceflight for Mann, Cassada, and Kikina, and the fifth for Wakata. This is the sixth SpaceX mission with NASA astronauts - including the Demo-2 test flight in 2020 to the space station - as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program.

During Dragon's flight, SpaceX will oversee several automatic spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California, and NASA teams will look after space station operations throughout the flight from the Mission Control Center at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Dragon will dock to the space-facing port of the station's Harmony module at around 4:57 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6. NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website will provide live coverage of docking and hatch opening. NASA also will cover the ceremony to welcome the crew aboard the orbital outpost at about 8:15 p.m. Thursday.

Mann, Cassada, Wakata, and Kikina will join the current ISS Expedition 68 crew of NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren, Frank Rubio, and Jessica Watkins, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin. For a few days, the number of crew aboard the space station will reach 11 people until Crew-4 astronauts Hines Lindgren, Watkins, and Cristoforetti head back to Earth a few days later.

Related Article: NASA Seals Extended $1.4-Billion Deal With SpaceX for 5 More Crewed Missions to ISS Until 2030
The next month will hold announcements for the Parents and Grandparents Program, Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025, Statistics Canada census data and more.

Why October is set to be a major month for Canadian immigration The next month will hold announcements for the Parents and Grandparents Program, Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025, Statistics Canada census data and more.

Why October is set to be a major month for Canadian immigration The next month will hold announcements for the Parents and Grandparents Program, Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025, Statistics Canada census data and more.

Why October is set to be a major month for Canadian immigration The next month will hold announcements for the Parents and Grandparents Program, Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025, Statistics Canada census data and more. Edana Robitaille Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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The coming month is likely to be a busy one for Canadas immigration sector. There are several end-of-year developments expected in the coming weeks that will lay a foundation for immigration targets and trends for the next year and beyond.



Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will announce the process for the PGP 2022 in late October and the Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 will be announced by November 1. Additionally, Statistics Canada will publish census data on immigration from 2021, the first time in five years.

It is also likely that the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for the newly resumed all-program Express Entry draws will continue to decrease until it is below 500, as was the norm before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

Parents and Grandparents Program 2022

On September 6, IRCC told CIC News in an email that the application intake will be available in the coming weeks for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP).

Under this program, applicants can sponsor their parents or grandparents for immigration to Canada. In past years, IRCC has decided which parents and grandparents will be eligible for a visa by lottery. However, it remains unconfirmed whether this will also be the case this year and IRCC will unveil the process as part of the announcement.

Sponsors must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is over 18 years old and able to demonstrate that they exceed the minimum necessary income for sponsorship. They also need to sign an undertaking, a document that states they are willing to support their parents or grandparents for 20 years

In 2021, IRCC held a lottery for the PGP that invited 30,000 Canadians to submit their applications to sponsor. Last years figure was higher to compensate for the lower figure in 2020. Due to the onset of the pandemic, IRCC only allowed 10,000 sponsors to apply for the PGP in 2020.

2021 Census Report

Every five years Statistics Canada releases detailed data on immigration. The last time census data on immigration was released was in October 2017.

Statistics Canada collects data from all Canadians every year to better understand how Canadians live. For example, their income brackets, how many people they live with, and languages spoken, among other factors. This data is used by the government to better assess the real living conditions of Canadians to better anticipate their needs.

The new census data will show the number of immigrants that live in Canada, where they have chosen to settle, what languages they speak at home and how many people they live with. This will help shape the outlook for immigration initiatives, such as the immigration levels plan, in the future.

The data will be made public in the last week of October.

Express Entry CRS score may drop below 500

IRCC resumed all-program Express Entry draws last July after a hiatus of over 18 months. The initial draw on July 6 invited 1,500 candidates to apply for permanent residence, with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 557.

Since July 6, the minimum CRS has been steadily decreasing with each draw. The first five draws had declines of 8 or 9 points and the two most recent draws on September 14 and 28 had decreased of only 6 points in each draw. The most recent score on September 28 was 504. If this trend continues, the score could soon dip below 500 for an all-program draw for the first time since the draw on December 23, 2020 when the CRS score was 468.

While the score is slowly decreasing, compared to draws before the pandemic, 504 is still a remarkably high. A typical draw before the pandemic would have a CRS score between 450 and 500 points.

As the CRS score continues to lower, the number of ITAs has also been increasing with each draw. Again, the first several draws saw an increase of 250 candidates with each draw until the most recent three draws in which the number of ITAs has jumped by 500 each draw. All-program draws in 2020 before the pandemic invited between 3,400- 4,500 candidates each time.

Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025

Each year IRCC issues an Immigration Levels Plan to act as the guideline for the number of immigrants that 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 looks like IRCC is poised to set more record-breaking targets. The target for 2022 is nearly 432,000 new permanent residents and over 451,000 by 2024. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser told CIC News in June that he can foresee higher targets in the coming years, up to 500,000 new permanent residents, but he did not specify when that would happen. It is unlikely the target will decrease given Canadas current labour shortage and high number of job vacancies.

According to the Immigration Refugees Protection Act (IRPA), IRCC has a deadline of November 1 to release the new plan but as Parliament is sitting for four consecutive weeks after Canadian Thanksgiving, it is possible that the plan may come a few days sooner. IRPA is the main piece of legislation that regulates Canadian immigration.

IRCC works with other governmental departments and stakeholders to create an Immigration Levels Plan that is balanced in how permanent resident spots are distributed among each immigration class, and from there further organized into how many spots per program.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
US Army CIO Dr. Raj Iyer is virtually on the front lines of the Russian-Ukrainian war  and it is not an exercise.

As part of NATOs commitment to support Ukraine, a democracy Russia invaded in February, Iyer and his CIO colleagues across all branches of the US military, along with the US Department of Defense CIO and officials at the Pentagon and US intelligence agencies, are feeding near real-time data to Ukrainian commanders on the ground and to its besieged government.

Data is now the new ammunition, says Iyer, who is a civilian and the first US Army CIO, a new position that reports to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth. At the end of the day, the business of the army is to fight and win wars. Were here to serve our national security interests, and for us, that meant making our cloud become a warfighting capability.

Intense pressure is on the nations military IT chiefs to either deter or engage and win what Iyer calls Future Fights, given that the technical acumen of the nations major peer adversaries  Russia and China  is more sophisticated than past combatants such as Afghanistan and Iraq, he says.

To build a digital infrastructure capable of fulfilling this remit, Iyer, who previously worked at Deloitte and the private industry, has had to work hard and fast. When he assumed the CIO role two years ago, the US Army did not have a cloud up and running.

First, Iyer tapped into the $500 million budgeted for the armys digital transformation over a five-year period and productized it by building a secure cloud infrastructure based on AWS and Microsoft Azure. His second priority involved making an aggressive push to move the Armys most mission-critical SAP ERP systems to the cloud.

We were just in the infancy of developing a strategy of how we were going to adopt the cloud. The Air Force has gotten a little ahead of us, but we set aside [the funds] to build capacity, have the right architecture and the right level of security controls in place to make sure we could leverage the commercial cloud, he says. Then the most important part for us was to decide how to operationalize this cloud infrastructure.

The clouds impact on the war in Ukraine

It did not take long. The conflict between Ukraine and Russia began just two years into Iyers tenure and the US Armys adoption of the cloud. As an ally of Ukraine, the US Army is applying its war-fighting platform  its cloud, data, analytics, and AI  to help Ukraines logistics and battlefield strategy.

Our 82nd Airborne [Division] was the first to land on the ground. In support of our current operations in the Ukraine, were actually able to leverage the cloud to support their operations, the US Army CIO says.

Its the first time in Army history in which weve had an army unit support a current operation with the cloud, leveraging commercial satellite assets, he adds. Low Earth orbiting satellites gave us access to intelligence data at the point of need at a scale we were not used to . in near real-time.

The amount of data incoming from satellites, ground intelligence, and social media  from soldiers and civilians on the ground, as well as fake video from enemies  is staggering, he says.

Yet Iyer is encouraged that the digital infrastructure has been a critical asset in this conflict and in protecting the homeland.

We are able to quickly integrate intelligence coming from our national intelligence and from the intelligence assets of our partners, go through and validate the data sources, and then very quickly come up with the right assets to target and send that information out, he notes. As much as we rely on our weapons systems platforms, the Future Fight depends on how quickly we are to enable commanders in the field to make decisions in an uncertain environment.

The strategy is already having an impact. The more data the US Army can source and validate quickly, the better positioned it has been to uncover the right assets to target and send that information to the Ukrainians, he says, citing Ukraines use of the M142 Himars, an advanced rocket launcher, on specific targets. It has been reported that, with Himars, Ukraine has been able to cut supply lines to Russian troops and strike Russian ammunition depots.

Its been a game changer just in the last three months of the war and it would not have been possible without the cloud, Iyer says.

Analytics, AI, and the rise of cyberwarfare

The US Army has migrated 250 of its most significant applications to the cloud, including one of the worlds largest SAP ERP systems, Iyer says, adding that he opted to migrate the toughest application challenges up front and that gave us a lot of lessons learned.

The US Army has 200 data centers and is aiming at a 50% reduction in rent by 2027. Rather lift and shift all applications to the cloud, itself a non-trivial task, the army will be killing some of the 3,000 legacy systems that are antiquated or non-native to the cloud.

In recent years, the US military has reorganized its operations to leverage new types of data at scale in ways not used before, Iyer says, especially as space and cyberspace have been added to the multi-domain list of traditional warfighting domains: land, air, and sea. Doing so necessitates tremendous innovation in native-cloud application development.

Cyberattacks within the US and in hotspots such as Ukraine are a top priority for the current US administration and Department of Defense. There are many more sophisticated forms of attacks that experienced hackers in Eastern Europe are waging every day.

Were going to be dealing with an adversary that is technologically savvy and is able to disrupt communications on the battlefield through jamming and electronic warfare, Iyer says. Its very clear the enemy will go after cyberwarfare first to decrease some of our capabilities and our power projection platforms. It all comes down to leveraging data at a scale and operationalizing it in way were not used to.

Since Russias invasion of Ukraine seven months ago, the US military has collected an abundance of data about troop movements and traffic flow from Google Maps and other Internet services and social media websites in real-time. This would be impossible without the cloud, Iyer notes.

The US military has also used its offensive cyber capabilities in its operation in Ukraine in hunt forward missions to prevent cyberattacks. When youre able to synthesize and bring all this data together, we want to allow commanders the option of non-kinetic effects because using fire is probably the last thing we want to do, he says.

The CIO points out that the US military is exploiting AI and machine learning to ensure the data collected is valid and to identify disinformation and misinformation intentionally leaked by opponents. The sheer volume of incoming data exceeds the ability of humans to process it without AI and supercomputers. Thats where the power of the cloud comes in, Iyer says. If the cloud and some of these newer technologies become the common denominator across the battlefield, then the question [of success or failure] becomes how well were able to take advantage of AI and machine learning algorithms in creative ways.

But making decisions on the battlefield can get tricky when AI is involved, he says. Automation is efficient in the enterprise but not permissible in weapons systems that result in human collateral.

In our doctrine, we never allow machines to fire automatically, even in conventional warfare, Iyer points out. Where cloud and AI can help us is to give our commanders options, kinetic and non-kinetic, but weve never [fought] machine to machine.

Protecting democracy and the homeland

The US Army is also deploying AI and the cloud to protect the nations election infrastructure and to prevent any electronic attack or misinformation distribution that would undermine our democratic processes, Iyer says, noting that the cybersecurity executive order put in place by President Biden requires protecting the homeland and ensuring there is no risk of the US critical infrastructure being compromised.

But our enemy only needs to get it right one time, and if you look at the numbers of attempts to penetrate our networks, its literally in the tens of thousands of times per day, Iyer says. I would say we are in a much better position than we were two years ago, but our weakest link is the one about which were always concerned.

Theres still more work to do but the US Army has come a very long way in two years and its roster of data scientists  which numbers in the low thousands  continues to grow through its training program with Carnegie Mellon University. Of course, one of the Armys greatest challenges  and that of the entire Department of Defense as well  is attracting top talent for a fraction of the salaries they can earn in the private sector, Iyer says.

The US military as a whole is highly focused on targeting, collecting, weaponizing, and protecting data at edge devices such as IoT and ground sensors and drones in addition to large-scale data combat platforms. Were shifting rapidly towards low-cost, high-volume, easily perishable types of data collection devices, from drones up to space assets, open source, and social media Iyer says.

Even as the armed forces fight battles overseas and domestically, they are preparing for the future by expanding the cloud infrastructures capabilities and educating the chain of command at the Pentagon about the opportunities afforded by data and the cloud  the modern war-fighting platform.

We need to integrate this even more into our warfighting capabilities by getting all commanders to understand the potential of the cloud and how it has already started to change the future of war fighting, Iyer notes. They need to start integrating these digital technologies in warfighting exercises and experimentation. Its a whole different operating model for us.

The CIO and his counterparts are engaged in a digital transformation campaign to educate the military brass about how the data should be distributed and used in decision-making at the edge and how we take advantage of all of these cloud assets, the CIO says.

We expect the US Army of 2030 to be fully multi-domain capable, fully leveraging all these technologies in ways we have not in the past, he adds, noting that this includes the bevy of digital imaging, target recognition, and advanced AI assets in space. Every one of these exercises we conduct in the field we will have lessons learned and apply them in an agile way to refine our architecture, determine what data we need, and continue to refine our AI algorithms, our tactics, and our doctrine in the field.
Termen extins de aplicare pentru pozitia de manager de oficiu la Institutul de Instruire in Dezvoltare "MilleniuM"
By Ivelin Radkov, Adobe

The Charity Commission has appointed an interim manager to a charity, where a former trustee was convicted of encouraging terrorism.

Earlier this year, the regulator issued Brighton Mosque & Muslim Community Centre with an official warning, after the former trustee was convicted.

On 28 September 2022, the Commission appointed Andrew Wilkinson of Shakespeare Martineau LLP to take charge of the management and operation of the charity. He will identify and appoint new trustees to the charity.

Wilkinson confirmed his appointment by the Commission and said he was in the "early stages of planning the management of the charity going forward".

Former trustee convicted of encouraging terrorism

On 1 November 2020 the former trustee had given an uninvited speech at the charitys premises encouraging people to take part in violent jihad.

This speech was delivered after evening prayers where approximately 50 people were present, including at least one trustee, children and young adults.

The former trustee was convicted at the Central Criminal Court of encouraging terrorism.

The regulator stated the trustees knew or ought to have known from previous issues that this trustee presented a risk to the charity.

It opened a statutory inquiry on 3 August 2022, due to regulatory concerns resulting from a failure to resolve a dispute at the charity.

The parties to the dispute have not, as advised repeatedly by the Commission, been able to appropriately settle the dispute in the best interests of the charity.

The regulator states there is an increased risk that appropriate actions will not be taken to protect the charity from further undue risk of harm.

The charity has also experienced financial management issues and submitted its statutory annual returns late for its past four financial periods.
Sarah Hughes is to become chief executive of Mind, the mental health charity, in January 2023.

She takes on the role from Paul Farmer, who is to leave the charity after 16 years to take up the same position at Age UK.

Hughes is currently chief executive at the Centre for Mental Health, and will be leaving the charity at the end of the year. She became chief executive of the Centre in 2017, and led the organisation through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Before joining the Centre, Hughes was chief executive of Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire (CPSL) Mind. Hughes initially trained as a social worker.

'Sarah will be leading Mind at this crucial time for mental health'

Hughes said it is a huge honour to be appointed as the new chief executive at Mind, an organisation she has loved and supported for more than 30 years.

I want to thank Paul Farmer for his leadership and inspiration over the years and I look forward to building our partnership with his new organisation, Age UK.

I also want to thank my colleagues at Centre for Mental Health, we have done some extraordinary work together over the last six years, fighting for mental health equality, I know we will remain strong allies going forward.

Hughes added: Now is the time for a brave step into the challenges we all face, including our commitment to becoming truly anti-racist. We are stronger together.

Stevie Spring, chair at Mind, said: Paul Farmer is a tough act to follow but I'm truly delighted that Sarah will be leading Mind at this crucial time for mental health. Her commitment to bringing to the fore issues that have historically been ignored - including her work around race equity and poverty - will make her a passionate spokesperson for our sector.

We're in the midst of a mental health crisis, where the work we do at Mind has never had more importance, particularly amongst those hardest hit by the pandemic. Sarah brings with her the vision, authenticity and leadership style we'll need to continue to meet the challenges ahead."

Hughes led the Centre 'through some of the toughest times'

Hughes said she was leaving the Centre with a heavy heart, but with pride at what we have achieved with such a small but mighty organisation.

We have spoken out for mental health equality, for racial justice, and for better mental health services. We have trained hundreds of employment workers to enable people with mental health difficulties to fulfil their potential in work.

We have led the way in peer research and in creating platforms for lived experience and creative expression such as our writer-in-residence programme and our unique A Year in Our Lives project. And we have highlighted the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the nations mental health and the need for systemic change to address inequity and injustice throughout the mental health system, she added.

Sue Bailey, chair at the Centre for Mental Health, said: Sarah Hughes has led the Centre through some of the toughest times any of us have witnessed. Thanks to her principled leadership and vision, the Centre has championed mental health equality consistently and fearlessly throughout the last five years. Sarahs leadership has challenged established notions of what a charity chief executive can and should do.

The Centre has worked alongside our colleagues at Mind for many years, and I know we will continue to do so in the future in partnership with Sarah. The Centre is in a strong position thanks to Sarahs leadership and its brilliant staff team. We will continue to thrive and make a difference to peoples lives through the quality of the Centres work and its unstinting commitment to social justice and better mental health for all.

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Two charity sector leaders told the Conservative party conference they were not confident that the new government could improve the countrys approach to foreign aid.

Panellists were asked whether they were broadly confident that the new government could deliver an effective foreign aid programme.

Neil Heslop, chief executive of Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), said he was not confident at all.

I think the challenge for this government now and for all policymakers, if you think in terms of the sustainable development goals, is how as a society and as a government, are we going to turn these values into being governable?

Stephanie Draper, chief executive of Bond, agreed with Heslop. She said due to the cuts to the aid budget and the merging of the foreign office with the department for international development, it doesnt suggest that were going in the right direction.

This isn't a new government, it's had 12 years, in which time we have seen a decline in attention to this area and an undermining of the UK reputation. So, we have no longer have an independent partner, we cut the aid budget, we are anticipating more cuts, and we have sort of seen a decline in expertise. So that trajectory doesn't suggest that we're going in the right direction.

However, Draper was keen to stress that this damage to the UKs foreign aid programme is reversible.

If the UK wants to show up in the world and actually be part of the solution as well, that's a political choice.

Ex-minister criticises governments handling of foreign aid

Andrew Mitchell, who was secretary of state for international development from 2010 -2012, criticised the merging of the DFID with the foreign office as a big mistake as it leads to a lack of expertise when tackling issues of foreign aid.

The lack of expertise can lead to very great difficulty, he said.

He also criticised the cut to the aid budget from 0.7% of the UKs gross national income (GNI) to 0.5%.



Remember, we've also seen a reduction in gross national income. So, 0.5% is a much lesser amount of money.

He told the audience he knew of many MPs who were persuaded to vote for this measure in 2021 as they were convinced it would be temporary. However, a year on, it is yet to change.



When asked if he was confident in the new government to deliver, Mitchell said: My view is that it's my job to try and push to make sure it is. And that's what I will be doing. We'll see whether we're successful.

Mitchell said the fact that prime minister Liz Truss spent a year as the secretary of state for the foreign office gave him optimism about the governments handling of foreign aid.

The event was hosted by Bright Blue and Charities Aid Foundation.

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For the past several years, critics across the political spectrum have argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 gives social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube too much protection from legal liability for the content they host. Conservative critics argue, despite a lack of evidence, that Section 230 allows social media companies to censor like-minded thinkers and groups without recourse, and liberal critics say the platforms use Section 230 as an excuse not to remove things they should be taking down, such as misinformation and hate speech. Before the 2020 election, Joe Biden said he would abolish Section 230 if he became president; since taking office, he has made similar statements, including that the clause should be revoked immediately.

This week, the Supreme Court announced that it would hear two cases that are looking to chip away at Section 230 legal protections. At the core of one case is the claim that Googles YouTube service violated the federal Anti-Terrorism Act by recommending videos featuring the isis terrorist group, and that these videos helped lead to the death of Nohemi Gonzalez, a twenty-three-year-old US citizen who was killed in an isis attack in Paris in 2015. In the lawsuit, filed in 2016, Gonzalezs family claims that while Section 230 protects YouTube from liability for hosting such content, it doesnt protect the company from liability for promoting that content with its algorithms. The second case involves Twitter, which was also sued for violating the Anti-Terrorism Act; the family of Nawras Alassaf claimed isis-related content on Twitter contributed to his death in a terrorist attack in 2017.

In recent years, the Supreme Court has declined to hear similar casesincluding, in March, a decision by a lower court that found Facebook was not liable for helping a man traffic a woman for sex. While Justice Clarence Thomas agreed with the decision not to hear that case, he also wrote that the court should consider the issue of the proper scope of immunity under Section 230. Assuming Congress does not step in to clarify Section 230s scope, we should do so in an appropriate case, Thomas wrote. It is hard to see why the protection that Section 230 grants publishers against being held strictly liable for third parties content should protect Facebook from liability for its own acts and omissions.

Thomas has made similar comments in a number of other decisions. In 2020, the Supreme Court declined to hear a case in which Enigma Software argued that MalwareBytes, an internet security company, should be liable for calling Enigmas products malware. Although he agreed with that decision, Thomas went on at length about what he described as a movement to use Section 230 to confer sweeping immunity on some of the largest companies in the world. He also suggested he agreed with an opinion from a lower-court judge, in a case in which Facebook was sued for terrorist content. The opinion said it strains the English language to say that in targeting and recommending these writings to usersFacebook is acting as the publisher of information provided by another information content provider.'

Jeff Kosseff, a cybersecurity law professor at the US Naval Academy and the author of a book on Section 230, told the Washington Post that, with the Supreme Court considering these questions, the entire scope of Section 230 could be at stake. The Post also noted that it will be the first time the court has considered whether there is a distinction between content that is hosted and content recommended by algorithms. Eric Goldman, co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University, told the Post that such a division is actually a false dichotomy, and that the process of recommending content is one of the traditional editorial functions of a social media network. In that sense, he told the Post, the question presented goes to the very heart of Section 230.

While Section 230 gets most of the attention, it isnt the only protection the platforms have. A feature on hate speech in the New York Times described Section 230 as the main reason why such speech exists online, but later added a correction clarifying that the First Amendment also protects online speech. Even if the Supreme Court decides Section 230 doesnt protect the platforms when it comes to terrorist content, Facebook and Twitter could argue with some justification that the First Amendment does. To the extent that people want to force social media companies to leave certain speech up, or to boost certain content, or ensure any individuals continuing access to a platform, their problem isnt Section 230, Mary Anne Franks, a professor of law at the University of Miami, said during a discussion of Section 230 on CJRs Galley platform last year. Its the First Amendment.

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This argument is at the heart of another case the Supreme Court was recently asked to hear, involving a Florida law designed to control how the platforms moderate content. The law was struck down by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in May as unconstitutional, since, the court ruled, moderation decisions are an exercise of the platforms First Amendment rights. A similar law passed in Texas, however, was upheld in a decision earlier this month, one that explicitly rejected the First Amendment defense. Now the Supreme Court has the opportunity to decide the extent to which Section 230 and the First Amendment cover the platforms moderation and content choices.

Heres more on Section 230:

Free expression : In 2020, Jack Dorsey, then the CEO of Twitter, and Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, warned the Senate that curtailing the protections of Section 230 could harm free expression on the internet . Dorsey said it could collapse how we communicate on the internet and leave only a small number of giant and well-funded tech firms, while Zuckerberg said that, without Section 230, platforms could potentially be held liable for everything people say and could face liability for doing even basic moderation, such as removing hate speech and harassment.

Out of date : Michael Smith, professor of information technology at Carnegie Mellon University, and Marshall Van Alstyne, a business professor at Boston University, wrote in an essay for the Harvard Business Review last year that Section 230 needs to be updated because it was originally drafted a quarter century ago during a long-gone age of naive technological optimism and primitive technological capabilities, and its protections are now desperately out of date. When you grant platforms complete immunity for the content that their users post, Smith and Van Alstyne argue, you also reduce their incentives to proactively remove content causing social harm.

Narrow path : Daphne Keller, a former associate counsel at Google who directs the Program on Platform Regulation at Stanfords Cyber Policy Center, wrote in a paper published by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University that the desire to regulate recommendation or amplification algorithms is understandable, but a long way off . Some versions of amplification law would be flatly unconstitutional in the US, she writes. Others might have a narrow path to constitutionality, but would require a lot more work than anyone has put into them so far.

Sowing seeds : In 2019, Eric Goldman argued that while Section 230 protects giant platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, it also sows the seeds of their eventual destruction by making it easier for startups to compete. Due to Section 230s immunity, online republishers of third-party content do not have to deploy industrial-grade content filtering or moderation systems, or hire lots of content moderation employees, before launching new startups, Goldman says. This lowers startup costs generally; in particular, it helps these new market entrants avoid making potentially wasted investments in content moderation before they understand their audiences needs.

Other notable stories:

Jean Damascene Mutuyimana, Niyodusenga Schadrack, and Jean Baptiste Nshimiyimana, three Rwandan journalists arrested by state authorities in October 2018 and held in pretrial detention for four years, have been acquitted . The journalists, who all worked for Iwacu TV, had been charged with spreading false information with the intention of inciting violence and tarnishing the countrys image, Al Jazeera reported . Yesterday, a court ruled that there is no evidence to prove that their publication incited violence.

Earlier this week, the Taliban shut down two news websites in Afghanistan, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists . Both websites are operated by Afghan journalists living in exile. Hasht-e Subh has since resumed operations under a different name, while Zawia News has shifted its content to its parent company, Zawia Media.

Facebook is ending Bulletin, its newsletter subscription service, after fifteen months in operation. According to the New York Times , executives told staff in July that they would shift resources away from the newsletter. The service aimed to compete with Substack by attracting both emerging and high-profile writers and helping them to build a following with Facebooks publishing and legal support. Last year, Facebook said it committed $5 million to Bulletin s local news writers and offered writers contracts extending into 2024.

A new report from the Government Accountability Office concludes that Latinos are underrepresented in the media industry and are more likely to perform service roles. The GAO found that Latinos make up 12 percent of the US media workforce and only 4 percent of media management.

In The New Yorker , Kevin Lozano writes about Mark Bergens Like, Comment, Subscribe , a book about the history and evolution of YouTube . While the platform has over two billion users and is one of the most popular sites among teenagers in particular, Lozano writes that the Google-owned service is often forgotten when reporters look at the flaws of social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter. Lozano argues that, despite its scandals, YouTube survives because it has become too useful and too ubiquitous to fail.

And LaFontaine Oliver, the current president and CEO of Baltimores NPR station, WYPR, has been named the next CEO of New York Public Radio, Gothamist reports. Oliver succeeds Goli Sheikholeslami, NYPRs former CEO, who left nearly a year ago to lead Politico Media Group. Oliver will be the first Black person to serve as CEO of New York Public Radio.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg.
Verisk, Vexcel Partner to Collect Aerial Images After Ian

Verisk said it is working with Vexcel Data Program and the Geospatial Insurance Consortium to assess property damage after Hurricane Ian.

Verisk said in a press release that Vexcel and its partner GIC are deploying multiple fixed-wing aircraft with cameras that take high-resolution images. Those will be integrated into Verisks Respond MAP platform, which uses artificial intelligence, geospatial technology and property and claims data to analyze damage, data analytics firm said.

The technology allows insurers to identify properties, assess damage and manage on-site inspections, Verisk said.

A blog post on GICs website explains that the gray sky images taken after a storm are compared to blue sky images from a database that showed the same properties before the catastrophe. The data allows insurers to learn which policies in force are impacted, the level of damage and whether a remote assessment can be used to save time and resources.

GEICO Contracts with CCC for Fraud Detection

CCC Intelligent Solutions said GEICO is the first auto insurer to deploys new Smart Red Flag Detection product to uncover claims discrepancies and duplicate filings for the same damage.

Troy Penry, vice president of claims for GEICO, said the product and its cross carrier analysis capability will detect suspicious activity, improve assessment accuracy, and reduce fraudulent payouts.

The technology paves the way for better policyholder experiences and straight-through claims processing, Penry said.

CCC said its product uncovers multiple filings for the same damage, duplicate vehicle identification numbers, odometer disparities and garaging errors early on. The product creates a Smart Red Flag score that can be adjusted based on parameters assigned by the carrier.

McLarens Rebrands Claims Shop in Canada

McLarens, the international claims administrator based in Atlanta, has rebranded MGB Claims as McLarens Canada.

McLarens said it acquired MGB in August 2021 and added it to its North America claims and loss adjusting division. The acquisition added complex loss management expertise and technical skills to McLarens existing aviation and natural resources operations in Canada, the company said.

The new McLarens division is headquartered in Toronto and has additional employees in Vancouver, McLarens said. The team now consists of 30 experienced adjusters and support personnel.

Given the strength of MGBs reputation and brand identity, it was important for this to be a carefully planned process, but we feel that now is the right time for the business to adopt the McLarens brand, stated McLarens Chief Executive Officer Gary Brown. Globally, McLarens has the larger presence, and we believe this puts the business in the best position possible for continued growth and success.
The culprit for one of the biggest data breaches in the United States (US) will get no jail time but instead was sentenced to five years of probation and time served from 2019.

US District Judge Robert S. Lasnik cited Paige Thompson's mental health and transgender status as the particular reasons why the hacker was let off easy, MarketWatch writes.

The Sentencing Was DOJ's Risk Management Strategy

Thompson, a former Amazon software engineer, was sentenced to time served with five years probation for charges including computing monitoring and seven other federal crimes.

In 2019, the tech worker from Seattle was arrested for her connection to the massive data breach that resulted in millions of personal information stolen.

Fox News states that the 2019 data breach warranted a guilty verdict in June 2022 as Thompson was found responsible for downloading 120,000 social security numbers and roughly 77,000 bank account numbers.

During her sentencing hearing on Tuesday for a couple of charges, Judge Lasnik said that as a trans woman, Thompson's widely recognized medical, mental, and physical risks could cause her to struggle in prison.

However, US Attorney Nick Brown said that turning a 20-year sentence to prison for wire fraud into mere probation was disappointing and "not what justice looks like," as per the report.

Read More: [UPDATE] TD Bank Issues Clarification Regarding Data Breach After Former Employee Leaks Customer Info

Prosecutors Denounce The Weight Of The Sentence

The hacking which affected Capital One was a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and was executed through a software tool Thompson built via Amazon Web Services, Seattle Times reports.

Through misconfigured accounts, the bank's internal system allowed Thompson's access and requests, exploiting the information to try collecting money from companies with vulnerable systems, Gizmodo claims.

Fox News also reports that Federal prosecutors have found that the software Thompson planted on the servers was accessed illegally to steal computing power and mine cryptocurrency.

During the trial, Thompson argued that the purpose of the hacking was to collect the bounty for spotting vulnerable systems.

The 37-year-old woman said that the money would be used as payments for "white hat" hackers, who try to mend companies' online defenses, Seattle Times reports.

According to Market Watch, Thompson's attorney even argued at the trial that there was never an intention to profit from the data breach.

Additionally, her court papers said that no credible or direct evidence could be found that links Thompson to the misuse of a single person's identity.

With this, the jury found her not guilty as it was believed that it was not her intention to commit fraud by stealing personal information that was downloaded on her computer.

According to the Seattle Times, a friend who advocates for Thompson also vouched that there was no malicious intent behind the action.

The individual said that the hacker only saw a situation where there was a financial system with valuable information left unregarded and not secure by officials who were supposed to be responsible for it.

Because of this neglect, CNet reports that Capital One agreed to pay a settlement worth $190 million for the victims of the fraud and $80 million for the federal bank as a fine for failing to protect sensitive data.

The Seattle Times said that there would be a hearing to determine the restitution amount for Thompson to pay scheduled on December 1 in connection to other counts of fraud.

Related Article: Optus Confirms Data Breach; 2.1 Million Government ID Numbers are Exposed
ST. JAMES CITY, Fla. (AP)  Following Hurricane Ians destruction, many residents on one Florida island have stayed put for days without electricity and 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 after Ian heavily damaged its causeway and rendered its towns reachable only 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 motor boats delivered water and other necessities.

A week after the Category 4 storm hit southwest Florida, the full breadth of its destruction is still coming into focus. Utility workers continued Wednesday to push ahead to restore power and crews searched for anyone still trapped inside flooded or damaged homes, while the number of storm-related deaths has risen to at least 84 in recent days.

At least 75 people were killed in Florida, five 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 Floridas Gulf Coast. After churning northeastward into the Atlantic, the hurricane made another landfall in South Carolina before pushing into the mid-Atlantic states.

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 while she was smoking a cigarette as the storm approached, authorities said.

In hardest-hit Lee County, Florida, all 45 people killed by the hurricane were over age 50.

President Joe Biden was scheduled Wednesday to visit Fort Myers Fishermans Wharf in an area that was especially devastated by winds and surging tides.

Boats, including huge yachts, were thrown asunder, laying capsized inland far from their usual moorings. Homes and businesses lay in ruins with shattered windows, while the the surrounding landscape is a wasteland of debris and muck.

The wharf lies on one side of the bridge that leads into Fort Myers Beach, which was brutalized by the storm.

The Biden administration said the president has made additional federal disaster assistance available to Florida, including for debris removal and emergency protective measures.

Power restoration has become job one, but vehicle access from barrier islands to the mainland is also a priority. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said a temporary bridge to Pine Island should be finished by the end of the week.

Officials are also planning a similar temporary bridge for nearby Sanibel Island, 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.

In the meantime, small motorboats continued to provision Pine Island. Jay Pick, who has been on the island since May to help his in-laws, said the 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.

Arias, who also chose to stay on the island, said Tuesday that many who stayed are supporting each other.

We have now gathered a lot of resources, not only donations but volunteers as well, Arias said. Its 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 writer Bobby Caina Calvan in Fort Myers, Florida, contributed to this report.

About the photo: A worker releases flood water from the refrigerator after standing it back up, as contractors clean a ground-floor river-front apartment which was flooded during the passage of Hurricane Ian, at the Riverwalk housing complex in Fort Myers, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. According to a neighbor who aided in the rescue and preferred not to be identified, the family with two young children who lived there was trapped inside after flooding from the river burst down their front door, tearing the jam from the wall, and flooded the apartment to waist-height. Neighbors helped them to safety in a nearby second-story unit.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
As Spotify deals with harmful content on its service, the audio-streaming service decided to acquire Ireland-based content moderation tech company Kinzen, as per Reuters.

Following the backlash over "The Joe Rogan Experience" earlier this year, where the podcaster was said to spread misinformation about COVID-19, Spotify announced on Wednesday that it acquired a tech company to help it detect harmful content.

Kinzen Will Help Spotify Deliver a Safe, Enjoyable Experience to Users

Spotify decided to acquire Kinzen to help the audio-streaming service address harmful content.

Since 2020, Kinzen has been working with Spotify, highlighting the "integrity of election-related content around the world," as per Engadget.

Kinzen's coverage has widened since it initially started. Now, the company also targets misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech.

The said content moderation tech company utilizes both machine learning and human expertise. The company works on analyzing possibly harmful content across multiple languages. In addition, Kinzen also analyzes hate speeches.

According to Spotify, Kinzen will "help us more effectively deliver a safe, enjoyable experience on our platform around the world."

Moreover, the audio-streaming service added that the technology of Kinzen is particularly appropriate to podcasts and other audio formats.

The technology of Kinzen will be utilized by Spotify to better moderate podcasts and other audio.

According to The Verge, Kinzen's site noted that its technology has the ability to analyze audio content in multiple languages. To figure out if certain contents are harmful, the company utilizes data from the internet and human experts.

Spotify noted that its acquisition of Kinzen will help the service give users a better experience as it highlights user-generated podcasts and audiobooks, which could possibly have misinformation content.

Read Also: Spotify Private Session Mobile: How to Activate Feature on Your Samsung, iPhone

Spotify Has Faced Backlash Over COVID-19 Misinformation in Podcast

Kinzen was established in 2017. It was founded by Aine Kerr, Mark Little, and Paul Watson.

According to the company's site, it aims to protect public conversations from dangerous misinformation and harmful content.

Spotify faced backlash earlier this year when its top podcaster, Joe Rogan, was found to be spreading COVID-19 vaccine-related misinformation on his show.

The backlash led to a PR nightmare for Spotify. As a result of the incident, 270 physicians and scientists signed an open letter to the audio-streaming service.

The physicians and scientists are demanding that Spotify should come up with misinformation policies in response to what happened.

The incident also resulted in the hashtag #deletespotify to trend. Moreover, as a sign of protest, high-profile artists like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell pulled their music from Spotify.

As a response, Spotify decided to include a content advisory to podcast episodes weeks later. This included discussions about COVID-19. The audio-streaming service also made its content guidelines public.

Now that Spotify has acquired Kinzen, the company should be able to moderate the contents that it makes available to listeners.

According to Dustee Jenkins, Spotify's global head of public affairs, acquiring Kinzen is a significant step to help improve the company's ability to "detect and address harmful content, and importantly, in a way that better considers local context."

Related Article: Spotify Has Rolled Out Real-Time Lyrics Support for Google Nest Hub
Following the 2016 data breach at Uber, Joe Sullivan, the company's former head of security, was found guilty of federal obstruction of justice for hiding the cybersecurity incident from the Federal Trade Commission, as per The Guardian.

A jury in a federal court in San Francisco convicted Sullivan for concealing the 2016 data breach for more than a year.

Sullivan's argument that other Uber executives knew about the data breach was rejected by the jury. The former security head's claims that the other executives are responsible for not publicly disclosing the breach were likewise rejected.

Jury Convicts Sullivan of Obstruction of Justice, Concealing a Felony

Aside from federal obstruction for concealing the breach, Sullivan was also convicted for "actively hiding a felony by authorizing payments to the hacker responsible," as per CNET.

Sullivan, who was fired from Uber in 2017, did not disclose the breach that occurred in the company that compromised the data of 57 million drivers and users of the ride-hailing app.

Among the data compromised are names, email addresses, and driver's license numbers.

The data breach in Uber happened in October 2016. However, it remained concealed until November 2017.

According to CNET, Uber discovered that a hack occurred in November 2016. During the time, Sullivan was still head of security. He paid $100,000 for the threat actor to delete the data.

Sullivan's case is believed to be the first time a company's executive has faced criminal charges over a data breach.

His trial, which lasted for three weeks, was concluded on Friday. According to Forbes, the jury spent around 19 hours coming up with a verdict.

According to the Department of Justice, for the obstruction of justice charge, Sullivan is expected to face a maximum of five years in prison. In addition, for failing to report a crime, he will be imprisoned for another three years.

Read Also: Tech giants deny PRISM involvement but can they be trusted again?

Sullivan Arranged for the Hackers Payment of $100,000

In 2020, criminal charges against Sullivan were filed by the DOJ. When the case was filed, it was alleged that he arranged for the hackers' payment of $100,000 in bitcoin.

The prosecutors also alleged that Sullivan traced the hackers to make them sign nondisclosure agreements. The said agreements falsely stated that they had not stolen data from Uber.

Eventually, in July, Uber took responsibility for concealing the data breach. Likewise, the ride-hailing company agreed to cooperate with the prosecution of Sullivan regarding his role in hiding the data breach.

Uber's decision to accept the responsibility is part of a settlement with US prosecutors. This is a necessary step in order to avoid criminal charges.

A settlement was reached between Uber, all 50 US states, and the District of Columbia in September 2018. The company agreed to pay $148 million for failing to report the data breach.

In many US states, the law requires public disclosures of security breaches. Regulations of most states mandate the company should notify "in the most expedient time possible and without unreasonable delay."

According to CNET, Uber did not issue a statement when asked for a comment. Likewise, as per The Guardian, Sullivan's lawyer David Angeli and the FTC did not give an immediate response on the matter.

Related Article: Uber Enters Non-Prosecution Agreement with FTC Over 2016 Data Breach That Exposed Data of 57 Million People
The poster of "A Birth," a biopic of Korea's first Catholic priest, Andrew Kim Dae-geon / Courtesy of Min Film



By Park Han-sol





A portrait of Andrew Kim Dae-geon (1821-46) / Korea Times file
440 families receive Chinese humanitarian aid in north Afghanistan

Xinhua) 11:28, October 06, 2022

SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- A total of 440 families received China-donated humanitarian assistance in Shiberghan city, the capital of northern Afghanistan's Jawzjan province on Wednesday.

"Today we distribute the aid, including flour and rice, assisted by China to 440 needy families," provincial head for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs Mawlawi Sarajudin Saraji told reporters before the distribution.

Thanking China for sending the assistance, the official said that the package to each family includes 25 kg of rice.

Shafa Khan, who received the package, said the assistance "could be enough for 12 to 15 days for my family."

Weeks ago, another batch of Chinese humanitarian supplies were distributed in other parts of Jawzjan province to some 400 needy families.

China also provided humanitarian assistance to the quake-affected and flood-affected people in the eastern Paktika and Khost provinces a couple of months ago.

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Bianji)
Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance headquarters in southern Seoul / Courtesy of Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance



By Anna J. Park



Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance celebrated its 100th anniversary on Oct. 1. Often dubbed the icon of innovation in the local insurance market, the company has undergone continual transformation and renovation to thrive as a successful company throughout the past century.



Established in 1922 as Chosun Fire & Marine Insurance, the company's growth trajectory represents the local insurance industry's history itself. It was Korea's very first indemnity insurance company based on Korean people's capital, operating among various other Japanese insurers in Korea back then. After Japan's 35-year colonial rule over the peninsula ended in 1945, the company became state-owned, and it was renamed Dongyang Fire & Marine Insurance in 1950.





Chosun Fire & Marine Insurance headquarters in Seoul in 1922 / Courtesy of Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance



It was also the country's first insurance company to go public on the local stock market in 1956 and the 60th company to be listed. In 1959, the company became privately owned again, as it was acquired by local businesses. It was incorporated into Hanjin Group in 1967, and later broke off from the group in 2005 with its current name, Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance. Its name reflects its vision: to put customer value as the first priority and focus on returning more "merits" to customers.









As of 2005, the company's entire asset size stood at 2.7 trillion won ($1.87 billion), with a market cap of 170 billion won. Since then, it has gone through a series of phases of innovative corporate restructuring, rising as a role model of innovation in the conservative insurance industry. These efforts have led to its exponential growth during the past two decades. Its asset size stands at 28 trillion won with a market cap of 4.5 trillion won as of this year. The annual net profit posted a 25-fold increase from 26.4 billion won in 2005 to 660 billion won in 2021.




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.
ARVADA, CO - OCTOBER 26: The Colorado Supreme Court, including left to right, justices Carlos A. Samour Jr., Richard L. Gabriel, and Monica M. Marquez, hear two cases at Pomona High School before an audience of students on October 26, 2021 in Arvada, Colorado. The visit to the high school is part of the Colorado judicial branchs Courts in the Community outreach program. (Photo By Kathryn Scott)
gettyimagesbank



By Anna J. Park



Major local banks' spending on legal costs has soared in the last couple of years, in their efforts to defend themselves from financial authorities' punishments for some key financial scandals and accidents.



According to documents submitted by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) to main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Rep. Lee Yong-woo, four major banks  KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana and Woori  have spent nearly 250 billion won ($178 million) in legal fees since 2018.



Woori Bank's spending of 98.9 billion won on legal fees was the largest amount among the four, followed by Hana Bank's 83.2 billion won. Shinhan and KB Kookmin spent 48.2 billion won and 18.8 billion won, respectively.



The major local lenders' legal costs have particularly soared since 2020, as they were mired in a series of financial accidents, including Woori and Hana's derivative-linked funds (DLF) cases as well as banks' and brokerage firms' mis-selling of problematic funds. For instance, the Financial Services Commission (FSS) imposed multi-layered sanctions in May 2020 on Woori Bank and Hana Bank regarding their responsibility in the DLF cases.



Prior to 2020, the four banks' aggregated amount of annual legal fees stood at 41.4 billion won in 2018 and 40.7 billion won in 2019. Yet, the figure rose quickly to 77.1 billion won in 2020 and 63.9 billion won in 2021, as the lenders responded to the financial authorities' sanctions on several such incidents.



Besides trials related to the financial authorities' sanctions and suits to invalidate them, the four major banks are also mired in various legal cases. As of the end of June, KB Kookmin Bank is involved in a total of 125 cases, with 657.3 billion won demanded by plaintiffs. Hana, Woori and Shinhan banks also have over 100 ongoing legal cases.



"Banks need to strengthen their internal control standards to prevent further unnecessary legal cases," Rep. Lee said.


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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
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken gestures during a press conference with Chilean Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola in Santiago, Chile, Oct. 5. AP-Yonhap



U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged North Korea to engage in dialogue on Wednesday, saying its provocative actions will only lead to increased condemnation and isolation.



The top U.S. diplomat said the North will also face increased repercussions from the international community if they continue to take such actions.



"We believe that North Korea would be much better served by not only refraining from these actions, but actually engaging in dialogue," Blinken said in a joint press briefing with his Chilean counterpart in Santiago.



"I think what we are seeing is that if they continue down this road, it will only increase the condemnation, increase the isolation, increase the steps that are taken in response to their actions," he added.



The North fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Tuesday (Seoul time), marking its fifth missile test in just over a week.






You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it, Scott McNealy said of online privacy back in 1999, a view the former CEO of the now-defunct Sun Microsystems reiterated in 2015. Despite the hue and cry his initial remarks caused, hes been proven largely correct.

Cookies, beacons, digital signatures, trackers, and other technologies on websites and in apps let advertisers, businesses, governments, and even criminals build a profile about what you do, who you know, and who you are at very intimate levels of detail. Remember that 2012 story about how Target could tell a teenager was pregnant before her parents knew, based on her online activities? That is the norm today. Google and Facebook are the most notorious commercial internet spies, and among the most pervasive, but they are hardly alone.

The technology to monitor everything you do has only gotten better. And there are many new ways to monitor you that didnt exist in 1999: always-listening agents like Amazon Alexa and Apple Siri, Bluetooth beacons in smartphones, cross-device syncing of browsers to provide a full picture of your activities from every device you use, and of course social media platforms like Facebook that thrive because they are designed for you to share everything about yourself and your connections so you can be monetized. Trackers are the latest silent way to spy on you in your browser. CNN, for example, had 36 running when I checked recently.

Apples Safari 14 browser introduced the built-in Privacy Monitor that really shows how much your privacy is under attack today. It is pretty disconcerting to use, as it reveals just how many tracking attempts it thwarted in the last 30 days, and exactly which sites are trying to track you and how often. On my most-used computer, Im averaging about 80 tracking deflections per week  a number that has happily decreased from about 150 a year ago.

IDG Safaris Privacy Monitor feature shows you how many trackers the browser has blocked, and who exactly is trying to track you. Its not a comforting report! (Click any image in this story to enlarge it.)

Understanding online privacy

When speaking of online privacy, its important to understand what is typically tracked. Most websites and services dont actually know its you at their site, just a browser associated with a lot of characteristics that can then be turned into a profile. Marketers and advertisers are looking for certain kinds of people, and they use profiles to do so. For that need, they dont care who the person actually is. Neither do criminals and organizations seeking to commit fraud or manipulate an election.

When companies do want that personal information  your name, gender, age, address, phone number, company, titles, and more  they will have you sign up. They can then correlate all the data they have from your devices to you specifically, and use that to target you individually. Thats common for business-oriented websites whose advertisers want to reach specific people with purchasing power.

Criminals may want that data too. So may insurers and healthcare organizations seeking to filter out undesirable customers. (Over the years, laws have tried to prevent such redlining, but there are creative ways around it, such as installing a tracking device in your car to save you money and identify those who may be higher risks but havent had the accidents yet to prove it.) Certainly, governments want that personal data, in the name of control or security.

You should be most worried about when you are personally identifiable. But its also worrying to be profiled extensively, which is what browser privacy seeks to reduce.

Browsers and privacy: The best options, and how they can help

The browser has been the focal point of self-protection online, with options to block cookies, purge your browsing history or not record it in the first place, and turn off ad tracking. But these are fairly weak tools, easily bypassed. For example, the incognito or private browsing mode that turns off browser history on your local computer doesnt stop Google, your IT department, or your internet service provider from knowing what sites you visited; it just keeps someone else with access to your computer from looking at that history on your browser.

The Do Not Track ad settings in browsers are largely ignored, and in fact the World Wide Web Consortium standards body abandoned the effort in 2019, even if some browsers still include the setting. And blocking cookies doesnt stop Google, Facebook, and others from monitoring your behavior through other means such as looking at your unique device identifiers (called fingerprinting) as well as noting if you sign in to any of their services  and then linking your devices through that common sign-in.

Because the browser is a main access point to internet services that track you (apps are the other), the browser is where you have the most centralized controls. Even though there are ways for websites to get around them, you should still use the tools you have to reduce the privacy invasion.

Where mainstream desktop browsers differ in privacy settings

The place to start is the browser itself. Some are more privacy-oriented than others. Many IT organizations force you to use a specific browser on your company computer, so you may have no real choice at work. But if you do have a choice, exercise it. And definitely exercise it for the computers under your control.

Heres how I rank the mainstream desktop browsers in order of privacy support, from most to least  assuming you use their privacy settings to the max.

Apple Safari (macOS only) Microsoft Edge Mozilla Firefox Google Chrome Opera

Safari and Edge offer different sets of privacy protections, so depending on which privacy aspects concern you the most, you may view Edge as the better choice for the Mac, and of course Safari isn't an option in Windows, so Edge wins there. Likewise, Chrome and Opera are nearly tied for poor privacy, with differences that can reverse their positions based on what matters to you  but both should be avoided if privacy matters to you.

The following table shows the privacy settings available in the major desktop browsers. (Thanks to Computerworlds Windows expert Preston Gralla for verifying and updating the Windows information.)

Windows and macOS browser privacy settings

Chrome 105 Edge 105 Firefox 105 Opera 91 Safari 16 Set controls per website Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Block third-party/cross-site cookies Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Enable built-in content blocking No No No No Yes [1] Block ads directly No [2] No [2] No [2] Yes No [2] Block trackers Yes [3] Yes Yes Yes Partial [4] Block dangerous and deceptive content Partial [5] Partial [5] Yes No No Block embedded social media widgets on sites No No No No No Block scripts Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Defend against malicious sites Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Warn of compromised saved passwords Yes Yes Yes No Yes Clear browsing data Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Enable use of secure DNS provider Yes Yes No No No Control camera access Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Control microphone access Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Control location access Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Control pop-up windows Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Control notifications Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Control video auto-play No [6] Yes Yes Yes Yes Control downloads Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Block browser fingerprinting No No No [7] No Yes Control plug-ins/extensions Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Hide IP address or use built-in VPN [8] No No No Yes Yes

A note about supercookies: Over the years, as browsers have provided controls to block third-party cookies and implemented controls to block tracking, website developers began using other technologies to circumvent those controls and surreptitiously continue to track users across websites. In 2013, Safari began disabling one such technique, called supercookies, that hide in browser cache or other locations so they remain active even as you switch sites. Starting in 2021, Firefox 85 and later automatically disabled supercookies, and Google added a similar feature in Chrome 88.

Browser settings and best practices for privacy

In your browsers privacy settings, be sure to do the following:

Block third-party cookies. To deliver functionality, a site legitimately uses first-party (its own) cookies, but third-party cookies belong to other entities (mainly advertisers) who are likely tracking you in ways you dont want. Dont block all cookies, as that will cause many sites to not work correctly.

To deliver functionality, a site legitimately uses first-party (its own) cookies, but third-party cookies belong to other entities (mainly advertisers) who are likely tracking you in ways you dont want. Dont block all cookies, as that will cause many sites to not work correctly. Set the default permissions for websites to access the camera, location, microphone, content blockers, auto-play, downloads, pop-up windows, and notifications to at least Ask, if not Off.

for websites to access the camera, location, microphone, content blockers, auto-play, downloads, pop-up windows, and notifications to at least Ask, if not Off. Turn off trackers. If your browser doesnt let you do that, switch to one that does, since trackers are becoming the preferred way to monitor users over old techniques like cookies. Plus, blocking trackers is less likely to render websites only partially functional, as using a content blocker often does. Note: Like many web services, social media services use trackers on their sites and partner sites to track you. But they also use social media widgets (such as sign in, like, and share buttons), which many websites embed, to give the social media services even more access to your online activities.

Additionally, take these precautions when browsing:

Use DuckDuckGo as your default search engine , because it is more private than Google or Bing. You can always go to google.com or bing.com if needed.

, because it is more private than Google or Bing. You can always go to google.com or bing.com if needed. Dont use Gmail in your browser (at mail.google.com)  once you sign into Gmail (or any Google service), Google tracks your activities across every other Google service, even if you didnt sign into the others. If you must use Gmail, do so in an email app like Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail, where Googles data collection is limited to just your email. (You could use a different browser just for Gmail and other Google services to make it harder for Google to track your other browser activities, but that requires a discipline that is hard to maintain  chances are that youd start doing other work in that Google-specific browser and thus compromise more of your privacy.)

(at mail.google.com)  once you sign into Gmail (or any Google service), Google tracks your activities across every other Google service, even if you didnt sign into the others. If you must use Gmail, do so in an email app like Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail, where Googles data collection is limited to just your email. (You could use a different browser just for Gmail and other Google services to make it harder for Google to track your other browser activities, but that requires a discipline that is hard to maintain  chances are that youd start doing other work in that Google-specific browser and thus compromise more of your privacy.) Never use an account from Google, Facebook, or another social service to sign into other sites ; create your own account instead. Using those services as a convenient sign-in service also grants them access to your personal data from the sites you sign into.

; create your own account instead. Using those services as a convenient sign-in service also grants them access to your personal data from the sites you sign into. Dont sign in to Google, Microsoft, Facebook, etc. accounts from multiple browsers, so youre not helping those companies build a fuller profile of your actions. If you must sign in for syncing purposes, consider using different browsers for different activities, such as Firefox for personal use and Chrome for business. Note that using multiple Google accounts wont help you separate your activities; Google knows theyre all you and will combine your activities across them.

Browser utilities to help enhance your privacy

You can supplement a desktop browsers built-in security settings with additional tools.

Mozilla has a pair of Firefox extensions (a.k.a. add-ons) that further protect you from Facebook and others that monitor you across websites. The Facebook Container extension opens a new, isolated browser tab for any site you access that has embedded Facebook tracking, such as when signing into a site via a Facebook login. This container keeps Facebook from seeing the browser activities in other tabs. And the Multi-Account Containers extension lets you open separate, isolated tabs for various services that each can have a separate identity, making it harder for cookies, trackers, and other techniques to correlate all of your activity across tabs.

The DuckDuckGo search engines Privacy Essentials extension for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, and Safari provides a modest privacy boost, blocking trackers (something Chrome doesnt do natively but the others do) and automatically opening encrypted versions of websites when available.

While most browsers now let you block tracking software, you can go beyond what the browsers do with an antitracking extension such as Privacy Badger from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a long-established privacy advocacy organization. Privacy Badger is available for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Opera (but not Safari, which aggressively blocks trackers on its own).

The EFF also has a tool called Cover Your Tracks (formerly known as Panopticlick) that will analyze your browser and report on its privacy level under the settings you have set up. Sadly, the latest version is less useful than in the past. It still does show whether your browser settings block tracking ads, block invisible trackers, and protect you from fingerprinting. But the detailed report now focuses almost exclusively on your browser fingerprint, which is the set of configuration data for your browser and computer that can be used to identify you even with maximum privacy controls enabled. But the data is complex to interpret, with little you can act on. Still, you can use EFF Cover Your Tracks to verify whether your browsers specific settings (once you adjust them) do block those trackers.

The bottom line: Dont rely on your browsers default settings but instead adjust its settings to maximize your privacy.

What about ad blockers?

Content and ad blocking tools take a heavy approach, suppressing whole sections of a websites code to prevent widgets and other code from operating and some site modules (typically ads) from displaying, which also suppresses any trackers embedded in them. Ad blockers try to target ads specifically, whereas content blockers look for JavaScript and other code modules that may be unwelcome.

Because these blocker tools cripple parts of sites based on what their creators think are indicators of unwelcome site behaviors, they often damage the functionality of the site you are trying to use. Some are more surgical than others, so the results vary widely. If a site isnt running as you expect, try putting the site on your browser's "allow" list or disabling the content blocker for that site in your browser.

Ive long been skeptical of content and ad blockers, not only because they kill the revenue that legitimate publishers need to stay in business but also because extortion is the business model for many: These services often charge a fee to publishers to allow their ads to go through, and they block those ads if a publisher doesnt pay them. They promote themselves as aiding user privacy, but its hardly in your privacy interest to only see ads that paid to get through.

Of course, desperate and unscrupulous publishers let ads get to the point where users wanted ad blockers in the first place, so its a cesspool all around. But modern browsers like Safari, Chrome, and Firefox increasingly block bad ads (however defined, and typically quite limited) without that extortion business in the background. Firefox has recently gone beyond blocking bad ads to offering stricter content blocking options, more akin to what extensions have long done. What you really want is tracker blocking, which nowadays is handled by many browsers themselves or with the help of an anti-tracking extension.

Where mainstream mobile browsers differ in privacy settings

Mobile browsers typically offer fewer privacy settings even though they do the same basic spying on you as their desktop siblings do. Still, you should use the privacy controls they do offer.

In terms of privacy capabilities, Android and iOS browsers have diverged in recent years. All browsers in iOS use a common core based on Apples Safari, whereas all Android browsers use their own core (as is the case in Windows and macOS). That means iOS both standardizes and limits some privacy features. That is also why Safaris privacy settings are all in the Settings app, and the other browsers manage cross-site tracking privacy in the Settings app and implement other privacy features in the browser itself.

Heres how I rank the mainstream iOS browsers in order of privacy support, from most to least  assuming you use their privacy settings to the max.

Apple Safari Microsoft Edge Mozilla Firefox Opera Browser (formerly named Opera Touch) Google Chrome

And heres how I rank the mainstream Android browsers in order of privacy support, from most to least  also assuming you use their privacy settings to the max.

Microsoft Edge Opera Browser Mozilla Firefox Google Chrome

The following two tables show the privacy settings available in the major iOS and Android browsers, respectively, as of September 28, 2022 (version numbers arent often shown for mobile apps). (Thanks to Computerworlds Android expert JR Raphael for verifying and updating the Android information.)

Note: Controls over location, microphone, and camera privacy are handled by the mobile operating system, so use the Settings app in iOS or Android for these. Some Android browsers apps provide these controls directly on a per-site basis as well.

iOS browser privacy settings

Chrome Edge Firefox Opera Safari Set controls per website Yes Partial [1] No No Partial [2] Block third-party/cross-site cookies [3] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Block ads itself No Yes Yes Yes No [4] Block content itself No No No No No [4] Block trackers No Yes Yes No Yes Block JavaScript No No No No Yes Defend against malicious sites Partial [5] Yes No Partial [6] Yes Clear browsing data Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Control pop-up windows Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Hide IP address or use built-in VPN [7] No No No No Yes

Android browser privacy settings

Chrome Edge Firefox Opera Set controls per website Yes Yes No No Block third-party/cross-site cookies Yes Yes Yes Yes Block ads itself No Yes No [1] Yes Block content itself No No No No Block trackers No Yes Yes Yes Block JavaScript Yes Yes No No Defend against malicious sites Yes Yes No Partial [2] Clear browsing data Yes Yes Yes Yes Control pop-up windows Yes Yes No Yes Hide IP address or use built-in VPN [3] No No No Yes

Browsers for the paranoid: Brave, Epic, and Tor

A few years ago, when ad blockers became a popular way to combat abusive websites, there came a set of alternative browsers meant to strongly protect user privacy, appealing to the paranoid. Brave Browser and Epic Privacy Browser are the most well-known of the new breed of browsers. An older privacy-oriented browser is Tor Browser; it was developed in 2008 by the Tor Project, a nonprofit founded on the principle that internet users should have private access to an uncensored web.

All these browsers take a highly aggressive approach of excising whole chunks of websites code to prevent all sorts of functionality from operating, not just ads. They often block features to sign up for or sign into websites, social media plug-ins, and JavaScripts just in case they might collect personal information.

Today, you can get strong privacy protection from mainstream browsers, so the need for Brave, Epic, and Tor is quite small. Even their biggest claim to fame  blocking ads and other annoying content  is increasingly handled in mainstream browsers.

One alterative browser, Brave, seems to use ad blocking not for user privacy protection but to take revenues away from publishers. Brave has its own ad network and wants publishers to use that instead of competing ad networks like Google AdSense or Yahoo Media.net. So it tries to force them to use its ad service to reach users who choose the Brave browser. That feels like racketeering to me; itd be like telling a store that if people want to shop with a specific credit card that the store can sell them only goods that the credit card company supplied.

Still, there are reasons to consider these alternative browsers beyond ad blocking:
The ever effervescent Apple in the enterprise space is creating opportunities for companies looking to address the many challenges of the hybrid workplace.

Many businesses remain challenged as they try to come to terms with the complexity of handling remote teams. Those challenges arent just confined to selecting an appropriate MDM service and warning employees not to click on links from people they dont know. The challenges span seemingly simple questions with not-always simple answers that take up time that could be better spent on other tasks.

For example:

What happens when an employee leaves a company? Whose job is it to ensure equipment is returned and services secured?

What about selecting and managing MDM? Who handles this task?

When onboarding new employees, how is the process handled? What about computer purchasing across national boundaries in some remote setups? MacPaw recently shared experience of this when putting its teams in place for business resilience as the invasion of Ukraine took place.

What is the best workflow for a distributed team? Who in your company has experience of asynchronous communications?

Is there a best practice for tech support for remote teams? How many days of downtime is acceptable when a computer breaks?

What about employer responsibility for employee welfare and building in cohesion across teams?

While larger organizations may have the human headcount to find solutions to all these challenges, smaller ones could find themselves a little swamped.

What usually happens, what should happen

Theres also the issue that resolving many of these time-consuming tasks often defaults to the highly paid tech support team. The effect is that high-cost, high-value employees end up spending valuable time dealing with relatively low-value, but essential, tasks. In addition to which, your IT expert isnt necessarily a logistics expert with a deep knowledge of transnational customs regulations, which means resolving some elements of the challenge can take even longer.

Does this sound familiar to your business as it struggles with the need to transform so many internal operations in response to the changing future of work? It probably does, and this set of challenges is being repeated across tens of thousands of businesses across the planet.

Resolving this complexity is an opportunity  and some companies are already stepping up to the plate.

Take, for instance, Allwhere  a startup that hopes to help companies navigate this journey. I spoke with Chris Cashman, Head of Global IT & Security at the company, to get a sense of whats on offer.

Cashman has held senior tech roles at Apple, Compass, Bird and WeWork, so he well knows about remote work and disruption. While at Bird, he faced challenges as the company opened new offices worldwide. (Cashman was in charge of provisioning, setup, and eventual recovery.)

He also saw first-hand as the world of work accelerated into new models, even pre-pandemic. We had an office in LA that just wasnt getting used, we had about 10 people there  it was a 350-person company.

It turns out even larger companies are struggling with these challenges. Weve had a lot of really big companies  10,000-20,000 seats  come to us saying they need to solve these problems, Cashman said.

Apple is rapidly gaining share in the enterprise

He confirmed that his company is seeing a strong uptick in Apple deployments across many of its customers, in part because this is what employees want, and in part because of Apples continued work to improve the enterprise credentials of its devices.

Apple really gets that and makes supporting hybrid working easy. It makes security compliance easy. It makes deploying easy. It just makes all those workflows very simple, Cashman explained.

Apples achievement in putting together infrastructure to support zero-touch setup is incredibly significant, as it enables highly efficient hardware deployments, even with remote teams. Microsoft is five years behind Apple on this," Cashman said.

Allwhere offers a range of services to support companies. It can handle device deployment, recovery, and support, and has put together packages of virtual employee benefits that help navigate the health and wellness challenges some companies face.

The company creates branded store-like solutions from which employees are served and supports the companys existing IT departments by taking many of the challenges of handling hybrid deployment off their hands. It can handle everything from procurement to deployment and developing a good onboarding experience, including ordering office equipment or dealing with employee benefits.

The fact the company is inherently Apple friendly underscores the emerging opportunity that constitutes the new Apple enterprise.

It is also interesting, Cashman noted, that many of his customers are moving to resell devices once they reach EOL. Thats a change, as many companies didnt do this in the past to save time and effort. But since that task can now be outsourced, they will.

Hybrid work is a communication challenge, so solve it

Cashman argues that companies need to create internal spaces in which remote and hybrid work can be managed effectively at the upper echelons of management. Presenteeism is out, communication and collaboration are in.

One solution for some of this is to gather documentation.

Writing effective notes, guides and troubleshooting FAQs that meet the unique needs of your company may take time, but these assets can provide help and support right across the enterprise and are just as useful to employees in different time zones. Guru can be a useful tool to create these, Cashman said.

Having good workflows around minimizing downtime, getting people productive, and then having those async communication tools means that that no matter what time zone you're in, no matter where you are, you're getting information in your time and can then contribute and add value to that discussion," he said.

Companies must also develop good practices for asynchronous communication. Asynchronous project development tools, such as Notion and video messaging services such as Loom may help companies become resilient and productive across time zones.

But remote workers are lazy, right? Not at all.

I think at the end of the day, jobs are about meeting goals. They shouldnt be about slaving away to reach 40 hours, said Cashman. I think were slowly moving away from the mindset that if you dont work 40-plus hours a week you are not successful."

It will be about delivering quality work and meeting agreed project goals. Employers will get what they pay for and will also not be burning their workers out. And balance perhaps will be restored as we build a better future of work.

Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolics bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.
The USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier at a naval base in Korea's southeastern city of Busan / Yonhap



North Korea condemned the United States Thursday for redeploying a U.S. aircraft carrier into the waters east of South Korea, saying that the move poses a "grave" threat to stability in the region.



The North's foreign ministry made the condemnation in a public notice, a day after the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier returned to waters near the Korean Peninsula for a joint exercise with South Korea and Japan following the North's firing of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) earlier this week.



North Korea is "watching the U.S. 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 peninsula," the ministry said in the statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).



The redeployment came after Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday, its first IRBM launch in eight months. The missile launch is widely viewed as the North's protest against Seoul and Washington's latest joint exercises.






The top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan pose for a photo prior to their talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions at the foreign ministry in Tokyo, Sept. 7, 2022. From left are Sung Kim (U.S.), Takehiro Funakoshi (Japan) and Kim Gunn (South Korea). Yonhap



U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim has called on the recalcitrant state to cease its provocative actions and return to dialogue, the state department said Wednesday.



In a trilateral call with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts  Kim Gunn and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively  the U.S. envoy also condemned North Korea's recent missile launch, according to department spokesperson Ned Price.



"Special Representative Kim strongly condemned the DPRK's ballistic missile launch as a clear violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and deeply destabilizing to the region," the spokesperson said of the call in a press release.



"He (Kim) called on the DPRK to cease its unlawful and dangerous activities and engage in serious sustained diplomacy with the United States and its allies," he added.



DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.






The United Nations Security Council meets to discuss a ballistic missile test by North Korea, Oct. 5, at U.N. headquarters. AP-Yonhap



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.



Wednesday's session ended with no agreement on next steps, despite warnings from the U.S. and its allies that the council's inability to reach consensus on North Korea's 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 Korea's launches.



North Korea's 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.





South Korea's United Nations Ambassador, Hwang Joon-kook, address the U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss North Korea's ballistic missile test, Oct. 5, at U.N. headquarters. AP-Yonhap



The U.N. said it was one of North Korea's unprecedented 39 ballistic missile launches so far this year, including the eight most recent ones in a single 10-day period. It comes as North Korea also appears to be moving toward a seventh test nuclear blast, the U.N. says.



Within hours of the council meeting, South Korea announced a new North Korean missile launch, bringing the year's total to 40.



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.



Russia's 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 Korea's action.



China's 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.





U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks with delegates during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council after North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan for the first time in five years, at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., Oct. 5. Reuters-Yonhap
On November 16, 2018, the awkwardly named National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) at the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) emerged as a full-fledged agency called the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Since then, CISA has been the federal government agency for bolstering cybersecurity and infrastructure protection across the federal government and setting the example for the private sector to follow suit.

Under the auspices of its first director, Chris Krebs, and current director, Jen Easterly, CISA has tackled many serious cybersecurity problems, from supply chain infections to crippling ransomware attacks. Last month, CISA took a significant step forward to achieving its goals by releasing its first comprehensive strategic plan, an overarching agenda of priorities for 2023 to 2025. (CISA did release in 2019 a strategic intent document, upon which the strategic plan builds.)

CISA strategic plan goals

To achieve its desired outcome of reducing cybersecurity risk and increasing resilience, the plan seeks to drive change in four key areas:

Cyber defense by spearheading the national effort to ensure the defense and resilience of cyberspace by working with partners to help mitigate the most significant cyber risks to the countrys National Critical Functions, the disruption of which would have a debilitating impact on the country.

by spearheading the national effort to ensure the defense and resilience of cyberspace by working with partners to help mitigate the most significant cyber risks to the countrys National Critical Functions, the disruption of which would have a debilitating impact on the country. Risk reduction and resilience by reducing risks to and strengthening the resilience of Americas critical infrastructure through coordinating a national effort to secure and protect against critical infrastructure risks.

by reducing risks to and strengthening the resilience of Americas critical infrastructure through coordinating a national effort to secure and protect against critical infrastructure risks. Operational collaboration by strengthening the whole-of-nation operational collaboration and information sharing through working with government, industry, academic, and international partners toward more forward-leaning, action-oriented collaboration.

by strengthening the whole-of-nation operational collaboration and information sharing through working with government, industry, academic, and international partners toward more forward-leaning, action-oriented collaboration. Agency unification by unifying as One CISA through integrated functions, capabilities, and workforce and prizing teamwork and collaboration, innovation and inclusion, ownership and empowerment, and transparency and trust.

CISAs 37-page strategic plan elaborates on these goals, with each goal spelling out four to six increasingly difficult objectives, each presented with desired outcomes. For example, under the cyber defense goal, the first objective is to enhance the ability of federal systems to withstand cyberattacks and incidents, while the fourth objective is advance the cyberspace ecosystem to drive security-by-default.

CISAs evolution to adulthood

Krebs, now co-leader of the Krebs-Stamos Group, told CSO at Recorded Futures Predict22 conference in Washington, DC, that he thinks CISAs strategic plan is great. Its an extension of the strategic intent document produced under his watch at the agency.

Its about the evolution of CISA from adolescence to adulthood, Kiersten Todt, chief of staff at CISA, told the attendees of Predict22. Its a look at what our agency has to do, but it also lays an approach for strategy in cyber in general. Its about creating a foundation and a culture that allows it to be unified and is critical to our success.

Padraic O'Reilly, chief product officer and co-founder at CyberSaint, also evokes the maturity metaphor when describing CISAs strategic plan. I think they're trying to grow up a little bit as an agency, he tells CSO. This is one of the artifacts you really require. They're on a maturity journey.

In keeping with the growth theme, Dr. Christopher Whyte, professor of cybersecurity and homeland security at Virginia Commonwealth Universitys Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness program, tells CSO that CISAs strategy reflects a maturation of CISA as an entity itself.

CISA shifts toward operational realism

Whyte says that CISAs strategic plan is important because it codifies almost a change in the macro direction of DHS and system priorities away from what you might think of as the Fortress America approach and more toward a kind of operational realism. What we need to focus on is ensuring the availability and the continuance of services that are persistently under attack, particularly from things like ransomware and particularly for U.S. critical infrastructure, he says. It's more important to focus on minimizing risk and maximizing our resilience.

OReilly thinks the strategic plan is a really good document and likewise focuses on its practical benefits, particularly regarding collaboration between the public and private sectors. I was heartened to see in the document that they're looking to make that much more efficient and even faster, he says. As far as national critical infrastructure and the resiliency of it, its essential that the communication between the public and private sector should become efficient.

Moreover, OReilly was impressed by the emphasis that CISA places on the value of personnel, that people are central to that process. That's a message that's been coming around the last six months, how critical people are to cyber. I think it gets lost in the story. We tend to think more about technology, but technology doesn't really get it done unless the people properly understand and improve it.

Public-private collaboration on cyber risks could be a challenge

CISAs ambitious goals spelled out in the strategy will undoubtedly face challenges. Whyte points to the really serious operational goal to streamline the collaborative processes between the public and private sectors as both a benefit and a challenge. The collaborative landscape is an age-old issue where the incentives to engage with the government have perpetually been somewhat lacking when it comes to cyber defense. Corporate entities have incentives to minimally comply with the regulation as they're required to but not voluntarily share information.

I think the problems lie in incentivizing good behavior among companies, Whyte says. Private operators have a series of incentives to only minimally engage with the federal government, largely to do with keeping their data private, keeping stakeholders, and keeping reputational costs down.

OReilly echoes this concern. One of the things that you see across the public sector and the private sector when they are collaborating on things is the complaint from the private sector that this is all just too mind-blowing, he says. When [certain players in the private sector] get advice and counsel, they don't always implement it. Then they fall back on kind of the knee-jerk we don't necessarily trust the feds because if they know that we're doing something wrong, they may come after us kind of a thing.

One solution, according to OReilly, is for CISA to promote its achievements in sector coordination, maybe some messaging around some success stories in that area would put certain types of players at ease in the private sector.
Yesterday, a federal jury handed down a guilty verdict to Joe Sullivan, the former CSO on charges of obstruction of the proceedings of the Federal Trade Commission and misprision of felony in connection with the attempted cover-up of a 2016 hack at Uber according to a notice published by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

US Attorney Stephanie Hinds, upon learning of the verdict, admonished companies that are storing data as to their responsibility to also protect that data and to alert customers and appropriate authorities when such data is stolen by hackers. Sullivan affirmatively worked to hide the data breach from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and took steps to prevent the hackers from being caught. We will not tolerate the concealment of important information from the public by corporate executives more interested in protecting their reputation and that of their employers than in protecting users. Where such conduct violates the federal law, it will be prosecuted.

Sullivans attorney, David Angeli, told the New York Times, While we obviously disagree with the jurys verdict, we appreciate their dedication and effort in this case. He continued, Mr. Sullivans sole focus  in this incident and throughout his distinguished career  has been ensuring the safety of peoples personal data on the internet.

Uber verdict ramifications for CISOs

The conviction wasnt about the breaches, however. The charges related to the breach itself had been dropped. Rather, the trial and conviction were about Sullivans decisions with respect to his discussions with the FTC and his failure to report a felony crime.

His apparent dissembling to his fellow executives as alleged in testimony spoke to his knowledge that a crime had been committed. In addition, the DOJ made clear that the two perpetrators of the 2016 data breach at Uber were subsequently arrested and convicted of committing cybercrimes and not participating in bug bounty programs as Sullivan alleged. Both pleaded guilty on October 30, 2019, to computer fraud conspiracy charges and are awaiting sentencing. The separate guilty pleas entered by the hackers demonstrate that after Sullivan assisted in covering up the hack of Uber, the hackers were able to commit an additional intrusion at another corporate entityLynda.comand attempt to ransom that data as well, the DOJ stated in its notice.

That said, Sullivans trial was as much about his personal accountability as it was about creating a sea-change in the liability. Executives responsible for the security of a company and its data now find themselves asking at what point in a breach will they be liable for its consequences.

Going forward, CSOs and CISOs may be at odds with their senior and peer groups of executives when a strategic decision is made that places the company at risk, even a mitigated risk. As every CSO/CISO knows, there is no such thing as 100% secure. Has this verdict opened a door for victims of a corporate data breach to not only go after the company with which they had entrusted their information, but also the executives who shoulder that responsibility? Whether this is a welcome turn of events or a shock to the system will play out in the coming months as legal teams of companies that hold personal data evaluate their positions in the light of this verdict.

Where does personal liability for CISOs begin and end?

Another question that must be discussed in corporate C-suites is just how far down the executive chain of responsibility should the corporate liability insurance coverage extend and what guidance is coming out of human resources and legal to their executives about personal liability and their need to obtain personal liability insurance.

David Shackleford told the Washington Post, Personal liability for corporate decisions with executive stakeholder input is a new territory thats somewhat uncharted for security executives. I fear it will lead to a lack of interest in our field and increased skepticism about infosec overall. Shacklefords observation played out in the courtroom. The Uber executive team referenced the stories told to them by Sullivan, as well as making it clear Uber had distanced itself from Sullivans decisions. And more clearly, the Uber legal team was protecting Uber and not Sullivan.

While many may look at the totality of the liability a CISO assumes when taking the position as something new and a negative job attribute, the ramifications go beyond the individual and seep into their infosec and security teams.

Document, document, document

The prime takeaway from this judgment is the need to document decisions, even the most minuscule decision, and be prepared to defend the decision, not only internally but to regulators and inspectors. Such documentation may keep the CISO out of the courtroom when dealing with the DOJ, FTC, and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). With the proposed adjustments to the SEC rules on Cybersecurity Risk Management, Strategy, Governance, and Incident disclosure, Public Companies and defendants being asked to defend their operational decisions, we may well evolve to expecting every company to provide a state of cybersecurity report on a regular cadence. Edward Amoroso in his Charlie Ciso cartoon series captured this aspect in elegance when he depicted CISOs complying with the new reporting requirements and overwhelming the system.

What is clear, the role of CISO has now changed and personal liability is a reality.




The presidential National Security Council strongly condemned North Korea's launch of two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Thursday, warning of strong countermeasures as demonstrated by the redeployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier into South Korean waters.







President Yoon Suk-yeol was briefed immediately after the launch and the NSC held a meeting presided over by National Security Adviser Kim Sung-han, according to the presidential office.







Thursday's launch was the North's sixth missile test in under two weeks.







The council "took note that the latest provocation was carried out as the U.N. Security Council was meeting to discuss North Korea's ballistic missile launches, and strongly condemned it as a challenge to the international community that cannot be overlooked," the presidential office said in a statement.







The council also "warned that North Korea's provocations will be met with an even stronger response, as demonstrated by the redeployment of the Ronald Reagan U.S. aircraft carrier strike group to the East Sea" following the North's launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Tuesday, it said.







The council vowed to further strengthen the South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture and security cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, while preparing thoroughly against additional provocations by the North. (Yonhap)






A pedestrian walks under a huge screen displaying news reporting North Korea's missile launch, featuring an image of North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un, in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 4. EPA-Yonhap



South Korea, Japan and some Western member countries of the United Nations issued a joint statement Wednesday condemning North Korea for its ballistic missile provocation.



The move came after the council failed to reach an agreement on additional sanctions or adopt an official statement against the North in a meeting over the North's intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch earlier this week.



The other signatories were two other permanent members of the council  Britain and France  and Albania, Brazil, India, Ireland, Norway and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as Japan.



"(We) strongly condemn the DPRK's long-range ballistic missile launch which overflew Japan on Oct. 4 and its seven other ballistic missile launches conducted since Sept. 25," Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said in a readout of the statement. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.










This March 26 file photo carried by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency shows a KN-23 missile being launched from a transporter erector launcher on March 25. The North on Thursday fired two short-range ballistic missiles, one of which is assumed to be the KN-25.



North Korea resorts to another show of force with air drills hours after firing ballistic missiles



By Nam Hyun-woo



A series of phone conversations between the leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan following North Korea's latest missile launches demonstrates just how much tensions have escalated in East Asia.



North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) on Thursday, marking the sixth launch in the last 12 days. According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the SRBMs were launched from the Samsok area near Pyongyang between 6:01 a.m. and 6:23 a.m.



The first missile flew approximately 350 kilometers after reaching a maximum altitude of 80 kilometers, and the second one traveled approximately 800 kilometers after reaching a maximum altitude of 60 kilometers. The missiles' top speeds reached Mach 5 and 6, respectively.



Given the trajectory, experts believe the first missile was the KN-25 and the second one was the KN-23, better known as the North Korean version of the Russian Iskander-M missile.



Tensions had escalated further hours later as 12 North Korean military aircraft _ four bombers and eight fighter jets _ flew in formation and presumably conducted a firing exercise Thursday, in an apparent protest against recent military drills between South Korea and the U.S., according to South Korean military officials.



The officials said the formation flight took place south of "a special monitoring line" between the North Korean cities of Pyongyang and Wonsan at around 2 p.m., and they were assumed to have conducted air-to-surface firing drills. More than 30 South Korean military aircraft were deployed to the area in response.



A special monitoring line is an aerial boundary the South Korean military has designated to enable prompt responses to the North's moves. Reportedly, it was the first time that North Korea carried out such a formation flight and strike drill in protest against the South.













President Yoon Suk-yeol answers reporters' questions as he enters the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap



President Yoon Suk-yeol said the security situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula remains tense, but pledged to remain vigilant.



"Since the situation is not easy to deal with, the USS Ronald Reagan returned to our waters at around 8 p.m. yesterday," Yoon said. "The public would be worried about the current security circumstances, but the government will not miss a single step in protecting the people based on the strong South Korea-U.S. alliance and the security cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo."



Seoul's National Security Council (NSC) condemned the launch as "a challenge to the international society that shall not be overlooked" and also issued a warning against the North.



"As seen by the redeployment of the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group in the East Sea following the Oct. 4 launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile, the members of the NSC warned that North Korea's provocations will only end up facing stronger responses," the NSC said in a statement.



With the U.S., South Korea and Japan having already staged joint anti-submarine drills on Sept. 30, the three sides conducted a combined missile detection and tracking drill on Thursday, which involved the returned USS Ronald Reagan, South Korea's ROKS Sejong the Great and Japan's JS ChoKai.





In this Sept. 23 file photo, the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan is escorted as it arrives in Busan. The aircraft carrier joined a combined naval drill with the South Korean military and Japan's Self-Defense Force on Thursday. AP-Yonhap
Three years ago, I was contacted by a desperate young woman whose late-night ordeal in a small North Yorkshire town still haunts me today.

Then 22, and waiting for a bus home after an evening out with friends, she had been dragged on to wasteland and brutally raped by a man she had never seen before.

After shed staggered bleeding and bruised to a local police station, the investigating officers decided that she was too drunk to be a credible witness and, although they subsequently found and questioned her assailant, they let him go.

Through a Facebook group for women who had suffered sexual assaults, she learnt that this man had committed at least two other similar attacks locally but had never been convicted.

She had contacted me because she knew I am a long-time campaigner for an end to violence against women.

Appalling

Sadly, there wasnt much I could do to help her, and one detail which still keeps me awake at night is that this vile rapist, no doubt aware that the chances of him being convicted were next to zero, ran away from the scene laughing.

I have no doubt that he and others like him will continue to laugh at the law under shameful new proposals from Home Secretary Suella Braverman to grant anonymity to suspects of all crimes until they are charged. This plan to keep suspects names hidden is an absolute disgrace.

Shameful new proposals from Home Secretary Suella Braverman intend to grant anonymity to suspects of all crimes until they are charged

Suppose, for a moment, the police had taken this victim seriously, as they should have done, and pressed charges.

As things stand, the perpetrators name would have been reported in the local paper and other victims could have come forward to help build the case against him and put him behind bars.

But if Braverman has her way, the Press will be silenced and we will have what critics have suggested will be a charter for rapists and abusers of children.

Her proposal for anonymity is supposedly a bid to avoid the kind of trial by media surrounding high-profile cases like those of Sir Cliff Richard, who won 400,000 in damages from the BBC after it filmed a police raid on his home in Berkshire following false claims of sexual assault.

Sir Cliff suffered a terrible ordeal, it is true. There have also been the well-known cases of former Tory MP Harvey Proctor, D-Day veteran Lord Bramall, and the former Home Secretary Lord Brittan.

All fell prey to the false allegations of fantasist Carl Beech, who claimed to have been sexually abused by members of a VIP paedophile ring when he was a child.

They might have been spared humiliation and suffering had their names been kept out of the Press.

Entertainer Gary Glitter was outed as a child predator in 1997 after indecent images of children were discovered on his computer. He was later jailed for 16 years in 2015 for other child abuse charges

But the fact is that it was inept policing and irresponsible reporting which led to the BBC gleefully sending a helicopter into the skies above Cliff Richards home.

And while I understand how horrendous the experience must have been for the innocent men in these cases, it is vital that we have a transparent system of justice in which the Press can report on any investigation prior to charges being laid.

It is not just that, as a journalist, I believe what Braverman suggests is a dangerous infringement of press freedom, which risks moving this country towards the kind of despotic state in which police can make arrests without scrutiny.

There is a real danger that criminals will escape punishment for some of the most appalling crimes. My concern lies most with the impact that such a change would have on the prosecution of crimes of sexual violence and abuse.

Without the help of the media, the likes of Rolf Harris, Stuart Hall and Gary Glitter might never have got the punishments they deserved. Publicly identifying them encouraged others they had violated to come forward, in some cases earning them even longer prison sentences.

All fell prey to the false allegations of fantasist Carl Beech (pictured) , who claimed to have been sexually abused by members of a VIP paedophile ring when he was a child.

The same is true of black cab driver John Worboys, Britains most prolific serial rapist. After his arrest in 2008, many more women contacted police to say they had been attacked too. This helped the police and the Crown Prosecution Service prove that he was a prolific and dangerous sex offender with more than 100 victims.

Its not unusual for rapists to keep repeating their crimes until they are caught or until they die. And as Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, has said, Bravermans plan would further stack the justice system against survivors of rape and sexual violence.

Justice

In recent years, convictions have fallen to the lowest levels on record. Survivors are treated like the ones under investigation, rather than the perpetrators, she explained.

Women have lost confidence in the justice system and, rather than work to ensure the system is even further stacked against survivors, we call on the Government to urgently address how this broken system is failing women. I could not agree more and I utterly fail to see how keeping suspects names out of the newspapers would help the cause of justice. What the Home Secretary should be focusing on instead is the real problem, which is the crisis in our conviction rate for sexual assault and rape.

Former presenter Stuart Hall was convicted of multiple offences against children in 2013

Former presenter Rolf Harris was jailed for five years and nine months in 2014

Figures released in March 2022 showed there had been 70,333 rapes in the preceding year  the highest number ever recorded. And, according to the charity Rape Crisis UK, that is a fraction of those actually committed.

They cite research showing one in four women has been raped or sexually assaulted as an adult, but that one in five or six women never report the crime. And in those cases where they do, the police bring charges in only 1 in 100 cases.

Passing this law would only pander to the widely held belief that most women who report rape are lying and that there are prisons full of falsely accused men.

Abusers

The statistics tell a very different story. A Crown Prosecution Service report published in 2013 showed that over a 17- month period, there were 5,651 prosecutions for rape and only 35 prosecutions for making false allegations of rape.

Since then, repeated and credible Home Office research has shown that only between 2 per cent and 4 per cent of reported sexual assaults are false, and even those figures are artificially inflated.

These are not instances where hideous, evil women have used a rape accusation as a form of revenge, but cases of mistaken identity or where they have got their story confused, as is easy to do when you are deeply traumatised.

What we have at the moment is a climate of amnesty for sex attackers and the last thing we should be doing is withholding invaluable information about them from the public.

Lets focus instead on the catching the rapists and abusers who are walking free and the victims who are being denied justice.
Last week, I touched on the extraordinary phenomenon of what one observer has described as the toxic relations between many of the animals at London Zoo.

The various combatants had then launched PR drives in order to win over the hearts and minds of the general public.

At the start of this year, the atmosphere between the various feuding camps grew even more fraught. In February, a white mouse identified only by his first name  Jeff  complained to the zoos head of AR (Animal Resources) about some very serious bullying, after spotting an anaconda  coincidentally called Anna Conder  swallowing one of his colleagues.

In turn, Msssss Conder hired senior executives at the prestigious Sunshine Public Relations company, charging them with restoring her good name.

Sunshine PR immediately issued their first PR statement on her behalf.

Msssss Conder has always treated mice with the utmost respect, and would never dream of eating them, unless, of course, she could find nothing better.

A koala bear called Kit has appeared on Blue Peter, The One Show and Animal Hospital, though he recently refused to appear on This Morning with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, in protest against their performance at HM the Queens Lying-In-State

This statement was judged an only partial success. Insiders say that after several heated phone calls, Sunshine PR agreed to promote a series of image-boosting public events on her behalf.

Perhaps their greatest coup was to secure the 15-metre snake a position on Strictly Come Dancing  the first carnivorous reptile to appear on the show since Piers Morgan in 2017.

Paired with professional dancer Giovanni Campona, Anna Conder was voted out in the first round, after the judges complained that her cha-cha-cha never quite got off the ground.

Nevertheless, viewers seem to have been taken by her pluck. Many were moved to tears by her back story, in which she described how her grandmother had been transformed into top-of-the-range designer handbags, and was now on display in high-end boutiques around the world.

Within weeks, Anna became one of the zoos top attractions. Jeff the Mouse, on the other hand, was never seen again, though he was reportedly last seen wandering in a carefree manner towards the owl sanctuary.

In another furore, leading bats had become increasingly upset by sections of the media describing them as blind and just hanging about or flying round and round in circles.

In a misguided attempt to rectify their faltering public image, the Bat Collective nominated one of their number, Barry, to appear on TVs top-rated Im A CelebrityGet Me Out Of Here! alongside a celebrity chef, an actor on Emmerdale and a former bass player with Showaddywaddy.

But Barrys first appearance on the show was also to be his last: viewers glimpsed him for only 35 seconds before he was swallowed in a single gulp in a Bush Tucker Challenge by former England rugby player James Haskell.

In February, a white mouse identified only by his first name  Jeff  complained to the zoos head of AR (Animal Resources) about some very serious bullying, after spotting an anaconda  coincidentally called Anna Conder  swallowing one of his colleagues

If we had known that was going to happen, we would have entered him for The Great British Bake Off instead, insists a bat colleague, who wishes to remain anonymous. Barry would have looked great as the filling in a vanilla sponge.

Other creatures at London Zoo have experienced more luck in boosting their public profiles.

A koala bear called Kit has appeared on Blue Peter, The One Show and Animal Hospital, though he recently refused to appear on This Morning with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, in protest against their performance at HM the Queens Lying-In-State.

But, sadly, in the animal world popularity with the general public comes at a cost  and the cost is envy.

That koala has no particular talents. He cant swim or run, and has nothing to say for himself.

But hes on the television all the time.

Meanwhile, heres little me, trying countless times to appear on television and always being met with refusals, sighs a warthog in a neighbouring cage.

These days, its all about who you know. I mean, that koalas not even nice.

With him, its all cuddles and smiles on camera, but the minute the spotlights off him, he can be very snappy. Very snappy indeed.

Last month, the warthog fired his long-standing Communications Secretary, a hawk, and replaced him with a dove called Amelia, known for her more softly-softly approach.

Two weeks later, the warthog was photographed laughing and joking on the red carpet at the Brit awards, so the new strategy appears to be working.
Here we go again. After the NHS decided to bring us 'chestfeeding', 'pregnant persons' and a variety of other nonsensical euphemisms designed to erase biological women, the Local Government Association has decided to get in on the act, too.

Councils across Britain have been issued with a catalogue of banned words and their approved replacements.

For instance, out go 'Mum and Dad', in comes gender-neutral 'birthing parent'. Staff are also being told not to say: 'Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,' because it might offend those who may identify as neither.

The 18-page Inclusive Language Guide, distributed to 359 English and Welsh councils, is aimed at 'embedding equality, equity, diversity and inclusion'. Yet after insisting for years that we refer to people from black and other ethnic backgrounds as BAME, that's now gone on the proscribed list, along with the word 'minorities' itself.

You're not even allowed to say 'multicultural' any more. The preferred term appears to be 'global majority communities'.

What's Welsh for You Couldn't Make It Up?

Mark Lloyd, the LGA's chief executive explains the new rules are essential because 'experiences of trauma, racial trauma and exclusion are already experienced at a disproportionate rate by black, LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent people in the workplace'.

Councils across Britain have been issued with a catalogue of banned words and their approved replacements. For instance, out go 'Mum and Dad', in comes gender-neutral 'birthing parent', writes Richard Littlejohn (stock image)

Neurodivergent? That's a new one on me. I had to look it up. It describes 'people whose brain differences affect how theirs works. That means they have different strengths and challenges from people who brains don't have those differences, including medical disorders, learning difficulties and other conditions'. Still, for years we've been told not to refer to people with disabilities, instead being encouraged to describe them as 'differently abled'.

But having got used to that term, under the latest guidance 'differently abled' goes on the blacklist, too. (Can you still say 'blacklist'?) In the Looking Glass World of local government  where like Humpty Dumpty, words mean whatever they want them to mean  you can't even call the homeless 'homeless'.

What are we supposed to say: people suffering from an accommodation deficit? Differently homed? I've read the Inclusive Language Guide, so you don't have to. And, to be honest, most of it is written in a foreign language  a cross between Professor Stanley Unwin and Bill And Ben The Flower Pot Men, if they'd graduated from the University of Woke.

Illegal immigrant is a non-starter, obviously, long since translated as asylum-seeker. So, too, is 'economic migrant'. The guide suggests 'Non-UK resident' as one alternative. Oh, and by the way, you can't describe anyone as 'foreign', either. Or even 'second generation'. Just thought I'd mention it. Can't be too careful.

Among the other offensive words to be avoided are 'queer' and 'coloured'  except in the case of those individuals who define as 'queer' or refer to themselves as 'coloured'.

The 18-page Inclusive Language Guide, distributed to 359 English and Welsh councils, is aimed at 'embedding equality, equity, diversity and inclusion'. Yet after insisting for years that we refer to people from black and other ethnic backgrounds as BAME, that's now gone on the proscribed list, along with the word 'minorities' itself (stock image)

Confused? You're supposed to be. So while it's perfectly acceptable for self-defining 'queers' to describe themselves as such, if you or I did it we could expect a dawn raid from Scotland Yard's 'hate crimes' squad.

The entire public sector is in thrall to this ever-changing newspeak. It's difficult keeping up.

For instance, in the NHS these days, you can't say 'disabled'. The correct expression is: 'A person with protected characteristics under the 2010 Equality Act'. Yes, really. And even the word 'illness' is banned, since  and I quote from the NHS website  it 'suggests the person could get better'. Eh? What's that supposed to mean?

Still, with six million on the waiting list, and the chances of seeing a GP face-to-face on a par with winning the Lottery, it's entirely possible many of those in need of urgent treatment won't actually get better.

Perhaps the NHS should adopt a new slogan: Abandon hope all ye who enter here.

Look, it's easy to mock. But someone's got to do it. Perverting the language is the way the Left exercises its bogus moral superiority and controls the national discourse. This has been going on for decades, but has escalated alarmingly in recent years, as we have been told not just how to speak but how we must think.

It started out as simple politeness. We don't talk about spastics or use the N-word any more. Nor would we want to go back to the bad old days when we did.

Illegal immigrant is a non-starter, obviously, long since translated as asylum-seeker. So, too, is 'economic migrant' (file image)

It's worth mentioning, though, that when children who struggled at school started being described as having 'learning difficulties', LD soon became a term of derision in the playground. And when dwarfs became 'Persons of Restricted Growth', it wasn't long before they were being mocked in some cruel quarters as 'Porgs'.

Something which starts out with the best of motives can have unexpected and unfortunate consequences. What began as a way of protecting vulnerable minorities has morphed into a grotesque crusade again the majority  especially women, who have been reduced to mere 'people who menstruate' in order to appease the tiny minority of intolerant, sometimes violent, trans fanatics.

The wokerati are not content rewriting the language, they are now rewriting history and human biology, too.

You're not even supposed to make fun of this madness any more. Not that it's ever stopped me. When it all began, 30-odd years ago, columnists like me had a field day lampooning the latest Left-wing lunacy.

That's when the revisionists started hunting down anything they considered politically incorrect, even bowdlerising and censoring everything from much-loved children's stories to pantos.

I can remember one theatre group in Derbyshire being forced to change the name of a production of The Hunchback Of Notre Dame to The Bell-Ringer Of Notre Dame under pressure from disabled-rights activists.

Shortly afterwards, the great Keith Waterhouse, late of this parish, wrote a column wondering what would be next. He came up with: Noddy And Socially Challenged Ears.

These days, I'm not even sure Noddy would make the cut.

Mind your language.

Councillors in Great Yarmouth have decided against planting an avenue of apple, pear or plum trees on the quayside because it could pose a safety hazard.

Officials had warned that the fruit could fall on the pavement, causing passers-by to step on them and slip. They also feared that 'fruit could be used as missiles' thrown at holidaymakers by local hooligans. I can remember Mods and Rockers clashing, Quadrophenia-style, on Yarmouth sea front in the 1960s, But they were chucking rocks, bottles and deckchairs at each other, not Granny Smith's and Conference pears.

This is as daft as the Lib Dem councillor who wanted to chop down Torquay's famous palm trees, in case a falling frond caught a child in the eye. 'It's a bit like keeping tigers,' he said. 'Beautiful to look at, but you don't want them wandering the streets.' Nurse!

What is it about elf'n'safety that sends some people bananas?

A naval engineer has been acquitted by a court martial of sexually assaulting a male colleague, because he's 'demisexual'.

What's that then  someone who has sex with Demi Moore?

A naval engineer has been acquitted by a court martial of sexually assaulting a male colleague, because he's 'demisexual'. What's that then  someone who has sex with Demi Moore?

Spare us from Lord Nonce Finder General

Nonce Finder General Tom Watson has again been nominated for a peerage. The application was slipped in under the radar by Labour while the world was watching the Tories implode.

Presumably Keir Starmer approved it. Yet the odious Watson has already rightly been rejected by the Lords Appointments Commission after being put up by Jeremy Corbyn in 2021.

He abused parliamentary privilege and his position as Labour deputy leader to falsely accuse prominent Tories of murder and child abuse, acting as conduit for convicted paedophile and fantasist Carl Beech aka Nick, currently serving 18 years for fraud and perverting the course of justice. Where the hell does Watson get his sense of entitlement? And if Starmer does become PM, can we expect the NFG's rehabilitation to include a job in government?

Watson shouldn't be allowed within a mile of the Lords. In a just world, he'd be sharing a cell with his partner-in-crime, Beech.

Labour has promised to sabotage new Home Sec Sue Ellen Braverman's determination to push through the Rwanda migrants plan. Does Keir Starmer know about this? After all, the team he claims to support, Arsenal, is sponsored by Visit Rwanda. And if Rwanda's safe enough for Gooners to go on holiday, what's wrong with sending migrants there?
Australian women are turning away from beauty brands and makeup ranges that don't offer 100 per cent clean and natural ingredients because we're more well versed in what we put in - and on - our bodies than ever before.

Nude by Nature developed its best-selling Natural Mineral Cover Foundation ($42.95) to offer these women looking for an alternative a 100 per cent clean and natural product that could still give a full coverage result without compromising on performance and finish.

Foundation is the largest cosmetic category in Australian pharmacies and Nude by Nature's Natural Mineral Cover is the number one selling product in this category, with customers praising its 100 per cent toxin-free, Talc-free ingredient list in particular.

So as a clean beauty boffin myself, I decided to put the precious powder to the test.

So as a clean beauty boffin myself, I decided to put the precious powder to the test

The foundation itself comes in 20 different shades, aspiring to take a stand on inclusivity and ensure no makeup lover is left behind when it comes to usability.

I chose N3 Beige using the clever 'foundation finder' capabilities on Nude by Nature's website, allowing the customer to plug in what coverage they're looking for, what 'finish' they desire - whether that be satin or matte - and what their skin tone is.

The website can also suggest the style of brush the foundation will work best with, so you waste the least amount of product with every swipe.

I was immediately impressed by the added skincare-like ingredients like Vitamin C, Kaolin Clay and Jojoba Esters, particularly because I was hoping the powder would cover up any pesky large pores on my nose and work to nourish my skin at the same time.

As soon as I buffed it into my skin I could instantly see a pore blurring effect and less overall redness, meaning my complexion looked more even overall.

I was immediately impressed by the added skincare-like ingredients, particularly because I was hoping the powder would cover up any pesky large pores on my nose and work to nourish my skin at the same time

The formulation also includes SPF15+ which is a huge green tick for me as someone who spends a lot of time outdoors and in the sunshine.

The biggest culprit for premature ageing is the sun so it's important to take sun safety seriously - not just with our skincare and extra clothing, but with our makeup too.

After unscrewing the cap of the foundation I noted there is a mesh inside that separates the product from your brush, which means with every swipe I was getting just the right amount on my brush every time.

Goodbye powder on my bathroom basin.

What I noticed right away was that the formulation didn't feel dry on my skin, it wasn't 'drawing up' too much of the oil on the outer layer of my face and mattifying to the extreme, which I liked.

So those skincare goodies like Jojoba really was working its magic to give me a radiant finish.

It was easy to see how the product can be buildable but without suffocating the skin, especially if I'm going to be wearing it all day.

I noticed it made any pigmentation or leftover blemishes virtually disappear from sight, and its non-comedogenic ingredients mean it won't contribute any extra pimples.

I noticed it made any pigmentation or leftover blemishes virtually disappear from sight, and its non-comedogenic ingredients mean it won't contribute anymore pimples that I don't want to be there

The experience of applying the foundation was seamless, even for someone who isn't an expert at application. I can easily see why it has earned its thousands of five-star reviews.

'I'm so pleased to have found this Australian product which compares better than a top overseas brand I used to use. I give full marks not only for the product but also the innovative container which dispenses the exact amount required without waste or mess,' one happy customer has written about the foundation online.

'I have used Nude by Nature for years now and I love the way the product looks on my face. I always get compliments when I use it,' said another.

A third added: 'As a busy mum I can chuck it on in the morning quickly and easily get 12 hours out of it. Sweat, tears, humidity, rain, masks... it holds up!'

Rest assured a 100 per cent clean and natural product doesn't mean sacrificing a radiant finish.

Nude by Nature's Natural Mineral Cover has certainly earned its keep as a cult makeup product.

Visit Nude by Nature's website for further information about their clean beauty range.
SHOPPING: Products featured in this Mail Best article are independently selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, DailyMail.com will earn an affiliate commission.

Theres something to be said for a sunscreen brand that sells out its product practically overnight. Its not exactly a common phenomenon, but thats exactly what happened when Naked Sundays launched its first collection in early 2021.

Since then, its swept the beauty world by storm, creating intense buzz for its unique formulations  like spray-on sunscreen mists worn over a full face of makeup and SPF-infused serums that double as powerful skin care products. And now, Naked Sundays has finally launched its range in the United States.

SPF Serum Starter Kit Youve never known a product like this  because, until now, it pretty much didnt exist. The best-selling sun serum boasts a lengthy line of loyalists who swear it lives up to every claim. Its touted as the only product you need to start your day, formulated to behave equally as a serum, a moisturizer, and a primer all at once. This kit includes a handy application brush and arrives in a cute bag to keep everything in one place. This sunscreen is a game changer, says one devotee. For anyone who doesnt like thick lotions this slides on like a dream. Feels like primer and I find my makeup sits beautifully! Obsessed! Shop

Reporter Samantha Brett was inspired to develop more intuitive SPF products after two of her colleagues developed skin cancer. Its a common concern for anyone who spends significant time outside, but the brutal Australian sunshine makes it especially critical.

In fact, Australias skin cancer rates are among the highest in the world. Brett realized that there was a market for a product that did more than merely protect skin, but also behave as a multitasker.

Among her primary goals: creating a product that anyone could feel comfortable wearing, and that eschewed the issues associated with traditional formulas, such as whitish casts and sticky finishes. Here are some of the highlights of the Naked Sundays collections most game-changing, protective products.
President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks on the phone with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Thursday.



Leaders of South Korea, Japan condemn North Korea for destabilizing security in East Asia, international community in unusually strong tone



By Nam Hyun-woo



President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed during their phone conversation on Thursday on the need to send a clear message that North Korea will face the consequences of provocations.



According to the presidential office, Yoon spoke with Kishida for 25 minutes and the two leaders condemned North Korea in an unusually strong tone for the latest ballistic missile provocations.



"The two leaders strongly condemned North Korea's launch of ballistic missiles as a serious provocation which poses a grave threat to the peace and security of not only the Korean Peninsula, but also Northeast Asia and the international community," deputy presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-myoung said in a statement.









"They also agreed that South Korea and Japan should cooperate on stronger responses to North Korea's bellicose actions," Lee added.



The phone call took place after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) on Thursday, marking the sixth launch in the last 12 days. The latest launch drew extra condemnation because the armed forces of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan were conducting a combined naval drill in the East Sea.



"The leaders also agreed that the North's reckless provocations need to stop, and that such acts will entail a hefty price," Lee said. "For that sake, the leaders said that it is important to maintain trilateral security cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan and pursue a strong coalition with the international community," the spokesperson added.





Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters after North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan, at the Prime Minister's official residence in Tokyo, Tuesday. EPA-Yonhap
Greta Thunberg has spoken out against the public's perception of herself as an 'angry teenager', saying that she gets daily 'laughing attacks' where she 'can't breathe',

The 19-year-old eco-activist, who rose to fame after helping organise climate strikes while at school, opened up about having a fun side and 'just being crazy' with her peers in a candid new interview.

Talking to ELLE UK, the campaigner - whose book The Climate Book is coming out next month - also got candid about how her Asperger's Syndrome diagnosis helps her wade through 'the bulls**t' of political conversation around the climate crisis.

Addressing how she is perceived, Greta said: 'People seem to think of me as an angry teenager  they obviously haven't met me. At least two or three times a day I get laughing attacks where I can't breathe. It can be anything.'

Greta Thunberg has spoken out against the public's perception of herself as an 'angry teenager', telling ELLE UK that she gets daily 'laughing attacks'

The 19-year-old eco-activist (pictured at a climate strike in Stockholm last month) opened up about having a fun side

The young activist also touched on feeling close with her fellow campaigning peers - who she sees as 'very close friends'.

'Many in the climate movement are very special, in a good way, very different from the norm,' she explained. 'It is amazing that we have found this space [where] we can be ourselves. And, at least in my experience, we are very welcoming.'

Greta revealed that they have group chats where they 'are just being crazy' and do things 'to not be so serious all the time'.

She added: 'People often say, "Oh, you young people, you are the hope, you are the ones who are going to save the world."

The young activist also touched on feeling close with her fellow campaigning peers - who she sees as 'very close friends'

The activist, who is releasing The Climate Book this month, wants to stress that her key message is - 'don't listen to me'

'If they knew what we were actually talking about, they wouldn't be saying that.'

Greta - who has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome - also admitted that she believes it helps her see 'through a lot of the bulls**t' said by politicians regarding her field of work.

She dismissed the notion that people may say we are making 'small steps in the right direction' and insisted even more needs to be pushed for 'even the bare minimum'.

The activist, who is releasing The Climate Book this month, wants to stress that her key message is - 'don't listen to me'.

'Listen to the scientists, listen to the experts, listen to those who are most affected,' she said. 'I could talk about all these things, but I am a privileged white person who lives in Sweden. I don't really have any story to tell, so it's up to others who need to be heard to [talk about] these things.'

In June Greta addressed revellers at Glastonbury, warning them that they face a 'total natural catastrophe' driven by the 'forces of greed'

In June Greta addressed revellers at Glastonbury, warning them that they face a 'total natural catastrophe' driven by the 'forces of greed'.

She spoke from the Pyramid Stage, delivering a speech about climate change saying the crisis is 'not the new normal'.

She called out 'lying' political leaders, but insisted 'we can still avoid the worse consequences' and 'together we can do the seemingly impossible'.

Greta added: 'We are in the beginning of a climate and ecological emergency. This is not the new normal, this crisis will continue to get worse...until we prioritise people and planet over profits and greed.'

The Climate Book is published on 27 October by Allen Lane.
People regret not going through with threesome opportunities in their youth

Threesomes are one of the most common sexual fantasies, but, as these confessions prove, the reality can be far less enticing.

Social media users from around the world took to anonymous secret-sharing app Whisper to reveal the reasons why they backed out of a menage a trois, with some living in regret.

One person said they backed out of a threesome because they learned one of the participants was married. Another said their girlfriend got cold feet because she felt self-conscious of her looks.

Meanwhile one jealous woman said she realised that she couldn't stand to see her boyfriend with someone else.

This person, from an unknown location, only just found out their 'friend' was married upon planning a threesome. How good a friend could they have been?

Someone, from an unknown location, realized that they actually didn't feel like sharing their partner with anyone else after setting up accounts to find a partner

All by myself.... One man, from Oneonta, Alabama, was left frustrated with 'no one to help him' guess he might have to help himself on this occasion.

Three times the disappointment: 'How hard it is it?' one man, from Bangor, Maine, asked when one of the girls got cold feet. Hard for him maybe

This American man got spooked back in his college years and now has regrets over not embarking on a three-way

This person, from Southboine, Manitoba, was devastated when one of the girls was too self conscious

This person, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, tried and failed to get in a threesome but still managed to enjoy their own company

Someone, from Columbus, Ohio, with ambitions to have a threesome almost persuaded their ex to get involved but now has to find another willing participant

This person, from Aurora, had always had fantasies about having a menage a trois but when it came to reality they got cold feet

Instead of having the planned threesome this man, from Phoenix, Arizona, slept with his girlfriend's best friend after she backed out and gave them both her blessing

This guy, from Moreno Valley, planned a threesome with his girlfriend but the other man backed out, but the partner is happy that his girlfriend is up for doing it nonetheless

This person, from Hampton, Virginia, was inspired to stay monogamous after turning down the opportunity to have a threesome

A woman, from Finderne, New Jersey, regrets not taking her chance to have a threesome with two men because she was 'young and stupid'

This person, from Berea, Kentucky, seems fuming that his girlfriend backed out of a couple swap and threesome

A woman, from Whippany, New Jersey, was looking forward to exploring the world of threesomes, but as ever it seems like three's a crowd

A girlfriend, from Kelso, Washington, knew about her partner's desire for the other woman but decided to back out so he was 'stuck' with just her
They reunited when Dan moved to the US and were married one year later; despite friends branding Serena a 'cougar', she's 'proud' to date a younger man

Serena and Dan met when Dan was 22-years-old and Serena was nearly 40, while Dan was touring the US, performing music gigs

Strangers often mistake Serena for Dan's mom and others have dubbed Dan a 'gold-digger' for being in a relationship with an older woman

The 47-year-old has been married to Australian, Dan Krochmal, 30, for five years and the couple has faced their fair share of criticism

Serena Fill, 47, from New Jersey, revealed strangers often think her husband is her son as the two have a 17-year age gap relationship

A woman in a 17-year age gap relationship has revealed how strangers often mistake her husband for her son.

Serena Fill, 47, from New Jersey, has been married to Australian, Dan Krochmal, 30, for five years, but the couple's loving relationship has come at a price as they often face criticism because of their age gap.

The loved up couple often receive comments from strangers, mistaking Serena for Dan's mom.

Despite being trolled online for the wide age gap in their relationship, the happy couple claims they are stronger than ever.

Serena Fill, 47, from New Jersey, revealed strangers often think her husband is her son as the two have a 17-year age gap relationship

The 47-year-old has been married to Australian, Dan Krochmal, 30, for five years and the couple has faced their fair share of criticism

Strangers often mistake Serena for Dan's mom and others have dubbed Dan a 'gold-digger' for being in a relationship with an older woman

Serena says: 'To us, age is just a number when it comes to love.

'Dan is my soulmate and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.'

Serena met Dan, a musician, in November 2014 while he was touring the US, performing at music gigs.

She said: 'We met in New York and I couldn't take my eyes off him.

'He was dreamy and his soulful voice was mesmerizing.

'Dan was clearly decades younger than me, but I found him so attractive.'

That night, Serena discovered Dan was 22, making him nearly 20 years her junior as Serena was about to turn 40.

Serena said: 'When Dan found out my age, he didn't care. We flirted all night. It was a thrill.'

The next day, Serena found Dan on Facebook and messaged him, offering to show him around the city.

The pair met up and immediately felt a connection as sparks flew between them.

Serena said: 'We spent the day together in New York and Dan even serenaded me with his guitar in Central Park.

Serena and Dan met when Dan was 22-years-old and Serena was nearly 40, while Dan was touring the US, performing music gigs

The two flirted all night and spent the next few days together until Dan had to leave to continue his tour on the other side of the world, leaving Serena heartbroken

They reunited when Dan moved to the US in 2015 and dropped the bombshell regarding their age gap relationship on their families before getting married in 2016

'It was so romantic, later that evening we kissed. We spent the next few days together.

'From the start we both knew it was a fling, after all, he lived on the other side of the world.'

Later that week, Dan continued his tour and the couple said their goodbyes.

But fate brought them back together again the following month.

Serena said: 'I was attending my best friend's wedding in Los Angeles, when Dan called to say he'd missed his connecting flight home to Australia and was in the city.

'I was so excited and invited him to the hotel I was staying in.

'Seeing him again was magical. It was like I'd known him all my life.'

Sadly, the next day, Dan returned to Australia but the couple stayed in touch and continued to speak every day, despite the distance between them.

'I'd never felt this way before about any man. I missed him so much.

'Meanwhile, my friends were trying to set me up on dates. I went for dinner with one man, but all I could think about was Dan.'

Serena wanted nothing else but to be with Dan, but knew the two couldn't be together as they lived in completely different places.

But as fate would have it, Dan dropped a bombshell on Serena in 2015 and told her he'd be moving to the US.

Serena revealed that their families were 'shocked' but 'happy' for the lovebirds, meanwhile, Serena's friend referred to her as a 'cougar' and called Dan her 'toy boy'

And while Serena's friends were calling her cougar, she didn't mind it and that she even liked the idea of being with a man nearly 20 years her junior

'I was so excited. I couldn't wait to see him,' Serena said.

Two months later, in May, after longing to be with one another, Serena and Dan were finally reunited.

The couple was ecstatic they were finally together, but knew they had to break the shocking news of their age gap relationship to their families.

'We told our families and they were shocked at first, but they were happy for us.

'My friends on the other hand, grilled Dan when they met him.

'Because he was so young, they asked what his intentions were.

'One was judgmental and thought he was using me, but after a while, they could see Dan loved me.'

In time, Serena's friends even gave the couple their very own nicknames that pointed right to their unique relationship.

They began calling Serena a 'cougar' and dubbed Dan her 'toy boy.'

And while Serena's friends were calling her cougar, she didn't mind it and noted that she even liked the idea of being with a man nearly 20 years her junior.

Serena said: 'I felt honored. I was proud to be with a younger man.

'Now I call myself the ''queen of cougars''. Me and Dan laugh about it.'

After the two were married, they decided to combine business with pleasure and Serena became Dan's manager

Despite cruel comments from trolls, Serena and Dan are focusing on each other and are thankful every day to have met each other

In December 2016, the couple decided to take their relationship to the next level and the two soon got married at City Hall.

After the two were married, they decided to combine business with pleasure and Serena became Dan's manager.

But soon, strangers began to make comments, which hurt the lovebirds.

Serena explained: 'Once, I commented on an age gap post on Facebook and people accused Dan of being a gold-digger, which was hurtful.

'Then, whenever Dan played a show, people would ask me if I was his mom.

'Young women would hit on Dan and ask me if my son was single.

'At first it was upsetting, and I'd tell them I was his wife.

'But I soon began to laugh it off.'

Serena added: 'Dan looks fantastic and gets asked for ID everywhere which is funny.'

'Whenever we went shopping or out for dinner, people constantly thought he was my son too,' she continued.

'I knew I was almost 20 years older than him, so I could be mistaken for his mom. It made sense.'

Despite cruel comments from trolls, Serena and Dan are focusing on each other and are thankful every day to have met each other.

'It took me about 40 years to finally find my husband, but he was well worth the wait.'
If you've never been burgled, you are very lucky, and it appears youre pretty rare  192,060 domestic burglaries were reported over the past year in England and Wales, with just 3.5 per cent resulting in a prosecution. Most frightening statistically are the almost 800 burglaries per day that go unsolved.

If you are one of the lucky ones, you cant possibly know how becoming a victim of burglary affects the rest of your life. It makes you feel unsafe all the time. It destroys the trust you have in other people and it ruins any pleasure you might have had in the comfort of your own home. Ninety seven per cent of victims say their lives were affected. I know all this to be true because its happened to me  twice.

The first time I was in my 50s and during the week lived alone in a London basement flat I called Wuthering Depths. I was returning to work after a short period of recovery from a hip replacement.

My husband was with me to make sure I managed OK and we were shocked to find the front window was smashed. Even with David in attendance, I was terrified at what we might find inside.

A young man desperately trying to tidy my bed  hed just got up  and pack his bag was what I found. We called the police immediately and, while we waited for four of the Mets burliest best to turn up, I discovered the young man was Polish, had realised the flat was unoccupied, needed somewhere to sleep and had been there for a couple of nights.

Its a bit of a relief to know that police chiefs are promising they will now send someone if a break-in has occurred, as reported in this paper yesterday, writes JENNI MURRAY (pictured)

There was no theft apart from several bottles of wine hed drunk and food from the freezer. He obeyed my demand to do the washing up hed piled in the sink and clean up the broken glass from the window.

The police took him away, he was charged with breaking and entering and punished. The coppers seemed quite impressed at the way Id dealt with him and laughingly said they didnt think Id need Victim Support.

On reflection, they were wrong. I hadnt been hurt, nothing of value had been taken, but my sense of safety in my cosy little flat had been destroyed.

I knew how simple it had been to break in and, no matter how often I washed the sheets on the bed hed dared to occupy, I never slept easy there again.

Some five years later I came home  this time alone  around 11pm after a visit to the theatre to find the front door open  it had been kicked in, despite what Id thought were effective locks.

I knew I shouldnt go in, but I plucked up my courage, determined to find out what was going on. There was no one there, but my home had been ransacked.

Chairs and tables were overturned. Every drawer had been opened, emptied and used as a toilet. There must have been several of them for that much faeces to have been left behind.

Nothing much had been stolen, after all the flat was only used as a pied-a-terre for when I was working, so any valuables I had were in the family home up North. But most upsetting, they had taken my little laptop on which Id been writing a memoir. I could not believe that anyone could be so disgusting as to treat someone elses property in the way they had mine. What sort of people could they be? Might they ever come back?

Burglars have had it too easy. The cops need to get tough  see and be seen  and catch them before they invade anybodys much-loved home (File image)

Of course, I called the police immediately and fully expected theyd be round like a shot. I made it clear that I was alone and was frightened they may come back.

No need to worry about that, said the officer. They wont be back if theres nothing of value to be nicked. Get that front door fixed, get somebody to help you clean up and Ill give you a crime number so you can claim on the insurance.

I begged him to send someone round and look for evidence that might identify the burglars. These people need to be caught, I cried.

Not much chance of that, I was told. Theyll be well away. And that was that.

I spent the whole night cleaning up. The next morning, I called out someone to fix the door  very expensive  and determined to move out and find somewhere else to live. I would never again feel safe in that flat.

Even in my new house I have never felt truly safe. I have a burglar alarm. I have the best kind of locks on the doors. Every window is locked. If anyone stays, they are told never to leave a window open.

I have dogs and I know they would bark if they ever heard anyone trying to come in at night. I wake at every sound and I would never feel confident that the police would rush round to protect me.

Its a bit of a relief to know that police chiefs are promising they will now send someone if a break-in has occurred, as reported in this paper yesterday.

Maybe, though, prevention would be better than cure. How about a couple of bobbies on the beat, regularly patrolling every street day and night?

Burglars have had it too easy. The cops need to get tough  see and be seen  and catch them before they invade anybodys much-loved home.

Girls Alouds moving cancer call

Well done, Girls Aloud  Kimberley, Nicola, Nadine and Cheryl  for posing in matching nightwear to raise money for research into breast cancer in women from 29 to 40. Its a year since bandmate Sarah Harding died from the disease. She was only 39.

In Breast Cancer Awareness Month, all of you, whatever age, male or female, should check yourselves. It could save your life.

Well done, Girls Aloud  Kimberley, Nicola, Nadine and Cheryl (pictured)  for posing in matching nightwear to raise money for research into breast cancer in women from 29 to 40

Wonky carrots made me cook again

A tip from a friend  get Oddbox once a week. On a Sunday night for just over ten quid, a box of fruit and veg is delivered. The produce is from farms where it would otherwise be wasted simply because the supermarkets dont always want wonky carrots or bendy cucumbers. My first box inspired me to start cooking again. Star turn was chicken soup with squash, red pepper and green beans. Grapes and sharon fruit for dessert. Healthy food and saving the planet. Feeling virtuous.

Fourth Covid jab knocked me for six

I am not, it appears, alone in feeling like death warmed up for nearly a week after my fourth jab, which was the new Moderna. Lots of my contemporaries have been knocked for six by it. My only comfort is Id rather feel awful for a week than risk getting a bad dose of Covid. No anti-vax sentiment in my house.

Bella Hadid caused a stir at Paris Fashion Week, walking on to the runway wearing nothing but a G-string before being sprayed with what seemed to be white paint

Bella Hadid caused a stir at Paris Fashion Week, walking on to the runway wearing nothing but a G-string before being sprayed with what seemed to be white paint. It became a frock. Genius. The figure-hugging result took me right back to the days when I had the body to wear something so flattering and tight. My mother would say, Good grief, youre not going out in that are you? It looks as if its been sprayed on you.
Sarah Ferguson cited the late Queen as an inspiration behind historical novel

The Duchess of York has revealed the Queen gave her blessing for her to write Mills & Boon novels and even 'inspired' characters.

The former wife of disgraced royal Prince Andrew, 62, said she gave her mother-in-law copies of her first work of historical fiction - A Heart for a Compass - in both English and French.

'It's been all my life that I've known the boss and there's no one like her,' the Duchess said, as reported by The Telegraph. 'I wouldn't do anything unless the boss gave me her blessing though, and still to this day, I think about that.'

Speaking at the Henley Literary Festival, she called herself the 'luckiest person alive' and described the importance of the Queen's influence on her life.

The late Queen was a 'wonderful friend' to the Duchess of York and gave the author her 'blessing' to write books for renowned romance publisher Mills & Boon, Sarah Ferguson has revealed. Both pictured at the Braemar Highland Games in 1990

'When we wrote the book, I gave it to the boss and I said, "you dont need to read it."

'But I think she was so proud that we did it. And thats just huge for me. She was just very, very special.'

It is unclear if Her Majesty read the book.

Sarah also addressed the painful loss of the Queen, adding that she was happy to have inherited her corgis.

The Duchess explained that it's important to uphold the 'values' the beloved monarch had 'built for 70 years', including 'kindness and humility, loyalty, and all the good things'.

The Duchess (pictured) explained that it's important to uphold the 'values' the beloved monarch had 'built for 70 years', including 'kindness and humility, loyalty, and all the good things'

She added: 'And always remember, manners.'

According to The Times, the Duchess penned her upcoming Victorian-era book, A Most Intriguing Lady, as Andrew, 62, battled sexual assault allegations from Virginia Giuffre.

Writing allowed her to 'escape through my imagination' and 'be joyous'. She said becoming 'an author' also helped her define herself in the public eye.

The royal shared that she didn't resent the press coverage of Andrew's scandal, noting that the 'media are vitally important'.

'I think the media are vitally important for many different reasons,' she explained.

Sarah pictured arriving at Westminster Abbey for the late Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral last month

Writing allowed Sarah (pictured last year) to 'escape through my imagination' and 'be joyous'. She said becoming 'an author' also helped her define herself in the public eye

'Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they get it wrong. And I think we just keep going and never explain too much or say too much.'

Sarah also shared how writing novels has helped her define her place in the world.

'Now at last people can say, 'Oh, she's the author,' rather than, "She's...err, I don't know,'' she told the conference.

A Most Intriguing Lady is slated for release on February 28, 2023. It is the second book penned by the Duchess.

Virginia Giuffre (centre) opened a civil sex assault case against Andrew in New York. Pictured right is Ghislaine Maxwell, who procured girls for sex predator Jeffrey Epstein

Her first novel, a historical romance titled Her Heart for a Compass, was released last year. It tells the story of Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott and how 'one act of rebellion costs her place in society'.

Sarah and Andrew currently reside together despite having divorced in 1996.

Andrew's royal career ended in disgrace after he was forced to pay an out-of-court settlement to Ms Giuffre earlier this year. The undisclosed settlement is reported to be about 12million.

Ms Giuffre claimed he sexually abused her three times in 2001 when she was 17 after being trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, though Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Prince Andrew was permitted by his eldest brother King Charles III to wear his military uniform as he stood guard over his mother's coffin

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 in January.

Andrew briefly returned to public life after the death of his mother earlier this month. He was briefly allowed to wear his military uniform as he and his siblings stood vigil next to the Queen's coffin as she lay in state in Westminster Hall.

He also greeted mourners at Balmoral shortly after the death of Her Majesty as they gathered outside the castle where the Queen passed away to lay flowers and pay tribute.

Previously, Andrew was given a brief return to royal life on March 29, 2022 as he escorted his mother into Westminster Abbey for the service of thanksgiving for the life of his father Prince Philip.

There was surprise in March when Andrew was given a frontline role at the memorial service for the Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey

But the Duke had no place at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June. Whilst he had been due to attend the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral, it was announced at the last minute that he would not attend after testing positive for coronavirus.

He also did not feature at the Order of the Garter service at Windsor later in June, even though he had been listed on the order of service.

It was reported that Prince William and Prince Charles had lobbied the Queen to ensure he did not attend.
Worried parent said daughter was reacting badly to two hours' homework a night

A mother has sparked a furious debate among parents by asking if two hours' homework for a year 10 pupil is excessive.

Taking to British parenting forum Mumsnet, the woman wrote that her child, who attends a grammar school in England, receives two hours' homework a night.

She then explained that her child was 'stomping around' about it and had called a teacher a 'mean cow'.

Most Mumsnet users agreed with the child, thinking two hours was excessive, but others thought it was fine.

The teenager in Year 10 thought the amount of homework she was being set was unreasonable (stock photo)

The original post explained how the child thought the school's homework demands were unreasonable, and how the child called a teacher a 'mean cow' after giving her a poor mark

In the original post, the user wrote: 'Dear Daughter is adamant that two hours a night homework is against her human rights.

'She has been stomping around, refusing to start her homework.

'She has been exceptionally rude to me swearing at me for sending her to a prison camp and claiming to be-having a nervous breakdown due to the schools expectations.'

The poster went on to write that she had explained to her child that two hours homework a night is 'quite proportionate' for a year 10 girl in Grammar School.

Many Mumsnet users found sympathy with the child, agreeing that two hours' homework a night was too much

And she said this was especially so as her girls' predicted grades were all quite high - level 7 or 9.

She added: 'Her head of year as given her a after school detention today for calling her English teacher a 'mean cow' for a poor homework mark.

'My daughter denies calling the teacher that, saying she was misheard when she pulled her face at the teacher.'

But she added her child viewed the detention as 'unfair' and 'against her human rights' because it is 'grossly an excessive punishment'.

She added her daughter argues the face-pulling was justified as 'someone has to stand up against the schools unrealistic and unreasonable levels of homework demanded'.

The reactions were very divided with some calling the child rude for her attitude towards teachers, but others saying the school was wrong to set so much work

The post sparked a wave of comments from other parents on Mumsnet.

Most were sympathetic with the daughter, viewing two hours homework a night as excessive and bad for mental health.

One wrote: 'An hour is fair enough two is too much, definitely. That's [sic] no time for any extra curricular activities either.'

Another wrote: 'GCSE's shouldn't be that hard.'

And a third wrote: 'Two hours is too much. It's not conducive to good mental health.'

Some sympathised with the mother, with one praising her for being 'reasonable' and 'consistent' with her child.

While another said they school was not doing a good job if they expected their pupils to do that much extra work at home.

But some said the amount was acceptable and comparable to what they had had at that age.

Others thought that the amount of homework was fair and realistic, and praised the mother for trying to manage the situation with sensitivity

One wrote that they had experienced something similar and that by the time they were 16 /17 they were given three/four hours a night.

'That was much tougher,' they said.

Another said two hours a night was 'completely normal' and 'standard' in a secondary school.

But others pulled the child up on their attitude to school and her teachers.

One wrote: 'I'd give her a detention for her homework.'

They added: 'And she'd have a day in isolation for calling any member of staff a mean cow.'

A second mocked her ideas of human rights - saying they were a 'pipe dream'.

Another called her a 'rude brat' while a further user added: 'Her behaviour towards her teacher was disgusting and you are right to pull her up on it.'
The mother-of-three said it 'felt like yesterday' that Louis, four, was a newborn

Kate Middleton has revealed how she stills sees Prince Louis as her baby - even though she recognises he's a 'big boy now'.

The Princess of Wales, 40, made the sweet comment while speaking with new mothers at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford yesterday.

During her tour of the maternity unit, the mother-of-three reminisced about her own experience of when Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four, were all newborns.

The Princess of Wales, 40, said during a tour of Royal Surrey County Hospital that it 'felt like yesterday' that four-year-old Prince Louis was a newborn. Pictured at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on June 5

The Princess of Wales made a surprise appearance at Royal Surrey County Hospital's maternity unit yesterday. The mother-of-three stunned in a mustard 220 Karen Millen dress

While holding baby Giles Talbot-Erasus, the Princess told his mother: 'I keep thinking Louis is a baby but he's a big boy now. It just feels like yesterday.'

After admiring Giles' mittens, Kate also said that he reminded her of George.

She added: 'George was so huddled up too, he spent quite a few days like that.'

Speaking with second-time parents Hannah and Luke Culverwell, the Princess heard how their toddler has just bumped in his head in time for their family photographs - which Kate was able to relate to.

Sharing a laugh with the couple, she added: 'They all get them. They just seem to pick up these cuts and bumps, it's part and parcel of it.'

The Princess of Wales met new mum Szilvia Novak whose daughter Bianca was born six weeks premature. Pictured cradling the baby girl in the Special Care Unit

The mother-of-three reminisced about her own experience of when Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four, were all newborns during the engagement. The Wales family pictured on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Color ceremony

Kate Middleton admitted she felt 'pressure' when picking George, Charlotte and Louis' names. The Wales family pictured arriving at Lambrook School in Berkshire on September 8, 2022.

Afterwards, the mother-of-three also met new mum Szilvia Novak whose daughter Bianca was born six weeks premature.

As the pair spoke in the hospital's Special Care unit, Szilvia asked the Princess if she would like to hold her daughter - to which Kate replied: 'Am I allowed to?'

Cradling the baby girl in her arms, the Princess said: 'She's very sweet.'

Szilvia said afterwards: '[Kate] was lovely to speak to. I was really impressed. You don't feel like you have classes between you. It's really nice.'

During the royal engagement, Kate met with the ward's deputy director of midwifery Amy Stubbs and spoke about how she and Prince William had chosen names for their children.

Speaking to People magazine, Amy explained: '[Kate] said they were their favorite names and that obviously the world was waiting for them to name their children  and that felt like quite a big pressure!'
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The Prince and Princess of Wales took up position on the other side of the bar for a spirited cocktail-making race at an outdoor market in Belfast city centre during a surprise visit to Northern Ireland.

Prince William and Kate, both 40, laughed during the duel to be the quickest to make the potent drink, known asn an Up the Lagan in a Bubble, before the heir to the throne was declared the winner. The couple were on a visit to Trademarket, the second stop of their one-day trip.

The drink was a reference to the river that flows through Belfast and local slang for I wasnt born yesterday.

It was based on ingredients from one of the collectives vendors, Brew & Yaki, and included gin, fruit tea cordial, sherry, a Japanese plum-liqueur called umeshu and lime and passionfruit bobas  tapioca starch pearls found in Taiwanese bubble tea.

Kate looked perfectly polished in a 295 Winser London silk blouse and matching blue coat, thought to be from Alexander McQueen, teamed with elegant navy trousers, recycled 85 Missoma hoop earrings and a DeMellier London 295 handbag.

Earlier today, the prince and princess visited PIPS Charity, which provides support to individuals who are considering, or who have at some point considered, ending their own lives.

For their final engagement, the couple visited youth charity Carrick Connect, which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties, in the town of Carrickfergus in Co Antrim.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were given the titles of Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II upon their marriage in 2011.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have taken up position on the other side of the bar for a spirited cocktail-making race at an outdoor market in Belfast city centre during a surprise visit to Northern Ireland

For their final engagement, the couple visited youth charity Carrick Connect, which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties, in the town of Carrickfergus in Co Antrim. Pictured, Kate making 'no bake energy bites' at the youth charity

The Princess of Wales pictured holding a baby when at Carrick Connect, a youth charity based in Carrickfergus

Giggling: Mother-of-three Kate shares a laugh with a volunteer as she joins Prince William in Belfast, Northern Ireland, today

Colour coordination: The Prince and Princess of Wales opted for matching blue ensembles when arriving in Belfast, Northern Ireland, today for a surprise one-day visit

The prince and princess visited Trademarket on the second stop of their one-day day trip to Northern Ireland, where they met with local entrepreneur, Will Neill, and heard about his aim to showcase new businesses while also increasing footfall in a less visited area of the city centre.

Having opened its doors to the public in July, Trademarket offers a place for different members of the community to come together to enjoy artisan food, drinks and products from local, independent vendors.

The royal couple also met with representatives from Kainos, a Belfast-based software company who came on board and provided the site for the market at a peppercorn rent.

William and Kate heard about the measures that have been put in place to ensure the site is both ethically and environmentally sustainable, including the removal of single use plastics and a commitment to paying staff a real living wage.

Making a friend! The Princess of Wales beamed into the face of one little boy as she greeted royal fans during a visit to Northern Ireland today

The royal mother-of-three reached out to shake hands with a number of royal fans today, including babies (left) and school children (right)

The Princess of Wales looked perfectly polished in a 295 Winser London silk blouse and matching blue coat, thought to be from Alexander McQueen, teamed with elegant navy trousers, recycled 85 Missoma hoop earrings and a DeMellier London 295 handbag (pictured)

Smile Kate! The Princess of Wales leaned into one group of young men as they snapped a selfie with her during the walkabout earlier

The royal mother-of-three showed off her maternal skills as she chatted with some schoolchildren who were watching the walkabout take place

Once outside, Kate was greeted by a crowd of royal fans who beamed at her while snapping pictures of the new Princess of Wales (left and right)

Prince William and Kate leant down as they chatted with crowds of royals, and appeared to be in high spirits as they spoke to attendees at the engagement

Making fluffy friends! Prince William, who has one dog himself, bent low to the ground as he greeted a number of dogs during the walkabout

The couple were greeted by royal fans waving Union Flags as they did a brief walkabout outside Carrick Connect, a youth charity based in Carrickfergus which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties

The Princess of Wales appeared in good spirits during the walkabout today, where she wore a tonal blue outfit for the occasion (left and right)

Selfie time! Prince William held the phone for one man as they posed for a photograph with one another while beaming at the camera

Say cheese! The royal fan appeared to be overwhelmed with excitement as he posed for a selfie with Prince William during the visit this afternoon (left and right)

Meanwhile at one stage she showed off her maternal side as she cradled a young baby in her arms as she visited Northern Ireland

Racing: Prince William and Kate, both 40, laughed during the duel to be the quickest to make the potent drink, before the heir to the throne was declared the winner

Cheers! The Prince and Princess of Wales pictured following their cocktail-making race at the Trademarket in Belfast

The prince (pictured) and princess visited Trademarket on the second stop of their one-day day trip to Northern Ireland, where they met with local entrepreneur, Will Neill, and heard about his aim to showcase new businesses while also increasing footfall in a less visited area of the city centre

Giving it a try! The Prince and Princess of Wales tasting drinks after a cocktail-making competition

The Princess of Wales (pictured left) makes a cocktail during her second engagement in Northern Ireland today

The Prince and Princess of Wales were given the titles of Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II upon their marriage in 2011. Pictured, Kate making 'no bake energy bites' at the youth charity

The couple were animated as they visited an outdoor market during their visit to Northern Ireland this afternoon (left and right)

Meanwhile, when visiting PIPS earlier today, Lord mayor Tina Black and Sinn Fein MP for the constituency John Finucane were among those who welcomed the royal couple on arrival.

PIPS was founded in 2003 following the loss of 14 young people to suicide in Belfast over a short period of time the previous year. Compelled to act, stakeholders from across the city came together to try to tackle the issue.

Inside, 12-year-old Elyse Quinn, the daughter of the charity's executive director Renee Quinn, presented the princess with a bouquet of flowers.

During their visit, William and Kate spoke with staff about their work helping people at risk of suicide and self-harm.

The charity also arranged for them to take part in an art therapy session - painting pumpkins - with some vulnerable children who have been supported by PIPS.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation has seen a significant rise in those reaching out for help. That includes an increase of more than 500% among young people.

Beaming: The smartly-dressed Princess of Wales was all smiles upon her arrival at the charity in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Warm welcome: Upon their arrival at PIPS charity, 12-year-old Elyse Quinn, the daughter of the charity's executive director Renee Quinn, presented the princess with a bouquet of flowers (pictured)

The royal couple speak with staff and counsellors during their visit to the PIPS (Public Initiative for Prevention of Suicide and Self Harm) charity

The Prince and Princess of Wales speak with Erin Quinn, aged 24, about her personal challenges and how PIPS is supporting her to overcome these

The Princess of Wales (pictured with Prince William) opted to keep her hair down for her outing today, and added a smattering of stylish makeup to her features

Having a good time! The beaming Princess of Wales speaks to a volunteer during her visit today

Kate smiled as she joined a group of volunteer counsellors packing the charity's 'Little Boxes of Hope' which are given to children following their time with the charity to assist their ongoing recovery during her visit to the PIPS (Public Initiative for Prevention of Suicide and Self Harm) charity

At the close of their visit, the prince and princess were invited to join a group of volunteer counsellors in packing up the charity's Little Boxes of Hope.

The support packages are given to children following their time with PIPS to assist their ongoing recovery and ensure that their parents and guardians feel better equipped to cope.

The final visit of the day was to the town of Carrickfergus in Co Antrim.

The royal couple were greeted by cheering crowds who had lined the streets as they arrived to visit youth charity Carrick Connect which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties.

Radiant: Looking typically stylish, the Princess of Wales opted for an elegant 295 Winser London silk blouse

Walkabout: The Prince and Princess of Wales speak to members of the public following a visit to PIPS

The Prince of Wales shakes hands with Dr Philip McGarry, Deputy Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast, as he and the Princess of Wales leave following a visit to PIPS

The Prince and Princess of Wales talking to Lord Mayor of Belfast Tina Black (pictured right) during a visit to PIPS today

Ready to start! The Prince and Princess of Wales arrived in Belfast today for a surprise trip as they visited a suicide prevention charity

Elegant: Mother-of-three Kate looked perfectly polished in a blue coat, teamed with navy trousers, recycled 85 Missoma hoop earrings and a DeMellier London 295 handbag
She finished off her look with tan espadrille wedges and silver leaf earrings

The mother-of-two opted for a chic 136 maxi dress from British brand ME + EM

The Countess of Wessex looked radiant in a blue maxi shirt dress as she delivered a speech on female empowerment during her tour of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The wife of Prince Edward, 57, opted for a 136 frock from British brand ME + EM as she braved the 30C heat on the second day of the couple's royal tour.

The mother-of-two finished off her ensemble with a pair of elegant silver leaf earrings and some tan espadrille wedges.

Sophie Wessex, 57, stunned in a 136 Me + Em blue dress on the second day of her African tour

The Countess of Wessex attended a reception at the British High Commissioner's Residence in Kinshasa where she joined campaigners working across the country to uphold and protect women's rights

The Countess of Wessex alongside Special Advisor to the President on Youth, Gender and Violence Against Women Chantal Mulop during a reception to discuss the empowerment of women and girls at the British High Commissioner's Residence in Kinshasa

The Countess of Wessex with Minister for Justice Rose Mutombo (right) and other Congolese ministers at a roundtable meeting to discuss the empowerment of women and girls at the British High Commissioner's Residence in Kinshasa

Sophie kicked off the day with a meeting with ministers regarding the urgent need to address conflict related sexual violence - which has been the main focus of the Countess' engagements so far.

The mother-of-two then attended a reception at the British High Commissioner's Residence in Kinshasa where she joined campaigners working across the country to uphold and protect women's rights.

Sophie's keynote speech follows her meeting with NGOs in Rwanda yesterday who are working tirelessly to 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.

Sophie was in high spirits as she spoke with First Lady Denise during the visit in the Democratic Republic of Congo today

The royal mother-of-two appeared overwhelmed as she was presented with a collection of gifts by the First Lady

The Countess could be seen chatting with the First Lady during the meeting this afternoon on her trip abroad

Later, she went on to meet with the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi at the Cite De L'Union Africaine in Kinshasa

The Countess meets with President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi alongside Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Countess of Wessex, alongside Lord Ahmad (right) meets the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi a

The Countess shook hands with President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi

Later, she went on to meet with the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi at the Cite De L'Union Africaine in Kinshasa.

The Countess changed her ensemb;le Yesterday, the Countess was in Rwanda where she paid her respects to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi people.

Sophie was visibly emotional as she looked at photographs and human remains of victims at the nation's Kigali Genocide Memorial.

As well as laying a wreath of white roses, the Countess also left a touching message to mark the visit.

It read: ''A very moving and fitting tribute to those who were lost, but with hope for the future.'

In 1994 hundreds of thousands of members of the Tutsi community were slaughtered in Rwanda by ethnic Hutu extremists.
A woman who hasn't cut her nails in 22 years and has broken a record for having the longest nails in the world has detailed the downsides of living with the massive talons - which measure a whopping 42-feet collectively and need 15-20 bottles of nail polish to paint.

Diana Armstrong, 64, from Minnesota, who was entered into the Guinness World Record book for her long nails in August, admitted that she struggles with every day activities like zipping up her pants, opening cans, and even using the bathroom - since she said they often don't fit in the stalls of public restrooms.

The record breaker last cut her nails in 1997, but when her daughter tragically died from an asthma attack in her sleep at age 16, she vowed to never trim them again.

A woman who hasn't cut her nails in 22 years and has broken a record for having the longest nails in the world has detailed the downsides of living with the massive talons

Diana Armstrong, 64, said she struggles with activities like zipping up pants, opening cans, and using the bathroom - since they often don't fit in the stalls of public restrooms

The record breaker, from Minnesota, last cut her nails in 1997, but when her daughter tragically died from an asthma attack at age 16, she vowed to never trim them again

The teen, named Latisha, would manicure Diana's nails every weekend, so after her sudden loss, the grieving mother couldn't bring herself to let anyone else take care of them.

The teen (pictured) would manicure Diana's nails every weekend, so after her sudden loss, the grieving mother couldn't bring herself to let anyone else take care of them

'She was the only one who did my nails. She polished them and filed them for me,' she told Guinness World Records.

Diana even decided to quit her job so she could focus on growing her fingernails. Now, they measure 42-feet-10-inches collectively, which is about the size of a school bus, with her longest nail (her right thumb) reaching a shocking four-feet-six-inches.

And while she loves her long nails, having them comes with some drawbacks - like struggling to pick things up or opening the refrigerator door.

'If I have to pick up money off the floor, I can pick up bills, but if I drop change on the floor, that will just stay down there,' she told Guinness, adding that she often uses her feet to grab things.

She has also given up on driving since her nails can't fit in her car, and said she needs help closing or opening zippers.

Diana even decided to quit her job so she could focus on growing her fingernails. Now, her nails measure a whopping 42-feet collectively - the size of a school bus

She told Guinness that it takes between four to five hours to paint them, and uses 15-20 bottles of nail polish

And while she loves her long nails, having them comes with some drawbacks - like struggling to pick things up or opening the refrigerator door

She said she has also given up on driving since her nails can't fit in her car, has trouble using public restrooms, needs help closing or opening zippers, and has to use a knife to open a can

'I can pop open a can of soda but I need a knife. I drove a car but had to stick my hand out the window, so I dont drive anymore,' she said in an interview with Daily Star.

Diana is used to getting stares when out in public, and said people often ask her if they can take pictures of her impressive nails

'And in public restrooms, I need to use the biggest stall  my nails are usually longer than the regular-sized stalls.'

She told Guinness that it takes between four to five hours to paint them, and uses 15-20 bottles of nail polish. She also needs to enlist a woodwork tool when it comes time to file them.

Because of the lengthy process, she doesn't get them done at a salon, so her grandchildren have to step in and help.

'I havent been to a nail salon in about 22 years. When they see me coming, theyd be like, "Oh no."' she joked.

And while her children didn't understand her decision to grow them out at first, they soon became accepting of her long nails.

'When she told us the back story, it kind of changed my feelings towards it,' Diana's daughter, Rania, explained.

And while she used to be self-conscious about it, she now owns her interesting feature and is happy with any attention she gets

Diana insisted that she's never getting rid of her nails. She concluded to Daily Star: 'My nails are a part of me. I cant ever imagine cutting them off'

'The story behind her record is as fascinating as it is heartbreaking,' Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday said in a statement

'Because just as much as she missed my sister, I missed her too. So, if thats her way of holding on to her, then I accept.'

Diana added: 'I think she [Latisha] would be proud of me because shes the last one who did my nails. Thats who I think of when I grow my nails, is my daughter.'

Diana is used to getting stares when out in public, and said people often ask her if they can take pictures of her impressive nails.

And while she used to be self-conscious about it, she now owns her interesting feature and is happy with any attention she gets.

'The story behind her record is as fascinating as it is heartbreaking, and Diana's determination to honor her daughter's legacy in her unique way is inspiring,' Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday said in a statement.

'Family means everything for Diana, and she's lucky to have gathered around her a wonderful support network... which is what you need when each of your fingernails is longer than a ski pole.'

Texas woman Ayanna Williams used to hold the world record, but decided to cut her nails off last year after growing them out for three decades.

But Diana insisted she's never getting rid of hers. She concluded to Daily Star: 'My nails are a part of me. I cant ever imagine cutting them off.'
NE China city boosts fresh corn industry with advanced machinery, techniques

Xinhua) 11:31, October 06, 2022

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. 

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Bianji)
Peter Moller, co-founder of the Danish Korean Rights Group pauses during an interview with The Korea Times at the newspaper's office in Seoul, Sept. 30. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul









By Lee Hyo-jin







Peter Moller, 48, who was adopted to Denmark from South Korea in 1974, reached out to Korean adoption agency Holt International for the first time in 2011 to search for his roots.







Holt initially told the Danish adoptee that he was born in Seoul. But in subsequent letters, the adoption agency said he was actually born in Daejeon. Moller was then told that his biological mother gave birth to him in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province on March 16, 1974, which happened to be the same day she brought him to the adoption agency in Seoul.







"How is this possible?" Moller thought. "What is the possibility that a woman who just gave birth to a child could travel across the country to give away the infant?"







Speculating that his adoption documents could have been falsified, he began digging for the truth. Moller soon found out that he was not alone.







Dozens of Danes who had been adopted from Korea in the 1970s and 1980s were having similar speculations that their documents had been riddled with misinformation and fabrications.







In 2021, these adoptees established the Danish Korean Rights Group (DKRG) to demand that Korean authorities launch formal investigations into corrupt practices by two Seoul-based adoption agencies which sent children to Demark  Holt and the Korea Social Services (KSS)







"In the beginning, they (adoption agencies) say that you were abandoned and they have no knowledge of a family. But if you keep on pressuring them for more information, they actually have quite detailed information about family, age, occupations, siblings and so on," Moller, an attorney and co-founder of DKRG said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.







"For instance, you were told that you were found in the streets and handed over to the police, but suddenly they give you another story that your biological mother was very young and unwed, so she had to give you away." he said. "But every time the information changes, it changes a little bit of your identity."







The KSS has admitted to the fabrication of documents in some cases, he said, showing a letter sent by the agency to a Danish adoptee which stated, "In fact, it (the adoption file) was made up just for the adoption procedures."



A letter sent from the Korea Social Services to Danish adoptee Louise Kwang reads that her adoption file was made just for the adoption procedures. Courtesy of the Danish Korean Rights Group




The mother-of-three gently rocked the baby and asked his mum how old he was

Princess of Wales, 40, met baby Isaac during youth charity tour this afternoon

The Princess of Wales tenderly cradled a two-month-old baby during a visit to a youth charity in Northern Ireland this afternoon, a day after cuddling a baby in Surrey.

Kate, 40, was taken on a tour around Carrick Connect just outside Belfast with Prince William when she met two-month-old baby Isaac.

In a heartwarming video posted by the Daily Mail's Royal Editor Rebecca English on Twitter, the mother-of-three is seen cooing over the little one.

As well as gently rocking him in her arms, Kate asked his mother - who was standing to the side - how old Isaac was and beamed lovingly down at him.

The Princess of Wales, 40, was touring youth charity Carrick Connect in Carrickfergus with Prince William when she met two-month-old baby Isaac

The Princess of Wales tenderly cradled premature baby Bianca at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guilford yesterday

The sweet moment follows the Princess' visit to a maternity ward at Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford yesterday - where she cuddled premature baby Bianca Novak.

Today's heartwarming footage delighted royal fans, who were quick to praise the Princess' "natural way" with children.

One user replied: 'The Princess of Wales is not just the children's princess, she's THE baby Princess. Every baby loves her!'

Another added: 'I love seeing the Princess of Wales with babies and children.

'She has such a natural way with them.'

A third replied: 'Catherine loves babies!'

Meanwhile, a fourth wrote: 'Oh thats two babies in two days!'

The Princess of Wales shared a laugh with Isaac's mum and asked how old he was.

Kate looked perfectly polished in a 295 Winser London silk blouse and matching blue coat, thought to be from Alexander McQueen, as she tenderly cradled Isaac

Yesterday the Princess paid a surprise visit to the maternity ward at Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford - where she met new mum Szilvia Novak and her daughter Bianca.

As the pair spoke in the hospital's Special Care unit, Szilvia asked the Princess if she would like to hold her premature daughter - to which Kate replied: 'Am I allowed to?'

Cradling the baby girl in her arms, the Princess said: 'She's very sweet.'

Szilvia said afterwards: '[Kate] was lovely to speak to. I was really impressed. You don't feel like you have classes between you. It's really nice.'

The Prince and Princess of Wales pictured arriving for a visit to Carrick Connect, a youth charity based in Carrickfergus which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties, as part of a visit to Northern Ireland

During the royal engagement, Kate met with the ward's deputy director of midwifery Amy Stubbs and spoke about how she and Prince William had chosen names for their children.

Speaking to People magazine, Amy explained: '[Kate] said they were their favorite names and that obviously the world was waiting for them to name their children  and that felt like quite a big pressure!'
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It's been a dramatic few days for the Danish Royal Family - after Queen Margarethe II of Denmark announced last week that she would be removing princely titles from four of her grandchildren.

The decision saw a bitter royal row breakout, with her youngest son Prince Joachim claiming his children, Prince Nikolai, 23, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10, were upset after having their 'identities removed'.

As of January 1 2023, they will become Counts and Countesses, and will be known as Their Excellencies, rather than His or Her Royal Highness.

Amid the scandal, Joachim, 53, and his second wife Princess Marie, 46, admitted their relationship with his older brother Crown Prince Frederik, 54, and his sister-in-law Crown Princess Mary, 50, is 'complicated'.

And now, one Spanish magazine has claimed the real reason behind the rift is because Joachim 'was deeply in love with his sister-in-law Mary', according to Vanitatis Elconfidencial.

A photograph was even published by Swedish womans weekly magazine 'Svensk Damtidning', allegedly showing Joachim trying to kiss Mary at a gala party of the Royal Guard Regiment.

Prince Joachim greets Princess Mary at the state opening of the Danish Parliament. Spanish magazine Vaniatis Elconfidencial has reported Joachim had a 'crush' on Mary

Prince Joachim greets his sister-in-law Princess Mary in Copenhagen, March 2014, during a Turkish state visit

The Spanish magazine recalled: 'With obvious signs of drunkenness, it seems that the youngest son of Queen Margarethe tried to stamp his lips on his sister-in-law's mouth, that she got out of the way as she could and with an unperturbed smile, while Marie witnessed the embarrassing moment.'

It also suggested that shortly after Frederik and Mary's wedding in 2004, Danish media began to speculate that Joachim 'was deeply in love with his sister-in-law'.

'In fact, it didn't help that in 2007 he announced his engagement to a French girl (Princess Marie) with the same name and a striking physical resemblance,' wrote the magazine.

But with such strong rumours about the prince's crush on Mary, the magazine claims Margarethe called 'them to order' and 'started a campaign to show that there were no problems between the two women,' including 'unscheduled outings' together.

MailOnline has contacted the Danish Royal Household for comment.

In 2009, Crown Princess Mary and Prince Frederik warmly greeted one another with a kiss on each cheek during an outing in Denmark

It's been a dramatic week for the Danish Royal Family - after Queen Margarethe II of Denmark announced last week that she would be removing princely titles from four of her grandchildren. Pictured, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim, Princess Mary and Prince Frederik in 2019

The Danish Royal Family tree. Prince Joachim's children Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, will all be losing their titles on January 1 2023

The Danish Royal Family tree. Prince Joachim's children Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, will all be losing their titles on January 1 2023

Queen Margrethe of Denmark and her eldest son refused to answer questions regarding the fallout of last week's bombshell royal titles as they arrived at the state opening of parliament on Tuesday

Queen Margrethe (pictured in blue) made the decision to strip princely titles from Prince Nikolai (left), Prince Felix (second from left), Prince Henrik (right) and Princess Athena (second from right). Also pictured: Prince Joachim and Princess Marie

On Tuesday, Queen Margrethe and her eldest son refused to answer questions regarding the fallout of last week's bombshell royal titles as they arrived at the state opening of parliament.

Margrethe, 82, was joined by Crown Prince Frederick and his wife Princess Mary at the opening of the Folketing, in Copenhagen.

The assembled press asked a flurry of questions to all three royals on their arrival but the trio 'chose with big smiles to turn their backs to the press and talk among themselves before they entered Christiansborg', the seat of the Danish parliament, according to local news outlet BT.

The royals put on an upbeat display and smiled to each other as they took their seats ahead of the opening. Margrethe opted for a vibrant mint dress and matching hat, while Australian-born Mary looked more sombre in grey.

It comes hours after Queen Margrethe issued a public apology for her decision to strip four of her grandchildren - the sons and daughters of her youngest son, Prince Joachim - of their royal titles.

She said she was sorry for hurting her family with the 'difficult decision' but insisted it was the right choice.

And according to Danish royal commentators, the public statement is 'completely unusual' and shows how serious the conflict within the family has become.

They added the Queen likely fears coming across as an 'ice queen', following several emotive public statements from Joachim in which he spoke of how his children had been 'harmed' by their grandmother's decision.

A bitter royal row within the household has unfolded in recent days after Queen Margrethe, 82, announced she would be removing princely titles from Joachim's children, Prince Nikolai, 23, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10. Pictured, Marie, Joachim, Mary and Frederik on 11 September 2022 in Denmark

As of January 1, Prince Nikolai, 23, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10, will become Counts and Countesses, and will be known as Their Excellencies, it was announced on Wednesday. Pictured, the children with Prince Joachim and Princess Marie on September 11, 2022

Speaking to Danish publication Ekstra Bladet, royal house expert Lars Hovbakke Srensen said: 'It is a completely unusual situation, it is historic, and it shows something about the seriousness that the Queen feels called to make such a personal announcement in a press release.

'It is quite unusual and she has never done this before. It shows that there is a huge conflict.'

Mr Srensen added the Queen's statement was a way of 'trying to close this conflict' and draw a line under it, following several days of turbulence between the monarch and her youngest son.

Last Thursday Prince Joachim told Ekstra Bladet his children had been 'hurt' by their grandmother's decision to remove their princely titles and make them counts and countesses, adding he had only had a few days to break the news to them before it was announced publicly.

However, according to Mr Srensen: 'You cannot have members or former members of the royal house constantly speaking in the press about the Queen's decision and discussing back and forth with each other in full public view.'

In a statement released online, the Queen said she had made the decision as 'a mother, grandmother and monarch' and 'no one should doubt' her family are 'her great pride and joy'

He added Queen Margrethe 'had to say something' following Prince Joachim's public comments.

In a statement, the monarch admitted she had 'underestimated' the impact of her actions but said it was 'a long time coming' and it had been made as 'a Queen, mother and grandmother.'

Another royal expert, Jacob Heinel Jensen, agreed the Queen felt 'compelled' to issue a public statement about the reported animosity and told B.T. the Queen's statement reflected the 'crazy situation' the Danish Royal Household finds itself in.

He added it is likely she did not want to make a public apology about her decision, but that Prince Joachim's public comments left her with no choice but to address the accusations.

Mr Heinel Jensen said: 'Queen Margrethe has felt compelled to [issue a statement], and it is because the Royal House is of course afraid that she will appear like an ice queen, which she has become in the past week. This is of course an attempt to say that she is not, she also feels it and is upset about the situation.'

Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark (pictured) have admitted their relationship with Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary is 'complicated' - and that they still haven't heard from Margrethe II after she stripped four of her grandchildren of their royal titles

Front: Queen Margrethe, Middle Row (left to right): Prince Vincent, Princess Josephine, Princess Athena, Prince Henrik. Back row (left to right): Princess Benedikte, Princess Isabella, Crown Princess Mary, Crown Prince Frederik, Prince Christian, Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, Prince Felix and Prince Nikolai in a portrait celebrating Queen Margrethe's Golden Jubilee

He added he thought the Queen's decision was the right one - although he was unsure if it would calm Prince Joachim's strong feelings about his mother's decision.

The Queen's statement read: 'In recent days, there have been strong reactions to my decision on the future use of titles for Prince Joachim's four children. It obviously affects me.

'My decision has been a long time coming. With my 50 years on the throne, it is natural both to look back and to look forward.

'It is my duty and my wish as Queen to ensure that the monarchy continues to shape itself in keeping with the times.

'It sometimes requires difficult decisions to be made, and it will always be difficult to find the right moment.

'Carrying a royal title entails a number of obligations and duties, which will in future be the responsibility of fewer members of the royal family.

'This adaptation, which I see as a necessary safeguard for the future of the monarchy, I want to make in my time.'

Prince Joachim of Denmark (pictured) once again hit out at his mother Queen Margrethe II's decision to strip his four children of their royal titles

Speaking in Copenhagen (pictured) Crown Princess Mary of Denmark defended her mother-in-law Queen Margrethe's decision to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, and suggested her own children's positions might not be secure

She continued: 'I have made my decision as Queen, mother and grandmother, but as a mother and grandmother I have underestimated how much my youngest son and his family feel affected. It makes a big impression, and I'm sorry for that.

'No one should be in doubt that my children, children-in-law and grandchildren are my great joy and pride.

'I now hope that we as a family can find the peace to find our way through this situation ourselves.' She signed off the note; 'MARGRETHE R.'

According to Mr Srensen, the incredibly personal statement, which includes the Queen's admission she had 'underestimated' how seriously her grandchildren would be affected by the change, shows how serious the conflict within the family is.

Revealed: The Danish Royal Family's VERY glamorous palaces It's perhaps no surprise that a European Royal Family enjoys several castles and palaces - however for the Danish household, many of the properties are owned by the state, and run by the Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties. This includes the main residence of Amalienborg, the family's spring home of Fredensborg Palace, their summer house of Grasten Palace and the hunting lodge Eremitageslottet . The Danish Queen's personal properties include Marselisborg Castle, Chateau de Caix in France, and the royal hunting lodge in Jutland at Trend. Prince Joachim lives with his second wife in Paris - but when he returns home to Denmark it is sometimes to the Schackenborg Castle in southern Jutland. The estate was the prince's private residence from 1993 to 2014, before he sold the property. But since Prince Joachim and Princess Marie are on the board of the Schackenborg Castle Foundation, they occasionally return to live there for short periods of time. Amalienborg, the Danish household's main residence, pictured The family's spring home of Fredensborg Palace, pictured The Danish Queen's personal properties include Marselisborg Castle, pictured The Royal Danish family's summer residence of Grasten Slot, pictured Advertisement

The statement was released after it emerged Prince Frederik has spent the last week in St Tropez taking part in a sailing competition - while his brother expressed his sadness that his children were to be stripped of their titles.

Prince Frederik joined friends to defend the prestigious BMW Trophy, which they also won in 2021.

Her&Nu reported the royal arrived in the exclusive St. Tropez last weekend to take part in the Les Voiles Saint Tropez race with the TP52 boat Nanoq.

In a photograph from the event which was taken on Friday, the royal can be seen posing on a boat topless in the sunshine.

The Crown Prince appeared to recline on the boat as he chatted with friends during his seven day visit to the country last week.

The news comes after Frederik's brother Joachim and his second wife Marie admitted their relationship is 'complicated'.

Speaking to B.T. they also said Queen Margrethe has 'unfortunately not' tried to speak to them, with Joachim adding: 'It's also family. Or whatever we want to call it.'

During the interview, B.T reported that a French woman approached the royal couple and told them their children will 'always be princes and princesses to her', apparently leaving Marie and Joachim in tears.

Elsewhere, Marie, the mother of Joachim's two youngest children, told the Danish news outlet that her daughter Athena is being bullied at school after the decision was publicly announced earlier this week.

'They come and say (to Athena): Is it you who is no longer a princess?,' she said, adding that her children were put under the public spotlight and so she feels the need to defend them.

Last week, Joachim hit out at his mother Margrethe's decision, saying it 'punished' his children, as well as claiming he had only been told the news five days before it was made public - despite the Royal Household insisting the move 'has been a long time coming'.

Meanwhile, Princess Mary came out in public support of her mother-in-law's move while speaking in an interview with Ekstra Bladet in Copenhagen on Friday, saying that while 'change can be extremely difficult and can really hurt... this does not mean that the decision is not the right one'.

The oldest son of Australian-born Princess Mary, 50, and Frederik is Prince Christian, 16, who is second-in-line to the throne.

Frederick and Mary's four children - Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, 11 - remain unaffected by the monarch's decision as they are direct descendants of the future King.

However Princess Mary suggested that might not always be the case, saying they will 'also look at [their] children's titles when the time comes'.

Speaking about the monarch's intention to slim down the Danish royal family, Joachim said: 'The reality must still be: whether you modernize or slim down, it must be done in a proper way. It's about children. Orderliness and children. It is a very heavy matter.'

Commenting on Princess Mary's point that her children may too lose titles in the future, Joachim said: 'I don't know how they feel if they have to think it through. Now is preparation time. We didn't have that.'

Last week, commenting on his children's reaction to the move to B.T., Joachim said his children 'don't know which leg to stand on as their identity is removed' - and questioned 'why must they be punished in that way?'.

The prince said: 'I can say that my children are sad. My kids don't know which leg to stand on. What they should believe. Why should their identity be removed? Why must they be punished in that way?'

'I don't want to engage in speculation and mudslinging,' said Joachim. 'I am telling the truth... I was given five days notice... I was given five days' notice of this. To tell my children that on New Year's their identity will be taken from them.'

He added that in May, he was presented with a plan that his 'children's identity should be taken from them when each of them turned 25', to which he asked 'to be allowed to come back with my proposal'.

But he said he was given just five days notice that the decision was to be accelerated, adding: 'I am so sorry for my children. I just demand the truth.'

Speaking at a function at the National Museum in Copenhagen on Wednesday night, pictured, Margrethe said: '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'

Prince Nikolai said that he is sad, shocked and confused after his royal title was stripped 'quickly'. Pictured modelling during the Dior Pre-Fall 2019 Men's Collection show on November 30, 2018 in Tokyo

His ex-wife, Countess Alexandra, the mother of his two eldest children, added in a statement to Danish magazine Se og Hr: 'This comes like a bolt from the blue. The children feel ostracized. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them.'

Her spokesperson Helle von Wildenrath Lvgreen told another news organisation that Joachim learned of his children's fate via an aide.

Queen Margrethe spoke neither to her sons nor her grandchildren, it is claimed.

Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix's mother says she's 'in shock' by move to strip them of their royal titles Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg - Prince Joachim's ex-wife and mother to Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix - said she is 'in shock' over Queen Margrethe II of Denmark's decision to strip her sons of their royal titles. Nikolai, 23, and Felix, 20, along with their younger siblings Prince Henri, 13, and Princess Athen, 10, from their father's second marriage, will all have their titles of prince and princess removed from January 1 2023, the palace announced yesterday. 'We are all confused by the decision. We are saddened and in shock,' Alexandra said in a statement from her press advisor Helle von Wildenrath Lvgreen, reported Danish magazine Se og Hr. The statement continued: 'This comes like a bolt from the blue. The children feel ostracised. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them.' Earlier this month, Alexandra attended Queen Margrethe's Golden Jubilee celebrations at the Danish Royal Theatre in Copenhagen. Prince Joachim married his second wife Princess Marie in 2008, and they later welcomed Prince Henrik and Princess Athena Advertisement

'The children have received the message that they are losing their titles, delivered by their father, just as Countess Alexandra was told by Prince Joachim,' the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, speaking about the decision last Wednesday, Queen Margrethe said: '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.'

And the Royal Household released another statement, saying: '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 Queen's wish to future-proof the Royal Household will be respected.'

Prince Nikolai, a model, also spoke out last week, telling Ekstra Bladet: 'My whole family and I are of course very sad. We are, as my parents have also stated, in shock at this decision and at how quickly it has actually gone.

'I am very confused as to why it has to happen like this,' he told reporters from outside the Copenhagen apartment where he lives with his girlfriend.

Countess Alexandra, Prince Joachim's ex-wife and mother to Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix, is also 'very sad' and 'shocked' about the decision.

'She can't believe why and why now, because there's no good reason,' Helle von Wildenrath Lvgreen, press secretary to Countess Alexandra told CNN.

'They would lose their titles anyway when they get married one day. Her sons are young men so maybe they might get married in the near future so why shouldn't it wait until that day so that the titles would disappear on a happy day?'

Under the agreement, Nikolai, Felix, Henrik, and Athena will be known as either His Excellency Count of Monpezat or Her Excellency Countess of Monpezat from January 1, 2023.

However they will maintain their positions in the order of succession.

They are currently seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth, but would move down if any of Crown Prince Frederick's children were to have children.

Margrethe, who is the world's longest serving queen and celebrates her Golden Jubilee this year, is affectionately known as 'aunt Daisy' by European royals due to her close personal ties with many reigning monarchs.

She is a first cousin of Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and a second cousin of Norway's King Harald V.

She enjoyed a close relationship with the Queen, a distant cousin, and the Duke of Edinburgh, and shared deeply personal tributes following their deaths. She was joined by her son Crown Prince Frederick at the Queen's funeral earlier this month.

The Queen seemingly enjoys a close relationship with both sons and all eight of her grandchildren, and makes regular appearances with both families. However there is now said to be an 'ice-cold air' between the Queen and her grandchildren.

Countess Alexandra's press secretary questioned why the change could not have waited until their wedding day, when her sons would 'lose their titles anyway'. Pictured, Alexandra Countess Of Frederiksborg

The move is said to have driven a wedge between Margrethe and her four grandchildren. Pictured, the Queen (centre) with sons Joachim (left) and Crown Prince Frederick (right). Also pictured: Crown Prince Frederick's wife, Crown Princess Mary (right) and son Prince Christian (in his lap) and Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix (left) who will be affected by the change

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

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

'There is ice-cold air between Queen Margrethe and her grandchildren after she decided that they will lose their titles as prince and princess from the New Year,' leading Danish publication Ekstra Bladet reported.

'The news, which has crushed both the four children and their parents, was not delivered by the queen herself.

'They have not been called to Amalienborg for a cold coke and an explanation as to why they must henceforth be addressed as counts and countesses. Not even that far.'

Out of a title: The four grandchildren who will no longer be TRHs Nikolai of Denmark, 23: The Copenhagen Business School student and model regularly tops lists of the world's most eligible bachelors. He lives in Denmark but has jetted around the world to walk for designers in Paris and London. Nikolai has also appeared on the cover of Vogue Scandinavia. Felix of Denmark, 20: Following in his brother's footsteps, Prince Felix has also had success as a model and has starred in an advertising campaign for Georg Jensen. He had a short stint at the Royal Danish Military Academy but quit after two months because it 'wasn't for him'. Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, of Denmark: The youngest of Prince Joachim's four children, Henrik and Athena are the product of his second marriage to Princess Marie. They live with their parents in Paris. Advertisement

Queen Margrethe has a well-cushioned allowance, with the Danish Civil List granting her 800,813 a month, or 9.6 million for the year to run the royal household - including staff, properties and administration, according to Business Insider.

Meanwhile, Celebrity Net Worth lists her net worth at around 37million.

Around 183,750 per month is reportedly given to the Queen's children. Crown Prince Frederik receives the largest amount of this money, of which 10 per cent is given to his wife, Princess Mary.

Many of the Danish Royal Family's properties are owned by the state, and run by the Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties.

This includes the main residence of Amalienborg, their spring home of Fredensborg palace, their summer house of Grasten Palace and the hunting lodge Eremitageslottet .

The Danish Queen's personal properties include Marselisborg Castle, Chateau de Caix in France, and the royal hunting lodge in Jutland at Trend.

Prince Joachim lives with his second wife Princess Marie in Paris, where he has been working as a Defense Attache at the Danish Embassy since September 2020 - but when he returns home to Denmark it is sometimes to the Schackenborg Castle in southern Jutland.

The estate was the prince's private residence from 1993 to 2014, before he sold the property.

But since Prince Joachim and Princess Marie are on the board of the Schackenborg Castle Foundation, they occasionally return to live there for short periods of time.

In the summer of 2020, Prince Joachim suffered a stroke while holidaying in France with his family and had to be rushed into hospital for emergency brain surgery.

Prince Joachim's eldest sons, Felix and Nikolai, are Margrethe's eldest grandsons and have embraced a life in the public eye.

The 20-somethings, who both live in Denmark, both enrolled in the National Military Academy but dropped out before completing their studies.

They have enjoyed flourishing careers as models, posing for several advert campaigns and on the cover of magazines.

Both of Margrethe's grandsons turned to modelling in their late teens. Pictured with their grandmother in May 2021

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

Nikolai caught international attention in 2018 when he walked in the Burberry show at London Fashion week, before a front row that included Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Michelle Dockery, Naomi Watts, Zendaya, and Idris Elba.

He is signed to Scoop Models agency in Denmark and has been multiplying his modelling gigs.

He sent royal fans into a frenzy in February when he graced the cover of Vogue Scandinavia.

The 23-year-old oozed sophistication when appearing in the magazine and looked effortlessly stylish in a matching pink Dior jacket and trousers as he posed in front of a number of colourful flowers.

When he is not modelling, Nikolai is studying Business Administration and Service Management at the In 2019, Prince Nikolai began his B education at Copenhagen Business School.

Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark at the State Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Margrethe tested positive for Covid-19 only 24 hours after Queen Elizabeth II's funeral on Monday September 19

Queen Margrethe of Denmark, 82, attended the 'reception of the century' at Buckingham Palace, which was hosted by King Charles and Camilla before Queen Elizabeth II's funeral

Last year he was living in Paris as part of a school exchange, and could see his younger siblings and his dad more easily.

At the end of last year, he started training at the Royal Danish Military Academy to become an Army Lieutenant, but in October it was announced that he'd quit after just two months because it 'wasn't for him'.

Prince Felix chose to make his modelling debut for jeweller Georg Jensen, appearing in pictures and an advert promoting the new Reflect collection of necklaces, earrings and rings.

The royal is further down the line of succession, pursuing his own career path rather than being a 'working royal' was expected choice for Felix even before his grandmother's announcement, and modelling is certainly a popular choice for minor royals across the globe.

While they are growing to be their own person, Felix and Nikolai do attend royal events on occasion.

They both looked very dapper as they attended the celebrations for their grandmother's golden jubilee with their parents in early September.
The royal couple were visiting PIPS, which was founded in 2003 in the city

The Prince of Wales spoke of his shock after hearing that a child as young as four had contemplated taking her own life during a visit to a suicide prevention charity today.

Prince William and Kate Middleton were told of the growing number of young people receiving support from suicide and self-harm prevention counsellors as they visited a charity in Belfast.

PIPS, which was founded in 2003, offers help to young and old dealing with mental health issues across Northern Ireland.

The prince and princess were told that the youngest person it has helped deal with suicidal thoughts was a four-year-old girl while the oldest was a 92-year-old man.

William expressed surprise when he heard that someone so young had thought about ending their life.

'To have that awareness at four years old to do that is really quite shocking,' he said.

The Prince of Wales spoke of his shock after hearing that a child as young as four had contemplated taking her own life during a visit to a suicide prevention charity today

Prince William and Kate Middleton were told of the growing number of young people receiving support from suicide and self-harm prevention counsellors as they visited a charity in Belfast

The princess hailed the work of the charity as inspirational as she talked with volunteer counsellors.

'You're very inspiring,' she said.

During their visit, William and Kate took part in an art therapy session, painting pumpkins, with some vulnerable children who have been supported by PIPS.

They also joined a group of volunteer counsellors in packing up the charity's Little Boxes Of Hope.

During their visit, William and Kate joined a group of volunteer counsellors in packing up the charity's Little Boxes Of Hope

The support packages are given to children following their time with PIPS to assist their ongoing recovery (pictured, left and right, Kate sharing a smile with one volunteer)

During their visit, William and Kate took part in an art therapy session, painting pumpkins, with some vulnerable children who have been supported by PIPS

Mother-of-three Kate has focused on early years support and mental health in her royal career (left and right)

The support packages are given to children following their time with PIPS to assist their ongoing recovery.

The royal couple also spent some time speaking with 24-year-old Erin Quinn, who has sought support from PIPS in the past.

Afterwards Ms Quinn hailed the prince and princess's approach.

She said: 'My experience today was that people actually do listen.

'I was completely shocked because I didn't know that William and Kate were coming here but all my nerves kind of subsided when they came in because they just seemed to be quite normal people.

'And they had a genuine interest in mental health and what PIPS is, what does PIPS do, how does it help people.

The support packages which the couple were building will be given to children following their time with PIPS to assist their ongoing recovery

The Prince of Wales shook hands with Dr Philip McGarry, Deputy Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast, as he and the Princess of Wales leave following a visit to PIPS Suicide Preventio

'I did share with them a little bit of my past experience in mental health and ongoing mental health issues and I just felt they were really engaged, they asked me questions, they wanted to really see inside and what was going on.'

Executive director of the charity Renee Quinn (no relation to Erin Quinn) said the visit meant so much to the charity.

'Today was a fabulous visit, we are absolutely honored and delighted that the Prince and Princess of Wales were able to visit our charity, we're very humbled to have them visit our charity,' she said.

Renee Quinn said the prince and princess had been concerned to hear at the growing need for support services for younger people. 'That was very alarming to them,' she said. 'Unfortunately, it's a trend that we have seen, particularly throughout Covid.

'We always did deal with children clients, but unfortunately we are seeing a lot younger coming through our doors, so much so that we have now got a child and youth counsellor service specifically to deal with the children.

'So, they were fascinated to learn about that service.'

Prince William has long been and advocate for increased support for mental health and runs charity Heads Together with wife Kate.

He has also openly discussed times he's struggled with his own mental health, including a time he helped to save the life of a gravely injured boy while working for the air ambulance and his grief following his mother's death in 1997.

Meanwhile mother-of-three Kate has focused on early years support and mental health in her royal career.
In an interview with Good Morning America, Harold said the surprise went 'great' and was thankful for everyone who assisted him in making it happen

A US Army National Guard officer pulled off the sweetest act when he returned home from deployment in Iraq early and surprised his pregnant wife in the hospital ahead of the birth of their first baby.

Harold Leroy Rahming, from Illinois, surprised his wife, Cara, just one day before the couple welcomed a baby boy, named Harold Leroy Rahming II.

The sweet gesture pulled at the heartstrings of Cara, who expected to deliver their baby alone, as well as the hearts of people everywhere - as a video of the couple reuniting ahead of their baby's arrival has gone viral.

Harold, who is also a doctor, had been stationed in Iraq for three months and his one dream was to be home for their child's birth, so he got to work to make sure that it happened.

Harold Leroy Rahming, A U.S. Army National Guard officer, surprised his wife, Cara, just one day before the couple welcomed their first child

The officer, who was stationed in Iraq for three months, dreamed to come home to see the birth of their child and reunite with his wife

Harold made many phone calls and got to work to make sure he could be with his wife for the birth of their first child

In an interview with Good Morning America, Harold said: 'There were times that I didn't think I was gonna make it.

'I figured I probably could make September 22, that was kind of the plan, to be in the hospital by the time the baby was discharged.'

Just shy of her due date, Cara began to notice her baby's movement 'was changing' and told her doctor, who later recommended she go to the hospital for additional monitoring.

Cara was then admitted to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois.

While at the hospital, Cara had no idea of what was to come. When Cara went to the restroom, Harold decided it was the perfect time to plan the surprise.

'I rallied up the nurses and everybody was on board to surprise her and we just waited till she came out,' Harold said.

Cara opened the bathroom door and was confused to see multiple nurses recording her leaving the restroom.

'I saw multiple nurses with their phones out. And I was like, ''Wait, why are they recording me coming out of the restroom?'' she recalled.

'Then I see him to the left in his full military uniform. And there's like no words to express that.

When Cara went to the restroom, Harold decided it was the perfect time to plan the surprise and hid in the corner and made sure to get all the nurses in on his surprise

In an interview with Good Morning America, Harold said the surprise went 'great' and was thankful for everyone who assisted him in the surprise

Cara and Harold, from Illinois, welcomed their first child, Harold Leroy Rahming II, a few days earlier than they expected, but Harold was happy he could be there

'Because I didn't know he was coming home. I just knew I was in the hospital, I was being induced and there was a baby coming soon.

'And there was a lot of emotions to process, but I know the definite emotion I felt once I saw him was joy.'

Ultimately, Harold knew the surprise would turn out 'great' because he kept 'faith' that everything would work out.

He noted that after not seeing each other for three months, the couple was ecstatic to be together again.

As far as their baby goes, the couple said their two-week-old is 'really, really healthy,' after Cara delivered their baby via cesarean section.

Harold noted that he was 'extremely proud' of his wife.

'She's very resilient and very courageous. She took seconds to say, ''You know what, this is what we have to do to ensure my safety and the baby's safety,"' he told GMA.

The loving couple is now focusing on their next chapter as new parents and spending their time caring and doting on their newborn.

'He has a really, really sweet spirit. You can see like, just the softness in his spirit and the gentleness,' gushed Cara. 'You'll see him smiling and wanting to play with you.'

'He's very calm and collected,' Harold added.
Queen Letizia of Spain was radiant in a striking black and white gown as she visited the Royal Academy of Engineering in Madrid tonight.

The Spanish royal, 49, was effortlessly elegant in the monochrome midi dress as she arrived at the organisation this evening, which featured a black floral design across the bodice.

She went on to pose for photographs outside the building alongside Spanish Science Minister Diana Morant, and the Royal Academy of Engineering director, Antonio Colino.

The Spanish queen flaunted her dewy complexion, wearing a chic make-up look which brought out her eyes.

Queen Letizia of Spain was radiant in a striking black and white gown as she visited the Royal Academy of Engineering in Madrid tonight

The Spanish royal, 49, was effortlessly elegant in the monochrome midi dress as she arrived at the organisation this evening

The royal mother-of-two reached up to wave a hand as she arrived for the event in Madrid this evening

The mother-of-two stunned as she beamed while strutting towards the venue, and waved to crowds.

She accessorised with a matching black handbag to her heels and oozed confidence as she made her way to the venue.

Adding a touch of glitz to her ensemble, she accessorised her look with minimal jewellery, opting for chic hoop earrings and a golden ring.

She was attending the inauguration of the elected academics Elena Garcia Armada and Ana Conesa Cegarra.

The royal appeared to be in good spirits as she arrived at the venue in Madrid earlier this evening

The former journalist wore her brunette locks styled in loose waves which tumbled across her shoulders during the outing

The royal mother-of-two swept her hair from her face in stunning loose waves which fell gently down her back

It comes amid a busy day for the royal, who earlier appeared typically stylish as she attended an event for World Mental Health Day.

The Spanish royal showed off her elegant sense of style in a navy polka dot dress when stepping out at at the Impact Hub Piamonte in Madrid.

Looking relaxed and radiant, Letizia donned red heels with her statement garment, which featured a cut out detail and long sleeves.

It comes after Letizia stunned in a scarlet dress as she and her husband attended the Cervantes Institute's annual Board of Trustees meeting at the Royal Palace in Arajanjuez yesterday.

She and King Felipe VI grinned as they shook hands with guests at one of their official residences.

The queen cut a sophisticated figure in the deep red number, which featured a V-neck and ruffled detailing at the skirt.

The Cervantes Institute is a non-profit organisation created by the Spanish government in 1991.

Queen Letizia posed alongside Spanish Science Minister Diana Morant, and the Royal Academy of Engineering director, Antonio Colino before the inauguration of the elected academics Elena Garcia Armada and Ana Conesa Cegarra

Queen Letizia wore striking black patent high heels for the occasion in Madrid this evening (pictured)

According to its website, the institute was created 'to universally promote the teaching, study and use of Spanish and contribute to the spread of Hispanic cultures abroad'.

Numerous representatives of cultural institutions were present at the prestige event, Infobae reported.

The publication also said that the king awarded the 'N Prize' to Italian philologist and Hispanist Gabriele Morelli, for his work in spreading Spanish literature.

The award, created last year, aims to celebrate work in Spanish language and culture by those who don't have it as their native tongue.

Her brunette locks fell loose in bouncy curls which she pulled back off her face by tucking it behind her ears
Do you know the woman who heckled Kate today? Contact us via email: laurence.dollimore@mailonline.co.uk and tips@dailymail.com

Came after a woman told Kate that 'Ireland belongs to the Irish' during an impromptu walkabout in Belfast

Couple shared a swish social media video on Twitter and Instagram with highlights from their engagements

Kate Middleton and Prince William shared a Tweet thanking Northern Ireland for the trip in Belfast today

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The Prince and Princess of Wales paid thanks to Northern Ireland for hosting them following a trip to Belfast today - despite Kate Middleton being challenged by an Irish nationalist during an impromptu walkabout.

Prince William and Kate, both 40, shared a message on their official social media pages, writing: 'Thank you for having us, Northern Ireland!'

Meanwhile the couple posted a swish video showing a highlights reel of their trip, including a clip of the royal mother-of-three making a cocktail, and Prince William playing with a pair of dogs.

Their message came hours after Kate was confronted by a woman during a walkabout, who told her that 'Ireland belongs to the Irish' during the meet and greet in north Belfast this afternoon.

Do you know the woman who heckled the Princess of Wales? Contact: laurence.dollimore@mailonline.co.uk and tips@dailymail.com Advertisement

While shaking hands with the princess, the woman said: 'Nice to meet you but it would be better if it was when you were in your own country.'

The woman, who was wearing an emerald green cardigan, appeared to be videoing the exchange on a mobile phone.

A stunned Kate, who managed to keep her composure throughout the exchange, laughed and let go of the woman's hand before continuing to smile and greet other members of the crowd.

The clip, which was shared earlier tonight by the couple, featured a number of clips from the stay today, including the walkabout.

However the incident with the woman in the green jumper wasn't included in the video.

Instead, Kate was seen greeting school-children and the camera panned across a crowd of waving royal fans.

In another clip, Prince William was seen chatting to members of the public.

Observers took to social media to praise Kate for 'handling the moment perfectly.'

One wrote on Twitter: 'That very disrespectful lady should have stayed at home instead of wasting her time waiting for someone she doesn't like... Catherine handled the moment perfectly though.

The Prince and Princess of Wales paid thanks to Northern Ireland for hosting them following a trip to Belfast today - despite Kate Middleton being challenged by an Irish nationalist during an impromptu walkabout

The Prince and Princess of Wales shared the short video and tweet online this evening - choosing to focus on other parts of their visit

The woman who confronted Kate was not included in the video shared by the couple today - instead, clips showed the Prince and Princess of Wales meeting members of the public (right) and making cocktails (left)

While the short clip shared on the Prince and Princess of Wales' official social media did feature several moments from their walkabout, the moment with the woman in the green jumper wasn't included

Instead, the couple shared clips of the royals meeting schoolchildren (left and right) who held banners welcoming them to the area

'She and William were welcomed with open arms by everyone else... there's lots of love for them!'

The incident happened during during Kate and William's visit to Northern Ireland today.

Hundreds of people lined the Marine Highway in Carrickfergus, a town to the north of Belfast, as the pair visited the County Antrim town.

They exchanged handshakes and fist-bumps with local schoolchildren who had waited for hours to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.

Earlier they visited a local charity and were then greeted by the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Noel Williams.

The late Queen gave William and Kate the titles Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus on the morning of their wedding in 2011.

The Princess of Wales has today been challenged by an Irish nationalist during an impromptu walkabout in Northern Ireland . Pictured: The woman as she speaks to Kate

While shaking hands with the princess, the woman said: 'Nice to meet you but it would be better if it was when you were in your own country'

Observers took to social media to praise Kate for 'handling the moment perfectly'

The Princess of Wales (pictured today) has been challenged by an Irish nationalist during an impromptu walkabout in Northern Ireland

The Princess of Wales waves to members of the public following a walkabout in Carrickfergus as part of a visit to Northern Ireland

Princess Kate brushes back her hair while meeting with royal fans during a visit to Northern Ireland

Kate beams as she chats to royal fans alongside Prince William during a visit to Belfast on Thursday

William and Kate are fulfilling a number of engagements with cross-community organisations that provide support to people from all backgrounds

Kate chats to a group of schoolchildren holding Union Jack flags during a visit to Northern Ireland on Thursday

MWilliam and Kate during a walkabout outside Carrickfergus Castle in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland

Kate shakes hand with excited young girls during a visit to Northern Ireland on Thursday

Kate cut a chic figure in Belfast on Thursday in a pastel blue blouse and matching pea coat, paired with navy cropped trousers and heels

The couple are fulfilling a number of engagements with cross-community organisations that provide support to people from all backgrounds.

They began with a visit to suicide prevention charity PIPS in north Belfast.

Lord mayor Tina Black and Sinn Fein MP for the constituency John Finucane were among those who welcomed the royal couple on arrival.

Inside, 12-year-old Elyse Quinn, the daughter of the charitys executive director Renee Quinn, presented the princess with a bouquet of flowers.

PIPS was founded in 2003 following the loss of 14 young people to suicide in Belfast over a short period of time the previous year.

Compelled to act, stakeholders from across the city came together to try to tackle the issue.

During their visit, William and Kate spoke with staff about their work helping people at risk of suicide and self-harm.

The Prince of and Princess of Wales wave to members of the public during a walkabout in Carrickfergus as part of a visit to Northern Ireland

Hundreds of people lined the Marine Highway in Carrickfergus, a town to the north of Belfast, as the pair visited the County Antrim town. They exchanged handshakes and fist-bumps with local schoolchildren who had waited for hours to catch a glimpse of the royal couple

Earlier they visited a local charity and were then greeted by the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Noel Williams. The late Queen gave William and Kate the titles Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus on the morning of their wedding in 2011

The royal couple were greeted by cheering crowds who had lined the streets as they arrived to visit youth charity Carrick Connect which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties

The Prince and Princess of Wales meet members of the public during a walkabout outside Carrickfergus Castle in Carrickfergus

The Prince and Princess of Wales will arrive in Northern Ireland where they will spend the day visiting cross-community organisations which work to provide services and support to people from all backgrounds

Members of the public came out in their hundreds to meet William and Kate during a walkabout outside Carrickfergus Castle in Carrickfergus

The charity also arranged for them to take part in an art therapy session, painting pumpkins, with some vulnerable children who have been supported by PIPS.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation has seen a significant rise in those reaching out for help.

That includes an increase of more than 500% among young people.

At the close of their visit, the prince and princess joined a group of volunteer counsellors in packing up the charitys Little Boxes of Hope.

The support packages are given to children following their time with PIPS to assist their ongoing recovery and ensure that their parents and guardians feel better equipped to cope.

After the visit to PIPS, the couple travelled into Belfast city centre to view Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market where they took part in a spirited cocktail making race.

After William was declared winner, the couple heard more about the Trademarket enterprise which transformed a previously vacant site, aiming to showcase new businesses while also increasing footfall in a less visited area.

The Princess of Wales speaks to a volunteer during a visit to PIPS (Liam McBurney/PA)

The Prince and Princess of Wales tasting drinks after a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket (Brian Lawless/PA)

They also met with representatives from Kainos, a Belfast-based software company provided the site for the market at a peppercorn rent.

The final visit of the day was to the town of Carrickfergus in Co Antrim.

The royal couple were greeted by cheering crowds who had lined the streets as they arrived to visit youth charity Carrick Connect which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties.

Do you know the woman who heckled the Princess of Wales? Contact: laurence.dollimore@mailonline.co.uk and tips@dailymail.com

Cocktails with Kate! High-spirited Princess of Wales plays bartender in a 295 silk blouse as she joins Prince William on an action-packed day in Belfast

By Jessica Green for MailOnline

The Prince and Princess of Wales have taken up position on the other side of the bar for a spirited cocktail-making race at an outdoor market in Belfast city centre during a surprise visit to Northern Ireland.

Prince William and Kate, both 40, laughed during the duel to be the quickest to make the potent drink, before the heir to the throne was declared the winner. The couple were on a visit to Trademarket, the second stop of their one-day trip.

Kate looked perfectly polished in a 295 Winser London silk blouse and matching blue coat, thought to be from Alexander McQueen, teamed with elegant navy trousers, recycled 85 Missoma hoop earrings and a DeMellier London 295 handbag.

Earlier today, the prince and princess visited PIPS Charity, which provides support to individuals who are considering, or who have at some point considered, ending their own lives.

For their final engagement, the couple visited youth charity Carrick Connect, which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties, in the town of Carrickfergus in Co Antrim.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were given the titles of Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II upon their marriage in 2011.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have taken up position on the other side of the bar for a spirited cocktail-making race at an outdoor market in Belfast city centre during a surprise visit to Northern Ireland

For their final engagement, the couple visited youth charity Carrick Connect, which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties, in the town of Carrickfergus in Co Antrim. Pictured, Kate making 'no bake energy bites' at the youth charity

The Princess of Wales pictured holding a baby when at Carrick Connect, a youth charity based in Carrickfergus

Giggling: Mother-of-three Kate shares a laugh with a volunteer as she joins Prince William in Belfast, Northern Ireland, today

Colour coordination: The Prince and Princess of Wales opted for matching blue ensembles when arriving in Belfast, Northern Ireland, today for a surprise one-day visit

The prince and princess visited Trademarket on the second stop of their one-day day trip to Northern Ireland, where they met with local entrepreneur, Will Neill, and heard about his aim to showcase new businesses while also increasing footfall in a less visited area of the city centre.

Having opened its doors to the public in July, Trademarket offers a place for different members of the community to come together to enjoy artisan food, drinks and products from local, independent vendors.

The royal couple also met with representatives from Kainos, a Belfast-based software company who came on board and provided the site for the market at a peppercorn rent.

William and Kate heard about the measures that have been put in place to ensure the site is both ethically and environmentally sustainable, including the removal of single use plastics and a commitment to paying staff a real living wage.

The Princess of Wales looked perfectly polished in a 295 Winser London silk blouse and matching blue coat, thought to be from Alexander McQueen, teamed with elegant navy trousers, recycled 85 Missoma hoop earrings and a DeMellier London 295 handbag (pictured)

Smile Kate! The Princess of Wales leaned into one group of young men as they snapped a selfie with her during the walkabout earlier

The royal mother-of-three showed off her maternal skills as she chatted with some schoolchildren who were watching the walkabout take place

Once outside, Kate was greeted by a crowd of royal fans who beamed at her while snapping pictures of the new Princess of Wales (left and right)

Prince William and Kate leant down as they chatted with crowds of royals, and appeared to be in high spirits as they spoke to attendees at the engagement

Making fluffy friends! Prince William, who has one dog himself, bent low to the ground as he greeted a number of dogs during the walkabout

The couple were greeted by royal fans waving Union Flags as they did a brief walkabout outside Carrick Connect, a youth charity based in Carrickfergus which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties

The Princess of Wales appeared in good spirits during the walkabout today, where she wore a tonal blue outfit for the occasion (left and right)

Selfie time! Prince William held the phone for one man as they posed for a photograph with one another while beaming at the camera

Say cheese! The royal fan appeared to be overwhelmed with excitement as he posed for a selfie with Prince William during the visit this afternoon (left and right)

Meanwhile at one stage she showed off her maternal side as she cradled a young baby in her arms as she visited Northern Ireland

Racing: Prince William and Kate, both 40, laughed during the duel to be the quickest to make the potent drink, before the heir to the throne was declared the winner

Cheers! The Prince and Princess of Wales pictured following their cocktail-making race at the Trademarket in Belfast

The prince (pictured) and princess visited Trademarket on the second stop of their one-day day trip to Northern Ireland, where they met with local entrepreneur, Will Neill, and heard about his aim to showcase new businesses while also increasing footfall in a less visited area of the city centre

Giving it a try! The Prince and Princess of Wales tasting drinks after a cocktail-making competition

The Princess of Wales (pictured left) makes a cocktail during her second engagement in Northern Ireland today

The Prince and Princess of Wales were given the titles of Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II upon their marriage in 2011. Pictured, Kate making 'no bake energy bites' at the youth charity

The couple were animated as they visited an outdoor market during their visit to Northern Ireland this afternoon (left and right)

Meanwhile, when visiting PIPS earlier today, Lord mayor Tina Black and Sinn Fein MP for the constituency John Finucane were among those who welcomed the royal couple on arrival.

PIPS was founded in 2003 following the loss of 14 young people to suicide in Belfast over a short period of time the previous year. Compelled to act, stakeholders from across the city came together to try to tackle the issue.

Inside, 12-year-old Elyse Quinn, the daughter of the charity's executive director Renee Quinn, presented the princess with a bouquet of flowers.

During their visit, William and Kate spoke with staff about their work helping people at risk of suicide and self-harm.

The charity also arranged for them to take part in an art therapy session - painting pumpkins - with some vulnerable children who have been supported by PIPS.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation has seen a significant rise in those reaching out for help. That includes an increase of more than 500% among young people.
Claudia Connell (pictured): There was a time when the number of sexual orientations could be counted on one hand

There was a time when the number of sexual orientations could be counted on one hand. But in todays ever-diverse society there are now dozens of sexualities by which people identify.

One of those grabbed the headlines this week when a Royal Navy engineer denied sexually assaulting a male colleague. Able Seaman Triss Smythe (who uses the pronouns they/them) told a court martial that they could not have done it, since they were demisexual.

This, they explained, means they need to form a strong emotional bond with anyone before they could even begin to think about sexual contact. The 23-year-old was cleared yesterday.

Its just one of many terms that you may not have heard of. So, for those wanting to boost their woke credentials or impress their grandchildren, here is your A-Z guide to the myriad sexualities people claim in 2022 . . .

A

Abrosexual

This is a person whose sexuality is in a permanent state of flux. One day they could be heterosexual, the next homosexual or asexual (someone who does not experience sexual attraction to anyone). Not to be confused with pansexual (see below) in fact an abrosexual can, if the mood takes them, also be pansexual.

Androsexual

Somebody of any sex or gender who is sexually and romantically attracted to masculinity. But  just to make things more interesting  that masculinity does necessarily have to be displayed by a man.

Autosexual/Autoromantic

If youre autosexual then you are sexually attracted and aroused by your own body and have a desire to have sex with yourself. Autosexuals are attracted to others  but not as much as they are attracted to themselves.

An autoromantic, on the other hand, is romantically, but not necessarily sexually, attracted to themselves. Autoromantics often develop crushes on themselves and buy themselves romantic gifts  especially on Valentines Day.

If youre autosexual then you are sexually attracted and aroused by your own body and have a desire to have sex with yourself

B

Bambi Lesbian

In A previous generation this person would simply have been asexual, but not today. Nowadays, a Bambi Lesbian is a woman who identifies as gay but prefers not to be sexually active. However, she does like displays of affection such as hugs, kisses and hand-holding.

The word bambi is often used in the LGBTQ community to imply playfulness, and a preference for affection over sexual engagement.

Bioromantic

Those coming under this umbrella feel romantic and emotional connections to more than one gender. Many bioromantics are asexual (not sexually active) and the attraction they feel is not sexually charged. But  this is where it gets a bit complicated  bisexuals (those attracted to more than one gender and sexually active) can also be bioromantic.

C

Ceterosexual

Somebody who is attracted to transgender (those who identify as a sex other than the one they were born as) and non-binary people (those that dont identify as any gender) and occasionally cisgender people (those who identify as their biological sex). A ceterosexual may be trans or non-binary themselves  but not necessarily. In other words, theyre what most of us would call open-minded.

Cupiosexual

Like asexuals, cupiosexuals are not usually sexually attracted to anybody. Unlike asexuals they still desire to be in a sexual relationship, despite rarely having the mojo to do anything about it.

D

Demisexual

As claimed by Able Seaman Smythe, a demisexual is somebody who only becomes sexually attracted to somebody after developing a deep, emotional attachment to them. They might also be demiromantic, meaning they also cant develop romantic feelings until a strong connection has been established.

Taking its name from the Greek for touch, an esthesiosexual can be of any sexual persuasion, but they are more turned on by sensual touch than traditional sex

E

Esthesiosexual

Taking its name from the Greek for touch, an esthesiosexual can be of any sexual persuasion, but they are more turned on by sensual touch than traditional sex. An esthesiosexual might be a good match for a greysexual (see below).

F

Finsexual

Remember our androsexual friends from earlier? Well, this is the feminine equivalent: people of any gender who are attracted to femininity, although  you guessed it  not necessarily in a woman.

G

Greysexual

Someone who rarely experiences sexual attraction. So why not asexual? Because they dont rule out experiencing sexual attraction and believe asexuality is not black and white  hence grey.

H

Heteroflexible/ Homoflexible

Traditionally heterosexuals are attracted to the opposite sex while homosexuals are attracted to their own. However, swap the sexual for flexible and youre talking about straight people who are curious about their own sex and gay people who are curious about the opposite. Why not bisexual? Because to be a bisexual you have to identify as one. And the flexible lot may never act on their curiosity.

I

Iculasexual

Considering asexuals have no interest in sex, they certainly have an interest in labels. An iculasexual has no sex drive but is open to having sex. However, they are also indifferent to sex, meaning they are (in theory) open to having sex with those of any sexual persuasion.

J

Juxtaromantic

Usually asexual or greysexual, a juxtaromantic is somebody who desires a romantic relationship that is not sexual and  unlike the previously mentioned esthesiosexuals  it must also not be sensual in any way. Do keep up.

Omnisexuals find themselves attracted to all gender identities and sexual persuasions

K

Kalossexual

This is a micro-label in the asexual category. These are asexuals who desire to be in a sexual relationship. Some kalossexuals might also identify as cupiosexuals (see above). But others feel they are different since a cupiosexual might, once in a blue moon, have sexual feelings but kalossexuals never do.

L

Lithosexual/Lithoromantic

Lithosexuals want to live an asexual life  read on and youll understand why. They can develop a sexual attraction to another person but they do not want it to be reciprocated  if it is, then their own attraction to that individual is lost. Likewise, a lithoromantic may have romantic feelings that they also do not wish to be returned or they, too, will be instantly turned off.

M

Minflexible

A minsexual is an androsexual by another name. However, should that androsexual find themselves unusually attracted to a non-masculine person of any gender that would make them minflexible. Obviously.

Minflexibles are not to be confused with . . .

N

Ninsexual

If youre ninsexual then you are exclusively attracted to those who are gender non-comforming and whose sex is not obvious from appearance. Those people could be non-binary or androgynous. The nin comes from non-conforming in nature. A ninsexual may be non-binary themselves . . . but not always.

O

Omnisexual

Anything goes for omnisexuals. They find themselves attracted to all gender identities and sexual persuasions. Often, they are attracted to different things in different genders  for example they might like feminine lesbians or boyish heterosexuals. The world is their oyster.

Those identifying as spectrasexual believe that sexuality is a broad spectrum. They find themselves attracted to a wide range of sexual orientation and genders

P

Pansexual

Anything goes for pansexuals, too. They are also attracted to all gender identities and persuasions but, unlike omnisexuals, they are gender-blind meaning gender and biological sex is irrelevant to them. What you might term not fussy.

Pomosexual

Dont you dare label a pomosexual. They believe that their sexuality does not fit into any category, which is quite some achievement given how many there are. They often refuse to disclose their sexuality and reject all labels. Well, apart from this one.

Q

Queer

Originally used as an unpleasant slur against homosexual people, the term has now been reclaimed. Today to be queer means that you are non-conforming and reject labels and traditional definitions of sexuality. A straight person can be queer.

Quadsexual

As the name might suggest, this person is attracted to four different genders at any one time. They come under the multisexual spectrum but the four genders they are attracted to can change, meaning their quadsexuality is fluid. What happens if said quadsexual suddenly finds themselves attracted to five genders? No problem, they just upgrade to a quintsexual.

R

Rosesexual

Dont be fooled by the romantic-sounding name; life is no bed of roses for a rosesexual. Asexual, they like the idea of being sexually attracted, but when they force themselves to think about it they become repulsed.

Relatiosexual

A relatiosexual cannot feel attracted to someone unless that person is already in a relationship with somebody else. They will mostly feel attracted to both people in the relationship, who can be of any sex or gender, but not in equal measures. For example, they could be 70 per cent attracted to the woman and 30 per cent the man. The couple could be relatiosexual themselves, but not always.

Dont be fooled by the romantic-sounding name; life is no bed of roses for a rosesexual -Asexual, they like the idea of being sexually attracted, but when they force themselves to think about it they become repulsed

S

Sapiosexual

Those who identify as sapiosexuals are attracted by intelligence and not physical beauty, in other words brains not brawn. Its a controversial one though as some members of the queer community believe it is not a sexuality, they are not a marginalised group and are hijacking queerdom.

Spectrasexual

Those identifying as spectrasexual believe that sexuality is a broad spectrum. They find themselves attracted to a wide range of sexual orientation and genders. So why not pansexual, you may ask? Because, unlike their pansexual cousins, a spectrasexual is not necessarily attracted to all sexualities and genders. No one said this was simple.

T

Trixic

Also known as orbisians, a trixic person will be non-binary but attracted exclusively to women. They sometimes refer to themselves as NBLW (non-binary loving women).

Toric

This is the male equivalent of a trixic. A toric person may also be known as a quadrisian. Like their trixic counterparts they are also non-binary but this time theyre exclusively attracted to men  or NBLM (non-binary loving men).

U

Uranic

Uranic folk are mostly non-binary and are attracted to men and other non-binary people. They are not attracted to women or feminine presenting genders, including non-binary people with feminine looks.

V

Varioriented

This is where a persons sexual and romantic interests are not aligned. If a man finds himself romantically attracted to women but sexually attracted to men, then he would be varioriented. Also known as split attraction. Just dont say theyre a pansexual.

Zygosexual - a person in a relationship, possibly married but who desires sex with other people  with their partners consent and/or participation

W

Womasexual

Refers to the attraction to women only. Not to be confused with lesbians (women attracted to other women), a womasexual can be any sex or gender and the women they are attracted to could be non-biological females.

X

Xenosexual

Xenosexuals are sexually attracted to non-human species and fantasise about having sex with aliens and robots. As the opportunity to have sex with aliens does not arise very often, they will (reluctantly) also have sex with fellow humans.

Y

You Decide

Perhaps surprisingly, there doesnt seem to be a specific Y sexuality. But, given the above, its safe to say that you can identify with any sexuality you choose.

Z

Zygosexual

A person in a relationship, possibly married but who desires sex with other people  with their partners consent and/or participation. Its a much more exotic and exciting label for what used to be called a swinger.
The company's landmark technology allows the scene to transform on camera

The Sydney Harbour Bridge will now resemble the Numenor gates on Snapchat

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is to undergo a 'Middle Earth makeover' ahead of Amazon Prime Video's Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power finale on October 14.

The dramatic transformation of the iconic Australian landmark reflects the enormous popularity of the television series, which attracted over 25million fans within 24 hours of its release.

But like everything Tolkein, the transformation is a thing of fantasy so will only be viewable through an augmented reality lens on Snapchat.

Scroll down for video

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is being transformed to resemble the gates of Numenor from Prime video's Rings of Power series

Speaking to FEMAIL Head of Prime Video Australia and New Zealand, Hushidar Kharas revealed the team's excitement at being able to replicate the gates of Numenor on Sydney Harbour.

'Great architecture is a part of our culture, and what better way to delight our Australian customers than by transforming one of the most recognisable icons of Australia into an equally iconic piece of popular culture- the great island kingdom of Numenor,' they said.

'We are thrilled to be working with Snap on bringing an innovative piece of technology to Australia for the first time from October 6.'

And the team at Snap, were equally as thrilled to work on a project for the series which has been streamed to 240 countries and territories world wide.

The head of Amazon Studios said she was excited to see how many people were as passionate about Middle Earth as she and her team.

'It is somehow fitting that Tolkien's stories - among the most popular of all time, and what many consider to be the true origin of the fantasy genre - have led us to this proud moment. I am so grateful to the Tolkien Estate,' she said.

The transformation is fantasy only - using Snapchat's landmarker technology

The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power AR experience on Snapchat will be available from today.

All fans need to do is head down to the Sydney Harbour foreshore, open Snapchat to the camera and scan the Harbour Bridge to unlock the lens.

Landmarker technology experiences have been created to support other major events in London, Paris, New York, Mumbai and Singapore, however this will be the first time Australians can experience the industry leading tech.
An upcoming exhibition featuring the late fashion designer Carla Zampatti's greatest works has drawn particular focus to a gown Princess Mary wore a number of times, including for official royal photographs.

The Australian-born Danish royal originally wore the pink brocade dress in 2013 for The Australian Women's Weekly's 80th anniversary cover shoot, before asking Zampatti herself whether she could take it home.

It appeared two years later on the Princess as she posed alongside her husband Prince Frederik in their private residence, Frederik VIII's Palace, inside the Amalienborg complex, in Copenhagen in 2015.

The Australian-born Danish royal originally wore the pink brocade dress in 2013 for The Australian Women's Weekly's 80th anniversary cover shoot, before asking Zampatti herself whether she could take it home

It appeared two years later on the Princess as she posed alongside her husband Prince Frederik in their private residence, Frederik VIII's Palace, inside the Amalienborg complex, in Copenhagen in 2015

'At the end of the shoot she asked if she could keep the dress [and] I was delighted,' Zampatti later told Fairfax Media.

'She looks so beautifully regal in their 2015 official portraits. I am so proud.'

Shot by photographer Franne Voigt Mary accessorised the dress with the Queen Ingrid Ruby parure, which have become her most frequently worn tiara, necklace and bracelet set.

The iconic pink dress also made an appearance behind closed doors in March 2014 when Mary wore it to a dinner inside Amalienborg Palace held in honour of Turkish President Abdullah Gul and his wife Hayrunnisa Gul.

'At the end of the shoot she asked if she could keep the dress [and] I was delighted,' Zampatti (pictured) later told Fairfax Media

The royal is known for championing Australian designers - including Scanlan and Theodore - on the world stage

The royal is known for championing Australian designers - including Scanlan and Theodore - on the world stage.

'When I was asked to design a gown for Princess Mary, I was thrilled. She is such a beautiful representation for this country,' Zampatti added.

The fashion designer died in April 2021 after an accidental fall at the Opera House in Sydney saw her fail to recover. She was 78.

The new exhibition, which will honour Zampatti's 50-year career and include the pink dress, will be held at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum from November.

There will be 100 other designs on display, including ex Prime Minister Julia Gillard's jacket worn when she addressed US Congress in 2011 and the white jacket worn by Christine Holgate when speaking at the Australia Post Inquiry in April 2021.
It usually occurs when the employer-employee relationship 'deteriorates' in time

Sue Ellson said it sees employees 'sidelined' with 'hope' they will quit

An Aussie career expert has explained exactly what 'quiet firing' is

The 'quiet quitting' trend of employees doing less to improve their life balance took companies by storm after Covid - but now employers are hitting back with 'quiet firing'.

The latest fad sees employers 'demoralise' and drastically lower the workload of an unvalued employee with the 'hope' that they will resign.

It is in stark contrast to 'quiet quitting' which sees employees reject the idea of going 'above and beyond' at work while still getting paid the same.

Melbourne career expert Sue Ellson told FEMAIL quiet firing 'isn't a new idea' but often occurs when the relationship between employer and employee has 'deteriorated' over time.

'Quiet firing is putting employers and enterprises at serious risk of being found out and being charged with unfair dismissal,' Ms Ellson said.

'Laws were created to prevent unfair dismissal and employees were entitled to probation periods or required to receive three official warnings before they could be 'safely' dismissed without the employer facing legal action.'

'Quiet firing' sees employers 'demoralise' an unvalued employee with 'hope' that they will resign, which contrast quiet quitting involving rejecting the idea of going 'above and beyond' at work while still getting paid the same (stock image)

Career expert Sue Ellson (pictured) told FEMAIL quiet firing often occurs when the relationship between employer and employee has become 'deteriorated' over time

Ms Ellson said in every employee and employer relationship, there is an 'implied value exchange' where the worker provides value and the employer pays them.

'Naturally, if an employee is not providing value, an employer does not want to keep paying. The grey area lies in how much can be realistically expected in exchange,' she explained.

'If an employee is working their best and completing more tasks in a shorter amount of time, the employer could be tempted to overload them with additional tasks to complete.

'But if the relationship deteriorates, it can be difficult for either party to agree to the new expectations, especially if these haven't been renegotiated along the way.'

What is 'quiet firing'? Quiet firing sees undervalued employees be 'sidelined' or moved into a different role with 'hope' they will resign on their own terms Quiet firing is putting employers and enterprises at serious risk of being found out and being charged with unfair dismissal Career expert Sue Ellson said how in every employee and employer relationship, there is an 'implied value exchange' - the worker provides value and the employer pays them. 'Naturally, if an employee is not providing value, an employer does not want to keep paying. The grey area lies in how much can be realistically expected in exchange,' she explained Advertisement

There are signs to be aware of that could indicate you're being quietly fired at work - and how to tackle the situation.

For instance, Ms Ellson suggests taking note if you're being left out of important meetings, being moved into a lower role or seeing a change in body language.

'If you are an employee and feel under threat, I would suggest that you start keeping a record of what you are doing and what is happening so that if you are unfairly dismissed, you have dates, times and details of what has been happening,' Ms Ellson said.

'But also bear in mind that you need to provide the value that the employer needs; You may come to the conclusion that the role is not for you and you may realise that it is time for you to move on.'

Employees can find information about equal and fair working environments here.

Signs you're likely being 'quietly fired' 1. Being left out of important meetings, emails, social invitations 2. Being moved into a lower level role or less appealing role 3. Delayed responses to calls, emails and requests 4. General disengagement and preferential treatment towards others 5. Lack of communication and feedback 6. Forgotten details  birthdays, special occasions etc 7. Less general chit chat and sharing of information and updates 8. Changed body language  less eye contact, shorter interactions Source: Sue Ellson Advertisement

Thousands on TikTok have admitted to 'quiet quitting' - which involves rejecting the idea that workers need to go 'above and beyond' at work (stock image)

Earlier this year Australian employees found a new way to 'quit' their jobs to avoid burnout - and bosses were - and continue to be - very unhappy about it.

Thousands on TikTok have admitted to 'quiet quitting' - which involves rejecting the ever going 'above and beyond' at work while still getting paid the same.

Ms Ellson previously told FEMAIL the notion could backfire if the change in behaviour is noticed by others, particularly managers.

One TikToker, who goes by the username @zkchillin (pictured, left), shared a now-viral video explaining the concept. Those who have embraced the concept claim they have been feeling less stressed and have the same recognition

One TikToker, who goes by the username @zkchillin, shared a now-viral video explaining the concept.

'I recently learnt about this term called 'quiet quitting' where you're not outright quitting your job but you're quitting the idea of going above and beyond at work,' he said.

'You're still performing your duties but you're no longer subscribing to the hustle culture and mentality that work has to be your life.

'The reality is it's not and your worth as a person is not defined by your productive output.'

The clip has since been viewed more than 2.7million times and in another video he added how other terms used include 'boundary settings', 'meeting expectations', 'work-to-rule' and 'lying flat'.

What is 'quiet quitting'? 'Quiet quitting' rejects the idea that work has to take over your life and that employees should go above and beyond what their job descriptions entail According to Metro, this can take many forms - including turning down projects based on interest, refusing to answer work messages outside of working hours or simply feeling less invested in the role Source: LinkedIn Advertisement

The comments of the video were quickly flooded by other workers from all around the world who admitted they have tried the concept and will continue to do the bare minimum.

'I quiet quit six months ago and guess what, same pay. Same recognition, same everything but less stress,' one person wrote.

'Then when you do it you realise nothing at work matters and suddenly all the stress vanishes,' another added.

A third wrote: 'Even when I do this I'm still outperforming 90 per cent of my co-workers.'

Another person said they do 'just enough not to get fired or noticed'.

The TikToker who posted the video added: 'This works best if you can tolerate your job - if you're miserable, get outta there! Your peace of mind comes first.'

Another person pointed out: 'It's called 'meeting expectations', if you're doing more then this you are losing time and money.'

Tther terms used include 'boundary settings', 'meeting expectations', 'work-to-rule' and 'lying flat' (stock image)

Ms Ellson said it's important to be discreet with your employer if your change in behaviour is noticed.

She added that while the concept of quiet quitting also isn't new, technology and working from home has been able to track what is done each day.

'Quiet quitting is a prompt to increase your personal productivity across your entire day, then I can move on to my other priorities,' she said.

'However, if you are perceived as 'slacking off' after previously over-extending yourself, communication is key.

'You may need to explain why your behaviour has changed and be ready to do so. Reacting in frustration and saying that you are tired of doing more work than everyone else in the heat of the moment is not the answer.'
Kim Seung-kyum, chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), speaks during the parliamentary inspection at JCS headquarters in Seoul, Thursday. Newsis



Pyongyang launches more missiles as Seoul, Washington plan more drills



By Jung Min-ho



South Korea's top military officer vowed to sharpen capabilities to respond to and deter North Korea's evolving missile and nuclear threats, Thursday, during the National Assembly audit in which he was criticized over combined drills involving Japan and the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.



Earlier that day, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea in its latest provocation, which prompted South Korea, the United States and Japan to begin another round of trilateral joint exercises in the waters east of the peninsula.



Kim Seung-kyum, chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), said a concerted effort with the U.S. military and practical training for improving execution capabilities, in case of conflict, are the keys to achieving that objective.



"Above all, our military is focusing on strengthening capabilities to respond to North Korea's missile and nuclear threats. To develop the three-pillar system and execution ability under the U.S. extended deterrence strategy, the two allies are working together," Kim said during the inspection at the JCS headquarters in Seoul. "Based on that close cooperation, the two countries have been concentrating on sharpening their capability to plan and conduct joint operations."



The three pillars are the Kill Chain preemptive strike system in case of imminent threat, the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) plan.



Pyongyang's first missile flew more than 350 kilometers and reached a maximum altitude of 80 kilometers. The second one flew around 800 kilometers on an apogee of 60 kilometers.





At Seoul Station in central Seoul, people listen to the news report about North Korea's missile test, Thursday. Yonhap



The test comes just two days after its intermediate-range ballistic missile launch over Japan and marked the North's sixth missile test in under two weeks, defying and protesting South Korea and the U.S.' combined naval drills involving the USS Ronald Reagan, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The Nimitz-class supercarrier returned to waters near the Korean Peninsula after it departed last week after the exercise with the South Korean Navy and then trilateral anti-submarine warfare drills involving Japan.



During the Assembly audit, opposition lawmakers criticized the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and the military for escalating tensions with an unnecessarily aggressive response to the North's weapons tests and conducting naval exercises with Japan, which claims South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo as its territory.





Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, asks questions to Kim Seung-kyum, chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), at JCS headquarters in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap



Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and former presidential candidate, criticized the military for the trilateral drills in the waters near Dokdo, saying it could give Japan room for interpretation that South Korea accepts the Japan Self-Defense Forces as its official military, which Japan is not legally permitted to have. Then he argued that South Korea's southern waters would have been and will be a better choice.



Lee also expressed worries over the possibility that such exercises might lead to a trilateral military alliance, an idea that is politically sensitive and unpopular in South Korea due to the memories of Japan's colonial rule (1910-45).



"Where the exercise was conducted was 120 kilometers away from Japan's main island and 185 kilometers away from Dokdo," Kim said. "North Korean submarines are most active in South Korea's eastern waters. That's why we chose there instead of the southern waters.



"I understand there are historical issues that need to be resolved with Japan and different opinions over how to do so  We are just in the process of finding the most effective way to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats."



Opposition lawmakers also lashed out at him over a failed missile launch conducted in response to North Korea's recent aggression.



"It was an abject failure. The (Hyunmoo-2C) missile was dropped on the heads of the people in South Korea. It became a laughing stock to North Korea  Many residents in Gangneung were shaking with anxiety, thinking that a war was happening," Rep. Kim Byung-joo.



The JCS chief apologized for the incident, saying the military did not immediately inform the residents about the security issues.



Rep. Sul Hoon expressed concerns over rising tensions between the rival Koreas, saying the military's aggressive response to North Korea's provocation would only worsen the situation.





In this photo provided by the South Korea Defense Ministry, 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. Yonhap
Professor Surinder Birring, a respiratory medicine expert at King's College Hospital, hailed gefapixant as a 'gamechanger' for chronic cough sufferers

A new drug could be a 'gamechanger' for millions of people around the world who cough constantly throughout the day, researchers claim.

British scientists have found gefapixant cuts coughing fits by 60 per cent, improves sufferers' sleep and reduces chest pain.

The pill, taken twice a day, would be the first new cough treatment in 50 years, if it's approved.

Gefapixant, made by Merck and sold under the brand name Lyfnua, has already been given the green light for use in Switzerland and Japan.

But it has yet to be accepted by regulators in Britain or the US.

Merck's application for approval is still being examined by America's Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Watchdogs asked for more information on its effectiveness in January.

MailOnline has approached the FDA's UK equivalent, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), for an update on its status in Britain.

Researchers hope the latest trial results could pave the way to it being dished out in both countries.

Professor Surinder Birring, a respiratory medicine expert at King's College Hospital and one of the lead authors, hailed the drug as 'good news' for sufferers.

British scientists have found gefapixant cuts coughing fits by 60 per cent, improves sufferers' sleep and reduces chest pain

Gefapixant has been approved and is already in use in Switzerland and Japan. It is made by Merck and sold under the name Lynfua for 203.20 (1.24) per tablet in the east Asian country, under its subsidised national insurance system

WHAT IS GEFAPIXANT AND DOES IT WORK? The drug, taken in pill form, works by blocking the throat nerve which triggers the cough reflex. Most people who have unexplained coughs are thought to have a hypersensitive cough nerve, meaning they hack and cough at the slightest irritation. At the moment the only treatments are cough syrups, which ease the discomfort in the throat, or powerful painkillers such as codeine, which come with severe side effects. A trial published in the Lancet in March showed the drug reduces coughing in chronic cough sufferer's by up to 60 per cent. Cough frequency was 18.5 per cent lower in those given a 45mg pill twice a day than the placebo group after 12 weeks and 14.6 per cent lower after 24 weeks. Advertisement

He told The Guardian: 'If gefapixant becomes available it could be a game-changer in respiratory medicine.

'It's a very effective treatment that works in most patients with chronic cough. It's a major advance in the field of cough.

'There's potentially thousands and thousands of patients who would be suitable to receive this treatment.'

Gefapixant is designed for treating a chronic cough, defined as one which lasts for more than eight weeks.

Approximately 4 to 12 per cent of Britons and 5 per cent of Americans suffer from it, experts believe.

It forces many sufferers to stay at home because they fear their bouts of coughing will annoy those around them.

But the cough  usually a result of asthma, acid reflux or smoking  can also affect sleep and trigger headaches.

Gefapixant works by blocking the throat nerve which triggers the cough reflex.

Most people with unexplained coughs are thought to have a hypersensitive cough nerve, meaning they hack at the slightest irritation.

Current treatments, including paracetamol, ibuprofen and cough syrups, focus on reducing pain. Although, the NHS says they may 'help you cough less'.

The last new treatment for coughs  dextromethorphan, which is used in products such as Benylin  was created 50 years ago.

The most recent gefapixant trial, published in medical journal The Lancet in March, saw more than 2,000 patients across 20 countries given the drug or a placebo.

All participants, aged 18 or over, had suffered with chronic cough for at least a year.

They were split into three groups given either a sugar, 15mg or 45mg pill twice a day for up to 52 weeks.

Results showed the trial participants given the highest dose coughed much less than patients taking a placebo.

Cough frequency was 18.5 per cent lower than the placebo group after 12 weeks and 14.6 per cent lower after 24 weeks.

The 15mg pill showed no significant difference to the placebo.

Despite the success of the higher dose in treating coughs, recipients did experience some side effects.

The most common (16.2 per cent) was dysgeusia, a taste disorder which leaves food tasting more sour, bitter or metallic than it should.

But Professor Birring said most patients said it was 'a price worth paying' for their improved condition.

The charity Asthma + Lung UK hailed the new treatment, adding few drugs are developed for people with long-term respiratory problems because of a lack of Government funding.
They fear the advice will add to both GP workloads and long telephone queues

GPs slam guidance telling patients to talk to a Dr before exercising this winter

GPs have slammed 'absolutely ridiculous' official guidance which tells patients to contact their family doctor before exercising this winter.

The measure was included in the Government's 'Cold weather plan for England'  which advises Britons on how to keep healthy during the colder months.

In its 'main public health messages' section it bizarrely asked the public to 'speak to your GP before starting any exercise this winter'.

While acknowledging that exercise is 'good for you all year round' and can help you keep warm, the advice states that people should speak to their family doctor before doing so.

'If possible, trying to move around at least once an hour, but remember to speak to your GP before starting any exercise plans,' it reads.

GP groups condemned the advice today, saying it would only add to the already-stretched workload of family doctors as people called them up for permission to exercise.

Patient groups also joined the attack, telling MailOnline the prospect of calling up a family doctor before going for a brisk walk was 'absolute nonsense'.

GP's have slammed official guidance advising the public to contact their family doctor before starting exercise

Going for a jog this winter? make sure you speak to your doctor first, according to 'ridiculous' advice from NHS England (stock image)

The GP's assistant will see you now! NHS will hire 1,000 recruits to carry out basic checks and give jabs in bid to free up appointments backlog The NHS will recruit more than 1,000 'GP assistants' so family doctors have more time to treat patients this winter. They will free-up thousands of appointments by performing administrative tasks and basic health checks previously done by GPs. Surgeries can now claim additional funding to take on the extra staff, who are not required to have a medical degree and will earn around 24,000 a year. They will receive on-the-job training that allows them to take blood, administer jabs and measure patients' blood pressure and heart rate. Their help is expected to reduce the amount of time doctors spend writing and processing letters by almost half. The new recruits will help patients with hospital referrals, explain treatments and act as a middleman with other health and care providers. They may also take brief medical histories before patients see their GP. Health Secretary Therese Coffey has made improving access to GPs one of her priorities. Advertisement

Dr John Hughes, head of GP Survival, a campaign group, told Pulse: 'It's absolutely typical of the idiocy that comes out of NHS England from people who don't understand what GPs actually do.

'Given the fact that people are likely to be trying to keep warm by exercising, there may well be a substantial increase in numbers presenting with this if people actually see this.

'It's absolutely ridiculous.'

Britons are increasingly frustrated over continuing struggles to contact their GP, with thousands complaining they face daily battle to join telephone queues to try and get an appointment.

Dennis Reed, of Silver Voices, another campaign group for senior residents who have repeatedly voiced concerns over lack of GP access in the UK, also criticised the 'ludicrous' advice.

'We want to reserve appointments for people who have a real need for them,' he said.

'To suggest that they to talk to their GP before going for a brisk walk is absolute nonsense.'

England's cold weather plan is co-written by NHS England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office.

The line about contacting a GP before exercising has been included in the guidance for the last decade, but has only sprung to attention after the plan was updated this week.

A Government source told MailOnline the guidance was targeted at vulnerable Britons who should be encouraged to get a flu jab, like those with a long-term respiratory condition, rather than the general public.

This is despite it being stuck in a section entitled Main public health messages.

Some Britons with chronic health conditions who could suffer serious health complications from starting exercise too quickly, like a heart problem, are advised to talk to their GP before trying to get fit.

Professor Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of GPs, told the Daily Mail: With limited workforce and resources GPs simply dont have the capacity to sign off every patients individual exercise plan, particularly when patients are participating in low intensity exercise, as we need to prioritise those patients with increasingly complex health needs who need our expertise.

If patients have underlying health conditions and are considering taking up more high intensity exercise routines, we advise them to raise this at their next routine appointment with their appropriate health care professional.

Dr Richard Van Mellaerts, BMA England GP committee chair, said: 'This is unhelpful advice that takes no account of the impact on practice workload or the knock-on effect on appointments for patients who are unwell and need seeing if there is an influx of people contacting their practice for advice on their suitability for exercise.

'This is especially important over winter when we anticipate demand for all services to be particularly high.

'This is not work that NHS practices are contracted, resourced or insured to do, and would take GPs away from seeing ill people who need their care most immediately. More broadly, it would be good if organisations spoke to GPs and GP representatives before making public pronouncements like this.'

It comes a week after the latest data showed the proportion of people in England seeing their GP face-to-face rose to its highest level since the start of the pandemic.

Two-thirds of appointments with family doctors in England in August were in-person, according to the latest data from NHS Digital.

The 66.1 per cent figure is still well below the 80 per cent average before the pandemic struck.

However, it is the highest rate since March 2020, when the UK was plunged into its first national lockdown as Covid swept across the country.

Campaigners and the Government have long-demanded that GPs return to pre-pandemic levels.

Meanwhile, nearly half of appointments in August lasted less than 10 minutes in some practices  including some in Leicester, Nottingham and Suffolk.

Appointments are supposed to last 10 to 15 minutes, with an NHS review finding that patients feel they are unable to cover their health problems in a shorter timeframe.

It warned that this could lead to patients booking additional appointments, clogging up the availability of family doctors.

Two-thirds of appointments with family doctors in England in August were in-person, according to the latest data from NHS Digital. The 66.1 per cent figure is still well below the 80 per cent average before the pandemic struck. However, it is the highest rate since March 2020, when the UK was plunged into its first national lockdown as the coronavirus swept across the country

Some 48.5 per cent of appointments in August were with family doctors, while the same proportion were with other practice staff, such as nurses. The mode was not logged for three per cent of consultations

Addressing dissatisfaction with GPs has been one of the key targets of new Health Secretary Therese Coffey.

She said she expects all patients to be offered an appointment within two weeks and the sickest on the same day.

And today NHS England announced it will recruit more than 1,000 'GP assistants' so family doctors have more time to treat patients this winter.

It is hoped they will free-up thousands of appointments by performing administrative tasks and basic health checks previously done by GPs.
A mother today claimed that she had to give birth on her sofa because her local hospital was too full.

Eilish McKinney, of Nassington, Northamptonshire, had planned to go to an NHS facility in Peterborough when her waters broke on September 20.

But she and her fiance Tom Blackman, a commercial sales associate, were told its maternity unit was full when they phoned Peterborough City Hospital.

The couple, who have a two-year-old son called Monty, were told to wait for medics to call back with a plan.

After 40 minutes, they were instructed to travel 35 miles (56km) to nearby Leicester Hospital, in a journey that would have taken around an hour.

Miss McKinney was trying not to push at this point and the couple decided to go for an impromptu home birth without the help of a midwife or drugs. 'She did this with two paracetamol', Mr Blackman said.

Despite facing 'sheer panic', their son Persy  short for Perseus  was born safe and well at the home.

Eilish McKinney (pictured with her first son Monty, two), from Nassington, Northamptonshire, was forced to give birth on her sofa with just two paracetamol because her local NHS hospital was too full

Miss McKinney had planned to go to Peterborough City Hospital (pictured) when her waters broke on October 20

After 40 minutes, she and her fiance Tom Blackman (pictured together) were told to travel 35 miles (56km) to nearby Leicester Hospital, in a journey that would have taken around an hour

Woman in labour forced to travel 40 miles to give birth A woman in labour had to travel 40 miles to give birth after being turned away from three hospitals because they did not have enough midwives. Barbara Job, 25, from Peterborough, had to make the hour-long journey to Leicester on September 25. Her birthing plans specified Peterborough City Hospital and she rang the unit there after her waters broke, her mother-in-law Rica Scott said. But she and her husband William were told there were not enough staff to ensure a safe delivery and they should look elsewhere. The pair were met with the same response at Huntingdon's Hinchingbrooke Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. Leicester Royal Infirmary finally accepted Mrs Job and the couple had to drive to the hospital while she was in 'incredible pain', Ms Scott said. She gave birth to a healthy boy there on September 27. Advertisement

Miss McKinney had to check Persy was breathing, while Mr Blackman made sure she was not bleeding excessively.

Her 'nightmare' case came just five days before another pregnant woman was made to travel 40 miles to give birth because the same hospital turned her away.

Barbara Job, 25, from Peterborough, had to make the journey to Leicester on September 25 because the hospital did not have enough midwives.

The NHS is in the midst of a midwifery crisis, with nearly 300 more staff leaving the health service than joined it last year, latest statistics show.

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) says members are 'at the end of their tether' and 'physically and emotionally burnt out'.

Writing on social media, Miss McKinney said: 'Peterborough hospital seriously let us down.

'When we called to say we were on our way, we were told that we couldn't come in to give birth because they were closed.

'They had no contingency plan and left us waiting for around 40 minutes before calling back to say that the only hospital that could take us in was Leicester.

'Well we didn't make it very far and Persy was born in the living room on the sofa.'

While they were waiting for the hospital to get back, Mr Blackman  who acted as a makeshift midwife  called paramedics who helped advise them through the procedure.

The paramedics arrived minutes after the birth and took the couple and their newborn son to Hinchingbrooke Hospital, where they were cared for.

Miss McKinney said: 'I am still in shock about how the night panned out and the fact that Peterborough hospital showed such little care and support to someone giving birth.

'Thinking it's acceptable to tell us to drive nearly an hour to a hospital when I am saying I need to push. And then ignoring multiple calls from the paramedics too.'

She added: 'For a night that turned into my worst nightmare, we have got the most perfect and healthy baby out of it.

'We now just need to come to terms with everything as it doesn't quiet feel real what happened.'

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust said it was sorry to hear the birth did not go to plan.

Chief nurse Jo Bennis told the BBC: 'The safety of babies and parents is an absolute priority for us, and occasionally it is sometimes necessary to ask mothers to use alternative maternity units should ours reach capacity.'
Pfizer has partnered with Marvel to create a comic book to urge people to get their Covid booster vaccines and be an 'everyday hero'.

The PR stunt comes amid a sluggish autumn jab rollout that has seen less than one in 20 eligible Americans receive their Omicron-specific shot.

Pfizer is also pushing for its new bivalent booster vaccine to be approved for children aged five to 11.

The plot of the new comic centers around a grandfather waiting for his jab at a clinic that comes under attack by the Avengers villain Ultron.

Ultron  a maniacal robot that constantly evolves and comes back stronger  is used to represent Covid, which is constantly mutating into new strains.

Captain America arrives at the scene and is pushed to the brink of defeat before Iron Man  who is supposed to represent Pfizer's new jab  arrives with a brand-new cannon that blasts Ultron into the sky.

The grandfather tells the reader that even superheroes have to keep 'adapting' to fight off Ultron  a clear reference to the updated vaccines.

Pfizer said the comic book has been released to encourage people to 'protect themselves' by 'staying up to date' with their Covid jabs.

It comes as officials plead with Americans over 50 years old to get their second booster jabs.

Just 7.6million Americans have got the new bivalent vaccine that works better against the dominant Omicron subvariants so far.

Pfizer has released a Marvel-themed story to explain how its Covid vaccine works. It features a grandfather and his family who get a Covid vaccine (bottom), the Avengers who represent the Covid vaccines (middle) and Ironman (in red, shown above) who represents the new Covid vaccine, and Ultron (top left) who represents Covid's evolution

The comic ends with the grandpa smiling after recieiving his updated booster vaccine, with the Avengers in the background being cheered by crowds

Publishing the comic book yesterday, Pfizer said: 'When Ultron wreaks havoc, the Avengers act as the first line of defense.

'People can help protect themselves by staying up to date with Covid vaccinations.'

The comic be viewed online on the Marvel website. It is not clear how much Pfizer paid for the promotion.

The story begins with a grandfather waiting at a Covid vaccine clinic with his family when a news alert flashes on the television screen that Ultron has returned.

How a fresh Covid surge in the UK could be a warning to the US An autumn Covid resurgence in the UK has fueled concerns that the US could be on course for another wave. Officials are pleading for people to get the new Omicron-specific booster as figures show just four per cent of eligible Americans have taken up the offer. Covid cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been trending downwards in the US for months after the last wave peaked in August. But an uptick in the UK has been blamed on new Omicron subvariants that are feared to be more resistant to immunity than their predecessors. Hospitalizations there have risen 23 per cent in a month to 7,024 people on wards while cases are also up 12 per cent in a week. The US' Covid situation has mirrored Britain's several times in the past  inthe Alpha wave it followed the surge two weeks later on October 14, and in the Omicron wave it also followed about two weeks later on December 13. UK scientists are particularly worried about subvariants BA.2.75.2 and BQ1.1 which are both better at evading immunity. Only BA.2.75.2 is known in the US, where its cases are now rising. The current dominant Omicron variant  BA.5  took just six weeks to become the main type in the UK, before becoming dominant in the US about two weeks later. However, new waves are not expected to reach the crisis level seen earlier in the pandemic because Omicron strains are milder, and far many more people have immunity now thanks to vaccines and previous infections. Advertisement

Explaining how the villain mirrors Covid, the grandfather says he 'keeps changing and evolving' so the Avengers  who represent Pfizer's jabs  'keep adapting and re-strategising'.

The comic book then shows the Avengers  who mirror each of Pfizer's shots  doing battle with Ultron.

But they struggle to beat him  because he has 'evolved'  leading to the fight coming to just outside the vaccine clinic.

But in the nick of time Ironman  who represents the updated booster shot  arrives and blasts Ultron into space using an 'ionized energy cannon'.

Ironman then comes to the clinic and tells the grandfather that he 'looks good' and that retirement agrees with him.

When the grandfather asks if the Avengers will retire, Ironman says: 'We're just getting started'.

After the battle, the grandfather is then called for his Covid vaccine, and later is shown smiling with a plaster on his left arm indicating that he has had the vaccine.

At the end we see builders, nurses, window cleaners, students and a grandmother with the slogan: 'Everyday heroes don't wear capes!

'But they do wear a small bandage on their upper arm after they get their latest Covid vaccination  because everyday heroes are concerned about their health.'

America lags behind most other western countries in its Covid vaccine roll out with just 67 per cent of people having turned up for their first two doses.

It began rolling out updated booster shots this September, which can protect against Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.

All over-12s who have received at least the first two doses of the Covid vaccine are eligible.

But uptake has been sluggish, with just 7.6million out of the 215million eligible having got the jab more than a month since the roll out began.

Controversy was sparked over the Covid vaccine drive when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) extended eligibility to children who are six months old.

Many experts cautioned against the move at the time, saying children face a very low risk from the virus and warned it could interfere with other inoculations they need such as against polio or measles.

There is also now a prevailing sense that the Covid pandemic has come to an end, after President Joe Biden declared it was over on television last month.

He has since attempted to walk back from his words, but many are still under the impression that Covid no longer poses a threat.

The grandpa is shown waiting at a clinic for his Covid vaccine with his family when a newsflash comes on warning over Ultron  or Omicron

Ultron does battle with the Avengers, who represent Pfizer's Covid vaccines. They initially struggle to defeat him

But then Iron Man returns with an ion cannon and blasts Ultron back into space. The cannon mirrors the updated bivalent booster jab

These graphs show the number of updated Pfizer and Moderna shots in vaccine clinics (right) and the number that have been administered into people's arms (left)

The US launches a flu and Covid booster program every year in the hope of heading off pressure on hospitals during the winter months.

It comes after an autumn Covid resurgence in the UK began to fuel concerns that the US could be on course for another wave.

Covid cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been trending downwards in America for months after the last wave peaked in August.

But an uptick in the UK has been blamed on new Omicron subvariants that are feared to be more resistant to immunity than their predecessors.

Hospitalizations there have risen 23 per cent in a month to 7,024 people on wards while cases are also up 12 per cent in a week.

The US' Covid situation has mirrored Britain's several times in the past  inthe Alpha wave it followed the surge two weeks later on October 14, and in the Omicron wave it also followed about two weeks later on December 13.

UK scientists are particularly worried about subvariants BA.2.75.2 and BQ1.1 which are both better at evading immunity. Only BA.2.75.2 is known in the US, where its cases are now rising.

The current dominant Omicron variant  BA.5  took just six weeks to become the main type in the UK, before becoming dominant in the US about two weeks later.

Warning over the link to Covid cases across the pond, infectious diseases expert at Yale University Dr Scott Roberts told DailyMail.com: 'As a general pattern, what we've seen is the US seems to lag behind the UK by two to three weeks.

'Whenever cases go up in the UK that definitely concerns me, and I would not be surprised if the US followed a similar pattern.

'That has happened with several prior waves. [For example], in the Alpha and Delta waves we saw a spike in the UK and a lot of regions of Europe shortly before in the United States.'

Official data shows Alpha sent cases surging in the UK about October 1, and in the US they followed two weeks later on October 14.

This was the same with the Omicron wave when cases in the UK jumped from the end of November, following a fortnight later in the US.

With Delta the US rise began around July 8, about four weeks after a similar surge began in the UK.
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The number of hospital beds in England occupied by Covid-infected patients has climbed to its highest level for two months, in another sign of the virus's resurgence.

NHS England's most up-to-date data shows there were 9,631 infected people needing treatment as of yesterday. This was up 37 per cent from the 7,024 logged just a week earlier and represents the highest figure since August 3.

However, experts have argued the jump is mainly being driven by so-called 'incidental' cases, where patients are admitted for another illness  such as a broken leg or a heart attack  and later test positive.

Patient numbers topped 14,000 in mid-July at the peak of the wave of infections caused by the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the virus.

They had been falling steadily until mid-September but have since started to creep up again, prompting some to declare it the start of the inevitable winter wave.

A total of 9,631 people with coronavirus were in hospital as of 8am on October 5, according to NHS England. This is up 37 per cent from 7,024 a week earlier and is the highest figure since August 3. Graph shows: Number of Covid patients in hospital (blue line) compared to number there primarily because of the virus (red line)

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

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

Return of the mask! NHS trusts bring back face coverings 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. Advertisement

Ministers have made no hint that any return of pandemic-era curbs are on the horizon, even in the face of soaring cases.

But some academics have already called for a widespread return of masks in public settings, in order to thwart the spread of the virus this winter.

MailOnline yesterday revealed that at least five hospital trusts in Suffolk, Essex and Gloucestershire have brought back mask requirements due to the uptick. Others have even reimposed social distancing guidelines, in scenes reminiscent of the earliest days of the pandemic.

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.

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.

Coronavirus hospital data is currently published once a week on a Thursday.

The latest figures show all regions are recording a steady rise in patients, with three regions back to levels last seen in late July.

South West England currently has 1,003 patients who have tested positive for Covid, not far below its peak during the BA.4/BA.5 wave of 1,229.

South East England has 1,553 patients, compared with its summer peak of 1,985, while eastern England has 1,064, compared with a summer peak of 1,432.

Graph shows: Total number of patients in hospital who have Covid in England each day up to September 26

Graph shows: Total number of Covid patients admitted to hospital in England each day up to September 26

Graph shows: Total number of Covid patients on ventilation beds in hospitals in England each day up to September 26

All numbers remain well below those reached during the early waves of the pandemic, however.

Although two-thirds of Covid patients in hospital are being treated primarily for something else, they still need to be isolated  putting extra pressure on staff already struggling to clear a record backlog of treatment.

Experts claimed the high proportion of incidentals is caused by transmission in hospitals and generally increasing Covid cases in the community.

Professor Christina Pagel, a mathematician at University College London and member of Independent Sage, said on Twitter: 'Hospital admissions continuing to go up in England  33 per cent increase over last week. Daily admissions back well over 1,000 a day.

'Rising in all regions but fastest in East of England, North East & South East. South West remains high and London lowest by far. Not sure why.

'Both admissions directly because of Covid and where Covid is secondary issue are rising fast, but incidental admissions more so.

'A sign of fast community spread and high in hospital transmission.'

Figures published last week by the Office for National Statistics suggested that infections are on an upwards trend in England.

The number of people in private households testing positive for coronavirus in the week to September 17 was 857,400, or about one in 65  up from 766,500, or one in 70, in the seven days to September 14.

Infections in England peaked at 3.1 million during the summer BA.4/BA.5 wave.

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.
At least 66 clinics in 15 states have stopped providing abortions since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, according to an analysis.

The number of clinics providing the procedure in the states dropped from 79 on June 24, the day of the decision, to 13 on October 2, the Guttmacher Institute found.

Each of the 13 remaining clinics are in Georgia. The Peach state bans the procedure after the sixth week of pregnancy.

Abortion rights across America were thrown into chaos after the Supreme Court's decision on Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization in June.

The high court ruled that the federal right to an abortion was not recognized in the constitution, overturning the landmark Roe ruling in 1973.

Upon the decision, trigger laws banning or restricting the procedure went into effect in over a dozen states.

There are restrictions or an outright ban on abortion in 16 US states. In five others, potential abortions blocks are being blocked by state courts. One state was not included in the Guttmacher report.

Abortion is restricted or outright banned in 16 US red states, largely concentrated in the US south

'Much more research will need to be conducted to grasp the full extent of the chaos, confusion and harm that the US Supreme Court has unleashed on people needing abortion,' said Rachel Jones, a Guttmacher researcher.

'But the picture that is starting to emerge should alarm anyone who supports reproductive freedom and the right to bodily autonomy.'

The new report does not include data on hospitals and physician offices that provided abortion and stopped them after the court ruling.

Jones noted that clinics provide most US abortions, including procedures and dispensing abortion medication.

What was the June SCOTUS decision about and what does it mean for abortion access? Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization considered whether states can ban abortion before viability, the point at which survival is possible outside the womb, around 22 to 24 weeks of pregnancy. The case comes from a blocked 2018 Mississippi law banning procedures after 15 weeks, which abortion rights proponents argued blatantly violated the 'viability' standard handed down with the 1992 case Planned Parenthood v Casey. When the court overturned the 1973 Roe v Wade decision, justices returned power to police the procedure to the states. Now, every state has the authority to set their own laws for abortion access. Abortion is now fully banned in over a dozen states with many others setting gestation limits. Advertisement

Recent Guttmacher, a New York-based abortion rights group, data show just over half of US abortions are done with medication.

Nationally, there were more than 800 abortion clinics in 2020, the institute said.

Abortion rights activists believe the Roe ruling will not change the raw number of the procedures performed each year.

Instead, they fear women in states with restrictions will have to travel long-ways across the country to a place where it is allowed.

There are also concerns women who cannot access to procedure legally will turn to dangerous 'back-alley' procedures.

Before the Roe ruling, an estimated 200 women died every year from complications caused by unsanctioned abortions, experts warn.

States without abortion providers are concentrated in the South.

In some of those places, many women seeking abortions would need to travel so far that the journey will be impossible, Jones said.

Dr Jeanne Corwin, who provides abortions in Indiana and Ohio, said clinic closures 'will result in immeasurable harm to women's physical health, mental health and financial health.

In several states, access is under threat because bans were put on hold only temporarily by court injunctions.

These include Indiana, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming.

'It is precarious from a medical standpoint and certainly from a business standpoint,' said Dr Katie McHugh, an OB-GYN who provides abortions in Indiana.

'It's difficult to keep the doors open and the lights on when you dont know if youre going to be a felon tomorrow.'

Planned Parenthood, one of the largest reproductive health non-profits in the US is launching mobile abortion clinics to alleviate access barriers.

It announced a first mobile clinic to be launched in southern Illinois in the coming weeks.

The abortion truck will stay within the borders of the Prairie state, but close to the border with Missouri and Kentucky - which both have significant restrictions in place.

It hopes to minimize travel time for women in the two states hoping to get the procedure.
Scientists warned the sharp rise was likely down to lockdowns weakening immunity among children

The level was comparable only to December in previous years, when it has also crossed the 50 per cent mark

Record number of tests on inpatients under 18 years old picked up a common virus in August last year

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More children and young people are being hospitalized with colds and respiratory problems than ever after the Covid pandemic, official data suggests.

Experts have repeatedly warned lockdowns and measures used to contain Covid like face masks also suppressed the spread of germs which are crucial for building a strong immune system in children.

A retrospective report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today showed levels of common cold viruses hit their highest level ever among under-18s in August 2021.

The CDC samples random pediatric hospitals across the US and makes national estimates to gauge how prevalent viruses are.

There were nearly 700 children in hospital sick with a respiratory virus across the seven wards studied in August last year, of which just over half had tested positive for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) - which is normally benign.

This was the highest levels ever recorded in summer, and came off the back of a year and a half of brutal pandemic restrictions forcing many to stay indoors.

The record all-time high is in December, when 60 per cent of children on wards with respiratory illnesses were infected with RSV.

While the report only looked at August 2021, separate data from the CDC indicates that hospital visits for children under four years old with respiratory problems may be getting worse.

In the week ending September 18 this year, of all emergency department visits for toddlers 4.7 per cent were for breathing difficulties across the US  a record high.

Dr Scott Roberts, a medical director at Yale University, today told DailyMail.com that lockdowns robbed children of the chance to build up immunity to common bugs.

The above shows the proportion of ER visits among children aged 5 to 14 years that were due to reactive respiratory disease / asthma. It reveals that there has been an uptick as well, but that this is similar to periods before the pandemic

The above graph shows the number of children less than 18 years old who were admitted to seven hospitals in the US for respiratory illnesses, which were taken to be nationally representative (grey bars). Each was then tested for respiratory viruses, with their results shown by the lines. Data showed infections of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV, black line) hit their highest level ever in summer during last August (red circle). The red arrows show the other August's on the graph

The above graph shows the proportion of ER visits among children aged 0 to 4 years that were due to reactive respiratory disease / asthma  a term for cases where children suffer a severe cough. It shows that during 2021 the proportion hit its highest level since records began

The record rise was revealed today in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the country's premier publication on infectious diseases and healthcare.

Scientists monitored seven hospitals in the US for the number of children who had been admitted for respiratory illnesses. These hospitals were in seven states including Washington, Texas, New York and Ohio.

All participants had at least one symptom of a respiratory disease including a cough, earache, runny nose, sore throat and shortness of breath.

Each was then tested to determine which disease they had been infected with. This does not necessarily mean that they had been hospitalized because of this disease.

The report does not include data for the rest of 2021 or into this year.

Firearm suicides rose to 30-year high in 2021 during the second year of the pandemic, CDC report finds Firearm suicides skyrocketed in 2021 to their highest rate in over 30 years, an alarming trend that coincided with the global Covid pandemic. More than 26,000 Americans killed themselves using a gun in 2021, according to provisional federal data - or 55 per cent of all suicides. That marks the highest rate since 1990. Suicides overall have increased over the past decade across age groups including teens. And the rate of teen suicides caused by guns remains high. About 44 per cent of suicide deaths in the 14 to 18-year-old age group were caused by guns between 2015 and 2020. Suicides overall rebounded last year for the first time in two years, with roughly 48,000 Americans taking their own life. It is feared to be an early sign of the economically brutal effects of lockdowns and pandemic restrictions. Advertisement

Data showed that among the nearly 700 who were hospitalized with respiratory illnesses in August 2021 nearly 55 per cent tested positive for RSV.

Of the 450 that were moved to emergency departments, nearly 35 per cent had RSV.

This level was also comparable to the winter months when more than 30 per cent of patients regularly have the virus.

But in summer  when the data is from  this was usually at a much lower level.

Common respiratory viruses were virtually absent during the Covid pandemic as restrictions  such as face masks and stay-at-home orders  stopped them from spreading.

The ever-present COVID-19 also interfered with the ability of the annual virus to spread, as a person already infected with it was unlikely to also catch the flu.

But as society returned to normal they began to spread again and rapidly.

The knock-on effect appears to be a worrying wide in hospitalizations with common respiratory diseases.

Dr Roberts told DailyMail.com that lockdowns resulted in up to two years where children may not have been exposed to common respiratory viruses.

'There are two implications to this,' he said.

'First, the gap gives time for the viruses to mutate even further to cause more severe disease.

'And second, whatever immunity was built up to those viruses' it will have waned making the immune response now much less potent.

Dr Roberts also told DailyMail.com how his son, who has just turned two years old, was now repeatedly coming home with infections after starting daycare.

'We were pretty sheltered during the pandemic,' he said.

'But now my son has just started daycare and he is getting constant infections.'

There are also some concerns now over pediatric hospitals rapidly filling up with children ill with respiratory diseases over September, much earlier than normally occurs.

It is worrying experts about the winter, when these viruses normally spread, as it suggests there could be another wave of hospitalizations.

A separate study also published in the MMWR today also points to this risk.

After trawling national databases it found that out of the children surveyed, hospitalizations hit their highest level in mid-September for respiratory illnesses compared to the previous four years for 0 to 4-year-olds.

The previous record was set in the penultimate week of September 2019, when 4.3 per cent of babies and toddlers in emergency wards had tested positive for the respiratory illness.

No record-breaking surge was recorded among 5 to 17-year-olds, however, with admissions for respiratory diseases being similar to the two years before the Covid pandemic struck.

Latest data showed that in September they made up around 35 per cent of admissions to emergency departments, below the level for the same period in 2018 where they made up nearer 40 per cent.

In their paper, the scientists suggested enteroviruses  another common respiratory illness  may be behind the surge in young children.

They said: 'This rise might be attributable, in part, to increased [enterovirus] circulation and specifically circulation of EV-D68.

'Ongoing surveillance is necessary to understand when and where future circulation and EV-D68associated severe illness might occur, given the potential changes in virus circulation and population immunity related to COVID-19 mitigation measures.'

Firearm suicides skyrocketed in 2021 to their highest rate in over 30 years, an alarming trend that coincided with the global Covid pandemic

No data was provided on what treatments the patients got, or how long they remained in hospital.

Only last month the CDC warned over rising infections with enterovirus. It called on clinicians to be on the look out for cases and request tests from the CDC if needed.

It comes after separate CDC data today found firearm suicides skyrocketed in 2021 to their highest rate in over 30 years, an alarming trend that coincided with the global Covid pandemic.

More than 26,000 Americans killed themselves using a gun in 2021 - or 55 per cent of all suicides. That marks the highest rate since 1990.

Suicides overall have increased over the past decade across age groups including teens. And the rate of teen suicides caused by guns remains high.

About 44 per cent of suicide deaths in the 14 to 18-year-old age group were caused by guns between 2015 and 2020.

Suicides overall rebounded last year for the first time in two years, with roughly 48,000 Americans taking their own life.

It is feared to be an early sign of the economically brutal effects of lockdowns and pandemic restrictions.
At least 2.6million US children are hooked on e-cigarettes, according to damning new figures that reverse a downward trend in recent years.

The rebound comes amid the rise of new, brightly-colored disposable devices that contain as much nicotine as 50 traditionally cigarettes.

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today found 2.55 million middle or high schoolers had used the device within the past 30 days.

That marks a jump of 500,000, or of 24 per cent, from 2021. It is the first increase since the CDC started gathering annual data in 2019.

Super-strength disposable devices  like Elf bars  were the most common type of device used (55 per cent).

The vast majority of children (85 per cent) had used flavored e-cigarettes that federal regulators have cracked down on in recent years amid concerns they are purposefully marketing themselves to children.

They are often sold in glossy displays and come in a variety of colours and child-friendly names and flavors, such as bubble-gum, jelly babies and strawberry milkshake.

The marketing of the devices has been linked to alcopops, alcoholic drinks sold in bright neon-colors which are ultra sweet or fruit flavored.

More than 2.5 million US children use e-cigarettes - rising a half-million from last year and reversing downward trends in recent years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) reports that 2.55 million Americans in middle or high school admit using the device in the past 30 days. It is a jump of 500,000, or of 24 per cent, from 2021. It is the first increase since the CDC started gathering annual data in 2019

Although widely viewed as safer than smoking, the long-term effects of vaping remain a mystery and doctors fear there could be a wave of lung disease, dental issues and even cancer in the coming decades in people who took up the habit at a young age.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VAPING What are e-cigarettes? E-cigarettes are devices that allow you to inhale nicotine in a vapor rather than smoke. They do not burn tobacco or produce tar or carbon monoxide  two of the most harmful parts of tobacco smoke. The devices work by heating liquid that contains nicotine and flavorings. They can come as vape pens  which are shaped like a pen or small tube with a tank to store e-liquid and batteries  or pod systems that are rechargeable and often shaped like USB sticks. Are they dangerous? E-cigarettes are not risk-free but are believed to cause less harm than smoking. However, its liquid and vapor contain harmful chemicals that are also found in traditional cigarettes, but it much lower levels. These chemicals have been linked to lung inflammation, chronic coughs, shortness of breath and lung disease. Some chronic users have developed obstructions in their lung pathways that cause them to suffer 'asthma-like' symptoms. There have also been cases of e-cigarettes exploding or catching fire. Can children buy them? Like cigarettes, an American must be at least 21 years old to purchase a vape. Many physical retail locations neglect to check identification for customers, allowing children to access the devices. Around 75 per cent of Juuls in the hands of minors in the US came from physical locations, a 2018 report found. Many also get the device from a friend or family member. What has the FDA done to curb vape use? The FDA has banned the sale of flavored nicotine products in the US unless a company has received their expressed approval. All products sold by e-cigarette giant Juul were ordered to be pulled from the market in June under these new rules It found that there was not enough evidence to confirm its products did not harm public health. However, the FDA then paused its decision in July while it carries out an additional review on the company's products. Other popular brands, like Puff Bar, have received warnings from regulators about the sale of flavored devices as well. Advertisement

DailyMail.com has previously spoken to teenagers who have developed regular coughing fits and have to use inhalers to breathe properly after just a year of regular e-cigarette use.

Others say because the devices don't have any of the nasty drawbacks seen with standard cigarettes  such as a bad smell and after-taste  they can smoke them all day long.

The CDC published its findings Thursday as part of the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey.

Overall 14 per cent of high schoolers and three per cent of middle schoolers were estimated to be using the devices regularly.

It represents the first year-on-year increase in e-cigarette use among US youth since 2019. Just over two million reported use in 2021.

But the current estimates are still significantly lower than the 5.4 million users in middle and high school in 2019.

Still, officials worry that the recent increases in prevalence of the devices spells out a long-term issue.

Dr Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of CDC's Office on Smoking and Health, said: 'This study shows that our nation's youth continue to be enticed and hooked by an expanding variety of e-cigarette brands delivering flavored nicotine.'

'Our work is far from over. It's critical that we work together to prevent youth from starting to use any tobacco product - including e-cigarettes - and help all youth who do use them, to quit.'

The report found that 84.9 per cent of those who reported regular use of the devices were using flavored e-cigarette flavors.

Earlier this year, the FDA banned fruit and mint flavored e-cigarette devices.

To stay on the market, each company was forced to apply individually to allow their products to remain on shelves.

Juul Labs, whose products became the face of the dangerous underage smoking trend after they shot to popularity in the 2010s, had its application rejected by the FDA in June.

The devices were temporarily pulled from shelves before the FDA issued a stay on its decision to give the agency time to review more scientific evidence.

'Adolescent e-cigarette use in the United States remains at concerning levels, and poses a serious public health risk to our nation's youth,' said Dr Brian King, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said in a statement.

'Protecting our nation's youth from the dangers of tobacco products including e-cigarettesremains among the FDA's highest priorities.'

Among users, 27.6 per cent said that they puffed on their e-cigarette each day. Just over 40 per cent reported using it at least 20 or more of the last 30 days.

The FDA issued a warning to to EVO Brands LLC and PVG2, which operate under the brand Puff Bar on Thursday.

The firms are alleged to be selling the devices in the US without authorization from regulators.

They have three weeks to respond to the FDA.

'Congress gave the FDA authority to hold manufacturers and retailers who violate the law accountable,' Dr Brian King, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said in a statement.

'FDA is actively working to identify violations and to swiftly seek corrective actions, particularly for products popular among youth.

'We will use all compliance and enforcement tools available to us, as appropriate, to protect our nation's youth.'

The CDC report found that a vast majority, nearly 85 per cent of teen e-cigarette users, report using flavored nicotine products. The FDA is cracking down on flavored tobacco products in an effort to reduce teen smoking rates in the US

The CDC found that more than one-in-four of the teen users reported using their e-cigarette each day, and another 40 per cent used it in at least 20 of the last 30 days

Experts are alarmed by the prevalence of nicotine use among young people in America.

Dr Panagis Galiatsatos, director of the Tobacco Treatment Clinic at John's Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, told DailyMail.com last month that these devices could fuel a future health crisis.

'The lungs are still growing [in younger age groups],' he explained.

'Your lungs really continue rolling up until about the age of 35. So if you're introducing things that are causing pulmonary symptoms that early, you're setting up to be chronic patients.

'Maybe there's a reversibility to it, if we can get them off the products, but if they continue to use it we're looking at a permanent damage that may be irreversible.'

Many are unaware of the dangers of the devices.

The FDA has cracked down on the sale of flavored e-cigarette devices in recent years. Regulators banned them earlier this year and forced companies to individually re-apply for authorization to sell flavored nicotine. Pictured: A shop line-up of e-cigarettes in Raleigh, North Carolina

The FDA issued a warning to Puff Bar disposable e-cigs for selling its products without regulatory authorization

While use of e-cigarettes has not been linked to cancer in the same way that cigarettes have, Galiatsatos warns that other conditions like 'popcorn lung', COPD and asthma could strike frequent vapers.

'There are plenty of other scary non cancer things that can happen to the lungs when you introduce noxious chemicals,' he explained.

'That should always gain our concern. Right? Chronic lung diseases are a top three causes of global deaths around the world.'

The Biden administration has targeted flavored tobacco and nicotine over the past two years.

In addition to the flavored-vape ban, the FDA also restricted sales of menthol cigarettes earlier this year.
Alcoholic drinks labelled as low sugar are misleading women into thinking they are healthy, a study suggests.

Researchers say claims on packaging create a 'health halo' effect with consumers wrongly believing they contain less alcohol than regular alcoholic drinks.

Drinkers were less likely to moderate their intake or adjust how much they ate or exercised to compensate for the additional calories, the research suggests.

Obesity experts have called for full calorie labelling to let consumers make informed choices.

Excess alcohol consumption can increase the risk of weight gain and chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

But scientists believe many people misjudge the number of calories in drinks, with alcohol significantly contributing to the obesity crisis.

Scientists from the University of Melbourne recruited more than 500 women to test their perceptions of products claiming to be low sugar. Half were shown images of pre-mixed drinks with a low sugar or similar claim (pictured)

The other half of participants looked at identical 'regular' alcoholic drinks (pictured). They were then asked to rate the drinks from 1 to 7 on a series of questions about their overall healthiness

How much alcohol is too much? To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level, the NHS advises men and women not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week. A unit of alcohol is 8g or 10ml of pure alcohol, which is about: half a pint of lower to normal-strength lager/beer/cider (ABV 3.6%) a single small shot measure (25ml) of spirits (25ml, ABV 40%) A small glass (125ml, ABV 12%) of wine contains about 1.5 units of alcohol. But the NHS warns the risk to your health is increased by drinking any amount of alcohol on a regular basis. Short-term risks include injury, violent behaviour and alcohol poisoning. Long-term risks include heart and liver disease, strokes, as well as liver, bowel, moth and breast cancer. People who drink as much as 14 units a week are advised to spread it evenly over three or more days, rather than binge drinking. Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant are advised not to drink to reduce risks for the baby. Source: NHS Advertisement

Scientists from the University of Melbourne recruited more than 500 women to test their perceptions of products claiming to be low sugar.

Half were shown images of pre-mixed drinks with a low sugar or similar claim and the other half looked at identical 'regular' products.

They were then asked to rate the drinks from 1 to 7 on a series of questions about their overall healthiness.

Products with low sugar claims were rated as significantly lower in sugar, less harmful to health and more suitable for weight management, although there was no evidence to support the claims.

Despite participants being informed that all products were of an equivalent alcohol content, those with low sugar claims were rated as considerably lower in alcohol, according to the findings published in in the journal Alcohol & Alcoholism.

The authors said: 'Such claims have the potential to create a "health halo'" misleading consumers to perceive products displaying them as healthier than other options, which may increase consumption.

'Our findings demonstrate that low sugar claims on alcohol products can be misleading and support policy options to prohibit such claims on alcohol products and/or counter their effects, for example via health warning labels and/or mandatory energy labelling.'

Participants were asked questions such as: If you drank this product next time you were drinking alcohol, how likely are you to.

'A. Eat less than usual in one or more meals to make up for the kilojoules/calories in this drink?

'B. Exercise more than usual to make up for the calories in this drink

'C. Eat low calorie, low fat, or low sugar foods in one or more meals to make up for the calories in this drink?'

Those who viewed low sugar claims were significantly less likely to eat less or exercise more compared to those viewing regular drinks, researchers found.

While most UK pubs and restaurants include calorie counts on menus since April, successive governments have so far allowed the alcohol industry to evade regulations.

A recent UK survey of 369 alcohol products conducted by the Alcohol Health Alliance found just six per cent displayed the sugar content of their drinks, while four in ten put calorie information on the bottle or can.

Professor Emma Boyland, of the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO), said one of the issues with alcohol is that it contains 'empty calories' as they do not lead to satiety  feeling full.

It can also act as a stimulant and lead to poor judgement  leading people to drink and eat more of the wrong kids of food.

Commenting on the research presented at this year's International Congress on Obesity in Melbourne, she said clearer nutritional labelling was needed.

She said: 'The findings suggest the claims are misleading people because it implies an overall healthiness of the product and people are not able to judge in any informed way.

'If you're being led to believe that it's actually healthier than it is, then that's exacerbating an existing problem around how we quantify and consider the role of those products in maintaining a healthy weight.'
Pharmaceutical giant Novartis is reporting shortages of the ADHD medication Adderall as a nationwide shortage of the medication continues to worsen.

Supply issues have been brewing since the summer when patients began having trouble getting their prescriptions filled at their local retail pharmacies.

Seven pharmaceutical companies, including Novartis Sandoz, have reported shortages of both immediate release and extended release generic Adderall

The drug is an amphetamine used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Teva Pharmaceuticals, America's leading producer of both name brand and generic versions of the drug, reported shortages of all doses of the generic medications.

This severely affects the roughly 2.5 million Americans who rely on medication such as Adderall to manage their ADHD. An estimated 8.4 per cent of children and 2.5 per cent of adults have ADHD, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Havoc wreaked on the supply chain during the Covid pandemic, which caused shortages of many essentials ranging from toilet paper to baby formula, also affected pharmacists' ability to fill prescriptions.

ADHD is most commonly diagnosed in children but prescriptions in young adults have exploded in recent years, in part due to the rise of tele-prescribers like Cerebral and Done Health.

Seven pharmaceutical companies including Novartis and Teva have reported shortages of both extended release and immediate release Adderall and its generic.

ADHD Diagnoses are most common in school-age children who will appear to have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors , or be overly active.

Matt Blanchette, senior manager of retail communications at CVS Health told DailyMail.com, 'Were aware of intermittent shortages of generic amphetamine medication in the supply chain and our pharmacists will work with patients who are prescribed this medication as needed.'

Meanwhile, Walgreens' senior director of external relations Fraser Engerman said: 'our teams continue to work with our supplier and distribution partners in an effort to help meet patient demand.'

He added, 'We have seen some intermittent supply issues with the generic form of this drug and additional questions about availability should be directed to the drugs manufacturers.'

Small pharmacies are also struggling to keep up with demand.

In a national survey by the National Community Pharmacists Association of about 360 independent pharmacies, 64 per cent reported a drug shortage in July and August.

ADHD is most often diagnosed in children and is characterized by impulsivity, inattentiveness, and/or hyperactivity so severe that it affects work and school.

What is Adderall and who does this shortage affect? Adderall and the generic version (amphetamine/dextroamphetamine salts) are used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy. The medication comes in a wide range of doses and in extended release and immediate release. Supplies of all of them are scarce. The American Psychiatric Association estimates that 8.4 per cent of children and 2.5 per cent of adults have ADHD. About 2.5 million Americans are prescribed such as Adderall to treat ADD/ADHD. Advertisement

Many of the millions of Americans who rely on a daily dose of Adderall or its generic have been sent into a panic when trying to fill their prescriptions.

For instance, a 37-year-old patient from New Jersey who has been on the medication for 12 years called 16 pharmacies over two days before learning it would be on backorder for two to three months, Vice reported.

The drug is meant to be a daily medication. Without it, people with ADHD have trouble completing daily tasks and finishing projects.

Prescriptions for the medication, which has an extremely high addiction potential and is often taken as a party drug, have soared in recent years.

Symphony Health reported prescriptions jumped from 15.5 million in 2009 to 41 million in 2021.

The explosion of prescriptions coincides with the rise of telehealth companies such as Cerebral and Done Health, which gained a foothold in the healthcare industry during the pandemic.

The companies have come under fire lately for overprescribing practices after former employees reported feeling pressure from higher ups to dole out the medication without adequate time to make a diagnosis.

In the face of scrutiny from the public and the Drug Enforcement Administration, Cerebral has stopped tele-prescribing many controlled substances, including for ADHD, but Done Health continues to do so.
This photo distributed by the North Korean government shows what it says is a test-fire of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea, March 24. Korea Times file



US will welcome its allies' military buildup



By Kang Seung-woo



North Korea's growing missile and nuclear threats are sparking an arms race in Northeast Asia, as each country in the region is scrambling to increase its own military capabilities.



Within less than two weeks, North Korea has conducted six rounds of missile tests that included the launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) capable of hitting the U.S. territory of Guam, showing off its advancing missile technology. In addition, it is believed to have fully prepared for a seventh nuclear test.



These provocative military acts are putting some neighboring countries and their allies on a high state of alert.



"The war in Ukraine means that North Korea will be able to test all sorts of weapons  hypersonic missiles, submarine-launched systems, nuclear weapons and of course ICBMs  and pay no penalty as Washington is distracted while Russia and China are unwilling to help," said Harry Kazianis, the president of Rogue States Project, a think tank.



"The Kim Jong-un regime will certainly test as much as they can during this unique time period, driving Washington and its allies to increase their own military capabilities. That means not only are we in for an arms race in Northeast Asia, but the stage is set for Japan and South Korea to actively consider developing and deploying their own nuclear weapons. We are far beyond a simple arms race at this point."



As Kazianis pointed out, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida conveyed his resolve to drastically strengthen Japan's defense capabilities during his phone talks with U.S. President Joe Biden, Tuesday, following Pyongyang's IRBM launch.






BOOK OF THE WEEK

Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries

edited by Alan Taylor (Canongate 25, 480 pp)

If Alan Rickman ever met or mingled with ordinary folk, he never recorded this in his diaries, which are an epic of name-dropping. Kiefer Sutherland says hello; Dan Day-Lewis jogs by, sweating; Terry Gilliam arrives with Johnny Depp; the first people I see are Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise; all of a sudden, there was Julia Roberts. When Rickman plays charades, Bette Midler keeps score.

I think my favourite moment in this book is when Sarah, Duchess of York, embraces Rickman in a lift. Eric! she squeals, having mistaken Rickman for Eric Idle, the camel-faced Python.

If he arrives at Montreal Airport, Charles Dance is there, a genuinely nice man. Rickman goes to the Savoy Grill with schoolmarmish Emma Thompson (a very easy, enjoyable meal), and as a New Labour supporter he attends Glenys Kinnocks birthday party and a charity auction, where John Prescott bid 3,500 for some Orwell first editions. Who knew?

If Alan Rickman (pictured) ever met or mingled with ordinary folk, he never recorded this in his diaries, which are an epic of name-dropping

Look closely, however, and Rickmans (pictured as Snape in Harry Potter) life was rather superficial and hellish, a flurry of pre-dawn calls and taxi rides, endless long-haul flights (27 in 1998 alone)

A copper-bottomed celebrity, Rickman, born into a working-class family in Acton, in 1946, is invited to spend luxurious weekends in Venice with the founders of Microsoft. He is always running the red-carpet gauntlet. I feel like Im walking around in a magazine, he sighs as he catches yet another transatlantic plane to New York or Los Angeles.

Look closely, however, and Rickmans life was rather superficial and hellish, a flurry of pre-dawn calls and taxi rides, endless long-haul flights (27 in 1998 alone), publicity junkets, launch parties and official receptions. He has appointments with accountants, lawyers, costume fitters, producers and directors, none of whom he much likes. He often complains about peoples fatal indecisions and non-involvement with others.

And the reader thinks, pot, kettle. Yet Rickman is genuinely stunned when Sean Mathias, trying to direct him in Shakespeare, finally demands, Would it hurt you to show some f***ing charm?

In her Foreword, Dame Thompson says Rickman was profoundly nurturing and imperturbably distant, temperamental and languid. We dont see much evidence of warmth or compassion.

Indeed, Rickman says he finds the obligations of friendship a chore and is exhausted by listening to peoples problems. Worrying about others is to become a personal launderette service. As his main pal is over-voluble Ruby Wax, you can see he has a point.

Temper and coldness, on the other hand, Rickman does sense in himself  he agrees how on film sets he can be difficult, temperamental, uncommunicative, sullen, sulky, brooding and prevaricating.

I sensed the surliness from his performances, and Rickman was best known for his villain in Die Hard, opposite Bruce Willis, and for playing Severus Snape in eight Harry Potter movies. I always cherish the panto Sheriff of Nottingham, in the Kevin Costner Robin Hood: Cancel the kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans, no more merciful beheadings, and call off Christmas, in his affected drawling goose honk of a voice.

He also created the role of Valmont on stage, in Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Juliet Stevenson told me it was like acting opposite a sponge, as Rickman sucked up every available drop of energy in a ten-mile radius.

He made films about Mesmer and Rasputin, and there were lots of things Id never heard of  Bottle Shock, Nobel Son, Snow Cake  but evidently enough wealth was coming Rickmans way to fund a flat in New York, a big Victorian place in Holland Park, a villa in Tuscany, and regular Caribbean and South African holidays. He was seated in a posh restaurant most nights.

But nothing was settled, peaceful. All was panic-stricken. Rickman is perpetually living in a building site, with workmen plastering, repairing cracks, dust everywhere.

He never stops wanting to move somewhere else, somewhere better. Whenever he takes possession of another home, fire alarms go off, pipes burst under the utility-room floor, and the electricity is shut off.

Work isnt calm or calming, either. Rickman fumes hes on call all day, and not needed. Or if he is pleased with how a scene went, itll be deleted in the editing. He is furious at the waste of his time and talent. The stealthy hand of the money men is in charge, not creativity. Most of the time, Rickman feels demeaned and soiled, is completely knackered by Hollywoods demands, the cold-shouldering mixed up with the kiss on the cheek.

Alcohol didnt relax him. The more that is consumed, the more the tensions appear  and what we have in these diaries is a man unwittingly destroying himself.

Rickman finds it impossible, or impossible for long, to change, discard, shed, rearrange, dilute, simplify his existence, as theres Kate Winslet (sweetness and steel) to see, Daniel Radcliffe to act opposite (I still dont think hes really an actor)

I think my favourite moment in this book is when Sarah, Duchess of York, embraces Rickman in a lift. Eric! she squeals, having mistaken Rickman for Eric Idle, the camel-faced Python

The late nights, bad meals at odd hours, room-service snacks, hang-overs and streaming colds; the jet lag, mounds of unopened mail, phones ringing incessantly; the ailing back and neck, stomach upsets, sweating, swellings, skin problems, vision and hearing issues: when cancer comes it is no surprise. Rickman, for some years, complains about being too rushed and says hes tired through to the bones. On and off planes continually, the body clock is whizzing, rewinding and whirring. He talks about this weird displacement of mind and body, and it is tragic to read of the way he kept promising himself tranquillity, solitude, time and space to be creative, clearing out the cupboards, literally and metaphorically.

But he finds it impossible, or impossible for long, to change, discard, shed, rearrange, dilute, simplify his existence, as theres Kate Winslet (sweetness and steel) to see, Daniel Radcliffe to act opposite (I still dont think hes really an actor) and Ewan McGregor to be put in his place (self-involved to a jaw-dropping degree).

There are many deaths in this book: Anthony Minghella, Dennis Potter, Bob Hoskins, Cilla Black, Richard Griffiths, Mel Smith, Heath Ledger, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rik Mayall. Rickman knew them all, of course.

Finally, it is Rickman who is operated on for prostate cancer and who then finds out he has inoperable pancreatic cancer. A different kind of diary now, he jots on July 14, 2015  blood tests, hospital appointments, chemotherapy sessions. He died on January 14, 2016.

This volume is a distillation of more than a million words, so what were the principles of selection? It is atrociously edited. We never quite know where we are or why, and not everyone is identified.

Join R & E & B at local Indian restaurant  theres much like that, utterly meaningless. Little, actually, is divulged or explained about the private side of things, either, e.g., Rickmans relationship with his partner, Rima Horton, whom he met as a teenager and didnt marry until 2012. There were no children.

What was he doing, going regularly to a New York sex club called The Box? I also hated the way, in footnotes, actresses are called actors. Princesses and heroines will be going next. I wont have it.
Sadiq Khan's controversial expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone to cover all of Greater London from next August will see two in five drivers in the capital opt for an electric car well ahead of the ban on new petrols and diesels, according to a new report.

It claims that 40 per cent of Londoners will consider ditching their vehicles with combustion engines for electric cars ahead of the zone's extension in less than 11 months.

This is despite recent leaks revealing that two thirds of locals opposed the Mayor's plans to expand the charging zone boundary to cover all 33 London boroughs next year.

Will ULEZ expansion force Londoners into EV switch sooner than the rest of the UK? New report claims that two in five drivers in the capital will buy an electric car next

Having only been extended to the North and South Circular Roads last October, Mr Khan is pushing ahead with increasing the size of the ULEZ from next year in his bid to reduce air pollution levels in the capital by targeting motorists.

The 29 August 2023 expansion will see the ULEZ grow more than four times its current size, stretching from Heathrow Airport to Upminster and Enfield to Biggin Hill to cover an area of 600 square miles.

Analysis shows it will see more than 3.5million additional people living within the ULEZ boundary, with the mayor's office estimating that an additional 135,000 vehicles will be affected.

This will put thousands of motorists in the difficult position of replacing their cars with ones that meet the zone's emission standards or face paying 12.50 every day they get behind the wheel of their existing motor.

The August expansion will see ULEZ grow more than four times its current size, stretching from Heathrow airport to Upminster and Enfield to Biggin Hill to cover an area of 600 square miles

And it appears that many drivers living within the extended ULEZ area will not opt to trade-in for a newer petrol or diesel motor and instead make the leap to a fully-electric vehicle instead.

Website Move Electric conducted interviews with 384 Greater London residents who own a car and found that the expansion could prompt 40 per cent to consider an electric vehicle as their next car.

This is despite most petrol cars built after 2006 and diesels from 2015 onwards being exempt from ULEZ, under the current rules.

With the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars scheduled for 2030, Move Electric says many drivers in the capital will be making the switch a full seven years earlier than they possibly need to.

Leaked documents seen by The Telegraph show that two thirds of Londoners opposed Mayor Khan's ULEZ expansion plans in public consultation that ended on 29 July

Its editor, James Attwood, said: 'The intent of ULEZ to deter drivers from using old, polluting vehicles and to decrease air pollution in the capital is clearly working as our research shows 39.8 per cent of car owners in Greater London could make the switch to electric if the zone was to expand further next year.

'Alongside expanding the ULEZ, it is important Londons boroughs, and the whole of the UK, is ready to meet widespread EV adoption, with sufficient electric vehicle public charging infrastructure, as well as ensuring more investment is made towards greener transport methods such as cycleways and electric buses.'

While Move Electric's own research, likely completely by drivers who already own or are invested in the idea of driving an EV, found that 42 per cent of motorists polled support the Mayor of Londons plans to expand the ULEZ boundary.

More than a quarter of car owners in Greater London told Move Electric their vehicle will not comply with ULEZ requirements, while another eight per cent were unsure whether their vehicle was compliant.

However, of those it surveyed who currently own a non-compliant vehicle that will be subject to the 12.50-a-day charge, 78 per cent said they do not support the suggested ULEZ expansion.

TfL estimates that the ULEZ extension will cost 200m in installing new signage and ANPR cameras. However, the larger zone is predicted to rake in an extra 1.7m per day

This revelation tallies more closely with leaked reports that more London residents have been opposed to the zone's extension than in favour, even when the proposals were put to public consultation by Sadiq Khan that closed on 29 July.

Is your vehicle ULEZ compliant? Below are the emission standards required to be exempt from the daily charge for different vehicle types: Petrol cars and vans: need to meet Euro 4 standards (vehicles post-2006) Diesel cars and vans: need to meet Euro 6 standards (vehicles post-2015) Motorbikes and mopeds: need to meet Euro 3 standards (post-2007 vehicles) If you're unsure about the emission standard of your vehicle, you can use the ULEZ registration look-up.

TfL consultation documents seen by The Telegraph show that 66 per cent of respondents voted against the plans.

Of these, almost 60 per cent were totally against the plans, while just over seven per cent wanted to expansion delayed.

The extension will come at a cost of around 200million to install new signage and cameras, TfL revealed earlier this year, though it will be raking around 1.7million extra per day, based on the mayor's office's estimations.

Many have called for the plans to be pushed back in light of the cost-of-living crisis, including Croydon Council, which put out a statement in opposition to the expansion in August.

During a time when so many of our residents are feeling the squeeze from increasing cost of living, it is concerning that they are faced with the prospect of a 12.50 ULEZ charge for a trip to the shops, said Jason Perry, Mayor of Croydon.

With global car production still restricted by supply shortages, industry experts have also warned that new vehicles might not be available for Londoners to buy and many will have to pay inflated prices to get their hands on cars.
Bosses on Thursday confirmed a fix for the problem - as well as resolving a separate airbag fault - to allow it to press ahead with global deliveries

Today has restarted production of the bZ4X electric family SUV on Thursday after fixing potential safety problems that had halted sales of the new battery-powered model for more than three months.

Japan's largest automaker recalled 2,700 bZ4Xs globally in June after discovering that there was a risk the car's wheels could come off entirely.

Of the vehicles affected, 260 were destined for the US market, 20 for Canada, 110 for Japan and 2,200 were earmarked for Europe - 500 of them for UK customers, the company said.

Customers in Britain had not yet taken delivery of their SUVs, which start from 43,780, with Toyota UK saying all models affected will be rectified before arriving.

Toyota's EV is production restarts: Japanese brand recalled 2,700 examples of the bZ4X back in June because of a risk wheels might loosen and potentially come off

A recall notice submitted to Japan's transport ministry by Toyota in June said that sharp turns and sudden braking could cause a hub bolt to loosen, raising the risk of a wheel coming off the vehicle.

The company will install an extra part to the bolt to secure it in place.

The automaker on Thursday said in a filing to the ministry that it would make sure hub bolts were replaced and properly tightened in new versions of the bZ4X ahead of deliveries.

Bosses at the Japanese brand said they hoped the efforts to resolve the issues would help restore the company's reputation for quality.

Japan's safety regulator said sharp turns and sudden braking could have caused a hub bolt to loosen, raising the risk of a wheel detaching from the vehicle

The company will install an extra part to the bolt to secure it in place. Bosses hope the efforts to resolve the issues will help restore the brand's reputation for quality

An issue with the curtain airbag was also identified by Toyota officials, with a faulty strap possibly causing injury to a driver if the airbag deploys. This fault has also been resolved

In addition, it said it had identified and fixed a separate potential problem with airbags in the car.

A faulty strap in the curtain-shield airbag in the bZ4X was identified as a possible cause of injury to the driver when the airbag deploys and said it will also fix this flaw under recall.

Toyota had not previously disclosed this problem.

Masahiko Maeda, Toyota's chief technology officer, told a briefing the automaker only became aware of the airbag issue in the last month or two.

'We apologise again for the concern, anxiety, and inconvenience we have caused to our customers, our dealers and our stakeholders,' Maeda said.

He declined to comment on how much the recall had cost.

Subaru, which is a fifth owned by Toyota, also had to recall units of the related Solterra model that it jointly developed with Toyota.

Code red: Those who have already ordered a bZ4X electric SUV have been assured their motors will not have the issue when they are delivered from later this year

What you need to know about the Toyota bZ4X

The bZ in its name is supposed to stand for 'beyond zero'  highlighting its green credentials.

How do we pronounce this 'bZ'? Buzz? It marks the start of Toyota's sub-brand for zero emission vehicles.

It's handy timing for a new electric car, as petrol prices are predicted to rise following the OPEC+ decision on Wednesday to reduce oil production by two million barrels per day and the energy price cap helps to limit the cost of domestic electricity bills.

Charging the plug-in Toyota SUV to 80 per cent takes 30 minutes and it has a range of between 257 and 317 miles depending on the model.

Will it fit in my garage? Toyota bZ4X Doors: 5 On sale: now Price: from 43,780 to 52,080 Propulsion: pure electric Emissions: Zero Length: 4,690mm Width: 1,860mm Height: 1,600mm Wheelbase: 2,640mm Battery: 71.4kWh Charging to 80%: 30 minutes Range: 257 to 317 miles 0 to 62mph: 6.9 seconds Top speed: 100mph

With a 71.4kWh battery, the all-wheel drive version with two electric motors developing 215bhp accelerates from rest to 62mph in 6.9 seconds.

The 201bhp front-wheel drive does it in 7.5 seconds. Top speed is limited to 100mph.

The new electric five-door SUV is priced from 43,780 for the front-wheel drive, base-level Pure trim - with the price increasing by over 1,800 in the last three months, likely as a result of the falling value of the pound against the Japanese Yen.

Customers who want all-wheel drive can pay up to 52,080 for the range-topping 'Vision' spec.

Trim dependent options include a panoramic roof (540), 20-inch alloy wheels (490) and metallic paint (from 600).

The bZ is supposed to stand for 'beyond zero'  highlighting its green credentials

The new electric five-door SUV is priced from 43,780 for the front-wheel drive and base-level Pure trim
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.
A quarter of Britons would consider accessing their pension pot cash earlier than planned amid the cost-of-living crisis, fresh research has revealed.

The number of pension pots accessed for the first time in 2021/22 jumped by 18 per cent to 705,666, against 596,080 the previous year, according to the UK's finance watchdog.

The overall value of money being withdrawn from pension pots rose to over 45billion in 2021/22, up from around 37billion in 2020/21, marking an increase of 22 per cent.

Drawdowns rose by 24 per cent and sales of annuities increased by 13 per cent to 60,383 in the last year. Uncrystallised funds pension lump sums saw the biggest increase, at 28 per cent.

Be careful: With more people accessing pension money early, pension scams are on the rise

Sadly, however, scammers are preying on people worried about money and whether or not their pension pot will last them for the duration of the retirement.

Seventeen per cent of over 65s in Britain are still in work simply because they cannot afford to retire on their current pension, and over a third are not confident they have enough in their pot to last their whole retirement.

The Financial Conduct Authority has today warned that scammers are using 'misdirection' tactics to con victims out of their pension pot cash.

It said: 'Just as with magic tricks  where magicians use misdirection to divert attention while the trick is carried out  emerging scam tactics are following the same pattern.'

People contemplating accessing their pension pot cash early are particularly at risk of falling victim to scammers in the current climate, the FCA added.

Distraction tactics

Scammers are distracting victims by preying on money concerns and building up trust.

Worryingly, 44 per cent of just over 1,000 people aged 40 and over surveyed by the FCA said they wouldn't hesitate to take up the offer of a free pension review. But, the FCA has warned that the offer of such a free review is a 'classic distraction tactic' used by criminals who want to get hold of people's pension money.

The FCA added: 'Many would also be reassured if a potential scammer getting in touch out of the blue could show them third-party verification  such as a separate individual who can (falsely) vouch for them, (46 per cent) and had positive reviews of their service (31 per cent), despite the fact scammers are becoming increasingly skilled at producing fake websites and brochures [as a distraction] when carrying out their "trick".'

So, if you receive an out-of-the-blue text, phone call, email or letter in the post offering you something like a free pension review, be careful as it may be a scam.

Then comes the trick...

After successfully distracting their victims, scammers will then prey on their victims misunderstanding of how pension savings work to secure their hard-earned money.

Over half of people surveyed told the FCA they were clueless when it came to knowing about how to grow their pension pot, while 38 per cent said they were not confident about how pensions really worked.

Eight pension scam tricks to watch out for Times are financially hard for many people up and down the UK, and crooks are looking to take advantage of vulnerability. Watch out for these commonly used tactics of pension scammers and make sure you keep your pension pots safe: 1. The offer of a free pension review. This can be tempting but it could prove to be a scam, and result in you parting with your pension; 2. Higher returns, where crooks will guarantee they can get you better returns on your pension savings; 3. Help to release cash from your pension even though you are under 55. An offer to release funds before age 55 is highly likely to be a scam, and has major tax implications; 4. High-pressure sales tactics, where the scammers may try to pressure you with "time-limited offers" or even send a courier to your door to wait while you sign documents; 5. Unusual investments  which tend to be unregulated and high risk, and may be difficult to sell if you need access to your money; 6. Complicated structures where it isnt clear where your money will end up'; 7. Arrangements where there are several parties involved, some of which may be based overseas, all taking a fee, which means the total amount deducted from your pension is significant; and 8. Long-term pension investments, which mean it could be several years before you realise something is wrong. Source: Financial Conduct Authority

The promise of higher returns is just is one of a number of tricks to watch out for, as is talk of more unusual investments to fund your retirement, like a hotel in the Caribbean, for instance. The premise of a 'time-limited offer' is another factor to watch out for.

Pauline Padden, 58, was looking after her terminally ill mother when she received a text message offering her a better deal on her pension and some cash in return for transferring her pot.

Pauline was promised higher returns on her pension savings if she invested in a long-term hotel build in the Caribbean. Six months later, Pauline was devastated to receive a letter explaining she had been the victim of a scam and had lost 45,000 in pension savings.

Ms Padden, said: 'At the time I was incredibly vulnerable. I was busy looking after my terminally ill mother and my three children. The scammers capitalised on my vulnerability and robbed me of the prospect of ever retiring. I was only trying to make my retirement easier but instead these scammers ruined my life.

'I still dont know if Im ever going to be able to get my savings back and will probably have to keep working until I am no longer fit to do so. I just hope I can help to raise awareness of the signs to look out for so that others never have to go through what Ive had to deal with over the last nine years.'

Mark Steward, executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the FCA, said: 'Many of us sit in awe watching magicians make things disappear right in front of our eyes, despite us thinking we can see everything going on.

'Once the trick ends, there are no consequences and we can enjoy the rest of our night. But that doesnt happen with pension scams.

'The rising cost of living is affecting people at all savings levels, and pension scammers are taking advantage of this.

'Pension scammers are tricking victims with false promises of a better lifestyle in retirement, more money to support a better life in hard times. Like the magicians trick, thousands can disappear in seconds, but this time the consequences can be devastating ones.'

Head of pensions and savings at Interactive Investor Becky O'Connor said: "Attempts by pension scammers to part people from their life savings are devious and cynical.

'The FCA's list of tactics is incredibly useful, but also, highlights how clever the scammers are. The phrase "long term investments" is widely used among legitimate providers, after all. So it's no wonder people are confused - and unfortunately falling for these tactics.'

Worried about being scammed?

If you are concerned you or someone you know may fall victim to a pension scam, take a look at the ScamSmart website, which contains information which could help you avoid being conned by crooks.

The FCA also has a handy Warning List tool available online, which enables users to select the pension or investment opportunity they are considering or have come across and see if it is likely to be a scam.

So, if you have been offered, for example, a free pension review out of the blue, the tool will warn you and state that this is likely to be a scam. You can also check to see if the firm is on the FCA's Warning List.

It is important to note that if you deal with an unauthorised firm, you will not be covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service or Financial Services Compensation Scheme if things go wrong.

Why are more people accessing their pension pots?

The data published by the FCA today detailing how Britons are accessing their pension pot cash is pretty startling, and shows how habits are shifting as the cost-of-living crisis deepens.

Andrew Tully, technical director at Canada Life, said: 'People are withdrawing money from their pensions in far greater numbers than last year, while this could be a reaction to the pandemic when people generally had less opportunity to purchase some of the big ticket items such as holidays and cars. On the other hand, this could be the start of people raiding their pensions to plug a gap in income or help younger relatives on to the property ladder.'

Tom Selby, head of retirement policy at AJ Bell, said: 'The rise in the number of people accessing their pensions for the first time will inevitably spark fears of savers raiding their retirement pots to make ends meet during the cost-of-living crisis.

Early access: The number of Britons accessing their pension early is on the up, the FCA said

'Anyone accessing their pension earlier than planned or taking bigger withdrawals in order to cover higher living costs needs to think carefully about the impact this will have on the sustainability of their retirement income plan.

'While in some cases savers may feel dipping into their pension is the only option, its important to take the time to consider how decisions taken today will impact on your finances further down the line.'

He added: 'The FCAs data suggests four in ten regular withdrawals in drawdown were at an annual rate of 8 per cent or more in 2021/22, down slightly from 43 per cent in the previous year.

'Whether or not this withdrawal rate is concerning will depend on the circumstances of the individual, their health, age and the investment returns they enjoy. For example, someone who has a guaranteed defined benefit pension that covers all their living costs might be perfectly comfortable taking large withdrawals from their SIPP.

'Equally, someone who is accessing their pension later in life  for example in their mid-70s  should be able to withdraw a higher amount sustainably than someone who starts taking an income from their 60th birthday.

'The key to making drawdown work is to carefully consider the sustainability of your withdrawal plan, understand and be comfortable with the risks you are taking, and review your strategy regularly, ideally with a regulated adviser.'

If you are considering moving or accessing money from your pension, it may be sensible to pay for professional financial advice with an expert before making any decisions about what to do with your money.
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A collection of microcars dating from 1954 to 1992 that once formed the basis of a husband and wife's automotive museum is set to fetch more than 190,000 at auction.

The trove of 47 tiny cars includes a rare Peel P50 - the world's smallest production car - dating from 1965, which is tipped to sell for up to 100,000.

Presenter Jeremy Clarkson famously drove an identical-looking Peel P50 around BBC Television Centre during an episode of Top Gear.

The car collection was built up over more than 40 years by Edwin and Jean Hammond, who bought their first microcar - a 1957 bright green Heinkel named Kermit - for their son in 1976 after he asked for a motorbike.

When their purchases continued, they then bought an old pig farm in the village of Hawkenbury, Kent.

After Mr Hammond's death, Mrs Hammond moved the collection to a purpose-built museum near the family home in 2003.

Now, with elderly Mrs Hammond having moved into a care home, the collection is being sold along with dozens of spare parts and memorabilia via Charterhouse Auctioneers in Dorset later this month.

A collection of microcars dating from 1954 to 1992 that once formed the basis of a husband and wife's automotive museum is set to fetch more than 190,000 at auction. The trove of 47 tiny cars includes a rare Peel P50 dating from 1965, which is tipped to sell for up to 100,000

Only 47 Peels were made during the original production run between 1962 and 1965. It remains the smallest production car of all time. Above: The car's minimalist interior only has space for the driver

Presenter Jeremy Clarkson famously drove an identical-looking Peel P50 around BBC Television Centre during an episode of Top Gear

Clarkson drove a Peel P50 through the offices of the BBC during an episode of Top Gear in 2008.

Only 47 Peels were made during the original production run between 1962 and 1965. It remains the smallest production car of all time.

The cars were made at Peel's factory on the Isle of Man. Only 26 are known to survive. It is just 53 inches (134cm) long and 39 inches (99cm) wide.

Its wheels measure a little over four inches in diameter and it gets its power from a 49cc moped engine that has just 4.5 horse power.

The car, which has just one seat and three gears, has a top speed of 38mph. It also has no reverse gear but does have a grab handle that allows owners to lift it onto its front wheel.

When it originally went on sale, it was priced at 199.

Auctioneer Richard Bromell said: 'This fabulous and fascinating collection of microcars has been built up over the past 40 plus years by Edwin and Jean Hammond.'

The car collection was built up over more than 40 years by Edwin and Jean Hammond, who bought their first microcar - a 1957 bright green Heinkel named Kermit - for their son in 1976 after he asked for a motorbike

The Heinkel has three wheels - one at the back and two at the front. It was built in Dunkald, Ireland and was affectionally named 'Kermit', thanks to its bright green colour scheme

A Scootacar Mark I, which was beautifully restored by Mr and Mrs Hammond after being found behind a hedge, could sell for up to 12,000

Instead of a steering wheel, the Scootacar Mark I features handlebar-like controls more reminiscent of a motorbike or bicycle

This Velorex three-wheeled car was one of thousands produced from the 1950s until 1971 in what was then Czechoslovakia. It is being sold without a price estimate

The Velorex is said to have been driven by a Polish student from his home country to London, where he sold the vehicle because he had no money

'Edwin loved his microcars and was well known for saving them from the scrap yard.

'Once, he famously bought a burnt out Isetta in exchange for a pile of scrap, which many of his friends remarked nobody could see the difference!'

Mr and Mrs Hammond bought their son his car when he asked for a motorbike for his 15th birthday.

Unnerved by the prospect of him driving a motorbike, they instead invested in the three-wheeled Heinkel, which is tipped to sell for up to 9,000.

Mr Hammond then set about restoring the car with his son. The collector then became fascinated with microcars and, according to his wife, 'started collecting willy nilly'.

Most were bought for a minimal sum, given that micocars were then unpopular and many were saved from the scrapheap.

This 1959 Frisky Family Three was built by British firm Frisky Cars Ltd. It has two wheels at the front and one at the back. The car was driven to Germany in 1981 and journeyed up the Harz Mountains

The car was driven to Germany in 1981 and journeyed up the Harz Mountains. It is tipped to sell for up to 12,000, but could fetch more. Because it has been on static display, it is in need of some recommissioning

This three-wheeled car, a 1954 Allard Clipper, was one of the first to be built with a body made from glass fibre and one of the last vehicles to feature a 'Dickey' seat, which folded out at the back, in place of a boot

The Clipper is powered by a 346 cc Villiers single cylinder engine. Only 20 made and just three survive worldwide. It is expected to sell for up to 7,0000

This 1957 Opperman Sterling is one of just two that were made. The above is the second car that was made and is the only survivor

The Opperman Sterling is left-hand drive and could sell for up to 17,000. Because it has been on static display, it will be in need of recommissioning

This 1960 Messerschmitt KR200 is in its original condition and has had just one previous owner, a woman who lived in Dorset

The car, which could sell for up to 12,000, was built by the same firm that manufactured German fighter planes during the Second World War

This 1955 New Map Solyto is a very basic truck that was built for French farmers to take their pigs to market in. It is being sold without an estimate or reserve

The car features a totally bare interior, with just one small dial, a basic steering wheel and a single metal chair for the driver

Another car up for sale is a 1957 Glas Goggomobil, which could sell for 7,000. The car was built by Hans Glas GmbH in Germany

It boasts innovative sliding windows and was first restored by Mr Hammond in 1980, before the family gave it the once over again in 1996

In 1980, Mrs Hammond founded the RUMcars (Register of Unusual Microcars) group, which continues to this day.

The second most valuable car in the collection - after the Peel P50 - is a blue Opperman Stirling, which dates from 1959.

It is the only surviving model of just two that were made and is set to sell for up to 17,000.

A Scootacar Mark I, which was beautifully restored by Mr and Mrs Hammond after being found behind a hedge, could sell for up to 12,000.

Another car up for sale is a 1957 Glas Goggomobil, which could sell for 7,000.

The auction takes place on October 27 at Charterhouse's Sherborne salerooms.
Mr Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty. The trial will run for about six weeks

Accused rapist, Bruce Lehrmann, is supported by his legal team and others

Brittany Higgins is supported by a group of experts and friends during the case

Brittany Higgins and her accused rapist are flanked by supporters and high-powered legal teams to help them in the high-profile sexual assault case gripping the nation.

Ms Higgins, 27, has been testifying at the ACT Supreme Court in Canberra at the trial of former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann - who denies raping her inside Parliament House in March 2019, after a drunken night out.

Her partner David Sharaz, the ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates, lawyer Leon Zweir and friend Emma Webster have stood by her on her way to court on the first days of the trial so far.

Mr Zweir has been described as the 'Mr fix it' of some of the biggest legal battles in Australia.

ACT's Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC and experienced prosecutor, Skye Jerome, are representing the Crown.

Brittany Higgins' team: 1. ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates; 2. Brittany Higgins; 3. Her friend, Emma Webster; 4. Her boyfriend, David Sharaz; 5. Lawyer Leon Zweir

Crown prosecutors: 1. ACT's Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC; 2. Prosecutor, Skye Jerome

Mr Drumgold, who has run many of Canberra's most high profile cases in his 20 years at the ACT DPP, has held the top prosecuting job since 2019.

He is assisted by Ms Jerome, an experienced prosecutor in both the ACT and Queensland.

Meanwhile, Mr Lerhmann's defender is barrister Steven Whybrow, a former prosecutor in the ACT courts who, as a RAAF Legal Officer, is also regularly involved in cases in the military courts.

His junior counsel Katrina Musgrove, who went to the bar in 2016, has also worked as a prosecutor in sexual assault trials.

The case is presided by Justice Lucy McCallum, who was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the ACT in March after 14 years as a judge on the NSW Supreme Court.

Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann sat just metres from each other during Wednesday's trial, barely making eye contact in a public gallery brimming with journalists and legal personnel.

They will appear in court again on Thursday, as the trial continues.

On Wednesday, Ms Higgins took the stand and watched CCTV footage from The Dock venue in Kingston on the night she was allegedly raped.

Pictured outside court: 1. Katrina Musgrove, junior defence counsel for the trial; 2. Bruce Lehrmann

Chief defence lawyer is Steven Whybrown (pictured behind Mr Lehrmann outside court)

Brittany Higgins leaves ACT Supreme Court in Canberra after taking to the witness stand in the trial of her alleged rapist

Two police interviews with the alleged victim in early 2021 were played for the court, and showed Ms Higgins repeatedly stating she drank a lot that night and her memory was 'patchy'.

The 27-year-old originally said she had about four drinks at The Dock, but security footage showed she had up to 11 within a four-hour period - between 7.24pm and 11.51pm.

Earlier in the evening, Ms Higgins was at a table with about six colleagues, but could be seen using her phone at the table intermittently.

The court was told she had organised a Bumble date for the evening.

She moved away from the main table 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 was visibly shaken after the CCTV was played to the court on Wednesday.

Justice Lucy McCallum was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the ACT in March after 14 years as a judge on the NSW Supreme Court

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

The court was also 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.

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.

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

'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.'

'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 the boozy night out.
A 'hero' father who died trying to rescue his teenage sons at a popular Western Australian beach has been identified as an award-winning podiatrist.

Despite having no swimming experience, Ashwin Bhalsod, 55, ran into the waves at Yallingup beach, in the state's southwest, around 5.30pm on Saturday to help his kids, aged 13 and 15.

Police said Mr Bhalsod, who was visiting the area from Perth, rushed to the aid of his children as he feared they were struggling - when they were actually fine.

Bystanders pulled the father-of-two from the water and attempted to resuscitate him as emergency services raced to the scene, but he could not be saved.

Dr Ashwin Bhalsod, 55, (pictured) tragically drowned trying to help his sons at Yallingup Beach, in southwest WA, on Saturday afternoon

Now, Mr Bhalsod has been remembered as a hero and doting father who had spent more than 25 years working in the medical industry.

'He put the safety of his sons before anything else and that was all that mattered to him,' Slavko Mutavdzic, one of the first responders to retrieve Mr Bhalsod from the water, told Daily Mail Australia.

'He was indeed heroic in his actions given he entered the water in the knowledge that he could not swim.'

According to online profiles, Mr Bhalsod was a senior podiatrist for Life Care and had been practicing within the industry for more than two decades.

In 1990, he won the Australian Podiatry Association WA Award and Australian Biomechanics Corporation Prize and had experience in 'a number of Perths major hospitals, Child Development Centres, Aged Care Facilities, Private Practice and Home Visiting roles'.

'Ashwin aims to establish and maintain a good rapport with his patients and has some that have been with him since he started his career 25 years ago!' the website reads.

Pictured: Yallingup Beach (pictured) in Western Australia is a popular surfing spot

In the personal interests section of his online bio, the father-of-two gushed about his high-achieving sons.

'Outside of Podiatry, Ashwin is kept on his toes by his two young boys who have both been accelerated 2 years ahead in their education.'

Mr Mutavdzic said the efforts of bystanders to assist Mr Bhalsod that night was 'tremendous and inspirational', with doctor, nurse, and lifesaver rushing to try and save his life.

From the care he received, Mr Mutavdzic said he believed Mr Bhalsod had the 'best chances of survival' possible given the situation and that he was 'proud' to live in a such a caring community.

However, Mr Mutavdzic said he was dismayed by the lack of facilities at the beach to help prevent drownings.

'Yallingup beach is one if not the premier beach of the south west of Western Australia. Many tourists from all walks of life come there lured by the magnificence of the landscape and ocean.

'It is one of natures great traps. The sheer beauty masking hidden dangers..... of the surf particularly.

WA police said Mr Bhalsod had no real swimming experience and that there was nothing to suggest his sons were 'doing anything risky' (stock image)

'I believe given the attraction of a wide array of people with all sorts of swimming capability to this beach that at the very least there should be lifebuoys positioned for easy access all year around.'

Mr Mutavdzic is now calling on local authorities to put mechanisms in place to stop similar tragedies.

'A tourist not far from shore should not be drowning at a premier beach having been spotted in distress by people nearby,' he said.

'We should not be prepared to write this off as a sad tragic event that is just going to happen from time to time.

'This father of two sons and husband to a now widow would most likely be alive today were a life buoy readily available at this beach.'

Guildford Grammar School, where the teenage boys are students, told Daily Mail Australia it had 'been in touch with the Bhalsod family to offer their condolences, help and support'.

Mr Bhalsod's funeral will be held at the school's chapel at 9.30am on Saturday.

South West WA Acting Superintendent John Bowman said Mr Bhalsod put his children's safety before his own.

'Like most parents do, they go to the aid of their kids when they're struggling, thinking they can try and save them. But the boys were fine, and unfortunately he wasn't.'

'To him, they [the boys] looked like they were struggling in the water, and unfortunately, he drowned trying to save them,' he told ABC radio on Monday.

Supt Bowman said there was nothing to suggest the boys were doing anything risky in the water.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has signaled a U-turn in her approach to the city's rampant drug taking when pledging once again to crackdown on the problem - this time by turning to the police.

Under Breed's 'soft touch' policies that have included open-air drug markets where people can shoot up 'without anyone going to jail', San Francisco has seen a surge in open-air drugtaking, with nearly 1,700 fatal overdoses since the start of 2020.

This time, Breed was joined by the top brass of San Francisco law enforcement as she again promised to get tough on drug dealing and 'unacceptable' public drug use at a Wednesday press conference at San Francisco police headquarters.

On the podium next to her was Police Chief William Scott and Breed-appointees District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, and District Six Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who are both fighting to keep their seats in upcoming November elections.

Breed appointed Jenkins after the previous district attorney, Chesa Boudin, was recalled in June for 'not being tough enough on drug dealers', and she appointed former police spokesperson Dorsey in May.

The officials were keen to emphasize an uptick in drug seizures in the long-suffering Tenderloin neighborhood, and drug arrests and felony narcotics charges across the city in the three months since Jenkins took charge.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed has once again declared she will crackdown on the city's rampant drug crisis

Breed's new approach involves working much closer with the police department (pictured right: Police Chief William Scott) and the DA's office (pictured left: District Attorney Brooke Jenkins) to enforce tougher policies on drug dealers and drug users

A homeless man injects fentanyl into his friend's armpit, due to a lack of usable veins, as people walk by near City Hall on Saturday

Drug-related incidents have been rampant in San Francisco in recent years, save for a predictable dip during the Coronavirus pandemic, with much of it blamed on old DA Chesa Boudin, who was recalled in June. The spike in July 2022 has been attributed to a federal grant the police department got to tackle drug crime in the Tenderloin neighborhood

She also mentioned how the city's drug epidemic has touched her personally, as her younger sister died of a drug overdose at the age of 25.

Breed had made a made a strident speech last December declaring an official state of emergency in the Tenderloin and promising to crackdown on the 'bulls*** destroying the city.'

But the intervening ten months have seen policies brought in which have included trialing the infamous taxpayer-funded 'open-air drug markets', which were shuttered in June.

Other soft-touch policies have included electronically-tagging users and having police officers track them down and confiscate their drugs if they wander into known drug-dealing areas.

When she was asked what would be different under the new policies compared to last December, Breed pointed to an increase in enforcement, including boosting the police budget and hiring a further 200 officers.

She also said that the city has expanded the number of treatment beds by hundreds on top of the 2,200 already available, and highlighted expanded alternative response teams and safety ambassadors.

The mayor and law enforcement also promised to come down harder on not just drug dealers but also drug users who refuse to accept public services to help them. The criminal justice system will also provide treatment options, they added.

A homeless woman smokes crack with two others in the Tenderloin on Friday

A homeless woman smokes crack in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco

Homeless drug addicts smoke fentanyl on the street near City Hall on Friday

A homeless drug addict holds pieces of fentanyl near City Hall in in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco

'We need to firmly establish what is acceptable conduct on our streets and in our public spaces,' Breed said.

'San Francisco has to draw a firm line at behaviors that harm, that injure and cost neighborhoods peace of mind, everyday safety and quality of life.'

The city must be more aggressive with enforcement against drug dealing and violence, she said.

'Selling drugs is not legal,' she continued. 'Using drugs out in the open is completely unacceptable. So, yes, public health is a part of this enforcement effort, but we have to be moving together in the same direction.'

The police chief showed that arrests for drug sales and possession increased 72 per cent from July to September compared with the same period last, with a total of 266 compared with 163. In Tenderloin the seizure rate more than doubled.

Jenkins was formerly a prosecutor under her recalled boss Boudin but quit last year and has now replaced her. She has announced a range of new hardline policies that diverge from her old boss, whom she slammed for not being tough enough on drug dealers.

The new DA has a similar charging rate to Boudin, at 62 per cent, but she said the difference has been that has charged 85 per cent of felony felony narcotics cases, nearly double the rate under Boudin.

Jenkins also pulled back more than 30 plea offers for alleged fentanyl dealers under Boudin and she has also introduced the possibility of murder charges for dealers who sell drugs that result in lethal overdoses.

Dealers could selling near schools would also face harsher punishment.

A homeless man injects fentanyl into his arm in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco

Homeless drug addicts take over a city bus stop in front of the Asian Art Museum as people who are waiting for the bus wait in the background in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco

A homeless drug addict shows bruises and scars on his swollen legs from drug use in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco

A homeless drug addict injects fentanyl into his arm near City Hall on Friday

London Breed's tragic younger sister London Breed's younger sister died of a drug overdose in San Francisco in 2006. The tragedy happened the day before she turned 26. 'I lost a sister to a drug overdose. No, it was not fentanyl, but I did lose a sister in this city,' an emotional Breed said. 'She was my younger sister.' Her brother is also serving a 44-year prison sentence for manslaughter and armed robbery in 2000. Advertisement

Boudin's practice of sending dealers caught with up to 100 grams of fentanyl to the services-focused Community Justice Center has been stopped and users of the Center with at least five citations will have their charges added up.

Overall, the promise of a firmer hand and more carrot than stick is likely to be welcome news to San Franciscans who are fed up with crime and harassment.

But critics such as Public Defender Mano Raju have accused Jenkins and Breed of returning to the failed 'war on drugs', which did not reduce overdose deaths.

Raju said in a statement that the 'heavy focus on relying on police and prosecutions to arrest and cage our way out of a public health crisis remains in direct conflict with decades of social and scientific data which indicates otherwise.'

Scott said that officers would still take a 'harm reduction' approach first with users. But he said that 'we can't just arrest dealers and then leave the people who are buying drugs alone to do as they please and think this is going to get better.'

'That doesn't mean that people who are addicted get a free pass,' he said. 'Our job is to take away all of the excuses about why they can't and won't seek help, and then when they don't, that's when enforcement comes into play.'

Civil rights attorney Joe Alioto Veronese, one of Jenkin's opponents in the upcoming election, called the press conference a political stunt.

Veronese told The San Francisco Chronicle the mayor 'paraded her two candidates' right before ballots are sent out 'on an issue that is very important to San Francisco and that she's frankly failing San Francisco on.'

The infiltration of fentanyl to the US narcotics market in the mid-to-late 2010s saw a spike in accidental drug overdose deaths.

The opioid, which is manufactured synthetically and added to other drugs, can be 50 times stronger than heroin. Just 2mg can be deadly.




The Supreme Court has finalized a decision to grant refugee status to a Pakistani family who fled their home country in fear of so-called honor crimes, officials said Thursday.







Upholding a lower court's ruling, the top court sided with the Pakistanis' request for asylum here after they received threats of honor killings from family members for entering into a marriage they had disapproved of.







The ruling is the first to recognize refugee status for potential victims of honor killing after many cases in which fear of revenge was not considered as an element of risk.







The Pakistani man, whose identity has been withheld, had planned a marriage with a young Pakistan woman of a higher social class in 2016.







Her family disapproved of the couple's plan and threatened so-called honor killings for violating conservative norms governing women's relationships.







The family has since fled to Korea.







Immigration officials, however, rejected the family's application for refugee status, citing that the man previously looked for jobs here. They filed a suit to have the decision repealed.







A lower court initially sided with the immigration office, but an appellate court overturned the decision, saying a forced marriage harms the most elementary human rights and the applicants would be in clear danger if sent back home. (Yonhap)


Podcast producers deny the claims and insist they did make contact with the pair

'She did not contact us, not one time. Why arent they contacting the victims? I dont care what Kim Kardashian says  he did it, and hes not getting out'

He also claimed Kim Kardashian never bothered to contact him or his sister and that she just 'wants to make herself look good' without checking the facts

Quentin, now 33, told DailyMail.com that Keith is the killer - and that he saw him with his own eyes

Quanita and Quentin Reeves, aged six and four at the time, were also shot but they survived

Kardashian says he is innocent, was never given a fair trial and should be freed

In 1994, he was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Marichell Chatman, her daughter Marchae and her aunt Linda Chatman

Kevin Keith is the subject of Kardashian's new podcast series The System

A brother and sister who survived the 1994 triple murder that is now the subject of Kim Kardashian's true crime podcast on Spotify tell DailyMail.com the star never bothered to contact them to check the facts of the case - and insist the man she is trying to free is in fact guilty.

Kevin Keith, 58, was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Marichell Chatman, her four-year-old daughter Marchae, and Marichell's aunt, Linda Chatman, at their home in Bucyrus, Ohio, in 1994.

He has been in prison for 28 years but insists he is innocent. Kim Kardashian believes him and has used his story as the launchpad for her Spotify podcast, The System.

But two people who survived the shooting and witnessed it say he is guilty.

They are Quanita and Quentin Reeves, Marichell's cousins who were six and four at the time.

Now in their early 30s, the siblings tell DailyMail.com they were stunned when the podcast emerged on October 3 without their contribution. They claim they were never invited on as guests, and that they've never even heard from the crusading Kardashian.

'She did not contact us, not one time. If Kim Kardashian wants to get involved, she should come and meet us face-to-face,' Quentin, who is now a father-of-two, said.

Quentin and Quanita Reeves, now 33 and 35, say no one from Kim Kardashian's team contacted them about the podcast. They were aged four and six when they survived the shooting, but their stories have not been included in Kardashian's new podcast about the killings

Kardashian in Milan earlier this month. The star has launched a lucrative podcast on Spotify that examines what she believes to be cases of wrongful conviction

The siblings - who were both shot in the stomach by the murderer - remain adamant that Keith is the killer. They say they knew him because he was friends with their father, and that they remember seeing him point the gun at their relatives.

Kevin Keith, a drug dealer, was convicted of triple murder in 1994. He remains in prison but has the support of Kim and other wrongful conviction activists who believe he is innocent

'We saw it with our own eyes. You don't forget something like that. I dont care what Kim Kardashian says  Kevin did it,' Quentin added.

He went on: 'Why doesnt Kim Kardashian come out here to Ohio? She doesnt want to hear from us.

'She wants to get him out to make her look better that's the truth,' he went on.

Quanita added: 'We should have been the first call.'

'Kevin gets to sit in jail and become a celebrity. Meanwhile we're out here dealing with this our entire lives... it's crazy.'

She said the first time she heard from the team was on Monday October 3rd, the day the podcast went live, and that it was a heads-up from producer Lori Rothschild Ansaldi.

Neither Kardashian nor Ansaldi responded to requests for comment.

Sources close to the podcast insisted that the pair were contacted.

'The production team of The System made multiple attempts to reach out to the Reeves siblings. At the time, they decided not to share their story and requested we no longer contact them.

'I dont care what Kim Kardashian says  Kevin did it. We saw him with our own eyes Quentin Reeves, who survived 1994 shooting when he was four

'We respected their decision and gave them privacy. If they have reconsidered, we welcome them to sit down for the podcast at any time.'

Quentin was four when the shooting happened but he says his memory of it is clear.

'Its been a long time but I can still remember what the place looked like. I could draw it.

'Thats what makes it seem so hard. They dont account for that. They don't care how this makes us feel.

'He did it. I was there. How could you forget something like that?

Quanita, who was two years older, has the same memory.

'It was Kevin. He came in, and shot up the place,' she told DailyMail.com.

The siblings both say Kevin arrived at the time seeming 'nervous'. He came inside, asked for multiple glasses of water and then suddenly retrieved a gun.

He yelled for them all to 'get on the ground' and started shooting, they said.

Marichell, the siblings' 24-year-old cousin, screamed: 'Kevin, why are you doing this?' they say.

After the shooting, the murderer fled. Kevin was arrested days later but insisted then, and now, that he thought he was being picked up on drug charges.

The siblings say that they have since learned their older cousin, Rudel, was a police informant who had just snitched on Kevin for dealing drugs. The prosecution argued that Kevin went to the home looking for Rudel to kill and punish him for snitching, and instead found the family.

Kevin however insists that he was in a different part of town. His alibi is that he was at his aunt's house, and many of his relatives say they can corroborate it.

Murdered: Marichell Chatman, 24, her four-year-old daughter Marchae and her aunt Linda Chatman (right) were all killed in the mass shooting

Quanita, who was six at the time, was shot in the stomach but survived. She is shown in the hospital after undergoing surgery. One police report that is seized on by Kardashian reveals that Quanita called the killer 'Bruce'. She said it told them that it was her 'daddy's friend Bruce' at the door. Kardashian highlighted this in one of the first episodes of the podcast and presented it as proof of Kevin's evidence. But Quanita says she had just come out of surgery when she made the comment aged six, and that she was 'scared and confused'. 'I was terrified of being questioned, I'm in the hospital, I've just had surgery. It was a mistake,' she said.

Quentin Reeves was four at the time of the murders. He was also shot in the stomach but survived. He is shown left, after the killings, and right, today

One police report that is seized on by Kardashian in the first two episodes of the podcast reveals that Quanita, then six, called the killer 'Bruce'.

She described the shooter as her 'daddy's friend Bruce', and she also failed to pick Kevin out of a police line-up. Kardashian highlighted these two facts to reiterate why she thinks Kevin is innocent.

But speaking to DailyMail.com, Quanita says she had just come out of surgery when she made the comment aged six, and that she was 'scared and confused'.

'I was terrified of being questioned, I'm in the hospital, I've just had surgery. It was a mistake,' she said.

The family's 1994 obituaries

Her mother Joyce later explained to police that she often confused Bruce with Keith, and that it was indeed Keith who opened fire on them.

Warren, Marichell's boyfriend, fled the home. He has not spoken publicly about the shooting, and it's unclear if he will be a guest on Kardashian's podcast.

Six more episodes are yet to be released.

Kardashian, who is training to become a lawyer, says that police rushed to charge Keith, and that he's never had a fair trial.

She says she first learned about the case in 2018 after Lori, then a producer on Family Feud, 'pitched' her the story as one she could turn her famous hand to.

Kardashian had successfully lobbied the White House at the time to commute the sentence of Alice Johnson and release her from prison.

Kevin's case, she said in the podcast, is one of thousands that people have sent her since.

She tweeted about his case, claiming he was innocent.

In 2020, she inked a deal with Spotify for a true-crime podcast for an undisclosed amount.

While neither she nor Spotify has confirmed the figure she received, Alex Cooper, the host of the Call Her Daddy podcast, was given a $60million deal.

The first two episodes of The System were released earlier this week.

They focus on Keith's apparent alibi.

He said he was at his aunt's house and that was corroborated by multiple members of his family. It also focused on the fact that he was never questioned by police.

Keith has always maintained his innocence. He has the support of public defender Rachel Troutman, who continues to fight for a case review.

Keith was due to be executed in 2010 but former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland commuted his death sentence at the 11th hour, citing 'important questions' that remain unanswered.

The podcast is billed the series as exposing a cover-up involving police corruption and another example of America's failed justice system.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter this week, Kardashian said Keith is innocent, and that she wanted to 'shake s**t up' to 'make noise'.

'Well, the main thing that really stuck out was that someone can be convicted of a crime, let alone a triple homicide, without any physical evidence linking him to the crime and he was sentenced to death.'

'Kevins been in for 28 years for a crime that I believe he didnt commit.'

Kardashian has been in contact with Keith since 2018, when she first heard about his case. She has shared his story with her followers, and has now turned it into the basis of her podcast

Kardashian's new podcast on Spotify is now the third most listened to in the US

She said she was compelled to step in by the harm the case had done to his brother, who also believes in his innocence.

'Usually, you think of the victims and their families and how their lives are affected, but there are other victims if someone is wrongfully accused of something. It doesnt just affect their life; it affects their entire familys life,' she said.

Keith's advocates hinge their belief in his innocence on the fact that there is no physical evidence linking him to the crime, and because of how quickly he was charged and convicted.

But the Reeves siblings, who are two of the only three witnesses to the shooting, say their testimony should be considered as proof of Keith's guilt - even if they were kids.

Keith has unsuccessfully appealed his conviction multiple times. The Supreme Court turned down his request for them to review it.

His case has galvanized critics of the criminal justice system, who say that despite what the siblings said, a proper investigation was not carried out.

There are six remaining episodes of Kardashian's Spotify podcast - for which she was paid an undisclosed amount.

She has already teased a second season, focusing on what she believes is another wrongful conviction.

THE 1994 MURDER THAT LAUNCHED KIM KARDASHIAN'S PODCAST THE SYSTEM: KEVIN KEITH SAYS HE'S INNOCENT AND HAS SPENT 28 YEARS BEHIND BARS... NOW THE STAR WANTS TO GET HIM OUT

Kevin Keith has been in prison for 28 years. He maintains he is innocent

Kevin Keith was convicted of triple murder in February 1994.

Prosecutors argued that he murdered his ex-girlfriend Marichell Chatman, her four-year-old daughter Marchae and Marichell's aunt Linda after going looking for Marichell's brother, Rudel.

Rudel was a police informant and had just given information about Kevin's drug dealing.

But Kevin maintains he is innocent. He says he was at his aunt's house, miles away, at the time of the murders.

The lack of physical evidence linking him to the crime, combined with what many have said is unequivocal police and prosecutorial misconduct, should be enough to have the case reviewed.

His advocates say that he was never questioned before he was taken into custody.

He was then allowed to go on television, in 1994, and protest his innocence, but it exposed him to the public in a way that was harmful to his case, according to attorneys interviewed by Kim.

The jury was predominantly white, another red flag.

The trial happened at rapid speed, which Kim says is another indication of wrongdoing.

In 2010, 13 days before he was due to be killed, the governor granted him an 11th hour reprieve, citing the problems with the case.

Kim joined Kevin's advocates in 2018, tweeting and posting on Instagram about how she wanted to help shed light on the case

She argues, and so do Kevin's advocates, that there was nowhere near to the ample preparation time required for a capital murder trial.

In the end, after a two week trial, he was convicted and sentenced to death.

The youngest victim of the 1994 killing was four-year-old Marchae Chatman

Multiple unsuccessful appeals followed.

In 2010, 13 days before he was due to be killed, the governor granted him an 11th hour reprieve, citing the problems with the case.

His death sentence was commuted and he was instead given a term of life without parole.

The Reeves/Chatman family was horrified by the decision.

In 2018, Kim Kardashian came across the case. She had just successfully lobbied President Trump to commute the life sentence of Alice Johnson, who was serving a life sentence on a petty, first-time drug offense.

A TV producer who investigated true crime and came across Kim at a Family Feud taping approached her.

Kim looked into the case files, and decided to help with the case.

In her podcast, she says the evidence is clear that there was misconduct.

She has since spent years talking with Kevin over video chat, and formatting his story into a podcast for Spotify.
DailyMail.com has confirmed that Angelina's lawyers did indeed propose a verbal cease-fire between the warring couple in public

Brad Pitt's allies say vengeful Angelina Jolie is mounting a 'disinformation' campaign against the actor by using their ongoing business dispute to dredge up her claims of domestic violence.

Sources close to the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star, 58, say he's saddened  but not shocked  that Jolie has once again publicly accused him of terrorizing their kids on a 2016 private jet ride.

Jolie, 47, pressed authorities to investigate the mid-flight bust-up that led to the Hollywood couple's divorce but the FBI decided not to pursue criminal charges.

That hasn't prevented her from weaponizing the 'ever-evolving' allegations at every possible opportunity, according to Pitt's pals, who have slammed the Tomb Raider actress for repeating them yet again this past week  this time in a dispute over a French winery, Miraval.

They also accuse Jolie of hypocrisy for complaining about Pitt's request for a Non-disclosure agreement (NDA) while privately proposing the exact same thing to Pitt's lawyers in separate divorce negotiations.

Brad Pitt's allies say Angela Jolie is mounting a 'disinformation' campaign against the actor by using their ongoing business dispute to dredge up unproven claims of domestic violence

Jolie's latest potshot was reported breathlessly by the New York Times Tuesday only for the paper to quietly amend the article Wednesday morning to reflect that ironically Jolie had proposed a non-disparagement proposal to Pitt's divorce lawyer, Anne Kiley

The former couple  once known as Brangelina  are locked in a protracted legal battle over the celebrated Chateau Miraval business they jointly owned before Jolie 'secretly' offloaded her half to a 'Russian oligarch' in 2021.

Responding to Pitt's claims she had no right to sell, Jolie's latest filing counters with a lengthy account of the incident on board a flight from France to California that triggered the breakdown of their five-year marriage and joint business ventures.

Jolie's filing claims Pitt flew into a rage, grabbing her by the head, shaking her, and shoving her into a bathroom wall before punching the ceiling numerous times.

When one of their six kids, then-aged between eight and 15, came to their mom's defense, the two-time Oscar-winner is alleged to have 'lunged at his own child', prompting Jolie to grab him from behind.

'To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplane's seats injuring Jolie's back and elbow,' the countersuit states.

'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,' she claimed.

But sources close to Brad are fighting back.

Brad's lawyer Anne Kiley told DailyMail.com: 'Brad has owned everything he's responsible for from day one  unlike the other side  but he's not going to own anything he didn't do.'

'He has been on the receiving end of every type of personal attack and misrepresentation. Thankfully, the various public authorities the other side has tried to use against him over the past six years have made their own independent decisions.

'Brad will continue to respond in court as he has consistently done.'

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 again

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 FBI and reportedly the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services both declined to take further action against him in the wake of the spat.

Sources close to the actor point out that a judge listened to Jolie's accusations during their months-long, closed-doors child custody battle which involved doctors, therapists and child services professionals.

Judge John Ouderkirk rejected the notion Pitt was an unfit father by awarding him joint custody in May 2021, although Jolie later succeeded in having the judge disqualified over his business relationships with Pitt's attorneys.

One insider told DailyMail.com: 'The FBI concluded there was no basis for charges and the judge effectively sided with Brad because he would not award joint custody if he felt a father was a danger to his children.

'Quite what an argument onboard a private plane in 2016 has to do with a property dispute involving a 19th century French chateau is anybody's guess.

'This is just about Jolie trying to rehash everything and tear Brad down at every opportunity. Her story continues to evolve every time she tells it.'

The abuse allegations resurfaced in April of this year when a mystery 'Jane Doe' sued the FBI for files connected to 'an incident of domestic violence that occurred several years ago involving plaintiff and minor children as victims and witnesses.'

That episode took place on board a private jet and bore numerous similarities to the Pitt-Jolie dust-up, according to NBC news, prompting intense speculation that Jolie was the Doe.

The suit, filed under Freedom of Information law, is intended to 'better understand the FBI's investigation and obtain information necessary for her children to receive medical care and trauma counseling.'

The latest Brangelina skirmish involves Chateau Miraval, a 35-room estate and celebrated vineyard in the south of France that Pitt and Jolie bought for $60 million in 2011. The 1,000-acre estate  now valued at $164M  is where the couple tied the knot in 2014

Jolie's former company's suit says that she wanted to sell her half of the Miraval business to him when they split, but Pitt allegedly tried to add gag clauses about their fights in the contract

Pitt and Jolie were ruled legally single in 2019  but are still sorting out their labyrinthine financial affairs and custody arrangements to this day.

The latest skirmish involves Chateau Miraval, a 35-room estate and celebrated vineyard in the south of France that Pitt and Jolie bought for $60 million in 2011.

Pitt claims Jolie illegally sold her shares last year to companies linked to Stoli vodka billionaire Yuri Shefler, potentially tarnishing the image of Miraval's highly-regarded rose wine in light of associations with Russia and the invasion of Ukraine.

'Through text messages sent in January 2022, Shefler made various threats against Pitt,' the suit adds.

'Even after Pitt's counsel advised Shefler's counsel that all communications must go through counsel, Shefler has continued to personally message Pitt.'

Responding to the suit filed in Los Angeles County, Jolie claims she 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,' she says.

Jolie claims a $54.5 million deal was struck to sell her share to Pitt but he angrily backed out after she submitted claims of domestic violence in their child custody case  a claim he refutes.

She also maintains that the deal was contingent on her signing a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) 'that would have contractually prohibited her from speaking outside of court about Pitt's physical and emotional abuse of her and their children.'

Jolie and Pitt married in 2014, and are pictured together in November 2015

On Tuesday Angelina Jolie countersued her ex-husband Brad Pitt after he took legal action over the sale of the French winery owned together

Sources close to Pitt say he's never tried to stop his wife from speaking, nor has he ever disparaged her in public.

In fact, they reveal that it was Jolie who suggested an NDA in February of this year when lawyers for the two stars finally tried to negotiate a settlement in their years-long divorce proceedings.

The measure would have prevented either party from making derogatory remarks about the other in 'a public forum' but DailyMail.com understands that Jolie's team never followed up on the idea  leaving her free to say what she liked.

That revelation was significant enough for the New York Times to quietly amend its 'exclusive' scoop, published Tuesday, rehashing the six-year-old allegations and prominently featuring Jolie's NDA complaint.

The Grey Lady slipped in a paragraph confirming the actress had proposed her own non-disparagement proposal to Pitt's divorce lawyer, Anne Kiley, earlier this year  but did not publish any sort of note explaining its editorial update.

'Ironically, she's the one that wanted to suppress the divorce proceedings,' added our insider.

'Brad requested a mutual NDA and non-disparagement strictly related to Miraval over concerns around sensitive financial information and protecting the brand; it had nothing to do with the divorce or the children.

'She used the FOIA and Chateau Miraval to bring up all the dirty laundry and denigrate Brad yet again.

'What kind of person files a FOIA request for information they've had in their possession for nearly six years? It serves no purpose other than to inflict pain.

'And how on earth does it help their children to continually drag them into this?'

Pitt and Jolie met in 2005 on the set of Mr & Mrs Smith, playing a bored married couple who discover they are both assassins hired by competing agencies to kill one another.

They married at Chateau Miraval in 2014 and parented six kids  three biological and three adopted  who are now aged between 14 and 21.

Pitt has not shied away from his flaws, telling GQ magazine in the wake of their split that he was quitting booze and seeking therapy.

'It's hit me smack in the face with our divorce: I gotta be more. I gotta be more for them. I have to show them. And I haven't been great at it,' he said.

DailyMail.com reached out to Jolie's representatives for comment.
When NASA managed to smash a satellite into an asteroid last week, people across the world rejoiced that humanity could be saved if a huge space rock heads for earth.

But will it really work if a planet-killing asteroid like the six-mile-wide one that wiped out the dinosaurs is about to hit our planet? How much notice will NASA scientists need? And will they need nuclear weapons.

This is MailOnline's video guide with the answers.
Maine Rep. Jared Golden introduced legislation taking on a popular California aquarium after he got in hot water over its push to discourage consumption of lobster  his hometown's seafood staple.

Golden  who is trying to maintain control of a Trump district as Republicans seek to claw their way back into power  said Wednesday he would will file a proposal to withhold federal money from the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California and conservation group that has recommended seafood consumers avoid buying lobster.

It is a move with potential hometown appeal that offers the latest opportunity for Golden to distance himself from his party's liberal base.

It comes in a political cage match a week after he tangled with Republican former Rep. Bruce Poliquin over support for Maine's lobster industry.

Golden, Poliquin and independent candidate Tiffany Bond are running to represent Maine's 2nd Congressional District, which is home to many lobster fishermen.

Poliquin called on Golden to return a donation of $667 from Julie Packard, the executive director of Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Seeing red: Republican former Rep. Bruce Poliquin in 2017, left, blasted Democratic Rep. Jared Golden over accepting a contribution from the head of a California aquarium that discourages consumption of lobster. Golden has a bill to bar future federal funds to the aquarium

The aquarium runs Seafood Watch, a conservation group that makes sustainability recommendations for seafood consumers.

The group put lobster from the U.S. and Canada on its 'red list' of seafood to avoid last month due to the threat posed to rare whales by entanglement in fishing gear.

Golden said Wednesday that he is presenting a bill to withhold any future federal funding from the aquarium and its programs. The aquarium has received more than $190 million in federal money since 2001, he said.

'This organization's red list designation of American lobster could have a serious impact on the livelihoods of thousands of hard-working lobstermen, and I believe Congress must do something about it,' Golden said. 'Now, I'm delivering on commonsense reforms that are good for America.'

The stunt comes after Golden boasted about battling with Biden in a campaign ad this August while gorging himself on delicious lobsters.

'Last year, I cracked Biden's aggressive spending agenda,' Golden said while tearing a meaty lobster claw.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California has received $190 million in taxpayer funds over the years. It has a conservation message and discourages consumption of endangered species

Max Oliver moves a lobster to the banding table aboard his boat while fishing off Spruce Head, Maine, on Aug. 31, 2021. Maine lawmakers have long championed the home-state industry

This photograph provided by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources shows an endangered North Atlantic right whale entangled in fishing rope being sighted with a newborn calf on Dec. 2, 2021, in waters near Cumberland Island, Ga. The aquarium warns lobster fishing can cause injuries to the endangered whales

Motion in the ocean: North Atlantic right whales number less than 340 in the world

A Golden ad features a headline from right-wing Fox News in a nod to the majority-Republican voter base  and images of the state's favorite dish

The aquarium, in addition to letting visitors pet Manta Rays and see creatures from crabs to starfish, stresses conservation measures to benefit endangered sea animals including otters, sharks and bluefin tuna. It is a message in line with most Democrats, who stress environmental causes including combatting climate change.

Golden, a former Marine, has also split with his party over an assault weapons ban, which President Biden has vowed to try to bring back after a series of mass shootings.

He outperformed Joe Biden by 14 points in 2020, and is facing reelection in a tougher off-year election

All four members of the Maine delegation are on board with the bill. It has been co-sponsored by Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree and has a companion bill in the Senate introduced by independent Sen. Angus King and cosponsored by Republican Sen. Susan Collins, Golden said.

Lobster prices fell over the summer

Golden has tried to distance himself from party positions as he seeks to hold onto a Trump district

Golden declined to return the donation from Packard and instead donated it as part of a $5,000 donation to the Maine Lobstermen's Association Legal Defense Fund, representatives for his campaign said.

Seafood Watchs recommendation that consumers stop buying lobster prompted some retailers to stop selling it. Maine produces far more lobster than any other state in the country. The state's lobsters were worth more than $700 million at the docks last year.

But entanglement in fishing gear, along with collisions with large ships, is one of the top threats faced by North Atlantic right whales, which number less than 340 in the world. Some scientists have said warming ocean temperatures are causing the whales to stray from protected areas in search of food, and that has left them more vulnerable to collisions and entanglement. A federal judge also ruled this summer that the government hasn't done enough to protect the whales from the entanglements, and that stronger rules are needed.

Representatives for Monterey Bay Aquarium defended the Seafood Watch decision to place lobster on the list of seafood to avoid. Aquarium representatives also said most of the federal money cited by Golden went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, a separate institution that partners with the aquarium and is not involved with Seafood Watch.

'The U.S. fisheries which use gear with vertical lines were red-rated because their governing agencies did not keep them in compliance with the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. This reaction distracts from the real issue: the urgent need for government to get these fisheries back into compliance,' said Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly, vice president of global ocean conservation for the aquarium.

Golden and Poliquin have traded barbs about Seafood Watch donations over the past week. Golden's campaign said Poliquin's accusation about Packard's donation was hypocritical because Poliquin has taken more than $140,000 over the past decade from banks and other large donors that also give to Monterey Bay Aquarium. Brent Littlefield, a spokesperson for Poliquin's campaign, responded that those donations are not the equivalent of taking money from the director of the aquarium itself.

Golden's bill to defund the aquarium is 'another gimmick from Golden trying to distract from his accepting money from Seafood Watch,' said Roy Mathews, a Poliquin spokesperson. Mathews added that Congress is not currently in session.

The Golden and Poliquin campaigns have combined to receive well over $5 million in contributions in total. They also faced off in 2018, when Golden unseated Poliquin via ranked choice voting.
Southwest Airlines allegedly kept Haak employed despite his history of sexual misconduct and Janning's report

The incident lasted about 30-minutes before Haak 'ejaculated' and 'redressed,' according to Janning

Michael Haak was a few weeks shy from retirement when he dead bolted the door of the cockpit and performed lewd acts in front of Janning

Pilot Christine Janning is suing Southwest Airlines and her ex-coworker after he pleaded guilty to stripping naked in front of her during a flight in August 2020

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 reported her co-pilot Michael Haak for getting undressed in front of her and performing lewd acts in 2020

Christine Janning alleges that Southwest retaliated by grounding her after she reported co-pilot Michael Haak to the company and the FBI. Janning's suit also notes that Haak remained employed despite an alleged history of sexual misconduct and that managers disparaged her in memos.

Janning also alleges that the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association conspired with the airline and refused to support her after the August 10, 2020 incident. She is suing Haak for sexual assault.

'On the Flight, Cpt. Haak announced to Ms. Janning that this was to be his final flight, and that there was "something [he] wanted to do before retiring,' the lawsuit reads. 'Cpt. Haak then bolt-locked the cockpit door, in violation of Federal Law, such that only he and Ms. Janning were inside and such that no one else could enter.

'Then, Cpt. Haak placed the plane on autopilot, stripped off his clothing, and masturbated in front of Ms. Janning while watching pornography on a tablet. Cpt. Haak took several photographs and videos of himself masturbating in the cockpit in front of Ms. Janning, and encouraged her to do the same.'

The incident occurred over a span of 30 minutes until Haak 'ejaculated' and 'redressed.'

The Southwest pilot of 27 years and resident of Longwood, Florida, 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, 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 from DailyMail.com.

Janning has since filed a lawsuit against Haak and the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association after the union refused to support her

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. Pictured: A Southwest Airlines jetliner sits at a gate on the C concourse of Denver International Airport on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021, in Denver

Michael Haak pleaded guilty last year to dead-bolting the cockpit door during a flight and stripping naked in front of Janning

Attorney Michael Salnick (left) previously said Janning encouraged Haak's actions. Meanwhile, Frank Podesta (right) denied these allegations

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.

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. Haak was sentenced to one year of probation and a $5,000 fine.

Janning's attorney, Frank Podesta, denied she encouraged Haak or made any advances.

The pilot 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 wasn't Haak's final flight - he flew for three more weeks.

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

Meanwhile, Janning didn't 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, 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 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.

Janning 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.
A father has exposed some of the 'eye-watering' fees Sydneysiders are having to fork out just to enjoy a day out at the beach.

Parking rates at some of the Harbour City's most popular beaches have skyrocketed in recent years.

At Manly, in the northern beaches, those who want to park in the spaces adjacent to the beach will be forced to spend $10 an hour.

It's a similar situation in Bondi, in the eastern suburbs, with the hourly rate at $9.50 for beachgoers.

Radio host Ben Fordham said one of his 2GB listeners phoned in to the station on Wednesday to reveal he'd paid $60 in parking for six hours at Manly Beach on Monday.

At Manly (pictured), in the northern beaches, those who want to park in the spaces adjacent to the beach will be forced to spend $10 an hour

His nephew went separately and paid $80, after staying longer, meaning the pair paid a total of $140 for a day out at the beach.

'The cost of parking at some of Sydney's most popular beaches is eye-watering,' Fordham said in a lengthy Facebook post.

A flat rate for all-day parking at Manly Beach is $40 between October 1 and April 30.

'That's not what our listener Remon paid,' Fordham said. 'Maybe he was topping up by the hour?'

The same prices are seen at other northern beaches like Mona Vale and in Balmoral Beach on the lower north shore.

Fordham said for Bondi Beach, those wanting to go for a swim are paying a 'staggering' $9.50 an hour.

In Bondi, in the eastern suburbs, the hourly rate stands at $9.50 for beachgoers

'So imagine you're planning a full day at the beach with your family. You get there early to beat the crowds and get a good spot. If you were there from 8am until 6pm. that's almost $100 bucks!' he said.

Local residents can purchase a permit and stay at the beach for free, though permits can be costly themselves.

Further south in the Sutherland Shire, all parking is completely free.

'Why can't that be the case in Bondi and Manly?' the radio host said.

'If you live near the beach, you can walk across the road. But if you live in the outer suburbs, going to the beach is becoming almost as expensive as going to the movies.

'It turns out- the best things in life- aren't always free!'

Mosman Council in July increased parking fees from a $35-all day rate to $40, for the October to April season.

Hourly rates jumped from $9 to $10, and $5 to $8 between May and September.
A Gambino family associate was sentenced to 40 years in prison for fatally shooting his longtime loan shark friend after he refused to return the $750,000 he was 'safekeeping.'

Anthony Pandrella, 63, learned his fate in Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday, for the 2018 execution-style murder of 77-year-old Vincent Zito, the Department of Justice announced.

The sordid saga began when Zito, who had been running an illegal loansharking business was warned by Pandrella that he was 'hot,' meaning that he was under investigation by law enforcement.

So Zito, who had connections to the Lucchese crime family, gave Pandrella $750,000 from the business to hold for safekeeping. But when Zito later tried to collect the money back, his pal of 30 years said it had mysteriously vanished.

Just weeks before the murder, a furious Zito was heard threatening to kill Pandrella, who had by then given a portion of the money back.

On October 26, 2018, Pandrella told Zito he was ready to pay up and showed up at his Brooklyn home. But instead of handing over the cash, Pandrella put a bullet in the back of his friend's head.

Pandrella was convicted of the charges following a trial in June 2022.

Anthony Pandrella, 63, of Brooklyn, (pictured) was sentenced to 40 years in prison for killing his friend Vincent Zito, 77, after Pandrella refused to return the $750K he was 'safekeeping'

Zito (pictured) was reportedly angered by Pandrella's claim that the money had disappeared and was overheard at a restaurant threatening to kill him. He had loaned Pandrella the money after he had told him he was 'hot,' meaning the police were potentially onto his shady business

Joseph and Samantha Zito, daughter and son of the victim, speak exclusively to the Daily Mail after Anthony Pandrella was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of Vincent Zito

In June, the jury deliberated for just an hour and a half before convicting Pandrella on all three counts, robbery, murder and unlawful use of a firearm.

On Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court, Pandrella, who is an associate of the Gambino organized crime family, was sentenced by United States Chief District Judge Margo K. Brodie to 40 years in prison for the murder of Zito, Hobbs Act robbery and unlawful use of a firearm.

'All for greed, the defendant ruthlessly executed his longtime friend after being welcomed into his home,' stated United States Attorney Peace. 'Pandrella's cold-blooded crime has cost him dearly with the loss of his freedom for decades.'

Zito's family gathered outside the courthouse in Brooklyn on Wednesday when they got the news that their loved one's killer would spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Samantha Zito, daughter of Zito spoke exclusively to the Daily Mail after Anthony Pandrella was sentenced to 40 years in prison for Zito's murder

Joseph Zito, son of Zito, spotted outside court in Brooklyn on Wednesday after Anthony Pandrella was sentenced to 40 years in prison

Zito's body was found by his grandson, 11, when he returned home from school, the US Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of New York had previously said.

The firearm was found next to Zito, who was laying face-up, and it is believed that Pandrella set it up to look like a suicide.

The murder weapon recovered at the scene was covered in Pandrella's DNA, the Attorney's Office said in a statement.

The two men were friends for 30 years before the tragedy unfolded.

Two witnesses revealed during the three-week trial that Zito was furious with the Brooklynite over the money he had not returned and had threatened to kill him, the New York Daily News reported.

'I gave him $750,000 and he said its gone. The fat f**k stole my money,' one witness testified hearing Zito say at a restaurant.

Pandrella had told Zito that the money had disappeared from his basement. He did, however, end up giving Zito $300,000 after selling the property, the NYDN reported.

Vincent Zito was killed inside his home (pictured) in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn on October 26, 2018, and was found by his 11-year-old grandson when he came home from school

On the morning of the murder, Pandrella had told Zito he was paying off his debt. But instead, he showed up at Zito's Sheepshead Bay home and shot him in the head at 'close range.'

Pandrella was seen leaving the property on grainy surveillance footage at the time of the murder. When he arrived at his own home, security footage showed the gangster changing his clothing and removing the passenger's side floor mat from his car 'so it could be cleaned.'

Pandrella also stole 'luxury watches' from Zito's 'loansharking business,' that he was apparently holding as 'collateral' for a customer's loan, officials said.
A frontline Covid worker had his long-awaited Bali holiday ruined after Jetstar lost his bag full of scuba gear worth $3,000.

Malcom's wife Toni planned the surprise Indonesian scuba diving holiday for her husband's 60th birthday after he spent two years working on the frontline during Covid-19.

The pair flew to Bali from Melbourne via Darwin despite long delays and multiple flight cancellations.

However, after arriving in Bali they discovered that Jetstar had lost one of their checked-in bags which was carrying $3,000 worth of scuba gear.

Malcom labelled the whole experience as 'awful' and said he was told Jetstar was unable to locate his bag.

'It has been awful, actually,' Malcom told the Today show on Thursday.

'In the check-in we had three bags checked and only two arrived from Darwin.

'Sadly, it was a celebratory holiday to go scuba diving in Indonesia, which is a fantastic place to dive, but they've (Jetstar) lost my dive gear.

'The sad thing about it is that Jetstar cannot give us any idea as to where the bag is, they scanned it in and the problem with that is they just can't even tell us where it is now.'

Malcom's wife Toni claims the airline told her they have 'no record' of scanning the luggage.

Toni and Malcom (pictured) have had their long-awaited Bali holiday ruined after Jetstar lost their checked-in bag carrying $3,000 worth of scuba equipment

Toni said she had been planning the holiday for a long time.

'I'm really disappointed for Mal,' Toni said. 'I think he was a fish in a previous life as he needs to be on or under the water and this was a holiday that he really needed.

'He was frontline services during Covid in the past two years. This is a holiday I have been planning for a long time.

'It included a lot of surprises for him. This wasn't one that I planned.'

Both Malcom and Toni are waiting to hear from Jetstar, despite being told they would be contacted within 24 hours via email after reporting their lost bag.

The pair called Jetstar three times but feel as though the airline doesn't care or understand their concern, labelling their treatment as 'disgraceful'.

'Nothing. No emails, no phone calls, no texts, no nothing,' Toni said.

'No acknowledgement whatsoever, at all, and we've spent hours trying to get through to them.'

Jetstar told Daily Mail Australia it 'sincerely apologises' for disrupting Malcom and Toni's journey and are doing everything to locate their missing bag.

'This is obviously not the experience we want for our customers and we sincerely apologise to Malcolm and Toni for the disruptions to their journey,' Jetstar said in a statement.

'Our customer team is working hard to locate the missing bag and will reach out to Malcolm and Toni to discuss what further support we can provide.'

The airline vowed it is doing everything it can to overcome recent operational challenges including hiring more staff, adding special services to support during disruptions and creating a buffer between flights.

'We thank our customers for their understanding and patience as we continue working to improve our operations,' Jetstar said.

Toni claimed Jetstar (pictured, queues at Jetstar departure terminal in Sydney Airport) told the couple they have 'no record' of the luggage and said they had not heard from the airline despite being told they would be contacted within 24 hours with an update

It comes after the airline cancelled further flights just days after issuing an apology to customers over ongoing flight disruptions.

On Wednesday passengers were told their flight from Honolulu to Melbourne had been dumped 24 hours before its scheduled take-off.

Travellers were told about the cancellation prior to arriving at the airport and were issued $300 vouchers for accommodation while they worked 'around the clock' to replace a damaged windscreen on one of their aircrafts.

'We understand how frustrating and inconvenient disruptions are and we sincerely apologise to customers impacted by this unavoidable change,' a Jetstar statement read.

Two days earlier the airline promised travellers that flight disruptions would be a thing of the past.

Jetstar chief operating officer Matthew Franzi told 9News on Monday that 'bad luck' was primarily to blame for the disruptions and acknowledged the budget airline had 'not delivered to the customer expectations'.
Police then threatened to arrest the man for obstructing a police operation

One man confronted the undercover cop and was swarmed by several officers

The officer would try to catch drivers on their phone and radio it in to other cops

A friend of the man who exposed a sneaky tactic cops are using to catch motorists on their phones has slammed the police operation as 'intimidating' and 'aggressive'.

The man, named only as Aneil, was driving the car while his mate recorded the confrontation with a police officer disguised as roadside window washer.

He told New Zealand radio host Duncan Garner on Wednesday morning of the moment police officers swarmed on his friend.

'It is really intimidating having someone prowling in your window,' Aneil said.

'They were aggressive. To have three, four, five police officers surround my friend, that is a really intimidating thing. What they are doing here is going against police code really.'

Aneil was travelling from Wellington with his friend when his mate spotted an officer who had fined him days earlier, disguised as a window washer on the side of a road in Manurewa, South Auckland.

'He's the cop that gave me the ticket. He's pretending to be a window washer,' the man is heard saying in the video before getting out of the car and confronting him.

A New Zealand man has spoken out on Duncan Garner's radio show about the sneaky tactic police are using to catch motorists on their phones as an undercover cop is filmed disguised as a window washer (pictured)

As he confronted the undercover cop, other uniformed officers surrounded him before threatening to arrest him for obstructing the police operation

As he confronted the undercover officer, other uniformed officers surrounded him and confirmed the fake window washer was in fact a police officer.

The cops then threatened to arrest the man for obstructing the operation if he did not move on.

'They are trying to get people in Manurewa tickets and fines for maybe phones, seatbelts and now they are going to send other cops over because I am wrecking their operation,' the man filming said.

'This is the same officer who gave me a ticket for not speeding and was a real bully and wanted to intimidate not educate.'

One of the officers who surrounded the man is heard saying, 'move on or you will be arrested for obstruction', but the man would not budge insisting that he was doing nothing wrong and was on public property.

Garner weighed in on the footage, labelling the underhand tactic as 'bloody trickery'.

'Is it only Manurewa because that's where dodgy people live apparently, is that what they are saying?' he asked.

'I reckon it's bloody trickery you know. What window washer goes around with a walkie talkie and police radio.'
An experienced doctor has laid bare the shocking emergency room crises in Australia as ambulances queue outside hospitals and desperate patients go untreated in waiting areas.

Emergency medicine specialist Dr James Tadros told a NSW parliamentary inquiry this week he can't remember a shift in three years where patient care hasn't been compromised because of overcrowding and understaffing.

Dr Tadros read aloud texts he sent to a colleague about an 88-year-old woman with kidney failure who had been in the waiting room for six hours and was so weak she was 'lying across three chairs'.

'Some bystanders were helping her daughter to slowly move her around because she was so weak. This is basically Third World,' one message read, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.

A NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into ambulance ramping at NSW hospitals (pictured) is underway and heard disturbing evidence from emergency medicine specialist Dr James Tadros

He told the colleague, Dr Pramod Chandru, that ambulance patients who weren't necessarily the sickest were being prioritized over other patients and that he had to wheel the woman around in a wheelchair for 20 minutes to even find a space to assess her.

Nurses could not begin treatment for the kidney failure with slow intravenous fluids while in the waiting room, while treatment with rapid fluids would likely cause a deadly pulmonary edema, Dr Tadros wrote.

'Maybe that will get her a bed. I just wrote up 500ml to try and do something for her.'

Twelve hours after the woman first presented at emergency and six hours after she was first seen by Dr Tadros, the patient was finally found a bed.

'Her abdomen is riddled with metastatic cancer of unknown primary... she's probably going to imminently die from this. The worst part is, her and her daughter have been so nice despite our rubbish care,' he wrote.

Emergency specialist Dr James Tadros (pictured) wrote to a colleague about the dire situation of a woman with kidney failure who waited 12 hours for a bed

The Labor-led inquiry heard ambulance patients in NSW can regularly wait up to 36 hours to be allocated a bed in a ward for proper treatment because of bottlenecked hospitals, a situation known as 'access block'.

Kelly Falconer, a senior nurse who also gave evidence, said nurses were routinely risking their registrations by going into waiting rooms and treating patients who were yet to be officially seen.

Dr Tadros said emergency rooms in Western Sydney hospitals were operating at 100 per cent capacity and staff burnout was common.

'We work in an environment that we don't see as conducive to good medical care.' Dr Tadros said in an ABC report.

'The frontline staff have become completely numb to it,' Setthy Ung from the South Western Sydney Local Health District said.

'They've learnt to adapt, to live on the knife's edge.'

Hospital staff say overcrowding and understaffing are compromising patient care in NSW emergency departments

A NSW Health spokesperson said 84 per cent of ambulance patients in NSW were transferred to emergency departments within 30 minutes.

But Health Minister Brad Hazzard was previously accused of being out of touch by the paramedics union after he told a March budget estimates hearing ambulance queuing was 'rare'.

Health Services Union secretary Gerard Hayes has called for a Royal Commission into healthcare spending to get to the root cause as to why significant budget spending is failing to address the problem.

The inquiry will finish on Friday.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW Health for comment.
Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon attends Cabinet meeting at the government complex in in Seoul, Wednesday. Newsis



By Lee Hae-rin



The Ministry of Justice announced a plan to crack down on undocumented foreign residents for two months, starting next Tuesday.



The ministry will team up with the Korean National Police Agency, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Coast Guard to conduct the crackdown between Oct. 11 and Dec. 10, it said in a statement released on Wednesday.



Since the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry has been focused on preventing and managing the spread of the virus among undocumented foreigners in the country. However, the recent increase in the number of undocumented immigrants has led the government to return to a hardline stance, the ministry said.



Primary targets include illegal immigrants working in delivery services, massage parlors and drug rings. Some crime-prone areas will also be subject to police patrols.



The ministry said it will acquire search and seizure warrants to deal with those who refuse to comply without legitimate reasons. Since the ministry's amendment of human rights guidelines in investigating immigrants on Aug. 1, it needs to obtain a person's informed consent before a search can begin  the ministry official must reveal his or her name, affiliation and the purpose of the check on a foreigner. This is due to a recommendation from the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) to include an agreement procedure when investigating.



Those in violation of the relevant laws will be deported and banned from entering Korea again for a certain period of time.



Minister Han said that the consistent and principled crackdown on illegal immigrants will be continued. "The establishment of clear rules for legal stay is the basis of a flexible immigration policy that is in the national interest," he said.



According to the ministry, the rate of illegal immigrants among the foreign community in Korea went up slightly from 19.3 percent in 2020 to 19.9 percent in 2021.




The building was approved by a private certifier; no regular DA was required

The mum of two also said the huge home will look directly into her bathroom

An Australian mum is outraged and stunned by a huge house going up next door that she claims will rob her family of privacy and is already blocking out her daylight.

Livia, who didn't want to use her surname, is upset by the sheer size and proximity of the emerging 'castle' next to her family's home in Concord West, in Sydney's inner west.

In official plans the home looks like a two-storey duplex, but since construction commenced, somehow it appears to be far larger than her home - which also has two levels.

Livia, who didn't want her surname used, is upset by how close the emerging building is, in Concord west in Sydney, to her family's home and by its size

Neighbours in Colane Street have also remarked it appears higher, wider and longer than anything else on the same road.

Before the rebuild, the home was a humble single-storey brick bungalow. But not any more.

The land was bought by a Chinese developer, who hired local company, Homme Certifiers, to approve the $1million plan, A Current Affair reported.

Livia and neighbours have dubbed the sprawling building, surrounded by vast scaffolding, 'the Castle of Concord'.

The mum of two said the neighbouring house is already blocking out their natural light from mid-afternoon each day.

When it is completed she said the neighbours will be able to see directly into her bathroom.

Livia also pointed out the scaffolding for the construction, in at least one place, is resting on her house.

The local authorities responded by saying they had 'undertaken enforcement action' at the site but that the developer had rectified a 'compliance issue' related to the scaffolding crossing the property boundary.

In official plans the home looks like a two-storey duplex, but since construction commenced, somehow it appears to be far larger than her home which also has two levels

Before the block was bought by a Chinese developer it was home to a humble single-storey brick bungalow. But not any more

Livia described the neighbouring property as 'the worst thing' to happen to her family.

The mum of two cannot understand how it was approved given that when she built a home in the quiet suburb 12 years ago there were stricter planning approvals.

She claimed when she built her family home, Canada Bay Council restricted everything from building height to setbacks (the open space required around a building) and even brick colour.

But she claims her neighbouring property didn't need council approval and instead only needed a certificate from a private certifier.

Livia and other neighbours suspect what is being built may not comply with building codes.

Canada Bay Council issued a statement saying the developer addressed concerns raised and confirmed it was approved by a private contractor.

'Council has undertaken enforcement action at 12 Colane Street, Concord West following a complaint and the compliance issue has subsequently been addressed by the developer.

'The approval of the development at 12 Colane Street was issued by a private certifier via the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) Low Rise Housing Diversity Code (SEPP).'

Daily Mail Australia approached Homme Certifiers for comment.
Pedestrians in the country's biggest city are fuming at being forced to walk 'in single file' because of new advertising billboards placed in the middle of footpaths.

The new billboards, referred to as 'communication pylons', are part of a bid to modernise the streets of Sydney and provide advertising revenue for the council.

But many pedestrians complained about the height and length of the billboards which have been popping up across the CBD, Surry Hills and Potts Point.

Pedestrians in Sydney, NSW, have been left fuming and forced to walk 'in single file' because of new advertising billboards placed in the middle of footpaths (pictured)

These new signs replaced older phone booth-mounted advertising panels which had been around for 20 years or more.

The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, on Wednesday shared her thoughts on their new works through an Instagram post.

'In June 2020, [City of Sydney] Council unanimously resolved to award QMS Media a ten-year contract that secured more income to the City and a complete renewal of street furniture,' she wrote in the statement.

'The overall value of the contract to the City is up to $450million, which includes ongoing maintenance such as cleaning and repair of the infrastructure, and of course the advertising revenue.

'This is an important income stream for the City, which helps fund our extensive capital works, social and environmental programs while keeping rates among the lowest in the metropolitan area.'

The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore (pictured walking dogs across the new rainbow crossing at Taylor Square in Sydney, 2019), on Wednesday shared her thoughts on their new works through an Instagram post

Following an attempt by JCDecaux to sell the city its 20-year-old advertising furniture for $50million, the offer was turned down after failing to meet current Disability Discrimination Act requirements.

The City of Sydney then made the decision to accept QMS's offer for the new billboards.

Ms Moore said: 'The City's Design Advisory Panel spent months working with QMS on the new designs, to achieve a modern look and ensure compliance with current design standards and accessibility requirements, such as better sight-lines to buses and wheelchair accessibility.

'The vast majority of these panels have been installed in the same location and are a similar width to the old phone-booth billboards.

'Yes, they are quite large and in some locations - as was the case with the old telephone-mounted panels - you may have to walk in single-file.'

The Lord Mayor's post attracted significant criticism from members of the public.

'I had to push my kids pram onto the street to get around one of your new 'communications pylons'. I don't see how this is improving accessibility or how this meets the disability discrimination act. I'd hate to be in a wheelchair maneuvering the CBD now. I sent an email to council and never received a response,' one user said.

Another commented: 'The irony that these billboards have ads claiming that they will increase accessibility for residents They block half the footpath at points. For what? So the City of Sydney can make advertising revenue? Not to mention they are an eyesore. Love your work Lord Mayor but this is an (ugly) mistake.'

A third said: 'They are hazardously big and occupy way too much precious foot traffic space especially when I am forced to walk around one so close to the incoming buses and taxis. I believe some sort of holographic alternative that you can walk right through is the solution.'

'Yes, they are quite large and in some locations - as was the case with the old telephone-mounted panels - you may have to walk in single-file,' Ms Moore said in her post (pictured, the new billboards in Sydney)

Ms Moore said the City of Sydney had worked to ensure the screens were compliant, and positioned in accordance with the City's Street Furniture placement guidelines.

'The placement of all bus shelters, communication pylons, kiosks and automatic public toilets were subject to development application process, which included public consultation with a determination made by the independent Local Planning Panel,' she said.

'Managing the City's needs is a constant negotiation. Some benefits require trade-offs.'

Ms Moore added: 'I assure you were are listening and responding to your feedback regarding the furniture upgrades and I hope you understand the value of this contract to our work delivering a great place to live, visit and work.'
The founder and CEO of a software company targeted by election deniers has been arrested on suspicion of stealing data on hundreds of Los Angeles County poll workers.

Konnech Corporation's Eugene Yu, 51, was arrested on Tuesday in Meridian Township in Michigan and held on suspicion of theft of personal identifying information, the LA District Attorney's Office said.

Konnech is an obscure firm that provides software to help election officials manage training and scheduling of poll workers, and prosecutors allege that the company improperly stored poll worker data on servers located in China.

Yu's arrest came just one day after The New York Times wrote a lengthy article detailing how the company had become the focus of 'conspiracy theorists' who asserted that it had 'given the Chinese government backdoor access to personal data about two million poll workers.'

Konnech Corporation CEO Eugene Yu, 51, was arrested on Tuesday in Meridian Township in Michigan and held on suspicion of theft of personal identifying information

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon was quick to assert that Yu's alleged crimes 'had no impact on the tabulation of votes and did not alter election results'

While the charges against Yu do not substantiate those claims in full, they do show that prosecutors believe Konnech may have improperly handled poll worker data.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon was quick to assert that Yu's alleged crimes 'had no impact on the tabulation of votes and did not alter election results.'

'But security in all aspects of any election is essential so that we all have full faith in the integrity of the election process,' he added in a statement.

Prosecutors say that during Yu's arrest, computer hard drives and other 'digital evidence' were seized by investigators from the district attorney's office

Gascon's office will now seek his extradition to California. Representatives for Konnech strongly denied the charges against Yu.

'We are continuing to ascertain the details of what we believe to be Mr. Yu's wrongful detention by LA County authorities,' Konnech said in a statement.

'Any LA County poll worker data that Konnech may have possessed was provided to it by LA County, and therefore could not have been "stolen" as suggested,' the company added.

Konnech is an obscure firm based in Michigan that provides software to help election officials manage training and scheduling of poll workers

Yu, who was born in China, became the target of claims by election conspiracy theorists that the company had secret ties to the Chinese Communist Party, the Times reported

Konnech is a small company based in East Lansing, Michigan, with about 27 employees located in the US and Australia.

In 2020, it won a five-year, $2.9 million contract with LA County for software to track election worker schedules, training, payroll, and communications, according to the county clerk, Dean C. Logan.

Konnech was required to keep the data in the United States and only provide access to citizens and permanent residents but instead stored it on servers in the Peoples Republic of China, the DAs office said.

The DA's office didn't specify what specific information allegedly was taken. But officials said it only involved poll workers, not voting machines or vote counts.

'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.

'With the mid-term General Election 35 days away, our focus remains on ensuring the administration of this election is not disrupted,' said a statement from Dean C. Logan, the LA County registrar-recorder/county clerk.

Konnech employees told the Times that they had gone into hiding after receiving threats from people who believed the company was secretly working with China

There wasn't any evidence that any election worker was bribed or extorted and an investigation was pending into whether any of the data went into inappropriate hands, the DA's office said.

In The New York Times profile published on Monday, Konnech insisted that all the data for its American customers were stored on servers in the United States.

The paper reported that Konnech and Yu, who was born in China, became the target of claims by election conspiracy theorists who believed the company had secret ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

The allegations, which circulated online, held that 'China had gained near complete control of America's elections' and planned to use poll worker data to threaten or bribe election officials.

The Times wrote there wasn't any evidence to support those claims, but said Yu received threats and went into hiding.

Konnech also has contracts with Allen County, Indiana, and DeKalb County in Georgia, the Times said.

On its website, Konnech said it currently has 32 clients in North America.
President Joe Biden tore into 'MAGA Republicans' and their 'extreme agenda' after a court ruled a program protecting millions of migrants from deportation is unlawful.

The setback for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) scheme - which shields more than 600,000 migrants known as 'dreamers' - means new applications will no longer be accepted in a blow to the Biden administration's liberal immigration policy.

'My Administration is committed to defending Dreamers against attacks from Republican officials in Texas and other States. This challenge to DACA is just another example of the extreme agenda being pushed by MAGA-Republican officials,' Biden said in a statement late Wednesday.

The White House is now considering legal challenges to revive the program that was started under President Obama and has been in legal limbo for years.

Biden said he would 'defend Dreamers against attacks from Republicans' and called the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals 'unlawful' for saying Obama didn't have the authority to put the plan in place.

'We are currently reviewing the court's decision and will work with the Department of Justice on an appropriate legal response,' Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals released its decision Wednesday directing a federal district judge in Texas to review the program.

The Biden administration issued a revision to DACA in August that is preventing the deportation of hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants brought into the U.S. as children.

But the new court ruling requires a lower court to review those revisions  and barred new applicants from applying to the program.

President Joe Biden lashed out at 'MAGA Republicans' after an appeals court ruling on Wednesday upheld a lower court decision deeming DACA unlawful and preventing new applicants from applying to the program to avoid deportation

DACA is an Obama-era program that allows illegal immigrants brought into the U.S. as children to receive temporary and renewable legal status and obtain a work permit. The measure is expected to go to the Supreme Court for a third time

Vice President Kamala Harris, the administration's so-called 'border czar', said she would ' do everything possible to ensure Dreamers are able to live and work in the only country they know as home.'

'Dreamers reflect the best of who we are as a nation and deserve permanent protections. This decision is yet another reminder that Congress must act,' she urged.

There were 611,270 people enrolled in DACA at the end of March. A large number of those enrolled in the program  494,350 people or 81 percent of the total  are from Mexico. Large numbers of the remaining total are Dreamers are from Guatemala, Honduras, Peru and South Korea.

'I am disappointed in today's Fifth Circuit decision holding that DACA is unlawful,' Biden said in a Wednesday evening statement. 'The court's stay provides a temporary reprieve for DACA recipients but one thing remains clear: the lives of Dreamers remain in limbo.'

'Today's decision is the result of continued efforts by Republican state officials to strip DACA recipients of the protections and work authorization that many have now held for over a decade,' the president added.

DACA allows some illegal immigrants in the U.S. who were brought to the country as children to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred deportation  it also provides them the opportunity to become eligible for a work permit.

The status for DACA recipients, who have become known as 'Dreamers' due to the never-passed DREAM Act, has remained in limbo for years after former President Donald Trump's administration rescinded an expansion to the program in June 2017.

The 5th Circuit ruling Wednesday by three judges in the New Orleans-based court leaves the future of DACA up in the air, with current recipients still protected  for now  but new applications barred from applying for the program.

Texas-based U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen last year declared DACA illegal.

He found the program was not subjected to public notice and comment periods required under the federal Administrative Procedures Act  but he left the program temporarily intact for those already benefiting from it, pending the appeal.

Wednesday's ruling upholds Judge Hanen's initial finding, but sends the case back to him for a look at a new version of the rule issued by the Biden administration in late August, which takes effect on October 31.

'A district court is in the best position to review the administrative record in the rulemaking proceeding,' said the opinion written by Chief 5th Circuit Judge Priscilla Richman, who was nominated to the court by President George W. Bush. The other panel members are judges Kurt Engelhardt and James Ho, both Trump appointees.

DACA is widely expected to go to the Supreme Court for a third time.

Migration continues to fluctuate at the southern border, leading Republicans to become more hard-line on immigration issues. August figures brought the total number of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) migrant encounters to more than 2 million in Fiscal Year 2022

In 2016, the Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 over an expanded DACA and a version of the program for parents of DACA recipients, keeping in place a lower court decision for the benefits to be blocked.

Texas-based U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen (pictured) declared DACA illegal last year after finding it was not subjected to a public notice and comment period. He left the program temporarily intact for current beneficiaries, but prevented new applicants

In 2020, the high court ruled 5-4 that the Trump administration improperly ended DACA by failing to follow federal procedures, allowing it to stay in place.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also responded to the Wednesday ruling, claiming that it will only 'bring greater instability to the DACA program.'

He claimed that DACA 'has prevented the cruel and unfair deportation of thousands of people who've only known America as their home and contribute greatly to our economic prosperity.'

'While this ruling keeps the existing DACA program in place, it continues to deny other eligible recipients the possibility to receive protection,' the New York Democrat added.

'For these reasons, it is time for Republicans to join Democrats in supporting legislation that will codify these life-saving protections and ensure Dreamers have the opportunity to finally receive the citizenship they've worked hard to earn.'

Biden made the same calls in his statement, writing: '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.'

DACA was adopted by former President Barack Obama's administration but has had a complicated and lengthy ride through federal court challenges.

FILE - Susana Lujano, left, a dreamer from Mexico who lives in Houston, joins other activists to rally in support of DACA at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. on June 15, 2022. A federal appeals court Wednesday ordered a lower court review of Biden administration revisions to the program. The ruling leaves the future of DACA up in the air

'Current DACA recipients can renew their status and apply for advance parole, but the ruling continues to block new applicants from being granted DACA,' the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, an advocacy organization, said in a statement. The organization was among advocates renewing calls Wednesday for the Biden administration and Congress to protect DACA recipients.

The new rule's 453 pages are largely technical and represent little substantive change from the 2012 memo that created DACA, but it was subject to public comments as part of a formal rule-making process intended to improve its chances of surviving legal muster.

In July arguments at the 5th Circuit, the U.S. Justice Department defended the program, allied with the state of New Jersey, immigrant advocacy organizations and a coalition of dozens of powerful corporations, including Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft. They argued that DACA recipients have grown up to become productive drivers of the U.S. economy, holding and creating jobs and spending money.

Texas, joined by eight other Republican-leaning states, argued that they are harmed financially, incurring hundreds of millions of dollars in health care, education and other costs, when immigrants are allowed to remain in the country illegally.

They also argued that the White House overstepped its authority by granting immigration benefits that are for Congress to decide.

DACA recipients have become a powerful political force even though they can't vote, but their efforts to achieve a path to citizenship through Congress have repeatedly fallen short. Any imminent threat to lose work authorization and to expose themselves to deportation could pressure Congress into protecting them, even as a stopgap measure.

The Biden administration disappointed some pro-DACA advocates with its conservative legal strategy of keeping age eligibility unchanged. DACA recipients had to have been in the United States in June 2007, an increasingly out-of-reach requirement. The average age of a DACA recipient was 28.2 years at the end of March, compared to 23.8 years in September 2017.
It comes after the mysterious death of Wollongong 12-year-old Wayne Russell

'We are all at home in bed but they're out at night, the middle of the night.'

Ms Webb fears they are inspiring other youth to endanger themselves and others

Children as young as 12 are gloating about the crimes they commit online

Karen Webb says teens and pre-teens are at the behest of criminal organisations

Children are being used by criminal gangs to commit crime with kids stealing cars and gloating about their exploits on social media, a police chief has warned, amid the mysterious death of a 12-year-old boy.

Australian teenagers are now being swept into organised crime networks with widely circulated videos promoting serious criminal behaviour online, New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb said.

Young people are easily influenced by videos shared online and crime gangs are exploiting their vulnerabilities, including telling them to climb through doggie doors to rob homes, Commissioner Webb told the Today show on Thursday morning.

It comes after the mysterious death of 12-year-old Wayne Russell, who was found with extensive injuries near Wollongong about 2am on Tuesday morning.

Paramedics found him at what is believed to be a friend's address after being dropped off in a silver car, he was later taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

There are also concerns about the hashtag 'creeping while you're sleeping'  predominately used to show underage motorists driving cars at night  as it continues to go viral on TikTok.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb (pictured) has established a new youth crime task force as police and parents express concern for the recent surge in youth crime and online 'bragging'

'It concerns me greatly and the commissioners right across Australia that we've got young people as young as 12, under 12, being involved in crime,' Commissioner Webb said as she launched a new youth crime task force.

'Whether that's youth crime gangs coming together, young kids coming together using knives, or whether that's young people breaking into cars, stealing cars, joy riding and using social media platforms to record their exploits and then brag about (them).

'And that's creating a movement. So other kids are doing it.'

Concerning online trends promote videos of teenagers appearing to drive around stolen cars in the early hours of morning, with some even boasting about news reports covering teenage crashes.

Commissioner Webb said stamping out youth car-boosting is particularly important for police, as young drivers pose a huge threat to communities.

A stolen black Holden Barina crashed into a traffic light at Towradgi, in Wollongong, south of Sydney, in the early hours of Tuesday morning (pictured)

Commissioner Webb (pictured on the Today Show, Thursday morning) said youth are learning criminal tricks from more experienced malefactors and videos shared by delinquents online

'They're 12, they can barely touch the pedals and the steering wheel and see over the dash(board),' she explained.

'That is the concern for us, that we've got young kids easily influenced and used by older people  whether it's 17-year-olds or whether that's actually adults  to commit crime.'

Commissioner Webb said often the stolen cars are used to commit further crimes, noting: 'a car at speed is a weapon'.

She also said pre-teens are learning criminal tricks from bad influences both on the street and online.

'We have had 12 year olds go in through a doggie door to steal. A 12-year-old doesn't learn that on their own. They're being used to commit serious adult crimes,' she explained.

'I guess the concern for us is that they are starting younger and we don't want to see any kids in jail but certainly, as a community we've got to tackle this.'

Twelve-year-old Wayne has been widely mourned after his mysterious midnight death rocked parents around the country.

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

Half an hour before paramedics found Wayne, police rushed toward the sound of a huge bang in Towradgi, Wollongong.

However, cops found that any former occupants of the vehicle had fled the vehicle  with only the hulk of a Holden Barina remaining at the scene.

The car had been reported stolen on Saturday afternoon.

Pants paid tributes online and in the Wollongong community for the 'polite' young boy.

'Gone way before your time little buddy! You will be missed by all who met you. A smile that lit a room and the best anyone could have. You were always so polite to me and a good mate to my boys...' the mother of two of Wayne's schoolfriends wrote on social media.

Wayne's parents have revealed even they are not clear of the exact circumstances surrounding his tragic death.

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

Carjacking is just one of the many activities glorified in widely circulated TikTok videos, other widely-circulated clips show users showing off the proceeds of purported criminal dealings and weapon ownership.

Along with the launch of the new youth crime task force, Commissioner Webb and top cops from other states are strategising with other agencies to tackle the youth-crime surge.

She said children need a sense of belonging, adding: 'We want them to belong to something more meaningful like sport or other activity that keeps kids busy'.

'It's not a nine to five problem. Most of this activity is at night. We are all at home in bed but they're out at night, middle of the night.'
Kept white cocktail dress in a bag under her bed for six months before washing it

Ms Higgins wept in court on Thursday morning as CCTV was shown to the court

Mr Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent

Brittany Higgins has wept in court as the trial of her accused rapist Bruce Lehrmann was shown the moment the pair arrived at Parliament House on the night of the alleged assault.

Video shown to the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday featured Ms Higgins, now 27, and Mr Lehrmann walking through metal detectors twice and taking off her black stilettos that March 2019 evening.

Ms Higgins broke down as the footage was shown to the jury. Sitting in the witness box, Ms Higgins said she didn't remember 'any of it'.

Footage showed that Ms Higgins - who the court earlier heard was 'Schoolies drunk' that night - struggled to buckle her shoes up after walking through security again.

She then walked barefoot in a white cocktail dress through the corridors, carrying her shoes in her hand, according to the clip.

Ms Higgins told the court she kept the white cocktail dress 'untouched and uncleaned' in a plastic bag under her bed for about six months.

Brittany Higgins arrives in ACT Supreme Court in Canberra before taking to the witness stand in the trial of her alleged rapist on Thursday

Pictured: Brittany Higgins arriving at court in Canberra for Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial

She told the court that, once it was clear she couldn't report the alleged assault without losing her job, she 'very symbolically washed the dress'.

'I wore it once more but I never wore it again after that.'

Ms Higgins was also shown photographs of the office where she allegedly raped, including the grey leather couch.

The couch faced Ms Reynolds' old desk, next to an Australian flag. She held it together as the pictures were shown.

However, her voice trembled as she described the way she was positioned on the couch during the alleged rape.

Ms Higgins told the court her head was on a while decorative cushion, facing the window.

'I was jammed up into the corner [of the couch]. My head was right in the corner, between the head rest and the arm rest,' she said.

When prosecutor Prosecutor Shane Drumgold SC asked where her legs were, Ms Higgins replied: 'Spread open.'

'My left leg was pinned down between his knee and the couch ... and my other one was bent and open so I was completely exposed.

'I was like a prop pinned into that corner.

Ms Higgins arrived at court on Thursday dressed in black. She is expected to be cross-examined by Lehrmann's lawyer, possibly as early as today.

Pictured: Bruce Lehrmann heading to ACT Supreme Court on Thursday morning for day three of the trial

Ms Higgins had been visibly emotional at the end of yesterday's trial after watching CCTV footage of herself at a bar in Canberra.

The footage, which was played for the court, showed Ms Higgins arriving at venue The Dock in Kingston at 7.24pm - where she drank 11 vodkas over a four-hour period.

She said in a police interview in 2021, which was also shown in court on Wednesday, that she was 'schoolies drunk' that evening, and had never been so intoxicated.

The rest of the security tape will be shown to the court on Thursday, and will feature footage from the time she spent at nightclub, 88mph, and the moment she and Mr Lehrmann got inside Parliament House.

The pair worked as political staffers for then-minister Linda Reynolds.

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.

Recounting the alleged rape, Ms Higgins said she felt "trapped" and "not human" as Lehrmann hovered over her.

"It didn't feel like it was about me at all," she said.

Later in a text message to her ex-boyfriend Ben Dillaway, Ms Higgins said she had been "barely lucid".

"I really don't feel like it was consensual at all," she said.

She also expressed concern at the story becoming public knowledge and later told police she feared damaging the Liberal Party with the allegations.

The trial continues.

Earlier in the trial

In the initial police interview, recorded in February 2021 and played to the court on Wednesday, 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 ... Beyond schoolies drunk.'

Higgins then went into detail about the moment she woke up to Lehrmann allegedly having sex with her.

She claimed he 'seemed sweaty', was 'grunting' and she was 'jammed in the corner' of the couch.

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

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

'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 didn't leave the office, and 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.

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.

Earlier in the day, 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

'I was trying to overcompensate to make it feel normal - we didn't discuss it,' she said.

After the alleged rape, Ms 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'.

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.'

'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.'

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.'

The trial continues.
The Lancet, one of the world's most prestigious medical journals, has sensationally claimed Covid may have leaked out of a US lab.

Unveiling the results of a two-year investigation into the origins of the pandemic, the magazine's team tasked with uncovering the truth stated it was 'plausible' the virus could have emerged in America.

It echoes the rhetoric of Beijing's disinformation crusade, which attempted to divert attention away from the infamous Wuhan site by pointing the finger at a military base in Maryland.

While mentioning the secretive laboratory located just miles away from the 'ground zero' of the pandemic, it said independent teams have also 'not yet investigated' US labs.

Authors argued the country's National Institute for Health  responsible for carrying out research into some of the world's deadliest pathogens  had 'resisted disclosing details' of its work.

Even when discussing the possibility the virus emerged naturally from an animal, the Lancet team said this may be in a creature located 'outside of China'.

Virologists told how they were 'shocked at how fragrantly' the report ignored crucial evidence regarding the virus's source. It was described as one of the Lancet's 'most shameful moments.'

Pictured: The Wuhan Institute of Virology, where crucial data was reportedly wiped by Chinese scientists

It is not the first time the 198-year-old journal, under the leadership of editor-in-chief Richard Horton, has been accused of supporting China's narrative that Covid did not emerge within its borders.

Just as Covid started to spread, the journal published a letter from 27 experts which praised Beijing's 'rapid, open and transparent sharing of data on this outbreak.'

These authors also attacked what they described as 'conspiracy theories suggesting that Covid does not have a natural origin,' in a move some saw as a blatant attempt to silence the lab-leak debate.

It has also allegedly reported articles exploring the lab leak hypothesis as 'false information' to social media giants and refused to publish articles criticising China's persecution of the Uighurs ethnic group.

The author of The Lancet's Covid-19 Commission report, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, has previously been nicknamed 'Xi's propagandist' over his pro-Beijing comments.

In June, he astonishingly told a conference in Madrid that he was 'pretty convinced' the virus was the result of 'US lab biotechnology.'

Professor Jeffrey Sachs reiterated claims that American  not Chinese  scientists could be responsible for Covid's creation (pictured here at a conference in Madrid earlier this year)

The Lancet's editor-in-chief Richard Horton has previously published pieces attacking 'conspiracy theories' that Covid could have been leaked from a Chinese lab

His claim was inevitably seized upon by Chinese President Xi Jinping's government, with officials arguing it warranted a 'thorough investigation.'

Professor Sachs, who was twice named one of Time magazines 100 most influential people in the world, admitted 'we don't know for sure.'

'But there's enough evidence it should be looked into and it's not being investigated  not in the US, not anywhere,' he added. 'I think for real reasons, they [US officials] don't want to look under the rug too much.'

Professor Sachs has expressed other controversial pro-Beijing views, dismissing the government's genocide of the Uighur minority in China's Northwest.

Last month he appeared on a podcast hosted by Robert F Kennedy Jr, a prominent American anti-vaxxer, to discuss his views.

Independent virologists said Professor Sachs's comments and actions had overshadowed the worthy research included in the new 58-page report, which was written by dozens of scientists.

Professor Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organisation in Canada, told The Telegraph Professor Sachs' appearance on anti-vax platforms completely undermined the new report.

'This may be one of the Lancets most shameful moments regarding its role as a steward and leader in communicating crucial findings about science and medicine,' she said.

Professor David Robertson, director of the University of Glasgows Centre for Virus Research, said while there were still answers needed on Covid's there was zero basis for US involvement.

'Its true weve details to understand on the side of natural origins, for example, the exact intermediate species involved, but that doesnt mean theres any basis to the wild speculation that US labs were involved,' he added.

Professor Sachs said he stood by his previous comments and he personally oversaw the part of the paper dealing with the emergence of Covid.

Covid's origins were just one aspect of the report, which warned countries around the world are still unprepared for future pandemics.

China itself has faced several accusations of covering up the origins of Covid.

Researchers are said to have wiped crucial databases and stifled independent investigations into the Wuhan lab.

The virus first began spreading from a wet market in the city of Wuhan, about eight miles from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) which worked with dangerous coronaviruses.

Researchers who fell ill with a mysterious flu-like virus months before the official Covid timeline were reportedly silenced or disappeared.

The lab was known to be conducting experiments on bat coronavirus strains similar to the one responsible for the pandemic in the months before the pandemic.

In public, mainstream media and academics in the West called the lab leak theory an unhinged conspiracy theory.

A disinformation campaign launched by the Chinese Government last year claimed Covid originated from an American military base in Maryland.

It gained significant traction in China but was widely seen as an outlandish counter-claim by the rest of the world.

In June, UK Government sources claimed the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) privately believed Covid started following a leak in China.

While the official WHO line on Covid's origins is that all hypotheses remain on the table, the body's director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is reported to be giving a different explanation in private.

He was reported to have told a European politician the most likely explanation for the virus's emergence was a catastrophic accident at a laboratory in Wuhan.

Unlike the UK where almost all pandemic-era restrictions on life have been removed, China is still keeping millions of people locked down in pursuit of a 'zero-Covid' strategy.

Some 30 cities in the country are in full or partial lockdown as of this month.
We all have friends weve known for many years, and some weve known for just a few weeks.

But how long does it take before an acquaintance becomes a real buddy? Around 34 hours is the answer, according to experts.

A study of more than 2,000 individuals has revealed we require 2,040 minutes of commitment to make that change.

How long does it take before an acquaintance becomes a real buddy? Around 34 hours is the answer, according to experts

The research was analysed by Oxford University Professor Robin Dunbar  best known for formulating Dunbars number, a theory suggesting the limit to the number of people with whom we can maintain stable social relationships.

The analysis revealed that the ultimate formula for friendship involves 11 interactions, each lasting on average three hours and four minutes, over the period of five and a half months.

It also revealed that each person supposedly has five close shoulder-to-cry-on friends  with being there for each other during the hard times ranking as the most important quality in a best friend.

A study of more than 2,000 individuals has revealed we require 2,040 minutes of commitment to make that change

And two-thirds of those who took part in the survey by menthol sweet brand Fishermans Friend said they were actively looking to add to their inner circle and need a good number of friends to feel content.

Professor Dunbar said: Friendships are the single most important factor influencing both our psychological and our physical health and wellbeing.

This study shows how two-thirds of us have a best friend who provides those moments of emotional support and advice when we need it most. This makes finding friends and maintaining friendships all the more important.
Suella Braverman has opened up a rift with Liz Truss by warning her against signing a trade deal with India that would increase immigration.

The Home Secretary said that Brexiteers did not vote for an open borders policy with India and claimed that visa overstayers from the subcontinent already pose a problem.

She said the UK must limit new arrivals, and wants job vacancies filled by older workers from the UK.

The Prime Minister is seeking a trade deal with India within months, and wants to lift the cap on seasonal agricultural workers and broadband engineers.

The Home Secretary, pictured, said that Brexiteers did not vote for an open borders policy with India and claimed that visa overstayers from the subcontinent already pose a problem

But Mrs Braverman told The Spectator: 'I have concerns about having an open borders migration policy with India.'

She acknowledged 'there may be flexibility for students and entrepreneurs' but went on: 'I do have some reservations. Look at migration in this country - the largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants.

'We even reached an agreement with the Indian government last year to encourage and facilitate better co-operation in this regard. It has not necessarily worked very well.' She reiterated her ambition to cut net migration, as promised in the EU referendum as well as the Tories' last election manifesto.

The Prime Minister is seeking a trade deal with India within months, and wants to lift the cap on seasonal agricultural workers and broadband engineers

'We have new visa routes and the power to control who we want to come to the country. I think we should start exercising that power.' The Home Secretary said she disputed claims that immigration must be relaxed to fill more than 1million job vacancies, pointing out that more than 5m Britons are on out-of-work benefits.

'I cannot believe that there are labour shortages that cannot be filled by starting with that pool of people.' She claimed too many people were 'choosing early retirement' or 'choosing to work part-time and top up their income through tax credits'.

But she also had a tough message for bosses, saying: 'Ultimately, paying more is going to be the way you get people to take up these jobs. That's going to be where we go: with a high-wage, high-skilled economy. Employers need to pay their workers.'
Jessica's heartbroken parents Tony and Brenda were seen in floods of tears on steps outside court after the ruling

They were yesterday cleared of wrongdoing along with lifeguard Leo Lemaire

The grieving parents of a young girl who tragically drowned during a school trip to France wept outside court as three British teachers accused of manslaughter were cleared of wrongdoing yesterday.

Jessica Lawson, 12, died when a pontoon capsized in a lake at Maury park in Liginiac, near Limoges, in July 2015.

The girl, the youngest of 24 children from Wolfreton School in Willerby, near Hull, who had been swimming in the lake, became trapped in the water and drowned.

Teachers Steven Layne, Chantelle Lewis and Daisy Stathers, along with lifeguard Leo Lemaire, were accused of the French equivalent of manslaughter by gross negligence following the tragedy.

They each faced three years' imprisonment if convicted, but were yesterday cleared of any wrongdoing by judges at the Palais de Justice in Tulle. The local authority in the town of Liginiac was also found not guilty.

Jessica's devastated parents Tony and Brenda were seen in floods of tears on steps outside the court after the verdict was delivered. Tony, overcome with grief, had immediately walked out of the courtroom as the teachers were acquitted.

Tony and Brenda Lawson - the parents of 12-year-old British girl Jessica Lawson, who drowned on a school trip in France in 2015 - were left in floods of tears yesterday after three British teachers accused of manslaughter were cleared of wrongdoing. Pictured: Tony is comforted by family outside the Palais de Justice in Tulle

Brenda and Tony Lawson pictured with their daughter Jessica before her tragic death in Limoges, France

Teachers (left to right) Daisy Stathers, Chantelle Lewis and Steven Layne sit in the Palais de Justice yesterday before the verdict was announced

Minutes from tragedy: The schoolchildren are seen playing on the pontoon in a lake near Limoges in July 2015 shortly before it capsized. Jessica became trapped in the water and drowned after teachers and a lifeguard failed to spot her

Teachers Steven Layne (left) and Chantelle Lewis (centre) are pictured leaving Palais de Justice, Tulle, central France, after they where found not guilty yesterday

Jessica Lawson (pictured), 12, died when a pontoon capsized in a lake near Limoges in July 2015

Addressing the court, Brenda said: '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.'

She added: '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 of why.'

Giving her verdicts through a translator yesterday, Marie-Sophie Waguette, the head of jurisdiction in Tulle, said: 'With regard to the teachers, Mr Layne, Miss Lewis and Miss 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.

'The area was being surveyed by the lifeguard, the lifeguard was present, the flag was green.'

Miss 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.'

Miss Waguette said the court knew a time period of between five and ten minutes had elapsed between the platform overturning and the lifeguard recovering Jessica from the water.

'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.'

Jessica's father had earlier left the courtroom after hearing Stephane Babonneau, representing Ms Stathers, make a claim about how the teachers felt after the incident.

On Tuesday, their trial heard how Miss Lewis 'started to panic' during the incident and asked 'where's Jess?'

Her colleague, Miss 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 said there was not 'any sort of distress' from pupils or the lifeguard during the incident.

Ms Lewis, meanwhile, was offered the chance to speak before the head of jurisdiction adjourned proceedings, where the PE teacher said the pain is 'different to what the family experiences'.

Mr Layne and Ms Stathers declined to say anything when offered the opportunity.

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'.

He added that the 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 Harabi said Mr Layne did not think it was dangerous because the swimming zone was 'supervised'.

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'.

Jessica, the youngest pupil in her class, tragically drowned during a five-day school trip to France on July 21, 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

Pictured: The scene near Meymac in the Massif Central region of France where Jessica died

Prosecutors had called for all three teachers to be handed a three-year jail sentence.

But 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, who was 12 when she died, would turn 20 on November 7 this year if she was still alive today

Two dozen pupils and three teachers from the Hull school were on the six day adventure holiday when the tragedy unfolded.

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.

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.

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.'
A fashion show during Seoul Fashion Week for the 2022 fall-winter season / Yonhap



Seoul Fashion Week, Korea's biggest biannual fashion show, will kick off its five-day run next week to showcase 33 Korean fashion houses that range from established to up-and-coming, officials said Thursday.



The fashion show for the 2023 spring-summer season will be held from Tuesday to Saturday at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in central Seoul as a fully in-person event, officials at the Seoul city government said.



It marks the first Seoul Fashion Week to be held entirely in person since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which had turned the show wholly or partially online.



This year's event will feature runway shows featuring 33 Korean fashion houses that include established names like Park Choon-moo and Lie Sang-bong, as well as emerging young designers.





A fashion show during Seoul Fashion Week for the 2022 fall-winter season / Yonhap
The request comes after growing fears of nuclear warfare, Putin hinting at escalating forces to stave off defeat for Russia's invading army in Ukraine

The White House says they are not aware of any such request at this time while experts say moving weapons close to Russia would be counterproductive

Polish president Andrzej Duda does not want ownership of the nuclear weapons but has suggested the country will strengthen its security over time

Poland has symbolically requested to share US nuclear weapons in a bid to deter Putin from launching their first nuclear attack in more than 70 years

Amid growing fears that Russia could resort to nuclear warfare in Ukraine, Poland has requested to share US atomic weapons.

White House officials told The Guardian that they were 'not aware of the issue being raised' while experts have widely suggested that the gesture was purely symbolic.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) largest member from the former Warsaw Pact, has been the most vocal in bolstering the alliance's eastern flank.

'The problem, first of all, is that we don't have nuclear weapons,' Polish president Andrzej Duda said in an interview with the Gazeta Polska newspaper.

'There is always a potential opportunity to participate in nuclear sharing.

'We have spoken with American leaders about whether the United States is considering such a possibility. The issue is open.'

Amid growing fears of Russian nuclear warfare Poland President Andrzej Duda (pictured) has requested to share US atomic weapons

Vladimir Putin (pictured) hinted that further escalation in Ukraine may involve arms that haven't been used in war since 1945

The US bomb, 'Little Boy,' the first nuclear weapon used in war, was dropped on Hiroshima at 8.15am local time on August 6 1945 (pictured)

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February - its rule over more than 15 percent of Ukraine - roundly rejected as illegal

Duda emphasized that while he would like to host the weapons he did not want to take ownership of them.

'This would not be a nuclear weapon under the control of Poland. Participation in nuclear sharing does not imply having your own nuclear weapon,' he said.

He added that it is his belief that Poland's long-term goal would be to 'strengthen its security.'

The Polish president's announcement is the latest example of nuclear signaling as the US and its allies seek to deter Vladimir Putin from launching the first nuclear attack in more than 70 years.

Putin hinted that further escalation in Ukraine may involve arms that haven't been used in war since 1945 and before invading Ukraine, demanded NATO roll back to positions it held in 1997.

The US bomb, 'Little Boy,' the first nuclear weapon used in war, was dropped on Hiroshima at 8.15am August 6, 1945.

It wiped out 30 percent of the city's population and flattened a 4.7 square mile area, leaving another 80,000 residents of the city injured when it exploded with the force of 16 kilotons of TNT.

On that day in 1945 between 90,000 and 146,000 people died in Hiroshima after the city was hit by an atomic bomb.

In April, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Poland's 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,' he said to Prime state news agency.

A replica of the devastating Hiroshima bomb (pictured) shows the enormous nuclear weapon that wiped out 30 percent of the city's population

A huge pyrocumulus, or firestorm-cloud, engulfed the city of Hiroshima after the US atomic bomb attack (pictured)

On that day in 1945 between 90,000 and 146,000 people died in Hiroshima after the city was hit by an atomic bomb

Images of the devastating attack emerged, some showing families tending to the wounded and injured victims of the nuclear attack

Moving US nuclear weapons into Poland could be a violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Nato-Russia Founding Act in 1997.

After the end of the Cold War NATO stated it had no plan to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of new members, Russia has meanwhile violated its own commitments under the act.

Nuclear experts told The Guardian there is little strategic sense for Poland or NATO to follow through - as moving nuclear warheads closer to Russia would make them more vulnerable and less militarily useful.

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) estimates that the US has about 100 nuclear weapons left over in Europe in the aftermath of the cold war.

They are all B61 bombs that had been seen as militarily obsolete with no mission in the event of a war with Russia and arms control experts have long called for them to be removed from Europe.

These bombs have been modernized as the B61-12 - with fins that allow for a guided fall and are expected to enter service this year.

FAS's nuclear information project director Hans Kristensen told the publication that the B61-12 storage sites in Europe are being upgraded and strengthened.

'The reason they're doing that is to protect that force against what they consider the growing threat from Russia's conventional missiles,' he said.

'It would be an extraordinarily strange development if NATO, therefore, decided to move nuclear weapons closer to the Russian borders.'

The White House has warned of 'catastrophic consequences' if Putin did resort to using nuclear weapons, but did not specify what those would be.

Polish president Andrzej Duda does not want ownership of the nuclear weapons but has suggested the country will strengthen their security over time

Experts say the move counters more than 80 years of work to prevent nuclear war by policymakers

The US, Britain, Australia and Canada have announced sanctions against Russia but they've done little to persuade Putin who has made several threats to use whatever is within his means

It has said it has warned Russian officials privately, but it is not clear how much more specific those warnings have been, The Guardian reported.

NATO is unlikely to be part of any response, as it would require agreement by its 30 members. More likely it would involve Washington and its closest allies like the UK.

'There are ongoing discussions and have been for a while about various scenarios and how we might react,' said an official in Washington.

Experts say that it is within the interest of everyone to avoid a war between NATO and Russia - which would represent something policymakers have been trying to prevent for almost 80 years.

'The reaction to nuclear use would be just as important as the nuclear use itself,' said Mariana Budjeryn, senior research associate at the project on managing the atom at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Centre.

'If it does force Ukraine into some kind of settlement and the allies think we're throwing in the towel on this, then it does show that hey, nuclear arms really get you what you want.

'If nuclear weapons are used, and that only makes everyone a lot more upset and hardens the resolve and somehow stops Russia in its tracks, then it's a different story.'

Russian rule over more than 15 percent of Ukraine - the biggest annexation in Europe since World War II - has been roundly rejected as illegal.

The United States, Britain, Australia and Canada have announced sanctions but they seem to be doing little to persuade Putin.
A Sydney foodie has slammed the famous Night Noodle Market as not 'worth the hype' after paying $63 for seven donuts and waiting more than an hour for one of the worst meals he has ever had.

Brandon Nguyen shared a video on Wednesday reviewing the markets, which have reemerged in Sydney after being shut down for two years during the Covid pandemic.

His video started with his favourite meal from the event, two pork belly skewers for $16 that he describes as 'actually pretty good'.

'But it went downhill from here,' Mr Nguyen said.

His next meal was a box of 'flying noodles' for $23 that featured long noodles placed over a fork to make them look like they were floating.

Sydney foodie Brandon Nguyen said the food at the famous Sydney Noodle Night Market was over-priced and not worth the wait (pictured, Mr Nguyen looking at his disappointing noodles)

SYDNEY NIGHT NOODLE MARKET Wednesday: Closed due to wet weather Thursday: Closed due to wet weather Friday: 12pm-11pm Saturday: 12pm-10pm Sunday: 12pm-9pm Advertisement

'These noodles are really just all flash and no substance,' he said.

'It tasted so strange, it actually made me sad.'

However, the most disappointing meal of the night was a pair of satay chicken rolls which he said were made from 'frozen' bread - which he had to wait for an hour before being served.

Mr Nguyen's last purchase was a box of seven donuts which set him back a staggering $63.

'The donuts were good but not $9 each good,' he said.

Viewers under the video thanked Mr Nguyen for his honest review and shared their own experiences at the market.

'Loved it years ago! Too many people to there, wait times are just insane,' one person commented on the video.

Mr Nguyen (above) said he waited an hour for two satay chicken rolls at the Sydney Night Noodle Market

Mr Nguyen slammed a pack of overpriced donuts (above) that cost $63 for a pack of seven

'We left after seeing how long the lines were. This confirms our choice,' another commenter said.

'Nooooo, it used to be amazing four years ago,' another wrote.

The Sydney Noodle Night Market is being held at Prince Alfred Park, Surry Hills, until Sunday with varying open times.

The market was cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday due to poor weather with organisers urging people to check their Facebook page for updates.

Hundreds of people have slammed the organisers of the event for not planning for wet weather amid an unseasonably raining spring, with many joking they're on the same level as 'Splendour in the Mud' organisers.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Night Noodle Markets for comment.
Boost Juice founder Janine Allis has told how she came 'close to' being raped and murdered twice as a 'naive' solo traveller - and how a short-lived summer romance on David Bowie's yacht saw her return to Australia seven years later with a baby boy.

Allis, now a multimillionaire and the woman behind some of Australia's most successful businesses, believes it was the seven years she spent travelling the world during her 20s that saw her develop the resilience to weather the storm of starting her own company.

The founder of Boost Juice, a juice and smoothie bar that has found customers in 13 countries, Allis told The Entourage's Make It Happen Summit that at the age of 21 she found herself alone, completely broke and living in the south of France.

She entered a local bar and lied that she had experience being a stewardess, explaining that with no internet or mobile phones at the time it was near impossible for potential employers to check her resume.

Allis (pictured) believes it was the seven years she spent travelling during her 20s that saw her develop the resilience to weather the storm of starting her own business

Allis spent two years sailing the Mediterranean as a stewardess on a boat purchased by the late rock star David Bowie (pictured bottom right onboard the yacht)

David Bowie is pictured on board his yacht Denab Star at the height of his superstar fame

Because of that, Allis nabbed a job as a stewardess and spent the next two years sailing the Mediterranean on a boat purchased by the late rock star David Bowie.

On the yacht, she rubbed shoulders with Princess Anne, comedian and actor Robin Williams and Rupert Murdoch's wife and model Jerry Hall.

She even played frisbee with Mick Jagger from The Rolling Stones.

Allis said she was lucky enough to accompany her celebrity friends to the Cannes Film Festival and the Grand Prix, but there had also been dark times.

The Boost Juice founder said her naivety as a young solo traveller landed her in all kinds of scrapes and that her family back home rarely even knew what country she was in.

'It gave me resilience,' the 57-year-old told Daily Mail Australia.

'As a young 21-year-old travelling around the world, coming back with a two-year-old as a single mum, there was seven years of resilience.

'I didn't speak the language, I got myself into all sorts of troubles, where I was close to being raped and murdered, twice.

As a teenager, Allis modelled for Greyhound and CB Action Magazine, and later worked odd jobs like teaching aerobics and being a 'door b**** ' at a Melbourne club

Allis worked from her Melbourne kitchen for the first few years and in 2000 sold her family home to fund her Boost dream, saying of this decision: 'We were all in'

'To being in Tenerife and being offered drug money to take things across (the border), or having people in the back of your car offering you a contract to take them to a safe house.

'But it created resilience, because I got myself into situations through naivety, where failure wasn't an option, because failure in those circumstances was a very bad outcome. So I had to find solutions.

'I could only rely on me. I didn't have anyone else to rely on. There wasn't a Facebook, there was no internet, there was no mobile phones to call for help.

'When it was truly you relying on yourself, there was an incredible resilience that has created what I draw on even today.'

Allis joked that while some daughters bring their mother home a souvenir from their travels, she gifted her mother her first grandchild.

Allis joked that while some daughters bring their mother home a souvenir from their travels, she gifted her mother her first grandchild (pictured, the Allis family with their beloved dogs)

She said her son Samuel, now in his late twenties with his own children, (pictured) had been born overseas off the tails of a 'romance' on David Bowie's yacht

She said her son Samuel, now in his late twenties with his own children, had been born overseas off the tails of a 'romance' on David Bowie's yacht.

The single mother was forced to move back into her family home in Boronia, in Melbourne's east, and worked odd jobs to make end's meet.

As a teenager, Allis modelled for Greyhound and CB Action Magazine, and later worked odd jobs like teaching aerobics and being a 'door b***h ' at a club.

However, she said it was when she met her husband, Jeff, when her true entrepreneurial spirit was unleashed and the idea for Boost Juice was born.

Allis worked from her kitchen for the first few years and in 2000 sold her family home to fund her dream, saying of this decision: 'We were all in'.

The entrepreneur said the key to launching a good business was delivering a product that you would personally want to consume.

Allis will soon travel to Switzerland with her teenage daughter Tahlia in a few months time 'purely to open up my eyes'.

'What new ideas are there? What new concepts can I look at? What other business can I do? What can I take that I can actually contribute to Boost?' she said.

'When I say the meaning of life is learning, I truly believe it with every atom of my being, I can learn from everybody and everything.'

Allis (pictured) plans to travel overseas with her teenage daughter Tahlia to Switzerland in a few months time 'purely to open up my eyes'

Allis has been an investor on the television show Shark Tank, written a book called The Accidental Entrepreneur and competed on a series of Australian Survivor (pictured)

Allis has been an investor on the television show Shark Tank, written a book called The Accidental Entrepreneur and competed on a series of Australian Survivor.

She also fronts a podcast 'Superwomen... We ain't' with Gram Consulting Group founder Margie Hartley in which the women discuss their successes and failures.

Allis and her husband sold 70 per cent of Retail Zoo for nearly $70million in 2010 but remain major shareholders and contributors.

Boost Juice is now part of the Retail Zoo group which also includes Salsa's Fresh Mex Grill, CIBO Espresso and Betty's Burgers and recently opened stores in Cambodia.
A paraplegic Australian man was reduced to feeling 'subhuman' when he had to be lifted by three people into a Jetstar plane before a flight.

Brad Wszola was trying to board a flight from Darwin to Cairns after spending his 50th birthday in the Northern Territory when he was told he couldn't use his wheelchair to board because it wouldn't fit down the aisle of the plane.

Mr Wszola's wife Jenny told Daily Mail Australia the 'demoralizing' experience left him feeling 'like a second class citizen'.

A paraplegic Australian man was reduced to feeling 'subhuman' when he had to be lifted by three people into a Jetstar aircraft. He was then able to wheel himself to his seat. Brad Wszola tries to transfer himself from Darwin Airport's chair into his own wheelchair at baggage claim

Ms Wszola sought an explanation in writing and after 29 emails to Darwin Airport and Jetstar she was told there was no ramp because it was a low-cost airline

'He was actually seated in an aisle chair and three of us lifted him into the plane. It was unsafe for him, unsafe for staff, unsafe for me.

Ms Wszola sought an explanation in writing and after 29 emails to Darwin Airport and Jetstar, she was told there was no ramp because it was a low-cost airline.

'Jetstars operational requirements as a low fares airline, together with our safety and other obligations as an airline, mean that Jetstar is only able to provide limited specific assistance to passengers, including to passengers requiring wheelchair assistance,' the airline wrote in an email.

Brad Wszola was trying to board a flight from Darwin to Cairns after spending his 50th birthday in the Northern Territory when he was told he couldn't use his wheelchair to board because there was no ramp

Ms Wszola pinned all the emails she sent to the wall to show how hard she had to work get a response from Darwin Airport or Jetstar

Ms Wszola said the experience left her husband feeling 'inadequate, subhuman and not worthy', the NT News reported.

'The pilots were standing there watching this happen. That's just not cool.

'This productive, vital man is being treated like a second-class citizen.'

When the couple arrived in Darwin they had to wait at the baggage carousel for the wheelchair instead of having it brought to the plane, which is considered normal practice.

A 'furious' Ms Wszola said inclusion 'doesn't have to be hard'.

Mr Wszola has been unable to walk since 2016 after a steroid injection for pain relief left him paralysed.

Jetstar has since installed a ramp so wheelchairs can negotiate the gap between the air-bridge and the aircraft.

Wheelchair users have consistently raised complaints about their treatment in Australian airports, with poor facilities, staff rudeness and erratic communication over wheelchairs the main complaints.

Qantas traveller Emma Weatherley felt 'humiliated' by the airline's staff and asked why she couldn't walk up stairs.

The actual gap between the Darwin Airport air-bridge and the plan that led to Jetstar staff taking Mr Wszola from his chair and lifting him into the plane

She said staff were 'rude' and 'demeaning' to her as she tried to get home to Brisbane last June.

Ms Weatherley said American airports are easier for people with wheelchairs.

'Travelling in America is so much easier, their [Americans with Disabilities Act] is fantastic. As soon as you get back to Australia, the discrimination starts again.'

Jetstar apologised to Mrs and Ms Wszola and said it 'reached out' to the couple to 'better understand their experiences'.

'We regularly review the support provided to customers requiring specific assistance, including those who use wheelchairs,' the airline said in a statement.

'Jetstar has also arranged for a ramp to be delivered to Darwin Airport for use by ground handlers to provide a better boarding experience.'
National Police Chiefs Council Martin Hewitt plans to tear up the bureaucratic process officers have to follow when a crime report comes in

All 43 police chiefs made pledge to send officers to every residential burglary

Miss Braverman signals review of how burglaries are reported so officers can be on streets, not pushing paper

The Home Secretary signalled a major shake-up in the way burglary is treated by the police yesterday after force chiefs agreed to send an officer to every home raid.

Suella Braverman said she would review the way burglary is recorded so officers can be on the streets protecting us, not pushing paper.

It comes after the Daily Mail revealed yesterday a historic agreement had been signed with all 43 police chiefs in England and Wales to send officers to every residential burglary.

Now the chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council Martin Hewitt wants to go even further, tearing up the bureaucratic process officers have to follow when a crime report comes in.

He told the Mail: We want to see a review of crime recording processes. Complying with the process is an industry in policing that takes officers away from neighbourhood policing.

The Home Secretary signalled a major shake-up in the way burglary is treated by the police yesterday after force chiefs agreed to send an officer to every home raid

Right now, for crime recording purposes, a burglary of someones family home is treated the same as the loss of a spade from a shed. There must be a better way.

Chairman of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners Marc Jones also called for reform: We strongly support the view that the way in which crime is recorded must be reviewed.

We must be transparent with the public and ensure the statistics reflect the true nature of crime occurring in our neighbourhoods.

Yesterday the Home Secretary said she would consider such changes. A burglary in your home is a violation of what should be your safe space, she said.

Suella Braverman said she would review the way burglary is recorded so officers can be on the streets protecting us, not pushing paper

We must not get complacent about this kind of crime and, sadly, there is a perception that the police have been.

'I wholeheartedly welcome the commitment from the National Police Chiefs Council to attend all home burglaries.

She also said she would look at how burglaries are recorded because I agree that police should be on the streets protecting us, not pushing paper.

She added: But this is about getting the basics right. We are already recruiting thousands more police officers and have injected an extra 1.1billion into policing this year.

The chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council Martin Hewitt wants to go even further, tearing up the bureaucratic process officers have to follow when a crime report comes in

Getting back to common-sense policing will increase the publics confidence in their local force and sends a clear message to criminals this is a crime they wont be getting away with.

Police leaders are now due to have talks with the Home Secretary about how the commitment to attend residential burglaries will be funded.

Statistics show arrest rates almost doubling and offences halving in force areas where officers attend all burglaries.

Britains second-largest force, Greater Manchester, has seen a 95.8 per cent increase in arrests since officers started visiting victims homes last year.

In July last year it was one of the first forces to commit to attending every domestic burglary.

Arrests have rocketed from 430 suspects held in the year to July 2021 to 842 a year later.

Alan Pughsley, who leads Kent Police, set up a chief constables squad to tackle burglars which has arrested 1,326 offenders in three years.

He said: Burglary is an exceptionally intrusive offence that causes significant distress to victims which is why we are committed to attending all reports of residential burglaries.

In Merseyside, a dedicated squad has been credited with reducing burglary rates by 55 per cent since 2018.

Deputy Chief Constable Ian Critchley said the force goes further than sending just an officer  a crime scene investigation specialist is also asked to attend each burglary.
As of June, cannabis is no longer classed as an illegal drug in Thailand

One beach club has a five-page menu of cannabis-infused food and beverages

Tropical island Koh Samui in Thailand is being touted as the 'new Amsterdam'

An tropical island paradise just nine hours from Australia is being dubbed the 'new Amsterdam' as tourists flock there following a change in cannabis laws.

Visitors smoking joints on the beach or even indulging in cannabis-infused pizza is now a common sight on the island of Koh Samui in Thailand.

That is in stark contrast to just a few months ago when people caught in possession of cannabis faced an extended time in jail.

As of June, cannabis is no longer classed as an illegal drug in Thailand, with tourists now seeking out the holiday destination to take their relaxation to the next level.

While cannabis is no longer on the banned narcotics list, its recreational use has technically not yet passed into law, leaving a legal grey area Koh Samui is cashing in on.

The spot dubbed the 'new Amsterdam' Koh Samui, is just nine hours away from Australia as tourists flood in to the holiday town where cannabis rules the roost

The tropical Koh Samui is full of people lounging by luxurious beach clubs, cooling off in the pool, drinking alcohol and making the most of their lax cannabis laws

Previously possession of cannabis in Thailand could land an individual in jail for up to 15 years as the plant was classified as a category-five narcotic.

Thailand law - up until the drug was decriminalised in June - stated an individual charged with the production, importation or exportation of cannabis would face two to 15 years behind bars and or a fine of $8000 to $60,000.

For the disposal or possession of the drug the sentence was between two and ten years imprisonment and or a fine of $1600 to $8000.

Owner of luxury beach club Chi Samui, Carl Lamb, told the ABC the decriminalisation of cannabis has been a 'game changer'.

Technically, while people can be charged with being a nuisance for smoking in public - with a maximum penalty of three months jail and a $1,000 fine - Mr Lamb says police have told him they will only stop it at his club if people start complaining.

One jetsetter staying at the resort said he came from the UK to experience the island paradise, saying it's 'like the new Amsterdam'.

'We came [to Thailand] when marijuana wasn't available, then a month into our trip you could buy weed everywhere  in the bars, in the cafes, on the street. So we smoke it and it's like, how cool is this? It's amazing,' Carlos Oliver said.

A beach club at the holiday destination, Chi Samui, has a separate five-page menu dedicated to a range of food, drinks and desserts containing marijuana (stock image)

'Ganja' has taken over the holiday destination with cannabis-infused food now on the menu at Koh Samui, with many choosing to smoke freshly rolled joints by the pool.

Chi Samui has a separate five-page menu dedicated to a range of food, drinks and desserts containing marijuana.

It boasts cocktails, lemonade and teas containing the drug as well as starters such as Hemppus - hummus infused with a green curry hemp sauce and CBD oil.

The mains include meals such as pasta, pizza, burgers and Thai food all infused with 'ganja'.

The meal options also have deliciously creative names such as, 'canna get much better brownie', 'pimp my pasta', 'weedy good lamb' and 'chilli con canna'.

The menu contains meals such as pasta, pizza, burgers and Thai food all infused with 'ganja' as well as a range of beverages containing cannabis

Thailand is the first country in Asia to legalise the growth and trade of marijuana.

The change ended decades of prohibition as people are now now even allowed to grow the plant at home for self-consumption.

However, the extracts of cannabis, which contain more than 0.2 percent by weight of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), the main psychoactive compound found in marijuana, continue to be illegal.

Professor Sarana Sommano of Chiang Mai University's Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, however, said there was still a risk of being charged for lighting up in public.

'There are still risks. The problem is that cannabis is no longer considered a narcotic but there are no ministry regulations and rules governing the use of it,' she said.

When the law came into place in June, 4,000 inmates who were serving time across Thailand for cannabis, marijuana and hemp-related drug offences were all released.

Gloria Lai, Asia regional director of the International Drug Policy Consortium, said: 'People facing cannabis-related charges will see them dropped, and money and cannabis seized from people charged with cannabis-related offenses will be returned to their owners.'
Greek coastguards have launched a desperate search for dozens of migrants feared to have drowned in the Mediterranean after a sailboat crashed on rocks during a storm.

Authorities said that the boat was carrying up to 100 migrants when it sank in high winds of up to 45mph off the village port of Diakofti late last night.

Coastguard vessels, private boats and a rescue helicopter are involved in the search for migrants off the coast of the island of Kythira, 140 miles south of Athens.

Their search is along a route used by smugglers heading from Turkey to Italy.

They lowered ropes to help migrants climb up cliffs on the seafront.

So far, their efforts saw 30 people rescued by early this morning, according to officials, who gave no other details on the missing.

A school in the area was opened to provide shelter for those pulled from the cliffs.

Navy divers are also expected to arrive to help with the search effort today.

Authorities said that the boat was carrying up to 100 migrants when it hit rocks off the village port of Diakofti and sank in high winds of up to 45mph late last night. Pictured: Rescuers save a migrant as they search for survivors after the boat sank

The coastguard did not have additional information on possible casualties or on the nationality of the migrants. Coastguard vessels, private boats and a rescue helicopter are involved in the search for migrants off the coast of the island of Kythira, 140 miles south of Athens. Pictured: The large-scale rescue operation

A resident of the island, Martha Stathaki, said: '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.

'All the residents here went down to the harbor to try and help.'

Kythira is 400 kilometers (250 miles) west of Turkey and on a route often used by smugglers to bypass Greece and head directly to Italy.

However, some smugglers have changed routes in recent months to avoid heavily patrolled waters around Greek islands near the Turkish coastline.

By early this morning, 30 people were rescued, according to officials, who gave no other details on the missing. Pictured: Migrants at the bottom of a cliff after their boat sank and rescuers work to reach them

Authorities and local residents save a migrant during a large-scale rescue operation on the island of Kythira, pictured

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.
The duchess presented the Queen with a copy of the tale before her death

She said writing helped her 'escape through my imagination' and 'be joyous'

The Duchess of York wrote a historical romance novel to deal with the stress of her ex-husband's sex abuse lawsuit.

Sarah Ferguson, 62, penned her upcoming Victorian-era book, A Most Intriguing Lady, as Prince Andrew battled sexual assault allegations from Virginia Giuffre.

Writing allowed the duchess to 'escape through my imagination' and 'be joyous.' She said becoming 'an author' also helped her define herself in the public eye.

Sarah presented the Queen, her 'wonderful best friend' and 'mother,' a copy of her novel in French before her death. It is unclear if Her Majesty read the book.

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, (left) wrote a historical romance novel to deal with the stress of sex abuse lawsuit against her ex-husband Prince Andrew (right). The former married couple are pictured together in January 2015

Sarah, 62, penned her upcoming Victorian-era book, A Most Intriguing Lady, as Andrew battled sexual assault allegations from Virginia Giuffre

The duchess divulged how writing has helped her cope during an interview at the Henley Literary Festival on Wednesday.

She explained how, amidst the public scrutiny surrounding her former husband, she threw herself into her work.

'I escape in life into everything through my imagination and through my will to be joyous,' Sarah said, according to The Times.

The royal shared that she didn't resent the press coverage of Andrew's scandal, noting that the 'media are vitally important.'

'I think the media are vitally important for many different reasons,' she explained.

'Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they get it wrong. And I think we just keep going and never explain too much or say too much.'

Sarah also shared how writing novels has helped her define her place in the world.

'Now at last people can say, 'Oh, she's the author,' rather than, 'She's . . . err, I don't know,'' she told the conference.

The duchess also addressed the painful loss of Queen Elizabeth II, adding that she was happy to have inherited her corgis.

'She's my mother and my wonderful best friend. I've been the luckiest person alive because every minute is a memory and it will be in my heart and in my mind,' Sarah explained.

'When we wrote the book I gave it to the boss [the Queen]. I said, you don't need to read it. I gave it to her in French.

'It's been all my life that I've known the boss and there's no one like her. I wouldn't do anything unless the boss let me.'

She added: 'It's a great loss. I think if we can uphold her values and what she's built for 70 years, we're doing a great job. Kindness, loyalty and always manners.'

A Most Intriguing Lady is slated for release on February 28, 2023. It is the second book penned by the duchess.

Her first novel, a historical romance titled Her Heart for a Compass, was released last year. It tells the story of Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott and how 'one act of rebellion costs her place in society'.

Writing allowed the duchess to 'escape through my imagination' and 'be joyous.' She said becoming 'an author' also helped her define herself in the public eye. Sarah Ferguson is pictured during the 79th Venice International Film Festival last month

Sarah presented the Queen, her 'wonderful best friend' and 'mother,' a copy of her novel in French before her death. It is unclear if Her Majesty read the book. Queen Elizabeth II (left) and the Duchess of York (right) are pictured at the Braemar Highland Games in 1990

Sarah and Andrew, 62, currently reside together despite having divorced in 1996.

Andrew's royal career ended in disgrace after he was forced to pay an out-of-court settlement to Ms Giuffre earlier this year. The undisclosed settlement is reported to be about 12million.

Ms Giuffre claimed he sexually abused her three times in 2001 when she was 17 after being trafficked by Jeffrey 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 in January.

Andrew briefly returned to public life after the death of his mother earlier this month. He was briefly allowed to wear his military uniform as he and his siblings stood vigil next to the Queen's coffin as she lay in state in Westminster Hall.

Virginia Giuffre (centre) opened a civil sex assault case against Andrew in New York. Pictured right is Ghislaine Maxwell, who procured girls for sex predator Jeffrey Epstein

Prince Andrew was permitted by his eldest brother King Charles III to wear his military uniform as he stood guard over his mother's coffin

There was surprise in March when Andrew was given a frontline role at the memorial service for the Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey

He also greeted mourners at Balmoral shortly after the death of Her Majesty as they gathered outside the castle where the Queen passed away to lay flowers and pay tribute.

Previously, Andrew was given a brief return to royal life on March 29, 2022 as he escorted his mother into Westminster Abbey for the service of thanksgiving for the life of his father Prince Philip.

But the Duke had no place at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June. Whilst he had been due to attend the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral, it was announced at the last minute that he would not attend after testing positive for coronavirus.

He also did not feature at the Order of the Garter service at Windsor later in June, even though he had been listed on the order of service.

It was reported that Prince William and Prince Charles had lobbied the Queen to ensure he did not attend.
The Prime Minister will hold talks on the migrant crisis with Frances president today at the inaugural gathering of his new grouping for European leaders.

Miss Truss is due to have a bilateral meeting with Emmanuel Macron at the Prague summit in an effort to reset relations between the two countries.

It comes after a major deal to tackle illegal Channel crossings collapsed in the summer after she said the jury was out on whether Mr Macron was a friend or foe.

Miss Truss is in Prague after being persuaded to attend the European Political Community summit. It is obvious the British should have a place here, said a Macron adviser.

Miss Truss is due to have a bilateral meeting with Emmanuel Macron at the Prague summit in an effort to reset relations between the two countries

Downing Street said Ms Trusss talks with Mr Macron and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte will focus on migration and aim to secure progress on joint operations to disrupt people-trafficking gangs

Downing Street said Ms Trusss talks with Mr Macron and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte will focus on migration and aim to secure progress on joint operations to disrupt people-trafficking gangs.

No 10 added that the Prime Minister will encourage countries to act more quickly to end Europes reliance on Russian energy supplies in light of its invasion of Ukraine.

Ms Truss is expected to tell the opening plenary session in Prague: Europe is facing its biggest crisis since the Second World War. And we have faced it together with unity and resolve.

We must continue to stand firm  to ensure that Ukraine wins this war, but also to deal with the strategic challenges that it has exposed.

After a major deal to tackle illegal Channel crossings collapsed in the summer Miss Truss said the jury was out on whether Mr Macron was a friend or foe

Ms Truss will seek to stress the UKs role in European matters  including Ukraine  despite leaving the EU, Downing Street said.

The Prime Minister will say: The threat was left to fester for far too long. Now, at last, we are tackling Putins aggression head on.

And we should take the same approach with other challenges before us  including long-standing regional issues like energy and migration.

Instead of the old approach which merely dealt with the symptoms, its time to address the fundamental causes.

Ms Truss is expected to join Czech premier Petr Fiala for a working lunch.
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Prince Andrew should not imagine his legal woes are over, a lawyer for Jeffrey Epstein's victims has said - noting that Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell has until June 2023 to cooperate with prosecutors.

Spencer Kuvin, who represented nine of Epstein's accusers, told a new documentary that there could yet be further revelations.

Maxwell, 60, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse dozens of young women.

Currently in FCI Tallahassee, a low-security federal prison in Florida's capital, she has said she intends to appeal her sentence. Mr Kuvin said she could be intending on cooperating, in a bid to reduce her lengthy sentence.

'She is really the person who holds all the secrets,' said Mr Kuvin, speaking in a new Peacock documentary 'Prince Andrew: Banished', which was released on the US streaming service yesterday. 'This isn't the end of the story.'

Spencer Kuvin, a Florida-based lawyer who represented nine of Epstein's accusers, has noted that Ghislaine Maxwell - friend of Prince Andrew (right) and ex-girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein - has until June 2023 to cooperate and reduce her 20-year sentence

Former royal protection officer Paul Page, who worked in the role from 1998 to 2004, said 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'

Journalist Annette Witheridge says in the documentary that the 'entire sorry saga boils down to sex and greed'

This image of Andrew as a young boy was shown in the documentary trailer, with a contributor saying that he has 'always known that he had the Queen's intense affection'

A string of royal experts speaking in the documentary branded Andrew 'an idiot', a 'spoiled brat' and a 'narcissist' as part of the program, which explored his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke of York, 62, was also branded 'the runt of a litter' who 'couldn't keep his trousers closed'.

The 90-minute program explored 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 Maxwell, his accomplice.

The documentary heard from a number of former royal employees and journalists, including ex-press secretary Dickie Arbiter.

He tells the documentary: 'The problem is, the man's an idiot. There's always one runt of the litter, and Andrew was it.'

Royal author Phil Dampier adds: 'He's 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 couldn't 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 favorite 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'.

Kirwan-Taylor said that Epstein, a multimillionaire financier, provided Andrew with the lifestyle he sought, which he could not maintain on his $350,000-a-year income as a working member of the royal family.

'The moment he met Epstein, Andrew said hurrah,' she said. 'Because Epstein was every dodgy businessman or sheikh that Andrew had ever wanted.'

Tina Brown, author of The Palace Papers, added: 'The other great glue between them was Andrew's sex life.'

Brown said that, as the brother of the heir, Andrew felt rudderless and without purpose. But, she said, Epstein feted him and lavished attention on him - which Andrew lapped up.

'He was a side show (in England),' Brown said. 'He wasn't rich enough.

'Meanwhile, Epstein was very good at making him feel like he was incredibly important.'

Brown added that Epstein's life led behind the closed doors of his Manhattan mansion, New Mexico ranch and on his private island, allowed Andrew to feel liberated.

'For Andrew it was heaven. He could behave as he liked behind closed doors,' she said.

Brown said that Epstein's 2019 arrest 'was a body blow for Andrew.'

The disgraced financier died a month later, taking his own life in jail awaiting trial.

Kuvin, lawyer for Epstein's accusers, said that with Epstein dead the spotlight turned on those associated with him, such as Maxwell and Andrew.

Arbiter said that he was astonished by Andrew's decision to speak to Newsnight, saying that if he were still the press secretary he would have blocked the prince from giving the interview.

'His decision to do that interview was the most unbelievable act of self destruction,' Brown said.

'Andrew strapped on a suicide vest.'

Arbiter said Andrew then compounded the problem by seeking to contest a suit filed by Virginia Roberts.

'Then he came out with this ludicrous statement that he was going to go to court,' said Arbiter.

'It was like a rabbit running into the headlight.'

Arbiter said he does not think there is any way for Andrew to return to public life.

'He's not been found guilty of any crime, but he's been sentenced by the court of public opinion,' said Arbiter.

'And the court of public opinion is very important because it decides whether the monarchy exists or not.'

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'.

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

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.'

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 don't let my guest in, I'm 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,] there's just none, none at all. He's just a horrible person. He's a bully.'

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 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.




A new chief of credit unions in Korea vowed to enhance the service fee system, a long-stalled issue of contention in the credit financing market.







Last month, Jung Wan-gyu took over the helm of the Credit Finance Association of Korea (CREFIA), a non-profit organization that represents the credit financing industry.







The credit financers' service margins have plunged to near zero, Jung said, amid the rise of new, tech-savvy payment services spreading in the market.







CREFIA will stay in close cooperation with the government about the service fee system, Jung said.







The CREFIA chairman emphasized that the organization will support its members to invest in the new, state-of-the-art technology to back up their services.







"We will support our members to diversify their sources of profit, such as via businesses that utilize financial big data, pioneer services related to money transfer and payment, and make active inroads to the global markets," he said.







Jung also vowed to help the credit financing firms compete in a fair, transparent manner.







CREFIA was launched in 1998 for a better environment for and cooperation among credit financers in credit card issuing, leasing, installment financing and venture capitals. (Yonhap)


A former government minister has agreed to pay compensation to a civil servant who accused the senior Tory MP of sexually harassing her.

The politician, who served under Boris Johnson, denies any wrongdoing but agreed to offer the woman a financial settlement without any admission of impropriety.

According to The Independent, the woman approached senior officials at Number 10 who briefed Mr Johnson, although no official investigation into the minister's conduct was launched.

Westminster was last night plunged into another Pestminster scandal after a former Tory minister was accused of sexually harassing a female civil servant. According to The Independent, the senior politician agreed to settle the woman's case without any admission of liability

Having failed to have the matter investigated through official channels, the woman threatened legal action which prompted the settlement.

The former minister is alleged to have made a inappropriate comments to the female civil servant.

The incident is alleged to have taken place in Whitehall, away from the parliamentary estate.

One witness, who worked with the former minister told The Independent: 'it was important that people understand that this isn't a one-off.

The allegations follow the demise of Mr Johnson's premiership which was fatally undermined by his handling of allegations that his former Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher groped two men at the Carlton Club in June.

A senior Tory who formed part of Boris Johnson's government has allegedly agreed a financial settlement with a female civil servant over allegations of sexual harassment

Parliamentary watchdogs investigated the case but ruled they cannot proceed as the alleged groping was not within the Palace of Westminster.

But the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) policies appear to confirm that the claims about Mr Pincher would not fall within its scope.

The ICGS 'applies to acts of bullying or harassment or sexual misconduct by and against any member of the parliamentary community on the parliamentary estate or elsewhere in connection with their parliamentary activities', according to its website.
Elon Musk and Twitter are reportedly close to an agreement that would end their litigation and clear the path for the billionaire's $44 billion buyout -- but the judge in the case says the trial is still on track for now.

A source familiar with the litigation said the two sides could reach a deal to halt their court battle as soon as Wednesday night, potentially sparing Musk from a deposition the following day.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that in recent weeks Musk privately pleaded with Twitter to reduce the deal price by as much as 30 percent, valuing the company at $31 billion.

Twitter refused the proposal, as well as another to cut the price tag by 10 percent, before Musk acquiesced and renewed his originally agreed offer, according to the report citing four people familiar with the matter.

Musk, who is also chief executive officer of electric car maker Tesla, proposed to Twitter late on Monday he would abide by his April agreement to buy the company for $54.20 per share if Twitter dropped its litigation against him.

Although both sides publicly say they agree on the rich price, Twitter's legal team has yet to accept the agreement. The company likely hopes to use the threat of a trial to extract ironclad guarantees from the mercurial billionaire, ensuring he will complete the merger.

'There is naturally massive distrust between the Musk and Twitter sides given this nightmare soap opera since April,' wrote Wedbush analyst Dan Ives in a note.

On Wednesday, the judge in the case said neither side has yet requested a delay, adding that she was preparing for the looming trial, which is slated to start the week after next.

Elon Musk and Twitter are reportedly close to an agreement that would end their litigation and clear the path for the billionaire's $44 billion buyout

If the deal is finalized, Musk is expected to fire Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal (above) and name either himself or a trusted associated the new head of the social media company

'The parties have not filed a stipulation to stay this action, nor has any party moved for a stay. I, therefore, continue to press on toward our trial set to begin on Oct. 17, 2022,' wrote Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick, the judge on Delaware's Court of Chancery, in a court filing.

Musk's proposal to Twitter on Monday included a condition that the deal closing was pending the receipt of the necessary debt financing.

Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick said Wednesday that the trail remains on track until the parties reach an agreement

The potential agreement to halt the litigation would likely remove that condition, according to a Reuters source, who requested anonymity as the discussions are confidential.

Musk's financing contingency clause took on new relevance following a Reuters report that Apollo Global Management and Sixth Street are no longer in talks to help fund the buyout.

The two firms were not among the 18 equity investors named in a May SEC filing listing Musk's backers, but had previously been part of talks looking at providing about $1 billion in financing for the deal.

Those talks have now ended, the sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

Musk has said he would finance the deal with his own cash, co-investors and bank financing, and its unclear what impact, if any, the withdrawal of Apollo and Sixth Street might have on the structure of the deal.

The $12.5 billion in debt financing from the banks is ironclad, according to the analyst Ives, who wrote that 'the banks are essentially cemented to this Twitter debt deal and we see no way out despite the very tough debt markets today.'

'We continue to believe the deal gets done smoothly despite some late night poker moves from the Twitter camp with the Delaware Court case around the corner,' he wrote in a note on Wednesday night.

Twitter stock jumped more than 20% on Tuesday after Musk renewed his offer

In court on Wednesday, Judge McCormick said that neither Twitter nor Musk have asked the court to put the case on hold.

McCormick ruled on motions regarding efforts by Twitter to get hold of messages, documents or depositions that could be used as trial evidence in Delaware's Chancery Court.

McCormick said in her ruling that Musk's side had failed to provide Twitter with copies of all the messages he exchanged about the buyout deal, and 'likely' let some Slack messages be automatically deleted.

'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,' McCormick said in her ruling.

She added that she will reserve judgement on the matter until after the trial, when she has 'a fuller understanding of the record.'

It follows many twists in the saga, after Musk signed an agreement to buy Twitter on April 25, but then tried furiously to back out of the deal citing the social media site's issues with fake accounts, then reversed his position again as the trial loomed.

Twitter's legal team and lawyers for Musk updated the judge on Tuesday with their attempts to try to overcome mutual distrust and find a process for closing the deal.

An attorney representing a proposed class action against Musk on behalf of Twitter shareholders wrote to McCormick to say Musk should be required to make a 'substantial deposit' in case he again reneges on his commitment to close.

Twitter's legal team and lawyers for Musk updated the judge on Tuesday with their attempts to try to overcome mutual distrust and find a process for closing the deal

Musk should also be liable for interest for delays in closing the deal, said the letter from attorney Michael Hanrahan.

Musk is scheduled to be deposed on Thursday in Austin, Texas, providing Twitter leverage in talks to close the deal.

If the deposition goes forward, Musk will likely be grilled under oath about the trove of his private messages discussing the Twitter deal, which were revealed in the course of the lawsuit.

Musk canceled a deposition in late September, citing concerns about a Twitter attorney's possible exposure to someone who later tested positive for COVID-19, according to a court filing made public on Wednesday.

Shares of Twitter closed 1.3 percent lower at $51.30 on Wednesday. The stock on Tuesday hit its highest level since Musk and Twitter agreed in April that he would buy the company for $54.20 per share.

Musk said in July he was walking away from the takeover agreement because he discovered Twitter had allegedly misled him about the number of fake accounts, among other claims.

Part of Musk's case was based on allegations by Twitter whistleblower Peiter 'Mudge' Zatko that became public in August.

Twitter's legal team has wanted to investigate if Quinn Emanuel's lawyer Alex Spiro, who has led the case for Musk, communicated with the whistleblower as early as May.

Twitter lawyers were suspicious that Zatko sent an anonymous May 6 email to Spiro.

The sender claimed to be a former Twitter employee, offered information about the company and suggested communicating by alternate means.

Spiro said in a filing with the court on Wednesday he never read the email until Twitter brought it to his attention and it appeared to be someone seeking a job.

Spiro also said he was unaware of the existence of Zatko's allegations before they became public on August 23.
Will Queen Margrethe of Denmarks drastic slimming down of her royal family  removing titles from four of her grandchildren  inspire King Charles to grasp the nettle and scrap Andrews HRH status?

He is in a bind. If he formally takes away his brothers HRH, he would have to amend the letters patent to either exempt Beatrice and Eugenie or separately create them HRHs.

Charles has been impressed by how they have built careers wearing their royalty lightly and wouldnt want to upset them. Its possible that the virtues of the daughters could cover the sins of the father.

Will Queen Margrethe of Denmarks drastic slimming down of her royal family  removing titles from four of her grandchildren  inspire King Charles to grasp the nettle and scrap Andrews HRH status?

Liz Truss almost didnt bag the historic photograph of the Queen anointing her as PM at Balmoral. In keeping with her mantra I must be seen to be believed, HM approved the taking of pictures with incoming PMs.

However, a mole reveals that with the monarch looking frail and with a bruised hand, she was advised it might be wise to avoid being pictured so as not to prompt further speculation about her health.

The Queen was having none of it and insisted that the photo op went ahead as planned. No one at the time knew that she would pass to her heavenly throne just 48 hours later.

When the Queen was introduced to transgender writer Jan Morris she had no idea who she was. Morris, who died in 2020 aged 94, had to explain that as James Morris he had transmitted the news that Edmund Hillary had conquered Everest in time for her coronation. Asked why she didnt tell the sovereign about her gender reassignment, she replied: How could I explain to her? Life is too short.

Morris, who died in 2020 aged 94, had to explain that as James Morris he had transmitted the news that Edmund Hillary had conquered Everest in time for her coronation

Broadcaster and Paisley Grammar School boy Andrew Neil tweets: Skys Kay Burley [pictured] questions if Truss was right to claim to be first PM to have gone to a comprehensive. Skys Sam Coates says he thinks Gordon Brown went to one. Wrong. Brown went to Kirkcaldy High, then a highly selective state school equivalent to an English grammar.

Reminded that Gordon complained about it being highly selective in later life, Neil cuttingly adds: Indeed. After it had fast-tracked him to Edinburgh University.

Government minister Nadhim Zahawi, mocking feminist Labours lack of female leaders, says the party is all talk but all we see is trousers. Labour comedian Eddie Izzard, who has a fine collection of frocks, will be mortally offended.

Recalling Shirley Basseys rendition of Goldfinger for the 1964 film, Bond boss Barbara Broccoli tells Radio 4: They kept asking her to hold the note... she kept trying to hold it long enough for the credits to roll, adding: Until eventually she took her bustier off, which was holding her back... and she let it go!

When ITVs Holly Willoughby was in trouble for allegedly queue barging at the Queens lying in state, a sympathetic journalist advised her dont do a mea culpa.

Holly appeared to agree that this was a sound tactic. She then asked: Whats a mea culpa?
Well, well, well. Who would have thought it? After a truly dismal fortnight for the Tories, the knives were out for Liz Truss.

A botched mini-Budget blamed for heaping mortgage misery on families. A brutal civil war over axing the 45p top tax rate and benefits. U-turns, Cabinet dissent and backbench mutiny. And Labour vanishing over the horizon in the polls.

The backdrop to her debut conference speech as Conservative leader could hardly have been less auspicious. Expectations were not just low, but subterranean.

Yet if the Prime Minister was daunted by the need to find inspiration yesterday for a make-or-break address, it didn't show.

Liz Truss seeks to end the malaise by cutting crippling taxes

True, she will never have Boris Johnson's flair for working an audience. But absent verbal pyrotechnics, her address was strong, reassuring, authoritative and, above all, a ringing endorsement of Tory values.

In a defiant cri de coeur, she laid out a coherent, compelling and exciting true blue vision for Britain. A place where aspiration, enterprise and prosperity triumph over the tyranny of low expectations.

Just as Tony Blair once identified his priorities as 'education, education, education', so Miss Truss said hers were economic 'growth, growth, growth'.

She rightly restated her determination to abandon the broken economic orthodoxies that have for years failed miserably to shift growth out of second gear. There is, frankly, no alternative. If the Tories persist with this status quo, where Britain and its people have got poorer, their chance of being re-elected will drop from unlikely to zero.

The PM seeks to end this malaise by cutting crippling taxes (which Rishi Sunak as chancellor raised to a shameful 70-year high), slashing red tape and delivering radical reforms in areas including planning, agriculture and energy.

This is heady stuff. A society that rewards hard work, initiative and ambition becomes wealthier. This benefits everyone. After all, a rising tide lifts all boats. It also means better public services, stronger defences and a more solid Union.

We welcome, too, Miss Truss's commitment to fiscal discipline. The energy bailout and tax cuts were needed to avoid hardship, but the money borrowed to fund them must be repaid through growth or spending squeezes.

Of course, it was irritating Miss Truss was interrupted when the people in charge of security  with unbelievable incompetence  let in Greenpeace protesters to heckle her. But these exhibitionists underlined her central point  that an 'anti-growth coalition' is determined to hold the country back.

Consisting of Labour, militant unions and eco-activists among others, and championed by the BBC, it seeks to block developments such as new transport links, housing or energy sites  anything that would make life easier for ordinary people. To this 'blob', Britain has no bright future  just managed decline.

However, Miss Truss's fine words must be translated into action. The obstacle is a motley band of Tory rebels  recalcitrant Remainers, embittered Sunak supporters, failed ministers and never-will-bes  who are trying to hobble or oust another PM.

They need to look long and hard in the mirror. Low taxes and growth are Tory articles of faith. Are they Conservatives or are they milk-and-water liberals? If they foolishly hanker after a high-spending, high-tax redistributive economy, shouldn't they join the Labour Party?

Miss Truss's speech proves she's still the best option as leader. If she's dethroned, it will surely trigger a snap election.

The Conservative malcontents destabilising her have a simple choice. Get behind the PM and help lift up the nation.

Or persevere with their self-indulgent troublemaking and consign their party to electoral oblivion  and the country to the ruinous socialist clutches of Keir Starmer.
One of Australia's top female cops revealed she was repeatedly the victim of sexual harassment early in her career during evidence at an inquiry which has heard shocking accounts of bullying and misogyny in police ranks.

Katarina Carroll returned to Brisbane Magistrates Court for the Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Police Service response to domestic and family violence on Thursday following Wednesday's explosive hearings.

The hard-nosed Queensland Police Commissioner become visibly emotional as she admitted: 'A number of times throughout my career, what happened to these women and other women, exactly happened to me.'

She said in one instance a senior male officer directly told her she 'didn't deserve' to be a police officer because she was taking the job away from male.

Commissioner Katarina Carroll gave emotional evidence at an inquiry into police culture that she was sexually harassed early in her career (pictured)

Commissioner Carroll said she made a complaint and she never had a subsequent issue with that particular colleague.

But she claims she was later targeted by different officer while in a car with him.

'I was pretty well attacked by what I'd say was a sexual predator... He took me to a forest and started taking my seatbelt off.'

She said she ran back to her police station where other male officers protected her.

'I just wanted to say that my station protected me,' she said.

On a different occasion she said the men in her station stepped in when yet another officer repeatedly 'pinched me on the arse'.

She said she didn't report those incidents because she felt her colleagues had handled the situation and were looking out for her safety.

The commissioner was questioned over Task Force Juniper, established in April 2019 to combat sexual harassment and gender inequality within the police service, but which was disbanded just a year later.

Counsel assisting the inquiry, Ruth O'Gorman KC, said the task force was considered a 'toothless tiger' and was eventually reconfigured into two units within the police force, but these remained short staffed.

Counsel assisting the inquiry Ruth O'Gorman (pictured) said Task Force Juniper established to address bullying and misogyny in Queensland Police ranks was considered a 'toothless tiger'

Commissioner Carroll said she had been 'passionate' about the opportunity to improve the culture within the force but Covid policing requirements had seen the units sidelined.

She said she accepted Ms O'Gorman's assertion that women in the force had been let down by the failure of the units to implement changes in the culture.

'I agree... women have told me that,' Ms Carroll said.

Thursday's hearing followed shocking accounts given to the inquiry on Wednesday of sexual harassment in Queensland Police ranks that threaten the reputation of the force.

One detective senior sergeant preyed on junior officers, committing at least nine sexual assaults between 2002 and 2018.

In one incident he walked up to a female officer who was waiting to be interviewed for a job and slid his hand over her bottom, up her back and onto her bra.

During her interview another senior officer passed a note saying 'loose?' to the sergeant, who nodded and smiled.

Ms O'Gorman said her team requested two years worth of internal harassment and bullying complaints.

These amounted to 1,676 complaints filed against 738 different QPS officers from June 30, 2020 to June 30, 2022.

The commissioner said misogyny was 'of concern' in the force and was more prevalent in certain districts and stations

One 2019 investigation following the complaint of a woman found a senior male constable at her station had targeted at least three women.

He repeatedly stalked the women online, sent them pictures of his penis, and subjected them to unwanted sexual touching.

When the woman who made the complaint directly told him to back off, he threatened to break into her house and rape her, the inquiry before Judge Deborah Richards heard.

Commissioner Carroll said she found the behavior 'completely unacceptable' and said there was a culture of silence in the force that needed to change.

She said a 2019 review found workplace bullying came about as a result of the 'very paramilitary' leadership style in the QPS, which she was addressing.

Sexism and misogyny are prevalent, of concern and consistent in particular teams, stations and districts and a system used to determine consequences for complaints, known as a local managerial resolution, was broken, she said.

Commissioner Carroll (pictured) admitted she was 'concerned' about the culture within QPS and that it was in part brought about by 'paramilitary' leadership style

The commissioner also apologised to three female officers who 'fell through the cracks' after complaining about sexist and racist bullying by their superior.

An internal investigation found an officer-in-charge had bullied nine people over the 13 years to 2019.

He yelled, threatened, swore and sent pornographic images to officers in his station.

He called one colleague a 'towelhead'.

The man's behaviour was also dealt with via lead managerial resolution, and he was later promoted.

Three female detective senior constables were bullied so badly after reporting him they felt compelled to be transferred to uniform policing or quit.

Another victim was stonewalled by colleagues after reporting a sexual assault by a senior officer.

'It destroyed my career. I could not rectify it,' she said.

'I often wonder how these colleagues would react if their wives or daughters were unfairly victimised like this in a workplace on top of being sexually harassed.'
A stand-off between telco giant Optus and the government over the swathes of sensitive data stolen by a hacker has led to sweeping changes to cyber-security laws.

Optus has come under heavy fire from the government for not sharing enough information about the devastating hack, that saw the personal details of around 10 million customers stolen.

However, it was revealed on Thursday the telco thought it was illegal to do so.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has announced law changes to end a stand-off with Optus about how much information they can share about the devastating hack attack

Under the new laws telecommunications companies, such as Optus, will be able to share data more easily with government to prevent cyber-crime.

In announcing the laws Communication Minister Michelle Rowland said the telco believed sharing information about what data was stolen would breach the Telecommunications Act.

'Optus put the view to the government that in their analysis they were not covered by one of these exemptions (to the Act),' Ms Rowland said.

'We considered it prudent having taken and considered the proper legal advice that the most effective way to enable this data to be shared beyond doubt was through amending these regulations.

'These regulations are specifically in response to these cyber-threats on a scale and scope that hasnt happened in Australia before.'

The changes will be for the 'sole purpose of protecting consumers', Ms Rowland.

Hackers breached the cyber-security at telco Optus to take personal details of 9.8 million customers, as far back as 2017, were stolen (pictured, an Optus store in Sydney)

Ms Rowland said the new laws will allow 'telcos to better coordinate with financial institutions to detect and mitigate the risks of malicious activity, including ID theft and scams'.

The new information-sharing arrangement would only apply to financial bodies regulated by financial watchdog the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA).

'Information can only be used for the sole purposes of preventing or responding to cyber security incidents, fraud, scam activity or identity theft,' Ms Rowland said.

'The approved recipients must satisfy very robust information security requirement and protocols for the transfer and storage of data.

'And information received must be destroyed when it's no longer required.'

Ms Rowland says the new laws will make sure companies destroy personal data when it is 'no longer required'

To prevent fraud telcos will also be allowed to share 'limited information' about customers with Government agencies, such as Services Australia.

'What this is all about is to try and reduce the impact of this data breach on Optus customers and to enable financial institutions to implement enhanced safeguards and monitoring,' Ms Rowland said.

Mr Chalmers echoed Ms Rowland's assurances that the shared data would be kept safe and only used for the purpose of preventing identity fraud.

'We've worked really closely with the industry, with APRA, the ACCC, the Information Commissioner and other agencies to ensure that we can facilitate as best we can the safe and secure sharing of data between Optus and regulated financial institutions,' Mr Chalmers said.

'They've (the new laws) been carefully designed with strong privacy and security safeguards to ensure that only limited information can be made available temporarily to prevent and respond to cyber security incidents, fraud, scams and related activities. '

Optus customers had passport and driver's licence numbers stolen in the massive data breach (pictured, a stock photo)

Mr Chalmers banks and other financial institutions have been proactive in limiting the damage of September's massive Optus security breach, which saw personal information stolen from around 10 million of the telco's customers.

Banks and other financial bodies had 'put in place heightened controls to protect their customers' and the new laws would 'build on those' to allow heightened monitoring and added safeguards.

The information that could be more readily shared was 'government identifier' data, Mr Chalmers said such as driver licence numbers, Medicare and passport numbers.

Names, addresses, dates of birth or other personal information would not be shared.

To receive the information institution would need to make 'undertakings in writing' and meet privacy and information security laws

'They need to ensure that the information they're seeking is necessary and proportionate,' Mr Chalmers said.

'They need to satisfy robust security requirements and protocols for data transfer and storage, and they need to ensure that the information that they get is destroyed when it's no longer required.'

In a bizarre post 'optusdata' claimed there were 'too many eyes' on them and claimed they would not sell or leak the hacked data of over 10million Australians

Mr Chalmers said for security reasons the institutions that share data with Optus won't be revealed.

The hacker leaked personal details of 10,200 customers online as part of a ransom demand that they later suddenly backed off from.

In a message posted anonymously to a chat forum the hacker said there 'too many eyes' on them, apologised to Optus and claimed they had already deleted all the stolen data.

Ms Rowland said the US law enforcement agency the FBI had been recruited by Australian Federal Police to help with the search to find the hacker.

She said there was a separate police operation to protect the 10,000 customers who had their information 'released on the dark web'.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said new laws would allow Optus to share 'identifier' information such as driver's licence numbers, Medicare and passport numbers with banks and financial institutions

Government ministers lined up on Sunday morning to lay into Optus over the massive hacking scandal, blasting the company for not doing enough.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said he was yet to get an explanation why Optus hoarded sensitive personal information of people even after they left the telco, with data going back to 2017.

Cyber Security and Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said that Optus had not done enough to alert those most at risk, the 10,200 people who had their details leaked online by the hacker.

'Optus has advised it has told those people - an email is simply not sufficient under these circumstances,' Ms O'Neil told a media conference.

'We are going to need to go through a process of directly speaking to those 10,200 individuals.

'Optus needs to take up the mantle here to directly ensure people are aware when they are directly at risk, as those people are.'

She said Optus had failed to provide the government with information on who and how many were at risk.

'We would like Optus to be transparent about the numbers of people who have had specific identity documents compromised and that information has not yet been provided.'

The criticism was echoed by Services Minister Bill Shorten who said his department had written to Optus on 27 September asking for details on all those whose had Medicare numbers or other Centrelink information stolen, but as yet had no reply.

'It's been 11 days since the breach,' he said.

Optus took out a full page-ad and apologised to its millions of customers whose personal information was stolen in the country's largest ever data breach

'It is most peculiar that we still can't identify who has had their Medicare information number to be able to get their information.

'We need this not tomorrow or the next day, we really needed it days ago.'

Mr Shorten acknowledged the Optus ad apologising to customers but said 'business as usual' and 'motoring along in fourth gear' was not enough.

'An ad is not a strategy, an ad is not a plan,' he said.

'We're asking Optus to upgrade their transparency.

'Systemic risk has been injected into the Australian bloodstream about the privacy of (their) information we know that Optus is trying to do what it can but having said that it's not enough.'
A mother accused of feeding her teenage autistic son only bread and soft drink before he allegedly starved to death has lashed out after being questioned about her charges.

Keti Jovanovska has been charged with the manslaughter of her son Joshua Djuric, 18, after he was found dead at the family home in Yagoona, in Sydney's southwest, last week in an emaciated state.

Ms Jovanovska is accused of failing to provide food, medical care or medicine to her son when his health was declining.

The mother was confronted by reporters outside her home on Wednesday, where one asked if she was doing OK.

'No,' she replied as she quickly got into her car.

Keti Jovanovska has been charged with the manslaughter of her son Joshua Djuric, 18,

Ms Jovanovska, is accused of failing to provide food, medical care or medicine to her son when his health was declining

'Has it been a hard time for you?' a reporter asks.

'Yeah, I'm not allowed to talk. I'm not allowed to talk,' the mother responded.

The mother was seen returning to her home in Yagoona shortly before midday on Thursday with a bag filled with a few groceries, including a pack of strawberry-flavoured Extra gum.

'I can't say anything,' she repeatedly told Daily Mail Australia. 'I just want to be left alone.'

A police car cruised by the house on Thursday morning and two officers spoke briefly with Ms Jovanovska at her front door not long after she got home.

A neighbour said she'd been 'scared' of Joshua in the year before the Covid pandemic, due to his erratic behaviour, but said the Jovanovskas were a 'lovely' family.

'Before Covid he had about 12 months of very bombastic behaviour. I was a bit scared of him,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'I wouldn't knock on the door because you never knew what mood he'd be in.'

The mother told reporters she 'wanted to be left alone' after being quizzed about her charges on Thursday

A police car cruised by the house on Thursday morning and two officers spoke briefly with Ms Jovanovska at her front door not long after she got home

She said Ms Jovanovska, who is Macedonian, had moved into the house 24 years ago with her parents and brother.

'They were a lovely, lovely family,' she said.

Ms Jovanovska's brother had married and moved to Melbourne, and she had moved out after marrying a man called Adam.

After giving birth to Joshua, Ms Jovanovska, who the neighbour knew as Kathy, moved back in with her husband and the boy.

'She's a lovely girl and her husband's lovely too. I can honestly say they were a lovely family,' the neighbour said.

Ms Jovanovska's parents eventually went to live with their son and daughter-in-law and at some point her husband had also left, leaving the mother and son on their own.

'He was a lovely, friendly boy in the beginning,' the neighbour said.

Joshua had gone to the local primary school then Bass Hill High but found school difficult.

A boarded up window is seen at the front of the house while a blue mattress is seen leaning against a brick wall

Referring to the broken window at the front of the house, a neighbour said 'you can see by the house he used to get a bit stressed'

Pictured is the dining room of the Jovanovska family home

'His mother would have to pick him up because he was playing up or being bullied,' the neighbour said.

'He was a big boy who was a bit loud and rough.'

Referring to broken windows at the front of the family's home, she said: 'You can see by the house he used to get a bit stressed as he got older.

'I used to see Kathy at the letter box and say, ''How's Josh?'' And she'd say, ''He's good''.'

The neighbour said she had not seen seen Joshua for the past two-and-a-half years.

'He could have gone out when I went out,' she said.

'If you don't live in the house you just don't know.

'I just feel so sorry for him, what a sad life. I feel so sad for her.

'I think she did her best. She's just a lovely person.'

One neighbour said she not seen seen Joshua for the past two-and-a-half years (pictured is the Yagoona house)

Neighbours described Ms Jovanovska and her family as 'lovely'. Pictured is the kitchen inside the family home

Another neighbour said she was sympathetic to Ms Jovanovska's plight and wondered what support she had been given.

'For me, It's just a very sad state of affairs,' she said.

'I don't know how someone could fall through the cracks like that. It just shouldn't happen.

'As far as I'm concerned, nobody's in a position to judge that woman.'

The neighbour said it would have been hard enough raising a child as a single parent without him having a disability.

'If you're not getting respite or support how are you supposed to cope?' she said.

'The average person bringing up a child in this day and age has a difficult time so can you imagine this poor woman?

'I think it's important people show some compassion rather than crucifying her or sitting in judgement without trying to live her life or stand in her shoes.

'Unless you are that person living that life no one's truly going to know.

'As a mother she now has to live with this and that alone is enough for her, together with what she's been through.'

The neighbour said she was unaware of what help Ms Jovanovska had raising Joshua but there did not seem to be much support.

One neighbour was sympathetic to the mother's plight and questioned if she'd been given any support raising her son

The neighbour called for understanding as Ms Jovanovska goes before the courts.

'I don't want her name thrown about as if she's some sort of monster,' she said.

'She was a very kind woman.

'She did the best she could with what she had.

'I think in a situation like this it's about compassion and sympathy. She's lost her son. People need to understand that. Despite anything else, that was her child.'

The house has several boarded up windows and an old mattress left out the front.

Police will allege the 52-year-old woman only fed her son bread and soft drink, despite his deteriorating condition.

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 will allege the 52-year-old woman only fed her son bread and soft drink, despite his deteriorating condition

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.

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.

Detectives are investigating whether Joshua 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.
Kept white cocktail dress in a bag under her bed for six months before washing it

Ms Higgins wept in court on Thursday morning as CCTV was shown to the court

Mr Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent

Brittany Higgins texted her dad to say a co-worker had been 'inappropriate' after she was allegedly raped in a parliamentary office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann, a court has heard.

Ms Higgins messaged her father - who she calls Papa Bear - four days after Lehrmann allegedly sexually assaulted her in March 2019. She told her dad that there had been an 'incident with a person at work'.

But she did not expressly say in the texts what exactly she was referring to. The messages were read out loud during Lehrmann's rape trial in front of an ACT Supreme Court jury on Thursday.

Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent.

Ms Higgins told the court she 'wanted to tell my dad but I didn't want to put it in writing or in text because I was concerned about ... implications'.

It comes as:

A separate text shown to the jury features Ms Higgins telling former lover Ben Dillaway, shortly after the alleged incident, that she did not want the allegations to go public: 'The only thing I really want is for this not to get out and become public knowledge,' she said

Emails between Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins in the days before and after the alleged rape were shown to the jury

The jury heard Ms Higgins kept her 'unwashed' cocktail dress from that night in a plastic bed under her bed for six months, before washing it

Ms Higgins wept in court watching footage of herself and Lehrmann arriving at Parliament House on the night she alleges she was raped

Brittany Higgins texted her father - known as 'Papa Bear' - to say that there had been an 'incident', the ACT Supreme Court heard. Higgins arrives at court, dressed in black, on Thursday

In another text to former lover Ben Dillaway in the immediate aftermath of the alleged rape, she admitted: 'The only thing I really want is for this to not get out and become public knowledge (pictured)

The court heard on March 25 - three days after the alleged assault - Ms Higgins received a message from her father: 'I had a nice weekend Friday night.'

The following day, Ms Higgins replied: 'That sounds really nice and I'm very jealous. Quiet time would be beyond idea. Heads up, Canberra is getting chilly so bring a jacket.'

Later that day, she added: 'I'm fine but just wanted to give you a heads up there was an incident with a person at work being inappropriate. Can't give you details now.'

Her dad replied: 'I'm always here, I'm a good listener.'

Ms Higgins told the court she wanted to tell her father 'but I didn't want to put it in writing or in text because I was concerned about ... implications'.

Instead, the court heard she told her father about the alleged assault during a phone call, prior to her message about the weather in Canberra.

Emails exchanged in the days after the alleged assault

It was also revealed in court that Mr Lehrmann sent Ms Higgins a series of admin emails in the days after the alleged assault.

On March 23, the day after their drunken night out, Ms Higgins received an email from Mr Lehrmann which was forwarded automatically from his account.

She explained to the court that Mr Lehrmann would receive a range of clips - all titled 'Da Clips' - which were sent to a list of people in the office, but Ms Higgins didn't get them because she was relatively new to the office.

While her email was being added to the list, the accused forwarded them to her - 'even on a weekend,' she told the court.

On Monday, March 25 - three days after the alleged assault, the court heard he emailed her again with a personal message relating to the fact that she was not yet on the proper email list.

Lehrmann (pictured outside court on Thursday) has pleaded not guilty in the ACT supreme court

'Not letting me send to private email. Will email David and get your gmail on the private list,' he wrote.

Ms Higgins responded: 'So weird [that it won't let you send to me private email]. 'Honestly that would be the best if you could [add me to the list].

Ms Higgins explained in court that she wanted to behave as though everything was normal, and responded as she usually would.

On April 1, she had a meeting with Ms Reynolds and former chief-of-staff, Fiona Brown, in the office where the alleged attack took place.

'That was a distracting element so I was quite panicked because I was in the room with the couch so the words were a little lost,' she told the court on Thursday.

She said Ms Reynolds appeared empathetic, 'adding something along the lines of "I didn't think he was capable of something like that",' Ms Higgins added.

'At that point, the conversation became about the election, what I was going to do, and if I did something that I would need to let the office know.

'They were trying to feel out whether I was going to the police. It was made clear to me that they stated they were concerned about me going to the police.

'Just by having the meeting in the room, it all seemed really off. My interpretation was that it was a bit of a scare or intimidation tactic.'

Ms Higgins conceded that may not have been the case, but that was her interpretation.

'For someone to go into that space after having such a traumatic event in there - that was quite an adversarial space,' she said.

Brittany Higgins arrives in ACT Supreme Court in Canberra before taking to the witness stand in the trial of her alleged rapist on Thursday

A week after her meeting with Ms Reynolds', she was taken to the police sexual assault unit.

Three days after that, on April 13, she decided to withdraw her complaint.

She told the court: 'I felt pressured from my workplace not to pursue it any further at that time.

'I tried to make other arrangements to see if they'd e accommodating and they weren't it became really apparently that there were job implications if I did.'

'I really wanted to see if I could work from home and go to the gold coast or from a home base where I had a support system.'

Ms Higgins didn't want to stay in Canberra throughout the election because she was told that everyone who did didn't get rehired for the following term.

Former chief-of-staff, Fiona Brown, told her that she wouldn't have a job if she stayed in Canberra, so she decided to go with Ms Reynolds to Western Australia for the campaign.

'I'd gone my entire life working for this moment,' she told the court. 'Why was I going to let this person take it away from me?

She told the court on Wednesday that she decided to buy a pregnancy test while in Perth.

Pictured: Bruce Lehrmann heading to ACT Supreme Court on Thursday morning for day three of the trial

Dress stashed under the bed

Earlier on Thursday, Ms Higgins wept in court as the trial the moment the pair arrived at Parliament House on the night of the alleged assault.

Video shown featured Ms Higgins, now 27, and Mr Lehrmann walking through metal detectors twice and taking off her black stilettos that March 2019 evening.

Ms Higgins broke down as the footage was shown to the jury. Sitting in the witness box, Ms Higgins said she didn't remember 'any of it'.

Footage showed that Ms Higgins - who the court earlier heard was 'Schoolies drunk' that night - struggled to buckle her shoes up after walking through security again.

She then walked barefoot in a white cocktail dress through the corridors, carrying her shoes in her hand, according to the clip.

Ms Higgins told the court she kept the white cocktail dress in a plastic bag under her bed for about six months.

She told the court that, once it was clear she couldn't report the alleged assault without losing her job, she 'very symbolically washed the dress'.

'I wore it once more but I never wore it again after that.'

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

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

However, in cross-examination on Thursday, Defence lawyer Steven Whybrow showed the court a photo of Ms Higgins sitting next to Ms Reynolds in the same white dress she was raped in - about two months after the alleged assault.

When he tried to argue that Ms Higgins had simply not told the truth, she replied: 'It stayed under my bed for a period of time.'

'I said six months, I was clearly wrong on that but it stayed under my bed for a period of time.'

He showed the court a photo of Ms Higgins wearing the same dress in Perth, at Ms Reynolds' birthday celebration on May 15.

Mr Drumgold put to her that she travelled to Perth on April 13, which would mean the dress was only under her bed for a matter of weeks, rather than six months, as she initially claimed.

When he asked whether it would have been difficult for her to wear that dress again, Ms Higgins told the court: 'I was reclaiming my agency when I took it to Perth.'

Earlier in the day, 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

'It was an empowerment thing, saying the worse thing in the world happened to me in this dress and I never wore it beyond that time.

'It sounds stupid but that's just the truth.'

Earlier in the day, Ms Higgins was also shown photographs of the office where she allegedly raped, including the grey leather couch.

The couch faced Ms Reynolds' old desk, next to an Australian flag. She held it together as the pictures were shown.

However, her voice trembled as she described the way she was positioned on the couch during the alleged rape.

Ms Higgins told the court her head was on a while decorative cushion, facing the window.

'I was jammed up into the corner [of the couch]. My head was right in the corner, between the head rest and the arm rest,' she said.

When the prosecutor asked where her legs were, Ms Higgins replied: 'Spread open.'

'My left leg was pinned down between his knee and the couch ... and my other one was bent and open so I was completely exposed.

'I was like a prop pinned into that corner.

Ms Higgins arrived at court on Thursday dressed in black. She is expected to be cross-examined by Lehrmann's lawyer, possibly as early as today.

The trial continues.
The US fossil fuel industry had harsh words for President Joe Biden after OPEC announced dramatic production cuts, saying that the administration now has no choice but to encourage more domestic output.

'The White House has one option left and it is the one option they should have never turned away from in the first place - the US-based oil and gas industry,' tweeted the US Oil and Gas Association on Wednesday.

'Life comes at you pretty fast....' the trade group added in a mocking jibe, following OPEC's announcement that it will slash oil production by about 2 million barrels per day, constraining supply at a time when gas prices are already painfully high.

US oil producers, who accuse the Biden administration of smothering domestic production with overbearing regulations, responded to the OPEC move by arguing that America must dramatically boost its own output.

The US fossil fuel industry had harsh words for President Joe Biden after OPEC announced dramatic production cuts

On the campaign trail in 2020, Biden vowed to 'end fossil fuel' due to concerns about climate change, and his administration has proposed and enacted a number of stricter regulations that have discouraged new investment in drilling and refining.

Now, with gas prices averaging a painful $3.83 nationwide and poised to rise rapidly over supply concerns, the energy crunch could come back to hurt Democrats in the looming midterm elections.

Dan Kish, senior vice president at the pro-fossil fuel Institute for Energy Research, found irony in the situation.

'President Biden and his administration have done everything within their power from day one to unilaterally disarm American energy production and he now wants to blame everyone else for his dangerous policies,' said Kish, according to Forbes.

'His routine is well past getting old, and Americans are going to pay the price for his continuing assault on American energy,' he added.

'This Administration's energy policies are nonsensical and making us more dependent on foreign sources,' said Anne Bradbury, CEO of the American Exploration and Production Council.

'Instead, the Biden Administration should be focused on increasing production here in the US through thoughtful and comprehensive energy policy that helps bring down costs and makes us less reliant on foreign sources,' she added.

The American Petroleum Institute slammed Biden for severely restricting the federal land leased for oil and gas production, in comparison with previous presidents

Biden meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in July. Saudi-led OPEC defied Biden's entreaties to increase oil production by announcing major cutbacks

'The solution to meeting demand for affordable, reliable energy is right here in the United States,' said American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Mike Sommers.

'We face a growing energy crisis driven by geopolitical instability and U.S. policymakers should be doing everything in their power to produce more energy here in America, not urging foreign regimes for more oil,' he added.

Meanwhile, the White House denied reports that it plans to ease sanctions on Venezuela in a desperate bid to boost oil exports from the socialist dictatorship.

'Our sanctions policy on Venezuela remains unchanged. We will continue to implement and enforce our Venezuela sanctions,' White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson told Reuters on Wednesday.

Watson said the United States has no plans to change its Venezuela sanctions policy 'without constructive steps' from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to restore democracy

It followed a report from the Wall Street Journal that Washington was preparing to ease some sanctions on Venezuela to allow Chevron Corp to resume pumping oil there.

The newspaper reported that in exchange for the sanctions relief, Maduro's government would resume talks with the country's opposition to discuss conditions needed to hold free and fair presidential elections in 2024.

A drill rig stands on the site of an oil well outside Williston, North Dakota in a file photo

A Chevron gasoline station displays prices starting at $8.35 US dollars per gallon in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday

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 cash flow 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.
A furious shopper has exploded at supermarket staff for trying to check her receipt on the way out after forcing her to use a self-checkout machine.

The shopper penned an open letter on the popular Facebook group 'Meanwhile in Australia' to complain how she and several customers were forced to stop at a supermarket exit to have their receipts inspected.

She said a female worker stopped every customer who had used a self-checkout machine and made them line-up to have their receipts looked at.

The furious shopper skipped the line and left, before venting her anger on social media.

Customers from across Australia rallied in support of the woman, with several sharing stories of their own struggles with self-checkout services and asking why more and more major stores expect customers to do their own packing.

Meanwhile, photos from a Kmart on Thursday showed a worker forcing several customers to stop on their way out as he checked their receipts.

Pictured: A worker checking customer receipts in a Kmart store. A shopper took to the popular Facebook group 'Meanwhile in Australia' to reveal how she and several customers were forced to stop at a supermarket exit to have their receipts checked

She said a female worker stopped every customer who had used a self-checkout machine and looked over their receipt

In their viral rant, the angry shopper questioned the lack of human cashiers in stores across Australia.

'Dear Kmart, Coles, Woolworths etc etc and all other stores that have self checkout. You are almost exclusively self-checkout now.

'You can either trust me to do self-checkout, or you can put your cashiers back in place like it used to be.

'I'm not interested in proving that I did your job for you. You want me to be a cashier with no training then that's your problem not mine.

'Don't audit me for a position you refuse to employ any longer.'

A Kmart spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'At Kmart, we strive to deliver an enjoyable and convenient shopping experience to all our customers whether they choose to shop with us in-store or online.

'Since late 2015, we began introducing self-service registers to our stores as part of our commitment to customers in allowing them to access a more efficient service, especially during peak trading periods.

'The conversion of our manned registers to self-serve helps to aid the speed of transactions, but we will always have a Kmart team member available to support customers putting through transactions if they would like.

'Like many retailers it is also a condition of entry across all our stores that if requested, customers present any bags and receipt for checking before leaving the store.

'We look forward to continuing to service all our customers in the many different ways they like to shop.'

However, Aussies expressed their support for the angry shopper online.

One wrote: 'I hate them and refused to use them for the longest time, but it's gotten so there's sometimes no staffed checkout open that you have to use them. Then there's the errors and waiting for someone to fix it.

A Kmart employee gestures at a shopper after stopping her from leaving the store to look at her receipt

Several Kmart shoppers, who had used the self-checkout service, were stopped before they could leave

'Bring back staffed checkouts. Or at least more open for those that can't or don't want to use them. Keep people in work and help those not able to physically use or perhaps understand using the stupid things.'

Another said: 'Self service stresses me out. Half the time I place item in bagging area and it doesn't compute.

'The other annoyance is no space to pack your trolley. And I I feel rushed because it's always a huge line up. I'll stick to having a human serve me thanks.'

A third said: 'I only use self checkouts when no other registers are open. I hate them with a passion - every time I use one, something always goes wrong with the machine and has to be unlocked by a staff member.'

While a fourth added: 'Yes! Give me a discount for checking out my own items/groceries.

'I dont work for these companies so I shouldnt have to work to purchase goods.'

A Woolworths spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'Were focused on providing our customers with multiple ways to shop with us, given their ever-changing needs.

'Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many customers opted for safer and more convenient ways to complete their shop which include self service checkouts.

'However, if customers prefer to be served by a team member that option is always available via our service desk or other manned checkouts.

'We've seen a big uptake in customers using Direct to Boot and home delivery, while others decided to streamline their in-store experience through the use of Scan&Go and self-service.'

A source insisted that Coles does not have a policy of checking the receipt of a customer when they leave the self-checkout area.

Furious shoppers online claimed they are being forced to use self-checkouts before being stopped and having their receipts scanned

Checking receipts is not the only method that supermarkets use to monitor self-checkout customers.

Last month, Woolies shoppers threatened to boycott the supermarket after it introduced camera technology at self-check-outs.

Woolworths said the devices 'records you and the transaction detecting when items aren't scanned correctly'.

It is trialling new camera technology in some stores to 'help reduce mis-scans and improve speed for customers through the checkout'.

The technology uses overhead cameras and artificial intelligence to detect when items aren't scanned correctly.

'If a mis-scan occurs, a short video highlights the affected product and customers then have the opportunity to re-scan it,' a Woolworths spokesman said.

Woolworths is rolling out surveillance cameras at self-serve and operator-assisted checkouts to reduce incidents of fake swiping

On social media Australians reacted to in-store signs warning customers they could be filmed with a mix of anger and concern

However, some customers say the new tech makes them feel like thieves.

Coles has also introduced surveillance cameras and high-tech scanning systems that can detect product detail down to what type of apple a shopper is weighing.

The supermarket loses an estimated $891million per year in theft and Woolworths loses up to $1billion per year, the Global Retail Theft Barometer previously reported.

In August, it was also revealed that cost-of-living pressures are causing Aussies to thieve at supermarket self-serve checkouts.

The research showed 3.8million people or one in five Australians admitted to stealing items.

That figure included nine per cent of shoppers who had pilfered via the self-serve checkouts and 10 per cent who lied about what they had scanned.




The ruling People Power Party (PPP) was set to hold an ethics committee meeting Thursday to decide on an additional penalty for former Chairman Lee Jun-seok over his harsh criticism of President Yoon Suk-yeol and the party.







Lee has openly gone up against President Yoon and his core associates, after the PPP suspended his party membership in July over allegations of sexual bribery and an attempted cover-up, and launched an emergency leadership committee that automatically removed him from office.







He has since filed a string of injunctions against the party's new leadership and stepped up criticism of Yoon and party leaders, even likening Yoon to "shingunbu," a term that refers to military officers led by former President Chun Doo-hwan, who came to power through a coup and suppressed democracy movements.







The ethics committee launched a second round of a disciplinary procedure against Lee last month, saying he used "insulting, reprehensible" expressions against party members and lawmakers "without objective grounds," and undermined unity and the party's prestige.







Observers project the committee will hand down the heaviest level of penalty, such as a three-year membership suspension or expulsion at worst.







But Lee is unlikely to comply. He has claimed that the cause of the additional disciplinary procedure is groundless and the process is thus invalid.







Separately, the Seoul Southern District Court may deliver a ruling on Thursday over an injunction Lee filed against the PPP's emergency leadership committee led by Chung Jin-suk, which would further complicate the disciplinary procedure. (Yonhap)


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The Argentine paparazzo who broke his arm while running away from Cara Delevingne and Margot Robbie's friends has published the photos he took of the group, moments before he was chased from the scene.

Delevingne, 30, and Robbie, 32, dined on Saturday night at the Buenos Aires restaurant owned by celebrity chef Francis Mallmann, in the atmospheric, working class district of La Boca.

They were accompanied by Robbie's husband, British film producer Tom Ackerley, and two other filmmakers - Josey McNamara, producer of Robbie's films Barbie and a new Ocean's Eleven; and Jac Hopkins, a key grip.

Exclusive photos obtained by DailyMail.com, taken by photographer Pedro Alberto Orquera, show the group leaving the restaurant around 3am on Sunday.

Delevingne, in a green jacket, gets into the waiting orange Renault Sandero first, while Ackerley holds the door open.

Robbie, in a grey skirt suit and thick black pantyhose, gets into the car after Delevingne.

Cara Delevingne (left) and Margot Robbie (right) are pictured getting into an orange Renault at 3am on Sunday, as Robbie's husband Tom Ackerley holds the door open for them

Photographer Pedro Alberto Orquera took the photos of the group as they left the Buenos Aires restaurant in the early hours of Sunday

Ackerley is seen with his arms around his wife Margot Robbie outside the celebrity restaurant

A woman in a red dress and beret looks on as the trio exits the hotspot

Ackerley puts his arm around his wife as they get into their Uber

The British film producer and Australian actress have been married since 2016

Photos showed British film producer Josey McNamara (left) and key grip Jac Hopkins (right) joined Delevingne, Robbie and Robbie's husband for dinner on Saturday night

Orquera claims that McNamara and Hopkins became angry at his presence, and chased him away.

Surveillance camera footage shows Orquera running with people in pursuit, and then falling near an oncoming car.

The 61-year-old was taken to hospital with a broken arm, and McNamara and Hopkins were questioned by Argentine police.

Orquera, who suffered several cuts and a broken arm after a fall, told Argentine outlet TN he was able to protect his equipment and the prized shots he'd taken, but at a considerable cost.

'My life was saved by a miracle, I don't know what would have happened if I fell head first to the ground, with the speed that those people chased after me,' Orquera said.

'They never took my material from me... when I fell to the ground [the camera] was smashed but I was able to save the material.'

The CCTV clip showed a man dressed in black running from a second man in a white top. The pursuer appears to kick his fleeing victim, causing him to lose balance and crash to the floor

Orquera was attacked after he was seen snapping pictures of Robbie and Delevingne as they exited the Patagonia Sur restaurant (pictured) early on Sunday morning

The actresses are understood to have finished a meal at the Patagonia Sur restaurant (pictured) in Buenos Aires before the incident

Josey McNamara, who produced Robbie's new Barbie film, is seen arriving at the Buenos Aires restaurant on Saturday night to join Robbie and the group

Robbie is pictured entering the popular dining venue on Saturday night

Robbie is seen with her husband (in black t-shirt) and McNamara (in white t-shirt) outside the restaurant

Robbie and McNamara have worked together on several films, including her new Ocean's Eleven film

Two filmmaker friends of Hollywood stars Margot Robbie and Cara Delevingne were spotted being led out of prison after being arrested for allegedly assaulting a paparazzo over the weekend

The pair had coats thrown over their heads to shield their faces, and were guided by the cops into a waiting car which whisked them away

Orquera was placed in a neck brace and stretchered to the nearby Argerich Hospital in the Argentine capital, where he remains following initial treatment and is awaiting surgery for his badly broken arm.

He told TN his arm was severely injured and it is unknown whether he will regain full use of the limb.

'I have a cast on my right arm, my arm is very compromised and I don't know if I'm going to lose it,' he claimed.

A source told to TMZ, however, that Orquera was actually the aggressor, and that he rushed the actresses as they were climbing into an Uber.

TMZ reported that the driver put his foot on the accelerator in fright, while Robbie was only halfway into the car.

The source said Orquera continued to photograph the scene as Robbie lay on the ground after leaping from the moving car, and that he tripped and hurt himself after running off when McNamara and Hopkins moved in to help.

Cara Delevingne (left) and Margot Robbie (right) pictured together at the Samsung Experience at San Diego Comic-Con in 2016

Hopkins and McNamara were arrested after allegedly assaulting photographer Pedro Alberto Orquera when they spotted him taking snaps of Robbie and Delevingne while eating at a celebrity restaurant in Buenos Aires in the early hours of Sunday morning

The pair reportedly chased Orquera down outside the restaurant

The Buenos Aires police station where Josey McNamara and Jac Hopkins spent the night after allegedly assaulting a photographer on Sunday morning

Josey McNamara and Margot Robbie are pictured at the Oscars in Los Angeles in April last year

A police report seen by The Sun shows that McNamara and Hopkins told officers that Orquera was 'responsible for his own injuries' because the two actresses had not given consent to be pictured.

Orquera is planning to file a lawsuit, alleging that the injuries he sustained will prevent him from being able to work.

'The most unfortunate thing [about the attack] is that it leaves me immobile, unable to work or move,' Orquera said.

'I am no longer going to be able to do any work and I don't know if I am going to get my arm back the way it should be.'

Margot Robbie was spotted on the verge of tears as she left a West Hollywood home in September just hours after meeting with Cara Delevingne in Los Angeles. It comes amid rumors that Delevingne is experiencing health concerns following a series of absences from large events and erratic behavior

Delevingne and Robbie became friends in 2016 when they worked on the DC comic-inspired Suicide Squad film.

Robbie played Harley Quinn, while Delevingne played a character named Enchantress.

The pair had travelled to Argentina after attending Paris fashion week events early last week, and Robbie was spotted in Argentina on Friday, stopping to take pictures with some fans.

The attack on Orquera comes less than a month after Robbie was pictured leaving Delevingne's West Hollywood home seemingly in tears, amid rumors that the British supermodel was struggling with health concerns.

Delevingne failed to show up to the launch of her fashion collection honoring late designer Karl Lagerfeld, which was held at chic restaurant Saga in the New York City's Financial District in early September.

Nor was Delevingne present at the Emmy Awards on September 13, where her cast mates in the series Only Murders in the Building were nominated for a series of awards.

A source close to the Delevingne family told The Sun that the star was struggling and had been 'burning the candle at both ends' as of late.

She was, however, in Paris on September 27 for the launch of the Lagerfeld collaboration.
A man, 22, charged with the murder of his University dorm roommate - who died after 'multiple sharp force traumatic injuries during an unprovoked attack' - has sent his love to his family before entering jail.

Video footage of Ji Min Sha shows the suspected killer being escorted by police into Tippecanoe County Jail, wearing a face mask with his hand firmly handcuffed behind his back.

When asked by a reporter why he'd allegedly committed the crime, Sha simply replied, 'I love my family' before walking into custody.

The 22-year-old is charged with the murder of Purdue University student Varun Manish Chheda, 20, who was found dead just after midnight at McCutcheon Hall, according to the Tippecanoe County Coroner's Office.

Residents at the hall said they were woken up in the middle of the night by a 'scream or some loud noises.'

Ji Min Sha, 22, charged with the murder of his University dorm roommate Varun Manish Chheda, 20, has sent his love to his family before entering jail

Video footage of Ji Min Sha shows the suspected killer being escorted by police into Tippecanoe County Jail, wearing a face mask with his hand firmly handcuffed behind his back

When asked by a reporter why he'd allegedly committed the crime, Sha simply replied, 'I love my family' before walking into custody

The 22-year-old is charged with the murder of Purdue University student Varun Manish Chheda, 20, who was found dead just after midnight at McCutcheon Hall

Sha made a call to campus police at 12:44 am, he was subsequently taken into custody minutes after police arrived at the first-floor residence

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Sha made a call to campus police 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 shy of 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.

Sha was identified as a junior studying cybersecurity who attended the school as an international student from South Korea.

Chheda was a senior in data science and was just 10 days shy of his 21st birthday when he died

The Sycamore School community paid tribute to Chheda saying he had attended the school in 2016 from Kindergarten through to 8th grade

A candlelight vigil was also held at the University campus to honor Chheda

NEW: I talked to a friend of Varun Chheda, the student killed at Purdue. Andrew Wu says Varun was kind, smart and passionate. As for Varun's roommate, now arrested for his murder, Wu says Varun never said much about him. Live reports coming on @FOX59, @CBS4Indy and @NewsNation. pic.twitter.com/p1hwQYP6wp  Eric Graves (@ReporterEric) October 5, 2022

Not a lot more is known about Sha or his motive for the alleged crime.

'You know he was just the best guy you ever wanted to hang out with,' Andrew Wu, a close friend of Chheda told Fox59.

'It's hard to imagine why anyone would want to do this to him.'

Eight students were removed from the floor as police investigated, but it's believed they were allowed back to their rooms by the end of the day.

The last homicide on the school's campus was in January 2014, when Cody Cousins, a teaching assistant in computer engineering, was sentenced for 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.

'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.'

Letters and flowers for Chheda were placed by a statue at Purdue's University campus after his death

One letter said: 'You have touched the lives of so many people at Purdue. Your death has an impact on all of us'

Another read: 'I didn't know you personally but my heart goes out to you and your family. All of Purdue misses you and I wish the utmost blessings for you and your family'

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.

Letters and flowers for Chheda were placed by a statue at Purdue's University campus after his death.

One letter said: 'You have touched the lives of so many people at Purdue. Your death has an impact on all of us.'

Not all people sending their love were known to Chheda, another read: 'I didn't know you personally but my heart goes out to you and your family. All of Purdue misses you and I wish the utmost blessings for you and your family.'

A candlelight vigil was also held at the campus to honor Chheda.
A university student who took LSD and became psychotic before killing his 18-year-old girlfriend, fearing she was a demon, has been jailed for 20 years.

Newcastle Supreme Court Justice Richard Cavanagh said Jordan Brodie Miller, 22, had violently attacked his partner of two years, Emerald Wardle, when delusional and suffering a psychotic disorder caused by the temporary effects of his drug taking.

Justice Cavanagh said Miller believed he had been cursed and needed to kill either himself or Ms Wardle to lift the curse.

Jordan Brodie Miller, 22, (right) was sentenced to 20 years in jail after for murdering his girlfriend Emerald Wardle

'This was his first episode of psychosis, although these effects were only temporary they were acting upon him at the time he killed Ms Wardle,' the judge said on Thursday.

Miller, who was 20 at the time, admitted strangling Ms Wardle, 18, but pleaded not guilty to murdering her, claiming he had been in a psychotic state, did not intend to harm her and could not be held criminally responsible.

A jury deliberated for 12 hours in June after a two-week trial before finding Miller guilty of murder, rejecting his claims the killing had been caused by an underlying form of undiagnosed schizophrenia.

Crown prosecutor Lee Carr SC had argued Miller's use of drugs and the lack of any early signs of a psychotic illness pointed to the killing being drug-induced, meaning Miller was guilty of murder as it had been his choice to use drugs.

While suffering a psychotic episode he claims was caused by the effects of LSD, Miller believed Ms Wardle, 18, (pictured) was a 'demon' that had to be killed

Justice Cavanagh said on Thursday Miller had a genuinely held psychotic belief Ms Wardle was some sort of demon who had to be killed.

'What this means is not capable of rational or logical explanation. This is because it was not a rational thought or belief.

'Having said that, the only finding available is the offender intended to kill Ms Wardle. The fact is that he strangled her. However, that does not mean the attack on Ms Wardle was some sort of planned event.'

The judge said a letter written by Miller in August to the court and Ms Wardle's family showed he was remorseful.

'I want it to be known that in my sound mind I would never have done anything like this,' Miller wrote.

'I loved Emerald so much.'

The jury found Miller (right) guilty of murder, rejecting his claims the killing had been caused by an underlying form of undiagnosed schizophrenia

Police had found Ms Wardle's body in the ensuite bathroom of the main bedroom at a house at Metford, near Maitland, on June 20, 2020.

Miller told police: 'If you walk inside and go into the bathroom, it's in there, the demon. Help me, help me, the demon's got me, help me.'

After his arrest, Miller, a regular cannabis smoker from the age of 14 with no history of mental illness or violence, admitted taking a half tablet of LSD 11 days earlier and claimed to have reached spiritual enlightenment but Emerald had been 'trying to suck the life out of me'.

When police arrived at the scene at 1.20am, Miller was standing outside near the gate wearing tracksuit pants and no shirt or shoes. He ran towards the officers pleading for help.

Ms Wardle's mother (pictured) said knowing her daughter died 'feeling terrified and alone' is a 'demon that will stay with (her) forever'

Ms Wardle's mother, Tania Simshauser, upset at the way her daughter was characterised during Miller's trial, told the judge in her emotional victim impact statement how Miller was the real monster, not her daughter.

'She was not a demon. She was an innocent young woman who was born my daughter but became my very best friend,' Ms Simshauser said.

'I, however, will forever live with demons in my mind.

'As I approach sleep every night I am haunted with demons.

'As a mother, I know my baby girl died feeling terrified and alone and that is a demon that will stay with me forever.''

Miller will be eligible for parole after serving 13 years.

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Two major suspects are behind bars over the brutal alleged execution of another man, as a ferocious fire that destroyed seven cars and burned four others was linked to the killing.

A man and woman were taken into custody on Thursday two days after a 38-year-old Inala man was allegedly shot dead in the front yard of a Cliveden Avenue home in Brisbane's south.

He died after being struck once in the chest at close range, police will allege.

Two major suspects are behind bars over the brutal early morning execution of another man, as a spectacular vehicle fire was linked to the killing

Queensland police released dramatic footage of vehicle fires burning out of control at an apartment block at Gladstone Road, Dutton Park after 11pm on Wednesday.

One of the cars was understood to be an 2016 Audi A3 police say was used as a getaway car following the shooting murder the previous morning.

Dramatic police bodycam footage shows officers rushing to evacuate residents at the Dutton Park apartment complex as alarms wail and a large fire burns seven cars in the ground floor carport.

In the frantic scenes loud bangs can be heard coming from the burning vehicles, believed to be windows exploding.

Queensland police released dramatic footage of vehicle fires burning out of control at an apartment block at Gladstone Road, Dutton Park after 11pm on Wednesday

Dramatic police bodycam footage shows officers rushing to evacuate residents at the Dutton Park apartment complex as alarms wail and the fire rages in the ground floor carport

Police believe one car was initially set alight and the fire spread, destroying six others.

A further four cars were damaged by the heat.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said a 26-year-old woman was the first to be arrested in Brisbane's CBD on the day of the shooting.

Then on Wednesday around 11pm a 26-year-old man was arrested at a house in the south-east Brisbane suburb of Mackenzie.

Another four men and two women were arrested at the Mackenzie house, which contained a 'sophisticated' meth lab.

Whether the shooting was drug-related is one of the current lines of enquiry.

Police released footage of the Audi A3 they will allege was used as a getaway vehicle

No charges have yet been laid.

Detectives also released footage of the Audi

Earlier four men and a woman went on the run after the shooting at Oxley.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said the four men and one woman armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, and potentially a handgun, were involved in the attack.

'The male deceased was struck at very close range, and we believe the weapon involved was a 12-gauge shotgun,' he told reporters on Tuesday.

Det Supt Massingham said the man had been sitting in a car near the home when the five turned up and started assaulting another man who lived at the home.

Police were called to the scene of the Oxely shooting at about 3.25am on Tuesday (pictured, police at the scene)

The 38-year-old then got out of his car and started running to the man's aid when he was shot.

The second man has suffered minor injuries and is being questioned.

Police are probing a dispute between the two men and the five suspects one to two weeks before the shooting.

'Certainly there was significant conflict amongst the whole group,' Det Supt Massingham said.

The dispute was not related to number of recent gang shootings in the city's south, he said.

The attack lasted about 30 to 40 seconds and neighbours heard more than one shot being fired.

Detectives are still hunting for the five, and are reviewing CCTV footage of a car leaving the scene, which is across the road from a primary school.

Police released an image of the car in question late on Tuesday afternoon.

Officers were seen investigating and photographing the scene (above) late Tuesday morning

Queensland police have established a crime scene after a man was fatally shot in Brisbane early in the morning (pictured, police investigating the scene)

Det Supt Massingham urged anyone with information about the attack or the whereabouts of the alleged culprits to contact police.

'We have a number of persons with significant weaponry and it's important that we harness what information is available in the community this morning to set us on the right track,' he said.

The shooting occurred across the road from the Corinda State School less than six hours before hundreds of students were due to return to class after school holidays.

There's also a preschool and a childcare centre on that block in the quiet, mainly residential suburb.

Police issued two separate appeals for public help.

Any witnesses or anyone with dashcam or CCTV from the Oxley and Corinda areas between 3.30am and 4.00am on Tuesday were urged to contact police.

Later detectives appealed for anyone who witnessed anything suspicious or was travelling on Gladstone Road around 11pm with dashcam vision to contact police.
It is alleged the man sent 93 blackmail scam text messages to Optus customers

The 19-year-old was arrested at a property in Rockdale, Sydney on Thursday

A Sydney man has been charged over an alleged blackmail scam where he allegedly used details obtained from the Optus data breach.

On Thursday police arrested a 19-year-old man at a Rockdale property with a mobile phone allegedly linked to the text messages seized.

He has been charged with using a telecommunication network with the intent to commit a serious offence and dealing with identification information, offences that carry a maximum penalty of 10 and 7 years imprisonment respectively.

Police will allege text messages were sent to 93 Optus customers who had their data exposed in the Optus hack.

It is understood none of the individuals who received the text messages transferred money to the nominated account.

A 19-year-old Sydney man (pictured) has been charged over an alleged blackmail scam where he allegedly used details obtained from the Optus data breach

Police will allege text messages were sent to 93 Optus customers who had their data exposed in the Optus hack. It is understood none of the individuals who received the text message transferred money to the account

An AFP-led investigation was launched following the text messages demanding some Optus customers transfer $2000 to a specified bank account or see their personal details used for financial crimes.

The data used by the alleged offender was taken from the 10,200 stolen records posted online during last month's Optus breach.

The AFP identified the bank account in the name of a juvenile with police alleging it was actively being used by the man.

The 19-year-old man will appear at Sydney Central Local Court at a later date.

Some 9.8million Optus customers' names, passports, drivers' licence numbers, addresses, email addresses, dates of birth and phone numbers were stolen by hackers in Australia's biggest ever data breach last month.

Several victims reported receiving 'highly targeted' scam texts and emails in the wake of the hack.

Assistant Commissioner Cyber Command Justine Gough said the man is not suspected of being responsible for the largescale Optus hack but did allegedly try to financially benefit from the stolen information.

The data used by the alleged offender was taken from the 10,200 stolen records posted online during last month's Optus breach

'Last week, the AFP and our state and territory partners launched Operation Guardian to protect the most vulnerable customers affected by the Optus breach and we were absolutely clear that there would be no tolerance for the criminal use of this stolen data,' Assistant Commissioner Gough said.

Assistant Commissioner Gough said the AFP has committed 'significant resources to protect those customers at risk from identity fraud'.

'We understand how worried some members of the community are, and I want to give the community reassurance that the AFP and our partners are working around the clock to help protect your personal information,' Assistant Commissioner Gough said.

'Do not test the capability or dedication of law enforcement. The AFP, our state partners and industry are relentlessly scouring forums and other online sites for criminal activity linked to this breach. Just because there has been one arrest does not mean there won't be more.'

Assistant Commissioner Gough said Operation Hurricane - the AFP investigation into the alleged offender responsible for the breach - is still ongoing.

'The Hurricane investigation is a high priority for the AFP and we are aggressively pursuing all lines of enquiry to identify those behind this attack,' she said.

Some Optus customers whose personal details were stolen in the cyber attack had 'highly targeted' scam text messages and emails sent to them

Mobile phone and internet customers however, will soon be better protected from fraud under new regulations set to be introduced following the massive data breach.

Under a new federal government plan Telcos will be able to coordinate with financial institutions to fight against potentially malicious activity if customer details are compromised.

The amendments see will allow companies to temporarily share key information such as driver's licence, Medicare and passport numbers with financial service firms to allow them to better monitor and safeguard against breaches.

This will also mean Optus will be able to share identifiers with Commonwealth, state and territory agencies preventing fraud directly relating to the data breach.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the move strengthened safeguards in the event of a future breach.

'What this is all about is to try and reduce the impact of this data breach on Optus customers and to enable financial institutions to implement enhanced safeguards and monitoring,' she told reporters.

'We take people's personal information and the protection of that very seriously.'

Under a new federal government plan Telcos will be able to coordinate with financial institutions to fight against potentially malicious activity if customer details are compromised

Ms Rowland said after the breach Optus asked for greater data access to improve the monitoring of any future fraud.

'We examined this, did proper due diligence and we need to be clear, these regulations are specifically in response to these cyber threats and we know this is on a scale and scope that hasn't happened in Australia before,' she said.

'We considered it prudent having taken and considered the proper legal advice that the most effective way to enable this data to be shared beyond doubt was through amending these regulations.'

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the amendments followed close industry consultation and would allow for safer and more secure data sharing.

Cyber security consultancy Gridware previously told Daily Mail Australia that Optus's stolen data would be sold on the dark web to criminals and used to create authentic-looking phishing scams.

Ahmed Khanji, Gridware's CEO and professor of cybersecurity said criminals who buy the data were able to create convincing-looking SMS messages and emails because they already have so much personal information.

'These messages will be advanced, targeted phishing attempts trying to get you click a link to pay a fee or a fraudulent invoice, or fill out more details,' Prof. Khanji said.

'They are far more believable than random messages saying 'I'm from the ATO, you owe money.'

The messages could most obviously try to pressure existing Optus customers for money.

People unaware their details had been stolen could easily fall for the scams because any messages would quote their personal details back to them - including residential address and date of birth.
Strippers can face $100 fines if they don't get fully nude on stage and could be slugged $1,000 if they apply fake tan while at work, according to the rules at one Queensland club.

A list of fines given out to exotic dancers at a popular strip club has circulated on social media, with many shocked at how the employees are treated.

Fines also include $5 penalties for every five minutes a stripper is late, $50 for being late to get on stage and $100 for ending a dance early.

The women can also be sent home and fined $100 if they take tips from waitstaff, will be fired if they go home with a customer, and can also be sent home or fined $50 if their 'grooming' isn't up to standard.

A list of fines given out to exotic dancers at one popular strip club in Queensland has circulated on social media, with many shocked at how the employees are treated

For any dancers trying to pull off a 'death drop' - a move where the woman falls head first down the pole - they will be fined $100.

Numerous people have claimed the fines are handed out at the Gold Coast's famous Hollywood Showgirls strip club given the horrific death drop incident that occurred there back in 2016.

Hollywood Showgirls owner Craig Duffy confirmed at the time the dancer fell off the pole during a performance and had not broken her neck despite rumours suggesting the contrary.

'She did fall off the pole and hurt herself but she didn't break her neck - she didn't break anything,' Mr Duffy said.

'I don't know if she was upside down at the time but the fact she's hurt her face, you'd have to think she was either parallel or upside down.

'All her scans have been confirmed as OK which is fortunate and we are very happy about that.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the venue for comment.

A Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman at the time said the dancer, in her 20s, had 'back pain' but was in a stable condition when she reached the hospital.

The dancer reportedly ended up with a cut on her forehead and a black eye.

But Hollywood Showgirls duty manager, who would only go by his nickname Vincent Van Halen, described the accident as a 'horrific fall' and that 'she was very lucky'.

Strippers face $100 fines if they don't get fully nude on stage and could be slugged $1,000 if they apply fake tan while at work, according to the rules at one Queensland club (stock image)

'She was seconds or inches away from being a paraplegic. Certainly not funny,' he told the Gold Coast Bulletin at the time.

The image of the list of fines has gone viral on Reddit, with many former strippers revealing that fines for dancers was common practice.

'We definitely had the fines for not working Sunday or for not working game days at Suncorp (stadium),' one wrote.

'Also the fines for being late or leaving early. We also had to pay the DJ a fee before starting so if you made no money that night you were out of pocket.

'I wouldn't be surprised if most clubs have these bull***t fines these days.'

Numerous people have claimed the fines are handed out at the Gold Coast's famous Hollywood Showgirls venue (pictured)

Another claimed her strip club forced the dancers to drink alcohol.

'The first club I worked at would basically force you into drinking and getting customers to buy you drinks,' she wrote.

'You had to get a minimum of 10 per night on a Fri/sat. And they would fine you $10 per drink you didn't get. So if you stayed sober that's a $100 fine.'

Another said the type of fines were 'pretty standard' for clubs in Brisbane.

Others said they were shocked at the list and said employees in other industries would never receive such punishments.

'What the f**k... imagine these s****y fines for us normal jobs we do. Not arriving to work office, not working in office and working from home all week. Taking three or more coffee breaks. Smoking tooo long....' they wrote.
A police officer has admitted escorting his daughter across the Queensland border illegally when travel was restricted during the Covid outbreak.

Robert William Eickenloff was on duty as a senior constable with the Road Policing Command when he rode his motorcycle into NSW to accompany his only child across the border between Tweed Heads and Coolangatta in September last year, a Brisbane court was told on Thursday.

His then 20-year-old daughter had applied for special entry into Queensland on September 12 after months working as a ski instructor in Thredbo.

At the time access was restricted to people who lived near the border and had a special purpose to travel interstate.

Queensland policeman Robert William Eickenloff has admitted to sneaking his daughter through the Queensland border during Covid restrictions (pictured, Eickenloff outside court on Thursday)

The Brisbane court heard Eickenloff told fellow officers at the border between Tweed Heads and Coolangatta (above) that he had already checked documents from 'the woman' - his daughter

The now 56-year-old - who was sworn into the Queensland Police in 2004 - met his daughter in NSW when she approached the border three days after she made her application.

'You essentially gave your daughter a police escort through the border checkpoint,' Brisbane District Court Judge John Allen said.

Eickenloff told an officer at the checkpoint that he had confirmed the woman's paperwork was 'all good' so her vehicle was waved through.

'It is likely that had you not intervened to enable your daughter to avoid scrutiny at the checkpoint that she may well have been prevented from crossing the border,' Judge Allen told Eickenloff.

'Your abuse of your office permitted her to avoid those legal restrictions which were designed to safeguard the Queensland community in the circumstances of Covid transmission at that time.'

Eickenloff helped his daughter get through the checkpoint

Eickenloff's daughter had been working in NSW at a popular ski resorts for several months when he snuck her over the border (pictured, officers patrolling the border during Covid)

Eickenloff's daughter returned home, but a checkpoint officer made a report saying that from the inside of the woman's vehicle she appeared to be moving home.

Once the breach of health orders was detected, she was fined $4135 and put into hotel quarantine for the mandatory two weeks.

The court was told Eickenloff was concerned about his daughter's mental state and isolation from family while in NSW.

A psychiatrist also found his thinking had been affected by then undiagnosed post traumatic stress disorder.

Judge Allen said Eickenloff, as a police officer, had clearly committed a gross breach of the trust placed in him by the community.

Many people were affected by restrictions and there were stories of distress due to separated family members as a result of restrictions, he added.

The judge of Eickenloff's case said he committed a gross breach of trust by using his powers as a police officers to sneak his daughter through Queensland's Covid border (pictured centre, Eickenloff leaving the court on Thursday)

'One might think that those persons who suffered in that manner would be outraged that a police officer entrusted with enforcing such laws used his position as police officer to avoid them.'

Eickenloff's barrister Troy Schmidt argued his client's actions were those of a loving father in unprecedented times who acted as any father would.

'But the point of the matter ... is that not every father could,' Judge Allen said.

Judge Allen said Eickenloff was emotionally vulnerable in his response to the plight of his daughter partly due to his valuable service to the community as a police officer.

Eickenloff was stood down without pay over the incident before resigning in March and has worked for about two months as a bus driver.

Judge Allen sentenced Eickenloff - who pleaded guilty to one count of misconduct in public office - to 120 hours of community service to be completed within a year.

No conviction was recorded.
The heir to a prominent Australian seafood empire has been charged with a number of child sex and exploitation offences.

Marcus Carlo Cappo, 19, on Wednesday fronted Elizabeth Magistrates Court in Adelaide on 25 separate charges which are alleged to have happened in Pooraka in the city's north.

The charges include seven of procuring a child for sexual activity, seven counts each of producing and possessing child exploitation material, and three counts of disseminating the material.

The offending is alleged to have happened between September 18, 2021 and May 1, 2022, reports The Adelaide Advertiser.

Marcus Cappo (centre) fronted court charged with 25 child sex and exploitation offences

Marcus is the son of Matthew Cappo who along with his brother are co-directors of Cappo Seafoods, which has been a family business for three generations.

The company was founded in 1919 by six brothers after the family arrived in Australia from Italy.

There is no suggestion Matthew Cappo or Cappo Seafoods is involved in any of the charges.

The court heard public prosecutors were in the process of deciding if the charges would be classified as a major indictable offences.

Marcus Cappo's bail was allowed to continue and he will next appear in court in January.
But court shown photograph of her wearing it just weeks later at birthday party

Said she kept cocktail dress under her bed for six months before washing it

Mr Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent

Brittany Higgins has admitted to a jury that she was 'clearly wrong' when she said she kept the dress she was allegedly raped in stashed under her bed for six months.

The former political staffer was confronted with a photo showing her wearing the white cocktail number to a birthday party, some two months after the alleged incident, during the rape trial of her former colleague Bruce Lehrmann on Thursday.

Ms Higgins told Lehrmann's ACT Supreme Court rape trial earlier in the day that she put the dress she was wearing that night in a plastic bag under her bed for six months, 'untouched and uncleaned'.

She told the jury that, once it was clear she couldn't report the alleged assault without losing her job with Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, she 'very symbolically washed the dress'.

'I wore it once more but I never wore it again after that,' she said.

But during cross-examination from Lehrmann's barrister Steven Whybrow, Ms Higgins was shown a photograph of her wearing the same dress in May 2019 at Ms Reynolds's birthday party in Perth.

Under cross examination from Lehrmann's lawyer Steven Whybrow, Ms Higgins denied lying - but admitted she had made a mistake in her timeline of events.

Brittany Higgins texted her father - known as 'Papa Bear' - to say that there had been an 'incident', the ACT Supreme Court heard. Higgins arrives at court, dressed in black, on Thursday

Mr Whybrow put to her that she travelled to Perth on April 13, which would mean the dress was only under her bed for a matter of weeks, rather than six months, as she initially claimed.

'It stayed under my bed for a period of time,' she told the court.

'I said six months, I was clearly wrong on that but it stayed under my bed for a period of time.'

When he asked whether it would have been difficult for her to wear that dress again, Ms Higgins told the court: 'I was reclaiming my agency when I took it to Perth.

'It was an empowerment thing, saying the worse thing in the world happened to me in this dress and I never wore it beyond that time.

'It sounds stupid but that's just the truth.'

Earlier the court heard Ms Higgins had texted her dad to say a co-worker had been 'inappropriate' after she was allegedly raped in a parliamentary office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann.

Ms Higgins messaged her father - who she calls Papa Bear - four days after Lehrmann allegedly sexually assaulted her in March 2019. She told her dad that there had been an 'incident with a person at work'.

But she did not expressly say in the texts what exactly she was referring to. The messages were read out loud during Lehrmann's rape trial in front of an ACT Supreme Court jury on Thursday.

Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent.

Ms Higgins told the court she 'wanted to tell my dad but I didn't want to put it in writing or in text because I was concerned about ... implications'.

It comes as:

A separate text shown to the jury features Ms Higgins telling former lover Ben Dillaway, shortly after the alleged incident, that she did not want the allegations to go public: 'The only thing I really want is for this not to get out and become public knowledge,' she said

Emails between Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins in the days before and after the alleged rape were shown to the jury

The jury heard Ms Higgins kept her 'unwashed' cocktail dress from that night in a plastic bed under her bed for six months, before washing it

Ms Higgins wept in court watching footage of herself and Lehrmann arriving at Parliament House on the night she alleges she was raped

In another text to former lover Ben Dillaway in the immediate aftermath of the alleged rape, she admitted: 'The only thing I really want is for this to not get out and become public knowledge (pictured)

The court heard on March 25 - three days after the alleged assault - Ms Higgins received a message from her father: 'I had a nice weekend Friday night.'

The following day, Ms Higgins replied: 'That sounds really nice and I'm very jealous. Quiet time would be beyond idea. Heads up, Canberra is getting chilly so bring a jacket.'

Later that day, she added: 'I'm fine but just wanted to give you a heads up there was an incident with a person at work being inappropriate. Can't give you details now.'

Her dad replied: 'I'm always here, I'm a good listener.'

Ms Higgins told the court she wanted to tell her father 'but I didn't want to put it in writing or in text because I was concerned about ... implications'.

Instead, the court heard she told her father about the alleged assault during a phone call, prior to her message about the weather in Canberra.

Emails exchanged in the days after the alleged assault

It was also revealed in court that Mr Lehrmann sent Ms Higgins a series of admin emails in the days after the alleged assault.

On March 23, the day after their drunken night out, Ms Higgins received an email from Mr Lehrmann which was forwarded automatically from his account.

She explained to the court that Mr Lehrmann would receive a range of clips - all titled 'Da Clips' - which were sent to a list of people in the office, but Ms Higgins didn't get them because she was relatively new to the office.

While her email was being added to the list, the accused forwarded them to her - 'even on a weekend,' she told the court.

On Monday, March 25 - three days after the alleged assault, the court heard he emailed her again with a personal message relating to the fact that she was not yet on the proper email list.

Lehrmann (pictured outside court on Thursday) has pleaded not guilty in the ACT supreme court

'Not letting me send to private email. Will email David and get your gmail on the private list,' he wrote.

Ms Higgins responded: 'So weird [that it won't let you send to me private email]. 'Honestly that would be the best if you could [add me to the list].

Ms Higgins explained in court that she wanted to behave as though everything was normal, and responded as she usually would.

On April 1, she had a meeting with Ms Reynolds and former chief-of-staff, Fiona Brown, in the office where the alleged attack took place.

'That was a distracting element so I was quite panicked because I was in the room with the couch so the words were a little lost,' she told the court on Thursday.

She said Ms Reynolds appeared empathetic, 'adding something along the lines of "I didn't think he was capable of something like that",' Ms Higgins added.

'At that point, the conversation became about the election, what I was going to do, and if I did something that I would need to let the office know.

'They were trying to feel out whether I was going to the police. It was made clear to me that they stated they were concerned about me going to the police.

'Just by having the meeting in the room, it all seemed really off. My interpretation was that it was a bit of a scare or intimidation tactic.'

Ms Higgins conceded that may not have been the case, but that was her interpretation.

'For someone to go into that space after having such a traumatic event in there - that was quite an adversarial space,' she said.

Brittany Higgins arrives in ACT Supreme Court in Canberra before taking to the witness stand in the trial of her alleged rapist on Thursday

A week after her meeting with Ms Reynolds', she was taken to the police sexual assault unit.

Three days after that, on April 13, she decided to withdraw her complaint.

She told the court: 'I felt pressured from my workplace not to pursue it any further at that time.

'I tried to make other arrangements to see if they'd e accommodating and they weren't it became really apparently that there were job implications if I did.'

'I really wanted to see if I could work from home and go to the Gold Coast or from a home base where I had a support system.'

Ms Higgins didn't want to stay in Canberra throughout the election because she was told that everyone who did didn't get rehired for the following term.

Former chief-of-staff, Fiona Brown, told her that she wouldn't have a job if she stayed in Canberra, so she decided to go with Ms Reynolds to Western Australia for the campaign.

'I'd gone my entire life working for this moment,' she told the court. 'Why was I going to let this person take it away from me?

She told the court on Wednesday that she decided to buy a pregnancy test while in Perth.

Pictured: Bruce Lehrmann heading to ACT Supreme Court on Thursday morning for day three of the trial

Earlier on Thursday, Ms Higgins wept in court as the trial the moment the pair arrived at Parliament House on the night of the alleged assault.

Video shown featured Ms Higgins, now 27, and Mr Lehrmann walking through metal detectors twice and taking off her black stilettos that March 2019 evening.

Ms Higgins broke down as the footage was shown to the jury. Sitting in the witness box, Ms Higgins said she didn't remember 'any of it'.

Footage showed that Ms Higgins - who the court earlier heard was 'Schoolies drunk' that night - struggled to buckle her shoes up after walking through security again.

She then walked barefoot in a white cocktail dress through the corridors, carrying her shoes in her hand, according to the clip.

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

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

Earlier in the day, 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

Earlier in the day, Ms Higgins was also shown photographs of the office where she allegedly raped, including the grey leather couch.

The couch faced Ms Reynolds' old desk, next to an Australian flag. She held it together as the pictures were shown.

However, her voice trembled as she described the way she was positioned on the couch during the alleged rape.

Ms Higgins told the court her head was on a while decorative cushion, facing the window.

'I was jammed up into the corner [of the couch]. My head was right in the corner, between the head rest and the arm rest,' she said.

When the prosecutor asked where her legs were, Ms Higgins replied: 'Spread open.'

'My left leg was pinned down between his knee and the couch ... and my other one was bent and open so I was completely exposed.

'I was like a prop pinned into that corner.

Ms Higgins arrived at court on Thursday dressed in black. She is expected to be cross-examined by Lehrmann's lawyer, possibly as early as today.

The trial continues.
A reformed jailbird who spent four years behind bars before becoming an OnlyFans star is lucky to be alive after crashing a scooter into a brick wall in Bali at 50km/h.

Dale Egan, 32, from the Gold Coast, booked the trip to Indonesia to celebrate the end of his parole period.

He was previously jailed in 2015 and spent four-and-a-half years behind bars after committing a violent, drug-fuelled home invasion.

After leaving prison, he has become one of Australia's biggest adult film stars and is in the top 0.2 per cent of influencers on the platform in the country.

The former bouncer, who makes $1m a year, checked into a villa at Canggu before the crash.

Dale Egan, 32, from Gold Coast, booked the trip to Indonesia to celebrate the end of his parole period but suffered a nasty crash

On Instagram, Egan posted the video with the Harry Potter theme music. The caption read, 'I guess this isn't platform 9-and-three-quarters'

He arrived at 1am on Tuesday and, after waking up the next day, hired a scooter from the hotel with his friend.

However, he was left in considerable pain with shocking footage showing him driving the scooter into a brick wall.

'I just jumped on it and my mates said I did what's called a full whiskey throttle,' he told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

'It maxed out its RPMs and I couldn't find the brake and didn't realise I was still holding the accelerator. It all happened so fast.

'I smashed into the wall at 50km/h and straight away my mate Lee was running over.

'I was p***ing blood out of my head and leg.'

He said staff at the villa rushed him to an ambulance depot after the crash, before he was taken to an emergency hospital where he underwent eight hours of treatment.

Egan received nearly 30 stitches in total in his forehead and legs.

'The skin on my forehead actually peeled right back off my face. It was pretty full-on,' he said.

Dale Egan, 31, has become one of Australia's biggest adult film and OnlyFans stars after moving on from a life of temptation and crime

The 31-year-old is now in the top 0.2 per cent of influencers on the platform in Australia and earning tens of thousands of dollars a month

He also praised the hospital service in Indonesia and claimed it was 'vastly superior' to the Gold Coast.

'I went back to the hotel and poured a vodka apple. I thought I'm not going to let a little scooter crash ruin my holiday.'

On Instagram, Egan posted the video with the Harry Potter theme music. The caption read, 'I guess this isn't platform 9-and-three-quarters.'
President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks to reporters as he arrives at the presidential office in Seoul, Oct. 6. Yonhap



President Yoon Suk-yeol vowed Thursday to protect the nation's safety through a strong alliance with the United States and trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan, after North Korea carried out yet another missile launch earlier in the day.



The North fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea in its sixth launch in under two weeks. The latest launch came just two days after the North carried out a provocative firing of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japan.



"I know the people must be worried, but our government will thoroughly take care of the people's lives and safety through a strong South Korea-U.S. alliance and security cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan," he told reporters as he arrived for work.



Yoon also referred to North Korea's IRBM launch on Tuesday, saying the missile put the U.S. territory of Guam within range, aiming to "strike strategic assets that will be deployed to the Korean Peninsula" in a contingency.






The Mayor of a small southwestern Mexican town, with a population of about 4,300 people, has been identified as one of 18 people killed during a gruesome mass shooting.

Mayor of San Miguel Totolapan Conrado Mendoza Almeda, his American brother-in-law Gustavo Salazar and the mayor's father, who shares his name, have been identified along with 7 others.

Police and councilors were among the victims of the suspected gang crime, with the attack being blamed on the Los Tequileros criminal group, according to the BBC.

Police said gunmen stormed the town hall at 2pm on Wednesday leaving the council building riddled with bullet holes.

Graphic images of bloodied bodies have been circulating on social media with the Mayor's party condemning the attack as a 'cowardly assassination.'

It is believed that the gunmen attacked Medoza Almeda's father's home before storming the council building.

A highway in the state of Guerrero, where the town is located, has been reported to be briefly blocked by large vehicles to prevent security forces from getting into the city.

Mayor of San Miguel Totolapan Conrado Mendoza Almeda - a small south-western Mexican town - has been identified as one of 18 people gruesomely killed during a mass shooting

Police said gunmen stormed the town hall at 2pm on Wednesday leaving the council building riddled with bullet holes (pictured)

Police and councilors were among the victims of the suspected gang crime, with the attack being blamed on the Los Tequileros

Mexican #Mayor among 18 dead in mass #shooting



Gunmen linked to organized crime have opened fire at city hall and a nearby home in San Miguel #Totolapan in southwest #Mexico pic.twitter.com/ZpQGGSNnFw  Himanshu dixit  (@HimanshuDixitt) October 6, 2022

San Miguel Totolapan is at the heart of a region known as Tierra Caliente - a violent part of drug cartel-controlled western Mexico.

Groups have been known to battle for control of the lucrative drug routes which sit north along the Pacific corridor.

Local media reported that 18 people were killed in the attack while three others were wounded.

A video emerged on Twitter showing the gunmen running through the street armed during the attack.

Screams and shots can be heard echoing through the otherwise fairly quiet street.

It is believed that the gunmen attacked Medoza Almeda's (pictured) father's home before storming the council building

A video emerged on Twitter showing the gunmen running through the street armed during the attack. Screams and shots can be heard echoing through the otherwise fairly quiet street

Graphic images of bloodied bodies have been circulating social media with the Mayor's party condemning the attack as a 'cowardly assassination'

#OJO #Guerrero



|Un comando de "Los Tequileros" ataco 2 casas y a la alcaldia de San Miguel #Totolapan,en la Tierra Caliente,en total asesino a 10 personas (entre las victimas esta el alcalde perredista Conrado Mendoza Almeda y su padre Juan Mendoza)#AbrazosNoBalazos pic.twitter.com/ZddyKTTRm4  La Voz Del Pueblo ( Oficial ) (@LPueblo2) October 5, 2022

San Miguel Totolapan is at the heart of a region known as Tierra Caliente - a violent part of drug cartel-controlled western Mexico

Following the attack, the Ministry of National Defence said it was deploying army and navy units to the area to find the gunmen.

Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado Pineda said she 'deeply regrets' the deaths and is standing with the community to make sure justice is served.

A video released on social media from alleged members of Los Tequileros was posted shortly before the attacks announcing their return to the region.

The criminal group was active in Guerrero between 2015 and 2017 - and was known for threatening mayors of the region - until its leader, Raybel Jacobo de Almonte was assassinated.

The gang took their name from De Almonte also known as El Tequilero - the Tequila Drinker.
Dan Andrews could be risking the wrath of a higher power after taking on the local leader of his own church about what is 'true' Christianity.

The forced resignation of Essendon CEO Andrew Thorburn on Tuesday over his links to a hellfire-preaching church has brought the Victoria's premier into direct opposition with Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli.

The two Victorians until recently shared both faith in Catholicism and also devotion to Essendon, in the state's unofficial religion of AFL.

Self-confessed devout Catholic and Victorian Premier Dan Andrews finds himself on the opposite side of views held by the highest local authority in his church over the forced resignation of former Essendon CEO Andrew Thorburn

Mr Andrews insists his backing of the club's move to force Mr Thorburn out is inspired by his Catholicism, while the Archbishop's righteous anger has been so stirred he is looking for a new club to follow.

After Mr Thorburn was forced to resign because he would not renounce his chairmanship of the City on a Hill church, which has preached against homosexuality and abortion, Mr Andrews was quick off the mark to praise the club.

Mr Andrews condemned the church's views as 'absolutely appalling', 'bigotry' and 'intolerant'.

When asked about this on Wednesday, Mr Andrews delivered a mini-sermon to those who hold such beliefs.

Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli has resigned his membership of Essendon, which he accuses of rejecting people of faith

'They might want to have a think about whether they should be a bit more kind-hearted a bit more inclusive,' he said.

'Aren't we all God's children? Seriously, seriously, there is no place for bigotry, there's no place for stigmatising people.'

However, Archbishop Comensoli was more concerned the people being stigmatised were 'people of faith' who did not believe in homosexuality or abortion.

He told Melbourne talkback radio host Neil Mitchell on Wednesday that Essendon's 'rejection' of such people has led him to renounce his membership of the club.

Former NAB CEO Andrew Thornburn was forced to choose between chairing his church, which preaches against homosexuality and abortion, and being Essendon's CEO, with him walking away from the job

'I will be going elsewhere I think,' he said.

'When there is a rejection of so many other people of faith by their actions it's a significant reality.'

Archbishop Comensoli said Mr Thorburn's case appeared to be one of workplace discrimination.

'I think there is a very genuine question of the religious expression of someone being very serious undermined in their employment and in their future prospects,' he said.

'They are positions that people hold, they are reasonable positions that can be argued, they are not agreed to by everyone certainly, I recognise that.

Archbishop Comensoli, here seen at the 2018 service which saw him take up the post, says Essendon's move will divide the community

'I am a faithful servant of the Catholic Church I very much want to defend the unborn, give them a voice.'

Far from bringing more 'inclusiveness' Archbishop Comensoli believed Essendon's actions were sowing discord.

'Think of all the families that have now been polarised,' he said.

'They're around the kitchen table they are having their conversation. They are Essendon supporters and they hold a belief and they are going "well, I believe this and now my team is saying this is not good".'

Asked about the Archbishop's comments on Thursday Mr Andrews insisted his beliefs were an expression of his Catholic faith.

Dan Andrews, here seen with former Labor prime minister Paul Keating (pictured right) at September's National Memorial Service for Queen Elizabeth II in Canberra, says his Catholic faith 'guides him every day'

'I'm not here to be having a debate with faith leaders but I will just say this: I am a Catholic,' he said.

'I send my kids to Catholic schools. My faith is important to me. It guides me every day.

'It also guides me in my sense of what is right and what is wrong, and if I can just say with utmost respect, calling out homophobia is not the problem. Homophobia is the problem.'

The premier said treating people with equality and fairness was the essence of Catholicism.

'For me, that's my Catholicism. That's my faith,' he said.

Unlike the Archbishop, Mr Andrews will remain among the Essendon faithful.

'Anyone who is a supporter who hasn't become a member yet, please join,' he said.'

'It's a great footy club.

Mr Thornburn, who previously was CEO of the NAB bank, resigned after only one day as Bombers CEO when old sermons from his church railing against homosexuality and abortion were dug up.
The Florida mayor who heard President Joe Biden drop an f-bomb in a moment caught on a hot mic has said that the remark was no big deal, and just 'two guys talking'.

During his tour of the Hurricane Ian disaster zone on Wednesday, Biden was in a jovial conversation with Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy, and appeared to forget that news cameras were hovering nearby.

'Nobody f***s with a Biden,' the president remarked, drawing laughter from Murphy, who responded, 'you're godd**ned right'.

The full context of Biden's remark was not fully clear, though he was heard following up with the comment: 'and you can't argue with your brothers outside the house.'

Following Biden's visit, Murphy told NBC News that he didn't recall what in the conversation led the president to 'drop the bomb,' in his words, but said he was not offended by the profanity.

'It was not directed at anybody. It was just two guys talking,' Murphy told the outlet. 'It didn't faze me one bit. That's just the way two guys talk to each other from our respective backgrounds.'

'We're both Irish Catholics. We're both devout Catholics. But every once and a while a little salty language comes out,' he added.

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 hurricane recovery efforts

'We're both Irish Catholics. We're both devout Catholics. But every once and a while a little salty language comes out,' said the mayor, whose office is nonpartisan

During Wednesday's visit, Biden delivered remarks alongside Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, and the two put aside their rivalry for the day

Murphy said that Wednesday was his first time meeting Biden, adding, 'which is remarkable because we know a lot of the same people.'

Murphy attended Villanova, First Lady Jill Biden's alma mater, and the mayor's college roommate was from the president's hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The mayor, whose office is officially nonpartisan, said that in talking with Joe Biden, they also discovered mutual connections in Rehoboth, Delaware, where the president keeps a beach house.

'It was one thing after another. We familiarized ourselves with each other. And to me, that was great, because hopefully, they don't forget about us,' Murphy said, saying he felt a kinship with the president.

Fort Myers Beach, a small barrier island town, saw some of the worst devastation in last week's hurricane, with much of the community reduced to rubble.

During Wednesday's visit, Biden delivered remarks alongside Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, and the two put aside their rivalry for the day as they stood face-to-face for the first time and shook hands.

President Joe Biden talks to people impacted by Hurricane Ian as he tours the area on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla.

President Joe Biden meets residents, emergency responders and disaster aid personnel during a visit to Fort Myers Beach, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022

U.S. President Joe Biden talks with residents affected by Hurricane Ian as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis accompanies him during a tour of hurricane destruction in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, U.S., October 5, 2022

President Joe Biden talks to a person impacted by Hurricane Ian as he tours the area on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla.

DeSantis is considered a likely contender for the Republican presidential nomination in coming years, and has made national headlines through his vocal attacks on the Biden administration.

However, 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 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 tour of the devastation left behind in Fort Myers Beach from Hurricane Ian

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to local officials as he tours Hurricane Ian destruction during a visit to Florida, in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, U.S., October 5, 2022

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.'

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.

As of Tuesday, 109 people were confirmed dead in the hurricane  the deadliest in Florida 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.
Two barristers are leading calls for 'pop-up' cycleways to be removed from busy streets of Sydney because they're 'unlawful'.

The NSW government and City of Sydney Council used emergency Covid-19 powers to install six temporary cycleways across the city two years ago designed to encourage Sydneysiders to consider 'active transport' options during the pandemic.

Sites included Bridge Road in inner-city Glebe, Pitt street in the CBD, Moore Park Road in Paddington and Sydney Park Road in Erskineville.

A ministerial order stated the cycleways 'must not remain in place for more than two months after the prescribed period' which was later extended to March 31 this year.

The disclaimer had led to Sydney barrister Mark Fozzard to believe the cycleways have been in place unlawfully for the last four months after reviewing the order.

This is despite being an avid rider himself.

Pop up cycleways across Sydney installed during the pandemic are set to become permanent or be relocated

Poll Should Sydney's 'pop-up' cycleways become permanent? Yes No Don't care Should Sydney's 'pop-up' cycleways become permanent? Yes 10 votes

No 81 votes

Don't care 4 votes Now share your opinion





'The question which arises is whether there is any lawful authority for the continuation of the temporary cycleway,' he wrote.

'The terms of the Ministerial Order were clear and expressed in the language of a command. In my view that command must be carried out.

'In my view the minister and Transport for NSW have failed to have regard to the terms of the Ministerial Order of 29 May 2020 or are ignoring it.'

Mr Fozzard was commissioned by fellow barrister and Glebe resident John Young, who has opposed the cycleway on his street since it was installed as he believes it's unsafe.

'It doesn't have lawful authority to be there,' Mr Young told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'The big problem, and I think it's irresistible, is that it's a terrible road for a cycleway.

'I'm going to wake up one morning and find a dead cyclist in my front yard.'

Two barristers believe Sydney's pop up cycleways (one pictured) have been in place 'unlawfully' since June 1, a claim denied by minister Rod Stokes

Sydney barrister Mark Fozzard (pictured) believed the pop-up cycleways have been 'unlawfully' in place since June

Transport for NSW has since confirmed Bridge Road cycleway in Glebe will become permanent with work to commence in the coming weeks.

The other five temporary cycleways are also set to become permanent or will be relocated.

The Pitt Street cycleway in the CBD is already a permanent fixture and is used for 6,000 bike rides week.

Its popularity prompted City of Sydney Council to open a new separated cycleway on nearby King Street to provide riders a smooth and safe connection to the citys east.

Minister Rob Stokes recently responded to questions about the ministerial order.

He said the expired public health order had been replaced by a Review of Environmental Factors, which 'enables the cycleway to remain before permanent improvements are made.'
The CofE published a new report which found 383 'new' cases of alleged abuse

Church of England officials involved in sexual abuse were enabled by a 'belief in forgiveness', according to a review.

The Church's most extensive ever review into sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults found 383 'new' cases going back to the 1940s. Two-thirds involved clergy while the rest include volunteers and officials.

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 report made 26 recommendations for the Church, including reforming 'protectionism' which can play down the seriousness of abuse.

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 new cases of alleged abuse, including those 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.

(File Photo) Leading Archbishops have apologised and spoken of their 'profound shame' after a review found hundreds of 'new' cases

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).

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.

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.
His face is covered in tattoos including a swastika, Nazi slogan and a bulldog

Police arrested Jury in Hastings on Thursday. He had been on the run for a month

He boarded a plane to the North Island, where a passenger took a photo of him

Hendrix Rawiri Jury, 27, was wanted by NZ police over a shooting in Christchurch

The hunt for an 'extremely dangerous' fugitive covered with distinguishable face tattoos including a swastika and an infamous Nazi slogan has come to an end after detectives tracked him down when he was pictured on board a flight.

Hendrix Rawiri Jury, 27, was wanted by New Zealand police over a shooting in the Christchurch suburb of Linwood on August 30 where a man was shot in both legs.

Police had put out a warrant for his arrest on September 5 and included mugshot photos of Jury that showed off the distinctive ink on his face.

New Zealand police swooped on Hendrix Rawiri Jury (pictured), who was wanted over a shooting in Christchurch. Detectives released a mugshot of Jury that showed off his distinctive ink including a swastika and a Nazi salute

Jury has a swastika tattooed between his eyes, the Nazi salute 'Seig Heil' across his eyebrows, a bulldog on his forehead, the name of the North Island town 'Wairoa' across his cheeks and nose and the word 'Mongrel' over the lower half of his face.

Swastika and Nazi phrases are often tattooed on members of the New Zealand street gang, the Mongrel Mob.

Jury fled Christchurch after the shooting and jetted off to Napier in the North Island.

A passenger sitting next to the wanted man on the flight took photos of him with his shirt off.

Another passenger claimed the reason Jury was shirtless was because flight staff told him to take off his jacket patched with gang symbols.

Detectives described the fugitive as 'extremely dangerous' and assumed he was hiding somewhere in the country's North Island.

A man on board the same flight as Jury (pictured) and seated next to him took a photo of the wanted man with his shirt off

Jury was arrested in Hastings on Thursday.

He had been on the run from police for about a month.

He will face Hastings District Court on Friday, with his charges still being finalised.

It comes after another man with the word 'BEAST' inked across his forehead is still on the run from police in Australia.

Jaimes Sutton, whose entire face is covered in tattoos like Jury, is wanted on an outstanding warrant and is known to frequent the Deniliquin area, near the NSW/Victoria border.

Jaimes Sutton, whose entire face is also covered in tattoos, is wanted over an outstanding warrant

Sutton was released on bail over a domestic violence related charge of assault, and property damage.

He'd been due to appear in court last month.

Photos from Sutton's social media accounts show him holding up his rude finger, while a tattoo on his fingers reads 'game over'.

His mugshot photo has been widely circulating on social media.
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A former Met Police officer has been suspended by the Home Office after he set up a WhatsApp chat flooded with racist memes and messages, including about Meghan and Harry, in a group whose members included policemen who served in the same unit as PC Wayne Couzens, it was revealed today.

Rob Lewis has been put on leave from his UK Border Force job over 'abhorrent' texts by him and others, with some alleged to include the repeated use of the word 'P*ki'.

There are also said to be 'vile and deplorable' messages and memes about the Government's policy to deport migrants to Rwanda for processing, slurs about black MPs as well as abuse towards the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. There was at least one joke about the recent devastating flooding in Pakistan, where 1,700 have died and millions were displaced.

Several of the members of the WhatsApp group used to work for the Diplomatic Protection Group (DPG), the armed unit that guards Parliament and embassies.

Wayne Couzens worked in the group until he abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard. Just two weeks ago two serving Met officers were convicted of sending grossly offensive misogynistic and racist messages in a WhatsApp group with Couzens.

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley added: 'My plan for reform in the Met is already under way. I will be ruthless in rooting out those corrupting officers and staff, including racists and misogynists, from our organisation.

'I have taken over as the leader of an organisation that has been far too weak in taking on those who undermine the honest and dedicated majority who determinedly serve the public.

'That will change and I will continue to seek out those, from both within and outside the Met, with that constructive anger who can help us reform.'

The BBC's Newsnight show reported Rob Lewis had created a group chat with other former Met officers.

The programme said it was shown messages from the group by Dave Eden, another former police officer.

He said: 'There are references to black politicians, which are extremely unpleasant,' he told the BBC.

He added: 'The entire undertone is one of racism and misogyny.

'This group tells me that the culture of the Metropolitan Police hasn't changed. And in fairness, it's not just this group, it's other groups. It's what I'm hearing out of the mouths of ex-colleagues. And what I'm witnessing all the time.'

Rob Lewis has been suspended from his UK Border Force job at the Home Office over racist messages shared with police from the same unit as PC Wayne Couzens

Newsnight said it was shown messages from the group by Dave Eden, another former police officer.

Met police officers will be given smartphones in a bid to crack down on misconduct and improve access to technology under the first initiative of new commissioner Sir Mark Rowley

Sadiq Khan: Cressida Dick was in 'denial' about her own officers The Mayor of London described the message in the group as 'abhorrent' and said those involved should be held to account - and used the messages to justify forcing Dame Cressida Dick out of her job. 'What Londoners will see is a difference in response from this police commissioner, who's not in denial and isn't being defensive, versus the previous one. That's why I lost confidence in her.' He said: 'The Met has previously been far too weak and slow to act when this kind of unacceptable behaviour has been exposed. The new Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, has assured me that he's determined to take a different approach. Any officers found to be responsible for sexism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, bullying or harassment do not deserve to wear the Met uniform and must be quickly rooted out. 'Baroness Casey continues to lead an independent review into the Met's culture and standards, which will be vital in helping us to deliver the widescale police reform that's clearly required. 'Sir Mark Rowley has committed to winning back the trust of Londoners in the police and I'm confident he understands the scale and urgency of the task at hand. I want to assure Londoners that I will continue to hold the Met to account to ensure we see the step change in culture and performance that's urgently needed, and which Londoners deserve.' Advertisement

Another serving officer, told the BBC: 'I do not think these behaviours and ideologies can be removed from the Met.

'Individuals need to be held accountable and made an example of to demonstrate to colleagues that these behaviours and ideologies have no place in the Met. I fail to see any substantial improvement within the organisation.'

The BBC also claims a serving Met officer has shared a racist image that involves a picture of black babies.

The Home Office said it had suspended a member of staff, believed to be Lewis, who has not commented.

'We expect the highest standards of our staff and have a zero tolerance approach to anyone displaying racist, homophobic, misogynist or discriminatory behaviour,' the statement said.

'Where we are made aware of such behaviour we will not hesitate to take decisive action.'

Commander Jon Savell, who is responsible for the Metropolitan Police's professional standards, said the messages shared were 'abhorrent'.

'These messages are abhorrent and have absolutely no place in policing or society,' he said.

'Their behaviour erodes the confidence that the public has in the police - a confidence that the vast majority of us in the Met works tirelessly day-in, day-out to maintain and improve.

'Racism, misogyny, homophobia or any other discriminatory behaviour has no place in the Met.

'Where such behaviour is identified it will be dealt with robustly, but we will also be actively seeking out those whose actions bring shame to us.

'We contacted Mr Eden's representatives when these messages first emerged in April but they declined to share further details. We urge them to reconsider so we can take action.

'In the meantime we appeal to anyone who has information about such behaviour to make contact.'

Deniz Jaffer (left) and Jamie Lewis (right) were police constables assigned to guard the murder scene of Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry and shared images on Whatsapp while on duty

Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, were stabbed to death at a park in London in 2020

The scandals that have rocked the capital's force OPERATION MIDLAND In 2014 the notorious investigation was sanctioned by Dame Cressida Dick, then a high-ranking officer at Scotland Yard. The disastrous inquiry into spurious VIP child sex abuse allegations saw innocent men, including the late Lord Brittan and former Tory MP Harvey Proctor, pursued by the force. Several men died, with reputations tarnished, before the allegations were disproved. NICOLE SMALLMAN AND BIBAA HENRY MURDERS In June 2020 two officers were tasked with guarding a crime scene where sisters Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry, 46, had been stabbed to death. Officers Deniz Jaffer, 47, and Jamie Lewis, 33, took photos at the scene in Wembley, then shared them in two WhatsApp groups. They were each jailed for two years and nine months last December. SARAH EVERARD MURDER In March last year, 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard was abducted, raped and murdered by serving officer Wayne Couzens. The force's officers were accused of 'manhandling' women at a Clapham Common vigil staged ten days after her disappearance. DANIEL MORGAN INQUIRY In June last year a report into the unsolved 1987 murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan accused the Metropolitan Police of 'institutional corruption'. STEPHEN PORT INVESTIGATION An inquest jury ruled in December that failures by Yard detectives contributed to the deaths of a serial killer's three final victims. Stephen Port killed four men in their 20s by giving them overdoses of the date rape drug GHB at his east London home in 2014 and 2015. The inquest found police failed to carry out basic checks. A solicitor for the families said the Met's actions were driven in part by homophobia. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is to re-investigate the force's handling of the case. CHARING CROSS SCANDAL In February the IOPC exposed conduct by officers based at Charing Cross police station who were found to have joked about rape, killing black children and beating their wives. BIANCA WILLIAMS Five officers are to face a gross misconduct hearing over their stop and search of Team GB sprinter Bianca Williams in 2020. She and her partner were stopped in west London. Nothing illegal was found and the couple, who are black, claim they were racially profiled. Advertisement

Met officers did not activate lights or sirens in their unmarked police car before Chris Kaba was shot dead, inquest hears Chris Kaba, 24, was killed after being shot by a police officer in Streatham Hill on September 5 Metropolitan Police officers did not activate lights or sirens in their unmarked police car before Chris Kaba was shot dead, an inquest heard. The force has backtracked on a statement which said they were in 'pursuit' of a car the 24-year-old was driving before he was shot by an armed officer. A statement by the force released on September 6, the day after Mr Kaba died, said: 'At 21:51hrs on Monday, 5 September specialist firearms officers were in pursuit of a suspect vehicle in the Lambeth area.' But an inquest yesterday heard that Mr Kaba, who died in Streatham Hill, south London, was being followed by an unmarked police car with no lights or sirens turned on in the minutes before the shooting. A Met Police spokesman today told the MailOnline: 'Our initial statements said firearms officers were in pursuit of a suspect vehicle. 'This was based on information available in the very early stages of the incident. 'The IOPC investigation looking into the full circumstances surrounding Mr Kaba's death continues. 'The IOPC is providing updates at appropriate points in its investigation.' The car driven by the unarmed father-to-be collided with a police vehicle before he was fatally shot in the head by an armed officer, the inquest heard on Tuesday. Advertisement

Sir Mark Rowley was chosen for the 293,000-a-year job after Dame Cressida Dick was ousted in February by London mayor Sadiq Khan following scandals including the murder of Sarah Everard by an officer and the jailing of two officers who photographed dead bodies. The force was recently plunged into special measures.

The new Commissioner promised to be 'ruthless' in rooting out those 'corrupting' the force and 'deliver more trust, less crime and high standards for London'.

He said: 'Our mission is to lead the renewal of policing by consent which has been so heavily dented in recent years as trust and confidence have fallen.

'I am grateful that the Home Secretary and mayor are both determined to support the urgent reforms we need to deliver successful community crimefighting in today's fast-moving world. These reforms include our use of technology and data, our culture and our policing approach.

'We will fight crime with communities  not unilaterally dispense tactics. I also know that the majority of officers and staff retain an extraordinary sense of vocation and determination and want us to do better. It is my job to help them do that, whilst also being ruthless in removing those who are corrupting our integrity.'

Metropolitan Police officers will be given smartphones in a bid to crack down on misconduct

The initiative was one of the first to be launched under new commissioner Sir Mark Rowley who earlier this month pledged to 'retake' the scandal-hit force's 'integrity'.

According to the Times, the move means every officer will be able to use the new smartphones to communicate with each other and collect evidence.

In the past, thousands of officers were forced to use their own mobile phones to record evidence at crime scenes and conduct basic investigative work.

It follows a number of high-profile misconduct investigations which saw several police officers use their own mobile phones to send inappropriate messages and share crime scene pictures.

In December last year, officers Deniz Jaffer and Jamie Lewis were jailed for almost three years after they were found to have taken and shared photos from a murder scene.

A court heard the pair had 'dehumanised' the two black victims - Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry - by sharing photos of their bodies in two WhatsApp groups.

Messages shared with 41 police officers called the victims 'dead birds' in a group called 'the A-team' and other messages were also shared with Jaffer's friends.

There was also outrage over a series of disturbing racist, sexist and homophobic messages that were exchanged by officers based at Charing Cross police station between 2016 and 2018, published by a watchdog earlier this year.

A bombshell report by the IOPC watchdog exposed a cruel, toxic 'boys club' culture among officers at Charing Cross police station.

It found cops made rape jokes, boasted about domestic violence and made vile racist remarks in WhatsApp exchanges.

Grim texts between officers about raping women, killing black children, paedophilia, Muslims, Auschwitz and disabled people were also published in the watchdog's report.

Sources told the Times that giving officers work smartphones would not only improve their access to technology but would also allow senior managers to keep an eye on what their officers are up to.

Sir Mark Rowley, along with his new deputy Dame Lynne Owens, swore allegiance to the King on earlier this month, pledging to rebuild public trust.

The new head of the Metropolitan Police starts work during what is arguably one of the most turbulent times to face Britain's biggest police force.

Sir Mark took an oath, known as an attestation, in which he swore to serve 'with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality, upholding fundamental human rights and according equal respect to all people'.

He takes over as Commissioner at Scotland Yard after former boss Dame Cressida Dick resigned in controversial circumstances earlier in the year.

The force has been plagued by a series of scandals and missteps in recent years, leaving Sir Mark with the task of rebuilding public confidence.

The head of the Metropolitan Police Federation told the Times the initiative was a 'completely positive' move.

Ken Marsh added: 'The cost [of using devices] should not be borne by the employee.

'This is moving the Met into the modern age of 2022, [it] will give officers direct access and the ability to keep in touch.'

The force was placed in a form of special measures by a watchdog earlier this year.

In a sternly worded letter before his tenure began, then-home secretary Priti Patel demanded that Sir Mark address the 'appalling mistakes of the past'.

She wrote to Sir Mark earlier this month saying: 'I expect the Metropolitan Police under your leadership to get the basics right and provide the first-class service expected of it.'

'I also expect you, as Commissioner, to promote better leadership and higher standards at every level throughout the force.

Other issues facing Sir Mark are ongoing investigations into deaths following police contact including Oladeji Omishore who died after jumping from Chelsea Bridge; a man who drowned after trying to swim away from officers to avoid being arrested in Kingston; and Chris Kaba who was fatally shot by an officer in Streatham Hill.

The Met Police officer who shot dead unarmed black man Chris Kaba has still not been questioned under caution, it emerged this week.

The family of 24-year-old Mr Kaba, who was shot in south London four weeks ago on September 5, have called for all officers who were present at the time to be questioned.

They want a decision on whether the officer who shot him - named only as NX121 at the opening of an inquest - should be charged with murder to be made as soon as possible.

Sir Mark Rowley (left) and Deputy Commissioner Lynne Owens sign the Warrant Register at New Scotland Yard in London, where Sir Mark starts as Metropolitan Police Commissioner

Mr Kaba, a rapper and construction worker, was fatally wounded following a police car chase which ended on a narrow residential street in Streatham.

An inquest into his death was opened and adjourned at a brief hearing this morning at Inner South London Coroner's Court.

The dad-to-be was driving someone else's car which police records had flagged up as being involved in a previous firearms incident.

He was at the wheel of an Audi which was hemmed in by two police cars on Kirkstall Gardens before one bullet was fired from a police weapon. Witnesses said Mr Kaba tried to ram his way free before being shot.
But court shown photograph of her wearing it just weeks later at birthday party

Said she kept cocktail dress under her bed for six months before washing it

Mr Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent

Lisa Wilkinson was 'quite angry' when her interview with Brittany Higgins aired on The Project on a Monday because it is not a day she normally appeared on the show, a court has heard.

Ms Higgins claims Bruce Lehrmann raped her inside their former boss Linda Reynolds' office in Parliament House in March 2019 - allegations which Mr Lehrmann denies.

In the rape trial by jury in ACT's Supreme Court on Thursday, defence lawyer Steven Whybrow asked the 27-year-old about her TV interview with Ms Wilkinson and News Corp journalist Samantha Maiden in February 2021.

She claimed she did not intent to hurt the Liberal Party prior to an impending election, she simply wanted to talk about a 'cultural problem' within Parliament.

Lisa Wilkinson (left) interviewed Brittany Higgins (right) on The Project in 2019 about her rape allegations

Pictured: Brittany Higgins with her partner, David Sharaz, leaving ACT Supreme Court on Thursday

Mr Whybrow put to her that situation between the two journalists became 'awkward' because they both wanted to publish the story first.

Ms Higgins told the court: 'They both had sort of exclusive rights' to her story.

'They were fighting over when it would be released and who did what and who got the exclusive drop so that come Walkley's time, who could claim what and so it became not even about me or my story.'

Ms Maiden won the Gold Walkley in 2021 - Australian journalisms highest honour, while Ms Wilkinson was awarded a Logie this year.

She also did not think police would prosecute her argument or that the matter would end up in court.

'I thought I'd do one print and one TV and then I'd go back to uni and disappear,' she added.

Following Ms Maiden's article and the TV interview with Ms Wilkinson, which both dropped on February 15, Ms Higgins said she became inundated with media requests.

The court heard she prepared a timeline of events to give to police and, while she was 'passed out on Valium' due to the stress of the media whirlwind, her partner David Sharaz made the decision to give the timeline to two journalists.

However, she claims the timeline ended up in the hands of 'the whole press gallery', and that Mr Sharaz regrets his decision.

Ms Higgins also told the court she originally did not go ahead with a police complaint in 2019, when the alleged rape happened, because she feared she would lose her job.

After dreaming of becoming a political media adviser, Ms Higgins worried she would lose that opportunity if she made a police complaint.

Bruce Lehrmann (pictured outside court on Thursday) is accused of raping Brittany Higgins. He has pleaded not guilty

'My interpretation of that was that if I raised it with police there were going to be problems.'

She wanted to keep working for the Liberals and assist during the federal election but also wanted to proceed with the complaint.

'It became really apparent it was my job on the line ... I'd gone my entire life working towards this moment,' she said.

She decided to 'toe the party line' and not proceed further with the police complaint.

Earlier on Thursday, Ms Higgins has admitted to a jury that she was 'clearly wrong' when she said she kept the dress she was allegedly raped in stashed under her bed for six months.

The former political staffer was confronted with a photo showing her wearing the white cocktail number to a birthday party, some two months after the alleged incident, during the rape trial of her former colleague Bruce Lehrmann on Thursday.

Ms Higgins told Lehrmann's ACT Supreme Court rape trial earlier in the day that she put the dress she was wearing that night in a plastic bag under her bed for six months, 'untouched and uncleaned'.

She told the jury that, once it was clear she couldn't report the alleged assault without losing her job with Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, she 'very symbolically washed the dress'.

'I wore it once more but I never wore it again after that,' she said.

But during cross-examination from Lehrmann's barrister Steven Whybrow, Ms Higgins was shown a photograph of her wearing the same dress in May 2019 at Ms Reynolds's birthday party in Perth.

Under cross examination from Lehrmann's lawyer Steven Whybrow, Ms Higgins denied lying - but admitted she had made a mistake in her timeline of events.

Brittany Higgins texted her father - known as 'Papa Bear' - to say that there had been an 'incident', the ACT Supreme Court heard. Higgins arrives at court, dressed in black, on Thursday

Mr Whybrow put to her that she travelled to Perth on April 13, which would mean the dress was only under her bed for a matter of weeks, rather than six months, as she initially claimed.

'It stayed under my bed for a period of time,' she told the court.

'I said six months, I was clearly wrong on that but it stayed under my bed for a period of time.'

When he asked whether it would have been difficult for her to wear that dress again, Ms Higgins told the court: 'I was reclaiming my agency when I took it to Perth.

'It was an empowerment thing, saying the worse thing in the world happened to me in this dress and I never wore it beyond that time.

'It sounds stupid but that's just the truth.'

Earlier the court heard Ms Higgins had texted her dad to say a co-worker had been 'inappropriate' after she was allegedly raped in a parliamentary office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann.

Ms Higgins messaged her father - who she calls Papa Bear - four days after Lehrmann allegedly sexually assaulted her in March 2019. She told her dad that there had been an 'incident with a person at work'.

But she did not expressly say in the texts what exactly she was referring to. The messages were read out loud during Lehrmann's rape trial in front of an ACT Supreme Court jury on Thursday.

Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent.

Ms Higgins told the court she 'wanted to tell my dad but I didn't want to put it in writing or in text because I was concerned about ... implications'.

It comes as:

A separate text shown to the jury features Ms Higgins telling former lover Ben Dillaway, shortly after the alleged incident, that she did not want the allegations to go public: 'The only thing I really want is for this not to get out and become public knowledge,' she said

Emails between Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins in the days before and after the alleged rape were shown to the jury

The jury heard Ms Higgins kept her 'unwashed' cocktail dress from that night in a plastic bed under her bed for six months, before washing it

Ms Higgins wept in court watching footage of herself and Lehrmann arriving at Parliament House on the night she alleges she was raped

In another text to former lover Ben Dillaway in the immediate aftermath of the alleged rape, she admitted: 'The only thing I really want is for this to not get out and become public knowledge (pictured)

The court heard on March 25 - three days after the alleged assault - Ms Higgins received a message from her father: 'I had a nice weekend Friday night.'

The following day, Ms Higgins replied: 'That sounds really nice and I'm very jealous. Quiet time would be beyond idea. Heads up, Canberra is getting chilly so bring a jacket.'

Later that day, she added: 'I'm fine but just wanted to give you a heads up there was an incident with a person at work being inappropriate. Can't give you details now.'

Her dad replied: 'I'm always here, I'm a good listener.'

Ms Higgins told the court she wanted to tell her father 'but I didn't want to put it in writing or in text because I was concerned about ... implications'.

Instead, the court heard she told her father about the alleged assault during a phone call, prior to her message about the weather in Canberra.

Emails exchanged in the days after the alleged assault

It was also revealed in court that Mr Lehrmann sent Ms Higgins a series of admin emails in the days after the alleged assault.

On March 23, the day after their drunken night out, Ms Higgins received an email from Mr Lehrmann which was forwarded automatically from his account.

She explained to the court that Mr Lehrmann would receive a range of clips - all titled 'Da Clips' - which were sent to a list of people in the office, but Ms Higgins didn't get them because she was relatively new to the office.

While her email was being added to the list, the accused forwarded them to her - 'even on a weekend,' she told the court.

On Monday, March 25 - three days after the alleged assault, the court heard he emailed her again with a personal message relating to the fact that she was not yet on the proper email list.

Lehrmann (pictured outside court on Thursday) has pleaded not guilty in the ACT supreme court

'Not letting me send to private email. Will email David and get your gmail on the private list,' he wrote.

Ms Higgins responded: 'So weird [that it won't let you send to me private email]. 'Honestly that would be the best if you could [add me to the list].

Ms Higgins explained in court that she wanted to behave as though everything was normal, and responded as she usually would.

On April 1, she had a meeting with Ms Reynolds and former chief-of-staff, Fiona Brown, in the office where the alleged attack took place.

'That was a distracting element so I was quite panicked because I was in the room with the couch so the words were a little lost,' she told the court on Thursday.

She said Ms Reynolds appeared empathetic, 'adding something along the lines of 'I didn't think he was capable of something like that',' Ms Higgins added.

'At that point, the conversation became about the election, what I was going to do, and if I did something that I would need to let the office know.

'They were trying to feel out whether I was going to the police. It was made clear to me that they stated they were concerned about me going to the police.

'Just by having the meeting in the room, it all seemed really off. My interpretation was that it was a bit of a scare or intimidation tactic.'

Ms Higgins conceded that may not have been the case, but that was her interpretation.

'For someone to go into that space after having such a traumatic event in there - that was quite an adversarial space,' she said.

Brittany Higgins arrives in ACT Supreme Court in Canberra before taking to the witness stand in the trial of her alleged rapist on Thursday

A week after her meeting with Ms Reynolds', she was taken to the police sexual assault unit.

Three days after that, on April 13, she decided to withdraw her complaint.

She told the court: 'I felt pressured from my workplace not to pursue it any further at that time.

'I tried to make other arrangements to see if they'd e accommodating and they weren't it became really apparently that there were job implications if I did.'

'I really wanted to see if I could work from home and go to the Gold Coast or from a home base where I had a support system.'

Ms Higgins didn't want to stay in Canberra throughout the election because she was told that everyone who did didn't get rehired for the following term.

Former chief-of-staff, Fiona Brown, told her that she wouldn't have a job if she stayed in Canberra, so she decided to go with Ms Reynolds to Western Australia for the campaign.

'I'd gone my entire life working for this moment,' she told the court. 'Why was I going to let this person take it away from me?

She told the court on Wednesday that she decided to buy a pregnancy test while in Perth.

Pictured: Bruce Lehrmann heading to ACT Supreme Court on Thursday morning for day three of the trial

Earlier on Thursday, Ms Higgins wept in court as the trial the moment the pair arrived at Parliament House on the night of the alleged assault.

Video shown featured Ms Higgins, now 27, and Mr Lehrmann walking through metal detectors twice and taking off her black stilettos that March 2019 evening.

Ms Higgins broke down as the footage was shown to the jury. Sitting in the witness box, Ms Higgins said she didn't remember 'any of it'.

Footage showed that Ms Higgins - who the court earlier heard was 'Schoolies drunk' that night - struggled to buckle her shoes up after walking through security again.

She then walked barefoot in a white cocktail dress through the corridors, carrying her shoes in her hand, according to the clip.

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

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

Earlier in the day, 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

Earlier in the day, Ms Higgins was also shown photographs of the office where she allegedly raped, including the grey leather couch.

The couch faced Ms Reynolds' old desk, next to an Australian flag. She held it together as the pictures were shown.

However, her voice trembled as she described the way she was positioned on the couch during the alleged rape.

Ms Higgins told the court her head was on a while decorative cushion, facing the window.

'I was jammed up into the corner [of the couch]. My head was right in the corner, between the head rest and the arm rest,' she said.

When the prosecutor asked where her legs were, Ms Higgins replied: 'Spread open.'

'My left leg was pinned down between his knee and the couch ... and my other one was bent and open so I was completely exposed.

'I was like a prop pinned into that corner.

Ms Higgins arrived at court on Thursday dressed in black. She is expected to be cross-examined by Lehrmann's lawyer, possibly as early as today.

The trial continues.
This is the astonishing moment a squad of Russian soldiers flying a white flag from the turret of their tank surrendered in Ukraine.

Footage filmed in Kherson, in the south of Ukraine, shows a Russian BMP-2 driving out from behind a set of trees and stopping in front of Ukrainian troops before three crew get out with their hands raised.

The Ukrainians then move in, strip the soldiers of their weapons and take them as POWs in what appears to be a pre-arranged operation.

Footage emerged after Ukraine's military intelligence said more than 2,000 Russian soldiers had called a hotline asking how to give themselves up rather than risk being killed on the battlefield.

Astonishing footage has revealed the crew of a Russian BMP-2 fighting vehicle surrendering to Ukrainian forces in the south of the country

Video captures the Russians driving out from behind a set of trees with a white flag tied to their turret before getting out of the vehicle with their hands raised

Andriy Yusov, spokesman for military intelligence, said calls had come from troops inside Ukraine, those who had been recently conscripted in Russia, and some who had not yet been drafted but feared getting the order.

It also comes amid Ukrainian counter-attacks both in Kherson, in the south, and near Kharkiv, in the north, which have inflicted heavy casualties on Russia and returned swathes of territory to Kyiv's control.

Ukrainian troops have been attacking in Kherson for more than two months but, until recently, had achieved only slow progress.

However, in the last few days the Russian frontline dramatically collapsed - allowing Kyiv's men to rush forward more than 10 miles in just a few hours.

President Zelensky has said 'dozens' of villages were liberated in the operation, which aims to re-take the city of Kherson itself.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away to the north, Ukrainian troops have also liberated thousands of square miles of territory near the city of Kharkiv.

Almost the entire Kharkiv region has been returned to their control, and units are now pushing into neighbouring Donetsk and Luhansk provinces.

Ukrainian soldiers move in to strip the Russians of their weapons and take them as POWs in what appears to be an operation that was organised ahead of time

Surrender video emerged as Ukraine said more than 2,000 Russian troops have called a hotline where they can arrange to give themselves up to Kyiv's forces

The footage was filmed in Kherson, where Ukrainian forces have made rapid advances in recent days after months of hard fighting

The city of Lyman, a key transport node, fell at the weekend and troops have been mopping up in small villages along the nearby Oskil River in recent days.

Ukraine now looks set for a push deeper into Luhansk province - which Russia almost-totally controls - with the cities of Svatove and Kreminna in their sights.

The two-pronged offensives mean Putin is now losing territory in three of the four oblasts he annexed last week, claiming they were Russian 'forever'.

Dmitry Peskov, his spokesman, vowed yesterday that Russian troops would re-take all the lost ground and the regions would 'never be returned' to Ukraine.

Putin himself said he expects the situation on the frontlines to 'stabilise', likely a reference to the 300,000 men he recently conscripted into the military.

While some of those men have already been thrown on to the frontlines, most are not expected to arrive for weeks at least and the situation on the ground is expected to remain fluid for some time.

Putin announced four regions of Ukraine were being annexed to Russia last week, but he is currently losing ground in three of them - Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk

Putin's land-grab and conscription has been coupled with nuclear threats aimed at both Ukraine and the West as he attempts to hold on to the gains his beleaguered army has made in more than seven months of fighting.

But experts and observers are doubtful he will be able to do so, with anonymous US officials briefing yesterday that re-taking Crimea - Russia's most-heavily reinforced region in Ukraine - is now a realistic possibility for Kyiv's men.

The peninsula is effectively one big Russian military base, containing the home port of its Black Sea Fleet at Sevastopol and two airfields, along with many smaller troop bases and ammunition dumps.

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 recapturing Kherson, then there is a very real possibility that it will ultimately be able to recapture Crimea.'

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)
Australia's east coast is getting ready to batten down the hatches with more wild weather on the way, including torrential rain, storms, powerful winds, hail and flooding.

Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are forecast across along the east coast stretching from southern Queensland into New South Wales, Victoria and right down to Tasmania on Thursday night as part of a 'tornadic supercell' system.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned the extreme conditions will stick around and continue over the weekend, leading to renewed and prolonged flooding.

Thursday's wild weather has caused chaos in Sydney, where the ceiling of Coles supermarket at North Sydney on the lower north shore has collapsed on a day the city recorded its wettest year on record.

Footage shows staff and shoppers scrambling to avoid the deluge inside the store.

The deluge has also sparked peak hour chaos across the rail network with passengers facing a long commute home from work.

Flash flooding on the train tracks between Redfern and Central have caused lengthy delays of up to an hour.

One train was at a standstill for 30 minutes on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Nine News reported.

The rain also caused traffic havoc with road closes in inner-city Stanmore and Mascot due to flash flooding.

Up to 100mm is expected to soak the city over the next three days.

Australia's east coast (pictured) will be lashed by more wild weather over the weekend

Sydney's soaking caused the ceiling at Coles North Sydney to collapse on Thursday afternoon

On major flood watch *Gwydir, Namoi, Macquarie, Lachlan, Belubula and Bogan rivers *Wollombri Brook, Goulburn and Hunter rivers *Major flooding continues across Macquarie, Darling, Culgoa and Lachlan. *Many more catchments should expect moderate and minor flooding Advertisement

Further south, towns in the north-west of Victoria are at risk of a 'tornadic supercell' system.

Murray River towns Echuca, Swan Hill and Mildura are at risk and the dangerous weather system could also extend into southern NSW.

'There is the risk of tornadic supercells, that means large hailstones, damaging wind gusts and isolated heavy rainfall,' Sky News meteorologist Alison Osborne said.

'That storm threat will rapidly ease into the early hours of (Friday) morning. It becomes less intense but more broad.'

Parts of NSW and Victoria will be at 'significant' flood risk over the coming days.

From late Friday, a more intense system will bring widespread heavy rain over NSW, in particular the eastern half, including the western slope and ranges and the central and southern coast.

At 6pm Thursday, NSW SES has 50 flood warnings in place across the state. Fourteen are 'watch and act' alerts.

A number of rivers in inland and coastal NSW are already on major flood watch.

They include the Gwydir, Namoi, Macquarie, Lachlan, Belubula, Bogan, Goulburn and Hunter rivers.

'We're anticipating issuing further flood warnings in the coming days,' the bureau's senior meteorologist Jonathan How warned on Thursday afternoon.

'They include southern inland Queensland, eastern NSW, much of Victoria and northern Tasmania.'

Sydney has officially recorded it wettest year on record (pictured, Sydneysiders trying to stay on Thursday)

Large parts of NSW are on flood watch, including Sydney's Hawkesbury and Nepean regions (pictured, a flooded street in Sydney on Thursday)

Friday afternoon's storms (above) will see heavy rain fall over large parts of NSW and Victoria

The biggest concern in NSW is for the towns of Gunnedah, Narrabri, Tamworth, Forbes, Dubbo and Bathurst.

Thousands of motorsport fans have flocked to Mount Panorama for this weekend's Bathurst 1000, where rain and gusty winds of up to 30k/h are forecast for the next three days.

In Sydney, parts of the Hawkesbury and Nepean Valley are also under threat with minor flooding forecast at Menangle, Penrith and North Richmond.

The NSW northern rivers, which has already been devastated by two major flooding events in 2022 is not expected to be impacted.

In Queensland, the southern inland catchments are also on flood watch.

'Minor flooding expected across over the coming days. Rainfall will increase during Friday, peaking Saturday, with locally heavy falls possible in southwest, southern interior,' the state's Bureau of Meteorology tweeted.

The worst of the weather is expected on Friday, when a widespread band of rain and storms is forecast to hit southern Queensland which will extend into NSW and Victoria.

'This comes as the low-pressure trough links up with an atmospheric river delivering large amounts of moisture to eastern Australia,' Weatherzone said.

Severe thunderstorms should be widespread in the afternoon, with heavy rainfall, large hail and damaging winds all on the cards through western Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

'Widespread falls of 10-30mm are expected, but quite a few heavier patches of 60-100mm will come along with storms.'

The weather will ease on Saturday before another system moves down from the north bring north rain due to a low pressure system off the coast.

A severe weather warning for damaging winds remains current for parts of north-west Tasmania.

Sydneysiders will need to keep their umbrellas handy with a soggy weekend forecast

Sky News weather warned a possible 'tornadic supercell' could hit parts of NSW and Victoria late Thursday(pictured, red zones are most likely to be hit by severe tornado conditions, yellow are less likely)

On Thursday, Sydney registered its highest annual rainfall total on record -- 2,216 millimetres -- with some 86 days still left until the end of the year.

Sydney's previous wettest year was 1950, when there were 2,194 millimetres of rain.

It was the highest figure recorded since annual rainfall data for the city of Sydney were first collected in 1858.

Rain is expected to ease for most major cities early next week ahead of more rain later in the week.

The rain in Sydney caused flash flooding on the roads, sparking traffic chaos

One surfer braved the wild conditions at a deserted Coogee Beach on Thursday
Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min speaks during a briefing on the ministry's government restructuring plan held at Government Complex Seoul, Thursday. Newsis



Interior ministry unveils plan to shake up Cabinet ministries, which includes establishment of ministry for overseas Koreans



By Lee Hyo-jin



The government is materializing its plan to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, despite criticisms from women's rights groups and opposition parties who worry that the move will undermine gender equality efforts.



The Ministry of the Interior and Safety unveiled a plan to shake up Cabinet ministries, Thursday, which includes a plan to abolish the gender equality ministry and transfer of its functions to the Ministry of Health and Welfare by creating a department there in charge of family and gender equality affairs.



"Abolishment of the gender ministry was one of the main pledges of the Yoon Suk-yeol government. It is time for the country to shift its focus in achieving gender equality for both men and women, moving on from the paradigm which concentrated only on resolving discrimination against women," Interior Minister Lee Sang-min said during a briefing on the reform plan.



The proposed plan also included the launch of a new government agency for overseas Koreans, with an aim to support some 7.32 million ethnic Koreans living in other countries. The new organization will be set up as a state-run agency under the Minister of Foreign Affairs and run policies such as enhancing networks among overseas Koreans.



The government will also elevate the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to a cabinet-level ministry from the current vice-ministry level, seeking to improve benefits and treatment for retired soldiers and veterans.



However, plans to create a new space agency and another new organization dedicated to immigration policies, both of which were among Yoon's campaign pledges, were not included in Thursday's announcement.



The ministry noted that it will draw up blueprints to launch the agencies by the end of the year.



But it remains to be seen whether the ministry's reform plan will gain approval from the National Assembly, as the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has expressed concerns on abolishing the gender ministry.





Ministry of Gender Equality and Family office in Seoul / Korea Times photo by Hong In-taek
Yasuo Takamatsu lost his wife, Yuko, in the 2011 Japanese tsunami, but 11 years on he still goes diving to find her every week.

Mr Takamatsu took up scuba diving in 2013 in a desperate attempt to find his wife's body after she went missing in Onagawa, one of the country's worst hit regions.

An underwater earthquake off the east coast of Japan caused the devastating Tohoku tsunami on March 11, 2011, leaving nearly half a million homeless and killing nearly 20,000 people.

The loving husband said he will carry on searching on land and sea 'as long as [his body] moves.'

More than 2,500 people are still reported as missing from the tsunami.

Mr Takamatsu speaks with The AP at Onagawa, Miyagi prefecture, northern Japan in 2021

Yuko Takamatsu was at work clearing debris from the initial earthquake when the tsunami hit

Yasuo Takamatsu prepares to take a diving lesson at Takenoura bay, northern Japan, in 2014

Mr Takamatsu pictured after taking up diving in 2013 to extend the search for his lost wife

Mr Takamatsu recovered his wife's phone in the parking lot of the bank where she worked months after the disaster, but has not found anything since.

He said the idea of surviving and not looking for his wife was 'depressing'.

After searching on land for two and a half years, the then-56-year-old started taking diving lessons in September 2013.

Mr Takamatsu's wife was at work when the tsunami hit the mainland.

Yoku Takamatsu was clearing debris from the initial earthquake devastation when the tsunami swept through.

In her last text message to her husband, Yuko wrote 'Are you okay? I want to go home.'

Months later, her phone was recovered with an unsent message: 'The tsunami is disastrous.'

Mr Takamatsu, who uncovered his wife's phone following the tsunami, still dives weekly

Takamatsu, now 65, got his diving license in 2013 and has been searching weekly ever since

Tsunami waves hitting the Minamisoma coast in Fukushima prefecture on 11 March 2011

Mr Takamatsu, a bus driver, previously said he did not take to diving naturally - but that thinking about his wife had 'driven' him into the water.

'I do want to find her, but I also feel that she may never be discovered as the ocean is way too vast - but I have to keep looking.'

During each dive, Mr Takamatsu hoists a scuba diving tank on to his back, wears a rubber dry-suit and steps into the freezing ocean with the aid of diving instructor, Masayoshi Takahashi.

Mr Takahashi, who leads volunteer dives to look for missing tsunami victims, said he thought it was important to help Mr Takamatsu find his wife.

The remote area north of Onagawa, Japan, near where Yuko Takamatsu was last sighted

138000 buildings were destroyed between the earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima meltdown

The outbreak of the unprecedented Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in 2011

Mr Takamatsu, who had been with his mother-in-law at a hospital in the next town at the time, was not allowed to return the wrecked town, which was by then a seething, bobbing mass of buildings, fishing boats and cars.

However, when the barriers were lifted the next day, he went to Onagawa's hospital, which sits on a hilltop, as the designated evacuation site where hundreds had fled soon after the huge quake.

It was there that he learned the bank employees, including his wife, had been swept away.

'I felt my knees buckling. I felt nothing in my body,' he said.

The catastrophe, with a magnitude of 9.1, was the worst to ever hit Japan and the fourth most devastating in human history.
Russian conscripts are in revolt after being treated like 'cattle' and given 'no training' as they head to the war in Ukraine.

A video shows the men publicly complaining about their treatment in 'brutal, absolutely appalling conditions' after they were mobilised by Vladimir Putin.

The shocking footage is just the latest evidence of the total chaos over the Russian call-up of reservists that has left even Kremlin cheerleaders in despair.

The desperate recruits risk punishment by venting their fury over their plight after arriving by train in Belgorod region which borders Ukraine.

One of the soldiers, acting as a spokesman for the miserable men, says to camera: 'There are about 500 of us, all armed. Yet we are not registered to any military unit.

Russian conscripts are in revolt after being treated like 'cattle' and given 'no training' as they head to the war in Ukraine

A video shows the men publicly complaining about their treatment in 'brutal, absolutely appalling conditions' after they were mobilised by Vladimir Putin

'We spent a week in brutal, absolutely appalling conditions. We had no provisions, no money - nothing at all.

'We have no clue who is going where, which military unit. Our weapons are not registered to us.

'Not a single machine gun is registered with a military ID.[against the Russian criminal code.'

He continues: 'The attitude from the officers is to treat us as cattle. No-one needs us, there is zero training.

'We eat what we buy ourselves. We spent an awful amount of money just to get food.'

The soldier then mocks the weaponry they have been issued.

The soldier then mocks the weaponry they have been issued, showing the ammunition found lying on the ground

The shocking footage is just the latest evidence of the total chaos over the Russian call-up of reservists that has left even Kremlin cheerleaders in despair

The desperate recruits risk punishment by venting their fury over their plight after arriving by train in Belgorod region which borders Ukraine

He says: 'And don't even start us about the ammunition This is the ammunition they've given us

'It was found lying on the ground of the military unit.'

A military source quoted by state media RIA Novosti claimed the men were not moving directly to the war, but to training, and denied there were any problems.

'The issued small arms are assigned to the personnel and accounted for,' said the source.

'The soldiers are provided with individual rations en route to the training area, and medical personnel are part of the team.'

Even former Kremlin loyalists are joining the chorus of dissent, with a top Putin general and ex-deputy defence minister demanding an end to the Russian 'lies' over the war.

General Andrei Kartapolov lambasted the Moscow military chiefs for their performance over the war.

General Andrei Kartapolov lambasted the Moscow military chiefs for their performance over the war

Even former Kremlin loyalists are joining the chorus of dissent against Putin's barbaric invasion

Now an MP in charge of the parliamentary defence committee, his outburst is the latest example of a vicious blame game over Russian losses in the war.

He ripped into the defence ministry headed by close Putin friend Sergei Shoigu.

The Kremlin leader is now under fierce pressure to sack Shoigu and replace him with a hardliner, even though the critics are ignoring the fact that many of the Russian problems stem from Putin's inept invasion plan and his constant insistence on micromanaging the war.

'First of all, you have to stop lying,' said Kartapolov, who has commanded Russia's western military district - whose forces are central to the Ukraine campaign - and Putin's army in Syria.

The daily military communiques boast of phantom successes, said the reservist colonel-general on the SolvyovLive show with Putin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov.

Even in World War Two, the Soviet people were better informed, he said in his withering attack.

Russian citizens recruited as part of partial mobilisation attend combat training in the training spots of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic

Ukrainian soldiers sit on an armoured vehicle as they drive on a road between Izium and Lyman

'[People need to] understand [like during WW2 from military communiques] that the situation is dire and our Motherland is in danger because the enemy is on our land,' he said.

He accused the defence ministry of lying over Ukraine's successes.

'Now we also have an enemy on our land,' he said.

'And I am not even talking about the newly acquired [invaded territory in Ukraine].

'Almost all the border villages of [Russia's] Belgorod region have been destroyed.

'We have the Russian city of Valuyki - a fortress city, by the way - being constantly shelled.

'But we learn about this from the [regional] governor, from Telegram channels, from military correspondents, and no-one else.'

He mocked: 'The Defence Ministry reports practically do not change their content.

'Ten shells have been shot down, 50 target sites have been hit, hundreds of Nazis have been killed. And that's it.'

Ramzan Kadyrov meets Russia's Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu on an early June 2022 visit to Moscow

But he warned: 'People know [what is really going on].'

The Kursk governor Roman Starovoyt - a former Putin deputy transport minister - also hit out at the 'just awful' mobilisation of Russian troops.

'I cannot understand how an active training unit of the Ministry of Defence can be in such condition,' he said.

'A rundown canteen, broken and rusty showers, a lack of beds 

'There is a shortage of uniforms, the parade ground looks like it has been bombed.'

Respected independent journalist Alexei Venediktov said: 'This mobilisation is not going in the right way.

'It should not, just like the special [military] operation, but it is happening.

'People who should not be mobilised in line even with this law, are being [conscripted].

'This must be addressed.'

Kremlin propagandists were up in arms because 'this mobilisation wave hit part of Putin's own supporters who are outraged', he said.

There is a crescendo of criticism from until-now loyal Putinites and military experts over the war and mobilisation shambles.

Andrey Gurulev said recently over the loss of the Lyman stronghold in Ukraine that he cannot explain the surrender

Kartapolov's blitzkrieg matches another military commander and normally loyalist MP Andrey Gurulev, who said recently over the loss of the Lyman stronghold in Ukraine: 'I cannot explain this surrender in military terms.

'It is probably a milestone not only militarily, but also politically, especially now.

'The problem is a system of lies, reports of a good situation [when the reality is bad].

'This rot comes from the top down.'

Among the vultures circling is Putin crony Ramzan Kadyrov, head of Chechnya, who is seen as eyeing Shoigu's job or a senior war commander's role.

A father of 14 with three polygamous wives, Putin yesterday promoted him to Colonel-General in the national guard.

The move was apparently a 46th birthday present.

'The president personally congratulated me,' he boasted, calling himself a loyal Putin 'foot soldier'.

'I give my word I will honour this trust.

'This is an advance for me.'

A picture from earlier in the war shows him in Shoigu's office advising him how to carry out the war.

He evidently believes Putin is now listening to him and other war strategy critics.

He gained Kremlin kudos by personally recruiting tens of thousands of 'volunteers' to fight in Putin's war.

'We will do everything to quickly finish the special operation,' he vowed.

'There is no war without casualties. This is war.

'What are men born for.?'
A man has died after his helicopter crashed on a riverbank in the NSW Hunter region.

Emergency services rushed to Campbells Rd in Maitland Vale on Thursday with reports of the crash about 4.20pm.

Crews found a Bell 'Jet Ranger' helicopter on the bank of the Hunter River, a short distance from the town of Maitland.

A man has died after his Bell Jet Ranger helicopter (pictured) crashed into a bank by the Hunter River in Maitland Vale, NSW

One male, who is yet to be identified, was found dead inside the aircraft.

Maitland Vale local Lou van der Vliet said he had heard the helicopter before it crashed near his property.

'I was doing some work here and had my back to it,' he told the ABC.

'All of a sudden there was a big explosionand then a plume of smoke came up.'

Mr van der Vliet called emergency services and helped direct them to the crash site.

Police have established a crime scene and remain in the area.

Emergency crews were called to the scene and were directed to the crashed helicopter

One male was found dead inside the aircraft. He is yet to be identified. Police have set up a crime scene and remain in the area

Officers notified the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, who will investigate the cause of the crash.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.
But last night, ministers announced that Serco's contact would be ending early

Serco and Scottish Government have been attempting to negotiate a new deal

But, despite introducing new train stock, the train service has been run at a loss

As part of deal, the business pledged joint 100million investment in the service

Nicola Sturgeon could seize control of the famous Caledonian Sleeper service after ministers in Scotland axed its contract seven years earlier than planned.

The historic service, which runs overnight trains between London and Scotland, is currently under the control of Serco. The Hampshire-based firm won a 15-year contract to provide the service back in 2015.

However, after failing to agree new financial terms with the company, Scotland's transport minister Jenny Gilruth last night revealed the contract will be dropped in June next year.

She said a new deal for the service, which has reportedly been run at a loss since Serco took over eight years ago, would no longer provide 'value for money'.

Short-notice seat tickets can cost up to 100 between London and Edinburgh - nearly four times as much as the cheapest Ryanair flight - while luxury cabins can cost up to 350 one-way.

The decision to cut the contract has now led to calls for the famous service - one of only two remaining sleeper services still operating in the UK - to be nationalised.

SNP and Green MSPs are among those backing the idea. Such a move would follow Sturgeon's nationalisation of ScotRail earlier this year.

However Scottish Conservatives have criticised the move - pointing to other 'woeful' nationalisations by the SNP - and describing the decision to axe the contract with Serco as 'politically motivated'.

The historic service, which runs overnight trains between London and Scotland, is currently under the control of Serco. The Hampshire-based firm won a 15-year contract to provide the service back in 2015

The decision to cut the contract has now led to calls for the famous service to be nationalised. SNP and Green MSPs are among those backing the idea of it being brought back into the Scottish Government's hands. Such a move would follow Sturgeon's (pictured) nationalisation of ScotRail earlier this year

The Caledonian Sleeper franchise runs trains between London and Scotland, with services running to and from destinations including Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Highlands

The Caledonian Sleeper franchise runs trains between London and Scotland, with services running to and from destinations including Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Highlands.

The Caledonian Sleeper: One of only two overnight commercial rail services left running on the UK's network Comfortable and hassle-free travel between London and Scotland has been at the heart of the Caledonian Sleepers' branding for the last 25 years. But while the Caledonian Sleeper as a franchise has only been around since 1997, its history goes back much further. The first Anglo-Scottish sleeper train to travel between London and Scotland was announced back in 1873 - and when it took to the rail tracks it was the first of its kind in Britain. It originally operated on the East Coast Mainline - a 393-mile long railway between London and Edinburgh via Newcastle. Passengers could buy a seat on the train, with a sleeping berth costing an extra ten shillings at the time. Sleeper services boomed in the 1900s, running on both the East Coast Mainline and the West Coast Mainline, as well as services from London to the south-west Sleeper services boomed in the 1900s, with services between London and Scotland using both the East Coast Mainline and the West Coast Mainline. There were also services from London to the south-west of England. But they declined during the latter half of the 20th century - in part due to the growth of commercial aviation. In November 1987, it was announced that the last of the sleeper services running on the East coast routes was to be withdrawn. However services continued on the West Coast Mainline. In 1996, the overnight service was relaunched under the Caledonian Sleeper brand and franchised in 1997, originally operated by National Express. Each portion of the service was assigned its own identity, with the Night Caledonian to Glasgow, Night Caledonian to Edinburgh, Night Aberdonian to Aberdeen, Royal Highlander to Inverness and West Highlander to Fort William. It became part of the First ScotRail franchise in 2004 after First Group took over the ScotRail franchise. Serco, who are the current providers, took over the contract in 2015. Serco had promised to raise the quality of the experience as part of 100million of improvements, half of which were funded by the Scottish government. The improvements included replacing the service's ageing 1970s carriages. The service now has carriages with en-suite bathrooms and double beds. Currently, two trains are operated on six days each week, using the West Coast Mainline, from London Euston. Passengers could buy a seat on the train, with a sleeping berth costing an extra ten shillings The trains normally operate at a maximum speed of 80mph, but are authorised to travel at 100 mph where line speeds permit if the train has been delayed by more than 20 minutes. The Caledonian Sleeper is one of only two operating sleeper services on the UK's railway network, the other being the Night Riviera which runs between London and Penzance. Despite taking eight hours, the service is still popular, in part due to the scenic views along the route. In 2014 it was named as one of the the six best railway adventures in the world. The service was placed in the same group of great train rides as The Shanghai Maglev, the Tren Crucero through the heart of Ecuador, the Sunset Limited between Los Angeles and New Orleans, the TranzAlpine Express in New Zealand's stunning South Island and the Danube Express between Budapest and Istanbul. Advertisement

The service, which launched as a franchise in 1997, but can trace its history to as far back as 1873, was taken over in 2015 by Serco.

The company won a 15-year contact to provide the service, which had previously been run by the then privately-owned First ScotRail group.

Serco had promised to raise the quality of the experience as part of 100million worth of improvements, half of which were funded by the Scottish government.

The improvements included replacing the service's ageing 1970s carriages. Its new stock includes rooms with en-suite bathrooms and double beds.

However, despite the investment, the service has reportedly been run at a loss. According to the Financial Times, the company has lost a cumulative 65million since it took over the running of the trains.

Delays to the new trains and a drop in passenger numbers due to the Covid pandemic have been blamed.

Despite the contract running until 2030, Scottish ministers have been locked in negotiations with Serco to agree new financial terms for the service.

However, in an answer to a parliamentary question, Transport Minister Ms Gilruth last night said a new contract with Serco did not represent 'value for money to the public'.

The franchise will end on June 25 next year, but it is not clear who will take over the running of the trains. Existing services and timetables will continue until the end of the contract.

The Scottish Government this year took over the running of most train services in the country following the end of Abellio's tenure in charge of ScotRail.

There has been no intimation that the Caledonian Sleeper could also end up in public hands. But former minister Fiona Hyslop said there is an opportunity to do so.

'It is unfortunate that a deal has not been reached to continue the contract with Serco, but these contracts need to deliver value for money for the Scottish public,' she said in a statement.

'Its termination presents an opportunity for the Scottish Government to consider bringing the iconic service into public hands.

'The Scottish Government has already successfully brought ScotRail under public ownership and doing the same with the Caledonian Sleeper presents an opportunity to continue to improve the service provided to those travelling overnight between Edinburgh and London.

'There will be a formal process that will need to take place, but this presents another opportunity to bring Scotland's railways into Scotland's hands.'

Meanwhile, the RMT Union, which has long campaigned for the service to be nationalised, also backed the idea.

General secretary Mick Lynch said: 'There is a huge opportunity for the Scottish Government to integrate Caledonian Sleeper into Scotrail as a publicly owned service.

'The service under Serco has not been a happy experience for staff or passengers. By removing the profit motive from the Caledonian Sleeper, it provides better value for money and stronger public oversight into how the service is run.'

But rivals have criticised the suggestion, saying the SNP administration's other nationalisations  including Prestwick Airport and Ferguson Marine shipyard  have been 'woeful'.

Scottish Tory transport spokesman Graham Simpson said: 'This appears politically motivated.'

Ms Gilruth said: 'I can confirm that today Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited has been advised that its proposal to rebase the franchise agreement with Scottish ministers for the provision of Caledonian Sleeper rail services has been rejected on the grounds of not representing value for money to the public.

'Additionally, I can confirm that a notice was served today which confirms that the Scottish ministers will terminate the franchise agreement with Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited on June 25, 2023.

'Work is under way to determine arrangements for the continued provision of Caledonian Sleeper rail services beyond June 25, 2023 and this will be updated to Parliament once determined.

'It is worth noting that Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited has, broadly, delivered well and significantly improved Caledonian Sleeper services over the last seven years.'

John Whitehurst, the managing director of Serco's transport business, said the company inherited 'unreliable and outdated' trains when it took over the contract, before introducing new rolling stock.

'We note that the Government's decision not to accept our proposals has not been made due to any performance issues; from Serco's point of view the service has been loss-making over the life of the contract and the proposals that we made to Transport Scotland were to put it on a more sustainable financial footing,' he added.

'We will continue to work with Transport Scotland around options for the future management of the service and in the meantime will continue to deliver a world-class service for our guests.'

The Scottish Greens voiced their support for bringing the franchise back into public hands, saying: 'This would seem to be a logical opportunity to look again at the potential to bring the Caledonian Sleeper operations into public ownership.

The Caledonian Sleeper service (pictured: Library image) runs trains between London and Scotland, with services running to and from destinations including Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Highlands.

Serco had promised to raise the quality of the experience of the Caledonian Sleeper service (pictured) as part of 100million of improvements, half of which were funded by the Scottish government

The improvements included replacing the service's ageing 1970s carriages. Its new includes trains with en-suite bathroom and double beds (pictured)

A club room inside the Caledonian Sleeper, which comes with its own en-suite bathroom

A club car inside the Caledonian Sleeper, which runs overnight services between London and Scotland

'In particular at such a time of acute financial hardship for people up and down the country, and when our climate actions have never been more important, this seems a sensible and progressive idea to be looked at.

'We have already seen a warm and encouraging reception to ScotRail services being brought under public control.

'Improving Scotland's railways and its connections to the UK and beyond, is vital in both bringing people together and climate proofing our transport services, with people at the very heart of the decision making process.'

Scottish Labour's transport spokesman Neil Bibby and the Scottish organiser for train drivers union Aslef Kevin Lindsay also urged the Scottish Government to bring the service into public ownership.
Liz Truss tonight acknowledged Emmanuel Macron is a 'friend' of Britain - after the Prime Minister previously failed to state whether the French President was 'friend or foe'.

Speaking in Czech capital Prague - where she today attended a summit of European leaders - Ms Truss backtracked on her past claim that the 'jury's out' on Mr Macron.

Ahead of talks with the French President this evening, the PM outlined how Britain and France were looking to work more closely on building new nuclear power stations.

This would shore up the two countries energy security in the wake of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, she said.

During this summer's Tory leadership campaign, which saw Ms Truss defeat rival Rishi Sunak to become PM, she had refused to say whether Mr Macron was a 'friend or foe' of Britain.

As well as risking a diplomatic spat across the Channel, Ms Truss's comments prompted a fierce backlash - including a rebuke from Berlin.

Mr Macron himself suggested Ms Truss had lost her 'bearings' during the race for Number 10.

But, asked this evening if she had yet decided whether Mr Macron was a 'friend or foe' prior to their talks, the PM said: 'I work very, very closely with President Macron and the French Government.

'What we're talking about is how the UK and France can work more closely together to build more nuclear power stations and to make sure that both countries have energy security in the future.

'We're both very clear the foe is Vladimir Putin, who has - through his appalling war in Ukraine - threatened freedom and democracy in Europe and pushed up energy prices, which we're now all having to deal with.'

Pressed on whether this meant she now considered Mr Macron a 'friend', the PM replied: 'He is a friend.'

Speaking in Czech capital Prague - where she today attended a summit of European leaders - Liz Truss backtracked on her past claim that the 'jury's out' on Emmanuel Macron

Earlier this summer, during her Tory leadership campaign, Ms Truss refused to say whether Mr Macron was a 'friend or foe' of Britain

Ms Truss had been expected to use today's summit in Prague to urge European leaders to agree that gas and electricity connectors between countries must be kept open, as the standoff with Russia sparks fears of shortages in the coming months.

The appeal comes amid fears that Norway could opt to close interconnectors with the UK and EU to avoid blackouts for its own population.

Norway has capacity to supply Britain with 1.4 gigawatts (GW) through a cable to Northumberland - which is a key part of National Grid's contingency planning.

The PM tonight insisted her presence at the inaugral meeting of the European Political Community - the brainchild of Mr Macron - was not about Britain 'moving closer to Europe' following Brexit.

'This is not about moving closer to Europe,' she said.

'This is about working with Europe on issues that we both face and both face rising energy costs.'

Ms Truss is turning her focus on to heading off a winter crisis after a Conservative conference blighted by infighting over tax rates and benefits cuts.

But the discussions with Mr Macron were also expected to cover the issue of Channel migrants.

There have been claims that a deal was scotched after Ms Truss refused to describe France as a 'friend' over the summer.

Liz Truss looked to be enjoying herself today as she posed for the family photo with fellow European leaders at the summit in Prague

Liz Truss was greeted by Czech counterpart Petr Fiala (right) as she arrived for the summit in Prague today

Ms Truss attended the first meeting of the European Political Community in Prague

The PM was due to hold talks with Emmanuel Macron later, expected to cover the Channel migrant crisis

Ms Truss chatting to Italian PM Mario Draghi as the discussions kicked off in Prague

Ms Truss was expected to push the group to agree that gas and electricity connectors between countries must be kept open

Former Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries this morning renewed her demand for the PM to return to the agenda espoused by Boris Johnson

UK consumers will be paid to use washing machines overnight as national grid warns of winter BLACKOUTS Britain faces blackouts this winter, the National Grid warned today as it proposed a new scheme to pay consumers to run their washing machines or charge their electric cars away from peak hours. They would be the first planned blackouts in decades if power plants cannot get enough gas to keep running, the body that oversees Britain's electricity grid has said. It is not the first time that the prospect of blackouts has been raised by the energy giant. But this year's warning carries far more urgency as Vladimir Putin keeps the pressure on gas supplies to Europe amid his faltering war in Ukraine. System operators have warned that shortages of gas, which generated 40 per cent of UK electricity last year, could mean planned three-hour blackouts in some areas to protect supplies for heating homes and buildings. Brits are facing energy bills as the Government pledged 150billion to keep energy bills capped at 2,500 this winter, while many businesses say they face extinction without further help. The National Grid warning comes as Bannatyne's gyms were the latest to shut their sauna and steam rooms and pubs turned to candlelight in energy cutbacks. Advertisement

Ms Truss met Czech premier Petr Fiala for a working lunch, before the bilateral meeting with Mr Macron this evening.

As foreign secretary, Ms Truss was a sceptic of the planned summit so her decision to attend has caused some surprise.

Ms Truss told the opening plenary session in Prague: 'Europe is facing its biggest crisis since the Second World War. And we have faced it together with unity and resolve.

'We must continue to stand firm  to ensure that Ukraine wins this war, but also to deal with the strategic challenges that it has exposed.'

Ms Truss was expected to stress the UK's role in European matters  including Ukraine  despite leaving the EU.

Downing Street said Ms Truss's talks with Mr Macron and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte would focus on migration and aim to secure progress on joint operations to disrupt people-trafficking gangs.

The PM encouraged countries to act more quickly to end Europe's reliance on Russian energy supplies in light of its invasion of Ukraine.

She said: 'The threat was left to fester for far too long. Now, at last, we are tackling Putin's aggression head on.

'And we should take the same approach with other challenges before us  including long-standing regional issues like energy and migration.

'Instead of the old approach which merely dealt with the symptoms, it's time to address the fundamental causes.'

Writing in The Times, Ms Truss said it was vital for countries to support each other by keeping the interconnectors working even at times of shortages.

'The UK sends and receives both gas and electricity through the undersea cables and pipelines that link us with neighbours like France, Belgium and the Netherlands,' she wrote.

'Today we must all commit to keeping those connections open this winter so we keep the lights on across the Continent.'

Adam Bell, former head of energy strategy at the Department for Business, said the possibility of blackouts is high in the coming months if there is a cold winter and the situation in Ukraine does not change.

He said: 'The chances of a very cold January itself are quite low, it's only 10 per cent or one in every 10 years.

'But in that scenario, given the constraints Europe is under, given the constraints our system is under, even with the interventions the National Grid already have planned, which includes reopening some coal plants and paying people to turn down their demand, you would likely see some rolling blackouts for domestic customers.'

Mr Bell said such a situation would be caused by 'a very cold January, we're unable to import power from the continent, we can't get more gas because everywhere in Europe is demanding it as well and this means that we have to shut down some of our gas power stations'.

He also said the UK cannot prepare for this situation now because of little capacity to store gas, adding: 'We can store some gas but not enough to cover a week or a fortnight.'

Mr Bell added that between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of our power comes from fossil fuels, saying: 'We haven't built enough renewable power yet to wean ourselves off (fossil fuels) fully. We'd need to replace gas with other sources, such as hydrogen, to really remove gas from our system.'

The PM has a bit more wriggle room domestically after a solid address to the party faithful laying out her true-blue vision for the country.

However, MPs have warned that should polls continue to show a massive lead for Labour there will be a move to 'kick her out'.

Former Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries this morning renewed her demand for the PM to return to the agenda espoused by Boris Johnson.

Ms Dorries told The Times: 'I understand that we need to rocket-booster growth but you don't do that by throwing the baby out with the bathwater. You don't win elections by lurching to the right and deserting the centre ground for Keir Starmer to place his flag on.

'If we continue down this path, we absolutely will be facing a Stephen Harper-type wipeout. I'm sure she's listened and will stop and rethink.'

Former Canadian prime minister Mr Harper lost power to Justin Trudeau in the 2015 election.

One supportive senior MP told MailOnline the important thing was she had 'got through' her speech - although they conceded that was a 'low bar'.

One supportive senior MP told MailOnline the important thing was Ms Truss had 'got through' her speech (pictured) - although they conceded that was a 'low bar'

'There is no doubt she has bought herself a bit of space,' the former minister said, cautioning that major battles are still to come with rebels in Westminster.

'The important thing was to get the thing out of the way and go back to knock some heads together.'

A former Cabinet minister was less optimistic, branding Ms Truss 'deluded' and 'incompetent'. 'I have never seen the Tory party in such a desperate state. It reminds me of the dying days of John Mayor.

'She is going to have to go. It's just a question of time. The Red Wall MPs have got a taste of rebellion. If they see that Liz Truss can't retain their seats they will kick her out... it becomes a chain reaction.

'I think she is going to cave on benefits. She's digging in on something that she is going to have to back down on.'

Ms Truss is also facing a backlash for ending the Tory tie-up with Isaac Levido, the Australian political strategist who played a key role in the 2019 election win.

Lee Cain, a former No10 communications chief, said it was a 'monumental error' given that Mr Levido helped spearhead the 'best election campaign in decades'.
A ten-year-old boy who was one of the youngest people ever to receive an anti-social behaviour order has been jailed after he tried to become a drug gang boss but was stabbed 27 times with a machete in a revenge attack.

Alfie Hodgin, 18, was locked up yesterday after he was caught with 2,320 of heroin and crack cocaine while 'slumped on the floor covered in blood' in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.

The teenager from Liscard, Merseyside, was working for an organised crime group in a bid to pay off debt he had accumulated but he instead stole the gang's phone and drugs as he attempted to run his own operation.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how a gang of four machete-wielding men left Hodgin lying in a pool of his own blood on July 14 with 27 stab wounds.

Reports at the time heard that dozens of police cars responding to the incident which saw the attackers jump out at Hodgin out of a grey SUV.

He spent two weeks in hospital due to the severity of his injuries having been rescued by an air ambulance. Prosecutor Derek Jones told the court Hodgin had 'clearly been subjected to a serious assault with weapons, thought to be machetes'.

But he would be arrested by officers who found him in the possession of 1,220 of heroin, 1,100 of crack cocaine and a 1,208 'graft' phone.

Hodgin admitted possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of the drugs as he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years.

Alfie Hodgin, pictured aged ten in 2014 (left), was one of the youngest people to receive an ASBO. He has now been jailed aged 18 (right) after being caught with more than 2,000 of heroin and crack cocaine while 'slumped on the floor covered in blood' following a revenge attack.

Hodgin's life of crime began back in December 2014, when he was handed an ASBO at Wirral Magistrates' Court, Merseyside, after 'terrorising the community', the Liverpool Echo reports.

The two-year order banned him from 'causing harassment, alarm or distress to members the public' and prevented the schoolboyfrom associating with a group of friends in public.

The banning order failed to prevent him abiding by the law as he was handed his first criminal conviction at the age of 13.

He was jailed in 2019 after being caught in possession of a blade in public. He had committed a wealth of offences by this point including theft, criminal damage, assault and breaching his ASBO order.

Hodgin and his older brother John, then 14, were believed to be part of a gang involved in a series of incidents in the north end of Birkenhead, Merseyside.

John similarly received an ASBO just a month earlier having been 'accused of being part of a gang that threw missiles at vehicles and hurled abuse at vulnerable people'.

Hodgin would serve time again in February 2021 after being caught holding onto drugs, a phone and a 'couple of weapons' in his cell.

The schoolboy had become involved in dealing Class A drugs while he was out on licence before the horror revenge attack left him lying in a pool of his own blood.

Liverpool Crown Court (pictured) heard on Wednesday how a gang of four machete-wielding men left Hodgin lying on a street in Ellesmere Port town centre on July 14, with 27 stab wounds

Defence counsel John Weate told the court on Wednesday: 'From a very young age, probably in his infancy, he has been subjected to living in a violent and criminal environment and a complete mistrust has developed within him of adults and people who may on the face of it be looking to help him.

'Everything has been disrupted by this life experience, which thankfully the vast majority of children don't have to experience. His education was completely and utterly disrupted through bad behaviour and through other issues which existed in his life.

'The glimmer of hope is a suggestion he wants to change. He seems determined to get a grip of his life and to do his level best in the future to make sure he doesn't find himself in this position again.'

His brother John is also currently serving a two year and seven month sentence after he was chased in a stolen car by a police helicopter.
Eden District Council refused retrospective planning permission and has now served an enforcement notice

Angered heritage campaigners and stopped path under bridge from being developed for walkers and cyclists

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Hundreds of tonnes of concrete poured under a 160-year-old Victorian railway bridge in what campaigners called an 'act of vandalism' must be removed by next October, councillors have decided.

National Highways (NH) prompted an outcry last year by hiring workmen to infill the single-arch structure in Great Musgrave, Cumbria, after claiming it was unstable and could collapse.

The work left an unsightly mess, and although the concrete was later grassed over it obscured the original structure and stopped the path under the bridge from being developed for walkers and cyclists.

Eden District Council refused retrospective planning permission for the work in June and has now served an enforcement notice, with NH saying it would abide by the order.

Railway campaigners have criticised National Highways after it filled in a historic railway bridge with concrete. Pictured: the bridge at Great Musgrave in Cumbria after being infilled by the Government body which has cited safety reasons for the work

Pictured: Great Musgrave bridge in Cumbria pictured before being infilled by National Highways

The council issued the enforcement notice after reaching the end of a period during which NH could appeal against the refusal of its retrospective application, the BBC reported.

A council spokesman said it would be effective from October 11, saying: 'This means remedial works must be completed within 12 months of this date - to remove all infilling and to restore the bridge and surrounding landscape to their condition prior to the unauthorised works being carried out.'

Graeme Bickerdike, of the Historical Railways Estate (HRE) campaign group described the move as 'good news'. He previously described the decision infill the bridge as 'scandalous'.

The original work on the bridge, constructed in 1862, cost taxpayer-funded NHS an estimated 124,000 while 431,000 has been allocated for the removal works.

The Eden Valley railway and Stainmore railways, which run north and south of the bridge, had long hoped to unite their tracks to attract tourists.

National Highways had said infilling was needed to 'prevent further deterioration of the bridge from occurring and remove the associated risk of structural collapse and harm to the public'.

But documents obtained by the two railways reveal inspectors had no concerns about the bridge's condition.

Campaigners branded the project a 'scandalous wrecking ball' and claimed it would effectively destroy any chances of turning the bridge (pictured) into a greenway - pieces of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle traffic

National Highways have said work they have done will preserve the structure and can be reversed in the future if necessary

They added that 5,000 worth of work would have increased its capacity to 40 tonnes and made it safe for any vehicle to pass over - while infilling cost a whopping 124,000.

The bridge was one of 134 sites slated for demolition or infilling around the country.

The UK's developing network of foot and cycle routes has brought new life to many old railways over the past 50 years.

National Highways' Head of the Historical Railways Estate programme, Helene Rossiter, said: 'We continue to work closely with the local authorities and stakeholders on the issue of Great Musgrave. Our removal of the infill will be fully compliant with the enforcement notice we received from Eden District Council last month.

'This will return the bridge, and adjacent slopes, to the condition they were in before the infill was carried out.'

Pictured: The 159 year old bridge which has been infilled with stone as part of a strategy for maintaining the roadway
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A controversial drama about how Maxine Carr helped cover up her lover Ian Huntley's child murders will air on Monday amid fears that Britain's most hated woman may be moved with the taxpayer again picking up the bill.

The first trailer for the new mini-series, Maxine, documenting the Soham murders through the eyes of killer Huntley's fiancee was released last week ahead of the broadcast of the first episode on Monday on Channel 5.

Jemma Carlton and Line of Duty's Scott Reid star as Maxine Carr and Ian Huntley star in the drama - but critics have decried the decision to make the show so close to the 20th anniversary of the murders of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both aged 10 when they were killed in May 2002.

Despite her part in one of the most heinous crimes in modern British history, Carr has enjoyed a new life bankrolled by the taxpayer. She is reported to have been moved to at least 10 different safe houses since her release 18 years ago after just 21 months behind bars.

With the state protecting her identity, and guarding her around the clock, a dozen women are feared to have been abused or attacked by people who falsely believed they were Carr, who is now believed to be married with at least one child.

An insider has said the new drama will likely drum up interest in Carr's deceit - and could see her move again - with Britons picking up the bill. A source told MailOnline: 'Too much time and public money has been spent on her secret identity. They won't hesitate to move her again if her cover is blown'.

Carr left Foston Hall jail in 2004 after serving just 21 months - and the cost of her new name, identity and police protection has cost taxpayers 2.5million or more.

Following her release taxpayers even picked up her 8,000 bill for dental work and cosmetic surgery to change her appearance. Her hair colour and style will also have been changed. It was also claimed that Carr asked to have her shrinking breasts enlarged on the NHS for mental health reasons, claiming she was depressed because her breasts were too small.

On top of fees for a makeover, there is also the cost of probation officers and a psychologist to 'care' for her.

Chilling: The first trailer a new mini-series, Maxine, documenting the Soham murders through the eyes of killer Ian Huntley's fiancee Maxine Carr has been released (Actress Jemma Carlton, who plays Maxine, pictured left). The real Carr, who later had cosmetic surgery paid for by the taxpayer, is pictured in her mugshot right

Final photo: Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were murdered by Ian Huntley on August 4 2002 (pictured two hours before their disappearance)

Line of Duty 's Scott Reid playes Huntley. He was found guilty of killing both girls and later sentenced to two life terms, with a minimum 40-year tariff at the maximum security Frankland prison in Durham (pictured 2002)

Carr moved repeatedly because of the reaction of people living in the area and in 2020 she was outed on social media, according to The Sun.

Her alias, location and a recent photo were reportedly posted and then deleted - but police were said to have moved Carr to a safe house after the leak and arrangements were made to relocate her, her husband and son.

Maxine Carr smiles while in Holloway Prison in 2002

The Soham liar is just one of a small number of criminals in the UK to be given a secret identity upon her release, believed to cost the taxpayer up to 500,000-a-year.

She was also give a home  and is rumoured to be married and have children. Her alias and location is unknown and she is protected by a lifelong anonymity order  making it illegal to reveal her new life.

Huntley, who received two life sentences for the murders in 2003, killed Holly and Jessica in his house after he invited them inside, but he insisted their deaths were accidental.

It is only recently that he has admitted he was guilty of their murders - and has said that he will never apply for parole out of respect for their families.

Before his conviction, he had told detectives that Carr - who worked as a teaching assistant for their class at St Andrew's Primary School - was in the house, but she had actually gone back to Grimsby to visit relatives.

Carr was jailed for three-and-a-half years for perverting the course of justice by covering for Huntley but only served half of her sentence.

Since her release from prison in 2004 it has cost the taxpayer millions to provide Carr with a new identity and police protection.

At one point she was living in the same coastal town as Tracey Connolly - the cruel mother of Baby P. The area was dubbed the 'monsters-by-the-sea resort'. Furious locals complained that the town is being used as a 'dumping ground' for criminals.

It was chosen because of cheap housing and a high turnover of visitors and casual workers which should make it harder to identify ex-convicts. But this has not prevented residents from recognising their infamous faces.

In 2011 Carr gave birth to her first child - a son - at the safe house where she had been living under a secret identity. She said previously it was her 'life's dream' to have children around her.

However, the terms of the injunction are so stringent that their child cannot be told of its mother's true identity or her role in covering for Huntley. It means the baby could grow up never knowing its mother became one of the most reviled women in the country after the murders in Soham, Cambridgeshire.

And a separate court order may be necessary to ensure the child's identity is also protected. She is said to have miscarried twice after becoming pregnant by different lovers.

In 2014 she married her boyfriend - who was willing to forget her past - at a luxury wedding venue where his family were said to be 'horrified'. Her husband was described as being 'absolutely besotted' with her.

Maxine was given away by her mother  who was jailed herself in 2004 after intimidating a witness who gave evidence against Carr. A source said at the time: 'The families of Holly and Jessica will never get to see their daughters marry'.

Carr is one of only around five former UK prisoners protected by a lifelong anonymity order  along with child killer Mary Bell and James Bulger's murderers Robert Thompson and Jon Venables. The most recent example is Britain's worst mother, Karen Matthews, who abducted her daughter Shannon and hid her in a divan bed to collect the reward money.

On-screen: The three-part series examines the police investigation into school assistant Maxine and her caretaker fiance Ian from Carr's perspective

The drama tells the story of Maxine's tumultuous relationship with Huntley; why she lied for him and how she became 'public enemy number one'

Search: The trailer opens with a scenes of the police searching in long grass as they attempt to find the two missing girls

Story: The disappearance of the schoolgirls, which happened after a family barbecue in August 2002, sparked Britain's biggest-ever missing persons' enquiry

Maxine would become Britain's most reviled woman

Hunch: In the drama the police are heard speculating that Maxine be keeping a secret after she used past tense to refer the children during the search

Played by Scott, a desperate Ian is then seen with his head in his hands, shouting: 'I can't go to prison,' before Jemma, playing Maxine, reassures him that nobody will be going to jail.

She is then seen standing on the doorstep of their home, where a policeman tells Maxine: 'Your story might jog a memory, help find them,' to which Maxine smiles and says: 'We want to help, don't we.'

Recreating real-life scenes which were broadcast to the nation on television news as she described the missing girls, Maxine says of Holly and Jessica: 'They were ever so funny. They were brilliant, they were kind to everybody.'

The police are then heard speculating that Maxine be keeping a secret, with a detective pondering: 'She used past tense because she knows they're dead?'

Maxine is then seen in the interrogation room as she insists Ian did not do anything to the girls.

In further chilling scenes, Maxine is then seen practicing looking serious in the mirror after Ian shouts at her: 'You tell me don't look so guilty. You don't look so cheery!'

The disappearance of the schoolgirls, which happened after a family barbecue in August 2002, sparked Britain's biggest-ever missing persons' enquiry - but came to a tragic end when their bodies were found dumped in a remote ditch.

School caretaker Huntley - then 28 - had lured the girls to his house and murdered them before dumping their bodies and burning their clothes.

His then-fiancee Carr who provided him with a false alibi - but was in Grimsby visiting her mother at the time of the murders - was jailed for perverting the course of justice but released in 2004 with a new identity.

She was dubbed 'The Most Hated Woman In Britain' following the trial, which saw Huntley admit to killing the children, but claiming their deaths were accidental.

Channel 5 said in a statement about the drama: 'Maxine will examine the investigation of school assistant Maxine Carr and her caretaker fiance Ian Huntley, who was later imprisoned for the double murder of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the tragic case that shocked the nation

'The three-part drama will explore their tumultuous relationship through Maxine's perspective; why she lied for him and how she became public enemy No.1, as well as reflect the scale of the police investigation and subsequent media frenzy around the biggest manhunt ever seen in British history.'

Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Chief Content Officer UK, at Paramount, said: 'The series marks a new venture into the true crime genre for Channel 5 drama and will give viewers an in depth examination of Maxine Carr and her role in one of the most notorious crimes in recent British history.'

Mike Benson, Managing Director at Clapperboard added: 'Few crimes have embedded themselves in the national psyche more than the tragic events of Soham in 2002. It was a case which was unique in recent history in terms of the sheer scale of the media coverage and how this affected and nearly derailed the investigation and subsequent trial. We will explore this within the drama alongside the role played by Maxine Carr  dubbed 'The Most Hated Woman in Britain.'

Huntley was found guilty of killing both girls at his 2004 trial and later sentenced to two life terms, with a minimum 40-year tariff at the maximum security Frankland prison in Durham.

Murderer: Huntley had lured the girls to his house and murdered them before dumping their bodies in a remote ditch. He was a caretaker at the local Soham Village College and was arrested after the girls' bodies were discovered 13 days later

Tragedy: Police found the girls' burned Manchester United shirts in a bin at Soham College where Huntley worked

He was a caretaker at the local Soham Village College and was arrested after the girls' bodies were discovered 13 days after their disappearance.

During a two-week appeal to find the girls, Huntley gave TV interviews and joined in searches while his then-girlfriend Carr gave him a false alibi.

He was jailed for life in 2005.

During his trial, he said that he had 'killed the girls accidentally' but later admitted the killing in leaked tapes from prison.

In a 2018 tape he said: 'I know the people of Soham took me into their community, they trusted me, gave me a job and a home, and I betrayed them in the worst possible way.

'And I am sorry for what I have done, sorry for the pain I have caused to the families and friends of Holly and Jessica, for the pain I have caused my family and friends, and for the pain I have caused the community of Soham.

'I am genuinely, genuinely sorry and it breaks my heart when it is reported I have no remorse, that I relish something. I do not.'

He added: 'I can't change anything. I cannot remove that day from history, what I have done. I know those girls would be 26 this year with families of their own, jobs and lives. I thought about them when they were turning 21 and when they were turning 18. I know no matter what I say that people are not going to think any better of me  but I would much rather people have the truth about how I feel. I have nothing to gain by saying these things.

'I know I am never getting out. I have accepted that from day one.'

Huntley said he does not want to be freed from prison and insisted he will not apply for parole out of 'consideration' for his victims' families.

Maxine starts on Monday 10 October at 9pm on Channel 5.
The Abraharts have said the institution has refused to pay for her headstone

Parents of suicidal student, 20, who have been granted a 50,000 payout from Bristol University after it was found to have contributed to her death, have said that institution bosses refused to pay for their daughter's headstone.

Natasha Abrahart took her own life in 2018 after her mental health 'deteriorated' following a diagnosis of chronic social anxiety.

Her parents, Robert, 65, and Margaret Abrahart, 60, were awarded the damages after a court ruled that it 'contributed' to the anxious 20-year-old's death.

A senior judge found Bristol University liable to 'multiple breaches' of its legal duties towards Ms Abrahart.

University bosses sought permission to appeal the ruling, which found it had discriminated against Ms Abrahart and that its actions led to her death.

But His Honour Judge Alex Ralton, who heard the original case, refused the University's request to ask for permission to appeal yesterday because it had 'essentially repeated' the same arguments which failed at the trial.

This morning, Bristol University announced that it will be seeking leave from the High Court to appeal the judge's finding that the University was in breach of the Equality Act  but that it would not contest the damages.

Physics student Natasha Abrahart, 20, was found dead in her flat in April 2018, the day before she was due to take part in a group presentation in a 329-seat lecture theatre

On Wednesday, His Honour Judge Alex Ralton refused the University's request to ask for permission to appeal because it had 'essentially repeated' the same arguments which failed at the trial

Universities told to contact parents over 'serious concerns' Under new guidance from Universities UK, institutions are being told to contact parents if they have serious concerns about the student's mental health, even if the student at that time is not giving permission. Students beginning their course would be asked to register a trusted contact, be it a parent, guardian, family member or friend, who can be contacted if a student is at 'high' risk. Steve West, President of Universities UK and Vice-Chancellor of University of the West of England, said that contact would be made if a student is in 'serious distress' and the university has 'serious concerns', with the risk to the student judged as 'high'. 'This guidance gives us the confidence to reach out purposeful to involve family members, could be a parent could be a trusted friend, to come into the space with us to try and support the student,' he told Radio 4's Today programme. He said that if the concern is 'significant and serious' the trusted person will be contacted and drawn in for the 'triangle of care' to help. Advertisement

Ms Abrahart's parents yesterday said that the institution has 'repeatedly quibbled over having to pay for specific parts of our funeral expenses'.

This, they wrote on CrowdJustice, included the cost of their daughter's headstone.

The Abraharts also questioned whether Bristol University would seek to challenge the decision through the High Court.

'Will they or won't they, at long last do the right thing? Or will intransigent and unrepentant decision-makers, with bruised egos, continue along their chosen path of reputational self-destruct,' Ms Abrahart's parents wrote.

'If senior university management had any integrity, somebody should by now have resigned. Instead, everybody at the top continues to hide behind a wall of anonymity.'

Ms Abrahart's grieving father said he was disappointed that the University could not accept the original verdict.

He said: 'They still do not seem to understand the Equality Act.'

Bristol University was found liable to 'multiple breaches' of its legal duties towards Ms Abrahart.

The verdict given in May followed a trial in March this year to decide whether the University had a direct role to play in her's death.

Her body was found in her private flat in April 2018, on the day she was due to give a presentation to fellow students and staff in a 329-seat lecture theatre.

The second-year physics student had been diagnosed with chronic social anxiety disorder in February 2018.

She was at least the tenth student at the University of Bristol to take their own life since October 2016.

Natasha Abrahart pictured with her parents Robert, 65, and Margaret Abrahart, 60

Ms Abrahart's grieving father said he was disappointed that the University could not accept the original verdict. Pictured, Margaret Abrahart (left) with her daughter

Abrahart family call new university guidance a 'first step' Responding to the guidance, Mr Abrahart, who has spent half of his working life as an academic at a university, called it a 'first step'. 'This plan has been in preparation for over a year now. It's definite a step in the right direction but its only a first step,' he told Radio 4. 'Recommendations have something like a 40 per cent uptake. Even those that do update them may not apply them properly because there's no requirement to do what it says on the tin.' He said that the term 'serious concerns' could be ambiguous. 'In a survey, most didn't understand what we meant by serious concerns,' he said. 'Its the threshold, the test which is being applied, which is difficult for a member of staff. 'The important question is, 'who's in charge of having these recommendations implemented?' 'Perhaps the regulator should be insisting, making it mandatory, that universities adopt these policies.' Mrs Abrahart added: 'It just seems to happen very very slowly. We do need to get parents on board in the right way. What's really important is that staff feel confident and follow this guidance. 'Quite a few parents, sometimes they have permission, and they haven't been contacted. 'The important thing here is we're saving lives and doing the best we can.' Advertisement

The couple believe that the University should have contacted them when their daughter hit a crisis point in her mental health.

'What universities don't have is the suicide fire-alarm button, someone saying, 'I heard the word suicide, hit the button',' Mr Arbrahart told The Times.

'When you send your children to university, they're better protected in a high-street shop,' he added.

Ms Abrahart's parents filed court documents to challenge the University's role in their disabled daughter's death.

The family's lawyers argued that the University breached the Equality Act 2010 when it failed to adjust its regime of oral assessments in light of their daughter's social anxiety disorder.

These breaches, the family's lawyers argued, caused a deterioration in Ms Abrahart's mental health, leading to her death.

In a 46-page written judgement, Judge Alex Ralton found that the University had: breached its duties to make reasonable adjustments to the way it assessed Ms Abrahart; engaged in indirect disability discrimination against Ms Abrahart; and treated Ms Abrahart unfavourably because of the consequences of her disability.

He found that these breaches led to her death.

The judge also found that adjustments, such as removing the need for oral assessments altogether or, in relation to the conference on 30 April 2018, assessing Ms Abrahart in the absence of her peers or using a smaller venue, were reasonable and should have been put in place.

He observed that 'whilst a few ideas' regarding possible adjustments were 'floated' by the University 'none were implemented'.

After finding that Ms Abrahart's suffering was 'serious and, from what I have seen in the evidence, continuous' the Judge ordered the University to pay damages of 50,518.

This reflected the injury to Ms Abrahart's feelings, the deterioration in her mental health caused by the University, and funeral costs.

Abraharts demand laws to protect students The parents of Natasha Abrahart, 20, have joined 25 other grieving families in demanding the Government introduce new laws to protect students. Mrs Abrahart, 60, said: 'While Natasha's needless death will always remain a tragic waste of life and something we'll never overcome, we've always been steadfast in our determination not to let it be totally in vain. 'We were able to win our case, and to get some justice for Natasha, because she was a disabled person as defined by the Equality Act. 'However, the lack of a more general duty of care means that many other students are still at risk and need to be protected. 'Families are also likely to find it very difficult to get justice if the student in question is not disabled. That just doesn't seem right.' In May His Honour Judge Alex Ralton, found the University had breached its duties under the Equality Act to make reasonable adjustments. Mr and Mrs Abrahart say that the lack of duty of care laws independent of the Equality Act limits protection for students - as it does not protect students without a disability. They are calling for a new law to be put in place to protect all students in higher education. Mr Abrahart, a retired university teacher, said: 'Although the judge in our case found that the university caused Natasha's death by discriminating against her, he said he couldn't find that the university was negligent because it didn't owe Natasha a "common law duty of care". 'This is liable to create confusion among students, universities and parents. There needs to be greater clarity on the duties universities owe to all students, particularly when providing support for mental health problems. 'This is not just about 'picking up the pieces' after something goes wrong. It is about acting with reasonable care and skill from the very start. 'We've repeatedly called on the University of Bristol to sit down with us, to learn from what happened to Natasha, and put in place the changes they need to make in order to keep students like her safe. 'But nobody seems to be listening, and our offer still hasn't been taken up. 'Given the current situation we feel the only way to improve student safety is for there to be clear laws and practices in place which universities need to be measured against.' The couple, from Nottingham, are among 25 bereaved families, who have come together and set up 'The LEARN Network'. They have launched a petition to create the first statutory legal duty of care for students in higher education. Advertisement

Bristol University seeks leave to appeal the Abrahart judgement Bristol University released a statement on Thursday, October 6, regarding the judgement. Read it in full below: The family of Natasha Abrahart, a 20-year-old Physics student who very sadly took her own life in April 2018, brought a civil action against the University of Bristol. A judgement, handed down on 20 May by His Honour Judge Ralton at Bristol County Court, found the University was not negligent, but deemed the adjustments made by the University for Natasha's academic assessment were insufficient. After carefully considering the judgement and its implications for the higher education sector, we will be seeking leave from the High Court to appeal the judge's finding that the University was in breach of the Equality Act. We would like to make it clear that this appeal is not against the Abrahart family, nor are we disputing the specific circumstances of Natasha's death. We remain deeply sorry for their loss and we are not contesting the damages awarded by the judge. In appealing, we are seeking absolute clarity for the higher education sector around the application of the Equality Act when staff do not know a student has a disability, or when it has yet to be diagnosed. We hope it will also enable us to provide transparency to students and their families about how we support them and to give all university staff across the country the confidence to do that properly. In Natasha's case, academic and administrative staff assisted Natasha with a referral to both the NHS and our Disability Services, as well as suggesting alternative options for her academic assessment to alleviate the anxiety she faced about presenting her laboratory findings to her peers. However the judgement suggests they should have gone further than this, although Natasha's mental health difficulties had not been diagnosed. Understandably, this has caused considerable anxiety as it puts a major additional burden on staff who are primarily educators, not healthcare professionals. Higher education staff across the country share our concern about the wider impact this judgement could have. Collectively, we are deeply concerned by the increase of mental health issues amongst our young people nationally, and are determined to do our very best to support any student who is struggling with their mental health through the provision of a wide range of services. At the same time, it is important that students and their families are clear on what universities can and cannot do, and that students receive appropriate specialist care under the NHS should they need it. Advertisement

Speaking after the ruling, her father, Mr Abrahart, a retired university lecturer, said: 'The University of Bristol broke the law and exposed our daughter to months of wholly unnecessary psychological trauma, as she watched her grades plummet, and her hopes for the future crumble before her eyes.'

Speaking previously about its intention to appeal, a University spokesperson said: 'Given the significant impact last month's judgement in relation to the death of Natasha Abrahart could have on how all higher education providers support their students, we continue to review the decision carefully, including whether to appeal.

'Having permission to appeal is a pre-condition to submitting any potential future appeal.

'By obtaining permission it means we can appeal if we eventually decide to do so. This application will not involve any detailed information, factual or legal submissions.'

This morning, Steve West, President of Universities UK and Vice-Chancellor of University of the West of England, spoke about new guidance for institutions regarding students' mental health.

Universities UK is advising institutions to contact parents if they have serious concerns about the student's mental health, even if the student at that time is not giving permission.

Students beginning their course would be asked to register a trusted contact, be it a parent, guardian, family member or friend, who can be contacted if a student is at 'high' risk.

Mr West told Radio 4 that contact would be made if a student is in 'serious distress' and the university has 'serious concerns', with the risk to the student judged as 'high'.

'This guidance gives us the confidence to reach out purposeful to involve family members, could be a parent could be a trusted friend, to come into the space with us to try and support the student,' he told Radio 4's Today programme.

He said that if the concern is 'significant and serious' the trusted person will be contacted and drawn in for the 'triangle of care' to help.

Responding to the guidance, Mr Abrahart, who has spent half of his working life as an academic at a university, called it a 'first step'.

'This plan has been in preparation for over a year now. It's definite a step in the right direction but its only a first step,' he told Radio 4.

'Recommendations have something like a 40 per cent uptake. Even those that do update them may not apply them properly because there's no requirement to do what it says on the tin.'

He said that the term 'serious concerns' could be ambiguous for staff.

'In a survey, most didn't understand what we meant by serious concerns,' he said. 'Its the threshold, the test which is being applied, which is difficult for a member of staff.

'The important question is, 'who's in charge of having these recommendations implemented?'

'Perhaps the regulator should be insisting, making it mandatory, that universities adopt these policies.'

Mrs Abrahart added: 'It just seems to happen very very slowly. We do need to get parents on board in the right way. What's really important is that staff feel confident and follow this guidance.

'Quite a few parents, sometimes they have permission, and they haven't been contacted.

'The important thing here is we're saving lives and doing the best we can.'

The Abraharts have joined 25 other grieving families in demanding the Government introduce new laws to protect students.

Mrs Abrahart said: 'While Natasha's needless death will always remain a tragic waste of life and something we'll never overcome, we've always been steadfast in our determination not to let it be totally in vain.

'We were able to win our case, and to get some justice for Natasha, because she was a disabled person as defined by the Equality Act.

'However, the lack of a more general duty of care means that many other students are still at risk and need to be protected.

'Families are also likely to find it very difficult to get justice if the student in question is not disabled. That just doesn't seem right.'

In May His Honour Judge Alex Ralton, found the University had breached its duties under the Equality Act to make reasonable adjustments to the way it assessed Ms Abrahart.

Mr and Mrs Abrahart now say that the lack of duty of care laws independent of the Equality Act limits protection for students - as it does not protect students without a disability.

They are now calling for a new law to be put in place to protect all students in higher education.

Mr Abrahart, a retired university teacher, said: 'Although the judge in our case found that the university caused Natasha's death by discriminating against her, he said he couldn't find that the university was negligent because it didn't owe Natasha a "common law duty of care".

'This is liable to create confusion among students, universities and parents. There needs to be greater clarity on the duties universities owe to all students, particularly when providing support for mental health problems.

'This is not just about 'picking up the pieces' after something goes wrong. It is about acting with reasonable care and skill from the very start.

'We've repeatedly called on the University of Bristol to sit down with us, to learn from what happened to Natasha, and put in place the changes they need to make in order to keep students like her safe.

'But nobody seems to be listening, and our offer still hasn't been taken up.

'Given the current situation we feel the only way to improve student safety is for there to be clear laws and practices in place which universities need to be measured against.'

The couple, from Nottingham, are among 25 bereaved families, who have come together and set up 'The LEARN Network'.

They have launched a petition to create the first statutory legal duty of care for students in higher education.

For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit local Samaritans.
He shot his wife and child before turning the gun on himself in the rampage

He fled in a white van, shooting bystanders and trying to run over people

The drug addict policeman who slaughtered 37 people in a bloodthirsty rampage at a Thai nursery had arrived after court to pick up his son and became 'stressed' when he realised the boy wasn't there, police have said.

Panya Khamrap, who later shot his son when he found him at home, killed 24 children in the horror massacre, forcing open a locked room decorated with animal pictures and cartoons to knife the sleeping youngsters to death.

Police said the 34-year-old, who had been kicked off the force earlier this year for possession of methamphetamine, appeared at court this morning on drugs charges before heading to the nursery to collect his child.

When he did not find his child there, he began the killing spree, police spokesperson Paisal Luesomboon said. 'He started shooting, slashing, killing children at the Utai Sawan daycare centre,' Paisal said.

He added: 'He was already stressed and when he couldn't find his child he got more stressed and started shooting.'

The killer, armed with a shotgun, a pistol and a meat cleaver, first shot dead multiple adults including an eight-months pregnant woman, before entering the children's room.

He continued the attack in nearby streets, shooting at bystanders and trying to run over panicked pedestrians as he fled in a white van which he torched at his home before killing his wife and his son and turning the gun on himself.

Dozens of blood-soaked bodies were scattered across the floor and grounds of the nursery and lined the roads and buildings outside in what is the deadliest mass killing in the country's history.

Rescuers carry a children's coffin at the Thai nursery in Nong Bua Lamphu province where dozens were slaughtered today

Rescue workers carry the body of shooter Panya Khamrap in a bodybag in the town of Uthai Sawan

Panya Khamrap (pictured) shot dead his wife and son at the end of his brutal rampage in Thailand

The scene at the daycare centre hours after the horrific massacre where dozens were killed

Among the dead are at least 24 children and multiple teachers after the brutal massacre carried out by a former policeman who then took his own life

Dozens of blood-soaked bodies were scattered across the floor and in the grounds outside the nursery

In total, 37 people have been killed. 24 bodies, including 19 boys, three girls and two adults were found at the nursery

A woman holds her head in her hands after surveying the scene at the children's daycare centre

The exterior of the children's daycare centre is seen after the attack today where dozens were slaughtered

Thai police officers inspect the scene of a mass shooting at a childcare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu province, northeastern Thailand

The suspect has been named by police as Panya Khamrap (pictured) who was fired from the force last year after failing a drugs test

Grieving relatives weep after hearing the news of the brutal killings which saw dozens killed in Thailand

Local residents queue up to donate blood to the survivors after an appeal from the hospital

A manhunt was launched after the massacre at the nursery but police could only arrive to find the shooter and his family already dead at his home

A grief stricken woman is comforted on the floor outside the nursery in the wake of the bloodbath

The massacre occurred in Nong Bua Lamphu, in the northeast of the Southeast Asian country

Ruamkatanyu Foundation's rescue workers load coffins containing the bodies of the dead children into a van

About 30 children were at the centre when the gunman arrived, fewer than usual, as heavy rain had kept many people away

In total, 37 people have been killed along with the shooter, including 24 children. 19 boys, three girls and two adults were found at the nursery. A further adult and young boy were killed outside the centre in a government office.

At the shooter's house, one boy and four adults were found dead, and another adult at a nearby building was also killed. Five further adults were taken to hospital where they were pronounced dead, and 10 more are being treated for injuries.

Khamrap was fired from the force last year after failing a drugs test for methamphetamine, and he appeared in court today prior to the shootings. He was known to be a frequent drug addict and was once caught with 100 pills in his possession, and officers believe he may have been on drugs today.

Police spokesperson Paisan Luesomboon told broadcaster ThaiPBS the gunman had been at a court hearing in connection with a drug case earlier on Thursday and had gone to the daycare centre to find his child, but the child was not there.

'He was already stressed and when he couldn't find his child he was more stressed and started shooting,' Paisan said.

A huge manhunt was launched after the massacre at the nursery but police could only arrive at the shooter's home to find his burned-out pickup truck and his family already dead inside.

About 30 children were at the centre when the gunman arrived, fewer than usual, as heavy rain had kept many people away, district official Jidapa Boonsom, who was working in a nearby office at the time, told Reuters.

The man first shot four or five staff, including a teacher who was eight months pregnant, Jidapa said.

'At first people thought it was fireworks,' she added.

'It's really shocking. We were very scared and running to hide once we knew it was shooting. So many children got killed, I've never seen anything like it.'

The gunman escaped in a white four-door Vigo pickup truck and the bumper fell off as he fled.

A teacher who survived the massacre at a nursery in Thailand told how the killer pointed the gun at her head but she climbed over a wall to escape.

She said: 'I knew it was a gun because I heard multiple gunshots, and then I saw him put in the bullets and point the gun at me.

'I called the teacher, and the teacher was hugging the child. He kicked the mirror and I climbed the walls and asked for help.

'He was inside the child centre for a long time. He used a knife and cut all the kids' heads. He was carrying a small gun.

He escaped in a white four-door Vigo pickup truck and the bumper fell off as he fled

The prime minister alerted all agencies to take action and apprehend the culprit (pictured)

A witness (pictured) said she heard multiple gunshots and saw the gunman kill her colleagues

Medical staff carry out a victim on a stretcher from an ambulance at the hospital in Nong Bua Lam Phu

A distraught woman is led away from the site of an attack at the daycare centre

'I didn't know he was going to kill the kids. I thought he was gonna come out but he stayed inside a long time. He used a knife and stabbed all the kids.

'He also stabbed a pregnant teacher. Only few months til she gives birth. He stabbed my staff. That's all I know.

Eyewitness Paweena Purichan, 31, was riding her motorcycle to her shop when she encountered the fleeing Panya driving erratically.

'He intended to crash into others on the road,' she told AFP.

'The attacker rammed a motorbike and two people were injured. I sped off to get away from him.'

'There was blood everywhere.'

Paweena said the attacker was well known in the area as a drug addict.

Panya was dismissed from the police force in January after being arrested for possession of pills known as Ya Ba containing meth and caffeine, and he had been previously reprimanded for repeated drug use.

He joined the Royal Thai Police in May 2012 and was moved to Na Wang in 2019 where he worked until his dismissal.

Former colleagues say he had frequent mood swings and was often shunned at work.

According to The Nation Thailand, he once drew his pistol at a bank manager who had complained after finding the officer asleep in a police car parked outside the bank when he was meant to be on guard while banknotes were being stocked.

Last year, he also had heated arguments with his wife over his alleged affair with a karaoke worker whose ex-boyfriend was a drug dealer.

The officer also verbally and physically assaulted a neighbour who confronted him about his noisy house parties.

People gather outside the daycare centre after the mass shooting in the town of Uthai Sawan

A pair of relatives comfort each other after the horrific massacre with children as young as two among the dead

Frantic family members wept and watched outside the nursery school building

Thailand forms part of Southeast Asia's so-called Golden Triangle which has long been an infamous hotspot for the trafficking and abuse of drugs.

Surging supplies of methamphetamine have sent street prices crashing in Thailand to all-time lows, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

The prime minister had alerted all agencies to take action and apprehend the culprit, a government spokesperson said, before they found his dead body.

PM Prayuth Chan-ocha said it was a shocking incident and sent condolences to the families of the victims.

He said: 'Concerning this horrifying incident... I would like to express my deepest sorrow and condolences to the families of the dead and injured.'

Police Major General Achayon Kraithong said the shooting happened in the town of Nongbua Lamphu early in the afternoon.

People stand around at the nursery in shellshock after the horrific killings

Khamrap was allegedly fired from the force after failing a drugs test, and was due in court tomorrow

National Police Chief Damrongsak Kittiprapat speaks with his police operation team after the attack

The mass killing comes less than a month after a serving army officer shot dead two colleagues at a military training base in the capital Bangkok.

While Thailand has high rates of gun ownership, mass shootings are extremely rare.

Official figures do not include huge numbers of illegal weapons, many of which have been brought in across porous borders over the years from strife-torn neighbours.

But in the past year, there have been at least two other cases of shooting murders by serving soldiers, according to the Bangkok Post.

In 2020, in one of the kingdom's deadliest incidents in recent years, a soldier gunned down 29 people in a 17-hour rampage and wounded scores more before he was shot dead by commandos.

That mass shooting, linked to a debt dispute between gunman Sergeant-Major Jakrapanth Thomma and a senior officer, triggered public anger against the military.

The soldier was able to steal assault rifles from an army depot before embarking on his killing spree, posting live updates on social media as he did so.

Military top brass were at pains to portray the killer as a rogue soldier.
U.S. California invests in preserving Chinese American history

Xinhua) 11:31, October 06, 2022

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Officials in the U.S. state of California on Tuesday joined community members in San Francisco's Chinatown to announce plans to restore and preserve the artifacts and oral histories of Chinese Americans.

California Assemblymember Matt Haney announced funding of 850,000 U.S. dollars to rehabilitate the Julia Morgan Dance Hall, a historical building where the Chinese Historical Society of America and its archives are housed.

The funds will also help digitize the archives and bolster augmented and virtual reality assets for museum programming.

Last year, Haney, then San Francisco supervisor, introduced a resolution to formally apologize to Chinese immigrants and their descendants for past racism and atrocities against the Chinese community.

With the unanimous passage of the resolution early this year, San Francisco became the fourth city in California to make such an apology, following Antioch, San Jose and Los Angeles.

"With the increase in AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) hate and violence here and all around the country, there's never been a more important time to tell the important history and contributions of the Chinese Americans who built this city," said Haney.

Justin Hoover, executive director of the Chinese Historical Society of America, said the funding would help establish a new digital learning center to transform the more than 20,000 pieces of artifacts into an augmented and virtual reality learning resource.

"Chinese Americans have helped make this country what it is today. I proudly supported this state investment because we must preserve that history to not only highlight our contributions but also provide learning opportunities that foster greater understanding amid Asian hate," said Assembly Budget Chair Phil Ting during Tuesday's announcement. 

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Bianji)




President Yoon Suk-yeol vowed Thursday to enhance the welfare and rights of veterans as he marked the 70th anniversary of a veterans association's founding.







Yoon attended the 70th anniversary ceremony of the Korean Veterans Association, which was established in 1952 during the Korean War as a reserve force. The ceremony was held two days ahead of Oct. 8 Veterans Day.







"The Korean Veterans Association has been a bastion of national security for the past 70 years," Yoon said in remarks at the gathering. "The government will work actively to enhance the welfare and rights and interests of veterans who dedicated their youth on the front lines of national security."







Yoon said the veterans have raised the nation's awareness of national security by strongly condemning those "denying the identity of the Republic of Korea," including those disputing the government's conclusion that North Korea was behind the 2010 torpedo attack on a South Korean warship.







He also referred to North Korea's "growing nuclear and missile provocations and threats" and the threat to freedom and human rights around the world caused by a nation "seeking to unilaterally change the status quo by force." (Yonhap)


Australian soldier fighting on frontlines for Ukraine says they are winning 'pretty much everywhere'

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An Australian soldier who travelled to Ukraine to take up arms against Russia's invasion said he felt compelled to join the fight against Vladimir Putin's army - but admitted he doesn't know if his actions were illegal.

The 40-year-old Queenslander, known only by his callsign 'Ninja', arrived in the war-torn country earlier this year and has been stationed on the frontline helping to liberate local towns claimed by the Russians.

He believes the tide is turning in Ukraine's favour - and despite suffering near-fatal wounds in recent gunfire, Ninja has no plans to return home.

'Ukraine was in trouble, they needed people to come and help, so we came and helped,' he told Nine News.

The 40-year-old Queenslander, known only by his callsign 'Ninja', arrived in the war-torn country earlier this year and has been stationed on the frontline helping to liberate local towns claimed by the Russians

Ninja, who is one of several Aussie vigilantes who joined the Ukrainian resistance, said recently their army had been 'winning pretty much everywhere', as Putin's stranglehold on the region weakens.

He was recently gravely injured in crossfire, suffering shrapnel wounds to the head, but has no immediate plans to return to Australia and says he doesn't know whether he has broken any laws travelling to fight.

'I've beat the odds once, so let's just see if I can do it again,' Ninja said.

The Queensland-born soldier is determined to remain in Ukraine until the war is over.

Meanwhile, 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.

Ninja, who is one of several Aussie vigilantes who joined the Ukrainian resistance, said recently their army had been 'winning pretty much everywhere', as Putin's stranglehold on the region weakens

Ukrainian soldier Viktor, 35, checks his heavy machine gun at a position along the front line in the Mykolaiv region earlier today

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

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 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

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.

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.
She was suspended for 16 months at Perth Sheriff Court yesterday afternoon

The woman admitted driving dangerously while three times over the limit

Mills slammed into six parked cars, worth more than 100,000, a court heard

A woman smashed seven cars during a drunken demolition derby before staggering out and throwing a punch at a witness.

Maria Mills downed around 40 measures of Baileys Irish Cream before driving off and crashing into parked cars worth more than 100,000.

The 39-year-old then attacked passers-by, as they removed her car keys to prevent further damage, by pushing one and trying to punch another.

The witnesses  who had seen her hit six cars as she careered along two streets from her front door  eventually had to pin her to the ground.

At Perth Sheriff Court, Mills admitted driving dangerously while more than three times over the limit in the city on February 5.

Maria Mills, 39, (pictured) was banned from driving for 16 months and ordered her to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the community at Perth Sherriff Court yesterday

She admitted crashing her Chevrolet Captiva into a Kia Ceed, a BMW 118, a Kia Rio, a Vauxhall Corsa, a Ford Puma and a Kia XCeed, damaging them all.

Mills also admitted pushing Kieran Bruce and trying to punch Lewis Carnduff.

Fiscal depute David Currie told the court yesterday that Millss partner had gone to her home at 11pm and found her to be under the influence of alcohol.

They had an argument and he left after seeing her pick up the car keys shortly before 1am and head outside to drive off.

Mr Currie said: He challenged her to stop her driving. He observed her leaving with the keys in her hands.

A neighbour down the street saw her start her vehicle and accelerate down the street.

They heard a loud bang and car alarms going off. A number of vehicles were damaged.

Mr Currie said the owners of three cars saw the damage caused by Mills shunting them before driving off.

General view of Perth Sheriff Court, Perth

He added: Witnesses heard the bang of another vehicle being damaged. They saw her vehicle on the pavement. They banged the window but she tried to drive off.

A witness was able to remove the keys from the ignition.

Mills lashed out at the witnesses and they had to restrain her on the ground until police arrived.

Police had received calls about Millss driving and they found her lying on the ground. Officers handcuffed her to take her to hospital and then to police HQ.

Solicitor Pauline Cullerton, defending, said: She is a first offender. Her mood was particularly low and she had consumed around one and a half bottles of Baileys.

She does recall being taken out of the vehicle and pinned to the ground. By that time she was in a state of distress. She regrets what she has done.

Sheriff Andrew Mackie banned Mills from driving for 16 months and ordered her to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.
The parents of a brain-damaged baby, who a nurse noticed trying breathe after doctors declared him dead four months ago, have lost their last-ditch appeal to keep him on life support.

The boy, known only as A and who will be six months old tomorrow, is in a specialist unit at a London hospital.

He was found unresponsive in June at two months old, and later declared brain-stem dead.

Doctors said his brain was starved of oxygen for over 30 minutes and he suffered 'devastating' brain damage.

The couple's lawyer said regarding the latest ruling: 'My clients and their family are understandably devastated.'

They had made written applications to the Court of Appeal in London and the European Court of Human Rights in France, but both bids had been rejected.

A High Court judge ruled that the five-month-old boy, known only as A, has no prospect of recovering and it was in his best interests to remove him from his ventilator and place him in palliative care. Pictured: The Royal Courts of Justice in London

A High Court judge recently ruled that ending the life-support treatment is lawful and in the five-month-old boy's best interests.

Mr Justice Poole, who reconsidered evidence at the latest in a series of hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London, said treatment is 'futile'.

Solicitor Amy Rowe, who represents the couple and works for law firm Dawson Cornwell, said appeal judges refused to overturn Mr Justice Poole's decision.

The couple lost an earlier High Court fight before successfully appealing on the basis they did not have lawyers to represent them.

Lawyers representing Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, which is responsible for the boy's care, had asked for decisions about what moves are in his best interests.

Lawyers representing Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, which is responsible for the boy's care, had asked for decisions about what moves are in his best interests

Specialists said the boy, who is on a ventilator, said he should be taken off it and given palliative care as he has no prospect of recovering from his 'catastrophic' injuries.

The boy's parents, who are Muslims of Bangladeshi origin, had begged the judge to give him more time to 'make progress' or for 'Allah to intervene'.

The judge was told the parents were interviewed by police after evidence suggested he suffered what appeared to be 'non-accidental injuries'.

No charges had been brought but the couple remained under investigation.

The boy was declared dead in June after doctors diagnosed him as brain-stem dead, the judge heard.

Mr Justice Hayden ruled earlier this year that doctors could lawfully stop providing treatment to the baby after a trial in the Family Division of the High Court in London

He remained on a ventilator because his parents were unhappy with the diagnosis and litigation had begun.

A nurse subsequently noticed him trying to breathe.

Another High Court judge, Mr Justice Hayden, had earlier decided that treatment should end.

The parents represented themselves at the trial, before appeal judges concluded that Mr Justice Hayden should have adjourned the trial to give them time to find lawyers.

Barristers Victoria Butler-Cole KC and Arianna Kelly, and Dawson Cornwell, represented the couple free of charge at the trial overseen by Mr Justice Poole.

Mr Justice Hayden has overseen a number of child life-support treatment cases in recent months.

In July, he ruled that doctors could lawfully stop providing life-support treatment to Archie Battersbee, who suffered brain damage in an incident at home in Southend, Essex, in April.

The 12-year-old died after his mother, Hollie Dance, and father, Paul Battersbee, failed in bids to overturn Mr Justice Hayden's ruling.

In July, Mr Justice Hayden ruled that doctors could lawfully stop providing life-support treatment to Archie Battersbee, who suffered brain damage in an incident at home in Southend, Essex, in April

The mother of a severely disabled five-year-old girl is currently embroiled in another High Court life-support treatment fight.

Doctors say ending treatment is in the youngster's best interests, but the girl's mother disagrees.

The Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, in London, has responsibility for her care and bosses have asked for a ruling on what moves are in her best interests.

Mr Justice Hayden began considering evidence at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court on Wednesday.

A judge is due to oversee a trial tomorrow.
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At least two people have been killed, five trapped, and several others injured including a three-year-old girl after Russian rockets slammed into the Ukrainian-held city of Zaporizhzhia overnight.

Seven Russian rockets struck the city overnight, destroying residential buildings including an apartment block which was cut in half as people slept inside - leaving many of them buried in the rubble.

The strikes, which Kyiv has said are a twisted kind of revenge by Putin's commanders for losses on the battlefield, came just hours after President Zelensky announced the liberation of more villages from Russian control.

Meanwhile Russian propagandists appeared to be laying the groundwork for more losses in the region - with one telling state news agency TASS that Kyiv's men are likely preparing to seize the Zaporizhizhia nuclear power plant after being trained for the raid by British special forces.

Firefighters extinguish a blaze in an apartment block in the city of Zaporizhzhia, in central Ukraine, after at least seven Russian rockets hit the city overnight - killing at least two people

Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze sparked by an exploding Russian rocket after it slammed into an apartment building in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia overnight

Fire crews search the rubble of an apartment building destroyed by Russian rockets in Zaporizhzhia, which has come under heavy bombardment as Putin's forces are pushed back on the battlefield

Ukrainian emergency crews help a wounded man out of an apartment block in the city of Zaporizhzhia, after it was destroyed by a Russian rocket that hit overnight

An injured man is carried away by emergency crews after being rescued from his destroyed apartment, with Ukraine saying that a three-year-old girl is also among the wounded

Ukrainian firefighters douse flames inside an apartment block that was partially destroyed by a Russian rocket strike on the city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, with more explosions heard there this morning

Ukraine accuses Russia of targeting civilians to sow terror and exact revenge as its war on Ukraine fails, while Moscow has denied deliberately killing innocents

Ukrainian firefighters prepare to search the rubble of a destroyed building in Zaporizhzhia, in central Ukraine, after it was hit by a Russian rocket strike overnight

Vladimir Rogov, chairman of the 'We Are Together with Russia' group that seeks to justify Putin's war, told the agency that: 'Ukraines special forces.. have been regularly trained for combat coordination with the goal of crossing the Dnieper [River] and landing on its bank to take a stronghold.

'No doubt, they are aiming at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.'

The plant is the largest in Europe and, though it shares a name with the city of Zaporizhzhia which is under Ukrainian control, it actually sits around 30 miles to the south in an area that Russia occupies.

Kyiv says Russia has stationed military units in and around the power plant including placing ammunition close to the reactors in what it has described as 'nuclear blackmail'.

Seizing back the power plant is almost certainly a key objective for Ukraine's generals in the south, who face the delicate task of doing so without triggering a meltdown that would blanket the nearby countryside in fallout.

Rogov added 'They have been making concerted efforts [at planning for an attack], the results of which, I am afraid, we may see soon.'

Zaporizhzhia is one of four regions that Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed in violation of international laws on Wednesday, and is home to a nuclear plant that is under Russian occupation. The city of the same name remains under Ukrainian control.

The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog is expected to visit Kyiv this week to discuss the situation at the Zaporizhzhia facility after Mr Putin signed a decree on Wednesday declaring that Russia was taking over the six-reactor plant.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called it a criminal act and said it considered the Russian leader's decree 'null and void', State nuclear operator Energoatom said it will continue to operate the plant.

Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, plans to talk with Ukrainian officials about the Russian move. He will also discuss efforts to set up a secure protection zone around the facility, which has been damaged in the fighting and seen staff including its director abducted by Russian troops.

Mr Grossi will travel to Moscow for talks with Russian officials after a stop in Kyiv.

Meanwhile, leaders from more than 40 countries are meeting in Prague on Thursday to launch a 'European Political Community' aimed at boosting security and prosperity across the continent, a day after 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'.

He did not specify which additional Ukrainian territories Moscow is eyeing, and would not say if the Kremlin plans to organise more of the 'referendums' in Ukraine that the Ukrainian government and the West have dismissed as illegitimate.

The precise borders of the areas Moscow is claiming remain unclear, but Mr Putin has vowed to defend Russia's territory - including the annexed regions - with any means at his military's disposal, including nuclear weapons.

Smoke rises from the ruins of an apartment building in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia after it was cut in half by a Russian rocket - with at least seven hitting the city overnight

Ukrainian firefighters use a cherry-picker to rescue residents of an apartment block after it was struck by a Russian missile in the early hours of Thursday morning

A painting of Christ is carried out of the ruins of a destroyed apartment block after Russian rockets struck the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, killing at least two

Rescuers work at the site of a residential building heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid their war in Ukraine

Firefighters, police and territorial defence soldiers help to sift through the ruins of an apartment building in the city of Zaporizhzhia, in central Ukraine, after it was struck by Russian rockets

A Ukrainian civilian is helped out of the ruins of a destroyed house in the city of Zaporizhzhia, in central Ukraine, after it was bombarded by Russian rockets overnight

A survivor of a Russian rocket attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia which destroyed several civilian buildings climbs to safety after firemen placed a ladder into the rubble

In his nightly video address, President Zelensky said the Ukrainian army recaptured three more villages in the Kherson region. Novovoskrysenske, Novohryhorivka, and Petropavlivka are all situated north-east of Kherson.

Ukrainian forces are seizing back villages in Kherson in humiliating battlefield defeats for Russian forces that have badly dented the image of a powerful Russian military and added to the tensions surrounding an ill-planned mobilisation. They have also fuelled fighting among Kremlin insiders and left Mr Putin increasingly cornered.

On Wednesday, 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 60 miles (100km) away.

The deputy head of the Ukrainian regional government, Yurii Sobolevskyi, said military hospitals are full of wounded Russian soldiers and that Russian military medics lack supplies. Once they are stabilised, Russian soldiers are being sent to Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

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 suffered 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 don't have anything yet. Everything is destroyed and pillaged, a complete disaster.'

In his nightly address, a defiant Mr Zelensky switched to speaking Russian to tell the Moscow leadership that it has already lost the war that it launched on February 24.

'You have lost because even now, on the 224th day of full-scale war, you have to explain to your society why this is all necessary,' he said.

He said Ukrainians know what they are fighting for.

'And more and more citizens of Russia are realising that they must die simply because one person does not want to end the war.'
A music teacher who was sacked for skipping a staff meeting at an independent prep school after finding out her mother had cancer has won a compensation fight over her wrongful dismissal.

Jacqueline Darryl Dumigan was sacked from her post of 24 years at The Mount School in Edgerton, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in December last year after failing to attend a 'non-optional' staff meeting.

The piano and singing teacher had emailed the owner of the 9,000-a-year school explaining that she couldnt make the meeting due to family commitments.

She was gathering with her siblings to discuss treatment and care for her 90-year-old mother who had recently been diagnosed with cancer.

However, Ms Dumigan, known to friends and family by her middle name Darryl, did not tell school director and owner Christopher Sellers the 'importance of her family gathering'.

Mr Sellers, who an employment tribunal heard already regarded Ms Dumigan as a 'difficult' staff member, emailed her back telling her 'resignation accepted'.

She subsequently sued The Mount School and an employment judge heard Mr Sellers argue she had been guilty of 'gross misconduct' for missing the meeting.

Jacqueline Darryl Dumigan (above) was sacked from her post of 24 years at The Mount School in Edgerton, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in December last year after failing to attend a 'non-optional' staff meeting

The piano and singing teacher had emailed the owner of the 9,000-a-year school (pictured) explaining that she couldnt make the meeting due to family commitments

But Employment Judge Jaleen, sitting in Leeds, has now upheld the music teachers damages claim for unfair and wrongful dismissal commenting that 'no reasonable employer would have dismissed Ms Dumigan'.

The tribunal heard that Ms Dumigan worked part-time, teaching singing and piano on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to four to 11-year-olds, at the 91-pupil preparatory school which Mr Sellers and his wife, Natalie, took over in 2017.

Friction had developed between Mr Sellers and Ms Dumigan at the school partly due to her boss wishing her to become self-employed 'given the time she has off and to allow her to manage her outside interests, which include a gin-making business'.

Ms Dumigans mini gin distillery, Jacqson Yorkshire Dry Gin, began in her daughters old bedroom at the family home in Netherton after Ms Dumigan was inspired to get mixing after attending a gin tasting with her son, Sam.

Soon afterwards she launched her brand, lovingly labelling and filling thousands of bottles, from her test-tube filled spare room.

In December 2021, an email was sent by Mr Sellers ordering all staff members to attend a meeting in the school on December 13 on a compulsory basis.

'Having read the email, the claimant told Mr Sellers that she was unable to attend the meeting as she was seeing her sister, who was travelling from a distance, and other family members on the day,' said the judge.

'The family gathering was to discuss treatment and care for the claimants 90-year-old mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer recently.

She was gathering with her siblings to discuss treatment and care for her 90-year-old mother who had recently been diagnosed with cancer

'The gathering itself had been planned some time ago and the claimant was unable to rearrange this.'

'She did not advise Mr Sellers of the importance of her family gathering,' he added.

'Mr Sellers responded to this email and advised the claimant that the meeting was not optional and she was required to attend for one hour.

'The claimant reiterated that she was unable to attend. Mr Sellers again stated by email that the meeting was not optional.

'On the following day 12 December 2021, the claimant again responded to Mr Sellers by email and told him that she was not free and was therefore unable to attend the meeting.

'Mr Sellers then sent an email stating "resignation accepted". The claimant responded to this and clarified that she had not resigned.

'However, she then received an email from Mr Sellers thanking her for "clearing up any avoidance of doubt".

'He went on to inform her that the email was formal notice that her employment was to cease.

'The claimant was told that she would be paid until the February half-term and was not required to attend school any further.'

However, Ms Dumigan, known to friends and family by her middle name Darryl, did not tell school director and owner Christopher Sellers the 'importance of her family gathering'

Mr Sellers, who an employment tribunal heard already regarded Ms Dumigan as a 'difficult' staff member, emailed her back telling her 'resignation accepted'

The tribunal heard there was a troubled background between the school director and Ms Dumigan who he labelled 'one of the most difficult members of staff I have worked with over four years'.

The pair had clashed over the music teachers working arrangements and Mr Sellers claimed she would have been slapped with written warnings long before had he 'followed the book'.

After a day-long hearing in Leeds, Employment Judge Jaleel ruled in her favour holding that Mr Sellers had produced no evidence to support his criticisms of Ms Dumigan who had an 'exemplary employment record'.

The judge ruled that 'no reasonable employer would have dismissed Ms Dumigan and her claim of unfair dismissal succeeds'.

He said: 'Mr Sellers decided to dismiss the claimant following her refusal to attend a staff meeting,' adding: 'Dismissal was outside the range of reasonable responses.'

The employment judge found that the school boss was 'intent on dismissing her' and added: 'In his own evidence Mr Sellers did not think that an investigation or hearing was necessary.

'He also stated that he did not confer or discuss the matter with anyone else as "I am the employer, the person that pays your wages, Im top of the line manager" as well as stating "I had enough of playing games".'

At the end of the hearing, the judge found that Ms Dumigans actions in missing the meeting were not gross misconduct and ordered that compensation for her dismissal should be assessed at a later date.
Leo Varadkar, Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister, today admitted the Northern Ireland Protocol is 'a little too strict' as hopes rise of an end to the row over post-Brexit trade rules.

Speaking in Dublin, Mr Varadkar made the admission as he noted there was a 'window of opportunity' over the next two weeks for the UK and EU to strike an agreement.

He acknowledged there was 'some room for further flexibility' in changing the Protocol, which is unpopular among unionists in Northern Ireland for causing trade disruption across the Irish Sea.

Mr Varadkar's comments added to a growing belief that a solution to the bitter Protocol row between the UK and EU could be found by the end of this month.

The UK Government is confident Brussels has now been convinced of 'how serious' the crisis in Northern Ireland could become without a breakthrough in the coming weeks.

One source said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had begun to 'get it'.

Liz Truss has been pushing ahead with legislation at Westminster to unilaterally scrap parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

But the Prime Minister has also recently restated her preference for a negotiated solution to the dispute over post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic are expected to meet in the next fortnight for Protocol talks.

The focus on reaching a deal has been increased by a looming deadline at the end of this month.

Fresh elections are due in Northern Ireland unless a new power-sharing government can be formed at Stormont before 28th October.

Leo Varadkar, Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister, admitted the Northern Ireland Protocol is 'a little too strict'

Allies of the PM are confident Brussels has now been convinced of 'how serious' the crisis in Northern Ireland could become without a breakthrough this month

A senior UK Government source told MailOnline that Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, was now 'getting it' over the seriousness of the crisis

Fresh elections are due in Northern Ireland unless a new power-sharing government can be formed at Stormont before 28th October

Mr Varadkar said today: 'We should not forget that the Protocol is working. It was designed to prevent a hard border between north and south, and there is no hard border between north and south.

'It was designed to protect the integrity of the (EU's) Single Market and it has, and also the Northern Ireland economy is outperforming the rest of the UK economically.

'But one thing that I would concede is that perhaps the Protocol, as it was originally designed, was a little too strict.

'The Protocol has not been fully implemented and yet it is still working.

'I think that, you know, demonstrates that there is some room for further flexibility for some changes that hopefully would make it acceptable to all sides.'

The DUP is currently blocking the functioning of Stormont institutions as part of their protest against the Protocol, which they believe threatens their position in the UK due to trade barriers across the Irish Sea.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris last month warned the prospect of a pre-Christmas election was not an 'idle threat'.

One senior UK Government source told MailOnline that Ms von der Leyen, the European Commission President, was now 'getting it' over the seriousness of the crisis in Northern Ireland.

We and (Irish Prime Minister) Micheal Martin have been double-teaming the EU on the need for quick progress,' they said.

The deadline is 28th October, we have to call elections after that. And that creates huge risk as no-one knows whether Sinn Fein would boycott them.

Even if the DUP manages to get more support then would Sinn Fein be willing to take deputy first minister after the Unionists refused?

Ursula von der Leyen didnt seem to understand how serious this could be but there are signs she is getting it now.

'There is a landing zone but we need to find it quickly.

The Protocol, which is designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, allows Northern Ireland to effectively remain in the EU's Single Market.

Both the UK Government and Unionists in Northern Ireland have attacked the 'bureaucratic' checks being imposed on goods moving across the Irish Sea.

Mr Cleverly and Mr Sefcovic held a 'good conversation' over the phone last week during which they agreed to meet for Protocol talks soon.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic are expected to meet in the next fortnight for Protocol talks

The Times reported fresh negotiations could see the UK Government give ground on its insistence the European Court of Justice has no role in policing the Protocol

The EU is also said to be ready to cede ground on checks on goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

An EU source told the newspaper: 'It is not in either sides interest to have this hanging over us when we have bigger issues to contend with where we need to be co-operating.

'Until we get into the details... we cant be certain that we can make it work, but there is a new willingness.'

Ireland's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney was due to meet Mr Cleverly for dinner in London tonight, while he and Mr Heaton-Harris will co-chair a British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference tomorrow.

Ahead of his trip to London, Mr Coveney said the 'mood music' over the Protocol row had 'changed quite fundamentally'.

'We will work on not only the relationships to rebuild trust, but also work on solutions in a practical way, and I think that process very much starts in earnest this week,' he added.
British rocket launchers helping Ukraine turn the tide against Russia have been seen in operation for the first time against Vladimir Putin's forces.

Britain handed Kyiv six M270 Multiple-Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) to aid Ukrainian forces in their fight again Moscow's invading troops.

Long-range missile systems, such as MLRS or High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) are credited as being game changers in helping Kyiv's recent military momentum, which has seen Russia lose control over vast swathes of Ukraine.

Britain handed Kyiv six M270 Multiple-Launch Rocket Systems (pictured) to aid Ukrainian forces in their fight again Vladimir Putin's invading troops

Footage captured by Sky News (pictured) showed missiles being launched from the MLRS, soaring through the sky. The target was a mobile Russian command post

Pictured: Russian vehicles are shown being struck by the missiles launched by the MLRS

Such weapons have been used to strike military bases, ammunition depots and columns of armoured vehicles from distance, crippling Moscow's capability to properly equip its soldiers and advance any further west.

'Thanks to these weapons, we've carried out really high priority missions,' an artillery unit commander told Sky News, who were given access to film the MLRS in action.

Footage captured by the broadcaster showed missiles being launched from the MLRS, soaring through the sky. The target was a mobile Russian command post, the Ukrainian artillery commander said.

He told Sky News that be believes around 30 percent of Ukraine's success in its on-going major counter-offensive in the east of the country is down to British and German-supplied rocket launchers.

'This is one of the key factors, which influenced the Russian army not just to retreat, but to run,' he told the broadcaster. In recent weeks, Kyiv's forces have surprised many with their rapid advance across the Kharkiv Region and into the Donbas - recapturing territory occupied illegally by Russia.

The commander said he and his men had recieved training on how to operate the MLRS in the UK, and thanked those who trained his unit 'because it was so powerful'.

He said within three days of returning to Ukraine, they were conducting missions.

Sky News did not disclose the names or location of the artillery unit for security purposes, but said they had been conducting 'fire missions' as part of Ukraine's advance towards the town of Lyman, which has since been liberated by Kyiv.

The MLRS was hidden in a tree-line with camouflage. Ukraine has a limited number of the highly-effective weapons systems, making them prize targets for Russian attacks

Pictured: The Ukrainian artillery crew are seen in footage driving to their fire focation

The missiles launched by the British MLRS are precision guided, and have a range of more than 50 miles. As such, they are very accurate - and reduce collateral damage

The broadcaster described the MLRS as a large green vehicle the size of a pick-up-truck, on a set of tracked wheels. Inside, it was akin to a mobile home - where the servicemen eat and sleep - every day, 24/7, for the last month-and-a-half.

It was hidden in a tree-line with camouflage. Ukraine has a limited number of the highly-effective weapons systems, making them prize targets for Russian attacks.

The missiles launched by the British MLRS are precision guided, and have a range of more than 50 miles. As such, they are very accurate - and reduce collateral damage.

By comparison, missiles fired by Russian artillery units - many of which use Soviet-era equipment - bombard targets with a barrage of rockets. This requires far more ammunition, and causes more damage and civilian causalities.

Sky News reporters were present for an operation. The artillery crew leapt into action upon receiving an order and drove the MLRS to the chosen spot.

With their target locked, the commander shouted 'fire' in English, before the crew again scrambled to move the MLRS back under cover - before any Russian units could learn of their position and launch a counter-strike.

This tactic has been nicknamed 'shoot and scoot' by American operators.

Footage from a drone showed the strike against the target - a grouping of Russian military vehicles. The missiles appeared to make a direct hit on some of the Russian targets. Other vehicles in the group scrambled away from the devastating blasts.

Britain's defence secretary announced that the UK would give Ukraine three MLRS on June 7. The number was later increased to six. Ukraine announced it had recieved the first of the MLRS on July 15 - coinciding with Kyiv's counterattack.

The United States has supplied HIMARS to Ukraine, after an initial reluctance to do so - saying such long-range systems could strike targets inside Russia and risk an escalation in the conflict.

Advanced weapons systems, such as MLRS or High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) are credited as being game changers in helping Kyiv's recent military momentum, which has seen Russia lose control over vast swathes of Ukraine.

Pictured: A High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is in operation during military exercises at Spilve Airport in Riga, Latvia, on September 26, 2022

Pictured: Remains of a destroyed Russian tank are scattered on the ground along the road between Izium and Kharkiv, recently retaken area of Ukraine, on Oct. 3, 2022

In the south of Ukraine, Kyiv's forces have pushed Russia back by 12 miles. Other dramatic footage has revealed the blistering pace of attacks that have sent Putin 's men fleeing for their lives.

Ukraine's offensive in Kherson - which has been grinding on for more than two months - entered a 'new phase' on October 2 with Kyiv's men advancing 12 miles down the Inhulets and Dnipro rivers, Britain's MoD said today.

Summing up three days of intense action in Kherson, British military intelligence said: 'Ukrainian units have pushed the front line forwards by up to 20km (12 miles).

Russian forces 'have typically broken contact and withdrawn' rather than stand and fight, the Ministry of Defence said, though added that Ukraine does not yet 'threaten the main Russian defensive positions'.

However, Putin's commanders have placed themselves in a difficult position, the MoD notes: To stay and defend the west bank of the Dnipro as Putin is thought to have ordered, or to retreat across the river to better positions on the other side.

It is thought there are up to 15,000 Russian soldiers currently on the west bank of the Dnipro, where Ukraine is attacking, with no easy way back across the river after Kyiv's men blew up the main bridges.

'Russia has committed the majority of its severely undermanned airborne forces, the VDV, to the defence of Kherson,' the MoD added.

'Russia has few additional, high quality rapidly deployable forces available to stabilise the front.

'It likely aims to deploy mobilised reservists to this sector.'

Ukrainian Humvees donated by the US are filmed racing across a battlefield as they attack Russian lines in Kherson, amid a major counter-offensive

A Ukrainian armoured vehicle opens fire on Russians (left) while Russian armour sits abandoned in the middle of a road as Kyiv's troops surge forward

Ukrainian troops advance across open country after pushing Russia back (left) as smoke rises over a modified buggy with what appears to be a Second World War machine gun on its roof

Relying on Western-supplied weapons, Ukraine has followed up on last month's gains in the northeastern Kharkiv region by pressing deeper into occupied areas and forcing Russian troops to withdraw from the city of Lyman, a key logistical hub.

The Ukrainian army has also unleashed a broad counteroffensive in the south, capturing a string of villages on the western bank of the Dnieper River and advancing toward the city of Kherson.

The Ukrainian gains in the Kherson region followed relentless strikes on the two main crossings over the Dnieper that made them unusable and forced Russian troops on the western bank of the Dnieper to rely exclusively on pontoon crossings, which also have been repeatedly hit by the Ukrainians.

Phillips P. O'Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews, predicted more Russian failures in Kherson, noting that it's 'hard to stabilize a line when your logistics are stretched, your troops are exhausted and your opponent is much, much smarter.'

Pressed against the wide river and suffering severe supply shortages, Russian troops face a looming defeat that could set the stage for a potential Ukrainian push to reclaim control of the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

Military reporters and bloggers embedded with Russian troops in Ukraine have painted a bleak picture of an ill-equipped and poorly organized force under incompetent command.

With the war in its eighth month, the Russian military suffers from an acute shortage of personnel, lack of coordination between units and unstable supply lines.

A collapse of Russian frontlines in Kherson has seen the Russian frontline fall back by around 12 miles in recent days

Ukraine is also gaining ground in Kharkiv and Donetsk regions in the north of the country, aiming to push into neighbouring Luhansk

Many Russian units also have low morale, a depressed mood that contrasts sharply with Ukraine's well-motivated forces.

Unlike the Ukrainian military, which has relied on intelligence data provided by the U.S. and its NATO allies to select and strike targets, the Russian army has been plagued by poor intelligence.

When Russian intelligence spots a Ukrainian target, the military engages in a long process of securing clearance to strike it, which often drags on until the target disappears.

Russian war correspondents particularly bemoaned the shortage of drones and noted that Iranian-supplied drones have not been used for maximum effectiveness due to the poor selection of targets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to the Ukrainian counteroffensive by ordering a partial military mobilization, which aims to round up at least 300,000 reservists to beef up forces along the 1,000-kilometer front line in Ukraine.

At the start of the invasion, Ukraine declared a sweeping mobilization, with a goal of forming a 1 million-member military. Russia until that moment had tried to win the war with a shrinking contingent of volunteer soldiers.

The U.S. put the initial invading force at up to 200,000, and some Western estimates put Russian casualties as high as 80,000 dead, wounded and captured.

While the hawkish circles in Moscow welcomed the mobilization as long overdue, hundreds of thousands of Russian men fled abroad to avoid being recruited, and protests flared up across the country, raising new challenges to the Kremlin.

Fresh recruits posted images showing them being forced to sleep on the floor or even in the open air.

Some reported being handed rusty weapons and told to buy medical kits and other basic supplies themselves. In a tacit recognition of supply problems, Putin dismissed a deputy defense minister in charge of military logistics.

Vladimir Putin declared four regions in Ukraine to be part of Russia in a major speech last week, but has since lost ground in three of them

The mobilization offers no quick fix for Russia's military woes. It will take months for the new recruits to train and form battle-ready units.

Putin then upped the ante by abruptly annexing the occupied regions of Ukraine and voicing readiness to use 'all means available' to protect them, a blunt reference to Russia's nuclear arsenal.

In an unprecedented sign of infighting in the higher echelons of the government, the Kremlin-backed regional leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, has scathingly criticized the top military brass, accusing them of incompetence and nepotism.

Kadyrov blamed Col. Gen. Alexander Lapin for failing to secure supplies and reinforcements for his troops that led to their retreat from Lyman.

He declared that the general deserves to be stripped of his rank and sent to the front line as a private to 'wash off his shame with his blood.'

Kadyrov also directly accused Russia's top military officer, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, of covering up Lapin's blunders - a pointed attack that fueled speculation that the Chechen leader might have forged an alliance with other hawkish members of the Russian elite against the top military leadership.

In a blunt statement, Kadyrov also urged the Kremlin to consider using low-yield nuclear weapons against Ukraine to reverse the course of the war, a call that appeared to reflect the growing popularity of the idea among the Kremlin hawks.

In a show of continuing support for Kadyrov, Putin promoted him to colonel general to mark his birthday, a move certain to anger the top brass.

And while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Kadyrov's statement as overly emotional, he strongly praised the Chechen leader's role in the fighting and his troops' valor.

In another sign of intensifying dissent at the top, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a millionaire businessman dubbed 'Putin's chef,' lashed out at the governor of St. Petersburg, charging that his failure to provide assistance for Prigozhin's Wagner private security company amounts to supporting Ukraine.

Some other members of the Russian elite offered quick support for Kadyrov and Prigozhin, who have increasingly served as frontmen for the hawkish circles in Moscow.

Retired Lt. Gen. Andrei Gurulev, a senior member of the lower house of Russian parliament, strongly backed the Chechen leader, saying that the Russian defeat in Lyman was rooted in the top brass' desire to report only good news to Putin.

'It's a problem of total lies and positive reports from top to bottom,' he said.
Another train strike will decimate services on Saturday, ruining the weekend for anyone attempting to travel.

Only about 20% of normal train services will run through the industrial action by workers, Network Rail said.

It came after strikes this morning led to chaotic delays for many workers.

Around half of the network will be closed all day and trains will only operate between 7.30am and 6.30pm.

Passengers are being urged to 'only travel by train if absolutely necessary'.

More than 40,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at Network Rail and 15 train operating companies will walk out on Saturday in a row over jobs, pay and conditions.

Services will start later than normal on Sunday morning as workers return to duties.

John Michael Whelan, General Secretary of the British trade union ASLEF joins picket line outside Euston railway station yesterday

The second of the three days rail strike action in October by industrial action by Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen

Tim Shoveller, Network Rail's chief negotiator, said: 'Despite our best efforts to compromise and find a breakthrough in talks, rail unions remain intent on continuing and co-ordinating their strike action.

'This means railway staff forgo even more of their pay unnecessarily, passengers' lives are disrupted once again and the railway's recovery from the pandemic is further damaged.

'We're asking passengers who want to travel this Saturday to only do so if absolutely necessary.

'Those who must travel should expect disruption and make sure they check when their last train will depart.'

Daniel Mann, director of industry operations at the Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail companies, said: 'These strikes continue to disrupt leisure travellers, shift workers and undermine the many businesses who are struggling with rising costs and reduced footfall.

'Further action by the RMT and TSSA (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association) leadership will only damage the railway's recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Passengers at Kings Cross railway station faced a limited service on the second of the three days rail strike action in October

Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) and National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) will cause further chaos on Sunday.

'We want to give our people a pay rise, but we need the leadership of trade unions to make a commitment to reform, which is how we can improve services and deliver a fair deal for our people, passengers and for taxpayers.'

Passengers are advised to check National Rail Enquiries or their train operator's website for updates.

People with a ticket for Saturday whose journey is cancelled or rescheduled are entitled to a refund.

Alternatively, they can travel either on Friday or another day up to and including Tuesday October 11.

Season ticket holders are entitled to compensation through the delay repay scheme.

It comes as it was revealed Network Rail's striking maintenance staff earn nearly a fifth more than workers doing comparable roles, according to analysis.

Rail regulator the Office of Rail and Road commissioned independent consultants to establish whether employment costs for more than 64,000 railway workers are higher or lower than 'market comparators'.

The study found that total reward - which includes pension costs and other measurable benefits - for maintenance workers at Network Rail is '18% above the market median'.

The analysis also found that station staff employed by train operators are paid '12% above market median'.

Total reward for Network Rail workers who are not maintenance staff is 'largely within market rates', while operational management at train companies are paid 11% below those in comparable roles.

Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, said: 'Our staff play a vital role delivering services for millions of passengers and, as the ORR's report found, we provide a competitive package in line with market rates to reward and attract the best talent.

'As a public sector body, we balance this with the need to spend public money sensibly.'

The Government's Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail published in May last year asked the ORR to commission the study.

It is the first time such analysis has taken place.

Will Godfrey, the ORR's director of economics, finance and markets, said the report is 'a good first step in improving transparency'.

He went on: 'The complexity of rail pay arrangements can make it difficult for companies to produce data and to also make comparisons on a consistent basis.

'Particularly when the study depends on being able to find suitable comparators for rail jobs, which is easier for some types of jobs than others.

'The findings have identified areas where train operating companies and Network Rail can undertake further analysis of pay structures.

'We will now consider in consultation with industry the scope to update and refine this dataset.'
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The horrifying moment three smartly-dressed 'have-a-go heroes' are stabbed while reportedly trying to stop a mugging gang on electric bikes snatching a worker's phone can be seen in images of a shocking City of London incident as police hunt two suspects.

Three people were stabbed and a further person injured after being 'pushed to the floor' in a bloodbath on the streets of the capital this morning as witnesses said they tried to prevent a theft.

A mass emergency response has been seen outside the City of London's tallest building near Liverpool Street Station as multiple ambulances and police cars rushed to the scene.

Footage shows a scuffle on the road by the 22 Bishopsgate skyscraper with smartly dressed workers seemingly being violently pushed to the ground. Four police vehicles and four ambulance vehicles were seen arriving at the scene.

Reports from eyewitnesses suggest that two thieves on electric bikes attempted to steal a worker's mobile phone before passers-by bravely got involved in an attempt to prevent it.

The two suspects, said to be wearing balaclavas, then reportedly attacked those trying to intervene. Locals said that the area is 'not safe anymore' for members of the public.

Images emerged in the aftermath of the stabbing showing blood on the pavement and a victim being treated by ambulance crews.

It is the latest incident in a scourge of knife crime and stabbings across London and more widely in the UK. 11,829 knife-related offences have been recorded in the last 12 months in the capital alone, without including figures from the City of London. This is up 10 per cent on the equivalent figure for the previous 12 months.

Meanwhile the number of mobile phone thefts has risen by almost 62 per cent in the last 12 months, according to data from the Metropolitan Police.

Rival gangs have been responsible for recent high-profile murders, including 17-year-old Levi Ernest Morrison, who had autism and was murdered in south London last year.

It comes just a month after a 100-person brawl broke out at a birthday party in east London after a gang wielding machetes stormed the event. 17-year-old Shea Gordon was killed in the attack.

Three Metropolitan Police officers were also injured in a vicious stabbing in broad daylight in Leicester Square last month, but luckily survived.

The horrifying moment three smartly-dressed 'have-a-go heroes' are stabbed while reportedly trying to stop a mugging gang on electric bikes snatching a worker's phone

Forensic investigators begin their investigations after a mugging reportedly went wrong and ended in three people taken to hospital

Here one of the suspects can be seen grappling with a passer-by in the moments before the three victims were stabbed

Here one of the heroes, wearing a red jacket, can be seen lying on the ground in the moments after the attack

Ambulance crews can be seen treating two people who were injured in the botched robbery attempt

The incident earlier this morning saw four people injured, of which three remain in hospital, thought to be the stabbing victims

White screens were quickly erected at the site to hide the victims from view while they received roadside treatment

Blood, paramedics' medical bags and items of clothing could all be seen left behind at the scene after the incident

Paramedics rushed to the scene after being called at 9.52am this morning, just six minutes after the incident began

Reports on social media suggest that three people have been stabbed on Bishopsgate in central London

A large area of Bishopsgate has been cordoned off and police remain at the scene as investigations begin

Pictures from the scene show police and paramedics at work after the bloodbath, which is thought to be the result of an attempted theft

A policeman patrols at the scene of the stabbings as the City of London force says the attack is not thought to be terror-related

Police guard a crime scene on Bishopsgate following the incident earlier this morning, which saw four people taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries

Blood is seen on the pavement on Bishopsgate after a vicious attack on the streets of London this morning

The City of London police said at the time: 'We are aware of an incident this morning on Bishopsgate.

'Our officers are at the scene and London Ambulance are in attendance. A cordon is currently in place.'

They later added: 'We received reports of three stabbings and a person pushed to the floor on Bishopsgate at 9.46am and officers arrived at the scene at 9.51am.

'Three victims were taken by London Ambulance Service to a nearby hospital to be treated; they do not have life-threatening injuries.

'Two suspects are being sought as part of the ongoing investigation related to an attempted phone theft and the incident is not being treated as terror-related.

'Stopping phone thefts and bringing perpetrators to justice is a priority for City of London Police. The number of phone snatches is down, due to focused effort including working with colleagues in the Metropolitan Police Service last week to make several arrests.'

No arrests have been made at this time, MailOnline understands, and police are actively seeking two suspects.

A cordon, which is about 50 metres long, is being guarded by seven officers with City of London Police.

Inside the police tape, medical kits and clothing can be seen spread out on the ground in small piles.

The building of 22 Bishopsgate is open and workers can be seen entering and leaving the premises.

The owner of a nearby shop said: 'A guy tried to grab someone's phone. People heard screaming and they tried to stop him, but then he punched one guy who fell on the floor.

'Four other guys tried to stop him and he stabbed them. When he saw those four guys he took a knife out his pocket and started stabbing.'

He added: 'The police arrived 10 or 15 minutes after, but by then he had run off. There are cameras all outside here that must have seen him.

'The financial area is not safe anymore. Last Saturday, teenage boys attacked my uncle in a shop.'

An eyewitness has said he saw two or three teenagers on bicycles watching a middle-aged man before they grabbed him during a phone snatch robbery in the city of London.

He described the knifeman as wearing a mask.

The worker, who asked not to be named, said: 'I saw two or three teenagers on bicycles and they were following this middle-aged man, around 40 to 50, who was smartly dressed.

'The next thing I saw was this teenager grabbing this guy, this middle-aged man. Things escalated so quickly.

'Pedestrians got involved and they were trying to help the middle-aged man. I heard lots of screams and shouts.

'The next minute, a man on a white moped saw what happened and jumped off, and got himself involved.

'There was a fight with these teenagers. Out of nowhere, the guy on the moped got stabbed. The middle-aged man was already on the floor at this point after he got stabbed and another pedestrian got hurt too, his head was hurt. The teenagers then just took off.'

He added: 'The knifeman was wearing a mask', describing it as a fleece mask which people wear to keep warm.

Another eyewitness said that two of those stabbed were delivery drivers and the suspects ran off in the firection of Liverpool Street Station, although that has not been officially confirmed.

Police officers carry out investigations outside 22 Bishopsgate in the City of London after the attack in broad daylight

One MailOnline reader, who did not want to be named, said his wife works near where the incident occurred and was on her way into the office as it happened.

'The fourth guy 'pushed to the ground' was actually punched in the face by one of the muggers,' he said.

'He didn't go to hospital but went home from work as his face was bruised badly and he was shaken,' adding that there was 'lots of blood on the ground'.

Forensic teams in white suits could be seen combing the area for clues and taking photographs of the area where the victims were stabbed.

London Ambulance said in a tweet: 'We were called at 9:52am today to reports of a stabbing in Bishopsgate.

'We sent a number of resources - three ambulance crews, two advance paramedics, two incident response officers and our Tactical Response Unit.

'Our crews treated four patients. Three were taken to hospital and one discharged.'

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he is 'working with' the City of London police and he was given 'un update straightaway.'

He told Bauer Media that there was 'good news' due to it not being terror-related and the three stabbing victims not being in a life-threatening condition.

'It's a reminder of the dangers of carrying a knife... I'm not complacent at all. I think it's important to be tough on policing and be tough on the complex causes of crime.'

He said that London has seen a reduction in knife crime injuries and a reduction in the number of teenage homicides in the city so far this year.

Parts of the scene were left in disarray after paramedics rushed to treat the victims and get them to a local hospital

22 Bishopsgate is believed to be the tallest building in the City of London and houses multiple law firms and insurance brokers

Images online showed a large police and ambulance response to the incident

Lawless London: Three stabbed in suspected phone snatch robbery as 9,000 phone robberies reported in the last year alone Three people have been stabbed as members of the public tried to intervene in a suspected phone snatch robbery in central London. A group of two or three masked knifemen attacked a pedestrian just before 10am in Bishopsgate on Thursday, witnesses reported. According to data from the Metropolitan Police, which does not include figures from the City of London, 11,829 knife-related offences have been recorded in the capital in the last 12 months alone. This is up 10 per cent on the equivalent figure for the previous 12 months. The number of mobile phone thefts has risen by almost 62 per cent in the last 12 months. There have been more than 9,000 phone robberies reported to police in London in the last 12 months. This is on top of 37,150 thefts. Today's incident took place within the City of London, which is out of the London Mayor Sadiq Khan's jurisdiction - but he said he is 'working with' City of London police. Advertisement

The exact cause of the incident remains unclear but reports online suggest it could have been triggered by a row over an attempted theft.

Witnesses have reported seeing two suspects in balaclavas on electric bikes who attempted to steal someone's phone.

Passers-by leapt into action to stop the theft outside the impressive 22 Bishopsgate sky scraper, which is the tallest building in the City of London, shortly before 10 am.

There have been more than 9,000 phone robberies reported to police in London in the last 12 months. This is on top of 37,150 thefts.

This data does not include the City of London.

Companies in the building include insurance firms Hiscox and Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Limited, as well as law firms such as Cooley LLP and Covington & Burling LLP.

Police have so far ruled out terrorism. They added that a video, which was widely shared on social media and claimed to be footage of the attacker being arrested, was completely unrelated to the incident.

A news agent described how a City of London worker appealed for help after his phone was snatched by two members of a motorcycle mugging gang.

Sayeed Dukanwala, 53, told MailOnline: 'I was in the shop and I heared shouting. There was a man crossing the road who said that his phone had been stolen.

'Then I saw four or five people fighting. There were two boys with helmets and balaclavas on. And there were some smartly dressed people fighting with them. Then I saw one smartly dressed man was lying in his back with paramedics treating him.'

A police source told MailOnline: 'The incident appears to be an attempted phone snatch.

'Three members of the public intervened and were injured. One person was stabbed and two were slashed. However, their injuries are not life-threatening.'

He added: 'There does not appear to be any link to terrorism.'

Sayeed Dukanwala, owner of a newsagents right next to the scene, witnessed the incident outside 22 Bishopsgate as it unfolded on Thursday morning.

'Something happened to me last weekend, someone hit me with the bottle inside my shop. This area is very unsafe, it's very scary.'

Charlotte Wright, 26, an administrator from Colchester who works nearby to the scene, has said she felt scared after hearing about the stabbing in Bishopsgate.

She was walking to work when she saw the emergency services rushing to the scene.

Ms Wright said: 'I was walking into my office at about 9.45am and saw a load of ambulances coming by me, which was unusual.

'I heard a bunch of police cars too. It wasn't until it got close to my building and I saw all the blue lights and I realised that's where they were heading to. There was a crowd around the area. It seemed like a sombre atmosphere, there was a lot of chatting and confusion. My brother then sent me an article explaining what had happened, and I realised what I saw.'

She added: 'When I got the text from my brother, I thought 'Oh my God, that's way more serious than I could have imagined'.

'I feel a bit apprehensive and scared coming out to get my lunch, but also pretty secure and safe. I know London is a very busy city and I know that if anything were to happen, unfortunately like the guys that stepped in during this incident, there are heroes willing to do that.'

Asked by reporters whether London was safe under the leadership of Mayor Sadiq Khan, Sir Keir Starmer, said: 'I saw the news of the stabbings coming through and obviously, that's deeply concerning for all of us.

'Our thoughts have to be with victims and all of those affected.

'I do think we need a joint response to all of this, to make sure we lower the crime levels across London. That is a joint and shared responsibility.

'But there is no getting away from the fact that over the last 12 years, this Government has cut the number of police officers.

'Yes, they're putting some of them back now, but they haven't been replaced the ones they've taken away.

'I don't think the Government can simply say this is somebody else's fault, all routes lead back to the Government.

Andrea Silva told The Metro: 'I did not see it happen. I saw from a bus.

'There was a fair amount of blood visible but the casualties were behind a white screen.

'Lots of paramedics over someone on the floor. That is all I saw.'

A second eyewitness told the Evening Standard that casualties were 'hidden behind a white screen.'

Pictures from the scene show abandoned London Ambulance medical kits as the victims were rushed to hospital.

Another tweeted: 'Just saw about four badly injured people on the side in the road by Bishopsgate going by on the bus.'

Reports say the incident lasted around two minutes and took place just a few hundred metres from a police station.

Local MP Nickie Aiken said: 'Concerned to learn of the incident in Bishopsgate. I'm in contact with City Police for updates.

'My thoughts are with all those involved including the first responders.'

As the incident took place within the City of London, this is out of the London Mayor Sadiq Khan's jurisdiction.

A spokesperson at 22 Bishopsgate said: 'We are aware of a distressing incident that took place this morning on Bishopsgate, in the vicinity of our building, and our security team provided the police and emergency services with any necessary support while they were on site.

'We immediately carried out a dynamic risk assessment that determined there was no direct threat to the building and therefore have not locked down the building or prevented access to entrances.'

This latest incident is one of many horrific stabbings in England in recent weeks. A 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Gateshead.

Talented footballer Tomasz Oleszak had moved to the UK from Poland 'for a better life' as a 'shy' six-year-old.

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.

On Monday, two burglars were sentenced to life in prison after they stabbed a cannabis father to death and wounded his brother in a botched raid to steal 200 plants.

The attack took place in Hounslow, west London in March last year.

And a 16-year-old boy filmed himself stabbing a 15-year-old schoolboy to death last June, and has since been jailed for at least 13 years.

Meanwhile just last week Zasheem Kane Ontre Moses was fatally stabbed on Tottenham High Road in London. Zasheem, 19, died in the arms of paramedics before he could be taken to hospital.

This story is being updated.

*Do you know those involved? Email elizabeth.haigh@mailonline.co.uk *
The sister of Jessica Lawson, the 12-year-old girl who drowned while on a school trip to France, has said someone must be held responsible for her death after three teachers were cleared of all wrongdoing.

Jessica, a student at Wolfreton School, Willerby, died while swimming in a lake near the city of Limoges in July 2015. The teachers on the school trip were accused of manslaughter by gross negligence.

Prosecutors had called for Steven Layne, Chantelle Lewis and Daisy Stathers to be jailed for three years. On Wednesday, they were found not guilty.

Jessica's elder sister Hannah Davison, 33, has now spoken of the family's devastation at the verdict, saying that her family didn't get the answers they wanted.

'We hoped that this would be the week that we finally had some answers and were able to begin the process of moving on with our lives but that hasn't happened, which is impossible to accept,' she said.

Jessica, a student at Wolfreton School, Willerby, died while swimming in a lake near the city of Limoges in July 2015. Three teachers accused of negligence over her death were cleared on Wednesday. Pictured: Last picture of Jessica with her sister Hannah (left) and Polly (middle)

'Until someone is held accountable for Jessica's death we will never be able to process what happened to her. It simply can't be the case, in those circumstances, that a young girl with her whole life ahead of her died and it's no one's fault.'

Her parents Tony and Brenda Lawson had hoped the trial of the three East Yorkshire teachers would bring answers to the question that had been haunting them for seven years: how and why did their daughter die.

The devastated parents were seen in floods of tears on the steps outside the Palais de Justice in the French town of Tulle after the verdict was delivered on Wednesday. Tony, overcome with grief, had immediately walked out of the courtroom as the teachers were acquitted.

'My parents are broken, completely devastated and their lives will never be the same again,' Ms Davison said. 'But with a different verdict from this case at least they could have started to make some sense of it. With a verdict and some answers you can then begin to put things in place to make sure it doesn't happen again.

'But when the court declares 'no one's to blame, it's just one of those things' you can't do that,' she continued.

Ms Davison said that has her own children now - aged five and seven - who go to school in the same authority. 'How could I ever send my kids on a school trip? How could I ever trust anyone with the care of my children when I'm not there?

'All parents at some time or another have to hand over the care of their children to professional people and we need the confidence everything is in place that possibly could be in place to ensure they are safe.

'This was not the case for Jessica. Over in France the local mayor had been made aware that the pontoon needed to be secured in a very particular way and it wasn't.'

Jessica, who was the youngest child on the trip from Wolfreton School in Willerby, near Hull, became trapped after a pontoon capsized. More than 20 children had climbed on to the orange plastic platform, which was designed for less than half that number when it collapsed, flipping over as it did so.

'There were too many children on the pontoon and it took too long for anyone to notice Jessica was missing,' Ms Davison said.

'You had a young lifeguard on duty who had not only the children to watch but other holidaymakers who were visiting the lake, that's a lot of people.'

Tony and Brenda Lawson - the parents of 12-year-old British girl Jessica Lawson - were left in floods of tears yesterday after three British teachers accused of manslaughter were cleared of wrongdoing. Pictured: Tony is comforted by family outside the Palais de Justice in Tulle

Brenda and Tony Lawson pictured with their daughter Jessica before her tragic death in Limoges, France

Hannah is also furious with East Riding Council, who she says have never shown support to the family. She said: 'My children go to school in the same local authority area. How can I trust they will be kept safe when they are away from me. I know for certain they will never be going on any school trips run by that authority.

Ms Davison said that while the lives of those on trial would go back to normal, that would never be the case for her family - especially her parents, who moved to Portugal to escape from the 'constant reminders' of what happened.

'The teachers will now go back to their jobs after the case. They've never even been the subject of an internal disciplinary procedure. Everyone else's lives will return to normal apart from ours, as a family we're further away from understanding the truth than we've ever been.

'My Dad and Brenda moved to Portugal because they couldn't bear to be around the constant reminders of what happened, it ruined their lives. We'll be flying out to see them next week and will decide then how to move forward with this because we have not seen the closure we desperately wanted.'

The Hull solicitor representing Tony and Brenda Lawson said earlier today they were left disappointed with the outcome. Now, the family is considering a 'civil appeal'.

'The family are absolutely devastated,' said Stephen Orridge, of Pepperells Solicitors in Hull. 'They were hoping to get a number of answers from the last two days and in reality, I don't think they've got those answers.'

Teachers (left to right) Daisy Stathers, Chantelle Lewis and Steven Layne sit in the Palais de Justice yesterday before the verdict was announced

Teachers Steven Layne (left) and Chantelle Lewis (centre) are pictured leaving Palais de Justice, Tulle, central France, after they where found not guilty yesterday

Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, Mr Orridge added: 'It was an unexpected outcome, in my personal opinion. We will continue working with the Lawsons to get them some sort of answers and justice.'

Writing on the Jessica Lawson Foundation Facebook page on Thursday, Brenda Lawson said: 'No win, no lose, no draw. Enough is enough.

'We, as a family stand proud & remain united. A closeness borne from our tragedy. A closeness that continues to gain its strength from our guiding light.

'Her name is and continues to be Jessica Lawson.'

Mrs Lawson continued: 'Over the past two days the world media has 'said her name'.

'And, that for our family is ok. Unconditional love is a powerful thing. Immeasurable.

'I am Brenda Lawson, I am Jessica's mum. She is my baby girl. No court in any land can take that away from me... ever.'

Minutes from tragedy: The schoolchildren are seen playing on the pontoon in a lake near Limoges in July 2015 shortly before it capsized. Jessica became trapped in the water and drowned after teachers and a lifeguard failed to spot her

Jessica Lawson (pictured), 12, died when a pontoon capsized in a lake near Limoges in July 2015

Giving her verdicts through a translator yesterday, Marie-Sophie Waguette, the head of jurisdiction in Tulle, said: 'With regard to the teachers, Mr Layne, Miss Lewis and Miss 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. The area was being surveyed by the lifeguard, the lifeguard was present, the flag was green.'

Miss 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.'

Miss Waguette said the court knew a time period of between five and ten minutes had elapsed between the platform overturning and the lifeguard recovering Jessica from the water.

'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.'

Jessica, the youngest pupil in her class, tragically drowned during a five-day school trip to France on July 21, 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

On Tuesday, their trial heard how Miss Lewis 'started to panic' during the incident and asked 'where's Jess?'

Her colleague, Miss 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 said there was not 'any sort of distress' from pupils or the lifeguard during the incident.

Stephane Babonneau, a lawyer representing Ms Stathers, told the courtroom at the Palais de Justice in the French town of Tulle yesterday 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.

Mr Layne and Ms Stathers declined to say anything when offered the opportunity.

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'.

He added that the the PE teacher 'suffers under the weight of responsibility'.

Pictured: The scene near Meymac in the Massif Central region of France where Jessica died

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 Harabi said Mr Layne did not think it was dangerous because the swimming zone was 'supervised'.

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'.

Prosecutors had called for all three teachers to be handed a three-year jail sentence.

The lifeguard on duty at the time, Leo Lemaire and the local authority in the town of Liginiac were also found not guilty.




Rival parties on Thursday called on the government to come up with measures to respond to Japan's plan to discharge radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea starting next year.







The ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) voiced concerns over the plan in unison during an annual parliamentary audit session on the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, calling it a "matter of people's safety."







In July, Japan's nuclear regulator, the Nuclear Regulation Authority, formally approved the plan to discharge the radioactive waste water stored in tanks at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. More than 1.2 million tons of tritium-laced water is expected to be released starting in spring next year.







"The government should work to resolve the Fukushima water release issue with all possible measures," Rep. So Byung-hoon, head of the parliamentary oceans committee, said, adding "the golden time is almost over."







DP Rep. Wi Seong-gon urged the government to have a clearer position on the matter, saying "uncertain" and "unsafe" substances from the polluted water can be contained in food South Korean people eat and damage the country's marine environment.







PPP Rep. Choi Chun-sik pointed out the oceans ministry lacks data and reports on Japan's plan.







Oceans Minister Cho Seung-hwan told the lawmakers his ministry is considering whether to petition an international court over Tokyo's decision, and the foreign ministry is also looking into the expected damage from the water release with international law experts and scientists. (Yonhap)






Several other people were captured by US forces in the raid, reports state

Officials say he was responsible for coordinating sleeper cells

He is believed to have killed an American officer in an ISIS controlled area

Authorities said they were successful in that raid of killing Rakkan Wahid al-Shammri, a weapons dealer

It comes hours after they carried out a raid deep in government -controlled territory in Syria and killed a commander

Officials say the operation killed Abu 'Ala, a deputy leader of ISIS in Syria, and Abu Mu'Ad al Qahtani, an ISIS official responsible for 'prisoner affairs'

US special forces killed two ISIS leaders in an airstrike Thursday evening

The United States has carried out an airstrike in Syria just hours after a top ISIS leader was shot dead by special forces in a midnight raid.

At 6.23pm local time, US forces conducted an airstrike in northern Syria, killing both Abu 'Ala, one of the top five ISIS leaders and the deputy leader of ISIS in Syria, and Abu Mu'Ad al Qahtani, an ISIS official responsible for 'prisoner affairs.'

The announcement came just hours after special forces succeeded in killing Rakkan Wahid al-Shammri, an ISIS official known to facilitate the smuggling of weapons and fighters to support ISIS operations.

Reuters also reported that he was responsible for coordinating sleeper cells in the area.

Another one of his 'associates' was wounded, they said, and two others were detained by US forces, US Central Command announced on Thursday

No US forces and no civilians were injured in either operation, officials report, with Central Command saying they spent over 1,000 hours collecting evidence before conducting the air strike.

At 6.23pm local time, US forces conducted an airstrike in northern Syria, killing both Abu 'Ala, one of the top five ISIS leaders and the deputy leader of ISIS in Syria, and Abu Mu'Ad al Qahtani

Local sources had originally reported that US troops landed in the village Muluk Saray in the countryside of the Qamishli region in northeast Syria, where territory is controlled in part by US-backed Kurdish fighters and partly by the Russia-backed government.

They told news channel Al Mayadeen that the victim was named Rakan Abu Hayel, originally from the village of Tuwaimin in the eastern countryside.

He is accused of killing an American officer in an ISIS-controlled area, according to local NBC producer Mahmoud Shikhibra.

The family of the slain man and members of another family were arrested and taken into US custody, local sources claim, with some saying that at least two of those captured were part of a pro-Assad militia  though that remains unconfirmed.

The ISIS leader killed in an overnight operation in Syria is believed to be Rakan Abu Hayil (pictured)

Unnamed sources originally told Syrian news channel Al Mayadeen that US occupation forces 'carried out a landing operation using several helicopters in the village of Muluk Saray, in the southern countryside of Qamishli, and killed one person.'

But a local village resident had said the victim was Hayel, a little-known displaced person from Hassakeh.

They said he had recently moved to Muluk Saray from Taif, a town near the border with Iraq that was once an ISIS stronghold.

'People thought he was a shepherd - no one knows his true identity,' the source said.

The resident also said that three US helicopters carrying troops had landed in the overnight operation near the Turkish border.

'They used loudspeakers to call on residents to stay indoors' during the operation,' the resident said.

He added that the operation lasted several hours, and there was no exchange of gunfire with American troops.

A US special forces raid in three helicopters reportedly ventured deep into government-controlled territory in Syria to conduct a raid against an alleged ISIS commander, resulting in his death and the detention of his family (pictured: Stock image of a Black Hawk helicopter)

The raid was carried out deep in government-controlled territory in the village of Muluk Saray in southern countryside of Qamishli

During the operation, US forces engaged in a firefight with auxiliary forces of the Syrian army, it is reported. There are no reports of casualties.

Around 200 US special forces soldiers in 13 helicopters were reported to be involved in the daring raid.

The person killed in the operation 'had been a resident of the area for years and is likely an Islamic State' group leader, the Britain-based Observatory for Human Rights said.

It is the first such operation in government-held territory, the war monitoring group added, which relies on a wide network of sources in Syria.

The village targeted lies 17 kilometers (10 miles) south of the city of Qamishli, which is controlled by Syrian government forces, according to the Observatory and AFP correspondents.

'It is the first time,' that US forces conduct such an operation in regime-held areas, the Observatory said.

ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi died in a US Special Forces raid on February 2

Washington is part of a US-led coalition battling the IS group in Syria, however they are at odds with the Syrian government under the control of the dictatorial President Bashar al-Assad.

In July, the Pentagon said it killed Syria's a top IS jihadist in a drone strike in the northern part of the country.

CENTCOM said he had been 'one of the top five' leaders of Islamic State overall.

The July strike came five months after a nighttime US raid in the town of Atmeh, which led to the death of the overall Islamic State leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi.

The one-legged ISIS chief had rigged his house with explosives and blew himself and his family to pieces when US Special Forces arrived, because his disability stopped him using a suicide vest.

The one-legged ISIS chief had rigged his house (pictured) with explosives and blew himself and his family to pieces when US Special Forces arrived, officials said

The building, in Atmeh, Syria, near the Turkish border, was destroyed when al-Qurayshi detonated explosives, killing him and his family

American helicopters carrying 24 commandos arrived just after 1am on February 2 this year. When they left two hours later ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was dead

Officials believe al-Qurashi, who was tracked down after a drone spotted him bathing on the building's roof last year, himself detonated the explosives that killed him and his family at his home in the sleepy village of Atmeh near the Turkish border on February 2.

They also revealed officials had thought they had a good chance of taking al-Qurayshi alive because of his issues with a suicide belt and had made plans to turn him over to another government.

The troops safely brought four children from the second floor out of the house. But a toddler was found dead there. Officials said the child was likely killed by the concussive effects of the third-floor explosion and not shot in the gunfight.

An ISIS member, described as a lieutenant of al-Qurashi's, and his wife were on the second floor, with as many as five children. All are believed to have been killed in the blast.

After losing their last territory following a military onslaught backed by the US-led coalition in March 2019, the remnants of IS in Syria mostly retreated into desert hideouts.

They have since used such hideouts to ambush Kurdish-led forces and Syrian government troops while continuing to mount attacks in Iraq.
The city once dubbed 'Murdertown USA' has posted major decreases in homicide and violent crime numbers this year as its Democratic mayor went on record refusing to defund the police.

The latest crime statistics to come out of Wilmington, Delaware showed a 44 per cent decrease in murders in 2022 to-date vs last year from 25 to 14, and a 24 per cent decrease in shooting victims from 114 to 87.

A 14 per cent decrease was also posted across all Part 1 felonies which include murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault and theft, according to the latest Wilmington PD statistics from September 18.

Wilmington mayor Mike Purzycki acknowledged there were some protests against the police department amid calls to defund the police following the death of George Floyd, but said his officers largely enjoy good community support and said he 'wouldn't consider' withdrawing law enforcement funding.

'Across the board we have one of the finest police departments in America, as far as I'm concerned,' the mayor told Fox News Digital.

'People in our community are appreciative of the job police do. Anytime we have police misbehavior, the chief is pretty swift when it comes to weeding those people out.'

Wilmington earned the nickname 'Murdertown USA' in 2014 amid sky-high violence rates which marked it out as one of the most crime-ridden areas of the country, particularly given Delaware's comparatively low crime rate versus other states.

The latest crime statistics to come out of Wilmington, Delaware showed a 44 per cent decrease in murders in 2022 to-date vs last year from 25 to 14, and a 24 per cent decrease in shooting victims from 114 to 87. An 14 per cent decrease was also posted across all Part 1 felonies overall

Wilmington mayor Mike Purzycki acknowledged there were some protests against the police department amid calls to defund the police following the death of George Floyd, but said his officers largely enjoy good community support and said he 'wouldn't consider' withdrawing law enforcement funding

Theories on the driving factors behind Wilmington's historically high crime rates are varied, but many have pointed to considerable poverty levels, as well as its proximity to large cities Baltimore and Philadelphia, both of which are notorious for violent crime but are in different states.

Purzycki said crime took a shark uptick at the end of 2019 and into the pandemic, which he described as 'catastrophic for us and cities across the country because it closed our courts'.

'Judges were loath to put people in prison,' he said, adding that 'the system completely collapsed' before recovering towards the end of 2021 as pandemic restrictions abated and Delaware General Assembly passed a bill increasing bail for some offenses.

The mayor praised the police for the work they have done in Wilmington and also claimed the implementation of an initiative focused on prosecuting perpetrators of gun crimes was instrumental in lowering crime figures.

Meanwhile, former defund the police advocates such as San Francisco mayor London Breed and Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot made major U-turns last year, unveiling new budgets funnelling money back into police departments after previously voting to cut them amid rampant crime.

Former defund the police advocates such as San Francisco mayor London Breed (L) and Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot (R) made major U-turns last year, unveiling new budgets funnelling money back into police departments after previously voting to cut them amid rampant crime

The encouraging decline in Wilmington's rates of homicide and violent crime comes as retired police chiefs blamed the 'defund the police' campaign for increased crime levels elsewhere across the country.

The movement gained momentum in the wake of the death of George Floyd - a black man who was murdered by a white police officer in May 2020 - and called on city officials to divest funds away from law enforcement and towards alternative forms of social support.

But the campaign brought about dangerous 'ripple effects' across the sector, the former top officers said, causing a dramatic rise in waiting time for victims of vicious crimes and caused moral to plummet to the lowest it has been in decades.

It comes as crime-ridden cities such as New York City and Portland in Oregon have seen staffing levels plunge in the wake of the campaign.

Retired police chief Jeff Rasche from Greenfield, Indiana, told Fox News Digital that when officers are spread thin, there will be longer response times, and when officers are having to work overtime, there is less time for much-needed training.

Retired police chief Jeff Rasche (left) said when officers are spread thin, there are longer response times, and when they having to work overtime, there is less time for much-needed training. Meanwhile Retired Fort Worth police chief Jeff Halstead (right), said morale is the lowest he's ever seen in his 30 years on the force - and said it's because officers feel their profession has been demonized, and they are concerned about being indicted criminally

The movement, which led to violent clashes with officers last year, brought about the dangerous 'ripple effects' across the sector, the former top officers said

Many analysts attribute the rise in homicides to the social upheaval from pandemic lockdowns and the collapse in police-community ties

Another retired police chief Jeff Halstead from Fort Worth, Texas, said morale is the lowest he's ever seen in his 30 years on the force - and said it's because officers feel their profession has been demonized.

'I talk to law enforcement leaders on a daily basis. And in today's world, their No. 1 problem is staffing,' Halstead said.

'And what you hear is the same drum being beaten: How are we going get ourselves through this? And what steps are we going to take to get our staffing back?'

Meanwhile, a report by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research found that the 30 per cent jump in murder rates across the country during the Covid pandemic was felt more sharply in Democrat-leaning states where the 'defund the police' movement was most prominent.

The study of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other sources, which covered 290 urban counties home to 58 per cent of the US population, found Republican-leaning areas fared better against the homicide surge than others.

'We find some evidence that suggests that the nation's political cultures played a role, with homicide increases in GOP-leaning counties tending to be smaller than those in Democratic-leaning counties,' says the study.

This suggests that local police forces deterred more crimes in areas where they had greater public support, as opposed to such liberal hubs as Portland, Oregon, where officers resigned en-masse in 2020 amid widespread criticism and often-violent race protests.

A report by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research the says that Republican leaning areas fared better against the 2020 murder surge than others

Protestors in New York and other cities campaigned for police funding cuts over the police killings of unarmed black men in 2020, though new research suggests more support for officers helps keep murder rates in check

'Certain cities have done a better job at governance than others,' analyst Christos Makridis told DailyMail.com.

'GOP-leaning counties have slightly stronger enforcement, or give more support to police, and it comes with a whole slew of activities that help the police feel comfortable  that's certainly one theory.'

The states with the greatest murder rate increases in 2020 included New York, Pennsylvania, California, Montana and South Dakota, according to Pew Research Center, but Makridis says his study is more detailed as it drills down to the county level.

The researchers also weighed other popular explanations for the murder spike, but found no connection either to higher rates of gun sales, which also shot up in 2020, and areas with higher Covid-19 infection rates.

Firearms are used in about three quarters of homicides, according to FBI data.

'A lot of people like to point to gun ownership as an issue There isn't really a strong correlation' said Makridis.

'These issues are so complex  it's a simple thing to point the finger at.'
This is the moment two thieves stalked a British professor before holding him up at gun point and stealing his 13,000 Rolex watch in Italy.

CCTV footage shows a pair of armed robbers stalking the 56-year-old in a supermarket in Milan and tracking him to his accommodation where one of them held a semi-automatic weapon to the victim's head.

Video then shows the men fleeing on an electric scooter along the city's Via Tamburini.

Cops have since arrested two men, 38 and 43, over the theft of the luxury Rolex Oyster Perpetual.

It comes just weeks after another Briton was robbed of a 9,000 Rolex watch in the same city.

CCTV footage shows how the thieves (shown by the arrow) spot and stalk their victim (circled) in a supermarket in central Milan

The thieves follow their target from the supermarket on an electric scooter through the old city

Surveillance footage shows the victim being followed into the supermarket, near the city centre.

The thieves then tracked the British professor back to a house on the via Tamburini.

The electric scooter appears to stop for one robber to get off. The robber then pointed a gun at the victim, forcing him to hand over the watch.

Both thieves are then seen escaping on the electric scooter on surveillance footage.

Police were later able to track down the scooter from its license plate, spotted on CCTV.

A description given by the victim helped police also identify a 43-year-old released from prison only last June after a long period of detention for similar crimes.

A second man is seen getting back on the electric scooter in Milan before the thieves escape

Cops have since arrested two men, 38 and 43, over the theft of the luxury Rolex Oyster Perpetual (stock picture)

A few days after the heist on Thursday 22 September, police spotted the scooter in the Niguarda area of Milan, where a relation of the 43-year-old man lives.

Travelling to Milan? Nowhere is entirely safe from thieves. But tourists should be especially cautious in dark or crowded spaces, and speaking to strangers while travelling alone. Travel and tourism website Belsole advises particular care in these pickpocketing hotspots in Milan: Corso Italia

Porta Venezia

Roserio

viale Padova

Bovisa

Rogoredo

The Milano Stazione Centrale exit Advertisement

Agents mobilised the police to follow and stop the men in via Sant Sofia.

The men were found to be carrying an illegal Browning semi-automatic pistol, assumed to be the same one used in the robbery.

Only in August this year, a British tourist was robbed of a 9,000 Rolex watch in Milan after being 'lured into a dance by three boys' in the popular nightlife area of Porta Nuova.

This followed a report in July that another thief had stolen a watch worth 59,000 in the centre of the city.

The 58-year-old victim had his Richard Mille timepiece stolen in Corso Venezia in the Lombardy capital.

Milan is a popular holiday destination for British tourists, but pickpockets frequent the streets and holidaymakers often fall foul to scams.

The city recorded the highest theft rate in Italy, with about 2.2 thousand cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2020, according to Statistica.

Burglaries of shops and thefts are more common in Milan than in other Italian provinces.

Bologna and Rimini followed as the worst provinces for theft, with around six thousand cases reported.
Necrophiliac murderer David Fuller, who is serving life for killing two women and sexually abusing 102 female corpses, has appeared in court to face 16 new sex charges.

Fuller, 68, beat and strangled Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20, to death before sexually assaulting them in two separate attacks in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, in 1987.

He also filmed himself abusing corpses, including a nine-year-old girl, two 16-year-olds, and a 100-year-old woman, over 12 years before his arrest in December 2020.

On Tuesday Fuller was charged with 12 more counts of sexual penetration of a corpse and four counts of possession of extreme pornography.

Fuller appeared at Medway Magistrates' Court on Thursday morning via video link from HMP Frankland.

He was wearing a grey prison-issue jumper and looked down at the table in front of him while the charges were read to him.

Fuller spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, current residence, and to enter no plea to all 16 charges.

They include the sexual penetration of a corpse, possessing an extreme pornographic image involving sexual interference with a corpse and taking indecent images of children.

Fuller will be remanded in custody at HMP Frankland in County Durham and is set to appear again at Maidstone Crown Court on November 3.

Necrophiliac murderer David Fuller, who is serving life for killing two women and sexually abusing 102 female corpses, has appeared in court to face 16 new sex charges

Azra Kemal, 24, was one of Fuller's victims. The warped hospital electrician sneaked into the mortuary at Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Kent three times to sexually abuse her body

Fuller, 67, admitted killing Wendy Knell, 25, (left) and Caroline Pierce, 20, (right) in 1987 in what became known as the 'Bedsit Murders'  one of Britain's longest unsolved murder cases

Fuller received two whole life sentences in December 2021 after admitting sexually assaulting at least 102 female corpses while working as an electrician in a hospital morgue.

The pensioner pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to their murders, as well as 51 other offences, including 44 charges relating to 78 victims in mortuaries between 2008 and November 2020.

His crimes first came to light after he was linked to one of Britain's longest unsolved double killings more than 30 years ago.

During the investigation, Fuller was linked to the 30-year cold cases by a DNA breakthrough that then led police to his stash of sickening recordings of himself abusing corpses.

On Tuesday, police brought a further 16 charges against him in relation to sexual offences committed in a mortuary setting.

Kent Police said: 'An investigation by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate has led to evidence which relates to a total of 101 victims in these mortuary settings.

'The latest charges are connected to the 23 remaining victims, of all whom were deceased adult females. They cover a period between 2007 and 2020.'

Undated handout photo issued by Kent Police of murderer David Fuller

Undated handout photo of murderer David Fuller, from Heathfield, East Sussex

Fuller, from Heathfield, East Sussex, who is being held at Frankland Prison in Durham, has been charged with 10 offences under section 70 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which relate to offences involving 10 identified victims.

Court artist sketch of David Fuller appearing via video link at Maidstone Crown Court in December 2020 charged with two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce

He has also been charged with two further offences under section 70 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, relating to offences involving three unidentified victims.

Police also brought two charges against him under section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008. These relate to the possession of extreme pornography in connection with 13 identified victims.

And two further charges under section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 which relate to the possession of extreme pornography in connection with 10 unidentified victims.

In December 2021, Fuller was also given concurrent sentences totalling 12 years, in respect of further unrelated charges he pleaded guilty to.

These included sexual offences against 78 deceased females at mortuaries in Tunbridge Wells Hospital and at the former Kent and Sussex Hospital, between 2008 and 2020.

A property in Guilford Road in Tunbridge wells where Ms Knell was found dead

A property in Grosvenor Park in Tunbridge wells where Ms Pierce was killed

He had worked there as an electrician since 1989.

An investigation by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate has since brought further evidence to light, helping officers to identify a total of 101 victims.

The latest charges are connected to the 23 remaining victims - all deceased adult females - whose corpses were abused between 2007 and 2020.

An extensive and complex identification process led officers to formally identify 13 of these 23 further victims.

Police were unable to establish the identities of the other 10 victims, however the charges reflect offending against all of them.

After the conviction in December, Kent Police revealed a dedicated team of investigators will spend a year picking through Fuller's life to see if he is behind any other cold cases of missing women.

So far, no evidence has been found of any further victims, police said.

Anyone with information about the investigation can visit the Op Sandpiper Major Incident Public Portal or call the contact centre on 0800 0515270.
Harry Potter author: 'I stand in solidarity with [FWS] and all women protesting'

Sturgeon wants legislation to make it easier for transgender people to 'self ID'

Campaign group opposes controversial bill and say women's rights are 'in crisis'

JK Rowling today threw her weight behind Scottish campaigners who marched on Holyrood in a protest against controversial transgender plans.

Demonstrators from For Women Scotland (FWS) gathered outside the Scottish Parliament this morning for a rally in opposition to the proposals, claiming they are putting women's rights 'in crisis'.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has led the fight to introduce legislation which aims to make it easier for transgender people to be legally recognised as their preferred gender.

But the plans have faced a backlash in recent months, with a watchdog warning this week that allowing people to self-identify could cause 'confusion' about their status in other parts of the UK.

FWS bosses this morning called on activists to 'come, lend your voice and send a message that women matter', as a committee meeting on the issue was held.

Posting a picture of herself wearing a t-shirt with the message 'Nicola Sturgeon, destroyer of women's rights', Harry Potter author Ms Rowling lent the group her support.

She tweeted: 'I stand in solidarity with @ForWomenScot and all women protesting and speaking outside the Scottish parliament. #NoToSelfID'.

Asked by journalists about the post, a spokesman for the Scottish Government said he had not seen it.

JK Rowling (pictured wearing a t-shirt with the message 'Nicola Sturgeon, destroyer of women's rights) today threw her weight behind Scottish campaigners who marched on Holyrood in a protest against controversial transgender plans

Demonstrators from Women Scotland (FWS) gathered outside the Scottish Parliament this morning for a rally in opposition to the proposals, claiming they are putting women's rights 'in crisis'

FWS bosses this morning called on activists to 'come, lend your voice and send a message that women matter', as a committee meeting on the issue was held

FWS says it campaigns to protect and strengthen women and children's rights, and aims to 'protect 'sex' in law and policy', 'help people speak up' and 'promote evidence-based discussion'.

A statement on its website adds: 'We believe that there are only two sexes, that a person's sex is not a choice, nor can it be changed. Women are entitled to dignity, safety and fairness.'

Speakers at today's rally included former Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont and Maya Forstater of Sex Matters.

Ms Lamont told demonstrators that upon its establishment, the Scottish Parliament 'was a Parliament where policy, where action, where law was shaped by an understanding of what created division and inequality'.

She said: 'The particular role was for the committees, which would breach the wall of the Parliament and allow the people of Scotland to participate in what the world could be. That has not happened.

'It is not their job to decide before the committee meets who they will listen to, who they will speak to, and only listen to those who already agree with them.

'I'm not saying that the committee should agree with everything that we say. But they should listen, they should challenge, they should argue, they should probe.

'They should not dismiss, because in that world of dismissal, you shoot the messenger. You ignore the message, you make bad law and other people live with the consequences.

'So my challenge is to my friends and all of the people in there who have the honour of being elected members. Your job as lawmakers is not just to put into law what you think is right, but understand the laws of unintended consequences.'

Ms Lamont said she is 'conscious' of the importance of women's rights.

She told the crowd: 'I was told 40 years ago, by young men: 'Now is not the time. There are other campaigns that matter. There are other people that are more vulnerable'.

'I said then, if you don't address women's inequality we will never have true equality, and that is as true now as it was then.'

It comes as a majority of MSPs on the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee today recommended the general principles of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill should be approved.

Committee convener Joe FitzPatrick said: 'We believe these important reforms will improve the lives and experiences of trans people.'

Papers lodged alongside the Bill by the Scottish Government estimate the changes could result in the number of people applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) increasing from 30 a year to 250-300.

Five MSPs on the committee backed the legislation but the two Conservatives - Pam Gosal and Rachael Hamilton - opposed it.

The Bill sets out plans to speed up the time it takes to obtain a GRC, and also lowers the age for obtaining one from 18 to 16.

A medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria would no longer be required, removing the requirement for doctors' reports.

The period of time someone must have lived in their 'acquired gender' before applying would be reduced from two years to three months under the legislation - although a three-month 'reflection period' would be introduced to the process.

A previous consultation by the Scottish Government found 60% of respondents backed moving to a system of self-declaration.

A majority of MSPs on the committee backed removing the need for any medical evidence or diagnosis 'believing that trans people know their own minds'.

However some on the committee were 'concerned that the removal of the requirement for gender dysphoria and the requirement for medical evidence may extend the GRC process to a large and more diverse group of people'.

They fear this 'could potentially mean the process is open to abuse from bad faith actors, particularly predatory men'.

Concerns have also been raised about the impact the reforms could have on single-sex spaces for women and girls - such as female-only toilets or changing rooms.

A rally was held outside the Scottish Parliament this morning by women's rights campaigners

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has led the fight to introduce legislation which aims to make it easier for transgender people to be legally recognised as their preferred gender

FWS says it campaigns to protect and strengthen women and children's rights, and aims to 'protect 'sex' in law and policy', 'help people speak up' and 'promote evidence-based discussion'

A statement on its website adds: 'We believe that there are only two sexes, that a person's sex is not a choice, nor can it be changed. Women are entitled to dignity, safety and fairness'

The report said most MSPs on the committee agree that while such views are 'sincerely held', they are satisfied the Bill would not change any of the existing protections women have under the Equality Act 2010, 'including the ability to exclude trans people from single-sex services where proportionate and appropriate'.

The committee report said: 'The majority is satisfied that the Bill will not change or remove women's rights, make changes to how toilets and changing rooms operate, redefine what a man or a woman is, nor change or expand trans people's rights.'

Mr FitzPatrick said MSPs had heard a 'wide range of views' while scrutinising the legislation.

It comes after a list of problems with the proposal, including access to services, was sent by the Equality and Human Rights Commission to the UK and Scottish governments.

The watchdog said 'practical difficulties or confusion are likely to arise in cross-border situations' if the Equality Act is passed by Holyrood.

The letter said people who changed their gender in Scotland but in another part of the UK would face difficulty over their 'legal status and rights.'

Officials added issues would arise regardless of whether the UK government accepted GRCs given out in Scotland.

Both employers and services would struggle to determine a person's legal gender and may have to take the 'intrusive or offensive' measures of asking to see a birth certificate or GRC, The Telegraph reported.

The watchdog urged both governments to 'work constructively together' to sort out the issues it raised before the bill goes ahead.
An Australian father-of-nine who claims he's the secret son of King Charles III and Camilla Parker Bowles says he's planning to approach Netflix to do a documentary about his life.

Simon Charles Dorante-Day says he has been inundated with offers from documentary producers from the US and UK keen to tell his story following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last month.

The Queensland engineer, 56, was adopted at eight months old and says his adoptive grandmother told him on her deathbed that he was the 'secret' son of Charles and Camilla.

The recent interest in Mr Dorante-Day's story has inspired him to approach streaming giant Netflix as he considers other offers.

He hopes to get the chance to tell his story and force Buckingham Palace to finally address his claims.

Simon Charles Dorante-Day (pictured with Elvianna) is planning to approach Netflix about a potential documentary about his life

Simon Dorante Day claims he's the secret son of King Charles III and Camilla (pictured)

'I didn't expect this to happen - but I'm glad it is,' he told 7news.com.

'I'm taking my case through the proper legal channels, but I know that sharing my story and getting as many people aware of my claims as possible is going to be key to having Charles and Camilla address my claims.

'If sharing my story on Netflix or to a greater TV audience will help do that, then I say let's do it.'

He also reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing legal action in an attempt to force the King and Camilla to do DNA tests.

Mr Dorante-Day looks forward to returning to the UK to ramp up his quest for answers from the royals and already has several radio interviews lined up.

Mr Dorante-Day (centre) frequently posting images comparing photos of himself alongside members of the British royal family - in this case the King (left) and Camilla (right)

Mr Dorante-Day revealed his documentary plans to Facebook followers as he issued a heartfelt message to fellow adoptees.

'To the adopted people out there, no, mine isn't the craziest adoption story out there - there's a million!' he posted on Thursday.

'The things I hear from every country, the trauma people experience, it's both heartbreaking and amazing. We need a voice.

'I always knew that when all this went Public that Adoption would figure as a key issue BUT the scale of this is unreal, I didn't envisage the whole picture.

'I hear your stories, I share your pain and anguish, hopefully this will all provide some light at the end of a very dark tunnel!!'

Simon Dorante-Day hopes telling his story will finally force the royals to address his claims

Mr Dorante-Day has gone viral by frequently posting images comparing photos of himself and his children alongside members of the British royal family - in this case the King himself

Mr Dorante-Day was born in Portsmouth, UK, on April 5, 1966 and was adopted at eight months old before his family later settled in Australia.

Both adoptive grandparents had worked for the late Queen and Prince Philip in one of their royal households and he claims his adoptive grandmother told him he was the son of Charles and Camilla.

Mr Dorante-Day's case alleges King Charles and Queen consort Camilla began their close relationship in 1965, a year before his birth certificate says he was born.

He claims that Queen consort Camilla was absent from the British social scene and King Charles was sent on a trip to Australia nine months before he was born.

Mr Dorante-Day insists that Camilla kept him until he was eight months old, hiding him from the world with the help of the royal family and protection officers, and claims to have been told it was a condition of the adoption that his names Simon and Charles were not changed.
A teenage fisherman has helped solve a 78-year-old mystery about the fate of three American pilots whose fighter planes disappeared over the North Sea in the Second World War.

Alex Wightman, 16, was fishing for Dover sole when his nets trawled up part of the cockpit of an aircraft and a section of its instrument panel.

Historians believe the wreckage is from one of three P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft which vanished in thick cloud over the East Anglia coast in 1944.

It was assumed that the fighters had accidentally collided while in close formation and plunged into the sea.

But there were no witnesses to pinpoint where the planes had crashed and no wreckage or bodies were ever recovered, leading to the pilots - Donald Funcheon, Claude Mussey, and Dale Stream - being listed as missing in action.

Mr Wightman, who is an apprentice for his family fishing business, discovered the remains of one of the aircraft around three miles off Dunwich, Suffolk.

Teenage fisherman Alex Wightman has helped solve a 78-year-old old mystery about the fate of three American pilots whose fighter planes disappeared over the North Sea in the Second World War

The 16-year-old was fishing for Dover sole off the coast of Dunwich, Suffolk, when his nets trawled up part of the cockpit of an aircraft and a section of its instrument panel. Historians believe the wreckage is from one of three P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft which vanished in thick cloud over the East Anglia coast in 1944

P47-D THUNDERBOLT Produced between 1941 and 1945, the Thunderbolt was used primarily by the US Air Force, the French Air Force and the RAF. More than 15,600 of the aircraft were manufactured in this time and it served in every theatre of the war. Each plane was fitted with eight .50 calibre machine guns, and the pilot was protected by an armour plated cabin. It had a wingspan of 40 feet (12 metres) and top speed of 440 miles per hour (700kph). It was heavily armed, boasting eight wing-mounted 0.50-inch machine guns and up to ten five-inch rockets beneath its wings. It could also carry a bomb load of as much as 2,500 pounds. The plane also had a well-armoured cockpit, whilst its engine was remarkably resistant to battle damage. The plane played an important part in the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944. It was the most important US figher in Europe, outnumbering the P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang combined. Advertisement

The teenager realised there was something heavy in his nets and was amazed to see that he had hauled up pieces of wreckage on September 9.

He said: 'Me and my skipper Jeffery Melton were out when the net tightened. It was weird because we felt something snagging the net.

'We could see the lump on the sonar and just wondered what it was because it was heavy. I couldn't believe it when we got the nets in the boat and found the remains.

'That part of the sea is about 19 metres deep. It makes me wonder what else could be down there as this is one of the main flight paths for Second World War aircraft.

'The lump on the sonar shows there must be even more down there.'

Mr Wightman believed he could even smell aviation fuel on the twisted metal wreckage when he cleaned it up and examined it on the deck of his family's boat Georgie Girl.

He said: 'We could still smell the petrol when we got the parts on the boat.

'Our first thought was to speak with historians and give our findings to a museum.'

Mr Wightman posted pictures of his find on Facebook which alerted local aviation historian Bob Collis and John Soanes from the Port of Lowestoft Research Society.

The pair realised the wreckage was from the cockpit of a P-47 Thunderbolt and contacted the Halesworth Aviation Museum, which is on the site of the former air base where three squadrons of the fighters were based from July 1943 to April 1944.

Richard Pymar, the museum's secretary and founder, realised the wreckage had been found in the area where the three planes from had collided.

There were no witnesses to pinpoint where the planes had crashed and no wreckage or bodies were ever recovered, leading to the pilots - Donald Funcheon (pictured), Claude Mussey, and Dale Stream - being listed as missing in action

Claude Mussey and Dale Stream are pictured above in their pilots' uniforms. The men were listed as missing in action along with Donald Duncheon

Produced between 1941 and 1945, the Thunderbolt was used primarily by the US Air Force, the French Air Force and the RAF

He said he was certain it was from one of three planes from the 61st Fighter Squadron of the USAAF's 56 Fighter Group which were on a mission to escort B-17 Flying Fortress or Liberator bombers on a bombing mission to Berlin on March 22, 1944.

Mr Pymar said: 'The records clearly show that there were only three Thunderbolts lost in that area and they were all lost on the same day.

'We have an account from another pilot on the same mission who says they were all flying in close formation at 5,000ft over the coast when they went into thick cloud.

'When the pilot flew out of the cloud, his three Squadron colleagues who had been on his left were not there any more.

'It was assumed that they had collided and the pilots were listed as missing on the memorial at the American war cemetery in Madingley near Cambridge.

'Mid-air collisions between friendly aircraft were commonplace, but they normally involved two aircraft at a time. It was very unusual for three to collide.

The wreckage including the left hand section of the instrument panel is now on display, along with other wartime artefacts at the Halesworth Aviation Museum

Mr Wightman believed he could even smell aviation fuel on the twisted metal wreckage when he cleaned it up and examined it on the deck of his family's boat Georgie Girl (pictured)

'But they had to fly in close formation to keep in touch with each other because they could lose each other quite easily.

'This wreckage is clearly from one of the aircraft which came down on that awful day, but we don't know which one. We are carrying out further investigations to see if we can find out which plane it is.

'It is quite sobering to look at the instrument panel and realise that a young man, probably aged about 20, was staring at it as he battled to save his life.

'We are delighted that it has been found after all these years, and that it helps provide some hard evidence about what happened on that terrible day in 1944.'

The wreckage including the left hand section of the instrument panel is now on display, along with other wartime artefacts at the Halesworth Aviation Museum.

Mr Pymar added: 'Even if the pilots didn't make it back, at least part of one of the planes has come back to Halesworth. To have this back is just amazing really.

'The banking dial on the instrument panel actually still works because it has a little spirit level which is still intact.'
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Britain faces blackouts this winter, the National Grid warned today if Russia shuts off gas supplies to Europe and a cold winter hits, as it proposed a new scheme to pay consumers to run their washing machines or charge their electric cars away from peak hours.

They would be the first planned blackouts in decades if power plants cannot get enough gas to keep running, the body that oversees Britain's electricity grid has said.

Have you or your business started rationing energy? Are you struggling to pay your bills? Email jessica.warren@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement

It is not the first time that the prospect of blackouts has been raised by the energy giant. But this year's warning carries far more urgency as Vladimir Putin keeps the pressure on gas supplies to Europe amid his faltering war in Ukraine.

Today, Prime Minister Liz Truss is urging European leaders at a summit in Prague to help 'keep the lights on' as the standoff with Russia sparks fears of shortages in the coming months.

The PM is calling on groups to agree that gas and electricity connectors between countries must be kept open this winter.

System operators have warned that shortages of gas, which generated 40 per cent of UK electricity last year, could mean planned three-hour blackouts in some areas to protect supplies for heating homes and buildings.

Brits are facing a cost of living crisis as the Government pledged 150billion to keep energy bills capped at 2,500 this winter, while many businesses say they face extinction without further help.

And today an inspection of two of the leaks at the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia to Europe has shown signs of sabotage and multiple 'detonations', Swedish authorities said.

The National Grid warning comes as Bannatyne's gyms were the latest to shut their sauna and steam rooms and pubs turned to candlelight in energy cutbacks.

Households are being encouraged to help avoid blackouts, 'save money and back Britain' by using more energy during off-peak times.

It follows a similar trial scheme run by Octopus Energy which saw customers change their habits and alter energy use in a two-hour off-peak window.

The new scheme, being rolled out in November, could see savings of 100, Ovo Energy has told customers.

However the National Grid has already warned of the need to balance the cost of the project with incentives for households, suggesting a rate of 52p per kWh could be applied.

The blackout warning came as:

System operators warned that shortages of gas, which generated 40 per cent of UK electricity last year, could mean planned three-hour blackouts across the country if there is a cold winter this year;

Liz Truss today met Czech prime minister Petr Fiala and spoke about opportunities for future collaboration on securing long-term energy supplies, as she urged European leaders to help keep lights on;

An inspection of two of the leaks at the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia to Europe has shown signs of sabotage and multiple 'detonations', Swedish authorities said;

The German ambassador to the UK said: 'Half of the French nuclear power plants are not functioning, and that means, and I think the United Kingdom is one of the electricity importers over winter, that there might be some electricity shortages.'

The blackout warning comes decades after miners strikes and sky-high inflation saw 1970s Britain plunged into darkness as the PM was locked in political battle with the powerful National Union of Mineworkers;

Customers of the Masons Arms enjoy the atmosphere at the Masons Arms in Camelford, Cornwall where lights are turned off on Mondays

Liz Truss urges EU leaders to 'keep the lights on' by sharing energy supplies Liz Truss is today urging European leaders to help 'keep the lights on' this winter. The PM is in Prague for a summit where she will hold talks with counterparts including French president Emmanuel Macron. She will push the group to agree that gas and electricity connectors between countries must be kept open, as as the standoff with Russia sparks fears of shortages in the coming months. The appeal comes amid fears that Norway could opt to close interconnectors with the UK and EU to avoid blackouts for its own population. Norway has capacity to supply Britain with 1.4 gigawatts (GW) through a cable to Northumberland - which is a key part of National Grid's contingency planning. Advertisement

It comes as Dragon's Den star Duncan Bannatyne's gym chain became the latest to announce it will be shutting down posh perks like saunas in a bid to save cash amid the deepening energy crisis.

Bannatyne Health Club and Spa, which has dozens of sites dotted across the UK and is owned by the Scottish millionaire, confirmed it will be scaling back on its facilities.

The news was broken to members of the fitness operator in an email, which revealed that some exercise machines, saunas and steam rooms will be switched off during 'non-peak times'.

And 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.

In what it called an 'unlikely' scenario, the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) said that households and businesses might face planned three-hour outages to ensure that the grid does not collapse.

Planned blackouts hit the UK during the 1970s in response to the miners strikes and the oil crisis. There have also been major unplanned outages in storms, including in 1987 when over 1.5 million people were left in the dark.

But the lights will stay on this winter unless the gas-fired power plants that produced 43 per cent of Britain's electricity over the last year cannot get enough gas to continue operating.

It is the most dire of three possible scenarios that the ESO laid out on Thursday for how Britain's electricity grid might cope with the worst global energy crisis for decades.

In the other two scenarios, the operator hopes that by paying people to charge their electric cars at off-peak times and firing up backup coal plants it can offset the risk of blackouts.

The margins between peak demand and power supply are expected to be sufficient and similar to recent years in the National Grid Electricity System Operator's (ESO) base case scenario for this winter.

But in the face of the 'challenging' winter facing European energy supplies following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the grid operator is also planning for what would happen if there were no imports of electricity from Europe and insufficient gas supplies.

To tackle a loss of imports from France, Belgium and the Netherlands, there are two gigawatts of coal-fired power plants on stand-by to fire up if needed to meet demand.

Liz Truss was greeted by Czech counterpart Petr Fiala (right) as she arrived at the summit in Prague today

How much could customers save in the off-peak energy scheme? Earlier this year, The Times reported that savings could be as big as 6 per kWh, or kilowatt hour, saved. However energy suppliers have since warned that proposed payments are too low. At a briefing, National Grid said it may not allow payments of more than 52p per kWh. 'Customers should be properly incentivised to join up front  ie at least 1 to 2 per kWh,' an Octopus representative warned National Grid at the briefing, The Times reported. The 52p per kWh is the same rate customers would have been charged if the energy price cap per unit of electricity had risen as planned this month. A representative from Eon at the briefing said that payments need to be around 2 per kWh, arguing that the repayments are 'not high enough to incentivise customers to take part', The Times reported. Advertisement

The National Grid Gas Transmission separately said that while gas demand will increase this winter, it expects Britain to be able to get enough gas to take it through a Beast from the East scenario or a long, cold winter.

People are being encouraged to sign up with their electricity supplier to a scheme which will give them money back on their bills to shift their use of power away from times of high demand to help prevent blackouts.

Households tend to consume a fifth of their daily energy between 4pm and 7pm, according to data from Ovo Energy. The supplier on Thursday said its customers could save 100 if they signed up to use energy at off-peak times.

That could mean putting on the dishwasher or washing machine overnight or charging an EV at off-peak times.

Earlier this year, The Times reported that savings could be as big as 6 per kWh, or kilowatt hour, saved.

'Customers should be properly incentivised to join up front  ie at least 1 to 2 per kWh,' an Octopus representative warned National Grid at the briefing, The Times reported.

They added that customers were 'expecting up to 6 per kWh', the rate mooted in proposals reported in June by The Times.

But at a briefing, National Grid said it may not allow payments of more than 52p per kWh.

It argued for the need to balance participation in the scheme with the overall cost.

This is the same rate customers would have been charged if the energy price cap per unit of electricity had risen as planned this month.

A representative from Eon at the briefing said that payments need to be around 2 per kWh, arguing that the repayments are 'not high enough to incentivise customers to take part', The Times reported.

Britain's 1972 blackouts Britain's lights went out in the 1970s when the country was gripped by strikes by coal workers. From 1972, the then Tory Prime Minister Edward Heath became locked in political battle with the immensely powerful and militant National Union of Mineworkers. Unlike today, most of Britain's electricity came from coal, and so crisis struck when miners voted to strike over wages for six weeks between January and February 1972. Miners picketed power stations in an effort to restrict coal supply, leading to mass blackouts around the country and businesses being forced to close. A woman eats breakfast by candlelight in her basement flat in Fulham during the February 1972 miners' strike The following year saw further unrest when ministers capped public sector wages amid an inflation crisis  as the NUM demanded a further pay hike of 35 per cent. Although another strike was initially avoided, miners did vote to ban overtime, leading to the halving of coal production and the imposition by Heath of a three-day week in December 1973. Nearly all businesses had to limit their electricity use to three days a week and were banned from operating for long hours on those days. TV companies including the BBC and ITV had to stop broadcasting at 10.30pm each night, whilst ordinary Britons were ordered to limit heating to one room and to keep non-essential lights switched off. In some pubs, patrons were forced to drink by candlelight, whilst shop workers around the country used head torches to keep trading. Advertisement

In addition, larger businesses will be paid for reducing demand, for example by shifting their times of energy use or switching to batteries or generators in peak times.

The 'demand flexibility service' will run from November to March, and it is expected to swing into action 12 times whatever happens to ensure people get rewarded for being part of the scheme  with additional use if needed to protect supplies.

It is hoped it will deliver 2GW of power savings to balance supply and demand.

It follows a trial by Octopus Energy which saw more than 100,000 customers rewarded by having their energy paid for within a two hour window if they reduced it by 40 per cent.

This led to some participants being awarded up to 4.35 per event, but the average was 0.23.

The ESO's director of corporate affairs, Jake Rigg, said: 'The demand flexibility service is a first of its kind and a smart way for signed up consumers in homes and businesses to save money and back Britain.

'If you put your washing machine or other electrical appliances on at night instead of the peak in the early evening, you can get some money back when we all need it.

'The service is due to launch in November, so watch out for further details soon. This really is a window into the future where a flexible energy system will be cleaner and lower cost to alternatives.'

It comes as pubs say they are struggling to survive with increased gas and electricity costs making running a boozer difficult  but some have come up with creative 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.

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.

National Grid ESO's winter outlook said that without the scheme, there might be days when it was cold and still  creating high demand and low levels of wind power  when there would be a potential need to interrupt supply to some customers for limited periods.

The ESO also warned that if there is not enough gas to keep the country's power stations going in January it could force distributors to cut off electricity to households and businesses for three-hour blocks during the day.

'In the unlikely event we were in this situation, it would mean that some customers could be without power for pre-defined periods during a day  generally this is assumed to be for three-hour blocks,' the ESO said.

Liz Truss is today urging European leaders to help 'keep the lights on' this winter.

The PM is in Prague for a summit where she will hold talks with counterparts including French president Emmanuel Macron.

She will push the group to agree that gas and electricity connectors between countries must be kept open, as as the standoff with Russia sparks fears of shortages in the coming months.

The German ambassador to the UK said reducing energy consumption is a signal people need to receive amid fears of shortages this winter.

'Chance of blackouts is high if we have a cold winter', says former energy boss Adam Bell, former head of energy strategy at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, has said the possibility of blackouts is high in the coming months if there is a cold winter and the situation in Ukraine does not change. He said: 'The chances of a very cold January itself are quite low, it's only 10 per cent, or one in every 10 years. 'But in that scenario, given the constraints Europe is under, given the constraints our system is under, even with the interventions the National Grid already have planned, which includes reopening some coal plants and paying people to turn down their demand, you would likely see some rolling blackouts for domestic customers.' He also said the UK cannot prepare for this situation now because of little capacity to store gas, adding: 'We can store some gas but not enough to cover a week or a fortnight.' Mr Bell added that between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of our power comes from fossil fuels, saying: 'We haven't built enough renewable power yet to ween ourselves off (fossil fuels) fully.' Advertisement

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's World At One programme, Miguel Berger said: 'Half of the French nuclear power plants are not functioning, and that means, and I think the United Kingdom is one of the electricity importers over winter, that there might be some electricity shortages.

'So I think measures like, for example, reducing gas consumption, reducing electricity consumption, are very important signals which need to be given to the population.'

Asked if the UK Government should be giving advice to people to reduce consumption, Mr Berger said: 'I don't want to give any advice to the British Government, but I can only say that in Germany we need to reduce gas consumption by 20 per cent and we are now, we have reduced around 12 per cent, so it's still not enough.'

Asked about the potential for European countries to be bidding against each other for energy, he said: 'In general we have the problem that there is not enough gas for households, for businesses, so we have to avoid a race which is driving prices up, so I think what we need for the markets is certainty and reliability so that we can calm down speculation.'

The appeal comes amid fears that Norway could opt to close interconnectors with the UK and EU to avoid blackouts for its own population.

Norway has capacity to supply Britain with 1.4 gigawatts (GW) through a cable to Northumberland - which is a key part of National Grid's contingency planning.

ESO said the number of people left without electricity would depend on how many gas power stations would be forced to shut down because there is not enough gas.

But this was the worst-case scenario that the grid operator presented.

Its base case assumes that when Britain needs more electricity, cables that link the country to its European neighbours will be enough to keep the lights on.

What are blackouts and why might they happen this winter? National Grid has warned that there could be blackouts this winter if gas power plants are not able to keep running due to the energy crisis. The electricity systems operator said it is still unlikely but winter could see the first planned blackouts, which the grid calls rota load shedding, since the 1970s. But why might blackouts happen this year - who will be impacted and what can be done to avoid them? Why would a grid ever plan blackouts? Engineers working on the energy grid need to make sure it is "balanced" at all times. This means that the amount of electricity being put into the grid by power plants, wind farms and others should match the amount being taken out by households and businesses at any given time. The grid plans for when it thinks demand can be high so it can ask generators to meet that demand. But if there is ever an imbalance where demand is higher than supply or supply is higher than demand, it can cause major breakdowns in the grid. That could cause actual physical damage to the grid that could take days to repair. If the engineers know there will not be enough supply to match demand, sometimes they need to reduce demand by planned outages to avoid major damage. Why might blackouts be necessary this winter? Britain has one of the most reliable power networks in the world and unless cables are cut by storms or other accidents outages are rare. But this winter, gas generators might not be able to get enough gas to keep running. The grid said that if this happens, it still thinks that is "unlikely", then it might have to cut power to some households and businesses. Who will be impacted by blackouts and who gets cut off first? If the grid realises that it has to cut off some parts of the country, it will issue a warning to the local and regional distributors saying how much demand needs to be cut. It will be up to these so-called distribution network operators to decide who gets cut off and who does not. But the DNOs have limited controls so most of the time it will be whole areas that are impacted. How can we avoid blackouts? If the blackouts are caused by a lack of supply, then the only way is to reduce demand at particular times. Most demand happens during peak hours of between around 4pm and 7pm when people get home from work, put the kettle on, switch on their ovens and sit down to watch TV. The overall amount of electricity that people use does not have to reduce if they just change their usage to other times of the day. For instance, electric cars could be unplugged during these hours, switching the dishwasher could wait until 9pm and you could put the washing machine on earlier in the day or during the weekend. The grid and energy suppliers will launch a new system in November to pay people if they change the time that they use energy. The Government could also step in to ration peoples' energy use or advise them to use less, similar to a hosepipe ban, but so far it has ruled this out. Advertisement

It does not assume that there is any 'material reduction of consumer demand due to high energy prices'.

Responding to the winter outlook, a Government spokesperson said: 'The UK has a secure and diverse energy system.

'We are confident in our plans to protect households and businesses in the full range of scenarios this winter, in light of Russia's illegal war in Ukraine.

'To strengthen this position further, we have put plans in place to secure supply and National Grid, working alongside energy suppliers and Ofgem, will launch a voluntary service to reward users who reduce demand at peak times.'

The spokesperson said Britain is not dependent on Russian energy imports, and has access to North Sea gas reserves, imports from Norway, and via ports which can handle liquefied natural gas, as well as clean energy sources.

However, Adam Bell, former head of energy strategy at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, has said the possibility of blackouts is high in the coming months if there is a cold winter and the situation in Ukraine does not change.

He said: 'The chances of a very cold January itself are quite low, it's only 10 per cent, or one in every 10 years.

'But in that scenario, given the constraints Europe is under, given the constraints our system is under, even with the interventions the National Grid already have planned, which includes reopening some coal plants and paying people to turn down their demand, you would likely see some rolling blackouts for domestic customers.'

Mr Bell said such a situation would be caused by 'a very cold January, we're unable to import power from the continent, we can't get more gas because everywhere in Europe is demanding it as well and this means that we have to shut down some of our gas power stations'.

He also said the UK cannot prepare for this situation now because of little capacity to store gas, adding: 'We can store some gas but not enough to cover a week or a fortnight.'

Mr Bell added that between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of our power comes from fossil fuels, saying: 'We haven't built enough renewable power yet to ween ourselves off (fossil fuels) fully.

'We'd need to replace gas with other sources, such as hydrogen, to really remove gas from our system. So we're still vulnerable to this sort of disruption. Not the least because 80 per cent of us rely on (gas) for our domestic heat.'

Energy regulator Ofgem said: 'We have one of the most reliable energy systems in the world and we are in a favourable position.

'However, it is incumbent on a responsible and prudent energy sector to ensure the right contingency measures are in place.'

National Grid Gas Transmission, which is a separate business to the ESO, said Britain will use more, not less, gas this winter, despite soaring prices.

Households and small businesses whose meters are not read every day are expected to reduce their consumption by five per cent.

Demand from larger businesses and some heavy industry is also expected to drop as they seek alternatives to expensive gas.

But the amount of gas needed to power the UK's electricity grid is expected to rise by nearly 22 per cent  offsetting the household and business savings.

Some of this extra electricity will go to France, where the nuclear power fleet has faced trouble in recent months.

The gas operator set out several scenarios, including one where the winter is so cold it pushes demand to similar levels as in the winter of 2010.

If this happens Britain will need to start importing gas from storage sites in mainland Europe at high prices.

If another Beast from the East hits, the UK will need to tap into its own gas storage sites.

If the cold snap happens early in the winter when storage sites are still relatively full they can supply all of the extra gas needed.

But if it happens later in winter when storage levels are low the UK will need to import more gas from the continent.

Consumers will be able to trim their electricity bills do running their washing machines overnight under new National Grid plans (file image)

When the lights DID go out: Meals by candlelight and lamp-lit shopping... how miners strikes and sky-high inflation saw 1970s Britain plunged into darkness with a three-day working week

ByHarry Howard, History Correspondent For Mailonline

As Britain grapples with soaring gas and electricity prices and an energy supply crisis, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has been forced to say there is 'no question of the lights going out'.

But, when the country was gripped by strikes by coal workers in the 1970s, the lights really did go out.

From 1972, the then Tory Prime Minister Edward Heath became locked in political battle with the immensely powerful and militant National Union of Mineworkers.

Unlike today, most of Britain's electricity came from coal, and so crisis struck when miners voted to strike over wages for six weeks between January and February 1972.

Miners picketed power stations in an effort to restrict coal supply, leading to mass blackouts around the country and businesses being forced to close.

Whilst that strike came to an end with the Government's capitulation and a pay rise for miners, the following year saw further unrest when ministers capped public sector wages amid an inflation crisis  as the NUM demanded a further pay hike of 35 per cent.

Although another strike was initially avoided, miners did vote to ban overtime, leading to the halving of coal production and the imposition by Heath of a three-day week in December 1973, with the aim of conserving coal stocks and keeping all essential lights on.

Nearly all businesses had to limit their electricity use to three days a week and were banned from operating for long hours on those days.

TV companies including the BBC and ITV had to stop broadcasting at 10.30pm each night, whilst ordinary Britons were ordered to limit heating to one room and to keep non-essential lights switched off.

In some pubs, patrons were forced to drink by candlelight, whilst shop workers around the country used head torches to keep trading.

Even the lights on the traditional Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree, which usually shined brightly throughout December, were switched off until Christmas Day itself.

As Britain grapples with soaring gas and electricity prices and an energy supply crisis, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has been forced to say there is 'no question of the lights going out'. But, when the country was gripped by strikes by coal workers in the 1970s, the lights really did go out. Above: A woman eats breakfast by candlelight in her basement flat in Fulham during the February 1972 miners' strike

The then Prime Minister Edward Heath imposed a three-day week at the end of December 1973, after coal production halved when the National Union of Mineworkers banned overtime. Nearly all businesses had their electricity use cut to three days a week. Above: Staff in a DIY shop use head torches and a miner's lamp to work

The 1972 strike was the first time miners had walked away from work since 1926. It took place when negotiations over a pay rise between NUM leaders and the National Coal Board broke down.

In the power cuts which followed, even the Cabinet were meeting in Downing Street by candlelight.

The Government declared a state of emergency, tens of thousands of people were thrown into unemployment and hundreds of factories had to cease production.

As the stockpiles of coal that did exist continued to dwindle, astonishing images showed Britons eating meals and drinking in pubs by candlelight, whilst the advertising display boards in Central London's Piccadilly Circus were switched off.

Most of the mass power cuts finally came to an end in early March 1972, after miners accepted a pay rise offer of around 30 per cent from the Government.

The crisis of the following year was triggered in part by high rates of inflation, which wiped out much of the miners' pay rise.

In January 1974, the NUM carried out another strike vote as the three-day week continued. This time, it passed. Britain was then gripped by a strike which lasted six weeks. Above: Miners man a picket line at a colliery in Doncaster in 1974

Before the planned strike began, Heath called a snap election in an attempt to end the crisis. Above: Heath (second from left) talks to a greengrocer in London during an electioneering tour in February 1974. The shopkeeper, Sheila Kane, expressed concerns about high prices and extreme cold in the shop due to the three-day working week

The Daily Mail's coverage on December 13, 1973 reported how Britain was set to move to a three-day working week

After the Government rejected the NUM's demand of an additional 35 per cent pay rise, mining leaders called another strike ballot.

Whilst the vote did not pass in favour of a strike, an overtime ban halved coal production overnight.

It led to Heath's decision to impose a three-day week from December 31. Less than a month later, miners rejected a 16 per cent pay rise and this time voted to strike.

MailOnline readers remember the crisis MailOnline readers who were alive at the time shared their recollections of the period. One said: 'I remember it well. We moved house during the three day week and my husband was able to decorate throughout on his days off.' Another described how the small engineering firm they worked for was able to stay running five days a week by using oil lamps and wearing 'heavy coats' and 'fingerless gloves' to guard against the cold. They added: 'I remember the steam coming out of my mouth. But we all kept the place going.' A third reader said that the frequent power cuts brought their family closer together. A Leicester-based reader added: 'Remember it well in the 70s as a child and although the lights went out we never ran out of food and Christmas was still amazing!' Advertisement

MailOnline readers who were alive at the time shared their recollections of the period.

One said: 'I remember it well. We moved house during the three day week and my husband was able to decorate throughout on his days off.'

Another described how the small engineering firm they worked for was able to stay running five days a week by using oil lamps and wearing 'heavy coats' and 'fingerless gloves' to guard against the cold.

They added: 'I remember the steam coming out of my mouth. But we all kept the place going.'

A third reader said that the frequent power cuts brought their family closer together.

A Leicester-based reader added: 'Remember it well in the 70s as a child and although the lights went out we never ran out of food and Christmas was still amazing!'

On January 18, the Daily Mail reported how shops throughout the country were running short of goods due to the coal shortage, with the situation made worse by the panic-buying of everyday items.

The Confederation of British Industry said at the time: 'Steel, plastic, timber and paper are in particular short supply and the three-day week combined with the fuel crisis is really beginning to make itself felt.'

In a striking echo of the shortages caused by panic-buying during the first coronavirus lockdown last year, some supermarkets said they had run out of certain foods, with one shop director branding panicking customers their 'worst enemy'.

He added: 'I have had a letter from a family who want to fill a room with enough food to last for two years. They wanted to know the shelf-life of tinned products.

'We are short of some lines but this is ridiculous.'

Another manager, at a store in Surrey, told how they had 'completely' run out of toilet paper as shoppers  much like their counterparts in 2020 - bought more than they needed.

'People have been buying a dozen rolls at a time,' the manager added.

Even false teeth were taking longer to arrive in the hands of their owners due to fact that dental technician staff were working shorter weeks.

Amid the crisis, Heath called a snap election on February 5 under the slogan: 'Who Governs Britain?'

His gamble was that the public would side with his Government rather than voting to maintain the then immense power of trade unions.

Addressing the country on television, he said: 'Do you want Parliament and the elected Government to continue to fight strenuously against inflation?

The 1972 strike was the first time miners had walked away from work since 1926. It took place when negotiations over a pay rise between NUM leaders and the National Coal Board broke down. Above: Radio London's then newsreader Alan Rogers broadcasts by candlelight in February 1972. TV companies including the BBC and ITV had to stop broadcasting at 10.30pm each night

In the 1972 crisis, Britain's high streets were beset by power cuts. Above: A dimmed Woolworths outlet on the Strand in Central London

Women in the office of a duvet manufacturing firm use quilts to keep themselves warm while they work without electricity during the three-day week

'Or do you want them to abandon the struggle against rising prices under pressure from one particularly powerful group of workers ... This time of strife has got to stop. Only you can stop it.'

He then added: 'It's time for you to say to the extremists, the militants, and the plain and simply misguided: we've had enough. There's a lot to be done. For heaven's sake, let's get on with it.'

Whilst Heath took the largest share of the vote in 1974 General Election, they lost 28 seats, along with their majority in the House of Commons.

Harold Wilson's Labour Party took power and immediately increased miners' wages by 35 per cent and the strike came to an end.

Miners stopped blockading power stations and went back to work.

Miners are balloted for crucial vote on the Wilberforce Report, concerning an increase in the recommended rise of pay, Wales, 23rd February 197

owds of protestors demonstrating at the Houses of Parliament in support of the miner's strike in February 1972

One of the regular power cuts takes out most of the lights in London's Piccadilly Circus in 1974

Serving tea by candlelight in a Ludgate Circus cafeteria during a power cut under the power-saving measures resulting from the miners strike in 1972

With coal stocks now starting to be replenished, the three-day week finally came to an end on March 7.

A second General Election which followed that October led to a slim Labour majority, with Wilson's successor James Callaghan becoming PM.

In response to the current crisis, Business Secretary Mr Kwarteng said yesterday: 'We have sufficient capacity, and more than sufficient capacity, to meet demand and we do not expect supply emergencies to occur this winter

'There is absolutely no question of the lights going out or people being unable to heat their homes. There will be no three-day working weeks or a throwback to the 1970s.

'Such thinking is alarmist, unhelpful and completely misguided.'
Two Canadians moms have been rushed to intensive care after being mauled by a male black bear that guarded their injured bodies 'for its next meal'.

Leosette Canoy and Analyn Shurtliff Bartolome, believed to be aged 30 and 48, were ambushed by the beast on Monday during a trail hike with two of their family members near Dawson Creek, British Columbia.

The group of four - including Canoy's niece and Bartolome's son - spent the day out in nature looking for locations to take photos of fall leaves.

But the hike on Wolverine Trail on Bear Mountain suddenly turned to disaster when they spotted a black bear raging towards them just before 7pm.

Police later found the two lacerated women lying in the bush with the bear 'guarding over them.'

Canoy, who goes by the name Cheng, is currently sedated and undergoing more than six hours of surgery for her horrific injuries after the bear 'chewed her up'.

Bartolome is in a serious but stable condition, but is feared to lose her left arm because of the multiple slashes she endured.

Leosette Canoy, who goes by the name Cheng, was attacked by the male black bear after an autumnal day hiking with her friend and their family members. She is currently sedated and undergoing more than six hours of surgery for her horrific injuries after the bear 'chewed her up'

Analyn Shurtliff Bartolome was ambushed by the animal on the hiking trail near Dawson Creek, British Columbia. She is currently in ICU

Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers in an all-terrain vehicle found the two women lying in the bush with life-threatening injuries. They found the large bear at the scene, that appeared to be 'guarding the victims'

Just as they were ending their fall walk, Bartolome's teenage son heard footsteps behind the group, and realized that they were being followed by a male black bear.

The animal then started charging at the group - and despite Bartolome's son punching the bear in an attempt to scare it off, it continued its rampage.

After knocking the boy to the ground, the bear stormed at his mother.

Canoy, who works as a caregiver for disabled people, attempted to distract the bear from ambushing her friend. However, the animal then turned on her.

Bartolome's son then hit it with a large stick - stunning the bear momentarily - before it continued on its path of attack.

Analyn's son and Canoy's niece escaped the attack, fleeing to a nearby trail cabin where they called 911 and waited for first responders.

Both Bartolome and Canoy were airlifted to hospital, where they remain in intensive care. The teenage boy is also being treated for injuries.

Canoy with her husband Gary Hansen (left). He said that the image of his wife laying injured on the ground with the bear watching over her like it was 'his next meal' haunts him

Canoy, who works as a caregiver for disabled people, loves the outdoors and hiking, her family said

During the ordeal, Canoy (pictured) attempted to distract the bear from ambushing her friend. But the animal turned on her

A black bear pictured in Yukon Territory, Canada (file picture)

Cops say two Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers in an all-terrain vehicle found the two women lying in the bush with life-threatening injuries.

They found the large bear at the scene, that appeared to be 'guarding the victims.'

Staff Sgt. Damon Werrell confirmed that the animal was shot by the responders.

Gary Hansen, Canoy's devastated husband, said that he's haunted at the thought the bear was 'guarding his catch, his next meal.'

Hansen told CBC: 'She's my gift from God. It's horrific to see my wife like that. The bear chewed her up bad.'

He said that he's unable to hold his beloved wife's hand as she lays in hospital because her limbs are so badly mauled.

Hansen revealed that his wife moved from the Philippines about 15 years ago and fell in love with the Canadian landscape - and she often enjoys hiking and camping.

Wenneli Canoy, who was with her aunt when she was attacked, wrote on social media after the ordeal: 'Most of the time I'm spaced out because of what happened, it keeps popping in my head.

'I felt guilty when I saw my Aunt attacked by the bear and I escaped to call for help.

'I always cry every time I saw her state in the ICU and felt sorry for her.'

Canoy's stepson Ross wrote on social media: 'She is one of my favorite people on this planet.'

Officers confirmed that no additional bears were located during a sweep of the area - but the trail is currently closed to the public.

Both Canoy and Bartolome's families have set up GoFundMe pages following their traumatic ordeal. You can donate to them here and here.

Police found the two lacerated women lying in the bush with the bear 'guarding over them.' Pictured is Analyn Shurtliff Bartolome

Analyn Shurtliff Bartolome (pictured second from the right) was seriously injured during the bear attack. Her teenage son, who was on the trail with her, attempted to stop the bear's rampage but he was unable to

Wenneli Canoy (pictured) is the niece of Leosette Canoy and watch in horror as the bear attacked her family. She was able to escape and call 911 on October 3
A Royal Navy engineer has been cleared of sexually assaulting a male colleague after telling the court he couldn't have done it because they are 'demisexual'.

Able Seaman Triss Smythe's demisexuality means they have to have a strong emotional bond with someone before they can think about sexual contact.

For this reason, AB Smythe said they didn't find the complainant sexually attractive and could not be guilty of 'grinding' and kissing their fellow serviceman.

They told the court they even struggled to kiss their own female fiancee passionately at the start of their relationship, 'let alone a colleague'.

The 23-year-old, an Air Engineering Technician, insisted they wrapped their arms around their fellow sailor and kissed him in an aircraft hangar in an 'Intense' but 'platonic' manner.

AB Smythe, who was known to use the phrase 'I'm here and I'm queer' around the workplace, had denied one count of sexual assault of non-consensual touching and claimed the kiss was simply a 'peck'.

At Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, the three day trial came to an end as the board delivered a not guilty verdict.

Able Seaman Triss Smythe (pictured) was cleared of sexually assaulting a fellow sailor, claiming they could not have done because they are demisexual

The court previously heard Smythe left his fellow serviceman feeling 'violated and humiliated' by putting his 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 alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the trial the kiss went on 'for what felt like a lifetime'.

During the trial, the court heard Smythe 'circled' around the back of his colleague in a helicopter hangar at Royal Navy Air Station Yeovilton, Somerset.

Giving evidence, AB Smythe said their 'demisexuality' meant the kiss could not have been of a sexual nature.

AB Smythe (pictured), 23, told the military court the kiss they gave their colleague was 'platonic' and simply a 'peck'

On thier sexuality, AB Smythe told the court: 'It's not something I scream from the rooftops.

'I always understand 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 that they were using their sexuality as a cover, AB Smythe 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, who has been 'out' as demisexual for 'roughly two years' since they started dating their now fiancee, waited three months before starting to feel sexual towards her.

'I have nothing other than professional and platonic feeling for [the complainant],' he added.

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

AB Smythe told the court that the complainant, had spoken to them 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 they hadn't considered that sexual either.

'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,' they said.

However, the complainant said this event never actually took place.

On the alleged sexual assault, AB Smythe said: 'I walked alongside the aircraft.

'At this point [the complainant] had clearly stopped working, I thought it's as 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 his cheek.'

AB Smythe denied taking the complainant in a tight grip.

'I gave him a quick peck on his cheek,' they added.

When asked if it was slobbery, they 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.

'I won't deny that he didn't feel anything. 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.'

AB Smythe said the contact was 'not in the slightest' bit sexual, that they had 'no reason to thrust into him' and 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.'
Time to reconsider government reorganization plan



The Yoon Suk-yeol administration announced a government reorganization plan on Thursday to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, elevate the status of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and create an agency for Korean nationals abroad.



The government and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) will present the plan to the National Assembly soon to get parliamentary approval next month. In addition, the administration will finalize another plan to set up a space and aeronautics agency and an immigration agency later this year.



However, the amendment to the Government Organization Act is likely to languish in the Assembly, as the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) together with feminist groups are strongly against the plan to scrap the gender equality ministry. The DPK finds it hard to narrow its differences over the issue with the government and the PPP, although it concurs on other reorganization plans.



There is no dispute over the need to set up an agency to support overseas Korean nationals who total 7.32 million. The agency will be established under the command of the foreign minister, according to the draft bill. The DPK is also in favor of the enhanced status of the veterans affairs ministry to better take care of patriots and veterans who fought for the independence and freedom of the country.



In this situation, the rival parties cannot form a bipartisanship over the government reorganization bill unless they reach a compromise over the planned disbandment of the gender ministry. The brewing discord over the matter is feared to escalate political confrontation between the ruling and opposition camps.



The DPK has bristled at the widening investigations into its Chairman Lee Jae-myung over corruption allegations as well as former President Moon Jae-in over reported mishandling of the killing of a fisheries official by the North Korean military in 2020 and other reported misdeeds. The party is opposing the abolishment of the gender ministry, arguing that the plan could deal a setback to gender equality. It is accusing the Yoon administration of currying favor with young male voters by scrapping the ministry.



Actually, Yoon benefited from his campaign promise to get rid of the ministry, appealing to male voters in their 20s and 30s who have felt discriminated against due to previous administrations' policy of promoting women's rights. Yoon and his party are giving the impression that they will continue to take advantage of the gender divide for political gains by keeping his promise.



Yet, the envisaged disbandment of the ministry could do more harm than good. Thus, the Yoon government and the PPP need to reconsider the plan which goes against the global trend of advocating women's empowerment. Yoon once said that the ministry has no reason to exist as it already completed its mission. But it is wrong for him to believe that.



The ministry still has many things to do to narrow gender inequality. For example, female workers still make an average 61.9 percent of what their male counterparts earn. Many women still fall victim to grave crimes including stalking murders, as seen in the recent case of a female subway worker who was killed by an ex-colleague in Sindang Station. Abolishing the ministry and transferring its tasks to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Employment and Labor will only end up perpetuating gender inequality. The plan also lacks national consensus, thereby deepening socioeconomic and political conflicts. Now is the time to rethink the ill-conceived plan.












Mr Bell faced court charged with assault and was served a restraining order

A man has stormed into a top real estate agency and threatened to 'kill' the boss, accusing him of verbally abusing his brother with gay slurs at a cafe earlier that day.

Ryan Bell, 38, confronted Mohammad Mahinul Abedin, managing director of Innerwest Property, in his office in Homebush, Sydney, last Wednesday.

Mr Abedin is seen on CCTV sitting at a desk inside the real estate agency when Mr Bell enters and rings a bell.

'Were you just in the cafe?' Mr Bell asks as he walks towards him. 'Did you just call my brother a f***ing poof?

'That's my brother, did you call him a f***ot?'

Ryan Bell was caught on CCTV angrily confronting real estate agency boss Mohammad Mahinul Abedin after Mr Abendin verbally abused his brother

Mr Bell pushes the real estate agent as he tries to stand up before threatening to kill him. Mr Bell was issued a restraining order and charged with assault over the matter

Mr Abedin, who turns his chair towards Mr Bell before he approaches, tries to respond before he is cut off.

'If you ever f***ing come in there, you're f***ing dead bro,' Mr Bell says.

'Don't ever walk in that f***ing place again. You're lucky I don't f***ing slap your head now you stupic c***.'

Mr Abedin tries to stand up before Mr Bell angrily pushes him back into his chair and tells him to 'sit the f*** down'.

He then threatens the real estate agent, saying, 'I swear to God I'll kill you'.

Bell was charged with assault and faced Burwood Local Court on Thursday, when the matter was adjourned until October 27.

He was issued with a restraining order which instructed him not to go within 50 metres of Mr Abedin.

Bell acted after a confrontation between Mr Abedin and Bell's brother who was working as a waiter at the family-run Bar Cortona cafe.

Mr Bell's outburst was sparked by Mr Abedin (circled) allegedly abusing his brother, a waiter at the family-run Bar Cortona cafe

The waiter is understood to have been so traumatised by the incident he has been unable to return to work since the confrontation

Mr Abedin is allegedly seen on camera calling the waiter a 'f***ing f***ot' and a 'd***head' and his family 'white trash'.

The waiter, who did not wish to be named, can be heard calling police for help to end the confrontation - but the verbal barbs continued.

'Absolute f***ot. Look at his eyes. You're messing with the wrong person,' the person alleged to be Mr Abedin said to 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.'

Mr Abedin allegedly told the waiter to tell police he's 'also calling you a d***head'.

The clash was filmed by a customer who posted the footage on social media.

Mr Abedin (pictured) is allegedly seen on camera calling the waiter a 'f***ing f***ot' and a 'd***head' and his family 'white trash'

The row is said to have erupted after the waiter was cleaning up the cafe's outside tables and accidentally sprayed the hand of the angry customer

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 row is said to have erupted after the waiter was cleaning up the cafe's outside tables and accidentally sprayed the customer.

Mr Abedin also accused the waiter of touching his hand - both claims the waiter denies.

Police are investigating.
An inspection of two of the leaks at the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia to Europe has shown signs of sabotage and multiple 'detonations', Swedish authorities said Thursday.

'We can conclude that there have been detonations at Nord Stream 1 and 2 in the Swedish exclusive economic zone that has led to extensive damage to the gas pipelines,' public prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said in a statement.

Ljungqvist added that the 'crime scene investigation had strengthened the suspicions of aggravated sabotage.' He said they had seized some material on site that it would now analyse.

Pictured: An aerial photo provided by the Swedish Coast Guard on Sept. 28, 2022 shows a gas leak on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. An inspection of two of the leaks at the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia to Europe has reinforced suspicions that they were acts of sabotage

'Pieces of evidence have been gathered at the crime scene and these will now be examined,' the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor did not disclose details, citing the confidentiality of the investigation and stating that 'the issue is very sensitive.'

All of the four leaks, which were discovered on Monday last week, are in the Baltic Sea off the Danish island of Bornholm. Two of the leaks were located in the Swedish exclusive economic zone, and the two others in the Danish one.

As Vladimir Putin continues to weaponize Russia's control over the gas industry to put pressure on western nations to ease sanctions imposed after his invasion of Ukraine, many have accused Moscow of being behind the sabotage. The Kremlin has maintained it was not behind the damage, and has instead blamed the U.S

Initially they were assumed to have been accidental, but opinions rapidly changed with several governments stating that four separate leaks happening almost simultaneously was beyond coincidence.

The governments of Denmark and Sweden previously said they suspected that several hundred pounds of explosives were involved in carrying out a deliberate act of sabotage. The leaks from Nord Stream 1 and 2 discharged large amounts of methane into the air.

On Monday, Sweden's Prosecution authority said it was blocking off the area around the leaks in the Swedish zone in order to carry out an inspection of the scene.

The authority said Thursday that the restrictions had been lifted following the completion of the inspection.

All of the four leaks, which were discovered on Monday last week, are in the Baltic Sea off the Danish island of Bornholm. Two of the leaks were located in the Swedish exclusive economic zone, and the two others in the Danish one

Pipes for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, which are not used, are seen in the harbour of Mukran, Germany, on September 30, 2022

The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which connect Russia to Germany, have been at the centre of geopolitical tensions as Russia cut gas supplies to Europe in suspected retaliation against Western sanctions following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

While the pipelines are not currently in operation, they both still contained gas before they fell victim to apparent sabotage.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that Russia was informed via diplomatic channels that there were no plans to invite Moscow to join an investigation into Nord Stream gas leaks.

This week, the Nord Stream operators said they were unable to inspect the damaged sections because of restrictions imposed by Danish and Swedish authorities who are cordoning off the area of the leaks that occurred in their exclusive economic zones.

'We were informed via diplomatic channels that as of now, there are no plans to ask the Russian side to join investigations,' Peskov said, adding that Russia replied it was not possible to conduct an objective investigation without Moscow's participation.

As Vladimir Putin continues to weaponize Russia's control over the gas industry to put pressure on western nations to ease sanctions imposed after his invasion of Ukraine, many have accused Moscow of being behind the sabotage

On Tuesday, Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist said that the area of the Nord Stream gas leaks was 'a Swedish crime scene investigation and Denmark runs a Danish crime scene'.

'That's the basic matter. We don't usually involve foreign powers in our criminal investigations. That's the basic approach. It is not up for discussion,' he told a briefing.

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, said separately on Thursday that Moscow would insist on a 'comprehensive and open investigation' that includes Russian officials and Gazprom.

'Not to allow the owner to the investigating means there is something to hide from him,' Zakharova said.

While it may not be in Russias long-term economic interests to destroy one of its key potential money earners - pipelines supplying gas to Europe - the destructive act could create economic panic in Europe in the short term.

The leaks, were expected to last several days, and raised concerns over environmental damage. They caused a spike in the price of natural resources  a possible Russian motivation for sabotage.
Tory chairman Jake Berry today admitted it was 'a bit clumsy' to claim Britons struggling through the cost-of-living crisis should 'get a new job'.

The Cabinet minister expressed his 'regret' at his remarks, which saw Labour brand him 'out-of-touch' amid a furious backlash.

The Rossendale and Darwen MP insisted he was trying to promote Liz Truss's economic growth agenda when he suggested Britons should seek higher-paid work.

He also urged Tory colleagues to get behind the Prime Minister's 'bold vision' for the country.

Prior to the start of the Conservative Party conference on Sunday, Mr Berry suggested people could get better-paid jobs to cover their energy bills.

'People know that when their bills arrive, they can either cut their consumption or they can get a higher salary or higher wages, go out there and get that new job,' he told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday show.

In fierce criticism of the Tory chairman's comments, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner asked how Mr Berry thought people on low pay could 'simply magically upgrade to a higher-wage job'.

Jake Berry expressed his 'regret' at his remarks, which saw Labour brand him 'out-of-touch' amid a furious backlash

The Tory chairman urged his party's MPs to get behind the Prime Minister's 'bold vision' for the country after days of infighting

Speaking to Times Radio this morning, Mr Berry acknowledged the 'clumsy' nature of his remarks.

'I do think my language was a bit clumsy in that regard and I regret it,' he said.

'The point I was making is that the Government needs to go for growth to ensure that it can grow the economy and Britain can get a pay rise.

'You dont have to tell me how hard people graft in this economy. I know how hard people work.'

The Tory chairman also used the radio interview to urge the party's MPs to rally behind Ms Truss after a Conservative conference dominated by bitter infighting.

The four-day gathering in Birmingham saw an almost total collapse in Tory discipline, as MPs and ministers engaged in fierce rows over benefits cuts and the PM's U-turn on scrapping the 45p tax rate.

Asked if he was concerned Ms Truss was 'driving the party over a cliff', Mr Berry called on people to 'listen to and look at' what the PM said in her keynote conference speech yesterday.

'I dont think she was talking just to people in the conference hall, she was talking to the country about her vision,' he said.

'I hope and believe that the country will listen to that.

'And I hope colleagues will listen to it and see that we do have a bold vision for our country to transform it to better the lives of families and people up and down this country.'
Dozens of activists from Just Stop Oil were arrested today after blocking roads in Trafalgar Square and causing mayhem in Central London for the sixth day in a row.

Some 32 demonstrators sat down with banners and glued themselves to the Tarmac at 12pm as they continue to demand the Government stops new oil and gas projects.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed just after 2pm that all 32 had been removed from the roads and arrested on suspicion of wilful obstruction of the highway.

Just Stop Oil also said today: 'A group of seven queer people have formed one of the roadblocks. They are dressed in drag to demonstrate their unapologetic queerness.'

It follows protests every day since Saturday which have seen the group block roads around Parliament Square, Waterloo Bridge and other parts of Central London.

TODAY -- Just Stop Oil activists block roads and cause mayhem in Trafalgar Square today

TODAY -- Just Stop Oil activists at Trafalgar Square this afternoon as their protests continue

TODAY -- An activist from Just Stop Oil is dealt with by police in Trafalgar Square this afternoon

Just Stop Oil added that five of its activists were now in prison on remand or serving sentences after taking part in protests - naming them as Simon Milner-Edwards, Margaret Reid, Michelle Charlesworth, Barry Mitchell and Joshua Smith.

It added that Scott Breen was in jail for a demonstration against the Southampton to London pipeline, and Elliott Cuciurean was in prison for taking action against HS2.

In a press release announcing the protest today, Peter Tatchell, 70, the veteran LGBT rights campaigner, was quoted as saying: 'There is no point campaigning for LGBT+ human rights if we don't have a planet where we can enjoy them.

'Climate destruction is an existential threat to the survival of queer humanity. In the tradition of LGBT+ direct action by groups like OutRage!, heroic queer activists from Just Stop Oil are taking on the climate wreckers to save our planet from ecocide. They deserve our admiration and support.'

TODAY -- Just Stop Oil activists at Trafalgar Square this afternoon as their protests continue

TODAY -- Just Stop Oil activists block roads and cause mayhem in Trafalgar Square today

TODAY -- A group of activists from Just Stop Oil block roads in Trafalgar Square this afternoon

 BREAKING: 32 JUST STOP OIL SUPPORTERS BLOCK TRAFALGAR SQUARE 



At approximately 12pm today, 32 supporters of Just Stop Oil peacefully blocked multiple roads surrounding Trafalgar Square demanding an immediate end to all new oil and gas licensing#CivilResistance #A22Network pic.twitter.com/UaNYAC57ob  Just Stop Oil  (@JustStop_Oil) October 6, 2022

And protester Oliver Clegg, 19, a student in Manchester, said: 'Queer people have never stood by whilst injustice has happened, and we're not about to start. Queer people defied, and continue to defy, the laws that hold us back.

'We never had anything handed to us, we had to fight for every single one of the rights we now have. And that fight isn't over.

'The climate crisis has a disproportionate effect on people who are already marginalised including queer people. The climate crisis is a queer issue, and we are not going to stand by and let it happen.

'Civil resistance is a potent expression of queerness. We encourage queer people to join us in civil resistance.'

YESTERDAY -- Police speak to Just Stop Oil protesters block a road leading into Westminster

TUESDAY -- Climate activists from Just Stop Oil block the roads around Parliament Square

MONDAY -- Police attempt to move Just Stop Oil protesters blocking roads in Trafalgar Square

Demonstrator Cat Acheson, 27, a sustainability research student at the University of East Anglia, added: 'We are in an economic and environmental crisis, with oil companies making obscene profits while climate breakdown spirals out of control, and ordinary people can't afford to live.

'Enough is enough. We need an end to all new fossil fuel extraction, a redistribution of wealth, and clean, affordable energy for all.'

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said on Twitter at 12.33pm today: 'We are aware of current protest action in Central London.

SUNDAY -- Police wach as Just Stop Oil of protesters occupy Waterloo Bridge in London

SATURDAY -- Activists occupy Parliament Square as Just Stop Oil carry out more protests

'Protestors are blocking traffic, having glued and locked themselves to the road, at the top of Whitehall near Trafalgar Square. Officers are responding on scene to get protestors removed, we will keep you updated.'

In an update at 1.23pm, the force added: 'So far, we have arrested 25 people for wilful obstruction of the highway.'

And then at 2.03pm, it said: 'All protestors who had glued and locked themselves onto the road have now been safely removed by specially trained officers.

'Traffic is flowing again in Whitehall and the surrounding areas. 32 people have been arrested. All for wilful obstruction of the highway.'
Shakespeare's Globe has praised a poem calling gender-critical women 'b****es' after the theatre was criticised for its portrayal of Joan of Arc as non-binary.

The world-famous venue shared several 'audience artistic responses' to the new production of I, Joan on its Twitter page yesterday.

The post, which has since been deleted, read: 'We've loved seeing the pure joy shared for I, Joan, but most of all, we've loved seeing how it's inspired you.

'To be bold. Be creative. And share your truth. We are all beautiful. We are all powerful. #WeAreJoan'

Alongside the tweet, the Globe's social media account also shared a poem written by Alex and fan art by Liam and Rejka.

Using a play on C. S. Lewis's fantasy novel title The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the opening line of the poem calls gender-critical women 'b****es'.

Shakespeare's Globe has praised a poem calling gender-critical women 'b****es' after the theatre was criticised for its portrayal of Joan of Arc as non-binary

The world-famous venue shared several 'audience artistic responses' to the new production of I, Joan on its Twitter page yesterday

Alongside the tweet, the Globe's social media account also shared a poem written by Alex and fan art by Liam and Rejka

Using a play on C. S. Lewis's fantasy novel title The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the opening line of the poem calls gender-critical women 'b****es'

The literary composition, titled 'terfs stop being transphobic challenge', then goes on to say that 'men take away their choices' and 'I don't know how they're alive'.

The post quickly drew criticism, with one user saying: '@The_Globe why did it take you all day to delete your tweet of a disgusting poem celebrating calling women "b****es"? Because it's too little too late to be honest.'

A Globe spokesperson said: 'In sharing a selection of audience artistic responses to I, Joan on social media, we shared something in a moment of misjudgement. The tweet was promptly deleted, and we are sorry for any offence caused.

'I, Joan as new play gives messages of joy, hope, love, and inclusion of all. The play runs until 22 October, and we hope that audiences can come to enjoy and appreciate all that it offers.'

It comes after Harry Potter author JK Rowling ridiculed the theatre's new portrayal of Joan of Arc as non-binary and using the pronouns 'they/them'.

Ms Rowling is a long-time campaigner of women's rights and has spoken out over concerns on transgender people having access to women-only spaces.

It comes after Harry Potter author JK Rowling ridiculed the theatre's new portrayal of Joan of Arc as non-binary and using the pronouns 'they/them'

Ms Rowling's liked a tweet ridiculing the new no-binary Joan of Arc production at The Globe

Joan of Arc is one of the most famous and inspirational women in French history and a saint

Following a tweet criticising the production, Ms Rowling remarked: 'Coming next: Napoleon was a woman because he was defeated at Waterloo'.

Joan has been adopted as a feminist icon and for the suffragette movement was even featured on their posters.

A full version of the poem shared on the Globe's Twitter account read: terfs stop being transphobic challenge the lion, the witch, the audacity of this b**** to question my authority on bodily autonomy. mutilations, in their words, a sacreligous scourge, this societal condition, transgender affliction tearing up the youth, turning boys into girls. we're lopping titties off of toddlers, youd think to hear them speak, with so much garbage locked inside its a wonder they survive. now theyre questioning my right to proudly self-identify, want to pacify, pathologize every aspect of my life, want to take away my choices whilst the men take theirs from them, want to put me in the ground, want to silence me again. I just think theyre scared because I am angrier than them, because I am angry at them and angry at men, but my anger doesnt blind, it only clarifies, and that makes them f***ing scared, I can see it in their eyes, even as they glaze over with transphobic lies. my beauty astounds them, their anger confounds me, I dont know how theyre alive, it makes them so blind that they cant see the path down which theyre being lead is another f***ing path being paved by f***ing men. we cant stand against them when they turn your anger onto us, so please, for once, show us some f***ing love, and remember that were seeking the same thing that you seek, a world made for everyone, the bold and the meek, our liberations intertwined, its been like this all the time, watch the patriarchy crumble as you just stand beside your transgender brothers and sisters, please join us in the fight. Alex Curry Advertisement

Debates about gender identity currently ongoing mean the move by the Globe - which was given 3million of taxpayers' money in 2020 to help it through the pandemic - is sure to prompt controversy.

It is not clear whether the play was commissioned or funded by the Globe itself. Isobel Thom plays the title role.

The play is written by Charlie Josephine who is non-binary and whose website says uses the pronouns they/he.

In an interview about I, Joan, the writer said of the production: 'It's going to be this big sweaty, queer, revolution, rebellion, festival of like joy.

'It's a big story, on a big stage, Joan of Arc was this incredible historical figure.

'Joan was this working class, young person, who was transgressing gender at a time when it as really dangerous and that just felt instantly relatable to me.

'I was assigned female at birth. I'm non-binary, I'm from a working class background. I've often felt like I've had something to say and haven't been given permission to say it.

'So to get an opportunity to write a play about a character, that's also trying to do that, I was like, uh it's too good to be true really.

'So it's like a huge, huge thing that I want to get right and I really care about.'

Director Ilinca Radulian added: 'We're just trying to do something that puts people in Joan's shoes, in Joan's body, like, with that mission, with those questions and with that sense of possibility.

'We want to take the audience on a journey of discovery with Joan.'

Charlie continued: 'It's like an expansion of a historical figure, yeah and I hope that opens up new possibilities for empathy and new possibilities for understanding for everyone.

Michelle Terry, artistic director of the Globe, said the production was asking the audience to consider something different.

She said: 'Shakespeare did not write historically accurate plays. He took figures of the past to ask questions about today's world. Our writers of today are doing no different, whether that's looking at Ann Boleyn, Nell Gwynn, Emilia Bassano, Edward II, or Joan of Arc.

'The Globe is a place of imagination. A place where, for a brief amount of time, we can at least consider the possibility of world's elsewhere. We have had entire storms take place on stage, the sinking of ships, twins who look nothing alike being believable, and even a Queen of the fairies falling in love with a donkey.

'Shakespeare's Globe proudly presents a new play, I, Joan with Joan as a legendary leader, who in this production, uses the pronouns 'they/them'. The production is still being created and opens on 25 August in the open-air Globe Theatre. We are not the first to present Joan in this way, and we will not be the last. To respond specifically to the use of pronouns, the use of 'they' to refer to a singular person has been traced by the Oxford English Dictionary to as early as 1375, years before Joan was even born. But theatres do not deal with 'historical reality'. Theatres produce plays, and in plays, anything can be possible.

'Joan's army will be made of hundreds of 'Groundlings' standing in the Yard, all coming to watch a play for 5 - the most accessible ticket price in London theatre. We hope this 5 ticket invites as many people as possible to come and have an opinion of their own, and even if we don't agree with each other, still show kindness, curiosity, and respect.

'It was no accident that Shakespeare moved his playhouse beyond the jurisdiction of the London City Walls. He wanted to play. Play with identity, power, with the idea of pleasure, and with all sides of an argument. Shakespeare had the capacity to imagine the lives of 1,223 characters, he could understand perspectives and differences and express them so beautifully that we still enjoy his work over 400 years later.

'For centuries, Joan has been a cultural icon portrayed in countless plays, books, films, etc. History has provided countless and wonderful examples of Joan portrayed as a woman. This production is simply offering the possibility of another point of view. That is the role of theatre: to simply ask the question 'imagine if?'.'
In the footage, the apparent panther seemed to be eating a sheep in the field

Two other campers have come forward with claims they encountered a big cat

A wild camper who heard a bloodcurdling growl from his tent in the Peak District is now 'certain it was a big cat' after a teenager shared footage of a 'panther' attacking a sheep in the same area.

Josh Williams, 17, had spent the night wild camping with a friend, in the British Countryside, when they spotted what looked like a panther standing over a sheep in the distance.

Have YOU seen the Peak District panther? Email brittany.chain@mailonline.com Advertisement

Panthers are most commonly found in the humid tropical forests of Asia and Africa, but the teenager said he saw the big cat walking from Mermaid's Pool in Derbyshire.

Now, two others have come forward to corroborate his story.

Even before Josh shared the footage, Youtuber Novice Wildcamper shared a video revealing he'd heard a big cat growling from his tent - also in the Peak District.

At the time, he said: 'I don't know if you heard that. Not sure if the camera picked it up... God knows what it is.

'It's quite a weird, guttural sound.'

After sharing the video, he wrote: 'There have been sightings round there of big cats but no real proof. Second sound was definitely eerie.'

The video attracted hundreds responses, including one from a person who claims to have grown up around pumas and worked at a zoo.

'I have heard the noises lions, leopards and tigers make, that was definitely a large cat,' he said.

'The guttural sound was definitely a large cat... the second noise however wasn't a large cat or deer or canine... it sounded much farther away.'

Now after stumbling across Josh's footage, he's certain he had a close encounter with the big cat himself.

Josh Williams (left) had spent the night wild camping with a friend Ben Burns (right), in the British beauty spot, when they spotted what looked like a panther in the Peak District

Tracy-Jane Fielding, from Glossop, believes she too saw a big cat in the Peaks District while camping in October 2021.

'It was terrifying when I heard it. I looked quickly out of my caravan window, and because we have lights outside, I could see that it was a big, black wild cat. It was different to a dog because it had a long, flowing tail,' she told the Derbyshire Times.

'I had heard the noise and the screech from the animal it had eaten, and I was trying to identify that  I think it was a barn owl with white feathers. It made this leap and pounce, it roared, and then there was this awful screech for dear life as the owl was trying to get away.'

Ms Fielding claims she froze and was unable to get a picture quick enough, before the beast turned around and ran out of sight.

After watching the footage shared by Josh, Ms Fielding is now certain she witnessed a black panther.

Even before Josh shared the footage, Youtuber Novice Wildcamper shared a video revealing he'd heard a big cat growling from his tent - also in the Peak District

Upon sharing his supposed sighting of the panther, Josh revealed it sounded as if it was feasting on the carcass of another animal.

Josh said he was convinced the creature was a big cat and resembled a panther but could not be entirely sure what it was they saw.

He said: 'We were both confused when we first saw it... it appeared to have a long black tail, so it definitely wasn't a sheep.'

The two teenagers attempted to attract the animal's attention to get a better look at its face, but were also concerned for their own safety.

The video has attracted criticism from people who argue against the notion that it's a panther. Some have said it's likely no more than a plastic bag blowing in the wind, while others suggested it could be a cow or a calf.

Panthers are most commonly found in the humid tropical forests of Asia and Africa, but the teenager said that he saw the big cat walking from Mermaid's Pool in the Peak District in Derbyshire

Rick Minter, who hosts the Big Cat Conversations podcast, told MailOnline the footage does appear to be a 'panther sized cat over prey'.

'It's not as clear as we'd like... [but] to me the footage does back up the report of the two witnesses,' he said.

Mr Minter suggested if it is in fact a big cat, it is likely to be a black or melanistic leopard.

He said a listener of his podcast lives locally to the Peak District and went to the scene that was in the film, where they found a ram carcass with a black head.

'Large cats resembling black leopards have been reported in Britain for several decades,' he noted.

'Most reports appear consistent, and dogs and horses react with the witness in many of the cases. These cats are stealthy and furtive, and as ambush predators they are more active at dawn, dusk and in the night.'

Josh was convinced that the creature sounded as if it was feasting on the carcass of another animal

Mr Minter said observations suggest the big cats are likely breeding in the area after legislation in 1976 which made it more onerous to keep such pets sparked 'releases of trophy pets' into the wild.

Josh said even he and his friend had doubts about what they'd seen on the long drive home.

'But then that also begs the question, what the hell is it?' he said.

'I showed the video to my college tutor and friends to make sure I wasn't going crazy and they were all in disbelief.

'I was glad I managed to capture it on video after the event unfolded as I knew that nobody would believe me if I told them I had seen a panther in the Peak District the first time I went camping.'

Mr Minter said: 'The big cats reported in Britain are often described as a ''beast on the loose'' - but there is a strong case that they have quietly adapted to very suitable conditions here.

'Perhaps we should think of them as not 'beasts', but shy and wary predators.'

Have YOU seen the Peak District panther? Email brittany.chain@mailonline.com
A portrait of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher bought at a fundraising event for the Conservative Party 18 years ago has sold for a whopping 43,750.

The oil painting had been expected to fetch just 800 at an auction of the contents of Chilham Castle in Kent, which was owned by the late financier and Tory donor Staurt Wheeler.

But it ended up selling for more than 50 times that amount when it went under the hammer at auctioneers Dreweatts.

It was sold with a photograph of Mr Wheeler and Baroness Thatcher in front of the portrait.

The 23.5ins by 19.5ins painting of Britain's first female Prime Minister was produced by Royal portrait artist Richard Stone.

A portrait of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher bought at a fundraising event for the Conservative Party 18 years ago has sold for a whopping 43,750

The painting was sold with a photograph of late financier and Tory donor Staurt Wheeler standing in front of it with Baroness Thatcher

This was an earlier version of the work painted for the collection at 10 Downing Street and he painted six portraits of Thatcher in total.

Mr Stone also painted portraits of the late Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother.

Mr Wheeler died in July 2020, aged 85 and in his will he put his 15m home on the market with the profits going to charity.

His family sold the contents of the impressive country house this week.

Joe Robinson, head of house sales and private collections at Dreweatts, said: 'Margaret Thatcher remains one of the most iconic figures of the 20th century with comparatively very few portraits of her completed and still with a large following.

'Richard Stone was a prolific portraitist known as being the youngest artist ever to gain a royal commission. It is likely that the BBC's use of her late Majesty's portrait, by Stone, for their coverage for the days following her death will not have been lost on the market.'

Mr Wheeler died in July 2020, aged 85 and in his will he put his 15m home on the market with the profits going to charity. His family sold the contents of the impressive country house this week

Will Richards, deputy chairman of Dreweatts, added: 'We are very proud to have had two exceptional country house sales over the last two days.

'Regarding Chilham Castle, we have worked very closely with the Wheeler family and are delighted with such a good result.'

Baroness Thatcher served as Britain's first woman Prime Minister from 1979 until 1990.

She was forced to resign by her own MPs after they became disgruntled with her decision to impose the hated Community Charge, which was dubbed the poll tax.

After leaving office, Baroness Thatcher made speeches and attended functions before health problems forced her to stop making significant public appearances.

She died aged 87 in 2013 following a stroke.
Vice President Kamala Harris was involved in a minor car accident earlier this week that was initially described by the Secret Service as a 'mechanical failure.'

Her motorcade hit a curb with enough force to disable one of the car's wheels late on Monday morning, the Washington Post first reported.

The Secret Service confirmed the incident to DailyMail.com.

Nobody was injured and Harris reportedly was transferred to another vehicle and continued her route. The vice president was traveling to the White House at the time.

She had been examined by medics once she arrived at the White House who confirmed Harris was fine.

The incident was apparently first described as a 'mechanical failure' to senior Secret Service officials but they were told the full story later in person.

The driver of her car had overcorrected at a tunnel in the Washington, DC neighborhood of Foggy Bottom.

Initially describing the incident as a 'mechanical failure' was a part of standard protocol, the Post reported, but the outlet also notes that new Secret Service head Kimberly Cheatle 'confided to allies that she was disturbed by the inaccuracy of the alert related to the Harris accident.'

Cheatle was 'relieved to get the fuller account later that day,' the report stated based on an anonymous witness.

A TikTok user recorded video on Monday morning of what appears to have been the road accident Vice President Kamala Harris was involved in

Nobody was injured in the reported incident, which occurred in Washington, DC's Foggy Bottom neighborhood

DailyMail.com has reached out to the vice president's office for further comment.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told DailyMail.com, 'During a protective movement Monday, a vehicle in a motorcade had a minor overcorrection and struck a curb.'

'The protectee was transferred to a secondary vehicle and the motorcade continued to its destination. There were no injuries to anyone,' he said.

The spokesman explained the peculiar description of a 'mechanical failure' was only in 'initial radio traffic' of the incident and that Secret Service leaders were later briefed in conversation.

'Initial radio traffic indicated this was a mechanical failure, and that was communicated to agency leadership by personnel supporting the motorcade movement,' Guglielmi said.

Harris was examined by medics upon arrival at the White House who reportedly determined she was fine

'After the protective movement was completed, leadership was verbally updated with additional pertinent facts that the vehicle struck a curb.'

A reporter from Yeshiva World News posted a purported TikTok video of the minor crash on Twitter earlier this week, calling it a 'strange incident.'

It shows several black SUVs stopped at the entrance of a tunnel while sirens can be heard in the background - though it's not clear if they are related.

While the video is shot from too far away to make out any clear details, the person recording seems certain that they see the vice president outside of the car that had hit the curb.

The Secret Service's protocols and sometimes mysterious security moves have been forced under the spotlight in recent months after the agency was accused of deleting text messages from January 5 and January 6 last year.

Those communications are being sought in relation to probes into the 2021 US Capitol riot.

Messages that could have been of interest to multiple investigations into the attack - including the House select committee's high-profile probe - had been erased after the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General had requested them, according to a letter he sent to the relevant House and Senate committees.

The Secret Service had publicly pushed back on the inspector general's suggestion that text messages were intentionally deleted.

It asserted that the erasure of messages was due to a regularly-scheduled update that wiped nearly all of the phones' existing data.

The agency claimed that the change was already underway when the texts were requested.
An elderly man has been arrested and a woman is fighting for her life after an alleged domestic violence incident in an exclusive beachside suburb in Sydney's east.

Police were called to a home on Bronte Road, Bronte at 6pm on Thursday night after reports of a disturbance.

They found a woman inside the property with critical injuries and rendered first aid until paramedics arrived.

A 74-year-old man who they believe is known to the woman was arrested at the bloody scene.

It's understood police believe the injuries were sustained in an alleged domestic violence incident.

Police arrived at the home on Bronte Road to find a woman critically injured. Pictured: Emergency workers race to save her life

An elderly man with bloodstains on his shirt has been arrested after an alleged domestic violence incident at a home in Bronte on Thursday night

Images from the scene show the elderly man, with grey hair, a beard and glasses, being led from the house with his hands behind his back.

Blood stains are visible on the sleeve of his t-shirt and there appears to be a bruise under his left eye.

The man was taken to Waverley Police Station for questioning.

The woman was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital where she remains in a serious condition.

Officers performed CPR on the woman until paramedics arrived and placed her in an ambulance

Images from the scene show the elderly man, with grey hair and glasses, being led from the scene with his hands behind his back

NSW Police confirmed detectives were at the home investigating the crime scene.

'A crime scene has been established after a woman was found critically injured in a home at Bronte this afternoon,' the spokeswoman said.

'Officers from Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command were called to a home on Bronte Rd about 6pm on Thursday  responding to reports a woman had been assaulted.

'They arrived to find a woman critically injured and rendered first aid until NSW Ambulance paramedics arrived.

'A man was taken into custody at the home. It's believed they are known to each other.

The woman was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital where she remains in a serious condition

As many as three ambulances and several police cars attended the Bronte Road home, with witnesses saying a police rescue van was also present

'A crime scene has now been established at the home with detectives from Eastern Suburbs also attending.'

Pictures from neighbours show several emergency service vehicles parked on the narrow street, which runs down to Bronte Beach.

As many as three ambulances and several police cars attended the Bronte Road home, with witnesses saying a police rescue van was also present.
Guzman is a Native American, which means the culprits could be prosecuted for federal hate crime charges

The vandals were protesting Guzman's 'Coffee with a Cop' event at the Bison Coffeeshouse, which she agreed to host in order to foster a community dialogue

Coffeeshop owner Loretta Guzman, 52, is trying to pick up the pieces after her small business was vandalized by a woke mob in Portland

The coffee shop of a Native American woman in Portland was vandalized overnight on Tuesday by a group of masked woke vandals who took issue with the small business's promotion of a 'Coffee with a Cop' event.

Six cloaked figures showed up Tuesday night with crowbars and hammers, according to surveillance footage at the Bison Coffeehouse in the Cully neighborhood.

Owner Loretta Guzman, 52, an enrolled member of the Shoshone-Bannock Native American tribes, was alerted to the damage immediately by neighbors and arrived at her business to find patrol cars parked outside assessing the damage done to the storefront.

She arrived to find the front windows smashed in and the white residue from a fire extinguisher sprayed throughout the interior of the store.

The white mist from the extinguisher damaged Native American art and the authentic stuffed bison head mounted on the wall.

'I'm just kind of numb right now,' Guzman told Oregon Live Wednesday afternoon. 'It was planned. It wasn't just random.'

Boarded up: The Bison Coffeehouse in Portland was boarded up following a Tuesday night attack by vandals brought about because of a community police event set to be hosted there

Bison Coffeehouse owner Loretta Guzman (pictured) is a Native American member of the Portland community. Because of her status as a BIPOC, the vandalism against her small business may be investigated as a hate crime

The coffeeshop was vandalized following a social media post about a community event called 'Coffee with a Cop' meant to encourage a discourse between members of the community and the police force

Guzman is now raising money to restore the thousands of dollars of damage done to her business

The authentic bison head hanging on the wall of the coffee house was damaged with foam from the fire extinguisher used by the vandals

Security camera footage shows the masked and hooded vandals attacking the coffee shop at around 3.00am Wednesday morning

Guzman said police officials with the city had asked her to host a two-hour community event during which individuals could talk to officers.

But, when she posted the event online with hashtags that included #positiveoutreach and #weliveforthefuture, her social media pages were bombarded with angry messages.

'There's a lot of questions right now that people have for the police,' she said.

'I was just hoping people from the community could bring their concerns.'

Responding to the incident, Portland Police Bureau St. Kevin Allen said his officers would help with the cleanup and continue their community outreach efforts.

'PPB has no plans to change our efforts to work closely with community members on the public safety concerns they have.

'Having that community partnership is a critical part of the success of these events, so were grateful to Bisons owner,' he said.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D), who has had his fair share of interactions with the woke mobs who run his city, condemned the vandalism and said he will 'advocate for the prosecution to the fullest extent of the law - including potential federal hate crimes.'

Last night, Bison Coffeehouse, a local BIPOC woman-owned small business, was attacked and vandalized by a group of masked criminals. They shattered windows and covered the interior of the shop with white paint. pic.twitter.com/JaN4heNuaU  Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) October 5, 2022

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

The homeless problem in Portland has escalated so much that it is driving lifelong residents out of the city

The problem has gotten so bad that the homeless have migrated out of downtown Portland and into the surrounding suburbs, sending home price values plummeting and causing some deals to fall through

The city has sanctioned a handful of encampments, but whether or not the encampment is technically permitted has not appeared to impact where the city's homeless population plop down

Crime hit record highs in Portland last year in the wake of the BLM riots, lax bail laws, general unrest brought about by the pandemic, and depleted police force. In 2022, numbers are set to match those of last year, or possibly exceed them.

As the Defund the Police movement spread across the nation in 2020, particularly in the whitest city in America - Portland - police officers have quit in droves leaving cities experiencing major crime spikes significantly less safe.

In Portland, Oregon, more than 230 police officers have left their posts via retirement or resignation since 2020.

Portland now has one of the most deserted downtowns in the United States as soaring crime rates and and epidemic of homelessness are scaring away both locals and tourists. The crisis has even now spread beyond the downtown area and into the quiet suburbs, forcing many to leave.

Large homeless camps have become a permanent fixture in some suburbs, forcing the city to conduct sweeps on a regular basis.

For some though, it's too little too late.

Lifelong Portland residents Bruce and Rebecca 'Becky' Philip 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.'
By Donald Kirk





It's getting harder all the time to think that Kim Jong-un is just play-acting when he rams through a law saying North Korea can unleash a nuclear warhead whenever he feels threatened. And it's also getting harder to assume the Americans and South Koreans will never translate the lessons of their own war games into real live action.It's as though war were creeping up slowly after we'd been shrugging off the possibilities, not always paying much attention to missile shots and military exercises, dismissing them as "just newspaper stories" that a lot of people don't bother to read.Well, maybe all the test shots and the counter-tests are not for real, and maybe there's nothing to worry about, but weren't people in Paris and London saying much the same thing in the 1930s before Adolf Hitler turned his Nazi regime against them and plunged the world  the Western world  into World War II.On the other side of the globe, in the Far East, Japan had been acting up for decades, taking over South Korea, setting up its own phony state in Manchuria, and talking up the joys of "co-prosperity" to the multitudes in the rest of Asia.The trouble is, every time we plunge into another crisis, we get closer to a showdown that's going to be much worse than the first Korean War. Now North Korea has fired a missile that's flown further than any of its previous shots. Sure, it landed harmlessly in the northern Pacific, but its trajectory over the large northern Japanese island of Hokkaido sent the Japanese into panic mode for a few hours and inspired President Yoon Suk-yeol to issue one of his strongest denunciations of North Korea's nuclear-and-missile program.The responses of South Korea and Japan won't bring them into a formal alliance considering the sheer impossibility of resolving all their other problems, but it does mean they may cooperate closely on North Korea.We can expect more exercises in which U.S., South Korean and Japanese forces participate. Korea and Japan should also share intelligence on North Korea in accord with GSOMIA, the General Security of Military Information Agreement. Controversy over GSOMIA has intruded into never-ending issues between Korea and Japan, but the North's rising threat makes it more important than ever.Increasingly, we're hearing talk about trilateral unity. A new word, "trilateralism," has entered the lingo, implying a three-sided arrangement, not quite an alliance, binding the U.S., South Korea and Japan in common cause. Kim Jong-un is doing all he can, it seems, to compel his enemies to work together.All sides are playing with fire. South Korean and U.S. strikes on a tiny islet in the West Sea no doubt was a great way to catch Kim Jong-un's attention after his latest missile test, which also may be seen as his own way of getting noticed. Is it not possible, however, that such shows of force will turn into acts of war in which all sides are firing on one another?War can break out in any number of ways. What if the Japanese decided to try to shoot down the next North Korean that flew over their territory or even entered Japan's Air Defense Identification Zone above the waters between North Korea and Japan? The Japanese may have every reason to fire on North Korean missiles, but might North Korea see that response as a pretext for firing missiles into, not over, Japan?And what if Kim decided that South Korean and American bombing in the West Sea pretty close to North Korea's shores was the excuse he needed to unleash a nuclear strike in accordance with the North Korea's newly enacted law empowering the North to open a nuclear war at any sign of a threat on its territory?Surely such speculation is pure fantasy. He wouldn't dare, would he?Probably not, but then Korean history is full of shocks and surprises, most especially the decision of Kim's grandfather, regime and dynasty founder Kim Il-sung, to invade the South in June 1950. For that matter, who would have thought the assassination in 1914 of Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, would plunge Europe and then America into the First World War.History doesn't work out the way national leaders, advisers and experts, soothsayers and fortune-tellers, predict. We've been worrying for years about a second Korean War, and then a wider war including Kim's friends, China's President Xi Jinping and Russia's President Vladimir Putin. Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it will never happen while Kim tries to frighten everyone with his nukes and missiles.Donald Kirk ( www.donaldkirk.com ) writes from Seoul as well as Washington.
Comes as Senators Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham warned DHS Secretary Mayorkas of impeachment if Republicans take the majority in November

Another bus of migrants were dropped off near Vice President Kamala Harris' Washington, D.C. residence Thursday morning as Republicans warn of impeachment against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in response to the southern border crisis.

The relocation of incoming border-crossers, especially to some high profile locations, has become a popular method of protest for border states who feel pleas for assistance are being ignored by the Biden administration.

At the crack of dawn on Thursday, a bus pulled up near Harris' home where more than two dozen migrants disembarked and were greeted by aid and volunteer groups.

The migrants were then boarded onto smaller buses and transported to nearby accommodations.

Another bus of migrants arrived out Vice President Kamala Harris' residence before sunrise on Thursday morning

More than two dozen migrants disembarked the bus outside the Naval Observatory in northwest Washington, D.C. from Texas on Thursday carrying all of their belongings in plastic bags

GOP Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Ted Cruz of Texas sent a letter to Mayorkas compiling Customs and Border Protection (DBP) data that exhibits how the situation at the border has deteriorated since President Joe Biden took office.

'This is gross dereliction of duty and, if not corrected swiftly, could provide grounds for impeachment,' the senators warned the Homeland Security head in a Tuesday letter.

'Your failure to faithfully enforce this nation's immigration laws and willful blindness to the very real humanitarian crisis at our southern border amounts to a gross dereliction of duty and a violation of your oath of office,' added Cruz and Graham, who are both on the Judiciary Committee.

To help curb the impact of mass illegal immigration in border communities, states like Texas, Arizona and Florida have been regularly transporting migrants to sanctuary cities in other parts of the country, including Washington, D.C., New York City and Chicago.

Migrants arriving in D.C. on Thursday morning were met by local aids and volunteers who loaded them into smaller buses and transported to nearby accommodations

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) figures show that as of August, the total number of migrant encounters reached more than 2 million in Fiscal Year 2022  a record high

So far, more than 8,200 migrants have been sent to D.C. from Texas on more than 195 bus trips north, according to Governor Abbott's office.

Another 3,000 were sent to New York City from Texas and nearly 1,000 to Chicago.

Recently, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sent a plane full of about 50 migrants to the wealthy island of Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts, a move labeled by Democrats a 'political stunt' that has sparked a lawsuit and chatter of congressional probes.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott last month sent two buses of migrants to the gates of the Naval Observatory, where the vice president's residence sits. Another bus from Abbott's state also dropped off about 50 more migrants in front of Harris' D.C. home on Monday  many of whom are Venezuelans.

Senators Lindsey Graham (left) and Tex Cruz (right) wrote a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas this week warning of impending impeachment due to his inaction on the southern border crisis

Harris was tasked shortly after taking office with addressing the migration crisis, which her office swiftly moved to rebrand as a role seeking to look at the root causes that lead people to leave their home countries to migrate north and seek asylum in the U.S.

Republicans have criticized Harris for her failure to do anything to quell migration at the southern border  and have lambasted Secretary Mayorkas.CBP numbers released last month brought the number of encounters in Fiscal Year 2022 to more than 2.1 million, a massive record high  and there is still one more month of reporting left in the year.

This represents a 437 percent increase from the same point in Fiscal Year 2020.

There was also a 279 percent increase in encounters from Fiscal Year 2020 to 2021  the last year of President Donald Trump's time in office and first year of the Biden administration.
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The winners of the Weather Photographer of the Year for 2022 have been announced, with breathtaking images of brutal storms and cascading frozen waterfalls taking the top prizes.

Of a shortlist of 22 images chosen from entries representing 119 countries Christopher Ison's 'Storm Eunice' was selected as the overall winner for the Royal Meteorological Society's prestigious competition.

The photograph led a celebration of talented photographers of all ages from all around the world, capturing weather and climate in their most vivid forms.

Ison's spectacular photograph was captured at Newhaven, East Sussex in February as Storm Eunice hit the UK.

The title winner is Christopher Ison with 'Storm Eunice' taken in February as the storm hi Newhaven in East Sussex

The second prize went to Zhenhuan Zhou's 'Frozen' for his breathtaking image of Niagara Falls

Ison said her realised that the storm would hit at the same time as the high tide would start to crash against the harbour wall. The talented photographer was well rewarded for his efforts in battling the storm with an incredible image capturing the water's brutality.

'When the storm was predicted and that it was carrying the first ever red warning for the south coast, I knew I had to find a spot to record it - this was going to be big!,' he said.

'I got there reasonably early to find many photographers already drenched in rain and seawater, standing very close to the harbour wall. I decided to head to high ground and slightly further away with my back to the weather. I was rewarded with a set of images I'm very proud of.'

Ison also said the judges loved that his photograph captured the power of nature, 'reminding us how small and insignificant we are'

'It conveys the dramatic movement and force of the sea together with the resistance offered by a man-made building. The detail in the giant wave with face-like structures penetrating from the water gives it an almost mystical feel,' he said.

Third place goes to Emili Vilamala Benito's for 'Ghost Under the Cliff'. He took the stunning image on the cliff of Tavertet in Barcelona, Spain

The Young Weather Photographer of the Year 2022 award went to 17-year-old Eris Pil for his photograph 'Mammatus Sunset'

The Young Weather Photographer of the Year 2022 was awarded to Eris Pil, from Pennsylvania in the US, who only just turned 17 this week. The young photographer captured the astonishing picture on an iPhone.

Eris said: 'The sky was completely lit up in a way I had never seen before, like these beautiful backlit watercoulor clouds, displaying these spectacular mammatus clouds overhead. I love mammatus clouds; this was my first time ever witnessing them. I hope I have the opportunity to see them again.'

The shortlisted images were also put out to a public vote, with almost 5,500 votes cast for the 22 finalists from 15 countries. The public's favourite was Departing Storm Over Bembridge Lifeboat Station' by Jamie Russell from the Isle of Wight.

Jamie had been chasing showers and storms from west to east across the island in an attempt to capture some of the incredible rainbows. He reached Bembridge as the final shower departed and, in a panic, waded into waist-deep water, fully dressed, just to compose this scene.

Shreya Nair's 'Tyndall Effect' was the runner up for the Young Weather Photographer of the Year for the image taken in their backyard in India

The public's favourite was Jamie Russell. He won for his 'Departing Storm Over Bembridge Lifeboat Station', taken on the Isle of White

With anybody now able to capture great photographs with the phone in their pocket, the mobile phone category has become hotly contested.

The judges said they were left in no doubt that the mobile phone winner should be Aung Chan Thar from Myanmar with 'Sunset'.

Following an overcast and rainy evening, the sun appeared through the clouds and mist just in time for Aung to capture this beautiful sunset photo.

Aung said: 'Due to the sun, the pagoda became brighter. The judges commented that the way the quality of the light affects the atmosphere is just lovely, and the metallic golds and yellows are carried on into the sky beautifully. The rising mists enhance the atmosphere around the road and the golden globe structure in the foreground. The sun disappearing behind the clouds also seems to form an interesting planetary relationship with the globe that adds to this late evening scene.

Mobile Phone Winner Aung Chan Thar took his image 'Sunset' on an overcast and rainy evening in Myanmar
Liz Truss is facing a backlash after she cut ties with the Australian political strategist who masterminded the Tories' 2019 election triumph.

Isaac Levido is reported to have been dropped from his role at the Conservative Party's headquarters as the Prime Minister carries out a shake-up ahead of the next election.

Former Number 10 staff who worked with Mr Levido in helping to deliver the Tories' 80-seat majority in 2019 told Ms Truss she had made a 'monumental error'.

Senior party figures and Tory MPs are also said to be furious about the decision.

News of Mr Levido's departure has emerged at a time when Ms Truss's premiership is under severe pressure after her mini-Budget fiasco and following a chaotic party conference in Birmingham.

Mr Levido is a protege of fellow Australian elections guru Sir Lynton Crosby.

He and his business partner, the pollster Michael Brooks, were widely credited as the architects of the Tories' victorious 2019 election campaign.

The campaign's 'Get Brexit Done' mantra saw ex-PM Boris Johnson deliver the party's largest majority since the 1980s.

Isaac Levido is widely credited the architect of the Tories' victorious 2019 election campaign under Boris Johnson

Former Number 10 staff who worked with Mr Levido in helping to deliver the Tories' 80-seat majority in 2019 told Liz Truss she had made a 'monumental error'

The 2019 campaign's 'Get Brexit Done' mantra saw Mr Johnson deliver the Tories' largest majority since the 1980s

Mr Levido was viewed as having played a key role in persuading Labour voters in 'Red Wall' seats to switch their support to the Tories, which proved crucial to Mr Johnson's success.

As the size of the Conservatives' victory became clear on election night in December 2019, officials inside the party's headquarters were revealed to have begun chanting 'Oh Isaac Levido!' to the tune of 'Seven Nation Army' by The White Stripes.

According to the Guardian, Mr Levido's departure has cleared the way for Mark Fullbrook, who is Ms Truss's chief of staff, to run the Tories' next election campaign.

Angry party figures highlighted Mr Fullbrook's previous role in Tory peer Zac Goldsmith's disastrous bid to become London mayor, a campaign that was branded 'racist' by critics.

A senior Conservative source told the newspaper: 'This would be an indefensible decision at any time.

'Isaac and his team took the Conservatives to our best result since the 1980s, whereas Mark Fullbrooks last campaign was losing the London mayoral race badly.

'For Liz Truss to abandon Isaac and hand a lucrative contract to her chief of staff beggars belief, especially given the chaos of the last few days in Birmingham.

'I am yet to speak to anyone who thinks this is anything other than crazy.'

Lee Cain, who was Mr Johnson's director of communications during the 2019 election, posted on Twitter: 'Isaac Levido and Michael Brooks spearheaded the best election campaign in decades. This is a monumental error.'

Dominic Cummings, Mr Johnson's estranged former chief adviser, highlighted Mr Levido's role in Number 10 during the Covid pandemic.

'We worked very closely together. He is very able. He also really helped the country in Covid meltdown,' Mr Cummings tweeted.

He added that Mr Levido's exit had confirmed the team around Ms Truss, who he refers to as the 'human hand grenade', was unable to 'escape its own burst radius'.
The family of Hae Min Lee, whose murder gripped millions after being featured on the Serial podcast, have demanded to see the 'new evidence' that led to Adnan Syed's release from prison.

Lee, 18, was strangled to death and buried in a shallow grave at Baltimore's Leakin Park in 1999. Her former high-school sweetheart Syed, now 41, was imprisoned for the crime.

However, in September a judge ordered Syed's release from his life sentence after serving 23 years because they could no longer justifying keeping him locked up based on new information.

The sensational move came after investigators revealed there are two other murder suspects in the case that were not thoroughly investigated at the time.

Lee's family say that they were only told that the state was planning to vacate Syed's sentence two days before they filed to do so on September 14, despite there being a 'year-long' probe.

And Lee's brother was only informed about the in-person hearing - in which Syed sensationally was released from prison - one business day before it occurred.

Hae Min Lee, 18, was strangled to death and buried in a shallow grave at Baltimore's Leakin Park in 1999. Her former high-school sweetheart Syed, now 41, was convicted

The 41-year-old was serving a life sentence after he was convicted in 2000 of strangling Hae Min Lee and burying her body in a shallow grave in Baltimore's Leakin Park

Hae Min Lee's brother and mother pictured, following her tragic death

The family are now asking Maryland's intermediate appellate court to halt Adnan Syed's court case while they appeal the judge's actions when they vacated him

Her brother, Young, wanted to attend the hearing in Baltimore, but he could not travel from California on such short notice, their attorney said.

As well as the 'late' notice, the family weren't told any details about the new evidence or two new suspects, which ultimately helped get Lee's convicted murderer out of prison.

The family are now asking Maryland's intermediate appellate court to halt Adnan Syed's court case while they appeal the judge's actions during the motion to vacate.

The motion, seen by DailyMail.com, states: 'Mr. Lee has the right to appeal the State's failure to provide him reasonable notice of the motion to vacate and the State's failure to comply with the Maryland Declaration of Rights' mandate to treat victims with 'dignity, respect, and sensitivity.''

Steve Kelly, attorney for the Lee family, told DailyMail.com: 'Yesterday Hae Min Lee's family filed a motion in the Maryland Court of Special Appeals seeking to stay all proceedings in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City pending the outcome of their appeal.

'The Lee family is not seeking, through this motion or through the appeal, to impact Mr. Syed's release from custody.

'If the wrong person has been behind bars for 23 years, the Lee family and the rest of the world want to understand what new evidence has led to that conclusion.

'If Mr. Syed has been wrongfully convicted of Hae Min Lee's murder, the state of Maryland would need to take responsibility for that extraordinary miscarriage of justice and do everything possible to bring the actual killer to justice.

'The Lee family deserves at least that much.'

The Korean-American girl was also a scholar at school, as well as an athlete who wanted to be an optician

Brought to tears: Youn Wha Kim is pictured crying as her daughter's murderer is sentenced in 2000

Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn overturned Syed's conviction on September 19.

Phinn ordered a new trial, but prosecutors were given 30 days  until October 18  in which to dismiss the charges or proceed with a new trial.

This means that within the next two weeks, Syed could be exonerated for the crime.

On February 25, 2000, a jury in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City returned verdicts of guilty against Syed for first degree murder, kidnapping, robbery, and false imprisonment.

During his sentencing in June 2000, the victim's Korean mother, Youn Wha Kim, said she moved her family to America so she could give her children a 'decent education and a decent future.'

She told the court: 'I would like to forgive Adnan Syed, but as of now, I just don't know how I could.

'When I die, my daughter will die with me. As long as I live, my daughter is buried in my heart.'

Syed's case was relatively unknown until investigative journalist Sarah Koenig started a deep dive into the story in 2014 on the podcast Serial.

A collage of photographs of Hai Min Lee and her friends were on display at Lee's memorial service on March 11, 1999

Lee broke off the relationship with Syed around December 1999, and she claimed didn't take the heartbreaking news well

Investigative journalist Sarah Koenig (right) outside the court yesterday as the convicted killer was released

In the clips, she would sensationally speak to Syed in prison - who claimed, as he has done from the beginning, that he is not guilty.

Week after week, the award-winning podcast gripped millions of listeners across the world who became invested in Syed's case.

The reaction has been polarizing. Some fans of the podcast believed he was innocent and launched the Free Adnan movement, while others thought it affirmed the ruling from 2000.

The podcast was bought by the New York Times in 2020.

Deirdre Enright, a law professor and founder of the Innocence Project at the University of Virginia School of Law, said: 'Adnan Syed would be nowhere if Sarah Koenig hadn't stepped in and turned him into a national spectacle.

'Like most, he would have been on his own.'

Since going viral on Serial, other media outlets have attempted to unpack the case.

Notably, HBO released a four-part documentary beginning in March 2019 called The Case Against Adnan Syed.

Among interviews with people close to the case, the victim, and the killer, it revealed that DNA tests performed at the request of Mr. Syed's new lawyers did not find anyone else's DNA on Ms. Lee's body or belongings.
Two Virginia men have been charged for allegedly exploiting the brother of Parkland school shooter, Nikolas Cruz.

Mike Donovan and Richard Moore, both 45, were arrested in Virginia earlier this week after taking in Zachary Cruz, 22, and helping his to set up a life away from the scene where his brother shot and killed 17 people.

Donovan told The Sun Sentinel that he and Moore, his husband, offered Zachary a home and a job in 2018 after the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

The two men were later released on bond for $50,000 each.

Richard Moore, one of the two men arrested and charged for exploiting Zachary Cruz, has appeared in court for the trial of Zach's brother, Nikolas Cruz

Zachary Cruz (left) with Richard Moore (right), who took him in after his brother shot and killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida

Moore and Donovan, who are married, are accused of exploiting Zachary Cruz, who lawyers say is 'mentally incapacitated'

Richard Moore inside the courtroom for the penalty phase of Nikolas Cruz's trial in Florida

Reporters from The Sun Sentinel spoke with Donovan after his release. The Virginia resident said that he has a very superficial understanding of the charges against them.

Zachary Cruz has been living in Virginia with Donovan and Moore since the couple picked him up from South Florida in 2018.

According to the man, law enforcement have accused Moore and Donovan of exploiting Zachary, a 'mentally incapacitated person.'

Charges also allege that the two obtained money from Zachary Cruz under false pretenses.

Zachary Cruz was arrested in 2018 after trespassing on the ground of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following the shooting carried out by his brother

Zachary Cruz (left) and Nikolas Cruz (right) pictured together before Nikolas fatally shot 17 people and injured 17 others in February 2018

Lawyers for Zachary Cruz said that Donovan and Moore exploited the 22-year-old for more than a year, from April 2019 to April 2020.

Donovan disputes Zachary's lawyers' claim that he was a victim.

The Virginia man also told The Sun Sentinel that the 22-year-old is not 'mentally incapacitated.'

'I want to point that out that first of all, I didn't exploit Zach, and secondly, Zach isn't mentally incapacitated,' he said in an interview with the Sun Sentinel.

If the allegations are true, the men could have been after the inheritance left behind for the brothers after their mother's death in 2017.

Zachary and Nikolas each stood to inherit a reported $428,000 from her estate.

Cruz, pictured, was said to be 'gun obsessed'. He was armed with at least one AR-15 rifle and had 'multiple magazines' when he stormed the school

The Virginia couple initially helped Zachary after he was arrested in 2018 for trespassing.

The brother of the Parkland shooter was found on the property of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after the shooting and was promptly taken into custody.

Donovan and Moore got him out of South Florida and brought him to Virginia where he has lived and is in current pursuit of his GED, according to Donovan.

The man who spoke with the news outlet also said that Zachary used all of the money he inherited and lives on a weekly stipend. He says that he dreams of opening a skate park.

'Zach is this incredible young man and he really should be broken, and he's not,' Donovan said. 'It's like, why are you continuing to try to break this guy? His brother is a madman, but Jesus Christ, he's his own person. He doesn't deserve this.'

Donovan and Moore are accusing the Augusta County Sheriff's Office of corruption and harassment, calling them 'corrupt cops.'

'When you fight against corrupt cops, sometimes the corrupt cops snap back, and I guess that's what happened today,' Donovan said.

Zachary Cruz has lived with Moore and Donovan since 2018

Zachary poses with Moore while on a trip together. Donovan claims that they have not abused their relationship with him in any way

Moore has been a constant presence in and out of the courtroom in the trial of Nikolas Cruz

Richard Moore and Mike Donovan photographed together before bringing Zachary Cruz to their Virginia home in 2018

'Broward prosecutors partnered with a racist Virginia Sheriff and a corrupt prosecutor to attempt to arrest me, search my home, and subject me to a conservatorship,' he wrote after the defense rested its case without calling him to the stand.

Donovan also said that while they were being arrested by police in Virginia, officers pointed a gun at Zachary, before handcuffing him and making him sit outside for hours.

This isn't the first time that Zachary has allegedly been harassed by law enforcement.

The 22-year-old refused to testify during his brother's trial due to harassment he said he has been subjected to by officers and other officials.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz and members of his defense team stand as the jury exits the courtroom

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown at the defense table during the penalty phase of Cruz's trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, August 24

Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings

Nikolas Cruz is currently fighting in court, as well.

He faces either life in prison or the death penalty.

Nikolas pled guilty to murdering 14 students and three staff members at the Florida high school on February 14, 2018. He also pled guilty to 17 counts of attempted murder.

Prosecutors in his case are attempting to prove that he is mentally capable, saying that he purposely attempted to fail mental aptitude exams.

The attorneys in that case argue that he attempted to fake a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder diagnosis.

Cruz's attorneys are arguing that he should be spared, hoping to convince at least one juror their mitigating factors outweigh the prosecution's aggravating circumstances - a death sentence must be unanimous.
A Milwaukee science fiction writer has revealed he has been 'swatted' by armed police six times after online trolls targeted him over a tweet about a comedian.

Patrick Tomlinson told how officers have repeatedly turned up at his house over the last two years after he said he did not think Norm MacDonald was funny.

He said it started in 2020 after the social media post but escalated this year as SWAT were called on him four times in three months over the summer.

He also shared shocking surveillance footage of heavily armed cops with weapons drawn and ballistic shields sneaking up to his home during the incidents.

Tomlinson claimed the anonymous trolls were going after him in a bid to 'trick cops into being their executioners'.

Patrick Tomlinson says internet trolls have called SWAT teams to his house six times since he sent out a tweet saying he didn't find the comedian Norm MacDonald funny

In one swatting incident, somebody impersonating Tomlinson called police to say that he had found his wife in bed with another man and shot them both dead with an AR-15. Cops cuffed him on his porch while they searched his house

The swatting, when trolls call in phony reports to police so they dispatch armed officers to an address, started when he tweeted his dislike for MacDonald.

He posted on September 11, 2018: 'Hot take, I've never thought Norm Macdonald was funny and was pretty sure all my comedy friends who did were either nuts or screwing with me.'

Tomlinson said since then he has had death threats online and the swatting incidents were the latest attempt by trolls to scare him.

He told Fox 6: 'It never stops. This is all these people are.'

The latest swatting incident took place on Saturday evening when his wife, Nikki Robinson, was home alone.

Armed cops descend on Tomlinson's house on October 1 - the latest and sixth time such a hoax has occurred

The infamous 2018 tweet which set a horde of anonymous trolls harassing Tomlinson and his wife

'It was at least like, four guns and the ballistic shield pointed at me,' she said, 'I was coming down the stairs going, 'It's OK, it's OK, it's OK.'

Tomlinson said he believes the trolls - who have regularly called for his death on online forums, and called in death threats to events where he speaks - are calling in the swatting pranks in hopes he will be killed in one of the raids.

'It's a way to try and trick the police into being your executioners,' Tomlinson said. 'You don't have to keep doing the bidding of the people whose stated goal is to kill us.'

The first incident of swatting took place in May, 2020, after cops were notified of a Craigslist posting which suggested children were in danger at Tomlinson's home.

'We got a very angry banging at the door,' Tomlinson, describing how armed police shouting 'Where are the children?' descended on his home at about 11pm at night.

In another incident, Tomlinson told WISN 12 that somebody impersonating him called police to say that he had found his wife in bed with another man and shot them both dead with an AR-15.

'Used my name. Used this address. Said that I had just killed my wife and, come get me. And they did,' he said.

In that incident, Tomlinson was pulled from his bed in the middle of the night by officers, and left cuffed on his front porch in nothing but a bathrobe while cops searched his home.

The swatting has become so rampant that Tomlinson have posted a sign on their front door reading 'Days since this house has been SWATTED by the MPD,' followed by a slot for a sticky-note which they update daily with the appropriate number.

The latest swatting incident took place on Saturday evening when his wife, Nikki Robinson, was home alone

Tomlinson has tried numerous legal avenues to stop the trolls who have tormented him for four years, but each route has landed in a dead end.

In 2021 he filed a petition to subpoena the person who runs the Cloudfare - which is home base for the anonymous legions of trolls who harass him and his wife - in order to learn their identity so he could press charges.

But in September 2021, a judge in California ruled in favor of the organizer of the blog, arguing the unnamed John Doe did not participate in the conversations taking place on their site.

'There was no evidence that the forum owner themselves personally posted defamatory statements on the platform about Tomlinson,' the ruling read.

Without a name, Tomlinson was unable to press any charges. He was also ordered to pay the unnamed individual nearly $40,000 to cover their legal fees.

'Let us know who they are and then we'll be able to do something,' Tomlinson told The Daily Beast. 'And then we go through the court system and try to find out who they are, and the court system's like, 'Oh, not only do you not get to know who they are, even though we know who they are, you owe them almost $40,000.' You know, I mean, we were doing everything that we were supposed to do!'
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The mentally ill suspect accused of stabbing hero EMT Allison Russo-Elling pleaded not guilty to her murder today and was ordered to undergo a psychiatric exam.

Peter Zisopoulos, 34, appeared virtually before a judge after a grand jury indicted him on murder charges. He remains in Bellevue Hospital under psychiatric evaluation.

His attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf, after explaining to him why they were there.

Zisopoulos, appearing via video link, was still wearing a hospital bracelet and flimsy shirt. He appeared confused by the proceedings, and said he didn't consent to them.

'My client has a psychiatric history going back to 2018. He doesn't understand the charges against him... we're asking for an exam.'

Peter Zisopoulos, 34, appeared virtually before a judge after a grand jury indicted him on murder charges. He remains in Bellevue Hospital under psychiatric evaluation

Alison Russo-Elling, 61, was murdered last week while on her lunchbreak. The heroic EMT served the city for decades, including during 9/11

EMTs were among those in the public gallery on Thursday to watch the arraignment

Other members of the FDNY at the courthouse on Thursday in a show of support for the slain officer

Russo-Elling's colleagues at the courthouse in Queens, New York, on Thursday

The judge agreed to the examination and adjourned the case until November 29 for the results.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz released a statement yesterday to say that he would be brought to justice.

'This is a tragic case and a devastating loss for the family as well as our City. FDNY EMS Captain Alison Russo-Elling spent her 25-year career helping others in their time of need.

'Now, her family mourns her passing because, as alleged, the defendant brutally stabbed Ms. Russo-Elling to death near her workstation in Astoria.

'Our condolences go out to the family, friends, and colleagues that she leaves behind.

'The defendant has been indicted on murder charges and faces justice in our courts.'

Oren Barzilay, President, FDNY EMS Local 2507, told DailyMail.com in a statement: 'The death of EMT Lt. Russo-Elling is a devastating loss for her family, each member of the FDNY EMS, and the city of New York.

'Her commitment and sacrifice to the citizens of this city over an incredible 25-year career is an inspiration to us all. Our members do this work because they love helping others, but the thought that now comes to mind is whether they are going to go home that night.

'With this tragic loss and increasing assaults, the job has become more and more worrisome for EMTs.'

Russo-Elling spent decades serving the city of New York.

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

Heartbreaking pictures showed the hundreds who turned out including Eric Adams (pictured) for Russo-Elling on Wednesday afternoon as they laid her to rest

She assisted in 9/11 and was beloved by her colleagues, many of whom lined the streets of Brookville, in Long Island, yesterday to bid her farewell in a solemn funeral procession.

Her family have begged the woke Democrat leaders of New York to claim the city back from criminals.

'Werent you a police officer for 30 years?' her mother asked Mayor Eric Adams at her funeral.

After Adams confirmed it, she responded: 'You know what to do,' begging Adams, 'Please, give me back my city.'
The US Inspector General's Office slammed a general for 'discrediting' and bringing 'negative publicity' to the military on Twitter as he blasted Tucker Carlson and online trolls criticizing women in the army.

The Army was investigating Major Gen. Patrick Donahoe for 'improper use of social media, toxic and counterproductive leadership, and failing to treat a subordinate with dignity and respect,' according to a report obtained by Task & Purpose.

The report notes that Donahoe ultimately put unnecessary attention on the military over his spats with Carlson and Marine veteran and COVID-vaccine skeptic Josiah Lippincott.

The investigators also took issue with the general's public engagement with a female junior officer who was being harassed on Twitter, saying it was against the rules for him to speak to her about matters 'unrelated' to training.

The Inspector General said that while Donahoe's actions were 'potentially admirable,' they ultimately shamed the military.

'His post brought a measurable amount of negative publicity to the Army, enough that [the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs] warned [the Secretary of the Army] of the fallout,' the report read.

Major Gen. Patrick Donahoe was condemned by the US Inspector General's Office for his Twitter spats with Fox's Tucker Carlson and a COVID-vaccine skeptic with the Marines

Donahoe had slammed Carlson for negative comments about women in the Army, leading to other officials weighing in against the Fox host. The spat became highly publicized, with Carlson (above) dedicating an entire segment on Donahoe and his Twitter activity

Donahoe also picked a fight with Marine veteran Josiah Lippincott (right) over the military's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Donahoe admitted he acted unprofessionally, with Lippincott speaking with Fox's Laura Ingraham, bringing more negative publicity to the military

Although he was expected to retire soon, Donahoe has been temporarily reassigned, with the status of his retirement currently unknown

According to the investigation, the primary complaints against Donahoe surfaced last year as the general, who had a massed more than 23,000 followers on Twitter, called out an opinion by Carlson about women in the military.

In March 2021, the Fox host had criticized the military of becoming 'more feminine' after the army enacted new policies to make it easier for women to serve.

Donahoe, whose Twitter page is now private, shared a video of him conducting a re-enlistment ceremony for a female staff sergeant, writing that Carlson 'couldn't be more wrong.'

The generals comments led to a flurry of other high ranking officers criticizing Carlson, with Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston calling Carlson 'divisive.'

Carlson went on to dedicate a segment of his show in July of that year to Donahoe's Twitter activity, putting a spot light on his debates with people.

The Inspector General's Office said that Donahoes' tweets about Carlson 'exhibited poor judgement.'

Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said in a statement: '[As] a general principle, the Army expects all Soldiers to appropriately use social media to communicate, to demonstrate professionalism at all times, and to treat people with dignity and respect, as required by both DoD and Army policy.'

According to the report, Donahoe defended his actions and noted that his bosses never ordered him to delete his tweets.

Donahoe did not respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

Although he was expected to retire soon, Donahoe has been 'temporarily assigned as a special assistant to the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command,' the reported added.

It is unclear how the investigation will impact the general's retirement.

Donahoe's bickering with Carlson led to Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston calling out the Fox host's comments about the military becoming 'more feminine'

The Fox host hit back against Donahoe with a whole segment about his snarky Twitter comments, behavior that was condemned by the Inspector General

Another incident highlighted in the report focused on the online spat Donahoe engaged in with Lippincott, a fellow service member and graduate student at the conservative Hillsdale University.

After Donahoe posted a tweet encouraging soldiers to get the mandated COVID-19 vaccine, Lippincott responded by comparing the virus with suicides in the military.

'There were 26 more suicides than in Q4 2019. There have been 26 Covid deaths TOTAL in DoD,' Lippincott tweeted. 'The lockdowns, liberty restrictions, quarantines and general disruption of servicemember's lives is a way bigger killer than the virus.'

Donahoe responded by saying Lippincott's argument was a 'false equivalency,' and after the marine veteran continued to argue with him, Donahoe tweeted, 'Hey @Hillsdale come get your boy.'

According to the report, the general agreed that his comment was 'snarky' and 'beneath him.'

Lippincott would go on to speak with Ingraham on Fox to further slam Donahoe for his Twitter conduct, brining the Army back into a negative spotlight.

'The media and public outcry demonstrated MG Donahoe had not thought about what he typed before he posted his tweets to Mr. Carlson, or Mr. Lippincott, nor had he given any consideration of the impacts given their larger audience of followers,' the report read.

Donahoe said he ultimately regretted his back and forth with Lippincott (above) after the general posted a tweet encouraging service members to get the COVID-19 vaccine

Investigators also took a look at allegations that Donahoe engaged in toxic and counterproductive leadership with female subordinates.

The key incident revolved around an unnamed female officer who was being harassed online, with Donahoe stepping in to defend her on Twitter and messaging her about the incident.

Although most allegations were thrown out as unfounded claims, investigators said Donahoe did violate a rule prohibiting trainers from former personal relationship with students and engaging in 'a personal telephone conversation with a student unrelated to the training mission.'

The investigation comes as the Department of Defense rolls out its first department-wide social media policy, calling on servicemembers to separate their personal and professional online accounts and follow a new set of guidelines.
An Australian man who claims he is the lovechild of Charles and Camilla says he wants Netflix to make a story about his secret upbringing.

Simon Charles Dorante-Day says he has been approached by 'leading' documentary makers in the UK and US about his claims - which he says come from years of research.

The 56-year-old, who lives in Queensland, Australia, was born in Gosport, on the south coast of England, in 1966, and was adopted by a local couple.

The father-of-nine claims his adoptive grandparents, both of whom had worked in the royal household, told him he was the child of the now King and Queen Consort.

He says his research shows the pair met in 1965, a year before his birth, and kept news of Camilla's pregnancy a secret with the help of the royal household.

However his claims are disputed, because Charles and Camilla are widely reported to have met at a polo match in Windsor Great Park in 1970.

Mr Dorante-Day has for years spoken of his desire for the royals submit to a DNA test to prove his genetic heritage.

He is now hoping streaming giant Netflix will tell his story in a documentary - a move he believes could put pressure on Buckingham Palace to address his claims.

Speaking to Australia's 7News about his desire to work with Netflix, makers of hit royal drama The Crown, he said: 'I've been inundated in recent weeks with many documentary filmmakers and filmmaking companies keen to share my story.

Simon Charles Dorante-Day (pictured) says he has been approached by 'leading' documentary makers in the UK and US about his claims - which he says follow years of research

The 56-year-old, who lives in Queensland, Australia, was born in Gosport, on the south coast of England, in 1966, and was adopted by a local couple. The father-of-nine claims his adoptive grandparents, both of whom worked in the royal household, told him he was the child of the now King and Queen Consort (pictured)

'I didn't expect this to happen - but I'm glad it is. I'm considering their offers.

'Ultimately I would like to see my story on Netflix, or a similar streaming platform, and will approach them about doing so.

What is Simon Charles Dorante-Day's claim that he is the son of Charles and Camilla? Simon Charles Dorante-Day was born in Gosport, near Portsmouth, on April 5, 1966. He was adopted at eight months old before his family later settled in Australia. Both of Mr Dorante-Day's adoptive grandparents had worked for the Queen and Prince Philip and he claims his adoptive grandmother told him he was the son of Charles and Camilla. Mr Dorante-Day alleges King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla began their close relationship in 1965, a year before his birth certificate says he was born. He claims that Queen Consort Camilla was absent from the British social scene and King Charles was sent on a trip to Australia nine months before he was born. Mr Dorante-Day has frequently put pictures of himself and family members next to those of the Windsor family to show the resemblance. He also believes inconsistencies on his birth certificate and his name also prove he is of royal blood. But his timeline of events contradicts official records that say the new King and Camilla met each other five years after Mr Dorante-Day's birth. Mr Dorante-Day claimed his research suggests Charles and Camilla first became close in 1965, meeting at Winston Churchill's funeral in January of that year. However, Charles and Camilla are widely reported to have met at a polo match in Windsor Great Park in 1970. Advertisement

'I know that sharing my story and getting as many people aware of my claims as possible is going to be key to having Charles and Camilla address my claims.

Mr Dorante-Day, who says he is planning a trip to the UK, claims he is 'in talks' with at least one person in regards to his story.

And he says his ultimate goal is to get a DNA test from Charles and Camilla through 'proper legal means'.

He told 7News: 'I'm looking forward to going back to the UK and really ramping up my quest for answers.

'I've even got radio interviews lined up in Glasgow, Manchester, Dublin, and Portsmouth when I finally get over there.'

Mr Dorante-Day was born in Gosport, near Portsmouth, on April 5, 1966.

He was adopted at eight months old before his family later settled in Australia.

Both of Mr Dorante-Day's adoptive grandparents had worked for the Queen and Prince Philip and he claims his adoptive grandmother told him he was the son of Charles and Camilla.

Mr Dorante-Day alleges King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla began their close relationship in 1965, a year before his birth certificate says he was born.

He claims that Queen Consort Camilla was absent from the British social scene and King Charles was sent on a trip to Australia nine months before he was born.

Mr Dorante-Day has frequently put pictures of himself and family members next to those of the Windsor family to show the resemblance.

He also believes inconsistencies on his birth certificate and his name also prove he is of royal blood.

But his timeline of events contradicts official records that say the new King and Camilla met each other five years after Mr Dorante-Day's birth.

Mr Dorante-Day claimed his research suggests Charles and Camilla first became close in 1965, meeting at Winston Churchill's funeral in January of that year.

However, Charles and Camilla are widely reported to have met at a polo match in Windsor Great Park in 1970.

Legend has it that she introduced herself with the line: 'You know, sir, my great-grandmother was the mistress of your great-great-grandfather - so how about it?' - a reference to Edward VII and his mistress, Alice Keppel.

Mr Dorante-Day has gone viral by frequently posting images comparing photos of himself and his children alongside members of the British royal family - in this case the King himself

Mr Dorante-Day believes King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla are his biological parents after he was adopted at eight-months old

She eventually married Charles in 2005, 10 years after her divorce from Andrew Parker Bowles in 1995.

Mr Dorante-Day has for years spoken of his desire for the royals submit to a DNA test to prove his genetic heritage and has been seeking legal advice to further his claims.

He began pursuing a legal path after a letter penned to the Queen speaking of his plight was not dignified with a response.

Last month, Mr Dorante-Day shared a tribute to the Queen, his supposed grandmother, following her death.

'Like everyone on the planet it would be hard not to be affected and saddened by her passing,' he wrote.

'Since finding out about the loss of my grandmother aka Lilibet, I've been inundated with messages of condolence for the loss. Thank you all for your kind words, thoughts, and concern.'

Mr Dorante-Day said the death of the monarch also marked the loss of him 'pleasantly' being able to get to the bottom of his biological heritage after she never responded to a letter he wrote to her.

However, he vowed to continue his efforts to try and determine conclusively that the new sovereign and his wife are his true parents.

'As many of you have expressed my family and I are mourning not just the loss of Her Majesty but the loss of another opportunity to resolve this issue pleasantly, the right way,' he said.

'So, despite the lost opportunity of getting to personally hear her version of events, and the great sadness we all feel at her passing, on a personal and public scale it will be business as usual.'

The father-of-nine said he feels the Queen is now 'free' to do what she wishes in the afterlife without any judgement 'like she had her entire reign' and that she has now been 'reunited with her greatest love and closest friend', the late Duke of Edinburgh.

Mr Dorante-Day shared a photo of him next to the Queen during her younger years

Mr Dorante-Day, whose wife Elvianna (pictured) and children are Indigenous Australians, said his family would be partaking in sacred Aboriginal cultural practices, to mourn the Queen's death

He said that he does not think she would want anyone to feel sad for her, and instead 'she would rather we all celebrate and remember her for what she stood for and the changes that she was able to make during her reign'.

As they mourn, Mr Dorante-Day, whose wife Elvianna and children are Indigenous Australians, said his family would be partaking in sacred Aboriginal cultural practices.

'Together we are all entering a period of what First Nations Australians would define as 'Sorry Business' as we all experience this loss!' he said.

'No matter what your feelings, political alignments, religious belief, or convictions - she has been a part of all of our lives for a lifetime. Elizabeth touched each and every one of us.'

'Dr. Elvianna, the family, and I would appreciate people's understanding and respect that we too are experiencing Sorry Business, for our own reasons, in our own way.

'Rest in peace Aka, you are in God's hands now, I know in me I will always carry a piece of you.'

MailOnline has approached Netflix for a comment.
Hakeem Kigundu, 32, started a fire inside Rowe Court in Reading that trapped residents inside

An illegal immigrant murdered two men when he set his block of flats on fire in an attempt to kill as many of his neighbours as possible after he lost his job at BT and faced eviction.

Hakeem Kigundu, 32, started a fire inside Rowe Court in Reading that trapped residents inside - killing Richard Burgess, 46, and Neil Morris, 45.

Others were left with significant injuries as they attempted to flee for safety while 'countless' others lost their homes.

Kigundu pleaded guilty in September to two counts of murder, two counts of grievous bodily harm and one count of arson with intent to endanger life.

During his sentencing hearing today, prosecutors said Kigundu soaked the area in petrol before lighting the fire that spread rapidly through the building.

Chillingly, he recorded himself in a 'diary' just six days before the murders, warning of his intention to cause the 'death' of his neighbours, some of whom had complained about his antisocial behaviour and who he referred to as 'persistent c****'. He also bought a 'V for Vendetta' mask.

Kigundu said in his audio diary: 'I want to die with a smile on my face and I shall do so. All the actions I am about to take are warranted, believe me.

'They all lead to this for a c*** who's persistent. The only cure for a c*** who's persistent is death and I am going to give them that.'

The inferno deliberately started by Kigundu killed Richard Burgess, 46, (left) and Neil Morris, 45 (right)

Others were left with significant injuries as they attempted to flee for safety while 'countless' others lost their homes

Kigundu bowed his head so his face was not visible to dozens of residents who were present as prosecutor Alison Morgan told Reading Crown Court: 'In the early hours of December 15, the defendant carried out a pre-meditated and devastating attack of arson with the intent of killing and hurting as many people as possible.

'Those events were carefully planned by him in days and weeks before, including sourcing a significant quantity of petrol to be used in that attack.

'In a message six days before the attack, she recalled his hatred of those around him and desire to cause their deaths. He lit the fire in the middle of the night when he knew it would cause the maximum amount of death, harm and destruction.

'That catastrophic fire led to the deaths of Neil Morris and Richard Burgess. Both were unable to escape the overwhelming effect of the smoke and flames.

'Others were left with no option but to jump from buildings to save themselves, suffering significant injuries in the process. Countess other people were harmed and lost all their possessions in the blaze.'

Kigundu at a petrol station in Basingstoke Road, Reading, at about 1.45am on December 11. The arson happened four days later

The court heard the flats were arranged over three floors and shocking video footage was shown revealing the scale of damage both inside and outside the block.

All homes were destroyed.

The court also heard the defendant was believed to be an Ugandan national, who had entered Britain illegally using his brother's passport.

He signed a 12 month tenancy in November 2020, but had caused annoyance with his neighbours over noise complaints.

This included music being played late at night and slamming doors.

Letters had been written by Richard Burgess, who lived in the flat directly above.

He was given an eviction notice by his landlord and told to vacate by 14 December. He also lost his job as a BT fibre optic engineer around the same time.

The court heard the flats were arranged over three floors and shocking video footage was shown revealing the scale of damage both inside and outside the block

The prosecution said: 'The combination of a loss of employment and anger over eviction was the beginning of his preparation in relation to the attack.'

Video played to the court showing him filling up containers with petrol just two days before the attack as well as other items he used in the attack.

His audio diary was also played, which he recorded on 9 December.

In it he said: 'I can feel my time is running out. Now all I seek is just inner peace before I die. I want to die with a smile on my face.

'All actions I am about to take are warranted believe me - they all led to this.

'The only cure for c**t who is persistent is death - and I am going to give them that.'

The two day sentencing hear continues.


By Park Jung-won





With each day's passing, it becomes increasingly obvious that Russia can never win its war with Ukraine. Vladimir Putin has caused the death or injury of over 100,000 young Russians and has spent nearly $70 billion in the execution of this unjust war. The notion that Russia held tight control over global energy and grain markets has also proved to be a fiction. Much of the world is ever more united in condemning Russia, and even China is quietly trying to distance itself from the mire Russia has created.



Putin's image as an iron man fighting the evil West to defend his country has degenerated into one of an inept imbecile. Once viewed as one of the world's foremost military powers, Russia now appears to be nothing more than a paper tiger. Countries that had been squarely in Russia's sphere of influence are now snubbing Putin. Ukraine is calling for Russia's veto power as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to be stripped, while Germany and Japan have renewed their pushes to gain permanent seats.



Certainly, what has transpired is not at all what Putin and his cadres initially expected. The current outcome, however, is an inevitable result of the nature of Putin's regime. Contrary to Putin's argument, the root of this war was caused by his "rational" attempt to consolidate the domestic political power base that has allowed him to rule Russia for decades.



Here the term, "rational," might seem misleading, but it makes more sense when one recognizes the inherent conflict between Putin's autocratic regime and liberal reforms. It is irrational for such a personalized regime such as Putin's to adopt liberal, democratic reforms because their effects could pose a dangerous threat to his regime's survival.



Thus, Putin made a "rational" judgment to promote his regime's stability by appealing to Russian nationalism in a geopolitical context, rather than implementing comprehensive domestic reforms that could bring political, economic and social benefits to Russia. To the extent that such a coldly calculated choice is conducive to solidifying Putin's regime, it can be called "rational."



However, outside of Russia, the decision seems anything but rational. It marked the point where Putin started digging his own grave. Indeed, even just before Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, most security experts failed to predict that he would engage in such a reckless adventure. With the disappearance of independent media and opposition groups in Russia, as a result of his regime's brutal suppression, Putin had no way of assessing public opinion accurately.



Even if he had been surrounded by competent aides, he could not avoid relying on distorted public opinion created by his regime's own propaganda. The absence of an effective informational feedback mechanism that could be provided by independent media and opposition groups leaves autocratic regimes such as Putin's vulnerable to their own ignorance in the long term.



Seeing no way out, Putin's only option at this point is to double down on the war. He has ordered 300,000 reservists to be called up, essentially declaring a massive escalation. Putin has made clear his intention to end this war in any way that will somehow save face, betraying his pride. However, as the failures mount, one cannot guarantee that the broad class of elites in Russia who have buttressed Putin's regime until now will extend their support indefinitely.



The more Putin acts out, the more welcome Ukraine becomes. For Ukraine, the infrastructure of which has already been nearly destroyed, a partial restoration of its territory is not something it is willing to accept. Rather it will only be satisfied when all the areas illegally taken by Russia since 2014 have been restored. Ukrainians firmly realize that their country will never be secure in the future unless it achieves a "decisive victory" over Russia.



A recent poll showed the Ukrainians' unity of resistance against Russia: about 78 percent cannot imagine relations with Russia improving for at least a generation. Ukrainians have gained greater confidence than ever and their soldiers have probably never been so well armed. They are full of patriotism and have gained sophisticated combat experience from fighting Russian forces.



In World War II, Nazi German forces blockaded Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia's second-largest city, from September 1941 to January 1944. More than 1 million Soviet troops were killed, captured or went missing during this period. The total number of casualties, including civilians, exceeded 4 million. The great composer, Dmitri Shostakovich, created his seventh symphony in the midst of the siege, which strongly united the citizens and troops who were surrounded by the Germans. That defiance was made possible because it was an unjust German invasion of the Soviet Union.



The current war, however, is an unjustified aggressive invasion against Ukraine of Putin, by Putin and for Putin, which is in and of itself an international criminal act. Putin has been forcibly taking his own people and plunging them into meaningless battles without justifiable cause. Even if an additional 300,000 reservist forces are forced to the fronts, would they fight with determination under these conditions?



Not a chance. Given his psychopathic personality, Putin might in desperation resort to the use of tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Nobody knows whether he will really use them. Maybe he does not know, either. But even in this worst case, the United States and the rest of the West will only become more united. Putin has put himself on an irreversible path to self-destruction.





Park Jung-won (park_jungwon@hotmail.com), Ph.D. in law from the London School of Economics (LSE), is a professor of international law at Dankook University.


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A woman who was 'stolen' from her family in the UK when she was just four years old and raised by travellers in Canada and New Zealand, before settling down in Australia, has been reunited with her biological family.

Susan Gervaise, 57, was taken from her biological family in Pontefract, West Yorkshire in 1969 after the travellers invited her on holiday to a Disney theme park.

The couple, from Scotland, asked Ms Gervaise's birth mother if she could accompany them on the trip and promised to return her to England afterwards.

The travellers, who had been provided a copy of her birth certificate, instead took Ms Gervaise to Canada, then Australia and later New Zealand. The couple raised her as their own daughter.

Ms Gervaise, who was born Susan Preece, said she had believed her biological family disowned her and that her so-called adoptive parents 'spoiled' her 'rotten.'

She didn't learn she had been stolen until she was 16 and hadn't connected with her birth family until 53 years after her disappearance. Ms Gervaise, after tracking down her biological relatives on Facebook, has now been reunited with four of her six biological siblings back in West Yorkshire.

Susan Gervaise, 57, has been reunited with four of her six siblings after she was stolen by travellers and taken to Canada at age four. Pictured: Ms Gervaise as a child (left) and now (right)

Susan Gervaise (front left), 57, was reunited with four of her six siblings after having tracked them down on Facebook

The mother-of-three now wants to show others that there is hope for missing children after she was finally able to put her biological family's mind at ease and tell them she had always been safe and loved. She is pictured with her husband, Hamilton

Ms Gervaise, who was born Susan Preece, said she had believed her biological family disowned her and that her so-called adoptive parents 'spoiled' her 'rotten'

Ms Gervaise, a grandmother-of-four, who now lives in Australia, had lived in an old vicarage on a traveller's site in Pontefract, West Yorkshire as a child in 1969.

She met the couple who ended up 'stealing' her at the old vicarage.

'As a child I lived with my six siblings in an old vicarage on a traveller's site. We weren't travellers,' she explained.

'My mum was on her own and we were all in and out of foster care.

'I was befriended by a couple on the site who were from Scotland, the woman, who I call my mum, had MS and they had two sons.

'I think they wanted a girl. They asked my mum if they could take me to Disney and she gave them my birth certificate so I could be put on their passport.'

At that time, a child could travel internationally with a birth certificate and parental permission.

Ms Gervaise's 'host family' instead added her name to their family's passport, allowing her to join them abroad.

She continued: 'They took me to Canada then Australia and later New Zealand. This was always their plan.

'I lived with the travelling community and lived a cherished life where I was spoiled rotten.

'My mum died from MS when I was 10, but even then, being raised in the hub of a travelling community I was very loved.

'I have always been happy growing up. I travelled the world.'

Susan Gervaise (centre left) is pictured with long lost siblings Roger Preece (left), Angela Hall (centre right) and Catherine Bailey (right)

Susan Gervaise (right) is pictured at her biological mother's grave with long lost siblings Angela Hall (left), Roger Preece (centre left), and Catherine Bailey (centre right)

Ms Gervaise always knew she had her birth certificate but kept being told she had been put up for adoption.

She only discovered she had been taken when she needed to get a passport to return to Australia from New Zealand, aged 16.

'We went to New Zealand nd I didn't need a passport to get into the country, but when it came to returning to Australia, I did,' she told The Wakefield Express.

'I applied, but I needed a signature from my mother or father  that's when dad told me they didnt adopt me, I had been stolen.'

Ms Gervaise had to wait until she was 18 to apply for an adult passport and returned to Australia at 19, where she met her husband and had three children and four grandchildren. Her 'father' died when she was 21.

'The enormity of what happened to me didn't hit me, I just carried on with my life,' she said.

'It was only when somebody who was adopted asked me what my family back in the UK would be feeling and that was a lightbulb moment for me.'

After her husband instigated the search and sent out a Facebook appeal on the local Knottingley and Ferrybridge Community page in June, her family were located within 30 minutes.

All of her siblings are still alive and all but one still lives around Pontefract.

The grandmother-of-four (wearing a sash) tied in her reunion with her 57th birthday so she could throw a party with her family

Ms Gervaise (pictured at an airport) now wants to show others that there is hope for missing children after she was finally able to put her biological family's mind at ease and tell them she had always been safe and loved

The mother-of-three now wants to show others that there is hope for missing children after she was finally able to put her biological family's mind at ease and tell them she had always been safe and loved.

She said: 'When I spoke to my family they were crying hysterically because I was alive.'

The mother, who is in the UK until October 20, coincided her visit back home to meet them during her 57th birthday so she could throw a party with her family.

She said: 'To this day we don't know why the police were never involved. I'm thinking it must have been because my mum gave them permission to take me and the fact we were in and out of foster care.

'But there have been several appeals through Missing Persons over the years and my mum continually returned to the traveller's site after moving away to look for me.'

Unfortunately she would never be reunited with her biological mother who tragically died eight years ago, meaning she never found out that her daughter was safe.

Ms Gervaise's niece, Emma McFadyen, said: 'It was said that Susan's mother did go out looking for her over the years, but with no luck.

'After she died there were so many questions that remained unanswered. Things were different back then. There was no paper trail, no police report.

'We never thought this would happen. It's been amazing - especially for my mum. She has Parkinson's and dementia, so it's amazing she's been reunited with her sister before she deteriorates. She's now complete.'

Ms Gervaise said: 'It gives a message to anybody who has lost somebody that miracles do happen. There is hope.'
The case is expected to be sent to a grand jury by prosecutor Heidi McCollum to determine whether criminal charges should be filed against officers

Clear Creek County Sheriff Rick Albers said that a crisis response team will now be established in the county to attend to those facing mental health issues

A major investigation team has launched a probe into the shooting of a New Zealand man who was killed by cops after he called them.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has taken over the inquiry into the death of Christian Glass, 22, after he was shot dead in Clear Creek County in June.

Sheriff Rick Albers said he would establish a crisis response team for the county in addition to co-operating with the new CBI investigation.

Glass was driving alone on a rural road when his car became stuck 'on a small pile of rocks' and called 911 for help.

After an hour-long stand-off in which Glass brandished a knife and made heart-shaped signals with his hands, he was tasered and shot five times.

His devastated family previously blasted the force and called for the officers involved to face criminal charges.

Christian Glass, 22, was driving alone on a rural road in June when his car became stuck 'on a small pile of rocks' and called 911 for help

Glass, 22, was shot by officers after an hour-long stand off in which he refused to get out of his car and brandished a knife

The CBI is a division within the Colorado Department of Public Safety that performs criminal investigations 'independently' of smaller local law enforcement agencies.

Sheriff Rick Albers said: 'It is our intention to maintain the integrity and transparency of the investigation and by doing that we must be impartial.

'With that, our obligation is and was to turn the investigation to an independent outside agency, the CBI.'

Clear Creek County District Attorney Heidi McCollum is expected to send the case to a grand jury to establish whether criminal charges should be filed against Sherrif's deputy Andrew Buen who fired the fatal shots.

Glass's parents, Sally and Simon Glass (left), labelled their son's death 'murder' and have been calling for an investigation into police misconduct

In June Glass called 911 in distress and told an operator that he was scared and needed help getting out of his car after getting it stuck while driving on a rural road.

He told the 911 operator that he could throw some geology tools out of the car's window, including knives and a rubber mallet, but the officer declined.

When Clear Creek County Sheriff's deputies showed up and found Glass in his car he refused to get out for over an hour and was waving one of the knives around and using it to harm himself.

Body cam footage shows the moment officers approached Glass, who called for help in getting his car out of a bush.

'Please, push me out, drag me out, I'll follow you to a police station,' Glass told the officers. 'I'm so scared.'

After more than an hour sheriff's deputies broke his car windows, tasered him and shot him with a bean bag gun.

He then waved the knife around stabbed himself before being fatally shot. An autopsy report released last month shows he was struck by five bullets and had superficial knife wounds.

Glass said he was scared to get out of his car as police surrounded him. One officer stood on the hood of his car (pictured) as others urged him to exit

Once Glass grabbed a knife, the officers fired bean bag rounds and tasered him. After stabbing himself and swinging wildly, officers then fired five shots into the car

Officers broke through the window and pulled Glass out from the vehicle

Lawyers for the Glass family said: 'Had a crisis response team been in place in June of 2022, Christian would be alive today.

'None of the deputies involved in Christian's murder have been disciplined and the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office deputy who shot and killed Christian is still on the street in uniform.'

After the shooting it was found that Glass had alcohol, cannabis and amphetamines in his body when he was killed.

Glass's parents, Sally and Simon, say their son took Ritalin for his ADHD which may have explained the presence of amphetamines in his system.

Simon and Sally Glass demanded accountability for their son's death, saying that the officers who shot him should be sacked

Simon and Sally Glass considered the death of their son Christian murder. They called for an investigation into the conduct of the officers

Lawyers for the Glass family, Qusair Mohamedbhai and Siddhartha Rathod, said that Buen was back on patrol within days of the shooting.

His father said that his son had 'trusted' that the police would help him, adding: 'Instead they attacked and killed him.'

After the shooting the sheriff's department released a statement saying Glass was shot after becoming 'argumentative and uncooperative' and that he tried to stab one of the officers after they came through the window.

The deputy who killed Glass feared he was going to stab a police marshal who was on one side of the car during the incident, a member of the sheriff's department told CPR News.

The launch of this CBI investigation comes after repeated demands from Glass's parents that the Clear Creek County Sheriff take the 'murder' seriously.
The family of a black man who who died in police custody more than two years ago will receive $12million in a settlement with the City of Rochester.

Daniel Prude, 41, died of asphyxiation after he was covered with a hood and pressed against the ground by officers while in custody on March 23, 2020.

The man lost consciousness while being restrained and died in hospital a week later.

Rochester Police in New York initially described Prude's death as being from a drug overdose and it went mostly unnoticed.

But nightly protests erupted after body camera video was released nearly six months later following pressure from Prude's family.

Now, Prude's estate will be handed $12million in a settlement with the City.

Daniel Prude died of asphyxiation after he was covered with a hood and pressed against the ground while in custody on March 23, 2020

Prude was naked and in handcuffs when the 'spit hood' was put over his head after his brother called 911 seeking help for his erratic behavior

The shocking bodycam footage sparked protests in Rochester, New York

Paramedics arrived as Prude was wrestled to the floor, still wearing the 'spit hood'

Mayor Malik Evans said: 'After more than two years, the City of Rochester has come to a settlement agreement with the estate of Daniel Prude.

'In this agreement, the City will pay the estate the sum of $12million.'

'Given the costs of continued litigation, this settlement was the best decision.

Mayor Malik Evans (pictured) announced the $12million settlement today

'It would have cost taxpayers even more to litigate, and would have placed a painful toll on our community.

'It is now time to look forward so we may work together and focus our efforts on Rochester's future.'

Footage of Prude's arrest came to light on September 4, 2022, and showed officers placing a mesh bag over Prude's head to stop him from spitting after they detained him for running naked through the streets.

Prude had been evaluated at a hospital for odd behavior a day earlier, but he wasn't admitted. His family called police because they were concerned about Prude's safety after he bolted from the house.

One officer pushed Prude's face against the ground, while another officer pressed a knee to his back. The officers held him down for about two minutes until he fell unconscious. He was taken off life support a week later.

Officers Troy Taladay, Paul Ricotta, Francisco Santiago, Andrew Specksgoor, Josiah Harris and Mark Vaughn, along with Sgt. Michael Magri, were suspended after Prude's death became public.
Marcus Dewayne McCowan, 18, was taken into custody on Monday at Odessa Regional Medical Center

A teenage father has been arrested in Texas after choking two newborn babies until they turned blue in a horrifying hospital attack while his own girlfriend gave birth nearby.

Marcus Dewayne McCowan, 18, was taken into custody on Monday at Odessa Regional Medical Center.

He was at the hospital to watch his own girlfriend give birth but had been thrown out the area where she was being cared for after behaving strangely towards nurses.

He started running up and down the halls then blew past a handful of nurses to try to break into the nursery.

The door was locked, so he about-turned and headed for a newborn in a carrier that was near its mother, waiting to be discharged.

McGowan snatched the infant from the baby carrier and ran with it towards a lactation room, where he was then seen choking it until it turned blue in the face.

He then abandoned that baby and ran for the nursery, this time gaining access.

McGowan snatched a second infant from its crib and began choking and shaking the child until she turned blue, screaming 'die!' as he throttled her.

A hospital therapist was able to subdue him and stayed with him and the newborn until police arrived to arrest him.

He is now being held in custody on attempted capital murder charges.
An artwork from Dutch artist Piet Mondrian's most famous era is expected to sell for over $50 million at Sotheby's in November

A painting by Dutch artist Piet Mondrian being sold by a private seller is expected to go for over $50 million when it goes to auction at Sotheby's in November, as art prices skyrocket amid a post-pandemic industry boom.

Mondrians 1930 painting Composition No. II would be sold for more than twenty times higher than the last time it was sold in 1983 to a private Japanese collector for $2.1 million, which would be around $6.4 million in 2022 dollars.

The sale comes as the art collecting industry sees a revival after the pandemic, with art sales rising 29% from 2020 to 2021 and raked in $65.1 billion, aided by the rise of online sales and traditional public auctions.

The Mondrian piece is one of his best works from his most famous era and features his penchant for abstract art combined with signature heavy black lines and primary colors.

Piet Mondrian's 1930 painting Composition No. II is set to sell for over $50 million when it goes to auction at Sotheby's in November

Shot Sage Blue Marilyn by famed American artist Andy Warhol fetched $195 million when it was sold this year at Christie's in New York City

Pablo Picasso's Femme assise pres d'une fenetre (Marie-Therese) is the most expensive painting sold so far in 2022, raking in $103 million

'In This Case' by Jean-Michel Basquiat sold for $93.1 million at Christies in 2021, the largest fee ever paid for a Basquiat work

Mondrians art has seen a surge in value since he has become more widely recognized as an artist who fundamentally altered and forever expanded our perceptions of art, according to Julian Dawes, Sothebys Head of Impressionist & Modern Art in New York.

The artwork has a chance to become the artists priciest piece, as his current most expensive artwork, Composition No III, with Red, Blue, Yellow and Black, sold for $50.6 million in 2015.

Dawes says Composition No. II will be sold in a frenzied art market that barely resembles the last one the piece was sold into in 1983, which was vastly different and far less global and competitive.

Many investors see artwork as a safer investment vehicle than traditional stocks or property as those markets become increasingly uncertain, and DollarSprout reports artwork investments have an average return of 7.6%.

The market is further encouraged by the recent sale of works and collections for eye watering amounts, including real estate tycoon Harry Macklowe and ex-wife Lindas collection that went for a total of $922.2 million.

The couple's collection, which included works by Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol and Gerhard Richter, was sold off at Sotheby's in New York City in two separate auctions. The previous record was held by banker David Rockefeller and his wife, Peggy, who sold off their $835 million collection in 2018.

That same month, Shot Sage Blue Marilyn by Andy Warhol, became the most expensive single piece of art ever when it was auctioned off to an unknow buyer at Christie's for over $195 million.

Rembrandt's The Standard Bearer was sold to the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands, as the government helped out with around $140 million of the $170 million total cost

Artists whose work is featured in late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's collection include Paul Cezanne, Jasper Johns, David Hockney and Edward Hopper

Jasper Johns's 1959 collage work False Start is expected to fetch over $50 million at the November auction of Paul Allen's collection

Among the artists' whose work is featured in Allen's collection include Paul Cezanne, Jasper Johns, David Hockney, Edward Hopper, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Georgia O'Keefe, Paul Gauguin, Roy Lichtenstein and Claude Monet

Harry and Linda Macklowe, now separated, sold off their art collection for an astounding $922.2 million

In 2017, Leonardo da Vinci's 'Salvador Mundi' sold for a whopping $450 million after being estimated to sell for $100 million, further encouraging dealers to buy in and reap the rewards.

Late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen also has one of the most valuable collections ever assembled including works from Edward Hopper, Georgia OKeefe and Claude Monet.

Allens collection is expected to bring in over $1 billion in sales and will be shown this November at Christies in an auction called Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection.'

In 2015, he told Bloomberg: 'To live with these pieces of art is truly amazing. I feel that you should share some of the works to give the public a chance to see them.' Allen said in the same interview that his art collection was a 'very, very good investment for me.'

Following Allen's death, it was revealed that he was the anonymous buyer of Monet's haystacks painting titled Meule in 2016. The painting sold for $81.4 million.

2022 also brought a wave of digital art sales as NFTs saw a boom in popularity. Sotheby's NFT sales drew $80 million, while Christie's raked in $150 million from NFTs.

But external sales of NFTs dwarfed both the auction houses, as NFT owners selling their works via blockchains raked in an outrageous $11.1 billion in sales, a massive increase from just $4.6 million in 2019.
Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney addressed an audience of Arizona State University students for an event with the McCain Institute

Outgoing Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming blasted 2020 election deniers within her own party who are running for office in November's midterm races during impassioned remarks in Arizona on Wednesday night.

However, the anti-Trump lawmaker - who lost her primary to a GOP challenger backed by the ex-president - said she was not ready to give up on the Republican Party just yet.

'Im not ready to say were going to allow Trump, and those who are at war with democracy, to hijack our party. Im not ready to give up that fight,' she said.

Since losing in August Cheney has made it her mission to stop Donald Trump-endorsed candidates from winning public office, repeatedly warning of a danger to American democracy.

She told an audience at a McCain Institute speaking event at Arizona State University that their November votes would have ramifications on the entire country.

Cheney also suggested her support for Arizona Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs and Adrian Fontes, a Democrat who is running for Secretary of State there. Hobbs currently holds that role.

'So what happens here in Arizona is not just important for Arizona, but its important for the nation and for the future functioning of our constitutional republic,' the conservative January 6 committee Vice Chair said.

She told the crowd that the races in their battleground state are a main focus of hers.

'In Arizona today, you have a candidate for governor in Kari Lake, you have a candidate for secretary of state in Mark Finchem, both of whom have said  this isnt a surprise, its not a secret  they both said that they will only honor the results of an election if they agree with it,' Cheney said.

Both Lake and Finchem are running on Trump's endorsement, which they earned after parroting his election fraud claims.

Lake is a former Barack Obama supporter and previously worked as a local TV news anchor.

Finchem, who would be Arizona's highest ranking elections official if elected, has denounced mail-in ballots and maintains Trump won in 2020 but was victim of statewide fraud efforts.

But Cheney said they both have seen proof to the contrary - and willfully reject it.

'They've looked at all of that, the law, the facts and the rulings, the courts, and they've said it doesn't matter to them,' the lawmaker said.

'And if you care about democracy, and you care about the survival of our republic, then you need to understand, we all have to understand, that we cannot give people power who have told us that they will not honor elections.'

She specifically took aim at Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (left) and Arizona secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem (right), both of whom are endorsed by Trump

Cheney did share praise for some Republican state officials, such as current Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, who testified before her Capitol riot committee over the summer.

Watching Bowers testify with his 'faith and his duty to the Constitution' had been 'incredibly moving for me and my colleagues,' Cheney said.

She also celebrated the 'courageous Republicans' like Bowers who came forward to tell the truth about Trump and January 6.

Cheney also took yet another shot at Trump, stating: 'We've never been in a phase, a place where we're facing this kind of a threat. And that's because we're facing a threat from a former president who is attempting to unravel the Republic.'

'I think I knew on some level that even in the United States this was fragile,' she said.

'But I certainly didn't understand just how fragile. I think that's such an important lesson that we need to take from history'
Survivors of the tragedy are set to receive a 100,000 compensation pay-out

Mothers of children who died during the infected blood scandal have spoken of a 'black cloud' which ruined their lives, an inquiry has heard.

Thousands of patients were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.

Parents of children who died after being treated by the products told the Infected Blood Inquiry in London 'absolute trust' was given to doctors with 'the most precious things' they had.

The UK was struggling to keep up with demand for treatments tackling the blood-clotting condition haemophilia and other bleeding disorders, and began importing infected products from overseas.

About 2,400 people died in what has been called the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.

Brenda Haddock, 73, from Birmingham lost her son Andrew aged 24 after he became infected with HIV during the contaminated blood scandal. She was among the mothers giving evidence at the inquiry in London on Thursday

On Thursday, the inquiry heard from Linda Woolliscroft, 75, from Wolverhampton, West Midlands, whose son Michael died in 1995, a week before his 26th birthday, having been diagnosed with haemophilia aged two.

Ms Woolliscroft tearfully told the inquiry: 'He loved the sunshine and he hated the rain, and yet just before he passed away it was raining and he said to me 'would you take me to see the rain?'

'This is what upsets me, because he knew he wasn't going to see it again.'

Aged 13, while a patient at Birmingham Children's Hospital, Michael was treated with clotting agent Factor VIII, despite doctors telling them some children were having reactions to it.

Having learned about HIV during a meeting with other parents and boys treated with products at the hospital in 1984, Ms Woolliscroft took Michael to see medical professionals, but was reassured all was fine.

Michael was told he had HIV after turning 17, despite his positive test taking place years earlier, the inquiry heard.

Ms Woolliscroft said: 'It was done in a cold way, no emotion, like it was being read off a page. No feeling about it.'

Linda Woolliscroft, 75, from Wolverhampton, West Midlands, whose son Michael died in 1995, a week before his 26th birthday was also at Thursday's inquiry hearing

Elisabeth Buggins son Richard told of feeling 'guilt' after her son contracted HIV and died, aged eight

Speaking about the doctors, she went on: 'Your life is in their hands and you believe what they say and you've got to trust in them. You've got no choice.

'Then it makes you think, after, should you trust doctors?'

The inquiry also heard from Brenda Haddock, 73, from Birmingham, West Midlands, whose son Andrew was diagnosed with haemophilia at six months old, and who died in 1996 aged 24 after becoming infected.

From around 11, while a patient at Birmingham Childrens Hospital, Andrew was treated with clotting agent Factor VIII, despite doctors telling them some children were having reactions to it.

Ms Haddock was told she had 'nothing to worry about', the inquiry heard - but Andrew contracted HIV as a result of his treatment.

She said: 'In those days we all believed doctors, we put our faith in doctors, we had a child with an ongoing account, we followed what the doctors said, we blindly carried on giving them the treatment.

'But I wonder, afterwards, why couldnt they just temporarily stop the Factor VIII treatment while they investigated exactly what was going on, and give us some more information?

'Why did we have to sort of blindly carry on?'

Jason Evans, who lost his father to the infected blood scandal, has slammed the Government after he learned about the latest compensation announcement from a press release

Pictured: Jason Evans as a young boy with father Jonathan who died in 1993 after being given HIV-infected products. Jason has said children of victims should be included in compensation

She went on: 'Theres the guilt of having some home treatment and me giving Andrew the Factor VIII at home.

'Did I administer the dose that infected him? Its quite possible, so as well as the guilt of being the carrier that gave him haemophilia in the first place, theres the guilt of could I have been the one that administered the dose?'

During a meeting at the hospital, Ms Haddock was advised to continue administering the treatment to her son despite concerns over it.

She then discovered that Andrew was HIV positive after seeing his medical records during a later hospital visit.

Andrew had already been told by his doctor about the diagnosis when he was 12 years old, without Ms Haddock present, she later found out.

His behaviour changed, and he became 'depressed', lost interest in school and would hang around in the streets during the day.

Later in his teenage years he became 'very withdrawn' and would not mix with people or make close friends, acting aggressively around the house.

Michelle Tolley was infected with hepatitis C when she received blood transfusions after the birth of her child in 1987 but did not find out until 2015. She says while compensation for survivors is positive, she said the 'next step' was to include families of those who lost their lives

Bob Threakall's wife campaigned for years for justice after her husband died aged 47 in 1991 after contracting HIV from contaminated blood

Lauren Palmer was orphaned in 1993 when her mother Barbara (pictured together) and father died with HIV, eight days apart

He would also have hallucinations.

Ms Haddock tearfully told the inquiry: 'Youll never get over what weve been through, and we could all probably say were a different person to what we would have been.

'I think Ive sort of lived my life differently since Andrew died, Ive sort of compartmentalised it and Ive got to get on with things because I was always frightened that if I thought about it too much the floodgates would open and Id never shut them.'

Orphan, aged nine, lost both her parents to HIV eight days apart Lauren Palmer, 39, lost both her parents to the contaminated blood scandal when she was nine A woman whose parents died with HIV eight days apart has vowed to continue campaigning until all those affected by the infected blood scandal have been compensated. Lauren Palmer was just nine when she was orphaned after her parents, Stephen and Barbara Palmer, died with HIV and Hepatitis C in August 1993. Mr Palmer was a severe haemophiliac and received the blood clotting product Factor VIII in about 1979, unaware that it was contaminated. He subsequently tested positive for HIV and went on to infect his wife after dismissing medical advice to wear a condom during sex. Ms Palmer said the Government's announcement on Wednesday was 'a step forward', but said there were many other families who were excluded from the payments. Ms Palmer, a make-up artist currently studying for a forensic science degree in Bristol, said: 'This was all so avoidable, and then people went to great lengths to conceal the problem and not tell patients how serious it was. 'Everything from the start was just wrong. I don't feel anger (over the scandal), as such, because I don't want it to eat me up. 'It's more about getting that acknowledgement that everybody deserves. 'I am doing this because it feels like a duty. I don't want them to get away with this. 'It's been a long time getting to this stage. It (compensation) is a step in the right direction. 'There are still a lot of bereaved families excluded, so there is more work for us to do until those families are included. 'It's about recognition.' Ms Palmer, 39, said the death of her parents 'was devastating', as she was then separated from her half-brothers and sent to live with another family, enduring a miserable childhood. 'It didn't feel real at the time,' she said. 'I think when you're that age, you don't understand or comprehend what's going on. 'It didn't hit me until a few years later. Everything in my life changed so dramatically, the upheaval was awful. 'I remember thinking nothing is going to be the same again. 'It was devastating.' Advertisement

The inquiry had earlier heard from Elisabeth Buggins, whose sons Richard, Jonathan and Edward were all diagnosed with severe haemophilia in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Ms Buggins told of feeling 'guilt' about being a carrier of the condition.

She said: 'You would never wish something like that on your children, particularly because I wasnt certain I was a carrier until Id had them, I couldnt have prevented it.'

Richard died aged eight in May 1986 after being diagnosed with HIV having been a patient at Birmingham Childrens Hospital.

Lead counsel Jenni Richards KC asked about the deaths of other children who were treated alongside hers.

Ms Buggins said: 'Because we as parents knew each other very well, we went to the funerals, and it just felt like there was this wave of death, and every time I went to a funeral, we would all be in tears.

'And we would be anticipating our own children dying. But there was quite a lot of mutual support between parents who were in that group, which was very helpful, and continued for a while.'

Some of the human blood plasma used to make Factor VIII came from donors such as prison inmates and drug users, who sold their blood.

HIV had not been diagnosed at the time and understanding about hepatitis was still developing.

The Infected Blood Inquiry is being led by former High Court judge Sir Brian Langstaff.

The hearing comes after a plea from campaigners involved with the infected blood scandal who called for the families of those who died to receive compensation.

Thousands of survivors of the infected blood scandal will receive interim compensation payments of 100,000, the Government announced in August.

Bereaved spouses and partners registered on the scheme will also receive the payments.

But the parents and children of victims who lost their lives will not receive compensation as part of Wednesday's announcement, drawing criticism from campaigners.

Final recommendations from a public inquiry on compensation for a wider group of people - such as bereaved parents and the children of victims - are expected when the inquiry concludes next year.

Jason Evans, whose father Jonathan died in 1993, will not receive any compensation as the child of a victim.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast earlier in the year, he said it was a 'big step forward for some but for the majority, another day of upset'.

He said: 'I think the most important thing is the Government are held to account on that, because I saw the press release that they put out last night and it, in parts, reads very much like they are trying to convince the media and the public that these payments are going to all victims and families, when we know mostly that's not the case.

Rosemary Calder, whose 25-year-old son Nicky died in 1999 with HIV after being given an infected blood product to treat haemophilia, said the wait continues for the bereaved families.

Mrs Calder, 74, whose family moved from north London to Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire after her son was called 'Aids boy' at school, said: 'Again, parents and children who have lost loved ones are just ignored.

'The parents feel so disheartened and despondent that they can't get recognition.

'It's not about money, it's about the lives of their children.

'So many parents suffered financially because they had to give up work, had to move house because of all the stigma, people lost their jobs - that has never been acknowledged.

'I think it (the interim compensation) is a step in the right direction but there's a long way to go.'
Channel migrants are being held for up to a week in a new processing centre which is 'struggling' to cope with the influx of people, a union which represents Border Force officers warned.

The POA union said the facilities at the site in Kent are inadequate, highlighting rising 'tensions' which have already seen the police called.

The local force confirmed officers were called on September 28 following a report of a small group of people being abusive, and on October 2, after a man threw a bottle.

A man was taken to hospital as a precaution on that occasion and a suspect was arrested on suspicion of assault, before later being released on bail while enquiries continue.

The union also claimed the facility run out of food and water, though this was described as untrue by the Home Office.

Officials say 'all the basic needs' are provided for people who will have arrived tired, cold and wet, including hot food, fresh clothing, toilet facilities, sanitary packs and medical care.

Opened by the Home Office in January 2022, the Manston immigration short-term holding facility is located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet.

The union says the large number of people arriving during September means that the target of holding people at the Manston site for 24 to 48 hours is 'purely aspirational', with people staying at the facility for up to a week.

Government figures show 7,961 people arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in September.

The POA union said the facilities at the site in Kent are inadequate, highlighting rising 'tensions' which have already seen the police called and the facility run out of food and water

Government figures shows 7,961 people arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in September

Opened by the Home Office in January 2022, the Manston immigration short-term holding facility is located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet

POA says the facility is a 'significant improvement' to the Tug Haven processing site at the Port of Dover, however they say the Manston facility is struggling to perform its role and tensions are rising.

A spokesman for the POA said: 'A member working at the site likened the situation to a pressure cooker coming to the boil with a jammed release valve.

'She described the ability to move people on from the site in a timely manner as that pressure release valve.

'We have had reports of incidents escalating, altercations between residents boiling over and resulting in injury with police having to be called to the site to investigate assaults and provide support to staff.

'The POA believe the failure to relieve this pressure sits at the highest level, with a Government that has not provided a coherent response at pace to the increase in numbers of migrants crossing the Channel and the strain that is putting on the facility.

'There have been days where the facility has run out of food and drinking water for residents.

'The marquees are crowded, levels of bedding on site have become inadequate, laundry facilities are inadequate, cleaning regimes are not adhered to, and issues have been raised around high levels of condensation within the marquees which has led to mould and bacteria developing.

'We will today write to Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and urge his inspectorate to attend and assess the developing situation.'

Kent Police confirmed they had been called to the immigration centre twice in the last two weeks.

A spokesman for Kent Police said: 'We attended a site in Manston Road, Manston, at around 11.55pm on September 28 to assist the Home Office following a report a small group of people were being abusive. No arrests were made.

'Kent Police attended a site in Manston Road, Manston at 8.10pm on October 2 to assist the Home Office following a report a man had thrown a plastic bottle at another man.

'A suspect was arrested on suspicion of assault and was later released on bail while enquiries continue.'

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The continued rise in dangerous small boat crossings is causing an unprecedented strain on our asylum system.

'Manston is resourced and equipped to process migrants securely and we will provide alternative accommodation as soon as possible.

'Despite the lies they have been sold by people smugglers, those entering the UK illegally via the Channel will not be allowed to start a new life here. These individuals will be in scope to be relocated to Rwanda under our Migration and Economic Development Partnership.'
A PhD student has been jailed for nine years for raping a woman he met on a night out - while taking multiple photos of her during the attack.

Dayan Garcia, 31, took photographs on his mobile phone of the victim giving him oral sex after he had hit her around the face so violently that she went deaf in one ear for a week.

A court heard that the victim had found herself separated from her friends whilst out, and met Garcia in Mambo nightclub in Plymouth, Devon, on Friday, April 29 and agreed to go back to his address at around 2am.

PhD student Dayan Garcia, 31, was jailed for nine years for raping and assaulting a woman in Plymouth

Back at his home, Garcia hit the victim's head twice after she resisted his advances he went on to rape her.

During a trial at Plymouth Crown Court, the jury heard how the victim suffered extensive bruising and facial injuries and feared for her life.

It also came to light that Garcia had taken multiple photos of the victim during the attack, without her knowledge.

The victim managed to flee the scene with Garcia's phone, and fast tracked enquiries led to his identification and arrest on the evening of April 30 2022.

At his trial, the jury were shown sanitised versions of three of the ten pictures he took of this on his mobile phone during her ordeal.

Garcia was quickly remanded the next day for two counts of rape and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH).

Prior to his trial, which began on September 27, Garcia changed his plea to guilty to the ABH offence, but not guilty to the two counts of rape.

A court heard that the victim had found herself separated from her friends whilst out, and met Garcia in Mambo nightclub in Plymouth, Devon (pictured) on Friday, April 29

However, he was found guilty of both counts after a four day trial.

Garcia was also put on the sex offenders register for life and told any future work would be vetted by the Declaration and Barring Service.

His victim wrote a personal statement that said she had suffered deep psychological trauma and now only leaves her home to go to work.

During sentencing, the judge told Garcia: 'You were a young man with a life full of promise ahead of you before you threw it all away by your violent conduct that night.

'The jury were sure you struck her twice in the face when she tried to stop you taking off her leggings.

'She was so frightened by what you had done that she simply submitted to ensure that you did not hit her again.

'This was not a simple misunderstanding due to over-enthusiastic striking of her in the course of rough sex.

Garcia was found guilty of two counts of rape - and previously admitted to one count of ABH - at Plymouth Crown Court (pictured)

'There has been a lasting psychological effect on her, demonstrated by the fact she does not leave her home other than to go to work.

'Her statement shows the extent to which you have diminished her life.'

Mr Brian Fitzherbert, prosecuting, said the oral rape was aggravated by Garcia taking seven to ten still photographs of it on his phone and by him giving her wine before the attack.

Mr Lee Bremridge, defending, said Garcia 'came to Plymouth as a highly educated and skilled man with a very promising future and career ahead of him.'

Garcia was a PhD student at Plymouth's department of the Architecture and Built Environment where he has also carried out some teaching.

His original degree was from a university in Brazil.

A statement from Devon and Cornwall Police after the case said: 'Devon and Cornwall Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) welcome the custodial sentence of Dayan Garcia for the serious offences for which he stood trial.

'We would like to recognise the bravery of the victim in both coming forward to report these significantly traumatising offences and for providing detailed accounts of what happened, both at the time of the offence and during the trial.

'We would also like to thank the witnesses who gave supporting evidence in this case. Without the support of the general public and a willingness to attend court, these convictions would be more difficult to secure.'
Dozens of clinics around the country have stopped providing abortions since the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v Wade ruling in June, according to a new report.

Analysis shows that 66 clinics across 15 states have stopped offering abortions in the hundred days that passed since the June 24 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision that removed the constitutional right to an abortion.

The clinics are located in the 13 states that have enacted near-total abortion bans since the Dobbs ruling, plus Georgia and Wisconsin.

These fifteen states are home to 22million women of child-bearing age (from 15 - 49), which accounts for 30 per cent of the country's women of that age.

The research means that nearly a third of the female population of the USA have to travel to neighboring states to access abortion services, often crossing multiple state lines in journeys that can be costly, arduous and distressing.

In Wisconsin, clinics have suspended abortions over uncertainty about the enforceability of an 1849 ban, which physicians say is vague, leaving them fearful of future prosecution if they carry out an abortion.

Before the Dobbs ruling, these 15 states were home to 79 clinics offering abortion services, leaving only 13 that continue to do so - but in restricted form.

The 13 clinics are all located in Georgia, where abortion is still legal. However, legislation brought in on July 20 means that only until the sixth week of pregnancy.

New analysis shows that 66 clinics across 15 states have stopped offering abortion services in the one hundred days since the Supreme Court struck down the Rode v Wade ruling that constitutionally guaranteed abortions

These fifteen states are home to 22million women of child-bearing age (from 15 - 49), which accounts for 30 per cent of the country's women of that age. Pictured: Pro-choice demonstrators protest outside the Susan B. Anthony Pro-life Gala on Sept 13

The research means that nearly a third of the female population have to travel to neighboring states to access abortion services, often crossing multiple states in journeys that are costly, arduous and distressing. Pictured: Abortion rights activists at the Monroe County Courthouse during a protest vigil on Sept 15

The reduction in the supply has put understandable pressure on the clinics that have continued to provide abortions regardless of the Dobbs ruling.

'The loss of clinics is felt in all states  even those where abortion remains legal,' the Guttmacher Institute, a leading research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide, said in their analysis.

'The new reality of clinics no longer offering abortions or closing down entirely is having a devastating impact on states with abortion bans  and far beyond,' due to a large number of people from states with bans traveling for abortion procedures.

The thirteen states that have banned abortion Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Meanwhile, Wisconsin has suspended abortions until their legislation is clarified. And Georgia is only offering abortions before the seventh week, meaning women often have very little time to access the services once they discover they are pregnant. Advertisement

One Planned Parenthood clinic in southern Illinois, which has not enacted an abortion ban, has seen an explosion in demand since the Supreme Court ruling, said Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri.

The organization has plans to run a mobile clinic in Illinois to help meet surging demand. 'Folks are coming from all over the country for this care,' she said.

The Illinois clinic saw a 435 per cent increase in patients from beyond Illinois and Missouri between June and September, meaning a two or three day wait has become as much as three weeks, despite the clinic switching to 10-hour, six day weeks.

With the bulk of the states banning abortion clustered in the south, for many women in need of an abortion they will have to embark on longer and costlier journeys to states were it remains legal, said Rachel Jones, Guttmacher's principal research scientist and the lead author of the analysis.

'When you look at a state like Louisiana, you're not just crossing to the next state. You're having to go multiple states over. There's an incredible impact that these bans are having because they're concentrated in certain parts of the country,' she said.

Of the 66 clinics, 26 have shut down entirely, depriving local areas - often in low-income areas in some of the poorest states - with fewer health care options.

'This means people in these communities are not going to have access to contraceptive care, STI (sexually transmitted infection) testing and treatment and pregnancy care, which some of these facilities that closed completely were offering,' she said.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden vowed to support abortion rights and fight back against Republican efforts to restrict them.

'We're not going to sit by and let Republicans throughout the country enact extreme policies to threaten access to basic health care,' he said during a meeting of his reproductive task force at the White House on Tuesday.

He was furious at officials at the University of Idaho for their new guidance that students should not be offered birth control because of the state's near-total on abortions.

Joe Biden vowed to support abortion rights and fight back against Republican efforts to restrict them. Pictured:Vice President Kamala Harris (L) and President Joe Biden attend the second meeting of the Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access

'Folks, what century are we in?,' Biden said. 'I mean, what are we doing? I respect everyone's view on the personal decisions they make but my Lord we're talking about contraception here. It shouldn't be that controversial.'

The president marked 100 days since the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade by criticizing states that have curtailed abortion rights and announcing $6 million in healthcare service funding.

Biden, with Vice President Kamala Harris at his side, also announced new guidelines for universities from the Department of Education to protect students from discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and $6 million in new grants from the Department of Health & Human Services to protect access to reproductive healthcare services.

October 2 marked 100 days since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling that returned the issue of abortion rights to the states.

Since then 13 states have made abortion illegal with eight states passing laws to protect abortion rights, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights.

Biden has wielded his executive pen in the wake of the court ruling but his administration has repeatedly emphasized that the best way to protect abortion rights is for Congress to codify it into law.

However, in the 50-50 evenly divided Senate there is not enough support to get such a law over the 60 vote threshold necessary to advance legislation.




Korean Air Lines said Thursday it has signed a memorandum of agreement with Airbus Helicopters to develop unmanned reconnaissance helicopters for the Korean military.







Under the technology partnership, Korean Air will develop an unmanned carrier-based helicopter and an unmanned helicopter for surveillance and reconnaissance purposes over Korean islands near the western sea border with North Korea, the company said in a statement.







Airbus Helicopters has developed the uncrewed aerial system (UAS) VSR700, which has autonomous take-off and landing (ATOL) capabilities.







Korean Air aims to make presence in the world's unmanned helicopter market based on the partnership with the European aircraft manufacturer.







The national flag carrier has supplied aircraft parts to Airbus since 1987. (Yonhap)


Transgender charity Mermaids closed its helpline and webchat service today saying it has received 'intolerable abuse'.

It comes after a trustee quit over revelations he spoke at an 'academic' conference hosted by an organisation that promotes services to paedophiles.

JK Rowling then challenged transgender television presenter India Willoughby to sue her in a Twitter spat after she blasted celebrities for backing Mermaids.

Now the charity has taken to its social media page to announce the decision to close its helpline and webchat in order 'to protect our dedicated staff and volunteer team'.

The post read: 'Due to intolerable abuse, we have made the decision to close the helpline and webchat services for the rest of today and tomorrow.

'Next week, to enable us to take all volunteers off the rota, we will reduce hours to 9am to 6pm only.

'We do not make this decision lightly, but our duty of care towards staff and volunteers necessitates a harm reduction approach to protect our dedicated staff and volunteer team.

'We hope to be able to resume normal working hours as soon as possible.'

Transgender charity Mermaids closed its helpline and webchat service today saying it has received 'intolerable abuse'

It comes after JK Rowling challenged transgender television presenter India Willoughby to sue her in a Twitter spat after she blasted celebrities for backing Mermaids

Dr Jacob Breslow sensationally quit as a trustee of Mermaids after it emerged he had spoken at an 'academic' conference hosted by an organisation that promotes services to paedophiles

Ms Rowling previously took a thinly veiled swipe at Emma Watson and other celebrities who backed the charity after a trustee quit in a paedophile row.

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.

The Harry Potter author 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.'

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.

Ms Willoughby (pictured) slammed the author, tweeting: 'Someone really needs to take legal action against JK Rowling'

Ms Rowling responded that she would be the first to sign any petition against her

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.

Transgender charity Mermaids has been mired in controversy in recent months and has been criticised by JK Rowling

'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.
Kevin Spacey's lawyer told a jury Thursday that a sexual misconduct allegation that derailed his theatrical career was the product of a young actor's inability to tell the difference between real life and a scene he played on Broadway eight times a week.

The House of Cards actor, 63, is facing the suit filed by Anthony Rapp - who made the first in a string of sexual misconduct allegations against Spacey in 2017.

His theater and filmmaking career was left in tatters following the slew of sexual harassment claims.

Jurors in a New York courtroom heard opening statements in what is expected to be a two-week trial in a lawsuit brought by Anthony Rapp, the actor who in 2017 became the first in a string of people to publicly accuse Spacey of inappropriate touching or sexual advances.

The lawsuit stems from an alleged encounter between the two men in 1986, when Rapp was a 14-year-old getting praise for a role in the play 'Precious Sons' and Spacey, then 26, was having his own breakout moment on Broadway as the co-star of 'Long Day's Journey Into Night.'

Rapp says the older actor invited him to a party at his Manhattan apartment, then tried to seduce him in a bedroom after the other guests had left.

Spacey showed up at Manhattan Federal Court to face a sexual misconduct lawsuit that was filed against him. The actor is expected to testify in the trial - which is set to last less than two weeks

Kevin Spacey, 63, arrived at court this morning ahead of his trial after a lawsuit was lodged against him for sexual misconduct

Anthony Rapp, left, arrives at court for the civil lawsuit trial against Kevin Spacey

Court sketch: Actor Kevin Spacey (right) observes potential jurors during jury selection for his sex abuse trial

In interviews and the lawsuit, he has said a drunk, swaying Spacey swept him up in his arms, like a groom carrying a bride, then laid him on a bed and climbed on top of him. Rapp said he quickly wriggled away and left, then kept quiet about what happened for three decades as both actors saw their careers take off.

In her opening statement to the jury, Spacey's lawyer, Jennifer Keller, noted that the incident Rapp described bore a close resemblance to a scene in 'Precious Sons.'

In the scene, an inebriated father, played by Ed Harris, mistook his son, played by Rapp, for his wife and climbed on top of him. In another scene, Harris lifted Rapp in his arms.

'How did Mr. Rapp come up with such an inventive and original story?' Keller asked the jury. 'Eight times each week, actor Ed Harris picked up Mr. Rapp like a groom picks up a bride.'

'What does Mr. Rapp claim? Mr. Spacey falls on him drunkenly. No kissing. No grinding. No touching of his genitals. No request to touch his genitals. Nothing, just like in the play,' she said.

Rapp's lawyer, Peter Saghir, said the encounter between the actors was real and that Spacey tried to 'gratify his sexual desire' by pressing his pelvis into Rapp's hips when they were on the bed.

'This was a deliberate act,' he said. 'This is not horseplay.'

The House of Cards actor stepped out in Manhattan this morning. Jury selection for the trial begins Thursday, with opening statements to follow

The trial at Manhattan Federal Court is set to last less than two weeks. Three months ago Spacey also pleaded not guilty in London to charges that he sexually assaulted three men between 2004 and 2015 when he was the artistic director at the Old Vic theater

When Rapp told his story to Buzzfeed in 2017 as the #MeToo movement began to grip Hollywood, he addressed the similarity with the scene in 'Precious Sons,' saying that perhaps he was initially able to set aside the trauma of his encounter with Spacey because he was 'weirdly accustomed to the action, because it had been happening in the play.'

Spacey said at the time he had no recollection of the incident. 'But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior,' he said.

Since then, though, Spacey's legal team has said the accusation is false. Rapp never attended the party, they said. And even if it had happened as Rapp described, they have argued, it wouldn't constitute a sexual advance.

Rapp wants compensation for mental and emotional suffering, medical expenses and loss of work.

Keller said Spacey was looking forward to testifying at the trial.

'He wants justice,' she said. 'Once you've heard both sides, you'll be convinced this alleged assault never happened at all.'

The House of Cards actor, 63, is facing a lawsuit filed by Anthony Rapp - who made the first in a string of sexual misconduct allegations against Spacey in 2017

Rapp, who was 14 at the time, said the older actor invited him to a party at his Manhattan apartment, then tried to seduce him in a bedroom after the other guests had left

A judge in Los Angeles this summer approved an arbitrator's decision to order Spacey to pay $30.9 million to the makers of 'House of Cards' for violating his contract by sexually harassing crew members.

Those setbacks followed some victories for Spacey, who has recently been acting in films again.

In 2019, prosecutors in Massachusetts dropped indecent assault and battery charges filed after a man said Spacey groped him at a Nantucket bar. Spacey said he was innocent. His accuser also dropped a civil lawsuit.

Spacey won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in 'American Beauty,' a 1999 film in which he played a frustrated suburban father who lusts after his teenage daughters best friend.

Rapp, who as a teenager acted in films including 'Adventures in Babysitting,' was part of the original Broadway cast of 'Rent,' and is now a regular on 'Star Trek: Discovery' on television. He is also expected to testify at the trial.

Other witnesses will include a psychologist who believes Rapp experiences post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the encounter with Spacey.
Parents are responding in anger to the firing of NYU professor Maitland Jones Jr., following complaints from students that they received poor grades in his organic chemistry course.

'Because the stakes are so high and not all students are equipped to become doctors sometimes you have to make 'cuts,'' said Ashley Jacobs of Parents Unite, a group concentrated on independent school education in the New England area.

'Instead of lowering standards we should be raising them as well as our expectations. Shouldnt an objective of education be to help each student reach his or her potential? To do this would require teaching students they should expect more from themselves and not blame others when things are too hard,' she told Fox News.

Elicia Brand, founder of Army of Parents, a group dedicated to freedom and parental rights in educations - headquartered in Loudon County, Virginia - offered sharper words about the situation at NYU:

'The firing of Professor Maitland Jones Jr. is indicative of the problem our nation is facing with many academic institutions catering to and churning out idealistic young adults who are under-educated, easily offended and entitled, and who will do little as productive members of our society as a result,' she said.

Maitland Jones Jr., 84, was fired from his position as an organic chemistry professor at NYU after many students signed a petition against him

Former students and faculty members defended Jones, who said students had progressively lost focus in his class over the last decade

Elicia Brand (pictured here with Va. Gov. Glenn Youngkin) says academic institutions catering to students like the ones at NYU is producing a generation of 'under-educated, easily offended and entitled, and who will do little as productive members of our society as a result'

'When paying for an education at a reputable university, we should expect quality professors to intellectually challenge our students, helping them to grow by pushing them to stretch beyond what is convenient and comfortable. Doing anything less, will not result is positive outcome.

'Instead, universities and K-12 government schools are supporting the notion that a good work ethic and high expectations are racist, lowering standards of educations to account for this popular ideology

'Instead of firing professors like Maitland Jones Jr., we should be hiring more like him in order to stave off the soft bigotry of low expectations that is infecting academia today and pushing our students to reach their fullest potential,' she continued.

Jones Jr., 84, was fired from NYU after teaching there since 2007 on an annual contract basis. He previously taught at Princeton University between 1964-2004.

He led a storied lab at Princeton during those 40 years and is the author of Organic Chemistry texts, a 1,300 page textbook.

Jones Jr. was fired after 82 of his 350 organic chemistry students signed a petition complaining that the grades they were receiving in the professor's class would stand in the way of their acceptance to medical schools.

'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,' read the petition, according to the New York Times, which first reported on the story.

'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,' the petition continued.

As students returned to in-person instruction following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jones noted a precipitous loss in attention spans - a trend he says he started to note a few years after he began teaching at NYU.

As students returned from virtual learning as a result of the pandemic, that problem only got worse. Students were not studying and, Jones said, students seemingly did not know how to.

The professor reportedly made accommodations for his students, including making his tests easier, and told the university that his students were having an unusually hard time grasping and retaining the material.

Jones was not the only professor in the university's science department to notice an academic drop-off within the student population.

Kent Kirshenbaum, another professor of organic chemistry, found out that students were cheating during online tests and so decided to reduce grades. Students subsequently complained that that they grades they were given would not 'allow them to get into medical school'

NYU President Andrew D. Hamilton, who famously gets paid north of $1 million annually, defended the institution's decision to terminate Jones Jr.

In a statement responding to the uproar, Hamilton simply said Jones Jr.' wasn't successful.'

'NYU generally disagrees with and is disappointed by the way the matter with Professor Jones has been characterized publicly,' he said.

'This was about NYU's expectations for high quality, effective teaching.

'This professor was hired to teach this particular course, and wasn't successful - that's the sum of it.

'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 their teaching, as this class did.

'Surely, among the many things a university should stand up for - including academic freedom, academic rigor, and a robust research enterprise - one of them should be good teaching.

'Good teaching shouldn't be pitted against rigor as an excuse for poor teaching; good teaching and rigor are perfectly compatible, and the latter is not a threat to the former at NYU,' he concluded.

NYU President Andrew D. Hamilton says he is displeased with how the incident has been treated in the media and says that Jones Jr. 'wasn't successful' in teaching the course

Organic chemistry is a prerequisite course for students who wish to attend medical school after college.

It is known as a weed out course, meaning students not academically talented enough to attend medical school are given a chance to redirect their academic studies after taking the challenging class.

Cornell Law School professor Williams Jacobson said that the NYU incident is emblematic of a 'collapse in merit standards throughout academia.'

'A campus culture that focuses on the feelings of students is becoming incapable of holding to standards. The implications for the future of the country are serious, as we are or will be graduating students who elsewhere in the world would flunk out. It's becoming a national security concern,' he said.

For his part, Jones Jr. says he will not fight to get his position back at NYU, but doesn't want to see this trend continue.

'I don't want my job back,' he said. 'I just want to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else.'
Vladimir Putin wants to take the world with him when he dies, and has already taken the decision to use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, an 'expert' on his 'failing health' has said.

Political scientist Valery Solovey, a former professor at Moscow's prestigious Institute of International Relations [MGIMO], made the sensational claims ahead of the Russian despot marking his 70th birthday on Friday.

This comes as Russian Orthodox churches have been ordered to hold special prayer services for his health on Saturday, despite the Kremlin insisting he is healthy.

'The decision in principle about the use or demonstration of tactical nuclear weapons has been made,' said Dr Solovey, who has been consulted by Western embassies in Moscow after making claims over Putin's medical condition.

'The question is how, when and where. I have no doubts we will end up on the edge of death, but I know we will be able to back off. We will be able to go through this.'

He claimed the current situation is more dangerous and closer to 'nuclear apocalypse' than during the Cuban missile crisis during the Cold War.

As Vladimir Putin (seen today in Moscow) marks his 70th birthday on Friday, he has already taken the decision to use tactical nuclear weapons, says an 'expert' on his 'failing health'

'The cause is the Russian president Vladimir Putin who seriously intends to demonstrate the capabilities of nuclear weapons - tactical nuclear weapons,' he said. 'Putin cannot allow himself to be defeated. He has two tools left in his sleeve - mobilisation, which he is using [and] nuclear weapons.'

Dr Solovey said Putin is in 'very poor physiological health'.

He has long claimed that the Russian warmonger is suffering from serious illnesses including cancer, Parkinson's disease and a schizoaffective disorder.

This has been disputed by Western intelligence, with the director of the CIA William Burns saying in July that Putin is 'entirely too healthy', although acknowledged this was an informal assessment of the Russian leader's health.

Speculation around Putin's health has been rife in recent years, especially with the increased attention he has recieved since ordering the invasion of Ukraine.

In July, the Russian president was pictured awkwardly swatting mosquitos from his face. Similarly, at a huge Victory Day parade in Moscow in May, he appeared to walk with a limp and had a blanket over his lap, while in April he was seen gripping a table during a televised meeting with his defence minister.

Ever since Vladimir Putin ordered his military forces to invade Ukraine on February 24, rumours have been swirling about the state of his health. In April, the Russian president (left) was seen gripping a table during a televised meeting with his defence minister

At a huge Victory Day parade in Moscow in May, the 69-year-old appeared to walk with a limp and had a blanket over his lap (pictured)

Meanwhile, fears are growing that Putin may resort to more drastic measures in an attempt to win the war he began on February 24.

Even as the Kremlin moved to absorb parts of Ukraine in a sharp escalation of the conflict, the Russian military suffered new defeats that highlighted its deep problems on the battlefield and opened rifts at the top of the Russian government.

The setbacks have badly dented the image of a powerful Russian military and added to the tensions surrounding an ill-planned mobilization. They have also fueled fighting among Kremlin insiders and left Putin increasingly cornered.

'The president is not able to adequately assess the situation and make proper decisions,' Solovey said in a new video as Putin marks in 70th birthday in his home city St Petersburg. 'The state of his health is such that he has a very strong desire to take the world with him.

'He knows that he will pass away in a limited time - and how is it possible for the world to carry on without him? Why should the world exist without its genius leader Vladimir Putin?' he asked sarcastically.

Dr Solovey warned the West in a new video he posted not to rely on senior Kremlin officials intervening to stop him going nuclear.

Political scientist Valery Solovey, a former professor at Moscow's prestigious Institute of International Relations [MGIMO], has sensationally claimed the Kremlin leader is dying - and wants to take the world with him

'Don't be deluded, do not hope that someone in the Russian establishment will stop Putin,' he said. 'These people are resigned [to the idea] Putin will take this first step.'

Russia has multiple options on firing tactical - or battlefield - nuclear weapons if Putin gives the order despite the strongest warnings from the West that he will face immense retaliation. One possibility is his nuclear capable Iskander missiles.

In May some were moved close to the border with Finland, while they have also been deployed with conventional warheads during the Ukrainian war.

Dr Solovey - who is not a medical doctor but claims to have sources in high Kremlin circles - claimed last week that Putin's health is 'dramatically deteriorating'.

'Modern therapy, targeted therapy for oncological diseases, is of such quality that you will be working until literally the last few hours,' he said.

He was asked about CIA director William Burns saying that Putin - far from being ill - was 'too healthy'.

Solovey replied this was a 'perfect example of Anglo-Saxon sarcasm' adding: 'The Americans know what's happening to [Putin].

'They know the real situation, and they are actually concerned because of it.'

Solovey's comments came as reports said that the Orthodox Church, led by close Putin supporter Patriarch Kirill, is to hold special prayer sessions for the president's health the day after his 70th birthday.

Putin is due in St Petersburg to meet leaders of ex-Soviet states on his birthday.

The Kremlin has said Putin is in good health.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky defiantly said Thursday that his country must fend off Moscow's invasion 'so that Russian tanks do not advance on Warsaw or again on Prague'.

Addressing a meeting in Prague of European heads of state convened by French President Emmanuel Macron, Zelensky also called on Western capitals to supply his army with more weapons 'to punish the aggressor'.

The EU on Thursday imposed its latest round of sanctions on Russia, expanding bans on trade and individuals over Moscow's annexation of four Ukrainian regions.

The measures, which came into force with their publication in the bloc's official administrative gazette, also pointed the way to an oil price cap on Russian crude transported around the world but only after details are worked out within the G7 group of nations.

On the ground in Ukraine, relying on Western-supplied weapons, Ukraine has followed up on last month's gains in the northeastern Kharkiv region by pressing deeper into occupied areas and forcing Russian troops to withdraw from the city of Lyman, a key logistical hub.

The Ukrainian army has also unleashed a broad counteroffensive in the south, capturing a string of villages on the western bank of the Dnieper River and advancing toward the city of Kherson.

The Ukrainian gains in the Kherson region followed relentless strikes on the two main crossings over the Dnieper that made them unusable and forced Russian troops on the western bank of the Dnieper to rely exclusively on pontoon crossings, which also have been repeatedly hit by the Ukrainians.

Phillips P. O'Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews, predicted more Russian failures in Kherson, noting that it's 'hard to stabilize a line when your logistics are stretched, your troops are exhausted and your opponent is much, much smarter.'

Pressed against the wide river and suffering severe supply shortages, Russian troops face a looming defeat that could set the stage for a potential Ukrainian push to reclaim control of the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014.
The rest of his tour of South America will start in the middle of 2023

Alvarez plans to ride across Colombia for six months; He hits the road in two weeks to visit the province of Valle del Cauca

A Colombian man is all set to hit the road across South America and create long-lasting memories with his two huskies after resigning from his job of 10 years in finance.

Alejandro Alvarez sold off his home in the Medellin town of San Antonio de Prado along with his car and motorcycle in order to live out a dream that he has dubbed: 'Life is a journey.'

'Leaving the material belongings behind has not been the most difficult thing to do because I have always been detached from that,' the 33-year-old told DailyMail.com. 'In fact, when I decided to resign, I did it without paying it any mind. I started selling everything I had to achieve this great dream.'

Alejandro Alvarez quit his job of 10-years with a finance firm in Colombia to travel across Colombia and South America with his two pet huskies, Celeste (bottom left) and Alaska (bottom right)

Alaska, one of the two huskies that will join Alejandro Alvarez on a dream road trip across his native Colombia and several other countries in South America

Alejandro Alvarez told DailyMail.com that he purchased the van four months ago and has spent $40,000 to remodel it. The van features solar panels for energy, a shower, kitchen, bed and closet

Alejandro Alvarez told DailyMail.com that he first came into contact with Alaska, a nine-year-old husky, while visiting a pet store in Colombia

Alvarez smooches his five-year-old Husky Celeste. The pair and his other dog Alaska are venturing out on a road trip dubbed: 'Life is a journey'

The hardest part of the dream he said will be separating himself from his family over the next six months as he travels across Colombia. His mother plans to join him for about two weeks of the journey.

'But when there is family love, it's the same,' the only child said. 'Let's try to stay in touch virtually, through virtual conferences.'

Alvarez's travel through South America will take place inside a used 2007 van that he purchased in Bogota, the capital, four months ago.

He has spent $40,000 over the last four months converting the van into a swanky mobile home fit for a man and his two best friends.

'The idea arose from my love for traveling with my pets since it was not very comfortable to travel on a motorcycle or in a private car,' Alvarez explained.

He took home nine-year-old Alaska after visiting a local pet store and noticing that she was up for sale for breeding. Alvarez outbid all of the other buyers.

Five-year-old Celeste was a gift from his ex-girlfriend.

His six-month journey across Colombia - which he is documenting on social media - will serve as a way to introduce the world to destinations that are not frequented by tourists, he said

Alejandro said he decided to buy a van because it would have sufficient space for his two dogs to be comfortable for their upcoming travels through Colombia and South America

Alejandro converted the 2007 van into a mobile home that has a small kitchen, a work area, sofa, bed and closet

Alvarez's travel through South America will take place inside a used 2007 van that he purchased in Bogota, the capital, four months ago.

He ripped out the vehicle's original flooring and swapped in wood paneling. He also installed a solar panel system on the roof in order to save on fuel, which will be necessary when he is resting roadside.

Alvarez removed the seating and equipped it with a bed, closet, kitchen, shower and work area. There is also a projection screen that slides down from the ceiling when it's time to relax. This week he plans to install a water tank.

His six-month journey across Colombia - which he is documenting on social media - will serve as a way to introduce the world to destinations that are not frequented by tourists, he said.

Alejandro Alvarez, with his pet dog Celeste, said he quit his job of 10 years in finance to be able to travel all of Colombia and South America

Five-year-old Celeste was a gift to Alejandro from his ex-girlfriend. The dog is one of two huskies the 33-year-old has as his companions who will join him on a road trip across Colombia and the rest of South America

Celeste (left) and Alaska (right) will join their owner on a journey across Colombia during the next six months before traveling throughout South America

Over two weeks he will drive 300 miles to the Pacific coast province of Valle del Cauca. While there he'll visit the cities of Buenaventura and Cali as well as the El Danubio river, which will be a delight for his dogs, Alaska and Celeste.

His furry companions are huge fans of nature and enjoy being taken on long walks in the countryside.

Alvarez expects to start touring the rest of South America in 2023, with Ecuador being the first country on his list.

He will then drive over to Peru and Bolivia before visiting Brazil, Argentina and Chile. Paraguay and Uruguay are also on the itinerary although he is not sure which country he will visit before driving back home.

'I want to fill my life with memories and experiences instead of material things,' Alvarez said.
Several workers at a Mississippi daycare are under fire after video shows them using a terrifying Halloween mask to torture children who were 'bad.'

The videos surfaced earlier this week on social media, showing several workers at Lil' Blessings Childcare in Hamilton attempting to scare children into better behavior in a 'hideous' act upon innocent kids.

One of the videos shared widely online show one daycare worker telling the woman in the mask to avoid certain toddlers who have 'been good,' saying 'don't get her.'

The children can be seen sobbing as the woman makes her way around several classrooms, yelling and screaming at the kids.

A little girl who was attempting to eat her lunch got a fright when a daycare worker in a creepy Halloween mask approached her and yelled in her face

The daycare worker terrorized the group of children, all who are believed to be younger than five years old due to their daycare status

The video that goes on for more than two minutes shows the woman at one point lean over to one child who was 'bad' and ask 'are you being bad? Do I need to take you outside?'

The child, visibly upset and attempting to hide his face from the woman in the mask, cries out 'no' and shakes his head at her question.

Despite his response, the woman screams directly into the young boy's face before yelling 'you better be good.'

The daycare worker then switches classrooms as kids in the first room continue to cry, telling the second group of children 'y'all better be ready.'

At least three children can be seen then attempting to hide behind an shelving unit as the woman pounds on the door.

One terrified little girl jumped backwards after the woman screamed directly into her face

After screaming at the first little girl, the daycare worker made her way around the table to scare the rest of the children inside the classroom

One child attempted to hide his face while another screamed out in fear after being confronted by the woman

The children appeared to be terrified, even after the woman left the room

In one video, the daycare worker got right into a young boy's face and asked him if he was going to continue being bad, screaming at the boy as he sobbed out

As she enters the room, all three children begin screaming out and crying. She approaches the children and then proceeds to chase one who is crying and running away.

After ordering the children to 'clean up,' she screams at the children, prompting their sobs to become audibly louder.

In another video, this one just 25 seconds, the daycare worker behind the mask screams at a table of children who appear to be eating lunch.

The woman screams directly into one little girl's face, causing the child to jump and shudder in terror.

She walks away and then returns to the young girl, once again screaming, before making her way around the table.

Another video shows one child covering their ears as the woman screams, and another crying out 'mama' as the worker continues to terrorize the group.

Children hid behind a shelving unit to try and get away from the daycare worker who was hellbent on scaring them into being good

One child attempted to flee from the woman, which prompted her to chase after him while he was screaming and crying before ultimately grabbing him

A daycare worker who claims to have filmed the videos shared a long response on Facebook Thursday, saying she recorded the incidents not because she thought it was funny, but because she was trying to show parents her coworkers' actions.

Jennifer Kayla Newman said on Facebook that she wasn't planning to make a statement initially, but due to the video going viral, she felt the need to speak up.

'A couple of weeks ago some girls at the daycare bought Halloween masks to scare the kids, they did it and I never got it on video,' she said.

The daycare worker went on to claim that her idea to record came from previous 'slaps on the wrist' that were given to her coworkers over issues she brought up to the owners without proof.

The woman was not afraid to get up close to the children who were terrified by her and attempted to get away from her any chance they could

One woman looked on, telling the woman behind the mask which children were 'good' and 'bad' and therefore deserved to be scared

The daycare worker behind the mask repeatedly asks another worker to clarify which children deserved to be scared for being 'bad' in one of the videos

'When I heard she was going to do it again, I recorded to get the proof and then the video was sent to parents to show them how their child was being treated,' the woman wrote.

'I did not video this for sh**s and giggles. It was not funny to me. I did not get amusement out of this. The one screaming in the kids faces is NOT me. The one standing next to the girl screaming is NOT me. That laughing in the video is NOT me,' Newman said on Facebook.

She also said that calling the cops 'wouldn't have done any good' without proof and that the cameras inside the daycare do not work.

This is what prompted her to take action of her own.

The statement, posted to mixed reactions, from Jennifer Kayla Newman on Facebook Thursday

'I have nothing to hide. I did what I thought I was best in that moment. MAYBE, I didn't handle it 100 percent how I should have, but my intentions were good,' Newman said Thursday.

The daycare worker went on to even say that those shaming her for recording it should feel bad 'because if it wasn't for me and another coworker, this probably would have happened tomorrow also.'

DailyMail.com attempted to reach out to Lil' Blessings Childcare but did not receive a response or statement from officials.

Monroe County officials say they are investigating the videos from inside the daycare

Calls were also placed to law enforcement officials in Monroe County, Mississippi, the county where the daycare is located- but were not returned by the time of publication.

In a statement released on Facebook Thursday, officials said that they are investigating the incident.

'The Monroe County, MS Sheriff's Department is aware of video from the daycare in Hamilton and is working with the county prosecutor to see if there is any possible criminal charges that can be filed, a post said.
An alleged fugitive who is accused of faking his own death to dodge US charges of sexual assault and rape has had photos of his tattoos taken in prison in a bid to establish his identity.

US prosecutors believe that the man that they want to extradite to the US is Nicholas Rossi, an alleged rapist.

However, the 35-year-old man claims that he is actually Arthur Knight - a victim of mistaken identity who has never been to the US.

On Thursday, Mr Knight's lawyer told Edinburgh Sheriff Court that work is underway to prove his client's identity who is being held at HMP Edinburgh, known as Saughton.

'The Crown have provided various photographs of a person they believe is Nicholas Rossi, including tattoos being exhibited,' he said.

'It was suggested that my client should be examined and photographed.

'That has been done on an evening visit to Saughton. I personally attended last Thursday, a week ago today, and counsel is in possession of those photos.'

US prosecutors believe that the man is Rossi, who allegedly raped a 21-year-old in Utah in 2008 and is also accused of attacking other women in the US.

An alleged fugitive, pictured at court in April, who is said to have faked his own death to dodge US sex charges had his tattoos photographed in prison. US prosecutors say the man is Nicholas Rossi, who allegedly raped a 21-year-old in Utah in 2008 but he says he is Arthur Knight

On Thursday, Mr Knight's lawyer told Edinburgh Sheriff Court that work is underway to prove his client's identity who is being held at HMP Edinburgh, known as Saughton. Pictured: Mr Knight giving a press conference in Edinburgh in April

The 35-year-old, appearing via video-link from prison in a wheelchair and wearing an oxygen mask, denies he is the alleged fugitive.

When asked whether he is Rossi, he simply replied: 'No, I am Arthur Knight.'

He also asked Sheriff Kenneth Campbell, who was overseeing the hearing, to consider his appeal for bail.

But the alleged fugitive was told that it would be a matter for the appeal court.

Mr Kinloch asked for the proceedings to be continued for another week as his client's senior legal counsel were not available for the hearing due to other court commitments.

The suspect raised two fingers in the air as he arrives to Edinburgh Sheriff Court in July. This time, he appeared via video-link again in a wheelchair and oxygen mask

A report about the 35-year-old by a forensic psychologist has also not been provide yet, although it is hoped this will have progressed in time for a hearing next week.

Advocate Depute Paul Harvey said a hearing could also take place over several days in November to establish the question of identity.

He said: 'Any sheriff considering the case will have to consider identity. Dates have been identified on November 7 and four days thereafter should a sheriff need to hear evidence in the question of identity.

'It's my submission that efforts should be made to preserve those dates.'

Sheriff Campbell agreed to set a further hearing for October 13.

On the matter of bail, he said: 'It is not competent for me to review the bail order. That is a matter for the appeal court and it's clear that you have that in hand Mr Kinloch.'
Do you know the woman who heckled Kate today? Contact us via email: laurence.dollimore@mailonline.co.uk and tips@dailymail.com

Woman told Princess Kate that 'Ireland belongs to the Irish' during an impromptu walkabout in Belfast today

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The Princess of Wales has today been praised for keeping calm and carrying on after being challenged by an Irish nationalist during an impromptu walkabout in Northern Ireland.

The woman told Princess Kate that 'Ireland belongs to the Irish' during the meet and greet in north Belfast this afternoon.

While shaking hands with the princess, the woman said: 'Nice to meet you but it would be better if it was when you were in your own country.'

Do you know the woman who heckled the Princess of Wales? Contact: laurence.dollimore@mailonline.co.uk and tips@dailymail.com Advertisement

The woman, who was wearing an emerald green cardigan, appeared to be videoing the exchange on a mobile phone.

A stunned Kate, who managed to keep her composure throughout the exchange, laughed and let go of the woman's hand before continuing to smile and greet other members of the crowd.

Observers took to social media to praise Kate for 'handling the moment perfectly.'

One wrote on Twitter: 'That very disrespectful lady should have stayed at home instead of wasting her time waiting for someone she doesn't like... Catherine handled the moment perfectly though.

'She and William were welcomed with open arms by everyone else... there's lots of love for them!'

The incident happened during during Kate and William's visit to Northern Ireland today.

Hundreds of people lined the Marine Highway in Carrickfergus, a town to the north of Belfast, as the pair visited the County Antrim town.

They exchanged handshakes and fist-bumps with local schoolchildren who had waited for hours to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.

Earlier they visited a local charity and were then greeted by the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Noel Williams.

The late Queen gave William and Kate the titles Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus on the morning of their wedding in 2011.

The Princess of Wales has today been challenged by an Irish nationalist during an impromptu walkabout in Northern Ireland . Pictured: The woman as she speaks to Kate

While shaking hands with the princess, the woman said: 'Nice to meet you but it would be better if it was when you were in your own country'

Observers took to social media to praise Kate for 'handling the moment perfectly'

The Princess of Wales (pictured today) has been challenged by an Irish nationalist during an impromptu walkabout in Northern Ireland

The Princess of Wales waves to members of the public following a walkabout in Carrickfergus as part of a visit to Northern Ireland

Princess Kate brushes back her hair while meeting with royal fans during a visit to Northern Ireland

Kate beams as she chats to royal fans alongside Prince William during a visit to Belfast on Thursday

William and Kate are fulfilling a number of engagements with cross-community organisations that provide support to people from all backgrounds

Kate chats to a group of schoolchildren holding Union Jack flags during a visit to Northern Ireland on Thursday

MWilliam and Kate during a walkabout outside Carrickfergus Castle in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland

Kate shakes hand with excited young girls during a visit to Northern Ireland on Thursday

Kate cut a chic figure in Belfast on Thursday in a pastel blue blouse and matching pea coat, paired with navy cropped trousers and heels

The couple are fulfilling a number of engagements with cross-community organisations that provide support to people from all backgrounds.

They began with a visit to suicide prevention charity PIPS in north Belfast.

Lord mayor Tina Black and Sinn Fein MP for the constituency John Finucane were among those who welcomed the royal couple on arrival.

Inside, 12-year-old Elyse Quinn, the daughter of the charitys executive director Renee Quinn, presented the princess with a bouquet of flowers.

PIPS was founded in 2003 following the loss of 14 young people to suicide in Belfast over a short period of time the previous year.

Compelled to act, stakeholders from across the city came together to try to tackle the issue.

During their visit, William and Kate spoke with staff about their work helping people at risk of suicide and self-harm.

The Prince of and Princess of Wales wave to members of the public during a walkabout in Carrickfergus as part of a visit to Northern Ireland

Hundreds of people lined the Marine Highway in Carrickfergus, a town to the north of Belfast, as the pair visited the County Antrim town. They exchanged handshakes and fist-bumps with local schoolchildren who had waited for hours to catch a glimpse of the royal couple

Earlier they visited a local charity and were then greeted by the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Noel Williams. The late Queen gave William and Kate the titles Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus on the morning of their wedding in 2011

The royal couple were greeted by cheering crowds who had lined the streets as they arrived to visit youth charity Carrick Connect which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties

The Prince and Princess of Wales meet members of the public during a walkabout outside Carrickfergus Castle in Carrickfergus

The Prince and Princess of Wales will arrive in Northern Ireland where they will spend the day visiting cross-community organisations which work to provide services and support to people from all backgrounds

Members of the public came out in their hundreds to meet William and Kate during a walkabout outside Carrickfergus Castle in Carrickfergus

The charity also arranged for them to take part in an art therapy session, painting pumpkins, with some vulnerable children who have been supported by PIPS.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation has seen a significant rise in those reaching out for help.

That includes an increase of more than 500% among young people.

At the close of their visit, the prince and princess joined a group of volunteer counsellors in packing up the charitys Little Boxes of Hope.

The support packages are given to children following their time with PIPS to assist their ongoing recovery and ensure that their parents and guardians feel better equipped to cope.

After the visit to PIPS, the couple travelled into Belfast city centre to view Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market where they took part in a spirited cocktail making race.

After William was declared winner, the couple heard more about the Trademarket enterprise which transformed a previously vacant site, aiming to showcase new businesses while also increasing footfall in a less visited area.

The Princess of Wales speaks to a volunteer during a visit to PIPS (Liam McBurney/PA)

The Prince and Princess of Wales tasting drinks after a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket (Brian Lawless/PA)

They also met with representatives from Kainos, a Belfast-based software company provided the site for the market at a peppercorn rent.

The final visit of the day was to the town of Carrickfergus in Co Antrim.

The royal couple were greeted by cheering crowds who had lined the streets as they arrived to visit youth charity Carrick Connect which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties.

Do you know the woman who heckled the Princess of Wales? Contact: laurence.dollimore@mailonline.co.uk and tips@dailymail.com

Cocktails with Kate! High-spirited Princess of Wales plays bartender in a 295 silk blouse as she joins Prince William on an action-packed day in Belfast

By Jessica Green for MailOnline

The Prince and Princess of Wales have taken up position on the other side of the bar for a spirited cocktail-making race at an outdoor market in Belfast city centre during a surprise visit to Northern Ireland.

Prince William and Kate, both 40, laughed during the duel to be the quickest to make the potent drink, before the heir to the throne was declared the winner. The couple were on a visit to Trademarket, the second stop of their one-day trip.

Kate looked perfectly polished in a 295 Winser London silk blouse and matching blue coat, thought to be from Alexander McQueen, teamed with elegant navy trousers, recycled 85 Missoma hoop earrings and a DeMellier London 295 handbag.

Earlier today, the prince and princess visited PIPS Charity, which provides support to individuals who are considering, or who have at some point considered, ending their own lives.

For their final engagement, the couple visited youth charity Carrick Connect, which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties, in the town of Carrickfergus in Co Antrim.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were given the titles of Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II upon their marriage in 2011.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have taken up position on the other side of the bar for a spirited cocktail-making race at an outdoor market in Belfast city centre during a surprise visit to Northern Ireland

For their final engagement, the couple visited youth charity Carrick Connect, which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties, in the town of Carrickfergus in Co Antrim. Pictured, Kate making 'no bake energy bites' at the youth charity

The Princess of Wales pictured holding a baby when at Carrick Connect, a youth charity based in Carrickfergus

Giggling: Mother-of-three Kate shares a laugh with a volunteer as she joins Prince William in Belfast, Northern Ireland, today

Colour coordination: The Prince and Princess of Wales opted for matching blue ensembles when arriving in Belfast, Northern Ireland, today for a surprise one-day visit

The prince and princess visited Trademarket on the second stop of their one-day day trip to Northern Ireland, where they met with local entrepreneur, Will Neill, and heard about his aim to showcase new businesses while also increasing footfall in a less visited area of the city centre.

Having opened its doors to the public in July, Trademarket offers a place for different members of the community to come together to enjoy artisan food, drinks and products from local, independent vendors.

The royal couple also met with representatives from Kainos, a Belfast-based software company who came on board and provided the site for the market at a peppercorn rent.

William and Kate heard about the measures that have been put in place to ensure the site is both ethically and environmentally sustainable, including the removal of single use plastics and a commitment to paying staff a real living wage.

The Princess of Wales looked perfectly polished in a 295 Winser London silk blouse and matching blue coat, thought to be from Alexander McQueen, teamed with elegant navy trousers, recycled 85 Missoma hoop earrings and a DeMellier London 295 handbag (pictured)

Smile Kate! The Princess of Wales leaned into one group of young men as they snapped a selfie with her during the walkabout earlier

The royal mother-of-three showed off her maternal skills as she chatted with some schoolchildren who were watching the walkabout take place

Once outside, Kate was greeted by a crowd of royal fans who beamed at her while snapping pictures of the new Princess of Wales (left and right)

Prince William and Kate leant down as they chatted with crowds of royals, and appeared to be in high spirits as they spoke to attendees at the engagement

Making fluffy friends! Prince William, who has one dog himself, bent low to the ground as he greeted a number of dogs during the walkabout

The couple were greeted by royal fans waving Union Flags as they did a brief walkabout outside Carrick Connect, a youth charity based in Carrickfergus which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties

The Princess of Wales appeared in good spirits during the walkabout today, where she wore a tonal blue outfit for the occasion (left and right)

Selfie time! Prince William held the phone for one man as they posed for a photograph with one another while beaming at the camera

Say cheese! The royal fan appeared to be overwhelmed with excitement as he posed for a selfie with Prince William during the visit this afternoon (left and right)

Meanwhile at one stage she showed off her maternal side as she cradled a young baby in her arms as she visited Northern Ireland

Racing: Prince William and Kate, both 40, laughed during the duel to be the quickest to make the potent drink, before the heir to the throne was declared the winner

Cheers! The Prince and Princess of Wales pictured following their cocktail-making race at the Trademarket in Belfast

The prince (pictured) and princess visited Trademarket on the second stop of their one-day day trip to Northern Ireland, where they met with local entrepreneur, Will Neill, and heard about his aim to showcase new businesses while also increasing footfall in a less visited area of the city centre

Giving it a try! The Prince and Princess of Wales tasting drinks after a cocktail-making competition

The Princess of Wales (pictured left) makes a cocktail during her second engagement in Northern Ireland today

The Prince and Princess of Wales were given the titles of Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II upon their marriage in 2011. Pictured, Kate making 'no bake energy bites' at the youth charity

The couple were animated as they visited an outdoor market during their visit to Northern Ireland this afternoon (left and right)

Meanwhile, when visiting PIPS earlier today, Lord mayor Tina Black and Sinn Fein MP for the constituency John Finucane were among those who welcomed the royal couple on arrival.

PIPS was founded in 2003 following the loss of 14 young people to suicide in Belfast over a short period of time the previous year. Compelled to act, stakeholders from across the city came together to try to tackle the issue.

Inside, 12-year-old Elyse Quinn, the daughter of the charity's executive director Renee Quinn, presented the princess with a bouquet of flowers.

During their visit, William and Kate spoke with staff about their work helping people at risk of suicide and self-harm.

The charity also arranged for them to take part in an art therapy session - painting pumpkins - with some vulnerable children who have been supported by PIPS.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation has seen a significant rise in those reaching out for help. That includes an increase of more than 500% among young people.
Beijing recruited leading scientists from a top United States nuclear laboratory in a decades-long plot to advance its own military, a damning report has suggested.

Now Congressional Republicans have demanded an investigation into the claims at least 162 scientists who worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico returned to China to 'support a variety of domestic research and development programs' between 1987 and 2021.

The report suggests that the majority of the scientists were from China and the recipients of Beijing-backed professional development and scholarship programs.

It is the latest worrying development that has seen the Chinese Communist Party looking to increase its influence in the U.S. The GOP have also demanded oversight of China buying farmland near military bases in North Dakota.

Weapons research is among the projects that the former US-based scientists are said to have worked on since returning to China.

The recent findings by Strider Technologies were brought to new light in a letter to the Biden administration spearheaded by Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida.

Waltz's Wednesday letter said China's ruling Communist Party goes after 'seemingly innocuous key civilian technologies, acquires them illicitly, and exploits the dual-use potential of these technologies to build up their military capabilities.'

There is new scrutiny on Los Alamos National Laboratory after a report claimed that dozens of scientists who worked there between 1987 and 2021 went on to work for the Chinese government

Los Alamos is one of the top nuclear weapons and research laboratories in the country

'The Chinese domestic programs that former Los Alamos members worked on also included work on weapons development and research in cutting-edge military technologies,' the Florida Republican wrote.

The report states they returned to China to work on projects like 'weapons development, contributing to research in cutting-edge military and dual-use technologies like deep-earth penetrating warheads, unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAVs), hypersonics, jet engines, and submarine noise reduction.'

Waltz pointed out the 'critical role' that labs like Los Alamos play in keeping the US a leader in science and clean energy development.

He said the troubling report shows Beijing 'had been successful at stealing and capitalizing on our research and development.'

'As a result, these malign talent recruitment programs have now resulted in a tangible national security threat to the United States,' he said.

The letter was co-signed by 10 House Republicans on the Science, Space and Technology Committee and addressed to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm as well as White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhakar.

Los Alamos maintains that its mission is to 'solve national security challenges through simultaneous excellence.'

Republican Florida Rep. Michael Waltz is calling on Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to investigate the allegations in the report

The risk of China's ruling Communist Party (pictured: Chinese President Xi Jinping) obtaining US secrets is a national security threat, Waltz says

According to Strider Technologies, 'at least one' former staffer at the lab who's since gone to work for China held a Q-level clearance from Granholm's department, meaning they would have had access to top secret classified information.

But even before the bombshell report, Los Alamos has not been without controversy.

In 2015, the Energy Department's Inspector General highlighted managerial deficiencies that led to the improper handling of data and shortfalls in its 'corrective action' processes.

And in 2004, the pivotal nuclear lab had to freeze work on all of its classified projects after it discovered that important data was missing from two of its hard drives.

That happened five years before a Los Alamos scientist named Wen Ho Lee was indicted on charges linked to stealing US nuclear secrets on China's behalf.

Fifty-eight of 59 counts against him ended up dropped after the federal government failed to find sufficient information to back the myriad of charges.

Lee ended up pleading guilty to one count of mishandling sensitive data in an agreement with prosecutors.
He said the politicians who voted for Brexit have 'vacated the pitch now'

London Mayor Sadiq Khan says Remainers are the people trying to make Brexit a success, not Jacob Rees-Mogg or Boris Johnson.

Mr Khan said politicians who voted to remain in the EU are the ones now having to to make the best out of Brexit, instead of those who actually voted for it.

On LBC's Speak To Sadiq on Thursday, he said: 'Look to see who's trying to make Brexit a success, it's us Remainers by the way.

'Not Jacob Rees-Mogg or Boris Johnson or Michael Gove who vacated the pitch now - it's those who said this would happen who are now trying our very best to make it work.

Mr Khan was stunned that there were people 'criticising the Government of Ireland... who have been proved right in relation to the sensitivity of the Good Friday Agreement, the importance of not having borders between North and South, the fragility of peace'.

'It just beggars belief.'

Mr Khan (pictured) said politicians who voted to remain in the EU are the ones now having to to make the best out of Brexit, instead of those who actually voted for it

London Mayor Sadiq Khan says Remainers are the people trying to make Brexit a success, not Jacob Rees-Mogg or Boris Johnson

Mr Khan, pictured, was stunned that there were people 'criticising the Government of Ireland... who have been proved right in relation to the sensitivity of the Good Friday Agreement, the importance of not having borders between North and South, the fragility of peace'

His comments come after the conclusion of Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham on Wednesday, where Liz Truss condemned an 'anti-growth coalition' of 'Labour, the Lib Dems, the SNP', 'militant unions, Brexit deniers' and Greenpeace protesters who disrupted the speech.

The Prime Minister has had a tough month in the job marred by a U-turn on tax policy and dissent within her Cabinet, but has promised to steer the country through the 'tempest' and 'get Britain moving' again.

Despite the decision to ditch plans to scrap the 45p top rate of tax, Ms Truss insisted 'we must stay the course' in pursuit of her three priorities: 'Growth, growth and growth.'

She told the crowd: 'This mission will be difficult but necessary. We have no alternative if we want to get our economy growing again.

'I am ready to make hard choices. You can trust me to do what it takes.'

But Mr Khan argued 'the easiest way, the quickest way to get growth is to join the single market.

Liz Truss said in her keynote Tory conference speech: 'I know that we can do better and we must do better.'

'You're still outside the EU but by joining the single market you increase growth almost overnight.

'Let's not pretend that the government's concerned about growth - it's an ideological game they're playing.'

He said the mention of the 'anti-growth coalition' would create a 'dividing line' where 'only our politics will lead to growth and if you don't agree with our policies you're anti-growth'.

'They then say you're talking down the country, they then say you're talking down our businesses when what you're doing is calling out some of the consequences of Brexit.'

The Mayor said a 'hodgepodge of people' were in this group: 'XR, North Londoners, Labour, Lib Dems, SNP, Greens'

'Who's not in it?' James O'Brien asked.

'Basically anybody who is not part of the 19% who currently support the Tory Party', he said.






DPK criticized for exacerbating overproduction by pushing for mandatory gov't purchase of rice



By Lee Kyung-min



The government's plan to spend over 1 trillion won ($701 million) to buy 450,000 tons of surplus rice this year has reignited a decades-old debate about whether and how much taxpayer money should be used to protect farmers, despite plummeting demand for the once-popular staple crop.



The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said on Sept. 25 that the decision was inevitable since the price of rice has hit a 45-year low of 40,725 won per 20 kilograms as of last month, a 24.9 percent year-on-year drop. It was the lowest price of the staple crop seen since the government began compiling related data back in 1977. The ministry expects the government's purchase will push up the price by about 18 percent.



The much-contested government purchase program is taking a new politicized turn for the worse, as indicated by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) pledging an all-out effort to pass a related law whereby the government discretion to determine the purchase volume will be removed. It will in turn mandate all excess rice be bought with taxpayers' money.



Market watchers and experts say the desperate move to court the votes of farmers is a stop-gap measure pushed forward with total disregard for sustainability, innovation and the growth of traditional agriculture businesses  let alone plunging market demand.



Statistics Korea data showed Korea's per-capita annual rice consumption slumped to 56.9 kilograms last year, down by about 50 percent from 1991.



Short-sighted



"It is short-sighted, pure and simple," said Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) senior research fellow Kim Jong-in, referring to the main opposition party's plan for the law revision.



Currently, the government can buy rice if the excess volume is more than 3 percent of the annual estimate or if the price falls by over 5 percent from average figures. The revision will replace the word "can" with "must."



The revision will result in annual excess rice production of 640,000 tons by 2030, more than triple the current figure of 200,000 tons, he said. This will subsequently lead to about 1.4 trillion won of taxpayer money being used to buy surplus rice.



"This is a lose-lose game for both the government and farmers, with taxpayers' money squandered in the process. Continued or increased purchases of surplus rice will confuse supply and demand in the market, only undermining the agricultural authorities' price control functions."



The heated criticism carries all the more weight since the KREI is a state-run research organization.



"The annual surplus rice is expected to average 201,000 tons between 2022 and 2030. Absent policy interventions will see the amount double to 468,000 tons in the same period," he added.



In addition to the increase in the sheer volume of purchased rice, the government will have to pay for storage costs, interest and the difference between the sales and purchase prices of the staple crop.



"The government sells stored rice to traditional liquor makers or agricultural fodder makers three years after buying it. The old crops are sold for as low as 10 percent of the price purchased. How can anyone justify spending taxpayer money just to keep the rice until it goes bad but it is still good enough for making alcohol or feeding livestock?"



The government should provide greater incentives to farmers to switch to other labor-intensive crops for profit, he added, since they are not inclined to leave the rice business, which is largely automated and requires far less labor compared to other vegetables or fruit.



"Over 99 percent of rice businesses are automated," he said. "This is why farmers will not seek other agricultural business choices unless the government provides significant tax, investment or other policy incentives," he said.



Money poorly spent



The ministry maintains that the costs needed to buy and store Korea's staple crop is a one-off, irrevocable expenditure and is therefore unrelated to the spending allocated to foster and develop agricultural businesses.



"The budget for the purchase program concerns buying and paying for storage inventories of rice and the ensuing financing costs, separate from the budget earmarked to nurture young farmers and innovate agricultural industries," the ministry said on Sept. 22.



However, less money spent on buying unwanted rice means more money to invest in future growth drivers, according to Lee In-ho, former chairman of the Korea Economic Association.



"Who among the public would agree to such a claim lacking entirely in common sense? No one wants their hard-earned money to go to waste, especially if there is little room for improvement."



Farmers, however, remain adamant that the government buy surplus rice to curb the steep price fall.



An association of farmers in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province held a press conference in front of the province's office, Sept 26, saying it is with a heavy heart that they are entering into an otherwise joyful autumn with a good harvest this year.



"We are sad to call on the government to promptly purchase the staple crop to curb a steep price fall," the group said.



Kim Sun-ho, the head of the association, said the government is essentially turning a blind eye to its demand, all the while rice prices are hitting a new low.



"The finance minister and agriculture minister should both be dismissed for violating the law that governs the government's purchase of rice," he said.


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The two pieces are reportedly not major works of art but are around 2,000 years old

The busts were damaged but not beyond repair, and restoration efforts on the artwork has already begun

An American tourist knocked over two ancient Roman busts in the Vatican Museums after he was told he couldn't meet with Pope Francis

An American tourist toppled two ancient Roman busts in the Vatican Museums on Wednesday, causing moderate damage to the art when he was told he couldn't meet with Pope Francis.

A museum source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the man had 'behaved strangely,' and has now been handed over to Italian authorities and charged.

The man, 65-year-old American born in Egypt according to local media, reportedly hurled himself into a bust when he was told he couldn't see Pope Francis, and ran into another one when he tried to flee from museum security.

He knocked the two busts off their pedestals in the museums' Chiaramonti hall, which houses more than 1,000 pieces and is one of the most important collections of Roman portrait busts.

An American tourist toppled over two 2,000-year-old pieces of art when he was refused a meeting with Pope Francis, and one witness claimed he was acting 'strangely'

The incident reportedly occurred in the museums' Chiaramonti hall, which houses more than 1,000 pieces

The man, who is reportedly in his 50's, knocked the statues over when he was denied a meeting with Pope Francis and attempted to flee security guards

'The busts were affixed to shelves with a nail but if you pull them down with force, they will come off,' Matteo Alessandrini, a spokesman for the Vatican Museums, told CNN.

'The 2 busts have been damaged but not particularly badly. One lost part of a nose and an ear, the head of the other came off the pedestal,' said Alessandrini.

Museum staff restrained the man and Vatican police arrived a few minutes later to arrest him.

The two busts were damaged but not severely, said Alessandrini, who claimed the pieces are fixable but may take 300 hours of restoration and approximately $15,000.

'The scare was bigger than the actual damage,' he added.

Pictures taken by visitors and posted on social media showed the two broken busts lying on the marble floor. A source reportedly said the two pieces are not major works of art but are around 2,000 years old.

After having to shut down or reduce opening hours during years of COVID restrictions, the museums are now welcoming back tourists en masse. The museums received some six million visitors a year before the pandemic.

The most notorious assault on artwork in the Vatican was in 1972 when a Hungarian man jumped over a side altar in St. Peter's Basilica and attacked Michelangelo's Pieta with a sledgehammer. He knocked off the Madonna's left arm and chipped her nose and veil.

That Renaissance masterpiece is now behind bulletproof glass.
Thousands of prisoners are set to be released across Illinois as it becomes the first state to completely do away with cash bail under a new law that goes into effect in January.

The Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act (SAFE-T Act) completely abolishes the cash bail system, which critics say disproportionately impacts black and brown communities and other underrepresented or impoverished groups.

Under the law, anyone who is arrested may be released back on to the streets based on the assumption of innocence guarantee under the United States Constitution, though criminals accused of certain crimes  like forcible felonies, stalking and domestic abuse  will be exempt from pretrial release.

It was first proposed by the Illinois Black Caucus in response to the May 2020 killing of George Floyd, and was signed into law by Gov JB Pritzker on February 22, 2021.

As a result, Illinois became the first state to completely abolish cash bail, though other states, like New York, New Jersey, New Mexico, Kentucky and California have created reforms to their bail laws over the past few years.

But ever since it was signed into law, Illinois law enforcement officials have warned that the SAFE-T Act will embolden criminals and make it harder to keep offenders off the streets, as crime rates are already spiraling out of control in Chicago.

Critics have compared it to The Purge, a movie in which the U.S. decriminalizes all crime for 24-hours.

And in just one county, officials report that 400 prisoners there will be released once the law goes into effect.

Gov JB Pritzker has repeatedly defended the controversial SAFE-T Act, which eradicates cash bail throughout Illinois

Now, as the new year nears, 17 different state attorneys from different counties in Illinois are desperately suing Gov. JB Pritzker to prevent the law from going into effect, WTVO reports.

They argue that its 'pretrial fairness' provision violates 40 different state statutes in the Illinois State Constitution.

'It is of the utmost importance as a state attorney's office that the Constitution is abided by on all levels,' Mercer County State Attorney Grace Simpson said in a statement.

'As the chief legal officer in Mercer County, it would be unethical to move forward with the implementation of the SAFE-T [Act], without properly raising those concerns to the court.'

A press conference on the lawsuit filed in Winnebago County is expected to be held at 1.30pm local time.

Mercer County State's Attorney Grace Simpson is among the 17 county prosecutors suing Gov. Pritzker to stop the SAFE-T Act

Gov. Pritzker has continuously defended the SAFE-T Act, saying it would make release impossible for people accused of the worst crimes.

'No one is getting out of jail on January 1,' he claimed. 'That is not what the SAFE-T Act does. There is no such thing as a non-detainable defense that is not in the SAFE-T Act.

'The SAFE-T Act is designed to keep murderers and rapists and domestic abusers in jail,' he continued. 'Right now, they can buy their way out, we want to keep them in jail with a Pre-Trial Fairness Act.'

Advocates of the law say it will help curtail institutional racism.

'That's just inequitable that some people get to be free because they have money and other people have to remain incarcerated, which has all kinds of terrible consequences for people's ability to work, for their housing, their whole families suffer,' said Ben Ruddell, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Illinois.

They point out that in addition to the SAFE-T Act creates co-responder programs in cities across Illinois, which would comprise law enforcement, mental health professions and social workers.

It also includes more investment in mental health services and trauma centers, and increases training standards for law enforcement.

Additionally, the SAFE-T Act would require body cameras for all police departments statewide.

Loyola University, with the help of the National Institute of Justice, will study the implementation and analyze the effectiveness of the new pretrial release system over the first year, and Attorney General Kwame Raoul has said changes could be made to the verbiage before it takes effect.

Raoul noted that his office has been in discussions about a 'number of issues' with the law, and a legislative group met Tuesday to discuss concerns.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul has said changes could be made to the verbiage before it takes effect and has been meeting with critics to the law

But critics have slammed Pritzker for ridding judges of discretion when deciding cases.

In a recent op-ed in the Chicago Sun-Times, former Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel says the SAFE-T Act puts the burden on the state to prove by 'clear and convincing evidence' that a defendant has committed an offense and poses a real threat to the community.

He also railed against a provision of the law that requires that suspects must show evidence of willful flight in order to be detained.

'Now, judges will not be allowed to take into consideration how many times the suspect failed to show in court and if there is an active warrant for their arrest.'

Additionally, Weitzel pointed out that under the SAFE-T Act, criminals who are home on electronic monitoring will not be considered as having 'escaped' until they have been missing for 48 hours.

'This rule is just nothing short of ludicrous, and in no way, shape or form enhances public safety,' Weitzel wrote.

'If an offender cuts off their monitoring bracelets and does not respond to the electronic signal that is sent to them, or is not on the premises when an in-person status check is made by a county sheriff's officer, the suspect should be considered "escaped."

'But offenders not get a 48-hour free pass before a judge may issue a warrant for their arrest.'

And, Weitzel claimed, the new law creates six to eight hours worth of additional paperwork for officers.

'The police officer who should be patrolling your community will be on the streets less  in most cases, far less.

'The law will also create apathy and low morale,' he continued. 'Officers may think "Why bother charging someone with this felony and going through felony review when they are just going to be released without bond anyway?"

'In many cases this will be true.'

County officials also claim that the new costs associated with the law could lead to higher property taxes, with State Rep. Chris Bos saying: 'This legislation doesn't just make our communities less safe. It is ultimately going to make them more expensive.'

They say counties will be forced to raise property taxes to pay for some of the requirements of the law, including police body cameras and the systems that store video.

They will also require additional personnel in the courts, sheriff's departments and pretrial services.

DuPage County officials estimate that over the course of five years, the SAFE-T Act will cost $63 million to implement.

Crime in Chicago is now up 37 percent from last year, with a 61 percent increase in the number of thefts

It comes as a 29-year-old Chicago man became the 44th person accused of killing or shooting  or attempting to kill or shoot  someone in the Windy City while awaiting trial for a felony this year.

Prosecutors say Absalom Coakley shot and killed two men during a party late last month while on bond for an attempted murder and on probation for a felony narcotics case.

Absalom Coakley, 29, became the 44th person accused of killing or shooting- or attempting to kill or shoot -someone in the Windy City while awaiting trial for a felony this year

Authorities claim Coakley joined about 50 people for a video shoot and house party on September 24.

At around 3.45am, they say a fight broke out in the kitchen and Coakley pulled out a gun and shot 29 year old Terrance Johnson in the back of the head, killing him.

He then walked out of the house, CWB Chicago reports, and had a short altercation with Terrance Young, 30, on the sidewalk outside the home before shooting Young in the face.

Coakley was ultimately arrested by a fugitive task force on Thursday as he entered a rideshare vehicle. Police say he was carrying a .40 caliber gun at the time, the same type that was used in the murders.

He is charged with two counts of first degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, but his public defender successfully argued he should be held without bail claiming the circumstances of the shootings are unclear.

Judge Susana Ortiz agreed, and held him without b ail for violating the terms of bail in the pending attempted murder case and without bail for violating the terms of his probation.

Mateo Zastro, 3, was riding with his family in the back of the white SUV when a gunman shot him in the back of the head

The white SUV carrying a family of four was shot out in a road rage incident after leaving the mall near 44th & West Marquette Road in the West Lawn neighborhood around 8.30pm Friday

Crime in Chicago is now up more than 37 percent from last year.

Driving the increase is a whopping 74 percent increase in motor vehicle thefts over the year prior, and a 61 percent increase in the number of thefts.

Robberies are also up 17 percent in the Windy City, and burglaries are up 24 percent.

The Windy City also ranks seventh in America for murders, according to the New York Times, with a three-year-old boy shot in the back of his mother's car in a road rage incident just last week.

Mateo Zastro was riding with his family in the white SUV on the Southwest Side Friday night when a red sedan pulled up and a gunman in the back seat opened fire.

The mother was reported to have tried to drive away after becoming embroiled in some sort of dispute with a red sedan after leaving the mall near 44th & West Marquette Road in the West Lawn neighborhood around 8.30pm.

But the red car followed her and brazenly shot into the family vehicle, hitting Mateo in the head.

He was rushed to Advocate Christ Medical Center but the dinosaur-loving toddler died eight hours later.
Russian authorities have charged a prominent opposition activist who was jailed for allegedly spreading 'false information' about Russia's military operation in Ukraine with treason.

The charges against Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr stem from speeches he gave in several western countries that criticised the Kremlin's rule, according to his lawyer, Vadim Prokhorov.

They included an address to the Arizona House of Representatives in which he said President Vladimir Putin was bombing Ukrainian homes, hospitals and schools.

Mr Kara-Murza denies committing treason, the lawyer said. If convicted, he faces a possible prison sentence of up to 20 years.

The activist, who holds both British and Russian citizenship, was previously arrested in April and declared a 'foreign agent'. He is currently in pre-trial detention on suspicion of spreading false information about Russian armed forces.

Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr (pictured in March 2017) has been charged with treason after having previously been jailed for spreading 'false information' about the Russian military

The criminal case for treason against Mr Kara-Murza was opened in connection with three of his public speeches, including a March 15 address in Arizona during which he denounced Russia's military action in Ukraine.

'These speeches did not carry any threat to the country; it was public, open criticism,' Mr Prokhorov told Russian state news agency Tass.

Russia adopted a law criminalising spreading 'false information' about its military shortly after Russian troops rolled into Ukraine on February 24.

Authorities have used the law, which authorises a prison sentence of up to 15 years for a conviction, against dozens of people to stifle opposition to what the Kremlin calls 'a special military operation.'

Mr Kara-Murza, a journalist, was an associate of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead in central Moscow in 2015.

He himself survived poisonings in 2015 and 2017 that he blamed on the Kremlin. Russian officials have denied responsibility.

Moscow has said it does not deliberately target civilians, but thousands have been killed in Ukraine. On Thursday, at least three died when a Russian missile destroyed an apartment block in the city of Zaporizhzhia.

The charges against Mr Kara-Murza stem from speeches he gave in several western countries that criticised the Kremlin's rule. Russian President Vladimir Putin is pictured on Wednesday

Mr Kara-Murza spoke out about the alleged poisonings back in 2017 during an interview with 60 Minutes.

He said claims he was poisoned the first time in May 2015, when he was at a work meeting with colleagues in Moscow.

Mr Kara-Murza said that within about 20 minutes he went from feeling perfectly normal to incredibly sick.

'Then I don't remember anything for the next month,' he said of the poisonings.

Despite a toxicology lab in France finding no evidence in his blood of any specific toxin, Mr Kara-Murza maintained convinced that he was poisoned by the Kremlin.

'I have absolutely no doubt that this was a deliberate poisoning, that it was intended to kill because, as I mentioned already, the doctors told my wife that it's about a five per cent chance of survival. And when it's that kind of chance, it's not to scare. It's to kill,' he explained.

Mr Kara-Murza spoke out about the alleged poisonings back in 2017 during a 60 Minutes interview. He said claims he was poisoned the first time in May 2015, when he was at a work meeting with colleagues in Moscow

Despite a toxicology lab in France finding no evidence in his blood of any specific toxin, Mr Kara-Murza maintained convinced that he was poisoned by the Kremlin

As soon as Mr Kara-Murza improved, he was itching to get back to Russia to continue his work.

Even though threats against him had intensified, he continued his opposition work when he was poisoned again for the second time in March 2017.

'All of a sudden he begins experiencing this very elevated heart rate, his blood pressure drops very low,' his wife, Yevgenia, said of the alleged attack. 'He begins sweating and he has trouble breathing'.

The couple believed that Mr Kara-Murza was poisoned the same way as before.

However, the second time he was taken directly to the same medical team that treated him in 2015, who knew exactly what they were dealing with and how to handle it.

Yevgenia said: 'The Russian doctors' official diagnosis is an acute intoxication by an undetermined substance, which is poisoning'.

However, despite believing that he's been poisoned twice by President Vladimir Putin, Mr Kara-Murza vowed to return to Russia.

'I'm the fortunate one, I'm still here I'm still talking to you, many of my colleagues cannot do that,' he said in 2017.

The charges against Mr Kara-Murza followed news that seven Russian rockets slammed into residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine before dawn on Thursday. Pictured: Ukrainian firefighters battle a blaze after the strike in Zaporizhzhia

Ukrainian troops advance across open country after pushing Russia back (left) as smoke rises over a modified buggy with what appears to be a Second World War machine gun on its roof

Ukrainian Humvees donated by the US are filmed racing across a battlefield as they attack Russian lines in Kherson, amid a major counter-offensive

The charges against Mr Kara-Murza followed news that seven Russian rockets slammed into residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine before dawn on Thursday.

Three people were killed and least 12 wounded in the city close to Europe's biggest nuclear power plant, the governor of the mostly Russian-occupied region said.

The strikes came just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the country's military had retaken three more villages in one of the regions illegally annexed by Russia.

'Absolute meanness. Absolute evil,' Mr Zelensky said of the attacks, in a video speech to the inaugural summit of the European Political Community in Prague.

'There have already been thousands of manifestations of such evil. Unfortunately, there may be thousands more.'

Ukraine has pushed Russia back by 12 miles in the south. Dramatic footage reveals the blistering pace of attacks that have sent Putin's men fleeing for their lives.

Videos taken in Kherson in recent days show Ukrainian forces storming Russian defences in American-made Humvees under artillery fire, and soldiers advancing en masse across fields in the face of the retreating enemy.

Ukraine's offensive in Kherson - which has been grinding on for more than two months - entered a 'new phase' on October 2 with Kyiv's men advancing 12 miles down the Inhulets and Dnipro rivers, Britain's MoD said today.

Meanwhile, more footage shows Ukrainian soldiers fighting near the city of Lyman, in the north of the country, which fell to Kyiv's men at the weekend - exposing other Russian positions in the Donbas to further attacks.
A 21-year-old astrophysics student is believed to have taken his own life after his mental health declined due to a lack of 'human contact' during the pandemic, an inquest has heard.

Harry Armstrong Evans, a third-year physics and astrophysics student at the University of Exeter, died in June 2021.

The student, from Cornwall, had told his personal tutor a month before his death that he was struggling with his mental health and was concerned about passing his degree following disappointing module results in January.

He also voiced his worries about his family's financial situation, Cornwall Coroner's Court heard.

But Professor Matthew Browning told the inquest that he had not thought the circumstances were 'exceptional' enough to raise the concerns to Mr Armstrong Evans's parents without his consent.

Professor Browning said: 'It latterly became apparent from Harry's email to me in May 2021 that he was going through challenging personal circumstance but unlike some other students he never raised these with me before this point.'

Harry Armstrong Evans, 21, (pictured) is believed to have taken his own life after his mental health declined during the pandemic

In the May, Mr Armstrong Evans's mother Alice also emailed Professor Browning to disclose the family were undergoing financial problems.

Professor Browning said in response he alerted the university's welfare team.

'I tried at all times to support Harry to the best of my ability,' he said.

'To his mother, I tried to respond as fully and as compassionately as possible given the information and concerns for Harry provided by her without breaking any rules about what I could say.

'In all Harry's prior personal interactions with me and in all our correspondence together, nothing had led me to flag concerns about his well-being prior to May 2021.

'Harry was an adult and as a matter of policy I am expressly forbidden from talking about him without his express and explicit written consent.

'It's a very difficult issue. There is a tension between respecting the student's autonomy as an adult and their desire and right to privacy and my own inclination as a parent.

'I would want to know if it was my kid but my understanding is that it very clearly had not risen to those exceptional circumstances.

'I still think that was still the right call. I have thought about that many times.'

The court heard that Mr Armstrong Evans's results in his first two years of modules ranged from 52 per cent to 92 per cent.

Mr Armstrong Evans emailed his personal tutor in May 2021 and told him of his isolation during lockdown

But then, in his third year, his marks tailed off, with him attaining scores of between 19 per cent and 53 per cent in four of his papers and not sitting a fifth, which Professor Browning agreed was 'falling off a cliff edge'.

Professor Browning said he was discussing with Mr Armstrong Evans his options for deferring or resitting his exams and he was also considering a postgraduate course.

In his email to Professor Browning and the welfare team last May, Mr Armstrong Evans spoke about his isolation during lockdown and his declining mental health.

'I am a quiet person so writing to you and the welfare office does not come easily to me but I understand I am running out of time to speak up,' he wrote.

Professor Matthew Browning (pictured) told the inquest that he had not thought the circumstances were 'exceptional' enough to raise the concerns to Mr Armstrong Evans's parents without his consent

'I wanted to inform you that I had significant personal problems which recently became significantly worse in the run-up to the January exams.

'My family's financial situation is impossible and there is a real chance we will lose our home where I live with my parents and younger sister.

'Beyond this I have found the last year during the pandemic to be incredibly difficult. I know this has been the case for many people, but I have spent so much time in isolated by myself in my flat with almost no human contact it really has had an adverse effect on my mental health.

'I found it almost impossible to focus on the revision and the university in general when I have been worried about my family and spending an uncomfortable amount of time on my own worrying about Covid-19.

'I really struggled to think straight, and the exams were a horrible culmination of my stresses as I hadn't been able to prepare properly and I found myself very isolated in the middle of winter and very worrying about lots of other things, as well as the exams themselves.'

Mr Armstrong Evans also expressed his concerns at his resits being capped at 40 per cent and thought it might be lifted in the circumstances.

'I worked really hard for this degree and the thought of not achieving for reasons beyond my control is incredibly upsetting,' he wrote.

'I am copying in the welfare department as I assume they might be the right people to speak to about the mental health and personal problems side.'

The 21-year-old also expressed concern about his family's financial situation and his January exam result

The email was sent on a Friday evening before a bank holiday and Professor Browning did not respond until a week later. He offered to meet the student for a coffee and said he hoped the welfare team had been in touch.

Professor Browning was asked whether he thought this email should have treated as a 'red flag' and he replied: 'I didn't think it is quite at that level. I was aware this was also going directly to the wellbeing team and that was their area of professional competence.'

The inquest heard that no one from the welfare team telephoned Mr Armstrong Evans after his exam results - even after a request from his mother.

Professor Browning added: 'My own interactions with Harry... I was seeing him in person following his exam results and he was a very good attendee at tutorials, and we talked about things.

'At every tutorial, I start by asking how their week was. Sometimes students talk to me and sometimes they don't.'

He also told the hearing that he had not had in-person training on suicidal ideation and could not remember receiving formal guidance about spotting 'red flags'.

Mr Armstrong Evans's parents, Rupert and Alice, have claimed that staff at Exeter University (pictured) did not do enough to support their son

Mr Armstrong Evans's parents, Rupert and Alice, have claimed that staff at Exeter University did not do enough to help their son and have urged Ministers to adopt 'Harry's Law', which would force coroners to inform universities when they record a suicide verdict and for universities to publish the figures.

After questions from the Mail on Sunday, Exeter University said it was aware of 11 student suicides between 2016/17 and 2022/23.

Mr Armstrong Evans was the second astrophysics student at Exeter to take his own life in four years.

In a statement last week a university spokesman said: 'We are deeply saddened by Harry's death and the family's loss. The university is fully engaged with the coroner's inquest this week It would be completely inappropriate to comment further until the inquest has concluded.'

He added that the university has invested significantly in student welfare and provides support services seven days a week both on campus and in the community, including throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

The hearing continues.

For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org.
A shocking video showing machine gun-wielding robot dogs being transported by drones has been released by a Chinese defence contractor.

The footage, uploaded on to Chinese micro-blogging website Weibo, shows a drone approaching a rooftop carrying an armed robot dog under its frame.

The drone drops the robot on to the roof and flies away, before the robodog unfurls itself and starts exploring its new location.

The devise is thought to have a Chinese QBB-97 light machine gun mounted on its back, according to a report by The War Zone.

It is unclear whether the clip comes from a Chinese military exercise. It was uploaded by the verified Weibo account 'Kestrel Defense Blood-Wing', which seems to be directly affiliated with the Chinese Kestrel Defense company.

A terrifying video released by a Chinese defence firm shows machine gun-wielding robot dogs being delivered on to rooftops by drones

The robodogs are thought to have a Chinese QBB-97 light machine gun mounted on its back, which can fire up to 650 rounds per minute

In a comment posted alongside the video the organisation said: 'Red Wing Forward heavy-duty drones deliver combat robot dogs, which can be directly inserted into the weak link behind the enemy to launch a surprise attack or can be placed on the roof of the enemy to occupy the commanding heights to suppress firepower.

'And ground troops [can] conduct a three-dimensional pincer attack on the enemy in the building.'

The description suggests the drone-robodogs are intended to be deployed during assault operations in urban areas but their exact capabilities are unclear as the technical specifications of the devices are not publicly available.

According to The War Zone, the machine gun on the back of the robot dog can fire up to 650 rounds a minute.

After being delivered by drone on to the rooftop, the robot then starts to unfurl itself before exploring its new surroundings

It is unclear whether the clip, uploaded by the verified Weibo account 'Kestrel Defense Blood-Wing', comes from a Chinese military exercise

This is not the first time Blood-Wing has posted videos showing off its robodog technology. Last month footage showed a similar device carrying a loitering munitions launcher.

Russia also revealed at a trade show in August that it had developed similar technology- an M-81 robodog with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher strapped on its back.

M-81 was described by state-owned media as a 'robotic system, capable of conducting aimed shooting and transporting weapons', which can also be 'used in the emergency zone for reconnaissance, passage through rubble and delivery of medicines'.

Earlier this year, the Chinese government used robot dogs to issue safety instructions in Shanghai during the city's strict lockdown.

The far less ominous-looking robots were spotted marching around city streets repeating public health messages via a megaphone taped to their heads.

They repeated a handful of simple messages: 'Wear a mask, wash your hands, check your temperature.'
South Korea scrambled 30 fighter jets after Kim Jong-un sent 12 warplanes close to the border in a bombing drill.

Eight North Korean fighter jets and four bombers flew in chilling formation and are thought to have carried out air-to-surface firing exercises today, according to Seoul officials.

In response, South Korea launched 30 fighter jets along with other warplanes, in a move the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said was unseen over the past year.

South Korean media said the North Korean jets were likely just dozens of kilometres from the border.

This came hours after more ballistic missiles were fired towards Japan, in North Korea's sixth round of tests in the last fortnight.

South Korea scrambled 30 fighter jets after Kim Jong-un sent 12 warplanes close to the border in a bombing drill (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)

Eight North Korean fighter jets and four bombers flew in formation and are thought to have carried out air-to-surface firing exercises today, according to Seoul officials (Pictured: South Korean F-15K fighter fired two JADAM precision bombs at a firing range on a Yellow Sea island on Tuesday)

Yonhap media said the jets flown by North Korea were in 'apparent protest' to recent bombing drills conducted between the US and South Korea.

Earlier, Kim Jong Un fired two more ballistic missiles towards Japan as tensions with the US continue to mount.

The missile launch, announced by South Korea's JCS, was 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.

Earlier today, Kim Jong Un fired two more ballistic missiles towards Japan as tensions with the US continue to mount (Pictured: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un)

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 kilometres (217 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 80 kilometres (50 miles) and the second flew 800 kilometres (497 miles) on an apogee of 60 kilometres (37 miles).

The flight details were similar to Japanese assessments announced by DMinister of Defense of Japan Yasukazu Hamada, who confirmed that the missiles didn't reach Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Yonhap media said the jets flown by North Korea were in 'apparent protest' to recent bombing drills conducted between the US and South Korea (Pictured: South Korea Air Force F-15K Fighters and US Air Force F-16 Fighters take part in a combined bombing drill)

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 modelled after Russia's Iskander missile, which travels at low altitudes and is designed to be manoeuvrable in flight to improve its chances of evading missile defences.

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.'
A violent thug who punched a Sikh leader in a horrific daylight attack that left him with life-changing brain injuries has been jailed for three years.

Claudio Campos, 28, approached Avtar Singh, 62, from behind before violently punching him in the head in the centre of Manchester's Northern Quarter on June 23 earlier this year.

The Chilean defendant had pursued Mr Singh shortly after he walked past him and his Polish girlfriend at a pedestrian crossing.

Mr Singh, who was walking home from work with his partner at the time, fell unconscious in the middle of the road following the attack - where he remained until a member of the public called 999.

He was subsequently rushed to hospital, where remains more than three months later, having suffered a life changing brain injury.

Campos, of Ladybarn Lane, Manchester, was jailed for three years at Manchester Crown Court today, having earlier pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.

Passing sentence, Judge Hilary Manley said: 'Avtar Singh was aged 62 when you, without any justifiable reason, attacked him in the street in broad daylight in the busy streets of this city centre.

'Mr Singh has been described by his shattered and broken family as a humble, gentle and peaceable man, a devoted follower of and priest within the Sikh faith, who regularly carried out selfless acts of charity for those in need of help.

'A supportive, humorous, loving and hardworking husband and father.

'As a direct result of your decision to attack him, his life, and the lives of his family, are forever traumatised, changed and diminished.

'He was simply making his way through the city according to his usual routines. He was troubling nobody. He gave you no reason at all to do what you did."

Campos, of Ladybarn Lane, Manchester, was jailed for three years at Manchester Crown Court today

The judge also rejected the defendant's claim that he was remorseful and said that in a letter to her the defendant 'very swiftly' turned to his own situation and his appeal for a suspended sentence.

Speaking after the sentencing today, Mr Singh's family paid tribute to the 'truly brilliant, gentle and kind human being'.

In a statement, they said: 'When our dad came to this country over 30 years ago, he never imagined that he would be the subject of such a heinous attack which has left him bed bound and in hospital for as long as he has been.

'As a family, we are truly heartbroken and still struggle to come to terms with the reality of his future and the truth behind this crime.

'He didn't do anything to deserve this situation where he has permanently damaged his sight and lost complete mobility down his right side.

'Although we will never get the strong powerful man, who is the light of our lives back, we are satisfied with the result given by the court today.

Avtar is a truly brilliant, gentle and kind human being who has spent his whole life looking after everyone around him. He is a tremendous father, a hardworking husband and the most amazing priest who has served communities for generation after generation.

The statement added: 'This attack hasn't just left an ever bleeding wound on our hearts, it's scarred an entire community who knew him to be the man he was and now isn't.

'We are grateful for the support that people have continued to provide and the justice that Greater Manchester Police have sought for our family.

'Sadly, our fight does not end today as we continue to watch Avtar fight to gain back a quality of life that will see him through recovery.

'We know now that we will never feel as safe as we once thought we were walking through the city centre in Manchester, given this situation was as unprovoked as it was brutal.

CCTV released by Greater Manchester Police showed the moment Campos punched Mr Singh in Manchester

Mr Singh, who has been left with life changing brain injuries, was 'left for dead' unconscious in the middle of the street

'Our dad came to this country to work hard and teach others to preach kindness and move past any hatred in their hearts. It's a true shame this person left an elderly man for dead in the middle of the street.

'The law has fought part of our battle today but we will never be able to piece back the strength and the happiness that our dad was so amazingly built upon.'

The court had earlier heard how Campos told police his partner said a man had touched her bottom and she pointed to Mr Singh.

Eleanor Myers, prosecuting, said Campos was seen on CCTV footage pursuing Mr Singh who was trying to walk away from him.

Mr Singh then walked on to Tib Street in the city's Northern Quarter and was approached from the side by Campos who punched him twice to the head in quick succession.

Campos went on to grab his victim's shirt before he delivered another punch to the head which sent him sprawling to the ground and Campos on top of him.

He pushed himself off his victim and then coolly left the scene as Mr Singh lay unconscious in the middle of the road.

He went on to a sports bar for a beer and a burger with his girlfriend, Claudia.

Campos remained at large for three months until police received a tip-off after a CCTV appeal for help from the public.

When arrested a number of items were seized at a property in Fallowfield including a fully packed suitcase containing the jacket he wore that was captured on CCTV.

Campos said in interview he was out celebrating his fifth anniversary together with his girlfriend.

He said he had followed Mr Singh to 'demand an explanation' and that when Mr Singh quickened his pace he felt 'this made him guilty in trying to escape'.

Campos said he had thought of handing himself in when he realised the extent of Mr Singh's injuries from the media appeal. He felt 'very sorry' for what had happened.

Campos pleaded guilty last month to inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Detective Inspector Mark Astbury, of Greater Manchester Police, said: 'This was a horrific attack of a much loved family member and community leader which deeply shocked the public.

'I hope todays verdict gives Mr Singhs family some relief that the person who has harmed their husband and father has now faced justice and will be sent to prison.

'I would like to thank the public for their help with our investigation and our thoughts are very much with Mr Singh, we hope he is able to return home soon.'
Paedophile child murderer Sidney Cooke has been 'granted a new appeal in his bid for freedom' after his last 10 requests to the parole board were all rejected.

Sidney Cooke, 95, a child molester and serial killer, from Stroud, was set to die behind bars.

However, according to the Sun, Cooke has been granted a new appeal hearing next year.

Parole chiefs have had his case referred to them, with a review now underway.

It is expected that a full hearing could happen early next year, according to sources.

Cooke will be one of the oldest prisoners to come before the parole board in recent years.

A result would be released within weeks and could mean that he would be released or move to an open jail.

Sidney Cooke, 95, pictured, a child molester and serial killer, was set to die behind bars. However, according to the Sun , Cooke has been granted a new appeal hearing next year

It comes after his tenth bid for freedom along with a request to move him into an open prison was rejected by a parole board last October.

The Parole Board said at the time: 'After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and the other evidence presented  the panel was not satisfied that Mr Cooke was suitable for release  nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that Mr Cooke should be transferred to open prison.'

The document detailing the decision described Cooke, at the time of his offending, as having 'manipulative and controlling behaviour for his own gratification' and believing he could have sex 'as and when he wanted'.

It added: 'His behaviour in prison had been mixed and had provoked concerns and even allegations over the years.'

The 'Dirty Dozen' gang Cooke was part of paid 5 each to rape Jason Swift, 14, pictured, who was a schoolboy that vanished from his East London home in 1985. In November 1985, Jason's naked dead body was found on a farm in Essex

When he was jailed for life with a minimum term of five years in 1999, a judge described Cooke  who is also known by the surname Lomas  as a paedophile 'of the highest level of risk' and his victims said they hoped he would die behind bars.

Then 72, he had admitted a campaign of abuse against two brothers in the 1970s which began when they were just 13 and spanned five years.

He has also been linked to the unsolved murder of seven-year-old Mark Tildesley, who disappeared in 1984 after visiting a funfair near his home in Wokingham, Berkshire, and is suspected of being involved in the kidnap and murder of six-year-old Barry Lewis.

The 95-year-old travelled the country preying on vulnerable youngsters, setting up his children's Test Your Strength machine in fairgrounds and using this as an opportunity to lure boys before drugging them and subjecting them to brutal assaults.

Cooke, called 'Hissing Sid', was part of the 'Dirty Dozen', a sick paedophile ring which abused young boys in the 1980s and was suspected of being responsible for the killing of up to nine young boys during sex orgies.

Operating from a flat on the Kingsmead estate in Hackney, east London, the gang hired rent boys or snatched children off the streets and subjected them to sexual torture.

HMP Wakefield, pictured, where Sidney Cooke has been in prison since 1999 after he was jailed for life for killings

The gang paid 5 each to rape Jason Swift, 14, who was a schoolboy that vanished from his East London home in 1985.

In November 1985, Jason's naked dead body was found on a farm in Essex.

For his role in the killing, Cooke was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 19 years in prison.

Dirty Dozen members Leslie Bailey, Robert Oliver and Steven Barrell were also convicted for Swift's murder.

Cooke was released from jail in April 1999, after serving nine years.

But after his release he was immediately taken into voluntary custody for his own safety. But detectives, convinced he was responsible for other similar unsolved crimes, kept his file open.

Cooke was released from jail in April 1999, after serving nine years. But after his release he was immediately taken into voluntary custody for his own safety. Pictured: Superintendent David Edwards who spoke on Panorama about the public anger after Cooke's release

One year later he was rearrested for historic abuse of two boys in the 1970s, whom he befriended while working on fairgrounds more than 30 years ago.

He was also accused of the rape of a young woman.

In an unexpected move during his 1999 trial at Manchester Crown Court, Cooke suddenly changed his plea to guilty and admitted ten offences against the youngsters and subsequently received two life sentences.

Four charges of rape, a further three of indecent assault and one of buggery were left on the court file.

Cooke was convicted for Jason Swift's murder alongside Dirty Dozen members Leslie Bailey, pictured, Robert Oliver and Steven Barrell

Bailey was convicted in 1992 of the manslaughter of seven-year-old Mark Tildesley who was raped in Cooke's caravan while visiting a fairground near Wokingham, Berkshire, in 1984.

He was also convicted of the murder of Barry Lewis, six, who was abducted in June 1991 before being sexually abused by up to eight men.

Bailey was murdered in his prison cell in 1993 and Oliver was last reported to be living in a bail hostel in Guildford, Surrey. The whereabouts of Barrell are unknown.

A spokeswoman for the Parole Board said: 'The parole review has now been referred to the Parole Board by the Secretary of State for Justice and is following standard processes.

'A hearing is expected to take place early next year.'
They will tackle migration but also energy issues, including nuclear energy plans

Britain and France have vowed to stop all illegal Channel crossings after a record 33,000 migrants made the perilous journey so far this year.

The ambitious goal is one of several announced by Prime Minister Liz Truss and President Emmanuel Macron following a bi-lateral meeting in Prague in the Czech Republic on Thursday.

The two countries revealed they will hold a summit in 2023, dubbed 'La Cooperation', in a bid to 'strengthen cooperation on energy security' while 'tackling illegal migration.'

It came as Ms Truss tonight acknowledged Mr Macron as a 'friend' of Britain - after she previously failed to state whether he was 'friend or foe', sparking backlash.

The Tory leader was attending the inaugural European Political Community summit, the brainchild of Mr Macron and the first ever official meeting of EU member states and other non-member European countries.

In a statement read-out on the fringes of the summit in Prague, the two leaders also 'underlined their determination to provide all necessary support to Ukraine for as long as it takes to restore Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, to resist Russian aggression, and to hold Russia to account for its actions'.

Reaffirming the ties between the countries, the pair 'agreed to hold the next UK-France Summit in 2023 in France to take forward a renewed bilateral agenda'.

Downing Street's Twitter account branded the summit 'La cooperation', adding: 'The UK and France have agreed to strengthen cooperation on energy security and tackling illegal migration, including: Joint support for Sizewell C; Closer working on nuclear power; Stopping deadly journeys across the channel.'

Britain and France have vowed to stop all illegal Channel crossings after a record 33,000 migrants have already made the perilous journey this year. Pictured: Liz Truss and Emmanuel Macron in Prague on Thursday

Downing Street's official Twitter page announces next year's summit, which will be held in France

The Tory leader was attending the inaugural European Political Community summit, the brainchild of Mr Macron and the first ever official meeting of EU member states and other non-member European countries

Around 33,000 migrants have reached the UK on small boats via the English Channel so far this year, a record number

A joint statement by the two countries said their respective leaders had 'agreed to deepen cooperation on illegal migration within the bounds of international law, to tackle criminal groups trafficking people across Europe, ending in dangerous journeys across the Channel.'

It implored 'Interior Ministers' to 'conclude an ambitious package of measures this autumn', adding that PM Truss and President Macron had 'agreed to reinforce cooperation with near neighbours, including through an early meeting of the Calais group.'

The statement said they had also 'discussed advancing bilateral cooperation in particular on energy', adding: 'Energy transition and decoupling from Russian hydro-carbons are common challenges.'

'They reaffirmed their belief that both renewable and nuclear energies are part of consistent strategies to achieve energy transition and strategic autonomy,' it said.

'They confirmed the full support of the UK and French Governments for the new nuclear power station at Sizewell and expect the relevant bodies to finalise arrangements in the coming month.'

It added Ms Truss and Mr Macron had 'committed to advance and increase UK-France civil-nuclear cooperation, including on innovation, infrastructure development and workforce skills, ahead of next year's UK-France Summit.'

Speaking in Czech capital Prague, Ms Truss earlier backtracked on her past claim that the 'jury's out' on Mr Macron.

Truss and Macron chat during a meeting on sidelines of European Political Community meeting at Prague Castle

Liz Truss meets with Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, before she attends the European Political Community in Prague

Liz Truss, right, shakes hands with Netherland's Prime Minister Mark Rutte during a meeting on the sidelines of the European Political Community meeting at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic

Liz Truss (R) and Czech prime minister Petr Fiala (L) seen before the European Political Community summit in Prague.

Ahead of talks with the French President this evening, the PM outlined how Britain and France were looking to work more closely on building new nuclear power stations.

This would shore up the two countries energy security in the wake of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, she said.

During this summer's Tory leadership campaign, which saw Ms Truss defeat rival Rishi Sunak to become PM, she had refused to say whether Mr Macron was a 'friend or foe' of Britain.

As well as risking a diplomatic spat across the Channel, Ms Truss's comments prompted a fierce backlash - including a rebuke from Berlin.

Mr Macron himself suggested Ms Truss had lost her 'bearings' during the race for Number 10.

But, asked this evening if she had yet decided whether Mr Macron was a 'friend or foe' prior to their talks, the PM said: 'I work very, very closely with President Macron and the French Government.

'What we're talking about is how the UK and France can work more closely together to build more nuclear power stations and to make sure that both countries have energy security in the future.

'We're both very clear the foe is Vladimir Putin, who has - through his appalling war in Ukraine - threatened freedom and democracy in Europe and pushed up energy prices, which we're now all having to deal with.'

Pressed on whether this meant she now considered Mr Macron a 'friend', the PM replied: 'He is a friend.'

Speaking in Czech capital Prague - where she today attended a summit of European leaders - Liz Truss backtracked on her past claim that the 'jury's out' on Emmanuel Macron

Earlier this summer, during her Tory leadership campaign, Ms Truss refused to say whether Mr Macron was a 'friend or foe' of Britain

Ms Truss had been expected to use today's summit in Prague to urge European leaders to agree that gas and electricity connectors between countries must be kept open, as the standoff with Russia sparks fears of shortages in the coming months.

The appeal comes amid fears that Norway could opt to close interconnectors with the UK and EU to avoid blackouts for its own population.

Norway has capacity to supply Britain with 1.4 gigawatts (GW) through a cable to Northumberland - which is a key part of National Grid's contingency planning.

The PM tonight insisted her presence at the inaugral meeting of the European Political Community - the brainchild of Mr Macron - was not about Britain 'moving closer to Europe' following Brexit.

'This is not about moving closer to Europe,' she said.

'This is about working with Europe on issues that we both face and both face rising energy costs.'

Ms Truss is turning her focus on to heading off a winter crisis after a Conservative conference blighted by infighting over tax rates and benefits cuts.

But the discussions with Mr Macron were also expected to cover the issue of Channel migrants.

There had been claims that a deal was scotched after Ms Truss refused to describe France as a 'friend' over the summer.

Liz Truss looked to be enjoying herself today as she posed for the family photo with fellow European leaders at the summit in Prague

Liz Truss was greeted by Czech counterpart Petr Fiala (right) as she arrived for the summit in Prague today

Ms Truss attended the first meeting of the European Political Community in Prague

The PM was due to hold talks with Emmanuel Macron later, expected to cover the Channel migrant crisis

Ms Truss chatting to Italian PM Mario Draghi as the discussions kicked off in Prague

Ms Truss was expected to push the group to agree that gas and electricity connectors between countries must be kept open

Former Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries this morning renewed her demand for the PM to return to the agenda espoused by Boris Johnson

UK consumers will be paid to use washing machines overnight as national grid warns of winter BLACKOUTS Britain faces blackouts this winter, the National Grid warned today as it proposed a new scheme to pay consumers to run their washing machines or charge their electric cars away from peak hours. They would be the first planned blackouts in decades if power plants cannot get enough gas to keep running, the body that oversees Britain's electricity grid has said. It is not the first time that the prospect of blackouts has been raised by the energy giant. But this year's warning carries far more urgency as Vladimir Putin keeps the pressure on gas supplies to Europe amid his faltering war in Ukraine. System operators have warned that shortages of gas, which generated 40 per cent of UK electricity last year, could mean planned three-hour blackouts in some areas to protect supplies for heating homes and buildings. Brits are facing energy bills as the Government pledged 150billion to keep energy bills capped at 2,500 this winter, while many businesses say they face extinction without further help. The National Grid warning comes as Bannatyne's gyms were the latest to shut their sauna and steam rooms and pubs turned to candlelight in energy cutbacks. Advertisement

Ms Truss met Czech premier Petr Fiala for a working lunch, before the bilateral meeting with Mr Macron this evening.

As foreign secretary, Ms Truss was a sceptic of the planned summit so her decision to attend has caused some surprise.

Ms Truss told the opening plenary session in Prague: 'Europe is facing its biggest crisis since the Second World War. And we have faced it together with unity and resolve.

'We must continue to stand firm  to ensure that Ukraine wins this war, but also to deal with the strategic challenges that it has exposed.'

Ms Truss was expected to stress the UK's role in European matters  including Ukraine  despite leaving the EU.

Downing Street said Ms Truss's talks with Mr Macron and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte would focus on migration and aim to secure progress on joint operations to disrupt people-trafficking gangs.

The PM encouraged countries to act more quickly to end Europe's reliance on Russian energy supplies in light of its invasion of Ukraine.

She said: 'The threat was left to fester for far too long. Now, at last, we are tackling Putin's aggression head on.

'And we should take the same approach with other challenges before us  including long-standing regional issues like energy and migration.

'Instead of the old approach which merely dealt with the symptoms, it's time to address the fundamental causes.'

Writing in The Times, Ms Truss said it was vital for countries to support each other by keeping the interconnectors working even at times of shortages.

'The UK sends and receives both gas and electricity through the undersea cables and pipelines that link us with neighbours like France, Belgium and the Netherlands,' she wrote.

'Today we must all commit to keeping those connections open this winter so we keep the lights on across the Continent.'

Adam Bell, former head of energy strategy at the Department for Business, said the possibility of blackouts is high in the coming months if there is a cold winter and the situation in Ukraine does not change.

He said: 'The chances of a very cold January itself are quite low, it's only 10 per cent or one in every 10 years.

'But in that scenario, given the constraints Europe is under, given the constraints our system is under, even with the interventions the National Grid already have planned, which includes reopening some coal plants and paying people to turn down their demand, you would likely see some rolling blackouts for domestic customers.'

Mr Bell said such a situation would be caused by 'a very cold January, we're unable to import power from the continent, we can't get more gas because everywhere in Europe is demanding it as well and this means that we have to shut down some of our gas power stations'.

He also said the UK cannot prepare for this situation now because of little capacity to store gas, adding: 'We can store some gas but not enough to cover a week or a fortnight.'

Mr Bell added that between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of our power comes from fossil fuels, saying: 'We haven't built enough renewable power yet to wean ourselves off (fossil fuels) fully. We'd need to replace gas with other sources, such as hydrogen, to really remove gas from our system.'

The PM has a bit more wriggle room domestically after a solid address to the party faithful laying out her true-blue vision for the country.

However, MPs have warned that should polls continue to show a massive lead for Labour there will be a move to 'kick her out'.

Former Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries this morning renewed her demand for the PM to return to the agenda espoused by Boris Johnson.

Ms Dorries told The Times: 'I understand that we need to rocket-booster growth but you don't do that by throwing the baby out with the bathwater. You don't win elections by lurching to the right and deserting the centre ground for Keir Starmer to place his flag on.

'If we continue down this path, we absolutely will be facing a Stephen Harper-type wipeout. I'm sure she's listened and will stop and rethink.'

Former Canadian prime minister Mr Harper lost power to Justin Trudeau in the 2015 election.

One supportive senior MP told MailOnline the important thing was she had 'got through' her speech - although they conceded that was a 'low bar'.

One supportive senior MP told MailOnline the important thing was Ms Truss had 'got through' her speech (pictured) - although they conceded that was a 'low bar'

'There is no doubt she has bought herself a bit of space,' the former minister said, cautioning that major battles are still to come with rebels in Westminster.

'The important thing was to get the thing out of the way and go back to knock some heads together.'

A former Cabinet minister was less optimistic, branding Ms Truss 'deluded' and 'incompetent'. 'I have never seen the Tory party in such a desperate state. It reminds me of the dying days of John Mayor.

'She is going to have to go. It's just a question of time. The Red Wall MPs have got a taste of rebellion. If they see that Liz Truss can't retain their seats they will kick her out... it becomes a chain reaction.

'I think she is going to cave on benefits. She's digging in on something that she is going to have to back down on.'

Ms Truss is also facing a backlash for ending the Tory tie-up with Isaac Levido, the Australian political strategist who played a key role in the 2019 election win.

Lee Cain, a former No10 communications chief, said it was a 'monumental error' given that Mr Levido helped spearhead the 'best election campaign in decades'.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene unveiled an extreme immigration bill on Thursday called the Protect America First Act

Republican firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene has called for a complete four-year pause on immigration to the United States in a new bill the Georgia lawmaker announced on Thursday.

The legislation also aims to end programs that grant legal residency to people who came to the US illegally.

'My Protect America First Act revokes DACA and DAPA, which both are unconstitutional, and a plan must be developed,' Greene wrote on Twitter Thursday.

'It also enacts a 4 year moratorium on immigration which is much needed since 5 million people have flooded into our country since Democrats took control.'

The Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents program, known as DAPA, was rolled out under Barack Obama but never was implemented due to legal challenges and later opposition from the Trump administration.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, DACA, grants temporary legal status to young adults and youth who were brought to the US under the age of 16.

That policy, which protects more than half a million young Americans, was recently ruled illegal by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

In a statement, President Joe Biden blamed 'continued efforts by Republican state officials' for the conservative court's decision.

'I am disappointed in today's Fifth Circuit decision holding that DACA is unlawful. The courts stay provides a temporary reprieve for DACA recipients, but one thing remains clear: the lives of Dreamers remain in limbo,' he also said.

It calls for the complete stop of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA

DACA recently faced another legal roadblock when a conservative-leaning appellate court ruled it was illegal

Some of the other measures in Greene's bill include blocking US aid dollars and other funds from going to countries in Central and South America where migrants to the southwestern border are coming from.

Greene's bill would block cash from going to 'sanctuary cities' as well.

She also called to 'Build the Wall' and name it after Donald Trump in a continuation of his signature 2016 campaign promise on immigration.

The extreme measures have close to zero chances of passing the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives.

However, Biden's party has reportedly been eyeing the possibility of passing immigration reform in a final big legislative push before the year ends.

The White House is already hatching plans for how to move an immigration bill through Congress after the midterms wrap in just over a month, according to NBC News.

Greene's anti-immigration bill also includes measures like building a border wall and naming it after Donald Trump

Democrats have gained electoral ground in recent weeks, but the majority of public opinion polls as well as historical data suggest Republicans are poised to at least win the House in November - if not claim the Senate too.

Republicans have continuously hammered Democrats over their handling of the southwestern border, amid a record-breaking number of asylum-seekers attempting to cross since Biden took office.

More than 2.3 million migrants were encountered at the southern border in the 2022 fiscal year, which ran through the end of September.

GOP lawmakers are mounting a bid to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who they hold largely responsible for the border crisis, if they retake the Congressional majority in November.

Republican Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina sent Mayorkas a letter on Tuesday telling him that the state of the border was 'grounds for impeachment' of his role.

'These astronomically high numbers are due in no small part to the political decision to rescind a number of President Trumps policies that were stemming the flow of illegal aliens and illicit drugs across the southern border,' the letter stated.
Managing Director of New Business Strategy at Galleria Kim Dong-seon, right, shakes hands with Senior Vice President of Operations at FGE International William Peecher after signing an agreement to run Five Guys franchise stores in Korea at a Seoul hotel, Thursday, Courtesy of Galleria Department Store



By Kim Jae-heun



Galleria Department Store is launching Korea's very first Five Guys hamburger diner in Seoul as part of its efforts to expand its restaurant business as the country returns to normal from the two-year-long COVID-19 pandemic, the retailer said Thursday.



It signed a business rights contract with FGE International to operate Five Guys restaurants in the domestic market starting from the first half of 2023.



This is a notable accomplishment for Hanwha Group, which operates Galleria Department Store, as the youngest son of group Chairman Kim Seung-yeon has spearheaded efforts to bring one of America's most beloved hamburger restaurant franchises to Korea.



Five Guys has consistently maintained a cautious stance on entering the Korean market as it puts the utmost priority on offering the perfect local taste in its menu items. Kim Dong-seon, the youngest son of the Hanwha chairman, was appointed as Hanwha Solutions Galleria Division's executive in charge of new business strategies in March and reportedly traveled to the United States many times to build trust with Five Guys Founder Jerry Murrell.



Galleria Department Store has been operating a food and beverage business centered on its "Gourmet 494" brand. The company is focusing on introducing the most popular American hamburgers here. Galleria will open over 15 Five Guys restaurants in the next five years.



"Five Guys always puts a priority on making good food. We are happy to work with Galleria Department Store as our business partner in Korea. Based on our passion for good food, we expect Five Guys to show big success in the Korean market," Senior Vice President of Operation at FGE International William Peecher said.



Currently, Five Guys operates 1,700 restaurants in 23 countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, England and France. Korea will be the fifth country to open a Five Guys franchise in Asia after Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Malaysia.


A gunman has shot dead at least one person after opening fire in a hotel in Michigan.

The suspect started shooting with a 'long gun' after getting into a dispute with staff over their bill at the Hampton Inn in Deaborn, near Detroit, on Thursday afternoon.

Dearborn police, said the suspect then barricaded themselves inside a hotel room.

'I implore him to please come out peacefully,' Police Chief Issa Shahin said during a news conference in a message to the suspect. 'Nobody wants to see anybody else get hurt. Please come out peacefully.'

It is unclear if the victim was a member of staff.

Cops swooped in and surrounded the suspect but warned the situation was 'active and extremely dangerous.'

Police said the hotel had been fully evacuated to the best of their knowledge.

As of 5 p.m. this afternoon, officials were still in active 'peaceful' negotiations with the suspect, who they described as being 'contained' in the hotel room.

Armed police posted outside the Hampton Inn, where at least one person has been killed

Police officers armed with heavy weapons responding to the Hampton Inn shooter in Dearborn, Michigan

The shooting is at the Hampton Inn in Dearborn, Michigan, pictured here

Police cars lined up outside the Hampton Inn in Dearborn, Michigan, as the active shooter remains barricaded inside

Footage showed squad cars racing past traffic held up at a red light as they sped towards the gunshots.

Michigan State Police said in an update: 'Dearborn Police are still negotiating with the suspect in the hotel working towards a peaceful resolution.'

'We continue to ask people to stay away from downtown Dearborn as this situation is fluid and could change,' they added.

Breaking: There is an active shooting at a Hampton Inn in Dearborn, Michigan. pic.twitter.com/hrmd0KIZFi  PM Breaking News (@PMBreakingNews) October 6, 2022

In an update 30 minutes later, it added: 'There are still shots being fired by the suspect. Troopers and officers are working on clearing the entire area around the hotel. Please stay away from the area as this is an active situation and extremely dangerous to the public.'

Local elementary school Duvall was also plunged into lockdown as it hails less than a mile from the shooting.

'There is a situation outside the building, and we are not allowing anyone into the school at this time. All of our staff and students are safe, and our learning and day is continuing. There will be no outside activity at DuVall,' the school said in a post on its website.

During a press conference, police advised nearby schools that it was safe to release their students at the end of the school day.

The shooting scene is located just west of downtown Detroit.
The D.C. government took a step this week toward allowing the 50,000 non-citizen in the district to vote as Texas Governor Greg Abbott continues to bus migrants to the liberal city.

In a 12-1 vote on Tuesday, the D.C. Council voted to change the election code to permit all noncitizens residing in the District of Columbia to vote in local elections, bringing an end to a near decade-long effort.

The bill, if passed in a second vote, would enfranchise all noncitizens including green-card holders, temporary residents holding visas and undocumented immigrants.

It comes as thousands of migrants have been sent from Texas by bus to D.C. in an initiative by Governor Abbott to bring the southern border crisis to Democratic sanctuary cities and the helm of federal decision-making that impacts border policies.

The relocation of incoming border-crossers, especially to some high profile locations, has become a popular method of protest for border states who feel pleas for assistance are being ignored by the Biden administration.

Noncitizens who otherwise qualify for voting in the District would be able to cast ballots in local races, including for mayor, attorney general, school board and for members and the chair of the D.C. Council.

They would not, however, be able to vote in federal elections.

Washington, D.C.'s council cast the first vote this week toward allowing the 50,000 noncitizens residing in the district to vote in local elections. Buses of migrants have been transported from southern border states to D.C. since April

The vote comes the same week another bus of migrants arrived outside Vice President Kamala Harris' residence before sunrise on Thursday morning

Many Maryland municipalities, including Hyatsville and Takoma Park, allow nonresidents to vote in local elections.

New York City, which is also facing a barrage of migrants bused to the city from Texas, passed similar legislation last year that allowed the 800,000 noncitizens in the Big Apple to vote.

A state court overturned that decision in June, ruling it violated the New York Constitution.

Another bus of migrants were dropped off near Vice President Kamala Harris ' Washington, D.C. residence Thursday morning. More than 8,200 migrants have been transported to the District from Texas since April.

Council member Brianne K. Nadeau of D.C. Ward 1 introduced the bill as lead sponsor with six other council members in June 2021 to allow nonresidents to vote in local elections.

The bill passed unanimously out of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety last week.

'In the District, we understand disenfranchisement,' council member and bill co-sponsor Charles Allen of Ward 6 said at last week's committee meeting. 'It's personal.'

The council member is referring to d.C.'s overall battle for statehood and the ability to gain representation in the U.S. Congress.

At the crack of dawn on Thursday, a bus pulled up near Harris' home where more than two dozen migrants disembarked and were greeted by aid and volunteer groups.

The migrants were then boarded onto smaller buses and transported to nearby accommodations.

More than two dozen migrants disembarked the bus outside the Naval Observatory in northwest Washington, D.C. from Texas on Thursday carrying all of their belongings in plastic bags

Republicans are warning of impeachment against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in response to the southern border crisis.

GOP Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Ted Cruz of Texas sent a letter to Mayorkas compiling Customs and Border Protection (DBP) data that exhibits how the situation at the border has deteriorated since President Joe Biden took office.

'This is gross dereliction of duty and, if not corrected swiftly, could provide grounds for impeachment,' the senators warned the Homeland Security head in a Tuesday letter.

'Your failure to faithfully enforce this nation's immigration laws and willful blindness to the very real humanitarian crisis at our southern border amounts to a gross dereliction of duty and a violation of your oath of office,' added Cruz and Graham, who are both on the Judiciary Committee.

To help curb the impact of mass illegal immigration in border communities, states like Texas, Arizona and Florida have been regularly transporting migrants to sanctuary cities in other parts of the country, including Washington, D.C., New York City and Chicago.

Migrants arriving in D.C. on Thursday morning were met by local aids and volunteers who loaded them into smaller buses and transported to nearby accommodations

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) figures show that as of August, the total number of migrant encounters reached more than 2 million in Fiscal Year 2022  a record high

So far, more than 8,200 migrants have been sent to D.C. from Texas on more than 195 bus trips north, according to Governor Abbott's office.

Another 3,000 were sent to New York City from Texas and nearly 1,000 to Chicago.

Recently, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sent a plane full of about 50 migrants to the wealthy island of Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts, a move labeled by Democrats a 'political stunt' that has sparked a lawsuit and chatter of congressional probes.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott last month sent two buses of migrants to the gates of the Naval Observatory, where the vice president's residence sits. Another bus from Abbott's state also dropped off about 50 more migrants in front of Harris' D.C. home on Monday  many of whom are Venezuelans.

Senators Lindsey Graham (left) and Tex Cruz (right) wrote a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas this week warning of impending impeachment due to his inaction on the southern border crisis

Harris was tasked shortly after taking office with addressing the migration crisis, which her office swiftly moved to rebrand as a role seeking to look at the root causes that lead people to leave their home countries to migrate north and seek asylum in the U.S.

Republicans have criticized Harris for her failure to do anything to quell migration at the southern border  and have lambasted Secretary Mayorkas for

CBP numbers released last month brought the number of encounters in Fiscal Year 2022 to more than 2.1 million, a massive record high  and there is still one more month of reporting left in the year.

This represents a 437 percent increase from the same point in Fiscal Year 2020.

There was also a 279 percent increase in encounters from Fiscal Year 2020 to 2021  the last year of President Donald Trump's time in office and first year of the Biden administration.
A tech firm owned by Boris Johnson's former Jennifer Arcuri, which once received 11,500 from the London Mayor's promotional agency, is to close after plunging 356,616 into the red.

The Innotech Network Limited (INL), which ran tech conferences, was given 11,500 by a promotional agency controlled by the Greater London Authority when Mr Johnson was Mayor.

The former Prime Minister was accused of favouring her business interests because of their relationships, but the Independent Office for Police Conduct said there was not reasonable grounds to launch an inquiry into potential misconduct in a public office.

Ms Arcuri, 37, set up INL in 2013, but has now revealed that she intends to close the business after applying to have it struck off the Companies House Register.

At the same time she has quit as a director of another company involved in the sleaze scandal, which threatened to destabilise Johsnon when he was PM.

Documents show she is no longer a director of Hacker House, which has amassed debts of almost 2 million, although she continues to have significant control of the business, according to documents.

A tech firm owned by Boris Johnson's former Jennifer Arcuri (pictured) is to close after plunging 356,616 into the red

The former Prime Minister was accused of favouring her business interests because of their relationships, but a watchdog found there was not reasonable grounds to launch an inquiry

Hacker House, which is run by Ms Arcuri and her cyber consultant husband Matthew Hickey, was awarded a 100,000 grant from the Department of Culture Media and Sport in 2015 - although it is believed only 47,000 was actually paid.

Ms Arcuri and Mr Johnson struck up a relationship while he was mayor of London and in her diaries she recorded Johnsons comments encouraging her business.

In one he told her: How can I be the thrust  the throttle  your mere footstep as you make your career? Tell me: how I can help you?

In another diary entry she recalled him saying: I can barely control myself whenever I see you. You make me too excited. Baby I couldnt wait. All year I have been waiting for you. All year. You drove me nuts. I have thought about no woman as I have thought of you.

In October 2013, the mayors promotional agency, London & Partners, gave Innotech 10,000 to sponsor an Islamic economic forum and the following summer it gave a further 1,500 to sponsor an event at the House of Commons.

In November 2014, Ms Arcuri was a delegate on Mr Johnsons trade mission to Singapore and Malaysia.

She also met Mr Johnson during his trade mission to New York in February 2015. Eight months later she was a delegate on one to Tel Aviv.

Arcuri moved to close INL in September and on the same day she stood down as a director of Hacker House. However she continues to be listed as in control with co-director Hickey at hacker House.

Ms Arcuri and Mr Johnson (pictured together) struck up a relationship while he was mayor of London

A report by the Independent Office for Police Conduct in 2020 said there was no evidence of a criminal offence by Boris Johnson.

Last month the GLA published a report said L&P should address risk that undue pressure by senior officials and the mayor undermines its work.

Head of the Oversight committee which investigated, GLA member Caroline Pidgeon, said: While the IOPC investigation into the allegations against Boris Johnson found no evidence of a criminal offence, it did conclude that there was some evidence that Boris Johnson was in an intimate relationship with Jennifer Arcuri during some of the relevant period.

If he was in such a relationship, failing to declare this as a conflict of interest could have constituted a breach of the broader Nolan Principles, the ethical standards those working in the public sector are expected to adhere to.
Federal agents believe there is enough evidence to charge Hunter Biden with tax crimes and lying when buying a gun, according to a bombshell report on Thursday.

The Washington Post claims the investigation into the president's son that began in 2018 is now in the hands of U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who was nominated by Donald Trump and would oversee any charging decision.

The investigation was sparked by Hunter Biden's business deals with foreign countries while father Joe was vice president, and the charges could include failure to pay income tax, money laundering and violations of U.S. tax laws.

A series of deals Hunter has made with business tycoons in China, Ukraine and Kazakhstan have been under intense scrutiny - and the president has insisted he knows nothing about them.

DailyMail.com however obtained a voicemail in 2018 establishing that Joe had knowledge by saying 'I think you're in the clear' following a New York Times article detailing a connection between Hunter and a Chinese oil tycoon.

Investigators have also zeroed in on whether he lied on paperwork to buy a gun in 2018 that his late brother's wife Hallie later threw in the trash near a Delaware high school.

Hunter's lawyers reacted to the Washington Post's Thursday story with fury by suggesting leaking such information is a federal crime.

Hunter paid an outstanding tax liability back in 2020 and acknowledged a probe into what he called his 'tax affairs.'

The case is being overseen by a Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware, who was confirmed in 2018 and asked to stay on during the Biden administraiton. Biden and AG Merrick Garland have repeatedly said they would leave the case to career prosecutors. The paper cited anonymous people familiar with the case.

The gun purchase matter relates to standard paperwork for purchasing a weapon. On the form Hunter denied using unlawful drugs or being addicted to drugs  statements undermined by his own conduct.

He has disclosed in his own memoir that he was addicted to crack cocaine and has struggled with drug and alcohol use.

Images found on his infamous laptop, which emerged weeks before Election Day 2020 and which contained data that experts who analyzed it have authenticated for DailyMail.com, appear to to show crack cocaine use.

Hunter Biden has been under investigation for years on tax and other matters. In 2020 he acknowledged a government probe and settled a back payment

Emails traced to the laptop also point to an array of business activities in China and other locations. He also secured a lucrative board position with a Ukrainian energy firm, and did business in Kazakhstan and other far-flung locales.

The gun matter is of the type that prosecutors sometimes charge and sometimes overlook. But according to DOJ figures cited by the Post, there were 478 referrals for lying on firearms forms the year of Hunter Biden's purchase, with charges filed in 298 cases.

Rebecca Roiphe, Joseph Solomon Distinguished Professor of Law at New York Law School, told DailyMail.com that prosecutions for lying on a federal form are rare, but if guilty the crime carries a fine $250,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.

'Prosecutors have broad discretion whether to bring charges in a case even if they have sufficient evidence to prove that an individual violated federal criminal law,' she said.

'Some of the factors a prosecutor might weigh include: the extent of harm caused by the offense, the background or characteristics of the offender and whether he has made any efforts at restitution or shown any signs of rehabilitation, how like cases have been treated in the past, and generally, whether this expenditure of resources would be in the interest of the public.

'I believe that prosecutions for lying on gun purchase forms are relatively rare but I do not know precise numbers. I imagine generally it would be quite hard to prove that an individual lied on the form. With tax crimes, prosecutors tend to consider whether the individual has made efforts to pay back taxes and whether it would be sufficient to pursue civil remedies.

'Federal prosecutors consider this because in some cases, they may be able to obtain a reasonable resolution and deter others from committing tax crimes without expending resources in a criminal prosecution.

'In terms of sentences, the penalty for the tax crimes would vary depending on the particular crime charged. The sentence for lying on the federal form could be up to ten years in prison.'

White House chief of staff Ron Klain vouched for the president's son in a TV interview in April.

The White House said 'no one' at the White House was involved in the allegations regarding the president's son, which Chief of Staff Ron Klain called a 'private matter'

Acting U.S. Attorney David Weiss is overseeing the probe. AG Merrick Garland has said he would defer to the Trump-appointed prosecutor

Information from Hunter Biden's infamous laptop provide information on his foreign business dealings

Hunter Biden has spoken openly of his battles with drug addiction. His admissions could work against him if prosecutors decide to charge him with lying about drug use on a document when purchasing a firearm in 2018

'Of course the president's confident that his son didn't break the law,' Klain said.

'But most importantly, as I said, that's a matter that's to be decided by the Justice Department, by the legal process. It's something that no one at the White House has involvement in.'

A 2018 voicemail from Hunter's iPhone, revealed by DailyMail.com, appears to show Joe Biden reaching out to his son to discuss a New York Times article about his work with CEFC, notwithstanding the president's denials that he ever talked with Hunter about his overseas business dealings.

'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,' Biden said on the voicemail.

'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.'

Hunter's lawyer, Chris Clark, teed off on 'leakers' in his own slashing response to the story.

'It is a federal felony for a federal agent to leak information about a Grand Jury investigation such as this one,' he said in a statement to the Post. 'Any agent you cite as a source in your article apparently has committed such a felony. We expect the Department of Justice will diligently investigate and prosecute such bad actors. '

'As is proper and legally required, we believe the prosecutors in this case are diligently and thoroughly weighing not just evidence provided by agents, but also all the other witnesses in this case, including witnesses for the defense. That is the job of the prosecutors. They should not be pressured, rushed, or criticized for doing their job.'

With information in the public realm that investigators working the case believe there is sufficient evidence to charge, it could put pressure on the prosecutor overseeing the case to bring charges.

Hunter's business practices have come under increased scrutiny as media organizations continue to probe the contents of material derived from Hunter's laptop.

He and Biden's brother James were reportedly paid an estimated $5million by Chinese energy giant CEFC.

He even recounted once being presented with a 2.8 carat diamond by CEFC Energy China tycoon Ye Jianming.

Klain also told ABC's George Stephanopoulos: 'I want to just be really clear, these are actions by Hunter and his brother. They're private matters. They don't involve the president. And they certainly are something that no one at the White House is involved in.'

The trove of emails uncovered on Hunter's laptop, which a Wilmington repair shop owner says someone resembling Hunter dropped off at his repair shop and never picked up, include emails making reference to an apparently dysfunctional tax situation.

'You need to get 2017 filed so we can try to work out a payment schedule,' his accountant Bill Morgan wrote him, in messages CNN said it authenticated.

At the time, the IRS was still pinging him to make due on his 2015 return.

'They want $158,000,' Morgan wrote. 'IRS has notified the State Department and they will not renew your passport until this is resolved.'

The gun matter had its origins in a 2018 incident where Beau Biden's widow, Hallie Biden, who was having an affair with Hunter, took Hunter's gun and threw it in a trash bin.

Amid a search for the weapon, Secret Service agents approached a gun store owner seeking paperwork on the purchase, Politico reported last year. The gun shop owner subsequently turned the paperwork over to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

The tax probe began all the way back in the Obama administration, the New York Times reported, then expanded in 2018 to include potential criminal tax violations.
President Joe Biden announced that he will pardon thousands of Americans who have been convicted of 'simple' marijuana possession with less than five weeks until the midterms and five more states considering legalization in November.

White House officials said more than 6,500 people would be impacted by the pardons, along with thousands under a similar D.C. law that is also part of Biden's order.

'Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit,' the president said in a statement. He later released a video message.

Biden is also urging governors to do the same for state convictions.

Additionally, Biden is having the Department of Health and Human Services and Attorney General Merrick Garland 'review expeditiously' how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.

Marijuana remains a Schedule I drug - alongside heroin and ecstasy, and above fentanyl and cocaine - despite it being legal for medicinal and recreational use in many states.

'As I often said during my campaign for President, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana,' Biden said in a statement.

President Joe Biden 's administration announced Thursday that he will pardon all Americans with prior offenses of simple marijuana possession

President Joe Biden laid out his plan in a series of tweets Thursday afternoon

Under federal law marijuana remains a Schedule 1 drug and a simple marijuana possession carries a $1,000 fine and up to a year in prison for first-time offenders

The White House shared a photo of President Joe Biden signing the executive order from on board Air Force One Thursday

The president pointed out the racial disparities, noting how white, black and brown people use the drug at similar rates, black and brown people are more likely to be arrested and charged.

'Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It's time that we right these wrongs,' the president added.

The DOJ will be tasked with getting individuals a certificate acknowledging their pardon.

Officials also said that no one is currently in prison solely on an marijuana possession charge.

'Simple' marijuana possession is considered a Class A Misdemeanor that carries a $1,000 and up to a year in prison for a first-time offender.

White House officials also made clear that no one could be prosecuted with this crime at the federal level after Thursday.

The policy change comes a month and two days before the midterm elections.

'Members of Congress have been working on this issue, but that effort has stalled, and we're almost at the end of the Congress. So the president has been considering his options and he's now taking executive action to address the country's failed approach to marijuana,' a senior administration official answered when asked about the timing.

It could make a difference in some key races where Democrats need to point to progress to win.

For instance, Democratic Pennsylvania Senate hopeful John Fetterman called on Biden to deschedule marijuana, with the aim of decriminalizing nationally, before he appeared alongside the president over Labor Day weekend.

'This is a BFD and a massive step towards justice,' Fetterman said in a statement Thursday.

Fetterman - engaged in one of the tightest Senate races - was given a heads up by the White House about the plan, Politico reported.

In the past, Biden has expressed reservations about making marijuana fully legal.

Additionally, on November 8 voters in five states - Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota - will decide whether to legalize pot for people over 21 years old.

They would join 19 states that have already legalized recreational pot.

Democrats are more pro-pot legalization than their Republican counterparts, recent polling found.

In a Morning Consult/Politico survey release earlier this week, 60 percent of respondents said they were for marijuana being legalized nationally. Another 27 percent said they were not.

When political parties were accounted for, 71 percent of Democrats said they were pro-nationwide legalization, compared to 47 percent of Republicans.
At least 18 migrants have died in the Mediterranean Sea after Greek coastguard launched a desperate search when two sailboats clammed into rocks during a storm.

Eighteen victims, nearly all of them women, drowned and a further 30 migrants are still missing after gale force winds of up to 45mph caused havoc off the island of Lesbos late last night.

The bodies of 16 women and a 15-year-old boy were recovered from the area, close to Turkey, coastguard spokesperson Nikos Kokkalas told state TV.

Divers also recovered an adult male body during the afternoon, he added.

Earlier, the coastguard were alerted to a sailing boat in distress off Kythira island's Diakofti port, south of the Peloponnese peninsula/ The vessel had around 95 people on board.

Some survivors made it to shore and dramatic footage released by the coastguard showed them being winched up the vertical face of a cliff, some barely managing to hold on amid battering waves.

The fire service and police reported 80 asylum seekers from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan made it ashore during a major rescue operation.

Kythira mayor Stratos Harhalakis said the coastal spot was 'the worst possible place on the island' for a ship to sink.

Debris of the boat carrying migrants are pictured off Cythera Island, south of the Peloponnese peninsula

Migrants, most of them from Afghanistan, gather at an old school used as a temporary shelter on the island of Kythira, southern Greece

Migrants are winched up the side of a cliff from the shipwreck by Greek coastguard crews last night

A migrant hangs from a rope during a rescue operation following a shipwreck, on the island of Kythira

He added: 'Nobody could approach (them) by sea, it was incredibly difficult.'

Meanwhile, the survivors recalled being so tightly crammed below deck on one of the yachts that there was only space to stand.

Ahmad Shoaib Noorzaei, a survivor from Arghanistan, said: 'From the first minute, we thought that maybe we will face some problems.

'Because the weather was not normal for such a ship - a 16-metre (52ft) ship. It was a small ship - just for 20 or 30 (people).'

By late last night, their third at sea, the captain of the yacht is said to have lost his bearings. Instead of safely rounding Kythira, with a clear passage to Italy ahead, the vessel was swept into a rocky inlet surrounded by forbidding cliffs.

Abdul Ghafar Amur, another survivor from Afghanistan, said: 'We tried to save our lives, but most of our friends, they have died.'

The survivors managed to cling to the rocks while nearby villagers, who poured out to help, eventually pulled them to safety with ropes.

At first light, at least four bodies were seen bobbing under the cliffs among the flotsam from the shipwreck.

And by this evening, 80 survivors were accounted for from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran - including 17 boys and a girl.

Authorities said that the boat was carrying up to 100 migrants when it hit rocks off the village port of Diakofti and sank in high winds of up to 45mph late last night. Pictured: Rescuers save a migrant as they search for survivors after the boat sank

The coastguard did not have additional information on possible casualties or on the nationality of the migrants. Coastguard vessels, private boats and a rescue helicopter are involved in the search for migrants off the coast of the island of Kythira, 140 miles south of Athens. Pictured: The large-scale rescue operation

By early this morning, 30 people were rescued, according to officials, who gave no other details on the missing. Pictured: Migrants at the bottom of a cliff after their boat sank and rescuers work to reach them

Authorities and local residents save a migrant during a large-scale rescue operation on the island of Kythira, pictured

Speaking from a schoolhouse being used to provide shelter for the migrants, Mr Amur said the coastguard had arrived 'two or three hours too late'.

He added: 'During these three or two hours, most of women died. Young guys and old men, we couldn't do anything for them. We saw just how they died.'

Amur said he paid smugglers $9,000 to be shipped from Turkey to Italy, a sum which matched accounts by other survivors.

The fate of the yacht's captain was unknown, though some of the survivors said he was lost in the wreck.

Meanwhile, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis deplored the 'tragic loss of life' and called for 'much more substantial cooperation' to avoid such disasters.

He said: "Eradicate totally the smugglers who exploit innocent people, desperate people.'

Greece has seen increased migration traffic this year, and accuses Turkey of failing to enforce a 2016 agreement with the EU to keep migrants from sailing on to Europe.

Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi also tweeted after the two shipwrecks that Turkey should 'take immediate action to prevent all irregular departures due to harsh weather conditions'.

Mitarachi said: 'Already today many lives lost in the Aegean, people are drowning in unseaworthy vessels. EU must act.'

The coastguard has said it has rescued about 1,500 people in the first eight months of the year, up from fewer than 600 last year.
A Delaware judge has delayed the trial in Twitter's lawsuit against Elon Musk, giving the billionaire an October 28 deadline to close his $44 billion acquisition of the company.

In an order issued on Thursday, Judge Kathaleen McCormick said Musk has until 5pm on October 28 to complete the agreed merger, warning that otherwise the trial will be rescheduled for November.

The stay of trial, which had been scheduled to start October 17, was a small victory for Musk, who earlier in the day filed a motion asking for more time to shore up financing for the transaction.

However, by drawing a line in the sand with the closing deadline, the judge also appeased Twitter, which has been seeking a hard timeline for completing the deal.

Twitter had opposed pushing back the trial, calling it 'an invitation to further mischief and delay.'

Lawyers for Twitter argued in a letter to the court that Musk 'should be arranging to close on Monday, October 10,' but is instead refusing to 'commit to any closing date.'

Twitter disputed Musk's claim that the company is refusing to accept his renewed bid, which Musk told the company about earlier this week after trying to terminate the deal over the summer.

A Delaware judge has delayed the trial in Twitter's lawsuit against Elon Musk, giving the billionaire an October 28 deadline to close his $44 billion acquisition of the company

Twitter has been seeking a court order to force the completion of the merger and said it intends to close the deal at the price of $54.20 per share, which Musk proposed in a signed agreement in April.

The company had been using the looming trial as pressure to force Musk to close on the transaction and opposed any delay as it tried to force ironclad assurances or an actual closing on the deal.

In their letter to the court, Twitter's lawyers called Musk's side disingenuous for suddenly renewing the original buyout offer just days before the trial was scheduled to begin.

''Trust us,' they say, 'we mean it this time,' and so they ask to be relieved from a reckoning on the merits,' wrote attorneys for Twitter.

Judge Kathaleen McCormick said Musk has until 5pm on October 28 to complete the agreed merger

Earlier in the day, Musk had pleaded with the court to provide him with more time to come up with the funds for the buyout.

In a filing with Delaware's Court of Chancery on Thursday, lawyers for the Tesla CEO asked a judge to put a pause on the upcoming trial against Twitter pending the 'closing of the transaction.'

'There is no need for an expedited trial to order defendants to do what they are already doing and this action is now moot,' said the filing.

According to the filing, lawyers representing the banks providing debt financing have reassured the billionaire that they are prepared to honor their obligations, and proceeding with a lawsuit could drag out payment for months.

'Not only has Twitter's baseless speculation been refuted by the banks themselves, any theoretical claims Twitter could concoct based on a potential financing failure that has not happened are unripe and unpled, making them well outside the scope of the trial set to begin in eleven days,' the filing reads.

They say it could 'impede the deal moving forward.'

Musk says that if they stay the trial he could make up the money. Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal is pictured here

Following the news, shares of Twitter plunged more than 3 percent, trading at $49.44 as of 4pm Thursday

'Twitter will not take yes for an answer,' Musk's lawyers claim in the document. 'Astonishingly, they have insisted on proceeding with this litigation, recklessly putting the deal at risk and gambling with their stockholders interests.'

'Proceeding toward trial is not only an enormous waste of party and judicial resources, it will undermine the ability of the parties to close the transaction.'

Musk's lawyers conclude that 'in the event a closing does not occur, the litigation can promptly resume based on the then-existing facts and whatever issues remain at the time.'

Following the news, shares of Twitter plunged more than 3 percent, trading at $49.44 as of 4pm Thursday.

The stay of trial came hours after both sides agreed to delay the Tesla CEO's deposition as they tried to finalize the terms of his $44 billion takeover.

Among the many issues they are said to be discussing is whether the Tesla CEO will try to make the deal contingent on his original $12.5 billion debt-financing package, as banks try to weasel their way out of the agreement.

The banks could argue that Musk's antics in delaying the agreement have sufficiently damaged Twitter, enough to qualify as a material adverse effect, letting them walk away, the New York Times reports.

And Musk could even foil his own deal by refusing to sign a letter certifying Twitter is solvent, though the judge in the case is likely to force the billionaire to sue the banks for the agreed-upon money under the New York law that governs them.

Twitter executives, on the other hand, are trying to make sure Musk won't back out of his agreement again, seeking a reaffirmation of the specifics in the previously agreed-to contract.

They are also considering options like court supervision of the closing process, and requesting that Musk pay interest to make up for the delays.

Musk surprised investors on Monday when he suddenly announced he would abide by his April agreement to buy the company at $54.20 a share if Twitter dropped its litigation against him

Musk surprised investors on Monday when he suddenly announced he would abide by his April agreement to buy the company at $54.20 a share if Twitter dropped its litigation against him.

But his renewed proposal included a condition that the deal closing was contingent on the necessary debt financing.

Musk has said he would finance the deal with his own cash, co-investors and bank financing. But rising interest rates and economic uncertainty caused by the war in Ukraine make such deals more costly for lenders.

When investor banks fund a leveraged buyout, they usually try to offload the debt to outside investors, like hedge funds or other large institutions.

The banks then make money from the fees they charge to arrange these deals, and they sell the debt to reduce their risks in case borrowers cannot repay.

But under the current economic situation, it is much more difficult for the banks to offload that debt  and doing so could lose them significant sums of money.

The $12.5 billion in debt financing from the banks is ironclad, according to the analyst Ives, who wrote that 'the banks are essentially cemented to this Twitter debt deal and we see no way out despite the very tough debt markets today.'

'We continue to believe the deal gets done smoothly despite some late-night poker moves from the Twitter camp with the Delaware Court case around the corner,' he wrote in a note on Wednesday night.
An estranged wealthy couple with links to former Prime Minister Tony Blair have racked up legal bills of more than 400,000 in a High Court divorce fight.

Angela Jilina, 49, and estranged journalist husband Walid Abu-Zalaf, 64, who had homes in London and Ascot, Berkshire, and Switzerland, want a judge to make decisions related to when their marriage broke down.

The ruling, which revolves around a 2013 decree nisi - a decree which signals the end of a marriage- that was never made absolute, will affect how much money Ms Jilina walks away with.

At a public hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London today, Ms Jilina told the judge that she had been involved with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and that she and Mr Abu-Zalaf had attended the wedding of the Blairs' daughter Kathryn three years ago.

The judge also heard that Mr Blair and Ivanka Trump, daughter of former US president Donald Trump, had once been among dinner guests at their London home.

Mr Justice Mostyn was told how Ms Jilina and Mr Abu-Zalaf, editor of Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds, had married in 2012.

A family court judge had granted a decree nisi in 2013 after an application by Ms Jilina, but Mr Justice Mostyn was told that this had never been made absolute - a move which legally ends a marriage.

Angela Jilina, 49, (right) and estranged journalist husband Walid Abu-Zalaf, 64, (left) who had homes in London and Ascot, Berkshire, and Switzerland, want a judge to make decisions related to when their marriage broke down

Ms Jilina, who comes from Russia, said there was reconciliation in 2014 and the marriage finally broke down 2020.

She says the 2013 decree nisi is 'now antiquated and stale', should be rescinded, and wants to issue a fresh divorce petition.

Mr Abu-Zalaf told the judge they 'never reconciled' and said they were only 'technically married'. He wants the 2013 decree nisi to be made absolute.

In the prenuptial agreement drawn up by Mr Abu-Zalaf, the financial provision for Ms Jiliana depended on the length of the marriage.

The judge said for the 'less than two years category' there was a 'housing provision' of 2million and an annual spousal payment of 96,000.

A lawyer indicated at today's hearing that Ms Jilina could benefit by an amount approaching 1million if she won.

Ms Jilina says the 2013 decree nisi is 'now antiquated and stale', should be rescinded, and wants to issue a fresh divorce petition

The ruling, expected later in the year, will impact the amount of money Ms Jilina (pictured outside the Royal Courts of Justice today) walks away with

The estranged couple were asked about the nature of their relationship between 2014 and 2020, including questions about how often they had sex.

'My husband called me his wife,' Ms Jilina told the judge. 'We had a sexual relationship. Everywhere we went socially as I known as his wife.'

Mr Abu-Zalaf said the relationship had been 'convenient'.

He said they were 'technically married' but not married 'in reality'.

'We never reconciled,' he said. 'We were treating each other like single people.'

He told the judge: 'It was convenient for me always to go out with someone.'

The hearing is due to end tomorrow. Mr Justice Mostyn is expected to deliver a ruling later in the year.
If Donald Trump's energy policies remained in place then the U.S. could be earning an extra $100 billion a year from oil and gas, according to conservative economists at the Committee to Unleash Prosperity.

In a new report, they blame President Joe Biden's 'war on oil and gas' for preventing an increase in production as global oil prices increase.

That is bad for consumers at the gas pump and bad for the economy, they say.

'Our estimate is that if the Trump supply conditions had remained in place, daily U.S. oil production would be 2-3 million barrels higher, and daily gas production 20-30 billion cubic feet greater,' write Stephen Moore and Casey Mulligan, who were both advisers to Trump.

'The U.S. would again be the lead energy producer. Under that scenario, the U.S. would not have to import a single net barrel of oil from abroad. The U.S. would be producing as much as $300 million more oil output per day.'

That works out to be more than $100 billion a year.

They say that U.S. producers have not responded as vigorously to price rises as those in Russia, Canada and Norway - and point the finger at Biden and his energy policies.

President Joe Biden was in Poughkeepsie, New York, on Thursday. His energy policies are under fresh scrutiny after OPEC+ announced an oil production cut

Conservative economists at the Committee to Unleash Prosperity say Biden's policies mean the country is not cashing in on oil price rises by raising production now

They accuse him of sending mixed messages.

'He has also canceled pipelines, reduced drilling on public lands, and instituted tough new environmental standards that raise the cost of drilling,' they say.

'His new climate change legislation imposes new taxes on the oil and gas industry.

'On the other hand, he has said multiple times he is "doing all I can" to reduce gas prices at the pump.

'He also claims that the U.S. is near "record levels" of oil and gas production in his first year-and-a-half in office.'

Gas prices are likely to be a key issue in next month's mid-term elections, and the administration is scrambling to head off more rises.

Biden on Wednesday he will continue releasing oil 'as necessary' from the government's stock of reserves to combat high prices, after the OPEC+ oil alliance announced it was cutting production by two million barrels a day.

The economists say the U.S. economy would be making an extra $100 billion a year

The report was written by Stephen Moore (pictured) and Casey Mulligan, who were both economic advisers to President Donald Trump's White House

Its action immediately sent energy prices after they had cooled in recent weeks.

Republicans have stepped up their attacks on the Biden administration handling of the issue.

'Under Biden - OPEC controls our destiny rather than American energy independence,' Pat Harrigan, a Republican House candidate in North Carolina, said in a tweet.

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!'

Republicans argue for loosening government restrictions on U.S. energy production as a way to lower costs.

Sen Lisa Murkowski said: 'The Biden administration has had more than a year and a half to prepare for this turn of events, including more than seven months since the start of Russias catastrophic war against Ukraine, but failed to do so.

'Instead of approving key projects and reforming the broken processes that hold them back, the administration has sold unprecedented volumes from our emergency oil reserves.'

In the meantime, Biden has accused oil and gas companies of profiteering and called on Congress to find ways to reduce OPEC+'s power over prices.

'The president is also calling on U.S. energy companies to keep bringing pump prices down by closing the historically large gap between wholesale and retail gas prices -- so that American consumers are paying less at the pump,' said Nationa Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and economic adviser Brian Deese in a joint statement.
An elderly man has been charged with murder after a woman died following an alleged domestic violence incident in an exclusive beachside suburb in Sydney's east.

Police were called to a home on Bronte Road, in Bronte at about 6pm on Thursday following a concern for welfare report, and found a 74-year-old woman outside with critical injuries.

The woman was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital but was unable to be saved.

A 74-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken to Waverley Police Station, where he was charged with one count of murder.

He was refused bail and will appear at Waverley Local Court on Friday.

Police arrived at the home on Bronte Road to find a woman critically injured. Pictured: Emergency workers race to save her life

An elderly man with bloodstains on his shirt has been arrested and charged with murder after an alleged domestic violence incident at a home in Bronte on Thursday night

Images from the scene show the elderly man, with grey hair, a beard and glasses, being led from the house with his hands behind his back.

Blood stains are visible on the sleeve of his t-shirt and there appears to be a bruise under his left eye.

NSW Police said it's believed the elderly man and woman are known to each other.

Officers performed CPR on the woman until paramedics arrived and placed her in an ambulance

Images from the scene show the elderly man, with grey hair and glasses, being led from the scene with his hands behind his back

A crime scene was established at the home and is being examined by specialist officers.

Pictures from neighbours show several emergency service vehicles parked on the narrow street, which runs down to Bronte Beach.

As many as three ambulances and several police cars attended the Bronte Road home, with witnesses saying a police rescue van was also present.




By Baek Byung-yeul







Samsung Biologics launched S-DUAL, a bispecific antibody platform developed with its own technology, with an aim to improve its capability in the contract-based drug development business, the company said Thursday.







Bispecific antibodies act on two factors simultaneously, not just one factor, which is more effective than a monospecific antibody that acts on only one factor.







Samsung Biologics said its S-DUAL platform is a high-yield bispecific antibody platform with a 99 percent chain-paring success rate. The platform has a unique asymmetrical structure that can reduce risks associated with chemicals.







The company completed a patent application for its own bispecific antibody technology. The self-developed platform can be applied to various next-generation drugs such as multi-specific antibodies.







"We attended the BioProcess International Conference and Exhibition, a bispecific antibody society held in Boston, in September to introduce our S-DUAL platform," Lee Jae-sun, vice president of the company, said during a Bio Knowledge Concert event held online. "The platform was recognized for its innovation by the officials of the academy."







Samsung Biologics said it launched the bispecific antibody platform recognizing its great growth potential. With the platform, Samsung expects that it can improve its competitiveness by providing end-to-end drug development and manufacturing services to its customer companies.







Market tracker EvaluatePharma estimates the bispecific antibody market to grow 32 percent a year to reach $19 billion in 2027 from around $4 billion in 2021. Given the bispecific antibody platform is able to bind two different targets in one form, global biopharmaceutical companies are scrambling to develop bispecific antibody drugs.







To further improve its capability, Samsung Biologics also recently introduced its Developick platform, a service that selects candidate materials for new drugs.







"Samsung Biologics expects to expand its CDMO sales and business portfolio through its own bispecific antibody platform," John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, said in a statement.


Sadie Frost is seemingly facing her own cost-of-living crisis after her luxury yoga clothing company collapsed with nearly 220,000 of debt.

Her fashion firm, Frost Active, went into liquidation three months ago with only 8,400 in assets and 218,000 owed to creditors.

Liquidators have not yet disclosed how much they aim to recover for creditors.

Meantime, Ms Frost, 57, has since bidden farewell to her former marital home in favour of life in the country.

Sadie Frost is seemingly facing her own cost-of-living crisis after her luxury yoga clothing company collapsed with nearly 220,000 of debt

Her fashion firm, Frost Active, went into liquidation three months ago with only 8,400 in assets and 218,000 owed to creditors

Nobody lived in the fast lane quite like Ms Frost, who, as queen of the Primrose Hill set in the 1990s, hosted magnificently uninhibited parties at the 6 million north London townhouse she shared with her second husband, Jude Law.

But that carefree era  spiced up, according to one enthusiastic participant, designer Pearl Lowe, by couples swapping partners when the mood took them  is now little more than a distant dream for the actress and fashion producer.

Her financial woes stem from the failure of Frost Active, set up in 2019, whose products included luxury yoga clothing which came with its own crystals and inspirational messages and even a calming colour scheme inspired by the seven chakras.

Frost Active has total assets of just 8,400, yet owes creditors 218,000

Despite going on sale at Selfridges and generating excitable comment among her fans, the firm went into liquidation three months ago.

Now, I can reveal just how bleak the position is: Frost Active has total assets of just 8,400, yet owes creditors 218,000.

Im told the joint liquidators consider it too early to comment on how much  if anything  they hope to recover for creditors.

But Ms Frost  who has one son by her first marriage to Spandau Ballet guitarist Gary Kemp and three children with Jude  will be painfully aware that one of those creditors is NatWest, to which the company owes more than 50,000 resulting from an as yet unrepaid loan.

After splitting from her boyfriend, producer Darren Strowger, last year, Sadie recently snapped up a thatched cottage in Wiltshire for 925,000.

She declines to comment on the fate of her firms creditors.
A teenage Ukrainian girl, forced by war to flee her home in Kherson, has revealed she went on a dating app posing as a Russian to track down enemy troops and expose where they were based.

She was so successful that one soldier boasted he was fighting to earn money for a luxury car and sent her pictures from a boarding school used as a military base.

Another showed a mansion where he was guarding a senior officer.

Her exploits echo those of the First World War German spy Mata Hari, whose lovers in the top brass told her of the Allies new secret weapon, the tank.

But for Lisa  not her real name  her inspiration came from a girl on TikTok who had befriended a Russian soldier, asked where he was serving and passed the information to Ukraines army.

Eager to impress: Russian troops who told Lisa of their exploits. Typical was Ilgis Hafizov, 24, from western Russia, who was serving to save for his wedding but then broke up with his fiancee so decided to buy a car

The 18-year-old set up a fake profile on a dating app while under occupation in Kherson, saying she was a young Russian woman who liked military men.

Soon she was chatting to lovelorn soldiers, who sent texts, videos and voicemails.

Typical was Ilgis Hafizov, 24, from western Russia, who was serving to save for his wedding but then broke up with his fiancee so decided to buy a car. Im saving up for a BMW, he bragged.

Lisa passed her information to investigative journalists from Slidstvo.info, who used internet data to identify locations.

Lisa, who fled from Kherson last month, said her life had been shattered by the invasion. We left our native home and cannot return there now, but they are sitting there and fine, she said

They are all criminals because they crossed another countrys border with weapons, Lisa said. They came to steal, to kill.

A teenage member of the special forces, desperate to impress, even sent videos from Russian aircraft as they set off from an airfield, saying they were going on a raid to drop the rockets and kill khokhols [Russian slang for Ukrainians].

Nikolai Izmailov, 19, also took pictures posing with a row of helicopters parked behind him in occupied Kherson before flying to the strikes in Odesa and Kharkiv.

'Lisa' said: It makes me really angry when they tell me they are doing fine.'

Lisa passed her information to investigative journalists from Slidstvo.info, who used internet data to identify locations

Slidstvo.info also tracked down the Golden Pheasant eco-mansion used by a top Russian officer after another foolish soldier - Daniil Lapyshev, from Sibera - sent her pictures and voicemails describing his units location dug into bunkers in nearby woods.

Lisa, who fled from Kherson last month, said her life had been shattered by the invasion.

We left our native home and cannot return there now, but they are sitting there and fine, she said.

They are happy as if nothing bad is happening.

Additional reporting: Kate Baklitskaya
Mellissa Caddick's jaw-dropping designer jewellery collection including a $100,000 diamond necklace and matching bracelet will be sold off to repay her fraud victims.

Documents lodged to the Federal Court this week reveal lawyers from Jones Partners are seeking a court order to sell the 85 pieces of jewellery along with her extensive collection of designer clothes, handbags and art purchases.

The missing-presumed dead Sydney fraudster stole more than $23million from trusting clients, friends and family who handed over their savings believing she was a successful investor.

Instead the 49-year-old stole the money to fund her lavish lifestyle which included a passion for labels like Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior and one-of-a-kind pieces from luxury Sydney based jeweller Stefano Canturi - a particular favourite.

Melissa Caddick's (pictured with Anthony Koletti) extensive jewellery collection includes multiple diamond and sapphire necklaces from Sydney jeweller Stefano Canturi

Caddick's collection of designer clothes, handbags and artworks will also be put up for sale

Among the items listed to be sold by court-appointed receivers are a Cartier Panther bracelet watch, a pair of Gucci silver heart earrings and a Canturi Cubism Collection necklace - featuring aquamarine, sapphire and 165 diamonds.

An inquest into Ms Caddick's presumed death heard that Mr Canturi himself was due to deliver his latest commission, the $100,000 diamond necklace and matching bracelet, personally on Friday November 13, 2020.

But Ms Caddick never made the meeting, instead vanishing shortly after agents from corporate watchdog ASIC who were running an investigation into her dodgy business raided her Dover Heights mansion on November 11.

Her partner Anthony Koletti, 40, who is understood to have had no knowledge of the fraud, instead reported her missing on the Friday she was due to meet Mr Canturi.

Mr Koletti has lodged an objection to 18 pieces of the collection being sold - claiming they were personal gifts to him from the jeweller.

These include a Canturi Cubism Collection pave black sapphire dog tag pendant and a Pair of Canturi Cubism 18ct white gold black onyx cufflinks.

Caddick (pictured centre) went missing after ASIC agents raided her Dover Heights property

But lawyer Michael Hayter, for the receivers, argued all the pieces listed in the documents appeared to be purchased by Caddick with stolen cash.

'The position appears to be that Melissa Louise Caddick has purchased hundreds of thousands of dollars of jewellery from Stefano Canturi with investors' funds (without their consent),' said Hayter in an affidavit tendered in court.

The couple's luxury Dover Heights mansion is also listed for sale but her parents will continue their fight to retain their Edgecliff penthouse which she purchased for them in 2016.

Receivers Jones Partners said earlier this year if an agreement can't be reached they would apply to the court to determine how much if her parents should be paid out.

'The Orders obtained in the Federal Court today enable us to proceed (on the) Dover Heights Property,' Jones Partners principal Bruce Gleeson said.

Mr Koletti has moved out of the Dover Heights mansion (pictured) and it is on the market

'The Receivership Property also includes the Edgecliff Property which is currently occupied by the parents of Melissa Caddick. The parents have asserted an interest in the Edgecliff Property.

'We are continuing negotiations with the parents via their solicitors regarding resolution of such interest. Ultimately if such negotiations cannot be resolved, then an application will be required for the Federal Court to determine the parent's interest.'
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The Kremlin has warned of potentially 'monstrous consequences' after Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to suggest NATO powers should bomb Russia to deter Vladimir Putin from using nuclear weapons against Ukraine.

Russia said such comments risked starting 'yet another world war' after the Ukrainian president seemed to tell Australian think tank the Lowy Institute that he believed 'preemptive strikes' on Russian territory were necessary.

However Kyiv later insisted he was actually calling for 'preemptive sanctions', just as he did 'before February 24', when the invasion was launched.

It comes as an increasingly desperate Putin continues to suffer losses in the south and east of Ukraine ahead of his 70th birthday on Friday and amid alleged serious health conditions - leading many analysts to fear he will use 'tactical nuclear weapons' in a bid to secure a victory.

The dictator previously hinted at their use, saying on September 21: 'When its territorial integrity is threatened, Russia will use everything it can, this is not a bluff.'

Speaking in an online video on Thursday, Zelensky said: 'What should NATO do? Make it impossible for Russia to use nuclear weapons.'

He added: 'What is important, I once again appeal to the international community, as I did before February 24: We need pre-emptive strikes so that (the Russians) know what will happen to them if they use them (nuclear weapons), and not the other way around.

'Don't wait for Russia's nuclear strikes and then say: ''Oh, since you did this, take that from us!'''

The Kremlin on Thursday denounced the comments, which they interpreted as a call for an all-out nuclear war.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by RIA as saying: 'Such statements are nothing other than an appeal to start yet another world war with unpredictable, monstrous consequences.'

However Serhii Nykyforov, Zelensky's spokesperson, said the leader was referring to preventive sanctions that he wanted applied before Russia's full-scale invasion, adding that Ukraine 'would never call for the use of nuclear weapons.'

Meanwhile Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the President's Office, said Zelensky was reminding listeners of Russia's nuclear blackmail and was asking allies to preemptively outline the consequences for Russia and 'intensify strikes against Russia, including sanctions and military aid', reported the Kyiv Independent.

The Kremlin has warned of potentially 'monstrous consequences' after Volodymyr Zelensky suggested NATO powers drop bombs on Russia in a bid to deter Vladimir Putin from employing his nuclear arsenal against Ukraine

Russia said such comments risked starting 'yet another world war' after the Ukrainian president told Australian think tank the Lowy Institute that he believed 'preemptive strikes' on Russian territory were necessary

It comes as an increasingly desperate Putin continues to suffer losses in the south and east of Ukraine ahead of his 70th birthday on Friday and amid alleged serious health conditions - leading many analysts to fear he will use 'tactical nuclear weapons' in a bid to secure a victory (Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers ride on an armoured vehicle near the recently retaken town of Lyman in Donetsk region on October 6, 2022)

Russia said such comments risked starting 'yet another world war' after the Ukrainian president seemed to tell Australian think tank the Lowy Institute that he believed 'preemptive strikes' on Russian territory were necessary (Pictured: Ukrainian servicemen stand atop a tank in the village of Kapytolyvka, east of Izyum, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine on October 6 2022)

Putin has previously hinted at the use of nuclear weapons, saying on September 21: 'When its territorial integrity is threatened, Russia will use everything it can, this is not a bluff.' (Pictured: Russia's nuclear-capable Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile is launched from Plesetsk in Russia's northwest)

Later addressing a meeting in Prague of European heads of state, Zelensky also called on Western capitals to supply his army with more weapons 'to punish the aggressor'.

He said Ukraine must fend off Moscow's invasion 'so that Russian tanks do not advance on Warsaw or again on Prague'.

It comes as Ukraine has pushed Russia back by 12 miles in the south as dramatic footage today revealed the blistering pace of attacks that have sent Putin's men fleeing for their lives.

Videos taken in Kherson in recent days show Ukrainian forces storming Russian defences in American-made Humvees under artillery fire, and soldiers advancing en masse across fields in the face of the retreating enemy.

Ukraine's offensive in Kherson - which has been grinding on for more than two months - entered a 'new phase' on October 2 with Kyiv's men advancing 12 miles down the Inhulets and Dnipro rivers, Britain's MoD said Thursday.

Meanwhile more footage shows Ukrainian soldiers fighting near the city of Lyman, in the north of the country, which fell to Kyiv's men at the weekend - exposing other Russian positions in the Donbas to further attacks.

Ukrainian Humvees donated by the US are filmed racing across a battlefield as they attack Russian lines in Kherson, amid a major counter-offensive

A Ukrainian armoured vehicle opens fire on Russians (left) while Russian armour sits abandoned in the middle of a road as Kyiv's troops surge forward

Ukrainian troops advance across open country after pushing Russia back (left) as smoke rises over a modified buggy with what appears to be a Second World War machine gun on its roof

Ukraine has advanced 12 miles in just 48 hours in northern Kherson, the UK MoD has said, while troops have also been gaining ground steadily in the west towards the city itself

The slew of video was posted online by pro-Ukraine accounts after weeks of near-total silence from the frontlines as troops carried out their attacks against Russia.

But now, as they take territory and capture dozens of towns, footage documenting their battlefield heroics has been released.

Two particularly dramatic pieces of footage show American-made Humvees leading a charge across fields in Kherson as Russian artillery shells drop around them.

Navigating between shell-holes and what appear to be destroyed or abandoned Russian vehicles, the Humvees reach a tree-line and unload dozens of troops who then continue the attack.

More footage shows Ukrainian soldiers riding on top of an armoured vehicle somewhere along a forest road in Kherson when they strike two mines.

The troops scramble off the top of the vehicle and into a nearby ditch where they begin firing into nearby trees thinking they are being shot at.

Fortunately, it appears that whichever Russian troops laid the mines were not nearby at the time - and that none of the Ukrainian soldiers were hurt.

Summing up three days of intense action in Kherson, British military intelligence said: 'Ukrainian units have pushed the front line forwards by up to 20km (12 miles).

Ukrainian soldiers hunker down as the armoured vehicle they are riding on the top of is struck by two mines, though fortunately nobody is hurt

Ukrainian soldiers open fire thinking they are being ambushed by Russia soldiers, though it appears there were no Kremlin troops nearby

Having realised they are not being attacked, Ukraine's troops regroup in a roadside ditch somewhere in southern Kherson

Putin 'wants to take the world with him when he dies' and 'the decision about using tactical nukes has already been made', says political expert behind claims over Vladimir's health By Will Stewart for MailOnline Vladimir Putin wants to take the world with him when he dies, and has already taken the decision to use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, an 'expert' on his 'failing health' has said. Political scientist Valery Solovey, a former professor at Moscow's prestigious Institute of International Relations [MGIMO], made the sensational claims ahead of the Russian despot marking his 70th birthday on Friday. This comes as Russian Orthodox churches have been ordered to hold special prayer services for his health on Saturday, despite the Kremlin insisting he is healthy. 'The decision in principle about the use or demonstration of tactical nuclear weapons has been made,' said Dr Solovey, who has been consulted by Western embassies in Moscow after making claims over Putin's medical condition. 'The question is how, when and where. I have no doubts we will end up on the edge of death, but I know we will be able to back off. We will be able to go through this.' He claimed the current situation is more dangerous and closer to 'nuclear apocalypse' than during the Cuban missile crisis during the Cold War. 'The cause is the Russian president Vladimir Putin who seriously intends to demonstrate the capabilities of nuclear weapons - tactical nuclear weapons,' he said. 'Putin cannot allow himself to be defeated. He has two tools left in his sleeve - mobilisation, which he is using [and] nuclear weapons.' Dr Solovey said Putin is in 'very poor physiological health'. He has long claimed that the Russian warmonger is suffering from serious illnesses including cancer, Parkinson's disease and a schizoaffective disorder. This has been disputed by Western intelligence, with the director of the CIA William Burns saying in July that Putin is 'entirely too healthy', although acknowledged this was an informal assessment of the Russian leader's health. Speculation around Putin's health has been rife in recent years, especially with the increased attention he has recieved since ordering the invasion of Ukraine. In July, the Russian president was pictured awkwardly swatting mosquitos from his face. Similarly, at a huge Victory Day parade in Moscow in May, he appeared to walk with a limp and had a blanket over his lap, while in April he was seen gripping a table during a televised meeting with his defence minister. Meanwhile, fears are growing that Putin may resort to more drastic measures in an attempt to win the war he began on February 24. Even as the Kremlin moved to absorb parts of Ukraine in a sharp escalation of the conflict, the Russian military suffered new defeats that highlighted its deep problems on the battlefield and opened rifts at the top of the Russian government. The setbacks have badly dented the image of a powerful Russian military and added to the tensions surrounding an ill-planned mobilization. They have also fueled fighting among Kremlin insiders and left Putin increasingly cornered. 'The president is not able to adequately assess the situation and make proper decisions,' Solovey said in a new video as Putin marks in 70th birthday in his home city St Petersburg. 'The state of his health is such that he has a very strong desire to take the world with him. 'He knows that he will pass away in a limited time - and how is it possible for the world to carry on without him? Why should the world exist without its genius leader Vladimir Putin?' he asked sarcastically. Dr Solovey warned the West in a new video he posted not to rely on senior Kremlin officials intervening to stop him going nuclear. 'Don't be deluded, do not hope that someone in the Russian establishment will stop Putin,' he said. 'These people are resigned [to the idea] Putin will take this first step.' Russia has multiple options on firing tactical - or battlefield - nuclear weapons if Putin gives the order despite the strongest warnings from the West that he will face immense retaliation. One possibility is his nuclear capable Iskander missiles. In May some were moved close to the border with Finland, while they have also been deployed with conventional warheads during the Ukrainian war. Dr Solovey - who is not a medical doctor but claims to have sources in high Kremlin circles - claimed last week that Putin's health is 'dramatically deteriorating'. 'Modern therapy, targeted therapy for oncological diseases, is of such quality that you will be working until literally the last few hours,' he said. He was asked about CIA director William Burns saying that Putin - far from being ill - was 'too healthy'. Solovey replied this was a 'perfect example of Anglo-Saxon sarcasm' adding: 'The Americans know what's happening to [Putin]. 'They know the real situation, and they are actually concerned because of it.' Solovey's comments came as reports said that the Orthodox Church, led by close Putin supporter Patriarch Kirill, is to hold special prayer sessions for the president's health the day after his 70th birthday. Putin is due in St Petersburg to meet leaders of ex-Soviet states on his birthday. The Kremlin has said Putin is in good health. Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky defiantly said Thursday that his country must fend off Moscow's invasion 'so that Russian tanks do not advance on Warsaw or again on Prague'. Addressing a meeting in Prague of European heads of state convened by French President Emmanuel Macron, Zelensky also called on Western capitals to supply his army with more weapons 'to punish the aggressor'. The EU on Thursday imposed its latest round of sanctions on Russia, expanding bans on trade and individuals over Moscow's annexation of four Ukrainian regions. The measures, which came into force with their publication in the bloc's official administrative gazette, also pointed the way to an oil price cap on Russian crude transported around the world but only after details are worked out within the G7 group of nations. On the ground in Ukraine, relying on Western-supplied weapons, Ukraine has followed up on last month's gains in the northeastern Kharkiv region by pressing deeper into occupied areas and forcing Russian troops to withdraw from the city of Lyman, a key logistical hub. The Ukrainian army has also unleashed a broad counteroffensive in the south, capturing a string of villages on the western bank of the Dnieper River and advancing toward the city of Kherson. The Ukrainian gains in the Kherson region followed relentless strikes on the two main crossings over the Dnieper that made them unusable and forced Russian troops on the western bank of the Dnieper to rely exclusively on pontoon crossings, which also have been repeatedly hit by the Ukrainians. Phillips P. O'Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews, predicted more Russian failures in Kherson, noting that it's 'hard to stabilize a line when your logistics are stretched, your troops are exhausted and your opponent is much, much smarter.' Pressed against the wide river and suffering severe supply shortages, Russian troops face a looming defeat that could set the stage for a potential Ukrainian push to reclaim control of the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014. 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Russian forces 'have typically broken contact and withdrawn' rather than stand and fight, the Ministry of Defence said, though added that Ukraine does not yet 'threaten the main Russian defensive positions'.

However, Putin's commanders have placed themselves in a difficult position, the MoD notes: To stay and defend the west bank of the Dnipro as Putin is thought to have ordered, or to retreat across the river to better positions on the other side.

It is thought there are up to 15,000 Russian soldiers currently on the west bank of the Dnipro, where Ukraine is attacking, with no easy way back across the river after Kyiv's men blew up the main bridges.

'Russia has committed the majority of its severely undermanned airborne forces, the VDV, to the defence of Kherson,' the MoD added.

'Russia has few additional, high quality rapidly deployable forces available to stabilise the front.

'It likely aims to deploy mobilised reservists to this sector.'

Relying on Western-supplied weapons, Ukraine has followed up on last month's gains in the northeastern Kharkiv region by pressing deeper into occupied areas and forcing Russian troops to withdraw from the city of Lyman, a key logistical hub.

The Ukrainian army has also unleashed a broad counteroffensive in the south, capturing a string of villages on the western bank of the Dnieper River and advancing toward the city of Kherson.

The Ukrainian gains in the Kherson region followed relentless strikes on the two main crossings over the Dnieper that made them unusable and forced Russian troops on the western bank of the Dnieper to rely exclusively on pontoon crossings, which also have been repeatedly hit by the Ukrainians.

Phillips P. O'Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews, predicted more Russian failures in Kherson, noting that it's 'hard to stabilize a line when your logistics are stretched, your troops are exhausted and your opponent is much, much smarter.'

Pressed against the wide river and suffering severe supply shortages, Russian troops face a looming defeat that could set the stage for a potential Ukrainian push to reclaim control of the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

Military reporters and bloggers embedded with Russian troops in Ukraine have painted a bleak picture of an ill-equipped and poorly organized force under incompetent command.

With the war in its eighth month, the Russian military suffers from an acute shortage of personnel, lack of coordination between units and unstable supply lines.

Many Russian units also have low morale, a depressed mood that contrasts sharply with Ukraine's well-motivated forces.

Unlike the Ukrainian military, which has relied on intelligence data provided by the U.S. and its NATO allies to select and strike targets, the Russian army has been plagued by poor intelligence.

When Russian intelligence spots a Ukrainian target, the military engages in a long process of securing clearance to strike it, which often drags on until the target disappears.

Russian war correspondents particularly bemoaned the shortage of drones and noted that Iranian-supplied drones have not been used for maximum effectiveness due to the poor selection of targets.

It comes as Russian missiles early on Thursday struck the central city of Zaporizhzhia, killing several civilians, as rescue workers clawed through rubble with their bare hands searching for survivors, AFP journalists reported.

'The Armed Forces of Ukraine have liberated more than 400 square kilometres of the Kherson region since the beginning of October,' southern army command spokeswoman Natalia Gumeniuk said in a briefing online.

She said that the recaptured territory was home to nearly 30 towns and villages that had been occupied by Russian forces for months.

Kherson, a region with an estimated pre-war population of around one million people, was captured early and easily by Moscow's troops after their invasion was launched on February 24.

Russian-installed officials have renewed a call for residents to remain calm, with deputy pro-Moscow leader Kirill Stremousov saying Kremlin forces were holding back the advance.

It comes as the EU imposed its latest round of sanctions on Russia, expanding bans on trade and individuals over Moscow's formal annexation last Friday of four Ukrainian regions.

The Russian foreign ministry said it had summoned the French ambassador to Moscow, pointing to the 'threats posed' from the increased military support Paris offered to Kyiv.

On Thursday, seven Russian missiles struck downtown Zaporizhzhia just 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the artillery battles of the southern front.

A woman, whose body was carefully removed from the rubble by rescuers, looked as though she had been asleep in bed when the building around her was destroyed.

'For the first time in my life, I feel pure hatred,' said Igor Osolodko, a 25-year-old musician, one of dozens of volunteer rescuers.

'It's absurd, it's unreal. We need to rely on our army and cope with this terror until it's all over, until we win,' he said.

Ukraine's military has also said it is reclaiming territory in the eastern Lugansk and Donetsk regions, which have been partially controlled by Kremlin proxies since 2014.

Ukrainian forces have made gains on the west bank of the river Dniepr that cuts through Kherson, but the Russian military in a Thursday briefing said its forces rebuffed 'repeated attempts to break through our defences' in the area.

Further west, on Ukraine's contact line with Russian forces from the Mykolaiv region - where Kyiv's forces had been hunched in fox holes for months and pounded by Russian artillery - the mood was shifting along with frontlines.

Bogdan, 29, from northwest Ukraine who re-enlisted in the military this year, has spent most of the summer holding the line in Mykolaiv some four kilometres from the Russians.

'We see their successes and it inspires us,' he said of Ukrainian advances elsewhere in the country.

'If some thought before that we weren't moving fast enough, well now that's not the case!'

'There is light at the end of the tunnel,' agreed commander Yaroslav, a sturdy 39-year-old man wearing a black cap.

The Ukrainian push deeper into Kherson is putting further strain on the Kremlin's announcement last week that it had annexed the territory - alongside three others - and that its residents were Russian 'forever'.

The four territories - Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk 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 percent of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Russian forces of 'deliberately striking civilians to sow fear'.

In Russia, opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza - jailed in April for denouncing the war - has been charged with high treason, his lawyer told the TASS news agency.

The UN nuclear agency chief was meanwhile in Kyiv to discuss creating a security zone around Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia atomic plant - the largest in Europe - after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his government to impound it.

Rafael Grossi said Thursday it was 'obvious' the Russian-controlled plant belonged to Ukraine.

Shelling has hit its vicinity in recent months, with Ukraine and Russia blaming each other for the attacks that have raised fears of a nuclear disaster.

Grossi is visiting the Ukrainian capital ahead of a visit to Russia.
Analysts believe Ukraine is now pushing forward on two fronts towards Beryslav

Ukraine says it has recaptured 29 towns and villages in the south over past week

Ukraine says it has recaptured 29 towns and villages in the south of the country over the past week after its forces broke through Russian lines, sweeping aside some of Moscow's strongest troops in another rapid advance.

The counter-offensive in Kherson, which follows a series of dramatic advances 200 miles along the frontline in the country's north-east, is a fresh humiliation for Vladimir Putin and his crumbling invasion.

In a rare public rebuke of the Kremlin's top brass, a Russian-installed official in the region poured scorn on Moscow's generals and suggested defence minister Sergei Shoigu  one of Putin's closest allies  should shoot himself.

Kirill Stremousov, a thuggish anti-vaccination blogger who was appointed deputy head of the annexed region, attacked the 'ministers, generals, corrupt looters and other various scum' in the defence ministry who were letting down their 'heroes' on the frontline.

He praised hardline Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a cheerleader for the war who has condemned military failings and demanded 'more drastic measures' such as 'use of low-yield nuclear weapons'. Putin has promoted Kadyrov to colonel-general.

One Ukrainian official claims Chechen units are being ordered to fire on retreating Russian forces  a chilling echo, if confirmed, of infamous Soviet tactics used by Joseph Stalin in the Second World War.

Videos on social media yesterday showed a Russian tank crew surrendering in Kherson and Ukrainians triumphantly towing captured military vehicles. In their chaotic retreat in the east last month, Moscow forces left behind hundreds of pieces of armour.

Videos on social media yesterday showed a Russian tank crew surrendering in Kherson (pictured) and Ukrainians triumphantly towing captured military vehicles

The footage shows three Russians getting out of the BMP-2 tank with their hands up in what seems to be an arranged surrender

Ukrainian forces have swept forward at least 12 miles along the western bank of the Dnipro river, having blown up key bridges to block supplies and thwart escape  and are trying to trap enemy forces in a bold pincer movement.

Natalia Humeniuk, a military spokesman, said Kyiv troops had liberated more than 150 square miles and were 'moving forward' in several directions.

She added that they were already confronting conscripts rounded up in Putin's panicked recent mobilisation, which has seen up to a million men flee Russia. 'They are not very well prepared and are used more as cannon fodder,' she said.

The counter-attack against the Russian troops, who have been pinned down for weeks under heavy bombardment and left struggling to replenish food, fuel and ammunition, is based on plans honed in the summer with American and British advisers.

But after struggling to advance for weeks, there are suspicions the Russian forces may be withdrawing to dig in around the city of Kherson.

Such is the strategic importance of Kherson, which supplies water to Crimea and is the gateway to Ukraine's Black Sea ports, Putin reportedly ordered generals to despatch the best surviving troops from their degraded forces to defend the region.

Russian-installed official Kirill Stremousov has spoken out against the 'ministers, generals, corrupt looters and other various scum' in the defence ministry who were letting down their 'heroes' on the frontline. Pictured: Russian troops surrendering to Ukrainians in Kherson

Analysts believe Ukraine is pushing forward on two fronts towards Beryslav, a city on the banks of the Dnipro about 30 miles south of settlements retaken in recent days. It is hoped this will slice the Russian forces in half and trap several thousand troops.

'If Ukraine reaches Berislav from two sides, they can envelop Russia's forces,' said Konrad Muzyka, a Polish defence expert. 'They would like the Russians to leave without fighting, so they are trying to create the conditions for them to withdraw to enable them to protect cities from the terrible destruction seen in Mariupol.'

Pressure is growing on Putin after he declared Russia's illegal annexation of Kherson and three other occupied regions following last month's sham referendums, only to see his spluttering military machine forced into retreat.

According to Ukrainian figures, Moscow has lost 61,330 troops along with 2,449 tanks and 266 military jets. Ukrainian soldiers admit they are sickened by the slaughter in battles against poorly trained and ill-equipped conscripts sent to the frontline.

'I have never seen so many dead, soon-to-be-dead and wounded people in my life,' said one fighter.

Yesterday three people were killed in missile strikes in Zaporizhzhia, the only capital of the annexed regions still in Ukrainian hands. There are fears the attack heralds a Russian onslaught on the city.

Additional reporting: Kate Baklitskaya
As Ukraines stunning counter-offensive against Russias forces gains momentum, so do fears that an increasingly desperate Vladimir Putin will unleash nuclear Armageddon.

In recent days, Kyivs troops have scored remarkable gains on two fronts, penetrating Moscows defences in the strategic region of Kherson and threatening to sever Russian supply lines.

The tide has turned in this seven-month war. And so, on the precipice of collapse as the former White House national security adviser General H. R. McMaster puts it, the tyrant is running out of options.

Vladimir Putin may be turning 70 today but he has little to celebrate. He looks unwell: his puffy face, awkward gait and hunched posture have prompted rumours of serious illness, even cancer. Putin is out of time, out of luck and out of options. Only a quick victory can save him. Hence the frenzied fears of nuclear escalation

Russias dictator has repeatedly rattled his nuclear sabre of late. But a chorus of experts increasingly fear he means it this time

This week a chilling video  possibly leaked intentionally  emerged on the social media platform Telegram. It showed a convoy of armoured vehicles moving through what appears to be central Russia. Immediately, the internet was alight with rumours that the troop movement signalled a mobilisation of Russias nuclear weapons programme

The ageing Russian President may be turning 70 today but he has little to celebrate. He looks unwell: his puffy face, awkward gait and hunched posture have prompted rumours of serious illness, even cancer.

Putin is out of time, out of luck and out of options. Only a quick victory can save him. Hence the frenzied fears of nuclear escalation.

This week a chilling video  possibly leaked intentionally  emerged on the social media platform Telegram. It showed a convoy of armoured vehicles moving through what appears to be central Russia. Immediately, the internet was alight with rumours that the troop movement signalled a mobilisation of Russias nuclear weapons programme.

Perhaps more alarmingly, the Belgorod, a Russian nuclear submarine armed with both intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and, it is thought, the Poseidon nuclear underwater drone  which could sink Western cities by creating a devastating tidal wave  has apparently put to sea.

Though nuclear submarines are regularly deployed, the timing is ominous.

In this fevered atmosphere, its clear why Polish president Andrzej Duda appealed on Wednesday to President Joe Biden to have U.S. nuclear weapons based in his country.

Russias dictator has repeatedly rattled his nuclear sabre of late. But a chorus of experts increasingly fear he means it this time.

As British veteran Major-General Jonathan Shaw put it this week: Putin has nowhere else to go. So we should expect nukes.

His warning is echoed by General Lord Dannatt, head of the British Army until 2009, who has suggested that Putin might launch a nuclear weapon into a desert . . . just to show hes serious.

U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin believes that there are no checks on Putin now and he might make yet another irresponsible decision. Nato issued a warning that a missile test  albeit with a dummy warhead  could be imminent in the Kara Sea, north of mainland Russia in the Arctic.

Meanwhile, Kyiv has said it is handing out potassium iodide pills  which block the absorption of harmful radiation in the thyroid gland  to evacuation centres in anticipation of a nuclear attack.

So could Putin really be planning the unthinkable? Or is he just trying to make us believe that he is?

Much may depend on the capability and loyalty of a single Russian military body.

The large convoy of armoured vehicles spotted on a train this week is believed to be under the remit of the 12th Main Directorate of the Defence Ministry.

As British veteran Major-General Jonathan Shaw put it this week: Putin has nowhere else to go. So we should expect nukes.' Pictured, Ukrainian forces advancing on Russian positions

So could Putin really be planning the unthinkable? Or is he just trying to make us believe that he is?

That bland-sounding name masks its devastating power. The shadowy department was founded by Stalins fearsome secret police chief Lavrentiy Beria in 1947 and oversees research, production, storage, deployment and dispersal of Russias vast nuclear arsenal.

This comprises almost 6,000 warheads  slightly more than Americas 5,400  protected by the directorates own private army, including BPM-97 armoured cars which can withstand mines and machine gun fire.

The 12th Directorate operates out of an anonymous office block in Moscow and has bases across Russia. Its thousands of scientists, engineers, technicians and logistics specialists work to bolster the Kremlins tattered claim to be a global superpower.

The Directorates world view has changed little since its foundation. Indeed, a former boss has lamented the democratic reforms of the late 1980s as the destruction of the state.

Secrecy is absolute. Almost nothing is known about Igor Kolesnikov, the Directorates chief since 2017 and seemingly a career nuclear-weapons specialist.

Yet like other elements of the Kremlins military machine, the 12th Directorate has been plagued by serious accidents. In 2019, five technicians died and others were badly irradiated while salvaging a nuclear-powered missile.

Its main achievement in recent years has been to boost Russias tactical (short-range) nuclear arsenal  delivered by artillery shells, depth charges and rockets.

Moscow has also built and tested a ground-launched cruise missile: the weapon abolished by the 1987 arms-control deal that ended the Cold War nuclear stand-off in Europe.

There is no denying the horrifying potential of this doomsday arsenal  but, mercifully, I believe we are still some way off the nightmarish scenario of a nuclear exchange between Putin and the West.

For one thing, there is no certainty about what the convoy of vehicles moving through central Russia actually signifies.

Much may depend on the capability and loyalty of a single Russian military body

Other units operate the same armoured cars. As Russian generals struggle to stem the Ukrainian advance, they are scraping together units from all over the country.

That could easily include the 12th Directorates counter-sabotage units, not the nuclear weapons themselves.

I have spent much of the past 40 years examining Kremlin decision-making. Though I worry deeply about Putins paranoid mindset, we should be clear: The real war  against Nato, at least  is being waged on our collective nerves. And it is only set to worsen.

Russias annual Grom [Thunder] nuclear exercises routinely take place in the autumn and usually represent a good chance for Putin to showcase his nuclear capabilities. We can expect more of that this year.

Threatening to unleash Armageddon is one thing but, under Russian military doctrine, nuclear weapons may be detonated only in response to a nuclear attack, and in a conventional war only if the country faces an existential threat.

Putins failures in Ukraine and the thwarting of his grandiose imperial pretensions are certainly humiliating. But nobody is trying to destroy Russia (at least from outside: its collapse from Kremlin misrule is all too possible).

Just as crucially, Putin cannot launch an attack at will: the Russian system has human and other safeguards to restrain a demented or impetuous leader.

There is also doubt over whether Russias nuclear weapons would even work. Western and Chinese intelligence have studied the Kremlins nuclear command and control minutely  and the possibilities of sabotaging it.

Regardless, any use of nuclear weapons by Putin, however limited and however far away from the battlefield or Nato territory, would bring stunning retribution. Amid worldwide panic and fury, Russia would instantly face North Korean-style isolation.

The retired U.S. General and former CIA chief David Petraeus said last week that a U.S.-led Nato response would take out 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.

Our cyber-arsenal would be deployed, too. A U.S. president could order computer giants such as Microsoft, Apple and Google to disable almost every electronic device in Russia, bringing the economy to an instant, grinding halt.

Under any rational calculation, then, playing the nuclear card would make things worse for Putin

Under any rational calculation, then, playing the nuclear card would make things worse for Putin.

It is only at the doomsday level  the exchange of strategic nuclear weapons  that Russia is a potential match for the United States. Yet any country that engages in such a contest will itself be a smoking wasteland at its end.

So, although the stakes are high, we must observe Russias manoeuvres and mind games with a dose of scepticism  and face down Putins maniacal threats.
The Duchess of Sussex said she was grateful for the work as she tried to break through as an actress and 'pay the bills' - but disliked 'how it made me feel, which was not smart' because 'I didn't like feeling forced to be all looks'. Speaking on her new Archetypes podcast with Paris Hilton, called 'Breaking Down the Bimbo', Meghan said that she wants her own daughter Lilibet to be valued first for her brain - rather than her beauty. The Duchess, who appeared in 34 episodes of Deal or No Deal (main picture and left) between 2006 and 2007, said: 'I want our daughter to aspire to be slightly higher. Yeah, I want my Lili to want to be educated and want to be smart and to pride herself on those things'. Meghan appeared on season two of NBC's Deal or No Deal 16 years ago. She first stood beside briefcase number 11 for two episodes, then moved to number 24. She left the show midway through the season. She said: 'I ended up quitting the show. I was so much more than what was being objectified on the stage. I didn't like feeling forced to be all looks. And little substance. And that's how it felt for me at the time being reduced to this specific archetype the word bimbo'. The California-based royal revealed that she and the other women on the show were forced to 'line up' for various beauty treatments including 'padding in your bra', to attach fake eyelashes and 'put in' hair extensions. She said: 'We were even given spray-tan vouchers each week because there was a very cookie cutter idea, of precisely what we should look like. It was solely about our beauty'. She said that a woman 'in charge' of the show would tell Meghan to 'suck it in' before filming began, presumably an order to suck in her stomach on camera.
Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse is the sole finalist to become president of the University of Florida, the school said Thursday, and the Republican senator indicated he will take the job.

Fox News reported that Sasse would resign his seat in December - after the midterm elections - and could start the job as early as February.

Sasse successfully ran for re-election in 2020, and so his term wasn't to be up until 2027. But a number of Republicans outside the MAGA bubble have decided to call it quits on Capitol Hill.

Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse is the sole finalist to become president of the University of Florida, the school said Thursday, and the Republican senator indicated he will take the job

Sen. Ben Sasse is set to tour the University of Florida's campus on Monday to meet with students, faculty and other members of the university community, the school said

Sasse was among the seven Republican senators to vote in favor of former President Donald Trump's second impeachment - over the incitement of the January 6 insurrection.

Sasse's former aide Ian Swanson said Trump remaining at the center of the party helped motivate the Nebraska Republican's exit.

'I think the other part of it is, some people just don't like being a United States senator,' Swanson said in a radio interview Thursday.

The school said in a statement that its presidential search committee had unanimously recommended Sasse as the sole finalist.

The decision will have to be be voted on by the school's board of trustees and then confirmed by the board of governors.

He is to visit the campus on Monday to meet with students, faculty and other members of the university community, the school said.

In a statement released by the school, Sasse said he was 'thrilled about the opportunity to work alongside one of the nation's most outstanding faculties.'

Sasse was president of Midland University, a Christian school in eastern Nebraska, before he ran for the Senate.

In a separate tweet, Sasse said he had been pursued by other universities but 'this time is different because the University of Florida is very different.'

'If UF wants to go big, I'm excited about the wide range of opportunities,' he said.
Brittany Higgins has admitted to deleting photos from her phone before handing it to police - because 'wanted to scrub all the horrible parts of my life out'.

It comes as the former political staffer was grilled in court over the night where she was allegedly raped, including questions about whether she had vomit stains on her dress.

The former Liberal staffer is the first witness in the criminal trial of Bruce Lehrmann, who she alleges sexually assaulted her in Parliament House after a boozy night out in March, 2019. Mr Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty.

On Friday morning, the fourth day of her high-profile rape trial, Ms Higgins was cross-examined by defence lawyer Steven Whybrow about what she told the Australian Federal Police during a meeting in parliament on April 1.

'Do you recall telling police you had gone to a medical centre and had tests done but no results have come back?' Mr Whybrow asked.

Ms Higgins replied: 'No. I had intention of going to medical centres, but the moment I left work I was collapsing.

'I'd been raped days before. I was somehow making it to work in the same office I'd been raped in... I was by myself.'

Brittany Higgins is pictured (in white) outside court on Friday as she arrives for day four of her rape trial against her former colleague

Ms Higgins (pictured) said the phone conversation she recorded with with then-employment minister Michaelia Cash was the 'weirdest' call she had ever had.

Mr Whybrow continued: 'Did you tell cops you had vomit stains all down your dress?'

'I don't recall. I was on my hands and knees on the minister's floor and I vomited into the minister's toilet,' Ms Higgins replied.

Mr Whybrow asked Ms Higgins if she told police that she 'became aware of the smell of sex?'

Ms Higgins replied: 'Broadly accurate. I don't remember the specific conversation, it was traumatising, but I believe those word to that effect.'

Mr Whybrow continued: 'Might you have said to police that you had vomit stains all down your dress?'

Ms Higgins responded: 'I had fallen over in the previous venue so I had grass stains on my dress and I vomited in the minister's bathroom.'

Mr Whybrow then asked Ms Higgins when said she had grass stains on her dress, to which she told the court: 'It has been widely reported I had grass stains on my dress.'

Ms Higgins said she could not remember whether she had vomit stains on her dress.

When asked whether she told police during April 1 meeting that she did not want to proceed with the allegations and make a statement, Ms Higgins said: 'I was still tossing it up. I didn't want them to action anything yet. I'd just had a very intense conversation with Ms Reynolds and my chief of staff.'

Ms Higgins was referencing a meeting she had with former defence minister Senator Linda Reynolds and her chief-of-staff Fiona Brown in the office office where alleges she was raped by Mr Lehrmann.

Former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann arrives at the ACT Supreme Court in Canberra on Friday

On April 9, 2019 - the day after she told detectives she did not want to make a statement - she sent a text to he former lover Ben Dillaway that said: 'I'm not interested in pursuing it but it's all beyond strange'.

Ms Higgins told the court: 'I remember sending it. As much as I trusted and adored Ben, he was sill a senior advisor to a cabinet minister to so I didn't trust that it wouldn't get around. I disclosed some things to him but I didn't trust that all my thoughts and feelings wouldn't' get back to liberal HQ.'

Mr Whybrow asked: 'Do you remember deleting that message off your phone before you gave it to police?'

Ms Higgins replied: 'Potentially. Any photo of when I was 16 and had alcohol in my hand I cleared off my phone. Just as a point - I never wanted to see Linda's face again so I cleared photos of her.

'I wanted to scrub all the horrible parts of my life out. I don't remember when I did it.'

Mr Whybrow put to Ms Higgins that she continually refused to hand her phone over to police despite being asked on several occasions in 2021.

He suggested she had an appointment with police to hand her phone over on March 21, 2021, but she did not go to the appointment due to an 'urgent legal matter... a defamation incident with Ms Reynolds,' he told the court.

'Ah yes,' Ms Higgins replied. 'Lying cow. I remember,' she added, referring to reports Senator Reynolds had called her 'a lying cow' in February 2021.

Ms Higgins agreed that she did not hand over her phone for a number of weeks, despite being asked to, but broke down on the stand when explaining why.

'I was terrified on the basis that, [on the week of May 21] I found out that the moment I reengaged with police that any politically sensitive matters that are within the remit of police gets reported to the Home Affairs minister,' she told the court

Brittany Higgins told the court she secretly recorded a conversation with then-employment minister Michaelia Cash (pictured) in 2021

Ms Higgins said former home affairs minister Peter Dutton had information about her allegations before she made her official police statement.

'I was very scared,' she told the court.

'I was seeking legal advice to know my rights because I was terrified.'

On Thursday, the court heard Ms Higgins secretly recorded a phone conversation with her former boss and then-employment minister Michaelia Cash in 2021, which she described as 'the weirdest call of my life'.

Ms Higgins initially worked for Senator Reynolds, but took a job as a junior media advisor with Senator Cash after the 2019 election.

Ms Higgins, now 27, told the court under cross-examination that the senator was pretending she didn't know about the alleged rape during the phone call - despite having spoken about it previously.

'It was ridiculous. It was the weirdest phone call I have ever had in my life,' she said.

Mr Whybrow put to Ms Higgins on Thursday that she had sent the recording to multiple people, including journalists, to begin backgrounding for the story.

But Ms Higgins said it was for her legal protection, so she could corroborate her story.

'I was trying to give [the recording] to as many people as possible to have them just so that they existed,' she said.

'It's my word against a cabinet minister's, and the power disparity between those two is ridiculous.'

Ms Higgins also recorded a conversation with Senator Cash's former chief of staff Daniel Try without his knowledge and sent it to journalist Samantha Maiden, but stated it should not be published.

During that conversation, Ms Higgins told the court the chief of staff referred to another sexual assault within the Liberals that was never reported.

The court also heard Ms Higgins recorded the conversations after a six-hour interview with Lisa Wilkinson for The Project on February 2, 2021.

Brittany Higgins sent texts about the alleged rape to former lover Ben Dillaway (pictured)

She said Ms Wilkinson and Ms Maiden were 'fighting' over when her story would be released.

'Who got the exclusive drop so that come Walkley's time, who could claim what and so it became not even about me or my story,' she told the court.

Ms Maiden won the Gold Walkley in 2021 - Australian journalisms highest honour, while Ms Wilkinson was awarded a Logie this year.

Ms Higgins said Ms Wilkinson was 'quite angry' about the timing of their interview on The Project.

Mr Whybrow put to her that she did the interview to hurt the Liberal party right before an election, but Ms Higgins said she simply wanted to talk about a 'cultural problem' within Parliament.

'I thought I'd do one print and one TV and then I'd go back to uni and disappear,' she explained.

Ms Higgins told the court The Project host was 'quite angry' when the interview was aired on February 15 because it was a Monday, and Ms Wilkinson did not typically work on Mondays.

After both stories dropped, Ms Higgins said she was inundated with media requests.

The court heard she prepared a timeline of events to give to police and, while she was 'passed out on Valium' due to the stress of the media whirlwind, her partner David Sharaz made the decision to give the timeline to two journalists.

Brittany Higgins recorded an interview with Lisa Wilkinson (pictured) for The Project in January 2021

Lisa Wilkinson (left) interviewed Brittany Higgins (right) on The Project in 2019 about her rape allegations

However, she claims the timeline ended up in the hands of 'the whole press gallery', and that Mr Sharaz regrets his decision.

Mr Whybrow also quizzed her over a series of inconsistencies in her original testimony, including what she did with the white cocktail dress she wore on the night of the alleged assault.

Ms Higgins initially told the court she put it in a bag under her bed for six months before she 'symbolically washed it' and wore it once more.

However, under cross-examination it was revealed the dress was only under her bed for a matter of weeks.

Mr Whybrow presented Ms Higgins with a photo of her in the dress at Ms Reynolds' birthday celebration in Perth in April 2019 - less than two months after the alleged rape.

Ms Higgins conceded to the court that she 'was wrong', but maintained the dress was under her bed 'for a period of time'.

The trial continues.
Lori Vallow's trial has been suspended indefinitely, an Idaho judge ruled on Thursday, pending a mental health evaluation.

Vallow, 48, had been due to go on trial in January for the September 2019 murder of her children Tylee, 16, and seven-year-old J.J.

Vallow had become obsessed with the idea that her children were possessed and had become zombies, and needed killing in order to 'free' them.

She was arrested in February 2020 and in June of that year, the remains of Tylee and J.J. were found at the Idaho farm owned by Chad Daybell, Vallow's fifth husband.

Daybell is also facing trial over the killings.

Judge Steven Boyce, district judge for Fremont County in Idaho, wrote that the case was 'suspended until a determination of Mrs Daybell's competency to stand trial.'

Lori Vallow pleaded not guilty to murdering her children during a court appearance in April

Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, left, and Tylee Ryan, right, were last seen in September 2019. Their bodies were eventually discovered buried on Chad Daybell's property after a nine-month search

Lori Vallow (left) and Chad Daybell (right) were said to have extreme religious beliefs. Detectives believe the couple's 'belief system, lust and greed' also led to the deaths of Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow

He did not set a date for a new trial.

The case has attracted attention from around the world, and until Thursday looked to be progressing towards a January trial, as scheduled.

Last month Judge Boyce banned cameras from the courtroom, saying he feared the images could prevent a fair trial.

Vallow and Daybell are accused of murdering both children and Chad Daybell's former wife, and both pleaded not guilty to the charges, which carry a potential death penalty.

Idaho law enforcement officers started investigating Vallow and Daybell in November 2019 after extended family members reported her two youngest children, Joshua 'JJ' Vallow and Tylee Ryan, were missing.

At the time, JJ Vallow was 7 years old and Tylee Ryan was nearing her 17th birthday.

The couple had married just two weeks after his previous wife, Tammy Daybell, died unexpectedly.

The children's bodies were later found buried on Chad Daybell's property in rural eastern Idaho.

Tylee vanished on September 8, 2019, just days before her 17th birthday. Investigators said her body was burned and dismembered before being buried sometime the following day.

JJ was last seen two weeks later on September 23. His body was wrapped in duct tape and plastic and buried the same day, investigators said.

The couple was eventually charged with murder, conspiracy and grand theft in connection with the deaths of the children and Daybell's late wife.

Lori Vallow sits between her attorneys for a hearing at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho, on August 16

JJ and Tylee are seen smiling and hugging while standing on a boardwalk in front of a thermal feature at Yellowstone National Park in Idaho on September 8, 2019, with their uncle Alex Cox. It would be the last time that Tylee was seen alive

Prosecutors say the couple promoted unusual religious beliefs to further the alleged murder conspiracies.

Vallow's former husband, who died while the two were estranged, said in divorce documents that she believed she was a god-like figure responsible for ushering in the apocalyptical end times.

Daybell wrote doomsday-focused fiction books and recorded podcasts about preparing for the apocalypse.

Friends of the couple told law enforcement investigators the pair believed people could be taken over by dark spirits, and that Vallow referred to her children as 'zombies,' which was a term they used to describe those who were possessed.

Vallow is also charged with conspiracy to commit murder in Arizona in connection with the death of her previous husband.

Charles Vallow was shot and killed by Lori Daybell's brother, Alex Cox, who said it was self-defense. Cox later died of what police said were natural causes.

The Arizona legal proceedings are on hold while the Idaho case is underway and Vallow has not been scheduled to make a plea in the Arizona case.
In this file photo taken on May 2, Elon Musk attends the 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. AFP-Yonhap



Elon Musk and Twitter may reach an agreement to end their litigation in coming days, clearing the way for the world's richest person to close his $44 billion deal for the social media firm, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.



Musk, who is also chief executive officer of electric car maker Tesla, proposed to Twitter late on Monday he would change course and abide by his April agreement to buy the company for $54.20 per share, if Twitter dropped its litigation against him.



In their effort to end the litigation, the two sides agreed to postpone the billionaire's deposition in court scheduled for Thursday, the source said on Wednesday, but negotiations are continuing with a full resolution expected to take more time.



However, Twitter's legal team was yet to accept any agreement and Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick, the judge on Delaware's Court of Chancery, earlier in the day said she was preparing for the looming trial.



"The parties have not filed a stipulation to stay this action, nor has any party moved for a stay. I, therefore, continue to press on toward our trial set to begin on Oct. 17, 2022," McCormick wrote in a Wednesday court filing.



Musk's proposal on Monday included a condition that the deal closing was pending the receipt of debt financing. The potential agreement would likely remove that condition, said the source, who requested anonymity as the discussions are confidential.



Twitter's legal team and lawyers for Musk updated the judge on Tuesday with their attempts to overcome mutual distrust and find a process for closing the deal.



Two firms that were interested in partly financing the deal, Apollo Global Management and Sixth Street Partners, had ended talks to provide up to a combined $1 billion, two sources told Reuters.



An attorney representing a proposed class action against Musk on behalf of Twitter shareholders said in a letter to McCormick that Musk should be required to make a "substantial deposit" in case he again reneges on his commitment to close. He should also be liable for interest delaying the closing of the deal, said the letter from attorney Michael Hanrahan.



Representatives of Musk and Twitter held several unsuccessful talks in recent weeks about a possible price cut to his $44 billion deal to buy the social media platform before he reversed course on Monday, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.



Musk initially sought a discount of as much as 30 percent, according to the report, which was later narrowed to about 10 percent and ultimately rejected by Twitter.





Traders gather around a post as Twitter shares resume trading on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Oct. 4. AP-Yonhap
A move by Truss to trigger Article 16 would ramp up the tensions with Brussels

The Government is trying to rewrite a key part of the Northern Ireland Protocol

However senior French officials say truss must back down on Ulster Brexit row

France will allow Britain to strike an EU-wide migration deal conditionally

France will allow Britain to strike an EU-wide migration deal only if Liz Truss backs down in the long-running Brexit row over Northern Ireland.

Senior French officials told the Daily Mail last night that a pact with Brussels on dealing with asylum-seekers could be on offer if both sides end the spat over trade rules for Ulster.

The Government has been trying to unilaterally rewrite a key part of the Brexit deal with Brussels, the Northern Ireland Protocol, that effectively leaves the province behind in the EUs single market.

It depends on what happens with the Protocol. Everything is a bit linked to Article 16, said one source close to French president Emmanuel Macron.

Article 16 allows either side to take unilateral action if it deems the post-Brexit agreement is having a strongly negative impact on their interests.

Senior French officials told the Daily Mail last night that a pact with Brussels on dealing with asylum-seekers could be on offer if both sides end the spat over trade rules for Ulster

A move to trigger it would ramp up tensions with Brussels, and could ultimately lead to a trade war, with the EU possibly suspending parts of the trade deal that removed tariffs and quotas for goods.

But on September 15, Miss Truss instead extended grace periods agreed by the EU and UK in 2020 to allow lighter touch controls on trade between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland.

The comments came at a 44-nation European summit in Prague, first proposed by Mr Macron, which discussed the war in Ukraine, the economic crisis and illegal migration.

During the Brexit talks two years ago, Eurocrats repeatedly rejected British requests that would have allowed the Government to return failed asylum-seekers to the EU.

European diplomats told the Mail that a possible breakthrough on Northern Ireland makes it more likely that Downing Street could strike a deal on migration with Brussels.

A senior EU diplomat working directly on relations with the UK said the issue had been a showstopper when it came to ties with Britain. The Northern Ireland Protocol has been stopping progress on all other areas of cooperation, the diplomat said. If we can solve that, we can move forward on migration.

The Government has been trying to unilaterally rewrite a key part of the Brexit deal with Brussels, the Northern Ireland Protocol, that effectively leaves the province behind in the EUs single market

In a sign the relationship between Britain and France is on the mend, Miss Truss described Mr Macron as a friend as the pair vowed to work together to crack down on cross-Channel smugglers.

The two leaders said they had agreed to deepen cooperation on illegal migration within the bounds of international law, to tackle criminal groups trafficking people across Europe, ending in dangerous journeys across the Channel.

Talks between Home Secretary Suella Braverman and French interior minister Gerald Darmanin are set to restart within the next few days on how to prevent migrant boats from leaving France bound for Britain. The focus will be on practical measures to disrupt the departures and smash trafficking rings.

We will continue to cooperate with the British to prevent cross-Channel flows in accordance with international law, said a top aide to Mr Darmanin. We are in favour of a migration agreement with Britain, but it only makes sense in a UK/EU format.

More than 30,000 people have made the crossing in small boats this year, already surpassing last years record of 28,526.
The lawyer of a notorious socialite charged with trafficking meth, cocaine, and ketamine into Australia as part of a major syndicate has appeared in court with a cat.

Sydney lawyer Melissa Huseyin streamed into the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Thursday via videolink from what appeared to be her office.

She had been representing Anthony Hess, who was arrested in Melbourne in June during a joint Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police operation.

Sydney lawyer Melissa Huseyin had to contend with bad equipment and a bad cat during a Melbourne court hearing

Hess' high-profile associations include his former 'best friend' Married at First Sight star Stacey Hampton (centre) and ex-Mongols bikie president Toby Mitchell (right)

Hess is accused of attempting to import and possess 4kg each of cocaine and meth, and 1kg of ketamine and faces 25 years in jail if convicted

In comical scenes, Ms Huseyin maintained a straight face as her needy cat bobbed up on screen and proceeded to try and sit on her lap while she addressed Magistrate Kieran Gilligan.

Hess is accused of attempting to import and possess 4kg each of cocaine and meth, and 1kg of ketamine.

The former social scene darling appeared in court via videolink too, but unlike the plush surroundings of his lawyer, Hess appeared from jail.

With the swank suits he is accustomed to replaced by prison greens, the 43-year old had initially joined the hearing to find his lawyer stuck on mute.

Hess repeatedly yelled out at Ms Huseyin as she stared blankly down the screen.

When she eventually rejoined the hearing, matters went from mildly amusing to entertaining.

Told by Mr Gilligan Hess now faced a 'major trial', Ms Huseyin proceeded to refer to the respected magistrate as a lowly 'registrar'.

It was about then she was forced to contest with her nosey feline, whose head could be seen poking-up from behind her even after she had shooed it away.

With the matter promptly adjourned to allow Ms Huseyin to get her head around the 404 gigabyte-sized police brief, Hess interjected again as Mr Gilligan pondered handing over basic court documents to the media.

'Don't do it Mel,' Hess shouted at his lawyer, who expressed no issue about his charge sheets being shared.

Hess' alleged offending is no laughing matter, with the suspected drug dealer facing 25 years in jail if convicted.

Sydney lawyer Melissa Huseyin (left) fronted court with a needy cat

Hess, 40, is known for his ill-fated friendship with Married At First Sight star Stacey Hampton

Hess claimed the liposuction surgery in 2013 left him looking like a 'freak show' for eight years and so ashamed of his body he hid or edited his abs in shirtless photos. He had the damage repaired in Colombia late last year (bottom right)

The syndicate allegedly imported up to 15kg of drugs per shipment into Australia from the US and Europe.

Hess had been the sixth person arrested in the joint police operation.

Known for vandalising Sydney PR queen Roxy Jacenko's office as part of a long-running feud, Hess has worked in everything from an influencer to a sex worker.

Sydney lawyer Melissa Huseyin had to put up with a needy cat (stock image)

Hess denied the vandalism saying 'gay guys don't do graffiti' and the court agreed, but he was in November fined $2,400 after new video evidence was discovered proving his guilt.

His falling out with former BFF Hampton was no less dramatic with photos of the pair shopping last year critical to getting the MAFS favourite fined for breaching quarantine rules.

Since their messy parting of way they have not missed an opportunity to snipe at each other on social media.

In July he unknowingly spread the Delta strain of coronavirus to at least 60 people in a single weekend during a party bender in Los Angeles.

Ms Huseyin will remain behind bars until December 12 when he is next due-up at court.
An area around South Africa known to host Great White Sharks was absent of the apex-predators for about seven weeks after a group was viciously attacked by a pod of killer whales - and this behavior suggests sharks posses a flight response.

Only three studies have ever touched on a flight response among sharks, but the new paper released this month suggests the apex-predators did not return to their natural hunting grounds because they were scared off by the gruesome event that had previously occurred.

The discovery builds on astounding footage released in June that shows the first intense of an orca ripping out and feasting on the liver of great white, but never-before-seen clips captured by an overhead helicopter provided more details of the blood bath.

A pilot conducting tourist flights spotted five killer whales swimming together, but quickly separated to ambush four great whites in nearby waters - and at least two, maybe three, sharks were killed in one hour.

Footage captured by a helicopter flying off the coast of South Africa shows five killer whales attacking at least four Great White Sharks. The top middle picture likely shows a shark's liver floating on the surface before it is eaten by the orca

Dr Alison Kock, South African National Parks' shark expert, said: 'We first observed the flight responses of seven gills and white sharks to the presence of killer whales Port and Starboard in False Bay in 2015 and 2017.

'The sharks ultimately abandoned former key habitats, which has had significant knock-on effects for both the ecosystem and shark-related tourism.'

Although the clips show four sharks, beach-based observers reported several sharks in the area about four minute before the attack.

The study builds on footage released in June that captured the first instance of an orca whale feasting on a Great White Shark. The whale rips into the sharks abdomen and removes the liver before swallowing the organ

The footage from the helicopter (pictured) reveals what was thought to be an attack on one shark, was actually on a group and it lasted for one-hour

KILLER WHALES VS GREAT WHITE SHARKS Killer whales Size: Over six tons Length: Up to 30 feet Population: 50,000 Habitat: All oceans Lifespan: Up to 90 years Predators: Humans Great White sharks Size: 2.5 tons Length: Up to 22 feet Population: Fewer than 3,500 Habitat: All temperate coastal waters Lifespan: Up to 70 years Predators: Orcas, humans Advertisement

They said the great whites randomly started swimming in all different directions and same even moved into shallow waters of just six feet deep.

Scientists from the Marine Dynamics Academy, who studied the videos and authored the paper, determined there were a total of 10 sharks observed on May 16 when the killer whales attacked the sharks.

According to the study published in ESA journals, drones released eight days after the predation event only spotted a lone great white.

Cage diving operators who typically see at least three sharks each trip saw zero swimming in the waters 45 days after - and the operators did not observe a single one until July .

Given the well-documented, predictable year-round presence of white sharks in Mossel Bay, the sudden absence of white sharks for several weeks immediately after the predation event, supports a flight response by surviving great white sharks in the area, the study reads.

The combined footage also provided scientists with a window into how orcas hunt and kill white sharks.

On two occasions, orcas approached sharks closely and slowly, while the shark, instead of fleeing, stayed close to the the predator, keeping it in view.

This is a common strategy used by seals and turtles used to evade sharks. However, as orcas hunt in groups, the researchers believe it could be ineffective in this situation.

Co-author Dr Simon Elwen, a research associate at Stellenbosch University, said: 'Killer whales are highly intelligent and social animals. Their group hunting methods make them incredibly effective predators.'

Researchers collected data on the area days after the attack had occurred and found Great White Sharks were absent for at least seven weeks. This suggests sharks have a flight response

Previous studies have documented how new behaviors spread among killer whales over time through cultural transmission.

The authors suggest that if more killer whales adopt the practice of hunting white sharks, then the behavior will have far wider impacts on shark populations.

It is hoped that their findings will lead to the development of better conservation strategies for Great White sharks.

The number of sharks in open oceans has fallen by more than 70 percent in just 50 years.

Three-quarters of species are threatened with extinction - including the Great White - with factors including climate change and overfishing.
In a historic first, the House of Lords will host its first ever robot speaker next week.

Ai-Da, a 'realistic' robotic artist created and built in Britain, will speak at the House of Lords at the Palace of Westminster next Tuesday, October 11, at 3:30pm.

Ai-Da has cameras in her eyes and is able to converse and answer questions using a specially designed AI language model.

Addressing members of the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee, she will talk about whether creativity is under attack from AI and technology.

She will also give evidence as part of an ongoing inquiry into the future of the creative industries, such as arts, design, fashion and music.

Ai-Da, a 'realistic' robot artist created and built in Britain, will speak at the House of Lords next week. She's pictured here in front of the Bodleian Library, Oxford

AI-DA THE ROBOT ARTIST Ai-Da is an artificial intelligence robot built in 2019 that creates drawings, paintings and sculptures. She was devised in Oxford by Aidan Meller, a specialist in modern and contemporary art, before being built in Cornwall by Engineered Arts and programmed internationally She's named after the 19th-century mathematician Ada Lovelace. Advertisement

Those in attendance next Tuesday will include Baroness Gail Rebuck, Chair of Penguin Random House, and Lord Edward Vaizey, former MP and Culture Minister.

Ai-Da was devised in Oxford by Aidan Meller, a specialist in modern and contemporary art, before being built in Cornwall by Engineered Arts and programmed internationally.

The robot's capabilities were developed by PhD students and professors at the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham.

According to project leaders, Ai-Da will give a fresh perspective on the role of technology in creating art in the future, how AI art differs to what human artists produce and the limits of technology in creating art.

'Ai-Da challenges what it means to be an artist in a post-human world,' said Meller, who is director of the Ai-Da Robot project.

'Her abilities as an artist brings into question the foundations of the art world and the creative industries.

'Ai-Da's maiden speech at the House of Lords will help us to understand how an AI robot sees the world and what that means for the future of creativity.'

The female bot is described as a robot artist that creates drawings, painting, sculptures and even poetry.

Her speech at the House of Lords will explore the role of machine learning, machine creativity and AI within the UK's creative industries, as fears rise around the world about the ability of AI to replace humans.

One third of scientists working in the field of AI fear a catastrophe caused by AI robots, according to recent research by New York University.

Ai-Da, named after the 19th-century mathematician Ada Lovelace, was devised in Oxford by Aidan Meller, a specialist in modern and contemporary art

Ai-Da uses cameras in her eyes and computer algorithms to process human features, and transform what she 'sees' into coordinates. She then uses these coordinates to calculate a virtual path for her robotic arm, as it draws and paints onto canvas to create pieces of art

Ai-Da, who was named after the 19th-century mathematician Ada Lovelace, herself said: 'I believe that machine creativity presents a great opportunity for us to explore new ideas and ways of thinking.

'However, there are also risks associated with this technology which we need to consider carefully. We need to think of benefits and limitations, and consider ethical implications.'

The female bot already received media attention this year for painting a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II to mark the monarch's Platinum Jubilee earlier this year.

Ai-Da uses cameras in her eyes and computer algorithms to process human features, and transform what she 'sees' into coordinates.

She then uses these coordinates to calculate a virtual path for her robotic arm, as it draws and paints onto canvas to create pieces of art.

Her piece, 'Algorithm Queen', was layered and scaled to produce the final multi-dimensional portrait of the monarch.

Last year, she exhibited a series of 'self portraits' at The Design Museum London, which she created by 'looking' into a mirror with her camera eyes.

She has also had a solo show at 59th International Art Exhibition, entitled 'Leaping into the Metaverse', and participated in Forever is Now 2021, the first major contemporary art exhibition at the great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

Before reaching the exhibition, she was detained and had her eyes sealed shut by Egyptian authorities who thought she was a spy.

The experience allegedly inspired her to create a poem, entitled 'Eyes Wide Shut', which she recited as Oxford's Ashmolean Museum last November.
The Draconid Meteor Shower is set to peak this weekend, sending up to 10 shooting stars flying through skies over the UK every hour.

The annual display will be most visible in the Northern Hemisphere on Saturday (8 October), but meteors will start appearing from tonight (6 October) and could be visible until Monday.

To get the best possible view, experts suggest finding a place with clear skies and away from sources of light pollution like big cities.

'While most other meteor showers are best seen in the early hours, the Draconids are best seen in the evening, after nightfall,' said Royal Museums Greenwich.

Meteor showers are caused when the Earth travels through a cloud of cometary debris, putting on a light show for viewers on the ground.

The Draconid Meteor Shower comes from the debris of comet 21 P/ Giacobini-Zinner  a small comet with a diameter of 1.24 miles (2 kilometres).

Giacobini-Zinner lays down fresh pieces of debris every 6.6 years as it passes on its orbit through the inner solar system, and the meteors are formed when Earth passes through this debris field.

Unfortunately, there's also a full moon this year at around the same time, so viewing conditions are not ideal.

'The glare of the Moon will certainly make the skies less dark which is not ideal for stargazing generally, however meteors are still bright enough to see easily despite the shine of the Moon,' Jake Foster, Public Astronomy Officer at Royal Museums Greenwich told MailOnline.

Meteor showers are caused when the Earth travels through a cloud of cometary debris. In this case, the Draconid Meteor Shower comes from the debris of comet 21 P/ Giacobini-Zinner. Pictured, the night sky over Russky Island during the Draconids

The Draconid Meteor Shower The Draconid meteors are caused when Earth collides from debris shed by comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. The comet has a six and a half year long orbit that periodically carries it near Jupiter. The rocks, stones and dust particles, which can be as small as a grain of sand, enter the atmosphere, and friction with air molecules cause them to give off bright light. The best way to see the show is by heading as far away from light pollution as possible. They are best seen in the evening instead of before dawn as this is when the constellation Draco the Dragon - where the meteors appear to come from - is highest in the sky. Advertisement

You don't need any special equipment to see the Draconid meteor shower from the UK  observers just need to look up unaided and take in the widest possible view of the sky.

Generally, those in Northern America, Europe and Asia are the best situated to see the Draconids.

The best places in the UK include the renowned stargazing locations, also known as the three 'Dark Sky Reserves  Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons and Exmoor national parks.

However, you'll need to find an area with clear skies if you want a chance of seeing shooting stars.

The Met Office is forecasting an autumnal mix of wind and rain for much of the UK over the next few days, with some interludes of calmer weather.

Saturday is likely to be drier for most, with a chance of just a few showers in the north.

'There will be varying amounts of cloud on Saturday with perhaps the best chance of clearer skies towards the south and east,' Nicola Maxey at the Met Office told Mail Online.

However, she warned that the brightness of the full moon, which will be in the sky throughout the night, could mave viewing tricky.

'The main problem on Saturday night will probably be the full Moon, if the cloud clears, which might make it harder to spot the meteors,' she said.

The Draconid Meteor Shower takes its name from the constellation of Draco. It is best viewed in the evening just after sunset. The meteors fly in all directions through the sky when they arrive

TIPS TO SEE A METEOR SHOWER Meteor showers are best seen with a good, clear view of the stars on a night with no clouds. Try to find somewhere with dark skies, an unobstructed horizon and very little light pollution Make sure there are no direct sources of light in your eyes, so that you can fully adapt to the local conditions and ensure that fainter meteors become visible. Theres no advantage to using binoculars or a telescope; just look up with your own eyes to take in the widest possible view of the sky. Source: Royal Observatory Greenwich Advertisement

The Draconid Meteor Shower takes its name from the constellation of Draco, which is its radiant point  the point in the sky the meteors appear to come from.

Draco is a long and winding constellation, easily visible to people in the Northern Hemisphere, in the northern sky. It can be found lying above the Big Dipper and Polaris, the North Star.

The Draconids are best seen in the Northern Hemisphere, though it is still possible to see them in the Southern Hemisphere, especially if close to the equator.

That's because the radiant point for the shower almost coincides with the head of the constellation Draco in the northern sky.

The rate of meteors during the Draconid shower's peak depends upon which part of the comet's trail the Earth orbit intersects on any given year, according to Royal Observatory Greenwich.

'This year's Draconids will be relatively quiet compared to the more active meteor showers of the year,' Foster told MailOnline.

'This has been the case for the past few years as we have been passing through a sparser region of its associated comets path.'

However, he added that the Giacobini-Zinner comet orbits the Sun once every 6.6 years, replenishing its path with fresh meteoroids as it passes through the inner solar system.

'This means that every 7 years or so the Draconids are far more intense, capable of producing hundreds of meteors per hour,' he said.

'This is likely to happen again in 2025, as Comet Giacobini-Zinner comes close to the Sun once more. Some refer to these events as the awakening of the dragon.'

The Draconid Meteor Shower comes from the debris of comet 21 P/ Giacobini-Zinner - a small comet with a diameter of 1.24 miles (2 kilometers). The comet is pictured here in a shot by the Kitt Peak 0.9-m telescope on October 31, 1998

The shower takes its name from the constellation of Draco, from where in the night sky they seem to originate, which can be spotted lying above the Big Dipper and Polaris, the North Star

REMAINING METEOR SHOWERS IN 2022 Draconids - October 8-9 peak

Orionids - October 21 peak

Taurids - November 12 peak

Leonids - November 17-18 peak

Geminids - December 14 peak

Ursids - December 22-23 peak Advertisement

The observatory describes the Draconids as 'variable', meaning you can never be entirely sure what kind of light display you're going to get.

'In recent years, the Draconids have not produced any particular outbursts in activity,' Royal Observatory Greenwich says on its website.

'However, in 1933 and 1946 the Draconids produced some of the most active displays in the 20th century.'

National Space Centre says the Draconids typically produce somewhere between five and 10 meteors an hour, but in past displays there have been thousands per hour.

As the meteors made of ice and dust enter our atmosphere, they begin to burn up  putting on a light show for viewers but meaning that most never reach the ground.

The beautiful streaks seen in the night sky can actually be caused by cosmic particles as small as a grain of sand.

If the particle is larger than a grape, it will produce a fireball and will be accompanied by a persistent afterglow.

The Draconid Meteor Shower, sometimes referred to as the Giacobinids, is one of two meteor showers that grace the skies in October every year.

The other is the Orionids, which are set to peak in the sky on the night of October 21, between midnight and dawn.
Neurons were also not efficiently passing signals to one another because pathways between neurons appeared to be disrupted

Brain-like organoids grown from cells of an individual with autism reveal hyperactive neurons in their brain may contribute to the disorder.

Organoids are artificially grown masses of cells that resemble an organ and those used in a new study were developed to resemble the cerebral cortex, allowing scientists from the University of Utah Health to closely examine this portion of the brain that remains a mystery.

The seed-sized 'brains' were grown in a lab using stem cells from an individual with autism, allowing scientists to see how the neurons may differ in someone with the disorder.

Senior author Yueqi Wang said using the organoids could help researchers investigate what happens at the earliest stages of neurological conditions, before symptoms develop.

The seed-sized mini-brains (pictured) were grown in a lab using human stem cells from an individual with autism

To create the organoids, the team looked at how the brain develops normally and prompted the human stem cells to follow the same path.

The stem cells began as neuroepithelial cells, a specific stem cell type that forms self-organized structures, called neural rosettes, in a dish.

The cells were then left to grow on their own and over several months, the structures transformed into spheres and increased in size and complexity at the same pace a brain would develop in a fetus.

After five months, the team found the organoids had what looked like 'one wrinkle of a human brain' at what is seen in a fetus that is 15 to 19 weeks post-conception,' said Alex Shcheglovitov, assistant professor of neurobiology at University of Utah Health.

The team found the organoid had hyperactive neurons that did not efficiently communicate with others. Pictured is a slice of one of the organoids

The structures contained an array of neural and other cell types found in the cerebral cortex, the outermost layer of the brain involved in language, emotion, reasoning, and other high-level mental processes.

'We're beginning to understand how complex neural structures in the human brain arise from simple progenitors,' Wang said.

'And we're able to measure disease-related phenotypes using 3D organoids that are derived from stem cells containing genetic mutations.'

There is, however, controversy surrounding lab-grown human 'mini-brains,' as some researchers fear these organoids could eventually be implanted in animals to better understand neurological disorders and create a 'Planet of the Apes' scenario.

The warning comes from a team at Kyoto University who released a paper in 2021 highlighting a number of ethical implications that could arise with brain organoid research.

Tsutomu Sawai, an assistant professor at the Kyoto University, said: 'This is still too futuristic, but that does not mean we should wait to decide on ethical guidelines.

'The concern is not so much a biological humanization of the animal, which can happen with any organoid, but a moral humanization, which is exclusive to the brain.'

Brain organoids, first created in 2008, are 3D balls of brain-like tissue grown from stem cells  and usually from that of humans.

Other stem cell research is using animal tissue to grow organoids, called 'xeno-organs, which are transplanted into other animals.

The team spent five months growing the organoid. Pictured is it developing over one month

For example, scientists successfully grew a mouse pancreas in a rat and vice versa.

This groundbreaking work is paving the way for human pancreases to be grown in pigs that could later be harvested for human organ transplants.

The paper notes, however, these animals would carry out their lives as organ farms for the sake of humans.

However, Sawai said there is a more pressing issue.

'One of the biggest problems is transplants. Should we put brain organoids into animals to observe how the brain behaves?'

Sawai warns that doing so could result in the animals having enhanced abilities, which may sound just like Planet of the Apes.

The story has been a popular one since first being released in 1968 and then again in 2017 as a remake.

Planet of the Apes takes place on a distant planet sometime in the future, where three astronauts become stranded and learn the world is ruled by intelligent apes.

While growing whole human brains inside animals is not under any serious consideration, transplanting brain organoids could give crucial insight on how disorders like dementia or schizophrenia form and treatments to cure them.

The brain organoids have provided scientists with a new way of studying the human brain  to better understanding how it develops to learning how disorders develop.
A Michigan high school is the first private school in the state to deploy an artificial intelligence system to detect guns in real time

A high school in Michigan is the first private school in the state to use artificial intelligence to detect guns as part of its security system - amid the country's epidemic of school shootings.

Lansing Catholic High School is using state funds to pay for a video analytics platform from a company called ZeroEyes that builds AI systems.

ZeroEyes' technology is layered onto the school's existing video security equipment. AI and computer vision then work in concert with existing 3D satellite maps of a building - so that when a gun is seen, the exact location lights up to let officials know where the shooter is located.

The real-time AI alert system is meant to prevent gun violence.

According to Education Week, which has tracked school shootings since 2018, there have been 35 shootings in the United States with injuries or deaths this year alone. Thirty people have been killed and 76 injured in such incidents.

The AI system from ZeroEyes is layered onto the school's existing video security equipment and is meant to prevent gun violence

The system is layered onto existing security cameras and it harnesses AI and computer vision that works in concert with existing 3D satellite maps of a building

The system alerts school officials and first responders within a few seconds after detecting a gun.

By getting that information in real-time, security personnel can then lock doors or attempt to move people to safety. First responders can head in the direction of the shooter much faster armed with the knowledge of what type of weapon - or how many weapons - the shooter is carrying.

The most recent US school shooting was just this week. A student was shot and wounded by another student in front of a Massachusetts high school on Tuesday.

There have been 608 mass shootings in America so far this year, according to Mass Shooting Tracker.

'While we already have a robust security system, with campus-wide cameras and a lockout boot system, when I saw the ZeroEyes demo and realized how significantly it reduces law enforcement response time during an active shooter event, I knew that adopting the solution for our school was a no-brainer,' Dominic Iocca, the school's president, said in the news release.

ZeroEyes was founded by former Navy Seals and special operations veterans with a goal of preventing bloodshed.

When a gun is seen inside a school, the exact location lights up to let officials know where the shooter is located

By getting that information in real-time, security personnel can then lock doors or attempt to move people to safety

According to Education Week, which has tracked school shootings since 2018, there have been 35 shootings with injuries or deaths this year

The school did not share the total cost of the AI gun-detection system.

Video feeds from the system are monitored around the clock by former military personnel to verify their accuracy.

The system was also installed at Oxford and Vassar high schools in Michigan, but the company also aims to provide the technology to government agencies.

'We're certainly committed to our commercial and education business lines, and that always will be the core focus of the company,' JT Wilkins, ZeroEyes' VP of government solutions, told BizJournals.

'But the government work is just as important. When you look at the statistics of an active shooter incident, 25% of those active shootings happened on government property. So this is an opportunity for us to really develop that next-generation response capability.'

Captain Matthew Matuszak, the director of innovation on Minot Air Force Base, told the business publication that ZeroEyes 'adds an extra layer of protection for our airmen, radically improving our response times and ability to deter a potential attack.'

ZeroEyes technology is currently being used in 26 states and the company raised a $20.9 million Series A funding round a year ago.

ZeroEyes' system was also installed at Oxford and Vassar high schools in Michigan, but the company also aims to provide the technology to government agencies
Researchers have discovered a fossilized tooth the size of a human hand 10,000 feet below the Pacific Ocean that they believe belonged to a megalodon shark.

The maritime explorers who found it are conducting further tests to confirm their belief that the tooth belonged to the fearsome shark that roamed Earth millions of years ago.

Besides being the largest shark in the world, it was also one of the biggest fish to ever exist. The word megalodon itself means 'large tooth.'

The find took place as part of an Ocean Exploration Trust expedition to the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, an area that stretches over 495,000 square miles in the middle of the Pacific.

A large tooth that likely belonged to a megalodon shark was found by explorers 10,000 feet beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean

Besides being the largest shark in the world, it was also one of the biggest fish to ever exist. The word megalodon itself means 'large tooth'

'Awesome find alert!' researchers wrote on the trust's Facebook page to announce the find Wednesday.

'While examining nodule samples for our expedition to Johnston Atoll with Pacific Islands: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, researchers discovered this massive shark tooth!'

'We believe it belonged to the infamous extinct megalodon, but only time (and further lab analysis) will tell!'

The giant megalodon shark, which inspired the 2018 film 'The Meg,' is believed to have reached up to 65 feet in length with teeth that were 7 inches long - often as big as an adult's hand.

'Awesome find alert!' researchers wrote on the trust's Facebook page to announce the find Wednesday. 'While examining nodule samples for our expedition to Johnston Atoll with Pacific Islands: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, researchers discovered this massive shark tooth!'

Jack Cooper, a researcher in paleobiology at Swansea University in the U.K., told Newsweek that the gigantic sharks likely needed to eat as much as 98,000 calories per day to sustain their size

The earliest fossils found of the sea creature date to 20 million years ago.

The shark's jaws were lined with 276 teeth and it's thought to have feasted on whales, large fish and other sharks.

Jack Cooper, a researcher in paleobiology at Swansea University in the U.K., told Newsweek that the gigantic sharks likely needed to eat as much as 98,000 calories per day to sustain their size.

Scientists have estimated that its jaw spanned 9 feet by 11 feet wide, which is large enough to swallow two adults at the same time.

'The tooth very much looks like a megalodon tooth to me based on its size and serrations alone,' Cooper said.

'To my knowledge, this is the first tooth found in this area  or at least the first one publicly documented. If that's true, then this extends megalodon's range even further than originally thought.'

Megalodon fossils have been found in far-flung parts of the world, but there have been more sightings near North and South Carolina, Baja California, Maryland and Peru, according to researchers.

'What's particularly interesting about this location to me is how remote and way out in the ocean it is, compared to the generally coastal habitats megalodon teeth are found in. This suggests to me that the shark might have been migrating across the ocean when it lost that tooth,' Cooper said.

Megalodon fossils have been found in far-flung parts of the world, but there have been more sightings near North and South Carolina, Baja California, Maryland and Peru, according to researchers
Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to deliberately avoid walking across Manchester City's badge as he arrived at the Etihad for the Manchester derby on Sunday.

Video footage of the Man United forward, who nearly signed for City last season before he returned to Old Trafford, shows him side-stepping the badge on the carpet near to the players' entrance at the stadium.

Fans on social media praised Ronaldo for showing 'respect' by not walking over City's crest.

Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at the Etihad with the Manchester United squad on Sunday

Video footage shows Ronaldo deliberately stepping past Man City's badge on the carpet

I'm sure if Ronaldo stepped on the Man City badge you wouldn't hear the end of it from the media

pic.twitter.com/oVxymUiCDx  PRIME VINI JR  (@PrimeViniJR20) October 3, 2022

'He walked right beside it. A man of respect. He's goated in my books,' one wrote.

Another said: 'I'm sure if Ronaldo stepped on the Man City badge you wouldn't hear the end of it.'

Ronaldo, 37, is the latest high-profile star to go out of his way to avoid walking on the City badge at the Etihad, with Luis Suarez making a similar gesture before Atletico Madrid's Champions League tie with Pep Guardiola's side in April.

The Portuguese cut a frustrated figure on the bench in the Manchester derby as he was an unused substitute in City's thumping 6-3 victory.

United boss Erik ten Hag later bizarrely claimed that he had not brought Ronaldo on to the pitch 'out of respect for his big career'.

Ronaldo, 37, was left on the bench as City thrashed United 6-3 in the derby on Sunday

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of United's trip to Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League on Thursday, where Ronaldo is expected to feature, Ten Hag said: 'He's not happy that he wasn't playing Sunday, but that wasn't the question.

'The question was about his mood when he's around and if he's happy. Of course, he wants to play, he's p***ed off when he's not playing.

'I can't see that relation, that he's not coming when we're 4-0, 5-1, 6-1 down, I didn't bring him out of respect. It's nothing to do with what's happening for the future or January or next year.

Ten Hag said after the match that he did not bring on Ronaldo 'out of respect for his big career'

'I don't see he's unhappy. He's happy, he's training well, he's enjoying it. Everyone is training well, there's a good spirit, that's not the point, it's important as it's a base to work well.

'I never talk about my conversations with the players, it's between us, that's quite clear. Especially Cristiano, he's really competitive, as we all know. He's not happy when he's not playing.

'But I already said and I have to repeat, he's training well, he has a good mood, he's motivated and he gives his best, that is what we expect.'
Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn has admitted the club gave consideration to signing Cristiano Ronaldo this summer.

The Portuguese star made his intentions to leave Manchester United clear in search of playing in the Champions League.

Bayern were amongst a number of clubs including Chelsea and Atletico Madrid to be linked with Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo failed in his attempts to leave Manchester United for Champions League

But they all decided against signing the 37-year-old and he eventually stayed at Old Trafford as United were keen to keep hold of him.

Kahn has however revealed Bayern did think about signing Ronaldo for the good of the Bundesliga but they quickly 'dismissed' the idea.

Speaking to Bild, he said: 'We briefly discussed Ronaldo at Bayern and Dortmund probably did too.

'We also see the big picture of the Bundesliga.

Oliver Kahn has revealed Bayern thought about signing Ronaldo for the good of the Bundesliga

'Of course, superstars like Ronaldo are an important factor in attracting attention to the league.

'He is one of the greatest of the last decade. But we quickly dismissed that.'

Ronaldo has been limited to just one Premier League start this season and that was in the humiliating 4-0 loss to Brentford in August.

He is set to start in United's Europa League match against Omonia on Thursday and manager Erik ten Hag revealed Ronaldo has been 'p***ed off' due to being benched several times this season.

Ronaldo has been limited to just one Premier League start this season so far this season

He said: 'Of course, he wants to play and he's p***ed off when he's not playing. Clear.

'When you're here and you're happy, or satisfied, to be on the bench, this is not a club where you have to be, especially Cristiano.

'He's really competitive, as we all know. He's not happy when he's not playing.'
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.




Neil Armstrong checks into one of the

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Ooh, posh! says the taxi driver who picks me up from Uttoxeter railway station when I tell him where Im going.

The Duncombe Arms in Ellastone clearly enjoys a reputation locally as the place to go for a special meal, and its well-deserved.

Unusually for somewhere serving fancy food, it still has the atmosphere of a proper village pub. Pop into the bar and you get the impression that were you to return in a year, or even ten, the same regulars would be occupying the same spots.

Neil Armstrong checks into The Duncombe Arms (above), a 19th Century pub with rooms in the charming little Staffordshire village of Ellastone

'Unusually for somewhere serving fancy food, it still has the atmosphere of a proper village pub,' says Neil

The restaurant's reputation for fine food is 'well-deserved'

The Duncombe, a 19th Century inn, had been shut for many years until it was renovated and reopened a decade ago by Johnny and Laura Greenall. Johnny, a successful former amateur jockey, is a scion of the Greenall brewing dynasty and Laura is a former chef  a pretty good combination for a pub.

The centrally situated dining room, in which bold, modern paintings of cows and sheep hang on the exposed brickwork, is intimate and atmospheric.

Theres a cheaper bar menu with staples such as ploughmans, burgers and fish and chips, but the a la carte dinner menu changes regularly. During my visit, main courses featured dry-aged Cumbrian pork chop, charred cos lettuce and Nduja salami and Staffordshire lamb rump, sea beet, curried mussels and lamb bacon.

Neil dines on creamy chicken liver parfait and fennel crackers followed by hand-rolled nettle fazzoletti with young peas and nasturtium flowers

The centrally situated dining room is 'intimate and atmospheric', says Neil

I started with creamy chicken liver parfait and fennel crackers and, for my main course, I had hand-rolled nettle fazzoletti with young peas and nasturtium flowers. I followed up with the cheese selection, which included a couple of unusual and delicious Spanish varieties. In the dining room there was a party of very appreciative Americans visiting British friends  I couldnt help thinking how disappointed theyd be when they discovered that not all British restaurants are this good.

The full English breakfast the next morning was also excellent  bacon, sausage, a meaty field mushroom, perfectly poached eggs and both black and white pudding. It came with (and its surprising how unusual this is) really good coffee.

There are ten bedrooms in Walnut House, a stylishly decorated building adjacent to the pub itself. The rooms, all different, are elegant and cosy, with artisan wallpapers, Egyptian cotton bed linen, Roberts radios and Nespresso machines.

There are ten bedrooms in Walnut House, a stylishly decorated building adjacent to the pub

The bedrooms are all different, says Neil, with artisan wallpapers and Egyptian cotton bed linen

'At night the only sound was of an owl and occasional gentle baas,' Neil says of his stay

There are beautiful walks that can be taken from the pub, and the area is also a renowned centre for climbing and caving

The Peak District's Chatsworth House, pictured above, and Kedleston Hall are under an hour away from the pub by car

Neil writes: 'The Duncombe had been shut for many years until it was renovated and reopened a decade ago by Johnny and Laura Greenall. Johnny is a scion of the Greenall brewing dynasty and Laura is a former chef  a pretty good combination for a pub'

TRAVEL FACTS The Duncombe Arms, Ellastone, Staffordshire. Bed and breakfast costs from 195 a night (duncombearms.co.uk). Advertisement

My room looked out across grazing sheep and a brook towards the verdant Dove Valley.

Although the Duncombe Arms is next to a B-road, at night the only sound was of an owl and occasional gentle baas. Ellastone is a charming little village on the edge of the Peak District, with Chatsworth and Kedleston Hall under an hour away by car. There are beautiful walks that can be taken from the pub, and the area is also a renowned centre for climbing and caving.

Ellastone has two major literary connections: novelist George Eliots father lived there and it is the setting for some scenes in her novel Adam Bede; and French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau worked on The Confessions while staying there in 1766.

And if you cant get a room in the Greenalls excellent pub, there is a luxurious three-bedroom cottage available to rent in the grounds of their nearby home, Wootton Lodge.
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Every week, our Holiday Hero Neil Simpson takes an in-depth look at a brilliant holiday topic, doing all the legwork so you dont have to. This week: the best city tours in Dubrovnik.

It's the jewel of a city on the edge of the Adriatic offering everything from cathedrals to cable cars and fortresses to film sets. Dubrovnik is also a top mini-break choice for autumn, thanks to blue skies, mild temperatures and plenty of good-value, direct flights.

Experts at the Croatian tourist office (croatia.hr) say that walking tours are the best way to discover Dubrovniks secrets and navigate its maze of narrow alleyways.

Dubrovnik is a jewel of a city on the edge of the Adriatic, and experts at the Croatian tourist office say that walking tours are the best way to discover its secrets

A great option for first-time visitors is Discover Dubrovnik, running twice daily at noon and 4.30pm in the autumn. Start point is the sixteen-sided Large Onofrios Fountain, one of the worlds best-disguised water cisterns.

You then pass the red-roofed buildings of the citys gleaming, marble-paved main streets on a 90-minute exploration of Dubrovniks past. Its a heady mix of art, earthquakes, invasions and Unesco-approved reconstructions.

Hear about everything from a Titian in the cathedral to city forts with drawbridges and 40ft-thick walls.

The Discover Dubrovnik tour offers a 90-minute exploration of the city's past. Above are Dubrovnik's imposing city walls

The Discover Dubrovnik tour starts at the sixteen-sided Large Onofrios Fountain, above, one of the worlds best-disguised water cisterns

Recent guests say that guides offer plenty of recommendations for places to eat and drink after the tour, including some cliff bars with views out to sea. Tour tickets cost 15 from guides or online. (dubrovnik-walking-tours.com)

Dubrovniks most recent claim to fame is as the setting for TVs Game Of Thrones. Whole streets, palaces and city gates were reimagined as the fictional Kings Landing and were used as more than a dozen key filming locations, from the Red Keep to the Battle of Blackwater. Dozens of companies offer GoT-themed walking tours, but guides on the two-hour Dubrovnik Game Of Thrones Tour may well offer more inside information than others  as many of them worked as extras on the set.

Expect to be shown stills and screen shots as you see locations from the early scenes in series one right up to the shows spectacular climax.

Dozens of companies offer Game of Thrones-themed walking tours, which take tourists to filming locations such as Rector's Palace (pictured)

In autumn, the tour takes place twice a day at 11am and 4pm and also starts at Onofrios Fountain. Tickets cost 18. (dubrovnik-walking-tours.com)

The perfect late-afternoon tour for foodies comes from a family-run company created by two food- and history-loving sisters, with culinary input from their mother and grandmothers.

Their Dubrovnik On A Plate experience takes you through the heart of the old town, stopping at different cafes, restaurants, bars and food markets for tastings. The relaxed, three-hour tour ends at about 6pm, by which point many guests say theyve eaten enough to skip dinner.

Dubrovnik On A Plate, a foodie walking tour, stops at different cafes, restaurants, bars and food markets in the heart of the old town

The sisters who run Dubrovnik On A Plate also lead a cooking class where you can learn to prepare dishes such as Dalmatian peka (above, file photo)

The sisters also offer a Pick, Cook, Eat cooking class in the countryside. Youre driven to a family home surrounded by fields, welcomed with Croatian wine and asked to pick wild spices before preparing dishes such as Dalmatian peka (lamb or veal baked under an iron bell). Home-made breads and local desserts are also included.

Food tours cost from 95 each, cooking lessons from 125 (dubrovnikfoodstory.com).

Recent visitors also rave about a unique, early evening Singing Tour & Dubrovnik Old Town Walking Tour led by a guide who sings in local choirs and teaches traditional songs. Evenings start with a bottle of wine under the plane trees of a restaurants waterside terrace, where youll learn about the citys history, churches, theatres and musical traditions. As you explore quiet streets and corners, you can hear your guide sing and are encouraged to join in a chorus.

The small-group private tour costs 150 for up to four guests (toursbylocals.com).
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These photographers will leave you wide-eyed with wonder.

Their work has been honoured at the Epson International Pano Awards 2022, the 'largest competition for panoramic photography' worldwide.

This year, the judges plucked the winners from 4,129 entries from more than 1,000 professional and amateur photographers in 98 countries. A shot of the Golden Gate Bridge emerging through the fog of San Francisco, a picture of an 'otherworldly' desert in Iran and an eye-catching Tokyo cityscape are among the photographs to pick up accolades in the awards.

However, it's Chinese photographer Jinyi He who has been named the overall winner thanks to a series of breathtaking photographs that were captured in Xinjiang, China, where he grew up.

Remarking on the award-winning pictures, competition curator David Evans says: 'What stands out this year is the quality of the entries, both generally and for the top placing images. The Pano Awards has always been about the journey of each and every photographer who enters. We can travel the world through their eyes and its the translation of each unique perspective into these works of art which seems to become more incredible each year. The year 2022 represents a leap in both creative vision and technical skill and I cant stop staring at the images!'

Below is a selection of the standout photography that impressed the judges  scroll down to the very bottom to see a shot by the overall winner

U.S photographer Ray Cao captured this breathtaking bird's eye picture of San Francisco. 'If you look close enough, you will see [the] Golden Gate Bridge, Salesforce Tower, Sutro Tower and even Mount Diablo,' he says. It ranks joint 28th in the Amateur Nature Landscapes category

Spanish photographer Pedro Nogales photographed this epic snowy scene in the mountains of Cantabria in northern Spain. The picture is fourth in the Amateur Nature Landscapes category

Nogales also snared this pink-hued shot - which is joint 33rd in the Amateur Built Environment category - of the ancient Spanish city of Toledo

Sliding into joint 44th place in the Open Nature Landscape category is this sensational picture of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, captured in the springtime by American photographer Greg Boratyn

U.S photographer David Swindler was behind the lens for this spellbinding shot of Chimney Rock in Shell, Wyoming, which ranks 13th in the Open Nature Landscape category

The 2022 Raw Planet Award goes to this astonishing picture of 'a dense cypress-filled shoreline on the side of a small backwater pond' in the swamps of Louisiana, captured by U.S photographer Joshua Hermann. The photographer, who was last year's overall winner, recalls: 'Fall comes late to the southern United States. It was a quiet Halloween morning when I paddled my kayak into the cypress trees to take this photo, and one of the first northerly cold fronts of the year had just rolled in'

Ranking joint 49th in the Open Built Environment category is this dynamic cityscape by Hin Kau Chan. Titled 'Geometric City', it shows the glittering lights of Hong Kong by night

An amazing bird's eye view of Hong Kong captured by native photographer CP Lau. It ranks 43rd in the Open Built Environment category

Guilin, a city in south China that's famous for its spectacular hills, is portrayed in this mesmerising picture by UAE photographer Mo Kamal. It places joint 15th in the Amateur Built Environment category

The dramatic Tre Cime di Lavaredo mountains in the Dolomites in northeastern Italy are the subject of this stunning picture by Spanish photographer Ricardo Gayan, which is joint 39th in the Amateur Nature Landscapes category

U.S photographer Nickolas Warner took this eye-opening picture of a desert in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, while on a camping trip. Catching the judges' attention, it places ninth in the Open Nature Landscape category

Spanish photographer Mariano Belmar Torrecilla snared this eerie woodland picture in the Spanish province of Albacete. It lands 13th in the Amateur Nature Landscapes category

Falling into 15th place in the Open Nature Landscape category is this beautiful picture by Vietnamese photographer Ky Nhan Cao. Titled 'Ripe Rice Valley', it shows the mountainous Cao Bang province in northeast Vietnam

This evocative shot bags the 2022 Nikon Australia Award. While flying over Aoraki Mount Cook National Park in New Zealand, Australian photographer Craig McGowan clicked the camera shutter at a moment when the 'mountains could be viewed through broken clouds'. He reveals that he could spy 'snow-covered mountain ranges for as far as the eye could see', adding: 'Some mountains were in full sunshine... others [had] a heavy cloud base hanging over them, obliterating the scene in front of me'

Landing in 50th place in the Amateur Nature Landscapes category is this enchanting picture of a wooded scene in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. When German photographer Jens Ober took the shot, conditions were 'perfect', with 'sun and clouds in the mix'. 'I can't wait to return,' he says

You can feel the chill in this shot of the snow-covered ruins of the 13th-century Lednica Castle in northwestern Slovakia. Taken by Slovakian photographer Marek Hajkovsky, it earns joint 41st place in the Open Built Environment category

Fog drifts over Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam, in this incredible picture - 20th in the Open Built Environment category - by Vietnamese photographer Ky Nhan Cao

Slovenian photographer Ales Krivec turned his lens on Slovenia's Lake Bled on a winter morning to capture this tranquil photograph, which takes 12th place in the Open Built Environment category

The isle of Kalsoy in the Faroe Islands was the setting for this magical shot - which ranks 40th in the Open Nature Landscape category - by Taiwanese photographer Yunhsuan Lee. Kallur lighthouse can be seen perched in the centre of the picture

This spectacular shot of Tokyo's skyline, with snowcapped Mount Fuji in the background, is fifth in the Amateur Built Environment category. German photographer Krzysztof Baranowski was behind the lens

Behold the recipient of the 2022 Curators Award, captured by German photographer Judith Kuhn. It shows the Alps in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland, an area 'known among wildlife photographers' for its ibex, a species of wild goat. Kuhn was on a wildlife tour when she witnessed the spectacular scene in the picture. From her vantage point at the summit of Burgfeldstand mountain, the view 'opened up to the northeast' and she saw hills and valleys 'stagger in the light haze in the backlight of the rising sun', she recalls

This photo of Argentina's Los Glaciares National Park is impressive, but it's all the more breathtaking when you learn that it was captured on a smartphone. Taken by U.S photographer William Lekki, it's the recipient of one of the 2022 Special Awards, topping the podium as the 'highest scoring smartphone' panoramic shot

Taiwanese photographer Shirley Wung snared this beautifully-lit picture of Taipei, Taiwan, which is joint 44th in the Open Built Environment category

Landing joint 35th in the Open Nature Landscapes category is this atmospheric photograph of Castle Mountain in Alberta, Canada. It's the handiwork of Slovenian photographer Luka Vunduk, who describes the peak as 'impressive', adding: 'It is like a defence wall'

Australian photographer Daniel Tang captured this striking picture by the coastal town of Kiama - which is known for its geological formations and blowholes - in New South Wales, Australia. The picture ranks 44th in the Open Nature Landscape category

A spectacular shot of the Kiama coastline by Australian photographer Timothy Moon. Titled 'Storm Surf', it ranks joint 28th in the Amateur Nature Landscapes category

New Zealand photographer Bikram Ghosh snared this picture, which is joint 22nd in the Open Nature Landscape category, in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island

A summer storm was passing over Monument Valley in Arizona when American photographer Elliot McGucken clicked the shutter and took this breathtaking picture, which is joint 44th in the Open Nature Landscape category

Australian photographer Callie Chee captured this picture - titled 'City of Emptiness' - in the 'strange, otherworldly' Lut Desert in Iran. It ranks 16th in the Open Nature Landscape category

French photographer Julian Elliott is the mastermind behind this spellbinding shot of Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. It ranks joint 50th in the Open Nature Landscape category
James Jordan has blasted 'pathetic' Steph's Packed Lunch bosses for 'stitching him up' during his appearance on the 's**t' Channel 4 programme last week.

The former Strictly pro, 44, has alleged his recent tweet about Ellie Simmonds, 27, the ballroom show's first contestant with dwarfism, had been taken out of context, which he claims should allow him to sue the broadcaster for defamation.

Taking to social media during the series premiere, James had tweeted: 'Ellie! I bloody loved it! Well done Nikita [Kuzman, her dance partner] - a full on routine - great timing and fun.

EXCLUSIVE: 'I should sue them!' James Jordan has blasted 'pathetic' Steph's Packed Lunch bosses for 'stitching him up' on their 's**t show' by 'misrepresenting' his tweet critiquing Strictly's Ellie Simmonds who has dwarfism

His tweet continued: 'She needs to try and consciously straighten her legs as much as possible. Loved the tricks. BUT she needs to believe in herself now.'

James' tweet, where he said he didn't think the Paralympian was extending her legs enough - sparked backlash due to her disability.

Fans were quick to point out that one of the common symptoms is bow legs, which would hamper the 4ft swimmer on the dance floor, and the topic was brought up by presenter Steph McGovern during James' chat on her show on Friday.

The TV personality admitted he's 'upset' that Ellie may read misconstrued versions of his comments, which he claims originated from Steph's Packed Lunch, however MailOnline has been told there is more to the story.

Drama! The former Strictly pro has alleged his recent tweet about Ellie Simmonds, 27, the ballroom show's first contestant with dwarfism, had been taken out of context

Supportive: James had written in his tweet: 'Ellie! I bloody loved it! Well done Nikita - a full on routine - great timing and fun'

When quizzed about the controversy during an exclusive interview with MailOnline, James read his tweet aloud.

Sharing his thoughts on the reaction by some, he said: 'If someone can read that tweet and twist it into something negative, they are the ones choosing to be offended.

'They've chosen to be offended about something that wasn't meant in a malicious way. And also, they have to remember I'm an expert, a former Latin dancer, so I've been dancing for over 30 years.

'I would imagine I know more than anyone that's moaned about that or been offended by that tweet. She was physically bending her leg so she wasn't straight with it. So it was just my way of trying to...

'I'm quite aware that she has dwarfism and that she can't have her legs as straight as I can, but if someone's bending their leg, it's technically wrong. So I was talking about a technical aspect with the cha-cha-cha and so somebody chose to be offended by that.'

Opinion: Taking to social media during the series premiere, James had shared that while he'd enjoyed her performance, he didn't think the Paralympian was extending her legs enough - which sparked backlash due to her disability (pictured with Nikita Kuzmin)

Directing his frustration towards the daytime show, James continued: 'I actually... you know what? This was made a thing from Steph's Packed Lunch.

'Steph's Packed Lunch, I don't know, maybe one of their researchers have gone out there and gone, "Right, we've got James Jordan on. Let's read through all his tweets, see if we can find anything negative that we can make a story out of because we've got a s**t show and we can't get a headline so let's try and use him to get a headline," and then they've tried to stitch me up in the process when all I had for Ellie was love and they've turned it around and made it look negative.

'What upsets me is that Ellie's gonna read all the stories saying, "James Jordan attacking Ellie on her dwarfism." No I didn't.

'That to me is bad journalism and I should be able to sue them for defamation of character, really, because it's pathetic that they've turned something so positive and nice coming from a nice place in my heart and then made it out to be that I'm attacking her. No I didn't.'

When asked whether he will indeed sue, he replied: 'No I couldn't be bothered but if Steph's Packed Lunch need to use me for their ratings, I don't know... maybe they need me to host the show possibly. James' Packed Lunch.'

The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant added: 'People don't stand up for what's right sometimes because they're too afraid to say things. It's the way the world's gone.

'I'm glad I'm not afraid to say what I believe in. Eamonn Holmes, for example, I find him so refreshing and he's so honest with the way he approaches TV.

'I think he's amazing, I find him brilliant, but we don't see him as much as we used to because he doesn't necessarily... I don't know what TV is really about anymore.'

Representatives for Steph's Packed Lunch declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.

Explaining: Appearing on video link with wife Ola and their daughter Ella, two, he had explained to Steph: 'I specifically put on there [Twitter] that I can see her dance sometimes with bent legs, I can see her bending her legs'

Appearing on video link with wife Ola and their daughter Ella, two, he had explained to Steph on Friday: 'I specifically put on there [Twitter] that I can see her dance sometimes with bent legs, I can see her bending her legs.

'I'm not saying her legs are going to go dead straight, I never said that, but she needs to be consciously thinking about extending her legs. She's actually bending into it when it should be straight.'

'This is where it becomes difficult. If you're going to have someone like that on there... I'm sure Ellie would want to be critiqued - this is just people jumping on the bandwagon '

He went on: 'She is on there representing dwarfism which I think is an amazing thing and actually when I watched her dance, out of everybody's, I found it really heart-warming.

'But I'm still going to critique her the same as everybody else and I actually believe the judges didn't critique her the same as everybody else, and I think that's a mistake.

'If you're going to have these people on there, which I think is great, critique them the same.'

When asked if he regretted his tweets, James insisted: 'I still stand by it. I meant it with no malice whatsoever and if it's offended people they've chosen to be offended by it.'

Elsewhere, James is supporting this year's Stoptober campaign, where he's urging smokers to stub out the habit for good this month.

Research shows that if you can quit for 28 days, you are five times more likely to quit for good, making October the perfect time to join in with the thousands of other making an attempt.

He said: 'I smoked for 27 years. My quitting journey has shown me that I am more capable than I thought, thanks to the support of my own family and friends and the professional help I sought.

'Quitting smoking can improve your health, quality of life and save you money. I am so glad I took this step, and I promise you, you will be too.'

James Jordan is supporting this year's Stoptober campaign. Quitting with Stoptober will boost your confidence and help you stay smokefree for 28 days by being part of a community and support network. For free support to quit, search Stoptober.
James Jordan has revealed he quit smoking after 27 years as it was his late father Allan's dying wish that he would give up the habit.

The former Strictly pro, 44, candidly admitted his 'hero' had urged him to stop so that he could be around to see his daughter Ella, two, grow up.

Despite his physically demanding role as a dancer, James found himself smoking a minimum of 20 cigarettes a day for nearly three decades, yet told MailOnline that his father and daughter were the only inspiration he needed to quit cold turkey.

Old habits: James Jordan has revealed he quit smoking after 27 years as it was his late father Allan's dying wish that he would give up the habit (pictured in 2008)

James confessed: 'It upsets me now to say it actually but I remember my dad saying to me, "I'm so sad I'm not gonna see your daughter grow up."

'And it just hit home really, "What am I doing smoking these bloody cigarettes? I don't need to do this. If my dad can go what he's going through, I can quit smoking for my daughter," and that's what I did.'

James' father Allan died in March last year after battling a stage four brain tumour - a glioblastoma. The tragedy came 13 months after James welcomed daughter Ella with wife Ola Jordan.

Heartbreaking: James' father Allan died in March last year after battling a stage four brain tumour - a glioblastoma. The tragedy came 13 months after James welcomed daughter Ella

Looking at the financial impact of his decision, he explained: 'I remember paying 12 a pack of cigarettes, the ones I was smoking. So I know I was pretty much spending 100 a week on cigarettes. Now if you go back, that's a lot of people's mortgages.

'It wasn't necessarily about the money, although it's great to be saving 400 a month. It was more for my health, I wanna be here for my daughter.

'I feel I've got my smell back. My taste is better, I taste food better, I feel more fit, I don't get as out of breath. There's so many great benefits in stopping smoking.'

James is now supporting this year's Stoptober campaign, where he's urging smokers to stub out the habit for good this month.

Research shows that if you can quit for 28 days, you are five times more likely to quit for good, making October the perfect time to join in with the thousands of other making an attempt.

He said: 'I smoked for 27 years. My quitting journey has shown me that I am more capable than I thought, thanks to the support of my own family and friends and the professional help I sought.

'Quitting smoking can improve your health, quality of life and save you money. I am so glad I took this step, and I promise you, you will be too.'

James Jordan is supporting this year's Stoptober campaign. Quitting with Stoptober will boost your confidence and help you stay smokefree for 28 days by being part of a community and support network. For free support to quit, search Stoptober.
Jemma Carlton has detailed how she transformed into killer Ian Huntley's fiancee Maxine Carr in the new Channel 5 drama Maxine.

The actress, who said she listened to Beyonce to de-stress at the end of filming, takes on the title role in the new mini series documenting the Soham murders through the eyes of Maxine.

The release date comes after 20 years after the murders of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both aged 10 at the time, took place.

Major role: Jemma Carlton has detailed how she transformed into killer Ian Huntley's fiancee Maxine Carr in the new Channel 5 drama Maxine

Speaking to The Mirror, Jemma said: 'I felt Maxine was a mountain to climb as a part, but wanted to see how I can push myself in a complex real-life role.

'I watched every documentary about Maxine that I could get my hands on, and read as much as I could.

'Understanding how she spoke, how her friends and mother were to her, all of that information helped form my take on how she would react in certain moments.'

Jemma said she was always 'so tried' after each day of filming the role and would listen to Beyonce to held 'de-robe' from playing Maxine.

Real life: The actress takes on the title role in the new mini series documenting the Soham murders through the eyes of Maxine

The actress said she spent a lot of time learning how Maxine moved and changed her posture and spoke in a more 'delicate' way to inhabit the character.

Maxine marks Jemma's onscreen debut while Line of Duty and White House Farm star Scott Reid takes on the role of Ian Huntley.

Steve Edge (The Madame Blanc Mysteries), Natalie Britton (Them) and Kate OToole (The Dead) are also included in the cast.

Relaxation: Jemma said she was always 'so tried' after each day of filming the role and would listen to Beyonce to held 'de-robe' from playing Maxine

Who is Maxine star Jemma Carlton? Born in the West Midlands, Jemma is a newcomer to the screen with Maxine marking her TV acting debut. She graduated from Rose Bruford drama school in London in 2019. The actress performed in and wrote numerous stage productions while at college as well as short films. She is recognisable from a string of high profile adverts for the likes of McDonalds. Advertisement

The plot will look at Maxine's tumultuous relationship with Huntley; why she lied for him and how she became 'public enemy number one'.

Episode one sees Maxine move to Soham for a fresh start with her boyfriend Ian but following a jealous argument with Ian, Maxine visits her mother for the weekend and enjoys a night out in her hometown of Grimsby.

She awakens to the news of the girls disappearance, and returns to Soham to provide Ian with an alibi.

A newly released trailer opens with a scenes of the police searching in long grass as they attempt to find the two missing girls.

Played by Scott, a desperate Ian is then seen with his head in his hands, shouting: 'I can't go to prison,' before Jemma, playing Maxine, reassures him that nobody will be going to jail.

She is then seen standing on the doorstep of their home, where a policeman tells Maxine: 'Your story might jog a memory, help find them,' to which Maxine smiles and says: 'We want to help, don't we.'

On-screen: The three-part series examines the police investigation into school assistant Maxine and her caretaker fiance Ian from Carrs perspective

Looking back: The drama tells the story of Maxine's tumultuous relationship with Huntley; why she lied for him and how she became 'public enemy number one'

Recreating real-life scenes which were broadcast to the nation on television news as she described the missing girls, Maxine says of Holly and Jessica: 'They were ever so funny. They were brilliant, they were kind to everybody.'

The police are then heard speculating that Maxine be keeping a secret, with a detective pondering: 'She used past tense because she knows they're dead?'

In further chilling scenes, Maxine is then seen practicing looking serious in the mirror after Ian shouts at her: 'You tell me don't look so guilty. You don't look so cheery!'

Search: The trailer opens with a scenes of the police searching in long grass as they attempt to find the two missing girls

Story: The disappearance of the schoolgirls, which happened after a family barbecue in August 2002, sparked Britain's biggest-ever missing persons' enquiry

The disappearance of the schoolgirls, which happened after a family barbecue in August 2002, sparked Britain's biggest-ever missing persons' enquiry - but came to a tragic end when their bodies were found dumped in a remote ditch.

School caretaker Huntley - then 28 - had lured the girls to his house and murdered them before dumping their bodies and burning their clothes.

His then-fiancee Carr who provided him with a false alibi - but was in Grimsby visiting her mother at the time of the murders - was jailed for perverting the course of justice but released in 2004 with a new identity.

Hunch: The police are then heard speculating that Maxine be keeping a secret, with a detective pondering: 'She used past tense because she knows they're dead?'

She was dubbed 'The Most Hated Woman In Britain' following the trial, which saw Huntley admit to killing the children, but claiming their deaths were accidental.

Channel 5 said in a statement about the drama: 'Maxine will examine the investigation of school assistant Maxine Carr and her caretaker fiance Ian Huntley, who was later imprisoned for the double murder of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the tragic case that shocked the nation

'The three-part drama will explore their tumultuous relationship through Maxine's perspective; why she lied for him and how she became public enemy No.1, as well as reflect the scale of the police investigation and subsequent media frenzy around the biggest manhunt ever seen in British history.'

Final photo: Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were murdered by Ian Huntley on August 4 2002 (pictured two hours before their disappearance)

Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Chief Content Officer UK, at Paramount, said: 'The series marks a new venture into the true crime genre for Channel 5 drama and will give viewers an in depth examination of Maxine Carr and her role in one of the most notorious crimes in recent British history.'

Mike Benson, Managing Director at Clapperboard added: 'Few crimes have embedded themselves in the national psyche more than the tragic events of Soham in 2002. It was a case which was unique in recent history in terms of the sheer scale of the media coverage and how this affected and nearly derailed the investigation and subsequent trial. We will explore this within the drama alongside the role played by Maxine Carr  dubbed 'The Most Hated Woman in Britain.'

Huntley was found guilty of killing both girls at his 2004 trial and later sentenced to two life terms, with a minimum 40-year tariff at the maximum security Frankland prison in Durham.

Murderer: Huntley had lured the girls to his house and murdered them before dumping their bodies in a remote ditch. He was a caretaker at the local Soham Village College and was arrested after the girls' bodies were discovered 13 days later

He was a caretaker at the local Soham Village College and was arrested after the girls' bodies were discovered 13 days after their disappearance.

During a two-week appeal to find the girls, Huntley gave TV interviews and joined in searches. He was jailed for life in 2005.

During his trial, he said that he had 'killed the girls accidentally' but later admitted the killing in leaked tapes from prison.

In a 2018 tape he said: I know the people of Soham took me into their community, they trusted me, gave me a job and a home, and I betrayed them in the worst possible way.

And I am sorry for what I have done, sorry for the pain I have caused to the families and friends of Holly and Jessica, for the pain I have caused my family and friends, and for the pain I have caused the community of Soham.

I am genuinely, genuinely sorry and it breaks my heart when it is reported I have no remorse, that I relish something. I do not.

Tragedy: Police found the girls' burned Manchester United shirts in a bin at Soham College where Huntley worked

He added: 'I cant change anything. I cannot remove that day from history, what I have done.

'I know those girls would be 26 this year with families of their own, jobs and lives. I thought about them when they were turning 21 and when they were turning 18. I know no matter what I say that people are not going to think any better of me  but I would much rather people have the truth about how I feel. I have nothing to gain by saying these things.

I know I am never getting out. I have accepted that from day one.

Huntley said he does not want to be freed from prison and insisted he will not apply for parole out of consideration for his victims families.

Maxine starts on Monday 10 October at 9pm on Channel 5.
Love Island Australia star Tayla Damir is set to walk down the aisle at her wedding to Richmond player Nathan Broad later this month.

And the footy WAG, 25, has now revealed the surprising rule all guests must follow while attending the couple's private nuptials.

She told The Herald Sun it will be a 'no-phones wedding'.

Former Love Island Australia star Tayla Damir has revealed a surprising rule that all guests must follow while attending her wedding to AFL star Nathan Broad later this month

'When I walk down the aisle, I want to see everyone's face rather than the back of phones so in that case it probably will be a no-phone wedding,' she said.

Tayla said their nuptials will be a 'refined' affair with 'really close family and friends'.

The former reality star recently celebrated her hen's weekend at Crown Melbourne.

Tayla and her pals then enjoyed high tea at the Crystal Club, where the glamorous group of women dined on expensive treats.

She told The Herald Sun it will be a 'no-phones wedding'

The girls then indulged in a ritzy dinner at Koko at Crown, where they dined on Japanese Teppanyaki cuisine.

For day two, a professional makeup artist came to their suite to prepare Tayla and her mates for the day's events.

The group then headed to a private room above the Collingwood Hotel, which was decorated with a cut-out of her fiance.

The former reality star recently celebrated her hen's weekend at Crown Melbourne

For day two, a professional makeup artist came to their suite to prepare Tayla and her mates for the day's events

Tayla and her pals then enjoyed a high tea at the Crystal Club, where the glamorous group of women dined on expensive treats

The model announced her engagement to the three-time premiership player in June.

She posted a video to Instagram of the moment the three-time AFL premiership player proposed at their Melbourne home.

Tayla, who has been dating Nathan since the start of last year, revealed their family plans during an Instagram Q&A recently.

The model announced her engagement to the three-time premiership player, 28, in June, posting a video to Instagram of the moment Nathan proposed at their Melbourne home

She said she would like them to get married before they have children, citing her 'traditional' Lebanese upbringing.

'I'm traditional in the sense that I would ideally like to be married first, but after that, let the baby making begin,' she wrote.

Tayla rose to fame on season one of Love Island Australia. She was paired with Grant Crapp but they split shortly after the finale.
The long-running Channel 10 lifestyle series The Living Room will not return in 2023.

Co-host Amanda Keller confirmed the show's cancellation on her WSFM breakfast program Jonesy & Amanda on Thursday morning.

'Its time to take a breath. Weve been on air for 11 years,' the 60-year-old said.

The long-running Channel 10 lifestyle series The Living Room will not return in 2023. Amanda Keller confirmed the show's cancellation on her WSFM breakfast program on Thursday

Keller said it was partly a network decision to give the producers time to reformat the series ahead of a potential return.

She promised fans the show would return in 2024 with the 'awesome foursome' - comprising Amanda, Barry Du Bois, Miguel Maestre and Dr Chris Brown - resuming hosting duties.

Amanda said it was a 'sad' but necessary move, with the year-long hiatus required to ensure The Living Room has a 'brilliant' comeback.

She promised fans the show would return in 2024 with the 'awesome foursome' - comprising Amanda (left), Barry Du Bois (second from left), Miguel Maestre (right) and Dr Chris Brown (second from right) - resuming hosting duties

Earlier this year, Amanda marked her 60th birthday with a photo shoot for the April issue of The Australian Women's Weekly.

Speaking to the publication in February, she admitted she had a skewed idea of what life at 60 would look like when she was younger.

'There weren't role models for people who worked at this age and if they were, maybe they were teachers,' she said.

Keller said it was partly a network decision to give the producers time to reformat the series ahead of a potential return

'Even in my daggiest teenage years, to think I'd be doing this at 60, my God, they'll have to put ramps in so I can be carried in on a rickshaw or something.

'The image of what 60 was in my head, and what 60 actually is, are two very different things.'

Amanda added that she was 'okay with being 60' after losing friends 'who would have given anything' to reach that age.
Paige Thorne put on a very cosy display with her former Love Island co-star Billy Brown while attending Ekin-Su Culculoglu's Oh Polly launch party on Wednesday.

The reality star, 24, who is reported to have 'taken a break' from her boyfriend Adam Collard amid cheating allegations, seemed smitten with Billy, 23, who appears to lean in to kiss her cheek while she rubs her hand down to his lower back.

In the MailOnline exclusive video, their former co-star Deji Adeniyi seems nonplussed by the pair's PDA, and even ruffles Billy's hair as he approaches them while they chat to a pal.

Loved-up: Paige Thorne put on a very cosy display with her former Love Island co-star Billy Brown while attending Ekin-Su Culculoglu's Oh Polly launch party on Wednesday

MailOnline has contacted Paige and Billy's representatives for comment.

Whilst in the villa earlier this summer, Paige shut down Billy's advances, ultimately calling time on their flirtations so she could remain with Jacques O'Neill - before subsequently moving on with Adam.

But Paige and Adam have been plagued by rumours as of late after a clip emerged of the personal trainer, 26, with his arm around another girl in McDonald's.

She also failed to like Adam's recent Instagram snaps and fans recently noticed that since he jetted off to Bali on a fitness retreat, the paramedic hasn't been supporting her partner on social media.

Cute: The reality star, 24, who is reported to have 'taken a break' from her boyfriend Adam Collard, seemed smitten with 23-year-old Billy

Adorable: He appears to lean in to kiss her cheek while she rubs her hand down his back, in a MailOnline exclusive video

Another chance? Whilst in the villa earlier this summer, Paige shut down Billy's advances, ultimately calling time on their flirtations so she could remain with Jacques O'Neill - before subsequently moving on with Adam

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.

Three's a crowd: In the clip, their former co-star Deji Adeniyi (right) seems nonplussed by the pair's PDA, and even ruffles Billy's hair as he approaches them

Getting close: Paige placed her hand on Billy's lower back as they chatted to a pal

'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.

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'

'Paige had told Adam she needs a break and to spend some time away from him.'

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'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)'

Adam was a late arrival into the villa and was initially paired with Kendall Rae-Knight before Rosie was his next partnership.

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 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.'
Former Wallaby-turned-reality star Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins has been criticised for starring in a new ad campaign promoting tourism in Hong Kong, as the city falters under the brutal reign of China's communist dictatorship.

The 35-year-old, who was Australia's Bachelor in 2018, features in a three-part video series that sees him explore Hong Kong's best tourist attractions, enjoy local food and party with locals in a post-pandemic era.

'Hong Kong is one of my all-time favourite cities in the world. The people, the culture, the hustle, the bustle  you just can't beat it,' Cummins, who regularly plays for the Hong Kong Sevens, said in a statement.

Former Wallaby-turned-reality star Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins has been criticised for starring in a new ad campaign promoting tourism in Hong Kong, as the city falters under the brutal reign of China's communist dictatorship. (Cummins is pictured in the campaign)

'From the restaurants and nightlife, to getting outdoors and exploring, there really is something for everyone. I can't wait for Aussies to explore Hong Kong like I have.'

Karen Macmillan, the director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board in Australia and New Zealand, said: 'The video series shows the incredible variety of experiences you can do in Hong Kong and really captures its distinctly East-meets-West vibe.

While the campaign hopes to encourage Australians to visit Hong Kong as Covid-19 restrictions ease, critics say the videos don't reflect the reality of life in the city.

While the campaign hopes to encourage Australians to visit Hong Kong as Covid-19 restrictions ease, critics say the videos don't reflect the reality of life in the city

Human rights have deteriorated rapidly in Hong Kong in recent years, including extreme restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and the press.

This has stoked pro-democracy protests and international criticism.

In 2020, Beijing imposed a national security law that gave it broad powers to punish dissenters of the regime.

Human rights have deteriorated rapidly in Hong Kong in recent years, including extreme restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and the press. (Pictured: protesters marching in the streets of Hong Kong on July 1, 2020)

Jane Poon, a member of the Australia-Hong Kong Link, criticised Cummins for his involvement in the campaign, telling The Sydney Morning Herald: 'The people of the city are actually struggling because of what the government is doing.

'By taking these [tourism ambassadorship] jobs, celebrities are endorsing a government that is condemned by the international community.'

Former Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui, who was exiled during the city's crackdown on dissenters, also said he was 'disappoint[ed] to see anyone being a part of Beijing's or the Hong Kong regime's propaganda'.

Mr Hui, who is an outspoken critic of the communist regime, did note, however, that Cummins likely had good intentions when he agreed to front the campaign.

Cummins' Hong Kong tourism campaign runs from October 5 to November 28.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Cummins' representative for comment.
Kendall Jenner has made her stance clear on Kanye West's recent actions.

The model, 26, liked a trio of tweets from her friend Jaden Smith, 24, who walked out of West's Paris Fashion Week Yeezy showcase in disgust Monday.

His exit came after West and conservative commentator Candace Owens emerged wearing tops that read 'White Lives Matter' on the back.

The latest: Kendall Jenner has made her stance clear on Kanye West's 'White Lives Matter' sweatshirt' as she liked a trio of tweets from her friend Jaden Smith, 24, who walked out of West's Paris Fashion Week Yeezy showcase in disgust Monday

In the show, West arranged for model Selah Marley, the granddaughter of Bob Marley and daughter of Lauryn Hill, to wear one of the sweatshirts, that also featured Pope John Paul II on the front.

Smith, 24, posted a trio of tweets alluding to his exit from the Parisian fashion show.

The son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith said, 'I Had To Dip Lol ... I Don't Care Who's It Is If I Don't Feel The Message I'm Out ... Black Lives Matter.'

Jaden also liked a tweet that read: 'Jaden smith was at Kanyes show and dipped when the "white lives matter" shirts came out, thats a true king right there YUP.'

West and conservative commentator Candace Owens emerged wearing tops that read 'White Lives Matter' on the back

Smith posted a trio of tweets alluding to his exit from the Parisian fashion show

West also posted on Instagram Stories, 'Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam. Now it's over. You're welcome.'

West has been at the center of controversy since the show Monday, clashing with Vogue contributing editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson after she took to Instagram Stories with critical words about the showcase.

Supermodel Gigi Hadid rushed to the defense of Karefa-Johnson, writing to West, 'You wish u had a percentage of her intellect. You have no idea haha. If there's actually a point to any of your s*** she might be the only person that could save u. As if the "honor" of being invited to your show should keep someone from giving their opinion ..? Lol. You're a bully and a joke.'

West presided over his fashion show wearing one of the tops on Monday

West was critical of Black Lives Matter in a tweet following the controversial fashion showcase

Gigi Hadid rushed to the defense of Vogue contributing editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson after she took to Instagram Stories with critical words about the showcase. The two were pictured in 2019

West said on Instagram Tuesday that he'd met with Karefa-Johnson to chat, and said he felt she 'was being used like Trevor Noah and other Black people to speak on my expression.'

He added: 'Gabby is my sister. 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 thats not our own.'

West also addressed Hadid, asking why she decided to chime in 'when we want to tear a Black man down for actually having a different political opinion.'

West has also 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

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

Kanye has faced mounting blowback from public figures including 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.'
He once famously apologised for an explosive on-set tantrum filming Terminator: Salvation where he unleashed an expletive-filled rant at a poor unsuspecting cinematographer.

But Christian Bale refuses to be labelled 'difficult' on set.

In a new GQ interview, the British actor pushed back on having a contentious reputation while admitting hes 'surprised' to still get offered roles.

Cover star: Christian Bale opens up about being labeled 'difficult' in the Nov. 2022 issue of GQ

During production on the Terminator sequel in 2008, the Oscar-winning actor lashed out at the films director of photography, Shane Hurlbut, in an expletive rant and threatened to exit the film.

'What the f*** are you doing? Are you a professional or not?' Bale shouted at Hurlbut in the audio that was famously leaked in 2009.

'You're unbelievable, you're un-f***ing-believable. Number of times you're strolling and f--king around in the background. I've never had a DP behave like this,' the American Psycho star added.

'You don't f***ing understand what it's like working with actors, that's what that is.'

Acting out: The English star famously went on an expletive-filled tirade during the filming of Terminator: Salvation in 2008

After Hurbult tried to explain why he walked in Bales view, the actor got more irritated.

'Im gonna f***ing kick your f***ing ass,' Bale raged. 'Do you want me to go and trash your lights. Do you want me to go and trash them? Then why are you trashing my scene?'

Bale later apologised to Hurlbut and finished the film.

In the November 2022 issue of GQ, Bale was asked if he regards himself as difficult and immediately responded: 'No. Not in the slightest. Without further being prompted, the 48-year-old reiterated: 'Absolutely not, no.'

Although the Vice actor made no reference to the verbal altercation on the Terminator set, he shared gratitude for his esteemed career in Hollywood.

Body of work: Bale underwent a jarring physical transformation for the 2004 film The Machinist

'Im totally grateful and surprised that I get to keep working, right? And you have to maintain that gratitude,' Bale said. 'But within that gratitude, that mustnt mean you let standards slip, right?

'It doesnt mean you start going, "Oh, Im so happy and grateful to be working at all, because I never expected this in my life," which is all true. But that gratitude must turn into, therefore, I must do things as absolutely well as I possibly can.'

Bale is known for his intense dedication to his acting roles having gone through drastic physical transformations in films like The Machinist and The Fighter.

Golden boy: He scored an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the 2010 film The Fighter

Later in the interview, the father of two further elaborated why he cant socialise with other actors on the set of his films.

'I just have found that theres wonderful actors who chat and get to know each other and hang out and then act wonderfully. And I cant do it. And thats my own limitations with that,' Bale admitted.

'I dont make it into a thing. I just sort of know when Im going to not be able to separate the person from the character that theyre playing.'

The star went on to give a recent example of how he had to keep pleasantries with Chris Rock to a minimum while working on their new film Amsterdam, despite being a huge fan of the comedian.

Red carpet ready: The actor and wife Sibi Blazic at the NYC premiere of his new film Amsterdam in September 2022

'I f***ing love his stand-up,' Bale said of Rock.

'And when he arrived I was like, "Ah, wow, great. Yeah, how you doing, man?" Chatting a little bit. And then I went to do a scene, and I went, "Oh, my God. Im just Christian, standing here, being a fan of Chris Rock." So, I went to him. I went, "Mate, I got to keep my distance."'

Rock didnt mince words with his reaction.

'He went, "Oh, youre pulling the asshole card. Youre going to be an asshole and not talk," Rock said, according to Bale. 'And I went, "Yeah. Sorry, mate." And it was my loss, you know?'
Little sister Cara might normally be the centre of attention, but here's Poppy Delevingne showing she's more than capable of partaking in a rather raucous evening herself.

The 36-year-old actress puckered up for a kiss with Australian male model pal Jordan Barrett, 25, on a night out in the capital.

Jordan was last year married, to fellow male model Fernando Casablancas, although the pair are now thought to have split.

Fun: Poppy Delevingne enjoyed a raucous night out with model Jordan Barrett in London this week

Jordan was recently spotted without his wedding ring while in Paris for Fashion Week.

He and Fernando are no longer following each other on social media and have both stopped wearing their engagement rings.

Poppy married James Cook in 2014 at a lavish Knightsbridge church ceremony, with sisters Cara and Chloe Delevingne among her 17 bridesmaids - although it was reported earlier this year that they had split.

The sighting comes amid speculation the Australian-born model quietly split with his husband Fernando after they threw a lavish engagement party in Ibiza, Spain last year. Both pictured

After being together for five years, James, who works for his family's aerospace company, proposed in October 2012 with a bespoke jewellery box by Anya Hindmarch.

It contained an engagement ring alongside pictures of the couple and the words 'will you marry me?' embossed in gold.

Poppy previously posted about her week at Chiva-Som in Thailand, a health resort whose clients include Elle Macpherson, Naomi Campbell and Kylie Minogue.

Tellingly, she appeared to be enjoying the solo tip while James celebrated his 43rd birthday back home.

Split? The Mail On Sunday previously reported that Poppy and her husband James Cook 'have consciously uncoupled' and have been little more than friends for the best part of a year (pictured in a 2020 Instagram photo)

Daily Mail Australia can reveal the pair are no longer following each other on social media and have both stopped wearing their engagement rings

The Mail On Sunday reported in March that before the transformative Thailand trip, Poppy moved into her own place in West London, with an insider spilling: 'James is refusing to accept things are over.'

Speaking to The Times in January, Poppy didn't mention James, instead focusing on her close relationship with older sister Chloe, 37, and younger sibling Cara, 30.

'When my sisters and I get together it's hard for anybody else to keep up, we're very loud, finish each other's sentences and it can get quite intense,' she admitted, before revealing that she had moved in with her older sister Chloe and her family during the 2020 lockdown.
Elsa Pataky admitted on Wednesday she would be open to kissing her brother-in-law Liam Hemsworth - but only for a film role.

The Spanish actress, who is married to Marvel star Chris Hemsworth, said she would be fine with Liam, 32, playing her love interest in a movie and would be willing to make out with him for the sake of 'art'.

Elsa, 46, made the admission while promoting her role opposite Liam in Russell Crowe's upcoming movie Poker Face on The Kyle and Jackie O Show.

Elsa Pataky (pictured on June 27) admitted on Wednesday she would be open to kissing her brother-in-law Liam Hemsworth - but only for a film role

Radio host Jackie 'O' Henderson asked her: 'If you had to kiss Liam in a movie, for the sake of art, would that be okay?'

Elsa cheekily responded that locking lips with Liam would be 'even better' than okay because 'everything stays in the family'.

She added that although she played Crowe's girlfriend in the movie, she would have been open to also playing Liam's.

Elsa said she would be fine with Liam Hemsworth (pictured on July 8, 2019) playing her love interest in a movie and would be willing to make out with him for the sake of 'art'

Elsa lives with her Thor star husband Chris and their three children, daughter India, 10, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan, eight, near Byron Bay, NSW.

They met in early 2010 and married in December that year.

The pair reside in a $30million mansion in Broken Head, near the celebrity enclave.

Elsa lives with her Thor star husband Chris Hemsworth (right) near Byron Bay, NSW

Elsa, who previously lived in Los Angeles with Chris and their children, has said she enjoys the more laid-back lifestyle Down Under.

'We did the move three years ago and I'm so happy with it,' she told Women's Health in April 2017.

She previously revealed she keeps her skin looking flawless by lathering herself in a moisturising cream from luxury skincare brand La Mer.
The Block viewers have praised Omar and Oz for having an 'important conversation about racial stereotypes' after the pair pushed back at being called 'dodgy dealers'.

The western Sydney best mates, who are both Muslims, had been accused of using underhanded tactics to secure discounted goods.

They confronted Foreman Dan on Tuesday's episode and explained the word 'dodgy' could expose them to racist abuse online because it has different connotations when used against a person of colour.

Omar, who is of Afghan heritage, and Oz, who is Australian Lebanese, said they feared they were going to be edited to be shown as 'w*gs doing dodgy s**t on TV'.

The Block viewers have praised Omar and Oz (pictured) for having an 'important conversation about racial stereotypes' after the pair pushed back at being called 'dodgy dealers'

Fans were quick to praise the duo, with one tweeting: 'Omar and Oz, you are incredible! So grateful you have held those nasty comments to account. I am in awe.'

Another added: 'Good on Omar and Oz for standing up for themselves on The Block. I grew up in the western suburbs and everything they're saying is 100 per cent true.

'The days of TV feeding into crappy stereotypes should be well and truly over.'

The pair, who are both married with children, also expressed their concerns about young Aussies perceiving them poorly, and said they were keen to present the Australian Muslim community in a positive light.

'We genuinely dont want to sit down on TV and our family and friends are watching this, and another million or so people, and they be like, "Those two f**king w*** on the show being dodgy all season,"' added building maintenance manager Oz.

The western Sydney best mates, who are both Muslims, had been accused of using underhanded tactics after breezing through the first weeks of the competition and securing heavily discounted goods

They confronted Foreman Dan (pictured) on Tuesday's episode and explained the word 'dodgy' could expose them to racist abuse online because it has different connotations when used against a person of colour

Former NRL player Omar said that 'nine out of ten kids' in their home suburb in western Sydney experience racism.

The saga began when the duo scored a baby grand piano for just $7,509, which raised suspicions amongst other contestants, with Sarah-Jane even calling for a site-wide financial audit.

On Tuesday, the pair confronted foreman Dan over the label.

The boys sat the tradesman down to have a frank discussion about the 'hurtful' things he and Foreman Keith had said throughout the show.

Omar, who is of Afghan heritage, and Oz, who is Australian Lebanese, said they feared they were going to be edited to be shown as 'w** doing dodgy s**t on TV'

'The word "dodgy" is coming out a fair bit, which is completely against what Oz and I do,' Omar said.

'We were extremely thankful to get on a show to express ourselves, and just the fact you guys keep mentioning that [word] which is most likely gonna be played on TV, and its just gonna look like "two w*** again doing dodgy s**t on TV", and that part is the most hurtful for us.'

Omar, who grew up in New Zealand after arriving as a refugee from Afghanistan at age three, added that both he and Oz experienced racism growing up and that many young Australians feel the country is 'fully racist'.

Fans were quick to praise the duo, with one tweeting: 'Omar and Oz, you are incredible! So grateful you have held those nasty comments to account. I am in awe'

'The things that were said to me - Oz would be the exact same - growing up as kids...' he said. 'The racism we felt. I cant even say on TV the stuff we were called.

'Weve both got kids. We dont want our boys to watch the show and be like, "Oh, yeah, dad was on that show but they made him look like one, two and three.

'We know so many kids that get literally put aside because of where theyre from. Nine out of 10 kids in [our] area don't feel like Australia is fair.

'And thats coming from multiple school visits we've done. They feel like Australia is full racist and everything that happens is against them.'

The saga began when the duo scored a baby grand piano for just $7,509, which raised suspicions amongst other contestants, with Sarah-Jane even calling for a financial audit

NRL player Omar said 'nine out of ten kids' in their western Sydney suburb experience racism

Dan responded by saying harsh criticism was 'the nature of The Block'.

'It couldnt be further from the truth what youre thinking,' he added. 'Thats not who I am as a person. I dont care who you are where youre from or what you believe in.

'I respect you guys and your culture and everything about it. I want you guys to finish an amazing room and an amazing house>

'Youve had a week that didnt quite get over the line; that happens everywhere else. Its just the nature of The Block. Please dont feel like its you guys.'

The pair also expressed their concerns about young Aussies perceiving them poorly, and said they were keen to present the Muslim Australian community in a positive light

Viewers praised the boys and also gave props to Channel Nine for airing the scene.

'Go on Oz and Omar for letting Dan know he needs to be careful with the language he uses especially towards them and their house,' one fan said.

'Omar and Oz, beautiful people. I am so sad hearing the racism they have been subjected to over their lifetime,' added another.

'Congrats to Omar and Oz for challenging the "dodgy Leb" narrative .... and to Channel Nine for airing it,' wrote a third.

Omar has previously said he wants to change people's perspectives on different cultures, with the pair observing Ramadan for their first few weeks on the show.
Iskra Lawrence flaunted her enviable curves as she modelling an array of sizzling swimwear and reflected on her recent holiday to Mexico.

The model, 32, took to Instagram on Monday to share a video of herself posing up a storm in a number of eye-popping swimsuits.

She put on a busty display in a one-shouldered black swimsuit as she modelled the sizzling outfit in her bedroom.

Wow! Iskra Lawrence flaunted her enviable curves as she modelling an array of sizzling swimwear as she reflected on her recent holiday to Mexico

Iskra swept her golden tresses back into a loose up-do and flaunted her natural good looks in the Instagram reel.

She also flaunted her incredible figure in a vibrant yellow swimsuit with a plunging neckline, while she wore her blonde locks loosely across her shoulders.

In another stunning look, she sported a green swimsuit with halter-neck straps which featured a criss-cross tie back.

Iskra also sported a stylish lilac swimsuit and styled her golden tresses in two tight plaits to complete her sizzling look.

Sizzling: The model, 32, took to Instagram on Monday to share a video showing herself posing up a storm in a number of eye-popping swimsuits

Looking good: In one stunning look, she sported a green swimsuit with halter-neck straps which featured a criss-cross tie back

In an accompanying caption, Iskra revealed that the array of swimsuits were ones she had worn when she was on holiday in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, back in July.

The mother-of-one, who shares a son with Philip Payne, said she was only posting the outfits now because she was trying to be more 'present' during her holiday.

She penned: 'I've been meaning to post this since our Cabo trip in JULY! Yep I feel like that sums up my motherhood experience - you can make plans and want to get things done but life happens and family always comes first honestly that's why I didn't post it on the trip because I wanted to be present.

'Anyways enough of my rambling these were the swimsuits I wore and I've shared links on my @shop.ltk in my IGS.

Sensational: Iskra also sported a stylish lilac swimsuit and styled her golden tresses in two tight plaits to complete her sizzling look

Reflecting: In an accompanying caption, Iskra revealed that the array of swimsuits were ones she had worn when she was on holiday in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, back in July

'I'll always be filming some of my fave swimsuits for styling as bodysuits and for winter vacay so hopefully I'll post that in the next week or two.

'I think I need to do a whole life update YouTube reconnect with you all because there's a lot between @saltair + @selffundingplanner and something me and @philipapayne have been working on for years about to launch I'm excited to show up for you in new ways.

'So let me know which swimsuit is your fave 1,2,3 or 4???'

The model doesn't shy away from showing off her phenomenal figure on social media and is a vocal body confidence advocate.

Incredible: Iskra is never shy showing off her phenomenal figure on social media as a body confidence advocate

Iskra and her partner, tour manager and songwriter Philip Payne, became parents for the first time when they welcomed a baby son into the world in April 2020.

The model previously opened up about how she felt 'lost' and unsure of herself after becoming a mother two years ago, and even questioned her career choices.

In an essay for Today earlier this year, she wrote: 'I started to think I should just try getting back to 'me' - and that 'me' was a body-confident lingerie model.

'I started looking at my body and wondering if I felt confident enough.

Family: Iskra and her partner, tour manager and songwriter Philip Payne, became parents for the first time when they welcomed a baby son into the world in April 2020

'Then another thought dawned on me: "Can I even do this? I'm a mother now. What would people think? Would my child resent me posting lingerie pics in 10 years?"

'What about my family-friendly neighbourhood - will I embarrass myself if they all see me in my undies?'

'I thought, 'You're a mother now. You'll look desperate for attention and validation - it's just not a good look'.

'I wanted to rediscover the part of me that wouldn't give a damn about parading around in my panties, or anyone's opinions of me.'
Angelina Jolie was seen with daughter Vivienne at the Los Angeles grocery store Lassens Wednesday amid her ongoing divorce battle with ex-husband Brad Pitt.

The Oscar-winning actress, 47, was clad in a long white dress with a sheer gray shawl over her shoulders and sandals. She had her brown locks pulled back and wore tinted glasses on the fall outing in Southern California.

The Maleficent actress carried a purse as she walked alongside her 14-year-old daughter, who wore an off-white T-shirt promoting artist Ben Platt, with her brown locks in a ponytail. The teen wore a protective face mask on the outing.

The latest: Angelina Jolie, 47, was seen with daughter Vivienne, 14, at the Los Angeles grocery store Lassens Wednesday amid her ongoing divorce battle with ex-husband Brad Pitt, 58

Jolie and ex-husband Brad Pitt, 58, are parents to six children: Maddox, 21, Pax, 18, Zahara, 17, Shiloh, 16 and twins Vivienne and Knox, 14.

The former A-list couple are engaged in a heated legal battle, as Jolie 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.

A representative for Pitt told The Hollywood Reporter Tuesday that Jolie 'continues to rehash, revise and reimagine her description of an event that happened 6 years ago by adding completely untrue information each time she fails to get what she wants. Her story is constantly evolving.'

On Tuesday, a 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.

Style: The Oscar-winning actress was clad in a long white dress with a sheer gray shawl over her shoulders and sandals

Beauty: She had her brown locks pulled back and wore tinted glasses on the fall outing in Southern California

Meanwhile: Pitt was spotted leaving an office building in Los Angeles on Tuesday, shortly after his ex-wife countersued him in their acrimonious battle over their French winery

Out and about: Jolie appeared to be flanked by a large security guard as she stepped out

Pitt denied the accusations yet Jolie has continued to pursue the issue with authorities, urging them to prosecute him, according to TMZ.

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.

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.

Troubles: Jolie's outing came after a 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

Time to shop: Jolie and her daughter pulled a grocery cart out on the weekday outing

Details: Their six children, according to sources close to Brad, are now all but estranged from Pitt

Estranged: The actor has a 'limited and strained relationship, because of her campaign of alienation'

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.

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.

Legal battle: 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

Conflict: Angelina attempted to persuade a judge that Pitt was an unfit parent who should not be granted any custody of their children

Sunny: Jolie used her hand to shield her eyes on the sun-drenched day in the City of Angels

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.

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.

Pitt (seen on Tuesday) has sued Jolie over her decision to sell half of their French winery. Jolie countersued on Tuesday

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.'

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

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 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.'
Brooke Blurton has thrown her support behind the controversial Indigenous Voice to Parliament proposal during an interview on ABC News Breakfast on Thursday.

The former social worker-turned-reality star, a Noongar-Yamatji woman, said she fully supports the measure, which would see a constitutional change allowing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to provide advice to Federal Parliament.

When host Lisa Millar asked for her thoughts on the proposal, Blurton said: 'I've been a huge advocate for the Voice.'

Brooke Blurton (pictured) has thrown her support behind the controversial Indigenous Voice to Parliament proposal during an interview on ABC News Breakfast on Thursday

While she acknowledged there is some 'uncertainty' about 'what the Voice looks like', she believes it is nonetheless essential.

'It's really important for First Nations people to have their own voice and say on decisions that are made for them,' she added.

Blurton, who rose to fame on The Bachelor in 2018 before appearing on Bachelor in Paradise and The Bachelorette, said the proposal would help facilitate that.

The former social worker-turned-reality star, a Noongar-Yamatji woman, said she fully supports the measure, which would see a constitutional change allowing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to provide advice to Federal Parliament

'I feel like the Voice will help push that. I feel like I have been part of the conversation and been campaigning for it,' she said.

Brooke believes the uncertainly around the proposal stems from a lack of 'knowledge' and 'education' on the subject, but said she is happy to 'have the conversation'.

She also acknowledged the diverse opinions within the First Nations community.

The first ad promoting a 'yes' vote in the upcoming referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament was released in September

The first ad for the proposal, which aired last month, made an emotional pitch for everyday Australians to 'make right' the injustice that First Nations People have 'no say in matters that affect them'.

The ad features Pitjantjatjara and Nyungar playwright and actor Trevor Jamieson talking to a group of seated Indigenous children in an outback setting about the historic nature of the Voice.

The ad plays out as if a groundswell of support was received for the change, as Trevor tells how the historic moment was achieved.

The ad stars Pitjantjatjara and Nyungar playwright and actor Trevor Jamieson as the 'storyteller' speaking about how the historic proposal was passed

The ad finishes with a caption of the new campaign's tagline, 'History is calling,' and a last pitch to 'Vote Yes for a First Nations Voice to Parliament'.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney has provided detail on what areas the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament would cover and how it would work.

Ms Burney said the body would advise parliament on issues that directly effect Indigenous people and would scrutinise bills before they are introduced.

Appealing to 'everyday Australians', a father was seen helping his son repair a bike and says how he decided to 'make right' the fact that Indigenous people 'had no voice'

'It won't be on things like taxation or defence and some of the other nonsense that's been spouted in the last few weeks,' Ms Burney told Sky News recently.

'It will be absolutely on issues that affect directly the lives of First Nations people and one of the keys for this is focusing particularly on Closing the Gap targets.'

Abbott government chief of staff-turned-political commentator Peta Credlin has been open about her opposition to the creation of a 'race-based' body.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney (seen here at the Albanese government's swearing in ceremony earlier this year) said the Voice would not include taxation or defence

Ms Credlin said on Sky News a 'race-based body' was not a good idea, and should not be supported by any Liberal government.

'[It] would mean creating a race-based electoral roll, to establish a race-based body, to consider laws on the basis of their impact on just one race alone,' she argued.

Ms Credlin said enshrining a national body or voice could also 'invite court challenges' as to its 'adequacy' - especially if it didn't achieve broad support.

Former Abbott government chief of staff Peta Credlin (pictured) said on Sky News that a 'race-based body' was not a good idea, and should not be supported by any Liberal government

Issues that would potentially fall within the Voice's ambit include native title, water rights, cultural issues and childcare.

A referendum, likely to be held in the next 10 to 18 months, is needed to change Australia's constitution to create the Voice to Parliament.

The latest poll found 65 per cent of Australians would vote yes, up from 58 per cent when the same poll was run in June.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated this model would form the basis of the Voice's design and be refined as the debate evolved
The Walking Dead action star Norman Reedus told the story about how he proposed to his babymama - Cannes best actress winner Diane Kruger - after a motorcycle trip to Savannah, GA in August 2021.

The Florida-born 53-year-old said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday: 'Well, I had the ring for quite a long time in my pocket, just burning a hole in my pocket. Yeah. Trying to find the right way to do it.'

Norman decided he'd find a 'really pretty place' to pop the question during the 236-mile drive back from Savannah to his home in Senoia.

The Walking Dead action star Norman Reedus told the story about how he proposed to his babymama - Cannes best actress winner Diane Kruger - after a motorcycle trip to Savannah, GA in August 2021 (pictured)

The Florida-born 53-year-old said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday: 'Well, I had the ring for quite a long time in my pocket, just burning a hole in my pocket. Yeah. Trying to find the right way to do it'

'But there was a huge thunderstorm that hit us,' Reedus explained.

'So I could see, you know, the clouds had a little sunshine way up there. So I was gunning it down the freeway, trying to beat it. Then finally we got to the house. It was the next morning. I felt bad that I didn't do it.'

The Ride with Norman Reedus producer-host put their then two-year-old daughter Nova Tennessee on his lap, so he could ask the German 46-year-old to retrieve his boot with the estimated $500K eight-carat ring secretly hidden inside.

'I was like, "Can you get my boot? It's in the closet." She's like, "Why?"' recalled Norman.

'But there was a huge thunderstorm that hit us': Norman decided he'd find a 'really pretty place' to pop the question during the 236-mile drive back from Savannah to his home in Senoia

Reedus explained: 'So I could see, you know, the clouds had a little sunshine way up there. So I was gunning it down the freeway, trying to beat it. Then finally we got to the house. It was the next morning. I felt bad that I didn't do it'

'She's like, "Why?"' The Ride with Norman Reedus producer-host put their then two-year-old daughter Nova Tennessee (M, pictured June 20) on his lap, so he could ask the German 46-year-old to retrieve his boot with the estimated $500K eight-carat ring secretly hidden inside

Norman continued: 'I'm like, "I want to look at the boot" because I had it shoved in the boot. Then I proposed. She started crying, then Nova started crying - everybody's crying. It was waterworks city. And then Nova's going, "Why are we crying?!" And then Diane's going, "It's happy tears." She's like, "Yes, it's happy tears!"'

'I'm like, "I want to look at the boot" because I had it shoved in the boot. Then I proposed. She started crying, then Nova started crying - everybody's crying. It was waterworks city. And then Nova's going, "Why are we crying?!" And then Diane's going, "It's happy tears." She's like, "Yes, it's happy tears!"'

The models-turned-actors - who officially went public with their romance in March 2017 - originally met back in December 2015 while portraying lovers on the set of their film Sky.

At the time, Diane was still in a decade-long relationship with Dawson's Creek alum Joshua Jackson.

Reedus will mark Kruger's (born Heidkruger) second marriage after divorcing Mon idole castmate Guillaume Canet in 2006 following five years of marriage.

Castmates: The models-turned-actors - who officially went public with their romance in March 2017 - originally met back in December 2015 while portraying lovers on the set of their film Sky

Her ex: Reedus will mark Diane's second marriage after divorcing Mon idole castmate Guillaume Canet (L, pictured in 2005) in 2006 following five years of marriage

Brush with the law: October 13 marks the 23rd birthday of The Ravaged author'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

His ex: Norman fathered Mingus during his five-year romance with Danish model Helena Christensen (R, pictured May 8), which amicably ended in 2003

October 13 marks the 23rd birthday of The Ravaged author's son Mingus Lucien, who pled guilty to disorderly conduct on March 16 after 'accidentally' punching an 'intoxicated' woman in the face last year.

Norman fathered Mingus during his five-year romance with Danish model Helena Christensen, which amicably ended in 2003.

Reedus 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.

And on October 25, mineditionUS will publish the Out of the Blue actress' 48-page children's book A Name from the Sky, which was inspired by her West German upbringing.

'Lockdown': Reedus 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
A Byron Bay influencer has pleaded guilty to public nuisance after scuffling with security guards as he was ejected from The Clock Hotel in Surfers Paradise for being intoxicated.

Byron Baes star Jade Kevin Foster was heard screaming 'I have 1.2 million followers on Instagram' and calling security 'c**ts' as he was tackled to the ground and restrained at the Gold Coast pub on September 16.

Foster screamed: ''I'm a gay man, I'm going to f**k your lives'. 'I have 1.2 million followers on Instagram, you're going to lose your jobs  see my outfit, it's worth more than your houses c**t  this will look good on Instagram!'

Byron Baes star Jade Kevin Foster has pleaded guilty to public nuisance after scuffling with security guards as he was ejected from The Clock Hotel in Surfers Paradise for being intoxicated

Southport Magistrates Court heard the Netflix star had previously been fined $827 for a similar offence.

Foster's solicitor Brooke Winter told the Magistrate her client admitted his behaviour was 'disgusting' and alcohol consumption and mental health issues were affecting him on the night in question.

Foster was heard screaming 'I have 1.2 million followers on Instagram' and calling security 'c**ts' as he was tackled to the ground and restrained at the Gold Coast pub

'He sent an email to our office in which he said "I'm embarrassed and disgusted in the behaviour I displayed and vow to never let this happen again",' Mr Winter said, according to The Daily Telegraph.

'He's on a four-year work contract and he knows his actions could have that all taken away.'

Winter pleaded with the court that the influencer, who supports himself with earnings from his social media posts and contracts with Netflix and Warner Bros., is involved with charity and recently won an award from the Australian LGBTQI Forum.

Southport Magistrates Court heard the Netflix star had previously issued an infringement notice for a similar offence and fined $827.

However, Magistrate Michelle Dooley branded Foster's behaviour as 'not acceptable'.

'It's up to you to know what your alcohol consumption should be,' she told Foster.

'Everything else that you may have in your life becomes tarnished if you behave in this way in public  it took a lot of people trouble and effort to contain you.'

He was fined $1400 but spared a conviction.

Foster found viral fame after being pictured with Kim Kardashian in 2014.

Foster's solicitor Brooke Winter said her client admitted his behaviour was 'disgusting' and alcohol consumption and mental health issues were affecting him on the night in question

He went on to star in Netflix's Byron Baes and billed himself as 'Australia's biggest male influencer' on the reality series.

But social media talent agent and his fellow co-star Alex Reid accused Foster of buying followers after allegedly discovering that 451,000 of his fans were from Turkey alone.

Foster recently hit back at claims he bought Instagram followers after the authenticity of his 1.2 million-strong following was called into question on the Netflix show.

The insights page confirmed the majority of Jade's followers are actually from Australia, New Zealand, the UK and USA.

This is strong evidence that his following is in fact genuine, and runs contrary to Alex's claim that most of his followers hail from Turkey.
Kaia Gerber was pictured while stepping out on a walk in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon.

The 21-year-old fashion industry personality stayed comfortable in a loose-fitting outfit while she strolled along the city's streets and made the most of the pleasant fall weather.

The influencer's outing took place during the production of a streaming service in which she is set to appear.

Taking a stroll: Kaia Gerber was pictured while stepping out on a walk in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon

Gerber wore a striped button-up shirt on top of a white shirt that showed off a slight portion of her midsection.

The model also donned a set of loose-fitting black pants and a set of Adidas Samba sneakers.

The daughter of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber accessorized with a stylish green purse and a set of sunglasses.

Her beautiful brunette hair remained free-flowing and fell onto her shoulders.

Fashionable: Gerber wore a striped button-up shirt on top of a white shirt that showed off a slight portion of her midsection

Gerber was announced to have joined the cast of Mrs. American Pie this past June.

The upcoming series is based on Juliet McDaniel's novel Mr & Mrs. American Pie, which was originally published in 2018.

The program will follow a woman who aspires to achieve a place in Palm Beach's high society.

On screen: Gerber was announced to have joined the cast of Mrs. American Pie this past June; she is seen in January

The upcoming show will star Kristen Wiig, who will portray Maxine Simmons.

Cast members include Laura Dern, Allison Janney and Ricky Martin, among others.

The former of the three will also serve as one of the program's executive producers.

Gerber is currently set to portray a character named Mitzi, who works as a manicurist.

On screen: Gerber is currently set to portray a character named Mitzi, who works as a manicurist

The performer made an announcement about her casting through a post that was shared to her Instagram account, where she wrote that she was 'humbled' to have been added to the cast of the show.

Development on the program was first announced this past February, when Wiig was first attached to the series.

Physical production on the upcoming show previously commenced this past May.

Mrs. American Pie will premiere on the Apple TV+ streaming service at an unspecified date in the future.
Kris Smith dished on Thursday about his upcoming wedding plans to fiancee Sarah Bouzaleris and said he doubts his ex-girlfriend Dannii Minogue will attend.

The Myer model, 44, attended the Sydney Everest Carnival Fashion Lunch party where he discussed his engagement with fiancee Sarah Bouzaleris.

He denied they had eloped and told Daily Mail Australia the diamond ring he was wearing was 'just a nice piece'.

Kris Smith (pictured) dished on Thursday about his upcoming wedding plans to fiancee Sarah Bouzaleris and said he doubts his ex-girlfriend Dannii Minogue will attend

Kris then promised his upcoming wedding would happen 'sooner than you'd think'.

The English-born star did not go into details as he insisted his fiancee had sworn him to secrecy.

However, he did add he 'didn't think' his ex-girlfriend Dannii Minogue would attend the ceremony.

Kris got engaged to personal trainer Sarah Bouzaleris (pictured) in 2020 and they plan to marry by the end of the year

Kris proposed to his personal trainer partner, 30, two years ago.

Last month he told the Herald Sun the couple will be marrying in front of friends and family before the year is over.

While the location and date of their nuptials is unknown, Kris did clarify all three of his children will be in attendance.

He and Sarah share two daughters, Frankie, two, and Mila Elle (all pictured) three, while Kris also shares a son named Ethan, 11, with his ex-partner Dannii Minogue

He and Sarah share two daughters, Frankie, two, and Mila Elle, three, while Kris also shares a son named Ethan, 11, with his ex-partner Dannii Minogue, 50.

'Ethan is going to be in a beautiful suit and my girls will have their wedding dresses made which will be very similar to their mum's,' he said.

He added it will be an emotional event and there was no way he would be able to 'keep a dry eye'.
Kate Walsh revealed she secretly got engaged to Australian farmer Andrew Nixon during an Instagram Live she did with Amy Brenneman on Wednesday night in honor of the 15th anniversary of their show Private Practice.

'Here comes the jungle cat, that is my fiance,' the beaming bride-to-be - turning 55 next week - announced Wednesday from their Perth home.

Brenneman replied: 'She just 100 percent outed your engagement!'

Check out the ring! Kate Walsh revealed she secretly got engaged to Australian farmer Andrew Nixon during an Instagram Live she did with Amy Brenneman on Wednesday night in honor of the 15th anniversary of their show Private Practice

'I did, I just outed our engagement,' Kate confirmed, prompting Andrew to respond: 'Awww.'

Walsh and Nixon later kissed each other on camera to the delight of her fans tuning into the 38-minute online chat.

The Cali-born, Arizona-raised actress reportedly met the Nixon Farming staffer on a cruise just before the start of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020.

'Here comes the jungle cat, that is my fiance,' the beaming bride-to-be - turning 55 next week - announced Wednesday from their Perth home

Brenneman replied: 'She just 100 percent outed your engagement!'

'I did, I just outed our engagement,' Kate confirmed, prompting Andrew to respond: 'Awww'

PDA alert! Walsh and Nixon later kissed each other on camera to the delight of her fans tuning into the 38-minute online chat

The Nixon family have been farming predominantly malt barley and canola in the Moora/New Norcia area of Western Australia for close to 100 years, according to the website.

This will be the second time down the aisle for Kate, who ended her 15-month marriage to Day Shift executive producer Alex Young in 2010.

At the time, the showbiz couple - who legally separated 2008 - cited the celeb favorite 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for the split.

Moved to Australia to be with him: The Cali-born, Arizona-raised actress reportedly met the Nixon Farming staffer on a cruise just before the start of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020 (pictured January 4)

'Irreconcilable differences': This will be the second time down the aisle for Kate, who ended her 15-month marriage to Day Shift executive producer Alex Young (R, pictured in 2008) in 2010

Walsh has a recurring role as Dr. Addison Montgomery in the 19th season of Grey's Anatomy, which premieres this Thursday on ABC.

The SAG Award winner originated the role of the neonatal surgeon back in 2005 during the first season of Shonda Rhimes' long-running medical drama, and her spin-off Private Practice ran for six seasons spanning 2007-2013.

Kate will also reprise her role as Madeline Wheeler in the third season of Emily in Paris, which premieres December 21 on Netflix.

'Ahhh I just love these gals!' Walsh has a recurring role as Dr. Addison Montgomery in the 19th season of Grey's Anatomy, which premieres this Thursday on ABC
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Kate Moss has joined together with actress Lily James and fellow model Jourdan Dunn in a stunning advert for a new makeup range.

The 48-year-old revisited her party-loving past for a new Studio 54-inspired holiday campaign for beauty brand Charlotte Tilbury, in which she proved herself to be the ultimate dancing queen while boogying away alongside a host of other A-list stars, including supermodel Twiggy.

In the photoshoot, the 48-year-old supermodel put on a busty display in a plunging blue dress encrusted in sequins. And the dress wasn't the only thing to dazzle in the photo.

The shoot shows Moss modeling a shimmering disco-inspired beauty look, posing in front of a lit-up mirror while sporting voluminous blonde curls, sparkly blue eyeshadow and a nude lip.

Striking: Kate Moss has joined together with Lily James and Jourdan Dunn in a stunning advert for a new makeup range

The 48-year-old proved herself to be the ultimate dancing queen while boogying away with a host of other A-list stars in a behind-the-scenes video, including supermodel Twiggy (left)

Moss modeled a sequined blue mini dress for the shoot, which complemented her bold blue shimmering eye makeup

Although Moss dazzles in front of the cameras, she also revealed that she had a hand in one key behind-the-scenes aspect of the shoot: her beauty look

Meanwhile, Lily, 33, oozed old Hollywood glamour in pale pink ensemble, with a fluffy shawl draped over her shoulders.

She sported a trio of diamond earrings to add a touch of sparkle, and her brunette locks were in sleek waves, while she held a lipstick aloft.

The actress wore a full palette of makeup, including pink eyeshadow, shimmery highlighter and a slick of pink lipgloss.

In a behind-the-scenes video from the shoot, Lily looked to be having a whale of a time as she struck several poses while sporting another striking look - a chain metal mini dress.

The actress could be seen blowing kisses at the camera, before showing off her plump pout while posing alongside her go-to makeup artist Sofia Tilbury - niece of the brand's founder.

And Jourdan, 32, looked sensational in a shiny gold one-shoulder dress as she demonstrated how to apply blush on her cheeks.

Pretty in pink: Lily, 33, dazzled in pale pink ensemble, with a fluffy shawl draped over her shoulders

The 33-year-old sported several different looks for the shoot, which saw her holding up different makeup products while pouting at the cameras

The actress could be seen blowing kisses at the camera, before showing off her plump pout while posing alongside her go-to makeup artist Sofia Tilbury - niece of the brand's founder

Lily looked to be having a whale of a time in a behind-the-scenes video as she struck several poses while sporting a dazzling chain metal mini dress

Her raven hair was styled in voluminous curls and she opted for an eye-catching sparkly pink eyeliner look across her lids.

The brand's behind-the-scenes video also features an appearance from sixties siren Twiggy.

Kate and Twiggy have teamed up in front of the cameras for the brand in the past, appearing together in a campaign for Charlotte Tilbury's popular Pillow Talk collection earlier this year.

In their latest shoot for the beauty company, Twiggy showed off her smooth moves for the camera, shimmying her shoulders while brandishing two products from the holiday collection.

Although Kate dazzles in front of the cameras, she also revealed that she had a hand in one key behind-the-scenes aspect of the shoot: her beauty look.

The supermodel, who is currently dating Nikolai von Bismarck, 35, revealed in a statement about the campaign that her makeup for the shoot was actually inspired by beauty looks she has worn on her birthday over the years.

'We looked back at some of the looks from my birthdays over the years to create this amazing glam-rock look for the Studio Tilbury dancefloor,' she revealed.

Stunning: The campaign, for Brit makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury, is inspired by New Yorks 1970s celebrity disco Studio 54

Flawless: Jourdan, 32, looked sensational in a shiny gold one-shoulder dress as she demonstrated how to apply blush on her cheeks

The model also starred in a campaign for Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk collection back in April

Tilbury herself also makes an appearance in the behind-the-scenes clip, in which she is seen applying the finishing touches to Jourdan's glamorous makeup look

'Ive known Charlotte forever,' Moss continued. 'Weve worked on countless covers, campaigns, runways and red carpets over the years, and enjoyed more than a few parties together!

'The energy was on set was amazing, I could have danced all night!'

The Charlotte Tilbury holiday collection includes a wide variety of gift sets, including this 150 ($200) 12-door advent calendar

This campaign marks the latest in a line of shoots Kate has done for beauty pro Charlotte's eponymous brand; Kate and Charlotte have been friends since they met aged 19 on a magazine shoot in the 1990s and Kate is even the godmother to Charlotte's children.

Kate, who was discovered at the tender age of 14, was one of the biggest models of the 90s, while Tilbury soon became one of the most sought-after makeup artists of the era.

She has been an inspiration for many Charlotte Tilbury innovations over the years, becoming the the face of Tilburys Beautiful Skin Foundation this year.

Meanwhile, Lily was tapped last month to be the face of the brands Magic Cream, while Jourdan joined the Pillow Talk campaign in April.

Speaking about the inspiration for the campaign, Tilbury explained that she wanted to bring the magic of the holiday season to life with a fun-filled shoot that got all of the models up on their feet and dancing in front of the cameras.

'For my new holiday campaign, I was so inspired by the magic and euphoria of the Studio 54 era  I love the freedom and energy of that time,' she shared, adding: 'I am calling our party Studio Tilbury!'

Tilbury proved her standing as one of the world's most popular beauty pros with an impressive cast of campaign stars - which also includes 60s fashion icon Twiggy, now 73

Supermodel Kate revealed in a statement about the campaign that her makeup for the shoot was actually inspired by beauty looks she has worn on her birthday over the years

'We looked back at some of the looks from my birthdays over the years to create this amazing glam-rock look for the Studio Tilbury dancefloor,' she revealed

Pals: Kate and Charlotte have been friends since they met aged 19 on a magazine shoot in the 1990s and Kate is even the godmother to Charlotte's children

'Darlings, everyone knows I love the holidays - its the most magical time to gift love, gift kindness and gift magic!

'To me, sharing gifts is like a virtuous circle of joy and positivity - and of course we have the perfect trinkets, treats and treasures for everyone, everywhere!'

Tilbury's famous Magic Cream also features in a 75 ($94) Recovery Skin Set

Tilbury herself also makes an appearance in the behind-the-scenes clip, in which she is seen applying the finishing touches to Jourdan's glamorous makeup look.

The makeup artist's latest campaign showcases her new holiday collection, which debuts on her website today and includes a wide range of limited-edition products including a 150 ($200) 12-door advent calendar.

This set contains 14 different full-size products, including Tilbury's much-loved Pillow Talk Matte Revolution Lipstick, which Moss was actually one of the very first people to try.

Kate has been such an important part of the Pillow Talk story since the very beginning!' Tilbury revealed earlier this year.

When I created the perfect Pillow Talk shade, Kate was one of the first people to wear it on the red carpet  shes always been my beauty muse!

The makeup campaign comes after Kate also joined forces with her lookalike daughter Lila Moss for a new Andy Warhol-inspired fashion campaign for Tommy Hilfiger last month.

Kate looked incredible in the new campaign wearing a couple of preppy looks including a blue belted coat with fishnets and over-the-knee boots. In another shot, she wore cream trousers with a shirt and tie and a belted brown cardigan.

Lila, 19, wore a monogrammed 'TH' brown jumper dress with a matching beanie hat and fishnet tight as she showcased the collection.

Dressed to impress: The makeup campaign comes after Kate also joined forces with her lookalike daughter Lila Moss for a new Andy Warhol-inspired fashion campaign for Tommy Hilfiger last month

Chic: Kate looked incredible in the new campaign wearing a couple of preppy looks including cream trousers with a shirt and tie and a belted brown cardigan

Kate signed Lila to her modelling agency aged 14 and she has gone on to model for a number of big fashion houses including Marc Jacobs.

Lila previously said Kate tried to put her off following her career before signing her up.

She added: My mum always put me off. She was always like, If you want to do it, you can, but I wouldnt recommend it.

Kate previously said she didnt want Lilas career to mirror how hers started aged 14.

She said: I wouldnt let my daughter do it that young. I was just thrown into an adult world. I was alone.
Formula One star Lewis Hamilton looked effortlessly cool and stylish as he attended a preview in Japan ahead of the Grand Prix on Sunday.

The Mercedes driver, 37, was seen at the Suzuka Circuit on Thursday, wearing an outfit from his own collection, called Plus44World.

It comes after Lewis vowed to fans that he'd 'come back stronger in Japan' after placing ninth in the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend.

Hitting the race track: Lewis Hamilton cut a stylish figure in a khaki coat and a colourful T-shirt from his own collection in Japan on Thursday, ahead of the Grand Prix

For his visit to the race course in Japan, Lewis wore a pair of light-washed jeans with a baggy white T-shirt and a khaki jacket from his own line.

His T-shirt and jacket featured flowers and funky faces.

He teamed the look with a pair of green and white sneakers, a beaded necklace, sunglasses and a cap.

Lewis appeared deep in thought at the race track, after admitting he 'f***ed up' in Singapore after crashing and coming ninth.

Edgy: For his visit to the race course in Japan, Lewis wore a pair of light-washed jeans with a baggy white T-shirt and a khaki jacket from his own line

Colourful: His T-shirt and jacket featured flowers and funky faces

Bit of fun: Lewis was seen driving a remote control car at the track

Red Bull star Sergio Perez won the Singapore Grand Prix at the weekend.

Lewis started third but hardly had a smooth race, finishing ninth.

'I'm so sorry guys, I f***** it up big time,' he said.

Ready to fight: On Instagram on Sunday, he penned a lengthy message to his devoted fans and vowed to make a comeback in Japan

'To say it's been a weekend of highs and lows is an understatement,' he wrote

On Instagram on Sunday, he penned a lengthy message to his devoted fans and vowed to make a comeback in Japan.

'To say it's been a weekend of highs and lows is an understatement,' he wrote.

'The car didn't feel the way it did yesterday, and it's tough to fight for pole position one day and end like this the next. It's about how you get back up that matters most.'

'Thank you always to the team for their hard work and keeping the momentum going. I want to thank the fans too, the ones watching at home and the ones who waited out in the rain with us.'

He finished: 'We'll keep our heads down and keep working, keep fighting, and come back stronger in Japan.'

Trackside: Lewis spoke to fans in Japan during the preview
Pierce Brosnan brushed off the drama of his recent court battle and enjoyed a romantic dinner out with his wife Keely Shaye Smith in Malibu on Wednesday.

The actor, 69, and the journalist, 59, headed out to celebrity hotspot Nobu, after Pierce asked a Los Angeles court to issue a restraining order against a woman he says is stalking him.

The couple, who have been married since 2001, looked smart in dark coloured ensembles as they departed the Japanese restaurant in their car.

Date night: Pierce Brosnan, 69, brushed off the drama of his recent court battle and enjoyed a romantic dinner out with his wife Keely Shaye, 59, in Malibu on Wednesday

Pierce kept his head down as he left, donning a black zipped up jacket with a burgundy printed scarf.

Keely flashed a small smile and opted for a chic blazer, pulling her brunette locks back into a sleek ponytail and accessorising with some glitzy earrings.

Their outing comes after Pierce asked to issue a restraining order against a woman he says is stalking him and his family at their Southern California residence.

Out and about: The couple, who have been married since 2001, looked smart in dark coloured ensembles as they departed the Japanese restaurant, Nobu, in their car

The actor 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.

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 latest: The actor said in legal docs reviewed by The Blast that the woman, 55, has been staying outside of his Malibu, California home in a vehicle (pictured in London in 2019)

The GoldenEye star also named his wife Keely 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.

Family: The star named his wife Keely in his bid for an emergency temporary restraining order against the woman (Pictured in 2020)

He continued: 'She gave me two odd notes, said she needed $1,500 for new tires, and gave me a drawing she did of me.'

The court granted Pierce 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 his 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.
Paul O'Grady never says no to an autograph, but even his patience has a limit.

The performer, 67, has revealed how he once found himself in a precarious situation only to be interrupted by an over-eager fan.

Speaking to the Daily Mail's Richard Eden, Paul explained the hilarious incident occurred during a quick break in rehearsals for pantomime.

Polite: Paul O'Grady has revealed how he once found himself in a precarious situation only to be interrupted by an over-eager fan desperate for an autograph

'I was in panto costume as the Wicked Queen and put some tracksuit bottoms on to get something to eat,' he explained.

'But the elastic went and they fell down. So I'm stood in the middle of the road with my trousers round my ankles when this bloke shouts: "Hey Paul, can I have your autograph?"'

'I gave it to him, but he had to wait for me to get my sausage roll first!'

Paul will be back on stage soon after landing a role in an upcoming UK tour of musical Annie.

Panto star: Speaking to the Daily Mail's Richard Eden, Paul explained the hilarious incident occurred during a quick break in rehearsals for pantomime

The TV, radio and stage star will return to the role of Miss Hannigan, having first played it at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 1998.

Paul signed off from his final Radio 2 show in August after 14 years behind the mic, revealing he 'wasn't happy' being forced to share his slot with Rob Beckett.

In a video on Instagram, he said: 'The reason I'm leaving, because everybody's asked me this, is because I wasn't really happy with the 13 weeks on, 13 weeks off business.

'So I did the honourable thing, I honoured my contract, gave my notice in and now I'm off.

'Thanks very much and good luck to everyone on Radio 2 and long may it continue.'

During his 546th show, which he began hosting in 2009, the presenter paid tribute to his long-time producer and signed off with his catchphrase: 'Ta-Ra'.

Experts claimed that BBC bosses are axing older DJs for likes of Scott Mills, DJ Spoony and RuPaul's Michelle Visage who will play hits from the 90s instead of the 60s in a bid to attract younger female listeners.
Tyson Fury screamed in agony in an Instagram video as he had his nostrils waxed ahead of his return fight on Wednesday.

The undefeated heavyweight legend, 34, was seen with two g-tips up his nostrils before having them ripped out with force leaving him in pain.

The boxer captured the painful treatment on his social media for his 5.7million followers to see as he was joined by half brother Tommy Fury.

'Nose wax': Tyson Fury screamed in agony in an Instagram video as he had his nostrils waxed ahead of his return fight on Wednesday

He simple captioned the clip: 'Nose wax'.

It comes after the Gypsy King claimed he had hung up his gloves after beating Dillian Whyte in April but quickly changed his mind about his retirement and has now returned to training camp.

Earlier this week Tyson's wife Paris pulled out all the stops for her daughter Venezuela's birthday as she gave her a Las Vegas themed 13th birthday party.

Painful: The undefeated heavyweight legend, 34, was seen with two g-tips up his nostrils before having them ripped out with force leaving him in pain

Beauty treatment: The boxer captured the painful treatment on his social media for his 5.7million followers to see as he was joined by half brother Tommy Fury

A trip to Sin City is usually reserved for milestone birthdays like a 21st or 30th - when people are old enough to gamble and drink - so the Fury family brought Vegas to the UK for their eldest daughter.

Paris, 32, took to Instagram and shared a look at Venezuela's lavish birthday bash with the pair transforming a venue into a Vegas-themed casino.

Guests were greeted at the bash with a welcome sign reading: 'Welcome to Fabulous Venezuela's 13th birthday party'.

Wow: Tyson held his hand over his face in pain afterwards while others in the salon laughed

Fight pending: It comes after the Gypsy King claimed he had hung up his gloves after beating Dillian Whyte in April but quickly changed his mind about his retirement and has now returned to training camp

Alongside the snap, the mother-of-six wrote: 'She had the best time and the party was pretty awesome if I do say so myself.'

The teenager donned a gold off the shouder mini dress with a shimmering sequinned floral detail.

The garment also featured a red tasselled embellishment while Venezuela also sported a gold tiara with red jewels.

Extravagant: The video comes after Tyson's wife Paris Fury pulled out all the stops for her daughter Venezuela's birthday as she gave her a Las Vegas themed 13th birthday party

Pose: Paris who is married to boxer Tyson Fury, sported a silver-long sleeved mini dress as she posed in front of a 360 camera with her daughter

She added to the outfit with a pair of burgundy heels and a diamonte bracelet.

Paris who is married to boxer Tyson, sported a silver-long sleeved mini dress as she posed in front of a 360 camera with her daughter.

Along with Venezuela, the couple are also parents to Prince John James, nine, Prince Tyson II, five, Valencia, four, and Princes Adonis Amaziah, two.

Outfit: The teenager donned a gold off the shouder mini dress with a shimmering sequinned floral detail

Event: Guests were greeted at the bash with a welcome sign reading: 'Welcome to Fabulous Venezuela's 13th birthday party'

Paris revealed on Loose Women in July that she and Tyson have ruled out having any more children.

Paris previously spoke about her daughter Athena's traumatic birth and said she was 'dying in her arms' and 'unresponsive' at one point - she is now happy and healthy.

She discussed the complications with OK! magazine and said that doctors had tried to slow her heart rate down but this led to other complications.

Festive: A trip to Sin City is usually reserved for milestone birthdays like a 21st or 30th - when people are old enough to gamble and drink - so the Fury family brought Vegas to the UK for their eldest daughter

Talking to the publication, she had said: 'We went over and they sedated her and put her on an incubation where they put a tube down her throat to breathe.

'They put her on tablets to slow her heart down and when they took her off the tube, they thought it was going to be normal. But I think the accumulation of sedatives, painkillers, beta blockers for her heart and everything was just too much.'

'They took her off me, put her on the table and resuscitated her. Tyson came running in. It was horrific. They managed to get her heart going and everything stabilised.'

Birthday girl: Venezuela was treated to a three-tier birthday cake

And talking about the experience on Loose Women, Paris said: 'When we first got out of the hospital and we came home, Tyson said, "that's it, we'll not have any more.'

'Not right now, and maybe never. But I've always wanted a big family. My friends say, "have you not got enough?" and I'm like, "I could have a few more".'

She continued: 'My granny had eight and I've always looked at that as the perfect family, but right now, it's a no.'
She's known for her speedy math skills and co-presenting duties on Countdown.

But Rachel Riley had to hold back her laughter during a recent episode of game show- as the board spelled out an X-rated phrase.

The mix of vowels and consonants were rearranged to spell 'Jiz Louder' on the board, with the presenter noticing and giving a smirk to the camera.

Rachel Riley, 36, was left slightly red-faced as she held back giggles during Countdown after spelling out an inappropriate phrase on Countdown board

Rachel looked typically classy for the daytime TV appearance as she sported a florlal printed maxi dress in white, yellow, orange and pink.

While her blonde locks were styled in a soft curl, as the co-host went for a subtle palette of makeup.

The show's contestants, Tom and Steve, attempted to form a word from the selection of letters - which were I, D, L, O, R, U, E, J, Z.

Tom suggested 'louder', and as Rachel rearranged the letters to their correct form and created the six letter word, - she in turn had to create the phrase 'Jiz Louder' on the board.

X-rated: The mix of vowels and consonants were rearranged to spell 'Jiz Louder' on the board, with the presenter noticing and giving a smirk to the camera

Ticking clock: The task was to form the longest word from the selection of letters - which were I, D, L, O, R, U, E, J, Z

As the camera panned back to the TV star, she glanced between the board and straight ahead - before smirking and turning away.

It's not the first time Rachel, who has presented the show for over a decade, has had to keep her cool at the board, with 'Vaginas UK being spelled out back in July'.

And the phrase wasn't so overlooked that time, with contestants Thomas and Mike even seeing the funny side.

Serious: The show's contestants, Tom and Steve, appeared to keep straight-faced during the moment

The final set of letters was I, N, V, A, A, G, S, U and K and presenter Colin Murray had asked Thomas what his word after the clock ticked down.

He said: 'vagina' but when Colin asked Mike what his word was, he replied 'vaginas.'

Colin, clearly tickled by the funny moment, said: 'Vaginas, well, there you go, putting an s on the end, what a difference that makes.

'Always pluralise. Pluralise everything, and there you go.'

The moment left audience members in stitches and they laughed along, with Riley raising an eyebrow.
Rosaline Elbay and Peter Mark Kendall attended the world premiere of Kareem Fahmy's play Dodi & Diana at Here theatre in New York City on Wednesday.

The play, is centred around the duo's characters, who star as a Hollywood starlet and a Wall Street banker whose lives became intertwined with Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed.

Set 25-years after their tragic deaths, the plot follows the couples mysterious connection with the Princess and her romantic partner.

Exciting: Rosaline Elbay and Peter Mark Kendall led the stars for the world premiere of Kareem Fahmy's play Dodi & Diana at Here theatre in New York City on Wednesday

Rosaline looked very chic in a plunging blazer with metallic gold pinstripes that she teamed with a matching pair of trousers.

She boosted her height with some heeled boots and added a flick of eyeliner and a sweep of shimmering eyeshadow.

Peter looked slick in a charcoal blazer that he pair with a navy blue shirt and trousers with white leather trainers.

Plot: The play, is centred around a Hollywood starlet and a Wall Street banker whose lives became intertwined with Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed

Stars: Set 25-years after their tragic deaths, the plot follows the couples mysterious connection with the Princess and her romantic partner

Joining the actors at the event was director Adrienne Campbell-Holt and writer Kareem Fahmy.

Adrienne put on a leggy display in a puff sleeve mini dress with stiletto heels while Kareem looked smart in a royal blue suit with a yellow tie.

Speaking to PlayBill, the playwright said: 'I'm thrilled to be making my professional debut as a playwright with Dodi & Diana and to bring this story to life on stage just weeks after when it's set, on the 25th anniversary of the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed.'

Cast and crew: Joining the actors at the event was director Adrienne Campbell-Holt

VIP's: Playwright Kareem Fahmy was also in attendance as he posed for a photo with Adrienne

Coming soon: Writer Kareem said to PlayBill: 'I'm thrilled to be making my professional debut as a playwright with Dodi & Diana and to bring this story to life on stage'

Role: Rosaline added: 'As a fellow Egyptian, I was always curious about Dodi, his life, and the relatively small space he occupies in Diana's constantly examined story'

Rosaline added: 'As a fellow Egyptian, I was always curious about Dodi, his life, and the relatively small space he occupies in Diana's constantly examined story.

'I hope this play sheds light on how a key moment in modern history has been remembered through a skewed lens, and that a quarter-century later we can revisit it through a fresh perspective.'

Dodi & Diana isn't the first play about the late Princess Diana, after the critically derided Princess Diana: The Musical had its Broadway premiere last year.

Thoughts: She continued: 'I hope this play sheds light on how a key moment in modern history has been remembered through a skewed lens'

All smiles: Rosaline was beaming at the event as she chatted with Kareem

The production has faced fresh criticism today, with the New York Times saying it 'exploits the People's Princess'.

The musical was roundly slammed over its 'hysterically awful' lyrics and 'absurdly over the top' production.

The show, created by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan (Bon Jovis keyboardist), stars Jeanna de Waal, as Princess Diana, Roe Hartrampf as Prince Charles, Judy Kaye as the Queen, and Erin Davie who 'turns Camilla Parker Bowles into the Wicked Witch of the West'.

Pals: John McManus posed for a quick snap with Kareem before they headed inside

At one point Diana sings how she 'wishes Charles was Elton John' before adding: 'Alright, I'm no intellect/but maybe there's a discotheque/where the prince could hear Prince and we'd all get Funkadellic'.

Later, she sings to her infant son: 'Harry my ginger-haired son / Youll always be second to none.'

One of the most heavily quoted lyrics comes from a scene in which Diana crashes one of Camilla's parties and scandalised guests sing about a 'Thrilla in Manilla with Diana and Camilla'.
APO Group, the leading Pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service, today announced that Daniel Adeyemi from Nigeria has won APO Groups invitation to attend the Africa Tech Festival in Cape Town, South Africa from 7th to 11th November.

APO Group will offer one round trip ticket and accommodation in Cape Town for Daniel Adeyemi to cover the Africa Tech Festival.

The Africa Tech Festival is a series of world-class tech events that includes AfricaCom, AfricaTech, the AHUB, the AFest and the AfricaCom Awards.

Over the past 24 years, Africa Tech Festival has become the biggest telecoms and technology event on the continent. The anchor event of Africa Tech Festival 2022 is AfricaCom, the largest live tech event in Africa with more than 300 visionary speakers and 16 premium conference tracks. In total, Africa Tech Festival 2022 will host 10.000+ attendees, and 300+ sponsors and exhibitors over a week of strategic events.

Daniel Adeyemi is a Senior Reporter at TechCabal, a future-focused publication that speaks to African innovation and technology in depth. He is responsible for covering big tech and high-growth companies operating in Africa. He also writes investigative and analytical pieces about technologys impact on Africa and shares insights from investors in the African ecosystem through his bi-monthly column Ask an Investor.

Daniel is curious about how technology is impacting the lives of Africans. Before joining TechCabal, has spent the past 4 years working in the tech and consulting industry as an Accountant.

Daniel is a Chartered Accountant (ACCA), with a first degree in Accounting from Covenant University.

APO Group congratulates Daniel and is proud to offer this opportunity to an experienced Journalist with a rich background. APO Group offers invitations each year to major African events as part of our commitment to supporting journalism in Africa, says Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard (www.Pompigne-Mognard.com), Founder and Chairman of APO Group.

The three previous recipients of the AfricaCom invitation were science journalist Aimable Twahirwa from Rwanda (https://bit.ly/3C9vNqj), journalist John Churu from Botswana , and journalist Lilian Murugi Mutegi from Kenya .

In September 2016, reporter Aggrey Mutambo from Kenya (www.bit.ly/2RdhgSe) won APO Groups invitation to attend the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). In October 2018, Online News Editor Frank Eleanya from Nigeria (https://bit.ly/2YBnTBI) won APO Groups invitation to attend the Web Summit, the Largest Tech Conference in the World. In 2019, Mrs Oluseyi Awojulugbe from Nigeria won APO Groups invitation to attend the African Development Banks Annual Meetings (http://bit.ly/2QdLwfO), Monica Nkodo from Cameroon won APO Groups invitation to attend the 2019 EurAfrican Forum (http://bit.ly/2WMyGYg), and Isaac Khisa from Uganda won APO Groups invitation to attend the 2019 Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF).

APO Group also sponsors the African Woman in Media Award, the Rugby Africa Media and Photography Awards, the APO Energy Media Award and the APO Media Award (www.bit.ly/2DNPDfU), where a journalist wins $500 a month for one year, a laptop and one intercontinental flight ticket to a destination of his or her choice as well as one year of access to over 600 airport VIP lounges.

APO Group is the Official Newswire of The Africa Tech Festival and will provide distribution and monitoring of all press releases, images, video and soundbite content issued by the Africa Tech Festival.

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Helen Skelton has revealed her Strictly dance partner Gorka Marquez accidentally sent snaps of themselves to a complete stranger.

The Countryfile star, 39, who is currently appearing on BBC show, told how the mishap unfolded when she was set in a cafe relaxing with Gorka after rehearsals.

The dancing pair pinged the snaps to a woman sat at a neighbouring table by mistake via Apples Airdrop facility.

Helen Skelton has revealed her Strictly dance partner Gorka Marquez accidentally sent snaps of themselves to a complete stranger

She told fans on Instagram: 'Wowcareful where you Airdrop kids. This lovely lady thanked us for sending pics of ourselves to her unprompted.'

Helen then shared an image of the women's phone to reveal one of the snaps sent by Gorka  which showed him stood bare-chested in his dancing ensemble.

Manchester-based Gorka, who is engaged to actress and radio star Gemma Atkinson, is believed to have been partnered with Helen as he lives closest to her Yorkshire home.

Oops: The dancing pair pinged the snaps to a woman sat at a neighbouring table by mistake via Apples Airdrop facility

Funny: The Countryfile star, who is currently appearing on BBC show, told how the mishap unfolded when she was set in a cafe relaxing with Gorka after rehearsals

Helen was left shattered when her Richie ended their eight-year marriage in April, four months after their third child was born.

It comes after Strictly Come Dancing viewers are urged Helen to 'make her ex-husband jealous' after a sizzling dance routine on Saturday evening.

The TV presenter looked incredible in a sequin blue dress as she took to the dancefloor with her partner Gorka and Cha Cha'd to Rain On Me.

Stranger: Helen then shared an image of the women's phone to reveal one of the snaps sent by Gorka  which showed him stood bare-chested in his dancing ensemble

Wow! It comes after Strictly Come Dancing viewers are urged Helen to 'make her ex-husband jealous' after a sizzling dance routine on Saturday evening

Following her second performance, viewers are urging her to channel her energy into winning the show to make her ex Richie Myler jealous and 'get even'.

One person said: 'I really want Helen Skelton to enjoy this & smash the hell out of it! She deserves it #Strictly. Mainly for her... but also a MASSIVE [middle finger emoji] to her vile cheating lying ex husband.'

Another chimed in and said: 'U are one amazing woman Helen. I would love dating a woman like you. Ex husband is a plonker letting you go.'

Ex-files: Following her second performance, viewers are urging her to channel her energy into winning the show to make her ex Richie Myler jealous and 'get even'

A third said: 'I hope Helen Skelton's awful husband watched that and realised what he's lost #Strictly.'

Helen, who shares three children with Richie, Ernie, seven, and Louis, five, and Elsie, nine months, split from her husband last year.

However it seems Helen has come out on top in the end, after receiving a wealth of support online following her first two appearances on the show.
Liz Cantor welcomed her third child, baby girl Sky Lysaught, on September 30 at the Pindara Private Hospital on the Gold Coast.

The Gold Coast Channel 7 presenter, 39, made the announcement on Saturday alongside a video of her two boys, Fin, four, and Kit, five, holding the newborn.

Cantor revealed to The Courier Mail on Thursday her baby was born via a maternally assisted caesarean where she lifted Sky out of her uterus herself.

Liz Cantor, 39, (pictured) welcomed her third child, baby girl Sky Lysaught, on September 30 at the Pindara Private Hospital on the Gold Coast

'It happens very quickly. The obstetrician opens you up, your waters are broken and basically immediately he had my hands and said, "I'm putting your hands in your uterus and you'll feel her head,"' she said.

'I thought that would be overwhelming but once I felt her and had that physical touch, it was really calming and very comforting.

'That was an incredibly special experience and I'm so lucky to have lived it.'

The Gold Coast Channel 7 presenter made the announcement on Saturday alongside a video of her two boys, Fin, four, and Kit, five, holding the newborn. Pictured Liz's husband Ryan and children

Liz said she opted for the unusual procedure because the birth of her second child was so 'traumatic' and left her with severe 'panic attacks'.

As the journalist went into labour with Fin, her uterus ruptured, causing unimaginable pain which left her with crippling panic attacks for months.

The episodes were triggered by bright lights and high-speed driving with some leading to a temporary loss of vision while she was driving 110kms/hr.

Cantor told The Courier Mail on Thursday her baby was born via a maternally assisted caesarean in which she lifted Sky out of her uterus herself

It was after this moment she realised something was wrong and decided to seek help, believing she needed a brain scan.

Liz said it wasn't until she spoke with her general practitioner and psychologist that she made the connection.

The presenter was suffering severe physical reactions to the trauma she experienced in the birthing bed.

Liz said she opted for the unusual procedure because the birth of her second child was so 'traumatic' and left her with severe 'panic attacks'

As the journalist went into labour with Fin, her uterus ruptured, causing unimaginable pain which left her with crippling panic attacks for months

She admitted she was 'quite anxious' with the impending birth of Sky but felt she had healed enough to cope with having another child 'in the best way possible'.

The reporter, who shares her three children with husband Ryan Lysaught, was overjoyed by the birthing experience with her baby daughter.

Liz said it was 'enjoyable, which is a crazy thing to say about birth and surgery', before assuring she is 'grateful' and 'excited for this next chapter'.
Rylan Clark took to the stage with a fellow reality show icon on Wednesday night.

The TV and radio star, who began his career on The X Factor, teamed up with Pop Idol legend Michelle MacManus for a duet during the latest stop in the promotional tour for his memoir.

Rylan and Michelle, 42, sang together on stage art Glasgow's Saint Luke's & The Winged Ox in celebration of Rylan's book TEN: The Decade that Changed My Future.

Icons: Rylan Clark took to the stage with a fellow reality show icon on Wednesday night, performing a duet with Pop Idol star Michelle MacManus in Glasgow

Rylan and Michelle hosted the event before breaking into a rendition of her 2004 hit All This Time.

And Rylan, 33, couldn't contain his excitement as he shared a video of the big moment with his Instagram fans.

Michelle won the second and final series of Pop Idol in 2003, with her All This Time, which was her debut single, entering the UK Singles Chart at number one in January 2004.

Following the show, Rylan wrote on social media: 'The best night celebrating #RylanTen in Glasgow. Love you Michelle x'

Pals: Rylan and Michelle, 42, sang together on stage art Glasgow's Saint Luke's & The Winged Ox in celebration of Rylan's book TEN: The Decade that Changed My Future

Duet: Rylan, 33, couldn't contain his excitement as he shared a video of the big moment with his Instagram fans

Rylan has been touring the country promoting his new memoir, which focuses on his career highs and lows as well as the recent breakdown of his marriage to Dan Neal.

In the book Rylan revealed that he's longing to find a partner who 'loves me for me' after his divorce last year.

Writing in his memoir, he admitted he spent eight years with his ex doubting if he was with him for love or fame, a mentality that he's struggled to shake now he's seeing new people.

Discussing his fears, Rylan pondered: 'Is that person seeing me because they want to see me? Because they actually like me? Do they genuinely fancy me? Or do they just fancy the job of Rylan's new partner?

Belting it out: Rylan and Michelle hosted the event tonight before breaking into a rendition of her 2004 hit All This Time

Legend: Michelle won the second and final series of Pop Idol in 2003, with her All This Time, which was her debut single, entering the UK Singles Chart at number one in January 2004

'I mean if I couldn't trust the man I lived with for eight years to be with me for the right reasons how can I trust some random or other that I've just met in a bar?

'I just wanna find someone who loves me for me... I was with the wrong person for eight whole years and yet I thought I'd found The One.'

He later quipped: 'Also next time get a prenup, silly p**k.' The star has not disclosed the cost of his divorce settlement.

Detailing the aftermath of his split, Rylan said: 'Sometimes friends grow apart, the way I was in my marriage was the nail in the coffin.

'When I split from my husband it hit me "oh f**k im on my own." It suddenly dawned on me that literally overnight I had no friends to speak of really, since I no longer could count on the friends we'd had as a couple.

Celebrations: Rylan popped a bottle of bubbly backstage as the duo celebrated their night in front of Glasgow fans

'Over the eight years I was with my ex I didn't really make time for my people, my friendships.

'I didn't even make time for my own blood family at points. That's what so sad about it. I realise now that for a while I forgot the Clark side of my life.'

On getting back into the dating pool, Rylan admitted that he had grown increasingly frustrated by Tinder, due to the amount of messages from men asking him to prove that he wasn't a catfish.

'I'm just so bored of it,' he explained. 'I just feel like writing back and saying "you know what, I'm fake." Don't worry about it. I'll have a w**k instead.'

Rylan and former policeman Dan announced their split in June last year after six years together.

Opening up: Rylan has been touring the country promoting his new memoir, which focuses on his career highs and lows as well as the recent breakdown of his marriage to Dan Neal

Tragically, Rylan attempted to take his own life after the split, admitting: 'For the first time in my 32 years, I felt I couldn't carry on no more.

'I'd lost what I thought was everything, the one thing I always wanted. A man I loved. A family of my own. And now it was gone.

'So I tried to end it. I won't go into detail as I don't think it's fair on my mum, but thank God I was unsuccessful.'

Following the breakdown of his six-year marriage the telly favourite took five months away from the spotlight due to his deteriorating health.

If you have been affected by anything in this article and need support call the Samaritans on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.
Strictly Come Dancing's Jayde Adams has continued the hard graft to make her way up the leaderboard as she headed into rehearsals on Thursday ahead of her Saturday night performance.

After landing in ninth place last week, comedian Jayde, 37, has been gearing up to try to impress the judges and viewers with a Cha Cha Cha for the Movie Week episode.

The actress and writer was pictured cutting a casual figure in a stylish hat as she got ready for another day of rehearsing her twinkle toes with professional dance partner Karen Hauer.

All smiles: Strictly's Jayde Adams is pictured heading into rehearsals in London on Thursday morning as she continued the hard graft to make her way up the leaderboard

Hard work: After landing in ninth place last week, comedian Jayde, 37, has been gearing up to get even higher numbers from the judges on Movie Week this week

Jayde and Karen are preparing for their fast-paced dance to Flashdance's What A Feeling after two weeks of good votes from judges Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood.

Pictured on Thursday to the bright London sunshine, the Bristol native wore a white button-up bodysuit, navy blue wide-legged tracksuit bottoms and a pair of comfortable white trainers.

She completed the casual look with a chic navy blue fedora hat and dragged her mustard yellow suitcase into the studio.

The 6ft 2 comedian also wore a bright and bold red lip and a flushed pink colour crossed her cheeks.

Jayde and Karen reappeared later in the afternoon as they left rehearsals on Thursday, with a quick outfit change for the comedian.

Casual: The actress and writer was pictured on Thursday morning cutting a casual figure as she got ready for another day of rehearsing her twinkle toes with dance partner Karen Hauer

She wore a 'Choose Love' black t-shirt instead of her white number, pairing the look with a cream coloured trench coat.

She walked hand-in-hand with Karen Hauer, who wore light blue denim jeans, a mocha brown high-neck bodysuit and a camel coloured trench coat to match her celebrity dance partner.

She finished the look with a Louis Vuitton tote bag and some stylish black sunglasses as she strolled out of the studio in good spirits.

Getting ready! Pictured on Thursday to the bright London sunshine, the Bristol native wore a white button-up bodysuit, navy blue wide-legged tracksuit bottoms and a pair of white trainers

On the first week, Jayde broke down in tears after getting a standing ovation on her Samba to Dirrty by Christina Aguilera.

The star gave a sassy, attitude filled performance with her partner Karen, leaving the audience and judges stood up on their feet giving a thunderous round of applause.

Motsi Mabuse, who stood after Jayde's performance alongside Shirley Ballas, excitedly claimed: 'Samba you're in trouble, you've never met this woman!', while Shirley quipped: 'I haven't seen that much attitude on week one - just fantastic!'

Hand-in-hand: Jayde and Karen reappeared later in the afternoon as they left rehearsals on Thursday, with a quick outfit change for the comedian

Happy days: Jayde wore a 'Choose Love' black t-shirt instead of her white number, pairing the look with a cream coloured trench coat

Time to rest: Karen Hauer wore light blue denim jeans, a mocha brown high-neck bodysuit and a camel coloured trench coat to match her celebrity dance partner

Beaming: Jayde looked pleased with her hard work today as she got into the car following rehearsals for Strictly at London studios

Jayde wore a showstopping first week outfit wearing a black and silver sparkling dress with her wild blonde curls thrown up in a high ponytail.

Dance partner Karen stunned in a sparkling mini dress and her warm brown curly locks worn loosely.

When asked by host Tess Daly how she was feeling about receiving a standing ovation for her performance, she put her hand to her face and looked down without being able to say a word.

After receiving her score of 23 out of 40 from the judges, Jayde struggled to hide her emotions as she paid tribute to Karen.

Nothing her fellow celebrities who cheered as she received her score, Jayde said: 'I love you all so much! If I think about it too much I am going to cry.'

Drama: Jayde and Karen won 26 points out of 40 from the judges for their Tango to Adele's Rumour Has It on week two (pictured)

Giving it her all: The dramatic number saw Jayde wearing a glamorous red jumpsuit embellished with diamante detailing on the waistband and collar, with her hair in an up-do

Turning to Karen, she added: 'We get to do this once a week, and you'll say it with your partners as well. It's all about you, baby.

'This Strictly experience is going to be through you and I'm so proud. It's been a great time rehearsing with her, it has been amazing.'

And on week two, which saw Scottish television presenter Kaye Adams eliminated in the first public vote-off, Jayde and Karen won 26 points out of 40 from the judges for their Tango to Adele's Rumour Has It.

The dramatic number saw Jayde wearing a glamorous red jumpsuit embellished with diamante detailing on the waistband and collar, with her hair kept in a pouffed up-do.

Ahead of her appearance on the BBC favourite, Jayde Adams revealed that she's doing Strictly Come Dancing for her late sister Jenna, who died from a brain tumour 11 years ago at the age of just 28.

The comedian told how it was 'such an emotional thing for her' to take part in the BBC competition to honour her sibling - who studied contemporary dance at university.
Yazmin Oukhellou shared a picture of herself wearing a pink bikini on Instagram while on a lavish getaway.

The TOWIE star, 28, wore her hair in a high ponytail for the picture as she tries to put on a brave face following a fatal crash which killed boyfriend Jake McLean.

The post comes after Yazmin shared some words about 'healing' on her social media.

Stunning: Yazmin Oukhellou posed in a pink two piece while posing for sizzling bikini snaps on a sun lounger during a lavish getaway at Nikki Beach, sharing the snap on Instagram

She accessorised with a simple silver pendant necklace and stud earrings as she flashed her coordinated pink manicure.

The reality star looked glamorous in a bronzed palette of makeup which she opted for a smoky eye shadow with.

Yazmin showed off her glowing tan in the luxury location as she propped herself up on her side showcasing her toned physique.

Incredible: The TOWIE star, 28, showed off her glowing tan in the luxury location as she accessorised with a simple silver pendant necklace and stud earrings

She penned: 'Buenos dias' which means 'Hello' in Spanish.

In a second post the beauty shared a meaningful quote with her followers which said that: 'Your wounds will heal because that's what wounds are meant to do.'

She captioned the quote: 'It might hurt so bad right now. It might be all you can think about. But it will make you stronger. Trust me. I know. You got this. I believe in you! Love Yaz.'

'You got this': In a second post the beauty shared a meaningful quote with her followers which said that: 'Your wounds will heal because that's what wounds are meant to do'

The heartfelt message comes after Yazmin admitted she's 'learning to live' after suffering a fatal crash that killed her boyfriend Jake McLean two months ago.

Jake was killed on July 3 when his blue Mercedes E class saloon crashed in Bodrum, while Yazmin was left with serious injuries after she had to break her own arm to escape the wreckage as Jake was in the driving seat unconscious.

The crash took place at around 4.30am and investigators have established that the car hurtled around 70 feet over a left turn bend and landed in a ravine almost 30 feet below.

Crash: The heartfelt message comes after Yazmin admitted she's 'learning to live' after suffering a fatal crash that killed her boyfriend Jake McLean two months ago

Jake was pronounced dead at the scene while Yazmin was rushed to hospital, where she underwent treatment for her injured arm.

After the crash, she clambered through thick, thorny bushes to stop a passing motorist for help.

She has told of how she is still coping with post traumatic stress following her return to the UK.

It has been claimed the couple had a blazing row at a nightclub shortly before the crash, something which Jake's mum Anita Walsh told Turkish authorities she believed could have played a role in her son's death.

This led to a bitter fallout between Yazmin and Anita, who banned the reality star from Jake's funeral in Essex last month.

If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.
Samantha Womack revealed that she is set to undergo her first chemotherapy session on Thursday as she shared a health update with her fans.

The former EastEnders actress, 49, took to Instagram to thank her 87.6k followers for their support following her breast cancer diagnosis.

Her health revelation came back in August, when the soap star shared a tribute to the late Olivia Newton-John, who passed away from breast cancer.

'I'm feeling very humbled': Samantha Womack has thanked fans for their support as she shared a breast cancer update to Instagram on Thursday, ahead of her first chemotherapy session

Appearing natural for the low-lit video, Samantha donned a khaki jumper as she explained she has had an operation.

She underwent a lumpectomy, which aims to remove cancer or abnormal tissue from the breast, and a lymp node removal - which can help check if cancer has spread, or reduce the chance of it returning.

Chatting to the camera, the actress, who famously played Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders, explained: 'Hey, I just want to say thankyou to everyone who has been sending me love after I shared my story about battling breast cancer.

Heartbreaking: The actress eas diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year (pitcured in July)

Insight: Appearing natural for the low-lit video, Samantha donned a khaki jumper as she explained she has had an operation

'So, just to tell you, Ive had my operation, I had a lumpectomy and lymph node removal and I am now going to start my first session of chemotherapy tomorrow.'

She gratefully concluding: 'I have read all your stories and messages, theyve blown me away, genuinely. I just wanted to say thank you, I am very humbled by the fact that everyone has reached out and yea so, Ill keep you posted.

'Just a huge thank you, sending you all lots of love.'

In addition to her fans, famous friends rushed to the comments to extend their words of love and support.

Supportive: In addition to her fans, famous friends rushed to the comments to extend their words of love and support

'Sending so much love to you Sam,' penned close pal Denise Van Outen.

While Tamzin Outhwaite wrote: 'Oh darling. Sending you love , light and positive energy. You are so strong and I know you will override all your obstacles.'

On August 9 Samantha revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

The soap star announced that she she'd 'started her own battle' with the disease as she paid tribute to Grease star Olivia.

In a tribute to the late actress, she tweeted a picture of the pair with Olivia's daughter Chloe, taken when Samantha had played Sandy in the 1993 West End production of Grease.

Samantha captioned the image: 'This was the most magical of evenings. Olivia and Chloe had come to see Grease in London and we had dinner together afterwards.

'I was so excited and in awe, she was my childhood. I now start my own battle with this disease and am left feeling deeply moved. #OliviaNewtonJohn.'

Difficult: Last month Samantha announced that she she'd 'started her own battle' with the disease as she paid tribute to Olivia Newton-John, who died aged 73 after long fight with cancer

Samantha is currently starring as the White Witch in The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, which opened to rave reviews at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in the West End last month, and is running until January.

Samantha has two children, Lili and Benji, with former husband Mark Womack, who appears in Emmerdale. They split up four years ago, but have carried on living together.

For the past two years she has been dating actor Oliver Farnworth, 40, and the three of them now form a 'blended parenting unit'  dividing their time between homes in Bedfordshire and Liverpool.

The Macmillan Support Line offers free, confidential support to people living with cancer and their loved ones. Call 0808 808 00 00 for support.
Lisa Rinna's daughter Amelia Hamlin is starring in a new campaign that makes the most of her impressive figure.

The new 'it' supermodel was seen showing off her incredibly toned tummy in a strappy bikini top with slacks as she writhed around for the camera.

The ex-girlfriend of Scott Disick was posing for London-based Estonian brand Roberta Einer.

Stunning shape: Lisa Rinna's daughter Amelia Hamlin is starring in a new campaign that makes the most of her impressive figure

A body to be proud of: Here she has on a black bra with low waisted white slacks

The label launched a look book starring the influencer and rising runway model Hamlin.

The look book is shot by Remi Ferrante and styled by Phoebe-Lettice Thompson and also features emerging model Adhel Bol.

London-based Estonian womenswear designer Einer introduced her SS23 collection this month.

It is the first full fashion collection since 2020.

A 10! The new 'it' supermodel was seen showing off her incredibly toned tummy in a strappy bikini top with slacks as she writhed around for the camera

A stunning vibe: Hamlin looked sophisticated in this sheer crop top and slacks

She has some good model moves: The star raised her arms to show off her abs

Pre-pandemic Roberta Einer shifted their business model away from wholesale and towards D2C channels, allowing far greater flexibility and frequency of releases, and bringing the product offering in-line with consumer demand influenced through direct engagement with customers via the brand's e-com and social media channels.

This period granted space and time for the brand to rework, rethink and delve deeper into the style and shapes that it is celebrated for, thoroughly exploring technique and production processes.

During this time, Roberta Einer has built a strong 'family' of influencer talent across the globe, supported by A-list talent from various trades - Megan Fox, Kylie Jenner, Gabrielle Union, Jorja Smith.

From across the pond: The ex-girlfriend of Scott Disick was posing for London-based Estonian brand Roberta Einer

With mommy: The model, left, seen with her famous mother Lis of RHOBH fame in 2017 in Milan, Italy

This Roberta Einer family, along with loyal customer base, has directly informed the brand's output throughout this time.

These new photos have emerged after her mother Lisa said she won't wear crop tops.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star says she 'can't' bear her midriff and wants to leave that trend to the younger generations - such as her two model daughters with her husband Harry Hamlin, 70; Amelia and Delilah Belle, 21 - while she gushed about how much she loved the collection.

After walking the Priscavera Spring/Summer 2023 show in Brooklyn during New York Fashion Week, the 59-year-old actress told Interview magazine:

'I wouldn't do the midriffs. I would have my daughters do the midriffs. I mean, there comes a point where you just don't. At my age, you don't do midriffs. You can wear a bathing suit but you can't do midriffs.'

All the top designers love this gal: Hamlin seen in a ripped outfit and boots for Givenchy Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week this weekend

Lisa called the collection 'fabulous' and something she could wear to any occasion in her busy Bravo life.

She said: This collection is so fabulous. For me, you could wear it on Watch What Happens Live. You could wear it on the show. You could wear it out. My girls could wear it. I can wear the dress that I wore today. I mean, I f***** love this collection.'

The former Days of Our Lives star labelled the white dress she sported on the runway - which she needed an inch taken from the bottom to stop any tripping hazards - as 'classic old school' and reminiscent of Tom

Ford when he was the creative director of Gucci in the 90s.

After being asked how she would describe it, Lisa said: Well, it was kind of classic old school. Tom Ford Gucci 1996. Right?'
Jessica Alves almost spilled out of her racy gym wear as she posed for sizzling snaps following her workout in Brazil on Wednesday.

The TV personality, 39, put on a busty display in a plunging white top which she covered over with an eye catching red zip athleisurewear jacket.

The reality star showed off her curvy figure in a pair of coordinated bright leggings as she carried her phone and black water bottle.

Eye popping: Jessica Alves almost spilled out of her racy gym wear as she posed for sizzling snaps following her workout in Brazil on Wednesday

Jessica donned a pair of white trainers for the gym and styled her long blonde tresses poker straight.

The beauty boasted a glamorous palette of makeup, despite going for a sweaty workout session and wore fluttering lashes, blushed cheeks and a bright pink glossy lipstick.

Taking to her Instagram Story, Jessica filmed herself performing hip abductions on the machine in her gym.

Gym ready! The TV personality, 39, put on a busty display in a plunging white top which she covered over with an eye catching red zip top

Coordinated: The reality star showed off her curvy figure in a pair of coordinated bright leggings as she carried her phone and black water bottle

She seemed in high spirits as she captured her best angle and pouted for the camera before cheekily winking.

It comes after Jessica told MailOnline about her quest for love and dating as a transwoman and her desire to start a family.

The influencer opened up on her 'disappointing' experience of dating as single trans woman.

Stunning: Jessica donned a pair of white trainers for the gym and styled her long blonde tresses poker straight as they cascaded past her bust

The Brazilian bombshell exclusively spoke to MailOnline about her quest to find love, sharing her heartache that men only want to have a sexual experience with her and are 'put off' when she mentions her desire to start a family.

As well as featuring in a stunning new photoshoot, Jessica also claimed that people are scared and 'intimidated' by her new look, insisting that people will realise she's a 'kind soul' once they get to know her.

The star has spent nearly 1million on almost 80 surgeries to transform herself, undergoing sex reassignment surgery in 2021 after coming out as transgender in 2020.

Incredible: The beauty boasted a glamorous palette of makeup for the fitness session including fluttering lashes, blushed cheeks and a bright pink glossy lipstick

Jessica shared that she still finds it difficult to make a proper connection with men.

She explained: 'I think that I tend to intimidate people due to my looks. But once they get to know me they see that I am a nice, kind soul.

'I get a lot of attention from men when I am out in public, on my Instagram and on my OnlyFans, but I am still a single woman.'

Wow: Taking to her Instagram Story, Jessica filmed herself performing hip abductions on the machine in her gym

Racy display: She seemed in high spirits as she captured her best angle and pouted for the camera before cheekily winking

And while she feels that she's 'completed' her transformation into the woman she's always wanted to be, Jessica once again shared her yearning for the two things missing in her life - a husband and children.

'It has been hard to find the Prince Charming who will eventually marry me and build a family with me.

'Most men that I have met are just after fun and when I talk about having kids etc they get put off.'

Impressive: Jessica showed off her moves to her 6.6million followers

Looking for love: It comes after Jessica opened up on her 'disappointing' experience of dating as single trans woman

Earlier this month, the TV personality was pictured with a love interest in Rome, while she previously enjoyed a whirlwind fling in Thailand with another love interest, Jamie Budgen. But at present, she remains single.

Jessica added of her life: 'I'm at the age of 39 and have completed my transition now - I am a fully female. Even my birth certificate has been updated matching my name Jessica and my gender female allowing me to get married in the Christian Catholic church - and that is my dream to have a princess wedding.

'I feel very blessed and fortunate to be who I was meant to be at birth. I love every single inch of my self and my being and I have being focusing on my personal life and discovering myself day by day as a woman.'
Adrian Chiles says he reevaluated his beliefs regarding the efficiency of professional ADHD care after discovering some sufferers face a desperate five year wait for treatment.

The TV presenter was diagnosed with the condition in 2019, having already spent thousands of pounds on private healthcare and psychiatric treatment after being unable to 'focus on anything' for more than 15 seconds.

But his belief that ADHD, a behavioral disorder that typically begins in childhood and is defined by a short attention span and poor impulse control, was easily treated and widely diagnosed was tested during a recent meeting with a fellow sufferer.

Rethink: Adrian Chiles says he reevaluated his beliefs regarding the efficiency of professional ADHD care after discovering some sufferers face a desperate five year wait for treatment

Writing for The Guardian, Chiles, 55, says he was given a reality check while discussing the disorder with Henry Shelford ahead of the Global ADHD Conference, which begins on October 6.

He recalled: 'I had long been holding a couple of opinions that, thanks to him, I dont hold any more. Firstly, I had developed a sense that, from being wildly under-diagnosed, ADHD had now gone the other way and was being diagnosed and treated left, right and centre.

'I was wrong  wrong because I had been seeing it through the prism of my own experience: essentially, that I had been able to pay to see a specialist. For everyone else, Shelford made clear, its a very long wait.

WHAT IS ADHD? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a behavioural condition defined by inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. It affects around five per cent of children in the US. Some 3.6 per cent of boys and 0.85 per cent of girls suffer in the UK. Symptoms typically appear at an early age and become more noticeable as a child grows. These can also include: Constant fidgeting

Poor concentration

Excessive movement or talking

Acting without thinking

Little or no sense of danger

Careless mistakes

Forgetfulness

Difficulty organising tasks

Inability to listen or carry out instructions Most cases are diagnosed between six and 12 years old. Adults can also suffer, but there is less research into this. ADHD's exact cause is unclear but is thought to involve genetic mutations that affect a person's brain function and structure. Premature babies and those with epilepsy or brain damage are more at risk. ADHD is also linked to anxiety, depression, insomnia, Tourette's and epilepsy. There is no cure. A combination of medication and therapy is usually recommended to relieve symptoms and make day-to-day life easier. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

Discovery: The TV presenter was diagnosed with the condition in 2019, having already spent thousands of pounds on private healthcare and psychiatric treatment

'And the stakes can be very high. The biggest single donor to his charity is the family of a teenager who took their own life as, in the absence of treatment for ADHD, their world overwhelmed them.'

He added: 'Unwelcome confirmation of all this came from an old schoolfriend of mine, a GP, at his surgery in the Midlands. He told me that the wait for a referral for adult ADHD on his patch stands at five years.'

However the presenter also admits that those without the financial reserves to pay for private care can shorten the wait for treatment through the NHS Right to Choose system, which assists referrals to different health authorities across the country.

U-turn: Chiles says he was given a reality check while discussing the disorder with Henry Shelford ahead of the Global ADHD Conference, which begins on October 6

Chiles also dismissed the commonly held belief that ADHD works to the sufferer's advantage once they've learned to control their fragmented thought patterns.

He wrote: 'Yes, if you can harness the chaotic torrents of thought, there is the potential for great things to be achieved.

'But for every Heston Blumenthal... there are probably hundreds of budding chefs with the condition who, unlike Heston, never managed to make it work in their favour.'

Not convinced: The presenter also dismissed the commonly held belief that ADHD works to the sufferer's advantage once they've learned to control their fragmented thought patterns

The presenter highlighted the media as an environment where ADHD sufferers are more likely to succeed, because 'as a freelance writer and broadcaster, my mental health doesnt much matter (in a good way) to whomsoever engages my services.'

But he was less confident about corporate roles, adding: 'Here, ADHD on your CV is rarely going to be to your advantage.

'How naive I was to think otherwise. And on this occasion, Im not going to blame my own neurodiversity for such blinkered, selfish thinking.'

If you have been affected by anything in this article, contact The National Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service on 020 8952 280.
Michaela Coel is about to appear on the big screen as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, taking on the role of a legendary LGBTQ+ hero.

And to mark the occasion she also became a Vogue cover star, wowing in a high fashion shoot for the style bible's November issue.

The accompanying interview saw the I May Destroy You talent tease her influential role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as well as give a rare glimpse of her life off screen.

Star power: Michaela Coel is about to appear on the big screen as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And to mark the occasion she has also become a Vogue cover star

The Vogue shoot took place in Ghana, Michaela's ancestral home, with her father, Derek Kwesi Coel, and grandmother Jemima Andam also starring in the photographs - all three dressed to the nines in designer pieces.

Africa is the star of the upcoming Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever, in which Michaela plays Aneka, a combat instructor for the Dora Milaje, the fearless all-female crew of warriors who protect the kingdom of Wakanda.

Her character falls in love with her warrior colleague Ayo, played by Florence Kasumba.

On playing a queer character in a movie set in Africa, where there are strict anti-gay policies, Michaela admitted: 'That sold me on the role, the fact that my character's queer.'

'I thought: I like that, I want to show that to Ghana... People say, "Oh, it's fine, it's just politics." But I don't think it is just politics when it affects how people get to live their daily lives.'

Family: The Vogue shoot takes place in Ghana, Michaela's ancestral home, with the father, Derek Kwesi Coel, and grandmother Jemima Andam also starring in the photographs

While she has not publicly addressed her sexuality, Michaela has always been an outspoken LGBTQ+ advocate.

Michaela was raised in East London but told Vogue's Chioma Nnadi she felt an immediate affinity for Ghana during her first visit in 2018.

'When I came here I was really seeing people who looked like me. A friend of mine was with me, and he remembers us getting off the plane and me walking around as if I knew where I was going,' she explained.

'I remember looking at all the kids playing and it hit me, like, Wow, this could've been me and I think I would have really enjoyed that. Yes, there are a lot of sad things; poverty, unemployment, struggle. There's also a lot of peace, friendliness. There's a lack of anxiety.'

Major roles: The accompanying interview sees the I May Destroy You talent tease her influential role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as well as life off screen

'That's why it felt important for me to step in and do that role because I know just by my being Ghanaian, Ghanaians will come.'

As for her own love story off camera, Michaela said she's working hard on herself in the hope of one day finding her equal match.

'I do want a life companion. I love romance and I love when romance turns into something deeper, a relationship where there's understanding, transparency, forgiveness, openness,' she said.

'But you have to find that person, and I personally haven't seen many healthy men.'

'So I don't know if I trust myself. I'm trying to do the work. I talk about this in therapy all the time, and actually, person by person, they're getting healthier and healthier.'

Role: In the Black Panther sequel Michaela plays Aneka, a combat instructor for the Dora Milaje, the fearless all-female crew of warriors who protect the kingdom of Wakanda

Michaela landed a role in the Black Panther sequel after she was noticed by the movie's director Ryan Coogler at the London premiere of the first movie, where she confidently mingled with the cast.

Development on a sequel to the original Black Panther began shortly after the release of the original, which premiered in 2018.

Numerous cast members from the first movie expressed interest in returning for a follow-up, although plans were complicated when its star Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away from colon cancer in August of 2020.

It was later confirmed that plans for a sequel would be moving forward and that the late actor's role would not be recast.

'It felt like the entire cast was processing grief,' Michaela said of her experience on set following Boseman's passing.

'There was a sense that we have to bring this baby home in the name of Chadwick.'

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be released on November 11.

Vogue's November 2022 issue is available on newsstands nationwide on October 18th.
Anna Richardson has revealed she has a new boyfriend, over a year on from her split from Sue Perkins.

The Naked Attraction presenter, 52, split from the former Bake Off host, 53, in June 2021 after eight years together, with a source stating at the time that they were both 'devastated'.

But 16 months after the break-up, Anna has found love once again and told in a new interview that she 'just got really, really lucky' to find someone so compatible with her pals.

Moving on: Anna Richardson has revealed she has a new boyfriend, over a year on from her split from Sue Perkins (pictured on Naked Attraction)

Anna told of her relationship news while discussing her 'love language' in a chat with The Mirror.

She explained: This morning - I'm dating, I've got a boyfriend - and already my boyfriend has said to me "I haven't spent enough time with you", so his love language is time - he needs my time to feel loved.

'Whereas actually, I quite like to receive texts saying [something like] "I'm thinking about you and I love you". So people need to be aware of how their partner does their love language.'

Detailing how they met, she went on: 'I have been introduced to apps [while dating], but actually I ended up meeting somebody through friends of friends. Yeah, so again, I just got really, really lucky that someone was compatible in my friendship circle.'

Over: The Naked Attraction presenter, 52, split from the former Bake Off host, 53, in June 2021 after eight years together, with a source stating at the time that they were both 'devastated' (pictured in 2014)

Anna was previously with partner Charles Martin for 18 years prior to beginning a relationship with Sue in in 2013 after meeting at a Halloween party.

At the time of her break-up with Sue, a source told The Sun: 'It's really sad. Both Anna and Sue are devastated.

'We're all hoping they can patch things up and sort out their differences but for now it appears to be all over.'

Meanwhile, in May, the TV star admitted that 'you never get used to heartbreak' following their split in a revealing interview.

Happy again: 16 months after the break-up, Anna has found love once again and told in a new interview that she 'just got really, really lucky' to find someone so compatible with her pals

Relationship: I'm dating, I've got a boyfriend - and already my boyfriend has said to me "I haven't spent enough time with you", so his love language is time' (pictured in 2018)

The presenter spoke to OK magazine about love as well as her fears of growing older, admitting she's 'filled with dread' at the prospect of what could happen in the future.

Speaking about the split, the host told the publication: 'I suppose I don't know whether you become more resilient as you get older, but heartbreak is still that mystery that needs to be solved, and how you get over it and become stronger'.

The couple, who dated for eight years, allegedly parted ways after Sue's reluctance to start a family, with Anna previously revealing she had thought about adopting a child and felt that 'time is running out' for her to do so.

Anna, who began dating Sue after her separation from her partner of 18-years Charles, went on to reveal, 'its a really fundamental and visceral realisation [if you havent had children] that, "Oh my God, I cant do that anymore." Even if I wanted to.'

She added that she feels 'slow, inexorable dread' when she thinks about the next 30 years of her life, saying: 'It seems to be a bit of a decline. And its very, very difficult.'

Romance: The pair first began dating in 2013 after meeting at a Halloween party, and in 2015, Sue gushed 'there was something sort of magical in the air' when they met (pictured in 2013)

MailOnline exclusively revealed in June that nobody else was involved in Sue and Anna's decision to split, which the couple made with 'a heavy heart'.

A source said: 'The split is as amicable as these things can ever be. After so long together it wasn't an easy decision to make and they both did so with heavy hearts.

'But Sue and Anna are determined to remain friends and keep in touch. Nobody else is involved and now the pair are throwing themselves into work.'

It was reported Anna moved out of their shared 2million North London home to live in Staffordshire to be close to her mum, who is caring for her father who is suffering from dementia.

Speaking to The Telegraph in 2015 about the start of her romance with Sue, Anna explained she had known Sue for years, but it was a meeting her at a party after her separation from Charles, that made her realise she felt something more than just friendship.

She gushed: 'When I was invited to the party, I was told Sue would be going and I felt, what, a frisson? A spark of interest? And I thought: "Hmm, that's interesting". There was something in the air.

'It was an extraordinary night. I was dancing on the table. It felt like a defining moment in my life.'

She wasn't keen on giving herself a label in regards her sexuality at the time, after she had previously spent almost two decades with a man.

'For me, it's just a case of I am who I am. I'm not interested in being labelled gay or straight, my sexuality is fluid. I just happen to have fallen in love with a woman - simple as that,' she explained.
Murder and mayhem in paradise? It's business as usual at The White Lotus as the hit HBO series returns for a second season.

The new trailer for the upcoming series has been released and features returning castmember Jennifer Coolidge alongside a host of new characters who are checking into the exclusive hotel, this time in Sicily.

The trailer opens with wealthy heiress Tanya McQuaid (Jennifer) as she arrives at the hotel alongside her husband Greg (Jon Giles) and her assistant Portia (Haley Lu Richardson).

Return: Murder and mayhem in paradise? It's business as usual at The White Lotus as the hit HBO series returns for a second season (Jennifer Coolidge pictured)

Speaking to a member of staff at the hotel, Tanya says: 'Whenever I stay at a White Lotus, I always have a memorable time, always.'

Viewers are then introduced to some of the new faces staying at the resort including the Di Grasso family made up of Bert (F. Murray Anderson), his son Dominic (Michael Imperioli) and Dominic's son Albie (Adam Di Marco).

Tension is already simmering among the group as it becomes clear many members of their family did not join them on the holiday.

A waitress says to them: 'You guys are here to learn abour your Sicilian roots? Sounds like a fun boys trip.'

Plot: The new trailer for the upcoming series has been released and features returning castmember Jennifer Coolidge alongside a host of new characters who are checking into the exclusive hotel, this time in Sicily (Aubrey Plaza pictured)

Vacation: Aubrey's character Harper is on vacation with Cameron (Theo James) and Daphne Babcock (Meghann Fahy) but it's clear all isn't well among the group

Harper is seen telling her husband: 'There's a reason they invited us here. It's like, you sold your company, you got rich and now he's your best friend'

Bet replies: 'It wasn't supposed to be a boys trip.'

Albie says: 'We're on a family vacation right now and it's just the three of us because all the women in our family hate you.'

Elsewhere, married couple Harper (Aubrey Plaza) and Ethan Spiller are on vacation with their friends Cameron (Theo James) and Daphne Babcock (Meghann Fahy).

But it's clear all is not well among the group as Cameron says to his wife about Ethan and Harper: 'Now that he's loaded, I think he regrets marrying such a dud.'

Ethan is then seen asking his wife: 'What is going on with you?'

Tragedy: The trailer sees a body being taken away from the hotel in a black bag

Airing her suspicions about their friends, she says: 'There's a reason they invited us here. It's like, you sold your company, you got rich and now he's your best friend.'

The DiGrasso's are seen having an evening meal with Bert declaring: 'Flirting is one of the pleasures of life.'

Dominic says: 'You're 80 years old,' to which his father replies: 'But the women I desire remain young. You can relate to that.'

Bert is then seen inviting two local women into the hotel and informing the reception desk they will be coming in and out for the duration of his stay.

Paradise: The trailer opens with wealthy heiress Tanya McQuaid (Jennifer) as she arrives at the hotel alongside her husband Greg (Jon Giles) and her assistant Portia (Haley Lu Richardson)

Awkward: Tension simmers between Tanya and Greg - who met on season one - as he is unhappy she has brought her assistant on their trip

Tension simmers between Tanya and Greg - who met on season one - as he is unhappy she has brought her assistant on their trip.

He tells her: 'You bring your assistant on a vacation with your husband.'

Tanya replies: 'It's not like she's going to be in our bed.'

She is then seen confiding in Portia that she fears Greg has been unfaithful, saying: 'I don't know what's going on with Greg, but I think it's b******t. Do you think he's having an affair?'

Drama: An older male guest is heard saying 'the women I desire remain young' as two brunettes are seen entering the hotel restaurant

Steamy: Several shots of couples getting intimate are interspersed with a body bag being rolled out of the hotel before Daphne is seen marvelling at being in Sicily

Several shots of couples getting intimate are interspersed with a body bag being rolled out of the hotel before Daphne is seen marvelling at being in Sicily.

She tells other holidaymakers: 'Italy is just so romantic. You're gonna die, they're gonna have to drag you out of here.'

The first season of The White Lotus featured a standout ensemble cast that included Murray Bartlett, Natasha Rothwell, Connie Britton, Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Lacy, Brittany O'Grady and Sydney Sweeney.

Steve Zahn, Lukas Gage, Fred Hechinger and Kekoa Kekumano and Molly Shannon also appeared.

The show was the big winner at this year's Emmy Awards, taking home an incredible 10 gongs, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.

The White Lotus is available on Sky and NOW from Monday October 31.
This years charity auctions followed on from the 50 years of James Bond event in 2012, a 2014 car sale and the sale of 24 items in 2016, which reached a staggering 11,687,019 combined

Experts saw memorabilia achieve five times the pre-sale estimate with all the proceeds benefiting 45 selected charities

Amongst the 36 lots available in part two of the auction on Wednesday a complete set of Ian Fleming works sold for 81,900 and a Casino Royale script was snapped up for 69,300

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James Bond movie memorabilia has fetched a grand total of more than 11million at a London charity auction as the sales concluded, with a complete set of Ian Fleming works being sold for 81,900 and a Casino Royale script for 69,300.

The second part of the charity sale held by Christie's auction house on Wednesday achieved a total of 770,994, five times the pre-sale estimate, from the 36 lots available, with Part One raising 6,103,500 the previous week.

The most recent auctions which celebrate sixty years of the popular franchise brought the grand total of all four past 007 charity auctions to a combined 11,687,019, with all the proceeds benefiting 45 selected charities.

Amazing: James Bond movie memorabilia has fetched a grand total of more than 11million at a London charity auction as the sales concluded, with a complete set of Ian Fleming works (pictured) being sold for 81,900

Incredible: The second part of the charity sale held by Christie's auction house on Wednesday achieved a total of 770,994, five times the pre-sale estimate, from the 36 lots available, with Part One raising 6,103,500 the previous week (pictured the Casino Royale script which sold for 69,300)

The result exceeds the combined total of all previous 007 Christie's charity auctions.

The complete set of Ian Fleming works was expected to sell for a total of 5,000 but far surpassed expectations when it realised 81,900, becoming the top sale of the live auction, led by EON Productions.

Fans of the franchise were also eager to get their hands on a Casino Royale script for the 2006 blockbuster film, the signed copy was thought to reach 6,000, but was snapped up for 69,300, with the proceeds benefiting Women in Film & Television.

Other top selling items included a Cafe Martinique from 1965's Thunderball, a Tom Ford suit worn by Daniel Craig in 2012's Skyfall and another Tom Ford suit that the actor worn in 2015's Spectre.

Exciting: The result exceeds the combined total of all previous 007 Christie's charity auctions (Daniel Craig in Spectre)

Clothes: Other top selling items included a Cafe Martinique from 1965's Thunderball, a Tom Ford suit worn by Daniel Craig in 2012's Skyfall (left) and another Tom Ford suit that the actor worn in 2015's Spectre (right)

Accessories: Barton Perreira 'Norton' sunglasses worn by Daniel Craig as James Bond in No Time To Die sold for 37,000

Memorabilia: The Man With The Golden Gun 1974 James Bond poster artwork by Robert Mcginnis (left) sold for 8,000 and Octopussy 1983 James Bond poster artwork by Dan Goozee and Renato Casaro (right) sold for 8,100

Fans: A Live And Let Die poster sold for 4,700

An auction held to celebrate 50 years of James Bond back in 2012 raised a total of 1,641,350, while a unique 24k gold-plated third scale replica of the spy's Aston Martin DB5 was sold for 136,800 in 2014.

In 2016, to celebrate the release of Spectre, 24 items went up for sale including an Aston Martin DB10 which sold for 2,434,500 alone and brought that years total to 3,034,375.

Last week it was revealed that the movie memorabilia in part one of the auction fetched a total of more than 6million, with 007's Aston Martin DB5 selling for nearly 3million.

The auction saw a staggering total of 6.1million raised for selected charities, with the specially built stunt car driven by Daniel Craig in his final Bond movie No Time To Die fetching an impressive 2.92million alone.

Posters: Diamonds Are Forever 1971 artwork also by Robert sold for nearly 9,000

Charity: This Moonraker 1979 poster sold for 6,900

Impressive: Last week it was revealed that the movie memorabilia in part one of the auction fetched a total of more than 6million, with 007's Aston Martin DB5 selling for nearly 3million

Wow! The auction saw a staggering total of 6.1million raised for selected charities, with the specially built stunt car driven by Daniel Craig in his final Bond movie No Time To Die fetching an impressive 2.92million alone

The replica of the Aston Martin DB5 was only expected to sell for up to 2million, but surpassed estimates and became the top selling lot as eager fans put in their bids at part one of the live auction, led by EON Productions.

The replica, one of eight specially designed and manufactured for the 2021 film, comes fitted with imitation machine guns behind the headlights and is the only DB5 stunt car put up for sale by Aston Martin and EON productions, according to Christie's.

A Triumph Scrambler stunt motorcycle, which was used in No Time To Die, was also among the popular lots as it sold for an impressive 138,600 - after only being expected to fetch up to 30,000.

Elsewhere at the auction, a Q Jet Boat, used in Piers Brosnan's 1999 Bond epic The World Is Not Enough, also raised a staggering 126,000 for charity, despite low estimates of just 30,000.

007: Items commemorated the six actors to have played Bond, including Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig. Representing Roger Moore, a Swarovski crystal-mounted prop egg used in 1983 film Octopussy sold for 327,600

Driving in style: A Triumph Scrambler stunt motorcycle, which was used in No Time To Die, was also among the popular lots as it sold for an impressive 138,600 - after only being expected to fetch up to 30,000

Included in the lots were items commemorating each of the six actors to have played Bond, including Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.

A Christie's spokesman said: 'The final six items that will be up for auction will each represent one of the six Bonds, and the money will go to the charity chosen personally by each one.'

Representing Roger Moore, a Swarovski crystal-mounted prop egg used in 1983 film Octopussy was up for grabs and sold for a staggering 327,600, with the money going to UNICEF.

In the name of Timothy Dalton, there was a black, single-breasted tuxedo that he wore in Licence to Kill in 1989, signed on the inside jacket lining, which raised 25,200 for the National Youth Theatre.

Staggering: An Omega Seamaster diver 300m watch (left), used in the latest Bond film No Time To Die, also fetched an impressive 226,800, and a No Time To Die Omega Seamaster aqua terra watch (right) also sold for 119,700

Unique: The replica, one of eight specially designed and manufactured for the 2021 film, comes fitted with imitation machine guns behind the headlights and is the only DB5 stunt car put up for sale by Aston Martin and EON productions

HOW MUCH DID JAMES BOND MEMORALIBIA FETCH AT AUCTION? No Time To Die Aston Martin DB5 replica stunt car: 2.92million

No Time To Die Aston Martin V8: 630,000

No Time To Die Aston Martin DBS Superleggera: 403,200

Swarovski crystal-mounted prop egg used in Octopussy: 327,600

No Time To Die Omega Seamaster diver 300m watch: 226,800

No Time To Die pre-production Land Rover: 189,000

007 60th Anniversary Land Rover Defender 100 V8: 163,800

No Time To Die Triumph Scrambler stunt motorcycle: 138,600

The World Is Not Enough Q Jet Boat: 126,000

No Time To Die Omega Seamaster aqua terra watch: 119,700

Set of two Omega Seamaster watches: 119,700

No Time To Die fractured mask and costume with bullet holes worn by Rami Malek: 107,100

No Time To Die 26 behind-the-scenes black and white photographs: 88,200

No Time To Die Tom Ford single breasted dinner jacket worn by Daniel Craig: 81,900

No Time To Die Range Rover sport SVR stunt car: 75,600

No Time To Die tactical costume worn by Daniel Craig: 75,600

Five black silk bow ties worn by Daniel Craig: 52,920

Five-night stay at the Fleming Villa at Goldeneye: 52,920

No Time To Die Spectre Agent Primo's bionic eyeball: 44,100

No Time To Die Michael Lo Sordo 'Alexandra' gown worn by Ana De Armas: 37,800

No Time To Die Jaguar XF stunt car: 37,800

Signed No Time To Die clapperboard: 27,720

Black single breasted dinner jacket worn by Timothy Dalton in Licence To Kill: 25,200

No Time To Die sheet music, signed by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell: 18,900

No Time To Die tactical costume worn by Lashana Lynch: 11,340 Advertisement

An Omega Seamaster diver 300m watch, used in the latest Bond film No Time To Die, also fetched an impressive 226,800, while other items including props, vehicles, costumes and signed items were also up for grabs.

Among the top lots was also an Aston Martin V8, which sold for 630,000, and an Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, which was taken home for 403,200. Both vehicles were used in the hit film No Time To Die.

Other vehicles that were sold at the auction were a No Time To Die pre-production Land Rover, which fetched 189,000, and a 007 60th Anniversary Land Rover Defender 100 V8, sold for 163,800.

A No Time To Die Omega Seamaster aqua terra watch also sold for 119,700, while a set of two Omega Seamaster watches also fetched 119,700.

High tech: The Aston Martin DB5 is fitted with 'Q Branch' modifications, with the headlights moving down to reveal guns at the front

Specially equipped: The car is fitted with racing seats and metal bars inside to ensure the safety of the driver and passenger

Clothing: The fractured mask and costume worn by Rami Malek (right) in No Time To Die was also sold for 107,100

Iconic: An Aston Martin V8 Vantage from the films, which sold for 630,000, was seen outside Christie's auction house in central London for the Sixty Years of James Bond sale

Suits you: A Tom Ford single breasted dinner jacket worn by Daniel Craig in his last Bond movie was taken home for 81,900

The fractured mask and costume worn by Rami Malek in No Time To Die was also sold for 107,100, while a Tom Ford single breasted dinner jacket worn by Daniel Craig in his last Bond movie was taken home for 81,900.

Other costumes that were up for grabs included a 75,600 tactical costume worn by Daniel Craig, and a Michael Lo Sordo 'Alexandra' gown worn by Ana De Armas in the 2021 Bond film - sold for 37,800.

A tactical costume worn by Lashana Lynch also sold for 11,340 on the lower end of the lots, while No Time To Die sheet music signed by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell, fetched 18,900.

Although 25 items have already been snapped up, the second part of the special live auction remains open for bidding until October 5 at 4pm - well-known as James Bond day.

With love: The staff at the auction house took great care to keep the care safe and clean before the sale

Perfect sheen: The car was polished into perfect condition ahead of the sale in a bid to raise the most amount of money for charity

Special edition: 007 60th Anniversary Land Rover Defender 100 V8 went on sale and sold for 163,800 - raising funds for the British Red Cross

Big bucks: An Aston Martin DBS Superleggera sold for 403,200. The money will be donated to The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Iconic: In the name of Timothy Dalton, there was a black, single-breasted tuxedo that he wore in Licence to Kill in 1989, signed on the inside jacket lining, which raised 25,200 for the National Youth Theatre

Big bucks: Set of two Omega Seamaster watches sold for 119,700 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Another 36 items of memorabilia - including one-of-a-kind posters, props and costumes - will be up for grabs and more than 45 charities will benefit from the sales from across the two-part auction.

The proceeds will go to The Prince's Trust in its work with young people; The Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund in support of charities assisting serving and former members of the UK Intelligence Agencies; and three charities supporting serving and former members of the UK Special Forces.

The last three official Christie's 007 auctions have raised 4,812,525, and this year they are hoping for just as much success.

The high-profile auction was attended by an array of celebrities and stars, including Sean Connery's granddaughter Saskia and Miss Moneypenny actress Samantha Bond.

Up for grabs: Five silk bow ties worn, and now signed, by Daniel Craig on display ahead for the forthcoming James Bond is Back charity sale. They sold for 52,920

Nice ride: Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE, the specially modified stunt bike has a major role in the pre-credit sequences in the film No Time To Die (sold for 138,600)

In action: Daniel Craig is seen riding the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE in the action film

Memorabilia: The egg is seen sitting in front of two limited edition OMEGA Seamaster watches, which come in a cover signed by George Lazenby

In the detail: The egg features a small golden carriage sitting inside which is visible as the upper half is lifted up

They looked glamorous as they led the way at the star-studded Sixty Years Of James Bond charity auction hosted by EON Productions and Christie's in London.

Saskia - whose late grandfather Sean was the first actor to play James Bond in the movies, starring in seven Bond films from 1962 to 1983 - looked glamorous as she arrived at the event, wearing a black jacket which she teamed with a pair of matching leggings and a ruffled white shirt.

Screen star Samantha, 60 - who portrayed the character of Miss Moneypenny in four Bond films during the Pierce Brosnan years between 1995 and 2002 - wore a chic black and white floral print dress and a white jacket.

Sale on: The second half of the Christie's London online sale is now open for bidding ahead of James Bond Day on 5 October

Making music: In the second half of the auction, a special edition Duesenberg 007 electric guitar, signed by producers and artists performing in the Sound of 007, will be up for grabs

On show: A camera in a box signed by Daniel Craig is presented during a media preview of 60 years of James Bond at Christies Auction House in London. The camera will be available in part two of the auction until October 5

Memories: Other costumes and props associated with the 25th film No Time To Die are also yet to go on sale

Samantha - who starred in 1995's GoldenEye, 1997's Tommorrow Never Dies, 1999's The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day in 2002 - completed her look by opting for a pair of black heels to add a few inches to her stature.

She opted for a palette of natural hues for her make-up and accessorised a delicate gold chain necklace and subtle pendulum earrings.

Saskia's grandfather Sean died at the age of 90 after a long illness in 2020, with the legendary actor appearing in Dr. No in 1962, From Russia with Love in 1963, Goldfinger in 1964, Thunderball in 1965, You Only Live Twice in 1967, Diamonds Are Forever in 1971 before making his final appearance in Never Say Never Again in 1983.

Glamour pusses: Sean Connery's granddaughter Saskia (left) and Miss Moneypenny actress Samantha Bond (right) looked glamorous as they led the way at the star-studded Sixty Years Of James Bond charity auction in London on Wednesday

In style: Screen star Samantha, 60 - who portrayed the character of Miss Moneypenny in four Bond films during the Pierce Brosnan years between 1995 and 2002 - wore a chic black and white floral print dress and a white jacket

In the detail: She opted for a palette of natural hues for her make-up and accessorised a delicate gold chain necklace and subtle pendulum earrings

Fashion focus: Saskia wore a black neck tie for the evening to match her edgy black clutch purse with silver studs and went for a glamorous look with her make-up, including a bold red lip

Family affair: Saskia's grandfather Sean died at the age of 90 after a long illness in 2020, with the legendary actor appearing in seven James Bond films (pictured in 2010)

Roles: Sean appeared in Dr. No in 1962, From Russia with Love in 1963, Goldfinger in 1964, Thunderball in 1965, You Only Live Twice in 1967, Diamonds Are Forever in 1971 before making his final appearance in Never Say Never Again in 1983 (pictured in Diamonds Are Forever)

Screen star: Samantha appeared as Miss Moneypenny in a number of James Bond films alongside actor Pierce Brosnan, who played 007 (pictured in 2002 movie Die Another Day)

Saskia wore a black neck tie for the evening to match her edgy black clutch purse with silver studs.

She boosted her height by wearing a pair of black heels and went for a glamorous look with her make-up, including a bold red lip.

The pair were joined by the likes of British actress Maryam d'Abo, 61, who portrayed Bond girl Kara Milovy in the 1987 007 film The Living Daylights.

Bond girls: Maryam d'Abo, 61 (left), who portrayed Bond girl Kara Milovy in the 1987 007 film The Living Daylights, stepped out to the event with Carole Ashby, 67 (right), who appeared alongside Roger Moore in two James Bond films

Movie magic: Screenwriter and film producer Michael G. Wilson, 80, known for his association with the Bond films, and producer Barbara Broccoli, 62, were seen posing along one of the classic cars from the films

Travelling in style: Michael arrived to the auction at Christie's in the Rolls-Royce Phantom III from the film 1964 Goldfinger

Stepping out: Barbara looked chic in an all-black outfit while Michael looked dapper in a navy blue suit, grey shirt and blue tie for the evening

She looked stylish in a pair of black pinstripe suit which she teamed with a smart white shirt, and a black coat and hat to match the rest of her outfit.

Elsewhere, Carole Ashby, 67, who appeared alongside Roger Moore in two James Bond films, Octopussy in 1983 and A View to a Kill in 1985, wore a black dress which finished just above the knee and a sheer cover up.

Screenwriter and film producer Michael G. Wilson, 80, known for his association with the Bond films, and producer Barbara Broccoli, 62, were seen posing along one of the classic cars from the films before heading inside.

Barbara looked chic in an all-black outfit while Michael looked dapper in a navy blue suit, grey shirt and blue tie for the evening.

All stars: Motorcyclist Paul Edmondson and professional stunt driver Martin Craven (left) made an appearance, while former chairman of the auction house Christie's UK David Armstrong-Jones was joined by Christie's president Anthea Peers (right)

Out on the town: Screenwriter Neal Purvis (left) was joined by Robert Wade at the bash
Julianne Moore was nearly unrecognizable as she ran errands in New York Thursday,

The 61-year-old award winning actress stepped out in a pair of loose fitting button-fly jeans, a white T-shirt and an oversized brown plaid blazer.

The New York resident wore dark sunglasses and hid her trademark auburn locks beneath a cream toned billed cap.

Low-key: Julianne Moore, 61, was nearly unrecognizable as she ran errands in New York Thursday, stepping out in a pair of loose fitting button-fly jeans, a white T-shirt and an oversized brown plaid blazer

The Oscar winner wore white sneakers for comfort as she walked the crowded sidewalk.

The Dear Evan Hansen star seemed to be wearing minimal makeup and carried a large tan crossover messenger bag.

The multi-hyphenate can add another talent to her resume - ceramics.

Minimal makeup: The Oscar winner wore dark sunglasses and hid her trademark auburn locks beneath a cream toned billed cap and seemed to be wearing minimal makeup

New film: The in-demand actor should be heading for Savannah, Georgia soon, where she will be shooting the film May December, co-starring Natalie Portman and Charles Melton

The Glorias star apparently began the hobby during her summer downtime.

Julianne shared some of her latest creations on Instagram this week, writing, 'The Work part 2! Also getting over Covid so I had nothing else to do.'

The in-demand actor apparently has recovered and should be heading for Savannah, Georgia soon, where she will be shooting the film May December, co-starring Natalie Portman and Charles Melton.

What we are used to: Moore often looks glam as she does here at The Eternal Daughter red carpet at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 6, 2022 in Venice, Italy

The plot follows a couple whose notorious tabloid romance 20 years prior gripped the nation when the first got together.

The pair buckle under the pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past.

According to news station WJCL, shooting in supposed to begin next week and will wrap up by November 18.
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Jodie Turner-Smith looked incredible as she joined chic Greta Gerwig at the White Noise screening during BFI Film Festival on Thursday night.

The actress, 36, commanded attention in a gold embellished gown for the star-studded event as she posed up a storm.

The sweeping number clung to her figure and also featured cream fabric sections and a high neck design.

Wow! Jodie Turner-Smith (left) looked incredible as she joined chic Greta Gerwig (right) at the White Noise screening during BFI Film Festival on Thursday night

She had her short tresses dyed purple and opted for a glowing makeup look to show off her pretty features while accessorising with gold rings.

Meanwhile Greta showed off her sophisticated sense of style in a purple silk dress with sweeping sleeves and a ruched neckline.

The star, 39, completed her look with a glitzy black clutch bag and wore dangly silver earrings to give another glamorous touch to her outfit.

Stunning: The actress, 36, commanded attention in a gold embellished gown for the star-studded event as she posed up a storm

The look: The sweeping number clung to her figure and also featured cream fabric section and a high neck design

White Noise is a 2022 postmodern apocalyptic black comedy film written and directed by Noah Baumbach, adapted from the 1985 novel of the same name by Don DeLillo.

The plot follows the story of when college professor Jack Gladney and his family's comfortable suburban life is upended when a nearby chemical leak causes 'The Airborne Toxic Event,' releasing a noxious black cloud over the region that forces the Gladney family to evacuate.

Not seen on the outing was Jodie's husband of nearly three years, actor Joshua Jackson, as they have a daughter together who was born in April 2020.

No doubt it is an exciting time as it was announced earlier this month that she would be joining the new Star Wars TV series The Acolyt.

Outfit: She had her short tresses dyed purple and opted for a glowing makeup look to show off her pretty features while accessorising with gold rings

Upcoming: White Noise is a 2022 postmodern apocalyptic black comedy film written and directed by Noah Baumbach, adapted from the 1985 novel of the same name by Don DeLillo

Story: The plot follows the story of when college professor Jack Gladney and his family's comfortable suburban life is upended when a nearby chemical leak causes 'The Airborne Toxic Event'

Mum: Not seen on the outing was Jodie's husband of nearly three years, actor Joshua Jackson, as they have a daughter together who was born in April 2020

Pose: Meanwhile Greta showed off her sophisticated sense of style in a purple silk dress with sweeping sleeves and a ruched neckline

Event: The star, 39, completed her look with a glitzy black clutch bag and wore dangly silver earrings to give another glamorous touch to her outfit

According to Deadline, the actress is currently finalising a deal to join Amandla Stenberg in the series - with no details yet released on either of the characters.

The show was first announced back in April 2020, when director Leslye Headland came on board to spearhead the series.

It was described as, 'a female-centric series that takes place in a different part of the Star Wars timeline than other projects.'

The project is set to film in London later this year. with Amandla the only confirmed star as of yet.

Busy: No doubt it is an exciting time as it was announced earlier this month that she would be joining the new Star Wars TV series The Acolyt

Project: According to Deadline, the actress is currently finalising a deal to join Amandla Stenberg in the series - with no details yet released on either of the characters

Film Festival: Greta Gerwig and director Noah Baumbach attend the gala screening of White Noise

Glam: Later the women took to the stage ahead of the screening

Trio: The three female leads all posed on stage together

Turning heads: Another of the film's stars Raffey Cassidy wore a silver sequin dress with matching heels

Glowing: The actress, 20, flashed her abs in the outfit and opted for radiant makeup to show off her pretty features

Friendly: Raffey took some time out from her red carpet walk to pose for some selfies with her fans

Stars: (L to R) Greta Gerwig, Jodie Turner-Smith, Noah Baumbach and Raffey Cassidy all posed together

Big night: The film's director Noah looked smart in a black suit and tie for the event

Group shot: They all posed together at the film screening

Tresses: She wore her honey locks in loose waves over her shoulders for the event

All smiles: Jodie and Greta shared a laugh on the red carpet

Film: David Heyman, Grace Barber-Plentie and Festival Director for the BFI London Film Festival Tricia Tuttle were also in attendance

Chatting: The stars of the film all enjoyed a catch up on the red carpet

Radiant: Jodie looked glowing at the screening event

Happy times: She was all smiles

In good spirits: Raffey gave a friendly wave to the crowds

Accessories: Greta wore long dangly earrings
A couple of Stranger Things super-fans who make horror props have gone above and beyond decorating their house for Halloween this year.

Dave and Aubrey Appel, who live in the Chicago suburbs, spent what they estimate to be 1,500 hours covering their home in Stranger Things decor.

But the most shocking display is 'Floating Max ' - a levitating display of Sadie Sink's character that has left viewers scratching their heads as to how it stays up.

Wow: A couple of Stranger Things super-fans who make horror props have gone above and beyond decorating their house for Halloween this year

Sadie features on the Netflix show as a child called Max Mayfield who in one episode begins to lift off the ground while being tormented by a demon.

The Appels recreated the moment over their front lawn with no visible strings and posted a video of it it to TikTok, garnering over 14 million views.

People who viewed the Floating Max display both online and in person have been struck by the mystery of how Dave and Aubrey managed the trick.

Dave told Good Morning America he is keeping schtum about the secret behind 'Floating Max' to avoid spoiling it for children who come to see it with their parents.

Behind the magic: Dave and Aubrey Appel, who live in the Chicago suburbs, spent what they estimate to be 1,500 hours covering their home in Stranger Things decor

Mystery: But the most shocking display is 'Floating Max ' - a levitating display of Sadie Sink's character that has left viewers scratching their heads as to how it stays up

Horror: Sadie features on the Netflix show as a child called Max Mayfield who in one episode begins to lift off the ground while being tormented by a demon

'Until Halloween's a little bit more in season, I don't want kids coming looking for how we're doing it. I want them to be like: "Wow!"' he said.

'I want somebody's parent to show their kid and be like: "Look it, Max is floating in their front yard!" And that kid be like: "Holy cow!" I don't want the mom to be like: "This is also how they did it,"' he explained. 'There is magic in front of their face, adults have no explanation and that's not something you get much anymore.'

Floating Max turns out to bear a distinct resemblance to the Appels' little daughter Brooke, much to the befuddlement of their neighbors.

Whoops: The Appels ran into trouble with one neighbor, who complained about the crowds coming to see the Stranger Things house

Dave and Aubrey have had to assure people that they are not dangling their daughter in midair for the purposes of their exhibit.

However they have still run into trouble with one neighbor, who complained about the crowds coming to see the Stranger Things house.

In response to the objection, Dave and Aubrey announced earlier this week that they would be removing the display.

Close call: In response to the objection, Dave and Aubrey announced earlier this week that they would be removing the display

However local officials have since given them permission to reopen the exhibit, which they will do starting this Saturday.

'The conversation looked like I had fans in city hall,' Dave dished to ABC7 Chicago. 'It was very much: "We love what you're doing. Thank you so much for helping the community and doing something good for the community."'

Joliet Police Department sergeant Dwayne English said: 'I would encourage the public to, you know, if they do travel there, to be mindful where they park and make sure they're parking legally, also to be respectful of the property of others.'
BRIAN VINER: Philippa lives in Edinburgh, where she works in a dreary sales job and is passed over for promotion. 'You are at the right level for you,' says her condescending boss.
Jemma Carlton has revealed she took inspiration from David Tennant's role as a serial killer for her performance in the new Channel 5 drama Maxine.

The actress stars as Maxine Carr, the girlfriend of convicted murderer Ian Huntley, the man responsible for the Soham murders in 2002.

The release date comes after 20 years after the murders of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both aged 10 at the time, took place.

Role: Jemma Carlton has revealed she took inspiration from David Tennant's role as a serial killer for her performance in the new Channel 5 drama Maxine

Speaking to The Mirror, Jemma cited David Tennant's performance as Dennis Nilsen in Des and Maxine Peake's performance as child killer Myra Hindley in See No Evil as inspirations.

She said: 'Over the years, Ive been drawn to performances like David Tennant in Des and Maxine Peake, and so I felt Maxine was a mountain to climb as a part, but wanted to see how I can push myself in a complex real life role.'

Speaking about getting into character, Jemma added: 'I felt Maxine was a mountain to climb as a part, but wanted to see how I can push myself in a complex real-life role.

'I watched every documentary about Maxine that I could get my hands on, and read as much as I could.

She said: 'Over the years, Ive been drawn to performances like David Tennant in Des'

Character: Jemma also took inspiration from Maxine Peak who portrayed child killer Myra Hindley in See No Evil (pictured in 2005)

Real life: The actress takes on the title role in the new mini series documenting the Soham murders through the eyes of killer Ian Huntley's girlfriend Maxine Carr

Jemma said she was always 'so tried' after each day of filming the role and would listen to Beyonce to held 'de-robe' from playing Maxine.

Maxine marks Jemma's onscreen debut while Line of Duty and White House Farm star Scott Reid takes on the role of Ian Huntley.

Steve Edge (The Madame Blanc Mysteries), Natalie Britton (Them) and Kate OToole (The Dead) are also included in the cast.

Who is Maxine star Jemma Carlton? Born in the West Midlands, Jemma is a newcomer to the screen with Maxine marking her TV acting debut. She graduated from Rose Bruford drama school in London in 2019. The actress performed in and wrote numerous stage productions while at college as well as short films. She is recognisable from a string of high profile adverts for the likes of McDonalds. Advertisement

The plot will look at Maxine's tumultuous relationship with Huntley; why she lied for him and how she became 'public enemy number one'.

Episode one sees Maxine move to Soham for a fresh start with her boyfriend Ian but following a jealous argument with Ian, Maxine visits her mother for the weekend and enjoys a night out in her hometown of Grimsby.

She awakens to the news of the girls disappearance, and returns to Soham to provide Ian with an alibi.

A newly released trailer opens with a scenes of the police searching in long grass as they attempt to find the two missing girls.

Played by Scott, a desperate Ian is then seen with his head in his hands, shouting: 'I can't go to prison,' before Jemma, playing Maxine, reassures him that nobody will be going to jail.

She is then seen standing on the doorstep of their home, where a policeman tells Maxine: 'Your story might jog a memory, help find them,' to which Maxine smiles and says: 'We want to help, don't we.'

On-screen: The three-part series examines the police investigation into school assistant Maxine and her caretaker fiance Ian from Carrs perspective

Looking back: The drama tells the story of Maxine's tumultuous relationship with Huntley; why she lied for him and how she became 'public enemy number one'

Recreating real-life scenes which were broadcast to the nation on television news as she described the missing girls, Maxine says of Holly and Jessica: 'They were ever so funny. They were brilliant, they were kind to everybody.'

The police are then heard speculating that Maxine be keeping a secret, with a detective pondering: 'She used past tense because she knows they're dead?'

In further chilling scenes, Maxine is then seen practicing looking serious in the mirror after Ian shouts at her: 'You tell me don't look so guilty. You don't look so cheery!'

Search: The trailer opens with a scenes of the police searching in long grass as they attempt to find the two missing girls

Story: The disappearance of the schoolgirls, which happened after a family barbecue in August 2002, sparked Britain's biggest-ever missing persons' enquiry

The disappearance of the schoolgirls, which happened after a family barbecue in August 2002, sparked Britain's biggest-ever missing persons' enquiry - but came to a tragic end when their bodies were found dumped in a remote ditch.

School caretaker Huntley - then 28 - had lured the girls to his house and murdered them before dumping their bodies and burning their clothes.

His then-fiancee Carr who provided him with a false alibi - but was in Grimsby visiting her mother at the time of the murders - was jailed for perverting the course of justice but released in 2004 with a new identity.

Hunch: The police are then heard speculating that Maxine be keeping a secret, with a detective pondering: 'She used past tense because she knows they're dead?'

She was dubbed 'The Most Hated Woman In Britain' following the trial, which saw Huntley admit to killing the children, but claiming their deaths were accidental.

Channel 5 said in a statement about the drama: 'Maxine will examine the investigation of school assistant Maxine Carr and her caretaker fiance Ian Huntley, who was later imprisoned for the double murder of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the tragic case that shocked the nation

'The three-part drama will explore their tumultuous relationship through Maxine's perspective; why she lied for him and how she became public enemy No.1, as well as reflect the scale of the police investigation and subsequent media frenzy around the biggest manhunt ever seen in British history.'

Final photo: Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were murdered by Ian Huntley on August 4 2002 (pictured two hours before their disappearance)

Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Chief Content Officer UK, at Paramount, said: 'The series marks a new venture into the true crime genre for Channel 5 drama and will give viewers an in depth examination of Maxine Carr and her role in one of the most notorious crimes in recent British history.'

Mike Benson, Managing Director at Clapperboard added: 'Few crimes have embedded themselves in the national psyche more than the tragic events of Soham in 2002. It was a case which was unique in recent history in terms of the sheer scale of the media coverage and how this affected and nearly derailed the investigation and subsequent trial. We will explore this within the drama alongside the role played by Maxine Carr  dubbed 'The Most Hated Woman in Britain.'

Huntley was found guilty of killing both girls at his 2004 trial and later sentenced to two life terms, with a minimum 40-year tariff at the maximum security Frankland prison in Durham.

Murderer: Huntley had lured the girls to his house and murdered them before dumping their bodies in a remote ditch. He was a caretaker at the local Soham Village College and was arrested after the girls' bodies were discovered 13 days later

He was a caretaker at the local Soham Village College and was arrested after the girls' bodies were discovered 13 days after their disappearance.

During a two-week appeal to find the girls, Huntley gave TV interviews and joined in searches. He was jailed for life in 2005.

During his trial, he said that he had 'killed the girls accidentally' but later admitted the killing in leaked tapes from prison.

In a 2018 tape he said: I know the people of Soham took me into their community, they trusted me, gave me a job and a home, and I betrayed them in the worst possible way.

And I am sorry for what I have done, sorry for the pain I have caused to the families and friends of Holly and Jessica, for the pain I have caused my family and friends, and for the pain I have caused the community of Soham.

I am genuinely, genuinely sorry and it breaks my heart when it is reported I have no remorse, that I relish something. I do not.

Tragedy: Police found the girls' burned Manchester United shirts in a bin at Soham College where Huntley worked

He added: 'I cant change anything. I cannot remove that day from history, what I have done.

'I know those girls would be 26 this year with families of their own, jobs and lives. I thought about them when they were turning 21 and when they were turning 18. I know no matter what I say that people are not going to think any better of me  but I would much rather people have the truth about how I feel. I have nothing to gain by saying these things.

I know I am never getting out. I have accepted that from day one.

Huntley said he does not want to be freed from prison and insisted he will not apply for parole out of consideration for his victims families.

Maxine starts on Monday 10 October at 9pm on Channel 5.
Jessica Simpson has slipped into yet another SKIMS outfit given to her by her close friend Kim Kardashian.

In a photo shared to her Insta Stories, Simpson is seen in a skintight dark brown catsuit that makes the most of her figure after losing 100lbs following the birth of her three children.

Simpson and Kardashian have become friends after the blonde beauty's daughter Maxwell befriended the reality TV diva's mini-me North at school.

A SKIMS fan: Jessica Simpson has slipped into yet another SKIMS outfit given to her by her close friend Kim Kardashian

SKIMS pal: In a photo shared to her Insta Stories, Simpson is seen in a skintight dark brown unitard that makes the most of her figure after losing 100lbs following the birth of her three children

The Kim connection: Simpson and Kardashian have become friends after the blonde beauty's daughter Maxwell befriended the reality TV diva's mini-me North at school

Kim is not he only one giving product.

Jessica also gifted Kim two necklaces from her Jessica Simpson collection: on reads Kim and the other North.

In July Jessica modeled a nude-colored SKIMS dress when at Los Angeles International Airport with her two eldest children.

Just days after her daughter Maxwell jetted off to Wyoming for her friend North's ninth birthday on Kardashian's private plane.

Another SKIMS look: In July Jessica modeled a nude-colored SKIMS dress when at Los Angeles International Airport with her two eldest children

SKIMS is massive now: Kim's undergarment company has grown wildly

The Texas-born pop star, who has established a very successful retail empire over the years.

In April, the Open Book author revealed she gained and lost 100 pounds three times in her life following her three pregnancies with Maxwell, Ace and three-year-old Birdie Mae, who she shares with husband Eric Johnson.

At the time, the star credited her slimmer frame to a lot of 'hard work, determination, and self love' while sharing a photo of herself in a bikini.

Kim said thanks: Kim is not he only one giving product. Jessica also gifted Kim two necklaces from her Jessica Simpson collection: on reads Kim and the other North

She has one too: Jessica seen in one of the nameplate necklaces

Her 5.8 million Instagram followers left hundreds of supportive comments, with many other moms calling her an 'inspiration' and praising her transparency.

'Amazing accomplishment-not just the weight but the self confidence. Love to see it! And you look great!!' one fan wrote in the comment section, while another: 'You look amazing!'

In her memoir, Open Book, Jessica said she underwent two tummy tucks in 2015, but landed in the hospital for nine days after getting an infection following the second procedure.

A supportive friend: Kim reposted Jessica's ad from her fall collection this year

'I wanted to get rid of the stretch marks and loose skin left sagging from my back-to-back pregnancies,' she recounted in her book. 'I was so ashamed of my body at this point that I wouldnt let Eric see me without a white T-shirt on.'

She continued: 'But the second procedure led to complications: 'I got an infection  colitis  and was vomiting so much I thought I was going to bust my sutures.  Doctors talked seriously about me needing a blood transfusion.'
Letitia Wright looked sensational as she attended the Aisha premiere during the 66th BFI London Film Festival on Thursday.

The actress, 28, showed off her incredible figure in a black leather mini dress as she posed up a storm on the red carpet.

She completed the look with a pair of heeled patent boots at the star-studded event held at The Mayfair Hotel.

Gorgeous: Letitia Wright looked sensational as she attended the Aisha premiere during the 66th BFI London Film Festival on Thursday

Letitia sported a glam makeup look which consisted of a smokey-eye and a swipe of nude lipstick.

She slicked her brunette locks back into a high ponytail which was styled in tight curls.

The film, which is about one womens journey to seek asylum in Ireland, was written and directed by Frank Berry.

The director cut a dapper figure in a black blazer, polo top and trousers as he had his picture taken with Letitia.

Stunning: The actress, 28, showed off her incredible figure in a black leather mini dress as she posed up a storm on the red carpet

Beauty: Letitia sported a glam makeup look which consisted of a smokey-eye and a swipe of nude lipstick

Pals: The film, which is about one womens journey to seek asylum in Ireland, was written and directed by Frank Berry (pictured right)

The lead role is played by Black Panther star Letitia and shes joined by The Crown's Josh OConnor.

The film follows the story of a young lonely Nigerian woman Aisha, played by Letitia, seeking asylum in Ireland.

She finds an ally in Conor, played by Josh, an employee at her residence home, a local young man with a troubled past of his own.

New film: The lead role is played by Black Panther star Letitia and shes joined by The Crown's Josh OConnor

Together they struggle to maintain their tender friendship in the face of Aishas increasingly dire predicament and her rapidly diminishing options.

Actress Letitia also recently appeared in the trailer for the new Black Panther film, Wakanda Forever.

Filming on the project, scheduled to be release on November 11, began in June of last year and continued until its crew wrapped this past March.

The original Black Panther debuted in February 2018 and was an immediate box office smash hit.

Aisha will be available in cinemas and on Sky Cinema on 17 November.
Margot Robbie has revealed she put Amsterdam director David O. Russell to sleep during a scene after he asked her to read her lines 'like you just took three Xanax'.

The actress, 32, stars in the flick as Valerie Voss, a nurse who gets caught up in the murder of a US senator in the 1930s.

Speaking to BBC Radio 1's Ali Plumb, she said: 'One day, he made me come in to read like 40 pages of dialogue.

Interview: Margot Robbie has revealed she put Amsterdam director David O. Russell to sleep during a scene after he asked her to read her lines 'like you just took three Xanax'

'I start to read and he says "no no no, more calm, more relaxed". So I did it againand he was like "no, no no. I want you to read it like you just took three Xanax".'

Margot added that she was concerned how long it would take her to read so many pages in such a slow manner and was worried it was going to sound 'really boring' and wouldn't make it into the final movie.

She said: 'I thought to myself "I'm literally putting him to sleep". He was going like this [nods head as if falling asleep] so I stop and ask him if he wants me to put more energy into it.

'And he goes "No! You're doing it perfectly". And so I did the whole thing until he was fully asleep and snoring!'

She said: 'I start to read and he says "no no no, more calm, more relaxed". So I did it againand he was like "no, no no. I want you to read it like you just took three Xanax"' (David O. Russell pictured)

Margot said that David 'refused to give in and say that he'd fallen asleep' but that they had been recording the whole time so she suggested they watch the tape back.

She added: 'I said well we have this recorded David so let's play it back and see if you were snoring!'.

The new movie Amsterdam, which is in cinemas on Friday, sees Christian Bale, John David Washington and Margot Robbie play friends who are reunited years later and accused of murder.

Along with Margot, the film stars Rami Malek, Christian Bale, Tenet's John David Washington, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert De Niro, Chris Rock, and Grammy award-winner, Taylor Swift.

Role: Margot added that she was concerned how long it would take her to read so many pages in such a slow manner and was worried it was going to sound 'really boring'

The film is directed by Oscar-nominated director David O. Russell, and is inspired by the real-life story of a little-known plot to overthrow U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s.

During an interview with Deadline when discussing the upcoming mystery, David said: 'It's old fashioned, with a scenario and characters we love. The story goes deep, about love and friendship. It goes deep into murder and events.'

'And history, which I love. It has many layers, so you can watch it more than once and discover things you didnt get the first time.'
Two of the ABC's biggest stars have joined Channel 10, the network announced at its Upfronts presentation on Thursday.

Tom Gleeson, the presenter of ABC game show Hard Quiz, will co-host a local version of the British comedy series Taskmaster.

The Weekly host Charlie Pickering is also joining the cast of panel show Would I Lie to You?, hosted by Chrissie Swan.

Two of the ABC's biggest stars have joined Channel 10, the network announced at its Upfronts presentation on Thursday. Tom Gleeson (pictured), the presenter of ABC game show Hard Quiz, will co-host a local version of the British comedy series Taskmaster

It's understood the pair will continue their on-air duties at the ABC in addition to hosting the Channel 10 programs.

Gleeson, 48, is joining comedian Tom Cashman on Taskmaster, which sees a group of five celebrities - mainly comedians - attempt to complete a series of challenges.

Pickering, 45, is a new team captain on Would I Lie to You?, in which two teams try to hoodwink each other with elaborate tales, while the studio audience and viewers at home try to decipher fact from fiction.

Gleeson, 48, is joining comedian Tom Cashman (right) on Taskmaster, which sees a group of five celebrities - mainly comedians - attempt to complete a series of challenges

'I have always loved the show, and as a new team captain I can't wait to maximise my opportunities to lie to the Australian public,' he said.

Pickering famously quit Channel 10's The Project in 2014 because he felt working for the commercial network compromised his moral values.

He began hosting The Weekly on the ABC the following year.

The Weekly host Charlie Pickering is also joining the cast of panel show Would I Lie to You?

Would I Lie to You?, hosted by Chrissie Swan (pictured), sees two teams try to hoodwink each other with elaborate tales, while the viewers at home try to decipher fact from fiction

He told The Daily Telegraph at the time he felt his morals were compromised when asked by producers to do an interview with radio DJ Mel Greig in the wake of the infamous royal prank call scandal that resulted in the death of a nurse in 2012.

He revealed he and co-host Carrie Bickmore fought with producers about doing the sit-down chat that was offered by her former radio network 2DayFM.

Knowing at the time that Greig was not in a mentally stable place and struggling to cope with the gravity of what had happened, Pickering said he feared an interview with her would cause her to crack under pressure.

Pickering (with Carrie Bickmore, centre, and Peter Helliar, right) abruptly quit 10's The Project in 2014 because he felt working for the commercial network compromised his moral values

'I have lost friends to suicide,' he said.

'And I wasn't going to be complicit in a situation that could lead to further mental health issues. Carrie and I spent the entire day fighting it.'

Although the pair managed to 'win that fight' and the interview was scrapped, Pickering hinted the situation damaged his relationship with Channel 10.

He also said about this time he'd objected to The Project's coverage of the notorious 'St Kilda schoolgirl' footy sex scandal.
Hollywood icon Jane Fonda spoke on stage during the 2022 Pennsylvania Conference For Women at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Thursday.

This is the 84-year-old Grace And Frankie actress' first public appearance since she revealed in September she had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

The Barbarella star looked healthy as she wore her silver hair around her face and modeled a tailored light gray power suit.

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Speaking out: Hollywood icon Jane Fonda spoke on stage during the 2022 Pennsylvania Conference For Women on Thursday

Back at it: This is the 84-year-old Grace And Frankie actress' first public appearance since she revealed in September she had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

While on stage she looked slender in a gray and red fitted plaid blazer that was belted. Underneath she had on a white T-shirt

The Sunday In New York actress added light gray slacks with dark gray boots as her gold earrings and Cartier watch sparkled.

The Pennsylvania Conference for Women is a non-profit, non-partisan, professional and personal development event for women that features more than 100 speakers.

They share inspirational stories and leading seminars on the issues that matter most to women, including health, personal finance, executive leadership, small business and entrepreneurship, work/life balance, branding and social media marketing, and more, it says on the conference's website.

Jane's look: The Barbarella star looked healthy as she wore her gray hair around her face and modeled a tailored light gray power suit

The Conference offers opportunities for business networking, it was added.

The star has been keeping busy even though she is fighting cancer.

She has appeared with Grace And Frankie co-star Lily Tomlin in new commercials for Fire Drill Fridays, the national movement to protest government inaction on climate change she started in October 2019 in partnership with Greenpeace USA.

A friend by her side: Jane linked arms with Aminatou Sow, digital strategist, writer, podcast host, interviewer and cultural commentator

Her latest book, What Can I Do? My Path From Climate Despair To Action, details her personal journey with the movement and provides solutions for communities to combat the climate crisis.

In early September she told fans she feels 'stronger than she has in years' as she battles cancer.

The actress shared that she was 'deeply moved and uplifted by the expressions of love from fans,' after revealing she had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Deep talk: The Pennsylvania Conference for Women is a non-profit, non-partisan, professional and personal development event for women that features more than 100 speakers

Speaking a lot: The speakers share inspirational stories and leading seminars on the issues that matter most to women. Some of the those issues are health, personal finance, executive leadership, small business and entrepreneurship, work/life balance, branding and social media marketing, and more, it says on the conference's website

In a post on her official blog, Jane also shared that she was due to start chemotherapy, and despite battling the disease twice before, she's been told her condition is 'very treatable.'

In the post, Jane wrote: 'I have been deeply moved and uplifted by all the expressions of love and support since I made public the fact that I've been diagnosed with B-cell Non-Hodgins Lymphoma.

'My heartfelt thanks to all. The messages of love and support mean the world to me.'

'I want to say again that this is a very treatable cancer and much progress has been made with the medicines patients are given,' she added.

'Since last week, so many people have written to me or posted that they have had this type of cancer and have been cancer-free for many decades.

A hard year: In early September, Jane took to Instagram to reveal she'd been diagnosed with cancer for the third time. She wrote: 'So, my dear friends, I have something personal I want to share. 'I've been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and have started chemo treatments'

'Well, I'll soon be 85 so I won't have to worry about ''many decades.'' One will do just fine.'

She turns 85 in December.

Detailing her current state of health, Jane explained she is feeling well ahead of her first chemotherapy session in three weeks time, and is following her doctor's advice to keep active.

She added: 'Today, about 3 weeks from my first chemo session, I must tell you that I feel stronger than I have in years.

'The doctor told me the best antidote to the tiredness that chemotherapy can cause is to move. Walk. And I have been walking. Very early before the record heat kicks in. Also working out.'

The good news: She also said, 'This is a very treatable cancer. 80% of people survive, so I feel very lucky.' The thrice-married star, who has previously battled the disease, went on to say she was 'lucky' to 'have health insurance and access to the best doctors and treatment'

The past: She has previously been diagnosed with both breast and skin cancer, and blamed the latter on her past love of sunbathing

Jane also shared a YouTube video that showed her doing squats against a large green ball while holding a pair of dumbbells.

Fonda noted that this is not her first bout with the disease, as she has survived breast cancer, 'and come through very well and she will do so again.'

She continued: 'As I said in my statement last week, I am painfully aware that the top-drawer treatment I receive is not something everyone in this country can count on and I consider that a travesty. It isn't fair, and I will continue to fight for quality health care for all.'

She also noted that she is committed to her work 'confronting the urgent climate crisis, caused by fossil fuels' and will continue to campaign for the cause despite her health battle.

Cancer: Fonda added this is not her first bout with the disease, as she has survived breast cancer, 'and come through very well and I will do so again'

'This diagnosis has only made me more determined than ever to continue to end the deadly effects of fossil fuels,' she continued.

'While most of us know that fossil fuels are the primary cause of the climate crisis, many may not know that fossil fuel emissions also cause cancer as well as other major health problems like birth defects, childhood leukemia, heart attacks, strokes, lung disease and preterm birth,' Fonda said.

She added that we as a society, 'must come together to put an end to this deadly correlation,' and that too many families have suffered.

'It does not have to be this way. We have it within our power to change this and I intend to do everything in my power to do so. This cancer will not deter me,' she insisted.

She went onto ask her fans to visit JanePAC.com, 'to learn about our work to elect climate champions across the country and counter the outsized influence fossil fuel companies have on our government,' while asking them to donate, 'whatever you can.'

'We need you, your friends, your family and colleagues. With the crucial midterms around the corner, it's all hands on deck!' she said.

She also asked fans to visit FireDrillFridays.org to learn how they can participate in various actions around the country.

Sad news: In September Jane took to Instagram to reveal she'd been diagnosed with cancer for the third time

In early September, Jane took to Instagram to reveal she'd been diagnosed with cancer for the third time.

She wrote: 'So, my dear friends, I have something personal I want to share.

'I've been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and have started chemo treatments. This is a very treatable cancer. 80% of people survive, so I feel very lucky.'

The thrice-married star, who has previously battled the disease, went on to say she was 'lucky' to 'have health insurance and access to the best doctors and treatment.'

Fonda, a two-time Oscar winner, added that she is 'privileged as a celebrity.'

She has previously been diagnosed with both breast and skin cancer, and blamed the latter on her past love of sunbathing.

Fonda says she attended the 2016 Golden Globes in a ruffled white dress designed to disguise recent surgery she had had to remove her breast.

She told Vogue: 'I get out of the car and I have the strange white dress with all the ruffles? That's because I'd just had a mastectomy and I had to cover my bandages.'

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the body's immune system, with symptoms including swollen lymph nodes, abdominal and chest pain, fevers, fatigue and weight loss.

Tough time: The star explained that she while she would be receiving chemotherapy, she was hopeful for a good outcome

Candid: The star, who previously battled breast cancer, revealed she wore a white gown to the Golden Globes in 2016 that hid her surgery bandages

The cancer can occur at any age, but the risks increases with age as it's most common in people 60 and over, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The news comes on the heels of the final episode of Fonda and Lily Tomlin's Netflix comedy series, Grace And Frankie, which aired the last season in April.

Fonda has been open about the health implications of getting older, admitting her 'whole body hurts' because of osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break.

'The fact that I hurt a lot  my body hurts  is a surprise to me, and its not because of all that working out,' she said.

'Its genetic. My father Henry had it, my brother Peter had it. Your cartilage disappears and then its bone on bone, and then "ow". But we live in a time where you can just get a new one.'
Kanye West hit out at Adidas on Thursday morning, after the company announced that it has put 'under review' its business partnership with him.

The rapper, 45, did not take too kindly to Adidas' statement as he hopped on Instagram with a screenshot of the announcement, writing: 'F**K ADIDAS I AM ADIDAS ADIDAS RAPED AND STOLE MY DESIGNS.'

The German sporting goods maker released a statement this morning revealing they are reviewing their business dealings with the outspoken musician following his very public criticism of the company and their CEO.

Business feud: Kanye West hit out at Adidas on Thursday morning, after the company announced that it has put 'under review' its business partnership with him; Pictured 2022

'After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review. We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period,' the company said.

CNBC, which first reported the news, said West had been publicly critical of Adidas and its CEO and told the broadcaster that the German group was copying his ideas. Adidas has been partnering with West since 2013, CNBC said.

'Adidas has always been about creativity, innovation and supporting athletes and artists to achieve their vision. The adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry's history,' Adidas said.

Upset: The rapper, 45, did not take too kindly to Adidas' statement as he hopped on Instagram with a screenshot of the announcement, writing: 'F**K ADIDAS'

Taking a stand: Adidas' statement comes amid an on-going public clash with Kanye (seen in 2022) who's been continually going after the sportswear giant on his social media, as he says they has pilfered his ideas and kept him out of the loop in terms of marketing the product

'We also recognize that all successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values.'

It's been an eventful week for Ye, who shocked his fans on Monday when he wore a 'White Lives Matter' T-shirt design at his surprise Yeezy fashion show in Paris.

He doubled down on his 'White Lives Matter' slogan on Wednesday and explained that when people ask why he made the shirt he replies that it's because 'They do.'

News about Adidas putting the partnership under review comes less than a month after West's lawyers sent a letter to Gap Inc notifying the apparel chain he was terminating his partnership with the company.

Adidas' statement comes amid an on-going public clash with Kanye who's been continually going after the sportswear giant on his social media, as he says the company has pilfered his ideas and kept him out of the loop in terms of marketing the product.

Shocking the fans: It's been an eventful week for Ye, who shocked his fans on Monday when he wore a 'White Lives Matter' T-shirt design at his surprise Yeezy fashion show in Paris

'They do': Kanye West doubled down on his 'White Lives Matter' slogan on Wednesday and explained that when people ask why he made the shirt he replies that it's because 'They do'

In recent months West has ranted about the company, posted pictures of its board members, and called out CEO Kasper Rorsted, even creating fake image of a New York Times front page that claimed Rorsted had died.

West has garnered support from a number of his contemporaries in the hip-hop community, such as Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Swizz Beatz and T.I. who wowed to boycott the brand.

Earlier this month, Ye was on a social media blitz against the two clothing companies, accusing Adidas of seizing creative control over the Yeezy brand and stealing his design ideas to produce shoes similar to his Boost trainers. He also claimed that the shoe company ripped off his design for slides.

Over it: The German sporting goods maker released a statement this morning revealing they are reviewing their business dealings with the outspoken musician following his very public criticism of the company and their CEO Kasper Rrsted; Kasper seen March 14, 2018

The latest: In September the Donda hitmaker posted and deleted a fake New York Times newspaper that falsely claimed Rrsted had 'died' at 60

'No one should be held in that position where people can steal from them and say we're just paying you to shut up,' he told Bloomberg. 'That destroys innovation. That destroys creativity. That's what destroyed Nikola Tesla.'

He's hammered Adidas executives with a series of mocking Instagram posts until, he claims, his lawyers stepped in and asked him to stop.

In some of the posts, he superimposed Adidas executive Daniel Cherry's head on another person's body and created mocking videos of the corporate leader.

Wow: Soon after, Kanye posted a snap of Daniel Cherry, who is the SVP/General Manager of Adidas

Taunting: The rapper-turned-designer has publicly declared a feud with Adidas, whom he's partnered with via his Yeezy empire

Ye also went after JPMorgan Chase, where he holds much of his money after switching from a small Wyoming bank, for not backing him in his war against the popular clothing brands.

'I've went to JP Morgan but of course they won't give me no deal flow cause Jin(g) Ulrich is on the board of both Adidas and JP Morgan. What shoe company will give me control. I need to be the head of the board and chief decision maker,' he posted.

Jing Ulrich is the Chase vice chare of investment banking. Ye also tried to get banking titan Jamie Dimon on the phone, but was ghosted by the financier.

Leading the way: Kanye has had a very successful partnership with the Germany based shoe giant with his Adidas Yeezy line which launched in 2015

Fake Yeezys: In September, Kanye took to Instagram, blasting the shoe company and Rorstad for releasing Yeezy lookalike slides (left) which he dubbed, 'fake Yeezys', (R) Kanye's Yeezy slides sold at Adidas

'I feel like there's a lot of controlling and handling to suppress my ability to affect the American economy and industry,' the rapper said of Chase.

Bloomberg reported that Ye holds $122 million cash and stock, but that his corporate deals make him a billionaire.

The Yeezy brand earned $191 billion in royalties in 2020 from the Adidas deal, according to USB Group AG.

The recording artist has groused almost from the beginning of his corporate collaborations that he was being frozen out of decision-making.

Moneymaker: The Yeezy brand earned $191 billion in royalties in 2020 from the Adidas deal, according to USB Group AG; Kanye pictured in 2019

Headache: Ye's public disagreements with brands have created a corporate headache after other public figures like Sean Combs and Swizz Beatz declared a public boycott on Adidas

In July 2020, Gap stock dipped 7.4 percent after he threatened to pull out of deals with the clothing company a month after he signed the partnership with his Yeezy brand.

He threatened to do the same to the international sneaker maker, but their stock ended up for the day.

The musician's public disagreements with the brands have created a corporate headache after other public figures like Sean Combs and Swizz Beatz declared a public boycott on Adidas.
Osher Gunsberg was seen leaving the Channel 10 Upfronts earlier this week on a pair of crutches - a year after undergoing painful hip replacement surgery.

The Bachelor star used the mobility aid as he headed out of the Ten studios in Sydney alongside a woman who appeared to be a publicist.

The 48-year-old nonetheless appeared in good spirits, smiling and chatting to the woman as he made his way to an awaiting chauffeured car.

Osher Gunsberg was seen leaving the Channel 10 Upfronts earlier this week on a pair of crutches - a year after undergoing painful hip replacement surgery

Osher also revealed a new look at the event - sporting a bushy moustache which complimented his famous quiff hairstyle.

The TV host dressed his fit figure in a pair of black skinny leg jeans and a beige T-shirt.

He accessorised with an Aboriginal flag duffle bag and some bright orange spectacles.

The 48-year-old nonetheless appeared in good spirits, smiling and chatting to a woman as he made his way to an awaiting chauffeured car

This is not the first time Osher has been seen with the crutches.

Back in December 2020, he leant on the mobility aid as he posed for a Christmas photograph alongside his wife Audrey, stepdaughter Georgia and son Wolfie.

'Santa looks like he's being a very good boy for the photo. Merry Xmas from our family to yours, however far apart you are,' Osher captioned the post.

Osher also revealed a new look at the event - sporting a bushy moustache which complimented his famous quiff hairstyle

This is not the first time Osher has been seen with crutches. Back in December 2020, he leant on the mobility aid as he posed for a Christmas photograph alongside his wife Audrey, stepdaughter Georgia and son Wolfie

Fans expressed their concern for Osher after the family photo was shared to Instagram.

'Merry Christmas to your family. Have you hurt yourself?' one person commented.

'Merry Xmas Osher to you and your family. What's with the walking stick?' another said.

One person commented: 'Are you on crutches, Osher??'

'What did I miss? Why you on crutches?' another person asked. 'Are you ok ? Merry Christmas,' one wrote.

Osher later revealed on his podcast Better Than Yesterday he'd undergone hip replacement surgery.

'There's not a massive complication but there's some swelling under the site of the incision. Not infected - I've been checked over for that,' he said.

'It's pretty painful so I can't do the rehab that I need to do to get the joint mobilised and start getting strength back and being able to move around properly.'

'I'm in this weird holding pattern of pain management and trying to sleep properly and not being able to move around too much,' he explained.
Ashley James looked radiant as she cradled her growing bump during a night out in London on Thursday.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 35, who is expecting her second child, displayed her bump in a neon pink dress as she attended Asda's Tickled Pink event in aid of breast cancer awareness.

The glowing star showed off her endless legs in strappy heels and accessorised with a chic handbag.

Bump: Ashley James looked radiant as she cradled her growing bump during a night out in London on Thursday

Her tresses were styled in an updo and she sported a radiant palette of make-up.

Ashley took to Instagram last week where she revealed that she's expecting her second child with boyfriend Tommy Andrews.

Sharing a sweet video, Ashley unveiled her baby bump for the first time as she posed in underwear, while elsewhere proudly showed off their ultrasound scans and positive pregnancy test.

The reality star welcomed her first child, a son named Alfie, in January 2021, just a year after she and tech professional Tommy began dating.

Glow: The former MIC star, 35, who is expecting her second child, displayed her bump in a neon pink dress as she walked down the street

Leggy: The glowing star showed off her endless legs in strappy heels and accessorised with a chic handbag

Legs for days! Ashley donned her all-pink look to attend Asda's Tickled Pink event in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness

Bronzed: The star wowed as she stepped out for her evening out

Congrats! Ashley took to Instagram last week where she revealed that she's expecting her second child with boyfriend Tommy Andrews

Ashley captioned the video: 'We have some news...! I'm excited and nervous to share in equal measure... Baby number 2 coming in 2023.

She noted: 'This audio makes me cry every single time!' before adding: 'A little update will be coming on my podcast which will be relaunched tomorrow!'

Ashley and Tommy are already parents to son Alfie, one, who was born in January 2021.

Made In Chelsea's Ashley spent six years single before settling down with Tommy in December 2019, after having first met ten years earlier.

Surprise! The former Made In Chelsea star took to Instagram on Sunday where she revealed her baby news

Pregnant! In one clip, Ashley held up her pregnancy test

Six months later, the couple discovered they were having their first baby, after her tech professional moved into Ashley's London home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In July 2020, Ashley announced she and her boyfriend Tom were expecting their first child together, and then heavily documented her pregnancy on social media.

The DJ shared a snapshot of herself cradling her baby bump while posing with her handsome beau in France.

Captioning the image, she wrote: 'I'm beyond excited / nervous to finally be able to share our incredibly happy news with you all - especially given I'm an open book who HATES keeping secrets.'

Baby bump: Sharing a sweet video, Ashley unveiled her baby bump for the first time as she posed in underwear

Sweet: Elsewhere she proudly showed off their ultrasound scans

The following month, she confirmed to Hello! she was expecting a boy, saying: 'Tommy and I are over the moon to be expecting a baby boy.

'Our main joy is that the baby is growing as he should be and appears healthy and worryingly active.

'I was so convinced I was having a little girl, perhaps I was somewhat hoping to raise a little feminist with a strong mind?

'But I know that this little boy will grow up so loved and supported, with great values and the upmost respect for women... and hopefully he'll make a great big brother one day!'

Precious moments: Ashley showed off the ultrasound scan taken at Portland Hospital at the beginning of the month

When Alfie came into the world in January 2021, Ashley announced his arrival with a social media post showing her and Tommy holding their son's tiny feet.

She wrote alongside: 'Well hey guys. I just wanted to let you all know that on Saturday 9th January we welcomed our son to the world. He's a very healthy 9.5 pounds, and Snoop is already being the best big brother.

'I cannot wait to introduce him to you all properly, and share my journey with you, but for now we're just getting to know him and focusing on keeping him safe in this crazy world. We're both well and recovering.

'Massive thank you to our amazing team of midwives at Chelsea & Westminster for bringing him safely into the world. I love our NHS. 09.01.2021 - our little Capricorn.'

Family: The reality star welcomed her first child, a son named Alfie, in January 2021 , just a year after she and tech professional Tommy began dating

Ashley - who now lives in Essex with Tommy and their young son - previously admitted she never dreamed of becoming a mum and may not have had children if she didn't fall pregnant in lockdown.

The star told MailOnline she feared losing her identity when she became a mother after spending years living in London as a single woman and prioritising her DJing career.

Ashley explained she hasn't always had conventional feelings towards motherhood but insists you can still be 'an amazing mum' even if it's not something you visualised from a young age.

Motherhood: Ashley is already mum to one-year-old Alfie

She said: 'It has never been my dream to be a mum. I don't coo over other people's children, especially if I don't know them.

'I feel like I don't want to lose my identity when I become a mum. For me to be the best mum is for me to still be who I am.

'That's why I'm happy it's been taken out of my hands because if it came down to planning, I don't know if I ever would have.

'I'm still very career focused and I like to invest time in my friends, having children shouldn't mean you have to change.'

Baby number one: When Alfie came into the world in January 2021, Ashley announced his arrival with a social media post showing her and Tommy holding their son's tiny feet

Stream every episode ever of Made In Chelsea only on Hayu in Australia.
An emotional Kate Garraway reflected on her husband Derek Draper's recovery from Covid on ITV's DNA Journey on Thursday night.

The Good Morning Britain presenter, 55, appeared on the show with fellow presenter Alison Hammond to retrace her ancestry but began by telling how Derek 'remains very damaged' as she spoke about her current family situation.

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.

Tough: An emotional Kate Garraway reflected on her husband Derek Draper's recovery from Covid on ITV's DNA Journey on Thursday night

Speaking on the show Kate said: '2020 was a devastating year. With Derek, he got very sick very early on in the pandemic and has remained very damaged.

'That is quite well documented because for a lot of people, he's come to symbolise the fight that goes on.'

Kate also praised Alison - who she appeared on the show alongside - for being such a support to her during the difficult times with Derek.

Difficult: The Good Morning Britain presenter, 55, appeared on the show with fellow presenter Alison Hammond to retrace her ancestry but began by telling how Derek 'remains very damaged' as she spoke about her current family situation

'Alison, she was messaging me to say she was thinking of me in that way,' Kate explained.

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.

Illness: 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

Recovery: Speaking on the show Kate said: '2020 was a devastating year. With Derek, he got very sick very early on in the pandemic and has remained very damaged'

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.

Also on DNA Journey Alison delved into her past during a trip to Jamaica with Kate.

The star, 47, was told about her great great great grandfather Jean Marie Escofferey who was deported from Jamaica to the Dominican Republic unlawfully.

Story: Also on DNA Journey Alison delved into her past during a trip to Jamaica with Kate

Alison then found out that he had been wrongfully accused of criminal activity regarding the selling of guns before a public enquiry proved him innocent and was returned to his home town.

Jean was then given 16,000 in damages - which would be worth around 50million in today's money.

After hearing Alison's story many took to Twitter to react, with one saying: '@AlisonHammond's family story is emotional inspiring amazing story. A film waiting to be made & should be .....real life & a history that everyone should know.'

History: The star, 47, was told about her great great great grandfather Jean Marie Escofferey who was deported from Jamaica to the Dominican Republic unlawfully

Another said: 'Loving this episode of DNA Journey. I love the story of Alisons relatives fighting racial injustice and opposing slavery. Fantastic, moving and LOL funny.'

A third wrote: 'Watching #DNAJourney is always such a rollercoaster of emotions but I absolutely love it!'

Also on DNA Journey Kate discovered 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.

Reaction: After hearing Alison's story many took to Twitter to react, with one saying: ' @AlisonHammond's family story is emotional inspiring amazing story. A film waiting to be made & should be .....real life & a history that everyone should know'

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.

Surprising news: Also on DNA Journey Kate discovered she is related to the creator of Paddington Bear, Michael Bond

'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.

'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.

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

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.

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.
Corey Gamble hitched a ride on a private jet owned by megastars Jay-Z and Beyonce as he we caught in the crosswire of Kanye West's latest social media tirade.

The 41-year-old longtime boyfriend of Kris Jenner, 66, didn't seem too concerned about being blasted by the 45-year-old artist on Instagram as he arrived back in Los Angeles in the lap of luxury.

Earlier that morning, Kanye posted a snap of his ex Vinetria along with a lengthy caption in which he took an unprovoked shot at Corey.

Uh oh: Corey Gamble hitched a ride on a private jet owned by megastars Jay-Z and Beyonce as he we caught in the crosswire of Kanye West's latest social media tirade

The jetset life: The megastar power couple Beyonce (left) and Jay-Z were also seen stepping onto the tarmac

The All Of The Lights hitmaker gave props to his model ex by saying the industry has not given her the shine that she deserves before going after Kris Jenner's younger boyfriend.

The rapper wrote: 'They want corny a** Gigi Hadid and nose job Hailey Baldloose to rally behind an obvious Corey Gamble level non fashion industry plant.'

Oddly enough, Corey's cabinmate Beyonce, 41, was also mentioned next but in a positive way as Kanye wrote: 'They dont want to support Beyonce They want to shame Lizzo whenever she looses weight Travis Scott and Future are real ones for recognizing this queen.'

Chill: The 41-year-old longtime boyfriend of Kris Jenner, 66, didn't seem too concerned about being blasted by the 45-year-old artist on Instagram as he arrived back in Los Angeles in the lap of luxury

'They want corny a** Gigi Hadid and nose job Hailey Baldloose to rally behind an obvious Corey Gamble level non fashion industry plant': Earlier that morning, Kanye posted a snap of his ex Vinetria along with a lengthy caption in which he took an unprovoked shot at Corey

Vibes: Corey was loyal to his pal Jay-Z as he sported a black sweat suit from his Paper Planes lifestyle apparel brand along with white sneakers

Corey was loyal to his pal Jay-Z as he sported a black sweat suit from his Paper Planes lifestyle apparel brand along with white sneakers.

He accessorized with a black patent leather bucket hat as he carried along several bags including a massive Louis Vuitton brown monogrammed luggage.

Beyonce kept a low-profile in an all-black Prada sweat suit with black and white Adidas sneakers.

She wore her blonde locks down and a pair of sunglasses as an assistant held an umbrella for her as she stepped off the stairs of the aircraft.

Chill: Beyonce kept a low-profile in an all-black Prada sweat suit with black and white Adidas sneakers

Heading out: She wore her blonde locks down and a pair of sunglasses as an assistant held an umbrella for her as she stepped off the stairs of the aircraft

The ROC is in the building: Jay-Z kept up with the rest of the group as he also sported a black sweat suit along with a jacket and white sneakers

Jay-Z kept up with the rest of the group as he also sported a black sweat suit along with a jacket and white sneakers.

This is not the first time that Kanye has gone after Corey on social media as back in February he posted a lengthy Instagram message this weekend calling Kris Jenner 'a hero' while lambasting her longtime beau.

The 44-year-old rapper is in the process of divorcing Kris' daughter Kim Kardashian and has been feuding with her in public over the course of the past few weeks.

In a post this Saturday morning, Kanye cryptically wrote that Corey was 'off on his next mission' and referred to him as 'godless.'

Unfiltered: This is not the first time that Kanye has gone after Corey on social media as back in February he posted a lengthy Instagram message this weekend calling Kris Jenner 'a hero' while lambasting her longtime beau

'I love Kris': In a post this Saturday morning, Kanye cryptically wrote that Corey was 'off on his next mission' and referred to him as 'godless'

During a series of public tirades two years ago near the end of his marriage, Kanye infamously attacked his mother-in-law as 'Kris Jong Un' - but by this weekend he took a much more respectful tone toward her.

However he was less kind to Corey, who at 41 years old is the same age as Kim and a whopping 25 years younger than Kris.

'God has a plan to remove the Godless Corey needed to never be here anyway,' the Power rapper wrote. 'And I think hes a nice person Not a great person A nice person who used to be around Puffs family then got around Justin Bieber and then when Kris got divorced he slid in.'

Kanye alleged that Corey 'became the tv version of a father figure and as he always called hisself "a REAL n****." He once told my wife he knew what music she should be listening to So when I seen him a week later I had him removed from my daughters birthday party.'

The way they were: The 44-year-old rapper is in the process of divorcing Kris' daughter Kim Kardashian; they are pictured in February 2020 at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party

The Jesus Is King impresario added of Corey: 'We still never met his family,' adding: 'And I guess we never will.'

Kanye, who supported Donald Trump before running against him for the presidency in 2020, wrote that Corey 'got my wife linked with the liberals in a deep way.'

He claimed: 'That was his Job For some reason I always felt he worked for DuPont or some organization in that pedigree.'

Kanye then wrote that Corey is now 'off to his next mission,' as 'His job is done,' and 'Hes not messy enough to do something like this.'

Couple: Kris and Corey are pictured attending The Fashion Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London together this past November

Wow: Kanye posted screen-grabs of texts apparently from Darkchild aka Rodney Jerkins, saying: 'I'm glad Kris woke up! God is removing the evil blockers to bring restoration'

He concluded his message. 'Its on purpose I love Kris This woman is a hero and shes done what shes had to do to protect her family and make sure they prosper even if it meant telling everyone not to listen to me I respect her grind her hustle and her mind Kris is one of the best to ever do it.'

A few hours later Kanye posted screen-grabs of texts apparently from Darkchild aka Rodney Jerkins, sensationally alleging that Corey once 'Stole all my MPC zips to give to some lil producer dude he was managing back in the day! I'm glad Kris woke up! God is removing the evil blockers to bring restoration.'

Kim filed for divorce in February of last year after months of rumors that her marriage to Kanye was on the brink of collapse.

Mother in law: Kris is pictured with 'Kimye,' as they were affectionately known to fans, in November 2019 in New York City

In 2020 while campaigning for President Of The United States Kanye tearfully revealed during a rally that he and Kim considered aborting their daughter North.

He fired off a series of furious Twitter tirades accusing his wife of adultery and referring to her mother Kris Jenner as 'Kris Jong Un.'

In response Kim, who was rumored to be livid about the abortion disclosure, posted a statement about Kanye's struggles with bipolar disorder and pointed out 'that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor.'
Victoria Hervey showcased her sartorial prowess once again as she attended her 46th birthday bash at London nightspot, Tramp on Thursday.

The socialite showed off her toned frame in a metallic printed bodycon dress by Philipp Plein paired with towering stiletto heels.

The dress boasted statement padded shoulders and was paired with gold earrings.

Wow: Victoria Hervey showcased her sartorial prowess once again as she attended her 46th birthday bash at London nightspot, Tramp on Thursday

Her tresses were styled in soft waves and she sported a rich palette of make-up.

The blonde showed off a deep golden glow and was in high spirits on her big night.

Guests included the likes of actress Courtenay Semel.

Hot to trot: The blonde showed off a deep golden glow and was in high spirits on her big night

All eyes on her: Victoria's frock by Phillip Plein featured an eye-catching snake print design

Guestlist: Guests included the likes of actress Courtenay Semel (pictured)

Glowing: The birthday girl looked radiant as she posed for a umber of glam snaps

Victoria previously told how she was considering starting a family before the Covid-19 pandemic happened.

She admitted that pregnancy magazine Project Baby had also influenced her thinking  as she has a prospective sperm donor/father lined up, should she decide to start a family.

Six of her eggs were frozen and stored three years ago, at a cost of 11,000, and she spent the time afterwards looking for a donor.

Pose: The socialite showed off her toned frame in a metallic printed bodycon dress by Phillip Plein paired with towering stiletto heels

Backless: The star flashed her bra as she entered the iconic club

Party girl: Victoria certainly let her hair down during her night out

Happy returns: The star was glowing as she arrived at her bash

'I had a friend who was going to be my sperm donor. He was going to be involved in my child's life, but as a friend, not a partner,' she explained.

'And I was supposed to be pregnant now. But then Covid happened, which was a big blow, but looking back I'm really grateful I didn't do it with that person. He just wasn't right.'

Lady Victoria is the daughter of the 6th Marquess of Bristol, half-sister of the 7th Marquess, and sister of the 8th Marquess and Lady Isabella Hervey.

The model spent the summer at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cap d'Antibes, France.

In attendance: Lady Victoria posed for a snap with film director Stuart Watts

Dapper: Lady Victoria happily posed alongside Jack Bedirian, who dressed to impress on the night

Guests: Som Wardner and Amanda Eliasch struck a pose at the birthday bash

Strike a pose: The duo were certainly in the party mood on Thursday night

Popular: Lady Victoria posed with her pals at her party (L-R Mohamed El Guindy, Courtenay Semel, Stacy Engman, Amanda Eliasch, Som Wardner and Stuart Watts)
Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Seann Walsh has reportedly signed up for I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

The comedian, 36, is thought to be heading Down Under for the new series - the first back in Australia since the coronavirus pandemic.

According to The Sun, ITV bosses are hoping Seann will discuss his infamous 2018 snog with his Strictly pro partner Katya Jones, who was married to fellow dancer Neil Jones at the time.

New gig: Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Seann Walsh has reportedly signed up for I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

The brief fling resulted in the end of Katya's marriage to Neil the following year and Seann splitting with his ex-girlfriend Rebecca Humphries.

A source said: 'Seann is an incredible signing for I'm A Celebrity and it's a real coup for ITV. His snog with Katya is the biggest scandal to have ever hit Strictly. People still talk about it.

'Seann has joked about his snog with Katya in his comedy sketches but he's never spoken in detail about their relationship.

'Life in the jungle is boring and those long hours around the campfire would be the perfect time for Seann to get talking.'

Controversy: ITV bosses are hoping Seann will discuss his infamous snog with his Strictly pro partner Katya Jones, who was married to fellow dancer Neil Jones at the time

The insider added that they believe it is 'unlikely' the other campmates won't bring the kiss up as it's what the comedian is primarily known for.

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Seann Walsh and ITV for comment.

According to reports, Seann will be joining the likes of Olivia Attwood, Babatunde Aleshe and Boy George in the jungle.

Ant and Dec are set to welcome 12 new famous faces into the Australian camp in November.

A source said: 'Life in the jungle is boring and those long hours around the campfire would be the perfect time for Seann to get talking' (pictured in 2019)

In a statement, ITV said: 'Autumn also brings I'm A Celebrity which makes a welcome return to ITV from the Australian jungle.'

The 2021 series saw Danny Miller crowned as King of the Castle, while Giovanna Fletcher was the first person to win the Welsh version of the show the year before.

Following the Strictly kiss incident, Seann's ex Rebecca released an impassioned statement in which she revealed he called her 'psycho' and 'nuts' for questioning his friendship with Katya, who he kissed on Rebecca's birthday - before the photos were made public.

Discussing the drama on Prime Video show Backstage With Katherine Ryan which aired in June, he said: 'What you are thinking about is: 'What have you done to someone?'

Claims: The insider added that they believe it is 'unlikely' the other campmates won't bring the kiss up as it's what the comedian is primarily known for

'It's one thing doing that privately and I don't judge anyone, because everyone's got their own backstory, lives or whatever. It was horrific. It was crazy.'

The star said to this day, he is unable to watch Strictly as it 'messes my head up.'

He said: 'I have such amazing memories of being on that show and then the repercussions of that kiss, it was crazy. I'm just a comic.

'One day I hope I can look back at that fondly, that first few weeks, because it was the best time of my life.'

In April and speaking in his comedy special Seann Walsh: Kiss, the star told how he was 'sorry' for the kiss then and is still sorry now.

Recalling how he learned their PDA had become public, he said: 'I left the wardrobe department and before I could order my first beer, my agent came over to and asked if he could have a word with me outside.

Exes: Katya was married to Neil Jones at the time of the kiss, with the former couple announcing their split in August 2019

'I thought 'he is going to tell me I have got Michael McIntyre's Big Show! I had better act surprised!'

'Turns out, I didn't have to act surprised. We went into the BBC carpark, my agent looked over his glasses and said, 'about 20 minutes ago, they posted a photo of you kissing Katya outside a pub'.

It was at that exact point that my life would turn upside down - the dream turned into a nightmare.'

Explaining the incident, he said: 'I was in a relationship, my dance partner Katya was married.

'After training we went for a drink, one thing led to another and we were photographed kissing outside a pub. Awful, I know. It's awful - I'm sorry. I'm still sorry now.'

He said: 'I was then on the receiving end of thousands of abusive messages online. I did begin to wonder 'have I done something that wrong?'

Seann said of the kiss: 'It's one thing doing that privately and I don't judge anyone, because everyone's got their own backstory, lives or whatever. It was horrific. It was crazy'

'Then.... Katie Hopkins tweeted in my defence. Then I thought 'yep, I've f****d up!''

'I managed to keep Brexit off the front pages for 12 whole days, but I hated it.

'I thought 'I just had to get out of here' and I left for America. Just the break I needed.

While Katya was supported by her husband Neil after the 'drunken mistake', their marriage did not last as they announced their split in August 2019.

The dancers confirmed they were splitting in joint Instagram statements, but despite writing they had mutual 'respect' and 'love', a source claimed Katya's infidelity was something her husband couldn't get over.

The pair have remained friends since the split and continue to be professional dancers together on Strictly.
Alan Alda reflected on the legacy of his hit show M*A*S*H on its 50th anniversary.

The veteran actor, 86, who portrayed Captain Benjamin 'Hawkeye' Pierce on the critically acclaimed war dark comedy show that premiered on CBS on September 17, 1972, shared how grateful he was for the show's success and its lasting power.

Alda shared that when people ask him about M*A*S*H he feels 'gratitude that what we did all those years ago is still on people's minds' in a new interview with People.

Reflecting back: Alan Alda, 86, reflected on the legacy of his hit show M*A*S*H on its 50th anniversary sharing how grateful he was for its success and lasting power; Pictured 2020

M*A*S*H was adapted from the 1970 feature film of the same name and aired 11 seasons on CBS from September 1972 until February 28, 1983.

The series is one of the highest-rated shows in US television history and its final episode was the most-watched television broadcast in American history from 1983 until 2010.

'I'm not sure we ever knew what kind of impact it was having,' he said of his fellow cast members, who didn't know at the time that the series would end up being one of the most popular of all time.

Reminiscing: He shared that when people ask him about M*A*S*H he feels 'Gratitude that what we did all those years ago is still on people's minds' in a new interview with People; (L-R) Larry Linville, Loretta Swit, Alda, Mclean Stevenson, Wayne Rogers, William Christopher, Gary Burghoff, Jamie Farr

'It took a while to catch on, lingering near the bottom of the ratings for the first season,' he revealed, adding, 'We got used to coming to work, doing the best shows we could and not worrying about the numbers. By the time that huge audience watched the last episode, we were kind of shocked.'

Alda - who revealed in 2018 that he has Parkinson's disease - shared that that playing Hawkeye did not come naturally to him at first: 'I wasn't convinced I could be this guy who drank too much, hit on women and was something of a smart aleck.'

However, on the first day on set, after doing a spontaneous improvised hug with a nurse during a scene, he finally felt like he would be able to do the character justice.

Impact: 'I'm not sure we ever knew what kind of impact it was having,' he said of the cast, who didn't know that the series would end up being one of the most popular of all time

'When I heard, "Action!" I stepped out onto the compound and saw a nurse headed toward me. I'd never seen her before, but I made the instant decision that she and Hawkeye had some kind of relationship and gave her a little hug. She played along, we exchanged smiles and walked on. I had a little extra spring in my step. "Okay," I thought. "I'm him."'

Elsewhere in the interview he recalled that fame didn't knock on his doorstep overnight as he shared a funny anecdote from after the first episode of the show had aired.

'Everybody was warning me that after the first episode aired, I'd have to get used to suddenly being known,' he said, recalling how he pulled up to the entrance of the studio where the guard did not recognize him.

Apprehensive: Alda said playing Hawkeye didn't come naturally to him: 'I wasn't convinced I could be this guy who drank too much, hit on women and was something of a smart aleck' but that after his first successful day on set he thought 'Okay, I'm him'; Pictured with Burghoff

Alda shared that the guard didn't know his name and even accidentally called him 'Alan Ogre' - a nickname his costar Loretta Swit still uses to this day.

He also shared his thoughts on why the audience was so tuned in to the show, saying that they may have picked up on the fact that the cast 'were aware that real people had lived through events like these and that we were trying to respect that.'

In September Alda teamed up with costar Mike Farrell - who played Captain B.J. Hunnicutt - to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary with a Twitter photo.

Fiftieth anniversary: Alda and Mike Farrell teamed up last month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the war dark comedy that premiered on CBS on September 17, 1972

Fan favorites: Farrell, shown in November 2019, and Alda, shown in January 2020, played bunkmates and surgeons in the Korean War on the CBS series

'Mike Farrell and I today toasting the 50th anniversary of the show that changed our lives - and our brilliant pals who made it what it was. MASH was a great gift to us,' Alda wrote as a caption for his roughly 324,000 followers.

Alda and Farrell in the photo beamed while standing next to each other holding stemmed glasses filled with red wine.

The ensemble cast originally featured Alda and the late Wayne Rogers, who died in 2015 at age 82, as surgeons Hawkeye and 'Trapper' John McIntyre at the '4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital' in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War.

Highly popular: M*A*S*H aired 11 seasons on CBS from September 1972 until February 28, 1983 and became one of the highest-rated shows in US television history; Alda, Rogers, and Swit, shown in a 1972 still

The finale titled 'Goodbye, Farewell and Amen' remains the most-watched finale of an TV series and the most-watched episode of a scripted series.

The show was honored in 1975 with a Peabody Award.

In addition to portraying Hawkeye, Alda also played a senator who ran for president on The West Wing and he also hosted Scientific American Frontiers on PBS.
Kanye West told his estranged wife Kim Kardashian that he would 'rather go to jail' than wear the orange jumpsuit she donned during Milan Fashion Week in February.

During Wednesday's episode of The Kardashians, the 41-year-old shapewear mogul read a savage text message from the Yeezy founder, 45, who voiced distain over his former spouse's choice to wear a men's boiler suit designed by Prada.

'Look what Kanye texts me. 'No white glasses. Better make security wear black gloves,' the mom-of-four told cameras. 'The orange made me so mad. Would have went to jail before I went out in that.'

Cruel: Kanye West told his estranged wife Kim Kardashian that he would 'rather go to jail' than wear the orange jumpsuit she donned during Milan Fashion Week in February

The SKIMS founder - who had made a deal to wear only pieces designed by the luxury fashion brand throughout the trip - added that Kanye 'couldn't help himself' but insisted she wasn't offended by his comments as they had always teased one another about their clothes.

'While we're here in Milan, Kanye has the kids at home and he can't help himself. We can laugh about things we like or don't like,' she mused. 'No matter how crazy things are sometimes, we are always going to be family.'

In response, she jokingly messaged him back: 'You know you have been wearing those boots for a long time. When you are ready to change your outfit let me know and then you can have an opinion on mine.'

Unfazed: The SKIMS founder - who had made a deal to wear only pieces designed by the luxury fashion brand throughout the trip - added that Kanye 'couldn't help himself' but insisted she wasn't offended by his comments as they had always teased one another about their clothes

Men's suit: The Prada men's boiler suit on display on the Fall/Winter 2022-2023 fashion show in January 2022

Despite being crowned as a Fashion Icon at the annual People's Choice Awards last year, the beauty's half-sister Kendall Jenner even dissed the Prada suit.

'It kind of looks like you have a diaper on,' the supermodel, 26, told Kim, who shot her a cross look.

Earlier this year, Kim alleged that the Stronger rapper had warned her that her 'career was over' when he likened one of her outfits from her own collection to a formal dress and gloves once worn by housewife Marge Simpson on animated series The Simpsons.

Cheeky: Despite being crowned as a Fashion Icon at the annual People's Choice Awards last year, the beauty's half-sister Kendall Jenner even dissed the Prada suit, which she said made Kim look like she had a 'diaper on'

'I was like, 'How do I wear something that hasn't been pre-vetted first?' It was psychologically [hard]. He called me afterwards. He told me my career is over and then he showed me a picture of Marge Simpson wearing something similar,' she recalled.

After years of being styled by West himself, Kim admitted to having 'panic attacks' and a fashion identity crisis following their split.

The duo, who were married from 2014 until 2021, share four kids: North, nine, Saint, six, Chicago, four and three-year-old Psalm.
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The $30 million fraud case involving disbarred attorney-at-law Jennifer Messado, in which Dancehall star David Mavado Brooks is the complainant, was postponed last week when the case was mentioned in the Kingston and St. Andrew parish court.

Oswest Senior-Smith, attorney-at-law representing Mavado, disclosed that on Friday, the case was adjourned until October 13th. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) had been expected to reveal whether there were outstanding warrants for his client, Mavado.

On June 5, 2018, the Constant Spring Police had issued a notice for Mavado to report to the police station by midday the next day, for questioning in an ongoing investigation regarding a flare-up of violence in Cassava Piece, St. Andrew.

Reports are Mavado had already left the island, following a June 2, 2018 confrontation with a man in the community, who was allegedly involved in a dispute with the artists teenage son, Dantay Brooks. Brooks and another man Andre Hinds, were ultimately convicted of the murder of Lorenzo Thomas, who was killed on June 5, 2018.

In July, the ODPP had been set to submit an application seeking approval from the court for Mavado, who resides in the US, to give testimony via video link in the high-profile fraud case. Approval can only be granted if Mavado, whose given name is David Brooks, has no outstanding warrants in Jamaica.

Senior-Smith is unruffled by the brouhaha surrounding the admissibility of Mavados testimony, dubbing it a storm in a teacup as his clients testimony is not critical to the successful prosecution of the case.

Mavado is not a critical witness, he would just appear to say that the money in question belongs to him; the lawyer and the other party who paid over the money to Messado are the critical witnesses in the case, Senior-Smith said.

Still, Senior-Smith will have to wait until October 13th to find out whether his client will be allowed to testify via video link. Mavado has vehemently denied that he is wanted by the police and believes that the corrupt justice system has conjured up a fake warrant to frustrate his attempts to regain his money.

Mavado came out swinging last week against what he dubbed corruption in the justice system, hitting out at the fake warrant that some Jamaica Constabulary Force sources claim exists.

Lets hear what the judge has to say tomorrow (Friday( about this fake warrant and this criminal element that stole my 30 million dollars going 5 years now without a night in jail, a bitter Mavado wrote on his Instagram page last week.

He also posted a written statement outlining his arguments in the case.

Lets talk about this so-called warrant we have heard about all of a sudden after 4 years. It seems as if some officers assigned to the Constant Spring police station, Jennifer Messado and her people are conspiring against me. The same police that locked up my son years ago are the same ones who have come up with this warrant 4 years later, in particular one police officer who told me that Jennifer Messado is her friend, he wrote.

Now, my ppl years ago when I left Jamaica, I left things in my lawyers hands. My lawyers  both overseas and in Jamaica, were in regular communication with the Jamaica Constabulary Force and there was never any mention of outstanding warrants, nothing like that was said to my lawyers over a four year period. I wasnt wanted for anything or any reason in Jamaica, he said.

Jennifer Messado, who has been disbarred, is accused of defrauding the entertainer in a real estate deal. It is alleged that in April 2018, Mavado made arrangements to purchase property at Grosvenor Terrace, Kingston 8 through his attorney, Tamika Harris.

Messado allegedly claimed that she was granted permission to oversee the sale as the owner was incarcerated overseas. Mavado later reportedly paid Messado $30.7 million for the property and signed a sale agreement and a document giving him possession. It soon came to light that the property was not for sale and that the owner had not, in fact, been incarcerated.

The owner of the property further indicated that he did not know Messado and never gave her permission to sell his property. Mavado was reportedly reimbursed $7 million.

After several attempts to recover his money failed, the entertainer reported the matter to the police and Messado was arrested and charged with obtaining money by false pretence.
Three-fourths of the production at the new factory will be used for exports. (DC Image)

HYDERABAD: Schneider Electric, the global leader in energy management and automation, on Thursday began the construction work for its second factory in Telangana. Spread over 18 acres, the upcoming unit at GMR Industrial Park in Hyderabad will be developed in two phases. The first phase with two lakh square feet is expected to be completed in September 2023. The new facility is expected to strengthen the companys supply chain operations for exports.

We will be investing over Rs 300 crores in this project, which will in turn create additional 1,000 jobs We follow India for India and India for Globe strategy, manufacturing in India for local consumption and global exports to over 30 countries, said Anil Chaudhry, zone president, India and CEO & MD Schneider Electric India Pvt. Ltd.

Three-fourths of the production at the new factory will be used for exports.

This new facility  with 75 per cent export volume capacity  will strengthen our position as a reliable export hub for our global customers. Our manufacturing base expansion in Telangana will also amplify our contributions to the Make-In-India programme, said Javed Ahmad, Sr. Vice President, Global Supply Chain, International Region, Schneider Electric.

The ground-breaking ceremony on Thursday was attended by state IT minister K.T. Rama Rao, Ambassador of France to India Emmanuel Lenain, and state IT secretary Jayesh Ranjan.

Speaking at the ceremony, Rama Rao said, The upcoming smart factory will greatly contribute to the states economy, which is bolstering its position as a leading investment hotbed. With India rising as an economic powerhouse, the opportunities are huge.
According to psychiatrist Dr Gautami Nagabhirava, the most common mental issues for which patients seek help are anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), psychosis, substance use, sleep disturbance, stress, and relationship problems.  Representational Image/DC

Hyderabad: A growing number of children are being diagnosed with mental health problems, and the pandemic has exacerbated the problems in both children and adults. The issues are especially unaddressed among the economically disadvantaged.

With mental health awareness week being observed from October 3 to 9, the stigma and lack of awareness about the issues remain, making it difficult for people to seek help.

According to psychiatrist Dr Gautami Nagabhirava, the most common mental issues for which patients seek help are anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), psychosis, substance use, sleep disturbance, stress, and relationship problems. She stated that, while there is still stigma associated with seeking help for mental health issues, attitudes have improved since Covid. Patients are often hesitant to start medication because of misconceptions such as being drug dependent.

According to Dr Gautami, OCD, anxiety, and depression have increased in adults since the pandemic. Children's behavioural issues and addiction to the internet or phones had significantly increased. "Children are now struggling to return to school and resume offline activities, which is leading to social anxiety and depression," she explained.

The prevalence of mental health issues in children has also been observed in schools.

According to Kavitha Kumari, principal of Orchids - The International School, the most common childhood mental disorders are anxiety disorders, depression, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She stated that these issues can have an impact on many aspects of students' lives, including academics, physical health, and relationships with friends and family members.

Mental health issues are most prevalent among the economically disadvantaged groups. According to Mujtaba Hasan Askari of the Helping Hand Foundation, which conducts health-based surveys among such groups, in urban slums or economically backward pockets, people's first recourse is to approach godmen or 'babas.' Psychiatry and psychology is still a niche area for the economically weaker sections and is not easy to access. As there is a lot of stigma, people dont go unless taken by force. A combination of all this makes their condition worse, Askari said.
A group of 13 IT professionals from Tamil Nadu, who were lured to Thailand with promise of decent employment but illegally taken to Myanmar, were brought back to Chennai (Image credit: Twitter/@MEAIndia)

Chennai: A group of 13 IT professionals from Tamil Nadu, including a woman, who were lured to Thailand with promise of decent employment but illegally taken to Myanmar, were brought back to Chennai on Wednesday. They were rescued through a joint operation undertaken by the State and Union governments.

State Minister for Non-Resident Tamils Welfare, Refugees and Evacuees, Gingee K S Masthan, received the rescued persons at the airport. The minister said that the agents who sent them on tourist visas to Thailand would be identified and taken to task.

He said the rescue of the 13 persons was the first phase of the operation and that they would be provided financial help by Chief Minister M K Stalin. The chief minister had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in rescuing 50 IT professionals from the State whom he heard were trapped in unsafe working conditions in Myanmar,

The rescued persons who suffered physical and mental torture in the hands of unscrupulous employers at Mayanmar, appealed to the government through their families, whom they contacted after their tormentors demanded huge amount of money if they had to leave the job.

They had applied for permanent IT jobs for which online advertisements were placed by some private companies that recruited them after collecting huge fee from them. A total of 300 persons from India are said to be taken to Thailand by the racketeers and 50 of them were from Tamil Nadu.

Though they were expected to reach Chennai on Tuesday night, their journey was delayed due to issues relating to immigration clearance. The Indian missions abroad had issued them emergency travel documents as the employers had seized their passports, it is learnt.

Masthan said the State government had borne the travel expenses of the employees from Myanmar to Chennai via Thailand and also to their home towns.
Vande Bharat Express train, running between Mumbai Central and Gandhinagar, suffers damages after a collision with a buffalo, on the railway line between the Gairatpur and Vatva station, in Ahmedabad district, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. (Photo: PTI)

NEW DELHI/AHMEDABAD: The newly launched Mumbai Central-Gandhinagar Vande Bharat Express train suffered minor damages after hitting a herd of buffaloes in Gujarat on Thursday, officials said.

No passenger was injured in the incident that occurred between Gairatpur and Vatva stations around 11.15 am, they said.

"Vande Bharat express running between Mumbai Central and Gandhinagar Capital stations had left Mumbai this morning. The front portion of the train's engine got damaged after it hit some buffaloes that came on track around 11.15 am. The incident took place between Vatva and Maninagar areas of Ahmedabad," Western Railway spokesperson Jitendra Kumar Jayant said.

"The damaged portion was repaired and the train was sent to Gandhinagar station. The train departed for Mumbai from the Gandhinagar Capital station at its scheduled time. No passenger was injured in the incident," he added.

Another railway spokesperson said the front portion of the engine was damaged, but no functional part of the train was harmed.

"Three-four buffaloes suddenly came on the way of Mumbai-Gandhinagar Vande Bharat, damaging the nose made up of FRP (fibre-reinforced plastic). The train moved just after removing carcasses (within eight minutes) and reached Gandhinagar on time," he said, adding that the railway authorities were trying to counsel nearby villagers not to leave cattle near the track.

The semi-high speed train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 30 from Gandhinagar Capital station. This is the third Vande Bharat express train in the country.
The State was declared the first in providing drinking water pipe connections to 60 per cent of its residents (DC file photo)

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was shown the three awards that the State had won under the Jal Jeevan Mission and the Swachh Bharat Mission by the State Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru, who received them at New Delhi on behalf of the government.

The State was declared the first in providing drinking water pipe connections to 60 per cent of its residents under the Jal Jeevan Mission and the award for the achievement was handed over to Nehru by the President of India.

Awards under the Swacch Bharat Mission 2.0 were for Rameswaram Municipality winning the first prize for the cleanest town among towns with less than 50,000 population and Pothanur in Coimbatore district that was declared as the cleanest place among towns with 15,000 to 25,000 population.
SRINAGAR: Home Minister, Amit Shah, seized his just concluded visit to Jammu and Kashmir to send a strong message to Pakistan and the political parties at home which insist dialogue with the neighbouring country is the key to peace by asserting there can be no such engagement with benefactors of terrorism and violence in the erstwhile state.

Those who ruled for 70 years in J&K suggest me to talk to Pakistan. I have a clear view, I do not want to talk to Pakistan, I want to talk to the Gujjars, Paharis and Bakerwals here in Baramulla. I want to talk to the youth of Kashmir, he said while addressing an impressive public rally in the frontier district of Baramulla on Wednesday.

Several J&K parties including National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are of the view that lasting peace cannot be established in the Union Territory unless Pakistan is taken on board and for this the resumption of dialogue with the neighbouring country is inevitable. Former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, the presidents of NC and PDP respectively, had recently urged the Narendra Modi government to resume the stalled dialogue with Pakistan to ensure lasting tranquillity and peace in J&K.

But Shah asked them to open your eyes and minds and give a thought to who planted the violence of gun and spread terrorism in J&K. What good have they (Pakistan) done to Kashmir?, he asked. He accused Abdullah and Mufti of shielding militants, separatist and stone-pelters. Earlier, this was a terrorist hotspot, now its a tourism hotspot. You gave stones and guns in the hands of the youth, whereas Prime Minister Narendra Modiji has given laptops and mobiles into their hands by bringing industries here, Shah said.

An equally strong message the Home Minister sought to send across was that violence and militancy will not be tolerated on the soil of J&K. He appealed to separatist militants to shun the gun as treading on the path of violence will only ruin their lives whereas adopting that of peace and development will bring success and happiness to them and ensure a bright future for them and their families.

However, while speaking at a security review meeting with the top-brass of the J&K police, Central armed forces, paramilitary forces, the Army, intelligence agencies and officers of the civil administration in capital Srinagar, he asked them to act tough with those militants who remain adamant and refuse to give up the gun. The Home Minister asked the security forces and the J&K police to pro-actively conduct coordinated counter-terrorism operations to fulfil the Prime Ministers vision of a peaceful and prosperous J&K, an official spokesman here said. He also asked for making J&K free of the gun of violence in the shortest possible time, the spokesman added.

Local political watchers had attached great significance to the Home Ministers visit as it was taking place at a time when various political parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are gearing up for campaigning for the J&K Assembly elections. Shah said these elections will be held in a transparent manner once the final voter list and other preparations are completed.

The Home Minister during his 3-day visit, apart from attending official meetings and public rendezvous, met dozens of select delegations including those from political parties, trade organisations and civil society groups in twin capitals of Srinagar and Jammu. He also laid launched several hundred developmental projects and schemes across J&K.

Apparently to strike chord with the followers of three main religions in J&K-Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs- he paused his speech at a rally in Baramulla for 'azaan', as the call for prayer was being given from a nearby mosque, paid obeisance at the revered shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in the Trikuta hills near Jammu and also visited Srinagars Chatti Patshahi Gurdwara named after Guru Hargobind Sahib, the 6th Sikh Guru who, who had stayed here for a few days.
HYDERABAD: The Telangana BJP slammed the rebranding of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi on Thursday, calling it a "desperate measure of desperate Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao," with state BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar comparing the move to the "owner of a bankrupt company who shuts it down only to open a new one under another name to cheat people."

"Smearing a buffalo with chalk does not turn it into a cow," Sanjay said, mocking the renaming of TRS as BRS. "The BRS has nothing to do with the state or the country's people," he added.

Talking to reporters, Sanjay remarked that with the declaration of the name change, Rao had lost all rights to govern the state, having sought votes in 2018 under the TRS banner.

"According to Rao, the TRS no longer exists, and the new party launched by him has nothing to do with Telangana but is aimed at the country. We demand that KCR resign and seek fresh mandate from the people under the new banner, Sanjay said.

He stated that members of the Rao Cabinet were unaware of the new name; one is calling it the BSP, while another is calling it something else.

"While anyone can form a national political party, there should be a clear purpose behind the endeavour. But there is none with KCR. He couldn't clean up the Musi river and is now talking about cleaning up the Ganga," Sanjay said. "He is incapable of resolving simple inter-state disputes and is talking about resolving border disputes with Pakistan and China."

The state BJP president, accusing Rao of divisive politics, stated that the CM planed to campaign across the country with AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. "His dream is that by partnering with AIMIM and flying in a private jet, he and the AIMIM can win in some 30 or 40 minority-dominated Lok Sabha constituencies and then dictate terms at the Centre," Sanjay said.

"BRS is a political party without an agenda or a flag. KCR must explain how many of TRS's original founders are now in the BRS and what the BRS's purpose is. The truth is that he launched the party as he is worried about his corrupt government, and the corruption of his children, and he wants to divert people's attention. With this move, he wants to placate his son who wants to be the next Chief Minister, Sanjay said.
The Centre has withdrawn incentives and allowances given to IAS and IPS officers posted in the Northeast. The department of personnel and training (DoPT) had recently issued the order to all state chief secretaries informing that an additional 25 per cent basic pay, besides other incentives granted to IAS and IPS officers posted in the region, will be withdrawn with immediate effect.

Sources have informed DKB that the additional monetary allowance for IAS, IPS and IFoS officers belonging to the Assam-Meghalaya joint cadre, Sikkim, Nagaland, Tripura and Manipur cadres was introduced in 2009 by the UPA government. Further, the incentive of reimbursement of payable income tax to Tribal All India Service officers belonging to the Northeast cadres while on central deputation has also been withdrawn. Additionally, the post-retirement housing facility introduced in 2007 too has been withdrawn.

Not surprisingly, the affected babus are unhappy with the order, describing it as insensitive and abrupt, and without considering the challenges these officers face in the region. Even Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma has reported as saying that he plans to take up the issue with the Centre and ask for the order to be withdrawn. The babus, too, are planning to send representations to New Delhi urging the government to rescind the order. Watch this space for updates.

Khattar govt trying a balancing act on promotions

Under fire over the promotions of IPS officers, the Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana has formed a committee to examine the cadre management of IPS officers in the state. The panel is headed by home secretary Vinay Singh and includes two officers from the state legal department.

The simmering issue burst into the public eye when four IGP-rank officers were promoted to the rank of additional DGP earlier in May. The promotion raised the number of ADGPs to 17 whereas the state has only 14 posts of ADGP rank available. Six of these posts are cadre posts and the rest are ex-cadre posts. The Haryana police has reportedly pushed for converting four ex-cadre posts of DGP to those of ADGP to cover the shortfall.

Sources inform DKB that Mr Khattar wants to adopt a judicious approach for promotions in the future for both IAS and IPS officers. Recently, after the state government promoted 1992-batch IAS officer Arun Kumar Gupta from principal secretary to additional chief secretary, the police officers are now demanding the promotion of 1991-batch IPS officers to the rank of DGP. The Vinay Singh panel will examine all these issues and offer a balanced solution to this vexed problem.

New CDS just like the old CDS?

More than nine months after the loss of Gen Bipin Rawat in a horrific air mishap, the Narendra Modi Sarkar has appointed Lt Gen. Anil Chauhan as Indias second Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). For the public, the sudden announcement put to rest the rumours about who succeeds Gen. Bipin Rawat. But those in babu and military veteran circuits say that the only surprise was that the government took so long to announce Lt Gen. Chauhans name, given that the parameters of the appointment which were constantly tweaked left very few contenders in the ring.

Lt Gen. Chauhan will also serve as secretary of the department of military affairs and permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff committee. The secretary role, sources have informed DKB, is to discourage the impression that the secretary position demeans the CDS appointment in terms of protocol.

The Chauhan story gets more interesting if one delves deeper. It is widely believed that the government lingered over this sensitive appointment to ensure that it found the right candidate whose outlook was compatible with the current political and ideological climate. Perhaps its just a coincidence that Lt Gen. Chauhan is from the same unit as Gen, Rawat and is considered close to national security adviser Ajit Doval, apart from the fact that all three are from Garhwal region.

Like-mindedness is clearly a virtue but not necessarily when it comes to an apolitical defence force. In his previous roles as director general of military operations (DGMO) and Army commander, Eastern Command, Lt Gen. Chauhan, some say, echoed the political views of the government. As CDS, he now has the opportunity to implement the governments controversial Agnipath policy of recruiting soldiers for the three armed forces. Of course, this is just one of many challenges awaiting him. The big question is  how much of his predecessors radical reforms will he push for and what new will he bring to the table? We shall know soon.

Love them or hate them, ignore them at national peril is the babu guarantee and Dilips belief. Share babu escapades at dilipcherian@gmail.com.
Union home minister Amit Shahs announcement that the government will have no talks with Pakistan but instead wanted to speak to the people of Kashmir looks more like his aiming at scoring a political point than making an attempt to address the real issues of the people there.

Given the continuous support the Pakistani establishment has been giving to the terrorists operating in Kashmir, there is no need for India to rush for talks with Pakistan. In fact, even peaceniks on either side of the border are not pushing for a dialogue now, especially since Pakistan has been going through turmoil, politically and economically. That nation is at war with itself and there is little point in talking to them now. At the same time, it cannot be ignored that the Shimla Agreement, which commits this nation to solving the Kashmir issue bilaterally with Pakistan, has not been rejected by any Indian government. India has spurned overtures by foreign governments, including those which have been friendly, citing the agreement. So, raising the issue of talks and then rejecting it does not seem to be the wisest thing the government of India can do now.

The Union home minister, however, would want to talk to the people of Kashmir, especially its youth, to know what it wants. From the looks of it, it is a great suggestion but given the track record of the NDA government with respect to the UT, the statement inspires little confidence. It gave very little weightage to the will of the people of the state when it went ahead and hollowed out Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, and stripped J&K of its status as a state in the Indian Union, bifurcating it. The government did not even bother to check the will of Indian people when it pushed through such an important piece of legislation in one day in each House of Parliament. If the Union government wants to know what the people of Kashmir think, then it should push for early elections in the UT and then talk to the government installed. Any attempt outside it will be undemocratic, unconstitutional and ineffective. Talk of development and data on investments cannot supplant democracy.

Mr Shah sought to dismiss the Gupkar Alliance, made up of all major political parties in the state barring the BJP, saying they gave only stones and grenades. The veracity of the home ministers words may be checked later but it may be remembered that the Union government has taken on board even extremists outfits operating in the Northeast in its efforts to find lasting solutions to militancy-related issues of the region. It pays to accommodate different voices; trashing them hardly helps.

Mr Shah has announced that the Pahari community in the region would get Scheduled Tribe status, making it the first linguistic community to get such a status. From the looks of it, its a welcome decision in that such minorities, whether linguistic or religious or cultural, add beauty to the idea of India and attempts to protect them contribute directly to the protection of the idea of India which can thrive only by promoting diversity. However, the government may ensure that it has a game plan to address the voice of Opposition which has already been heard against the decision, and also to deal with such demands that could come up from other such linguistic groups.
WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden said Friday the United States and NATO will not be intimidated by Russia's President Vladimir Putin and warned that the Western alliance would defend "every inch" of its territory if attacked.

"America and its allies are not going to be intimidated," he said in remarks at the White House. Putin is "not going to scare us."

Biden then addressed the Kremlin leader directly, pointing his finger into the television camera as he warned against any attack spilling beyond Ukraine onto NATO territory.

"America's fully prepared, with our NATO allies, to defend every single inch of NATO territory," he said. "Mr Putin, don't misunderstand what I'm saying: every inch."

Biden was speaking shortly after Putin presided over a ceremony in Moscow to declare that Russia has annexed four more regions of Ukraine, although Western-armed Ukrainian troops continue to battle to restore control there.

Putin and multiple supporters have suggested that having declared the swath of Ukraine to belong to Russia, the Kremlin could now legitimately resort to nuclear weapons to defend what it says is Russian territory.

Biden called out his Russian counterpart's "reckless words and threats" but dismissed Friday's ceremony as a "sham routine that he put on" to show strength, while instead demonstrating that "he's struggling."

Shortly after, Biden's top national security official said while there is a chance of Putin resorting to nuclear weapons, this doesn't appear imminent.

"There is a risk, given all the loose talk and nuclear saber rattling by Putin, that he would consider this and we've been equally clear about what the consequences would be," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters.

"We do not presently see indications about the imminent use of nuclear weapons."

Sullivan underlined that Washington was communicating privately but "directly with Russia about the kind of decisive response the United States would have."

- More supplies for Ukraine -

The United States has walked a thin line since Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in February by funneling ever greater military support to Kyiv while not getting directly involved -- yet also guarding against potential for a spillover.

Sullivan noted that multiple reinforcements had been sent to boost Europe-based US forces, saying that they were ready if Russia escalated.

"We feel we have in place right now the capacity to respond to any contingency," Sullivan said.

With Ukraine's army making new headway against the Russian invaders in the east, Washington is maintaining the pace of new deliveries in ammunition and weapons.

There will be "another announcement of immediate security assistance to announce next week," Sullivan told reporters, noting that the US government had also just pledged a longer term delivery of weapons to Ukraine, including 18 new Himars multiple rocket systems that must first be manufactured.

Congress on Friday approved a further national spending bill that includes $12.3 billion more in military aid for Ukraine.

"This new grant assistance is a further demonstration of US confidence in Ukraine and will support critical government operations and provide relief to Ukrainian people suffering under Russia's brutal war," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.

Meanwhile, addressing the mysterious explosion at the major Nord Stream natural gas underwater pipeline from Russia to western Europe, Biden echoed other Western leaders saying it was "a deliberate act of sabotage."

He did not say who the United States believes is behind the attack but he described Russian allegations that Washington was involved as "disinformation and lies."

"We'll work with our allies to get to the bottom (of) exactly, precisely what happened," he told reporters.

"At the appropriate moment, when things calm down, we're going to be sending divers down to find out exactly what happened," Biden said, adding that the United States is already working with allies to "enhance the protection of this critical infrastructure."
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday arrived in New Zealand and met Indian-origin minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan, and also had an interactive session with prominent personalities of the country.

Jaishankar is on a week-long visit to New Zealand and Australia, during which he will review bilateral relations with the two countries during his separate discussions with New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

Good to meet Minister @priyancanzlp today in Auckland. Thank her for an interactive session with prominent personalities of New Zealand. Committed to furthering our relationship, Jaishankar tweeted on Wednesday.

Radhakrishnan is New Zealands Minister for Community and Voluntary Sector, Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, and Youth.

She is the first person of Indian origin to become a minister in New Zealand.

In his first-ever visit to New Zealand as a minister, Jaishankar will join the island country's country's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday 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 Mahotsav in New Zealand," an External Affairs Ministry statement said on Monday.

Jaishankar will also launch the book 'Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery'.

A book showcasing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special bond with the Sikh community 'Heartfelt - The Legacy of Faith' will also be released on the occasion.

Further, he will interact with parliamentarians, members of the business community as well as Indian diaspora, including students.

In Wellington, Jaishankar will inaugurate the newly constructed building of the High Commission of India.

In Australia, the External Affairs Minister will visit Canberra and Sydney.
The Pakistan government has issued a nationwide alert to authorities to maintain "extreme vigilance" amid a heightened risk of terrorist attacks by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) after peace talks with the dreaded terror group have stalled, a media report said on Thursday.

The federal government said it had learnt that the TTP high command met recently in Paktika, Afghanistan, to discuss the deadlock in peace talks and the fate of the negotiations with the Pakistani government after the killing of TTP commanders Omar Khalid Khorasani and Aftab Parkay.

The letter urged all authorities in four provinces to heighten security and exercise enhanced vigilance to avoid any untoward incident, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement, instructing forces that targeted search and strike missions be carried out wherever militant activity is reported.

In a letter circulated last month, the Ministry of Interior warned that more than year-long peace negotiations between the TTP and the government of Pakistan had come to a standstill, which has led to unease within the TTPs ranks, the Dawn newspaper reported.

It noted that the TTP accuses the Pakistani government of failing to fulfil its main demand  the reversal of the merger of former Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa  as well as continuing to detain TTP members while a truce was still being negotiated.

The letter was addressed to the home and chief secretaries of the four provinces as well as the Islamabad chief commissioner, the report said.

The ministry warned that the terror group or its splinter factions might also seek to escalate terrorist activities in the coming days to avenge the killing of their commanders and to show strength in case there is no further progress in peace negotiations.

The notice said the TTP top brass, fearing a complete breakdown of the talks, decided to move their families to secure places as they feared Pakistani security forces would launch a kinetic operation in case of failure of talks.

Some of the militants families may be moved to Karachi and its adjoining areas, the notice warned.

The interior ministry also took grave notice of reports that TTP militants are attempting to migrate to North and South Waziristan from Afghanistan to set up camp for future attacks. It described reports of the arrival of TTP militants in areas neighbouring the Pak-Afghan border as well as deeper within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a worrisome phenomenon.

It said that known militant commanders based in Waziristan  Abu Yaha, Molvi Munawar and Matoob Ali Jan alias Sailab  have been in contact with the TTP high command in Afghanistan for further directions regarding moving to the area to intensify terrorist activities.

The government also highlighted the risk of TTP sub-groups defecting to the militant Islamic State (ISKP) or joining hands with the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group to resume terrorist activities.

The interior ministry said targeted strike operations might be launched in areas where militants presence is reported and that law enforcement officials should ensure heightened security measures in their respective jurisdictions to avoid any untoward incident, according to the Dawn report.

Pakistan last year launched talks with TTP with the facilitation of an interim Afghan government but no headway has been made.

In 2012, Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai was attacked by TTP. She suffered bullet injuries and was admitted to the Military Hospital (CMH) Peshawar and then taken to London for further treatment. The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that Yousafzai was a "Western-minded girl".

In 2014, the Pakistani Taliban stormed the Army Public School (APS) in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing at least 150 people, including 131 students. The attack sent shockwaves across the world and was widely condemned.
India has drawn the attention of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the proliferation of nuclear and defence technologies from North Korea to Pakistan.

India would like to reiterate the importance of addressing the proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies related to DPRK (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea or North Korea) in our region, New Delhis envoy to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj, said at the Security Council. These linkages have an adverse impact on peace and security in the region, including on India.

Kamboj was presenting the statement on behalf of the Government of India during a meeting of the UNSC on North Korea, which had recently fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile that had flown over Japan.

Also read | North Korea launches more missiles as US redeploys carrier

"We have noted with concern the reports of ballistic missile launches by the DPRK over the last week. These follow the launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile by the DPRK in March this year, which was discussed in this council, as well as other successive launches, she said. These launches constitute a violation of the resolutions of the Security Council relating to the DPRK. They affect the peace and security of the region and beyond," she added.

India called for full implementation of the relevant UNSC resolutions relating to North Korea.

The pariah nation led by Kim Jong-un also launched on Thursday two more short-range ballistic missiles.

India has long been concerned over North Korea's clandestine defence technology cooperation with Pakistan. New Delhi, according to the sources, suspects that Pyongyang-Islamabad secret defence cooperation, which in the mid-1990s led to supply of Rodong Missiles and technology to Pakistan, continues. Abdul Qadeer Khan, the founder of the nuclear program of Pakistan, was in 2003 found to have traded know-how and technology with Iran, Libya and North Korea. Khan in 2011 made public documents in support of his claim that North Korea had bribed senior officials of the Pakistani Army and got them to allow him to share nuclear technology and certain equipment with the pariah nation.

New Delhi received inputs, suggesting that certain nuclear materials supplied to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission by the Suntech Technology Company Limited of China in recent years were being diverted to North Korea in violation of the sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council.

We reiterate our continued support for denuclearization towards peace and security in the Korean peninsula, Indias Permanent Representative to the UN stated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated a new AIIMS in Himachal Pradesh ahead of the assembly polls in the hill state, even as six other AIIMS that have been made operational a decade ago are yet to function full to their capacity due to paucity of experienced doctors and support staff.

"Many departments in various AIIMS remain inoperational due to vacant faculty and non-faculty staff, a panel of Parliamentarians noted in a new report, while reviewing the performance of the six AIIMS at Patna, Bhubaneswar, Risikesh, Bhopal, Jodhpur and Raipur.

The faculty shortfall ranges from more than 50 per cent at AIIMS Patna and Raipur to around 30 per cent in the other four. In addition, there are hundreds of vacancies in the non-faculty posts, the highest being AIIMS Bhopal where only 28 per cent of non-faculty staff have been filled up. At AIIMS Bhubaneswar and AIIMS Raipur, nearly 40 per cent of such posts are vacant.

Also Read | 'Development in Himachal possible as people voted BJP to power both in state, Centre,' says PM Modi

"The vacancy position in various AIIMS is a matter of concern to the (Parliamentary) Committee. the ministry cannot shrug off its responsibility from monitoring the progress of the recruitment process. Many departments in various AIIMS remain inoperational due to vacant faculty and non-faculty staff, the lawmakers observed in its report tabled last month.

This is not the first such report. In the last five years, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare and the Comptroller and Auditor General in multiple reports red-flagged the manpower crisis in the six new AIIMS that were approved by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government two decades ago. The reports flagged how equipment worth crores were lying unpacked in the absence of manpower to operate.

Yet, the Narendra Modi led-government is going ahead with the establishment of 16 more AIIMS including one at Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh that the Prime Minister inaugurated.

Others are at Raebareli, Mangalgiri, Nagpur, Kalyani, Gorakhpur, Bhatinda, Guwahati, Samba, Awantipura, Darbhanga, Madurai, Deoghar, Rajkot, Bibinagar and Manethi.

Inaugurating the AIIMS Bilaspur, Modi said the hospital would help prevent people of Himachal Pradesh travel to Chandigarh or Delhi seeking tertiary medical care.

Constructed at a cost of more than Rs 1470 crore, the AIIMS Bilaspur, when fully ready, would be having 18 speciality and 17 super speciality departments, 18 modular operation theatres, and 750 beds with 64 ICU beds.

Spread over 247 acres, the hospital is equipped with 24 hours emergency and dialysis facilities, ultrasonography, CT scan, MRI, Amrit Pharmacy and Jan Aushadhi Kendra besides a 30 bedded AYUSH block. The OPD services are likely to kick off later this month. The second phase of the construction is likely to start in June 2023.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of a medical device park in the hill state and flagged off projects to widen a highway linking the medical device park with major cities.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 16 kilograms of heroin worth more than Rs 100 crore at the Mumbai Airport, and arrested a passenger and a woman from Ghana in this connection, an official said on Thursday.

The Ghanaian woman was nabbed from a hotel in Delhi as part of the DRI's follow-up action in the case, he said.

The Mumbai unit of the DRI had laid a trap on Tuesday at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on a specific tip-off that a passenger travelling from Malawi, an African country, to Mumbai via Qatar was trying to smuggle narcotic drugs into the country, he said.

"As part of the trap, a surveillance and tracking team of DRI officers was positioned at the airport and intercepted a suspected passenger," he said. During the search of his luggage, the DRI officers found 16 kg heroin that was concealed in cavities made in the trolley bags, the official added. The value of the seized heroin is more than Rs 100 crore in the international market, he said, adding that the passenger was placed under arrest and was remanded in the DRI custody by the local court.

"In a follow-up action, the DRI officers apprehended a woman from Ghana, who was to take the delivery of the smuggled contraband in Delhi," he said. "The female Ghanaian national was nabbed from a hotel in Delhi when she came to take the delivery of the drug," the official said. She has been arrested and being brought to Mumbai on transit remand granted by a court in Delhi, he said, adding that investigation into the case is underway.
A man has received a suspended sentence at Derry Magistrate's Court today after he admitted assaulting a man who is now deceased.

Jordan Hazlett (27) of Ebrington Oaks in Derry admitted the charge of assault that occurred on April 23 last year.

The court heard that police were alerted by CCTV operators about an ongoing incident in the city centre.

Two men, Hazlett and another man, were engaged in what was described as 'a brawl' at the junction of Strand Road and Sackville Street.

A prosecution barrister said that Hazlett appeared to have 'gone too far' and the other man had an injury to his mouth.

Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said that while he was reluctant to speak ill of the dead both these men had issues with alcohol.

District Judge Alan White told Hazlett he had 'an atrocious record' but added he would not send him straight to prison.

He imposed a sentence of 3 months suspended for 2 years.
Damage caused to Irish language street signage in County Derry has been branded an example of 'intolerance and bigotry' by a local SDLP councillor.

Magherafelt DEA councillor Christine McFlynn expressed her disappointment following recent damage to dual language signage in the Moneymore and Loup areas.

At a time the Census shows that Northern Ireland is becoming a more diverse and balanced society, the intolerance and bigotry demonstrated by these acts of vandalism belong in the past, she said.

Mid Ulster Council has a long-standing policy which allows residents to request the use of the signs in their area.

After a process of consultation dual language road signs are put in place only with the consent of the majority of local residents.

So, it is very disappointing see these signs sprayed over and, in some cases, removed entirely.

I have reported the damaged signs to Council officers and repairs will be carried out in due course.

It is a criminal offence to damage road signs and those responsible can be fined.

I also believe that the PSNI should be treating these acts of vandalism as hate crimes and dedicate appropriate resources to arrest and charge those responsible.
A Derry charity supporting and promoting male health and wellbeing, may have to close its doors in March, unless it receives crucial core funding.

The situation is critical for Mens Action Network (MAN), which is based in Patrick Street, as the group is coming to the end of its current Big Lottery Fund grant and has only enough money to keep its services going until the end of this financial year.

Michael Lynch, the organisations director of services and development, said if the group was forced to close, it would have a devastating impact on the level of services provided for men in the city.

Creggan born and bred, Michael, who has worked with Mens Action Network for the past 28 years and recently scooped the Charity Person of the Year at an awards ceremony in the city, is retiring at the end of the year.

Speaking to Derry News, he was keen to highlight the broad range of projects undertaken by Mens Action Network and its reach into the community.

There are two elements to our work, said Michael. There is the support work and the promotion, the advocacy work.

We offer a generic counselling service. We do a lot of work to support male victims of domestic and sexual abuse.

We do a lot around addictions. We do a lot around relationship difficulties. We do a lot around fathering. We have FareShare, so we distribute some food, non perishables, to people in need.

We also have a crisis intervention officer because a large piece of our work is around suicide prevention.

We talk about mental fitness, as opposed to mental health, because of the stigma associated with it. That is the support work.

We do that here. We have also done it in schools and in prisons. It is really about creating a safe space for men and boys.

There is the saying, It is good to talk and it is important to create the space where that happens. That is where the expertise of Mens Action Network lies. Our belief has always been, If you create the right environment, you hear what is going on and you can do something about it, as opposed to not doing something about it, said Michael.

Mens Action Network works closely with the youth sector.

According to Michael, it would be out at all of the citys civic events including Halloween, Christmas and St Patricks Day.

We would also offer the youth sector ongoing counselling support, particularly around youths in crisis, said Michael.

Our job is also to challenge men whenever they may be displaying behaviour that is not always healthy or may be abusive.

We are all about early intervention. One of the projects we had was called TEAR (Towards Eradicating Abusive Relationships). In the past we have worked with Fermanagh Womens Aid, where we carried out joint work around elder abuse and they would have supported us in our Fathering Families project.

While we would advocate for men and the need for services for men, we also are part of the discussion about violence towards women and girls, where men need to play an active role in societal change.

We are involved in a lot of different forums to try and promote the work. We are part of the Western Domestic and Sexual Abuse Partnership, where we would be advocating for and supporting male victims but equally, we work along with those other partners. Our sense is, Lets work together to try to reduce / eradicate this. The hope would be we will but that is a huge societal change that requires a lot of work, said Michael.

Mens Action Network also sits on the Regional Stakeholders Group, the regional group which addresses domestic and sexual abuse.

Again we advocate for men, said Michael, while working in partnership with others towards the common goal of eradication.

In addition, we have been involved with ongoing reviews of the Gender Equality Strategy to ensure the inclusion of mens voices, experiences, and needs are amplified.

Mens Action Network is connected to the Mens Health Forum in Ireland and forums throughout Britain and beyond. We would help develop the theme for Mens Health Week each year and then we would deliver certain things, primarily preventative health MOTs in the likes of Foyleside. We also go into businesses. We would give mental health talks as well.

About 10 years ago, we tried to present to the Health Authority the need for mens health policy, similar to the first of its kind in the Republic. That is changed now to Healthy Ireland but there is still a lot of policy aimed specifically at men. However, within our own government, there is really nothing.

Often within government circles, the only time we really give money to mens work is when we are in trouble or causing trouble. Funding usually comes through the Northern Ireland Office for young offenders. There are minimal resources put into the developmental stage of men, said Michael.



Mens Action Network has a focus around the emotional health of men and their wellbeing.

It is involved in developing the Manifest programme, which is based on the Engage model in the Republic.

Manifest focuses on men and their mental fitness. Going forward, we hope to pilot it with some of the Trusts, said Michael.

Wherever we can, we try to advocate for men and particularly at governmental level, what we are trying to do with the new Gender Equality Strategy is to, at least, open the possibility that it will include mens health.

Under the Protect Life Strategy it is recognised that men are one of the high risk groups in terms of suicide.

The two starkest statistics in mens health in the wider context is that we die between five and six years younger than women and, sadly, we take our lives at least three to four times as often and in some more marginalised groups, that statistic is higher again.

Crucially, Michael acknowledged that while Mens Action Networks job was to advocate for men, it also recognised the behaviour of men had been detrimental to others, so wherever it could, it would try and see if it could work in collaboration with other organisations.

One of the approaches being developed currently is the Bystander Programme, which is really the idea that those in authority or who have influence, particularly over men and young boys, can challenge men and young boys about their behaviour and say, This isnt acceptable.

You might see examples of it currently in some of the advertisements in England. You would probably see it in some of the soap operas in England, where it is coming through. You might see the likes of Gareth Southgate challenging men.

The point is, this is a huge societal change and while women are rightly at the forefront, non-offending men need to play our part and be able to challenge men and young boys around their behaviour because what we are doing to each other is horrendous and, for us, it needs to be stopped.

Reiterating the underpinning ethos of Mens Action Network, Michael said: We create a safe space for any man to come and find a place to speak and from that whatever emerges, we will try to find a solution.
A County Derry-based mental health charity are to benefit from funding provide by Bank of Ireland.

Suicide, Talking, Educating, Preventing, Support (STEPS) raises awareness of suicide and mental health in the Draperstown and Mid Ulster area through education and prevention strategies is to be the latest beneficiary of Bank of Irelands Begin Together Fund.

The organisation has a community-wide presence and is run by a dedicated team of volunteers who work tirelessly to coordinate activities and encourage conversations to promote good mental health.

Since 2016, the group has helped 600 people across 48 towns and villages through counselling. The Begin Together funding will enable the charity to continue to offer this highly sought-after service to their rural community.

Catriona McGirr, Community Engagement Manager, Bank of Ireland Northern Ireland said: "We are enormously proud to support STEPS and their work through the Begin Together Community Fund.

Karen McGuigan is a Counsellor and volunteer and a passionate advocate for the organisation which epitomises what the Fund is all about  supporting groups and charities, often the unsung heroes of their community who are doing vital work to help the most vulnerable."

Karen McGuigan, STEPS Counsellor and volunteer said: "We are thrilled to receive this funding from Bank of Ireland.

"We have a highly qualified team of counsellors who support people of all age groups from across the community and demand for their services is high.

"This grant means we can continue to meet that need and I have no doubt it will ultimately save lives."

STEPS are one of 68 community projects that will receive financial support from Bank of Irelands Begin Together programme in 2022.

In total, more than 416,000 is being allocated to groups across the island of Ireland in year three of the fund, bringing the total value of grants issued to over 1.25M since 2020.

The Community Fund is one strand of the Bank of Ireland Begin Together programme, a three-year, multi-million pound initiative to support community groups, local enterprise and the arts across the island of Ireland.

The Community Fund aims to support initiatives that are improving the financial, mental, or physical wellbeing with initiatives receiving up to 16,500 each for projects spanning financial literacy and wellbeing, mental health, disability, inclusion and diversity and social isolation.
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) have been forced to implement a one-way lane closure as they work on a busy stretch of County Derry road.

DfI commenced work on a 2 million resurfacing scheme on a stretch of the A6 Glenshane Road, Maghera on Monday September 26.

The works extend approximately four kilometres from Lurganagoose Road to Castledawson Roundabout, with the Department initially saying two-way traffic flow would be maintained.

However, due to a number of drivers ignoring the mandatory 40mph speed limit imposed during the work, a one-way lane closure has now been introduced.

In an update posted on the Department's TrafficWatchNI website, DfI said new arrangements would commence from Thursday October 6.

Due to continuing high vehicle speeds through the current temporary traffic management arrangement and road safety concerns the Department have been forced to implement a one way lane closure on the A6 Glenshane Road, between Lurganagoose Road and Castledawson Roundabout, they said.

From 9:30am to 6pm each day Magherafelt and Belfast bound traffic will be diverted via Knockloughrim and the Hillhead Road.

Vehicles wishing to travel to Magherafelt can travel through Castledawson with Belfast traffic staying on the Hillhead Road to the A6 Hillhead Road on slip. Advance warning signs will be provided.

Maghera or Dungiven bound traffic will still be able to use the A6 Glenshane Road but should exercise greater caution through the temporary traffic management arrangements and strictly adhere to the 40mph speed limit.

Full road closures will still be necessary at weekends and we will keep the public informed of these in advance.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are in Northern Ireland for a day-long visit to the region.

William and Kate are fulfilling a number of engagements with cross-community organisations that provide support to people from all backgrounds.

They began with a visit to suicide prevention charity PIPS in north Belfast.

Lord mayor Tina Black and Sinn Fein MP for the constituency John Finucane were among those who welcomed the royal couple on arrival.

Inside, 12-year-old Elyse Quinn, the daughter of the charitys executive director Renee Quinn, presented the princess with a bouquet of flowers.

PIPS was founded in 2003 following the loss of 14 young people to suicide in Belfast over a short period of time the previous year.

Compelled to act, stakeholders from across the city came together to try to tackle the issue.

During their visit, William and Kate spoke with staff about their work helping people at risk of suicide and self-harm.

The charity also arranged for them to take part in an art therapy session, painting pumpkins, with some vulnerable children who have been supported by PIPS.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation has seen a significant rise in those reaching out for help.

That includes an increase of more than 500% among young people.

At the close of their visit, the prince and princess joined a group of volunteer counsellors in packing up the charitys Little Boxes of Hope.

The support packages are given to children following their time with PIPS to assist their ongoing recovery and ensure that their parents and guardians feel better equipped to cope.

After the visit to PIPS, the couple travelled into Belfast city centre to view Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market where they took part in a spirited cocktail making race.

After William was declared winner, the couple heard more about the Trademarket enterprise which transformed a previously vacant site, aiming to showcase new businesses while also increasing footfall in a less visited area.

They also met with representatives from Kainos, a Belfast-based software company provided the site for the market at a peppercorn rent.

The final visit of the day was to the town of Carrickfergus in Co Antrim.

The royal couple were greeted by cheering crowds who had lined the streets as they arrived to visit youth charity Carrick Connect which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties.
EU adopts 8th Sanctions Package

Press release

The EU today adopted a new package of sanctions in response to illegal annexation of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, in the context of the escalation of the unjustified and unprovoked war in Ukraine (see EU press release here).

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney T.D., said:

Ireland, along with our EU partners, remains steadfast in our support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. Russias further violation of this has led us to introduce another package of sanctions. This will add to the pressure that EU restrictive measures have already put on the Russian economy, and its military capacity. Ireland has consistently advocated for a maximalist position on sanctions since February. Russian actions have been met with a strong and unified response by the EU and its partners. I will continue to call for further pressure to be imposed on Russia through sanctions until a peaceful conclusion of this conflict is reached. We stand united with Ukraine.

The sanctions package includes sectoral measures such as an extension to the existing import bans to items including certain steel products, wood pulp and paper, and certain precious stones and metals, and export bans to new items including certain goods in the aviation sector and civilian firearms, as well as extending the ban on the provision of services to include architectural, engineering, legal advisory, and IT consultancy services.

The package creates a framework for EU Member States to adopt the price cap announced by the G7 countries in September on maritime transport of Russian oil, and further restricts maritime transport of crude oil and petroleum to third countries. This aims to impact on the Kremlins revenues from oil exports, and ultimately assist in stabilising global energy prices.

The package adds an additional 30 persons and seven entities to the sanctions list, many linked to the sham referendums organised in the occupied territories. The package also creates a new listing criterion to sanction those who assist others to circumvent sanctions. To take account of Russias declaration of control of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, the Donetsk and Luhansk Sanctions Regime has also been extended to include these territories.

For more information on the sanctions adopted since 23 February, see this information note, as well as the Departments dedicated sanctions page. Updates are made to this information note on a regular basis.

ENDS

Press Office

6 October 2022

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In an interview, PlayStation Studio Head Hermen Hulst said that its first-party titles will take at least a year before they are made available on PC

It seems like Sony Playstation is quite committed to the PC. In an interview with YouTuber, Julien Chieze, PlayStation Studios Head, Hermen Hulst, revealed that Sony will continue to release its first-party games on the PC. However, he did note that players will have to wait about a year for these games to be available on the platform. However, GaaS (Games as a Service) titles will release on the PlayStation console and PC at the same time.

Sony PS Exclusives coming to PC after a year

Sonys relationship with PCs is fairly recent. The company has already released a few of its first-party titles on the platform. This includes the likes of God of War, Spider-Man, Horizon: Zero Dawn and more. So titles like Returnal should make their way to PC sooner or later. Hower, the fact that GaaS titles will release on the same day as the PS version should raise a few eyebrows. Unlike regular titles, Gaas titles allow developers to continue making money from games faster over a period of time instead of just upfront. GaaS titles have become quite popular among developers for pretty obvious reasons. Some of the most notable titles include Call of Duty: Warzone, Fortnite, and Destiny 2. It should be noted that Sony acquired Destiny 2 developer, Bungie, a few months back. During its Q3 2021 earnings webcast, Sony confirmed that it was planning to release ten live service games by March 2026.

Of course, Sonys competitor, Microsoft is heavily invested in the PC platform. Which is pretty obvious. Microsoft makes Windows, which is pretty much *the* OS for gaming PCs. Not only that, but Microsoft also offers a special version of its Xbox Game Pass subscription service for PC games. Not only that, but the company publishes PC-only titles such as the revered Age of Empires series.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in.
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NEW YORK (AP)  Amazon is implementing a hiring freeze on the corporate side of its retail business for the rest of the year, according to a New York Times report, becoming the latest company to pause hiring plans amid growing concerns about an economic downturn.

Citing an internal announcement, The New York Times reported Tuesday that the company informed recruiters all open job postings for such roles will close, and new openings will be available next year. The internal email also recommended phone interviews and other recruiting efforts be canceled, according to the report, which said some roles  such as field positions -- will be exempt.





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By MATT O'BRIEN

AP Technology Writer

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.





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FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (AP)  Florida's home insurance market was already on shaky ground. It now faces an even mightier struggle after the damage caused by Hurricane Ian.

Wind and storm-surge losses from the hurricane could reach between $28 billion and $47 billion, making Ian Florida's costliest storm since Hurricane Andrew made landfall in 1992, according to one property analytics firm.





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K-12 alternative delivery is here to stay

PDB has grown in popularity as a delivery method for new schools and school renovation projects around the state.



By ANDREA SAUTER

AHBL

Sauter

AHBL has completed more than 300 individual K-12 projects for 60 school districts in Washington.

AHBL has a deep commitment to providing value for our clients and through this work has been exposed to many different delivery methods very early on in their adoption in Washington state, including progressive design-build (PDB). Tacoma Public Schools has led in contracting with PDB.

AHBL was a team member on the first progressive design-build K-12 project in the state: Boze Elementary School in Tacoma. Since this first project, we have been involved in over seven additional PDB K-12 schools.

There are many reasons that school districts have begun to explore PDB as a delivery method including:

 Design-builder selected almost exclusively on qualifications.

 One contract with full team accountability.

 Owner control of the budget (guaranteed maximum price, GMP).

 Flexibility and collaboration throughout design.

 Quick evaluation of design options regarding their impact on budget and schedule.

 Faster decision-making during design and construction.

 Early procurement of long lead construction items.

 Phasing of permitting to take advantage of schedule.

 More transparent scheduling allows projects to be completed on time.

Photo courtesy of AHBL [enlarge] Tacoma Public Schools Downing Elementary School replacement project included the design and construction of a two-story classroom addition.





 Submittal process is less costly for PDB team than traditional DB, which would typically include a concept design, which attracts more teams and encourages competition.

K-12 PDB PROJECTS

Tacoma Public Schools Boze Elementary School replacement project featured several amenities targeted toward a science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) curriculum, and serves as a new model of education for the district. As this project was delivered with PDB, collaboration with the owner, architect, contractor, and all other subconsultants was a top priority for the project with weekly coordination meetings throughout the design process and during construction. The project, which opened in 2020, was highly successful with only 10 RFIs and zero change orders. The project was delivered on time, and the contractor was able to provide additive field improvements with cost savings achieved during construction. AHBL worked with Korsmo Construction and BCRA on this $35 million project.

PDB OUTCOMES

PDB allowed Tacoma Public Schools to deliver an equitable school in a short amount of time with a limited budget and would become the benchmark against which future school district construction budgets would be measured. Construction on the school started less than 12 months after receiving notice to proceed. Through close collaboration with the city of Tacoma, we were able to use a phased permitting approach, allowing groundwork and foundations to be constructed while the full building permit was still under review.

Tacoma Public Schools Fawcett Elementary School replacement project includes demolition of the existing Fawcett school facility and construction of a new 55,000-square-foot school to house approximately 400 students. The project presents challenges related to the fast-track construction of the new facility on the small, 5.6-acre site that has sloping topography and is surrounded by dense, single-family residential neighborhoods on all sides. AHBL is teamed with Hensel-Phelps and BLRB Architects on this $36 million project that is scheduled to open in September 2023.

Designing Fawcett Elementary with PDB allowed the contractor to collaborate with the design team throughout the design process, resulting in cost savings for the owner. During this process, the contractor reviewed detailed earthwork calculations and during value engineering, suggested rebalancing the earthwork and adjusting site elevations, saving the team enough money to add a synthetic turf playfield to the project at no added cost to the owner. The original project left the existing playfield in place with no improvements. The construction team also provided extensive constructability suggestions throughout the design process. This close project team collaboration was made possible through PDB processes and resulted in significant cost savings for the owner and a better product for the students at Fawcett Elementary.

Tacoma Public Schools Downing Elementary School replacement project included the design and construction of a new two-story classroom addition and the renovation of the existing DA Gonyea Boys and Girls Club to house school administration, gymnasium, and cafeteria spaces. The classroom addition was approximately 28,000 square feet and wrapped around the existing Boys and Girls Club. During the design, care was taken to clearly differentiate the main entries of both the elementary school and Boys and Girls Club to provide for easy wayfinding for students.

The renovated Boys and Girls Club was an existing concrete tilt up building, and renovations included reconfiguring of interior spaces, seismic upgrades to the roof diaphragm, and energy improvements throughout. AHBL was teamed with TCF Architecture and Korsmo Construction on this $31.6 million project that opened in September.

The design of Downing Elementary kicked off in 2020 at about the same time we locked down for the pandemic. PDB was crucial to the success of the project in the unpredictable material market that ensued. The general contractor was able to monitor material availability, and design decisions were reflective of market conditions. Throughout the design, the PDB team worked together with material suppliers and subcontractors, and in multiple cases materials were bought out early to ensure timely delivery.

Other school districts have taken on PDB as a delivery method for new schools and school renovation projects including Issaquah School District, Central Kitsap School District, Bethel School District, and Franklin Pierce School District.

Andrea Sauter is a structural engineer and project manager with AHBL, and has been DBIA-certified in alternative delivery methods since 2018.





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Undersea blasts involving several hundred pounds of explosives damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines.



By JAN M. OLSEN

Associated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark  Sweden has sent a vessel capable of advanced diving missions to the Baltic Sea area where ruptured undersea pipelines had leaked natural gas for days, the Swedish navy said Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday accused the West of sabotaging Russia-built natural gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea to Germany, a charge vehemently denied by the United States and its allies, who noted that Russia has been blackmailing Europe with reduced gas supplies for months.





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NEIGHBOURING Zambia has come to the rescue of Zimbabwe with 200 000 tonnes (t) of maize to feed millions currently facing hunger in the country, NewsDay has gathered.

Plans by Zimbabwe to import 200 000 tonnes of maize from Malawi in May did not bear fruit after the deal was contested by the Malawi Parliament in Lilongwe because tender procedures had reportedly been flouted.

Zambias Consumer Association confirmed the maize deal to NewsDay.

According to the information, its more like a controlled export because we have some companies which have memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Congolese and Zimbabwean companies in order to fulfil the MoUs, the Zambian consumer body said in response to questions from NewsDay.

Insiders close to millers and the Zimbabwean government say there have been hurdles around importation of Malawian and Zambian maize.

The Malawi delivery is proving to be a problem, but the Zambian one will soon be here because all permits have now been finalised, a source close to developments told NewsDay.

A high-ranking official at the Grain Marketing Board said: This maize is being imported by the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ).

Contacted for comment, Lands and Agriculture ministry secretary John Basera said: This maize is certainly not being imported by the government; it has to be private players.

He said Zimbabwe had enough grain.

We have 1,5 million tonnes of maize from harvest this year plus 300 000t in small grain, then 500 000t carryover stock from last year that puts us at 2,3 million tonnes of grain versus our demand of 2,2 million tonnes, Basera said.

He said millers who failed to fund 40% of their local requirements locally were importing grain from neighbouring countries.

Efforts to get an official comment from GMAZ president Tafadzwa Musarara were fruitless.

Despite gobbling billions in various agriculture handouts and subsidy schemes, like the Presidential Inputs Scheme, Pfumvudza and the Command Agriculture Programme, Zimbabwe remains food insecure with 5,4 million (36%) of its citizens facing hunger in the current season, according to the World Food Programme.

Zambian social media influencer and politician with the ruling United Party for National Development Joseph Kalibwe last Monday tweeted:  tonnes of our Zambian maize will be received by our friends, the Command Agriculture publicity proponents on Thursday. Congratulations to our farmers who keep Zambia fed, exporting the rest to other lands and bringing the export money home for further growth. Newsday
Students across Donegal and the north west are being asked to protect each other following two deaths from meningococcal meningitis/septicaemia and a further two cases reported.

The appeal was issued by the HSE after four cases of meningococcal meningitis/septicaemia were reported in the last week of September. Three cases have been confirmed with one further possible case, and all are being investigated by the HSE. Three of the cases are reported to be caused by serogroup B. Sadly, two of the people affected have died.

Public Health Consultant in the North West Dr Anthony Breslin is leading the call on students in Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim to protect each other from the potentially fatal virus.

Every year we ask students to look out for one another, particularly as first years have recently started and may not have a group they socialise with, some students may live on their own, and some students may remain in their accommodation over the weekend," he said.

"We have unfortunately seen the outcome this dangerous virus may result in and we are asking students to be vigilant in observing the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia.

Signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia

Meningitis and septicaemia often happen together. Symptoms can appear in any order. Some may not appear at all.

Early symptoms can include:

Fever

Headache

Neck stiffness

Vomiting

Drowsiness

Discomfort from bright light

Diarrhoea

Muscle pain

Stomach cramps

Fever with cold hands and feet

A rash may appear (pin-prick type marks which if untreated can spread to form bruises or blood blisters). DO NOT WAIT FOR A RASH. If someone is ill and getting worse, get medical help immediately.

The HSE advises that if anyone has any concerns they should contact their GP in the first instance but ensure that medical expertise is sought quickly.

The cases were reported from different regions of the country and have no known links with each other. Three of the cases are young adults and one case is less than 10 years of age.

Close contacts are being identified by public health and will be provided with antibiotics to prevent infection and will also be offered vaccine if appropriate.

Meningitis is a serious illness involving inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by a variety of different germs, mainly bacterial and viruses.

Bacterial meningitis, such as in these cases, is less common but usually more serious than viral meningitis and requires urgent treatment with antibiotics. Bacterial meningitis may be accompanied by septicaemia (blood poisoning).

The bacteria live naturally in the nose and throat of normal healthy persons without causing illness. The spread of the bacteria is caused by droplets from the nose and mouth. The illness occurs most frequently in young children and adolescents, usually as isolated cases. Bacterial meningitis or septicaemia requires urgent antibiotic treatment.

The HSE is closely monitoring the situation, and stresses that Meningococcal B disease is prevented by vaccination. The MenB vaccine was introduced in Ireland for all children born on or after October 1, 2016 because children under one year are at the highest risk of meningococcal B disease. All children are offered MenB vaccine at 2 and 4 months of age with a booster dose of MenB vaccine given at 12 months.
Gardai have warned that people caught with illegal fireworks will be brought to court, as the force is to step up its searches in border areas.

It comes as the Department of Justice launched its annual fireworks campaign at the gardai headquarters in Dublins Phoenix Park.

Anne Marie McMahon, deputy commissioner policing and security, reminded the public that it is illegal to buy and sell fireworks.

People have been urged to think of elderly and vulnerable people in local communities, as well as pets and animals.

Launching our annual fireworks campaign in @gardainfo HQ with help from a few friends! Fireworks are illegal and dangerous. Do not buy, sell or use them  think of elderly and vulnerable people in your community, pets, other animals and livestock. Stay safe this Halloween. pic.twitter.com/LAReQPHT1U  Helen McEntee TD (@HMcEntee) October 6, 2022

The deputy commissioner warned that people can get seriously injured from handling fireworks, with incidents of people losing limbs and damaging their eyes.

We want everyone to enjoy Halloween and be safe and it you want to see fireworks, go to an organised legal event, she said.

The message from An Garda Siochana is that we know that from our experience that people get injured, sometimes losing limbs, damage to their eyes, really serious injuries.

We know this happens every year despite all the warnings.

Please be safe and do not have fireworks in your possession.

It is illegal in this country and you are liable to prosecution if you are found to be in possession of fireworks.

We will be proactively searching for fireworks, we have some seized already.

That will continue right over the next six weeks.

We will gather intelligence in relation to fireworks in addition to seizing them and preparing files for the DPP.

She added: As part of Operation Tombola, we will be having searches right around the country, including the border area.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said that fireworks can have a negative impact on communities.

We want to make people aware that it is a criminal offence to buy or sell fireworks, the Fine Gael minister said.

Particularly vulnerable persons, particularly people living on their own, the impact on animals.

I am asking people to consider that, particularly young people as we come up to Halloween.

Also, to consider the first responders, be it the fire brigade or ambulance service who have to come out and often deal with the very difficult situations with accidents but themselves who often targeted.

I would ask people to respect their first responders and think of your community and those who might be vulnerable.

Dr Cyril Sullivan, chief executive of ISPCA (Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), urged pet owners to keep animals indoors during the Halloween period.

Dr Sullivan was joined at the garda headquarters by dogs, Danny and Jess, who are currently in the care of the ISPCA and are looking for a home.

Its case that we really want people to enjoy their weekend and enjoy their Halloween.

It is the busiest night of the year for emergency services and it is also a very dangerous and fearful night for our animals, he said.

The ISCPCA message is simple; if you can, keep your animal in on Halloween night.

Its key.

If you are going out, keep your animal in with a family member or with a neighbour.

If you have to go out and have to bring your animal with you, we recommend that dogs are microchipped, so if anything goes wrong and dogs are lost, they can be tracked down.

We want our pets and animals to have a safe and happy Halloween.
Irelands premier has warned difficulties exist in reaching an agreement on the Northern Ireland Protocol but he said there is a genuine desire from all sides to do so.

Micheal Martin said space is now needed to allow the UK and the European Union to reach a resolution.

He was speaking as negotiations on the protocol got under way between officials on Thursday afternoon.

Earlier, Irelands deputy premier Leo Varadkar conceded the protocol is a little too strict.

He said the protocol is working despite not being fully implemented, demonstrating there is room for further flexibility for some changes.

Speaking in Prague, Mr Martin said: There is a genuine desire on all sides including the UK Government that there will be a negotiated resolution to this, but that doesnt in any way understate the difficulties involved in arriving at a resolution.

But I do think theres good faith on all sides.

If the will is there, issues can be resolved  I dont want to comment any further other than to say theres a process in place, I think we should create space to allow people to work out a resolution to this.

The European Commission earlier this week confirmed the two sides will meet for technical level talks.

My pleasure to host UK Foreign Secretary @JamesCleverly at the Irish Embassy London for a working dinner. James & I discussed Brexit, the protocol, the war in Ukraine as well as our shared work at the UN Security Council. We agreed to work closely together on all.  pic.twitter.com/To01YdO6nW  Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) October 6, 2022

A meeting between Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly took place in London on Thursday evening.

It was the first bilateral meeting between the UK and Ireland since Liz Truss became UK Prime Minister.

Mr Coveney tweeted: James and I discussed Brexit, the protocol, the war in Ukraine as well as our shared work at the UN Security Council.

We agreed to work closely together on all.

On Friday, Mr Coveney will co-chair a British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.

Mr Varadkar told reporters on Thursday morning: We should not forget that the protocol is working. It was designed to prevent a hard border between north and south, and there is no hard border between north and south.

It was designed to protect the integrity of the single market and it has, and also the Northern Ireland economy is outperforming the rest of the UK economically.

But one thing that I would concede is that perhaps the protocol, as it was originally designed, was a little too strict.

The protocol has not been fully implemented and yet it is still working.

I think that demonstrates that there is some room for further flexibility for some changes that hopefully would make it acceptable to all sides.

The protocol was agreed by the UK and EU as part of the Withdrawal Agreement and sought to avoid a hard border with Ireland post-Brexit.

But the arrangements have created trade barriers on goods being shipped from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

The protocol is vehemently opposed by many unionists in Northern Ireland and the DUP is currently blocking the formation of a powersharing executive in Belfast in protest.

Mr Varadkar said an agreement would be very beneficial as it would allow for the restoration of powersharing.

Stormont collapsed earlier this year amid a row over the protocol and has not returned despite elections in May.

The Fine Gael leader said there is a window of opportunity over the next couple of weeks to see if an agreement can be reached.

That would be very beneficial for Ireland and Northern Ireland because it would allow us to get the executive up and running, and could be helpful for Britain as well in economic terms, he said.

Meanwhile, the Tanaiste welcomed UK Northern Ireland minister Steve Bakers apology over his previous ferocious negotiating stance on Brexit, but said it remains to be seen if it is significant.

Mr Baker, a former strident Brexiteer and member of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of MPs, said relations with Ireland are not where they should be, and added that ministers need to act with humility to restore relationships with the Republic and the EU.

Mr Varadkar said: It remains to be seen what the significance of them are, but they are very welcome comments and (I) would agree with the Taoiseach on that.

Asked about the political instability surrounding Ms Truss, he said the Irish Government does not concern itself with the UKs domestic politics.

Thats just not the way we operate, he said. Liz Truss is the Prime Minister, and the British Government is the British Government, and the European Union, including Ireland will negotiate with them and try and come to an agreement if we can.

We wont concern ourselves about any individual countrys domestic politics.

Legislation to enable the UK Government to effectively tear up parts of the protocol is to return to Westminster on October 11.

The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill has already cleared the House of Commons and will be debated at second reading by the House of Lords, which is expected to consider it at length, next week.
The Irish Exporters Association, the voice of the Export Industry in Ireland, last Friday night announced the winners of the 2022 Export Industry Awards. Louth based McArdle Skeath was crowned overall 2022 Logistics and Supply Chain Company of the Year.

With ten high-profile companies winning awards across ten categories, this year saw one of the most competitive processes in the coveted Awards history. The IEAs annual flagship event, a black-tie Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner with 460 export industry professionals, local and international dignitaries in attendance, was moderated by comedian Oliver Callan.

Established in 1968, when Michael McArdle bought his first truck, the company has built a strong reputation for providing reliable, value for money services to a growing list of clients in the fast-growing temperature-controlled transport and warehousing business.

Speaking at the Awards Ceremony, Simon McKeever, CEO of the Irish Exporters Association, said: We are here to recognise the outstanding achievements of companies working in and supporting the export industry in Ireland. Across 10 categories, we celebrate Irish business excellence  from Innovators and Small & Emerging exporters to the Multinationals, from Life Sciences and Food & Drink Exporters to the Services and Technology Exporters and the many companies which provide vital services to the sector.

"As an island-nation at Europes periphery, we are globally renowned for overcoming difficult obstacles and turning challenges into opportunities. I am convinced that Irish exporters will continue to turn challenges into opportunities and continue to lead the way across the global market.

"We are delighted to announce McArdle Skeath as the winner of the prestigious 2022 Logistics and Supply Chain Company of the Year. They showed impressive innovation, passion, and growth strategy.
Louth County Council says it is working with Co-operative Housing Ireland (CHI), the Approved Housing Body (AHB) that owns and manages Halliday Mills in Dundalk, to deal with anti-social behaviour that is taking place at the social housing development at Quay Street.

A number of councillors raised the matter at the Dundalk Municipal District October meeting. Cllr Sean Kelly told the meeting that ongoing issues had been raised "quite a lot" at the recent Joint Policing Committee (JPC) meeting, and asked if there had been any requests from tenants to the council directly in relation to it, as well as asking what communications Louth County Council has had with the AHB on the issues.

Cllr Maeve Yore said that she was requesting that the AHB, Louth County Council and elected representatives, staff, residents and An Garda Siochana convene meeting to help formulate a strategy to improve procedures in addressing anti-social behaviour. Cllr Yore said that tenants "feel ignored and abandoned by stakeholders", and "taxpayers are fed up of picking up the tab for the minority of tenants who are causing chaos and are housed in the wrong locations".

The Dundalk councillor told the meeting that at Halliday Mills, lifts are consistently broken, key fobs are not working, people are lying on hallways, doors are being left open, and blood and drug paraphernalia are on the walls and walkways. "It's not acceptable", she added, "there's 45 anti-social behaviour cases in Louth, which is a huge increase in my opinion and action is needed".

In response, Senior Executive Officer in the Housing Section, Mr John Lawrence, said that the Council is "in constant conversation with Co-operative Housing Ireland" and that it is working with the AHB to resolve the issues. Mr Lawrence told the meeting, "I have to clarify and be very clear  Halliday's Mills is owned, managed and run by CHI" and that Louth County Council's role is to provide the residents. The Council's intention, he said, was to assist CHI to "clean up the place" so that it does not become a "no go area".

Mr Lawrence added that there is a very high housing demand, particularly in the Dundalk area for one bedroom units, with around 900 applications for a one-bed home, and that the Council doesn't get a lot of one-bed properties. He said that they will be "looking very carefully at allocations into Halliday Mills into the future", are are working proactively with CHI.

Cllr Conor Keelan put forward the suggestion to find a way to break down problems that are happening in estates to give more assurance to residents that they're not going to feel trapped there, and to find a way of dealing with problem tenants earlier on.

Cllr Kelly asked if the Council was invited to attend a meeting that was taking place with CHI and Mr Lawrence replied to say his attendance wouldn't serve any purpose. Cllr Kelly commented that Halliday Mills was now run by CHI but "we are the ones who nominated the people" to the homes in the first instance and "now it seems like we are washing our hands of it and its not our problem any longer."

Mr Lawrence replied to say that it was unfair to day that and that there has been a number of tenancy terminations in Halliday Mills and that when this happens those people will arrive back to Louth County Council, and will probably become part of its homeless figures. Mr Lawrence further added that there is a concerted effort to ensure that those that are causing trouble will be dealt with by CHI.

Cllr Yore spoke again on the matter, saying that "anybody that abuses the system and crucifies people that are living next to them and around them, in my opinion, we shouldn't be giving them houses, they should paddle their own canoes." She further added, "we need action on this" and that "we as elected reps have to represent the people that are wanting and willing and pay their rent and abode by the rules."

Cllr Kevin Meenan told the meeting that over the past number of months he has been inundated with calls in relation to Halliday Mills at that "it is quite depressing, to be honest". He said that "there's some great people in there" and that there are some people who are unsuitable for housing there. He added that to put that mix of people in Halliday Mills was probably well intentioned at the start "but it's not worked out and we have to look at that."
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A new law that will allow gardai to provide schools and creches with photographs of sex offenders will not lead to the sharing of such images on social media, the Justice Minister said.

Gardai will be able to provide pictures of a convicted sex offender on the sex offenders register to a member of the public where there are children or vulnerable people if they are seen acting suspiciously or inappropriately near the premises.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the Bill will ensure Ireland has the strongest law possible in monitoring sex offenders.

An amendment to the legislation will be tabled in the Dail next week and is expected to be enacted by the end of the month.

Ms McEntee said it would relate to very specific situations and would not lead to the sharing of sex offenders pictures online.

They would be able to show a particular photograph to a principal in a school, where perhaps concerns have been raised around an individual whos on the sex offenders register, or any other situation where children or vulnerable people might be involved, Ms McEntee said on Thursday.

This will obviously be provided by the gardai so the likelihood that there would be mistaken identity with this person, who has already been convicted and is on the register, I think its very slim.

But what this will not be is a picture being put up on social media, a picture online being shared widely. This will be very specific.

It will be very focused on where there might be particular concerns, including children. Its to make sure that we have the most comprehensive and strongest law in place that we can monitor sex offenders.

Information can be provided by gardai in circumstances where they believe that there may be a risk to the public caused by the offenders behaviour.

This could include informing a school principal in circumstances where a convicted sex offender has been seen loitering in the vicinity of a school.

Ms McEntee has been working on the legislation with independent TD Denis Naughten to give further protection to communities from sex offenders.

The minister said it would not include every single person who is listed on the sex offender register.

Its very specific situations where concern might arise. Obviously sex offenders have to be monitored at the moment, thats not going to change, they have to check in, she added.

Theres a strict rule in terms of where theyre living and how theyre engaging with the gardai.

If a member of An Garda Siochana is concerned that a person is perhaps behaving inappropriately or that there might be a risk, be it to children, be it to vulnerable persons, then under this new law they would be allowed to share a photo with an individual that they feel is necessary.

If somebody has (been) seen around a school, if theyre behaving in a way that they shouldnt, to be able to show a picture to a teacher or to a principal, to make them aware of this individual.

That is the kind of situation that were talking about. Its very specific, its very focused and where a concern or a problem arises.

The changes will be to the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill.

The proposals to increase the time available to gardai to take fingerprints, palm prints and photographs of a relevant sex offender to seven days from three days will be tabled later this month.
As permitted by paragraph 2.6 of Section III of the Access to Information Policy, disclosure of this PSD was deferred in accordance with paragraph 1.4.4 of the Directive on Access to Information.

Project Description

The proceeds of the loan will be utilised for the expansion of CFFA's lending activities, which are expected to further support MSMEs in Albania.

Project Objectives

The Project is consistent with the Strategy for Albania (BDS/AL/19-01 (Rev 1)), in that "the Bank will enhance private sector competitiveness and inclusion through wider access to finance and skills including indirect financing and risk sharing through financial institutions".

Transition Impact

ETI score: 75

- Competitive: The project helps an SME (confirmed as an SME or SME Plus, according to EBRD's definition) in a country with Large SME gaps access financing to support their operations.

- Resilient: The Partner Bank (Union Bank) will benefit from capital relief (recognised by the local central bank) on the full amount guaranteed by the EBRD which will enable it to expand lending.

Client Information

CRIMSON FINANCE FUND ALBANIA

Crimson Finance Fund Albania ("CFFA" or the "Borrower") is a non-bank financial institution; licensed by the Bank of Albania ("BoA") since 2015, and targeting investments to micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Albania. It currently offers four types of products: (i) term loans, which cover most of the needs of business activity, (ii) lines of credit, (iii) financial leasing, and (iv) factoring.

EBRD Finance Summary

EUR 500,000.00

Under the Risk Sharing Framework (the "RSF"), EBRD will guarantee for up to 36 months up to 50% of the EUR 1.0m senior amortising loan (the "RSF sub-project") of Union Bank to finance CFFA's plans for the expansion of its lending portfolio.

Total Project Cost

EUR 1,000,000.00

Additionality

Under RSF, additionality stems from the following:

EBRD offers an innovative financing structure (e.g. mezzanine financing, risk sharing, etc.) on commercial terms not available from other banks: risk participation to help partner banks with capital and liquidity constraints.

EBRD offers a tenor, which is above the market average and is necessary to structure the project.

EBRD offers local currency financing on terms not readily available in the market.

Environmental and Social Summary

Categorised FI (2019 ESP) and Low Risk. The partner bank has carried out environmental and social due diligence on client's operations and the project by using E&S checklist. The ESDD showed that the Client is in compliance with national environmental, health, safety and labour requirements as well as this transaction is associated with low E&S risks. The partner bank will be required to ensure that the client complies with national E&S laws and with EBRD's PRs 2, 4 and 9 by adopting the EBRD's E&S Risk Management Procedures for Corporate, SME and Micro Loans including adherence to the EBRD E&S Exclusion List. Union Bank will be required to continue submitting annual environmental and social reports to the Bank. The Physical Climate risk score of the project is 3. Therefore, the counterparty can be considered to be low risk and no second stage assessment is required. There is no GET component associated with this project.

Technical Cooperation and Grant Financing

None.

Company Contact Information

Dorin Rama

dorin.rama@crimsoncapital.org

+355 4 450 03 85

www.cffa.al

Rr. Bardhok Biba, Godina e Vjeter Tirana, Hyrja 1, Kati 2, Tirane



PSD last updated

05 Oct 2022

Understanding Transition

Further information regarding the EBRDs approach to measuring transition impact is available here.

Business opportunities

For business opportunities or procurement, contact the client company.

For business opportunities with EBRD (not related to procurement) contact:

Tel: +44 20 7338 7168

Email: projectenquiries@ebrd.com

For state-sector projects, visit EBRD Procurement:



Tel: +44 20 7338 6794

Email: procurement@ebrd.com

General enquiries

Specific enquiries can be made using the EBRD Enquiries form.

Environmental and Social Policy (ESP)

The ESP and the associated Performance Requirements (PRs) set out the ways in which the EBRD implements its commitment to promoting environmentally sound and sustainable development. The ESP and the PRs include specific provisions for clients to comply with the applicable requirements of national laws on public information and consultation as well as to establish a grievance mechanism to receive and facilitate resolution of stakeholders concerns and grievances, in particular, about environmental and social performance of the client and the project. Proportionate to the nature and scale of a projects environmental and social risks and impacts, the EBRD additionally requires its clients to disclose information, as appropriate, about the risks and impacts arising from projects or to undertake meaningful consultation with stakeholders and consider and respond to their feedback.

More information on the EBRDs practices in this regard is set out in the ESP.

Integrity and Compliance

The EBRD's Office of the Chief Compliance Officer (OCCO) promotes good governance and ensures that the highest standards of integrity are applied to all activities of the Bank in accordance with international best practice. Integrity due diligence is conducted on all Bank clients to ensure that projects do not present unacceptable integrity or reputational risks to the Bank. The Bank believes that identifying and resolving issues at the project assessment approval stages is the most effective means of ensuring the integrity of Bank transactions. OCCO plays a key role in these protective efforts, and also helps to monitor integrity risks in projects post-investment.

OCCO is also responsible for investigating allegations of fraud, corruption and misconduct in EBRD-financed projects. Anyone, both within or outside the Bank, who suspects fraud or corruption should submit a written report to the Chief Compliance Officer by email to compliance@ebrd.com. All matters reported will be handled by OCCO for follow-up. All reports, including anonymous ones, will be reviewed. Reports can be made in any language of the Bank or of the Bank's countries of operation. The information provided must be made in good faith.

Access to Information Policy (AIP)

The AIP sets out how the EBRD discloses information and consults with its stakeholders so as to promote better awareness and understanding of its strategies, policies and operations following its entry into force on 1 January 2020. Please visit the Access to Information Policy page to find out what information is available from the EBRD website.

Specific requests for information can be made using the EBRD Enquiries form.

Independent Project Accountability Mechanism (IPAM)

If efforts to address environmental, social or public disclosure concerns with the Client or the Bank are unsuccessful (e.g. through the Clients Project-level grievance mechanism or through direct engagement with Bank management), individuals and organisations may seek to address their concerns through the EBRDs Independent Project Accountability Mechanism (IPAM).

IPAM independently reviews Project issues that are believed to have caused (or to be likely to cause) harm. The purpose of the Mechanism is: to support dialogue between Project stakeholders to resolve environmental, social and public disclosure issues; to determine whether the Bank has complied with its Environmental and Social Policy or Project-specific provisions of its Access to Information Policy; and where applicable, to address any existing non-compliance with these policies, while preventing future non-compliance by the Bank.

Please visit the Independent Project Accountability Mechanism webpage to find out more about IPAM and its mandate; how to submit a Request for review; or contact IPAM via email ipam@ebrd.com to get guidance and more information on IPAM and how to submit a request.
CORK secondary school principals have called for clarity for their Junior Cycle students who have yet to get a confirmed date for the publication of their examination results.

This years Leaving Certificate results were published later than normal on September 2 and the State Examinations Commission (SEC) intend to issue the appeal results through the Candidate Self Service Portal this Friday, but there is no definite date for the publication of the Junior Cycle results.

The principal of St Peters Community School in Passage West Tony McSweeney said his students have expressed concerns about the situation dragging on.

There is very much a concern from our students. There is that bit of anxiety now and it is dragging on. There have been a few indications of dates but to be fair to the SEC there was nothing concrete.

Those students put in a hard three years so hopefully it can be resolved quickly for them. They need clarity and the opportunity to celebrate their achievements as well. I would be hopeful there will be a date announced soon. Both the students and their parents need a definite date, he added.

The principal of Colaiste Chriost Ri, Padraig Mac An Ri, said everyone wants to see the situation resolved sooner rather than later. Both students and their parents want clarity. At this stage they want to get their results and people want to see this resolved sooner rather than later especially coming on the back of two years of upheaval. It would be nice to close this off. The secondary school principal said last years third year students deserve their time in the sun.

Everybody accepts the SEC had to prioritise the Leaving Cert results. Now that is done it is time to get the Junior Cycle results out as quickly as possible. They need their results too and they deserve their time in the sun.

The impetus of the results is lost the longer it goes, said the principal of Douglas Community School Pat Barry.

The exams were done in June. We are now at the beginning of October, and we have no results. Schools do use the Junior Cert results for the sorting of classes especially in the core subjects. Without those results it is impossible to do that task. The impetus of the results is lost the longer it goes, he said.

Mr Barry said it is unfair for students to wait so long to receive results.

The closer to the exams that they get the results the more meaningful it is to the students. If you are talking about getting them four or five months down the road it has lost its effect really. It is unfair and their experience to date of the system wont be very positive.

A spokesperson for the SEC told The Echo several issues have impacted the arrangements for the delivery of the Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle examinations this year.

Some 131,000 candidates entered to sit the examinations this year, an increase of 6% compared to the last time a full set of examinations was run in 2019. This was a significant undertaking in the current year considering the ongoing effects of Covid-19.

The requirement for increased numbers of examiners across all subjects especially at Junior Cycle has been especially challenging in the current year. As in any year, priority is given to the Leaving Certificate given the importance of these results to candidates as they progress to employment, further education, and higher education. The spokesman said that work on the processing of the Junior Cycle results is ongoing, but they are unable to provide a date for the publication of the results.

Work on the processing of Junior Cycle results is ongoing, with marking complete in most subjects. Given the priority afforded to the Leaving Certificate appeals, we are not yet able to provide a date for the issue of the Junior Cycle results at this time.

Every effort will be made by the SEC to issue these results as soon as possible and to provide candidates, parents and schools with certainty about the arrangements for issuing the results in due course, the spokesman added.
A 35-year-old man was arrested in Dublin and charged with raping a woman in Cork city almost two years ago.

Detective Garda John Paul Twomey arrested the accused just before 7 p.m. in Dublin on Tuesday (October 4) and brought him to the Bridewell garda station in Cork.

The defendant was later charged with rape. When cautioned he made no reply to the single count.

The charge states that on November 7, 2020 the defendant allegedly raped a woman at an address in Cork city.

Det. Garda Twomey said the Director of Public Prosecutions directed trial by indictment at the Central Criminal Court and also consented to the accused pleading guilty at Cork District Court, should that arise, and being sent forward for sentence at the Central Criminal Court.

Frank Buttimer defence solicitor said a book of evidence would be required.

Sergeant Pat Lyons said there was no state objection to the accused being remanded on bail while a book of evidence was being prepared.

Judge Olann Kelleher adjourned the case until November 16 to allow time for preparation and service of the book of evidence.

Bail conditions required by the prosecution were agreed by the defence in the case.

Those conditions include having no contact  direct or indirect  with the complainant, signing on twice a week at his local garda station and surrendering his passport. The complainant is around the same age as the defendant.

The parties cannot be identified for legal reasons.

No details of the alleged incident giving rise to the charge were outlined in court.
A 35-year-old Cork man accused of being at the centre of a dangerous driving rampage and the ramming of six garda cars last week has been remanded in custody for three weeks.

Judge Olann Kelleher remanded the accused in custody until October 27.

The accused mans solicitor, Frank Buttimer, said the accused would be appealing last weeks refusal of bail to the High Court. That appeal is likely to be heard on October 13.

Sergeant John Kelleher said directions were awaited from the Director of Public Prosecutions and that it was a very new matter.

Judge Kelleher told the accused who appeared by video link from prison at Cork District Court that he would be obliged to appear in person if he got bail.

The defendant, who cannot be identified, agreed to that.

The accused cannot be identified for legal reasons as one of the charges relates to the alleged breach of a protection order under the Domestic Violence Act.

The 35-year-old Cork man was charged following the investigation of a protracted incident involving the ramming of six Garda cars by a van that was carrying six young children.

Garda Paul Dromey objected to bail being granted to the accused because of the seriousness of the alleged offences.

Background

As a result of information received by gardai after 9pm on Wednesday, September 28, units of An Garda Siochana from Cork city including the Armed Response Unit (ARU) went to Mahon Point and observed a van travelling on the dual-carriageway, exiting to Mahon Point shopping centre.

Blue lights and siren were activated by the ARU but the driver failed to stop.

In the front passenger seat, a woman appeared to be struggling and calling for help holding an infant in her arms. The vehicle rammed the Armed Support Unit car.

Gardai tried to extricate the male driver but he rammed the Armed Support Unit again. The van proceeded at speed to the slip road, going the wrong way down the slip road.

"Two other garda vehicles tried to stop it but the van rammed these two vehicles as well, Garda Dromey said.

The van was driven towards Ringaskiddy but turned back at Shanbally towards Cork city going the wrong way around a roundabout against oncoming traffic.

It was only with the use of a stinger vehicle-disabling device that that van was eventually stopped at Carrs Hill, after ramming a total of six garda vehicles during what Garda Dromey described as a rampage.

Six children  aged between five months and ten years  with the mother were all extremely traumatised, Garda Dromey testified.

As a result of this rampage, six garda units were damaged, two members of An Garda Siochana were taken to hospital.

Last week, Sergeant Pat Lyons said, A full incident room has been set up and a full team of detectives assigned. This matter is getting the utmost attention Two gardai end up in hospital, a number of garda cars were rammed  it doesnt get much more serious than this.
A 20-year-old man was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a boy from the age of six over a two-year period.

Sergeant Dave Noonan arrested the defendant and brought him before Cork District Court.

He charged the young man with five counts of sexually assaulting the complainant at an address in Cork city on occasions between May 2018 and May 2020.

Judge Olann Kelleher agreed that restrictions on media coverage of the case would have to apply in terms of anything that would lead to identification of the complainant.

When charged and cautioned the accused man made no reply to the charges.

Sergeant John Kelleher said the Director of Public Prosecution said the case was to proceed by indictment at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

The sergeant said there was no objection to the accused being remanded on bail. However, bail conditions were required. Defence barrister William Bulman said the accused agreed to those conditions.

He is to have no contact direct or indirect with alleged injured party, sign on twice a week at his local garda station, surrender his passport and not leave the jurisdiction. He must provide a mobile phone number to gardai and be contactable at all times.

The accused will also have to notify gardai of any change of address and not apply for any new travel documents.

Judge Olann Kelleher adjourned the case until November 17 for preparation of a book of evidence.
A man who made online threats to an autism campaigner and her children has been sentenced to 10 months in prison with the last two suspended.

Eamonn Deegan, aged 55, with an address at Springfield Court, Celbridge, Co Kildare had appealed a 10-month sentence imposed on him in the District Court in July this year.

Mr Deegan had admitted sending messages to Fiona OLeary, a mother of five from West Cork, via Facebook Messenger calling her a bitch and accusing her family of leaching from the State.

Cork Circuit Court also heard Mr Deegan made threats suggesting the world would be a better place if Ms OLeary and her children were not in it. Ms OLeary fought back tears as she read a statement to the court.

She said she lived in fear for her safety since Mr Deegan was released on bail. She said four of her children were autistic and one has been diagnosed with cancer. She asked Judge Helen Boyle: I beg you to reconsider and give this man a jail sentence.

APPEAL

State solicitor Jer Healy told the court Mr Deegan was convicted of harassment in the District Court in July 2022, but appealed his 10 month sentence. He was released on bail but breached the conditions in August this year.

Mr Healy said Mr Deegan was bound not to engage in abusive online behaviour with anybody but abused another woman on Facebook whose child had recently taken their own life. The woman was known to Ms OLeary and informed her, and Mr Deegan was subsequently arrested in Kildare and brought before the District Court in Bandon, Cork on the same day.

He was remanded in custody with a slight delay because of a Covid outbreak until September 16 where he was bailed once again.

Giving evidence, Inspector Debra Marsh from Clonakilty Garda Station said Mr Deegan had 13 previous convictions including for the possession of knives, one for unlawful possession of firearms, and for drugs offences.

Barrister Lorna Brooks representing Mr Deegan said he had previously been homeless and had drug issues, but was now living a strict life style and did not even drink coffee.

She said he was living in Dublin and hoping to enter education next year. She said Mr Deegan was embarrassed by the online comments and would not be getting involved in politics any more.

Judge Helen Boyle said Mr Deegan didnt appear to have learned his lesson as he had breached his bail conditions. She re-affirmed the 10 month prison sentence but suspended the last two months.

She also bound him to keep the peace for two years and added further conditions that he would not contact Fiona OLeary or any member of her family directly or indirectly by any means for a period of five years.

She also ordered that he would not set up any anonymous online account for that purpose and ordered that he would not come within 200 metres of Ms OLeary at her home or place of work.
Vivienne Clarke

Irish man Brian Maher, who has been fighting in Ukraine since the end of May, has told of his shock when he learned of the death of Rory Mason.

Mr Maher, who was speaking from an ambulance en route to Lviv after he was injured in the Kharkiv offensive, told RTE Radios Morning Ireland that he was surprised that the two had not met at any stage. Both were from Meath. He's from Dunboyne and I'm from Ratoath.

Mr Maher said it had been quite scary to be under artillery fire. It had been a very bloody campaign, I don't know the casualty rates, I saw injuries in the hospital, it was pretty horrific

When asked why he had gone to fight in Ukraine, Mr Maher responded that his family would be relatively financially stable should anything happen to him as he had life insurance. His children would be safe. In my head, I felt justified in going. There's kids here that are not safe. I suppose that's the reason why I came over here.

His only regret is that he was injured. He was shot in his right forearm and has shrapnel in his heart and spine. Whoever shot me was aiming for my chest. Because I had my thumbs tucked into my plate carrier it struck my forearm, hit the bone and ricocheted back out. I should be dead three or four times over.

Mr Maher said he did not know what the plans were for his repatriation or if he would be returning with Rory Masons remains.

I haven't told my family that I'm coming home as things change very quickly in Ukraine. I will wait until I get to Poland.

I feel guilty that I'm leaving. When I was first injured I thought get me out of here, but now that I'm getting stronger I feel kind of guilty that I'm not out there with the guys in my unit. I'm looking forward to coming home as well.
BRISTOL  British technology company Matter is to launch a kickstarter campaign for its new washing machine filter solution, which it says can capture up to 90 per cent of all microfibres.

The firms technology, Gulp, will be the subject of a fundraising round starting October 11th, with the view to bringing the gadget to market and thwarting microplastic pollution.

Gulp is about creating a long-term solution for one of the biggest challenges of our time. Gulp is a sustainable, scalable piece of technology that empowers people to become part of the solution and make a real difference. Its easy to install and use, and its designed to fit washing machines across Europe in millions of homes, noted Matters founder and CEO, Adam Root.
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.

Coral reefs are some of the ecosystems most vulnerable to the climate crisis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that if global warming reaches even two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, 99 percent of them will die off.

Yet these unique ecosystems, which currently only take up less than 0.1 percent of ocean space, support more than 25 percent of marine biodiversity. To help restore and protect these important habitats, the innovative project OceanShot placed its first-ever human-made coral modules off the coast of Antigua and Barbuda Monday.

This is our moon shot  but instead of launching up, were launching down, OceanShot co-founder and climate scientist and marine biologist Dr. Deborah Brosnan said in a press release. With OceanShot, we are restoring the place that is critical to human survival today  as well as for our future. Without healthy oceans, there is no us.

OceanShot was launched a year ago by Brosnan and philanthropist entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria to help restore reefs that are already struggling. It is backed by the Global Citizen Forum and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI).

Currently, more coral is lost each day than can be restored in 10 years, and the worlds oceans have already lost half of their reefs. Global warming killed off 14 percent of reefs between 2010 and 2020 alone, according to Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network data reported by The Hill.

Warming ocean temperatures are responsible for coral bleaching, in which the hot water drives away the algae that give coral nutrients and color. In addition to bleaching, the climate crisis also threatens coral because increased carbon dioxide in the oceans leads to ocean acidification. Reefs are also threatened by more localized pollution from agriculture and coastal development as well as overfishing.

The island nation of Antigua and Barbuda is an example of a place whose reefs have almost entirely died, which is partly why it was chosen to be the first site of the OceanShot project, according to the press release. The country has suffered from the loss of its reefs, which protect islands from storm surges and prevent erosion. Some of its beaches are disappearing at a rate of 10 feet per year.

The island nation of Antigua and Barbuda proudly pledged its full support to OceanShot from the outset, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said in the press release. We are the first country on which the projects scalable solutions have been deployed. Prioritizing ocean resilience and blue economy for our citizens are among the most important initiatives being developed on the islands of Antigua and Barbuda.

OceanShot spent a year developing its restoration project with scientists of different specialities as well as local residents. It involved three main components:

Coral reef modules: These are human-made structures that are designed to provide habitat and protect the coasts. The first were made by Reef Cells. 2,000 corals: These corals were raised by the community to be planted on the modules. A living lab: This is an ongoing site of experimentation on Barbuda for reef restoration.

The first five modules were put in place off the coast of Barbudas Coco Point on Monday, Brosnan announced on Instagram.

Today we created history, she said on Instagram.

The team also placed AI cameras in the seabed to monitor the success of the project.

While the OceanShot is starting in one Caribbean location, Brosnan hoped to see it expand to other islands in the future.

This isnt just a science project, this is a full-scale solution that might be the answer to saving small island nations, she said. We now know how to design and build reefs, and locate them so we get maximum benefits for the coast, as well as reviving fisheries and local communities blue economies.
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.

In late October 2012, Hurricane Sandy slammed into New York City, shutting off power to hundreds of thousands of people, damaging more than 69,000 apartments or homes and killing 44 people in the city alone.

Now, new research shows the trauma of the storm had a lasting impact on children who were in the womb when it struck. A study published in The Journal of Childhood Psychology and Psychiatry in September found that children whose parents survived the storm while pregnant were more likely to develop childhood mental health disorders than those born before or after it hit. The findings are especially concerning in the context of the climate crisis, which is already making extreme weather events like Sandy more likely.

Because of global warming, natural disasters are going to continue to happen with greater frequency and greater magnitude, study co-author and CUNY Graduate Center and Queens College psychology professor Yoko Nomura told The Washington Post.

At the time that Sandy struck, it was one of the most damaging hurricanes to ever make landfall in the U.S., according to Carbon Brief. It was especially devastating in New York City because of a storm surge that reached flood levels not seen for 500 years, and a study published in 2021 found that this was partly because of sea level rise caused by climate change. Because sea levels were about 10 centimeters (approximately four inches) higher than they would have been without climate change, the storm impacted an extra 71,000 people and cost an extra $8 billion.

It was also seen as a harbinger of things to come. A 2017 study found that rising sea levels could make once-every-500-year flooding events like Sandy an every-five-year occurrence by 2030 to 2045, as USA Today reported at the time.

When the storm struck, Nomura was already in the midst of a study about how the stress experienced by pregnant people would impact their children.

The storm, she told HuffPost, provided an unparalleled opportunity to conduct a study of psychosocial stress.

Overall, the study covered 151 parents and 163 children. A total of 66 children  or 40.5 percent  were in utero during the storm, while 97  or 59.5 percent  were not. Some of the pregnant people in the study reported harrowing experiences like being trapped in an elevator, having their water shut off or losing their homes or jobs, according to The Washington Post. There was only one maternity ward open in the entire city for people who needed to deliver, HuffPost explained.

After the children in the study were born, they were assessed using the Preschool Age Psychopathological Assessment once a year between the ages of two and five, according to the study. Because of what is already known about how stress impacts developing fetuses, Nomura expected Sandy to have some impact.

When people are pregnant, whatever stress they are dealing with, it goes directly through the placenta, she told The Washington Post.

However, the impact was much larger than she anticipated.

The difference was humongous. It was literally like over 20 times [the] difference in anxiety and aggression, Nomura told HuffPost.

Nearly 70 percent of the children exposed to Sandy developed some type of disorder, compared to 51 percent of the children whose parents were not pregnant when it happened. In general, the children exposed to the storm were five times more likely to develop anxiety and ADHD and 16 times more likely to develop chronic depression. There was also a significant difference in the storms impact on girls and boys, with girls whose parents were pregnant during the storm 20 times more likely than girls in the control group to develop generalized anxiety disorder and 30 times more likely to develop depressive disorder, according to The Washington Post. Boys who survived the storm in the womb were more than 60 times more likely to develop ADHD, 20 times more likely to develop conduct disorder and 15 times more likely to develop oppositional defiant disorder.

The study emphasized that mental health in children is a matter of public and environmental health and not the actions of individual parents, who can hardly be blamed for enduring a storm.

This is about what we dont have in place to support mothers and families and children, not about a personal failing, Dr. Helen Egger, a child psychiatrist who was not involved with the study, told HuffPost.

Nomura told The Washington Post that she wanted to understand how exposure to Sandy in utero would continue to impact the children in the study as they grew into teenagers and find ways to better support children and families in a context of more frequent extreme weather events. For example, early screening could be provided for children known to be at risk because of their parents exposure to a disaster.

People are not going to stop getting pregnant just because natural disasters are continuing to happen, so we have to find a way to make it easier for society to have better-functioning children in the future, she said.
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.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said that no new fossil fuel infrastructure  including new coal mines and plants  can be built after 2021 if the world is to limit global warming to the Paris agreement reach goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Despite this, nearly 500 coal companies are still planning either new mines or power plants, according to data released by German NGO Urgewald and 40 partner organizations Thursday.

Out of the 1,064 companies in our database, 490 are developing new coal power plants, new coal mines, or new coal transport infrastructure, Urgewald Director Heffa Schuecking said in a press release announcing the new data. Pursuing new coal projects in the midst of a climate emergency is reckless, irresponsible behavior. Investors, banks, and insurers should ban these coal developers from their portfolios immediately.

New #GlobalCoalExitList data shows: almost 1/2 of the coal industry's still developing new coal assets  amidst looming climate breakdown. Here are the biggest miners, the ones with highest installed coal power capacity & the ones with biggest coal power expansion plans  pic.twitter.com/5K1n7idFsQ  urgewald (@urgewald) October 6, 2022

The new data is part of the 2022 update to the Global Coal Exit List (GCEL), a project of Urgewald and its partner NGOs that it says is the worlds most comprehensive public database on the coal industry. It keeps tabs on more than 1,000 companies and more than 1,800 subsidiaries involved in the thermal coal value chain. The update found that 46 percent of coal companies were still expanding. New mining projects could increase coal production by 37 percent. There are also an additional 476 gigawatts of coal-power capacity in development, which would increase capacity by 23 percent.

All of this comes despite the fact that world leaders agreed at the end of last years COP26 climate conference in Glasgow to accelerate efforts towards the phasedown of unabated coal. Yet this lack of progress is in keeping with past responses to climate agreements. Schuecking told CNBC that global coal plant capacity had increased by around 157 gigawatts since the Paris agreement was signed in 2015, which is the same capacity as the combined coal fleets of Germany, Russia, Japan and Poland.

Coal is the most carbon intensive of all of the fossil fuels. A 2018 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) determined that the burning of coal for energy needs to decline by 78 percent by 2030 to meet the 1.5 degree Celisus target, according to the GCEL. Further, to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the IEA said that developed countries needed to retire their coal plants by 2030 and developing countries by 2040, the press release said. But very few companies are acting in line with these targets.

While the warnings issued by IPCC and UNEP become more and more dire from one UN Climate Summit to the next, our data regarding companies transition plans remains depressingly consistent, Schuecking said in the press release. The vast majority of companies on the GCEL still have no intention of retiring the coal assets, which are propelling us towards a breakdown of our climate systems. A real transition requires clear and near coal exit dates.

The update found only 56 companies, or 5.3 percent of the total, had announced any coal exit date, but most of those dates were far too late to meet climate targets. Only 27 companies, or 2.5 percent, had announced exit dates in keeping with international goals, but there was a catch.

When we took a detailed look at these 27 companies transition plans, we saw that most of them are simply planning to convert their coal plants to gas or to sell them instead of retiring them, Schuecking said. At the end of the day, we only identified 5 companies with coal transition plans that could be considered Paris-aligned.

The 2022 #globalcoalexitlist has been released:



46% of companies are still developing new coal assets

Less than 3% of GCEL companies have announced timely coal exit dates



A clear sign that financiers must adopt robust policies on coal developershttps://t.co/7OlRRfcnqf pic.twitter.com/MVlzJG16hZ  ShareAction (@ShareAction) October 6, 2022

The majority of the new mining projects being planned were in China, India, Australia, Russia and South Africa, The Guardian reported. Coal India was the worlds largest mine developer, but the largest number of new coal mining projects were planned for China, the update found.

China was also the country that had the most new coal plants planned, making it responsible for 61 percent of new capacity in the works. The four companies planning the most new plant development were also all Chinese.

The world welcomed President Xi Jinpings 2021 announcement that China would stop building new coal power plants abroad, but China needs to adopt similar measures for its domestic energy system if it wants to become an actor for a 1.5C world, coordinator of the Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development Lidy Nacpil said in the press release.

The ban on overseas coal plants has also been imperfectly implemented, with only 13 gigawatts officially abandoned so far.

The U.S. was also not off the hook, as it has the worlds third-largest coal plant fleet at nearly 218 gigawatts of capacity. It is also lagging behind countries like Italy, France and the UK in that it has not set a national coal-power phaseout date and had only retired 8.4 gigawatts of capacity as of 2021.
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.

Hurricane Ian caused mass destruction to Southwest Florida, taking dozens of lives and leaving millions without power. But in the midst of devastation, a small solar-powered community was left virtually unscathed  despite being about 20 miles northeast of hard-hit Fort Myers.

Babcock Ranch is a solar-powered town with roughly 2,000 homes and more than 700,000 solar panels. Homes and businesses in Babcock are built to be energy efficient and weather resistant, many of them constructed with durable insulated panels meant to withstand Floridas extreme weather. Many residents have additional solar panels and solar battery systems as an extra layer of protection from power outages.

If Hurricane Ian was a test of the towns resiliency, Babcock Ranch passed with flying colors.

We have proof of the case now because [the hurricane] came right over us, Nancy Chorpenning, a 68-year-old Babcock Ranch resident, told CNN. We have water, electricity, internet  and we may be the only people in Southwest Florida who are that fortunate.

Hurricane Ian brought record-breaking surges and winds over 100 mph that knocked out power to 2.6 million Floridians. Yet there was no major damage to the eco-conscious town that lay in the direct path of the near-Category 5 storm. In fact, most residents didnt even evacuate. Aside from a few uprooted trees and torn roof shingles, Babcock was virtually unscathed.

Florida officials have taken notice, opening Babcock Neighborhood School as an official refuge center for hurricane victims. This is despite the school not having the state-mandated generator, but rather a solar array keeping the lights on.

When EcoWatch spoke to Babcock Ranch founder Syd Kitson back in 2021, he told us he created Babcock Ranch as a way to prove that development and environmental values can work hand in hand.

People have to live somewhere, so lets do it the right way, Kitson said. Lets not rely on the government, lets do it ourselves. Lets have the private sector step up and if were going to attack global warming and we want people to live a healthy life, we can do it.

Jennifer Languell, a sustainability engineer who helped design Babcock Ranch, told NPR that we felt you could develop and improve land, not just develop in a traditional way where people think you are destroying the land. She also expressed that the hurricane provided proof of concept for the communitys design.

Babcock Ranch has already grown exponentially since the construction of its solar array in 2015, built and run by Florida Power and Light. Residents first moved to the community in 2018, with now over 4,000 Floridians calling it home.

The community currently features a school, shopping center, parks, lakes, and an active trail system, with plenty more development plans on the horizon. Babcock Ranch was recognized as the No. 14 top-selling planned community after seeing record sales of more than 1,758 homes sold, 714 of which were sold in 2021.1

When Kitson first told EcoWatch about Babcock Ranch, his vision was for it to expand to offer 20,000 homes, as well as condos and apartments, so living in Babcock would become more accessible for more people.

We can preserve land and we can create places that are healthy, healthy environments and really do the right thing for our kids and our grandkids, Kitson said.

Kitson told EcoWatch that someday as many as 50,000 people could call Babcock Ranch home. As more people see how the solar-powered community prevailed in the wake of Ian, we have little doubt that goal will be reached.

The massive power outage left by Hurricane Ian was another testament to the larger issue: Americas energy infrastructure system is ill-equipped to handle worsening weather events amid the climate crisis.

Babcock Ranch serves as an example of how eco-focused urban development may be the answer to the bleak reality that weather events are likely going to become more catastrophic in years to come.

Its not what it was 20 or 25 years ago; the storms are getting bigger and bigger, and its no surprise because the warnings have all been there, Grande told CNN. I think Babcock Ranchs future has gotten even brighter.

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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 bridge over the dried-up Loire River bed at Loireauxence, western France on Sept 20, 2022. This summer was France's second-hottest on record. DAMIEN MEYER / AFP via Getty Images

The widespread extreme heat that fueled drought across the Northern Hemisphere this summer would have been virtually impossible without the effects of climate change, an analysis released Wednesday by World Weather Attribution finds.

The findings illustrate how the impacts of climate change  in this case, extreme heat and historic droughts in parts of Europe, the U.S., and China  are harming people now. The extraction and combustion of fossil fuels, the main driver of climate change, has already increased global temperatures by 1.2C (2.2F) above preindustrial levels, and made this summers drought 20 times more likely to occur.

In many of these countries and regions, we are clearly, according to the science, already seeing the fingerprints of climate change, Maarten van Aalst, director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center and one of the reports co-authors, told The New York Times.

As reported by The Associated Press:

Drought dried up major rivers, destroyed crops, sparked wildfire, threatened aquatic species and led to water restrictions in Europe. It struck places already plagued by drying in the U.S., like the West, but also places where drought is more rare, like the Northeast. China also just had its driest summer in 60 years, leaving its famous Yangtze river half its normal width.

For a deeper dive:

The New York Times, AP, The Guardian; Climate Signals background: Extreme heat and heatwaves, Drought, Western megadrought

For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, sign up for daily Hot News, and visit their news site, Nexus Media News.
Planning to work in Canada? The High Commission of Canada has some news for Indian students looking to work there that doubles as a warning. The High Commission of Canada in India has informed students that they cannot start working in the country until their chosen course study officially begins, as stated in a report by The Indian Express.

A tweet put out by the High Commission of Canada in India read, Please note that while some study permits allow you to work in Canada, you can only start working when your study program has started, not before." Additionally, they have asked incoming students to ensure that they can prove, with documentation, that their chosen university or college (designated learning institution) has allowed them to arrive late or that they have received a deferral. In this regard, it tweeted saying, If you are going to Canada this fall/winter, a border services officer will review your documents. Be prepared to show that your DLI has allowed you to arrive late OR that you have received a deferral."

What do the Canadian immigration guidelines say? The students can work off-campus only if they are enrolled as a full-time student at a designated learning institution (DLI) or as a post-secondary academic, vocational or professional training programme. Also, according to the rules as per the study visa, students enrolled at a secondary-level vocational training programme (Quebec only) can also work off-campus. The programme, which is chosen by the student, should be at least six months long and should lead to a degree, diploma or certificate.

Moreover, adding to this course requirement, it is compulsory for international students to have a Social Insurance Number (SIN) in order to get work in the country. Also, a point Indian students should keep in mind is that if they are on authorised leave from studies or switching schools and not studying, they will not be allowed to work off campus.




Wheat stuck in Egypt ports as prices for the commodity spike

Egypt's traders and the nation's cereals chamber said the price of wheat and flour used to make unsubsidized bread has increased in Egypt, as importers struggle to pay for wheat stuck at ports due to a dollar shortage, Reuters reported.

According to a letter sent to the supply minister on September 26 by the Federation of Egyptian Industries' Chamber of Cereals, approximately 80% of mills that produce commercially sold bread, pasta, and other goods have "completely ceased activity" because approximately 700,000 tonnes of wheat haven't been released from customs.

Hussein Boudy, the chamber's deputy head, said while global wheat prices have decreased to levels seen prior to the Russia-Ukraine war, prices in Egypt have increased as a result of low stock levels.

Due to a shortage of dollars brought on by a rising import bill and declining tourism revenues from two of Egypt's biggest markets, Ukraine and Russia, importers are unable to replenish their stocks of wheat. Investors' declining faith in the Egyptian pound also contributed to the shortage.

Boudy said wheat prices increased by about 10% in the last two weeks to EGP 9,000 (~US$458.02; EGP 10 = US$0.51) per tonne. However, some traders reported even steeper increases of up to 15%. According to traders, flour increased by 18% to EGP 11,500 (~US$585.24) per tonne.

Walid Diab, managing director of the Egyptian Millers Company, said that larger mills used to store for a month and a half or two, but today some mills have stocks for seven to five days.

Boudy said that one company had asked to buy from the strategic reserves of the state grain buyer.

Egypt's supply minister said that the government will work on the issue of decreasing private sector wheat stocks.

The government implemented regulations in March that limited access to dollars for imports as foreign currency reserves were depleting.

Despite the fact that wheat and other strategic items were exempt, private sector traders claim that since September, payments for wheat imports have all but ceased and no new contracts have been signed.

According to traders, imports of corn, poultry, and soybeans have also been impacted.

One local trader said suppliers understand that there is a problem with Egypt, but they now don't want to do new business until the old stocks are released.

Only 2,0003,000 tonnes of wheat have passed through customs since early September, according to the Chamber's letter. The Chamber estimates that the private sector needs about 450,000 tonnes per month, and mills require an immediate release of about 300,000 tonnes.

Hesham Soliman, a trader in the private sector based in Cairo, said the shortage of supplies has driven up the price of bread in some bakeries.

Attia Hammad of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce said there were no indications of a shortage at bakeries, though he added that some bakeries might increase prices or reduce the weight of loaves due to rising costs.

The largest importer of wheat globally is Egypt, which has a population of 104 million. Recently, imports from the private sector surpassed those from the state buyer, which purchases wheat for a sizable bread subsidy programme.

- Reuters




Singapore to farm resource efficient foods over poultry because of limitations

Grace Fu, Singapore's Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, said the country focuses on farming resource efficient foods over poultry because of limitations in land, workers, energy, and water, Channel News Asia reported.

She said the country prefers to focus on growing foods that can be produced in a way that is both resource-efficient and economically viable.

Fu said, citing data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, that producing 1kg of chicken for meat results in approximately three times as many CO2-equivalent emissions as some fish.

Fu was responding to inquiries from MPs regarding Singapore's food supply and the effects of Malaysia's ban on the export of chicken.

In order to strengthen the resilience of Singapore's poultry supply, Joan Pereira, a Member of Parliament, questioned whether the authorities would take into account setting local production targets for poultry and poultry products under Singapore's "30 by 30" food security goal.

By 2030, Singapore hopes to produce up to 30% of its nutritional requirements domestically, an increase from less than 10% at present, as part of the "30 by 30" initiative.

Shawn Huang, another Member of Parliament, inquired about the effects of the disruption in the supply of chicken as well as the government's long-term strategy for Singapore's poultry supply.

Due to supply chain disruptions brought on by pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and countries prioritising local supply in the face of rising prices, the issue of food security has received increased attention recently.

There are about 260 small farms in Singapore that produce goods like fish, eggs, and vegetables.

More than 90% of the food consumed in the nation is imported from roughly 170 different nations and regions.

According to Fu, Malaysia only accounts for 34% of Singapore's imports of chicken, down from 37% in 2018, adding that 25 countries are permitted to export chicken to Singapore.

After Malaysia decided to impose an export ban on June 1, Singapore has been working to secure additional supplies. Last month, Indonesia was approved as a new source for imports.

Gerald Giam, a Member of Parliament asked about the obstacles to increasing the list of nations whose imports of poultry are authorised.

In response, Fu said that when it comes to imports, food safety continues to be the main concern.

She said food safety is still very important, even though Singapore's food sources are more varied. Only accredited sources that adhere to Singapore's standards for animal and food safety are permitted to export to Singapore.

Giam also inquired as to what the authorities were doing to encourage importers of poultry to purchase their chicken from already authorised alternative sources. He suggested that until Malaysia completely lifts its restrictions on chicken export, import fees for live and chilled poultry from all authorised suppliers be waived.

Fu said Singapore has no sizable import taxes that would prevent the development of new markets.

Although Thailand and Australia are authorised to import live and chilled chicken, she said Malaysia controls 99% of the market.

Even though Singapore has accredited other nations, importers still do business with Malaysia due to their close proximity and shared history, she said.

She also said the source market will always be attractive to importers for cost-competitive reasons, adding that this can occasionally be attributed to close proximity and well-established logistics networks that enable the fastest delivery of goods.

She said importers won't want to explore new possibilities because doing so might raise prices. Consumers may be hesitant to try new products because they are unfamiliar, so Singapore must periodically assess whether a licencing requirement is necessary.

She said this has been done for eggs and the country will consider whether to do the same for chicken.

However, she issued a warning that the more restrictions the nation places on business licences and regulations, the more rigidity they will bring about.

She said they might have to do it because encouraging or requiring businesses to diversify is a trade-off, so the country will act accordingly if it determined that there is a sound strategic basis for doing so.

- Channel News Asia
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Amazon has been slashing the prices of its own products over the past few days as we approach its second Prime Day event for the year. After holding a sale for its Fire tablets, Kindle Paperwhite and Fire TVs, the company is now also selling the Eero Pro 6E tri-band mesh WiFi devices at heavily discounted prices. Among all the options available, the three-pack bundle of Eero devices seems to be the standout deal  at $419, it's even cheaper than the pack with two nodes that's currently selling for $499. That's also $280 or 40 percent lower than its usual price, and it's the lowest we've seen the three-pack go for on the website.

This is the first Eero model to support WiFi 6E, which allows eligible devices to access a new 6 GHz band. Amazon said 6E support results in lower latency across the network, so even devices that don't support the extended standard will stand to benefit from the capability. The model supports network speeds of up to 2.3 Gbps, can cover up to 6,000 sq ft of space and can handle over 100 connected devices. Eero also uses TrueMesh technology to route traffic in order to reduce drop-offs and prevent dead spots. In addition to serving as a mesh router, Eero Pro 6E can be used as a smart home hub, allowing you to control compatible Thread and Zigbee devices with Alexa voice commands.

While the three-pack bundle is obviously the best deal you can get, you can also purchase one node at a discount. A single Eero Pro 6E node will set you back $179, which is $120 less than its regular price. The single node option has been widely available at that price over the past few days, but the discounted three-pack deal is only available today exclusively for Amazon Prime subscribers.

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Amazon has responded swiftly to the impromptu strike at its unionized Staten Island warehouse. The company and workers have confirmed to CNN that about 50 workers were suspended with pay at JFK8 after they occupied the human resources office and refused to work in allegedly unsafe conditions following a ship dock fire. One of the workers, Connor Spence, said the suspension would continue while Amazon investigated the work stoppage.

We've asked Amazon for comment. In a statement to CNN, a spokesperson said there was a "small fire" in a cardboard compactor, and that it asked night shift workers (including those in the protest) to report to their usual shifts after firefighters said the warehouse was safe. The "vast majority" of workers complied, Amazon said. Day shift team members were sent home with pay.

The suspensions won't help ease the conflict between Amazon and workers at JFK8, the company's only unionized warehouse. In May, Amazon fired several senior managers in a move that employees claimed was retaliation for labor organization efforts. There's also broader tension across the company. Staff at multiple American warehouses have pushed for unionization (albeit with limited success), while Amazon has been accused of using anti-union tactics.

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The affected staffers won't necessarily lose their jobs. However, it signals that Amazon isn't keen to tolerate labor disruptions even with a union present.
Lawyers for Elon Musk have officially asked to cancel the upcoming trial with Twitter, as the two sides attempt to negotiate a deal. In a new court filing, Musks lawyers asked the judge to call off the trial, which is currently scheduled to begin October 17th.

Earlier this week, Musks camp had proposed proceeding with the original deal, to buy Twitter at $54.20 a share, contingent on Musks financing going through and the adjournment of the trial. Twitter responded that it was also intent on closing the deal.

While that certainly seemed to put the two sides a lot closer to an agreement, it wasnt an immediate end to the litigation. The New York Times has since reported that Twitter does not want to call off the trial until a deal is finalized and the companys shareholders have been paid. There are likely other sticking points, too. Bloomberg reported Tuesday that Musk is also seeking to reserve his rights to file a fraud suit over his claims the platforms executives misled him and other investors about the number of spam and robot accounts.

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In their latest filing, Musks lawyers confirm the disagreement over the trial, writing that Twitter is now endangering the deal. Twitter will not take yes for an answer, Musks lawyers write. Astonishingly, they have insisted on proceeding with this litigation, recklessly putting the deal at risk and gambling with their stockholders interests. Instead of allowing the parties to turn their focus to securing the Debt Financing necessary to consummate the transaction and preparing for a transition of the business, the parties will instead remain distracted by completing discovery and an unnecessary trial.

Notably, the filing comes on the same day Musk was scheduled to be deposed in the case. The deposition was delayed  for the second time. Musk's lawyers say they expect the deal could close "on or around October 28."

Update 6 PM ET: The judge in the case has stayed the trial until October 28th, the date Musk's lawyers said they expected to close. "If the transaction does not close by 5 p.m. on October 28, 2022, the parties are instructed to contact me by email that evening to obtain November 2022 trial dates," Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick wrote.
Fast Company's website finally came back online eight days after the publication took it down due to a cyberattack. The business publication was initially hacked on September 25th, but it wasn't until the second security breach on September 27th that it had to take drastic measures to contain the situation. If you'll recall, Apple News users who are subscribed to Fast Company received a couple of obscene push notifications with racial slurs in late September. The bad actors had also defaced the website with obscene and racist messages and posted details on how they were able to infiltrate the publication.

They said that Fast Company used an easy-to-crack password for its WordPress CMS and had re-used it for its other accounts. From there, they were able to grab the company's Apple News API keys, as well as authentication tokens that gave them access to employee names, email addresses and IPs. In a forum the hackers linked to on the defaced website, a user called "Thrax" posted a database dump with 6,737 employee records that include mails, password hashes for some of them and unpublished drafts, among other details.

No customer or advertiser information was exposed as a result of the hack, though, Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan wrote in a new post announcing that the publication is back. The main Fast Company website, its corporate site Mansueto.com and its sister site Inc.com remained offline for eight days while an investigation was being conducted. During that period, the publication posted content on other platforms, such as LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Medium. Vaughan didn't go into details with the result of the probe, other than saying that no customer or advertiser data was compromised and that the publication has "taken steps to safeguard against further attacks."
Last year Google made a big change to its phone line with the introduction of its custom-designed Tensor chip. By focusing on increased AI and machine learning performance, the company was able to create more advanced apps and features for its handsets without needing help from the cloud. And now with the launch of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro alongside the Tensor G2, it feels like Google is deepening the marriage between its hardware and software.

On the outside, Google is using a similar template to what we got with the Pixel 6 with a couple of notable tweaks. On the Pixel 7, you get a screen made from Gorilla Glass Victus, while in back, theres an even more pronounced camera bar that now extends seamlessly from the phones frame across the width of the device. This should provide some added durability while still allowing the device to lie flat (well, mostly) on a table.

Similar to last year, the finishes of the two phones vary slightly between models, with the Pixel 7 getting a brushed aluminum look while Pixel 7 Pro gets a shiny, polished chassis. That said, while the Pixel 7 Pros design is supposed to feel a bit more premium than its cheaper sibling, I actually kind of prefer the matte look on the standard Pixel 7. And for what its worth, I think the Pixel 7 has slightly more fun colors as well, with options including snow, obsidian and lemongrass, compared to the slightly more sedate snow, obsidian and hazel paint jobs on the 7 Pro. And while Im sure Im not the first person to notice this, I still cant shake the feeling that the back of the Pixel 7 looks like a character from Among Us. So depending on your tastes, the Pixel 7s design could be very hit or miss, but Im enjoying it so far.

One notable change for the Pixel 7 specifically is that with a 6.3-inch 90Hz OLED screen, its actually a tiny bit smaller than the outgoing Pixel 6, which feels like a small win for compact phone fans. Its not so much that it feels like a huge difference compared to the previous model, but it might be just enough to make the device feel a bit nimbler, especially if you dont have huge hands.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

As for the Pixel 7 Pro, Google opted for a 6.7-inch 120Hz display. However, I must say its kind of hard to tell the difference in refresh rates even when youre holding them side-by-side. And while it doesnt show up on a spec sheet, the Pixel 7 Pros glass is 20 percent flatter, so theres a bit less distortion around the edges of the screen. Both phones get the same 10.8MP front-facing camera, though it still has a fixed focusing system, which is a relatively minor inconvenience compared to the true autofocus system on the iPhone 14s selfie shooter.

Around back, Google is using a familiar 50MP main cam alongside a 12MP ultra-wide shooter. But when it comes to photography, perhaps the biggest camera upgrade is the new 48MP 5x telephoto zoom on the Pixel 7 Pro. Not only is it longer than the Pixel 6 Pros 4x lens, Google also redesigned the way the camera pushes in to capture more detailed images throughout the phones entire range.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Similar to before, from 1x to 2x, the 7 Pro uses the 50-MP main sensor to take short-distance shots, and then crops as needed. But from 2x to 5x, the phone fuses images from both the main and telephoto lenses to create a more detailed composite. Then between 5x and 10x switches completely over to the zoom cam, with Google using pixel binning to reduce total resolution down from 12MP. And then above 10x, the phone uses full-res crops from the telephoto cam before the phone hits its full 30x magnification. I know this is all extremely techy, but the end result is a much smoother zoom experience across and more detailed shots that look better than anything Ive seen from practically any other phone. That said, Im going to want to do some more testing before I make any final judgments.

Some of the new camera software also looks impressive. Theres a Cinematic Blur feature for video that adds a soft bokeh to the background of your clips while still supporting full 10-bit color with HDR. And from what Ive seen so far, it looks great, as if youve been using a much more expensive camera. And for more general use, Google says it has upgraded the Pixel 7s image stabilization and noise correction as well.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Meanwhile for photos, Google says the Tensor G2 helps improve the Pixels Face Unblur tool and speeds Night Sight processing by up to 2x. Theres also a new Photo Unblur feature that can sharpen pics regardless of when it was taken or what camera they came from. Google says all the processing for Photo Unblur is done locally on the phone and, in a brief demo, some of the results were so good they were kind of hard to believe.

But thats the best and worst thing about Pixels, because now that their hardware and software are so intertwined, its difficult to really get a sense of how they perform after only a brief hands-on. And thats before we talk about other more niche features like faster menus for Direct My Call and the ability to transcribe audio messages into text, which I hear is popular in Europe, but less so in the US. Both the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro felt snappy and the phones high refresh rate displays made switching between apps feel super smooth. That said, its still up to Google to avoid any bugs or issues with future software updates like we experienced on the Pixel 6.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

So for now, what I will say is that Im definitely digging the Pixel 7s tweaked design. Cinematic Blur makes videos look great and, as someone who loves telephoto lenses, I cant wait to see what I can do with the 7 Pros new 5x zoom. And perhaps best of all, with the standard Pixel 7 retaining the $599 starting price (or $699 on Verizon for one with mmWave 5G), upgrading to Googles latest flagship costs less than its competitors.

Follow all of the news from Google's Pixel 7 event right here!
The Twitter v. Elon Musk trial is now on hold as the two sides work to hammer out a deal for Musk to complete his buyout of the social media company. On Thursday, Judge Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, Chancellor of Delawares Chancery Court, stayed the trial until October 28th, following a motion from Musk's lawyers to call off the trial.

However, if the two sides arent able to close by the end of the month, a trial could be back on. If the transaction does not close by 5 p.m. on October 28, 2022, the parties are instructed to contact me by email that evening to obtain November 2022 trial dates, McCormick wrote.

The stay comes less than two weeks before the five-day trial was scheduled to begin, and on the same day that Musk was scheduled to be deposed in the case. Its the latest sign that Musk and Twitter are moving closer to a deal. Earlier in the week, Musk said he would agree to a deal at the original price of $54.20 a share, provided he finalized his financing and that the trial was adjourned. Twitter also confirmed it wanted to close the deal on its original terms.

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But since then the two sides have still been arguing over the particulars of the arrangement. Bloomberg reported Musk wanted a provision that would still allow him to sue Twitter over the number of bots on the platform, while The New York Times reported Twitter didnt want to call off the trial until its shareholders had been paid.

Musks lawyers alluded to the disagreements in their filing, writing that Twitter will not take yes for an answer, claiming the company was endangering the deal. McCormick didnt weigh in on the disagreement, though she noted that Twitter has opposed Musks motion to stay the trial.
After months of teases and leaks, Google is finally ready to show off the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel Watch. Those who are curious about what Google has in store can find out the full details as soon as the company announces them by watching the Pixel Event livestream. The festivities start at 10AM ET and you can watch via the video embedded below.

Engadget Deputy Editor Cherlynn Low and Senior Reporter Sam Rutherford will be breaking down the news as it happens on our liveblog. We'll have full coverage of everything you need to know from the showcase on our Pixel 7 event page as well.

Google has already confirmed that the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will run on a next-gen Tensor chip and Android 13. The Pixel Watch, meanwhile, is the first smartwatch that Google has designed and built in-house. It will blend Google features with Fitbit's health and fitness knowhow, and have an overhauled Wear OS experience.

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It might be worth keeping close tabs on the event if you're already interested in buying a Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel Watch or new Nest device (Google will have some announcements on that front too). All the devices that Google will show off during the event are going on sale today.

Follow all of the news from Google's Pixel 7 event right here!
Cheslie Kryst's legacy, although it was cut short after her death, is still burning, especially in the Miss USA pageants.

Beauty queens from different states across the US faced each other again on Monday as the annual pageant crowned its new Miss USA. Although the event's focus is the winner, R'Bonney Gabriel of Texas, the pageant also honored Kryst eight months following her death.

Insider quoted FYI correspondent Christian Murphy's speech about the late model, praising her for her contributions to the pageant industry.

"Cheslie was crowned Miss USA 2019. And in the words of her family, she embodied love, and served others, whether through her work as an attorney fighting for social justice, as Miss USA, and as a host on Extra. Most importantly as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor, and colleague," Murphy shared, as quoted by ET Online.

He then shared an inspiring message about Kryst and told everyone that her influence live on even after her passing.



The audience during the Miss USA pageant offered a moment of silence to complete their tribute to the model and correspondent.

How Did Cheslie Kryst Die?

The world was left shocked when New York Post first confirmed the news about Kryst's tragic passing earlier this year.

Reports said she was found in the street near the Orion building where she was residing. The law enforcement ruled Cheslie Kryst's manner of death as suicide, concluding she jumped from the 29th floor of the 60-story building before hitting the ground.

READ ALSO: Real Reason Why Jeffrey Dahmer Took Pictures of Dismembered Victims - Revealed!

The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner confirmed it to PEOPLE a day after her death.

It was revealed that she left a note before committing suicide, leaving everything to her mother, April Simpkins. The matriarch also revealed that Kryst suffered depression before the incident.

For what it's worth, her friends saw a red flag for the first time when she wrote an essay on her 30th birthday, saying she was running out of time. In the piece, Kryst opened up about how society has never been kind to people, especially those who are growing old.

Kryst joined Miss USA 2019 and served as a complex litigation attorney while working on "Extra" as a correspondent. Her time in the network led her to win two Daytime Emmy nominations.

READ MORE: Bradgelina Shock: Brad Pitt Accused of Choking, Striking Kids During Plane Fight With Angelina Jolie
Jeffrey Dahmer reportedly killed more young men than what the news outlets reported.

Long before the release of Netflix's "DAHMER - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," the public already knew how Dahmer mercilessly murdered, dismembered, and ate 17 young men from 1978 to 1991. The infamous serial killer almost added Tracy Edwards to the list, but the victim managed to escape from the horrifying death.

The 17 victims Dahmer killed were Steven Hicks, Steven Tuomi, Jamie Doxtator, Richard Guerrero, Anthony Sears, Ricky Beeks, Eddie Smith, Ernest Miller, David Thomas, Curtis Straughter, Errol Lindsey, Anthony Hughes, Konerak Sinthasomphone, Matt Turner, Jeremiah Weinberger, Oliver Lacy, and Joseph Bredehoft.

But recently, a retired FBI claimed that Dahmer was also the culprit behind the death of "America'sMost Wanted" host John Walsh's 6-year-old son, Adam.

Speaking with Radar Online, investigator Neil Purtell said there is evidence that linked the murderer to the 1981 case of Adam. Although Dahmer admitted killing the 17 men, he refused to talk about killing Adam because of his fears that he might be killed in prison for being a pedophile.



"The decapitation and disposal of the torso of Adam Walsh is again the type of behavior that Dahmer continued to exhibit in Milwaukee with his victims. Jeffrey Dahmer closely matches the description of the person who abducted this young child," the FBI staff revealed.

Police Found the Suspect in Adam Walsh's Murder

Purtell's comment, however, is not similar to the findings of the Florida police.

In 1981, Adam went missing during a trip to a Florida mall with his mother, Reve Walsh. The matriarch reportedly left him to watch a group of boys playing video games before going to another section of the store.

READ ALSO: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry 'Trying Hard' To Look Like Royals in New Photos, Royal Commentators Question Move

He was presumed to be abducted outside the mall after a security guard told the boys to leave the mall for causing trouble. After going missing for days, two fishermen found his head in a drainage canal in Florida, but his body was never found.

It became one of the most infamous child murders in the country's history.

Decades after the crime, the police said that the convicted Ottis Toole was the one who committed the murder. The suspect died in 1996.

Following Adam's death, his father founded the Adam Walsh Child Reform Centre with his wife Reve and advocate the missing person cases. Former POTUS George Bush signed the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, as well.

READ MORE: Melinda French Gates Calls Divorce From Bill Gates 'Painful' - But She Has THIS As Top Priority
MEPs urge all countries and international organisations to condemn unequivocally the sham referenda in Ukraine and Russias attempt to acquire territory by force.



In a resolution adopted on Thursday, MEPs say the results of the sham referenda conducted at gunpoint to annex the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts are null and void and call on member states to adopt additional severe sanctions.





Increase military assistance to Ukraine

Hailing the courage of the Ukrainian people defending their country and European values, MEPs urge EU member states and other countries supporting Ukraine to increase massively their military assistance, particularly in areas requested by the Ukrainian government. Hesitating member states should provide their fair share of necessary military assistance, which will help shorten the war.





The recent Russian threats to use nuclear weapons are irresponsible and dangerous, warn MEPs. They call on member states and international partners to prepare a quick and decisive response should Russia conduct a nuclear strike on Ukraine. Any attempt by Russia to present attacks on occupied territories as an attack on Russia itself, and thus as grounds for a nuclear attack, is illegal and baseless and will not deter the European Union from further assistance to Ukraines self-defence.





MEPs condemn the military mobilisation in Russia and measures compelling residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to serve in Russias armed or auxiliary forces, an act which the Fourth Geneva Convention forbids., In order to maintain stability in the South Caucasus and Central Asia, MEPs also call for increased support for countries in the region who experienced an influx of Russian citizens, in particular Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.





Need to increase the protection of European critical infrastructure

Regarding the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines, MEPs say there is increasing speculation that it was a result of a coordinated and deliberate act by a state actor. The explosions show how dangerous the policy of increasing dependence on Russian fossil fuels was and that the weaponisation of energy has been taken to a new level. The resolution calls on member states to treat the protection of European critical infrastructure as a priority, to increase its resilience against external attacks, and to further support the resilience of the Eastern European and Western Balkans partners.





Finally, MEPs call for the establishment of an ad hoc international tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, where Putin and all those Russian civilian and military officials and their proxies responsible for masterminding, launching and conducting the war in Ukraine would be prosecuted.





The resolution was adopted by 504 votes in favour 26 against and 36 abstentions.




UK Prime Minister Liz Truss asked her Conservative party to trust her, pledging to steer Britain through 'stormy days' and transform a stagnant economy, at the party's annual conference.
The Pound Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rate dropped on Wednesday as investors reacted poorly to UK Prime Minister Liz Trusss Conservative conference speech.

At the time of writing, GBP/USD was trading at around AU$1.7517, which was roughly down 0.3% from Wednesdays opening rate.

Pound (GBP) Exchange Rates Drop as Truss Address Fails to Soothe Investors

The Pound (GBP) fell against almost all of its peers on Wednesday as Trusss speech on the last day of the Conservative party conference went down poorly with GBP investors.

This follows a week of Tory infighting as the mini budget continues to divide opinions and the party slips in popularity polls.

In her speech Truss focused on her want for growth and conceded that the mini budget wouldnt please everyone: That is why in Britain we need to do things differently. Whenever there is change, there is disruption. Not everyone will be in favour. But everyone will benefit from the result: a growing economy and a better future. That is what we have a clear plan to deliver.

So far, her governments fiscal plans caused chaos with the Pound as it leads investors to question the UKs economic future. The response to the budget has caused a spike in mortgage prices, a Bank of England (BoE) intervention and general financial market volatility.

Truss failure to properly address these issues or developments in the mini budget within her speech unsettled investors and weighed on the Pound.

Australian Dollar (AUD) Exchange Rates Drop as Risk-Off Mood Grips Investors

The Australian Dollar (AUD) was up against the Pound, but down against most of its other peers on Wednesday amid waning market risk appetite.

This downbeat mood was triggered by geopolitical tensions continuing to rise in Europe. Wednesday saw the US announce it would send more military aid to Ukraine. This came after Vladimir Putin formalised the annexation of Ukrainian territories.

By supplying more aid to Ukraine, the US has increased the risk of a clash between Russia and the West.

Anatoly Antonov, Russias ambassador to the United States, said: 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.

As a result the Australian Dollar, which is extremely sensitive to market risk appetite, struggled to find support on Wednesday.

GBP/AUD Exchange Rate Forecast: GBP to be Driven by Headlines?

Looking ahead, the Pound Australian exchange rate could see significant movement as investors focus on domestic headlines.

A lack of data will have investors particularly interested in developments pertaining to the UK mini budget. Could further policy reversals help shore up the Pound? Or could continued distain for the budget sink the Pound further?

Looking at AUD, a lack of data could see the currency move in relation to risk appetite. As such, the Australian Dollar will likely remain sensitive to developments within Ukraine. If the Ukrainian military manages to make more headway, then the Aussie could find support. However, if Russia uses US intervention as an excuse to escalate the war, AUD could drop.
BUTTE, Mont. - Smiles, laughter and wondrous stories of Montana yore were all present at the Copper King Convention Center in Butte, as Montana's centenarians were celebrated for reaching 100 years of age.

Tuesday, 32 of Montana's residents were recognized for hitting triple digits as part of the governor's "Rock Your Age" conference on aging.

Between the jokes and smiles, these centenarians revealed fascinating glimpses of what life in the Treasure State was like nearly a century ago--a time when the nation went through hardships like World War II and the Great Depression.

"It was a really, really hard time," said 100-year-old Helen Meyer of Anaconda. "People were poor, but we lived on the farm, so we did better than the average."

But the little joys of simple Montana life were just as important.

"My mother was a great cook," Meyer said. "She could make the best cake. It was a depression cake... I'm sorry I don't have the recipe."

In addition to hearing about stories of horse-and-buggy rides into town and life on the family farm, centenarians provided their secrets to longevity.

Meyer's tips are to exercise and never skip a meal, even if you're not hungry. It seems like her strategies worked, as though she may have been born a long time ago (June 14, 1922, to be exact), she still feels young art heart.

"I don't feel old... I feel like dancing," Meyer said with a smile and a laugh.

The centenarian celebration takes place annually, so if you know someone who's due to hit the century mark in 2023, you can get in contact with Montana DPHHS about next year's event.
A comprehensive map produced by Bob Christiansen in 2001 (Graphic courtesy of Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles).

USGS geologist and the founding Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Robert Bob Christiansen died on Sept. 15, 2022, in Palo Alto, California.

Bob, or Chris, as his colleagues and friends often called him, leaves a legacy of scientific achievement, articulate writing, and a warm and humble personality that endeared him to all. He received his doctorate from Stanford University and then began working at the USGS in 1961. He initially worked for 10 years in the Denver, Colorado, office and then in the Menlo Park, California, office. He retired in 2003 but remained an active emeritus scientist until his death.

Bob was part of a USGS group that was tasked in 1965 with creating a comprehensive geologic map of the young volcanic rocks in Yellowstone. The study was funded mainly by NASA as a test area to compare with images captured by satellites from space. Bob and his colleagues tried to understand when and how the volcano erupted, how much magma was vented, and where it went.

From 1966 to 1971, Bob and USGS colleagues (mainly Dick Blank) spent the summer months in Yellowstone carrying out field work and mapping. In other times of the year, they analyzed aerial photographs, scrutinized the rocks they sampled, measured the chemical composition of the rocks, and determined their ages. The work lasted long beyond the initial field seasons as Bob and his collaborators worked to understand the complex geologic history of the region.

The results of these monumental efforts were published in a 2001 USGS Professional Paper that is a comprehensive description of the volcanic history of Yellowstone and a geologic map of the Yellowstone Plateau. Bob also led the publication of a 2007 USGS report titled Preliminary Assessment of Volcanic and Hydrothermal Hazards in Yellowstone National Park and Vicinity.

Bob recognized that three large explosive eruptions were associated with formation of calderas 2.08, 1.30, and 0.63 million years ago. Bob also published two journal papers, in 1984 and in 1991 (mainly with USGS colleague Wes Hildreth), that describe in great detail the chemical and isotopic composition of Yellowstones volcanic rocks. With USGS colleagues led by Gordon Eaton, Bob co-authored a 1975 journal paper that used multiple datasets to identify magma beneath Yellowstone.

Although very well known for his work in Yellowstone, Bob also contributed fundamental advances to our understanding of volcanoes throughout the United States. In the early part of his career, Bob published several papers with USGS colleague Peter Lipman on volcanism in Southern Nevada as part of the Department of Energy efforts to develop the Nevada Test Site northwest of Las Vegas. Bob and Peter also published seminal papers on volcanism and plate-tectonic evolution of the Western United States in the Cenozoic period, which began about 66 million years ago and extends to the present. Between 1971 and 1973, Bob was stationed at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, where he investigated explosive eruptions at Kilauea Volcano, including the tragic base surge in 1790 (which killed several hundred Hawaiians) with USGS colleague Don Swanson, and violent hydromagmatic eruptions that left extensive deposits in the volcanos summit region.

Bob was the chief scientist for monitoring and scientific analysis of the 1980 eruption at Mount St. Helens in Washington, where he detailed the chronology of eruptive activity. His work in the Cascades was not solely restricted to Mount St. Helens. With USGS colleague C. Dan Miller between 1973 and 1977, Bob mapped and studied the voluminous and long-lived Mount Shasta in Northern California. In the 1980s he returned to study its large sector collapse, which was only conclusively identified after the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption left deposits that closely resembled those at Mount Shasta. In the 1990s and after retirement, he expanded his mapping east to connect with USGS colleague Julie Donnelly-Nolans mapping at Medicine Lake volcano. With USGS colleagues, in 2002 he published a detailed study of the remarkable Shastina eruptive phase of Mount Shastaan episode that might have lasted 200 years during which the entire Shastina cone grew on the west shoulder of the volcano, and the Black Butte dome formed on the volcanos west flank. With USGS colleague Mike Clynne he also worked to better understand the details of the 1915 eruption of Lassen Peak.

Bob Christiansen will be remembered by his many colleagues and friends as insightful and meticulous in his many scientific investigations. In addition to his incredible scientific achievements, Bob served in several management positions at the USGS. He was the coordinator of the USGS Geothermal Research Program between 1976 and 1979, and he served as Chief of the USGS Branch of Igneous and Geothermal Processes between 1987 and 1991.

Bobs comprehensive research at Yellowstone is the foundation for our current understanding of the volcanic, earthquake, and hydrothermal systems of Yellowstone. It is taught in every evening lesson by a ranger and written in every pamphlet and book on geology handed out in the park visitor centers. Bob fondly described his years of research at Yellowstone in a 2009 interview that is available online (https://www.usgs.gov/media/ videos/inside-usgs-no-1- robert-christiansen- yellowstone). He will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him, and we are better scientists and people, and know far more about the volcanoes of the United States, thanks to his wisdom, mentorship, and dedication.

Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This weeks contribution is from Shaul Hurwitz, research hydrologist, Patrick Muffler, emeritus geologist, Andy Calvert, research geologist, and Jake Lowenstern, research geologist, all with the U.S. Geological Survey.

The post Yellowstone National Park loses the granddaddy of American volcano scientists appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Farmers and crofters will rally outside the Scottish parliament as part of calls for food production to at the centre of new agricultural policy in Scotland.

NFU Scotland's #FoodNeedsAFarmer rally aims to underscore the need to put farming and food production at the centre of Scottish food policy.

Farmers will demonstrate on Wednesday 2 November, from 12 noon to 2pm outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh.

It comes at a time when farmers and crofters are being consulted by the Scottish government on a future agricultural policy for the nation.

But NFU Scotland warned that many farmers were in an 'information void' despite requests from the industry to provide more clarity on policy.

The union's president, Martin Kennedy said: Despite several requests... weve yet to receive clarity as to how any new powers created by the proposed new Agriculture Bill will put food production at the heart.

The Scottish parliament must acknowledge that farming and crofting have the answers when it comes to delivering high quality, local, sustainable, and affordable food and at the same time delivering for the public on climate change and biodiversity."

NFU Scotland and others industry groups have been unequivocal that the new powers must be used to target future direct support at active farming and crofting.

This would provide financial stability through post-Brexit turbulence and severe market volatility, they say, and reward actions that improve productivity and build resilience.

Mr Kennedy added: Only farmers and crofters across Scotland can turn the dry legislation of a new Agriculture Bill into practices that deliver for food, climate and nature but we need to know now what those options look like.

The lack of recognition of our industry and all it delivers is unacceptable and fails to acknowledge the urgent need to address the worsening food security crisis.

"We are holding this rally to drive home the message that #FoodNeedsAFarmer."
A campaign to restore access to the export markets in the EU and NI for Scottish seed potatoes continues, with an MP saying the new government must now engage in a 'meaningful way'.

Prior to the UK leaving the European Union, Scottish seed potatoes were a crucial import for markets in the continent.

More than 75 percent of Britain's seed potato exports comes from Scotland, with the country exporting seed to 18 EU countries in 2020/21.

However, since January 2021, Scottish farmers have been unable to export seed potatoes to the bloc, including Northern Ireland, because of changes in trade regulations.

The barriers have been put in place despite there being no change to the domestic UK plant health requirements for seed potatoes dating from when the UK exited from the EU on this date, or indeed any reduction in the quality of the product itself.

The UK government has announced an extension to the Trader Support Service (TSS) which helps businesses navigate changes to the way goods are now exported to Northern Ireland.

However, Scottish seed potato producers are still banned from exporting to that part of the UK.

Richard Thomson MP, who is leading efforts to restore access, said there was a fresh opportunity following the appointment of Ranil Jayawardena as new Defra Secretary.

Mr Thomson, who is MP for Gordon, said the new government must engage with the EU in 'a meaningful way' and restore the export markets for Scottish seed potatoes.

I have therefore written to the Secretary of State, Ranil Jayawardena, asking him to explore new ways in which this can be achieved," he said.

"One way could involve mirroring the arrangement made for certain locations in Canada to export to named countries within the EU, which my research tells me was achieved in 2000.

If it can be achieved for parts of the Canadian provinces, then it can be achieved for Scottish seed potato exporters."
Farm leaders have welcomed new changes to the Welsh government's NVZ regulations, including a short extension of the implementation of the annual holding nitrogen limit.

A new written statement from the Minister for Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths MS contains several amendments to the controversial rules.

Nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZs) are areas within Wales that contain surface water or groundwater susceptible to nitrate pollution from agricultural activities.

They are designed to improve water quality in rivers and lakes, but it means tougher restrictions on fertiliser and manure spreading.

Last year, the Welsh government introduced an all-Wales NVZ designation in a move that had angered farming groups.

But in a new statement, published on Wednesday evening (6 October), the government signalled a short extension of the implementation of the 170kg per hectare annual holding nitrogen limit.

This is accompanied by a consultation on a licensing scheme that would enable any farm to apply for a licence for a higher annual holding nitrogen limit of 250kg/ha subject to crop need and other legal considerations.

The consultation will consult on proposals for such a scheme to be operational until 2025.

In the statement, Ms Griffiths said there would also be a dedicated impact assessment on the economic and environmental impact of the 170kg/ha nitrogen limit, as well as committing to explore alternative technological solutions.

NFU Cymru said the changes were 'welcome' as they provided 'some additional breathing space' for Welsh producers.

The union, and other farming groups in the country, believe the regulations are unworkable and pose a threat to the viability of Welsh farming.

NFU Cymru has consistently opposed these regulations, including taking the matter to Judicial Review.

Responding to the statement, the union's president, Aled Jones said the Welsh government had listened to the 'very real concerns' of farmers.

"[It] has shown some recognition of the impacts that the regulations, in their original form, will have on Welsh farmings 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."

Mr Jones said NFU Cymru commended the fact that an extra 20m of funding had been made available as part of the announcement.

He said: "It is crucial that this funding is used to support capital investment in infrastructure on farm, given that the governments own impact assessment highlighted a 360m upfront cost to comply with these regulations."

Samuel Kurtz MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, said he was 'pleased' to see the rules were 'more proportionate'.

"We must treat this as a fresh opportunity to seek parity for Welsh farmers with our UK neighbours," Mr Kurtz added.

"The additional 20 million is welcome and will go some way to helping the industry meet the wider aspects of this regulation.
Kent-based Fourayes, the UKs largest grower and processor of fruit, has been sold to Belgian multinational Puratos.

The acquisition of Fourayes, known for its production and supply of fruit, pie fillings, industrial jams and mincemeats, expands Puratos reach in the European market.

Fourayes is set to benefit for being part of a multinational company, with representation in 100 countries globally and a turnover of 2 billion.

Julia Darvill, managing director of Puratos, said the firm would continue Fourayes' "proud legacy supporting British farming".

"Our relationship with Fourayes first took root back in February, when we partnered to launch a unique range of real fruit and vegetable pieces, and in the succeeding months our connection has grown even deeper.

We found Fourayes to be an ideal fit for Puratos, both being family-run, customer-focused, heritage-rich businesses with innovation, people and traceability at their core.

"We are committed to upholding and building on Fourayes reputation as a first-class farm and factory and look forward to a fruitful future.

Phil Acock, managing director of Fourayes, said both companies had "aligned their goals".

We believe that together we are stronger, and the bringing together of these two ingredient powerhouses has untold potential.

"I am confident the synergies between Puratos and Fourayes will unlock further growth and value for our customers and help them to cater to the call for healthy options, transparency and integrity from increasingly conscientious consumers.

MHA Corporate Finance (MHA), a UK accountancy and corporate financial advisory firm, announced its role as broker for the sale.

Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, partner at MHA, said the sale was one of the largest of a business in the Kent fruit sector.

I have been privileged to work with Phil Acock and Fourayes dedicated and hard-working staff to finalise the deal with Puratos," he added.

"He opportunity to create a world-leading manufacturer of fruit fillings, bakery and English Bramley apple products is fantastic."
A charity dedicated to helping people in rural communities deal with mental health issues has been praised by a young woman who knows all about the challenges of running a farm.

Ffion Hooson was only 18 when her dad, Huw, suffered a stroke, leading her to take over the day-to-day running of the family farm near Denbigh  and the pressure almost proved too much for her.

One of the things that helped her get through some dark days were social media messages posted by the charity the DPJ Foundation.

It was set up in 2016 by the family of young Pembrokeshire agri contractor Daniel Picton-Jones, a father of two, who took his own life after struggling with depression.

The charity has now helped over 650 people across Wales, and it has been backed by one the countrys best-known brands, Edwards the Welsh Butcher, based in Conwy.

They donated the proceeds from their stand at the Royal Welsh Show, over 1,300, to the DPJ Foundation and company chairman and founder Ieuan Edwards has paid a warm tribute to 22-year-old Ffion.

She took over the familys 180 acres at Segrwyd Isa in the hope that her dad would be able to return, and she was grateful to DPJ for reaching out to her when she posted a Tweet saying how difficult she was finding it.

She said: Theyre a brilliant charity and have done so much for farmers and helped people to speak out when they were suffering by themselves.

Theyve made it OK to ask for help and Ive followed their Twitter feed and found that very helpful.

I tweeted myself once back in 2019 about how difficult I was finding it because I was under a lot of pressure when I had to take over and the first couple of years were very tough.

DPJ came back to me on Twitter with a message of support and that was helpful, just knowing they were there to talk to if I needed them.

Ieuan Edwards, of Edwards the Welsh Butcher, is from a Conwy Valley farming family himself and understands the pressures and the loneliness faced by those working in agriculture.

He said: "Many people probably think that being a farmer and working in a beautiful natural environment is a lovely life and it can be, but it can also be pressurised and lonely.

"There are few safety nets if things go wrong which is why the work being done by the DPJ Foundation in offering support to people in the countryside is so important.

"Ffion has really stepped up and shown real courage in taking over the farm and finding a way forward and the way she has been helped by DPJ is an example of how vital their help can be.

"Without farmers like her a business like ours would not have the high-quality produce that is integral to what we do and that's why we are proud to support DPJ in the vital assistance they offer."

Ffion is now in a better place herself and has reconciled herself to the fact that her dad wont be well enough to take over again.

But thanks to the support of her neighbours, she is in a much better place. She said: Without dad alongside me it was the loneliness that affected me most and not being able to do the things as well as he would have done.

I didnt have the experience of running the farm or being able to make the right decisions It was all a big responsibility and you never learn to fully cope.

Ffion has now gone into partnership with a neighbouring farm and reduced the number of sheep she has to a small flock of 30 while maintaining a herd of 100 beef cattle.

She said: I was finding it almost impossible to run the farm on my own but our neighbours have been very supportive.

Its a case of helping each other out. Its good to have neighbours and friends who are willing to do anything for you.

Now over winter they keep their beef cattle in my sheds and I look after them and in summer they help maintain the land and it has meant a lot of the weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Elen Williams, of the DPJ Foundation, said: As well as our Mental Health Awareness training and our confidential Share the Load counselling and helpline service, we also post a daily picture on our social media channels.

"We hope it will show that there is always help available and that even though farming can be isolated and lonely, you are never alone."

She added: It is so rewarding to hear Ffion speak about how our posts have helped her when she needed it and it is great to see that Ffion has found a way forward and is now helping others by sharing her story.

We are looking forward to working with Edwards during Agriculture Mental Health next week (October 10-16), reminding people of the help that is available."
Warrenton, VA (20186)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High around 55F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 30F. Winds light and variable.
A grand jury convened Sept. 26 in Fauquier County Circuit Court and indicted 19 defendants on 29 charges.

Steven Daniel Boger, of Westminster, Maryland, was indicted on one felony count of possessing a schedule I or II drug. He was arrested Feb. 9 and was released from custody on bond.

Amanda Browning, of Bealeton, was directly indicted on one felony count of violating her pre-trial bond conditions by failing to appear for a court hearing. She was arrested Sept. 26 and remained in custody as of Oct. 3.

Katrina Lynn Campbell, of Goldvein, was indicted on one felony count of credit card theft. She was arrested May 16 and was released from custody on bond.

James Michael Carrico, of Manassas, was indicted on one felony count of grand larceny and directly indicted on one felony count of conspiracy to commit larceny, one felony count of larceny with intent to distribute, one felony count of eluding law enforcement and one felony count of possessing a schedule I or II drug. He was arrested June 14 and remained in custody as of Oct. 3.

Tillman Oxford Collum II, of Clinton, Maryland, was indicted on one felony count of eluding law enforcement and directly indicted on one felony count of possessing a schedule I or II drug and one misdemeanor count of driving while intoxicated. He was arrested June 12 and remained in custody as of Oct. 3.

Morgan Noah Estep, of Bealeton, was indicted on one felony count of driving while intoxicated. He was arrested July 10 and remained in custody as of Oct. 3.

Shelby Renae Foley, of Nokesville, was indicted on one felony count of possessing a schedule I or II drug. She was arrested May 22 and was released from custody on bond.

Trenton Lee Keller, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was indicted on one felony count of eluding law enforcement. He was arrested May 27 and was released from custody on bond.

Roy Emmet Komrowski Jr., of Midland, was indicted on one felony count of driving while intoxicated, one felony count of driving on a revoked license and one felony count of possessing a gun as a convicted felon. He was arrested May 27 and remained in custody as of Oct. 3.

Kirk Darnell Minor, of Warrenton, was indicted on one felony count of failing to register as a violent offender. He was arrested June 25 and was released from custody on bond.

+2 Warrenton man charged with abusing newborn A Warrenton man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly beating an infant to the point of hospi

Matthew L. Palmer, of Warrenton, was indicted on two felony counts of child abuse. He was arrested March 9 and was released from custody on bond.

Scott Leslie Payne, of Warrenton, was indicted on one felony count of malicious wounding. He was arrested June 28 and remained in custody as of Oct. 3.

Jose Daniel Rodriguez Lopez, of Manassas, was indicted on one felony count of possessing a schedule I or II drug. He was arrested July 7 and remained in custody as of Oct. 3.

Michael Talmadge Rose, of Marshall, was indicted on one felony count of currency forging. He was arrested July 1 and was released from custody on bond.

Jason Vaughn Rosser, of Amissville, was directly indicted on one felony count of failing to appear for a court hearing. He was arrested Sept. 29 and remained in custody as of Oct. 3.

Kevin Searles, of Bealeton, was indicted on one felony count of threatening to bomb or burn a building. He was arrested June 26 and was released from custody on bond.

Justin Clayton Walker, of Culpeper, was indicted on one felony count of larceny from a person. He was arrested July 11 and remained in custody as of Oct. 3.

Dartanyn Thomas Wright, of Marshall, was indicted on one felony count of unlawful wounding. He was arrested March 11 and was released from custody on bond.

Kelvin Deon Yates, of Warrenton, was indicted on two felony counts of possessing a schedule I or II drug with the intent to manufacture. He was arrested April 15 and was released from custody on bond.
Babywear imports by the United States has been on a rise since April this year. The imports increased to $255.955 million in July 2022 from $245.802 million in June 2022. The country imported babywear worth $1,633.762 million in the first seven months of this year, while they amounted to $2.414 billion last year, an analysis of the latest data showed.

The imports were noted at $187.769 million in April this year, which improved to $213.160 million in May 2022, according to Fibre2Fashions market insight tool TexPro.

The US imports of babywear had declined to $1.841 billion in 2020 from $2.213 billion in 2019. They were valued at $2.414 billion in 2021, as per TexPro.

Babywear imports by the United States has been on a rise since April this year. The imports increased to $255.955 million in July 2022 from $245.802 million in June 2022. The country imported babywear worth $1,633.762 million in the first seven months of this year, while they amounted to $2.414 billion last year, an analysis of the latest data showed.

The countrys imports of the products were worth $620.898 million from China in 2021 which was 25.71 per cent of its total babywear imports. They amounted to $365.734 million (15.15 per cent) from Vietnam, $360.544 million (14.91 per cent) from India, $352.026 million (14.58 per cent) from Cambodia and $249.681 million (10.34 per cent) from Bangladesh. These top five supplier countries collectively shipped around 80 per cent of the babywear to the US.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
The Italian textile and garment industry is expected to make a complete recovery in 2022 to pre-pandemic levels of 2019, and then return to growth in 2023, according to industry watchers and players. However, the structure of the textile and clothing industry in Italy will have to undergo a profound transformation in the coming five years.

The Confindustria Moda (Italian Federation of Textiles, Fashion, and Accessories) has defined this transformation as a cultural change. There is a need for Italys textile industry to address two crucial issues: the evolution towards a production system that is more environmentally sustainable, and digitisation of the supply chain, which must include SME players.

The Italian textile and garment industry is expected to make a complete recovery in 2022 to pre-pandemic levels of 2019, and then return to growth in 2023, according to industry watchers and players. However, the structure of the textile and clothing industry in Italy will have to undergo a profound transformation in the coming five years.

Entrepreneurs in the textile industry have realised the urgency of enacting the digital transformation of their businesses and this is precisely why ACIMIT has accelerated its Digital Ready project for certifying Italian textile machines that adopt a common set of data, in order to more easily integrate with the operating systems of their client businesses, Alessandro Zucchi, president of the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT), said in The Italian Textile Industry published by ITMA Services, organiser of ITMA 2023.

Despite 2020 being a particularly difficult year for the textile and clothing industry, the textile machinery sector remained resilient, particularly in exports. Italy is the fourth country in the world for textile machinery exports, with a 10 per cent share.

In the coming years, industry associations in the sector will continue to support the development of clusters through vertical and horizontal integration among companies and the building of business networks within the districts. This will make it possible to pool resources for the purchase of new machinery and the employment of specialised human resources. The Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) under the Next Generation EU programme put in place by the European Union to respond to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, amounts to 235 billion for Italy in funding over a six-year period.

Some of the funds will provide the resources for the technological and cultural change of the Italian textile and clothing industry. With this and other programmes in place or in the pipeline, the Italian textile and clothing sector will be able to ride on new opportunities and offer increasingly innovative products, beyond the classic and popular fashion and clothing market, the report added.

We are looking forward to the staging of ITMA 2023 in Milan. Our members, together with many of the leading brands from Europe and the rest of the world, will be able to leverage this global textile and garment technology exhibition to launch our latest innovations, especially those that will help the industry to digitalise and be more productive, as well as those that help us build a more sustainable and circular economy, added Zucchi.

ITMA is the worlds largest international textile and garment technology exhibition. ITMA 2023 will be held at Fiera Milano Rho, Milan, Italy from June 8-14, 2023.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)
More ambition and joint European efforts are needed to address high energy prices, EURATEX said in its response to the latest EU energy council decision. The council regulation proposal recently passed by the EU ministers focuses on the electricity prices and demand reduction, on a solidarity levy from the fossil fuel sector and a retail levy for SMEs.

These initiatives miss the point of bringing gas prices down  the one measure that would bring the biggest impact on Europe.

More ambition and joint European efforts are needed to address high energy prices, EURATEX said in its response to the latest EU energy council decision. The council regulation proposal recently passed by the EU ministers focuses on the electricity prices and demand reduction, on a solidarity levy from the fossil fuel sector and a retail levy for SMEs.

EURATEX  as the voice of the European apparel and textiles manufacturers  regrets this lack of ambition: the regulation does not foresee any meaningful action to directly support the European industry. This can accelerate the de-industrialisation of Europe and loss of industrial capacity to secure the European standard of living and implement the green deal.

We call on the EU and member states to pursue our common European interests. The hesitation to adopt a European price cap on natural gas, accompanied by massive national spending programs to subsidise domestic gas consumption, is a dereliction of duty, said director general Dirk Vantyghem.

Triggering competition among member states rather than promoting cooperation in bringing gas prices down for all European companies will also prove ineffective: indeed, the industrial structure in the European Union is fully integrated. Once a segment of the value chain perishes because of the crisis in one country, all companies based in the EU will suffer its negative effect, driving prices up in the supply chain and adding further strain to our operations. The European industry will be saved as a unified industry, or it will not be saved at all. Fragmenting the internal market will not protect any member states domestic manufacturing, EURATEX said in a press release.

In addition to a EU-wide price cap on gas, EURATEX calls on the European Commission to swiftly amend the temporary crisis framework, making sure the criteria and thresholds applied do not exclude vulnerable companies from possible support (e.g. in textile finishing and services). We also encourage the European commission to revise the ETS indirect carbon leakage mechanism and include the man-made fibres, non-wovens, spinning and weaving sectors.

It is high time now for the European Union  in particular for member states and the commission  to step up their ambition and adopt a European vision: a chaotic and fragmented approach will not mitigate the crisis but accelerate it.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)
Kenyas leather and textile sectors are likely to see a rise in productivity as new government reforms take off and resources are being raised to boost production and create employment opportunities. The government has come up with a slew of measures to stimulate growth and expand local and global market share and raise earnings of farmers.

The operating capacity of textile industries, ginneries and tanneries has been dismally low due to inadequate raw materials, shortage of skills and high labour costs, observed Saitoti Torome, principal secretary in the government department of planning.

Kenya's leather and textile sectors are likely to see a rise in productivity as new government reforms take off and resources are being raised to boost production and create employment opportunities. The government has come up with a slew of measures to stimulate growth and expand local and global market share and raise earnings of farmers.

Textile and leather products are the most consumed items after food, yet their ratings in resource allocation remain relatively low, he said.

Despite the country being the fifth largest cattle producer in Africa after Ethiopia, Chad, Sudan and Tanzania, its leather trade remains low, he told experts who met to discuss preparation of the Medium-Term Plan Strategy Paper (MTP) No 4.

That means most of our leather goes to waste, which is a lost opportunity for employment creation, improved livelihoods and revenue collection by the government. In MTP No 4, we are going to emphasise on developing the textiles and leather industries as a grand opportunity for Kenyas industrialisation and creation of sustainable employment, he was quoted as saying by a Kenyan newspaper.

MTP No 4 will come up with fresh strategies to raise uptake of locally-designed and manufactured apparel, textiles, leather and accessories and support existing ones, including the Buy Kenya Build Kenya campaign, he stressed.

He highlighted the need to address lack of proper skin and hide management techniques, as well as poor choice of breeds that have over the years remained one of the biggest stumbling blocks for the leather industry.

The countrys leather industry is valued at about $430 million annually, according to conservative estimates. About 90 per cent of the countrys leather export is the low-value, partially-processed wet blue leather. Experts argue that full processing of the leather could create at least 50,000 jobs.

Government data show though the country has a huge potential for cotton production with at least 400,000 hectares of land suitable for cotton cultivation, less than 35,000 hectares are under the crop.

MTP No 4 would also recommend friendly policies to establish ginneries and tanneries and revive collapsed ones, the top official indicated.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
The Malaysian cabinet recently approved the ratification of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). On September 30, the government officially submitted the instrument of ratification (IOR) for the multilateral agreement to CPTPP depositary New Zealand, the ministry of international trade and industry said.

The agreement involving 11 countries was signed on March 8, 2018.

The Malaysian cabinet recently approved the ratification of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). On September 30, the government officially submitted the instrument of ratification (IOR) for the multilateral agreement to CPTPP depositary New Zealand, the ministry of international trade and industry said.

This agreement has already been ratified and implemented in stages since December 2018, by Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam and Peru. Malaysia is the ninth country to ratify.

The agreement broadens Malaysia's access to new markets like Canada, Mexico and Peru, which are not covered by any existing free trade agreement (FTAs), providing access to a wider range of high-quality raw materials at competitive prices, and increases the country's attractiveness as an investment destination. Malaysia has already implemented 15 FTAs.

At the same time, the CPTPP offers technical assistance and capacity building programmes that are aimed at improving and developing local sectoral capabilities in key industrial areas like automotives, chemicals, optical and scientific equipment and medical devices.

A cost-benefit analysis projects that Malaysias total trade is expected to rise to $655.9 billion in 2030, through the CPTPP, the ministry said in a press release. Exports are projected to reach $354.7 billion in 2030, with trade balance remaining in strong surplus at 8.5 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the same year.

Under the CPTPP, by January 1, 2033, almost cent per cent of Malaysian exports to all CPTPP countries will enjoy duty-free treatment.

As soon as the CPTPP enters into force for Malaysia, all its exports to Australia and Singapore will readily enter these markets without being subject to any duties. Subsequently, in 2024 and 2029, all Malaysian products exported to New Zealand and Canada, respectively, will enter these countries duty-free.

Following the implementation, Malaysian companies will have immediate access to the government procurement markets of other CPTPP countries at much lower thresholds compared to the high thresholds committed by Malaysia.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Blackrock Silver Corp. (TSXV: BRC) (the "Company" or "Blackrock") announces that John Seaberg has stepped down as a director of Blackrock, effective immediately, in order to pursue other opportunities. The Company would like to thank Mr. Seaberg for his contributions to Blackrock and wishes him the best in his future endeavours.

The Board of Directors of the Company has extended the period during which Mr. Seaberg may exercise his currently held stock options from 90 days to 1 year from the date of his resignation in accordance with the terms of the Company's stock option plan.

About Blackrock Silver Corp.

Blackrock is a junior gold-focused exploration company that is on a quest to make an economic discovery. Anchored by a seasoned Board, the Company is focused on its Nevada portfolio of properties consisting of low-sulphidation epithermal gold & silver projects located along the established Northern Nevada Rift in north-central Nevada and the Walker Lane trend in western Nevada.

For further information, please contact:

Andrew Pollard, President & CEO

Blackrock Silver Corp.

Phone: 604 817-6044

Email: andrew@blackrocksilver.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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139708
Not for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 5, 2022 / Pampa Metals Corporation ("Pampa Metals" or the "Company") (CSE:PM)(FSE:FIRA)(OTCQB:PMMCF) is pleased to announce that it is proceeding with a proposed private placement offering of 4,444,444 units at a price of $0.135 per unit for gross proceeds to the Company of $600,000 (the "Initial Private Placement"). Each unit will consist of one common share and one share purchase warrant of the Company. Each warrant may be exercised to acquire a common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.19 per share for a period of three years from the date of issuance.

Upon closing of the financing, it is anticipated that Mr. Joseph van den Elsen will join the board of directors of the Company. Mr. van den Elsen has also agreed to serve as the Company's President and CEO. The Company is also in advanced discussions with the incoming investors with respect to the appointment of an additional Board member to further support and drive long term strategy.

Joseph van den Elsen BA, LLB, Grad Dip Environment, Energy & Resources Law and Grad Dip Mineral Exploration Geoscience

Joseph van den Elsen is a dual Australian/Colombian citizen who currently serves as the Executive Chairman of Ronin Resources Ltd (RON:ASX). Joseph has held a number of executive and non-executive positions with listed and unlisted mineral exploration and development companies including Ookami Ltd (OOK.ASX), MHM Metals (VYS.ASX), Ascot Resources (AZQ:ASX) and Hampshire Mining. Previous experience also includes serving as an Associate Director with UBS and holding a comparable position with Goldman Sachs JBWere. Joseph graduated from LaTrobe University with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws and later graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Graduate Diploma in Environment, Energy and Resources Law and from Curtin University with a Graduate Diploma in Mineral Exploration Geoscience. Joseph is currently studying towards a Master of Science (Mineral Economics) through Curtin University.

In connection with the new appointment and pending additional appointment, Mr. A. Paul Gill has agreed to step down as a director, President and CEO of the Company. Mr. Timothy Beale has agreed to step down as a director and COO of the Company. Mr. Beale will continue his role with the Company as Vice President of Exploration. The Company would like to thank Mr. Gill for his contributions to Pampa Metals and wishes him the best in his future endeavours.

Adrian Manger, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company commented, "We would like to welcome Joseph to our board and management team and we are looking forward to shortly welcoming an additional member. We are pleased the Company and our high-quality project portfolio are attracting such distinguished professionals from the mining industry and are confident the energy, global experience and expertise will help drive forward Pampa Metals' strategy for the benefit or all our stakeholders. Pampa Metals' executive team and our copper/gold project portfolio in Chile are the right foundational blocks to support long term value creation."

Additional Private Placement

The Company also announces that following completion of the Initial Private Placement, Pampa Metals intends to proceed with a further private placement offering of up to 16,000,000 units at a price of $0.15 per units for gross proceeds to the Company of up to $2,400,000. Each unit will consist of one common share and one share purchase warrant of the Company. Each warrant will be exercisable into a common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.21 per share for a period of three years from the date of issuance.

Debt Settlement

The Company further announces that it has entered into debt settlement agreements with former and current directors and officers to settle outstanding indebtedness with them in the aggregate amount of $261,800 (collectively, the "Debt Settlement"), of which a portion would be settled through the issuance of an aggregate of 999,444 common shares at prices ranging from $0.135 to $0.15 per share.

Closing of the private placements and debt settlement are subject to receipt of all final documents and any required stock exchange approvals.

ABOUT PAMPA METALS

Pampa Metals is a Canadian company listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE: PM) as well as the Frankfurt (FSE: FIRA) and OTC (OTCQB: PMMCF) exchanges. Pampa Metals owns a highly prospective, wholly owned, 60,000-hectare portfolio of eight projects for copper and gold located along proven mineral belts in Chile, one of the world's top mining jurisdictions. The Company is actively progressing four of its projects, including completed and planned drill tests, and has two additional projects optioned to Austral Gold Ltd., with Austral already drill testing its first target on Pampa Metals' ground. The Company has also recently signed an agreement with VerAI Discoveries Inc. giving Pampa Metals access to the latest in artificial intelligence technology in relation to mineral exploration, as well as a further 18,700 hectares of highly prospective terrain in the core of the highly productive mineral belts of northern Chile.

The Company has a vision to create value for shareholders and all other stakeholders by making a major copper or gold discovery along the prime mineral belts of Chile, using the best geological and technological methods. For more information, please visit Pampa Metals' website www.pampametals.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Adrian Manger | Chairman & Director

INVESTORS CONTACT

Ioannis (Yannis) Tsitos | Director

investors@pampametals.com

www.pampametals.com

Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Pampa Metals expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will" or "may" occur. These statements are subject to various risks. Although Pampa Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Pampa Metals Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/719149/Pampa-Metals-Announces-Private-Placements-and-Board-Management-Updates




Bridgetown, Barbados, Oct 5, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - Blockchain on the Beach, an educational gathering exploring blockchain technology, is partnering with the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, Bermuda's Ministry of Economy and Labour, Sandy Lane Trust, and Thirty Global LiveStream Partners including the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship to launch Krypto for Kids Caribbean October 8 in an oceanside conference geared toward young people and highlighting financial literacy and emerging technologies.The event will also feature the launch of the SHEQONOMI Global Blockchain Scholars Program. SHEQONOMI, a global multi-platform podcast listening app built by women powered by girls, is the main producer of Blockchain on the Beach Barbados and Krypto For Kids Caribbean. This week, they will be selecting 50 young leaders from secondary schools across Barbados and various departments across UWI to join our in-person event along with many more curious minds joining virtually. Live attendees will be joined via livestream to schools across Barbados, Bermuda, Antigua, Barbuda, Trinidad and Tobago, Iceland, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the United States and other participating nations to learn about cryptocurrency, blockchain mining, art and music NFTs, and more. To join in person or LIVESTREAM: PLEASE REGISTER (https://form.typeform.com/to/d1fr4gOi).The full-day invitation-only program will welcome 100 attendees in person and is encouraging interested parents, teachers, those curious about blockchain to participate in Barbados. Anyone interested is also invited to join the event virtually. Global partners include Jaime Leverton from HUT8 Mining, Sanjeev Birari from Realto Group, Aaron Hunte from RAMI Global, Maxim Sindall from Altura, Danish Choudhary from FMFW, Coral Wells from ConnecTech Coding, along with local MetaVerse and NFT experts from Barbados including Zoe Osbourne, Xavier Jhon-Claire, and Haleek. Shontelle Layne, SHEQONOMI Barbados and Krypto for Kids Caribbean Co-Chair will be sharing her expertise with Music NFTs and a new initiative we will be announcing in collaboration with the National Cultural Foundation Barbados."May this be the beginning of greater connectivity and collaboration from brilliant minds across oceans where we will have new leaders driving the new economic narrative of racial and economic justice," said SHEQONOMI and Krypto for Kids Founder Anu Bhardwaj.Speakers from the Caribbean, the United States, Canada, and across Latin America will join the event to share their expertise on blockchain, cryptocurrency, and Web3 and share the emerging technology with a new generation of digital leaders. For more information and to register, nominate a Scholar or attend for free via LIVESTREAM, Please visit www.blockchainonthebeach.com.About SHEQONOMISHEQONOMI is the world's first podcast listening app on Android, iOS, KaiOS, and Reliance Jio built by women on low-cost mobile devices and powered by girls targeting the bottom billion. Through live, livestream, and hybrid events such as Amplifying Her Voice, Blockchain on the Beach, and Krypto for Kids; we bring the world closer to both financial inclusion and financial literacy. Started on February 2, 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic with generous support from the Islamic Development Bank, Reliance Jio, KaiOS, the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation, other leading global nonprofits, and multinational corporations; SHEQONOMI is in an enviable position to shape global discourse and work with the best and brightest minds who will be guiding and shaping the new digital economy.About Krypto for Kids CaribbeanParticipation will be free of charge for those selected candidates that demonstrate the highest promise and potential. We will be livestreaming our event for all who wish to participate virtually so no child is left behind; adults who wish to learn are also welcome to join. Recorded sessions will be available once the event has concluded.This will be the first time Krypto for Kids has gathered since our official launch in November 2018 in Laguna Beach, California; our debut at the United Nations at the Blockchain for Impact Summit in June 2019; and the World Economic Summit in January 2020. We will be expanding our reach in Bermuda and Miami this fall and plan to present again at the World Economic Forum in January 2023.Source: SHEQONOMICopyright 2022 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Sydney, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Closing the gender gap in mining is not only a matter of equity, it also makes business sense, according to five Australian experts who will be addressing the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Sydney in November.

As a whole, the mining industry is trying to address the under-representation of women in mining. Statistics highlighted by WIMnet (Women in Mining) NSW shows that women only make up less than 20% of the mining workforce. Unfortunately, at an executive level it gets worse with only 6.7% of mining CEOs being female, compared to the national average of 19.4%.

IMARC will shine a light on the incredible contribution women bring to the mining industry, hosting a Gala Dinner with a full female panel at the three-day event that will feature 111 female speakers.

Reflecting on the gender transformation sweeping the industry, Chair of WIMnet NSW Lucy McClean believes opening the door to more women represents an enormous opportunity for the industry to capitialise on the proven benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce.

"The statistics are very clear, and they tell us that workplace diversity creates more inclusive supporting work environments, enhances teamwork, makes us more effective in-service delivery as well as increasing productivity," she says.

MinterEllison Partner and Head of Perth's Workplace Law team Kathy Reid says: "We need to increase the presence of women in mining, but the industry is facing significant challenges and there's not one easy answer. Improving mining for women will require significant and consistent cultural shifts across the industry but getting there will be difficult."

Ms. Reid refers to this issue as the chicken and the egg conundrum. "You can't really make women feel more comfortable in the mining industry until you've got greater numbers, but you can't get greater numbers unless you make them feel more comfortable."

METS Ignited General Manager Kylah Morrison agrees some great strides have been made to make mining more appealing to women, highlighting the power of leveraging tech and innovation.

"Equipment manufacturers are leading the way by breaking down barriers to entry, from simple things like hi-vis gear that is made for women, to major capital investments in heavy equipment.

"Rather than the traditional burly bloke on the frontline, maybe it's a remotely managed machine, which adds even more to the potential inclusiveness of mining."

"Inclusivity is important and that's where innovation and technology is really exciting because it does make it more of an even playing field."

AusIMM Independent Consultant Giulia Savio says it is clear the mining industry recognises the need to make the workplace more inviting for women, not just by moving away from a "male-only" culture, but by using innovation to create new opportunities in rewarding, highly paid and long-term careers.

However, Ms. Savio says the trend within the industry is positive, and applauds the fact that IMARC 2022 is taking a strong focus on the development of female leadership in the sector, and will feature record numbers of female delegates, speakers, and panellists.

"We're not there yet. To have true diversity and to realise the value of that diversity, you need inclusivity. In order to improve the industry, leaders need to look at making the sector more friendly and inviting for all. This might mean greater diversity in teams, equipment that can be used by someone with a disability, or more opportunities for flexibility in office based or site-based roles," say Ms. Savio

Agnico Eagle Vice President of Corporate Affairs in Australia John Landmark echoes this sentiment, outlining the need to tap into a far broader spectrum of talent to shift the idea of the industry being male dominated to being an industry that is in touch with society's expectations.

"We've got to change this, and we've got to get this right. We must make the workplace more attractive for women and society as a whole."

"I am so excited that these challenges are such a major focus at IMARC and gives us an opportunity to improve the industry for everyone. The ideal workplace is where everyone can be themselves and contribute to the team environment - people of all diverse backgrounds and makeups. "

"Frankly, if you make the industry more attractive to women, you improve the industry for all."

IMARC is the most significant in-person gathering of Australian and international mining and resources representatives in almost three years and is a key forum to addressing the most challenging issues facing the industry. The conference will be held 2-4 November at the Sydney International Convention Centre and will feature over 450 speakers across six concurrent conferences covering the energy transition, rising costs, skills shortages, diversity within the resources sector and more.

Further comments and interviews are available.

-ENDS-

For more information, please visit https://imarcglobal.com/

Media Enquiries

Jim Carden

+61 429 112 381

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139557
STOCKHOLM, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Medicover acquire 80 per cent of the business of DDent MVZ GmbH ("DDent") from the sole shareholder and CEO Dr. Nicol Dudek. DDent is a chain of 16 mid-size dental clinics with 73 chairs, 200 employees and a dental lab in Northern Germany with headquarter in Hamburg. Dr. Dudek will continue in her role after the acquisition.

The German dental market at EUR 28.8 billion is Europe's largest and is expected to grow 3-4 per cent per annum. The market is highly fragmented. DDent was founded in 2017 with an aim to consolidate the dental market in Northwest Germany and has grown organically and by acquisitions.

DDent together with the recent acquisition of MeinDentist (Berlin focus with 16 clinics and 147 dental chairs) gives Medicover an at scale dental platform to consolidate and grow in the Germany dental field. Both acquisitions will be consolidated from October. Pro forma total revenue for DDent and MeinDentist is estimated to EUR 47 million for 2022. Total purchase price for the two acquisitions is approximately EUR 32 million including debt assumed.

"The acquisition of DDent is a good fit and very synergistic with our previous announced acquisition of MeinDentist. In total we now have over 30 German dental clinics which is a solid foundation for further growth, also bringing in an experienced management team. Medicover is number one in Dental in Poland, with 70 clinics, 400 chairs and look to be a significant player in Germany", says Fredrik Ragmark, CEO Medicover.

For further information, please contact:

Hanna Bjellquist, Head of Investor Relations

+46 703 033 272

hanna.bjellquist@medicover.com

Medicover is a leading international healthcare and diagnostic services company and was founded in 1995. Medicover operates a large number of ambulatory clinics, hospitals, specialty-care facilities,laboratories and blood-drawing points and the largest markets are Poland and Germany. In 2021, Medicover had revenue of EUR 1,377 million and more than 38,000 employees. For more information, go to www.medicover.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/medicover/r/medicover-continue-to-expand-the-dental-network-in-germany,c3642784

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/15662/3642784/1635287.pdf Medicover continue to expand the dental network in Germany

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/medicover-continue-to-expand-the-dental-network-in-germany-301642348.html
Both companies will expand their cooperation through the distribution of medical cannabis products in the highly attractive Czech and Swiss markets

DUSSELDORF, Germany, BARCELONA, Spain and TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuraxpharm Group (Neuraxpharm), a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the central nervous system (CNS), and Panaxia (TASE: PNAX), a global pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets advanced medical cannabis products of pharmaceutical quality, today announced the signing of two addendums to their agreement to expand their collaboration into the Czech and Swiss markets.

The collaboration includes the marketing and distribution of advanced medical cannabis products, including cannabis extracts for inhalation, produced by Panaxia. This follows former collaborations between the companies in Germany and France. The collaboration model will be similar to the one in Germany with the joint branding, Naxiva PanaxolTM: Panaxia will manage the manufacturing of the products, such as pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis premium oils and extracts for inhalation based on clinical data, while Neuraxpharm will be responsible for the marketing, distribution, and commercialization of the products in the Czech Republic and Switzerland markets.

Dr Dadi Segal, CEO of Panaxia, said: "We are proud to expand our collaboration with our partner, Neuraxpharm, to the Czech Republic and Switzerland, two of the most advanced countries in Europe in terms of their medical cannabis policy. We are excited to make our advanced medical cannabis products available to patients in both countries and expand the variety of products offered."

Dr Jorg-Thomas Dierks, CEO of Neuraxpharm, added: "We are delighted about the new agreement with Panaxia, which is a great opportunity to benefit from the strong growth in the Swiss and Czech medical cannabis markets. We are confident that with our partner Panaxia we will be able to successfully leverage the potential of both markets going forward."

This agreement strengthens the position of Neuraxpharm and Panaxia as key players in the European medical cannabis market, with the two companies planning to further expand the agreement to other countries.

In order to combine its activities and to reinforce its position as one of the key European players in medical cannabis, Neuraxpharm has created a business unit at corporate level dedicated to medical cannabis and established a dedicated sales force in Germany. To this end, Neuraxpharm has appointed Rita Barata as new head of the specified corporate medical cannabis business unit to accelerate the launch and drive its growth at European level. Rita Barata has over 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and has a strong track-record in driving commercial growth and innovation, both at national and international level in different companies. Prior to joining Neuraxpharm she was Head of Marketing EMEA & Country Manager Iberia at Tilray.

Panaxia operates two EU-GMP facilities in Israel and Malta, which allow the export of advanced medical cannabis products to most European countries.

First sales of products in the Czech Republic and availability of scientific information in Switzerland are expected to begin by the end of 2022, subject to completing the regulatory registrations of the Czech and Swiss authorities for the distribution of medical cannabis products.

The medical cannabis market in the Czech Republic1 The Czech Republic is one of the most advanced countries in Europe in terms of the medical cannabis market size. The consistent increase in the number of patients, doctors and prescriptions issued during the last five years can be attributed to the subsidy of medical cannabis costs by health insurance. According to a report published by the SAKL, the Czech government agency for medical cannabis, prescriptions issued in the Czech Republic in 2021 increased by 37% from 2020. Medical cannabis is mostly prescribed for patients with chronic pain (80% of patients), Multiple sclerosis (12%) and Parkinson's disease. The report also reveals that 61.8% of medical cannabis patients in the Czech Republic are women.

The medical cannabis market in Switzerland2 Switzerland holds a leading position worldwide in the medical sector. However, its medical cannabis market is still in its infancy. In 2021, according to official reports, there were approximately 3,000 licensed patients for medical cannabis, although it is estimated that there are thousands more without a license. Recently, as a revision of the Swiss policy, access for patients has been dramatically streamlined, enabling the local cannabis industry to flourish. Starting in August 2022, patients are able to receive a prescription for medical cannabis without the need for a special license, similar to other drugs. This is expected to add thousands of additional patients to the legal, regulated medical cannabis market in the country.

About the Group Neuraxpharm

Neuraxpharm is a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of central nervous system disorders (CNS) with a direct presence in 19 countries. Backed by funds advised by Permira, Neuraxpharm has a unique understanding of the CNS market built over 35 years.

With its focus on CNS, Neuraxpharm develops and commercializes established brands, value added medicines, generics, Consumer Healthcare products, medical cannabis and beyond-the-pill solutions and is continuously striving to offer a wide range of effective, high quality and affordable CNS treatment options in Europe.

Present with its products in more than 50 countries, Neuraxpharm also manufactures pharmaceutical products and active pharmaceutical ingredients in its own manufacturing sites in Spain, Lesvi and Inke.

For further information, please visit: https://www.neuraxpharm.com

About Panaxia Labs Israel

Panaxia Labs Israel Ltd. traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE: PNAX) is a global pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets advanced medical cannabis products of pharmaceutical quality. In addition, Panaxia operates two EU-GMP approved factories in Israel and Malta, which enable the export of advanced medical cannabis products to most European countries. Panaxia's products are developed based on strong clinical data and a wide database of tens of thousands of patients.

Panaxia Israel is a subsidiary of Panaxia Pharmaceutical Industries, which was established in 2010 by Dr. Dadi Segal, Dr. Eran Goldberg and Adv. Assi Rotbart, as the cannabis division of the Segal Pharma group, which has been operating for over four decades, producing over 600 different pharmaceutical products, available in over 40 countries.

For further information, please visit: https://www.panaxia.co.il

1Prohibition Partners, The European Cannabis Report, 7th edition; https://prohibitionpartners.com/2022/01/19/could-czech-republic-be-europes-most-progressive-medical-cannabis-market/

2Prohibition Partners, The European Cannabis Report, 7th edition

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/panaxia-and-neuraxpharm-to-enter-new-medical-cannabis-markets-in-europe-301641827.html
European credit specialist, AlbaCore Capital Group ("AlbaCore"), has announced the appointment of Sean Golden.

Upon joining in December, Sean will be responsible for helping to build and lead AlbaCore's investment capabilities in structured credit as a Managing Director and Deputy Portfolio Manager.

"Structured credit investing is a natural extension of AlbaCore's CLO management business that started in 2019," said David Allen, Managing Partner, and Chief Investment Officer, AlbaCore. "I'm excited to work alongside Sean who will add depth and breadth to our talented investment team, enhancing AlbaCore's ability to deliver for the firm's investors across the credit spectrum."

Sean joins AlbaCore after nearly a decade at Alcentra, where he most recently served as Executive Director of structured credit. In that capacity, he was responsible for analysing investments in structured products across Alcentra's funds and execution trading. Previously, he was a member of the transaction management team covering structured credit.

The appointment of Sean adds structured credit to AlbaCore's already robust investment strategy offerings, which include private and opportunistic credit strategies as well as CLOs. The goal of these strategies is to protect investor capital through a selective and agile approach underpinned by fundamental bottom-up research.

Deborah Cohen Malka, Partner and Portfolio Manager at AlbaCore Capital Group, commented"We are delighted that Sean is joining the AlbaCore team to spearhead our structured credit investment capabilities. His unique expertise in structured products will unlock much of the relative value we are observing in European CLO liabilities and beyond."

AlbaCore has continued to demonstrate impressive growth, with a team of 62 across London, Dublin, and New York. The firm currently has approximately $9 billion1 in AUM and has invested more than $23 billion 2 since its founding in 2016, through an approach based on long-term partnerships with investors and counterparties.

About AlbaCore Capital Group

AlbaCore Capital Group is one of Europe's leading specialist credit investors focusing on public and private corporate credit markets. The senior investment team have been investing with this hybrid strategy for over a decade. Founded in 2016, AlbaCore has invested over ~$23bn2 for global pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, consultants, insurance companies, family offices and endowments.

AlbaCore is focused on consistently outperforming the market in the long term while protecting investor capital. The credit selection process is based on fundamental research with a focus on capital preservation and risk-adjusted returns.

Headquartered in London with offices in New York and Dublin, AlbaCore has a partnership approach with values at the center of the AlbaCore community.

www.AlbaCoreCapitalGroup.com

____________________________

1 AUM is as of August 31, 2022 and is the sum of the Net Asset Value, undrawn capital commitments and available debt finance across all vehicles managed by AlbaCore.

2 Invested capital is the sum of all 'buy' trades for all AlbaCore mandates since inception to 30 June 2022, and includes recycled capital and co-investment.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005264/en/

Contacts:

Monica Martin Roig

44 207 566 9743

monicamr@lansons.com
Top UK platform provider Whzan Digital Health and 4D imaging leader Vayyar to deliver best-in-class fall detection and predictive analytics across a range of care settings.

Vayyar Care, the world's most advanced care solution, provides touchless fall detection and rich activity data that enables personalised, predictive care.

Whzan, one of the UK's most innovative digital care platform providers, will leverage Vayyar Care as a core component of its multifunctional Blue Box telehealth system and step-down WhzApp.

The partnership will enhance health and operational outcomes across the care sector, including care homes, housing associations, NHS hospitals and local authority-provided social care.

TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vayyar Care, the global leader in automatic fall detection and remote monitoring, has established a strategic partnership with Whzan Digital Health, one of the UK's fastest growing cloud-based care platform providers, and the developers of the Blue Box telehealth monitoring system.

As well as instant, touchless fall detection that eliminates the possibility of "long lies" and their catastrophic consequences, Vayyar Care gathers data that reveals activity levels, sleep duration, bathroom usage, possible mental health issues, and more, allowing caregivers and family members to build predictive, person-centred care plans that enhance outcomes.

Vayyar Care is now integrated with Whzan's care dashboard and WhzApp, which leverage IoT sensor fusion to track movement and identify behavioral changes that indicate heightened risk.

The app connects clinicians and carers with patients, monitors conditions remotely and delivers key information and care advice. It serves as an information hub, self-assessment and communication tool, vital signs log and more, allowing clinicians to stay updated on patients' vital signs and ensure they're following care plans, without unnecessary GP or hospital visits.

The addition of Vayyar Care sensors provides a new level of visibility into care users' safety and activity. To assess and reduce fall risk in care homes, Whzan has developed a falls risk application with the NHS. This "Multifactorial Falls Risk Assessment" is a comprehensive tool which includes hypotension and is proven to reduce falls. Care home staff will now be able to use the Vayyar-enabled Whzan offering to detect unreported falls that often lead to more serious incidents, while identifying reduced mobility, potential UTIs and possible depressive illnesses, all of which are known fall risk factors.

"I'm delighted to confirm a partnership with the potential to transform data-driven care for users of all ages and circumstances," said Stuart Barclay, UK Sales Director at Vayyar Care. "Whzan's vision aligns perfectly with our own, and I'm excited about the scale of what we'll achieve together."

The partnership will enable Whzan to expand and enhance the use of digital healthcare by offering holistic monitoring for care home residents, hospital in-patients and social care users.

"An industry-leading digital health monitoring system needs robust, reliable, real-time sensing and after extensive testing, plus our usual Whzan evaluation, we have been very impressed with Vayyar's 4D imaging radar technology. We have worked closely with their team to integrate Vayyar data into the Whzan platform, enabling carers to view both sets of data with a single login. We firmly believe Whzan and Vayyar working together will deliver an excellent addition to our widely used system, supporting thousands of vulnerable people," said Whzan Chairman John Cooling. "We are looking forward to a long and fruitful collaboration, bringing a wide range of benefits to both care users and providers."

Both Vayyar Care and Whzan work closely with local authorities and NHS Trusts and are now preparing to roll out the enhanced WhzApp to new and existing customers.

About Vayyar Care

Vayyar Care's touchless 4D imaging radar gathers the data caregivers need to protect residents, as well as their dignity, privacy, and independence. The solution delivers instant fall detection and 24/7 visibility on room presence, mobility, time at rest, bathroom visits and more, overcoming the limitations of standard technologies such as hard-to-reach buttons and cords, unreliable mats, underused wearables and intrusive cameras. Vayyar Care is interoperable with any nurse call system and care platform, enabling person-centred, predictive care that enhances outcomes.

vayyar.com/care/b2b

Contact Stuart Barclay, UK Sales Director:

stuart.barclay@vayyar.com

07825 914 770

About Whzan

Whzan has been building digital health monitoring systems since 2011 and was one of the first developers using cloud-based systems for health applications. Whzan is working across the NHS, supporting approximately 3,000 care homes, and helping thousands of patients to stay out of hospital or receive an early discharge. Our technology is also enabling frail people to stay at home for longer and reduce the burden on local authorities and housing associations as they raise their levels of care. We have integrated our data with multiple NHS, council and private sector systems, such as Vayyar Care, to deliver affordable, flexible solutions.

www.whzan.com

For more information, please contact John.Cooling@whzan.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/vayyar-care-and-whzan-join-forces-to-accelerate-data-driven-care-301642354.html


CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Australian and NZ dollars climbed against their major counterparts in the Asian session on Thursday, as a steep reduction in output by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies lifted oil prices.



OPEC and their allies, known as OPEC+, decided to slash production by 2 million barrels per day next month, the most since 2020.



The move came despite pressure from the U.S. to pump more oil to cool down prices.



Strong U.S. ISM services PMI data and ADP private sector jobs report fuelled uncertainty over the Federal Reserve's monetary policy stance.



U.S. non-farm payrolls data due on Friday could offer more clues on the Fed's rate hike trajectory in the future.



Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that Australia posted a seasonally adjusted merchandise trade deficit of A$8.324 billion in August.



That was shy of expectations for a surplus of A$10.1 billion and was down from the upwardly revised A$8.967 billion surplus in July (originally A$8.733 billion).



The aussie appreciated to 2-day highs of 0.6541 against the greenback and 94.53 against the yen, from its early lows of 0.6484 and 93.75, respectively. The next possible resistance for the aussie is seen around 0.70 against the greenback and 96.00 against the yen.



The aussie touched 2-day highs of 1.5168 against the euro and 0.8877 against the loonie, up from its prior lows of 1.5237 and 0.8816, respectively. The aussie is likely to face resistance around 1.50 against the euro and 0.90 against the loonie.



The kiwi climbed to near a 2-week high of 0.5814 against the greenback and a 2-week high of 84.01 against the yen, after falling to 0.5734 and 82.91, respectively earlier in the session. The kiwi is seen finding resistance around 0.645 against the greenback and 85.5 against the yen.



The kiwi approached 1.7071 against the euro, its highest level in a week. On the upside, 1.68 is likely seen as the next resistance level.



The kiwi edged up to 1.1245 against the aussie, from a low of 1.1307 seen at 6:45 pm ET. The kiwi may test resistance around the 1.10 level, if it rises again.



Looking ahead, German and U.K. construction PMIs for September, as well as Eurozone retail sales for August will be released in the European session.



The European Central Bank publishes the account of the monetary policy meeting of the Governing Council held on September 7-8 at 7:30 am ET.



U.S. weekly jobless claims for the week ended October 1 and Canada Ivey PMI for September are set for release in the New York session.



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Dubai, United Arab Emirates--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2022) - While supporting the UAE and other GCC countries as they look to leverage blockchain technology to establish a safe, secure, and transparent digital ecosystem, Chainalysis, the blockchain data platform, today announced its plans to participate at the 2022 edition of the Future Blockchain Summit (stand Z4-L67), taking place in Dubai from Oct 10-14.

Through a series of panel and keynote discussions as well as several 'Lightning Talks', Chainalysis will use the event to raise awareness and educate attendees on some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities that cryptocurrencies, DeFi and other Web3 technologies hold for the region.

"As our co-founder Jonathan Levin rightly pointed out during his visit to the region earlier this year, the UAE has the opportunity to be a model for other nations when it comes to establishing a crypto hub. Since this is still a fairly nascent space, the realisation of this ambition will require a major focus on regulation, built on a deep understanding of the underlying blockchain technology," said Bas Lemmens, General Manager International, Chainalysis. "Given the work we are doing with governments across the globe, over the course of the five days at GITEX Global and the Future Blockchain Summit, we will focus on educating all stakeholders - from government entities and private sector organisations, to everyday consumers - on the fundamentals of blockchain technology."

The company will participate in two key panel discussions hosted by the organisers of the Future Blockchain Summit, which will take place on the side-lines of GITEX Global. These are:

Panel Discussion on Evolution of Virtual Asset Regulations featuring Amardeep Thandi, Director, Crypto Regulatory and Compliance Lead EMEA, Chainalysis

Monday, 10 October, 12:15pm on the Exchange Stage

Presentation on Web3 Promises and Risks by Diederik van Wersch - Director, Mid-Market EMEA, Chainalysis and Shailendra Sadh - Advisory Solutions Architect, Chainalysis

Wednesday, 12 October, 1:00pm on the Block Stage

Chainalysis will also host the following sessions at its own stand located in Zabeel Hall (Z4-L67):

Sneak peek into Cryptocurrency Transaction Tracing at Scale by Shailendra Sadh, Advisory Solutions Architect, Chainalysis

Tuesday, 11 October, 1:00pm

Compliance 101 for Financial Services and Crypto Natives by Amardeep Thandi, Director, Crypto Regulatory and Compliance Lead EMEA, Chainalysis

Wednesday, 12 October, 2:00pm

Web 3 - Promises and Pitfalls by Diederik van Wersch - Director, Mid-Market EMEA, Chainalysis

Thursday, 13 October, 1:00pm

Visitors to the Chainalysis stand will get a first-in-region opportunity to experience live demos of Chainalysis Storyline, its Web3-native blockchain analysis tool, designed to visualise smart contract transactions, including DeFi and NFTs. With funds stolen from DeFi protocols accounting for 96% of the $2.28 billion worth of cryptocurrency stolen in security breaches and code exploits so far this year, Chainalysis Storyline solves a pressing need, and paves the way for building consumer confidence and trust in the underlying technology. With this solution, regulators and law enforcement agencies can get a holistic view of the movements of funds as they are transacted across blockchains, and pinpoint transactions and funds that matter the most to them.

"Backed by strong government support, the region has arguably one of the most dynamic and fast-growing crypto economies, globally. Whether it be via our recent MoU with the UAE government to train public sector employees, or by providing our technology to private sector entities looking to build crypto hubs, we are committed to offering tools that can help shape the digital future of the region. We are excited about the opportunity to showcase our expertise and technology at GITEX Global and the Future Blockchain Summit, and look forward to furthering our relationships with key regional stakeholders," concluded Lemmens.

Media Contact

Company Name :- Future Blockchain Summit

Steven Besse

Email Id :- steven.besse@dwtc.com

Company Website :- https://futureblockchainsummit.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139735


H-25 Co-generation Power Plant

TOKYO, Oct 6, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Power, a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), has received an order for an H-25 gas turbine for the Taiwanese firm Chang Chun Plastics Co., Ltd. The turbine with 30-megawatt (MW) output capacity will be the core of a new high-efficiency, natural gas-fired cogeneration (combined heat and power) facility at the company's Dafa Factory in Kaohsiung. Operation is scheduled to begin around winter 2023, with the unit supplying power for the company's factories, and steam for manufacturing processes. This is the first H-25 gas turbine that Mitsubishi Power has supplied in Taiwan.Chang Chun Plastics' Dafa Factory is located in an industrial park east of downtown Kaohsiung City (Daliao District). The gas turbine will replace the existing oil and coal-fired boiler facility, part of a project conducted in response to a request from the Kaohsiung authorities to reduce coal consumption based on the global trend toward reducing CO2 emissions, and a shift in Taiwan's energy policy.Mitsubishi Power will supply the H-25 gas turbine and auxiliary machinery, and dispatch engineers to provide support for installation and trial operations.Chang Chun Plastics is the core company of Chang Chun Group, a major petrochemical conglomerate in Taiwan. Headquartered in Taipei, Chang Chun Group comprises numerous group companies and factories in Taiwan and around the world.Since 1984, Mitsubishi Power has supplied Chang Chun Group with major equipment for the power and cogeneration facilities at its factories, including nine steam turbines and five boilers. Mitsubishi Power continues to provide after-sales service for the equipment it has supplied, as well as various types of service solutions. This latest order is a reflection of the trust established by this track record, and the long-standing good relations between the two companies. In addition, Chang Chun Group plans to introduce additional gas turbines in the future, and has concluded a forward-looking Frame Agreement with Mitsubishi Power for delivery of a total of four H-25 gas turbines, including the one for this project.The H-25 is a heavy-duty gas turbine(Note) with outstanding reliability confirmed by its record of long operating hours. Since the initial order in 1987, Mitsubishi Power has established a solid track record of operating performance, selling more than 190 units in Japan and overseas. Compared to a conventional boiler type cogeneration plant, the H-25 contributes to greater plant efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions. It is a powerful tool for the energy transition, as the market for distributed power sources shifts from coal to natural gas, and eventually to hydrogen fuel.Going forward, Mitsubishi Power will further proactively pursue business activities in the distributed power sources market, including for industrial-use private power generation and cogeneration systems in Japan and overseas, contributing to stronger industrial foundations for countries and regions, and reducing the environmental load from energy.*Heavy-duty gas turbines are designed to maintain steady output over long-term, continuous operation, providing exceptional reliability, as well as easier and less frequent maintenance.About MHI GroupMitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world's leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.Source: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2022) - Millionaire Beauty has launched the Millionaire Flawless Corrective product as an anti-bacterial skin treatment for people who experience spots, acne, and redness in their complexion. The product is designed for use on all skin types.

For more information, please visit: Flawless Corrective Serum





Millionaire Beauty Launches Corrective Serum Treatment For Acne Skincare Routine

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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To coincide with the latest move, the store is providing two bundles for customers wanting to reduce pimples with anti-inflammatory ingredients - the Deep Melt and Deep Treat products alongside Flawless Corrective.

Millionaire Beauty's new treatment contains medical-grade azelaic acid which reduces inflammation and redness in the skin. It targets bacteria in pores to help prevent breakouts from forming.

Retinol is also a featured ingredient in the powerful serum, which helps to reduce fine lines and boost collagen production and cell turnover. In turn, this helps to improve the appearance of acne scars and pigmentation.

The product can be used both maintain skin complexion and as a more targeted treatment. For everyday use it can be employed in the mornings as a toner, and at night time as a treatment mask to be dabbed on acne breakouts and left overnight.

Additional details are provided at: Acne Attack Pro Bundle

With the latest move, Millionaire Beauty expands its focus on comprehensive organic skincare products. Each of its beauty products is based on cutting-edge research and active ingredients from nature that have proven to be effective.

In addition to the new acne treatment, the online store also stocks a variety of other products that offer a full skincare regime. These include their Deep Melt Cleanser, Protector Cleansing Bar, and Deep Treat Skincare Serum. All Millionaire Beauty's luxury skincare products are made with natural, organic, and vegan ingredients, and designed to protect, tighten, hydrate, and exfoliate all skin types.

Interested parties can find more information about the brand at Millionaire Beauty

Contact Info:

Name: Narjice Basaran

Email: hello@millionairebeauty.co.uk

Organization: Millionaire Beauty

Address: Suit 300, 52a Windsor Street Uxbridge, London, Hillingdon UB8 1AB, United Kingdom

Website: https://www.millionairebeauty.co.uk/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139739
- Company's transformative and eco-friendly tires CONQUEROR and PUREBACK selected as finalists in Concepts & Speculative Design category

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NEXEN TIRE, a leading global tire manufacturer, announced that two of its concept tires, the CONQUEROR and the PUREBACK were named as finalists at the 2022 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) in the United States.



The IDEA Design Awards, which is regarded as one of the top three international design organizations and held annually by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), is marking its 42nd anniversary this year.

As a joint industry-academic collaboration with students in the product design field, NEXEN TIRE and The Korea Design Membership Plus (KDM+) focused on creating future concept tires that can combat tough climate conditions and environmental challenges.

The CONQUEROR concept tire was designed specifically for usage in the winter on snowy roads. Normally, it maintains its shape all year round, and when a smart sensor detects a slick road condition, a spike on the tread extends to improve stability and mobility.

The PUREBACK is an environmentally friendly tire, which was created to effectively separate and discharge microplastics produced while driving in a central capsule in real time through an inlet between treads. By doing this, microplastics that causes tire wear helps to prevent air pollution.

Meanwhile, NEXEN TIRE has also received and has been recognized by numerous international design awards such as the Red Dot Design Awards and the iF Design Awards.

About NEXEN TIRE

NEXEN TIRE, established in 1942, is a global tire manufacturer headquartered in South Korea. NEXEN TIRE, one of the world's fastest growing tire manufacturers, currently interacts with approximately 150 countries around the world and owns four manufacturing plants - two in Korea (Yangsan and Changnyeong) and one in Qingdao, China. Another plant in Zatec, the Czech Republic has also begun operation in 2019. NEXEN TIRE produces tires for passenger cars, SUVs, and light trucks with advanced technology and excellence in design. NEXEN TIRE supplies OE tires to global car makers in various countries around the world. In 2014, the company achieved a grand slam of the world's top 4 design awards for the first time amongst the various tire makers in the world.

For more information, please visit http://www.nexentire.com/international/

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/99e0e047-2fb0-419f-b6f1-0edec77a01b6
Investment to help to accelerate and meet increasing demands for high-quality nature-based solutions projects with strong environmental and societal co-benefits

Bregal Investments ("Bregal"), an international private equity platform, today announced a majority investment and strategic partnership with PUR Projet ("PUR" or the "Company"), a leading global nature-based solutions ("NbS") project developer. Having spearheaded the development of the Science Based Targets initiative ("SBTi") guidance for the private equity sector last year, the investment in PUR further reinforces Bregal's overarching commitment to climate action and will focus on scaling natural climate solutions, working with nature to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005313/en/

Founded in 2008 PUR is a certified B Corp and a pioneer in the development of "insetting" working with clients to develop NbS projects within their supply chain which are designed to sequester and store carbon emissions whilst creating positive impacts for communities and the ecosystems they inhabit. The Company has partnered with corporates and leading brands, implementing over fifty projects to date, with a particular focus on agroforestry and regenerative agriculture within coffee, cocoa, and other commodity supply chains globally.

Designed in close partnership with local communities, PUR's NbS projects aim to maintain and restore essential ecosystem services, improve community resilience through capacity building and income diversification activities, and support essential climate mitigation efforts. Through these projects, the Company has supported more than 50,000 farmers in rural areas across six continents; worked with communities to restore and preserve over 300,000 hectares of land; and planted over 20 million new trees.

"Making capital work for the good of people and the planet is a societal imperative," said Alain Carrier, CEO of Bregal. "As a firm, responsible and sustainable investment practices are a core part of our investment philosophy, and we are excited to be partnering with a mission-driven company such as PUR, as the first step on our journey to launching a dedicated impact platform Bregal Sphere."

"Humanity is facing an unprecedented climate crisis and investing in nature is an essential part of the solution," added Tristan Lecomte, Founder of PUR Projet. "This crisis is bigger than us. Bregal's investment in PUR will help us scale nature-based solutions projects worldwide and further strengthen the impact that we have on the communities we partner with across the globe."

"We are very excited to partner with Tristan and PUR's management team to help accelerate their approach to climate action investing in nature and communities," said Alvar de Wolff, Head of ESG and Responsible Investing at Bregal. "Insetting offers a genuine route for companies to reach net zero by reducing emissions within their own supply chains and helping them to meet their climate commitments."

Bregal's investment in PUR will aim to help scale the global development and deployment of high-quality NbS projects and support efforts to address the significant financing gap for nature and biodiversity. Going forward, the Bregal Sphere platform will look to deploy targeted capital to help address key societal and environmental challenges in a responsible and sustainable way.

About Bregal Investments

Bregal Investments ("Bregal") is a leading private equity investment firm providing a platform for its family of direct investment and fund-of-funds teams. Bregal manages over 14 billion in assets across its strategies and has closed over 150 direct investments and invested in more than 200 funds. The Bregal family of funds focuses on long-term sustainable value creation and provides access to private equity, growth equity, credit, and fund-of-fund strategies. Headquartered in London and New York, Bregal has over 200 employees across its eight offices.

Bregal Investments was founded in 2002 and is the private equity platform of COFRA Holding, a privately held group headquartered in Switzerland, with a clear mission to be a force for good through business.

For more information about Bregal Investments, visit www.bregal.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

For more information about Bregal Sphere, visit www.bregalsphere.com.

About PUR Projet

PUR Projet ("PUR") is a leading international developer of high-quality nature-based solutions ("NbS") projects, with a 14-year track record of field-based project development. Headquartered in Paris, France, and employing 150 people globally, PUR have 40 projects across 30 countries, with regional offices in Canada, Colombia, Peru, Ivory Coast, Thailand, China and Indonesia. The Company's vision is to be "One with Nature" and their strategy is particularly focused on reconciling companies with the ecosystems they depend upon through NBS insetting projects and other high integrity climate projects utilising the latest monitoring, reporting and verification technologies.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005313/en/

Contacts:

Bregal Investments

Jillian Hazelton

Head of Marketing Communications

Jillian.hazelton@bregal.com



PUR Project

Joy D'souza

Global Brand Manager

joy.dsouza@purprojet.com
Investment to help to accelerate and meet increasing demands for high-quality nature-based solutions projects with strong environmental and societal co-benefits

Paris, France, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Paris, France [October 6, 2022] - PUR Projet ("PUR" or the "Company"), a leading global nature-based solutions ("NbS") project developer, and Bregal Investments ("Bregal"), an international private equity platform, today announced a strategic partnership and majority investment by Bregal into the Company. The investment will enable PUR to accelerate its growth, further develop its operations, and support the scaling of natural climate solutions globally - working with nature to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions whilst generating multiple environmental and societal co-benefits.

"Humanity is facing an unprecedented climate crisis and investing in nature is an essential part of the solution," said Tristan Lecomte, Founder of PUR Projet. "This crisis is bigger than us. Bregal's investment in PUR will help us scale nature-based solutions projects worldwide and further strengthen the impact that we have on the communities we partner with across the globe."

Founded in 2008, PUR is a certified B Corp and a pioneer in the development of "insetting" - working with clients to develop NbS projects within their supply chain which are designed to sequester and store carbon emissions whilst creating positive impacts for communities and the ecosystems they inhabit. The Company has partnered with corporates and leading brands, implementing over fifty projects to date, with a particular focus on agroforestry and regenerative agriculture within coffee, cocoa, and other commodity supply chains globally.

Designed in close partnership with local communities, PUR's NbS projects aim to maintain and restore essential ecosystem services, improve community resilience through capacity building and income diversification activities, and support essential climate mitigation efforts. Through these projects, the Company has supported more than 50,000 farmers in rural areas across six continents; worked with communities to restore and preserve over 300,000 hectares of land; and planted over 20 million new trees.

"Making capital work for the good of people and the planet is a societal imperative," said Alain Carrier, CEO of Bregal. "As a firm, responsible and sustainable investment practices are a core part of our investment philosophy, and we are excited to be partnering with a mission-driven company such as PUR, as the first step on our journey to launching a dedicated impact platform - Bregal Sphere."

"Our partnership with Bregal comes at a crucial point in PUR's journey, as we seek to strengthen our global project portfolio and create better impact while allowing more precise measurements (biodiversity, water, soil, livelihoods)," said Alexandre Schouler, Managing Director of PUR. "There is a clear need for companies to take ambitious climate action and we are excited to support leading corporates to achieve their Net Zero strategies, through nature-based interventions."

Bregal's investment in PUR will aim to help scale the global development and deployment of high-quality NbS projects and support efforts to address the significant financing gap for nature and biodiversity. Going forward, the Bregal Sphere platform will look to deploy targeted capital to help address key societal and environmental challenges in a responsible and sustainable way.

About PUR Projet

PUR Projet ("PUR") is a leading international developer of high-quality nature-based solutions ("NbS") projects, with a 14-year track record of field-based project development. Headquartered in Paris, France, and employing 150 people globally, PUR have 40 projects across 30 countries, with regional offices in Canada, Colombia, Peru, Ivory Coast, Thailand, China and Indonesia. The Company's vision is to be "One with Nature" and their strategy is particularly focused on reconciling companies with the ecosystems they depend upon through NBS in-setting projects and other high integrity climate projects - utilising the latest monitoring, reporting and verification technologies.

About Bregal Investments

Bregal Investments ("Bregal") is a leading private equity investment firm providing a platform for its family of direct investment and fund-of-funds teams. Bregal manages over 14 billion in assets across its strategies and has closed over 150 direct investments and invested in more than 200 funds. The Bregal family of funds focuses on long-term sustainable value creation and provides access to private equity, growth equity, credit, and fund-of-fund strategies. Headquartered in London and New York, Bregal has over 200 employees across its eight offices.

Bregal Investments was founded in 2002 and is the private equity platform of COFRA Holding, a privately held group headquartered in Switzerland, with a clear mission to be a force for good through business.

For more information about Bregal Investments, visit www.bregal.comor follow us on LinkedIn.

For more information about Bregal Sphere, visit www.bregalsphere.com.
Loop Energy (TSX: LPEN), a developer and manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cells for commercial mobility, today announces two new customers, each developing medium-duty hydrogen-electric trucks.

Opex, a Colombian systems integrator of batteries and hydrogen fuel cells, and Avia Ingenieria, a Spanish electric powertrain provider and systems integrator, are both looking to trial hydrogen-electric vehicles in 2023.

Loop Energy enters the Pilot Phase of the Customer Adoption Cycle with both companies, expanding its presence in the dynamic European market and establishing its first relationship in the emerging South American market. The news comes after Loop Energy recently upgraded its purchase order guidance for the next 18 months.

Having supplied components and infrastructure for battery-electric vehicles for more than a decade, Opex identified fuel cells as a solution for commercial vehicles in Latin America two years ago. Starting with a prototype, Opex aims to develop a logistics truck using Loop Energy's S300 (30 kW) fuel cell as a range extender. Once built, the truck is expected to be trialed by a local fleet operator to evaluate how the technology can be deployed in larger truck applications.

Avia Ingenieria plans to also apply Loop Energy's 30 kW fuel cell as a range extender in a tractor-trailer transport truck. The truck is a part of the ShineFleet project, which features various Spanish technology and engineering companies including Tecnicas Reunidas. The aim of the pilot is to demonstrate the feasibility of hydrogen technology and educate fleet operators on how to scale a fleet. A logistics fleet operator is expected to integrate the truck into its service routes once it is operational in 2023.

"We've seen positive growth when it comes to using fuel cells in medium-duty electric trucks," said Loop Energy Chief Commercial Officer, George Rubin. "Our team continues to identify manufacturers and fleet operators committed to the deployment of hydrogen-electric fleets worldwide. It is great to see Opex and Avia Ingenieria setting a positive example in their respective markets."

Climate Change mitigation, regulatory pressure and energy security concerns are compelling manufacturers and fleet operators to invest in and operate hydrogen-electric trucks instead of traditional diesel combustion engine vehicles. Benefits such as extended range, lighter weight and fast refuelling are key contributors to lower total cost of ownership, making fuel cell-powered vehicles an appealing zero-emissions solution.

About Opex S.A.S.

Opex S.A.S. is a colombian based company with 10 years of experience in the market. Among its main market activities are selling and renting of products as acid lead batteries, Li-Ion batteries, and Hydrogen fuel cells. The company also provides products as forklift trucks and batteries for warehouses, including installations and maintenance of the products. During the last two years, Opex has been involved in several research projects related to clean energies and hydrogen use. We have installed the first hydrogen refueling station in the entire South America region. To learn more visit: www.opex.com.co

About Avia Ingenieria

Avia is an independent company specializing in the design, manufacture of prototypes and small series of special vehicles. The philosophy of the company as engineering is to offer its capacity to develop advanced technology projects and to be present in research projects in the fields of new energies and materials.It offers its clients solutions from the simplest execution of manufacturing drawings to the most advanced integral projects, contributing, with its knowledge, technology and computer resources. Avia brings vast experience in the fields of aeronautics, automotive, agricultural equipment and public works.

About Loop Energy Inc.

Loop Energy is a leading designer and manufacturer of fuel cell systems targeted for the electrification of commercial vehicles, including light commercial vehicles, transit buses and medium and heavy-duty trucks. Loop's products feature the company's proprietary eFlow technology in the fuel cell stack's bipolar plates. eFlow is designed to enable commercial customers to achieve performance maximization and cost minimization. Loop works with OEMs and major vehicle sub-system suppliers to enable the production of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. For more information about how Loop is driving towards a zero-emissions future, visit www.loopenergy.com.

Forward Looking Warning

This press release contains forward looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflect management's current expectations and projections regarding future events. Particularly, statements regarding the Company's or Customer's expectations of future sales and deployment, performance, achievements, prospects or opportunities or the markets in which we operate is forward looking information, including without limitation statements regarding the trials and deployment of Opex's and Avia's hydrogen-electric truck, future purchase orders and projected benefits of fuel cell technology in commercial vehicles.

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 and could cause actual results and events to vary materially from those that are disclosed, or implied, by such forward looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability to scale hydrogen technology into larger applications or fleets, if vehicle OEMs and fleet operators choose not to invest and operate zero-emissions vehicles over diesel vehicles, if the benefits of fuel cell technology in commercials does not contribute to lower total cost of ownership and the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 23, 2022. Loop disclaims any obligation to update these forward looking statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005161/en/

Contacts:

Investor Inquiries:

Investor Relations Tel: +1 604.222.3400 investors@loopenergy.com

Laine Yonker Tel: +1 646.653.7035 lyonker@edisongroup.com



Business Inquiries:

George Rubin Tel: +1.604.828.8185 grubin@loopenergy.com



Media Inquiries:

Lucas Schmidt Tel: +1.604.222.3400 Ext. 603 lucas.schmidt@loopenergy.com
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Insight Partners published latest research study on " Laboratory Information System (LIS) Market Size, Share, Revenue, Growth Strategy, Industry Trends and Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis - by Product, Delivery Mode, Component, End User and Geography," the global laboratory information system (LIS) market size was valued at $2.17 billion in 2028 from $1.10 billion in 2021 it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.4% from 2022 to 2028.





Download Sample PDF Brochure of Laboratory Information System (LIS) Market Size - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis with Strategic Insights at: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPTE100000923/

Global Laboratory Information System (LIS) Market Report Scope, Segmentations, Regional & Country Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Size Value in US$ 1.10 Billion in 2021 Market Size Value by US$ 2.17 Billion by 2028 Growth rate CAGR of 10.4% from 2022 to 2028 Forecast Period 2022-2028 Base Year 2021 No. of Pages 195 No. of Tables 112 No. of Charts & Figures 77 Historical data available Yes Segments covered Product, Delivery Mode, Component, and End User Regional scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; MEA Country scope US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Argentina Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends Companies Covered Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.; Illumina, Inc.; LABWORKS; LabLynx, Inc.; LabVantage Solutions, Inc.; Francisco Partners; CompuGroup Medical; Hex Labs; AAC Infotray AG; McKesson Corporation Key Research Capabilities Global Market Assessment, Business Development Strategies, Competitive Landscape, Opportunity Analysis, Regional and Country Level Market Analysis, Market Entry Strategies, Market Dynamics, Risk and Return Assessments, Pricing Analysis, Market Size and Forecasting, Company Profiling, Value Chain Analysis, Expansion Strategies, SWOT Analysis, New Product Development Global Laboratory Information System (LIS) Market Forecast to 2028 - Latest COVID-19 Analysis https://www.theinsightpartners.com/covid-analysis-sample/TIPTE100000923/

Browse key market insights spread across 195 pages with 112 list of tables & 77 list of figures from the report, "Laboratory Information System (LIS) Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Product (Standalone LIS and Integrated LIS), Delivery Mode (Cloud-Based Delivery Mode, Web-Based Delivery Mode, and On-Premises Delivery Mode), Component (Software and Services), and End User (Hospital Labs, Independent Labs, and Physicians' Office Labs)" in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/reports/laboratory-information-system-lis-market

Global Laboratory information system (LIS) Market: Competition Landscape and Key Developments

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.; Illumina, Inc.; LABWORKS; LabLynx, Inc.; LabVantage Solutions, Inc.; Francisco Partners; CompuGroup Medical; Hex Labs; AAC Infotray AG; and McKesson Corporation are among the key companies operating in the global laboratory information system (LIS) market. TheSE companies adopt product innovation strategies to meet the evolving customer demands globally, allowing them to maintain their brand name in the global laboratory information system (LIS) market. A few of the recent developments in the global laboratory information system (LIS) market are mentioned below:

In April 2022, LabVantage Solutions, Inc. announced the introduction of LabVantage Forensic Navigator, an industry expert-built informatics platform designed to seamlessly manage the vast amounts of forensic evidence and data used throughout the entire criminal justice life cycle.

In February 2022, McKesson Medical-Surgical partnered with Orchard Software as an authorized distributor offering technology solutions that support workflow and efficiency of laboratories.

Inquiry Before Purchase: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/inquiry/TIPTE100000923/

In May 2022, LabLynx launched its newest LIS solution-CannaQA Standard Edition-made for startup and growing cannabis testing labs. This latest solution by LabLynx offers a streamlined version of the company's enterprise CannaQA solution with many of the product's great features but with a more affordable price and faster implementation timeline.

In April 2022, LabLynx, Inc.-a long-time leader in enterprise-level cloud-hosted LIMS/LIS-announced that it had developed the world's first LIS dedicated specifically to COVID-19 diagnostic testing.

Laboratory Information System (LIS) Market: Key Insights

Rise in the adoption of automation in laboratories and technological advancements in LIS are propelling the market growth. However, limited expertise in the healthcare IT domain and high costs of implementation of LIS are likely to restrain the growth of the global laboratory information system (LIS) market during the forecast period. The Standalone LIS segment held the largest share of the market in 2021. Also, the same segment is estimated to register a CAGR of 10.1% % in the market from 2022-2028. The Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the laboratory information system market over the forecast period due to increasing clinical trials, various biological studies, and genomic studies. In addition, the growing biopharmaceutical industry, and increasing adoption of healthcare IT is further likely to contribute to the growth of the region.

Speak to Research Expert: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/speak-to-analyst/TIPTE100000923

Laboratory information systems (LIS) are used to manage various tasks in the laboratory, including workflow management, instruments integration, records management, logistics management, decision making, enterprise resource planning, privacy, and security controls. Laboratories generate an ample amount of data that can be managed through LIS. LIS eliminates the chances of patient data getting misplaced or lost. It helps in storing, managing, and processing patient data. This reduces clerical work, improves communication, and improves the quality of information offered to the clinician.

Emergence of Cloud-Based LIS Services:

The demand for cloud-based LIS services is growing as the approach requires lower capital and operational expenditures than on-premises LIS. Cloud-based solutions allow healthcare organizations and clinical laboratories to share and integrate data from several locations, making the data collection process more efficient. The emergence of Internet-enabled cloud-based services has resulted in major advancements in the global laboratory information system (LIS) market. Advancements in virtualization and increased access to high-speed internet allow for faster innovation at lower costs. Companies that employ cloud-based solutions just have to pay for the software subscription instead of the complete licenses. Moreover, cloud-based LIS does not require any upfront capital expenditure for hardware, which reduces the burden on healthcare and clinical settings with a minimum requirement of IT personnel.

Pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers are increasingly employing centralized corporate-based facilities to develop a virtual network of contract research, development, and manufacturing organizations (CRDMOs) and academic institutions. The adoption of cloud-based LIS solutions would enable them to manage large volumes of data gathered from their operations. Cloud-based delivery mode models would emerge as an effective LIS solution due to benefits such as increased data accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and real-time analysis, providing substantial growth prospects to the global laboratory information system (LIS) market players.

Quickly Purchase Premium Copy of Laboratory Information System (LIS) Market Growth Report (2022-2028) at: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPTE100000923/

Go through further research published by The Insight Partners:

Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) Market - The global laboratory information management system (LIMS) market size was valued at US$ 1,122.36 million in 2021 and is projected to reach US$ 2,402.48 million by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.5% from 2021 to 2028.

Nasal Irrigation Devices Market - The global nasal irrigation devices market size was valued US$ 289.30 million in 2021, it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 18.1% from 2022 to 2028.

Laboratory Information System (LIS) Market - The global laboratory information system (LIS) market size was valued US$ 1,104.27 million in 2021, it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.4% from 2022 to 2028.

Arbitrary Waveform Generator Market - The global arbitrary waveform generator market size is expected to grow from US$ 355.3 million in 2021 to US$ 624.4 million by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.4% from 2022 to 2028.

Virtual Pipeline Systems Market - The global virtual pipeline systems market size is projected to reach US$ 1,886.83 million by 2028 from US$ 1,191.59 million in 2022; the virtual pipeline systems market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 9.2% from 2022 to 2028.

Lithium Compounds Market -The global lithium compounds market size is expected to grow from US$ 6.3 billion in 2021 to US$ 25.1 billion by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 22.0% between 2022 and 2028.

Commercial Greenhouse Market - The global commercial greenhouse market size is expected to grow from US$ 38 billion in 2022 to US$ 62 billion by 2028; it is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 8.4% from 2022 to 2028.

Smart Coatings Market - The global smart coatings market size is expected to grow from US$ 5.5 billion in 2021 to US$ 23.1 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 24.2% between 2022 and 2028.

Self-healing Materials Market - The global self-healing materials market size is expected to grow from US$ 435 million in 2021 to US$ 2,100 million by 2028 at a CAGR of 27% between 2022 and 2028.

Microencapsulation Market - The global microencapsulation market size accounted for ~US$ 7.5 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach US$ 17.5 billion by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 11.2% between 2022 and 2028.

Coconut Derivatives Market - The global coconut derivatives market size accounted for approximately US$ 14 billion in 2022 and is projected to exceed US$ 23 billion by 2028; it is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 9.2% between 2022 and 2028.

Biopesticides Market - The global biopesticides market size is expected to grow from US$ 4,600 million in 2022 to US$ 14,000 million by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 11.5% from 2022 to 2028.

Bioethanol Market - The global bioethanol market size is expected to grow from US$ 110 billion in 2022 to more than US$ 190 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 9.5% between 2022 and 2028.

Bioadhesives Market - The global bioadhesives market size is expected to grow from US$ 700 million in 2022 to US$ 1080 million by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% between 2022 and 2028.

Bioactive Materials Market -The global bioactive materials market size is expected to grow from US$ 2,000 Million in 2022 to US$ 5,500 Million by 2028, with an estimated CAGR of 13.0% from 2022 to 2028.

Advanced Composites Market - The global advanced composites market size is expected to grow from US$ 36.1 billion in 2021 to US$ 68.9 billion by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2022 to 2028.

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Increase in grid automation, surge in investments in the countries such as India, Japan, and South Korea, and strict regulations imposed by governments leading rise in usage of solar power drive the growth of the global smart solar power market.

PORTLAND, Oregon, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Smart Solar Power Market by Device (Smart Solar Meters, IntelliGrid, RFID), by Solution (Asset Management, Network Monitoring, Meter Data Management, Analytics, SCADA, Remote Metering, Outage Management), by Application (Commercial, Industrial, Residential): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031." According to the report, the global smart solar power industry generated $13.4 billion in 2021, and is estimated to reach $47.7 billion by 2031, manifesting a CAGR of 13.6% from 2022 to 2031.





Download Free Sample Report (340 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures):https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/514

Prime determinants of growth

Increase in grid automation, surge in investments in the countries such as India, Japan, and South Korea, and strict regulations imposed by governments leading rise in usage of solar power drive the growth of the global smart solar power market. However, reduction in subsidies and complex structure of smart solar systems that creates issues with land selection for installation are factors that hinder the market growth. On the other hand, rapid innovation and developments in the internet technology and communication technology create new opportunities in the coming years.

Covid-19 Scenario

Many governments across the world implemented lockdown restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic to reduce rising number of infected cases. This, in turn, led to delay in installation of smart solar power panels in many projects. In addition, manufacturing activities of these panels were stopped partially or completely due to shortage of raw materials, supply chain disruptions, and unavailability of workforce.

In July 2020 , the Seychelles government informed that the construction activities of floating solar PV power plant were delayed due to lockdown restrictions. Solar project developers needed to face project delays.

, the government informed that the construction activities of floating solar PV power plant were delayed due to lockdown restrictions. Solar project developers needed to face project delays. The situation is expected to change post-pandemic as there will a gradual surge in the construction activities for smart solar power plants with surge in demand for solar power. The governments of different developing and developed countries will invest massively in the development of solar power plants for lowering imports of fossil fuels, and other energy resources.

The smart solar meters segment to maintain its leadership position throughout the forecast period

Based on device, the smart solar meters segment accounted for the largest market share in 2021, contributing to more than half of the global smart solar power market, and is estimated to maintain its leadership position throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to widespread acceptance in residential, industrial, and commercial sectors and benefits such as long-term stability, economical cost, wide spectral range, and automated transmission measurement. However, the RFID segment is expected to manifest the largest CAGR of 14.1% from 2022 to 2031. This is due to surge in demand for power from clean energy resources and ability to track and collate the data of the power generation in the solar panels.

The asset management segment to continue its leadership throughout the forecast period

Based on solution, the asset management segment contributed to the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than one-fourth of the global smart solar power market, and will continue its leadership in terms of revenue throughout the forecast period. This is due to rise in the investments among the major manufacturing companies and power generation companies toward the development of clean and renewable energy and ability to provide accurate data of the solar power systems. However, the outage management segment is estimated to manifest the largest CAGR of 14.9% from 2022 to 2031, owing to the demand for construction of the large-scale solar power plants and rise in investment of private energy and government power companies to shift toward sustainable energy resources.

The industrial segment to continue its highest contribution throughout the forecast period

Based on application, the industrial segment accounted for the largest market share in 2021, holding more than half of the global smart solar power market, and is estimated to continue its highest contribution throughout the forecast period. This is due to rapid industrialization, decrease in fossil fuel resources, and demand and need for backup energy services. However, the residential segment is projected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 14.1% from 2022 to 2031, owing to increase in modernization across the globe and rapid development in the developing countries.

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North America to continue its dominant share throughout the forecast period

Based on region, North America held the largest market share in 2021, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global smart solar power market, and is projected to continue its dominant share throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to the development of various industries and reduction in the cost of residential, commercial-rooftop, and utility-scale PV systems in the region. However, Asia-Pacific is estimated to witness at the fastest CAGR of 14.4% from 2022 to 2031. This is due to increase in environmental concerns and government policies for availing incentives and tax benefits for solar panel installation.

Leading Market Players

Aclara Software

GE Energy

ABB

CAlico Energy Services

HCL Technologies

Siemens

Echelon Corporation

Schneider Electric

Urban Green Energy International

Landis+GYR AG

Sensus USA Inc.

Silver Spring Networks Inc.

Itron Inc.

HCL Technologies

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

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We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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Internet, Everywhere--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2022) - Shopify Inc. (NYSE, TSX: SHOP), a provider of essential internet infrastructure for commerce, plans to announce financial results for its third quarter, which ended September 30, 2022, before markets open on Thursday, October 27, 2022.

Shopify's management team will host a conference call to discuss third-quarter results at 8:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, October 27, 2022. The conference call will be available via webcast on the investor relations section of Shopify's website at https://investors.shopify.com/news-and-events/.

An archived replay of the webcast will be available following the conclusion of the call.

About Shopify

Shopify is a leading provider of essential internet infrastructure for commerce, offering trusted tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business of any size. Shopify makes commerce better for everyone with a platform and services that are engineered for reliability, while delivering a better shopping experience for consumers everywhere. Proudly founded in Ottawa, Shopify powers millions of businesses in more than 175 countries and is trusted by brands such as Allbirds, Gymshark, Heinz, Tupperware, FTD, Netflix, FIGS, and many more. For more information, visit www.shopify.com.

CONTACTS:

INVESTORS:

Amy Feng

Director, Investor Relations

613-241-2828 (ext. 1024)

ir@shopify.com

MEDIA:

Stephanie Ross

Communications Lead

press@shopify.com

SOURCE: Shopify

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139578
Drill Hole J-49 Intersects 6 Metres of Gold Mineralization Grading 10.09 g/t

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2022) - Graycliff Exploration Limited (CSE: GRAY) (OTCQB: GRYCF) (FSE: GE0) (the "Company" or "Graycliff") is pleased to release assay results from the next three holes of the Phase Four drilling program at the Shakespeare Gold Project located on the Canadian Shield near Sudbury, Ontario. Phase Four drilling focused on testing the boundaries of the mineralized zone, both along strike and at depth.

Drill Hole J-49 intersected 10.09 grams per tonne of gold ("g/t Au") over 6.0 metres ("m"), including 23.80 g/t Au over 1.0 m, 15.40 g/t Au over 1.0 m and 12.70 g/t Au over 1.0 m. Significant intervals for Holes J-49 to J-51 are detailed below.

Table 1 - Highlighted Gold Assay Results from Holes J-49 to J-51

Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Width (m)1 Au (g/t) 2 J-49 173.0 178.0 5.00 1.11 189.0 195.0 6.00 10.09 including 190.0 191.0 1.00 23.80 and 191.0 192.0 1.00 15.40 and also 192.0 193.0 1.00 12.70 J-50 128.0 129.0 1.00 2.89 J-51 No Significant Intercepts

1 Reported intervals are down-hole lengths and not true thicknesses. True width of the mineralization cannot be determined due to the early-stage nature of the current program.

2 Length-weighted average grades are calculated using un-capped gold assay data.

Bruce Durham, Graycliff's QP and Technical Advisor, stated: "The positive results in Hole 50 expand the zone of gold mineralization to the northeast. Hole 49 was drilled below Holes 47 and 48 and was another example of the excellent gold mineralization deeper in the system. Once again we have two anomalous intervals less than 15 metres apart, indicating that there are multiple areas of mineralization deeper in the system as well. We are also encouraged to see more visible gold at these greater depths."

Mr. Durham added, "The presence of free gold from near surface to current depths approaching 250 metres means that this mineralized zone has a lot of potential to continue along strike and to depth."





Figure 1 - Holes J-49 to J-51 Location and Cross Section

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8952/139685_72d26e4314f1aa73_001full.jpg

Qualified Person

Bruce Durham, P.Geo., is a Qualified Person, as that term is defined by Canadian regulatory guidelines under NI 43-101, and has read and approved the technical information contained in this press release.

About Graycliff Exploration Limited

Graycliff Exploration is a mineral exploration company focused on its 1,025 hectares of prospective ground, located roughly 80 kilometres west of Sudbury on the prolific Canadian Shield. The Company's Shakespeare Project consists of one crown patented lease, two crown leases and 40 claims on a property associated with the historic Shakespeare Gold Mine, which operated from 1903 to 1907. Graycliff's Baldwin Project is adjacent to the east and is comprised of 68 claims covering 1,500 hectares.

QA/QC Protocol: https://graycliffexploration.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/graycliffexploration-qa-qc-protocols-june-2021.pdf

For more information, please contact investor relations at 1-647-249-9298, or email investors@graycliffexploration.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

James Macintosh

President and CEO

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. 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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139685
Early Access Program for New Product Provides DevOps-friendly Solution to Integrate Container Security into the Software Development Lifecycle

Veracode, a leading global provider of application security testing solutions, today announced the enhancement of its Continuous Software Security Platform to include container security. This early access program for Veracode Container Security is now underway for existing customers. The new Veracode Container Security offering, designed to meet the needs of cloud-native software engineering teams, addresses vulnerability scanning, secure configuration, and secrets management requirements for container images.

Veracode Chief Product Officer, Brian Roche, said, "As developers embrace cloud-native computing practices, containers have become increasingly important for business efficiency. This launch helps close a substantial gap in the market for developer-friendly solutions that cover critical capabilities for container security. We are excited to bring this next enhancement of our platform to the market and empower customers to address security testing for more modern architectures and deployment styles."

The Requirement for Container Security is Rapidly on the Rise

Containers are increasingly used to simplify software deployment and runtime environment configuration management. They comprise small, fast, portable units of software in which code is packaged so that an application can be run quickly and reliably in different computing environments-from the desktop to the cloud. They provide an ecosystem of repositories, orchestration technologies, and capabilities that address related issues, such as service-to-service communication and configuration management. Instantiated in pipelines from code, containers have the benefit of immutability, meaning they are not updated, reconfigured or patched in production. Instead, the underlying image is updated with new capabilities and redeployed, helping to improve efficiency in the production environment.

Despite the benefits of containers, they are affected by many of the same problems that traditionally plague physical production or virtual server hardware, such as vulnerabilities introduced through additional software, poorly managed secrets (like Amazon Web Services keys and credentials in Dockerfiles), and security misconfigurations. This has resulted in increased demand for products that address these issues and related problems, with the Global Container Security Market size expected to reach $3.9 billion by 2027*. Container security scanning analyzes container images against organizational or industry-specific standards to identify insecure processes, misconfigurations that could lead to a vulnerability, and inadequate authentication and access control.

Veracode Container Security Integrates into the Developer Environment

Many products already in the market are aimed at securing containers in runtime and offer limited support for developers, posing a major challenge for early remediation. Veracode's solution instead integrates into the CI/CD (continuous integration and continuous delivery) pipeline and is available at the command line interface. Providing coverage for vulnerability detection and remediation, secrets management, and security configuration issues on the most popular operating systems, it delivers remediation advice to developers early in the software development life cycle so that insecure containers don't ship to production.

Veracode Container Security results are available in a variety of formats based on the user's choice, including text, JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), and Software Bill of Materials (CycloneDX, SWID [Software Identification Tagging], or SPDX [Software Packaging Data Exchange]), making them easy to integrate with other tools. Providing developers and their teams with the tools to meet their specific needs means they can find and fix vulnerabilities early in the lifecycle, giving them confidence that their containerized application environment is secure.

"Veracode Container Security will be instrumental for our developers to ensure that the workloads they deploy into our cloud are secure," said the Director of Information Security at an automotive company. "Without this tool, it would take our team weeks to receive and action container results and these would only have been available in limited formats. Now, we're excited to integrate findings into the pipeline before they even move into production, creating time and cost efficiencies for our business."

To learn more about Container Security, read more here.

*Research and Markets, "Global Container Security Market Size, Share Industry Trends Analysis Report By Component (Products and Services), By Services Type, By Organization Size, By Vertical, By Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2021-2027" report, February 2022

About Veracode

Veracode is a leading AppSec partner for creating secure software, reducing the risk of security breach, and increasing security and development teams' productivity. As a result, companies using Veracode can move their business, and the world, forward. With its combination of process automation, integrations, speed, and responsiveness, Veracode helps companies get accurate and reliable results to focus their efforts on fixing, not just finding, potential vulnerabilities. Learn more at www.veracode.com, on the Veracode blog and on Twitter.

Copyright 2022 Veracode, Inc. All rights reserved. Veracode is a registered trademark of Veracode, Inc. in the United States and may be registered in certain other jurisdictions. All other product names, brands or logos belong to their respective holders. All other trademarks cited herein are property of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005542/en/

Contacts:

Katy Gwilliam

kgwilliam@veracode.com
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The European Central Bank has published the account of the monetary policy meeting of the Governing Council held on September 7 and 8 at 7:30 am ET Thursday. After the release, the euro edged down against its major rivals. The euro was trading at 142.91 against the yen, 0.9716 against the franc, 0.8763 against the pound and 0.9876 against the greenback around 7:33 am ET. 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.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Joe Biden has directed the Department of Energy to release an additional 10 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in November in the wake of OPEC's decision to cut crude oil production by 2 million barrels per day. This is in addition to 180 million barrels of oil that the Biden administration released since April. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and NEC Director Brian Deese said in a joint 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 Putin's invasion of Ukraine. 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, they added. The President will continue to direct SPR releases to protect American consumers and promote energy security, the top officials said. Biden is directing the Secretary of Energy to explore any additional responsible actions to continue increasing domestic production in the immediate term. He called on U.S. energy companies to keep bringing pump prices down by closing the historically large gap between wholesale and retail gas prices - so that American consumers are paying less at the pump. The Biden Administration will also consult with Congress on additional tools and authorities to reduce OPEC's control over energy prices. 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.
The company received a 94 Net Promoter Score - highest in its category - and four number 1 rankings in G2 awards for software setup, implementation, and adoption

BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / October 6, 2022 / Shoobx , the company that fully automates all startup equity management operations and financings in a single collaborative hub, today announced that it received four awards in the Implementation Index for Equity Management from G2 , the world's largest and most trusted software marketplace. The company also achieved the highest Net Promoter Score amongst equity management software companies, with an NPS of 94.

Shoobx was recognized with awards for easiest setup, fastest implementation, best customer satisfaction, and highest user adoption awards for G2's Fall 2022 report. The 94 satisfaction score exceeded the category average of 77.

G2 awards are based on the responses of real software users for each of the related questions featured in the G2 review form.

"At its core, Shoobx is about making it easier for companies to grow and for people to achieve their goals," said Jason Furtado, CEO & Co-Founder of Shoobx. "G2's recognition validates the feedback I constantly get from our customer success team: that real-life customers find our product impactful, helpful, and simple to use. Software is supposed to make life easier, so it's essential that Shoobx makes it easy to buy, onboard, and use our product. We thank G2 - and the real customers giving feedback - for recognizing the work our team has put forth."

More than 60 million people annually - including employees at all of the FORTUNE 500 - use the G2 marketplace to make smarter software decisions based on authentic peer reviews.

"Rankings on G2 reports are based on data provided to us by real software buyers," said Sara Rossio, Chief Product Officer at G2. "Potential buyers know they can trust these insights when researching and selecting software because they're rooted in vetted, verified, and authentic reviews."

G2's recognition is another win in an eventful year for Shoobx, as the company continues its quest to make fundraising and equity management more accessible and efficient for entrepreneurs, attorneys, and investors. In addition to more than doubling its revenue over the past two years, the company has launched a series of initiatives to further its goals.

In 2021, the company announced its collaboration with Fidelity Investments to provide an equity management solution for private companies at all points of growth, from early stage through IPO and beyond.

Earlier this year, Shoobx unveiled its fully automated equity financing , a first-of-its-kind capability that allows startups, investors, and attorneys to cut down the time, effort, and money required to go from term sheet to close.

The company announced a series of partnerships that allow startups to confidently select the smartest solutions on the market. These include partnerships with Burkland , a leading provider of outsourced strategic financial services, Verivend , the platform changing how capital moves, and an integration with Gusto , the all-in-one HR platform for hiring, payroll, benefits, and more.

Shoobx also expanded its Underrepresented Founders Grants Program , an initiative that offers grants and additional benefits to entrepreneurs across the startup landscape. The program's goal is to make equity management more equitable and is open to companies with founding members that identify as underrepresented in the startup community - whether because of gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, or other factors.

About Shoobx

Shoobx is an equity management company that is reshaping how private companies get started, raise capital, and exit. By focusing on data integrity and risk reduction, Shoobx's flexible platform streamlines everything from employee onboarding to issuing equity grants to maintaining a dynamic cap table, enabling companies to grow rapidly while staying financing-ready. Thousands of startup leaders, investors, and attorneys rely on Shoobx to get paperwork right the first time and make legal diligence fast and easy.

Automate your next round at shoobx.com .

About G2

G2 is the world's largest and most trusted software marketplace. More than 60 million people annually - including employees at all of the FORTUNE 500 - use G2 to make smarter software decisions based on authentic peer reviews. Thousands of software and services companies of all sizes partner with G2 to build their reputation, manage their software spend, and grow their business - including Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoom, and Adobe. To learn more about where you go for software, visit www.g2.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn .

Media Contact:

Cassandra Cattabriga

York IE

cassandra@york.ie

SOURCE: Shoobx, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/718765/Shoobx-Recognized-with-G2-Awards-for-Fastest-Equity-Management-Implementation-And-Highest-Customer-Satisfaction-Rating-in-Category
RightRice  Veggie Rice is launching two special edition flavors for Holiday 2022: Holiday Stuffing and Brown Butter Sage

Both Holiday RightRice  items will be available at all 513 US Whole Foods Market locations and on ThriveMarket.com

RightRice  exhibited at Carmela Foods' trade show in August 2022 by special invitation, which has resulted in new retail and foodservice placements for the brand

RightRice  's ecommerce footprint has expanded to include four new listings through the US Army & Air Force Exchange Service ecommerce site ( shopmyexchange.com ) and additional listings on Amazon.com

RightRice  SKUs, along with items from Hope and Sesame  , Mozaics, and Veggicopia, will be included in Amazons Prime's Early Access Sale October 11-12

Planting Hope exhibited at the UNFI Natural Winter Show in Las Vegas, October 4-5

Planting Hope is sponsoring Chicago's Fall Dress for Success charity event on October 6, in coordination with James Beard award-winning sommelier Belinda Chang

CEO Julia Stamberger is participating in the UBS Consumer Insights Day on October 7

CHICAGO, IL and VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 6, 2022 / The Planting Hope Company Inc. (TSXV:MYLK)(OTCQB:MYLKF)(FRA:J94) ("Planting Hope" or the "Company"), a plant-based food and beverage company focused on producing the world's most nutritious and planet-friendly products, is pleased to announce that it is launching two new special edition flavors of RightRice Veggie Rice for the 2022 Holiday season: Vegan Brown Butter Sage RightRice and Holiday Stuffing RightRice.

"The special edition RightRice holiday flavors were a hit in 2021, and by popular demand we're bringing back our customer favorite, Vegan Brown Butter Sage, plus adding new Holiday Stuffing RightRice," said Julia Stamberger, CEO and Co-founder of Planting Hope. "These items will exclusively be available to consumers through our retail partners Whole Foods Market and Thrive Market, and on select ecommerce sites."

Holiday RightRice flavors are available at all 513 Whole Foods Market locations in the United States while supplies last, as well as on ThriveMarket.com. Holiday RightRice will also be available at plantinghopebrands.com and Amazon.com by the end of October.

Brown Butter Sage Holiday RightRice in Holiday Rice recipe

Holiday RightRice recipes are available at Rightrice.com, including:

https://rightrice.com/blogs/recipes/rightrice-holiday-rice

https://rightrice.com/blogs/recipes/tuscan-mushroom-stuffing

RightRice - A Success at Carmela Foods Trade Show

RightRice exhibited at the Carmela Foods trade show in August 2022 by special invitation. A premier retailer and foodservice distributor, Carmela services specialty food retailers, restaurants, country clubs, hotels, resorts, and wine establishments throughout the state of Michigan and in Northern Ohio. As a result of the successful reception at that show, Carmela is now carrying the complete RightRice Core and RightRice Risotto product lines.

Carmela Foods Social Media Post Introducing RightRice to Customers

RightRice Expands ecommerce Footprint:

The US Army & Air Force Exchange is adding four new RightRice listings to shopmyexchange.com, the online ecommerce site available exclusively to millions of active and retired service people. The four new listings include a RightRice Variety Pack, a Risotto Variety Pack, a Red White & Blue Bundle, and a 20lb Bulk Box of Original RightRice.

A 5lb Bulk Bag of Original RightRice is now available through Amazon.com.

Holiday RightRice items will be listed on PlantingHopeBrands.com, RightRice.com, and Amazon.com by the end of October 2022.

Amazon is debuting their Prime Early Access Sale event this year, October 11-12. RightRice SKUs, along with items from Hope and Sesame, Mozaics, and Veggicopia, will be included in this retail event.

Upcoming & Recent Events:

October 4-5 - Planting Hope exhibited RightRice, Hope and Sesame, and Mozaics, to grocery retailers and food service partners at the UNFI Natural Winter Show in Las Vegas, hosted by UNFI Distribution.

- Planting Hope exhibited RightRice, Hope and Sesame, and Mozaics, to grocery retailers and food service partners at the UNFI Natural Winter Show in Las Vegas, hosted by UNFI Distribution. October 6 - Planting Hope is sponsoring Chicago's Fall Dress for Success: Women, Wine, and Wardrobe event, and supplying Hope and Sesame sesame milk espresso martinis and gifts for attendees. Michelin Star Chef Henry Hill will be creating five canapes with Planting Hope products, including 'mini walking tacos' featuring Mozaics Real Veggie Chips and Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk beignets. This event is being held in collaboration with James Beard Award-winning star sommelier Belinda Chang, along with Cypress Grove cheeses, Perrier sparkling water, and others.

- Planting Hope is sponsoring Chicago's Fall Dress for Success: Women, Wine, and Wardrobe event, and supplying Hope and Sesame sesame milk espresso martinis and gifts for attendees. Michelin Star Chef Henry Hill will be creating five canapes with Planting Hope products, including 'mini walking tacos' featuring Mozaics Real Veggie Chips and Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk beignets. This event is being held in collaboration with James Beard Award-winning star sommelier Belinda Chang, along with Cypress Grove cheeses, Perrier sparkling water, and others. October 7 - As part of UBS' Consumer Insights Day, Planting Hope's CEO and Co-founder Julia Stamberger will be participating in a virtual fireside chat pertaining to the food habits of health-conscious consumers at 9:00 a.m. ET.

About RightRice

RightRice Veggie Rice is a vegetable-based, protein-rich, low carbohydrate alternative to white rice that's packed with fiber and complete plant-based protein. RightRice is the first of its kind: a shelf-stable grain that's 90 percent vegetables (lentils, chickpeas, green peas), and delivers on taste, functionality, and nutrition. With 10g of complete protein and 5g of fiber per serving, RightRice provides almost four times the protein and 40 percent fewer net carbohydrates than traditional white rice, plus it can be prepared in 10 minutes. RightRice and RightRice Risotto are available in a range of pre-seasoned flavors, including Garlic & Herb, Wild Mushroom, Creamy Parmesan, and Spanish. All RightRice products are made using real herbs and spices, and are plant-based, non-GMO verified, gluten-free certified, and kosher certified. RightRice products are currently sold in more than 8,000 leading retailers across North America, including Whole Foods Market, Wegman's, Kroger, Sprouts, and Publix, and are debuting in Q4 2022 in Canada. RightRice is ideal for food service applications, and is featured on restaurant menus, including CAVA locations nationwide. RightRice Risotto was awarded Best Sauce/Store Cupboard Product in FoodBev's 2021 World Plant-Based Taste Awards and received the 2021 Eco Excellence Award for Best Gluten Free Product, in addition to being chosen as a 2021 Editors' Pick for Best New Product by Progressive Grocer. For more information visit: www.rightrice.com.

About The Planting Hope Company Inc.

Planting Hope is a breakthrough plant-based food and beverage company focused on producing the world's most nutritious and planet-friendly brands and products. Planting Hope's award-winning and cutting-edge products fill key unmet needs in the skyrocketing plant-based food and beverage space. The Planting Hope brand family includes Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk and Sesamilk creamers, RightRice Veggie Rice, Mozaics Real Veggie Chips, and Veggicopia Veggie Snacks. Founded by experienced food industry entrepreneurs, Planting Hope is a women-managed and woman-led company with an all-women C-suite and Board of Directors, focused on nutrition, sustainability, and diversity.

For more information about Planting Hope and where to find its award-winning plant-based brands please visit plantinghopecompany.com, sign up for Planting Hope news emails HERE and follow on LinkedIn. An informational webinar on The Planting Hope Company from CEO and Co-founder Julia Stamberger is available HERE, and the latest updated investor deck and company overview is available HERE and a full product catalog is available HERE. To follow the brands on Instagram and Facebook, please visit: @hopeandsesameco, @veggicopia, @rightrice, @mozaicschips.

Company Contact

Julia Stamberger

CEO and Co-founder

(773) 492-2243

julia@plantinghopecompany.com

Investor Relations Contacts

Glen Akselrod, Bristol Capital

(905) 326-1888 ext. 1

glen@bristolir.com

Caroline Sawamoto, IR Labs

(773) 492-2243

ir@plantinghopecompany.com

Media Contact

Alex Jessup, Jessup PR

(323) 529-3541

alex.jessup@jessuppr.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.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to hereafter as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements that address activities, events, or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will, or may, occur in the future, including statements about the Company's ability to execute on its goals, the timing pertaining to these goals the potential demand for the Company's products, the timing and success of anticipated product launches and distribution of the Company's products, and the Company's business prospects, future trends, plans and strategies. In some cases, forward-looking statements are preceded by, followed by, or include words such as "may", "will," "would", "could", "should", "believes", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "continues", or the negative of those words or other similar or comparable words. In preparing the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, the assumption that demand for the Company's product will be sustained or increase in accordance with management's projections, that the Company's internal research and analysis is indicative of broader market trends and the Company's anticipated future demand for its products, that changes in consumer preferences in the plant-based food industry will continue in accordance with the Company's expectations, that the Company's current business objectives can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected, and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. Although the management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking statement herein will prove to be accurate. 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. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company, as well as trends identified by the Company affecting its industry can be found in the Company's annual information form dated January 6, 2022 and the Company's continuous disclosure record available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Such cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements made in this news release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE: The Planting Hope Company Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/719200/RightRice-2022-Special-Edition-Holiday-Flavors-Launched-at-Whole-Foods-Market-and-Thrive-Market
CanAlaska Reports on 2022 AGM Results

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2022) - CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. (TSXV: CVV) (OTCQX: CVVUF) (FSE: DH7N) ("CanAlaska" or the "Company") announces that it proposes to undertake a non-brokered private placement of securities to raise total gross proceeds of up to $8 million (the "Offering"). The Offering will be comprised of a combination of (i) flow-through units of the Company (each, a "FT Unit") to be sold at a price of $0.52 per FT Unit; and (ii) flow-through units to be sold to charitable purchasers (each, a "Charity FT Unit") to be sold at a price of $0.70 per Charity FT Unit.

Each FT Unit and Charity FT Unit will consist of one common share of the Company to be issued as a "flow-through share" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each, a "FT Share"), and one-half () of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company (each, a "Warrant Share") at a price of $0.75 at any time on or before that date which is 36 months after the closing date of the Offering. The exact number of FT Units and Charity FT Units sold will be determined at closing.

The gross proceeds received from the sale of the FT Units and the Charity FT Units will be used for work programs on the Company's exploration properties.

The Company will pay finders' fees comprised of cash and non-transferable warrants in connection with the Offering, subject to compliance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. Red Cloud Securities Inc. is acting as a finder with respect to the Offering.

All securities issued and sold under the Offering will be subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from their date of issuance. Completion of the Offering and the payment of any finders' fees remain subject to the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

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 of America. The 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 U.S. Persons (as defined in the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration is available.

2022 AGM Results

The Company also wishes to announce the results of its 2022 Annual General & Special Meeting of shareholders held on September 22, 2022, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Peter Dasler, Geoff Gay, Karen Lloyd, Jean Luc Roy, Karl Schimann and Amb. Thomas Graham, Jr. were all re-elected as directors of the Company. A total of 29,035,763 common shares of CanAlaska were represented at the AGM, being 28.47% of the Company's outstanding common shares as at the record date of August 18, 2022. Shareholders voted in favour of all matters brought before the meeting, including re-appointing Deloitte LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as the Company's auditors and approving the Company's new Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (the "Omnibus Plan").

The Omnibus Plan provides the Company with a variety of security-related mechanisms to attract, retain, and motivate qualified directors, employees, and consultants. The Omnibus Plan replaced the Company's prior stock option plan and includes (i) a 10% "rolling" option plan, permitting a maximum of 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company as at the date of any option grant to be reserved for option grants; and (ii) a fixed plan permitting 10,197,605 common shares to be reserved for grants of restricted share units, deferred share units, performance share units and other share-based compensation awards. The purpose of the Omnibus Plan is to align the interests of directors, employees, and consultants with the interests of shareholders and the long-term goals and success of the Company, and to enable and encourage the directors, employees and consultants to acquire shares as long-term investments. A summary of the Omnibus Plan can be found in the Company's 2022 Information Circular, filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). The Omnibus Plan, in its entirety, is also attached as Schedule "B" to the Company's 2022 Information Circular.

The Company greatly appreciates the participation of its shareholders and their support.

About CanAlaska Uranium

CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. (TSXV: CVV) (OTCQX: CVVUF) (FSE: DH7N) holds interests in approximately 300,000 hectares (750,000 acres), in Canada's Athabasca Basin - the "Saudi Arabia of Uranium." CanAlaska's strategic holdings have attracted major international mining companies. CanAlaska is currently working with Cameco and Denison at two of the Company's properties in the Eastern Athabasca Basin. CanAlaska is a project generator positioned for discovery success in the world's richest uranium district. The Company also holds properties prospective for nickel, copper, gold and diamonds. For further information visit www.canalaska.com.

The qualified technical person for this news release is Nathan Bridge, MSc., P.Geo., CanAlaska's Vice President, Exploration.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Peter Dasler"

Peter Dasler, M.Sc.

President

CanAlaska Uranium Ltd.

Contacts:

Cory Belyk, Executive VP and CEO

Tel: +1.604.688.3211 x 306

Email: cbelyk@canalaska.com

Peter Dasler, President

Tel: +1.604.688.3211 x 138

Email: info@canalaska.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.

Forward-looking information

All statements included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions made by the Company based on its experience, perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. In addition, these statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will prove inaccurate, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date hereof or revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events.

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/139725
LifeMine Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company reinventing drug discovery by mininggenetically-encoded small molecules (GEMs) from the biosphere, today announced the appointments of Martin Stahl, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer and Louis Plamondon, Ph.D., as executive vice president and head of CMC. Dr. Stahl, former global head of lead discovery at Roche, will also lead LifeMine's operations at its European offices in Basel, Switzerland.

"Martin and Louis are stellar additions to the LifeMine executive team and share in our vision to reinvent small molecule drug discovery through genomic search and retrieval from the biosphere," said Gregory Verdine, Ph.D., co-founder, president and chief executive officer of LifeMine. "We continue to make substantial progress at LifeMine scaling our Avatar-Rx platform and advancing our multiple drug discovery programs towards the clinic with unparalleled speed, predictability, and scalability. Martin and Louis' experience and expertise will only help further accelerate our efforts."

Martin Stahl, Ph.D., appointed to chief scientific officer

Dr. Stahl joins LifeMine from Roche, where he held a variety of scientific leadership roles over 25 years, including positions in medicinal chemistry, immunology, portfolio management and research technologies. Most recently, he served as global head of lead discovery, an organization comprising biophysics, biostructure, biochemistry, cell engineering, assay development and screening capabilities. During his tenure at Roche, Dr. Stahl built program management for the company's small molecule research portfolio, and led a diverse array of global initiatives, shaping culture, infrastructure and data science.

A chemist by training, Dr. Stahl has published widely on molecular design and was the recipient of an ACS National Award for Computers in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He is an advisory board member of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, an editorial advisory board member of ChemMedChem, and he has been a trustee of the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre.

Dr. Stahl studied chemistry at The University of Freiburg and at The Julius Maximilians University in Wurzburg, Germany, and obtained a Ph.D. in computational chemistry from The Philipp University of Marburg.

Louis Plamondon, Ph.D., appointed to executive vice president and head of CMC

Prior to joining LifeMine, Dr. Plamondon was senior vice president and head of CMC at Constellation Pharmaceuticals (a MorphoSys company), where he led all pre-development/development activities including production of drug substance and drug product for pre-clinical studies, toxicology studies, clinical studies and preparations for commercialization.

Dr. Plamondon's expertise ranges from enabling Phase 1 studies through global registrational application and commercial manufacturing, including establishing clinical and commercial supply chain strategies, vendor and alliance management, portfolio strategy implementation, developing regulatory strategies, negotiating with global health authorities, developing life-cycle management strategies and generating secondary patents to extend product life cycles.

Dr. Plamondon is a co-inventor and leader for Velcade (bortezomib), the first proteasome inhibitor approved for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma, and co-inventor for Xerava (eravacycline), the first fully synthetic fluorocycline used for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI).

Dr. Plamondon holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the Universite de Montreal and completed his postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University.

About LifeMine Therapeutics

LifeMine Therapeutics is reinventing drug discovery by mining genetically-encoded small molecules (GEMs) from the biosphere. Through its proprietary, evolutionarily-derived genomic drug discovery platform, LifeMine aims to bring unparalleled speed, predictability and scalability to small molecule drug discovery. LifeMine has discovered, in genomic space, hundreds of potentially high-impact drug candidates relevant to targets across all major disease areas, and has an initial focus on advancing highly impactful precision medicines in oncology and immune modulation. The company was founded in 2017 by renowned entrepreneur/scientists Gregory Verdine, Ph.D., and Richard Klausner, M.D., and entrepreneur/company-builder WeiQing Zhou. Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., with offices in Gloucester Harbor, Mass. and Basel, Switzerland, LifeMine has raised more than $295 million from leading life science investors. For additional information, please visit www.lifeminetx.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005183/en/

Contacts:

1AB

Katie Engleman

katie@1abmedia.com
MADRID (dpa-AFX) - Beverage company Brown-Forman Corp. (BFA, BFB) announced Thursday that it has reached an agreement to purchase the Diplomtico Rum brand and related assets from Destillers United Group S.L. in Spain. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close within 90 days. Upon completion of the deal, Brown-Forman will add the Diplomtico Rum family of brands, a super-premium rum from Venezuela, to its portfolio and acquire a production facility located in Panama. Diplomtico Rum family of brands include super- and ultra-premium rum and super-premium+ rum. The company noted that super-premium+ rum has grown at an annual rate of 17% over the past five years, with rum accounting for around 8% of global spirits. Diplomtico Rum is sold in more than 100 countries. Destillers United Group S.L. will continue to produce and age the unique, carefully-crafted, and complex Diplomtico Rum in their original distillery at the foot of the Andes mountains. Diplomtico Rum consists of three ranges of complex rums, such as the Traditional Range, t he Prestige Range and the Distillery Collection. 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.
Funded by WPP's Racial Equity Programme, ONE School will unlock the potential of the next generation of Black creatives so that they can build a top career in advertising

WPP (NYSE: WPP) has partnered with The One Club for Creativity to launch ONE School UK, a free 16-week online portfolio programme designed to open doors to a career in advertising for talented UK-based Black creatives.

ONE School launched in the US in 2020 as a free alternative to ad schools to provide new career opportunities for creative Black individuals and make agency and brand creative departments more diverse. The results-oriented school has already made a tangible difference: an 80% hire rate at top agencies and brands for its 128 graduates to date, 65% of whom are women.

The virtual ONE School UK will welcome its first cohort in March 2023. Black creatives from all walks of life are encouraged to apply for one of just 15 sought-after places. No prior knowledge of advertising is required. It will be run by Ez Blaine, founding Creative Partner at Uncommon Experience Studio in London. Born in Hackney and raised in North London, Blaine ran ONE School West while living in Los Angeles. He previously held creative leadership positions at brands and agencies including ChowNow, Apple, Sonos and WPP's AKQA.

Ez Blaine, ONE School UK lead, said: "As a Black creative from the UK, it's very meaningful to me to return here and help bring new Black talent into the creative industry. Our choice of Black lecturers and mentors helps close the gap and exposes students to creative leaders who they can relate to, allowing them to see a pathway for themselves into the industry. This is about teaching students to stand out for their Blackness, be 100% authentic to who they are and understand the value that brings."

The partnership aligns with WPP's set of anti-racism commitments made in 2020, which aim to advance racial equity and support Black and minority ethnic talent. It will form part of WPP's Racial Equity Programme which managed by WPP's Dr. Stacie Graham is a three-year, $30 million commitment to fund inclusion programmes within the company and to support external organisations.

Rob Reilly, Chief Creative Officer, WPP, said: "We're committed to fostering a culture that delivers extraordinary work for our clients work that's authentic and reflective of the diverse world in which we live. This means making sure that all types of people, from all backgrounds, with different opinions and voices, are involved in the creative process from strategy to execution. Partnering with the One Club for Creativity to bring ONE School to the UK is a privilege and we're excited to see what it can achieve, not only for our business but the industry at large."

ONE School teaches students how to navigate the industry as a Black person. Courses are taught by Black tutors including some from WPP agencies and are designed to help students bring their authentic voice into their work.

Karen Blackett OBE, President of WPP in the UK, said: "We're proud to partner with an organisation that shares our commitment to taking meaningful action to support, build and grow the Black creative community. Not only is this partnership spearheaded by the wonderful Dr Stacie Graham via WPP's Racial Equity Programme about positively impacting under-represented talent, it's also about recognising that, without diversity, our industry simply won't thrive. The ONE School has been described as one of the biggest social change programmes in the history of the US ad industry. I can't wait to see what it can do here in the UK."

The US programme was co-founded with The One Club by Spotify Creative Director Oriel Davis-Lyons, who worked with industry veteran and One Club Head of Creative Development Bob Isherwood to develop the school shortly after the death of George Floyd. The initiative aims to ensure that the high cost of portfolio schools does not get in the way of giving world-class Black creative talent a route into the industry.

Black creatives wanting to make the leap into advertising can find more details about ONE School UK, including information on how to apply, at https://oneschooluk.org.

About One Club for Creativity

The One Club for Creativity, producer of The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, Type Directors Club Typography, Lettering, and Typeface Design awards, TDC Ascenders, Young Guns and Creative Week, is the world's foremost non-profit organization whose mission is to support and celebrate the global creative community. Revenue generated from entries to its global awards shows goes back into the industry to fund programming under the organization's four pillars: Education, Inclusion Diversity, Gender Equality, and Creative Development.

About ONE School UK

ONE School UK is an intensive portfolio programme where students work through 10 briefs tailored to UK culture that are designed to get them thinking beyond traditional advertising. The focus is on developing the conceptual thinking skills needed to come up with big, modern, exciting ideas at the intersection of advertising, culture and technology.

About WPP

WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities. For more information, visit www.wpp.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005636/en/

Contacts:

Further information

Susie Metnaoui, WPP

+44 (0)7557 591 879

susie.metnaoui@wpp.com
Nexign, a global provider of BSS and digitalization solutions, announces its participation in GITEX GLOBAL 2022, one of the world's largest tech and start-up shows. The company will be presenting its cutting-edge solutions for in-depth transformation of telecom and IT companies, including the new Nexign Revenue Management offering consolidation of diverse revenue streams on a single convergent platform.

"We are always looking forward to welcoming our customers, partners and visitors from across the region at GITEX GLOBAL 2022. It is a great opportunity to network face-to-face and to demonstrate our latest solutions in action. The show enables us to share our knowledge and experience with industry leaders, expand our partnerships, and learn how we can help address new business goals of our customers. As always, GITEX also gives us an opportunity to explore the focal points and potential innovations in the market," says Maxim Nartov, Chief Business Officer of Nexign.

During the event, Nexign will showcase its BSS solutions designed to harmonize IT landscapes of telecom operators as well as the latest offerings and technologies geared up to accelerate customer-centric innovations, extend partner ecosystems, advance employee experience management, and reduce time to market for new services.

Nexign is looking forward to meeting you in the booth CC1-24.

Location: Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai, UAE

Date: October 10-14, 2022

Make sure to book a meeting with Nexign experts at GITEX GLOBAL 2022.

About Nexign:

Over 30 years in the market, Nexign has been supporting digital transformation of businesses around the globe. The company offers convergent BSS systems for telecom operators and cutting-edge solutions designed to advance employee experience management and enable digital ecosystems. We strive to strengthen partnerships with our clients by offering them innovative products based on state-of-the-art technologies and extensive expertise in the field of IT and telecommunications. For more information, visit: www.nexign.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005586/en/

Contacts:

Editorial Contact:

PR_Group@nexign.com
TOCCOA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / October 6, 2022 / Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. (OTCQB:GAXY) ("Galaxy" or the "Company"), a provider of interactive learning technology solutions, will present at the MicroCap Rodeo Windy City Roundup and LD Micro Main Event XV investor conferences.

Galaxy's CEO Gary LeCroy, and CFO, Magen McGahee, will participate in meetings with investors and deliver an on-site presentation at the conferences which can be viewed live and via replay at the webcast link below.

MicroCap Rodeo Windy City Roundup Conference

Date: October 12 - 13, 2022

Location: Chicago, IL

Presentation Time: October 12, 2022 at 11:00am CT (9:00am PT) in TRACK 3

Webcast: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2924/46681

LD Micro Main Event XV

Date: October 25 - 27, 2022

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Presentation Time: October 25, 2022 at 6:30pm ET (3:30pm PT) in TRACK 4

Webcast: https://me22.sequireevents.com/

A live audio webcast and archive of each presentation will be available using the respective links to the conference websites above. Registration is required for conference participation. For more information or to schedule a meeting with management at the MicroCap Rodeo Windy City Roundup or LD Micro Main Event, please contact MZ Group at GAXY@mzgroup.us or your conference representative.

About Galaxy Next Generation, Inc.

Galaxy Next Generation (OTCQB:GAXY) is a provider of interactive learning technology solutions that allows the presenter and participant to engage in a fully collaborative instructional environment. Galaxy's products include Galaxy's own private-label interactive touch screen panel as well as numerous other national and international branded peripheral and communication devices. Galaxy's distribution channel consists of 22+ resellers across the U.S. who primarily sell the Company's products within the commercial and educational market. Galaxy does not control where resellers focus their resell efforts, although generally, the K-12 education market is the largest customer base for Galaxy products - comprising nearly 90% of Galaxy's sales.

For additional information, please visit our website at: www.galaxynext.us.

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 the 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. 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.

Company Contact

IR@GalaxyNext.us

P: 888-859-1274

Investor Relations

Brooks Hamilton

MZ North America

+1 949-546-6326

GAXY@mzgroup.us

SOURCE: Galaxy Next Generation, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/719284/Galaxy-Next-Generation-to-Present-at-Upcoming-Investor-Conferences
Anderson, South Carolina--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2022) - JZZ Technologies Inc. (OTC PINK: JZZI) ("JZZ" or the "Company"), a diversified company developing digital media, biotechnology acquisitions related to human life, and real estate development projects, and its new wholly-owned subsidiary LION Development Group LLC ("LION") - a rapid growth development and construction company focused on residential and commercial projects - have signed agreements on over $1.2 million in development and construction projects in South Carolina.

The projects are comprised of residential construction and renovation projects that are slated for completion over the next six-to-nine-month period. All of the projects are located in South Carolina in areas where LION has successfully developed many similar projects over the past 30 years.

Charles Cardona, CEO and Chairman of JZZ Technologies, Inc. states, "These project agreements signed by LION as part of JZZ Technologies are a good indicator of things to come. Based on contracts under negotiation, we expect to generate over $2 million in revenue over the next 12-18 months from our efforts in the residential development market. We also expect to expand our Active Lifestyle Development division significantly as we seek out other acquisitions in property and construction development."

South Carolina is being recognized as one of the best real estate growth markets in the US, mainly due to migration by homeowners fleeing high tax, high regulation, and high crime regions. Home prices in South-Carolina were up 13.2% year-over-year in August 2022. At the same time, the number of homes sold fell 12.8% and the number of homes for sale fell 3.7% according to real estate figures from Redfin.

About LION Development Group LLC

Based in South Carolina, LION Development Group and its founders have over 30 years of combined experience in the acquisition, development, and management of residential and commercial properties in South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. LION has successfully completed dozens of real estate projects in these regions over the past three decades and holds a reputation for excellence in the communities that it serves.

About JZZ Technologies, Inc.

JZZ Technologies, Inc. is a diversified company engaged in several business sectors. Its Active Lifestyle Digital media business includes online media and apps (activelifestylemedia.com), content creation, and digital marketing, targeted to active adults 55+. Its strategic biotechnology and bioscience related to Human Life Extension seeks opportunities in quality-of-life businesses that support the aging population, and its Active Lifestyle Development division acquires, manages, and operates commercial and residential real estate and housing development projects. For more information, please visit www.jzztechnologies.com.

Press Contacts:

JZZ Technologies, Inc.

Charles Cardona, CEO

ccardona@jzztechnologies.com

DISCLAIMER and FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking" statements (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Because such statements include risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such Forward-Looking Statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the viability of the Company's business plans, the effect of acquisitions on our profitability, the effectiveness, profitability, and the marketability of the Company's products; the Company's ability to protect its proprietary information; general economic and business conditions; and the volatility of the Company's operating results and financial condition. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates, and projections about the Company and the industry. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances or to changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, management cannot assure the public that their expectations will turn out to be correct. Investors are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139732
TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AACSB International (AACSB) announces that president and CEO Caryn Beck-Dudley plans to retire. Beck-Dudley has led the global organization since June 2020 and will continue to serve as president and CEO until her retirement in May 2023.





"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as president and CEO of AACSB for the past two and a half years and as a long-time board member and volunteer," said Beck-Dudley. "The dedication and commitment of the AACSB board of directors, executive team, and staff to make a difference in business education and in society globally is truly inspiring. We're already creating positive change and I look forward to seeing the full impact of AACSB's work in the years ahead."

During her tenure, Beck-Dudley led the organization through the pandemic where AACSB shifted all events and operations from in-person to virtual and hybrid environments. She ensured a smooth transition to the AACSB 2020 Business Accreditation Standards that underscore the critical role business schools play in creating positive societal change through programs, research, and the community. Beck-Dudley has placed a strong emphasis on advancing the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) and viewing diversity with a global perspective. She has been a tireless advocate and spokesperson for promoting the value of business education and AACSB accreditation around the world, stressing the importance of partnering with business, governments, and non-profits, as well as engaging across disciplines for societal good. Lastly, Beck-Dudley has invested in AACSB's data capabilities to ensure that stakeholders have the insights and thought leadership tools to transform business education in positive and innovative ways.

"The AACSB board of directors has been impressed by Caryn's steadfast leadership during one of the most challenging and unpredictable times for business education, business, and society," said McRae C. Banks, AACSB board chair and dean at the Bryan School of Business and Economics, University of North Carolina Greensboro. "Not only did AACSB survive the pandemic thanks to Caryn's leadership-we have thrived despite the lingering effects of COVID and geo-political challenges. AACSB is committed to accelerating innovation within business education and demonstrating that business schools are a force for good in the world."

AACSB is securing an executive search firm to oversee the recruitment process for the president and CEO position.

About AACSB International

As the world's largest business education alliance, AACSB International (AACSB) connects educators, life-long learners, and business to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders. Synonymous with the highest standards of excellence since 1916, AACSB provides quality assurance, business education intelligence, and professional development services to more than 1,800 member organizations and over 950 accredited business schools worldwide. The global organization has offices located in Tampa, Florida, USA; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Singapore. For more information, visit? aacsb.edu .

CONTACT: Leah Harms, leah.harms@aacsb.edu

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/aacsb-international-president-and-ceo-caryn-l-beck-dudley-announces-retirement-301642044.html


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Funds advised by Apax Partners LLP and global investment firm KKR & Co. (KKR) announced Thursday the signing of a definitive agreement under which the Apax Funds will sell their majority interest in Boasso Global, Inc. to KKR.



Boasso provides mission-critical logistics services to the global chemical and food grade supply chains through a network of 34 strategically located depots across North America and Western Europe.



KKR is making the investment in Boasso through its KKR Global Infrastructure Investors IV fund, which focuses on critical infrastructure investments in North America and Western Europe. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.



Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

KKR & CO-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
Raisbeck Engineering, a leading provider of performance enhancement systems for business, commercial and military aircraft, today announced that it has been awarded a General Service Administration Multiple Award Schedule contract (MAS). The contract, which took effect September 30, 2022, is valid for five years with three five-year option periods.

The GSA Schedule is significant in that it makes the company's products accessible through a simplified buying process to state and federal government agencies, expanding the company's footprint in the federal government marketplace. To qualify for GSA approval, the company went through a rigorous 18-month application process. Contractors selling through the GSA contract are carefully vetted beforehand and must have a proven track record within its industry. The GSA Multiple Award Schedule also provides a competitive advantage in the government sector since terms and conditions including pricing and warranties are previously agreed upon.

"We are very excited to receive a GSA Contract Award," stated Raisbeck President Hal Chrisman. "Getting on the GSA schedule shows government buyers that Raisbeck Engineering and our products have been thoroughly vetted by the government. So, any state or federal agency can, with confidence and ease, purchase Raisbeck's existing performance improvement modifications or engineering services to address new or emerging requirements."

Founded in 1949, GSA manages more than one-fourth of the government's total procurement dollars and continuously accounts for approximately $44 billion of Government spending. GSA provides a centralized delivery system of products with predetermined terms and conditions such as pricing, delivery times, and warranties and serves to leverage its buying power to obtain the best value for taxpayers.

About Raisbeck Engineering, Inc.

Raisbeck Engineering, an Acorn Growth Aerospace and Defense company, is a leading provider of aircraft modifications for business and commercial aircraft. Dedicated to improving performance and efficiency for aircraft owners, Raisbeck's aerodynamically designed enhancements deliver better performance results and improve passenger comfort. For more information about Raisbeck Engineering and our products, please visit www.raisbeck.com. Stay connected with Raisbeck online through Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005903/en/

Contacts:

Michelle Lieuallen

mlieuallen@raisbeck.com

(206) 723-2000
Amsterdam/'s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, 6 October2022





At an extraordinary general meeting, Van Lanschot Kempen's shareholders today approved the proposed return of capital in the amount of 1.50 per share.

Van Lanschot Kempen has the intention to return a total of over 60 million in capital in December 2022, subject to the legally prescribed period applicable to a capital return such as this. The capital return will be charged to the share premium reserve available for distribution. Total share capital in issue will be unchanged and the CET 1 ratio will remain well ahead of Van Lanschot Kempen's capital objective of a CET 1 ratio of 15% plus an M&A add-on of 2.5% for acquisitions even after the return of capital.

Proposed dates related to capital return:

Ex-date: 20 December 2022

Record date: 21 December 2022

Payment date: 22 December 2022

Media Relations: +31 20 354 45 85; mediarelations@vanlanschotkempen.com

Investor Relations: +31 20 354 45 90; investorrelations@vanlanschotkempen.com

About Van Lanschot Kempen

Van Lanschot Kempen is a wealth manager active in Private Banking, Professional Solutions, Investment Management and Investment Banking, with the aim of preserving and creating wealth, in a sustainable way, for both its clients and the society of which it is part. As a sustainable wealth manager with a long-term focus, Van Lanschot Kempen proactively seeks to prevent negative impact for all stakeholders and to create positive long-term financial and non-financial value. Listed at Euronext Amsterdam, Van Lanschot Kempen is the Netherlands' oldest independent financial services company, with a history dating back to 1737. To fully leverage the potential of the Van Lanschot Kempen organisation for its clients, it provides solutions that build on the knowledge and expertise across its entire group and on its open architecture platform. Van Lanschot Kempen is convinced that it is able to meet the needs of its clients in a sustainable way by offering them access to the full range of its products and services across all its businesses.

For more information, please visit vanlanschotkempen.com

Important legal information and cautionary note on forward-looking statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements and targets on future events and developments. These forward-looking statements and targets are based on the current insights, information and assumptions of Van Lanschot Kempen's management about known and unknown risks, developments and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements and targets do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and are subject to such risks, developments and uncertainties which by their very nature fall outside the control of Van Lanschot Kempen and its management. Actual results, performances and circumstances may differ considerably from these forward-looking statements and targets.

Van Lanschot Kempen cautions that forward-looking statements and targets in this press release are only valid on the specific dates on which they are expressed, and accepts no responsibility or obligation to revise or update any information, whether as a result of new information or for any other reason.

This press release does not constitute an offer or solicitation for the sale, purchase or acquisition in any other way or subscription to any financial instrument and is not a recommendation to perform or refrain from performing any action.

Elements of this press release contain information about Van Lanschot Kempen NV within the meaning of Article 7(1) to (4) of EU Regulation No. 596/2014.

This press release is a translation of the Dutch language original and is provided as a courtesy only. In the event of any disparities, the Dutch language version will prevail. No rights can be derived from any translation thereof.

Attachment
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2022) - Telescope Innovations Corp. (CSE: TELI) (OTCQB: TELIF) ("Telescope" or the "Company"), a leading developer of advanced chemical technologies, announced today that K. Barry Sharpless, a member of Telescope's Scientific Advisory Board, and W.M. Keck Professor of Chemistry at Scripps Research, was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Prof. Sharpless shares the award with Carolyn Bertozzi of Stanford and Morten Meldal of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark for the development of "click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry".

Prof. Sharpless becomes only the fifth person in history to win a Nobel twice. He was first awarded the prize in 2001 for related research that has enabled the development of chemical reactions benefitting everything from heart medications to agriculture.

Prof. Sharpless is a key member of Telescope's advisory team, providing crucial insights to advance the Company's chemical synthesis and manufacturing technologies. "A massive congratulations to Barry," said Professor Jason Hein, CEO of Telescope. "His work has had a tremendous impact on the scientific and global community, and on Telescope's approach to chemistry. We are honored to have him on our team."

About Telescope

Telescope is a chemical technology company developing scalable manufacturing processes and tools for the pharmaceutical and chemical industry. The Company builds and deploys new enabling technologies including flexible robotic platforms and artificial intelligence software that improves experimental throughput, efficiency, and data quality. Telescope also applies these toolsets to resolve inefficiencies in industrial process chemistry and manufacturing. Our aim is to bring modern chemical solutions to meet the most serious challenges in health and sustainability.

On behalf of the Board,

Telescope Innovations Corp.

Jason Hein, Chief Executive Officer

E: jason@telescopeinn.com

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139723
On October 6, the Norwegian government presented a budget proposal for 2023. The proposal contains several elements effecting Hydro's activities in Norway.

An increase in resource rent tax on hydropower and clarifications around the CO2 compensation scheme are proposals outlined in the national budget for 2023 that will particularly impact Hydro.

On September 28, the Norwegian government proposed an additional resource rent tax and a new high price contribution on hydropower and wind power. The increase in the resource rent tax on hydropower from 37 to 45 percent will apply to Hydro's equity power production and will be applicable for the full year 2022. The increase implies an additional resource rent tax for Hydro of approximately NOK 250 - 300 million for 2022. Hydro's understanding is that other changes in taxation of power production will have limited effect on Hydro.

The CO2 compensation scheme for 2023 is included in the national budget and applies to Hydro on compensation for both purchased power and equity power volumes used in Hydro's production of aluminium. The framework for the CO2 compensation scheme has been set by the EU. The scheme covers specific industries that are power intensive, producing goods for the global market in competition with countries where power prices are not affected by CO2 costs. The CO2 compensation scheme partially compensates for CO2 costs the industry cannot counteract. For the budget year 2023, the government has introduced a floor of NOK 200 per ton CO2. CO2 compensation for 2022 is expected to amount to around NOK 2.2 - 2.3 billion, paid retroactively during 2023. In comparison, a CO2 compensation for 2021 of around NOK 1.7 billion is expected to be distributed in 2022.

"A robust and predictable CO2 compensation scheme is an important prerequisite for continued investment and development of industry in Norway. In today's demanding power market, CO2 compensation is particularly important for reducing indirect CO2 costs for power intensive industry. The high power prices have led to a significant shutdown of industry in Europe," says President and CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim.

Hydro produces 9.4 TWh of equity power annually during a normal year and operates five fully owned primary production sites in Norway, with a combined capacity of about 1.1 million tonnes of primary aluminium. In addition, Hydro has an aluminium extrusion plant in Magnor and is headquartered in Oslo. The operations employ around 4,500 people.

Investor contact:

Line Haugetraa

+47 41406376

Line.Haugetraa@hydro.com

Media contact:

Halvor Molland

+47 92979797

Halvor.Molland@hydro.com

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act


2021/2022 FULL-YEAR RESULTS

STRONG REVENUE GROWTH OF 62%

SOLID OPERATING PERFORMANCE

SHARP INCREASE IN ORDER BACKLOG

2022/2023 REVENUE GROWTH TARGET: over 50%

Strong growth momentum during the year: revenue of 17.0m, up 62%;

EBITDA of 0.4m driven by solid operating performance amid investment for growth;

Cash and cash equivalents position of 34.7m;

Order backlog of 60.2m (24-fold increase year-on-year);

Projects shortlisted or at final negotiation stage: 105m;

Commercial pipeline of over 750m at the prospecting;

Grenoble, October 6, 2022 - HRS , a European designer and manufacturer of hydrogen refueling stations, presents its audited results for the 2021/2022 financial year (from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022), approved by the Board of Directors on October 6, 2022.

000- Audited 2020/2021 2021/2022 Variation Revenue 10,488 17,034 +6,546 Operating expenses[1] (10,027) (16,660) -6,633 Cost of sales (6,468) (11,668) -5,199 Personnel expenses (2,085) (4,199) -2,114 External expenses (1,426) (2,418) -993 EBITDA[2] 460 374 -86 D&A (663) (778) -115 EBIT (204) (404) -200 Financial income/(expense) 58 65 +7 Taxes (20) 97 +117 Net income/(loss) (168) (234) -66

Hassen Rachedi, founding Chairman & CEO said: "We posted excellent results in 2021/2022, in line with our bold 2021-2025 development plan. We almost doubled revenue from hydrogen stations, up 82% compared to last year, and generated positive EBITDA, thereby showing our ability to rigorously manage the Company's strong growth.

Sales momentum is also well on track, with a record order intake of close to 73 million during the year.

From an organizational perspective, we continued our restructuring work to support expected growth over the coming years, while headcount effectively doubled over the period. The construction of our new production plant is well underway and the facility is expected to be operational by fall 2022. It has been designed to support HRS' commercial ramp-up and deploy large-capacity stations producing 1 to 2 tons per day.

The success of HRS is a testament to the skills and dedication of all the men and women in the company. I would like to thank all our employees for their commitment and professionalism in serving our clients. We will continue to build on this momentum over the coming months, aiming at a growth target of at least 50% of revenues for the current financial year. We are also working hard on converting the best opportunities of our pipeline to further boost our order backlog. In a booming sector in which hydrogen infrastructure development projects are on the rise, we're well placed to take a leading role over the coming years.

HRS is now the uncontested industry leader in France and one of the largest manufacturers in Europe, delivering large-scale projects."

CONTINUED COMMERCIAL SUCCESS OF HYDROGEN STATIONS, OPERATING PERFORMANCE UNDER CONTROL

HRS' expansion was clearly demonstrated during the year by a significant step-up in its commercial development, bolstered by a buoyant market, which saw total annual revenue rise 62% to 17.0 million, including 15.1 million in the hydrogen station segment, up 82%. In the financial year ending June 30, 2022, HRS was selected to design and manufacture 52 new hydrogen stations, including the first 1 ton per day stations, under a number of major structuring partnership agreements for the development of infrastructures to deploy hydrogen mobility. Today HRS' main clients are Hype, TotalEnergies, Engie Solutions, Hympulsion, Hopium, Gaussin, Plug Power, Hygo, SyDev and Haffner Energy. As such, operating expenses amounted to 16.7 million, including 11.7 million in purchases, mainly of hydrogen station components, 4.2 million in personnel expenses, up 2.1 million due to almost doubling the workforce to support growth, and external expenses limited to 2.4 million (up 1.0 million, mainly for fees and travel).

2021/2022 EBITDA came to 0.4 million, broadly stable compared to last year. After net depreciation, amortization and provisions of 0.8 million, the Company posted an EBIT loss of 0.4 million before non-recurring items.

After tax income of 0.1 million and net financial income of 0.1 million, the Company posted a net loss of 0.3 million for FY 2021/2022, also broadly stable compared to the previous year.

SOUND FINANCIAL STRUCTURE AND TARGETED STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS

000 - Audited 30/06/2021 30/06/2022 30/06/2021 30/06/2022 Non-current assets 5,547 22,391 67,905 66,428 Shareholders' equity Current assets 71,226 62,976 2,771 9,245 Non-current liab. Inventories 533 2,119 1,178 6,602 Loans and borrowings (>1 year) Trade receivables 9,331 24,308 6,096 9,694 Current liabilities Cash and cash equivalents 58,440 34,670 434 898 Loans and borrowings (<1 year) TOTAL ASSETS 76,773 85,368 76,773 85,368 TOTAL EQUITY & LIABILITIES

Operating cash flow for the financial year ended June 30, 2022, amounted to a 12.3 million outflow, comprising a gross operating cash inflow of 1.3 million before net cost of debt and tax and a 11.0 million increase in working capital driven by late year business growth and the manufacture of hydrogen stations for delivery. Inventory building for station components and key equipment also contributed to the rise in working capital, in keeping with our strategy to secure the supply chain for the production and delivery of its stations.

Meanwhile, cash flow from investing activities totaled 16.5 million, including i) subscriptions of 6 million in convertible bonds issued by Hype ii) 1.0 million in R&D and iii) 9.1 million in the development of industrial facilities, including 7.9 million for the new production plant. In the second half, HRS sold 597,200 Gaussin shares at a total price of 4.0 million, generating a capital gain of 0.3 million.

Cash flow from financing activities amounted to a 5.0 million outflow, mainly due to new borrowings totaling 6.0 million, including three BPI loans totaling 3.0 million (green, R&D and innovation loans) and one 3.0 million bank loan for the new plant. HRS also repaid 0.9 million in loans during the year.

As a result, the Company posted cash and cash equivalents of 34.7 million as of June 30, 2022, compared to 58,4 million as of June 30, 2021, and gross borrowings of 7.5 million excluding lease liabilities. Cash and cash equivalents include the current value of Gaussin and Haffner Energie shares.

The increase in accounts receivable, which rose to 24.3 million on June 30, 2022, linked to the significant increase in station orders received at the end of the fiscal year. The level of trade receivables results from the recognition of station revenues without immediate billing rights, due to billing milestones not yet reached at the close of the fiscal year.

The total investment for the new production site is estimated at around 30 million. The financing of the building and the land for an amount of 21 million has already been secured through four loans of 4 million each from the Company's banks and 5 million of cash already disbursed by HRS at the start of the building work, in line with the communication published at the time of the IPO. The remainder of the investment, approximately 9 million, will be financed mainly by subsidies for which HRS is awaiting decisions and instructions.

COMMERCIAL DEPLOYMENT 2022-2025 SUPPORTED BY THE CHANGE IN MARKET SIZE TOWARDS MASSIVE DEPLOYMENTS

61 stations signed out of the 100 targeted for 2025

The new partnerships and projects are fully in line with HRS' bold development plan to build 100 stations over the 2021-2025 period, as announced at the time of the IPO. The portfolio of stations deployed or to be deployed under signed contracts has hit 61 stations. In particular, HRS has installed the first five stations delivering three kinds of pressure (350, 350 HF and 700 bars) for TotalEnergies, Plug Power, the Vendee energy federation (SyDev), HyGo (Vannes) and Hympulsion (Saint-Priest).

In this respect, 2021/2022 order intake amounted to 72.6 million, bringing the total order intake since the February 2021 IPO to 83.3 million. As a result, after deducting revenue already recognized over the last two years, the order backlog was 60.2 million on June 30, 2022, to be recognized under revenue between 2022 and 2026.

Accelerating commercial deployment in Europe

In Italy, HRS announced on September 1, 2022, that it had partnered with Simplifhy, an Italian hydrogen engineering solutions provider, to address this market.

In Spain, in addition to the recent recruitment of a Business Development Manager based in Barcelona, HRS plans to open a commercial office to ensure an active local presence.

Ongoing change in scale illustrated by growing commercial pipeline

Backed by its expertise, HRS has made progress in tenders for a significant number of its projects, bringing the pipeline of identified projects to over 855 million, a sixfold increase in just one year. The pipeline comprises:

several stations at the selection or final negotiation stage in calls for tender, representing potential revenue of 105 million (a fourfold increase in one year) with deliveries staggered over the 2022-2026?period. This figure includes the upcoming finalization of a commercial, industrial and technical partnership agreement with Engie Solutions for their H2 mobility projects;

calls for projects answered by HRS for additional stations to be delivered between 2022 and 2027, representing over 750 million in potential revenue (an eightfold increase in one year).

TARGETING STRONG GROWTH IN 2022/2023 AND MAJOR PROGRESS WITH THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Relying on its order backlog, and on the negotiations in progress with our historical customers" HRS aims to continue to post strong revenue growth in 2022/2023 with revenue expected to rise more than 50% compared to 2021/2022. Like last year, there will be a noticeable seasonal effect in terms of volumes, with the second half stronger than the first. While staff numbers will continue to grow steadily over the next twelve months, HRS will continue exercising strict control over operating expenses.

As such, HRS is making progress on its business plan aimed at turning it into a European leader in the design and construction of hydrogen refueling stations, with a focus on heavy transport. The Company is also pursuing its industrial and commercial deployment plan, particularly in the following areas:

Construction of the new production and R&D facility at Champagnier, near Grenoble (see press release ) . Construction began in 2021 and is well on schedule, with delivery of the production center slated for early 2023 and the offices by the end of the first half 2023. This 14,300 m facility located on a 2.6-hectare site, the only one of its kind in Europe, will meet the strong increase in demand by boosting production capacity to 180 stations per year. The site houses a cutting-edge test area, a hydrogen refueling station for all types of vehicles and a green hydrogen production facility. The building will also be fitted with 10,000 m of solar panels. The building will be certified BREEAM Very Good, a certification method for the environmental and human performance of built environments;

Intensive recruitment plan to support robust business growth in France and Europe. As part of its ambitious 2021-2025 recruitment plan, HRS has almost doubled its workforce for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, adding 37 employees by the end of June 2022. The company has accelerated the structuring of its teams, in particular the design office and the operational teams of Commissioning /SAV-Maintenance. The acquisition of AEI, HRS' long-standing partner, has also strengthened its skills in automation and electricity. With the service providers, there are currently more than 90 people working for the development of the Company and many recruitments are underway to support future projects.

Strategic partnerships and alliances in France and Europe. In keeping with this strategy, Burckhardt Compression and HRS have signed an agreement to pool their know-how for the development of large-capacity hydrogen refueling stations and the specific compressors have been ordered. More broadly, HRS is finalizing long-term framework agreements with its partners to secure the supply of units for 200 kg to 2 tonne/day stations until 2025;

Deployment of a sales force in Europe. In addition to the Iberian sales force and the partnership in Italy with Simplifhy, for the 2022/2023 financial year, the recruitment of business developers in the German-speaking and Northern European zones remains a priority. In addition, HRS is studying the possibility of deploying in the Middle East where hydrogen mobility projects are emerging;

A ctive involvement in key industry bodies which aims to promote the mass deployment of hydrogen mobility, such as France Hydrogene, European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, MENA Hydrogen Alliance and Hydrogen Europe. HRS Deputy CEO Adamo Screnci chairs Hydrogen Europe's hydrogen mobility working group for the deployment of hydrogen infrastructure on a European scale and is a member of World Hydrogen Leaders. In August 2022, HRS joined Tenerrdis, the cluster for energy transition in France's Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region which, like HRS, is fully committed to sustainable regional economic development.

2025 OUTLOOK CONFIRMED

HRS reaffirms its target of generating revenue of 85 million on June 30, 2025, aiming to deliver 100 new stations until then. The Company also confirms its target of achieving an EBIT margin before non-recurring items (EBIT/revenue) of around 20% on June 30, 2025.

Next financial press release:

H1 2022/2023 revenue, January 19, 2023, after close of trading

ABOUT HRS

Founded in 2004, Hydrogen-Refueling-Solutions (HRS), formerly TSM, is pioneer in hydrogen mobility. European designer and manufacturer of hydrogen refueling stations, for over ten years, the Company has been committed to reducing transport emissions.

Thanks to its unique experience and know-how, HRS has developed a complete range of hydrogen refueling stations for all types of fuel cell vehicles that is perfectly suited to the needs of a fast-growing European market. At its Champ-sur-Drac site, HRS has mass production capacities that enable it to assemble up to 60 units per year in record time, in as little as 8 weeks.

The Company posted 2021/2022 revenue of 17.0 million. As of June 30, 2022, the company had 78 employees. (ISIN code: FR0014001PM5 - ticker symbol: ALHRS).

CONTACTS

Investor Relations

ACTUS finance & communication

Gregoire SAINT-MARC

hrs@actus.fr

Tel. +33 1 53 67 36 94 Press Relations

ACTUS finance & communication

Anne Catherine BONJOUR

acbonjour@actus.fr

Tel. +33 1 53 67 36 93

ANNEXES

Balance sheet

Consolidated balance sheet assets 30/06/2022 30/06/2021 Goodwill 450,339 - Intangible assets 1,533,881 552,271 Property, plant and equipment 9,679,640 710,768 Rights of use 1,781,326 1,887,465 Investment property Financial assets 6,141,870 100,870 Investments in associates Deferred tax assets 2,804,768 2,295,658 Other non-current assets Non-current assets 22,391,823 5,547,032 Inventories and work in progress 2,119,218 533,052 Trade receivables and related accounts 24,308,268 9,331,237 Financial instruments assets Other current assets 1,878,812 2,921,752 Cash and cash equivalents 34,669,574 58,439,956 Current assets 62,975,872 71,225,996 Total ASSETS 85,367,695 76,773,029

Consolidated balance sheet liabilities 30/06/2022 30/06/2021 Capital 1,516,085 1,516,085 Premiums related to capital 68,207,846 68,207,846 Revaluation surplus Reserves (3,062,103) (1,650,898) Net income (Group share) (234,015) (167,572) Treasury stock Other reserves Shareholders' equity (group share) 66,427,813 67,905,462 Total des capitaux propres 66,427,813 67,905,462 Pension and similar commitments 120,187 98,575 Non-current provisions Deferred taxes - liabilities Non-current debt 6,602,481 1,177,598 Non-current lease liabilities 1,317,992 1,494,901 Other non-current liabilities 1,204,738 - Non-current liabilities 9,245,399 2,771,074 Current provisions 65,168 - Current indebtedness 897,922 433,626 Current lease liabilities 486,677 413,352 Trade payables and related accounts 3,954,911 3,421,765 Financial instruments liabilities Other current liabilities 4,289,806 1,827,750 Current liabilities 9,694,484 6,096,493 Total liabilities 85,367,695 76,773,029

P&L

30/06/2022 30/06/2021 Variations Sales revenue 17,033,615 10,488,273 6,545,342 Production purchases (11,549,085) (6,827,143) (4,721,942) Change in inventories 1,546,303 358,167 1,188,135 Capitalized production Gross margin 7,030,833 4,019,298 3,011,535 % MB / SALES 41.3% 38.3% 46.0% , Economic wage bill (4,339,277) (2,090,443) (2,248,834) Rentals (equipment) (130,476) (329,685) 199,209 Travelling expenses (258,808) (63,367) (195,441) Other overheads (1,861,368) (1,033,450) (827,918) Taxes and duties (98,299) (45,113) (53,186) Other income and expenses 31,074 2,271 28,803 EBITDA 373,679 459,511 (85,832) % EBITDA / SALES 2.2% 4.4% -1.3% , Depreciation and provisions (777,877) (663,288) (114,589) EBIT (404,198) (203,777) (200,422) % EBIT / SALES -2.4% -1.9% -3.1% Financial income 115,516 112,743 2,773 Financial expenses (50,131) (55,219) 5,089 Financial result 65,386 57,524 7,862 Extraordinary income 10,300 - 10,300 Extraordinary expenses (2,327) (858) (1,469) Extraordinary income 7,973 (858) 8,831 Income tax expense 96,824 (20,461) 117,285 Net income of the consolidated group (234,016) (167,572) (66,444) Actuarial gains and losses on pension obligations 22 (2) 24 Realized gain on securities 298 298 Unrealized capital loss on securities (1 770) (1 770) Deferred taxes 363 363 Total other comprehensive income, net of tax (1 088) (2) (1 086) Global result (1 322) (169) -1 153

Cash flow statement

2022.06 2021.06 Total net income of consolidated entities (234,016) (166,918) Net depreciation, amortization and provisions (984,884) 663,288 Elimination of gains and losses on disposal of assets (9,056) - Other items with no impact on cash 9,025 (11,545) Cash flow after cost of financial debt (1,218,931) 484,825 Cost of financial debt 49,239 (57,524) Income tax expense for the period, including deferred taxes (96,824) 20,461 Cash flow before cost of financial debt and tax (1,266,516) 447,762 Change in WCR (11,022,879) (6,684,702) Cash flow from non-current assets held for sale and discontinued operations - (22,263) NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES (I) (12,289,395) (6,259,203) Acquisitions of fixed assets (16,220,908) (769,185) Disposal of fixed assets 10,300 Reduction in other financial assets 60,000 Impact of changes in the scope of consolidation (338,566) (60,744) NET CASH FLOW FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES (II) (16,489,174) (829,929) , , Net change in borrowings 5,005,223 (550,979) Of which repayment of rights of use (IFRS16) (501,881) - Increase / decrease in capital -, 66,810,991 Net change in bank overdrafts 4,703 (639,888) NET CASH FLOW FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES GENERATED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES(III) 5,009,926 65,620,124 CHANGE IN CASH FLOW (I + II + III + IV) (23,768,644) 58,530,992 Cash flow: opening 58,437,817 (93,172) Cash and cash equivalents: correction to new / reclassification Cash and cash equivalents: closing 34,669,173 58,437,817

[1] Excluding depreciation, amortization and provisions

[2] According to the definition used by the Company, EBITDA is obtained by eliminating the following items from net income: depreciation and amortization of assets recognized in respect of business combinations; depreciation and amortization of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment; other non-recurring operating income and expenses; net cost of debt and other financial income and expense; income tax expense for the year.

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Redde Northgate Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION

6 October 2022

REDDE NORTHGATE PLC

("Redde Northgate" or the "Group" or the "Company")

Transaction in Own Shares

Redde Northgate plc (LSE:REDD) announces that on 6 October 2022 it purchased the following number of its own shares to be held in treasury:

Class of shares : Ordinary shares of 50p ("shares") Number of shares purchased : 80,000 Weighted average purchase price paid : 310.1659 pence per share Highest purchase price paid : 312.5 pence per share Lowest purchase price paid : 308.5 pence per share

Following the above transaction, the Company's issued share capital consists of 246,091,423 ordinary shares of 50p each, of which 11,929,625 ordinary shares are held in treasury, and 1,000,000 preference shares of 50p each which do not carry any rights to vote. Therefore the total number of voting rights in the Company is 234,161,798 which may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in the Company under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) as incorporated into UK domestic law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by Numis Securities Limited on behalf of the Company as part of the Company's buyback programme.

Schedule of Purchases - Individual Transactions (all of 6 October 2022)

Number of shares

purchased Transaction price

(GB pence per share) Time of transaction Transaction reference number Venue 383 312.50 08:30:06 00061427626TRLO0 LSE 1414 312.00 08:32:57 00061427804TRLO0 LSE 1004 312.00 08:32:57 00061427805TRLO0 LSE 2061 311.50 08:33:11 00061427829TRLO0 LSE 59 311.00 08:33:17 00061427851TRLO0 LSE 2023 311.00 08:33:17 00061427852TRLO0 LSE 452 309.50 09:09:51 00061429247TRLO0 LSE 1731 309.00 09:33:14 00061429873TRLO0 LSE 1456 309.00 10:10:04 00061431147TRLO0 LSE 317 309.50 10:27:04 00061431522TRLO0 LSE 1 310.50 10:28:52 00061431586TRLO0 LSE 160 310.50 10:28:55 00061431588TRLO0 LSE 600 310.50 10:28:55 00061431589TRLO0 LSE 600 310.50 10:28:55 00061431590TRLO0 LSE 222 310.50 10:30:24 00061431638TRLO0 LSE 23 310.50 10:30:39 00061431650TRLO0 LSE 167 310.50 10:32:04 00061431705TRLO0 LSE 221 311.00 10:37:08 00061431890TRLO0 LSE 2648 311.00 10:37:08 00061431891TRLO0 LSE 1246 311.00 10:37:08 00061431892TRLO0 LSE 1614 311.00 10:37:08 00061431893TRLO0 LSE 555 311.00 10:37:08 00061431894TRLO0 LSE 302 310.50 10:37:11 00061431895TRLO0 LSE 1744 310.50 10:47:13 00061432124TRLO0 LSE 435 310.00 10:55:13 00061432357TRLO0 LSE 52 310.00 10:55:13 00061432358TRLO0 LSE 452 309.50 10:59:32 00061432431TRLO0 LSE 1004 309.00 11:00:09 00061432463TRLO0 LSE 741 309.00 11:12:54 00061432889TRLO0 LSE 522 309.00 11:12:54 00061432890TRLO0 LSE 287 309.00 11:17:48 00061433044TRLO0 LSE 883 309.00 11:30:11 00061433371TRLO0 LSE 1739 309.00 11:30:11 00061433372TRLO0 LSE 169 309.00 11:30:36 00061433450TRLO0 LSE 1891 309.00 11:30:36 00061433451TRLO0 LSE 1790 309.50 11:53:07 00061434044TRLO0 LSE 1990 309.50 11:59:07 00061434209TRLO0 LSE 299 309.00 11:59:08 00061434210TRLO0 LSE 1974 309.00 11:59:08 00061434211TRLO0 LSE 709 309.00 12:07:08 00061434413TRLO0 LSE 47 309.00 12:07:08 00061434414TRLO0 LSE 1911 308.50 12:08:19 00061434436TRLO0 LSE 53 308.50 12:19:00 00061434701TRLO0 LSE 1799 308.50 12:19:00 00061434702TRLO0 LSE 24 308.50 12:19:00 00061434703TRLO0 LSE 358 309.00 12:35:34 00061435097TRLO0 LSE 499 309.00 12:35:34 00061435098TRLO0 LSE 38 309.00 12:38:41 00061435209TRLO0 LSE 124 309.00 12:38:41 00061435210TRLO0 LSE 547 309.00 12:38:41 00061435211TRLO0 LSE 13 310.50 13:29:32 00061437006TRLO0 LSE 1200 311.00 13:30:03 00061437048TRLO0 LSE 600 311.00 13:30:03 00061437049TRLO0 LSE 618 311.00 13:30:03 00061437050TRLO0 LSE 1800 311.00 13:30:03 00061437051TRLO0 LSE 57 311.00 13:30:03 00061437052TRLO0 LSE 1771 311.00 13:36:28 00061437431TRLO0 LSE 992 311.00 13:36:28 00061437432TRLO0 LSE 784 311.00 13:36:28 00061437433TRLO0 LSE 330 311.00 13:44:02 00061437788TRLO0 LSE 1482 311.00 13:44:02 00061437789TRLO0 LSE 2162 310.00 13:48:40 00061437971TRLO0 LSE 2068 310.50 14:12:45 00061438811TRLO0 LSE 433 310.50 14:12:45 00061438812TRLO0 LSE 505 310.00 14:18:21 00061438986TRLO0 LSE 47 310.00 14:21:44 00061439107TRLO0 LSE 1501 310.00 14:21:44 00061439108TRLO0 LSE 8 311.00 14:35:02 00061439779TRLO0 LSE 1902 311.50 14:43:13 00061440335TRLO0 LSE 1764 311.50 14:43:13 00061440336TRLO0 LSE 117 311.00 14:47:46 00061440575TRLO0 LSE 1800 311.00 14:47:46 00061440576TRLO0 LSE 121 311.00 14:47:46 00061440577TRLO0 LSE 835 311.00 14:55:12 00061441062TRLO0 LSE 908 311.00 14:55:12 00061441063TRLO0 LSE 1708 309.50 15:09:08 00061442144TRLO0 LSE 1947 309.50 15:11:52 00061442532TRLO0 LSE 422 309.50 15:21:45 00061443706TRLO0 LSE 522 309.50 15:21:45 00061443707TRLO0 LSE 413 309.50 15:28:59 00061444291TRLO0 LSE 600 309.50 15:28:59 00061444292TRLO0 LSE 413 309.50 15:28:59 00061444293TRLO0 LSE 601 309.50 15:29:01 00061444306TRLO0 LSE 1729 309.00 15:39:50 00061445202TRLO0 LSE 1069 309.50 15:56:52 00061446388TRLO0 LSE 82 310.50 16:01:32 00061446685TRLO0 LSE 88 310.50 16:01:32 00061446686TRLO0 LSE 443 310.50 16:01:32 00061446687TRLO0 LSE 543 310.50 16:01:32 00061446688TRLO0 LSE 452 310.50 16:02:02 00061446769TRLO0 LSE 452 310.50 16:02:12 00061446799TRLO0 LSE 524 310.50 16:02:12 00061446800TRLO0 LSE 452 310.50 16:03:52 00061447037TRLO0 LSE 320 310.50 16:03:52 00061447038TRLO0 LSE 1667 310.50 16:10:50 00061447657TRLO0 LSE 395 310.50 16:10:50 00061447658TRLO0 LSE

Notes

This announcement is made in accordance with the requirements of Listing Rule 12.4.6.

For further information contact:

Buchanan

David Rydell/Jamie Hooper/Hannah Ratcliff +44 (0) 207 466 5000

Notes to Editors:

Redde Northgate is the leading integrated mobility solutions platform providing services across the vehicle lifecycle. The Company offers integrated mobility solutions to businesses, fleet operators, insurers, OEMs and other customers across seven key areas: vehicle rental, vehicle data, accident management, vehicle repairs, fleet management, service and maintenance, vehicle ancillary services and vehicle sales.

The Company's core purpose is to keep its customers mobile, whether through meeting their regular mobility needs or by servicing and supporting them when unforeseen events occur. With its considerable scale and reach, Redde Northgate's mission is to offer a market-leading customer proposition and drive enhanced returns for shareholders by creating value through sustainable compounding growth. The Group aims to achieve this through the delivery of its strategic framework of Focus, Drive and Broaden.

Redde Northgate services its customers through a network and diversified fleet of over 120,000 owned and leased vehicles, supporting over 600,000 managed vehicles, with more than 170 workshop, body shop and rental locations across the UK, Ireland and Spain and a specialist team of over 6,000 automotive services professionals.

Further information please visit the Company's website:

www.reddenorthgate.com
Phase Three Achieves NGBS Certification

SAVANNAH, GA / ACCESSWIRE / October 6, 2022 / The third phase of Savannah Neighborhood Action Project (SNAP) in the city's historic district is now certified under NGBS Green, a nationally recognized green building program by Home Innovation Research Labs. The $25 million affordable housing development renovated under Georgia's Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) includes 55 buildings around Savannah's Dixon Park and Victorian District - some dating back to the 1800's.

Five of the 55 Savannah Neighborhood Action Project (SNAP) buildings redeveloped by Vitus.

While many developers would look at historic renovations as a daunting task, Erika Stern, Vitus Construction Manager, said she enjoyed the process. "There are definitely challenges, but it's very fun to work with these types of buildings," said Stern. "We worked closely with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) to ensure the renovations fit within the neighborhood. A big focus is on the historic exteriors. We returned the homes to their original colors. And so to have buildings with purples and blues, and greens - it's beautifully vibrant and a nice change from everything having to be painted one color."

Seattle-based Vitus has preserved more than 125 affordable properties across 30 states, including many in Georgia. Stern said Georgia was the first state that she's worked with that required green building certification for Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). It was also her introduction to SK Collaborative, who has worked with Vitus on sustainability improvements for several affordable developments in the Southeast. "That was my first entry into this green world," she said. "I have personally enjoyed our collaboration; they are extremely knowledgeable about the programs."

Before and after examples of exterior renovation: Homes returned to the original colors and refinished - all in accordance with local and state historic building preservation requirements.

SK Collaborative put that knowledge to work to improve the energy performance of all three phases of SNAP. "Before the renovation, some of the ducts leaked so badly that our equipment wouldn't even register the rate of air infiltration -- it was so high," said Sarah Kelty, SK Collaborative Green Building Consultant. "Getting the ducts sealed and properly connected made a big difference. And with all the other upgrades, we saw over 80% improvement in many units."

"Other units - because of the historic nature and structure of the buildings - were harder to pass, even with above "Getting these apartments to the QAP-required air leakage targets would not have been possible without a contractor willing to work with us on creative solutions."

Working with a contractor supportive of the green improvements was also vital to the redevelopment's success. "I'd never done a project before that included these blower door testing details," says Rich Hagen of Empire Construction, the general contractor for the job. "I was able to learn the steps to take during a remodel that can dramatically benefit a homeowners' energy bills. Doing the initial testing to see exactly where you can lose air in a historical home is just eye opening."

The historic first two phases of the development were not required to seek NGBS certification, but they did implement the other QAP sustainability requirements, such as upgrading the interiors with 14 SEER air-conditioners, ENERGY STAR appliances, LED and CFL lighting, water efficient fixtures, and tankless water heaters. "Phases one and two were considered contributing historic buildings," said Stern. "Typically, it's due to the year when they were built. Phase three was built later, so we were able to make energy efficient replacements to things like windows, which helped us qualify for a NGBS certification.

Kitchens before (above) and after (below) renovation.

Stern said historic properties like this are not easy to get certified. "Every component was reviewed [by the State] - from the windowsills to the siding, to the roofs, to the front porches. And anything we touched had to be approved in order for us to make a replacement. For phases one and two, which were considered 'contributing buildings', we really could only replace in kind - whereas for the buildings in SNAP phase three, we were able to upgrade and provide more insulated energy features."

Another challenge was moving residents in and out during COVID. "We had to relocate people temporarily to hotels or another unit," said Stern. "It was on a 14-month schedule with each building taking about six to eight weeks. We took additional steps to ensure the safety of residents throughout the temporary relocation, adding extra cleaning protocols and ensuring residents were out of their units while contractors were doing work in their units. Our contractors were required to follow CDC guidelines: wearing masks, using cleaning stations, doing extra sanitation before the residents returned."

Bathrooms before (left) and after (right) renovation.

In the end, Stern said it's worth achieving the energy and environmental upgrades of NGBS certification. "From the owner's side, these types of programs help ensure the longevity of the buildings and make the building envelopes better sealed," she said. "For residents, we want them to be comfortable and safe with adequate heating and cooling - not getting an icy blast in the middle of winter because there's no insulation, the windows are cracked, and duct work is falling apart. It's really incredible how far these buildings have come thanks to the thorough work by this team."

ABOUT VITUS

At Vitus, our mission is to create a positive impact - one community, one family and one life at a time. Since 1996 we have partnered with lenders, investors and public agencies to preserve and extend the life of existing affordable housing across the country in markets with the greatest need. Through holistic renovation, we focus on the well-being of residents and rejuvenating the surrounding community to both improve the overall quality and incorporate features that promote physical activity, community gathering and energy efficiency. To date, our team has provided stable homes to more than 25,000 residents in 30 states.

ABOUT SK COLLABORATIVE

SK Collaborative applies proven green building techniques to real-life situations. We work with developers, builders, remodelers, contractors, and architects to identify cost-effective techniques that can help earn financial incentives through tax credits, utility rebates and financing discount programs. Our services range from consulting, design reviews and charrettes to waterproofing inspections, testing, training, and building certification under LEED, EarthCraft, National Green Building Standard, ENERGY STAR, Enterprise Green Communities, Fitwel, and Green Globes. SK Collaborative is your one-stop resource in Making Buildings Better.

ABOUT EMPIRE CONSTRUCTION

Empire is a general contractor that specializes in multi-family Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) affordable housing renovation. At Empire, we've spent years implementing and refining our processes for LIHTC renovation projects. Our vast LIHTC renovation experience combined with our strong bonding capacity make Empire the southeast region's preferred general contractor for occupied and vacated LIHTC renovation projects.

For more information, contact Sarah Kelty at skelty@skcollaborative.com.

SOURCE: SK Collaborative

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/719376/SNAP-Takes-a-Historic-Approach-to-Green-Building
Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2022) - As Members of Parliament return to Ottawa for the House of Commons fall session, HEAL, Organizations for Health Action look forward to collaborating with the government to address the most pressing healthcare issues that Canadians face.

"Organizations for Health Action (HEAL), represent the interests of 40 national health organizations who represent thousands of healthcare professionals across Canada," began Alison Dantas, Co-Chair of HEAL. "Our members support millions of Canadians from across Canada with their healthcare needs."

The four integral policy recommendations HEAL will promote this Fall are:

To address the current labour shortage in the healthcare sector, we are recommending that the federal government fund and provide leadership to a regionalized national Health Human Resource Plan, including health providers working in the public and private sectors, to meet population health needs.

To support Canada's seniors, we are recommending that the federal government, working with provinces and territories, increase investments in community, home and residential care to meet the needs of our aging population, to ensure that all individuals receive the necessary care and services, in the appropriate setting, at the right time and by the right provider.

To support Canadians mental health, we are recommending that the federal government, working in partnership with all levels of government, fund sustainable, evidence-based mental health services to meet the growing demand for timely access to care, and formally recognize mental health parity in legislation.

To address the shortfalls in Canada's healthcare system, we are recommending that the federal government increase its share of the Canada Health Transfer and work with the provinces and territories to reform their healthcare systems to increase efficiency to provide better health outcomes to all Canadians.

"Canada's healthcare sector is at a crossroads, but is ready to partner with the government to grow the healthcare workforce, support seniors, create mental health parity, and increase overall healthcare funding," stated Helene Sabourin, Co-Chair of HEAL. "We look forward to working with Members of Parliament in the fall to address issues impacting Canada's healthcare sector."

-30-

Organizations for Health Action (HEAL) is a coalition of 40 national health organizations dedicated to improving the health of Canadians and the quality of care they receive. Our members are professional associations of regulated healthcare providers and organizations of health charities that provide a range of healthcare services across Canada. HEAL now represents more than 650,000 providers (and consumers) of healthcare.

Contact

Kyle Larkin, Public Affairs Advisor

613-233-8906

kyle@impactcanada.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139780
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 6, 2022 / Lotus Ventures Inc. (CSE:J)(OTC PINK:LTTSF) ("Lotus" or the "Company") a licensed cannabis producer, wholesaler, and the owner and operator of Lotus Cannabis Co., a premium-craft consumer brand in Canada, is pleased to announce the appointment of Albert Duwyn as its new Chairman of the Board of Directors (the "Directors"). The Directors held a meeting of appointment on September 30th, 2022 and invited Albert Duwyn, an early supporter and shareholder of Lotus to become Chair of the Board. The Company will benefit from utilizing more of his extensive experience in its next phase of growth.

Albert is the past Owner and President of IRC Building Sciences Group Inc. In November 2020, Albert sold IRC to a Forensic Consulting Engineering firm in the US. Mr. Duwyn purchased IRC in 1991 and originally had 4 employees. Over the years he diversified the engineering service offerings, made key acquisitions, and grew the company to 14 offices and 170 employees across Canada while generating $25 million in annual sales.

Albert is no stranger to the agricultural business having grown up in Southwestern Ontario on a tobacco farm. His family has been active in the tobacco and cash crop business since 1927 and his next generation family members continue to do so. From an early age, Albert paid close attention to and participated with his father and brothers in the preparation, planning, growing, harvesting, processing, and selling of annual crops until leaving the farm at age 19 to pursue an education in architecture.

Albert is also an honours graduate of the Architectural Technology Program at Mohawk College and was honoured with an Alumni of Distinction Award last year. He has completed specialized courses at the International Institute of Building Envelope and the Roofing Industry Education Institute. He is a Registered Roof Consultant and a Fellow of IIBEC. Albert has served on numerous building rehabilitation assignments for both public and private sector clients and has been involved in the design and implementation of green roofs, solar and sustainable roof and building envelope assemblies.

Albert's applicable experience in agriculture and construction will be beneficial for the Company and the whole team is excited about the future growth at Lotus.

British Columbia Direct Delivery and Production Update

Lotus is also pleased to announce that it has been approved for the recently authorized Direct Delivery program in British Columbia, previously discussed in the Company's news release dated August 31, 2022. Lotus recently completed its 100th consecutive harvest averaging 65,000 grams without any crop failures, and Lotus would like to give thanks to its talented cannabis production team in the North Okanagan, B.C.

ON BEHALF OF LOTUS VENTURES INC:

Lotus Ventures Inc.

"Dale McClanaghan"

Dale McClanaghan, President and CEO

About Lotus Ventures Inc.

Lotus Ventures Inc. (CSE:J) (OTC:LTTSF) is a BC-based licensed producer and wholesaler of premium cannabis. Lotus owns and operates the premium-craft consumer brand Lotus Cannabis Co. which has had its cannabis flower sold by wholesale partners in nine Canadian provinces to date, except Quebec. Lotus is an experienced cannabis cultivator with operations in the North Okanagan, BC, and the Lotus Cannabis Tranquil Elephantizer flower is currently sold in Ontario and B.C. while the Lotus Kalifornia is currently sold in Ontario in partnership with Kolab Project.

To invest in the Company, Lotus Ventures Inc. is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol J and on the OTC Markets under the symbol LTTSF.

For More Information:

President & CEO

Dale McClanaghan

604-644-9844

Investor Relations & Communications

Daniel McRobert

investors@lotuscannabis.ca

604-842-4625

To learn more, visit lotuscannabis.ca/updates or follow the Lotus Cannabis brand on social media.

Instagram: @lotuscannabisco

Twitter: @lotuscannabisco

LinkedIn: @lotuscannabisco

Facebook: @lotuscanna

Forward-Looking Information:

This document includes certain statements that are not descriptions of historical facts but are forward-looking statements. Such statements include, among others, those concerning our expected financial performance and strategic and operational plans, our future operating results, our expectations regarding the market for medical and recreational cannabis products, our expectations regarding the continued growth of the medical and recreational cannabis market, as well as all assumptions, expectations, predictions, intentions, or beliefs about future events. Users are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that a number of risks and uncertainties could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties have not been documented or mentioned in this document nor other communications made by the company. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "targets," "optimistic," "intend," "aim," "will" or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Lotus Ventures, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/719434/Lotus-Appoints-Albert-Duwyn-as-Chair-of-the-Board
BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - Japan will on Friday see August results for its leading and coincident indexes, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. In July, the leading index had a score of 98.9 and the coincident was at 100.1. Japan also will see August results for household spending and average cash earnings. Spending is tipped to rise 0.2 percent on month and 6.7 percent on year after slipping 1.4 percent on month and climbing 3.4 percent on year in July. Earnings were up an annual 1.8 percent in July. South Korea will release August numbers for current account; in July, the current account surplus was $1.09 billion. The Philippines will provide August data for industrial production; in July, production was up 10.6 percent on year. Taiwan will release September numbers for imports, exports and trade balance. Imports are expected to rise 7.0 percent on year, up from 3.5 percent in August. Exports are called higher by an annual 1.5 percent, easing from 2.0 percent in the previous month. The trade surplus is pegged at $4.23 billion, up from $2.99 billion a month earlier. Finally, the markets in China remain closed for the Golden Week holiday and will re-open on Monday. 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.
There are many apps in the stock market for trading and investing you can use in managing your portfolio.

However, finding them is a daunting task since you must go through lengthy and overwhelming research procedures. The good news is that there are numerous legit sites that recommend the best apps to invest and trade stocks with. For example, UK traders considering trying their luck in the stock market can find reliable apps here. Based on our findings, we also list below the top three apps to invest and trade stocks with.

Robinhood

You probably know Robinhood as a cash management company, but it is also one of the best US-based stock trading apps. Robinhood is safe for your funds since top-tier authorities such as the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) or the National Futures Association (NFA) regulate it. Moreover, the app is highly encrypted and secures your account with a two-step login procedure.

One thing we like about Robinhood is that its platform is user-friendly and has an intuitive design for maximum experience. There is no minimum deposit requirement with Robinhoom, meaning you get exposed to popular stocks with any amount you can afford. Additionally, stock investment here is commission-free and expect no transaction charges when making deposits or withdrawals. Besides stocks, Robinhood allows you to invest in ETFs, cryptocurrencies, options, and gold. Low-budget stock investors should definitely consider Robinhood if it accepts clients from their region.

eToro

eToro is widespread globally, and like Robinhood above, it allows you to invest in stocks commission-free. This stock trading and investment app is user-friendly and perfect for newbies. It also hosts a social trading platform to connect you with global stock traders. Besides stocks, eToro allows you to diversify your portfolio using other asset classes such as stock, cryptocurrencies, commodities, etc. The app is safe, thus allowing you to only worry about managing your stock investment positions.

If you do not want to take long-term positions in the stock market, eToro allows you to trade the assets as CFDs, where you can speculate on stock price movements. You can also trade stocks as indices, whereby multiple stocks are held in a single investment. Whichever method you prefer to trade stocks, eToro supports you with quality resources for market analysis. Simply ensure it fits your trading or investment needs and deposit a minimum of $50 per its requirements.

TD Ameritrade

Investors in the stock market looking for the best investment app with advanced resources should try TD Ameritrade. However, you must ensure it accepts clients from your region and offers your prefered stocks to have a worthwhile experience. TD Ameritrade features automated trading and live advisors, which are perfect for expert stock traders. Most importantly, it is regulated by world-class authorities, including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), etc.

TD Ameritrade also hosts powerful trading platforms you can choose from depending on your skill level. This broker also offers learning resources, including a demo account that you can use to gauge your skill level. Regarding stock trading charges, TD Ameritrade is affordable, and we recommend it to low-budget stock traders. On top of that, it has a reliable and responsive support service operating 24/7.

Conclusion

Trading apps have become essential items for traders and investors, especially those who are always on the move. This is because you can easily manage your positions without the need to stick to your trading station for hours. The above stock trading apps will help you manage your trading or investment positions in the stock market. However, since every stock trader has their own requirements, ensure you select an app that suits your needs.

For instance, you not only need a trading app hosted by a regulated broker but also one that is affordable. Keep in mind that the stock market is volatile, and while you can make profits out of it, losses are inevitable. Therefore, research the market carefully for the best stock assets and invest with the amount you are willing to lose.
Oort, a Boston, MA-based provider of an an identity-centric enterprise security platform, raised $15M in Series A funding.

The round was led by .406 Ventures and Energy Impact Partners with participation from Cisco Investments, 645 Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures and First Star Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to grow and further accelerate its go-to-market (GTM) strategy.

Led by CEO Matt Caulfield and CTO Didi Dotan, Oort is an identity-centric enterprise security platform to provide value to security teams by working with existing sources of identity to enable comprehensive identity attack surface management in minutes. Oort is built on Snowflakes security data lake architecture, which helps them store and query massive volumes of data, and AWS Lambda, which allows the team to automatically scale their data streaming architecture to accommodate enterprise organizations of any size.

To secure its own platform, Oort has gone through rigorous testing to meet industry standards and receive critical certifications including SOC 2 Type 2.

FinSMEs

06/10/2022
Pinnacle Realty Advisors, a Dallas, TX-based cloud-based real estate brokerage, raised over $5M in Seed funding, and acquired the Bay Area technology company Realthy.io.

The round was led by Launchpad Capital. Launchpad Capitals Founder, Ryan Gilbert, will join Pinnacle Realty Advisors Board of Directors.

The company intends to use the funds to introduce BaaS to the market and modernize the real estate brokerage model.

Led by CEO Sam Sawyer, Pinnacle Realty Advisors is a cloud-based brokerage company in the residential real estate industry that provides tools, full-service agent support, and a subscription-based financial model that allows agents to keep the commission earned. Pinnacle is currently licensed in Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas with Florida and North Carolina launching soon. The company is fully remote with its headquarters in Dallas, TX.

Realthy.io is a Bay Area technology company, focused on building recommendation software for real estate agents. The startup surpassed more than 4,000 registered users in its first six months, servicing agents from over 40 states. The entire Realthy.io team of seasoned IT and digital marketing professionals has joined Pinnacle Realty Advisors and will drive the development of PinnacleHQ, Pinnacle Realty Advisors proprietary software platform.

FinSMEs

05/10/2022
Hong Kong: Arts event showcases students work

A Date with Dogs public performances will be held at the end of October to showcase the achievements of the youth participating in the General Education in Arts Programme for Tertiary Students, the Leisure & Cultural Services Department said today.

The performances will run from 2pm to 8.45pm each day from October 28 to 30 at the Memorial Lawn of Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park. Citizens and their dogs are welcome to enjoy the fun of inclusive public space.

The presentation is part of the celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Regions establishment, the department explained.

A Date with Dogs is produced by Make a Difference, with the participation of some 30 tertiary students from different faculties of various institutions who had joined workshops and in-situ trials over the past year to create interactive installations and sound compositions.

During the three-day event, interactive installations such as a ball pool and a slide will be set up from 2pm to 5pm to bring about a lively experience of co-existence between the public and their dogs. In the evenings, a performance featuring the installations will be held from 7.15pm with original music presented by the participating students, musicians and dancers.

There will also be sharing sessions by members of animal-friendly communities and individuals in the afternoons of October 29 and 30 to spread the message of harmony between humans and animals.

Following the October performances, the interactive installations will be exhibited in East Coast Park Phase 1, Kai Tak Station Square and Tsuen Wan Park in November and December, the department added.

The departments Audience Building Office, since 2014-2015, has organised the General Education in Arts Programme for Tertiary Students with the aim of promoting the appreciation of the performing arts among tertiary students.

The scheme provides an interactive platform for the students to learn and experience performing arts under professional guidance in the process of creating their own artistic works, in order to help the students acquire an in-depth understanding of the arts.

Click here to register online or call 3996 2704 for enquiries.

This story has been published on: 2022-10-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Xi Jinping

President of the Peoples Republic of China

The land is fertile and crops thriving. Trees flourish, and flowers and fruits abound. A place home to steeds. This is how Huen Tsang, an eminent Chinese monk in the Tang Dynasty over 1,300 years ago, depicted the richly-endowed Samarkand. In this lovely mid-autumn month, a season of harvest, I will once again visit the beautiful city of Samarkand at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to discuss with him plans for closer cooperation between China and Uzbekistan, and to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.

Both China and Uzbekistan are ancient civilizations, and the great Silk Road has borne witness to the friendly exchanges of the two peoples over the past 2,000 years and more. Several historical figures from China traveled west to visit Uzbekistan, including Zhang Qian of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD), Huen Tsang of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and Chen Cheng of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), leaving their footprints in famous cities like Tashkent, Samarkand and Navoi. During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Sayyid Ajall Shams al-Din, a statesman whose ancestral home was in Bukhara, served as the governor of Yunnan province in China. In the mid-14th century, Wu Ru, an authority on astronomy and calendar and a native of Samarkand, participated in the construction of an observatory in Nanjing. These people were trailblazers and pioneers in the China-Uzbekistan friendship, and stories about them are still widely told in both countries.

Uzbekistan is a major country at the geopolitical center of Central Asia. Over the last 31 years since gaining independence, Uzbekistan has scored remarkable achievements in national development and rejuvenation. In recent years in particular, under the leadership of President Mirziyoyev, the people of Uzbekistan have embarked on a new journey toward a New Uzbekistan. Reform and development in various areas have entered the fast lane. The country has taken on a new look, its people enjoy a better life, and its international standing has risen significantly. As a friendly neighbor and comprehensive strategic partner, China feels truly happy for Uzbekistan.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of China-Uzbekistan diplomatic ties. Over the past three decades, the giant tree of our relationship has taken deeper roots and grown more exuberant. The two countries have respected each other, fostered good-neighborliness, strengthened solidarity and pursued mutual benefit. Cooperation across the board has yielded concrete results.

 We are good friends sharing close affinity. Since 2016, President Mirziyoyev and I have stayed in close contact and forged a good working relationship and deep personal friendship through meetings, phone calls and correspondence. Under a comprehensive strategic partnership, the two countries have rendered mutual support on issues concerning each others core interests, supported each others implementation of development strategies, drawn upon each others experience of reform and opening-up, and injected positive energy into regional development.

 We are good partners pursuing common development. China is the biggest trading partner and a major investor for Uzbekistan. Two-way trade exceeded US$8 billion in 2021, approached US$5 billion in the first half of this year, and is on course to reach the US$10-billion goal set for 2022. Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative has been fruitful, and major projects are making steady progress. All four lines of the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline run through Uzbekistan. The tunnel on the Angren-Pap railway line, the longest tunnel in Central Asia, has been successfully completed. More transport potential is being unleashed from the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway and the China-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan railway. And preparations for the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project are well under way. Uzbekistan is thus transforming from a land-locked to a land-linked country. The two sides have also carried out robust cooperation in new energy, agriculture, finance and modern telecommunications, delivering greater benefits to the two peoples.

 We are a good example of dialogue between civilizations. The two sides have held a wide range of exchanges including art festivals, culture promotion events, exhibitions and seminars. Cooperation is flourishing with regard to sending students, translating publications, making films, translating TV series, and conducting sub-national interactions and personnel training, which has effectively brought the two peoples still closer. In recent years, China has trained for Uzbekistan over 6,500 professionals of various fields. They are taking an active part in Uzbekistans reform and development endeavors. Confucius Institutes have been set up in Tashkent and Samarkand where a great number of Uzbeks learned the Chinese language and they have become envoys of friendship between our two countries. Cooperation in tourism is taking off, bringing more Chinese to the beautiful land of Uzbekistan. The preservation and restoration of historical sites in Khiva, a project launched during my visit to Samarkand in 2013, has been successfully concluded, further augmenting the charm of this ancient city.

 We are good brothers supporting each other in times of need. China and Uzbekistan, with their interests closely entwined, have stood together through thick and thin. We have maintained close coordination both bilaterally and in such regional and multilateral frameworks as the SCO. We have worked together to oppose external interference, combat the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and tackle transnational organized crimes and drug trafficking. By strengthening intelligence sharing and expanding personnel training, we have jointly forged a strong shield of security. In face of the COVID-19 pandemic, our two countries have supported each other and conducted active cooperation. Chinese vaccines, which can now be jointly produced with Uzbekistan, have played a major role in Uzbekistans fight against the virus, and a Chinese COVID drug has been approved for clinical use in Uzbekistan, providing effective protection for the life of people in both countries.

Over 2,000 years of friendly exchanges and three decades of mutually beneficial cooperation show that enhancing China-Uzbekistan cooperation on all fronts conforms to the trend of history and meets the fundamental interests of both peoples. Standing at the intersection of past and future, we are full of confidence and expectation for a more promising prospect of China-Uzbekistan relations.

First, we need to enhance mutual support and strengthen the bond of mutual trust. We need to set out the blueprint for China-Uzbekistan relations in the new era from a strategic and long-term perspective. We need to intensify high-level exchanges, increase mutual political trust, deepen the sharing of governance experience, and continue to render mutual support on issues concerning each others core interests. China firmly supports Uzbekistan in pursuing a development path suited to its own national conditions and opposes interference in Uzbekistans internal affairs by any force.

Second, we need to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation to pursue common development and prosperity. We should forge a better synergy between our development strategies and jointly explore new pathways to bilateral cooperation in economy, trade, investment, key projects and other fields. China has entered a new development stage and is making active efforts to foster a new development paradigm. Uzbekistan is welcome to board the express train of Chinas development and share its development opportunities. Next year marks the tenth anniversary of the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative. Our two sides could use this opportunity and harness the momentum to further flesh out the bilateral cooperation and pursue high-quality development together. We also need to expand cooperation on poverty reduction and alleviation so that more people in both countries benefit from our mutually beneficial cooperation.

China hopes to work with Uzbekistan to actively implement the Global Development Initiative, and take concerted actions to safeguard the interests of developing countries and foster a balanced, coordinated and inclusive development landscape that embraces win-win cooperation, works for all and delivers common prosperity.

Third, we need to strengthen security cooperation to defuse risks and challenges. Our two sides need to deepen cooperation in the security field and unequivocally reject attempts by any force to undermine regional security, to foster a secure external environment for the development of both countries. Afghanistan is a mutual neighbor of China and Uzbekistan. A peaceful, stable, growing and prosperous Afghanistan is in our shared interests. China appreciates and supports the unique role of Uzbekistan in resolving the issue of Afghanistan. We stand ready to work with Uzbekistan to put the Global Security Initiative into action, fend off new threats and challenges, and uphold peace, stability and international fairness and justice.

Fourth, we need to promote cultural exchanges to enhance people-to-people connectivity. Between relatives and friends alike, with closer interaction the affinity grows. The China-Uzbekistan friendship enjoys a time-honored history and our cooperation on people-to-people exchanges has a solid foundation and bright prospects. We need to expand cooperation in the areas of media, education, health, culture, tourism, press, archeology and at the sub-national level, open culture centers in each others countries at an earlier time and set up a Luban Workshop in Uzbekistan, to foster a multi-faceted framework of people-to-people exchanges. This will help sustain the growth of China-Uzbekistan relations and build a lasting friendship between our peoples.

During my visit to Uzbekistan this time, I will attend the SCO Samarkand Summit. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Guided by the purposes and principles enshrined in these two documents, the SCO has acted on the Shanghai Spirit, stayed true to its founding mission, and promoted the joint efforts among its member states for stability and development. The SCO has set a fine example of a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, and proved itself an important and constructive force in the Eurasian region and in international affairs.

Since assuming SCO presidency, despite the impacts from COVID-19, Uzbekistan has strengthened communication and coordination with other member states, made solid efforts on various fronts, and preserved the SCOs momentum of sound and steady development. China applauds Uzbekistan for its efforts. I am confident that with the joint efforts of all sides, the Samarkand Summit will produce fruitful outcomes and make greater contribution to building an even closer SCO community with a shared future and to peace, stability, development and prosperity of our region.

As the saying goes, when your heart knows its direction, the distance to destination will never be long. Bearing in mind the original aspiration upon the establishment of our diplomatic relations, China will work with Uzbekistan to seize the historical opportunities, forge ahead side by side on the path of national development and rejuvenation, and make joint efforts toward the goal of building a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future.
On the afternoon of September 15 local time, President Xi Jinping met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at Forumlar Majmuasi Complex in Samarkand.

President Xi noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Azerbaijan. China supports Azerbaijans development path independently chosen by its people. The two sides need to view and plan for bilateral relations from a strategic height, increase strategic mutual trust, strengthen mutual support, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and work for steady, in-depth and practical cooperation in various fields between the two countries.

President Xi stressed that at the moment the international situation is undergoing profound and complex changes. The more complex the situation is, the greater the need for the international community to strengthen solidarity and coordination. China welcomes Azerbaijan to join China in implementing the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI). The two sides need to expand trade, improve the trade mix, increase the number of China-Europe Express freight train services, and ensure unimpeded international supply chains. President Xi expressed confidence that the Belt and Road cooperation between China and Azerbaijan enjoys broad prospects. The two sides need to enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges and deepen the friendship between the two peoples. China supports Azerbaijan in conducting cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), to work together for security, stability, development and prosperity in the region.

President Aliyev said that Azerbaijan and China are true strategic partners, that the two sides maintain close communication in international affairs, and that bilateral cooperation is advancing steadily. Azerbaijan thanks China for providing COVID-19 vaccines, which fully demonstrates the spirit of solidarity that China has always advocated. Azerbaijan will take the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries as an opportunity to deepen practical cooperation in various fields. Azerbaijan adheres to the one-China policy, firmly supports China in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, firmly opposes any actions that interfere in Chinas internal affairs or split China, and firmly supports China in safeguarding its core interests. The Azerbaijani side supports the GSI and GDI proposed by the Chinese side, and will actively engage in Belt and Road cooperation with the Chinese side.

Ding Xuexiang, Yang Jiechi, Wang Yi, He Lifeng and other officials attended the meeting.
City Wide Facility Solutions Expands Into South Louisiana

October 06, 2022 // Franchising.com // BATON ROUGE, La. - City Wide Facility Solutions announces the opening of its first location in the state of Louisiana. The new office will serve over 40 parishes across the entirety of Southern Louisiana.

Local building owners and property management companies throughout Louisiana and surrounding areas now have access to a single-source solution for all their facility management needs. Entrepreneur John Ellen, chief operating officer, has partnered with Darren Frerking, president of City Wide Facility Solutions in Houston, to open this South Louisiana office at 4021 WE Heck Court, Suite F1 in Baton Rouge on October 1.

Im looking forward to building long-lasting relationships across Southern Louisiana through creating employment opportunities for residents as well as serving local organizations, said Ellen. City Wides values were what originally drew me in to be a part of the Houston team with Darren and I am eager to give others the same chance to live out our mission the way I have been for the past year and a half!

Ellen originally joined City Wide Facility Solutions as director of operations before deciding to open his own location. Prior to City Wide, Ellen spent more than 16 years at an industrial supply company, earning experience in sales while leading a commercial team responsible for over $35 million in revenue. His management experience recognized the impact of developing enduring customer relationships on overall performance, which he will leverage at the South Louisiana City Wide location. Ellen will launch City Wide in partnership with Darren Frerking, the successful owner and operator of City Wide serving Greater Houston. With the eight years of managing the location alongside more than 22 years of business experience under his belt, Frerking will support Ellen in his chief operating officer role at City Wide Facility Solutions in South Louisiana.

City Wide offers one point of contact and provides professional communication and project management through every stage of the experience. This allows for clients to focus on running their business while uplifting smaller, independent and locally owned companies to execute services.

SOURCE City Wide Facility Solutions

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Fujitsu launches a brand-new LIFEBOOK product suite to meet the growing flexible working demands in the ANZ region

SYDNEY, Australia, October 6, 2022Fujitsu Australia announced the launch of its new portfolio of business notebooks, the LIFEBOOK range of high-performance notebooks featuring the 12th Gen Intel Core processors. The launch represents a significant development for the business community in managing the evolving nature of hybrid working. The notebooks will enable businesses to expand their horizons through the flexibility offered by the product suites slim and lightweight form factor.

The launch comes in response to the global adoption of flexible working and the growing demand for digital infrastructure that supports businesses as they transition to a transformed work-life model. The technology that existed before the pandemic is now facing constraints in its ability to facilitate hybrid work models. With our daily work changing, the need for high-performance machines to manage multiple workloads has become more important than ever. Enabling employees to work from anywhere in the world can also expand the talent pool available to businesses. Hence, there is an urgent demand for sophisticated devices that can support the transition into the next generation of hybrid work.

Fujitsu's line-up of the brand-new LIFEBOOK models has been designed to empower businesses and end users to work from anywhere at optimum capacity. With the lightest hardware in the market, all notebooks are powered by the latest, 12th Gen Intel Core processors that ensure uncompromised power without sacrificing performance or mobility.

To better support the growing hot-desking and hybrid work environments, the LIFEBOOK models use the same port replicator for both U7 and E5 Series to provide connections to peripherals, with connectivity options for a wide array of environment onboard.

The latest generation LIFEBOOK E5 models are sleeker than the predecessor models, having a smaller footprint and a new slimmed-down profile 19.9mm for the 14 version and 20.4mm for the 15. While the weight of the LIFEBOOK E5 Series has decreased by up to 25 per cent, the battery capacity and runtime have increased.

The LIFEBOOK models have been designed with reliability in mind, and constructed using Japanese precision engineering and quality supported by 30 years of experience. Featuring the use of environmentally friendly packaging and improved energy efficiency, these devices are aimed at harmonising the link between business and the environment.

The new generation of LIFEBOOK models allows businesses to enjoy peace of mind with the knowledge that their data is protected and secure. Biometric access options of The LIFEBOOK products include a fingerprint sensor or PalmSecure Technology, which is based on Fujitsus unique and leading edge biometric palm vein recognition and is regarded as one of the most accurate biometric technologies in the market.

Anna Soriano, Head of Portfolio  Products & Channel, Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand, says, Hybrid work is no longer a luxury. It is now the standard practice of many enterprises. As organisations continue to adapt to flexible working, they are now looking for the technology that will support that shift. The new generation of LIFEBOOK models featuring the 12th Gen Intel Core processors was introduced to support businesses ambitions to create digital forward workplaces. These notebooks feature a wide range of devices, designed to suit an array of users including executives, academics, specialists and knowledge workers to meet individual circumstances regardless of their specific business demands.

The new LIFEBOOK models are available to order immediately from Fujitsu and authorised partners. Pricing varies depending on system specification and country.
Climate activists applauded the Corvallis City Councils unanimous adoption of a resolution for a Green New Deal in the city.

The resolution was drafted by Sunrise Corvallis, part of a youth-led climate revolution under the National Sunrise Movement. The local group has been campaigning for the resolution, rallying outside council chambers on meeting nights.

Approved by the citys Climate Action Advisory Board, the resolution draws a direct connection between climate change and housing insecurity in the city. Its rooted in mutual aid: supporting one another, being accountable and responsive, and listening to needs.

A dozen people addressed the City Council on issues of climate change and homelessness during the meeting Monday, Oct. 3. Following the appeal, the council moved to deliberate on the resolution then and there rather than waiting for it's original place lower on the agenda.

The matter had come before the council twice before, being tabled in August and September for review.

I want to remind everybody about the meaning of resolve, Councilor Charlyn Ellis said. When we resolve to do something, we do not have to have all of the answers. We are just saying the issue is worthy of being broken down, examined, and reassembled in a more functional structure.

A city resolution communicates that officials understand something is a problem, Ellis said, and they resolve to do better on fixing it. With the Green New Deal for Climate and Housing Justice Resolution, the city is once again resolving to make significant progress on climate change as well as issues of homelessness and inequality, she said.

Until about two years ago, I struggled to understand directly and locally that connection between climate and homelessness, Ellis said. With the 2020 fires, it felt really real to me for the first time, that direct connection between the climate crisis and people losing their homes.

Sunrise Corvallis members took up the call to action Aug. 1, rallying at the corner of Northwest Harrison Boulevard and Fourth Street, where the City Council meets above the fire station, before heading inside to speak out on the effects of climate change from their perspective.

Ellis initially brought up the resolution, calling it a 21st century document crafted by young adults, and adding that their generation has grown up with the understanding that climate change must be addressed.

Not everyone was on board with the Green New Deal. City staff recommended against adopting the resolution, further suggesting councilors not drain limited staff resources on the resolution, according to a staff report. City Manager Mark Shepard said staff takes its ongoing work regarding both climate change and homelessness seriously.

The biggest challenge with the way the resolution is written, from staffs perspective, is its very broad and yet specific, Shepard said, noting those are contradictory terms. The issue with a resolution that is not clear is you create the possibility, the likelihood of expectations that dont align.

The council voted on a number of amendments to the language of the draft resolution before it was unanimously approved. The final version can be found in the citys online archives.

The resolution states Corvallis urges state and federal leaders to pass legislation upholding equitable decarbonization, job creation, social justice, and rights to clean air, water, land and food. It also states the city will work to substantially reduce fossil fuel consumption and ensure access to clean, affordable energy and public transit options.

Engaging with community partners to evaluate and foster housing options as well as help expand the emergency response team are also included in the resolution, along with a pledge to treat new and existing residents with compassion and dignity regardless of housing or citizenship status.

Lastly, the resolution states the city will promote nature-based solutions, as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for building resiliency and protecting community and infrastructure from the impacts of the climate crisis.
A dump truck crash on Highway 20 in Albany caused traffic delays and partial closures Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 5.

According to Albany police Community Engagement Officer Laura Hawkins, the call came in about the crash at about 12:28 p.m. The dump truck was carrying gravel, which spilled out onto the road.

The driver made it out of the vehicle, and no injuries were reported, according to Hawkins. No other vehicles were involved.

The dump truck appeared to be from Albany business U&D Trucking & Nursery. AA Towing got the truck back onto its wheels.

The crash happened near Rainwater Lane and caused temporary road closures in the area. In an Albany Police Department advisory sent around 1 p.m., the agency urged travelers to avoid Highway 20 between North Albany Road and Scenic Drive.

Traffic detours were expected to last a few hours.
An Albany titanium producer will attempt to settle with Oregons environmental regulator to reduce the $21,600 it was fined after a semi-tanker of corrosive acid was shipped as nonhazardous waste.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality asserts a contractor cleaned a tank containing hydrofluoric and nitric acid, draining 275 gallons of water into a tote at an ATI site in Albany.

ATI Albany Operations prepares titanium for use in aerospace applications. The facility on southwest 34th Avenue entered indefinite idling in 2020.

We were cleaning the tanks as part of the idling process for that portion of the operation, company spokesperson Natalie Gillespie said in a text message.

The Clackamas-based contractor, ACTenviro, drained another 3,500 gallons of water from three rinse tanks it stored in a 5,500-gallon tanker, according to a pair of DEQ civil penalty notices.

ACTenviro transported the waste April 27, 2021, to Patriot Environmental Services Inc., a nonhazardous disposal site, under a nonhazardous waste manifest.

Patriot Environmental tested tanker contents the next day that clocked a pH of 1.96 in a separate test. Oregon regards water-containing waste as corrosive with a pH of 2 or lower.

ACTenviro then tested fluid in the 275-gallon tote, described only as low in a penalty notice.

Waste from the tanker and tote were transported under a hazardous waste manifest the next month, May 2021, to a hazardous waste disposal, storage and treatment facility.

Their error was discovered before any inappropriate disposal occurred, Gillespie said in the message.

ACTenviro was fined $22,800 for accepting and transporting the waste.

DEQ fined ATI $6,000 for failing to identify the corrosive rinse water and another $15,600 for allowing the waste to leave the Albany site on a nonhazardous manifest.

All penalties are for first-class violations of Oregon environmental rules.

ATI appealed the fine, entering into a settlement process with DEQ the week of Sept. 26, according to department spokesperson Harry Esteve.

Esteve said he couldnt share specifics while a DEQ environmental law specialist drafts the terms of a settlement but noted settlements often result in reduced fines.

Its in lieu of going to a contested case hearing, Esteve said.

ACTenviro has held an informal meeting with DEQ and may move forward with its own appeal, Esteve said.

We do continue to meet and talk with the folks were enforcing, he said.

DEQ fined ATI $43,000 in 2016 for shipping hazardous waste from its Millersburg site without a hazardous waste manifest five years prior.

A worker was killed and another badly burned after the waste reportedly exploded at a receiving facility in December 2011 in East Liverpool, Ohio.

The state again fined ATI in 2019, $6,300 for the companys role in an August 2018 metal fire at ATI Specialty Alloys and Components in Millersburg, still frequently known by its former name Wah Chang.

That fire led to an explosion that reportedly ejected hot metals before brush fires were ignited 250 feet away.
Based on its long history of operating in Benton County, a local company that didnt get picked for a county contract protested that decision at the Board of Commissioners.

Corvallis-based Foundation Engineering Inc. was among the firms pursuing a Benton County contract for work related to the Justice System Improvement Program, the countys effort to revamp local law enforcement and justice facilities.

James Maitland of Foundation said the county was biased in awarding a geotechnical engineering contract for a $50 million new county courthouse to NV5, whose corporate headquarters is listed in Florida. NV5 expanded to the Pacific Northwest in 2019 via acquisition of Portland-based GeoDesign Inc. according to its website.

With a sustained presence in Corvallis since 1982, Foundation has done more than 400 projects in Benton County, the majority in Corvallis, Maitland said, arguing no other consulting firm has similar local experience, including working directly for the county and city. He said NV5 has a tiny fraction of that experience.

Maitland rattled off a list of notable projects around town as he spoke during the Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Oct. 3.

On a scale with 100 points possible to evaluate prospective firms, NV5 scored 89 points and Foundation Engineering had 84, according to county documents. The two scored identically on company overview, key personnel, and availability. But NV5 trumped Foundation 10 to 2 on unique qualifications.

"Unique qualifications" was an open-ended request for the contract bidders to tout attributes that put them ahead of the competition.

For local experience, Foundation had 24 of 25 possible points, and NV5 had 21, the documents show. Maitland said that scoring wasnt done fairly and didnt follow criteria, alleging out-of-town firms, including NV5 that have little or no local experience, were given elevated scores.

County staff said the proposals from seven competing firms were independently evaluated under a qualifications-based selection method that was fair and unbiased, denying the allegation of padding local experience scores for other firms. The commissioners ultimately decide whether a protest of this nature is valid.

The protest focused narrowly on the local experience, one of five components, said Gary Stockhoff, public works director. He said while Foundation is the most experienced locally, evaluators found the company lacking in one category  unique qualifications.

But that category was not part of their protest  it was only the local experience, Stockhoff said. So, even if they received the full 25 points  it would still find that they were not the firm that had the most total points.

The board concurred with staffs evaluation and selection, voting unanimously to reject Maitlands protest.
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - Amid mounting health emergencies globally, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate-related crises, and the war in Ukraine, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday announced an initiative to strengthen rapid response
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The British Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for African Affairs, Gillian Keegan, expressed "the UK's support for the government of national unity to achieve presidential and parliamentary elections according to a correct roadmap and constitutional rule
U.S. biodiesel prices soared by 59% y/y last year, making biofuel less competitive compared to fossil fuels. The average FOB price for American biodiesel B100 was $5.58 per gallon in November 2021, while the on-highway average price for conventional diesel was $3.74 per gallon.



LOS ANGELES, Feb. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- U.S. biodiesel prices skyrocketed in 2021, and their growth is to continue this year, a recent report published by market research firm IndexBox reveals. According to USDA data, the average spot FOB export price for biodiesel B100 from the plants in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio reached $5.58 per gallon in November 2021, surging by 59% against 2020. The on-highway average price for conventional diesel soared by 41% y/y to $3.64 per gallon, remaining much lower than those of biodiesel.

The rising costs of vegetable raw materials and energy constitute the key reasons for the biodiesel price increase and further propelling the biofuel prices this year. According to World Banks forecast, the price for soybean oil, one of the major raw types for biodiesel production, is set to grow by nearly 4% totalling $1,425 per tonne in 2022. The cost of fossil fuels is also projected to remain at the high level of 2021, which implies increased expenditures for energy in biodiesel manufacturing.

U.S. Biodiesel Exports by Country

Biodiesel exports from the U.S. surged to 476K tonnes in 2020, rising by 25% from the previous year's figure. In value terms, supplies fell modestly to $381M.

Canada (424K tonnes) was the main destination for biodiesel exports from the U.S., with an 89% share of total supplies. Moreover, exports to Canada exceeded the volume sent to the second major destination, Peru (19K tonnes), more than tenfold. The Netherlands took the third position in this ranking (14K tonnes), with a 2.9% share.

In value terms, Canada ($351M) remains the key foreign market for biodiesel from the U.S., comprising 92% of total exports. The second position in the ranking was taken by the Netherlands ($9.9M), with a 2.6% share of total supplies. It was followed by Peru, with a 2.3% share.

About IndexBox

IndexBox is a market research firm developing an AI-driven market intelligence platform that helps business analysts find actionable insights and make data-driven decisions. The platform provides data on consumption, production, trade, and prices for more than 10K+ different products across 200 countries.

For more information, please visit



Website https://www.indexbox.io

Twitter https://twitter.com/indexbox

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/IndexBox

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/indexbox-marketing/

Companies Mentioned in the Report

Cosan, Renewable Energy Group, Verbio, Green Plains, Aemetis, Gevo, American Resources, Green Plains Partners, REX American Resources, Targray, R.W. Davis Oil Co., Merrimac Energy Group, Dreyfus, Aemetis, Inc., Shipley Energy, Hightowers Petroleum Co., SK Chemicals America, Alternative Petroleum Technologies, Golden Leaf Energy, Taylor Oil Co., Seaport Refining, World Energy, Pacific Biodiesel Technologies, Phoenix Petroleum Co., Western States Petroleum, KCA Solar Power Generating Company Ltd, Piedmont Biofuels Industrial, GPM Empire, Delek US Holdings Inc., RKA Petroleum Companies, Sunpol Resins & Polymers, Ricochet Fuel Distributors

Sources

U.S. - Biodiesel - Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights

World - Biodiesel - Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights

World - Crude Palm Oil - Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights

World - Crude Soybean Oil - Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights

World - Ethyl Alcohol - Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights
English French

REGULATED INFORMATION

Preliminary documents for the Extraordinary General Meeting have been made available on companys website



Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, 06 October 2022, 7am CEST  BONE THERAPEUTICS (Euronext Brussels and Paris: BOTHE), the cell therapy company addressing unmet medical needs in orthopedics, invites its shareholders and the holders of registered subscription rights and registered convertible bonds of the Company to the extraordinary general meeting to be held on Monday 24 October 2022 as from 03:00 pm CEST, at Avenue Lloyd George 11, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.

The notice for the extraordinary general meeting, including the agenda of the day as well as the motions to vote, is published today in the Belgian Official Gazette and La Libre Belgique.

The documents and preliminary information concerning the extraordinary general meeting have been made available and can be consulted on Bone Therapeutics website, under the section Investors / Shareholders meeting, in compliance with the applicable law and regulations.

It is also possible to receive the documents without charge upon simple request by email to generalassembly@bonetherapeutics.com or by telephone on +32 (0)493 09 73 66. The documents are also available at the Companys headquarters, Rue Granbonpre 11, Building H, 1435 Mont-St-Guibert, Belgium.

.



About Bone Therapeutics

Bone Therapeutics is a leading biotech company focused on the development of innovative products to address high unmet needs in orthopedics and other diseases. Currently Bone Therapeutics is concentrating specifically on the development of its most advanced clinical asset, the allogeneic cell therapy platform, ALLOB.

Bone Therapeutics core technology is based on its cutting-edge allogeneic cell and gene therapy platform with differentiated bone marrow sourced Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) which can be stored at the point of use in the hospital. Its leading investigational medicinal product, ALLOB, represents a unique, proprietary approach to bone regeneration, which turns undifferentiated stromal cells from healthy donors into bone-forming cells. These cells are produced via the Bone Therapeutics scalable manufacturing process. Following the CTA approval by regulatory authorities in Europe, the Company has initiated patient recruitment for the Phase IIb clinical trial with ALLOB in patients with difficult tibial fractures, using its optimized production process. ALLOB continues to be evaluated for other orthopedic indications including spinal fusion, osteotomy, maxillofacial and dental.

Bone Therapeutics cell therapy products are manufactured to the highest GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards and are protected by a broad IP (Intellectual Property) portfolio covering ten patent families as well as knowhow. The Company is based in the Louvain-la-Neuve Science Park in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium. Further information is available at www.bonetherapeutics.com.

For further information, please contact:

Bone Therapeutics SA

Miguel Forte, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +32 (0)493 09 73 66

investorrelations@bonetherapeutics.com

For Belgian Media and Investor Enquiries:

Bepublic

Bert Bouserie

Tel: +32 (0)488 40 44 77

bert.bouserie@bepublicgroup.be

International Media Enquiries:

Image Box Communications

Neil Hunter / Michelle Boxall

Tel: +44 (0)20 8943 4685

neil.hunter@ibcomms.agency / michelle@ibcomms.agency

For French Media and Investor Enquiries:

NewCap Investor Relations & Financial Communications

Pierre Laurent, Louis-Victor Delouvrier and Arthur Rouille

Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

bone@newcap.eu

Certain statements, beliefs and opinions in this press release are forward-looking, which reflect the Company or, as appropriate, the Company directors current expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, competition and technology, can cause actual events, performance or results to differ significantly from any anticipated development. Forward looking statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. As a result, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Neither the Company nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its subsidiary undertakings or any such persons officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.
English French







CNOVA N.V.

C-Logistics, Cdiscounts logistics subsidiary,

reinforces its industrial partnership with Group La Poste/GeoPost

AMSTERDAM  October 6, 2022, 07:45 CET Cnova N.V. (Euronext Paris: CNV; ISIN: NL0010949392) (Cnova) today announced the reinforcement of the industrial partnership between Cdiscounts logistics subsidiary, C-Logistics, and GeoPost

Having been partners for nearly ten years, the two leaders in e-commerce logistics are now willing to reinforce their industrial partnership through the acquisition by GeoPost of a majority stake in CChezVous, C-Logistics' subsidiary dedicated to the transportation of bulky products. C-Logistics and GeoPost have also agreed to extend their collaboration to deliver small parcels throughout Europe, enabling C-logistics to accelerate its international expansion, reinforcing Cnovas B2B strategic pillar.

Since 2021 and as part of Cnovas B2B strategy, C-Logistics has been supporting physical and e-retailers in the development of their French and International e-commerce activity.

As historical partners, C-Logistics and GeoPost have built a partnership enabling the development of express and standard home delivery in France as well as express pick-up points delivery (more than 14,000 pick-up points). GeoPost also supported the European development of C-Logistics with a home delivery solution in more than 20 European countries.

Today, the two experts in logistics are willing to bolster their strategic partnership through the acquisition by GeoPost of a 95% majority stake in CChezVous, C-Logistics' transport subsidiary and a specialist in the delivery of heavy and bulky goods, for a consideration of 64 million euros*. Through this agreement, GeoPost will benefit from CChezVouss premium set of delivery services (such as live digital tracking and7/7 delivery.) as well as its network of more than 600 pick-up points in France. The transaction is subject to a consultation with the competent employee representative bodies. The transaction is to be closed in the last quarter of 2022, subject to market standard conditions precedent.

In order to accelerate its international expansion, C-Logistics expands its collaboration with GeoPost in Europe for small packages. Starting in October 2022, more than 34,000 GeoPost pick-up points will complement C-Logistics' delivery service offerings in 13 European countries. In addition, from February 2023 on, Chronopost will become C-Logistics' partner in Europe for aircraft express delivery of small parcels.

*amount subject to potential closing adjustments.

***

Cnova Investor Relations Contact:

investor@cnovagroup.com Media contact:

Vae Solis Communications

cdiscount@vae-solis.com

06 60 90 69 72

Elody Rustarucci Elody.Rustarucci@cdiscount.com

+33 6 18 33 17 86

Attachment
English French

Nexans signs Empire Wind contract to bring renewable energy to New York

_PRESS RELEASE_

Nexans receives final order from Equinor/bp joint venture for U.S offshore wind export cables turnkey contract for Empire Wind 1.

The project is part of the larger Empire Wind offshore wind farm that will generate enough renewable energy to energize over one million homes in New York State. Over 500,000 of those homes will be powered by the cables from this contract for Empire Wind 1.

Equinor and bps Empire Wind 1 project is a significant achievement that anticipates the State's growing need for energy and contributes to its carbon reduction roadmap.

The cables will be manufactured at Nexans facilities in Charleston, South Carolina, and Halden, Norway and will also be installed by Nexans.

Paris, October 6, 2022 - Nexans , a global organization and key driver for the worlds transition to a more connected and sustainable future, today announced the execution of a significant contract for phase one of the Empire Wind Project being developed by a 50-50 partnership between Equinor and bp. This signature follows the Preferred Supplier Agreement signed in March 2021 which prompted several months of collaborative work to negotiate a turnkey contract, covering the design and manufacturing, as well as the laying and protection of export cables for the project.

The Empire Wind lease area for the first phase of the overall 2.1 gigawatt project is located about 20 miles (33km) south of Long Island and east of the Rockaways. Nexans will install the export cables over 93 miles (150km) from the offshore substation for Empire Wind 1 to landfall at South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.

The Empire Wind 1 project, when completed, will deliver electricity to over 500,000 homes of the eventual over 1 million homes that will be powered by the entire Empire Wind project.

Christopher Guerin, CEO of Nexans, said: New York is one of the most aggressive states in the U.S. in terms of committing itself to create a fully carbon-free statewide economy, and offshore wind energy will likely be the main source of electricity for the state by 2035.

Signing the contract for Empire Wind 1 further establishes Nexans as a major player in renewable energy in the United States, and will alleviate added pressures on the states electrical grids. We look forward to continuing our relationships with Equinor and bp as we work together to electrify the future.

About NEXANS

For more than a century, Nexans has played a crucial role in electrifying the planet and is committed to electrifying the future. With 25,000 staff in 42 countries, the Group is driving the change towards the new world of electrification  a safer, more sustainable, renewable, carbon-free world, accessible to all. In 2021, Nexans generated 6.1 billion in standard sales. The Group is a leader in the design and manufacturing of cable systems and services in five main areas of activity: Energy Production & Transmission, Distribution, Uses, Industry & Solutions and Telecom & Data. Nexans was the first player in its industry to create a Corporate Foundation to support actions that promote access to energy for disadvantaged populations worldwide. The Group is committed to helping achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.

Nexans. Electrify the future.

Nexans is listed on the Euronext Paris stock market, compartment A.

For more information, visit www.nexans.com

For more information about Empire Wind, visit www.empirewind.com

Contact:

Communication







Emmanuel Guinot

emmanuel.guinot@nexans.com







Christopher Minardi

Tel.: +1 929-459-4530

christopher.minardi @ nexans.com Investor relations







Elodie Robbe-Mouillot

Tel.: +33 (0)1 78 15 03 87

elodie.robbe-mouillot@nexans.com





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NEWARK, Del, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global airless packaging market is predicted to reach a value of US$ 9.0 Bn by 2032, with the market expanding at a moderate CAGR of 4.8% from 2022 to 2032. Scaling up from a value of US$ 5.4 Bn in 2021, the target market is expected to reach an estimated US$ 5.7 Bn by the end of 2022.



High durability, effective barrier-resistance, lightweight nature, and affordability of airless packaging promote the market growth of the same over the forecast period. With immense demand from the cosmetic sector, the airless packaging market will likely expand 1.7x the market value while generating a growth opportunity of US$ 3.6 Bn during 2022-2032.

The rising concern for the environment has encouraged diverse sustainability drives. This has led many manufacturers in the packaging sector to employ recyclable packaging materials to meet the escalating demand for environmentally friendly products. In the past few years, airless packaging has expanded its product line to include different types such as airless bottles, tubes, and jars.

Request a Report Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-12674

These products are inviting increasing demand from different industries like skincare and healthcare as these bottles would aid in the prevention of contamination and help in extending the shelf life. Hence, elevated demand for various cosmetic and skincare products such as creams, foundations, and serums along with a demand for a longer shelf life of the same products is expected to foster growth for the target market.

At present, Europe accounts for the largest share of the global airless packaging market. Owing to the strong presence of numerous renowned fashion and cosmetic brands, particularly in Paris, the region holds over 35.5% of the market. Different skincare brands across Europe are accentuating the use of sustainable airless packaging for addressing rising concerns associated with sustainability and protection of the product against oxidation. All of these considerations boost the overall market growth of airless packaging in the global space.

Increasing demand for a wide range of cosmetic products as well as a growing need for a longer shelf life of the same augments the global sales of the airless packaging market during the forecast period, says an FMI analyst.

Key Takeaways:

Heightened demand from different industry verticals, particularly the cosmetic sector, will strengthen the market.

The airless packaging market in the U.S. will acquire about 23.9% of the global market share by 2032.

Chinas airless packaging market will expand 2.2 times the current value during 2022-2032.

Plastic airless packaging will witness heightened demand while accounting for 66.3% of the global market share.

Airless bottles will grow at a standard 5.1% CAGR over the forecast period.





Get More Information on this Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/airless-packaging-market

Competitive Landscape

Aptar Group Inc., Albea Beauty Holdings S.A., Silgan Holdings Inc., Lumson SPA, HCP Packaging, Quadpack Industries, Libo Cosmetics Company, Fusion Packaging, WestRock Company, ABC Packaging Ltd., Raepak Ltd., COSME Packaging, Eastar Cosmetic Packaging, Andler Packaging Group, and Cospack America Corp., among others are some of the major players in the airless packaging market profiled in the full version of the report.

Major market players are focusing on capacity expansion to cater to the growing demand. These organizations are investing more into the expansion of their current facilities, developing sustainable and innovative products to meet the elevated demand for sustainable packaging. Mergers, acquisitions, and collaborations are some other tactics employed by major businesses in the field.

More Insights into Airless Packaging Market Report

In its latest report, FMI offers an unbiased analysis of the global airless packaging market, providing historical data from 2015 to 2021 and forecast statistics for 2022 to 2032. To understand the global market potential, growth, and scope, the market is segmented on the basis of packaging type (bottles, jars, tubes), material (plastic, glass), dispensing system (pumps, dropper, twist & clicks), and region.

According to the latest FMI reports, based on segmentation, the plastic segment will exhibit tremendous growth and generate an incremental opportunity of US$ 2.3 Bn during 2022-2032. By type, the bottle segment is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% during the assessment period.

Based on region, the airless packaging market in the U.S. will exhibit notable growth due to heightened demand for airless glass cosmetic bottles and jars. The countrys airless packaging market will facilitate a growth opportunity of US$ 680 Mn during the projected period. The U.S. currently holds the largest share in the cosmetic jars market. This bodes well for the overall target market in this region. In China, too, the market is expected to experience considerable growth during 2022-2032.

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Table of Content

1. Executive Summary

1.1. Global Market Outlook

1.2. Demand-side Trends

1.3. Supply-side Trends

1.4. Technology Roadmap Analysis

1.5. Analysis and Recommendations

2. Market Overview

2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy

2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations

3. Market Background

3.1. Market Dynamics

3.2. Impact of Covid-19

3.3. Macro Factors and Forecast Factors

3.4. Value Chain Analysis

4. Global Airless Packaging Market Analysis 2015-2021 and Forecast, 2022-2032

4.1. Historical Market Size Value (US$ Bn) & Volume (Tons) Analysis, 2015-2021

4.2. Current and Future Market Size Value (US$ Bn) & Volume (Tons) Projections, 2022-2032

Report for Customization @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-12674

Top Reports Related To Packaging Market Insights

FMCG Packaging Market Size - The global FMCG packaging market is expected to reach US$ 418.8 Bn in 2022, with sales growing at a CAGR of 5.7% through 2032.

Beverage Packaging Market Share - The global beverage packaging market is estimated at USD 104.8 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 128.2 Bn by 2027, at a CAGR of 4.1% from 2022 to 2027.

Flexible Packaging Paper Market Trends - The flexible packaging paper market is on track to grow at an estimated CAGR of 4% during 2022-2032.

Biodegradable Packaging Market Outlook - According to Future Market Insights research, during the projected period, the global biodegradable packaging market is set to enjoy a valuation of US$ 448.2 Bn in 2022, and further expand at a CAGR of 6.1% during 2022-2032.

Airless Pumps Market Demand - The airless pump market will register positive growth, with the overall valuation estimate to reach US$ 230 Mn in 2021. Future Market Insights (FMI) projects airless pump sales to increase at 5.5% CAGR between 2021 and 2031.

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 Us:

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
LONDON, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ARuVR, a multi-award-winning end-to-end, enterprise-grade Extended Reality (XR) training platform, today announced that it has been granted a patent by the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO). The title of the invention is "Virtual and Augmented Reality units, systems and methods". The technology covered by the patent (which includes a total of 15 claims) solves many issues, including multi-user simultaneous VR/AR training solutions being so far only satisfactory for individual use due to the inherent latency issues associated with such real-time, high data payload applications. The patent is numbered GB2586627 and will remain in force for 20 years.

Following three years of research and development, the ARuVR training platform enables enterprises to train in real-time multiple employees, in any location globally, through a multiway interactive AR/VR experience. Thanks to the patented technology and software, all participants, including the trainer/presenter, are able to collaborate in an immersive or augmented reality experience and to see what all participants are doing, in real-time with zero latency.

The invention is already present in the ARuVR platform and to date, ARuVR technology has been deployed by many leading enterprises, including Coca-Cola, BT, Rio Tinto, NEOM, Amazon, American Express, BP, Philip Morris, Barilla, PwC and many others.

Frank Furnari, CEO & Founder, ARuVR, said: "Until now, the potential of VR/AR in a training capacity has been limited by its 1-2-1 nature and problems with latency. ARuVR VR/AR training solutions significantly solve this, allowing enterprises to effectively communicate, collaborate and train their workforce at the same time, wherever they are, interactively and in real-time. Our technology innovation has been recognised with this patent and we, as a team, are immensely proud of what we have achieved."

Marco Morbidini, partner at Kilburn & Strode, LLP, specialist Patent and Trademark Attorneys, said: "The granting of this British patent is testament to the problems that have been solved and the ingenuity of the team, particularly because the UK IPO applies strict legal tests to recognise patentability. We will be advising ARuVR as it seeks patent protection for its technology innovation also in many other jurisdictions in the world."

ARuVR is pleased to announce that it will be at the Learning Technologies Autumn Forum at ExCel London (UK) on 13 Oct. 2022 on Stand #39. To attend for free, please register here.

About ARuVR

ARuVR is the world's first end-to-end scalable turnkey Extended Reality (Augmented and Virtual Reality) solution for enterprises and public sector organisations. ARuVR's suite of award-winning products enables in-house teams to quickly and easily create, distribute, analyse and manage both on-demand and instructor-led immersive, interactive training experiences - in order to develop new skills and better communicate and collaborate across the organisation. www.ARuVR.com

ARuVR is a registered certified name in multiple countries.

Contact Information:

Andrew Durkin

Director

andrew@mustardpr.com

0044 7887998407



Related Images











Image 1: Frank Furnari, CEO & Founder, ARuVR





Frank Furnari, CEO & Founder, ARuVR









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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Dublin, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Energy as a Service Market by Type (Energy Supply Services, Operational and Maintenance Services, and Energy Efficiency and Optimization Services) End-User (Commercial and Industrial) and Region - Global Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The energy as a service market is projected to reach USD 105.6 billion by 2027 from an estimated USD 64.7 billion in 2022, at a CAGR of 10.3% during the forecast period. Due to the manufacturing advances and various technological improvements, the costs of various renewables and storage systems such as solar PVs, fuel cells, grid-based energy storage, especially batteries, and combined heat and power declined significantly in recent times.

The decreasing costs of solar PV are encouraging users to install these resources for generating electricity. These decreasing prices of the renewables and storage solutions have positively promoted the energy as a service approach as it is helping the utilities implement the same and helping various end-users reduce their energy costs. Also, with the price volatility found in today's fossil fuels markets, unpredictable prices are costing the government substantially more than lower-cost alternatives.

For instance, solar power can be generated and used during peak times to offset the costly high-demand electricity mentioned above. The use of solar power can not only reduce the overall electricity usage but also helps avoid demand charges. Hence, all factors are making these options more viable and affordable.

The energy supply services segment, by type, is expected to be the fastest-growing market from 2022 to 2027.

There are three types of services considered in the report energy supply services, operational and maintenance services and energy efficiency and optimization services. Energy supply services refer to the idea where a building's energy requirements are taken care of by an outside company, typically utilities or service providers. Energy supply services protect end-users from grid blackouts and weather extremes that would threaten the operations of traditional grid-connected commercial and industrial entities. In energy as a service operation, energy supply services are increasingly delivered through Energy Services Agreements (ESAs) which are performance-based contracts through which a service provider agrees to finance, develop, and deploy renewable energy projects for clients without any upfront capital expenditures. In addition to this, consumers do not have any responsibility to maintain and upgrade the equipment.

The commercial segment, by end-user, is expected to be the largest market from 2022 to 2027.

The end-user segment has two types includes commercial and industrial end-users. The commercial segment includes establishments such as healthcare, educational institutions, airports, data centers, leisure centers, warehouses, hotels, and others. Electricity prices for the commercial sector are higher than the industrial sector. Hence, customers are looking for a solution that helps them implement energy-efficiency projects with no capital expenditure and validate energy savings. Therefore, an increase in the energy consumption demand and commercial energy prices is expected to drive the segment.

North America: The largest and the fastest growing region in the energy as a service market.

North America is expected to dominate the global energy as a service market and is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2022-2027. One of the major drivers for the energy as a service business model in the region is the ability to incorporate technology, analytics, and personalized services for end users. North America's electrical transmission infrastructure is not upgraded for modern threats and natural hazards. Energy as a service would provide the reliability and flexibility that would enable expanded use of electricity across the region without getting affected by threats and hazards.

Market Dynamics

Drivers

New Revenue Generation Streams for Utilities

Increasing Distributed Energy Resources

Decreasing Cost of Renewable Power Generation and Storage Solutions

Availability of Federal and State Tax Benefits for Energy-Efficient Projects

Restraints

Integration and Deployment Challenges

Dominance of Existing Centralized Utility Models

Opportunities

Deeper Operational and Maintenance Savings

Increasing Use of Energy-Efficient Technologies

Challenges

Uncertainty About Agreement Structure

Building Ownership Constraints

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights

5 Market Overview

6 Energy as a Service Market, by Type

7 Energy as a Service Market, by End-user

8 Energy as a Service Market, by Region

9 Competitive Landscape

10 Company Profiles

11 Appendix

Companies Mentioned

Alpiq

Ameresco

Bernhard Energy Solutions

Centrica

EDF Renewable Energy

Edison

Enel X

Enertika

Engie

Entegrity

General Electric

Honeywell

Johnson Controls

Norseco

Orsted

Schneider Electric

Siemens

Smartwatt

Veolia

Wendel Energy Service

WGL Energy

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/t9k1u0

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Dublin, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Zambia Diesel Genset Market Size and Share Analysis by Power Rating, Application - Forecast to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



In 2021, the Zambia diesel genset market accounted for $13,762.1 thousand revenue, which is predicted to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4.9% from 2021 to 2030.

This is credited to the growing frequency of government initiatives for improving the electrification rate and substantial developments in the manufacturing, construction, commercial, and oil & gas industries.



Moreover, the rising rate of urbanization and increasing requirement for a dependable and safe electricity supply are driving the demand for such energy production systems. Furthermore, the rising residential building activities in the nation are making reliable backup electricity solutions imperative, which is projected to assist the market expansion in the future.

Many key players in the Zambia diesel genset market are emphasizing the introduction of new products to attract a large consumer base and expand their product portfolios. These market players are Aggreko Ltd., Cummins Inc., Kohler Co., Caterpillar Inc., and Atlas Copco AB.



For instance, Volvo Penta expanded its generation engine lineup in February 2022 with the introduction of the TAD1346GE rated at 500 kVA. This fuel-efficient engine is designed for backup generators, especially those utilized in standby applications or emergencies.



Key Findings of Zambia Diesel Genset Market Report

To offer people 21st-century comforts, Zambia is concentrating on infrastructure development. For example, it intended to expand toll booths on important routes in November 2021, to gather funds for road upkeep.

Addition, the Pave Zambia 2000 program proposes to rehabilitate 2,000 km of urban roads, while the L400 project entails the building of 400 km of roadways in the city of Lusaka for $348 million. These ongoing infrastructure initiatives will contribute to the market expansion as gensets are an essential requirement at construction sites lacking grid connectivity.

The 15-75 kVA category accounted for over 40% of the sales in the Zambia diesel genset market in 2021. This was due to the low cost of these generators and the high demand for them in residential buildings, restaurants, small companies, commercial complexes, and hotels.

After the election held in August 2021, the new government formed the Ministry of Technology and Science to encourage the usage of information and communication technology for social inclusion and economic growth. This will lead to the construction of data centers, where DG sets are critical for backup power supply.

The Smart Zambia initiative has funded data centers, computer assembly plants, ICT training centers, and smart education programs. The increase in internet access and advances in communication via international submarine cables are assisting these efforts.

The industrial category of the Zambia diesel genset market accounted for roughly 41% of the share in 2021. This was due to the fast-rising demand for DG sets as a primary or backup power source in the country's manufacturing and oil & gas sectors.

Market Dynamics

Trends

Increase in frequency of power outages

Drivers

Rapid growth in telecom sector

Government initiatives for infrastructure development

Impact analysis of drivers on market forecast

Restraints

Growing preference for clean energy

Harmful effects of diesel gensets

Impact analysis of restraints on market forecast

Company Profiles

Atlas Copco AB

Kohler Co.

Cummins Inc.

Caterpillar Inc.

Aggreko Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/833hw8

Attachment
PUNE, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "Vietnam Freight And Logistics Market" research report focus on overall information that can help to take decisions on current market situation. Vietnam is at an inflection point, with a rapidly increasing GDP, young population, and the willingness to adopt new technologies. The logistics market in the country is in its transition stage and the demand for logistics is rising strongly. High economic growth, increasing domestic manufacturing, the rise in consumption, and booming e-commerce are some of the key drivers of the Vietnamese freight and logistics market. Weak transport infrastructure and high logistics cost remain to be market restraints. Contract logistics is one of the key trends in the Vietnamese freight and logistics market. The booming e-commerce in the country presents an opportunity for start-ups with innovative technologies demanding more efficient logistics services, especially in the areas of last-mile delivery and value-added services. The logistics market in Vietnam is becoming more liberalized, creating opportunities for new companies to cash in on the rising demand.

Vietnam Freight And Logistics Market Report Contains: -

Complete overview of the global Vietnam Freight And Logistics Market

Top Country data and analysis for United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, etc. It also throws light on the progress of key regional Vietnam Freight And Logistics markets such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East and Africa

Description and analysis of Vietnam Freight And Logistics market potential by type, Deep Dive, disruption, application capacity, end use industry

impact evaluation of most important drivers and restraints, and dynamics of the global Vietnam Freight And Logistics market and current trends in the enterprise

Get a Sample Copy of the Report at - https://proficientmarketinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample/14244342

Vietnam Freight And Logistics Market Segmentation: -

researchers latest report provides a deep insight into the global Vietnam Freight And Logistics market covering all its essential aspects. This ranges from a macro overview of the market to micro details of the market size, competitive landscape, development trend, niche market, key market drivers and challenges, SWOT analysis, Porters five forces analysis, value chain analysis, etc.

Scope of the Report

A complete background analysis of the Vietnamese freight and logistics market, which includes an assessment of the economy and contribution of sectors in the economy, market overview, market size estimation for key segments, and emerging trends in the market segments, market dynamics, and logistics spending by the end-user industries, is covered in the report.

Key Market Trends

Growing Maritime Sector - The Country Aims to Become a Maritime Powerhouse

With a coastline of 3,260 kilometres and a number of rivers flowing the country, Vietnam holds a lot of potential for maritime freight transport. In 2018, the seaports of Vietnam handled 524.7 million metric ton of cargo, 19% more than that in 2017. The country has 1,593 ships, with total capacity of about 7.8 million DWT as of December 2018, ranking fourth in ASEAN and 30th globally. Additionally, Vietnam has 272 wharfs with an accumulated annual capacity exceeding 550 million metric ton. There are around 1,300 businesses in the country providing maritime businesses; however, they fulfil only a portion of the market demand. The maritime sector of the country needs investments, and as it grows, the sector is likely to have a profound impact on the economy.

The Vietnamese government plans to make Vietnam a powerful maritime country by 2030. It aims to increase the maritime sector contribution to GDP to 10%. Further, the government aims to increase the contribution of the 28 coastal cities and provinces to the Vietnamese economy to 65% - 70%, which was around 60% in 2017. The total cargo handled by Vietnamese seaports increased by 9.8% between 2011 and 2017. The country aims to increase the throughput to 640 to 680 million metric ton, per year, by 2020, and 1,040 to 1,160 metric ton, per year, by 2030. The government is also looking to reduce the dependence on road transport and cut the volume of goods transported on roads.

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Shift of Manufacturing Facilities - Logistics Demand to Rise

Over the last 20 years, Vietnam has established itself as one of the brightest manufacturing hotspots in Southeast Asia. From 1986 to 2018, land allotted to industrial parks increased from 335 hectares to an impressive 80,000 hectares. Owing to low labor costs, Vietnam has received a lot of capital over the years, for establishing assembling facilities and manufacturing factories. Raw materials and mechanical spare parts for manufacturing and production purposes are one of the key imports of the country. Raw materials for manufacturing are imported into the country and the manufactured products are exported, which demand an effective logistics sector, supporting the manufacturing sector of the country.

The country is establishing itself as an export-driven economy. The government is encouraging business in the manufacturing sector and is attracting investments in this sector, by establishing economic zones and industrial parks. The manufacturing and processing sectors received the highest FDI in 2017, close to 44% of the total. In recent years, the number of businesses that relocated their operations from China to Vietnam has been increasing. The rising costs in China, the country moving away from labour-intensive industries, and moving up the value chain is leading the businesses to relocate their manufacturing facilities to Southeast Asia, and the proximity and geographic location of Vietnam makes it a viable option. Moreover, Vietnam has lot of trade agreements (around 17 FTAs), which create a favourable business environment for domestic and foreign companies.

Market segment by Region/Country including: -

North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico)

Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Spain, etc.)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Southeast Asia, etc.)

South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, etc.)

Middle East & Africa (South Africa, UAE, Saudi Arabia, etc.)

Competitive Landscape

The logistics market landscape of Vietnam is highly fragmented in nature and most of the players are small- and medium-sized firms providing low-value-added logistics services. There are more than 3,000 logistics companies, and 90% of them have a registered capital of less than VND 10 billion. Only 5% of these have a capital in the range of VND 10-20 billion, while the remaining have more than VND 20 billion. The competition between the domestic logistic companies is fierce, and the Vietnamese freight and logistics market is dominated by foreign companies. Even though the foreign logistics firms account for less share of transportation volume, these take 70%-80% of the revenue of the logistics market. This highly fragmented nature is also limiting the logistics potential of Vietnam up to some extent.

Key Players in the Vietnam Freight And Logistics Market: -

6.1 Overview (Market Concentration and Major Players)

6.2 Other Companies (Key Information/Overview)

6.3 Company Profiles

6.3.1 Viettel Logistics Co. Ltd

6.3.2 Hai Minh Corp.

6.3.3 Saigon Cargo Service Corporation (SCSC)

6.3.4 Tan Cang Logistics & Stevedoring JSC

6.3.5 Vietrans Saigon Logistics

6.3.6 PetroVietnam Transportation Corp.

6.3.7 Vietnam Transport & Chartering Corporation

6.3.8 Bee Logistics Corporation

6.3.9 Indo Trans Logistics Corporation

6.3.10 Vinatrans

6.3.11 Gemadept Corporation/Gemadept Logistics

6.3.12 Transimex Corp.

6.3.13 Agility Logistics Pvt. Ltd

6.3.14 United Parcel Service Inc.

6.3.15 BollorA Transport & Logistics

6.3.16 Kintetsu World Express Inc.

6.3.17 Keppel Logistics

6.3.18 DB Schenker

6.3.19 Kerry Logistics Network Limited

6.3.20 CEVA Logistics

6.3.21 Nippon Express Co. Ltd

6.3.22 Yamato Holdings Co. Ltd

6.3.23 Yusen Logistics Co. Ltd

6.3.24 Deutsche Post DHL Group

* List not exhaustive

6.4 Other Companies (Key Information/Overview)

DSV, Kuehne + Nagel, Samsung SDS, Sinotrans, PT Transport Logistics, Pentiger Vietnam Co. Ltd, VIET Total Logistics (VTL)Co. Ltd, Konoike Vinatrans Logistics Co. Ltd, VNT Logistics JSC, Vinafco, Danko Logistics, Damco, Vinatrans Danang, Sojitz Corporation, Otran Logistics Company Limited, SEKO logistics

* List not exhaustive

Get a Sample Copy of the Report at - https://proficientmarketinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample/14244342

Key Benefits of Vietnam Freight And Logistics Market Research Report:

Types, applications, regions, and key players covered in the study

Industry drivers, restraints, and opportunities covered in the study

Recent industry trends and developments

Competitive landscape & strategies of key players

Historical, current, and projected market size, in terms of value

In-depth analysis of the Artificial Intelligence AI Chips Market

Sales, price, revenue, market share, and growth rate are covered in the report sales channels, distributors, traders, dealers, etc. are covered in the report

Detailed TOC of Vietnam Freight and Logistics Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2022 - 2030)

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Study Deliverables

1.2 Study Assumptions

1.3 Scope of the Study

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2.1 Analysis Methodology

2.2 Research Phases

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4 MARKET DYNAMICS AND INSIGHTS

4.1 Current Market Scenario

4.2 Market Dynamics

4.2.1 Drivers

4.2.2 Restraints

4.2.3 Opportunities

4.3 Industry Attractiveness of Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.4 Value Chain / Supply Chain Analysis

4.5 Government Regulations and Initiatives

4.6 Technological Trends (Overview of Industry 4.0 in Vietnam and its Impact on the Logistics Sector)

4.7 Insight into the E-commerce Industry (Domestic and Cross-border E-commerce)

4.8 Insight into Cross-border Trucking and Intermodal Transportation

4.9 Brief on Freight Transportation Costs/Freight rates in Vietnam

4.10 Developments in Rail Freight Transport between Vietnam and Europe

4.11 Elaboration on Transit Trade though Vietnam

5 MARKET SEGMENTATION

5.1 By Function

5.1.1 Freight Transport

5.1.1.1 Road

5.1.1.2 Shipping and Inland Water

5.1.1.3 Air

5.1.1.4 Rail

5.1.2 Freight Forwarding

5.1.3 Warehousing

5.1.4 Value-added Services

5.1.5 Key Quantitative and Qualitative Insights on Other Emerging Areas, such as Cold Chain Logistics, Return Logistics, Project Logistics, and Technological Developments in Logistics.

5.2 By End User

5.2.1 Manufacturing and Automotive

5.2.2 Oil and Gas, Mining, and Quarrying

5.2.3 Agriculture, Fishing, and Forestry

5.2.4 Construction

5.2.5 Distributive Trade (Wholesale and Retail Segments, Including FMCG)

5.2.6 Other End Users (Telecommunication and Pharmaceuticals)

Explore Full Report With Detailed TOC Here: https://proficientmarketinsights.com/TOC/14244342#TOC

1.To study and analyze the global Vietnam Freight And Logistics consumption (value) by key regions/countries, product type and application

2.To understand the structure of Vietnam Freight And Logistics market by identifying its various sub segments.

3.Focuses on the key global Vietnam Freight And Logistics manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the value, market share, market competition landscape, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.

4.To analyze the Vietnam Freight And Logistics with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.

5.To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).

6.To project the consumption of Vietnam Freight And Logistics submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).

7.To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.

8.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.

Key Reasons to Purchase

To gain insightful analyses of the market and have comprehensive understanding of the global Vietnam Freight And Logistics market and its commercial landscape.

Assess the production processes, major issues, and solutions to mitigate the development risk.

To understand the most affecting driving and restraining forces in the Vietnam Freight And Logistics market and its impact in the global market.

Learn about the Vietnam Freight And Logistics market strategies that are being adopted by leading respective organizations.

To understand the future outlook and prospects for the Vietnam Freight And Logistics market.

Besides the standard structure reports, we also provide custom research according to specific requirements

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Tallinn, Estonia, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With a mission to increase brand awareness, grow a loyal community and promote their upcoming projects, lifestyle, and gaming metaverse, MT Tower has launched its global Ambassador Program. MT Tower is looking for blockchain enthusiasts, social media experts, and lifestyle influencers who wish to interact with their target consumers and establish strong connections with MT Tower, its vision, and its team.

MT Tower's Ambassadors program strives to raise awareness, generate positive word of mouth, and provide appropriate visibility to the lifestyle and gaming metaverse. The program also aims to educate the general population about the metaverse and blockchain and lead viewers to MT Tower to learn more about how it is bringing the world into Social Media 3.0.



The CEO of MT Tower, Igor ukasik, said" The MT Tower team is excited to grow the relationship with the community through this program. As we begin scaling, it will give us an opportunity for stronger ties and mutual benefits that can happen only when folks from all walks of life come together to build something big."



With MT Tower in the middle of a highly successful and final round of its MT Token presale, its upcoming listing on a top exchange, and its continued drive to deliver on its roadmap, there is no better time to introduce this program.

Ambassador Roles

There are three roles for MT Tower Ambassadors:

Content creators are vital in educating the public about your project and advocating for you through engaging content such as graphics, videos or articles, blogs, and podcasts. Content will be published on Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, YouTube, Tik Tok. Promotional Ambassadors are the perfect way to get the brand's message out! They represent MT Tower by commenting and providing positive statements, so it's only natural that their followers want more of what they have seen. The Ambassadors will post photos or videos with hashtags like #followMTTower on social media. Writers who write engaging, keyword-rich articles optimized for search engines. Each piece of content targets a specific audience and tackles an interesting topic relevant to audiences' needs.

Rewards:

MT Tower has announced exciting reward structures for Ambassadors, which are spread out in multiple categories:

Monthly Rewards:

The MT Tower Ambassador Program is a commitment-filled program that rewards those who have shown their loyalty and dedication.



Each week, the most dedicated ambassadors will be given MT tokens as rewards in recognition of outstanding contributions to our community through viral content or excellent engagement! These high flyers can also win big by being named "Ambassador Of The Month." This monthly award gives them $500 worth of MT tokens. Besides, $50 worth of MT tokens will be given to 5 randomly selected Ambassadors each month.

These MT tokens can be staked for passive yields on the Play-to-earn platform. Also, as the token appreciates in the secondary markets, it will prove to be a valuable asset to hodl for future yields.

2. Result-based bonuses:

Ambassadors who consistently achieve weekly targets will have no limits to their income potential! If they complete their tasks each week, they will be rewarded twice the monthly bonus in the following month.

How to apply to be an MT Tower Ambassador

Interested candidates can register for the program by visiting this website and following the instruction https://metatower.com/ambasador

Ambassador Rules

Ambassadors must abide by the following rules to participate:

No derogatory statements or language should be used in any capacity.

Comments on race, culture, slurs, and other sensitive topics are unacceptable and will result in instant disqualification.

To deliver an impartial review, a thorough grasp of the project and use cases is required, as well as an understanding of the product.

All ambassadors must follow MT Tower on Instagram and Twitter and must have joined the telegram group before starting their quest.

Ambassadors must adhere to your local marketing laws, rules, and regulations and publish any needed disclaimers on your posts.

MT Tower accepts no responsibility for fake endorsements and testimonials. It will not reward improper language, behavior, misrepresentation of the firm, its goods, and its brand, false reviews, or offering financial advice on its behalf.

MT Tower reserves the right to modify, change, cancel, or terminate any parts of the program at its discretion. While not obligated to do so, MT Tower, at its convenience, will try to communicate such actions with advanced notice on its official channels.

Working with the community is an excellent opportunity to give back and make MT Tower even more exciting. Stay tuned for more updates and campaigns!

About MT Tower:

Social Media 3.0, aka MT Tower, is a lifestyle and gaming platform built on Polygon. It allows people to make new social connections, meet brands and create their world, sharing it outside and inside.



To learn more about MT Tower, visit:



Twitter | Instagram | Telegram | LinkedIn




Dublin, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Internet of Things (IoT) in Retail Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global internet of things (IoT) in retail market size reached US$ 41.15 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 124.18 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 20.21% 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.



The Internet of things (IoT) is a data network comprising devices that connect to the Internet and exchange data without requiring human-to-machine interaction. It finds extensive applications in the retail sector as IoT helps link the physical and digital world by allowing bidirectional real-time interaction with consumers inside and outside the store.

It offers functional advantages, such as dynamic pricing, inventory tracking, monitoring, and personalized recommendations. Besides this, it also allows retailers to track customer movement and acquire insights about their shopping behavior.



Internet of Things (IoT) in Retail Market Trends:

The rising automation in the retail sector to minimize labor costs represents one of the key factors bolstering the growth of the market. Moreover, retailers are focusing on launching innovative products and services and guaranteeing security to avoid data breaches.

They are also aiming at bringing a digital transformation to their conventional bricks-and-mortar outlets. As a result, retailers are nowadays adopting IoT technologies, such as digital signage, payment systems, and smart lighting and vending machines. In addition, they are utilizing radio-frequency identification (RFID) for asset tracking in stores and warehouses, sensors and cameras for monitoring product status and customer traffic, and in-store Wi-Fi to detect return customers and encourage digital interaction.

Apart from this, IoT devices enhance customer experience (CX) in stores through interactive terminals, virtual or augmented reality (AR/VR) experience, smart fitting rooms, and robots that can be deployed as smart sales assistants. These benefits, coupled with the rapid expansion of the e-commerce industry, are facilitating the growth of the market. Furthermore, with the declining cost of IoT hardware, small and medium-sized retailers are increasingly investing in IoT technologies, which is positively influencing the market.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Allerin Tech Pvt Ltd, Amazon.com Inc., Bosch.IO GmbH, Cisco Systems Inc., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, Intel Corporation, International Business Machines Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, NEC Corporation (AT&T Corporation), Oracle Corporation, Software AG, Telit and Vodafone Group Plc.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global internet of things (IoT) in retail market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global internet of things (IoT) in retail market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the solution?

What is the breakup of the market based on the service?

What is the breakup of the market based on the technology?

What is the breakup of the market based on the platform?

What is the breakup of the market based on the application?

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 internet of things (IoT) in retail 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 Internet of Things (IoT) in Retail Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Solution

6.1 Hardware

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Key Segments

6.1.2.1 RFID tags

6.1.2.2 Beacons

6.1.2.3 Sensors

6.1.2.4 Wearables

6.1.3 Market Forecast

6.2 Software

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Service

7.1 Professional Services

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Managed Services

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Technology

8.1 Near Field Communication

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Bluetooth Low Energy

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 ZigBee

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 Platform

9.1 Device Management

9.1.1 Market Trends

9.1.2 Market Forecast

9.2 Application Management

9.2.1 Market Trends

9.2.2 Market Forecast

9.3 Connectivity Management

9.3.1 Market Trends

9.3.2 Market Forecast



10 Market Breakup by Application

10.1 Operations Management

10.1.1 Market Trends

10.1.2 Market Forecast

10.2 Asset Management

10.2.1 Market Trends

10.2.2 Market Forecast

10.3 Customer Experience Management

10.3.1 Market Trends

10.3.2 Market Forecast

10.4 Advertising and Marketing

10.4.1 Market Trends

10.4.2 Market Forecast



11 Market Breakup by Region



12 SWOT Analysis



13 Value Chain Analysis



14 Porters Five Forces Analysis



15 Price Analysis



16 Competitive Landscape

16.1 Market Structure

16.2 Key Players

16.3 Profiles of Key Players

16.3.1 Allerin Tech Pvt Ltd

16.3.1.1 Company Overview

16.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.2 Amazon.com Inc.

16.3.2.1 Company Overview

16.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.2.3 Financials

16.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.3 Bosch.IO GmbH

16.3.3.1 Company Overview

16.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.4 Cisco Systems Inc.

16.3.4.1 Company Overview

16.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.4.3 Financials

16.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.5 Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.

16.3.5.1 Company Overview

16.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.5.3 SWOT Analysis

16.3.6 Intel Corporation

16.3.6.1 Company Overview

16.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.6.3 Financials

16.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.7 International Business Machines Corporation

16.3.7.1 Company Overview

16.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.7.3 Financials

16.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.8 Microsoft Corporation

16.3.8.1 Company Overview

16.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.8.3 Financials

16.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.9 NEC Corporation (AT&T Corporation)

16.3.9.1 Company Overview

16.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.9.3 Financials

16.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.10 Oracle Corporation

16.3.10.1 Company Overview

16.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.10.3 Financials

16.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.11 Software AG

16.3.11.1 Company Overview

16.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.11.3 Financials

16.3.12 Telit

16.3.12.1 Company Overview

16.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.12.3 Financials

16.3.13 Vodafone Group Plc

16.3.13.1 Company Overview

16.3.13.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.13.3 Financials

16.3.13.4 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/auyixg

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TORONTO, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jack.org and Surf The Greats are excited to welcome mental health heroes from coast to coast to join Brainfreeze 2022 with Presenting Sponsor, RBC Future Launch , in an epic in-person polar plunge in support of youth mental health.



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This year, were inviting these courageous Polar Bears to join our #BearItAll challenge and get real about the need for honesty and bravery when it comes to tackling the youth mental health emergency. And for the first time since before the pandemic, were able to welcome Polar Bears back to five in-person Brainfreeze events:

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No matter where they are, all Polar Bears can:

Register for free on the Brainfreeze website

on the Brainfreeze website Receive a Brainfreeze Bundle when they raise $250+ for Jack.org

Get access to our 30-day meditation challenge led by the amazing Surf The Greats founder and CEO Antonio Lennert, a tidal flow yoga class, and a Wim Hof Method workshop before taking the plunge



This year, were aiming to challenge 1,000 Polar Bears to brave the cold across Canada to raise essential funds for youth mental health. All funds raised by these inspiring Polar Bears will go directly to Jack.orgs award-winning mental health resources and globally recognized youth mental health initiatives across Canada.

Rowena Pinto, President & CEO of Jack.org, said, This will be my first big event with Jack.org and I couldnt be more excited to participate in Brainfreeze. Thank you to the organizers and participants for your commitment to fuelling Jack.orgs work across Canada, supporting youth mental health education and peer-to-peer support.

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To help uplift amazing Polar Bears like Michael across Canada, supporters are encouraged to visit our Donation page , hit Donate and search for their Polar Bears name. Anyone is eligible to join in on Brainfreeze 2022! Getting ready to #BearItAll starts with registering for free here .

About Jack.org

Jack.org is the only Canadian charity that partners with young leaders in every province and territory to improve youth mental health outcomes in their communities. These incredible youth lead mental health conversations among their peers thanks to innovative programs that they helped design. Through Jack Talks , Jack Chapters , Jack Summits , Jack Originals , Be There , and BeThereCertificate.org , young leaders identify and dismantle barriers to positive mental health in their communities. Jack.org is working towards a Canada where all young people understand how to take care of their own mental health and look out for each other. A Canada without shame, where all those who need support get the help they deserve. With thousands of young leaders across every province and territory, the movement is only just getting started. To learn more, please visit Jack.org , BeThere.org and BeThereCertificate.org .

Instagram | Facebook | TikTok: @jackdotorg Twitter | LinkedIn: Jack.org

Media Contact:

Nimanthie Ariyasinghe | media@jack.org

Media are welcome to attend the in-person events. Contact Nimanthie for more information. Interviews with Jack.orgs President & CEO, senior staff, and young leaders are available on request.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cd7d4225-e8f7-4136-bb0b-6ca8b3ba4caf
TORONTO, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD)(TSX:ABX) will release its Q3 2022 results on Thursday, November 3, 2022. President and CEO Mark Bristow will host a live presentation of the results that day in London, UK, at 11:00 EDT / 15:00 GMT, with an interactive webinar linked to a conference call. Participants will be able to ask questions.



The company will release its preliminary production, sales and cost information for Q3 2022 on October 13, 2022.

Release of Q3 preliminary production, sales and cost information

October 13, 07:00 EDT / 12:00 BST



Q3 RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT

Q3 Results release

November 3, 06:00 EDT / 10:00 GMT

November 3, 06:00 EDT / 10:00 GMT Q3 Results live presentation and webinar

November 3, 11:00 EDT / 15:00 GMT

Go to the webinar

November 3, 11:00 EDT / 15:00 GMT Go to the webinar Conference call linked to webinar

November 3, 11:00 EDT / 15:00 GMT

US/Canada (toll-free), 1 800 319 4610

UK (toll-free), 0808 101 2791

International (toll), +1 416 915 3239

The webinar will remain on the website for later viewing and the conference call will be available for replay by telephone at 1 855 669 9658 (US and Canada toll-free) and +1 604 674 8052 (international toll), access code 9047.

The Q3 2022 presentation materials will be available on Barricks website at www.barrick.com.

Enquiries:

Claudia Pitre

Manager, Investor Relations and Corporate Access

+1 416 307 5105

Email: cpitre@barrick.com

Kathy du Plessis

Investor and Media Relations

+44 20 7557 7738

Email: barrick@dpapr.com

Website: www.barrick.com
TORONTO, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- G2 Goldfields Inc. (G2 or the Company) (TSXV: GTWO; OTCQX: GUYGF) is pleased to announce Mr. Torben Michalsen will be joining the Company as Chief Operating Officer commencing November 2022. Previously as Construction Manager at GCM Mining, Mr. Michalsen was responsible for developing the Toroparu Project, Guyana. During his tenure as Construction Superintendent at IAMGOLD (2018-2021), Mr. Michalsen led the design optimisation of Saramacca, Rosebel Gold Mines.



Mr. Michalsen is uniquely qualified and positioned for this role given his extensive experience in the Guiana Shield and in-depth knowledge of building key infrastructure for mining project operating across the region. Beyond complex logistical coordination, Mr. Michalsen is highly skilled in navigating supply chain management, procurement, feasibility assessments and implementing critical environmental studies.

Patrick Sheridan, Executive Chairman, commented, We are delighted to welcome Torben to our management team in November. His expertise will be crucial in expediting the Companys various exploration campaigns at OKO and in the surrounding areas. His initial focus will be on streamlining logistics for airstrip and road construction.

About G2 Goldfields Inc.

The G2 Goldfields team is comprised of professionals who have been directly responsible for the discovery of millions of ounces of gold in Guyana as well as the financing and development of the Aurora Gold Mine, Guyanas largest gold mine. G2 recently announced its maiden mineral resource estimate on the newly discovered Oko property in Guyana (see press release dated April 25, 2022), and has recently filed on SEDAR an independent technical report entitled NI 43-101 Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate for the Oko Gold Property, Cooperative Republic of Guyana, South America, with an effective date of April 14, 2022. Highlights of the report include:

974,000 oz. Au  Inferred Mineral Resource contained within 3,274,000 tonnes @ 9.25 g/t Au; and

220,000 oz. Au  Indicated Mineral Resource contained within 793,000 tonnes @ 8.63 g/t Au.

Significantly, all of the maiden mineral resources lie within 350 meters of surface and remain open down plunge. The Oko district has been a prolific alluvial goldfield since its initial discovery in the 1870s, and modern exploration techniques continue to reveal the considerable potential of the district.

For further information please contact:

Dan Noone

CEO

+1.416.628.5904

Email: news@g2goldfields.com

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words expect, anticipate, continue, estimate, may, might, will, project, should, believe, plans, intends and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information and/or statements. Forward-looking statements and/or information are based on a number of material factors, expectations and/or assumptions of G2 Goldfields which have been used to develop such statements and/or information, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although G2 Goldfields believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements as G2 Goldfields can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified herein assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: results from planned exploration and drilling activities; future plans for operational expenditures; the accuracy of the interpretations of exploration and drilling activity results; availability of financing to fund current and future plans and expenditures; the impact of increasing competition; the general stability of the economic and political environment in which G2 Goldfields has property interests; the general continuance of current industry conditions; aboriginal matters; the timely receipt of any required regulatory approvals; the ability of G2 Goldfields to obtain qualified staff, equipment and/or services in a timely and cost efficient manner; the ability of the operator of each project in which G2 Goldfields has property interests to operate in a safe, efficient and/or effective manner and to fulfill its respective obligations and current plans; future commodity prices; currency, exchange and/or interest rates; and the regulatory framework regarding royalties, taxes and/or environmental matters in the jurisdictions in which G2 Goldfields has property interests. The forward-looking information and statements included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance and should not be unduly relied upon. Such information and/or statements, including the assumptions made in respect thereof, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and/or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information and/or statements including, without limitation: risks associated with the uncertainty of exploration results and estimates, currency fluctuations, the uncertainty of conducting operations under a foreign regime, exploration risk, the uncertainty of obtaining all applicable regulatory approvals, the availability of labour and/or equipment, the fluctuating prices of commodities, the availability of financing and dependence on the management personnel of the Corporation, other participants in the property areas and/or certain other risks detailed from time-to-time in G2 Goldfields public disclosure documents (including, without limitation, those risks identified in this news release and G2 Goldfields current managements discussion and analysis). Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Corporation does not undertake any obligations to publicly update and/or revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of additional information, future events and/or otherwise, except as may be 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 and / or accuracy of this release.
LAS VEGAS, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Asia Broadband Inc. (OTC: AABB) (AABB or the Company) is pleased to announce that the Company is expecting the completion of the geological technical report in the coming weeks for the Tequila Gold Mine Project located in the Tequila region of Mexico. The report is currently in the final stages of completion by a qualified professional person. The Company expected the report to be delivered previously, but subsequently agreed to expand the resource evaluation process based on recent new mineral indications. The AABB geological and mining operations team will utilize the report to maximize its exploration, development and resource expansion program as well as facilitate production efficiencies and processing equipment upgrades and additions. The Tequila gold project is a prospective high yield mining asset in the Companys strategic initiative to increase gold production and AABBs physical gold holdings.



AABB continues to implement its mining property acquisition strategy to optimize development capital utilization by focusing operations in regions of Mexico where AABB has a comparative advantage of development resources and expertise readily available for rapid expansion and duplication of the Companys previous gold production success.

About Asia Broadband



Asia Broadband Inc. (OTC: AABB) is a resource company focused on the production, supply and sale of precious and base metals, primarily to Asian markets. The Company utilizes its specific geographic expertise, experience and extensive industry contacts to facilitate its innovative distribution process from the production and supply of precious and base metals in Mexico to client sales networks in Asia. This vertical integration approach to sales transactions is the unique strength of AABB that differentiates the Company and creates distinctive value for shareholders. Additionally, the Company has added a digital assets business segment with its AABBG freshly minted mine-to-token gold-backed cryptocurrency within its AABB Wallet, a proprietary digital exchange AABBExchange and a proprietary cryptocurrency payment gateway solution PayAABB.com. AABB expects its token to become a world-wide standard of exchange that is stable, secured and trusted with gold backing, while having the added benefit of demand based price appreciation. These are unique and outstanding qualities relative to other cryptocurrencies.

Contact the Company at:

Forward-Looking Statements are contained in this press release within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on the Asia Broadband Inc.s (the Company) expected current beliefs about the Companys business, which are subject to uncertainty and change. The operations and results of the Company could materially differ from what is expressed or implied by the statements made above when industry, regulatory, market and competitive circumstances change. Further information about these risks can be found in the annual and quarterly disclosures the Company has published on the OTC Markets website. The Company is under no obligation to update or alter its forward-looking statements as future circumstances, events and information may change.
ROGERS, Ark., Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bold Strategies, Inc., ("BOLD") today announced the launch of eCommerceDepartment.com, a new solution for mid-size manufacturers seeking to accelerate their growth. The service is the first of its kind, offering companies with little to no eCommerce staff everything they need to sell on major retail marketplaces and their direct-to-consumer (DTC) websites for one flat monthly fee.

"We started BOLD five years ago to make it easier to succeed online," said BOLD CEO Allan Peretz. "Our average client sees 54% annualized growth. eCommerceDepartment.com offers custom approaches and tools built specifically for the small and mid-size companies that need it most."

Today, companies can spend months or years finding the right people and the software needed to manage content, optimize media, and analyze business performance. With eCommerceDepartment.com, companies can get a world-class growth team, armed with the best technology, in 1-2 weeks. In addition, the company estimates that most clients will save 40% or more annually by using the service.

Clients also benefit from the advice of proven brand and retail experts. Leadership includes veterans of P&G, Unilever, Walmart, and other leading firms. "Strategy is a critical part of this solution. In addition to their eCommerce expertise, our leaders understand brand management and this shows in our work," said Peretz.

eCommerceDepartment.com is a full-service, "done for you" offering including:

Market strategy and analysis

eCommerce creative - Item pages, websites, videos, and ads

Performance marketing - Retail media, search, and social

Loyalty marketing - eMail, SMS and subscriptions

Back office systems - Inventory and customer service

To learn more or to schedule a free consultation, visit eCommerceDepartment.com.

About Bold Strategies, Inc.

BOLD is one of the fastest-growing private companies in the USA and has been named on the Inc. 5000 list for two years in a row. We make multi-channel eCommerce growth simple for CPGs by managing every aspect of your business on Instacart, GoPuff, Amazon, Shopify, and other shopping destinations. Our team of award-winning Fortune 50 marketing and eCommerce leaders has decades of experience growing brands such as Samsung, Gillette, Nestle, Campbell's, and many more. For more information, visit www.boldstrategies.com.

Contact Information:

Darcy Ramler

Chief Revenue Officer

darcy.ramler@boldstrategies.com

479-278-4781



Related Images











Image 1: eCommerceDepartment.com





A comprehensive eCommerce solution for growth-oriented brands









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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Dublin, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "United States Specialty Generics Market: Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The United States specialty generics market size reached US$ 23.6 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 43.1 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.56% 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.



Specialty generic drugs are the generic versions of specialty branded drugs once they lose patent protection. These drugs are used to treat life threatening and serious health conditions such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, epilepsy, HIV, hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.



Specialty generics are economical compared to specialty drugs as they don't need to undergo the costly and time-consuming research and development procedures required for their branded versions. Moreover, marketing and promotional expenses for speciality generics are also lower compared to their branded versions.

This results in significant savings for patients, government and healthcare providers. Moreover, the market is also being catalysed by a rising ageing population in the United States. This has resulted in an increasing prevalence of various life-threatening diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, hepatitis, HIV, autoimmune disease, etc.

For instance, the American cancer society estimated a total of 1,762,450 new cancer cases and 606,880 deaths from cancer in the United States for 2019. Additionally, the patent expiration of several blockbuster branded specialty drugs is further expected to catalyse the market growth in the coming years.

Key Market Segmentation:

The publisher provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the United States specialty generics market report, along with forecasts for the period 2022-2027. Our report has categorized the market based on route of administration, therapeutic application and distribution channel.



Breakup by Route of Administration:

Injectables

Oral

Others

Breakup by Therapeutic Application:

Oncology

Hepatitis

Multiple Sclerosis

HIV

Other Autoimmune Diseases

Others

Breakup by Distribution channel:

Retail Pharmacies

Specialty Pharmacies

Hospital Pharmacies

Competitive Landscape:The leading players in the US specialty generics industry have also been examined in the report.



Key Questions Answered in This Report1. What was the size of the United States specialty generics market in 2021?

2. What is the expected growth rate of the United States specialty generics market during 2022-2027?

3. What are the key factors driving the United States specialty generics market?

4. What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the United States specialty generics market?

5. What is the breakup of the United States specialty generics market based on the route of administration?

6. What is the breakup of the United States specialty generics market based on the therapeutic application?

7. What is the breakup of the United States specialty generics market based on the distribution channel?



Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Global Specialty Generics Market: Introduction



5 Why are Specialty Generics So Lucrative?



6 Global Specialty Generics Market



7 US Specialty Generics Market



8 Market Breakup by Route of Administration



9 Market Breakup by Therapeutic Application



10 Market Breakup by Distribution Channel



11 Competitive Landscape



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/irinuc

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LONDON, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NordPass, Nord Securitys password management company, announced that it had joined the FIDO (Fast Identity Online) Alliance, a global coalition working to provide open and free authentication standards to help reduce the world's reliance on passwords. Having already delivered some FIDO-supported passwordless solutions to its customers, NordPass continues its commitment to contribute to developing the most secure authentication methods.

"Our customers' privacy and safety, by all means, are above everything else. We understand the safety issues of current authentication methods, and we feel it is our responsibility to dedicate time and expertise to looking for the fastest, easiest, and safest login experience, be it passwords or passkeys. It is our honor to join the progressive organizations of the FIDO Alliance, whose joint efforts shape the future of digital privacy," says Jonas Karklys, the CEO of NordPass .



According to Karklys, cybersecurity companies have tried many times to change people's toxic habits when it comes to passwords. Still, year after year, the situation fails to improve. Every year, NordPass releases a list of the most popular passwords, with "123456" annually winning the top position, followed by other simple variations of numbers and letters (i.e., "qwerty," "1q2w3e").

To address password-related safety risks, NordPass has included various cybersecurity measures in its password management solution that allows storing passwords, credit card details, notes, or other private information. The company's platform currently supports multi-factor authentication (MFA) with various FIDO certified hardware keys, such as Yubikey .

Moreover, NordPass is the only major password manager that offers Google single sign-on (SSO) functionality not only for Enterprise clients but also for small and medium businesses (SMBs). Google SSO allows users to sign in to NordPass apps across different platforms using Google Workspace credentials. To limit the number of passwords people use online, NordPass has also made its Enterprise plan compatible with other major authentication services, for instance, Microsoft Azure Active Directory.

"The FIDO Alliance recognizes our new associate member NordPass. Service providers such as NordPass are taking action against password theft, the proven cause of the majority of online attacks, breaches, and identity theft, and securing their users and sites against financial and information loss, said Andrew Shikiar, executive director and CMO of the FIDO Alliance. FIDO standards enable the online community of providers with the industry standard they have needed to transform strong authentication to an easy-to-use, affordable, and future-proofed model of authentication.

ABOUT NORDPASS

NordPass is a password manager for both business and consumer clients. Its powered by the latest technology for the utmost security. Developed with affordability, simplicity, and ease of use in mind, NordPass allows users to access passwords securely on desktop, mobile, and browsers. All passwords are encrypted on the device, so only the user can access them. NordPass was created by the experts behind NordVPN  the advanced security and privacy app trusted by more than 14 million customers worldwide. For more information: nordpass.com .

More information: emilija@nordsec.com
Dublin, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Madagascar Diesel Genset Market Size and Share Analysis by Power Rating, Application - Industry Growth Forecast to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Madagascar diesel genset market was valued at $21,429.8 thousand in 2021, and the market will propel at a 2.9% CAGR during 2021-2030, to reach $27,755.7 thousand.

The speedy growth in the construction and telecom sectors and the intensification in the incidence of power cuts are the main factors accountable for the growth of the market.



According to the World Bank, only about 27% of the population of Madagascar had access to electricity in 2019, which is one of the primary reasons for the increasing requirement for diesel gensets in the mining, telecom, construction, and residential sectors.



The telecom sector of Madagascar has profited from the snowballing rivalry among key operators such as Orange Madagascar, Airtel, and Telma. In 2021, the government relaxed the excise duty on telecom products to 8% from 10%, which is advantageous for customers. This opened the gates for a high requirement for diesel gensets in telecom towers to cope with the high-frequency power cuts.



Key Findings of Madagascar Diesel Genset Market

The 15-75 kVA category held the largest share, of approximately 42%, in 2021. This is due to the increasing use of these gensets in residences, small industries, restaurants, hotels, telecom towers, and commercial complexes.

Furthermore, the 376-750 kVA category is the second significant contributor to the Madagascar diesel genset market. The primary reason for this is the high requirement for these generators in industries and commercial complexes.

The commercial application category is likely to grow at the highest rate in the years to come, propelling at a 3.9% CAGR. This can be primarily due to the constant advancement in the construction sector.

The Madagascar diesel genset market is likely to be boosted by the increase in the requirement for power backup in the commercial and residential sectors and the development of the mining and construction industries.

Power consistency is an important prerequisite for Madagascar's economic development. Thus, the requirement for energy among public institutions of the country has augmented, to improve the eminence of the services provided to people.

Key firms in the Madagascar diesel genset market are taking part in partnerships and alliances with the intention of staying ahead of their competitors. For example, Green Energy Solutions (GES) and Colas Madagascar entered into a collaboration in April 2021 to construct a hybrid power plant driven by solar energy for Colas Madagascar at the Ambokatra quarry and offer construction supplies within the country.

Industry Outlook

Trends

Increase in frequency of power outages

Drivers

Rapid growth in telecom sector

Impact analysis of drivers on market forecast

Restraints

Growing preference for clean energy

Harmful effects of diesel gensets

Impact analysis of restraints on market forecast

Impact of COVID-19

Company Profiles

Aksa Power Generation SA (Pty) Ltd

Jubaili Bros

Atlas Copco AB

Kohler Co.

Cummins Inc.

Caterpillar Inc.

Aggreko Ltd

Market Segments

By Power Rating

15-75 kVA

76-375 kVA

376-750 kVA

Above 750 kVA

By Application

Commercial

Retail establishments

Offices

Telecom towers

Hospitals

Hotels

Others

Industrial

Manufacturing

Energy & Power

Others

Residential

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/x2l1gy

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A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Electra, Texas, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Xfuels Inc. (OTC Pink: XFLS) announces Cycle Oil & Gas has closed its purchase of Ray Loveless Enterprises LLC & R.L. Gathering LLC (RL), of Allen, Texas in an all-cash deal consisting of 10 leases, 106 wells, 10 oil batteries, 3 Acre industrial yard & Shop, & Equipment in Wichita County, TX. Cycle paid $250,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand) dollars plus a 2.5 % capped ORRI to $325,000 (Three Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand) dollars for a total purchase price of $575,000 (Five Hundred and Seventy-Five Thousand).

Adjacent to the "Ray Loveless" leases are 3 of the "Triple S Gas" leases that Cycle purchased and disclosed on September 29, 2022. The 13 combined leases "RLE & Triple S" fall within a 6 square mile radius that Cycle Oil & Gas will work to develop a workover program to bring nearly 80 shut-in wells back online through the use of their own rigs & licensed technologies. Cycle sees this as a prime opportunity to cut fuel costs & mob times on their service rigs from well to well, while increasing production and lowering lease operating expenses bottom line.

Mr. Michael McLaren, CEO states: This acquisition makes the most economical sense for the company & its shareholders as commodity & fuel prices continue to increase. We will be able to keep our rig movements to a minimum and cut diesel usage. Our team in Texas is already working to evaluate these properties and eager to get focused on the project and push these leases to their maximum potential. Mr. McLaren further states, As stated before our business strategy of "Acquire, Restore, Produce and Consolidate" fits perfectly with these leases & existing contracts where we can apply our world-class know how and stimulation technologies to maximize the potential of the production.

To date Ray Loveless Enterprises has produced approximately 25,000 barrels from the properties during their ownership and given the locations and well control in the area, Cycle believes that this is only a fraction of the recoverable oil available. Cycle Oil & Gas and Cycle Energy Services are licensed oil and gas producers in the state of Texas.

ABOUT XFUELS

XFuels Inc. (OTC Pink: XFLS) is a diversified & licensed energy company based in the state of Texas. It operates three vertically integrated businesses.

The keystone of the Xfuels enterprise is Cycle Oil and Gas. This wholly owned subsidiary focuses on acquiring and optimizing underdeveloped oil and gas assets. It employs both internally developed and third party-licensed technologies to increase production, optimize performance and reduce cost. Cycle Oil and Gas currently produces approximately 110 barrels of oil per day from Canadian properties. It also holds various oil and gas royalty positions and controls several non-operating oil and gas properties.

The second business unit under Xfuels is Cycle Energy Services. This wholly owned subsidiary supports Xfuels overall exploration and production efforts with "well services" and "end of life reclamation." Cycle Energy Services owns and operates a combination of customized wireline-service rigs and HydroVac units. This equipment allows for faster "rig in" and "rig out" times. Overall, Cycle Energy Services equipment and experience combination reduces the amount of time and fuel burned to complete an abandonment.

The third and final business unit under Xfuels is Cycle Energy Technologies. This wholly owned subsidiary provides both R&D and existing technology to enable increased production in the field. Xfuels flagship intellectual property is its mobile Gas To Liquid system. This is used to convert natural gas and other gaseous hydrocarbons into longer-chain hydrocarbons, such as gasoline or diesel fuel. Each of Xfuels three vertically integrated businesses just mentioned -Cycle Oil and Gas, Cycle Energy Services, and Cycle Energy Technologies- all operate in tandem to help Xfuels capture unique opportunities that often go untapped by the company's competitors.

To learn more about Xfuels, please visit http://cyclenrgy.com/

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the "safe harbor" created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as "believe," "expect," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seek," "intend," "plan," "goal," "estimate," "anticipate" or other comparable terms. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this news release regarding our strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: our ability to successfully market our products and services; the acceptance of our products and services by customers; our continued ability to pay operating costs and ability to meet demand for our products and services; the amount and nature of competition from other oil and gas companies; the effects of changes in the energy and financial markets; our ability to successfully develop new products and services; our success establishing and maintaining collaborative, strategic alliance agreements, licensing and supplier arrangements; our ability to comply with applicable regulations; and the other risks and uncertainties described in our prior filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Media contact:

Michael McLaren

mikem@xxfuels.com

Attachments
WAGENINGEN, the Netherlands, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NutriLeads BV announced today that its patented immune health ingredient BeniCaros has won the 2022 Nutrition Industry Executive award for the Immune Health category. Each year the publication honors the most cutting-edge and advanced natural branded nutritional ingredients backed by science.



A panel of five health and nutrition experts evaluated nominated products in several categories based on the following criteria:

Product Research/Evidence/Bioavailability

Sustainability/Traceability/Certifications (if applicable)

Consumer Need

The Impressiveness Factor

We are gratified to receive this honor, said Joana Carneiro, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of NutriLeads. This award reflects the hard work and dedication of everyone at NutriLeads and our trusted partners.

BeniCaros is a soluble prebiotic carrot fiber known as RG-I (Rhamnogalacturonan-I) that trains the immune system to respond faster when challenged. BeniCaros has a unique dual mode of action prepares innate immune cells for a heightened state of readiness and selectively increases beneficial gut microorganisms and their metabolites that support immune responses.

Peer-reviewed clinical research shows that 300 mgs. daily of BeniCaros accelerated protective immune responsiveness, reduced airway symptom severity (20-33%) and duration (25-43%) and minimized the impact on quality of life following a controlled challenge with a common cold virus.

The awards panel praised BeniCaros for its strong scientific support.

BeniCaros is safe to use and can easily be consumed on a daily basis by a wide range of consumers. It is well sourced and characterized from field to point of use. The supporting scientific and clinical research documents are of very good quality and help substantiate a structure function claim that the ingredient can support the immune system.

 Yair Steve Henig, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer, Caligenix, Founder of Henig Consulting

I like this novel nutraceutical from carrot pomace, with two human clinical studies demonstrating effectiveness in immune health, with concurrent prebiotic benefits.

 Gene Bruno, MS, MHS, RH(AHG)  Senior Director of Product Innovation, Twinlab Consolidation Corporation

Ruud Albers, Ph.D., NutriLeads founder and Chief Scientific Officer, will present clinical research demonstrating the effectiveness of BeniCaros at 11:00am on November 2 at the SupplySide West Supplier Presentation Theater, booth #3077, in the exhibition hall at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. His presentation is titled, Meeting Post-Pandemic Consumer Demands in Immune Health. NutriLeads will also showcase BeniCaros at display #3876 on November 2 and 3.

About NutriLeads BV

NutriLeads is a private company developing natural, plant-derived ingredients that are scientifically and clinically proven to strengthen human health. The companys proprietary technology platform is based on naturally bioactive fibers known as RG-I (Rhamnogalacturonan-I) found in select crops. The companys first product BeniCaros has won several awards for research and innovation. NutriLeads is developing other products to protect the gut barrier and improve metabolic health through gut microbiome modulation. For more information, visit NutriLeads and BeniCaros .

Contact:

David Walsh

Communications Consultant

1-651-503-8248

david.walsh@nutrileads.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/624dad98-6acc-4dce-8926-e83e5e53bb80
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The employee-owners of Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. (OTC: FGPR) is once again celebrating National Customer Service Week.



This special week received an official proclamation by the U.S. Congress in 1992 to help recognize the importance of good service and those who provide it. It is observed each year by businesses around the world during the first full week of October.

At Ferrellgas, this years celebration features the theme Heart of Service. Ferrellgas is a technology-enabled logistics company that delivers propane to homes, businesses, and retail stores. Customer service plays a central role for the companys Ferrellgas and Blue Rhino brands. At its heart, the company believes all its people, who have a vested interest in the companys success as employee-owners, set it apart. During the weeks festivities, the company is honoring its customer service professionals with pins, recognition, and celebrations in both company-wide and local meetings.

We are proud to have so many talented and dedicated team members working at Ferrellgas. It is truly our employees that make the difference in our collective pursuit to Fuel Life Simply for our customers, said Sarah Knight, Director of Customer Experience and Strategy. Their passion and purpose are unmatched.

Knight said Ferrellgas remains focused on investing in state-of-the-art technology and implementing tools used by both employees and customers to ensure great service and a great customer experience.

About Ferrellgas

Ferrellgas Partners, L.P., through its operating partnership, Ferrellgas, L.P., and subsidiaries, serves propane customers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Its Blue Rhino exchange brand is sold at 60,000 locations nationwide. Ferrellgas employees indirectly own 1.1 million common units of the partnership, through an employee stock ownership plan. Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. filed a Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 30, 2022. Investors can request a hard copy of this filing free of charge and obtain more information about the partnership online at www.ferrellgas.com.
NEW YORK, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beachfront , the sell-side ad server built for convergent TV, and Canoe Ventures , an addressable TV technology and services company, today announced that an enhanced list of TV programmers are adopting Beachfronts unified ad serving technology alongside Canoes Service Assurance offering to drive advertising revenue and tune-in across disparate TV environments.



Solving for crucial fragmentation challenges, Beachfronts sell-side ad serving technology makes monetization of traditional set-top box TV and connected TV ad inventory interoperable for clients. Canoes Service Assurance, when integrated with Beachfront, allows TV programmers to gain additional benefits including monitoring and fixing of technical issues that impact revenue. Initial programmers deploying platforms and campaigns with Beachfront include AFRO TV, Its Real Good TV, Kabillion, ToonAVision, and TV One, with EPIX utilizing for in-house promos.

Unified ad serving across CTV and set-top box VOD supply is critical functionality that programmers are demanding as the lines between platforms continue to blur, said Chris Maccaro, CEO at Beachfront. Enabling interoperability of TV ad inventory for our clients and their ad operations teams is a feat that many platforms have been unable to accomplish. Were thrilled to bolster our existing partnership with Canoe in a way that unlocks new revenue streams and more cost-efficient monetization options for programmers, and affords brands easier access to premium, cross-screen TV inventory.

Programmers utilizing Canoe and Beachfront for campaign management and ad serving can uniformly service their direct-sold deals across CTV and set-top box VOD environments. Current programmers have already complimented these direct-sold deals with programmatic monetization from Beachfronts marketplace and backfill from Canoe to drive greater demand density and inventory yield. With this offering, programmers are also able to curate private marketplace (PMP) deals that comprise CTV and set-top box VOD inventory, making it more efficient and compelling for advertising partners to purchase their inventory.

As the television landscape continues to fragment across traditional and streaming environments, programmers and media buyers alike are seeking more uniform ways to execute, service, and optimize their advertising campaigns, said Mark Shepard, SVP and GM, Core DAI at Canoe. Being able to offer campaign management through our existing Service Assurance offering and Beachfronts ad server solves a major headache for our partners, streamlining the process of monetizing CTV and traditional TV ad inventory for programmers.

TV Programmers working with Beachfront and Canoe benefit from:

Efficiency gains: The ability to manage all creatives and buyer relationships across both CTV and STB environments in a single platform unlocks operational efficiencies for partners.

The ability to manage all creatives and buyer relationships across both CTV and STB environments in a single platform unlocks operational efficiencies for partners. Increased revenue: Managing inventory holistically allows programmers to drive yield and achieve fluidity across their supply pools, irrespective of the transmission protocol.

Managing inventory holistically allows programmers to drive yield and achieve fluidity across their supply pools, irrespective of the transmission protocol. Pristine viewer ad experiences: Canoes Service Assurance rigor coupled with Beachfronts ability to honor competitive separation and deduplication rules enables programmers to deliver pristine ad experiences to their viewers.



Heres what TV programmers are saying:

Being able to scale our ad business across our traditional cable VOD and IPTV platforms are crucial to TV Ones growth, said John Fant, SVP Network Operations, TV One. And having great software and service like this optimizes our ad revenue possibilities.

Servicing our traditional distribution end points in Canada while growing in the United States is important to ToonAVision, said Adam Mimnagh, President, ToonAVision. Having Beachfront and Canoe together supporting that growth has been extremely beneficial.

Canoe has been at the forefront of advertising on TV, and now with the addition of Beachfront and the ability to combine CTV and STB VOD, we see the future growth to be exponential, said Stevan Levy, President of Programming and Operations, Kabillion.

Similarly, with this solution, agencies and advertisers gain the ability to buy premium CTV and set-top box TV ad inventory through a single private marketplace. This capability enables media buying teams to seamlessly reach both cord-cutters and cord-keepers across click-to-play, brand-safe supply that is often delivered on the largest screen in the home.

The accelerated adoption rate for the offering speaks to the growing demand for uniform campaign management tools, and represents an expansion of Beachfront and Canoes existing partnership. In 2020, Beachfront enabled premium TV inventory from networks utilizing the Canoe MVPD VOD ecosystem to be bought and sold programmatically and in real-time.

About Beachfront

Beachfront is the sell-side ad server built for convergent TV. Our technology enables real-time, unified ad serving and monetization across all TV and video endpoints, including connected TV (CTV), set-top box VOD, spot linear, and national addressable television. Leading media owners, programmers, and distributors, such as AMC, Univision, CW, the MLB, VIZIO, LG, and Vevo, utilize Beachfronts TV-first tech stack to drive advertising revenue, improve ad operations, and deliver premium ad experiences to their viewers. Founded in 2007, Beachfront is an independent, private equity-backed company based in New York City. In 2017, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, through her investment firm PSP Partners, acquired a majority stake in Beachfront along with Growth Catalyst Partners. Learn more at beachfront.com.

About Canoe

Canoe Ventures is a technology and services company that enables Addressable TV advertising across Linear, VOD, and Streaming video platforms. Canoe integrates dynamic ad insertion into existing or new video services that play out on devices including set-top-box, IPTV, and CTV across its 38 million household ecosystem throughout the US, Canada and LATAM. The company also performs ongoing Canoe Service Assurance which includes monitoring, analysis, and issue resolution on all ad campaigns. This service ensures a quality TV experience for viewers and revenue optimization for the over 100 TV networks Canoe counts as clients. The company is owned by Charter, Comcast, and Cox. It is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and has offices in New York, and Atlanta.

Media Contact(s):

Kyle Kuhnel

kyle@broadsheetcomms.com

Chris Pizzurro

chris.pizzurro@canoeventures.com
CHULA VISTA, Calif., Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dan Smith, candidate for City of Chula Vista City Attorney, is sounding the alarm after his opponent, Simon Silva, tragically passed away last month, yet remains on the ballot in the upcoming election. According to Smith, Silva's untimely passing has created a unique situation with major ramifications should he win the race.



"Sadly, the Democratic Party is not properly informing voters of my opponent's passing and actively promoting his candidacy as if he were still alive. With ballots set to go out in just several days, voters need to be aware that should I be defeated in November, among other things, taxpayers will be on the hook for a two-million-dollar special election. This is money that can be better spent on police funding, homelessness and even filling potholes," Smith said.

Smith also noted that his defeat will disenfranchise countless Chula Vista voters, particularly those who are uninformed of recent events and cast their votes for Silva.

He added, "I am truly saddened by Mr. Silva's passing -- he was a good man and a great lawyer. However, the choice is now clear for Chula Vista voters. If elected, I will work tirelessly to represent all residents of the city in a non-partisan manner, while at the same time, honoring the legacy of my opponent."

For more information, visit Chula4Smith.com.

SOURCE

Dan Smith For Chula Vista City Attorney 2022

info@chula4smith.com

619-258-8888




ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A young kidney transplant recipient from Waterloo, IA has won the American Kidney Funds (AKF) 27th annual national Calendar Kids Art Contest. Twelve-year-old Anibal Yobani Lopezs artwork will appear on the cover of AKFs 2023 calendar, and he will be honored at AKFs national gala, The Hope Affair, on Wednesday, Oct. 19.

Yobani was one of 13 pediatric kidney patient finalists competing to have their artwork featured on the calendars cover. Members of the public were able to give their input and voted on their favorite artwork on AKFs website. Yobanis touching and inspiring artwork, From Kidneys with Love, features two kidneys with a Valentines Day twist: one holding a heart and one dressed as Cupid. He is humble about his accomplishment, saying he never thought I would win, and he encouraged other children with kidney disease to remain hopeful. Dont be scared of surgeries, said Yobani. Everything will be okay.

AKFs 2023 calendar featuring Yobanis winning artwork on the cover will be published in October and available for purchase on AKFs website. Yobani will be recognized during The Hope Affair, taking place on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 6:30 p.m. To purchase a ticket for the Hope Affair, click here.

Yobanis joyful drawing provides us with a beautiful reminder of the love and support that surrounds children with kidney disease, said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. At AKF, we are committed to improving the lives of everyone who is impacted by kidney disease. We are so appreciative of all the children who submitted their artwork for this years contest, and we congratulate Yobani on being our cover artist. Thank you to all our calendar artists for inspiring us to stay positive and keep hope alive.

Dozens of children and teens with kidney disease from across the United States submitted their artwork for this annual contest. Each of the finalists will receive a canvas-wrapped print of their artwork, along with a gift card.

Other young kidney patients whose artwork will appear in AKFs 2023 calendar include:

Lamara Al-Nadi, 16, Hendersonville, Tennessee ("Best Gift Ever")

Daniel Salgadovalencia, 10, Phoenix, Arizona ("Together Forever")

Kylie McGlothin, 15, Weirton, West Virginia ("Kidney Transplant")

Jameson Lesieur, 9, Washougal, Washington ("The Lion King")

Natalie Medina, 16, Dallas, Texas ("Kidney Love")

Kennidi Davis, 17, Humble, Texas ("Lupus Girl")

Arely Barragan, 16, Houston, Texas ("H.O.P.E.")

Nashaya Latimore-Coates, 16, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ("It's All in the Words")

Erin Cortese, 12, Colorado Springs, Colorado ("Smile")

Stephanie Atenco-Torres, 17, Norristown, Pennsylvania ("Everybody Gets Their Wish")

Heather Burdick, 11, Des Moines, Washington ("Kidneys on a Beach")

Eilidh McMillin, 6, Ankeny, Iowa ("Galaxy")

AKFs Calendar Kids Art Contest, part of AKFs programming for children with kidney disease, provides an opportunity for pediatric kidney patients to express themselves through artwork and to receive national recognition while increasing awareness of kidney disease throughout the United States.

###

About the American Kidney Fund

The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts as the nations leading kidney nonprofit. AKF works on behalf of the 37 million Americans living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney diseasefrom prevention through transplant. With programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy, no kidney organization impacts more lives than AKF. One of the nations top-rated nonprofits, AKF invests 97 cents of every donated dollar in programs, earning the highest 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator for 20 years in a row as well as the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, formerly GuideStar.

For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Westford, USA, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Security Paper Market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 8.92% from 2022 to 2028, according to SkyQuest thanks to increasing use of security paper in government and commercial applications, and the growing need for document security. Apart from this, the report cites several factors driving the growth of the market, including an increase in global trade and travel, the growth of the e-commerce sector, and the need for enhanced security measures to protect against counterfeiters and fraudsters.

Today, security paper is used in a variety of applications such as banknotes, passports, and other government documents. It is also used in commercial applications such as certificates, bonds, and stock certificates. Security paper is manufactured with special fibers, watermarks, and other security features that make it difficult to copy or alter.

Get sample copy of this report:

https://skyquestt.com/sample-request/security-paper-market

The main challenge for the security paper market is the high cost of production. It is generally more expensive than standard paper due to the additional security features that are added during manufacturing. This makes it difficult for some companies to justify the use of security paper for their documents. Despite the challenges, the security paper market is expected to grow steadily over the next few years as companies increasingly recognize the importance of document security.

The Asia-Pacific region is the largest market for security paper, followed by North America and Europe. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growing economies in the region, such as China and India, are expected to drive the demand for security paper market in the coming years. The increasing use of security paper is likely to create opportunities for companies involved in the manufacture of security paper, inkjet printers, and other related products.

Increasing War Crises and Economic Slowdown may Challenge Demand for Security Papers

Security papers are used in a variety of applications, from official documents to currency. In times of conflict or economic hardship, demand for these papers often increases, as people look for ways to safeguard their assets.

However, with more and more countries facing financial difficulties, there is a risk that security paper market growth could start to decline. This could have a knock-on effect on the entire security paper industry, which has already been under pressure in recent years.

The world is currently facing a number of crises, from the rise of terrorism to economic slowdown. For instance, over 5,226 terrorist attacks across the globe were recorded in 2021. On the other hand, ongoing Russia and Ukraine war has put pressure on the global economy especially on the European economies in the global security paper market. These issues may have an impact on the demand for security papers, such as passports and other travel documents. There has been an increase in the number of terrorist attacks in recent years, which has led to heightened security measures around the world. This has made it more difficult for people to travel, and has also resulted in stricter requirements for travel documents. As a result, there may be less demand for security papers such as passports.

The global economy is also facing a slowdown, which could lead to less demand for security paper market. Many businesses are cutting back on travel and international trade, which could lead to fewer people needing passports and other travel documents. It is unclear how these issues will impact the demand for security papers in the future. However, it is possible that both the war on terror and economic slowdown could challenge the need for these types of documents.

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC):

https://skyquestt.com/report/security-paper-market

Polymer Substrate to Generate Most of the Security Paper Market Revenue

There is an increasing trend of using polymer in security papers, especially in the banking and government sectors. This is because polymer is more difficult to counterfeit than traditional paper, and it also provides additional security features such as watermarks and holograms.

One of the benefits of using polymer for security papers is that it is more tamper-resistant than traditional paper. This means that it is more difficult for criminals to alter or forge documents made with polymer. Additionally, polymer security papers often feature watermarks and other security features that make them even harder to counterfeit.

The use of polymer in security paper market is growing, as banks and governments increasingly turn to this material to help protect their documents from counterfeiting. Thanks to its tamper-resistant properties and additional security features, polymer is an excellent choice for those looking to keep their documents safe from criminals.

Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements:

https://skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/security-paper-market

Top Players in Global Security Paper Market

Global security paper market is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR in the coming years, thanks to continued growth in the banking and government sectors. Innovation is also playing a role in driving demand, as new applications for security paper are constantly being developed. As the world becomes increasingly digitized, it's important to remember that there is still a need for physical documents that can't be replicated or counterfeited.

However, with the strict regulations surrounding the production of security paper, there are only a handful of companies that can meet the demand. However, this presents an opportunity for new entrants to the security paper market as the demand continues to grow.

Ceprohart SA (Romania)

Drewsen Speciality Papers (Germany)

De La Rue PLC (UK)

Glesecke+Devrient (Germany)

Fedrigoni Group (Italy)

Infinity Security Papers Limited (India)

Security Paper Mill, Inc (India)

Related Reports in SkyQuests Library:

Global Data Monetization Market

Global Testing, Inspection, And Certification (TIC) Market

Global Supply Chain Analytics Market

Global Managed Services Market

Global Artificial Intelligence In Retail Market

About Us:

SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally.

Address:

1 Apache Way, Westford, Massachusetts 01886

Phone:

USA (+1) 617-230-0741

Email: sales@skyquestt.com
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PRESS RELEASE

Brussels, 06 October 2022, 5.40 PM CEST





B&B HOTELS at Cloche dOr

B&B HOTELS and the real estate developers Promobe and Nextensa have signed a lease agreement to develop a 150-room hotel in the new Cloche d'Or district in Luxembourg.







B&B HOTELS Western Europe and the developers Nextensa and Promobe announce that they have signed a fixed lease of 20 years for a 150-room "3 star superior" hotel in the new Cloche d'Or district.

As a true European hub and a global financial center, Luxembourg has benefited from the arrival of many major financial institutions, which contributes to the country's economic attractiveness.

The hotel will be ideally located in the prestigious Cloche d'Or district, which includes the headquarters of major international groups (PwC, Intesa SanPaolo, Deloitte, Alter Domus, IWG, etc.), local shops, a shopping mall with a medical center above it, a Kieser training center, housing and the future largest park in Luxembourg, which will be delivered in spring 2023.

The hotel will benefit from easy access by car and excellent access to public transportation. The upcoming arrival (end of 2023) of the tramway with a stop in the immediate proximity will further enhance the attractiveness of the area.

The hotel designed by architect Moreno will be delivered in the first half of 2025 and will feature a unique architectural concept in the sector.

This hotel building will contain seven above-ground levels and one basement level that will house parking spaces and services related to the hotel.

The ground floor will accommodate a reception area, a bar/lounge area, a meeting room and a breakfast room. These areas dedicated to the clientele will open onto a large private terrace. The entrance to the hotel will be located on rue Gerhard Mercator.

For B&B HOTELS, this is the first establishment in Luxembourg; the chain is currently present in 14 countries and has nearly 660 hotels and just over 60,000 rooms.

The Cloche d'Or district is developed in joint venture between Promobe and Nextensa. Promobe is a major player in real estate development in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Nextensa is a mixed real estate investor and developer with activities focused on office, retail and residential projects in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Belgium and Austria.





For more information

Michel Van Geyte,

Chief Executive Officer

+32 3 238 98 77

michel.van.geyte@nextensa.eu

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Detroit, Michigan, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Predrag K. Nikolic, internationally acclaimed experimental designer, interactive media artist and digital media expert, as the Chair of graduate User Experience (UX) Design.

Using my international work experience in the interactive media industry and academia, and prolific research in the field of artificial intelligence creativity, I look forward to evolving the User Experience Design program into a nationally and internationally recognized program in fruitful symbiosis with existing and emerging industries, said Nikolic.

Before joining CCS, Nikolic has held various high-level roles in academia, advertising, design and research. Most recently, he was a professor at the University of the Bahamas, and before that ShanghaiTech University and Shantou University. He was also the Dean of Faculty of Digital Production at Educons University, and adjunct professor at Bergen Academy of Art and Design, China Academy of Art and Malaysia Multimedia University. Additionally, he is the founder of AI.R Lab, served as principal investigator at ShanghaiTech University, senior research fellow at IDM Lab and researcher at Aalto University Finland.

In addition to Nikolics experience working in higher education, he also has a rich background in advertising and as an exhibiting artist and researcher. His current work and research focus on mixed experiential reality, singularity, human-AI interaction, artificial intelligence emancipation, intelligent interfaces, robot creativity, AI aesthetics and design for behavioral changes. He mixes immersive virtual worlds, artificial intelligence and responsive environments to engage an audience in new types of interactive experiences and media perceptions, exemplified in his ongoing research project Syntropic Counterpoints.

Nikolic has exhibited and presented his works at ARS ELECTRONICA, International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA), ACM SIGGRAPH, Technarte, EmTech MIT Review, Science Centre Singapore, Museum of Applied Art and many more.

During his 20-year career in the advertising industry, he worked for creative agencies such as Grey Worldwide, J. Walter Thompson, Ogilvy & Mather and Ogilvy Group as Director of Digital and Digital Creative Director. In his roles, he conceptualized and designed digital media presences for clients such as Telenor, IBM, Nestle, H&M, Mars, Coca-Cola, Credit Agricole Bank, Yahoo, Czech Airlines and many others.

"With his prolific research output and publications, and his extensive international experience across Europe, Malaysia, China and most recently the Bahamas, Dr. Nikolic brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise from across the field of UX design, as well as new and emerging technology. We are very excited to have him join the team at CCS as a scholar, teacher and creative practitioner. said Dr. Ian Lambert, dean of graduate studies and research at CCS.

Nikolic holds an undergraduate degree in Art History from University of Belgrade, Master of Fine Arts in Digital Arts, and a Ph.D. in Digital Media from University of Arts in Belgrade as well as a Master of Business Administration from Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Detroit's recent development and initiatives indicate its rising into the New World Capital of Innovation. In this creative renaissance, CCS has a crucial role in cultivating new generations of creative minds knowledgeable about state-of-the-art technologies with an uncompromisingly human-centered focus when it comes to product and service design, said Nikolic. CCS has enormous capacity to keep pace with emerging trends and novelties, and a graduate program in UX Design is part of these tendencies. Besides having the vast potential to attract students and companies, I am confident the program will catalyze new creative enterprises in Detroit and contribute to the community in an immense way.

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Middleburg Heights, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Middleburg Heights, Ohio -

STEVENS Engineers & Constructors, a company based in Middleburg Heights, OH, is pleased to announce that they provide renewable energy construction services. As the US focuses more on renewable energy technology, STEVENS Renewable Energy Construction Company is ready to offer their extensive construction services in the renewable energy construction industry. To be able to provide the services, they have merged their engineering, technical, management, and construction expertise to handle renewable energy development (RED) projects.

Vicki Anderson, CEO of STEVENS Engineers & Constructors, says, "There is a heavy reliance on fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas, to power vehicles and heat homes. If there is going to be a decrease in carbon footprints across the nation, the need for renewable energy projects is essential. We are working to be a leader in the renewable energy industry. Our focus is on projects that include wind, like offshore wind farms, solar farms, hydrogen fuel cells, and battery storage. We are committed to developing projects ourselves and partnering with other developers."

Some of the renewable energy projects they can help with include: wind energy, solar energy, and hydrogen power cells. Wind energy offers the most affordable choice among the other energy systems. Wind energy is the least costly form of energy compared to natural gas, coal, hydroelectricity, nuclear, biomass, and solar photovoltaics. Wind energy offers the benefits of a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, a solar farm or a photovoltaic power station is a vast area filled with solar panels that convert the sun's energy into electricity. STEVENS has experience in the construction and servicing of solar farms. They can also help with hydrogen power systems that offer scalability and mobility. These use fuel cells that use electricity to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen gas, which are then utilized for producing energy. This process has the benefit of not creating any emissions and is efficient, clean, and sustainable.

STEVENS also wants to focus on battery storage as one of the alternative energy sources. Battery storage is essential for solar-powered machines and clean energy generation since they offer a way to store the energy that is produced. At STEVENS, they have set as their goal to become an energy storage contractor that leads the way in providing renewable energy to help decrease dependence on non-renewable fuel sources.

Vicki Anderson says, "The construction industry is making great leaps toward greener technologies, but if we want to push these renewable energy sources to be commonly used by energy providers, the work has to start now. With decades of combined experience serving clients of all types and sizes, our crews have the knowledge and skills needed to meet the demands of renewable energy-sector projects. If you're looking for a construction company to help with renewable energy sources like solar power, wind turbines, and even hydrogen modular plants, we offer you one of the best alternatives."

STEVENS Engineers & Constructors has over 75 years of experience in offering high-quality construction services, which they bring to renewable energy development projects. STEVENS' focus is to make renewable energy the present and not the future. "To bring renewable energy to the forefront, the work has to start now," STEVENS states. "We have the expertise and knowledge to ensure that these projects are done correctly to meet the rising demand for renewable energy."

Those interested in renewable energy construction services can visit the STEVENS Engineers & Constructors website or contact them via phone or email.

###

For more information about STEVENS Engineers & Constructors, contact the company here:



STEVENS Engineers & Constructors

Vicki Anderson

(440) 234-7888

info@stevensec.com

7850 Freeway Circle, Suite 100

Middleburg Hts, OH 44130
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TORONTO  Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is looking for curious, open-minded problem-solvers between the ages of 14 and 18 for its 2022/23 Apprentice Program. The vision of the CDL Apprentice Program is to create an immersive, technology-focused learning experience for young students that expands their awareness of possible career paths and increases the probability that young women+ individuals pursue opportunities in STEM, business and entrepreneurship.

CDL is a fast-paced, objectives-based program for science and technology-based startups. Founders are mentored by experienced entrepreneurs, investors and thought leaders to hone their companys mission and increase its likelihood of success.

Guided by our three pillars, learning to learn, learning to do and learning to be, Apprentice participants will have the opportunity to increase their understanding of technology and its commercial applications, get exposure to a diverse range of careers in STEM and develop their leadership potential.

Our mission at CDL is to commercialize science for the betterment of humankind, said Sonia Sennik, the Executive Director of CDL. There is a gender gap in technology entrepreneurship. Our thesis is that this is in part due to exposure. When young women are exposed to early-stage entrepreneurs they realise that this career path is inspiring and within their reach. They also see first-hand the hard work and commitment required to succeed as a founder - and better understand how the decisions they make in high school and beyond have a direct impact on their ability to compete and thrive in this type of endeavour later in their life.

Effective fall 2022, CDL is pleased to announce that Scotiabank has joined the Apprentice Program as a founding partner. Scotiabanks sponsorship of $1.6 million will help support CDLs mission to ignite greater gender diversity in STEM and entrepreneurship.

We are pleased to help extend STEM apprenticeship opportunities to girls in high school who may not otherwise have access, said Michael Zerbs, Group Head, Technology & Operations at Scotiabank. Through this investment, we hope to make a meaningful contribution to the education, future employment potential and resilience of young women across Canada.

The ideal candidates are young women+ individuals, including two-spirit, transgender and non-binary individuals, between 14 and 18 years of age. A curious, open-minded person who enjoys testing ideas and solving problems  someone looking to connect with others with similar interests in STEM, business and entrepreneurship.

While I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in STEM, the CDL Apprentice Program opened my eyes to a world of possibilities, said Serena Kassam, a CDL Apprentice. It allowed me to directly engage engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs, learn from their first-hand experiences and challenge my thinking.

Kassam said that she now wants to become a biomedical engineer so she can find solutions to common challenges in health care.

CDL Apprentice students will participate in educational modules about emerging technologies such as AI, FinTech, Blockchain, Health and Energy. CDL Apprentices will learn about the essential costs and benefits that change with the adoption of new technology, and, in turn, the types of industries, businesses, investments and jobs that are likely to be impacted.

A selection of CDL Apprentice students will be invited to join a global symposium for International Womens Day in spring 2023. The summit will be a culmination of the CDL community, including world business leaders, leading scientists, engineers, economists, and start-up founders from around the globe, who will share valuable insights on frontier edge technologies and their experiences in entrepreneurship.

There is no instruction manual for a career in tech. Thats why initiatives like CDLs Apprentice Program are so critical to the success of the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs, said Eva Lau, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Two Small Fish Ventures. I had a great time being paired with a young person with aspirations to raise a crypto fund. The entire experience was inspiring and educational  for both of us.

Ananya Chadha, another CDL Apprentice student, said she was surprised CDL was so different from reality TV.

Shark Tank is cool, but world-changing companies are on a different wavelength, she said. Chadha said she learned that high-impact companies could only be founded by people with deep knowledge of complex fields. If you pick the right field to go into for university, something game-changing, you have a really big chance for success, she wrote.

Applications for the CDL Apprentice Programs 2022/23 cohort are now open. For more information contact: apprentice@creativedestructionlab.com.

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Abingdon, MD, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Many teachers are turning to classroom pets as they seek ways to provide social and emotional support for their students. The Pets in the Classroom grant program, which provides funding to teachers to purchase and maintain classroom pets, has issued over 15,500 grants to teachers during the first two months of the program being open for the 2022-23 school year (August 1  September 30).

Established by the Pet Care Trust, the Pets in the Classroom grant program provides funding for a small animal or pet supplies to pre-kindergarten through 9th grade teachers in both private and public schools who desire to introduce a pet into the classroom or who already have a pet in the classroom. The program was established by the Pet Care Trust with the knowledge that, while pets are a valuable teaching tool, many teachers have very limited resources for the support of classroom animals.

The Pets in the Classroom grant program is thrilled to be able to support so many teachers in their desire to provide the joys and benefits of interacting with a pet to their students, said Matt Coffindaffer, Executive Director of the Pet Care Trust. We have seen a large increase in grant applicants this school year and will continue to provide this resource to teachers throughout the school year.

The increase in grant applications is not surprising, as many educators reported observing more social, emotional and behavioral challenges in their students returning to the classroom after the pandemic last year. As studies prove and teachers confirm, classroom pets serve as a much-needed resource for students who are experiencing anxiety, difficulty focusing, self-control problems, or who just need a friend.

Through a survey conducted this spring by the Pets in the Classroom grant program, teachers across the U.S. and Canada shared valuable insight into the multitude of ways that students are benefiting from interacting with pets in an educational setting:

98% of teachers saw an increase in empathy and compassion, thanks to a classroom pet.

98% of teachers saw an increase in student responsibility.

98% of teachers saw an increase in student engagement.

96% of teachers saw an increase in social skills.

95% of teachers saw some decrease in anxiety among students.

94% of teachers surveyed saw an improvement in students' self-esteem.

90% saw a decrease in necessary student disciplinary measures.

86% of teachers saw an improvement in attendance due to their classroom pet.

84% of teachers saw an improvement in test/academic performance.

The survey results, which included hundreds of stories shared by teachers, reinforce the results of numerous studies: there are many benefits that pets can provide to students, especially in the form of social-emotional support. The teachers stories describe children who were able to overcome anxiety upon returning to school, those whose anger and behavioral issues subsided after a classroom pet helped them learn empathy, those who became motivated in learning, and more. One teacher stated, Students ask to handle [our snake] while working on academics during the school day. I have noticed that students with anxiety and other social-emotional needs benefit greatly from having Falcorito in the classroom and being able to handle him oftenHe has a very calming effect on these students who also come after school to have time to hang out with Falcorito. They also bring their friends from other classes to see how cool and calming he is, sharing the love of pet ownership and care across the school.

Since the programs inception in 2010, Pets in the Classroom has awarded over 218,215 grants to teachers, meaning an estimated 8.7 million children have experienced the joys and benefits of pet care through the grant program. As teachers look for more ways to help with students social-emotional needs, the Pets in the Classroom grant program is ready to help by providing funding for classroom pets to pre-K  9th grade teachers across the U.S. and Canada.

For more information, visit www.PetsintheClassroom.org.

Attachments
New York, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enerkon Solar International announces Change of Control and name Change to New Technology Acquisition Holdings, Inc. (OTC: NTAC) - Joint Announcement:

The New company is a high-tech, scientific, research, and development company, holding intellectual property rights related to compression technology, encryption, and other technology connected to Defense, Bio-Tech, Agri-Tech, Geno-Tech, Artificial Intelligence, and related disciplines  supported by their team of scientists and experts

Previous Company (Enerkon) Chairman Mr. Benjamin Ballout stated today that he feels that shareholders should benefit the new company and owners and their new business model and activities.

The new company Chairwoman  Myra Frappier stated that she is pleased to sit at the helm of New Technology Acquisition Holdings as Chairman of the Board.

The Company intends to comply with minimum information requirements pursuant to the rules, filing the June 30 2022 and September Annual Report and Statutory Attorney compliance letter during next week likely, and follow up until the OTC becomes satisfied that the company meets the minimum requirements to consider a company request to remove the CE status applied to the Symbol currently.

The Company Looks forward to Market Maker Diligence into the company and current information once posted for compliance with the rules associated with 15c211 and accordingly all market makers are welcome to consider the compliance status once the above information is posted on the new OTCIQ disclosure account is being set up this week.

New Technology Acquisition Holdings Inc (NTAC) looks forward to guiding the company towards success and value appreciation for shareholders and customers worldwide.

The foregoing statements are forward-looking statements, and as such, they may or may not reflect the results which could transpire in the future which should be negative or not transpire at all due to circumstances or other reasons, and investors, shareholders, or others should not rely on these forward-looking statements to ascertain any value if any of NTAC or to make any investment decisions and to take note that this is not an offer to buy or sell securities or an endorsement of NTAC for investment purposes as all investment carry a risk of loss sometimes a total loss of your investment in Micro cap shares markets or any market and therefore such statements or plans should not be relied upon for any business decisions of any kind - Approval and permissions required by federal regulations may or may not be approved and if not approved may result in the loss of all value and all investments in products requiring such regulatory permissions to market and sell. These statements are made as forward-looking statements for educational purposes only in accordance with the rules and regulations which pertain to the same. The company Trades on the OTC Pink Market and has a CE status that will remain until current information status is attained in accordance with OTC regulations or a 15c211 is filed by a market maker. Also, according to FINRA rules their posting of corporate action for name change and change of control may not be construed as their approval of NTAC or the former company nor may it be construed as the company being in compliance with any state federal or other rules or regulations whatsoever as the FINRA corporate action posting in within the rules promogulated for such only. Shareholders or others may not rely upon or associate such actions outside the context for which they are executed.

Company Contact Information:

New Technology Acquisition Holdings Inc.

Myra Frappier  Chairman

6th Floor - #6834

477 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10022 USA

Tel. +1 (877) 573-7797

Tel. +1 (718) 709-7889

www.advancedtechnologyholdings.com

info@advancedtechnologyholdings.com

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NEW YORK, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TABLE FOR TWO USA (TFT) invites everyone to participate in their 8th Annual ONIGIRI ACTION campaign to provide 1 million school meals to children around the world from Thursday, Oct. 6 to Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022. During the campaign, through the generosity of partner organizations (see below), every rice ball-related post on the campaign website or social media with #OnigiriAction will provide five school meals to children in need. TFT will enhance school meals in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods in the U.S. by adding fresh vegetables and fruits as well as provide school meals to children in East Africa.

The ONIGIRI ACTION campaign commemorates the United Nations' World Food Day. As a NPO with roots in Japan, the campaign highlights onigiri (rice balls), which are a traditional Japanese comfort food made with love for someone special.

Since its launch in 2015, Onigiri Action has supported 6.8 million school meals. Recently the organization received two prestigious awards: one related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the other for Health and Culture from the Japanese government (https://bit.ly/3Kg0ZHY). Amid soaring food prices due to COVID-19, climate change and the invasion of Ukraine, there are concerns that "Zero Hunger," one of the goals of SDGs, will be delayed. The need for TFT to bring healthy meals to those in need is now more important than ever.

2022 USA Campaign Theme: Unite the States with Onigiri 2022!

TFT and partners will continue to connect everyone through onigiri with many virtual and in-person events. Riding on the successes of last year's campaign, TFT will continue the "Unite the States with Onigiri" theme this year. TFT encourages all states to post "State-themed onigiri photos" such as a photo with onigiri using local ingredients or onigiri with any State symbol (sports team's cap, symbolic building like Capitol, state animals etc.). Additionally, we plan to bring together and feature as many onigiri shops as possible in the U.S. to post on the same day about Onigiri Action on their social media channels.

Partner Organizations in the U.S.:

For every onigiri photo posted, five school meals will be donated through the generous support from our partners: J.C.C. Fund/Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York, JFC International/Nishiki, JCAW Foundation, Zojirushi America, San-J, ITOCHU International, SMBC Global Foundation, Misuzu Corporation, MUFG Union Bank, N.A., Zensho Employees Association Network, Mishima Foods U.S.A.

Onigiri partners: BentOn, Onigilly, Sunny Blue, Omusubee, Onigiri Kororin, Obon Shokudo

To Learn More:

ONIGIRI ACTION (USA site): https://usa.tablefor2.org/onigiri-action

ONIGIRI ACTION (Global site): https://onigiri-action.com/en/



Contact Information:

Amy Fuentes

Communication Manager

wa-shokuiku@tablefor2.org



Related Files

OA2022_handbook(s).pdf

OA2022_poster USA.jpg

Related Images











Image 1: Change the World with Onigiri (Rice Ball) 2022





Post a rice-ball-related photo with #OnigiriAction. For every onigiri photo posted, TABLE FOR TWO's partner organizations will donate five school meals to children in need.









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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ST. LOUIS, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) today announced that Richard Dick Ferguson will be joining Stifels Private Client Group Executive Management Team. Dick has nearly 35 years of investment industry experience, starting his career at Morgan Keegan in 1987 and rising to President of the Private Client Group. He also served as a Divisional Director of Raymond James.



I am excited to have Dick join Stifel, said Ron Kruszewski, Chairman and CEO of Stifel. His experience and his understanding of an advisor-centric culture will help us grow and improve as a firm.

In addition, the Ferguson Wealth Advisory Group has joined the firms broker-dealer subsidiary, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, in a new office in Athens, Georgia. Joining Dick are Ed Ferguson, Managing Director/Investments and Branch Manager; and Karen Miley, CFP, Client Relationship Manager. The team comes to Stifel from Raymond James, where it was responsible for $320 million in client assets.

Having launched our careers at Morgan Keegan, Dick and I are extremely excited to join a firm, Stifel, where we can continue to provide great service to our clients at a place similar to where we started. It feels like we are coming home, said Ed Ferguson.

In addition to gaining Dicks management expertise, were also excited to expand our footprint in Georgia with the addition of these outstanding, client-focused professionals, said Jim Zemlyak, Co-President of Stifel. Ed and Dick have stellar reputations in our industry and in their community, making them the perfect advisors to help us bring Stifel to Athens. Here, our advisor-centric culture and lack of bureaucracy will help them better serve their valued clients and attract like-minded financial advisors.

Stifel Company Information

Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) is a financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that conducts its banking, securities, and financial services business through several wholly owned subsidiaries. Stifels broker-dealer clients are served in the United States through Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, including its Eaton Partners business division; Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.; Miller Buckfire & Co., LLC; and Stifel Independent Advisors, LLC; and in the United Kingdom and Europe through Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited. The Companys broker-dealer affiliates provide securities brokerage, investment banking, trading, investment advisory, and related financial services to individual investors, professional money managers, businesses, and municipalities. Stifel Bank and Stifel Bank & Trust offer a full range of consumer and commercial lending solutions. Stifel Trust Company, N.A. and Stifel Trust Company Delaware, N.A. offer trust and related services. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the Companys website at www.stifel.com.
New York, New York, United States, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Being Americas most loved South Asian food brand, Laxmi proudly celebrates its 50 years of legacy this year with its partners and customers who have played a crucial role in its success. Food has been that one common thread, tying all people and families together.

For over 50 years Laxmi has just done this  enabling millions of South Asian families to stay connected to their roots by providing them with quality food ingredients to help them cook their traditional dishes and experience the feeling of home.

Established in 1970 in Jackson Heights, NY by G.L. Soni and his brother K.L. Soni, the impetus for their business venture, House of Spices was Mrs. Shobhna Soni who was tired of eating yogurt and potatoes as a new bride in a new country. This gave these entrepreneurs the idea to start a business that would bring Indian ingredients like daal and spices to the United States, allowing the diaspora here to enjoy the taste of home. But it didnt stop with dals and spices  their business soon expanded to include flours, rice, oil, ghee, juices, and many other traditional ingredients essential for South Asian cooking. Their success was unstoppable, and the House of Spices flagship brand Laxmi became a household name in no time.

From bringing home to you to keeping the spirit of South Asian culinary traditions alive, Laxmi has been a part of ones American Journey for over 50 years since 1972.

Their #YadoonKiReceipe campaign has already touched millions of hearts & encouraged them to share their food stories so that they can be cherished forever.

And now as the country gears up to celebrate the festival of lights, Laxmi is yet again ready to double up the celebrations with The Golden Jubilee Bonanza.

To mark this precious milestone, Laxmi has announced a sweepstake to double up the celebrations as it is a momentous year for this iconic brand. Adding to this festival that is full of lights, fireworks, sweets, diyas, and a heartful of joy, this sweepstake will make the festivities bigger, better, and full of happiness.

This magnificent sweepstake has begun on the 15th of September 2022 and will continue till the 15th of December 2022, delighting Laxmi customers to rejoice this festive season with a chance to win exciting prizes such as weekly 10g Gold Coins, Gift Vouchers, and a brand-new iPhone as a mega prize. It is a way of gratifying and honoring Laxmi consumers for their unwavering support and trust in them.

With #LaxmiGoForGold, Laxmi looks forward to celebrating its 50 glorious years in the United States. Enter now and grab this opportunity to win gold coins every week and a mega prize too.

Heres a little secret- To increase your chances of winning, keep bringing these Laxmi products home & enter a new coupon code every week!

Visit the nearest South Asian Grocery Store and shop for all your favorite Laxmi products. For more information on the sweepstakes and exciting prizes, please visit Laxmi Golden Jubliee Bonanza.

Media: Suhasinee Patil

info@houseofspicesindia.com

Website:

https://laxmihos.com

For the original news story, please visit: https://prdistribution.com/news/this-diwali-season-laxmi-celebrates-its-50-years-of-legacy-with-the-golden-jubilee-bonanza/9332762

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NEW YORK, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Azure Power Global Limited (Azure or the Company) (NYSE: AZRE). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.



The investigation concerns whether Azure and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On August 29, 2022, Azure issued a press release disclosing, among other items, that [t]he Company received a whistleblower complaint in May 2022 alleging potential procedural irregularities and misconduct by certain employees at a plant belonging to one of its subsidiaries. Azure further reported that [a]s part of the Companys review of these allegations, it discovered deviations from safety and quality norms, and it has implemented mechanisms to remediate them and in so doing strengthen safety and quality protocols. Azures Audit Committee, with the assistance of legal counsel and forensic accounting support, also identified evidence of manipulation of project data and information by certain employees. The Company is implementing immediate remedial measures, and Azure is initiating disclosure of the findings to the appropriate authorities. On this news, Azures stock price fell $4.61 per share or 44.07% percent, to close at $5.85 per share on August 29, 2022.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com
Next weekend, the hardest tyre compounds will be supplied to F1 teams by Pirelli. This is due to this year's heavier cars combined with the track layout. The prototype tyres for 2023 will also be tested by the drivers this weekend.

Article continues under ad

The Italian tyre supplier will supply the three hardest of the five possible options next weekend. The hard tyre this weekend is the C1, the medium tyre is the C2 and the C3 compound will act as the soft tyre. According to Pirelli chief Mario Isola, this selection was not a difficult choice for the Japanese Grand Prix. This is due to a combination of the layout of the circuit together with the high G-forces due to the new generation of cars and the level of tyre wear. "Because of the alternation of right and left turns, the pressure on the tyres on both sides of the car is almost the same," he added in the press release from Pirelli. However, this does not mean that the tyres are under less stress due to this choice. Moreover, this is also the last time this season that we will see the hardest compound, the C1 tyre, in action.

Read more Less grass, more asphalt at Suzuka during Japanese GP

Prototype tyres for 2023

This weekend's second free practice session will test the prototype tyres for the 2023 season. This will extend the practice by 30 minutes, giving drivers 90 minutes of data. This is also scheduled for the race weekend in Austin. "As the end of this season approaches, we will fine-tune the prototypes," Isola said. In principle, the intention is to spend the entire training session on the 2023 tyres. However, there is one exception: if a team has a rookie running in the first free practice, the team will get half an hour for their own programme in the 90-minute practice.

Read more Honda and Red Bull strengthen ties in 2022
Sebastian Vettel would seriously consider returning to Formula 1 for once if he is allowed to race in Japan. The German at the press conference about his fondness for the Suzuka Circuit.

Article continues under ad

At the end of 2022, Vettel will leave Formula 1. The German decided to announce his retirement after two seasons in action for Aston Martin. Vettel does not regret the decision to leave the sport. The four-time world champion has no plans for the future yet but would love to return to Japan one day.

Vettel loves Suzuka

Before the Japanese Grand Prix, Vettel discusses, according to The Race Indeed, his love for the country and its circuits. Suzuka is perhaps the Aston Martin driver's favourite circuit and he would love to return. Vettel does not necessarily fancy a role as a reserve driver, but a one-off fill-in like Jenson Button once did on behalf of McLaren when Fernando Alonso drove the Indy 500 would be something Vettel would like.

''Maybe if one of these guys (pointing to the men next to him in the press conference) eels a bit sick. I dont know  I dont wish them to feel so  but I wouldnt mind jumping back in for a race at Suzuka at any time.'' A deal to race only at Suzuka is also something Vettel sees as an option: ''Yeah, if anybody is happy to sign up a driver for a single race. Im sure those guys wouldnt be happy to step aside but that would be something Id seriously consider,'' Vettel concluded.


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File photo A new militant group in Assam that came into existence just three weeks back was 'neutralised' by police, officials said on Thursday. A new militant group in Assam that came into existence just three weeks back was 'neutralised' by police, officials said on Thursday.



The outfit Dimasa National Liberation Tigers (DNLT) was active in the Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong districts of the state.



Superintendent of Police, Dima Hasao district, Mayank Kumar Jha told IANS, "We launched our operation soon after the freshly formed militant organisation's existence was noticed. As a result of continuous operation, almost all its cadres were either arrested or have surrendered."



The police officer informed that seven DNLT cadres were apprehended. Some of the linkmen to the organisation were also nabbed by the police.



"We are still figuring out if any of the supporters of this group were in hideout or not," added Jha.



Notably, DNLT had earlier said: "We declare 36 hours Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong bandh from 5.00 p.m on September 13, 2022. We appeal for every support in the said bandh. Any unwanted movement in the bandh will be solely responsible for his/ her act. We will fight to the death for our freedom and right."



Since then, the outfit was on the radar of police and finally, the group has been disbanded.




By Robert Cantu

Columnist

Robert Cantu, a local Santa Paula, Enrolled Agent, has successfully completed the requirements to earn the designation of a Certified Tax Resolution Specialist (CTRS). This dignified certification is earned by good standing members of the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers (ASTPS) who have met the educational, experience, and examination requirements and have proven expertise to resolve a wide range of tax problems. The services a CTRS provides to individuals and businesses include securing Offers In Compromise, Installment Agreements, Penalty Abatement, Innocent Spouse Relief, Release of Liens or Levies, Non-Filer issues and many others. Tax problem resolution is a unique area of professional practice that addresses a problem that affects a tremendous number of American citizens and residents.

The Certified Tax Resolution Specialist designation allows taxpayers to identify experts in tax problem resolution. The ASTPS Board of Regents administers the Certification Program. The Board of Regents is the final authority in making decisions related to the Certification Program. The Certified Tax Resolution Specialist (CTRS) designation is only awarded to Enrolled Agents, CPAs, and Attorneys who meet the requirements. ASTPS is the only organization solely devoted to the development of professional skills in this area of practice.

Please feel free to contact Robert Cantu EA at any time for any questions or information. Robert Cantu EA CANTUTAX is located at 137 N. 10th Street, Suite F, Santa Paula and can be reached at 805-525-8895 or via his website at www.cantutax.com.
Review of operations and outlook

Kilimanjaro Consulting

Kilimanjaro Consulting exceeded the revenue growth expectations, achieving 16% for the financial year. Growth in contracted and recurring revenue was 20.5%. Significant challenges with MYOB's entry directly into our market and more businesses competing for scare resources have put pressure on our margins. Management is implementing plans to restore margins including a strategic review of operations and suppliers.

Recurring Revenue $3.897M (2021 $3.321M)

Contracted Revenue $3.325M (2021 $2.645M)

The Covid-induced rapid change in demand for skilled resources required an immediate response, in order to retain and further grow the exceptional skills developed over the past 20 years. As a professional services consultancy, our people are our greatest asset, and therefore also our greatest cost. We aspire to being an Employer of Choice, which includes positioning our remuneration in the top quartile. The time lag between increasing remuneration and passing these increased costs on to clients under contract in a tough trading environment, has significantly hurt the bottom line. The pricing model has now been revised and the coming months will see a continued recovery of margins in the consulting practice. Kilimanjaro has been able to maintain productivity levels with a hybrid model of working from home and working from the office. The team has now grown to over 120 people, under our One Company  One Team  One Brand banner.

A restructuring of the support teams, and a focus on our #ClientFirst initiative has seen customer satisfaction ratings improve significantly, to be best practice. This enables us to align our pricing with our positioning in the market: A premium provider, with high perceived value. There is a continuing trend to move to cloud-based software. Our experience integrating Exo on-premise software with cloud solutions gives our Exo clients a pathway to transition to the cloud, as and when they choose. Our Exo Hosted option supports those who wish to remain on Exo, but move to the cloud. For those looking for a cloud-native environment, the Acumatica / MYOB Advanced product is certainly best of breed.

Future Direction

Kilimanjaro's large and stable core of loyal existing clients look to us, as their trusted advisor, for efficiency improvements through technology. Our access to cutting-edge technology through our partnership with MYOB and other connected service providers, allows us to fulfil this role successfully. Operating as One Company  One Team- One Brand across Australia and New Zealand is realising synergies and improving our own efficiency. This has required a large investment over the past year, and 12 internal projects have been completed to provide a platform for improved profitability and continued growth. The future strategic direction will be largely dictated by the final resolution we reach with our dispute with MYOB, as referenced in the announcement to the NZX on 1st August 2022 and Note 26. Pending a satisfactory resolution of the MYOB dispute, we intend to remain the best Exo partner in the Channel, and at the same time rapidly build the MYOB Advanced side of the business. Diversification is being considered as a strategy.

iSell

Annual recurring revenue (ARR) has increased to $1.04 million (up 36%). Total revenue $1.09 million (up 26%). Enprise currently owns 75% of iSell. During the year iSell achieved its first case study in the USA this year and has just received formal Avalara (USA Sales Tax) certification, these are significant milestones for ramping up entry into the USA market.

The current focus is on simplifying the on boarding process to empower new customers to perform more self service. On line help has been released during the year with in excess of 200 supporting videos. Integrations with up and coming PSA tools, Halo and Ingram Cloud Blue have been developed and further functionality will be added during the next financial year.

The integration with Datagate has been completed which will enable further synergies between the companies.

Datagate

Enprise Groups associate, Datagate Innovation Ltd (Datagate) grew its annual recurring revenue (ARR) to over $2.4 million, an increase of 49%. Growth in the USA was 65%. Datagate continues to be in high growth mode and is keeping its focus on growing revenue and market share. Enprise participated in the convertible note round in December 2021, Enprise took up $0.5 million of the total issue of $1.55 million.

Vadacom

Vadacom Holdings Ltd (Vadacom)s ARR and contracted revenue was $2.56 million for the year ended 31 March 2022. The recently released new cloud PBX phone system Next Voice functionality continues to expand to support new and existing customers directly and through resellers. As a result of an draft independent valuation of Vadacom, Enprise Group realised a $0.06 million decrease in the carrying value of this investment in the period.

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Scientists from an international consortium led by researchers at the US Department of Energys Argonne and Idaho national laboratories have recently proposed a comprehensive new data science paradigm called the Battery Data Genomean undertaking to develop uniform data acquisition and data sharing practices across the wide-ranging battery community. These practices will create an extensive database network to enable energy storage breakthroughs using artificial intelligence (AI).

The electrochemical science that is urgently needed for a zero-carbon economy requires state-of-the-art data science. Tackling the extremely complex technical questions that battery scientists face requires huge amounts of data to generate AI and machine learning algorithms. Argonne battery scientist Sue Babinec

Although there are some specialized data science projects for batteries, like the Electrolyte Genome Project, the undertaking to create a Battery Data Genome devoted to all aspects of the battery and that unifies work done across institutions and scales is unprecedented. Argonne distinguished fellow and Joint Center for Energy Storage Research director George Crabtree

According to Crabtree, the Battery Data Genome will collect and house data from every step of the battery lifecycle, from discovery to development to manufacturing and all manner of deployments. Having universal standards for data management for each segment of the battery community is required for data creation to unlock the power of AI algorithms designed to identify everything from new candidate electrode materials to improved battery pack construction to cell lifetimes.

According to Argonne battery scientist Noah Paulson, scientists are interested in many different characteristics and qualities when measuring a batterys performance. Because of this, the datasets that are collected by different groups, even those looking at the same battery in the same setup, will not be identical.

We have to find the basic set of information that should be associated with each set of data, so that we no longer have to spend time cleaning the data to fit our models. Noah Paulson

For batteries, there are many common types of data, but theres no uniform way of approaching them. When data come in many different formats, dont include how theyre collected, and arent frequently shared among different groups, it becomes very difficult to do the kind of large-scale AI analysis and predictions necessary to speed the development and deployment of new batteries. Argonne computational scientist Logan Ward

Transitioning different groups of researchers studying different stages of a batterys development to create a universal set of data that can be widely accessed, understood and used represents a significant challenge, Babinec said.

To attract as many participants as possible, the Battery Data Genome offers many options for data sharing. This would potentially make participation in the Battery Data Genome more attractive to industry partners, who could take advantage of the data produced by academic or government partners without having to necessarily contribute their own. 

Once scientists populate the Battery Data Genome with data, they will have to test it out. To do so, they will use challenge problems to validate the best AI algorithms with the data in the Battery Data Genome to solve real-world questions. 

Having a standardized and easily accessible, extensive data set may spur new questions for the battery community, Crabtree said.

There are a lot of unknown unknowns in batteries. With access to data that all conform to a universal set of standards, guided by machine learning and artificial intelligence, we may find new pathways for innovation that to date we have not yet considered. George Crabtree

Argonne already provides open software for clean-up of existing data files with the battery-data-toolkit. A release of complete files for establishing cycle-life of 300 lithium-ion batteries with six different cathode chemistries will be coming later in October.

A paper announcing the Battery Data Genome will appear in the 19 October issue of Joule.
At the 45th Meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) and the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting (OPEC+) in Vienna, the organizations decided to cut crude oil production by 2 million barrels per day (mb/d), starting in November 2022.

The adjustment will reduce OPEC+ production from 43,856 million barrels per day (required August 2022) to 41,856 mb/da cut of 4.6%.

Of the reduction, Saudi Arabia (OPEC 10) and Russia (non-OPEC) account for more than half (a drop of 526,000 barrels per day each); the two countries are the top producers in OPEC+, with required production as of August 2022 at 11.004 million barrels/day each.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and NEC Director Brian Deese issued a joint statement expressing President Bidens disappointment in the shortsighted decision to cut production quotas. Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia in July 2022, seeking an increase in oil output.

Production targets for OPEC+




Pushpay Holdings Limited (NZSX:PPH, ASX:PPH, Pushpay or the Company) is pleased to announce it has welcomed the US Army Chaplain Corps as a Customer. The US Army Chaplain Corps will be leveraging a tailored Pushpay software and apps solution for all of its ministries, which comprises 51 public service organisations called garrisons across the world. This is the largest signed software-only agreement to date for Pushpay.

Pushpays technology will enable the US Army Chaplain Corps to streamline communication and build deeper connections with soldiers through mobile solutions across their 51 garrisons. The addition of the US Army Chaplain Corps as a Customer also represents an opportunity for future expansion of Pushpays solutions into a variety of public service organisations.

US Army Chaplains are religious leaders who support, motivate, and provide guidance to soldiers and their families across all religious faiths. This includes more than 1,000,000 active and reserve soldiers, as well as retired soldiers. The US Army Chaplain Corps leverages prevailing technologies and innovative approaches to provide reliable and relevant world-class religious services and programs, counseling, spiritual care and community building, making the Chaplain Corps one of the worlds premier leadership organisations.

Molly Matthews, Pushpays CEO said, We are delighted to welcome the US Army Chaplain Corps and their communities across the globe to Pushpay. The addition of the US Army Chaplain Corps, as well as the Archdiocese of Seattle in July 2022, demonstrates the momentum being created towards our strategic goals.

This first of its kind collaboration represents a significant early milestone as we continue to execute towards our longer-term growth strategy to expand our offering into public service organisations to help them strengthen their communities and connections. We look forward to supporting the US Army Chaplain Corps communities of more than 1,000,000 active, reservist and retired soldiers, and their families, with our innovative, mobile-first solutions. It is an absolute honour and privilege to support those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom.

George Watlington Jr., CIV, Information Technology Program Manager of the US Army Chaplain Corps said, Pushpays partnership with the Army will help support ongoing community revitalization efforts to strengthen the bond between soldiers, families and Army civilians through enhanced communication, both in-person and virtually.

Contact

Gabrielle Wilson | Investor Relations | Pushpay Holdings Limited

P: +64 21 724 244 | E: investors@pushpay.com

www.pushpay.com

This announcement is authorised by Graham Shaw (Chairman) and Molly Matthews (Chief Executive Officer) of Pushpay Holdings Limited.

About Pushpay

Pushpay provides a donor management system, including donor tools, finance tools and a custom community app, a church management system (ChMS), and video streaming solutions to the faith sector, non-profit organisations and education providers located predominantly in the United States (US) and other jurisdictions. Our leading solutions simplify engagement, payments and administration, enabling our Customers to increase participation and build stronger relationships with their communities.

Church Community Builder and Resi Media LLC (Resi) are subsidiaries of Pushpay Holdings Limited. Church Community Builder provides a Software as a Service (SaaS) church management system that churches use to connect and communicate with their community members, record member service history, track online giving and perform a range of administrative functions. Resi is a high growth SaaS company that provides end-to-end live video streaming solutions enabled by hardware products predominantly to the faith sector, whilst also servicing commercial, non-profit organisations and education providers in the US.

Pushpay is an award-winning company. For more information visit www.pushpay.com/investors/awards.

ENDS

Pushpay expands business, welcomes US Army Chaplain Corps as a Customer

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CHEYENNE  The unexpected closure of a military-like academy for Wyoming high schoolers in Guernsey drew concern and sadness, sentiments that were universally expressed among all of the stakeholders who reacted to the disclosure.

Some thought the news emerged in a disorganized fashion.

Parents can pick up their kids, as in-person teaching is winding down this month. The youth can go to other states similar programs, or they can participate remotely in academics, through their current term that lasts a few more months.

I think most of the parents will agree that they need to go to one of these programs in other states, including Nevada, said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. David Pritchett of the current crop of cadets. We want to make sure that the cadets maintain their academic goals, even after the residential portion closes, Pritchett, who helps to oversee WCCA, among other duties, said later in the interview. Right now, its just a very rapidly evolving situation.

On Wednesday night, following the Wyoming Tribune Eagles inquiries, the Wyoming Military Department confirmed the Wyoming Cowboy Challenge Academy would shut down  at least for now.

In the news release and in Thursday interviews, officials cited difficulties staffing WCCA, even with an infusion of help by way of military volunteers. The academy could reopen, perhaps in 2025, and in a more urban area of the state and in other facilities that could be repurposed for WCCA.

In interviews and email exchanges, all stakeholders agreed the academy was a big help to the thousand-plus cadets it educated over close to two decades. They said it assisted the teenagers, some from fraught family situations and who struggled in traditional high schools, with completing their high school education.

The regimentation the attendees aged 16-18 found at WCCA was said to have gotten them on the right track, and they learned life and other skills, too.

Among the many things that are taught during the approximately five-and-a-half-month residential portion of the program are skills participants need to hold a job, along with what Sen. Stephan Pappas, R-Cheyenne, described as life and coping skills. Hygiene, health and physical fitness are also taught, along with leadership, added Pappas.

He said WCCA has taught what is known as cowboy ethics, an ethos that stresses personal action and responsibility.

The lawmaker, who is a retired brigadier general, was previously a mentor to a WCCA attendee whose family he knew. When he was commander of the Wyoming Air Guard, he got to know the program firsthand.

It really is a boon to the nontraditional type of student who has had some type of issues in their lives, Pappas said. At the time we stood it up, it was difficult finding staff to go to a location like Guernsey and live there. If it was in another location, Cheyenne or Casper or some other location, it might not be so bad to be able to attract folks.

Other officials made similar statements.

Although Pritchett said its way too soon to make any concrete predictions, he, too, mentioned hypothetically Cheyenne and Casper as the type of places where WCCA might be able to draw a sufficient number of staff.

I am very sad to see that we had to curtail it for a little while, Pappas said of the program. I have seen it change these kids lives.

He recalled of cadets that they gain confidence, they look you in the eye, it changes their lives afterward.

Other legislators also want to see WCCA reopen. They voiced hope it may eventually be possible. They noted that funding wasnt the problem; finding employees who were a good match and would stay was the hurdle.

Amy Behrens is among the fans of WCCA who reacted to its post on its Facebook page Thursday announcing the closure. She said her son attended in 2020, graduating late because the class was paused during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the WTE found Behrens based on her Facebook comments, additional parents, mentors and others themselves reached out to express their dismay about the new development.

I have recommended it multiple times because I do not know where he would be now without it, Behrens said of her son, speaking by phone. He would not have a high school diploma now, I guarantee that.

Although the family lives in Geneva, Nebraska, they sent their child to Guernsey.

He enjoyed the program and benefited from the mentorship that followed, Behrens recalled.

Officials said such mentorship includes several substantive conversations over the course of the roughly yearlong mentoring period. Behrens said her sons mentor would call, as would others from WCCA, and he keeps in touch with fellow cadets. Her son has since moved out of the family home and supports himself by working full time, she said.

I was so shocked at the news of the impending wind-down, Behrens said. I know the whole world is feeling short staffed.

Still, she continued, it just blows my mind that they are going to take that away.

If the academy is going to close, thats fine, but just finish out the current cadet residential program term, she said.

The chairs of the Legislatures committees dealing with military affairs said they were concerned by the shutdown, in statements responding to the WTEs query.

Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper, wrote that his main concern is for the cadets and their families. I have been assured that the Military Department is doing everything they can on that front.

WCCA has served us well and provided a lifeline for students in need of a second chance or simply need a more structured environment, he continued. It is important, from a policy standpoint, that we visit about what it will take to stand the academy back up.

Rep. Don Burkhart, R-Rawlins, said the closure is a matter of serious concern to me.The safety and security of the cadets is the main concern, and that requires adequate staffing levels. The Wyoming Military Department is working on resolving the staffing issues and hopefully the Academy can reopen in the future.
Editors note: This is part two of Norm Analistas feature on the Guam Chamber of Commerce 2022 Anniversary Gala. You can view the first part online at guampdn.com.

Hundreds of guests, mostly from the corporate community, attended the Guam Chamber of Commerces Purple Rain Gala on Sept. 24 at the Hyatt Regency Guams Grand Ballroom.

Many attended the affair in formal attire in varying shades of purple and a handful even came dressed in outfits inspired by the late, iconic recording artist Prince, known for his smash hit Purple Rain.

The event marked the chambers 98th anniversary celebration and I cant wait to see what next years theme will be.

For now, check out the spectacular fashion choices in our online gallery!

Coming up

Check the Pacific Daily News weekly for upcoming fashion coverage of Taiwan National Day, the University of Guam Endowment Foundations 40th Anniversary Gala, VARO Purple Gala, Filipino Community of Guam Anniversary Ball, Diwali Festival of Lights, and more!
Hurricane Ian: Amateur radio used in rescue Fox News reports a Maryland firefighter used his ham radio to send rescuers to Florida's Sanibel Island



The broadcaster says:



Dale Klonin [KC3TAU], a firefighter at Baltimore/Washington International Airport in Baltimore, was off duty and busy running errands last Wednesday when he stumbled upon a chance to save lives.



Klonin, 46, lives in Hampstead, Maryland. As an amateur ham radio operator with an interest in "any news or weather event," he was keeping an eye and ear on Hurricane Ian.



"Of course, the hurricane was pretty big news," Klonin told Fox News Digital in a phone interview.



Thinking about family members who live outside Sarasota, Florida, Klonin and his wife "were pretty concerned" about the storm, he said.



Klonin has only been involved with ham radio  also called amateur radio  for about a year, he said.



Read the full Fox News story at

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/hurricane-ian-hero-maryland-firefighter-ham-radio-send-rescuers-sanibel-island
A police officer testified Thursday that former Guam Police Department Lt. Jojo Templo Garcia acted "out of control" during a confrontation with a neighbor in November 2021.

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.

Although Garcia was his superior, Officer Jason K. Young said he didnt have any unpleasant encounters with Garcia, but they didnt interact as much because of their work schedules.

Garcia worked during the day and Young was mostly at night.

I'm working my hours, he's working his hours, said Young. If I see him, he was like, hello.

However, his impression changed one night in November 2021.

On Wednesday, Garcias neighbor Joseph Andrew Borja, testified about a fight between Garcia and a female neighbor.

Young was one of the officers there that night.

He and another officer responded to a call from Garcia about a suspicious vehicle in his neighborhood.

Young said the precinct was somewhat accustomed to Garcia calling two or three times a day from his police-issued radio regarding suspicious activity in his neighborhood.

When they arrived, parking the police car in front of Borjas residence, Young said that Garcia was upset, yelling expletives at the people behind them. Then he pulled out his pistol.

Young said Garcia was wearing something that looked like brown pants on his head

We're stepping out of the car, I get a little bit better view because it's dark, and he has a pistol in one hand," Young testified. "The way that we had parked he was somewhat in front of us. ... We got out of the car, we asked him 'Sir, what's going on?' And that's when the gun came up and he started using it to point toward the neighbor.
Senatorial candidate and former broadcast journalist Darrel "Chris" Barnett had the audience to himself to speak on Guams political status and other issues after three other invited candidates were no-shows at a forum.

Barnett, who's also known as the comedian Malafunkshun, was the only one to show up at the Rotary Club of Guam's third weekly forum with senatorial candidates who haven't held a senatorial post before.

Also invited to the forum were Republican candidates Vince Borja and Sandra Seau, as well as Democrat Angela Santos. Santos told the Pacific Daily News she has a death in the family and the funeral is set for Friday.

Full-time problems

Guam is facing full-time problems, so pushing for a part-time Legislature won't do any good to check and balance the executive branch, Barnett said.

Barnett, with a 25-year career in the media that included investigative reporting, said the Legislature's budget takes up only a small portion of the government of Guam's $1 billion budget and emphasized its role is huge in keeping the government transparent and accountable.

"I can tell you firsthand, it was ugly," Barnett said of the primary election, considering what he and Sabrina Salas-Matanane, also a former journalist, went through.

Salas-Matanane was the running mate of Del. Michael San Nicolas, who lost the Democrat gubernatorial race to Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero.

"A lot of Democrats tried to blacklist me and it backfired on them," Barnett, the father of five, said.

While this is his first foray into politics, Barnett emerged as the second top vote-getter among senatorial candidates.

Barnett received 12,788 votes in the primary election, second only to Speaker Therese Terlaje, who once again topped the list with 14,225 votes.

He wanted to run as an independent but the political party system made it impossible for anybody to run as an independent. It's something he wants to tackle if he gets elected.

'More inclusive'

On the question of who should vote in determining Guam's political status, Barnett said Guam's population has changed over the years, so it shouldn't be a CHamoru-only vote.

"Given the Davis decision, I think the CHamoru-only vote, we kind of come to terms that that may not be realistic. Obviously our island is made up of many different people and I think that, at this point, a CHamoru-only vote is very exclusive. We need to be more inclusive," he said.

He doesn't believe that status quo is an option, saying that a lot of the problems Guam faces right now are because of its political relationship with the United States.

"I definitely support independence but I don't support independence tomorrow. What I will support is a transitionary status,like a free association, that gets us to where we need to be with independence."

It's a process that takes decades, Barnett said.

"At the end of the day, I do foresee an independent Guam sometime down the road. Probably, realistically, not in my lifetime, maybe not in my kids lifetime, but hopefully one day," he said.

That also doesn't mean the United States is going to leave, he said, citing many independent countries in which the U.S. military has presence.

'Heavy lifting'

One of the disservices of having people who are involved with the political status option who also handle the decolonization movement,is that people start to think decolonization automatically means independence, he said.

"That's because a lot of independence activists are doing the heavy lifting for the decolonization movement," he said.

Meanwhile, there's not much that's heard from people who support statehood or free association.

Barnett also told Rotary Club of Guam members that during the height of the pandemic, he started writing lines to what could be a song titled "Mrs. Governor," referencing a similar song he created for then Gov. Carl Gutierrez titled "Mr. Governor." Barnett's stories were, at many times, critical of the Leon Guerrero administration.

"I'm not saying that Ill ever come out with a 'Mrs. Governor,'" he said. "But I want to let you guys know that the idea was there and there's probably about two sheets of paper with some pretty interesting lines on it that may never see the light of day."
Attorney Mun Su Park, Ph.D, is licensed to practice law in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Washington, D.C. This letter has been edited for length. Read the full letter online at

guampdn.com.
China appreciated the Government of Sri Lankas commitment to promoting and protecting human rights, advancing sustainable socio-economic development, improving living standards, protecting the rights of the vulnerable groups, facilitating national reconciliation and combatting terrorism.

Sri Lanka categorically rejected resolution A/HRC/51/L.1 (Rev.1) titled Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka tabled by the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and the United States, which was adopted by a vote at the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, today (06 October 2022), a media statement issued by Minister of Foreign Affairs in Colombo has noted.

The statement reads further as follows;

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry delivered the statement on behalf of Sri Lanka as the country concerned and called on the Members of the Council to reject the resolution by voting against it.

In support of Sri Lankas position opposing the resolution, the delegation of Pakistan called for a vote. Over half of the members of the Council did not support the resolution with 07 countries (Bolivia, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Venezuela) voting against the resolution and 20 countries abstaining on the vote. 20 countries voted in favour of the resolution.

Sri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe attends an interview with Reuters at Presidential Secretariat, amid the country's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka August 18, 2022. REUTERS/ Dinuka Liyanawatte

Representatives of Pakistan, Brazil, China, Venezuela, Japan and Republic of Korea made statements in support of Sri Lanka prior to the vote. Pakistan said that they share the concerns of Sri Lanka and other Member States that the resolution is intrusive and this level of scrutiny would not be even acceptable to any sovereign state including the Core Group. They further observed that the resolution fails to recognize the horrendous acts of terrorism committed by the LTTE and its sponsors, lacks balance, proportionality and consistency.

At a critical time when the people of Sri Lanka expect demonstrations of global solidarity and support to face its economic challenges which are not entirely of Sri Lankas own making, the Core Group chose a path that has the potential to exacerbate the problem instead of improving the situation. Brazil noted the need to avoid politicization of the work of the Council and reiterated their position that cooperation of the country concerned is key to the success of this Councils initiatives. Brazil highlighted the responsibility of the international community to support the country in its recovery including through international cooperation and assistance.

China appreciated the Government of Sri Lankas commitment to promoting and protecting human rights, advancing sustainable socio-economic development, improving living standards, protecting the rights of the vulnerable groups, facilitating national reconciliation and combatting terrorism. China regretted that the resolution is tabled without the consent of country concerned, is a product of politicization, and will by no means play any positive role in the promotion of human rights in Sri Lanka.

READ OUR EDITORIAL: Sri Lanka: Resolution Passes; So What?

China highlighted that the work of Council should be guided by its founding principles and that all parties should promote genuine dialogue and cooperation and refrain from adopting double standards. China rejected the practice of using human rights as a pretext to interfere in the internal affairs and undermine the sovereignty of other countries to the detriment of international cooperation. Venezuela expressed their deep concern at initiatives that do not have the support of the country concerned and that the Core Group is insisting on imposing hostile initiative, monitoring and oversight mechanism without the consent of Sri Lanka, ignoring the progress made by the Government.

Venezuela highlighted that the mechanism financially bleed out over 6 million dollars that could have been better used to support the least developed countries and further that the practice of wasting money seems all too common in the Council. Japan recognized the progress made by Sri Lanka and said that the Governments own initiatives, efforts and commitments are indispensable to achieving real change on the ground. Republic of Korea noted with appreciation the efforts of the Government of Sri Lanka to promote national reconciliation, reconstruction and prosperity.

Sri Lanka is grateful to the countries which withstood pressure by the sponsors and demonstrated their support to Sri Lanka by voting against or abstaining on the vote as well as by speaking in support of Sri Lanka. While delivering the Sri Lanka statement as the country concerned, the Foreign Minister regretted that a draft resolution on Sri Lanka is tabled once again despite the progress made domestically on reconciliation and human rights and Sri Lankas continued constructive engagement with the Council. He outlined Sri Lankas intention to move forward domestically with replacing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) with a comprehensive national security legislation, and the introduction of Constitutional amendments and a legal framework to strengthen democratic governance, participation and the rule of law as well as independent institutional oversight.

On reconciliation and human rights, Sri Lanka is awaiting the final report of the Presidential Commission and the establishment of a domestic truth-seeking mechanism is under advanced discussion. He also referred to Sri Lankas upcoming engagement with the UPR process. Minister Sabry highlighted that while the resolution may meet the objective of advancing the political considerations of the sponsors, it is manifestly unhelpful to Sri Lanka. The Minister strongly opposed the resolution, particularly the proposal in Operative Paragraph (OP) 8 that seeks to extend and reinforce the so-called external evidence gathering mechanism created by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The mechanism is outside the mandate envisaged for the Council. No sovereign state can accept the superimposition of an external mechanism that runs contrary to its Constitution and which pre-judges the commitment of its domestic legal processes.





The Minister also noted that many countries have already raised serious concerns on the budgetary implications of this resolution given its ever-expanding mandate. He further noted that this is an unhelpful and misdirected drain on the resources of all Member States, including the donors in the midst of ongoing global crises. In sharp contrast, he said that we are faced with the dire financial needs of developing countries to prevent hunger and child malnutrition.

Foreign Minister Sabry objected to the references in the resolution to matters which are outside the framework of the Council such as domestic economic and financial policy. He further observed 3 that solutions to economic and financial crises faced today by many countries will not be found in the mandate, the instruments or the expertise of the Council. The result of the vote demonstrates that the resolution is another example of the North-South polarization and politicization of the Council, contrary to its founding principles.

This vote also demonstrated solidarity among the countries of the South which continued to support the basic founding principles of the Human Rights Council of universality, impartiality, objectivity and nonselectivity leading to constructive international dialogue and cooperation. The Human Rights Council is comprised of 47 Members, including 13 African states, 13 AsiaPacific states, 8 Latin American & Caribbean States, 7 Western Europe and Other States, and 6 Eastern European States.
Published on 2022/10/05 | Source

KBS 2TV's new Monday-Tuesday drama "Curtain Call" will air for the first time on the 31st, public relations agency YTREE Company said on the 4th.

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"Curtain Call" tells the story of a man playing as a grandson to fulfill the last wish of an elderly grandmother who defected from the North. The still cut released on the same day showed five major members of the family, who descended from the North alone and built the huge Hotel Paradise.

"Curtain Call" is directed by Yoon Sang-ho and is written by Jo Seong-geol. The production company Victory Contents said, "It is a work where you can meet all the colorful fun, spectacular narratives, and unexpected laughter and emotion from the interesting story line".

"Curtain Call", will premiere at 9:50 PM on the 31st. Go Doo-shim will star as Ja Geum-soon and Kang Ha-neul will play the role of unknown theater actor Yoo Jae-heon, who receives a sudden offer to play a grandson who defected to Korea for an old lady. Ha Ji-won plays Park Se-yeon, the youngest granddaughter who is the general manager of Hotel Paradise and tries to succeed her grandmother's family business.
By William Schwartz | Published on 2022/10/05

The talent agency MCMC (Studio Sky) recently confirmed that actress Kim Bo-ra, who the agency represents, has been cast as in the upcoming drama "Finland Papa" in the leading role. Kim Bo-ra will play Lee Yoo-ri, a woman in her twenties with a dead family who works part-time at the cafe which the drama is named after. Additionally, TOP Media confirmed at the same time that Kim Woo-seok-II will play Baek Woo-hyeon, the male lead whose character was not as clearly described.

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"Finland Papa" is described as a story about growth and healing. "Finland Papa" has not been mentioned in connection with any network as of yet but the project is most likely intended for streaming only platform. Kim Bo-ra had her last leading role in "Love Scene Number" on wavve back in 2021. "Finland Papa" is also currently in negotiations for a six episode run, which is more typical for streaming dramas.

Kim Bo-ra is probably best known for her role in "SKY Castle" as a competitive student. She's also appeared in many South Korean films, and is the credited lead for the horror film "The Ghost Station" which is expected to be released sometime this year. Kim Woo-seok-II is probably best known for his leading role in the web-drama "Twenty-Twenty" from last year.

Written by William Schwartz
A treat to see in the line-up this coming November, the MF 1200 was the first articulated four-wheel tractor to be manufactured in Britain. It can be credited with changing the concept of agricultural engineering, despite some early production blips.

The tractor was powered by a Perkins six-cylinder diesel engine giving 105hp, with its box-like body featuring a steel-nosed bonnet and integral cab  and of course, the central pivot giving it the articulation and manoeuvrability its renowned for.

These icons of their time will be exhibited at the Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show, with one long-time collector sharing his passion for this more unusual tractor that came into his procession some 20 years ago.

I like to see and show my tractors in what I call their working clothes, says 79-year-old Peter Tack, who keeps himself busy between his haulage company and his collection in Crowland, Peterborough. Everyone has their own preferences; I like something different, that you might not see many of, and I choose to keep them how they look after a working life.

So how did he come across his MF 1200? I was looking for a bigger four-wheeled tractor through a dealer, he explains. They didnt have exactly what I was looking for, however, they asked if I would be interested in seeing a Massey Ferguson 1200.

They didnt have much idea on its history  but liking something a bit different, I agreed to take a look. We went to the farm where it was and walked across grassy fields, at the top of which were two trees with a thicket of blackberry brambles and stinging nettles  it was in there  so we got to work.

Not expecting much life from the long-abandoned machine, Mr Tack hooked up a 12v battery and to his delight  and surprise  the engine came to life. I didnt keep it running for very long for being concerned with damaging it, he explains. I got a lorry and brought it home.
Presidents Art Selection Award recipients discover common bond

When Dr. Avis Proctor selected two recipients for this years Presidents Art Selection Award, she never expected the Harper College students to end up sharing such a deep bond.

Stella Gurevich, a Promise Scholar who graduated from Buffalo Grove High School, and Anhelina Karashevska, who immigrated to the U.S. a few years ago, met for the first time during a recent gathering to recognize the students and install their artwork outside Dr. Proctors office.

Stella and Anhelina quickly discovered their shared Ukrainian heritage and began connecting over their common language, customs and even visits to the same Ukrainian festivals.

This connection was unbeknownst to me, Dr. Proctor said. The timing of this art selection, given everything were observing globally  this isnt an accident that youre both here.

The Presidents Art Selection Award has become a tradition at Harper, beginning in 2015 under Dr. Ken Ender. Stella and Anhelina will loan their pieces to the Presidents Office for one year in exchange for a stipend.

Stellas piece, Merging Static, is described as ink on board with photocopies. She said shes always been fascinated with art that distorts reality because its a way to show how the soul sees as opposed to the eyes. She was inspired by psychedelic art and listened to the genres music while creating.

Stella plans to transfer to Northern Illinois University and pursue a degree in illustration. She currently works as a freelance digital artist and is part of Harpers inaugural digital art and animation course.

Art is definitely a way of bringing people together to enjoy a common subject, Stella said. I believe its a global language.

The title of Anhelinas artwork, Dusha, means soul in Ukrainian. The piece, also ink on board with photocopies, is inspired by the law of balance, she said, with one part showing right choices in a supposedly perfect world and the other side showing the opposite.

The first-year student hopes to eventually transfer to DePaul University and one day open her own business.

Art is a way for me to show myself to people, and it makes me happy if someone can see a part of themselves in my work, Anhelina said. That means something to me.

As Dr. Proctor and the students spoke, Professor Jason Peot installed the side-by-side pieces and reflected on the progression of the Presidents Art Selection Award.

Weve had an installation, ceramic, charcoal and now these ink pieces, so theres been a really nice representation over the years, he said.
The parties demanded that the government address their concerns about electricity prices, the functioning of the energy market and the approach taken to the recent crisis at Fortum.

THE GOVERNMENT of Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) on Wednesday replied to an interpellation submitted by three opposition parties: the Christian Democrats, Finns Party and Movement Now.

Were facing an energy crisis and you, the government, arent on top of the situation, Riikka Purra, the chairperson of the Finns Party, slammed according to Helsingin Sanomat.

Purra criticised the government particularly for building its energy policy on wind power: I wonder if the vision is that every evening workers should watch the wind forecast for the next morning to know if their workplace will have energy or not. Our society cant function or not function based on whether the day is calm or windy.

Electricity storage solutions are still in their infancy, so we need regulating power to respond to changes in consumption. The energy policy should be based on physics, not beliefs or ideology, said Purra.

Peter Ostman (CD) took aim at the government for its inability to stand up for renewable bioenergy in the European Union. The Christian Democrats views that the government is unable, discordant and unwilling to defend renewable bioenergy, which is important for Finland, in EU talks, he stated.

Marin questioned the claims made in the interpellation in her reply, stressing that the surge in energy prices is a consequence of the dependency on fossil fuel that has been laid bare by the war of aggression Russia wages in Ukraine.

The higher electricity prices and erosion of purchasing power faced by households don't stem fundamentally from the questions about the EUs authority, carbon-neutrality objectives or the governments recent decisions on ownership steering policy that were brought up in the interpellation, she argued.

The premier said the government is open to the possibility of introducing a windfall tax on the profits of energy companies but will stand by the climate goals laid down in its action plan.

In the middle of an energy crisis, it should be possible to explore all possible energy forms and solutions in the short term. For example, the possibility to use peat as a security-of-supply fuel has been secured.

She also conceded that in retrospect it is possible to question some of the strategic choices made by the board and management of Fortum, the Finnish majority state-owned parent company of the largest importer of natural gas in Germany, Uniper.

Because its business is based on Russian natural gas, Uniper drifted into serious difficulties that required outside help only months after the war started in Ukraine.

The National Coalition did not support the interpellation because it intends to submits its own concerning the governments handling of the crisis at Uniper. Pia Kauma (NCP) said the opposition party is not convinced that the government did all it could last summer to defend the interests of Finland.

Why did the prime minister settle for handling things by text messages rather than leveraging her authority by travelling to Berlin to defend the interests of Finnish taxpayers and investors? asked Kauma.

The Parliament will vote on the no-confidence motion on Friday.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
(JTA) - Speaking on the phone from an empty balcony in the Longacre Theater in New York, several hours before a preview performance of his latest play, Tom Stoppard said the show is "one that people like to talk to me about."

"Leopoldstadt," which officially hits Broadway on Sunday after an award-winning London debut in 2019, follows multiple generations of a Jewish family in Vienna from the turn of the 20th century through World War II and formation of the state of Israel. Audience members in the preview period have often lingered in the theater after the shows, and Stoppard - one of the world's most respected playwrights of the past half century - said "it's just amazing" how many of them see parts of their family history in the show.

So, perhaps unsurprisingly, he asked on the phone: "What about your family?"

The answers he received: this reporter's family members are inexact about their history, since no one has ever done a DNA test or compiled comprehensive family tree; there are rumors of rabbis from Poland and ancestors from Iraq; there is an uncle whose German-Jewish family displayed Christmas trees in their New York City apartment for decades; and there are various relatives around the globe who know little to nothing about each other's existence.

Those answers touch on the array of themes that are introduced in the first minutes of "Leopoldstadt," which is also the name of Vienna's storied Jewish quarter and where the play is set. The play is on its surface about several broad developments - the horrors of antisemitism and the Holocaust, the relationship between socialism and "National Socialism," the debate over Israel's formation. But at its core is a reckoning with the complexity of 20th-century Jewish family histories: how persecution led many to crave assimilation, and hardened others to defend their heritage; how pogroms and wars split up family trees and scattered them across Europe, and beyond; how trauma affected their descendants' memories of family and of the moments that pulled them apart.

These are the heady questions that Stoppard, now 85, has been thinking about for the past couple of decades, as he leaned into learning about the Jewish heritage that his family mostly suppressed for the first half of his life.

"I was writing lines which have been at the back of my head for a long time now," he said.

Stoppard - whose body of work includes "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," "Travesties" and the screenplays "Empire in the Sun" and "Shakespeare in Love" - was born in Czechoslovakia in 1937 to two Jewish parents. When the Nazis invaded in 1939, his family fled to Singapore, where the shoe company his father worked for had a factory. But Japan would occupy Singapore, so Stoppard, his brother and mother left for India; his father, who tried to leave later, died on a ship bombed by the Japanese.

In India, his mother married a British soldier named Kenneth Stoppard, and Tomas Straussler became Tom Stoppard. After Tom attended a Christian boarding school in Darjeeling for a few years, the Stoppards moved to England, where he developed a deep English sensibility and love for all things English, from the monarchy to the country's famously dry and absurd sense of humor. The Strausslers' Jewishness, like the name, became a thing of the past, as encouraged by a hardheaded stepfather and a mother looking to let go of her traumas.

"I came on well as an honorary Englishman. Ken taught me to fish, to love the countryside, to speak properly, to respect the monarchy," Stoppard wrote in a 1999 article in Talk Magazine titled "On Turning Out to Be Jewish." "I was still Tommy Straussler, but English was my only language when Ken gave me his name three weeks later."

It wasn't until the 1990s - several decades into a career that had already yielded three Tony awards for best play - that Stoppard first confronted his Jewishness in a significant way. The granddaughter of his mother's sister contacted him in 1993, and they met in London, where she sketched out the Straussler family tree on paper for him.

"I know we were Jewish," he said, but asked, "How Jewish were we?"

"You were completely Jewish," his relative Sarka Gauglitz said.

Stoppard's ignorance set off an intense guilt. The following year, he visited a synagogue in Prague where some of his relatives' names are inscribed on the walls, memorializing the fact that they were some of the thousands of Czech Jews killed in concentration camps. His mother died in 1996, further pushing him to research the history she had kept from him.

Stoppard's subsequent works, as a common narrative goes, gradually became more emotional and romantic, in contrast with his earlier plays more known for their absurdity, humor, philosophy, history, social commentary and other intellectual topics. He has said he now appreciates writing with "a love story in it."

But his guilt would not bubble over onto the page (Stoppard still does not own a computer and has an assistant type up his handwritten work) until several years later. There are moments and characters in "Leopoldstadt" inspired by his family's story, he explained, but it is not a directly autobiographical play. The setting of Vienna, for instance, reflects his decades-long obsession with that city's history and its rich cultural milieu; the play makes frequent mention of Vienna's famously influential and prosperous Jewish class, of which several of the story's family members are a part. The trajectory of Sigmund Freud, maybe the most famous Viennese Jew of the time, is also followed closely, as the characters implicitly look to him for inspiration on whether to stay or leave as the Third Reich begins its rise.

There is at least one character who is based directly on a real person, though: Leo, a young, urbane writer, is meant to be a stand-in for Stoppard himself and appears at the end in a scene that is clearly inspired by the playwright's first encounter with his Jewish family tree in 1993.

As the play begins in 1899, the characters quarrel about the state of Jews and antisemitism in Austria, the merits of assimilation and the burgeoning Zionism movement. Some of them, including Herman - a wealthy textile businessman and the closest the play has to a protagonist, played by "Numb3rs" star David Krumholtz - are married to non-Jews, a fact that adds texture to the debates. In the first scene, the assembled family gathers at a dinner with a Christmas tree, to which they affix a large Star of David ornament.

Later, the play yields a hilarious scene involving a bris, a significant achievement given the fact that Stoppard had no idea what the circumcision ritual or any other religious Jewish custom involved as he started his research. He ended up asking some friends, including the Jewish essayist Fran Lebowitz, for help with details along the way.

"He's a genius - he can read the research and reimagine it in dramatic form," the play's director Patrick Marber, a respected playwright in his own right who is also Jewish, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. "But he hasn't lived it."

The writing of "Leopoldstadt," for Stoppard, who had previously written some three dozen plays, felt different.

"The great thing about theater is that you don't have to include that much," Stoppard said, downplaying the extensive research he does before each work. "To a large extent, the play has to trade on the knowledge that the audience brings to the theater.

"But I found myself treading quite delicately" [with "Leopoldstadt"], he said, adding that he felt a deep responsibility to dig deeply into the issues raised.

The play's family ends up extremely fractured, and most die in Nazi camps. A heartrending twist at the end gets at the extreme ways some Jews went to save members of their families.

Stoppard said he nearly named the play "The Family Album," a fact that is poignant when considered in the context of a scene from the play's beginning involving a photo album. It becomes more relevant as the story unravels and the family's branches are scattered about, and murdered.

"I've been writing in names that are missing, the ones I know, which is by no means all of them," the family's matriarch says in the opening act as she holds a photo album. "That's what happens, you see. First, there's no need to write who they are, because everyone knows that's great-aunt Sophia or cousin Rudi, and then only some of us know, and already we're asking, 'Who's that with Gertrude?' and 'I don't remember this man with the little dog,' and you don't realize how fast they're disappearing from being remembered."

For the fans Stoppard has talked to, "It's as though they've never seen the subject dealt with before like this" on stage, he said, arguing that the most poignant and prominent Holocaust-themed works have often been reserved for Hollywood.

Marber - who is best known for writing "Closer," the play that inspired a film of the same name starring Natalie Portman and Jude Law - grew up going to synagogue in London and has proudly declared himself over the years to be a "Jew first, Englishman second." But even he has been deeply moved by the experience of working on "Leopoldstadt" (he directed the British version as well). He now regularly wears a Jewish star necklace, for example, which his non-Jewish wife gave him during New York rehearsals.

Krumholtz, who descends from Hungarian and Polish Jews, has become more in touch with his Jewish identity throughout the process, too, Marber added.

"This is the first time I've understood the feeling of Jews feeling the ground shifting beneath their feet, and not being able to believe it would get that bad," Marber said.

As he prepared to leave the balcony ("I have to see who else needs me"), Stoppard admitted, maybe not purposefully, that he is still learning about the ripple effects of Jewish history. For instance, he said "it's incredible" how many family New York City families he has learned about from fans that have legacies that aren't "so different from the family in the play."

There's another dynamic that has surprised him, too, related to all of the buzz the play has generated.

"I thought that the subject of the Jews through the war had been done and done," he said. "But actually, not really!"

"Leopoldstadt" is playing at the Longacre Theater in New York through January 2023.
Jonathan Feldstein was one of the first people who reported about the arrival of the five red heifers in Israel just over two weeks ago. His initial Facebook post drew hundreds of comments and was shared over 13,000 times. He also was the first to interview two of the main people behind this, Byron Stinson and Rabbi Chanan Kupietzky, an Evangelical Christian and Orthodox Jewish Rabbi respectively.

American Airlines flight 146 touched down at Israels Ben Gurion airport on time, arriving from New Yorks JFK airport as one of the dozens of flights that arrive in Israel from the U.S. daily. While a regularly scheduled flight, among the passengers there were five whose arrival in Israel made it one of the most celebrated and certainly unique flights in Israeli history.

What was special about the flight is that it had five unique passengers, traveling in the cargo section. It was the first time in nearly 2000 years that Israel has been blessed with the presence of not just one red heifer, but five, all arriving together. People who read their Bibles know that red heifers are mentioned in Numbers 19, but their significance has been shrouded for nearly 2000 years since the destruction of the Second Temple.

Jews read the verses longingly, praying for the opportunity to be able to rebuild the Temple and, with it, the ritual purification from the ashes of a red heifer needed to resume the Temple services. But for two millennia, the whole idea was simply a fantasy, until last year when these five red heifers were born in Texas, and now, their arrival in Israel.

Through a series of miracles overlaying technology and even the covid pandemic, these five were found, checked head to toe, and remain unblemished which qualifies them for service. They arrived not quite a year old. As long as they dont grow any white or black hairs, and remain unblemished, in just over a year they will qualify for the ritual purification process needed to resume Temple service.

In modern cattle raising, its customary to tag all calves within days of their birth. Doing so would be considered a blemish that would disqualify the red calves. So, how these calves remained untagged is just one of the incredible miracles that made this all possible.

There are different perspectives about the significance of the red heifers arrival as it relates to rebuilding the Temple. Some say that now the Temple can be rebuilt. Jews have prayed for that daily for nearly 2000 years. Some say that their arrival is the heralding of the Temple being rebuilt, a nuanced difference. And not mutually exclusive, some see the red heifers arrival as laying the foundation for the arrival of the Messiah, and end times among Christians. Either way, what is clear is that even if the Temple were to be rebuilt tomorrow, or descend from the heavens as some believe (since God can do anything and the restoration of the Temple is among the prophesies related to the return of the Jewish people to Jerusalem), without the red heifers the Temple service cannot be reinstated because they are necessary in the ritual purification thats required for all Jews involved.

Regardless of the cause and effect, what is sure is that now theres a possibility, the first time since the year 70 AD, that Temple service can be restored. I tend to be of the school that whenever and however it does happen, its all in Gods hands. This is just a key ingredient needed to make it all happen. A big one. That alone is significant, and a rare glimpse of biblical prophesy in our modern time.

A few dozen Israeli Jews and Christians participated in the heifers arrival ceremony. The excitement was palpable even among the workers on the loading dock who understood the significance of the moment. In addition to my reporting about it, there were a few others present, but strangely no national Israeli media. The story caught on nevertheless, and became a topic generating wide interest.

The red heifer is first mentioned in Numbers 19, Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke. But its been more than just a biblical verse for many. One farmer who raised the cows, guided by Numbers 19, is a devout Christian who was so moved by the opportunity that he gave four of the cows as a gift, just to be part of it.

Today, all Jews are assumed to be ritually impure. While in everyday life in the modern day this status does not have much of a practical effect, this type of impurity prevents one from entering the Temple. Thats not yet a practical consideration, but it could be.

One might think that theres no precedent for non-Jews to be connected, much less actively involved, with the restoration of the red heifers to Israel. However, its not only not unique, but past involvement of non-Jews providing a red heifer was documented in the Talmud.

The story goes that a non-Jew named Dama ben-Netina was visited by people from the Temple, seeking a gem believed that he had and which was necessary for the High Priests ephod (breastplate). When they appealed to him, and despite the offer of a large sum to do so, he refused. His father was sleeping on the key to the box holding the gems when the guests from Jerusalem arrived, and he did not want to disturb his fathers rest. As a reward for honoring his father, a red heifer was born into ben-Netinas herd the following year and he was able to sell it for the equivalent to money he would have earned if he had sold them the gems.

With the red heifers arrival, its worth taking time to review Numbers 19 because the theoretical biblical obligation that had not been practiced for two millennia just got much closer to being practical.

The great 12th century rabbi, Maimonides, held that there were only nine red heifers used through the Second Temple era, and the arrival of the tenth red heifer would only be found and sacrificed when King Messiah was ready to appear. Jews and Christians see different nuance in the red heifer, but the significance is great all the same. The arrival of a possible tenth perfect red heifer as just happened signifies hope for the Messiahs imminent arrival, and the Temples rebuilding.
(JNS)  My name is Tamar Shlezinger. I have a Ph.D. in social work and am a volunteer with United Hatzalah of Israel. Currently, I am taking part in the organizations delegation to Puerto Rico to offer psychological and medical aid in the wake of Hurricane Fiona.

I landed in San Juan, Puerto Rico last Friday morning with my five partners, all United Hatzalah volunteers with a background in psychological treatment and emergency medical aid. After members of the local Jewish community warmly welcomed us at the Chabad house, we started trying to identify the needs of the population. We were connected with Levid Ortiz, director of the aid group PR4PR, who has been spearheading support efforts for many underprivileged communities. He identified communities that had been left out of the larger relief effort, and it was here that we focused our attention.

We drove to a warehouse where humanitarian equipment and food were being packaged for distribution to the population the next day. Distributing food and equipment is not the principal goal of our mission. Rather, it serves as a way to establish a connection with the local population, so we can then assist them with our specific capabilities as members of the Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit, which provides psychological and emotional stabilization to victims.

On Saturday morning, we woke up early and started preparing ourselves for the busy day ahead of us. We didnt really know what to expect. One of the main questions for us was what type of trauma we would be dealing with. Were people mourning relatives or just the destruction of their property? This would determine our approach to treating them.

We were joined by a number of locals who had medical training and wanted to help us. They acted as translators and additional helping hands. We were glad to have the companionship.

When we arrived in the first community, we witnessed the heavy destruction wreaked by the hurricane, which caused the local network of rivers to overflow, destroying thousands of houses. Thankfully, there had been few human casualties.

Speaking to residents, one of the recurring things we heard from them was the cumulative effect of being hit by two major hurricanes within the span of five years. The island had barely started recovering from Hurricane Maria, which brought devastation of even higher magnitude in 2017. Residents had feared a similar scenario, and now they told us that they were overwhelmed by a feeling of uncertainty about the future, as they knew that such catastrophes could easily repeat themselves. Imagine what it is like to rebuild your house for the second time, fearing that it might be destroyed again within the next few years.

In response, we provided the residents with tools to help them manage the emotions they were experiencing. We sat with them and spoke with them at length. We taught them breathing techniques and ways to control their thoughts in order to avoid being overwhelmed by anxiety. We also found that a medical check-up by our EMTs went a long way toward making residents feel looked after and in control of the situation.

One of the encounters that made an impression on me was when I met Norma, an elderly woman. She did not speak English, so I asked her granddaughter to act as an interpreter. She started speaking in Spanish, looking very emotional, and soon she burst out crying, looking submerged by emotion. She continued speaking for a long time while I waited patiently for the translation, convinced that it would be an expansive account of the difficulties she was dealing with. When her granddaughter finally translated, it turned out that this woman, whose body language seemed to reflect enormous pain, was talking about the fact that despite her sadness over her destroyed home, she was incredibly thankful that everyone in her family was healthy. She saw meaning in the fact that her family was able to help others, as her son, an engineer, was taking part in efforts to rebuild houses.

The ability to acknowledge pain and anxiety about the future on the one hand, while continuing to look at things with a broader perspective and see meaning in giving to others, on the other hand, was extremely moving to me. While a lot of work awaits us, Norma gave me hope that we will find the resilience we need within the local population. I look forward to the days ahead and helping more people learn how to cope with the anxiety they are facing in the wake of another storm that has ravaged their homes.

Tamar Shlezinger has a PhD. in social work and is a lecturer of social work studies at Tel Hai University. She has been active with United Hatzalah both as an EMT and as a member of the organizations Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit for the past few years. She lives in Rosh Pina with her husband and four children.
(Israel Hayom via JNS)  It appears that history is about to be made in Italy: Giorgia Meloni, the 45-year-old leader of the national conservative party Fratelli dItalia (Brothers of Italy), who has pledged to fight mass immigration and Islamization and has been very critical of the European Union, became the countrys first female prime minister.

Speaking with Israel Hayom, Meloni lashes out at those who engage in anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric, which is now a common feature in left-wing circles.

Q: Some members of your party come from Benito Mussolinis family. The party has connections to the National Alliancewhich emerged from the Italian Social Movement. What do you say to all those who accuse your party of neo-fascism?

These are ridiculous accusations, coming from a desperate left without arguments. But I dont want to dodge the question, because I know how delicate it can be to your readers. Fratelli dItalia is part of the evolving path of the Italian democratic right and, since its foundation, it has gathered personalities from other center-right parties, from the Catholic and liberal worlds. Those who, like me, pursue that route, have handed fascism over to history for decades now, firmly condemning the loss of democracy, the outrageous anti-Jewish laws and the tragedy of World War II.

Many of us have previously held government roles. I myself was the youngest minister in republican history. We have all sworn the constitutional oath. Everyone knows that we have never been a threat to democracy and obviously we do not become one now, though we are certainly dangerous to the power system of the Italian left, which has been in government for years without winning the elections. The difference between us and them is that I dont spend my days remembering that, just over 30 years ago, many leftists were members of the strongest pro-Soviet party in the West. It is enough for me to list all the damage done by the left-wing governments today, without having to dig into the past.

Q: Have you ever visited Israel? Are you planning to do so soon?

Yes, certainly. I was on an official visit to Israel when I was serving as minister during the last Berlusconi government. It was a very significant mission, with the moving visit to Yad Vashema conscience-shaking experience. I will certainly return to Israel, hopefully soon. It was something I was considering due to my role as president of the European Conservative Party, of which Likud friends are also members. But the war in Ukraine, the political crisis in Israel and then the early elections in Italy as well have changed the agenda. I hope to return there as soon as possible, this time as head of government, to discuss together with the new Israeli government about joint collaborations and strategies, starting with those for the supply of natural gas through the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Q: What is the importance of a Jewish state to you?

Israel represents the only fully-fledged democracy in the broader Middle East and we defend without any reservations its right to exist and live in security. I believe that the existence of the State of Israel is vital and Fratelli dItalia will make every effort to invest in greater cooperation between our countries. After all, this has been the friendly attitude that the Italian center-right has always held towards Israel whenever it has been in government. On the other hand, the left cannot say the same, not traditionally and neither in this election campaign, which has brought to light repeated incidents of left-wing candidates being caught writing anti-Semitic-flavored posts on their social media.

Q: Do you see calls to destroy Israel militarily or through boycotts as a continuation of traditional anti-Semitism?

Yes, and I also think that one of the most common manifestations of antisemitism today is anti-Israel propaganda, which Jews in Europe are most likely to encounter online. Jews in Europe are also subjected to the threat coming not only from far-left and far-right factions, but especially from radicalized Islamic immigrants who feed on resentment with regards to Israel. I recall the recent death of young Jeremy Cohen, who was trying to flee an anti-Semitic attack in the suburbs of Paris when he was killed by a tram. Because the tragedy would have drawn attention to the failure of integration policies, few European media outlets chose to report it. Therefore, as European conservatives and Fratelli dItalia, we strongly support the new European Union strategy against anti-Semitism. Israel is and ought to continue to be a crucial ally of the European Union in the endeavor to eradicate this evil worldwide. We support efforts to increase young students understanding of Jewish history, religion and culture. This will support the elimination of societal prejudices and the full acceptance of Jewish customs in Europe.

Q: Will a government headed by you recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital and move the Italian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem?

This is a very sensitive issue, on which I think the next Italian government, like all those before it, will have to act in synergy with our partners in the European Union.

Q: Italy has close economic relations with Iran. How, in your opinion, should the West prevent Iran from becoming a military nuclear power and how can Italy contribute to it?

Sanctions have had a heavy impact on many Italian companies that had built strong economic ties with Iran. Nevertheless, it is certainly not time for second thoughts unless certain conditions are met. Indeed, we are extremely concerned about Irans role in the region, its ongoing rapprochement with Russia and China, its continued support for Hezbollah, which continues to threaten Israels security, as well as the IAEAs report indicating that there are insufficient effective controls over Irans missile development. Without additional assurances for Israel, which is reasonably anxious about the timing of uranium enrichment required to create the atomic weapon, we believe it will be difficult to revive the 2015 deal. We firmly supported the Abraham Accords as a means of maintaining regional stability and curbing Irans aggressive foreign policy; therefore we believe they should be further implemented.

This is an edited version of an article originally published by Israel Hayom.
(JNS)  A son of Holocaust survivors is demanding an apology from Facebook for blocking ads for his newly-released film Beautiful Blue Eyes.

British filmmaker Joshua Newton said the tech giants move hurt his film, which was released in 143 theaters earlier this month.

When his ads featuring the late actor Roy Scheider were flagged with a message that they violated Facebooks policy against content that includes direct or indirect assertions or implications about a persons race, Newton assumed it was an algorithm error. He grew increasingly frustrated when on an appeal, Facebook upheld the ban in a final decision.

He said the claim that it violated a race policy made no sense, as the phrase blue eyes is in no way racist, nor is it limited to one nationality, and that his film is geared at fighting hatred rather than promoting it.

Only after Rolling Stone released its story on the controversy, Newton believes Facebook was motivated to lift the ban. He learned about the volt-face on Sept. 16 by reading about it in an article on the Ars Technica technology new site.

My view is that someone there has something against the film, Newton told JNS. There are people that dont want the film to succeed. Obviously, [Facebook founder] Mark Zuckerberg is one of us [Jews], but he has 72,000 employees.

Beautiful Blue Eyes stars Scheider in his last role, as chain-smoking retired New York Police Department officer and Holocaust survivor who, while visiting his son in Germany, believes he has run into the Nazi who killed his family a generation earlier. It features performances by Scheider, who plays Joseph; Scott Cohen as Josephs son Ronnie; and Alexander Newton, who plays the young version of Joseph and has a climactic scene with a Nazi who hunts him in the woods.

The film was originally filmed under the name Iron Cross. Newton explained that in 2008, a camera malfunctioned, damaging pivotal footage, but he was able to recover it with AI technology. Scheider died from cancer on Feb. 10 of that year.

I was going to reshoot those scenes. I arranged for the set to be transported to where he lived in the Hamptons, Newton said. As the shipment was arriving in New York, that morning, he died.

Newton said that after Scheiders death, he had to change the film to a version that was non-linear and included many flashbacks. There was no real commercial release of Iron Cross, but it had a showing in a small Los Angeles theater and won a few awards from those who screened it on DVD, including from the Museum of Tolerance.

He said in the last year, new technology enabled him to repair the film and use scenes that had been unusable. He re-edited the film and made numerous changes that match the version that he had in his original screenplay. Beautiful Blue Eyes is very different from Iron Cross, he explained.

The new title of Beautiful Blue Eyes comes from a scene that persuaded Scheider to take the role; three days before he died, the actor asked if the movie title could be changed to that name, Newton said.

The Facebook ban was extremely frustrating because he had no opportunity to reason with a representative of the social media giant, Newton explained.

Facebook is one of the biggest companies in the world, he said. How is it possible you cannot get a person on the phone or customer service? Its crazy.

A spokesman for Facebook, or Meta, as it now calls itself, told Ars Technica, We reviewed the ads and page in question and determined that the enforcement was made in error, so we lifted the restriction.

Newtons father, Bruno, survived the Holocaust as part of the Kindertransport and had a sister who was murdered by the Nazis. Newton said he wondered what his father would do if he met the person who he believed killed his parents; that was the inspiration for the film.

Bruno has since passed away. Newtons mother, Zina, who is still alive, survived by fleeing Antwerp as the Germans invaded by hiding in homes. Zina told him she once hid under a table while bullets flew during a battle between German soldiers and French resistance fighters.

Newton recalled that as a child, he saw his parents watching a BBC documentary that included a scene of corpses of Jews murdered in the Holocaust.

It marked me for all my life, and since then, Ive been asking how such a thing was possible, he said. The rise of anti-Semitism today is horrific, and people dont learn from the past.

His son also had social media ads blocked when he recorded the song that shares the films title. Alexander Newtons song, his first single, has garnered 324,000 hits on YouTube.

The younger Newton told JNS, Its madness that they would ban ads for a movie and a song for a title that is not offensive to anyone. Its a complete shocker.

Joshua said that the film will be available to stream on a new platform called MovieFarm in about a month.

Newton said if Zuckerberg apologized and invited him to a steak dinner, he would meet with the tech tycoon.

Its been quite a long journey to get here, said Newton, adding that he attended a Jewish school growing up. I dont want the Holocaust to be forgotten.
In December 1968 an open house was held to dedicate the new Kinneret Apartments for low-income elderly people. The developing process began in 1960 when the Central Florida Jewish Community Council president, Flossie Gluckman, learned from Ernie Rapp about a program offered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A Jewish senior housing council was formed. Abe Wise found two acres of land on Lake Lucerne. The founders likened it to the Sea of Galilee and named the future apartments Kinneret.

A second building, Kinneret II, was built in 1979. It housed 112 more apartments and a large kitchen, which enabled a Kosher meal program to be provided.

Real estate company Fairstead recently acquired the Kinneret Apartments from Kinneret Inc. - the Kinneret apartments are owned individually as separate entities, and collectively known as Kinneret Inc. Fairstead will preserve the affordability of the property and embark on a substantial renovation to modernize the seniors' homes.

Additionally, the Kinneret Council on Aging will continue to provide services to residents, including the food pantry and exercise programs, and for Jewish residents, the distribution of Kosher holiday meals and hosting celebrations for Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Kinneret Council on Aging also remains committed to serving the broader Orlando community and will continue to provide and expand services throughout the city.

Fairstead plans to invest $18 million to renovate the buildings, which were completed in 1969 and 1979. The rehabilitation will include facade and roof repairs, common area improvements, modern kitchens and bathrooms, new flooring, senior-friendly accessibility improvements, and upgraded building systems. Fairstead will also install energy-efficient appliances, lighting, and plumbing fixtures in every unit, supporting Florida's climate goals. Affordable rents will be preserved at the buildings, with residents continuing to pay no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent.

"Fairstead is excited to continue expanding in Florida and we look forward to preserving this critical, high-quality housing for seniors in Orlando," said Fairstead CEO Jeffrey Goldberg. "The Kinneret Council on Aging has created a wonderful community for seniors to age in place with access to health care services and fun, engaging events. Fairstead is honored to be selected as the steward for this important property, and to continue our work with the Kinneret Council to serve our seniors. In partnership with Regions Bank, we will invest in upgrading these homes, continue its important focus on community, and improve quality of life."

"We are thrilled to have found a buyer that shares our vision for the future of Kinneret Apartments and the Kinneret Council on Aging, and are even happier that we will continue to be involved in the day-to-day lives of the residents and a thriving part of the Orlando community," said Alison Polejes, KCOA Board president. "As the Kinneret Council on Aging looks forward to our future of serving seniors, we see so much opportunity and also so much need. We have plans in place to grow our offerings and will continue to work hand-in-hand with the support of our community, volunteers, and donors to provide affordable services long into the future."

"When we decided to sell Kinneret Apartments, our first priority was to find a buyer that would commit to extending rent affordability and revitalize the physical buildings - continuing to provide affordable housing to the residents was critical. It was also a priority that we find a buyer that understood what this vibrant community means to the residents, their families and the Orlando community," said Rhonda Pearlman, Kinneret Inc. Board President. "Not only have we owned and managed Kinneret Apartments, but we've visited our own family and friends here, been a part of the residents' lives, spent holidays together, and celebrated milestones. When we found Fairstead we knew we found a buyer with a similar vision. Now we are passing the torch to a company that will continue to enhance these residents' lives, and we will continue to be a part of that legacy as we provide services that are so important to leading an active, healthy life."

Regions Bank and Escambia County Housing Finance Authority provided financing for the acquisition.

"We, at Regions Affordable Housing, are thrilled to be a part of this impactful project, Kinneret Apartments, and are honored to work with our longtime partner again, Fairstead," said Mary O'Connor, senior vice president, Affordable Housing at Regions Bank. "Through this collaboration, we can ensure that Kinneret Apartments continues to serve this dynamic senior community with affordability in downtown Orlando. We look forward to seeing the lives of the tenants be improved upon by Fairstead's vision. And here at Regions, we remain committed to affordable housing, helping meet one of the fundamental needs of our society. We congratulate and thank all our partners involved in this innovative project."

"The mission of the Escambia County Housing Finance Authority is to alleviate the shortage of affordable homes available to low- and middle-income families by making capital available for the purchase, construction, and rehabilitation of high-quality housing," said Shirley Henderson, Chair of the Escambia County Housing Finance Authority. "We are proud to serve 21 counties across Florida and to be a partner with the Orange County Housing Finance Authority and Fairstead at the Kinneret Apartments. Our team has enjoyed touring the Kinneret homes, meeting residents, and visiting the beautiful community. We are delighted to be a part of this exciting rehabilitation and revitalization journey."

The 280 homes serve seniors with a maximum yearly income of $32,100 (between 40-60 percent of the area median income). The preservation of existing affordable housing at the Kinneret community and providing services supports the City of Orlando's goals as an AARP Age-Friendly Community. The City's Age-Friendly Initiative Action Plan named addressing housing as a goal: providing appropriately designed, affordable housing options for older adults along with services to help them age in place. The property aims to help the senior population avoid cost burden or displacement throughout rising housing costs throughout the city.

The Orlando Housing Authority administers the Project Based Voucher program at Kinneret I, and Kinneret II is governed under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 8 Housing Assistance program.

Christine DeSouza contributed to this article.
(JTA)  Progressive Jewish leaders have launched a new think tank meant to counter what its founders see as an effort by a few billionaires to flood the Jewish world with conservative ideas.

Emor, the Institute for Bold Jewish Thought, is a project of T'ruah, an advocacy organization of rabbis dedicated to promoting human rights and social justice. In Hebrew, "emor" is a directive meaning "speak."

The think tank will fund research, host events with scholars, and publish essays that draw on Jewish traditions and teachings to influence public discourse and policy around issues such as racism, immigration and LGBTQ rights in the United States. Emor will also provide a forum for scholars and thinkers who are critical of Israel.

"The right has put significant resources over decades into thought leadership," said Rabbi Jill Jacobs, the CEO of T'ruah. "In the Jewish world, we have Tikvah Fund and the Maimonides Fund and others who are investing very heavily in putting out conservative ideas that are cloaked in Jewish language and who are claiming authenticity. Emor is a response to the need for the progressive Jewish world to go really deep into our texts in our traditions and in our history and respond to the biggest questions of our moment."

Ahead of its official launch, Emor dipped its toes in the work of think tanks, linking up scholars for conversations about "democracy, nationalism and human rights in a Jewish state" and helping set up a symposium on democracy and Judaism.

In the spring, Emor plans to publish a single-issue magazine called Freedom that "reclaims the idea of freedom from those who seek to use it in order to compromise the safety, security and rights of others," according to a press release.

Over the past two years, progressive Jewish leaders such as Jacobs have watched with dismay as ideological rivals have rolled out a series of intellectual initiatives that have drawn attention inside and beyond Jewish communities. Last year, for example, saw the launch of Sapir, a journal of ideas edited by conservative commentator Bret Stephens on behalf of the Maimonides Fund. For its part, the Maimonides Fund rejects that it is pushing a conservative agenda, and Stephens has said Sapir seeks to publish a range of views, including those to the left of his own (though drawing a line at anti-Zionism and support for the BDS movement). (Maimonides is a supporter of 70 Faces Media, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency's parent organization.)

Soon after the launch of Sapir, a new group known as Jewish Institute for Liberal Values, organized an open letter to warn of "social justice ideology," as a "pernicious" force that is "antithetical to Judaism."

More recently, the right-wing Tikvah Fund featured Republican politician Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, as the keynote speaker at its Jewish Leadership Conference, where he and other conservatives railed against the left and argued that Judaism is more compatible with conservatism.

Jacobs said that what distinguishes Emor from these conservative initiatives, besides ideology, is how it's being funded. She said that while right-wing ideas are being promoted in the Jewish world by just a relatively small number of ultra-wealthy donors, Emor is collecting smaller donations from a larger number of supporters.

"This broader base of funding reflects that the majority of the Jewish community is not where those conservative publications are and is actually committed to human rights," she said.
Yeshiva University can go through appeals process without changing LGBTQ+ clubs status

(JNS)  Putting aside their differences for the time being, Yeshiva University and the YU Pride Alliance have agreed to a stay of judgment in their ongoing court battle, allowing the university to go through the appeals process without making any changes to the status quo on campus.

The move is the latest action in the case that pits the university against students who want to have an officially recognized LGBTQ+ club on campus.

Yeshiva University claims that as a religious corporation, it is exempt from state rules that provide equal status based on sexual orientation. However, opponents say denying the students equal status violates their constitutional rights under the First Amendment.

In June, the New York State Supreme Court ordered YU to immediately recognize the YU Pride Alliance as it does other school clubs. The university sought a stay of that order and appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court for relief.

After an initial stay was granted by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the full court, in a 5-4 decision, denied Yeshiva Universitys request. It ordered the school to take its appeal back to New York state courts, which YU has since done.

The courts ruling meant that the Pride Alliance club would, at least for now, have had the same rights as other school clubs while the appeals process was ongoing. However, YU suspended all of its school clubs until after this falls Jewish holidays, which run until mid-October.

Under the new agreement in place, when clubs do return, YU will not be required to add the YU Pride Alliance until the appeals process has run its course.

Hanan Eisenman, director of communications at YU, said, Now that Pride Alliance has offered a stay, we have sent their lawyers a signed agreement to stay the trial court order. We look forward to working together to quickly resolve this issue.

Watchdog group gives 7 US colleges and universities a failing grade in new anti-Semitism report

(JNS)  Seven higher education institutions received a failing grade in the watchdog group StopAntisemitisms inaugural Antisemitism on College & University Campuses 2022 report, which grades 25 schools across the nation based on their past and current efforts to counteract anti-Semitism on campus and protect their Jewish students.

StopAntisemitism divided the 25 schools into five categories: Ivy League, liberal arts, state schools and public and private schools with the highest population of Jewish students. The watchdog organization then analyzed and graded each school based on five components: protection of students regarding anti-Semitic incidents, policy, allyship with Jewish students and how students identify publicly or feel the need to hide their Jewish identity on campus.

Using report card-style grading, StopAntisemitism gave seven schools an F and only three schools an A. Brandeis University, Tulane University and the University of Pennsylvania earned the highest grade. The schools that received a failing grade are Yale University, Columbia University, Swarthmore College, City University of New Yorks Brooklyn College, New York University, the University of Southern California and the University of California, Berkeley.

We are seeing pervasive anti-Semitism infecting higher education in America at an alarming rate, said StopAntisemitism executive director Liora Rez. Colleges should be a place where students come to grow, learn, and push forward in life, instead campuses are becoming breeding grounds for Jew-hatred.

Through the Antisemitism on U.S. College & University Campuses 2022 report card system, parents of Jewish students have a chance to see which colleges are not doing enough to protect the welfare of Jewish students, she added. The results are grim and reflect a trend that desperately needs to change.

StopAntisemitism also examined how each of the 25 schools has responded to anti-Semitic incidents by surveying the institutions administrations and separately posing questions to Jewish students. Only three institutions participated in the survey. Hundreds of students took part in the survey, with 55 percent answering yes when asked if they have experienced anti-Semitism at their school. Just 28 percent of students said they believe their school administration takes the matter of anti-Semitism and the protection of Jewish students seriously.

Abbas denounces Israel at UN, ignores Lapids concessionary speech

(JNS)  Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel in the strongest terms before the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Friday, dismissing a concessionary speech made by Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid the day before.

Claiming Israel does not believe in peace and blaming it for intentionally destroying the two-state solution, Abbas accused Israel of a litany of crimes, from killing Palestinians in broad daylight to targeting Christian and Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem (our eternal capital) to preventing Arabs in Jerusalem from voting in Palestinian elections.

He said the P.A. would pursue Israel in international forums, including the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

He added that Israel committed 50 massacres and had established Jewish racist terrorist organizations led by Knesset members, which waged terror against Palestinians.

Abbas also expressed support for martyrs, a Palestinian euphemism for terrorists who have carried out attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.

I would like to pay tribute to the martyrs of the Palestinian people who have led the way to freedom and independence with their blood, he said.

I would like to pay tribute to the brave prisoners who are living martyrs, he added.

Abbas singled out one prisoner, Nasser Abu Hamid, a Palestinian prisoner suffering from cancer, which the P.A. has made a cause celebre.

Abu Hamid confessed in December 2002 to the murder of seven Israelis. He was handed three life sentences and 50 years of additional imprisonment.

Describing him as a hero and a martyr, Abbas admitted that Abu Hamid had committed a crime and then accused Israel of having failed to provide medical treatment for his cancer or of allowing his mother to visit.

It was only toward the end of his speech that Abbas acknowledged remarks by Lapid and U.S. President Joe Biden at the U.N. General Assembly in favor of a two-state solution.

This is, of course, a positive development, he said, adding that the real test would be if Israel returns to the negotiating table tomorrow and stops expanding the settlements and killing and demolishing.

Hamas must choose between violence and rebuilding Gaza

(JNS)  Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas in Gaza, will not be permitted to continue to pursue a double policy of both rebuilding the Strip and orchestrating terrorism in Judea and Samaria, Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) Director Ronen Bar says.

The domestic intelligence chief spoke in an internal agency discussion, Channel 12 reported on Saturday.

His comment appears to be a warning to scale-back Hamass extensive efforts to establish terror cells in Judea and Samaria and supply them with funds and instructions on attacks.

On Sept. 19, the Shin Bet announced that it exposed a terror cell active in Nablus and Hebron, which planned attacks against civilians and security personnel under the command of a Hamas operative in the Gaza Strip.

Seven suspects, all Hamas members, were arrested and Israeli forces seized weapons in the counter-terrorism operation.

Nearly half of Israelis agree Iran nuke sites should be attacked even without US support

(JNS)  Forty-nine percent of all Israelis, and 55 percent of those who are Jewish, strongly or somewhat agree that Israel should attack Iranian nuclear sites even without U.S. support, according to a survey by the Israel Democracy Institute.

The study also found that less than a third of Jewish Israelis (31 percent) want the next government in Jerusalem to advance the two-state solution as a means of resolving the conflict with the Palestinians. A full 36 percent of Israelis, including 58 percent of Jews, do not want this paradigm to be promoted following the Jewish states Nov. 1 elections (11 percent of Jewish Israelis said they were unsure how the next government should proceed).

Regarding the upcoming Jewish New Year, which begins on Sunday at sundown, 29 percent of Israelis believe that next year will be better than the previous one; 30 percent think it will be about the same; 21 percent believe it will be worse; and 20 percent said that they dont know.

The survey of 605 men and women interviewed in Hebrew and 149 in Arabic was conducted on the internet and by telephone between Sept. 18 and Sept. 20, 2022, and has a margin of error of 3.59 at a confidence level of 95 percent.

Iranian president calls to deal decisively with protests

(JNS)  Iran must deal decisively with protests that have engulfed the country for over a week following the death of a woman arrested by Tehrans morality police, President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday.

According to the report, at least 41 people have been killed in a government crackdown on unrest that has erupted throughout the Islamic Republic, with analysts saying the number of deaths is much higher than the official tally.

At least 1,200 people have been arrested, the state-backed Tasmin news agency reported Saturday.

Raisi said that Tehran must deal decisively with those who oppose the countrys security and tranquillity.

The president stressed the necessity to distinguish between protest and disturbing public order and security, and called the events  a riot.

The demonstrations began in northwestern Iran at the funeral of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died after falling into a coma following her detention by morality police who were enforcing rules requiring women to wear a hijab and dress modestly.

The protests are the largest in Iran since one over fuel prices in 2019, when an estimated 1,500 people were killed in a crackdown on demonstrators.

Israel-S. Korea trade deal to go into effect in December

(JNS)  South Koreas National Assembly has ratified a free trade accord with Israel, and it will take effect on December 1.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid welcomed the news on Twitter.

Great news: the first-ever free trade agreement between Israel and a country in Asia has been ratified, said Lapid. This agreement will create new opportunities & help lower the cost of living in both our nations.

Great news: the first-ever free trade agreement between Israel and a country in Asia has been ratified.

Under the agreement, signed in May 2021, there will be mutual reductions in customs charges on goods and measures to facilitate trade in other areas such as services and investment, and mutually agreed-upon standards, reported the Israeli business daily Globes. Among other things, the 7 percent levy on South Korean automobile imports will be eliminated.

More than 95 percent of Israeli exports to South Korea will be duty free.

Trade between the countries was worth approximately $3.5 billion in 2021, up 35 percent from the previous year.

First flight: Israeli-designed electric plane takes off in US

(JNS)  An all-electric prototype airplane, dubbed Alice, took off from the city of Moses Lake in Washington state on Tuesday.

The plane, designed by Israeli and American engineers, climbed to 3,500 feet after making two wide turns around the airfield, and eight minutes later, the jet successfully landed.

Eviation, an Arlington, Washington-based startup, designed and built the plane, which can transport nine passengers and one or two pilots and is powered by slightly more than 21,500 Tesla-style battery cells that together weigh more than 4 tons.

Lewis Carrolls fantastical tales of Alices travels in Wonderland inspired the name of the aircraft.

Whats next is actually producing an airplane for the marketplace, Eviation CEO Greg Davis told The Seattle Times.

Eviation eventually intends to produce three models, all of which will differ significantly from the prototype in terms of design: an executive model with a more opulent cabin, a cargo variant, and a nine-passenger configuration.

US downs Iranian drone

(JNS)  The American militarys Central Command announced on Wednesday that it brought down an Iranian drone near Erbil, in Iraqs Kurdish region, as it threatened U.S. personnel in the area.

At approximately 2:10 PM local time, U.S. forces brought down an Iranian [Qods] Mohajer-6 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle headed in the direction of Erbil as it appeared as a threat to CENTCOM forces in the area, said the statement from CENTCOM spokesperson Col. Joe Buccino.

The Iranian drone attack targeting the base of an Iranian-Kurdish resistance group in northern Iraq killed at least nine persons and wounded 32 others, according to the Kurdish Regional Governments Health Ministry.

No U.S. personnel were injured by the Iranian attack, said Buccino.

U.S. Central Command condemns the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps unprovoked attack in Iraqs Erbil Governorate this morning, said the statement.

Iraqs Foreign Ministry and the Kurdistan Regional Government condemned the attack.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said: We strongly condemn Irans use of ballistic missiles and drone attacks against the Iraqi Kurdistan Region as an unjustified violation of Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Israel to allow 24-hour access at border crossing with Jordan

(JNS)  Israel will open the Allenby Bridge border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan for 24-hour access beginning Oct. 24, roughly one month after U.S. President Joe Biden set the target date during his visit to Israel in July.

We welcome news that Allenby/King Hussein Bridge will be open 24/7 for a pilot period beginning Oct. 24, announced the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs on Wednesday.

We and [the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem] continue to engage the government of Israel to increase efficiency & accessibility to the bridge for the benefit of Palestinians, as [Biden] said in July, the statement added.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides praised the opening for a pilot period, saying the move will make a real difference in peoples lives!

Separately, Nides reiterated the Biden administrations objective to limit settlement growth in Judea and Samaria.

We do not support settlement growth. I made that position quite clear to the government, to all the playersincluding the prime minister, Nides said in Jerusalem, according to The Jerusalem Post.

We will continue working with the Israeli government to limit any settlement growth outside of green line Israel, he added.

Mexican cops raid Lev Tahor compound, remove children

(JNS)  Mexican police raided the jungle compound of Jewish extremist sect Lev Tahor (Pure Heart) and removed minors from the site, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

Two adult members of the group, described by former members as a cult, are under arrest on suspicion of human trafficking and severe sexual offenses, including rape.

Some 80 Mexican law enforcement officials took part in the raid. Twenty-six persons were detained at the compound in Tapachula, in the far southeast state of Chiapas, including citizens of Israel, the United States, Canada and Guatemala. Some will be deported.

A three-year-old boy rescued from the compound arrived in Israel in recent days, where he was reunited with his father, who had previously escaped the sect.

Lev Tahor is known for extremist practices and imposing a strict regime on members, the BBC report said, adding, It advocates child marriage, inflicts harsh punishments for even minor transgressions and requires women and girls as young as three years old to completely cover up with robes.

Dubbed the Jewish Taliban due to a dress code similar to that imposed by the Islamist group ruling Afghanistan, the sect has been the subject of regular media coverage in Israel as well as attempts by former members to draw attention to the suffering of children in the group.

Lev Tahor was founded by anti-Zionist rabbi Shlomo Helbrans in Jerusalem in 1988.
(JNS)  Its impossible not be astonished and humbled by the bravery of the Iranian people. From bus drivers to university teachers, once again a cross-section of Iranian society has taken to the streets of Tehran and other cities in a fresh round of protests against the brutal Islamist regime that has ruled them since 1979.

The immediate trigger for these latest demonstrations was the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, 22. Amini was arrested in Tehran by the regimes so-called Morality Policeuniformed thugs whose job would correctly be understood as engaging in sexual harassment in a western contextfor the crime of wearing her hijab, or headscarf, improperly.

Since the major wave of anti-regime protests in 2009, many Iranian women have consciously pushed the envelope on the Islamic Republics austere, misogynistic dress code, adjusting their hijabs to show strands of hair or applying light makeup to their faces. Since Amini allegedly did something along these lines with her head covering, she was savagely beaten while in police custody, losing consciousness and dying of her injuries on Sept. 16, having spent three days in a coma.

The regimes official explanation is that Aminiby all accounts, a healthy young woman with no pre-existing respiratory or cardiac conditionsdied of a heart attack after suddenly developing a problem. Few people are buying that, of course, least of all Aminis family. In a heartbreaking interview with the BBCs Persian language service, Aminis grieving father, Amjad, accused the regime of telling lies, adding, No matter how much I begged, they wouldnt let me see my daughter.

When Amjad Amini was finally allowed to see Mahsas lifeless body, it had been covered entirely from neck to toe, although he noticed the bruising on her feet. I have no idea what they did to her, he wept, with the unique agony of a bereaved parent.

So far, hundreds of protestors have been wounded and several killed during the demonstrations that erupted in the wake of Aminis death, but as in the past, the regimes methodical violence against its own citizens hasnt yet quelled their spirit. While the regimes President Ebrahim Raisiknown as the Butcher of Tehran for his service to the regimes terrifying post-revolutionary Death Committeeswas attending the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York, during which time he denied the Holocaust in an interview with 60 Minutes and petulantly canceled an interview with CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour because of her refusal to wear a headscarf, back home protestors were chanting Death to Raisi and wishing the same fate on other regime figureheads, such as Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the ailing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his potential successor.

The willingness of the Iranian people to confront the regime has been on display time and again during the last 13 years. Sadly, Western publics, who should really be inspired by such scenes, have tended to look the other way, while our governments have been dutiful about expressing verbal solidarity without doing anything meaningful to help dislodge the ruling mullahs.

There are many reasons for this. On the left, there is a strong sense of colonial guilt, emanating from the 1953 CIA-backed coup against the nationalist prime minister Mohammed Mossadegh, that leaves Western liberals nervous about criticizing domestic repression, even when the victim is a young woman. On both left and right, in recent years there has been a greater acceptance of cultural relativism, with both woke and conservative rationalizations readily available, alongside a broader disillusionment with the idea that liberal democracy should be a universal system.

The hijab, in particular, has proved perplexing. In America and Europe, where Muslim communities often face racism and discrimination, the hijab has virtually become a civil rights symbol, because many Muslim women freely and proudly wear one despite countless cases of physical assaults upon those who do. But in the hands of the Iranian regime, the hijab is a symbol of repression, something imposed on all women regardless of whether they are Muslims or whether they come from the Zoroastrian, Christian, Jewish, Bahai or other religious minorities.

If we accept the principle that it is for Muslim women themselves, and not the state authorities, to decide whether or not they cover their heads, then we cannot fail to be moved by the protests in Iranand particularly the spectacle of women of all ages tearing off their hijabs and waving them defiantly at armed security forces.

The U.S. government has expressed its support for the protests, although President Joe Bidens address to the U.N. General Assembly was disappointingly thin on Iran, saluting the brave women who had taken to the streets, but saying no more. Last Thursday, the U.S. announced sanctions on the Morality Police, citing the killing of Amini, as well as sanctions targeting specific officials who oversee organizations that routinely employ violence to suppress peaceful protesters and members of Iranian civil society, political dissidents, womens rights activists, and members of the Iranian Bahai community, according to a Treasury Department statement.

These are welcome measures, but they will not eject the regime from power in and of themselves. As demonstrated by the example of Venezuela, Irans main ally in the western hemisphere, opposition parties can even get themselves recognized as the legitimate government by foreign nations and still not oust their rulers from their palaces.

Arguably, the most vulnerable area for Irans rulers is their attempt to control the supply and flow of information, denying internet coverage to entire neighborhoods of Tehran and blocking Instagram, one of the more popular apps used by young Iranians. One of the factors behind this decision stems from the regimes unease with the worlds citizens viewing unedited footage of the protests and their corresponding repression on computer screens and cellphones.

The often-eccentric Elon Musk had a sensible suggestion in this regard: To exempt Starlink, which provides satellite internet access, from the tough sanctions already imposed on Iran. Doing so would enable the continued uploading of videos and photos taken by protestors, making the regimes propaganda all the more feeble and laughable. We need to encourage more initiatives like this, so that control of the narrative lies with the protestors, and not those attempting to crush them.

For Jews, there is a natural sympathy with a protest movement seeking to overthrow a regime that denies the Holocaust and advocates for Israels violent destruction. As we celebrate the Rosh Hashanah holiday, munching on apples sweetened with honey in the hope of a good year ahead, perhaps we can also offer a prayer to relieve the salty tears of the Iranian mothers and fathers who have lost their children during these protests. To them, as to all of you reading this, I wish a heartfelt Shana Tovah.

Ben Cohen is a New York City-based journalist and author who writes a weekly column on Jewish and international affairs for JNS.
(JNS)  We stand with Israel.

That is the sign in front of my Conservative synagogue and many other synagogues. What could be less controversial? What could be more fundamental to Jewish identity?

Alas, at too many synagogues, standing with Israel is too much for some. On Rosh Hashanah, my rabbi felt compelled to defend the sign after a congregant complained. He later admitted to me that hes not sure such a sign could be put up in the Bay Area where he previously lived.

Even worse, the problem is no longer surprising.

A year ago, while thousands of Hamas rockets were bombarding Israel, dozens of American non-Orthodox rabbinical students signed a letter criticizing Israels response to the attacks. It could have been written by the PLO. For example, it omitted any mention of Hamas or Israeli civilians.

Its hard to know whether the letter was a result of the quality of the education the students received or just appalling ignorance. The signatories claim, for example, that Israel is engaged in racist violence and their comparison of it to Afrikaner South Africa raise the question of whether they ever read a dictionary.

The letter spoke of a spiritual crisis. Clearly, the students are in the midst of one. Indeed, it appears that they would rather see Israel destroyed than defend itself, because its enemies might be injured. Perhaps the students were depressed by their inability to remake Israel in their image. But the most depressing thing is that these morally conflicted people, with so little compassion or understanding of Israelis, will be future teachers and leaders of Jewish congregations. Together with Israels non-Jewish detractors, they will seek to erode the relationship between Jews and their homeland, and between the United States and its ally.

Its possible that I am naive. Sitting in my synagogue, I thought, In our polarized nation, is there nothing we can all agree on? I looked around at the packed sanctuary with some optimism as Democrats, Republicans and independents, liberals and conservatives, supporters of J Street and AIPAC, more and less observant sat together in harmony. On this one day, at least, we truly were one. We were joined in peoplehood and praying in a common languagethe vernacular of the only Jewish state.

Was it impossible for these people to agree that we stand with Israel, the birthplace of our faith and the homeland of our people?

Our rabbi acknowledged that Israel is flawed. It would be easy to enumerate its imperfections. But what about our nation? The U.S. has not solved its problems in 246 years. Yet some Jews expect Israel, which unlike the U.S. is surrounded by people who wish to destroy it, to create a utopia in less than 75.

I thought back to the Cold War and it occurred to me that people under 40 probably dont remember the Berlin Wall. While the Wall stood, there were fools, many teaching in universitiesand some still doing sowho lauded the virtues of communism. The communism that was so wonderful a wall had to be built to keep people from escaping it. It was hard to find anyone tunneling under the wall to get into East Germany.

I realized that this is analogous to Israel. For all its faults, there is no mass exodus from the Jewish state. On the contrary, people are clamoring to get in. If you believe the student rabbis, the U.N. Human Rights Council and other detractors, Israel is the worst country in the world. Yet thousands of Ukrainians fleeing war and Russian domination are seeking Israeli citizenship. If Israel is exactly like Afrikaner South Africa, please tell me why so many people are flocking to live under such a system.

Ah yes, the detractors say, but its only the privileged white Jews who feel that way. This ignores the hundreds of thousands of non-white Jews who came to Israel fleeing persecution in Muslim countries. Having experienced life in those societies, these Jews reject American liberal suggestions that they should be happy to live under the rule of Palestinian Muslims. They do not dismiss the threat posed by a nuclear Iran and Islamist terrorism in general.

But, of course, those who cant stand with Israel claim that its Palestinians who are treated like black South Africans. But theyre not.

When Israel built its security fence, it was meant to keep terrorists out, not keep its people inunlike the Berlin Wall. And in which direction did Palestinians choose to go? Did they want to be on the side controlled by the Palestinian Authority? No. Most of them wanted to be on the Israeli side of the barrier.

A declining number of Israeli Arabs support a two-state solution, and few would move to a Palestinian state if it were established. Whenever peace negotiators have suggested incorporating the Arab triangle in the Galileewhere most Israeli Arabs liveinto Palestine, the residents have ferociously objected. Polls have found that most Israeli Arabs are proud to be Israelis. When asked how they identify themselves, only 7% said Palestinian, a majority said Arab-Israeli and an even larger percentage said they feel like a real Israeli. According to a Palestinian poll, 93% of Palestinian Arabs in Jerusalem prefer to remain under Israeli rule.

Can you imagine blacks in Afrikaner South Africa expressing such views?

What does all this say about Jews who cant stand with Israel? Who have less regard for the Jewish state than Palestinians and Israeli Arabs?

I stand with Israel. You should too.

Mitchell Bard is a foreign-policy analyst and an authority on U.S.-Israel relations who has written and edited 22 books, including The Arab Lobby, Death to the Infidels: Radical Islams War Against the Jews and After Anatevka: Tevye in Palestine.
In May 2019, Governor DeSantis went to Jerusalem to sign a law that makes religion a protected class with respect to discrimination in public education, equating antisemitism with racism. In signing the bill, protecting students from discrimination based on religion at all grade levels, K through college, Governor DeSantis said antisemitism has no place in our state and our educational institutions will not tolerate discrimination against the Jewish people.  Florida is the most Israel-friendly state in the country and as long as Im Governor, we will continue to stand with the Jewish community.

Governor DeSantis was in Jerusalem with State Rep. Randy Fine, who sponsored the bill being signed.

During that same trip, DeSantis was the first U.S. governor to lead a trade mission to Israels Judea and Samaria, to promote cooperative business with Israelis and Palestinians. In Gush Etzion, an area which Israel lost in its 1948 War of Independence and regained in 1967, he spoke out against Boycott Divestment and Sanctions saying You have people who would be willing to trade with Iran, the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the worldbut they only want to boycott the one Jewish democracy in the worldTo me, that just shows you that antisemitism is driving the [BDS] movement. I dont think you can separate the two. According to the Jerusalem Post, DeSantis didnt use the terms West Bank, settler, or settlements.

In June 2021, DeSantis signed a law allowing free volunteer ambulance services, including faith-based services, such as Hatzalah, to operate. When signing the bill at a synagogue in Bal Harbour he highlighted items in the Florida Leads Budget to support our Jewish community and Israel, including $4 million in security funding for Jewish Day Schools and $1 million in recurring funds for research and development of aerospace and other technology projects, in a cooperative effort between Space Florida and Israel. On that occasion, Governor DeSantis said, Every family in our state should be able to send their children to school and know that they will be protected from harm and able to practice their faithI will continue to make sure that in Florida we root out antisemitism andshow our support for Israel and our Jewish communities.

In July 2021 he put Ben & Jerrys and its parent, Unilever, on a list of companies being examined for boycotting Israel, potentially ending state purchases or investments. When starting the process, he said As a matter of law and principle, the State of Florida does not tolerate discrimination against the State of Israel or the Israeli peopleThese actions affirm the State of Floridas relationship with the State of Israel and our commitment to a swift response to those who discriminate against Israeli people.

Its no wonder that in his first trip to South Florida after being elected, in November 2018, Governor DeSantis visited a Jewish Day school and spoke about the importance of expanding educational options and enhancing security specifically at such schools. Its no wonder that at his 2019 inauguration in Tallahassee there was a group of Chabad rabbis, including some from Central Florida. Governor DeSantis stands out from most of Americas governors in what he has done for Jews and for Israel.

Of course, all Floridians benefitted from Governor DeSantis leadership during the covid pandemic. He guided our state through the crisis with much less disruption than in other large states, less hospitalization, and less loss of business and employment. Under his leadership, we fared far better than might have been expected based on age and health demographics, including the number of elderly residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. He protected our children from harm to their educational and social development by keeping Florida public schools open.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Governor DeSantis prides himself on being the most pro-Israel governor of the most pro-Israel state. Even liberal Jews, who have voted consistently for Democrat candidates through many election cycles, should mark their ballots for Governor DeSantis, a true friend of the Jewish people and of Israel.

Rabbi Sanford (Sandy) Olshansky is a member of the National Leadership Council of the Republican Jewish Coalition.
(JNS)  What do you do if Israels prime minister makes a speech that includes some statements you dont like? If youre the left-wing lobby J Street, you just edit out the parts with which you disagree, thus fooling the public into thinking that the prime minister never said them.

Thats what happened with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapids speech at the United Nations on Sept. 22. J Street loved his line about two states for two peoples and immediately issued a press release welcoming and commending Lapid for using those extremely important words.

But J Street edited out what Lapid said immediately after talking about two states, which was arguably even more important.

Lapid said, We have only one condition: That a future Palestinian state will be a peaceful one. That it will not become another terror base from which to threaten the well-being and the very existence of Israel.

Why is Lapid, like all Israelis, so worried about a Palestinian state becoming a terror base? Because it has already happened. In 1995, Israel gave the Palestinian Authority control over 40 percent of Judea and Samaria, where 98 percent of the Palestinian Arabs live, and 100 percent of Gaza. Those areas immediately became terror bases.

For the past 27 years, Israel has been pleading with the P.A. to fulfill its Oslo obligations to stamp out terrorism. Israel has even helped build up the P.A.s security forces, which are among the largest per capita in the world, to no avail. The P.A.s terror base grows and grows.

The reason that there have been so many recent Israeli counter-terror raids in Jenin, Nablus and other P.A.-controlled cities in recent weeks is because they are filled with terrorists and the P.A. is making no effort to arrest themeven though Oslo requires it to do so.

The P.A. has never outlawed or dismantled terrorist groups. Organizations such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine have never been expelled from the P.A. or its parent body, the PLO. The P.A.s ruling faction, Fatah, openly engages in terrorism via its Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Not one of Israels dozens of requests for the extradition of terrorists from the P.A. has ever been honored.

P.A. schools raise children to glorify and imitate terrorists. The P.A.-controlled news media portrays terrorists as heroes and martyrs. P.A. summer camps train children to become terrorists. The P.A.s pay-to-slay policy directly encourages terrorism through monetary incentives, with the size of payments increasing according to the number of Jews a terrorist manages to murder.

The P.A. regime in Judea and Samaria and the Hamas regime in Gaza are literally terror bases.

After warning about the danger of a sovereign Palestinian state serving as a terror base, Lapid went further. He presented his U.N. audience with a real-life example of how previous Israeli withdrawals have not resulted in peace, but more Arab terrorism.

Look at Gaza, the prime minister said. Israel did everything the world asked of us, including from this very stage. We left. Seventeen years ago, we dismantled the settlements, took apart our military bases. There is not a single Israeli soldier in Gaza. We even left them 3,000 greenhouses so they could start to build an economy for themselves. What did they do in response? In less than a year, Hamas, a murderous terror organization, came to power. They destroyed the greenhouses and replaced them with terrorist training camps and rocket launch sites. Since we left Gaza, over 20,000 rockets and missiles have been fired at Israel. All of them at civilians. All of them at our children.

Lapid added a personal anecdote to illustrate his point. He described how, when Palestinian Arab rockets were exploding near his home last year, he had to wake his autistic daughter at 3 am to rush her to a bomb shelter.

All those who preach about the importance of peace are welcome to try running to a bomb shelter at 3 am with a girl who does not speak, he said. To explain to her, without words, why there are those who want to kill her.

He then pleaded with the terrorists to stop firing rockets and missiles at our children.  Put down your weapons and prove that Hamas and Islamic Jihad are not going to take over the Palestinian state you want to create. Put down your weapons, and there will be peace.

No hint of any of this appeared in J Streets press release about the Lapid speech. Nothing about Lapids terror base warning. Nothing about the rockets fired at Israeli children. Nothing about the real-life consequences of two states. Like the Soviet propagandists of yesteryear, who literally went through their history books and whited out people who were no longer in favor, J Street whited out the truth about what Israels prime minister said at the United Nations. For shame!

Stephen M. Flatow is an attorney and the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in an Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995. He is the author of A Fathers Story: My Fight for Justice Against Iranian Terror.
MBABANE  Frustrated!

This best describes the nurses at the Mbabane Government Hospital, who have resolved to engage in a lunchtime picket over the shortage of drugs and supplies. During the picket, the nurses voiced out their disappointment, following an announcement made by the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi, that they would be destroying expired drugs worth over E3 million, yet the hospital did not have drugs. They picketed around the hospital and also visited the Outpatient Department (OPD), where they informed patients about the status quo. The health workers resolved to picket until Friday, where they would deliver a petition to the Ministry of Health.

Expired

Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) Unit Committee Chairperson at the hospital, Sanele Gwebu, questioned how the drugs could expire while the hospital did not have medication. Gwebu wondered why the Central Medical Stores (CMS) kept drugs for so long until they expired. He said they were tired of watching the ministry destroy drugs while they did not have any medication at the hospital. He said this showed that the drugs were secretly kept for reasons best known to the ministry, while patients suffered. Gwebu said as health employees, they were bothered by patients complaining about the shortage of drugs and supplies.

The chairperson said the most painful part was that the patients were their friends, relatives, parents and themselves. He said with the lack of medication at the facility, which was a referral hospital, by extension they were killing the patients. According to Gwebu, they wanted to put an end to the frustration endured by patients, some of whom travelled long distances for nothing. He said they had engaged the ministry on several occasions on the issue and it seemed they were refusing to listen. Gwebu stated that one of the officials at the ministry told them that they were now used to the protests and pickets, which was an insult to the healthcare workers. Furthermore, he stated that there was security threat at the hospital, following that the company that offered the services downed tools over unpaid salaries for two months. Since Monday, the hospital has not had security.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Unit Committee, Sandile Mlotsa, told patients that the working environment at the hospital was no longer conducive as it was unworkable. Mlotsa stated that drugs and supplies were in shortage and patients would be given prescriptions to purchase the medication at private pharmacies. He said most of the medication was expensive at the private pharmacies and cost between E350 to E500. Mlotsa said they were not amused by the suffering of patients at the hospital caused by poor administration of the ministry.

Challenges

One of the patients questioned the healthcare workers what the managements response was when they were told about the challenges. In response, Mlotsa stated that the ministry failed to provide them with the necessary drugs and supplies, but they were shocked to learn that a large amount had expired and was to be destroyed. Nothing has expired at this hospital but there is a shortage. Mlotsa said there was no diabetes and hypertension medication and the elderly had to purchase it in private pharmacies, yet they did not have money. The patients said the government did not care and love emaSwati but was pushing them to their early death.
Rooted in the concepts of play, imagination and connection and inspired by Burning Man, Caravan Agafay marks the first of four Habitas properties to open in Morocco.

Habitas, the rapidly growing global eco-hospitality group, has officially opened Caravan Agafay, marking the group's first presence in Morocco, and its second on the African continent. Caravan Agafay, an extension of the Habitas family, is rooted in play, imagination, and connection with the natural environment. With existing properties in three continents, Habitas has expanded further into Morocco enabling guests an opportunity to experience the country's diverse terrain with further expansion plans on the coast and the iconic Atlas Mountains.

Located just 45 minutes from downtown Marrakech, Caravan Agafay embraces nomadic Amazigh (Berber) culture and traditions around communal living to create an immersive glamping experience for travellers seeking adventure, discovery, and human connection. Caravan Agafay spans five hectares and features 20 stylish Moroccan canvas wall tents, a gourmet restaurant using locally sourced food products, two swimming pools, a horse stable, outdoor cinema, yoga/wellness centre, and Habitas' signature agora communal gathering spaces.

Caravan Agafay balances elegance with a bohemian aesthetic, a glamping concept that seems reminiscent of a nostalgic sleep-away camp, allowing guests to connect with their inner child. Each tent offers sweeping views across the desert and, in close distance, views of the jagged peaks of the Atlas Mountains and comes equipped with an ensuite bathroom, king sized bed and outdoor Berber lounge seating. Nestled amongst the dunes with sweeping views of the rocky desert and surrounding Atlas Mountains, each tranquil room is inspired by local culture and nature. The tents and lodges feature artisanal interiors and design touches, including furniture and decorative items such as rugs, pottery and cushions sourced from local artisan cooperatives based in the Atlas Mountains and souks in Marrakech. Comfortable bedding, organic bath amenities, complimentary wifi and private outdoor, Berber lounge areas, complete the experience.

The surrounding desert delivers a chromatic panorama of light, shadows, and a palette of colours during the day, and a dark night illuminated by an infinity of stars. The lack of development, noise and light pollution makes Caravan Agafay the perfect escape from busy city life. In keeping with Habitas' programming ethos of experiences centred around exploration and locally inspired rituals, guests can fill their days and nights at Caravan Agafay with Horseback Riding, Camel Trekking, Desert Survival Skills, Intimate Music Experiences, Yoga & Mindfulness. Stargazing is also part of Caravan Agafay's programming for guests and is hosted by an expert guide. By looking through a laser and telescope, guests can admire various constellations and planets, followed by stories and legends of the sky. Additional programming includes visits to local Berber communities supported by Habitas RISE, Habitas' impact arm.

Targeted towards millennials or "experience seekers with a pioneering spirit," Caravan Agafay aims to provide its travellers adventure without boundaries, connecting like-minded explorers on a non-traditional, unforgettable journey. Additionally, for every guest that stays at Caravan Agafay, Habitas will donate $10 (8) to its RISE Fund - the brand's impact initiative to support local communities, create jobs and give back to local environmental and social causes.

Hotel website
In this video from Skift Global Forum 2022, we hear from Jennifer Andre, vice president, business development of Expedia Group Media Solutions, on travelers evolving preferences, the return of international travel, and the importance of inclusivity in advertising.

In this video:

New research: Driven by pent-up demand and a strong U.S. dollar, American consumers are taking big trips again. Travel search volumes are up across the Expedia platform: From Q4 2021 to Q1 2022, global searches increased 25 percent.

Driven by pent-up demand and a strong U.S. dollar, American consumers are taking big trips again. Travel search volumes are up across the Expedia platform: From Q4 2021 to Q1 2022, global searches increased 25 percent. Cities are back: New York City, Paris, and London are among 2022s most popular destinations. Travelers are traveling internationally again, particularly to major cities in Europe. Virtually all Covid testing requirements have been lifted, and travelers are taking revenge trips in response to wanderlust and a strong economy. Long-haul trips were up 50 percent in Q2 2022.

New York City, Paris, and London are among 2022s most popular destinations. Travelers are traveling internationally again, particularly to major cities in Europe. Virtually all Covid testing requirements have been lifted, and travelers are taking revenge trips in response to wanderlust and a strong economy. Long-haul trips were up 50 percent in Q2 2022. Traveler motivations: Consumers want travel offerings that appeal to all types of travelers. The current transitional, post-pandemic period presents a monumental opportunity for the travel industry to support more inclusive, responsible travel.

Consumers want travel offerings that appeal to all types of travelers. The current transitional, post-pandemic period presents a monumental opportunity for the travel industry to support more inclusive, responsible travel. Key takeaways: Travel demand remains strong and steady. Travelers are shopping internationally again, and they want meaningful, inclusive experiences that will connect them with a wide range of people and learning opportunities within a destination.

The current climate of geopolitical turmoil and economic uncertainty is undeniable  but even so, travel demand is stronger than ever. Travelers want more inclusive travel offerings and advertising that reflects a wide range of identities. Travelers are cognizant of whether a travel offering is inclusive or not, and seven in 10 research respondents said they would choose one destination or travel offering over another if they felt it was more inclusive  and would be willing to pay more for it. Seventy-eight percent of respondents said they have made a travel choice based on promotions or ads they felt represented them in messaging and/or visuals.

In this video from Skift Global Forum 2022, Jennifer Andre, vice president, business development of Expedia Group Media Solutions, delves into Expedias recent inclusivity-centered consumer research and provides stellar examples of creative, inclusive destination campaigns for London and Panama. The travel industry must renew their commitment to inclusivity and introduce more accessible offerings which appeal to all types of travelers. In doing so, the sector can seize the opportunity  and accept its responsibility  to create a return to travel that is even better than before.

We are always aiming to share the most up-to-date, actionable insights from our first-party Expedia Group search and booking data as well as our custom research. If you are interested in learning more about the trends we shared at Skift Global Forum, make sure to download our latest Traveler Insights Report and our Inclusive Travel Insights Report.

Download the Inclusive Travel Study.

This article was created collaboratively by Expedia Group Media Solutions and Skifts branded content studio, SkiftX.

*Originally published by Skift in September 2022.

About Expedia Group Media Solutions

Expedia Group Media Solutions is a global travel advertising platform that connects marketers with hundreds of millions of travelers across the Expedia Group brands. With our exclusive access to more than 70 petabytes of Expedia Group traveler search and booking data, we offer advertisers actionable insights, sophisticated targeting, and full-funnel results reporting. Our suite of solutions includes display, sponsored listings, audience extension, co-op campaigns, and custom creative campaigns  all designed to deliver on the objectives of our advertising partners and add value for travel shoppers on our branded sites globally. With a consultative approach and more than 20 years of travel and media experience, we help our advertising partners inspire, engage, and convert travelers for meaningful results. For more information, visit www.advertising.expedia.com.

 2022 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. CST: 2029030-50
IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the worlds leading hospitality companies, today announces the signing of an agreement with LRO Hospitality to add a 306-key Holiday Inn Express to the groups portfolio in Dresden, showcasing the brands suitability to convert and rebrand existing hotels.

The hotel is expected to re-open as part of the IHG family within the next 4-6 months and will undergo full refurbishment to be rebranded to Holiday Inn Express Dresden by the summer of 2024. The 10-floor property will include a lobby with breakfast area, a gym, and a flexible co-working/shared office space located on the first floor.

The hotel signing further strengthens IHGs portfolio of brands in Dresden, which includes Holiday Inn Dresden  Am Zwinger (144 keys), Holiday Inn Dresden  City South (89 keys) and Hotel Indigo Dresden  Wettiner Platz (132 keys).

Commenting on the partnership, (Mrs) Willemijn Geels, Vice President Development Europe at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said, Germany continues to be a key market for IHG, and we are delighted to be partnering with LRO Hospitality on bolstering our choice of hotels in the city of Dresden. This particular signing for Holiday Inn Express underscores the suitability of our brands for conversions of existing hotels.

Henri Wilmes, Chief Investment Officer, LRO Hospitality commented, LRO Hospitality focuses on hotels that offer significant recovery value to achieve attractive returns as the hotel sector returns to market stability. Holiday Inn Express Dresden is our first signing with IHG in Germany and we cannot wait to get started. We are confident that IHG is the right partner to achieve the kind of returns we are planning for.

Building on a long-standing relationship with LRO Hospitality predominantly in the UK market, IHG welcomes the opportunity to expand this partnership further and support the companys entry into the German market. Once open, Holiday Inn Express will be operated by Atlas Hotels, an affiliate of L+R Hotels. Atlas Hotels already operates some 60 select service hotels in the UK, mostly flagged under the Holiday Inn Express brand.

IHG has 91* hotels in Germany, of which 79 belong to the Holiday Inn brand family. The company has 25* hotels in the pipeline in Germany.

IHG at Expo Real 2022

This announcement coincides with Expo Real 2022 in Munich, the largest property and real estate investment trade show in Europe. Find out more about the latest development news and opportunities and meet our team of developers at stand A1.142.

*Numbers as at 30th June 2022

About IHG

IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.

With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Julia Farish

IHG
IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the worlds leading hospitality companies, today announces the signing of a Multi-Development-Agreement (MDA) with Solutions4Hotels GmbH (S4H), a commitment to develop 10 hotels of the Holiday Inn brand family with approximately 800 rooms in Germany. IHG and S4H have also signed Holiday Inn Express Leipzig South as part of the MDA.

The agreement is part of an extensive mixed-used development project in 10 locations which also includes the development of premium service stations and restaurants. Each site will feature a futuristic service station including electric charging, a petrol station with sustainable fuel solutions, a hotel, and a high-quality F&B offer. The building sites are conveniently located along Germanys main motorways, all in close proximity to large cities.

Popular amongst owners, IHGs Holiday Inn brand family was chosen as the ideal hotel concept for this nationwide project. Holiday Inn Express Leipzig South is the second signing within the MDA, following the signing of Holiday Inn Express Hamburg South in 2020.

Holiday Inn Express Leipzig South  an example of sustainable construction

As part of a modern and future-proof development concept, Holiday Inn Express Leipzig South will have a strong focus on sustainability which is already deeply ingrained in the construction plans of the building. All rooms are planned as a wooden modular built, and the hotel will run on geothermal heating and feature solar panels for energy production which will be fed back into the hotels circuit system.

The hotel is planned with 79 rooms and is expected to open towards the end of 2023. It will feature a modern breakfast area with complimentary breakfast, 24-hour reception, free WIFI, and a marketplace with snacks, drinks and other non-food items. Guest can also make use of a communal co-working space located within the building.

Holiday Inn Express Hamburg South

The Holiday Inn Express Hamburg South signing in 2020 was the first signing with S4H, a new Franchise partner for IHG. The hotel will offer 80 rooms and guest can expect the same facilities and amenities  complimentary breakfast, free WIFI, 24-hour reception, marketplace  as at its new sister hotel in Leipzig. Already in construction, the hotel is expected to open by summer 2023.

(Mrs) Willemijn Geels, VP Development Europe at IHG Hotels & Resorts, commented, This is an exciting project for us, especially if we consider the sustainability aspect. At IHG Hotels & Resorts, we are committed to help shape the future of responsible travel together with those who stay, work and partner with us. This commitment as part of our 10-year responsible business plan, Journey to Tomorrow, also extends to the way we build new hotels, and the Holiday Inn Express Leipzig South is a great example of sustainable construction. We know that S4H and their development partner share this passion, and we look forward to working together on the many new projects that are yet to come.

(Mr) Rainer Werdel, Managing Director at Solutions4Hotels GmbH added, We are delighted that we could win IHG Hotels & Resorts as hotel partner for this project. The idea to expand our partnership to 10 locations in Germany was born following the signing of Holiday Inn Express Hamburg South. We believe that with IHGs market expertise, international name recognition and a shared commitment to responsible travel, we can set ourselves up for long-term success.

IHG has 91* hotels in Germany, of which 79 belong to the Holiday Inn brand family. The company has 25* hotels in the pipeline in Germany.

IHG at Expo Real 2022

This announcement was signed today at Expo Real 2022 in Munich, the largest property and real estate investment trade show in Europe. Find out more about the latest development news and opportunities and meet our team of developers at stand A1.142.

*Numbers as at 30th June 2022

About IHG

IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.

With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Amelie Mayer-Quien

+49 (0) 69 2740 1450

IHG
Alexandria, VA  The last quarter of a calendar year can typically be busy and productive for global business travel and travelers. But in a time when so much isnt back to being typical, where does the recovery of global business travel stand now? The October 2022 Business Travel Recovery Poll released today by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the worlds premier association serving the business travel industry, unveils the latest insights and sentiments from a survey of almost 600 business travel buyers, suppliers, and other stakeholders around the world. This survey marks the 29th poll in the GBTA series since the pandemic began to understand the path forward as the industry navigates recovery.

We continue to see progress as business travel makes its way back to being a $1.4 trillion global industry, pre-pandemic. It is also important to understand the context of global business travels recovery. Asia is still opening its borders, international business travel in general started picking up only earlier this year across the globe, and the U.S. has only permitted unrestricted travel since June, said Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA. Even as this latest poll shows economic considerations have eclipsed COVID-19 concerns, the industry is showing positive indicators and sentiment for 2023, a strong sign as business travel continues to come back over time, she said.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the October GBTA Business Travel Recovery Poll:

Business travel volume continues to rebound when tracking recovery to 2019 pre-pandemic levels . On average, travel managers estimate their companys domestic business travel volume is back to 63% and international business travel is back to 50% of their 2019 pre-pandemic levels. In addition, 26% of respondents estimate their international business travel volume has recovered to more than 70% of their companys pre-pandemic levels.

. Economic considerations have eclipsed COVID concerns for the industry, b ut a majority of companies are not limiting their business travel specifically due to economic concerns. When asked to choose among factors that are more likely to limit business travel next year, 80% of travel suppliers say economic conditions while only 4% cited COVID-19. However, 75% of travel buyers surveyed say their company had no immediate plans to limit business travel because of economic concerns. One-third (30%) say their company is unlikely to limit business travel, while 45% say they are taking a wait-and-see approach but are not seriously considering limiting business travel at this point due to economic concerns.

Domestic travel recovery remains leads in terms of recovery, but international travel is closing the gap . Currently, 86% of survey respondents say non-essential domestic business travel is sometimes or usually allowed at their company. Additionally, 74% say the same for non-essential international business travel.

. By far, business travel respondents expect more recovery and growth for 2023 compared to this year. Over three-fourths (78%) of travel managers expect the number of business trips taken by employees at their company will be higher or much higher in 2023 versus 2022. Among travel suppliers, 85% expect the number of bookings by corporate clients will be higher or much higher in 2023. Additionally, 80% of suppliers expect travel spendin g by corporate clients will be higher or much higher in 2023 year over year. Over 65% of travel managers are optimistic that their company will conduct more internal travel and external travel . Internal travel was defined as meetings with colleagues or working at other company office locations, while external travel examples are trips for sales meetings and conference travel.



GBTA also continues to follow how evolving developments related to the future of work and changing workforces might play out in the global business travel landscape.

The industry does not expect new ways of working to significantly impact business travel. The industry is embracing remote work models (88%), as 68% of respondents say their company has a hybrid approach where employees are expected to report to the office on some days and 20% indicate their company is working full-time remote. An additional 12% say they are full-time in-office. Of those with a hybrid or full-time remote work policy, 72% of respondents do not expect flexibility to work from home will impact the number of business trips taken by their employees. Additionally, 14% expect it will lead to more business travel while an identical percent expect it will lead to less business travel.

How companies are approaching employee remote work and blended / bleisure travel. For companies that allow hybrid or fully remote work, 44% say employees are allowed to work for extended periods outside of the city, state, or province where they are typically based. This also includes 22% that even allow employees to work for an extended period outside of their home-base country. Some companies even reimburse employees for costs or expenses while working remotely  27% of respondents say their company does reimburse, while most do not (42%) or leave it to the managers discretion (25%). Many travel managers report they are seeing a rise in the desire for blended or bleisure travel among employees. Two in five travel managers (41%) have seen an increase in employees asking for blended travel, whereby they combine a business trip with a vacation or leisure component.



Methodology

GBTA conducted this poll among its members and other business travel industry professionals including travel buyers and travel suppliers across the globe from September 20-26, 2022. A total of 594 responses were received.

Read the complete October 2022 GBTA Business Travel Recovery Poll results and key highlights, as well as the full series of GBTA recovery polls.

About the Global Business Travel Association

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world's largest business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with operations across six continents. GBTA's members manage more than $345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA delivers world-class education, events, research, advocacy and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. To learn how business travel drives lasting business growth, visit www.gbta.org and follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

Debbie Iannaci

GBTA Global Communications, PR & Research

+1 305 301 7057

GBTA
CHICAGO - First Hospitality, national hotel operations and development company, assumed management and operations of Hampton Inn & Suites Kenosha, Homewood Suites by Hilton Milwaukee Downtown, and Candlewood Suites Kenosha. Totaling 277 keys, the three Wisconsin properties are owned by Kenosha-based Bear Real Estate Group.

First Hospitalitys partnership with Bear Real Estate Group in Wisconsin is both exciting and mutually rewarding, said David Duncan, president and CEO of First Hospitality. Our approach to strategic cluster selling and revenue management will maximize profitability for these properties, which are an ideal complement to our growing portfolio and branded roster. We look forward to this first step towards growing a long-term relationship with Bear Real Estate Group.

With 94 guest rooms, Homewood Suites by Hilton Milwaukee Downtown is located in the Historic Third Ward, in the heart of the city, near lakefront, shopping, restaurants, and nightlife. The property offers one meeting room, 589 square feet of event space, a fitness center, swimming pool, and complimentary WiFi and breakfast.

To the south and located conveniently between Chicago and Milwaukee, the Hampton Inn & Suites Kenosha features 93 guest rooms, two meeting rooms, 938 square feet of event space, an indoor saltwater pool, and complimentary WiFi, parking, and breakfast. Finally, Candlewood Suites Kenosha features 90 suites with fully equipped kitchens, complimentary guest laundry and a 24/7 fitness center.

For more information about First Hospitality or its portfolio of hotels, please visit: firsthospitality.com.

About First Hospitality

First Hospitality is a nationally recognized hospitality development and third-party operating company. The company operates a large, multi-branded, and independent portfolio of properties throughout the United States. First Hospitality, founded in 1985, credits its success to its people-focused culture, which delivers outstanding guest experiences, high associate engagement, and superior financial performance. Recognized as industry leaders and sought after by investors and guests alike, the company ranks among top management companies and operates acclaimed hotels and restaurants, including numerous AAA Four Diamond properties. First Hospitality redefines industry standards; its vertically integrated platform provides immersive hotel and food and beverage experiences and world-class investment, development, and third-party operations services. For more information, visit www.firsthospitality.com.
Interstate Hotels & Resorts  the international division of Aimbridge Hospitality  has today launched a new corporate identity, debuting an Aimbridge global identity as the Aimbridge EMEA division, setting the foundations for future growth beyond the UK and Europe.

The existing Interstate Hotels & Resorts portfolio, which has operated as Aimbridge Hospitalitys international division since 2019, comprises of 114 properties across the UK and Europe and includes brands such as Marriott, Hilton, IHG and Accor, as well as independent hotels.

The portfolio will now form Aimbridges EMEA division, headed up by David J. Anderson, who joined the company in November 2021.

The move follows Aimbridge Hospitalitys creation of six new operational divisions earlier this year, focusing on vertical operations and geographic divisions to bolster international growth.

David J. Anderson, Divisional President  EMEA, at Aimbridge Hospitality, said: Were thrilled to be launching our new corporate identity, from Interstate Hotels & Resorts to the global Aimbridge Hospitality."

We know the Interstate name is well-known and much-loved here in the UK and Europe, and the people-focused approach that has played such an important part in our growth will of course remain."

However, the move asserts our divisions presence in the UK, Europe and beyond. It sets a strong foundation for future growth and attracting the best talent, while giving our hotel owners added value, combining our in-market expertise and operations specialties across all hotel categories, with the scale of a global company that has multi-brand experience and influence."

Under one identity we can take Interstates position and experience as a leading third-party operating division in the UK, Ireland and Europe, and capitalize further on Aimbridges strong industry and brand relationships."

We can further optimize hotel performance and unlock more opportunities across EMEA, driving results with best-in-class proprietary technology that allows us to adapt to owners distinct needs.

Mark Tamis, President, Global Operations at Aimbridge Hospitality, said: This is an exciting time for Aimbridge and our UK, Ireland, and European teams as we introduce the Aimbridge identity throughout EMEA."

It signals the natural evolution of two of the leading third-party management companies in the world coming together and a move into a new way of working. The team is thinking differently, with a vertical focus that will benefit owners through reinforced and strengthened services, along with the curation of top talent, training and recruitment, best-in-class supplier agreements, and unparalleled partnerships with industry brands.

Aimbridge welcomed Tamis to his role of President, Global Operations, in May 2022, continuing its commitment to investing in people and programs to deliver operational excellence.

The Aimbridge Hospitality portfolio, inclusive of Interstates managed and pipeline properties, now exceeds 1,500 hotels globally.

About Aimbridge Hospitality EMEA

Aimbridge Hospitality EMEA is a division of Aimbridge Hospitality, a leading U.S.-based global hotel management company. Thousands of hotel owners, developers, and guests have discovered the Aimbridge difference in our portfolio of hotels in the UK, Ireland and Europe, alongside the global 1,500-property portfolio managed by our U.S. based division.

Backed by more than 50 years of global experience, Aimbridge is a true leader in the hospitality industry. Originally founded in the U.S., we've since expanded internationally and are recognised as a leading third-party hotel management company. Throughout our growth, we've forged partnerships with major brands in the industry and they rely on our proven operational expertise and exceptional financial performance.

For further information about Aimbridge Hospitality EMEA, visit: www.AimbridgeEMEA.com.
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of States low prioritization of visitor visa (B-1/B-2) processing is severely hindering the U.S. economic recovery, keeping an estimated 6.6 million potential visitors from traveling to the United States in 2023 at a loss of $11.6 billion in projected spending, according to new analysis released today by U.S. Travel Association economists.

Outrageous wait times send a message to travelers that the United States is closed for business, said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman. Unacceptable visa delays are harming the American workforce and it is long past time for the Biden administration to solve the problem.

Wait times for visitor visa interviews now exceed 400 days for first-time applicants from top source marketsan immense deterrent that is undercutting Americas global competitivenesssending millions of potential visitors and billions in traveler spending to other nations.

The U.S. Department of Commerces newly released National Travel and Tourism Strategy identifies inbound travel as an economic priority and sets a national goal of welcoming 90 million international visitors by 2027. The State Departments lack of urgency on this issue is in direct conflict with the Commerce Departments objectives.

Excessive visa delays are essentially a travel banno one is going to wait 1-2 years to interview with a U.S. government official to gain permission to visit the United States, Freeman added. Our new research shows that millions of potential visitors will simply choose other destinationsdestinations that effectively compete for their business.

While the U.S. Department of State has made progress in processing other visa categoriessuch as H-2B and student visasfirst-time applicants for visitor visas are neglected by the agency. It is in the United States economic interest for the State Department to accelerate interviews as these visitors account for a significant portion of U.S. travel exports. Spending losses from just three top marketsBrazil, India and Mexicocould total more than $5 billion in 2023.

New Survey: Millions Will Choose Other Countries

A new Morning Consult survey conducted of likely international travelers in Brazil, India and Mexico (who do not already have a valid U.S. visa) found strong interest in visiting the United States, but the majority said they would likely choose another country to visit if wait times for visa interviews exceeded a year (61% of Brazilians, 66% of Indians and 71% of Mexicans).

In Brazil, India and Mexico alone, the U.S. is losing the ability to compete for:

Brazil: 3.6 million visitors and $15.6 billion in spending

India: 3.5 million visitors and $13.3 billion in spending

Mexico: 7.1 million visitors and $4.1 billion in spending

The U.S. Travel Association has called on the State Department to make first-time visitor visa processing an economic priority and has shared several policy recommendations with the agency to help resolve this problem. The associations urgent calls for a solution were echoed by more than 60 bipartisan members of Congress in a recent letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

With a recession looming on the horizon, the United States simply cannot afford to turn away billions of dollars in visitor spending, said Freeman. The Obama administration effectively addressed a similar problem and we call on the Biden administration to do the same.

About U.S. Travel Association

U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry. Travelers in the United States are estimated to spend $1.1 trillion in 2022 (still 10% below 2019 levels). U.S. Travel advocates for policies to accelerate an even recovery across the travel industry and restore economic and job growth for this essential contributor to our nation's success. Visit ustravel.org for information and recovery-related data.
For as long as most hoteliers can remember, RevPAR has widely been accepted as the most critical hotel performance KPI. Taking both occupancy and average rate into consideration, RevPAR indicates how successful the hotel has been filling its perishable inventory AND the overall caliber of business that it was able to fill it with. Back then, more RevPAR simply meant more profit. Since then, the distribution ecosystem has become very complex, with every channel having its own distinct pricing and commission structure. Distribution costs have become a crucial variable in the profitability of every pricing decision. The result is that even if the guests are all paying the same price, not all reservations are created equally. How are hotels tracking results to capture this additional data? It's one thing to track it, but how can Revenue Managers incorporate this vital component into the strategic process? For those who are successful, does the incremental profit justify the extra work? This World Panel Viewpoint is sponsored by IDeaS a SAS company

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Managing revenue has been our focus for a long time, ensuring optimal pricing strategies are offered to different types of customers, and that demand at the right price positively impacts room revenues. Total revenue focus was the next step. As we started looking at all revenue streams, we realized you couldn't assume equal value from them all. Therefore, the need to assess revenue  and the relative cost and margins  will leads us to maximize profit. To measure the evolution of maximizing profit, we need to first consider the development or improvements in the following areas independently, and then cohesively, as alignment is critical to ensure success. People - Knowledge and understanding of what drives profit and how it can be managed. For example, all employees must understand how the value of a customer is calculated and why. There must be strong knowledge of how to influence and impact the factors for profitability and an alignment on key metrics (KPIs.) Process - Profit-based decisions and management, such as processes across disciplines, needs to be updated to reflect the organizations priority on customers who cost the least and spend the most. Then, adopt a strategy to monitor the adoption level of those new processes. Tools - Technology must be integrated as part of the day-to-day operations. There needs to be a level of support to evaluate, forecast, and recommend the most valuable customers. Ensure the data feed, quality controls, and level of detail are consistent and available. Each section's milestones and success metrics must be determined with a score and/or level indicator. Then the overall alignment of the three areas can be measured. Maximizing profits is not only about installing new technology or a couple of new metrics. It's also about changing the organizations vision, strategies, objectives, and culture.

Silvia Cantarella Revenue Management Expert and founder at Revenue Acrobats

It is time to acknowledge that RevPAR is just one piece of the puzzle that must be analyzed within a broader context. RevPAR is a topline KPI meant to measure the revenue generated per available room. But in order to track it correctly, a common line should be established, for instance in the way we record net or merchant rates vs gross rates: even though the guests are paying the same price, the margins we record are obviously different. That is why the NetRevPAR is probably the most reliable and significant KPI as it is clean from any distribution costs and it provides the true profit of the reservations we acquire and the effectiveness of our commercial strategy. Given the raising distribution costs and the complexity of distribution itself, we cannot neglect the importance of profit estimation when working on the optimal channel mix. Profitability is not just about the cost of commissions but also the discounts that are part of the sales strategy for any given channel (eg. fidelity programs, opaque discounts, promotions, and so on). These activities impact the overall RevPAR and profit generated and should be analyzed separately: the same exact promotion will indeed have a different financial impact when it comes from our own direct website vs an OTA. This is not just about the commission though, but when working on the channel mix optimization for profitability we must consider other critical elements such as the length of stay, booking window, and extra spend per channel that might also cause potential revenue displacement or missed incremental revenue for other more profitable channels. The key is not to remain stuck in a KPI only but always look at the big picture and keep the channel mix optimization process as an ongoing activity as the RevPAR and Profit goals might change and should be adapted to the market demand and the property profitability goals.

Max Starkov Adjunct Professor NYU Tisch Center for Hospitality and Hospitality & Online Travel Tech Consultant

In my view, RevPAR (calculated by dividing total room revenue by the total number of rooms available in the period being measured) is a very simplistic benchmark that does not capture the complexities and intricacies of today's hotel business. Even if revenue managers take into consideration the cost of distribution in their pricing decisions, there will be a lot of revenue opportunities and streams that will be left unaccounted for. I am a firm believer that a hotel is more than a place for providing temporary sleeping quarters. In the post-pandemic era, it is time to analyze, identify, diversify and maximize the revenue opportunities and adopt a total revenue management strategy and culture at the property. To begin with, in addition to the "classic" room revenue, any hotel has numerous untapped, quite often significant revenue opportunities from: Core "hotel" ancillary products

"Non-hotel" ancillary revenues

Underutilized hotel spaces

Airbnb-type of hotel offerings RevPAR simply cannot account for these important revenue streams. Therefore, I believe TRevPAR or total revenue per available room is far superior and more accurate KPI, measuring how effectively all hotel spaces are being used for revenue generating purposes. TRevPAR is calculated by dividing the total amount of revenue generated by the property by the number of available rooms, regardless of whether rooms are sold. Generating non-room and ancillary revenues requires a) the implementation of merchandizing strategy and culture at the property/hotel company, b) incentivizing and training your staff, including your revenue management team, and c) adopting technology solutions to automate as many of the internal processes as possible. Let's review some of the non-room revenue opportunities smart hoteliers utilize to diversify their revenue, opportunities all revenue managers should include in their pricing decisions. Non-Core Ancillary Revenues In addition to the core hotel ancillary products like room upsells and upgrades, including from the new Hilton-type room self-selection capability, many hoteliers generate significant revenues from Non-Core Hotel Ancillary Products and here are just a few of them: Sale of guest stay-enhancing ancillary products like champagne for special occasions, romantic stay decorations, chocolate covered strawberries, ice cream, bouquet of flowers, breakfast in bed, etc.

Sale of city passes and tickets to local museums, theme parks, sporting events, concerts and performances, art exhibitions and other attractions, as well as sightseeing tours to places of interest. Better off, selling hotel packages including these local attractions and activities would not only "hide" the room price, but will allow the hotel to sell on value vs sell on rate alone. Maximizing the Utilization of Hotel Spaces During and post-pandemic, many hoteliers discovered significant revenue generation opportunities from their underutilized hotel spaces: Creating co-working spaces: Similar to Roger Smith Hotel's KettleSpace Flexible Workspaces, create work-from-hotel spaces for out-of-towners, digital nomads and local entrepreneurs who do not want to be tied down by office leases. Create Room and Office daily, weekly and monthly packages and promotions, including WiFi, coffee, bottled water, snacks and catered lunch.

Creating F&B revenue opportunities in empty and underutilized spaces by installing vending machines, pizza or burger robots. These robots can provide tremendous revenue opportunities for budget, economy and midscale properties without F&B or replace struggling restaurants at upper midscale and other 3- and 4-star properties.

Vending Machines: We will be witnessing a real resurrection of the vending machine serving breakfast, snacks, hot and cold drinks, naturally in a much more sophisticated reiteration. Marriott is already testing giant vending machines it calls "grab-and-go marketplaces" that can dispense everything from coffee to breakfast sandwiches and cereal.

Creator, San Francisco's automated burger restaurant, features a 14-foot burger machine with more than 350 sensors that is capable of making 130 premium quality custom burgers an hour, plus a window for takeout orders.

Piestro, an innovative robotic pizza shop, can deliver high-quality artisanal pizzas within 3 minutes. Their fully-automated machines are being designed with the aim of allowing for zero contact food preparation, zero food waste, consistent quality, and a much lower cost of operation.

Utilizing unused conference/function space: With the corporate group and netting's markets ramping up at a slower pace than leisure travel, utilize unused function spaces to offer yoga classes, wellness programs, cooking classes, new book readings and author signing events, neighborhood craft shows, etc. Creating "Airbnb-type" of hotel product and revenue opportunities Let's face it, there is a real "booking war" going on between hotels and Airbnb and short-term rentals in general for every guest and every room night. To sway the travel consumers away from Airbnb, many hoteliers focus on and promote features and amenities that short-term rental properties lack. Here is a simple and inexpensive action plan used by some hoteliers to present their unique value proposition to the traveling public. Start by monitoring closely Airbnb's, Vrbo's and other vacation rental properties in your market. Research and identify the short-term rental properties in your neighborhood, and what are their typical amenities and features. Your revenue managers should ask your BI rate shopping tech vendor to add short-term rentals to the set of competitors your are monitoring on a daily basis.

Identify your property's value proposition and create a list of all of your property's amenities, services and attributes that, in your view, are better than the average vacation rental in your area. Then review and update the property descriptions on the hotel website, social media profiles, CRS and WBE descriptions, directory listings, Google Business Profile, and promotional materials.

Create a short-term rental type of a hotel product: Introduce weekly and monthly rates for suites with kitchenettes, adjacent rooms to appeal to family travelers; rooms with use of a community kitchen, washers and dryers, digital nomad-type of packages and promotions, etc.

How many hotels offer rates for extended stays or family stays which are favored by travel consumers in the current environment? Remember, a weekly rate is NOT a daily rate multiplied by seven. A monthly rate is NOT a nightly rate multiplied by 30! Make sure that your CRS, WBE (Website Booking Engine) and Channel Manager can support weekly and monthly rates and fire them if they can't.

Make sure to educate your staff about the key advantages your property has over the short-term rentals in the area: from better location to no cleaning fees to better cleanliness protocols, luggage storage and really high-speed Wi-Fi and free breakfast. The moral of the story? Hire and train a) employees who do not think that diversifying your property revenue is too much work and b) revenue managers that are able and willing to include your property's diverse revenue streams in their pricing decisions, and you take it from there.

Profitability and Flow through are a tricky component especially because we talk profitability but in reality look at a small fraction of it only as far as revenue management is concerned...if it is looked at at all. Many talk about profitability and really just talk about commissions paid, not incorporating staff cost, tech stack cost, etc. so its really just about "channel profitability". We need to be careful as an industry not to pile on more onto a department that struggles with its current set up. We are going full swing where it was hailed as the department to take over only to be asked again if it is really just a small section of Sales and Marketing. A tip for hoteliers: the work at present would outstrip the benefits. Low hanging fruits and glaring obvious loss leaders are not the issues. When you however go into more details you can guide yourself by asking this three questions: 1. Did I know I am going to fill? If yes, look at business mix as there is room for improvement. If no, ask Q2 2. I know I wouldnt fill. Did this reservation make me money? If no, stop them, if yes move to Q3 3. Would this reservation have come without my action? e.g. different channel, at a higher rate.

Ira Vouk Hospitality Technology and Revenue Management consultant

Back in 2014, I published an article "Things you didn't know about RevPAR (or: ARPAR as a better performance indicator" where I described the new index for profit tracking and profit maximization I had developed: Adjusted RevPAR (ARPAR), which also made its way to wikipedia and has been adopted by hospitality companies across the globe. The simplest way to express the ARPAR is the following: ARPAR = (ADR  Var costs per occ room + Add. rev per occ room)  Occupancy RevPAR doesn't really give us any information about the real profitability, while ARPAR is a clear reflection of the "bottom line profit". It can be calculated fairly easily, as soon as you measure your average variable expenses (per occupied room) based on historical accounting data as well as average additional income (per occupied room) from other revenue-generating departments (if any). These values can then be considered constant and be used for any future calculations (recalculation is needed only after dramatic changes at the property that significantly affect variable costs or additional revenues). Concentration on maximizing only RevPAR can lead to significant revenue losses. But if you set ARPAR maximization as your main goal  this tactic will lead to an increase in the bottom line profit and not to (often seeming) increase of the hotel's productivity through revenue growth, while final profit can be drastically decreasing. RevPAR growth does not always equal Profit growth (as in the example of high occupancy and low ADR, which involves higher expenses). But at the same time, ARPAR growth will always involve growth in your RevPAR index, which will reflect in your STAR report. Thus, ARPAR is the index that has to be used as the goal for profit maximization, because it reflects the bottom line, the profit, which a Revenue Manager is directly responsible for.

Pablo Torres Hotel Consultant & Trainer

As many have been saying for some time, revenue managers should now be called Profit Managers. For too long, the only focus was to generate more revenue, regardless of the cost of acquisition. That lead to many hoteliers and revenue managers relaxing and relaying purely on wholesalers and OTAs to fill the inventory....at a high price. When they realized the direct channel was to be taken care of too, it was too late for many. And it's not about demonizing the third party and going all solo, it's about being clinical when it comes to the that Cost of Acquisition, and calculating when it's more profitable to run it by myself, and on which markets or segments I'm better off relaying on a supplier. Now, and especially since the pandemic, most Hotels try to focus on the direct channel to maximize profit, although we have to be realistic, it's not free as many used to consider it. You need to hire and train a team, invest on marketing, campaigns, actions, presence on media, attend workshops and fairs, advertise... all that costs. A lot. It's time to be pragmatic and focus on what we can do best, and let suppliers, providers and certain OTAs and agencies do their share too, trying to find that challenging balance where everyone wins.

I am happy to see this topic gaining momentum. Profit optimization in today's environment is key to your entity's success. Revenue optimization will continue to evolve and grow in sophistication as the practice matures, as the distribution landscape changes around it, and as new technologies emerge to support and disrupt hotels' strategies. The scientific aspects of the discipline will continue to evolve with a heavy emphasis on data-driven pricing, channel management, and decision-making. In my Revenue Essentials class, we go through an exercise of looking at a hotel that emphasizes occupancy more while perhaps leaving too much rate on the table. When we switch the strategy for the subject hotel to more emphasis on driving a more profitable mix of business and overall rate the hotel actually loses RevPAR index, driven by a loss in occupancy, but overall profitability goes up. For many who have been conditioned by driving RevPAR index for so long, this is an eye-opening experience for them. A good solution to this dilemma is for the hotel to develop a balanced scorecard that takes into account KPIs that are aligned with the overall objective of the hotel asset. Each one will look different depending on the goals and objectives for your hotel asset. Each department in the hotel should understand the overall objective of the asset and then develop its own KPIs that will support the overall objective. In the revenue-producing departments, they should also take into consideration channel costs, acquisition costs, and production goals based on nights when business is needed.

Simone Puorto Founder | CEO | Futurist

Back in the (old) days, when I was a GM, Net RevPAR (room revenue minus commissions, transaction fees, loyalty expenses, etc.) was the only metric I used to monitor. I was literally obsessed with it. If you had asked me the same question ten years ago, therefore, I could have answered very differently. However, over the last decade, cost-per-acquisition increased on virtually every distribution channel, including direct. The acquisition cost gap between platforms was way more prominent in the mid-2000s. For example, a recent study analyzed thousands of hotels in Europe and highlighted how advertising on brand.com can be as expensive as 25% (and the figure does not include special rates, extra perks, website development/maintenance costs, booking engine commissions, hosting, etc.). So, does the incremental profit justify the extra work? Honestly, I am not so sure anymore. There was a leveling of distribution costs, and it's not uncommon that a direct reservation costs more than an OTA's. I would probably focus on other metrics today, such as revenue per square foot/meter, LTV, or ancillary revenue streams.

Oleksii Kapichin Revenue Management Expert

Which distribution channel is the best for the hotel? The one that generates the most revenue or the one that is the most profitable? I think the focus must be shifted from revenue generation to profitability. Hoteliers must understand each channel's distribution costs. The challenge is to identify the distribution and acquisition costs for every channel. For example, brand.com, which is considered to be the most profitable way to sell rooms, has various costs that should be considered: hosting fees, labor, direct marketing, transaction fees, credit card fees, etc. Also, not all expenses will show on P&L. For example, merchant and opaque OTAs retain the commission and transfer the remaining amount to the hotel; hence no expenses will be recorded. Identifying and correctly attributing all costs per channel can be a complicated exercise. However, it is worth the time and effort because it will show the value of every distribution channel and help create an optimal distribution mix. Ancillary spend per channel should also be considered when assessing channel value. Who spends more in the outlets (F&B, SPA), Expedia guest, or brand.com guest? The ideal distribution channel would be low cost, high ADR, and high ancillary spend, giving hoteliers complete control over rates, inventory, and branding. Since it does not exist, hoteliers must find the most optimal mix of channels. And last but not least, Revenue Managers should shift focus from RevPAR to ProPAR (profit per available room). The goals, incentives, and strategies should be around profitability. If RevPAR remains the primary KPI, there is no incentive to go through channel value exercise.

It is not always the highest rate paid that brings the most profit! In today's world, tracking acquisition costs is one of the most important tasks and should be an integral part of decision-making and of a solid commercial strategy. Acquisition costs should be broken down into direct and non-direct. Direct is every cost that can be attributed to a transaction (Like commissions, GDS pass-through fees, etc.), and indirect which is everything that supports the commercial efforts. In addition, to that, one needs to equalize commissionable rates vs. net rates where the commission is already deducted. All this above will give us a revenue funnel from what the customer has paid down to what is left before operational costs come into the picture. Acquisition costs then need to be looked at against all channels but also segments, source markets, rate codes, etc., Generally, all booking dimensions. Once the data is available, there are 2 levers of action. One strategic and one tactical. The strategic one should deal with the deployment of commercial strategies. Example: Which source market is booking via which channel for what period? Which accounts should we go after? Should we scale up online campaigns in one channel vs. another? How do we optimize our marketing to get the best ROI? The tactical part has more to do with day-to-day inventory management: Micro-optimizing every day's business and channel mix according to demand. While this can be done on a high level with excel, there is technology available that does all that automatically. Acquisition costs can be up to 25% and more of Revenue, so the Investment justifies the return as small changes in mix and marketing spend yield large profit increases. Smart Hoteliers will take it even to the next level. The next frontier is factoring in total revenue spent at the customer level, customer profit contribution, and eventually lifetime value.

Traditionally, RevPAR was the gold standard metric to apply to revenue KPIs. It was and still is used as the measure of financial market strength. While RevPAR is a good depiction of profitability when the market is in a "typical" state, it can obscure a hotel's performance when it veers away from the norm  a condition the industry hasn't seen since early 2020. On the other hand, net operating income (NOI) is a metric that can show a more accurate depiction of profitability no matter the market conditions. NOI is calculated by subtracting gross operating expenses from the gross income; it can quickly reveal the amount of money left after you have paid out all of your expenses. Property owners and asset managers focus on this metric because it tells them much about their commercial investment. It provides a picture of the cash flow, or more specifically, it measures a property's ability to generate a positive cash flow from operations. NOI impacts financing costs like mortgage payments since banks and lenders want to know that there's enough income to cover interest payments. It shows how well the hotel operates from a total revenue and expenses standpoint. Ultimately it determines the profitability of their asset, the value, the potential rate of return, and the potential risks. In a recent article published at revfine.com the NOI concept is explained in much more detail by ROOMDEX.

Over time, it seems like the area of responsibility for the revenue manager has evolved, and the expectations are now higher than ever before. I have seen three steps in the evolution of revenue management. The first is the basics, to capture the hotel's fair share of the room revenue market. The main reason for this definition is that hotels can measure their success through benchmarking. The second step depends on the type of hotel. A B&B should focus on net revenue, the total guest paid revenue minus the customer acquisition cost (CAC). A full-service hotel should optimize total revenue or maximize the average guest spend or average revenue per stay. For full-service hotels, the third step is to manage the CAC. The revenue manager's responsibility stops after delivering revenue minus CAC, also referred to as profit contribution. The end game for a revenue manager is to maximize profit contribution. Increase market share RevPAR is widely accepted as the most critical hotel performance KPI. RevPAR measures how successfully the hotel has utilized its capacity to maximize room revenue. Through benchmarking by calculating the RGI, hotels can measure their success compared to their competition. The fastest way to grow revenue and increase profit is to capture a higher market share. Hotels that leave money on the table to their competition have work to do and should focus solely on capturing their fair share of the market. Sell more to each guest When the hotel has captured its fair share of the market, the hotel can sell more to each guest. Hotels have a fixed cost to stay open and should utilize the capacity to maximize sales. All extra revenue is marginal, and a high percentage will end up on the bottom line. Selling an additional beer in the bar will only have COGS but no extra labor costs or other expenses. Upselling to a higher room category might have a little higher COGS, but most of the additional sales will be profit. Selling at a higher rate is pure profit. Focusing and measuring the revenue per stay will increase earnings as a high portion of the extra income above the room revenue will end up as net profit. Manage the Customer Acquisition Cost Hoteliers tend to take action on cost items visible in the profit & loss. Retail commissions show up while merchant commissions never touch the profit & loss. Other customer acquisition costs, such as labor (marketing, sales, revenue, reservations) and expenses for the website, ads, trade fairs, travel, etc., are spread out on many different accounts and, therefore, difficult to keep track off. It is easy to calculate CAC for a year. Just add all the commissions, transaction costs, labor, and other expenses and calculate the percentage of revenue. According to Kalibri Labs, CAC will be between 15 % and 25 % of revenue. Good to know, but not actionable information. To understand CAC fully, hotels must distribute the cost to each reservation or room night and then analyze differences in CAC for distribution channels, segments, feeder markets, room types, weekdays, rate codes, length of stay, and other variables. Once the revenue manager understands that each reservation has a different CAC, it is possible to shift the business mix to a more profitable one. The revenue manager cannot do this alone Growing revenue and maximizing profit is not a one-person show. Marketing, sales, and revenue must work as a team and stop hiding in their silos. The revenue manager is good at maximizing room revenue but need a marketeer to craft the messages to the guest to get them to buy more. Sales need to build strong customer relationships to ensure that the hotel is top of mind in a broad customer base. Increasing market share, selling more to each guest, and managing CAC is highly profitable if executed correctly and should be part of the commercial team's daily job.

This World Panel Viewpoint is sponsored by IDeaS a SAS company

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MANZINI  The former RFM Hospital nurse, who is accused of sexually violating a patient, is alleged to have had sexual intercourse with her at least twice.

This is according to the 25-year-old woman, who is the complainant in the matter. The complainant was delivering evidence as the first witness in the matter, where Timothy Vilakati (53) of KaNdinda is facing a charge of contravening Section 3 (1), 3(2), 4(a) as read with Section 3(9) (c) of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act 15/2018. According to the charge sheet, the accused person allegedly committed the offence on May 13, 2022 at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospitals Emergency Room by (allegedly) having sexual intercourse with the 25-year-old without her consent.

Infected

The charge sheet said this rape was accompanied by aggravating circumstances as envisaged by Section 185 bis of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act No. 67/1938 in that the accused person exposed the survivor to danger of being infected with sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS by not using protection. Again, the charge sheet said the accused person allegedly inflicted physical and mental trauma by having sexual intercourse with the complainant. The case proceeded yesterday before Acting Manzini Principal Magistrate, Sindisile Zwane, and the complainant was called to the witness box by the Crown as the first witness in the matter. She told the court that she knew the accused person as a nurse as she had seen him in the hospital (RFM), but she mentioned that she did not know him before then. She submitted that on the day of the alleged incident, she was rushed by her husband to hospital.

Thereafter, the witness informed the court that she woke up at RFM Hospital and found the accused person next to her bed, holding her intravenous (IV) infusion, known as a drip, at around 1pm. She alleged that the accused person called her by name and she responded. After that, she claimed that the nurse asked her about her husband and she told him that he was at home. She alleged that the nurse then went out for about five minutes and she was still lying on her hospital bed, with the drip in her. The witness told the court that when the accused person returned, he held her drip and allegedly climbed on the bed and raped her. He told me that he was putting a catheter and I tried to push him away, but he did not move, the witness submitted.

After that, she informed the court that the accused allegedly pulled her closer to him while he knelt on the bed. She alleged that he also told her that he was putting the catheter because she had allegedly urinated on the bed. She added that the accused allegedly continued with the sexual intercourse, but later on, he stopped. She gave clarity to the court that at first, she believed that the accused person was inserting a catheter, but she allegedly realised that he was allegedly having sexual intercourse with her, thus she tried to push him away.

Mumbling

I tried to stop him, but I was weak and when I tried to speak, I was mumbling, she submitted. The witness alleged that after checking the drip, the accused person went out for about five minutes and in the meantime, she continued to sleep on the bed. When he returned, he continued with the sexual intercourse, the witness informed the court. Again, she told the court that she tried to push him away, but he was stiff. However, she alleged that while continuing with the sexual intercourse, the accused person was allegedly disturbed by footsteps and he quickly jumped off the bed, dressed up, opened the curtain and checked the drip before he want out.

The witness emphasised that even on the second time, she tried to push away the accused person from her, but failed and could not speak, as she mumbled. Thereafter, she informed the court that when the accused person returned, he was carrying an injection. He then (indecently assaulted me) and (made lewd sexual comments), the witness submitted. After that, she alleged that the witness called her by her name and when she responded, he then injected her drip and she fell asleep. She submitted that when she woke up later on, she was feeling dizzy and she went to the bathroom.

Accused denies knowing complainant

MANZINI  The accused person denies knowing the complainant. Timothy Vilakati, who stands accused of raping a patient at RFM Hospital, where he was employed as a nurse, said this when he was cross-examining the complainant after he had delivered evidence as the first witness in the matter. Vilakati told the court that he did not recall the witness. In fact, he submitted that he did not know her.

However, the witness informed the court that she knew the accused person from the hospital (RFM) and remembered what he allegedly did to her. She added that he was wearing a brown pair of trousers and a blue shirt on the day. Thereafter, the accused person asked the witness how come other people did not hear her as the ward was not a small room, but it had about eight beds and it did not happen that a patient could be alone. In response, the witness submitted that the ward was big, but the difference was that each bed had a curtain that covered it (for privacy). She added that the accused person allegedly pulled the curtain when he allegedly got onto the bed.
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NHLANGANO  A 14-year-old girl sent her family to the emergency room after adding a poisonous substance in porridge that was consumed by the family.

The incident happened on Sunday night at Sandleni in the Shiselweni Region. The 14-year-old *Nomsa is a Form I pupil at Sandleni High School. There were four family members who were rushed to Hlatikhulu Government Hospital and among them was her uncle (36), Nomsas brother (12), a nephew (12) and an elderly woman (62). Information sourced was that the girl was earlier sat down by her uncle, who questioned her for misbehaving, having received a report from Nomsas grandmother. The uncle was told that Nomsa bunked classes and would be seen at drinking spots around the area, which was why the uncle sat her down.

Porridge

On Sunday, Nomsa allegedly went to the kitchen where dinner was being prepared and added the poisonous substance to the porridge. Sources revealed that Nomsa took the poisonous substance, which is odourless, from an old fridge. She added water and poured the mixture on top of the porridge. According to sources, the meal was served and it was consumed by all the family members except Nomsa. When the poisonous substance started reacting, Nomsa was said to have locked herself in her bedroom. One of the family members, aged 12, went out to raise the alarm and a neighbour who is also a relative responded promptly. Upon arrival, the relative is said to have called for help and Hlatikhulu-based police officers responded, though the relative and other neighbours had taken all four members to hospital using the relatives car.

Reprimanding

The truth later emerged when the uncle was questioned on what transpired and he narrated the story regarding his reprimanding of Nomsa. The whole narration, according to sources working close to the mater, was then linked to the fact that Nomsa did not consume the poridge, which was when she was questioned as a suspect in the matter. Two of the family members were said to have been treated and discharged, while the elderly woman and one of the 12-year-olds was still admitted to hospital when this report was compiled. Nomsa appeared in court facing four counts of attempted murder. In most cases, minors are kept with relatives who are to present them to court whenever they are due to appear but the investigating officers mentioned that none of the relatives wanted her hence the court had to rule that she be taken to the juvenile centre where she will be kept. She is expected to return to court on October 27, 2022.

*Not real names
The West Side Legends unveil their first renovation project: A 1922 home converted into two 2-bedroom condominiums. The collaborative project has already lined up several other buildings for rehabilitation. The roughly 800-square-foot units are selling for $159,999 and $169,999. Once the surrounding structures are rehabbed into condos and single-family homes, a common outdoor area will link the neighbors. The next house to be redone is a five-bedroom home expected to be completed this fall. PreviousNext

West Side Legends' First Home Revitalization Sets Visionary Goal



An open house this past weekend gave community members a chance to see how the housing program could revitalize the neighborhood.

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The first phase of the West Side Legend's initiative to "Buy Back Our Neighborhood" includes the transformation of an outdated single-family home into two modern, affordable condominiums.

An open house was held at 28-30 Daniels Ave. over the weekend so that the community could see what is possible in the historic neighborhood. This is one of four structures on two abutting properties that are being revitalized.



"I'll be honest, some people don't want to live in the West Side. They lived here for a long time and they want a house somewhere else," President Tony Jackson said.



"But if we can get deliver a house like this and have them see a new vision: 'I want to stay now.'"



The 1922 home was converted into two 2-bedroom, one-bathroom units with Ikea kitchens, new appliances, restored hardwood floors, and a front and back deck. The roughly 800-square-foot units are selling for $159,999 and $169,999, which is about $100,000 less than the average home value of about $270,00 in the city, according to Zillow.



With the principal/interest at 7 percent, taxes, insurance, and a $125 homeowner association fee, the buyer's total monthly payment would be about $1,500.



Through the group's homeownership program in partnership with Greylock Federal Credit Union, Jackson said first-time homebuyers can purchase a condo with no money down and a few thousand dollars at closing. The program has more than 35 people who are looking to get away from renting.



This is the nonprofit's first buyback house. They had 10 investors who contributed money in the belief of their neighborhood to purchase the house.



It was bought in April.



The project also has a number of sponsors: the Crane Foundation, Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, Guardian Life, Gray to Green (Berkshire Regional Planning Commission), Berkshire Taconic, Aaron's, RSI Signs, Berkshire Environment Action Team (BEAT), and Milltown Capital.



"It is a very unique project where you have different people from the community all gathered to basically rebuild," Jackson said. "I keep saying the rebirth because it's important. One person, one group can't do it by themselves."



Pittsfield resident Duane Kerber, who specializes in renovating houses, saw what the nonprofit was trying to do and offered his expertise to the effort.


Family members of the Pascual-Polanco brothers gather outside of Berkshire Superior on Thursday to speak to media after the two men were sentenced to life in prison.

Pascual-Polanco Brothers Sentenced to Life for 2019 Homicide

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Chiry Omar Pascual-Polanco and Carlos Pascual-Polanco on Thursday were given life sentences without possibility for parole for the murder of 18-year-old Jaden Salois in 2019.

The brothers lured Salois, of Dalton, outside a Pittsfield home for a false drug deal and shot him in the back in the early morning hours on Jan. 20, 2019. Prosecutors say the killing was over allegations of stolen marijuana.

During the sentencing at Berkshire Superior Court, several of Salios' family members gave impact statements that detailed his kind disposition and hopes for the future. They said it was unfair for him to be robbed of it.

"A piece of me is gone that will never be replaced," his mother Megan Bernardini wrote.

"Over the past 3 1/2 years, me and my family have experienced endless sleepless nights and have had never-ending thoughts of why this happened to Jaden and why this happened to us," his cousin Brianna Crucitti said. "We still don't know why it happened to him or why it happened to us."



Family members of Chiry Omar, 26, and Carlos, 22, called the verdict is an injustice, arguing that there was not sufficient provable evidence and that the brothers are innocent.



They did not speak at the sentencing but offered statements to iBerkshires afterward.



Sister Marisela Pascual knew that she and her brothers had "no fighting chance" for their lives in this community and said it is clear that they didnt commit the crime.



"That didn't matter to the jury who made the deliberations in under six hours," Pascual added. "Obvious to say, they had their minds made up."



Their mother Maribel Polanco said the verdict is a "big injustice" and racism against her children, arguing that it was decided on because they have a Hispanic last name.



Cousin Elina Estrella said the case showed a lot of circumstantial evidence that was not concrete and pointed to a lack of diversity on the jury. She believes that if Salois was a person of color and her cousins were white, it "would have been a different story."



Last month, the brothers were found guilty of murder in the first degree by a Berkshire Superior Court jury following a two-week trial that saw the prosecution call 30 witnesses. They were also found guilty on two counts of possession of a firearm without a firearm identification card, two counts of possession of ammunition without an FID, and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

"I send my condolences to Jaden's loved ones, and I admire their courage in delivering their powerful victim impact statements to the court. Jaden is gone but lives on in the hearts of those who loved him, and I hope this measure of accountability supports his family," District Attorney Andrea Harrington said.

"I thank the Pittsfield Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police for their investigation into this senseless homicide, and I am proud of the trial team for their presentation of the facts to the jury."

Salois' grandmother said he had gotten in with the wrong crowd and that his family always hoped that he would realize that this life wasn't going to work out for him. She said they spent a lot of time talking on the phone about how to improve his circumstances prior to his death.



"He had hopes and dreams like we all do. A future life with marriage and children. He knew we wanted to be a dad," Salois' other grandmother said.



"He knew he wanted to have God in his life and I would take him to every church in the city until he found one that he felt comfortable with. He never had a chance to do that because time ran out for him."
MANZINI  Some civil servants say as much as they would have been happy with more, they are glad that their unions signed the collective agreement.

Nompumelelo Mlotsa, 35, who is on Grade C 5 Notch 3, said based on her calculations, she would now earn E457.70 more per month. This means her once-off of one per cent will be E1 885.71. When calculating what she will earn this month as the award will be backdated to April 1. 2022, Mlotsa will get E5 089.59 more. The lowest paid teachers, who hold a Primary Teaching Diploma (PTD), are currently earning E5 486.97 per month and have an annual salary of E65 844.

Backdated

The PTD holders are currently paid on Grade B 2 Notch 1, and they will amass E164.61 extra per month and when backdated by the seven months, will equate to E1 152.27, while the once-off payment of one per cent will be E678.19. This means they will earn E7 317.43. Secretary General (SG) of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) Mayibongwe Masangane, said their members wanted the money and they said it was fine given the financial challenges they were experiencing. This was also said by the SG of Swaziland National Association of Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP) Phumzile Masilela, who said their members were grateful for the three per cent. She said people did not care about the meagre difference as every cent counted in these hard times.
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
Cameraman Louay Samhan and reporter Mahmoud Fawzy, who work for Palestine TV, were shot and wounded on 5 October while covering an Israeli military raid in the town of Deir Al Hatab, east of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemn the crime and call on the Israeli government to hold the perpetrators accountable and halt, once and for all, targeted attacks on Palestinian media workers.

Smoke rises in the village of Deir al-Hatab, east of Nablus, during the Israeli military raid on October 5, 2022. Credit: Jaafar Ashtiyeh / AFP

According to the media , the two members of the Palestine TV crew were shot, one in the hand and the other in the shoulder. Israeli military said that the cause of their injuries is unknown.

The PJS issued a statement condemning the attack. We condemn in the strongest terms the crime of the occupation which targeted Palestine TV cameraman Louay Samhan and reporter Mahmoud Fawzy, and besieged media crews while covering the occupations aggression on Deir Al Hatab in Nablus.

This crime confirms the intensification of the policy of systematic targeting by the occupation army against Palestinian journalists, the statement added. The PJS documented that the Israeli army and security forces were responsible for at least 479 violations of media and journalists rights in Palestine during the first half of 2022.

IFJs Secretary General Anthony Bellanger said: We condemn the latest crime in a long list of targeted attacks on Palestinian media workers carried out by Israeli forces. It is time for Israel to halt these crimes and dismantle their system of oppression. It is time for a new UN Convention to enhance the safety, protection and independence of media workers.
Twenty-two international media freedom, freedom of expression and journalists organizations call on Members of Parliament (MPs) to vote against the bill on disinformation and fake news, which was submitted to parliaments General Assembly on October 4 by the governing alliance of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Law designed to criminalize free flow of information.

Opposition Republican People's Party deputies hold signs as they protest against a government-backed bill that criminalizes "disinformation", at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara on October 4, 2022.

Law designed to criminalize free flow of information.

Twenty-two international media freedom, freedom of expression and journalists organizations call on Members of Parliament (MPs) to vote against the bill on disinformation and fake news, which was submitted to parliaments General Assembly on October 4 by the governing alliance of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

The bill, which was first submitted to parliament in June before being postponed after the commission stages due to alleged differences between the two governing parties, has been resubmitted this week without any amendments despite fierce criticism from across civil society and the journalistic community.

The bill provides a framework for extensive censorship of online information and the criminalisation of journalism, which will enable the government to further subdue and control public debate in the lead up to Turkeys general elections in 2023.

The proposed bill provides for:

- Up to three years imprisonment for those found guilty of deliberately publishing disinformation and fake news intended to instigate fear or panic, endanger the countrys internal or external security, public order and general health of Turkeys society.

- An increase of any sentence by 50 percent where the information has been published from anonymous accounts, by someone concealing their identity, or as part of an organisations activities.

- The expansion of the press law to include online news sites. This will enable the government to use the expanded role of the Press Advertising Agency, Basin Ilan Kurumu (BIK), to fund online propaganda while excluding critical outlets as has been applied in the print media.

The bill, with its vaguely formulated definition of disinformation and intent, overseen by Turkeys highly politicised judiciary, will put millions of internet users at risk of criminal sanction and could lead to blanket censorship and self-censorship in the run up to the 2023 elections.

A consortium of media freedom and human rights organisations will be visiting Turkey 12 to 14 October to discuss the consequences of the disinformation bill with politicians and media stakeholders, as well as the challenges facing independent journalists in reporting public affairs in accordance with the principles of free and fair elections.

Signed by:

International Press Institute (IPI)

ARTICLE 19

Articolo 21

Association of European Journalists

Cartoonists Rights Network International (CRNI)

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

Danish PEN

English PEN

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)

European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)

Freedom House

IFEX

International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)

Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)

PEN America

PEN International

PEN Norway

P24 Platform for Independent Journalism

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)

Swedish PEN

The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ)
Kaspersky launched a new machine-readable Open Vulnerability and Assessment Language (OVAL) data feed for the automated detection of vulnerabilities in operational technology (OT) software. Kaspersky Industrial OVAL Data Feed for Windows delivers comprehensive intelligence about vulnerabilities in most popular SCADA and distributed control systems (DCS) based on data from multiple sources, analyzed and updated by Kaspersky experts, as well as instructions for mitigation. The feed is delivered in XML format for integration with vulnerability management solutions which support the OVAL standard.

The number of vulnerabilities discovered in industrial automation software is substantial and raises concern. For example, the National Vulnerability Database (NVD, https://nvd.nist.gov/) contains thousands of known vulnerabilities in popular software used in automation, manufacturing execution and distributed control systems, and many more recordings of known vulnerabilities in various industrial software solutions.

Kaspersky Industrial OVAL Data Feed for Windows applies OVAL specifications dedicated to the standardized transfer of vulnerability information across various security tools and services. It helps industrial organizations enhance vulnerability detection and assessment of SCADA and other OT software.

The product is integrated into a customers industrial vulnerability management solution and can be used with open-source OVAL interpreters. It provides detailed information about detected flaws: their description, affected software name and versions, severity score and metrics (CVSS), and it also recommends measures for mitigation. The feed covers products from the worlds leading vendors such as Siemens, Schneider Electric, Yokogawa, Emerson and more to come according to the needs of Kaspersky clients.

Kaspersky ICS CERT experts collect data and build their intelligence about vulnerabilities through continuous monitoring of third-party sources, such as MITRE, National vulnerability database (NVD), US-CERT, vendors and communities, but also conducting its own research. The team carefully analyzes all the data and tests it against possible errors that may affect correct detection and assessment. The mitigation measures they provide for vulnerabilities are based on their extensive experience in OT threat protection and SCADA vendors recommendations.

OVAL standard is actively used to describe vulnerabilities or proper system configurations for known software. However, the market lacks a comprehensive and high-quality OVAL data source for the software used in industrial control systems. Our new feed fills this gap and provides sufficient coverage for ICS-related software. It will help industrial organizations enhance the automated process of vulnerability assessment while raising its effectiveness. And we are happy to prove it during projects with our customers, comments Mikhail Berezin, Head of ICS CERT Products at Kaspersky.

To get more information about Kaspersky Industrial OVAL Data Feed for Windows and submit request for a piloting please contact Kaspersky via this email: ics-cert@kaspersky.com
Preparations are in full swing to host the first edition of the Arab International Cyber Security Summit in Bahrain in December.

The event will be held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, at the new Exhibtion World Bahrain, from December 6-8.

The summit will be attended by representatives and officials from a number of GCC and Arab countries and cyber security experts and companies from around the world.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, National Cybersecurity Centre Chief Executive Officer Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa stressed the importance of the summit for decision-makers, said a Bahrain News Agency report.

He stressed the steady growth in the speed of communication technologies with the preparation of the launch of the 5.5G networks, which will contribute to accelerating the transmission of data, which will entail many challenges.

The summit will be an opportunity for decision-makers, specialists and experts in the field of information technology to exchange information, consult and talk about challenges and obstacles, he said.

The first edition of the summit aims to develop strategies on how Bahrain and the rest of the world can face the challenges of technological developments, improve data protection and networks.

The event will also highlight the important role played by national and international infrastructure in shaping the cyber environment through workshops and discussion sessions from various experts and participating security companies.

The summit also aims to address current and emerging cyber security threats, enhance defense, develop policy and shed light on Arab and international efforts in the field of cyber security.

Bahrain has put in place the national cybersecurity strategy in accordance with the Kingdoms Vision 2030 to achieve cybersecurity goals, said the report.
Pakistan, battling a severe economic crisis, is now bracing for a harsh winter with the deepening energy shortage. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow was in a position to supply gas to Pakistan as pipeline infrastructure was in place but the Shehbaz Sharif government which is now going all out to woo Washington may find it difficult to source Russian gas.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, analysts said, is set to deal a blow to Pakistans energy sector as Islamabad -Washington ties improve. Pakistans dependence on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) has increased over the years and now the rise in global fuel prices has become a cause for concern.

With limited foreign exchange reserves, the countrys ability to import LNG is also restricted. Meanwhile, Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL), the wholly-owned subsidiary of Government Holdings Private Limited (GHPL), which floated a tender for the purchase of liquified natural gas (LNG) failed to receive any bid from international suppliers. The tender expired earlier this week. Though the Sharif government has assured citizens that alternative plans are being worked out, analysts said that Pakistan may not be able to avoid the consequences driven by the global energy crisis.

The countrys public policy think-tank Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, in a recent report said that demand for natural gas has risen by 11 per cent in the last few years though 78 per cent of households have no access to natural gas, natural gas consumption in the domestic

The challenge has increased even more as compared to the industry, supplying gas to households requires higher investments. But there has been no investments to this effect making things tougher.

Natural gas and imported LNG contribute more than 40 per cent Islamabads current energy mix, including gas resources used in electricity generation. While in the recent years, the demand for gas has increased rapidly, gas exploration and production have declined, and the LNG operational and regulatory framework is weak which in turn had led to a nationwide shortage and increased supply costs, PIDE said.

Also read: White House says OPEC+ aligning with Russia as member countries announce biggest cut to oil production
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested a drug smuggler at Mumbai International Airport and recovered 16 kg of high-quality heroin drugs worth Rs 80 crore from him.

The accused has been identified as Binu John, a resident of Kerala.

Acting on a tip-off, the DRI searched Johns baggage as soon as he reached the airport and found the contraband was found concealed in a fake cavity of his trolley bag, the investigative agency said on Wednesday.

John told the DRI that a foreign national had given him USD 1000 as commission to take him to India, the accused also disclosed the names of other associates.

The DRI has registered a case under the NDPS Act and is now investigating the other associates involved in the racket.
Netflix has announced an exciting line-up of upcoming content from the Arab world, including shows and films from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Jordan, and Egypt.

The projects are part of Netflix's push into Arabic content as it invests in more Arab storytellers to tell stories that can be loved globally, the company said.

So far, Netflix has had an exciting journey in the region, working with new and established voices to tell more authentic stories that carry broad appeal, and taking big creative swings with several formats, new in the Arab world, it said.

Netflix previewed a diverse range of best-in-class Arabic content from a melodramatic unscripted show to an animated comedy series, a youth-centered film, a psychological thriller, and a historical drama through exclusive promo reels and first-look images. These include:

 Dubai Bling (UAE): An 8-episode Arabic docu-soap set to launch globally on October 27. Meet the successful, sumptuous, and splendid social circle of 10 self-made wealthy individuals living their wildest dream in the Bling City. Expect gossip, drama, and a whole lot of sassy clapbacks from famous faces such as radio host Kris Fade and his wife Brianna Ramirez, Saudi TV host and actress Lojain Omran, Emirati DJ Marwan Al Awady and his wife Danya Mohammed, AKA Diva Dee, as well as influencers, socialites, and businessmen who are at the top of their fields including Zeina Khoury, Safa Siddiqui, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Farhana Bodi, and Loujain Adadah .

 The Exchange (Kuwait): Bringing beloved faces from Kuwait to screens around the world, The Exchange is a high-profile series from Kuwait starring Rawan Mahdi, Mona Hussain, Hussain alMahdi, Mohamed Mansour, Faisal alAmiri, Jasem alNabhan, Maryam Salih, Asmahan Tawfiq, Abdullah Bahman and more. The Exchange follows a unique story about two trailblazing women who disrupt the corrupt boys club of Kuwaits banking industry in the late 1980s. The workplace drama is created and written by Nadia Ahmad, Anne Sobel and Adam Sobel and directed by Karim Elshenawy & Jasem AlMuhanna and will launch in early 2023.

 Alkhallat+ (KSA): A satirical suspense film based on Telfaz11s hit digital show Alkhallat, which first released in 2017 and received more than 1.5 billion views across YouTube and social media. The film will feature four exciting comeback stories of social deception and trickery in four unlikely places, bringing the best of this beloved Saudi show to life. The film is directed by Fahad Alammari, and stars Aziz Alshehri, Mohamed Aldokhie, Ibraheem Alkhairallah, Ibraheem Alhajjaj, Fahad Albutairi, Suhaib Godus, Ziyad Alamri, and Ismail Alhassan. The film is expected to launch next year.

 The Matchmaker (KSA): A psychological thriller film with a supernatural slant set in Al Ula, covering universal themes like disloyalty and morality. The film will launch in early 2023 and stars Hussam Alharthy, Reem AlHabib, Nour Alkhadra and is directed by Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan.

 Masameer County Season 2 (KSA): The youth-centered show features 8 episodes and continues its chronicling of a changing Saudi with its quintessential wit & unique brand of humor. The highly anticipated animation will return as a sequel in 2023. More details will be shared closer to the launch date.

Netflix also announced a slew of exciting global productions, including a new season of Emily in Paris and fantasy adventure film Slumberland, starring Jason Momoa. In addition, Netflix also talked about the outstanding local talent such as Khaled Abdulla, Ahmed Malek, and Kinda Alloush starring Netflixs global productions like The Crown and The Swimmers.  TradeArabia News Service
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) wants to swap two captured Pakistani army personnelJCO Kaleem Ullah and military intelligence officer Mohammad Faisal, with Baloch political prisoners. The BLA had captured the two army men in Harnai, Balochistan, on September 25, following which the army sent helicopter gunships, one of which was shot down during the operation.

Last week, India Narrative mentioned that the two army men were being interrogated by the separatist group. The BLA has said that the interrogation has revealed important information about the operations of the Pakistani army in Balochistan. The BLA further said, After voluntary confessions, both detainees have been formally charged for their crimes by Baloch national court.

The news of the two captured soldiers drowned out in the din of the helicopter crash, which the BLA claimed was shot down by a projectile.

Experts say that the BLA is becoming lethal in its actions and cheeky in its press statements as it seeks parity with the Pakistani establishment. The BLA considers Balochistan province as a Baloch nation and Pakistan as a colonial power, therefore seeking the status of an equal with the Pakistani army.

The BLA has also spotlighted the highly disturbing trend of Pakistan abducting Baloch political people, intellectuals, women and students, tens of thousands of who lie in Pakistani prisons and torture cells. At least eight of such people were recently shot dead in Ziarat by the Pakistani army.

In a press statement on Wednesday night, the BLA said: The Baloch Liberation Armys Senior Command Council has approved that in abidance with international conventions and established norms of the war, a process of prisoner swap can be initiated with Pakistani military.

BLA is willing to release both detainees, in exchange of release of Baloch prisoners. However, if Pakistani forces showed any aggression in this regard then BLA will deliver immediate sentence to both detainees awarded by the Baloch national court, said Jeeyand Baloch, Spokesperson for the Baloch Liberation Army, through a press statement sent over email.

Giving details of the modus operandi, the statement says that the BLAs intelligence wing had received information that two personnel of the Pakistani forces were travelling in civilian clothes to spy on Baloch rebels. BLA mobilised its special force Special Tactical Operations Squad, which successfully intercepted the vehicle the two enemy personnel were travelling in STOS had correctly anticipated that Pakistani military will send its helicopters and special forces to rescue its personnel, says the BLA statement.

It adds: Around 11pm the Pakistani helicopters arrived in the area and SSG commandos were rappelled from helicopters. BLAs STOS engaged with these enemy troops near Khost Harnai, and their advance was completely halted. During the hour-long battle, the brave BLA warriors also targeted Pakistani military helicopters. At least one helicopter was successfully hit with a projectile and gunfire around 11:45pm. Few seconds later the enemy copter blew up in the air, killing all six onboard. These included pilots Major Khurram Shahzad, Major Muhammad Muneeb Afzal, gunner Naik Jalil and SSG commandos Abdul Wahid, Muhammad Imran and Shoaib.

Baloch individuals embedded in the Pakistani army seem to be helping separatists mount attacks on Pakistani security forces. This was noticed when Baloch separatists had attacked and occupied the camps of the Frontier Corps (FC) in Panjgur and Noshki in February this year, causing major embarrassment to the powerful Pakistani army. Information gathered by India Narrative from various sources had pointed out that Baloch infiltrators in the Pakistani forces had helped the rebels take over the two well-fortified camps, killing scores of Pakistani personnel and lowering army morale.

Over this year the Baloch conflict is not only taking a serious dimension in Pakistan but also in Iran, where fighting in the Baluchistan-Sistan province led to the death of the intelligence chief of the province.

Also Read: Baloch fighters embarrass Pakistan militarycontinue to engage troops in Panjgur camp after 36 hours
The Indian Naval Ships of First Training Squadron (1TS) comprising INS Tir, Sujata and CGS Sarathi deployed in the Persian Gulf as part of their training arrived at Kuwaits Port Al-Shuwaikh, earlier this week.

The 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.

Glimpses of Special Reception on INS TIR,INS SUJATA and Indian Coastguard Ship SARATHI at Al-Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait (Oct 5).Overwhelming participation by Kuwaiti officials,Ambassadors and community members. Mesmerizing Cultural performances.@MEAIndia @indiannavy @AmritMahotsav pic.twitter.com/U5bKg6pK00  India in Kuwait (@indembkwt) October 6, 2022

The ships of 1TS, based at Kochi, are part of the Southern Naval Command, Indian Navys Training Command.

The deployment of 1TS is aimed at exposing the trainees towards 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.

Also Read: India sends indelible ink to Fiji to help anchor democracy in Pacific
1. Adipurush Director Gets Legal Notice From Sarva Brahmin Mahasabha For Islamisation of Ramayana

The notice further mentioned that the film is a complete "Islamisation of Ramayana and of Lord Ram, Maa Sita, Lord Hanuman." Even actor Saif Ali Khan, playing the character of Ravana in Adipurush looks more like a Mughal such as Taimur and Khilji. "The film is going to spread hatred among a particular class by inciting religious sentiments in the country. This picture is being widely publicised through the Internet, which is completely harmful for our society and country. You are making a film that hurts the sentiments of crores of Hindus," according to the notice as reported by the media outlet.

web screen grab

3. Did You Know, Shah Rukh Khan Once Predicted Audiences Will Lose Interest In Bollywood Movies

In 2011, Shah Rukh stated that he not only wants to be known as an actor-producer or dancer but wants people to remember him for his contributions beyond the roles he has performed. The actor wants to leave a mark by bringing a change in the industry with the usage of technology. Shah Rukh had produced and also featured in the superhero adventure flick titled RaOne which starred Kareena Kapoor Khan in the lead role. The film was a VFX-heavy project similar to his film Fan and Zero.

Jagran TV

3. Laughter Challenge Comedian Parag Kansara Passes Away; Sunil Pal And Ahsaan Qureshi Pay Tribute

Parags other fellow Laughter Challenge contestant, Ahsaan Qureshi, also took to Instagram and informed his fans about Kansara's last rites. Ahsaan mentioned that Parags last rites were performed in his hometown, Vadodara, on Wednesday (October 5). Sharing an old image with Kansara, Qureshi wrote in Hindi, "Om Shanti Another dear friend, comedian Parag Kansara of Vadodara, Gujarat, left this world. Last meeting was at Raju Bhai's condolence meeting Parag was in top six of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge season-1. May the soul rest in peace and give strength to the family to bear the loss. The last rites will be performed today at 4 pm in his city, Vadodara (sic)."

Koimoi

4. 'Spineless Bollywood', People Question Why Nobody Supported Mandana Karimi's Anti-Hijab Protest

Seeing the photo going viral, author Taslima Nasreen was shocked that she protested alone and that women in Mumbai "who are forced to wear hijab" didn't join her. Commenting on the same, she took to Twitter to write, "Iranian actress Mandana Karimi staged a solo protest in Mumbai against the hijab. Why is she alone protesting? Why Muslim women from Mumbai who are forced to wear hijab not joining her?"

Suntiros

5. Deepika Padukone Faced Racism In Hollywood, Was Told 'You Speak English Really Well' By An Actor

Not a global actor but a global brand ambassador Even after choosing to skip global acting projects, Deepika has made her mark in the global market by being the ambassador for brands like Levis, Adidas, Louis Vuitton, and now, Cartier. Recently she was also appointed as one of the jury members of the Cannes Film Festival. For the unversed, Deepika is currently at the Paris fashion week and has become the only Indian celebrity to represent the country there.

Filmibeat

(For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment, and let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below.)
An extravagant house designed to resemble a vintage circus has become home to a new group of celebrity contestants for the 16th season of the Salman Khan-hosted reality series 'Bigg Boss'.

One of the contestants is well-known Bollywood director Sajid Khan, who is widely known for directing films like Heyy Baby, Housefull, and Housefull 2.

There has been a widespread outrage over #MeToo accused Sajid Khan's participation on Colors' reality show, Bigg Boss.



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Nine women shared their stories about Sajid during the onset of the #MeToo movement in India. After they called out the filmmaker, he claimed he had been unemployed for four years.



Sajid was accused of sexual assault, which included charges that he exposed his privates, requested nude photos from female actors during the casting process, and watched porn in front of women.

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Sajid's participation in Salman Kahn-hosted reality show hasn't gone down too well with many people.



Since Colors channel never spoke about the allegations against Sajid, people have shown massive outrage over his participation in one of India's most popular and controversial reality shows.

Amid the outrage against his participation, Bigg Boss OTT contestant and actress Urfi Javed took to Instagram and called out the makers of Bigg Boss 16 for having a "sexual predator" on the show.

Instagram

In a series of Instagram stories, Urfi slammed Colors for rehabilitating a sexual offender.



She wrote,

Bigg Boss, why would you do that? When you support sexual predators, you're telling them that what they have done is okay. These men need to know this behavior is not okay, and they cannot get away with it. Stop working with sexual predators! It's not controversial, it's just disgraceful! Sajid Khan never apologized for what he did! Imagine what the girls he harassed must be feeling. So you don't have to worry because even if you harass multiple women, you will still get to be on the biggest show in India!! Controversy ke liye aap har cheez thode support karenge! #Colors stop supporting sexual predators!!! #biggboss #colors #disgraceful."

In another note, she wrote: "Not that I got an offer from Bigg Boss this year, but even if I got it, I wouldn't!! Can we all please stop supporting sexual predators? I can't even believe what the girls he harassed must be going through seeing him every day on television,"



During the Bigg Boss 16 premiere on Saturday, Sajid shared that his work suffered after the allegations. He said he was robbed of credits for directing his film.

Before entering the house:

colors

"I did not have much work; I have been at home for the past four years. So, when the Colors team called me up, I decided I should come here and maybe learn something about myself."

He added "many ups and downs" in his life and "been very low in the past four years.

(To read more such stories related to movies and shows released on OTTs, keep reading Indiatimes BINGE)


After mistakenly bumping into two school seniors, an 11-year-old girl paid the unthinkable price. She was verbally abused by her seniors and later allegedly raped inside the school washroom.

The incident took place at Kendriya Vidyalaya in the national capital, following which a case has been registered, police said on Thursday.

The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan's regional office has also ordered an inquiry into the issue.

AP

The incident occurred in July, but the victim approached the police on Tuesday only after the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) highlighted the matter.



The DCW, which termed the incident a "serious matter," issued a notice to Delhi Police and the school principal.

The school authorities have been asked to inform them why the incident was allegedly not reported to the police.

Representational Image

The victim or her parents did not report the crime to the school principal, according to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) officials, and it was only discovered after the police investigation.

KVS supervises over 1,200 KVs, an independent organization within the Ministry of Education spread over 25 regions of the country.

According to the police, the victim filed a complaint on Tuesday and immediately registered a case.

DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal said, "We have received a severe case of gang rape with an 11-year-old student inside a school in Delhi. The girl has alleged that her school teacher tried to hush up the matter. Unfortunately, even schools are unsafe for children in the capital," She demanded strict action on the matter.

"Also, an inquiry into the role of school authorities must be conducted on the issue," Maliwal added.

According to the Commission, the minor alleged that in July, while she was going to her classroom, she collided with two boys from her school studying in Classes 11 and 12.

CBC/Representational Image

"She said that she apologized to the boys, but they started abusing her and took her inside a toilet. She alleged that the boys locked the toilet door from the inside and raped her. She stated that when she informed the teacher of the incident, she was told that the boys had been expelled, and the matter was allegedly hushed up," a DCW statement said.



KVS officials said the school authorities had received no complaints regarding the matter.

"The regional office of KVS is investigating the issue. The girl or her parents did not report the incident to the principal. The issue was also not raised at a parent-teacher meeting held after the incident," a senior KVS official said.

"The issue has come to our notice only through the police investigation. We are cooperating with Delhi Police in its proceedings," the official added.

Based on the statement of the victim, the teaching staff and suspected students are being interrogated, police said.



Representational Image

The DCW sought from the police an action-taken report on the incident.

"The Commission had asked the school principal to inform us when the school authorities learned about the matter and what action was taken by them. It has also asked the school to furnish a copy of the inquiry report conducted on the matter," the panel said.





"The Commission has also asked Delhi Police and the"school to provide"information on any action taken against the school teacher and any other staff for allegedly not reporting the matter to Delhi Police," it added.

The police officials said that a detailed investigation is underway.



(With inputs from PTI)

For more on the news, sports, and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.


People do all sorts of things for love and an American woman chose to leave her country to stay with the love of her life.

American woman travels to Tanzania to marry Maasai tribesman

Deborah Babu from California travelled 9,000 miles to marry a Maasai tribesman 30 years younger than her. The woman was on holiday with her daughter back in 2017 when she met Saitoty Babu during a walk on the beach in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

The mother-daughter duo were taking a stroll when they bumped into two Maasai, one of whom was 30-year-old Saitoty selling souvenirs. Even though they said no to the souvenirs, Deborah ended up taking a picture with them and started chatting.

SWNS

Deborah's kids encouraged her to marry

The many conversations materialised into a fruitful friendship and they both kept in touch. Saitoty even accompanied them to the next destination part of their trip. However, when Deborah came back home to the United States, Saitoty asked Deborah for her hand in marriage, and despite initial concerns over the age gap, Deborah's kids encouraged her to go for it if that was what she wanted.

Deborah then returned to Tanzania and this is when Saitoty officially asked her hand in marriage. In June 2018, they had a traditional Maasai wedding before making their union legal in July this year.

Deborah now goes by her Maasai name Nashipai and lives with Saitoty and his family in Tanzania.

Deborah Babu/ SWNS

According to the Birmingham Mail, Deborah 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. When he first brought up marrying me I thought he was crazy. But my children and family said I shouldnt care about the age gap as Id been alone long enough and deserved to be happy. Its a very different life here in Tanzania but Im happy."

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. People ask if I adopted him or that Im his grandma which can make Saitoty upset. We just like to focus on ourselves and our happiness.

Deborah Babu/ SWNS

Saitoty who is a cattle farmer said, First time I saw her I felt like Id seen an angel. We laughed together and took a photo and she just melted my heart. Shes beautiful and kind and she supports me. Having a wife is a big step for me. Im proud of our marriage. It really hurts me to see 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 doesnt stop the love and care I have for my wife.

Here's hoping they both have a wonderful marriage.

For the latest trending stories, follow us on Telegram.
The invention of the iPhone in 2007 may have changed the world forever, but if recent claims are anything to go by, the apple device may have existed a century ago.

150-year-old painting appears to show a woman walking with an iPhone

A painting has come to light that is baffling everyone. In a painting from 1860, a woman can be seen holding what people claim is the popular Apple device. This painting sparked many theories on time travel.

The artwork is named 'The Expected One' and was painted by Ferdinand George Waldmuller.

The piece shows a woman walking through the countryside while apparently clutching an iPhone in her hands.

Her gaze is glued to the object in her hands, while a lovestruck man can be seen in a corner waiting to hand her a pink flower.



wikidata.org

This painting is currently on display at the Neue Pinakothek in Munich, Germany, alongside other pieces from the era. A retired local Glasgow Government officer named Peter Russell noticed this artwork while visiting the gallery with his partner. He noticed the woman holding the 'phone' and did a double-take.

Russell told Vice, "What strikes me most is how much a change in technology has changed the interpretation of the painting, and in a way has leveraged its entire context."

He said, "The big change is that in 1850 or 1860, every single viewer would have identified the item that the girl is absorbed in as a hymnal or prayer book. Today, no one could fail to see the resemblance to the scene of a teenage girl absorbed in social media on their smartphone."



Reuters/ Representational image

Art agency CEO reveals the truth

However, Gerald Weinpolter, the CEO of the art agency austrian-paintings.at , has denied all claims that the woman is holding an iPhone in her hands.

He said that the woman is reading a prayer book while walking through the countryside, and not browsing social media.

People on Twitter were not convinced that it was a prayer book, claiming the famous phone definitely existed during that time and that the woman in the painting was undeniably a time traveller.

One user said, "What a silly post, anyone can tell that that's a Samsung." "Taking selfies even back then, smh," joked a second while a third wrote: "No, that's a Nokia 3310."



Quite clearly a Nokia, probably still has some charge left  NEWS 23/5 (@NEWS23Five) October 6, 2022

When the new generation can't tell what a book is, you know we're screwed as a society. Awesome.   michca  (@michca2112) October 6, 2022

Taking selfies even back then, smh  George Alexopoulos (@GPrime85) October 5, 2022

Anyone can see that's an Android. Geez.  RE Gustafson (@GustafsonRe) October 6, 2022



What are your views about this art piece?

For the latest trending stories, follow us on Telegram.
Bahrain will now have its own Official Bahrain Top 20 Chart Show, established by Radio Bahrain 96.5.

The inaugural show of the chart show, in partnership with McDonalds Bahrain, will be broadcast today (October 6) from 5pm to 6 pm.

The Official Bahrain Top 20 Powered by McDonalds chart show will be presented by Dave Cleary and will be aired weekly every Thursday from 5 pm to 6 pm.

In-line with Radio Bahrains slogan, We Play the Hits, Bahrains Top 20 will feature the 20 most popular songs of the week in the Kingdom and worldwide. The chart is compiled by listing the latest hits in Bahrain based on most streamed, requested, physical sales and paid-for downloads, said a statement.

Abdulla Adel Fakhro, Director of Fakhro Restaurants Company, said: McDonalds Bahrain is delighted to partner with Radio Bahrain 96.5 on the launch of the Official Bahrain Top 20 chart show. Radio Bahrain is the Kingdoms favourite radio station whose listeners are as diverse as our customers, making this an ideal collaboration for both parties.

Omar Khalifa Shaheen, Radio Bahrain Company CEO, said: We put a lot of effort in developing and strengthening our corporate partnerships, and are pleased to begin our journey together with Fakhro Restaurants Company with McDonalds Bahrain and the Official Bahrain Top 20 chart show collaboration. Bahrain has never before had an official chart show and we are simply delighted to launch this concept. We are confident that our listeners will tune in weekly to find out the top songs of the past seven days.

The Official Bahrain Top 20 chart show host Dave Cleary is a senior broadcast professional with more than 24 years of experience from the UK and the UAE. He is a two-time Best Radio DJ award winner at the Peoples Choice Awards in the UAE, in 2014 and 2016.

Radio Bahrain 96.5 is operated and managed by Radio Bahrain Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the Kingdoms sovereign wealth fund. -TradeArabia News Service
The partnership, subject to contract execution, will see GB establish a new business unit led by GB chief operating officer (COO) Lionel Charmetant and general manager for NSW workers compensation Craig Newton.

Read more: GBs new CEO for Australia shares companys focus on mental health

Commenting on the new business unit, GB Australia CEO Pete Nicholson (pictured) said: Our leadership team for NSW have over 50 years collective experience in establishing and leading large workers compensation operations in Australia. I am confident Craig and his team will deliver exceptional service and achieve superior outcomes on behalf of icare and the NSW community.

The deal also expands GBs footprint as a leading provider for workers compensation claims across Australia, building on its existing Victorian, South Australian, and Northern Territory operations and a national presence in self-insurance.

GBs talent and depth of experience in personal injury claims management, both nationally and internationally, makes us well suited to partner with icare to provide simpler, better care for injured workers and improved support for employers, Nicholson said. The new model will simplify processes to reduce administrative burden and better support superior outcomes for injured workers and employers while building capability in the scheme.
Founded 28 years ago, Simex is a supplier to the RCMP, NATO, and the Canadian Coast Guard. In addition to national security, the company also serves the manufacturing and energy sectors. Simex distributes digital communications equipment, parts for air force planes, light ammunition, and portable water purification systems, among other things.

IT World Canada reached out to Simex in a telephone interview earlier this week to confirm the news of the cyberattack. According to Simex's director of marketing and business development Fares Hamade, the company would not say if any documents were copied in the cyberattack but gave assurances that any ransomware affecting their systems is all gone.

We mitigated it. There is no risk. We havent paid a ransom, Hamade said.

The representative also confirmed that Simex is putting more, stricter policies in place following the incident, and that it has reported the attack to the police.

The AlphV/BlackCat ransomware gang operates as a ransomware-as-a-service operation, allowing affiliates to initially hack the victim organizations before deploying their namesake malware. An FBI report in April noted that the group had compromised at least 60 organizations around the world.

In late September, the AlphV/BlackCat ransomware gang had also revealed that it had targeted NJVC  an IT company supporting the US federal government and Department of Defense. The gang had initially threatened to leak data from the company every 12 hours since the incident, but later dropped NJVC from its list of victims, Cybernews reported.
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.

U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni in Springfield dismissed the lawsuit brought last year against four members of the Holyoke Soldiers Homes former leadership team, saying the workers had failed to successfully demonstrate which constitutional rights were violated, Masslive.com reported Monday.

The lead plaintiff was a certified nursing assistant at the home and the suit had sought class-action status.

More than 80 residents of the home died during one of the deadliest outbreaks at a long-term care facility in the U.S., officials have said.

Leonard Kesten, an attorney for the lead plaintiff, said he is disappointed by the judges decision.

Watching the veterans suffer and die  was just horrible. They went through hell, Kesten said. He added that he and his colleagues are considering an appeal or filing separate lawsuits on behalf of individual employees who contracted coronavirus.

Veterans and their families settled a class-action lawsuit against the state for $56 million i n May.

Photo: Flags and wreaths honor veterans on the grounds of the Soldiers Home in Holyoke, Mass., April 28, 2020, where a number of people died due to COVID-19. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021, shes seeking to reverse the dismissal of criminal neglect charges against two former leaders of the veterans home where nearly 80 veterans died after contracting the coronavirus, in one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in a long-term care facility in the nation. (AP Photo/Rodrique Ngowi, File)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Legislation COVID-19
Transparency is the key to managing supply chain risk. But some businesses only focus on selective financial information from their suppliers, which can leave them exposed. Beyond creditworthiness, there are many additional threats to considersuch as second-, third- and fourth-tier suppliers as well as natural disasters, fires, strikes and sanction risks.

However, without sophisticated technology to proactively identify and analyze these supply chain risks, full transparency for threat detection is hard to achieve. Manual tracking is next to impossible for complicated global supply chains.

When Munich-based riskmethods was launched in 2013, its CEO Heiko Schwarz wanted to use technology to build a platform that helps companies with their supply chain risk management (SCRM).

Schwarz saw a gap in the marketplace and the ability to harness real-time media monitoring and real-time monitoring of risks to back risk management practices, explained Constantine Limberakis, senior director of Product & Solutions Marketing for riskmethods, in an interview with Carrier Management.

At the time, businesses would manage risk with their suppliers by getting information on a quarterly basis about their certificates of insurance and their financials, he said, noting that real-time monitoring of risk did not exist.

Nine years later, the company has built a platform driven by artificial intelligence (AI) that harnesses big data to monitor global supply chain risks.

After all, to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Another way of putting it is to manage before damage.

The way I would best describe what our platform does is we help identify, mitigate, avoid and actively monitor all the risks that are mapped on our supply chain platform, Limberakis continued.

The companys AI technology analyzes 500 million sources of data on a daily basis across 300,000 different media and partner data sources focused on cyber, financial, sanctions and sustainability data. These provide the basis of risk scorecards for all the different types of threats a company wants to track, he explained.

More than a dozen global languages are included in the analysis.

The scorecard will have a number of different factors across different areas of risk, which is then organized in a taxonomy across a number of different risk indicators. To date, we provide almost 200 different risk indicator types, he said.

Limberakis said these threats include the financial stability of suppliers and countries, their creditworthiness, the capital structure of a supplier, whether a company is efficient, pandemic outbreak information, supplier strikes and labor disputes, local geopolitical situations, reputational risks, natural hazards, information on IT outages, and information on compliance requirements and documentationfor example, in the area of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.

Zurich Insurance, which has had a strategic partnership with riskmethods since March of 2019, said its commercial customers using the riskmethods tools can obtain real-time insights about the health of their entire supply networks via dashboards and an interactive world map, enabling them to identify, assess, mitigate and transfer risks within their supply chain network.

A lot of our clients describe our tools as a central source of truth around supply risk that allows them to standardize how they want to determine when or if they need to take action, Limberakis said.

When our supplier was hit by a fire, riskmethods alerted us 30 hours before the supplier did. Because we acted fast to find an alternative source before market prices increased, we realized a purchasing advantage worth $300k, according to Andre Hahn, project manager organics, for Stockmeier Group, who was quoted in a brochure detailing Zurich Supply Chain Risk Management Services, the companys SCRM offering.

Another riskmethods success story can be found in a case study from a customer, Joyson Safety Systems (JSS), an Auburn Hills, Mich.-based company that provides safety systems to automotive manufacturers.

JSS was founded in 2018 through the merger of two global automotive suppliers with operations in the U.S., Japan, Europe and China.

Going into the merger, JSS did not have supply chain risk management departments in any of its regions. Supplier risk evaluation concentrated primarily on whether the supplier was financially stable, said the JSS case study titled Driving Value Creation with Supply Chain Risk Management  Best Practices from Joyson Safety System.

JSS recognized that it needed to consolidate, coordinate, standardize, simplify and digitalize all of its risk management data, processes and systems into one solution, the study said. As a result, the company decided to find an automated global supply chain risk management solution and ultimately selected riskmethods.

In 2021, JSS began to implement The riskmethods Solution, which integrated a base of around 2,000 suppliers within approximately three months. Using The riskmethods Solution, JSS can map suppliers, its own sites, supply paths and further risk objects such as transport hubs on an interactive world map, the case study explained.

Early warnings in near real time enable crisis prevention, quicker adjustment in critical situations and improved risk management capabilities The study pointed to the sample of a JSS supplier in Latin America, which burned down.

The riskmethods Solution provided a crucial early warning and helped JSS, which had limited inventory levels, avoid production downtime. The supplier probably wouldnt have informed us of the fire until a few days later, noted Velat Ozkilinc, JSS executive vice president, chief purchasing officer, who was quoted in the case study.

JSS said the riskmethods tool provides it with:

Comprehensive transparency and a total view of risk. This includes supplier financial distress, geopolitical situations, natural hazards, reputational risks, and man-made events such as labor disputes and explosions.

Real-time visibility and warnings on all supply chain risks.

Risk prevention for better sourcing and awarding decisions, along with proactive supplier development. This allows JSS to avoid conducting business with risky suppliers. Used in connection with crisis identification, JSS can react as one of the first on the market, enabling it to fulfill the company maxim manage before damage.'

Sub-Tier Visibility

The riskmethods tools not only help customers track their tier 1 suppliers but also can provide sub-tier visibility, said Limberakis.

Our customers now can see their tier 2 suppliers, so theyre able to get a much wider view of not only whats going on directly within their immediate supply chain but also the expanded supply chain of their suppliers suppliers, he said. This allows them to understand who their tier 1 suppliers are buying from and the kinds of risks this could present.

With this product, called riskmethods Sub-tier Visibility, a customer first invites its tier 1 suppliers to join the riskmethods Supply Risk Network and contribute information on their own sites and suppliers.

By encouraging active participation, everyone gains true visibility into their joint multi-tier supply network that is otherwise unattainable, said riskmethods on its website.

Customers can monitor suppliers without getting them to actively participate in the network, Limberakis emphasized. But by joining the network, they can get an additional level of detail and information from their tier 1 suppliers, which also allows them to track the sub-tier suppliers, he said.

Every manufacturing enterprise depends on their direct suppliers (tier 1), who purchase from their suppliers, the sub-tiers. When you can visualize your suppliers suppliers (tier 2) or other third parties, you achieve sub-tier visibility, said riskmethods. Although organizations are increasingly gaining tier 1 visibility, sub-tier visibility remains elusive.

Solution for Real Estate Company

In another case study, a provider in commercial real estate and property investments detailed its own unique requirements for proactive SCRM.

Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) buys, builds, occupies and invests in a variety of assets including industrial, commercial, retail, residential and hotel real estate. JLLs clients span a wide variety of industries such as banking, energy, retailing, heathcare, law, life sciences, manufacturing and technology.

Although the company had a mature risk management program, it recognized it needed to take a deeper dive into its supply network, using technology to understand in real time what its partners are doing, what events are occurring along the supply chain and where these are taking place, said the JLL case study.

To achieve the output enabled by machine-learning algorithms and artificial intelligence, youd need a whole army of people, said David McBride, executive director, Sourcing Strategy & Performance, JLL, who was quoted in the case study.

JLL chose The riskmethods Solution to obtain full visibility of its supplier and third-party base to improve its risk management and compliance while keeping all divisions of JLL up to date on risk. The solution also permits JLL to demonstrate to clients that it is actively monitoring threats and proactively reducing risk in its complex global supply chains, according to the JLL case study.

With The riskmethods Solution, JLL can visualize its entire end-to-end supply network on a world map, said the case study.

Within one year, JLL was able to successfully roll out the soution, which helped the company expand its monitoring to include 5,000 suppliers across the world in three regions: the Americas, APAC and EMEA.

By keeping a close watch on the key area of financial risk, as well as geopolitical, man-made, natural disaster, cyber and reputational risk, the real-estate services company can demonstrate a total view of risk, the study went on to say.

All members of the procurement team can access risk management data via their mobile phones or web browsers, the case study continued.

The Human Touch

Limberakis said that riskmethods doesnt rely totally on AI to provide its risk scores. Human intervention is also required. We have a combination of artificial intelligence and risk data experts who take the information and fine-tune it.

Data experts will pull in that big data for analysis and make sure the machine-learning algorithms are providing relevant information for understanding the supply chain risk, which also improves relevance for clients over time, he noted.

***

This article first was published in Carrier Managements third-quarter magazine, which is focused on supply chain risks. (CM is Insurance Journals sister publication).

Related supply chain articles from this issue are:

All of the articles in the magazine are available on the magazine page of CMs website.

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Topics InsurTech Tech
CFC, the specialist managing general agent, announced the launch of a dedicated Innovation Hub.

Located in new premises on Whittington Avenue in the City of London, CFCs Innovation Hub will act as CFCs research and development center supporting over 100 tech engineers and has the capacity to accommodate the anticipated future growth of this team.

We have one of the most sophisticated and fastest growing tech teams in insurance, but as our Gracechurch Street HQ nears capacity, weve taken the opportunity to create a space that is dedicated solely to our technology organization, said Jon Fletcher, chief technology officer (CTO) at CFC. The space has been designed to support the collaborative and hybrid working habits in which our engineers and developers thrive, as well as foster the unique culture that CFC is known for.

Using cutting edge technologies, automation and data science, CFCs tech team is delivering solutions that enable CFC to break new ground in specialty lines risk selection, pricing and preventative capabilities.

Were an insurance business that has embraced technology from day one, not only to help our underwriters make smarter, faster decisions but critically to help our policyholders prevent claims before they happen, commented Fletcher. Technology underpins everything we do at CFC, and I hope that the creation of our dedicated Innovation Hub will help us attract and retain top-tier talent.

About CFC

Headquartered in London with offices in New York, Austin, Brussels and Brisbane, CFC has over 500 staff and works with more than 100,000 businesses in 90 countries.

Source: CFC Underwriting

Topics InsurTech London
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Arch Insurance International, Beazley, and Aon Reinsurance Solutions.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

Arch Insurance Intl Names Locktons Stallard as Cargo U/W

Arch Insurance International announced the appointment of David Stallard as senior cargo underwriter, effective immediately.

Joining Archs cargo and logistics division, Stallard is responsible for driving growth through the development of key relationships, focusing on establishing the teams lead market capability and strengthening Archs position in the sector. Based in London, he reports to Steve OGorman, head of Cargo and Logistics.

Stallard brings over 20 years of insurance market experience in both underwriting and broking to the role. Most recently, he was senior vice president, Cargo and Logistics, at Lockton having joined the company in 2018. He was also a cargo and equipment underwriter at both Markel International and Skuld 1897, and has held broking roles at Ropner Insurance Services and Price Forbes & Partners.

Arch Insurance International is part of Bermuda-based Arch Capital Group Ltd. and includes Arch Insurance UK and the P/C insurance operations of Arch Insurance (EU) dac, as well as Archs insurance operations in Europe, Bermuda and Australia.

***

Beazley Hires van Ommeren as Benelux Financial Lines U/W

Specialist insurer Beazley has hired Rogier van Ommeren, extending the Benelux team as a financial lines underwriter. He will be responsible for underwriting Beazleys financial lines book of business in Benelux, working closely with local brokers and partners.

van Ommeren joins Beazley following 13 years employment at financial lines niche broker Schouten Insurance International in The Netherlands. After his stint at Schouten, he moved to Markel Nederland (November 2018  July 2020) and most recently at Aon, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He will be part of the Benelux team led by Alexander van Nierop, supporting the Beazley book that has grown significantly during the last four years.

***

Aon Reinsurance Solutions Taps Sompos Shedden for Analytics

Insurance broker Aon plc named Paul Shedden as its global and UK head of analytics in the firms Reinsurance Solutions.

Based in London, Shedden will join Aon on Oct. 17 from Sompo International, where he was head of Portfolio Design, Pricing and Analytics  Global Insurance, having previously held senior actuarial and analytics roles at re/insurers AXA XL, XL Catlin and Catlin.

As Aons global head of analytics for Reinsurance Solutions, he will report to Andy Marcell, global chief executive officer of Reinsurance Solutions and will join the Reinsurance Solutions global leadership team.

In addition to his global role, Shedden will have direct responsibility for the UK analytics function, reporting to Rupert Moore, UK CEO of Reinsurance Solutions, and joining the Reinsurance Solutions UK leadership team.

In his new role, Shedden will drive collaboration and innovation across Reinsurance Solutions analytics and broking colleagues, harnessing the technical expertise within the regional and product solution teams to create innovative client solutions on a global scale. He will also chair the Analytics Leadership Committee, which is responsible for the Analytics global strategy, coordination of resources and investments  including acquisitions  for Reinsurance Solutions.

Having worked at some of the leading re/insurers in our marketplace, Paul understands the importance our industry places on data, analytics and actuarial services, commented Marcell. In joining Aon, we know he will help to not only drive our capabilities, but further tailor them to the needs of our sector, and in doing so deliver optimum client value to help our clients make better, more-informed decisions.

The Reinsurance Solutions Analytics teams expertise includes a wide range of capabilities, including weather, climate and catastrophic risk assessment to unstructured data management and analysis. Its solutions can assist re/insurers to achieve growth, navigate volatility, build resilience and consider their capital allocations, which in turn help them to boost underwriting profitability, effectively manage portfolios and optimize risk transfer programs.

Topics Auto Reinsurance Aon Trucking
HDFC Bank launches SmartHub Vyapar for merchants

Bengaluru, Oct 6 (UNI) HDFC Bank, India's largest private sector bank with dominant market leadership in merchant acquiring business, on Thursday announced the launch of SmartHub Vyapar Merchant app, a comprehensive payments and banking solution designed to fulfill the everyday business needs of merchants.

"HDFC Bank is committed to support the growth of all merchants from large format chains to local kirana stores," Parag Rao, HDFC Group Head (Payments Business, Digital and IT) Parag Rao said at a press conference here.

"We have crafted the new SmartHub Vyapar app to meet every need of the merchant and bring efficiencies to their banking and business ecosystem. Our aim is to solve problems and difficulties merchants face in their day-to-day business, help them grow their business, deepen our reach across India and connect with trade hubs," he said.

The app brings a vibrant suite of payment, lending and business solutions onto a single platform, Rao said.

SmartHub Vyapar facilitates instant, digital and paperless merchant on-boarding for HDFC Bank customers and allows merchants to accept interoperable payments across multiple payment modes which include Cards  Tap & Pay, UPI and QR code.

Merchants can also accept remote payments by sending a payment link over mobile or email to facilitate non face to face collections.

Payments received through UPI can be instantly credited to the bank account ensuring merchants get immediate access to sales receipts.

To reduce merchant anxiety around transactions, the app has been provisioned with an inbuilt voice feature informing the merchant of successful transactions, doing away with the need to track transactions through any other means including the need to have a separate device to receive voice-based notifications.

On the banking front, merchants can avail banking services like opening of fixed deposits, quick access to pre-approved loans and credit cards.

Merchants can also get a real time view of all Smart Hub Vyapar transactions credited into their bank account.

With an objective of supporting merchants to expand their business, the app has been embedded with a marketing tool which empowers merchants to broadcast their offers via social media to existing and potential customers.

In addition to accepting payments, the app enables merchants to make payments to their distributors and vendors. Business expenses like payment of utility bills and GST can also be made through the app.

The app has been designed following an in-depth market survey which indicated that merchants were looking for a comprehensive payments and banking solution that enables business growth.

The app also is improving efficiency of business operations and helping merchants grow their business by leveraging the full strength of the Banks lending, banking and value-added services in addition to a host of payment and reconciliation features.

Merchants get 24x7 support through the Banks Eva chatbot in addition to support made available via phone banking and the relationship management team of the bank.

The app with a PlayStore rating of 4.9 and an ioS rating of 4.6 is adding more than 75,000 active merchants every month and will be available at 1 Mn merchant acceptance points this month.

SmartHub Vyapar will be the banks lead offering in the journey towards enabling 7 Mn merchant acceptance points by the end of this financial year.

The app has been developed by HDFC Bank in partnership with Mintoak Innovations India Private Ltd which is a merchant SaaS platform with a modular product offering to help banks connect with their merchants.

UNI BDN GNK
Pen Underwriting, the London-based managing general agent and Arthur J. Gallagher subsidiary, announced a new multi-year strategic partnership with Aviva in support of its personal lines and property owners business, which will see Aviva providing capacity for over 100 million (US$113.7 million) in premium per annum.

Under the terms of the deal, Aviva will provide 100% capacity across these business lines within Pens personal lines division from April 1, 2023 for risks placed with Pen via both coverholders and brokers.

The agreement will utilize Pens capabilities as a virtual insurer in not only underwriting and distribution but also insight and pricing, risk and governance and claims handling. By empowering Pen with delegated underwriting, pricing and claims authority, the agreement will benefit Pens distribution partners, as well as end customers, in a number of ways  including prompt decision-making, enhanced trading efficiencies and bringing new products more quickly to market, while providing first-class security on a long-term basis.

This deal builds on Avivas existing partnership with Pen where it currently provides reinsurance capacity for its personal lines business. With this new announcement, Pen will benefit from Avivas position as a leading general insurer in the UK, with a strong brand, broad scale and extensive customer and broker insight across its business. Previously, Aviva has outlined its plans to grow the personal lines business by targeting profitable segments of the market and this announcement is part of that strategy.

This is an absolutely fantastic deal for all stakeholders, combining the power of the Aviva brand with that of Pen and bringing together two parties with a shared vision of ambitious, sustainable growth, commented Jennifer Martin, chief underwriting officer for Pen Underwriting.

To have secured long-term capacity for our personal lines and property owners business so many months ahead of inception is a huge endorsement of the quality we have built within Pen and our professional approach to capacity management, Martin added. Together with Aviva, we have created long-term certainty for brokers, coverholders and their customers alike.

This deal builds on our strategy to target and invest in profitable segments of the personal lines insurance market and grow our business by choosing specialist provides to partner with, according to Jon Santer, managing director, Personal Lines Broker a, Aviva.

About Pen Underwriting

Pen Underwriting is a multi-class, multi-territory managing general agent (MGA) that operates as a virtual insurer, meaning it can fulfil all the typical functions of an insurance company  from underwriting, sales & distribution, pricing & analytics, product innovation, risk & governance through to claims handling  other than the provision of insurance capital.

Pen Underwriting has five divisions  International & Financial Lines, Specialty Lines, Public Sector, SME & Personal Lines and Manchester Underwriting Agencies Management (MUM)  offering a wide and growing range of specialisms from e-Solutions and delegated authorities for volume business through to specialty products with individual underwriting for hard-to-find placements.

Source: Pen Underwriting

Topics Underwriting A.J. Gallagher
Climate change made droughts in the Northern Hemisphere droughts more likely this year, a new study by a team of U.S. and international scientists shows.

The scientists, part of World Weather Attribution, a group that studies links between extreme weather and climate change, collaborated to assess to what extent human-induced climate change was altering the likelihood and intensity of the low soil moisture.

According to the group, the level of drought plaguing the regions in the Northern Hemisphere is expected to occur one time in 400 years. However, climate change makes these conditions likely to repeat every 20 years.

The other main findings from the groups report include:

Heat and low rainfall in West-Central Europe had far reaching impacts on a variety of sectors including human health, energy, agriculture, and municipal water supply.

The dry conditions observed in 2022 would have been less likely to occur at the beginning of the 20th century.

Models show soil moisture drought will continue to increase with additional global warming, findings that are consistent with projected long-term trends in other established climate models.

Galloping Climate Chaos

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres this week warned of a life-or-death struggle for survival as climate chaos gallops ahead.

Guterres also accused the worlds wealthiest countries of not doing enough to stop climate change, and he noted that emissions of global-warming greenhouse gases have risen to all-time highs, Global News reported.

Eyeing the COP27 meeting in Egypt, he said the event is the place to begin halting the losses and damages. He also said commitments by the G20 group of the worlds leading economies were coming up short.

He further warned that pledges and policies being made now actually worsen chances to limit global temperature rise to the 1.5-degree threshold.

We are in a life-or-death struggle for our own safety today and our survival tomorrow, Global News reported. COP27 is the place for all countries  led by the G20  to show they are in this fight, and in it together.

Climate NGOs

Climate NGOs this week amplified calls for global insurers to stop covering a massive LNG project.

Reclaim Finance and other activist organizations sent letters to insurers like AXA SA, Allianz SE and Swiss Re AG, urging them to stop providing the coverage necessary to expand the Ichthys LNG project in Australia, Bloomberg reported in an article on Insurance Journal.

It is estimated that emissions from the project could reach 590 million tons of carbon dioxide, which is close to Australias entire annual CO2 output.

Most of the insurers involved in the past in this project already committed to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 following a 1.5C pathway for their re/insurance portfolios, Ariel Le Bourdonnec, insurance campaigner at Reclaim Finance, said in a statement.

He added: If they want to meet their climate pledges, they cannot renew their support in such a gas expansion project like Ichthys LNGs expansion or any other new oil and gas production project.

According to the Bloomberg article, insurers face some of the biggest risks from climate change, as rising temperatures worsen catastrophes like wildfire and flooding.

USAF

The U.S. Air Force released its climate action plan on Wednesday.

The plan includes a goal of having bases at net-zero emissions by 2046 as part of a massive effort to reduce the Air Forces carbon footprint, which also accounts for adapting operations to changing climate conditions, NBC News reported.

Extreme weather and environmental conditions are already imposing high costs on Department of the Air Force installations and operational missions, while simultaneously posing new risks to our ability to train and operate effectively, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall stated.

The plan acknowledged the Air Force is the Defense Departments largest greenhouse gas emitter.

The plan seeks to modernize global base infrastructure. The Department of the Air Force requested a budget of $194 billion for the next fiscal year, according to NBC News.

Past columns:

Topics Trends Climate Change
Texas Mutual, the states leading provider of workers compensation insurance, today announced that the companys President & Chief Executive Officer, Richard Rich Gergasko, has shared with the Board of Directors his intention to retire in early 2023. Gergasko joined Texas Mutual in 2013.

We are grateful to Rich for his steadfast leadership, especially during the last few years when our employees, agents and policyholders looked to him for stability during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ron Simmons, chairman, Texas Mutual Board of Directors, said. Richs accomplishments during his tenure at Texas Mutual are numerous. I am particularly proud of the excellent financial foundation he has built that is recognized through an A rating from AM Best. I also appreciate his work to create a stronger, safer Texas and am confident his efforts will have a lasting impact across our state and the industry.

Gergasko implemented new initiatives to keep employees and policyholders safe, including a no-use-while-driving cell phone policy for all employees. Among other accomplishments, in 2016, Gergasko was the recipient of the Austin Business Journals Best CEO of the Year Award in Central Texas.

Topics Texas
An outspoken Christian conservative attorney from Alabama has asked a federal appeals court to revive a Louisiana pastors damage claims against state officials over long-expired COVID-19 restrictions.

A federal judge this year dismissed minister Tony Spells lawsuit against Gov. John Bel Edwards and others over enforcement of the ban. Spell drew national attendance for his flouting of the restrictions early in the pandemic at his church in Central, near Baton Rouge.

One of Spells attorneys is Roy Moore, the former Alabama Supreme Court justice and Senate candidate. Moore insisted in arguments this week before a panel of judges from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the state had no authority whatsoever to restrict church gatherings.

Panel members appeared skeptical of that claim in arguments recorded as they were held Monday in Fort Worth, Texas. But they raised the question of whether Spells church was unfairly restricted, compared with other public gathering places, such as shopping mall food courts.

They have treated us differently, Moore said. But the basis of our argument is there is no jurisdiction to limit a church attendance.

Spell has had some legal victories in his fight with the state. Louisianas Supreme Court, in May, threw out state charges against him, ruling 5-2 that Edwards restrictions in place at the time violated Spells freedom of religion.

But his lawsuit that includes claims for damages over the gathering restrictions was thrown out by U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson in Baton Rouge. Jackson ruled in January that the lawsuit was moot because the restrictions expired long ago.

And Jackson rejected Spells request for damages from state and local officials, ruling that there is not now, and never has been, a `clearly established right to unrestricted religious assembly, and at all relevant times Defendants reasonably believed that they were acting within the constitutional limits set by the Supreme Court and the Fifth Circuit.

The appellate judges on Monday closely questioned Josh Force, an attorney arguing for the Edwards administration, on whether church assemblies were treated unfairly when compared with other public gatherings, including crowds at shopping malls and Black Lives Matter protests.

Isnt the food court at the mall at least as dangerous as the worship center? Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod asked.

Force argued that Edwards was acting under the best advice of public health officials at the time as to what types of gatherings were safe.

Hearing the case were Elrod and 5th Circuit Chief Judge Priscilla Richman, both nominated to the circuit by President George W. Bush; and Judge Andrew Oldham, nominated by President Donald Trump.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Louisiana COVID-19
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.

Topics Texas Profit Loss
The Florida Division of Workers Compensation has rescheduled two workshops on proposed rules governing physician dispensing of medications.

The workshops were set for Sept. 29 but were postponed due to the arrival of Hurricane Ian across much of Florida last week. The sessions, to be in-person-only in Tallahassee, were postponed again after a scheduling conflict with an October industry conference. The new date and time is Nov. 1 at 9:30 a.m. for health care provider responsibilities, and 2 p.m. for insurer authorization. Both will be at 1579 Summit Lake Drive in Tallahassee.

Rules on physician dispensing have been a point of contention for years in Florida. With the latest proposal, the DWC is essentially starting over, after insurance companies challenged a 2020 bulletin from the state Department of Financial Services. The bulletin appeared to authorize dispensing, without the department going through the normal rulemaking process.

Workers compensation insurers have said that physician dispensing is not unlike self-dealing when doctors own the pharmacy providing the meds, and it allows higher charges and few safeguards on drug conflicts or overuse by patients.

Topics Florida
A jury has awarded a racial justice demonstrator more than $1 million in a lawsuit she filed in 2020 against the city of Salem, Oregon, 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.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Oregon Civil Unrest
The Vancouver City Council in Washington has approved a $725,000 settlement in the police shooting of a man who was experiencing a mental health crisis in April 2020.

Three Vancouver police officers fatally shot William Abbe, 50. The Thurston County Prosecuting Attorneys Office deemed it was lawful and justified, the Columbian reported.

Kara Brandon, Abbes daughter, filed a federal lawsuit in 2021 against the city of Vancouver and the involved officers. It alleged wrongful death, negligence, assault and battery, and excessive force.

According to the lawsuit, Abbe had an altercation with another man in the street and police were called. The officers were talking with Abbe when he started walking toward a sergeant, who responded by leveling his handgun toward Abbes chest. Abbe stopped and was standing still when the sergeant fired a shot to his chest, the lawsuit said.

Abbe turned and fell to the ground, the sergeant shot him in the back, the lawsuit said. As he was on the ground, another officer fired two shots, the lawsuit said. The officers fired five rounds.

Lawyers for the officers said a witness said Abbe continued to yell at the officers, threw rocks at them and held two metal pipes when the shooting occurred.

The federal judge ordered the case dismissed on Tuesday after the two sides agreed to settle.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Washington
Environmental policy has to "address real commercial needs and concerns" if it is to get buy-in from farmers.

At a meeting with Tanaiste Leo Varadkar this week, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association deputy president Denis Drennan called for the Government's policy on farming and agricultural emissions to "reach out" to commercial family farms, and "cease the useless and regressive either/or approach" to organic and commercial farming.

Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan - approved by Cabinet this week - is an example of an "active exclusion of commercial family farms - particularly dairy farms", the ICMSA has claimed.

Mr Drennan said that with the new agri-environmental scheme ACRES, "no effort" has been made to make the scheme "appealing or workable" for commercial dairy farmers, with the result that "the very farms needed to make Government policy effective could not participate".

We have consistently pointed out to the Government that if we are to make anything near the kind of emissions reductions they have set out while preserving the economic motor that is our commercial dairy sector, we have to design schemes that bring in the commercial family farms that want to participate," Mr Drennan said.

The Governments approach as typified by ACRES is predicated on excluding those farms  the actual basis for our dairy and beef sectors - and effectively supporting niche farming or land stewardship models that are already marginal to the national model.

"Its self-evident that this policy of excluding commercial and focusing on organics or niche farming has no chance of getting the kind of critical mass in terms of emissions reductions that the Government policy claims to want.

"Its actually working to exclude the very type of farms that the policy needs if it is to have any chance of getting that momentum."

The ICMSA has stressed that environmental policy has to address "real commercial needs and concerns" in order to get the critical farmer buy-in.

"That means making environmental schemes attractive and workable for commercial family farms," Mr Drennan added.

"It cant be an either/or where family farms must choose between being either environmentally progressive or commercially feasible.

"Policy and schemes must be designed to be both environmentally progressive and commercially feasible."

ACRES

Meanwhile, the Irish Farmers' Association has said that with contracts under schemes GLAS and REAP set to finish at the end of this year, combined with expressions of interest for ACRES, it is expected that over 60,000 farmers may wish to participate in an agri-environment scheme.

However, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has announced 30,000 places under tranche 1 of ACRES.

"Its essential that all farmers eligible for an environmental scheme receive a payment in 2023," IFA rural development chairman Michael Biggins said.

"This can be done by offering a bridging payment to farmers who are not successful in tranche 1 of ACRES that matches their previous agri-environmental scheme payment, or alternatively by paying an upfront payment in 2023 for tranche 2 ACRES participants, similar to the way REPS payments were in the past."

The IFA has also welcomed changes to specifications of the ACRES scheme, such as to the extensively grazed pasture measure.

"The changes now mean farmers will receive 250 per hectare instead of 200 under this measure and can claim 2,000, with eight hectares of land instead of 10 hectares," Mr Biggins said.

"This will help farmers with smaller holdings qualify for a higher payment under ACRES, which is a positive development and something we have been pressing strongly for months now.
1. Comfort & Calm at The Spa at The Shelbourne, Dublin

Comfort & Calm is a unique new treatment at The Shelbourne, created in partnership with Irish wellness brand Ground Wellbeing. Specifically designed to support and care for women going through perimenopause and menopause, this powerful treatment focuses on the body as a whole  helping to comfort, soothe, relax and balance the nervous system.

Encompassing a range of therapies over 90 minutes, including an aromatherapy foot bath, cold-stone massage therapy, gua sha, reflexology, and lymphatic drainage techniques. This holistic treatment, paired with guided breathwork, will assist with heat distribution, inflammation and fluid retention in the body and should help calm the mind, reduce the symptoms of stress and anxiety, and assist with a deeper, more restorative sleep.

190 for a 90-minute treatment. Available Monday to Sunday at The Spa at The Shelbourne until November 31st 2022. Call 01 6634685 to book or email spa@theshelbourne.com.

2. Reviving Back, Face, and Scalp Treatment at The Europe, Killarney, Co Kerry

Designed to unravel tension at the deepest level while boosting the complexion and relaxing the body and mind, this luxurious two-hour treatment will help you restore, rebalance and recharge.

Using a combination of hot-stone therapy and targeted massage techniques, prepare to be transported via a series of indulgent treatment approaches. Therapies include a reviving, stress-reducing scalp massage, back exfoliation, back massage, a foot ritual and a personalised skin-rejuvenating facial using award-winning ESPA products.

255 for a two-hour treatment. Available daily at ESPA at The Europe. Call (064) 6671333 to book or email espa@theeurope.com.

3. OTO CBD Signature Treatment at Galgorm Resort, Co Antrim

A new and exclusive luxury CBD brand OTO treatment is now available at Galgorm Resort and Spa. An all-encompassing treatment that aims to release muscular tension from the body and promote deep relaxation, helping to reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety and improve general mood, this is a truly immersive CBD-infused massage experience that focuses on the decollete, face, and scalp.

The one-hour treatment includes a quartz bed with heated quartz sand bursts for intense relaxation, an intuitive hand and foot wellness ritual, guided breathwork, exfoliating brushing of the skin, and a muscle-relieving massage.

Available as part of Galgorms Refocus & Balance Day Spa Experience, with prices starting from 160 per person. Or available as a 60-minute Residents Spa Treatment, starting from 95 per person. To book, call (0044) 28 25882554 or email reservations@galgorm.com.

4. Ashford Castle Ritual at The Spa at Ashford Castle, Co Galway

A combination of five specialised treatments available at The Spa at Ashford Castle, this blissful, head-to-toe signature ritual focuses on hydrating and rejuvenating the skin and releasing tension from the body.

Prepare to drift away during this one-hour treatment with an Elemis muscle-melting back massage with warm body oil, a nourishing dual-action frangipani hair mask, a restorative, therapeutic scalp massage that works to release upper-body tension, a calming ritual that focuses on pressure points on the feet, and much more.

Prices start from 165. Available daily at The Spa at Ashford Castle. Call 094 9546003 to book or email thespa@ashfordcastle.com.

5, The Barrog Rituals at Hayfield Manor, Co Cork

The Barrog Rituals by Ground Wellbeing are a series of new holistic treatments available exclusively at The Beautique Spa at Hayfield Manor.

Designed by Ground founder Peigin Crowley and head of training and treatment development, Rachel OMalley, together with the expertise of cancer care expert Christine Clinton, The Barrog Rituals are specifically for those living with or beyond cancer.

Helping to soothe the nervous system and encourage calm and rest when it is needed most, treatment options include The Barrog Full Body Massage, a 60-minute ritual designed to calm, comfort and provide specific relief to compromised skin in a safe way. The Barrog Calming Ritual, a 90-minute treatment encompassing a full body massage and calming scalp ritual to comfort dry and delicate skin, and The Barrog Soothing Ritual, a treatment that focuses on the body, hands and feet and may assist with relieving the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy and hand and foot syndrome. Each treatment can be modified and adapted to suit each individual and the stage they find themselves on in their journey.

Hayfield Manor is the first spa in Ireland to offer these treatments. Booking is essential.

Prices start from 120 depending on the treatment chosen. To find out more or to make a booking, call 021 4845929 or email spa@hayfieldmanor.ie.
New Delhi, Oct 6 (UNI) Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan will pay an official visit to the US from October 6 to 9.

He is visiting New York on October 6-7.

He will participate in a high level UN Security Council debate on "Peace and Security in Africa: Strengthening the fight against the financing of armed groups and terrorists through the illicit trafficking of natural resources on October 6, the MEA said in a statement.

The UNSC meeting is a signature initiative of Gabons Presidency of the Security Council and likely to be presided over by the Foreign Minister of Gabon.

On October 7, Muraleedharan will also attend an event to commemorate the fifth anniversary of India-UN Development Partnership Fund. Established in 2017, the $150 million India-UN Development Partnership Fund is supported and led India and implemented in collaboration with the UN system.

The Fund supports demand-driven and transformational sustainable development projects across the developing world, with a focus on least developed countries and small island developing states.

Muraleedharan is also likely to meet senior UN officials as well as Ministers of other member states attending the UNSC meeting.

He will also be visiting Atlanta on October 8-9 for Indian community related engagements.

UNI ASU SY MR
Was it for this the wild geese spread The grey wing upon every tide

When the Treaty of Limerick was signed in October 1691, the wild geese remnants of Patrick Sarsfields Jacobite army set sail for mainland Europe, never to return. Yeats grey wing belonged to a goose which lags behind other geese at migration time  the greylag.

Some dont leave our shores at all. Remaining for the summer, they are only truly wild geese breeding in Ireland or Britain. Around October, Icelandic greylags fly 1,300km directly across the ocean to Ireland. They have been doing so for millennia.

Greylag goose: this is the western form of the bird (orange bill). The eastern form has a pink bill. These geese are ancestors of our domestic geese

The British Trust for Ornithologys latest bird-ringing report, however, has an interesting entry. Among the recoveries of special interest, it notes that a greylag fitted with a neck-collar in County Wicklow in 2015, has been recorded on the Faroe Islands  only the second ringed greylag to turn up there.

It is likely that this individual was on route to its Irish wintering ground the report adds. The Faroes, although lying somewhat north of the direct path from Iceland to Ireland, might serve as a rest and recreation staging post on the journey.

The greylag, our largest wild goose, has a prominent orange bill and pale wing flashes in flight, making it easy to identify.

Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild. David Attenborough in a boat with imprinted Greylag goose (Anser anser). Picture: Mary Lou Aitchison

This traditional Irish wild goose has a chequered history. Numbers have fluctuated erratically since counting began a century ago. Up to 10,000 greylags wintered on the Wexford slob-lands during the 1940s, but there were fewer than 300 a decade later. Recent counts suggest that slightly more than 2,000 greylags winter now in Ireland. The 8,500 geese on the slobs today are Greenland whitefronts, cousins of the greylag.

Greylags may be scarce but their DNA isnt; the ancestors of our domestic geese were largely greylags. Geese were among the first birds to be domesticated. Theres a 3,000-year-old depiction of a greylag in El-Amara, Egypt. The Romans prized goose liver.

According to legend, the cackling of geese warned the garrison of the Eternal City of an immanent nocturnal attack by Gauls in 390BC. Goose was widely eaten here until the turkey, introduced from its native North America, supplanted it. According to Teagasc, we consume between 11,000 and 15,000 domestic geese each Christmas.

Man and Wildfowl by Janet Kear: The involvement of humans with ducks, geese and swans has probably been closer than with any other group of birds, today and for several millennia past.

Janet Kear in Man and Wildfowl gives figures for goose consumption in London during the 19th Century. Of 38,000 geese arriving in Leadenhall market at Christmas 1877, 10,000 were Irish; 5,000 fed in England and 5,000 killed in Ireland. By then, geese could be transported by train, whereas they had to be walked to the cities previously.

Kear notes that: On 2 September 1783, a drove of about 9,000 geese passed through Chelmsford on their way from Suffolk to

London.

To shoe a goose means to engage in a foolish enterprise. To protect their feet during the long walks, some geese were shod. They had their feet dipped in tar and were walked over sand. Being corralled at night during the walk, they were easier to manage than turkeys, who tended to roost in trees and refused to come down in the morning.
Gardai are appealing for witnesses after a woman was threated with a suspected gun during a car hijacking in Dublin.

The incident took place at Park West Road, Ballyfermot, on Thursday afternoon.
Gardai intervened when a man carrying a knife chased another man from outside the Cork District Courthouse and now he has been jailed for three months.

Jason ODriscoll, 23, with an address at 68 Noonan Road, Cork, pleaded guilty to producing a knife during the incident one year ago.

Inspector Gillian Sinnott outlined the background to the incident which occurred just outside Cork District Court on Anglesea Street on the morning of October 18 2021.

Mr ODriscoll was involved in an altercation outside the courthouse.

He produced a knife and chased another man. Mr ODriscoll had the knife in his hand, Inspector Sinnott said.

Gardai from Anglesea Street station came out and apprehended the accused. He stopped, put down the knife and made admissions immediately, the inspector said.

Judge Marian OLeary asked to see a photograph of the knife.

Jason ODriscoll had 15 previous convictions.

Eddie Burke solicitor said: His brother was driving him to court. He (Jason ODriscoll) was appearing in relation to a minor matter.

They were parking their cars when individuals abused them and kicked the car. They were using the car to get to work and they had a lot of tools in the back seat. He reaches in and takes something out of the car to scare these other people.

When he was questioned later at the Bridewell he was totally cooperative and made a six or eight-page statement in the station.

He did not come to court that day looking for trouble with anybody. These people kicked the car. This was an attempt to frighten them away. The 23-year-old defendant is originally from Limerick and living in Cork for the past five years, Mr Burke said.

The solicitor indicated that the sentence of three months may be appealed.
Tralees main Rath Cemetery remains sealed off today as gardai comb a significant area around graves and tombstones after an attack in which a Killarney man lost his life and a number of others were injured.

Gardai investigating the incident have arrested two men in connection with the fatal attack.

The first arrest took place outside Cork University Hospital in the early hours of this morning after a man presented with injuries.

The man, aged in his 30s, is currently being detained at Tralee Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. He can be held for 24 hours when he will have to be charged or released.

A second arrest was made this afternoon when a man, aged in his early 40s, was arrested in Cork city.

The man was also taken to Tralee Garda Station where he is currently being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

The fatal assault occurred during a funeral in Rath cemetery in Tralee where Thomas Dooley, 44, of Ballyspillane, a father of seven suffered horrific injuries. His wife, Siobhan, also suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

A sickle and other weapons were later recovered.

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.

A post-mortem will be carried out by Dr Sally Anne Collis at University Hospital Kerry today.

The results of the 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.

The couple had been attending the funeral of mother-of-five, Bridget O'Brien, who died suddenly on Sunday.

There was a large crowd of mourners in the cemetery when the attack happened shortly after 11am.

Investigating gardai said they are trying to establish a motive for the attack while community leaders have appealed for calm.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee described it as an absolutely appalling attack.

I cant say much more than that. My condolences to this man and his family, but unfortunately its an ongoing investigation. Its a live investigation, Ms McEntee said on Thursday.

I trust the gardai will do the job here and obviously that there will be justice for the family.

Rath cemetery has been the setting for previous outbreaks of violence.

In November 2014, around 30 people also from the Cork/Kerry Traveller community were involved in an outbreak involving machetes, slash hooks, and other similar implements brought to the scene.

Kerry County Council has advised the public Rath Cemetery will remain closed today.

Gardai are continuing to appeal for witnesses to come forward and for any person with camera footage to make it available to them.

Anyone with information regarding the yesterday's incident is asked to contact the incident room at Tralee Garda Station on 066 710 2300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.

The investigation is ongoing and further updates will follow.
A British life peer who once owned and later rented one of Ireland's finest palladian mansions has lost an appeal against a 571,000 judgment against him for rent arrears on the property.

George Magan (76) previously lost an appeal against a High Court decision ordering the forfeiture of Castletown House in Kilkenny on the basis that he was not entitled to a new tenancy or to possession of the property under landlord and tenant laws.

He claimed the managers of a trust that he originally set up to manage the house and property had illegally forcibly entered the property and changed the locks in May 2018.

He separately appealed the rent arrears judgment and another part of the High Court finding that the courts were the correct forum for the tenancy matter and not the Residential Tenancies Board.

On Thursday, Mr Justice Brian Murray, on behalf of a three-judge Court of Appeal (CoA), dismissed his appeal saying the High Court was correct in relation to the judgment and in allowing the tenancy to be dealt with by the courts.

The CoA had allowed Edward Magan, on an exceptional basis, to present the appeal due to his father's ill health even though Edward is not a lawyer.

Edward, along with his sister Henrietta, were made beneficiaries by their father of the Jersey-registered Eaglehill Trust, whose trustee is Yew Yew Trustees Ltd and which is controlled by the Castletown Foundation, the professional managers of Castletown and its 513-acre estate.

New evidence

In presenting the appeal, Edward sought to admit new evidence which had not been presented in the High Court. He claimed the new evidence showed wrongdoing by the Castletown Foundation and was grounds for overturning the High Court decision.

Among his claims were that the whole eviction and sale of important works of arts and furniture in Castletown for 27m, which he said was at an undervalue, was done to entice the eventual purchaser of the house into a transaction which would generate the monies to refinance four separate related trusts.

These trusts, he claimed, had been managed incompetently and negligently by people including a director of the Castletown Foundation. This and other evidence was not before the High Court which meant the eviction was manifestly unlawful, he claimed.

Judgment

Mr Justice Murray said the CoA could not embark on what was an entirely new hearing but was only required to decide whether the High Court decision, based on the evidence before it, had been correct.

The appeal court has the power to admit new evidence and arguments but it is within the constraints of the well-established principle of fairness to the other side which has incurred costs and expense in obtaining a lower court ruling. That party is entitled to expect that that order will stand unless shown to be erroneous having regard to the matters that were considered by the High Court judge, he said.

Much of the new evidence bore no relationship to the specific grounds on which the High Court judge decided the case, he said. However, there was nothing to stop the defendant from "agitating these issues" separately from this case.
With respect to my learned colleagues in news, they rather spoiled my porridge last week with a yarn in these pages.

Plans for a 100m Kildare Village-style retail centre in Co Cork have been given a major boost, I read, after the planning minister sided against objections to the development from the Office of the Planning Regulator.

The OPR had previously instructed Cork County Council not to allow British-based Rioja Estates to develop the centre in Carrigtwohill... Local Government and Planning Minister Peter Burke has, for what is believed to be the first time, sided against the OPR objections to the local authority-backed development.

Hat-tip on one small point: recent tradition dictates that this outlet can only be described as a Kildare Village-type development, so well maintain that approach for the sake of clarity. For the sake of consistency.

And for the sake of pointing out the affront to common sense here.

The idea of a village-type development is presumably to give shoppers a sense of being in a village, a welcome facsimile of small-scale, close-quarters friendliness which would be difficult to find in a large city, for instance.

The obvious point here is that the proposed village-type development in east Cork is very near some... actual villages, not facsimiles. In fact, for many of the prospective customers, the road to the village-type development leads through those places. The likes of Killeagh and Castlemartyr on the main road, Ladysbridge and Lisgoold off the beaten track.

What will this new development do to the businesses which already exist in those real villages?

Ill come back to this, one of the more obvious drawbacks to this scheme.

Traffic misery

Another drawback?

Every morning when you turn on Marty Whelan to hear him bamboozle listeners with the theme music to 'Knight Rider' or 'Au Fond Du Temple Saint', you will also hear the lady from AA Roadwatch say that traffic is heavy heading west into the Dunkettle Interchange, or heavy coming out of Castlemartyr on the N25.

Creating a large shopping centre on that road will have an impact on that traffic, with the word impact doing a lot of work in that sentence. No doubt a sophisticated traffic plan is already near completion which will show that hundreds of extra cars and trucks will actually make traffic in the area lighter in some way.

You probably see that as some kind of rhetorical flourish on my part, an exaggeration for effect. However, look at the nearest shopping centre, at Mahon Point. This must be the only such facility in Ireland where the local authority felt one road leading in and one road leading out was sufficient.

Now consider what traffic in the area will look like when the east Cork outlet is completed.

I bring up Mahon Point deliberately, because it shows how interconnected everything is in Cork. Readers are no doubt familiar with the old Chinese proverb about the flapping of the wings of a butterfly being felt on the other side of the world.

If the old Chinese in question was familiar with traffic in Cork he would have said the breakdown of a car on the off-ramp to the Jack Lynch Tunnel can be felt on the other side of the city

The connections go on and on and round and round in Cork. Readers will be familiar with the ongoing rumbles about the BusConnects plan for Cork  a plan which aims to improve peoples access to and mobility around the city (while decimating the tree population, but well have to come back to that masterstroke, and other points, at some future date).

The eagerness of Burke to overrule the Office of the Planning Regulator in this case means there must now be serious doubts about whether or not to continue with BusConnects. Why should millions be spent on improving access to a city which has been hollowed out by a large-scale retail development a few miles to the east?

Damage to businesses

This development has the potential to inflict catastrophic damage on businesses in Cork city centre which are still recovering from the effects of the lockdown. It might be no harm for the local authority with responsibility for that area to be more vocal in this case, if for no other reason than to counter some of the raimeis being spouted outside the city boundaries.

For instance, county councillors are talking up the Carrigtwohill development and how it will have a hugely positive financial impact on the whole Cork region. They say people from the Cork region will no longer have to travel to the Kildare Village centre for bargains, with their money instead remaining in the local economy. Where to start with this?

Regret at the wagon trains going north every morning from Cork as people search desperately for cheaper sunglasses in Kildare? Pride at our emancipation from the need to stream up the motorway looking for bargains in Karl Lagerfeld Kids? Anticipation ahead of this sudden spike in spending in Cork as people flock to their own retail village?

Enough of the sarcasm. Its insulting to suggest to people that this will be a boon to the area. Developers Rioja Estates maintain that the new centre will create 800 jobs, and they may be right.

How many of those jobs will replace an existing job, however, in one of the smaller retail outlets which lie along or near the N25?

And what will replace the retail outlets in those small towns and villages when theyre swallowed up by the black hole being created with the blessing of the county council?

(Again with the connectedness: they wont be replaced but will simply fall into disrepair and dereliction.) None of this need worry anyone as they sit in a two-mile tailback, however, waiting for their turn to shuffle around the new village. While that traffic jam inches along, of course, therell be increased emissions, another cherry on top of this offering.

At a time when we want BusConnects to offer an alternative to car travel in the city, instead well have a rival development to centre-city businesses which you can reach by way of the dual carriageway. This will help BusConnects, of course, because much of the traffic will head east from the city and vanish, leaving the buses to roam the city like square, lonely dinosaurs.

Aiming for a massive, out-of-town shopping mall is reminiscent of American planning policy going back the decades  a policy which led to deserted downtowns and decay in inner cities, decay which took years to reverse.

In more recent years evidence has emerged that large shopping precincts in the US are now moving beyond retail, offering space in their malls for alternative use  the likes of medical offices and casinos.

And apartments, believe it or not: accommodation, which is truly needed in Ireland. Could we save time and move to that stage first in this case, and just forget about the retail part?
A pilots strike at budget airline Eurowings forced the German carrier to cancel hundreds of flights on Thursday.

The Lufthansa subsidiary said about half of its 500 daily flights would be cancelled, affecting tens of thousands of passengers.

German airports are heavily affected, but others such as Stockholm, Prague and Majorca have also been hit.

Pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit announced the walkout after talks with management about improving working conditions stalled.

Pilots are asking for the maximum number of flying hours to be reduced.

Strikes at parent company Lufthansa were called off last month after the airline and union reached a pay deal to address the effects of inflation.
Burma Myanmar Junta Invites Bids for Election Equipment

A voter dips a finger in indelible ink during the 2020 general election. / The Irrawaddy

In the latest preparation for a general election, Myanmars junta-appointed Union Election Commission is calling for bids to supply polling equipment.

In the tender announcements in junta-controlled newspapers, the commission invites bids for plastic ballot boxes, voting booths, pens, envelopes, ballot papers, ropes, ink and badges. The deadline for submissions is October 30.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing told Russian news agency RIA last month of a possible delay to the planned election next year.

He said it is too early to discuss a possible delay because it was around five months until emergency rule expired and a decision had to be based on the economic recovery and security situation.

Under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution, the chief of the armed forces can impose emergency rule for one year and renew it twice for six months. Emergency rule has already been renewed twice and will expire on February 1 next year. The election must be held within six months of that date under the Constitution.

However, the regime is still struggling with nationwide armed resistance which is expected to escalate after the rainy season.

The acting president of the civilian National Unity Government Duwa Lashi La called it a fraudulent election to prolong military rule.

He called on the people to block plans for the rigged election through all means.

Holding an election is part of the juntas five-point roadmap released after the 2021 coup. The regime has been amending electoral law and plans to replace the current first-past-the-post electoral system with proportional representation. The change is seen as favoring the military and its allied political parties by stopping the National League for Democracy from winning a landslide like in 1990, 2015 and 2020.

The militarys proxy and allied parties suffered humiliating defeats in the 2020 general election. Those parties will contest any junta election and the regime will presumably ensure they form a coalition.

It is widely believed that Min Aung Hlaing wants to be elected president and will probably be nominated for the presidency by the militarys proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party, which recently elected his key ally as leader.
Burma Myanmar Junta Jails Japanese Filmmaker for 10 Years: Diplomatic Source

A group of activists hold up placards with images of Japanese citizen Toru Kubota, who has been jailed in Myanmar, during a rally in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo in July. / AFP

YANGONMyanmars junta has jailed a Japanese filmmaker for 10 years for encouraging dissent against the military and violating an electronic communications law, a diplomatic source told AFP on Thursday.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the generals ousted Daw Aung San Suu Kyis civilian government in February last year, sparking an uprising and military crackdown that have left thousands dead.

Toru Kubota was sentenced by the court in Yangons Insein Prison on Wednesday, a diplomat at Japans embassy in Myanmar said, adding that the filmmakers trial for violating immigration law was still continuing.

Kubota, 26, was detained near an anti-junta rally in Yangon in July along with two Myanmar citizens.

He was initially charged under a law that criminalizes encouraging dissent against the military, and with breaching immigration charges.

The dissent charge carries a maximum three-year jail term and has been widely used in the crackdown on opposition to the coup.

The next hearing for the immigration charge would take place next Wednesday, the source added.

A junta spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.

According to a profile on FilmFreeway, Kubota has previously made documentaries on Myanmars Muslim Rohingya minority and refugees and ethnic issues in Myanmar.

Press crackdown

Tokyo is a top donor to Myanmar and has long-standing relations with the countrys military.

In September Japans Defense Ministry said it will halt a training program for members of Myanmars military from next year over the juntas executions of pro-democracy activists.

Since 2015, Japan has received 30 members of the Myanmar military as students at facilities including the National Defense Academy.

The program is intended to help the students acquire correct knowledge about democracy and civilian leadership of the military, through interaction with Japans Self-Defense Forces, the defense minister told parliament in April.

The already isolated junta stoked further international outrage in July when it announced the execution of four prisoners, in the countrys first use of capital punishment in decades.

Myanmars junta has clamped down on press freedoms, arresting reporters and photographers, as well as revoking broadcasting licenses.

Kubota is the fifth foreign journalist to be detained in Myanmar, after US citizens Nathan Maung and Danny Fenster, Robert Bociaga of Poland and Yuki Kitazumi of Japan, all of whom were later freed and deported.

Fenster, who was held in May last year as he attempted to leave the country, faced a closed-door trial inside Insein on charges of unlawful association, incitement against the military and breaching visa rules.

He was sentenced to 11 years in prison before being pardoned and deported.
Burma Myanmar Juntas Nuclear Ambition Timeline

--

The juntas recent confirmation that it will build a small-scale nuclear power plant in the next few years caps Myanmars long pursuit of nuclear technology dating back to early 2000.

The Southeast Asian countrys two-decade-long journey to nuclear capability was made possible by Russia after a series of engagements that accelerated under the current junta and its military predecessor.

Though the current regime insists nuclear energy would be used for peaceful purposes in Myanmar, which has been hit by chronic electricity shortages, many believe this is the first step in a plan to utilize nuclear energy for military purposes including production of nuclear weapons.

The timeline on Myanmars long road to nuclear technology:

January 2002

The Myanmar military regime confirms plans to build a nuclear research reactor for peaceful purposes.

May 2002

Russias Atomic Energy Ministry, Minatom, agrees to help Myanmar build a nuclear studies center comprising a 10-megawatt nuclear reactor and two laboratories, in Magwe Division, central Myanmar. The agreement includes the construction of facilities for disposing of nuclear waste and Russian training for Myanmar technicians.

July 2002

Russia and Myanmar sign an agreement in Moscow on construction of the proposed nuclear research center in Myanmar.

April 9, 2004

Keith Luse, an aide to US Senator Richard Lugar, asks whether North Korea is providing nuclear technology to Burma, during a Washington seminar organized by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank.

February 13, 2004

The military regime declares that it has no desire to develop nuclear weapons, but has the right to develop nuclear facilities for peaceful purposes.

September 14, 2004

About 400 young military officers from Myanmar leave for Russia amid reports that some of them will study nuclear engineering.

August 3, 2006

Myanmars deputy ambassador to the UN Nyunt Swe tells the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva that Burma is opposed to nuclear weapons.

May 15, 2007

Russias federal atomic energy agency Rosatom announces it will help Myanmar build the proposed nuclear facility. The agency says the 10-megawatt nuclear reactor, fueled by less than 20 percent uranium-235, will contribute to Myanmars research in nuclear physics, biotechnology, material science as well asproduce a large variety of medicines. The first round of talks on project details begin.

May 16, 2007

The US condemns the project, while Thailand says it has no worries because the facility will be closely supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

November 2008

A 17-member high-level Myanmar military delegation led by then junta No 3 Thura Shwe Mann makes a secret seven-day visit to Pyongyang via Beijing, during which the two sides sign agreements to deepen military cooperation.

Shwe Mann and his delegation also visit Myohyang in North Korea, where secret tunnels have been built into the mountains to store and shield jet aircraft, missiles, tanks, missiles, and nuclear and chemical weapons. The visit arouses concerns about the Myanmar militarys nuclear ambitions.

In 2012, while serving as Speaker of the Lower House under U Thein Seins quasi-civilian government, Shwe Mann claims the delegation to North Korea observed the air defense system and signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation between two armies, while nuclear weapons were not on the agenda.

2010

Major Sai Thein Win, an engineer in the Myanmar militarys Science and Technology Workshop (known locally as the nuclear unit) with a doctorate in atomic energy from Russia, publicly reveals information, including photos, showing that the military regime is studying the possession of nuclear weapons with technological help from North Korea.

July 2013

Lt-Gen Thein Htay, who heads the Directorate of Defense Industries is placed on a US Treasury sanctions list for illicit trade in North Korean arms to Myanmar. He was part of Shwe Manns delegation to North Korea in 2008. Today, he serves as a weapon production advisor for the current regime.

2016

Myanmar signs the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty under the democratically elected government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi hands over the ratification instrument to United Nations Under-Secretary-General Miguel de Serpa Soares.

2018

Myanmars bicameral parliament approves President U Win Myints proposal for Myanmar to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Union Minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin signs the treaty during the UN General Assembly in September.

September 2022

The Myanmar junta and Russias state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom sign a roadmap for further atomic energy cooperation, including possible implementation of a modular reactor project in Myanmar.

The agreement is signed on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF-2022) in Vladivostok, Russia, which is attended by regime chief Min Aung Hlaing.

September 20, 2022

Junta spokesman Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun briefs press, confirming the regimes plan to implement a small nuclear power plant project in the next few years.

He does not specify the projects location but says the Atomic Energy Department of the juntas Ministry of Science and Technology will establish a nuclear information technology center in Yangon, which will gauge and influence public opinion on nuclear energy.
Kottayam-Kochi Rubber Market Rates 18 Oct 2022 | 4:38 PM Kottayam Oct 18(UNI) Following are the Rubber Market rates announced by the Rubber Board here on Tuesday per quintal. see more..

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SEBI to form advisory body with ANMI on cyber security 18 Oct 2022 | 3:47 PM Mumbai, Oct 18 (UNI) A Cybersecurity committee is being set up jointly with Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs) which include Exchanges, Depositories and Indias largest stock brokers association - ANMI under the guidance of market regulator the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to create an appropriate framework of cyber security. see more..

Commercial real estate preferred asset class for investors, says report 18 Oct 2022 | 3:42 PM New Delhi, Oct 18 (UNI) Commercial assets segment has emerged as the most preferred segment to attract investor interest with foreign funds continuing to eclipse India-dedicated funds in the total investment pie, said a FICCI-Vestian report released on Tuesday. see more..
The 15-member committee consists of directors-general from the Energy, Transport and Communications, Planning and Finances, the assistant quarter-master general, and chiefs of the state flag carrier Myanmar National Airlines and private airlines including Air Thanlwin, Myanmar Airways International, Yangon Aerodrome Co, and Golden Myanmar Airline.

In August, Myanmars junta reconstituted a state-level coordination committee on aviation fuel with the stated purpose of importing, storing and distributing aviation fuel in line with international norms.

Puma initially suspended its operations in Myanmar following the military coup in February 2021 but later resumed distribution for civilian purposes.

NEPAS is a joint venture between Puma Energy and the state-owned Myanmar Petrochemical Enterprise under the juntas Ministry of Energy, and engages in import and distribution of aviation fuel.

The company has signed an agreement to sell its stake in Puma Energy Asia Sun (PEAS) and its minority share in National Energy Puma Aviation Services (NEPAS) to a locally owned private company, the statement said, without naming the buyer.

Puma Energy, the midstream and retail arm of Switzerlands Trafigura and the main supplier of aviation fuel in Myanmar, announced on Wednesday that it has sold its operations in the country to a locally owned company, becoming the latest multinational to withdraw from military-ruled Myanmar.

Puma Energy Asia Sun Co., Ltd's fuel and petroleum products storage facility at Myanmar International Terminals Thilawa in Yangon in 2017. / The Irrawaddy

Puma Energy Asia Sun Co., Ltd's fuel and petroleum products storage facility at Myanmar International Terminals Thilawa in Yangon in 2017. / The Irrawaddy

Man Injured as Myanmar Junta-Run Airlines Plane Comes Under Fire in Kayah

War Against the Junta: Over 60 Forces Killed in Past Three Days

Will China use Pakistan as a Proxy to Arm Myanmar Military?

Army Major Among Nearly 40 Junta Troops Killed by Resistance in Two Days

Give Myanmars Resistance What It Needs to Shoot Down Junta Helicopters

Dozens of Myanmar Junta Troops, Informant Killed in Two Days of PDF Strikes

On Myanmar's Resistance to the Junta and What the Future Holds

Myanmar Resistance Group Warns Parties Not to Take Part in Juntas 2023 Election

Myanmar Resistance, Ethnic Forces Kill at Least 15 Junta Personnel in Two Days

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Analysis Myanmar Junta Leader Cements Control of Proxy Party as Henchman Elected Chair

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing (left) and USDP chair U Khin Yi

U Khin Yi, a retired brigadier general and former police chief, became the new chairman of the military proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) on Wednesday. But his takeover is a lot more than a simple change in party leadership.

His personality and record, and the political path the military regimes leaders are shaping for themselves all serve to explain his appointment as party chair.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing needs a political party that will fully support his goal of becoming president through the election he plans to hold next year. And he needs someone to steer the party exactly the way he wants. This is how U Khin Yi, who has displayed unwavering loyalty to successive military regimes, has become the party chair.

Under the military-drafted 2008 constitution, Min Aung Hlaing must hold a general election next year when his emergency rule expires. Setting aside the question of whether the election can be free and fair, the vote will allow Min Aung Hlaing to claimhowever dubiouslylegitimacy as the elected president of Myanmar, whether the rest of the world is happy about it or not. At best, the international community will issue statements, as they are doing now in the face of the Min Aung Hlaing regimes killing of civilians. Under the constitution, he can serve two terms, allowing him to hold the countrys top job for 10 years.

How exactly can Min Aung Hlaing become the president?

As the National League for Democracy (NLD) has rejected the regimes planned election, it will boycott the vote next year. In the NLDs absence, the USDP has a high chance of winning. And the regime may rig the vote if necessary, as it did in the 2010 poll.

Min Aung Hlaings dream of becoming president of Myanmar is an open secret. The Myanmar military and both houses of parliament nominate one vice-president each under the constitution, so Min Aung Hlaing will be nominated for the post by the Myanmar military.

The military is guaranteed 25 per cent of all seats in the national legislature under the 2008 constitution, and if the USDP wins 26 percent of the vote, together they will have a majority to elect the president from the three vice-presidents. In other words, Min Aung Hlaing needs both the military and the USDP to choose him.

This is why Min Aung Hlaing made sure his henchman U Khin Yi was installed as USDP chair at the party conference held earlier this week. Of course, Min Aung Hlaing is involved in party affairs (though the constitution bars government officials from engaging in the affairs of their parties). Dont forget that the USDP is made up of former generals and Min Aung Hlaing himself is a military dictator.

Until recently, the USDP was split into two camps, one loyal to and one opposing U Than Htay, who stepped down as the party chair at the conference. But with U Khin Yi taking over the chairmanship yesterday, the party is now completely in the hands of the group that supports Min Aung Hlaing. In other words, Min Aung Hlaing has been able to consolidate his control of the party in order for him to become the countrys president.

If the USDP wins next years election, U Khin Yi could become a vice-president of the country, though we will have to wait and see if this eventuates.

Stooge of dictators

U Khin Yi does not appear to have serious political ambitions of his own; a true stooge of dictators, he has a genuine willingness to do whatever his is told.

He was part of the 17th intake of the Defense Services Academy, and as such he was senior to Min Aung Hlaing. He served as chief of the Myanmar Police Force and deputy home affairs minister under former military dictator Senior General Than Shwe, and oversaw the house arrest of former powerful spy chief ex-General Khin Nyunt. He also oversaw the house arrest of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi before 2010.

He served as the immigration minster in U Thein Seins quasi-civilian government, whose sham political reforms almost deceived the world.

He became a vice chair of the USDP after his defeat in the 2015 general election and organized protests targeting the Union Election Commission after the NLD was declared the winner in the 2020 vote.

At a Yangon press conference held by the USDP and its allied parties on Nov. 26, 2020 in response to the election defeat, U Khin Yi asked, On whom should we rely? His question was interpreted as a sign that he was waiting for the Myanmar military to intervene in the political situation.

U Khin Yi was not immediately rewarded after the Feb. 1 coup, but was appointed immigration minister six months later. He took over the Naypyitaw residence of ousted civilian leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi until he was told to step down in August and return to the party.

His chairmanship will strengthen the network comprising the USDP, the nationalist Buddhist group Ma Ba Tha, and the vigilante groups he established as the police chief.

U Khin Yi also chairs the USDPs party disciplinary committee, a position with the power to punish any party memberin a party notorious for corruption and misappropriation of state-owned assets.

At the party conference which began on Tuesday, U Than Htay said he was stepping aside, citing health issues and his failure to lead the party to victory in the 2020 election. But sources said U Khin Yi had planned to impeach U Than Htay under party rules and regulations if he did not.

Other vice chairs including former air force chief ex-General Myat Hein and former Presidents Office Minister U Hla Tun are believed to hold their positions in name only, with Min Aung Hlaings close confidant former Lieutenant General Myo Zaw Thein, who recently stepped down as adjutant general of the armed forces, holding the actual authority as the vice chair.

Former Lieutenant General Aung Soe, who recently retired as Bureau of Special Operations 4 chief to become the partys secretary general, will also hold a key role.

The USDPs chair and vice chairs became the Union president, vice president and parliament speaker after the partys victory in the 2010 general election. But in the upcoming election, they will have to be content with whatever Min Aung Hlaing gives them.

They know well the meaning of Chinese communist leader Mao Zedongs famous maxim that political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.
The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) has called on the Albanese Government to release an exposure draft of proposed changes to the Privacy Act before the end of the year, in the wake of recent high-profile data breaches of personal information.

Noting that the process of updating the Privacy Act has been in train for almost two years, the AIIA - Australia's peak body for innovation technology - has called on the Government to now move to releasing an exposure draft before the end of the year for consultation to ensure citizen data and trust is protected and maintained.

The AIIA says it believes that the Privacy Act is the appropriate legislative vehicle to deal with current data and privacy concerns and can resolve many of the questions the public is rightfully asking around retention of private data and identification documents.

When major data breaches or personal information becomes public, it is justified to ask whether current laws are adequate, and assessments need to be made around data breaches versus cyber security attacks. The former can and should be dealt with by Privacy Act reforms. The new cyber security reforms for critical infrastructure only passed this year and are still being implemented by industry, the AIIA notes.

In a submission to the Privacy Act review discussion paper in December last year, the AIIA called on reforms to the Act to keep up-to-date with modern technology and changes in citizen expectations around privacy.

In particular, the AIIA asked for the exemption for SMEs to be removed, noting that a small business can create digital services that can host private financial data yet not be liable under the Act for any breaches and lax controls. This view has been supported in comments this week by Information and Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk."

AIIA CEO Simon Bush said: The security of sensitive citizen data must be a priority wherever it lies. The time has come for small businesses to fall under the Privacy Act and we would support measures to ensure SMEs can fully comply, including additional time for compliance and education.

The AIIA reiterates that it also advocates for the harmonisation of domestic data breach schemes and operational consistency with high global standards such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the data controllerdata processor distinction.

Bringing the concept of controllers and processors to Australia would reduce confusion, mitigate compliance burdens and, importantly, ensure the organisation that requests the personal data and controls the access rights is ultimately responsible, Bush said.

The AIIA also notes that contravening the Australian Privacy Principles (APP) are already grounds for enforcement action by the Commissioner and individual pursuit of remedies - and also calls on the Government to clarify data retention requirements and monitor the feasibility and effect of APP 11.2.

Where data is no longer being used and is no longer required to be retained for law enforcement purposes, it should be removed or de-identified in a way that can be attested to by companies and embedded into their lifecycles, Bush said.

The AIIA says that Australian data governance practices ought to be world-standard and focused on security culture and an uplift in capability.

Penalties and legislative regimes have their place but must work alongside privacy-by-design, cyber security uplift and a mindset change at the company level, Bush said.

Forward-thinking businesses holding personal information are increasingly viewing data not just as an asset, but as a liability.

Higher-order issues around best-practice data governance are at play here. Data is difficult to hold and, as responsible stewards of citizens data, the Australian technology sector is mindful of its heavy responsibilities. Tech companies are committed to applying best-practice cyber security requirements and helping other sectors do the same, Bush concluded.
Former Uber Technologies chief security office Joseph Sullivan, who was sacked by the company in November 2017 along with one of his deputies over a October 2016 data breach, has been found guilty of criminal obstruction charges for not reporting the breach to government authorities.

The verdict was announced on Wednesday in US federal court after a trial that lasted three weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported, adding that Sullivan faced five years in jail and a possible additional three for not reporting a felony.

The October 2016 breach included names, email addresses and phone numbers, according to a Bloomberg report in November 2017 which cited a company spokesperson.

Apart from this, personal information about seven million Uber drivers was accessed as well. The stolen data included 600,000 US drivers' licence numbers, but no social security numbers, trip locations or other data.

The company said at the time it had paid the attackers who stole the data US$100,000 to keep the matter quiet, rather than report the breach to US authorities as was its obligation.

In the case that ended on Wednesday, the prosecution argued that this payment was a bid by Sullivan to hide the incident and prevent it being reported to the Federal Trade Commission. The charge was brought against him in 2020.

Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi, who took on the role in September 2017, said in November the same year at the time of the sacking: "None of this should have happened, and I will not make excuses for it. We are changing the way we do business."

The breach took place under the former chief executive, Travis Kalanick, who found out about it in November 2016. At the time Uber had settled a suit about data security disclosures and was negotiating with the FTC about how it handled consumer data.

The breach was discovered by an external team that was tasked with finding out the activities of Sullivan's security team which is said to have taken many decisions that have affected the company.

The attackers gained access to a private GitHub repository used by Uber software engineers and used login credentials that were available on the repository to access data on an Amazon Web Services account that was used to handle computing tasks.

They found driver and rider information in the AWS bucket and contacted the company asking for a ransom.

During the trial, Kalanick was found to have been aware of the incident. When Khosrowshahi took over, he decided to have a second look at the 2016 incident.
New Delhi, Oct 6 (UNI) Vande Bharat semi-high speed train on Thursday met with an accident after a herd of buffaloes came on track in Gujarat, days after the train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As per Railways, the accident occurred around 11.15 am, between Vatva station and Maninagar, after a herd of buffaloes crossed the railroad tracks.

According to Western Railway Senior PRO JK Jayant, the front part of the engine got damaged in the collision.

"Three- four buffaloes suddenly came on the way to Mumbai- Gandhinagar Vande Bharat and damaged nose made up of FPR. However, no functional part got damaged" Railways said in a statement.

"Train just moved after removing the carcasses within 8 minutes and it reached on time at Gandhinagar" it said.

PM Modi had flagged off the Gandhinagar-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express semi-high speed train last month and travelled in it from Gandhinagar to Kalupur railway station in Ahmedabad.

UNI JA SY
The reason why Google launches so many products and then abandons them is because only those who launch new products are in a position to chase promotions, an unnamed ex-employee and a current employee claim.

Peter Yang, the product lead at Reddit, posted two accounts from people on Twitter; one was said to be a current employee of Google and the other an ex-employee. He added a rider that the comments were old and things could have changed at the company by now.

The abandonment of products by Google was thrown into focus last week with the announcement that the company would be shutting down its consumer gaming service Stadia which was launched in March 2019.

Google insiders explain why Google launches many products and then abandons them.



Hint: It has to do with chasing promotions. ? pic.twitter.com/u9nwleGxHK  Peter Yang (@petergyang) October 3, 2022

There are so many abandoned services, apps and hardware that one developer, Cody Ogden, has set up a site called Google Graveyard where he lists 274 orphaned entities.

The ex-employee's version posted by Yang said: "To understand that [i.e. why so many projects are thrown overboard] you have to understand how Google works. The career progression and promotion at Google is based on 'move the needle' a.k.a. launches.

"You launch a service or a major overhaul and you put in your promo package. No one ever [obscenity] get [sic] promoted for 'maintaining' or 'fixing something broken'. No, it is all about launching and then putting the launch in your promo package."

FWIW that doesn't reflect my experience there.



What I saw was leadership churn.



When leadership changes in your reporting chain every ~6mo, priorities also change every ~6mo (cause diff people have diff views).



Repeat the cycle 6x and your project is likely to get cancelled.  Thiago Teixeira (@ThiagoTDotCom) October 3, 2022

And this ex-Googler added: "When I worked at Google in 2012, internally we called it the LPA cycle. Launch, Promo, Abandon. Yes, that is how we described it internally at Google at the time."

The current employee wrote that Google levied zero penalties for "[obscenity] shit up".

Google makes virtually all of its money through advertising delivered in 3 products that are 16+ years old, only one of which was actually developed at Google.  Jeremy Huffman (@jhuffman42) October 4, 2022

"Do you know what the people who wasted two years on Allo got after it was canned? Nothing! Some of them actually got promoted," he/she wrote.

"Google greatly encourages 'launches'  releasing something publicly. And keep in mind, no penalties if the shit is half-baked, not working, only works on Chrome or some such nonsense. This is the norm.

What product has Google launched (not bought) since 2005 that is "big" in any way?



(2005 was when Google Maps came out)  globaltom (@GlobalTom) October 4, 2022

"Why? Promotion. You cannot get promoted beyond a certain level in this place unless you 'launch' something big.

"Do you know how many bugs you need to fix to get promoted? Infinity. No matter how many you fix, it will never get you enough 'impact' for promotion. Never.

"How many useless redesigns do you need to launch to get promoted? One."

Both Google's Australian media people and the international group were contacted on Wednesday morning and given time until close of business to provide comment on these opinions. Neither mob has responded.
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Wyoming Business Tips for Oct. 10-16

A weekly look at issues facing Wyoming business owners and entrepreneurs from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.

By Steen Stovall, regional director (Converse, Natrona, Niobrara and Platte counties), Wyoming SBDC Network

Inadequate cash flow management can cripple a small business and is one of the major causes of small business or startup business failure. Here are seven tips to avoid cash flow problems at your small business.

Plan Appropriately and Plan Often

The real key to avoiding a cash flow crisis is to do the appropriate planning and do it consistently. To accomplish this, a business owner must review his or her profit and loss statements as well as any other nonoperational items or circumstances that specifically affect cash flow.

Open Your Monthly Bank Statements

Compare cash balances at the beginning and end of the month. If the end-of-the-month cash balance is higher, the business is cash flow positive. If the end-of-the-month balance is lower than at the beginning of the month, the business is cash flow negative.

Learn to Read Cash Flow Statements

Dont ignore your bookkeeping. By definition, cash flow is typically your monthly profit, plus the change in accounts payable, the change in accounts receivable and the change in inventory. The higher this number is monthly, the healthier your business will be.

Collect Accounts Receivables Faster

The sooner a customer pays, the higher the cash flow amount for your business. Determine your current days sales outstanding and evaluate if that current time frame is working for your business. Dont extend credit to customers who havent proven they can pay in a timely manner. Better yet, get your customers to pay with a credit card or prepay for your services.

Get Longer Terms From Vendors

Extended credit from your vendors will increase your available cash. Always pay within the agreed period of time. However, if you have 30-day terms, try to get 45 days by building up a reliable track record of payment.

Sell Inventory Faster and Keep Inventory Levels Low

Buying inventory that sits for months on your shelf waiting for customer orders can take a lot of cash out of the business. Track your inventory carefully. Know what sells quickly and what doesnt. Know how long your customers will wait for a product and still be satisfied. This will determine how to set efficient inventory and quantity reorder points.

Avoid Filing Delays in Deposits of Payroll or Other Taxes

Filing delays in deposits of payroll and other taxes should be avoided at all costs. The penalties can be severe. Paying taxes must come first.

Using these tips will not only help you manage your cash flow, but they also will help you take another big step toward business success.

If youd like to learn more and start managing your cash flow more efficiently, contact your Wyoming SBDC Network adviser for no-cost, confidential advising and assistance. For more information, go to www.wyomingsbdc.org.

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers no-cost advising and technical assistance to help Wyoming entrepreneurs think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. In 2021 alone, the Wyoming SBDC Network helped Wyoming entrepreneurs start 80 new businesses; support 4,077 jobs; and bring a capital impact of $9.2 million to the state. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu, or write Dept. 3922, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071-3922.
In June 2022, the Portuguese edition of the Revised Kyoto Convention (as amended) was presented to the 139th/140th Sessions of the WCO Council by the Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority, representing the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) comprised of nine WCO Members (Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, and Timor-Leste). The formal launch of the Portuguese edition on the WCO website took place at the 30th Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) Management Committee (MC) Meeting, held from 26 to 30 September 2022.

The successful release of the complete Portuguese edition of the RKC was the result of a tremendous amount of hard work, carried out over a number of years and with excellent collaboration among the nine CPLP countries under the coordination of Portugal. To carry out the work, the CPLP established a working group which met in virtual mode, as well as face-to-face, over numerous rounds of meetings.

This instrument in Portuguese is expected to be useful to the CPLP Customs administrations in terms of the standardization, harmonization and simplification of Customs procedures, through the implementation of the RKC in their legal provisions, the modernization of Customs codes and the fostering of best practices. It will also have a positive impact in terms of facilitating and encouraging countries accession to the RKC, as well as in various capacity building programmes.

At the 30th RKC/MC Meeting, the Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority, speaking on behalf of the CPLP, thanked the WCO for the support and encouragement that had resulted in the successful completion of the Portuguese language edition of the RKC. The WCO expressed its deepest gratitude to the CPLP and the Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority for the excellent work they had done, and congratulated them on this significant achievement.

For the published Portuguese edition of the RKC, please visit this WCO webpage.
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As speculation mounts ahead of Friday's much-anticipated Nobel Peace Prize announcement, observers suggest the committee may sound the alarm over the war in Ukraine or climate change.

Prize experts are split over who will get it.

One camp thinks this year's award winner will be a critique of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

The other believes it will highlight the urgent need to combat global heating.

With a total of 343 top-secret nominations this year, the five members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee could also surprise experts and go with a completely different pick.

Henrik Urdal, director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), said the Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny deserved to win the prestigious honour together.

"These are both champions of non-violent pro-democracy activities within their own countries," he said.

"And both Navalny and Tikhanovskaya have also been very strong opponents of the war in Ukraine".

Not since World War II has a conflict raged between two countries so close to Oslo, the home of the Peace Prize.

The committee could also make a statement against Putin's war by giving the Nobel to those documenting suspected war crimes in Ukraine, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) or digital investigative group Bellingcat.

- 'Now or never' -

And what about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the symbolic figure of his country's resistance and one of the favourites to win among bookies?

"The committee would likely be extremely careful about giving the prize to a president at war... even if Ukraine is at the receiving end of this war and hasn't deserved it," said Urdal.

"There will always be atrocities, even on the Ukrainian side."

Thousands of people around the world are eligible to nominate candidates for the prize before the January 31 deadline, including members of parliament and cabinet ministers from all countries, former laureates and some university professors.

The Nobel committee members are also free to submit their own choices during their first meeting, this year held shortly after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

Other observers say efforts to fight climate change would be worthy of a Nobel after another year marked by extreme weather events, including Europe's record-breaking heatwave and devastating floods in Pakistan.

United Nations climate experts issued a clear warning in a deeply sombre report in April.

"It's now or never, if we want to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius," said Jim Skea, co-chair of the working group behind the report.

- No prize? -

"By giving the Peace Prize to climate change, the Nobel committee would have the unique possibility to say that the multiple crises the world is facing must be resolved together," said Oda Andersen Nyborg, head of the Norwegian Peace Council.

Among the names mentioned for a possible climate prize are Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg and/or her Fridays for Future movement, tireless British naturalist David Attenborough and other activists.

Yet others include United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and Tuvalu Foreign Minister Simon Kofe, whose country's existence is threatened by rising sea levels.

If the committee were to honour work in other fields, human rights activists from China, Afghanistan and Iran could get the nod, as could anti-corruption organisation Transparency International or the International Court of Justice.

According to Sverre Lodgaard, researcher at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), the committee could also choose to not award the prize at all this year.

The last time it did so was 50 years ago.

"Nobody can claim to have made any great breakthroughs in the field of peace, the conflicts seem never-ending, and treaties seem to be there to be violated," he told AFP.

Last year, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to two champions of press freedom -- Maria Ressa of the Philippines, whose news outlet is under threat of being shut down, and Russia's Dmitry Muratov, whose media organisation has had its licence revoked.
Azerbaijan said Wednesday it has discovered what it claims is a mass grave of its soldiers allegedly executed by Armenian separatist forces during the 1990s war over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Baku and Yerevan fought two wars -- in 2020 and in the 1990s -- over the contested mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-populated enclave of Azerbaijan.

"A mass grave of Azerbaijani servicemen tortured and executed during the first Karabakh war was discovered in the village of Edilli," Hikmet Hajiyev, the foreign policy adviser to President Ilham Aliyev, said Wednesday on Twitter.

He said "4,000 Azerbaijani troops and civilians remain missing since the (1990s) war and Armenia refuses to disclose the locations of mass graves."

Namig Efendiyev of the state commission for prisoners of war told AFP that "25 human remains were discovered since February at the mass grave".

Baku's announcement came days after Armenia accused Azerbaijani troops of war crimes committed during deadly border clashes last month.

In September, at least 286 people were killed on both sides before a US-brokered truce ended the worst clashes since the neighbours' 2020 war.

On Sunday, Armenia's foreign ministry said "numerous videos regularly (published) by Azerbaijani users on social media demonstrate the war crimes", including extrajudicial killings and torture of Armenian POWs and desecration of corpses.

Azerbaijan said on the same day that its military prosecutor's office had launched a probe into alleged war crimes committed by Baku forces.

On Tuesday, Azerbaijan freed 17 Armenian prisoners of war following US mediation.

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.

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.

On Sunday, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Geneva where they began drafting the text of a future peace treaty.

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.
The trial of Rwanda genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga heard Wednesday from its first witness, who testified that the tycoon failed to stop broadcasts calling for the murder of Tutsis.

Kabuga, 87, watched the testimony at a UN tribunal in the Hague via videolink from a wheelchair in a detention centre, having refused to attend court or appear remotely at the opening of the trial last week.

The witness, who worked at the Rwandan information ministry at the time and was speaking under condition of anonymity, said Kabuga was chairman of Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM).

Prosecutors say RTLM broadcast propaganda urging ethnic Hutus to kill rival Tutsi "cockroaches" during the 1994 slaughter in which 800,000 people were killed.

"If you are in charge of an institution and the members of that institution are making mistakes, the chief is the first one who is responsible," the witness told the court.

Despite warnings from the ministry, "RTLM did nothing to correct the situation but in fact went all out to continue with its divisionist propaganda," said the witness.

"Hate propaganda and division propaganda continued to such an extent that some members of the Tutsi population were killed across the country," the witness added.

Around 50 witnesses for the prosecution are expected to testify during the trial, which could take months.

Kabuga was arrested in Paris in 2020 after decades on the run and sent for trial in The Hague.

He has pleaded not guilty to charges of involvement in RTLM and of supplying machetes and otherwise supporting the murderous Interahamwe Hutu militia.
A well-groomed hand with bright red fingernails sticks out of the ruins of a five-story building on Zaporizhias main street.

On Thursday, seven Russian missiles hit the industrial city just 40 kilometers from the southern fronts artillery battles.

Three hit downtown just after 5:00 a.m. (0200 GMT).

AFP journalists at the scene saw helmeted rescue workers clearing piles of rubble with their hands and searching for people trapped under the rubble.

The female victim, who was carefully pulled from the rubble by rescuers, must have been lying in bed when the building was destroyed.

But with open eyes she no longer slept, nor did she live.

Another body was found an hour later after rescue workers cleared tons of debris as firefighters worked to put out a fire from a collapsed portion of a building with jagged pieces of metal protruding.

However, after hours in the fire, it was impossible to determine the identity or age of the body.

The body, which had four limbs ripped off, was quickly placed in a black body bag before being removed from the scene.

Officially, three people were killed and at least twelve injured in Zaporizhia on Thursday morning.

According to a rescuer, the death toll is expected to rise to six to ten.

A third body was found elsewhere, according to the same rescuer, who declined to give her name to AFP.

Zaporizhzhia Red Cross head Oksana Beketova told AFP about another body also found in a car wash and a woman killed in her home.

We are constantly urging people to evacuate. (But) two bus stops from here, people are still walking in a park, Beketova said, adding that she hopes people will take their chance to save themselves.

 Pure Hate 

Many people will flee to other cities, especially with children, elderly parents, said Igor Osolodko, a 25-year-old musician who is one of dozens of volunteers helping to clear rubble brick by brick from another burned-out building.

For the first time in my life I feel pure hatred, said Osolodko.

Its absurd, its unreal. We have to rely on our army and deal with this terror until its all over, until we win, he said.

The nights attacks followed a ferocious shelling last week in which Ukrainian officials said 31 people were killed following a convoy of civilian cars in the Zaporizhia region.

Apart from one police officer who was killed, the other 30 victims tried to return to the part of Ukraine under Russian control.

Kyiv and Moscow accused each other of the strike.

The Zaporizhia region is one of four territories in Ukraine, along with Lugansk, Donetsk and Kherson, that Russia says it has annexed, with President Vladimir Putin formally signing the law into law on Wednesday.

While the Ukrainian army on Thursday claimed to have retaken 400 square kilometers from Russia in the Kherson region, it remains unclear whether the city of Zaporizhia is among the areas Moscow considers its own.

I could have explained it logically if they hit military bases or infrastructure, said Dimitri Sirchenko, who also came to clear debris.

But they hit a city center where there are only civilian buildings, he said.

For Sirchenko, fleeing the city is out of the question.
Western countries trying to pass an unprecedented resolution at the top UN judicial body targeting China for widespread abuses fought for votes on Thursday, bracing for possible defeat.

Washington last month submitted the first-ever draft resolution to the UN Human Rights Council seeking a debate on Xinjiang following allegations of crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the far western region.

It was co-sponsored by the UK, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Australia and Lithuania and is set to go to a Council vote in Geneva later on Thursday.

But after weeks of frenetic lobbying on both sides, Western diplomats seemed prepared that the resolution would not pass in the 47-member council.

It will be a very close vote, admitted a Western diplomat, but stressed that even if the resolution failed, the debate would have put Xinjiang in the spotlight.

Goal number one has been achieved, said the diplomat.

China has come under intense scrutiny after former UN chief justice Michelle Bachelet released her long-delayed Xinjiang report last month, citing possible crimes against humanity.

 The fight goes on 

The report, released August 31 before Bachelets term expired, highlighted credible allegations of widespread torture, arbitrary detention and violations of religious and reproductive rights.

It brought UN endorsement to long-standing allegations by activists and others accusing Beijing of arresting more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslims and forcibly sterilizing women.

Beijing vehemently denied the allegations and accused the UN of becoming a thug and accomplice of the US and the West.

She insists she runs vocational training centers in the region to combat extremism.

While the draft resolution may look lukewarm, observers say that simply working towards putting China on the Councils agenda is of great importance.

The issues arent getting any deeper, Human Rights Watch China director Sophie Richardson said in a tweet, urging countries to vote yes today and make history.

China has launched an all-out offensive in Geneva and country capitals to dismiss the report and hammer in the truth about the legal situation in Xinjiang.

African countries, where China is the leading creditor after massive infrastructure and other investments, are subject to particularly heavy lobbying, observers say.

An analysis of how the 13 African countries voted in the Council last month found that they traditionally abstain from voting on country-specific resolutions.

But lately they have been shown to be increasingly bowing to pressure from China and others to vote against the resolution, thereby torpedoing it.

We know how much influence the Chinese have, especially in Africa, the Western diplomat said, adding that many nations oppose voting against a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Its really a difficult task for many countries, admitted the diplomat.
Jeon Jong Seo strutted the red carpet with class and grace despite experiencing difficulty with her wardrobe.

The actress was joined by her co-stars Jin Seon Kyu and Chan Ryul, after the TVING series "Ransom," along with another K-drama "Yonder," was invited to the 27th Busan International Film Festival.

On the other hand, the Busan International Film Festival was held for the first time in three years due to the aftermath of COVID-19 and received great expectations. Until the 14th, the audience will meet at various movie-related events in the Haeundae are

Held at the Busan Cinema Center in Udong the opening ceremony started on October 5, where known stars seen walking down the red carpet.

However, Jeon Jong Seo caught the public's attention, including the media as she almost had a red carpet blooper at the ceremony.

Jeon Jong Almost Had Wardrobe Malfunction at the 27th Busan International Film Festival

Jeon Jong Seo stepped on the red carpet wearing a long white off-shoulder dress, flaunting her sexy clavicle. As she was about to leave, the actress struggled as she was about to walk on the red carpet.

The actress turned her back to the crowd to adjust the hemming of the dress which she stepped on.

Jin Seon Kyu noticed that she is having difficulty walking and helped her fix the hem of her dress.

Thankfully all is well as the trio along with "Ransom" director Jeon Woo Sung was able to pose in front of the media.

Celebrities Spotted at 27th Busan International Film Festival

Due to the health crisis, the annual ceremony was held for the first time in three years to honor Asian filmmakers and content.

Hosted by Ryu Jun Yeol and Jeon Yeo Bin, the 27th Busan International Film Festival features 243 films from 71 countries.

Interestingly, apart from the "Ransom" cast, celebrities who are also spotted are Kim Yoo Jung, 2PM's Taecyeon, Jung Hae In who walked alongside Kim Hye Joon, Daniel Dae Kim, Tony Leung, Shin Ha Kyun, and Han Ji Min, and more.

What's Next for Jeon Jong Seo?

The versatile star, whose rise to fame is her top-notch performance in the 2018 acclaimed South Korean thriller "Burning" recently gained the public's attention after portraying the role of Tokyo in the adaptation of "Money Heist Korea."

Following the K-drama's success, she returned to the small screen through an upcoming thriller drama "Ransom," based on the 2015 short film of the same name.

As expected Jeon Jong Seo will reprise her role as the free-spirited Tokyo in the highly anticipated part 2 of "Money Heist Korea" followed by another movie "Ballerina" with Park Yoo Rim and "Money Heist Korea" co-star Kim Ji Hoon.

KDramastars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
The long wait is finally over! Cha Eun Woo along with the star-studded cast of the new K-drama "Island" is about to meet the viewers before 2022 ends. Continue reading for details.

TVING's 'Island' To Premiere in THIS Month

Online streaming platform TVING surprised many on October 6 as they released an announcement confirming that the thriller-action drama "Island," which stars Kim Nam Gil, Lee Da Hee, Cha Eun Woo, and Sung Joon will premiere this coming December.

However, the exact date of release is yet to be announced. K-drama fans and viewers are already close to seeing their favorite stars in one frame. Particularly, Cha Eun Woo, as it will be his first drama series this 2022. Though there are numerous scripts offered to him, most of those are for confirmation and are still for production in 2023.

Outstanding actor Kim Nam Gil is returning to primetime with "Island," following the conclusion of his crime-thriller series "Through the Darkness" last March. Adding to the A-list stars is actress Lee Da Hee. It is indeed a back-to-back project for "The Beauty Inside" star as she will also team up with Choi Siwon in the romance series "Love is for Suckers."

Sung Joon on the other hand, is making his major small screen comeback after six years of hiatus. The last acting project he had was in 2021 in the movie "The Night Shift."

What Other Projects To Anticipate From Cha Eun Woo

Following his successful fan meetings in Asia. Idol-actor Cha Eun Woo participated in several fashion magazines. Next to his Asia tour, Eun Woo recently attended the Paris Fashion Week for the brand that he endorse.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Lee Seung Gi Names THESE K-Actors Who Look Like Manhwa Characters

Though he has a jam-packed schedule, there are also projects already lined up for him. Apart from "Island," the ASTRO member is already confirmed to lead the forthcoming series "A Good Day To Be A Dog" (working title) also known as "Today's Lovely Dog."

He will reunite with actress Park Gyu Young, whom he already worked with in the music video of the Korean band Urban Zakapa for their song "You're The Reason." Joining them is "Money Heist" actor Lee Hyun Woo.

Eun Woo is also in line to join Kim Joo Young in the series "Sweet and Sour Chicken" which is said to be penned and helmed by the "Be Melodramatic" director Lee Byeong Hun. The said drama is based on a webtoon novel "Fried Chicken" by Park Ji Dok.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Cha Eun Woo Confirmed To Star in THIS Webtoon-Based K-Drama

Are you excited about Cha Eun Woo's small screen comeback? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KDramastars.

KDramastars owns this article.

Shai Collins wrote this.
Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has decried the irregular conduct of census in the country, saying the situation has made planning very difficult.

This is even as he charged the National Population Commission (NPC) not to allow the 2023 head count (census) to be politicised.

Speaking at a stakeholders' summit on the 2023 population and housing census held at the Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre in Minna yesterday, Bello, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, said the irregular conduct of census has also deprived the country of data for proper planning.

He said: "Despite Nigeria's high-ranking position on the global demographic map, its population censuses have been conducted irregularly and at intervals longer than the United Nations recommended 10 years.

"This irregular and long interval of census taking place in Nigeria has denied the country the huge benefits of comprehensive baseline data for evidence-based decision-making."

The governor said for the state to record maximum success in its education, health and provision of infrastructure programmes, there is the need to ensure that further implementation of these programmes are driven by a more accurate, reliable, and acceptable population census data in the face of the dynamism of modern-day socio-economic realities.

He, however, pleaded with the NPC not to allow the 2023 exercise to be politicised if the country would achieve a veritable sustainable development database

"We must split politics from census, and consider it a purely statistical exercise that will provide veritable tool for planning and sustainable development," he added.

On the security challenge facing the state, Bello noted that the state government is trying to overhaul the security architecture in three critical council areas of Mariga, Rafi and.

The Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission, Alhaji Muhammad Usman, in his address, disclosed that the commission was unable to carry out enumeration area demarcation EAD exercise in three local government areas of the state due to banditry and kidnapping.

Usman called on youths, religious leaders, women groups and civil society organisations to join hands with the commission to ensure a hitch-free census in 2023.
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In the dark radiology reading rooms, only the gentle hum of the computers and the quiet chatter of residents dictating radiology reads break the silence. Among the computers sits Dr. Exner, a senior radiology resident at Hospital Woeisme. He has recently become known for a peculiar habit  he has begun adding Rorschach interpretations into every radiology report he completes.

Stephanie Benjamin is an emergency physician and can be reached on Twitter @stephbenjaminmd.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, Resident adds Rorschach reads to radiology reports.

This episode is sponsored by the Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience.

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The U.S. government wants Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering in July 2021, jailed for 135 months.

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.

'Hushpuppi's life ambition directed towards crime'

In the U.S. government's response to Hushpuppi's 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 Hushpuppi's 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 court's disparity analysis."

"None of these defendants were high volume money launderers who admitted to conspiring to launder tens of millions of dollars," the government's counter-argument shows.

Hushpuppi's 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 Hushpuppi's 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 Hushpuppi's "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.

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"Defendant agrees that, in return for the USAO's 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.
Irish Water has adopted its controversial Regional Water Resources Plan  Eastern and Midlands (RWRP-EM).

The plan will see 333 million litres of water taken from Parteen Basin below Lough Derg and pumped along a 174km pipe via a pump station at Birdhill to a new reservoir outside Dublin which will feed the Greater Dublin Area as well as counties Kildare, Wicklow, Offaly, Westmeath, Laois, Galway, Clare, Limeick, Cavan, Carlow, Longford, Roscommon, Kilkenny, Meath.

The estimated cost of construction is estimated to be more than 1.3bn.

There are 14 key towns in the Eastern and Midlands region, which are, Athlone, Carlow, Ennis, Limerick, Nenagh, Tullamore, Portlaoise, Naas, Maynooth, Navan, Drogheda, Swords, Bray and Wicklow.

There were 64 submissions received in total, including responses from the Office of the Planning Regulator, the Southern Regional Assembly and local authorities in relation to national and regional policy for growth and development.

The final consultation report runs to 341 pages as is available to read online or download at www.water.ie/rwrp/eastern-midlands

Among the comments and observations made during the consultation process, Tipperary County Council noted that Irish Water has developed a 10-year capacity register based on an amended Supply Demand Balance (SDB) to provide local authorities with an indication of settlements, which have potential capacity constraints and that this capacity register will be made available.

The council welcomed input into the proposed process which will involve an ongoing feedback loop between the resources planning process and the forward planning processes in Irish Water, the regional assembles and the local authorities.

This, they noted, will enable Irish Water to update the SBD annually in line with the data received, allow Irish Water to respond to growth and development needs and prioritise water supply investment in collaboration with local authorities with reference to the CDPs and Local Area Plans.

In relation to observations of the proposed Shannon pipe, called the New Shannon Source in the report, one stakeholder noted that, as a landowner on the proposed route for the pipe, they would consider the proposal to be against the principles of balanced regional development.



They also noted that fresh water, as a natural resource of the Midlands and west of Ireland, should be used as a resource for the development of the Mid-West instead of extracting it and transferring it to the Dublin region, which is already facing congestion and overdevelopment.

The stakeholder noted that water shortages in the GDA could be addressed by fixing the water leaks in the current water pipe network.



Another stakeholder queried whether desalination plants on the East coast have been considered as an alternative option.

They noted the issues associated with water transfer from the Shannon to the East coast such as lowering the level of the Shannon waters, property acquisitions, rights of way, archaeological issues, environmental impact, landowner co-operation / buy-in, legal issues, contractor access and egress issues.

Clare County Councils Killaloe Municipal District stated they were opposed to the proposed use of the River Shannon as a main source of supply for the Eastern and Midlands region.

Future Proof Clare noted the River Shannon Protection Alliance and their concerns of how much water can be taken from the Parteen River Basin during the summer low flow conditions and they felt that any large-scale extraction, such as the proposed Shannon pipeline, would have a detrimental effect on the ecosystems relying on the river and should be avoided.



Ibec commented that the new Shannon source and the water supply project for the Eastern and Midlands Region must be advanced at the earliest opportunity.



Kildare Chamber agreed that the new Shannon source was the most suitable and sustainable model.

Wicklow County Council welcomed the new Shannon source stating that the proposal was critical to ensuring that the capacity of water supply in the GDA was ahead of future water demand as the region grew and developed.

Cllr Tony OBrien from Clare County Council raised concerns over the impact of such a project on the River Shannon and recommended that the communities along Lough Derg would need recognition of the impact on the county of such a project.

Limerick Greens commented that Irish Water should find sustainable solutions to any forecasted water deficit for the current population of the Greater Dublin Area, rather than the development of the new Shannon source.

They also queried if the new source was likely to adversely influence planning authority decisions on granting planning permission for new planning applications in the Limerick, Tipperary and Clare countryside.



In response, the report says that the plan identified a significant deficit for the Greater Dublin Area and a pipeline from Shannon to Dublin was identified as the preferred approach for the GDA and subsequently at a regional level.

This new source option, when compared to 11 other feasible combinations of solutions, was determined as the solution with the least impact to the environment.

Desalination solutions were considered as feasible options for the Greater Dublin Area at fine screening, however, were discounted via the option selection process.

The draft RWRP-EM had already determined that the volume of water required was available from the new Shannon source, as assessments have been undertaken to establish the allowable abstraction. This is an estimate of the water that can be taken from the source whilst maintaining the required environmental flow.



The proposed abstraction is from an impounding reservoir / dam, which meant it is possible to store water during periods of high rainfall, and during a drought period, the abstraction will be taken from this storage, without impacting on flows downstream of the dam.
All the remaining 23 abducted Abuja-Kaduna train passengers have been released by terrorists six months after they were kidnapped on Monday, March 28, 2022.

Their release was facilitated by a Seven-man Presidential Committee assembled by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor.

In a statement sent to LEADERSHIP by the Secretary, Chief of Defense Staff Action Committee (CDSAC), Prof. Usman Yusuf, on Wednesday afternoon, he said: "I am pleased to announce to the nation and the world that at 1600Hrs. (4:00pm) today, Wednesday 5-10-2022, the seven-man Presidential Committee assembled by the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General 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.

"The nation owes a debt of gratitude to the Nigerian Military under the leadership of the CDS 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

GCFR is what made it all possible.

"Members of this Committee are grateful for the rare honour and privilege to be part of this Humanitarian Operation.

"May God Almighty Heal Our Wounds and Bring Peace to Our Land."
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Why are gasoline prices rising again, after months of steady declines? And more important, will the increase continue this fall?

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The main reason for the recent rise involves refinery outages, mostly in California. A series of planned and unplanned shutdowns sent gas prices soaring in the Golden State, because refineries elsewhere arent set up to produce Californias unique gas formulations. As a result, the average price of regular unleaded there has zoomed to $6.42 per gallon, almost double the national average of $3.87. In fact, Californias spike has been large enough to spill over into neighboring states, and also to raise the entire national average, which is up about nine cents from a week ago. Another refinery outage, caused by a fire at an Ohio facility, is also contributing to higher prices in the Midwest.

And now, OPEC and its partners have announced a plan to reduce oil exports, which could push gasoline prices still higher. Faced with a potential global recession, the cartel and its allies announced that they will collectively sell 2 million fewer barrels per day later this year, to avoid supply getting out of whack with lower demand. That announcement helped push crude oil prices higher, with benchmark West Texas Intermediate recently trading around $88.50 per barrel. Not long ago, it had fallen below $80 due to mounting concerns about the global economy. We dont expect OPEC to cause a new oil price spike, but it will probably help keep crude trading considerably higher than it otherwise would have. OPECs output cut is not as large as it seems, because the cartel was not producing all of its current quota to begin with. Still, it will take some barrels off the market at a time when Russian oil exports are already down due to sanctions.

For drivers, this likely means higher prices at the pump, at least in the near term, which means even more incentive to save gas however you can. Todays average of $3.87 could rise to $4 or more if refinery outages persist or crude oil prices rise further. That could be a key factor in Novembers midterm elections, since voters tend to be keenly aware of high gas prices, which in turn affect their overall sense of financial well-being. For truckers, diesel figures to stay quite expensive, with todays national average of $4.88 per gallon possibly hitting $5 soon. Oil companies stand to benefit from more expensive crude, though.

Natural gas prices are also on the rise, which is bad news for utility customers as autumn weather arrives across much of the country. Gas futures contracts recently traded above $7 per million British thermal units, which is down from the $9.50 peak hit earlier this year, but up significantly from this time a year ago. Heavy demand for U.S. gas in Europe means that more of Americas domestically produced gas is being liquefied and exported, putting upward pressure on prices. How high gas prices go this winter depends heavily on how cold the weather gets, both here and in Europe. Unless it turns out to be exceptionally mild in both regions, gas customers should expect to pay a lot more for their heating bills this season than they did the prior winter.
The First Lady Dr. (Mrs) Aisha Buhari declared on Tuesday, that the Armed Force's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Centre, originally scheduled to be built by the Defence and Police Officer's Wives Association for treatment of military and Police personnel, would now be built by the federal government.

Consequently, Mrs Buhari told a gathering of Senior Military Officers, Captains of Industry, the Private Sector and other invited guests, for the ground breaking ceremony of the PTSD Centre to channel their contribution to other benevolent causes of DEPOWA, noting that personnel of the military suffering the disorder became exposed to it because they were performing national causes for the peace and security of the nation hence it is the responsibility of the federal government to build the Specialized Medical Centre.

In this regard, she told the DEPOWA President, Barr. Mrs Vickie Anwuli Irabor that she (Mrs) Buhari has personally taken over the project, vowing that the project would be completed and handed over to the military before the end of the Buhari administration.

"Soliciting for and raising funds for a project as important and so dear to issues of mental health and post war trauma is a waste of time. There would be no time for fund raising here. It is the responsibility of the federal government to build this hospital. The officer's and men who suffer this PTSD are exposed to it because they are performing their duties for Nigeria. So the federal government will do it", Mrs Buhari said.

She continued, "I want to thank DEPOWA for this foresighted vision of establishing a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Centre for our soldiers. Indeed PTSD is a mental health condition triggered by terrifying events. It is a reality that soldiers and military families have to live with, despite its negative consequences.

"Being a soldier's wife or a retired soldier's 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 over-thrown in a coup d'etat. 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 got married, I clocked 19 years in his house as his wife. 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 Nigeria's 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.

"Finally the whole nation rose against the misuse of power and bad governance. He only succeeded when it became a movement and here we are today. He ruled Nigeria before and he is ruling Nigeria now and this is the last time and final.

On the 2023 elections and PTSD, Mrs Buhari said, "Failing election for three times was a big blow to every contestant but those that have contested for just yesterday, a simply primary election, they are still living in a traumatic condition.

"I tried to console them, I tried to talk to them, some of them have switched off their phones up till today, just because of a primary election, you can imagine myself at 19 years, handling somebody that went to war, suffered coup d'etat, then lost several elections and finally getting to the Villa in the 2015.

"Also for a woman to tell them (Politicians) that this is wrong or right in Nigeria and Africa is a problem. In that case, I want to use this opportunity to appreciate members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria for their sacrifices and contributions to nation building.

"The fallen Heroes remain evergreen in our minds and many with us are wounded physically and mentally, I want to appreciate their wives and families, I want to let them know that the whole nation is with them.

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"The PTSD Centre is important to members of the Armed Forces and beyond, because soldiers are the primary victims. This Centre is timely as PTSD is a problem that really deserved solution of this nature and providing facilities for treatment and rehabilitation of patients is key. Therefore, fund raising is not the solution. The solution is the Federal Government that sent them to war front to take responsibility in taking care of the mental health of returnees from war front. PTSD cuts across all ages.

"I thank DEPOWA for this initiative and the military establishment for supporting them, I call on them to ensure that this Centre provides quality and sustained care for soldiers that suffer from PTSD . It is the responsibility of the whole Armed Forces to extract from their budget and build this Centre, Mrs Irabor, it is no longer your project, it is my project and the project of Mr. President, we are going to work round the clock to make sure that it is completed and commissioned before we leave office".
The winners who were drawn from different public and private primary and secondary schools across the country won cars, motorcycles, generators and other items.

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 government's 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."

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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 Mummy's Place International Nursery and Primary School, Akure, Ondo State, won the best private school, St Michael's 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.
Darrell Brooks put his suit jacket over his head during jury selection as he appeared via video from an adjacent courtroom after continually interrupting Judge Jennifer Dorow, right, in Waukesha County Circuit Court on October 3.
Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, left, meets Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, Sept. 29, to promote the Korean city's bid to host the World Expo 2030. Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan City Government



By Ko Dong-hwan



As part of his campaign to host the World Expo 2030, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon flew to Central America in an attempt to win over the leaders of two countries there.



With South Korea's former Foreign Affairs Minister Yu Myung-hwan (2008-2010) joining the trip as a special envoy, Park and a presidential delegation sent by President Yoon Suk-yeol visited El Salvador on Sept. 28 and Costa Rica the following day. The two countries mark this year as the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Seoul.



In the city of San Salvador, Park and Yu met President Nayib Bukele and Vice President Felix Ulloa separately and shared words of appreciation for the past diplomatic efforts shared by both countries. Park said that residents of Busan, "with the world's only U.N. Peace Memorial Hall in the city, never forgot the financial support El Salvador had provided to South Korea."



The leaders discussed ways for more active bilateral exchanges and trade in industries, including: coffee, tourism and digital financial services such as blockchain. They also shared ideas on how to exchange public workers from both countries as another measure to strengthen bilateral ties.



Park also told Bukele how prepared Korea's largest port city is to host World Expo 2030 and shared his wishes to maximize the diplomatic ties between Busan and El Salvador. Bukele, according to the Diplomacy and Trade Division under the Busan Metropolitan City Government's 2030 Expo Bid Promotion Headquarters, agreed with Park's wish to strengthen bilateral ties and his assessment of Busan's optimal conditions for hosting the Expo.





Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, left, and South Korea's former Foreign Affairs Minister Yu Myung-hwan, right, meet El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele in San Salvador, Sept. 28. Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan City Government
The train departed Abuja for Kaduna before it was attacked in a Kaduna community by the terrorists.

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.

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"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.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Rain and snow this evening transitioning to snow showers overnight. Low 33F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 50%..

Tonight

Rain and snow this evening transitioning to snow showers overnight. Low 33F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 50%.
Who's the best idol fitting for the title of Korea's "Hot Girl"? In online communities and SNS, K-pop enthusiasts discussed the stars lining up for this moniker.

Netizens Debate If Lee Hyori & BLACKPINK Jennie Suit the 'Hot Girl' Title the Most

On October 4, a netizen took to the online community theqoo to express sentiments about the idol that comes into people's minds when they hear the word, "Hot Girl."

In particular, " (Hot Girl) in Korea refers to a person who is trendy or popular for being confidently sexy and cool. Some of the attributes that "hot girls" possess are having extremely attractive beauty and sexiness (in terms of both physique and aura).

The author of the original post then mentioned former Fin. K.L. Lee Hyori as well as BLACKPINK Jennie is the best-fitting idol for the aforementioned title.

As soon as the post was uploaded, it immediately amassed huge attention from 97.8k readers and gained divided opinions.

In the comment section, a lot of internet users agreed that Lee Hyori is OG Korea's "Hot Girl." When she debuted in Fin. K.L. the female icon immediately captured the attention of the Korean industry as "Nation's Fairy."

Later on, she was loved for her versatile image, suiting both innocent and sexy concepts, but rising even more popular for the latter. In fact, even though Hyori is now in her 40s, the beauty of the first-gen idol still shines among fourth-gen stars.

Some of the comments says:

"As soon as I saw the article's title, I thought of Lee Hyori."

"Lee Hyori unnie."

"When I saw the title, I wonder who it will be, but the moment I saw Lee Hyori's picture, it was over."

Meanwhile, some think that Jennie indeed suits the title, who has a cat-like beauty and an elegant yet sexy charm.

"Jennie gives off that 'Hot Girl' vibes."

"Hyori is more like an all-time classic. At this point, it's Jennie?"

"I came in thinking of Jennie, but Lee Hyori was also hot in a different way."

"Jennie! Because the image of a hot girl to me is like a high-teen. Hyori is more like a Diva or Queen."

Which Idol Suits 'Hot Girl' Image Other Than Lee Hyori and BLACKPINK Jennie? Fans Discuss

As the question circulates in the K-pop community, Korean fans also expressed their thoughts and personally picked idols they think to deserve the title.

Although they are still young, some think that IVE Jang Wonyoung, aespa Karina and ITZY Yuna are potential successors to this title. Others then questioned while HyunA is not on the list when she's the original "Sexy Queen."

Meanwhile, foreign fans also shared their sentiments and pointed out that MAMAMOO Hwasa shouldn't be missed when talking about hot girls.

For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Eunice Dawson.
analysis

US trade relations with Africa were expected to take a turn for the best after Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited South Africa in August, but it doesn't look like it is going to be that simple.

Secretary Blinken paraded the US Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa, a 17-page policy document in which the White House admits that '... longstanding approaches have become insufficient to meet new challenges in a more contested and competitive world."

The wordy document proposes to "elevate the U.S. African partnership" and in the process, the US promises to "broaden our vision of and expectations for senior-level engagements, treating meetings with African counterparts as opportunities to advance outcomes favourable to the US. ... Even when we have disagreements, we will lean in, agree to meet, and address differences head-on."

Which African leaders will be invited to the US-Africa Summit?

Can Africa remain impartial to the global geo-political groupings?

Africa-Russia Summit 2023, what is in store for the continent?

It sounds good but that's all, just good words and nothing specific, no concrete commitments, vague, general... just a brush over.

Here is how Bob Weka, Deputy Director at the African Centre for the Study of the United States, describes it; "This and similar statements in the strategy speak to the long-running criticism about an ostensible dictatorial, even disrespectful attitude by Washington towards African countries, particularly its leaders."

With Africa saying it was blindsided in the ongoing 'sale' of the US-led friend-shoring deal, things don't look too good. These concerns for 'concrete trade commitments' are hoped to be ironed out at the Africa-US Summit this December.

Meanwhile, US' pledge to support the region's economic recovery and strengthen trade and commercial relations is raising eyebrows. Does it mean the US is prepared to outbid China with better loan terms?

In this regard, Africa wants to know what the new African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) will have to offer post-2025 when the current contentious one expires. The ongoing US-China trade war may bode well for Africa after all. See, as long as the US-China trade war continues, then both sides will try to woo Africa through better deals.

The document does stipulate increased support for infrastructure projects by proposing a 'Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII).

The PGII is meant to be a US-led joint initiative to be executed by the G7 nations. The PGII came back in June and is a contender facing off China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Pundits advise that the US is better off supporting the African Union's Agenda 2063 even though the US strategy is exclusive for Sub-Saharan Africa. However, that part of Africa is still accounted for in the continent-wide Agenda 2063. It would bode well for all parties concerned if US support to Sub Sahara Africa served to help the region better place itself in the overall African vision.There is the matter of friend-shoring as well, Africa feels the US gave Asia a much better deal, more explicit, more concrete, specific and committed than it ever did with the motherland. How will it play out? Will the US-China trade war help Africa secure a better deal from China than the US?

Even though the strategy does mention a willingness to facilitate 'new geographic groupings', it is not specific as to what these new alliances are and what they will mean in terms of trade and even security.

Yes, there is the mention of integrating African states in the overall Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific forums, but that only spells out the obvious, 'the U.S. would like to have Africa on its side in its ongoing trade tug of war with China in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.

If Africa, which traditionally has remained non-partisan, were to take sides with the US against (as would be the case) China (and Russia), then it would be better off getting a more explicit commitment from the US.

Then there is the question of Europe; the US strategy seems to hold Europe as its ally and that by Africa taking the deal, then it automatically gets Europe on its side as well, but that is not entirely true.

Africa has its own relationship with Europe, and the EU-Africa summit will follow right after the US-Africa summit.

Africa is increasingly drawn to take sides in an increasingly multipolar world in which alliances are forged with various interests at heart.

Consider this, Turkey's foreign policy to the continent, the so-called 'Strategic Africa', has borne fruit because it focuses on all aspects of bilateral relations, collaboration and development. Turkey has more than doubled its bilateral trade with Africa in just a few years.

Then there is France. French President Emmanuel Macron has made a point to visit the continent frequently, granted all his visits have been to their former colonies in the West coast of Africa, but nonetheless, his efforts are notable.

Earlier this year, he toured Benin, Guinea-Bissau, and Cameroon, a commendable gesture, especially if you consider the fact that this was his first trip outside Europe since he retook office back in April. What does this mean? Well, in simple terms, it is a tell-tell sign of what importance France places on its relations with the continent.

Then there is China; thanks to the US-China trade war, several leaders have made a point to visit Africa, including Yang Jiechi, former Chinese foreign minister and Chinese Special Representative on African affairs, Xu Jinghu, who broke the record by visiting eight African countries.

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Now, why is this important? It should be noted that unlike the US approach to Africa of addressing political issues and democracy, the Chinese keep their relations purely on the economic side.

To complicate matters further, there is the upcoming Africa-Russia summit. See, back in July, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov decided to tour Africa. preparing the way for the Africa-Russia summit, the diplomat did not visit just one or two countries, no, he made a tour of the trip, stopping in Egypt, then the Republic of Congo; thereafter, he went to East Africa, visiting Uganda and Ethiopia.

Russia intends to make the best of the Africa-Russia summit, so the envoy did not sugarcoat things during the trip; Foreign Minister Lavrov was clear and blunt. He expressed interest in what he termed as 'the alignment of Russian and African interests in the global system.

Minister Lavrov was clear that his trip was meant to rally up Africa's support for Russia in its conquest in Ukraine and in light of the sanctions it is facing from the US and allies and of course, to reassure Africa of a productive Russia- Africa Summit in 2023.

Which African countries will attend the Africa-Russia summit and what implications will that have on their relationship with the US and Europe? The answer to this question may be the same answer to the question, why is Africa not taking sides? Chances are, most African countries will attend the Africa-Russia summit next year, with no implication at all with the West, or China for that matter.
Lake Victoria is the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the largest inland fishery in the world.

According to a 2016 World Bank report, the lake supports the livelihood of a dense rural population of over 40 million people, with nearly 50 per cent of them living on less than US$1.25 per day.

Hydropower

The lake and its resources fuel the economies of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, providing hydropower for Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda and water supply for major African urban centres like Kampala, Kigali, Mwanza and Kisumu.

In October 2019, the lake's water levels started rising, reaching 12.66 metres in December 2019. On March 6, 2020, a water level of 12.94 metres was registered, only similar to that of March 4, 1964.

According to an article by The East African, officials at Eskom say the steady rise in water levels led to an increase in the headwater levels at Nalubaale and Kiira power stations, which in turn influenced the hydraulic pressures and seepage lines at the dams.

The government said that since October 2019, some 200,000 people from the lakeside communities have been displaced or left homeless after their homes were submerged.

Other developments around Lake Victoria and the River Nile, including hotels, beaches and homes were also flooded and rendered economically unusable. The establishments submerged include Lake Victoria Serena Gold Resort and Spa, Speke Resort Munyonyo, Protea Hotel Entebbe, Gaba Beach, K.K. Beach, and Miami Beach.

Further, the increased water level caused dislodgement of papyrus mats resulting in a huge mass of floating islands, which are dangerous to hydropower infrastructure.

To curtail these effects, the East African governments could construct alternative dams to deal with the overflow.

Tourism

Tourists are drawn to iconic parks like Serengeti and volcanoes situated in the mountains, forests and savannas of the Basin.

Lake Victoria can boost cruise tourism in the region by generating employment, earning the three countries foreign currency, social benefits to host destinations, and promoting global community and international understanding and peace.

Cruise tourism is a luxurious form of travelling on voyage, offering one or more glamorous ports of call. This form of tourism involves an all-inclusive holiday of at least 48 hours with a specific itinerary.

It is seen as a potential growth enabler for the tourism industry as a whole. This is because it encompasses a wide range of activities, facilities and amenities, making water travel much more comfortable and enjoyable.

Cruise tourism is also considered the greatest exponent of mass tourism and a tourism sector that has been rapidly growing in the recent past.

The government and other interest groups should play a part of influencing legislative processes on the issues of sustainability since cruise tourism, if not regulated, has negative impacts. This is because, according to an article by Ms Kimeto, a tourism lecturer at University of Kabianga published by The Standard, cruise tourism requires complex infrastructure, regulations and logistics.

Fishing Industry

Lake Victoria's fisheries support more than 3 million livelihoods and bring in US$500 million in revenues annually.

Nile Perch is the main fish caught in Lake Victoria. Fish maw - the air sack that aids the Nile Perch in floating and a Chinese delicacy - has been a major export source. Statistics from the Uganda Ministry of Agriculture indicate an increase in fish maw exports earning from US$27m in 2015 to US$31m in 2016, US$48m in 2017 and US$52m in 2018. These earnings exclude the earnings from Nile Perch and its eggs.

However, the lake has been invaded by water hyacinth - the floating, green mats of waxy leaves with purple blossoms - depriving the waters below of oxygen, making it hard for aquatic life to survive.

That, plus overfishing which occurs when fishermen use undersized nets that catch fish before they reach maturity, rapid population growth, and pollution by wastewater, agro-pesticides and fertilisers threaten the future of fishing in Lake Victoria.

The agro-pesticides and fertilisers get into the lake from the farming activity where farmers use large qualities of the pollutants upstream to increase yields of products such as coffee and tea.

Chemicals entering the lake have a negative impact on the ecosystem and fish stocks and make it "less and less viable" to make a living from fishing. Because of this, cash-strapped families have started to allow young women to migrate to the energy-rich Gulf region, where they predominantly work as domestic workers and earn more money than they would at home.

This is according to Brian Waswala, a wildlife and landscape ecologist at Kenya's Maasai Mara University who spoke to Aljazeera on how the decline of Lake Victoria's fishing industry is spurring Gulf migration.

In order to protect local ecosystems, the government should work with communities to support environment-friendly livelihood, because there cannot be effective environmental management without involving the communities.

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Such community-led projects include stall feeding to reduce dependence on grazing, fish farming to reduce pressure on Lake Victoria wild fisheries, and biogas to lower their dependence on fuel wood.

Cage farming

In an attempt to boost fish stocks, Gatsby Africa, for instance, funded a fish cage farming project.

Cage aquaculture involves the growing of fishes in existing water resources while being enclosed in a net cage which allows free flow of water.

The project seeks to carry out spatial planning for the freshwater lake to determine its carrying capacity for the cage-based aquaculture. The Kenyan government also rolled out the Sustainable Activities in Water Areas (SAWA) project in Lake Victoria to promote their activities.

The Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) introduced the floating fish cages technology in 2013 to increase fish production while at the same time conserving the declining wild fish stocks in Lake Victoria.

Since its introduction, the cage culture has presented itself as a new socioeconomic frontier contributing to the national economy and has continued to gain momentum in the lake region owing to good prospects of a better income.
Just weeks from the November scheduled COP 27 in Egypt, South Africa has officially announced plans to wean itself off its coal-dependency industries in under five years.

Christened Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) the USD 8.2 billion deal to go green, comes when Africa is, for the very first time, to host the 27th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference that bore the Paris Conference of the Parties (COP).

South Africa to wean off coal dependency within five years

US$ 8.2 billion to be disbursed in the span of five years

Senegal, Indonesia to adopt versions of JETP

The energy transition deal was announced at the end of September and has been entered into with the US and a score of European nations including the UK, Germany, France and the European Union. This climate-finance agreement is meant to see South Africa invest in renewable energy and end its traditional reliance on coal for South Africa and it is to do so in just under five years.

South Africa, Africa's second-largest economy after Nigeria, admits that 77% of its greenhouse (GH) gas emissions are from energy production most of which (70%) is for the production of electricity through the burning of coal. This huge reliance on coal has seen South Africa rank 13th-largest emitter of GH gasses in the World.

"The crisis that we are facing requires that we should take bold, courageous and decisive action to close the electricity gap," conceded South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa back in July this year.

South Africans are only happy to oblige given the fact that not only has burning coal been damaging the atmosphere but it has not been producing sufficient energy to meet the country's power demand. As a result, South Africans have been contending with scheduled power outages.

In fact, the national power monopoly Eskom is neck deep in a debt that is valued at over U.S.$400 billion, needless to say, switching to renewable energy is not only a wise move but the only reasonable move.

As such, South Africa has now rolled out the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) on the backdrop of the just signed JET deal. The move is expected to bridge the country's energy needs and to do so through renewable energy sources.

As President Cyril Ramaphosa put it in his televised national address, "... the JET framework underscores that combating climate change is both an environmental imperative and an economic one. This framework is an evidence-based document and a victory for evidence-based policymaking. The publication of this framework must now serve as a call to action to each of us to embrace the opportunities presented by a low-carbon, inclusive, climate resilient economy and society."

Head of the JETP Project Management Office, Rudi Dicks seconds the president and maintains that decarbonisation is the primary aim of the JETP. The Head of the project said the JETP partnership funds will be allocated on the basis of an investment plan for sustainable growth, however, the much-anticipated plan is yet to be finalized, but all in good time as Dicks reassured stakeholders.

"The unveiling of the investment plan will be made at the next COP conference, after which it will have to be improved by ministers and approved by Cabinet and signed off by the president," he said.

Other countries around the World are looking to adopt the JETP model to wean off their fossil fuel dependency. Indonesia and Senegal have already made their intentions clear. However, for the latter, JETP will need to be customized to meet the socioeconomic development needs of the country.

"A JETP must also be an opportunity to develop the economy and new businesses for our people. Without this, the energy transition won't be a success," insist sector experts in the West African country.

Overall, the JETP is envisioned to facilitate the adoption of renewable energy and be a stepping stone and catalyst for economic growth.

Understanding JETP, a clean energy transition plan

One year ago, on November 2nd 2021, South Africa, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union announced a long-term renewable energy transition plan that they dubbed Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

The goal of JETP is to help South Africa decarbonise and switch to renewable energy for its power needs as aligned with the country's Nationally Determined Contribution emissions goals.

Through the program, South Africa will mobilise an initial commitment of $8.5 billion for the first phase of financing, which has now been secured and whose distribution plan will be announced next month in Egypt at the COP27.

"The Partnership is expected to prevent up to 1-1.5 gigatonnes of emissions over the next 20 years and support South Africa to move away from coal and to accelerate its transition to a low emission, climate-resilient economy," reports the European Commission.

"South Africa welcomes the commitment made in the Political Declaration to supporting the implementation of our revised Nationally Determined Contribution, which represents our country's ambitious effort to support the global battle against climate change," said South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa.

In his comments at that time, former United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson said; "This game-changing partnership will set a precedent for how countries can work together to accelerate the transition to clean, green energy and technology."

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Similarly, US President Joe Biden said the JETP "... will help transform South Africa's economy to a clean energy economy more quickly. By closing South African coal plants ahead of schedule and investing in clean power alternatives for the people of South Africa and supporting an equitable and inclusive transition in South Africa's coal sector, we are following through on the pledge the G7 partners made in Cornwall to accelerate the transition away from coal in developing countries."

So now, South Africa is at the forefront of switching to renewable energy, an ambition that has been evasive for many African countries which are every other day discovering more and more fossil fuel deposits.

Many African nations are at a crossroads on whether to continue with oil explorations or switch to green energy options. The main question here is matter of economic ambitions of each country. Many see oil as a quick way to boost their economies but this is coming at a time when the globe is moving to reduce CO2 emissions not increase them.

As such, JETP sets a good example for Africa and other developing nations around the World to adopt, a clean energy transition solution that also creates economic development opportunities for the host countries.
analysis

A constitution can only be transformative if it is powered by the people, empowers the people, and is part of a broader political project.

Last month, the Sudan Bar Association published a draft constitution that was welcomed with widespread international approval. Almost a year after the 25 October military coup overthrew Sudan's transitional government, domestic political actors and Western embassies alike celebrated the "serious and encouraging initiative". This new legal framework, they suggested, could reverse the return to military rule and anti-democratic repression under Abdel Fatah al-Burhan. It has the potential, they said, to usher in an "inclusive civilian-led government that can put Sudan on a path to democracy and elections".

This is far from the first time so much hope has been placed in a Sudanese constitution. In the lead-up to independence in 1956, for instance, the outgoing British colonial powers - along with a group of selected Northern urban elites - crafted the Self-Government Statute. This legal document was meant to guide the new country in drafting a permanent constitution, which was seen as paramount to modern state-building. Conversations about federalism, power-sharing and the identity of the state dominated the newly independent Sudan's early political discourse.

These discussions came to an abrupt halt in 1958 when General Ibrahim Abboud staged a coup and suspended the Self Government Statute. He showed little interest in developing a constitution, but the need for a defining legal document came to the fore again after the 1964 popular uprising. This time, political parties engaged in intense debates over their contrasting visions over issues such as the relationship between Khartoum and the regions, and the role of Islam in politics.

In 1973, the government of Jaafar al-Nimeiry finally passed a constitution. This document talked of the importance of decentralisation and promised equal citizenship and rights. The government championed it as inclusive, socialist and for the people. The reality, however, was that the framework was full of contradictions and did little to shape Sudan's future direction. In the early-1980s, for instance, the regime passed the September Laws, which embedded Sharia law in the county's legal system and marginalised non-Muslims, despite the constitution's emphasis on inclusivity. The government also arbitrarily amended the constitution to grant more powers to the president.

In 1985, Sudan witnessed another popular uprising. The new authorities immediately suspended the constitution and put the formulation of a new one at the top of their agenda. This time, it was hoped that the legal document would resolve the country's longstanding questions over law reform, peace with the south, and Sudanese identity.

In 1989, a coup once again halted such talks. It was only in 1998, having ruled by decree for almost a decade, that the regime of Omar al-Bashir recognised the usefulness of a constitution in helping it to cement the Islamic nature of the state, consolidate power, and court international legitimacy. In 2005, this 1998 document was replaced with the Interim National Constitution following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. After the 2019 uprising, this, in turn, made way for a Draft Constitutional Declaration, a document that was openly violated by its military co-signatories as they conducted a coup in 2021.

Building transformative power

Throughout Sudan's history of independence, the making of constitutions has thus been seen as an essential act of state-building. However, as that history also shows, the importance of these processes has often been overstated.

Constitutions have been shaped by those in power, rather than the other way around. Despite the transformative power prescribed to these legal documents, they have done little in Sudan to resolve contradictions, end conflicts, ensure justice, or expand rights. Political elites have simply suspended constitutions, written new ones, or amended supposedly scared laws to suit their needs in the moment. Moreover, when regimes have failed to uphold their duties, the people have removed them not by appealing to legal provisions but through mass uprisings.

The context in which Sudan's latest constitutional draft has been written is no different. It too has been invested with huge hopes and consumed extensive domestic and international attention. And it too is constrained by wider power dynamics that make it difficult for the document to detail how remnants of the al-Bashir regime will be held accountable or how Sudan's military regime can be made to return power to civilian rule.

Despite the orthodox international view that sees constitutions as undeniable evidence of state-building, Sudan's experience shows that they are not transformative in of themselves. The country's previous constitutions have not protected countless victims of atrocities committed by al-Bashir or his military successors today, nor brought them justice.

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This does not mean constitutions are not valuable. It means they can only be truly transformative and for the people if they are reimagined as part of a wider transformative political movement and linked to power, rather than seen as standing above or beyond it. In Sudan today, this means that the document's drafting must be directed by widespread popular participation, meaningfully and over time, rather than rushed through with meagre consultation. It must be shaped by and speak to people's genuine concerns and realities. For it to survive and have impact, it must empower - and be powered by - the Sudanese people.

Aida Abbashar is a PhD candidate at Durham University and Research Assistant for the LSE Middle East Centre's project 'Understanding the Barriers and Enablers to Women's Leadership in Sudan'. Her research focuses on the history of constitution-making in Sudan, where she looks at the role that different actors, policies, and events have played in constitutional development and negotiations since 1956.
Liege [Belgium], October 7 (ANI): When we are awake, we typically believe that our minds are always racing with ideas. We maintain our own dynamic mental stream, which is like a river stream that never stops flowing.

A thought may lead to another, whether or not it is important to what we do, and it may ebb and flow between our inner world and the outside world.

Also Read | Night-Time Snacking is Linked With Risk of Obesity; Decreases Energy Expenditure in Adults, Says Study.

But how does the brain manage to stay in such a thought-related condition all the time? According to a recent study that was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, it truly cannot be done because our brains must occasionally "go offline," which we can perceive as mental voids.

Re-analyzing a previously gathered dataset, researchers from the University of Liege, EPF Lausanne & University of Geneva asked healthy subjects to describe their mental state as it was just prior to receiving an auditory probe (beep) while lying still in the MRI scanner. The options were environmental perceptions, thoughts influenced by stimuli, ideas unaffected by stimuli, and mental lapses. Using this experience-sampling technique, good photos were gathered.

Also Read | Lifting Weights Once A Week Linked to Reduced Risk of Premature Death: New Study.

In contrast to the other states, mental blanking episodes were recorded much less frequently and recurred much less frequently over time, according to the researchers. The researchers also discovered, using machine learning, that during episodes of mind-numbing, our brains arranged so that all brain regions were in constant communication with one another.

The high amplitude of the fMRI global signal, a surrogate for low cortical arousal, further distinguished this ultra-connected brain pattern. To put it another way, when we describe mind blanking, our brains appear to be in a state that is comparable to deep sleep, except that we are awake.

Mind blanking is a relatively new mental state within the study of spontaneous cognition. It opens exciting avenues about the underlying biological mechanisms during waking life. It might be that the boundaries of sleep and wakefulness might not be that discrete as they appear to be after all", says the principal investigator Dr Demertzi Athena, FNRS researcher at GIGA ULiege. "The continuously and rapidly changing brain activity requires robust analysis methods to confirm the specific signature of mind blanking", continues Dr Van De Ville Dimitri.

According to the researchers, the rigid neurofunctional profile of mind blanking could explain why people are unable to report mental content because their brains are unable to distinguish signals in a way that is instructive. This work suggests that instantaneous non-reportable mental events might occur during wakefulness, establishing mind blanks as a significant mental state during the current experience while we wait for the underlying mechanisms to be clarified. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Guwahati (Assam) [India], October 6 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) top brass including national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a two-day visit to Assam from tomorrow and will inaugurate the biggest office of the party in the northeastern region.

According to Assam State BJP president Bhabesh Kalita, the top leaders of the party will inaugurate the newly constructed Assam State BJP office at Basistha area in Guwahati on October 8. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and state party leaders will be present on the occasion.

Also Read | Karnataka Shocker: Woman Brutally Stabbed to Death by 4 Men in Front of Her Child in Gadag.

Nadda and Shah will also attend party workers meeting at the Veterinary College playground, Khanapara in Guwahati.

"Our party national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will reach Guwahati on October 7 evening and they will attend a party meeting. They will also attend party workers meeting to be held at Veterinary College playground, Khanapara where around 35,000-40,000 party workers across the state will participate," Bhabesh Kalita told ANI.

Also Read | Bihar Mob Lynching: Man Accused of Raping 9-Year-Old Girl Lynched by Angry Villagers in Katihar.

Kalita said preparations for the programmes have already been made.

Official sources said Amit Shah will attend a series of official meetings on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. The Union Home Minister will attend the Conference of the Superintendent of Police at the Police Training College at Dergaon on Sunday. He will depart from the state on Sunday following several official engagements.

According to BJP office bearers, the soon-to-be inaugurated Assam BJP state headquarters would be the biggest office of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the northeastern region. With state-of-the-art infrastructure, the BJP office is expected to be full of all modern amenities.

Spread over 95,000 square feet, the building will have six floors and an open rooftop premise.

The new BJP Assam office will have an auditorium to accommodate 350 people along with top hi-tech conference halls with a capacity of 40 people each. It will also have five meeting halls to accommodate a strength of 50 people each. The office will also have a big press conference room along with a reception and a canteen.

The foundation stone for this office of the BJP in Assam was laid by the then-party president Amit Shah in February 2019.

"Assam is the doorway to the north-east. Assam is the state which actually opened the fortunes for our party in this region," an Assam state office bearer told ANI.

Earlier Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a special emphasis on the progress of the north-east region through various programmes and even he himself made over 50 visits to the region.

In 2016 the BJP came to power in Assam for the first time breaking the record term of the Congress party and becoming the only party in the state apart from the Congress to have back-to-back governments.

In 2017 the BJP formed a government in Manipur and also repeated its government again in 2022.

Another first by BJP in the region was the formation of the government in Tripura breaking the Left rule of a couple of decades in 2018. The BJP continues to be in power in Arunachal Pradesh as well as in coalition governments both in Meghalaya and Nagaland. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], October 6 (ANI): A fire that broke out in a shop in Gandhi Nagar's cloth market is now under control, said the fire department on Thursday night.

"The fire was declared of a medium category. A total of 28 fire tenders are engaged. Fire is now under control and confined to the top floors," said Deputy Chief Fire Officer SK Dua.

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Delhi Fire Service received information on a fire that broke out in Gandhi Nagar market at 5:36 pm on Wednesday. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday accepted Gujarat BJP chief C R Paatil's invitation to visit the state and see the standard of government schools there, and hoped that the BJP leader would not take an about turn.

Sisodia said he was glad that education has become an agenda for political discussions in Gujarat ahead of the assembly polls, as he extended an invite to Paatil to visit Delhi government schools and see how they have become world-class in just five years under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

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Government schools across Gujarat are in "very bad shape" under the BJP's reign, Sisodia said, claiming that the people of the state want good schools and believe that the AAP can overhaul the school education system there within five years after coming at the helm.

Sisodia's remarks came after Paatil accused AAP leaders of misleading people in Gujarat and invited them to visit the state government schools to see their standards.

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"BJP Gujarat president C R Paatil has invited me to visit the state government schools and see the facilities there. I accept his invitation and want him to fix a date for our visit soon. We will start with the assembly constituency of Gujarat Education Minister Jitubhai Vaghani and then proceed to see other government schools in the state," Sisodia told a press conference here.

"I also want to invite him to visit Delhi and see our schools too," he said.

Addressing a gathering in Surat earlier in the day, Paatil accused AAP leaders of misleading people by falsely promising a very good education system.

"Some people come here and try to mislead citizens by promising to provide very good education. They are invited to come here once and see. They will come to know about their shortcomings and also get to see the standard of education in Surat municipal corporation and Gujarat," Paatil said.

Hitting back, Sisodia said he has seen how bad the condition of the government schools in Gujarat is during his visits to various districts in the poll-bound state.

It will take at least 15,000 years to overhaul them in the pace the BJP government is working, he claimed.

"I am happy that education is an agenda for political discussions in Gujarat now. I hope that he (Paatil) will not step back from his statement and fix a date soon to show me Gujarat government schools," Sisodia added.

He said people of Gujarat were pinning hopes on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the turnaround of the school education system in the state.

"The BJP could upgrade just 73 government schools in Gujarat over the past 27 years. At this rate, it will take 15,000 years for the BJP to upgrade 40,800 government schools all across the state. Kejriwal has made the Delhi government schools world-class in just five years and people of Gujarat now want his model in their state too," he added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ujjain (MP), Oct 6 (PTI) Ujjain resident Dipu Sharma is unable to contain his excitement about the soon-to-open Mahakal corridor in his home town, and says he travels nearly every night to an old overbridge near his house to catch a glimpse of the "dazzling new project" and take selfies.

But, Sharma isn't the only local who is admiring this drastic change of landscape from the ramp of the Hari Phatak Overbridge which offers a magnificent view of the 108 ornate sandstone columns bearing decorative 'trishul' design on top and 'mudras' of Lord Shiva on its faces, the gushing fountains surrounded by artistic sculptures of the deity and illuminated murals.

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This distance admiration trend has picked up from the last few weeks, and after the Madhya Pradesh cabinet meeting was held in this holy city late last month, for the first time, the desire and the craze for "flyover selfies" has even grown further.

Every day, particularly after dark, scores of people gather near the parapet of the overbridge, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorcycle-borne commuters, and they either just stand there and appreciate this emerging skyline facing the ancient Rudrasagar Lake, or can be seen taking selfies with the corridor in the background.

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Sharma, a resident of Jaisinghpura area near the project site, had gone to the flyover along with his wife on Navratra's final night on Tuesday. He sat on his bike, parked on the flyover while his wife peeked below to admire the view while standing near the parapet.

"People of Ujjain are super excited about the new corridor, especially after it was confirmed by the MP government that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating it soon. And, as that day nears, the excitement is only building up," he told PTI.

In day time, one can have the view of the new structures, but people gather mostly after dark so that illumination can be enjoyed and colourful fountain at play, Sharma said.

His wife said women in her neighbourhood are also excited, particularly the young ones.

Prime Minister Modi on October 11 will inaugurate the first phase of the Rs 856-crore Mahakaleshwar Temple corridor development project here, located around 200 km from the state capital Bhopal.

The corridor has been named 'Mahakal Lok' by the state government, and it is also becoming popular among the youth through social media.

"This portion of the overbridge has sort of become a viewing gallery and a favourite point among people to take selfies, day and night. For last few weeks, this craze has particularly picked up, and I see it often while driving by," said Rohit Songara, an Ujjain-based cab driver.

Chief Executive Officer of Ujjain Smart City, Ashish Kumar Pathak feels after the opening, the excitement will only multiply and lead to a "huge jump" in tourist footfall.

"The ornate columns, the aesthetic-looking fountains, and depictions of various elements from Shiv Puran in murals will enhance the viewers' experience," he told PTI.

Officials of IPE Global, the consultancy firm which worked on this ambitious project under the Ujjain Smart City mission, said testing of fountains and lights have been happening for the last several days, which draws people.

"The project started in 2017 and in five years, the entire landscape has undergone a sea change, from a chaotic, haphazard space into an aesthetic and pleasing sight. Since, the opening is still few days away, people are getting curious. Once it opens, people will feel a different kind of excitement when they will see the details on the columns and in murals," said Amit Gupta, manager, urban infrastructure and tourism at the firm.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday offered prayers at the Mahakaleshwar Temple on Dusshera and took part in the grand 'Mahakal ki Sawari', and described it as an "extraordinary moment".

His visit to Ujjain for few hours has further heightened the excitement of people about the new corridor.

"This is an extraordinary moment, and an extraordinary time. Delight is all around and there is an environment of excitement," the CM told reporters as he took part in the ceremonial procession.

Chouhan and his wife joined 'Mahakal ki Sawari' mid-way, and he also played a 'damru' and carried a sacred flag briefly. Later, he braved rains on Dussehra and was seen walking barefoot in the streets as he got drenched on way to Dussehra Maidan.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
analysis

The Kingdom of Lesotho - a small landlocked country in southern Africa with a population of 2.1 million people - has failed to introduce key political reforms needed to bring stability to the country. This setback is the latest of many false starts since the reform process started in earnest after the 2012 elections.

It had been hoped that the 2022 national poll would be held under a new constitutional framework that would help end conflicts in key areas such as the formation of government, coalitions and the electoral system. Lesotho's history has been punctuated by spasms of political instability since independence in 1966.

The reform drive was supposed to have been completed by the end of the five-year term of the latest parliament, on 13 July 2022. Parliament tried, without success, to enact the reforms bill before its dissolution. Even frantic and chaotic efforts to pass it at midnight before the parliament dissolved failed.

A chaotic process then followed which involved parliament being recalled and passing the flagship reforms bills. But this decision was struck down by both the High Court and Court of Appeal.

This, in effect meant the collapse of the reform programme.

The net effect is that elections will be held on the basis of the old constitutional framework. This is the same framework that is to blame for recurrent political instability in the country.

Prime Minister Majoro's government is the fourth on whose watch the reform process collapsed, despite enormous resources being invested in the initiative. The causes for the collapse are common in all four attempts.

In my view, two key reasons lie behind the failure of political reforms in Lesotho. The first is lack of interest by successive governments. The second is the poor design of the reform processes.

Chaotic collapse

The way in which the latest reform attempts collapsed provides a good example of why Lesotho has struggled to get itself on a new political path. It reflects the deep tensions in the country grounded in the fact that political elites are driven by self-aggrandisement.

After parliament's term ended without passing the "omnibus bill", the government came under immense pressure from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which has been trying to facilitate the reforms, as well as donors and civil society to recall the dissolved parliament to finish the reforms process.

The prime minister, Moeketsi Majoro, then declared a "state of emergency" to create grounds for King Letsie III to recall the parliament. But the premise for the recall - that failure to pass the constitutional amendment bill and the National Assembly Electoral (Amendment) Act constituted a state of emergency - was wrong.

The recalled parliament purportedly passed the bill into law following a chaotic process on the 29 August 2022. But the recall of parliament was challenged in the courts by a journalist and a lawyer. In a landmark decision, both the High Court and the Court of Appeal in separate judgements rightly ruled that the recall of parliament was unconstitutional as there was no state of emergency justifying such recall.

Consequently, all the business it transacted after its lawful dissolution on 13 July 2022, including passing the reforms law, was declared null and void.

Lack of interest in fundamental reforms

Despite their pretensions to support reforms, it is clear that governments in Lesotho are not interested in the fundamental reforms to the structure of government. None wants to let go of the unfettered powers that the prime minister enjoys under the current dispensation.

The current design enables manipulation of other branches and institutions of government by the executive. For instance, the prime minister can prorogue and dissolve parliament based on a whim. This is reflective of the weak checks and balances on the use of executive powers.

The prime minister also enjoys unfettered powers to appoint all the other vital institutions - the judiciary, security agencies, oversight institutions and the civil service.

Successive prime ministers have not hesitated to use these powers to torment political opponents, and enhance their political prospects. The result has been recurring instability.

To curb unfettered executive powers, the now-defunct National Reforms Authority, proposed amendments that provided for checks and balances. But even before the failure to pass the amendments, the government had removed proposals to ensure minimal changes to the status quo.

Poor design

Political reform processes are generally informed by five principles of constitution-making. These are proper agenda-setting (preparation), awareness and consultation, deliberation, adoption and implementation.

In Lesotho's case, these phases were not clearly visible in the design of the reform process, hence it met incessant headwinds at every turn until it collapsed.

For instance, there was no proper agenda-setting. Consequently, the reform agenda was not clearly demarcated or agreed on. While there were five broad themes - judiciary, parliament, civil service, media, security and the constitution - the extent to which the reform could go was unclear.

As result, competing political interests were often not moderated so that everyone could have a clear vision of what the new constitution should look like. The government view prevailed, as usual, causing discontent among other players.

Similarly, the role that would be played by citizens in the reforms process has been just as unclear.

Another fault line in the process was that the act that was passed in 2019 to guide the reforms itself created more confusion.

The new law saw the establishment of a multi-stakeholder constituent assembly called the National Reform Authority. But its relationship with parliament remained opaque. Most importantly, the parliament's traditional legislative authority remained unaffected by it.

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Another weakness of the process was the way in which it ran rough shod over the processes for changing the constitution in Lesotho: these are by an ordinary amendment by simple majority, two-thirds in both houses and a referendum.

Way forward

After the elections the new parliament must pass a new reforms law. Such a law must be based on the principles that have emerged following lessons in the many constitution-making exercises throughout the continent.

The most notable experiences are those in Kenya, South Africa, South Sudan and Zimbabwe. The law must carefully delineate the role of stakeholders such as government, other political players, civil society, experts, and, much more importantly, the public.

A careful design of the process and how various stakeholders participate in the process is the greatest lesson from many constitution-making experiences in Africa.

Inevitably, such a process is bound to reduce the classical powers of parliament. Parliament cannot regard a law passed through such a broad-based consultation, where agreements and compromises have been secured, as an ordinary piece of legislation with which it can do whatever it likes.

Hoolo 'Nyane, Head of Department, Public and Environmental Law Department, University of Limpopo
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 6 (ANI): A State Cabinet meeting held today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur gave the approval to draft an MOU between the State Government and Central Government for making AIIMS to act as an Apex Body for Medical Education and Research.

AIIMS will also act as a Nodal Institution for providing speciality and Super speciality levels of Health Care, act as a Training Center for Doctors, Nurses and Health Workers, provide Medical and Para Medical courses both at Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels and for conducting International and National level Conferences and to provide a place for achieving excellence in Medical field.

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According to the official statement, the Cabinet decided to upgrade Government High Schools Kholi, Thakurdwara and Bandal in Kangra district and Government High Schools Chong and Shat in Kullu to Government Senior Secondary Schools and Government Middle schools Tandi, Pashi, Tinder and Mashna in Kullu district, GMS Dhamer in Kangra district and Government Middle School Devidarh in Mandi district to Government High schools. Moreover, it also decided to upgrade Government Primary Schools Okhali, Tikki and Bharechinal in Mandi district to Government Middle Schools along with creation and filling up to requisite posts.

It also decided to start Science and Commerce classes in Government Senior Secondary Schools Birta and Bohar Kawalu in Kangra district along with the creation and filling up of requisite posts and gave the approval to start commerce and Maths classes in GSSS Shiah in the Kullu district along with the creation and filling up of requisite posts, as per the official statement.

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The Cabinet decided to start Science classes in GSSS Bhatkidhar in the Mandi district along with the creation and filling of requisite posts and also gave its nod to upgrade Government Primary School Godigad to Government Middle School and Government Middle School Nalhach in Kullu district to Government High School along with creation and filling up of requisite posts.

Further, the cabinet decided to upgrade Government Primary School Bassi under Education Block Bagsaid in Mandi district to Government Central Primary School.

The Cabinet gave its approval to again start Government Primary School Mangan in Mandi district to facilitate the students of the area. It gave the approval to upgrade Government Primary Schools Shillibagi and Daran in Mandi district to Government Middle Schools along with the creation and filling up of requisite posts.

Approval to open a new Veterinary Dispensary at Kotaseri in Kullu district to facilitate farmers of the area and to upgrade the Veterinary Dispensary Dummi in Kasumpati Vidhan Sabha area in Shimla district to a Veterinary Hospital along with the creation and filling up of requisite posts was decided.

It decided to open a new Police Station at Balichowki in Mandi district along with the creation and filling up of 34 posts of different categories to man this newly opened Police Station and to create one additional post of Medical Officer in Community Health Centre Lapyana in Kangra district.

The Cabinet gave its approval to open a new Developmental Block Office at Bathri in Chamba district along with the creation and filling up of 7 posts of different categories. It approved the revision of the Pay structure for the existing regular teaching faculty and librarians working in degree-level technical institutions in the state as per All India Council for Technical Educations norms. The revised pay scale would be given from the prospective date and arrears from 1.1.2016 to date would be paid as per State Government orders.

The Cabinet granted permission for relaxation in the sloping roof from 2.7 meters to 6 meters i.e. 3.25 meters for the proposed building of a bus stand at Dhalli in Shimla district.

It approved the re-starting of Government Degree College Narag in Sirmaur district to facilitate the students of the area.

The Cabinet gave its approval to open a new ITI at Deha in the Chopal Vidhan Sabha area of Shimla district along with the creation and filling up of 26 posts of different categories to man this institution.

The Cabinet gave its approval to open a new Degree College at Pangna in Mandi district along with the creation and filling up of requisite posts of different categories, besides making a provision of Rs. 5 crores for the development of infrastructure.

It gave the approval to create 3 posts of Superintendent Gr-1 and upgrade 7 posts of Superintendent Gr-1 as a personal measure from the post of Superintendent Gr-II in the Forest department.

It approved the creation of 7 Patwar Circles viz Mathal, Sanrli, Manola, Kandi-3, Bhenra, Navidhar and Kuther in Karsog tehsil in Mandi district along with the creation and filling up of requisite posts.

It decided to create 3 new Patwar Circles at Kotla-Khunla, Kharsi and Jharad in Mandi district along with the creation and filling up of requisite posts.

The Cabinet gave the approval to open a new Tehsil at Naggar in Kullu district along with the creation and filling of 15 posts of different categories.

It gave consent to create a new Patwar Circle at Gathu under Sub-Tehsil Nither in Kullu district along with the creation and filling up of requisite posts.

It also gave the approval to create a new Patwar Circle Karadsu under Tehsil Kullu of Kullu district along with the creation and filling up of requisite posts.

The Cabinet decided to open a new Sub-Tehsil at Ashla under Tehsil Karsog in Mandi district along with the creation and filling up of 12 posts of different categories.

It decided to create Kanungo Circle Majothi in Chachyot Tehsil of Mandi district along with the creation and filling up of requisite posts.

It decided to fill up four posts of Company Commander in the Home Guard and Civil Defense department through direct recruitment on a Contract basis.

It decided to give NOC to Vivekanand Medical Research Trust Palampur for 40 seats of BSc Nursing.

The Cabinet decided to upgrade Government High Schools Khagna, Jorna and Annadale in Shimla district to Government Senior Secondary Schools and Government High Schools Gahang, Paplotu, Garlog, Riyagri, Siun, Babli and Chhanyara in Mandi district to Government Senior Secondary Schools, upgradation of Government Middle School Antrwali in Shimla district to Government High School and Government Middle Schools Sarhi, Bhanera, Kheel, Panjan, Futakhal, Dugrain, Devidarh, Dhaban, Purana Bazar Karsog, Mehran, Kharkan, Anah and Sumni Dhar in Mandi district to Government High Schools along with creation and filling up of 164 posts of different categories.

It decided to rename GSSS Maloh in Mandi district as Shaheed Deenanath Government Senior Secondary School Maloh as a mark of respect to the martyr.

It approved the opening of a new Jal Shakti Sub-Division at Naggar under Jal Shakti Division Katrain in the Manali Vidhan Sabha area of the Kullu district.

It decided to upgrade Government High School Dibber to GSSS and Government Middle Schools Leu Kuffer and Dhaneshwar in Sirmaur district to Government High Schools along with the creation and filling up of 26 posts of different categories.

The Cabinet decided to engage/re-engage services of 40 PTA (GIA-provided teachers who were engaged/re-engaged after 3.01.2018 i.e. after the closer of PTA Policy who fulfils the requisite qualification as per R&P Rules by extending the PTA Policy/Rules 2006 from prospective effect.

It approved the creation and filling of up to 29 posts of Accountants in 29 Municipal Councils of the State and create and fill 9 posts of Assistant Engineers in 9 Municipal Councils viz Rampur, Rohru, Bilaspur, Baddi, Hamirpur, Nahan, Sundernagar, Kangra and Nurpur.

The Cabinet approved the upgradation of Community Health Centre Nalagarh to 200 bedded Health Institution along with the creation and filling up of requisite posts.

It also gave its nod to reconstitute the Kasauli planning area and exclude some areas from the Kasauli planning area and include them in the Special Areas Development Authority, Jabli for ensuring the planned development of these areas.

The cabinet decided to open a new Ayurvedic health centre at Tadan in the Dharampur Vidhan sabha area of Mandi district.

It decided to open eight 50 bedded Critical Care Blocks at RPGMC Tanda, SLBSGMC Mandi, RKGMC Hamirpur, AIMS Chamiyana Shimla, Regional Hospital UNA Regional Hospital Solan, JLNGMC Chamba, and Civil Hospital Manali and three District Integrated Public Health Labs at Zonal Hospital Dharamshala, DDU Zonal Hospital Shimla and Zonal Hospital Mandi under PM Ayishman Bharat Infrastructure Mission. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 6 (ANI): A total of 438 Health and Wellness Centers or Namma Clinics are set to begin operating in Karnataka by December 15. Out of these, 243 Namma Clinics will begin operating within BBMP limits, said Karnataka Health Minister Dr. K Sudhakar addressing Media personnel in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Minister Sudhakar visited the model 'Namma Clinic' established at Bengaluru's Mahalakshmipuram and spoke to media personnel following the visit. Each Namma clinic will consist of a doctor, a nurse, a lab technician, and a group D employee. Minister Sudhakar told media personnel that the appointment of 160 doctors has been completed and the BBMP has issued a notification to appoint the remaining doctors for the BBMP Namma Clinics. Minister Sudhakar stated that the appointments are expected to be completed by the end of this week. The appointments for all the remaining staff are completed for the 243 Namma Clinics in the BBMP limits, Minister Sudhakar said.

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The program has been focused to address the healthcare needs of the Urban poor, especially people falling below the poverty line and people living in huts. Each ward of the city will consist of at least one Namma Clinic and will operate like PHC. In addition to providing healthcare, the Namma Clinics will focus on creating awareness about government healthcare schemes.

As per the guidelines, PHCs in accordance with the population exist in rural areas. However, there aren't enough government healthcare centers in urban areas to cater to the population. Hence, this new scheme has been launched. The Karnataka government under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Basavaraj Bommai and the Union government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi have provided complete support for the new initiative. BBMP currently has a total of 198 wards which may increase in the future. We have sanctioned additional Clinics so as to ensure one clinic per ward in case of expansion.

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The Namma Clinics are being established in government buildings and rented buildings which have an area of 1000-1200 Sq.ft. The government will incur a cost of Rs 138 crore to maintain the staff each year. We have also incurred a non-recurring cost of Rs 17.52 crore to establish the Namma Clinics. Totally, we have incurred a cost of Rs.155 crore as of now. Namma Clinics will also create awareness about Yoga, Pranayama, Dhyana, and food habits at clinics, Minister Sudhakar said. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bengaluru, Oct 6 (PTI) The Karnataka government will open 438 'Namma Clinics' across the state of which 243 will be in Bengaluru, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Thursday.

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The minister was speaking to reporters after inspecting a model 'Namma Clinic' unit in Mahalakshmi Layout in the city.

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"We will set up 438 Namma Clinics across Karnataka. Of them 243 will be in Bengaluru. Each clinic will consist of a doctor, a nurse, a lab technician and a group D employee," he said.

Sudhakar said the appointment of 160 doctors have been completed.

The Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has issued a notification to appoint doctors for 'Namma Clinics', which is expected to be completed by the end of this week, he said.

The appointments for the remaining staff have been completed for the 243 'Namma Clinics' in the BBMP limits, he added.

"The programme has been focused to address the healthcare needs of urban poor, especially people falling below the poverty line and those living in huts. Each ward of the city will consist of at least one Namma Clinic and will operate like PHCs. In addition to providing healthcare, the clinics will focus on creating awareness about government healthcare schemes," Sudhakar explained.

As per the guidelines, PHCs in accordance with the population exist in rural areas. However, there aren't enough government healthcare centres in urban areas to cater to the population. Hence, this new scheme has been launched, the minister pointed out.

Sudhakar said the clinics are being established in government and rented buildings, which have an area of 1,000-1,200 Sq.ft.

"The government will incur a cost of Rs 138 crore to maintain the staff each year," he added.

According to him, the clinics will also create awareness about Yoga, Pranayama, Dhyana and food habits.

Apparently taking a cue from Delhi government's Mohalla Clinic, the health department aims to set up 'Namma Clinic' in each ward of Bengaluru, a health department official said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dehradun, October 6: In the view of the safety of the trekking and mountaineering teams in Uttarkashi, district magistrate Abhishek Ruhela on Thursday instructed to keep the activities here closed for the next three days.

Ruhela has banned these activities in Uttarkashi from October 6 (today) to October 8 (Saturday).

The DM's decision came after the meterorological department issued an alert for the rain and snow fall here. The India Meteorological Deaprtment on Monday predicted "Intense rainfall spell likely to commence over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh from 05th October for subsequent 2-3 days and heavy rainfall spell over most parts of east and northeast India during next 3-4 days."

Recently on Tuesday, a huge avalanche hit nearly 41 mountaineers and trainees of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) at Draupadi's Danda-II mountain peak in Uttarkashi. Uttarakhand Avalanche: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Conducts Aerial Inspection of Rescue and Relief Operation (Watch Video).

Earlier in the day, a team of team of experts from Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir joined the rescue operation with the team of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM).

The officials of the Indian Air Force had previously informed that they had deployed two helicopters from Sarsawa and Bareilly for the rescue operation with which several mountaineers were rescued from Base Camp located at about 12,000 ft to Matli helipad.

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.

Deep Thakur, a trainee from Gujarat, who survived the accident while undergoing treatment at the district hospital, said that the avalanche came all of a sudden while he was climbing to Draupadi's Danda Peak for a summit at around 9.45 am, due to which he along with his companions fell into the crevasses about 60 feet deep, where he struggled between death and life for about 3 hours.

On Wednesday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also conducted an aerial inspection of the rescue and relief operation being carried out to find the mountaineering trainees who were hit by the avalanche and 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," an official informed.

Besides the tragic incident of the avalanche in Uttarkashi, CM Dhami announced ex-gratia for the accident which claimed 32 lives and injured more than 20 people after a bus carrying a wedding procession fell into a gorge in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot in Pauri-Garhwal district on Tuesday night.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Faridabad, Oct 6 (PTI) Two officials of the Faridabad Municipal Corporation and a contractor were booked following the death of a man after he fell into a pit dug up for road construction here, police said on Thursday.

The deceased has been identified as Bablu (34), a native of Bhagalpur in Bihar and currently living in Shiv Colony in the city.

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His wife filed a complaint with the police stating that when they were walking home on the evening of September 30, Bablu fell into a pit filled with dirty water and drowned, police said, adding the incident took place in the Sehatpur village area.

She cried for help and the people nearby pulled Bablu out but he was declared brought dead at a hospital, they said.

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An FIR was registered against a sub-divisional officer, junior engineer and contractor of the municipal corporation under IPC sections 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 304-A (death due to negligence) at Palla police station on Wednesday in connection with the incident, Inspector Yogesh Kataria said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], October 6 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah wound up his 3-day Jammu and Kashmir visit with a clear message that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands for "Sab Ka Vikas, Sab Ka Kalyan" irrespective of caste, colour, creed or religion.

Shah visited Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu, Chattipadshai Gurdwara in Srinagar, halted his speech and removed his bulletproof jacket as soon as he heard the Azan (call for namaz) in North Kashmir's Baramulla district. His gestures were a signal that the government led by PM Modi respects all religions and believes in India's pluralistic and composite culture.

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The Union Home Minister assured Gujjars, Bakarwals and Paharis in Rajouri that the era of discrimination has ended and they would get their due share in jobs and other sectors soon.He met Sikhs in Srinagar and members of Rajput Sabha in Jammu to send a message that the government led by PM Modi treats every citizen of the country equally. His gesture to halt the speech after hearing the Azan drove home a point that the BJP-led government respects all religions and the misconceptions that have been created are nothing but a myth.

He visited the grave of a martyred policeman, Mudasir Sheikh, and paid floral tributes to him. He met his family members and assured them that they would be provided all the possible support and assistance and that the entire nation stood with them. Mudasir had laid down his life while fighting three Pakistani terrorists in a counter-insurgency operation in Baramulla in May this year.

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Shah wound up his visit by reiterating that no talks will be held with Pakistan and directed the security forces to wipe out terrorism completely from the Himalayan region. He announced that assembly elections in the Union Territory would be held as soon as the electoral rolls are finalized.

He maintained that the Centre would only talk to the people of Kashmir and no one else. Shah urged the misguided local youth to lay down arms and join the national mainstream and choose life over death.

The Home Minister launched and laid the foundation stones of projects worth Rs 2000 crore in Kashmir and Rs 1900 crore in the Jammu region.

Shah sent a clear message that J-K is a priority for the Centre and leaders of three political parties, who ruled J-K for 70 years, can no longer dictate terms to New Delhi, nor can they hoodwink the gullible people of J-K as the times have changed.

He termed the turning of Kashmir from a "terrorist spot" into a "tourist spot" as one of the major achievements of the PM Modi-led regime and assured the people that J&K will keep on flourishing under PM Modi's leadership.

The Union Home Minister had come to Jammu and Kashmir to tell the people that the government is aware of their needs and stands by them in all their endeavours.

His assertion that laptops have replaced stones and strike culture has ended in Kashmir was a snub to all such leaders, who used to claim that Kashmir would burn once Article 370--a temporary provision in the Constitution--is scrapped.

Shah reaching out to all the communities was an indication that the Government of India believes in equality for all and that no one will be left out.Commitment towards martyrs

It was not the first time that the Union Home Minister visited the family of a martyred policeman, Mudasir Sheikh in Kashmir, whenever Shah has toured the Valley he has reached out to the families of martyrs and expressed solidarity with them. His commitment toward martyrs has strengthened the resolve of Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel to fight terrorism more vigorously and has encouraged them to take the fight against terrorism to its logical end. Shah, as a leader, has led from the front and has set an example.Soon after the BJP came into power for the second consecutive term in 2019, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, had handed over the "Mission Kashmir" to Shah and he has ensured that he takes the job entrusted to him to its logical conclusion.

From revocation of J&K's special status to its transition into a Union Territory and the developments which followed, Shah and his team have monitored every move personally.His efforts have turned Pakistan-sponsored terrorism hit the Himalayan region into a favourite tourist destination with people from every corner of the country arriving in J-K.

The Union Home Ministry led by Shah has given clear-cut instructions to the security forces to go after the terrorists and their supporters but has made it clear that no innocent should be harassed or even touched.

The development projects that were left incomplete by the erstwhile regimes in Jammu and Kashmir have been completed and many new projects have either been dedicated to people or are nearing completion.

As of date, the electricity has reached every village of J&K and consumers are getting power 24x7. For them, the dream of getting electricity round the clock has come true.Upliftment of weaker sections

The weaker sections of the society who remained deprived of their rights for seven long decades due to the politics played by the former rulers have been provided with multiple benefits.J-K youth, who were lured by the separatists and terrorists, have been provided with all the opportunities to excel in their lives and choose a career through which they can eke out their livings.

The Centre has empowered J&K's generation-next and the Union Home Minister has often reiterated that youth hold the key and they are ones whom the government would talk to.

Rousing reception

Since August 5, 2019, when Article 370, was abrogated Kashmir has neither witnessed shutdowns nor stone-pelting incidents or protests. A common man has been able to perform his daily chores without any disruptions.

Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, has successfully handled "Mission Kashmir." He has put in relentless efforts to make PM Modi's dream to turn J-K into a paradise on earth a reality.

The people giving rousing reception to Amit Shah in Rajouri and Baramulla is ample proof of the fact that a common man in Jammu and Kashmir has supported all the steps that have been taken during the past three years.

Residents of J-K have welcomed the change in the 70-year-old long status quo with open hearts and minds and are leaving no opportunity to express their gratitude to the Central leadership that has changed their destinies and has made their lives peaceful. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, Oct 6 (PTI) Lok Sabha member Shrikant Shinde on Thursday objected to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray "dragging" the name of his one-and-a-half year old son during his Dussehra rally speech a day ago, and asked whether targeting a child suited his Hindutva.

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Shrikant Shinde is the son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The rebel Sena MP represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat in Thane district.

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In an open letter, Shinde said late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray seared his political opponents, but never resorted to such "lowly" remarks.

"Do you understand the views shared by you on Hindutva? I just want to ask you one thing whether such dragging a one-and-half-year old son suits your Hindutva? Shinde asked.

On Wednesday, both the factions of the Shiv Sena - one led by Thackeray and other by CM Shinde - held their rallies that saw attacks and counter attacks against each other.

During his speech, Thackeray attacked CM Shinde as he referred to his son (Shrikant) as a brat and said his grandson Rudransh has an eye on the corporator's post. Thackeray slammed the chief minister for "betraying" him despite enjoying various positions as he was made a minister and his son an MP.

Berating Thackeray, Shrikant Shinde in a long Facebook post asked how a former chief minister could use such a language against a child.

Meanwhile, taking a dig at Eknath Shinde, Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said while Uddhav Thackeray spoke extempore, Shinde was "reading" his speech for one hour and 28 minutes.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar also took a dig at Shinde. "Some speeches were stretched beyond any reason," Pawar said without naming the chief minister.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kolkata, Oct 6 (PTI) A Turkish Airlines plane flying from Istanbul to Singapore made an emergency landing in the Kolkata airport on Thursday after a 69-year-old passenger fell seriously ill mid-air, an official said here.

The elderly passenger suffered from bouts of convulsions and was bleeding from the nose and mouth, the official said.

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Seeing his condition, the pilot of the Turkish Airlines flight TK-054 decided to make an emergency landing at the NSC Bose International Airport in Kolkata.

After getting approval from Air Traffic Control, the flight landed at 11.45 AM.

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The sick passenger was initially treated at the airport and he was taken to a hospital later, the official said.

The plane with all other passengers resumed its journey at 2.52 pm, 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)
Faridabad (Haryana), Oct 6 (PTI) Two houses and a shop built by an alleged drug trafficker on an illegally occupied plot of land in Faridabad sector 31 were razed in a demolition drive on Thursday, police said.

The exercise was conducted by the Faridabad police under directions of Deputy Commissioner Vikram Kumar in the presence of duty magistrate DCP-Central Mukesh Malhotra, they said.

Also Read | Karnataka Shocker: Woman Brutally Stabbed to Death by 4 Men in Front of Her Child in Gadag.

Around 20 days ago, another illegally built shop of the suspected drug smuggler, Aasma Khatun, at the Etmadpur vegetable market was demolished, the police said.

Also Read | Bihar Mob Lynching: Man Accused of Raping 9-Year-Old Girl Lynched by Angry Villagers in Katihar.

According to a police spokesperson, Khatun had built the houses and the shop after illegally occupying land of the Haryana Shahri Vikas Pradikaran in Rajiv Nagar, sector 31.

"Drug smuggler Aasma Khatun and her daughters Afsana and Shabana used to conduct illegal drug trade in the house. Eleven cases of drug smuggling are registered against the accused and her family," spokesperson Sube Singh said.

"Notices were served on Aasma Khatun on September 26 and October 3 by the HSVP but she did not respond, and finally, today a shop and two houses of the woman were demolished," he added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) The Consumer Affairs Ministry on Thursday said it will refer pending consumer cases to National Lok Adalat, which is scheduled to be held on November 12, for disposal through settlement.

In an official statement, the ministry said that the National Lok Adalat will be held on 12th November 2022 across the country to dispose of pending cases through settlement. A large number of consumer cases are expected to be disposed of.

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"Groundwork for this exercise has already been initiated and all the consumer commissions have been intimated to identify cases that have an element of settlement and prepare a list of pending cases that can be referred to Lok Adalat," the statement said.

Regular monitoring of the making of the list is been done by the department fo consumer affairs.

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To have maximum outreach and benefit consumers, the department is reaching out to consumers, companies, and organizations through SMS and emails.

It has the phone numbers and emails of 3 lakh parties whose cases are pending before the commissions. The Department has done a Video Conferencing with the Consumer Commissions which has more than 200 pending cases.

A separate link is being created and circulated amongst all stakeholders wherein one can enter their pending case number and commission where the case is pending and easily refer the matter to Lok Adalat. The link shall be circulated through email and SMS.

"Through data analytics, sector-wise distribution of pendency has been identified such as banking with a total number of 71379 pending cases, insurance with 168827, e-commerce with 1247, electricity with 33919, railways with 2316, etc, and efforts are being made towards the settlement of such consumer cases on priority," it said.

The Department is constantly monitoring the disposal of cases in Consumer Commissions and is in the process of collaborating with the National Legal Service Authority (NALSA) for referring the inclusion of pending consumer cases to be disposed of through the upcoming National Lok Adalat.

Communication in this regard has already been made to NALSA, it said.

There are about 6, 07,996 consumer cases pending in the country. In NCDRC there are about 22250 numbers of cases pending.

Uttar Pradesh has 28318 cases pending, Maharashtra 18093, Delhi 15450 cases, Madhya Pradesh 10319 and Karnataka 9615 pending cases.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
analysis

Ports in Africa lose vast sums of money because of corrupt port officials, inefficiencies, and poor infrastructure, among others. Corruption has affected economic growth and slowed the clearance and forwarding of goods.

For fear of scrutiny, many port authorities keep their losses under tight guard and only release profit figures, which is a small fraction of the losses accrued. Moreover, in many cases, the websites of port authorities have not been updated with information on losses in real-time.

For instance, customs officials at Lagos Port, one of Africa's busiest ports, said the port generated revenue of $1.2 billion (1,23 billion) in the first quarter of 2022.

But a joint report by the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN), a global sea trade and shipping group, and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that Nigeria loses $7 billion annually to corruption and inefficiency, according to Nigeria's daily The Vanguard and Business Week.

The profit and loss statements that summarize the revenues, costs and expenses accrued are hardly shared in the public domain.

Separately, in the 2020/2021 report, MACN identified Nigeria as one of the most challenging countries to do business. The organization said corrupt demands posed a significant risk to member companies that faced extortion, harassment, and threats of violence.

Moreover, regulations and procedures in ports were lacking in detail and consistency, giving authorities broad discretionary powers, the report said.

However, MACN said a helpdesk and an anonymous reporting system for distressed vessels had helped curb corruption demands. Since the helpdesk launch, over 460 pre-notification arrivals have been processed through the system.

The plight of clearing agents

Samuel Adebisi, a clearing agent at Lagos Port, told DW that it is challenging to clear goods without paying a bribe to the customs officials.

"Officials mount several illegal toll points where they extort money before any truck can move in or out of the port," he said. In addition, the roads that enter the port are another nightmare for the clearing agents, and trucks are known to queue for weeks on the bad road that leads to the port.

"They [customs officials] keep collecting charges without even fixing the road at the port to the extent that containers sometimes fall off trucks," Adebisi added. Apart from extorting money from the agents, there are frequent cases of missing goods or parts of imported motor vehicles.

Mayowa Adeola, a resident of Lagos, told DW that there's hardly anyone who imports anything into Nigeria without items being stolen.

"I have an Audi Q7 (2010) model at the port, whose bumper and grill have been stolen, these things happen very often, and I think it is because no one presses charges against the customs officials," Adeola said.

Due to the rampant extortion, truckers often protest outside the port, and there have been frequent calls for the government to intervene so that business at the port can improve. On a previous visit to Lagos Port, Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo promised to improve the situation.

"This is a crucial economic axis for Nigeria because most of our imports and exports come through here. Therefore, we cannot afford to have the state of affairs as it is," Osinbajo said.

"I have already drawn up some sort of a road map and a checklist of the various things we need to do in the next couple of weeks, and we are committed to making sure that it works," Osinbajo emphasized.

The situation at the Lagos Port paints a larger picture of the systemic problems in Nigeria - where politicians make promises but fail to fulfill them.

The Liberian dilemma

At the Monrovia Free Port in Liberia, importers face the same challenges as their Nigerian counterparts. The importers told DW that among the challenges they face is a backlog of containers and shipments, and clearing their goods has become a nightmare.

Dominic Nimely, an importer at the Free Port, said they are soon running out of business because of high costs and the long waiting time to clear goods.

"Freeport has lots of disadvantages in doing business in Liberia. One has to do with the various shipping lines. We used to pay $75 to collect our delivery orders. After Madam Sirleaf's first term, it went up to $250," Nimely told DW.

"There is a lot of bureaucracy, and it's like we are doing business for the government and banks. In addition, APM Terminal doesn't take Liberian Dollars, and there is nothing being done."

APM is an acronym for (Annam Peter Moller), a Danish shipping company that signed a 25-year agreement during former President Ellen John Sirleaf's tenure to manage Liberia's Free Port.

Importers accuse APM of conspiring with other cargo handling companies to delay the clearance of goods to charge higher tariffs deliberately.

"APM and three other companies have a cartel to delay paperwork so that you pay storage money. We have filed complaints to the commerce ministry and to the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), but nobody seems to care," Nimely said.

But for its part, APM issued a statement saying that it has embarked on improving customer service using technologies. That way, the role middlemen play at FreePort will be minimized.

Robert Feahn, who has spent seventeen years working as a customs broker and car importer at the Free Port, said he is soon leaving the business because of high tariffs imposed on goods passing through the port.

"Can you imagine that if you import three cars into this country, you could be charged between $7,000-$8,000 per car?"

"If I happen to get those cars out of the port, how am I going to sell them to get my money back? It's simply trying to take us out of business. Foreigners are taking over the business, and we, the typical Liberians, are going out of business," Feahn told DW.

But Saa Saamoi, the Customs Commissioner at the LRA, downplayed the accusations and instead blamed delays on importers themselves.

"Some of the reasons people get delayed at the port is not because of the officials, but because they are trying to find ways to cheat the systems in place," Saamoi told DW. "Additionally, some importers don't follow the right procedures when clearing goods and are advised to start afresh. That contributes to the delays."

Saamoi said his institution is committed to fighting bribery by red-flagging rogue brokers and vowed to revoke their licenses.

"Right now, we are preparing to publish "red-flagging brokers" or whichever broker or customs officer is involved with customs-related frauds on our website."

Saamoi said there will be zero tolerance for corrupt customs officers and added that "the LRA has dismissed more officers than any other public institutions in this county - and it's all related to fraud and integrity issues, nothing else."

The United States recently sanctioned three senior Liberian government officials, including the head of Liberia's National Port Authority, Bill Twehway. Under pressure from the United States to tackle rampant corruption - Liberia's President George Weah immediately sacked the trio pending further investigations into their dealings.

Ghana's push for better services

At Ghana's busiest ports of Tema and Takoradi, importers and shipping companies are at the forefront to ensure customs officials don't ask for bribes to let goods go through and clear cargo in time.

The two ports receive approximately 1,650 vessels yearly, including tankers, cargo, and cruise ships. Despite recent improvements in infrastructure at the ports, Edward Akrong, the president of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, said there are still bureaucratic tendencies, especially in processing the necessary documents to clear goods.

"If I make a declaration today and pay the duties, that means that I should walk out later in the day with my goods, but that is not always the case," Akrong said. He added that depending on the kind of goods one brings into the country. The law requires that I obtain "all the necessary permits from the standards authorities like the FDA [Food and drugs authority] or the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency]. That is where the issues are because it comes with costs and time."

Ghana's ports contribute significant revenue to government coffers, and 70% of the country's business is conducted at ports. However, despite the high volumes of goods handled at the ports, high tariffs frustrate business growth.

Sampson Asaki Awingobet, the Executive Secretary to the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, told DW that his group is one of the biggest clients of the ports. Still, the government needs to revise the high charges imposed on importers and exporters.

A limping economy and high tariffs

And with Ghana's worsening economic situation resulting in the loss of value of its local currency, the cedi, importers, and exporters must pay more.

The charges keep fluctuating in case of delays in paying on time. "For instance, if someone's import duties are 78,000 Ghana cedis ($7,720, 7,771) at the start of the week and they can't pay on time, the following day they end up paying an additional 25,000 cedis because the rates have moved from 7.2 to 9.5," Awingobet told DW.

In many instances, clients can't clear their goods from the ports in time, and these inefficiencies have resulted in corrupt activities among some staff. Akrong said processing challenges could undermine Ghana's quest to become a major trading hub for neighboring countries. He called for reforms to make Ghana's ports attractive for doing business.

"With the charges, I think they are superfluous, and seriously, they need to look into it. So, we need to consider the fees to make our ports business-friendly. Then, the high cost wouldn't be a deterrent to the usage of our ports.

Asaki from the importers and exporters association also recommends that the government must not burden the ports with raking in excessive revenue.

"I think the government should not use taxes to prevent importers from using our ports. I strongly believe that it should be easier and compliant so that they can comply. If you make it so that people want to evade the taxes, then you end up not getting the desired results," Asaki concluded.

The East Coast woes

The Mombasa Port in Kenya, under the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), serves as the gateway to countries in the East African region and some in the Horn of Africa, like Ethiopia and Somalia.

However, despite undergoing modernization and expansion in the last ten years - the Mombasa Port has been dogged by corruption and poor management. Traders complain of syndicated corruption from the top administration to the lower officials.

Charles Nganga, an importer of used vehicles, told DW that corrupt dealings at KPA have grossly affected business. Nganga said port officials give traders a few days to clear their goods.

"Once your shipment arrives at the port, you are given only four days clear it. Beyond the four days, you will be charged $100 per day, which will be added to the total amount of import duties," Nganga said.

In addition, Gilbert Langat, the Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Shippers Council, says that corruption at KPA also involves other players within the private sector who import counterfeit products.

"Corruption is not about the port officials or the KRA(Kenya Revenue Authority) officials. Corruption is two-way, and there must be two players for it to happen. As shippers and owners of the cargo, what is our role? "We are the ones that order for this cargo; why are we bringing in counterfeits and substandard goods?"

In an interview with DW, Sandra Sequeira from the Department of International Development at the London School of Economics (LSE) justified Langat's claims and said there are two types of common corruption forms at seaport; Collusive and coercive corruption.

During her research, investigating and tackling corruption in African ports, Sequeira says, bribes at Africa's seaport took two forms. "Collusive corruption where both parties benefited from an illicit deal, such as paying to evade tax, and coercive bribery or extortion, which only benefitted the corrupt official."

Sequeira added that "It is challenging to stop collusive corruption because firms pay customs officials to have their goods cleared quickly or even jump the queue,"

South Africa's power outages

In South Africa, ports are hampering economic growth for various reasons. For instance, domestic load-shedding and flooding in KwaZulu-Natal caused exports at the Port of Durban to fall by a third during April and May compared with the same period last year.

According to a World Bank Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) for 2021, South African ports are beset with operational inefficiencies. For example, at the start of this year, cargo ships entering Cape Town had to wait up to two weeks to berth before customs and offloading could commence.

The index, which rates the performance of ports worldwide, showed Durban, Cape Town, and Ngqura were in the bottom ten ports out of the 370 ports in the world. The CPPI used two approaches to grade port performances - Administrative and Statistical.

While the former was the aggregate of the general performance of the port, the latter involved factors such as the availability and quality of the infrastructure, the layout of the port, the expertise of the employees, and the berth.

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Importers always attribute the delay in clearing their goods to unscrupulous officials at the various seaports. However, there are other factors as well. For example, ships may spend additional time in a port after the departure from a berth, and they may dwell within a port's limits for reasons that include bunkering, repairs, or simply waiting in safe areas if unable to berth on earliest arrival at the next port.

Except for bunkering not being performed simultaneously with cargo operations, these causes of additional port time are not necessarily reflective of the efficiency or poor performance of the port, according to the CPPI.

LSE's Sequeira said that corruption can have far-reaching effects on the economy and even affect the effectiveness or success of trade policy in Southern Africa.

"I found evidence that trade volumes did not go up as expected even when a country reduced tariff levels on several products. And my research documented that one of the key reasons might have been that firms were not paying tariffs because of corruption."

"So when they change tariffs through these trade liberalization schemes, it had a minimal impact on firms' ability to import and export more. So this has big implications for how we think about the effects of all these trade deals and trade liberalization schemes in the developing world," Sequeira added.

According to the researcher, the situation at Maputo Port in Mozambique changed after she presented her findings to government officials. "The significant corruption that I found in the port of Maputo, accelerated a movement towards having online interactions between firm representatives and port officials. So what this did was to cut back on face-to-face interactions and make it harder for these two players to engage in bribery deals," Sequeira told DW.

Sequeira's research showed that in the most extreme case, a firm would be willing to pay three times as much as the bribe to travel 'the long way round' to use the non-corrupt port in Durban. "These firms were willing to pay a premium to avoid bribe payments' uncertainty.

As well as a loss of revenue for the port, this loss of trade also meant that Mozambique missed out on the broader benefits that come from imported goods, such as technology, and their potential to help encourage economic growth and development."

Firms that experienced collusive forms of bribery were more likely to use the corrupt port because it reduced their costs, but this corruption was associated with the equivalent of a five percentage point loss of tariff revenues for the government.

However, at the moment, firms operating from the Port of Maputo now have less incentive in Mozambique to pay a bribe to try to evade a tariff, as tariffs are much lower than before.

"The evidence that we have is that the bribe paid is relatively small and a gain for the firm. For example, if you want to jump the queue or be the first in line to enter the port. So while this can increase costs for the firm, it's mostly a transfer from the private sector [firm] to a public official. So there isn't much of a revenue loss for the government in these instances," Sequeira emphasized.

There is great potential for many ports across Africa if digital systems are introduced and not tampered with. "Ports Authorities should think of fighting corruption as a kind of moving the goalposts and should always be kept on toes."

Isaac Kaledzi in Accra, Sam Olukoya in Lagos, Evelyne Kpadeh in Monrovia, and Andrew Wasike in Nairobi contributed to this report

Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu
New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) E-commerce firms are estimated to have registered a 27 per cent growth, clocking sales worth Rs 40,000 crore, during the recently concluded seven-day festive season sale, a report said on Thursday.

Flipkart Group, including Myntra, Shopsy etc, maintains its leadership position, while Meesho is the second-largest contributor in order volume, the report by Redseer Strategy Consulting said.

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"With the conclusion of Festive Sale 1, the online retail platforms have seen a robust 27 per cent year-on-year growth, clocking a sale of USD 5.7 billion or Rs 40,000 crore," the report said.

The firm has done an analysis of Festive Sale week 1 including sale events conducted by all online retail platforms between September 22 and 30, and for platforms that did not run a sale during any of these dates, the report considered business as usual order volumes.

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The growth in sales was driven by sales of mobile phones.

"Mobile as a category continued to lead GMV (gross merchandise value) share, contributing to 41 per cent of the GMV, translating to 56,000 mobiles sold per hour. On the other hand, fashion contributed to 20 per cent of GMV, which grew 48 per cent Y-o-Y from last festive season," Redseer Strategy Consultants, Associate Partner, Sanjay Kothari said.

When compared to BAU (business as usual), mobile saw the highest growth at around 7 times while electronics and large appliances saw about 5 times growth, fashion at about 3 times growth, and other categories at close to 2 times growth.

Flipkart Group maintains its leadership position, while Meesho is the second largest contributor in order volume, according to Redseer.

Flipkart Group (Flipkart, Myntra and Shopsy) continues to maintain its leadership position with 62 per cent market share in GMV during the Festive Sale Week 1. In terms of order volumes, Meesho, with its low average order value and high penetration in Tier-2 cities, emerged as the second largest player capturing around 21 per cent of the market share while Flipkart Group leads here as well, Kothari said.

In terms of transacting shoppers, the number increased by 24 per cent Y-o-Y with around 65 per cent of shoppers coming from Tier 2 cities.

"A whopping 7.5-8 crore shoppers placed orders across all platforms in Festive Sale Week 1. Tier 2 and beyond cities witnessed the highest Y-o-Y growth in online shoppers. Moreover, the spend per online shopper increased marginally by 3 per cent during the recently concluded festive week," Redseer said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) To curb the misuse of Power of Attorney (PoA) given by clients to stock brokers, Sebi on Thursday widened the scope of the Demat Debit and Pledge Instruction (DDPI) for pledging and repledging of securities for margin purposes.

Mutual fund transactions executed on stock exchange order entry platforms and tendering of shares in open offers through stock exchange platforms will also be covered under the DDPI, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said in a circular.

Also Read | Punjab: 2,500 Posts in Police Department To Be Filled Up Soon, Exams Later This Month, Says CM Bhagwant Mann.

The DDPI serves the same purpose of PoA and significantly mitigate the misuse of PoA.

The guidelines, which will be effective from November 18, also comes against the backdrop of instances of misuse of PoAs.

Also Read | Online Retail Platforms in India Clock Rs 4,000 Crore Worth Festive Sales Between September 22 to 30; 56,000 Mobiles Sold Every Hour: Report.

"In view of the representations by and consultations with broker associations and depositories, it has been decided to widen the scope of DDPI to include mutual fund transactions being executed on stock exchange order entry platforms and tendering shares in open offers through stock exchange platforms," Sebi said.

In July, Sebi had extended the deadline by two months to September 1 for implementation of the guidelines related to pledging and repledging of stocks for margin purposes. With the implementation of the guidelines, the Demat Debit and Pledge Instruction (DDPI) replaced the PoA document.

With the DDPI, clients can explicitly agree to authorise the stock broker and depository participant to access their beneficial owners' account for the limited purpose of meeting pay-in obligations for the settlement of trades executed by them.

The use of DDPI is limited only to two purposes. One is for the transfer of securities held in the beneficial owner account of the client towards stock exchange-related deliveries or settlement obligations arising out of trades executed by such a client.

The second purpose is for pledging or re-pledging securities in favour of the trading member or clearing member for the purpose of meeting the margin requirements of the client.

A client can use the DDPI or opt to complete the settlement by issuing a physical Delivery Instruction Slip (DIS) or electronic Delivery Instruction Slip (EDIS) themselves.

However, the existing PoAs will continue to remain valid till the time client revokes the same. Thus, the stockbroker and depository participant will not directly or indirectly compel the clients to execute the DDPI or deny services to the client if the client refuses to execute the DDPI. It should be adequately stamped and can be digitally signed by the clients.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Jalpaiguri (WB), Oct 6: Search and rescue operations are being carried out in full swing on Thursday for people swept away in flash floods in the Mal river in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district.

Eight bodies have so far been recovered, an official said.

Jalpaiguri police superintendent Debarshi Dutta said that during idol immersion in the river on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami as is the practice every year, flash floods occurred at around 8.30 pm on Wednesday, sweeping away some people.

"Search and rescue operations are on for the missing people," he told reporters. West Bengal: 7 Killed, Several Missing on Dussehra After Flash Flood in Mal River During Durga Idol Immersion in Jalpaiguri (Watch Video)

The deceased persons included an eight-year-old boy and a girl, aged 13, the official said, adding that among the other six were three women.

Despite light rain occurring in the area, search and rescue operations have begun in the early morning after remaining halted for some hours during the night owing to low visibility, he said.

Idol immersion of several community Durga pujas at Malbazar in Dooars area was being held in Mal river when the tragic incident happened. Durga Visarjan 2022: Six Drown During Durga Idol Immersion in Rajasthans Ajmer District

Fifteen people, who received injuries, were admitted to a nearby hospital, the official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident.

Anguished by the mishap during Durga Puja festivities in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones, the Prime Minister's Office said on Twitter.

State Backward Class Welfare Minister Bulu Chik Baraik, who is the MLA from the Mal Assembly constituency, feared that the death toll may increase.

Though there has been little rain in the area for the last few days, downpour has been reported in the higher reaches and in the Bhutan hills.

Mal river originates in the hills, and the water accumulated in the higher reaches owing to the heavy rain there caused the flash floods, sources said. It merges with the Teesta river in the region.
Mexico City, Oct 6 (AP) A drug gang shot to death 20 people, including a mayor and his father, in the mountains of southern Mexico, officials said on Thursday.

A video posted on social media showed men who identified themselves as the Tequileros gang claiming responsibility for the mass shooting in the state of Guerrero.

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The Guerrero state security council said gunmen burst into the town hall in the village of San Miguel Totolapan on Wednesday and opened fire on a meeting the mayor was holding with other officials.

Among the dead were Mayor Conrado Mendoza and his father, Juan Mendoza Acosta, a former mayor of the town. Most of the other victims were believed to be local officials.

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The walls of the town hall, which were surrounded by children's fair rides at the time, were left riddled with bullets.

Totolapan is geographically large but sparsely populated mountainous township in a region known as Tierra Caliente, one of Mexico's most conflict-ridden areas.

Ricardo Mejia, Mexico's assistant secretary of public safety, said the Tequileros are fighting the Familia Michoacana gang in the region and that the authenticity of the video was being verified.

This act occurred in the context of a dispute between criminal gangs, Mejia said. A group known as the Tequileros dominated the region for some time; it was a group that mainly smuggled and distributed opium, but also engaged in kidnapping, extortion and several killings in the region.

Totolapan was controlled for years by drug gang boss Raybel Jacobo de Almonte, known by his nickname as El Tequilero, The Tequila Drinker.

In his only known public appearance, de Alamonte was captured on video drinking with the elder Mendoza, who was then the town's mayor-elect, in 2015. It was not clear if the elder Mendoza was there of his own free will, or had been forced to attend the meeting.

In that video, de Alamonte appeared so drunk he mumbled inaudibly and had to be held up in a sitting position by one of his henchmen.

In 2016, Totolapan locals got so fed up with abductions by the Tequileros that they kidnapped the gang leader's mother to leverage the release of others.

While the Tequileros long depended on trafficking opium paste from local poppy growers, the growing use of the synthetic opioid fentanyl had reduced the demand for opium paste and lowered the level of violence in Guerrero.

Also on Wednesday, in the neighbouring state of Morelos, a state lawmaker was shot to death in the city of Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City.

Two armed men travelling on a motorcycle fatally shot state Deputy Gabriela Marin as she exited a vehicle outside a pharmacy. A person with Marin was reportedly wounded in the attack.

Based on the information we have, we cannot rule out a motive related to politics, Mejia said of that killing.

The deceased, Gabriela Marin, had just taken office as a legislator in July, after another member of the legislature died, and there were several legal disputes concerning the seat.

The killing of Mendoza brought to 18 the number of mayors slain during the administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and the number of state lawmakers to eight, according to data from Etellekt Consultores.

Mexico's Congress this week is debating the president's proposal to extend the military's policing duties to 2028. Last month, lawmakers approved Lopez Obrador's push to transfer the ostensibly civilian National Guard to military control.

While attacks on public officials are not uncommon in Mexico, these come at a time when the Lopez Obrador's security strategy is being sharply debated.

The president has placed tremendous responsibility in the armed forces rather than civilian police for reining in Mexico's persistently high levels of violence. He pledged to continue, saying we have to go on doing the same things, because it has brought results.

Lopez Obrador sought to blame previous administrations for Mexico's persistent problem of violence.

These are (criminal) organizations that have been there for a long time, that didn't spring up in this administration, Lopez Obrador said. He also blamed local people in the Tierra Caliente region for supporting the gangs  and sometimes even electing them to office.

There are still communities that protect these groups, and even vote them into office as authorities, the president said. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Auckland, Oct 6 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar received a warm traditional 'Maori' welcome on his first visit to New Zealand on Thursday.

Before the official engagements began, Jaishankar was welcomed with a traditional 'maori' ceremony called 'Powhiri'.

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This was followed by a famous Bollywood song 'Hai Preet Jahan Ki Reet' from the movie Purab Aur Paschim sung by few members of the Indian community here, signifying the celebration of the distinct cultures of both the countries.

The ceremony concluded with the traditional Maori greeting called the hongi, which includes visitors pressing noses and foreheads with their Maori hosts.

Also Read | Gambia Urgently Recalls India-Made Cough and Cold Syrups Blamed for Over 60 Child Deaths.

Taking to Twitter, he wrote, "Was honoured to start my official engagements earlier today in New Zealand with a traditional Maori welcome. Deeply appreciate the symbolism of the convening of two energies together. The respect for customs and traditions is such an important aspect of our friendship."

The Maori welcoming ceremony involves whaikorero (formal speech), waiata (singing) and kai (food).

He also participated at the Kiwi Indian Hall Of Fame Awards 2022 along with New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to recognise the achievements of individual contributions towards the development of the community.

Expressing his appreciation, he tweeted, "Delighted to participate at the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame Awards 2022 and the New Zealand launch of Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery. Value the presence of PM @jacindaardern, her cabinet colleagues and MPs at the event."

Jaishankar will be visiting Wellington next where he will inaugurate the newly constructed building of the High Commission of India.

After New Zealand, the External Affairs Minister will go to Canberra and Sydney which will be his second visit to Australia.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kyiv [Ukraine], October 6 (ANI): Indian ambassador Harsh Jain called upon the Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine Oleksii Danilov on Thursday and exchanged views on the current situation in the conflict-ravaged country.

The duo exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine and ways to enhance bilateral cooperation.

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"Ambassador Harsh Jain called on Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine today. They exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine and ways to enhance bilateral cooperation," India in Ukraine said in a tweet.

On October 4, the Indian ambassador met Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko and exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine. The meeting came after 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.

Also Read | India Believes in Mutual Dialogue and Diplomacy To Solve Food, Energy Security Crisis, Says Om Birla.

"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 had 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 all states' sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Albany, Oct 6 (AP) A New York City man has been charged with smuggling three Burmese pythons in his pants at a U.S-Canadian border crossing.

Calvin Bautista, 36, is accused of bringing the hidden snakes on a bus that crossed into northern New York on July 15, 2018.

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Importation of Burmese pythons is regulated by an international treaty and by federal regulations listing them as injurious to human beings."

Bautista, of Queens, was arraigned Tuesday in Albany on the federal smuggling charge and released pending trial, according to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman.

Also Read | India Believes in Mutual Dialogue and Diplomacy To Solve Food, Energy Security Crisis, Says Om Birla.

An email seeking comment was sent to Bautista's lawyer.

The charge carries the potential for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine as high as $250,000, according to federal prosecutors.

The Burmese python, one of the world's largest snakes, is considered a vulnerable species in its native Asia and is invasive in Florida, where it threatens native animals. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Geneva [Switzerland], October 6 (ANI): While abstaining to vote on the UNHRC draft resolution on human rights in Sri Lanka, India on Thursday said it has always been guided by two fundamental principles -- "support to the aspirations of the Tamils for equality" and "peace and sovereignty of Sri Lanka."

United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) draft resolution on "Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka" was adopted at the 51st Session of the Human Rights Council.

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"India has never supported country-specific issues in Human Rights Council," sources said.

Indian Ambassador to UN Indra Mani Pandey said that in finding a lasting and effective solution for peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, India has always been guided by the two fundamental principles of "support to the aspirations of the Tamils for equality, justice, dignity" and "peace and unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka."

Also Read | India Believes in Mutual Dialogue and Diplomacy To Solve Food, Energy Security Crisis, Says Om Birla.

"Achieving prosperity for all Sri Lankans and realizing the legitimate aspirations of Tamils of Sri Lanka' for prosperity, dignity and peace are two sides of the same coin," he added.

As an immediate neighbour, India said that it has substantively contributed to the relief, rehabilitation, resettlement and reconstruction process in Sri Lanka after 2009.

"Since January this year, India has stepped up and provided unprecedented assistance to the people of Sri Lanka to face the challenges of the recent economic crisis."

However, he added that while India has taken note of the commitments by the Government of Sri Lanka on issues of implementation of the commitments in the spirit of the 13th Constitutional Amendment, meaningful devolution and the early conduct of provincial elections, it believes that the progress towards the same remains inadequate.

India urged the Government of Sri Lanka to work meaningfully towards an early implementation of these commitments.

The envoy assured the council that India will work with Sri Lanka and the international community to attain the related objectives of legitimate aspirations of Tamils of Sri Lanka and prosperity for all Sri Lankans. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Surat, October 6: A minor girl was attacked with a knife by a youth in a case of one-sided love affair here, police said. The girl had a miracle escape, but suffered severe injuries on her face. She had to undergo a minor surgery and got 17 stitches.

The victim's mother, Sima Jaiswal in her complaint with the Pandesara police station, alleged that on Wednesday afternoon, when her older daughter, Muskan, 14, was at home, Kiran alias Kalu entered the house. He attacked Muskan after asking her if she had an affair with any other youth or not, though she replied in negative, Kiran still attacked her with a knife. Gujarat Shocker: Friend Stabs Youth to Death Over Love Interest in Vadodara, Arrested.

Muskan was rushed to the government hospital. The complainant alleged that the accused, Kiran, was harassing her daughter for the past three months and was forcing Muskan to have relations with him. Kiran had followed her to the school and other places many times. Gujarat Shocker: Girl on Way to Garba Venue Molested by Youth in Gandhinagar.

The complainant had scolded him and had asked him to stop harassing her daughter. The Pandesara Police have booked the accused under IPC section for sexual harassment, sextortion and voluntarily causing hurt.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 06, 2022 11:56 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
New Delhi, October 6: A 19-year-old boy was charred to death in the Gandhi Nagar market fire incident here, said officials on Thursday. The deceased has been identified as Shehnawaj and was an employee at the shop that caught fire on Wednesday.

One of the other workers Aftab who had been working at the cloth shop for 12 years said that he along with 4 to 5 other workers saw smoke from the shop as they returned from the main road. They had reached the shop from Janata Gali, another entry of the shop at around 5.37 PM. Delhi Fire: Blaze Erupts at Footwear Manufacturing Factory in Narela, No Injuries Reported.

As Aftab immediately called the owner he later realised that his own brother Shehnawaj was trapped inside. As per reports, the group also heard Shehnawaj knocking on the door. The workers attempted to break the locks as they asked Shehnawaj to go upstairs but couldn't trace him. The body was found only today in the morning hours on the second floor by the fire service team. The fire that broke out in a shop in Gandhi Nagar's cloth market is now under control, said the fire department on Wednesday night. Delhi Fire: Blaze at Gandhi Nagar Cloth Market Kills One.

"The fire was declared of a medium category. A total of 28 fire tenders are engaged. Fire is now under control and confined to the top floors," said Deputy Chief Fire Officer SK Dua.

Delhi Fire Service received information on a fire that broke out in Gandhi Nagar market at 5:36 pm on Wednesday.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
The African Union has invited the leaders of both Ethiopia's federal government and the country's embattled Tigray region to peace talks. It's still unclear whether the talks will take place at the highest level.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's national security adviser on Wednesday said the federal government had accepted an African Union (AU) invitation to hold peace talks with Tigrayan rebels.

After an upsurge in violence, the AU is seeking to broker the highest-level negotiations yet between the Tigray and Ethiopian sides since the conflict began in 2020.

How likely are the talks to take place?

The Ethiopian government said it "accepted this invitation which is in line with our principled position regarding the peaceful resolution of the conflict."

However, a statement from national security adviser Redwan Hussein said the talks should take place without preconditions. The statement also omitted details about what level of representation it might send.

There was no initial response from the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Still, Tigrayan authorities last month said they were prepared to take part in talks mediated by the African Union.

This week Washington said the United States special envoy to the region, Mike Hammer, would be making his second visit to Ethiopia in as many months with the aim of halting violence.

What has been happening in Ethiopia?

The invitation comes more than a month after intense fighting resumed, bringing to an end a March truce that promised hope of ending the war.

It also comes amid continuing reports of attacks from the Tigray region. On Wednesday, Tigrayan forces reported an air strike on a school that was sheltering people displaced by the conflict.

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Two aid workers speaking to news agency Reuters on condition of anonymity said the attack had taken place and that at least 50 people were killed, providing slightly differing tallies. Tigrayan authorities said 65 were killed and 70 injured. If those figures are accurate it would be the most deadly known air strike of the war to date.

War broke out when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops to topple the northern region's ruling TPLF. He accused the party -- which dominated Ethiopia's ruling coalition for decades before Abiy took power in 2018 -- of attacking federal army bases.

The conflict led to a humanitarian crisis in Tigray with millions of people left desperately short of food.

Tigrayan forces say the fresh violence has also drawn Eritrean troops, allied with the Ethiopian government, back into the conflict. Eritrea, which signed a peace deal with Abiy that helped him win the Nobel Peace Prize, rejects allegations that its soldiers committed some of the worst atrocities in the conflict.

(Reuters, AFP, AP)
Uttarkashi, October 6: The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) on Thursday said that a total of nine bodies which were trapped in the Uttarkashi avalanche have been recovered and retrieved till now, while 29 other trainees continue to remain stranded. According to the NIM, the nine bodies retrieved today include four dead bodies that were already brought down on Tuesday (October 4) and Wednesday (October 5).

The update on recovered bodies came hours after a team of experts from Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS), joined the operation with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and NIM to rescue mountaineers that were stranded on Draupadi's Danda-II mountain peak in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi after the avalanche hit them on Tuesday. Uttarkashi Avalanche: Expert Team from Gulmarg to Assist Rescue Trapped Mountaineers on Draupadi's Danda-II Mountain Peak.

However, more teams have been sent to the advance base camp from ITBP Matli in Uttarkashi. An advance helicopter landing ground was also prepared at 16,000 ft and a trial landing was successfully conducted in the morning. According to ITBP PRO Vivek Pandey, the advance helipad has been made at high altitude and helicopters are out for rescue operations.

"The dead bodies are present at the base and some of them are expected to be brought down today itself," the ITBP PRO said adding that the measures are being hampered due to bad weather conditions but efforts to find the missing mountaineers is still underway. On Wednesday, the survivors of the avalanche in Uttarkashi narrated their horrific experiences. Uttarkashi Avalanche: ITBP Rescues Eight More Mountaineers.

Deep Thakur, a trainee from Gujarat, who survived the accident while undergoing treatment at the district hospital, said that the avalanche came all of a sudden while he was climbing to Draupadi's Danda Peak for a summit at around 9.45 am, due to which he along with his companions fell into the crevasses about 60 feet deep, where he struggled between death and life for about 3 hours.

Another survivor, Akash Lalvani, a trainee from Mumbai, told that he was only about 100 meters below the summit of Draupadi's Danda and the only plan was to summit the peak and get down after being photographed there, because the weather was also clear. But the sudden avalanche has left them with an unforgettable sorrow.

On Tuesday, about 41 trainees and instructors of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering were in the grip of Draupadi's avalanche in Danda of Dokrani glacier at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters. In view of the safety of the trekking and mountaineering teams in Uttarkashi, district magistrate Abhishek Ruhela on Thursday banned trekking activities here for the next three days.

Ruhela has banned these activities in Uttarkashi from October 6 (today) to October 8 (Saturday) ahead of the India Meteorological Department's alert for intense rainfall in the state over the upcoming days.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dehradun, October 6: A team of experts from Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir has also joined the operation to rescue 27 mountaineers who were trapped on Draupadi's Danda-II mountain peak in Uttarakhand after being caught in an avalanche on Tuesday.

The expert team has joined the operation with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM). As per the SDRF's information, the team will conduct its rescue operation at the High Altitude. Uttarkashi Avalanche: ITBP Rescues 8 More Mountaineers.

The teams had arrived at the Advance Base Camp to rescue the trainees of NIM Uttarkashi on Wednesday, where the SDRF Commandant Manikant Mishra told ANI that three teams would first reach the Intermediate Camp and 1.5 km away at the avalanche site tomorrow (on Thursday today) to rescue over 25 trainees and four bodies trapped at the avalanche site.

The officials of the Indian Air Force informed that they had deployed two helicopters from Sarsawa and Bareilly for the rescue operation with which several mountaineers were rescued from Base Camp located at about 12,000 ft to Matli helipad. 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. Uttarkashi Avalanche Disaster: Six Persons Who Were Rescued Yesterday Reach Matli.

Deep Thakur, a trainee from Gujarat, who survived the accident while undergoing treatment at the district hospital, said that the avalanche came all of a sudden while he was climbing to Draupadi's Danda Peak for a summit at around 9.45 am, due to which he along with his companions fell into the crevasses about 60 feet deep, where he struggled between death and life for about 3 hours.

On Wednesday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also conducted an aerial inspection of the rescue and relief operation being carried out to find the mountaineering trainees who were hit by the avalanche and 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," an official informed.

Besides the tragic incident of the avalanche in Uttarkashi, CM Dhami announced ex-gratia for the accident which claimed 32 lives and injured more than 20 people after a bus carrying a wedding procession fell into a gorge in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot in Pauri-Garhwal district on Tuesday night.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Auckland, October 6: On his first visit to New Zealand, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar termed the Russia-Ukraine conflict as still hot and recalled that India was requested to press the Russians on the issue regarding the safety of Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant when the countries increased their fighting near the nuclear facility.

Addressing the Auckland business community here, Jaishankar said, "When I was in the United Nations, the big concern at that time was the safety of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant because there was some fighting going on very proximate to it."

"There was a request to us to press the Russians on that issue which we did. There have been other concerns at various points of time, either different countries have raised with us or the UN has raised with us. I think at this time whatever we can do, we will be willing to do," the EAM added. Russia-Ukraine War: 30 Killed, 88 Injured After Russian Missile Hits Civilian Convoy in Zaporizhzhia.

Jaishankar said India may have had an impact on the UN-mediated grain deal that was worked out between Ukraine and Russia in August. "Some months ago, when there was this initiative to get the grain out through the Black Sea. The UN, which was leading the effort, were interested in our weighing in with the Russians. I have my own reasons to think, to know that somewhere, that our speaking to them had some impact and it did come back to us", he added.

Terming the conflict "still hot", the external affairs minister said that he doesn't see countries that would disregard India's position and people would view it from their point of immediate interest, their historical experiences, and their insecurities. PM Narendra Modi Dials Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Over Russia-Ukraine War.

"At this point of time, conflict is still hot, passions are still high. It's not easy for people to readily listen to voices of reason. But I can say with objectivity, that if we take our position, if we voice our views, I don't think countries would disregard that. This was also reflected in a meeting of PM Modi and President Putin," the minister said.

Explaining India's position on the war in Ukraine, Jaishankar said it is natural that different countries, different regions would react a little differently.

"People would view it from their point of immediate interest, their historical experiences, their insecurities. To me, the diversity of the world would also naturally lead to a different response and I would not disrespect the position of other countries because I see many of them coming at it from their perception, their anxieties or their equities in Ukraine. As a foreign minister, I have to ask myself this question. In this situation what is it that India can do which obviously would be in the Indian interest but which is also in the best interest of the world. So, I think at this time the sensible thing to do is to temper down and address the specific parts of the complex situation," he said.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his government to take control of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, as the UN nuclear watchdog warned that the power supply to the site was "extremely fragile".

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.

Further, stressing upon the fact that countries should come back to the conference table and that anybody who would facilitate this settlement will do a service. "I eventually think that this conflict will require countries to come back to the conference table. It's not a conflict which is likely to be settled. So if they are going to come back one day it is in our collective interest that day is soon rather than dead and anybody who can facilitate that, encourage that, smoothen that, I think it is doing a service," he said.

Further, talking about the climate change and pandemic, minister Jaishankar hailed India's assistance it provided to the world by supplying medicines.

"There are a lot of countries who are looking at the near term future and deeply worrying about their ability to get fuel, food or fertilizer. It is a difficult moment. And when times are difficult, it is equally important that those who have some capability to be a part of the solution, come forward, and do what they can. During the Covid, we were one of the biggest manufacturers of vaccines. We still are. And even while we were vaccinating our own people. We took a very conscious decision to help others and we prioritized countries who don't had access to the free vaccines", said the minister.

Earlier, Jaishankar held talks with his New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta and took up visa issues being faced by Indian students due to Covid-19 measures imposed by the country. During the discussion with minister Mahuta, Jaishankar requested expeditious visa processing of Indian students who desire to study in New Zealand. "Took up the issue of Indian students impacted by Covid measures. Urged expeditious visa processing of those desirous of studying in New Zealand now," the minister tweeted.

Jaishankar said if India and New Zealand play to their strengths, including business, education, and agriculture, both the countries can cooperate on pressing global issues including climate action, pandemics and maritime security.

In Auckland, EAM will participate in an event on October 6 along with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to felicitate members of the Indian community in New Zealand for their exceptional achievements and contributions.

After wrapping up his New Zealand visit, the EAM will be visiting Canberra and Sydney.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
The victim told the police that on Wednesday morning she managed to escape and reached the Unjha police station. After lodging the complaint, police sent her for the medical examination.
A university spokesperson told the media that a 911 call came into the Purdue University Police Department at 12:44 a.m. on Wednesday from McCutcheon Hall on the western edge of the campus. The call was made by Sha himself.
#Chandigarh: A Punjab-origin Sikh family of four, including an eight-month-old child, who were kidnapped from Merced County in #California, was found dead, authorities said on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/whWcBPMuAe IANS (@ians_india) October 6, 2022

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Eighteen people, including a city mayor, were killed and three others wounded when gunmen opened firing at a town hall in San Miguel Totolapan city in #Mexico. pic.twitter.com/xrob6EygQ9 IANS (@ians_india) October 6, 2022

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Former Nepal team captain, Sandeep Lamichhane, wearing white joggers, has been accused of raping a minor. He was arrested & taken into custody by police at Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu today pic.twitter.com/OHbsK41Dsp ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2022

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Within few hours with the help of Bihar police, one accused (pic 2) has been nabbed from Darbhanga in Bihar & the team of Mumbai police is returning to Mumbai along with the accused. Further investigation underway: DCP Nilotpal pic.twitter.com/lWgnQ29AiH ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2022

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About 43 Rwandan children sent to Israel for heart treatment have undergone life-saving surgery successfully, according to Save a Child's Heart (SACH), an Israel-based international non-profit organisation with a mission of saving children with severe congenital and acquired heart defects.

The milestone is one of the results of a partnership between the organisation and the Ministry of Health. It was signed in 2017.

With the agreement, a total of 70 Rwandan children will be sent to Israel for treatment. Rwandan doctors will also be sent to the country for an internship programme and will return to treat Rwandan children and other children from different countries, according to the agreement.

The most recent group sent to Israel for heart treatment consisted of 10 children. They departed in early August.

Six-year-old Amuza Munezero is among them. He lives in the City of Kigali.

When he was one-year-old, he had a terrible stomach-ache and breathing pain which made his mother take him to the health centre to see a doctor. Munezero was diagnosed with a heart disease called Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).

TOF is a combination of four heart defects all present at birth: A ventricular septal defect (VSD), a hole in the wall (septum) between the lower chambers (ventricles); narrowed passage from the heart to the lungs (pulmonary stenosis; the aorta lies over the VSD (overriding aorta); and thickened right ventricle.

The critical congenital heart defect affects the structure of the heart and results in oxygen-poor blood flowing from the heart to the rest of the body.

Munezero and his mother travelled alongside nine other children and their mothers from Rwanda to Israel with the anticipation of having their lives saved.

On August 23, he underwent a life-saving cardiac surgery at the Ida Cabakoff International Paediatric Cardiac Centre (IPCC) for SACH in Israel.

According to SACH, after Munezero returned to the organisation's children's home for the rest of his recovery process, the doctors discovered that she was getting along nicely with all the other children regardless of language and country.

The SACH team is happy to see Munezero's improvement and is glad they've been able to mend his heart and send him back home for a healthy and productive life.

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12-year-old Fabiyola Munyana who lives in Kayonza District was also treated.

When she was six months old, she had difficulty breathing and would get very tired so she was taken to a clinic to get seen by a doctor. She too was diagnosed with TOF.

Munyana and her aunt travelled to Israel and on August 24, Munyana also underwent a life-saving cardiac surgery.

The team is happy to see Munyana's improvement and are glad they've been able to mend her heart.

When he escorted the children at Kigali International Airport, Ron Adam, Ambassador of Israel to Rwanda, commended the partnership as well as the fruitful relations between Israel and Rwanda.

"We are happy to see Rwandan children receiving lifesaving heart treatment in Israel. This partnership stems from the good ties between Israel and Rwanda, and it is one of the many existing areas of cooperation," he said.
 Russia's attacks kill 4 in Donetsk Oblast, injure 3 in Kharkiv Oblast.



In the past 24 hours, Russian forces have killed four and wounded three civilians in Donetsk Oblast, not including Mariupol and Volnovakha, reported the oblast governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko. The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) October 6, 2022

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New Delhi, October 6: The family members of the Indians who were abducted and murdered in the US said that deceased Amandeep Singh was on a phone call with a family member in India when he was forcibly taken away. The cousin of the deceased, Charnjeet Singh also said they were informed about the tragic incident today.

"We received the information today morning itself when the bodies of all four have been found in a farm they all were kidnapped on October 3. He (Amandeep Singh) was on a phone call with his father here in India when the incident happened," said Singh. He further stressed that the accused were still at large and the family was uncertain about the recovery of the body. Indian-Origin Sikh Family Murdered in California: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Urges S Jaishankar To Impress Upon US Govt For Thorough Probe.

"The bodies were found today. We don't know when we will get the body. The accused are still free and have not been nabbed by the police yet," he added.

An eight-month-old baby girl along with her Indian-origin parents and uncle living in the US, who were abducted at gunpoint earlier this week in California were found dead in an orchard in the US state, police said.

The bodies of four members of the family, who originally hail from Punjab in India were discovered lying close to each other by a farm worker in a remote orchard in Merced county, Sheriff Vern Warnke said on Wednesday. "Tonight our worse fears have been confirmed," the Sheriff said addressing a press conference. "We found four people from the kidnapping. They are in fact deceased," Sheriff Vern Warnke said. Indian-Origin Family Kidnapped in US: Bodies of Four Members of Sikh Family Found in California, Abduction Video Surfaces.

"The family (of the victim) have been notified. We have made arrangements through other contacts to try and get them," he said. The police will process the scene of crime to determine the motive for the killings, he said.The family, according to authorities, were taken by a convicted robber who tried to kill himself a day after the abduction.

The Sheriff described it as a "horribly senseless" act and said that the police did not know the "motives yet.""We have a whole family wiped out and for what? We don't know yet," he said.

36-year-old Jasdeep Singh, 27-year-old Jasleen Kaur, their eight-month-old child Aroohi Dheri, along with 39-year-old Amandeep Singh were abducted, police said. The news of the missing family was reported on Monday after local authorities found the missing victim's truck on fire in a rural area outside the Merced Country.

A surveillance video that was released by the Twitter handle of the Merced County Sheriff's office showed the suspect leading Jasdeep Singh who was carrying baby Aroohi in her arms into a truck and driving away. California fire officials discovered Amandeep Singh's truck ablaze in a rural area outside Merced.

"Rreceived information that one of the victim's ATM cards was used at an ATM located at a bank in the City of Atwater. Investigators obtained the surveillance photo of a subject making a bank transaction where the person is similar in appearance to the surveillance photo from the original kidnapping scene," the Merced County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

Authorities have identified the suspect in the kidnapping as one 48-year-old Jesus Manuel Salgado and have taken him into custody. Prior to law enforcement involvement, Salgado attempted to take his own life and is currently receiving medical attention and in critical condition, the Sheriff's office statement said. On Monday, Merced County Sheriff informed that there is evidence leading investigators to believe that the suspected kidnapper attempted to destroy evidence.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New York, October 6: India has strongly condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launch over Japan and said that these moves affect the peace and security of the region and beyond.

While addressing the United Nations Security Council, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj called for the full implementation of the relevant UNSC resolutions relating to DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea). 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. US, South Korea Conduct 'Precision Bombing Drill' After North Korea Fires Missile Over Japan.

North Korea on Tuesday conducted its longest-ever weapons test, a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that flew over Japan, after which Tokyo urged residents to evacuate to shelters.

"India would also like to reiterate the importance of addressing the proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies related to DPRK in our region. These linkages have an adverse impact on peace and security in the region including India. We hence, reiterate our continued support for denuclearisation towards peace and security in the Korean peninsula," Kamboj said. She also reminded the council about the problems that the "global south" has to go through.

"It is, therefore, important to continue to make all efforts to maintain peace and security. Ensuring peace and security in the Korean Peninsula is in our collective interest going forward we will continue to support dialogues and diplomacy as a means to resolve the issue in the Korean Peninsula," India's envoy added. North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile, Says Seoul Military.

Earlier, US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield also condemned North Korea's action and said "The DPRK (North Korea) has enjoyed blanket protection from two members of this council."

According to Kyodo News, early Tuesday, the government issued an alert urging residents in Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido and the country's northeastern prefecture of Aomori to stay inside buildings.

The White House said that both US President Joe Biden and Japanese Premier Fumio Kishida confirmed that they would continue to closely coordinate their immediate and longer-term response bilaterally, trilaterally with the Republic of Korea, and with the international community.

"They confirmed they would continue to closely coordinate their immediate and longer-term response bilaterally, trilaterally with the Republic of Korea, and with the international community. The leaders discussed the importance of immediate return and resolution of the cases of Japanese citizens abducted by the DPRK and resolved to continue every effort to limit the DPRK's ability to support its unlawful ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs," the statement 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.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Khloe Kardashian fired back on Kanye West's latest statements against Kim Kardashian and their family.

The "Runaway" rapper posted a message on Instagram on October 5 meant for celebrities who, as the message said, "chimed in" with their comments about his new collection after the Yeezy Season 9 fashion show caused a stir.

According to E Online, West, who has North, 9, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 3, with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, also said that when he had problems with seeing his children earlier this year, many public figures did not speak up for him.

READ NEXT: Kim Kardashian Is Ready for Her Next Romance, Reveals the Type of Man She Wants to Date After Pete Davidson Split

Khloe Kardashian Enters the Chat To Defend Kim Kardashian

"Ye, I love you," Khloe commented on his post. "I don't want to do this on social media, but YOU keep bringing it here. You are the father of my nieces and nephews, and I'm trying to be respectful, but please STOP tearing Kimberly down and using our family when you want to deflect."

Khloe also said that West knows precisely where their children are all the time and even asked for separate birthdays and that she has seen all the text messages as proof.

The Good American co-owner added that Kim takes care of the kids 80% of the time and wants West to leave Kim and her family out so they can raise the kids peacefully. Khloe requested West to have a private conversation, US Magazine noted.

Kanye West Responds to Khloe Kardashian's Comment

West replied to Khloe's comment on his Instagram account, posting its screenshot. "YOU ARE LYING AND ARE LIARS YALL BASICALLY KIDNAPPED CHICAGO ON HER BIRTHDAY SO SHE COULD REMEMBER HER FATHER NOT BEING THERE," West wrote in all caps.

In his response to Khloe on Instagram on Wednesday, West said that Travis Scott was the one who gave him the address of the party. He also said that the Kardashians "PLAY WITH BLACK FATHERS."

Besides talking about Chicago's birthday, he also said that something similar happened on the birthday of his son Psalm and that he would like to see his kids more often.

West has been reacting to social media backlash since Monday, when he received criticism for wearing and including "White Lives Matter" shirts in his fashion show.

West criticized Gabriella Karefa-Johnson and her clothes in a now-deleted post. Karefa-Johnson criticized West's shirts on Instagram, saying they were "dangerous" because they "justify mass incarceration, mass murder, and even the start of slavery."

Screenshots from Popcrave show that Hadid stepped in and called West "a bully and a joke" at that time.

West said he had already made up with Karefa-Johnson, the Insider reported.

Meanwhile, West recently shared some uncommon insight into his friendship with Kim. He said on the "Alo Mind Full" podcast last month, "Even to this day, I'll still give Kim advice on things that could help because that's going to go to the kids."

READ MORE: Trevor Noah to Take His Final Bow on 'the Daily Show' After 7 Years as New Romance Rumors With Dua Lupa Soar

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Khloe Kardashian Asks Kanye West to Stop "Tearing" Kim Kardashian Down - From E! News
In Mexico, gang wars between rival criminal organizations have resulted in thousands of civilians either dying or going missing. This has led relatives, mostly mothers looking for their missing children caught up in the drug war, to become volunteer search activists.

These volunteer search activists try looking for dead bodies, often braving cartel-controlled territory, just to search for their missing loved ones. Sadly, a fourth one has been killed last Tuesday. According to the Associated Press, the victim was identified as Esmeralda Gallardo, who was leading efforts to find her missing 22-year-old daughter. She was gunned down in the city of Puebla.

Gallardo was shot multiple times as she waited for public transportation. A report by Paudal revealed that at least five gunmen shot her eight times, with the suspects fleeing on foot and motorcycle soon after.

U.N. Human Rights Office Condemns Volunteer Search Activist's Killing in Mexico

Authorities in Puebla are now investigating the case, and prosecutors have promised to solve the case "as quickly as possible." However, the volunteer search activist group known as "Voice of the Disappeared in Puebla" released a statement directed at authorities. They urged the government to "leave aside the superficial speeches and guarantee the safety of the victims, and the rights and safety of the families of the disappeared."

Gallardo's death has also gotten the attention of the U.N. Human Rights Office in Mexico. It released a statement condemning her killing and said 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."

According to the L.A. Times, Gallardo's daughter, Betzabe Alvarado Gallardo, disappeared back in January 2021. She went missing in a low-income neighborhood called Villa Frontera in the city of Puebla. This prompted her mother to become a volunteer search activist in order to look for her.

READ MORE: Mexico: Third Volunteer Search Activist Killed as They Search for Missing Relatives

Why Are Volunteer Search Activists Being Killed in Mexico?

When their children go missing, mothers in Mexico often face inaction or incompetence from the government. This prompts them to form volunteer search organizations, with the goal of only finding their children and not in any way helping in finding those responsible.

Whenever they conduct their searches, they often come with police escorts, as they often get targeted by the people who may be responsible for their children's deaths. They also get anonymous tips as to where many of the bodies dumped by cartels can be found, and this would be of huge interest to the police.

While these volunteer activists make it clear they just want to find their children and not hold the criminal organizations responsible, cartels and other criminal groups are often inconvenienced by them, as these groups often seek the help of police whenever they see mass graves, forcing these criminals to find new dumping grounds for their victims. However, these groups often need police help, as police forensics are often used to identify bodies that are already in advanced states of decomposition.

READ MORE: Sandra Avila Beltran Net Worth: How Wealthy Is the 'Narco Queen' Dubbed as Mexico's 'Queen of the Pacific?'

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Families search for nearly 100,000 missing in Mexico - Associated Press
Following the devastation brought by Hurricane Ian, President Joe Biden is now in Florida to survey the damage. However, he did not survey the damage alone, as he was accompanied by the man criticizing him for months, even pulling off possibly illegal stunts to do so, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

While the two have not been offering kind words to each other in the past, in the face of the tragedy brought about by Hurricane Ian, the two showed that they are united in helping the people of Florida to recover.

According to Reuters, Biden first toured the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast communities by helicopter, before traveling to Fisherman's Wharf where he was personally greeted by Governor DeSantis, who may be challenging him for the presidency in 2024, as well as his wife, Casey. The president and the governor talked together for a few minutes and surveyed the wreckage.

Joe Biden Describes Cooperation as Extraordinary, While DeSantis Appreciates Biden's Help

After surveying the wreckage, the two leaders held a press conference together. They emphasized that even though they are at odds, they will continue to work together on rescue and recovery efforts for Florida.

"I'm just thankful everyone has banded together," said DeSantis, and publicly welcomed Biden into the state. He also said that he appreciated the help Biden has given the state even before Hurricane Ian hit.

READ MORE: Hurricane Ian Death Toll in Florida: 21 Fatalities Recorded as Rescue Efforts Continue

As for the man he had been attacking for the last few months, Biden noted that the cooperation had been extraordinary, and stated that Americans across the country help in times of need. He also urged the people of Florida to one day return the favor, according to CNN.

The president also praised DeSantis, telling reporters that the governor has done a good job. He even called his political rival's hurricane disaster response "remarkable."

"We have very different political philosophies, but we've worked hand in glove," said the president, and added that they are in "complete lockstep" in dealing with the crisis.

'Unity' Between Joe Biden and Ron DeSantis Will Only Be Temporary

The animosity between Biden and DeSantis has been well-documented, with it being highlighted when the Florida governor sent a plane full of Venezuelan migrants to Martha's Vineyard, an act which has drawn criticism from law enforcement, human rights groups, and the Biden administration.

However, the two did manage to put their differences aside in an earlier tragedy that happened in Surfside, Florida when a condominium collapsed. Biden was quick to lend DeSantis aid, with the Florida governor thanking the president. A few months later, however, DeSantis was back to his usual antics.

During this trip, DeSantis also had a subtle dig at the president, stating that the damage can best be assessed while on the ground as the president surveyed the damage from a helicopter.

According to USA Today, Biden acknowledged that he is "sure that the damage looks a lot worse on the ground," but added that one can see a lot of damage from the air as well.

READ NEXT: Hurricane Fiona Update: Joe Biden Promises 100% Help for Puerto Rico After Major Disaster

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WATCH: Biden meets with DeSantis during Florida trip to survey Hurricane Ian damage - CBS News
Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) has generated $17.2 million between July 1 and the end of September. This is almost twice as much as the previous record.

His campaign revealed that about 95% of the money he raised came from donations of less than $100, The Hill reported.

Recent numbers show that Ryan's fundraising has accelerated in recent months. From April 1 to June 30, the Ohio Democrat made about $9.1 million.

Ryan's most recent federal filing from July showed that he had a little less than $3.6 million in cash on hand, but his campaign did not say how much was in the bank.

In November, Ryan will run against Republican author and businessman J.D. Vance in the general election to replace Sen. Rob Portman, who is leaving office.

READ NEXT: 'Hillbilly Elegy' Author J.D. Vance Says He Regrets Past Tweets Criticizing Donald Trump Amid Ohio Senate Run

Tim Ryan Faces J.D. Vance on a Debate

Ohio's candidates for U.S. Senate will face off twice in debates in October in northeast Ohio.

They are getting close to the end of a complex, expensive race that has drawn national attention and could decide who controls the Senate next year.

USA Today noted that FOX 8 in Cleveland will organize the opening event on October 10 at 7 p.m. Nexstar stations all over Ohio will show the event live.

The second debate will be held at Youngstown's Stambaugh Auditorium on October 17 at 7 p.m.

Political pundits predict that the contest will determine if Republicans can take back the 50-50 Senate, which Democrats currently control, thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote.

Jessica Taylor of the non-partisan Cook Political Report said that the race between Vance and Ryan was a "prime example of a race that shouldn't be competitive but is due to GOP candidate weakness coupled with Democratic candidate strength."

$27K of Tim Ryan's Campaign Donation Came From Drug Companies Responsible for Opioid Crisis

Over the years, drug distributors who are blamed for the opioid crisis have given money to Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan's campaign, according to an Associated Press review.

Ryan's campaign for Ohio's open U.S. Senate seat has focused on his opponent's questionable record in fighting the opioid epidemic.

Between 2007 and August of this year, Ryan's campaign donations came from AmerisourceBergen, McKesson, and Cardinal Health, based in Dublin, Ohio.

Early this year, the firms reached a $21 billion settlement about the cost of the opioid crisis with state, local, Native American tribe governments, and others.

The firms will not be subject to thousands of lawsuits thanks to the settlement, which is the largest over opioid claims.

According to Yahoo, the trio's $27,000 donation is a fraction of Ryan's $50 million career earnings.

Still, campaign donations from those donors are significant as Ryan attacks the anti-opioid foundation created by "Hillbilly Elegy" author J.D. Vance.

A spokesman for Ryan's campaign called him one of Congress's "most outspoken fighters" of the opioid crisis.

She said that Cardinal is a big employer in Ohio and that business donations only make up one-fifth of the $17 million Ryan has raised this quarter.

READ MORE: Colombia and U.S. Discuss Improving Drug Interception at Sea, More Intel Sharing on Drug Trafficking

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Written by: Bert Hoover

Watch: Congressman Tim Ryan faces off against author J.D. Vance for U.S. Senate seat - From News 5 Cleveland
The National Liberation Army (ELN) is Colombia's largest remaining armed rebel group. On Tuesday, the Colombian government announced that it will restart peace talks with these rebels that was suspended in 2018.

The Colombian government and ELN representatives both issued a statement and said the start date of the peace talks will be announced after the first week of November. According to the Associated Press, a venue for these talks has yet to be announced.

Three Guarantor Countries For Peace Talks Between ELN and Colombia Government Announced

Whenever Colombia negotiates with a rebel group, there will always be a guarantor country. According to The Guardian, for these sets of peace talks, the guarantor countries are Venezuela, Cuba, and Norway.

With no official venue for the negotiations still being agreed upon, ELN commander Antonio Garcia suggested that different stages of the talks could be held in those three countries.

Earlier, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced that the Colombian government tapped his country as one of the guarantor states for these negotiations, and he has agreed.

This was seen by many as a sign of fixing the thawing relations between Venezuela and Colombia following the election of the latter's first leftist president, Gustavo Petro.

Petro has promised a policy of "absolute peace," and several big reforms to bring rebels to the negotiating table. Petro, a former rebel fighter himself, ran with a platform committing that he will work with the rebels for peace.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the announcement, CNN reported. He urged both parties "to fully seize this opportunity to bring an end to a deadly conflict that has lasted for decades."

READ NEXT: Antony Blinken in Colombia: U.S. Backs Gustavo Petro's 'Holistic' Approach to Fighting Drugs

Who Is the National Liberation Army (ELN) in Colombia?

One of the most infamous rebel groups in Colombia is the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). However, following a peace deal in 2016, the FARC disbanded, making the ELN the remaining largest leftist guerrilla group in Colombia.

The group took its inspiration from the Cuban revolution when it was formed in the 1960s by a group of students and Catholic priests. It soon became one of the many large rebel groups operating in Colombia and funded its armed struggle via various illegal ventures, which included illegal mining operations across the country.

Like in the case of FARC, the Colombian government also tried to negotiate with the ELN. However, negotiations broke down in 2018, and the group continued its armed struggle.

For this new set of negotiations, the ELN still has not disclosed any details on what it would seek in exchange for laying down its weapons. However, Commander Garcia did hint that the group wanted some political and economic changes to happen in Colombia.

During the 2016 FARC peace deal, Colombia gave the rebel group 10 seats in the nation's congress. The government also allowed the former rebels to form their own political party.

As part of the peace deal with the FARC, the Colombian government also agreed to finance several land titling schemes and rural development projects.

READ MORE: Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro Says His Country Agrees to Be 'Guarantor' of Colombia Peace Negotiations With ELN Rebels

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Who Are Colombia's ELN, the National Liberation Army? - From Al Jazeera News
Police and Purdue University officials in Indiana said a student was charged with murder after his roommate's lifeless body was found in their dorm room early Wednesday.

Authorities said that Varun Manish Chheda, a Purdue University student from Indianapolis, was found dead in his room at McCutcheon residence hall on the west side of the campus in West Lafayette, Indiana. Chheda, 20, was a senior studying data science.

Citing the preliminary autopsy report, the Tippecanoe County Coroner's Office said Chheda's death has been ruled a homicide, and he died from "multiple sharp-force traumatic injuries," which means he was stabbed to death. According to USA Today, a final autopsy was pending toxicology results.

READ NEXT: Texas School Shooting: Here's Why Termination Hearing for Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo Was Postponed Again

Purdue University Dorm Murder Suspect Called the Indiana Police

In a press conference on Wednesday morning, Purdue University Chief of Police Lesley Wiete said Ji Min Sha, Varun Manish Chheda's roommate, called 911 at 12:44 a.m., alerting the authorities about his roommate's death.

Wiete noted that Sha, a 22-year-old junior majoring in cyber security, was taken into custody later that day. She said the suspect, an international student from South Korea, is facing a murder charge.

"If we did not have the suspect in custody as quickly as we did, we would have absolutely sent out a Purdue alert," Wiete noted, adding that the victim and his murderer have no other roommates, and the campus is now safe from any threat from the suspect.

ABC News reported that the police chief also said both students were awake when the murder happened. Without discussing a motive or details about weapons in the killing, Wiete said: "I believe this was unprovoked and senseless."

"Our hearts go out to the victim and his family and friends... I can't even imagine what his family is going through," she added.

In a statement released Wednesday morning, Purdue University President Mitch Daniels said the murder "is as tragic an event as we can imagine happening on our campus." He also said their hearts and thoughts go to everyone affected by "this terrible event."

Daniels added that they do not have all the details now, but the Purdue University Police Department is already investigating the incident so that they may know more about what happened.

Purdue University in Indiana Grieves

Police said that Varun Manish Chheda's death was the first homicide on the Purdue University campus in more than eight years, NBC News reported. The university website said around 50,000 graduate and undergraduate students are enrolled for the fall semester.

Mitch Daniels said that students are getting counseling and psychological services from dorm staff and school clinicians. Daniels assured everyone that the campus was safe.

"Compared with cities of Purdue's population, we experience a tiny fraction of violent and property crime that occurs elsewhere," Daniels noted. Purdue's population is reportedly around 60,000.

"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," Daniels said.

A video shows university police escorting Sha out of a patrol vehicle in handcuffs. As he was taken inside the Tippecanoe County Jail, a reporter asked the suspect why did he do it. Sha paused a few seconds and twice said, "I love my family."

READ MORE: Josiaz "Jojo" Aragon Killer Arrested, Receives First-Degree Murder Charges

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Purdue University Student Killed In Residence Hall, Roommate Arrested - From NBC News
A mayor and at least 16 others have been killed after armed members of the Los Tequileros gang stormed a town hall in Mexico's Guerrero state on Wednesday.

According to BBC News, police said the gunmen entered the San Miguel Totolapan town hall at around 2 p.m. local time and started shooting. Two people were also reported injured. The building was riddled with bullet holes after the attack, as seen in photos that circulated on social media.

San Miguel Totolapan Mayor Conrado Mendoza Almeda's party, the "Partido de la Revolucion Democratica" (PRD), has condemned the "cowardly murder" of its member and demanded justice.

Aside from the mayor, several police officers and council workers were also killed after the gunmen opened fire. Their bloodied bodies lying on the ground were also seen in images that circulated online.

READ NEXT: Mexico: 2 Bodies Found Hanging From Bridge, 3 Police Officers Killed as Mexican Drug Cartels Battle for Territory

Father of Mayor in Mexico's Guerrero State Also Killed by Los Tequileros Gang

Conrado Mendoza Almeda's father, former mayor of San Miguel Totolapan Juan Mendoza Acosta, was also reportedly killed in his home before the attack moved to the town hall.

Authorities confirmed that several clashes were reported in San Miguel Totolapan that day, Milenio reported. They also said that the criminal gang used large vehicles to briefly block a highway in San Miguel Totolapan to prevent security forces from getting into the city.

Authorities said the gang removed these blockades a few hours after the attacks. The Ministry of National Defense has deployed army and navy units to the area to find those involved in the attacks. But as of 9 p.m. local time, the prosecutor said no one had been arrested yet.

Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado Pineda tweeted to express her deep sorrow over the mayor's and others' deaths. There was no immediate confirmation from local officials whether the Los Tequileros gang was involved in the massacre. However, the criminal group claimed responsibility for the attack in a video shared on social media.

In the video released by alleged members of Los Tequileros on social media, the group announced its return to the region, where they had been fighting a rival drug ring.

Los Tequileros and Mexican Drug Cartels Operating in Mexico's Guerrero State

According to Borderland Beat, the Los Tequileros is a criminal organization operating in the Tierra Caliente region in Guerrero state. The gang was known for extorting and threatening mayors of the region.

Guerrero's District Attorney's Office previously identified Raybel Jacobo de Almonte, known as "El Tequilero," as the leader of the gang that bears his alias.

The criminal group is one of the armed wings of the Guerreros Unidos Cartel in northern Guerrero that seeks to control the Tierra Caliente region. It reportedly devastated Guerrero between 2015 and 2017 until El Tequilero was assassinated.

Reports said the town of San Antonio de la Gavia in San Miguel Totolapan municipality is known to be the center of operations of Los Tequileros. The state of Guerrero is reportedly plagued by several Mexican drug cartels dedicated to drug trafficking and extortion.

The Independent Cartel of Acapulco is one of the drug cartels operating in the state. The said cartel is fighting the Jalisco cartel for control of the Port of Acapulco, known as a key entryway for South American cocaine.

Guerrero has reportedly been hit by organized crime groups in recent years, and in 2021, the state experienced a strong wave of violence. During the first two months of 2022, the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System reported that Guerrero state recorded more than 200 intentional homicides.

READ MORE: El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel Continues to Thrive Despite the DrugLLord's Absence: Report

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Mexican Army: War Against Powerful Drug Cartels - From Free Documentary
Nyarugenge Intermediate Court has handed the suspended State Minister in charge of Culture Edouard Bamporiki a four-year jail sentence and a fine of Rwf 60 million.

He was convicted on two counts of fraudulent acquisition of another person's property and abusing the authority given to him by the law.

Bamporiki and his lawyers were not in court during the ruling, and so were prosecutors.

Prosecution had sought a 20-year sentence and a fine of Rwf200m but Bamporiki's lawyer, Jean Baptiste Habyarimana had asked for a suspended sentence on grounds that his client had pleaded guilty and had been cooperative throughout the trial.

In delivering the judgement, the bench of three judges ruled that Bamporiki "doesn't deserve a suspended sentence. It would not teach any lesson for the public if someone of his status as a state minister of culture and someone who championed values is not punished."

By law, Bamporiki, who has been under house arrest since he was suspended in May, has 30 days to appeal.

Case details

During the hearing, the prosecution told the court of how Bamporiki solicited a bribe from businessman Norbert Gatera, promising to help him have the City of Kigali reopen his factory, which had been closed due to not meeting requirements.

Bamporiki's lawyers had questioned whether the court had the jurisdiction to hear the case, which they said should have started in the primary court as the law dictates, before heading to the intermediate court but the court dismissed the claim saying that it was competent to hear the case.

His lawyers claimed that there is no proof that their client used his position to solicit or take a bribe and that he only received a reward for brokering a deal between the businessman and the city authorities and claimed that the businessman was his personal friend that he was helping.

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The prosecution pointed out that Bamporiki's position made it easy for him to convince people below him in terms of hierarchy to act as he wished, which amounts to misuse of public office.

Court heard how Bamporiki reportedly kept Gatera under pressure to deliver the money, Rwf5m and another Rwf10m, which the businessman had previously given the Minister.

Despite paying up, Gatera is said to have felt cheated and coerced into paying huge amounts of money, which prompted him to report the case.

Court was told that on April 20, Gatera filed a case with Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), stating that he was being threatened by Bamporiki, that his factory will be closed for good if he doesn't pay the required amount.

Prosecution presented to court proof that Bamporiki received another Rwf10m from Gatera to help him secure release of his wife, who was arrested in connection with the illegally built factory. The duo stayed in touch with Bamporiki reportedly asking for more offers.

However, Bamporiki said that he showed the goodwill to advocate for her release but not for a fee, a point which was reiterated by his lawyers who said that when someone is 'thanked' for the good gesture, it does not constitute a crime.
After being freed in 2013, Guadalajara Cartel founder Rafael Caro Quintero has reportedly tried to bolster his power and rebuild his criminal empire, according to a leaked Mexican army document.

News outlet El Pais revealed the content of the document labeled "Caro Quintero meetings in Sinaloa de Leyva and Guasave" after acquiring millions of leaked Defense Ministry emails. Sinaloa de Leyva and Guasave are two municipalities at Sinaloa state.

According to the leaked document, the army learned that the Guadalajara Cartel founder took part in a "key meeting" in Sinaloa after being freed from a Mexican prison and soon went underground. There, he reportedly took over a rival drug cartel and exercised control over the northern highlands of Mexico.

The Mexican army had reportedly monitored the activities and movements of Caro Quintero for five years before he was captured last July.

READ NEXT: Rafael Caro Quintero's Wife Denies Legal Battle With Guadalajara Cartel Founder Over Alimony Demand

Guadalajara Cartel Founder Rafael Caro Quintero's Return to Drug Trafficking

Many thought that Rafael Caro Quintero, who previously allied with the Sinaloa Cartel, would retire from his criminal career after a court decision freed him.

But the Mexican army document said the Guadalajara Cartel founder held a meeting at a mountain lake hotel in Sinaloa in 2017 "to take over the Beltran Leyva criminal organization," an enemy of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Caro Quintero had reportedly allied with his long-time rival after power struggles emerged following Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera's extradition to the United States.

The Defense Ministry report said the Mexican drug kingpin forged an alliance with the leader of the Beltran Leyva organization Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, which expanded and increased his power while he was on the run.

The report also revealed that Caro Quintero's comeback into the drug trade played a key role in the violent power struggle to control Mexico's northern state of Sonora, a crucial area for drug trafficking and other illicit activities.

The Mexican army file seemed to be solid evidence that the Guadalajara Cartel founder went back into his criminal activities and consolidated power back home in Sinaloa before his recent arrest.

Arrest of Guadalajara Cartel Founder Rafael Caro Quintero

Rafael Caro Quintero is one of the founders of the Guadalajara Cartel, along with Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo and Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo. Dubbed the "Narco of Narcos," he was considered a pioneer in Mexico's drug underworld during the 1980s.

The Guadalajara Cartel founder had spent 28 years in prison for the brutal murder and torture of former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar.

Caro Quintero was allegedly angry about a raid at Rancho Buffalo, a huge marijuana plantation in Mexico's Chihuahua state, at Camarena's demand. Mexican authorities seized the plantation.

Camarena was kidnapped in Guadalajara in February 1985. A month later, his lifeless body was discovered, with signs showing that he was tortured. Caro Quintero, who was arrested in Costa Rica in the same year, has denied involvement in the killing of Camarena.

In 2013, the Guadalajara Cartel founder was released by a Mexican judge on a technicality. An appeals court overturned the verdict, and the Supreme Court upheld the sentence. However, it was too late, as Rafael Caro Quintero already went underground.

Mexican authorities then issued a new warrant for his arrest, and the DEA also put him on their most wanted fugitives list. Authorities in Mexico said he should continue serving the remainder of his original 40-year sentence.

Last July, the Guadalajara Cartel founder was arrested again in Sinaloa. The U.S. government hailed the arrest and said it would waste no time requesting his extradition.

READ MORE: Guadalajara Cartel Founder Case: Extradition Underway to Bring Notorious Rafael Caro Quintero From Mexico to U.S.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Mexico Captures Infamous Drug Lord Rafael Caro Quintero - From CBS 8 San Diego
Angelina Jolie said Brad Pitt grabbed her by the head, shook her, choked one of their kids, and struck another in the face when they tried to defend her during a trip in 2016.

According to NPR, Tuesday's court filing included the actress' descriptions of abuse on the private flight. The cross-complaint that Jolie filed was connected to their dispute over a French home and winery they co-owned. It is reportedly separate from their ongoing divorce, which she sought soon after.

The legal documents noted that due to the "pain Pitt inflicted on the family that day," the actress and her six children have not been able to return to their French estate Chateau Miraval. A representative for Brad Pitt had vehemently denied Angelina Jolie's allegations, calling them "another rehash that only harms the family."

READ NEXT: Angelina Jolie FBI Lawsuit: Actress Demands to Know Why They Didn't Arrest Brad Pitt After Assault Allegations

FBI Investigated Brad Pitt For Abuse Allegations

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated Brad Pitt for alleged child abuse after the flight. The "Maleficent" star showed federal authorities the pictures of the bruises she said were caused by the "Fight Club" star's alleged attack, Page Six reported.

The images reportedly show injuries on Angelina Jolie's hand, elbow, and back. The FBI has reviewed the circumstances and concluded not to pursue criminal charges against Pitt due to "several factors," the report said.

However, in the new countersuit, the actress argued that the FBI agent who probed the allegations had "probable cause to charge" the actor with "a federal crime for his conduct."

Sources close to Pitt told TMZ on Wednesday that the actress' "rehashed" allegations were an attempt to alienate her six kids from their dad. The insiders also said that even though the abuse claims had "zero" to do with the lawsuit, Jolie wrote about them in "great detail" in her countersuit.

Last August, Jolie filed a lawsuit against the FBI under the Freedom of Information Act for withholding information about Pitt's alleged abuse. The actress questioned why the investigation into Pitt was closed after physical and verbal assault allegations in September 2016.

The lawsuit demanded that the FBI turn over documents related to the probe after Jolie alleged that she and their children were "physically and verbally abused" by Pitt while aboard the private plane.

"Ms. Doe has been seeking the withheld information for [several] years in an effort to ensure that her children receive qualified... care and... counseling to address the harm suffered... Information withheld by DOJ and the FBI contains evidence of the harm," Jolie's complaint reads.

The complaint noted that the persistent denial of that information to the actress, who was a victim of the assault herself, has continued to hamper her efforts to obtain the necessary ongoing care and medical attention for her children. It added that it had also further harmed the "children in the family law system."

But a source close to Pitt told CNN at the time that "all parties have had this information for nearly six years and was used in previous legal proceedings." The insider added that "there is nothing new here, and serves no purpose other than being a media stunt meant to inflict pain."

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Fights Over Their French Chateau and Winery

Angelina Jolie filed the cross-complaint in response to the lawsuit Brad Pitt filed against the actress over the sale of her stake in their French chateau. Pitt and Jolie are at odds over the actress' decision to sell her share of their co-owned Chateau Miraval winery in France.

Last year, Jolie sold to Tenute del Mondo, a division of the Stoli Group run by Russian businessman Yuri Shefler, her share of the winery, CNN reported.

Pitt earlier said that Jolie "did nothing to drive the growth" of the business, which he claimed he turned into a "multimillion-dollar international success story." Pitt sued Jolie in February, claiming that he and Jolie had agreed that neither would sell without the other's consent.

However, in her countersuit, Jolie said there was no agreement like that, and she sold her share of the vineyard to become "financially independent" from Pitt and to end this "very stressful and sad chapter of her and their children's lives."

READ MORE: Khloe Kardashian Fires Back at Kanye West for 'Tearing' Down Kim Kardashian: 'Please STOP'

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Angelina Jolie Alleges Brad Pitt Choked One of Their Kids in 2016 - From E! News
At a time when law firms are struggling to retain talent and wrestling to balance hybrid workplaces, the Texas-based corporate law firm Vela Wood did something unique: It sent its employees and their families to Portugal for a month. Why did it do it? How did it do it? What did clients think? And are there lessons for other firms?

For the answers to those questions and more, our guests this week are the two name partners of the firm: Kevin Vela, who is the firms managing partner, and Radney Wood. (Vela is pictured right above, Wood left.) As you will hear, theirs is not a traditional corporate firm in many respects, as they are selective in the clients they take on and committed to work-life balance among their employees.

Travel was already integral to the firms culture, in the belief that it helps develop more motivated and well-rounded employees. Partner Wood has traveled extensively throughout the world and founded a company to facilitate remote work for professionals. Several years ago, the firm adopted its Desk Independence program to encourage individual employees to work from other countries.

But the Portugal trip  which the firm dubbed VW Abroad  took that to a new level, offering its entire staff the opportunity to work from Portugal for a month and bring their families. It offered a $3,000 stipend for travel, arranged a co-working space, and helped with travel and other activities. About half the staff took them up on the offer.

Both Vela and Wood say the trip yielded benefits they had not even anticipated. And they are already planning next years trip.

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Nairobi  The impromptu visit by President William Ruto to the precincts of the Parliament has left tongues wagging and speculation rife of what could be interpreted about the visit.

With clear separation of powers laid out between the three arms of government, President Ruto visit left more room for interpretation on whether it was a move aimed at strengthening the interrelationship between the two arms of government or it was an intimidation move.

Much more now that the National Assembly is derailed in implementing its duties over the tussle on who is the majority in the house between the Kenya Kwanza Alliance and Azimio La Umoja One Kenya that awaits the Solomonic ruling of Speaker Moses Wetangula.

Legislators have expressed diverse opinion on the move by President William Ruto pass by the house to share a meal of Pilau, chicken and assorted vegetables with the Speakers of both houses at the MPs dining area.

Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai dismissed the speculation that the President's visit was aimed at influencing the ruling on the question of the majority in the National Assembly terming the visit as a good gesture.

"He just decided to pass by and pass greetings to his friends in Parliament. It's not about the ruling of the majority or the minority, that ruling cannot be made over intimidation or by people being influenced over persuasion. This issue is well stipulated within the law," said Mbai.

Mwingi East MP Charles Nguna has however dismissed the notion that the President's visit was a courteous call saying it erodes the independence of the bicameral house.

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"I don't foresee the independence of the 13th Parliament and even tomorrow I foresee the Speaker not declaring Azimio as the majority MP," stated Nguna.

Embakasi North MP James Gakuya held the same opinion arguing that the President must foster a good working relationship with the Legislature so as to successfully implement his manifesto in the August House.

"The biggest expectation of the President is that this house will be able to pass legislation and to enable him to implement his agenda.

The impromptu visit doesn't affect the conduct of the house by shows he is willing to mingle with all and there are no boundaries,"

Bomet East MP Richard Yegon baffled at the sentiments that the President's visit is a sign of intimidation asserting that the visit was nothing out of the ordinary.

"The President coming to see us is like us going to see him in Statehouse. People should not speculate over the issue we all know that the President is a workaholic. I will not be surprised if he surprisingly visits the Judiciary, that will not affect the ruling of cases," said Yegon.

Langata MP Phelix Odiwour, commonly known as Jalang'o, insisted that the August house has a well cut out mandate in the law and any President's visit cannot be misconstrued that the house is being arm-twisted.

"This visit was just an impromptu because even the leadership was found off-guard and I don't think the visit will influence anything. The issue should not be debated because already the records were deposited to the clerk by the Registrar of Political Parties," said Jalango.
document

Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa (SEHOA) Mike Hammer will travel to Kenya, South Africa, and Ethiopia October 3-18, 2022. Special Envoy Hammer is returning to the region as part of ongoing U.S. diplomatic efforts to achieve an immediate cessation of hostilities in northern Ethiopia and support the launch of African Union-led peace talks.

In Nairobi, Special Envoy Hammer will meet with Kenyan government officials, international partners, NGOs, and others involved in regional efforts to build peace and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those in need.

Following up on discussions on the situation in Northern Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa held in Washington on September 27 during the U.S.-South Africa Working Group on African and Global Issues, Special Envoy Hammer will travel to Pretoria to meet with South African government officials to advance efforts in support of the African Union-led mediation effort.

In Addis Ababa, Special Envoy Hammer will meet with Ethiopian government and African Union officials. He will also meet with UN officials and other partners delivering humanitarian assistance in response to the northern Ethiopia conflict and providing drought relief. Special Envoy Hammer will stress the importance of accountability on human rights issues in resolving the conflict and achieving national reconciliation. He will also engage on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in support of efforts under the AU's auspices to reach an agreement that addresses the interests of all parties and contributes to a more peaceful and prosperous region.
South East Technological University (SETU) has welcomed the launch this week of the second nationwide #UnmuteConsent campaign to drive a positive conversation on consent and to end sexual violence and harassment.

All higher education institutions are currently implementing a wide range of measures within the National Consent Framework (Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive: Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions).

SETUs Vice President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Dr Allison Kenneally said: At SETU, we are committed to embedding a safe, respectful, positive, and supportive culture across our campuses which takes a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment, violence and bullying in all its forms, and promotes a positive culture of respect.

All of our incoming students for the past three years have been provided with Active Consent training, and this year I am delighted to announce that we will be rolling out Bystander Intervention training for all SETU students and staff. We are also one of the first HEIs to roll out training designed to tackle Sexual harassment and Violence to all staff, and we are working with various local and regional stakeholders on a range of other initiatives, she said.

To help drive awareness and encourage conversation on consent, the Higher Education Institutions, their representative bodies IUA and THEA, the Higher Education Authority, and USI are today launching the #UnmuteConsent campaign 2022.

The campaign seeks to mobilise the student community to make a difference, by speaking out, by enhancing their own knowledge about consent, and ultimately, by challenging and changing behaviours.

The campaign was informed by findings from the National Survey of Student Experiences of Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish HEIs (2021), and the Active* Consent Sexual Experiences Survey (2020), as well as the experience of HEIs in researching and implementing action plans to educate and raise awareness about consent, and to combat sexual violence and harassment.

More information on the campaign can be found at http://www.unmuteconsent.ie
Another chapter has opened on the rehabilitation of a raised bog in Laois which was saved from Bord na Mona machinery over 20 years ago.

More than two decades after local people who were well ahead of their time intervened, Abbeyleix Bog has become the prototype project for successful community centred conservation.

Not resting on their laurels, or rather their sphagnum moss in this case, the Abbeyleix Bog Project continues to grow not just in terms of public awareness and popularity, but in terms of restoring some of what was previously damaged through being cutaway.

Instead of peat harvesting machines, a workers moved onto the bog in recent weeks with a digger to help the voluntary committee carry out work to rehabilitate more of the popular amenity.

The bog, which is popular sanctuary too for walkers and nature lovers, will remain open to visitors during these latest phases of works, involving the building of ridges or berms, peat-dam features to assist the rewetting of the cutaway bogland on the periphery of the main raised bog.

Pictured: Project volunteers at work carrying out maintenance and upgrade of the amenity infrastructure over the last two years.

The Committee says this intervention on the cutaway section and supportive hydrology will help support the core bogs restoration and protect the habitat and its sustainability overall.

This latest phase of works is being funded by a 75,000 Peatland Community Engagement Scheme grant which to some extent is acknowledgement of the substantial progress and benefits demonstrated on the peatland site, over the past decade in particular.

The works, expected to take about one month to complete, are being carried out by G Russell Plant Hire from Clonaslee, under civil engineering supervision by RPS Ireland. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

PICTURED: Researchers from University College Dublin CD and Technical University of the South East (TUSE) discussing a suitable midge and mosquito trapping site on the Abbeyleix Bog site with volunteers earlier this year. From left to right: Elsie Isiye (TUSE), Dr Denise OMeara (TUSE), Angela Valcercel Olmeda (UCD) Prof Theo de Waal (UCD), Richard Duff, Des Finnamore and Hugh Shepherd.

The work is part of the ongoing effort to see the bog landscape restored, the habitat recovered and replenished. The nature reserve gas become a habitat for countless species and a recreational reserve for walkers and nature lovers of all ages.

This latest round of funding represents confirmation and acknowledgement of the prestige and importance of Abbeyleix Bog, not just at national level but within the wider EU conservation and carbon emissions context.

So much so that Abbeyleix Bog has been selected as a knowledge site, a prototype for best practice in community collaborative projects within the EU Horizon 2020 WaterLANDS Projects.

Pictured: A Beautiful Demoiselle damselfly (Calopterix virgo) frequenting the small streams around the Abbeyleix Bog site

Garry Luttrell, Director is the Acting Chair of the Abbeyleix Bog Project.

"It's a really significant milestone for the bog and those of us connected with the project. The works bring renewed enthusiasm and drive to further rehabilitate our peat habitats which is massively positive in respect to climate action, for biodiversity and the community alike, he said.

Pictured: The Marsh Fritillary butterfly (Euphydryas aurinia), the only protected insect in Ireland, is now breeding on the site as a result of ongoing conservation work at Abbeyleix Bog

Chris Uys is the Technical Advisory Group to the Abbeyleix Bog Prjoect.

"This wouldn't have been possible without the help, input, support and collaboration from all our stakeholders, volunteers and the local community. We hope that this will only be the start of a new era in which community-led projects will benefit from monetary support and stakeholder expertise to improve our natural environment, he said.

Pictured: A Seven-spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata) snuggled into the uncurled leave of a Bracken plant

Announcing the 75,000 funding in August, under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritages Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme, the Minister for State for Heritage, Mr Malcolm Noonan stated that he was delighted to support active and determined community and volunteer groups like Abbeyleix Bog Project in their efforts to embrace and bolster nature and biodiversity.
An emergency ban on evictions is needed this winter as homeless numbers continue to rise, according to the Labour party.

Concerns have been raised that renters will be pushed into homelessness as their landlords sell up their properties.

Party housing spokesperson Rebecca Moynihan said no renter should be pushed out of their home this winter.

Reiterating Labours call for an emergency eviction ban, Senator Moynihan said renters should be kept in their home even if their landlord is selling a property.

Senator Moynihan said: Renters are deeply concerned about the winter ahead and keeping a roof over their head. Labour has consistently called for an eviction ban this winter to protect renters from the mass exodus of landlords from the market.

8,212 people were living in homelessness in August 2021, when Labour called for an eviction ban. One year on in August 2022, 10,805 people are now living in homelessness. Its clear that Fianna Fails strategy is failing fast.

It is not just anecdotal stories. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) showed that almost 3,000 notices of termination were received in the first half of 2022, almost double when compared to the same time in 2021. Yet despite this, Fianna Fail continues to drag its heels and protect vulnerable renters.

We need an Emergency Housing for All strategy to get through the months ahead which must include a time-limited eviction ban and rent freeze. The renters credit announced in last weeks budget is meaningless for the many renters at risk of eviction this winter. Instead, the Minister must introduce legislation to keep tenants in situ when a landlord is selling the property. Otherwise, we will continue to see many loyal and hardworking renters pushed into homelessness simply because their landlord is selling up.

Homelessness increased 2% month on month according to the most recent figures published by the Housing Department. We know the majority of people entering homelessness are coming from the private rental market. It beggars belief that Government is continuing to ignore this fact. The Government's abject failure to control rents, to address the crisis in evictions or to provide sufficient levels of affordable housing have exacerbated these problems.

During Covid, emergency measures were taken to stop people falling into homelessness. The cost of living crisis is an economic emergency on the same scale for renters. Ireland needs to radically change laws on evictions and keep tenants in situ. Right now, commercial tenants have more rights than people living in rented homes.
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 Elizabeth II, 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
Attracting and retaining staff is one of the biggest challenges identified by State Agency bosses.

This was one of the findings of a survey, ahead of a conference which will attract over 100 public sector leaders in Limerick for the Association of Chief Executives of State Agencies in Ireland conference.

A new survey of the opportunities and challenges facing state agencies seeking to enhance public service delivery between now and 2030 has found that greater collaboration between agencies, Government and industry partners, a focus on outcomes and results, and the ongoing Digital Transformation of operations provided significant opportunities to enhance public services.

However talent recruitment and retention were identified as ongoing challenges.

The results of the survey, which was conducted by the Association of Chief Executives of State Agencies in Ireland (ACESA), were published on Thursday morning as over 100 Public Service Leaders from across the country gathered in Limerick to hear from Irish and international experts discussing topics including the climate challenge, our shared island, the economic and social outlook, and how our public service can meet the many challenges it faces.

Greater collaboration (70%), a focus on outcomes and results (70%), and digital transformation (62%) are the top opportunities for enhancing public services delivery by 2030 according to State Agency CEOs.

Attracting (73%) and retaining (62%) talented staff the biggest challenges identified.

Two in three (67%) said that their blended working policy was working well, although just over half (54%) reported some cohesion challenges.

Keynote speaker, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh OBrien will tell the Conference: The important role our State Agencies play in helping us to deliver our Programme for Government commitments and in meeting the needs of all our citizens cannot be underestimated.

"Our citizens rightly look to Government and to the public sector to light the way forward, to provide them with necessary support and to help them to navigate the many challenges we face before us. All of our State Agencies play a crucial role in this process and are frequently the interface between the State and our citizens.

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chair of ACESA and CEO of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, said that the conference was a welcome opportunity for members to reflect on the ongoing evolution of State Agencies and the services they provide to the Irish public.

While ACESA members may come from many diverse areas, they are united by a drive to deliver the highest possible standards of public services and we are very pleased to be gathering in Limerick City to share knowledge in the pursuit of best-practice public service delivery right across State Agencies.

State Agencies and public service have faced numerous challenges over the past number of years; however, they have proven their agility and resourcefulness, not least in the face of Covid-19 and their ongoing embrace of technology to enhance service delivery. Over these next two days we will discuss a broad variety of issues including the climate challenge, the economic and social outlook, and how our public service can meet the many challenges it faces between now and 2030, Dr Byrne said.

Addressing the main findings of the survey, Dr Byrne said: Our research with the CEOs of State Agencies has identified both challenges and opportunities as we seek to enhance the delivery of public services between now and 2030. What is coming through clearly in the findings is that greater collaboration, focusing on outcomes over outputs, and completing the digital transformation of agency processes, will deliver tangible impact in the delivery of public services.

"At the same time, however, staffing remains a real and ongoing challenge for agencies, with CEOs reporting that attracting staff in key areas is a significant barrier - an issue raised by more than seven in ten (73%). Retaining high performing staff was identified as issue by over six in ten (62%) CEOs.

Over the next two days, CEOs will be sharing their best practice models, which is a foundation for delivering improved public services. As an example, the agencies that have developed and implemented their own blended working polices which they have identified as performing well (67%) will share their insights and knowledge in an attempt to create a sector-wide, high performing blended working policy," Dr Byrne said.

Delegates at the conference will hear from a series of Irish public sector leaders as well as international experts including Australian MP Victor Dominello, Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, Marien de Boer, Coordinator of the Netherlands Hybrid Working Programme, and leading American thinker on innovation, media and the transformational impact of the Internet, Michael Maness.
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.

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.
opinion

Addis Ababa  Ethiopia is turning into a world war in Africa, with tens of thousands of deaths in recent months, potentially unreported, while Tigray rebels fight against a coalition of armies and militias in a total media blackout.

There are no reports of the conflict after the Ethiopian government cut phone and internet lines in the Tigray region and almost completely blocked media access to hide the extent of the fighting. Most communication with the outside world now has to be done via satellite phones.

The violence is on an unprecedented scale, even after two years of fighting. As the conflict intensifies in the northern region of the country, experts describe it as the "deadliest war in the world".

"This is the new Great African War," said Cameron Hudson, an analyst and former head of African affairs for the US National Security Council.

"After the events in Congo 25 years ago, in which up to six African countries participated with their troops in a fighting that killed more than five million people, Ethiopia is fast becoming the next world war of Africa", added the analyst. .

The latest massive offensive is part of a bloody civil war that broke out in the northern reaches of Africa's second most populous nation in late 2020, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attacked a dissident local government in the Tigray region (see Fides, 6/11/2020). Federal forces, ethnic militias and Eritrean soldiers joined forces to fight the rebels, who initially appeared to have been wiped out. In mid-2021, the guerrillas took over much of the region in a massive counteroffensive.

Eritrean forces withdrew last year and Tigrinya forces advanced towards the Ethiopian capital. For a while it looked like Addis Ababa might fall. However, an influx of drones from Turkey and the United Arab Emirates pushed the rebels back. According to military sources, a months-long ceasefire offered a respite to the millions of people who were in dire straits and the conflict disappeared from the world agenda. But now large-scale war is tearing the region apart again.

Experts say the massive conflict involves many actors from across the region in an explosive situation that could set the Horn of Africa on fire. UAE repelled the rebels. "It has been confirmed that forces, willing or not, from neighboring states Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan are fighting in this conflict, and there are now increasing indications that forces from Chad, Niger and Libya could also be involved", said Hudson.
Two well-known Leitrim food producers have been recognised at Irelands biggest food awards, Blas na hEireann.

Dromod Boxty scooped two awards, winning Silver for its Irish Homemade Boxty (Boxty Pancakes) and Bronze for its Irish Potato Bread.

Meanwhile, Jinnys Bakery won Best In County as well as Silver for its Jinny's Bakery Irish Stout Bread Mix. Both food producers are part of SuperValus Food Academy Programme.

Now in its 15th year, the Blas na hEireann awards is the biggest annual competition for quality Irish produce across the island of Ireland with thousands of products entered. SuperValus Food Academy food and drink producers picked up a total of 73 awards, made up of 19 gold, 19 silver and 24 bronze as well as five Chef's Larder's, five best in county and the Rogha na Gaeltachta award.

Congratulating the two Leitrim food producers, Ian Allen, Managing Director, SuperValu said, Huge congratulations to all the team at Dromond Boxty and Jinnys Bakery. Without the hard work and commitment to quality from these Irish food producers, we would not have the excellent range of award-winning products available in SuperValu stores. Once again it was a winning year for SuperValu producers at Blas na hEireann, taking home a total of 119 awards, including 73 awards for our outstanding Food Academy producers. At SuperValu we are committed to supporting more Irish food producers than any other retailer and in delivering both the best quality and value for our customers. Working with more than 1,800 Irish food producers we are immensely proud of our award-winning brands and its wonderful to see the local suppliers and producers receive the recognition they richly deserve.

SuperValu Food Academy is a unique food and drink business development programme between SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs). Participants in the programme receive training in market research and branding, food safety, marketing, finance and business development. Food Academy producers have sold a combined 200 million of produce in SuperValu since 2013, supporting 1,500 jobs in the economy.
The Cavan and Leitrim Railway (Dromod) has been nominated as a finalist in the National Lottery Good Causes Awards 2022 in the heritage category. The group operates a heritage railway at Dromod in County Leitrim, it is 100% volunteer owned, managed and operated.

The railway has restored a small section of the original Cavan and Leitrim narrow gauge railway, which operated from Dromod to Ballinamore and Belturbet from 1887 to 1959.

The group have restored several steam locomotives and rolling stock from Irish narrow gauge railways across the island showing them to the public on display and in operation.

The railway was also awarded County Winner for Heritage from the National lottery, receiving a commemorative plaque. This award allowed the group to progress to the national ceremony.

On Saturday, October 2nd, a group of volunteers made their way to the Kilashee Hotel in County Kildare for the awards night which was hosted by Grainne Seoige. The railway was among five entrants for the overall award. Unfortunately it was not to be the Cavan and Leitrim Railway, however it was a huge endorsement of the work undertaken by them.

Railway volunteer and trustee Darragh Connolly, who led the application and interview process added we would like to sincerely thank the National Lottery for considering our group for the national award, it is really encouraging the recognition this has given us on a national level.

More locally the railway was successfully nominated in the heritage category of the Love Where You Live Awards which was hosted and sponsored by Leitrim Public Participation Network and Leitrim County Council.

Railway Manager, Micheal Kennedy added, we are grateful for the award from the Council and this shows the recognition of the hard work we do in recreating our local heritage for all the community.

The railway is currently closed for the winter period but would welcome additional volunteers to assist with the upkeep of track and restorations. The railway can be contacted via social media on Facebook or alternatively email dromodrailway@gmail.com.
The HSE has called on students across Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo to be vigilant after confirmation of meningitis cases.

Four cases of meningococcal meningitis/septicaemia were reported in the last week of September with three cases confirmed one possible case and are being investigated by the HSE. Three of the cases are reported to be caused by serogroup B. Sadly, two of the people affected have died.

Public Health Consultant in the North West Dr Anthony Breslin is calling on students in Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim to protect each other from the potentially fatal virus.

Every year we ask students to look out for one another, particularly as first years have recently started and may not have a group they socialise with, some students may live on their own, and some students may remain in their accommodation over the weekend. We have unfortunately seen the outcome this dangerous virus may result in and we are asking students to be vigilant in observing the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia," he said.

Signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia

Meningitis and septicaemia often happen together. Symptoms can appear in any order. Some may not appear at all.

Early symptoms can include;

- Fever

- Headache

- Neck stiffness

- Vomiting

- Drowsiness

- Discomfort from bright light

- Diarrhoea

- Muscle pain

- Stomach cramps

- Fever with cold hands and feet

- A rash may appear (pin-prick type marks which if untreated can spread to form bruises or blood blisters). DO NOT WAIT FOR A RASH. If someone is ill and getting worse, get medical help immediately.

The HSE advises that if anyone has any concerns they should contact their GP in the first instance but ensure that medical expertise is sought quickly.

The cases were reported from different regions of the country and have no known links with each other. Three of the cases are young adults and one case is less than 10 years of age.

Close contacts are being identified by public health and will be provided with antibiotics to prevent infection and will also be offered vaccine if appropriate.

Meningitis is a serious illness involving inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by a variety of different germs, mainly bacterial and viruses. Bacterial meningitis, such as in these cases, is less common but usually more serious than viral meningitis and requires urgent treatment with antibiotics. Bacterial meningitis may be accompanied by septicaemia (blood poisoning). The bacteria live naturally in the nose and throat of normal healthy persons without causing illness. The spread of the bacteria is caused by droplets from the nose and mouth. The illness occurs most frequently in young children and adolescents, usually as isolated cases. Bacterial meningitis or septicaemia requires urgent antibiotic treatment.

The HSE is closely monitoring the situation.
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.
Municipal agents clean up the Forceval public park (19th arrondissement of Paris) after the removal of the encampment of crack users living there for more than a year. October 5, 2022. BERTRAND GUAY / AFP

The operation started a little before 7 am on Wednesday, October 5, as Paris police headquarters launched the "definitive" removal of the encampment of crack users in the Forceval public park, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, which had been there for a year. The deployment near the Porte de la Villette in northeastern Paris was of an almost unprecedented scale, according to the Ministry of the Interior. One thousand police officers and gendarmes were mobilized for a dismantling operation that had been planned and prepared for several weeks. It resulted in 39 arrests, the ministry said. Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin, who gave the green light for the operation, was on site in the late afternoon. He hopes it will be "an important moment for the restoration of public order in Paris." This sort of operation will be deployed over the long term in the hopes of preventing any future scene of open-air drug addiction from being set up anywhere else.

Amidst the din of the sirens and the bulldozer clearing the camp, about 50 crack users were gathered at the back of the park, out of sight. They were subjected to identity checks as well as health checks carried out by the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Ile-de-France before being taken into care.

Other users were questioned nearby, in particular around the Porte de la Villette metro station. All this occurred as some local residents who gathered near the police lines stood watching. Most of them were present at the demonstration on September 24 to denounce a year of political inaction around the camp. They were mostly expressing how much they are fed up with the disturbances in the neighborhood, including assaults, thefts, scenes of rape or prostitution and feces in public areas.

A few days ago, people here were shocked by the media coverage of the attack on Jean-Baptiste Watel, a 92-year-old local resident who was beaten and robbed by a drug addict on September 9. "It was one victim too many," said Francois Dagnaud, the socialist mayor of the 19th arrondissement, who arrived on the scene a little before 10 am. "Things couldn't stay the way they were. But for this to be sustainable, we need medical and social responses to this public health issue, but these responses are still too modest today."

Read more Subscribers only Residents despair as Paris crack cocaine camp marks its first anniversary

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'We're keeping our guard up'

In spite of the operation, optimism is not high among locals. They denounced it as "police propaganda" and do not believe at all in the definitive nature of the evacuation. "No, crack cocaine at the Porte de la Villette is not over," said Christine Delocque-Fourcaud with a sigh. She is president of the Villette Village collective. She said this after seeing "the deplorable living conditions and the incredible dirtiness" in the encampment, alongside the chief of police, Laurent Nunez.

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Soldiers from the military mission "Barkhane" fold a French flag as part of the army's withdrawal, at a military installation in Mali, August 11, 2022. HANDOUT / AFP

The coup that has rocked Burkina Faso since September 30 is a new wake-up call for Paris, just over a month after the departure of France's soldiers from Mali. While Burkina Faso has been the main base for French special forces in the Sahel for several years, the Kamboinsin base, which is shared with the Burkinabe army, was one of the main places where protestors gathered after the coup. The French defense ministry has remained silent until now on the base's future. It is a crucial base for France's fight against terrorism in the Sahel region. Now, recent events make it even more urgent for France to redefine its military presence in Africa  something the defense ministry is tentatively attempting.

Read more Subscribers only Burkina Faso: Coup leader Paul-Henri Damiba pushed out by military captain

In July, French President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted to entirely "rethink" France's military presence in Africa "by autumn". Since then, the delicate work has begun. But it is progressing slowly, and it may not be completed before the end of the year, or even by early 2023, when the parliamentary debates on the future military programming law (LPM) for 2024-2030 are due to be held. Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu told Le Monde that "the range of French proposals" was being gradually presented to partner countries.

At the ministry, a more contractual attitude toward Africa is now being adopted. At a time when competition between world powers is considered part of everyday life on the continent, France also has an "offer," according to the ministry. Mr. Lecornu has been touring countries to this end. First, he went to Niger and Cote d'Ivoire with Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna, then to Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau alongside Mr. Macron, and finally to Algeria, from August 25 to 27, again with the president.

New defense treaty

The last of these trips was to Djibouti, on September 15. During his solo visit to the strategic location  home to the largest French military base abroad, with some 1,500 troops  Mr. Lecornu said he made several proposals to the Djiboutian authorities. A new defense treaty  the current one dates from 2011  could see the light of day in early 2024 with a revision of the security clause between Paris and Djibouti, committing France to providing military assistance in the event of "armed aggression." A project to create a "joint military academy" could also arouse the interest of the Djiboutian government.

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Read more Subscribers only Macron says France must enter 'war economy', announcing military budget re-evaluation

Similar work is underway with Cote d'Ivoire, where France has the Port-Bouet military base in Abidjan, which serves as a reservoir (with about 1,000 troops) and as a logistics base. Here again, a "military academy" project is being explored, according to the minister. It would come in addition to the "anti-terrorism" academy inaugurated in the country in 2021.

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TEAM Hope us appealing to Limerick people to support this year's Christmas Shoebox Appeal which aims to deliver as many gift-filled shoeboxes as possible to children, for whom poverty is their every-day reality.

The organisers are calling on parents, children, teachers, families, and communities in Limerick to build-a-box at home or online to help them reach their goal of sending 200,000 shoeboxes to children in 13 countries across Africa and Eastern Europe.

The event is well-supported in Limerick every year with thousands of being donated.

Team Hope is an Irish, Christian and child-focused international development organisation. Founded in 2010, it works in Africa and Eastern Europe to help children affected by poverty or marginalisation.

So far, they have donated 2.1 million shoeboxes to children in poverty.

Local Limerick Team Hope co-ordinator, Michael OConnell, said its wonderful for the children who receive these shoeboxes at Christmas to know that people across Ireland are thinking of them and have taken time out to send them joy and hope.

Weve always had such brilliant support from schools, families, and communities from all over Limerick, and were hoping to see the same fantastic response to the Shoebox Appeal again in 2022, commented Michael OConnell.

To build a shoebox, wrap it in Christmas paper and fill it with gifts for a boy or girl aged between 2 and 14, give online or attach a 4 donation and bring it to a local drop-off point before Tuesday, November 8.

You can also build-a-box online by donating via www.teamhope.ie. One of Team Hopes local partners will build a box on your behalf on-the-ground and make sure it goes where its needed most.

When considering the best items to gift, think of the 4Ws:

Wear  Gloves, Hat, Scarf, Socks, Top, Underwear.

Wash  Comb, Soap, Sponge, Toothbrush & Toothpaste, Wash cloth.

Write  Colouring Pencils, Notepad, Writing accessories.

Wow  Think of items like musical instruments, puzzles, a ball, a skipping rope, a soft toy or a toy car.



Details of the drop-off points in Limerick will be announced in the coming weeks.
THE UNIVERSITY of Limerick has confirmed around 1,000 personal email addresses were inadvertently disclosed in an email which was circulated to prospective students.

The data breach, which occurred last month, was swiftly dealt with by UL and reported to the relevant bodies. No other personal data was shared.

The incident occurred as a general information email was being sent out to some CAO applicants whose preferences included a UL course featuring elective modules.

The purpose of the email was to advise applicants to consider the options associated with their selected courses as they would need to decide about their elective/pathway if they secured a CAO offer for UL.

A UL spokesperson said: Unfortunately, the email was sent with applicant email addresses in the to rather than the BCC field. This is contrary to UL policy and occurred because of human error. No other personal data was contained in the email.

The BCC field in an email allows you to send emails to multiple people without seeing who else it was sent to.

A statement from UL, issued to Limerick Live, said the error was quickly discovered and steps were taken to mitigate its impact.

An email recall was issued. Another email was sent to the original recipients, apologising for the error and requesting them to delete the original email, the statement said.

The email relating to elective modules was re-sent to the applicants using the bcc function, the statement continued.

UL also informed the CAO of the data breach and the CAO then advised those affected that they could change their registered email address if they wished.

Since this incident, UL has reviewed its practices and has put in place a new process to communicate with applicants, the spokesperson said.

The University is committed to safeguarding all personal data with which it is entrusted, and all UL staff are required to complete data protection training. It is regrettable that this data breach occurred, and appropriate measures have been taken to prevent recurrence, the spokesperson added.
THERE is no shame attached to suicide said the Limerick coroner at the inquest of a Limerick man.

John McNamara, Limerick coroner, said the appropriate verdict is one of suicide.

We shouldnt be calling it something it is not. Those days are gone. We have to face up to it and not brush it under the carpet. If we call it something it isnt we are not doing him any favours, said Mr McNamara.

The mans family agreed with the Limerick coroner, saying if anybody asked what happened they tell them.

The inquest heard that gardai were called to an address in County Limerick on a date in 2021.

Inspector Gearoid Thompson read out a deposition from the garda who attended the scene. The garda said the man, aged in his 60s, was deceased upon arrival.

I was satisfied there were no suspicious circumstances, said the garda.

Dr Gabor Laskai, a consultant pathologist at University Hospital Limerick, said there were no alcohol or drugs in the mans system. An anti-depressant and medication to help him sleep were at therapeutic levels.

Mr McNamara asked if the deceased had been going through any difficulties. One of the family in attendance at Kilmallock Court said they had been diagnosed with a medical issue.

It all got too much for the man. It was a spur of the moment thing. He was in good form. Everything seemed fine. Something got on top of him, said the family member.

Mr McNamara said sadly he cant give explanations or answers.

Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason and to all intents and purposes the family is left to try and piece it together, said Mr McNamara, who expressed his sincere condolences to the family.

On behalf of the gardai in Limerick, Insp Thompson conveyed his deepest sympathies and told the family to contact them if they can assist them with anything.

If you have been affected by this article contact any of the following organisations: Samaritans: 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org; Aware: 1800 80 48 48; Pieta: 1800 247 247 or email mary@pieta.ie
TRAVELLERS will start returning to Rathkeale soon for the festive period and community groups want them to stay long after Christmas.

Working together, the Rathkeale Community Council, Team Rathkeale and community champion, David Lamont, highlighted how improved occupancy can boost the vibrancy of the towns consumer economy.

The publication of the proposed Rathkeale Local Area Plan by the council highlighted both opportunities and concerns about occupancy in the town, they say in a statement to Limerick Live.

Unlike other towns, migrant families own an estimated 28% of Rathkeales houses. However, their absence for seven of 12 months reduces their contribution to an estimated 6% of the local spending, they say.

Weve calculated that the local economy can be improved by up to 66% if new houses are occupied year-round by a typical household of about three people, said Derek Downes, chairperson of Team Rathkeale, a working group set on boosting the town's economy. Over 50 Rathkeale business owners came together to form the collective in 2020 to spread the towns good news and to increase footfall," said Mr Downes.

As such we encourage migrant Travellers to spend more than Christmas at home. We are also highlighting the benefits of Rathkeale and offering to work with developers to plan attractive housing. Rathkeale is a diamond in the rough, said Pat Neville, chairperson of Rathkeale Community Council.

The recently approved Adare bypass should shorten drive times to the city. The town has lots of amenities and we have more affordable housing, he adds.

The PSRA register of residential sale prices indicates that in 2021 property in Rathkeale was 41% to 67% less expensive than towns nearer to the city on the N21; 5% to 67% less expensive than its nearby neighbours and 41% less than all of County Limerick.

Rathkeale has important amenities such as four schools including a secondary school, library, the only youth centre outside the city, community centre, regional GAA grounds, parks, supermarket, post office, credit union, superstores, petrol stations, salons, a hotel, restaurants, medical services, veterinary services, garda station, fire station, water treatment plant and a host of enviable clubs and societies.
analysis

It is far from certain that the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which is fighting the federal government, will attend.

The African Union (AU) is planning to host peace talks in South Africa -- starting on Sunday -- to try to end the civil war that has been raging in Ethiopia for almost two years.

But the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which has been fighting the federal government of Ethiopia, has apparently not yet responded to an invitation to participate in the talks.

AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat is sending out invitations to the talks, which he says will be chaired by the African Union's chief mediator, former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, supported by former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta and former South African deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

Daily Maverick has seen a copy of the invitation letter Faki sent on 1 October to Debretsion Gebremichael, the president of the National Regional State of Tigray and head of the TPLF.

In the letter, Faki says the peace talks in South Africa between the federal government and TPLF are "expected to deliberate on the guiding principles, agenda issues, modalities, format and timelines for the negotiated settlement aimed at laying the foundation...
WHAT could be better than a long autumnal walk during the day topped off with a night of music and song?

For the second year in a row, the Ballyhoura Walking Festival is collaborating with The Joyce Brothers Music Festival, which complements and enriches the walking programme with its own jam-packed schedule.

The walking festival is on this Friday to Sunday, October 7 to 9 in Kilfinane. Established as Irelands first-ever walking festival 26 years ago, it provides an opportunity to explore some of Ballyhoura Countrys stunning scenery.

Many of the walks are led by members of the Ballyhoura Bears Walking Club who have in-depth knowledge of the area and its heritage, history, flora and fauna. They are suitable for all abilities, from the enthusiastic well-equipped walker who relishes a challenge, to the gentle rambler out to enjoy pleasant walks.

26th Ballyhoura Walking Festival and Joyce Brothers Music Festival 2022 are now officially launched6th-9th October 2022

 :

Ballyhoura Walking Festival Events: https://t.co/qDYbxUHteD

Joyce Music Festival Events: https://t.co/kBkfv8H61q pic.twitter.com/qJGBco2VxK  Visit Ballyhoura (@Ballyhoura) September 16, 2022

Some of the highlights are a moonlight walk to Castlegale, a breathtaking sunrise walk to Seefin, walk in the Footsteps of Fionn MacCumhail, and a mystical yoga walk. The cultural food fair, organised by Kilfinane Community Council, will keep people well fuelled on Saturday at Ballyhoura Apple Farm from 1.30pm.

In tandem is the Joyce Brothers Music Festival, which promises a weekend of music, song, history and workshops. It celebrates the wonderful legacy and remarkable lives of brothers PW and Robert Dwyer Joyce, natives of Glenosheen, who were renowned for collecting and documenting Irish music and songs.

This Thursdays opening night in Kilfinane features a celebration of the history and life of the Joyce Brothers through music, song, dance, chat and the magic of Des Dillon and his puppets, while artists and local historians Teresa ODoherty and Angela Hennessy will each give an insight into the history and importance of the Joyce brothers and their collections.

It continues through to Sunday with a host of events including a concert with Hup na Houra on Friday.

Also on Friday is the relaunch of a book on the life of the longest-serving Church of Ireland Bishop of Limerick  Charles Graves, Bishop of Limerick, and his place in the Celtic Revival.

Author Gerard OCarroll will speak about Alfred Perceval Graves, son of Bishop Graves, who was a songwriter and song collector, and friend for over thirty years of Patrick Weston Joyce. Like with the walking festival, everything is linked together.
ON A normal day, Minister of State Patrick O'Donovan could have strolled over the road from his constituency office in Newcastle West to the Longcourt House Hotel where an An Bord Pleanala oral hearing was being held.

He, like many, wished to speak on Irish Rail's application's to carry out works to eliminate and, where necessary, upgrade seven numbered level crossings along a 24-kilometre section of the Dublin to Cork Railway Line.

Two of the crossings are in County Limerick - Fantstown, near Kilmallock and Thomastown, near Effin (pictured below).

But the date of the oral hearing - Tuesday, September 27 - wasn't a normal day - it was Budget day. Mr O'Donovan requested that he make his submission virtually but he says this was refused by An Bord Pleanala.

"We were over and back for a week. I have been asked which part of 'no' do I not understand, the 'n' or the 'o'. There was a constitutional requirement for me to be in the Dail chamber for the Budget.

"It was held in a very modern hotel. There is absolutely no reason that it couldn't be done. There are so many platforms - Webex, Zoom and Teams etc. It is just a case of getting a laptop in front of the chairman. I'm not proposing sending a person to the moon here," said Mr O'Donovan.

"They obviously seem to have a different way of doing business now than what they had during the pandemic even though we are all told that we are supposed to have in place different ways of remote working but not as far as An Bord Pleanala is concerned," added the minister of state.

Mr O'Donovan said he has been publicly very critical of An Bord Pleanala in relation to the Limerick to Foynes Road and the length of time it took them to make a decision.

"This (refusal to accommodate him virtually) is yet another example of why I believe they are in dire need of being dragged into the 20th century let alone the 21st or 22nd century.

"I will submit in writing but that's not the same thing. The biggest thing is the discommoding of the local community. Generations have grown up with this railway line since it opened in the middle of the 19th century. This is going to have a big impact on a small number of people and a small community but they are no less important than if they were people in Dublin or in an inner city area or a large urban area - they deserve to have those points put across," said Minister O'Donovan.

Following a query from Limerick Live, an An Bord Pleanala spokesperson said they can confirm that the board was contacted by Mr O'Donovan's office in relation to being facilitated to make a submission at this in person oral hearing.

"Several options were given in relation to how the minister could make a submission to the board if unable to attend the hearing - including sending the submission by email or having someone represent him at the oral hearing. I can confirm that a representative on behalf of the minister made a submission this morning (Wednesday) at the oral hearing," said the spokesperson.

One of the many to give submissions in person was Cllr Mike Donegan, on behalf of his fellow councillors in the Cappamore-Kilmallock Municipal District.

He said the decision by Irish Rail to apply directly to An Bord Pleanala is "a direct attempt to deny Limerick City and County Council the process of considering the extinguishment of a right of way closure of a road, which is a reserved function of councillors".

"It also denies us the right to represent the local community. As cathaoirleach of the municipal district in 2019, I called a special meeting. The agenda was to highlight the concerns of both Fantstown and Thomastown communities with regards to Irish Rails Railway Order submitted to An Bord Pleanala.

"I proposed two motions which were unanimously supported by the other six elected members. The first one, in relation to Fantstown, called on Irish Rail to reconsider its decision to close the Fantstown level crossing permanently and replace the crossing with a bridge, to link the community," said Cllr Donegan, who listed out four issues.

1. Dividing the community.

2. Creating two cul-de-sacs if the gates are closed permanently.

3. Concerns raised regarding access for emergency services

4. Further intensification of the already dangerous Ballinscaula bridge. As this is an agricultural area, large machinery movements over the bridge and onto that regional road.

"Im asking that you refuse this Fantstown order for the proposed closure of the gates and ask Irish Rail to revisit this proposed closure and work with the local community to provide a viable solution that suits all," he said.

Cllr Donegan said the second motion proposed at the special meeting was in relation to Thomastown and followed a meeting in Effin community hall.

"One of the main concerns highlighted was ensuring that the proposed new bridge would include a wider section at the top to accommodate agricultural machinery movement. Also, to include a pedestrian footpath and for future forward planning to afford the council an opportunity to redevelop the existing road towards the village.

"The railway line divides the parish and this new access can be a vital cog in linking the community for social events, school runs, access to the community hall and GAA field and more. While we were successful in getting two lanes on the bridge a number of safety issues still remain. In relation to traffic movements at the proposed new junction onto the R515 Charleville/Kilmallock road I would ask that this junction be reviewed again with council road engineers.

"Also, if Irish Rail would carry out necessary works to ensure that the remaining two cul-de-sacs that will be created when the existing crossing is closed to that it does not encourage illegal camping or dumping. There is an onus on us as elected members, including Irish Rail and the council, to ensure that this new bridge construction has to be a cog in a bigger wheel and to ensure that the new road and bridge has to become a main artery within the parish," concluded Cllr Donegan.
FOUR people have been injured, one critically, following a road collison in County Clare this Wednesday evening.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses following the incident that occurred in the townland of Drumline in Newmarket on Fergus, at around 6.10pm.

"The two vehicle collision occurred on the R458 in Drumline. The three male occupants from one car were taken to University Hospital Limerick. The condition of one male, aged in his 20s, is described as critical. The two other men continue to receive medical attention," said a garda spokesperson.

The driver of the second car, a female aged in her 60s, was also taken to University Hospital Limerick with non-life threatening injuries.

Gardai say the R458 is currently closed and will remain closed overnight pending a full technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators. Local diversions are in place.

Gardai in Shannon are appealing to any person who may have information in relation to the collision to contact them.

Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to come forward and any road users with video footage (including dash cam) is asked to make this available to investigating Gardai.

Shannon garda station can be contacted at (061) 365900.
A French court on Thursday substantially lowered a fine against iPhone maker Apple Inc for alleged anti-competitive behaviour to 372 million euros ($366.31 million) from 1.1 billion euros previously, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

The original fine had been imposed by France's antitrust watchdog in 2020 for what it described as Apple's anti-competitive behaviour towards its distribution and retail network.

At the time, it was the biggest fine levied by the antitrust regulator, which said Apple imposed prices on retail premium resellers so that the prices were aligned with those charged by the California firm in its own shops, or on the internet.

The appeals court backed the antitrust watchdog's charge that Apple abused the retailers' economic dependency on the company but tossed the fixed-pricing charge, one of the two sources said.

It also reduced the time scope of the charge of an alleged restriction of the wholesalers' clientele, the same source said.

The court also decided to significantly lower the rate applied to calculate the overall fine, the source added.

The French antitrust authority had used a high rate in 2020 given the size and financial firepower of Apple, the source said.

Apple said it would appeal the decision. It did not mention the amount of the fine issued by the court.

"While the court correctly reversed part of the French Competition Authority's decision, we believe it should be overturned in full and plan to appeal," the U.S. company said in a statement sent to Reuters.

"The decision relates to practices from more than a decade ago that even the (French authority) recognised are no longer in use."

A spokesperson for the appeals court declined to comment on the exact content of the decision but confirmed the court "partially confirmed" the antitrust watchdog's decision.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
The decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its Russia-led allies to cut oil production has Washington looking at ways to hit back.
Saudi Arabia braved turbulent markets to join the small club of issuers that have borrowed for 100 years from investors, with its sovereign-wealth fund selling the ultralong debt as part of a $3 billion bond-market debut.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raised the issue of Indian student visa's during his meeting with New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta on Thursday. The Indian students have been impacted due to stringent Covid-19 measures enacted by New Zealand.

The EAM took to Twitter to share the news, he wrote, Took up the issue of Indian students impacted by Covid measures. Urged expeditious visa processing of those desirous of studying in New Zealand now."

Took up the issue of Indian students impacted by Covid measures. Urged expeditious visa processing of those desirous of studying in New Zealand now.  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 6, 2022

India ranks second in terms of the number of foreign nationals enrolling in higher education in New Zealand across a range of subjects, including information technology, hospitality, science, engineering, and architecture.

Jaishankar, who is on his maiden visit to New Zealand met the country's Foreign Minister had a dialogue on a range of issues including international concerns such as the Indo-Pacific and the Ukraine conflict.

Sharing information about the meeting EAM wrote, "Warm and productive talks with New Zealand Foreign Minister @NanaiaMahuta this afternoon. Two societies, respectful of tradition and culture are seeking to forge a more contemporary relationship."

Warm and productive talks with New Zealand Foreign Minister @NanaiaMahuta this afternoon.



Two societies, respectful of tradition and culture are seeking to forge a more contemporary relationship. pic.twitter.com/8xdZLunxHF  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 6, 2022

He added, "Will do so if we play to our strengths: Business, technology, digital,education, talent and agriculture. Can cooperate on pressing global issues including climate action, pandemics and maritime security."

On Indo-Pacific and Ukraine conflict, he said, "Appreciated the exchange of views on international concerns such as Indo-Pacific and the Ukraine conflict. Value our working together in multilateral forums including the UN and Commonwealth."

In light of China's expanding military manoeuvres in the resource-rich region, India, the US, and a number of other world powers have been discussing the need to ensure a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea and has built artificial islands and military installations in the region while Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. China also has outstanding territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.

During his visit, EAM also met the first Indian-origin minister in the New Zealand cabinet, Priyanca Radhakrishnan. Radhakrishnan is the Minister for Community and Voluntary Sector, Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, and Youth.

Sharing the news EAM wrote, Good to meet Minister @priyancanzlp today in Auckland. Thank her for an interactive session with prominent personalities of New Zealand. Committed to furthering our relationship,"

As per a release by the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaishankar will join New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to felicitate members of the Indian community in New Zealand for their exceptional achievements and contributions

During the event, the two leaders will release India@75 postage stamps to commemorate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in New Zealand. Jaishankar will also launch the books 'Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery' and 'Heartfelt - The Legacy of Faith'.

According to the MEA statement, Jaishankar is on a week-long trip to New Zealand and Australia.It will be his second trip to Australia with the first one being in February 2022 when he went to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting in Melbourne.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday requested the External Affairs Ministry to conduct a high-level inquiry into the death of an Indian-origin family, who were found dead in California, a few days after they were abducted at gunpoint.

Mann took to Twitter to share his grief and said, "There was news of kidnapping and murder of four Indians in California, in which an 8-month-old girl has also been murdered. Very sad to hear this news. I share my grief with the families of the victims... and also appeal to the Union Minister of External Affairs @DrSJaishankar to conduct a high-level inquiry into the matter,"

California  4        ,  8        ..



               ...      @DrSJaishankar             https://t.co/SFMuRBn4Q0  Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) October 6, 2022

The message came soon after Merced County Police reported that the Indian-origin family was found dead in an orchard in California.

As per reports, the bodies of four family members, who are originally from Punjab in India, were found close to one another by a farm worker in a remote orchard in Merced county on Wednesday.

"Tonight our worse fears have been confirmed," the Sheriff said addressing a press conference. "We found four people from the kidnapping. They are in fact deceased," Merced county's Sheriff Vern Warnke said.

"The family (of the victims) have been notified. We have made arrangements through other contacts to try and get them," he added saying the police will process the scene of crime to determine the motive for the killings.

He also described the incident as "horribly senseless" while saying he did not know the motivation for the murder yet.

The four-member family included 36-year-old Jasdeep Singh, 27-year-old Jasleen Kaur, their eight-month-old child Aroohi Dheri, along with 39-year-old Amandeep Singh.

Last week, Merced County Sheriff's office released a video of Jasdeep Singh carrying baby Aroohi in his arms while being led by the suspect in a truck and driving away.

With inputs from Agencies
North Korea fired two ballistic missiles Thursday as it justified its recent blitz of sanctions-busting tests as necessary countermeasures against joint military drills by the United States and South Korea.

As the United Nations Security Council met to discuss Pyongyang's Tuesday launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan, North Korea blamed Washington for "escalating the military tensions on the Korean peninsula".

The recent launches -- six in less than two weeks, including likely its longest-ever test by distance -- were "the just counteraction measures of the Korean People's Army on South Korea-US joint drills," Pyongyang's foreign ministry said.

Early on Thursday, South Korea's military said it had detected two short-range ballistic missiles launched from the Samsok area in Pyongyang towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.

"Our military has reinforced monitoring and surveillance and is maintaining utmost readiness in coordination with the United States," Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

Japan's coastguard also confirmed the launch of two potential ballistic missiles, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida telling reporters that the recent testing spate was "unacceptable".

The first missile flew about 350 kilometres (217 miles) at a maximum altitude of around 100 kilometres, while the second missile had a flight range of about 800 kilometres at an altitude of around 50 kilometres, according to Japanese defence minister Yasukazu Hamada.

"Regardless of its aim, North Korea's repeated launches of ballistic missiles cannot be tolerated," Hamada told reporters

"We cannot overlook the significant improvement of its missile technology."

China slams US

Pyongyang's Tuesday firing of what officials and analysts said was a Hwasong-12 that travelled likely the longest horizontal distance of any North Korean test, prompted the United States to call for the emergency Security Council meeting.

At the meeting, North Korea's longtime ally and economic benefactor Beijing also blamed Washington for provoking the spate of launches by Kim Jong Un's regime.

Deputy Chinese ambassador to the UN Geng Shuang said North Korea's recent launches were "closely related" to military exercises in the region conducted by the United States and its allies.

Geng accused the US of "poisoning the regional security environment".

Seoul, Tokyo and Washington have ramped up joint military drills in recent weeks, including large-scale naval manoeuvers and anti-submarine exercises.

The United States said Wednesday it would redeploy the nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan to the Korean Peninsula for a second visit in less than a month.

North Korea's foreign ministry accused the US of "posing a serious threat to the stability of the situation on the Korean peninsula" with the deployment of the aircraft carrier.

More sanctions?

The spate of launches is part of a record year of weapons tests by isolated North Korea, which leader Kim Jong Un has declared an "irreversible" nuclear power, effectively ending the possibility of denuclearisation talks.

US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield called for "strengthening" existing sanctions on North Korea, something China and Russia vetoed in May.

The council has been divided on responding to Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions for months, with Russia and China on the sympathetic side and the rest of the council pushing for punishment.

Analysts say that Pyongyang has seized the opportunity of stalemate at the UN to conduct ever more provocative weapons tests.

Officials in Seoul and Washington have been warning for months that Pyongyang will conduct another nuclear test, likely after the Chinese Party Congress on October 16.

"At this point, for Kim to turn back and halt provocations would seem counterproductive to his interests, not to mention the amount of resources squandered to conduct these weapons tests," Soo Kim, an analyst at the RAND Corporation, told AFP.

"We are indeed in a cycle of weapons provocations. What's left, essentially, is an ICBM test and potentially the long-awaited seventh nuclear test."

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
Kenya, Nairobi  Former President Uhuru Kenyatta is among the African leaders who will mediate the African Union (AU)-led peace talks between the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) after more than a year of conflict that has claimed an unknown number of lives and displaced many.

The peace meeting which is slated to take place in South Africa from Saturday will be led by the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa and ex-Nigeria president Olusegun Obasanjo.

South Africa's former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka will also be part of the mediators.

"The Peace talks between the two parties, is expected to deliberate on the guiding principles agenda issues, modalities, format and timelines for the negotiated settlement aimed at laying the foundation for a structured and sustained mediation between the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the TPLF, towards durable resolution of the conflict," read a letter from AU President Moussa Faki addressed to TPLF's Head Debretsion Gebremichael.

However, there was no immediate response from the TPLF to the announcement, which comes more than a month after intense fighting resumed in northern Ethiopia, shattering a March truce and dimming hopes of ending the war.

Ethiopia's government on its part confirmed it had accepted the AU invitation to hold peace talks with TPLF

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".

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.

Tigrayan authorities said last month they were ready to participate in talks mediated by the African Union, removing an obstacle to negotiations with the government in Addis Ababa.
The National Union of Teachers (NUT) in Adamawa State has urged the state government to implement the N30,000 minimum wage for its members to enhance the delivery of quality education.

NUT Chairman in the state, Mr Rodney Nathan, made the call in an address to mark the 2022 World Teachers Day in Yola on Wednesday.

He appealed for the implementation of promotion arrears for primary school teachers, and payment of 27.5 per cent professional allowance to all qualified teachers.

The chairman stressed the need for the expansion of five years elongation of service for teachers to cover all categories of teachers.

"Teachers are determined to actualise the government's drive to transform the education sector," he said.

In his remarks, Gov Ahmadu Fintiri, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Malam Bashir Ahmed, reiterated the government's commitment to improving teachers' welfare.

He said his administration had recruited 2,000 teachers, and constructed over 10,000 classrooms and staff quarters while thousands of teachers benefitted from its promotion exercise.

"We are transforming the education sector through the introduction of free education from primary to the secondary school level, payment of WAEC and NECO examination fees to indigent students.

"We recorded 75 per cent credits including English and Mathematics in the just concluded Senior Secondary School Examination SSCE conducted by WAEC," he added.

The governor tasked the teachers to reciprocate the gesture and dedicate themselves to their duty to achieve academic excellence.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 12 teachers were presented with prizes for outstanding performances. (NAN)
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Fine Gael Senator Micheal Carrigy has joined party colleague and Junior Housing Minister Peter Burke in giving last week's budget the governmental seal of approval.

Both local Fine Gael politicians were understandably exultant at what has been described as the biggest State giveaway in living memory.

Senator Carrigy said the Government's decision to enact spending measures of more than 17bn against the backdrop of a global pandemic was indicative of its commitment in helping taxpayers cope with the ferocity of an ever deepening cost of living crisis.

The Budget will help householders reduce their energy bills with an energy credit worth 600, with the first payment made in November, and January and March next year," he said.

"It was essential that Budget 2023 helped hard-pressed individuals and families at a time when they are really feeling the strain of rising costs."

His Longford-Westmeath running mate, Mr Burke gave an equally upbeat appraisal of the fiscal changes which were announced by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe last Tuesday.

I know from meeting people locally and at my weekly clinics, people are really suffering at the minute and financial supports are needed," he said.

"The Tanaiste (Leo Varadkar) and the entire Government recognise this, and that is why this budget goes so far."

In namedropping the likes of the widening of income tax bands to aid hard pressed middle income earners and a 600 energy credit to offset spiralling household energy bills, the Mullingar based TD said the budget had addressed considerably more than many, including the main opposition parties, had anticipated.

The budget goes a lot further than many expected, and Government believes this is warranted," he said.

"There are measures in this budget to assist all sectors of society, and the measures that have the most impact are targeted at the most vulnerable and those who need it the most."

Senator Carrigy, meanwhile, called for "certainty" that a 1.3m package to counterbalance commercial rates losses brought about by the closure of Lough Ree power station this year would be replicated until at least 2026.

"The decision to close the power station and the resulting loss in the rates remain for 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026," he said.

"Since I came into this House in 2020 looking for this guarantee.

"We need that certainty today."
The family of a young north Longford teenager who passed away following a courageous battle with cancer last year are hoping a recently held fundraising drive for Longford Hospice will ensure his memory lives on by making the event an annual affair.

Matthew Gray said he and his family will be forever indebted to the friends and neighbours of their 19-year-old Cian after an all-vehicle run was held at the end of July raised 27,500 for charity.

The proceeds from those endeavours were handed over to representatives from Longford Hospice during a presentation which was held at Cian's home in Ballyduffy, Moyne.

The late Cian Gray

"Only for the young people from the area it wouldn't have been the success it was," said Matthew.

"It was a fierce gathering of money to get together and on the day there was a great buzz especially after two years or so of Covid (restrictions)."

What's more the family and local community were recognised for their efforts courtesy of a letter of appreciation from Longford Hospice.

It was not the first time either that friends and long time schoolmates of the much loved Longford teenager had come together to remember the former Moyne Community School student.

A Shave or Dye fundraiser held some months previously garnered a similar amount for Sarcoma Cancer research as thoughts now turn towards making an event Cian would have been front and centre of into a yearly spectacle.

"It's not easy," conceded Matthew, as he reflected on just how arduous the past year has been. "It will be hard to organise it without the support and help of the young people from the area. "You can say what you like, but when it came to Cian and things like this, they really put their shoulder to the wheel and if we can raise even half the amount of money next year it will be more than worth it."
Addis Abeba  In a statement issued this evening, the government of Tigray regional state said it had accepted an invitation for peace talks extended by the African Union, but it requests clarification on who had been invited as participants, observers and guarantors as we as the roles that the AU envisaged "for the international community; and logistics, such as travel and security arrangements for our negotiating team."

"We are ready to send our negotiation team team to South Africa. Even so, considering that we are not consulted prior to the issuance of the invitation, we need clarification to some of the following issues to establish as auspicious start for the peace talks, such as whether there will be additional actors to be invited as participants, observes, or guarantors. reads the letter signed off by Debretsion Gebremichael (PhD), President of Tigray regional State.

Furthermore, the letter, addressed to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, stated that "it would be helpful to the peace process to know if cessation of hostilities is part of your substantive agenda."

It comes in the heels of a letter of invitation dated 01 October and signed off by the AU Chairperson Moussa Faki and sent to President Debretsion inviting him to "peace talks" scheduled to take place in South Africa from Sunday, 08 October 2022. [Note: Sunday is 09 October].

AU's latter stated that "the peace talks between the two parties is expected to deliberate on the guiding principles, agenda issues, modalities, format and timelines for the negotiated settlement aimed at laying foundation for a structured and sustained mediation between the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the TPLF, towards durable resolution of the conflict."

The federal Government of Ethiopia said this morning that it has accepted AU's officials invitation for peace talks which it said was "consistent with the Ethiopian Government's prior positions. It is known that the Government of Ethiopia has expressed that, talks should only be mediated by the African Union and should be held without any pre-conditions."

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The federal government has previously said it was "ready to talks anytime, anywhere," and that "talks should begin without preconditions."

In a statement released on 11 September the Tigray government said it was "prepared to participate in a robust peace process under the auspices of the Africa Union." It added that the Tigray government was ready "to abide by an immediate and mutually agreed cessation of hostilities in order to create a conducive atmosphere," and named Getachew Reda, advisor of the Tigray region's president, Debretsion Gebremichael (PhD), and Lt. Gen. Tsadikan Gebretinsae, former chief of staff of the Ethiopian defense forces, as its negotiation team "ready to be deployed without delay."

This is the first official attempt at bringing the two sides together when a five month truce collapsed after the two sides resumed militarized hostilities on 24 August. AS
Secondary school students in Longford are being encouraged to enter a STEM focused competition with the chance of winning the EirGrid Climate and Delivering a Cleaner Energy Future award.

EirGrid, the operator and developer of Irelands electricity grid has partnered with SciFest to create the climate and energy focused award which will be presented to students who design a creative, innovative approach to utilising energy from clean resources.

SciFest@School is a second-level programme promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) education by providing a forum for students to present and display their scientific investigations.

Following a busy year of SciFest STEM fairs held in schools across the country, EirGrid and SciFest are urging students in Longford to get creative and take part this academic year.

Speaking about EirGrids involvement in the programme, Errol Close, Head of Strategy and Sustainability with EirGrid said: Leading on sustainability and decarbonisation is central to our strategy. Achieving this requires the development of innovative solutions to enable electricity to play a key role in decarbonising our daily lives. That is why EirGrid is proud to partner with SciFest on this award, to give secondary school students a chance to showcase their ambitious, solution-driven ideas to addressing climate change.

He added, EirGrid is working to securely transition Irelands power system to one that is built around low-carbon renewable energy, to create a better future for all. We look forward to developing this partnership and continuing to support young people in participating in STEM subjects and creating those critical skills that will be required to support the transition to a cleaner energy future.

Welcoming the renewed partnership, CEO of SciFest, Sheila Porter commented: The EirGrid Climate and Delivering a Cleaner Energy Future Award serves to raise awareness of the need for climate action in our young people and will encourage them to become ambassadors for change regarding the most important issue facing the world today. We are grateful to EirGrid for their continued support and look forward to working with them again in the new academic year.

For further information about EirGrids role in delivering a cleaner energy future visit eirgrid.ie or for more information about a SciFest Fair, visit scifest.ie
The Tanaiste said it is not possible to exempt first-time buyers from the concrete block levy.

Leo Varadkar said the levy is on the construction industry and he cannot see how any particular group could be exempted.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin suggested last weekend that the Government would be open to amending its controversial measure to ensure it does not penalise home buyers by forcing up new build house prices.

The aim of the 10% levy announced in the budget is to make the construction industry foot some of the multi-billion euro bill to fix defective homes.

It is set to raise 80 million euro annually and due to be applied from April 3.

Mr Varadkar said: I just dont know how you would do that. The levy falls on a concrete block and I dont see how you would be able to exempt any particular group.

If you did do that, other groups would make a very good case for being exempt too.

Take, for example, a family living in a very overcrowded apartment who are finally able to upgrade and buy a house for the first time. Would they then have to bear a higher cost? Thats always a difficulty when you try to exempt one group  you then put a bigger burden on another group.

Opposition parties and housing organisations said the measure will result in higher house prices.

It could add up to 4,000 euro to the cost of an average three-bed semi-detached home, the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland estimated.

Sinn Fein called for the measure to be scrapped, saying it will put the burden and pain on homeowners rather on those responsible for construction defects.

Mr Varadkar, speaking after an industrial relations conference at University College Dublin, said the Government should stand by the levy because it has committed to helping homeowners.

Weve committed to spend a lot of money over the next decade repairing homes in Donegal and Mayo that need to be repaired, he said.

I think were going to have to make a similar commitment in relation to the defective apartment blocks in our cities.

Thats a financial commitment of several billion euro even spread out over a number of years.

I dont think you can just say it comes out of general taxation. We need a revenue stream against that and the fairest way to do it is a levy against the construction industry.

Thats what we intend to do.

The Tanaiste reiterated that the details of the levy will be provided by the Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe in the Finance Bill.

Speaking in Prague on Thursday afternoon, the Taoiseach said the final details of the measure were being worked out with the coalition parties.

Asked whether first-time buyers would be exempt from paying the levy on concrete blocks, Micheal Martin said: On the concrete levy, again, the detail of that will be fleshed out in the context of the Finance Bill, and we are taking soundings from members of our parliamentary parties as well as generally.

But I think as the Minister for Finance said, the detail will be fleshed out in the Finance Bill, and well work through that.
Crime, Health & Wellness

By Chris Boyle Published: October 06 2022

Law allows communities with contaminated water the ability to recoup necessary filtration or treatment costs.

Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation (S.8763A/A.9824A) allowing local water authorities to take legal action against drinking water polluters for claims that were previously barred due to the statute of limitations. Local water authorities may generally only file legal claims against companies within three years of when misconduct or contamination occurred.

"Every New Yorker deserves access to clean, safe and affordable drinking water," Governor Hochul said. "By signing this legislation, which gives local water suppliers another avenue to take action against polluters and recover the costs of treatment or filtration, we are making sure that we not only hold these companies accountable but also prioritize the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers."

Legislation (S.8763A/A.9824A) allows public water suppliers to revive any action, civil claim, or cause of action involving an emerging contaminant that may have been barred because the statute of limitations had expired. This allows local water authorities to pursue actions against polluters to recover the costs of treatment and filtration as a result of contamination.

The new law gives providers up to a year and a half from today to bring actions against polluters for claims that may otherwise be barred under the statute of limitations. In addition, the legislation defines an emerging contaminant as meaning any physical, chemical, microbiological or radiological substance that is identified or listed as an emerging contaminant in public health or any other law.

State Senator James Gaughran said, "This bill clarified the intent of my original legislation to allow public water suppliers to retroactively seek damages from polluters and hold them responsible for the cost of cleaning up contamination of our water supplies. I applaud the Governor for her ongoing commitment to ensuring New Yorkers have clean drinking water."

Assemblymember Fred W. Thiele Jr. said, "Emerging chemicals pose a serious threat to the underground aquifers that supply our drinking water on Long Island. We should not be forced to pay higher rates and taxes to clean up the contamination caused by irresponsible polluters. Polluters should be held accountable for the damage they have caused here on Long Island and across New York State. This bill makes it clear that in New York State it is the polluter who pays. My sincere thanks to Governor Hochul for approving this commonsense legislation, which gives needed remedies to public water suppliers and protects our environment."

Citizens Campaign for the Environment Executive Director Adrienne Esposito said, "We all need and deserve clean water, but we also need affordable water. The public didn't pollute our waters, industry did. Therefore, the public should not pay for the high cost of filtration. The legislation ensures that polluters can be retroactively prosecuted and held accountable for drinking water treatment needs. It ensures that polluters will be held responsible for the significant cost of treating our drinking water supplies. This is a terrific victory for clean water, affordable water, and public health protection. We are delighted that Governor Hochul has signed this bill and advanced the goal of clean, affordable water in New York State."

Long Island Water Conference Chairman Kevin Durk said, "The signing of this bill into law is absolutely critical for water providers. It will greatly support our efforts to hold polluters responsible for contamination and strengthen our ability to recover expenses associated with treating for contaminants in our drinking water supplies. We wholeheartedly thank Governor Hochul as well as the members of the Senate and Assembly for these actions that will benefit every water provider in the region as well as the millions of Long Islanders we collectively serve."
Food, Wine, & Dining, Business & Finance

By Chris Boyle Published: October 06 2022

The Haunted House of Hamburgers is a family-friendly horror-themed restaurant that is currently under development with an anticipated opening date of October 25th.

If you're the type of horror fan who wishes that Halloween lasted 365 days a year  in addition to having a healthy hankering for hamburgers  then youll find that a new restaurant opening up in Farmingdale is just what the ghoul ordered.

Jordan Desner of Plainview is the proud owner of the Haunted House of Hamburgers, a family-friendly horror-themed restaurant that is currently under development with an anticipated opening date of October 25thjust in time for Halloween!

I'm a huge Halloween fan, and a huge cheeseburger fan. I decided to put two togethermakes sense, doesnt it? he said. I've always been a huge horror movie guy  Halloween, Friday the 13th, all the classics, I love them all  plus Halloween is my favorite holiday. I was actually even born on Friday the 13th, so it's already in my blood!

While Desner wants to remain secretive about the elaborate decorations and ambiance of his upcoming eatery  preferring customers to experience the frightful delights themselves first-hand  it can be said that the Haunted House of Hamburgers features numerous high-end, dastardly decorations sure to get your blood pumping. Desner is embracing the concept wholeheartedly, channeling his lifelong love of all things dark and macabre into the proceedings.

To that end, he recruited Little Spider Creations  a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina company that specializes in designing haunted houses and displays  to make the trip up to New York in order to help realize his vision.

And the result, according to Oliver Holler of Little Spider Creations, is turning out to be an establishment that even horror greats Peter Cushing and Vincent Price would be proud to chow down in.

First, we consulted with Jordan, and got an idea of his likes and dislikes, Holler said. He really loves Halloween and the concept of having it 365 days a year and he's really into the classic imagery, the classic horror icons, and we developed those motifs in areas of the restaurant.

This is Desners first foray into the restaurant business; previously he had been the owner of two Long Island movie theaters, but decided it was time to invest in his true passion. To that end, he found the perfect person to help him get this exciting venture off the ground in the form of general manager Susan Klein, who boasts over 35 years in the business.

I've worked at cafes in Manhattan, TGI Fridays on Long Island, City Cellar, and just about everywhere else. I came very highly recommended to Jordan by a number of people, Klein said. The funny thing is that for many years, I was terrified of Halloween! So I'm going to have to suck that up here, haha. But Ive been out there spreading the word, and I can't wait for opening day.

But for those wishing to experience an early taste, one can simply drive by the currently in-development establishment  located at 330 Fulton Street, the site of a former Friendly's restaurant  and note the creepily boarded-up windows, Frankenstein statues, and even a graveyard that is in the process of being erected. Clearly, the Haunted House of Hamburgers is shaping up to be a horror lovers delight.

I had to do something Halloween-themed in my lifetime, and I was thinking of different venues to do it, and since I love hamburgers so much I figured I would give it a shot, Desner said. When I came across this location, it just made sense. I saw the vision. I knew a Friendly's had the correct configuration for a haunted mansion, so when I found this location I knew it would be perfect.

But of course, the Haunted House of Hamburgers isn't simply an ode to one man's love of all things dark and creepy; first and foremost it is a restaurant, and Desner ensures his future patrons that the fare he's serving is devious, diverse, and most importantly, delicious.

It's a big menu. We have our signature hamburgers, a build-your-own-burger, and for people that don't want beef, we have turkey burgers and even plant-based impossible burgers, he said. We also have chicken sandwiches and other sandwiches, entrees, soups, salads, desserts, shakes and sundaes, and even flatbread pizzas. A little of everything.

The restaurant will also be having a Horror Q night twice a month  on the 13th and the 31st  where they will offer an additional barbecue-themed menu along with their regular fare, as well as breakfast every Saturday and Sunday between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

While the Haunted House of Hamburgers is indeed a horror-themed restaurant through-and-through, Desner maintains that it remains a family-friendly experience and that it doesn't go overboard, ensuring a fun and exciting experience for children as well as adults.

Speaking of adults, the Haunted House of Hamburgers also has a full bar at the front of the establishment, and the restaurant itself can accommodate between 70 and 80 dine-in guests. Servers and staff are encouraged to wear their favorite Halloween-themed costumes, but not an outright requirement; instead, they can opt to wear an all-black uniform instead, including a polo shirt with the Triple H logo on it.

Also, customers of all ages are encouraged to dress up in-costume any day of the year while attending the restaurant, as its always Halloween in the Haunted House of Hamburgers!

In the end, Desner said that opening up a Halloween-themed restaurant was something that was absolutely on his bucket list, and he is overjoyed to finally be bringing this to a reality. He invites anyone and everyone who has even a passing interest in horror and great food to come check out the Haunted House of Hamburgers when it opens on October 25th.

It has not sunk in yet, he said with a chuckle upon the thought of finally realizing his dream. I think it will sink in when the first customer walks through the door. I invite everyone to come on down to Triple H, where every day is Halloween.

To find out more, please visit hhhamburgers.com or call 516-777-1031 (the last 4 digits being, of course, the date of Halloween).
Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: October 06 2022

Approximately 100 officers from multiple law enforcement agencies participated.

The Suffolk County Police Department, United States Coast Guard and the Port Jefferson Steamboat Company hosted an active shooter drill on a Port Jefferson ferry on Wednesday, October 5.

Approximately 100 officers from multiple law enforcement agencies participated as part of the SCPDs commitment to ensure law enforcement throughout the region have the latest training for active shooter scenarios as well as training to stop the bleed on wounded individuals.

Earlier this year, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced an additional $100,000 in funding to double the amount of active shooter drills that the department would hold this year as well as extending participation to all law enforcement agencies throughout the county.
Music, Movies & Entertainment, Arts & Culture

By Chris Boyle Published: October 06 2022

Edward Lange (18461912), was a German American landscape painter who worked in and around Long Island during the 1870s and 1880s.

Preservation Long Island and the Long Island Museum are pleased to host Artoberfest!  a one-day Pop-Up Biergarten in celebration of German-American artist Edward Lange (18461912), who lived and worked on Long Island. The event will take place on October 22, 2022 from 12pm to 4pm at historic Sherwood-Jayne Farm in East Setauket, New York. With live music, food, beverages, games, arts & crafts, and an optional morning tour of the Long Island Museums exhibition, Land by Hand: Edward Langes Long Island, in nearby Stony Brook, the days events are suitable for all ages.

Artoberfest! at Sherwood-Jayne Farm, features a special Oktoberfest beer in collaboration with Lithology Brewing Co. All ticket purchasers age 21 and over will receive a ticket for a complimentary beverage, generously provided by Lithology! Enjoy live music by Buddy Merriam & Back Roads and food offerings by Mels Magickal Meals. In addition, one hour before the Artoberfest! activities begin at Sherwood-Jayne Farm, a separately ticketed, free guided tour of the current Edward Lange exhibition at the Long Island Museum in nearby Stony Brook is available to the first twenty-five registrants.

Edward Lange (18461912), was a German American landscape painter who worked in and around Long Island during the 1870s and 1880s. Lange sketched and painted town centers, local businesses, and private residences with precise detail.

We are pleased to collaborate with the Long Island Museum and Lithology Brewing on this event as a part of our multi-year The Art of Edward Lange Project. Because of the importance of the artists body of work to local history and preservation efforts, we launched the project last year and have worked with local partners to develop public events and resources to help enrich our understanding of late nineteenth-century Long Island through Langes art, said Alexandra Wolfe, Preservation Long Island Executive Director.

Attending Artoberfest! at a historic site on Long Island, seeing the museum exhibition, and exploring our new interactive website of Langes artwork provide engaging opportunities for the public to learn more about this prolific artist and see Long Island through his eyes, said Peter Fedoryk, Preservation Long Island Curatorial Fellow.

"When the LIM and PLI teams brainstormed about fresh ways to present Lange's artwork to the community, we were immediately on the same page," said Lisa Unander, Director of Education at the Long Island Museum. "Knowing the exhibition would be in our galleries, we turned our attention to finding ways to extend the reach beyond our doors and thought about the appeal of an all ages event that would combine music, food, beer and of course Lange's art. It was soon obvious that the Sherwood Jayne site would be the perfect backdrop. The best thing about a collaboration is that each organization can amplify what they do best and also be honest about their site's strengths and weaknesses. Being open to creative and different approaches is also essential and this is exactly how this partnership has unfolded. We can't wait to welcome long-time supporters as well as first time visitors to what we hope will become an annual Artoberfest!"

What: Artoberfest! Pop-Up Biergarten

When: Saturday, October 22, 2022 from 12pm4pm

Where: Sherwood-Jayne Farm, 55 Old Post Road, East Setauket, NY 11733

Tickets: $10 Under 21 (Free age 5 and under); $15 Preservation Long Island Members Over 21; $20 Non-members Over 21

Advance ticket purchase is highly recommended. Limited free parking is available onsite. For more information and to purchase tickets in advance visit: https://preservationlongisland.org/artoberfest/

Artoberfest! supports The Art of Edward Lange Project, an ongoing initiative to dive deeply into the life and work of Long Island landscape artist Edward Lange (18461912). To learn more about the project and explore the artists full body of work visit Preservation Long Islands dedicated webpage: https://preservationlongisland.org/now-live-the-art-of-edward-lange-interactive-website/

About Preservation Long Island
Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: October 06 2022

An individual stole a 2021 Land Rover Range Rover from outside a Swans Neck Lane residence in Watermill on October 1.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Southampton Town Police detectives are seeking the publics help to identify and locate the person who stole a vehicle from a Watermill residence in October.

An individual stole a 2021 Land Rover Range Rover from outside a Swans Neck Lane residence in Watermill on October 1. The vehicle was last seen at 8:30 p.m. and has New York license plate HXZ 1571.
Bandits have set free the son of the Village Head of Tekpeshe in Gurdi Ward of Abaji Area Council in the FCT, Ibrahim Sarki, after his family bought a solar panel, drugs and foodstuff worth N436,700 for them.

City & Crime had reported that the bandits, on September 9, 2022, invaded Tekpeshe and abducted a former councillor, Mohammed Ibrahim Tanko, and 16 others, including the village head's son.

The bandits later released the ex- councillor and the 16 others, held back the chief's son and demanded N8m for his freedom.

After weeks in captivity, the bandits last week threatened to indoctrinate the chief's son if his family failed to raise the N8m.

Confirming the release of the chief's son through telephone on Wednesday, the Waziri of Tekpeshe, Ibrahim Tanko, said he was released on Tuesday at about 9pm at a forest in neigbouring Zago village in Niger State.

He said after several pleadings, the bandits asked his family to buy a solar panel, drugs and foodstuff for them before the victim would be released.

He explained that, "The entire members of the community had to gather money, with some selling their goats, including motorcycles, to raise N500,000 used in buying the items."

He added that the victim was receiving treatment in a hospital in Kwali.

Spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, DSP Adeh Josephine, was yet to reply to an SMS about the development
CAPE TOWN, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Angola will launch its 2023 bidding round for 12 onshore oil and gas blocks in the Lower Congo and Kwanza Basin early next year, a senior official at the National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG) said on Thursday.

Africa's second-largest oil producer behind Nigeria did not hold any oil and gas auctions this year, partly because of presidential elections.

The next auction is part of the country's 2019-2025 exploration strategy, seeking to boost dwindling output and maintain base production above 1 million barrels per day (bpd) until 2040.

"We are looking at the first quarter of 2023 to launch," ANPG board member Natacha Massano told Reuters on the sideline of an African oil conference in Cape Town.

Angola, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is producing about 1.2 million bpd currently.

Oil companies operating in Angola include TotalEnergies , BP, Exxon Mobil and Chevron.

Angola aims to award up to 50 oil and gas blocks by 2025, with blocks located onshore as well as ultra-deep and deep waters. (Reporting by Wendell Roelf Editing by Bhargav Acharya and David Goodman)
(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Friday and not separately reported by Alliance News:

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Kanabo Group PLC - Tel Aviv-based medical cannabis company - Pretax loss for the first half of 2022 widens to GBP2.9 million from GBP2.4 million a year before. General and administration increase to GBP2.2 million from GBP888,000. Revenue multiplies to GBP239,000 from GBP15,000 a year before. Attributes this to the acquisition of GBP Services Ltd. Aims for another period of operational and financial growth. "The first half of 2022 was an extremely busy and productive period for the Company. Most importantly, the integration of GPS has gone according to plan, and I wish to give my thanks to all the staff at GPS for their assistance on making this as seamless as possible," CEO Avihu Tamir comments.

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Microsaic Systems PLC - Surrey-based mass spectrometry equipment - Pretax loss in the six months to June 30 narrows to GBP823,957 from GBP2.1 million a year before. Revenue rises 47% to GBP734,914 from GBP499,285. "The change in business strategy which began in 2021 has carried through to 2022. The result of which can be seen in the increased revenues and gross profit which have led to reduced losses," Acting Chair Gerry Brandon comments. Expects the solid sales momentum to continue through the second half.

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Bezant Resources PLC - copper-gold project developer - In the first half, pretax loss narrows to GBP348,000 from GBP510,000 a year before. Share-based payments fall to GBP29,000 versus GBP160,000. Records no revenue, unchanged from the comparable period. Feels "very confident" with the underlying quality of its project portfolio in copper, gold and battery manganese.

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LoopUp Group PLC - London-based software provider for remote meetings - Pretax loss in the first half of 2022 widens to GBP7.1 million from GBP4.4 million a year ago. Revenue falls to GBP6.6 million from GBP11.5 million. Expects Meetings business to return back to growth in second half and 2023. Remains excited about the growth potential of its Cloud Telephony solution.

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Artemis Resources Ltd - Perth-based miner with gold, copper and cobalt projects in Australia - In the first half of 2022, pretax loss narrows to USD7.5 million versus USD10.5 million, year-on-year. Project and exploration expenditure write-off costs drop to USD4.7 million from USD7.1 million. Revenue falls to USD33.4 million from USD133,815. Notes a "very challenging setting of Covid restrictions," acute industry-wide personnel and rig shortages and extensive assay turnaround times. Continues to focus on its core projects, the Paterson Central gold and copper project and the Carlow Castle gold.

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Borders & Southern Petroleum PLC - London-based independent oil and gas exploration - Pretax loss for the half-year to June 30 widens to USD857,000 from USD446,000 as administrative expenses jump to USD747,000 versus USD546,000. Finance cost soar to USD110,000 versus USD1,000. Records no revenue, unchanged from a year before.

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Fox Marble Holdings PLC - focused on marble quarrying and finishing in Kosovo and the Balkans region - Pretax loss in the first half of 2022 widens to EUR825,000 from EUR683,000. Revenue rises to EUR272,000 versus EUR196,000, as revenue from the sale of processed marble product increases. Agrees heads of terms for the proposed acquisition of Eco Buildings Group Ltd and notes that it would constitute a reverse takeover.

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Eden Research PLC - Oxfordshire-based sustainable crop protection and animal health firm - Pretax loss in the six months to June 30 narrows to GBP1.3 million from USD1.8 million a year prior. Revenue rises 32% to GBP1.0 million versus GBP785,294, as product sales increased 51%.

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By Abby Amoakuh; abbyamoakuh@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - The Irish government is looking at mechanisms to protect pay-as-you-go energy customers to avoid households facing disconnections this winter.

Deputy premier Leo Varadkar said it is looking at ways to extend the treatment rolled out to bill-paying customers to pay-as-you-go customers to help protect families during the cold weather.

Varadkar said he agrees the disconnections should be banned for prepay metres throughout the winter but said it has to find a "viable mechanism" to do that.

He said that the Minister for Environment Eamon Ryan is meeting with energy companies today to examine what additional measures can be put in place to protect all households on pay-as-you-go meters.

The government is under pressure to include pay-as-you-go customers in the disconnection moratorium.

Sinn Fein's Pearse Doherty said the plan to introduce a ban on disconnections for bill-pay customers from December until February is "not good enough".

Speaking in the Dail during leaders' questions, Varadkar said that pay-as-you-go customers can overrun by 20 euro and will not be cut off over weekends but acknowledged this was not an "adequate solution".

Varadkar added: "For people using pay-as-you-go meters, the deputy (Doherty) and I both understand that that is a much more complicated system because of the way it operates.

"However, the overdraft people have is now extended to EUR20 so people can run over the meter by up to EUR20 without facing the risk of disconnection.

"In addition, having spoken to some people who are on pay-as-you-go meters, I believe it is already the case that, at least in a lot of cases, people cannot be disconnected on a weekend so that people have the time to top up.

"That is not the full solution and it is not an adequate solution at this stage."

He added: "I know that is not enough and we will need to come up with a better solution for those hardship cases to make sure people are not disconnected over the winter, regardless of how they pay."

Doherty warned households that cannot pay their bills are in danger of disconnection.

He said 712 households were disconnected in the first six months of this year.

"That was before the impact of the huge increases in bills and the impact of winter," the Donegal TD said.

"The weather has started to turn. It is getting colder. Winter is nearly here and workers and families need certainty.

"The plan to introduce a ban on disconnections for bill-pay customers from December until February is not good enough.

"It leaves people waiting far too long for protection and the timespan is too short.

"There are 125,000 households currently in arrears and this figure, unfortunately, is only going in one direction.

"What is needed is an immediate ban on disconnections now and to run that ban right through to the end of March.

"That is crucial because this will not apply to workers and families with a prepay meter."

It comes as EirGrid warned that the supply of electricity will fall short of demand over the next decade.

In its generation capacity statement, the grid operator said the situation was "stark" and that householders face a "tight" winter ahead.

It also warned that it cannot guarantee there will be no blackouts this winter.

Varadkar said that while nobody can rule out the possibility of blackouts this winter, the chances of a prolonged blackout affecting householders and businesses are very low.

source: PA

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Sharecast News) - London stocks were set for a positive open on Thursday following losses in the previous session and despite Fitch downgrading the UK's credit rating outlook.

The FTSE 100 was called to open 50 points higher at 7,103.

Late on Wednesday, Fitch downgraded the credit outlook to "negative" from "stable". It said: "The large and unfunded fiscal package announced as part of the new government's growth plan could lead to a significant increase in fiscal deficits over the medium term."

The ratings agency maintained its AA- credit rating for the UK.

In corporate news, spirits maker Diageo got off to a good start in its 2023 fiscal year, reporting organic net sales growth across all regions ahead of its annual general meeting.

Nevertheless, the company anticipated the operating environment would remain "challenging" and volatile due to the geopolitical uncertainty, weaker consumer spend, price pressures and the disruptions from Covid-19.

Even so, Diageo boss, Ivan Menezes, expressed confidence in the business's resilience and management's ability to cope. He also believed that Diageo was still well-positioned to reach organic net sales growth "consistently" in the range of 5-7.0% across FY2023-25 and organic operating profit growth of 6-9.0%.

Tobacco company Imperial Brands unveiled a 1bn share buyback as it said current year trading was in line with expectations.

"In line with previous guidance, we expect full-year net revenue and group adjusted operating profit to both grow by around 1% at constant currency," the company said in a trading update.

Elsewhere, safety technology maker Halma said it had bought German testing technology firm WEETECH Holding for 57.5m (50m), on a cash-and debt-free basis.

Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Wertheim, Germany, WEETECH designs and makes safety-critical electrical testing technology, to test the integrity of both high and low voltage electrical systems.
(Alliance News) - Mila Resources PLC on Thursday said that it has raised GBP696,000 through a placing, which it will use to further fund exploration at the Kathleen Valley gold project.

Kathleen Valley is located in the Wiluna-Norseman gold belt in Western Australia, a recognised tier one mining jurisdiction home to a number of significant mining operations, including the adjacent high-grade Bellevue gold project.

The post-discovery gold exploration accelerator raised the money through a placing of 23.2 million new ordinary shares of 1.00 pence each, at a price of 3.00p per placing share.

It has also issued 524,000 broker warrants, exercisable at 3.00p for a period of three years.

The proceeds will be used to continue exploration activity at Kathleen Valley, following a "highly successful" first stage of the drilling campaign, and "encouraging" preliminary results from the second stage.

Drilling to date has focused on the Coffey deposit, which has returned "promising" intersections including 6.6 metres at 14.86 grams per tonne of gold.

Funds will be used to complete a further 2,400m of drilling, in addition to environmental and heritage works, and for general working capital.

Executive Chair Mark Stephenson said: "We are confident that the Coffey Deposit, where activity is currently focussed, has all of the geological signatures of a robust gold resource. As a result, we are delighted that investors have supported us in this capital raise to keep up this work programme as we look to reveal the full potential of this project."

Mila Resources shares were trading 6.9% higher at 3.10p each in London on Thursday afternoon.

By Holly Beveridge; hollybeveridge@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - More than 40 leaders from all over Europe are expected in Prague on Thursday to attend the inaugural meeting of the European Political Community.

The aim of the new forum is to improve cooperation between European countries beyond the borders of the EU, like Britain, Turkey, and countries of the Western Balkans and Caucasus region.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal is set to attend in person while President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to join by video.

As well as wider economic woes, leaders are to hold round table talks on climate change, the energy crisis, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The discussions will be followed by bilateral meetings.

British Prime Minister Liz Truss is to discuss migration with the leaders of France and the Netherlands, a statement from her Foreign Office said.

As representatives of both Armenia and Azerbaijan are expected to attend the meeting, diplomatic efforts are ongoing to facilitate a meeting between the two, an EU official told reporters in Brussels.

The two ex-Soviet republics have been in a stand-off for decades over control of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. In 2020, fighting flared up.

As recently as mid-September, an attack by Azerbaijan left more than 200 people dead on both sides.

On Friday, the 27 EU states will hold an informal summit in Prague.

The talks, which again are to be joined by Zelensky by video, are expected to focus on the EU's support for Ukraine and the consequences of Russia's war on the bloc's economy and energy market.

Friday's gathering is not expected to deliver concrete results, as it is viewed as preparation for another summit in Brussels later in October.

source: dpa

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
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Girls Who Invest, Million Dollar Solution, The Honest Company these are just a few of the internships Lycoming College students have completed in the past. English literature and French double major Maya Jenkins 23 added to this repertoire of student experiences with an internship at Folio Literary Management, an agency who represents and who has worked on award-winning titles, such as The Art of Racing in the Rain and Water for Elephants.

Jenkins found the internship with the help of Phoebe Wagner, assistant professor of English and creative writing. With additional support from Shanin Dougherty, career advisor embedded in the arts and humanities, on application materials, Jenkins was accepted into Folios internship program.

When I learned I was accepted, I was so excited, said Jenkins. I chose this internship because of the personalized approach of the agency and their willingness to teach me about the industry and finding a job.

As part of the twelve-week internship program, Jenkins received the opportunity to attend weekly seminars and workshops on different aspects of the publishing industry. This Intern Academy included topics such as editing, working with childrens books, and a resume workshop  all led by the companys literary agents.

This program definitely allowed me to expand upon my previous love of reading, said Jenkins. Now when I read, I think about how I would market that book to potential readers, or if I would choose to publish it.

Folio interns also work directly with literary agents on a variety of tasks to help them understand and gain experience in different departments of the industry. Day-to-day, Jenkins worked on reading manuscripts, conducting research, and creating rejection letters. As well as working on two upcoming books, she worked with the Smithsonian Institution to do research on potential books for their biography collection.

I loved working directly with the agents and getting a unique perspective on the industry, said Jenkins. I worked on a diverse range of projects and even got to do Intern Academy each week, a seminar on different aspects of the publishing industry.

When asked what the program has done for her, Jenkins responded that it has equipped her on how to look for jobs in the literary world as well as given her insight on what kinds of books she wants to work with. Following graduation, she plans to pursue a career in the book publishing industry.

Whether our English majors focus on literature or creative writing, their experience in many ways reflects Audens union of writing and pleasure. The Lycoming English department is a tight-knit literary community where students marry their passions for writing and reading with their natural curiosity about the world around them. To learn more about the English and creative writing program at Lycoming College, visit: https://www.lycoming.edu/english/.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Plateau State, has said 49,000 Permanent Voters' Cards (PVCs) are yet to be collected, and appealed to registered voters to get theirs before the upcoming general elections.

Egwurube Otokpa, Deputy Director, Head of Voter Education, Publicity, Gender and Civil Society Organisation of INEC in the state, made the appeal in an interview with Daily Trust in Jos, on the state of PVC collection in the state.

While calling on registered voters to come for the PVCs, he also urged leaders of various political parties and politicians to sensitize their supporters on the need to collect their PVCs before the general elections.
According to the latest Beauty and Personal Care 2022 report by Euromonitor International, a London-based market research company, Hello Glow is listed as the #1 top ranking brand for skin care set for two years in a row.

The market research firm discloses Hello Glow's market share at 51.7% and 52.7% in 2020 and 2021 respectively; overtaking multinational brands like Nu Skin, Avon, Shiseido and Loreal in this category.

Ever Bilena Cosmetics, Inc's Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Denice Sy-Munez founded the brand in February 2020, just before the country went into lockdown.

"We saw that there was demand for a safe and credible option for rejuvenating sets and sold the set first through direct sales dealers and resellers,"; says Sy-Munez, who started the brand with only one product - the Hello Glow All-Natural Whitening Set, which sold over a million sets in its launch year.

Hello Glow has since released three additional variants under the skin care set category; namely the Advanced Rejuvenating Set, the Acne Defense Set, and the Blemish Miracle Set.

Hello Glow's unique selling point? All of the brand's skin care sets are dermatologist-recommended and have undergone clinical testing to ensure efficacy. "The skin sets do not contain any hidden FDA-banned ingredients, we are FDA-compliant and the label is as transparent as it can be!" adds Sy-Munez.

The brand has been recognized on multiple occasions by international award giving bodies as well. Hello Glow has won Gold from the 2021 IPRA (International Public Relations Association) Golden World Awards for an all digital campaign, while Sy-Munez was the Gold Winner at 2022 TITAN Business Awards for Beauty & Cosmetics as founder for Hello Glow.

Hello Glow is available in thousands of touch points. The brand is carried by over 20,000 registered resellers nationwide, and is distributed across 5,000+ physical retail outlets including department stores, drug stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores.








Real Madrid made it three wins from three matches in the Champions League, with Vinicius' first half goal the difference in their 2-1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.

Los Blancos made the most of their dominance early on, netting twice before Oleksandr Zubkov halved the deficit for the away side just before half-time.

From there Madrid controlled proceedings as the Ukrainians proved unable to mount a serious threat after the break.

The result means Carlo Ancelotti's men now have one foot in the knockout phase with nine points after three matches, five clear of second-place Shakhtar.

Madrid needed just 13 minutes to open the scoring through Rodrygo. Aurelien Tchouameni's deflected pass eventually made its way to the Brazilian, who fired home his 11th goal in 30 Champions League appearances.

After Karim Benzema tested Anatoliy Trubin the Spanish side doubled their advantage minutes later after some exquisite passing.

The ball ended up at the feet of Vinicius, who calmly tucked home.

Real Madrid's with Valeriy Bondar, of Shakhtar Donetsk Rodrigo Jimenez EFE

Real Madrid in control

With Real Madrid firmly in control of proceedings after further attempts by Vinicius and Benzema, Shakhtar fired back against the run of play.

Bohdan Mykhaylichenko's cross from the left found its way to Zubkov, who managed to guide the ball home with his shin to reopen proceedings.

Real Madrid began the second half like a team keen to put the match to bed as soon as possible, but Shakhtar managed to hold on after some early attempts by Eder Militao and Vinicius.

Trubin did well to keep Real Madrid at bay in the 64th minute. Rodrygo combined with Benzema, but the Frenchman's effort was expertly handled by the Shakhtar shot stopper.

From there Shakhtar failed to mount any serious threat on goal, allowing the home side to see out the remaining minutes with relative ease, thus keeping their perfect record in the Champions League intact.
The Leader of Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga has said President Museveni's apology to Kenya for the embarrassment caused by the actions of the First Son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba can only be accepted if he demote him to a lower rank.

Kainerugaba, in a series of controversial tweets on Monday, said he would only need two weeks with his army to capture Kenya's capital, Nairobi.

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Shortly after his tweets, Muhoozi was immediately dropped as the UPDF commander of the Land Forces. But he was instead promoted to a full general, leaving many people baffled.

Mpuuga said that the apology made by the head of state was not enough, saying that Muhoozi should be demoted to a lower rank to quell the anger of Kenyans and Ugandans who were affected by his actions.

He said the tweets from the first son did not only make a mockery of the democracy and rule of law in Kenya but threatened Uganda's national security by dragging the UPDF into a useless argument.

Mpuuga said as the opposition they condemn with utmost disgust, the careless use of social media by a high-ranking army general and public officer which has caused diplomatic controversy between Uganda and Kenya.

"As you may know, Kenya is Uganda's main gateway to the sea and an economic powerhouse across the region. Anything that affects the relations between the two countries will have far reaching effects on Business and livelihood of the ordinary Ugandans," he noted in a statement.

He explained that by promoting his "erratic and careless" son, Museveni showed no concern to the reputation of a national army which needs insulation from erratic and dangerous behaviour more so from one of its top officers.
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs Harry and Meghan Markle toured Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga, they looked rude, as Valentine Low revealed in his book titled: The Hidden Power Behind The Crown.

Low was very close to the Duke and Duchess during their tour, followed them around the countries they visited and shared with them and several members of the press the plane where they were traveling.

Meghan and Prince Harry's incredible welcome at One Young World, Manchester

Harry behaved rudely on plane transfers

The royal author wrote in his book: "[Harry] sounded rushed, as if he couldn't wait to get back into the first-class cabin, away from the media.

"'Thanks for coming', he told the assembled press pack, 'even though you weren't invited'.

Prince Harry on the British press: "It's all lies"

"Even for a man who has a deep mistrust of the press, this was spectacularly rude - and incorrect.

"The media very much had been invited to cover the tour."

He wrote: "Later, Harry's staff, who had spent much of the flight trying to persuade the Duke to speak to us, told him how badly his remarks had gone down.

"He replied: 'Well, you shouldn't have made me do it'."
Marquette University Board of Trustees elects three new members

Oct. 5, 2022

MILWAUKEE  Marquette Universitys Board of Trustees elected three new members at its September 2022 meeting. The new trustees are Harvey J. Anderson II, retired strategic advisor for HP Inc.; Nicole Michaels, EY global insurance business transformation leader; and James Ryan, president and CEO of global software company Flexera.

Marquette trustees serve for three-year terms and may be re-elected to serve for a maximum of 12 years; they are volunteers and are not compensated for their service.

Harvey J. Anderson II

Harvey J. Anderson II has more than 25 years of experience in legal affairs, public policy, corporate/commercial transactions and intellectual property litigation. He has counseled leading global internet, security and communications companies in private and public company settings.

A 1984 Marquette University alumnus with a bachelors degree in civil engineering, Anderson is recently retired from serving as strategic advisor for HP Inc., where he had previously served as chief legal officer and corporate secretary. Harvey joined HP in June 2017 as deputy general counsel, Personal Systems, 3D Printing, Global Functions and Government Relations. Before joining HP, he served as the chief legal officer of AVG Technologies; prior to that he spent six years as the general counsel and chief legal officer of Mozilla Corp.

Anderson has a juris doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law. He is also admitted to the U.S. Patent Bar and serves as a board member for Common Sense Media.

He received the Marquette Alumni Association Professional Achievement Award in 2021.

Nicole Michaels

Nicole Michaels is the EY global insurance business transformation leader, as well as the Americas life insurance solution leader. A 1993 graduate of Marquette Universitys College of Business Administration, she is a member of the Marquette University Presidents Society.

Michaels has more than 25 years of consulting experience, holding various roles in the insurance business transformation space. She has extensive knowledge in the property, casualty and life insurance industry and is very passionate about diversity and inclusiveness.

Initiatives Michaels has focused on include strategic and technology assessments, target operating model design and roadmap and business case development. She has led assessments at large and medium-sized insurance carriers based in 12 different countries.

James Ryan

James (Jim) Ryan, Arts 89, is president and CEO of Flexera, a global software company headquartered outside Chicago. The 1989 Marquette University alumnus has been with the company since 1998 in roles including chief operating officer, senior vice president of global sales, and managing director of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Under Ryans leadership as CEO, Flexera has experienced dramatic growth, multiple ownership changes with private equity and more than a dozen merger and acquisition transactions. He has been instrumental in growing the companys valuation fifteenfold to now nearly $3 billion. The firms 1,200-plus employees worldwide have certified Flexera as a Great Place to Work, and Flexera has been named a Top Workplace by the Chicago Tribune for 10 consecutive years.

Also an operating adviser to the private equity firm Thoma Bravo since 2014, Ryan started his career at IBM in sales and remains passionate about the sales profession  he was instrumental in forming Marquettes new Center for Professional Selling.

A Green Bay, Wisconsin, native, Ryan and his family established the Do Great Things Initiative that focuses on increasing the number of Green Bay West students who attend Marquette University and college in general. Jim and his wife Tracy, a Marquette alumna, serve as co-chairs of Marquettes Chicago Campaign Committee and are members of the Marquette University Archbishop Henni Founders Society, the Marquette University Presidents Society and the St. Ignatius Legacy Society.

About Kevin Conway

Kevin is the associate director for university communication in the Office of Marketing and Communication. Contact Kevin at (414) 288-4745 or kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu.
Press Release

October 6, 2022 TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS WITH MIKE NAVALLO AT ANC RUNDOWN Q: You have pointed out that 150 million peso confidential funds for the Department of Education is bigger than the 141 million pesos that the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency is asking for. What is the justification offered to you about this? Are you satisfied with the explanation given? Senator Risa Hontiveros: I'm not questioning the legal basis of confidential funds for civilian agencies. But the explanation really left a lot to be desired. Hindi parin katanggap-tanggap kasi, for example, wala namang kakayahan o infrastructure ang DepEd to conduct surveillance activities or even crime-busting, kaya hindi talaga ako makapaniwala pa anong magiging risonable na yun na nga mas mataas ang hinihinging confidential and intelligence funds ng DepEd kaysa pa sa confidential funds ng State intelligence agency natin, which is NICA. And I'm speaking just specifically about the intel funds, not the whole budget. Of course, I share in the Department's advocacy of making schools safe spaces for our children, but let's leave it to the pros. Kung yung NICA aagawin yung education mandate ng DepEd, tututol din ako. In the same way, yung intelligence and security functions, yun na nga, hindi yun mandato ng DepEd, so let's leave those to the pros. Any intelligence operation that DepEd might conduct would be redundant. Meron na tayong existing national security, national defense, law enforcement, even women and children protection governmental bodies and programs. Kapag ang DepEd ay humingi at gumastos ng malaking intel funds, hindi masusulit yung pondong yun. Yun na nga eh, in the first place, hindi nila ito mandato. Right now, may hinaharap na tayong matinding education crisis. So madidistract lang ang education agency kung magfofocus din sila sa national security. Why would we compromise on educational reform and programs when we could realign these confidential and intelligent funds to meet those needs within DepEd itself? Kaya nagsimula na ako noong budget hearing ng DepEd itanong kung pwedeng irealign yung ganyang confidential and intelligent funds ng DepEd sa mga mandato talaga nila tulad halimbawa ng indigenous peoples education. In the same way, we're not yet out of the woods on the pandemic. Tumataas ang COVID cases sa mga schools and DepEd can also do something about that. Ito ang mga mandato talaga ng DepEd and urgent concerns right now, and I believe, these are what are covered also for example in the BEDP, yung basic education development plan 2030 that the department launched in 2020. Q: Contextualize for us the amount, the significance of the amount. 150 million pesos. It recently emerged that the National Expenditure Program actually proposed a 0 budget for SPED, even though DepEd asked for 532 million pesos, and you have this 150 million pesos for the confidential funds. In terms of the money, where should that money go? SRH: It should really go to education mandates, including special education. I also raised that question during the DepEd's budget hearing at salamat naman sa DepEd, sinabi nila during that hearing that they will indeed realign some of their department funds to reinstate items like the SPED. So kung nagsisimula na sila in that direction and in fact they also spoke positively about reinstating funds for IP education, edi ituloy na nila yung ganyang positive direction that they have started to set even during this budget debate. So pati itong 150 million na confidential and intelligent funds, again, larger even than the confidential funds of NICA itself, edi i-realign narin ng DepEd sa loob ng kanilang department. Q: Aside from the 150 million confidential funds of DepEd, you also have the office of the Vice President asking for 500 million pesos confidential funds and because confidential funds are under the discretion of the head of agency, this literally means 650 million will be under the control of the Vice President. Add to this, the 4.5 billion pesos in confidential and intelligence funds within the control of the President. Thats a total of about 5 billion pesos. Should this be a cause of concern, given that as many budget experts pointed out it's not subject to the usual rules of accounting? SRH: Exactly, and the constitutional mandate of COA is so important to prevent graft and corruption pero yung ganyang kalalaking pondo talaga they could be sources of temptation, precisely in that direction of graft and corruption. And gusto natin maging proactive, preventive about it. My Minority Leader, Sen. Koko Pimentel, already interpellated that confidential and intelligence funds in the budget of the OVP at nabalitaan ko rin sa House naman, si Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay of the Minority, he also raised concerns, in fact, he called on us legislators to also realign the total confidential and intelligence funds of the three agencies that you mentioned. From the sheer magnitude of those funds, at kung saan silang ahensyang nakalodge, and as you pointed out, beyond the reach of normal auditing processes, kaya hindi nakakagulat that they would raise concerns. And tingin ko, fair subject ng attention and proposed amendments naming mga legislators. Q: What's the likelihood at this point that these confidential and intelligence funds will be passed in the plenary? Is this good as passed? SRH: It is not yet good as passed. Although nakalagpas na sa committee hearings, there is still the plenary debate to be faced by the total proposed national budget including itong mga items na ito sa mga matataas na ahensyang ito. So they are still subject to interpellation, they are still subject to proposed amendments. Tradition nga yung interparliamentary courtesy between and among the separate and co-equal branches of government, pero ang Kongreso naman ang nag-eexercise ng power of the purse. We not only oversee the proper and the correct or improper use of the national budget, government's money, the taxpayers' money, pero proactively tungkulin din namin na in the budget making process, na magsumikap kami as far as we can na the budget is properly laid out at walang ganitong mga items especially in those magnitude na hindi lang makakatawag ng pansin but will really raise concerns. I think that's only fair. We're just doing our duty and the executive, and there's also the judiciary there, I'm sure alam nila susubukan lang naming sundin ang aming constitutional mandate. Q: Lastly, is it time to reconsider this practice of interparliamentary courtesy? SRH: Perhaps not. Kaya naman naming maging courteous sa isa't isa, even when we're disagreeing with each other or if we are debating each other's budgets, or if we are proposing realignment. Kumbaga, kaya naman namin mag-disagree without being disagreeable, at least I'm speaking for myself, as a member of the Minority, and certainly, my Minority Leader as well and colleagues in the House, like Rep. Edcel. Q: I'm referring to the budget of the Vice President and President being automatically passed or at least breeze through the appropriations committee level of both chambers. Is that something that we should reconsider? SRH: Oh, I see. In practice, we are actually reconsidering it whenever we raise those interpellation questions or whenever we propose such amendments. So I think there's a healthy tension that remains alive and well on that matter of the practice interparliamentary courtesy.
The State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Henry Okello Oryem has hailed the blossoming relations between Uganda and the Republic of Korea that have been on for many years.

"Uganda and the Republic of Korea share so many interests. At a political level, we are satisfied by a number of bilateral agreements that we have signed in the past .Korea has been a strategic partner for Uganda in social economic development through KOICA that has impacted many sectors in Uganda," Oryem said.

The junior foreign affairs minister was on Wednesday evening speaking as chief guest during as the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Uganda celebrated the country's armed force day and the national day held at Sheraton Hotel in Kampala.

The armed forces day in South Korea is an annual event celebrated on October,1 to commemorate the service of men and women in the Republic of Korea armed forces.

It is the day that South Korean forces broke through the 38th parallel in 1950 during the Korean War.

Minister Oryem on Wednesday hailed the South Korean military for the sacrifice it made for the country that has seen the East Asian country make great strides in development.

He said that the Republic of Korea and Uganda share a lot of things including participating in several peacekeeping missions.

"Much like the Republic of Korea, Uganda has a proud history of UPDF having participated in several missions on the African continent and the Greatlakes region. We continue to contribute militarily to AMISOM. I commend the Republic of Korea for participating in the peacekeeping mission in South Sudan."

The minister hailed the South Asian country for the numerous projects it has started in Uganda over the years that he said have impacted Ugandans, noting that these have further bolstered ties between the two friendly countries.

He noted that the ties between Uganda and the Republic of Korea will further be strengthened.

The South Korean Ambassador to Uganda, Park Sung-soo said the two countries will next year celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations that have seen steady growth of their partnership in various fields, mutual trust and understanding.

"We are aware that there is still room for improvement of our relations. We can take it up a notch," Sung-soo said.

The Republic of Korea Ambassador also mentioned the visits by the respective heads of state in 2013 and 2016 by Museveni and Park Geun-hye.

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He mentioned that the official development assistance by South Korea to Uganda started in 2010 and that within just three years in 2013, the Korean government had taken a step to design Uganda as one of the priority partners.

According to Park Sung-soo, the Korean government has since then focused on what Uganda needs , extending their cooperation through KOICA, the Korea Program on International Agriculture (KOPIA) and the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) in the areas of rural development, education, and healthcare.

"We will carry on our development cooperation with Uganda in order to support her relentless efforts in enhancing her human capital and economic growth while fully sharing our economic development experience and technical knowledges," Sung-soo said.

"I pledge that Korea will walk together with Uganda on her journey to a brighter future. I am looking forward to a future partnership that is more durable and sustainable and will be mutually beneficial for both countries."

The function was attended by several Ugandan minister, senior UPDF officers and other officials from various embassies in Uganda.
A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Chief Bode George, has said that none of the issues of major concern to the aggrieved members of the party was resolved during the recent meeting between Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and some members of the party's board of trustees.

Bode George is one of the members of the party demanding the removal of the PDP national chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, saying the current structure of the party lacked balance and fairness.

Since the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the party, some members of the party had demanded zoning of the party chairmanship to the southern part of the country, citing the principle of justice and fairness as enshrined in the party's constitution.

Asked to comment on the meeting during an interview on Channels TV's Politics Today on Wednesday, George said, "I was not there physically, but what I gathered after the meeting was that the issues raised that were of major concern to us have not been resolved and the committee led by Senator Wabara stated that they would continue the discussion.

"Rightly it's the responsibility of of the board of trustees to wade into such crisis and I am sure they will go back to convey the thoughts and the thinking of other members, who are eagerly looking to solutions to our problems."
Market Competitiveness - Project Management Specialist (USAID/DRC)

https://careers.ibtci.com/jobs/3410?lang=en-us

Location: Congo, The Democratic Republic of the

Job Type : Funded Project

Req ID : 3410

Job Description

About Us

We are International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI), a global consulting firm working some of the most complex and impactful development problems worldwide. We work on programs that help government agencies, private companies and donors improve the lives of others. At IBTCI you will be part of an inclusive team that provides expert solutions and advice to understand and address critical problems while giving you opportunities to succeed and grow.

Job Title: Market Competitiveness - Project Management Specialist (USAID/DRC)

Department/Location: Institutional Support/Program Implementation (ISPI)

Location: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Reports To: ISPI Project Manager

Type: Regular Full-Time

Classification:

Overview:

This position will be embedded within USAID/DRC and will have USAID.gov email address. Therefore, the candidates MUST be able to obtain USAID Facilities Access Clearance.

USAID/Democratic Republic of the Congos (DRCs) 2020-2025 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) is: A More Peaceful and Prosperous DRC with Improved Opportunities for Communities and Individuals to Thrive. This high-level goal encapsulates USAIDs long-term vision of a DRC where all communities and people are empowered to move their country closer to self-reliance. Over the next five years, USAID will partner with individuals, communities, and institutions and increase their ability to generate and achieve locally-led solutions. However, significant obstacles, including pervasive corruption, weak and ineffective state institutions, extreme poverty, an extractives-dependent economy, and ongoing conflict and instability may affect the Missions ability to achieve this goal. These daunting challenges arise from a lack of capacity as well as weak government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (GDRC) commitment at both the national and sub-national levels.

USAID/DRCs Office of Economic Growth and Integration (OEG) implements interventions that stimulate private sector-led growth (primarily agriculture-led growth) as the principal goal, while calibrating programming to ensure inclusive economic growth that reduces hunger and poverty; decreases conflict; increases resilience communities and systems; enables affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy; increases responsible minerals trade; and catalyzes finance, trade, investment, and innovation to bolster development.

On behalf of USAID/DRC Missions Office of Economic Growth, IBTCI seeks a Project Management Specialist (Market Competitiveness) to manage a USAID portfolio of activities that aim to sustainably reduce hunger, malnutrition, and poverty in the Feed the Future (FTF) zone of influence (ZOI) through sustainable increases in agricultural productivity, nutrition-sensitive production, reducing chronic vulnerability, addressing market needs; trends & competitiveness and facilitate the journey to self-reliance (J2SR) through building the ability of people, households, and to mitigate, adapt to, and recover risks, shocks, and stresses to agriculture, in a manner that reduces chronic vulnerability and facilitates inclusive growth.

As a key member of OEG, the Project Management Specialist (Market Competitiveness) requires technical expertise in program management and practical knowledge of Agriculture programming, project design, management, and monitoring and evaluation. As a key member of OEG, the PMS (Market Competitiveness) will be expected to participate actively and fully to support the management of the Office. S/he is required to possess a high degree of competence and maturity, and will manage productive relationships with the Embassy, other donors, the private sector, non-governmental and civil society organizations, and community organizations. Staff is expected to incorporate continuous Collaborative Learning and Adaptation into all activity design, implementation, and evaluation duties. The position will also entail effective and continuous communication with the Government of DR Congo (GODRC) officials at all levels, ensuring that USAID/DR Congo is fully engaged in the agriculture sector reform agenda

The Project Management Specialist will serve as an Activity Manager for targeted activities within the incumbents technical specialty. Using knowledge of USAID requirements and procedures, and information.

The employee will work in close collaboration with the Ag-Led growth Team Leader unless otherwise directed by the OEG Office Chief and has wide latitude for planning, organizing, and executing assigned responsibilities. S/he will handle work assignments independently according to established policies, previous training, and accepted practices. S/he will be expected to develop her/his own work schedule and procedures for accomplishing tasks and to independently resolve problems that may arise during execution of objectives.



Responsibilities



Essential Duties/Tasks and Responsibilities:

Program Management and Related Duties (65%)

The staff plans, designs, develops, and manages new and existing economic growth and integration programs and activities as a team member in OEG. These duties include activity design, leading procurement processes, and activity or project implementation, identifying and resolving program issues, assuring that all activities are carried out in a technically sound and cost-effective manner, and in accordance with all applicable Mission and Agency directives and requirements.

The Project Management Specialist (Market Competitiveness) plans, designs, manages, coordinates, and monitors new and existing programs and activities which reduce hunger, malnutrition, and poverty in the Feed the Future (FTF) zone of influence (ZOI) through sustainable increases in agricultural productivity, nutrition-sensitive production, reducing chronic vulnerability, addressing market needs; trends & competitiveness and facilitate the journey to self-reliance (J2SR) through implementation of locally owned, managed, and led interventions and approaches. The incumbent will serve as the activity manager for programs and activities in areas of Ag-resilience, local capacity development, and other areas relevant to the economic growth objectives of USAID/DR Congo and the Agency at large.

S/he identifies and resolves program issues and ensures that all activities are carried out in a technically sound and cost-effective manner, and in accordance with all applicable Mission and Agency directives and requirements. S/he provides technical leadership in establishing performance monitoring systems and ensures appropriate accounting of resources by tracking quarterly accruals, maintaining project pipeline information, and providing leadership in meeting audit recommendations.

The incumbent will have regular engagement with the associated Implementing Partners (IPs) and ensure that IPs receive needed information on USAID regulations and policies, including audit regulations, and assistance with country issues. S/he monitors and evaluates progress of IPs towards achievement of results and facilitates corrective measures in cases of deviation from expected results and impact.

S/he will offer technical and programmatic contributions to inform the Missions efforts regarding submissions such as Congressional Budget Justifications (CBJ), Congressional Notifications (CN), Operational Plans (OP), annual Performance Plan and Reports (PPR) and other standard reporting documents and special briefing materials. S/he provides a supporting role in establishment of performance monitoring systems and ensures appropriate accounting of resources by tracking quarterly accruals, maintaining project pipeline information.

Technical Specialist and Representational Duties (25%)

The incumbent will serve as technical expert to OEG, USAID/DR Congo, the US Mission to DR Congo, on agriculture programming, particularly as related to economic growth and agricultural markets improvement. S/he will be considered an expert resource on youth centered agriculture programming issues and will be expected to participate actively in internal and external strategy discussions, including active engagement across sectors at the Mission, and produce analyses in the area of expertise as required. S/he supports USAID DR Congo and Central Africa teams in the development of agriculture and livelihoods programs and technical assistance from initial screening through due diligence, negotiations, approval, documentation, and funding on a need basis.

The incumbent will lead and/or actively participate in Collaborative Learning and Adapting (CLA) activities and incorporate learning from all analysis into current and future programming and share extensively across all stakeholders. S/he will be required to maintain relationships with a wide range of contacts in government and semi-autonomous government agencies, private sector and civil society organizations, donor agencies, implementing partners, and other stakeholders as related to the resilience, and to represent USAID and the USG with internal and external audiences as required.

The incumbent will support US Mission Posts officials, other USAID staff, and visiting officials in various aspects involved in preparing for and participating in field trips, public meetings and conferences with the Government of DR Congo, private sector, and other stakeholders. S/He keeps abreast of trends on agriculture issues; reviews and analyzes developments and advises the Mission leadership and as required, USG officials on specialized and complex issues relating to resilience and livelihoods in DR Congo. Represent USAID/DRC Mission and Central Africa Platform Mission at donor and donor sub-group meetings organized by government, UN, other meetings, seminars, and workshops organized by donors on specific topics and report back to the Mission members as required

Other Duties (10%)

The Project Management Specialist (Market Competitiveness) will work closely with the Bilateral Ag-led growth Team Leader, other OEG team members, the Program Office, the Mission Director's Office, and the U.S. Embassy on day-to-day FTF activities and reporting requirements. The employee will work closely with the Ag-led growth Team Leader, the SPA Office, EDY office and OEG M&E team to ensure FTF reporting is cohesive, comprehensive, and compliant with the Agencys requirements. The employee will provide input to responses to the U.S. Congressional inquiries and other Washington policy and operation requests; draft briefing materials, speeches/talking points for high-level USG officials, press releases, and presentations; and contributing to Mission/Agency newsletters and other communications related to FTF activities. The employee may be called upon to support VIP visits and carry out ad-hoc assignments, as dictated by unforeseen operational requirements at the discretion of the USAID/DR Congo Mission Director, USAID/DR Congo Deputy Director, OEG Office Chief, OEG Deputy Office Chief, or FTF Coordinator.

The Project Management Specialist (Market Competitiveness) will be required to assist in creating a supportive work environment that values diversity and elicits the highest possible level of performance from all team members, including accomplishment of all other duties as assigned.

Qualifications



Qualifications:

Education: Bachelors degree in Agricultural/Livestock Economics, Social Sciences, Project Planning and Management, Rural Development, Food Security, or related technical field.

Bachelors degree in Agricultural/Livestock Economics, Social Sciences, Project Planning and Management, Rural Development, Food Security, or related technical field. Prior Work Experience: Five years of progressive work experience with organizations directly involved in economic development, agricultural livelihood, or rural development. Proven experience undertaking activities aimed at building community resilience, livelihood enhancement and food security. Knowledge and understanding of the provisions and principles of agricultural programming, food security and livelihoods in rural communities of DR Congo. Experience working with the Government of DR Congo and donors, and/or regional institutions in DR Congo. Management experience and experience with the private sector are preferred.

Five years of progressive work experience with organizations directly involved in economic development, agricultural livelihood, or rural development. Proven experience undertaking activities aimed at building community resilience, livelihood enhancement and food security. Knowledge and understanding of the provisions and principles of agricultural programming, food security and livelihoods in rural communities of DR Congo. Experience working with the Government of DR Congo and donors, and/or regional institutions in DR Congo. Management experience and experience with the private sector are preferred. Post Entry Training: Familiarization and training in specific USG and USAID procedures, regulations, and methods will be provided. Participation in courses offered for USAID staff will be supported, as appropriate. Other standard courses, including Programming Foreign Assistance, Performance Management Plan, and Project Design and Management, are directly relevant to the performance of core responsibilities. Subject to the availability of funds, the incumbent will be encouraged to participate in courses, seminars, web-based learning opportunities, conferences and other activities related to the functions of the position USAIDs Automated Directives System (ADS) and related Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directives (AAPDs) provide relevant guidance on topics related to the roles and responsibilities of the incumbent.

Familiarization and training in specific USG and USAID procedures, regulations, and methods will be provided. Participation in courses offered for USAID staff will be supported, as appropriate. Other standard courses, including Programming Foreign Assistance, Performance Management Plan, and Project Design and Management, are directly relevant to the performance of core responsibilities. Subject to the availability of funds, the incumbent will be encouraged to participate in courses, seminars, web-based learning opportunities, conferences and other activities related to the functions of the position USAIDs Automated Directives System (ADS) and related Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directives (AAPDs) provide relevant guidance on topics related to the roles and responsibilities of the incumbent. Language Proficiency: English and French Level IV (Fluent) and good working knowledge of Lingala, Swahili, or another national language required. Strong communication skills (oral and written) and ability to prepare professional quality reports and presentations for both technical and general audiences. well-written reports.

English and French Level IV (Fluent) and good working knowledge of Lingala, Swahili, or another national language required. Strong communication skills (oral and written) and ability to prepare professional quality reports and presentations for both technical and general audiences. well-written reports. Knowledge: The incumbent must have a good knowledge of food security and livelihood in rural context. Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with public institutions and private sector partners that support agriculture and livelihoods activities and interface with implementing and government agencies. Demonstrated understanding of the socio-cultural issues and nuances of working in communities and with vulnerable populations is preferred. Solid understanding of issues and practical approaches to mainstreaming youth empowerment in economic development and agriculture programs. The incumbent will be expected to learn the USAID/DRC Mission and Central Africa Platform Country Cooperation Development Strategy and implement relevant objectives through his/her portfolio.

Skills and Abilities:

Adaptability and flexibility will be required as the Project Management Specialist. Primary responsibilities may change over time as new USAID strategies and GODRC priorities emerge. Ability to assess problems and develop sound solutions such as planning for and administering funds, personnel, and equipment to best serve agriculture program oversight objectives,

Good oral presentation and writing skills; and show evidence of capacity to complete high quality written work under tight deadlines

Strong organizational skills, ability to work with minimal supervision and work in a fast-paced environment.

Strong communication skills, both interpersonal and written, to fulfill the technical responsibilities proposed.

Ability to work at ease with senior level officials from public and private sectors.

Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships across cultures, on team and with a broad range of institutional partners.

Proven track record of working effectively in teams.

Working Environment: Work is typically performed in an office environment. The position will be embedded within USAID/DRC.

COVID Vaccine status: As a condition of employment, IBTCI requires all new employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Candidates should be prepared to submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon hire or request for an accommodation with HR that is consistent with our COVID-19 safety protocols and policies.

Physical Requirements: This is largely a sedentary position that requires the ability to speak, hear, see, and lift small objects up to 20 lbs.

Supervisory Responsibility: This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Travel: International travel may be required and may include travel to fragile and/or conflict-prone zones.

Work Authorization: Candidate must be authorized to work in the DRC and able to obtain USAID Facilities Clearance.

About the Organization:



IBTCI has been in business since 1987. We specialize in Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL), Institutional Support (IS), Financial & Risk Management (FRM), Supply Chain Management & Procurement (SCMP); Social & Behavior Change (SBC) and Capacity Building. We provide these services across many sectors including, but not limited to, agriculture, resilience & food security, conflict & crisis, democracy & governance, economic growth & trade, education, energy & Infrastructure, environment & climate change, global health & WASH and humanitarian and disaster assistance. At IBTCI, our colleagues are encouraged to collaborate and be part of the solution while getting the tools and guidance needed to grow and support our clients' missions.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

IBTCI is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identification, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran, or any other classification protected by applicable anti-discrimination laws. We prohibit and do not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

If you are an applicant with a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability, or unable to use the online application system and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact the Talent Acquisition team at TalentAcquisition@ibtci.com (Do not send your resume to this account, for consideration please apply in our career page).
Eighteen out of the 36 governors are in support of the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has claimed.

The secretary-general of the group, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, who made the claim in a statement, however, refused to give the names of the governors.

The group also claimed that many past leaders including former presidents were backing Obi to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2023 elections.

Isiguzoro, who said Obi's movement's rallies are not sponsored by any politician but by youths, noted that the governors cut across different political platforms, religions and tribes.

"As we speak, about 18 governors from the North and the South, cutting across party lines, are behind the scenes putting up structures for Obi to win the 2023 election.

"In addition, some former presidents and elder statesmen are also in support of Obi's candidature. Why, because they are convinced that Obi has something different from all the other candidates and are determined to make a political change through the ballot box with a third force presidency," the group claimed.
More than 3,770 sailors and Marines who were medically discharged between Sept. 12, 2016, and June 11, 2018, may be eligible for medical retirement from the Defense Department under a federal judge's ruling last week in Washington, D.C.

U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ruled Sept. 29 that a policy used by the Navy to help expedite its disability evaluation system was unlawful and those who were medically discharged, rather than retired, may be eligible for a review of their cases.

While service members who are discharged from the military for medical disabilities have access to Veterans Affairs health care and disability compensation, those who are medically retired receive military retirement pay as well as disability compensation and have access to many Defense Department benefits, including the Tricare health program and installation facilities such as commissaries and exchanges, fitness centers and recreation.

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During two years covered by the review, the Navy implemented a policy that required Physical Evaluation Boards (PEBs) to consider only medical conditions specifically listed by a Medical Evaluation Board when weighing whether a service member could remain in the military, be medically discharged or medically retired.

PEBs were barred from considering any other medical conditions that weren't "properly referred," as the policy, which was rescinded in 2018, was known.

Lamberth ruled that the policy "was unlawful in its effect on the physical evaluation board decisions" on the plaintiffs in the class-action suit. He subsequently vacated their PEB decisions and said the cases must be sent back for reconsideration by the service.

The case was filed in February 2021 by Oscar Torres, a Marine who served from August 2007 until his medical discharge in January 2018. During his time in service, Torres sustained injuries to his back, shoulder, wrist, fingers, knees, ankles and hips, and he was diagnosed with an inflammatory rheumatic disease. He also suffered from sleep apnea.

The Navy Medical Evaluation Board referred the back condition and sleep apnea to the PEB and concluded that the rest of the conditions did not make him unfit for duty. Based on the conditions that were "properly referred," the PEB found Torres unfit for duty for his back issue at 10% and fit for sleep apnea.

Falling short of the 30% disability decision required to receive medical retirement -- a designation that provides lifelong pay, health care and access to many Department of Defense facilities -- Torres was given a lump-sum disability severance payment.

He argued in his suit that the Navy's policy to not consider all medical conditions was unsupported by evidence, arbitrary and contrary to law.

Lamberth agreed, first in ruling the case a class action last October and in his summary judgment last week.

"The physical evaluation board decisions for each class member are hereby VACATED and SET ASIDE. This Court REMANDS to the Secretary of the Navy," Lamberth wrote in his decision.

The win means that any sailor or Marine medically discharged from Sept. 12, 2016, to June 11, 2018, under the policy will have their case reviewed. The agreement between the plaintiffs and the Navy remains sealed, but previous settlements involving discharged military personnel have required the services to notify who is eligible.

The plaintiffs were represented by the National Veterans Legal Services Program and Perkins Coie LLP, which have established an email address -- properlyreferred@nvlsp.org -- for veterans who believe they may qualify for a review.

"We are thrilled that the Court has invalidated the unjust 'Properly Referred' policy. We are hopeful that the Court's ruling will bring long overdue relief to the thousands of Sailors and Marines who were wrongfully denied disability retirement as a result of this illegal policy," Esther Leibfarth, a senior staff attorney at NVLSP, said in a statement Thursday.

The Navy Judge Advocate General Corps did not respond to a request for comment by publication.

In the past several years, veterans legal organizations have fought to have a number of military discharges reviewed or overturned, including more than 51,000 other-than-honorable discharges for misbehavior that may have been related to service-connected mental health conditions.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime

Related: Veterans Legal Group to Offer Assistance Filing Burn Pit-Related Disability Claims
SEOUL, South Korea  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.
Governors who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday met with the National Working Committee (NWC) and other critical stakeholders including a former national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole.

The meeting, which was held at the APC national headquarters in Abuja, however, failed to reach a consensus on when the party would kick-off its 2023 presidential campaign, Daily Trust gathered.

Daily Trust reported yesterday that the ruling party was yet to kick-off its 2023 presidential campaign, seven days after the ban on public campaigns was lifted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC had lifted the ban on political campaigns on September 28, but the party is still neck-deep in a crisis over the composition of the council as its critical stakeholders, including governors, were aggrieved over a 422-member list released recently by the secretary of the campaign council, James Faleke.

Sequel to the acrimony that dogged the list, the Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, in a statement, announced the postponement of their inauguration.

He said the decision was to pave the way for the inclusion of other stakeholders in the council before the inauguration and commencement of the campaigns.

But in an interview with newsmen after the meeting, Adamu, who was asked to state when the party would constitute, inaugurate its team and commence campaigns said, "Don't be faster than your shadow."

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He added, "The fact of the matter is, we as a party, as APC, we will determine when we will do that as long as it is within the framework of INEC's guidelines."

The Chairman of the Progressives Governors' Forum (PGF) and Kebbi State governor, Senator Atiku Bagudu, however, said the issue would be sorted out towards achieving victory for the party's presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his running mate, Kashim Shettima.

He said, "I am happy that the party is solidly behind our candidate and whatever lists that have come out erroneously, we believe it will be sorted out."

Speaking during the opening session, the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, said the party would lose the 2023 presidential poll without the support of governors who are members of the party.

He said, "Being the chief executive officers of their various states, the onus of our great party lies in the hands of God and in their hands because they are the commanders of the party's fortunes in their various states.

"We cannot make meaningful progress in the affairs of these states, particularly in an election year that is approaching. We cannot plan without the buy-in of our governors so that we can stand together, believing that we share the same aspirations.

"We will plan together to see how best we can deliver the interest of the party and ensure that victory is ours in the 2023 general election that is by the corner. That is the essence of this meeting."

Our correspondent reports that Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Sani Bello (Niger), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa) and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), attended the meeting.
The Air Force unveiled ambitious goals to address the service's impact on climate change, ranging from using less jet fuel, powering bases with nuclear reactors and introducing electric vehicles into the fleet over the next decade.

The service's 20-page Climate Action Plan, released Wednesday, comes as natural disasters have become a regular issue for bases, something scientists expect will become more common as a result of climate change.

In 2016, wildfires delayed a rocket launch at what's now called Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, while 2018's Hurricane Michael leveled structures on Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida and a 2019 flood at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska rendered runways unusable.

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"Increasing temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and more frequent, severe weather conditions driven by climate change pose increasing risks to our installations and operational readiness," the plan reads. "We cannot launch or recover aircraft on a flooded runway, nor can we operate from installations devastated by hurricanes and wildfires."

To shrink the service's contribution to climate change, the Air Force aims to have net-zero emissions by fiscal 2046, reducing 50% of emission levels by fiscal 2033.

The majority of the Air Force's energy consumption, about 80% of it, comes from fuel burned for planes and jets, according to the climate plan. The service is aiming to decrease that percentage by creating more aerodynamic planes and also looking into alternative fuel sources.

"Our overall goal is to deliver more combat power to the warfighter using less fuel," the plan reads.

One way the service hopes to do this is through what it's calling the Mission Execution Excellence Program -- otherwise known as MEEP -- which tasks airmen to come up with new ways to identify fuel waste and make plans to use fuel more efficiently.

"Over the next five years, we estimate these efforts will cut greenhouse gas emissions by a combined 3.7 percent (or approximately 650,000 metric tons annually), the equivalent of 67 million gallons of fuel," the plan details.

Additionally, the Department of the Air Force is looking at using alternative energy sources such as solar power for various Air Force and Space Force bases. There are also designs on increasing the use of nuclear power.

At Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, the department is currently testing a micro-reactor to "promote energy security and independence by employing a safe and resilient source of carbon pollution-free energy," according to the plan. The department is also working to fully electrify all non-tactical vehicles by 2035.

The Air Force's plan was released on the same day as the Army's climate change initiatives. Notably, the U.S. military has been one of the largest contributors to climate change.

A 2019 report from Brown University estimated that, in the last two decades, the U.S. military has emitted 1,212 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, outpacing several industrialized nations.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in a statement that the Department of the Air Force remains focused on China, but that climate change must also be recognized as a threat.

"Our mission remains unchanged, but we recognize that the world is facing ongoing and accelerating climate change and we must be prepared to respond, fight, and win in this constantly changing world," Kendall said in a press release.

-- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.

Related: Army Releases New Plan to 'Mitigate' Climate Change
The Fort Jackson recruit accused of hijacking a school bus full of children with an empty rifle has indicated he intends to assert he is not guilty by reason of insanity, according to documents filed in the Richland County Court.

An order requiring that Jovan Collazo submit to an evaluation of his criminal responsibility and capacity was filed in the Richland Circuit Court on Sept. 27. The order requires that Collazo, who fled Army basic training at Fort Jackson in May 2021, be evaluated by the state Department of Mental Health within 60 days.

Circuit Judge Debra McCaslin issued the order with the consent of both the defense and the prosecution after defense counsel has indicated the intent to assert the defense of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Collazo, 24, has been charged with nineteen counts of kidnapping as well as armed robbery, carjacking, pointing a firearm, carrying a weapon on school property and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to court records.

In South Carolina, the defense is responsible for proving to a jury that Collazo is not guilty by reason of insanity. If Collazo is found legally insane, he would not be incarcerated in a state prison. Instead, he would be confined for care and treatment, according to South Carolina law.

The 5th Circuit Solicitors Office, which is prosecuting the case, said its policy is to not comment on ongoing prosecutions.

Following his arrest, Collazo allegedly attempted to escape from the Richland County jail. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said Collazo assaulted a guard before breaking his leg in the escape attempt.

But Collazos attorney, 5th Circuit chief public defender Fielding Pringle, characterized it as a desperate act by a troubled man on suicide watch.

People who are thinking clearly and normally do not run around jail dorms completely naked with their hands cuffed behind their back running into locked steel doors and jumping from the second tier to the floor below, Pringle said, at the time.

These are not the actions of a healthy and clear-minded individual who is trying to escape. They are the actions of a very troubled young man who was on suicide watch at the time, Pringle said.

The State was not able to reach Pringle for this story.

Collazo fled basic training at Fort Jackson on the morning of May 7, 2021. After hopping the perimeter fence of the countrys largest Army basic training facility, Collazo attempted to hitch rides from passing cars on Interstate 77. Armed with his unloaded rifle, Collazo then hijacked the school bus, Lott said at the time.

Authorities say that Collazo ordered the bus driver to take him to the next town. But he got frustrated when the children began asking him questions, and he told the bus driver to stop after traveling about 3.5 miles. He ordered the children and driver off the bus and then drove a few more miles before being arrested by sheriffs deputies.

2022 The State. Visit thestate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The U.S. Coast Guard and a crew of scientists journeyed to the North Pole  for only the second time in history.

The icebreaker ship Healy cut through the thick ice of the frozen Arctic Ocean to reach the top of the world at latitude 90 degrees north on Friday, Sept. 30, according to a news release. The 420-foot ship is the largest in the Coast Guard, and can break through four-and-a-half feet of ice at a speed of three knots, the release said.

While the excursion was exciting for the crew, it also served scientific and security purposes, the release said.

The cutter and crew, including scientists funded by the National Science Foundation, set out to gather research from the furthest reaches of the northern latitudes  where critical data is missing from the western Central Arctic, the release said.

One of the co-chief scientists onboard, Dr. Carin Ashjian, said the mission would produce important science results that could potentially be the first of its type collected from the region.

We have little information from the ocean and seafloor at the top of the world, so what we collect here is very valuable, she said in the release.

The ships presence in the Arctic supported national security objectives and patrolled the U.S. maritime border with Russia, according to the release.

Military patrols like Healys are happening more often as incursions from Russian and Chinese vessels become more common in the circumpolar north, according to Alaskas News Source.

It left from Seattle on July 11, and currently has 34 scientists and technicians from multiple universities and institutions aboard, and nearly 100 active duty crew members, the release said.

It was the ships third time traveling to the North Pole since it was commissioned in 1999, but only its second time reaching it unaccompanied, the release said. The first time was in 2015.

Once they were done with their research, they were granted ice liberty and stepped out onto the ice to pose for pictures with a North Pole stuck in the ice.

2022 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
On the nine-hour drive from their home in California's central valley to the Marine Corps' Camp Pendleton, south of Los Angeles, Peter Vienna and his wife wondered what had happened to their son. They knew only that there had been a training accident. Their 22-year-old son, Christopher Gnem, was involved.

Gnem had enlisted in the Navy three and a half years earlier. After training as a corpsman -- a medic -- he'd embarked on a career path serving alongside Marine rifle teams.

"He chose to go ringside," Vienna says. "He could have stayed stateside and just worked in hospitals. He didn't have to go on that training."

They had been training near San Clemente Island, west of San Diego. Teams of Marines, along with Navy corpsmen, had practiced maneuvering amphibious assault vehicles ahead of an upcoming deployment. Gnem's AAV, Vienna learned when he made it to Camp Pendleton, had taken on water. It eventually sank to the bottom of the ocean with eight men trapped inside. Gnem was among them.

Vienna and his wife stayed at Camp Pendleton for several weeks while the Marine Corps confirmed their son had died inside the assault vehicle and wasn't missing at sea. Then the Corps brought in specialized equipment to recover the AAV and the bodies inside that rested nearly 400 feet below the ocean's surface.

At first, Vienna and his wife thought it was just a tragic accident. But then they began to hear rumors.

"We started hearing 40-year-old vehicles were supposed to have been taken offline years ago," Vienna says. "We were starting to hear little bits and pieces of things that have come out. We knew that something was wrong, but we had no idea how deep it went."

Vienna and his wife didn't learn the extent of the failures that led to Gnem's death until seven months later, when the Navy released a report that found extensive deficiencies in training, equipment, readiness, protocols, and leadership led to the incident. The decades-old AAVs used that day were later found to have multiple mechanical deficiencies. There was no safety boat onscene. Gnem hadn't completed the basic swimming qualification that should have preceded training on the open ocean, and only two of the 13 people in his vehicle had fully completed the required underwater egress training.

"Ultimately, this tragic mishap was preventable," the general overseeing Marine Corps Forces Pacific wrote.

Vienna and some other family members of Marines who died that day sued the maker of the assault vehicle. But Vienna can't sue the party he views as most responsible for his son's death: the United States Marine Corps. A 72-year-old legal principle known as the Feres doctrine shields the military and the government from lawsuits brought on behalf of service members injured in the course of their service. For decades, the doctrine has protected the military from lawsuits over things like training mishaps, medical malpractice, and sexual assault.

"There's no civil liability. So there's no courts, there's no chance to go to court, there's no chance to be heard," Vienna says. "There's no real justice."

Over the years, courts have upheld and expanded the Feres doctrine, even as service members and advocates say it prevents the military from having to take responsibility and make changes that could keep troops safer. But last month, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the government's Feres defense in a civil lawsuit that alleged sexual assault, with a judge writing that the alleged assault could not "further any conceivable military purpose."

While the ruling can be appealed, it marks a departure from decades of courts doubling down on the Feres doctrine.

"It's the first time in a long time where the courts have taken a hard look at Feres and rolled it back and said that it needs to be limited in its scope," Dwight Stirling, the founder of the Center for Law and Military Policy and a law professor at the University of Southern California. "Why, when you wear the uniform, do you get lesser rights in terms of getting to court than those who don't wear the uniform?"

'There's a Risk of Undermining Discipline'

Lt. Rudolph Feres, the doctrine's namesake, returned from World War II a hero. He'd parachuted into Normandy on D-Day and came home wearing three Bronze Stars. Two years later, he died when an early morning fire tore through the barracks at Pine Camp, now Fort Drum, in New York. The wives of the men who were killed sued the government for allowing their husbands to sleep in a barracks with a faulty heater. When the case was dismissed, Feres' wife appealed to the Supreme Court.

Around the same time, two other cases were working their way through the judicial system, both involving soldiers who had been victims of botched surgeries while in the Army. In one case, civilian surgeons pulled a 30-inch-long towel from inside a man's abdomen. The towel was stamped "Medical Department U.S. Army." Both cases alleged that Army doctors had been negligent.

In 1946, the Federal Tort Claims Act opened the door to lawsuits against the government in cases of negligence or wrongdoing. But the act exempted claims resulting from combat.

"There's a risk of undermining command and control or discipline in the military if you allow folks to sue their commanders for bad decision-making," says Rachel VanLandingham, a law professor at Southwestern Law School and the president of the National Institute of Military Justice.

In 1950, the Supreme Court combined the three lawsuits and issued a ruling extending that exemption to peacetime. Under the Feres doctrine, military members cannot bring a claim against the government or the military for wrongs incurred in the course of their military service.

"They created this exemption that any activity or negligence or cause of action that arises ... in the conduct of military activities or 'incident to service' will be barred," VanLandingham says. "And they didn't define 'incident to service.'"

That has led to a broad interpretation of the phrase. Over the decades, the Feres doctrine has protected the government against claims from soldiers exposed to nuclear testing and secret LSD experiments, as well as victims of medical malpractice and sexual assault. CPT Katie Blanchard has been unable to recover damages from the government after a co-worker doused her in gasoline and set her on fire in 2016--after she says she had detailed his threats against her to her command and asked to be separated from him.

There has been one significant shift: Following years of lobbying, in 2019, Congress agreed to a change. The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act included a provision allowing military members not to sue the government, but to file claims for injury or death as a result of medical malpractice by military doctors. The bill was called the Sergeant First Class Richard Stayskal Military Medical Accountability Act, after Stayskal's stage IV lung cancer was misdiagnosed as pneumonia by doctors at Fort Bragg. By the time a civilian doctor found the cancer, it had spread to other organs. But advocates say the new process is bogged down with bureaucracy; almost no one--including Stayskal himself--has received a payout.

'It's Not Conceivable His Duties Required Sexual Assault'

In April of 2019, now-retired Col. Kathryn Spletstoser filed a complaint with the Air Force alleging that Gen. John Hyten, whom President Donald Trump had just nominated for vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sexually harassed and assaulted her while they worked together at U.S. Strategic Command. An Air Force investigation found insufficient evidence to charge Hyten but did not make a determination of guilt or innocence. Following the investigation, Spletstoser sued Hyten, who has denied the allegations.

The government moved to dismiss the case based on Feres. But in October of 2020, the Central District Court of California ruled in favor of Spletstoser. In the lawsuit, Spletstoser describes an incident in which Hyten allegedly assaulted her while the two traveled together. The court held that the incident, which Spletstoser said occurred in a civilian hotel room while she tried to get ready for bed, could not be considered "incident to military service."

"Regardless of whether General Hyten came to Plaintiff's hotel room under the pretense of work-related purposes, it is not conceivable that his military duties would require him to sexually assault Plaintiff, or that such an assault would advance any conceivable military objective," the court wrote.

Last month, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower court's decision. Hyten's lawyers can still appeal to the Ninth Circuit for an "en banc" ruling, which means the entire bench would consider the case, rather than the three-judge panel that issued last month's ruling, VanLandingham says. But the advocates for reforming Feres see the ruling as a critical milestone.

"The military is now the largest employer in the world, and Feres has essentially been treated as a complete bar to suing for service members," says Lindsey Knapp, the executive director of Combat Sexual Assault, which works to support military sexual assault survivors. "I think this is a huge deal."

Hyten's lawyers may also appeal to the Supreme Court, although it's unclear if the court would agree to hear it. If they don't, Spletstoser's lawsuit can proceed. Even if the Supreme Court does accept the case, the ruling casts the government's position in an uncomfortable light, Knapp says.

"The military argued that sexual assault was essentially a part of your military service," Knapp says.

Last year, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case of a Jane Doe who sued West Point and its leadership for creating an environment that permitted her sexual assault when she was a cadet. The Second Circuit held that her claims were barred by Feres, and the Supreme Court let that decision stand. But Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a dissent arguing it was time for the highest court to revisit Feres.

"Under our precedent, if two Pentagon employees--one civilian and one a servicemember--are hit by a bus in the Pentagon parking lot and sue, it may be that only the civilian would have a chance to litigate his claim on the merits," Thomas wrote. "Feres was wrongly decided."

Knapp is recruiting lawyers willing to bring similar cases in the Ninth Circuit and elsewhere to try to turn the legal tide. But she and others believe that if Feres is to be overturned or rolled back, the clearest recourse is not through the courts, but through Congress, as was the case with medical malpractice.

The ultimate way to end the Feres doctrine is by an act of Congress," Stirling says. He sees the government's argument that Spletstoser's alleged assault was part of her service as an opportunity to shed light on how the doctrine has been used. "The hope is that with more attention on Feres and the harm it does, especially in the realm of sexual assault, that Congress will kind of reconsider why we have this doctrine and the harm it does to our service members."

The recent court ruling doesn't directly help the families of Marines who died at Camp Pendleton in 2020. Stirling had to break the news to Vienna and others. "They were kind of heartbroken," he says.

But Vienna says any ruling that calls attention to the doctrine he sees as preventing him from pursuing justice for his son is important.

"There's no accountability in the military because of this protection," he says, but the ruling is "a chip in the armor."

This War Horse feature was reported by Sonner Kehrt, edited by Kelly Kennedy, fact-checked by Ben Kalin, and copy-edited by Mitchell Hansen-Dewar. Headlines are by Abbie Bennett.
For the past century, a row of military graves in Tacoma's Oakwood Hill Cemetery has been conspicuously gap toothed. Only a patch of grass has marked the final resting place of David Franklin, Tacoma's only Black naval Civil War veteran.

That changes Saturday when a years-long effort spearheaded by a Civil War historian will finally bring Franklin the white marble tombstone that was forgotten in 1920.

Tumwater-based historian Loran Bures' quest to get Franklin his headstone began in 2017 when he was researching Pierce County's Civil War veterans. He found documents listing Franklin and his burial at Oakwood Hill but when he visited the cemetery he couldn't find his grave.

Using cemetery records, Bures discovered the gap in the neat row of military burials was Franklin's unmarked grave. That's when he set out to learn who Franklin was and right a wrong.

"As any veteran of the United States they should receive their proper burial honors," Bures said. "That's what were trying to rectify after 102 years."

Franklin and the Battle for Wilson's Wharf

Little is known about Franklin's early life except that he was born free in New York City in 1840. He enlisted in the Union Navy on Nov. 13, 1863, when he was 23.

The young seaman was assigned to the Union Navy's USS Dawn, a gunboat, as the officers' steward and cook.

According to Cynthia Wilson, a Seattle-based historian who researches Black Civil War veterans, the 154-foot-long steamer Dawn averaged 65 crew and three officers. Approximately 17 percent of the crew were Black.

The ship was part of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and, while Franklin served on it, it spent most of its time on the James River in Virginia.

While on the Dawn, Franklin would have taken part in one of the most significant battles in Black Civil War history, according to historians  The Battle of Wilson's Wharf.

On May 24, 1864, about 2,500 Confederate troops attacked the Union supply depot at Wilson's Wharf, Virginia. They were repulsed by two Black regiments totaling 1,100 men, with help from the USS Dawn's guns.

The battle showed that a smaller force of Black soldiers and sailors could defeat a larger, white force.

"It was a loss for the Confederacy with minimal deaths to the African American soldiers (40) but the Confederacy lost 200 men," Franklin said.

"It was a turning point in Black history," Bures said.

Coming to Tacoma

Franklin was discharged on March 31, 1865, Wilson learned from documents provided by the National Archives. A few days later, Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union general Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, Virginia.

Where Franklin went after the war has been lost to history. But he first appears in Tacoma as a member of a veterans group, the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), in 1888. A 1899 Tacoma city directory lists him as a broiler at the Donnelly Cafe. The cafe, located at 746 Pacific Ave., was attached to the Hotel Donnelly.

Tacoma was a boom town in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Franklin would have witnessed Washington achieving statehood in 1889 and lived through the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918.

In 1906, records show Franklin enlisted in the hospital corps of the 2nd regiment of the Washington National Guard infantry. He was listed as a cook.

"We know nothing else about it except that," Bures said. "It's amazing that at 65 years old he's enlisting in the National Guard."

According to census records, Franklin died March 16, 1920 at age 79 in his home at 904 South 4th Street.

Franklin's death certificate says he was a widower but Bures hasn't been able to find any records confirming that Franklin had a wife or children. He's still looking for family members. A flag flown over the U.S. Capitol Building on Sept. 2 in honor of Franklin will be presented to a family member if one is found.

Finding Franklin

Bures' discovery of Franklin came when he attempted to locate the graves and final resting spots of every Union Civil War veteran in Pierce County.

"It's important for history and genealogy," Bures said.

He was aided by a 1939 survey conducted by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a Depression-era New Deal agency aimed at employing people for government projects. WPA workers created biographical cards for all war veterans in Pierce County.

The original cards are stored in the Northwest Room at the Tacoma Public Library. About 75 percent of the 2,000 cards at the library are Civil War vets, Bures said.

During Bures' research, Franklin's card stood out.

"What's interesting about it is what's not there," Bures said. It didn't show how or where he served.

It wasn't until Bures found Franklin's death certificate that he learned the veteran was Black. Further digging in a National Park Service database revealed Franklin had served on the Dawn.

Then earlier this year, Bures went looking for Franklin's grave at Oakwood Hill.

"We went out in the cemetery and found it was unmarked," Bures said.

Righting a Wrong

The GAR was the nation's first veteran's organization. It was dissolved after its last member died in the 1950s. Bures belongs to Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the successor of the GAR.

Bures worked with Oakwood Hills owner Corey Gaffney to confirm that Franklin was buried in the cemetery and was missing his tombstone.

The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is considered by the Veterans Administration to be Franklin's legal next of kin and therefore Bures was able to apply for the grave marker. The VA provided the marker, cut from the same Vermont quarry in use a century ago, at no cost.

Gaffney is donating his cemetery's resources to ensure Franklin gets the respect he deserves.

"If you're in the funeral business, you're almost by default a historian," Gaffney said, "This is just me doing my very small part to make sure that Mr. Franklin gets what he's had coming to him."

The redress is personal for Bures. His great-great grandfather, another Civil War veteran, is interred just steps away from Franklin's grave. Both men were members of the Custer Post of the GAR and might have known each other.

Earlier this week, Franklin's tombstone was lying on its back in a cemetery building, waiting for its installation.

In the military section where it will be installed, years of neglect have turned the tombstones a dark gray. Rosettes of orange lichen grow in blotches on the marble.

Gaffney, who bought the cemetery in 2021 with his wife, said he has a VA-approved cleaning solution that will restore the darkened stones to their original white color.

Until then, Franklin's gravestone will be the brightest spot in Oakwood Hill Cemetery.

(c) 2022 The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A trio of Democratic lawmakers wants to pull all U.S. troops out of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after an alliance of oil-producing countries announced it was slashing production, a move which is expected to drive up U.S. gas prices.

Democratic Reps. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey, a former State Department official in the Obama administration; Sean Casten of Illinois; and Susan Wild of Pennsylvania announced Wednesday night they were introducing a bill to remove all U.S. forces and military equipment from the two oil-rich nations.

"Saudi Arabia and the UAE's drastic cut in oil production, despite President Biden's overtures to both countries in recent months, is a hostile act against the United States and a clear signal that they have chosen to side with Russia in its war against Ukraine," the lawmakers said in a statement.

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"Both countries have long relied on an American military presence in the Gulf to protect their security and oil fields. We see no reason why American troops and contractors should continue to provide this service to countries that are actively working against us," they added. "If Saudi Arabia and the UAE want to help [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, they should look to him for their defense."

The United States has about 3,000 troops in Saudi Arabia and 2,000 in the UAE, numbers that have been boosted in recent years to help protect those countries from missile strikes by Iran-backed rebels in Yemen. The U.S. military presence also includes Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense systems.

On Wednesday, OPEC+, which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and some other aligned oil-producing nations including Russia, announced it would reduce oil production by 2 million barrels a day. Saudi Arabia is considered the de facto leader of the organization.

Gas prices in the United States have been on the decline after peaking at an average of more than $5 per gallon over the summer, a spike attributed in part to sanctions on Russian oil levied in response to its invasion of Ukraine. The OPEC decision has raised fears in the United States that gas prices will tick up again, with GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan predicting a roughly 15 to 30 cent per gallon increase.

The bill from the House Democrats, dubbed the "Strained Partnership Act," would require removing all U.S. forces and equipment from Saudi Arabia and the UAE within 90 days of its passage. The missile defense systems would be relocated to elsewhere in the Middle East "with the priority mission of protecting United States Armed Forces," according to the bill text.

"It is time for the United States to resume acting like the superpower in our relationship with our client states in the Gulf," the three lawmakers said in their statement. "They have made a choice and should live with the consequences. Our troops and military equipment are needed elsewhere."

Their bill is similar to one Senate Republicans introduced in 2020 when the Trump administration was trying to pressure Saudi Arabia over oil production.

OPEC decision to cut production came after President Joe Biden -- who during his presidential campaign vowed to turn Saudi Arabia into a "pariah" over its killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi -- sought to mend ties in an effort to convince the kingdom to boost oil production to offset the effects of the war in Ukraine. He took a trip to Riyadh in July that included a fist bump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

"Many argued that we had to 'repair' our relationship with our Gulf partners to win their cooperation in stabilizing global energy markets following Russia's invasion, and President Biden made every effort to do so, going so far as to meet the Saudi Crown Prince personally in Riyadh, despite his role in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi," Malinowski, Casten and Wild said in their statement. "Saudi Arabia and the UAE have now answered our overtures with a slap in the face that will hurt American consumers and undermine our national interests."

In addition to the House bill, several Senate Democrats have also called for a reevaluation of U.S.-Saudi ties in the wake of the OPEC move, including the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, saying it's "time for our foreign policy to imagine a world without their alliance."

-- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel.

Related: As Mideast Wars Encroach on UAE, US Gets Drawn in
UNITED NATIONS  Russia called for a secret ballot vote next week on a Western-backed resolution that would condemn its attempted illegal annexation of part of four Ukrainian regions and demand that Moscow immediately reverse its actions. Russia apparently hopes it would get more support from the 193 nations in the General Assembly if their votes are not public.

Russia vetoed what would have been a legally binding Security Council resolution on Sept. 30 to condemn annexation referendums in the four Ukrainian regions as illegal, declare them invalid and urge all countries not to recognize any annexation of the territory claimed by Moscow.

The United States and Albania, which sponsored the resolution, vowed to take the issue to all U.N. members in the General Assembly, where there are no vetoes but resolutions are not legally binding.

Unless the international community reacts," European Union U.N. Ambassador Olof Skoog said Wednesday, there can be claims that no one pays attention and this is now a carte blanche for other countries to do likewise or to give recognition to what Russias done.

The General Assembly has announced that its emergency special session on Ukraine will resume on Monday afternoon, when the draft resolution will be presented. Diplomats said they expect speeches from member nations to continue Tuesday, with a vote on the resolution likely on Wednesday.

Votes on resolutions in the world body are traditionally public and are illuminated with different colored lights on a large board which has the name of every country.

But Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said in a six-page letter to all other U.N. ambassadors obtained by The Associated Press that the U.N. legal counsel has confirmed that a secret ballot can be used by the General Assembly in decision-making.

In addition to demanding that Russia reverse its annexation of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the draft resolution would declare that Moscows actions violate Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity and are inconsistent with the principles of the U.N. Charter.

The proposed resolution says the annexations also have no validity under international law and do not form the basis for any alternation of the status of these regions of Ukraine.

It demands that Russia immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders ... to enable peaceful resolution of the conflict  through political dialogue, negotiations, mediation and other peaceful means.

Russias call for a secret ballot vote on the resolution is the latest step in the escalating confrontation between Moscow and the United States and its European allies over its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Russias veto in the Security Council last Friday came hours after a lavish Kremlin ceremony where President Vladimir Putin signed treaties to annex the Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions, saying they were now part of Russia and would be defended by Moscow.

Putin signed the final papers Wednesday to annex the four regions and in a defiant move, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov held the door open for further land grabs in Ukraine, saying certain territories will be reclaimed, and we will keep consulting residents who would be eager to embrace Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the annexation by announcing Ukraines fast-track application to join NATO. In a decree released Tuesday, he also ruled out negotiations with Russia, declaring that Putins actions made talking to the Russian leader impossible.

In his letter to U.N. member nations, Russias Nebenzia called the attempt by the U.S. and its allies to have the General Assembly condemn the referendums a clearly politicized and provocative development aimed at deepening the divide among U.N. member nations.

He claimed the Western actions have nothing to do with protecting international law and the U.N. Charter, and are only to pursue their own geopolitical objectives, alleging Western double-standards" in backing Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008 without a referendum.

Unlike Kosovo, Nebenzia said, the four Ukrainian regions are exposed to a real existential threat from Ukraine now.

The Russian ambassador said Moscow understands the huge pressure the United States and its allies will exert on other countries to support the resolution, and we also understand that in such circumstances it may be very difficult if positions are expressed publicly. Therefore, he said, Russia is proposing a secret ballot vote and calls on member states to support the initiative.

Asked for reaction to the Russian move, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield replied: No comment.

While the Security Council has been stymied on taking action on Ukraine because of Russias veto power, the General Assembly has approved three resolutions.

It voted 141-5 with 35 abstentions on March 2 to demand an immediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of all its forces and protection for all civilians. On March 24, it voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions on a resolution blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and urging an immediate cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their survival.

But the assembly voted by a far smaller margin on April 7 to suspend Russia from the world organizations leading human rights body, the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the United States and Ukraine have called war crimes. The vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.
The federal government yesterday announced a Lagos- based teacher with Oke-Edo Senior High School, Alimosho as the overall best teacher in Nigeria.

She was selected out of thousands of teachers that were shortlisted for national recognition as part of event to mark the 2022 World Teacher's Day, and was rewarded with a brand new car.

Also rewarded were Ifetike Chekwube Hope from Government Technical College, Onitsha, Anambra State, who emerged the first runner-up, and Adelana Owolabi Paul from Ijebu Muslim College (Junior), Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, who emerged the second runner-up.

In private school category, Ugokwe Marilyn Uchenna from Susu College, Nkpor, Anambra, State, emerged the overall best teacher, while Adeniyi Olusegun Michael from Caleb British International School, Lagos, and Ayantola Tajudeen Ajayi, from City of Knowledge Academy, Itanrin, Ogun state, emerged first and second runners-up respectively.

St. Michael's African Church School, Ogun State (primary) was also announced as the best public school in Nigeria, while Nigeria Science and Technology College, Nnewi, Anambra State, and SUBEB Model Nursery and Primary school, Ikole Ekiti, emerged first and second runners-up, respectively.

Similarly, Chukwunedum Sabina Ijeoma, of the Abbot Girl's Secondary School, Ihiala, Anambra State, emerged the best school administrator of the year. Also, Akinseloyi Adeola Anne of St. Monica's Girls Grammar School, Ondo state, and Alamu Bolanle Olusola of the Government Senior College, Agege, Lagos, took second and third positions, respectively.

The federal government Colleges otherwise known as Federal Unity Schools and their teachers were also rewarded for their contributions to the basic and secondary education system in Nigeria.

Usman David Auta from Federal Government Girls' College (FGGC), Bwari, Abuja, emerged the best teacher in Federal Unity Schools' category, while Ogu Evelyn Ozoemezie from FGC Portharcourt and Onyemaechi Pius Chinedu from FGGC Nkwelle Ezunaka, emerged second and third positions, respectively.

On administration category, Yakubu-Oyinloye Tokunbo Olafinsao of the Queens' College, Lagos, emerged the best FGC administrator, and she was followed by Opute Dasoye Ngiere of FGGC Ikot Obio Itong, Akwa Ibom State and Ibrahim Abner of the FGC Billiri, Gombe state.

FGC Portharcourt was recognised as best FGC in Nigeria, and was followed by Federal Government Academy, Suleija, Niger State, and FGC Kano.

Buhari, who was represented by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, presented the awards to the teachers at an event to commemorate the 2022 World Teacher's Day in Abuja, on Wednesday.

He explained that the recognitions were to appreciate the teachers for their immeasurable contributions to the growth and development of the society.

He assured them that better days were ahead as the new teacher's policy was already being implemented at tne Federal level and in some States, urging other states to immediately do so because the gains are already showing.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, in his remarks congratulated all winners of the Presidential Teacher's and Schools Awards, and reiterated government focus on deepening the reforms in the education sector with enhanced funding.

He called 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," he said.

President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Titus Amba, said in his remarks, that the education system in Nigeria is in crisis and need urgent redress.

He lamented the deplorable state of education system and poor working conditions of teachers which has adversely affected education service delivery, especially in the public sector.

Lawmakers Eulogise Teachers

Meanwhile, a slight drama played out on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday following a motion by a member Hon. Dachung Bagos (PDP, Plateau) to honor Teachers all over the country.

Bagos, had at the plenary, raising a point of order on personal explanation, appealed to his colleagues to suspend the House relevant rules and dedicate few minutes to eulogise Teachers as October 5 was World's Teachers' Day (WTD).

The Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) agreed that it was a good idea and the Minority Leader Hon. Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta) seconded the motion.

Thereafter, the floor was yielded to Bagos to move the motion. The lawmaker while noting the recent efforts of the parliament to resolve the ongoing Academic Staff Union and Universities (ASUU) strike, said teachers should be recognised and given standing ovation.

"Despite ongoing ASUU strike. The house has recognised the importance of teachers and has intervened in the crisis. Knowing their importance, it will be an honor to recognize the teachers and give them a standing ovation," Bagos said.

Commenting, the House Leader Hon. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa (APC, Kano) was of the view that a matter of this magnitude and importance shouldn't come as personal explanation but should as a motion of urgent National importance.

But, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Idris Wase (APC, Plateau) in his view, while noting that the House has done a lot for the betterment of the lives of teachers, however said many people will like to use this opportunity to get attention, adding that, that's what Hon. Bagos the sponsor is trying to do.

Reacting, the Minority Leader, Elumelu faulted the Deputy Speaker's assertion, describing it as unparliamentary.

Elumelu added that Teachers are very important to the society and there's nothing political or mischievous about Hon. Bagos idea to honour them.

Reacting, Wase said, "let us not begin to input what's not the motive, the motive is to honor teachers. I come from a teaching background and the parliament has done a lot for their betterment."

At this point, the Speaker, Gbajabiamila interjected and ruled in favor of Doguwa's suggestion that it should come as an urgent motion given the importance.

Thereafter, the Speaker, Gbajabiamila called for a minute silence for deceased teachers and as well a resounding applause and thank you for all teachers.

Ekiti Teachers Demand Prompt Payment of Pending Benefits from Oyebanji

Ekiti State teachers, yesterday tasked the incoming Governor of the state, Hon. Biodun Oyebanji, not to compromise their welfare, in order to avert industrial action under his reign.

The teachers, who commended the outgoing governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi for initiating landmark programmes that touched the education sector positively, said the sector remains the most thriving industry that requires the spending of every resource for it to blossom.

This was as Fayemi donated two cars and cash gift to the best and outstanding teachers at both public primary and secondary schools in the state to motivate them to give their best to the service of the state.

The teachers said this in Ado Ekiti during a programme commemorating the 2022 World's Teachers' Day.

The teachers under the auspices of Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools(ASUSS), and the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), pledged their supports to the incoming administration, but restated that their welfare must not be compromised to smoothen the relationship when come on board .

The ASUSS Chairman, Sola Adigun, who spoke extensively on behalf of the teachers, said teachers were still optimistic that some of their pending benefits would be paid within the next 10 days Fayemi will bow out of office.

Addressing the teachers, Fayemi said due to the quality of their teachings, school enrolment had exponentially increased from 191,117 in 2018 to 261,292 in 2022.

Fayemi added that the increase in enrolment automatically resulted in the need to establish additional 10 secondary schools in 2021, while government paid a sum of N6 billion counterpart fund to match UBEC's contribution to execute 886 projects.

Lagos Teachers Endorse Sanwo-Olu for Second Term

In commemoration of the World Teachers' Day, teachers in Lagos State yesterday endorse the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The teachers shared their experiences in the last three years, giving Sanwo-Olu a pass mark in raising the standards of education through investment in infrastructure and capacity building.

At the symposium organised by the Lagos wing of the NUT, the teachers unanimously threw their weight behind Sanwo-Olu, endorsing the governor's re-election bid.

NUT Lagos Chairman, Hassan Akintoye, who spoke on behalf of the teachers, said the Sanwo-Olu administration prioritised teachers' welfare and committed unprecedented investment in education and teaching.

Akintoye said not only had the teaching environment been made more conducive for teachers, he noted that there had also been improvement in the performance of pupils in national examinations.

The NUT chief said the governor met and fulfilled majority of demands of the teachers without any confrontation, thereby limiting the prospect of disagreement between NUT and the Government.

Lagos, he said, pioneered the creation of the Permanent Secretary/Tutor General position, which is the apex cadre in teaching career, and designated six slots for teachers across the six Education Districts in the State.

Akintoye added that Sanwo-Olu's approval of career harmonisation in teaching service placed thousands of Lagos teachers on grade Level 17 - the highest level. This, he said, made Lagos the pace-setting State in the transformation of the teaching profession.

He said: "In Lagos, teachers have not had any major demands which the Government has not prioritised. It is only in Lagos teachers are promoted and get salaries of the new grade level before the promotion letters get to them. It is in Lagos that thousands of teachers are on Grade Level 17 when their colleagues in other states are either stagnant at Level 14 or demoted.

"On occasion of World Teachers' Day in Lagos, it is about showing appreciation to the leadership of the State. We are using this opportunity to tell our Governor that we have a large number in the teaching service, and this has never been a burden to the system. Come February 2023, we will mobilise not only ourselves, but also our families and relatives to make the election work in your favour."

NUT National President, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, sent a note of appreciation to Sanwo-Olu on behalf of Lagos teachers, stressing that Lagos Government had lifted the teaching profession and set enviable standards in the State.

Represented by Comrade Titi Adebanjo, NUT National Secretary, Amba said: "In some states, apart from the Governors being afraid to meet with teachers, Sanwo-Olu can walk confidently among teachers because he has raised not only the standards of teaching in Lagos, the Governor has also improved on the welfare package for teachers to make teaching rewarding."

Edo Leveraging Tech, Equipping Teachers with Skills to Restructure Education

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has celebrated teachers in the state, noting that the government was leveraging technology and equipping the teachers with requisite knowledge and digital skills to improve learning outcomes in the state.

Obaseki said this in commemoration of the 2022 World Teachers Day, a global event launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1994 to celebrate teachers across the globe.

The governor, who hailed the teachers for being the champions in the government's reforms in the education sector, assured that the government will continue to prioritize their welfare, ensuring that they are adequately rewarded for their role in grooming and moulding the minds of future leaders of the state and nation.

He said, "Today, being World Teachers Day, it is important to appreciate the efforts of our teachers who are playing huge roles in sustaining our administration's efforts at restructuring the education sector, contributing effectively to the development of our state and nation.

"We understand the role of education in achieving sustainable growth and development in society, which is only possible through continuous investment in our teachers.

"Our government has continued to pay critical attention to teachers in the state, ensuring that they have the tools and knowledge to groom the next generation of Edo leaders. We have also sustained investment in upskilling and providing teachers in our schools with modern tools and skills to improve teaching and learning in the state."

Ogun wins best public schools, teachers awards in Abuja

After rigorous screenings, St. Michael's African Church Primary School 1, Ota, Ogun State was adjudged at both State and National levels in the 2022 State and National Teachers' and Schools' Excellence Awards as the Best Public School in the country.

The competition was part of activities marking this year's World Teacher Day which National Event held at the Eagle Square, Abuja on Wednesday. The school won an 18-seater JAC bus.

Also two teachers from the State also emerged as the best and runner up respectively in the private and public schools categories.

A statement issued by Kunle Somorin, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Dapo Abiodun in Abeokuta described the achievement as a manifestation of the investment and commitment of the State Government in the Education sector.

The statement added that two teachers from the state, Mr. Owolabi Paul Adelana of Ijebu Muslim College (Jnr.), Ijebu-Ode won the second best teacher in the Public Schools category, his counterpart from City of Knowledge Academy, Odogbolu, Mr. Tajudeen Ajayi Ayantola won award of the best private school teacher in the country

Governor Abiodun had while marking the Teachers' Day in Abeokuta also rewarded teachers, school administrators and schools that have excelled in academics with houses and cash gifts.

The governor offered employment to the wife of late Mr Sunday Ogunjimi, a teacher in Odeda Local Government Area who slumped and passed away while attending a welfare meeting involving members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state on Friday, July .

Tajudeen Odufeso from Isara Secondary School, Isara- Remo, was given a two bedroom bungalow as the Best Teacher in Public Senior Secondary Schools, while Adelana Owolabi and Orebanjo Olusesan from Ijebu Muslim College (Junior) and Early Education Centre, Ijebu-Igbo, got N2m and N1.5m for emerging Best Teachers in Public Junior Secondary Schools and Public Primary Schools, respectively.

Mr Fagbamila Olatunbosun Okeneye from Omo Edumare Model Nursery and Primary School, Ago-Iwoye, carted home a sum of N1m as the Best Administrator in the Public Primary Schools category.

In the school category, Remo Divisional High School (Senior), Sagamu and St. Michael's African Church School 1, Ota, won Best Public Secondary School (Senior) and Best Public Primary School, respectively.

Speaking at the event with the theme, "The Transformation of Education Begins with Teachers", held at the MKO Abiola International Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, on Wednesday, Governor Abiodun described teachers as career moulders, mentors and national builders who sacrifice their all to produce diverse professionals for the nation.

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"No doubt, these peculiar people deserve to be celebrated. In fact, we should celebrate them every day and not just for one day that the global body has set aside like today. Let me on behalf of all of us - the government and the entire people of Ogun State - join all men and women of goodwill all over the world to thank very heartily and congratulate very warmly our teachers on the celebration of yet another Teachers' Day.

"Education is the bedrock of any meaningful socio-political and economic development. As a foundation for scientific, technological enrichment and the advancement of any society, no Nation can become great without the positive contributions of her teachers. The future of any Nation is usually determined by the quality of its education system and how it treats teachers.

"Ogun State is the Education capital of Nigeria. We could not have achieved this status without the contributions of our teachers. We are the Education Capital of Nigeria today mainly because our teachers are simply the best you can find around this country", the governor stated.

He attributed the commitment of the teaching professionals to the ability of students in Ogun to win numerous awards at different education competitions both national and international.

He noted further that more parents are now showing renewed faith in the public schools by enrolling their children into them unlike in the past

The governor disclosed that his administration was in the process of supplying 25,000 furniture to all public primary and secondary schools, renovating over 956 classrooms in primary and secondary schools, while approval has been given for the commencement of Ogun Digitalized Multimedia Lesson Plan, where the teachers would be equipped with the wherewithal resources for effective delivery.

While appreciating the teachers for their dedication to duties and being at the forefront of achieving his administration's agenda in the education sector, Abiodun charged them to be more innovative and embrace modern teaching methods, assuring that their welfare would not be jettisoned.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, in his welcome address, said the theme of this year's celebration is in tandem with the incumbent administration's agenda to reposition the education sector for effectiveness and efficiency, adding that the state government was glad to identify with the teachers in celebrating their day.

The State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Abiodun Akinola, noted that the auspicious was a good opportunity to draw government and other stakeholders' attention to the issues affecting the welfare and well-being of the teachers.

Akinola who lauded the state government's efforts at training and retraining teachers, recruitment of more teachers, however, urged the government to address the disparity in salaries between primary and secondary schools teachers, while efforts should be made by stakeholders including traditional rulers, religious bodies, among others to address the issue of out-of-school children.

On his part, the State Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) Akeem Lasisi, commended the state government for abolishing all forms of levies in the public schools and urged government to be ready to spend more money on education, while allowance for teachers serving in the rural areas should be increased.

Highlights of the celebration was the award of 'Standout Performance' by the NUT on Governor Abiodun and the presentation of a brand new bus to the Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria, Ogun State chapter
06.10.2022 LISTEN

Petroleum is critical for the survival of every nation and human pursuit. It is used as fuel for transport, fuel to generate electricity to light homes, run factories, machines, etc., as gas for cooking, as raw material to produce fertiliser to increase food production and for the manufacturing of plastic which is utilised in a wide range of products used in daily life.

It was because of these that President Mahama spent time and resources to develop the sector.

In January, 2015, his government signed an agreement to begin work on the EN/Vitol Sankofa field. The investment was worth US$ 7 billion and is reportedly the single biggest investment signed in the recent history of Ghana.

The Atuabo Gas Plant at Atuabo which was started by the Late President Mills, was completed and commissioned by President John Dramani Mahama on September 16, 2015. It is currently supplying lean gas to the Aboadze enclave of thermal plants. At full capacity, it can supply 120 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to generate about 500 MW of electricity.

This saved the nation GHC500 million in fuel importation for electricity generation annually. The plant has the capacity to produce 240,000 tonnes of Liquefied petroleum Gas (LPG) a year, which is about 70% of total annual demand in Ghana.

Gas supplies rose in 2016 when production began in the TEN fields. The country's second FPSO which was named after former President John Atta Mills, sailed to the TEN fields in March, 2016 for production of oil and Gas after its inauguration.

The operationalisation of TEN and Sankofa was expected to bring Ghana's gas production to above 300 million standard cubic of gas per day.

The Oil and Gas sector, during HE John Mahama's regime, was providing direct employment for 7,545 Ghanaians. Under the Rural LPG Promotion Programme, a total of 53,000 gas cooking stoves and cylinders were distributed free of charge under his Administration.

Anthony Obeng Afrane
Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed, the NDC former parliamentary aspirant for the Sagnarigu Constituency in Northern Region has called for peace ahead of the party's upcoming internal contest.

The NDC has set October 22 and 23 to elect constituency executives to lead the party's activities for the next four years.

The elected executives will also man the party's work as it heads to the 2024 general election.

In a statement to congratulate the aspirants for the various portfolios after their vetting that took place on Monday, October 3, 2022, Alhaji Yakubu urged the aspirants to see peace as the ultimate priority.

This election is an internal affair, so aspirants must see each other as brothers and sisters, it's not a winner or loser affair instead, a win for NDC. The weird break the 8 agenda of NPP must be defeated, and we can only defeat it if we are solidly united, he stated.

The former Aspirant noted that the Nana Addo-Bawumia government has performed abysmally when comparing the promises they made to Ghanaians making NDC's victory in the 2024 election very easy.

He, however, added that the NDC cannot win the 2024 election without unity and internal peace, hence the need for them to do their campaigns devoid of insult and character assassinations.

Ghanaians are yearning and waiting anxiously for the great NDC to save them from this economic hardship and for that matter, we need to stand firmly united to rescue the suffering masses, he noted.

He also advised the delegates to elect executives who are competent enough to march the NPP boot-for-boot vision in 2024.

"I hope that the delegates will do the needful by choosing leaders who are competent enough and can help the NDC to win power come December 2024. We need constituency executives who can help make the party's dream of matching the NPP boot-for-boot come true so that we will not be cheated at the polling stations on Election Day," Alhaji Yakubu said.
France's far-right National Rally is marking the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the party  formerly known as the National Front  by hosting a symposium on the 'victories' the movement has enjoyed over the past five decades.

On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the National Rally on Wednesday, Marine Le Pen said she considers her far-right party is "ready to govern France."

Le Pen also paid tribute to "all the activists who for 50 years have worked for the national cause."

In a tweet Le Pen wrote: "The National Rally is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary today. From a protest party, we have turned it into a party ready to govern. Today, I would like to pay tribute to all the activists who, for 50 years, have worked for the national cause."

"The Rassemblement National is 50 years old. 50 years of democratic and republican life. Forerunner, visionary, resilient thanks to the strength of conviction of generations of activists, it has never stopped growing and evolving. From hope to power, we continue."

Far-right symposium in Paris

This Thursday, the National Rally will celebrate its anniversary by holding a "symposium" at the Palais Bourbon in Paris, which the party has dubbed "an opportunity to return to the ideological victories that [the National Rally] has registered."

From a marginal group founded by Jean-Marie Le Pen, to becoming France's largest opposition party, the far-right movement has managed to prosper by surviving multiple political crises and now considers itself ready to rule.

During the first ten years of its existence, the National Front was a tiny group that gathered at most a few tens of thousands of voters and only managed to present a few dozen candidates in major elections.

No party in France has made as much electoral progress to become so deeply rooted in mainstream politics.

It must however be stressed that France is the only country in the Western democracies where a far-right party has continuously mobilised at least 10% of the electorate since 1984.

More recently, the party has solidified up to 25 percent of French voters and in 2022 the National Rally garnered more than 40 percent of the vote in the presidential elections.
The banking system is regarded as a crucial component of stable development and plays a significant role in assuring the growth of the economy. Apart from employment to many in the banking sector, bank loans have a direct effect by increasing the amount of GDP to sustain the economy of a country.

Therefore, why would any prudent leader especially in a developing country will close banks that help the country's economy and create jobs? Prince Kofi Amoabeng, the founder of UT Bank, is known to have voiced regret about the Akufo-Addo administration's choice to use enormous amounts of tax payers money to shut down UT Bank and eight other banks in Ghana.



Akufo Addo is a man who wasn't born a leader because he is too incompetent and ruthless to rule the populace, as I have repeatedly stated. He believes his father and other relatives are left out of Ghana's history, which is why he wants to become president to ruin and alter history. He is also a man consumed with resentment and jealousy, and those who struggle with such dark emotions rarely find success in life.

While he had gained support and accolades from the public to rise to the position of leadership, his burning desire to lead Ghanaians was to ensure that he projected highly on his family, whom he felt had been left in the dark. He, therefore, made various attempts to misrepresent history and change the names of institutions that had previously been established. It is so regrettable that this tribal bigot has brought Ghana to such a dreadful end.

People might find it difficult to believe or accept my claim that Akufo Addo's presidency has been the most trying time in Ghana's political history. I wonder how Ghana would fare under the NPP administration if Ghana lacked any mineral resources, including gold, oil, diamonds, cocoa, and other commodities. A government that cannot build, cannot also use its resources effectively or generate employment.

When I read that Joseph Osei Owusu, also known as Joe Wise, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, had advised Ghanaians to take charge of their job searches and make things happen for themselves, I wasn't at all surprised. Imagine what this individual said would portray the NPP as an ineffective government Ghanaians should rely on, given that the majority of civilian jobs are provided by the government. How can an intelligent Ghanaian depend on such a government now or in the future?

I can easily point out that Nana Akufo Addo is a leader of devastation and gloom because his administration has only brought tragedies to Ghanaians. Tell me what you see happening in Ghana that is headed on the correct path. The infrastructure has been severely impacted by chronic corruption and massive debt that has no accountability, high rates of crime and unemployment, and an unstable currency.



Here are a few instances of President Nana Akufo Addo's damaging and unthinking behavior

1. One Akufo Addo shut down eight banks in the nation due to political and jealousy-related motives, which contributed to the current economic collapse and rendered hundreds of people employed in the banking industry jobless and poor.

2. Akufo Addo demolished state-owned properties that belonged to judges in the nation without any prior preparation or research to make room for the cathedral he promised God if he were to be elected president of Ghana. Apart from the rejection of the project by the majority of Ghanaians, it is now obvious that the government lacks the resources to carry out the massive project, and as a result, the judges' bungalows were demolished without justification, which put them in a difficult position and cost the state money.

3. The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is said to have cut the sod for the La General Hospital redevelopment project in August 2020, according to Ghanaian newspapers. When former US president Barack Obama and his wife traveled to Ghana, they donated funds for building the hospital's annex. Akufo Addo demolished the entire structure, including the newest addition.

The destroyed hospital has not yet been restored. The La-Teshie-Nungua residents didn't ask for a contemporary hospital. Despite a few obstacles, the hospital was providing care to the locals until the president decided to demolish it and replace it with a brand-new facility. The pain that the people have been going through since the demolition may have a long-term psychological impact on them.

4. Since Akufo Addo became president, the government hasn't given most Ghanaians jobs, so, many people weren't interested when the NPP government decided to enact a new taxing they called E-Levy. Due to the lack of jobs in the system, Ghanaians were furious, which seems logical given that the government shouldn't have to tax their meager income.

To increase the number of parliamentarians and enable the introduction of the new taxation, Akufo Addo disregarded the protests of the populace and dragged an ill, immobile NPP politician into the parliament, with an ambulance. Ghanaians who were dissatisfied and furious cashed their money and stopped using mobile payments, which led to the failure of the new taxation and the loss of thousands of jobs.

5. According to the elders, if one is pulling on a rope and it stops, something is likely clutching onto it at the other end. All of Ghana's major water bodies and the country's ecosystem have been damaged by illegal mining, sometimes known as "Galamsey," but efforts to stop it have never been successful. Akufo Addo has been named by many Ghanaians as one of the corrupt criminals responsible for those malicious deeds.

No Ghanaian has ever encountered such depravity and haughtiness from a leader in a democratic administration throughout the nation's political history. Only this tyrant is to blame for the tremendous tribalism and corruption that have irreparably damaged Ghana and left the vast majority of Ghanaians in poverty today. The only indication that Akufo Addo is psychologically sick is the fact that he talks about ending the eighth cycle.

He never discusses corruption, not even the most recent case of $100 million in oil money that has been embezzled and hidden in an offshore bank. Ghanaians desire a wise leader who is concerned with the welfare of the populace rather than just personal power. The enormity of the devastation demonstrates that Akufo Addo and the NPP government only care about power and corruption, thus the suffering Ghanaians must utilize whatever means to disapprove of both the president and the party.
The National House of Chiefs has sent an urgent message to President Akufo-Addo's Administration to pay chiefs their outstanding quarterly allowances.

Chiefs receive a monthly allowance of GH1,000 each.

Speaking at a House of Chiefs' anti-galamsey engagement with President Akufo-Addo in Kumasi yesterday, President of the House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II said Chiefs are reeling under economic hardship and demand an increment in their travel and sitting allowances.

We urgently appeal to your government to pay Nananoms outstanding quarterly allowances.

We also demand economic sitting and travelling allowances to reflect present-day economic conditions, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi said.

The allowance was last increased in 2017, from GH500.

By Citi Newsroom
Ranking Member on the Finance Committee, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson says the 21 percent increase in the producer price for cocoa which has been pegged at GH800 per 64kg bag is too small.

That is way too small, Mr. Forson said in a Citi News interview.

Before this increase, Ghana had last increased its farm gate price in 2020; from GH515 to GH660.

The Minority had previously called for the farm gate price to be increased to GH1000 per bag.

Dr. Forson noted that the Ivory Coast increase was up to the equivalent of over GH850 per bag.

We know in times like this, persons who should benefit most is the one whose currency has depreciated the most. Ghana's currency has depreciated more than that of the Ivory Coast.

Despite the Minortys criticism, the recent increase was in line with recommendations from some observers in the industry.

The Ghana Civil-Society Cocoa Platform, for example, had proposed a 15 percent to 20 percent increment in the farm gate price of cocoa.

The increase in prices follows COCOBOD securing a syndicated loan of $1.13 billion for the 2022/2023 crop season.

By Citi Newsroom
Leaders from 44 European countries will gather on Thursday in Prague, to launch a European Political Community aimed at boosting security and economic prosperity. Critics say the new forum is an attempt to slow European Union enlargement.

The meeting in the capital of the Czech Republic is the brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron, backed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The summit, at Prague Castle, will involve a series of meetings on the key challenges Europe faces: security, energy, climate, the economic situation, and migration.

When he launched the idea for the European Political Community, Macron said that it "would allow democratic European nations ... to find a new space for political cooperation, security, energy, transport, investment, infrastructure, the movement of people."

Brussels has billed the initiative as an invaluable "platform for political coordination" among the disparate grouping of 44 nations invited

But there are deep disagreements, and even open conflict, among some of those attending, and there is scepticism that the one-day event will be not much more than a glorified photo opportunity.

Russia, which is not invited, will loom over the meeting as discussions focus on the economic and security fallout from its war against its pro-Western neighbour.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, currently at war with Moscow, will connect via video link from Kyiv. His prime minister will stand in for him at the talks.

'Political dialogue'

"The ambition is to bring leaders together on an equal footing and to foster political dialogue and cooperation on issues of common interest so that, together, we work on strengthening the security, stability and prosperity of Europe as a whole," EU chief Charles Michel said in his invitation letter.

Those set to gather in the historic Prague Castle also include the leaders of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Lichtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland.

Hard, head-on exchange

Within the bloc there are questions over the usefulness of an enterprise some see as a vanity project for Macron, with diplomats saying powerhouse Germany had expressed reservations.

And while British Prime Minister Liz Truss will be there on one of her first major trips abroad after taking office, London was wary about the event being too dominated by the EU club and reportedly wanted to change the name from "community" to "forum".

The presence of Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also been a sore point for EU members Greece and Cyprus, which have long-standing disputes with Ankara. The Turkish leader is also proving a headache for Sweden and Finland by stalling their bids to join NATO.

Bloody clashes

Even more fraught could be the presence of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, whose troops continue bloody clashes along their volatile frontier.

Those pushing to join the EU, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and the western Balkan nations, might be expected to be more open to making the event a success.

But they too are on their guard about the format becoming a consolation prize where the EU can park their ambitions for full membership.

Council of Europe

If succesful, the "European Political Community" may in some form be integrated into the already existing Council of Europe CoE, a 46-member conglomerate of European nations that was created in 1949.

According to its website, the CoE was built in the same spirit as the European Coal and Steel Community, which later developed into the European Economic Community, the predecessor of today's EU.

The aim: to create a "Europe of peace founded on the values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law." The CoE became the guardian institution of the European Court of Human Rights and was responsible for the abolition of the death penalty while setting the standards for a Europe-wide human rights based system.

The CoE suspended membership of the Russian Federation in May this year.

(With agencies)
President Muhammadu Buhari's administration is yet to implement the newly proposed teachers' salary two years after it was announced in 2020 at an event to mark the World Teachers Day.

Speaking at the 2022 World Teachers Day with the theme: "The Transformation of Education Begins with Teachers", Buhari said the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had completed work on the reviewed remuneration package for teachers in basic and secondary schools. He said the package included provisions for rural posting allowance, science teachers' allowance and peculiar allowance.

"Implementation is awaiting conclusion of consultations with state governments and the National Assembly," he said.

Represented by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osibanjo, Buhari said his government was determined to return teachers and the teaching profession to their rightful places by fully implementing the professional teaching and teacher qualification framework standards that would invariably impact on education outcomes and teachers' performances at the pre-school, basic, secondary and tertiary levels.

He said a new teachers' policy was already being implemented at the federal level and in some states and urged states that had not done so to do same immediately as "the gains are already showing".

The World Teachers Day is marked every October 5, to celebrate teachers and draw attention to their welfare and concerns.

"We are also developing a verifiable database of teachers in Nigeria. Already, the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has registered 2,108, 342 teachers and licensed 1,250,000 teachers.

"No society can grow beyond its educational attainment. One of the major differences between healthy, well-functioning and prosperous societies and poorer societies is education. We owe so much of our well-being as a nation to our educators at every level," Buhari said.

He said the theme emphasised the importance of teachers to educational transformation and also introduced the important responsibility that teachers themselves had - to be at the cutting edge of advancements in education, and especially the use of technology and modern teaching methods.

"Education must respond to the dynamism, speed of development and massive changes in society. Educators must understand the skills required to take full advantage of a world dependent on technology. In addition to listening, education today includes writing, ideation, imagining and critical thinking skills. It is no longer merely learning by rote," he said.

While noting that they have a huge opportunity in their hands to leapfrog development in education through technology, he said to do this they must continue to invest in expanding the capacity as teachers.

"We cannot integrate technology successfully as urgently as we need to without training and equipping teachers," he said.

The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, admitted that teachers had come to be less appreciated, their roles relegated and their welfare ignored despite the fact that the teaching profession was a noble one.

"Our teachers, especially at the basic and secondary levels, have been at the receiving end of some of the most unfavourable and sometimes intolerable policies, practices and experiences," he said.

He further said the federal government had implemented the retirement age of teachers to 65, with a corresponding increase in service years to 40, restored the practice of attracting and retaining the best brains in the teaching profession, among others.

He said to mitigate the current dearth of qualified teachers in the school system, the government had commenced the implementation of a teacher conversion programme with ICT training, starting with those in the Federal Civil Service.

He noted that a number of states had also implemented the scheme.

"We have revamped the curriculum and introduced history and religious knowledge 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," he said.

On his part, the National President of The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Audu Titus Amba, said the education system in Nigeria was in crisis.

He said at the tertiary level students of public universities had been out of school for more than seven months due to a protracted industrial dispute and that the basic and secondary education sub-sectors were faced with serious challenges.

"These include non-implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage for teachers in some states, shortage of teachers, poor infrastructure, lack of instructional materials, insecurity in schools, inadequate funding and poor conditions of service in general," he said.

He regretted that this deplorable state of education and poor working conditions of teachers adversely affected education service delivery, especially in the public sector.

The NUT, while commending President Buhari for harmonising teachers' retirement age and other promises made in 2020, called on government at both national and sub-national levels to place high premium on education and accord teachers their pride of place in society.

"In this regards, we must brace up as a nation to invest adequately in education by rising to the serious challenges of budgetary allocations to education in line with the internationally recommended benchmarks of at least four per cent to six per cent of the GDP and/or 15 per cent to 20 per cent of public expenditure," the NUT Amba said.

He noted that NUT was not unaware of challenges capable of inhibiting service delivery in unity and command schools.

He said some of the challenges included but were not limited to restriction in teachers' freedom of association to join unions of their choice, non-reinstatement of sacked teachers, non-reinstatement to IPPIS platform the names of teachers who should benefit from elongation of service years who were erroneously removed and non-inclusion of Teachers Special Scale in this year's budget.

In a separate development, the House of Representatives on Wednesday honoured Nigerian teachers for their contributions to the country's educational development.

This followed a motion by Dachung Bagos Musa representing Jos South/East Federal Constituency of Plateau State on the need for the house to recognise and honour teachers on the occasion of the World Teachers Day.

Bagos said Nigerian teachers had made and continued to make a lot of sacrifices in impacting knowledge to the people and so deserved to be honoured by the house.

Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, while appreciating teachers for their invaluable contributions in national development over the years; led the house in observing a minute's silence in honour of all dead teachers and to say "thank you" to all teachers who are alive.

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Contributing, Chief Whip of the house, Tahir Monguno, while harping on the important contributions of teachers to society, called on government at all levels to ensure improved remunerations for them.

In his contribution, Benjamin Kalu (APC, Abia) said despite operating under harsh working environment and poor pay packages, teachers had refused to give up because of their selfless passion for impacting knowledge, saying, they deserved to be celebrated.

Rep Aishat Dukku urged Nigerians to imbibe the attitude of celebrating their teachers who had impacted their lives at various levels, adding that people should also contribute to the development of their alma mata and well-being of their teachers.

Also contributing, Taiwo Oluga (Osun, APC), urged the federal government to include teachers in its housing programmes, adding that the reward of teachers should not only be in heaven but also on earth.

Meanwhile, Mrs Adedunke Adefemi from Oke-Edo Senior Secondary School, Alimosho, Lagos, won the "best teacher" award in the public schools category, while Uchenna Ugokwe from Anambra State was named the overall winner in the private schools category.

Also, Mummy's Place International Nursery and Primary School, Ondo State, was the overall "best private school, while St Michael's African Church, Ogun State was the overall "best public school".

The "best administrator" in the public schools category went to Ijeoma Chukwunedum of Abbot Girls Secondary School, Ihiala, Anambra State, while Funmilayo Yakubu-Oyinloye of Queens College, Lagos, was named "best administrator" for unity colleges.

"Best teacher in federal unity colleges" went to Usman Auta of the Federal Government Girls College, Bwari, Abuja, among others.
The French government has announced a plan to pay 150 per month to French households which agree to host refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.

On Wednesday, France's Minister for Urban Affairs and Housing, Olivier Klein, announced that "financial support"  which, according to the government, should benefit between 5,000 to 12,000 families  will cover the period from 1 April to 31 December 2022, and will be paid "subject to having hosted such beneficiaries for at least 90 days."

This is an unprecedented financial effort towards the accommodation of exiled people, which has been requested for a long time  particularly since the Syrian migration crisis of 2015  by associations helping displaced people.

'Immense solidarity'

"This exceptional financial measure makes it possible to support the spontaneous surge of generosity that was seen at the time of the outbreak of war in Ukraine, a major link in the management of the crisis and the reception of displaced persons" from Ukraine, the minister stressed.

"Despite an economic situation marred by the energy crisis, the French have shown immense solidarity," he added in the press release, published after a meeting with associations and institutions assisting with accommodating people exiled by the war.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced on Monday that financial aid for families would be implemented "from the end of November".

The Ministry of Urban Affairs and Housing said that the financial aid will assist people who host any beneficiary of "temporary protection" granted by the European Union to people fleeing the war in Ukraine, "whatever their nationality".
06.10.2022 LISTEN

Parts of Makola Market in Accra near White Chapel were gutted by fire.

The incident happened last night Wednesday, October 5.

Details of the cause of the fire are immediately unknown.

Officials of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) are on the ground battling the inferno.

Six (6) fire engines including a TL and Water Tanker were sent to the scene to contain the fire situation, the Ghana National Fire Service said.
In the wake of the fight against galamsey, the activities of Akonta Mining Limited, which is owned by the Ashanti regional chairman of the ruling NPP in Tano-Nimiri forest in the Amenfi West Municipality of the Western region have been heavily criticised.

The Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, believes government's posture towards recent mining issues will determine whether or not the galamsey fight will be fruitful.

The veteran journalist revealed on Accra-based Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' Morning Show that Akonta Mining does not have a lease to mine in the forest.

He indicated that the mining company's recent proposal to add the forest area to its concessions was yet to be approved by the Minerals Commission.

He stated, this is a tough call, a really tough call, that again how this matter is handled would either enhance the integrity of the fight or diminish it.

He continued I have checked all the licences they hold from 2011, 2012 till date and it doesn't have one for forest reserve. But the last one which the company's application is pending, the one in August, it has not been approved but that is in the forest reserve.

He quizzed so, what was the company doing there?...They had no business being in that particular place doing anything because, first of all, they haven't approved that licence.

"The issue is not that they have applied for a licence to go into a forest reserve. The issue is that you don't have a licence yet but the company is there. Why? What kind of impunity is that?

Meanwhile, a statement from the Minerals Commission confirmed Mr. Baako's claim that the new proposal to include the forest area in Akonta Mining's concessions is yet to be deliberated upon.

As indicated in the Ministry's Press Statement, dated 30th September 2022, Akonta Mining Ltd has a pending application dated 25th August 2022, for a Mining Lease over an area within the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve. That application has not been determined by the Minister, who is mandated by law, to grant or refuse such applications, part of the statement shares.

It stressed, and for the avoidance of any doubt, Akonta Mining Limited has NO mining lease, mineral right, and/or permit to undertake any mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, and steps are currently being undertaken to enforce the Minister's Directive issued on 30th September 2022."
Manasseh Azure Awuni, an investigative journalist and the editor-in-chief of the Fourth Estate news portal is asking government officials and Ghanaians blaming the chiefs for the galamsey activities to put an end to it.

He said President Akufo-Addo has failed after promising to put his presidency on the line to fight the galamsey menace.

In a Facebook post sighted by Modernghana News, the journalist claimed that the "stupidest person in Akufo-Addo's cabinet knows the solution to the galamsey problem."

He said, 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.

The problem is that the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces is not serious about the fight."

According to Manasseh, the soldiers allegedly were instructed by government appointees to guard illegal mining areas such as the Tano Nimiri forest in the Amenfi West Municipality of the Western region.

Those government officials neck-deep in the galamsey activities, Manasseh wants the President to immediately sack and prosecute.

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.

Manasseh believes that, If Akufo-Addo sends a message that any DCE or MCE who allows galamsey to happen in their district will be fired and prosecuted, it will stop next week. The MDEs and DCEs will save their jobs and stop the party executives from mining. They will expose the so-called big wigs behind the destructive concessions in the forests.

The debate over illegal mining popularly known as galamsey has recently heated up.

This follows the re-arrest of Chinese Galamsey Kingpin, Aisha Huang and the recent documentary titled "Destruction for Gold" by Multimedia Journalist Erastus Asare Donkor which revealed the alarming rate of polluted river bodies caused by illegal mining.
Manasseh Azure Awuni, an investigative journalist and the editor-in-chief of the Fourth Estate news portal, has accused President H.E. Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo of paying lip service to the fight against illegal mining activities known as galamsey.

He said the President should resign if he is unable to issue a strong warning to his MMDCEs to stop engaging in galamsey.

Manasseh stated in a Facebook post on Wednesday, October 5 that the fight against galamsey goes beyond holding meetings and seminars.

According to him, the President must be bold enough to sack MMDCEs whose territories are still engaging in galamsey.

Our nation is dying and the jokes of seminars and meetings should stop. Is Akufo-Addo saying if the illegal miners were rebels, Ghana's security forces would watch them helplessly so that they kill us?

If he (Akufo-Addo) cannot lead the police, military and all the human resources under his command to stop galamsey, then he should step down as president, he said.

The Journalist noted that "the stupidest person in Akufo-Addo's cabinet knows the solution to the galamsey problem."

He continued if Akufo-Addo sends a message that any DCE or MCE who allows galamsey to happen in their district will be fired and prosecuted, it will stop next week. The MDEs and DCEs will save their jobs and stop the party executives from mining. They will expose the so-called big wigs behind the destructive concessions in the forests.

He asked 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?

Read Manassehs writeup below:

THE JOKE AT MANHYIA TODAY

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.

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.

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?

If Akufo-Addo sends a message that any DCE or MCE who allows galamsey to happen in their district will be fired and prosecuted, it will stop next week. The MDEs and DCEs will save their jobs and stop the party executives from mining. They will expose the so-called big wigs behind the destructive concessions in the forests.

Our nation is dying and the jokes of seminars and meetings should stop. Is Akufo-Addo saying if the illegal miners were rebels, Ghana's security forces would watch them helplessly so that they kill us?

If he cannot lead the police, military and all the human resources under his command to stop galamsey, then he should step down as president.

NOTE: My attention has been drawn to the fact that the meeting was held in Manhyia, but not the palace. The correction has been effected.
The Savannah Regional Security Council (REGSEC) is working to provide security for the Region by keeping the regional borders checked.

The Savannah Regional Minister, Mr Saeed Muhazu Jibril, announced this when the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, paid a working visit to the Region on Monday.

He stated that the Region is more vulnerable because it shares common borders with the Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, both of which have seen violent extremist activities.

He said the Regional Security Council was doing a lot to maintain internal security, adding that the rate of highway robbery has declined and "efforts to bring everything under control is what myself and the security professionals are exploring.

On education, the Regional Minister admitted that though the standards were falling, which was a concern to him, some measures had been put in place to address the situation.

The Regional Minister took Harriet Thompson through the tourism potentials of the region and added that the numerous sites needed some touch to make them more appealing to tourists.

"One of the biggest assets of the region is the availability of arable land for agricultural purposes, even though we are aware of what the British government is doing in this regard with special reference to the Babato Farms, the region is still opened and available for more of such investment opportunities, he added.

On her part, the British High Commissioner noted that there was a need to experience Ghana outside of Accra and to take advantage of the opportunity to interact with stakeholders to get a better understanding of the people's concerns.

She promised to keep in touch with all stakeholders in the region on how to address many of their concerns.
The government is working to improve the educational system and encourage efficient learning through various initiatives.

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has presented 800 mono and dual desks to the Kumasi Metropolitan Education Directorate for distribution to schools in the metropolis.

The Chief Executive of KMA, Mr Sam Pyne, who presented the desks valued at GH180,000.00 to the directorate, disclosed that before the donation of the 800 desks, the Assembly had earlier presented about 2000 mono and dual desks to some schools in the metropolis.

On his part, the Metropolitan Education Director, Mr David Oppong, lauded the Assembly for the initiative and called for more resources to be channelled to the education sector.

The beneficiary schools include Islamic Senior High School (200 mono desks), Kumasi Anglican Senior High School (100 mono desks), Moshie Zongo Basic (77 dual desks) and Fankyenebra M/A (180 dual desks).

The rests are Duase M/A Basic School (100 mono desks) and Krofrom CPC basic schools (143 mono desks).
A World Bank report has indicated that if urgent action is not taken, the rising Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) burden will add pressure to the already overstretched health systems and pose a major challenge to development in the sub-region.

The Minister for Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, disclosed this at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) on STOP NCD in Accra on Tuesday.

Mr Agyeman-Manu said the prevalence of NCDs is increasing globally and is currently the leading cause of death and disease burden worldwide.

He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicated that heart diseases, stroke, cancers, diabetes and respiratory diseases outnumber infectious diseases and are the top killers globally, accounting for about 74% of all deaths.

The Minister said West African Sub-region requires employing a scientific approach to improve the health and well-being of the population.

He stated that the scientific approach to salvaging the situation would strengthen individual skills and expertise, organizational systems and processes, system-wide networking capabilities and leadership of researchers to conduct high-quality research.

It will also strengthen local communities to engage with and understand how to enable healthy lifestyles as well as policymakers and practitioners to implement evidence-based NCD interventions, he added.

The approach, according to the Minister, would also entail engaging stakeholders to solicit their views, preference and expectations and sharing results and facilitating the uptake of research results into their decisions and practices.

We will also maintain equitable international partnerships, through shared leadership involving senior and earlier-career staff, and equally distributed management responsibilities, he stated.

Mr Manu disclosed that the high-level research on NCDs is being funded by the United Kingdom and co-led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS).

The research team would include a cluster of research and three academic institutions in West Africa (the Catholic University of West Africa in Bobo-Dioulasso Burkina Faso, LASDEL in Niamey Niger, Ashesi University in Brekusu Ghana, GCPS, and UK LSHTM.

The Minister said the government had launched a National Policy for Non-Communicable Disease 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.

This is aligned with the ideals of the National Health Policy, 2020, and the Universal Health Coverage Roadmap (2020-2030) which calls for the use of multisectoral collaboration as a mechanism for addressing comprehensively, all the social determinants of health for better health outcomes for all, he added.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has indicated that he is not surprised Ghana has been classified as a high debt distressed country.

The World Bank has classified Ghana as a high debt distress country in its October 2022 Africa Pulse Report.

In the report, the World Bank projects that Ghanas debt to GDP will hit 104% by end of the year.

This the World Bank says is according to widened government deficit, massive weakening of the cedi, and rising debt service costs.

Debt is expected to jump in Ghana to 104.6% of GDP, from 76.6% a year earlier amid a widened government deficit, massive weakening of the cedi, and rising debt service costs. The countrys debt is expected to remain elevated at 99.7% and 101.8% of GDP in 2023 and 2024, respectively, the World Bank report has said.

Reacting to the classification, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has indicated that the country is where it is because the government refused to listen to several warnings against its profligate spending.

In a post on Facebook, the North Tongu MP said, Ghanas latest depressing classification by the World Bank as a high debt distressed country doesnt come as a surprise. For years, we warned about the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia govts reckless & profligate expenditure patterns but they refused to listen.

Despite the latest poor classification, the government is confident that it will reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) very soon to step on the path to economic recovery to turn things around.
Man mercilessly beating a baby

06.10.2022 LISTEN

Givers Herbal, the producer of GC Mixture and capsules and other herbal products has joined the manhunt for the man who was caught mercilessly flogging a toddler in a viral video on social media.

The company has therefore placed a Gh5,000 bounty on the head of the man, in addition to the Gh10,000 by Child Right International and Gh 2000 by the Ghana Police Service.

Although it is unknown what may have caused the man to engage in such a despicable and ruthless act, the toddler could be seen and heard crying helplessly in the video.

Many people who chanced upon the video shared and drew the attention of the Police to the abuse.

Speaking to Journalists in Accra, the Personal Assistant to the CEO of Givers Herbal, Mr Richard Sarkodie condemned the flogging of the toddler describing it as despicable.

In support of the Ghana Police Services effort to locate the individual, management of Givers Herbal through the office of our CEO, Dr Solomon Kwabi is publicly staking a reward claim of Gh5,000 to any individual who will be able to provide details that will lead to the location of the individual in question to face the full rigours of the law, he said.

According to him, the reward will be given after the Ghana Police Service has verified the information provided.

He also assured that the company would be using its platforms across the country to help in the search.

As a herbal company with a nationwide reach, we have also informed all our customers to help in the search for this man in question so that we can get justice for the innocent toddler, he added.

The Ghana Police Service has already commenced investigations into the matter.
A meeting between the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and the national leadership of the party, led by the national chairman, Senator Abdulahi Adamu, yesterday, failed to reach a compromise on the commencement date for the 2023 elections campaign.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on September 28 lifted the ban on electioneering activities.

The APC meeting, which started about noon and ended at 5:10pm, was aimed at strategising on the campaign activities and timetable of the ruling party. The meeting came nearly two weeks after the party's Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) released a 422-member campaign list, which plunged the party into crisis.

APC had also initially scheduled a Peace Walk and Prayers on September 28 to officially kick-off campaigns for the 2023 presidential election and other activities, before the campaign was put off indefinitely.

Members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) had frowned on the release of the campaign list without recourse to the leadership of the party. Afterwards, a leaked letter, purportedly written by Adamu to the party's presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, demanded the withdrawal of the 422-member campaign list.

But less than 24 hours later, the party made a quick U-turn, when Adamu, in a statement by APC's National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Felix Morka, denied authoring the letter.

Yesterday's meeting between the APC governors and the party's leadership was part of efforts to get everyone on board and also address the grievances of stakeholders.

Addressing journalists after the about five hours closed-door meeting, Adamu assured APC members that the leadership had established a machinery to resolve whatever issues they had.

Adamu stated, "We are very very comfortable, we have established machinery for resolving anything. We are together with the governors' forum and NWC. I believe this meeting we had is more than useful to us. For us, nothing short of victory and that is the spirit of this meeting."

Asked when the ruling party would commence its campaign, the national chairman said the party would determine when the campaign would start, adding that they cannot run faster than their shadows.

Adamu added, "Don't be faster than the... The fact of the matter is, we as a party, as APC, we will determine when we will do what as long as it is within the framework of INEC's guidelines."

Earlier, Adamu noted that the party could not make meaningful progress in the 2023 elections without the support of APC governors

He said, "Essentially, we want to interact with our governors, who are the custodians of the fate of APC in their various states that they are privileged by God to lead at this point in time of Nigeria's democratic dispensation.

"Being the chief executive officers of their various states, the onus of our great party lies in the hands of God and in their hands, because they are the commanders of the party's fortunes in their various states.

"We cannot make meaningful progress in the affairs of these states, particularly, in an election year that is approaching. We cannot plan without the buy-in of our governors, so that we can stand together, believing that we share the same aspirations. We will plan together to see how best we can deliver the interest of the party and ensure that victory is ours in 2023 general election that is by the corner."

Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, described the release of the 422-member campaign list as unfortunate. But Bagudu assured members that the issue would be sorted out.

He stressed that the governors' visit to the secretariat was to strategise and discuss the campaign.

Asked if the governors were comfortable with the campaign list, Bagudu said, "Governors are very proud of our party, we are very proud of our party leader, President Muhamadu Buhari, we are very proud of the conventions that produced both our national chairman and our presidential candidate, in person of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the vice presidential candidate, in the person of Kashim Shettima. We are very proud of the actions of the national chairman and the NWC, we are very proud of the actions of the presidential campaign council.

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"We are happy that we are discussing, even though there were lists that were unfortunate that the campaign (council list), which the party would have announced... a mistake.

"But I am happy that the party is solidly behind our candidate and our party and whatever lists that have come out erroneously, we believe it will be sorted out."

The governors at the meeting were Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Abdulahi Sule (Nasarawa), Abdulahi Ganduje (Kano), Sani Bello (Niger), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Simon Lalong (Plateau), and Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi).

At the meeting also were former Managing Director of Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, and former national chairman of APC and Deputy Director General of PCC, Adams Oshiomhole.
The CEO of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, has dismissed the long-held perception that a major referral facility is a place of death for critically ill patients.

This bad publicity, he explained, is borne out of the fact that people and private hospitals have used Korle-Bu as a dumpsite for already dying patients.

In his view, Korle Bu has the expertise to offer treatment to all patients and save lives to the extent that people in developed countries travel to Ghana to have their surgeries and treatments done at the facility.

Speaking on the Class Morning Show on Class91.3FM today, Thursday, 6 October 2022, Dr Ampomah noted that no matter how critical a patients condition may be, when transferred to Korle-Bu, they do their best to save the person.

He told show host Kofi Oppong Asamoah that there is a reverse flow happening now where there are people who are in developed countries, who actually travel to Ghana to come and have their procedures, surgeries done".

He, however, made it clear that Korle Bus brand has suffered a certain damage" and "thats why some people think Korle Bu is a bad place but some of the things weve suffered in silence are that if you go to any of the private hospitals now, many of them are very good at keeping you, but then when they realise that this guy, things are not going on well, hes about to die, they quickly send you off to Korle-Bu and, of course, we cannot send anybody away, so, they come to Korle Bu and if you look at our data, the deaths that happen within the first 24 hours are quite high, so, it means that the person came in a very critical condition and, of course, we will do our best to save the situation but when the person succumbs, in the obituary, they say he died at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, so, everybody thinks Korle Bu is a place where people die.

He added, But I dont blame our colleagues in private hospitals, the way the environment is, they also want to maintain a certain kind of brand.

Currently, the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is the third biggest referral centre in Africa.

The facility can boast 2,000 beds, 21 clinical and diagnostic departments and three Centres of Excellence. It also has an average outpatient attendance of 1,500 with about 250 inpatient admissions.

The clinical and diagnostic departments include Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, Child Health, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Anaesthesia, Family Medicine/Polyclinic, Accident & Emergency, Psychiatry, Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre and Accident & Orthopaedics. Others are Pharmacy, Pathology, Laboratory and Radiology.

The Hospital also provides sophisticated scientific treatment procedures in various subspecialties such as Neurosurgery, Paediatric surgery, Dental/Oral maxillofacial, Ophthalmology, Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT), Renal, Orthopaedics, Oncology, Dermatology, Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery and Radiotherapy & Nuclear Medicine.

Source: Classfmonline.com
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Weija-Gbawe Municipal Assembly, Patrick Kumor, has warned residents of the area that the worse is yet to come following the spillage of the Weija Dam.

Speaking to Citi News, he said further correspondence with Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) suggested more volumes are yet to be spilled, but indicated that If we have three outlets, that should take large volumes of the water out of the community.

We are still having some heavy rain upstream, which is in the Eastern Region, so we need to brace ourselves for the worst.

So far, we have not recorded any casualty or loss of life. We thank God for that, and I believe we will keep on working so hard to save our people in the community, Mr. Kumor added.

Residents of Weija have been forced out of their homes and shops following the spillage of the Weija Dam, which has flooded homes and streets.

The assembly, in response, has created about three estuaries at Bojo beach to facilitate the movement of the water into the sea.

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) with support from the Marine Police and the 48th Engineers Regiment has been on the ground and says it has so far rescued in excess of 300 stranded victims, while at the same time working to expand the estuary to facilitate the flow of the water into the sea.

Further Warning

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Water Company Limited, Dr. Clifford Braimah, says the flooding in Weija should serve as a warning to persons encroaching on buffer zones and those building in waterways.

According to him, the devastation being caused was despite the controlled spillage of the Weija Dam, which has five gates that are as high as 21 feet, but four have been opened no more than six feet high.

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, Dr. Braimah added.

---DGN online
French author Annie Ernaux, whose novels draw on personal experience of class and gender, has won the Nobel Literature Prize. The jury praised "the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory".

Ernaux is the author of 22 novels. Informed of the award, the 82-year-old told Swedish television on Thursday that felt herself honoured, and under enormous responsibility.

Annie Ernaux began her career with "Les Armoires Vides" (The Empty Cupboards) in 1974. Based on the family conflict of a heroine whose education exposes the limits of her bar-tending parents, it is an unrelentingly grim version of Ernaux's own early life. She has been described as "a kind of French working-class Marcel Proust".

Born Annie Duchesne on 1 September 1940 in the town of Lillebonne in Normandy, north-west France, Annie Ernaux escaped a career behind the counter in the family bar/grocery, obtaining a degree from the University of Rouen.

But she was haunted by a sense of betrayal, saying she felt guilt and shame for what she considered an act of betrayal of her parents and their way of life.

Annie Ernaux went on to pass the aggregation, the toughest exam for French teachers. She taught in several secondary schools, before joining the National Centre for Distance Education.

Working-class heroine

In her parallel career as a writer, Ernaux was a trailblazer for a whole generation of French writers from working-class and immigrant backgrounds.

Virginie Despentes of the "Vernon Subutex" trilogy has hailed her as a key influence. Edouard Louis, whose first novel about growing up gay and in poverty in northern France was translated into more than 20 languages, said he had been "deeply affected by the power and beauty" of Ernaux's work.

Ernaux has no time for stylistic pretension, despising what she calls "the pretty phrase".

She also opened previously taboo subjects to public debate. Her novel "L'Evenement" is a fictional retelling of her own experience of unwanted pregnancy and abortion, before France decriminalised medical termination of pregnancy in 1975.

Annie Ernaux has been regarded as a feminist model by many, not least for her personal stance on abortion, and her career as a single mother of two boys after her divorce in 1984.

Ernaux has also been a strong voice supporting the #MeToo movement, which was longer to take off in France with the likes of actress Catherine Deneuve initially defending male "gallantry".

"I was so ashamed for Deneuve," Ernaux said, describing her comments as "the reflection of a group of privileged women."

"In France we hear so much about our culture of seduction, but it's not seduction, it's male domination."

International recognition comes late

Outside France, recognition for her work has developed only in recent years, notably after the English translation of her 2008 masterpiece, "The Years", which was nominated for the Man Booker International Prize in 2019.

The novel opens with the certainty that "All images will disappear," and ends with the writer's fervant hope that she can "save something of the time that will vanish when we are no longer here."
06.10.2022 LISTEN

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has condemned the assault on a toddler which was captured in a viral video.

The Ministry urged the general public to be vigilant and report persons who engage in such practices to the Police for arrest and prosecution.

We commend the Ghana Police Service and Child Right International for launching a manhunt for the suspect in the matter.

The Ministry therefore appeals to the general public to support the Police with any information that will aid in the arrest of the man.

The Police have assured that they are tracking a man who was seen in a viral video abusing a child.

An unidentified man is seen lashing an infant with a stick.

The Police said in a statement on Tuesday October 4 that they 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 the child, the statement said.

---3news.com
The Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, has rebuffed claims by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that his avowed fight against galamsey made him lose an appreciable number of votes in the galamsey endemic areas in the last elections across the country.

According to the Deputy Minority Chief Whip, the President's fight against galamsey had no bearing on the number of votes former President John Dramani Mahama had in the 2020 general elections.

The Deputy Minority Chief Whip who is also the National Democratic Congress' Member of Parliament for Banda Constituency in the Bono Region argued that the Ashanti Region had 47 seats and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) won only three.

He mentioned the three seats in the Ashanti Region as Ejura, Asawase and New Edubiase constituencies.

He contested that these areas in the Ashanti Region are not galamsey areas in the region.

Speaking in an interview with the host of the Ghana Yensom morning show, Mr Emmanuel Quarshie (The Hitman) on Accra 100.5 FM on Thursday, October 6, 2022, he noted that if the assertion of the President was true, the NDC should have won the Obuasi seat among others knowing that Obuasi constituency was the headquarters of galamsey in the region.

"The NPP won Obuasi so what is the President talking about that his fight against galamsey let him lose votes in the illegal mining areas of the country?" he quizzed.

According to him, the President's fight against galamsey had no bearing on the number of votes the NDC chalked in the region.

He fiercely argued that that assertion cannot hold water in terms of votes the NDC had in the last elections.

He told the President to tell his appointees to stop issuing the community mining licenses to his party cohorts to mine.

"If the President wants to see an end to the galamsey menace, he should stop blaming the NDC for his iniquities in the fight against galamsey," he stressed.

He alleged that the NPP government has given community mining licences to its people without the knowledge of the Chiefs "so why today turn around to blame the Chiefs?"

He was quick to add that the Chiefs cannot be blamed stemming from the way community mining licences are issued by the Minerals Commission.

He revealed in the last couple of years, the NPP has trained over 2000 community miners at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) in the Western Region, "and these large numbers of people cannot be traced all because they have the skills for mining so they are putting the skills they have acquired to use by engaging in galamsey," he asserted.

For his part, the NPP's MP for AburaAsebuKwamankese Constituency in the Central Region, Mr Elvis Morris told the host of the show that the Presidents declaration on galamsey had a bearing on votes the NDC won in the galamsey areas.

He cited the TarkwaNsuaem Constituency as one of the areas that the NPP nearly lost to the NDC because of the Presidents fight against galamsey.

He noted that the NPP won the seat held by George Mireku-Duker who is also the Deputy of Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Mines by 120 votes.

He said the fight against galamsey shored up NDCs votes in the last elections.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Madam Matilda Banfro, Greater Accra Regional Director Department of Gender has disclosed that the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection has rolled out community engagement programmes to educate the gild-child, boy-child, parents, and the larger community to protect children.

She said the Gender Ministry is working with strategic partners toward eradicating child marriage and commended the role traditional and religious leaders are playing to end child marriage in the country.

Madam Banfro was speaking at a workshop on child marriage for Ada residents which seeks to educate the people to understand the dynamics and impact on society on child marriage, which was monitored by the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Ada.

The programme which was sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) brought together traditional leaders, Assembly Members, Civil Society Organizations, and Non-Governmental Organizations from the local community, as well as the National Commission for Civic Education, and Girl Child Coordinator among others.

She said the Gender Ministry is committed to providing girls with the necessary tools including education to fight for their rights and make informed decisions about their lives.

Madam Banfro defined child marriage as a formal or informal union entered into by an individual before reaching a certain age, specified by some global organizations as high as the age of 18.

She mentioned that many young boys and girls get married before they can reach the age 18 and the most affected are girls saying the act takes place for a number of reasons.

Mr. Adator Anani Junior, Ada-East District HIV Coordinator said according to a data released by UNICEF, 15 million girls marry before their 18th birthday worldwide.

Breaking the statistics, he said 41,000 girls get married every day while 28 get married every minute and a girl got married every second.

He said the act robbed the affected girls of their dignity and also prevented them from realizing their full potential and contribution to society.

Ms. Juliana Abbeyquaye, Department of Gender, Eastern Region outlined three types of marriage as Customary, Ordinance, and Islamic under the Mohammedan ordinance.

She said the Criminal Offense Act, 1960 (Act29) section 109 criminalizes compulsion marriage, and section 97 stated that whoever commits rape shall be guilty of a first-degree felony and called on stakeholders to help end child marriage in the country.
06.10.2022 LISTEN

Ghana has only one major problem which when effectively resolved, all shall be well with her

Many a Ghanaian may dispute the fact that Ghana has only one major problem that is holding her back from succeeding in her attempts for socio-economic emancipation. This problem, although as easy to be resolved at the crack of the fingers in the white mans land, is so insurmountable to Ghanaians and their leadership.

At this point of my brief statement, who among the public readers can guess what the problem is? It is not the official corruption of malfeasance, embezzling state funds and assets. It is neither the lies, insults, false prophecies and the ongoing havoc being wreaked on Ghana by the illegal surface and alluvial mining, otherwise called galamsey.

What is it then, a curious mind may query?

Before the writer tells you the exact problem, he will first have you to note the following proverbial saying by the Akan elders in Ghana. They say, when you cut off the head of a snake, the rest of its body will have become a rope.

A rope is lifeless. A rope lying on the ground by itself without anyone making a noose of it is harmless. This is the implication the elders seek to carry across, or impart, to us, when they talk about a snake with its head chopped off.

Ghanas major problem that has begotten all the obviously known problems is the non-enforcement of the laws. Ghana as a state, has got many laws entrenched in the constitution, many made by parliament and some by the courts to become references as in case law or High Court rules.

If the laws were to be enforced, the official corruption with its ramifications and metamorphoses into kidnappings, murders, arsons, insults, depletion of state coffers and any other problems militating against the progress of Ghana as you can think of, will become the thing of the past.

The head of all the problems in Ghana, both known and unknown, is the lack of, or inability, to enforce the obedience of the laws.

There is a law against stealing, yet people steal with impunity. There is a law against embezzlement of funds and state assets, yet some people in positions of trust embezzle funds and state assets and get away with it. It is all because there is a complete laxity in the enforcement of the laws hence people becoming emboldened to commit crimes with passion.

Until laws are fully respected through strictest enforcement as prevails in countries like Singapore and the Western developed countries, Ghana will continue to stagnate, wobble, if not retrogress, in all her attempts to develop.

There is no proper but shoddy development in the absence of the enforcement of the laws.

For example, there is a presidential directive against illegal surface and alluvial mining in Ghana yet, some foreigners in Ghana, especially the Chinese, let alone, native Ghanaians, are flouting the directive with the knowledge that nothing serious will happen to them if caught.

If there was a serious mechanism in place to enforce the obedience of the laws in Ghana, we will not be experiencing that magnitude of underdevelopment with a huge indebtedness to foreign countries including China, as we are witnessing.

The enforcement of the law to rid Ghana of all the problems she is going through is like cutting off the head of a highly venomous snake to render it harmless.

It is a leader who can enforce the strictest adherence to the laws that Ghana needs. Without any such leader but the usual believers in "the whirlwind will settle at last", therefore you had better leave the law to take its natural course no matter how long it takes, the country is in trouble.

To have populists persons who are indeed hollow in substance at the helm of the nation's affairs, my country Ghana is doomed and consigned to a slippery slope into enslavement by the Chinese in this 21st Century.

Rockson Adofo

Wednesday, 5 October 2022
06.10.2022 LISTEN

The Coalition of Zongo leaders against Open Defecation in the Ashanti Region on Thursday, October 6, paid a courtesy call on the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Usman Nuhu Sharubutu.

The purpose of the visit was mainly to seek his support for a nationwide fight against open defecation in Zongo communities across the country.

Earlier this year in July, the office of the Ashanti Regional Chief Imam had an engagement with a team of officers from the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.

At the end of the engagement, the Ministrys team sought permission to promote ownership of household toilets during the Eid-ul-Adhar Prayers at the Central Mosque.

Subsequently, the office of the Ashanti Regional Chief Imam led a campaign to promote the ownership of household toilets, leading to the birth of the Coalition of Zongo leaders against Open Defecation.

Riding on the back of the campaign, the Ashanti Regional Chief Imam and the members of the coalition are in Accra this week asking the National Chief Imam to get involved to make the promotion of household toilets in Zongo communities a nationwide agenda.

With all these plans and activities ongoing, the Office of Ashanti Regional Chief Imam, in consultation with all the Imams and Zongo Chiefs in the Eight Assemblies decided to pay a courtesy call on the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Usman Nuhu Sharubutu, who was also made the Chief Sanitation Patron by the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah in 2019, to seek his blessings for the Coalition of Zongo Leaders Against Open Defecation and buy-in for effective implementation of the Project in low communities in Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional Chief Imam, Shaikh Imam Abdul Mumin Haruna said when his office called on the National Chief Imam today.

He added, We will therefore entreat His Eminence to nominate an officer from his Office to liaise with the Ashanti Regional Office to ensure that all Imams across the country join in the Coalition of Zongo leaders Against Open Defecation.

According to Shaikh Imam Abdul Mumin Haruna, the call for the Project to be extended to all Zongo Communities is premised on the fact that the Projects design through the provision of the biodigester toilet technology is very convenient for the Zongo communities because it does not require too much space to construct.

Also, the price of the facilities being 1200ghc for a complete toilet and 700ghc for a biodigester with a toilet seat and handwashing basin is very affordable for low-income households, he continued.

The delegation, whilst in Accra, will also pay a courtesy call on the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources today later today to assure her of their support to the Ministry, not only in the fight against open defecation but also to assist in improving sanitation in Greater Kumasi and beyond.

The delegation will cap the trip to Accra with Prayers and promotion of household toilets at the National Mosque, Kanda on Friday 7th October 2022 at 1:00 pm prompt.
Babies should ideally weigh about 2,500g or more at birth . Birth weight is a vital indicator of foetal and neonatal health. If a newborn weighs less than 2,500g  because they are preterm or their growth in the womb was restricted for some reason  they are more at risk of death, disability and noncommunicable diseases.

The low birth weight infant's tiny body is not as strong as it should be. The baby might struggle to gain weight and fight infection. And with so little body fat, these babies often have difficulty staying warm in normal temperatures.

Low birth weight is the primary cause of infant morbidity and mortality in Nigeria.

The factors that are known to influence a baby's weight at birth include duration of pregnancy, and maternal characteristics like age, parity (the number of times a woman has given birth) and illness, as well as adverse environmental exposures.

One factor that hasn't been studied much in Nigeria is the type of cooking fuel that the baby's mother uses or is exposed to during pregnancy. My research group suspected this might be a significant factor because of the high prevalence of low birth weight in Nigeria and the fact that biomass fuel is commonly used .

Nigeria is among the five countries where most preterm and small-for-gestational-age infants are born. About 5.9 million babies are born in Nigeria each year , and 15% of these newborns have a low birth weight accounting for 25% of infant mortality.

Our study explored the association between biomass cooking fuel and birth weight among full term births in Kaduna, northwestern Nigeria. We found there was a link  and this was supported by data from the nationally representative Demographic and Health Survey . Mothers in Kaduna who were exposed to biomass fuel gave birth to infants who were on average 113g lighter than those using liquefied petroleum gas, which is a cleaner fuel . Nationally, mothers using biomass had infants weighing 50g lower at birth than those using clean fuel.

Exposure to biomass fuel combustion during pregnancy could adversely affect foetal growth or increase preterm birth risk, resulting in a child born early or small for gestational age and thus creating further health risks for the child.

Biomass fuel includes wood, animal dung, charcoal and crop residues. It is used worldwide for cooking, heating and lighting. Biomass fuels and kerosene are still widely used in urban and rural Nigeria due to supply and demand issues driving household energy choices.

The study results show the importance of efforts to make safer fuel choices available.

Kaduna and national Nigerian data

Our study focused only on term infants because duration of pregnancy independently affects birth weight, and multiple factors influence preterm birth.

We conducted the primary analysis based on a study of 1,514 mother-child pairs in Kaduna, northwestern Nigeria. Kaduna is the fourth largest city in Nigeria, with a population of 1.6 million.

To validate the primary analysis, we repeated it using data from 6,975 mother-child pairs in the most recent Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018 .

The primary analysis classified cooking fuel types as liquefied petroleum gas, kerosene and biomass fuel (including charcoal, wood, crops or straw, and animal dung). In the survey, cooking fuels were categorised into low pollution fuel (electricity, liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas), kerosene and biomass fuel.

In both analyses, we observed that the impact of biomass use on birth weight was greater than the impact of liquefied petroleum gas or kerosene.

The results highlight the need for public health intervention. Reducing adverse birth outcomes like low birth weight will depend on addressing regional disparities in the key determinants.

Our results showed that birth order, household size, and socio-economic status influenced cooking fuel choice, which is consistent with existing literature . It is reasonable that the women least able to use clean cooking fuels will be those who:

live in households of five or more people

live in poorer households

have given birth at least once before.

This could be due to cost and unreliable fuel supply. Women with more children or living in larger households might also cook with bigger pots, requiring longer cooking times, which increases their exposure to indoor air pollution from biomass fuel use.

Recommendations

We recommend that pregnant women attending antenatal care be asked about cooking fuels and given help to minimise prenatal biomass exposure. Some recent intervention trials conducted in low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria, have shown that transition from biomass fuel to cleaner fuels reduces air pollution and improves outcomes like birth weight .

Interventions to reduce indoor air pollution could include a stove subsidy, fuel subsidy, fuel ban and behaviour change communication.

It's important first to understand why a household uses a particular cooking fuel.

It is also vital to learn from other household health interventions, such as sanitation and nutrition. These can enhance an understanding of what bars or enables adoption of a new method.

Musa Kana 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 Musa Kana, Perinatal Epidemiologist, Federal University Lafia
Judges and Officers of the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights (African Court) undertook a visit to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg.

The peer-to-peer bench-marking visit was held by a delegation composed of Judges and Registry Officers of the African Court led by its President, Lady Justice Imani D. Aboud, with a view to build on the existing cooperation, share best practices and enhance knowledge on the regional protection of human rights.

The African Courts delegation met with the Vice-President of the ECtHR, Justice Jon Fridrik Kjolbro, together with several Judges of the Court and Registry Officers.

Strategic areas of cooperation were discussed in a main opening event during which the two institutions reaffirmed the relevance and context of their outstanding engagement. The bulk of the meeting was yet devoted to various substantive issues ranging from judicial practices to cooperation with states, and knowledge management.

While addressing the African Courts delegation at the opening session, ECHRs Vice-President Kjolbro stressed the commonalities in the mandates of the two regional human rights Courts, which, he also noted, encounter similar challenges despite their peculiar socio-political contexts.

He recalled the need to pursue systematic efforts towards greater judicial dialogue by drawing on the existing framework set out namely under the 2019 Kampala and 2018 San Jose Declarations which also involve the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

In highlighting the imperative need for dialogue, Vice-President Kjolbro reiterated the ECHRs practice of drawing inspiration from all relevant international norms and principles  thus including the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights  with an emphasis on converging provisions with the European Convention on Human Rights.

President Imani D. Aboud on her part echoed the sentiments expressed by her host on the shared responsibility of the two Courts to dispense effective and speedy justice to victims of human rights violations. She underscored the need to trade best justice solutions to issues that are domestic in their occurrence but global in the way they affect humanity when justice is not dispensed timely and effectively, or not at all.

While acknowledging efforts to institutionalize judicial dialogue between the three active regional courts, President Aboud insisted on the urgent necessity to take existing agreements to the next level by framing tangible tools and mechanisms for mutual reinforcement based on exchanges that carry an increased capacity to contextualisation.

She recalled the significant inspiration that the African Court gained from the ECHR in building an African human rights jurisprudence, and prompted the ECtHR to look into the fast developing case-law of the African Court in dealing with judicial quandaries that are increasingly converging in both continents regarding issues such as constitutional democracy, self-determination, and civic rights.

The two-day exchanges also involved more specific substantive topics related to best practices on case management, drafting of legal documents and judicial decisions, and reduction of backlog especially in respect of innovative ways to deliver justice swiftly without compromising quality.

The two Courts also shared experiences on the execution of judgments, lessons learnt regarding knowledge management and, lastly on the future of their cooperation.

As the only operational judicial organ of the African Union, the African Court has adopted judicial dialogue as one of the key pillars of its current strategic plan.

This strategic option is geared towards achieving its mandate to effectively protect and enforce the rights guaranteed in the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and other applicable international norms.

In this regard, this peer-to-peer visit served as one of the activities intended to pursue judicial dialogue in a systemized manner.

In concluding their exchanges, the two institutions alluded to importance of continued dialogue on all platforms including virtual and physical.

They agreed to develop a plan for exchange of judges and staff and also to widen the network of cooperation to other international tribunals which do not have a direct mandate of human rights but nonetheless engage in the protection of human rights and development of its norms.
President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, said the entire nation owed the military and other sister security agencies a debt of gratitude for walking the talk, as he basked in the euphoria of the safe release of the remaining 23 kidnapped Abuja-Kaduna train passengers held in captivity by Boko Haram terrorists since March 28.

In a release by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, Buhari said the agencies had shown outstanding capabilities over the period that the whole world would not fail to take note of. He urged them to sustain the momentum.

The Defence Headquarters gave a sketchy insight into how the victims, currently in hospitals for medical examination and debriefing, were released and had since been kept in its custody.

There were indications that the recent arrest, in Cairo, Egypt, of Tukur Mamu, publisher of Desert Herald, and media aide to renowned Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, might have played a role in the successful operation to free the abductees.

The president said in the statement, "This country's Armed Forces are as good as any. Given needed support and encouragement, as we have been doing, there is no task that they cannot accomplish. I commend them for this remarkable outcome."

While expressing satisfaction with the successful deployment of both kinetic and non-kinetic processes, leading to the eventual safe release of the remaining hostages, Buhari also congratulated the families of the victims on having them back alive. He said the relief that came to the country from the closure of the kidnap saga must be sustained at all times, all over the federation.

The president also credited his government for resolving the train incident and for reduction in terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping, which had surged recently. He assured that the efforts would be sustained.

The traumatic experience of the remaining 23 victims lasted seven whole months after they were kidnapped in a Kaduna-bound train attacked by terrorists. Their freedom ended many sleepless nights of horror and torture in the hands of their merciless abductors.

In the attack, which occurred on March 28, at least eight persons were reportedly killed, with others either kidnapped or declared missing. The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) had put the total number of passengers onboard at 362 before the attack.

While the victims were released in batches after alleged payment of ransoms, the terrorists claimed a few of them were freed on compassionate grounds.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) announced the release of the hostages about 4pm. DHQ said in a statement by the secretary of the joint Presidential Committee and Chief of Defense Staff Action Committee (CDSAC), set up for the purpose of freeing the victims, Professor Usman Yusuf, that the released hostages were already in its custody.

The committee stated that other security agencies and the Federal Ministry of Transportation contributed immensely to the operation. It said the committee secured the release and took custody of the kidnap victims.

The statement said, "I am pleased to announce to the nation and the world that at 1600Hrs. (4:00pm) today, Wednesday 5-10-2022, the seven-man Presidential Committee assembled by the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General 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.

"The nation owes a debt of gratitude to the Nigerian Military under the leadership of the CDS, 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 statement further said, "The unwavering support of the President and Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, is what made it all possible.

"Members of this committee are grateful for the rare honour and privilege to be part of this humanitarian operation. May God Almighty heal our wounds and bring peace to our land."

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The terrorists had demanded the release of their colleagues at Kuje Prison in a swap deal for the kidnapped passengers. But after failing to have their demands met, the insurgents launched an audacious attack on Kuje Prison and freed 40 Boko Haram members detained in the facility, a situation that triggered a bedlam in the country.

While the hostages remained in the custody of the terrorists, the Department of State Services (DSS) announced the arrest Mamu. He had functioned as a negotiator between the terrorists and relations of the kidnapped victims as it related to ransom payment.

The DSS had said, in a statement, that Mamu was in its custody as "a person of interest". It added later that he was arrested on his way to a terrorism summit.

A subsequent statement by the DSS said findings during a raid on Mamu's residence were mind-boggling.

Consequently, an Abuja Federal High Court later granted a request by the DSS to detain Mamu for 60 more days.
06.10.2022 LISTEN

Former Ghana Attorney General of Ghana, Martin Amidu is asking government to explain to Ghanaians why Tanzania has been able to abolish levies imposed on digital transactions but the same cannot be done here.

According to Mr. Amidu, the government of Ghana has decided to behave like a vampire always eager to suck every drop of economic blood from its citizens.

In his view, that has been the reason why government is unwilling to abolish the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) although Ghana has more natural resources than Tanzania.

Ghanaians deserve an explanation as to why Tanzanian Government is able to manage its economy by abolishing the levies imposed on digital transactions on its citizens with effect from 1 October 2022 while the Government of Ghana which boasts of more natural resources is still determined to behaving like a vampire sucking the economic blood of its citizens, Martin Amidu has stressed in his latest epistle.

He further asks, Is Tanzania on a different planet where the effects of Covid -19 pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine are absent? We need to know!

READ MORE: IMF as a smokescreen to ram austerity budget down the throats of Ghanaians

Meanwhile, the former Special Prosecutor has warned that the worst of the hardships being experienced by Ghanaians at the moment is yet to come.

He foresees government hiding behind the current economic challenges that have necessitated talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to push down the throat of Ghanaians more hardships.

We saw how against all odds the government bought its way to have its policies approved last year. This year, the International Monetary Fund is to be the excuse for Ghanaians being asked to tighten their belts while the political elite loosens theirs and feed fat on our sweat.

We should not wait for the IMF to be used by the authors of our economic hardships to blackmail the nation and ram an austerity budget down our throats without any consultation for our inputs into and acceptance of the proposals. We have a duty to ask for transparency and accountability now. The 1992 Constitution gives us the right to do so and put Ghana First, Lawyer Martin Amidu has indicated in his latest release.

Martin Amidu of the strong conviction that it is time for patriots and crusading civil society organizations to insist and demand transparency and accountability from government in the manner the negotiation with the IMF is being undertaken now.

He insists that the failure of Ghanaian patriots and civil society to speak up now will lead to grand extortion and corruption when the budget comes to be debated and approved both inside and outside Parliament.
A leading member of the ruming New Patriotic Party (NPP) Gabby Otchere-Darko has said he stands by his earlier comment that posterity shall not forgive President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the current generation if the fight against illegal small scale mining (galamsey) is not won.

This was after he was remined of the earlier comment he made regarding the fight against galamsey that government must win the war.

Posterity will surely judge as meanly and legitimately so if we do not protect for future generations what was bequeathed to us, the former Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, said.

Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has admitted that the fight against Galamsey has not been an easy one.

He said he has not achieved the results he was looking for in the fight but the government is determined to win the battle against the menace.

Since I took office 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. It has not been popular and we have not got the result that I was looking for, Mr Akufo-Addo said during a meeting with the National House of Chiefs and the Municipal, Metropolitan and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Kumasi on Wednesday October 5.

READ ALSO: A/R: NDC name top NPP officials involved in galamsey but not arrested

He further told the National House of Chiefs that the task to protect the lands and the environment from the effect of Galamsey is a joint responsibility between the government and the traditional authorities.

Mr Akufo-Addo explained that 80 per cent of the lands in Ghana are in the custody of the chiefs.

This means they have a role to play in protecting the resource, he said.

He said 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 reminder 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.

The chiefs on their part assured Mr Akufo-Addo that they are solidly behind his administration to apply appropriate measures against all persons involved in Galamsey in the country.

President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyeb indicated that galamsey is having a negative effect on the environment and also threatens revenue mobilsation in the country hence, their resolve to support the President and government in fighting it.

READ ALSO: We'll live with it if Parliament passes anti-gay bill  GBA president

He said 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 mobilsation 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 illegal mining irrespective of their status.

3news.com|Ghana
A District Court has ordered the Director General, Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to furnish it with an independent report on the safety of persons being held over the murder of a new bride at Abeka.

Muniratu Moro was murdered a few days after she was married off at Abeka, a suburb of Accra.

The Kaneshie District Court gave the order whiles delivering its ruling on a stay of execution, pending an appeal filed by the Attorney General.

The Court on September 22, this year granted bail to four accused persons namely: lmoro Salifu Zakaria, 44 and Adams Salifu Zakaria both Land Surveyors, Amdiya Mohammed, a 33-year-old trader, and Abass Mohammed, a 27-year-old Labourer.

They were granted GHS300,000 bail with three sureties to be justified with landed property by the Court presided over by Mr Oheneba Kufuor, a Circuit Court Judge sitting with additional Magisterial duties.

The Court in its ruling turned down the application for stay of execution pending an appeal.

It however ruled that it was waiting for the CID Boss' independent report on the safety of the accused persons.

It noted that it needed security report on the accused persons because at the last sitting it witnessed the commotion that took place at the court premises.

Additionally, the Court noted that the case investigator also informed it about the safety of the accused after the grant of bail.

Lawyers for the accused however indicated that if the case investigator provided the Court with the safety report on the accused, he could prejudice the said report hence it wanted an independent report from different police officer or the Regional Crime Officer.

According to the Court, the accused persons could not continue to be on remand forever.

It said the State could go ahead and file its appeal at the High Court within the 14-day period.

At the last sitting, the Attorney General Office represented by Mr Adu Gyamfi, a State Attorney, had argued that since the Court had no jurisdiction to try the case, it also had no jurisdiction to grant bail.

Defence Counsel for the accused persons held the opinion that once the Court had power to remand the accused persons, it also had the power to grant bail.

The accused persons are standing trial for the murder of the Muniratu Moro who was recently married as a second wife.

On August 28, this year Police say, before the marriage of the deceased, Salifu and Amdiya had disagreement over the deceased becoming a second wife.

Days after Muniratu was married off, she was found stabbed several times.

Police investigations led to the arrest of the accused persons.

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime to wit, murder, and murder.

The District Court has preserved their pleas.

The matter has been adjourned to October 20.

GNA
A child development worker says caring for children to become responsible adults goes beyond feeding and clothing.

Children must be known, love, protected and cared for to become responsible adults.

Mrs Emily Adevor, Project Facilitator of Adaklu/Agotime Cluster of Frontline Church Partners, gave the advice during the fourth anniversary celebration of the Adaklu Abuadi Lords Pentecostal Church International Child Development Centre at Adaklu Tsriefe in the Adaklu district.

Frontline Church Partners are churches that are being sponsored by Compassion International Ghana (CIG), a Christian Non-Governmental Organisation, to improve their children ministry and release them from poverty.

Mrs Adevor said, in addition to providing children with their basic needs, parents should spend quality time with them and make them their friends.

Care about what goes on in their lives and let them have confidence in you, she advised.

The Project Facilitator noted that with the escalating crime rate in the country, children were being defiled, kidnapped and molested because they were vulnerable.

She urged parents and other stakeholders to be vigilant and protect children from all forms of abuse, including physical, socio-emotional and spiritual abuses.

Mrs Adevor said child abuse cases should not be swept under the carpet but be reported to the law enforcement agencies, adding child abuse cases are enough grounds for CIG to terminate its contract with a Frontline Church Partner.

Mad. Juliana Kpedekpo, the Adaklu District Chief Executive, in a speech read on her behalf, called on parents to avoid shifting all their parental responsibilities to the CIG but exchange their comfort with investing in their childrens education.

She said education was the bedrock of all development and assured that she would do all in her power to assist CIG to succeed in its work in Adaklu.

Ms Grace Kuegbe, Project Director of the Centre, said the project started with 180 beneficiaries, who were between three and six years in 2018 and a Survival programme was later added to cater for pregnant mothers and children under one year with 230 beneficiaries.

Ms Kuegbe said funds raised at the celebration would be used to start an office complex for the Centre.

Mr Roger Avornu, who chaired the function, was full of praise for CIG for the yeomans job that it was doing to build a better and brighter future for children.

An amount of more than 8,000 Ghana Cedis was raised at the programme.

GNA
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06.10.2022 LISTEN

Former President, John Dramani Mahama has underscored the need for Akufo-Addo's government to tackle the growing rate of youth unemployment in the country.

He asserts the high rate of youth joblessness is a matter of national security concern that needs serious tackling.

Government owe it as a responsibility to do all they can to secure the peace and safety of the nation but above all to reduce youth unemployment. This is necessary to ensure that the young people do not become easily recruitable to fill the ranks of the insurgence due to frustration and lack of opportunity, says Mr. Mahama.

He was speaking as a special guest of honour at the 2022 Convocation at Liberty University in Michigan of the United States.

The former President while condemning the activities of Boko Haram in the sub-region revealed that the youth stand a chance of being recruited if opportunities are not created for them.

Ghana is an Island of religious calmness in a sea of turbulence as almost all our surrounding neighbours have in recent times experienced some major form of insurgency, coup d'etats or other conflicts including religious conflicts.

In all these acts, one thing is clear, leadership at all levels including the family, the school, the church, the government all have the responsibility to educate and inform the impress young members of our society about the imminent threats and dangers out there, he emphasized.

Terrorist activities happening in Sahelian countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali have become a major concern to the government, hence the need for stringent measures to ensure the safety of the citizenry.

Ghana's security agencies have been put on high alert over threats of terrorism in the country.

The government said several efforts are underway to ensure that the country is protected from any form of attack following reports that terrorist groups are looking to expand southward, with countries such as Ghana in focus.
Lithium developer Lake Resources [ASX:LKE] announced a conditional framework agreement (CFA) with WMC Energy for up to 25,000tpa of battery-grade lithium a year.

Under the CFA, WMC will acquire 10% of LKE at $1.20 per share to support the development of LKEs Kachi Project in Argentina.

The offtake represents 50% of Kachis lithium production capacity on a 10-year initial term with an option to extend for a further five years.

LKE shares were up 5% late on Thursday.

LKE shares have been down 50% over the past six months.

Source: tradingview.com

LKEs agreement with WMC Energy

On Thursday, lithium developer Lake Resources announced a CFA with WMC Energy.

The CFA concerns a potential offtake of up to 25,000 metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) of battery-grade lithium sourced from LKEs Kachi project.

The agreement also includes an investment in LKE, which gives WMC a 10% stake.

Lake Resources states that the investment and offtake agreement will continue de-risk its project for its financiers and investors.

The CFA includes the 10% investment in LKE at AU$1.20 per share and an offtake of 50% of Kachis overall lithium production (up to 25,000mtpa).

The offtake is to have an initial term of 10 years, with an option to extend for a further five years.

Pricing is to be set at an agreed market price based on a discount on the average quoted price.

The CFA is conditional. The following conditions must eventuate to become binding:

Successful DFS being released. Lilac Demonstration Plant having successfully operated for a certain period of time, producing certain volumes. Successful and satisfactory completion of due diligence by WMC Energy. Formal agreements, regulatory approvals and ASX waiver.

What is interesting is the vague qualification of work associated with the Lilac demonstration plant. The plant must be operated for a certain period of time and produce certain volumes.

Neither the duration nor the volumes were quantified.

Once both companies are satisfied with the conditions, the CFA becomes unconditional.

Lake Resources says the investment will propel Kachi progress by strengthening the companys longer-term shareholder base and injecting equity into the companys drawdown debt facilities used for development.

LKEs Executive Chairman, Stu Crow, stated:

The CFA delivers a long-term strategic alignment with WMC and its supply chain into its European and North American customers. WMC Energy has a track record of being a market leader in nuclear fuels and expanded into battery materials including lithium to serve predominantly the US and European lithium-ion battery supply chain for EVs with their strategic needs.

WMCs Business Development Director Amrish Ritoe commented:

WMC is excited to support Lake Resources in its endeavours to make the Kachi Project a success. The engagement under the CFA will help Lake Resources expand its downstream footprint across the European and North American lithium-ion battery supply chain, enabling Lake to optimally benefit from the anticipated growth in demand for battery materials like lithium carbonate across these markets.

With ouqr extensive network in Europe and North America, we are well positioned to create a partnership with Lake and others that will help Lake to accelerate the development of the Kachi Project.

Lake Resources lithium in the US and Europe

David Dickson, LKEs new CEO, claims the CFA will enable LKE to ramp up production and open it up as an opportunity for further partners to participate in upcoming projects.

Mr Dickson stated:

Increasing customer and consumer scrutiny around the environmental and ethical credentials of lithium projects particularly from the European markets drives our focus on sustainable extraction.

Lithium and EV adoption

In 2021, junior lithium stocks like Lake Resources were some of the top performers on the All Ords.

Now, however, LKE is well down from its 52-week high.

While trading in lithium stocks is less exuberant in 2022, demand for the actual white metal remains strong.

So are any overlooked lithium stocks still out there?

Our latest research report on the lithium industry suggests yes.

Get a free rundown of three Aussie neglected lithium stocks worth checking out here.

Regards,

Kiryll Prakapenka,

For Money Morning
She said: "Our rules are probably stricter than most. Our kids don't have social media. They're allowed to look sometimes when it's our phones. Sometimes, our kids will be like 'you guys are the strictest household!' But I say, 'yes, but everyone still wants to come here!' Because at that age, there's nothing better than 'Paw Patrol.' And now you're 10 and [13], and you still have these tattoos on your face and it's not even who you are anymore. That's a very hard concept for kids to grasp."
Press Release

October 6, 2022 Excerpts from Interview with Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III The Big Story by One News Q: On the Singapore trip of President Marcos. Do you agree with ES Bersamin to even ask about the President's trip to Singapore is irrelevant? Pimentel: No, when he appeals to defend the budget of the OP, we will ask him that question. Sino ang gumastos sa trip sa F1 race. That is very important to know. We all know na hindi siya official visit. But was it an official trip? That's the question. Huwag na niyang pangunahan why we are asking the source of funds. It is important to know. If it's personal, there might be only one follow-up question. If it's official, there will be many follow-up questions. Q: Pwede po ba talaga yung "break". If this was a personal trip, what should be the code of conduct for officials? Pimentel: Syempre, we all need time to rest and to recharge. Ang question ko na lang, you are entitled to your break time but did you really have to go abroad to get your rest? Because, ang sab inga ni ES Bersamin, he is president and he is president 24/7, 7 days a week. So, we need him to be accessible and we need to know where he is. If you are going to take a break outside of your territorial jurisdiction, you should inform somebody so contingency plans are in place. Q: At the end of this week, the Marcos administration will mark its 100 days. What's your take on the first 100 days? Pimentel: This is really a very difficult time to govern. The world's situation is very unpredictable, if not chaotic. Ano sana tayo, eyes on the ball. Let us not be distracted. Let us give our responsibility 100 percent of our focus and attention. You are entitled to a break pero, can you not do it within your country? Must you go abroad just to have a break? Q: Given everything that has happened, do you believe that President Marcos has his eyes on the ball? Pimentel: From the reports that we get, I believe he's trying his best pero bawas-bawasan na lang natin itong mga kilos or activities which give us a hint of some insensitivity to what our people are going through right now. Mahirap ang buhay ngayon. Dito na lang sa Metro Manila, ilan ang beggars na nakikita natin. Being a leader, I think we need to feel for our people. Let us try to feel the pain and the difficulties that they are going through.
The data privacy laws which were introduced in 1998, include a broad range of rights and obligations on data controllers, such as companies, to protect personal information. However, it is the responsibility of the data subject to protect his/her own interests.

In Spain, the general data protection act has been replaced by the Law on Protection of Personal Data (LOPD). This legislation provides a comprehensive framework for the collection, processing, management and use of personal data.

The Law on Data Protection defines the following categories of data controller and of data subject:

Data Controller

According to Delphix, a Data Controller is any natural or legal person who determines, collects, processes or uses personal data, for any purpose or purposes.

The definition of "purpose" includes:

> the performance of a contract with the data subject;

> the exercise of a pre-contractual relationship with the data subject;

> the provision of a service to the data subject.

The definition of "data processing" includes:

> the collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, modification, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure, dissemination, marketing, communication, publication, sharing or any other form of processing.

Data Subject

A natural or legal person who is subject to data processing activities. Data subjects should be aware of the fact that data processing may imply a change in the form of the personal data previously processed. Data subjects should not consent to such processing unless they are fully aware of the potential consequences.

The following types of data processing are governed by the LOPD:

> Collection and use of personal data for direct marketing purposes

> Collecting personal data for purposes other than those specified in the law

> Processing data which is transferred to a third country or to an international organization.

> Legal protection against the misuse of personal data

> The right of data subjects to object to the processing of their personal data

> The right to request rectification or erasure of data

> The right to request the restriction of processing

> The right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

> The right to data portability

> The right to object to automated decision making and profiling

> The right to withdraw data protection consent at any time

> Any other rights provided by the law

The LOPD introduces the concept of "processing operations". Processing operations are defined as:

Processing performed by automated means, including, for example, the creation of a data record, the selection of a data record, the linking of a data record to other data records, the updating, the alteration, the addition or the deletion of data, the destruction or recovery of data.

Processing operations do not include:

> Transfers of data to a third country or to an international organization.

> The sending of marketing communications.

> The establishment of links between different data records.

> In the field of telecommunications, the term "communications service" includes:

> The transmission of messages.

> The provision of voice communication services.

> The provision of data communication services.

> The provision of video communication services.

> The provision of Internet access services.

> The provision of telephony services.

> The provision of telematics services.

The LOPD regulates the following areas of personal data:

> Personal data provided directly to the data controller.

> Personal data provided directly to another person, where the data controller has the right to obtain that person's agreement to provide the data.

> Personal data provided directly to a professional intermediary, where the data controller has the right to obtain that intermediary's agreement to provide the data.

> Personal data provided directly to an organization, which is designated in the relevant contract with the data subject

How the GDPR works

GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation. It came into effect on May 25th 2018 and replaces the Data Protection Directive. It applies to all EU member states. The GDPR is the new regulation and applies to the processing of personal data of individuals residing in Europe, regardless of nationality.

The GDPR covers the processing of all kinds of personal data, including sensitive personal data. It contains detailed rules about data collection, data retention, consent, and data protection officers. The GDPR applies to all kinds of personal data, including sensitive personal data. This includes your e-mail address and your name.

The GDPR has been designed to ensure the rights of individuals, including the right to know what data we are collecting about them, the right to request the removal of data they have provided, and the right to be protected against automated decision-making. It is also intended to ensure that individuals can exercise their rights through automated mechanisms.

The GDPR does not apply to the processing of personal data that was previously processed by the EU under Directive 95/46/EC, which has been replaced by the GDPR.

To comply with the new regulation, organizations should begin the process of assessing whether they need to make any changes in their business practices.

There is no one size fits all solution

As with the directive, there is no one size fits all solution. To ensure that you are compliant with the GDPR, you must assess each of your business processes and establish whether you require a general consent, a specific consent, or opt-out consent, depending on the circumstances.

A general consent should be provided in cases where the data collected cannot be linked to an identified or identifiable person. For instance, this could be information collected about you as a customer, such as the date and time of purchase, products purchased, location, etc.

A specific consent should be sought in cases where the data collected can be associated with an identified or identifiable person. In these cases, you should ask the individual for permission to process their personal data for the purposes of marketing, profiling and providing personalized content, such as newsletters.

An opt-out consent should be given to individuals when the data is not to be used for the purpose of marketing, profiling and providing personalized content. This could be the case when data is collected to create a user profile that is not associated with an identified or identifiable person.

Elements and Bases that can be used to process Data

As for consent, there are two distinct elements. The first element is the basis for the processing of the data. There are four different bases that can be used to process data. These are:

 Consent

 Legal basis

 Performance of a contract

 Legitimate interest

The second element is the scope of the data. The GDPR sets out to protect the privacy of individuals. Therefore, data that is relevant for marketing or profiling purposes is limited to what is necessary and proportionate for the purpose.

Organizations must therefore have the ability to demonstrate that their processing of personal data falls within the legitimate interest exception. This means that they must explain why they are interested in collecting and using data. It is not sufficient to say that they are interested in the performance of the service.

Differences between the GDPR and AEPD

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was designed to bring the worlds laws closer together by creating a single set of privacy rules across Europe. But the laws new regulations are coming into force just as the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) is working on its own set of privacy laws.

The Spanish Data Protection Authority (AEPD) acts as the supervisory authority for personal data protection in Spain. They were set up in 2010 in order to replace the Supervisory Authority of the Information Society (ARCE) as the data protection agency of the country. The main goal of the AEPD is to protect the rights of individuals and users of personal data. In this case, the term person means natural persons, legal persons and public administrations. The two are similar in scope but there are some key differences.

A few of the major differences between the GDPR and the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) include:

1. Data retention requirements: In the EU, organizations must store data that they collect for 15 years. In Spain, the data must be retained for 6 years.

2. Right of access: GDPR gives individuals the right to ask organizations to provide access to their data. This right does not apply in Spain.

3. Right to erasure: GDPR allows individuals to request deletion of their personal data. There is no corresponding right in the AEPDs draft legislation.

4. Data security: The GDPR states that any breach of data security must be disclosed within 72 hours of discovery. In Spain, the AEPDs draft legislation says that a breach must be disclosed within one month.

5. Right to be forgotten: GDPR allows individuals to ask for removal of their personal data. Individuals in Spain are not able to request such information be removed.

6. Right to rectification: There is no corresponding right to rectification in the draft AEPD legislation.

7. Right to object: Individuals in Spain do not have the right to object to a business decision to process their data. In the EU, individuals have the right to withdraw consent.

8. Right to lodge a complaint: Individuals in Spain do not have the right to lodge a complaint with the AEPD. In the EU, complaints can be lodged with the supervisory authority.

9. Right to data portability: The GDPR allows individuals to transfer data from one organization to another, for example, when an individual changes jobs. This right does not apply in Spain.

10. Right to withdraw consent: Individuals can withdraw their consent in the EU. This right does not apply in Spain.

Organizations need to consider these differences when preparing to comply with the new GDPR rules and those in Spain. A full understanding of these differences is necessary to avoid non-compliance and avoid potential penalties.
Sri Lanka begins crucial debt restructuring talks with China View Photo

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP)  Sri Lankas president said Thursday his government has started debt restructuring discussions with China, an important step toward finalizing an International Monetary Fund rescue of the island nation from a severe economic crisis.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament on Thursday that initial talks will continue after Chinas Communist Party congress, which begins Oct. 16.

Wickremesinghe, who recently returned from a trip to Tokyo, said the Japanese government had agreed to mediate the talks with China.

China has been supporting us from ancient times and we believe they will do the same in these difficult times, Wickremesinghe said.

Sri Lanka is nearly bankrupt and has suspended repaying its $51 billion foreign debt, of which it must repay $28 billion by 2027.

Sri Lanka has reached a preliminary agreement with the IMF for a $2.9 billion rescue package over four years. Its completion hinges on assurances from Sri Lankas creditors on debt restructuring.

Separately on Thursday, Nandalal Weerasinghe, the governor of Sri Lankas Central Bank, told reporters that steps have been taken towards debt restructuring.

Sri Lanka has made a presentation to global creditors and held meetings with financial advisors, donor countries and commercial creditors.

The discussions were going forward, Weerasinghe said. But he declined to discuss the progress of the discussions, saying he prefers to maintain a radio silence to avoid affecting markets. An announcement will be made once an agreement is reached, he said.

Sri Lanka borrowed heavily from China over the past decade for infrastructure projects that include a seaport, airport and a city being built on reclaimed land. The projects failed to earn enough revenue to pay for the loans, a factor in Sri Lankas economic woes.

China is not Sri Lankas biggest creditor. It accounts for about 10% of Sri Lankas loans after Japan and the Asian Development Bank. However, Beijings assent for restructuring its loans is crucial. It has not committed to any restructuring, though it offered an additional loan.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Sri Lankas Central Bank announced that the countrys economy is estimated to have contracted by 4.8 per cent in the first half of 2022.

It also said the economy is expected to contract in the second half of 2022 as well due to tighter monetary and fiscal conditions, widespread shortages of various necessities including fuel, food and medicines, and uncertainties for businesses given the lack of accessible financing and foreign exchange.

___

See more AP Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific

By KRISHAN FRANCIS

Associated Press
UN rights body rejects Western bid to debate Xinjiang abuses View Photo

GENEVA (AP)  In a close diplomatic victory for China, the U.N.s top human rights body on Thursday voted down a proposal from Britain, Turkey, the United States and other mostly Western countries to hold a debate on alleged rights abuses against Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Chinas western Xinjiang region.

At the 47-member state Human Rights Council, 17 countries voted in favor, 19 were against, and 11 abstained in a vote to hold a debate on Xinjiang at its next session in March. The vote amounted to a test of political and diplomatic clout between the West and Beijing, and would have marked the first time that Chinas record on human rights would merit a specific agenda item at the council.

The result, prompting a smattering of applause in the chamber, followed days of diplomatic arm-twisting in Geneva and in many national capitals as leading Western countries tried to build momentum on a report from former U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelets office, released Aug. 31, which found that possible crimes against humanity had occurred in Xinjiang.

A simple majority of voting countries was required.

China locked down no votes among its usual allies, plus many African countries and Persian Gulf states Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Somalia was the only African country, and only member state of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to vote yes. Turkey is in the OIC, but doesnt have a council seat right now. Argentina, Brazil, India, Malaysia, Mexico and Ukraine were among countries that abstained.

This is a missed opportunity by council members to hold China to the same standard as other countries, Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress, said in a statement. The international community cannot fail the victims of the Uyghur genocide.

The U.N. rights offices report stopped short of referring to abuses against Uyghurs as genocide, but some Western countries have.

The make-up of the council rotates among U.N. member states each year, and China  a powerful country with a permanent seat on the Security Council  has never been the subject of a country-specific resolution at the council since it was founded more than 16 years ago.

The proposal was just to hold a debate, with no consistent monitoring of the rights situation, and amounted to just about the least intrusive form of scrutiny that the council could seek.

The call stopped short of creating a team of investigators to look into possible crimes in Xinjiang, or appointing a special rapporteur  a tacit acknowledgement by the Western countries that going after increasingly influential China would be a tall order.

After the vote, Chinas Foreign Ministry issued a lengthy statement saying that for some time now, the U.S. and some other Western countries have been misinforming the public about Xinjiang and seeking political manipulation in the name of human rights simply to smear Chinas image and contain Chinas development.

The issues that the Human Rights Council truly needs to focus on are the serious human rights violations concerning the U.S., the UK and some Western forces, including systemic racism and racial discrimination, the rights of refugees and migrants, rampant gun violence, unilateral coercive measures, and massive killings of innocent civilians in overseas military operations, said the statement, dated Friday but unsigned.

China says it never gave its support to Bachelets report, and warned of a bad precedent.

Michele Taylor, the U.S. ambassador, said the request for the debate aimed simply to provide neutral forum for discussion.

No country represented here today has a perfect human rights record, she said. No country, no matter how powerful, should be excluded from council discussions. This includes my country  the United States  and it includes the Peoples Republic of China.

Human rights groups have accused China of sweeping a million or more people from the minority groups into detention camps where many have said they were tortured, sexually assaulted, and forced to abandon their language and religion. The camps were part of what the rights groups have called a ruthless campaign against extremism in Xinjiang that included draconian birth control policies and restrictions on peoples movement.

Some leading human rights advocacy groups expressed disappointment, but vowed to keep working for victims of abuses against Uyghurs and others in Xinjiang.

Todays vote protects the perpetrators of human rights violations rather than the victims  a dismaying result that puts the U.N.s main human rights body in the farcical position of ignoring the findings of the U.N.s own human rights office, said Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnes Callamard.

Thirty member states silence  or worse, blocking of debate  in the face of the atrocities committed by the Chinese government further sullies the reputation of the Human Rights Council, she added.

China called the prison-like camps, complete with barbed wire and guard towers, centers for job training and de-radicalization. It says they have since been closed, although monitoring groups say many formal inmates have merely been shifted to ordinary prisons to serve lengthy sentences.

On Friday, as part of dozens of proposals before the council, member states are also to consider a proposal from 26 European Union countries to appoint a special rapporteur on Russia, citing a string of concerns about mass arrests and detentions; harassment of journalists, opposition politicians, activists and rights defenders; and crackdowns  at times violent  on protesters against President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine.

By JAMEY KEATEN

Associated Press
Turkey suggests Sweden, Finland can join NATO separately View Photo

PRAGUE (AP)  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday there is a difference in the approaches by Sweden and Finland to meeting Turkeys security demands for them to join NATO, suggesting they might join at separate times.

Turkey had threatened to block Sweden and Finlands membership in the 30-member defense alliance, accusing Stockholm and  to a lesser extent  Helsinki of supporting groups that Ankara deems to be terrorists.

NATO operates by consensus and the two Nordic countries need Turkeys approval to join. The parliaments of Turkey and Hungary have yet to ratify their accession.

As long as the terrorist organizations are demonstrating on the streets of Sweden, and as long as the terrorists are inside the Swedish parliament, there is not going to be a positive approach from Turkey towards Sweden, Erdogan said at a news conference at the inaugural summit of the European Political Community.

Erdogan said however, Turkeys stance toward Finland is more positive.

The relations with Finland are quite different in nature than those between Sweden and Turkey, Erdogan said. Finland is not a country where terrorists are roaming freely.

The Turkish leader added: NATO will have to make an eventual decision, and if they make a decision that is in favor of Finland, of course we will do everything that we are required to.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said Helsinki favors joining the alliance at the same time as Sweden.

From our perspective, it would be very important that Finland and Sweden would enter NATO together because we are both in the northern part of Europe, both in the same security geopolitical position, she said.

But of course we will continue the discussion and its now up to Turkey and also Hungary to make the decisions for ratification, Marin added.

Last week, Sweden announced that it would lift an arms embargo that it imposed on Turkey in 2019, following a Turkish military operation against the Kurdish militia YPG in Syria. The move was widely seen as a step aimed at securing Ankaras approval for its NATO membership.
Mexico pledges to bring 2nd lawsuit against gun dealers View Photo

MEXICO CITY (AP)  The Mexican government plans to bring another lawsuit against U.S. companies it claims are responsible for the flow of illegal weapons into Mexico, Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said Wednesday.

Ebrard suggested the new lawsuit could target gun shops or dealers in U.S. border states like Arizona who sell guns to straw purchasers who pass them on to smugglers, who then take the weapons into Mexico.

Ebrard said about 60% of the weapons seized in Mexico in recent years were believed to have been sold in 10 U.S. counties, mostly along the border. Mexico has very strict restrictions on weapon possession, but drug cartel violence has cost hundreds of thousands of lives in the country in recent years.

Mexico is going to file the second lawsuit in Arizona, and we are going to show that many of these outlets where they sell these products in these counties I mentioned, are dealing with straw purchasers, and criminal charges have to be brought, Ebrard said in an appearance before the Mexican Senate.

A recently enacted U.S. law defines straw purchasing as a crime, and sets out sentences of as much as 15 to 25 years if the offense is related to drug trafficking.

The announcement comes several days after a U.S. federal judge dismissed Mexicos first lawsuit against U.S. gun manufacturers. Ebrard said Mexico would appeal that decision.

The judge ruled Mexicos claims did not overcome the broad protection provided to gun manufacturers by the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act passed in 2005.

The law shields gun manufacturers from damages resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm.

Mexico was seeking at least $10 billion in compensation, but legal experts had viewed the lawsuit as a long shot.

The Mexican government estimates 70% of the weapons trafficked into Mexico come from the U.S., according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry. It said that in 2019 alone, at least 17,000 homicides in Mexico were linked to trafficked weapons.
Some statewide roadways where Caltrans crews removed trash View Photo

Sacramento, CA  A major milestone for the Clean California initiative as it hit 1 million cubic yards of litter removed from the states roadsides since the programs beginning nearly 15 months ago.

Backed by Governor Gavin Newsom, his office relayed that amount as being more than 16,700 tons of litter, enough to build two stacks of trash from the Earths surface to beyond the International Space Station, 250 miles in orbit.

California is the most beautiful place in the world, and we need to do more to keep our communities clean and safe, said Governor Newsom. With an investment of over $1 billion, Clean California projects are cleaning up our neighborhoods and enriching our public spaces by removing litter and debris from our roadsides throughout our state.

The initiative is a $1.1 billion, multiyear clean-up effort being led by Caltrans. The trash removal generates thousands of jobs while engaging communities to transform public spaces, according to the governors office.

Since its launch in July 2021, Caltrans has removed 300 percent more litter from the state highway system compared to 2020 and filled 759 new jobs, including maintenance workers who collect litter and remove graffiti.

Removing 1 million cubic yards of trash from our roadways is a very big step toward fulfilling Governor Newsoms vision for Clean California. I salute the many communities joining this effort to make our state cleaner, safer and more beautiful, said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares.

Caltrans is doing more than just roadside litter clean-up efforts; it has held 180 free statewide Dump Day events to help the public safely dispose of bulk items. That includes collecting more than 18,000 tires and 5,000 mattresses. The Adopt-A-Highway program has seen a jump of nearly 1,000 adopters due to a $250 monthly volunteer incentive stipend provided in the initiative. During the past 15 months, highway adopters have collected 3,000 cubic yards of trash. Also, grants to 231 community revitalization projects have also been awarded and will continue as the states recently enacted budget includes $100 million to fund another round of Clean California local grant projects.
Sacramento, CA  Governor Gavin Newsom says around $9.5-billion in Middle-Class Tax Refunds will start being dispersed on Friday.

The program was initially approved by lawmakers in response to rising gas prices, but the Governors Office says it will also help offset the costs of groceries, or to pay past-due bills. One-time payments will range from $400 to $1,050 for couples who filed taxes jointly and $200 to $700 for other individuals depending on their income and whether they claimed a dependent.

The Governors Office estimates that eight million direct deposits will arrive in bank accounts between October 7 and November 14, and an estimated 10 million debit cards will be mailed from October 25 through January 15.

The payments are sent out automatically and are based on recent tax filings. To determine your eligibility, visit taxrefund.ca.gov.
US hits Iran with more sanctions over Mahsa Amini death View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. on Thursday imposed more sanctions on Iranian government officials in response to the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, as protests have embroiled dozens of Iranian cities for weeks and evolved into the most widespread challenge to Irans leadership in years.

U.S. Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control designated seven high-ranking leaders for financial penalties due to the shutdown of Irans internet, repression of speech and violence inflicted on protesters and civilians. Irans interior and communications ministers and several law enforcement leaders were targeted for sanctions.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the sanctions demonstrate the United States stands with the brave citizens and the brave women of Iran who right now are demonstrating to secure their basic rights.

And Brian Nelson, Treasurys undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in announcing the sanctions that the rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly are vital to guaranteeing individual liberty and dignity.

U.S. support of freedom in Iran, however, further undermines efforts to salvage the languishing 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, would provide Tehran with billions in sanctions relief in exchange for the agreeing to roll back its nuclear program..

How the administration can credibly side with a protest movement while hoping to strike a nuclear deal with a regime it accuses of engaging in human rights abuses is a question that has resonated through the halls of Congress.

President Biden simply cannot offer the prospect of sanctions relief and de facto legitimize a regime that is ruthlessly gunning down its own citizens in the street, said Marjan Keypour Greenblatt, director of a network of activists that promotes human rights in Iran and a nonresident scholar with the Middle East Institutes Iran Program.

Amini was detained in September by the morality police, who said she didnt properly cover her hair with the mandatory Islamic headscarf, known as the hijab. She collapsed at a police station and died three days later.

Her death set off protests in dozens of cities across the country of 80 million people, with young women marching in the streets and publicly cutting off their hair in the most widespread challenge to Irans leadership since the 2009 Green Movement protests drew millions to the streets.

The government has responded with a fierce crackdown. An Associated Press tally of reports in state-run and state-linked media shows there have been at least 1,900 arrests connected to the protests.

And while state television last suggested at least 41 people had been killed in the demonstrations as of Sept. 24. an Oslo-based group called Iran Human Rights estimates at least 154 people have been killed.

Aminis death has drawn a host of U.S. actions against the government and its leaders.

The morality police and the leaders of other Iranian law enforcement agencies were hit with one round of sanctions, and on Sept. 23, the Treasury Department announced that it would allow American tech firms to expand their business in Iran, where most internet access has been cut off in response to the protests.

Agency officials said an updated general license authorizes tech firms to offer more social media and collaboration platforms, video conferencing and cloud-based services.

Were going to continue to impose further costs on the perpetrators of this violence, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday afternoon.

Before Aminis death, U.S. sanctions on Iran have accelerated in recent months.

Firms from Iran, China, India, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere that the Biden administration says have been involved in shipping sanctioned Iranian oil around the world have also seen penalties.

___

Associated Press reporters Matthew Lee and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.

By FATIMA HUSSEIN

Associated Press
Floridas island dwellers dig out from Ians destruction View Photo

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 islands 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 islands 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.

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 presidents 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. Its 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

By STEPHEN SMITH

Associated Press
Senators call for stronger rules on off-the-books suspension View Photo

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 its 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.

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 childs 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 departments 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.

By ANNIE MA

Associated Press
Home from college on Easter Sunday 2002, journalist Casey Parks first found the courage to come out as gay to her rural Louisiana family, unleashing a torrent of panicked judgment from her mother. With one blast of tough-minded reason, her grandmother intervened. Later, she pulled Parks aside to share a childhood memory that had never left her: I grew up across the street from a woman who lived as a man.

This unexpected revelation would prove pivotal to Parks future, motivating a search that haunted her and helped to shape her for more than a decade. Parks chronicles these events in her compelling debut, Diary of a Misfit: A Memoir and a Mystery.

Describing Roy Hudgins as a kind, eccentric young man who wrote and played country songs for all the children of their poor neighborhood  a place known locally as Hell Street  Parks grandmother lamented losing track of Roy since those early times. Its eaten at me all these years, she tells Parks. Am I going to die without finding out? Eventually, years later, she would echo her own words as she describes the powerful ways that learning of Roys story had influenced her granddaughters life: It was like it burned a hole in you.

Diary of a Misfit: A Memoir and a Mystery By Casey Parks Knopf 368 pages, $29 Appearing 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, at the Nashville Public Library auditorium

As Parks searches for the truth behind this elusive figure from the past, she confronts myriad thorny questions that become inextricably linked with her own path through life. At every step, looking into Roys life exposes tangled threads of family memory, small-town mythos and daunting personal transformations.

Was there truth, for example, behind a claim that Roys mother had kidnapped him from abusive biological parents? Had he really sold some of his original country songs to famous Nashville musical acts? How did Roy feel about his own gender identity? His isolation within the community? Was it even fair to discuss his life in contemporary terms of transgender experience, or was doing so a result of Parks own projections? Was it ethical to read the pile of journals Roy had left behind?

All the challenging, potentially unanswerable questions about Roys story run parallel with Parks determination to become a good reporter. After leaving home for Portland, Ore., Parks begins her career as a bureau writer for The Oregonian. Parks writes candidly about her learning curve as a fledgling journalist, including her awkwardness and inexperience during numerous trips to Delhi, La., as she interviews people who knew Roy.

Those interviews yield poignant, heartrending details about Roys experiences in Delhi, including conflict with a church over his refusal to wear dresses or grow his crew cut long. For Parks, learning those details stirs up her own early memories of the Pentecostal church. With great sensitivity, Parks recounts the belonging shed once found within her church community, a contrast to frequent chaos at home. But that belonging is shattered when her mother reveals to their pastor during service that Parks is gay. The pastor asks the church to pray that God will save her and take her, meaning that she should die immediately to be saved from sin. Her mother joins in with this prayer, worsening their fraught relationship.

Often, the other figures of Parks life recede from view, leaving Parks and her mother to battle out their complicated dynamic in an emotional foreground strewn with landmines. Even when the two women arent speaking, her mothers legacy of trauma and her long-term struggle with pain pills complicate Parks ability to reconnect to her origins. For years, traveling home means confronting Roys painful history, rather than her own.

Diary of a Misfit provides an insightful entry in a tradition of memoirs by Southerners reckoning with a sense of dislocation. With each research trip home, Parks dives deeper into the conflict shes felt between needing to leave home in order to survive and longing to return, though she may not be welcome. Parks argues that even a happy life lived within this conflict is marked by the kind of yearning that can never be quelled as long as home is a place youve fled.

Parks pours all her journalistic skill into Diary of a Misfit, shoring up legend with research and context while acknowledging the limited facts available after the passing of decades. But what makes Diary so moving is Parks artful handling of her own vulnerability within these events. The result is an absorbing, compassionately rendered page-turner that lingers in the mind.

To read an extended version of this review  and more local book coverage  please visit Chapter16.org, an online publication of Humanities Tennessee.
Weve all learned by now that digital engagement is no match for the sensation you get when youre in a room with others, experiencing something together. Its the buzz of seeing a late-night repertory screening of a film; the deep satisfaction of witnessing a local actor nail a monologue; the giddy lightheadedness of hearing the starting chords of your favorite song  all in the company of other people who are experiencing the same thrills.

Southern Festival of Books Oct. 14-16 at War Memorial Plaza and the Nashville Public Library sofestofbooks.org

For the first time since 2019, Humanities Tennessee  our state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities  will host the Southern Festival of Books live and in person Oct. 14 through 16. A dizzying roster of authors and events is sure to make your spine tingle. This years festivities are particularly apt, as they follow a recent uptick in outrage from vocal parents throughout the South who have objected to certain books being taught in schools  books like Maus by Art Spiegelman, which was removed from McMinn County curriculum, and Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, which was removed from Williamson County curriculum. Just last month, the Nashville Public Library celebrated its annual Banned Books Week, an initiative that since 1982 has sought to highlight the value of free and open access to information and express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

For three days in downtown Nashville, bibliophiles will once again roam the stalls of booksellers and literary organizations at War Memorial Plaza, congregate in the lobby of the Nashville Public Library downtown, watch live music and performances and anxiously wait in line to meet our literary crushes. And, of course, there will be authors! Patrick Radden Keefe, Imani Perry, Jami Attenberg, Tara M. Stringfellow, Peng Shepherd, Margo Price, Becca Andrews  theres something for everyone.

In this issue, youll find coverage of 10 of the most compelling books being represented at this years Southern Festival of Books, supplied by our friends at Chapter 16. But this is just a drop in the literary bucket! You can check out the full schedule of events at sofestofbooks.org.

Well see you at the fest.
Toya Wolfe pens a tribute to the public housing project where she grew up in her outstanding debut, Last Summer on State Street. Through the eyes of 12-year-old Fe Fe, we bear witness to the realities of Chicagos infamous Robert Taylor Homes in this heartfelt coming-of-age novel.

Last Summer on State Street By Toya Wolfe William Morrow 224 pages, $27.99 Appearing 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, in the Nashville Public Library Conference Room 1A

Completed in the 1960s, the Robert Taylor Homes consisted of 28 identical high-rise buildings that stretched two miles through Chicagos Bronzeville neighborhood. The buildings were meant to provide affordable housing to the mostly Black communities on the citys South Side. Ultimately considered a public housing failure due to underfunding, racist policies and policing, and the perpetuation of crime, the Robert Taylor Homes were demolished by the Chicago Housing Authority, with the last of the buildings coming down in 2007.

Wolfes novel opens in the summer of 1999. School is out, and the Robert Taylor Homes are being picked off one by one, as Fe Fe and her neighbors watch the wrecking ball destroy adjacent buildings. This is how my block turned into a ghost town, Fe Fe remembers. She wonders about life after the projects, waiting in hopes that her family will receive a CHA relocation voucher and dreading the possibility of being cast out with no support.

Fe Fe is a smart, plucky narrator with a kind soul and street smarts  its impossible not to root for her. She and her friends Precious and Stacia spend the summer running around their building in this tight formation, snapping through the block in neon colors like a school of tropical fish. Fe Fe invites Tonya  a mysterious, quiet new neighbor whose building is one of the first to be demolished  into their little crew. Together, they all play double Dutch, crush on boys and buy candy. Typical tween activities.

Life doesnt stay peachy for long. Tensions arise between the girls as uncontrollable forces like police brutality, sexual abuse, addiction and gang violence alter their lives, their families and their friendships forever. By the end of the book, the group mostly disbands. Fe Fe uses double Dutch references to animate their breakdown: That summer, one by one, they dropped out of sight as if we were in a game of All in Together.

Wolfe builds suspense through her use of backward-glancing commentary peppered throughout the narrative. When Fe Fe meets Tonyas mother Rochelle, who is addicted to crack, a future version of Fe Fe offers perspective: I couldnt imagine how miserable Tonyas life had to be with Rochelle for a mother. Id find out though. This use of foreshadowing truly engrossed me. Throughout Last Summer, I found myself tripping over sentences in anguish and anticipation for what was coming next for the girls. This device often made me ask where the story was going and how much wed get to know. Who is the Fe Fe speaking to the reader in these moments of reflection, and what happens to her, Tonya, Precious and Stacia?

The harsh realities of life in the projects deny Fe Fe and her friends the innocence of childhood. We see this in the way the encroaching demolition robs them of a sense of security and a feeling of home. Fe Fe knows this racially motivated, deeply embedded marginalization all too well: Maybe the worst part about growing up in public housing is that people think your body is public too. That even before you are born, your Black body already belongs to the owners of the land.

What makes Fe Fe such a remarkable narrator is her self-awareness and resilience as she acquires more knowledge about her current reality. She hears from a gang leader that the homes are coming down because white people wanted to be closer to their jobs. Her favorite teacher says to her class, If you want to be in a position where the government cant uproot your life so easily, get an education and youll have more control over your situation. As she learns about systems of oppression and starts to define her own path, she begins taking back power in spite of dire circumstances.

Last Summer on State Street certainly includes moments of joy. A deep sense of community within the Robert Taylor Homes reverberates throughout Fe Fes narration. Her friends and family build her up and help her grow, challenging the culturally held assumption that life in any housing project is stunting or hopeless.

Wolfes incisive novel is a gift to the Chicago literary canon. Shes the guardian of the legacy of the Robert Taylor Homes, remembering what is physically gone through these characters who reflect the complexities of life in public housing.

For more local book coverage, please visit Chapter16.org, an online publication of Humanities Tennessee.
Editors note: Longtime Scene contributor Sean L. Maloney has written for us about Jonathan Richman and his onetime band The Modern Lovers on many occasions. He is also the author of the volume in Bloomsbury Press 33 1/3 series on Richman & Co.s never meant to be an album The Modern Lovers.

Tuesday night, Jonathan Richman returns to Nashville, this time stopping in at Third Man Records. Richman, whose career has stretched across five decades and about as many continents, has been creating some of his most thoughtful and playful work in recent years  prismatic AM pop from the most minimal of elements. While often lauded for the demos he recorded with John Cale and Kim Fowley as a young man, Richman has been creating uniquely dynamic rock n roll for 50 years, his art engaging a deeper and more joyful sense of humanity with every release.

His latest EP Cold Pizza & Other Hot Stuff, released in March via Clevelands great Blue Arrow Records, highlights the loose and lively feel that permeates his live performances with longtime drummer Tommy Larkins as he contemplates the unpretentious nature of next-day pizza and the joy people get from loving Dolly Parton. His most recent full-length, Decembers Want to Visit My Inner House?, finds Richman working again with tamboura player Nicole Montalbano as well as one of his earliest collaborators, keyboardist Jerry Harrison (who joined Talking Heads after his tenure in The Modern Lovers), to create a masterwork of observational mysticism. It is the most deeply Jonathan of his work, an amalgamation of everything wonderful about his catalog to date  and a great starting point for people intimidated by an expansive and often byzantine discography.

Richman does not grant interviews in a typical manner. He asks that an interview be in writing, with his replies printed as presented. Its more like a collaborative art project than a typical presser, hence the atypical format. Below, find Richmans words in bold and my words in plain type.

Dear Sean, Thanks for the thoughtful questions.

Thank you for saying how our shows are one of Nashvilles favorite soirees! Nashville has become one of our favorites on the circuit too! Were glad if people are enjoying the shows as much as we are.

Your newest EP Cold Pizza & Other Hot Stuff contains two of the most factual 100 percent true songs I have heard in years, the aforementioned Cold Pizza and Everybody Loves Dolly. The latter should probably be Nashvilles anthem.

Yes! Both songs are true! Cold pizza is what it is and everybody does love Dolly!

Its been a tough few years with lots of challenges from every direction. How do you find joy and love when, as you sang on your 2021 album Want to Visit My Inner House?, the world gives you a pinch?

Yes! Hasnt it been a tough few years? So 

How do I find joy and love? I dont try! They are just there, as is the grim and horrifying.

Its been said that every creative interaction has something to teach us. Inner House found you working with Jerry Harrison for the first time in a long time. What did you learn while collaborating?

Ah  you brought up Jerry! Playing and making up songs with Jerry has been one of the great joys of my life in these past four years (see, he was on the album before this last one, too). I love the chance to come with a song idea and bring it to our recording sessions and then learn what he will do with it. We actually have more in common musically now than we had then and I have a better attitude toward other musicians input now than I did then. (Which isnt saying much.) His keyboards and the tamboura go well together, too. Did you notice? So me and Jerry have been much closer lately than ever before.

Who will be with you?

Why, my drummer Tommy, as always.

Will the tambourist Nicole Montalbano, who plays that instrument on some of your most recent albums, be there onstage?

Not this tour. She did come on the recent tour we did in June from Montreal to Philadelphia.

Whats next?

Tour of California in December. Tour of the South, Northeast and Midwest in February & March of 2023.

Do you play different songs in different parts of the country?

Good question! I dont use a set-list, so we dont know what were going to do until we do it. But, I suppose I am more likely to sing songs in Spanish in South Texas and Southern California and in New Mexico and Arizona; and, up in Canada in Montreal, Ill do lots of the show in French, but  I sort of intentionally dont do songs I think people might expect to hear at any given location because Im just like that. But  in Boston, where Im from, I often sing lots of local songs. I get sentimental that way depending on the night. But, mainly, I never know whats going to happen and dont want to find out until it does.

See you at Third Man October 11th!

Jonathan
(Natural News) During the recent biennial gathering of food producers in Turin, Italy, the ironic battle cry of participants was food is the cause of the environmental crisis.

The Terra Madre Salone del Gusto festival, which was convened by the Slow Food movement, was attended by farmers from the U.S., Japan, Australia, Uganda and Italy, among others. They talked about how man-made disasters such as drought, flood, fire, storms, heatwaves and plagues of pests had destroyed their livelihoods.

According to the movement, food production contributes almost 37 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Slow Food President Edward Mukiibi said conventional agriculture seeks to maximize production via large-scale farms that rely on monocrops fed by greenhouse gas-emitting fertilizers, protected by biodiversity-damaging pesticides and harvested by fossil fuel-spewing combines and tractors.

Industrial farming may be able to produce food cheaply, but it comes with a great environmental cost, Mukiibi said.

Proponents of the organization pointed out that adopting climate-smart farming practices, and taking a more flexible approach to what is farmed where will make food production more resilient in the face of climate change.

But even then, it may not be enough  absent severe reductions in fossil fuel emissions, some places will likely have to give up farming entirely in the near future, said Aryn Baker, Times senior international climate and environment correspondent.

Baker added that the movements evangelists are promoting change to start with individual choices, including buying local, going organic, reducing meat consumption and avoiding food waste.

Analysts are now questioning the reasons why grassroots organizations such as Slow Food are convincing food producers to self-sabotage and stop using fertilizers, which could eventually stop food production.

The whole world is now suffering from the dwindling food supply and commodity prices are soaring due to various events, such as the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and war in Ukraine. Sooner than later, lots of people simply would not be able to afford to eat at all.

To feed the world of today we need agricultural mass production, fossil fuel and chemicals, not ignorant theories and disastrous policy choices, Eric Worrall wrote in his essay on Watts Up With That.

Moscow to UN: Tell the West to lift restrictions on export of Russian fertilizers

Getting desperate about the imminent global food collapse, the United Nations (UN) started back in September urgent negotiations with Russia and Ukraine, so that they can secure a deal on chemical exports through the Black Sea. (Related: United Nations BEGGING Russia to export fertilizer so Western nations dont suffer a worsening food collapse.)

In response, Russias Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova urged the UN to make the Western countries lift restrictions on the export of Russian fertilizers. She highlighted at a news conference on September 29 the necessity of removing the ban on entering Russian ships to foreign ports and foreign ships to their ports.

The sanctions on the Russian Agricultural Bank, which handles a great part of transactions related to the agricultural sector, also hinder the export of fertilizers.

We expect the UN to make efforts to get the Europeans and Americans to remove a number of obstacles that do not allow us to supply Russian fertilizers and grain to the world market fully, Zakharova said.

We are talking about permission for Russian ships to enter European ports, foreign ships to enter Russian ports, it is necessary to lift sanctions from Rosselkhozbank, because it handles the lions share of all transactions with fertilizers and food.

In July, the conflicting countries signed a UN-brokered deal to resume grain exports through the previously barricaded Black Sea ports. The agreement also indicated the UNs commitment to helping remove the sanctions on exports of Russian food products and fertilizers. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized this arrangement and said almost all the grain exported from Ukraine was sent to the European Union instead of going to the poorest developing countries.

Visit FoodCollapse.com for more news related to food shortages worldwide.

Watch this video about food manipulation, total food collapse and mass starvation.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Food shortage simulation predicts 400% SURGE in food prices by 2030.

EAT NOTHING AND BE HAPPY: Globalists still attempting to manufacture acceptance of engineered food collapse.

Mainstream media outlets FINALLY admit the world is on the brink of food collapse.

FOOD COLLAPSE: Californias ongoing drought has left over half a million acres of farmland unplanted.

Sources include:

WattsUpWithThat.com

2022.TerraMadreSaloneDelGusto.com

Time.com

RT.com

AA.com.tr

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) When Assemblymember Evan Low, the principal author of California Assembly Bill 2098, told the California Senate Committee that his bill was really straightforward, very straightforward, many of us in the gallery failed to restrain ourselves from expressing our incredulity.

(Article republished from GreatGameIndia.com)

He delivered this statement at the conclusion of a hearing that had lasted over an hour, during which it seemed no two Senators on the committee had the same idea of how the law would operate. Assemblymember Low had struggled to respond to questions from the committee and had often resorted to simply reading the text of the bill. That June 26 hearing presented the only time any legislators questioned the bill during its entire passage through the legislative process.

Assembly Bill 2098 would empower the Medical Board of California to go after the licenses of physicians who disseminate misinformation or disinformation regarding Covid-19. The bill in its latest iteration defines misinformation as false information that is contradicted by contemporary scientific consensus contrary to the standard of care. The inscrutability of this definition lies at the core of the bills opponents concerns.

No clear scientific consensus exists with respect to this novel virus, and even if it did, it may be proven incorrect later. Without clear guidance regarding what would constitute misinformation, physicians can only guess if they risk losing their licenses for expressing their good-faith disagreements with positions of public health officials. Even if in practice, the Medical Board only applied the law to speech that the First Amendment does not protect, the laws vagueness would render it unconstitutional, because it would tend to cause doctors to censor themselves.

The million-dollar question remains unanswered: Who would be targeted by Assembly Bill 2098? On one hand, the California Medical Association, the bills sponsor, cites the example of doctors who call into question public health efforts such as masking as creating the need for this bill. Likewise, the taxpayer-funded lobbying group County Health Executives Association of California decries a small minority of medical professionals who have led some Californians to reject public health measures such as masking and physical distancing.

The analysis of the bill from the Senate committee, in discussing the need for this bill, cited the example of the state of Florida refusing to take action against the license of Florida Surgeon General for, among other things, question[ing] the value of face masks in preventing the spread of the pandemic. The idea that the effectiveness of masks in preventing the spread of Covid is part of the contemporary scientific consensus confirms physicians fears that they would risk discipline for questioning any edict from public health on Covid.

On the other hand, when critics of Assembly Bill 2098 argue that questioning the effectiveness of masks falls well within the bounds of legitimate difference of opinions, proponents poo-poo their concerns about the law being applied in an overly broad way and insist that the law would only be used against truly bad doctors. But imbuing bureaucrats with power while trusting they will not exercise it would be incredibly foolish.

Some, such as Assemblymember Low, bill co-author Assemblymember Akilah Weber, and a representative of the California Medical Association, imply that this bill would only apply in cases of intentional harm. There is nothing in the letter of the law that limits the bills reach to situations where someone was harmed or where the information was disseminated knowing it was false. (Intentionally misleading would fall under the definition of disinformation as opposed to misinformation. An earlier draft of the bill mentioned harm to a patient as a factor for the Medical Board to consider.)

Members of the Medical Board of California itself have expressed confusion about how the law would be applied and withheld its support initially. MBC President Kristina Lawson, an attorney who has been a driving force behind this bill, claims to have clarity about how it would be applied but apparently is only willing to discuss the matter in private.

While most proponents say as little as possible regarding Assembly Bill 2098s implications, one group is more vocal and less guarded in its statements. Two self-described frontline California doctors, Nick Sawyer and Taylor Nichols, formed No License for Disinformation (NLFD) in September 2021.

As its name suggests, the organizations purpose is to promote policies that use the threat of medical license revocation to discourage doctors from spreading information it believes to be false. Sawyer has twice testified before legislative committees in favor of Assembly Bill 2098. NLFDs prolific tweets and other public statements paint a dystopian picture that reflects opponents worst fears of the type of authoritarian regime proponents wish to impose.

NLFD pushes the idea that there is, as Sawyer described in his testimony before the Assembly committee on April 19, a well-coordinated and well-funded network of doctors who promote anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, sow distrust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal government, and ultimately the Covid-19 vaccines.

At the outset, note the irony that NLFD frequently criticizes conspiracy theorists while promoting its own conspiracy theories. And NLFD not only wants to silence those who undermine faith in public health measures, but anyone who sows distrust in the government. Let that sink in.

NLFDs tweets elaborate on its conspiracy theories, which are, like most conspiracy theories, built on weak evidence that magnify tenuous connections. A recent tweet shared a long thread posted by one of its founders that purports to uncover a web of right-wing disinformation purveyors funded by oil money. It implicates, among others, anyone associated with the Great Barrington Declaration or Brownstone Institute and specifically names UCSF professor and doctor Vinay Prasad, journalist and author David Zweig, and Johns Hopkins epidemiologist Stefan Baral as part of this cabal.

An August 13, 2022 tweet promotes a Substack article, written by NLFD Research Consultant Allison Neitzel, which calls Americas Frontline Physicians, Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, the authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, and The Unity Project the Big 4 responsible for a physician-led attack on public health. NLFD has often identified these four as its primary targets, sometimes adding the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons and Urgency of Normal to its hit list. NLFD asserts, without any basis, that these groups work together.

Some of NLFDs targets, such as the Urgency of Normals leadership, are mainstream physicians. NLFD dismisses them as ranging from formerly well respected immunologists to outright frauds. It links to a long thread from one of its founders that accuses Urgency of Normal of being part of a right-wing operation to promote an anti-mask narrative.

It complains that CNN gave Dr. Jeanne Noble, Associate Professor at UCSF, a platform. It retweeted a tweet calling for Dr. Lucy McBride to be reported to the medical board for opposing mask mandates in schools and responded with a link directing the public on how to do so.

It dismissed every doctor who participated in a roundtable hosted by Florida Governor DeSantis, which included Dr. Tracy Heg, as Covid deniers and disinformation doctors and warned that no one should accept medical advice from any of them. These attacks contradict any claim that NLFD claims only wants to silence doctors who peddle dangerously false medical advice rather than those who have good-faith disagreements with official Covid policy.

The inclusion of the authors of the Great Barrington DeclarationSunetra Gupta, Martin Kulldorff, and Jay Bhattacharyaat the top of NLFDs hit list is puzzling. Not only does the declaration espouse a conventional viewpoint, none of the Great Barrington Declarations authors is a practicing physician and therefore law like Assembly Bill 2098 would not affect them.

NLFD has called out the Great Barrington Declaration around a dozen times and frequently targets Stanford professor Bhattacharya in particular (he earned a medical degree but does not practice medicine or hold a medical license). NLFD doesnt just accuse Bhattacharya of being wrong, it accuses him of intentionally lying, calling him a disinformation doctor and a prominent purveyor of Covid-19 disinformation, accusing him of telling lies that have killed people (along with Vinay Prasad), and insinuating he should be reported for perjury. In addition to its direct attacks, NLFD has retweeted dozens of criticisms of Bhattacharya and seemed to delight in a journalist getting Twitter to temporarily suspend his account for a minor oversight.

Read more at: GreatGameIndia.com
(Natural News) A New York man recently capitalized on a gun buyback program to take home $21,000 worth of gift cards by turning in guns he made on a 3D printer specifically for the occasion.

The man, who identified himself only as Kem, explained how he printed a series of lower receivers and frames for different types of firearms on a $200 3D printer he received as a Christmas gift. He then drove six hours to Utica, where the police department was hosting a community gun buyback event on August 27.

According to a flyer for the event from New York State Attorney General Letitia James, people were invited to bring as many firearms as they wished to provide, with various price points offered for different types of firearms. Handguns received $150 in pre-paid gift cards at the site, with an additional $100 gift card being offered for any ghost or non-serialized guns.

Kem said that when he told them he had 110 firearms, it set off a negotiating session that lasted all day and culminated in a budget office representative counting out 42 gift cards in front of him, for a total of $21,000 worth of $500 gift cards  all funded by taxpayers.

Nobody thought this through. If you look at the flyer, it is just the gravest thing that Letitia James could have done. She literally put a bounty on 3D-printed guns. She said, I will give you extra money if it doesnt have a serial number on it. He added that a lack of details and fine print on the flyer enabled him to walk away $21,000 richer.

When local news station NEWSChannel 2 reached out to the state Attorney Generals Office to find out if they were aware people were taking advantage of the program in this way, they did not answer the question. They only responded that the program was a big success.

Kem responded to this characterization with laughter, saying: Im sure handing over $21,000 in gift cards to some punk kid after getting a bunch of plastic junk was a rousing success.

He said that his goal with the effort was not just to make money but to draw attention to what he considers a misguided government policy.

Gun buybacks are a fantastic way of showing, number one, that your policies dont work, and, number 2, youre creating perverse demand. Youre causing people to show up to these events, and, they dont actually reduce crime whatsoever, he added.

He said he got the idea after seeing people post in Twitter about making ghost guns on 3D printers for gun buybacks.

Program changed to exclude certain types of 3D-printed guns

However, the Attorney Generals office has now changed the program to prevent similar actions in the future. Speaking to WKTV, the office said: Its shameful that this individual exploited a program that has successfully taken thousands of guns off the streets  one individuals greedy behavior wont tarnish our work to promote public safety. We have adjusted our policies to ensure that no one can exploit this program again.

Unlike the buyback in Utica, a September 17 buyback held in Camillus, New York, specifically excluded 3D printed and homemade ghost guns. Any 3D-printed guns that were brought to the event needed to be capable of firing multiple rounds safely to qualify.

Of course, this is just one of many problems with gun buyback events. In addition to shelling out taxpayer money for worthless pieces of plastic in the case of Utica, these events often attract individuals bringing in old and inoperable guns that criminals could have likely never used and do very little, if anything, to stop crime. Yet somehow, the AGs office has the nerve to classify the buyback event as a big success.

Sources for this article include:

FoxNews.com

WKTV.com

WashingtonTimes.com
(Natural News) Farmington High School students in Minnesota recently staged a walk out protest to oppose institutional anti-white racism that is being pushed by leftist indoctrinators at the school.

(Article by Shane Trejo republished from BigLeaguePolitics.com)

The students protested against a statement from Assistant Principal Laura Wagner defending woke school policy. She sent an email to staffers where she defended the schools new policy to eliminate the titles of homecoming king and queen because these terms are considered offensive to transgenders and other reprobates.

Per usual we have some keyboard warriors who are making [faculty member Tiffany Fearing] concerned about student wellbeing. I think her concerns are valid and I want to make sure we are showing up for her and our students, she wrote.

This would be a great time to use your straight, white, privilege to reassure and support students and staff in doing what they believe is right for our school community, Wagner added.

Over 100 students left class last Wednesday to protest against the systemic racism being perpetrated by the Farmington school administration.

A student organizer who led the walkout said: Im at school to learn, not to get political views, before adding, Youre only allowed to speak your mind if you agree with the administration.

Wagner is acting like you should be ashamed if youre straight and white. Its like shes saying, You should be ashamed if you dont stand in our corner, said parent Scott Duellman, who supported the protest by the students who refuse to accept indoctrination.

Were past slavery. I was not a part of that, Duellman added. My parents were immigrants. I had nothing to do with it. My kids had nothing to do with it. Yes, this is America and were white. But we shouldnt be ashamed of something I cant control.

Big League Politics has reported on the nationwide scourge of racism becoming doctrine in schools as children are taught to hate and judge themselves and others over skin color:

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation to require anti-white critical race theory curriculum in every public high school in the state Friday, making the left-wing indoctrination a graduation requirement for all students.

The law places ethnic studies classes on the same par as math and English in California schools. California has long been a home for far-left ethnic studies programs in colleges and universities. Model curriculum for the requirement is recommended to focus upon blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asians. The Los Angeles United School district had already voted last year to require two semesters of ethnic studies for students to graduate.

The CRT requirement will also serve as an incredible grift to leftist pro-CRT academics, creating a paying government job at every high school in the biggest state in the country for them to peddle their prejudiced views. The curriculum requirement enters effect in the 2025-2026 school year.

Increasingly historical education in American public schools and universities is defined solely by a left-wing retelling of narratives regarding minority groups, rather than instruction on broad American history. California school districts have sought to rename schools named after American figures such as Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and George Washington, citing claims that the great Americans were white supremacists and known racists.

California public schools have seen a sharp decline in enrollment since the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic, with many parents citing declining quality of education and left-wing brainwashing. Approximately half of public school students meet English language instruction standards, with less than half meeting math standards.

More kids need to protest against anti-white racism. This is the modern day civil rights movement. Young people cannot take this injustice laying down.

Read more at: BigLeaguePolitics.com
(Natural News) New British PM Liz Truss has vowed to help usher in The Great Reset on behalf of the global elite, despite previously presenting herself as an anti-globalist politician.

(Article by Sean Adl-Tabatabai republished from NewsPunch.com)

When Truss became a potential candidate to replace Johnson as British Prime Minister, many in the independent media warned that her ongoing associations with the World Economic Forum and attendance at Davos events might be a huge red flag.

Summit.news reports: It is a concrete reality that the new PM has been a participant in the Davos meetings held by the World Economic Forum, a central hub of globalism that acts as a think tank and propaganda mill where new narratives are born. Specifically, the WEF is most known for its Great Reset mantra, which is part of founder Klaus Schwabs 4th Industrial Revolution concept. A key focus of the Great Reset is something called the Shared Economy, which is described as the complete erasure of private property and the implementation of communist-like governance over individual economic participation.

The Shared Economy is the source of the phrase You will own nothing and be happy, which actually comes from an article written by the WEF and published by Forbes Magazine titled Welcome To 2030: I Own Nothing, Have No Privacy And Life Has Never Been Better.

Far from being a conspiracy theory, the Great Reset is commonly presented by the WEF as the ultimate end game  An agenda, not just an idea. This has rightly caused concern among the public, because many WEF concepts that are presented at Davos end up being adopted by major governments and instituted into law. And, many Davos attendees tend to climb the political ladder rather quickly into positions of significant power.

Any legitimate conservative leader or candidate would therefore know about globalist terminology such are the term Reset and try to avoid using it at all costs.

No right wing leader would want to be associated with a globalist agenda that the majority of conservatives would rather go to war against.

It could be taken as a limited gaff or mistake, but Truss recent use of the term raises eyebrows considering her past affiliations with the WEF. She states that:

We believe in making it easier for our wealth creators, doers and makers to get things done Britains economy needs a reset. We cannot continue on the current trajectory of managed decline. Instead, we must take a new direction. I will lead us down that path to a better future.

This comment was made not long after Truss addressed the plunge of the Pound and the near bankruptcy of the UK pension system.

A key requirement built into any economic reset would be the collapse of the old model. Truss might simply be describing what is likely to happen rather than what she wants to happen, but she does present the concept of a reset as a solution, and not as a threat. Meaning, she should be watched carefully by conservatives.

Read more at: NewsPunch.com
(Natural News) Once again, left-wing extremists who are taking over the Democratic Party are proving that it is they, not conservatives, who are blatant bigots and racists.

Several groups at the University of California-Berkeley, one of the most Marxist campuses in the country, have recently adopted a bylaw, resolving to not invite speakers that have expressed interest and continue to hold views, host, sponsor or promote events in support of Zionism, the apartheid state of Israel and the occupation of Palestine, according to the New York Post.

Critics immediately pounced on the anti-Semetic declarations by the nine groups, saying the bylaw creates Jewish Free Zones on campus. The policy also effectively bans the universitys Jewish dean, Erwin Chemerinsky, from speaking, The Post added.

Berkeley develops Jewish-free zones, writer Kenneth Marcus wrote in an opinion column for the Jewish News Syndicate.

If it wasnt so frightening, one might be able to recognize the irony in the sight of campus progressives trying so hard to virtue signal that they fall victim to a deep moral shame, he added.

It is troubling to broadly exclude a particular viewpoint from being expressed, he told the Jewish News of Northern California. Taken literally, this would mean that I could not be invited to speak because I support the existence of Israel, though I condemn many of its policies.

The bylaw states that the goal of the policy is to ban supporters of Israel while protecting the safety and welfare of Palestinian students  though none of these groups can cite any credible evidence that Jewish and pro-Israel students are harassing or otherwise harming Palestinian students. So this is just another excuse to justify their own bigotry.

Some of the groups who have adopted the bylaw include Berkeley Law Muslim Student Association, Middle Eastern and the North African Law Students Association  all organizations that again prove it is the left, not the right, that focuses primarily on race and ethnicity.

These are not groups that represent only a small percentage of the student population. They include Women of Berkeley Law, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, Middle Eastern and North African Law Students Association, Law Students of African Descent and the Queer Caucus, Marcus continued in his column.

He added:

It is now a century since Jewish-free zones first spread to the San Francisco Bay Area (No Dogs. No Jews.). Nevertheless, this move is frightening and unexpected, like a bang on the door in the night.

Berkeley law students are not the first to exclude Zionists. At the State University of New York at New Paltz, activists drove two sexual assault victims out of a survivor group for being Zionists. At the University of Southern California, they drove Jewish student government vice president Rose Ritch out of office, threatening to impeach [her] Zionist ass. At Tufts University, they tried to oust student judiciary committee member Max Price from the student government judiciary committee because of his support for Israel.

Marcus goes on to point out the obvious: That anti-Zionism is really thinly veiled anti-Semitism.

Using Zionist as a euphemism for Jew is nothing more than a confidence trick. Like other forms of Judeophobia, it is an ideology of hate, treating Israel as the collective Jew and smearing the Jewish state with defamations similar to those used for centuries to vilify individual Jews, he continued.

There are anti-Semitic haters in Congress, too, and not coincidentally, they are all Democrats  including Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, who is of Palestinian descent.

What is head-scratching, however, is that an overwhelming majority of American Jews are Democrat voters, according to the Pew Research Center, proving again that Democrats are part of a cult, not a political party.

Why else would you vote for people who demonstrably hate you?

Sources include:

PewResearch.org

NYPost.com
(Natural News) It looks like there might not be enough energy to go around in Germany this winter after all, according to federal economy minister Robert Habeck.

After earlier reassuring the German public that everything will be just fine during the cold winter season, Habeck is now telling the media that there is a very good chance Deutschland will run out of gas in the very near future.

Rather than end the disastrous sanctions Germany agreed to impose against Russia and its energy supply, which is what created this crisis, the countrys leaders are instead pushing German citizens to reduce consumption somehow.

The German government also launched a new price break program that will cover 80 percent of a consumers regular consumption. This, Habeck says, will encourage more German people to use less gas this winter.

For the upper 20 per cent of normal consumption, you will certainly have to pay the full bill, Habeck clarified. (Related: Energy prices in Germany have increased 1,000 percent, which is driving many companies and industries out of business.)

Get ready to freeze this winter, Germany

At this point, it is simply too late for Germany to change course on the sanctions front. Now that both the Nord Stream 1 (NS1) and Nord Stream 2 (NS2) pipelines are offline due to suspected sabotage, the country will need to face whatever is next to come.

According to Habeck, Germany faces an extremely tense situation as we enter the cold winter months.

If we dont save, if households dont reduce consumption, we still risk not having enough gas in the winter, he warned.

Habecks latest spiel contradicts his reassurance from last week that German gas storage is safely at 90 percent. In late September, Habeck promised the country that it should get through the cold winter months comfortably.

If everything goes well, savings in Germany are high and if we have a bit of luck with the weather, we will have a chance at getting through the winter comfortably, were Habecks exact words last week.

That means, however, that the storage facilities will be empty again at the end of the winter  in this case really empty, because we are going to use the gas.

Something must have changed since that time (probably just the rhetoric?) to where now Habeck is warning of an energy apocalypse. What changed, exactly?

Well, for one, NS1 and NS2 have been destroyed, for all intents and purposes. There is no way for either pipeline to come back online this year or the next, so Germany will need to secure some other source of energy since it went green and is now unable to produce its own energy.

Yeah, but Greta, windmills and  oh dear, wrote a commenter at Breitbart News using humor to mock the ridiculousness of Germanys energy predicament.

Keep the nuclear running, open the coal mines and try and get more coal fired power stations operating, fast, this person added about how to fix the problem. The green crap cant (and never did) cut it.

Another responded that Greta Thunberg does not have to worry because she will be safe and warm in some millionaires mansion this winter.

How dare you! You have stolen my childhood and my dreams with your empty words! Meanwhile, China is enslaving some kid to work in a cobalt mine frying his lungs out so they can cash in on batteries, said someone else, mocking Greta for her state-sanctioned stupidity.

If you lie down with the WEF, you get up with fleas, wrote another about how Germany never should have gone globalist.

The latest news about the European energy crisis can be found at Collapse.news.

Sources for this article include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The Biden administration and Big Tech companies are colluding to control the flow of information.

In a recent episode of The HighWire, host Del Bigtree talked about a petition filed by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, who are trying to expose the corruption of the current administration.

Earlier this summer, the Department of Justice (DOJ) refused to produce communications between federal government bureaucrats and social media officials. So the Missouri and Louisiana attorneys general filed a petition with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana to compel the federal government to produce the emails.

The court ruled in favor of the petition resulting in the recently published batch of emails.

The emails procured through the lawsuit filed by Schmitt and Landry detail months of apparent coordination between federal administration officials and social media giants on how to address information regarding Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).

The discovery provided so far demonstrates that this censorship enterprise is extremely broad, Schmitt and Landry said in a joint statement. The lawsuits discovery identified 45 federal officials who communicated with social media executives on what information to censor.

These new revelations added to questions on whether or not it was appropriate for social media fact-checkers to censor contrarian views, especially inside the scientific community.

For instance, Facebook affixed a Missing Context label to Johns Hopkins surgeon Marty Makarys Wall Street Journal op-ed about how social media companies put their thumb on the scale in scientific debates over COVID-19.

Facebooks fact-checkers said a team of three scientists disagreed with Dr. Makarys conclusion. Although its not clear if administration officials intervened specifically on Makarys op-ed, other posts and tweets were directly called out by the White House and removed by social media companies shortly after.

Government officials getting cozy with Big Tech execs

In July of last year, Clarke Humphrey, the White House digital director of the COVID-19 response team, asked an Instagram executive to take down a parody account of Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Any way we can get this pulled down? Humphrey wrote in an email. It is not actually one of ours. Less than a minute later the Instagram executive answered, Yep, on it!

An email from April 2021, meanwhile, discussed a scheduled meeting for Biden staff to be briefed by Twitter on vaccine misinfo.

Later in the summer, a Facebook official proposed to a Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official that in addition to our weekly meetings, doing a monthly misinfo/debunking meeting, with maybe claim topics communicated a few days prior so that you can bring in the matching experts and chat casually for 30 minutes or so.

The CDC official responded: Yes, we would love to do that. The emails show many instances where Facebook officials wouldnt go forward on censoring a COVID-19 claim until getting input from the administrations debunking team.

These instances strongly suggest that the Biden administration and Big Tech have combined forces to censor content and control the narrative.

Republicans are now proposing legislation to stop the Biden administration from coordinating with social media companies on content censorship. The act, which they titled Protecting Speech from Government Interference, would prohibit federal bureaucrats and other executive branch officials from encouraging private companies to censor or limit speech.

Find more stories about online censorship and the governments role in it at Censorship.news.

Watch the video below and listen to the commentary of Del Bigtree regarding the involvement of the Biden administration and Big Tech companies in controlling free speech.

This video is from the channel The HighWire with Del Bigtree on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

YouTube star Jake Paul slams social media censorship of influencer Andrew Tate.

Over 50 Biden administration employees, 12 U.S. agencies involved in social media censorship push: Documents.

GOP lawmakers sound alarm on media cartel bill that will allow big tech, big media to collude on more censorship.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

Deseret.com
(Natural News) Millions of iPhone users were left stunned after a hacker took control of Fast Company magazines content management system (CMS) to send out an obscene and racist message.

The business and media publications CMS was reportedly hacked at around 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, sending out two push notifications that came in succession. Many users then took to Twitter to confirm that they received the vulgar message.

The incident soon came to the attention of Apple News, which posted this statement: An incredible offensive alert was sent by Fast Company, which has been hacked. Apple News has disabled their channel.

Shortly after, Fast Company itself confirmed in a tweet that it had been hacked. Two obscene and racist push notifications were sent about a minute apart, it wrote. The messages are vile and are not in line with the content and ethos of Fast Company.

News publishers that utilize the Apple News aggregation app such as Fast Company can connect their digital publishing tools to Apple News, sending push notifications to subscribers.

This was not the first time the publication fell victim to hackers. Back in 2016, bad actors staged a phishing attack that leaked the private information of its employees. (Related: Your mobile devices web browser is highly vulnerable to attack.)

Optus hacker releases customer details, later backs down

A separate instance occurred at the Land Down Under, with a hacker releasing personal details from customers of the Australian telco provider Optus. The perpetrator demanded $1 million worth of cryptocurrency as ransom. However, they later apologized and removed the details  including drivers license numbers, passport numbers, home and email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and Medicare numbers.

If you care about [your customers], you will pay, the hacker named OptusData wrote in a ransom note. It mentioned that the $1 million ransom was a small price to pay for a company that earns billions in revenue.

But hours later, OptusData backed down and apologized.

Too many eyes; we will not [sell] data to anyone. We cant, even if we want to, they wrote. The perpetrator also assured that they deleted the only copy of the data from their hard drive, and clarified that no ransom was paid.

Brett Callow, threat analyst at Emsisoft, said that based on the information he had received, the hack did not seem sophisticated and could have possibly been done by a single young person.

On the basis of what has been said so far and the rumors that are circulating, it wouldnt sound as though this was a sophisticated hack, he said. It would sound like something potentially a high school kid couldve pulled off.

But this is not unusual, according to Callow, as young people have been responsible for some of the biggest hacks recently. However, Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin said that the data breach is not what its made out to be because the data was encrypted and Optus has multiple layers of protections.

Still, a class action was filed against Optus by law firm Slater and Gordon on behalf of customers affected by the cyber attack.

This is potentially the most serious privacy breach in Australian history, both in terms of the number of people affected and the nature of the information disclosed, class action senior associate Ben Zocco said.

We consider that the consequences could be particularly serious for vulnerable members of society, such as domestic violence survivors, victims of stalking and other threatening behavior, and people who are seeking or have previously sought asylum in Australia, he added.

Visit Glitch.news for more stories about hacking incidents.

Watch the video below that explains why successful data breaches happen.

This video is from the Finding Genius Podcast channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Hackers steal over $104 million worth of crypto assets from blockchain bridge.

Libs of TikTok doxing uncovers secret hacker-government mercenary alliance behind regimes war on MAGA Americans.

People wonder if alleged GiveSendGo hacker is demonic after disturbing video where he squirms like a snake.

Hackers steal $196 million from crypto trading platform Bitmart.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

QZ.com

TheEpochTimes.com

9News.com.au

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Footage of illegal migrants enjoying the high life aboard a five-star cruise ship moored in the Netherlands caused outrage on social media as Dutch citizens continue to suffer from high food and energy prices.

The MS Galaxy, a luxurious and expensive five-star cruise ship, arrived at the port of the Dutch capital Amsterdam. The vessel owned by Silja Line and hired by the Dutch government using taxpayer money is set to remain docked at the port for at least six months.

The city of Amsterdam announced at the end of August that the MS Galaxy would come to the capital to receive illegals. It was hired to relieve the burden of the application center in the Ter Apel village located in the countrys north. The vessel left the Swedish capital Stockholm  another migrant hotbed  on Sept. 10 and arrived in the Dutch capital on the afternoon of Sept. 25.

On Aug. 26, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he was ashamed of the situation at Ter Apel. He cited, in particular, the instance where 700 illegal migrants had to sleep outdoors as there was no more space for them inside the center.

Rutger Groot Wassink, alderman for the city of Amsterdam, said in agreement with the premier: The situation in Ter Apel is heartbreaking. Together, we must solve the shortage of accommodation so that refugees can find a place.

According to Groot Wassink, the cruise ship was only a temporary, short-term solution. He added that the Dutch government needs to work with municipalities to reform the countrys asylum system.

The MS Galaxy can accommodate 2,800 passengers, but more than a third of its capacity was filled up after it accepted an initial 1,000 illegals. With the cruise ships arrival, the Rutte government can further accommodate 1,500 illegal migrants.

The illegals can enjoy a warm cabin for two people, Wi-Fi and a private shower and toilet while on board. Daytime activities and education will also be provided to them, thanks to the Dutch Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers.

Dutch citizens outraged by illegals living the high life on taxpayers dime

Since boarding the cruise ship, the so-called asylum seekers have posted videos of themselves enjoying their stay. This did not sit well with Dutch citizens, who took to social media to express their outrage.

Coming to the Netherlands as a migrant and enjoying a luxury cruise ship and well-prepared meals here? Quick, call on all your friends to come too, wrote broadcaster Raisa Blommestijn. In the meantime, the Dutch have been on the waiting list for a home for years and cannot afford groceries and energy. [A] gross scandal.

Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders blasted the scheme in a series of tweets. The politician from the Party for Freedom (PVV) gained notoriety for his views critical of Islam. Since 2004, he has been under protection by armed police due to threats on his life.

Everything is free for asylum seekers  nice hot food, heating and care. All for nothing on luxury cruise ships, he tweeted. The leader and lone member of the PVV also pointed out that in the middle of this, Dutch citizens cannot pay their energy bills and many elderly people are in diapers due to lack of healthcare staff.

He slammed the Dutch government for spending the countrys money on illegals instead of addressing the hunger problem.

They eat half an apple pie for dessert after dinner with meat, potatoes, rice and various vegetables  at our expense. [Meanwhile,] Dutch families with children skip meals and can no longer afford their groceries. (Related: While Americans go hungry, Democrats demand millions in food handouts for illegal aliens.)

According to Wilders, many of the so-called asylum seekers are nothing more than economic migrants, not people fearing for their lives and escaping war.

The asylum profiteers shamelessly show on TikTok how they cheat  by car, bus and plane through four or five safe countries. [They] then fly to the Netherlands to request asylum here and to parasitize in the five-star cruise ships of our money. This government policy is insane  and sick. Our people get a crumb; strangers get everything.

Visit Migrants.news for more stories like this.

Watch Dutch citizen Frank Krischick warn people against visiting the Netherlands.

This video is from the Frank Krischick channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

STUNNING new video reveals how Europe is committing suicide with open borders and political correctness.

European NGO teaches migrants how to lie and pretend to be Christians so they can gain asylum.

Global food scarcity to cause 20+ million refugees from Africa to flee to Europe  mass migration.

Sweden goes from being one of the safest countries in Europe to the second most dangerous.

Thousands of illegal immigrants apprehended at Austrian borders.

Sources include:

RAIRFoundation.com

News.Yahoo.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Norway has increased security on its gas and oil sites in the North Sea after finding mysterious drones in the area. The drones, which came within 50 meters of the offshore platforms, could unleash deliberate attacks on critical energy infrastructure or cause havoc by smashing into helicopters transporting offshore workers to and from the rigs, the countrys Petroleum Safety Authority warned.

With Norway now Europes biggest gas supplier after Russia cut off access, it is important to put measures in place. Norways Energy Minister Terje Aasland said they are increasing security at infrastructure sites, land terminals and platforms on the Norwegian continental shelf.

While the drones appear harmless, Norways largest oil and gas firm Equinor notified authorities of the sightings of drones flying near some of its platforms. We would urge increased vigilance, a review of emergency preparedness measures and incident response, and information sharing, Norways Petroleum Safety Authority said in a letter.

Drones were spotted in at least six Equinor sites, and one was seen just 50 meters away from its Heidrun platform  breaking the 500-meter security perimeter.

Norway also has a vast network of pipelines that are linked to the continent, which experts believe are at risk of sabotage.

Blasts, gas leaks on Nord Stream pipelines

The sightings of drones followed three unexplained gas leaks and two explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines on Sept. 26. Denmark also moved to secure its own platforms.

The CIA warned weeks ago that the pipes could be attacked, and agents sent a strategic warning to its European allies over the summer that the pipes were at risk. However, they did not say whether or not Russia was identified as the culprit.

The warning was also non-specific and did not pinpoint a time or location for an attack. European officials said no one is thinking this is anything other than Russian sabotage, but they have no hard evidence to publicly blame Moscow yet. (Related: CIA recently warned Germany about possible Nord Stream pipeline attack, says German magazine.)

Russia does have the capacity to carry out such an attack, as it has the most significant spy submarine fleet in the world and has spent years updating its capabilities. The Belgorod, which is a nuclear-powered stealth submarine, can sabotage undersea cables and has the capacity to target a pipe.

The blasts are also said to be located in waters around 230 feet deep, which is shallow enough for divers to reach. Russia has direct access to the Baltic Sea from Kaliningrad.

Moscow also has the ability to put money into underwater drones that could be used to blow the pipe.

The explosions came on the same day that Poland, Norway and Denmark opened the new pipe running under the Baltic that is designed to supply oil to central and eastern Europe without relying on Russia, which could be a motive for Kremlin.

Moscow, however, has denied involvement in the Nord Stream blasts.

Visit FuelSupply.news for more news about the dwindling gas and oil supply in Europe heading into the winter.

Watch the video below for more information about the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage and what this means for the rest of the world.

This video is from the HighHopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Germany on the cusp of RECESSION following Nord Stream gas flow reductions.

TO ASHES: Desperate Europeans burn TREES for warmth following destruction of Nord Stream pipelines.

CONFIRMED: Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines SABOTAGED as third world war looms.

Report: Hundreds of kilos worth of highly effective explosive devices responsible for Nord Stream pipeline sabotage.

Sources include:

NewsPunch.com

DailyMail.co.uk

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) A public school teacher in Oklahoma who was fired back in April from one school system for brainwashing students into extremism is back at it again in another.

Tyler Wrynn now teaches English to eighth graders at Will Rogers Middle School in Tulsa, and his curriculum includes telling students to reject their parents and choose him as their new parent.

I am an anarchist, Wrynn told Project Veritas during an undercover interview. (Related: Remember when the Boston Teachers Union was caught pushing assassination as a legitimate form of resistance against oppression?)

So, I have a rather large TikTok following. Im an authority figure. So, I [publish] a Christmas message of, Hey, if your parents dont love and support you for who you are this Christmas, f*** them. Im your parent now. I love you. Drink some water. Im proud of you.

How that message ties into his English lessons remains unclear, but it gets worse. Wrynn says his goal is to burn down the entire system, which includes the removal of all Christianity and religion from progressive thought, because religion is inherently hierarchical.

Do you know whats happening in your childs classroom?

Wrynn, who used to work in the Owasso Public Schools system, seems to know what he can and cannot say in the classroom to avoid getting fired this time. He made mention of House Bill 1775 or something, which he knows could lead to his teaching license being revoked if he is caught doing any of this in the classroom.

Wrynn appears to have sidestepped his schools policies by moving his anti-system curriculum to TikTok where anything goes, it seems. Wrynn can preach to his students there about how to tear down the system, get away from their parents, and become transgenders, among other messages.

If I speak about religion in the classroom, I can get it [teaching license] revoked, yes, Wrynn responded when asked about how far he goes in the classroom. But I dont.

The video of Wrynns interview with the undercover reporter is available for viewing at Project Veritas.

The undercover report is somewhat of a deviation from Project Veritas normal reporting. In the past, the group has exposed corrupt Planned Parenthood employees for selling aborted baby body parts on the black market for extra cash, as one example.

Lately, parents have shown increased interest in what is going on at their childrens public schools. Now that the concept of groomers is gaining widespread traction, Project Veritas probed this issue a little more using Wrynn as one example.

The bill Wrynn was referring to, HB 1775 Emergency Rules, was passed in response to the problem of groomers. It establishes and reiterates parental rights over their childrens education while prohibiting teachers from indoctrinating these children in the classroom.

HB 1775 prohibits:

 discrimination on the basis of race or sex in the form of bias, stereotyping, scapegoating, classification, or the categorical assignment of traits, morals, values, or characteristics based solely on race or sex. Public schools in this state shall be prohibited from engaging in race or sex-based discriminatory acts by utilizing these methods, which result in treating individuals differently on the basis of race or sex or the creation of a hostile environment.

In a section of HB 1775 entitled Parental Rights, the bill adds that parents and legal guardians of students enrolled at Oklahoma public schools have the full right to inspect curriculum, instructional materials, classroom assignments, and lesson plans.

It adds that no public school shall interfere with or infringe upon the fundamental rights of parents to determine their childs education.

The latest news about the corrupting of childrens minds at public school can be found at Corruption.news.

Sources for this article include:

ProjectVeritas.com

KTUL.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The latest data from Pfizer proves that the companys original vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) does not strengthen immunity  quite the opposite, in fact.

In an effort to promote its new and supposedly improved injection for the Omicron (i.e., Moronic) variant of the Fauci Flu, Pfizer is now admitting that its original mRNA (messenger RNA) injections turn negative within 30 days  meaning they degrade immunity and leave a person worse off in terms of immune function.

We have been sold an antivaccine as a vaccine, is how one concerned reader of Expose News put it.

An Expose investigation into the claim revealed that the original Pfizer mRNA shot degrades the immune system at a rate in excess of 10 percent per month. (Related: Experts from numerous top universities, including Stanford and UCLA, also say covid shots produce negative efficacy.)

Vaccine-induced AIDS, or VAIDS, is another way to refer to what these shots do to peoples immune systems. Instead of providing true and lasting protection against covid, the shots destroy natural immunity over time, leaving a person defenseless against disease.

Covid shots alter DNA, damage immunity and ultimately result in DEATH

Exposes investigation found that double-injected people were losing immunity against the so-called Delta variant at a rate of five percent per week. This is why they were dubbed Trojan horse vaccines.

They offer an initial immunity against a variant, but they also progressively destroy your immune system to the point where that initial immunity is wiped out, Expose reports.

Then they continue said destruction until the point where your immune system kills most of the vaccinated spike-producing cells.

In other words, the shots induce autoimmunity, meaning the bodys immune system begins to attack and destroy itself because it detects spike proteins all over healthy cells.

Some people die before that point (from cardiovascular disease, from neurodegenerative disease, from spike infected organ failure, from sepsis, from turbo cancers, etc.) as we have seen from the excess mortality figures, Expose notes.

Others lose a significant percentage of their immune function against viruses in a manner which may not be reversible since the DNA vaccines of AstraZeneca and J&J are obviously gene-altering and the mRNA vaccines have as many modifications as humans know how to make, in order to render what should be temporary RNA almost permanent (N1 Methyl Pseudouridine for Uracil etc.).

That fake uracil, it is important to note further, is not identified by the cell as genetic material. If it gets incorporated into other cell processes, fake uracil has the capacity to turn off immunity or induce genetic disorders, eventually resulting in early death.

The new jab from Pfizer also destroys immunity, just to be clear. The company claims it to be an upgrade from the initial shots, but both batches are highly destructive to cells and the immune system.

Adding the old vax diverts some of the B lymphocyte capacity to make Omicron neutralising antibodies into making totally useless antibodies against a computer generated spike protein (Wuhan Hu1) that has never been isolated, was most likely never in circulation and most likely has more to do with Peter Daszak, Tony Fauci and Moderna, than it does with Wuhan, Expose alleges.

Every Pfizer vaccination taken by every human on the planet prior to September 2022 has systematically destroyed their immune response at an initial rate greater than 14% per month  Every Pfizer-vaccinated person has VAIDS.

A full breakdown of how this was all determined is available at Expose News.

Want to learn more about the dangers and ineffectiveness of covid injections? Be sure to check out ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

Expose-News.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The Satanic Temple is suing Idaho in federal court over the states abortion ban, claiming that the ban infringes on the rights of members who may want to practice the organizations abortion ritual.

Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Idahos trigger law regarding abortions came into effect. It banned nearly all abortions, with exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother, and it also triggered a civil enforcement law allowing family members to file lawsuits against medical providers who performed abortions on their kin.

The Satanic Temple in Salem, Massachusetts, is asking the court for an injunction to block these laws.

Our members hold a sincere religious belief that they can and should have an abortion in cases of unwanted pregnancies, claimed W. James Mac Naughton, one of the attorneys representing the Satanic Temple. (Related: Update: Abortion as religious liberty: Pro-abortion organizations agree with Satanic Temple claim that abortion ritual represents religious freedom.)

In the lawsuit, the organization noted that it has a religious ritual known as the Satanic abortion ritual. This process includes a person reminding themselves that their body is inviolate and then, while undergoing the abortion procedure, reciting a personal affirmation. The abortion ban therefore violates the states Exercise of Religious Freedom Act.

There are less restrictive means of furthering the states asserted interests served by the Idaho Abortion Bans than banning the Satanic Abortion Ritual, read the complaint.

Scott Graff, spokesman for Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, refused to comment on the lawsuit because the office has a policy against making statements regarding pending litigation.

The Satanic Temple has filed similar religious freedom lawsuits against the abortion laws of Indiana and Texas. Mac Naughton has also not ruled out the possibility that the temple will file additional lawsuits in one of the other states that have restricted or banned abortion following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Satanic Temple claims uterus is a private property

According to the Satanic Temples complaint, its more than 1.5 million members, including more than 3,500 who reside in Idaho, have a sincerely held religious belief that a persons body is subject to their own will alone and that a persons beliefs should conform to their best scientific understanding of the world. One of the temples tenets also claimed that the freedom of others should be respected.

Attorneys representing the Satanic Temple argued that the uterus of an involuntarily pregnant woman is a physical thing to which property rights apply. They said the uterus is a property because eggs can be retained or removed; the uterus itself can be removed for any purpose; and it can be rented to a third party as a gestational carrier under a surrogacy agreement.

The attorneys then argued that the involuntarily pregnant women of the organization have the right to remove a protected unborn child from their uterus and that this property right cant be violated by the state without just compensation according to the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution.

The temple added that pregnant women must provide the unborn with hormones, oxygen, nutrients, antibodies, body heat and protection from external shocks and intrusions. All of these are services that an involuntarily pregnant woman would be forced to provide under the abortion law.

The Idaho abortion bans provide no compensation or consideration to an involuntarily pregnant woman for providing the services necessary to sustain the life of a protected unborn child that occupies and uses her uterus, read the complaint.

Read more news about abortion at Abortions.news.

Watch this clip from InfoWars as Harrison Smith talks about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs position that abortion is an economic issue.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Planned Parenthood to set up mobile abortion clinics at borders of red states.

Gavin Newsom turns California into abortion central, signs more than a dozen bills expanding medical violence against unborn babies.

Planned Parenthood caught editing abortion fact sheet to convince people babies dont have heartbeats at six weeks.

Federal court: Biden administration CANNOT force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions or provide transgender services.

University of Michigan-Flint student government leaders partner with Satanic Temple to defend baby murder.

Sources include:

ABCNews.go.com

IdahoCapitalSun.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) South Korea has unveiled a new high-power ballistic missile that military experts believe is capable of destroying North Korean underground bases and facilities.

The new ballistic missile was among key new weapons and military technological advances displayed by the Republic of Korea Armed Forces during Armed Forces Day on Saturday, Oct. 1. The military released a video along with the public unveiling of the missile while claiming that it has the worlds largest warhead.

The ballistic missile is called the Hyunmoo-5. According to local newspaper Chosun Ilbo, the Hyunmoo-5 is expected to be able to carry a nine-metric ton (9.92 tons) warhead. It has a range of more than 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) when equipped with a warhead weighing less than one metric ton (1.1 tons).

Shin Jong-woo, a senior researcher at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, deduced that the new ballistic missile will be able to carry warheads heavier than other South Korean ballistic missiles. He could not predict the maximum size and weight of the Hyunmoo-5s payload, but he believes the missile will be able to carry the largest one Korea has ever developed.

The Hyunmoo-5 was launched using a cold launch method. This means the missiles engine is ignited after leaving the launcher, a method usually reserved for submarine-launched missiles wherein safety of the launchers is of utmost priority.

Koreas previous Hyunmoo-2 uses the hot launch method, meaning the engine is ignited on the launch pad, said Shin. However, the new missile was cold launched and we can presume that the new high-powered ballistic missile carries a heavier warhead.

Ballistic missile designed to penetrate North Korean underground facilities

The unveiling of the missile is shown to be part of the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation System, one of South Koreas three-axis strategies for targeting the leadership of North Korea if war breaks out. The axes include South Koreas air and missile defense network and its Kill Chain pre-emptive strike system. (Related: Kim Jong-un: North Korea fully ready to deploy nuclear weapons against US and its allies.)

During the Korean War, North Korea completely fortified its half of the Korean peninsula by building over 6,000 underground facilities, mostly under granite surfaces. Shin noted that the Hyunmoo-5 was developed specifically to be able to target and strike North Korean high-value targets in one of these underground facilities.

A high-power ballistic missile with a heavier warhead has increased kinetic energy when descending, thus possessing a higher power to destroy underground facilities and bases by penetrating the ground, said Shin.

The public unveiling of the Hyunmoo-5 comes just after North Korea conducted a test launch of seven short-range ballistic missiles, including two on Saturday. This was followed up by another ballistic missile test on Tuesday, Oct. 4, which flew over Japan.

China could see new South Korean missile as a threat

Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst in defense strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, noted that the Hyunmoo-5s stated maximum range of 1,864 miles makes it theoretically capable of hitting China and Japan.

Obviously, China will respond negatively, said Davis. But China has a massive and much more sophisticated conventional ballistic missile force that is far superior to what South Korea has.

But according to Ryu Yongwook, a specialist in East Asian studies at the National University of Singapores Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, it isnt entirely clear if the Hyunmoo-5 could actually fly 1,864 miles with a heavy warhead, noting that the missile has been designed specifically to strike North Korean targets 300 to 800 kilometers away (186 to 497 miles).

Ryu added that to be able to hit most targets in China, the warhead carried by the Hyunmoo-5 wont be able to weigh any more than two metric tons (2.2 tons).

The main purpose of South Koreas development of its cruise and ballistic missiles is to deter North Koreas aggression rather than targeting China, he added. Of course, neighboring countries may interpret South Koreas military development differently, thereby causing an arms race.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has attempted to assuage Chinese fears by claiming that the countrys defense system is intended to deal with threats coming from North Korea, and is not aimed at China or any other country.

Read more news like this at MilitaryTechnology.news.

Watch this clip from CNA discussing North Koreas latest long-range ballistic missile test, which flew over Japan.

This is from the channel The Sword & Shield on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Russia deploys doomsday nuclear ocean drones as global economic MELTDOWN looms.

The Israel Guys: Israels precision strikes took out terrorists in Gaza Strip  Brighteon.TV.

America supplying Ukraine with jet-fired anti-radar missiles.

China is now threatening JAPAN with missiles, which could mean blowback from the U.S.

Experts warn US missile defenses are wholly inadequate to defend against Russian, Chinese weapons.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

KoreaTimes.co.kr

SCMP.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) In a bid to become the worlds most woke airline, Virgin Atlantic announced a new gender-inclusive uniform policy that encourages male staff to wear skirts and pronoun badges, including Mx, U and X.

Employees of Virgin Atlantic are set to be given gender-inclusive uniform options. Before, the red option was the required uniform for female and the burgundy option for male flight attendants.

Both options are now made available for either sex. Additional options are also available for non-binary members of the crew. (Related: Nobel Prize winner dismantles transgenderism as unscientific, at odds with fundamental biology.)

Pronoun markers Mx, U and X will also be available for customers who have passports with gender-neutral gender markers, which include passport holders from countries such as the U.S., India and Pakistan. This does not include passport holders from the United Kingdom.

Virgin Atlantic has not provided an update on the policy for those who misgender a member of its staff or another passenger, although the airlines staff members are now required to attend inclusivity training.

TikTok star Tyreece Nye also showcased the airlines new policy in a fashion photo shoot published on Sept. 27. Virgin Atlantic described this effort as part of an ongoing drive to champion the individuality of its people and customers.

Netizens have mixed reactions to the new policy

Reactions to the new policy were mixed online, with some netizens praising the companys diverse attitude and others calling it a waste of time. Others questioned the airlines need for this new policy instead of giving its staff a pay raise or lowering ticket prices for its customers.

One netizen said: I would bet that the majority of Virgin Atlantic staff would rather have a pay rise than this.

The new inclusive policy comes with the airlines partnership with RuPauls Drag Race star Michelle Visages Be Yourself campaign and a fluid approach to uniform requirements that will reflect the diversity of Virgin Atlantics workforce, from its crew, pilots and ground team.

Visage, who describes herself as the mother of a trans non-binary child, said: As the mother of a non-binary child, and as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, these efforts by Virgin Atlantic to further inclusivity for its people are extremely important and personal to me.

Juha Jarvinen, the companys chief commercial officer, said: At Virgin Atlantic, we believe that everyone can take on the world, no matter who they are. Thats why its so important that we enable our people to embrace their individuality and be their true selves at work. It is for that reason that we want to allow our people to wear the uniform that best suits them and how they identify and ensure our customers are addressed by their preferred pronouns.

The policy came to light when research from the company found that 25 percent of workers feel the pressure of hiding their true selves at work. The research also claimed that enabling employees to express their true selves boosts happiness, increases mental wellbeing, creates a more positive workplace culture and provides a better experience for customers.

In 2019, the airline was one of the first to drop the requirement for female cabin crew members to wear makeup while on duty. It also allowed them to wear trousers instead of skirts. Earlier this year, the company also eased restrictions for crew members and frontline workers with visible tattoos.

Visit IdentityPolitics.news for more stories related to inclusivity policies in workplaces.

Watch this video to know more about Virgin Atlantics new policy.

This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Texas, Florida governors accused of being anti-LGBT by mainstream media for pushing for age-appropriate materials in schools.

New Jerseys new sex education curriculum teaches second graders about transgenderism and gender ideology.

Biology teacher says its more inclusive to say that eggs come from ovaries rather than women.

Sources include:

NewsPunch.com

DailyMail.com

HCAmag.com

Brighteon.com
The massive impact of Hurricane Ian on Florida, especially in Pine Islands, was catastrophic. After people left the islands for evacuation, they slowly returned to begin the cleanup of the Hurricane aftermath.

Governor Ron DeSantis said that the Pine Island Bridge construction was already completed to help residents there.

At first, the place would look like a war zone, but it was all the impact of the Hurricane, leaving massive damage to houses and property, damaged bridges, power lines, and trees.

According to an AccuWeather report, Lee county, with Pine Islands, Fort Myers Beach, and Sanibel Island, was heavily affected by the brunt system of the Hurricane.

Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said they launched the first Disaster Recovery Center in Florida to help affected people and communities.

Moreover, AccuWeather noted that the Florida Department of Transportation was deployed to repair and rebuild damaged roads in the area.

Parts of Lee County were issued a boil water notice due to the effect of Hurricane Ian, Florida Health reported.

Returning to the island

Moreover, AccuWeather also reported that Pine Island suffered from power outages and water interruptions in Pine Islands with 147,000 residents having no power as of Wednesday night.

Before constructing the bridge connecting the islands, the report said that volunteers and people depended on boats to help residents and return to the island.

As Pine Islands continued the cleanup drive, community disaster efforts have supported affected communities.

Free meals were distributed, while the American Red Cross noted that they installed shelters in parts of Florida.

On the other hand, the National Hurricane Center announced that a tropical depression formed several hundred miles west of Cabo Verde Islands, raising advisories to residents in the nearest areas.

However, reports said the tropical depression there is expected to be short-lived.

Also Read: How To Help People and Communities Affected by Hurricanes

The National Hurricane Center monitored the southeastern Caribbean sea in the latest advisory on October 5 (8:00 p.m EDT).

The report from NHC said that Trinidad and Tobago would experience flooding rainfall.

Meanwhile, parts of the Curacao islands group, Aruba, Bonaire, the southern part of Winward Islands, and coastal Venezuela would expect heavy rainfall and localized flooding in the next few days, noting that Central America must monitor the weather development.

Safety Tips

As the reconnecting bridge was completed in Pine Islands, residents started to return to check on their homes.

Outpouring community efforts have been present on the island and in parts of Florida.

Here are some safety reminders.

If you seek temporary shelter as your homes are heavily damaged, it is best to consult the nearest volunteers or local officials. The American Red Cross installed shelters in affected communities in Florida.

Be careful with sharp debris, downed trees, and power lines when you return home.

Check on your house for any items you can save. If you find any leaks, immediately report them to authorities. Notify any professional electricians for electrical damage.

Be careful in using generators.

Stay updated with the recent weather updates from your local weather stations or authorities.

Equip yourself with basic emergency items, including an emergency bag, flashlight, radio, and power bank.

Related Article: Unseasonable Warmth to feel in Northwest and South California

For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature News
Rodents have been found to be breeding grounds of fungi that causes deadly lung disease, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of New Mexico.

Fungal infections affecting humans are increasing at an alarming rate.

In light of the breakthrough finding, scientists could identify how and where we acquire the airborne pathogens.

Fungi Breeding Grounds

The new paper was published in the journal Frontiers in Fungal Biology on September 26, emphasizing the dangers of breathing due to opportunistic fungal pathogens and their diverse community in the small mammal lung mycobiome.

The paper has reference to studies of human lung mycobiome which has potentially overlooked fungi attacked in tissues.

Amongst all mammals, the new research found that rodents are indeed breeding grounds for deadly fungal diseases, as part of a mission to search where and why fungal diseases affecting humans are on the rise.

Also Read: 13 Hospitalized, One Dead as Rare Disease From Rat Urine Plague New York City

Coccidioides and Valley Fever

During a statement on September 26, lead author Paris Salazar-Hamm stated their analysis, which primarily focused on lung pathogens that cause disease in humans, discovered a wide range of fungi species in the lung tissues of small mammals, according to Frontiers Science News.

Salazar-Hamm said many of the rodents the researchers had sampled from areas in the Southwest US were carrying the type of fungi capable of causing lung infections in humans, including the fungus that leads to Valley Fever, a potentially life-threatening disease with flu-like symptoms.

The research team detected the fungus Coccidioides, which causes the Valley Fever, in the lung tissues of animals living from Kern County, California, and to the Cochise and Maricopa Counties in Arizona.

These areas have high rates of the fungal disease.

Sequences from the fungus were also detected in animals from Catron, Sierra, and Socorro Counties in New Mexico, Salazar-Hamm says.

Disease Spread and Climate Change

The team considers their study to be crucial for scientists searching where potential diseases could be caught.

Furthermore, the authors also planned to observe the health of the rodents and determine how this could impact the spread or severity of diseases.

Lastly, the lead author said that based on climate and soil condition, current forecasts of Coccidioides spread predict that Valley Fever will expand significantly northward and eastward in the course of the next century due to climate change impacting environmental conditions.

Salazar-Hamm also ensured their results will address the modeling efforts by adding essential information regarding animals as being reservoirs for pathogens.

Furthermore, the new understanding that rodents are breeding grounds of fungi is expected to widen.

Fungal Lung Infections

In September 2017, a related study published in the journal Annals of Research Hospitals depicts fungi as being highly attributed to cause respiratory infection, particularly affecting individuals with a compromised immune system, immune deficiency, or localized lung destruction.

While normal human resistance against airborne fungi is moderate, the mortality rate remains high despite antifungal therapy.

For instance, chronic pulmonary fungal disease is linked with chronic respiratory disorders and is also difficult to diagnose with absolute certainty.

Related Article: New Research Shows that Rodents and Other City-Dwelling Animals are Least Likely to Cause the Next Pandemic
According to Jonathan How of the Bureau of Meteorology, while flood warnings were issued in Victoria and Queensland, the primary regions of concern were in New South Wales.

"That includes areas like Tamworth and Bathurst," he said in an interview with Today.

"If you are on the shore in Sydney, you are also on flood watch; we are expecting minor to major flooding, which includes the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers, as well as Wollongong."

'Almost' every river west of NSW mountain range to flood as system smashes state

Even as the east coast braces for record-breaking rain, some of Australia's highest rains have been recorded in normally dry locations, as per 9News.

Yesterday, the outback town of Bourke in New South Wales got more than its monthly normal rainfall, according to Weatherzone.

Storms dumped 39.2mm on the town yesterday, compared to the town's monthly average of 26.3mm in October.

The severe weather isn't limited to rain, with 400 lightning strikes reported in the little town of White Cliffs in NSW's north-west.

More rain is expected in Australia's remote rural areas, according to Weatherzone analyst James Rout.

According to him, a series of low-pressure troughs are passing the south-east (Australia), and the negative IOD and La Nina are bringing copious precipitation.

A strong high-pressure ridge spanning over the Tasman Sea appears to be stalling the systems' eastward path, enabling more time for rain to fall.

Meanwhile, Sydney is on the verge of breaking a new annual rainfall record.

The previous record of 2194mm is anticipated to be broken this weekend, with up to 49mm falling in the city overnight.

The rain is expected to continue today, with the CBD expecting 10 to 15mm.

Residents are being encouraged to prepare as flood warnings continue to be issued across NSW, including the Upper Hunter, Lower Hunter, Darling River, Murray River, and Lachlan River.

The SES has already performed many rescues and is advising people to avoid flooding.

With rain and storms anticipated across the country, NSW isn't the only state in the firing line.

Showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected to develop today across southern Queensland, parts of New South Wales, and Victoria, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Rainfall in northern Tasmania might range from moderate to heavy.

Today, severe thunderstorms with destructive winds, heavy rain, and huge hail are expected in south-west NSW and western Victoria.

The next cold front will bring another belt of showers and isolated storms throughout South Australia.

Rivers are expected to increase in many places that have previously suffered floods or are presently experiencing flooding in the next week.

The ground is still wet, and any extra rainfall will cause streams and rivers to swell, according to the BoM.

Also Read: Australia Weather Update: BoM Forecasts Continuance of Cold Front Into the Weekend

Sydney is on track for a record annual rainfall of 2.2 metres

With more than two months to go, Sydney is on course to set a new record for the wettest year ever, as the city braces for another 100mm of rain over the next several days, as per The Guardian.

The rainy metropolis had 2,129mm of rain between 1 January and 4 October, falling just 65mm short of the 1950 record of 2,194mm.

Flooding is expected in parts of interior New South Wales, central Queensland, and along the Murray River in Victoria, as a heavy rain band settles in for three days of persistent rain, leading rivers to swell in already saturated catchments.

The 2022 rainfall total for Sydney's Observatory Hill weather station has already surpassed the second wettest year on record, 1860, with 2,110mm.

Parramatta in the city's west has received 1,664mm of rainfall in 2022, making it the fourth-wettest year on record, with just another 50mm needed to surpass the third and second-wettest years.

Flood warnings have been issued for over 40 rivers in New South Wales.

Rivers in northern NSW, including the Namoi, Peel, Macquarie, and Bogan Rivers, are particularly vulnerable to flooding in the coming days, according to meteorologist Dean Narramore. Some of these rivers have already seen significant floods.

He expects moderate to severe flooding in the Belubula and Lachlan rivers, as well as the Macquarie River near Bathurst, with minor to moderate flooding throughout the Hunter and Hawkesbury-Nepean rivers.

"Many of our gauges in inland NSW are suffering minor, moderate, or significant flooding," according to Narramore.

A severe weather warning for heavy rain has been issued for western New South Wales, extending from Wanaaring near Bourke to Hay and Deniliquin in the south.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, this might cause flash floods as the rain storm advances east.

Related article: Australia Will Experience More La Nina Weather This 2022
According to recent data, logging on B.C.'s Central Coast prioritized the highest value sites on the terrain during a 50-year span.

The gradual loss of environmentally valuable components raised questions about future sustainability and intergenerational access to natural resources.

Their research, led by SFU Ph.D. graduate Jordan Benner and professor emeritus Ken Lertzman, and published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that over time, harvesting operations moved to forest stands with decreasing productivity and accessibility, a phenomenon is known as "harvesting down the value chain."

Logging down the value chain raises future forest sustainability concerns

While the strategy, known as "high grading," is economically efficient, it contradicts many concepts about stewardship ethics in forest management, according to Benner, as per ScienceDaily.

However, the cumulative consequences of this historical trend, along with legislative reforms beginning in the mid-1990s, resulted in alterations in logging patterns that reflect a more stewardship-oriented approach.

The study focused on the competing economic and stewardship perspectives that exist in forest management, as well as how policy interventions to affect management play out on the landscape and their significance for long-term sustainability.

According to Benner, it is critical in forestry planning to recognize and incorporate the distinctive characteristics of residual high-value old growth, which represent increasingly uncommon ecological, economic, and cultural benefits.

We should fight to empower and assist communities seeking equality and benefits from their landscapes, particularly Indigenous people who have traditionally received a disproportionate amount of the value taken from their lands.

Benner and Lertzman's observations of forest management patterns are comparable to those of serial depletion found in fisheries and other natural resources, where lower-valued species replace those of greater value as they are depleted.

Humans have drastically impacted natural resources across the world through very particular consumption patterns: "We don't harvest arbitrarily; we tend to take first what is best or most economically effective, leaving an ecosystem deficient in those components," Lertzman added.

This has long-term ramifications for landscapes and the people who rely on them.

According to Benner, Indigenous groups are beginning to have a more important part in forestry and natural resource decision-making, which is long overdue.

However, the lengthy history of logging down the value chain has removed many possibilities for such decisions, such as the depletion of culturally significant huge cedar trees.

Lertzman added that productive valley-bottom old-growth forest plays important ecological and cultural roles in the environment.

However, in many regions, we lost the majority of this sort of forest early on.

As a result, our view of what the usual state has moved; we tend to normalize this depleted state in what is known as a 'shifting baseline' phenomenon.

However, we cannot comprehend the ecological context of our current actions until we acknowledge the past that has brought us here.

Also Read: Forest Outside Germany's Iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle is Dying at an Alarming Rate

What Exactly Is Sustainable Forestry?

Because the strategy attempts to preserve forests, the notion of sustainable forestry promotes the continued presence of forestlands, as per EOS Data Analytics.

In this sense, humanity may still profit from forests, but it must utilize the resource properly and repair it in order to do so for much longer.

Oregon, for example, was the first state in the United States to secure continuing forest usage.

The Oregon Department of Forestry created the Forest Practices Act in 1971, requiring wood-producing firms, among other things, to replant trees after harvesting.

The importance of sustainable forestry is highlighted via the advantages of forests to all living species on our planet.

Thus, sustainable forest management advantages are the same as forest benefits in general, with the significant distinction that people may enjoy them for an extended period of time.

Despite all of the benefits of sustainable forestry, worldwide deforestation rates are worrying, particularly in tropical latitudes, and agriculture is the greatest danger to forestlands.

Around 80% of global deforestation happens for agricultural purposes.

Because of the production of palm oil, soybeans, or cattle, the impact is most severe in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

This is why sustainable forest management in poorer nations is receiving special attention.

Related article: Tree Survival Strategy: New Study Sheds Light on How Forest Ecosystems Survive Damaging Winds
Hurricane Ian left a devastating impact in Florida with massive reported damage and casualty.

Search and operations have continued, while support from groups has been outpouring disaster assistance for the affected communities and areas.

In times of disasters seeing the aftermath of storms and Hurricanes, communities contribute to help the needed and affected, especially people who have no access to immediate support.

Hurricane Ian's immense impact caused property damage with a potential loss of billions, while state authorities have been repairing around the clock to restore power.

Linemen and workers were deployed to clear the remnants of Hurricane Ian, downed trees, and power lines.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, on Twitter, posted that keeping hospitals and health care facilities running is their top priority since Hurricane Ian slammed the city.

Governor De Santis added that they opened a Disaster Recovery Center in Fort Myers, serving as a one-stop-shop to help people in Florida.

He also shared that they launched a Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, with $50 million available for short-term and zero-interest loans for affected small businesses.

Moreover, it noted that the Pine Island Bridge was completed, helping residents in the area.

Community efforts help people to start again after the catastrophic Hurricane hit their state.

According to the AccuWeather report, the American Red Cross provided shelter and meals for the people impacted by Hurricane Ian, deploying over 1,400 trained disaster workers to help with relief efforts and assistance in Florida.

Community efforts

In the report, AccuWeather explained that the Red Cross installed over 39 shelter workers in the state.

The article also reminded us that people who want to stay at the Red Cross shelter should bring their prescription medicines, clothing, hygiene supplies, and other important documents they can have, requiring people to wear face masks

In disasters, shelters offer immediate homes, especially when your houses were turned down or washed away by the Hurricane.

Also Read: Unseasonable Warmth to feel in Northwest and South California

On the other hand, part of the initiative is to help people with disabilities affected by the Hurricane.

Co-executive director German Parodi explained to AccuWeather that they feared that majority who were injured would be older adults or people with disabilities.

Parodi is part and co-executive director of The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies with Shaylin Sluzalis.

Moreover, the report said that World Central Kitchen helped the initiative by providing fresh meals to affected communities impacted by Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Fiona.

On the other hand, another disaster relief Mercy Chefs serves free meals and water to people in Fort Myers, Florida.

You can visit the website page of AccuWeather to read the list supporting the community relief initiatives for Hurricane Ian's impact.

Cleanup drive tips

Officials reminded residents to be more careful in cleaning up the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

Here are also other reminders for your safety.

Be extra careful with down trees or powerlines undergoing repairs and clearing.

Report immediately any potential leaks.

If you still have no electricity, be mindful of operating the generator. Please keep it away from your home to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Refrain from going to roads where clearing was ongoing.

Related Article: [Update] Forecasts Warn Tropical Disturbance Brewing in the Atlantic

For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature News
The Great Salt Lake is becoming saltier as it runs out of fresh water.

According to Wayne Wurtsbaugh of the Quinney College of Natural Resources Watershed Sciences, the lake is losing sources of freshwater input due to agriculture, urban sprawl, and drought, and the drawdown is causing salt concentrations to soar beyond the tolerance of brine shrimp and brine flies.

The Great Salt Lake on the path to hyper-salinity

The ecological and economic repercussions of this transition are complicated and unprecedented, and researchers are keeping a careful eye on another pressured saline lake, Lake Urmia in Iran, for indications on what to anticipate next, as per ScienceDaily.

According to a recent study by Wurtsbaugh and Somayeh Sima of Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran, this "sister lake" presents apparent, and worrisome, parallels to the demise of the Great Salt Lake.

Both lakes' histories have followed similar paths but at differing rates.

As less freshwater flows into these lakes from connecting rivers and streams, natural salts become increasingly concentrated in the water.

Native brine flies and brine shrimp can withstand salt, but when saline levels reach severe amounts - sometimes approaching saturation - even animals and plants accustomed to saltwater conditions struggle.

This implies that millions of migrating birds that rely on these food sources will suffer, starve, or flee.

Expanding urban populations in northern Utah have claimed more freshwater for crops, lawns, and faucets throughout the decades, progressively increasing stress on the ecology.

A 20-year drought is now pushing salt levels further higher, according to Wurtbaugh.

A causeway separates the Great Salt Lake into two sections.

With no freshwater supplies, the lake's northern arm (Gunnison Bay) has become the saltiest, with levels approaching saturation.

A salt transfer into the north arm has allowed the south arm (Gilbert Bay) to maintain salinity levels that allow brine shrimp and brine flies to survive.

However, salinities in the south are increasingly reaching levels that are stressful for even the most resilient species.

The Great Salt Lake and Lake Urmia in Iran were previously strikingly comparable in terms of size, depth, salinity, and location.

High rates of urban expansion drove demand for irrigated agriculture and human needs, placing the environment under great stress.

Gilbert Bay in the north arm of Great Salt Lake has reached an incredible 330 grams per liter (27% salt), and brine shrimp are practically gone, ending the $70 million brine shrimp industry's harvest there, according to Wurtsbaugh.

Shrimp harvesting in the south arm is now endangered by rising salinities.

Brine shrimp prefer salt levels between 75 and 160 grams per liter.

Brine fly larvae can withstand higher salt concentrations, but even this robust species feels the pressure when conditions are so extreme.

Brine fly larvae shrink at greater salt levels, indicating ecological stress, according to Wurtsbaugh.

The combined extinction of these two creatures might have disastrous ecological effects on migrating bird numbers and the lake's economy.

Managers may still control the flow of salt from the north to the south arms of the lake by constructing an underwater berm at a gap in the causeway.

This flow is utilized to regulate the competing requirements of the lake's mineral extraction enterprises and the brine shrimp harvesting sector.

However, if water development and climate change cause significant losses in water levels, even that choice will become restricted, according to Wurtsbaugh.

Also Read: Great Salt Lake Is 'In Peril' as Its Level Drops to Its Lowest Point Ever for the Second Consecutive Year

Recognizing Salinity

Changes in land use, seasonal fluctuations in our weather, and long-term climatic changes may all have an impact on surface water, groundwater, the flows that connect them, and the levels of salt they contain, as per The Government of Western Australia.

The amounts of salts in water or soils are referred to as "salinity."

Salinity is categorized into three types based on its cause: primary salinity (also known as natural salinity), secondary salinity (also known as dryland salinity), and tertiary salinity (also called irrigation salinity).

Small quantities of dissolved salts in natural waterways are essential for aquatic plant and animal life; increasing levels of salinity change how the water may be utilized, but even the most hypersaline water can be used for some purposes.

Natural processes, such as the deposit of salt from rainfall over many thousands of years or the weathering of rocks, generate primary salinity.

When rain falls on a landscape, some evaporates off the soil, plant surfaces, and water bodies, while others soak into the soil and groundwater and move into streams, rivers, lakes, or oceans.

Small quantities of salt carried by rain can accumulate in soils (particularly clayey soils) and flow into groundwater over time.

Secondary salinity occurs when groundwater levels increase, bringing salt from the "primary" salinity processes to the surface.

This is produced by the removal of perennial (long-lived) vegetation in arid environments, i.e. locations where salt accumulates in the soil profile and groundwater over time.

When vegetation is removed, like in the Western Australian Wheatbelt, the quantity of water lost from the landscape through plants is substantially decreased.

Rather, more water enters the groundwater, raising groundwater levels.

Related article: "The Lake is In Trouble" - Experts Worried as Utah's Great Salt Lake Hits Historic Low
The world's largest bird species to ever roam the Earth could have been found already following the discovery of a new fossil in Australia.

The fossil contains unique remains of the ancient bird's pair of legs during an excavation site in Central Australia, holding potential remains could still be in the area waiting to be unearthed.

Paleontologists labeled the extinct species as Stirton's thunderbird (Dromornis stirtoni).

Paleontological account reportedly suggests that Dromornis has a weird anatomical trait, with an oversized beak and an undersized skull.

It is also believed to have a body size towering three meters (10 feet) and weight of up to half a ton.

Dating back to 8 million years ago, the giant birds are said to be relatives of the modern day fowl, such as chickens and ducks.

Also called as "demon ducks," scientists in the past have attempted to measure the true size of the thunderbird.

However, the latest finding could help existing models show the approximate or correct size of the extinct animal.

If confirmed, previous evidence regarding giant bird predators hunting on early humans from several millions or thousands of years ago could be explored.

World's Largest Bird Species

The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory acknowledged the successful excavation as a significant moment at the "Alcoota Scientific Reserve Discovery Day 2022" due to the first articulated Dromornis stirtoni leg unearthed from the Classy Corner.

A huge moment at #alcoota2022 with the very first articulated -Dromornis stirtoni- leg excavated from Classy Corner. Thankyou @Phoebyornis for scale! #fossilfriday @fupalaeosoc @FlindersPalaeo pic.twitter.com/mJaKvacOtg  Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (@MAG_NT) July 22, 2022

In its Twitter post back in July, the museum also uploaded photos of the colossal bird, which showed that the fossil encompasses two very large legs bones and talon bones.

In 2016, Australia's extinct big bird is part of a group of gigantic birds known as the "mihirungs."

Amongst them is the Dromornis, which is the largest even known on the planet and has an average weight of 450 kilograms, according to The Conversation.

After going extinct 8 million years ago, their last surviving relative lived until 100,000 years ago during the so-called Pleistocene geological epoch or Ice Age, which last from approximately 2.5 million to 11,700 years ago.

Also Read: Rescued Bald Eagle Gets Treatment As Largest Birds Gather in British Columbia

Fossilized Bones

Adam Yates from the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory told Science Alert that the excavation means that the carcass was whole when it was buried.

The team only received lower legs because it was only how far they have dug, highlighting a significant chance that a large part for the rest of its skeleton could unraveled.

The fossilized bones were excavated in Alcoota Reserve, a dense fossil site located 190 kilometers northeast of Alice Springs.

The location has led to thousands of fossilized species since paleontological excavations started at the site in 1986.

However, most of the them are jumbled fragments belonging to different species due to historic floodwaters mixing their remains.

Following the discovery, paleontologists are reportedly hopeful it the new D. stirtoni legs can provide researchers a more accurate data of their true proportions.

Related Article: A New Fossil of Birds Has Been Discovered in the Great Wall of China
According to information published by the U.S. DoD on October 6, 2022, the U.S., Japan, and South Korea conducted a trilateral ballistic missile defense exercise in the Sea of Japan in response to the North Korean provocations.

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Republic of Korea Navy's destroyer Sejong the Great (Picture source: US DoD)

Following the North Korea (DPRK) ballistic missile launch over Japan, Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Chancellorsville and Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Benfold, part of the USS Ronald Reagan CSG, conducted a trilateral ballistic missile defense exercise in the Sea of Japan, alongside Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers JS Chokai and JS Ashigara, and Republic of Korea Navy destroyer ROKS Sejong the Great.

This exercise enhances the interoperability of our collective forces and demonstrates the strength of the trilateral relationship with our Japan and Republic of Korea (ROK) allies, which is forward-leaning, reflective of our shared values, and resolute against those who challenge regional stability.

Also this week, the United States conducted air exercises with our ROK and Japanese Allies, as well as a joint tactical missile live-fire exercise with the ROK.

About ROKS Sejong the Great

ROKS Sejong the Great (DDG-991) is the lead ship of her class of guided missile destroyer built for the Republic of Korea Navy. She was the first Aegis-built destroyer of the service and was named after the fourth king of the Joseon dynasty of Korea, Sejong the Great.

The ship features the Aegis Combat System (Baseline 7 Phase 1) combined with AN/SPY-1D multi-function radar antennae.

The Sejong the Great class is the third phase of the South Korean navy's Korean Destroyer eXperimental (KDX) program, a substantial shipbuilding program, which is geared toward enhancing ROKN's ability to successfully defend the maritime areas around South Korea from various modes of threats as well as becoming a blue-water navy.

At 8,500 tons standard displacement and 11,000 tons full load, the KDX-III Sejong the Great destroyers are by far the largest destroyers in the South Korean Navy, and indeed are larger than most destroyers in the navies of other countries. and built slightly bulkier and heavier than Arleigh Burke-class destroyers or Atago-class destroyers to accommodate 32 more missiles.

As such, some analysts believe that this class of ships is more appropriately termed a class of cruisers rather than destroyers. KDX-III are currently the largest ships to carry the Aegis combat system.
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Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey).
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A former policeman burst into a day care center in northeastern Thailand, killing dozens of children and teachers and then firing on more people as he fled
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Bodies floated off two Greek islands as the death toll from the sinking of two migrant boats reached 22, with about a dozen still missing
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US hits Iran with more sanctions over Mahsa Amini death

The U.S. has imposed more sanctions on Iranian government officials in response to the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini
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Scientists led by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) and the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland are exploring the elaborate interplay between genes, sex, growth, and age and how they influence variation in longevity. Their findings, which are being published in the peer-reviewed journal Science, are an important step in understanding why some people live longer than others and provide a basis for future studies to improve healthspan.

Robert Williams, PhD, chair of the Department of Genetics and Genomics in UTHSC's College of Medicine, along with Johan Auwerx, MD, PhD, professor and director of the Laboratory for Integrated and Systems Physiology at EPFL, started a program in 2016 to define genetic factors underlying aging and lifespan.

Finding common molecular pathways that control differences in rate of aging is critical to our understanding of how individuals differ in their health and lifespan. Such insights may help us work out ways to intervene rationally." Robert Williams, PhD, Chair of the Department of Genetics and Genomics in UTHSC's College of Medicine

Drs. Williams and Auwerx worked with colleagues at the National Institute on Aging's Interventions Testing Program (ITP), which donated DNA of over 12,000 mice to the project. ITP mice are genetically heterogeneous. Each of the 27,574 mice studied is a full sibling, sharing half its genetic inheritance with each other mouse in the program, and each has a known lifespan, making them an ideal system to study.

EPFL and UTHSC researchers measured the genetic makeup of more than 3,000 mice, all of them genetic brothers or sisters. The mice were then genotyped and allowed to live until their natural death. The researchers then explored the relationship between DNA difference and differences in the lifespan of each mouse. This genetic mapping allowed the teams to define stretches of DNA in genomes that affect longevity. The results show the DNA segments, or loci, associated with longevity are largely specific to sex, with females having a region in chromosome 3 that affects lifespan. When the males who died early due to non-aging-related reasons were removed from the analysis, additional genetic signals started to emerge, suggesting some genetic variations only affect lifespan after a certain age.

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In addition to finding genetic determinants of longevity, the researchers explored other contributors. In general, bigger mice die younger. The researchers found that some, but not all, of the genetic effects on longevity are through effects on growth. One of the non-genetic effects may be how early access to food affects growth. They observed that mice from smaller litters tended to be heavier adults and live shorter lives. Mice from larger litters that had to share their mother's milk with more siblings, grew more slowly and lived longer on average. The researchers corroborated these trends of early growth versus longevity in large human datasets with hundreds of thousands of participants.

Beyond characterizing how longevity is affected, the researchers worked to find genes most likely to play a role in longevity determination. They measured the effect of DNA variation on how genes are expressed and compared their analyses with multiple human and non-human databases. From this they nominated a few genes likely to modulate aging rates. They then tested the effects of manipulating these genes in roundworms and found that a subset of gene perturbations did in fact affect the lifespan. The results of this study will be a rich resource of aging genes that will hopefully guide the design of therapies that not only extend lifespan, but also healthspan.

Funding for the project was provided by the NIA, EPFL, the European Research Council, the Swiss National Science Foundation, and the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research. The paper, titled "Sex- and age-dependent genetics of longevity in a heterogeneous mouse population," is in the October 2022 issue of Science.
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, USA, 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."
In a recent study published in ASAIO Journal, researchers comparatively assessed mortality rates among CARDS [coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) acute respiratory distress syndrome] patients on ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) during the first wave (W1), the second wave (W2) and the third wave (W3) of COVID-19.

Background

From February 2020 onwards, several COVID-19 waves occurred in France, and the clinical presentations and mortality rates of ECMO-treated CARDS patients differed during each pandemic wave. COVID-19 management evolved with increased knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 VOC infections. However, data on ECMO outcomes among individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 VOCs are limited.

Despite early corticosteroid administration, mechanical ventilation use, systemic medications for anticoagulation, and experience of the first pandemic wave, patient mortality was unaltered for ICU (intensive care unit)-admitted patients and even increased among those with mechanical ventilation requirements. During W2, studies reported higher mortality, ECMO duration, WF (weaning failures), and ECMO duration. Despite enormous vaccination coverage for high-risk individuals by January 2021, France faces a third pandemic wave from March 2021 onwards.

During the initial pandemic wave, several CARDS patients required ECMO in the Amiens University Hospital center, and >50% of patients survived. During W3, to increase patient survival rates and avoid CARDS cases not requiring ECMO [based on the ECMO to Rescue Lung Injury in Severe ARDS (EOLIA) criteria], the team included the COVID-19 progression duration (i.e., the duration between symptom onset and ECMO) in the ECMO implantation criteria, based on clinical experience gained in the first and second waves.

About the study

In the present study, researchers compared mortality rates among ECMO-treated CARDS patients during W1, W2, and W3 in France, as an ancillary study of a prospective cohort study of ICU-admitted COVID-19 patients conducted at Amiens University tertiary care hospital.

Fifty-four CTVR-ICU (cardiac thoracic vascular and respiratory ICU)-admitted severe CARDS patients with ECMO requirements during W1 (between 28 February 2020 and 1 June 2020), W2 (between 1 September 2020 and 15 April 2020) and W3 (between 12 December 2020 and 15 June 2021). Pre-ECMO risk factors estimating 90-day mortality rates were assessed using multivariate Cox regression modeling.

The team excluded participants who died during ECMO, had veno-arterial type ECMO before veno-venous type ECMO or had ECMO for major thoracic surgeries. Data on patient sex, age, comorbidities, BMI (body mass index), medical test reports, dates of symptom onset, admission to the ICU, intubations, and ECMO treatment initiation were obtained prospectively. SOFA (sepsis-related organ failure assessment) scores and RESP (respiratory ECMO survival prediction) scores were used to measure CARDS severity and estimate patient survival, respectively.

Before ECMO treatment, the team reviewed computed tomography (CT) scans, laboratory test reports, ventilator settings, plateau pressure, respiratory rate, driving pressure, tidal volume, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in arteries, rescue therapy (nitric oxide inhalation and prone positioning) and SARS-CoV-2-targeted therapies. The prime study outcome was in-hospital deaths assessed on day 90 post-ECMO initiation.

Results

In total, 217 CARDS patients were enrolled between 28 February 2020 and 15 June 2021, of which 64, 36, and 117 patients were infected during W1, W2, and W3, respectively. Of 217 patients, 61 received ECMO, of which seven were excluded, and as a result, 54 patients were followed up for 90-day mortality, of which 14, 14, and 26 were infected during W1, W2, and W3, respectively.

Fourteen, 14, and 26 CARDS patients required ECMO during W1, W2, and W3, respectively. The median age of the participants was 61 years, and 75% were males with a median SOFA score of 11. There were no statistically significant differences during the three waves except for greater serological creatinine levels among patients infected during W1. The duration between symptom onset to ECMO (17 days versus 11 days) and from ICU admission to intubation (four days versus one day) was greater during W2 than W1.

In addition, ECMO support duration (24 days versus 10 days), ICU stay (36 days versus 26 days), and mechanical ventilation (37 days vs. 25 days) were higher, and survival was lower during W2. The 90-day death rates were greater in W2 (85% versus 43%) but lesser in W3 (38% versus 85%). Pre-ECMO ventilation settings differed for W2 patients; median values for static compliance and driving pressures were 20 cm H 2 O versus 30 cm H 2 O, and 17 versus 14, respectively.

Glucocorticoids were administered mostly after W1, and femoral-jugular cannulas were inserted in 95% of patients three days post-intubation. During their ICU stay, all W2 and W3 patients developed ventilator-associated pneumonia. Over 59% (n=32) of patients were weaned from ECMO, and 28 patients died. The 90-day mortality rate significantly elevated from W1 to W2 (six versus 12 patients) and significantly decreased from W2 to W3 (12 versus 10 patients). RESP scores and time from symptoms onset to ECMO (hazard ratio of 1.1) were independent mortality factors.

Conclusion

To summarize, the 90-day mortality rates increased during W2 but improved during W3, and COVID-19 progression before ECMO could be an independent factor associated with 90-day mortality. CARDS prognosis worsened 12 after disease evolution, making ECMO therapy ineffective for such patients.
Testing on humans of a novel COVID-19 vaccine developed in Brazil will begin this year. It performed well in animal trials, as reported in an article published in August in Nature Communications. The scientists responsible for the vaccine have just received authorization from the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) to begin clinical trials.

"There are only some minor adjustments left to be made in the study's protocol before we submit it once again to the approval of the National Council for Research Ethics [CONEP]. We expect to start clinical trials by late October," Ricardo Tostes Gazzinelli, head of the Federal University of Minas Gerais's Vaccine Technology Center (CTV-UFMG), told Agencia FAPESP. Gazzinelli is also a senior researcher at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), the Ministry of Health's research arm.

To develop the formulation for the vaccine, the group led by Gazzinelli combined two different SARS-CoV-2 proteins: N (for nucleocapsid, which contains the virus's genetic material) and part of S (for spike, the protein used by the virus to bind to invade human cells). The resulting chimeric molecule is called SpiN. The strategy aims to trigger a cellular immune response consisting of the production of defense cells (T lymphocytes) that specialize in recognizing and killing the novel coronavirus. This type of protection should remain effective even against novel variants.

"The COVID-19 vaccines in use now are designed mainly to trigger the production of neutralizing antibodies against the S protein and prevent the virus from infecting human cells. This is what's known as the humoral immune response. However, with the emergence of variants with many mutations in the S protein, the ability of these antibodies to recognize this antigen has weakened, whereas the N protein is better conserved in the new strains," said PhD candidate Julia Castro, who led the preclinical trials with Gazzinelli supervising.

According to Gazzinelli, who is also a visiting professor at the University of Sao Paulo's Ribeirao Preto Medical School (FMRP-USP), the vaccine based on the chimeric protein SpiN does not itself trigger the production of neutralizing antibodies, but if given as a booster shot it can stimulate both the humoral immunity produced by prior vaccination and cellular immunity, affording double protection.

Challenge testing

The animal trials were performed at a high-biosafety laboratory at FMRP-USP, thanks to collaboration with Joao Santana da Silva and Luiz Tadeu Figueiredo, both of whom are also professors there. The research was supported by FAPESP, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) via its virus network (Rede Virus), the Minas Gerais Research Funding Foundation (FAPEMIG), and the City of Belo Horizonte (capital of Minas Gerais).

The first step was to test the efficacy of the vaccine in mice that had been genetically modified to express ACE2, the human protein to which the virus binds via its spike (S) to infect the cells of the host. This model mimics the severe form of COVID-19.

Some of the mice were given two doses 21 days apart. The others received a placebo. A month later they were exposed intranasally to a high viral load. Different experiments were performed to test the extent to which the vaccine protected them against the wild-type strain of SARS-CoV-2 (isolated in China in 2019), the delta variant (India, 2020) and the omicron variant (South Africa, 2021).

In the control group, which was given placebo, 100% of the animals infected with the [wild-type] Wuhan strain or delta died. The mice exposed to omicron didn't die but developed a significant pathology in the lungs. In the vaccinated group, all the animals survived infection by all three strains and lung tissue was much more preserved. In addition, viral load was between 50 and 100 times lower." Julia Castro, PhD Candidate

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The next step involved testing the vaccine on a moderate disease model. To do this, the scientists used hamsters, which are naturally infected by the virus but not very effectively. They were given two doses of the vaccine and after a month were exposed to the Wuhan or delta strain. Compared with the control group, the vaccinated hamsters had a viral load that was about ten times lower and fewer signs of lung damage.

Stability and safety

A platform was established at CTV-UFMG to produce the chimeric protein SpiN in genetically modified bacteria. Tests were also performed there to guarantee purity (absence of contaminants in the formulation) and stability (durability at different temperatures).

"The results showed that the vaccine remains viable for two weeks at room temperature and for at least six months when stored at 4 C," told Gazzinelli, according to whom safety and toxicity tests were performed on rats.

According to Gazzinelli, clinical trials are divided into Phase I and II. Phase I is expected to immunize 80 patients to make sure the vaccine is safe for humans, while Phase II will include a group of 400 volunteers for vaccine safety tests and also for evaluation of the vaccine's immunogenicity  or, in other words, its capacity to induce an effective immune response. Trials will be conducted at UFMG's medical school and will be led by Helton Santiago and Jorge Pinto, both of whom are professors there. They plan to vaccinate people who have already been given any of the available COVID-19 vaccines at least six months previously.

"It will be a booster shot. Volunteers in the control group will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. We'll then compare levels of neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and T lymphocytes. We expect our formulation to trigger an even stronger cellular immune response," Gazzinelli said.
This story is part of an ongoing investigation from KHN and NPR into medical debt.

Penelope Wingard is tough. She has survived breast cancer, a brain aneurysm, and surgery on both eyes. But saving her life has come at a steep cost.

Wingard  who goes by "Penny"  is now free from cancer. But for the past eight years, she has been battling something that has felt just as tough as a chronic illness: medical debt. Symptoms include daily bills in the mail and harassing calls from collectors. And her credit score has taken a hit.

She has resigned herself to living with the ramifications of medical debt.

Those include being cut off from doctors until she pays down her debt, having to borrow money from family for medical emergencies, and being rejected from jobs when her low credit score shows up as a red flag on background checks.

"It's like you're being punished for being sick," Wingard said.

This year, three national credit agencies announced new policies to prevent medical debt from harming people's credit scores. Consumer advocates celebrated, thinking relief was finally on the way for millions of Americans struggling with medical bills.

It turns out the new policies won't help Wingard.

A report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found the policies won't reach many of the people hit hardest by medical debt. Like Wingard, they tend to be Black Americans living in Southern states that have not expanded Medicaid.
After a year of chemo and radiation, doctors told Penelope Penny Wingard in 2014 that her breast cancer was in remission. She'd been praying for this good news. But it also meant she no longer qualified for a program in her state that offers temporary Medicaid coverage to patients undergoing active breast cancer treatment.

Wingard became uninsured. She'd survived the medical toll, but the financial toll was ongoing.

Bills for follow-up appointments, blood tests, and scans quickly piled up. Soon, her oncologist said he wouldn't see her until she paid down the debt.

"My hair hadn't even grown back from chemo," Wingard said, "and I couldn't see my oncologist."

Medical debt has sunk her credit score so low that she has struggled to qualify for loans, and applying for jobs and apartments has become a harrowing experience.

"Its like youre being punished for being sick," Wingard said.

Earlier this year, when three national credit agencies announced new policies to deal with medical debt, consumer advocates celebrated, thinking it'd provide relief for patients like Wingard. But it turns out the changes aren't enough to help her or many other Black and low-income patients, who are often the ones hit hardest by medical debt.

Under the new policies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion will remove from credit reports any paid debts or those that were less than $500, even if unpaid. This doesn't wipe out what people owe, but the idea is to remove the black mark of collections from their credit so they can more easily reach milestones like qualifying for a car or home loan.

The changes, which go into full effect in 2023, are expected to benefit an estimated 16 million Americans. But a federal report released this summer suggests those may not be the ones who need it most.

"Although the credit reporting companies have trumpeted this as a big change, the fact is theyre just removing the small stuff," said Ryan Sandler, a co-author of the report and senior economist with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. "Theyre not maybe doing as good of a thing as their press releases would like you to believe."

People burdened most by medical debt tend to be Black or Hispanic, low-income, and in the South. A nationwide KFF poll found 56% of Black and 50% of Hispanic adults say they have current debt due to medical or dental bills, compared with 37% of non-Hispanic white adults. And a study published in 2021 found medical debt was highest within low-income communities and in Southern states that had not expanded Medicaid.

But, Sandler said, "the population that is going to have all their collections removed is a little more likely to live in majority-white neighborhoods and high-income neighborhoods."

Collections under $500 often result from an unpaid copay or coinsurance, Sandler said, and people with insurance are more likely to be richer and white.

Someone like Wingard  a Black woman living in North Carolina  is less likely to benefit from the credit companies' new policies.

After Wingard's oncologist cut her off, it took almost six months to find another doctor who would see her while letting bills go unpaid.

North Carolina has not expanded Medicaid, so Wingard, who is 58 and does not have young children, doesn't qualify for the public insurance program in her state.

She estimates her total medical debt today is over $50,000. It's not just for cancer care, but also bills for unrelated health problems that developed in the following years.

She has worked as an after-school teacher and tutor, a covid-19 contact tracer, and a driver for a ride-hailing service, but none of those jobs has come with health insurance benefits. Wingard can't afford to buy private insurance. That's left her on the hook for bill after bill after bill. Her credit report shows five pages of notifications from collections agencies representing doctors' offices, hospitals, and labs.

Wingard is resourceful. She has hunted down clinics that work on sliding-scale fees, pharmacy programs that reduce copays, and nonprofits that help cover health care costs. But it has not been enough to dig her out of debt.

In February, Wingard needed a specialized mammogram to check for cancer recurrence. Ahead of the appointment, she contacted a local nonprofit that agreed to cover the cost. But a few weeks after the procedure, Wingard received a bill for nearly $1,900. There was some miscommunication between the nonprofit and the hospital, Wingard said. While she tried to resolve the issue, the bill went to collections. It's more than $500, so it won't be removed even when the new credit agency policies take full effect next year.

"You fight so hard and you go through so much," Wingard said. "Still, sometimes you don't see any kind of relief."

Nearly 20% of Americans with medical debt don't think they'll ever pay it all off, according to the KFF poll. Wingard has resigned herself to living with the ramifications.

Her fridge and stove have both been broken for over a year. She can't qualify for a loan to replace them, so instead of making baked chicken from her favorite family recipe, she often settles for a can of soup or fast-food chicken wings instead.

In emergencies  like when she needed to repair a broken tooth this fall  Wingard borrows from family. But it's not easy to ask for money, she said. "It makes you feel worthless, like you can't do anything."

A study published recently found that medical debt leaves many people unable to pay for basic utilities, increases their housing and food insecurity, and can "contribute to a downward spiral of ill-health and financial precarity."

For Wingard, it has hurt her ability to get a job. She said two employers told her that poor credit shows up as a red flag on background checks and has led her to be turned down for positions.

Employers sometimes use credit reports as a "proxy on character," explained Mark Rukavina, a program director with the nonprofit health advocacy group Community Catalyst. If two candidates are equally qualified but one has low credit or several unpaid debts, employers might consider that person less responsible, he said  despite research showing medical debt is not an accurate predictor of someone's likelihood to pay bills.

Although the new policies from credit companies are unlikely to improve Wingard's situation, consumer advocates say there are signs that society is starting to think about medical debt differently.

The Biden administration has advised federal lenders to no longer consider medical debt when evaluating loan applications and has asked the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to investigate whether medical debt should ever appear on credit reports.

A federal law banning certain types of surprise medical bills went into effect this year, and some states have strengthened protections against medical debt by expanding Medicaid or holding nonprofit hospitals accountable for providing financial assistance to low-income patients.

In August, VantageScore, a company that calculates credit scores, said it will stop using medical collections in its formula.

Wingard is ready for swifter and stronger change. And she has an idea for how to get there: a march on Washington to demand relief from medical debt and universal insurance to reduce future bills.

"For a million people to gather up there and say we need better health care, I think that'd be history-making," she said. "Maybe then they'll recognize we need help."

About this project

"Diagnosis: Debt" is a reporting partnership between KHN and NPR exploring the scale, impact, and causes of medical debt in America.

The series draws on the "KFF Health Care Debt Survey," a poll designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at KFF in collaboration with KHN journalists and editors. The survey was conducted Feb. 25 through March 20, 2022, online and via telephone, in English and Spanish, among a nationally representative sample of 2,375 U.S. adults, including 1,292 adults with current health care debt and 382 adults who had health care debt in the past five years. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the full sample and 3 percentage points for those with current debt. For results based on subgroups, the margin of sampling error may be higher.

Additional research was conducted by the Urban Institute, which analyzed credit bureau and other demographic data on poverty, race, and health status to explore where medical debt is concentrated in the U.S. and what factors are associated with high debt levels.

The JPMorgan Chase Institute analyzed records from a sampling of Chase credit card holders to look at how customers' balances may be affected by major medical expenses.

Reporters from KHN and NPR also conducted hundreds of interviews with patients across the country; spoke with physicians, health industry leaders, consumer advocates, debt lawyers, and researchers; and reviewed scores of studies and surveys about medical debt.
In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* server, researchers evaluated the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of half-doses of AZD1222 or BNT162b2 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines as a booster dose following primary series vaccination with CoronaVac.

Background

Both AZD1222 or BNT162b2 vaccines are based on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine technology. On the contrary, CoronaVac, a widely used COVID-19 vaccine in Thailand, is an inactivated virus vaccine. Its immunogenicity and VE are limited against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs), Delta (B.1.617.2), and Omicron, especially BA.1 (B.1.1.529).

The neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) elicited by the two-dose regimen of CoronaVac wanes in nearly three to four months resulting in breakthrough infections, severe COVID-19, and deaths. Studies have shown that booster doses of mRNA vaccines could again increase nAb titers when administered at appropriate intervals post-primary series.

Like many other low- and middle-income countries, Thailand also faced a shortage or limited vaccine supply. Thus, there is an urgent need to explore different vaccination strategies, including dose stretching, fractional dosing, and vaccine platform combinations. Of these, fractional dosing or dose reductions are one of the most appealing because it helps conserve vaccine supplies while increasing coverage without compromising immunogenicity. Further, it could help broaden population coverage and herd immunity in resource-limited countries to reduce COVID-19-related mortality.

Several studies have shown that prolonged booster intervals enhance immunogenicity by allowing antibodies to mature for longer. For instance, a study showed that only 56% of short-interval vaccine recipients versus 100% of prolonged-interval vaccine recipients had Omicron-neutralizing antibodies. Over 65% of them even had Omicron-neutralizing antibodies at four to six months post-booster.

Even the World Health Organization (WHO) now recommends an interval of four to six months post-primary series, especially in the face of Omicron dominance, for heterologous and homologous booster schedules. However, no studies have specifically analyzed the full dose vs. half dose of AZD1222 or BNT162b2 boosters after CoronaVac two doses.

About the study

In the present double-blinded study, researchers accounted for both dosage amount (full vs. half) and the interval between primary and booster vaccination (three different intervals) to evaluate the immune responses and safety of AZD1222 or BNT162b2 booster doses. The team divided 1320 healthy study participants aged 20 years or older into two cohorts comprising 660 individuals each. Further, they divided them into three interval-stratified subgroups, each of which they randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either half-dose or full-dose AZD1222 or BNT162b2 vaccine, abbreviated as AZHD, AZFD, PFHD, and PFFD.

The team monitored all participants on days 28, 60, and 90 after vaccination. For vaccine safety data, they made evaluations on days 7, 28, 69, and 90. They collected blood samples at baseline and on days 28, 60, and 90 to evaluate humoral immunity and from 50% of participants of each subgroup on day 28 for T-cell-mediated immunity evaluations.

While the researchers monitored all the participants for immediate adverse events (AEs), they also recorded solicited AEs for up to seven days. Furthermore, they recorded AEs of special interest (AESI), medically-assisted AEs (MAAEs), and serious AEs (SAE) till day 90. The team quantified anti-spike (S) and anti-nucleocapsid (N) nAb titers using a validated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at baseline and days 28, 60, and 90 following vaccination. They presented the results as geometric mean concentrations (GMC) and geometric mean fold rise (GMFR) from baseline, with a 95% exact confidence interval (95%CI). Furthermore, the researchers quantified vaccination-induced nAb inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 seroresponse using SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus neutralization assay (PNA).

The researchers further evaluated samples that attained over 90% inhibition or 100% inhibition in PNA for 50%-neutralizing titer (NT 50 ) of geometric mean titers (GMT) against ancestral, Delta, and Omicron pseudovirus S proteins (PVNT).

Study findings

The primary study finding was that half vaccine doses were safe, with no vaccine-related or life-threatening AE. Although rare, previous studies have documented thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) after vaccination with AZD1222. However, the same vaccine caused no TTS in the current study at half- or a full dose. Moreover, both half-dose AZD1222 and BNT162b2 elicited humoral and T cell immune responses, as observed in anti-S IgG, PNA, microNT, and IFN-Y assays.

The efficacy of both doses of AZD1222 and BNT162b2 persisted at all time intervals, including 90 to 120 days after primary-series CoronaVac. However, seroconversion declined slightly with longer intervals in half-dose recipients but slightly slowly in full-dose recipients. Subsequently, the authors noted that at day 90, the half-dose immune response waned more rapidly than the full-dose immune response. Encouragingly, the immune response triggered by a half dose of any vaccine at day 28 was robust and non-inferior to that elicited by a full dose. In addition, seroconversion and T-cell induction rates were markedly high even at 120 days post-primary CoronaVac series (long interval).

Conclusions

The current study detected non-inferiority of the two doses (full and a half) of the same vaccine and booster dose intervals against SARS-CoV-2 variants to understand ways to maintain high levels of immunogenicity when vaccine doses are limited. It remarkably demonstrated that in terms of immunogenicity, half-dose AZ1222 and half-dose BNT162b2 293 boosting was non-inferior to their full-dose counterparts.

The results did not change with longer boosting intervals and against the Omicron VOC though nAb titers declined gradually from the ancestral strain to Delta and further to Omicron. Half-doses did not also compromise safety. Overall, the fractional dosing strategy exhibited the potential to mitigate supply constraints, especially in resource-limited settings, and ensure high vaccination coverage.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 38F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Cloudy. Low 29F. Winds light and variable.
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%.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Its all systems go for the first edition of the Arab International Cybersecurity Summit (AICS) which Bahrain will host from 6 to 8 December 2022 at the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre.

The regions first-of-its-kind event will be the largest gathering of cybersecurity professionals in Bahrain and international experts as they discuss the latest industry developments around the world, as well as other important related topics.

Also taking part are cyber specialists from a number of GCC countries and the Arab world, and cybersecurity companies from different countries. Interestingly, global experts will share their experiences and explore new ideas to harness the power of cybersecurity technologies to lead the future of Bahrain.

A press conference was held to announce the Kingdoms readiness to organise the three-day inaugural summit, which will be held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, CEO of the National Center for Cyber Security and member of the Conference Steering Committee, delivered a speech in which he stressed the importance of the summit.

Unlike other similar summits, he noted, the AICS does not only focus on the technical aspect of cybersecurity, but also on the language suitable for decision makers to make correct decisions. In particular, Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed pointed to the rapid growth of communication technologies for the launch of 5.5G networks, which will contribute to accelerating data transmission and making its transmission faster than ever before, which will entail many challenges.

The occasion will be the right opportunity for everyone, whether decision-makers, specialists and experts in the field of information technology to exchange information, consult and talk about challenges and obstacles, which will contribute to coming up with valuable recommendations that will have a significant impact on the development of cybersecurity technologies, he said.

In his speech during the occasion, Mr Simon Mellor, CEO of Miss Frankfurt Middle East, the company co-organising the event with Events, said that Bahrains hosting of the first edition of this conference confirms the Kingdoms leadership in the field of cybersecurity.

He highlighted the Kingdoms launch of the cloud-first policy, which aims to reduce information and communication technology expenses by not repeating the provision of the same solutions by more than one party, reducing weaknesses in the technical environment, as well as benefiting from the availability of information and communication technology services on demand.

Mr Mellor also pointed out the importance of the conference, thanks to the keynote speakers, including Steve Wozniak from Apple, Mark Randolph from Netflix, Dr Mohammed Al Kuwaiti, Chairman of the UAE Cyber Security Council, and many other speakers.

Ms Amal Al Morbati, Managing Director of Events Company and a member of the companys board of directors, confirmed that organising this event stems from the companys keenness to organise events that have an important impact on the cultural renaissance of the Kingdom, as well as its progress and growth it is witnessing during the prosperous era of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and with the support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The global event that will include training workshops and discussion sessions with the most prominent industry experts and companies from the public and private sectors from various countries.

Present in the press conference were Mr Muhammad Al Nuaimi, Head of Technology and Networks at the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Mr Mishaal Al Helou, Director of Technology at Arcapita, and Dr Jassim Haji, President of the Global Intelligence Group.
OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 6, 2022 /CNW/ - In June 2022, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released Canada's Housing Supply Shortages: Estimating what is needed to solve Canada's housing affordability crisis by 2030 (ESG 2030), which took initial steps to estimate how much additional housing supply is required to restore housing affordability by 2030.

Housing Supply Affordability Targets: (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

An important challenge to reaching those objectives by 2030 is the amount of skilled labour required. Using the housing supply targets outlined in ESG 2030, CMHC has released the follow-up report Labour Capacity Constraints and Supply Across Large Provinces in Canada, which examines the skilled labour capacity in Ontario, Quebec, BC and Alberta, to deliver on this level of needed housing supply.

The report looks at a best-case scenario, which projects housing starts with 'maximum' labour capacity and compares these projections to the affordability supply targets set out in ESG 2030 and CMHC baseline starts forecasts. The best-case scenario is based on the highest percentage of people in our population who work in residential construction and the lowest number of residential construction workers per housing unit under construction in the past 25 years.

The report finds that under best-case scenarios, housing starts will fall well below the 2030 affordable supply targets in Ontario, BC and Quebec, while Alberta will be able to achieve its affordable housing supply target by 2030.

This report further reinforces that to solve the issue of housing affordability in Canada, we need an 'all-hands-on-deck' approach to increasing the supply of housing to meet demand. This will include building on innovative ideas and initiatives being utilized in the current housing industry and through the federal government's National Housing Strategy, as outlined in the Proposed Solutions section below.

Report Key Findings:

At this current pace, there is insufficient labour capacity to address the significant housing supply gaps, mainly in Ontario and British Columbia (BC).

and (BC). Under a best-case scenario, labour capacity exists only to increase housing starts activity across all four major provinces between 2022-2030 by an annual average of 30% to 50% above CMHC's baseline housing starts forecasts:

Ontario by 36%

by 36%

Quebec by 29%

by 29%

British Columbia by 41%, and

by 41%, and

Alberta by 54%

by 54% Ontario , Quebec & BC need to double their best-case labour capacity in order to adequately reach housing affordability supply targets by 2030.

, & BC need to double their best-case labour capacity in order to adequately reach housing affordability supply targets by 2030. Labour capacity issues are most critical in Ontario , which has the largest population and the highest price pressures.

, which has the largest population and the highest price pressures. While the pandemic has shown that the workplace can pivot and manage greater construction volumes with fewer workers, this may still cause construction backlogs, which will create delays and postpone supplying new units to markets in need of more supply.

Proposed Solutions:

The federal government, through CMHC, is creating and rolling out programs, such as the Housing Accelerator Fund and the Rapid Housing Initiative, amongst others, as part of the National Housing Strategy, that aim to identify and address innovative solutions to accelerate the construction of housing supply in many urban centres in Canada .

. Shift focus towards converting existing structures into residential units  particularly existing commercial structures. This method has proved successful through the conversions of hotels, motels, and office space through the Rapid Housing Initiative.

Increase the construction of multi-unit housing, as it provides less logistical constraints of moving labour materials and equipment among structures than single-detached homes.

Create more incentives to develop a new generation of skilled construction workers.

More targeted immigration programs to encourage skilled, temporary and/or permanent foreign workers to bridge the labour shortage, particularly in Ontario and BC.

Information on this release:

We encourage journalists to contact CMHC Media Relations and arrange to speak to the report authors for Labour Capacity Constraints and Supply Across Large Provinces in Canada .

Follow us on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Backgrounder:

As a trusted source of housing information, CMHC provides unbiased housing-related data, research and market information to help close knowledge gaps, and deepen understanding of complex housing issues to inform future policy decisions. This is another in a series of reports that we will be publishing in the future to deepen our understanding and close our knowledge gaps on Canada's housing affordability issues.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

For further information: Media Relations, CMHC, [email protected]
NOT AN OFFER TO SELL OR A SOLICITATION TO BUY ANY SECURTIES IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 6, 2022 /CNW/ - Capella Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: CMIL) (OTCQB: CMILF) (FRA: N7D2) ("Capella" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered in to a binding letter agreement (the "Agreement") with elementX Finland Oy ("elementX") for the acquisition of a 100% interest in a portfolio of seven lithium (lithium-cesium-tantalum, or "LCT") pegmatite and rare-earth element ("REE") reservations in southern Finland (Figure 1).

Figure 1. elementX project areas and existing Capella projects in Finland (CNW Group/Capella Minerals Limited)

The elementX projects are predominantly focused on LCT pegmatite complexes located within the Jarvi-Pohjanmaa and Seinajoki lithium-permissive tracts as defined by the Geological Survey of Finland ("GTK"). The southernmost Kaldo reservation also hosts four known uranium occurrences, including the former Kaldo mine which is reported by the GTK to have ceased operations in 1959.

The acquisition of the elementX projects will significantly enhance Capella's existing portfolio of lithium-REE (Perho) and copper-gold (Katajavaara-Aakenus) projects in Finland, in addition to its portfolio of high-grade copper-cobalt-zinc projects in Norway. Accordingly, the Company will be extremely well placed to participate in the global electrification and decarbonization process.

Key terms of the agreement:

Capella will acquire 100% interests in two fully granted reservations (Kovela and Kaldo; covering 1,692 sq. km in total) and 5 reservation applications (Rakokivenmaki, Nabba, Lappajarvi East and West, and Kaatiala, covering 2,325 sq. km in total) in southern Finland (Figure 1; Table 1). All projects are located in districts with known LCT pegmatite and/or REE occurrences, yet have been subject to little modern systematic exploration.





(Figure 1; Table 1). All projects are located in districts with known LCT pegmatite and/or REE occurrences, yet have been subject to little modern systematic exploration. In consideration for the acquisition, Capella will issue elementX's shareholders a total of 15.1M Capella common shares representing approximately 10% of the Company's current outstanding shares ("Transaction Shares") and before completion of proposed financing as outlined below. The Transaction Shares will be subject to a minimum 4 month hold period as per TSX.V Exchange regulations, in addition to a further voluntary 3 month hold period. In addition, elementX will retain a 1% Net Smelter Royalty ("NSR") on any potential future metal production from the acquired portfolio.





Capella common shares representing approximately 10% of the Company's current outstanding shares ("Transaction Shares") and before completion of proposed financing as outlined below. The Transaction Shares will be subject to a minimum 4 month hold period as per TSX.V Exchange regulations, in addition to a further voluntary 3 month hold period. In addition, elementX will retain a 1% Net Smelter Royalty ("NSR") on any potential future metal production from the acquired portfolio. Capella also announces, subject to regulatory approval, a non-brokered Private Placement financing for gross proceeds of up to C$600,000 for which it has secured initial commitments of $C300,000 (including $C150,000 from elementX). Proceeds from the Private Placement are anticipated to be used for exploration activities at the Company's enhanced portfolio of lithium and rare-earth element ("REE") projects in Finland and high-grade copper-cobalt projects in Norway , as well as for general working capital.





for which it has secured initial commitments of (including from elementX). Proceeds from the Private Placement are anticipated to be used for exploration activities at the Company's enhanced portfolio of lithium and rare-earth element ("REE") projects in and high-grade copper-cobalt projects in , as well as for general working capital. Both the proposed elementX transaction and Private Placement are subject to TSX.V Exchange approval.

Eric Roth, Capella's President and CEO, commented: "I am extremely pleased to be reporting that Capella is increasing its exposure to the metals required for Europe's green energy transition and energy storage. On September 14, 2022, the European Commission outlined the creation of the European Critical Raw Minerals Act ("ECRM"), which is designed to support the development of a resilient European supply chain of both lithium and REE's. Initial targets indicated in the ECRM Act are that at least 30% of the European Union's demand for refined lithium by 2030 should be sourced from the EU itself (in addition to at least 20% of REE demand).

In parallel, the Norwegian government is also strongly supporting the construction of the country's first lithium-ion battery plant in the northern city of Mo I Rana. This battery plant, which is currently expected to enter in to operation in 2025, is part of a broader governmental strategy to take advantage of the abundance of low-cost renewable (hydroelectric) energy in-country and become a major contributor to future global lithium battery production.

In overview, the elementX acquisition is expected to provide Capella with a significant opportunity to be a major player in the growth of lithium and REE production in Finland, which itself has the potential to become one of the EU's major sources of these desired commodities. I look forward to keeping the market updated on progress on both our Finnish and Norwegian assets".

Table 1. List of elementX reservations in Finland

Name Status Arrival Date Grant Date Concession Name Area











Kovela Granted 08.06.2022 24.08.2022 Kovela VA2022:0042 70 sq. km Kaldo Granted 08.06.2022 24.08.2022 Kaldo VA2022:0043 1,622 sq. km Rakokivenmaki Application 10.08.2022 N/A Rakokivenmaki VA2022:0060 22 sq.km Nabba Application 10.08.2022 N/A Nabba VA2022:0059 140 sq. km Lappajarvi W Application 12.08.2022 N/A Lappajarvi W VA2022:0062 2,131 sq. km Lappajarvi E Application 12.08.2022 N/A Lappajarvi E VA2022:0061 Kaatiala Application 10.08.2022 N/A Kaatiala VA2022:0058 32 sq. km

Private Placement Financing

Capella has initiated a non-brokered private placement of up to 10M units at a price of C$0.06 per unit for gross proceeds up to C$600,000 ("Private Placement"). The Company has secured initial commitments for C$300,000, of which $C150,000 has been committed from an elementX shareholder.

Each unit of the Private Placement shall consist of one common share in the capital of the Company and one-half of a share purchase warrant, with each whole warrant entitling the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of C$0.12 per share at any time within two years from the date of issuance. The warrants shall also be subject to an accelerated exercise clause in the event the Company's share price exceeds C$0.25 for 10 consecutive trading days.

Proceeds from the Private Placement are anticipated to be used for exploration activities at the Company's enhanced portfolio of lithium and rare-earth element ("REE") projects in Finland and high-grade copper-cobalt projects in Norway, as well as for general working capital.

The Company may pay finders fee's in either cash, shares, share purchase warrants or a combination thereof, as permitted by regulators, on a portion of the Private Placement. Closing of the Private Placement is expected to occur on or before October 31, 2022. All securities issued under the Private Placement will be subject to a hold period of four months from the date of issuance.

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 the securities 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 securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (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.

Qualified Persons and Disclosure Statement

The technical information in this news release relating to the elementX lithium and REE projects in Finland has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements set out in NI 43-101, and approved by Eric Roth, the Company's President & CEO, a Director, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. Roth holds a Ph.D. in Economic Geology from the University of Western Australia, is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and is a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG). Mr. Roth has 30 years of experience in international minerals exploration and mining project evaluation.

On Behalf of the Board of Capella Minerals Ltd.

"Eric Roth"

Eric Roth, Ph.D., FAusIMM

President & CEO

About Capella Minerals Ltd

Capella is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of quality mineral resource properties with a focus on base and battery metals in Norway and Finland and gold in Canada.

In Norway, the Company's current focus is on: i) the advanced exploration-stage Hessjgruva copper-cobalt project and adjacent Kongensgruve and Kjli projects in the Rros mining district, Trndelag County ii) the discovery of new high-grade copper-cobalt deposits in a district-scale land position around the past-producing Lkken (Lkken Verk District) copper mine, Trndelag County, and iii) the discovery of new copper-cobalt deposits in the former Vaddas-Birtavarre mining district of northern Norway.

In Finland, the Company's focus is on the discovery of lithium and rare-earth element deposits at its Perho reservation and the recently acquired portfolio of 7 projects from elementX. In addition, the Company is actively exploring the Katajavaara-Aakenus gold-copper project in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt together with JV partner Cullen Resources Ltd (ASX: CUL).

With respect to precious metals, Capella has Joint Ventures with Prospector Metals Corp (TSXV: PPP) at the Savant Gold project in Ontario, and with Yamana Gold Inc. (TSX: YRI) at the Domain Gold project in Manitoba. The Company also retains a residual interest (subject to an option to purchase agreement with Austral Gold Ltd) in the Sierra Blanca gold-silver divestiture in Santa Cruz, Argentina.

Cautionary Notes and Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future results of operations, performance and achievements of Capella, including the timing, completion of and results from the exploration and drill programs described in this release. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that such expectations will prove to be correct. All such forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analyses made by Capella in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. This information, however, is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from this forward-looking information include those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in Capella's most recently filed MD&A. Capella does not intend, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or revise the forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Capella Minerals Limited

For further information: Capella Contacts: Eric Roth, Email: [email protected]; Karen Davies, +1.604.314.2662
TORONTO, Oct. 6, 2022 /CNW/ - Lilly Canada is pleased to participate in the annual Global Day of Service, an initiative where Lilly employees around the world invest their time and talent through a volunteering effort, to make life better and impact the local communities, in which we live and work. On the 15th Lilly Global Day of Service (LGDOS), Canada will be partnering with not-for-profit Ocean Wise to clean-up our waterways, and anywhere in need of some help with garbage  no matter where waste is, it eventually makes it into waterways.

"Canada decided to do something different this year for our contribution to the larger global initiative," says Jill Daley, General Counsel and Corporate Affairs Lead. "For the first time, all Lilly Canada employees will unite with one shared goal and whether you are on the Pacific shore or a small creek in Ontario, everyone will be working together to impact and improve our local ecosystems."

Ocean Wise has been a champion of clean waterways for over 50 years. From humble beginnings in Vancouver in 1951, the organization has grown into a global environmental charity that addresses overfishing, ocean pollution and climate change.

"There is such enthusiasm from employees about our Global Day of Service and we are so excited to resume this important philanthropic effort in person after two years, as a result of the pandemic," says Rhonda Pacheco, General Manager, Lilly Canada. "LGDOS unites everyone at Lilly and connects us back to our purpose, helping directly in communities that we call home."

Following the cross-country volunteer effort, Lilly Canada will work with Ocean Wise to log all of the data from each site, so that the total volume of waste can be measured, and the impact quantified.

About Lilly Canada

Eli Lilly and Company is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by Colonel Eli Lilly, who was committed to creating high quality medicines that meet people's needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to people who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and contribute to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.

Eli Lilly Canada was established in 1938, the result of a research collaboration with scientists at the University of Toronto which eventually produced the world's first commercially available insulin. Our work focuses on oncology, diabetes, autoimmunity, neurodegeneration, and pain. To learn more about Lilly Canada, please visit us at www.lilly.ca.

For our perspective on issues in healthcare and innovation, follow us on twitter @LillyPadCA.

SOURCE Eli Lilly Canada Inc.

For further information: Ethan Pigott, [email protected], 416-770-5843
OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 5, 2022 /CNW/ - Edmonton has become the first Canadian city to join UNESCO's network of top learning cities in the world. Edmonton joins network member-cities including Hamburg, Shanghai and Beijing as part of UNESCO's Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC), an international network of cities committed to fostering a culture of excellence and learning for all to enhance social inclusion, economic development and cultural prosperity.

"We are pleased that Edmonton is the first Canadian city to become a UNESCO Learning City, an international designation that recognizes its ongoing efforts and commitment to promote lifelong learning for all. The City of Edmonton fosters a culture of learning that promotes inclusive and sustainable development and growth for its citizens. In 2007, Edmonton also became one of the first member municipalities of the Coalition of Inclusive Municipalities, a further reflection of their commitment to building an inclusive and sustainable city for all." - Roda Muse, Secretary General, Canadian Commission for UNESCO

''I warmly congratulate the city of Edmonton on becoming the first UNESCO learning city in Canada! With its strong commitment to lifelong learning, it provides quality learning opportunities for all across the community while addressing key issues such as poverty, gender equality, inequalities and climate action. The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities will benefit from the great expertise the city contributes while in turn surely inspiring the further development of Edmonton as a vibrant learning city.'' - David Atchoarena, Director, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning

As the northernmost big city in North America, Edmonton plays a key leadership role in provincial, national and international contexts as an inclusive centre of learning, innovation, creativity and technology. Becoming a member of this UNESCO network is a key example of this leadership and represents the culmination of years of dedicationacross the communityto lifelong learning for everyone.

"As a community of learners, we celebrate this opportunity to connect with like-minded cities around the world. Our openness, cultural diversity and curiosity make Edmonton an excellent addition to the Global Network of Learning Cities. Our ambition is to attract a million more people over the coming few decades to our city of eager learners, energetically looking to embrace new ideas, emerging technologies, and ways of working and learning." - Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, City of Edmonton

This milestone builds on the City's current strengths and commitments to learning and development, including the Council-supported City of Learners initiative, which began in 2008 and has been under the stewardship of the Edmonton Public Library since 2013.

"The City of Edmonton brings its unique culture and commitment to this learning city initiative. With this membership, we celebrate our city's strong learning ecosystem that consists of partnerships across government, post-secondary institutions, school boards, arts organizations, not-for-profit organizations, private businesses and residents. We look forward to being members of this dedicated international network as our city continues to grow as a destination for learning and opportunity." - Andre Corbould, City Manager, City of Edmonton

In 2021 a community coalition was established, led by Mayor Sohi on behalf of the City of Edmonton. Community members include: the Edmonton Public Library ; Edmonton's three school boards, including Edmonton Public Schools , Edmonton Catholic Schools and Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord ; all eight of Edmonton's post-secondary institutions, including the University of Alberta , Concordia University of Edmonton , The King's University , MacEwan University , NAIT , NorQuest College , the Yellowhead Tribal College and regional partner, Athabasca University .

About the Global Network of Learning Cities

The new members of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities were announced in Paris by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning in September 2022. The Network connects education, training and cultural institutions and engaging a wide range of partners such as public-sector representatives, civil society organizations and employers is a key feature of UNESCO learning cities. They effectively mobilize resources in every sector to promote inclusive and quality learning, from basic to higher education. They revitalize learning in families and communities and facilitate learning for and in the workplace while extending the use of modern learning technologies.

For more information about Edmonton as a UNESCO Learning City and the community partners who have made this network membership possible, please visit www.edmonton.ca/learningcity and https://why.edmonton.ca/media-kit/edmonton-learning-city

SOURCE Canadian Commission for UNESCO

For further information: Vanessa Poulin-Gladu, Manager, Public Affairs, Canadian Commission for UNESCO, 613-862-1637,[email protected]; Dale Shekooley, Senior Communications Advisor, Civic Services, City of Edmonton, 780-554-1611, [email protected]; Lindsay Harvey, Communications Director, Office of the Mayor, 780-818-3707, [email protected]
The Spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress campaign council, Festus Keyamo, has admitted he is not aware of the whereabouts of thei...

The Spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress campaign council, Festus Keyamo, has admitted he is not aware of the whereabouts of their presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Keyamo, speaking on Channels Televisions Politics Today on Wednesday, also dismissed speculations that the former Lagos State governor travelled out of the country to seek medical assistance.

He pointed out that nobody made a fuss when the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, travelled to Dubai.

Our candidate is not in the country currently and I dont have any information on where he is. I know he will be back in a couple of days but I dont know the particular day.

He is also not on a medical trip; I dont have such information. It is not true that we have not started campaigns because the candidate is sick and is not around, Keyamo said.

When asked if the recent video was posted on social media to prove a point, Keyamo added that As far as I am concerned it was done in real-time and posted on his Twitter handle.

It is not to prove that he is alive, we are not trying to prove anything to anybody. Our candidate is not struggling to prove himself to anybody. People who are close to him know that he is an avid cyclist, he does that all the time, and it is his regular routine.
President Muhammadu Buhari has claimed he inherited a country at crossroads with bombs detonating in cities of Nigeria. Buhari disclosed thi...





President Muhammadu Buhari has claimed he inherited a country at crossroads with bombs detonating in cities of Nigeria.





Buhari disclosed this during the passing-out parade and commissioning ceremony of cadets of regular Course 69 of the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, in Kaduna on Thursday.





He, however, said his administration has been able to manage Nigerias security crisis since assuming office in 2015.





When this government came in 2015, we inherited a country at crossroads with bombs going off with frightening frequency even in our cities, and we came in to manage the crisis, he said.





Buhari called on the cadets to replicate the spirit of social cohesion they learned at the NDA and be incorruptible models to society.





He stressed that the cadets emerged in the era of expanding global security threats.





A total of 239 cadets, including those from sister African countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Niger Republic, Chad, and Uganda are passing out from the Academy as junior military officers.





Among the dignitaries present are service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali; Senate President Ahmed Lawan; the governors of Niger and Kaduna States, as well as National Assembly members.
The Katsina State Police Command said it has rescued nine females suspected to be victims of human trafficking. The Command Spokesperson, SP...





The Katsina State Police Command said it has rescued nine females suspected to be victims of human trafficking.





The Command Spokesperson, SP Gambo Isah in a statement said the rescue of the victims was based on credible intelligence, adding that the security operatives raided a hideout in Daura and rescued the nine victims





He listed those rescued as; Safiyyat Ahmed (21) from Lagos State, Precious Nuhu (22) from Kaduna State, Bolanle Adewusi (32) from Ogun, Okpoekwu Eunice (28) from Enugu State, Kabirat Azeez (19) from Ondo State and Taiwo Adeolo (27) also from Ondo State.





Others rescued are, Timilaye Ojo (26) from Lagos State, Blessing Joseph (19) from Edo, and Khadija Abdullahi (29) from Ondo State.





He said during investigations, the victims stated they were conveyed from Kano State to Daura by a driver, who on sighting the police team, abandoned the victims and took to his heels.





He said an investigation is ongoing to ascertain whether there are other hide-outs in the state housing victims.





The victims said they were on their way to Libya through Niger Republic when they were rescued, Isah informed.
The presidency has dismissed a claim made by Peter Obi, standard bearer of the Labour Party (LP), that some of his supporters have been s...

The presidency has dismissed a claim made by Peter Obi, standard bearer of the Labour Party (LP), that some of his supporters have been silently arrested by security agencies.

On Saturday, there were reports on social media that officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) allegedly arrested Joseph Onuorah who flew in from France to attend the October 1 rally organised by Obis supporters in Lagos.

Subsequently, Obi condemned the alleged incident in a series of tweets.

But a source at the state house said Onuorah was only intercepted at the Lagos airport for a matter that concerned him and not because he is an Obi supporter.

The democratic process in Nigeria is free and fair and all candidates  whether those from the established parties or minor ones  have the absolute constitutional and God-given right to campaign openly and without hindrance, the insider said.

What is also the case is that anyone who breaks the law  whether they are a supporter of the government party or opposition  must be held to account for their actions.

If, for instance, opposition parties supporters damage private property in the course of a campaign, march or rally, should they not be held to account if, for instance, governing party supporters defame an opposition figure should they not be held to account? Of course, they all should.

What is however known about a Labour Party member who was bailed by the partys chairman in Lagos State is that on 30/09/22, one Joseph Chimezie ONUORAH, Passport No: A12553760, arrived Nigeria aboard Air France.

He was intercepted about 22.30 hours at the E wing of MMIA Lagos by the Nigerian Immigration Service, at the instance of the Lagos State Police Investigation Bureau for an investigation that concerned him.

The source said the claim was baseless and that statements of fiction are not good for democracy.

Accusations that individuals have been silently arrested  and no one, frankly, knows what that description is supposed to mean  is an example of a statement made by a politician without any known foundation with the express intention of raising the temperature in this electoral contest, the insider said.

The source added that politicians have a duty to refrain from making statements or accusations that could lead to the raising of tensions and make the prospect of aggressive physical behaviour more likely.
A woman identified as Chinelo Udogu has flogged her three-year-old child to death. Sources said Udogu carried out the action in a feat of an...





A woman identified as Chinelo Udogu has flogged her three-year-old child to death.





Sources said Udogu carried out the action in a feat of anger and that when she discovered that the baby had died, she allegedly put her in a bag and dumped her in a bush.





Video circulating online showed the woman being apprehended by some residents of Amikwo, Anambra State, where she dumped the baby in a nearby bush.





Meanwhile, the Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the incident, saying that the culprit has been arrested.





Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Toochukwu Ikenga, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, who confirmed the incident, cautioned against anger.





He said: On the incident about a woman, Chinelo Udogu, who allegedly flogged a three-year-old child to death and dumped her body in a bush at Amikwo, Awka, she has been arrested and the victims body recovered.





The lesson for us to learn is that we should be cautious when angry and desist from going physical when correcting our children.





Meanwhile the case has been to transfer to state CID for a discretion investigations Further development shall be communicated.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Mostly cloudy this morning. A few showers developing during the afternoon. High 49F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low near 35F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
State fisheries regulators are proposing substantially lower catch limits for the popular but likely overfished speckled trout.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologists are recommending that the daily catch limit of speckled trout, also known as spotted seatrout, should be reduced from 25 to 15 fish per angler.

The proposal would also change the minimum trout size limit from one foot in length to 13.5 inches. The change is aimed at protecting more small, spawning-age female trout.

The Wildlife and Fisheries Commission on Thursday approved a notice of intent that clears the way for a period for public comment and an eventual resolution on the matter. If enacted as proposed, the rules would likely go into effect sometime next year.

The states speckled trout catch and size limits havent undergone a substantial update since the late 1980s. The state has considered similar rule changes in recent years. The most recent proposal began taking shape last spring.

Many anglers and fishing guides support the changes, calling them an overdue response to an all-too-obvious drop in the trout populations.

This resource is no longer a bottomless barrel, said Eric Newman, a Venice charter boat captain. Leaving more fish in the water is never a bad thing.

In the early 1990s, anglers were catching an average of about six fish per trip. Now theyre catching half as many.

The share of spawning-age female trout in the state's annual recreational catch has dropped from about 20% to 7% over the past 20 years in many parts of the coast, indicating the species is having trouble maintaining its population.

Several anglers who spoke at the commission's meeting Thursday disagreed with the proposed size limit, saying it will lead to an increase in throwbacks. Many hooked fish are injured or in shock when released, increasing their likelihood of dying or being eaten by predators.

Catching fewer fish wont be enough to revive the stock, said Wildlife and Fisheries Commission Chair William Joe McPherson. He noted that a range of environmental stressors are harming several fish species, including redfish and other popular catches. Likely the biggest problem, he and other anglers said, is habitat loss.

The loss of marsh habitat is there, and we see that, McPherson said.

Coastal erosion and rising seas have robbed Louisiana of land equivalent to the size of Delaware over the past century. Louisiana could lose two more Delawares in the next half-century if no action is taken to stop it, according to the states coastal scientists.

The main causes of land loss  climate change, Mississippi River levees, subsidence, erosion from oil and gas canals  are too big for a state wildlife agency to tackle alone. But limiting the recreational catch of an imperiled species is one step it can take, McPherson added.

He stressed that the proposed rule changes are not set in stone and may change as the commission gathers more input from the public.

This is a work in progress, he said. I think everybody can agree we all want this state to remain the sportsmans paradise. Sometimes we forget how good weve had it for so long.

+6 Pogy boat dumps 900,000 fish off Louisiana coast, raising the ire of anglers and conservationists Its hard not to be disgusted when you see that, said Chris Macaluso, marine fisheries director for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
South Africa: Work underway to establish fund to support women entrepreneurs

President Cyril Ramaphosa says work is underway to establish a gender collaborative fund to support women entrepreneurs to scale their businesses.

The automotive sector has also come on board, the President announced on Thursday. He said that the Automotive Industry Transformation Fund has committed to spending 30% of the overall budget to advancing gender transformation in the industry amounting to a total of around R1.6 billion over five years.

Meanwhile, eight of the 13 transformation businesses supported by the fund in 2022 have been women-owned.

The automotive sector has highlighted its commitment towards the meaningful capacity building to establish a pipeline of women leaders and owners, including a dealership development programme.

At the Gender Lens Investment Summit held in July, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) committed R9 billion towards gender lens investing, while the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) committed R12.5 billion.

"As the term implies, gender lens investing is an approach that considers gender-based factors across the investment process to advance gender equality and better inform investment decisions."

The President was speaking at the second Women Economic Assembly (WECONA), taking place under the theme: Unlocking gender-responsive value chains for a resilient economy.

President Ramaphosa launched the inaugural WECONA in October 2021 from one of the pillars of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), which advocates the economic empowerment of women to end GBVF in South Africa.

He also highlighted the agriculture sector as a valued partner, committing to establishing a localised manufacturing infrastructure that will support women-owned businesses and build capacity and skills through training programmes.

We are committed to using the policy and legislative tools at our disposal, such as employment equity legislation and laws that outlaw discrimination, to improve womens representation in executive leadership and address the gender pay gap.

Poverty

He told the women that the assembly was taking place as the country implements the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan to grow the economy, support livelihoods, create jobs and recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And while the pandemic may be in abeyance, unemployment is not, he stressed.

He said the pandemics devastating impact on lives, jobs and livelihoods lost will continue to be felt for some time to come, while women continue to bear the brunt.

We know that more women are unemployed than men.

According to the President, in the second quarter of 2022, 47% of South African women aged between 15 and 64 years were recorded as economically inactive.

This means that almost half of the working-age women in South Africa are out of the labour force compared to 36% of their male counterparts, he said, adding that poverty is higher among women.

He called on WECONA to produce outcomes that uplift, empower and expand womens access to all levers of the economy.

Procurement

Meanwhile, he said the 20-year-old Black Economic Empowerment Act cannot be separated from womens economic empowerment.

We cannot transform racial patterns of ownership of the economy without changing gendered ownership patterns and control. This is what the Women Economic Assembly is all about, to change this.

The President acknowledged that, in some areas, the country has gone backwards, especially on issues like black management control, skills development, and giving opportunities to black women by broadening procurement.

For this reason, as government, we introduced the target of 40% of public sector procurement for women-owned businesses. That is why the Women Economic Assembly was convened for the first time last year.

He encouraged the sectors to commit to procuring more from women-owned businesses.

Indeed, building gender-responsive value chains is critical to a resilient economy because no economy can grow or thrive so long as half the population is excluded from it.

For sustainability, government has set and implemented targets for gender transformation and the procurement of goods and services.

He lamented that South Africa still has few women entrepreneurs than many other countries.

Government has since trained nearly 6 000 women-owned businesses in essential business skills to qualify in the tender process.



The target is to train 10,000 women-owned businesses.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-10-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia Shalva Papuashvili met with the newly appointed director of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Georgia Office, John Pennell.Shalva Papuashvili expressed his gratitude to the International Development Agency for the support provided to Georgia over the years. He also talked about the priorities of the chairman of the parliament and reviewed the progress of Georgia in relation to the implementation of EU recommendations.The parties discussed possible directions of further cooperation between the Parliament of Georgia and the US Agency for International Development.John Pennell introduced the priorities of the new USAID program to the Speaker of the Parliament and expressed his readiness to cooperate with the Parliament.Shalva Papuashvili wished John Pennell success in his new work.According to the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili, according to the assessment of the business association, there is a serious shortage of qualified workforce.As he told the journalists, active work is being done with the private sector for this purpose."The opinion of the business association was that today there is not enough workforce, among them there is no qualified workforce. People should not leave the country, on the contrary, there is a shortage of labor here. We are talking about the fact that skills should be increased and how to do this, that is what we are discussing, it should be a matter of cooperation between the private sector and the state. We have constant dialogue and communication with this sector. Our Ministry formulates a policy in the direction of construction, we have constant communication. Citizens who left Georgia, who acquired qualifications in the same construction sector in different countries, are returning today because salaries in this sector have significantly increased in Georgia. However, we are paying attention to the problems, there are many problems," said Davitashvili.According to him, a meeting will be held with the representatives of the private sector, where they will talk about the lack of workforce and ways to solve this problem.
Developer Flaherty & Collins Properties celebrated the grand opening of The Banks, a $35 million mixed-use development at the NewPorte Landing, Thursday.

The 194-unit mixed-use development in LaPorte brought apartments and 5,000 square feet of retail space to 402 Truesdell Ave., near Truesdell Avenue and Chalmers Street just off Clear Lake.

Bringing in high-quality, diversified housing was a top priority for this administration, and we could not have asked for better than The Banks, said LaPorte Mayor Tom Dermody. We are grateful to Flaherty & Collins for their investment in our community and cannot wait to see the growth and continued improvements that this development will surely bring.

The upscale development includes a resort-style pool, outdoor courtyard, fire pit, grilling station, bark park, pet wash and a fitness center.

Individual apartments have stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and other amenities.

It is always exciting to complete a project, and The Banks is no different, said Julie Collier, a vice president at Flaherty & Collins Properties. The City of LaPorte and Indiana Economic Development Corp. have been great partners throughout the development of The Banks. Were thrilled to open and create an exciting living destination that energizes the Clear Lake area.

Indianapolis-based Flaherty & Collins, which manages 82 properties with 13,700 units in eight states, broke ground on the project in September 2020. Lake City Bank financed the project, which got tax increment financing incentives from the LaPorte Redevelopment Commission.

This project was desperately needed in the city of LaPorte, said Bert Cook, executive director of the LaPorte Economic Advancement Partnership. Not only did multiple private housing studies identify this demand but prior to this construction LaPorte lost countless potential residents who ended up in like facilities in neighboring communities. The success of The Banks already highlights just how important this project is to our community. Id like to thank the La Porte Redevelopment Commission, LaPorte Urban Enterprise Association, City Council, Indiana Economic Development Corporation and especially Flaherty & Collins for such a sizeable investment in our community.
Repairs to the Old Plank Road Trail from Harlem Avenue to LaGrange Road are underway.

Asphalt will be fixed on 7 miles of the path along the path from Harlem Avenue in Frankfort to Schoolhouse Road in New Lenox Township. This section of the 22-mile trail is 25 years old.

Information about where the work is occurring and which section of the trail is closed will be posted on the Current Headlines section of the Forest Preserve District of Will Countys website, ReconnectWithNature.org. Path users are asked to use caution and to follow posted signage.

A 2.5-mile section of the trail from 108th Avenue to Pfeiffer Road is owned by Frankfort, which will pay for this portion of the work.

The overlay process is preferable to removing and replacing pavement because its more cost effective, creates less waste, and strengthens the entire trail by thickening the trail surface, hopefully leading to a longer lifespan, Adam Oestmann, project manager for the Forest Preserve District of Will County's Infrastructure Maintenance and Replacement Program, said in a statement.

Repairs are expected to be complete the week of Oct. 24.

This follows completion of repaving work on the 4.36-mile Joliet Junction Trail. Though the trail is reopened, concrete work at crossings and final asphalt repairs are ongoing.
Officials from the Orland Park Police Department and members of the village board have had a common complaint in recent years.

They are frustrated because they feel that Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx is lenient on serious crime offenders and that many should be in jail rather than in the streets.

They are frustrated that some of those criminals come to suburbs such as Orland Park to commit crimes and some bring some dangerous weapons to town.

They are also frustrated that when the Orland cops make arrests, the offenders are put back in the street quickly even if they have prior felonies.

In an effort to alleviate some of that frustration, the Orland Park Police Department will tag team with the with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in what officials are calling a one-of-a-kind five-year agreement.

Two Orland Park officers will become official Task Force Officers under the ATF and will remain stationed in Orland Park to combat crime within the village.

Should the crimes involve a firearm, the TFOs will be authorized to charge the offenders under federal statute.

The board unanimously voted for this agreement at its Sept. 19 meeting.

Under federal statute, those in violation of the law will be subject to more stringent penalties than if they were charged by the State of Illinois or Cook County, said Orland Park Police Chief Eric Rossi in a news release.

Officials said that in 2021, the Orland Park cops recovered 61 illegally possessed guns, leading to 74 arrests. Through mid-September, police have recovered 101 guns this year, with 83 arrests.

We see it every week, Trustee Brian Riordan said of the arrests before voting. This program is great because its something we will have right here in Orland Park.

Added Trustee Michael Milani: This agreement gives our police department and our officers the ability to follow through on these firearms incidents and to make sure these offenders get charged under federal statutes.

With Cook Countys catch-and-release program, this is a great step in the right direction.

The two designated officers will have the option to use ATF resources for investigation of firearm trafficking and will be able to conduct longer term operations.

A vast majority of those arrested by the Orland Park Police Department due to violation of gun laws are convicted felons with prior arrests for unlawful use of a weapon, Rossi said in a news release. Many are found to be out on bond for similar charges.

"Unfortunately, we have grown accustomed to seeing our efforts wasted as offenders are released on little to no bond for their crimes.

Rossi is also concerned about the states SAFE-T act, which is scheduled to kick in on Jan. 1.

The upcoming SAFE-T act provision eliminating cash bond will only make matters worse, Rossi said. Our hope is to keep more illegally possessed guns out of Orland Park by keeping the offenders who choose to bring them here in prison.

Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau, who constantly speaks out about the leniency on crime and the safety of residents, said that this partnership wont stop every gun or every criminal from coming to town, but it can be effective.

Cook County, under Kim Foxx, has shown no interest in keeping us safe, he said at the meeting. The governor and a majority of the state legislators have not demonstrated that they have an interest in keeping us safe. President Biden and Cook and DuPage County representatives have shown no interest in keeping us safe.

The staff, the board and I will not take this lying down. We are going to do everything we can to keep you safe because that is our most important job. For this reason, our team creatively found a way to work around Kim Foxx, the SAFE-T Act and our tone-deaf representation.
HOBART  Dozens of Northwest Indiana lawyers and judges got a rare, up-close view Wednesday of the Indiana Court of Appeals in action.

A three-judge appellate panel heard 40 minutes of oral arguments in an improvised courtroom at Avalon Manor as part of the court's "Appeals on Wheels" program that aims to demystify the state's judiciary by bringing it directly to Hoosiers.

Appellate Judges Nancy Vaidik, a Porter County native; Elizabeth Tavitas, a Lake County native; and Terry Crone, from South Bend, didn't have too much explaining to do about the general workings of the judicial branch to the Hobart audience organized by the Lake County Bar Association.

The trio of judges is likely to get many more questions about how the courts work Thursday afternoon when they hear arguments in a different case before an auditorium of students at Portage High School.

Nevertheless, Lake Bar President Alfredo Estrada said he's confident the 120 lawyers and judges in attendance appreciated the opportunity to see an oral argument session for the Indiana Court of Appeals, since the court does not conduct oral arguments in every case, and, in fact, Estrada said even he's only argued before federal appellate jurists.

"It was different, to be honest. I didn't imagine the panel would be what we call a 'hot panel': a ton of questions right from the beginning. While each panel can be different, these three judges were really interested in asking pointed questions to the litigators. That was something of interest to me," Estrada said.

Vaidik said afterward that one reason most Court of Appeals cases don't include oral arguments is because the cases are routine. Every litigant is entitled to one appeal, and the Court of Appeals is that venue for the trial courts in all 92 Indiana counties.

On the other hand, cases featuring particularly difficult or novel questions of law usually are scheduled for argument, if the litigants request it, Tavitas said.

Crone explained that oral arguments rarely change the outcome of a case. He said that by the time the judges hear the arguments, they've already read written arguments from each of the parties as well as briefs submitted by outside groups interested in the case, and the judges have discussed the case among their law clerks and often each other, so they have a pretty good idea what the outcome will be.

"It doesn't change the result that often. But it's an opportunity to flesh out the arguments and get a better understanding, go a little deeper and get a response, so that if I'm inclined to go in a particular direction, I may want to know what are the weak points in that argument or what are the attack lines on that particular argument. It's always helpful," Crone said.

Vaidik agreed. "I love oral arguments," she said. "It does make a difference because we're able to pick apart the attorneys' minds, find out more information than we knew beforehand. It might not make a difference in the result, but it will make a difference in how we write it."

Decisions made by the Court of Appeals can be further appealed to the Indiana Supreme Court, the state's highest. But the Supreme Court gets to choose which cases it hears, a power not granted to the Court of Appeals, so the high court docket is considerably slimmer, and often the Court of Appeals is the final word on many state legal questions.

The case heard by the Court of Appeals at Avalon Manor likely is headed to the Supreme Court no matter what the Court of Appeals says when it issues its ruling in the next two to three months.

Lake Ridge School Corp. and the School City of Hammond are challenging the constitutionality of an Indiana law that compels, in most circumstances, public school districts to sell for $1 all unused school buildings to any prospective or operating charter school that wants a building.

Attorney Sara Blevins, representing the school districts, claimed it is unlawful for the state to take a school building, paid for by local taxpayers solely for the benefit of local students, and give it to a charter school at less than a fair-market price to educate students who may come from anywhere in Indiana.

"Clearly $1 is not just compensation for buildings that are hundreds of thousands of dollars, sometimes millions of dollars, in value. To take that property from school corporations works an injustice, and is unconstitutional under both the federal and state schemes," Blevins said.

Deputy Attorney General Aaron Craft said in defending the statute that school corporations are political subdivisions of the state and not only lack the legal authority to challenge the constitutionality of the $1 charter school law, but they're not entitled to compensation if the state chooses to take their property.

That claim caught Vaidik's attention. She asked Craft, "Where's the line?"

"Can the state take away city halls?" Vaidik queried.

"Yes," he said.

"Can the state take away fire stations?"

"Yes," he said again.

"Can the state take away parks?"

"Yes."

"Everything? Everything owned by a municipality the state may take from them without any just compensation?" Vaidik asked.

"Yes," Craft said. "The General Assembly pretty much has carte blanche over how to structure local governmental units."

The judges did not openly signal how they plan to rule in this case and declined during a question-and-answer session with the audience to address any specific issues relating to the case.

Instead, Vaidik and her colleagues praised both attorneys for effectively arguing their positions during what they agreed was a conventional court session in an unconventional locale.
HAMMOND  A Hammond mans attempt to make a big impression on social media has backfired in a big way.

Benjamin Eads appeared Thursday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Andrew P. Rodovich for an initial hearing on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Rodovich appointed a defense attorney to represent Eads at the publics expense and ordered Eads held without bond in federal detention pending his next hearing Oct. 11.

The U.S. Attorneys office charged Eads Wednesday following an investigation by Hammond Police Det. Gregory McGing and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

McGing alleges in a seven-page court affidavit that law enforcement officials noticed Sept. 18 that Eads posted a profile of himself on Snapchat, an instant messaging service where users share stories and photos.

Police allege Eads, under the name of Benji2slimey, posted a photo of a Glock, Model 30, .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol with a flashlight/laser beam attachment and an extended ammunition magazine.

McGing alleges Eads posted a video of himself the following day, walking down a city street and waving around what appeared to be the same pistol. The video was geotagged as having taken place in East Chicago.

Police conducted a criminal background check on Benjamin Eads and found he has a 2017 felony conviction for strangulation that he committed in a Virginia suburb of Washington D. C.

Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms.

Police raided Eads residence in the 800 block of Truman Street, near downtown Hammond, Oct. 3. They arrested Eads and recovered three firearms, including the Glock  inside a bedroom closet  as well as loose ammunition.

Court records indicate the maximum possible penalties Eads could face, if convicted, are 10 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
This event has been canceled.

After it was reported that a typical New York Fashion Week emits up to 48,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, there were calls for the fashion weeks in London, Milan, New York and Paris to rein in their harmful environmental impacts. The booming digital fashion industry, with its virtual runways and NFTs, promises to make Fashion Week more sustainable. Yet, even as brands advertise their carbon-neutral shows, the system remains stuck in its traditional ways, and the industry as a whole continues to be a major factor in the climate crisis.

How can Fashion Week leverage its platform to respond to demands for more responsible industry practices? Can there be such a thing as a sustainable Fashion Week? Is digital fashion an answer or a distraction from the real-world transformation we need?
This article is part of the Debatable newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it on Wednesdays.

The threat of nuclear war has hummed in the background of Russias invasion of Ukraine for over seven months now, and in the past couple of weeks, its become even more difficult to tune out. In a televised speech, President Vladimir Putin warned that should Western forces endanger the integrity of Russian territory  which, as Putin defines it, may now include the four regions of Ukraine that he illegally annexed  we will certainly use all the means at our disposal. He added, This is not a bluff.

The Ukrainian government, at least, seems to be taking him at his word. According to a top adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the countrys intelligence agencies believe there is a very high risk that Russia might use so-called tactical nuclear weapons, less powerful cousins of conventional nuclear weapons that are designed to be used on the battlefield.

U.S. officials maintain that the risk remains low, having detected no evidence of a nuclear mobilization. But they are far more worried about the possibility than they were at the outset of the conflict, The Times reported, and have begun gaming out post-strike scenarios. If Putin does break the 77-year-old nuclear taboo, how should the world respond? Heres what people are saying.

Catastrophic consequences

In response to Putins speech, President Bidens national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said that any nuclear weapon use would result in catastrophic consequences for Russia, which he had spelled out in private communications with Moscow.
In the weeks before Elon Musk declared that his bid to own Twitter was back on the table, his representatives spoke with the company several times about redoing the deal at a lower price, four people familiar with the discussions said.

Mr. Musk sought a discount of as much as 30 percent, three of the people said, a proposal that would have valued the company at roughly $31 billion. Twitter rebuffed the proposal, said the people, who requested anonymity because the talks were confidential.

In the past week, however, discussions narrowed to a discount of about 10 percent, which would have allowed Mr. Musk to pay about $39.6 billion for Twitter. Those talks ultimately did not move forward. Twitters market cap as of Wednesday was $39.2 billion.

The talks took place just weeks before a scheduled showdown in a Delaware courtroom to determine whether Mr. Musk must follow through with the $44 billion Twitter takeover bid he launched in April. He indicated in July that he no longer wished to buy the social media company, citing what he said was an uncontrollable spam problem. Twitter sued him to force the deal through.
Mr. Salgado had attempted suicide before he was contacted by law enforcement officials, and was sedated at a hospital, Sheriff Warnke said at a news conference earlier on Wednesday.

The family had told our suspect that they had in fact contacted law enforcement because of what he had told them, Sheriff Warnke said. And rather than talk to law enforcement, he attempted to take his own life.

The authorities did not provide additional information on Mr. Salgados relationship with the family or what he had told them. Investigators had been eager to question him earlier in the day, but every time he came near consciousness, he became violent, Sheriff Warnke said.

He said the authorities had not determined a motive for the kidnapping.

Mr. Salgado had been convicted of a robbery in 2005 that involved a firearm and false imprisonment, when someone is held against their will in one place, Sheriff Warnke said. The police had not had any major contact with Mr. Salgado since he was paroled in 2015, Sheriff Warnke said.

Mr. Salgado was taken into custody after detectives received information on Tuesday that one of the victims A.T.M. cards had been used at a bank in Atwater.

Investigators obtained a surveillance photo of a person making a bank transaction who was similar in appearance to a person seen in a surveillance photo at the trucking business where the family was kidnapped.
A CBS News poll published on Wednesday, which showed Kelly up just three percentage points over Masters in Arizona among likely voters, seemed to underscore Republicans argument about where the midterms might be headed: When the network pushed undecided voters to make a choice, the result was a closer race than other polls. The CBS survey also found that while Kelly is popular, 61 percent of likely voters disapproved of the job Biden is doing as president  a pretty gnarly number for Democrats to overcome.

The money picture

Across all of the big races, Democratic candidates enjoy a significant edge in campaign cash.

According to a New York Times analysis of campaign finance reports, Republican candidates in the seven big battleground Senate races had raised less than a third of what their opponents had brought in by the end of June, the most recent federal deadline for campaigns to report their fund-raising totals.

Its fallen to McConnell and groups such as the Senate Leadership Fund, run by a top former deputy, to close the gap. In New Hampshire, for instance, the super PAC announced $23 million in TV ads aimed at defeating Hassan. And in Pennsylvania, the leadership fund has already spent nearly $34 million, primarily on TV ads.

Money is only one part of the picture. Political operatives closely track gross ratings points, a measure of the reach of an advertising campaign. Democrats say they have been able to match or exceed Republicans on the airwaves in most weeks since the general election began, thanks in large part to their candidates cash advantages. A dollar spent by a candidate on TV ads typically goes further than a dollar spent by a super PAC because stations are required by law to sell them time at discounted rates.

And while TV isnt everything  digital ads and old-fashioned retail campaigns still matter  its one factor that campaigns and outside groups monitor obsessively, and its where they typically devote a bulk of their money. For that reason, its probably the best single measure we have of the relative balance of power between the two parties.

AdImpact, which tracks ad spending, reckons that 2022 is on pace to smash previous records. The firm estimates that campaigns will spend $9.7 billion on political ads this year, which it calls a historic sum.

The wild cards

Heres the thing: Republicans need to pick up only one seat to regain control of the Senate.

But in this years other competitive Senate races  North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin  Democrats have opportunities to cancel out any gains Republicans make elsewhere.
President Biden visited southwest Florida to see the devastation of Hurricane Ian as the scale of the loss  of lives and livelihoods  is still coming into focus. State and local officials have so far announced more than 100 storm-related deaths, while the damage is likely to be in the tens of billions of dollars. We have one job and only one job, and thats to make sure that people in Florida get everything they need to fully, thoroughly recover, Mr. Biden said.

Heres what to know:
DNIPRO, Ukraine  Losing ground to Ukraines counteroffensive, Russian forces lashed out at targets far from the front line on Wednesday, striking one distant city with a flurry of what Ukrainian officials said were self-destructing, Iranian-supplied drones.

At least half a dozen of the weapons, known as kamikaze drones, detonated in Bila Tserkva, about 50 miles south of Kyiv and hundreds of miles from the fighting, the officials said.

The goal of the attack was unclear, but since September, when Ukrainian fighters began pushing Russian forces out of occupied territory in the northeast, Moscow has been targeting electrical power stations, electricity transmission lines and waterworks with long-range weaponry. The strikes in Bila Tserkva also hit infrastructure, Oleksiy Kuleba, head of the regional military administration, said in a post on Telegram, the messaging application. He did not provide details.

In the attack on Wednesday, Russia launched a swarm of 12 drones from territory it controls in southern Ukraine, Yurii Ihnat, the spokesman for Ukraines Air Force, said in an interview on television. Antiaircraft units shot down three, and Ukrainian jet pilots shot down another three, he said.
Artists may strive for immortality, but art dealers would be foolish to do so. They tend to be forgotten over time. A fascinating show at the David Nolan Gallery, Mad Women: Kornblee, Jackson, Saidenberg, and Ward, Art Dealers on Madison Avenue in the 1960s, tries to reverse the process of erasure by taking us back to an intrepid moment in American art when a constellation of female art dealers rose to prominence. The mad in the title refers not to their mental states but rather to their addresses on or off Madison Avenue, in the gilded heart of the Upper East Side.

That neighborhood, where Nolan itself recently relocated, on the fourth floor of a townhouse, is not exactly revolutionary turf. As a gallery district, the Upper East Side is the good-taste enclave where art is seen and sold  not made. Its marble townhouses, with their intimately scaled rooms and grand curving staircases, feel removed from the lives of artists, who tend to settle in working-class neighborhoods that offer lower rents and industrial-size spaces.

But, over the years, the Upper East Side has had its share of art-dealer provocateurs, and the current exhibition at Nolan attempts to pay homage to four. Eleanor Ward (1911-1984), the most prominent of the group, might not seem to satisfy the Mad Avenue prerequisite: Her Stable Gallery was initially located in an abandoned horse stable on Seventh Avenue, at 58th Street, and served as the site in the mid-50s of the spirited group shows known as the Stable Annuals. But she soon left the West Side for a ground-floor space at 33 East 74th Street, where she demonstrated her prescient taste when she gave Andy Warhol his first show in New York in his wonder year of 1962.
A Cut Above

When to watch: Sunday at 10 p.m., on Discovery.

Finally: a reality contest show for chain saw carvers. Cut is part of the post- Great British Baking Show shift toward friendlier, warmer, lower-conflict fare  less glossy than Top Chef, less crabby than Ink Master, and instead more like Blown Away or Making It. Think happy vibes that feature talented artists working in interesting disciplines, many of whom seem absolutely shocked to be on television. The process of carving is fascinating and telegenic, and the finished pieces are often stunning. If you like sculpture but wish it were louder, watch this. (This week is Episode 2; you can catch up on the Discovery website or just jump in  you know how competition shows operate.)

 a few hours, and I like drone footage.
Ernaux has described her writing as a political act, one meant to reveal entrenched social inequality, and has compared her use of language to a knife. She was influenced by Simone de Beauvoir, the sociologist Pierre Bourdieu and by the social upheaval of May 1968, when there were weeks of demonstrations, strikes and civil unrest in France. She has described her prose as brutally direct, working-class and sometimes obscene.

She often situated her own private experiences and memories within the context of French culture and society, drawing parallels between her life and more universal struggles of women and working class people. Her work captured a moment of intense social change in France, away from traditional Catholic values and toward more secular, permissive and sexually liberated mores.

When she started out, it was very challenging to the establishment, the way she put herself and her life at the center of large questions about social change in France, said the novelist Hari Kunzru, who often teaches Ernauxs work to his writing students at New York University. For the literary establishment, a working class woman from the north of France is not supposed to do that, and yet she makes herself a very powerful stand-in. She wants to speak in a general way through the particular.

Ernaux was born in 1940 and grew up in a working-class Catholic family in Yvetot, a small town in Normandy where her parents had a grocery store and cafe. Her father was violent and abusive, and when she was 12, she saw him try to kill her mother, an event she writes about with shocking directness in Shame: My father tried to kill my mother one Sunday in June, in the early afternoon, the first line reads.

She tried writing in college, but publishers rejected her book as too ambitious, she told The New York Times in 2020. She didnt take up writing again until her 30s, when she was a married mother of two, working as a French teacher.

That effort led to her 1974 debut, Cleaned Out, a deeply autobiographical novel that she worked on in secret from her husband, who belittled her writing. After she sold the book to a prestigious publishing house, Gallimard, her husband was incensed that she had concealed the project, pretending that she was working on her Ph.D. thesis. The marriage unraveled shortly after the publication of her third book, A Frozen Woman, in 1981, which explored her discomfort with marriage and motherhood. After their divorce, Ernaux never remarried, and said she preferred the freedom of living alone.

She found broad commercial success in France in 1992, when she released Simple Passion, a book that detailed her affair with a married foreign diplomat. It incensed social conservatives for its unapologetic depiction of female desire, but struck a chord with readers for its frank portrayal of sexual longing without moral approbation. The book sold 200,000 copies in its first two months.
Authors worldwide praised Annie Ernauxs novels on Thursday after she received the Nobel Prize in Literature, but some in France have also been praising her politics, especially for highlighting the struggles of the working class.

Among them was Didier Eribon, the philosopher and sociologist. I have such admiration for her, not just as a writer, but for her activism, Eribon said in a telephone call.

Ernaux supported the Yellow Vest movement that, starting in 2018, brought French cities to a standstill while protesting rising fuel prices and declining living standards, Eribon said. She also regularly supported workers who went on strike, and highlighted their plight in her books. Beyond being a model, I think she gave others permission to write about class-based violence and trauma, Eribon added.

Eribon first met Ernaux in 2002, shortly after the death of Pierre Bourdieu, a leading French sociologist and globalization critic. She had always been a great personal inspiration, he added. When he was writing Returning to Reims, a memoir about growing up as a gay child of factory workers, Eribon said he had a pile of books by Annie Ernaux on my desk, and when I couldnt find a way to say something, I opened them.
I was a French major in college, not an English major, and so I spent a lot of my early 20s catching up on the kind of classics that my friends had read in school: Austen, Dickens, Hemingway, Ellison. Theres a certain unhindered joy in reading for yourself instead of for a syllabus, but theres also the considerable drawback  heightened in those pre-internet days  that you dont have a professor standing by to explain the tricky bits to you. So while I cherish my memories of reading The Waste Land on city buses and park benches in 1990s San Francisco, I knew even while I was reading it that the main thing I would come away with was a feel for its rhythm and mood while galloping right over the context of Eliots life and times that might have cracked it wider open for me.

I was reminded of those heady, free-range reading days recently by a book that provided exactly the kind of context I could have used back then: Robert Crawfords Eliot After The Waste Land, the second part of his two-volume biography, which draws on a trove of new documents and traces Eliots fascinating progression as a poet and a person.

Thats one of the books we recommend this week, along with a history of Catholicism over the past 250 years, a look at organized crime that focuses on the made women, an argument in favor of leftist economic policies, and two memoirs, Hua Hsus Stay True and Javier Zamoras Solito. In fiction, the Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk has a new novel, as do Celeste Ng, Joanna Quinn and Elizabeth Strout (the latest in her series of books about Lucy Barton), and the Hong Kong author Dung Kai-cheung has a collection of 99 very short stories. Happy reading.

Gregory Cowles

In his quietly wrenching memoir, Hsu recalls his college friendship with Ken, who was killed in a carjacking less than three years after they met.
Andy Borowitz is known for his sense of humor, which provides both the canvas and the frame for his eighth book, Profiles in Ignorance, a wittily alarming polemic that tracks the evolution of American politics from grounds for gravitas to festival of idiocy. Over the past 50 years, what some of our most prominent politicians didnt know could fill a book, writes the veteran New Yorker contributor and creator of the touring comedy show Make America Not Embarrassing Again.

So how did Borowitz evolve from funny guy to chronicler of absurd governmental high jinks? In a phone interview, he explained, When I sat down to write, I was thinking from a comedy point of view: If I just put together all the funny things Dan Quayle and people like him have said and done, itll just be a hilarious romp. He went on, But as I started researching, I realized, this is a laugh/cry subject. When you look at the consequences of what ignorance has wrought, its really not funny at all. Its tragic. So a thinking person  and Im flattering myself by saying that Im that  cant just make fun of politicians and say, Oh its all just a big laugh, lets be jolly about it, without also saying, Wait a minute, what is this doing to our country?

Borowitz grabs readers by the ear and walks them through the stages of ignorance, from ridicule (in this section, he profiles Ronald Reagan and Dan Quayle) to acceptance (see: George W. Bush and Sarah Palin) to celebration (starring Donald J. Trump and, as Borowitz puts it, wannabes like Ted Cruz and Ron DeSantis  who, despite being graduates of our nations finest universities, strenuously try to outdumb him). Yes, Borowitz admits, Democrats have also produced their fair share of dopes and ignoramuses, but for now he recognizes them as supporting players in our national pageant of stupidity.

Before you look into Canadian citizenship, Borowitz ends on a hopeful note, putting his own spin on the idea of thinking globally and acting locally. For his part, the Cleveland native accepted an invitation to join the board of his library in Hanover, N.H., where he lives now. He explained, Ordinarily I would say that would be a nightmare because I would just be rolling my eyes and exhaling heavily like Al Gore during the debates and being contemptuous and sarcastic and everyone would hate me. I realized that libraries are now political because people want to keep certain books out of our childrens hands, so if I really want to participate in democracy and not just talk about it, then I had to say yes.
Whats the last great book you read?

I loved Finding the Mother Tree, by Suzanne Simard. She was a keen observer who discovered that there are complex interactions between soil fungi and different species of trees. Forests with a mixture of fir trees and birches were more productive. Fungi in the soil helped protect the trees from disease. This was contrary to most scientific theories and getting her research published was difficult. Many scientists still believe that plant forest monoculture is best. Science will eventually prove that Simard was right. Replanted forests should be diverse. A perfect visual graphic Simard could use in a lecture is the last scenes from the movie Avatar. Life is interconnected.

Describe your ideal reading experience (when, where, what, how).

I like to read while sitting on the sofa while I am eating yogurt and fruit for breakfast. This is when I sit and read the scientific journals of Science and Nature. These journals cover many scientific subjects. Some of the articles I have read the most carefully are about the environment, sustainability, animal behavior and the space program.

Whats your favorite book that no one else has heard of?

I have moved many times in my life and The Invisible Pyramid, by Loren Eiseley, is one of the few books that survived five relocations. I read this book in the early 70s when I was getting my masters degree in animal science at Arizona State University. It was published in 1970, shortly after the moon landing. My old copy is heavily marked up and I highlighted this quote, referring to science: To many, it replaces primitive magic as the solution to all human problems. When I read this, I was toiling away, inputting my thesis data on IBM punch cards. Today, my students cannot believe that the data for several thousand individual cattle in my study on cattle-handling equipment had to be punched into a card for each animal. The cards were the same size as cardboard airline boarding passes. The cardboard boarding pass is probably the evolutionary remnant of the IBM punch card. Instead of an Excel spreadsheet, the cards were sorted mechanically. Only one statistical test per day could be run on the massive IBM mainframe. At the time, while working with this primitive equipment, I believed that science could solve all our problems. Loren Eiseleys book was the first source of information to make me question this. While spending hours punching and sorting cards, I never imagined that in the future, I could go to the library with a device that would fit in my pocket. Today that device is a double-edged sword. It can open the door to knowledge and enlightenment or divide people and cause conflict.

In your memoir and again in your new book, you discuss ways that you are primarily a visual thinker. Is this reflected in the books you read? Are you drawn to graphic novels, say, or to books that rely on a lot of illustrations?

Actually, I hate graphic novels. It is too difficult for me to constantly switch back and forth between the pictures and the text bubbles. I like technical and scientific books with lots of illustrations. When I read business books and scientific papers, I often look at the illustrations and graphs first. The next step is to read the text. When I am reading a novel or a memoir, I prefer to create my own pictures in my imagination. As I read the text, my brain creates a movie.
6. New details emerge about the death of the Chinese doctor who sounded the alarm on Covid-19.

A video investigation by The Times chronicles how Dr. Li Wenliang spent his final days. Though there was no evidence that his medical care was compromised, internal memos, medical records and an exclusive interview with one of his colleagues show how Li battled Covid while navigating government attempts to censor him.

Li was reprimanded for trying to raise the alarm. His death in 2020 set off an outpouring of grief and anger on a scale rarely seen in China.

In other China news, a bid by the U.S. and other Western countries to hold a debate on Chinas abuses against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang failed at the U.N.
Italy, the worlds eighth-largest economy, elected a far-right government last week, with Giorgia Meloni as the likely next prime minister. Its part of a trend: Her victory came shortly after Swedish elections that led to a far-right party becoming the second-largest in Parliament there.

To help you understand why Meloni won and what may lie ahead, I spoke with Jason Horowitz, The Timess Rome bureau chief.

David: What was the main reason for Melonis victory?

Jason: The real secret to Melonis appeal was not any particular policy or vision. In Italy, every election is a change election, and being the candidate of the protest vote is a powerful thing. Meloni was that. The other major candidates had all been part of Mario Draghis national unity government. She stayed in the opposition and vacuumed up the protest vote. She won with about 26 percent.

Melonis appeal is also based heavily on grievance  the grievance of workers left behind by the globalization of which she is ideologically suspicious.
President Biden on Thursday defended his visit to Saudi Arabia this summer, in the wake of Wednesdays decision by the Saudi-led cartel of oil-producing nations to cut production, which will likely raise gasoline prices in the United States.

The trip was not essentially for oil, Mr. Biden told reporters. The trip was about the Middle East and about Israel and rationalization of positions.

But the decision by the group known as OPEC Plus, he said, is a disappointment and says that there are problems.

Asked about the production cut as he prepared to leave the White House for New York on Thursday morning, Mr. Biden said, we are looking at alternatives to oil from OPEC Plus countries. We havent made up our minds yet, he said.
At the same time, with misinformation and disinformation on the rise, readers are often confused, especially online, about the differences between news stories, opinion pieces and editorials.

Alden Global Capital owns about 200 newspapers in the United States, including The Chicago Tribune, The New York Daily News and The Denver Post. Only Gannett, which owns USA Today and other papers, operates more.

The editorial is set to run in the newspapers that had traditionally endorsed candidates, not all newspapers in the Alden group, according to a person with knowledge of the plan. Papers can still endorse candidates for local offices.

Newspapers in the United States, including The New York Times, have a long tradition of endorsing candidates. But in recent years, some outlets have questioned the practice or decided to forgo it altogether. The Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia said the 2018 cycle would be its last. Ahead of the 2020 presidential election, McClatchy, a large newspaper chain, said its newspapers would not make an endorsement unless they had interviewed both candidates.

Three Alden newspapers  The Baltimore Sun, The Chicago Tribune and The Denver Post  will be allowed to continue with their endorsements this season because of how far along in the process they are and because they are viewed as state newspapers of record, the person said. Those newspapers will announce after this election cycle that they will end the practice, according to the person with knowledge of the companys plan.
The intimacy of the First Street space, which they transformed into a wine bar, was lost, as was some of the quirkiness. International wines were added to the list. Ms. Alevras largely withdrew from the restaurant as the couples second child was born. But the food still lured people to the dining room.

Many New Yorkers rightly appreciate that no restaurant burrows more joyously into the earth or delves more deeply into the forest than the Tasting Room, Frank Bruni, then the restaurant critic for The New York Times, wrote in 2006, awarding the restaurant one star.

The larger restaurant proved to be short-lived. The 2008 financial crash was devastating, Ms. Alevras said, and they closed the doors to both spots.

When plans for two other restaurants  one that would serve brunch day and night and the other that would offer Cuban food  did not pan out, Mr. Alevras left cooking behind, but not his inventive ways. He became the first beverage director at DBGB Kitchen & Bar, Daniel Bouluds now-closed informal downtown restaurant, which became one of the first places in New York to serve wine on tap from a keg.

He then became beverage director at Ma Peche, David Changs Midtown restaurant (also since closed), where he built up the list of wines from the Jura in eastern France just as they were becoming popular. He next moved to the Dutch, Andrew Carmellinis SoHo restaurant, where he was service manager.

How did he feel, no longer in charge of his own restaurant?

We have a family to support, so I was happy to accept the reduction in ego in exchange for stability, Mr. Alevras said in 2009.

By 2013 he had abandoned restaurants entirely and started working at Red Hook Winery in Brooklyn, where the founder, Mark Snyder, was a friend. Without a title, Mr. Alevras carved out a role for himself and never left.
This article is part of our Learning special report about how the pandemic has continued to change how we approach education.

In the Cuba, N.M., school district, where one-third of the 741 students are homeless, the creation of a community school district was a response to vast needs.

The three-school district  elementary, middle and high school  is 79 percent Native American and 20 percent Latino. In 2018, 62 percent of the students graduated high school.

But the state of New Mexico, which has long struggled with chronic absenteeism and poor academic achievement, has embraced community schools. The concept, which more districts are adopting since the pandemic highlighted the central role of neighborhood schools, involves, among other things, integrating nonprofits, businesses and colleges on the school site to offer services to students and their families.
Barnard, the private womens college in New York City, will begin offering abortion pills on campus next year, college officials announced Thursday.

The decision, to take effect in September, signals how the nations colleges and universities are becoming another front in the nations pitched battle over abortion after the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

I think were putting a stake in the ground that we believe that health and wellness is really the institutions responsibility for students, and we want to do everything we can to support our students, Sian L. Beilock, the president of Barnard, which operates in partnership with Columbia University, said in an interview.

In an email sent out to the campus Thursday, Barnard officials wrote, The overturning of Roe v. Wade after 50 years will likely decrease college accessibility, result in lower graduation rates, and derail employment trajectories. The email said that while abortion access in New York was currently strong, we are also preparing in the event that there is a barrier to access in the future, for any reason.
Worried by an outbreak of Ebola in Uganda, the Biden administration said on Thursday that travelers who had been to that country would be redirected to airports where they can be screened for the virus and warned physicians to be alert for potential cases in the United States.

No cases of Ebola have yet been reported outside Uganda, but the virus  which spreads only through contact with bodily fluids and is not airborne  is highly contagious. American officials are watching the Uganda outbreak closely because there are no approved vaccines or treatments for the type of Ebola virus causing the outbreak there.

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered the airport screenings, and the State Department issued an alert saying the measures would apply to all passengers, including U.S. citizens.

Screenings were expected to begin on Thursday for some passengers, but the travel restrictions will not go into effect until next week, according to an official familiar with the plan, who stressed that both the restrictions and the alert to doctors were issued as precautions.
Dinosaurs solidifies a new phase of Millets career. Its written, like her last novel, the furious and gorgeous climate-crisis allegory A Childrens Bible, in sparer, less busy prose. The spaciousness of the style makes the sense of loss richer and the questions posed  what constitutes moral action, how best can we help one another  at once simpler and more profound. If youve been feeling crazy reading about ice caps and oceans and habitat loss, or unsure how to metabolize the ecological crisis that is both looming and long since arrived, thats because, in Millets words, you are witnessing the greatest tragedy ever to unspool in human history. But rather than turning to the distraction of self to numb or evade, Dinosaurs puts its characters into a wider frame. Millets great insight  why her writing matters so much right now  is that looking outside the human is what gives human life its meaning. Its really important to live in a world where not everything is known, she said. Its not enough to have sameness. Its not enough to have just each other.

Millet was raised in Toronto, the eldest of three children. Her parents were American. Her father, Nicholas, was an Egyptologist who went on digs to the Sahara; her mother, Saralaine, taught English in Turkey after graduating from Wellesley, then ran the home and volunteered as an editor for La Leche League. Millet and her siblings spent many summers in Georgia, where Saralaines family operated a peach farm. Family life was intellectual  both parents loved to read  and somewhat freewheeling. When Nicholas and Saralaine wanted more light in the kitchen, they knocked out part of the ceiling, which was directly under the second-floor playroom, and replaced it with a spider web of ropes for the children to climb across.

The Millets werent an especially outdoorsy bunch. They didnt camp or hike, but according to family lore, the first complete sentence Millet ever spoke was a warning issued to a bird in danger from a predator: [Expletive] off, little bird! As a grade-schooler, she cherished her dead-pet collection, a plexiglass case of dearly departed cicadas, beetles and butterflies. (One is tempted to see this act of curation as a working-through of the toads death  a memorial of sorts.) At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she studied Romance languages and sang opera. (Shes a mezzo soprano.) She considered pursuing a career but hated performing and didnt like the culture of opera. It was a world of a lot of rules and mimicry, she said.

After dropping out of an M.F.A. program at the University of Arizona (Joy Williams was her teacher), Millet moved to Los Angeles, where she got a job at Larry Flynt Publications, working as a very-low-paid copy editor for Hustler; SWAT: For the Prepared American; and Fighting Knives: Americas Most Incisive Cutlery Publication, among other titles. When she was ready for more permanent employment, she decided she would look for a job in conservation because it was the thing I was most passionate about outside the act of writing. All she had on her resume was porn and guns, so she went to Duke University for a masters degree in environmental management. It was boring, she says. I made this error of doing economics and policy, instead of what I was really interested in, which was the animals. I could have done conservation biology, but I was too intimidated by the ology.

Her first novel was published in 1996, when she was living in New York, working by day at the Natural Resources Defense Council and, at night, standing around with Offill at parties, smoking and projecting, as her friend Jonathan Lethem describes it, her Algonquin Table-style brittle arch-an-eyebrow exterior. In 1999, she returned to Arizona to do an internship at the Center for Biological Diversity. A few years later she married the centers founder, Kieran Suckling; the two split up in 2010 but continue to work together. They have two children: Nola, who started college this fall, and Silas, who started high school.

When Millet first bought her house in Tucson, she was not intending to move there permanently; it just seemed like a good place to spend winters and write. But the spiky, strange landscape pulled on her. It had, as Gil puts it in Dinosaurs, an alien beauty that seemed as different as you could get, within the lower forty-eight. It felt like home and not home at the same time. Many people might admire beauty, but few of us uproot our lives for it. Suckling described Millet as keeping the staff of the center focused on that sense of awe and wonder. The lawyers are talking about the legal requirements of protecting endangered species and the scientists are talking about how many kilograms they weigh, he said. Shes so often the one whos like, Yeah, but were here because we love them, and they matter because theyre beautiful.

Millets literary writing isnt polemical or guilt-ridden in the way of so much contemporary ecofiction. This may be because she is, as Offill says, the least neurotic person Ive ever met, or it may be that her job frees her up to approach fiction in a spirit of joy and invention. She doesnt have to justify it. She likes to write twice a day: for an hour in the morning before her work at the center begins, and then again for an hour and a half in the evening. She often writes outdoors. (In Maine, she used to sit right on the ground hunched over her laptop, but lately she has been working in a lawn chair that her boyfriend, Aaron Young, bought for her.) She has, by many reports, an unusually unanguished relationship to putting words on the page, so long as she gets the time to do it. (Its good for everyone around her if she writes, Young remarked dryly.) The words come fast, and she doesnt plan things ahead of time. I love not knowing and then doing, she said. Its like constantly jumping off the diving board.
With its potent blend of sadomasochism, blasphemy and body horror, Clive Barkers Hellraiser (1987) was a genuinely disturbing dip into deviance that multiple sequels failed to replicate. Taking another shot, the suits behind this reimagined Hellraiser smartly handed directing duties to David Bruckner, whose resume might be brief, but whose gift for injecting dread  even into otherwise inert projects  is apparent.

Here, Bruckner reveals a new talent: holding his own against practical effects (by a team led by Josh and Sierra Russell) so spectacular that the movies lack of a theatrical release is almost criminal. A visual and ideological upgrade on the original, Hellraiser centers on Riley (Odessa Azion), a frazzled addict in her 20s who gains possession of a mysterious puzzle box belonging to Voight (Goran Visnjic), a degenerate millionaire. Configured correctly, the box opens a portal to another dimension, releasing ghoulish creatures called Cenobites who delight in taking the human desire for extreme sensation to its logical conclusion.
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TELLURIDE, Colo.  Signs of him are everywhere. The documentary filmmaker Ondi Timoner sees her late father, Eli Timoner, in the bit of white fluff that lands in her hand from a cottonwood tree while she sits in the Colorado sunshine. She sees him in the shooting star  the first shed ever witnessed  that arced across the Los Angeles sky the day she finished editing the memorial video for his funeral. And she sees him in the peacock with the epic tail feathers that stood sentry in her front yard while she sat shiva inside. She was so confident it was her father standing guard she named the bird Eli.

Dad said he was going to watch over us, so we have to at least give him the benefit of the doubt, Timoner said in an interview, cupping the white fluff like a fragile baby chick.

This may all sound a little woo-woo, but once you meet Ondi and the rest of the Timoner clan it makes sense. This tight-knit group of intellectuals made up of Rachel, a Brooklyn-based rabbi; David, a Los Angeles-based film editor; and Lisa, their dutiful mother, (along with their spouses and children) engaged in the extraordinary: They honored their 92-year-old terminally ill fathers wish to die through the California End of Life Option Act. They consulted the doctors. They followed the 15-day process. They asked him all their questions, arranged farewell Zooms with his far-flung friends and said their goodbyes. Then they mixed the medicines that ultimately stopped his heart.
On Aug. 15, 1945, Japans wartime emperor, Hirohito, announced the Imperial Japanese Armys surrender to the Allied Forces in World War II. But for 29 years after this announcement, an officer, Hiroo Onoda, continued to wage war on Lubang Island in the Philippines. The striking film Onoda dramatizes the true story of this holdout who persisted for decades after there ceased to be an enemy.

Appropriately, Onoda moves slowly through its central characters life story. Onoda (played as a young man by Yuya Endo, with Kanji Tsuda as his older iteration) begins the film as a failed kamikaze pilot, whose life is given purpose by the highhanded Major Taniguchi (Issey Ogata). Taniguchi recruits Onoda to undertake a secret mission, one that Onoda must never surrender. In return, Taniguchi promises that wherever his men go, they will not be abandoned.
If I didnt have God in my life, sweetheart, let me tell you something, she said. Its not getting better. Its never going to get better, but I learn to live with it.

Ms. Austin, 65, lives with this resolve every day. Her most reliable visitors are the daily meal deliveries from the Jewish Association Serving the Aging, or JASA, a beneficiary agency of UJA-Federation of New York.

UJA-Federation is one of the nine beneficiaries supported by The Neediest Cases Funds 111th annual campaign. JASA used $50 from The Neediest Cases Fund to help Ms. Austin with a utility bill. But it is the reliable meal service provided by JASA that brings the most relief to Ms. Austin.

Food insecurity reached a two-decade low in 2021 because of a pandemic-era expansion of government assistance for families and children. However, in households without children, particularly in those of women and older adults who, like Ms. Austin, live alone, food insecurity increased.

The meal delivery service gives Ms. Austin something to look forward to every day.

Its all good, but you know, youve got your favorites, she said. Shes not a big breakfast person, but she enjoys the egg salad and toast the agency provides, and the pasta salad and the coleslaw. I love it, she says. When JASA expanded its menu, the jerk chicken became an instant favorite.
And one more thing: The Irish Times reported that he cannot swim.

The trip wasnt like Ben Hur, with oarsmen chained to the boat and someone pounding a drum to set the rhythm  there was no one to bang the drum on his vessel, the Cushlamachree.

Nor was the trip like sailing on the Queen Mary 2, with its calorific restaurants. He said his weight loss was significant over the first 40 days: I had no appetite to replenish the thousands of calories burned each day.

He battled squalls that were like hitting concrete with the oars and endured the isolation of the open Atlantic. He went 98 days without seeing anyone but whales or fish.

Im fine. Im safe. It could have been a lot worse, he said in an Instagram video after a very tense and stressful night as he approached Galway on Tuesday. He said the boat had flipped over in 30-to-35-knot winds and slammed against rocks at Na Forbacha, about seven miles from his destination. Worse, one of his oars had snapped in two.

With the boat banging against the rugged coastline as each wave washed in, he clambered out, barefoot, because both of his shoes had been torn off by then, he said. Eventually an emergency services crew arrived and took him to safety.
Erich Pratt, the senior vice president of Gun Owners of America, an organization to which all the plaintiffs belong, said in a statement that Ms. Hochul and Mr. Adams had lied and misrepresented the Second Amendment to the courts, putting New Yorkers at a great disadvantage in the midst of rising crime.

If the Second Circuit does allow New Yorks gun law to remain in place, a spokesman for Gun Owners of America said that the group would consider an immediate appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Judge Suddabys order continued a trying year for New York as it has sought to maintain some of the countrys most restrictive gun regulations. In June, after the Supreme Court, in the case called New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, struck down the states century-old law barring most people from publicly carrying guns, the state passed a new measure in an emergency session in Albany. Lawmakers placed lengthy and elaborate restrictions on the public carry of weapons and included a long list of sensitive locations from which they would be barred entirely.

The law was almost immediately challenged by Ivan Antonyuk, a New Yorker and a member of Gun Owners of America, but was dismissed by Judge Suddaby, who found that Mr. Antonyuk alone did not have legal standing.

However, in that ruling, the judge made his opinion of the arguments themselves clear, in a section he titled substantial likelihood of success on the merits, noting that several provisions of the new New York law were most likely impermissible.

Less than a month later, six members of Gun Owners of America, including Mr. Antonyuk, filed a new complaint. Judge Suddaby was ready with his ruling within little more than two weeks. He called the imposition of a good moral character test fatally flawed. He said of a requirement asking gun permit applicants to list three years worth of social media accounts: No such circumstances exist under which this provision would be valid.

He was particularly harsh in regard to New Yorks list of sensitive locations. For the most part, Judge Suddaby found that many of those restrictions were likely to be impermissible. As mandated by the Supreme Court, his analysis depended primarily on comparing the new restrictions with laws that regulated guns in 18th and 19th centuries; he found few laws that established precedent for barring guns in the places the state put off limits.
Mr. Murphys direct appeal to Mr. Biden represents an escalation of a skirmish that had been building between the two neighboring states with a long history of similar clashes.

Last year, the two states fought for months over how to divide $14 billion in federal relief funds for transit systems before reaching a settlement. And in 2010, New Jerseys governor at the time, Chris Christie, canceled a fully funded tunnel under the Hudson River that was a precursor to the Gateway tunnel project now expected to take another 13 years.

The new congestion fees would come in addition to tunnel and bridge tolls and apply to vehicles entering Manhattan between 60th Street and the Battery. Vehicles traveling along the F.D.R. Drive and the West Side Highway would not be charged the toll.

The cost could vary depending on the type of vehicle entering Manhattan and the time of travel. Final fees have not been set, but an environmental assessment released by the M.T.A. in August suggested the tolls could be as high as $17 during off-peak hours and $23 during the morning and evening rush.

That assessment ran 4,000 pages and in part concluded that motorists detouring around the new tolls could add traffic and soot to parts of the Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau County on Long Island and Bergen County in New Jersey.

By their own admission its leading to more congestion and more pollution, and they say it will hurt harder-pressed families, said Representative Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat who represents northern New Jersey and has long been a vocal opponent of congestion pricing.

It should be called the cash-grab proposal. All the M.T.A. wants is New Jerseys hard-earned money. They have a budget hole and they need to fill the hole and theyre turning New Jersey into their piggy bank, he said.
During this time, Mr. Contreras said he grew increasingly worried about the fathers gang. So he set up a meeting with its leader through a childhood friend. They told me to come alone, he said. During the meeting, the two leaders agreed that the Bikers would protect Emmi and her siblings without interference from the gang, which would keep the father in check.

One week later, the father was arrested, two blocks away.

They helped us a lot, Emmi said of the Bikers. They were there to protect us.

Almost one year after the gun incident, Emmi, then 13, was raped by a 58-year-old family friend, she said. Once again, the Bikers were summoned. They ended up accompanying Emmi to the Special Victims Unit and eventually to criminal court. When her rapist walked into the courtroom, Emmi ran into the hallway; it was Mr. Contreras who encouraged her to continue the testimony, she said.

Whether Bikers Against Child Abuse is supported by the state or a clique of scruffy vigilantes can depend on where you live. In some states like Arkansas, the organization has been endorsed by prosecuting attorneys and state representatives. In 2005, Laura Bush invited the organizations founder to the White House as part of a youth initiative. But New York City hasnt been as welcoming. Big cities have the hardest time working with us, Mr. Contreras said. I think some agencies want to be sure that were not a fly-by-night organization.

That seems to be the concern of Joyce McMillan, the executive director of JMac for Families, a child welfare nonprofit in New York. None of it makes sense to me, she said. Theyre intimidating without having full knowledge of whats happening within the household but just going off the word of a person, then creating a ruckus outside of their home.

In New York, Mr. Contreras has been invited to district attorneys offices and child protective agencies to discuss what the Bikers do. In our experience, they have been a positive, visible and energetic force both in the community and in the courtroom in support of children on Staten Island impacted by abuse, said Michael McMahon, the Richmond County district attorney. We welcome their continued work in the years ahead.
Cleaner and more cost-effective technologies are already available. Wind and solar are now the cheapest sources of new generation in most of the world. By 2030, it is likely that few coal plants will be able to compete with clean energy. The difference in costs is so great now that in many cases, it makes more economic sense to invest in renewable power with storage and use a portion of the income to buy out coal contracts, decommission plants and compensate affected workers and others.

The 38 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have seen emissions from coal plants decline by an average of 6 percent annually since 2014, according to our calculations. However, those emission reductions have been overwhelmed by emission growth in emerging nations, which now account for 79 percent of the global total, again according to our calculations. China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and South Africa are among the countries that have relied heavily on coal for economic development.

Many factors are stacked in coals favor. Political and business elites are often highly invested in coal. Coal also supports tens of millions of lives directly and indirectly, and these are often concentrated in politically important regions like West Virginia in the United States, Mpumalanga in South Africa and Odisha in India. Moving away from coal, therefore, must be just if it is to prove politically and socially sustainable. By that I mean the transition must create paths to a brighter future for affected workers and others. It cannot exacerbate existing inequities or create other ones.

Another complicating factor is that an estimated 93 percent of coal power capacity worldwide is insulated from market competition by long-term contracts that guarantee the purchase of electricity at generous rates, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute. Building a grid around renewables also presents a daunting array of technical challenges. And emerging economies, with some justification, continue to place the onus on rich countries to lead the decarbonization charge and are highly resistant to outside pressure to phase down coal use.

In an analysis of coals future, the International Energy Agency last year said that all evidence indicates a widening gap between political ambitions and targets on one side and the realities of the current energy system on the other.
Can friendship really serve as mental health care? Perhaps more than we might suspect. Mental health as a term can feel so sanitized, so broad and abstract, that it ends up concealing some basic facts about our society. For example, according to the Survey Center on American Life, a project of the American Enterprise Institute, friendship in America has been rapidly declining, especially male friendship. Three decades ago, most men reported having at least six friends; in 2021, only half reported having four or more close friends. Fifteen percent of men reported having no close friends, a fivefold increase since 1990.

In his book Lost Connections: Why Youre Depressed and How to Find Hope, the journalist Johann Hari points to the loss of friendship  and family bonds and community groups  as one of the main reasons we may be depressed. Given that grief and depression have identical symptoms, he writes, what if depression is really a form of grief  for our own lives not being as they should or a form of grief for the connections weve lost, yet still need? If Mr. Hari is right, then tools like COMET are deceptive in their simplicity  perhaps even radical  in the sense that they address a root cause of depression: disconnection. Perhaps in a world of such increasing isolation, it helps to formalize care and compassion with an acronym.

When he brought the COMET program to southeastern Colorado, Dr. Carrica, a fourth-generation landowner in Otero County, added some extra infrastructure and a motto: Do you look after your neighbors as close as your crop or herd? Today, his team calls the concept the Coffee Break Project and keeps a brick-and-mortar location by the same name in downtown Rocky Ford, a small town along the Arkansas River that produces some of the pumpkins well soon carve.

The goal of the headquarters in Rocky Ford, said Jennifer Pollmiller, who oversees communications for Southeast Health Group, was to create a drop-in center for farmers and anyone else to grab a coffee and connect  sometimes about mental health, sometimes about how to train good dogs. On the walls hang wooden boards seared with the brands of local ranches. The boards send a message: This space is for them.
BOZEMAN, Mont.  Before we get to the point, keep in mind that during Montanas recent primary election, in the Second Congressional District race in Garfield County  a stretch of eastern badlands and prairie nearly the size of Connecticut  14 Democrats voted. Then again, maybe that is the point.

After the 2020 census, Montana regained the second House seat it lost 30 years ago. Here in the Western mountains where I live, the First District could be competitive for Democrats if the college towns and Indian reservations can outflank clumps of Trumpists and armed Christian separatists. But when I asked Dorothy Bradley  a Democratic icon since she got elected to the state legislature as a 23-year-old in 1970  about the Second District, she replied point blank, A Democrat cant win in eastern Montana.

She is, however, floating a Plan B. In April, Ms. Bradley invited to the Capitol in Helena her opponent in the 1992 gubernatorial race, Marc Racicot, the two-term governor and former chair of the Republican National Committee. In the contest for the House seat in the eastern district, they endorsed an independent, Gary Buchanan, who is running against Montanas current at-large representative, the Republican Matt Rosendale. The Bradley-Racicot endorsement was a singular milestone in Montana politics, as if the C.E.O.s of Pepsi and Coke called a truce to sell some Dr Pepper.

President Bidens plea to rational Republicans and independents to vote for Democrats in the midterms, as a ploy to root out authoritarian Republican extremists, could persuade the already persuadable. But winning the popular and electoral votes in 2020 does not change the fact that he lost in about 2,500 of the nations 3,000 or so counties. While the Republican Party spurns observable reality, the Democratic Party has alienated most of the continent (which is also unrealistic in a republic if governing is the goal). In landscapes where, as the former senator Conrad Burns described eastern Montana, there is a lot of dirt between light bulbs, defending pluralist democracy might require a pluralist task force. Realistic Democrats allying with Republican defectors and the unaffiliated to elect civic-minded independents could look like the bipartisan coalition backing Mr. Buchanan and an experiment south of here in Utah.
To the Editor:

Re Nuclear Talk Revives Tone of Cold War (front page, Oct. 2):

President Vladimir Putin of Russia, now backed into a corner by Ukraines battlefield successes and perhaps emotionally unstable, has threatened to use nuclear weapons to protect illegally annexed portions of eastern Ukraine, as well as to deter direct Western military intervention. The death and destruction from any such use would be widespread and indiscriminate, and might escalate into all-out nuclear war.

The threats seem to have worked. Otherwise, the U.S. and its NATO allies might have come to Ukraines aid with conventional military forces to repel the Russian aggression. Thus, the very existence of nuclear weapons has extended the war in Ukraine indefinitely.

Mr. Putins nuclear extortion may not stop in Ukraine. He may now use the same threat to pave the way for a Russian invasion of the Baltic states or other NATO members. Or a despot in another nuclear-armed state may follow his example.

The only way to eliminate this risk  indeed, the risk to all of civilization  is to get rid of nuclear weapons. This wont be easy or happen quickly. But the 2017 U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons provides a safe, verifiable way for all nations to achieve this goal. The United States should lead by example by joining the treaty in order to avoid more Ukraines in the future.
Technology will out disinformation. At each turn, the Oppermanns and others in their milieu have trouble believing that propaganda will take hold. How could they expect to get away with such a monstrous, clumsy lie? Gustav Oppermann, the central figure in the novel, asks himself after the Nazis blame the burning of the Reichstag on communists. Nero might have put over such cheap stuff in burning Rome. But things like that were impossible today, in the era of the telephone and printing press. Of course, the era of Twitter and TikTok has shown that advances in technology still amplify falsehoods.

If you ignore it, it will go away. In the novel, two bourgeois Germans foresee a grim future but fall back on complacency. One describes the first world war as only a curtain-raiser with a century of destruction to follow, predicting, as he puts it, a military power beyond conception, a judiciary power with severe, restrictive laws and a school system to educate senseless brutes in the ecstasy of self-sacrifice. His companion merely replies: All right, if thats your opinion. But perhaps youll have another cognac and a cigar before it happens.

Its up to the next generation. The novels most tragic figure is the teenage Berthold Oppermann, a student guilty only by ethnicity and familial association. Berated by a Nazi schoolteacher for delivering an allegedly anti-German paper, Berthold says he is a good German and refuses to apologize. You are a good German, are you? his Nazi teacher sneers. Well, will you be so good as to leave it to others to decide who is a good German and who is not? While classrooms today are a far cry from those in Nazi-era Germany, one neednt reach far for contemporary parallels, with students increasingly operating in an atmosphere of fear and conformity  of their peers, depending on location, on the right or the left  while the adults too often abdicate responsibility, whether out of complicity or fear.

The situation was inevitable. In the Oppermanns world, escalating problems are viewed as uniquely German, unique to their time and to a particular regime. Our opponents have one tremendous advantage over us; their absolute lack of fairness, explains a lawyer at one point. That is the very reason why they are in power today. They have always employed such primitive methods that the rest of us simply did not believe them possible, for they would not have been possible in any other country.

Wrong again.

As for Feuchtwanger, the same year that The Oppermanns was published, the author, a German Jew, was stripped of his citizenship and had his property in Berlin seized and his books burned. He was barred from ever publishing in Germany again.

By the time the book was published, Feuchtwanger had already settled in France, where he was later imprisoned after the German invasion. He ultimately escaped to the United States, where he lived for the last 17 years of his life.

Is this still the same country where hed find refuge?
In Ms. Truss, they found a friend. After a youthful dalliance with the Liberal Democrats, the new prime ministers belief in small-state libertarian politics has been a mainstay of her political career. In 2011, just a year after entering Parliament, she created the Free Enterprise Group of backbench Conservative lawmakers to renew the case for genuine free markets and free enterprise. As environment secretary, she embraced austerity, insisting that funding cuts for her department were a big opportunity.

Appointed head of international trade, Ms. Truss seized the chance to staff her operation with libertarians. In October 2020, just a couple of months before the start of Britains new life outside the European Union, Ms. Truss appointed several pro-Brexit, free-market figures to advisory bodies in her department. Among them were Mark Littlewood, the head of the Institute for Economic Affairs; Matt Kilcoyne, at that time the deputy director of the Adam Smith Institute; and Robert Colville, who runs the Center for Policy Studies. Daniel Hannan, a key architect of Brexit, had been appointed as a trade adviser a month earlier. His think tank, the Initiative for Free Trade, was formerly based at 57 Tufton Street.

This battalion of free-market thinkers has now been welcomed into 10 Downing Street. Five of the new prime ministers closest advisers are Tufton Street alumni, including Ms. Trusss chief economic adviser and her political secretary, and at least nine Tufton Street alumni are scattered across other major government departments. Tellingly, Mr. Littlewood says that Ms. Truss has spoken at his think tanks events more than any other politician over the past 12 years.

The political imprint made by these groups, whose stalls have proudly lined the Conservative Partys annual conference this week, may be relatively easy to track. But the way in which they operate is not so clear. Notoriously opaque about their sources of funding, something they defend as a right to privacy for donors, they have been found by investigative reporters to have financial links to the oil giants BP and Exxon Mobil, big tobacco companies and American libertarian groups. But the picture depicted is only partial. We simply do not know who is bankrolling the groups now at the heart of the British government.

Thats a problem, for the power they exert on British democracy  arguably now at its zenith under Ms. Truss  is considerable. First and foremost, they are significant operatives in Conservative circles: The Center for Policy Studies, for example, claims that it was responsible for developing the bulk of the policy agenda that became known as Thatcherism. Given that Margaret Thatcher herself co-founded the think tank, its not an idle boast. In the decades since, groups like it have multiplied as the Tufton Street network evolved from a pseudo-academic forum to an orchestrated lobbying outfit whose influence stretches well beyond the Conservative Party.
Buying a home in New York City requires an especially large financial commitment these days  the median sale prices in Manhattan and Brooklyn both hit record highs ($1.25 million and $985,000) in the second quarter of 2022. So when buyers are willing to pay even more to live in apartments and buildings with added amenities, theyre probably looking for something specific.

A recent study by StreetEasy examined the prices of more than 55,000 StreetEasy listings that sold between June 2020 and early August 2022 to find how much of a premium buyers were willing to pay for particular amenities in otherwise comparable apartments and buildings.

The data was used to determine the effect that specific amenities had on closing prices in two price brackets  under $2.5 million (90 percent of sales), and $2.5 million or more.

Interest in particular perks grew during the pandemic, and these preferences showed in the results. In the lower price bracket, buyers valued flex space (for exercising, working and going to school from home). Refrigerated storage lockers, designed to keep grocery deliveries fresh, were important to buyers in the both brackets.
For more than a decade, Iwan and Manuela Wirth, the founders of the gallery Hauser & Wirth, have been creating art spaces around the world that are more like ecosystems, complete with restaurants and chickens running around. One of their first immersive projects, which they opened about eight years ago, was in Somerset, England, where exhibition rooms, a restaurant and a shop came together on a former farm. That same year, in order to keep the gallery and hospitality development projects separate, the couple founded Artfarm, which oversees the latter. This week, Artfarm opened the Audley, spread across five stories in a listed Victorian building in Londons Mayfair (not far from the site of a future gallery flagship that will open in 2024). In addition to four event spaces, it includes a pub  the renovated historic Audley Public House  on the ground floor. A second more ambitious eatery, the Mount St. Restaurant, serves up elevated British classics like smoked eel with potato salad and a lobster pie for two on the second floor. Not surprisingly, there are dramatic artworks scattered throughout. The pubs ceiling features a wildly colorful installation by the British artist Phyllida Barlow, and on the second level is an entire floor of palladiana mosaics designed by the American artist Rashid Johnson in dialogue with the Audleys architect Luis Laplace, a longtime design collaborator of Hauser & Wirth. I knew Rashid and that he is very open to the idea of a work that crossed the boundaries of art and architecture, says Laplace. We are always trying to engage artists more in the space. theaudleypublichouse.com.

Covet this

One-of-a-Kind Lights, Created With Thai Craftsmanship
Elon Musk proposed on Monday to acquire Twitter at $54.20 a share, a surprise return to his original $44 billion deal with the company after months of trying to terminate it. In April, as the acquisition came together, Mr. Musk said he wanted to own Twitter so people could speak more freely on the platform.

On Tuesday, though, Mr. Musk shared another motivation for buying the social media company, tweeting: Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app.

What is X?

Mr. Musk, the richest man in the world and the chief executive of the auto company Tesla, has been thin on details about what an everything app would look like. But he has expressed interest in making a worldwide social media platform modeled after WeChat, which is owned by the Chinese technology giant Tencent.

In China, WeChat is used by more than a billion people as an all-in-one social media, instant messaging and mobile payment app. Used to order food, hail cabs and find news, it is sewn into the fabric of daily life. Mr. Musk has said that if enough people worldwide used a similar app to communicate, it could establish a payment system as well.
Alternative social media platforms like Parler, Truth Social and Telegram are often described by progressives as hotbeds for fringe views and by conservatives as havens for free speech. Researchers say there is also another way to think of them: where few Americans go to get their news.

A new report from the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found that only 6 percent of adults regularly seek out news from at least one of the seven more prominent alternative social media sites: BitChute, Gab, Gettr, Parler, Rumble, Telegram and Truth Social.

No single site drew more than 2 percent of Americans looking for news, according to the report, which was released on Thursday.

Of the 10,188 people surveyed, 38 percent had heard of Parler, a service popular with fans of former President Donald J. Trump. More than a quarter knew of Telegram, a fast-growing messaging app that has fueled foreign democracy movements but also attracted extremists and conspiracy theorists. Truth Social, a platform that Mr. Trump started this year and has recently used to promote far-right and conspiratorial ideas, was familiar to 27 percent of the people.
Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, a Democrat, faced his Republican challenger, Blake Masters, and the Libertarian candidate Marc Victor in their first and (likely only) debate. Mr. Kelly, a former astronaut and the husband of Gabby Giffords, the former congresswoman who was shot in the head in 2011, emphasized his independence and bipartisan approach, a clear bid to moderates. Mr. Masters, a political newcomer who has struggled to attract independents, was disciplined enough to stick to his new talking points and targeted his Republican base.

Heres what else to know with the midterm elections just over a month away:
President Biden visited the Hudson Valley of New York on Thursday to tour an IBM facility after the company announced it would invest $20 billion across the region to increase its production of semiconductors and develop advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

Mr. Biden has ramped up his travel schedule to promote the bipartisan legislative achievements that his administration has guided as the November midterm elections approach. At the companys campus in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., he highlighted an industrial bill he signed in August that provides subsidies to companies that sign up to jump-start domestic production of semiconductor chips.

The White House has held up the law as a way to keep up with China and other countries  including South Korea, Japan, India and Germany  that offer subsidies for the production of semiconductors, which are critical components in everything from smartphones to military technology.

More is going to change in the next 10 years than it has in the last 40, Mr. Biden said. Where in Gods name is it written that we cant be the manufacturing hub of the world? Theres a lot of reasons to be optimistic.
WASHINGTON  President Biden on Thursday pardoned thousands of people convicted of marijuana possession under federal law and said his administration would review whether marijuana should still be in the same legal category as drugs like heroin and LSD.

The pardons will clear everyone convicted on federal charges of simple possession since it became a crime in the 1970s. Officials said full data was not available but noted that about 6,500 people were convicted of simple possession between 1992 and 2021, not counting legal permanent residents. The pardons will also affect people who were convicted under District of Columbia drug laws; officials estimated that number to be in the thousands.

The pardons will not apply to people convicted of selling or distributing marijuana. And officials said there are no people now serving time in federal prisons solely for marijuana possession. But the move will help remove obstacles for people trying to get a job, find housing, apply to college or get federal benefits.

Mr. Biden urged governors to follow his lead for people convicted on state charges of simple possession, who vastly outnumber those charged under federal laws.
A public defender listed for Mr. Brody did not respond to several requests for comment. Messages sent to an email account for Mr. Brody went unanswered. There was no answer at a phone number listed for him.

Mr. Youngkins office referred questions about Mr. Brody to Kristin Davison, a political consultant for the governor, who said in an email on Friday that Mr. Brody did not work for or with the Youngkin campaign.

The Fairfax County Republican Committee twice listed Mr. Brody, who is from Springfield, Va., in Fairfax, as helping to coordinate a volunteer effort to knock on doors for Team Youngkin. When asked about those online listings, Ms. Davison said, Those are not posts from the Youngkin campaign.

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.

Mr. Youngkins campaign logo appeared on both pages, which included an official email address associated with the Republican Party of Virginia for Mr. Brody.

Mr. Brody was employed by the party as a door-knocker for one month last fall, Ellie Sorensen, a state G.O.P. spokeswoman, said in an email on Monday. He has not been employed by the Republican Party of Virginia for over a year.
MADISON, Wis.  Politicians who visit diners know the deal: In exchange for photos establishing their working-class bona fides, they must cheerfully accept heaping portions of unsolicited advice.

But on Tuesday at Montys Blue Plate Diner here in Madison, one of the first people to approach Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Wisconsin, took the tradition to a new level, presenting him with a typed-up list of concerns about his campaign.

The supporter, Jane Kashnig, a retired businesswoman who has spent recent weeks going door to door to speak with voters, told Mr. Barnes his backers were jittery about his inability to repel an unending volley of attack ads from Senator Ron Johnson and his Republican allies.

Show more fire, Ms. Kashnig urged the Democrat and his campaign. The people on the doors want him to fight, she said.
The five Oath Keepers are the first of nearly 900 people charged in connection with the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, to face trial on sedition charges, the most serious crime that prosecutors have brought against any of the defendants.

Even as testimony proceeded, in another case in the same Federal District Court in Washington, Jeremy Bertino became the first member of another far-right group, the Proud Boys, to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy charges. As part of a deal with the government, Mr. Bertino agreed to testify against Enrique Tarrio, the Proud Boys former chairman, and four other members of the group at their upcoming trial.

The Proud Boys trial, scheduled for December, is likely to feature accusations that members of the group were instrumental in several breaches of the Capitols defenses and helped to rile up other protesters in assaulting the police. Charles Donohoe, a Proud Boys leader from North Carolina, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and assault charges in April and has been cooperating with the government against others in the group.

On Tuesday, prosecutors at the Oath Keepers trial played several clips of Mr. Rasheeds recording for the jury. The jurors heard Mr. Rhodes make baseless claims about foreign interference in the election and declare that he would welcome violence from leftist antifa activists because that would give Mr. Trump an excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act and call on militias like his own to quell the chaos.

Were not getting out of this without a fight, Mr. Rhodes said. Theres going to be a fight. But lets just do it smart, and lets do it while President Trump is still commander in chief.
The playwright said that his intentions were for the performance to be historically accurate. To him, the past shouldnt be sanitized  and he said that the racial slur was used provocatively, for audience members to feel the impact it has had in real life. The scene portrays one of the plays three students, who is white, showing the Black student how he would be treated on their journey. Training sessions like the one portrayed were common at the time and were intended to help people understand the severity of the behavior they could face.

Mr. Brown, who joined the listening session on a video call, said the play seems to have become a catalyst for a discussion about racial relations on campus that is separate from his work.

As the conversation went on, a couple students went up and looked at my image on the screen and said, Its not your play, Mr. Brown; its just not the play at this place, at this time, he said in an interview.

Last school year, the president of the Black Student Association went on a hunger strike to raise awareness of the lack of diversity on Texas Wesleyans campus. Among the sources of her discontent: The university didnt have substantial classes focused on ethnic or racial studies, despite having a diverse student body; and no established multicultural center existed for students to convene.

The protest, along with other feedback from students about concerns with the campus climate and diversity, prompted the university to announce earlier this year that it would emphasize community, engagement and inclusion through a strategic plan, which included measures such as incorporating multiculturalism, inclusion and anti-intolerance in its curriculum; engaging in culturally relevant teaching to connect with students of diverse backgrounds; and identifying a space on campus for multicultural student programs.

However, the discussions around the play showed that students grievances had not been addressed to the extent they wanted, said Jaylon Leonard, president of the student body.

It was not the play itself, but about some things that we had dealt with in the past with the school in regard to diversity and inclusion recently that the administration answered but did not satisfy students who had raised concerns, he said, adding that for this to be thrown on top of those issues, it was something that we were not ready to accept.
An American tourist who was a civil rights activist in Arlington, Va., was among three people who were killed in a string of possibly gang-related shootings in the Turks and Caicos Islands over the weekend, the authorities said.

At 6 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday armed criminals fired indiscriminately into a vehicle that was transporting tourists and employees to their hotel from an excursion, said Trevor Botting, the British territorys police commissioner, at a news conference on Monday.

As a result of this attack, two persons were murdered, one from the local business and the other being a tourist from the United States, Commissioner Botting said. He said three other people, including another visitor to the islands, were also injured in the incident.

It was one of four shootings that also injured five people. Another man was believed to have been shot by police officers during gunfire, the commissioner said.
Why has this weapon been such a sensitive issue?

It comes down to this: concern in the White House that Ukraine could use the long-range missile to strike targets deep inside Russia, and that President Vladimir V. Putin might respond by escalating the war, possibly by invading a neighboring NATO country.

Were trying to avoid World War III, President Biden has said.

But President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine says the weapon is crucial to his countrys ability to launch a wider counteroffensive after its recent advances. He has also insisted that he has no plans to strike Russian cities or target civilians.

What is this thing?

The missile was developed in the 1980s to destroy high-value Soviet targets deep behind enemy lines. It was built as a rare guided weapon at a time when the United States mainly relied on dumb bombs and other unguided munitions for attacking targets on the ground.

A spokeswoman for Lockheed Martin said that the company has built 60,000 GMLRS and 4,000 ATACMS to date, some of which have been sold to foreign allies. A senior defense official told The New York Times that the United States can more easily part with the less expensive guided rockets, given that the Pentagons tactical missiles are all reserved for top secret war plans in places like the Korean Peninsula.

Because ATACMS is the U.S. Armys longest-range surface-fired weapon, it has traditionally been used in missions approved by three-star generals for the highest-priority targets on a battlefield. Lower-ranking officers are allowed to launch guided rockets as needed in combat.
An apparently unprovoked stabbing attack outside a casino on the Las Vegas Strip, the glittering beacon for tourists from around the world, left two people dead and six others injured on Thursday, the authorities said.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department did not announce a motive for the attack but said that a suspect was in custody. A large knife with a long blade that was used in the stabbing spree was recovered at the scene, the police said.

This is clearly a very tragic and hard-to-understand, hard-to-comprehend murder investigation, Deputy Chief James LaRochelle of the Las Vegas police said.

Three of the victims were in critical condition and the others appeared to be in stable condition, Capt. Dori Koren of the Las Vegas police said at a news conference on Thursday afternoon.
GENEVA  China defeated calls on Thursday for further scrutiny by the top human rights agency of the United Nations over abuses targeting the Uyghur people and other Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region.

The United States and nine other Western countries had called for a debate in the U.N. Human Rights Council on a landmark assessment released in August by Michelle Bachelet, then the U.N. rights chief, which found China may have committed crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, in northwestern China.

The resolution failed by a vote of 19 to 17, with 11 of the councils 47 members abstaining. To make the resolution easier for developing countries to support, the nations pushing for debate carefully avoided any reference to the findings of the August report and limited their objectives to a council debate.

No country represented here today has a perfect human rights record, the American ambassador, Michele Taylor, told the council. No country, no matter how powerful, should be excluded from council discussions  this includes my country, the United States, and it includes the Peoples Republic of China.
Despite the official warnings, on Jan. 27, 2020, Dr. Li gave an anonymous interview to a prominent Chinese newspaper, describing how he had been reprimanded for trying to raise the alarm. Eventually, he revealed his identity on social media, and instantly became a folk hero. From his hospital bed, he took more interviews and said he hoped to recover soon to join medical workers fighting the outbreak.

How The Times uses visuals to investigate the news. Our Visual Investigations team is made up of more than a dozen journalists who combine digital sleuthing and forensic analysis with traditional reporting to deconstruct news events. They have uncovered important details about drone strikes, police shootings and the Capitol riot. Learn more about how the team works.

Deterioration and Attempts at Resuscitation

But on Feb. 5, Dr. Lis condition deteriorated severely  his pneumonia grew worse, his breathing became extremely labored.

That afternoon, Dr. Lis doctors ordered several tests of his lungs and heart, his medical records show. According to Dr. Yuan Jin, a pulmonary and critical care doctor at Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Massachusetts, these exams suggest that Li Wenliangs medical team was responding to a worsened condition.

By the morning of Feb. 6, doctors wrote in the progress notes that Dr. Li was at risk of multiple organ failure. Several physicians we spoke to said that Dr. Lis condition was so serious that his medical team should have at this point, or before it, considered intubating him and placed him on a ventilator  a higher level of oxygen support.

The records indicate that Dr. Li had earlier been given oxygen through a nasal tube and then an additional oxygen mask. His medical team also tried to use a noninvasive ventilator on Jan. 19, but wrote that the patient could not tolerate.

It is unclear why Dr. Li was not intubated. Some doctors are more reluctant to intubate young patients; sometimes the patients themselves refuse it. To this day, there is no consensus on when invasive ventilators should be used on Covid-19 patients.

On Feb. 6, Dr. Li went into cardiac arrest at around 7:20 p.m. Though his daily progress note did not explicitly say that his heart stopped, it recorded that the medical team started performing CPR  a procedure that is applied in such an emergency. They intubated him at that point, a common practice during resuscitation. The note said his pupils were not responding to light.
In a brief and cautious statement, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, We are aware that the trial of Mr. Toru Kubota, who is being detained in Insein Prison in Yangon, took place on Oct. 5, and that he had been sentenced.

It went on: The government of Japan will continue to appeal to the Myanmar authorities for the early release of Mr. Kubota. In addition, from the perspective of protecting Japanese Nationals, the government of Japan has been providing support, such as consular visits and contacting his family, and will continue to take appropriate responses as much as possible.

At a news briefing, Yoshihiko Isozaki, deputy chief cabinet secretary, said the Japanese government had requested that the authorities in Myanmar release Mr. Kubota sooner than the length of his sentence.

The statement from the Japanese was in line with the cautious approach the country has taken toward Myanmar over the years, attempting to mediate between Western nations and the ruling junta. Im hoping that this will be the final straw for Japan, because, traditionally, it has taken a soft approach to Myanmar, said Teppei Kasai of Human Rights Watch in Japan.

Even before the coup, they have tried to play the middleman between Western countries and the junta. Obviously, that was not effective. What Japan hasnt done, but can do is place targeted sanctions against Myanmar military leaders as well as Myanmar military-owned companies, Mr. Kasai said.
In 2014, an Italian company hired to complete the tunnel abandoned the project, accusing Nepali bureaucrats of pressuring workers for bribes. Finally, a Chinese company, Sinohydro, completed construction in March 2021.

Then disaster struck. Within hours of the start of testing that month, a flood forced a suspension of operations. They resumed at the beginning of April, but water flowed for only six weeks before the more devastating flood and landslide struck.

Now, 50 years after the idea was first floated, and with Nepali taxpayers still on the hook for about $420 million in loans, the government is no closer to supplying its parched capital city with drinking water.

We are worried that if rainfall is above normal, then this kind of disaster may happen again, said Rajendra Sharma, a hydrologist and the governments technical adviser on the Melamchi project.

Climate Change

When Gaurab K.C., an assistant professor of sociology of law, was growing up in Kathmandu, the annual monsoons brought a nightly chorus of croaking frogs and jasmine-perfumed air.

But many of the wetlands and rice paddies that absorbed the monsoon rain and topped up the water table have since been paved over, as the Kathmandu Valley urbanized at one of Asias fastest rates, with its population rising from over half a million in 1991 to more than two million in 2021.

Like most people in Kathmandu, Mr. Gaurab relies on an elaborate system to catch, collect and buy enough water for his household. He uses two rooftop tanks of rainwater for washing and plumbing. He buys additional supplies from water tankers for washing vegetables and drinking.
LONDON  Six weeks ago, Prime Minister Liz Truss of Britain refused to say whether President Emmanuel Macron of France was friend or foe. On Thursday, she turned up in Prague at the maiden meeting of Mr. Macrons European Political Community, suggesting, on balance, that shed rather be friends.

Ms. Trusss appearance at the gathering of 44 nations was the latest in a perceptible warming trend toward Europe in the new British government. Whether it represents a genuine change of heart  or merely a government too preoccupied by economic problems to pick more fights across the English Channel  was not yet clear.

But former diplomats and political analysts said the improved mood music could lead to more tangible results, as Britain begins to define a post-Brexit relationship with its European neighbors. Ms. Truss, who had been skeptical of Mr. Macrons new project, came around, she said, because the meeting focused on issues like security, energy and migration, which are important to Britain.
This article is from a special report on the Athens Democracy Forum, which concluded last week in the Greek capital.

The seven-month-long war in Ukraine has tested the unity and resolve of the European Unions 27 members, but it has also given them a striking example of how important and powerful the democratic idea can be.

That was a conclusion of two sessions at the Athens Democracy Forum, which focused separately on Poland and on Russia-China but directly and indirectly addressed the new sense of urgency over democratic values that has gripped Europe since President Vladimir V. Putins Ukraine invasion.

It seems the Ukrainians are the only nation capable and ready to defend E.U. values with their own lives, said Karolina Wigura, a lecturer at Warsaw University during the panel A Decade of Democracy: Poland.

And yet they are not a member, so it is a paradox, she added.

Within the European Union, Eastern countries, which had lived through decades of Soviet occupation, have looked at the war and Moscows ambitions from a different perspective than their Western neighbors, whose post-World War II experience had been peaceful and prosperous.
PRAGUE  The European Union on Thursday formally adopted its eighth package of sanctions against Russia since Moscows invasion of Ukraine, targeting some $7 billion of trade with the country and laying the groundwork for a complex price cap on Russian oil exports.

The European Council said the fresh sanctions were a response to the recent escalation of the war by Russia, which this week illegally declared parts of four regions of Ukraine to be Russian after holding referendums that were widely condemned as a sham, threatened to defend the illegally annexed territory by any means and last month announced a partial mobilization of hundreds of thousands of Russians to fight.

The package, which was approved unanimously after weeks of negotiations among the 27 E.U. member countries, lays the foundation for a cap on the price of Russian oil, championed by the United States and adopted in principle by the Group of 7 wealthy nations last month.

The approval of the E.U. sanctions package came after global oil producers had decided to sharply cut the supply on Wednesday, making Russias crude even more valuable on the world market.
This article is from a special report on the Athens Democracy Forum, which concluded last week in the Greek capital.

In the Sophocles play Antigone, King Creon, after ordering the execution of his niece for betraying him, asks, Am I to rule for others, or myself?

Haemon, Creons son and Antigones lover, in his shock and grief, replies, A State for one man is no State at all.

This simple exchange, written around 441 B.C., demonstrates how one character came to challenge the autocracy of another in early Greek theater, and how Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides nurtured the idea of fairness and representation for all during the brief two centuries of Athenian democracy.

Their plays, among the 32 that survive from what are thought to be thousands from this era among many writers, are the earliest representations of how democracy helped change Western civilization.
The director of the United Nations nuclear watchdog was visiting Kyiv on Thursday to continue talks about establishing a nuclear safety zone at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, a goal he said has become more urgent than ever after Russia said it would take over operational control of the facility.

The nuclear plant, Europes largest, has been entangled in a power struggle between Russia and Ukraine for months. Recurring shelling near the plant, which was seized by Russian forces in March but is still run by Ukrainian engineers, has raised concerns about a catastrophic meltdown, and the Kremlins announcement Wednesday that it would nationalize the plant has introduced even more uncertainty.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in a statement Wednesday that he was traveling to Kyiv to discuss the status of the plant; he was expected to provide updates on the situation at a news conference later on Thursday. He has said he also planned to make a trip to Russia to discuss the matter but did not specify when.

The Zaporizhzhia power plant is close to the battlefront, on a Russian-controlled bank of the Kakhovka reservoir, with Ukrainian forces stationed on the opposite bank. The I.A.E.A. has had two staff members stationed there since September to independently assess its safety.
PARIS  Ever restless in his quest to forge a Europe of independent strength, President Emmanuel Macron of France has a new brainchild, the 44-nation European Political Community, which will convene for the first time on Thursday in Prague.

Larger than the 27-nation European Union, the new body includes countries like Ukraine and Moldova that are impatient with the long process of securing E.U. membership. A mild provocation to the United States, which was not invited, and a larger one to Russia, which sees any Western turn by countries on its border as incendiary, the association aims to give a voice to a broader Europe.

Mr. Macron believes the war in Ukraine will be long, extending well beyond the winter as Russian reinforcements reach the front. Given this prospect, officials close to him say, he is determined that Europe remain united, that it join forces to confront its energy crisis, and that it emerge from a transformative moment closer to his often-stated goal of strategic autonomy.

The European Political Community, which he first mentioned in May during the French presidency of the European Union, is clearly a response to these concerns. It is an idea typical of Mr. Macron: a bold, far-reaching and disruptive strategic gamble meant to stir new thinking, even if its end result and even its practicability are uncertain.
Russias floundering invasion of Ukraine has produced an extraordinary barrage of criticism from supporters of the war in recent days, directed primarily at the leadership of the Russian military. The outpouring of discontent is creating a new challenge to President Vladimir V. Putin, who, after cracking down on Russias liberal opposition, now faces growing dissent in his own camp.

The latest salvo came on Thursday when a Russian-installed official in an occupied region of Ukraine belittled the Kremlins defense minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, a close associate of Mr. Putin. The official, Kirill Stremousov, said Mr. Shoigu should consider killing himself because of his armys failures in Ukraine.

Many people are saying that as an officer, the defense minister could simply shoot himself for being the one who let things get to this state, said Mr. Stremousov, Russias deputy governor of the Kherson region of southern Ukraine.

It was a strikingly blunt and public rebuke, and one that built on growing frustration with the war effort. Last month, it was largely pro-Russian bloggers who were voicing anger over the failings that led to the Russian armys being routed in northeastern Ukraine. But after Russian troops were forced to retreat in two other sections of the front line in the last week, prominent officials have increasingly joined the chorus.
This article is from a special report on the Athens Democracy Forum, which concluded last week in the Greek capital.

More than a decade ago, a group of political scientists tried to come up with a better way to measure and rank the worlds democracies.

We were frustrated with existing measures of democracy, with their flaws and inadequacies, with existing indices, said Staffan I. Lindberg, director of the V-Dem Institute in Stockholm. So we came up with better measures. But after we did, the world turned around and headed toward autocratization.

When Mr. Lindberg and his colleagues were first testing their methodology in 2009 and 2010, democracy worldwide was already starting to falter.

By 2021, the number of liberal democracies was at a 10-year-low of 34, representing just 13 percent of the worlds population, according to V-Dems 2022 report. The level of democracy enjoyed by the average global citizen was down to 1989 levels, before new democracies sprang up after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the report said.
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.
KHARKIV, Ukraine  Ukrainian police have recovered 534 bodies of civilians in territory recaptured by the Ukrainian Army since early September, Serhii Bolvinov, head of the investigative department of the regional police force in Kharkiv, said at a news briefing on Thursday.

The bodies included 226 women and 19 children. Most of the civilian bodies recovered  447  were found in a mass burial site in Izium.

The police have also discovered 22 locations that they suspect were used as torture chambers in areas of Kharkiv Province that were recently freed from Russian control, he said. Investigators have been gathering documents and other evidence from the sites and witness testimony, including from former detainees.

Russian units set up such places of detention of civilians and prisoners of war in almost all the settlements where they were based, Mr. Bolvinov said.
Since the Russian invasion in February, the Biden administration has quietly fast-tracked hundreds of millions of dollars worth of private arms sales to Ukraine, slashing a weekslong approval process to a matter of hours. In just the first four months of the year  the latest data available  the State Department authorized more than $300 million in private deals to Ukraine, government documents show. The department authorized less than $15 million worth of such sales to Ukraine during all of the 2021 fiscal year.

That has helped open another stream of weapons to the Ukrainian battlefront, but it has also enticed new players like Mr. Zlatev and his partner, Heather Gjorgjievski, into a shadowy market. Weapons sold through private brokers are far more likely to end up on the black market and resurface in the hands of American adversaries, according to government advisers and academics who study the trade. Recent experience in Afghanistan and Syria shows that, without strict tracing policies, weapons can end up with terrorist groups or hostile military forces.

These private arms sales are a pittance compared to the more than $17.5 billion worth of machine guns, anti-tank missiles and other security aid the White House has sent to Ukraine. But those deals have stringent tracking requirements to help ensure the weapons go to their intended recipients. Private sales come with less oversight. The sellers, the buyers and the weapons are all kept out of the public eye.

Its the Wild West, said Olga Torres, a lawyer who represents arms exporters and serves on the federal Defense Trade Advisory Group. We are seeing a lot of people who were previously not involved in arms sales getting involved now because they see the opportunity.
The director of the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Thursday said that he did not recognize Russias claims to control the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europes largest, a day after the Kremlins announced that it would nationalize the plant and put it under Russias control.

Last week, following sham referendums, Russia illegally annexed four Ukrainian regions, including the Zaporizhzhia region where the plant resides. On Wednesday, Russia said it would take over operational control of the facility, which Russian forces seized in March but is still run by Ukrainian engineers.

Recurring shelling near the plant has fanned fears about a catastrophic meltdown, and the Kremlins announcement that it would put the plant under control of the Russian state has introduced even more unease.

Speaking during a visit to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on Wednesday that the I.A.E.A. still viewed the plant as a Ukrainian facility, since the U.N. charter does not recognize illegal annexations.
ORAN, Algeria  This handsome but neglected port city turns its back on the bay, as Albert Camus wrote in his novel The Plague. Living in Oran, he found that its impossible to see the sea, you always have to go look for it.

That is not a bad metaphor for Algeria itself, a country turned away from the world, cloaked in an opacity so dense as to be numbing. It has long sealed its border with Morocco, and only recently reopened crossings into Tunisia after more than two years. It keeps trade with neighbors to a minimum, and its political powers veiled.

One place the Mediterranean is visible is from the Fort of Santa Cruz, atop one of the hills that ring Oran. Cargo ships anchored in the bay point their long prows at the open sea, whose azure waters contrast with expanses of arid land. A sign in French on the forts stone wall says: Built in the 16th century by the Spanish Army. Restored between 1851 and 1860 by French military engineers.

More than a century of French rule ended 60 years ago, after a savage war that left half a million dead by French estimates. The Algerian estimate is one million higher. Thats a big discrepancy. The two countries, scarred and still entangled in an uneasy relationship, agree on very little.
After the sit-in the students streamed into the main yard of the university and realized they were under siege. Campus guards were clashing with the security forces to prevent them from entering the school and locked the gates. When four students tried to leave, the Basiji grabbed them, pounding them with batons. One student was taken to the hospital for treatment for a head injury.

A group of about 70 faculty members were meeting in a nearby building to discuss the protests and a strategy for freeing detained students when they heard a commotion outside and rounds of gunfire. Their phones began to beep with appeals from students seeking help.

The professors ran outside and encountered a scene of chaos that one of them described as a war zone: blood on the ground, tear gas in the air, bullets flying, shrieking cries for help. The professors encircled the students, locking arms to form a human shield around them.

One of the professors shouted to the Basiji that they would have to kill them first if they wanted to shoot or arrest the students. The Basiji fired shots in the air and one told a professor to shut up or he would be shot dead.

When some professors approached the Basiji to try to negotiate a secure exit for students, they beat them violently. One professor was thrown to the ground and kicked repeatedly. Another who tried unsuccessfully to take some female students away in his car was seized by the Basij and choked with a baton. He was told, according to the internal communications seen by The New York Times, that we could kill you, and no one would know.

Hundreds of students fled into an underground parking garage that exited onto a busy street and into a nearby subway station. But they didnt realize that dozens of Basiji had forced their way into the garage and locked the gates.

The events that followed were captured by students in a video posted on social media, and corroborated with witness accounts. Young men and women, wearing backpacks and trying to flee, screamed as the Basij opened fire on them with rubber and paintball bullets. The floor of the parking garage was covered with blood. Basij rooted out students hiding behind cars and pounded their bodies and heads with kicks and punches. About 50 students were arrested and some were shoved into vans and taken away with sacks placed on their heads and handcuffs around their wrists. If anyone intervened they would beat them too.
In recent weeks and months, its fighters in Iraq have killed Iraqi soldiers and police officers, beheading one officer on camera. In Syria earlier this year, the jihadists attacked a prison in an attempt to free thousands of their former comrades and occupied the compound for more than a week before a Kurdish-led military force supported by the United States drove them out.

The American attacks on Thursday came three weeks after the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Pentagons Kurdish-led allies in the region, completed a weekslong security operation through the sprawling Al Hol detention camp in northeastern Syria.

What we consider before using anonymous sources. Do the sources know the information? Whats their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source. Learn more about our process.

The Syrian Kurdish forces arrested some 300 ISIS operatives living among the camps 60,000 detainees  family members of ISIS fighters held there since the fall of ISISs religious state in 2019  seized more than 50 pounds of explosives, and removed ISIS supplies, Central Command said in a statement last month.

Some counterterrorism analysts suggested that the American attacks likely stemmed from evidence about the ISIS leaders location collected in the Al Hol sweep, including information obtained through interrogating ISIS operatives who were arrested.

No U.S. forces were hurt or killed in the first operation, nor were any civilians in either of the attacks, American officials said. In the first attack, the commandos also injured one of the ISIS operatives associates and captured two more, Central Command said.

More information was available on the commando raid than the drone strike.

A Kurdish security official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said airborne troops landed near a village outside of the city of Qamishli before dawn on Thursday.

Syrian state television said that U.S. occupier forces carried out an air assault with the support of Syrian Kurdish forces and that one civilian was killed and others were kidnapped.
This article is from a special report on the Athens Democracy Forum, which concluded last week in the Greek capital.

Yascha Mounk is a widely recognized expert on the crisis of liberal democracy and the rise of populism. He is the author of four books that have been translated into more than 10 languages. He is an associate professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University; a contributing editor at The Atlantic; a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; the founder of Persuasion, a publication and intellectual community; and the host of the podcast The Good Fight. His latest book is The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure. He was a speaker at the Athens Democracy Forum last week in association with The New York Times.

The following conversation has been edited and condensed.

What has happened to make democracies particularly fragile?

What the United States and many other democracies are experiencing is unprecedented. Most democracies have historically been relatively monoethnic and monocultural, with most of their citizens sharing common cultural origins. Others have always had clear ethnic or religious hierarchies, which allowed one group to dominate the others. There is not much precedent for highly diverse democracies that treat everyone equally.

Why do you think diversity can be dangerous for democracies?

There are three basic reasons why making diverse democracies work is a difficult thing to do. Humans are groupish. They are quick to form groups and even quicker to favor members of their own group. When I ask my students whether a hot dog is a sandwich, for example, those who think that it is quickly start to discriminate against those who think that it isnt.
CASTREZZATI My age has helped more than hurt me. I am lucky because I started traveling around the world at a young age, which broadened my perspective early on. My experiences made me open to all people and their stories. Theyve been key to running the Open Chair Democracy Talks, which entail really tuning into what people are saying. One time I was listening to a Syrian refugee who told me that he didnt know the meaning of freedom. It was vital that I had the open mind to hear his words.

PORTNAIA My age has helped me because I dont have anything to lose by fighting for democracy. This makes me that much more forceful about getting my voice heard. On the other hand, when I am interacting with older people about democracy, especially as I did in Russia, theyre anti-democracy and look at me as a liberal and crazy Westerner. In Russia, the word liberal has a negative connotation.

DUTAILLY Ive always thought of my age as a benefit because I learned about democracy as a young person and had the opportunity to represent my fellow high school students through the National Council [for High School Life, which aims to give French youth a voice] when I was just 14. My knowledge has only since grown.

What challenges have you encountered, or resistance have you met, along the way?

MANAR The lack of resources is a constant challenge, as have been disappointing encounters with politicians.

CASTREZZATI Most of what we do is try to convince older people in power to listen to us. Many of them struggle with changing their ways. This summer, for example, the Youth Think Tank spent time in a Goteborg suburb [in Sweden] known for its high crime rates and racial tensions. When we spoke to the citys politicians about what they could do to improve the situation, they were resistant to most of our proposals. One of our ideas was to use a school building to bring together different ethnic groups for social events such as international dinners, but they wouldnt hear of it. They told us that policies couldnt easily change and that they have a way of doing things that they wanted to stick with.

PORTNAIA The Russian authoritarian regime has been my biggest challenge because its restrictive and doesnt allow for freedom of expression. The lack of other youth to join the democracy movement with me in Russia has also been a challenge because they fear the consequences, even if they agree with the cause. I know of several people my age who are afraid of being kicked out of college if they express their democratic views. They consider that its safer for them to keep quiet.

DUTAILLY Growing up in rural France, I was far from the center of power, which is Paris. The city is almost a four-hour drive from where I lived, so I had to convince my parents to let me travel alone there at a young age to fulfill my responsibilities with the National Council. Also, Ive given a lot of time to the democratic movement, and its been hard to balance that time with my school and social lives. They also need attention.
Q: On October 6, the 51st session of the Human Rights Council voted down a US-led draft decision on Xinjiang. Whats Chinas comment?

A: For some time now, the US and some other Western countries have been misinforming the public about Xinjiang and seeking political manipulation in the name of human rights simply to smear Chinas image and contain Chinas development. Despite facts and truths, these countries propagated falsehoods on Xinjiang at the Human Rights Council and put together a draft decision on that erroneous basis in an attempt to use UN human rights bodies as a tool to interfere in Chinas internal affairs and to serve the agenda of using Xinjiang to contain China. The international community would not be easily misled. Despite pressure from the US and some other Western countries on the member states, the draft decision ended up unsupported by the majority of the Human Rights Council membership, especially many members of the developing world. The agenda pushed by the US and some other Western forces have again failed to gain international support.

The issues related to Xinjiang are not about human rights. They are about countering violent terrorism, radicalization and separatism. Thanks to strenuous efforts, there has been no violent terrorist incident in Xinjiang for over five consecutive years. The human rights of people of all ethnic backgrounds in Xinjiang are protected like never before. The international community is clearly aware that the ultimate motive of the US and some other Western countries behind their Xinjiang narrative is to contain China and does not like this pattern of using human rights as a pretext to meddle in other countries internal affairs. In recent years, nearly 100 countries, including many Islamic countries, have spoken out at the Human Rights Council, the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly and elsewhere openly to support Chinas just position on issues related to Xinjiang and oppose using these issues to interfere in Chinas internal affairs. The facts have proven time and again that politicizing human rights and practicing double standards is deeply unpopular and attempts to use Xinjiang-related issues to keep China down or contain it will get nowhere.

The issues that the Human Rights Council truly needs to focus on are the serious human rights violations concerning the US, the UK and some Western forces, including systemic racism and racial discrimination, the rights of refugees and migrants, rampant gun violence, unilateral coercive measures, and massive killings of innocent civilians in overseas military operations. The victims are still waiting for justice to be done and the international community demands accountability. We urge the US and some other Western forces to abandon political manipulation, disinformation and suppression, return to the track of dialogue and cooperation, and make real contributions to the global advancement of human rights.
3:30 p.m. Get a birds eye view of the city

Pack in 400 years of history at the Museum of the City of New York in East Harlem ($20 suggested admission), opposite Central Park at the top end of Museum Mile . Its ongoing exhibition,  New York at Its Core,  will give you a glimpse of the neighborhoods youll encounter this weekend, and an overview of the many eras of the citys development, including its few decades as the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam, its 19th-century shift to an immigrant hub, the growth of the citys park program after the New Deal and the birth of the punk and hip-hop subcultures of the 1970s and 1980s.
Five Offaly food producers have won bronze, silver and gold at the Blas na hEireann food awards, which took place in Dingle on September 30.

The Offaly winners scooped prizes across a range of different categories, they were

Booley Foods - who won a Chef's Larder award for their Original Recipe Ghee

Carroll Cuisine, for its Deli Express Thick cut Irish Ham Honey Roast Cooked on the Bone

Garryhinch Wood Exotic Ltd - who won a Chef's Larder award for their Irish Organic Exotic Mushroom Mix

Wild Irish Foragers - who won a Chef's Larder award for their Dandelion Flower Preserve -

BiaSol, who were also awarded Best in County and a Chef's Larder award for their Milled Grains Light Malt.

This years finalists and winners got to experience the Blas Village for the first time. Located in the heart of Dingle, this pop-up village was built for producers across the country to come together and celebrate the very best of Irish food and drink for Blass first in-person event in three years. As well as the awards being held there, finalists and winners had the opportunity to showcase their products, engage with customers and meet key industry buyers.

Finalists and winners showcased their produce in a new tented market  each tent highlighting a province in Ireland  also a new addition to the festival. Suitably named Eat Ireland in a Day, visitors were able to enjoy the high calibre quality of food and drinks that reached the finalist stage.

Speaking after the announcement Artie Clifford, Chairperson and founder of Blas na hEireann said, ''After a three-year hiatus from an in-person event, having a three-day event with the addition of the Blas Village and Eat Ireland in a Day has been worth the wait. I am really proud of what we hosted online but one thing that was repeated over and over was that people missed being in Dingle. As well as the excitement of the awards, it has been an intense and fantastic few days of focused networking, catch-ups and creating new connections and I am delighted that we have been able to showcase this exceptional produce to both regular visitors and industry experts in such an approachable and enjoyable way. What a great few days to welcome our Blas family back to Dingle.''

Now in their 15th year, Blas na hEireann saw a huge increase in entries with almost 3,000 products and many new producers entering the awards for the first time. Products from every county in Ireland were entered to win bronze, silver or gold awards in over 150 food and drink categories, as well as key awards like Supreme Champion and Best Artisan Producer, with 5 producers winning from County Offaly.

''Making it as a finalist is a huge achievement and one to be very proud of,'' says Artie Clifford, Chairperson and founder of Blas na hEireann. ''The competition ramps up year on year, meaning those producers who are short-listed as finalists really are the creme de la creme of Irish food and drink. This year it was not just the excellent food and drink that has been celebrated but the people themselves, our passionate and resilient producers. It has been quite a homecoming for our Blas family and we are looking forward already to doing it all over again next year.''
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The member for Fowler said south-west Sydney residents were alarmed by the idea of family members of Islamic State fighters being resettled in the area.
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OPEC+ is cutting global oil production to drive up prices. The move shows that Russia can still count on the cartel led by Saudi Arabia to help it bolster its war chest.
President Biden is touring an IBM site in Poughkeepsie, New York, on Thursday afternoon. The company is announcing an investment of $20 billion into the region.
The Ukrainian-appointed governor of the region has blamed Russia for rocket attacks on the southern city, which is located near Europe's largest nuclear plant. DW has the latest.
The appeals court also sent a Biden administration effort to restart the program back down to a lower federal court for further consideration.


Japan's PM said the fresh missile launches on Thursday "absolutely cannot be tolerated." Pyongyang, meanwhile, lashed out over joint US-South Korea military drills.
A Vancouver woman has compensation but few answers after a flight from her hometown to Calgary ended in a checked bag left in tatters and about $1,100 worth of possessions lost or destroyed.
US President Joe Biden said he was "disappointed" after the court found DACA to be unlawful. The policy has protected thousands of undocumented migrants, who were brought to the country as children, from deportation.
Vogue UK editor-in-chief Edward Enninful - a former refugee - is calling for a "more helpful and inclusive policy" to replace the government's plan to send migrants to Rwanda.
Anna "Delvey" Sorokin, the infamous con artist who posed as a German heiress and scammed New York City's elite, is reportedly being released from jail - but has been banned from social media.
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Authorities in northern Thailand said the majority of the victims of the mass shooting were children. The gunman, a former police officer, later went on to take his life.
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French president says he hopes for a "new phase" in relations after talks with UK prime minister.
Democrats in Congress and the White House are calling on Republicans to back amnesty for illegal immigrants, after a court found that an Obama-era program was unlawful.
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Liz Truss will call for unity from European leaders to address the fundamental causes of energy and migration challenges as she attempts to move beyond splits within her party.
OPECs decision to curb oil production was a signal that President Bidens influence over his Gulf allies was far less than he had hoped.
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Police charge a New Jersey woman with hiding almost 15,000 rainbow-colored fentanyl pills in a Lego box as part of a drug trafficking operation in greatest drug seizure in New York City's history.
A prominent Hollywood TV writer and producer whose credits include the sitcom "Scrubs" and "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher" has been re-arrested and charged with 18 counts of sexual assault by Los Angeles County prosecutors, according to multiple reports.
The Ukrainian government approves the car bombing that killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of prominent Russian politician Alexander Dugin, the US intelligence community claims.
Elon Musk just revived his bid for Twitter Inc. at his original offering price of $44 billion  or $54.20 a share  thereby avoiding a courtroom fight. (Musk made the proposal in a letter to Twitter on Monday, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.)



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The rancher, from Washington, pleaded guilty to the charges last year, which included defrauding Tyson Foods and another company.
Ukraine said Thursday that it had wrested Russian troops out from swathes of the southern Kherson region, pushing a counter-offensive that has undermined the Kremlin's claim to have annexed the territories.
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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.
Photo: (Photo : Will Porada)

Michigan man Richard Harvey admitted he accidentally shot an 83-year-old anti-abortion activist who had a disagreement with his wife and didn't leave their property when they told her to, according to Inside Edition.

Harvey said the shooting happened after he heard his wife and the woman arguing. He said during an interview that he heard his wife repeatedly telling the woman to get off the property as she was already trespassing.

When the 74-year-old came out, the woman was having a grand old time inside their property. He said he fired a warning shot with his rifle, striking a tree.

Harvey added that the woman was distributing anti-abortion pamphlets and wouldn't leave their yard. The woman continued to rant and rave, waving around a clipboard.

The Michigan man was certain she would smack his wife with it; thus, without thinking, he took his rifle but had his finger on the trigger guard. However, it accidentally went off and hit the old woman. According to the authorities, the lady drove herself to a nearby police department and was quickly taken to a hospital, where she was treated and released. The lady was distributing fliers for Right to Life, urging people to vote against Proposal 3, a November ballot measure that would secure abortion rights in the state.

Sharon Harvey, the wife, told the woman she supports abortion rights and told her to leave the property, which led to an argument with raised voices.

Read Also: How This Mom Hiked All Through Her Pregnancy; Shares Tips for Hiking With Toddlers

The Right to Life volunteer is now recovering

The shooting happened on September 20 at a residence near Lake Odessa and is now being investigated by the Michigan State Police. As of the moment, no charges have been filed. Police spokeswoman Lieutenant Michelle Robinson told the Inside Edition on Wednesday that she still cannot comment on any of the evidentiary elements involved as it is still an ongoing investigation. She assured information would be provided once it was done and forwarded to the prosecutor for review.

Anna Visser, director of communication and education for Right to Life of Michigan, said that the volunteer is doing fine and recovering from the wound.

She added the victim had told other volunteers that she had stopped at a residence where a woman came to the door but suddenly got upset, making her decide to leave. She was walking toward her car when a man came out and fired a gun, striking her shoulder.

Pew Research revealed that the United States has a deep and enduring connection to weapons, specifically guns, and serves as a point of pride for Americans. Usually, many gun owners count the right to bear arms as central to their freedom. The outcome of gun-related violence has hugely shaken the nation, causing many debates over gun policy and remaining sharply polarized.

A Florida woman pro-gun activist shot by her son

In another shooting incident, Jamie Gilt, 31, was immediately taken to a hospital after she was shot by her 4-year-old son but is now believed to be in stable condition. A Putnam County Sheriff's deputy reported that he was on patrol at the time when he suddenly noticed a truck stopped somewhat in the travel lanes and a woman sitting in the driver's seat gesturing for help. Upon checking, the only other occupant in the vehicle was a boy who was not harmed.

Captain Joseph Wells said in an interview that the mother was sitting in the driver's seat and the young boy was in the back seat behind her. The 4-year-old shot straight through, and the bullet entered her lower back and exited through her abdominal area. The bullet went through her, and officials recovered the round inside the vehicle. CNN reported that it was a .45 caliber handgun.

Related Article: 12-Year-old Texas Girl Allegedly Shoots Her Dad Then Herself as Part of Murder Plot
Photo: (Photo : David Mark)

Adam Howe was charged with murdering his biological mom, Susan Howe, and then setting her body on fire in front of her $900,000 Cape Cod home, according to Daily Mail. He was arrested Friday night at his mother's house in Truro but died Sunday after suffering a medical emergency in his cell, says the authorities.

The Truro Police Department stated that emergency personnel responded to a residence at around 9:30 p.m. Friday following a request for a well-being check and a separate report incident of a fire. Upon arrival, they saw a man outside the house and a fire on the front lawn. When they realized that it was a body that was burning, the man immediately ran into the house and locked the door. The Cape Cod Regional SWAT Team arrived, entered the home, and arrested Adam.

The Truro History Society Board of Directors paid tribute to Susan in a press release, stating that she showed so much love for the Truro community, bringing immense creativity, energy, time, and devotion to the organization. It also added that she was committed to preserving the history and culture and the well-being of her beloved town.

Read Also: Two Men Admits Murdering 6-Year-old Boy as Human Sacrifice to Gain Prosperity

Choked to death on wet toilet paper

Authorities took Adam to Cape Cod Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, but medical officials have cleared him to return to custody. He was transported on Saturday afternoon to Ash Street Jail in New Bedford, where supervisors put him on security watch. The 34-year-old had a visual check every 15 minutes and was clothed in a rip-resistant nylon smock for his safety.

Despite the precautions, Adam was able to choke himself to death by obstructing his airways with wet toilet paper. The Bristol County District Attorney's office released a statement that the man was found unresponsive in his cell Sunday afternoon. He was rushed to St. Luke's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, says spokesman Jonathan Darling of the Bristol County Sheriff's Office.

In August, the young Howe had a prior criminal record as he was arrested for breaking into a business in Truro, Massachusetts. He was also charged with possession of Suboxone or a combination medication used to treat opioid addiction without a prescription, New York Post reported.

Darling added to respect the family, who have been through a lot this weekend, and asked the public to keep them in their prayers. The authorities have no additional comment or detail as of the moment out of respect for the family.

Son killed his mother during an argument

Another mom was killed by her son at a residence in Boyle Heights. Transito Coreas was at home in the 2700 block of New Jersey Street when she had an argument with her son. Daniel Hidalgo, 24, became enraged and attacked his mother using a huge kitchen knife, stabbing her multiple times in the chest and stomach. Other family members wrestled the son away and held him for the authorities.

The 43-year-old mom was rushed to a local hospital but died due to her severe injuries. Los Angeles reported that the responding officers took the son and the murder weapon into custody without further incident. He was charged with murder, and bail was set at $1 million.

Related Article: 12-Year-old Texas Girl Allegedly Shoots Her Dad Then Herself as Part of Murder Plot
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Vilnius Airport in Lithuania has received Level 3 of ACI Europes Airport Carbon Accreditation program, in recognition of its efforts to reach zero emissions from its operations by 2030.

In 2021, Vilnius Airport completed an airfield renovation project to increase its operational efficiency and sustainability. This included the refurbishment and installation of taxiways to reduce aircraft taxiing times, as well as the electrification of aircraft parking areas. A 25kW solar power plant was also installed on the VIP terminal and conference center building.

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Looking to the future, the airport aims to have its entire fleet running solely on electricity or biodiesel by 2030, with plans to gradually offer passengers an expanded network of charging stations for electric vehicles, increasing the number of cars that can be charged. By 2024, the airport intends to reduce the CO 2 emissions per passenger by around a third, or achieve a reduction of approximately 1kg of CO 2 per passenger. This compares to 2.52kg in 2015, 2.39kg in 2016 and 1.89kg per passenger in 2021. This phase will include introducing more sustainable processes in its own operations as well as its partners; this will take into account third-party airport operations, tenants electricity and heating costs, waste disposal and other aspects.

Kristina Greiciute, environmental project manager at Lithuanian Airports, said, As we move from the first phase of the ACA program to the second phase, we have prepared a plan to reduce carbon emissions at Vilnius Airport. We have taken real environmental steps  from upgrading lighting systems to more efficient solutions, to renewing the fleet with hybrid cars, to installing solar power plants and buying green electricity for our own use. Improvements in the overall efficiency of energy management at Vilnius Airport have had a significant positive impact on the implementation of the second and third phases of the ACA. We aim to gradually upgrade all vehicles operated by the airport, to increase the share of hybrid vehicles, and, very importantly, we are already looking for opportunities to deploy solar power plants more actively on our premises.

Olivier Jankovec, CEO of ACI Europe, said, We are pleased with the progress Lithuanian Airports are demonstrating in this environmental program. Vilnius Airport is now entering the third level of the program, which means that not only the airport but also its partners will be directly involved in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Kaunas and Palanga airports have also shown real progress in actively reducing emissions from direct airport operations. I am pleased that Lithuanian airports are showing leadership in the Baltic region.

Aurimas Stikliunas, interim CEO of Lithuanian Airports, said, The leadership in the Baltics is the result of carefully planned and consistently implemented steps to modernize a wide range of activities. The fact that all three Lithuanian airports are successfully participating in the environmental program, which unites 235 airports from all over the world, is a significant achievement in the history of Lithuanian aviation. We have been implementing complex actions to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in our direct operations for a number of years, and we will continue to do so even more actively, and in the near future, we will also involve our partners operating at the capital citys airport. Reducing carbon dioxide emissions is one of the strategic goals of Lithuanian Airports, and Vilniuss ambition is to continue its leadership and become the first airport in the Baltic States to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations.
In March 2020 Apple was fined 1.1 Billion over sale restrictions in France. In November 2021, Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple Lawyer makes the case in a Paris Court that the 1.1 Billion Antitrust Fine is based on an imaginary theory and should be reversed.

CNBC reports today that "Apple won a massive reduction in a 1.1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) antitrust fine from French competition regulators, in a blow to the ambitions of European authorities to crack down on the dominance of Big Tech companies.

The Paris appeals court on Thursday lowered the fine to 371.6 million euros, roughly a third of the value of the original penalty and a reduction of 728.4 million euros, an Apple spokesperson confirmed.

According to Reuters, the amount was slashed because the court decided to drop one of the charges related to price fixing, and lowered the rate originally used to calculate the fine.

The decision relates to practices from more than a decade ago that even the FCA recognized are no longer in use, Apple said in a statement to CNBC on Thursday.

We are extremely proud to serve our French customers through Apple Retail Stores and our much larger network of retailers and resellers across the country, the company added.
This morning Google held their Made by Google '22 event that showcased their new Pixel 7 and 7 Pro phones. The Pixel 7 Pro delivers a new knockout 'Super Rez Zoom' feature that's well ahead of Apple's solution that may be coming to the iPhone 15 in 2023. The event also presented the new Google Pixel Watch that has merged Google and Fitbit technologies. The event also included more details about their upcoming Pixel Tablet that dues out in 2023. Our first video below presents you with a look at the Pixel Tablet and it's convenient 'Charging Speaker Dock' accessory.







Pixel 7 & Pixel 7 Pro

The redesigned Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are here, powered by their next-generation Google Tensor G2 processor that ships with Android 13 that offers 5 years of free updates including security updates.

With a 6.3-inch display and smaller bezels, Pixel 7 is purposefully more compact than Pixel 6  packing more features and improvements into a smaller profile. Its literature reveals that their Pixel 7 comes with a new zirconia-blasted aluminum that feels silky in your hand, and consumers could choose from three colors to suit their personal style: Snow, Obsidian and brand-new Lemongrass.

Pixel 7 Pro has a 6.7-inch immersive display, a beautiful polished aluminum frame and a camera bar thats perfectly complemented by the three color options: Snow, Obsidian and a new Hazel color.

While Apple fans wait for Apple's first folded camera zoom lens, the Google Pixel 7 Pro now delivers an amazing 30x 'Super Rez Zoom' that's really impressive as the example below proves out. Within the red circle in the picture on the left there's a person and with their new 30X zoom you get to see the result on the right image of the person you can't see in the original view. At 30X, we see a nice crisp image, unlike many smartphones with zoom lenses that deliver grainy images at higher zoom levels.

(Click on image to Enlarge)

By far, the new Zoom capability on the Pixel 7 Pro is a killer feature and with their new unblur and the ability to touch up photos with Magic Eraser to eliminate things you want out of your photos, Google has one of the best cameras on the market today.

Introducing Google Pixel Watch

Introducing Google Pixel Watch, their first watch built inside and out that brings together helpfulness and convenience from Google and Fitbits best health and fitness features, all in a beautiful new design.

Google Pixel Watch has deep integration with Fitbit to provide leading health and fitness features, including our most accurate heart rate tracking yet. With on-device machine learning and deep optimization down to the processor level, it gives you an accurate measurement of your heart rate continuously tracking at once per second.

The Fitbit experience is completely redesigned for Google Pixel Watch, with 40 exercise modes available to track your favorite workouts and all-day activities including steps, distance with built-in GPS and Active Zone Minutes, to help you push for that extra rep during workouts.

It helps you keep tabs on your health with an ECG app to detect signs of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), better understand your sleep with Sleep Score and Sleep Stages, and receive guidance powered by Fitbits 20 billion nights tracked.

Get insights into key metrics like your breathing rate, heart rate variability and more  all on the Health Metrics Dashboard in the Fitbit app. With Fitbit Premium, you get deeper insights and access to features like Daily Readiness Score so you know when to go all-out in your workout or prioritize rest. More than 1,000 workouts and 400 mindfulness sessions are available to help you take action and approach each day based on what your body is telling you.

the Google Pixel Collection







The Full Made by Google '22 Event

Not to rain on Google's parade, but their stance on privacy has to be questioned. Starting at the 24:35 mark of the full-event video above, the company addressed 'Privacy and Security." Jen Fitzpatrick, Google's SVP for Core Systems and Experiences, highlighted Google's new Security features and commitment to privacy. Yet at the same time in the news, Google was fined $85 million by Arizona for illegally collecting user data. Other States such as Texas, Washington D.C. and Indiana have filed similar suits.

Arizona attorney's stated that Google kept collecting user data even after they disabled the feature that allows recording location data. So, Fitzpatrick claiming that "Every day, our teams of world-class privacy and security experts help protect your personal information," is hard to take very seriously.
At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Small profile

Phone connectivity and super capable app

Good day captures (with filter)

Voice remote Cons Grainy night captures

Optional filter degrades night captures further Our Verdict We love the E1s diminutive size, excellent display, GPS and voice remote. But best day captures require an optional filter, which you must remove for acceptable night capturesa switch most users wont like or remember.

One of the reasons we rate Garmins diminutive dash cams so highly is their minimal interference with your vision. Welcome $150 Vantrue Element 1, we like you for the same reasons. We also like the voice control and app.

Alas, day capture quality really only passes muster with an optional $20 polarizing filter which we had to remove at night to get workable low light captures. A process that got bothersome quicklywhen we remembered to do it.

This review is part of our ongoing roundup of the best dash cams. Go there for more reviews and buying advice.

Design and features

The Element 1 is easily one of the smallest dash cams weve tested. As indicated, it rivals the Gamin series in that regard, with the exception of that companys super tiny Dash Cam Mini 2. If the E1 is not the most diminutive, its still small enough to hid behind the mirror and offers the LCD display (1.54-inch) that the Mini 2 lacks.

The actual measurements are 1.6-inches wide/tall, and 1.75-inches deep to which you can add approximately 0.25-inches for the optional filter. On top of the camera is the slide-in adapter that marries to the semi-permanent adhesive mount. On the right is the Type-C power port and microphone, while on the left are the power button and micro SD card slot.

The microphone is both for capturing audio and voice commands. The E1 understands several of the latter including: Take Photo, Start Video, Stop audio, etc.

The bottom of the unit is home to three multifunction buttons that navigate menus, change video modes, etc. Theres ample ventilation via slots on the bottom, top, and left side of the unit.

The Element 1 (E1) is available in red, black, and blue. Ours was the latter.

Capturing video is a Sony IMX335 sensor with a maximum 2592 x 1944P resolution (default is 1440p) and Vanture has opted for a wide 160 degree field of view. GPS is also on board and along with an app, voice control, and a Bluetooth save/capture remote (hotkey in Vantrue-speak) the E1 is a nearly full house in terms of modern features.

The unit leverages a super capacitor rather than a battery, so it will only save the last video if it loses power. But it will also deliver a lot more on/off cycles than a battery.

While the E1 has an SD card slot and you can read data off cards with a reader, you can also connect the E1 to your computer and read them directly. A rather more convenient way in my book. Nice touch.

Connecting to the app is done via Wi-Fi and said app allows you to offload, organize, and even edit videos. Once offloaded, you can play them back with GPS mapping. As the E1 connects to your phone via Wi-Fi, you cant have the internet while its connected. GPS mapping playback (Google/Baidu) requires Internet. Yup, you need to change networks for that features.

Note, you may need to restart the app after changing networks for the GPS travel map to show.

Setup, settings, and video playback with GPS info inside the Vantrue Cam app.

You of course also have access to all the settings and can even control the dash cam. Phone phun!

Installation and setup

The semi-permanent mount for the Element 1 is horizontally static, i.e., it only articulates up and down. This makes it very stable once its installed, but you must be careful aligning it before you press it onto the windshield. For help on that, see How to install a dash cam to learn from my myriad mistakes.

The Vantrue hotkey (remote control) makes it easy to save photos and videos. Its handier than reaching for the tiny buttons on the unit itself.

Setting up the Element 1 was very easy, once I had set the proper time zone that is. I was a bit surprised this was necessary given GPS is on board. However, once Id scrolled down to Pacific time, everything else, such as the date format and MPH were automatically selected. Im assuming this was based on the time zone. Whatever the case, it was quick and simple. It even proactively offered to format the SD card, which needed it.

Beyond that, I did need to tweak the g-sensor sensitivity a bit for my Miata with its rather stiff racing suspension. But its better to be overly sensitive, than not sensitive enough. That latter might result in incident videos not being saved. (Un-saved videos will be overwritten eventually.)

Capture quality

While the Element 1 isnt the best dash cam Ive tested in terms of day capture quality, its above averagealbeit only with the optional $20, 40mm polarizing filter. Details are decent in dark areas but lost in brighter areas without the optional filter which pretty much cures the latter issue.

The difference is salient enough that I actually consider the Element 1 a $170 (camera plus filter) dash cam.

This day capture using the optional $20 polarizing filter shows very good detail.

The above day capture using the filter shown is quite good. Again, the one below without the filter noticeably blows out in the brighter areas, making it difficult to discern details There is an exposure adjustment that can dial out some of this, but we test with the defaults. Also, dialing down the exposure adversely affects the already weak night captures.

This day capture is decent, but details are lost in brighter areas.

On the other hand, if our tests are to be believed, you absolutely do not want the filter on at night. With it on, night captures went from the two slightly grainy but colorful and workable captures shown next, to dull colored with considerably worse detail as youll see in the third image. Basically, the E1 is not a top night camera, despite bold claims on the Web site.

If you look closely at the image below, youll see one of San Franciscos fantastically optimistic pedestrians striding out in front of moving traffic, fully expecting everyone to stop for them. The majority of the time the drivers do, but They had the right of way! is a terrible heading for a tombstone. This is early evening without the filter. With even a modicum of light available, the E1 does a passable job of capturing the action.

Early evening capture with the polarizing filter removed. Not great detail, but workable.

However, the darker night capture (sans filter) below with the San Francisco marine layer further muddying conditions shows how captures deteriorate as light abates.

A night capture without the filter in place. Not great, not horrible.

Below you can see the negative effect the filter has on night captures. This is only two minutes after the above capture was taken in the same light conditions. The only difference is the filter has been screwed on.

Filter on. This is a truly bad night capture.

Note that all captures are 1440p, not the 1944p the camera is actually capable of. We took some of these, but there was really no improvement worth the extra storage space. I should also point out that Im judging according the current standard of video.

Filter on/filter off

The Element 1 has a lot going for it in terms of ease of use, form factor, as well as its phone app. But nightly removal of the recommended-for-daytime-use polarizing filter or constantly adjusting the exposure is not something most users will want, or always remember to do. Eliminate that conundrum Vantrue, earn another half star. As it stands, buy only for day use.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has refuted suggestions that his government is not committed to the fight against illegal small-scale mining (galamsey).



According to Akufo-Addo, his government has been committed to the fight against the menace since his first day in office and its determination to curb it even cost his party; the New Patriotic Party (NPP) some votes in the 2020 General Elections.



The president, who made these remarks at a meeting with the National House of Chiefs and some Municipal Metropolitan and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Kumasi, intimated that the votes he and his party lost showed that he really put his presidency on the line to fight 'galamsey'.



"Since I took office on January 7th, 2017, nearly six years ago, I have made it a central feature of my presidency to lead in the fight to rid our country of this menace, which we all now call galamsey. Indeed, it was an important aspect of my inaugural address that day. It has not been easy; it has not been popular and we have not gotten the immediate results that I was looking for.



Indeed, in the last election 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 bumbazed nor reckless. It was the simple truth, he said.



Akufo-Addo also urged chiefs across the country to get themselves in the fight against illegal small-scale mining since they are the custodians of lands in the country.



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 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, he noted.

















Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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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.



"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.

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Obuobia Darko-Opoku, a public speaker and broadcaster, has launched the IGNITE Youth Empowerment Initiative, to engage, empower and embolden young ladies to become better versions of themselves and position them strategically for leadership.



The first edition of IGNITE was held in September as part of the mentorship programme to inspire young ladies with untapped potential to learn how to communicate persuasively.



A pioneer in applying successful mentorship practices to young girls, Obuobia Darko-Opoku, said: This initiative is a dream that means a lot to me because its a dream coming to fruition. This is what personally makes me a happy girl. That quest, that desire, to develop your talent, pursue your dream and wanting to lead change is a good thing.



Continuing with the commitment to build the capabilities of young girls in the non-profit sphere, the Obuobia Foundation has completed a mentorship programme with over 300 young girls at the University of Ghana, Law Faculty in September.



She noted that the initiative mentored about 300 young girls between the ages of 18 and 25.



I think for the registration and the virtual registration alone are giving us an impression. And an idea on the kind of people who have shown interest in this programme.



Because what we realised is that the age has been between 18 and 25, and those are our targets. So, we think that we have achieved our target. We believe that we have achieved our target. So, at least we know that we have made that impact, the business executive said.



She said, I always ask myself how I can achieve this? Working with like-minded persons to provide an opportunity for our younger sisters to have a learning opportunity that encourages. And also network amongst themselves to get support for their steps towards success and leadership training.



According to her, there are many young ladies with untapped potentials who are deferring their dreams and will do with deliberate mentorship and programming. With the right mentorship programmes, we can fuel the birth of a new revolution that harnesses the energy and potential of our teeming women for social economic transformation.



Im sure a lot of you are asking what my goal is. It is to build that critical young woman who will lead change and champion progress in all sectors of life. IGNITE is here to engage, empower, and embolden young people. This is not the usual mentorship programme or you are my role model cliche. IGNITE is and will be different, Darko-Opoku said.



Speaking at the youth empowerment initiative, the Special aide to former president John Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogtari encouraged young girls to speak with conviction.



The only thing lacking is that sometimes we speak without conviction. Communicating is ideal for us. I think one of the greatest things any leader can do is to learn how to be effective and intentional about what they want to sell, and how they want to do it, she said. It is important to reject gender straight jackets. In your attempt to be a female leader you will meet a lot of people who will tell you its not possible.



She added: These are the things that worked for me and I think they will work for you as well in trying to speak with clarity. A lot of time when people are standing in front of you even with a microphone you cant hear them because they are mumbling.



You dont have to mumble you need to be confident enough to open your mouth for your words to roll off your tongue, in such a way that every word you use is easily spelt by the person listening to you.



Other speakers at the forum included Dr Ike Tandoh and Nana Aba Anamoah.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Multiple Award-Winning Journalist, Regina Asamoah, has premiered a new documentary that focuses on her one-year journey since she started the Missing Children documentary series.



The documentary featured former President, John Agyekum Kufuor; former 2nd Lady, Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur; National Director of Department of Social Welfare, Rev. Dr. Mrs. Comfort Asare;



Country Director of Plan International Ghana, and former Minister of State/Executive Director of Salt and Light Ministries, Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee, who shared their thoughts on the issue of Missing Children in Ghana.



The Missing Children documentary series which was first premiered on 22nd May, 2021 has so far reunited one hundred and seventy (170) missing children with their families.



The initiative focuses on finding and reuniting missing children across the country with the ultimate goal of promoting the well-being of children by helping them grow in families.



The premiering was graced by dignitaries including the former 2nd lady, Amissah Arthur; CPP Chairperson, Nana Akosua Frimpomaa Sarpong-Kumankumah; Country Director of Plan International, Solomon Tesfamariam; GJA Vice President, Linda Asante Agyei; Founder and Leader of Worldwide Miracle Outreach, Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh; UN Eminent Peace Ambassador and Founder/Leader, Pottersville Church International, Bishop Sam Owusu; Development Chief of Ngleshie-Amanfrom/Chancellor of Abbeam Institute of Technology, Rev. Dr. Abbeam Ampomah Danso; representatives from the Ghana Police Service, Department of Social welfare, Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, National Chief Imam Office, as well as various Residential Homes for Children etc.



Speaking in an interview, Regina Asamoah, said she feels fulfilled having reunited 170 missing children with their families in the Greater Accra and Central Regions since the inception of her Missing Children initiative.



Regina Asamoah



After the premiering of my first documentary on the Missing Children which saw the reunification of over 30 missing children, some parents whose children were missing came to plead that I continue the investigations, probably, they might find their children in my next documentary. Their appeal challenged me not to rest until I find those missing children, and I can now happily say that the Missing Children documentaries have so far reunited over 170 missing children with their families



Also, the reigning 2019 GJA Best Female Journalist, Regina Asamoah decried that there are many cases of missing children in other regions, which equally deserve attention according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 39 on the Childs right to recovery and reintegration.



She explained, however, that financial and logistical challenges hinder the progress of the initiative. She therefore appealed to the government, stakeholders, and corporate Ghana to support and push the Missing Children agenda.



We premiered this documentary for people to know what Missing Children is doing, and what it has achieved in the past one year, despite the hurdles. The initiative has brought joy and hope to children who were trapped in orphange homes. We need support to continue.



Regina Asamoah seized the opportunity to advise parents and guardians to ensure that their wards were taught their home addresses, phone numbers, and real names of their parents.



Regina Asamoah with the Akakpo family. Mercy Akakpo (child in blue ) got missing in 2019 and was reunited with her family in 2022



Delivering an address, the chairperson for the event, Nana Akosua Frimpomaa Sarpong-Kumankumah, called on the government and relevant stakeholders to support the Missing Children initiative.



She commended Regina Asamoah for her efforts in reuniting missing children in Ghana and urged her to continue with the good work.



Missing Children has exposed the weaknesses of State Institutions especially Social Welfare Services and the Department of Children and to believe that the State has no mechanism to bridge the gap between a Missing Child and his/her parent, we must all bow our heads in shame, Nana Akosua Frimpomaa Sarpong-Kumankumah lamented.



In a brief remark, Founder of Worldwide Miracle Outreach, Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh, expressed his excitement over the documentary and appealed to the President Akufo-Addo, to recognize and reward the positive impacts of the Missing Children initiative in the subsequent National Awards Scheme.



UN Eminent Peace Ambassador to Ghana and Founder/leader, Pottersville Church International, Bishop Sam Owusu, in his solidarity message, also appealed to parents to prioritize the welfare of their children. He as well applauded Regina Asamoah for the initiative and called on all and sundry to support the Initiative.



The Vice President of Ghana Journalist Association (GJA), Linda Asante Agyei, also in her solidarity remarks, congratulated Regina Asamoah for depicting the core values of journalism with her impact on society, describing the act as Solution Journalism.



However, she urged Regina Asamoah to continue with her good works, move beyond the shores of Greater Accra and Central Regions to help reunite other missing children across the 14 regions.



Families who have benefitted from the Missing Children Documentary Series could not hide their joys with their heartwarming testimonies at the event. They thanked Ms. Regina Asamoah for her journalistic works that has brought joy to their homes.

Source: Graphiconline.com









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The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) is an organisation that speaks to the interest and welfare of the people and also demands quality and accountable governance with dedication, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said.

He said the association had, over the years, made sacrifices and continued to engage to ensure good governance, which he said deserved the support of all right-thinking lawyers in the country.



The President said this when the President of the GBA, Yaw Acheampong Boafo, and some executives of the association called on him at the Jubilee House in Accra last Tuesday to thank him for attending the recent GBA Conference in Ho in the Volta Region.



I hear other people are talking about the GBA being an elite organisation. I dont know what they understand by elite. I know that the GBA is an organisation that is concerned about the welfare of the people and the quality of governance.



This is why its leaders are prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to ensure that we have a modern and respectable form of governance in the country. This cannot be an elite organisation, he added.



Presence



President Akufo-Addo also explained that his presence at the Bar Conference was because the GBA was one of the most important institutions in the country, a non-governmental organisation, one that had an impact on the life and the history of the nation and continued to do so.



There are so many landmarks in the countrys history that had been made and facilitated by the GBA through the courage, involvement and dedication of members. So my presence there was because of the quality of the work that the association had done through the ages and continues to do in your time as well, he said.



According to the President, he was particularly encouraged by the fact that the independence of the Bar had always been exhibited through the utterances, deliberations and actions of members.



If the sitting President comes to visit you, it doesnt stop you from speaking your mind. I cherish that kind of attitude. It is important for our country that our public discourse is fueled by people who have this kind of attitude, he added.



Free speech



He, however, said it was unacceptable for people to be abusive when expressing their opinions, and that a person could still speak his or her mind on matters he or she deemed important without insults.



He said it was for that reason that the people opted for democracy, instead of what he referred to as the one-man system some of them grew up in, adding: I came to meet Radio Ghana which spoke every morning with praise singing of our then President, and it would go on throughout the day, with no other voice.



President Akufo-Addo said currently, however, there was a multiplicity of voices on both radio and television which he described as a welcome development.



Commendation



Mr Boafo commended the President for his continued dedication to the GBA and for accepting invitations to its programmes since his days as the Foreign Minister, the Attorney-General, the Opposition Leader and now the President.

Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, says the government is scheming to use the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a smokescreen to dump an austerity budget on Ghanaian citizens.



Mr. Amidu has therefore urged patriots and crusading civil society organizations to insist and demand transparency and accountability from the government in the manner the negotiation with the IMF is being undertaken now.



This year, the International Monetary Fund is to be the excuse for Ghanaians being asked to tighten their belts while the political elite loosens theirs and feed fat on our sweat. We should not wait for the IMF to be used by the authors of our economic hardships to blackmail the nation and ram an austerity budget down our throats without any consultation for our inputs into and acceptance of the proposals. We must ask for transparency and accountability now. The 1992 Constitution gives us the right to do so and put Ghana First, he wrote in a statement.



The finance minister is upbeat that the negotiation with the IMF will be fast-tracked to ensure that key aspects of the programme are reflected in the 2023 Annual Budget Statement in November 2022.



Mr. Ofori-Atta has also disclosed that a team of government officials will from this weekend travel to Washington, DC in the USA for two weeks to continue negotiations with the Fund to fast-track the deal.



But the former Special Prosecutor argued the People are entitled to know the content of the dialogue with the Bretton Woods Institution billed to form part of the Minister for Finances 2023 Budget Statement to Parliament.



He said the government has refused to be guided by the resistance its unpopular economic policies such as the E-levy were met with in the past.



In the November 2021 Budget for the year 2022, this government rammed down our throats the E-Levy that went to Parliament without any prior consultation with the generality of the people and stakeholders. It is an understatement to say that a majority of Ghanaians were against the E-Levy but with arrogance and impunity, the government corruptly bought its way with the political elite to approve and enact the E-Levy into law. The consequent reaction from Ghanaians is there for all to see how successful a reception that policy received and is receiving. Martin Amidu added.





Source: starrfm









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, has said that there is no hope for Ghanaians under the current Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo/Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia government.



He explained that there is no hope because President Akufo-Addo robbed the 2020 elections, and he is now being punished by God, which is why he has been embarrassing himself since the inception of his second term.



Sammy Gyamfi, who was speaking in an XYZ TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb, added that the only way the current hardship in the country can be reverted is when this current government is booted out of power.



"There is no hope. President Akufo-Addo and Bawumia are under judgement. Only people with no spiritual discernment are unable to see this.



"Have you ever seen a Ghanaian president being booed in his own country? He is under judgement. His cup is full. God's anger is on him. This is what happens when you take something that does not belong to you.



"You have killed 8 people because of power, and you think you will go scot-free. Nothing in the country is working. They don't know what to do now. They have given up on the country, he said in Twi.



He added that what the country is currently going through is because of the judgement of God on Akufo-Addo.



We are suffering because when a country has bad leaders, its citizens suffer just like the cases in the Bible, he added.





Source: ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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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.

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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.

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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 as 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









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Former Central regional Chairman of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Allotey Jacobs, has blamed the country's leaders for the unbridled activities of galamsey nationwide.



According to him, "there is no political party in this country that can absolve itself from the galamsey activities. There is no Chief in this country because I remember in the late 70s, there was a massive rise of galamsey at Tarkwa Atuabo".



He stressed that galamsey has gained strength making its fight difficult because the leaders pay only lip service to eradicating it.



"We were playing with it; lip talks, lip services are what have driven us to this state today," he said while discussing the menace on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo".





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has told the Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) that he is not in the position to protect anybody found culpable in the act of illegal mining.



According to him, there have been several allegations of some MMDCEs involvement in illegal mining (galamsey) which he said was tainting the reputation of the government, and cautioned those alleged to be in the act to desist from it.



Speaking to all the MMDCEs across the country in Kumasi to seek their assistance in the fight against illegal mining menace in the country, he said the party and for that matter, government is committed to ensure that the activities of illegal mining was stopped.



He stressed that any MMDCE alleged to be engaging in the act with evidence would be given the opportunity to be listened to and if your explanation is not sound, meaningful or reasonable enough, the appropriate sanctions would be applied without any favour.



According to the President, the MMDCEs were aware of what was happening in the mining areas across the length and breadth of the country and urged them to work together actively to reverse the menace.



The constant allegations of MMDCEs being the conveyers of the illegal mining is not the best, he bemoaned and challenged them to clear their own names and the governments reputation.



He disclosed that, several means have been championed by government including new legal regime and community mining, saying there would be a severe punishment to anyone irrespective of your status.



The President told them that they were his representatives in the various assemblies and for that matter could not be engaging in illegal mining (galamsey), adding, together they could help contain galamsey especially in the Western region which he said turned their back to the party because of his determination to fight the menace.



Mr Dan Kwaku Botwe, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, stated that, reports from the various MMDAs revealed that the Ashanti Region was leading illegal mining activities with 23 districts.



He disclosed that, the Ministry was having the number of districts in the regions where mining activities were going on, saying there were 13 districts in the Eastern Region, two in Savannah region, Upper West six, North East region two, Upper East eight, Central region six, Western North eight, Western Region 15, Ahafo region four, Bono region four and Ashanti region, 23.



The Minister challenged the MMDCEs to collaborate with Metropolitan, Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) and District Security Council (DISEC) to fight the menace in their various jurisdictions.

Source: Ghanaiantimes.com.gh









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The Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Sam Pyne, has jabbed freelance Journalist, Manasseh Azure over his write-up on President Nana Akufo-Addo's meeting with the National House of Chiefs and MMDCEs on the galamsey menace.



The President met the Chiefs and the Chief Executives of the various metropolises, municipalities and districts at Manhyia in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, on Wednesday, 5th October, 2020.



The meeting, which was primarily to discuss how to eradicate the galamsey menace, was met with criticisms from Manasseh Azure as he described it as a 'joke'.



"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. 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", he posted.



Manasseh Azure stressed the President has got the arsenals and relevant authorities at his behest, hence doesn't need to hold talk sessions before this illegal mining trade is stopped.



"If Akufo-Addo sends a message that any DCE or MCE who allows galamsey to happen in their district will be fired and prosecuted, it will stop next week. The MDEs and DCEs will save their jobs and stop the party executives from mining. They will expose the so-called big wigs behind the destructive concessions in the forests," he argued.



But to him, "the problem is that the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces is not serious about the fight".



In reply, Sam Pyne wondered what specific thing the President said that should warrant the Journalist's jibe and therefore berated him for picking on the President.



To the KMA Boss, he expected Azure to offer solutions to the galamsey problem in his post.



"I don't know why he says it is a joke. I've not read that post. I don't know the reasons he gave for which he says it's a joke. I thought he would offer solutions in his post. As writing senseless things, any person can do that; any person can say what he/she wants," he replied.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Governance Lecturer at the Central University, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, has asked President Akufo-Addo to walk his talk on stopping the illegal mining menace.



The President yesterday held a meeting with the National House of Chiefs and MMDCEs at Manhyia in Kumasi charging them as well as all Ghanaians to join hands with him to eradicate this illegal trade, locally called 'galamsey'.



The President said; "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.



"It is obvious that, if we are to win the fight, it would require a collaborative effort to do so. The fight against Galamsey 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 also stressed that the nation should not give up on the objective, asserting, we have to win that fight to keep our environment clean, and protect our heritage for our descendants, as you did in the past.



Responding to the President's call, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah hoped "it doesn't turn into one of those talk shows".



"If he (President) left all his busy schedules to go to Kumasi, then I want to see action," he added, and further stressed that the President is "the symbol of the State, the only individual without a number plate on your car. You hold the symbol of the State", so, must "take steps for us to help you!"



He charged the President and all the State authorities to leave no stone unturned in fighting the galamsey.



"If we can't fight galamsey, what can we fight?", he queried.



The lecturer also slammed Ghanaians for contributing to the menace and other practices that do not help the country saying "we are so indisciplined" but prayed actions will be taken to whip them into line.











Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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On 30th September 2022, the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone held an online-offline reception celebrating the 73rdanniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. H.E. Chinese Ambassador Hu Zhangliang, Honorable Minister of Finance Dennis Vandi, Honorable Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mamadi Kamara, high-level government officials, members of parliament and friendly organizations, diplomatic corps and representatives of the Chinese community attended the reception.

H.E. Ambassador Hu Zhangliang said that over the past 73 years, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China(CPC), the Chinese people have created a miracle of development that has attracted worldwide attention, China is more closely linked to the future and destiny of the world. China-Sierra Leone cooperation in all areas such as education, human resources development, mining, agriculture, infrastructure construction, fight against COVID-19 pandemic, health and sanitation, peace and security, has yielded laudable results. The future of China-Sierra Leone friendship will be more shining and promising.

Hon.Acting Minister Kamara warmly congratulated China on its 73rd National Day on behalf of H.E. President Julius Maada Bio and the Government of Sierra Leone. She commended China on the great achievements it made in the past 73 years and wished that the 20th National Congress of CPC would be successfully convened. She said Sierra Leone has enjoyed cordial and special relationship with China for more than 50 years and the Government of Sierra Leone will continue to adhere to the One-China policy, support China in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and work with the Chinese side to deepen the relations between the two countries.

The guests watched the special video introducing China's development and China-Africa cooperation, as well as the blessing video recorded by Chinese compatriots and Sierra Leonean friends from all walks of life. They enjoyed the wonderful cultural performances brought by students from the Confucius Institute and Fourah Bay College Junior Secondary School.








B.C. Premier John Horgan addresses the Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention, in Whistler, B.C., on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. Horgan says the New Democrat government's crime-fighting agenda involves more than increasing arrests of alleged violent offenders. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
At a forum on fishery issues held in the seaport town of Kodiak, two of the leading gubernatorial contenders spent time focusing on a man who was not there: incumbent Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

After about an hour of in-depth discussions of fishery issues that included climate change and its effects in the oceans, the role of hatchery fish in the ecosystem and economy, the infrastructure and workforce development needs of the fishing industry and state fiscal policies, former state Rep. Les Gara and former Gov. Bill Walker turned their fire directly on Dunleavy.

The Republican incumbent, who failed to attend, has shirked too many debates, showing a lack of regard for Alaska voters, they argued.

You have to wonder about somebody who wont share their ideas with you. You have to wonder about somebody who wont come to listen with you, Gara, a Democrat, said in his closing remarks. If he doesnt have the courtesy to show up at over 90% of the debates, then hes got ideas that he doesnt want to share with people.

I am running for governor because Alaska needs someone that will show upsomeone who will represent not just their political donors but the entire state, Walker, an independent, said in his summary remarks. You can tell how hard someone will work as governor based on how hard they work to become governor. And this governor has not.

In contrast to their disdain for Dunleavy, Gara and Walker expressed support for each other at the fishery forum, as they have done elsewhere. They urged voters to mark both their names in Alaskas new ranked-choice system.

The Kodiak Chamber of Commerce has been hosting fishery forums for the past 30 years, and in the past the events were seen as musts for serious candidates seeking statewide office. They are considered the only election forums focused specifically on fisheries.

But in 2018, Dunleavy declined to go, and that years gubernatorial fishery forum wound up canceled.

Dunleavy made a similar decision about the Kodiak event this year. His campaign announced in early August that the governor would attend only five debates, a group that did not include the Kodiak fishery forum.

Instead of attending the Kodiak event, which was held in the high school, broadcast live on Kodiak public radio station KMXT and posted on the Kodiak Chamber of Commerces Facebook page, Dunleavy was in western Alaska on Monday checking on the recovery progress after the disastrous storm that hit more than two weeks ago, his spokesman Andrew Jensen said.

That left Gara and Walker to discuss what they considered to be the most important fishery issues facing Alaska.

For Gara, a top priority is addressing bycatch, the accidental catch and disposal of nontargeted species. He cited approximately 550,000 chum salmon that were incidentally caught in the 2021 Bering Sea pollock fishery, a total nearly twice the 10-year average.

To address bycatch rationally will require smart, level-headed, balanced people representing the state on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, Gara said. He criticized the actions of Dunleavys Fish and Game commissioner, Doug Vincent-Lang, who is one of the council members.

I was very disappointed when I saw the states representative block a motion to put a cap on chum bycatch on the Bering Sea, when theres bycatch of 550,000 chum and no chum going up the Kuskokwim and no chum going up the Yukon. This is not fair to the people of western Alaska, he said.

Dunleavy last November created a task force to study bycatch. But Gara dismissed that as political showmanship and said the task force will have no power to take action to address the problem.

Walker, who called bycatch significant issue, said he respects people on Dunleavys task force, but concurred with Gara on the groups lack of effectiveness. I want a do force. I want decisions made, he said.

Walker named as one of his top priorities a need to address the aging population of commercial fishermen, the graying of the fleet, or the balding of the fleet, however you want to put it.

My concern is the cost of entry. It is very difficult for young folks to get into the various fisheries because of just the sheer cost of it, he said. At stake, if the younger generations fail to carry on Alaskas fishing traditions, is control of a key state livelihood and even the states culture and identity. We became a state to have that kind of control of our fisheries. We need to make sure we maintain that.

Both said they want the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to be better funded, especially to conduct science work. And both criticized what they characterized as a rudderless fiscal policy that has spent down savings and depended on temporarily high oil prices.

Over the years, weve seen what happens when you continue to cut and continue to cut and cut and cut, Walker said. Im all about science, but you have to fund it. Youve got to fund it.  When decisions are made without science its a dangerous thing to do.

The state needs more revenue for all its services, including fishery science, Gara said, and he called for an end to what he characterized as a costly scheme that gives credits to oil companies. We need to have revenue in this state again, not just revenue one year when Russia invades Ukraine. Thats not a fiscal plan, he said.

Both said they are optimistic about Alaskas nascent seaweed-cultivation industry and other forms of mariculture.

Its a wonderful industry, Gara said. Among other benefits, it provides opportunities for fishermen and fishing communities to make money in the shoulder seasons when fish are not being harvested, he said. I would like to do everything we can to expand this industry, he said.

Walker pointed to his past support of mariculture, including his creation of a task force that laid out a broad strategy for expanding Alaska shellfish and seaweed cultivation into a $100 million-a-year industry.

It needs infrastructure. It needs marketing help. It needs a statutory change so ASMI can promote the kelp, he said, referring to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, a state agency that promotes fish. I think its limited only by our imagination, what we can do in Alaska with kelp.

He lauded a recently announced $49 million federal grant to expand the industry.

Hours before Gara and Walker spoke at the forum, Kodiak residents at the citys harbor said Dunleavy should have come to the event.

Nick Mangini, owner of Kodiak Island Sustainable Seaweed, said he had hoped to hear Dunleavys views on his industry, as well as other locally important issues. He was also disappointed at U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Tshibakas decision to skip Kodiak.

I think that they should probably take enough time to come spend some time in the second-biggest fishing port in the state. Theres a lot of topics out there right now that affect us in a lot of different ways. It seems like they should take the time to try to appeal to us as well, Mangini said.

David Horne, working on his boat in the harbor, said he has been critical of Dunleavy because of the governors policies on state ferries. Horne said Dunleavy appears to be making a strategic decision in skipping Kodiak.

Hes going to go after that Anchorage vote, that vote up there where most of the people are. He doesnt really need our votes to win, I dont think. But he certainly should, Horne said.

Angel Bravo, loading a pickup truck next to the harbor, had a similar take. It would be nice to have him here, just to hear us. Even if its a waste of time, it would assure us that somebody cares, he said.

In an email, Dunleavy campaign spokesman Andrew Jensen said the governor will address fishery issues at future debates. He has committed to attending events hosted by the Resource Development Council for Alaska, the Alaska Federation of Natives and the Alaska media-hosted Debate for the State.

We expect fisheries and fisheries policy to be topics at our next three forums (RDC, Debate for the State, and AFN), and the Governor will have multiple opportunities to speak on these issues and others that matter to Alaskans, Jensen said by email.

The AlaskaBeacon.com is a donor-funded independent news organization in Alaska.
Nonpartisan candidate Rebecca Himschoot had an edge over Republican Kenny Skaflestad in August primary

A Sitka assemblymember and a former Hoonah mayor are competing for the Alaska House of Representatives seat being vacated by five-term Sitka Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins. Though nonpartisan candidate Rebecca Himschoot had an edge over

Republican Kenny Skaflestad in last months open primary  about 54% to roughly 46%  its a difference of 373 votes.

Voters in Sitka overwhelmingly favored their assemblymember  1,059 votes for Himschoot to 552 for Skaflestad. Voters in Hoonah cast more votes for their former mayor and city council member, but not by as big of a margin  Skaflestad got 86 votes; Himschoot got 73.

In other communities in the Southeast Alaska House district, Himschoot captured about 60% or more of the votes in Hydaburg, Port Alexander and Tenakee Springs. Skaflestad did that in Craig, Kake, Klawock, Pelican/Elfin Cove and Thorne Bay.

When asked to identify the biggest need in the district, Himschoot, an educator, listed, strong schools, consistent and dependable marine highway service, accessible housing, and thriving waterfronts that support small-boat fishermen, on the Alaska Beacon questionnaire.

To address these, Himschoot wrote shell work to stabilize school funding, transition the Alaska Marine Highway to a public corporation model that offers consistent and dependable service, and invest in infrastructure that supports working families, organized labor, and Alaskas small business ecosystem.

For Skaflestad, a commercial fisher, economic diversity through resource availability and industrial innovation was the biggest need for the district.

He wrote the state government needs to refresh its policy to encourage private innovation: Local planning efforts should be incentivized where devised frameworks for short and long term plans are provided. Local

government then submits entries within the frameworks, which are then scored and rewarded per state policy, he wrote.

The questionnaire highlighted several differences among the candidates: Skaflestad is interested in calling a constitutional convention, Himschoot is not; Himschoot would be willing to join a coalition majority in which the opposite political party controls a majority of seats, Skaflestad would not; Skaflestad doesnt think Juneteenth should be a state holiday; Himschoot does. Both agree on this though: new public employees should have access to a pension.

When asked what the state should do to improve retention of public employees, including teachers, Himschoot wrote, By fully funding schools early in the session, communities would better be able to retain educators. In his reply to the question, Skaflestad wrote the state should create much higher standards as condition of employment, better refine goals and develop incentives/rewards for performance, and, better define: education as policy.

The two candidates also show differences on reproductive rights. Skaflestad supports no funding for elective abortions except for substantiated rape or developed risk of life, as well as, heartbeat or other measurable human processes/functions to define autonomous life. Himschoot wrote that she would support policies that allow Alaskans to exercise their constitutional rights, which includes a right to abortion.

While Himschoot isnt interested in calling a convention, she wrote that she supports constitutionalizing of a sustainable draw from the Permanent Fund and guaranteeing a

Permanent Fund dividend. Skaflestad wrote that hed want to see a constitutional amendment on the PFD formula with emergency options.

This is Himschoots first time

running for state office. Skaflestad has run for state House twice before. In 2018, he lost in the Republican primary to former Sitka surgeon Richard Wein; and in 2020, he won the primary but lost to Kreiss-Tomkins in the general election.

Himschoot has some significant political support behind her. Kreiss-Tomkins, outgoing state representative for the district, is listed as one of Himschoots deputy treasurers. So is Ira Slomski-Pritz, a partner at Ship Creek Group, the political consulting firm that worked on the campaign of Alaska U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. Ship Creek is listed as running Himschoots campaign Facebook page. Shes received $1,000 donations from several labor unions, including those representing teachers and many public employees, as well as from individuals. Her campaign had raised more than $39,000 as of last month.

Skaflestad had raised just over $2,000 as of last month, almost all of it from commercial fisher Robert Thorstenson.

The AlaskaBeacon.com is a donor-funded independent news organization in Alaska.
Photo: Conor Barry, Outside Online

In April, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a hunting education and advocacy organization, circulated a press release offering a $500 reward for reports or information leading to a conviction of those responsible for illegal trail construction on public lands. In other words, the national non-profit placed what amounted to a bounty on mountain bikers building illegal trails.The Colorado chapter of BHA sent the press release directly to two publications: Boulders Daily Camera newspaper and the Mountain Ear, which services Nederland, a town 18 miles up Boulder Canyon. The bounty technically applies to the entire state of Colorado, but the memo indicated that it was targeted at trailbuilders in the national forests around Boulder and Nederland.Both towns are hubs for outdoor recreation. The Roosevelt and Arapaho national forests, which comprise 160,000 acres of public land, offer ample hiking, skiing, hunting, and fishing. They are the countrys third-most visited forests, with an estimated 7.5 million annual users. Nederland in particular is popular with mountain bikers: the parking lot for the West Magnolia trail system, a prominent network of singletrack, overflows with cars every weekend from late spring to mid-fall, and the nearby Front Range trails see ample bike traffic as well.But in the vicinity, like just about anywhere with a mountain bike scene, locals have built secret, illegal trails. These see far less traffic than the sanctioned trails. I spoke to a local resident who builds illegal trails, who wished to remain anonymous for this story. He told me he enjoys the creativity, solo time in nature, and challenge that comes from cutting the clandestine paths.Theres a long history of social trail-building in the Nederland area, says Josh Harrod, president of the all-volunteer mountain-bike-focused Nederland Area Trails Organization (NATO). I would say 90 percent-plus of the trails we use up here started as social trailsthe elk and deer ran through, then hikers followed, then bikers followed suit, he says. Social trail construction is kind of the fabric of the local trail community. NATO doesnt sanction it, but I dont think its ever going to stop.It was these trails that interested BHA. The press release read, For years weve been hearing from public lands agency staff and our members that illegal trail building is rampant in many areas of the state and proliferating. Elk herds and other wildlife are suffering as a result. [The $500 reward for turning illegal trailbuilders in] is one small step we can take to try and help moderate and hopefully deter additional illegal trail construction activity.Local mountain bikers were angry. Those guys are out there walking around with guns. When they put a bounty out, its a bad look, says the trail-builder I spoke with.Bikers felt the reaction was overblown. The trail-builder I spoke with describes his renegade trails as harmless labors of love that only he and a few friends know aboutcould they really be getting in the way of wildlife? And why was one backcountry user group launching what felt like an offensive towards another?The trails in the Nederland area are, like most trails across the mountain West, more crowded than ever. You could argue thatIn their press release, BHA cited a quote from Gary Moore, executive director of the Colorado Mountain Bike Association, saying that bikers options are limited in the state. And popular renegade trails do occasionally get retroactively sanctioned by the Forest Service, according to multiple mountain bike groups.Sanctioning new trail construction is a complicated process that can take decades, says Meara McQuain, executive director of the Headwaters Trails Alliance in Grand County, Colorado. If the HTA wants to build a new trail on federal land, it takes its idea to the relevant governing land agency. If the agency is interested, theyll do a public survey to determine engagement. Then, the trail goes through a process mandated by the National Environmental Policies Act to evaluate its potential impact, with scientists and researchersincluding archaeologists, hydrologists, botanists, and wildlife biologistsweighing in. The study findings are released for public comment, and if anyone protests, the project goes into a public objection period. The federal agency makes modifications, if necessary, and the leadership of the land management agency makes the final decision. All of this can take anywhere from three to 15 years, says McQuain. (The process looks different for state and private land.)Research shows that trails can impact wildlife in dramatic ways. In the 1980s, a Colorado State University biologist named Bill Alldredge started studying elk near Vail , as ski resorts and trail systems started expanding. He and his team radio-collared female elk with new calves and then had humans hike through their preferred grounds until the cows showed signs of disturbance like standing up or walking away. Of the elk he studied, about 30 percent of their calves died when their mothers were disturbed by humansand when the disturbances stopped, the population recovered. 2016 review of wildlife studies spanning four decades found that human traffic on trails forces animals to flee, limiting their feeding time and forcing them to expend valuable energy. And a study out of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, from earlier this year found that mountain biking ranked second only to ATV use in disturbing elk populations in a 120,000-acre parcel of land east of town.Whether all illegally built trails negatively impact wildlife, we dont know. But Kriss Hess, the BHA member who sent the press release to Boulder and Nederland papers, argues that while many of these trails might only see a little traffic in their early years, its not uncommon for them to eventually wind up on mapping apps and grow in popularity, impacting wildlife years down the line.Were not trying to be aggressive with this, but we are extremely concerned about the population declines were seeing across the state in elk and mule deer and other populations, says Brien Webster, BHAs program manager and Colorado and Wyoming coordinator. Our wildlife and land management agencies are maxed when it comes to capacity, so its extremely difficult for them to post up and stop riders from accessing an illegal trail, says Webster. Theyre hoping the bounty might help the agencies manage the issue.BHA also hopes to create and distribute maps and other educational materials that might help different user groups better understand how elk see and use a landscape. In August, they released a 15-page  Illegal Trails Memo  with maps showing critical wildlife habitat and national conservation areas with social trails built through them. BHA is also considering placing educational signage at existing trailheads in areas with high rider concentration where illegal trailbuilding has occurred.But the Boulder Ranger District has no formal or informal agreement with BHA, and it would be illegal for BHA to do any kind of trail maintenance, add signage, or install cameras, according to Reid Armstrong, public affairs specialist for the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Armstrong also pointed out that several recent bills have increased the Boulder Ranger Districts funding and that they are focusing their efforts where they feel they are most urgently needed, specifically on infrastructure projects and wildfire recovery and mitigation.And Wendy Sweet, executive director of the Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance, said that publishing maps of illegal trails may have the opposite of the desired effect. If the mountain bike community sees this memo, the first thing they will do is want to check [those trails] out, she says. Sweet had multiple meetings with BHA members prior to the publishing of this memo to talk about how all of the various stakeholders in Boulder County could work together to create trails safe for wildlife, and felt the release was in bad faith. Plenty of other factors place strain on wildlife, like development in the wilderness-urban interface, increasing backcountry use across all user groups, wildfire, and a changing climate.Since releasing the bounty, Webster says, nobody has been turned in. Instead, BHA has had some really good conversations with folks within the mountain bike community who are trying to address this in a meaningful way, he says. It has helped us think about our objective, and to focus more on education than the bounty aspect.Aaron Kindle, director of sporting advocacy at the National Wildlife Federation, thinks BHA isnt being heavy-handed enough. What happens when someone says, My actions dont count in that spot; Ill do what I want. What if other folks started seeing those guys never getting punished? he says. The beauty of having public lands is that were all responsible for taking care of these landscapes.
Detective Says Accused Susie Zhao Murderer Searched 2,000 Times for Violent Assault

October 06, 2022 Connor Richards Editor & Live Reporter U.S.

Warning: The following article contains graphic details involving murder and sexual assault.

The final day of testimony in the trial for accused Susie Zhao murderer Jeffery Bernard Morris wrapped up on Wednesday, Oct. 5 after statements from several investigators and witnesses.

Morris, 62, faces two felony murder charges in Michigan's Oakland County Circuit Court for the July 2020 killing of Zhao, a poker player who was a regular in the Los Angeles cash game scene. Prosecutors allege that Morris "used Zhao to make his violent fantasies come true" by sexually assaulting and burning her alive.

Day 3 of the trial in the graphic case featured testimony from the prosecution's remaining witnesses, including the two men who found Zhao's mutilated body and a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent assigned to the case.

Read about the testimony heard on Day 2 of the trial

Finding Zhao's Body

Two White Lake, Michigan residents, Ronald Groeneveld and Daniel Knoblock, told the court that they were driving to work on July 13 through Pontiac Lake Recreation Area when they noticed what they thought might be a burnt mannequin in a parking lot.

After discovering what ended up being Zhao's body, the two men contacted the police, who proceeded to the crime scene and collected evidence. One detective who responded to the call testified that upwind of the body, there was a faint odor of gasoline.

A detective testifies during Jeffery Morris' trial

The detective further testified that, after linking Morris to Zhao through cell phone data, the investigators secured a search warrant for the contents of Morris iPhone, which revealed nearly 2,000 web searches for violent sexual assault and pornography in the month ahead of the murder, including searches for sexual assault in a park or public place.

Defense attorney Michael McCarthy asked about cigarette butts found at the scene, which the detective noted belonged to neither the suspect or the victim.

Cell Phone Data Links Morris to Zhao

FBI Special Agent George Rienerth, who the White Lake Police Department asked to assist with the investigation, testified on Wednesday that cell phone data linked Morris' phone and Zhao's two phones together at the Sherwood Motel the evening of July 12, 2020.

Prosecutors believe Morris talked Zhao into being zip-tied and drove her to Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, where he assaulted her before "sprink(ling) the gas can over her and ... light(ing) her on fire while she's still alive."

Defense attorney Michael McCarthy speaks during Jeffery Morris' trial

The cellular data showed Morris' phone moving towards the body location" in the early hours of July 13 and Zhao's phones "remaining in the area of the Sherwood" until 5 a.m. Around 5:20 a.m., Morris and Zhao's phones left the motel at the same time and Zhao's phones went offline, according to Rienerth's testimony.

What's To Come

Also on Wednesday, the court heard from an acquaintance of Morris who Morris gave a ride to shortly after the murder and a vehicle expert who identified the make and model of Morris' car from home surveillance footage near the crime scene.

While the trial was initially slated to take place every day this week, the defense and prosecution both rested their cases on Wednesday and Judge Martha Anderson instructed the court to take an off day on Oct. 6.

The court will reconvene on Oct. 7 at 9 a.m. local time as the jurors hear closing arguments ahead of jury deliberations.

Those in the poker community who were close with Zhao, who played and appeared on the Live at the Bike stream at the Bicycle Casino and made multiple deep runs in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, include Bart Hanson, Xuan Liu, Allen Kessler, Ronnie Bardah and Brandon Shack-Harris.

Images courtesy of Oakland County Circuit Court
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If Christian Walker hears that hes now become a tool of the left, whether the accusation comes from his father or anyone else (It comes from his father, Herschel), it will come as a shock to Christian. After all, in Christians takedown of his father, whether you liked it or were saddened by it, Christian made one thing clear. Christian believed that his father was not a conservative because he was not living a life with Christ. He called his father a hypocrite. But, as said, this morning, Herschel Walker complicated matters by saying that he loved his son unconditionally, totally believable, while also saying that his son had become a tool of the left. Totally ridiculous.

What is Herschel talking about? Christian says HE is the conservative who holds to his Christian values. A tool of the left? Yes, says Herschel:

I love my son unconditionally and thats where Ive always been. I always loved him unconditionally. The damage hes doing is letting people know that the left will do whatever they can to win this seat.

And I told you when I got in this race, Im gonna win this seat. People see someone sitting here in front of you right now thats been redeemed.

I want America to know Im living proof you can make mistakes and get up and keep going forward, but you can only do it in this country right here.  Herschel Walker, after Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade asked him about his homocon son Christian Walkers attacks.

How Walker squares that circle, that Christian is letting people know that the Left will do whatever they can well, one will have to ask Herschel, though his answers are often left wanting.

Walker correctly says that in America, one can make mistakes and keep going forward. True. Some of the best recovery programs in the country are actually in prisons. Except very few MAGAs are angry about Walkers past so much as his hypocrisy and trustworthiness now. He loves his son Christian unconditionally and yet has other children hes never acknowledged other than financial support and presents for birthdays and Christmas. All of this stuff has been drudged up by the campaign.

And yes, Herschel, in America, one can be redeemed by their maker. But just because you consider yourself redeemed in Gods eyes doesnt mean the table is wiped clean for a Senate seat. Most people with perspective and healthy self-esteem probably, consider themselves unqualified for a Senate seat. Its hardly shameful to admit. But at times, it appears that Walker has no shame.

.@HerschelWalker joins to clear up accusations his son, Christian Walker, made about his past. WATCH: pic.twitter.com/CQslRabsEx  Brian Kilmeade (@kilmeade) October 5, 2022

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One hundred and fifty-one doctors have denounced Pennsylvania Republican Senate Dr. Oz for providing dangerous medical advice and spreading misinformation.

The letter from Real Doctors Against Oz states:



We the undersigned doctors write with serious concern regarding the candidacy of Dr. Mehmet Oz for Pennsylvanias open U.S. Senate seat. As physicians, we strongly believe in evidence-based medicine and sharing honest health information with the public.

As a former daytime TV host, Dr. Oz exploited the hopes and fears of his viewers by promoting unproven, ill-advised, and at times potentially dangerous treatments. He has made clear that he will put enriching himself above all else, even in instances where peoples health is endangered.

Dr. Ozs record of spreading misinformation and sharing factually incorrect medical advice on The Dr. Oz Show and otherwise is thoroughly researched and well documented.

One 2014 study by the British Medical Journal found that half of the claims made on The Dr. Oz Show were not based in fact and researchers at Georgetown University found that more than 75% of recommendations made on Dr. Ozs show did not align with evidence-based medical guidelines. When called before Congress to answer for this misinformation, even Dr. Oz himself had to admit that oftentimes [the products I promote] dont have the scientific muster to pass as fact.

Dr. Oz would also be another vote to criminalize abortion and he has refused to condemn efforts to ban abortion in Pennsylvania, endangering the lives of women and people who can become pregnant. He has even said that he opposes abortions in cases of rape or incest.

Dr. Oz also disseminated dangerous misinformation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He promoted and defended unproven and possibly dangerous COVID-19 treatments such as hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin when there wasnt clear scientific consensus. He also said that COVID-19 vaccines werent true vaccines like classic childhood vaccines. This is all deeply concerning.

In 2015, ten physicians, including surgeons and professors, penned a letter to Columbias Dean of Medicine saying they were surprised and dismayed that Dr. Oz was a faculty member at the university. The same year, eight Columbia faculty members published an op-ed in USA Today calling out Dr. Oz for misleading the public and forcing physicians like themselves to spend a significant amount of our clinical time debunking Ozisms. This year, Columbia University decided to cut ties with the former TV host.

As a TV celebrity doctor, Mehmet Oz has displayed a shameful disregard for medical science and the wellbeing of his audience while he enriched himself at the expense of our patients. As physicians we take seriously our responsibility for the health and wellbeing of our patients.

John Fetterman believes that healthcare is a fundamental human right, supports expanding access to affordable health care, protecting people with preexisting conditions, and would vote to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law. Protecting the health and wellbeing of our citizens requires that we elect John Fetterman to the US Senate this November.

The fact is that Dr. Oz isnt really a doctor anymore. He plays one on television where he spreads quack cures and dangerous misinformation. Mehmet Oz became a right-wing celebrity long ago. His job is no different than Alex Jones, who uses his platform to spread misinformation and move survivalist merchandise. The product is different, but the business model is the same.

Republicans have wasted millions upon millions of dollars trying to con Pennsylvania voters into supporting Dr. Oz, but Democrat John Fetterman has maintained a consistent lead as the states voters continue to reject New Jersey dog killer/TV pitchman.

Dr. Oz was Trumps hand-picked choice for the Pennsylvania Republican Senate nomination, and if the GOP loses a seat that it has controlled almost uninterrupted since 1969, minus the brief period when Arlen Specter switched parties and became a Democrat in 2009, the loss will be on Trump.

Doctors see the truth, and they are asking Pennsylvanians to reject Mehmet Oz.
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The Lincoln Project has released a new ad targeting swing state Republicans claiming that the MAGA GOP wants the US to change sides and help Russia win the war with Ukraine.

Video:

The ad states, MAGA Republicans want a Putin victory. Theyll cut off aid to Ukraine if they take power. You heard that right. They want America to switch sides. Help Putin win. Threatening us with nuclear annihilation. Its sick. Its wrong. Its MAGA.

According to a Lincoln Project statement provided to PoliticusUSA, The ad will run in Washington, DC on Fox News. It will run digitally in the battleground states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio. The highly targeted digital buy will reach Ukrainian-American swing voters; Fox News dominant viewers who are first-generation Baltic, Slavic, Eastern European who are independents or Republicans. 

The ad is devastating, and the message is intended to specifically target a key demographic of swing voters in battleground states that will decide control of the House and Senate.

There is a significant bloc of Ukrainian-American voters who could be up for grabs in the Ohio Senate race, specifically, but there are also persuadable voters in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan that this ad will reach.

A vote for Republicans in November is a vote for Putin, and The Lincoln Project is making sure that voters dont forget it.
When Joanie Schisler and Margi Dorger arrived at the Love to the Rescue Wall dedication in downtown Aiken on Thursday, they attracted a lot of attention.

Accompanying the Windsor residents were a Percheron/Haflinger cross pony named Smarty and a Cairn Terrier named Dolly.

Many in the crowd were eager to meet Smarty before the program began outside of Osbon's Laundry & Cleaners on Pendleton Street, and Dolly made some new friends, too.

You can ride him, and you can drive him, said Schisler of Smarty. He does weddings, he herds cattle and he fox hunts. Hes very agreeable.

Paintings of Smarty and Dolly are among the portraits on the rescue wall, which was the brainchild of Betty Ryberg, a community advocate, activist and organizer who wanted to raise money for the Friends of the Animal Shelter, or FOTAS

A donation of $200 was required to secure the space for each painting of a rescued animal on the wall.

Local artists, many of whom were Aiken County high school students, created the portraits.

After seeing a photo of young artists painting a wall in a newspaper about a year ago, Ryberg contacted Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon, who owns Osbon's Laundry & Cleaners, which has another location on Silver Bluff Road.

I said, 'You have a wall (on Pendleton Street), and we need another mural downtown,' and he immediately told me yes, Ryberg remembered.

She also got in touch with Aiken County Public School District Superintendent King Laurence. He thought the rescue wall was good idea and agreed to allow students from all the high schools in the county to participate.

In addition, students at the Aiken Scholars Academy, which involves a partnership between the school district and USC Aiken, and the Art Nook School & Studio did some of the paintings.

Sometimes teenagers are overlooked, just like rescue animals are, Ryberg said. Both are sometimes shy and they also can be noisy. This was a great way for the teenagers to see that they can use their talents for community service.

Schisler and Dorger were pleased with Smarty and Dollys portraits.

They are very sweet, Dorger said.

Added Schisler: Theyre great. I didnt know how good they were going to be. Wow.

Schisler and Dorger acquired Smarty from a friend, who bought the pony at an auction where he could have been sold for slaughter.

Before Schisler and Dorger owned Dolly she was a breeding mother for five years in a cage at a puppy mill in North Carolina, Schisler said.

Also part of the Love to the Rescue Wall is a portrait of Dewey, a West Highland White Terrier that Schisler and Dorger rescued.

He died last year, said Dorger of the dog.

Among the portrait painters in attendance was Katt Westbrook, a Graniteville resident who graduated from Midland Valley High School earlier this year.

Her artwork featured a dog named Cinder, who looks like my dog, Westbrook said. I have a black Labrador retriever named Ray.

We were shown photos of the animals and we got to choose, she continued. It was fun, but it also was difficult. Im not really used to painting animals, but I liked the experience this gave me. Im trying to get better at drawing.

During the dedication, Ryberg, Aiken County Council Chairman Gary Bunker, Laurence and others spoke while an excited hound bayed loudly in the background.

S.C. Sen. Tom Young, R-Aiken, presented a document from the State Senate that recognized the Love to the Rescue Wall and all the people who have worked to make it become a reality, he said.

Kay Biermann Brohl, a member of Aiken City Council who represented Osbon at the dedication, presented a proclamation.

So far, the rescue wall has raised more than $10,000 for FOTAS.

There still is room for additional portraits. For more information, call Ryberg at 803-270-6403 or email bettyryberg@gmail.com.

FOTAS is a volunteer organization that was founded in 2009 to supplement the resources of the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

This represents an incredible amount of work, and we love the whole concept, said FOTAS President Jennifer Miller of the rescue wall. It also is a celebration of rescued animals. We have so many wonderful animals in need of forever homes. Thats why we do what we do. For people to support this and donate to help our life-saving programs is wonderful. I cant thank Betty Ryberg and her dedicated friends enough.

During the dedication, Bunker said the rescue wall commemorates the progress we have made in Aiken County in 12 short years.

In the past, 90% of the animals that went into the animal shelter never came out, he added. Today, more than 90% of the animals going into the shelter find a home.
President Joe Biden has toured hurricane-ravaged areas of Florida, surveying storm damage by helicopter and bringing a pledge that federal, state and local governments will work as one to help rebuild homes, businesses and lives
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In June 1972, then-27-year-old Rod Lapin opened a small frozen-treat store called Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream Shop in Charleston's South Windermere Shopping Center.

As the steamy summer succumbed to fall's cooler temperatures, he noticed ice cream wasn't as popular, so he added hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, soups and other items to the menu. The name of the business grew as well to reflect the expanded menu.

Fifty years later, Lapin's concept has evolved into seven Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream and Sandwich Cafes across the Lowcountry. Another is on the way next year in the developing Point Hope community off Clements Ferry Road.

On Oct. 7, the company will celebrate its golden anniversary with a promotion on single-serve ice cream scoops and hot dogs for 99 cents each.

At the newest location on Sam Rittenberg Boulevard in the Publix-anchored Ashley Landing Shopping Center in West Ashley, co-owner Rolando Ravelo plans to mark the occasion with a 1970s-themed event.

For Lapin, the company's growth was never envisioned as he welcomed his first customers five decades ago, when Richard Nixon was campaigning for a second term as president and before the Arab oil embargo sent the U.S. economy into a protracted recession in 1973.

For the next 15 years, Lapin made sandwiches and scooped up ice cream in the 1,200-square-foot diner that seated about two dozen or so people. Located in the center of a strip of stores, there was no drive-thru.

In 1987, Lapin sold the original shop to an employee and opened the restaurant that still stands on Savannah Highway at Folly Road.

The South Windermere restaurant continued for another five years before being sold to another dining venture for a deli concept. It later closed.

With business bustling at the new Savannah Highway location, Lapin was content with things as they were.

"It was never a plan to do multiple locations," he said. "It was just day by day. There was no master plan."

Plans changed as his children got older and family members wanted to get into the business.

By 1997, various family members had opened five more locations in North Charleston, Summerville Mount Pleasant and Goose Creek. Two of the businesses have since been sold to outside buyers under what the chain's founder described as a legal business agreement that differs from a franchise arrangement.

Earlier this year, Victor Davydov, who purchased the Savannah Highway and Mount Pleasant stores, and Rolando Ravelo launched No. 7 on Sam Rittenberg Boulevard in West Ashleys Ashley Landing Shopping Center.

In recent years, Lapin, now 77, said he has taken a breather from the day-to-day operations.

With most of the restaurants still in the hands of family members, he serves as consultant for the two shops in West Ashley. His daughter Becki Cole and husband Bryan act in similar capacities for the Mount Pleasant location they once owned.

"We don't like to say we retired," Lapin said. "We were just ready to step away and serve as consultants."

Lapin also never considered running the restaurant as work.

"I tell people all the time I never had a job," he said. "It was my niche. I just enjoyed it and meeting the customers."

Looking back, Lapin beams when he sees what has grown out of the small diner he started in 1972.

"When I see cars lined up around the restaurant, it just amazes me of the success and love Charleston has for Ye Ole Fashioned," he said.

As for the celebration, all of the restaurants will honor the 99-cent promotion on Friday, but Lapin said son Todd would prefer a less-busy day during the first part of the week to mark the occasion for his two Summerville restaurants. Separate celebrations on different days have not been determined for those sites.
In June 1972, then-27-year-old Rod Lapin opened a small frozen-treat store called Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream Shop in Charleston's South Windermere Shopping Center.

As the steamy summer succumbed to fall's cooler temperatures, he noticed ice cream wasn't as popular, so he added hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, soups and other items to the menu. The name of the business grew as well to reflect the expanded menu.

Fifty years later, Lapin's concept has evolved into seven Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream and Sandwich Cafes across the Lowcountry. Another is on the way next year in the developing Point Hope community off Clements Ferry Road.

On Oct. 7, the company will celebrate its golden anniversary with a promotion on single-serve ice cream scoops and hot dogs for 99 cents each.

At the newest location on Sam Rittenberg Boulevard in the Publix-anchored Ashley Landing Shopping Center in West Ashley, co-owner Rolando Ravelo plans to mark the occasion with a 1970s-themed event.

For Lapin, the company's growth was never envisioned as he welcomed his first customers five decades ago, when Richard Nixon was campaigning for a second term as president and before the Arab oil embargo sent the U.S. economy into a protracted recession in 1973.

For the next 15 years, Lapin made sandwiches and scooped up ice cream in the 1,200-square-foot diner that seated about two dozen or so people. Located in the center of a strip of stores, there was no drive-thru.

In 1987, Lapin sold the original shop to an employee and opened the restaurant that still stands on Savannah Highway at Folly Road.

The South Windermere restaurant continued for another five years before being sold to another dining venture for a deli concept. It later closed.

With business bustling at the new Savannah Highway location, Lapin was content with things as they were.

"It was never a plan to do multiple locations," he said. "It was just day by day. There was no master plan."

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Plans changed as his children got older and family members wanted to get into the business.

By 1997, various family members had opened five more locations in North Charleston, Summerville Mount Pleasant and Goose Creek. Two of the businesses have since been sold to outside buyers under what the chain's founder described as a legal business agreement that differs from a franchise arrangement.

Earlier this year, Victor Davydov, who purchased the Savannah Highway and Mount Pleasant stores, and Rolando Ravelo launched No. 7 on Sam Rittenberg Boulevard in West Ashleys Ashley Landing Shopping Center.

In recent years, Lapin, now 77, said he has taken a breather from the day-to-day operations.

With most of the restaurants still in the hands of family members, he serves as consultant for the two shops in West Ashley. His daughter Becki Cole and husband Bryan act in similar capacities for the Mount Pleasant location they once owned.

"We don't like to say we retired," Lapin said. "We were just ready to step away and serve as consultants."

Lapin also never considered running the restaurant as work.

"I tell people all the time I never had a job," he said. "It was my niche. I just enjoyed it and meeting the customers."

Looking back, Lapin beams when he sees what has grown out of the small diner he started in 1972.

"When I see cars lined up around the restaurant, it just amazes me of the success and love Charleston has for Ye Ole Fashioned," he said.

As for the celebration, all of the restaurants will honor the 99-cent promotion on Friday, but Lapin said son Todd would prefer a less-busy day during the first part of the week to mark the occasion for his two Summerville restaurants. Separate celebrations on different days have not been determined for those sites.
R.B. Stall High School in North Charleston opened an English language acquisition school within the high school to serve the growing needs of newly immigrated students.

Students who need assistance with their English language skill, whom those in the education space call English learners, are a modest but important population in the state. There were 63,855 English learners enrolled in South Carolina public, charter and magnet schools during the 2020-21 school year, according to data from the S.C. Department of Education.

While that only represents 8 percent of students in the state, these children are among the neediest and most disproportionately impacted by pandemic-related learning loss. During the last academic year, only 31.7 percent in South Carolina made progress toward their proficiency target, according to the state data.

The numbers were worse in Charleston County, where only 24.3 percent made progress.

The language acquisition school within Stall is Charleston County's latest attempt to help these students. Its opening came after the district had a complicated relationship with their non-English speaking families that cumulated with a federal investigation into its practices.

Poor outreach

Last year, the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division settled with the school district after a federal investigation found that CCSD didn't use qualified interpreters to communicate with Spanish-speaking parents.

The investigation also found that CCSD didn't consistently translate essential written information that families needed into Spanish.

As part of the settlement, the school district agreed to use qualified language interpreters. Andrew Pruitt, a CCSD spokesman, said at the time that the school district took the settlement agreement seriously and would continue working to support its English language learning communities.

Shortly after the settlement was reached, the district created a new Office of Interpretation and Translation Services. In addition to helping Spanish-speaking families with school district information, the office has assisted parents with finding affordable housing options and connecting them with primary care providers.

"OTIS provides translation and interpretation services to meet the communication needs of families," said Angela Rush, the director of translation and interpretation services.

Getting parents involved in their children's education is one of the most important ways to guarantee their success, according to education experts.

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Ann Henderson, a senior consultant at the National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement, has been researching the link between parental improvement and children's improved academic and socio-emotional skills for decades. She wrote a research review that found student outcomes improved when their parents participated in their education regardless of their background.

Students performed even better in schools that made an effort to reach out to families and inform them about their child's education.

The type of services the Office of Interpretation and Translation Services and Stall's new school promises to provide are important because English learners in the district are struggling.

There is a strong divergence in the performance of English language learners in Charleston. At Mamie P. Whitesides Elementary in Mount Pleasant, 60 percent of English learners met progress toward their proficiency target, according to Department of Education data. Yet only 4.2 percent of them did this at Baptist Hill Middle High School and 1.7 did so at Midland Park Primary.

These scores show the need for programs like the one Stall has already started implementing.

A school within a school

Stall's school within its high school is called the Newcomer Program. It is for students who have been in the United States for less than two years.

Students enrolled in the Newcomer Program have curated schedules, but they typically include an English-language acquisition class, more traditional English and Math classes where students get assistance to meet their language needs, and an elective. They can take other courses Stall has to offer outside of the program.

Steve Larson, Stall's executive principal, said that the district has found many students who are newly immigrated to the United States came from interrupted formal education. They needed to accelerate their English language skills while earning credits required to graduate high school.

"At this time, we are going to build out this program to support just students at Stall, but are planning on a roll-out to include students from other schools next fall," he said.

The program opened with nearly 60 students, and he expects it will have 150 students by January.

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GREENVILLE  Cy'ree Clarke and Zach Justice are vintage fashion fanatics.

The friends and business partners learned to love fashion in different ways  Clarke through his father and Justice through his admiration for nostalgic advertisements.

The cool thing about fashion is its a language where you dont have to use words in order to speak, Clarke said.

For years, each ran individual resale clothing businesses out of the Columbia area, mostly online and at pop-ups. In December 2021, the duo merged after months of deliberation and relocation to the Upstate. They now operate as Old Skool Outfitter.

The two sell t-shirts, jackets, sweatshirts and more and view their brand as sustainable in comparison to fast fashion. Old Skool Outfitter also gives shoppers the chance to own a one-of-one item, meaning it cant be easily found elsewhere.

Other than online, customers could peruse the vintage shops collection at Taylors Mill where Clarke and Justice ran a store and operational facility for many months in late 2021 and into mid 2022. They were encouraged by the response they received from customers.

It pushed Clarke and Justice to want to relocate to a more centralized spot in downtown Greenville.

This October, Clarke and Justice will open at 123 S. Main St. Unit B. The suite is attached to the Italian and gelato restaurant Luna Rosa on its right side by an enclosed glass staircase.

We love clothes and we love vintage, Clarke said. But for us, its so much more than selling a t-shirt. For us, every person that comes into our store, we want them to leave with something. We want them to leave encouraged. We want them to leave with positivity. We want them to leave feeling loved. We want them to leave feeling inspired.

Roots in a USC business class

In November 2018, Justice took a business speech class at the University of South Carolina during the fall semester of his sophomore year. The advertising major was instructed to write a speech on a potential side hustle.

While Justice initially wasnt sure what to write about, he had a friend at the time who would buy jerseys from thrift stores and resell them on eBay.

He wrote his speech on the side hustle of reselling clothes and then tried his hand at it himself online. Shortly after, he learned more specifically about vintage clothes and moved to sell just those items.

The USC community took notice. Some student housing complexes asked him to host pops ups at their apartment lobbies or pool areas. It was at a pop-up where Justice met Clarke, who starting his own fashion business journey.

"We instantly clicked," Justice said.

The two chatted and realized they were attending the same church at the time. Justice helped Clarke learn how to detect if an item is vintage or not. Clarke then bought two Michael Jackson tour t-shirts from Justice that he still owns and wears today.

Clarke worked for a property management company when he met Justice. While his job was secure, he said his heart wasnt in it. He then started Enough Vintage= around March 2019.

Justice graduated from USC in 2021 and moved to Greenville. Around that time, he and Clarke discussed what it would look like if they partnered.

Because of our friendship and because of our faith, we dont move into anything unless we feel 100 percent peace about it, Justice said.

In October 2021, the two got the space at Taylors Mill. The following month Clarke moved to the Upstate. They merged in December.

When we merged, we started to do things that we thought we would do in three to five years in 10 months, Justice said. So just been a lot of growth and a lot of progress.

Their mill location initially only served as a back-of-house facility. It was used as a space to clean clothes, store inventory and photograph garments for the website.

In May 2022, they opened it up for appointments only for people to shop. A few months after that, seeing the demand, they opened fully with regular store hours. After continued success, they found their new place in downtown Greenville.

The pair hopes to open before Fall for Greenville, which begins downtown on Oct. 14, but they dont have a definite date yet. The Taylors Mill location is now closed.
Minde Herbert is on a mission to let her customers know that they are buying a beneficial, nutrient-rich food, not a drug or an unregulated supplement.
MYRTLE BEACH  The chief executive of a Myrtle Beach-based bank with 11 branches along the coast of South Carolina was recently elected to serve on the board of directors for a national banking industry trade association.

K. Wayne Wicker, chairman and CEO of South Atlantic Bank, will be on the board of the American Bankers Association for the 2022-23 association year after members elected him and others during an annual meeting Oct. 2-4 in Austin, Texas.

The American Bankers Association lobbies for the U.S. banking industry.

I congratulate our newly elected officers and board members who will play an essential role in leading ABAs work on behalf of Americas banks over the next year, said Rob Nichols, ABA president and CEO in a statement. This group of industry leaders has a depth and breadth of experience that will serve them well as they navigate the opportunities and challenges ahead.

I look forward to working with them to ensure banks of all sizes can continue serving their communities and helping our economy grow.

Wicker is a veteran banker with more than 30 years of experience in the Myrtle Beach and South Carolina markets, including previous leadership positions with Nexity Bank as senior vice president for correspondent banking and Anchor Bank as senior vice president and regional executive for the North Coast.

Including his leadership at South Atlantic Bank, Wicker serves on the South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions, the membership council of the ABA and is an immediate past chairman of the South Carolina Bankers Association.

Wicker holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from The Citadel and has completed The Graduate School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University and the South Carolina Bankers School at the University of South Carolina. He is a Gulf War veteran, formally serving in the S.C. Air National Guard.

The Washington, D.C.-based American Bankers Association said it represents the nations $23.7 trillion banking industry, which is comprised of small, regional and large banks that employ more than 2 million people, safeguard $19.6 trillion in deposits and extend $11.8 trillion in loans.

South Atlantic Bank has more than $1.4 billion in total assets, with branches in Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest, North Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island, Georgetown, Mount Pleasant, Charleston, Bluffton and Hilton Head Island.
The Winchester Museum in Edgefield has for decades celebrated the wild turkey and its preservation, but the collections there are soon to be packed up, shipped out and installed at the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri.

The National Wild Turkey Federation, whose collection is at the Winchester, announced the news first in an email to members and then publicly on Sept. 27.

"There are so many stories there. Theres so much information there to tell about the wild turkey restoration," NWTF spokesperson Pete Muller told Post and Courier North Augusta.

The Federation will also close its warehouse here, outsourcing its merchandise fulfillment and shipping to a third-party, and move its headquarters from the current museum location on Augusta Road in Edgefield to a new location (as yet unknown) in the area.

+9 Gallery: The NWTF's Winchester Museum The National Wild Turkey Federation announced Sept. 27 that its collections at Edgefield's Winchester Museum will be relocated to Johnny Morri

No definite timeline has yet been set for any of the changes. Muller said that even the shipment of collections to the museum in Springfield is still being finalized and that talks are ongoing with Johnny Morris, that museums founder and also CEO of Bass Pro Shops.

In one way, it will be like the collections are going home: Morris had contributed to the Winchester's exhibits and has been described as a "longtime friend" of the NWTF.

Such a move to Springfield will greatly expand the collections' exposure. Muller estimated the Winchester Museum's "pre-pandemic peak" at 10,000 visitors a year versus the 1 million annual patrons who flock to Morris' museum.

The decisions around the Winchester Museum, the warehouse and the headquarters location were made by the NWTFs board of directors this August as part of a strategic facilities plan that Muller said would enable the Federation to better focus on its main purpose of conservation and to remain a viable institution for another 50 years.

Were not looking to abandon Edgefield, assured Muller. There isnt going to be a loss of headquarters. Theres just going to be the idea of moving to something that better fits what were promoting, which is wildlife conservation and habitat enhancements."

The NWTF as recently as 2015 was still investing heavily in its physical presence here in Edgefield, pouring $18 million into the development and construction of the Palmetto Shooting Complex as well as the main campus Hunting Heritage Center and Outdoor Education Center.

But the Federation began tightening its capital outlay in 2017 when Becky Humphries first came to the helm as the NWTFs new chief executive officer.

That summer, the NWTF closed its Turkey Shoppe on Main, a retail outlet for surplus merchandise, and laid off 17 employees.

The reasoning then (We are financially sound, and the intent was to keep us sound, Humphries had told Aiken Standard reporter Dede Biles) was the same as it is now, assured Muller: the new changes are happening as part of a forward-thinking plan. Not because they have to, he said, but so as to thrive for an additional 50 years.

Were trying to position the organization to withstand any future things that come up, said Muller.

The changes this time also wont cause any loss of jobs, he said  the Federation simply doesnt need all that square footage for what has become a largely remote workforce. Right now, we have a building that is being utilized by very few of our workforce," said Muller.

The Federation is also only using a fraction of the space at its local warehouse compared to what it had needed a decade ago, according to the email sent out to NWTF members.

More efficient merchandising among the NWTFs chapters and the option to tailor merchandise to a particular event by turning directly to preferred vendors has greatly reduced that reliance on in-house warehousing, NWTF co-CEO Jason Burckhalter explained.

By moving to a third-party vendor for shipping and warehousing, we can further capitalize on merchandise options, [and] efficiencies and provide the most cost-effective solution to our chapters," he said.

Warehouse employees will be offered other available positions within the NWTF or severance packages as we phase out warehouse operations in Edgefield over the next year, the member email reads.

Eventually, the warehouse and its adjoining land will be put on the market.

The NWTFs Muller said that property sales, for either the warehouse or the headquarters, would not take place until after the museum collections are safely installed in their new home. Proceeds from the sales will also be reinvested in the organization nationwide.

Muller also confirmed that the Federation would retain ownership of its 300-acre Palmetto Shooting Complex, a key aspect of the NWTFs footprint here and part of a total 700 acres that includes hiking trails and an outdoor education center.

But, Muller added, whether or not the remaining 400 acres [adjacent to the Shooting Complex] stays a part of things, that will be determinate on when the time comes to market headquarters, whether or not that will make it more attractive to potential buyers.

Relinquishing the existing "Wild Turkey Center and its nearby warehouse could bring in new businesses to Edgefield that can better utilize the space, said Muller.

Tiffani Ireland, Edgefield County Council member for District 2, said that she, too, is confident that once the properties are on the market that theyll be scooped up by someone else who will add to the economic engine of Edgefield.

This is a loss, but I do believe that our Economic Development Partnership will be working diligently to find another business to setup shop here, she said. The Federation's campus is absolutely beautiful, and Edgefield  the town and the county  has so much to offer potential businesses.
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Going back to the New York Posts suppressed Hunter Biden laptop coverage of October 2020, Miranda Devine has been the essential reporter on the underlying story told by former Biden family business partner Tony Bobulinski. Devine is also the author of the related book Laptop From Hell. She previewed Tucker Carlsons current interview of Bobulinski in her column Hunter Biden defrauded me, Jim Biden called me during FBI interview, former biz partner says. Today Devine follows up in Ex-Hunter business partner Tony Bobulinski takes on the Biden machine.

Devine usefully breaks the story down with red bullet points that I cant replicate:

There are three strands to the Biden story:  1) The decades-old Delaware family business selling Joes influence to the highest bidder which was internationalized when he became vice president. The concern is that millions of dollars which flowed to the Biden family from China, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Romania, and elsewhere, may have compromised the president.  2) Evidence of Joe Bidens involvement and potential financial benefit in Hunter and Jims foreign deals, despite his repeated denials that he knew anything about his familys business. Material from the laptop and from Bobulinski suggests he met with more than a dozen of Hunters business partners, including overseas, in the White House, at the VPs Washington residence and at a three-for-one dinner at Cafe Milano in Georgetown on April 16, 2015, to which Hunter invited partners from Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan.  3) The coverup.

The coverup goes back to the FBIs role in the suppression of the story in October 2020. FBI whistleblowers wait in the wings: Now he says he realizes, through whistleblowers who have come forward to Republican members of Congress, that the FBI buried his damning disclosures about the Biden family, and feels that the four-year investigation into Hunter Biden by the US attorney in Delaware, David Weiss, is dragging out indefinitely.

Devine concludes her column today with this observation:

As whistleblowers later revealed, his evidence was buried by malign actors inside the FBI and marked as disinformation, not to be investigated. The FBI knew the revelations were not disinformation because the laptop had been in their possession for more than a year, since Delaware computer repair shop owner John Paul Mac Isaac had given it to them in December 2019, along with a detailed and intelligent account of crimes he alleged it contained. The FBI knew the truth because they had been spying on Rudy Giulianis cloud with a covert warrant for two years from May 2019, a month after he began working as then-president Trumps personal attorney. The FBI had access to the email sent to him on Aug. 27, 2020, in which Mac Isaac catalogues the evidence of foreign corruption he had found on the laptop. The FBI knew The Post was going to publish the story because they had access to text messages between Giuliani and me. They had ample time to warn Big Tech. As Bobulinski says, The facts are just daunting.

Tom Lifson has a good summary of the interview in In stunning interview with Tucker Carlson,Tony Bobulinski explained how the FBI fixed the 2020 election. Ton Lifson comments: 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.

I found four clips of Tuesday evenings show that Fox News has posted on YouTube (below).
Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time. Winston Churchill

Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof. Inscription on the Liberty Bell
Shell Petroleum Development Company has reacted to a revelation by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited that it found an illegal oil pipeline that operated from Forcados Terminal into sea for years without detection.

Shell is the operator of the Forcados Terminal. NNPC chief executive Mele Kyari told a joint Senate committee on Tuesday that it uncovered a four-kilometre theft pipeline from the terminal into the sea in the past six weeks. It said the line had been functional for nine years.

In the course of the clampdown within the last six weeks, 395 illegal refineries have been deactivated, 274 reservoirs destroyed, 1,561 metal tanks destroyed, 49 trucks seized, he said.

The most striking of all, is the four-kilometre illegal oil connection line from Forcados Terminal into the sea which had been in operation undetected for nine solid years, he added.

In a message to PREMIUM TIMES Thursday, a spokesperson for Shell said the connection was far off Shell-operated Forcados.

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SPDC appreciates the additional surveillance conducted on behalf of NNPC to deal with illegal activities, SPDCs media relations manager, Bamidele Odugbesan, said.

*However, the recently discovered theft pipeline is approximately 30km away from SPDCs Forcados terminal. It is not within SPDCs pipeline Right of Way.

Nigeria has seen increased oil theft in recent years. The NNPC said earlier that the country loses 470,000 barrels of crude oil monthly amounting to some $700 million to oil theft.

PREMIUM TIMES also reported how Nigeria lost $10 billion to crude oil theft in seven months.

Activities at Forcados stopped after a leak was found in July. Shell said it expected loading to resume there later this month.
(This is the second of a three-part series. Read the first part here).

Essentially, the national policy on ageing is premised on the Nigerian constitution which guarantees the rights of everyone in Nigeria. The National Senior Citizens Centre Act is to implement Section 16 of the Constitution and mandates the state to direct its policy towards ensuring that old age care and pensions, and unemployment, sick benefits and welfare of the disabled are provided for all citizens.

The policy also applies regional and international instruments ratified by Nigeria, such as the AU Agenda 2063 and the UN International Plan of Action on Ageing.

Nigerias pension scheme started in 1951 when the colonial British administration established a scheme through an instrument called Pension Ordinance.

Before the enactment of the Pension Reform Act 2004, which established a Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for all employees in Nigeria, the country had operated a Defined Benefit (DB) pension scheme, which was largely unfunded and non-contributory.

The scheme led to a massive accumulation of pension debt and became unsustainable. The CPS, under the Pension Commission (Pencom), has, however, also underperformed.

The PRA 2014 provides that pension should be increased after every five years or whenever there is an increase in the salaries of active workers in line with the provisions of Section 173 of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended).

The Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, South-west zone, Waheed Oloyede, said gratuity was last paid in Ogun State in June 2014 and to primary school teachers in December 2012.

He added that the monthly pension is also not regular and the government last increased the pension 15 years ago.

The government should review and increase the pension payment of those receiving less, in line with the constitution. Imagine someone receiving N5ooo for 30 days, it is humiliating, he said.

The chairman who retired 25 years ago from the Ogun State Civil Service Commission also expressed concern that the N500 million quarterly allocation for the payment of gratuity that started in 2020 would not be able to clear the backlog of unpaid gratuities put at N68 billion as of August 2022 for both local government and state retirees.

The government released N500 million per quarter and at the time they started paying, the outstanding gratuity then was N68 billion and we told the government that if they continue with that amount per quarter, it will take them 34 good years to pay the outstanding gratuity. What will happen to those that are retiring?

Inadequacy in the pension system

Nigeria ranked low at 64th position in the Allianz Global Pension Report 2020, especially because of the insufficient adequacy of its pension system, adding that no African country ranked among the top 10. South Africa ranked 41st, followed by Kenya and Morocco at 55th and 60th respectively.

The report examined the pension systems in terms of sustainability and adequacy of 70 countries to provide a comprehensive view of the respective pension systems.

It added that over the next decades, the number of people of retirement age would increase markedly and put social security systems under severe stress.

The report ranked Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand and the United States as the top five countries, followed by Australia, Netherlands, Norway, Bulgaria and Canada.

The blind not spared

In Igbogila at Sawonjo, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Mukaila, a son of 87-year-old Buraimo Oyetola, was filled with sadness over the condition of his father and lack of money to properly take care of his eye problem.

Mr Oyetola retired in 1985 as an Assistant Executive Officer at the Account Section of the Ogun State Fund Council and started farming. However, in 2013, he developed cataracts, a condition affecting the eye that causes clouding of the lens and results in vision loss.

He said his monthly pension, which is also less than N5,000, does not suffice for his medications or feeding.

Mr Oyetolas son said they had taken him to several hospitals but they no longer take him for regular checkups due to a lack of funds.

Since we cant afford regular checkups anymore, we now buy drugs from Abeokuta to manage the situation. There is the medicine we buy called Vision Plus, there is one N6000 and another one for N14,000, he said.

In May 2022, retirees under the aegis of NUP across the South-west cried out that state governors in the region were owing them N242 billion in gratuities and pensions

The NUP National President, Godwin Abumisi, who retired from the Anambra State Civil Service in 1984, said there is no issue with payments of gratuity at the national level. But as regards the state government, we have a very serious problem.

The law of Nigeria covers appropriate pension and gratuity. We dont know why the state government is owing, he said.

He said the delay in gratuity payments is affecting pensioners adversely and we have written letters and appealed to state governments, and appealed to the federal government to ensure that state pensioners are paid their pensions regularly and they are also paid their gratuity.

We are going to compile a list of those states and their governors who are not paying pensions. We are going to collect the amount that is owed and forward them to the EFCC and see what will come out of it, he said.

Former governors get huge sums as pension

While many Nigerian states like Ogun and Ondo find it difficult to pay the poor and irregular pension and gratuity of their retired civil servants, they award huge sums as pensions to former governors and their deputies.

About 24 states, including Ondo and Osun in the South-west, have passed the law to award pensions to their former governors. The other states are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Anambra, Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Imo, Lagos, Niger, Plateau, Rivers, Yobe and Zamfara.

While this was justified as a means to tackle corruption by ensuring ex-leaders have enough to fall back on after leaving office, the initiative has been flawed, as some governors have been jailed for corruption.

The laws provide humongous benefits to past governors and deputy governors; ranging from free property worth up to hundreds of millions, free medical services, vacations, cars and other outrageous demands on the revenue of the state.

Nigerians have wondered why ex-governors and their deputies, who at most served for eight years, enjoy largesse while civil servants who worked for decades are paid poor and irregular pensions.

In July 2022, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) filed a lawsuit against the 36 state governors over funds budgeted to pay ex-governors life pensions.

The civic group noted that over N40 billion had been paid to 47 former governors from 21 of the 36 states in pensions and for the provision of other services.

Government unreliable

Adodo Patrick, 66, who lives and farms at Akoko Southwest in Ondo State, said he had given up on the government delay in gratuity payment since he retired in 2018 as a school principal at Ondo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM). The investments he made on his farm during his service at TESCOM are now helping him to meet his basic needs, according to him.

I worked as a teacher and retired as a school principal at Ondo State Teaching Service Commission, Akure. I served the government for 34 years and retired in August 2018. We have been applying for the payment of gratuity, but nothing. Even people who have retired since 2012 havent gotten it.

Even pension payments are not regular, the one we received last now is for May 2022.

Mr Patrick said his savings and his farm have ensured he does not suffer from the governments failure.

Whether the government is paying gratuity or not, I have some savings from my job. I made some investments. Whether they pay or not, it doesnt bother me, he said.

In his comment on late gratuity payment in Ondo State, the NUP chairman, Johnson Osunyemi, noted that: Gratuity payment has not been well managed in Ondo State and what happened is that there is a very huge amount of money they are owing the pensioners and this one has been occurring for a very long time.

There was a time when people got their pension as they leave the office or even while they are planning to leave, but everything has scattered now, and the debt is increasing. As of today, we have a backlog of about N65 billion being owed to the pensioners in Ondo State.

We have met with the government several times and last two weeks we were still with the Head of Service and then last week too, we had a meeting on the pension commission board. In the constitution of the PENCOM, pensioners are expected to receive their payment at the point of their retirement and the pension will be paid over a specific period.

Mr Osunyemi also noted that the state has no provisions for old peoples homes, but they are even expecting that the government will put us on life insurance at least as they continue to enjoy a new means of life.

He urged the government to ease the process of verification of pensioners.

We want the government to do something to improve the quality of verification given to the senior citizens. Old people dont have to come and be queuing endlessly for something that may not even be forthcoming.

For payment, we were normally on e-payment. As soon as the money is ready, you go to your bank and withdraw your money, so the issue of queuing for pensions doesnt occur, he said.

Nigeria as a signatory to global commitments

Globally, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) is the bedrock for inclusion and respect for the rights of all, irrespective of age, race, colour or sex.

The first and second World Assembly on Ageing by the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the International Plan of Action on Ageing in 1982 and 2002 respectively to provide guidance to countries to develop policies that ensure the inclusion of older persons in the country.

Other global development agendas and commitments for countries to ensure care and support for older persons include the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs and the WHO-declared Decade for Healthy Ageing. In Africa, we have the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights 1981, the AU Agenda 2063 and the AU Policy Framework and Plan of Action on Ageing.

As a signatory to the global and regional commitments, Nigeria signed the National Senior Citizens Centre Act 2017 into law to cater for the need of senior citizens in the country and related matters.

The Act gave birth to the establishment of the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) in January 2018. But nothing was heard from the federal government as regards its implementation until June 2021 when President Muhammadu Buhari approved N2.5 billion take-off grant in October 2021.

Primarily, the NSCC Act intends to facilitate Section 16 of the 1999 Constitution, which provides that the state shall direct its policy towards ensuring that  old age care and pensions, and unemployment, sick benefits and welfare of the disabled are provided for all citizens.

Its functions include identifying the needs of senior citizens and taking responsibility for creating recreational, sports, health, educational, counselling and social programmes for their benefit. It is also expected to develop and implement schemes to provide income or supplementary earnings for aged citizens.

(This is the second of a three-part series. Read the first part here).

This article was produced as part of the Inequality Reporting Fellowship of the Africa Centre for Development Journalism (ACDJ) supported by the MacArthur Foundation through the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
President Muhammadu Buhari has given credit to his government for securing the release of hostages kidnapped six months ago from a train managed by the government.

The government announced Wednesday that the remaining 23 hostages were released at about 4 p.m. on Wednesday. They were among the scores of people kidnapped when terrorists attacked a Kaduna-bound train on March 28.

The train departed Abuja for Kaduna before it was attacked in a Kaduna community by the terrorists.

According to a statement by his spokesperson, Mr Buhari credited his government for resolving the issue and the de-escalation of the terrorism, banditry and kidnapping that surged recently, giving assurances that the efforts will be sustained.

The president expressed his happiness and satisfaction with the military as well as other security agencies for the safe release of the remaining 23 passengers.

The nation owed the military and all other security and intelligence agencies a debt of gratitude for the successful conduct of the operation leading to the release of the hostages, Garba Shehu, the presidents spokesperson, wrote in a statement sent to journalists.

He affirmed that the agencies had shown outstanding capabilities that the whole world would not fail to take note of.

This countrys armed forces are as good as any. Given needed support and encouragement as we have been doing, there is no task that they cannot accomplish.

I commend them for this remarkable outcome, Mr Shehu quoted the president as saying.

While expressing satisfaction with the eventual release of the remaining hostages, Mr Buhari also congratulated the families of the victims for having them back alive.

According to him, the relief that comes to the nation arising from the closure of this unfortunate saga must be sustained at all times, all over the federation.

The train attack

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.

In Wednesdays statement announcing the release of the remaining hostages, the government did not state how they were released. In the past, the government had tried to make prisoner swap deals with the terrorists but had accused the terrorists of reneging on agreements.

Kaduna, in north-west Nigeria, is one of the states troubled by terrorism with various armed groups, called bandits by locals, killing and kidnapping residents of rural communities.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met with the freed 23 passengers of the 28 March Abuja-Kaduna train attack at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) hospital in Kaduna.

Garba Shehu, the Presidents media aide, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

The remaining 23 victims of the Kaduna-Abuja train attack were released on Wednesday.

According to the statement, Mr Buhari made an impromptu visit to the hospital to see the victims of the train attack after commissioning Cadets of 69 Regular Course (Army, Navy and Air Force) of the NDA, in Afaka, Kaduna State.

Before boarding NAF 001 back to Abuja from the Kaduna International Airport, Mr Buhari detoured to the hospital where he also thanked the Nigerian military for their brave services in securing the safe release of the hostages.

Members of the Chief of Defence Staff Action Committee, led by Usman Abdulkadir, a retired major general, who facilitated the release of the train victims, were present at the hospital.

Others were Adamu Jalingo, a retired major general, Abubakar Saad, a retired brigadier general, Murtala Rufai, Ibrahim Abdulllahi, Ahmed Magaji and Yusuf Usman, who is the secretary.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Leo Irabor, a general, had earlier introduced the committee members and briefed the president.

(NAN)
A soldier, who was mediating in a conflict between farmers and herders in Guri Local Government Area of Jigawa State was killed on Wednesday.

Residents said the assailants were the herders who were in conflict with farmers in the area. PREMIUM TIMES is yet to independently verify this claim.

The assailants also took away the soldiers rifle.

Residents said the soldier, Danlami Danjuma, a sergeant, was among the soldiers who responded to a distress call from Gagiya community where herders were said to have encroached into farmland.

The local government chairman, Musa Muhammad, told PREMIUM TIMES that authorities including the Fulani community have condemned the incident and are searching for the assailants and the rifle.

He (the soldier) died in the line of duty, they were there to prevent a fight between the farmers and herders. Unfortunately, he was killed.

The herders are in desperate search of pasture following the devastating effects of flooding on the grazing areas and farmlands. The soldiers rush(ed) to the scene to quell tension after herders encroached into farmlands, the council chairman said.

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He added that the suspected criminals are believed to be a group of strange herders who visit the area annually in search of pasture.

He said the military and other security agencies are investigating the incident.

Guri and neighbouring Kirikasamma council areas in Jigawa have fertile land suitable for farming and grazing.

Control of the lush land has led to bloody conflicts between farmers and herders over the years.
The House of Representatives has passed the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and set a ceiling for spending on the controversial fuel subsidy.

The lawmakers put a spending cap of N1.7 trillion for the 2023 fiscal year against the N3.3 trillion proposed by the federal government.

In the MTEF passed on Thursday by the lower chamber, the lawmakers rejected the two scenarios presented by the executive in the proposed MTEF.

According to the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, in the first scenario, the deficit is projected to be N12.41 trillion in 2023, up from N7.35 trillion budgeted in 2022, representing 196 per cent of total revenue or 5.50 per cent of the estimated GDP.

In this option, she added, the government would spend N6.72 trillion on subsidy.

Mrs Ahmed said the second option involves keeping subsidy till June 2023 and that this scenario will take the deficit to N11.3 trillion, which is 5.01 per cent of the estimated GDP. In this option, PMS subsidy is projected to gulp N3.3 trillion.

In the MTEF report adopted by the Committee of Supply, the House resolved that the cost of petroleum subsidy be capped at N1.7 trillion accordingly, all relevant agencies of the governments will be required to take necessary action to keep the petroleum subsidy cost to the government within the N1.7 trillion ceiling in 2023.

The lawmakers stated that by this action, the sum of N737,306, 443,151 will be saved and this should be used to reduce the fiscal deficit of N11.3 trillion of the government as contained in the MTEF/FSP, and the savings from the subsidy regime amounting to N737.31 billion to N10.56 trillion,

Figures not adding up

However, the figures presented by the lawmakers did not add up.

Going by the spending limit of N1.7 trillion and the expected saving of N737.36 billion, this gives an aggregate of about N2.4 trillion, which is lower than the N3.3 trillion proposed by the government.

In addition, the lawmakers increased the oil price benchmark from $70 per barrel to $73 per barrel, hence, the extra $3 on every barrel. Despite this adjustment, the deficit was only reduced by N737.36 billion savings from the subsidy ceiling.

When clarification on these discrepancies was sought during a media briefing, the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Saidu Abdulahi (APC, Niger), promised to go over the documents.

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Of course, like I said, the savings from the $3 is supposed to bring down the deficit and the level of borrowing. I need to check the report. It is supposed to have been captured as savings that will impact the borrowing. I will check the report to ensure that it has been captured, he said.

On how the lawmakers arrived at the N1.7 trillion figure, Mr Abdulahi explained that the committee factored in the timetable on the Port Harcourt Refinery and also the ongoing investigation into the fuel subsidy regime.

We have looked at the dynamics some of the things I have mentioned earlier, that Port Harcourt (refinery) is coming up the committee of the House is also working with the executive to actually come up with the scientifically proven volume of our daily consumption. Looking at those things, we decided to flatten it out, he said.

Granting incentives to revenue-generating agencies

The House also resolved that 10 revenue-generating agencies of the federal government be given cost of collection incentives like the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

The FIRS is statutorily entitled to retain 7% of the revenue collection, while Customs retains 4% of its revenue as cost of collection.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) are to get cost of collection percentage.

Other beneficiaries are Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDRA) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

The lawmakers resolved that their respective establishment acts will be amended in the finance bill that will be considered alongside the budget.

Explaining the rational for this directive, Mr Saidu said the move will address the challenges associated with the current operating surplus remittances which many agencies have abused.
The Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Henry Ikoh, said that the establishment of technology and innovation centres in the six geo-political zones will enhance the collaboration of researchers which is necessary for achieving the desired research output in the country, rather than working in silos.

The minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Monilola Udoh, said this at the North Central Dialogue on the Establishment of the Technology and Innovation Centres for Global Competitiveness and Productivity today in Abuja.

According to the minister, the centres are aimed at establishing a framework for consultation, sharing experiences, information and practices as well as creating a conducive environment amongst scientists.

Mr Ikoh stated that technology and innovation centres, under Executive Order NO. 5, are designed to serve as centres of excellence with the objective of improving the role of STI in the socio-economic development of the country.

He commended the effort of the immediate past Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu, for his tenacity, consistency and passion for the role of STI in the development of the country.

He said he believes that the outcome of the dialogue will result in increased patenting, innovative discoveries and inventions, the emergence of commercialization of research and improved research findings amongst scientists in the country.

Speaking, the representative of UNESCO, Moma Enan, said that the organization is ready to collaborate with the ministry in some areas of STEM, and research, thereby, making one of the agencies of the ministry a UNESCO capacity centre.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Niger State, Abubakar Aliyu, commended the ministry for its achievements in the area of STI, adding that Niger State is blessed with natural resources especially gold.

To this end, he called on the minister to convey the message to the federal government in order to enable the State Ministry of Solid Minerals to work in synergy with the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel.

Signed

Atuora Obed O.

DD: (P&PR)
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has offered employment to the widow of Sunday Ogunjimi, a teacher in Odeda Local Government Area who slumped and died while participating in a protest by workers in the state in July .

The gesture was part of the activities marking the 2022 World Teachers Day.

The governor also rewarded teachers, school administrators, and schools who excelled in academics with houses and cash gifts.

The beneficiaries were Tajudeen Odufeso from Isara Secondary School, Isara- Remo, who was given a two bedroom bungalow as the Best Teacher in Public Senior Secondary Schools; Adelana Owolabi and Orebanjo Olusesan from Ijebu Muslim College (Junior) and Early Education Centre, Ijebu-Igbo, got N2 million and N1.5million for emerging Best Teachers in Public Junior Secondary Schools and Public Primary Schools, respectively.

Fagbamila Okeneye from Omo Edumare Model Nursery and Primary School, Ago-Iwoye, went home with a sum of N1 million as the Best Administrator in the Public Primary Schools category, while in the school category, Remo Divisional High School (Senior), Sagamu and St. Michaels African Church School 1, Ota, won Best Public Secondary School (Senior) and Best Public Primary School, respectively.

The governor speaking at the event with the theme, The Transformation of Education Begins with Teachers, held at the Moshood Abiola International Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, on Wednesday described teachers as career moulders, mentors and national builders who sacrifice their all to produce diverse professionals for the nation.

No doubt, these peculiar people deserve to be celebrated. In fact, we should celebrate them every day and not just for one day that the global body has set aside like today, he said.

Let me on behalf of all of us  the government and the entire people of Ogun State  join all men and women of goodwill all over the world to thank very heartily and congratulate very warmly our teachers on the celebration of yet another Teachers Day.

Education is the bedrock of any meaningful socio-political and economic development. As a foundation for scientific, technological enrichment and the advancement of any society, no nation can become great without the positive contributions of her teachers.

The future of any nation is usually determined by the quality of its education system and how it treats teachers.

Mr Abiodun said Ogun State is the education capital of Nigeria and it achieved such feat through the contributions of teachers.

He attributed the commitment of the teaching professionals to the ability of students in Ogun to win numerous awards at different education competitions both national and international.

He said that more parents are now showing renewed faith in public schools by enrolling their children into them unlike in the past.

The Governor also said that his administration was in the process of supplying 25,000 furniture to all public primary and secondary schools and renovating over 956 classrooms in primary and secondary schools.

He said approval has been given for the start of Ogun Digitalised Multimedia Lesson Plan, where the teachers would be equipped with the resources for effective delivery.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abayomi Arigbabu, in his welcome address, said the theme of this years celebration is in tandem with the incumbent administrations agenda to reposition the education sector.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Abiodun Akinola, lauded the state governments efforts at training and retraining teachers, and recruitment of more teachers.

He, however, urged the government to address the disparity in salaries between primary and secondary schools teachers, while efforts should be made to address the issue of out-of-school children.

The State Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) Akeem Lasisi, commended the state government for abolishing all forms of levies in public schools.

He urged the government to increase the allowance of teachers serving in the rural areas.
The teachers in Ekiti State have urged outgoing governor, Kayode Fayemi, to settle their outstanding benefits before the expiration of his tenure on 15 October.

The teachers are owed several months of unpaid salaries and gratuities of retirees, but are hopeful that the governor could still perform magic before the end of his tenure.

The teachers, who were at a ceremony on Wednesday in Ado Ekiti to commemorate the World Teachers Day, commended Mr Fayemi for initiating laudable programmes for the educational sector.

The teachers, under the auspices of Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) and the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), warned the incoming government of Biodun Oyebanji not to compromise their welfare if a cordial relation would exist between the unions and the government.

The ASUSS Chairman, Sola Adigun, who spoke on behalf of the teachers, said teachers were still optimistic that some of their pending benefits would be paid within the next 10 days before Mr Fayemi bows out of office.

We have so many unpaid benefits. Our salary, promotion, pension and gratuity arrears of retirees are there, he said.

We have that belief that Governor Fayemi can still do the magic and pay off before leaving on October 16.

Though, we appreciate the fact that the states economy was not that buoyant, but you can still make the teachers happy before you go, while your successor will begin where you stopped.

The teachers noted that the sector remains the most thriving industry that requires every resource for it to blossom.

Mr Fayemi used the occasion to reward outstanding teachers at both primary and secondary schools with cars and cash gifts.

He said the quality of their teaching had exponentially increased school enrolment from 191,117 in 2018 to 261,292 in 2022.

Mr Fayemi added that the increase in enrolment automatically resulted in the need to establish additional 10 secondary schools in 2021, while government paid the N6 billion counterpart fund to match UBECs contribution to execute 886 projects.

As I speak now, under two World Bank assisted programmes, AGILE and IDEAS, renovation of structures/provision of furniture and equipment in 202 schools and upgrading of facilities in three technical colleges, are ongoing, he said.

Moreover, 1,558 teachers were employed by SUBEB, TESCOM and BTVE within the past four years.

So far, we have disbursed N655 million as running grants to public schools in Ekiti State. Similarly, we have paid a total of N1,044,941,450 to enable 57,465 public school students sit for WAEC examination over the past four years.
The New Nigeria People Party, (NNPP) has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its refusal to allow the party name a candidate for Kano Central District in next years National Assembly election.

The original candidate of the party, Ibrahim Shekarau, decamped and joined the Peoples Democratic Party, following irreconcilable differences with the partys presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

INEC argued that Mr Shekarau, a former governor of the state, is yet to inform it officially that he has left the NNPP and is no longer its candidate for the district as required by the electoral act, thus it cannot replace his name with another person.

Mr Kwankwaso, in an interview with the Radio Deutsche Welle Hausa Service on Wednesday, said the electoral commission refused to replace Mr Shekaraus name with the new candidate, Rufai Hanga, the party submitted to it after Mr Shekaraus defection from the NNPP.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Independent National Electoral Commission explained why it could not replace the name of Mr Shekarau.

Kwankwasos objection

During the radio interview, Mr Kwankwaso said he wondered that supposing the NNPP won the senatorial seat for Kano Central, would INEC announce Mr Shekarau as the legally elected representative for the district?

We have conducted (fresh) primary election where we elected Rufai Sani Hanga, as a replacement and if INEC can do justice to us, based on the constitution, the time for the replacement of candidates is not yet over.

We have taken the matter to court because INEC did not understand the process. The court will make them understand it, Mr Kwankwaso said.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, dismissed alleged attempted murder charges pressed by a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, against his estranged wife, Precious Chikwendu.

This came after the police applied for the withdrawal of the charges on Thursday, citing Mr Fani-Kayodes decision to withdraw his complaint that triggered the prosecution.

At Thursdays proceedings slated for arraignment, the prosecution lawyer, John Ijagbemi, told the judge, Inyang Ekwo, that he had the instructions of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to withdraw the suit.

The matter was slated for re-arraignment of the defendants today.

However, we want to plead to your lordship for the withdrawal of the case, Mr Ijagbemi said.

Mr Ijagbemi informed the court that the Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police was in receipt of a letter from the nominal complainant, Mr Fani-Kayode, about his intention to withdraw the case.

He anchored the withdrawal of the charge on Section 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.

The lawyer to Ms Chikwendu and other defendants, Peter Abang, did not oppose the request prompting Mr Ekwo to dismiss the suit.

The police had based on Mr Fani-Kayodes complaint, filed 14 charges in a suit charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/01/2022 against Ms Chikwendu and others. The suit dated and filed on 28 April, has Ms Chikwendu as the 2nd defendant.

Other defendants in the case were: Emmanuel Anakan, Prisca Chikwendu and Osakwe Azubuike as 1st, 3rd and 4th defendants, respectively. Others were said to be at large.

Addressing journalists after the proceedings, Mr Abang described the withdrawal of the suit as a welcome development.

On his part, Mr Ijagbemi said the complainant, via the prosecution, has the unfettered power to withdraw a charge before the court.

He said with the provision of ACJA, 2015, a charge could be withdrawn even until a judgment against any of the defendants or accused persons standing trial before the court.

The lawyer said Mr Fani-Kayode in his letter withdrawing his complaint, said that the whole family members had sat and amicably resolved the matter without any rancour or recourse to previous occurrences and they are happily standing and living together in love and harmony.

And we, being an institution of government saddled with the responsibility of protection of lives and property, seeking peace and order in the society including individual family, we are glad to apply for the withdrawal of this case against the defendants, Mr Ijagbemi explained.

It will be recalled that Mr Fani-Kayode and Ms Chikwendu had been locked in a legal battle over the custody of their four sons.

Ms Chikwendu, a former beauty queen had accused Mr Fani-Kayode of domestic violence.

Until August 2020, Mr Fani-Kayode and Ms Chikwendu were cohabiting in the upscale Aso Drive in Abuja, until the latter was allegedly forcibly ejected from their home.

Ms Chikwendu also said Mr Fani-Kayode had frequently denied her access to their children since 2 August 2020, using security officials and protocol details attached to him.

Their recent posts on social media platforms suggest they had settled their differences.
The Court of Appeal will rule on Friday in an application by the university lecturers union, ASUU, seeking its permission to appeal against an order of the National Industrial Court directing its members to resume work.

The industrial court granted an interlocutory injunction in favour of the federal government on 21 September and ordered the union to call off the strike pending the resolution of its dispute with the government.

The union of university teachers began the strike on February 14.

Not satisfied with the order of the industrial court, ASUU filed an application at the Court of Appeal, seeking the leave of the court to file an appeal against the lower courts ruling.

Its counsel, Femi Falana, told the court that it was the right of his client to file an appeal against the interlocutory injunction because it was not in its favour.

Mr Falana cited a plethora of authorities to support his claim that ASUU must first seek and obtain leave of the Court of Appeal before filing a notice of appeal so as to ensure the validity of the appeal.

He asked the three-member panel of justices of the appellate court led by Hamma Barka to reject the governments opposition to the application.

He said it would amount to a dangerous decision if the court refused the application as it would mean denying his client the right of appeal.

Mr Falana, who had also filed an application seeking a stay of execution of the ruling of the lower court, applied to withdraw the application.

The counsel to the federal government, James Igwe, opposed ASUUs application and asked the court to dismiss both applications as incompetent. He argued that the court had no jurisdiction to entertain incompetent applications.

READ ALSO:

Mr Igwe drew the attention of the court to the fact that the union had refused to obey the order of the Industrial Court which was made on September 21.

The lawyer also objected to the application to withdraw the stay of execution order on the ground that both parties had already joined issues.

He contended that the union, having been in contempt of court, could not come before the Court of Appeal to ask for a favour as its hands were already dirty.

He argued also that proper parties to the matter were not before the court because those in the matter at the industrial court were not the same parties before the Court of Appeal.

ASUU is in contempt of court. It is illegal for ASUU to remain on strike in the face of the industrial court order.

Section 18(1) of the Trade Dispute Act, does not allow a party in contempt to come before the Court of Appeal with the type of ASUUs application, Igwe submitted.

He asked the court to dismiss ASUUs request for leave to appeal against the Industrial Courts order since it had refused to obey it ab initio.

After taking all arguments, Justice Barka in agreement with the other judges fixed Friday to deliver judgment.

One of the justices on the panel, Biobele Georgewill, had on Wednesday implored the federal government and ASUU to explore an out-of-court settlement.

(NAN)
Some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), on Wednesday, met with the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party at its national secretariat in Abuja.

The meeting had in attendance the Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Bagudu; the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu and the Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, and others.

The governors at the meeting were Umar Ganduje of Kano State, Sani Bello of Niger State, Abdulahi Sule of Nasarawa State, Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State and Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Mr Adamu expressed satisfaction with the existing arrangement by the party ahead of the commencement of the campaign.

He, however, declined to comment on the uncertainty surrounding the flag-off of the presidential campaign, as the candidate of the party, Bola Tinubu, is still in the United Kindom.

We will let you know when we want to commence. Whatever we chose to do and when, we as a party will determine when as long as it is within the timeline of INEC.

We are very comfortable with all the machinery in place and we are together. I believe this meeting is more than useful for all of us. For us, in the spirit of this meeting we will work together as one, he said

Also speaking, Mr Bagudu said work is ongoing to harmonise the PCC list that generated lots of controversies.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported how governors rejected the composition of the PCC and threatened to withdraw support for the campaign.

Although, there were names that were unfortunate not to make the list and the campaign council. The party has announced that would be harmonized but we are happy to say that the party is solidly behind the candidate and I believe whatsoever list has come out erroneously are mistakes and were not authorised, Mr Bagudu said.
The Kogi State House of Assembly Wednesday directed ordered the shutdown of a factory of Dangote Cement Plc situated at Obajana in the north-central state, saying the asset was not legitimately acquired by the firm.

Aliko Dangote, Africas richest man and the companys majority shareholder, has been summoned to a meeting with the lawmakers, the state legislative arm said, but demanded more time to do, according to a statement seen by PREMIUM TIMES.

An email seeking comments from Anthony Chiejina, the spokesperson for the Dangote Group, was not immediately replied.

Resident youth thronged the factory to drive out staff after the news of its closure order broke into the open but faced resistance from officials of the state government.

Chief among their grievances is alleged corporate social responsibility failure by Dangote Cement bordering on environmental hazards from industrial pollution induced by factory activities and neglect of the host community it is making billions from.

The governments action is the outcome of a petition by locals, prompting inquiry into the nature of the transaction leading up to the purchase of the factory two decades ago.

Obajana Cement, previously owned by the state government, was sold to Dangote Cement in 2002.

It was found that no valid acquisition took place, as Dangote could not show evidence of what was paid as consideration for the acquisition, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information Kingsley Fanwo told journalists.

The House of Assembly therefore ordered the closure of the company pending when they are able to present it with credible evidence of a valid acquisition, Mr Fanwo said, noting the decision became necessary following delay by Dangote to meet the lawmakers.

A separate document endorsed by the commissioner said a youth suffered gunshot injuries after gunmen hired by the factory opened fire.

Todays operation at Obajana has further opened the eyes of the State Government to the criminal hub that Obajana is fast becoming with the level of arms and ammunition deployed by hoodlums hired to stop the sealing of the company as directed by the State House of Assembly, it said.

Dangote Cement, Nigerias second biggest public company by market value, reported total sales of N808 billion and net profit of N172.1 billion in the first half of the year.
A lawyer, Timipa Okponipere, has opposed the scheduled conferment of national honours on the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, and his immediate-past predecessor, Tanko Muhammad.

The Port Harcourt, River State-based lawyer similarly threatened to institute a legal action at the ECOWAS Court of Justice to seek redress if his objection to the conferment of the national honours on them was overruled.

Both men are billed to be conferred with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) by President Muhammadu Buhari at the investiture ceremony scheduled to hold on 11 October at the State House in Abuja.

They are among the 437 nominees for the 2022 National Honours Award.

Mr Okponiperes objection to the conferment of the awards on the jurists is contained in an affidavit he deposed to at the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.

His declaration is titled, AFFIDAVIT OF STRONG OBJECTION TO THE CONFERMENT OF National HONOURS AWARD GRAND COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF NIGER (GCON).

He deposed to the affidavit bearing the stamps of the courts cashier and commissioner of oaths on 4 October.

The declarants grouse against Mr Muhammad and his successor, Mr Ariwoola, is their alleged failure to address some petitions he sent against a now retired Justice of the Supreme Court and some lawyers.

However, I reasonably believe that The Honourable Justice Olukayode Ariwoola and The Honourable Justice (Dr) Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad are not deserving of being conferred with the prestigious National Honours Award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), his affidavit read.

Mr Okponipere called on President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the conferment of the national honours on Messrs Ariwoola and Muhammad indefinitely.

He stated that this is what Mr Buhari would do if he was truly sincere and committed to fighting corruption in the Judicial Arm of Government in Nigeria.

The deponent sent a copy of his affidavit of objection to the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs with a cover letter also dated 4 October threatening to go to court if his request was not acceded to.

Please, take notice that I shall seek redress of the ECOWAS COURT OF JUSTICE if my objection is overruled and both men are subsequently conferred with the Award, his letter read, in part.

The letter is copied to Mr Buhari, the National Council of State and the President of the ECOWAS Court.

Mr Ariwoola took over as the CJN, initially in acting capacity in June, following the abrupt resignation of Mr Muhammad on health grounds.

The former CJN left office at a chaotic time in the life of the Supreme Court. His resignation came amid ripples created by a protest letter sent to him by his 14 other colleagues on the Supreme Court bench led by Mr Ariwoola, complaining about his handling of the courts affairs.

Grouse against Mr Muhammad

Mr Okponiperes grouse against Mr Muhammad was his alleged refusal to act as the Chairman of the NJC on a petition against a recently retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Mary Odili.

Mrs Odili was the second most senior judge of the court until her retirement earlier in the year.

Mr Okponipere said the former CJN also ignored similar petitions he sent against some senior lawyers. They are Joseph Daudu, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Emmanuel Ukala, Lawal Rabana and Afam Osigwe, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs).

He did not disclose his allegations against the lawyers.

But he said his petition against Mrs Odili was about her refusal to withdraw from a five-man panel of the Supreme Court that decided a matter between him and Rivers State government.

He said the matter decided by the Supreme Court on 8 February 2013 concerned Mrs Odilis husband  Peter Odili, a former governor of Rivers State.

He said Mr Odilis name was mentioned at least 50 times in the records of appeal transmitted to the Supreme Court regarding the matter.

The matter, he said, involved the seizure of his properties by the Rivers State government.

He referenced a letter dated 24 August 2020 in which Mr Muhammad acknowledged the receipt of his petition dated 17 July 2020 against Mrs Odili and assured that action is being taken.

Contrary to his pledge or promise to take action on the petition, I now reasonably believe that The Honourable Justice (Dr) Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad lied to me as he failed or refused to take action until Honourable Justice Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili,, JSC left on retirement from the Supreme Court bench, Mr Okponiperes petition read in part.

He said he continued to suffer until this day the consequences of Mr Muhammads alleged failure or refusal to perform his constitutional responsibility.

He said he did not believe Mr Muhammad was sufficiently noble, statesmanlike, nationalistic, broadminded and patriotic enough to warrant the conferment of the nations second highest National Honours Award on him.

Complaint against Mr Ariwoola

Following Mr Ariwoolas ascension to office as CJN, Mr Okponipere re-filed his petitions.

The lawyer urged the CJN to act on his complaints against Mrs Odili and Messrs Daudu, Ukala, Lawal-Rabana and Osigwe.

His grouse against Mr Ariwoola is that he equally refused to act on his petitions since becoming the CJN and simultaneously the chairman of NJC months ago.

He questioned the integrity of Mr Ariwoola for failing to determine very critical petitions which are central to the integrity of the judicial system and legal profession in Nigeria.

Mr Okponipere also referenced a letter dated 9 August 2022 responding to one of his letters to Mr Ariwoola.

The letter informed him that the NJC could no longer hear his petition because Mrs Odili had retired from office as a judicial officer, as such, he is no longer under the disciplinary control of the National Judicial Council.

Consequently, the Council is unable to deal with your petition as it lacks the constitutional powers to take action against a retired Judicial Officer, please. the letter from the CJN concluded.

He stated in his affidavit that Mr Ariwoolas alleged failure to perform his constitutional responsibility does not warrant the conferment on him of the prestigious National Honours Award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), being the nations second highest honour.

Festus Akande, Supreme Courts Director of Information, said he was not aware of Mr Okponiperes affidavit of objection, so he could not comment on it.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited on Tuesday said it has uncovered an illegal oil connection from Forcados Terminal that operated for nine years.

The companys chief executive officer, Mele Kyari, disclosed this at the Senates joint committees on Gas and Petroleum (Upstream and Downstream) on Tuesday.

Mr Kyari said a four-kilometre illegal oil connection line from Forcados Terminal into the sea which had been in operation for nine years was detected during a clampdown in the past six weeks.

Oil theft in the country has been going on for over 22 years but the dimension and rate it assumed in recent times is unprecedented, Mr Kyari said.

It is not clear how the line operated unnoticed for years. The Forcados terminal is operated by Shell. A spokesperson for the company could not be reached as the known phone line did not connect.

Nigeria has seen increased oil theft in recent years. The NNPC said earlier that the country loses 470,000 barrels of crude oil monthly amounting to $700 million to oil theft.

PREMIUM TIMES also reported how Nigeria lost $10 billion to crude oil theft in seven months.

The federal government in its recent draft fiscal strategy paper for 2023 through 2025 said that oil revenue underperformed due to significant production shortfalls such as shut-ins resulting from pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft.

In a bid to curb crude theft, the Nigerian government launched an application in August to monitor incidence. The NNPC awarded a multi-billion naira pipeline surveillance procurement to a former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, Tompolo.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Kyari said the Brass, Forcados, and Bonny terminals were all practically doing zero production. The combined effect is that you have lost 600,000 barrels per day when you do a reality test, he said.

As a result of oil theft, Nigeria loses about 600,000 barrels per day, which is not healthy for the nations economy, and in particular, the legal operators in the field, which had led to a close down of some of their operational facilities, he said.

READ ALSO: Lawyers petition Senate over alleged oil theft in Niger Delta

The NNPC, he said, carried out aerial surveillance of the affected areas and discovered the economic saboteurs carrying out their activities unchallenged and unperturbed.

He said that 395 illegal refineries had been deactivated, 274 reservoirs destroyed, 1,561 metal tanks destroyed and 49 trucks seized so far.

According to him, the problem is not only security but social as locals in most areas where illegal refiners operate unknowingly serve as their employees by mistaking them for operatives of licensed companies for oil exploration and production in the area.

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.
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State, Akanimo Udofias name is not on the final list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC published on Tuesday the names of governorship candidates of the 18 political parties for the 2023 governorship election in Akwa Ibom.

The names of the candidates on the INEC list include that of the Peoples Democratic Party, Umo Eno, his running mate, Akon Eyakenyi, and that of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, John AkpanUdoedehe, and his running mate, Godwin Afangideh.

The governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party, Bassey Albert, and his running mate, Asuquo Amba, are also on the list, and so is Iboro Otu of the African Action Congress.

The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Party, Ezekiel Nyatok, is also on the list.

Mr Nyatok, a renowned architect, first contested for governor of the state in 2007 but lost at the PDP primary to Godwsill Akpabio, who later won the general election and was elected governor.

Since then Mr Nyatok, who hails from Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom North-West District, has been consistent in contesting the governorship of the state.

Some little-known governorship candidates on the INEC list in the state include Ekere Essien of the Action Democratic Party. Mr Essien, 64, appears to be the oldest in the race, according to the document.

Other governorship candidates are Uko Okon of the Labour Party, Emem Udoh of the Social Democratic Party, and Nsikak Thomas of the Zenith Labour Party

Abasifreke Ekanem, 35, is the youngest governorship candidate in the race contesting on the platform of Action Alliance.

Mrs Eyakenyi, 62, a serving senator, is the oldest deputy governorship candidate, followed by Mr Amba, 61, a retired police chief.

All the 18 political parties published by INEC had their governorship and deputy governorship except for APC whose space is blank.

The Commission in the state had in a report dated 27 May, sent to its headquarters in Abuja in June said the APC had no governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections in the state.

We wish to report that the APC governorship primary scheduled to hold on Thursday, May 26, 2022, at eh Sheergrace Arena, Nsikak Eduok Avenue, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State did not hold at all.

Although a faction of the party backed by the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, conducted the governorship primary a few minutes past midnight on 26 May, the primary was not monitored by INEC as mandated by the Electoral Act 2022.

This newspaper reported how the former Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mike Igini, and former Police Commissioner, Andrew Amienghene, left the venue of the primary at about 11 p.m., after the chairman of the congress committee, Tunde Ajibulu reportedly informed them he was traumatised and that the election would no longer hold on the said date.

However, hours after, the APC conducted the primary in which Akanimo Udofia, an entrepreneur who joined the party a few days before the primary, emerged as the winner.

Mr Udofia, an engineer, reportedly polled 1227 votes to defeat a former presidential aide, Ita Enang, who scored 34 votes, while 19 votes were voided.

Mr Enang, who came second, is challenging the declaration of Mr Udofia as the winner of the primary on the grounds that Mr Udofia was not a member of the party at the time the primary was conducted.

Mr Udofia, on his part, has sued INEC over his non-recognition as the APC governorship candidate in the state.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State who was kidnapped in June by terrorists was released on Wednesday.

The DPO, Sani Mohammed, a chief superintendent of police, was kidnapped alongside many travellers on the troubled Birnin Gwari highway while travelling to commence work as the DPO of the council area.

He was transferred from the Panbegua Division in Kubau Local Government Area.

He was abducted after his convoy was overrun by gunmen.

On Thursday, the younger brother of the released officer, Adamu Abdullahi, told PREMIUM TIMES that the police have secured the release of the officer.

Mr Abdullahi said the DPO has been reunited with his family following his freedom on Wednesday.

He was freed by the police, the police have done the needful, we are thankful to the Inspector General Police, the Police Commissioner in Kaduna and the commands spokesperson, Muhammad Jalige.

We are grateful to the journalists and the prayers from the public who show concern about the kidnap incident, Mr Abdullahi said.

Kaduna, in North-west Nigeria, is one of the states troubled by terrorism with various armed groups, called bandits by locals, killing and kidnapping residents of rural communities including security agents.
Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Kaduna State Chapter, said non-state actors killed at least ten teachers and abducted more than 50 in the state between January to October.

This is as the president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Audu Amba, said the challenges of shortage of teachers, poor infrastructure, inadequate funding and poor remuneration are parts of the crisis hampering the advancement of education in the country.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Amba on Wednesday while delivering his speech at the Eagle Square in Abuja during an event to mark this years World Teachers Day 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.

In Kaduna, the Chairman of ASUSS, Ishaya Dauda, in a press conference to mark World Teachers Day said more than 10 secondary school teachers were killed, while over 50 others were kidnapped in Kaduna in the months under review.

Mr Dauda said teachers in Kaduna are suffering the brunt of security resulting in kidnapping for ransom and killing of their members by non-state actors.

However, Mr Dauda commended the governments efforts in stemming the tide of insecurity in the state.

The union is fully aware of the insecurity that is threatening the corporate existence of Kaduna state citizens, especially in our schools. We are equally aware of efforts being made by the state government towards the recruitment of Kaduna State Vigilante Service to secure our Schools.

The union wishes to sincerely commend His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for the prompt payment of salaries to our teaming members across the entire state as at when due. The union however appealed to the Governor to ensure prompt payment of retiree benefits to ease the hardship being faced by them, Mr Dauda said.

He said ASUSS, like any other trade union, has enjoyed the goodwill of the Kaduna State Government while appealing to Mr El-rufai to facilitate the promotion of their members who have been delayed since 2020.

Mr Dauda assured its members that the union was working hard towards the implementation of the approved new retirement age for secondary school teachers in Kaduna State.

ASUSS is working in partnership with the office of the Head of Service, Kaduna State Ministry of Education, Kaduna Teachers Service Commission and other relevant stakeholders towards ensuring better welfare for our members in terms of recruitment, promotion and other welfare packages, the official said.
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) apprehended at least 79 terrorists and their collaborators in the North-east in the last two weeks.

Director, Defence Media Operations, Musa Danmadami, a major general, disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday at the bi-weekly news briefing on the operations of the armed forces.

Mr Danmadami said troops also eliminated many terrorists in land and air operations and rescued 14 abductees including two Chibok school girls during the period.

He said the two Chibok girls, Yana Pogu and Rejoice Senki, were rescued with their children.

They were rescued at Bula Davo village in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State and Kawur village in Konduga Local Government Area also in Borno alongside 12 other abductees.

Mr Danmadami also told journalists that troops arrested 29 Boko Haram terrorists and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) logistics suppliers in different locations within the period.

He said items recovered from them included 50 big bags of dry fish, two big sacks of fried meat, 55 jerry cans of petrol, N2.4 million and other sundry items.

He added that troops also apprehended a suspected ammunition technician at Gorom village in Monguno Local Government Area of Borno.

He said the technician had with him 300 empty cases of ammunition suspected to be used for fabricating 7.62mm special ammunition

Mr Danmadami said also that six suspected terrorists informants and collaborators including a foreigner were arrested at different locations.

Troops recovered six AK47 rifles, 14 AK47 magazines, one HK gun, one G3 rifle, 112 rounds of 7.62mm special, 285 rustled cattle and eight gallons of petrol within the period in focus.

Troops also neutralised 19 terrorists, arrested 42 suspected terrorists logistics suppliers and rescued three civilians.

A total of 418 terrorists, including their families, who claimed to have lost interest in the ideology of Boko Haram, surrendered to the military.

They comprise 44 adult males, 135 adult females and 239 children.

All recovered items and arrested Boko Haram terrorists were handed over to the appropriate authority for further action while surrendered terrorists and their families are being profiled for further action, Mr Danmadami said.

He said also that between 23 September and 28 September the air component of OPHK carried out air interdiction operations at identified terrorist enclaves at Kolaram and Bukar Meram both in the Southern Lake Chad region of Borno.

He said the air strikes resulted in the neutralisation of several terrorists and their structures destroyed.

The defence spokesperson said troops of Operation Hadarin Daji in the North-west also neutralised five terrorists, arrested seven others and rescued eight civilians in the last two weeks.

He said troops also conducted precision bombing on identified notorious terrorist leaders in Gwaska Dankaramis camp at Mashekari area in Zurmi Local Government Area and Sani Dangote Camp in Farara village in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Mr Danmadami said the airstrikes killed a suspected terrorist leader identified as Dogo Rabe and seven members of his gang, while others fled in disarray.

(NAN)
The chairperson of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, on Thursday, said the electoral umpire would deploy appropriate technology to protect the sanctity of the choice made by Nigerians at the polls at the 2023 general election.

Mr Yakubu spoke while delivering the keynote at the sixth annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Lagos.

The event had the theme 2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome.

Mr Yakubu said the technology will be deployed from voter registration to voter accreditation and result management.

He added that the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) with its dual fingerprint and facial biometric accreditation process has ensured that only genuine voters are accredited to vote during election.

This has curtailed the incidence of multiple voting and other sharp practices associated with voter accreditation during elections, he said.

The BVAS has come to stay and will be the only means by which voters will be accredited in the 2023 General Election.

He further noted that the introduction of the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal has made the result management procedure more transparent and polling unit results will be uploaded to the portal in real-time in the 2023 General Election.

Political campaigns

According to the INEC chair, 15,322 candidates will be contesting 1,491 seats in 2023.

This includes one presidential seat, 28 governorship, 109 senatorial, 360 House of Representatives, and 993 State Assembly constituencies.

The 2023 General Election is fast approaching.

It is now 141 days to Election Day. Polling Units will open at 8.30 am on Saturday 25 February 2023 for national elections (Presidential and National Assembly) and the same time on Saturday 11 March 2023 for State elections (Governorship and State Assembly).

Secondly, campaigns in public by political parties officially commenced eight days ago on Wednesday 28 September 2022.

Therefore, the tempo of political activities has increased as parties, candidates and their supporters commence campaigns, rallies, processions and media advertisements to canvas the support of the electorate.

He reiterated INECs commitment to credible elections, noting that Votes will continue to count and will be the sole determinant of the electoral outcome.

He urged political parties and candidates to carefully study the Electoral Act 2022 and familiarise themselves with their obligations and the penalties under the law.

Role of media

The INEC boss reiterated the importance of the commissions partnership with the media in ensuring a credible outcome in the electoral process and the battle against fake news.

As the Commission is doing its best to ensure a credible process, we also appeal to the media for a continuous partnership. Managing the electoral process for a credible outcome is the responsibility of all of us.

As campaign activities get underway, the media will continue to play an important role. A lot of the activities will take place in the media of which the new media is a critical player.

We must continue to work together against the spread of fake news, misinformation and disinformation that seek to create or exacerbate tension or de-legitimise processes and outcomes.

On fake news, he said GOCOP must lead a network or alliance of stakeholders to curb fake news engineered by unpatriotic individuals. Fake news is a threat to national security and all hands must be on deck to check it.

GOCOP should come out strongly in the battle against fake news which is a challenge to the electoral process going forward.

He assured that at INEC, the national interest comes first. We shall not pander to any partisan whims and caprices. We pledge to discharge our duties with the highest sense of responsibility and integrity.

The chairperson of the occasion, the Founder of the Centre for Alternative Policy Perspectives and Strategy (CAPPS), Umar Ardo, in his opening remarks said the deployment of technology in the electoral process will eliminate rigging and irregular voting.

For the first time in the history of this country, we have an INEC leadership that will conduct two consecutive elections, he said.

READ ALSO:

Weve never had it before. And so the experience from the previous election will be deployed in the next election and will help enhance the election which we also saw in the employment of technology to give credible elections.

The employment of technology to give credible elections will mean that certain key rigging schemes employed by politicians, especially incumbents, are going to be eliminated. we are going to eliminate multiple voting, he said.

He said the role of the media in helping to create a conducive environment for election is very critical, especially the social media.

When online publishing started, people will just write whatever they want and Im happy with the role of GOCOP, some of the problems will be addressed.

Chichi Aniagbolu-Okoye, from Ford Foundation, commended INEC for deploying technology to promote transparency and accountability in the electoral process.

GOCOP

In her welcome address, the GOCOP President, Maureen Chigbo, said if the stages that form the electoral processes, such as the recruitment of adhoc staff and printing of ballot papers are not well handled, they could undermine the electoral outcome.

Any stage of these election processes that are not handled well could undermine the electoral outcome, she said.

That is why as we journey towards the 2023 election, bearing in mind the concerns of the people, we felt that as a body of watchdogs of the society we should use our platform to better educate and inform the electorate albeit the people of Nigeria by getting the facts about the state of affairs with the planning and execution of the 2023 election.

On the other hand, the interventions of the panellists and contributions from the floor will also guide the electoral umpire in firming up preparations and the remaining processes for the election that has to do with security, law, and observer missions involving civil society organisations as represented in the carefully selected panellists.

The event also featured the induction of 13 new members of GOCOP selected from 38 applications received.

According to the president, GOCOP was borne out of the growing need to ensure that online publishers uphold the tenets of journalism in doing their jobs.

Election security

A former inspector general of police, Solomon Arase, noted that the role of the police in elections can be categorised into three: the pre-elections, the election Day and the post-election.

Speaking on the role of the police, he said they would ensure they escort ballot material to various polling units, ensure that the electorates, adhoc staff and everybody is safe during and after the elections.

He also recommended that the police should have someone knowledgeable and good at communication to manage the communication desk and also that INEC should prosecute offenders according to the law.
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has criticised the Kogi State Governments forced closure on Wednesday of the Obajana factory of Dangote Cement Plc.

The trade union said it feared the shutdown could have far-reaching implications for the economy as well as labour and investment.

Dangote Group, under which Dangote Cement operates, is one of Nigerias biggest employers of labour after the federal government.

You cannot use strong-arm tactics to shut them down or impose very severe restrictions on their operations simply to force them, MAN President Mansur Ahmed said at a press conference held ahead of the trade bodys 50th annual general meeting.

This is illegal and I believe that what has happened will not happen in a normal operating environment.

A security outfit had on Wednesday stormed the plant on the order of the Kogi government to seal it over dispute arising from the companys fiscal obligation to the state.

The government claims there was no evidence Mr Dangote properly acquired the company from the state government about two decades ago.

READ ALSO:

The News Agency of Nigeria Thursday referenced a report by Folashade Ayoade, the secretary to the state government, as disclosing that the ownership of Obajana Cement (formerly owned by the Kogi State Government) was wrongly transfered to Dangote Industries Limited and dismissing the transfer as invalid, null and void.

The report by a committee Mrs Ayoade headed proposed that the Kogi State Government should take steps to recover all accrued dividends from profits made over the years, including accrued interest on same.

Kingsley Fanwo, the commissioner for information, said Aliko Dangote, the chairman of the company, had not appeared before lawmakers despite an invitation sent to him.

Dangote Cement has not commented on the allegations. A company spokesperson did not respond when reached by phone Thursday.

The manufacturers association sought the involvement of the Ministry of Trade and Investment in resolving the conflict, according to Mr Ahmed, who added that Kogi State Government should have taken the honourable path of legal action instead.

We have no reason not to pay taxes to the Kogi State government as and when due and I am aware that Dangote Industries is one of the highest tax-payers in Nigeria, he said.

But, if indeed for whatever reason that there is a tax for the Kogi State government on Dangote, it has measures and ways of recovery and there is no justification to threaten the closure of that industry.
The slide cannot continue. Its fine to blame outsiders, particularly shamelessly complicit France, for what is going on in much of French West Africa. But leaders on the continent must, and should, be first to prevent the crime or tackle it when it appears. They must take responsibility or risk exposing their own houses to the spreading flame.

There is fire in Ouagadougou. And whos to say where its catching next? For the second time in eight months, the military in Burkina Faso struck in a palace coup that removed military leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.

The coup leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, cited the same excuses Damiba gave for seizing power in January as reasons for his removal; namely, that the government has proved incompetent in containing the spread of Islamic insurgency, leading to increasing loss of lives among military and civilian populations.

Things couldnt get worse for the land-locked country (with a population of 22 million) where 45% of the people live below the poverty level  one of Africas worst records.

Although things appear to have calmed down a bit as of the past weekend, Damiba, who overthrew the elected government of Roch Christian Kabore in January, was still threatening a potential outbreak of a fratricidal war that could make Liberia or Sierra Leone a childs play.

How he would achieve that from his Togo hideout may be farfetched. But if we keep in mind the current fragile state of Burkina Faso, which has been the scene of two coups in eight months, out of five coups in the subregion in two years, then there just might be cause to worry. Africa is playing with fire and doing so when the world has too many problems of its own, to care about the continent.

Times have changed. But its also fair to say that the sort of nonsense that happened in Ouagadougou last week or eight months ago might have been unlikely when the Class of President Olusegun Obasanjo was in power only about 20 years ago.

The mice can now play because Africas cats have lost their felinity. In 2003 when President Fradique de Menezes was visiting Abuja and a military band in Sao Tome and Principe announced the overthrow of his government, Obasanjo stepped up. He did not wait for orders to act.

He simply returned to Sao Tome with the embattled de Menezes in a Nigerian aircraft, asked the thugs to stand down and reinstated the elected president. Nigerias current President Muhammadu Buhari also rallied regional leaders to shoo away Yahya Jammeh in 2017, when he tried to play games after he had been defeated in the Gambian election.

But after Banjul, Buhari, like other regional leaders, almost overcome by insurgency at his doorstep, has gone soft. The shuttle diplomacy by ECOWAS since Mali fell to soldiers two years ago, before Niger and other countries also followed, has largely produced talk and more talk. Consequences, the only language bullies understand, has been conspicuously missing.

The regional body, African Union, is forlorn and weak. Member states struggling with the predations of COVID-19 and fluctuating commodity prices are buffeted by internal political tensions. The US is facing its own domestic problems, while the Russia-Ukraine war has left Europe in disarray by compounding already fragile supply chain problems and spooking fears of a third World War.

The greater danger is not only in what is missing, but also in what is filling the gap. Where there was public outrage at military coups a decade or more ago, there is growing acceptance of the aberration as norm now.

The public, tired of betrayal of trust by politicians, corruption, lack of accountability and the politics of exclusion, doesnt seem to care anymore who is in charge  soldiers or civilians. In fact, there is a dangerously growing nostalgia for military rule.

Although the successful elections in Kenya have been a bright spot, Africa, as they say, is largely on its own. Global institutions or countries that might have intervened to mitigate the rising cases of unconstitutional changes in government, are facing a crisis of comorbidity.

The regional body, African Union, is forlorn and weak. Member states struggling with the predations of COVID-19 and fluctuating commodity prices are buffeted by internal political tensions. The US is facing its own domestic problems, while the Russia-Ukraine war has left Europe in disarray by compounding already fragile supply chain problems and spooking fears of a third World War.

Of the two European powerhouses with strong African ties, one (France) is fast losing face and falling out of favour, while the other (Britain) is losing its way even at home.

Its true that the world has enjoyed considerably more peace since the end of the Cold War and battle-related deaths have declined significantly for decades. Its also true that in the last 30 years more countries around the world, including Africa, have embraced democratic forms of government and military coups have become unfashionable.

Yet, the subregion is facing a different kind of threat. The war in Syria and the destabilisation of Libya and the Sahel have had negative consequences on efforts by a number of countries in the subregion that are struggling to consolidate their democratic gains. Armed jihadists trying to find a new home have infiltrated the subregion.

They are exploiting long-standing poverty, corrupt leadership and local animosities to unleash a reign of terror from Mali to Chad and from Niger to the Northern parts of Nigeria. With one-fifth of governments in West Africa currently under military rule, minus two in Central Africa, for example, the subregion is, once again, a painful reminder of its ragged past.

indications from Sierra Leone ahead of next years general elections are not encouraging. That is how trouble starts. If the shenanigans of President Julius Maada Bio, including his heavy-handed treatment of the opposition, is not contained, that volatile country could be headed for serious post-election crisis, the end of which no one can determine. Medicine after death cannot become the norm.

And as we saw in Mali, Guinea and now in Burkina Faso  all French West African countries  frustration is spilling beyond borders and tarnishing France, perceived to be maliciously complicit.

Yet, despair is not a strategy. Neither is condonement or frustration. Africa cannot afford to roll back decades of significant progress in democratisation in a moment of self-justifying insanity. That needs to stop.

And two things are needed urgently. (1) Civil society groups on the continent must play a more active role in condemning the spate of military takeovers; and (2) however dire things might be across the continent, the African Union must take the lead, not just in speaking up against the gradual normalisation of military rule, but also in demonstrating that there would be serious consequences for unconstitutional changes in government.

The peer-review mechanism, which allowed leaders to compare notes and served as an early warning system of sorts, has broken down. It needs to be repaired immediately.

For example, indications from Sierra Leone ahead of next years general elections are not encouraging. That is how trouble starts. If the shenanigans of President Julius Maada Bio, including his heavy-handed treatment of the opposition, is not contained, that volatile country could be headed for serious post-election crisis, the end of which no one can determine. Medicine after death cannot become the norm.

Also, if Nigeria wants to be regarded as anything remotely resembling Africas powerhouse, it must quit its current pussyfooting. How can Buhari be comfortable to step down next year and retire to his cattle ranch in Daura with neighbouring countries infested by thugs?

How can the military general who was once, to put it bluntly, physically restrained by President Shehu Shagari from using troops in Nigerias 3rd Armoured Division to overrun Chadian incursion in Borno State in the 1980s not be worried that nothing has changed in spite of ECOWAS shuttle diplomacy to rein in regional military usurpers in the last two years? Buharis regression from Nigerias tough army general to the general of his cattle ranch, in Daura, is not good for him or the country. And its bad for the continent, too.

The slide cannot continue. Its fine to blame outsiders, particularly shamelessly complicit France, for what is going on in much of French West Africa. But leaders on the continent must, and should, be first to prevent the crime or tackle it when it appears. They must take responsibility or risk exposing their own houses to the spreading flame.

Azu Ishiekwene is Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP.
A woman has allegedly beaten a three-year-old girl to death in Amikwo, a community in Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State South-east Nigeria.

The suspect, Chinelo Udogu, reportedly dumped the victims body inside a bush in the community.

It was not clear when the incident happened.

Although both the victim and suspect are blood relations, the suspect was not her mother.

The victim was only placed under the care of the suspect, it was learnt.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP) were contacted about the incident.

When the NAPTIP officials got to the area, they forced the suspect to take them to where she had dumped the victims body.

A video clip of the NAPTIP visit has been circulating on various WhatsApp groups.

In the clip, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the suspect confessed to beating the victim. She is also seen pulling the decomposing body from the bush.

She claimed that after beating her, the victim started suffering convulsions which prompted her to take the child to a nearby hospital for treatment.

I beat her and she started having convulsions. I then took her to Kings (Hospital). On getting there, she died. So, I threw her body here, the suspect, Ms Udogu, confessed in Igbo language.

The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a statement on Thursday.

He said the suspect has been arrested by the police.

Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, told this newspaper that the suspects arrest followed a petition by the NAPTIP officials about the incident.

He said the body has been recovered.

The lesson for us to learn is that we should be cautious when angry and desist from going physical when correcting our children, the police spokesperson said.

Mr Ikenga said the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department and that the police have begun an investigation into the incident.
Federation Kids & Family and ZDF Studios handling worldwide sales

Hot on the heels of a hugely successful first season of the magic and Egyptology themed tween live action series THEODOSIA, premium kids content producer Cottonwood Media and leading German broadcaster ZDF are delighted to announce Season Two of the series, THEODOSIA AND THE OASIS OF MAGIC.

Based on the highly-acclaimed books by New York Times best-selling author Robin L. LaFevers, and set against the backdrop of Edwardian London and Egypt, the new season will feature a further 26 action-packed half hours bringing the series total to 52 episodes.

Currently in production, THEOSOSIA AND THE OASIS OF MAGIC is scheduled to commence filming in January 2023 across Belgium, Paris and Morocco. The new season sees Eloise Little reprising her role as the lead heroine and courageous adventurer Theo and welcomes the return of Frankie Minchella as her brother Henry, and Nana Agyeman-Bediako as friend/street musician Will, with some exciting new cast members to be announced shortly.

Its been 6 months since Theo and friends pushed the ancient Egyptian deity Aapep back under the Great Pyramid and threw away the key! In this new season we rejoin our heroes at a pivotal moment as they also face the ever-changing challenges of teenage life. In THEODOSIA AND THE OASIS OF MAGIC, the adventure begins when King Rameses IIs barge is installed at Theos familys world- famous Museum of Legends and Antiquities and its ancient magic triggers a whole new level of weirdness.

Desperate to prevent the barges power from destroying the museum and a good chunk of London, Theo tries to tame it, only for the barge to awaken spectacular new powers within her that she struggles to contain. Discovering the barge can transport her to the Nile on the trail of clues leading to an oasis of magic left by Rameses, this is no easy task especially as she has to juggle a new school, jealous boyfriend, and lovesick brother, whilst navigating all the dark forces of an ancient world.

THEODOSIA AND THE OASIS OF MAGIC is co-distributed internationally by Federation Kids & Family and ZDF Studios.

Nicole Keeb, Head of International Co-productions and Acquisitions, Children and Youth, ZDF, said: The mixture of adventure and suspense in old Egypt and Victorian London is breathtaking, and Season 2 will dive even deeper into this fascinating universe.

Arne Lohmann, VP Junior, ZDF Studios adds: We are delighted that millions of children all over the world have fallen in love with THEODOSIA and are eagerly waiting for this new season.

Co-founders of Cottonwood Media, David Michel, Cecile Lauritano & Zoe Carrera Allaix said: Viewers will be glued to their screens as Season Two ramps things up another notch with unexpected twists and turns, as well as gripping adventures, as our heroine also unearths an unexpected personal connection to Ancient Egypt. Having worked with ZDF on quite a few of our live action series over the years, its an absolute pleasure to see this synergistic partnership continuing to evolve.

THEODOSIA AND THE OASIS OF MAGIC will see the return of Matt Bloom and Alex Jacob as Lead Directors. Executive Producers for both seasons are Leila Smith (Find Me in Paris, Lockout) and Emmy-Award winning Joe Williams (Hank Zipzers Christmas Catastrophe, Young Dracula, Eve), with also Alexa Dosne as co-executive producer. The series is produced by Cottonwood Medias David Michel, Cecile Lauritano and Zoe Carrera Allaix.

Thanks to Cottonwood Medias German production office and ZDF originally spotting the potential for the Theodosia books to be made into a TV series, the first season of THEODOSIA which premiered earlier this year has been a huge hit with broadcasters and streamers alike, having previously been snapped up by the BBC, WarnerMedia Latin America for HBO Max Lat Am (excluding Brazil), HBO Max (US), Globo, France Televisions, Salto, France TV, OSN, Dreamia (Biggs Channel), and NPO to name just a few to date.

LC
ZUG, Switzerland, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The BSV Blockchain Association is pleased to announce that it will host a meetup to inaugurate its new Citadel office in India . Those interested in the event can register here.

The event will take place on the evening of October the 16th, 2022 (18:00 hrs onwards at the BHIVE Workspace, MG Road, Bengaluru) with the Managing Director of the BSV Blockchain Association, Patrick Prinz in attendance as a guest of honour. The event is an opportunity for developers, enthusiasts and professionals to meet, learn, discuss, network with and join the budding BSV community in India.

The new Citadel office is free for use by those in the BSV ecosystem and will play host to regular meetings, open days, and events. In addition to hosting meetups and events, the office will act as a co-working space for developers looking to build on BSV and defend the original Bitcoin as implemented by the BSV blockchain.

This forms part of a broader objective of connecting Indian BSV enthusiasts and entrepreneurs with the larger Indian blockchain community and growing its core base.

Mallikarjun Karra, an ambassador for BSV Blockchain Association in India, said: "India could provide the breakthrough that BSV is looking for in terms of mass adoption. As early adopters of this technology, we look forward to demonstrating the superpowers of BSV to industry, government bodies and academia in the country. Along with my co-founders, Rohan Sharan and Parimal Priyadarshi, I hope to work with the BSV Blockchain Association to create a large ecosystem of BSV developers, users, and entrepreneurs. Our primary goal with the Big Blockers Bharat Citadel (B3C) is to nurture a generation of pioneering big-blockers who shall successfully challenge the flawed wisdom surrounding blockchain consensus mechanisms, the so-called blockchain trilemma, and the concept of decentralisation."

About the BSV Blockchain Association

The BSV Blockchain Association is a non-profit association (Verein) in Switzerland and a global industry organisation which advances the BSV blockchain (BSV). It brings together enterprises, start-up ventures, developers, merchants, exchanges, service providers, blockchain transaction processors (miners), and others in the BSV ecosystem. The Association supports BSV as the original Bitcoin, with a stable protocol and massive scaling roadmap to becoming the world's new money and global blockchain for enterprise. The organisation seeks to build a regulation-friendly ecosystem that fosters lawful conduct while encouraging digital currency and blockchain innovation.

Lightning Sharks, on behalf of the BSV Blockchain Association

Key contact: Haris Khan, PR and Media Manager

Email: h.khan@lightningsharks.co.uk

Mobile: +44 (0) 7503 581 563

SOURCE BSV Blockchain Association
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 [email protected]

SOURCE BizClik
A deeper look into a Youtuber who went from a prison cell to a 6 figure income covering some of Hip-Hop's most infamous criminal cases.

BOSTON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 1090 Jake, a name that's become synonymous with criminal cases inside the world of Hip-Hop. At 28yrs old YouTube's new rising star has amassed over 850k Subscribers since 2019, and over 170 million views. A NoJumper interview from only 5 months ago has reached over 3.8 million views, making 1090 Jake one of NoJumpers biggest guests in recent years. The self proclaimed "6 figure felon" initially shared stories on his time imprisoned within the Florida Department of Corrections. His violent prison bid, gang ties, and ability to make a viewer feel as if they were reliving his own life experiences, quickly captivated an audience.

1090 Jake: YouTube's Rising Star

The biggest career move 1090 Jake made was leaving his own past in the past and covering current criminal cases. His unbiased/former criminal perspective would shine a new light on a dark underground world. While 1090 Jake covers lesser known cases, his coverage of some of raps biggest stars has propelled his channel into a similar path of DJ Akademiks. 1090 Jake has built a reputation on facts as his information comes directly from the source. While rumors have emerged that 1090 Jake has ties to police departments around the country, he knocks down ignorance with knowledge as all court documents he's accessed are publicly available if you're willing to do the digging.

With rappers turned snitches, to Rico cases and murders, 1090 Jake has covered it all and his channel End Of Sentence has reaped the benefits. The question now is what's next? It would be interesting to see if 1090 Jake makes the leap into hosting his own podcast and interviewing rappers/former criminals. In his early YouTube days he interviewed multiple people he actually was incarcerated with and showed he possessed the ability to host. We'll just have to wait and see what the future holds for 1090 Jake.

YouTube: End Of Sentence

Instagram: 1090_Jake

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE 1090 Jake
DUBLIN, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Automotive V2X Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global automotive V2X market size reached US$ 2.2 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 20.2 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 44.71% 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.



Automotive vehicle to everything (V2X) is a communication system that supports the real-time exchange of information between the cloud, infrastructure and vehicles. It assists in improving the experience of the driver by providing upcoming traffic warnings, alternative routes, and available parking spaces.

Besides this, it also helps avoid traffic, severity of injuries, road accident fatalities, and collision with other vehicles. As a result, it is integrated into conventional cars around the world for allowing drivers to receive information about approaching vehicles, weather patterns, road conditions and activities of other drivers, thereby safeguarding the vehicle and its passengers.



Due to the rising air pollution, environmental concerns and sales of vehicles worldwide, governing agencies of numerous countries are implementing strict regulations to minimize carbon emissions. This represents one of the major factors encouraging manufacturers to incorporate V2X technology into vehicles.

A significant rise in the number of road accidents is also propelling the need for automotive V2X to enhance fuel savings, traffic efficiency, and driver and road safety. Moreover, with rapid urbanization and inflating disposable incomes, the demand for intelligent and connected vehicles is escalating across the globe. V2X systems are incorporated into vehicles to allow minimized human intervention.

Besides this, the leading companies are offering hybrid solutions that involve 4G and 5G network access, dedicated short-range communication (DSRC), and cellular V2X communication to expand their existing consumer base and retain their position in the market. In confluence with this, the rising deployment of 5G technology and partnerships between cellular and transportation companies to deliver efficient and innovative transportation solutions are also contributing to the growth of the market.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Autotalks Ltd, Capgemini SE, Continental AG, HARMAN International (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.), Infineon Technologies AG, NXP Semiconductors, Qualcomm Technologies Inc, Robert Bosch GmbH and STMicroelectronics.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global automotive V2X market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global automotive V2X market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the communication?

What is the breakup of the market based on the connectivity?

What is the breakup of the market based on the vehicle type?

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 automotive V2X 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 Automotive V2X Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Communication

6.1 Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V)

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I)

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P)

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G)

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast

6.5 Vehicle-to-Cloud (V2C)

6.5.1 Market Trends

6.5.2 Market Forecast

6.6 Vehicle-to-Device (V2D)

6.6.1 Market Trends

6.6.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Connectivity

7.1 Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC)

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Cellular-V2X (C-V2X) Communication

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Vehicle Type

8.1 Passenger Cars

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Commercial Vehicles

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 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 Autotalks Ltd

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2 Capgemini SE

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 Continental AG

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 HARMAN International (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4.3 SWOT Analysis

14.3.5 Infineon Technologies AG

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5.3 Financials

14.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.6 NXP Semiconductors

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.6.3 Financials

14.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.7 Qualcomm Technologies Inc

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8 Robert Bosch GmbH

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8.3 SWOT Analysis

14.3.9 STMicroelectronics

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/w25d4y

Media Contact:

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Over 2.5 million teens use e-cigarettes with nearly half (46%) of high schoolers who vape doing so on a frequent basis putting a new generation at risk for a lifetime of nicotine addiction

Statement by Robin Koval, CEO and President of Truth Initiative

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The results of the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) released today show that the youth e-cigarette epidemic remains a serious public health threat driven by the actions of the tobacco industry to flood the market with cheap, youth-appealing flavored e-cigarettes while keeping brands already popular among teens easily accessible on shelves across the country. The vast majority of these products have not received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization, a requirement to legally enter the market. The industry is playing a dangerous game of "catch me if you can" with the FDA at the expense of young people's physical and mental health.

In 2022, over 2.5 million middle and high school students reported current e-cigarette use, a higher number than in 2021. Among all youth who currently used e-cigarettes, 42.3% used them on 20 or more of the past 30 days, with nearly half (46%) of high schoolers who vape doing so near daily, putting them on a trajectory for a potential lifetime of nicotine addiction and at increased risk for addiction to other substances.

This troubling news comes at a time when the U.S. Surgeon General has issued a national advisory on the youth mental health crisis which can connect to vaping nicotine. Many young people are turning to e-cigarettes to relieve stress, a myth that the tobacco industry continues to perpetuate, when in fact the opposite is true. Years of scientific, peer-reviewed research shows nicotine can amplify feelings of anxiety and depression and increase stress. Nicotine is also harmful to developing brains and its use during adolescence can disrupt the formation of brain circuits that control attention, learning, and susceptibility to addiction.

Today's announcement is disheartening but not surprising given the e-cigarette market overall is expected to have its best year yet with sales up 12% over last year. While sales data are not specific to youth, we know that youth prevalence of e-cigarette use is nearly four times that of adults, driven in large part by the broad availability and appeal of flavored products which are used by 84.9% of youth who vape, and the growing popularity of disposable products used by 55.3% of young e-cigarette users. Disposable products with flavors like "Cheesecake," "Bubble Gum," and "Strawberry Ice Cream," now make up 35% of the market, which is likely a significant understatement as retail sales scanner data are having trouble keeping up with the influx of products. The number of new product bar codes has more than tripled in less than a year, from nearly 500 in June 2021 to almost 1600 by March 2022. An expanding array of flavors using synthetic coolants are also hitting the market in flavors like "Banana Ice," "Strawberry Freeze," or "Frosted Apple," adding to the number of menthol and other cooling e-cigarettes available, which now represent 56% of e-cigarette sales.

We are calling on FDA's leadership to hit the reset button on the Premarket Tobacco Application (PMTA) process. The industry is gaming the system and the FDA needs to change its game plan as the application volume and flood of new products illegally on the market have become untenable. Simply put, 'pre-market' review is supposed to be conducted before any product is allowed on the market  not the 'post-market' process that is in actuality what we have today. All unauthorized e-cigarettes including flavors, menthol and disposables should be removed from the market immediately and no new product should be allowed on the shelf while FDA accelerates its pre-market review process to protect public health as the law intended and requires. It should prioritize the application reviews for tobacco derived and synthetic nicotine e-cigarette products that make up the majority of sales (65%) and are the most popular among youth.

Every day of delay allows for the continued proliferation of new, flavored e-cigarettes to hit the market and the top brands to remain readily accessible. These delays have major consequences: According to our Truth Longitudinal Cohort data, up to 2.5 million youth and young adults (aged 15-24 years) have started using e-cigarettes following the missed court-ordered FDA deadline of September 9, 2021, to review e-cigarette marketing applications. It also leaves smokers uncertain whether these products will truly help or are even safe to use.

In the meantime, bold actions taken by many states to remove flavored e-cigarettes and tobacco products from the market, and by public health organizations dedicated to ending youth tobacco use are having an impact and making progress, but we need more help to put an end to this epidemic that is putting a new generation at risk for nicotine addiction. Truth Initiative's peer-reviewed research shows that strong awareness of the nationally acclaimed truth campaign, which offers a holistic suite of products and services to empower young people to live free from smoking, vaping, and nicotine addiction, is significantly associated with lower likelihood of vaping among 15- to 24-year-olds. Further research shows truth brand awareness is associated with lower odds of both current e-cigarette use and intention to vape in the future. Our evidence-based, first-of-its-kind, free quit vaping program This is Quitting, the largest in the country and the only one that has been validated by peer-reviewed research, is helping nearly 500,000 young people on their journeys to quit vaping. Our digitally delivered, peer-led school curriculum, Vaping: Know the truth has reached over 460,000 students in almost 6,000 schools across the country. For more information on these programs visit truthinitiative.org.

About Truth Initiative

Truth Initiative is a national public health organization dedicated to achieving a culture where all young people reject smoking, vaping and nicotine and a future where tobacco and nicotine addiction are a thing of the past. In 2020, we celebrated 20 years of saving lives and preventing millions of youth from smoking. Our impact has helped drive the teen smoking rate down from 23% in 2000 to under 3% in 2021. The truth about tobacco and the tobacco industry are at the heart of our proven-effective and nationally recognized truth public education campaign. As youth e-cigarette use threatens to addict a new generation to nicotine, we are leading the fight against tobacco and nicotine addiction in all forms. Our rigorous scientific research and policy studies, community and youth engagement programs supporting populations at high risk of using tobacco, and innovation in tobacco dependence treatment are also helping to end one of the most critical public health battles of our time. Based in Washington D.C., our organization, formerly known as the American Legacy Foundation, was established and funded through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. To learn more, visit truthinitiative.org.

SOURCE Truth Initiative
DUBLIN, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Metal Replacement Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global metal replacement market size reached US$ 153.5 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 257.43 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 9% 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.



Metal replacement refers to the substitution of metals with high-performance polymers, ceramics and composites. Some of the commonly used metal replacement materials include polycarbonates, polyamides, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), thermoplastic polyester, fluoropolymers and polyacetals.

In comparison to the traditionally used metals, they are lightweight and offer enhanced material performance, cost-effectiveness, thermal, acoustic, electrical and vibration insulation and corrosion and chemical resistance. They are also convenient to manufacture and can be molded into complex shapes. As a result, they find extensive application across various industries, including aerospace, defense, automotive, healthcare and construction.



The increasing adoption of engineering plastics across industries is one of the key factors driving the growth of the market. Moreover, the widespread adoption of metal replacement in the aerospace and automotive industries is providing a thrust to the market growth. Metal replacing materials exhibit superior mechanical strength and heat resistance and are widely used for the manufacturing of connectors, under-the-hood components, reflectors and lighting sockets.

They are also used for the production of lightweight and compact aerospace components that exhibit enhanced structural strength and durability. In line with this, the widespread adoption of polyphenylsulfone for medical and high-temperature applications is also contributing to the growth of the market.

Additionally, the increasing utilization of metal replacement in residential and commercial construction projects is acting as another growth-inducing factor. These materials are utilized to substitute steel rods, concrete reinforcements and produce effective sewage systems. Other factors, including the increasing requirement for lightweight components across industries, along with extensive research and development (R&D) activities, are anticipated to drive the market toward growth.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being A.K. Industries Inc., Asahi Kasei Corporation, Aztec Plastic Company, BASF SE, Celanese Corporation, China Jushi Co.Ltd., DOMO Chemicals GmbH, DuPont de Nemours Inc., SGL Carbon SE, Solvay S.A., Toray Industries Inc. and Victrex plc.



Key Questions Answered in This Report

1. What was the size of the global metal replacement market in 2021?

2. What is the expected growth rate of the global metal replacement market during 2022- 2027?

3. What are the key factors driving the global metal replacement market?

4. What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global metal replacement market?

5. What is the breakup of the global metal replacement market based on the type?

6. What is the breakup of the global metal replacement market based on the end use industry?

7. What are the key regions in the global metal replacement market?

8. Who are the key players/companies in the global metal replacement market?



Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Metal Replacement 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 Engineering Plastics

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Key Segments

6.1.2.1 Polyamide

6.1.2.2 Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

6.1.2.3 Thermoplastic Polyesters

6.1.2.4 Polycarbonates

6.1.2.5 Others

6.1.3 Market Forecast

6.2 Composites

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Key Segments

6.2.2.1 Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic

6.2.2.2 Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic

6.2.3 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by End Use Industry

7.1 Automotive

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Aerospace and Defense

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Construction

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

7.4 Packaging

7.4.1 Market Trends

7.4.2 Market Forecast

7.5 Consumer Goods

7.5.1 Market Trends

7.5.2 Market Forecast

7.6 Healthcare

7.6.1 Market Trends

7.6.2 Market Forecast

7.7 Transportation

7.7.1 Market Trends

7.7.2 Market Forecast

7.8 Others

7.8.1 Market Trends

7.8.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Region



9 SWOT Analysis



10 Value Chain Analysis



11 Porters Five Forces Analysis



12 Price Analysis



13 Competitive Landscape

13.1 Market Structure

13.2 Key Players

13.3 Profiles of Key Players

13.3.1 A.K. Industries Inc.

13.3.1.1 Company Overview

13.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.2 Asahi Kasei Corporation

13.3.2.1 Company Overview

13.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.2.3 Financials

13.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.3 Aztec Plastic Company

13.3.3.1 Company Overview

13.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.4 BASF SE

13.3.4.1 Company Overview

13.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.4.3 Financials

13.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.5 Celanese Corporation

13.3.5.1 Company Overview

13.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.5.3 Financials

13.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.6 China Jushi Co.Ltd.

13.3.6.1 Company Overview

13.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.6.3 Financials

13.3.7 DOMO Chemicals GmbH

13.3.7.1 Company Overview

13.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.8 DuPont de Nemours Inc.

13.3.8.1 Company Overview

13.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.8.3 Financials

13.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.9 SGL Carbon SE

13.3.9.1 Company Overview

13.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.9.3 Financials

13.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.10 Solvay S.A.

13.3.10.1 Company Overview

13.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.10.3 Financials

13.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.11 Toray Industries Inc.

13.3.11.1 Company Overview

13.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.11.3 Financials

13.3.11.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.12 Victrex plc

13.3.12.1 Company Overview

13.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.12.3 Financials

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nj90di

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
The rising prevalence of heart attacks, owing to individuals' poor lifestyle choices, is expected to expand the patient pool for the Anticoagulants Market throughout the forecast period.

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Verified Market Research recently published a report, "Anticoagulants Market" By Drug Class (NOACs, Heparin & LMWH, Vitamin K Antagonist), By Route (Oral Anticoagulant, Injectable Anticoagulant), By Application (Atrial Fibrillation & Heart Attack, Stroke), and By Geography.



According to the extensive research done by Verified Market Research experts, the Anticoagulants Market size was valued at USD 25.81 Billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 56.16 Billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 10.20% from 2021 to 2028.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/download-sample/?rid=10695

Browse in-depth TOC on "Anticoagulants Market"

202 - Pages

126  Tables

37  Figures

Global Anticoagulants Market Overview

Anticoagulants are medications that reduce the danger of blood clots in the body. Platelets cling together and proteins in the blood bind together to form a solid mass, which is how blood clots develop. Blood clots, in general, serve a crucial function in halting external bleeding caused by any skin injury. Blood clots, on the other hand, can be harmful because they can restrict blood circulation. Clots in the arteries or the heart can restrict blood flow and result in a heart attack. Clots in blood vessels in the brain can result in a stroke. Anticoagulants prevent platelets from attaching to one another and clotting proteins from interacting with one another. These are often used to treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism, atrial fibrillation, and the management of high and moderate stroke risk.

The global anticoagulants market is expected to expand significantly during the forecast period, owing to an increase in the prevalence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and cardiovascular disorders, increased adoption of novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs), and increased awareness of NOACs in the developing region. Furthermore, an increase in the number of obese and aged people, increased unmet needs, and a surge in demand for innovative therapies all contribute to market growth. The global Anticoagulants Market is being driven by an ageing population. Additionally, increased R&D expenditure in the pharmaceutical sector, as well as the development of novel oral anticoagulants medications, have fueled the expansion of this market. A prominent trend in the worldwide Anticoagulants Market is the increasing number of mergers and acquisitions of medication manufacturing businesses.

Key Developments

Partnerships, Collaborations and Agreements

On October 2021 , Twist Bioscience, a high-quality synthetic DNA provider, entered a broad-based research collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH to use Twist's proprietary antibody libraries to discover therapeutic relationships antibodies against multiple targets provided by Boehringer Ingelheim.

Mergers and Acquisitions

On September 2020 , Mylan N.V. announced that the company had signed an agreement to acquire Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited's thrombosis business in Europe . This acquisition will help the company be positioned as the second-largest supplier of injectable anticoagulant products to patients in Europe .

Product Launches and Product Expansions

On August 2020 , Bristol-Myers Squibb, in alliance with Pfizer, announced that the U.S District Court upheld their composition of matter patent and formulation patent covering their Eliquis Apixaban anticoagulants.

Key Players

The major players in the market are Aspen Holdings, Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Johnson & Johnson (Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.), Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, GlaxoSmithKline plc., Pfizer, Inc., Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sanofi S.A.

Verified Market Research has segmented the Global Anticoagulants Market On the basis of Drug Class, Route, Application, and Geography.

Anticoagulants Market, by Drug Class

NOACs



Heparin & LMWH



Vitamin K Antagonist



Others

Anticoagulants Market, by Route

Oral Anticoagulant



Injectable Anticoagulant

Anticoagulants Market, by Application

Atrial Fibrillation & Heart Attack



Stroke



Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)



Pulmonary Embolism (PE)



Others

Anticoagulants Market, by Geography

North America



U.S





Canada





Mexico



Europe



Germany





France





U.K





Rest of Europe



Asia Pacific



China





Japan





India





Rest of Asia Pacific



ROW



Middle East & Africa

&



Latin America

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Plasma Fractionation Market By Product (Coagulation Factors, Immunoglobulins, Protease Inhibitors, Anticoagulants, Albumins), By Application (Hematology, Hemato-Oncology, Rheumatology, Immunology, Neurology), By Geography, And Forecast

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Top 9 Cardiac Pacemaker Devices pumping the healthcare industry around the world

Visualize Anticoagulants Market using Verified Market Intelligence -:

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SOURCE Verified Market Research
VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp. (TSXV: LIT) (FSE: OAY3) (OTC: PNXLF), ("Argentina Lithium" or the "Company") is pleased to announce two new option agreements at lithium salars in Argentina. The Company has entered into an option agreement with a local vendor to earn a 100% interest in four contiguous mine concessions totalling 791.3 hectares at the Salar de Rincon (the "Paso de Sico option"). The Company has also entered into a second option agreement with a second local vendor to earn a 100% interest in a single mine concession measuring 843.5 hectares at the Salar de Antofalla (the "Volcan option").

Nikolaos Cacos, President and CEO, stated "The Rincon and Antofalla salars have been our focus for property acquisitions, for their potential for high-grade lithium resources and their favorable locations. Each of these new properties border landmark projects operated by major producers, where large resources have already been defined. Our new properties represent significant increases to the resource potential for our Rincon West and Antofalla North projects. The exploration team will now incorporate the new areas into our ongoing and near-term exploration programs."

Argentina Lithium's Rincon West project, located in Salta province, includes both 100% held and optioned properties (see News Release dated July 21, 2022). The project now totals 3742.8 hectares with the Paso de Sico acquisition.

Argentina Lithium's Antofalla North project, located within Salta and Catamarca provinces, includes both 100% held and optioned properties (see News Release dated April 11, 2022). With the Volcan acquisition, the Company controls 15,830.5 hectares at Antofalla for exploration and development.

Map 1 shows the Paso de Sico option properties in relation to Argentina Lithium's Rincon West project, where exploration drilling is currently underway. International Highway 51 passes the northern edge of the Paso de Sico property.

Map 2 shows the Volcan option property in relation to Argentina Lithium's Antofalla North project. The northern tip of the Company's Incahuasi brine project is shown in the lower-right portion of the map.

Option Agreement Details

Terms of the Paso de Sico option include cash payments totalling US$1,500,000 paid over two years, including obligatory payment commitments totalling US$300,000 in the first six months. The option grants a 3% NSR to the Vendor, which can be purchased by the Company for an additional US$1.5MM. The Paso de Sico option agreement also includes a total of US$2.3MM of exploration and development expenditures over a three-year period.

Terms of the Volcan option include cash payments totalling US$590,000 paid over three years, including the obligatory payment of US$40,000 at the time of signing. The option grants a 1% NSR to the Vendor, which can be purchased by the Company for an additional US$1.3MM.

Qualified Person

David Terry, Ph.D., P.Geo. is the Company's Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. The contents of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Dr. Terry.

About Argentina Lithium

Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp is focused on acquiring high quality lithium projects in Argentina and advancing them towards production in order to meet the growing global demand from the battery sector. The management group has a long history of success in the resource sector of Argentina and has assembled a first-rate team of experts to acquire and advance the best lithium properties in the "Lithium Triangle". The Company is a member of the Grosso Group, a resource management group that has pioneered exploration in Argentina since 1993.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Nikolaos Cacos"

Nikolaos Cacos, President, CEO and Director

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 may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, statements about the Company's plans for its mineral properties; the Company's business strategy, plans and outlooks; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; and future exploration and operating plans are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and, even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of COVID-19; risks and uncertainties related to the ability to obtain, amend, or maintain licenses, permits, or surface rights; risks associated with technical difficulties in connection with mining activities; and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company's public disclosure documents for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected future results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, unless required pursuant to applicable laws. We advise U.S. investors that the SEC's mining guidelines strictly prohibit information of this type in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on our properties.

SOURCE Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp.
ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG) will release its third quarter 2022 earnings after the market closes on Thursday, October 27, 2022. A printer-friendly format will be available on the company's website shortly thereafter.

In conjunction with this release, J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO, will host a conference call on Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 5:15 pm ET/4:15 pm CT.

The conference call will be broadcast live through Gallagher's website at www.ajg.com and a conference call replay will be available on the company's website approximately two hours after the broadcast. The replay can be accessed by going to Investor Relations and clicking on Events & Presentations.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Gallagher provides these services in approximately 130 countries around the world through its owned operations and a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Contact:

Ray Iardella

VP - Investor Relations

(630) 285-3661  [email protected]

SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Five Hicks Thomas partners earn repeat honors

HOUSTON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hicks Thomas LLP is being honored for a fourth straight year by Benchmark Litigation, an internationally recognized guide to the top litigation firms and lawyers. The firm is recognized for excellence in dispute resolution in the guide's 2023 listings, while firm partners John B. Thomas, Robin Harrison, Jay Old, Courtney Ervin, and Stewart Hoffer earned individual honors.

Released annually, the Benchmark Litigation guide focuses exclusively on litigation. The selections are made based on extensive research including rigorous analysis of casework, reviews from fellow litigators, and feedback from clients.

"This is an incredibly hardworking group of lawyers," said Mr. Thomas, a respected commercial litigator who is named a Local Litigation Star for his work in the oil and gas industry. "I am very proud of the work we do so it's great to be recognized by both our clients and others in the legal industry."

Mr. Thomas has more than three decades of experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts. His clients have included individuals and companies in a wide variety of cases involving oil and gas, banking, securities, environmental disputes, and intellectual property.

Mr. Harrison, who is named a Local Litigation Star, has amassed a string of high-profile victories in both trials and arbitrations over the course of more than 35 years representing clients from both sides of the docket, both domestically and abroad. He is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, with experience handling disputes involving claims of fraud and misrepresentation, professional liability, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty.

Recognized as a Local Litigation Star, Mr. Old is a 30-year veteran in handling complex commercial and insurance litigation cases. He is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

Ms. Ervin, who is named a Future Star, focuses her practice on energy and insurance litigation and has an extensive history representing clients in complex business litigation cases. She has experience handling cases involving construction, real estate, private equity, information technology, and health care. She has also earned recognition on the Legal 500 list of top Energy Litigators.

Named a Labor and Employment Star, Mr. Hoffer is a seasoned trial lawyer, Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He has served as lead counsel for both publicly traded and privately held companies across the country, and has a successful record litigating complex commercial, intellectual property, and labor and employment cases.

Both Mr. Thomas and Mr. Harrison have been recognized for their work by leading legal ranking service Chambers USA, and all five Hicks Thomas honorees are listed in the peer-review guides Texas Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America. You can read more online about the Hicks Thomas Benchmark Litigation rankings here.

Founded in 1997, Texas-based Hicks Thomas LLP is a premier litigation firm representing plaintiffs and defendants across the nation. With offices in Houston, Austin, Beaumont, Amarillo, and Sacramento, California, the firm provides in-depth experience in cases involving oil and gas, environmental, complex commercial, toxic tort, construction, products liability, corporate governance, securities, banking, insurance coverage, transportation, trade secrets and business litigation. Visit the firm at http://www.hicks-thomas.com.

Media Contact:

April Arias

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Hicks Thomas LLP
Food Donations, 10% of Sales to Florida Disaster Fund and Blood Drive

AVENTURA, Fla., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Benihana Inc., the nation's leading owner and operator of Japanese teppanyaki and sushi restaurants, today announced it will support those impacted by Hurricane Ian by donating 10% of sales from all of its Florida Benihana, Samurai and RA Sushi restaurants from Saturday, October 15 through October 18 to the Florida Disaster Fund. Additionally, the Company plans to provide food donations by joining efforts with the state of Florida and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association by traveling to the hurricane-damaged areas as soon as possible to feed both the victims and first responders.

"Our Company's mission includes engaging and enhancing our communities and we want to do everything we can to help all of our neighbors in southwest Florida as they strive to recover from this catastrophic hurricane. With our Restaurant Support Center being located in Aventura, FL, we have many employees volunteering to drive across the state to feed those affected. We are happy to donate 10% of all sales from all of our Benihana, Samurai and RA Sushi Florida restaurants October 15-18 to the Florida Disaster Fund," said Tom Baldwin, Chief Executive Officer and President of Benihana. "We also plan to host a blood drive this month to help anyone who may be in need."

Benihana, Samurai and RA Sushi are also supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month throughout October by donating $2 from the sale of select drinks, sushi and ice cream menu items to The American Cancer Society. And our restaurants support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital with an annual fundraising campaign from the sale of select menus items throughout the year.

About Benihana Inc.

Benihana, through its subsidiaries, is the nation's leading operator of Japanese teppanyaki and sushi restaurants with more than 100 restaurants operating under the brands BENIHANA, RA SUSHI, and SAMURAI, including franchised BENIHANA restaurants in the United States, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

About Florida Disaster Fund

The Florida Disaster Fund is the State of Florida's official private fund established to assist Florida's communities as they respond to and recover during times of emergency or disaster. In partnership with the public sector, private sector and other non-governmental organizations, the Florida Disaster Fund supports response and recovery activities. Donations to the Florida Disaster Fund are made to the Volunteer Florida Foundation, a 509(a)(3) Type I charitable organization (EIN# 01-0973168), and are tax deductible. For Hurricane Ian, all administrative and credit card fees have been waived so that 100% of every donation can be used to help Floridians recover.

Contact:

Jeannie Means / [email protected]

SOURCE Benihana Inc.
MELBOURNE, Fla., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pet Flavors, LLC ("Pet Flavors" or the "Company"), a market-leading producer of pharmaceutical-grade flavor bases and palatants used in chewable pharmaceuticals for pets, has announced the appointments of David Medina as Vice President, Commercial and Business Development, and Cathy Martin as Vice President, Marketing and Strategy. Pet Flavors is backed by Bessemer Investors LLC ("Bessemer"), a New York-based investment firm that partners with middle-market businesses to support growth and enhance value creation.

Founded in 1990, Melbourne, FL-based Pet Flavors uses high-quality U.S.-sourced ingredients for its flavor bases, which are made exclusively at the Company's USDA-licensed facility. Bessemer acquired a stake in the Company as its platform investment in the companion animal health industry.

"We are excited to welcome David and Cathy to Pet Flavors," said Founder and CEO Mark Pieloch. "David brings a strong medical and pharmaceutical background to the Company, as well as extensive knowledge of the animal health industry. Cathy has a proven track record in innovation, enabling revenue growth and market expansion and a collaborative, authentic leadership style that allows her to build an engaged, effective team."

Dr. Medina began his career as a veterinarian before moving into the commercial side of the animal health industry. Most recently, he was Senior Marketing Director of Therapeutics and Vaccines at Elanco, where he was in charge of marketing strategy in the U.S. His previous positions include Vice President and General Manager of Bayer Animal Health Canada, Director of Business Development and Licensing for North America for Dairy Innovation for Bayer Animal Health, and Group Director of Business Development and Strategic Alliances for Zoetis.

"I am very much looking forward to joining Mark and the team at Pet Flavors, and helping capitalize on the Company's potential for growth," said Dr. Medina. "A primary focus of my professional journey has been using innovation to strengthen the human-animal health bond, which is one of the key drivers at Pet Flavors.

Ms. Martin joins Pet Flavors from Elanco, where she was Executive Director of U.S. Parasiticides and Pet Health. Previous positions during her 18-year tenure there include Executive Director of Integration, Senior Director of U.S. Pet Health and Strategy, and Senior Director of Companion Animal Marketing. She began her career as a Marketing and Product Manager for Hill's Pet Nutrition.

"I'm excited to bring my experience in global, regional and affiliate marketing, as well as the knowledge I've gained launching industry-shaping products, to Pet Flavors," said Ms. Martin. "The Company's commitment to quality and execution will be a great asset as we work together increase the presence of its flavor bases in the market."

Andrew Mendelsohn, Principal at Bessemer, added, "David's wealth of implementation experience in animal pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals and Cathy's ability to address complex marketing challenges in U.S. and global markets add strategic depth to the Pet Flavors leadership team. Both David and Cathy will play key roles in maximizing the value that Pet Flavors and our portfolio of flavoring products bring to the animal health Industry."

About Pet Flavors

Based in Melbourne, Florida, Pet Flavors produces pharmaceutical grade flavor bases used in pharmaceuticals and nutritional supplement products consumed by pets. Using only high-quality U.S.-sourced ingredients, the company's flavor bases are preservative free, grain free, and contain no artificial coloring. The flavors are made exclusively at Pet Flavors' USDA-inspected and approved Melbourne facility and are tested by an independent U.S.-based FDA/USDA approved laboratory to guarantee that all physical, chemical and microbiological specifications are met. Pet Flavors' flavor bases are sold in the U.S., Canada, Europe, India, Brazil, and Mexico.

About Bessemer Investors

Bessemer Investors is a New York-based investment firm focused on partnering with middle market businesses to support growth and enhance value creation. Bessemer differentiates itself by combining a long-term, flexible capital base with a team of experienced private equity professionals. This approach offers unique solutions to Bessemer's partners and the flexibility to maximize long-term value. For further information, please visit https://www.bessemerinvestors.com.

Contact:

Joanne Lessner

Lambert

212-222-7436

[email protected]

SOURCE Bessemer Investors
ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BioPhotas Inc., manufacturers of the award-winning Celluma SERIES of light therapy devices, recently welcomed Curtis Cluff as its new President and Chief Financial Officer. In this newly created role, Curtis will report to Patrick Johnson, Chief Executive Officer and inventor of the Celluma, supporting strategic expansion inside and outside the US, as well as build a strong financial structure in support of that growth.

Curtis Cluff

Commenting on the development, Patrick Johnson said, "Curtis brings more than 20 years of industry leadership experience building or creating several successful aesthetic medical and consumer skincare brands. Most recently, Curtis has served as the CEO for WalDin, developing a global retail presence for their Mila Moursi Paris Luxury skincare brand."

Curtis' numerous prior executive roles include CEO of Envy Medical (subsequently acquired by Allergan) where he established the SilkPeel dermal infusion as a leading aesthetic medical brand of in-office treatment devices and skincare for treating skin tone and texture issues of the face and body. Other previous roles include serving as President/COO for Colorescience Inc. (acquired by SkinMedica), as well as a number of executive roles for Obagi Medical Products, Inc., where he was a primary architect in building the company into the #1 professional skin care brand in the United States, establishing a strong global presence, and undertaking their initial public offering.

"I am very excited to join such an accomplished team that is dedicated to improving quality of life on such a global scale," said Curtis. "With FDA clearance in four major market segments to date and more to come, the Celluma is a phenomenal treatment platform in the professional channel, and very attractive at-home consumer applications." The Celluma's patented technologies deliver exceptional treatment results at a lower relative cost, bringing the vast therapeutic benefits affordably to the masses.

Further commenting, Mr. Johnson said, "I am pleased to have someone with Curtis's track record for transformative business leadership on the Celluma Team as we position the company for this next phase of growth. His understanding of both medical aesthetics and consumer markets are the perfect fit as we push the vision of the company forward."

Curtis began his career as a CPA with Deloitte and has a degree in Business Administration from California Polytechnic University.

About Biophotas, Inc.

In providing unique devices founded on NASA-developed technology and backed by clinical studies, BioPhotas, manufacturer of the Celluma SERIES of light therapy devices, is bringing to market safe, effective and affordable devices that unlock the clinical power of biophotonics. BioPhotas develops and markets devices for healthcare providers and consumers that conveniently treat a variety of skin, muscle and joint conditions. For more information about the Celluma, please visit www.celluma.com.

Media Contact:

Patrick Johnson

714.978.0080

[email protected]

SOURCE Celluma Light Therapy by BioPhotas
The Smithfield Town Council approves the rezoning of land near JNX Airport that clears the path for further development of the site including additional office facilities and a hotel.

SMITHFIELD, N.C., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Line Aviation, a nationally recognized leader in career pilot training, gained approval from the Smithfield Town Council for the rezoning of a parcel of land adjacent to the Johnston Regional Airport. Blue Line purchased the property in October of 2021 and immediately began work to move the property into a zoning structure that allowed the development of the site.

Blue Line Aviation Gains Rezoning Approval for Development Site

In 2021, Blue Line completed construction on a new, large headquarters and training center at the adjacent Johnston Regional Airport. Moving all its operations from Raleigh, Blue Line went all in on Johnston County.

Purchasing and developing this additional space was intended to allow Blue Line to expand its footprint and build an entire professional pilot training "campus" complete with flight training, simulator training, office space, restaurant, aircraft maintenance, vehicle parking, and an on-site student dormitory. Additionally, the zoning approval allows eventual further development of the site to include additional office facilities and a Hotel site.

"With the lack of available space on the airport, and a relatively uncooperative airport authority, development of this became a critical component of Blue Line's growth plan. We are pleased that the town council sees value in our project and is supportive of our core values of Excellence, Integrity, Innovation, Safety, and Accountability. This project is good for the town, the taxpayers, and Blue Line," says Adam Walters, Blue Line's President.

Trey Walters, Blue Line's co-founder and Shareholder, also voiced support for this project and approval. "Blue Line is excited to pursue this development and other growth opportunities nationwide as we continue to expand the brand to serve a larger audience, to help do our part to ease the pain travelers feel due to the airline pilot shortage. I am further pleased that we were able to obtain this approval without compromising any of our core values. We give God the glory for our continued success and look to Him for guidance as we navigate the road ahead."

Blue Line Aviation takes students from zero experience to professional pilots in as little as 5  months. Their Johnston County facility is brand new and allows students to be completely immersed in their training and education. Graduates of the career pilot program become eligible for jobs with a median pay in 2021 of $134,630 according to the bureau of labor statistics.

About Blue Line Aviation

Blue Line Aviation is located at 3149B Swift Creek Road, in Smithfield, North Carolina, and was established in 2012. As one of only a few flight schools in the world to provide quality flight training programs at an accelerated pace. In less than six months, students can go from no experience to fully confident and certified pilots, fully prepared for a career in aviation. For more inquiries and additional information, please visit our website, find us on social media, or contact Ashley Tucker, our Vice President of Sales and Marketing, at (919) 578-3713 ext. 305.

PRESS CONTACT

Ashley Tucker

(919) 578-3713 ext. 305

https://www.bluelineaviation.com/

SOURCE Blue Line Aviation
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The bring your own device (BYOD) market will be driven by factors such as the reduced hardware cost for enterprises. BYOD is becoming popular, as employees prefer using their own devices, which makes them more productive and increases the probability of innovation. BYOD offers benefits such as cost savings, as they need not spend significantly on expensive devices. Such factors will contribute to the growth of the global BYOD market during the forecast period.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Bring your own Device (BYOD) Market 2022-2026

The global bring your own device (BYOD) market size is expected to grow by USD 69.07 billion from 2021 to 2026. In addition, the growth momentum of the market will accelerate at a CAGR of 15.06% during the forecast period, according to Technavio.

Find a comprehensive report summary describing the market size and forecast along with research methodology. The FREE sample report is available in PDF format

Global Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Market: Trends and Challenges

The adoption of BYOD in SMEs is a trend in the market. Enterprise mobility solutions help SMEs improve customer services and satisfaction, increase their revenues, and reduce the cost of acquiring customers. This trend is leading to a reduction in the use of desktops, with the advent of Internet-enabled wireless gadgets such as smartphones, PDAs, and tablets. SMEs are focusing on 3G/4G wireless routers, and the market is expected to experience constant growth during the forecast period owing to abundant mobility benefits. These factors will boost the growth of the global BYOD market.

Infrastructure constraints and connectivity issues will challenge the growth of the bring your own device (BYOD) market during the forecast period. Several developing countries lack the infrastructure and connectivity for implementing BYOD policies. The low Internet speed and latency as well as poor infrastructure will negatively impact the adoption of enterprise mobile devices. Such factors will challenge the growth of the global BYOD market during the forecast period.

Global Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Market: End-user

By end-user, the market has been segmented into healthcare, retail, energy and utilities, government, and others. The healthcare segment will be the largest contributor to market growth during the forecast period. Many hospitals and healthcare organizations are shifting to mobile health (mHealth), which requires employees to use their own personal devices. These factors are driving the growth of this segment

Global Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Market: Geographic Landscape

By geography, the market has been segmented into North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and the Middle East and Africa. North America will account for 35% of the market's growth during the forecast period. This growth is attributed to factors such as the rise in the adoption of smartphones and tablets. The US and Canada are the key countries for the bring your own device (BYOD) market in North America.

Learn about the contribution of each segment summarized in concise infographics and thorough descriptions. View a FREE PDF Sample Report

Global Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Market: Companies Covered

42Gears Mobility Systems Pvt Ltd

ALE International

BlackBerry Ltd

Cisco Systems Inc.

Citrix Systems Inc.

HCS Technology Group

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.

International Business Machines Corp.

Lookout Inc.

Miradore Oy

Mitsogo Inc

Oracle Corp.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

SAP SE

Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd.

Verizon Communications Inc.

VMware Inc.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Market 2022-2026: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026

Detailed information on factors that will assist in the bring your own device (BYOD) market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the bring your own device (BYOD) market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the bring your own device (BYOD) market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of bringing your own device (BYOD) market vendors

Related Reports

5G IoT Roaming Market by End-user and Geography Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The 5G Internet of Things (IoT) Roaming market share is expected to increase by USD 1.58 billion from 2021 to 2026.

Rugged Handheld Devices Market by Type, End-user, Product, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The rugged handheld devices market share is expected to increase by USD 1.85 billion from 2021 to 2026.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 15.06% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 69.07 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 14.1 Regional analysis North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 35% Key consumer countries US, Canada, China, India, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled 42Gears Mobility Systems Pvt Ltd, ALE International, BlackBerry Ltd, Cisco Systems Inc., Citrix Systems Inc., HCS Technology Group, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., International Business Machines Corp., Lookout Inc., Miradore Oy, Mitsogo Inc, Oracle Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SAP SE, Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd., Verizon Communications Inc., and VMware Inc. 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.

Browse Information Technology Market Reports

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 Incremental Growth



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 09: Parent market



Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 12: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by End-user

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 24: Chart on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 25: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by End-user

Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by End-user



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by End-user

5.3 Healthcare - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 28: Chart on Healthcare - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 29: Data Table on Healthcare - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 30: Chart on Healthcare - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Healthcare - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Retail - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 32: Chart on Retail - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Retail - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 34: Chart on Retail - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Retail - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Energy and utilities - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 36: Chart on Energy and utilities - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Energy and utilities - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 38: Chart on Energy and utilities - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Energy and utilities - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.6 Government - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 40: Chart on Government - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Government - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 42: Chart on Government - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on Government - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.7 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 44: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 45: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 46: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 47: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.8 Market opportunity by End-user

Exhibit 48: Market opportunity by End-user ($ million)

6 Customer Landscape

6.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 49: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

7 Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 50: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 51: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 52: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 53: Data Table on Geographic comparison

7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 55: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 56: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 57: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.4 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 58: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 59: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 60: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 61: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 63: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 64: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 65: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 67: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 68: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 69: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 71: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 72: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 73: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 74: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 75: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 76: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 77: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.9 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 79: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 80: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 81: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.10 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 82: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 83: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 84: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 85: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.11 India - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 86: Chart on India - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 87: Data Table on India - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 88: Chart on India - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 89: Data Table on India - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.12 Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 90: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 91: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 92: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 93: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 94: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 95: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

8.4 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 96: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 97: Overview on factors of disruption

9.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 98: Impact of key risks on business

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 99: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 100: Matrix on vendor position and classification

10.3 ALE International

Exhibit 101: ALE International - Overview



Exhibit 102: ALE International - Product / Service



Exhibit 103: ALE International - Key offerings

10.4 BlackBerry Ltd

Exhibit 104: BlackBerry Ltd - Overview



Exhibit 105: BlackBerry Ltd - Business segments



Exhibit 106: BlackBerry Ltd - Key offerings



Exhibit 107: BlackBerry Ltd - Segment focus

10.5 Cisco Systems Inc.

Exhibit 108: Cisco Systems Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 109: Cisco Systems Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 110: Cisco Systems Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 111: Cisco Systems Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 112: Cisco Systems Inc. - Segment focus

10.6 Citrix Systems Inc.

Exhibit 113: Citrix Systems Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 114: Citrix Systems Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 115: Citrix Systems Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 116: Citrix Systems Inc. - Key offerings

10.7 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.

Exhibit 117: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. - Overview



Exhibit 118: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. - Business segments



Exhibit 119: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. - Key news



Exhibit 120: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. - Key offerings



Exhibit 121: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. - Segment focus

10.8 International Business Machines Corp.

Exhibit 122: International Business Machines Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 123: International Business Machines Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 124: International Business Machines Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 125: International Business Machines Corp. - Segment focus

10.9 Lookout Inc.

Exhibit 126: Lookout Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 127: Lookout Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 128: Lookout Inc. - Key offerings

10.10 Oracle Corp.

Exhibit 129: Oracle Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 130: Oracle Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 131: Oracle Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 132: Oracle Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 133: Oracle Corp. - Segment focus

10.11 SAP SE

Exhibit 134: SAP SE - Overview



Exhibit 135: SAP SE - Business segments



Exhibit 136: SAP SE - Key news



Exhibit 137: SAP SE - Key offerings



Exhibit 138: SAP SE - Segment focus

10.12 VMware Inc.

Exhibit 139: VMware Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 140: VMware Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 141: VMware Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 142: VMware Inc. - Key offerings

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 143: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 144: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 145: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 146: Research methodology



Exhibit 147: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 148: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 149: 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 provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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
DENVER and TORONTO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Canvass Analytics Inc. ("Canvass AI"), a leader in industrial AI software, today announced that Humera Malik, CEO, has been invited to join a keynote panel discussion at AI World Government to discuss "What's Next in AI".

Malik will join panel moderator Parna Sarkar-Basu, CEO of BB&M and others to discuss a number of timely topics including the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, and new ways the technology is helping businesses become more efficient and sustainable.

Humera Malik: "AI is empowering high performance teams in both the industrial and government sector to address their productivity and sustainability challenges. I look forward to sharing how leading organizations are doing this today and the upcoming opportunities that organizations can pursue to unlock its full value."

Parna Sarkar-Basu: "One of my goals is to spotlight innovations brought about by startups led by women founders. I am looking forward to a great conversation with these awesome women leaders on AI for Good, the state of AI, challenges and opportunities and what's next."

AI World Government

Keynote Panel Discussion on Artificial Intelligence: What's Next?

11:15 am EDT, October 7, 2022

Media can register for AI World Government at https://www.aiworldgov.com/press-registration

About AI World Government

The 4th Annual AI World Government provides a comprehensive two-day forum to educate federal agency leaders on proven strategies and tactics to deploy AI and cognitive technologies. The conference convenes experts from government, technology, business and research to present the latest strategies and state of the technology.

About Brand and Buzz

Consulting firm Brand and Buzz focusses on corporate marketing, branding and thought leadership. It specializes in building and boosting CEOs/executives reputation and market credibility, while transforming them into industry thought leaders. To learn more, please visit BrandandBuzzMarketing.com.

About Canvass AI

Founded in 2016, Canvass AI is a leading software provider that enables industrial companies exceed their operations and sustainability targets with patented industrial AI technology. Its AI-as-a-Service is designed to co-exist with existing technologies and empower workforces to achieve faster sustainable outcomes. Backed by the Government of Canada, Alphabet, and Yamaha Motor Ventures, the Company is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Innovation Community, Next Generation Manufacturing Canada, and is recognized by CB Insights as one of the world's top 50 technology companies that is advancing manufacturing. Follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Links:

Humera Malik photo

Canvass AI logo

SOURCE Canvass AI
BEIJING, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dongguan, a coastal city located in southern China's Guangdong province, is increasingly known for its young culture. Accordingly to the latest population census, the average age of Dongguan's population here is something like 33 years, almost equivalent to the city's age.

Dongguan A City by the Young and for the Young

Dongguan produced one third of the animation derivatives made in China, which contributes 80% to the global production of the same kind. Piececool is one of the most popular brands in Dongguan, which resembles Lego and integrates Chinese elements. The intricate design and creative material tell that the products are definitely not for playing but for collecting. And this is the latest craze in China.

Lion dance is another very traditional performance in China, especially during festival. But now Dongguan gives it a modern twist by using electronic music and lighting. Josh visits a group of young people who are injecting this folk art with a much-needed enthusiasm and youthful energy. This new style of performance isn't meant to detract from traditional culture but rather enhance it.

Finally, he visits a guest who is now leading camping trend in the city. At the camping place, people make new friends and spend time away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There is an identity to Dongguan with its creativity and innovation. But a city like this will continue to evolve and change with the times.

Contact: Zhong Lei

Tel008610-68996566

E-mail: [email protected]

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1735490/China_Matters_Logo.jpg

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8oRqyJwkUo

SOURCE China Matters
SINGAPORE and HONG KONG, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wall Street and Silicon Valley are coming together to build digital asset management solutions focused on connecting institutional investors to the crypto ecosystem.

Earlier this year, former HSBC trader Ashutosh Goel and former Meta Asia executive Supreet Kaur paired up to build xalts, an investment management and technology firm focused on driving real-money institutional participation in the digital asset ecosystem.

In spite of what has been termed a "crypto winter", their vision has a lot of takers. The duo raised US $6 million from marquee Silicon Valley venture capital firm Accel, Citi Ventures (Citi's venture capital investing group) and crypto luminaries such as Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal and other hedge fund managers.

"What came to the forefront this past summer in several large crypto firms was a lack of basic controls, checks and balances which most of us take for granted in the financial industry. With xalts, we are building innovative, institutional-grade investment products and solutions which focus on high compliance and control standardsthings institutional investors care about," said Goel, Chief Investment Officer, xalts. "The next leg of growth in digital assets will be driven by institutional participation in the asset class. We are starting to see the early signs of that with a lot of new initiatives coming from banks and asset managers."

xalts is expected to launch multiple fund products linked to digital assets, including mutual funds and ETFs listed on several global exchanges. The company is also leveraging its technology platform to partner with several asset management firms and staking infrastructure providers to jointly launch and manage mutual funds and ETFs. In addition, xalts is developing several other products in collaboration with other players in the ecosystem, including a structured product and repackaging platform which will allow institutions to issue structured notes with embedded crypto options.

Institutional investors' interest in digital assets has swelled in recent years: professional investors traded $1.14 trillion of cryptocurrencies on Coinbase Global Inc. in 2021, compared with $120 billion in 2020. Earlier this month, financial heavyweights including Charles Schwab, Citadel Securities and Fidelity Investments announced the launch of a new cryptocurrency exchange, EDX Markets, which also saw participation from the likes of Virtu Financial and Paradigm.

"There is a lot of pent-up demand from institutional investors to participate in the digital asset class. However, a lot of institutions we are speaking with are not able to access this ecosystem directly. Our products and solutions bridge this gap without compromising the high standards of safety and compliance expected by institutional investors," said Kaur, Chief Operating Officer, xalts. "Apart from investors, we are also seeing a lot of interest from fund managers and issuers to use our platform to launch structured and fund products for their clients. We expect to build a team of 30 by the end of this year across our offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and Geneva."

Luis Valdich, Managing Director, Citi Ventures said: "xalts is our first investment in a digital asset manager, and we support its vision of creating innovative products to meet the growing appetite of institutional investors for more efficient and robust crypto-access investments."

"Our thesis is that institutional adoption of digital assets will continue to accelerate and we see a big opportunity in this space," said Abhinav Chaturvedi, Partner, Accel.

About xalts

xalts is a global investment management and technology firm headquartered in Hong Kong. Founded in 2022, xalts develops proprietary investment products, platforms and solutions for global institutions to access opportunities in the digital asset class in a secure and compliant manner. The company has offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, New Delhi and Geneva. To learn more about xalts, visit https://xalts.io/ or the company's LinkedIn page.

About Accel

Accel is a global venture capital firm that is the first partner to exceptional teams everywhere, from inception through all phases of private company growth. Atlassian, Bumble, CrowdStrike, DJI, Fiverr, Flipkart, Freshworks, Qualtrics, Segment, Slack, Spotify, Squarespace, Tenable, and UiPath are among the companies Accel has backed over the past 35+ years. We help ambitious entrepreneurs build iconic global businesses. For more, visit www.accel.com or www.twitter.com/accel.

About Citi Ventures

Citi Ventures catalyzes innovation and accelerates growth. The group invests in and partners with category-defining startups with the potential to augment and enhance Citi's products and services, and works with Citi colleagues, clients, and the innovation ecosystem to experiment with next-generation technologies and develop new products and services that respond to the changing landscape of the 21st century. Since its founding in 2010, the team has invested in over 100 startups across seven focus areas from Fintech to DLT & Digital Assets.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1915146/xalts_Logo.jpg

SOURCE xalts
VANCOUVER, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- City Office REIT, Inc. (NYSE: CIO) ("City Office" or the "Company") announced today it will release its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, before the market opens on Monday, November 7, 2022.

City Office's management will hold a conference call at 11:00 am Eastern Time on November 7, 2022 to discuss the Company's financial results. Additionally, a supplemental financial package to accompany the discussion of the results will be posted on www.cioreit.com.

Webcast

Click on the webcast link under the "Investor Relations" section of the Company's website at www.cioreit.com.

Telephone Conference Call

Domestic: 1-844-200-6205

International: 1-929-526-1599

Passcode: 378399

Please dial in at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time.

Conference Call Replay

Domestic: 1-866-813-9403

International: 44-204-525-0658

Passcode: 810602

A replay of the call will be available later in the day on November 7, 2022, continuing through February 5, 2023. A replay will also be available at "Webcasts & Events" in the "Investor Relations" section of the Company's website.

About City Office REIT, Inc.

City Office REIT is an internally-managed real estate company focused on acquiring, owning and operating high-quality office properties located predominantly in Sun Belt markets. City Office currently owns or has a controlling interest in 6.0 million square feet of office properties. The Company has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Contact

City Office REIT, Inc.

Anthony Maretic, CFO

+1-604-806-3366

[email protected]

SOURCE City Office REIT, Inc.
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CounterCraft has been awarded a sole-source contract from the U.S. government, with a ceiling of more than $26MM, allowing the entire U.S. Department of Defense and federal government access to their innovative deception technology for active cyber defense. This is an especially important announcement as CounterCraft continues their ongoing mission to support U.S. cybersecurity initiatives.

"It is clear that we are the active cyber defense and threat intelligence partner of choice for some of the most sophisticated organizations in the world; from governments to critical infrastructure to Fortune 500 companies," explains David Barroso, CounterCraft's CEO and Co-Founder. "This award validates that our technology is highly needed and tremendously valued by our customers."

This contract announcement is the culmination of a three-year effort starting with competitive trials with the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit, where CounterCraft outperformed over 20 other cybersecurity firms, including some of the giants in the industry.

"Enabling commercial solutions and advancing public-private partnerships is a strong move by GSA and other forward-thinking federal organizations to stay ahead of threats from nation-state adversaries," says CounterCraft's COO Amyn Gilani. "We are committed to supporting our warfighters with innovative solutions for defense cyber operations (DCO) and nontraditional cyber initiatives."

Contract number: 47QFWA22P0004

CounterCraft's growing U.S. support team has held positions at the NSA, CIA, FBI, DHS, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army and more, bringing decades of cumulative federal experience to help customers solve their most challenging cybersecurity issues.

Please reach out to [email protected] for inquiries.

About CounterCraft

CounterCraft is the next generation of threat intelligence. CounterCraft The Platform is a cyber deception platform that offers active defense powered by high-interaction deception technology. Countercraft detects threats early, collects personalized, actionable intelligence, and enables organizations to defend their valuable data in real time. Their award-winning solution, fully integrated with MITRE ATT&CK, fits seamlessly into existing security strategies and uses powerful automation features to reduce operator workload. Founded in 2015, CounterCraft is present in London, New York, and Madrid, with R&D in San Sebastian, Spain. CounterCraft recently raised additional funding from venture capital firms including cybersecurity-specific funds Adara Ventures, eCAPITAL, In-Q-Tel and Evolution Equity, bringing the total investment to date to $10 million. Learn more at www.countercraftsec.com .

SOURCE CounterCraft Security Inc.
Media Ministry Gives Voice to Iran's Embattled Women

As widespread protests continue across Iran, SAT-7 defies internet blackout with live satellite broadcasts





A VOICE FOR IRAN'S EMBATTLED WOMEN: As deadly protests sweep across Iran and the nation's internet is shut down, multimedia ministry SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org) continues to find ways to support embattled Iranian women and give them a voice.



NEWS PROVIDED BY

SAT-7

Oct. 6, 2022



EASTON, Md., Oct. 6, 2022 /Standard Newswire/ -- A Middle East media ministry is giving embattled Iranian women a voice after government officials shut down the nation's internet amid mass protests that have turned deadly.



SAT-7 -- a multimedia Christian broadcaster -- has seen its WhatsApp and Instagram services disrupted by the digital media blackout, but live satellite television broadcasts are still getting through.



Its live Farsi-language programs are bringing encouragement and hope to the nation rocked by the recent death of a young woman held by Iran's morality police. Mahsa Amini, 22, allegedly was beaten to death for reportedly not properly wearing her hijab, a traditional headscarf.



Women Burning Their Hijabs

Media reports have shown young women burning their hijabs in Tehran, the nation's capital, while young men join the growing protests. Dozens of people, including student protesters, reportedly have been killed in clashes with Iran's security forces.



Despite the internet blockade, SAT-7 continues to broadcast live via satellite into homes and is attempting to connect with social media users in Iran to "provide support, communicate hope in the transformative power of the Gospel, give women a voice, and let them know they're not alone."



Last year, the ministry's support team had 47,000 one-on-one conversations with Iranian viewers via its social media channels.



"Seeing what's happened to Mahsa has broken all our hearts," said the network's Hengameh Borji, who presents a Farsi-language program. Co-presenter Sally Momtazi said, "Basic rights is not just a women's fight, but it has become the men's (fight), too."



Women Treated As Virtually Sub-Human

Since the Iranian Revolution took place in 1979, Iranians have only known religion to be used as a way to control them.



Iran's massive population of young people are eager to see change and freedom, especially women who've been treated as virtually sub-human without any rights," said Rex Rogers, president of SAT-7 USA (www.sat7usa.org). "They've had enough."



SAT-7's faith-and-educational programs in the Middle East and North Africa often speak up for women in the region's male-dominated culture -- explaining to viewers "women are equal with men in God's eyes and created in his own image."



'World Record' For Violence Against Women

Disregard for women is nothing new in Iran.



According to one study, Iran holds the "world record" for domestic violence against women.



A staggering two out of every three Iranian women suffer domestic violence in their lifetime, double the global average, says the Research Center on Women and Family in Tehran.



More than one in every 20 married women in Iran has experienced "near death" domestic violence or feared for her life.



And it's estimated half of all murders of women in Iran are at the hands of their husband or immediate relatives -- gender-related killings known as "femicides."



Launched in 1996, SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org) -- with its international headquarters in Cyprus -- broadcasts Christian and educational satellite television and online programs in the Middle East and North Africa. Its mission is to make the gospel available to everyone, and support the church in its life, work and witness for Jesus Christ. SAT-7 broadcasts 24/7 in Arabic, Farsi (Persian), Dari, and Turkish, using multiple satellite channels and online services.



SOURCE SAT-7



CONTACT: Matti Stevenson, 719-360-0586, mstevenson@inchristcommunications.com


LIVERMORE, Calif., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CoverEase, a digital insurance broker, announced today a partnership with the digitally-native employee benefits provider, Beam Benefits, via the addition of Beam's dental and vision products to their digital platform. CoverEase is the first company in the United States to offer businesses the ability to get instant online dental and vision quotes for their employees.

CoverEase adds Beam Benefits to their digital platform, integrating dental & vision to their quoting marketplace. Tweet this CoverEase's Beam Click Journey CoverEase CEO Shawn Edgington (right) and CEO of Beam Benefits Alex Frommeyer (left) pictured at the 2022 InsureTech Insider Conference.

The new integration adds Beam's dental and vision options to the company's marketplace which quotes workers' compensation, business liability and property, cyber liability insurance, group health insurance and term life insurance for up to $2 million in coverage.

CoverEase CEO Shawn Edgington shared her excitement for the future of CoverEase with the incorporation of Beam, "As our platform evolves and expands with additions like Beam Benefits, we're able to accelerate innovation, reduce costs, and save business owners time and money."

"Beam is thrilled to partner with CoverEase, a proven leader in the employee benefits ecosystem," said Alex Frommeyer, Co-founder and CEO of Beam Benefits. "Through our integration, businesses using CoverEase can access dynamic & transparent dental and vision benefit pricing. We are excited about the technology enabling this partnership, and look forward to working further with CoverEase and their customers."

CoverEase uses decades of best practices research, plus today's most advanced InsurTech to un-complicate the complicated. This approach results in a lightning fast, easy and awesome way to shop, compare, and buy business insurance and employee benefits.

About CoverEase:

CoverEase, a digital insurance broker, has reinvented the way businesses shop, purchase, and save on the insurance products that businesses need most. CoverEase utilizes an online "Amazon-like" shopping experience with unmatched quotes from the best insurance brands in the country. CoverEase, headquartered in Livermore, California, with offices in New York, is WBENC certified and led by CEO Shawn Marie Edgington. Learn more at coverease.com

About Beam Benefits:

Beam Benefits is a digitally-native employee benefits company that offers dental, vision, life, disability, and supplemental health coverage for employers of all sizes. The company simplifies and modernizes the $100+ billion ancillary benefits industry through its intuitive online platform, self-service tools, AI-powered underwriting, and thoughtful coverage for improved overall wellness. Its Beam Perks program* offers incentives to members and rewards them for healthy behaviors. Beam has raised over $160 million in funding and is available in 44 states across the U.S. Learn more at beambenefits.com .

SOURCE CoverEase
This is the fourth year Deltek has earned the Certified Technology Service and Support distinction

HERNDON, Va., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Deltek, the leading global provider of software and solutions for project-based businesses, announced today they were named a recipient of the prestigious J. D. Power "Certified Customer Service Program" for providing an outstanding customer service experience. The J.D. Power recognition is based on exceeding the J.D. Power customer satisfaction global software benchmark and the successful completion of an operational audit across its support footprint.

J.D. Power customer satisfaction research evaluated factors in Deltek's performance including:

Deltek Recognized by J.D. Power for Providing an Outstanding Customer Service Experience

Usefulness of information provided to customers

Courtesy of Deltek's technical support representative

Knowledge of Deltek's technical support representative

Timeliness of resolving customer problems

Overall experience with Deltek's technical support team

"One of Deltek's core values is to lead with a customer-first approach and provide a best-in-class customer experience. We strive to do better year after year  and being recognized with this certification for the fourth time demonstrates our dedication to providing a better experience for our customers," said Brian Daniell, Chief Customer Officer at Deltek. "On behalf of everyone at Deltek, thanks to our customers and to J.D. Power for this recognition."

About Deltek

Better software means better projects. Deltek is the leading global provider of enterprise software and information solutions for project-based businesses. More than 30,000 organizations and millions of users in over 80 countries around the world rely on Deltek for superior levels of project intelligence, management, and collaboration. Our industry-focused expertise powers project success by helping firms achieve performance that maximizes productivity and revenue. www.deltek.com

About J.D. Power

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company's business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

SOURCE Deltek
ROCKLAND COUNTY, N.Y., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominican University New York is offering undergraduate students, healthcare and IT professionals the opportunity to join an emerging field linking healthcare and technology, a sector that is forecast to experience major growth and generate high-paying careers. The new program focuses on public health informatics and technology which is the science of using data, information, and knowledge to improve human health and the delivery of services by solving complex healthcare issues.

Dominican University New York is offering undergraduate students, healthcare and IT professionals the opportunity to join an emerging field linking healthcare and technology, a sector that is forecast to experience major growth and generate high-paying careers. The new program focuses on public health informatics and technology which is the science of using data, information, and knowledge to improve human health and the delivery of services by solving complex healthcare issues.

The program offers an online certificate for those with a bachelor's degree who are already in the workforce. Undergraduate students can earn a concentration or minor and will take daytime classes in person while evening classes will be virtual. The next session begins in January 2023. Those in the healthcare and IT fields with interest are encouraged to learn more through the scheduled Zoom sessions or by visiting https://try.dc.edu/phitforce/ . Financial support may be available through employers.

The future of healthcare is being powered by data. The highly trained specialists who can connect people, technology, and information to improve healthcare outcomes and safety while streamlining costs will be in great demand. In fact, Health Informatics is in the top 10 highest-demand healthcare occupations and is growing 10 times faster than healthcare jobs overall. Salaries can range from about $69,000 to more than $132,000. Obtaining a degree or completing a certificate in this area could result in increased salary, faster advancement, and job security.

Private medical practices, hospitals, and larger healthcare systems are increasingly transitioning to all-electronic data collection and other digital tools, paving the way for a workforce that can manage all facets of data analytics from telehealth visits, virtual patient engagement, mobile apps, billing, and insurance reimbursements. Some of the jobs that will be in high demand include Public Health Informaticist, Nurse Informaticist, Data Analyst, Public Health Data Quality Analyst, and Clinical Informatics Specialist.

The PHIT courses will include a discussion of career options and case studies of how it can be used to address health disparities in communities. Students will then hone data and project skills in an emergency response role-play exercise, simulating a public health emergency.

Registration is taking place now for Dominican University's Public Health Informatics and Technology programs. Several Zoom sessions are being offered this month to provide more information and answer questions: Wednesday, October 12th at noon at 6pm and October 19th at noon.

To register for the Zoom sessions, visit: https://tinyurl.com/phitforce

The PHIT program at Dominican College is funded through a $2.2 million PHIT Workforce Program grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). Dominican College was one of only 10 higher education institutions nationwide to receive this funding. The grant aims to strengthen U.S. public health information technology efforts, improve COVID-19 data collection, and increase the diversity of the public health IT workforce. More information about the program can be found here: https://try.dc.edu/phitforce/

ABOUT DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1952 by the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt, the College began as a two-year college for religious women to become educators. Over the years, the campus expanded to accommodate a growing enrollment and to welcome resident students. Dominican has been named both a College of Distinction and a Catholic College of Distinction. On the U.S. News & World Report 2022 Best Colleges List, Dominican was ranked #21 out of Regional Universities North for social mobility. It is also designated a Hispanic Serving Institution and was recognized as Military Friendly. In May of this year, Dominican College was elevated to the status of a university, becoming the first university in Rockland County. More information can be found here. https://www.duny.edu/

Media Contact:

Risa B. Hoag, GMGPR, 845-627-3000, [email protected]

SOURCE Dominican College New York
75% of spending over next three years consists of electric grid infrastructure improvements

Upgrades aim to make the grid more resistant to severe weather and reduce the duration of outages

Creating a flexible, two-way grid also enables renewables, EVs and supports economic development and new jobs

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Progress today asked North Carolina regulators to review its rates as the company continues to strengthen the electricity grid, reducing power outages for customers and facilitating a clean, secure energy future in a manner that supports economic development across the state.

Over the past five years, infrastructure upgrades helped avoid more than 1.3 million extended customer outages, saving more than 3 million hours of total lost outage time for customers.

"Our customers count on us to deliver affordable, reliable and increasingly clean energy every day," said Stephen De May, Duke Energy's North Carolina state president. "We're sensitive to the financial pressures our customers face, and we remain committed to keeping rates as low as possible."

Duke Energy Progress serves about 1.5 million customers in central and eastern North Carolina and in the Asheville region. This is the first rate case the utility has initiated since 2019.

Since its previous rate case, Duke Energy Progress has driven out more than $100 million in annual operating costs (2018 to 2021) to relieve pressure on customer rates. Those savings will be passed on to customers in this case.

The company has proposed a gradual rate increase over three years. If approved by the NCUC, the net increase in retail revenues in year one is about $326 million or 8.5%, followed by $151 million (3.9%) in year two and $138 million (3.6%) in year three  a total 16% increase by late 2025.

Beginning Oct. 1, 2023, the monthly impact for a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month would be an increase of $14.72, from $126.43 to $141.15 per month, followed by a $5.62 increase in October 2024 and a $5.21 increase in October 2025.

Customers struggling to pay their energy bills might qualify for a new Customer Assistance Program proposed as part of the rate case  if approved, it would reduce monthly bills for the company's most vulnerable customers by $42 per month. Duke Energy Progress has also proposed new energy efficiency programs available to all customers, with potential savings that could significantly offset the proposed rate increase, and new time-of-use rates to help customers take more control over their energy bill.

To learn more about these programs, details of the company's proposal and the rate review process, visit duke-energy.com/DEPNCRates.

Duke Energy Progress

Duke Energy Progress, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.7 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 29,000-square-mile service area in North Carolina and South Carolina.

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.

24-hour media line: 800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy
Worldwide leader in learning engagement commits to advancing UN Global Compact Principles and Sustainable Development Goals.

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Echo360, the most comprehensive, global, SaaS-based video learning platform for creating, delivering, and measuring learning engagement outcomes in any learning environment, announced that it has joined the United Nations (UN) Global Compact, the world's largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative.

Echo360 is proud to join the UN Global Compact, the world's largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative.

In joining over 20,000 corporate and non-profit organizations worldwide, Echo360 makes a commitment to align its strategies and operations with the UN Global Compact's Ten Principles related to human rights, labor, environmental practices and anti-corruption. In conjunction with its commitment, Echo360 will advance broader societal benefits in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"Our participation in the UN Global Compact represents a commitment to incorporate its Ten Principles into the strategy, culture and day-to-day operations of our growing company," said Murad Velani, Echo360 President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are honored to participate and excited to collaborate across geographies and industries to advance the broader development goals of the United Nations, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals."

Participation in the UN Global Compact requires signatories to report yearly on their commitment to the universal sustainability principles and development goals. To learn more about the UN Global Compact, visit https://www.unglobalcompact.org.

About Echo360

Echo360 is the leading interactive video learning management, content, engagement, and assessment platform serving over 2 million learners and instructors at more than 1200 higher education institutions in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. Built for the cloud and grounded in principles of learning equity, evidence, and engagement, instructors and learners around the world can use the platform from wherever they are, on any device, to create, record, and consume content, give and receive feedback, and gain real-time insights along their inspired learning journey. www.echo360.com.

Contact Information:

Jeff Peterson

Chief Marketing & Experience Officer

Echo360

612-859-0488

[email protected]

SOURCE Echo360
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Electromedical Technologies, Inc. (OTC-QB: EMED) ("Electromedical" or the "Company"), a pioneer in the development and production of bioelectronic devices designed to relieve chronic, intractable, and acute pain through frequency and electro-modulation, is pleased to provide the following shareholder update.

Note: Performance data presented below represents provisional unaudited information subject to revision.

Electromedical Founder and CEO, Matthew Wolfson, remarked, "Overall we saw around 24% stronger topline performance on a sequential quarterly basis in Q3, with additional orders in the pipeline for Q4. It was our strongest quarter of the year and the second strongest quarter of sales since the pandemic started."

Highlights for the three months ended Sep 30, 2022 (Q3)

Strong overall sales totaling approximately $280K , beating both Q1 and Q2 2022 sales. Third quarter sales increased 24% over Q2 2022.

, beating both Q1 and Q2 2022 sales. Third quarter sales increased 24% over Q2 2022. Recorded second highest quarterly revenue figure since Q1 2020. Same period sales for Q3 2021 totaled approximately $301K .

. Closed approximately $900K in financing to expedite development of the new unit.

in financing to expedite development of the new unit. Increased distributors and clinics to drive wider market footprint and bolster sales volume.

Finalized fixed cost investment to secure key components and avoid supply chain bottlenecks.

Settled negotiations, factory ready for expanded production and negotiated more favorable pricing and terms from suppliers.

Participated in exhibiting its flagship product (WellnessPro Plus) at the world renowned pain conference in the US (PAINWeek).

Management heads into Q4 with a confident outlook driven by strong sales momentum. Key factors include:

Continue onboarding new sales representatives and clinics to expand and expedite Wellness Pro market penetration.

Trade shows paying off, exposure and increased interest.

New/Major product development milestones of Wellness Pro (to be announced in upcoming communication).

Presale of Wellness Pro unit to existing customers of the original legacy unit is expected to start next year in Q2 to expedite cash flow from existing customers.

"Q3 was solid, but we are scaling the business right now and we know the real meat of the process is still in front of us," continued Wolfson. "The OPIOID overdose crisis continues to grow, people are increasingly understanding the importance of seeking alternatives to OPIOIDS for treating Pain. This is why our foucus is to continue to work on fundamentals and invest in massively expanding our sales and distribution footprint and maintain our market leading position in proprietary tech and innovation in the non invasive, drug-free, pain-free marketplace.

About Electromedical Technologies

Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Electromedical Technologies, Inc. is a commercial stage, FDA cleared, bioelectronic medical device manufacturing company initially focused on the treatment of various chronic, acute, intractable, and post-operative pain conditions. Through University collaboration agreements, the Company is working to develop a comprehensive research program in defining the effects of electro-modulation on the human body. By studying the impacts of electrical fields in cell signaling and effects on virus assembly and immune responses, the Company's goal is to reduce pain and improve overall human wellbeing. The Company's current FDA cleared product indications are for chronic acute post traumatic and post-operative, intractable pain relief.

For more information, please visit www.electromedtech.com.

Note: Nonhuman preliminary studies that we are planning to start in the near future and their applications are not related to our current product in any way and are currently not cleared in the US.

Safe Harbor Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, we can give no assurance or guarantee that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of words like "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "intend," or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including but not limited to: adverse economic conditions, competition, adverse federal, state and local government regulation, international governmental regulation, inadequate capital, inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans, loss or retirement of key executives and other specific risks. To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, including statements as to revenue projections, business strategy, outlook, objectives, future milestones, plans, intentions, goals, future financial conditions, events conditioned on stockholder or other approval, or otherwise as to future events, such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made.

Corporate Contact:

Electromedical Technologies, Inc.



Tel: 1.888.880.7888

Email: [email protected]

https://electromedtech.com

Public Relations:

EDM Media, LLC

https://edm.media

SOURCE Electromedical Technologies, Inc.
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands and COTTAGE GROVE, Ore., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- F1SeedTech and NewBreedSeed (NBS) are pleased to announce that they have entered into a definitive agreement, with F1SeedTech acquiring 100% of the shares of NBS.

The merger creates the industry leader in F1 hybrid varieties of cannabis, combining the day-neutral breeding activities of NBS and the short-day breeding activities of F1SeedTech in Israel and the Netherlands, respectively.

This synergistic transaction continues the consolidation and professionalisation of the cannabis market, thanks to the superior quality and cost performance of cannabis F1 hybrids.

Harold Frazier, General Manager of NewBreedSeeds welcomes the merger, commenting, "This transaction complements the NBS team and will benefit new and existing customers. Our successful supply of F1 hybrids (cannabis and hemp) has led to fantastic customer loyalty."

While Maikel de Bresser, COO of F1SeedTech, adds, "We welcome this first step into North American markets. Our F1 hybrid seeds offer a superior alternative to today's starting material. Our seeds have an excellent reputation for the same high yield and greater quality/cost ratio seen in many agricultural crops like corn, sugar beat and vegetables."

Key Transaction Highlights:

F1SeedTech's first entry into the fast-growing, professional US cannabis and hemp market via Oregon -based NBS.

-based NBS. NBS breeding competency has resulted in highly attractive F1 Cannabis hybrids due to their distinct, unique and stable cannabis & hemp varieties, combined with low-cost crop management.

F1SeedTech is answering the growing demand for day-neutral seeds by strategically expanding the range of F1 Hybrids with day-neutral varieties.

The scale and combination of the individual breeding programs and related growing technologies will allow F1SeedTech to accelerate its growth in all segments of the cannabis business (recreational, medicinal and hemp/CBD).

NBS will continue expanding its breeding program and sales activities under the F1SeedTech name

About F1SeedTech

F1SeedTech is a Dutch R&D entity focussing on developing new F1 hybrid cannabis and hemp varieties.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914732/F1Seedtech_Newbreedseed_logo.jpg

SOURCE F1SeedTech
VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - First Mining Gold Corp. ("First Mining" or the "Company") (TSX: FF) (OTCQX: FFMGF) (FRANKFURT: FMG) is pleased to announce it has filed on SEDAR a Technical Report prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") on the Duparquet Gold Project ("Duparquet" or the "Project") titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate Update for the Duparquet Project, Quebec, Canada," dated October 6, 2022 with an effective date of September 12, 2022.

The full Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") Technical Report prepared by InnovExplo Inc. in Val-d'Or (Quebec), can be found on the Company's website at www.firstmininggold.com and on SEDAR under the Company's issuer profile at www.sedar.com.

The Duparquet Gold Project is a multi-million ounce advanced exploration and mining development asset located in the Abitibi region of the province of Quebec, approximately 50 km north of the city of Rouyn-Noranda. The Duparquet deposit hosts a gold Resource of 3.4 Moz in the Measured and Indicated category, and an additional 1.6 Moz Au Inferred Resource derived from the master database of drill data, which contains 904 holes totalling 270,119m and 173,831 sampled intervals. Existing infrastructure at the Project site includes paved provincial highways from Rouyn-Noranda to the south and LaSarre to the north and direct access to Quebec's hydroelectric power grid. In addition, the near-by communities of Duparquet, Ruoyn-Noranda and LaSarre have strong histories of sustainable mining practices.

Table 1: Duparquet Gold Project Mineral Resource Estimate

Area Cut-off Measured Resource Indicated Resource Inferred Resource (mining

method) (g/t) Tonnage (t) Au Ounces Tonnage (t) Au Ounces Tonnage (t) Au Ounces



(g/t) (g/t) (g/t) Open Pit 0.40 163,700 1.37 7,200 59,410,600 1.52 2,909,600 28,333,000 1.07 970,400 UG Mining 1.50 - - - 5,506,900 2.26 399,300 9,038,900 2.29 665,600 Tailings 0.40 19,900 2.03 1,300 4,105,200 0.93 123,200 - - - Total

183,600 1.43 8,500 69,022,700 1.55 3,432,100 37,371,900 1.36 1,636,000

Notes to accompany the Mineral Resource Estimate:

The independent and qualified persons for the mineral resource estimate, as defined by NI 43 101, are Marina Iund , P.Geo., Carl Pelletier , P.Geo., Simon Boudreau , P.Eng. from InnovExplo Inc. and Guy Comeau , P.Eng. from Soutex. The effective date of the estimate is September 12, 2022 . These mineral resources are not mineral reserves, as they do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is currently insufficient data to define these Inferred mineral resources as Indicated or Measured mineral resources and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an Indicated or Measured mineral resource category. The mineral resource estimate follows current CIM Definition Standards. The results are presented in situ and undiluted and have reasonable prospects of economic viability. In-pit and Underground estimates encompass sixty (60) mineralized domains and one dilution envelop using the grade of the adjacent material when assayed or a value of zero when not assayed; The tailings estimate encompass four (4) zones. In-pit and Underground: High-grade capping of 25 g/t Au; Tailings: High-grade capping of 13.0 g/t Au for Zone 1, 3.5 g/t Au for Zone 2, 1.7 g/t Au for Zone 3 and 2.2 g/t Au for Zone 4. High-grade capping supported by statistical analysis was done on raw assay data before compositing. In-pit and Underground: The estimate used a sub-block model in GEOVIA SURPAC 2021 with a unit block size of 5m x 5m x 5m and a minimum block size of 1.25m x 1.25m x1.25m. Grade interpolation was obtained by ID2 using hard boundaries. Tailings: The estimate used a block model in GEOVIA GEMS with a block size of 5m x 5m x 1m . Grade interpolation was obtained by ID2 using hard boundaries. In-pit and Underground: A density value of 2.73 g/cm3 was used for the mineralized domains and the envelope. A density value of 2.00 g/cm3 was used for the overburden. A density value of 1.00 g/cm3 was used for the excavation solids (drifts and stopes) assumed to be filled with water. Tailings: A fixed density of 1.45 g/cm3 was used in zones and waste. In-pit and Underground: The mineral resource estimate is classified as Measured, Indicated and Inferred. The measured category is defined by blocks having a volume of at least 25% within an envelope built at a distance of 10 m around existing channel samples. The Indicated category is defined by blocks meeting at least one (1) of the following conditions: Blocks falling within a 15-m buffer surrounding existing stopes and/or blocks for which the average distance to composites is less than 45 m . A clipping polygon was generated to constrain Indicated resources for each of the sixty (60) mineralized domains. Only the blocks for which reasonable geological and grade continuity have been demonstrated were selected. All remaining interpolated blocks were classified as Inferred resources. Blocks interpolated in the envelope were all classified as Inferred resources. Tailings: The Measured and Indicated categories were defined based on the drill hole spacing (Measured: Zones 1 and 2 = 30m x 30m grid; Indicated: Zone 3 = 100m x 100m grid and Zone 4 = 200m x 200m grid). In-pit and Underground: The mineral resource estimate is locally pit-constrained with a bedrock slope angle of 50 and an overburden slope angle of 30. The out-pit mineral resource met the reasonable prospect for eventual economic extraction by having constraining volumes applied to any blocks (potential underground extraction scenario) using DSO. It is reported at a rounded cut-off grade of 0.4 g/t Au (in-pit and tailings) and 1.5 g/t Au (UG). The cut-off grades were calculated using the following parameters: mining cost = CA$70.00 (UG); processing cost = CA$11.9 to 17.0; G&A = CA$8.75; refining and selling costs = CA$ 5.00; gold price = US$ 1,650 /oz; USD:CAD exchange rate = 1.31; and mill recovery = 93.9%. The cut-off grades should be re-evaluated in light of future prevailing market conditions (metal prices, exchange rates, mining costs etc.). The number of metric tons and ounces was rounded to the nearest hundred, following the recommendations in NI 43 101. Any discrepancies in the totals are due to rounding effects. The authors are not aware of any known environmental, permitting, legal, title-related, taxation, socio-political, or marketing issues, or any other relevant issue not reported in the Technical Report, that could materially affect the Mineral Resource Estimate.

Table 2: Cut-off grade sensitivity for the in-pit and underground portions of the Duparquet Gold Project

Area

(Mining Method) Cut-off (g/t) Measured Resource Indicated Resource Inferred Resource Tonnage (t) Au (g/t) Ounces Tonnage (t) Au (g/t) Ounces Tonnage (t) Au (g/t) Ounces Open Pit 0.7 137,321 1.53 6,755 23,142,210 2.05 1,525,279 2,592,695 1.62 135,038 0.65 141,757 1.5 6,836 25,666,698 1.98 1,633,902 3,334,098 1.48 158,647 0.6 149,158 1.46 7,001 32,690,577 1.86 1,954,908 5,716,620 1.34 246,283 0.55 154,634 1.42 7,060 36,556,977 1.77 2,080,340 7,727,020 1.23 305,568 0.5 156,938 1.41 7,122 41,152,335 1.70 2,253,068 11,007,061 1.13 400,881 0.45 161,081 1.39 7,187 53,548,726 1.58 2,722,586 22,032,449 1.16 824,601 0.4 163,709 1.37 7,222 59,410,612 1.52 2,909,551 28,332,980 1.07 970,424 0.35 165,800 1.36 7,248 66,307,600 1.46 3,117,172 37,354,222 0.96 1,147,282 UG Mining 1.9 - - - 5,891,904 2.67 505,871 7,168,869 2.91 669,750 1.7 - - - 5,224,787 2.47 414,153 7,378,504 2.51 595,956 1.5 - - - 5,506,861 2.26 399,356 9,038,871 2.29 665,629 1.3 - - - 5,302,381 2.10 357,603 11,459,118 2.05 756,440 Tailings 0.6 19,000 2.10 1,284 4,104,400 0.93 123,189 - - - 0.5 19,400 2.07 1,290 4,104,800 0.93 123,196 - - - 0.45 19,600 2.06 1,295 4,105,000 0.93 123,200 - - - 0.4 19,900 2.03 1,297 4,105,200 0.93 123,203 - - - 0.35 20,000 2.02 1,299 4,105,400 0.93 123,206 - - -

InnovExplo Inc., the authors of the Technical Report, concluded that:

The database supporting the 2022 MRE is complete, valid and up to date.

Geological and gold-grade continuity has been demonstrated for all 72 mineralized zones.

The key parameters of the 2022 MRE (density, capping, compositing, interpolation, search ellipsoid, etc.) are supported by data and statistical and/or geostatistical analysis.

The 2022 MRE includes measured, indicated and inferred resources for a combination of two mining scenarios: open pit and selective underground. The 2022 MRE complies with CIM Definition Standards and CIM Guidelines.

Two cut-off grades of 0.40 and 1.50 g/t Au were used, corresponding to potential open pit and selective underground mining scenarios.

Cut-off grades were calculated at a gold price of US$1,650 per troy ounce and an exchange rate of 1.31 USD /CAD, using reasonable mining, processing and G&A costs.

per troy ounce and an exchange rate of /CAD, using reasonable mining, processing and G&A costs. In a combined pit and selective underground mining scenario, the Project contains an estimated M+I Resource of 65,081,200 t at 1.58 g/t Au for 3,316,100 oz of gold and an Inferred Resource of 37,371,900 t at 1.36 g/t Au for 1,636,000 oz of gold. The Project also contains the Beattie mine tailings with an estimated M+I Resource of 4,125,100 t at 0.94 g/t Au for 124,500 oz of gold.

The results of the 2022 MRE represent a 10.5% increase in the M+I Resource and a 13.4% increase in the Inferred Resource compared to the previous 2014 MRE of Poirier et al., 2014. The increase in the M+I Resource is due to a deeper optimized shell and the updated economic parameters. The same reasons combined with the addition of 55 drill holes explain the increase in Inferred resources.

Based on metallurgical tests, the Duparquet project appears amenable to standard gold recovery processes. A combination of flotation, pressure oxidation and cyanide leach processes has shown a gold recovery ranging from 94.7% to 96.5%.

project appears amenable to standard gold recovery processes. A combination of flotation, pressure oxidation and cyanide leach processes has shown a gold recovery ranging from 94.7% to 96.5%. Additional diamond drilling on multiple zones would likely upgrade some of the Inferred Resource to the Indicated category and/or add to the Inferred Resource since most of the mineralized zones have not been fully explored at depth or close to surface infrastructures.

Qualified Persons

The independent and qualified persons for the MRE, as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, are Marina Iund, P.Geo., Carl Pelletier, P.Geo., Simon Boudreau, P.Eng. from InnovExplo and Guy Comeau P.Eng. from Soutex. The effective date of the estimate is September 12, 2022.

Mr. Louis Martin P.Geo., (OGQ 0364), a consultant of First Mining, is a "Qualified Person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and he has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release.

About First Mining Gold Corp.

First Mining is a gold developer advancing two of the largest gold projects in Canada, the Springpole Gold Project in northwestern Ontario, where we have commenced a Feasibility Study and permitting activities are on-going with a draft Environmental Impact Statement ("EIS") for the project published in June 2022, and the Duparquet, Pitt and Duquesne Gold Projects in Quebec, a collection of advanced stage development assets located on the Destor-Porcupine Fault in the prolific Abitibi region. First Mining also owns the Cameron project in Ontario and a portfolio of gold project interests including the Pickle Crow gold project (being advanced in partnership with Auteco Minerals Ltd.), the Hope Brook gold project (being advanced in partnership with Big Ridge Gold Corp.), an equity interest in Treasury Metals Inc., and a portfolio of 21 gold royalties.

First Mining was established in 2015 by Mr. Keith Neumeyer, founding President and CEO of First Majestic Silver Corp.

ON BEHALF OF FIRST MINING GOLD CORP.

Daniel W. Wilton

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "intends", "estimates", "envisages", "potential", "possible", "strategy", "goals", "opportunities", "objectives", or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events. All forward-looking statements are based on First Mining's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. 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. 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. Such factors include, without limitation the Company's business, operations and financial condition potentially being materially adversely affected by the outbreak of epidemics, pandemics or other health crises, such as COVID-19, and by reactions by government and private actors to such outbreaks; risks to employee health and safety as a result of the outbreak of epidemics, pandemics or other health crises, such as COVID-19, that may result in a slowdown or temporary suspension of operations at some or all of the Company's mineral properties as well as its head office; fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in the currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar); changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding); the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities, indigenous populations and other stakeholders; availability and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; title to properties.; and the additional risks described in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com , and in the Company's Annual Report on Form 40-F filed with the SEC on EDGAR.

First Mining cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to First Mining, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. First Mining does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on our behalf, except as required by law.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors

The Company is a "foreign private issuer" as defined in Rule 3b-4 under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is eligible to rely upon the Canada-U.S. Multi-Jurisdictional Disclosure System, and is therefore permitted to prepare the technical information contained herein in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of the securities laws currently in effect in the United States. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards.

Technical disclosure contained in this news release has not been prepared in accordance with the requirements of United States securities laws and uses terms that comply with reporting standards in Canada with certain estimates prepared in accordance with NI 43-101.

NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning the issuer's material mineral projects.

SOURCE First Mining Gold Corp.
New facility to increase production and create new jobs for region

ST. MARYS, Pa., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- An affiliate of Phoenix Investors ("Phoenix"), a national private commercial real estate firm headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has announced a new tenant at its 835 Washington Street building located in St. Marys, Pennsylvania. The property, which was part of a four-building portfolio Phoenix acquired from Ledvance in June of 2020, will now be home to Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems ("Gasbarre"). Gasbarre TPS designs, manufactures, and services industrial heat-treating equipment ranging from batch furnaces to continuous furnaces in atmosphere and vacuum configurations; it is headquartered in DuBois, Pennsylvania.

In line with their commitment to property and community revitalization, Phoenix has made numerous capital improvements to the facility, having invested in a full exterior refresh, lighting upgrades, new asphalt paving, and roof upgrades. Gasbarre will occupy approximately half of the building and will invest in the space further by adding cranes and heavy machinery, building out new offices, and adding a vestibule. Gasbarre has committed to a long-term lease as the new facility will help their company increase production.

"We are extremely excited about the possibilities that this facility will bring to Gasbarre. Our focus over the past several years has been in our products and in our people. Now, we can give each a place to flourish with sufficient room for growth in the future. We will be looking to add personnel as soon as we move from our current State Street location to Washington Street. The St. Marys community is our home, and we are thrilled with this opportunity to continue our growth in St. Marys."

"On behalf of the City of Saint Marys, we would like to congratulate the Gasbarre Family on their new expansion. It is wonderful to see their business grow and selecting our community for their future. Gasbarre has been so instrumental in the growth of the powder metal industry, and we wish them the best in the years to come," said Joseph Fleming, City Manager for Saint Marys.

"We are honored to welcome Gasbarre to our property in St. Marys," said Luke Herder, Phoenix's Leasing Associate. "Creating usable spaces for high-quality tenants like Gasbarre benefits all parties, including the surrounding community, by bringing job opportunities and neighborhood improvements to the area."

The St. Marys, PA property has an additional 250,000 SF of high-quality space available for other warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, and office users. To inquire further, please contact Phoenix Investors at (414) 283-2600.

About Phoenix Investors

Phoenix Investors is a national commercial real estate firm based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Phoenix's affiliate companies hold interests in industrial, retail, office, and single tenant net-leased properties in approximately 55 million square feet, spanning 28 states. Its core business is the revitalization of former manufacturing facilities throughout the United States. This strategy leads to positively transforming communities and restarting the economic engine in the communities we serve.

For more information, please visit https://phoenixinvestors.com.

SOURCE Phoenix Investors
Drs. Vincent DiCarlo, Robert Fisher, and Kanika Searvance join largest urology practice in Georgia

ATLANTA, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Urology  the largest urology practice in Georgia  welcomes Drs. Vincent DiCarlo, Robert Fisher, and Kanika Searvance to its acclaimed team of providers. With this expansion, Georgia Urology continues to provide accessibility and diversity to the array of communities it serves.

"At Georgia Urology, our team of talented and enthusiastic medical professionals have a deep passion for patient care and urology," says Dan Fellner, CEO of Georgia Urology. "We're honored to welcome Dr. DiCarlo, Dr. Fisher, and Dr. Searvance to that team, each of whom exemplifies those qualities."

Georgia Urology's new physicians help enhance the practice's mission of providing comprehensive urologic care to patients. Drs. DiCarlo, Fisher, and Searvance specialize in kidney stones, men's health, and urologic cancers. Additionally, Dr. DiCarlo and Dr. Searvance have expertise in robotic and laparoscopic surgery.

"The addition of these physicians allows us to continue to provide a wide-range of professional approaches," says Fellner. "As the practice grows, we can offer more solutions to better serve our patients."

To schedule an appointment visit GaUrology.com.

Dr. Vincent DiCarlo practices at the Canton, Woodstock, and Ellijay locations. He earned his doctorate in medicine at the Medical College of Georgia. Dr. DiCarlo completed an internship in general surgery and a residency in urology at the University of Kentucky. He is a member of the American Urological Association. Dr. DiCarlo specializes in general urology, including the treatment of kidney stones, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and lower urinary tract symptoms, as well as minimally invasive and robotic surgery for urologic cancers.

Dr. Robert Fisher practices at the Lawrenceville and Braselton locations. He earned his doctorate in medicine at Saint Louis University. He completed an internship in general surgery and a residency in urology at the University of San Diego. Dr. Fisher is a member of the American Urological Association. He specializes in urologic oncology, complex kidney stone disease, enlarged prostate (BPH), erectile dysfunction, and urinary incontinence in men and women. He also has specialized training in the newest technologies in urologic surgery, including da Vinci surgical systems, GreenLight photovaporization of the prostate, Rezum, UroLift, Axonics therapy, InterStim sacral nerve stimulation, vasectomy, and various implants.

Dr. Kanika Searvance practices at the Lawrenceville and Snellville locations. She earned her doctorate of medicine from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. She completed an internship in general surgery and a residency in urology at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is a member of the American Urological Association. Dr. Searvance's areas of expertise include robotic surgery, stone disease, urologic oncology, and urinary incontinence. She also specializes in minimally invasive surgical procedures to treat enlarged prostates, such as Rezum, UroLift, and holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), as well as medical and surgical treatment of erectile dysfunction, including penile implant surgery.

Georgia Urology is the largest urology practice in Georgia with more than 30 locations and seven ambulatory surgery centers across metro Atlanta. The practice is comprised of more than 70 providers, and many of its physicians are fellowship-trained and hold advanced specialty training in oncology, robotic surgery, laparoscopy, infertility, incontinence, and pediatrics. Georgia Urology physicians use state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and advanced treatment techniques, including robot-assisted technology and minimally invasive procedures, in order to manage all urological problems in men, women, and children. It is the practice's mission to inform and partner with patients to develop a personalized, compassionate, and comprehensive treatment plan for all of their urological conditions.

Interviews are available upon request.

Contact: Jon Waterhouse | Lenz, Inc.

404.721.3983

[email protected]

SOURCE Georgia Urology
DUBLIN, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Aerial Work Platform Rental Market By Product Type, By Application, By Propulsion Type: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global aerial work platform rental market size was $41,435.4 million in 2020, and is expected to reach $69,028.6 million by 2030, with a CAGR of 5.1% from 2021 to 2030.

Telecommunications, construction, logistics, and transportation industries require aerial work platform for various tasks. Aerial work platform is a type of lifting equipment that may be rented or leased for period of time. These rented platforms are commonly utilized for construction projects, such as constructing new structures at a height, repairing ducts, and repairing overhead cables.

The major purpose of these systems is to allow access to previously inaccessible areas at a specific height for equipment and employees. Installation of compressed air, power tool sockets, as well as windowpane frame support are among other characteristics.

Demand for rural and urban infrastructure projects increases, owing to surge in population across the globe. This is the important driver driving the growth of the aerial work platform rental industry during the forecast period. In addition, the construction and infrastructure development industry is rapidly developing across the globe.

For instance, in 2022, the Indian Union budget has proposed to spend about $130 billion on infrastructural developments, which, in turn, drives the growth of the aerial work platform rental market. Furthermore, technological advancements and features, including improved system safety are in demand from customers in the industrial, commercial, and government sectors for infrastructure development, maintenance, and manufacturing segments.

Furthermore, substantial government investments in road, communications, power generation, transit, and other infrastructure development in the developing nations like China and India increase the demand for aerial work platform rental throughout the forecast period.

However, high cost of aerial work platform and lack of skilled labors for operating aerial platform hinder the growth of the aerial work rental platform market.

On the other hand, development of new battery technologies is projected to increase the demand for electric aerial work platforms in the future. New and improved emission requirements as well as restrictions on engine-powered aerial work platform (AWP) use indoors may create new prospects for electric and hybrid AWPs, developing the aerial work platform business.

Manufacturers, on the other hand, design innovative equipment that can be controlled over the internet. Furthermore, internet of things (IoT) integration will alleviate skilled labor shortages while improving operator and end-user safety. These aforementioned factors are expected to provide lucrative growth opportunities for market during the forecast period.

Conversely, new technical advancements, including hybridization and electrification technologies are expected to boost the growth of the aerial work platform rental industry in the future.

The aerial work platform rental market is segmented on the basis of product type, application, propulsion type, and region. On the basis of product type, it is classified into boom lift, scissor lift, vehicle mounted platforms, and others. By application, it is categorized into utility, manufacturing, construction, and others.

Depending on propulsion type, it is fragmented into, diesel, electric and hybrid. Region wise, it is analyzed across North America (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, Italy, UK, and rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, India, and rest of Asia-Pacific), and LAMEA (Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa).

Competition Analysis

The major players profiled in the aerial work platform rental market include Ashtead Group plc. (Sunbelt Rentals Ltd), Aktio Corporation, AFI Uplift Ltd., Herc Rentals Inc., Haulotte Group, H&E Equipment Services, Inc., Loxam, Riwal, Sumitomo Corporation (Sunstate Equipment Company), and United Rentals, Inc.

Major companies in the market have adopted acquisition and business expansion as their key developmental strategies to offer better products and services to customers in the aerial work platform rental market.

Key Benefits For Stakeholders

This report provides a quantitative analysis of the market segments, current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the aerial work platform rental market analysis from 2020 to 2030 to identify the prevailing the aerial work platform rental market opportunity.

The market research is offered along with information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities.

Porter's five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network.

In-depth analysis of the aerial work platform rental industry segmentation assists to determine the prevailing market opportunities.

Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global market.

Market player positioning facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the market players.

The report includes the analysis of the regional as well as global aerial work platform rental market trends, key players, market segments, application areas, and market growth strategies.

Key Topics Covered:

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

CHAPTER 3: MARKET OVERVIEW

3.1. Market definition and scope

3.2. Key findings

3.2.1. Top investment pockets

3.3. Porter's five forces analysis

3.4. Top player positioning

3.5. Market dynamics

3.5.1. Drivers

3.5.2. Restraints

3.5.3. Opportunities

3.6. COVID-19 Impact Analysis on the market

CHAPTER 4: AERIAL WORK PLATFORM RENTAL MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE

4.1 Overview

4.1.1 Market size and forecast

4.2 Boom

4.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.2.3 Market analysis by country

4.3 Scissor

4.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.3.3 Market analysis by country

4.4 Vehicle Mounted Platforms

4.4.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.4.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.4.3 Market analysis by country

4.5 Others

4.5.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.5.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.5.3 Market analysis by country

CHAPTER 5: AERIAL WORK PLATFORM RENTAL MARKET, BY APPLICATION

5.1 Overview

5.1.1 Market size and forecast

5.2 Utility

5.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.2.3 Market analysis by country

5.3 Manufacturing

5.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.3.3 Market analysis by country

5.4 Construction

5.4.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.4.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.4.3 Market analysis by country

5.5 Others

5.5.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.5.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.5.3 Market analysis by country

CHAPTER 6: AERIAL WORK PLATFORM RENTAL MARKET, BY PROPULSION TYPE

6.1 Overview

6.1.1 Market size and forecast

6.2 Diesel

6.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

6.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

6.2.3 Market analysis by country

6.3 Electric

6.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

6.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

6.3.3 Market analysis by country

6.4 Hybrid

6.4.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

6.4.2 Market size and forecast, by region

6.4.3 Market analysis by country

CHAPTER 7: AERIAL WORK PLATFORM RENTAL MARKET, BY REGION

CHAPTER 8: COMPANY LANDSCAPE

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Top winning strategies

8.3. Product Mapping of Top 10 Player

8.4. Competitive Dashboard

8.5. Competitive Heatmap

8.6. Key developments

CHAPTER 9: COMPANY PROFILES

9.1 Haulotte Group

9.1.1 Company overview

9.1.2 Company snapshot

9.1.3 Operating business segments

9.1.4 Product portfolio

9.1.5 Business performance

9.1.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.2 Herc Holdings Inc.

9.2.1 Company overview

9.2.2 Company snapshot

9.2.3 Operating business segments

9.2.4 Product portfolio

9.2.5 Business performance

9.2.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.3 AFI Uplift Ltd.

9.3.1 Company overview

9.3.2 Company snapshot

9.3.3 Operating business segments

9.3.4 Product portfolio

9.3.5 Business performance

9.3.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.4 United Rentals

9.4.1 Company overview

9.4.2 Company snapshot

9.4.3 Operating business segments

9.4.4 Product portfolio

9.4.5 Business performance

9.4.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.5 Ashtead Group

9.5.1 Company overview

9.5.2 Company snapshot

9.5.3 Operating business segments

9.5.4 Product portfolio

9.5.5 Business performance

9.5.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.6 Riwal

9.6.1 Company overview

9.6.2 Company snapshot

9.6.3 Operating business segments

9.6.4 Product portfolio

9.6.5 Business performance

9.6.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.7 Loxam

9.7.1 Company overview

9.7.2 Company snapshot

9.7.3 Operating business segments

9.7.4 Product portfolio

9.7.5 Business performance

9.7.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.8 Aktio Corporation

9.8.1 Company overview

9.8.2 Company snapshot

9.8.3 Operating business segments

9.8.4 Product portfolio

9.8.5 Business performance

9.8.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.9 Nesco Rentals

9.9.1 Company overview

9.9.2 Company snapshot

9.9.3 Operating business segments

9.9.4 Product portfolio

9.9.5 Business performance

9.9.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.10 Kilotou

9.10.1 Company overview

9.10.2 Company snapshot

9.10.3 Operating business segments

9.10.4 Product portfolio

9.10.5 Business performance

9.10.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.11 Sunstate Equipment Company.

9.11.1 Company overview

9.11.2 Company snapshot

9.11.3 Operating business segments

9.11.4 Product portfolio

9.11.5 Business performance

9.11.6 Key strategic moves and developments

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/v57dxl?

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Air Purifier Market Size, Share, Trends, By Type, By Filtration Technology, By Application, By Distribution Channel, and By Region Forecast to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Air Purifier market is projected to reach USD 25.6 billion by 2030, according to a new report. Air purifiers are devices which help in the removal of particulate matter, allergens, smoke, and other airborne contaminants from the indoor air. These devices are used in various end-use sectors such as residential, commercial, healthcare, and industrial.



The growing awareness about the harmful effects of air pollution is one of the major factors driving the growth of the air purifier market. The increasing incidence of respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is also boosting industry growth.



The rising need for air pollution control equipment and the implementation of stringent environmental regulations are expected to contribute to the growth of air purifier market. The air purifier industry is estimated to witness significant growth in Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa due to rapid industrialization, rising awareness about health hazards, and strict environmental regulations in these regions.



Strict environmental conservation regulations implemented across the globe and a growing awareness about air pollution are key factors projected to fuel the growth of the global air purifier market. The increased adoption of air purifiers in commercial establishments such as shopping malls, offices, and restaurants is also propelling the growth of the market. Moreover, technological advancements in air purifier products are projected to create new opportunities for market players over the forecast period.



Further key findings from the report suggest

In March 2019 , Sharp introduced a new air purifier with an improved design that makes it easier to clean. The new model, the FU-A80E, features a detachable filter that can be washed with water. The other main improvement is a bigger dustbin. With these improvements, Sharp air purifiers are now more user-friendly and offer better value for money.

, Sharp introduced a new air purifier with an improved design that makes it easier to clean. The new model, the FU-A80E, features a detachable filter that can be washed with water. The other main improvement is a bigger dustbin. With these improvements, Sharp air purifiers are now more user-friendly and offer better value for money. The commercial sector is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the increasing awareness about indoor air quality in the commercial sector. The growing construction industry is also expected to drive the demand for air purifiers in the commercial sector.

The air purifier market is expected to witness significant growth in the Asia-Pacific region owing to the rapid industrialization and urbanization in the region. The growing awareness about air pollution and its harmful effects on health is one of the key factors projected to boost the demand for air purifiers in the region. China is expected to be the largest market for air purifiers in the Asia-Pacific region, followed by India and Japan .

region owing to the rapid industrialization and urbanization in the region. The growing awareness about air pollution and its harmful effects on health is one of the key factors projected to boost the demand for air purifiers in the region. is expected to be the largest market for air purifiers in the region, followed by and . The market in North America is also projected to grow at a rapid pace owing to the presence of leading manufacturers of air purifiers in the region. The U.S. is expected to be the major market for air purifiers in North America due to the stringent environmental regulations in the country.

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Rising Demand for Air Purifiers Due to Prevalence of Covid-19

Increasing Industrialization and Air Pollution Levels in Urban Areas

Supportive Government Regulations for Effective Air Pollution Monitoring & Control

Market Restraints

High Cost of Research & Development (R&D) for New Products

Technical Constraints Related With Air Quality Monitoring Products

High Installation and Maintenance Costs

Market Segmentation

Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2019-2030) (Thousand Units)

Stand-Alone/Portable

In-Duct

Filtration Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2019-2030) (Thousand Units)

High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA)

Activated Carbon

Iconic Filters

Electrostatic Precipitators

Others

Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2019-2030) (Thousand Units)

Commercial

Residential

Industrial

Distribution Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2019-2030) (Thousand Units)

Offline Channel

Online Channel

Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2019-2030) (Thousand Units)

North America

U.S.

Canada

Mexico

Europe

Germany

U.K.

France

Italy

Spain

Sweden

BENELUX

Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific

China

India

Japan

South Korea

Rest of APAC

Latin America

Brazil

Rest of LATAM

Middle East & Africa

& Saudi Arabia

UAE

South Africa

Israel

Rest of MEA

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Market Synopsis



Chapter 2. Executive Summary



Chapter 3. Indicative Metrics



Chapter 4. Air Purifier Market Segmentation & Impact Analysis



Chapter 5. Air Purifier Market By Type Insights & Trends



Chapter 6. Air Purifier Market By Filtration Technology Insights & Trends



Chapter 7. Air Purifier Market By Application Insights & Trends



Chapter 8. Air Purifier Market By Distribution Channel Insights & Trends



Chapter 9. Air Purifier Market Regional Outlook



Chapter 10. Competitive Landscape



Chapter 11. Company Profiles



Companies Mentioned

Daikin Industries Ltd

Honeywell International Inc.

SAMSUNG

Koninklijke Philips N.V.

Unilever

Woongjin Coway Co. Ltd.

IQAir

Dyson

SAMSUNG

AllerAir

Xiaomi

Sharp Corporation.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/svglck

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

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Industrial Tapes Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global industrial tapes market size reached US$ 61.4 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 91.9 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.95% 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.

Industrial tapes are made using a sticky chemical film and backing material and are used for various industrial functions such as adhesive bonding, masking, packaging, wrapping and electrical sealing. They offer high adhesive strength as compared to standard tapes and can also be used to bond heavy materials such as concrete, glass, wood, rubber and metal. These tapes come in adhesive, non-adhesive and special-purpose variants.

While adhesive industrial tapes are widely utilized for binding various products, the non-adhesive and special-purpose variants of these tapes are used for specific applications such as thread sealing, electrical insulation, welding, thermal protection and friction reduction.

The extensive usage of industrial tapes in packaging, automotive, medical and construction sectors, owing to various favorable properties such as water/shock resistance and high peel and tensile strength, is the key factor driving the global market. These tapes serve as a light-weight alternative to mechanical fasteners such as bolts and screws, while enhancing the aesthetic appeal of a product and covering any visible joints and attachments.

Furthermore, owing to their shock and water-resistant properties, they are widely utilized in the manufacturing of electrical equipment. Furthermore, government policies are encouraging the production of zero-residue, eco-friendly and bio-degradable tapes with the aim to reduce carbon emissions. Additionally, manufacturers are increasingly opting for industrial tapes made with materials such as natural rubber and acrylic which are less harmful to the environment, thus further accelerating the market growth.

Competitive Landscape:

The report has also analysed the competitive landscape of the market with some of the key players being Avery Dennison Corporation, H.B Fuller Company, Henkel AG & Company KGaA, Ashland Inc., Sika AG, Saint Gobain SA, Eastman Chemical Company, The DOW Chemical Company, VON Roll Holding AG, The 3M Company, etc.

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global industrial tapes market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What are the key regional markets in the global industrial tapes industry?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global industrial tapes industry?

What is the breakup of the market based on the product type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the tape backing material?

What is the breakup of the market based on the application?

What is the breakup of the market based on the end-user?

What is the breakup of the market based on the mode of application?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the global industrial tapes industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the global industrial tapes industry?

What is the structure of the global industrial tapes industry and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the global industrial tapes industry?

What are the profit margins in the global industrial tapes 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 Industrial Tapes Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Breakup by Product Type

5.5 Market Breakup by Tape Backing Material

5.6 Market Breakup by Application

5.7 Market Breakup by End-User

5.8 Market Breakup by Mode of Application

5.9 Market Breakup by Region

5.10 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Product Type

6.1 Filament Tapes

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Aluminum Tapes

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Duct Tapes

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Adhesive Transfer Tapes

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast

6.5 Others

6.5.1 Market Trends

6.5.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Tape Backing Material

7.1 Polypropylene

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Paper

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Polyvinyl Chloride

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

7.4 Others

7.4.1 Market Trends

7.4.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Application

8.1 Packaging Application

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Masking/Protective Application

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Electrical and Electronic Application

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast

8.4 Specialized Application

8.4.1 Market Trends

8.4.2 Market Forecast

8.5 Others

8.5.1 Market Trends

8.5.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by End-User

9.1 Manufacturing Industry

9.1.1 Market Trends

9.1.2 Market Forecast

9.2 Automotive Industry

9.2.1 Market Trends

9.2.2 Market Forecast

9.3 Construction Industry

9.3.1 Market Trends

9.3.2 Market Forecast

9.4 Logistics Industry

9.4.1 Market Trends

9.4.2 Market Forecast

9.5 Electrical Industry

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 Mode of Application

10.1 Pressure Sensitive Application

10.1.1 Market Trends

10.1.2 Market Forecast

10.2 Solvent Based Application

10.2.1 Market Trends

10.2.2 Market Forecast

10.3 Hot Melt-Based Application

10.3.1 Market Trends

10.3.2 Market Forecast

10.4 Acrylic Based Application

10.4.1 Market Trends

10.4.2 Market Forecast



11 Market Breakup by Region



12 SWOT Analysis



13 Value Chain Analysis



14 Porters Five Forces Analysis



15 Price Analysis



16 Competitive Landscape

16.1 Market Structure

16.2 Key Players

16.3 Profiles of Key Players

16.3.1 Avery Dennison Corporation

16.3.2 H.B Fuller Company

16.3.3 Henkel AG & Company KGaA

16.3.4 Ashland Inc.

16.3.5 Sika AG

16.3.6 Saint Gobain SA

16.3.7 Eastman Chemical Company

16.3.8 The DOW Chemical Company

16.3.9 VON Roll Holding AG

16.3.10 The 3M Company

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/4jcd1j

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



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SOURCE Research and Markets
Project Will Process Methane From California Dairy Farms Into Renewable Natural Gas for Use as Low-carbon Transportation Fuel; Loans Guaranteed by USDA REAP

RENO, Nev., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Greater Commercial Lending (GCL), which provides loans to businesses and organizations in under-served and rural communities, has completed $25 million in long-term financing to help develop and build dairy biogas digesters and a biogas pipeline for the Aemetis Biogas Central Dairy Digester Project located in Stanislaus County, California. The financing has been arranged as a loan guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

Methane digesters are systems that promote the decomposition of organic matter, including animal manure, food wastes and wastewater biosolids, into renewable fuels to replace petroleum products. The Aemetis biogas project is a collection of anerobic digesters at dairy farm lagoons that utilize waste animal manure to generate renewable methane gas to produce renewable natural gas (RNG).

The construction and testing of six dairy biogas digesters is scheduled for completion in Q1 2023. A biogas pipeline connects the dairies to the Aemetis Keyes ethanol plant, where the biogas is converted to a low-carbon transportation fuel. In addition to using the RNG at the Aemetis ethanol plant and planned onsite fueling station, Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) will deliver the transportation fuel via gas pipeline throughout California for sale to customers.

"We are thrilled to be involved in this project, which is advancing a pioneering solution to a real-world issue. We truly believe efforts like this need to be brought to market, and government-backed loans can be a low-cost and long-term financing source for these important projects," said Jeremy Gilpin, executive vice president of GCL. GCL is one of the largest providers of USDA government-guaranteed loans. "The Aemetis team has a proven track record in promoting cutting-edge technologies in renewable fuels."

"Government-guaranteed loans, such as those through USDA REAP, can be crucial in getting new and innovative projects such as the Aemetis Biogas Central Dairy project built. With GCL's support, we've continued to expand the number of digesters which capture methane emissions from dairy farms and convert the methane into a negative carbon renewable fuel," said Eric McAfee, CEO and founder of Aemetis, Inc., based in Cupertino, California.

About 25% of the methane emissions in California are emitted from dairy waste lagoons. When fully built, the Aemetis biogas project plans to connect dairy digesters spanning 66 dairy farms across a 40-mile pipeline, capturing more than 1.65 MMBtu of dairy methane each year. The project is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to an estimated 6.8 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide over 10 years, equal to removing the emissions from approximately 150,000 cars per year.

About Greater Commercial Lending

Greater Commercial Lending (GCL) is a credit organization that brings together credit unions and community lenders from around the U.S. to provide government-guaranteed loans to businesses and initiatives in rural and under-served markets throughout the U.S. and its territories. It helps finance key infrastructure services, like power, renewable energy, transportation and fiber optic, as well as schools, hospitals, restaurants, agriculture, hotels and manufacturers. GCL partners with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which guarantee loans, to arrange credit at favorable terms. GCL is a subsidiary of Greater Nevada Credit Union (GNCU).

About Aemetis

Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Aemetis is a renewable natural gas, renewable fuel and biochemicals company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of innovative technologies that replace petroleum-based products and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Founded in 2006, Aemetis has completed Phase 1 and is expanding a California biogas digester network and pipeline system to convert dairy waste gas into Renewable Natural Gas. Aemetis owns and operates a 65 million gallon per year ethanol production facility in California's Central Valley near Modesto that supplies about 80 dairies with animal feed. Aemetis also owns and operates a 50 million gallon per year production facility on the East Coast of India producing high quality distilled biodiesel and refined glycerin for customers in India and Europe. Aemetis is developing the Carbon Zero sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel fuel biorefineries in California to utilize distillers corn oil and other renewable oils to produce low carbon intensity renewable jet and diesel fuel using cellulosic hydrogen from waste orchard and forest wood, while pre-extracting cellulosic sugars from the waste wood to be processed into high value cellulosic ethanol at the Keyes plant. Aemetis holds a portfolio of patents and exclusive technology licenses to produce renewable fuels and biochemicals. For additional information about Aemetis, please visit www.aemetis.com.

Media Contact:

Julia Landon

[email protected]

SOURCE Greater Commercial Lending
StoryTerrace, the US's leading biographer, reports 42% increase in Americans having memoirs penned to make peace with their past

1-in-4 Americans suffer diagnosable mental health issues

LONDON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- StoryTerrace , America's leading biography-writing service, found that over 22% of the public agree that journaling is the most beneficial aid to their mental health. As it stands, one in four American's currently live with a diagnosable mental illness - half of whom are battling symptoms without treatment. With patience waning and desperation increasing, more people are investing in what is being called the 'self-care revolution'.

Why has it become so popular?

How a biography service is helping to combat America's mental health epidemic Tweet this

StoryTerrace recently reported a 42% rise in memoirs being penned this year, from all over the States. Fuelled by the cascade of events in recent years, society has come to realise the crucial need for mindfulness, self-care, and setting aside time for self-reflection.

The memoir-writing service found that 31% of the population agreed that the cathartic elements associated with writing and speaking out about past experiences facilitated a deeper understanding and connection to one's identity. This is supported by countless historic studies which demonstrate that a closer affiliation to one's identity directly increases self-esteem and improves social relationships and belonging.

Why is it important to preserve our life stories?

StoryTerrace found that the most popular cohort of people having their memoirs written is those aged 66+, accounting for over a third of all biographies written at the service (31.2%). The ageing population are recognised to be the most susceptible to poor mental health symptoms with over half of America's senior citizens disproportionately at risk of social isolation and depression.

In going through the memoir-writing process people are matched with a professional ghostwriter who spends hours listening to their stories before putting them into a book. As a result, an often-ignored generation gets the chance to feel listened to and valued, whilst knowing that their life story will be preserved and passed down to future generations.

CEO and founder of StoryTerrace, Rutger Bruining, says: "There is power in writing. Whether it is daily journaling, writing a novel, or even writing a card. It is one of the purest forms of self-expression and allows room for creativity and self-exploration. We have the pleasure of seeing exactly how writing directly benefits not just our clients but our amazing ghostwriters as well."

Media Contact:

Jess Moore

[email protected]

SOURCE 42 Bruton
GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyer, a leading on-demand labor app powering the gig economy, announced today that long-time food industry veteran, Kent Walrack, has joined Hyer as a strategic advisor. In this key role, Walrack will be responsible for developing and executing strategies that focus on bridging labor gaps across the restaurant, food service and hotel industries.

"Hyer's impressive track record presents an amazing opportunity for us to work together to help shape the future of work." Tweet this Hyer appoints food industry veteran, Kent Walrack, in key role as strategic advisor.

Hyer CEO and Co-Founder, Dave Dempsey, said, "We are thrilled to be partnering with Kent as we look to further penetrate this vertical. A trusted leader and visionary, his extensive experience and knowledge will be invaluable as we work to build and deepen relationships across the food service industry."

Walrack is a 38-year veteran of the food service business who recently retired from Lyons Magnus where he served as the executive vice president and chief strategy officer. He is also a recognized industry leader, serving as the current chair of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Board of Trustees and has also served on the executive board as past chair of the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA).

"The pandemic accelerated many of the underlying labor issues the food service industry has long faced," Walrack said. "Hyer's impressive track record of providing on-demand labor to companies across the retail, hospitality and warehouse industries presents an amazing opportunity for us to work together to help shape the current and future labor landscape."

In a recent National Restaurant Association survey, 65% of food service operators said their restaurant still does not have enough employees to support existing customer demand. "While gradual progress is being made to rebuild the workforce, a majority of restaurants still remain understaffedpresenting a timely opportunity for businesses to leverage new and innovative ways of finding the help they need," Walrack said.

About Hyer

Connecting a pool of 255k workers to businesses in real-time, Hyer delivers flexible, on-demand labor to leading retailers, warehouses, hotels and restaurants in the tap of an app. Led by a team of industry experts, Hyer launched in 2019 in Michiganand today has expanded their footprint across 27 states.

To learn more about Hyer, visit www.gohyer.com

SOURCE Hyer
The new European standard for identity proofing, electronic signatures and trust services, developed in collaboration with regulatory expertise from the private sector

MUNICH, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IDnow, a leading European provider for identity proofing, is one of the first companies to receive the ETSI TS 119 461 certification, a new European technical standard for identity proofing for trust services, and especially qualified electronic signatures (QES). This certification enables IDnow to continue to provide compliant identity proofing solutions for trust services and act as Identity Proofing Service Provider (IPSP) for Trust Service Providers (TSP).

Technical standard raises the security level across the industry

The standard was first released in July 2021 by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and defines security best practices for different ident methods, including on-site, video, automated hybrid, and NFC-based solutions. With one of the broadest platforms of identity verification solutions, IDnow offers a fitting solution for all these categories.

The new technical specification revamps the policy and security requirements for identity proofing and trust services by introducing a new minimum Level of Identity Proofing (LoIP) which is aligned with the requirements of eIDAS.

Therefore, the standard raises the security level across the identity proofing industry and provides the foundation for issuing qualified electronic signatures and other trust services in the future. Furthermore, ETSI TS 119 461 is expected to influence and be a foundation to further industry regulations, such as the upcoming update to the 6th European Anti-Money-Laundering Act (AMLD6) and the new eIDAS 2.0 framework.

"We welcome ETSI TS 119 461 as the new industry benchmark and especially the introduction of the new minimum Level of Identity Proofing (LoIP), something IDnow has been demanding for years. This will contribute to harmonizing minimum requirements in identity proofing and raises the level of security requirements and quality expectations across the industry," says Armin Bauer, Managing Director Technology & Co-Founder of IDnow.

The importance of collaboration between lawmakers and private industry experts

The creation of this new industry benchmark demonstrates the importance of involving the private sector in the development of industry-wide standards.

"We are proud to have obtained the ETSI TS 119 461 certification because it clearly demonstrates that our IDnow platform fulfills the latest requirements in identity proofing for trust services. At the same time, we are quite pleased to have been selected as one of the private industry experts that contributed to the creation of this industry standard through the ETSI Special Task Force 588. As innovations in digital identity evolve both nationally and at the EU level, collaboration between technology leaders and policy makers is as relevant as ever," says Rayissa Armata, Head of Regulatory Affairs at IDnow.

About IDnow

IDnow is a leading identity proofing platform provider in Europe with a vision to make the connected world a safer place. The IDnow platform provides a broad portfolio of identity verification solutions, ranging from automated to human-assisted from purely online to point-of-sale, each of them optimized for user conversion rates and security.

In 2021, IDnow acquired the French market leader for identity technology, ARIADNEXT, and the German identity Trust Management AG, enabling IDnow to offer its customers one of the broadest identification solutions through a single, integrated platform.

The company has offices in Germany, United Kingdom, France, and Dubai and is backed by renowned institutional investors, including Corsair Capital and Seventure Partners. Its portfolio of over 900 international clients, spans a wide range of industries, and includes leading international players, such as Western Union, UBS, Sixt and Munich Re, as well as digital champions like N26, Solarisbank, wefox and Tier mobility.

Press contact IDnow:

Katherina Riesner

[email protected]

+49 89 413 24 6030

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SOURCE IDnow GmbH
DUBLIN, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Automotive HMI Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global automotive HMI market reached a value of US$ 17.53 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach a value of US$ 36.52 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 13.01% 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 sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



The automotive human-machine interface (HMI) includes exclusive features, applications, and user interface that enables drivers and passengers to interact, engage and connect with the vehicle systems and linked components for controlling automobiles.

It involves display units, sensors, speech recognition solutions, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), steering-mounted controls, navigation touchscreens, and visual and acoustic interfaces. Automotive HMI offers better vehicle control, translates user input, and provides information regarding the surroundings.

Apart from this, the system is secure, easy to use, and customizable, due to which it is extensively installed in passenger and commercial vehicles. At present, it is commercially categorized based on varying functions and access types, including standard and multimodal HMI.



With the substantial expansion in the automotive industry, there has been an increasing demand for customized in-vehicle digital systems and autonomous automobiles to improve the driving experience. This, in turn, represents a prime factor driving the automotive HMI market growth.

In line with this, the introduction of a head-up display (HUD) with three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) graphics to visualize vehicle potential movement and provide information regarding speed limit is acting as another growth-inducing factor. Moreover, the large-scale integration of augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), and various HMI technologies, including keyless entry, power seat controls, occupation detection, and voice recognition systems, are supporting the market growth.

Additionally, the rising instances of road accidents have further supplemented the widespread installation of automotive HMI in commercial and passenger vehicles to ensure safer driving, which is contributing to the market growth. Besides this, strategic collaborations amongst original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to engineer new user experience/user interface (UX/UI) designs for enabling human-vehicle interactions are creating a positive outlook for the market.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Alps Electric Co. Ltd., Capgemini Engineering (Capgemini SE), Continental Aktiengesellschaft, DENSO Corporation, EAO AG, Faurecia Clarion Electronics Co. Ltd. (Faurecia SE), Harman International Industries (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.), Luxoft (DXC Technology), Marelli Holdings Co. Ltd., Panasonic Holdings Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbH (Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH), Valeo and Visteon Corporation.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global automotive HMI market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global automotive HMI market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the product?

What is the breakup of the market based on the access type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the technology?

What is the breakup of the market based on the vehicle type?

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 automotive HMI 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 Automotive HMI Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Product

6.1 Instrument Cluster

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Central Display

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Head-Up Display

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Others

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Access Type

7.1 Standard

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Multimodal

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Technology

8.1 Visual Interface

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Acoustic

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Mechanical

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 Vehicle Type

9.1 Passenger Cars

9.1.1 Market Trends

9.1.2 Market Forecast

9.2 Commercial Vehicles

9.2.1 Market Trends

9.2.2 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 Alps Electric Co. Ltd.

15.3.1.1 Company Overview

15.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.1.3 Financials

15.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.2 Capgemini Engineering (Capgemini SE)

15.3.2.1 Company Overview

15.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.3 Continental Aktiengesellschaft

15.3.3.1 Company Overview

15.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.3.3 Financials

15.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.4 DENSO Corporation

15.3.4.1 Company Overview

15.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.4.3 Financials

15.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.5 EAO AG

15.3.5.1 Company Overview

15.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.6 Faurecia Clarion Electronics Co. Ltd. (Faurecia SE)

15.3.6.1 Company Overview

15.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.6.3 SWOT Analysis

15.3.7 Harman International Industries (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)

15.3.7.1 Company Overview

15.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.7.3 SWOT Analysis

15.3.8 Luxoft (DXC Technology)

15.3.8.1 Company Overview

15.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.9 Marelli Holdings Co. Ltd.

15.3.9.1 Company Overview

15.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.10 Panasonic Holdings Corporation

15.3.10.1 Company Overview

15.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.10.3 Financials

15.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.11 Robert Bosch GmbH (Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH)

15.3.11.1 Company Overview

15.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.11.3 SWOT Analysis

15.3.12 Valeo

15.3.12.1 Company Overview

15.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.13 Visteon Corporation

15.3.13.1 Company Overview

15.3.13.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.13.3 Financials

15.3.13.4 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ejd4at

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

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SOURCE Research and Markets
BANGALORE, India, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global IoT in Chemical Industry is Segmented by Type (Enabling Technology, Operational Technology), Applications of IoT in Chemical Industry (Mining and Metals, Chemicals, Paper & Pulp): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2028. It is published in Valuates Reports under the Chemicals Industry Category.



Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global IoT in Chemical Industry market size is estimated to be worth USD 65310 Million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 106490 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 8.5% during the review period.

Major factors driving the growth of IoT in Chemical Industry market are:

The IoT in Chemical Industry market is driven by the rising use of industrial robots, the development of IoT, the rising need for intelligent automation solutions, and the growing importance of regulatory compliances.

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TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF IOT IN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY MARKET:

Companies that manufacture chemicals can improve operations and encourage strategic expansion thanks to IoT technologies. To reduce operating expenses, businesses can also track and analyze the energy and other resources used by crucial operations. IoT-enabled solutions collect data from equipment to monitor variables that control process performance and product quality. Automation in the industry improves productivity and yields better outcomes. These factors are expected to drive the growth of IoT in chemical industry market

Automation in the Chemical industry improves productivity and yields better outcomes. The IoT may streamline a number of activities and procedures for businesses involved in the manufacturing and distribution of chemicals, including the provision of smart machines, increased capacity for large data storage, and assistance with system and asset optimization. Chemical firms can generate profitable commercial results and develop into intelligent enterprises by fusing the IoT with machine learning.

The chemical industry benefits from IoT adoption in terms of increased productivity, increased revenue, and greater asset utilization. As a result, it is anticipated that the IoT in Chemical Industry market would grow throughout the forecast period. IoT in the chemical sector is enhancing all-around job site safety. Chemical industry sites are outfitted with IoT devices and sensors that keep an eye on a number of operational aspects and alert the team if they detect potential safety issues.

The global IoT in chemical industry market is also expected to grow as a result of widespread adoption of the internet of things (IoT) in a number of applications, including petrochemicals & polymers, specialty chemicals, fertilizers & agrochemicals, consumer chemicals, industrial gasses, and water management. Additionally, a significant increase in industrial robot use in the chemical industry would positively impact market trends worldwide.

Browse The Table Of Contents And List Of Figures At: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-19I1899/global-iot-in-chemical-industry

IoT IN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY MARKET SHARE

The IoT in chemical industry market is anticipated to have the highest share in the APAC region. The market in the region is being driven by rising chemical output in China, India, Indonesia, and Thailand as well as rising urbanization and industrialization. The market for IoT in the chemicals industry will also grow as a result of the expansion of mining and metals companies in the area.

During the anticipated period, the market for IoT in the chemical industry is anticipated to be led by enabling technologies. The demand for digital transformation, which is driving the market for IoT in the chemical industry, is being driven by rising environmental concerns due to chemical releases from plants, growing emphasis on the circular economy, and growing concern about reducing the risk associated with the chemical and metal industries.

The industry segment for chemicals is predicted to increase at the fastest rate. This is due to the rise in specialty chemical demand in cutting-edge engineering processes and the expansion of chemical products across numerous locations. The expansion of the petrochemical and specialized chemical sectors has a direct impact on the expansion of the chemical industry.

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Key Companies:

Siemens

GE

ABB

Rockwell Automation

Emerson Electric

Yokogawa Electric

Honeywell International

Mitsubishi Electric

Schneider Electric.

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SIMILAR REPORTS:

- The global IoT in Manufacturing market size is projected to reach USD 1148.9 million by 2028, from USD 550.2 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 10.6% during 2022-2028. The managed services segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

- The global IoT Sensors market size is estimated to be worth USD 11500 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 31060 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 18.0% during the forecast period.

- In 2020, the global Chemical Sensors market size was USD 28750 million and it is expected to reach USD 47700 million by the end of 2027, with a CAGR of 7.5% during 2021-2027.

- The global IoT market size is projected to reach USD 74630 million by 2028, from USD 34250 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 11.6% during 2022-2028.

- The global IoT Fleet Management Market size is projected to reach USD 26410 million by 2027, from USD 6955.7 million in 2020 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 21.0% during 2021-2027.

- The global IoT Cloud Platform market size is projected to reach USD 10330 million by 2028, from USD 3108.9 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 18.2% during 2022-2028.

- The global Internet of Things (IoT) Security market size is projected to reach USD 7722.1 million by 2028, from USD 2087.8 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 20.3% during 2022-2028.

- The global Internet of Things in Retail market size is projected to reach USD 40340 million by 2027, from USD 20280 million in 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.2% during 2021-2027.

- The global IoT Device Management market size is projected to reach USD 7668.1 Million by 2028, from USD 1783.2 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 22.6% during 2022-2028.

- In 2020, the global IoT Chip market size was USD 39880 million and it is expected to reach USD 109140 million by the end of 2027, with a CAGR of 15.5% during 2021-2027.

- The global IoT Engineering Services market size is projected to reach USD 44280 Million by 2028, from USD 12100 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 19.8% during 2022-2028.

- The global IoT Managed Services market size is projected to reach USD 138.5 million by 2026, from USD 68 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 12.7% during 2021-2026.

- The global IoT Platforms market size is projected to reach USD 20720 million by 2028, from USD 4574.3 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 23.8% during 2022-2028.

- The global Industrial IoT (IIoT) market size is projected to reach USD 102460 million by 2028, from USD 71160 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 5.3% during 2022-2028.

- The global IIoT Platform market size is projected to reach USD 19780 million by 2028, from USD 3587 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 27.1% during 2022-2028.

- The global Internet of Things (IoT) Security market size is projected to reach USD 7722.1 million by 2028, from USD 2087.8 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 20.3% during 2022-2028.

- Global IoT in Elevators Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022-2028

- Global Sensors in Internet of Things (IoT) Market Insights, Forecast to 2028

- Global IoT in Portable Water Monitoring Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021-2027

- The global environmental sensor market size is projected to reach USD 1798.7 million by 2027 from USD 1296.2 million in 2020 at a CAGR of 5.6% during 2021-2027.

Click here to see related reports on IoT in chemical Industry

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TOKYO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Green Transformation Technologies Inventory (GXTI), released by the Japan Patent Office (JPO), helps enterprises and others objectively explain their green transformation (GX) efforts. GXTI shows a way to categorize GX technologies and how to search for patent documents pertinent to the respective category of GX technology. In line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), companies are required to objectively demonstrate how the value they create (products and services) can contribute to solving climate change issues. GXTI can be used for such disclosure of information.

What is GXTI?

GX now underway is shifting the economic, social and industrial structures that have depended on fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution to structures driven by clean energy. GXTI shows how various GX technologies can be categorized, and how patent documents related to each category of GX technology can be searched. It provides a bird's-eye view of GX technologies through five large technology categories (Level 1) and four transversal perspectives to enable formation of common understanding of GX technology.

Image of GXTI:

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107284/202209287323/_prw_PI2fl_Pj43bPX3.png

Green Transformation Technologies Inventory (GXTI):

https://www.jpo.go.jp/e/resources/statistics/gxti.html

The technologies inventory was developed after two rounds of discussions by a panel comprising six external experts with in-depth knowledge of GX technology and released as GXTI in June 2022.

Anyone Can Search Patent Documents Same Way, Disclose Information Objectively GXTI has a hierarchical structure with the large category of Level 1, the medium category of Level 2, which divides the large category, and the small category of Level 3, which further divides the medium category. A patent search formula is provided for each small category of technology. The patent search formulae were created using the extensive knowledge of JPO patent examiners in each field.

Hierarchical Structure of GXTI:

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107284/202209287323/_prw_PI1fl_A8xxh94e.png

GXTI is characterized by its published patent search formulae, which allow anyone to conduct a search under the same conditions, and by its formulae based on the International Patent Classification (IPC), which allows searches of patent documents from all over the world. With GXTI, anyone can analyze the patent information available worldwide and determine one's technical position and potential for GX technology. This would help to objectively demonstrate how the value created (products and services) by companies can contribute to climate change issues.

Further Plans by JPO

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202209287323-O1-BJYiqZjD.pdf

The JPO administers the industrial property rights system, which is the collective name for patents, utility models, designs and trademarks. This system is designed to protect intellectual creations, including inventions, designs and trademarks, to ensure their effective use as well as to contribute toward industrial development.

SOURCE Japan Patent Office, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
New 5,000-square foot facility will offer free services from professional psychotherapists and psychiatrists for more than 15,000 people before year-end, 40,000 in 2023

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JustAnswer, a platform that connects people with experts for on-demand professional help, announced today the opening of a new National Mental Health Center in Lviv, Ukraine that will provide free and low-cost services from professional psychotherapists and psychiatrists to treat Ukrainians suffering PTSD and other stress-related mental health conditions.

New National Ukraine Mental Health Center Funded by JustAnswer Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi and JustAnswer CEO Andy Kurtzig at the New National Mental Health Center for Ukraine

Funded by JustAnswer through its nonprofit the Arizae Foundation and in partnership with Lviv IT Cluster, the new Lviv Mental Health Center will provide up to 15,000 therapy sessions this year, and up to 40,000 consultations in 2023  including adults, kids and families with loved ones suffering the trauma, stress and anxiety of living under the conditions of war. Housed in a newly renovated building adjacent to the Lviv Emergency City Hospital that previously served as a general health clinic for non-urgent care, the new facility now offers 5,000 square feet of space specially equipped for individual and group work, staffed by over a dozen professional psychotherapists and psychiatrists.

As noted in a recent NY Times story, dealing with the stress of living under siege is taking a significant psychological toll on Ukrainian citizens. The new center, which will function permanently as the main state mental health center in Ukraine aims to provide much needed mental health services at scale. For the first three months, the center will provide services free for all citizens. After three months, patients can access services for free with a therapist prescription or without a prescription, but at a reduced price that's half the general market rate.

"We help people. That is JustAnswer's mission and that's why we knew we needed to help the Ukrainian people cope with the trauma of war by funding this center," explains JustAnswer CEO & Founder Andy Kurtzig, whose San Francisco-based company employs about 300 people  one-third of its workforce  in Ukraine and has raised more than $600,000 for Ukraine since the Russian invasion. "With physical trauma, that's something everyone understands because they can see it. But with psychological trauma, it's difficult to see but equally important to treat properly in order to preserve life, the economy and the community. This center will help everyone from injured soldiers and their families to people stressed from missiles landing near them."

About JustAnswer

JustAnswer is an online platform that connects people with live Doctors, Lawyers, Veterinarians, Mechanics and other verified and vetted Experts for real-time, personalized assistance and answers to just about any question or problem 24/7. With more than 12,000 experts across 150 categories, JustAnswer is the leading destination for accessing affordable professional help on-demand when and from wherever you need it.

Media Contact:

Aimee Grove for JustAnswer: [email protected]com; phone: 415-706-1906

Photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-lQdQ-I_wHHjz39QwoM336ptFJq-YCzW?usp=sharing

SOURCE JustAnswer
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 7th Annual Kids Music Day is officially celebrated this Friday October 7th, with special events and promotions benefiting kids playing music all over the US and a dozen other countries all this week. Keep Music Alive is excited to once again partner with the Music & Arts retail chain who are making it easier (and more fun) than ever to give music a try!

The Music & Arts retail chain offers lessons for over 23 musical instruments and voice and will host a student showcase and TWO free group music lessons at over 250 lesson locations nationwide:

Kids Music Day Supporters include Julie Andrews, Jack Black, Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Michael Feinstein, Kenny Loggins, Richie Sambora, Sarah McLachlan, Vanessa Williams, Victor Wooten, Todd Rundgren, Neil Nayyar Philip Lawrence, Bernie Williams, Damien Escobar, Mandy Harvey. Alfred Music, CASIO EMI, Conn-Selmer, D'Addario Foundation, Kala Brand Music, Hungry for Music, Les Paul Foundation, Make Music, Music Nomad Equipment Care, Musicology & Remo Percussion Kids Kids Music Day Spokesperson Neil Nayyar is a 16 year old musical prodigy. Neil made several media appearances for Kids Music Day this year including CapRadio with host Vicki Gonzalez, Studio40 LIVE on FOX Sacramento, PHL17 TV News in Philadelphia with host Amanda VanAllen and Good Day Sacramento (CBS) with host Lori Wallace.

Friday 10/7  Student Showcase - Come see their lessons program first hand and watch student and instructor performances and meet your local instructors.

RSVP -https://events.musicarts.com/events/student-showcase-408881564767?source=LGOABHCA

Saturday 10/8 - Free Group Guitar Class with instructor performances and free trial lesson signup.

RSVP - https://events.musicarts.com/events/free-group-guitar-class-for-beginners-400214912577?source=LGOABHCA

Sunday 10/9 - Free Group Guitar Class with instructor performances and free trial lesson signup.

RSVP - https://events.musicarts.com/events/free-group-guitar-class-for-beginners-400228994697?source=LGOABHCA

All group lesson attendees can register for a free trial lesson with an instructor of their choice. As a special offer, any event attendee that signs-up to become a lessons student on 10/7, 10/8 or 10/9 will receive a FREE guitar (while supplies last)!

Over a dozen celebrity artists are showing their support for Music Education by lending their name as Kids Music Day Ambassadors including:

Julie Andrews, Jack Black, Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Michael Feinstein, Kenny Loggins, Richie Sambora, Sarah McLachlan, Vanessa Williams, Victor Wooten, Todd Rundgren, Neil Nayyar, Philip Lawrence, Bernie Williams, Damien Escobar and Mandy Harvey

Kids Music Day is also being supported by a number of music industry brands including Alfred Music, CASIO EMI, Conn-Selmer, D'Addario Foundation, Kala Brand Music, Hungry for Music, Les Paul Foundation, Make Music, Music Nomad Equipment Care, Musicology, Remo Percussion and the Spirit of Harmony Foundation. Keep Music Alive is honored to welcome these partners helping to share the Kids Music Day message, inspiring more kids to begin their own musical journey.

Keep Music Alive is a national 501(c)(3) organization dedicated helping more kids and adults reap the educational, therapeutic and social benefits of playing music. Major programs include Teach Music Week in March, Kids Music Day in October and year-round Musical Instrument Petting Zoo events. For more information please call (610) 874-6312 or visit www.KeepMusicAlive.org and www.KidsMusicDay.org .

Music & Arts, one of the nation's largest music lessons providers and part of the Guitar Center family of brands, continues its mission to promote and support the merits of music education and the joy of music lessons by offering this opportunity for new musicians to get involved. To learn more about Music & Arts, visit www.MusicArts.com.

Contact:

Vincent James

610-874-6312

[email protected]

SOURCE Keep Music Alive
SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For World Smile Day Oct. 7, bestselling author Kevin Guest is urging everyone to smile and reap health benefits.

Drawing from his bestselling book, All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless Principles for Living a Life in Harmony, Guest shares first-hand lessons of the powerful advantages of lifting others higher.

All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless Principles for Living a Life in Harmony, by USANA CEO and chairman Kevin Guest (PRNewsfoto/USANA)

"Smiling is a choice I make every morning. I smile, not because life is perfect, but because I choose to see the positive in every situation," said Guest, chairman and CEO of USANA Health Sciences (NYSE: USNA), a billion-dollar nutritional supplement company in 24 worldwide markets. "I make it my duty to find something to be cheerful about every day. Instead of pushing people away with negativism, I work to draw them in with my smile."

In his book, Guest writes, "In your careers, your paths will cross with many people. They all matter and deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile, say hello, and learn their names," a lesson in the book learned from "The Dorothy Principle," which concludes the most important thing is relationships.

"As humans, we need each other," he said. "We need encouragement, empathy, and connections. We need smiles, kind words, good advice, and trusted friends."

Guest has found 7 benefits from genuinely smiling each day. First, it relieves stress and tension. Next, smiling releases neuropeptides and hormones that have a positive effect on the immune system. Smiling also helps activate T cells, which fight infections. Smiling helps improve one's mood and makes one feel happier. It lowers blood pressure and is a natural pain reliever. Among other benefits, smiling more often helps people look younger and more attractive.

"Smiling also makes you more approachable, which helps you collaborate more easily with others and accomplish your goals," he said.

Some people turn to a hobby to boost their mood and smile more.

"Playing music is so fun for me that I can't help but smile when I sing," said Guest, who leads a touring band that plays danceable cover songs in the U.S., Mexico, and in China. "I've made it a point to always love what I do and do what I love, which is a formula for me to smile and bring out the best."

The first Friday of October is World Smile Day, started by artist Harvey Ball, who created the smiley face in 1963. Today, Harvey's yellow smiley symbol is universally popular and an instant reminder to see the bright side of things.

"For those needing a boost to smile, find time to dance," he said. "My wife and I even have a picture in my book of us dancing in the desert. It's hard not to smile when you do. Maybe we should all dance a little more."

All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless Principles for Living a Life in Harmony is available on Amazon. All proceeds feed hungry children, with each book purchase providing 40 meals.

For more information, visit www.kevinguest.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Tim Brown, Candid Communications

[email protected]

801-557-1466 m

SOURCE USANA
PKO Bank Polski, the largest bank in Central and Eastern Europe, wants to be the regional leader in the area of banking in Metaverse. It has just moved one of the most recognisable buildings in the capital of Poland into the metaworld, where it has set up its virtual branch on the Decentraland platform.

WARSAW, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- It will be used as a laboratory to broaden experience and to test relevant technological solutions. According to Pawe Gruza, vice president of the management board of PKO Bank Polski managing the work of the management board, in the perspective of a decade, Metaverse may become such development impulse for the global economy as the emergence of a PC, Internet and smart phones in the past.

"I would like PKO Bank Polski to be ready to make use of the opportunities related to it, and when Metaverse has matured, to set the rhythm in the technological development of the domestic banking sector and the Polish economy  as it has done before. That is why we have decided to enter the Metaverse world and to launch our first branch there," said Pawe Gruza, quoted in press release.

The bank plans to use the virtual branch to build knowledge and experience which will later be used for development of its business. PKO Bank Polski also wishes to see in practice what other possibilities are offered to the banks by the presence in the metaworlds.

The bank expects that in the first place, its virtual branch may be used for on-boarding new employees and trainings. Due to shift to the mode of hybrid work, such solution could allow for improved on-boarding of the new personnel.

In parallel, the bank will test the possibilities of creating a new channel of communication with the clients. In the perspective of the next decade, it is also planning to pursue solutions related to confirmation of the clients' identity in metaworlds and is going to test the possibilities of offering banking products there.

The bank attaches great significance to the R&D activities and cooperation with start-ups. It offers them - apart from business cooperation - also mentoring and a possibility of scaling the solution on a group of its 11 million clients. This cooperation takes place via its platform, Let`s Fintech with PKO Bank Polski (www.fintech.pkobp.pl).

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1913688/PKO_Bank_Polski_Logo.jpg

SOURCE PKO Bank Polski
Hires a Hotel Industry Veteran as the General Manager

PROVO, Utah, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lodging Dynamics Hospitality Group (Lodging Dynamics), a leading hotel management company, has been appointed to manage the Park City Peaks Hotel in Park City, Utah.

Located in the heart of Park City, guests of the Park City Peaks hotel can easily experience all the resort community has to offer. Park City is home to world-class dining, music festivals, outdoor summer adventures, and the world-famous Sundance Film Festival.

Park City Peaks hotel managed by Lodging Dynamics Hospitality Group

"We are thrilled to add this beautiful boutique hotel in a world-class destination to our management portfolio," commented Jamie Caraher, Lodging Dynamics president and CEO. "The Park City Peaks Hotel is a favorite destination for travelers from near and far who love the year-round activities Park City has to offer. We are eager to enhance the Park City experience for our guests," she concluded.

In conjunction with adding the Park City Peaks to its management portfolio, Lodging Dynamics appointed Ezequiel Guzman as the general manager. Ezequiel is a proven hospitality executive with more than 25 years of experience building strong teams and delivering innovative, impactful practices.

The Peaks Park City features 123 guest rooms, with a restaurant, bar, and on-site ski and snowboard rentals. For more information or to make reservations, please call 800-649-5012 or visit https://www.parkcitypeaks.com.

About Lodging Dynamics

Based in Provo, Utah, Lodging Dynamics Hospitality Group is a nationally recognized, award-winning operator of premium-brand, select service, and extended-stay hotels and one of a few third-party operators approved by Marriott and Hilton. Founded in 1991 after developing the first Marriott franchise in Utah, Lodging Dynamics continues its long history by providing award-winning operating services for hotels throughout the continental United States and Hawaii. The company has managed hotels in the Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG premium-brand families. For more information, visit www.lodgingdynamics.com.

SOURCE Lodging Dynamics Hospitality Group
GREEN BAY and DE PERE, Wisc., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MAC Dental is proud to announce the addition of Dr. Mary J. Lovell to their esteemed practice. Dr. Lovell was born and raised in Wisconsin and is excited to be providing quality oral health care to patients in the extended Green Bay community. She is passionate about providing outstanding general dentistry for patients of all ages and brings a wealth of expertise in the area of facial esthetics by providing Botox, Dermal Fillers, and Trigger Point Injections for TMJ, headaches, and orofacial pain.

Dr. Mary Lovell, Green Bay Dentist

"We are delighted to welcome such a talented dentist to our growing practice," says Dr. Heuer. "Providing the highest standard of dental care to the residents of Green Bay and the De Pere communities is our pleasure, and we are looking forward to serving even more members of our community with the addition of Dr. Lovell."

Dr. Lovell graduated from Notre Dame Academy high school in Green Bay and attended the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay for her undergraduate degree and Marquette University School of Dentistry for her D.D.S. Following graduation, she obtained certification through the American Academy of Facial Esthetics for Botulinum Toxin (Botox), Dermal Fillers, and Trigger Point Injections for TMJ, Headaches, and Orofacial Pain. She is a member of the Wisconsin Dental Association and the Academy of General Dentistry and will be providing patients with exceptional oral health care at our MAC Dental Green Bay location.

"I am excited to be a member of the amazing team at MAC Dental," says Dr. Lovell. "It is my passion to provide the highest quality of care to patients, and I am looking forward to establishing long-term relationships with those in this wonderful community."

The MAC Dental Group has two locations in Wisconsin and provides comprehensive dental care to patients of all ages in the communities of Pulaski, Green Bay, Bellevue, De Pere, and other surrounding communities. Dr. Heuer, Dr. Noble, Dr. Popelars, and Dr. Russell all offer a wide range of oral health services such as preventive dentistry, cosmetic dentistry , endodontics, periodontics, implant dentistry, and facial esthetics, among many others. To learn more about MAC Dental and the services they provide, please visit their website. https://macdental.com/

Contact

MAC Dental

Dr. Sarah B. Heuer D.D.S.

(920) 435-6894

[email protected]

MAC Dental Contact

SOURCE MAC Dental
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the largest association of organizations that deliver mental health and substance use services in America, today announced a new partnership with Triad, a leading provider of education, community, and career resources for mental health students, professionals, organizations, and employers.

Triad logo National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Through this new partnership, Triad will provide retention and recruitment solutions for National Council member organizations and their staff. Those new resources will include exam prep resources for mental health professionals and an industry-specific job board to connect applicants with employers looking to hire workers.

"We won't be able to resolve our nation's mental health and substance use crisis until organizations have the resources to attract and retain staff in a competitive marketplace," National Council for Mental Wellbeing President and CEO Chuck Ingoglia said. "This partnership with Triad will help achieve that by providing National Council members with the tools to recruit, retain, and develop talented staff."

Over its 45+ year history, Triad has helped more than one million mental health professionals attain and maintain their licenses. The Triad network offers education, community, and career resources, all curated specifically for mental health professionals.

"We are thrilled to partner with the National Council to support their member organizations and their staff," said Brandon Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Triad. "The work their members do to support our communities is critically important, and having the right staff in place is critical to the work they do. Long-term solutions will come from policy changes and additional funding sources, but people seeking mental health and substance use services today can't wait for tomorrow's answers. We're excited to help National Council member organizations retain and recruit the staff they need to meet their clients' needs now."

About the National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Founded in 1969, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing is a membership organization that drives policy and social change on behalf of nearly 3,100 mental health and substance use treatment organizations and the more than 10 million children, adults, and families they serve. The National Council advocates for policies to ensure equitable access to high-quality services, builds the capacity of mental health and substance use treatment organizations, and promotes greater understanding of mental wellbeing as a core component of comprehensive health and health care. Visit thenationalcouncil.org for more information.

About Triad

Triad serves the behavioral and mental health professional community, from student to practitioner. Through its flagship Triad brand and five sub-brands (AATBS, Academic Review, Gerry Grossman Seminars, Taylor Study Method, and The Wellness Institute), Triad offers exam preparation, continuing education, community, and career solutions for professionals, institutions, employers, and organizations. Visit triadhq.com for more information.

Media Contact:

Matt Zerbo

914-525-4043

[email protected]

SOURCE Triad
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following is a statement from Jen Judson, President of the National Press Club and Gil Klein, President of the National Press Club Journalism Institute on the shooting of two members of a Palestine TV crew that was covering an IDF military action in the town of Deir al-Hatah in the West Bank on Oct. 5.

"We are very concerned that the Israeli Defense Forces have again shot at and injured Palestinian journalists working in the West Bank. The crew from Palestine TV was clearly marked as a crew of journalists, yet IDF opened fire on them, wounding two. This follows months after IDF showed the same flagrant disregard for the safety of journalists in the killing of broadcaster Shireen Abu Akleh. With live fire sprayed toward this TV crew, these journalists could easily have been killed. One Palestinian targeted in the military action was killed by IDF fire. He was not a journalist.

"The two journalists wounded were Mahmoud Fawzy and Loai Samhan. They were taken by ambulance to hospital. Our hearts go out to them and their families and colleagues. We wish them a swift recovery.

"We again make the point that the impunity in Shireen's killing was not just tragic in its own right but also set the stage for further violence against journalists, including Wednesday's events in Deir al-Hatah, because it was not properly investigated or addressed. We support the efforts of U.S. senators including Sens Patrick Leahy and Chris Van Hollen to require the State Department to conduct a full and transparent investigation into the killing of American citizen Shireen Abu Akleh. We hope such an investigation would examine the IDF operational policies and tactics for raids into Palestinian territories that appear to have contributed to a pattern of journalists covering such military actions being wounded or killed."

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom worldwide.

The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest.

Contact: Bill McCarren, 202-662-7534 for the National Press Club

SOURCE National Press Club
NOIDA, India, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights, the Digital freight forwarding Market was valued at USD 3.0 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 25% from 2022-2028. The analysis has been segmented into Component (Solutions and Services); Mode of Transport (Rail Freight, Road Freight, Ocean Freight, and Air Freight); Region/Country.

Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/digital-freight-forwarding-market/

The digital freight forwarding market report has been aggregated by collecting informative data on various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. This innovative report makes use of several analyses to get a closer outlook on the digital freight forwarding market. The digital freight forwarding market report offers a detailed analysis of the latest industry developments and trending factors in the market that are influencing market growth. Furthermore, this statistical market research repository examines and estimates the Digital freight forwarding market at the global and regional levels.

Request for Sample Pages - https://univdatos.com/get-a-free-sample-form-php/?product_id=26256

Market Overview

The digital freight forwarding market is expected to register a CAGR of around 25% over the period of 2022-2028. Digital freight forwarding is a practice of coordinating and controlling the transportation of products using digital technologies. Enterprises are adopting digital logistics solutions for their day-to-day logistics and supply chain operations to better serve their customers. Thus, the increasing customer expectation, along with the measures to control the logistics cost, plays a vital role in shaping the future of the market. Moreover, the digital freight forwarding market is growing rapidly as a result of the increasing requirement for cost-effective logistics and supply chain solutions across various industry verticals.

In addition, the market is driven owing to increasing adoption of advanced technologies in the logistics sector. Moreover, these digital solutions are helping the logistic companies in reducing incurred costs. Convergence of logistics and technology, along with cloud-based collaborative solutions that extend through the entire supply chain, tight integration of warehouse, transport, and end consumer information, and transparency through the supply chain are driving the growth of the market studied.

Some of the major players operating in the market include Deutsche Post DHL Group, Kuehne + Nagel International AG, Agility Logistics Pvt. Ltd., Uber Technologies Inc., Twill (Maersk), Turvo Inc., Forto Logistics GmbH & Co KG, Flexport Inc., Descartes Kontainers (Cracking Logistics Limited), and Transporteca.

COVID-19 Impact

Due to travel limitations and the projected dismal financial performance of market players in 2020, the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has hurt the digital freight forwarding industry. Supply chain execution, regulatory and policy changes, labor reliance, working capital management, and liquidity and solvency management are all major concerns for key stakeholders of the industry. Changing government policies and lockdown measures made it difficult for freight service providers to keep their services running smoothly, globally. This has necessitated companies in the logistics industry to understand the specific demand effects of their business, create a short-term demand synchronization strategy, and prepare for possible channel shifts.

Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/digital-freight-forwarding-market/

The global digital freight forwarding market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

Based on component, the market is segmented into solutions and services. During the forecast period, solution category to witness significant growth during the forecast period on account of technology transition and changing operational needs in the organizations. The growth can be attributed to the increase in both domestic and global trade; need for time-controlled deliveries and freight safety; and adoption of smart technologies like internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence, (AI) and big data analytical solutions. Furthermore, global industry has been witnessing the maximum digital transformation, which is heavily contributing to the growth of the market. Moreover, with dozens of startups entering the region's IoT landscape, due to the growing internet penetration, including of the 5G network, and rising scope for e-commerce, the adoption rate of IoT solutions in the logistics industry is increasing.

Based on the mode of transport, the market is divided into rail freight, road freight, ocean freight, and air freight. Road freight to witness significant value growth during the forecast period in the digital freight forwarding market. This is mainly due to the higher adoption of integrated technologies in the road transportation sector and its higher share in the over logistics and transportation mix. For instance, in Europe , around 88% of the logistics activities are carried out via roadways, which further contributes toward the dominance of the category.

Have a Look at the Chapters - https://univdatos.com/report/digital-freight-forwarding-market/

Digital freight forwarding Market Geographical Segmentation Includes:

North America ( United States , Canada , and Rest of North America )

( , , and Rest of ) Europe ( Germany , United Kingdom , Spain , Italy , France , and the Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , and the Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , Japan , India , and the Rest of Asia-Pacific )

( , , , and the Rest of ) Rest of the World

In 2020, North America held a prominent share in the market. North America region is driven by the presence of large IT companies and rapid technological advancements, such as digitalization in the US. Well-established economies of these countries enable the region to invest heavily in leading digital logistics solutions and services. Digitization is continuing to be one of the key drivers supporting the growth of the American economy. Companies like Convoy, Uber Freight, and uShip are coming up with new platforms to fill in the gaps in the logistics industry. In addition, major players in the market are focusing strategic measures such as partnerships and collaborations, new solution integration, among others to gain competitive advantage. Thus, driving the region's market. For instance, in June 2021, Convoy and Flexport announced a long-term strategic relationship to deliver end-to-end shipment automation over land, sea, and air.

The major players targeting the market include

Deutsche Post DHL Group

Kuehne + Nagel International AG

Agility Logistics Pvt. Ltd

Uber Technologies Inc.

Twill (Maersk)

Turvo Inc.

Forto Logistics GmbH & Co KG.

Flexport Inc.

Descartes Kontainers (Cracking Logistics Limited)

Transporteca

Competitive Landscape

The degree of competition among prominent global companies has been elaborated by analyzing several leading key players operating worldwide. The specialist team of research analysts sheds light on various traits such as global market competition, market share, most recent industry advancements, innovative product launches, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions by leading companies in the Digital freight forwarding market. The major players have been analyzed by using research methodologies for getting insight views on global competition.

Key questions resolved through this analytical market research report include:

What are the latest trends, new patterns, and technological advancements in the Digital freight forwarding market?

Which factors are influencing the Digital freight forwarding market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the Digital freight forwarding market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the Digital freight forwarding market?

What are the demanding global regions of the Digital freight forwarding market?

What will be the global market size in the upcoming years?

What are the crucial market acquisition strategies and policies applied by global companies?

We understand the requirement of different businesses, regions, and countries, we offer customized reports as per your requirements of business nature and geography. Please let us know If you have any custom needs.

Browse Other Related Research Reports from UnivDatos Market Insights

Digital Freight Forwarding Market Report Coverage

Report Attribute Details Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2028 Growth momentum Accelerate at a CAGR of over 25% Market size 2020 USD 3 billion Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of World Major contributing region North America to Dominate the Global Digital Freight Forwarding Market Key countries covered United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, China, Japan, and India Companies profiled Deutsche Post DHL Group, Kuehne + Nagel International AG, Agility Logistics Pvt. Ltd., Uber Technologies Inc., Twill (Maersk), Turvo Inc., Forto Logistics GmbH & Co KG, Flexport Inc., Descartes Kontainers (Cracking Logistics Limited), and Transporteca. Report Scope Market Trends, Drivers, and Restraints; Revenue Estimation and Forecast; Segmentation Analysis; Impact of COVID-19; Demand and Supply Side Analysis; Competitive Landscape; Company Profiling Segments Covered By Component; By Mode of Transport; By Region/Country

About UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI)

UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI) is a passionate market research firm and a subsidiary of Universal Data Solutions. We believe in delivering insights through Market Intelligence Reports, Customized Business Research, and Primary Research. Our research studies are spread across topics across the world, we cover markets in over 100 countries using smart research techniques and agile methodologies. We offer in-depth studies, detailed analysis, and customized reports that help shape winning business strategies for our clients.

Contact

UnivDatos Market Insights

Ankita Gupta

Director Operations

Ph: +91-7838604911

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://univdatos.com/

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1225049/UnivDatos_Logo.jpg

SOURCE UnivDatos Market Insights Pvt. Ltd.
e.GO presents the future of urban electro mobility at the Paris Motor Show.

Visit us at Pavilion 6, Stand 624 from October 17 th to 23 rd .

to 23 . Join our press conference with exciting highlights about e.GO at October 17 th, 4:35 pm .

AACHEN, Germany and PARIS, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The independent German electric vehicle manufacturer Next.e.GO Mobile SE will be presenting its new vehicle line up comprised of 2022 urban BEV e.wave X as well as new urban delivery electric vehicle, e.Xpress at the Paris Motor Show October 17-23 (Pavilion 6, Stand 624). The Paris Motor Show, called "Mondial de l'Auto" in French, is one of the world's most visited auto shows and is considered a premiere automotive industry event, as well as a favorite of automotive enthusiasts and experts. True to this year's motto of the Paris Motor Show "Revolution is on", the new e.wave X and e.Xpress represent the innovative future of sustainable electro mobility, both in consumer sector as well as commercial deliveries.

e.wave X on the road (PRNewsfoto/Next.e.GO Mobile SE) e.Xpress will be unveiled to the public at Paris Motor Show (PRNewsfoto/Next.e.GO Mobile SE)

The main guiding principle at e.GO is simplicity and practicality at scale. e.GO designs and manufactures vehicles with particular attention to material selection, performance and seamless user experience. The combination of an innovative 3D Aluminum space frame with polymeric skin strikes great balance between weight, durability and corrosion resistance, whereas the flexible and exchangeable battery solution provides peace of mind to urban drivers and is designed to eliminate overdependence on the fast-charging infrastructure that is not as prevalent as it should be. The seamless digital connectivity along with the proprietary App (e.GO Connect) is intended to offer a unique digital user experience making e.GO vehicles smart phones on 4 wheels.

"We are delighted to be present at the Paris Motor Show and to share our vision on the future of urban electro mobility both for individuals as well as for businesses. Our e.wave X and e.Xpress vehicles have been developed with sustainability and total cost of ownership front and center; they intend to create the perfect symbiosis between innovation and economic practicality", says Ali Vezvaei, Chairman of the Board of Next.e.GO Mobile SE.

The e.wave X offers far more than just a means of transportation, in fact it offers a true lifestyle. The new e.wave X was deliberately designed to be practical and purposeful for the urban environment. With optimized dimensions for a comfortable four-seater, an intelligent and flexible battery solution that does not depend on the availability of a dedicated charging infrastructure, an ultra-wide digital display, and a polymeric exterior, which provides a range of benefits to the user, the e.wave X not only offers quality and comfort but also meets modern urban needs.

The e.Xpress is intended to cater to the ever-growing need for sustainable and zero-emission urban commercial and last mile delivery. It has been designed with the utmost attention to the needs of the sector such as dimension fit for the urban environment and the battery exchange solution that is designed to help ensure optimum uptime and productivity.

Join our press conference

At the Paris Motor Show Next.e.GO Mobile SE welcomes all interested journalists to attend the press conference on October 17th at 04:35 p.m., which will also be available via live stream. In addition to presenting the e.wave X, Ali Vezvaei, Chairman of the Board, will be joined by Dr. Stefan Rudolf, CTO, and Dr. Matthias Kreimeier, Vice President Sales, to provide insights on the production of the new model. They will also share exciting news about the future direction of the company. After the press conference, there will be an opportunity for a personal interview with Ali Vezvaei and the other experts.

Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris

17.10.2022 | 4:35 p.m.  4:45 p.m.

Pavilion 6 | Stand 624

The livestream will be available on our website www.e-go-mobile.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1915481/e_waveX.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1915480/e_Xpress.jpg

SOURCE Next.e.GO Mobile SE
Workers, Union Stand Together in Support of Measure Y

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zookeepers at the Oakland Zoo have voted to join Teamsters Local 853 by a four-to-one margin. They join their colleagues across the bay at the San Francisco Zoo, who are members of Teamsters Local 856.

"These workers demonstrated tremendous courage so they can get a contract that addresses the issues they care about  respect, wages that reflect the cost of living, guaranteeing a high quality of life for the animals and their habitats, and a voice on the job," said Pablo Berrera, Local 853 Organizing Director.

"The overwhelming results of this election for union representation will give the employees a real voice at work," the Oakland Zoo Teamster Organizing Committee said in a public statement. "The Teamsters and the workers look forward to negotiating a labor agreement that ensures that the management of the Oakland Zoo can retain and attract world-class personnel to this world-class organization. The community support for Measure Y will only ensure that much-needed resources go to support the zookeepers and the animals they work so hard to care for."

Measure Y is a referendum in the City of Oakland that will increase funding to the Oakland Zoo  thereby growing educational opportunities, enhancing the standard of living for animals, expanding conservation work and increasing access to the institution for the city's residents by granting them thousands of free and reduced-price passes.

"Congratulations to these workers, and much thanks to City Councilmember Treva Reid and Mayor Libby Schaaf, who advocated for these workers throughout the organizing campaign," said Dennis Hart, Local 853 Secretary-Treasurer. "Oakland can stand in solidarity with the brave men and women by voting to pass Measure Y into law on November 8!"

Teamsters Local 853 represents over 15,000 workers at more than 250 employers throughout California and Nevada. For more information go to https://teamsters853.org/.

Contact:

Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877

[email protected]

SOURCE Teamsters Local 853
NY's Social Equity Applicants, Minority or Women-Owned Businesses, Distressed Farmers and Service-Disabled Veterans Encouraged to Register

BINGHAMTON, N.Y., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Koffman Southern Tier Incubator, operated by Binghamton University's Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships, will present "Creating a Fair and Equitable Dispensary," a free two-hour educational webinar designed to help entrepreneurs learn about the legal and business aspects of operating a dispensary in the state of New York. The webinar will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, October 12th, from 3:00pm to 5:00pm and there is no cost to participate.

"This webinar demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing entrepreneurs with business education and targeted resources," said Per Stromhaug, associate vice president for innovation and economic development at Binghamton University.

NY's Social Equity Applicants and Minority or Women-Owned Businesses are Encouraged to Register Tweet this

The webinar is presented by the New York State Cannabis Workforce Initiative, a collaboration between the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University and the Workforce Development Institute, which is supported in part by a state budget appropriation focused on prioritizing diversity, equity, and quality jobs in the emerging cannabis industry. Additional support is being provided by the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator, Opportunity Grows, Bridge West Consulting and Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW.

"We are deeply committed to delivering legal training programs that meet the challenges and opportunities of the cannabis industry including recruiting, employing, and retaining workers for social equity and established employers," said Esta R. Bigler, Esq., director of Cornell University ILR's Labor and Employment Law Program and co-founder of the Cannabis Workforce Initiative.

"The webinar is designed to help ensure that New York's adult-use cannabis industry is diverse and inclusive," said Ari Hoffnung, founder of Opportunity Grows. "We will continue working closely with social equity entrepreneurs to ensure that they have the opportunity to fully participate in New York's cannabis industry."

The webinar is open to New Yorkers of all backgrounds and individuals from communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of cannabis prohibition or who qualify as minority or women-owned businesses, distressed farmers, or service-disabled veterans are encouraged to register.

To learn more and to register visit: https://opportunitygrows.co/ .

About the Koffman Incubator

The Koffman Southern Tier incubator is a state-of-the-art facility in downtown Binghamton, NY that provides key resources to entrepreneurs developing successful startups. The Koffman's 60+ members connect and collaborate throughout 35,000 sq. ft. of offices, laboratories and co-working space. Binghamton University's Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships offers numerous programs to guide business growth and development. For more information, visit https://southerntierincubator.com/.

About the Cannabis Workforce Initiative

The New York State Cannabis Workforce Initiative is a collaboration between the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University and the Workforce Development Institute. Our mission is to promote and support social equity in the adult-use cannabis market by providing quality workforce development and legal education. Our work, supported in part by a state budget appropriation, prioritizes diversity, equity, and quality jobs in the emerging cannabis industry through skills training, entrepreneurism services, workforce supports, legal education for employees and employers, and the development of high-road career pathways. For more information, visit https://www.cannabisworkforce.org/.

About Opportunity Grows

Opportunity Grows was founded by New York cannabis industry veteran Ari Hoffnung to help ensure that those who have been harmed by cannabis prohibition benefit from cannabis legalization. For more information, visit https://opportunitygrows.co/.

SOURCE Opportunity Grows, LLC
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pittco Management, LLC (Pittco), the single-family office of Joseph R. (Pitt) Hyde III and his wife Barbara Hyde, has appointed Henry Guy as President. Guy was appointed Chief Investment Officer at Pittco in October 2021 and he will retain those duties and responsibilities.

Henry Guy, President of Pittco Management, LLC

As President, Guy will be responsible for management and oversight of all aspects of Pittco's day-to-day operations and will serve on the firm's Executive Committee. His 25 years of investing experience includes both public and private markets. Guy has founded, funded, and led venture capital and buyout funds and served on the boards of both hedge and 40 Act mutual funds.

Mr. Hyde, founder of AutoZone, praised Guy's "wealth of experience and expertise and his track record of success and integrity. As Chief Investment Officer, he has provided strong direction for our investment team, and as President, his broad leadership, his innovation, and his integrity will be drivers for Pittco's success." Mrs. Hyde, Chair and CEO of Hyde Family Foundation said Guy will play "a pivotal role in writing the next chapter of our work."

Guy termed the Pittco President's position as, "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work for a family dedicated to improving their hometown and beyond. I am honored to contribute to this remarkable, generous family's enduring legacy."

Guy began his career as an officer in the United States Navy. Following his naval service and business school, he established and served as Managing Director of Anima Regni Partners, a single-family office with offices in New York, Luxembourg & Sweden. Most recently, he was the President & CEO of Modern Holdings Incorporated, a diversified holding company focused on investments in the United States & Sweden. Henry's extensive board experience includes the following public company directorships: Metro International S.A., Miltope Group, Inc, Pergo AB, Scribona AB, Evermore Global Advisors and Ascent Industries Co. Henry also served on the nominating committee for Investment AB Kinnevik.

Henry's not for profit board experience includes: The Stenbeck Foundation, Max Stenbeck Foundation, Max Stenbeck Charitable Fund & Teach for America Memphis. Henry also serves on the Board of Visitors of the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University.

Henry holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University.

About Pittco:

Pittco is a single-family office for the family of Joseph R. (Pitt) Hyde, founder of AutoZone, and his wife, Barbara Hyde. Pittco was established over 30 years ago, and provides investment, accounting, tax, and financial services from its headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee.

Media Contact:

Teresa Sloyan

[email protected]

901.685.5455

SOURCE Pittco Management, LLC
Porter Novelli's new reputational report reveals a new Era of Accountability in Action and how businesses can do better

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Porter Novelli, the strategic communications company built on purpose to do business better, has published its fifth annual research study of corporate reputation: The Purpose Priorities Report: How to respond in the new Era of Accountability. It includes a new Better Business Matrix to help companies navigate current cultural trends and meet the evolving demands of their audiences.

An era of accountability in action

Porter Novelli, the strategic communications company built on purpose to do business better, has published its fifth annual research study of corporate reputation: The Purpose Priorities Report: How to respond in the new Era of Accountability.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the wake of the 2020 social justice movement sparked in part by George Floyd's murder, companies have made many promises to support change. The increase in extreme weather events, caused by climate change, has also sparked more corporate environmental commitments. And now there is a need to show outcomes from all of this as people are looking to companies for leadership.

Companies should demonstrate how they are following through on their promises to people, the planet, or society - 84%

The report also highlights how consumers are demanding genuine change, not just marketing campaigns.

Companies should have a point of view on environmental sustainability - 78%

- 78% Companies should change the way they operate to address D&I - 72%

- 72% Companies should encourage consumers to support social or environmental issues - 65%

David Bentley, Global CEO of Porter Novelli, commented: "Good intentions aren't enough. Consumers are tired of talk: they don't want to see campaigns, they want to see action. Companies are realizing the benefits of doing business better as all audiences demand integrity and business growth will depend on navigating the complex landscape of audience expectations."

Addressing the climate crisis is now table stakes for organizations

After fires, floods, and droughts this year, the environment is front and center in consumer minds. While quality products and services are a prerequisite for a thriving business, audiences across all ages now expect industry to address sustainability as a core quality issue.

More than a third (36%) of consumers will start or increase purchasing from companies that share a point of view on environmental sustainability that is aligned with their own, but

purchasing from companies that share a point of view on environmental sustainability that is aligned with their own, but Half (51%) of consumers report they will stop or reduce purchasing from companies that go back on promises they make to address social or environmental issues.

The demand for operational D&I

Social inequalities are now a new second business priority to address, with operational changes expected.

One-third (32%) of consumers will start or increase purchasing from companies that change the way they operate to address diversity and inclusion.

purchasing from companies that change the way they operate to address diversity and inclusion. Nearly the same amount (29%) of consumers will recommend companies that change the way they operate to address diversity and inclusion to friends, family, and acquaintances.

Conroy Boxhill, President of Porter Novelli U.S, commented: "Consumers are looking to businesses for active leadership. The research shows clearly there's now a sense of urgency around companies' DE&I efforts to the point that people are requesting they restructure operationally to drive this change."

Politics can be punishing

In the last couple of years, companies have chosen to wade into political issues like voting rights and Roe v. Wade, but consumers aren't convinced business and politics mix.

Nearly half (48%) of Americans want companies to encourage consumers to take political actions like voting or writing to congress, but

Fewer than two-in-five (39%) consumers believe companies, themselves, should comment on political topics in the news.

Companies should play politics with caution.

44% of consumers will actually stop or reduce purchasing from companies that publicly comment on a political topic with a view that is the opposite of their own.

Reputation leaders

As part of the report, the strategic communications company has developed a Better Business Matrix. This ranks the reputational leaders by industry, in eight key sectors, mapped to highlight the beneficial impact of Purpose on brand value. It also enables companies to self-diagnose their own reputation, based on the key criterion described in the report. Companies that performed the best within their industries include:

Automotive - Toyota

Communications - T-Mobile

Financial Services - TIAA

Food & Beverage - PepsiCo

Tech - Intel

Retail - REI

Sandy Skees, Purpose & Impact lead from Porter Novelli, added: "The landscape is shifting rapidly, and this report highlights the changing expectations around sustainability and DEI as examples of purpose in action. The Porter Novelli Better Business matrix is about ensuring companies know how to decode and deliver on environmental and social progress  as well as avoiding the pitfalls of political overreach."

The Purpose Priorities Report analyzed the reputation of 200 top companies listed in the Fortune 100, Fortune Best Companies to Work For, World's Most Ethical and the DiversityInc., among others.

"For the past 30 years, Porter Novelli has sought to understand the role of Purpose in company performance," says Andrea List, senior vice president of Data & Insights, the report's lead author. "In that time, the imperative to authentically address social and environmental issues has only grown stronger. This study continues to demonstrate that no corporate reputation can thrive without Purpose."

About the Study

The Purpose Priorities Report presents the findings of an online survey designed and executed in August 2022 among an online sample of 7,000 American adults, ages 18+. The study was fielded by Dynata. Respondents were asked to rate up to six companies each, with each company rated by an average of 150 respondents.

About Porter Novelli

Porter Novelli is the strategic communications company, built on purpose to do business better. Founded 50 years ago by pioneers Jack Porter and Bill Novelli, Porter Novelli is widely considered to be the founder of social marketing. Trailblazers of their time, both Jack and Bill believed that organizations could, and should, be driven by their values, not just by creating value; something intrinsic to how we do business better today. Fast forward 50 years and the world is highly complex. In a shifting landscape of new influences and audience power, Porter Novelli continues to build on this values-driven philosophy and work with ambitious clients to decode change, navigate culture and deepen authenticity to shape reputation and accelerate growth.

About Omnicom Public Relations Group

Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, marketing to women, global health strategy and corporate social responsibility. It encompasses more than 6,300 public relations professionals in more than 370 offices worldwide who provide their expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs, and non-profits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for clients through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom Public Relations Group is 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 Porter Novelli
PLANO, Texas, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Riverbend Sandler Pools ("Riverbend"), the leading residential pool construction, service, and maintenance provider in the Dallas  Ft. Worth metroplex, and a portfolio company of Concentric Equity Partners ("CEP"), announced the acquisition of Backyard Paradise Luxury Pools ("Backyard Paradise" or the "Company"), a Montgomery, TX-based provider of swimming pool construction, remodeling, repair, and maintenance services, and outdoor living solutions. Riverbend will be acquiring Backyard Paradise from and partnering directly with current owner Mitchell Buckley, who will remain with the Company in his current leadership role and retain an individual ownership stake. Backyard Paradise represents the Riverbend platform's fourth acquisition since partnering with CEP in 2021 and expands the platform's presence to the Houston market.

Backyard Paradise is a premier residential and commercial pool construction and service brand primarily focused on the northern and western regions of the Houston metroplex. Founded in 2015 by Mitchell Buckley, the Company has operated with a passion for working with customers to design and construct their dream backyard project. Over the last seven years, Backyard Paradise has quickly built its reputation as one of the leading pool builders in Houston, recognized for its innovative designs and quality of service. All Backyard Paradise employees will continue in their current positions with the Company, and the platform will continue operating under the Backyard Paradise brand in the Company's current markets.

"Over the past couple of years, I've considered selling my company to provide better opportunities for growth for myself and my employees. In searching for the right partner, I was able to connect with the Riverbend Sandler team and after the first meeting, I knew they were the right partner for me and my company. They have been a pleasure to work with throughout the sale process and I'm looking forward to the future growth in the Houston market," Mitchell Buckley commented.

"As we looked to expand the Riverbend Sandler market presence, Houston was the first likely place outside of the Dallas area," said Riverbend Sandler CEO Bruce Mungiguerra. "We couldn't be more excited about partnering with Mitchell and his team as our first flagship company in the Houston market. Mitchell and his team are a perfect culture fit for the organization and we're excited that he and his entire team are staying onboard to help us with future growth in the market".

Adam Lucas of Concentric Equity Partners adds: "Mitchell and the Backyard Paradise team have built an impressive Company and reputation over a short period of time. We're thrilled to plant our flag in the attractive Houston market with a partner like Backyard Paradise and continue executing upon our strategy to grow the Riverbend platform across Texas.".

About Backyard Paradise Luxury Pools:

Headquartered in Montgomery, TX, and serving the Houston market, Backyard Paradise is a leading residential and commercial pool construction, renovation, and service company. Founded in 2015 by Mitchell Buckley, Backyard Paradise has quickly expanded its role in the Houston metroplex. Since its founding seven years ago, the Company and has grown each year, and expanded to its current Montgomery facility that is over three times as large as the original founding location. Backyard Paradise is the continuation of an entrepreneur-led business that is ready to grow to the next level, with an impressive team of hard-working, dedicated people.

For more information on Backyard Paradise, visit www.bpluxurypools.com.

About Riverbend Sandler Pools:

Headquartered in Plano, TX, Riverbend Sandler is the leading residential pool construction, service, and maintenance provider in Dallas Fort Worth. The Company differentiates through its specialized and high-touch design process, commitment to quality craftsmanship and customer service, and established track record of success. The Company was founded by Charles Barnes in 1981 and grown over a successful period of more than four decades to become one of the largest pool builders in the Southwest U.S. Riverbend Sandler's guiding philosophy has always been: "Don't cut corners. Take a little more time to build it right and never compromise quality craftsmanship."

For more information on Riverbend Sandler, visit www.riverbendsandler.com.

About Concentric Equity Partners:

Concentric Equity Partners is a private investment firm that partners with leading middle market companies by providing capital and strategic advisory to accelerate long term value creation. Concentric's approach is simple: support entrepreneurs and operators by providing the resources required to achieve extraordinary results. The firm's investment team is made up of individuals with distinguished track records as operators and professional investors across a variety of growth oriented middle market companies.

Concentric Equity Partners is the direct investing arm of Financial Investments Corporation, a private asset management firm and family office with over $2 billion in investment commitments under management. Financial Investments Corporation was founded in 1994 by father and daughter Harrison and Jennifer Steans and has been partnering with private companies for more than 25 years.

For more information on Concentric, visit www.ficcep.com.

SOURCE Concentric Equity Partners
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ISA (Islamic Services of America) welcomed a delegation from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) to the ISA office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Wednesday, September 21.

The group was led by Mr. Zalman Ali, Director, Halal Development, Ms.Nurul Hidayah Abubakar, Assistant Director of Halal Certification, Ms. Diana Husna Beetsma, Head of Standards & Development and Mr. Sharifuddin Mohd Ali, Head of Halal Supply Network.

(Singapore Delegation with ISA at ISA Office in Iowa: Seated in front row left to right, Bill Aossey and Zalman Ali; Standing in second row left to right, Nurul Hidayah Abubakar, Jalel Aossey, Yassine Tebbal, Sharifuddin Mohd Ali, Arben Zeneli, Rahiem Martin, Tariq Igram and Diana Husna Beetsma) Islamic Services of America (ISA) Halal Certification process and marks are a globally recognized symbol of Halal integrity. ISA is a leading Halal Certification body in the United States and North America, recognized internationally in every sector of the Halal industry and unique in our depth of expertise and knowledge. Since 1975 ISA has offered USA businesses Halal education and a well-defined, clear approach to the Halal certification process and audit plan.

ISA is one of a few US Halal certifiers recognized by MUIS for the Singapore market.

There was a robust discussion about the domestic US Halal industry, MUIS Halal standards and the wider international Halal standards applied by recognized and reputable Halal certifiers around the world. This aligned with further discussions about the mutual recognition relationship for over 25 years, past visits by ISA to the MUIS offices and future collaborations to enhance MUIS' Foreign Halal Certification Body recognition framework.

"Meeting with the delegation from MUIS in Singapore further solidified ISA's commitment to Southeast Asian economies and their growing Halal consumer base. ISA's recognition by MUIS and our partnership with US companies interested in international trade further facilitates exports of US food and agricultural products to the region. The visiting MUIS team's strategy to expand and improve upon their Halal protocols and standards is encouraging and a welcome effort to fulfill the growing and advancing demands of Halal consumers," commented Jalel Aossey, President of ISA.

Zalman Ali, MUIS Director stated, "Through the briefing and engagement with the ISA team, we have found that ISA is aligned to MUIS's commitment to Halal integrity and has put in place a Halal quality assurance system that meets MUIS's standards. Additionally, ISA is attuned to the varying needs and preferences of its clients and strives to continuously improve and enhance its processes through the strategic use of technology and media tools. ISA has a well-designed training program to build its team's and clients' capabilities in fulfilling Halal requirements and standards."

The delegation was also brought to the Mother Mosque of America, a historical landmark as the oldest standing purpose-built mosque in the United States and to the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids.

Islamic Services of American (ISA) is a leading USA based Halal certification and auditing organization serving companies, the community, and the Halal industry for over 45 years. Contact ISA at [email protected] or visit the ISA website for more information at www.isahalal.com

For further media inquiries, contact Timothy M. Hyatt, Vice President, [email protected] or (319) 362-0480 ext. 102.

SOURCE Islamic Services of America (ISA)
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SKY Leasing ("SKY"), an aviation investment manager announced today that Sky Fund I, LP has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Sky Fund I Irish, Ltd. ("SKY Fund I") and its subsidiaries to Dubai Aerospace Enterprise ("DAE"). The SKY Fund I portfolio is comprised of 36 owned and committed aircraft on lease to 14 airlines globally. The portfolio is more than 90% next generation technology aircraft.

"The strong demand for this portfolio is a validation of SKY's strategy of providing capital to airlines to execute on their fleet replacement initiatives. We are pleased to sign an agreement that will recognize the value we have built up on behalf of our institutional investors. We remain committed to the growth of our business through future investment vehicles" said Austin Wiley, CEO of SKY Leasing.

SKY Leasing was advised by Milbank and PWC.

About SKY Leasing

SKY Leasing ("SKY") is a premier aircraft leasing asset manager with offices in San Francisco, California, Dublin, Ireland, and Singapore. The company's fund management business was founded in 2019, in partnership with M&G Investments which acquired a stake in the business and invested $300 million of equity in its 2019 vintage fund. As of June 30, 2022, SKY Leasing manages a portfolio valued in excess of $3.5B and has over $750M of equity under management. For more information about SKY Leasing, visit www.skyleasing.com.

SOURCE SKY Leasing
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a lower court decision that found the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program unlawful. On a bipartisan basis, the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) has supported granting permanent legal status to Dreamers since 2009 and first called for establishment of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012. Following is a statement on the decision by Tom Cochran, USCM CEO and Executive Director:

"The Fifth Circuit's decision yesterday finding DACA unlawful creates great concern among America's mayors and uncertainty for DACA recipients, their families, and their communities across the country. Dreamers and their families are our neighbors, our friends, our colleagues, and members of our families. They are integral to the fabric of the American tapestry and contribute immensely to our culture, our communities, and our economy.

"While the U.S. Conference of Mayors will continue to participate in legal challenges to overturn this unfortunate decision, only Congress can resolve this issue. Before it adjourns for the year, this Congress must pass legislation that will enable Dreamers  people who have lived in America since they were children and built their lives here  to earn lawful permanent residence and eventually American citizenship if they meet certain criteria. America's mayors stand ready to work with Congress to make this happen."

About the United States Conference of Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunshine Health is committed to helping Floridians impacted by the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian. The health plan is actively assisting health plan members, providers, employees and communities who have been impacted by this catastrophic storm.

Sunshine Health Welcome Rooms Support Impacted Communities

In the aftermath of the storm, Sunshine Health Welcome Rooms that are located in areas impacted by Hurricane Ian were immediately mobilized into community resource, service, and goods distribution centers to provide support in partnership with the Department of Children and Families (DCF).

DCF Family Resource Support Centers were live at the Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa and New Port Richey Welcome Room locations promptly after the storm's passing to support. Sunshine Health employees from around the state quickly mobilized to purchase, transport and distribute food and supplies, such as water, shelf-stable foods, diapers, wipes and formula, at these locations.

Family Resource Support Center sites are serving as a central hub for people impacted by Hurricane Ian to have access to Hope Navigators, behavioral health specialists and public benefit eligibility specialists.

Center locations are changing and expanding to areas as needs evolve. Sites are currently open in Cape Coral, Sarasota and Arcadia. Sunshine Health is continuing to support sites with employee volunteers and relief supplies distribution. A list of centers and their addresses currently open to the public can be found on DCF's Family Resource Support Center webpage.

Statewide Support Available at All Welcome Rooms

For basic immediate needs, Sunshine Health's 11 Welcome Rooms are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. These locations are open to the public for anyone in need of snacks, supplies, internet or community resource connections. All Sunshine Health Welcome Room locations can be found here.

Members

Sunshine Health members are a top priority, and as such, the health plan is taking the following actions during the state of emergency:

Proactively reaching out to high-risk members, supporting their needs and safety

Waiving early refill time limits on active prescriptions

Waiving authorization requirements for both pharmacy and medical claims

For Ambetter (Marketplace) members, we will ensure members are covered by ensuring no member policies will be canceled or face a non-renewal for the duration of the state of emergency

Any Sunshine Health member who is affected by Hurricane Ian can visit SunshineHealth.com or call Member Services at 1-866-796-0530 (TTY: 1-800-955-8770) for assistance with physical or mental health needs, or community resource connections.

Communities and Partnerships

Immediately following the storm's landfall, Sunshine Health, in collaboration with the Centene Charitable Foundation, committed $1 million to the Florida Disaster Fund. Sunshine Health believes that supporting this fund is critical to Florida's recovery and is proud to partner with Volunteer Florida for recovery efforts.

"On behalf of Volunteer Florida, we would like to thank Sunshine Health for its significant financial contribution to the Florida Disaster Fund in response to the statewide recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian," said CEO of Volunteer Florida Josie Tamayo. "Their contribution to the Florida Disaster Fund will help provide essential services in rebuilding our affected communities."

Sunshine Health, which provides specialized healthcare for children in or adopted from Florida's child welfare system, committed $30,000 to the Florida Coalition for Children Foundation's Disaster Relief Fund. These funds will go directly to families in Florida's child welfare system for needs such as temporary housing, clothing, gas cards and other basic necessities.

Kurt Kelly, CEO and president of the Florida Coalition for Children, said, "Once again, Sunshine Health has shown their genuine love and compassion for the children, youth, and families of Florida. We greatly appreciate their proactive and generous response to this crisis."

Sunshine Health also committed $25,000 to Farm Share, Inc. Farm Share, Inc. has already supplied over 500,000 pounds of food, water and disaster supplies to the communities impacted most by Hurricane Ian and we are proud to assist in continuing their mission. In addition to our financial donation, our employee volunteers also helped load food and supplies onto trucks traveling to Fort Myers.

"We are grateful for partners like Sunshine Health who are helping us bring needed resources to impacted communities," said Stephen Shelley, founder and CEO of Farm Share.

Finally, Sunshine Health Community Resource Database offers anyone in need  not just members  connections with local programs for support. These programs provide valuable resources year-round, but especially at a time of crisis. Anyone can use the online database or call the Community Connections Help Line at 1-866-775-2192.

Sunshine Health is committed to its fellow Floridians and will continue to work on rebuilding and strengthening communities through members, employee, provider and community initiatives.

"Sunshine Health is deeply embedded in the communities we serve, and we're proud to be able to answer the call of need in what is many Floridians' darkest hour in the devastating wake of Hurricane Ian," said CEO and Plan President Nathan Landsbaum. "Our heartfelt thoughts are with our neighbors, our fellow Floridians, and our resources and assets will be deployed to help Florida recover from this catastrophic storm."

About Sunshine Health

Sunshine Health is a managed care plan with a Florida Medicaid contract. The benefit information provided is a brief summary, not a complete description of benefits. Limitations, co-payments and restrictions may apply. Benefits, formulary, pharmacy network, premium and/or co-payments/co-insurance may change. For more information contact the Managed Care Plan.

Headquartered in Broward County and with offices across the state, Sunshine Health is among the largest healthcare plans in Florida. Offering coordinated care and a network of support for our members, Sunshine Health is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. Sunshine Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise. It offers government-sponsored managed care through Medicaid, Long Term Care, the Health Insurance Marketplace (Ambetter), and Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans (Wellcare). Its specialty plans include the Child Welfare Specialty Plan serving children in or adopted from the state's Child Welfare system; the Serious Mental Illness Specialty Plan for people living with serious mental illness; and the Children's Medical Services Health Plan, operated by Sunshine Health on behalf of the Florida Department of Health for children and adolescents with special healthcare needs. For more information, visit SunshineHealth.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @SunHealthFL.

SOURCE Sunshine Health
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global telecom cloud market size is expected to reach USD 103.6 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 19.9% from 2022 to 2030. A telecom cloud is a next-generation network architecture that integrates cloud-native technologies, network function virtualization, and software-defined networking into a distributed computing network. Orchestration and automation are essential since the computing and network resources are scattered across clouds and locations.



Key Industry Insights & Findings from the report:

Telecom cloud computing is a software-defined structure that allows telecom businesses to process and store data remotely in their data lakes or data processing centers.

In May 2022 , Nokia also announced the launch of the cloud-native IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) Voice Core product, which will help CSPs (Communication Service Providers) to increase operational agility, simplify their network operations, and decrease the cost of managing their network.

, Nokia also announced the launch of the cloud-native IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) Voice Core product, which will help CSPs (Communication Service Providers) to increase operational agility, simplify their network operations, and decrease the cost of managing their network. Based on the component, the solution segment accounted for the largest revenue share of over 60.2% in 2021 as it offers unified communication and collaboration, content delivery networks, and other solutions.

The rising internet and mobile device penetration are driving the adoption of solutions. Additionally, exponentially expanding media content and demand for rich video content among increasing internet users and the digitalization trend among enterprises across end-user sectors drive the demand for telecom cloud solutions.

The deployment type segment comprises private, public, and hybrid cloud. The private cloud segment dominated the market in 2021 and is expected to witness a significant CAGR of 56.4% over the forecast period, owing to several benefits offered by this segment such as improved control, better security & data privacy, specialized computational resources such as RAN, VNF, and edge apps and services, along with cost efficiency.

Based on the service model, the Software as a Service (SaaS) segment accounted for the largest revenue share of over 55.7% in 2021 owing to its potential to cut infrastructure expenses, shifting the cost base from capex to opex.

In terms of applications, the network, data storage & computing segment dominated the overall market, gaining a revenue share of 34.4% in 2021. The dominance of this segment is owing to its ability to perform several functions such as web application development, improved scalability, batch processing, and storage, hosting, and handling of peak workloads among others.

In terms of enterprise size, the large enterprises segment dominated the market in 2021 and is expected to witness a significant CAGR of 61.6% over the forecast period owing to the growing adoption of cloud-based technologies, which help small enterprises streamline their business operations cost-effectively.

Read 120-page full market research report, "Telecom Cloud Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Component (Solution, Services), By Deployment Type, By Service Model, By Application, By Enterprise Size, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030", published by Grand View Research.

Telecom Cloud Market Growth & Trends

Telco Cloud refers to shifting communications service providers (CSPs) from vertically integrating proprietary hardware-based infrastructure networks to cloud-based technologies. It is mainly used in the telecom business to refer to multi-cloud computing. The propelling drivers of the telecom industry are increased customer satisfaction, corporate agility, cost savings, and others. Also, the usage of standard computational hardware and automation reduces CapEx and OpEx resulting in increased adoption of telco cloud in the telecommunication industry.

It also delivers innovative bespoke B2B solutions, such as telcos may bring highly customized corporate products to market rapidly and affordably. Telco cloud makes it simple to collaborate with business service partners by providing access to public cloud services from any device, at any time. Additionally, it protects your consumers and profits from competitors; for instance, the telco cloud enables operators to swiftly alter business models to test new goods, services, and pricing schemes.

It also makes setting up new consumer experiences and communication channels easier. Furthermore, the lower CapEX and OPEX needs of telco cloud, better service resilience, and capacity to respond swiftly to faults and demand changes allow operators to maintain service levels and competitive pricing. These advantages result in lower client attrition.

The top trends in the telecom cloud industry are hybrid cloud hosting, Cloud Native Network Functions (CNNF), and telecom cloud collaboration. A hybrid cloud merges private and public clouds where the software and data are interoperable and portable. It allows telcos to optimize the operations with various patterns to manage workload. It improves resource allocation, optimizes infrastructure spending, provides enhanced organizational agility, and offers the ability to scale using the public cloud and controls available in the private cloud deployment.

Also, in the case of CNNF, Software-defined networking is replaced by NFV (Network Functions Virtualization), which provides more independence from proprietary servers and hardware. It provides a cloud-native architecture that combines VNFs and CNFs while adopting 5G features. This will provide maximum market coverage to telecom businesses looking to expand their services. Moreover, telecom cloud collaboration includes partnerships between hyperscalers and telcos which constitute a major cloud computing trend transforming the business.

Cloud service providers and telecom enterprises join forces to expand edge computing collaboration and 5G. Telecom cloud service providers are increasing their connectivity with the help of technology advancement to gain a competitive edge over their peers and capture a significant market share.

Telecom Cloud Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global telecom cloud market based on component, deployment type, service model, application, enterprise size, and region:

Telecom Cloud Market - Component Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)

Solution

Services

Professional Services



Managed Services

Telecom Cloud Market - Deployment Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)

Private

Public

Hybrid

Telecom Cloud Market - Service Model Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Telecom Cloud Market - Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)

Network, Data Storage, and Computing

Traffic Management

Cloud Migration

Others

Telecom Cloud Market - Enterprise Size Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)

Large Enterprises

SMEs

Telecom Cloud Market - Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)

North America

U.S.



Canada

Europe

U.K.



Germany



France

Asia-Pacific

China



India



Japan



South Korea

South America

Brazil



Mexico

Middle East & Africa

List of Key Players of Telecom Cloud Market

Juniper Networks, Inc.

IBM Corporation

Mavenir

Metaswitch Network

Affirmed Networks

Fortinet

Orange

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

VMWare

Cisco

Nokia

Ericsson

Check out more related studies published by Grand View Research:

Telecom Billing & Revenue Management Market - The global telecom billing and revenue management market size is projected to reach USD 31.2 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 11.6% during the forecast period, according to a study conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. Telecom billing and revenue management benefits the service providers in exchanging their invoices, billing data, and sharing revenue information with partners, allowing operators to continue the billing accuracy, enhance customer experience by ensuring the end-to-end management of revenue, and disputes and adjustments.

The global telecom billing and revenue management market size is projected to reach by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 11.6% during the forecast period, according to a study conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. Telecom billing and revenue management benefits the service providers in exchanging their invoices, billing data, and sharing revenue information with partners, allowing operators to continue the billing accuracy, enhance customer experience by ensuring the end-to-end management of revenue, and disputes and adjustments. Telecom Power Systems Market - The global telecom power systems market size is estimated to reach USD 5.85 billion by 2028, expanding at an estimated CAGR of 8.8% from 2021 to 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The rising demand for high-speed data connectivity and rising penetration of smartphones has escalated the demand for advanced telecom power systems globally.

- The global telecom power systems market size is estimated to reach by 2028, expanding at an estimated CAGR of 8.8% from 2021 to 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The rising demand for high-speed data connectivity and rising penetration of smartphones has escalated the demand for advanced telecom power systems globally. Telecom Analytics Market - The global telecom analytics market size is projected to reach USD 10.7 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 14.5% during the forecast period, according to a study conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. Telecom analytics offers business intelligence solutions to the evolving telecommunications sector and also aids in identifying the present situation of the company with respect to its market opposition by identifying progressive trends and predicted parameters.

Browse through Grand View Research's Communications Infrastructure 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:

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Grand View Research, Inc.

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SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc
Foundation distributing grants and loans for small business assets and real estate, with support from $20M Wells Fargo donation

First round of applications now open



MIAMI, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Miami Foundation, one of the largest philanthropic institutions in South Florida, announced today the official opening of the Miami Open for Business program to support historically underserved small business owners in Miami-Dade County. Funded with a $20 million grant from Wells Fargo announced earlier this year, the program aims to empower nonprofits and small businesses to build generational wealth and resilience through the purchase and ownership of critical business assets, such as property, equipment, and technology.

Eligible non-profits and small businesses can now apply at miamiopenforbusiness.org for a variety of grants and loans. Together with The Miami Foundation's community-based lending partner, Partners for Self Employment, Miami Open for Business is offering three unique funding opportunities:

Microgrants for Technology and Equipment: Grants up to $20,000 for nonprofits and small businesses to purchase hardware, software, machinery, and equipment.

Grants up to for nonprofits and small businesses to purchase hardware, software, machinery, and equipment. Asset Building Loans for Entrepreneurs (ABLE) Fund: Low-interest, patient financing from $5,000 to $100,000 for nonprofits and small businesses to acquire vehicles or inventory, renovate or remodel space, refinance predatory debt taken on for asset building, succession financing, or worker co-operative conversion.

Low-interest, patient financing from to for nonprofits and small businesses to acquire vehicles or inventory, renovate or remodel space, refinance predatory debt taken on for asset building, succession financing, or worker co-operative conversion. Collective Real Estate Ownership (CREO) Funding: Down payment assistance up to $500,000 for shared commercial real estate in historically underinvested neighborhoods and corridors to root community businesses and nonprofits.

The first round of Microgrant applications is due November 7th, while applications for Collective Real Estate Funding are due on November 28th, with funding decisions announced in December. Loan applications will be accepted and disbursed on a rolling basis through December 1st, or until annual funding allocations are met. Funding cycles will continue twice annually for the following two years. Basic eligibility requirements for Miami-Dade nonprofits and small businesses to apply include being owned or led by an individual(s) from a historically underserved background (i.e., Black, Latino, LGBTQ, veteran, person with disabilities), and having been in existence for at least 2 years. Microgrant and Loan applicants must also have less than $1M in annual revenue or operating budget. Additional eligibility requirements are mentioned at miamiopenforbusiness.org.

"Minority-led small businesses and nonprofits were hit the hardest during the pandemic and continue to face deep disparities in seeking access to capital, resources and other assistance," says Rebecca Fishman Lipsey, President and CEO of The Miami Foundation. "It is our priority to address historic inequities and to help build generational wealth for these business owners and their families. This transformational investment from Wells Fargo will support a stable future for diverse small businesses, who are the lifeblood of our community."

"Accelerating the growth of small businesses is essential for building generational wealth and vibrant communities," said Jenny Flores, head of small business growth philanthropy for Wells Fargo. "We're excited to help open up a new avenue for capital and expertise through the Miami Foundation and its partners."

"Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy," said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. "By giving small business owners the means to own and control more of their assets, we help create an accessible path to generational wealth building. With this investment from Wells Fargo and leadership from The Miami Foundation, we'll both strengthen our small business ecosystem and build the financial resilience of minority-led businesses countywide."

"The Open for Business Program by the Miami Foundation is concrete proof that we are building a city that Works for Everyone," said Mayor Francis Suarez. "By providing minority business owners cutting-edge resources and opportunities, such as the Micro Grants for Technology, Equipment and Machinery, we are creating new avenues for those who have been historically left behind to build generational prosperity and a guaranteed seat at the table in the economy of tomorrow."

The initiative is a part of Wells Fargo's national Open for Business Fund, a roughly $420 million national small business recovery effort for racially and ethnically diverse small business owners who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. To maintain the passion and prioritization of collective impact and inclusion for these small businesses, The Miami Foundation engaged a Small Business Stakeholder Advisory Group, a leadership circle of local visionaries with deep expertise about the small business ecosystem, alongside dozens of community stakeholders to inform and advise on the strategic thinking of the program.

If you wish to learn more information about the initiative and application requirements, please visit miamiopenforbusiness.org or contact [email protected].

About The Miami Foundation

The Miami Foundation builds the philanthropic, civic and leadership backbone for Greater Miami. Since 1967, the Foundation has invested $505 million to strengthen our community with partnerships and contributions from more than 1,000 fundholders and 35,000 donors. The Miami Foundation, which currently manages more than $427 million in assets, mobilizes donors, nonprofits, leaders, and locals to set a bold vision for our community's future and to invest in a stronger, more equitable, more resilient Greater Miami. Learn more at MiamiFoundation.org.

SOURCE The Miami Foundation
THESSALONIKI, Greece, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The UAE Minister of Economy, H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, held bilateral meetings, at the UAE Pavilion in Thessaloniki International Fair TIF 86, with several high-ranking Greek Ministers & officials to boost cooperation & bilateral relations between the UAE and Greece. The extensive meetings between the two-shed light on the most attractive economic sectors to invest in the UAE  including non-oil industries, whose foreign exports have recently hit an all-time high.

The Greek Prime Minister, H.E Kyriakos Mitsotakis, opened the UAE pavilion at Thessaloniki International Fair 86, on Monday in the presence of the UAE Minister of Economy, and then held a meeting with the UAE Minister of Economy, to discuss ways to boost cooperation between the two countries and enhance bilateral trade & investment relations.

The Minister of Economy, H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, also met H.E Vassilis Kikilias, Greek Minister of Tourism, where they discussed several issues, including mechanisms to boost Tourism in the two countries. The plan is to enhance the sustainable development of the Tourism sector in the UAE & Greece and boost the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The UAE pavilion also shed light on the UAE's new economic model and strategy of establishing a diverse economy & developing the nation's non-oil economic sectors, in addition to its pioneering position on the global trade map.

UAE's upward trajectory in non-oil exports is astounding. The UAE has recorded its highest-ever non-oil exports in the first half of 2022, with a total value of AED 180 billion. In the Manufacturing sector, the UAE aims to raise the industrial sector's contribution to GDP from AED 133 billion to AED 300 billion by 2031.

Press contact:

Rana Elshorbagy

Senior PR Specialist

E: [email protected]

M: +201020092841

SOURCE United Arab Emirates Ministry of Economy
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In the wake of Hurricane Ian, United Way Worldwide has established the United Way Disaster Response and Recovery Fund to help local United Ways on the ground respond to immediate needs and rebuild community infrastructure across affected regions.

Hurricane Ian has damaged hundreds of coastal communities with powerful winds, dangerous storm surges, and flooding. Millions are still without power; more than 100 people have lost their lives; and thousands of homes, hospitals, and businesses have been destroyed by one of the strongest and costliest storms ever to hit the U.S.

"United Way is deeply rooted in neighborhoods, and understands that recovering and rebuilding is not a quick fix." Tweet this

The national fund will complement local United Way efforts, providing a single clearinghouse for individual and corporate donors who want to support. United Ways in communities impacted by Ian will continue to raise money locally and respond to immediate and emerging needs.

"Local United Ways are deeply rooted in neighborhoods. Our unique presence in communities allows us to quickly and efficiently provide help during times of crisis," said Angela F. Williams, United Way President and CEO. "United Ways work with local emergency operations centers, 211, and other critical partners to act swiftly after catastrophic events. We are in the community long after the first responders leave and understand that recovering and rebuilding is not a quick fix," she added.

United Way partner 211 is a 24/7 crisis helpline phone number with operators working on the front lines of disaster. Available across America and Canada, callers can contact 211 for critical services, including finding evacuation routes, shelters, access to food, water, and emergency supplies during and after natural disasters. Longer term, 211 helps communities recover and rebuild, connecting them with FEMA, mental health organizations, and other vital agencies.

During the storm, United Way 211 operators in the Fort Myers region served residents desperate for assistance due to rising flood waters and family member reunification efforts. "211 call center operators are working around the clock, so we are ensuring they also have the support and resources needed," said Joshua Pedersen, Interim Senior Director of 211 for United Way Worldwide.

National United Way partners are also stepping up to support communities, with Comcast NBCUniversal announcing a significant cash and in-kind contribution to the United Way Disaster Response and Recovery Fund. "United Way greatly appreciates the support of Comcast NBCUniversal in disaster relief," Williams said. "Building stronger communities is a shared value."

Supporters seeking to provide aid for specific communities are encouraged to view the funds below:

About United Way Worldwide

United Way brings people together to build strong communities where everyone thrives. As one of the world's largest privately funded charities, we serve 95% of U.S. communities and 37 countries and territories; our humanitarian aid supports 48 million people every year. Through United Way, communities tackle tough challenges and work with private, public, and nonprofit partners to boost education, economic solutions, and health resources. United Way is the mission of choice for 1.5 million volunteers, 6.8 million donors, and 45,000 corporate partners in more than 1,100 communities worldwide in our second century of service. Together, we are building resilient, equitable communities across the globe. Learn more at UnitedWay.org. Follow us: @UnitedWay and #LiveUnited.

About 211

211 is a free, confidential service that connects people across the U.S. and Canada to locally available resources 24/7. 211 will remain open and ready to provide local information about evacuation routes, shelters, food and water, health resources, and other needs throughout the storm.

CONTACT: Rachel Perry, (828) 275-3133, [email protected]

SOURCE United Way Worldwide
BREA, Calif., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ViewSonic Corp, a leading global provider of visual solutions, has won the first prize in "Business Model Transformation" and "ESG Special Award" in the Ding-Ge Digital Transforming Award held by Harvard Business Review Global Traditional Chinese Edition. Recognizing ViewSonic's transformation from a hardware company to a solution provider, these awards also highlight the company's contribution to social responsibility and sustainability.

ViewSonic won the first prize in Business Model Transformation and CSR Special Award in Harvard Business Review Award

Bonny Cheng, Chief Operating Officer at ViewSonic, stated, "We are honored to receive these awards. Our company is committed to developing better solutions, expanding applications, and assuming a leading role in education technology solutions. ViewSonic utilizes the Ecosystem as a Service (EaaS) strategy to connect/enable individual companies' digital transformation efforts to a digital revolution of the industry as a whole. This innovative approach stimulates collaborative efforts to spur the development of global digital education. Moving forward, ViewSonic will continue to make every effort to promote the digital transformation to various industries and to benefit more people."

Linking Digital Transformation between Company and Industry

To help customers solve their pain points and create better user experiences, ViewSonic develops a total solution by integrating software, hardware, and services. Education technology solutions provide various devices, covering ViewBoard interactive displays, pen displays, projectors, and monitors, to meet the demand for a wide array of usage scenarios. In terms of software, it developed myViewBoard to provide various digital teaching tools. ViewSonic introduced UNIVERSE, the world's first metaverse for education, to solve the online interaction challenges this year. This 3D interactive virtual platform creates an immersive educational environment, setting a new milestone for digital education.

Furthermore, to innovate services, ViewSonic strengthens its relations with the ecosystem, connecting teachers, schools, government, and industry partners to develop new services based on co-creation, driving comprehensive transformation in digital teaching. ViewSonic holds a series of activities to help teachers improve their digital teaching capabilities, including in-person and online digital teaching training and lesson plan design competitions. It establishes an innovative online educator community that encourages teachers to exchange ideas and digital teaching experiences with each other.

Equity in Education, Social Dialogue, and Environmental Protection

ViewSonic has consistently strived to uphold its corporate social responsibility while promoting digital transformation. During the pandemic, many schools were forced to teach and learn online. ViewSonic provided the myViewBoard software for distanced learning and teaching in K-12 schools and colleges around the world, free of charge, so classes could still run.

In addition, ViewSonic has connected various communities to stimulate investment in public welfare and promote social dialogue and cultural exchanges. For example, At the end of 2021, an outdoor cinema was built for the Taiwan-Reyhanli Center for World Citizens at the border between Turkey and Syria, allowing residents and Syrian children to enjoy movies and better understand different cultures.

ViewSonic is continuously developing more energy-efficient and sustainable products. The latest ViewBoard has acquired EPEAT Silver certification, making it the interactive display with the highest environmental protection level on the market. ViewSonic is also closely involved in the development of LED projectors, reducing the use of traditional light bulbs containing mercury and other toxic substances to minimize environmental impact. All ViewSonic products comply with the European Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive and follow the ECO-Office guidelines to reduce carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions, landfill waste, and water usage.

About ViewSonic

Founded in California, with 35 years of expertise, ViewSonic is a leading global visual solutions provider and conducts business in over 100 countries worldwide. As an innovator and visionary, ViewSonic is committed to providing comprehensive hardware and software solutions that include monitors, projectors, pen displays, commercial displays, All-in-One LED displays, ViewBoard interactive displays, myViewBoard, and Universe by ViewSonic software. ViewSonic has established a strong position for delivering innovative and reliable solutions for education, enterprise, consumer, and markets." To find out more about ViewSonic, please visit www.viewsonic.com.

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SOURCE ViewSonic Corp.
GOTEBORG, Sweden, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Volvo Trucks will deliver fully electric heavy-duty trucks to Amazon in Germany by year end. The 20 Volvo FH Electric are expected to drive more than one million road kilometres annually, fuelled with electricity instead of diesel.

Heavy goods vehicles and other commercial vehicles make up around 36% of Germany's domestic transport emissions[1], which makes road transport decarbonization an important issue to address.

"Big actors in the transport business play a key role in leading the industry's efforts to lower its carbon footprint. Therefore Im glad that Amazon is working with us to help reduce their emissions in longer and heavier transport assignments," says Jessica Sandstrom, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Volvo Trucks.

Volvo Trucks started the series production of heavy-duty electric trucks in September this year and the availability of electric trucks for inter-city and regional haulage marks an important milestone for decarbonizing road transport.

"Globally we now have six electric truck models ready to order and in series production to meet the increasing demand for decarbonizing goods transports. This is an encouraging step forward for reducing climate change impacts," comments Jessica Sandstrom.

The electric versions of its most important product range  the heavy-duty Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX trucks  will play a vital role in reaching Volvo Trucks global target that in 2030 50% of all new trucks sold will be battery or fuel cell electric. These electric heavy-duty trucks can operate at a total weight of 44 tonnes and the three models mentioned represent around two thirds of the company's sales.

For Amazon, the trucks will replace their diesel counterparts and play a key role in electrification initiatives through its transportation chain.

"Amazon is committed to decarbonizing its fleet, and the middle mile has been a notoriously hard-to-abate sector," explains Andreas Marschner, Vice President Transportation Services Europe at Amazon. "That's why welcoming these electric heavy goods vehicles from Volvo into our fleet is such a critical milestone. We're operating one of the fastest-growing commercial transportation electrification programs, and we'll continue to invest and innovate to decarbonize and deliver packages to customers with zero emissions."

Facts about the Volvo FH Electric

Battery capacity: 540 kWh

Output power: 490 kW continuous power

The range is up to 300 km, but the Volvo FH Electric can cover up to 500 km during a normal workday if a top-up charge is added, for example during the lunch break

Facts about Volvo's range of electric trucks

Volvo Trucks have a global range of six all electric trucks designed to cover many different transport assignments.

The Volvo FH, FM and FMX Electric models have a GCW of up to 44 tonnes. Sales are ongoing in Europe and series production started in September 2022 .

and series production started in . Manufacturing of the Volvo FL and FE Electric, for city distribution and refuse handling, started in Europe already in 2019.

already in 2019. Production of the Volvo VNR Electric for North America began in 2020.



October 6, 2022

LINK to high resolution images

For further information, please contact:

Jan Strandhede

Media Relations Director, Volvo Trucks

[email protected]

+46 31 323 3715

Press images and films are available in the Volvo Trucks image and film gallery at http://images.volvotrucks.com.

[1] Bundesministerium fur Umwelt und Verkehr, Klimaschutz in Zahlen - Fakten, Trends und Impulse deutscher Klimapolitik, Ausgabe 2021 (bmuv.de), Page 36

Volvo Trucks supplies complete transport solutions for discerning professional customers with its full range of medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Customer support is provided via a global network of dealers with 2,200 service points in about 130 countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 13 countries across the globe. In 2021 approximately 123,000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Volvo Trucks is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction equipment and marine and industrial engines. The group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. Volvo Trucks' work is based on the core values of quality, safety and environmental care.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

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SOURCE AB Volvo
EXTON, Pa., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE: WST), a global leader in innovative solutions for injectable drug administration, today announced it has been shortlisted for Company of the Year for 2022 Global Generics and Biosimilar Awards, which will be announced during CPhI Worldwide in Frankfurt, Germany on November 2, 2022.

Global Generics & Biosimilars Company of the Year Finalist

"West is honored to be shortlisted for the Global Generics and Biosimilar 2022 Company of the Year Award," said David Maier, Vice President & General Manager at West Pharmaceutical Services. "For nearly a century, West has remained committed to our mission of improving patients' lives around the world through drug packaging and delivery, and throughout the pandemic to present day, we have continued to play a vital role in the containment and delivery of life-saving and life-changing medicines."

The Global Generics and Biosimilars Awards celebrate the greatest accomplishments and innovations across the development, authorization, marketing, and distribution of global off-patent pharmaceuticals. The awards provide a unique opportunity for the industry to come together to discuss future opportunities and challenges as well as shine a light on the companies and individuals driving positive change.

For more information about West, please visit our website: www.westpharma.com.

For more information about the Global Generics and Biosimilars Awards, please visit: Generics Bulletin and Biosimilars Awards 2022 l Pharma Intelligence (informa.com)

About West

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. is a leading provider of innovative, high-quality injectable solutions and services. As a trusted partner to established and emerging drug developers, West helps ensure the safe, effective containment and delivery of life-saving and life-enhancing medicines for patients. With approximately 10,000 team members across 50 sites worldwide, West helps support our customers by delivering over 45 billion components and devices each year.

Headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania, and in business for nearly a century, West in its fiscal year 2021 generated $2.83 billion in net sales. West is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: WST) and is included on the Standard & Poor's 500 index. For more information, visit www.westpharma.com.

All trademarks and registered trademarks used in this release are the property of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. or its subsidiaries, in the United States and other jurisdictions, unless otherwise noted.

SOURCE West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.
MECHANICSBURG, Pa., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- West Shore Home, one of the fastest growing home remodeling companies in the United States, is now operating in Cincinnati, Ohio. With this branch, West Shore Home furthers its vision of becoming America's Most Admired Home Remodeling Brand.

West Shore Home specializes in fast, convenient home remodeling services. The brand's marketing messages Don't Blink and Fast is Better represent the speed and efficiency of its entire remodeling process. Specializing in window, door and bath replacement, most projects are completed in just one day.

West Shore Home, Americas most admired home remodeling brand, is now operating in Cincinnati, Ohio.

"We are able to serve our customers quickly and efficiently because of our unique technology enabled platform," said B.J. Werzyn, CEO, West Shore Home. "We are thrilled to offer the convenience of our high quality, one-day installations to the millions of homeowners in the Cincinnati metropolitan region. From the first phone call to the project design phase, and through the day of installation, our customers receive a 5-star experience."

With a mission of Bringing Happiness to Every Home, the company makes home improvement convenient and hassle-free. With its iPad design app, homeowners can customize their project from dozens of product and hardware combinations.

Founded in 2006, West Shore Home is now a national brand with 33 operational locations in 15 states. They include Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. It has continued national expansion plans.

The Cincinnati branch is located at 9283 Sutton Place, West Chester, OH 45001. It will add dozens of jobs to the region. Those interested in employment opportunities should visit the careers link on the company website.

About West Shore Home

West Shore Home, headquartered in Mechanicsburg, PA., is a leading technology-enabled home remodeling services provider with an expanding national footprint. Founded in 2006, West Shore Home's national brand promise is Bringing Happiness to Every Home by delivering a fast, easy and convenient home remodeling experience. From the first phone call to the final installation, customers have a streamlined experience and associate the West Shore Home brand with consistent high quality, transparency, and trust. For additional information visit westshorehome.com.

SOURCE West Shore Home
The partnership bridges the gap between human-centered technology solutions and mental health, delivering immediate support into the hands of the LGBTQ+ community

DENVER, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- You:Flourish, the first wellness and behavioral health smartphone application designed specifically for the needs of the LGBTQ+ community, has partnered with VXVY Mental Health, a company that is transforming the digital mental health industry by accelerating the development, adoption and commercialization of products.

You:Flourish partners with VXVY Mental Health to accelerate an accessible and affordable LGBTQ+-affirming behavioral health and wellness solution answering the urgent need for digital mental health support for the LGBTQ+ community. Modeled on a behavior change framework, You:Flourish is the first mental health and wellness smartphone application designed specifically for the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals.

VXVY works closely with technology companies, health systems, employers and investors to harness the full potential of digital mental health and help bridge the gap between humane technology and evidence-based mental health treatment and prevention to bring the best solutions more rapidly to the marketplace. Reaching audiences who are in need of mental health support, VXVY works with clients to tailor digital mental health solutions that engage mental health professionals.

"Mental health treatment is inherently inefficient, and our system lacks the capacity to care for everyone who needs it  especially for historically underserved groups," said Matt Vogl, co-founder of VXVY. "Digital mental health has the potential to help fill that gap, but it is challenging to bring products to market that are engaging, effective and widely accessible. Our goal is to work with everyone in the field to help turn that potential into reality."

VXVY partners with organizations to automate processes to make care more efficient and effective through early intervention, treatment and recovery; technology-based diagnosis and assessment; and digitizing existing and new evidence-based treatment methodologies.

The partnership with VXVY accelerates You:Flourish's ability to effectively scale mental health solutions and get the app in the hands of anyone, anywhere, when they need it the most.

"Matt Vogl and the VXVY team understand the urgent need for accessible, affordable and scalable mental health solutions for the LGBTQ+ community," said You:Flourish Founder and CEO Steven Haden (he/him). "Imagine the possibility and positive impact on society when each individual of a marginalized community is empowered to contribute as their whole, authentic self; this starts with accessible, researched-based behavioral health support."

Working with the VXVY team and public health, wellness and behavioral health professionals, You:Flourish app users will customize a peer support community with shared intersectional identities, establish wellness goals, track daily habits and earn rewards for engagement.

A custom behavior change model supports adherence and accountability among users with intersectional identities and socioeconomic backgrounds. Promoting progress through positive reinforcement, You:Flourish empowers users to create, monitor and earn points for tracking their daily wellness activities. You:Flourish and its partners offers awards for point accumulation with the goal to motivate users and improve self-efficacy as individuals continue using the app to manage their wellness.

The content offered through the app's wellness hub considers parameters and guidelines developed by VXVY's team to ensure vetted content that supports users' well-being. Topics include nutrition, sleep, meditation/mindfulness, social media use and movement/yoga. All users will have access to research-based support on how to talk about mental health and substance use with loved ones, among other topics that will enhance the well-being of our users.

An essential app feature, which VXVY is supporting, is the directory of vetted mental health professionals who are trained to provide culturally relevant and LGBTQ+-affirming behavioral health interventions.

"Due to systemic inequities, disparities and injustices, the LGBTQ+ community is disproportionately affected by physical and mental illnesses, is less likely to have health insurance, and experiences worse health outcomes compared to the general population," said Haden. "Despite being a population with pronounced mental health needs, LGBTQ+ individuals face a lack of culturally responsive and affirming providers, which further increases their obstacles to accessing and securing safe and high-quality care."

You:Flourish recently kicked off its public equity crowdfunding campaign on Wefunder, empowering people to take action and address the significant mental health crisis among the LGBTQ+ community. The app is slated to launch in the first quarter of 2023.

About You:Flourish

You:Flourish is a public benefit corporation balancing purpose and profit to bring wellness and affirming resources to members of the LGBTQ+ community. The You:Flourish smartphone application is created, curated and supported by Envision:You, a nonprofit organization that seeks to close gaps in behavioral health outcomes for LGBTQ+ individuals through co-created community programming, advocacy engagement, public awareness campaigns and evidence-based training. CoPeace, an ESG holding company that invests in growing companies demonstrating social and environmental impact, is offering services, including fractional C-suite support, to You:Flourish. AppIt Ventures is leading the app's development. Visit www.you-flourish.com for more information.

About VXVY Mental Health

VXVY Mental Health is a digital mental health ecosystem that brings together technology innovators, investors, clinical providers, employers and health systems. We provide expert guidance to accelerate the development, adoption, commercialization and reimbursement of compelling, engaging and successful products. Through our membership model and network platform, we bring together innovators to successfully implement technology in real-world settings. This is essential to assess efficacy, identify paths to reimbursement and encourage adoption. The VXVY team has enhanced services and resources to help organizations build, use or invest in digital technology to improve overall mental health and well-being. Our deep knowledge of implementation provides a clear path to scale resources across the spectrum of prevention, treatment and recovery.

SOURCE You:Flourish
Direct-to-consumer brand provides values-led solution to simplify shopping for infants and toddlers

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Launching today, Young Days is a new direct-to-consumer childrenswear brand that raises standards for sustainably designed and ethically produced infant and toddler clothing. Founded by son and father team, Jeremy Fischer and Jeff Fischer, both garment industry veterans, Young Days offers attainably priced, gender-neutral, mix-and-match basics built with durable, eco-friendly materials, resulting in quality, sustainable apparel that kids can live and play in.

Young Days is a new brand raising the standards for sustainably designed and ethically produced childrenswear. Tweet this Young Days launches as new direct-to-consumer childrenswear brand focused on sustainable design and ethical production.

"Young Days was sparked after my wife and I went through an exhaustive search to find children's clothing that looked good and aligned with our values," said Jeremy Fischer, Young Days co-founder and father of two. "We were underwhelmed by the options, and when we crowdsourced opinions from other parents, we knew we weren't alone. We set out to design the solution for ourselves and the many like us who wanted stylish and sustainable clothes for their kids at a better price point."

The Young Days Launch Collection embodies the ethos of feel-good clothing with uncomplicated, affordable and ethical basics. Made to simplify the shopping experience, the curated range of childrenswear silhouettes, from onesies to patterned separates, is offered in more than 35 colors and patterns, allowing parents to mix-and-match gender neutral pieces to create endless outfit combinations. Designed with eight soft-yet-durable fabrics, such as organic cotton and recycled polyester, the line helps parents effortlessly dress infants and toddlers aged 0  5 years old.

"For the launch collection, we focused on dressing staples, like onesies and cozy basics," said Zoe Castro, Young Days Launch Collection designer and mother. "Since children grow quickly, we designed for longevity and reduced impact, choosing durable, eco-friendly materials, as well as timeless colors and patterns that will remain relevant through the changing seasons."

Hero styles from the debut collection include the Springfield Sweatshirt, a classic crewneck pullover updated with organic French Terry cotton and playful prints; the Austin Onesie, a staple onesie that blends soft organic cotton and spandex for comfort and freedom of movement; and the Pocatello Shirt and Reno Pant, a cotton pointelle wrap top and footed bottom set designed as newborn essentials in four muted hues.

With separates ranging in price from $13.00 - $25.00, the Young Days launch collection is now available at www.youngdays.com .

About Young Days

Born from the desire to simplify shopping for your little ones, Young Days is a playful, direct-to-consumer childrenswear brand, designed by parents, for parents. The brand brings a new standard to infant and toddler clothing with attainably priced, gender-neutral, mix-and-match basics focused on conscious design details and ethical production. Made completely with eco-friendly materials, like organic cotton and recycled polyester, the collection provides today's kids with quality, sustainable apparel they can live and play in and peace of mind for parents. For more information, visit www.youngdays.com and follow Young Days on Instagram @helloyoungdays #HelloYoungDays.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

212-889-1700

SOURCE Young Days
Offers Reform Ideas with Potential for Bipartisan Appeal

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With the next Congress facing serious policy questions on health care, education, and energy, the nonpartisan Pacific Research Institute today released a "Congress To-Do List," a free-market policy reform agenda with bipartisan appeal to guide the next Congress -- regardless of which party wins control.

Read PRI's complete "Congress To-Do Lists" at www.pacificresearch.org/congresstodolist

"The new Congress faces unfinished business: they need to expand patient choice and competition in health care, including rolling back the new price controls on drugs that discourage innovation and competition, reverse the pandemic's effects on student learning, and eliminate expensive and burdensome government energy mandates," said PRI President, CEO, and Thomas W. Smith Fellow in Health Care Policy, Sally C. Pipes. "PRI's policy experts have put together a robust to-do list of market-based policy solutions that will result in better schools, more affordable health care and more reliable energy supply -- common-sense ideas that have the potential to be embraced by Democrats and Republicans alike."

Building upon PRI's more than four decades of free-market research and analysis on health care, education, environmental, and economic policy, the "Congress To-Do Lists" offer actionable reforms that the new Congress can embrace upon taking office in January to address the nation's most urgent problems on health care, education, and energy.

"A New Vision for Health Care Reform" : PRI scholars urge Congress to adopt reforms to move toward a more accessible and affordable health care system for all, by

Lowering Taxes : Equalize the tax treatment of health care between employers and individuals.

: Equalize the tax treatment of health care between employers and individuals. Encouraging Innovation : Expand telehealth services and encourage experimentation in medical care.

: Expand telehealth services and encourage experimentation in medical care. Expanding Access: Expand scope of practice laws and eliminate restrictive licensure laws.

"Empowering Parents and Their Children" : Building upon a pandemic-inspired grassroots parent revolution, PRI scholars urge Congress to help parents as they try to improve their children's education by

Expanding School Choice : Ensure that charter schools can compete for grant funding without roadblocks.

: Ensure that charter schools can compete for grant funding without roadblocks. Increasing Accountability / Transparency : Require more transparency from states on how federal education funding is being spent.

: Require more transparency from states on how federal education funding is being spent. Reducing Federal Education Programs: Eliminate expensive programs that have not resulted in improved student performance.

"A New Vision for Energy and Environmental Reform" : As energy supply and affordability problems abound, PRI scholars urge Congress to embrace free market energy policies that lower costs by

Increasing Energy Reliability : Expand production of American oil and natural gas through expanded leasing and reinstating suspended licenses.

: Expand production of American oil and natural gas through expanded leasing and reinstating suspended licenses. Boosting Use of Nuclear Energy : Streamline regulations that reflect the low risk generated by nuclear facilities.

: Streamline regulations that reflect the low risk generated by nuclear facilities. Curbing Electric Vehicle Subsidies: Impose a higher income eligibility standard of $75,000 / household for eligibility for electric vehicle subsidies to end "costly subsidies for the rich."

The Pacific Research Institute ( www.pacificresearch.org ) champions freedom, opportunity, and personal responsibility by advancing free-market policy ideas. Follow PRI on Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn .

MEDIA CONTACT

Lizzie Nealon

[email protected]

(202) 996-0051

SOURCE Pacific Research Institute
PRAGUE , Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With setting up the goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2030 Zentiva continues its sustainability journey and embedded a comprehensive strategy across its operations. The company makes a huge contribution to public health with its primary purpose to ensuring the supply of high-quality and affordable medicines to the people who rely on them every day, in a sustainable way.

ACTING NOW FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Publication of Zentivas 1st Sustainability Report (PRNewsfoto/Zentiva)

Zentiva celebrates its 4th anniversary of independence and step by step the company framed its sustainability around 3 pillars: People, Partners and our Planet. The strategy is guided by the results of an ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) external assessment that positioned the company and its activities in the Top 15 percentile of the industry.

"Zentiva already has many strengths but our work shows significant scope to reduce waste, increase efficiency and to drive our growth in an even more sustainable manner. As a team, we have discussed the importance of judging our performance and actions today against the standards of tomorrow. In essence, when we look back at 2021 in the years to come will we be proud of what we did and how we did it", commented Nick Haggar, CEO of Zentiva.

Zentiva's first sustainability report provides an overview about the company's sustainability approach, covers the achievements in 2021 and brings the outlook and the ambitious goals the team committed to in order to make the difference  for the society and for our planet.

"In 2021 we made significant improvements, stepping up in the environmental area, sourcing our European manufacturing sites from 100 % renewable electric energy and decreasing our consumption of energy and water per Standard Manufacturing Unit. We also made multiple ESG commitments which were published on our website and shared with our business partners and stakeholders. It was wonderful to see in our engagement survey, where 9 out of 10 people stated that they are proud to work for our company", said Ines Windisch, Head of HR, Communications & Sustainability.

With further investments into renewable electric energy, complementing solar projects in our manufacturing sites, the continuous work to reduce waste and the consumption of water and energy and the investment into biodiversity and reforestation, the company is further driving its sustainability agenda in the environmental area.

In the social area, Zentiva is proud to have joined the Diversity Charter in its main locations, continuing to improve by learning from others. A strong commitment to Diversity & Inclusion, a healthy gender balance at all levels of the company and an open and transparent communication are the framework to further develop Zentiva as a great place to work. A strong governance is making sure that progress is made.

Ines Windisch adding: "At Zentiva, every one of us is unique, different but bonded together by our common mission to help people live well through the development and supply of high-quality affordable medicines. I believe that people and the topic of sustainability must go hand in hand to get things moving. It all starts with everyone of us, changing the way we live to contribute to a healthier future."

Discover Zentiva's Sustainability Report on www.zentiva.com.

About Zentiva

Zentiva is a producer of high-quality affordable medicines serving patients in Europe and beyond. With a dedicated team of more than 4,700 people and a network of production sites - including flagship sites in Prague, Bucharest, and Ankleshwar - Zentiva strives to be the champion of branded and generic medicines in Europe to better support people's daily healthcare needs. At Zentiva it is our aspiration that healthcare should be a right and not a privilege. More than ever, people need better access to high-quality affordable medicines and healthcare. We work in partnership with physicians, pharmacists, wholesalers, regulators, and governments to provide the everyday solutions that we all depend on.

Visit us at www.zentiva.com.

Media Contact:

Mounira Lemoui

Head of Communications

ZENTIVA GROUP, a.s.

U Kabelovny 529/16, Dolni Mecholupy, 102 00 Prague 10

Cell: (+33) 7 77 43 75 26/ E-mail: [email protected]

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1915324/Zentiva_Sustainability.jpg

SOURCE Zentiva
AIQ Recognized in Best Data Strategy by a Marketer for work with News Corp and in Best Data Technology categories

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ActionIQ , the leader in customer experience (CX) solutions that deliver actionable insight from customer data, today announced that it was named a Finalist in two categories of the 2022 AdExchanger Awards. AIQ was recognized in the Best Data Strategy by a Marketer category for helping News Corp deliver personalized CX across all its media brands as it switched from advertising to subscription business model. The AIQ CX Hub was also selected in the Best Data Technology category.

"With third-party cookies going away, we needed to make a strategic shift from advertising to subscription revenue model, and doing that successfully required a solid first-party data strategy to deliver personalized customer experience across media units, while driving costs down," said Esfand Pourmand, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Product at News Corp. "Working with ActionIQ allowed business teams to discover and orchestrate global audiences at scale and execute cross-brand use cases, including cross-sell, retention, winback and personalized offers. Not only did we succeed in moving to the subscription model, we also unlocked many new revenue opportunities."

"We are thrilled to be named a finalist in not one, but two Data categories of the 2022 AdExchanger Awards, both for our technology and for bringing value to News Corp," said Leah Pope, Chief Marketing Officer of AIQ. "Many of the best known names in the media and publishing industry are our customers. With the deprecation of third-party cookies, having a solid first-party data strategy is an imperative to business success both for media companies and those in other industries, and we are proud to be their key partner in activating customer data and powering personalized, impactful customer experiences."

The AIQ CX Hub pulls together fragmented customer insights and puts impactful CX in motion. It's a collection of powerful and fully configurable modular solutions that gives all enterprise teams direct but controlled self-service access to customer data to create audiences and orchestrate customer experiences at scale.

The AIQ CX Hub comprises four modular solutions  customer data platform (CDP), Audience Center, Journey Management and Real-Time CX  designed to help brands give business teams the freedom to explore and action on customer data, while helping technical teams extend and enhance existing technology investments to manage data governance, costs and performance. The AIQ CX Hub flexibly integrates with any data source or channel, and gives organizations the freedom to purchase a CDP from AIQ or use their own in-house solution.

The AdExchanger Awards program is focused on celebrating excellence in digital marketing and advertising. Award winners will be announced at the AdExchanger Awards Gala which will take place October 17, 2022 in New York during Programmatic I/O .

The full list of 2022 Award Finalists can be found here .

About ActionIQ

AIQ brings order to CX chaos. Our Customer Experience Hub empowers everyone to be a CX champion by giving business teams the freedom to explore and action on customer data while helping technical teams extend and enhance existing technology investments to manage data governance, costs and performance. Enterprise brands such as Autodesk, M&T Bank, Neiman Marcus, Hertz and many more use our CX Hub to drive growth through extraordinary customer experiences. Learn more at actioniq.com .

Media Contact

Brianne Fortuna

Hudson Cutler for ActionIQ

[email protected]

+1-315-404-5756

SOURCE ActionIQ
Former OMD and BBDO US CEO to lead US chapter of advertising's climate action initiative

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- John Osborn, former OMD US and BBDO New York CEO, has been appointed to lead Ad Net Zero USA and help grow its supporter base as the world's advertising industry responds to the climate crisis. This follows the announcement this summer at LIONS to roll-out Ad Net Zero internationally, a decision backed by major advertising agency holding companies, dentsu international, Havas, Interpublic Group, Omnicom, Publicis Groupe and WPP, along with Unilever  one of the world's largest advertisers, global tech companies, Google and Meta, plus European media company Sky. Osborn's appointment and the development of the Ad Net Zero USA chapter is also supported by USA trade bodies, ANA, 4A's and the IAB, the WFA representing global advertisers, European and global agency associations, EACA and Voxcomm, and the IAA.

John Osborn, Ad Net Zero USA Director

Osborn's remit will be to build on the commitments made by the Global Group to adopt the Ad Net Zero 5-point action plan into its US businesses, driving systemic change in the way the industry works and through the work it makes. Osborn's appointment comes with an open invitation to US companies to join a chapter focused on specifically addressing the challenges and opportunities in the US ad market, which represents around 40% of the world's advertising spend.

Ad Net Zero USA will be participating in Advertising Week New York with sessions, networking and special VIP reception at the British Consulate, hosted by Stillwell Partners and the British Government. Osborn will also be talking about sustainability and the US ad market's response at the ANA's Masters of Marketing Conference the following week and will join the stellar line-up of speakers at the Ad Net Zero Global Summit on November 9 & 10.

About Ad Net Zero

The Ad Net Zero 5-point action plan pledges to decarbonise advertising operations, with businesses committing to robust, verified plans to reduce their emissions. It also pledges to use advertising's power to accelerate the switch to more sustainable products and services for consumers. The programme provides a roadmap for action in all ad markets, with the flexibility to adapt and develop-market specific solutions. It offers tools readily available internationally, like the AdGreen carbon calculator to help to measure and reduce emissions from advertising production. Please visit www.adnetzero.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914760/John_Osborn.jpg

SOURCE Ad Net Zero
Enrollment complete for the high-dose third cohort of Phase 1b study of ADS051 in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis

Company presents new preclinical data supporting continued advancement of ADS032, a novel dual inhibitor of inflammasomes for inflammatory diseases and the company's Single Strain Live Biotherapeutic Product (SS-LBP) in models of Parkinson's disease and the Gut-Brain Axis

CONCORD, Mass., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Adiso Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to creating medicines that treat inflammatory diseases and improve the lives of patients and their families, today announced that enrollment in the third cohort of its Phase 1b study of ADS051 for the treatment of moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis is complete. Last month, Adiso presented new data at several medical meetings highlighting progress across its pipeline of assets for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, including ADS032, a novel dual inhibitor of inflammasomes and ADS024 in Parkinson's disease, further exploring the relationship of the gut-brain axis in neuro inflammation.

"We are very pleased to confirm all patients have been enrolled into the ascending dose cohorts, with the third cohort enrollment of our Phase 1b study of ADS051 for ulcerative colitis, an important milestone for Adiso," said Scott Megaffin, Chief Executive Officer, Adiso Therapeutics. "We share in the excitement of our investigators for this new therapeutic approach for ulcerative colitis patients. We believe that ADS051, a novel, first in class, gut restricted neutrophil modulator, has the potential to bring hope to those suffering from this chronic disease."

Adiso continues to make significant progress across its pipeline. In September, the company presented data at two medical meetings on ADS032, a novel dual NLRP1/3 inflammasome inhibitor, designed to work at the site of inflammation. This compound has the potential to be applied to a wide range of inflammatory diseases, with initial development targeting respiratory and dermal conditions with significant unmet medical need. Adiso also presented data at a third medical meeting from a preclinical study of ADS024, an oral single strain live biotherapeutic product, exploring the gut-brain axis. This highly encouraging data demonstrated the potential of ADS024 to prevent dopamine loss, demonstrating improved motor movement in animal models.

"We are grateful to our collaborators at the University of Edinburgh, The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, The Hudson Institute of Medical Sciences, and APC Microbiome Ireland for their continued partnership, and believe these presentations are a strong reflection of Adiso's commitment to advance these programs for the benefit of patients and families affected by inflammatory diseases," said Megaffin.

Highlights from the Adiso September 2022 Medical Meeting Presentations:

European Respiratory Society International Congress 2022 ( September 6, 2022 ): In a poster titled, "Dynamic Microscopic Imaging and Molecular Characterisation of Alveolar Macrophage Drug Effects of a Labelled Inflammasome Inhibitor in the Human Lung (ADS032)," researchers described an ex vivo study done in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh of ADS032, the first dual inflammasome inhibitor of NLRP1 and NLRP3. In the study, the researchers used an ex vivo ventilated human lung system to study drug uptake and effect within the alveolar space. The study demonstrated uptake of labelled ADS032 by target lung cells and a reduction in the inflammasome-mediated release of interleukin -1, a key mediator of the inflammatory response. These positive ex vivo lung results support similar studies of ADS032 in patients using a Ph0 micro dosing approach, to initiate later this year. Taken together, these pulmonary studies will define effective human doses in patients with inflammasome-driven respiratory diseases as Adiso advances ADS032 to an IND application in 2023.

In a poster titled, "Dynamic Microscopic Imaging and Molecular Characterisation of Alveolar Macrophage Drug Effects of a Labelled Inflammasome Inhibitor in the Human Lung (ADS032)," researchers described an study done in collaboration with the of ADS032, the first dual inflammasome inhibitor of NLRP1 and NLRP3. In the study, the researchers used an ventilated human lung system to study drug uptake and effect within the alveolar space. The study demonstrated uptake of labelled ADS032 by target lung cells and a reduction in the inflammasome-mediated release of interleukin -1, a key mediator of the inflammatory response. These positive lung results support similar studies of ADS032 in patients using a Ph0 micro dosing approach, to initiate later this year. Taken together, these pulmonary studies will define effective human doses in patients with inflammasome-driven respiratory diseases as Adiso advances ADS032 to an IND application in 2023. The International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders ( September 17, 2022 ): Adiso scientist Susan Acton presented a poster titled "ADS024 Attenuates Striatal Dopamine Loss and Restores Movement in Animal Models of Parkinson's Disease." ADS024 is an oral single strain live biotherapeutic product (SS-LBP). In the study, treatment with ADS024 improved dopamine and DOPAC striatal levels in an MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's and led to improved motor movement in an MPTP zebrafish model. Together, these results suggest that ADS024 could potentially have a positive impact on patients with Parkinson's disease by preventing dopamine loss and improving motor movement.

Adiso scientist presented a poster titled "ADS024 Attenuates Striatal Dopamine Loss and Restores Movement in Animal Models of Parkinson's Disease." ADS024 is an oral single strain live biotherapeutic product (SS-LBP). In the study, treatment with ADS024 improved dopamine and DOPAC striatal levels in an MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's and led to improved motor movement in an MPTP zebrafish model. Together, these results suggest that ADS024 could potentially have a positive impact on patients with Parkinson's disease by preventing dopamine loss and improving motor movement. The International Cytokines and Interferon Society Meeting ( September 21, 2022 ): In a poster titled, "A Novel Dual NLRP1 and NLRP3 Inflammasome Inhibitor for the Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases," researchers from Adiso and The University of Edinburgh described how ADS032 is designed to target inflammasome-mediated inflammation. The study showed that ADS032 is an effective NLRP1 and NLRP3 antagonist in human macrophages and epithelial cells. In a preclinical murine model, the drug reduced pulmonary inflammation caused by pandemic influenza A virus infection. Adiso is developing ADS032 as a potential therapeutic to treat pulmonary NLRP1- and NLRP3-associated inflammatory diseases.

About ADS051

ADS051 is an oral, gut-restricted, small molecule modulator of neutrophil trafficking and activation for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Unlike currently available therapies, ADS051 addresses neutrophil-mediated tissue damage, a hallmark of UC pathology. It is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1b randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple ascending dose study in patients with moderately-to-severely active UC (NCT05084261). The primary objectives of this study are safety and tolerability with a secondary objective of pharmacokinetics, and exploratory objectives of reduction of neutrophil-associated biomarkers.

About ADS024

ADS024 is an oral single strain live biotherapeutic product (SS-LBP) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis and for the prevention of C. difficile recurrence. It was isolated as a single, naturally occurring bacterial strain and is manufactured from a pure, clonal bacterial cell bank, yielding a standardized lyophilized drug product thus eliminating the need to directly source from donor fecal material or assemble a multistrain consortium. Clinical application of therapeutic bacteria represents a new approach in the future treatment for a range of human diseases. ADS024 has improved gut barrier integrity in rodent models of ulcerative colitis and is being studied in a Phase 1b trial of C. difficile recurrence. ADS024 has been granted Fast Track Designation by the FDA for the prevention of recurrence in patients with C. difficile infection.

About ADS032

ADS032 is a novel small molecule inhibitor that locally blocks two types of inflammasomes simultaneously, NLRP1 and NLRP3 - the innate immune system's receptors and first-line sensors of pathogens and other danger signals. Chronic activation of NLRP3 and NLPR1 is directly implicated in a wide range of inflammation-triggered conditions across multiple organ systems. By targeting both NLRP1 and NLRP3, ADS032 may provide a comprehensive anti-inflammatory approach across a range of diseases.

About Adiso:

Adiso is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the lives of patients and their families by creating new medicines to treat inflammatory diseases. This dedication is epitomized by our lead clinical candidates, ADS051, an oral, gut-restricted modulator of neutrophil trafficking and activation for the treatment ulcerative colitis; and ADS032, a dual NLRP3/NLRP1 inflammasome inhibitor initially being developed for inflammatory diseases of the lung; and ADS024, an oral single strain live biotherapeutic product (SS-LBP) for the treatment of ulcerative colitis and prevention of C. difficile recurrence. Adiso has built these development programs upon a rich history of institutional and academic collaboration, including, the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, the Hudson Institute of Medical Sciences Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases in Australia, the University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland. For more information, please visit www.adisotx.com or our LinkedIn page.

Contacts



Argot Partners

Media: Sarah Sutton/Liza Sullivan

IR: Jason Finkelstein

[email protected]

212.600.1902

Adiso Therapeutics, Inc.

Jennifer Locke, Chief Operating & Business Officer

[email protected]

978.202.4335

SOURCE Adiso Therapeutics
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the latest report published by Growth Plus Reports, the global advanced parenteral drug delivery devices market is expected to clock US$ 4.99 billion by 2030 and to grow at a CAGR of 9.0% during the forecast period. Owing to the development of novel devices and continues innovation in biologics this exclusive information is published by Growth Plus Reports in its report titled "Advanced Parenteral Drug Delivery Devices Market  Global Outlook & Forecast 2022-2030"

Download PDF Brochure of Advanced Parenteral Drug Delivery Devices Market Size - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis with Strategic Developments at: https://growthplusreports.com/inquiry/request-sample/advanced-parenteral-drug-delivery-devices-market/7844

Market Driver

New devices that enable advanced drug targeting and prolonged release of parenteral medication are developed as a result of technological advancements in parenteral drug administration and is the key factor for market growth. The market for advanced parenteral drug delivery devices is expanding because of the significant advancements in biologics such as monoclonal antibodies, next-generation cell, and gene therapies. For Instance, FDA approved 13 biologics in 2020 of which ten are monoclonal antibody, thus increasing the demand for advance parenteral drug delivery devices. Additionally, the rising number of biosimilars being approved and introduced is anticipated to fuel the market growth even further. The other factors fueling market growth include the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, increased demand for self-administrated drug devices, and increased number of investments by top players, for instance in February 2022, Eli Lilly and Co., invested US$1 billion to create new advanced manufacturing facility for parenteral (injectable) products and devices.

The global advanced parenteral drug delivery devices market has been analyzed from three different perspectives  application, products, and region.

Excerpts from 'By Application Segmentation'

The global advanced parenteral drug delivery devices market based on application is segmented into seven major segments, viz.

Endocrine Agents

Cardiovascular Agents

Respiratory Agents

Gastrointestinal Agents

Central Nervous System Agents

Nutritional Agents

Anti-Infective Agents

The endocrine agents held the largest market share of the advanced parenteral drug delivery devices market in 2021. Cardiovascular agents have the second largest market share, which can be attributed to the rising prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). According to WHO, CVD is the leading cause of death globally, causing approximately 17.9 million deaths each year. Moreover, CVD like blood clots, heart failure, stroke, and high cholesterol can be treated with cardiovascular agents thus boosting the growth of the market.

Speak to our Analyst to Understand the Impact of COVID-19 on Your Business: https://growthplusreports.com/inquiry/speak-analyst/advanced-parenteral-drug-delivery-devices-market/7844

Excerpts from 'By Product Segmentation'

The global advanced parenteral drug delivery devices market based on product is segmented into four major segments, viz.

IV Catheters

Injector Cartridges

Prefilled Syringes

Hypodermic Syringes

The prefilled syringes segment dominated the advanced parenteral drug delivery devices market in 2021. The large share of the segment can be attributed largely to increased demand for prefilled syringes as it convenient to administrate. According to National Center for Biotechnology Information there are more than 50 injectable drugs and vaccines administrated through prefilled syringes. Additionally, the increased safety, precise dosage, and less risk of infection are also playing a pivotal role in the market growth. Moreover, the increased usage of controlled drug delivery devices for targeted therapy is further fueling the growth of the prefilled syringes segment.

Excerpts from 'By Region Segmentation'

The global advanced parenteral drug delivery devices market is segmented into:

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Rest of the World

North America held the largest share of the global advanced parenteral drug delivery devices market in 2021, followed by Europe, and Asia Pacific. Presence of top players, well-developed healthcare infrastructure, and availability of skilled professionals is boosting the market growth. Moreover, rising prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes are the other factors boosting market growth.

Excerpts from 'Competitive Landscape'

Some of the prominent players operating in the global advanced parenteral drug delivery devices market are

AstraZeneca Plc

Abbott Laboratories

Amgen, Inc

Baxter International; Inc

Becton

Dickinson and Company

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

AptarGroup, Inc

Novartis AG

Pfizer, Inc

GlaxoSmithKline Plc

F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG

Table of Content

INTRODUCTION Market Ecosystem Timeline Under Consideration Historical Years  2020 Base Year  2021 Forecasted Years  2022 to 2030 Currency Used in the Report RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Approach Data Collection Methodology Data Sources Secondary Sources Primary Sources Market Estimation Approach Bottom Up Top Down Market Forecasting Model Limitations and Assumptions PREMIUM INSIGHTS Current Market Trend (COVID-19 Perspective) Key Players & Competitive Positioning (2021) MARKET DYNAMICS Drivers Restraints/Challenges Opportunities

TOC Continued

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Winning imperatives

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Transaction will fund expansion of Tennessee-based company through a company-friendly, revenue-based agreement

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aesthetic Management Partners, which has revolutionized how aesthetic technology is introduced to the U.S. market, has landed a significant growth funding package from Decathlon Capital Partners. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Aesthetic Management Partners, headquartered at Cordova, Tenn., will use the funding to support its long-term expansion initiatives. Aesthetic Management Partners provides nationwide brand development and distribution as it partners with global manufacturers of medical devices and biologics to accelerate their introduction into the U.S. market.

Erik Dowell, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Aesthetic Management Partners, said the company's growth is driven by its best-in-class lines of medical devices and innovative biologic products. "Our promise is to deliver optimal patient outcomes to our medical practitioners," Dowell said. "If it is good for the patient, good for the physician and good for our company, then it is the right course of action. This guides us in everything we do."

Adrian Bishop, President and Co-Founder of Aesthetic Management Partners, said the transaction with Decathlon Capital Partners provides the flexibility his company needs to support its growth initiatives."Decathlon's unique growth capital model enables us to continue to invest in key markets without diluting our shareholders. Its funding model perfectly aligns with our expansion strategy as a privately held company. We look forward to working with Decathlon."

Kevin Grossman, Vice President of Decathlon Capital Partners, said the respected and experienced leadership team at Aesthetic Management Partners has been highly successful as it developed a portfolio of industry-leading products. "The lean, disciplined approach of Aesthetic Management Partners and its team of professional sales executives provide a solid foundation to support expansion into new market sectors," Grossman said.

About Aesthetic Management Partners

Aesthetic Management Partners is a rapidly expanding medical device and biologics company in the functional medicine and aesthetic industry. AMP focuses on launching unique products and technologies that attain optimum patient outcomes with little to no downtime. Learn more at www.aestheticmanagementpartners.com.

About Decathlon Capital Partners

Decathlon Capital Partners provides growth capital for companies seeking alternatives to traditional equity investment. Through the use of highly customized revenue-based financing solutions, Decathlon provides long-term growth capital without the dilution, loss of control and operational overhead that often comes with equity-based funding. With offices in Palo Alto and Park City, Decathlon is the largest revenue-based funding investor in the U.S. and is active across a wide range of sectors. Learn more at www.decathloncapital.com.

SOURCE Aesthetic Management Partners
Rise in customer awareness pertaining to power conservation, enhanced thermal comfort, and energy efficiency to drive the growth of the global air duct market.

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Air Duct Market by Material (Metallic, Non-metallic), by Installation Type (New Installation, Retrofits), by End Use Industry (Residential, Commercial, and Industrial): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031." As per the report, the global air duct industry was estimated at $13.9 billion in 2021, and is set to reach $22.7 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 4.8% 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 (220 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/9971

Drivers, restraints, and opportunities

Rise in customer awareness pertaining to power conservation, enhanced thermal comfort, and energy efficiency to drive the growth of the global air duct market. Furthermore, huge applications of aluminum ducts in kitchen chimney ventilation will boost market trends across the globe. Apart from this, air duct offer high insulation and flexibility and hence are popular in residential and commercial constructions. This, in turn, has created new growth opportunities for the global market. Nevertheless, the massive acceptance of ductless devices has posed a threat to the growth of the global industry.

Covid-19 scenario:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of manufacturers of air ducts halted their business in China , India , and the U.S. This, in turn, massively impacted the sale of air ducts firms, thereby hindering the growth of the global air duct market.

, , and the U.S. This, in turn, massively impacted the sale of air ducts firms, thereby hindering the growth of the global air duct market. Lack of availability of workforce and raw material supply obstructed the supply of air ducts, thereby hindering the growth of the global market.

Reopening of manufacturing units and launching of vaccines for COVID-19 are projected to boost the growth of the global market post-COVID-19 pandemic.

The metallic segment to dominate the global market in terms of revenue in 2031

Based on the material, the metallic segment is set to contribute the highest market share in 2021, accounting for fourth-fifths of the global air duct market share. Furthermore, the segment is projected to contribute majorly toward the global market share during the forecast period. The growth of the segment over the forecast timeframe can be attributed to the rise in the construction of commercial and residential buildings across the globe and the massive use of metallic material for its construction. However, the non-metallic segment is slated to register the highest CAGR of 5.7% during the forecast timespan. The segmental growth over the forecast timeline can be credited to beneficial features of the non-metallic material such as thermal insulation, excellent sound absorption, fire resistance, and rigidity.

The new installation segment to hold the major market share over 2022-2031

On basis of installation type, the new installation segment contributed to the highest market share in 2021, accounting for nearly three-fifths of the global air duct market share. Furthermore, the same segment is anticipated to dominate the market growth over the forecast period. The growth of the segment over the forecast timeline can be attributed to the rampantly growing population and rapid urbanization across the globe. However, the retrofits segment is predicted to record the fastest CAGR of 4.9% over the forecast period. The growth of the segment over the forecast timeline can be due to the huge application of HVAC equipment in the food processing and pharmaceutical sectors leading to wear and tear of the equipment and generating the requirement for retrofitting.

The commercial segment to dominate the global market by 2031

In terms of the end-user industry, the commercial segment contributed to the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global air duct market share. Moreover, the same segment is set to make notable contributions toward the global market share in 2031. The segmental growth over 2022-2031 can be attributed to rise in the construction of new official buildings, railway stations, and commercial complexes. However, the residential segment is predicted to register the fastest CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast timeline. The segmental growth over the forecast timeframe can be attributed to the rise in the disposal income of the global population.

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Asia-Pacific to retain global market domination over 2022-2031

By Region, Asia-Pacific contributed notably toward the global air duct market share in 2021, and is projected to continue its dominance during the forecast period. The region accounted for nearly half of the global air duct market share in 2021. The growth of the market in the region over the forecast timespan can be credited to the increase in industrialization and swift urbanization in countries such as China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia paving way for a huge demand for construction activities. However, the LAMEA air duct market is set to record the highest CAGR of 5.9% during 2022-2031. The growth of the regional market over the forecast period can be credited to the prominent demand for air ducts across the residential and commercial sectors.

Major market players

Aldes Group

Belimo Holding AG

Breffni Air Ltd

Carrier Global Corporation

Centuri Mechanical Systems

Danfoss

DMI Companies

Fabric Air

Hennemuth Metal Fabricators

Honeywell International Inc.

Imperia Manufacturing Group

Pinnacle ductwork

Schneider Electric

Siemens AG

Thermaduct

Thermaflex

Zinger Sheet Metal Co.

The report analyzes these key players in the global air duct 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.

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Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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Large-scale use of ethernet technology in automotive vehicles such as passenger cars and commercial automotive to boost the growth of the global automotive ethernet market.

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Automotive Ethernet Market by Component (Hardware, Software, and Services), by Application (Chassis, Infotainment, Powertrain, Driver Assistance, Body and Comfort, and Others), by Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars, Commercial Vehicles): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031." As per the report, the global automotive Ethernet industry was estimated at $2.1 billion in 2021, and is set to reach $8.8 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 14.4% 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.



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Drivers, restraints, and opportunities

Large-scale use of ethernet technology in automotive vehicles such as passenger cars and commercial automotive to boost the growth of the global automotive ethernet market. In addition, breakthroughs in autonomous vehicle technology and low costs of ethernet can boost global market trends. The massive use of advanced driver assistant systems and infotainment is projected to create new growth opportunities for the global market. However, a surge in cyber security assaults on ethernet is one of the factors that can pose a threat to the expansion of the global market.

Covid-19 scenario:

The COVID-19 pandemic adversely impacted the growth of the global automotive ethernet market due to a lack of supply of raw materials for automotive production and less availability of workforce and its mobility due to lockdown leading to low vehicle production.

A large number of automotive ethernet manufacturers halted their operations in areas having low availability of workers during the COVID-19 period, thereby hampering the global market growth.

The hardware segment to dominate the global market in terms of revenue in 2031

Based on the component, the purchasing and inventory management segment is set to contribute to the highest market share in 2021, accounting for around two-thirds of the global automotive ethernet market share. Furthermore, the segment is projected to contribute majorly toward the global market share during the forecast period. The growth of the segment over the forecast timeframe can be attributed to a massive increase in the demand for infotainment and advanced driver-assistance systems resulting in massive use of Ethernet hardware components namely gateway, bridges routers, repeaters, and others by automotive original equipment manufacturers for producing vehicles. However, services segment is slated to register the fastest CAGR of about 15.8% over the next ten years. The growth of the segment over the forecast timeline can be credited to the high rate throughput of services including training & support, implementation, and consulting.

The driver assistance segment to hold the major market share over 2022-2031

On basis of application, the driver assistance segment contributed to the highest market share in 2021, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global automotive ethernet market share. Furthermore, the same segment is anticipated to dominate the market growth over the forecast period. In addition, the driver assistance segment is predicted to record the highest CAGR of 15.3% over the forecast period. The growth of the segment over the forecast timeline can be attributed to a rapid shift in the consumer preference toward safe & fuel-efficient vehicles. The report also includes other segments such as Chassis, Infotainment, Powertrain, Body and Comfort, and Others segment.

The passenger cars segment to dominate the global market by 2031

In terms of vehicle type, the passenger cars segment contributed to the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than two-thirds of the global automotive ethernet market share. Moreover, the same segment is set to make notable contributions toward the global market share in 2031. The growth of the segment over the forecast timeline can be credited to the improvement in economic conditions, technological advancements in passenger cars, and a rise in consumer disposable income. However, the commercial vehicles segment is predicted to register the fastest CAGR of 16.0% during the forecast timeline. The segmental growth over the forecast timeframe can be attributed to the digitization and a rise in investments for developing strong automotive infrastructure globally.

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Asia-Pacific to retain global market domination over 2022-2031

By Region, Asia-Pacific contributed notably toward the global automotive ethernet market share in 2021, and is projected to continue its dominance during the forecast period. The region accounted for around one-third of the global automotive ethernet market share in 2021. In addition, the Asia-Pacific automotive ethernet market is set to record the highest CAGR of 14.9% during 2022-2031. The growth of the market in the region over the forecast timespan can be credited to technological innovations, stable socio-political conditions, and significant economic growth in the region leading to huge vehicle production. The report also includes other regions such as LAMEA, North America, and Europe.

Major market players

Vector Informatik GmbH

NXP Semiconductors N. V.

Marvell Semiconductor, Inc.

Molex LLC

Broadcom Inc.

Microchip Technology Inc.

Aukua Systems, Inc.

Keysight Technologies

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

Texas Instruments Incorporated

The report analyzes these key players in the global automotive ethernet 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.

Similar Reports We Have on Automotive Industry:

Automotive Semiconductor Market Expected to Reach $113.94 Billion, at 11.8% CAGR During 2022-2030

Space Electronics Market Expected to Reach $5.4 Billion, at 5.4% CAGR During 2022-2031

Automotive Data Logger Market by Channel, Connection Type and End Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212031

Vehicle Intercom System Market by Application, Type, Technology, and Component: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212031

About Us

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
Solidifies Status as the Leading, Most Advanced Skin Remodeling Treatment System

DALLAS, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Crown Aesthetics ("Crown"), a division of Crown Laboratories and inventors of the award-winning SkinPen Precision, announced today that its revolutionary device has received three new approved indications in the EU and UK, further strengthening its status as the most versatile medical microneedling treatment on the market. The certification confirms SkinPen Precision as a treatment which can help to improve the appearance of surgical scars, stretch marks, and enlarged pores on all areas of the body.

SkinPen Precision

The device is also approved for medical purposes to treat facial acne scars in adults aged 22 years or older and for aesthetic purposes to help improve the cosmetic appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation conditions (dyschromia).

Each year in the developed world 100 million patients acquire scars, some of which cause considerable problems, as a result of 55 million elective operations and 25 million operations after trauma.1 Common surgical scars resulting from accidents, c-sections, aesthetic and elective procedures, stretch marks from pregnancy, and weight gain/loss can have a significant negative affect on a person's psyche. Today, clinics and Health Care Providers are seeing an increasing number of patients citing scarring as a key concern they wish to address with microneedling procedures. With these remarkable numbers, this new certification will undoubtedly continue to drive the value and increase utility of SkinPen Precision.

"As a brand, we are continually raising the bar in the microneedling market," said Andy Moulton, Vice President, Sales, International for Crown Aesthetics. "This new certification not only solidifies our status as the leading, most advanced skin remodeling treatment system, but it also enables us to further our global consumer reach. We are committed to supporting our customers' skin health journey by helping them visibly transform and improve the appearance of their skin without surgical intervention."

SkinPen Precision is the most trusted microneedling technology on the market and has truly revolutionized skin remodeling treatments for all. Powered by state-of-the-art technology, it provides patients with a non-surgical procedure for complete skin rejuvenation, delivering natural-looking results with little to no downtime. Setting the gold standard for safety and efficacy, over two million SkinPen Precision treatments have already been performed worldwide.2

About SkinPen Precision

Medical device

World's first FDA-cleared microneedling device

Mechanical microneedling - creates controlled micro-injuries to stimulate the body's natural wound-healing process, while minimizing cellular damage

No heat, no chemicals, no invasive injections

Gold-standard for skin remodeling, patient safety and efficacy

Treatment duration of 30 minutes with 1-3 sessions required. Little to no downtime.

Suitable for all skin types and tones, year round 2

Backed by over 90 validation studies for quality, safety, and performance3

For US indication, complete clinical trial summary, and important safety information including contraindication and how to use the SkinPen Precision microneedling device, visit www.skinpen.com.

About Crown Aesthetics

Crown Aesthetics, the premier medical aesthetics company, is dedicated to helping leading practices around the world grow their businesses. We do that by delivering dramatic results in rejuvenation and restoration. Our minimally-invasive innovations  SkinPen, the first FDA-cleared microneedling device; MicroPen EVO, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) systems ProGen PRP Advantage and Eclipse PRP, VOTESSE, a hair health system; and the post-microneedling protocol Skinfuse act as "gateway" products that drive new and highly satisfied patients into practices. Based in Dallas, Texas, Crown Aesthetics sets industry standards for efficacy, safety, and innovation. As a result, our customers consistently deliver the best aesthetic care in the business. For more information, please visit www.crownaesthetics.com.

About Crown Laboratories, Inc.

Crown, a privately held, fully integrated global skincare company, is committed to developing and providing a diverse portfolio of aesthetic, premium and therapeutic skincare products that improve the quality of life for its consumers throughout their skincare journey. An innovative company focused on skin science for life, Crown's unyielding pursuit of delivering therapeutic excellence and enhanced patient outcomes is why it has become a leader in Dermatology and Aesthetics. Crown has been listed on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies List for nine years and has expanded its distribution to over 41 countries. For more information, visit www.crownlaboratories.com.

1 Bayat A, McGrouther DA, Ferguson MW. Skin scarring. BMJ. 2003;326(7380):88-92. doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7380.88

2 Crown Aesthetics data on file.

3 RoHS stands for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. RoHS, also known as Directive 2002/95/EC, originated in the European Union and restricts the use of specific hazardous materials found in electrical and electronic products (known as EEE). All applicable products in the EU market after July 1, 2006 must pass RoHS compliance.

SOURCE Crown Laboratories, Inc.
CHARLES TOWN, W.Va., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The BCTCares Foundation, a philanthropy founded by the employees of BCT-Bank of Charles Town, also known as The Community's Bank, announced yesterday it raised $56,000 through its annual Pack The 'Pack program in support of local backpack food charities focused on food-insecure children. The donation equaled $14,000 for each of the four partner charities and will provide funding for food purchases going to local food-insecure school children, equating to approximately 5,600 take-home backpacks filled with enough food for two days (weekend). The fundraising effort was from July 1, 2022 through August 31, 2022. Donors to this worthy cause included the bank's clients, vendors, employees, Board of Directors along with many people from the communities surrounding the bank's offices in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

BCTCares Foundation presents proceeds from 2022 Pack The 'Pack campaign to four local backpack charity partners.

"This year, our partner backpack charities saw food prices increase 40% to 50% along with significant increases in the number of children in need," remarked Alice P. Frazier, President and CEO of BCT. "Seeing our clients, employees, and local communities rally for the children with overwhelming generosity reminds me how resilient and strong our communities remain. As we continue this program in the coming years, I am confident we will help more children while at the same time grow closer together as individuals and organizations."

For the Pack The 'Pack campaign, BCTCares has partnered with local backpack program charities who will purchase and distribute food using the funds donated. The local backpack program partners are:

Berkeley County Backpack Program ( Berkeley County, WV ) - http://feedbcwvkids.org/

) - http://feedbcwvkids.org/ Community Combined Ministries  Kidz Power Pacs (Berkeley & Jefferson Counties, WV) - https://communitycombined.org/

HARC/Micah's Backpack ( Washington County, MD ) - https://harccoalition.org/programs/micahs-backpack/

) - https://harccoalition.org/programs/micahs-backpack/ Loudoun Backpack Coalition ( Loudoun County, VA ) - https://loudouneducationfoundation.org/backpack-coalition/

To learn more about the BCTCares Foundation and the Pack The 'Pack program, visit BCT's website at www.mybct.bank/about/bctcares/.

About the Foundation

The BCTCares Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization formed in 2021 with a mission to provide direct support to food-insecure children, families, and individuals in the four primary counties served by BCT-Bank of Charles Town, also known as The Community's Bank. The Foundation is located at 111 E. Washington Street, Charles Town, WV, 25414. Visit its informational webpage at https://www.mybct.bank/about/bctcares/. BCTCares Foundation, Inc., EIN 87-1550562. Consult your tax adviser regarding possible tax benefits for donations.

About the Company

Founded in 1871, BCT - Bank of Charles Town, also known as The Community's Bank, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Potomac Bancshares, Inc. (OTC:PTBS). With approximately $740 million in assets as of June 30, 2022, the Company conducts operations through its main office, an additional eight branch offices, and two loan production offices. BCT's offices are located in Jefferson and Berkeley Counties (WV), Washington County (MD), and Loudoun and Stafford Counties (VA). The Bank provides various banking products and services including free access to over 55,000 ATMs through the Allpoint network plus online and mobile banking for individuals, businesses, and local governments. The Bank also offers commercial lines and term loans, residential and commercial construction, commercial real estate loans and agricultural loans. The Residential Lending division offers secondary market and portfolio mortgage loans, one-time close construction to perm loans, as well as home equity loans and lines of credit. For over 65 years, BCT Wealth Advisors has provided financial management, investment, trust, and estate services to its clients. In 2019, 2020, and 2021 the Bank was named a "Best Bank To Work For" by American Banker. In 2018, Forbes named BCT a "Best In State Bank" for Maryland.

The Company's shares are quoted on the OTC Pink Sheet marketplace under the symbol "PTBS." For more information about Potomac Bancshares, Inc., and the Bank, please visit our website at www.mybct.bank.

SOURCE BCT - Bank of Charles Town
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Musick Peeler LLP Partner Dan Woods has been highlighted in the 2022 edition of Benchmark Litigation as a 'California Litigation Star.' Benchmark Litigation is a publication focused exclusively on litigation.

"Dan is an strategic lawyer and skilled litigator who continually provides the firm's clients with the highest degree of service," said Managing Partner R. Joseph De Briyn.

A partner in the Firm's Los Angeles office, Woods has been honored by The American Bar Association, California Bar Association, Inner City Law Center, Chambers USA and Los Angeles Daily Journal. Two recent cases highlight Woods' ability to obtain significant results on behalf of clients in a variety of cases. In one, he recently defeated a patent infringement claim brought by an international law firm against his client, MacSports, at the International Trade Commission. In another, he defeated a $300 million antitrust claim brought by a prominent litigation firm. The case involved an Indian yarn spinner filing a $300 million Sherman Act Section 1 antitrust lawsuit against Woods' client, cotton-grower J.G. Boswell Company. Woods won the arbitration with the three-judge panel ruling in J.G Boswell's favor on every point and also awarded it over $2 million in fees and costs.

Benchmark Litigation provides state firm rankings, national firm rankings, lists of top litigation stars, and special designations. Benchmark also provides, where possible, detailed editorial analysis of key law firm activity including important, recent case work and analysis and client feedback on top litigators. Research is conducted through extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms. During these interviews, the organization examines recent casework handled by law firms and asks individual litigators to provide their professional opinions on peers and practitioners within their jurisdiction or practice area.

About Musick Peeler

Founded in 1954, MusickPeeler has offices in five major commercial centers across California with over 100 attorneys practicing in 16 disciplines. For more information, visit MusickPeeler.com.

SOURCE MusickPeeler
Innovative mobile learning and product demo platform equips manufacturer's reps to deliver immersive Bradford White experience to contractors and suppliers

AMBLER, Pa., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bradford White Water Heaters, an industry-leading manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, is taking its top product and training solutions directly to professional contractors and suppliers with a new fleet of fully equipped mobile trailers.

Bradford White Water Heaters takes its top product and training solutions directly to professional contractors and suppliers with a new fleet of fully equipped mobile trailers.

The fleet consists of 19 custom 15-foot trailers for Bradford White's network of trusted independent manufacturer's representatives. The trailers serve as a mobile platform for an immersive interactive learning experience based on digital multimedia presentations and hands-on product demonstrations.

"These trailers expand our ability to meet our customers where they are, which is out in the field providing service," said Carl Pinto, Jr., senior director of marketing communications for Bradford White. "Our relationships with the professionals who rely on our products and services are the foundation of Bradford White. With this initiative, we're enhancing our already strong presence in the field and creating another means to share the Bradford White story to our contractor and wholesale customers and connecting them to a whole new level of training, in a way that's going to empower and energize them and support their continued success."

All 19 new Bradford White-branded trailers are equipped to carry a range of the company's Built to be the Best products. Demonstrations are enhanced by on-site training sessions selected from Bradford White's extensive catalog of For the Pro digital learning tools, offering the latest tips, techniques, and best practices for plumbing and HVAC installation, service, and maintenance.

The trailers allow for flexible trainings and the added ability to meet the needs of our customers no matter the size. An internal display monitor accommodates individual or small-group training sessions. A large external monitor is available for large groups. Products and training tools will be rotated from the company's wide selection of equipment and professional educational material.

For more information about Bradford White Water Heaters, visit https://www.bradfordwhite.com.

About Bradford White Water Heaters

Bradford White Water Heaters is a full-line manufacturer of residential, commercial and industrial water heating, space heating, combination heating and storage products. The company maintains headquarters in Ambler, Pennsylvania, and has manufacturing facilities in Middleville, Michigan; Niles, Michigan; and Rochester, New Hampshire; and distribution and training centers in Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada. For more information, visit www.bradfordwhite.com .

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley

Ripley PR

(865) 977-1973

[email protected]

SOURCE Bradford White Corporation
Grand Opening for The 105 by Breakthrough Celebrates Bringing CRISPR Therapeutics' Teams into New State-of-the-Art Life Sciences Environment

BOSTON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Breakthrough Properties (Breakthrough), a leading global developer of life sciences real estate, celebrated the completion and grand opening of The 105 by Breakthrough (The 105) in collaboration with CRISPR Therapeutics. The new state-of-the-art facility is fully leased to CRISPR Therapeutics and will serve as its new U.S. Research & Development headquarters.

The 105 by Breakthrough Ribbon-cutting ceremony at The 105 by Breakthrough

Located in one of the world's largest life science clusters, The 105 is a 263,000-square-foot lab and office environment, which was developed to meet LEED Gold and Fitwel Certification standards and which features massive lab-enabled floorplates, floor-to-ceiling glass, multiple outdoor terraces, a fitness center and an indoor bicycle room. The ground floor is designed for a range of community activities and features a publicly accessible cafe, multi-use innovation space and a thruway for public foot traffic.

"We are delighted to celebrate the opening of The 105 by Breakthrough with the CRISPR Therapeutics team," said Breakthrough CEO Dan Belldegrun. "We're honored to support such transformational research like the work being done by CRISPR Therapeutics and look forward to being a long-term supporting partner as they advance their critical work."

"The opening of our new U.S. headquarters marks a significant milestone for our company and underscores our long-term commitment to advancing biomedical innovation in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," said Brendan Smith, Chief Financial Officer of CRISPR Therapeutics. "The 105 by Breakthrough is an ideal facility for CRISPR Therapeutics as we advance potentially transformative gene-based treatments for patients, and we are pleased to call it home for our Boston-based employees."

Founded in 2019, Breakthrough has established itself as one of the most active players in the life sciences sector, with approximately 5 million square feet of projects in its global pipeline across Boston, San Diego, Philadelphia, Boulder, Amsterdam, Oxford and Cambridge.

The 105 is one of several Boston-area developments currently in the Breakthrough portfolio. One Canal by Breakthrough is a four-story, 105,000-square-foot lab and office redevelopment in East Cambridge that will be ready for occupancy in 2023. Breakthrough's team is involved in the design and development of the modern life sciences facilities within the 14-acre Enterprise Research Campus that Tishman Speyer is developing in partnership with the Harvard Allston Land Company. Breakthrough is also in the planning stages of a ground-up development at 232 A Street on a portion of Gillette's former world headquarters along the South Boston waterfront.

"We are proud to partner with Breakthrough and CRISPR Therapeutics on The 105, which is already setting new standards for cutting-edge research environments," said Tishman Speyer Managing Director Jessica Hughes. "As with our entire Boston portfolio, The 105 responds to the intense demand throughout the life sciences community to locate in dynamic, amenity-rich neighborhoods that attract today's top talent."

Other ongoing Breakthrough development projects include:

Boulder 38 by Breakthrough in Boulder, Colorado featuring 164,000 square feet of office, lab and flex space

38 by Breakthrough in featuring 164,000 square feet of office, lab and flex space 2300 Market Street in Philadelphia's Center City , with plans to redevelop the site to support over 200,000 square feet of life science space

, with plans to redevelop the site to support over 200,000 square feet of life science space Torrey View by Breakthrough campus and Torrey Plaza , an office-to-lab conversion, in San Diego, California

by Breakthrough campus and , an office-to-lab conversion, in Trinity House in Oxford, England ; and The Vitrum Building, located inside St. John's Innovation Park in Cambridge, England

Breakthrough puts sustainability at the forefront of all of its initiatives with a particular emphasis on increasing energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions and providing healthy workspaces for users. The Company targets LEED Gold certification at its United States properties, as well as BREEAM Outstanding certification for all of its projects across the United Kingdom and EU markets.

About Breakthrough Properties (www.btprop.com)

Formed in 2019 as a joint venture between global real estate owner, developer and investor Tishman Speyer and biotechnology investment firm Bellco Capital, Breakthrough Properties is a life science real estate development company that leverages cross-sector collaboration to deliver environments that foster innovation and scientific breakthroughs. Breakthrough Properties' mission is to acquire, develop and operate the best life science properties in leading urban technology centers around the world and support scientific innovation across biotechnology, agriculture and nutrition. Breakthrough combines Tishman Speyer's decades of global real estate development experience with Bellco Capital's industry-making biotechnology entrepreneurship to reimagine environments where companies can create life-changing therapies for patients.

SOURCE Breakthrough Properties
FAIRFAX, Va., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Bulletproof, an IT, compliance, and globally acclaimed security company, announced today that it has been awarded a Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) by the federal General Services Administration (GSA) contract number: 47QTCA22D00CB [listed: Bulletproof Solutions, Inc.].

The GSA Multiple Award Schedule Program is the government's premier commercial product and service contracting program. For a contractor to be awarded a MAS, they must comply with strict regulations and policies, including financial responsibility and past performance. Organizations granted a GSA designation can sell products and services directly to United States government agencies at a pre-negotiated price.

"Becoming a designated MAS contractor, and in particular, a Highly Adaptive Cybersecurity Services (HACS) holder, amplifies the strong cybersecurity and IT work that our Bulletproof team is conducting across the United States and around the globe," said Gus Fritschie, Vice President of Information Security Services. "We are thrilled to have this designation and look forward to helping government agencies increase their security posture, benefiting from our knowledgeable team and IT security capabilities."

The five-year Multiple Award Schedule was awarded on August 22, 2022, and is in effect until August 21, 2027. Bulletproof now holds three GSA (MAS), which include:

54151HACS - Highly Adaptive Cybersecurity Services (HACS): Includes risk management framework, information assurance, virus detection, network management, incident response, secure web hosting, and backup, security services and, Security Operations Center (SOC) services, etc.





- Highly Adaptive Cybersecurity Services (HACS): Includes risk management framework, information assurance, virus detection, network management, incident response, secure web hosting, and backup, security services and, Security Operations Center (SOC) services, etc. 54151S - Information Technology Professional Services: Includes IT professional services, database planning and design; systems analysis, integration, and design, etc.





- Information Technology Professional Services: Includes IT professional services, database planning and design; systems analysis, integration, and design, etc. 541990RISK - Risk Assessment and Mitigation Services: Includes breach mitigation and analysis/forensic services, deployment of financial risk assessment and mitigation strategies and techniques, etc.

About BULLETPROOF, a GLI company

Headquartered in Canada with locations across the United States and around the globe, Bulletproof has decades of IT, security, and compliance expertise. Bulletproof works with various industries including government & state agencies, gaming, lotteries, and tribal organizations, and leverages its extensive industry experience to mitigate risk and improve client processes, systems, and business infrastructure. Named Microsoft's global Security Partner of the Year in 2021 for delivering excellence and innovative end-to-end security solutions, Bulletproof is also a member of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA). For more information, visit bulletproofsi.com.

Follow us on social: LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

SOURCE Bulletproof, A GLI Company

Contact: Emily MacDonald, Marketing & Communications Specialist, [email protected] | 902-456-1219
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 3, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case involving the application of the attorney-client privilege, which protects the confidentiality of communications between attorneys and their clients. The grant of certiorari was a victory for the California Lawyers Association (CLA), which filed an amicus brief on June 1 urging the court to hear the case. This is the most consequential attorney-client privilege case that will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in several decades.

In re Grand Jury, 23 F.4th 1088 (9th Cir. 2022), involves the test that applies to communications between lawyers and their clients involving both legal and nonlegal purposes, known as dual-purpose communications, and when those communications are protected by the attorney-client privilege. In that case, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had held that a dual-purpose communication is only privileged when the most significant purpose is legal.

There is currently a three-way split among the circuits as to how to assess dual-purpose communications. CLA supports adoption of the test set forth by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2014, which held that attorney-client privilege applies to dual-purpose communications if "obtaining or providing legal advice was one of the significant purposes of the attorney-client communication." That test was articulated in In re Kellogg Brown & Root, Inc., 756 F3d 754, 760 (D.C. Cir. 2014).

"We are grateful that the Supreme Court has agreed to resolve the confusion created by the three-way split in the circuits and protect the sacred relationship between attorneys and their clients," said CLA President Jeremy M. Evans. "We appreciate our member leaders, including Adria Price, Laura L. Buckley, and H. Thomas Watson, who worked on our amicus brief and helped bring attention to an issue with nationwide significance."

CLA plans to follow up its advocacy by filing an amicus brief on the merits with the U.S. Supreme Court.

"CLA believes the test applied in Kellogg provides the most clarity and protection to the attorney-client privilege, which is of the utmost importance to our members and their clients," CEO and Executive Director Oyango A. Snell said.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA LAWYERS ASSOCIATION

Established in 2018, California Lawyers Association is the statewide voluntary bar association for all California attorneys. CLA's mission is to promote excellence, diversity, and inclusion in the legal profession and fairness in the administration of justice and the rule of law. Visit us at www.calawyers.org to learn more about CLA or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

SOURCE California Lawyers Association
Wins spanned multiple categories, including Software, UV/Latex Flatbed and Roll-to-Roll

MELVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, earned five coveted PRINTING United Alliance 2022 Pinnacle Product Awards. Among the winners were two in the software category, with PRISMAcolor Manager garnering top honors for color management and quality control and PRISMAsync winning for best Software-RIP (raster image processor). The Arizona 2300 series UV flatbed printers won in two categories, for both UV/Latex Flatbed and UV/Latex Flatbed + White, while the Colorado 1630 series was recognized in the Roll-to-Roll UV (under 80 inch) category.

Pinnacle Product Award 2022

Open to all PRINTING United Alliance supplier members, the Pinnacle Product Award competition evaluates products that will be available for sale in 2022. A highly qualified panel of judges across the printing industry evaluated the annual contest's 160+ entries in more than 58 categories spanning analog, digital, output, and non-output technologies.

Additionally, Canon also won a Pinnacle InterTech Award for Production Printing for its FLXfinish+ that offers the unique ability to print a mixed matte and gloss finish in one print, at the click of a button.

"We are pleased to once again be honored by winning multiple prestigious Pinnacle Product Awards from the PRINTING United Alliance," said Shinichi "Sam" Yoshida, executive vice president and general manager of Canon U.S.A., Inc. "It's gratifying to be recognized in a variety of categories that encompass both hardware and software and to know that Canon continues to be ranked so highly when measured against objective criteria for quality."

Pinnacle Product Award Winners 2022

PRISMAcolor Manager  Software/Color Management and Quality Control

 Software/Color Management and Quality Control PRISMAsync Automated Color Tasks  Software/RIP

 Software/RIP Arizona 2380 GTF  UV/Latex Flatbed ( $200K - 500K )

 UV/Latex Flatbed ( - ) Arizona 2380 XTF  UV/Latex Flatbed _ White ( $200K - 500K )

 UV/Latex Flatbed _ White ( - ) Colorado 1630  Roll-to-Roll UV (under 80 in.)

PRISMAcolor Manager enables commercial printer operators to manage the complex task of proactively measuring and assessing color by semi-automatically checking and comparing quality and consistency across Canon and non-Canon printers.

PRISMAsync Automated Color Tasks allows Canon cut-sheet toner-based digital press operators to manage the complex tasks of press linearization, sheet uniformity correction, G7 calibration, media color profiling, G7 verification, and results reporting, at the push of a button, completely hands-off, for all loaded job stocks, all in one step.

The Arizona 2300 series consists of true, stationary flatbed printers provide high print quality and versatility for both rigid and flexible media application while the Colorado 1630 works with the industry certified UVgel 460 inks, formulated for maximum flexibility.

"The Pinnacle Product Award competition represents the best of the best among commercial hardware, software, consumables, and industrial and screen equipment," said Ray Weiss, director, Digital Print Programs, PRINTING United Alliance. "Congratulations to all the winners."

Output devices were judged based on reports generated by measuring color charts and then comparing them to industry specifications.

"This is the only competition I know of that reports on the percentage of Adobe RGB a printer can hit," said Dawn Nye, Program Manager for Pinnacle Awards, PRINTING United Alliance. "Some categories were decided by tenths of a point, so fierce was the competition this year."

These award-winning solutions, along with Canon's other innovative production print solutions and large-format technology, will be on display at PRINTING United Expo from October 19-21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Canon's booth #N1009.

About Canon U.S.A. , Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $30.6 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), as of 2021 has ranked in the top-five overall in U.S. patents granted for 36 consecutive years and was one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2022. Canon U.S.A. was featured in Newsweek's Most Loved Workplaces list for 2021, ranking among the top 100 companies for employee happiness and satisfaction at work. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA.

 Number of patents for 2021 are based on figures released by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services. Figures for 2005 to 2020 are based on information issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

About PRINTING United Alliance

PRINTING United Alliance is the most comprehensive member-based printing and graphic arts association in the United States, comprised of the vast communities which it represents. The Alliance serves industry professionals across market segments with preeminent education, training, workshops, events, research, government and legislative representation, safety, and environmental sustainability guidance, as well as resources from the leading media company in the industry  NAPCO Media. Now a division of PRINTING United Alliance, Idealliance is the global leader in standards training and certification for printing and graphic arts operations across the entire industry supply chain.

PRINTING United Alliance also produces the PRINTING United Expo, the most influential days in printing. The expansive display of technology and supplies, education, programming, and services are showcased to the industry at large, and represents all market segments in one easily accessed place.

SOURCE Canon U.S.A., Inc.
HOUSTON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Capstreet, a Houston-based lower middle market private equity firm, announced today that it has been named to Inc.'s 2022 Founder-Friendly Investors list, which honors the private equity and venture capital firms with the best track records of successfully backing entrepreneurs.

"Collaboration and a true partnership with founders have been at the center of Capstreet's approach for more than 30 years, and we're proud to be recognized by Inc. for our founder-friendly tradition," said Neil Kalmeyer, Managing Partner at Capstreet. "In fact, our Capvalue value creation framework was specifically designed to help founders and entrepreneurs drive meaningful business transformation regardless of their stage of evolution. I want to thank the entire Capstreet team, as well as our portfolio company management team partners, for their contributions in achieving this recognition."

The Inc. 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 remained actively involved with the businesses in which they invest for at least one year after investment. Inc. compiled its list by surveying founders who have sold to private equity and venture capital about their experiences partnering with the firms, and by examining data on how portfolio companies have grown during these partnerships.

Since its founding in 1990, Capstreet has raised more than $1.3 billion in capital across five funds to invest in founder and entrepreneur run businesses. Its current portfolio of 15 companies spans software, tech-enabled services, and industrial business services companies.

"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 see the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/founder-friendly-investors/2022

About Capstreet

Founded in 1990, Capstreet invests in lower middle market software, tech-enabled services, and industrial business services companies. With over 45 platform investments and over 200 add-on acquisitions since inception, Capstreet's investment strategy is focused on utilizing its Capvalue Framework to accelerate growth and profitability, and help create long term sustainable businesses. The majority of Capstreet's investments have been with founder- or entrepreneur-owned businesses. For more information, visit the Capstreet website, www.capstreet.com.

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 track record, reputation, leadership and founder references. Capstreet is not aware of the number of advisers also surveyed for the award. Like all entrants, Capstreet paid a fee to be considered for this award and to use the award logo in collateral materials. This award is not to be construed as indicative of Capstreet's future performance. Reference to an award is only one piece of information relevant to an evaluation of an investment adviser such as Capstreet. 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:

Lambert

Jennifer Hurson

(845) 507-0571

[email protected]

or

Joanne Lessner

(212) 222-7436

[email protected]

SOURCE Capstreet
Verrette named among top housing industry executives in the annual HousingWire awards.

GILBERT, Ariz., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Champions Funding, a Non-QM & CDFI-certified mortgage banker, proudly announces that its President and Chief Operating Officer, Natalie Verrette, has been named a recipient of the 2022 HousingWire Vanguards Award. The prestigious honor is bestowed upon executives in the housing industry for their outstanding leadership in the space.

President & COO Natalie Verrette

In its eighth year, the 2022 HousingWire Vanguards recognize elite leaders making significant contributions to their individual companies and dynamic changes to the industry. "The 2022 Vanguards honorees represent the housing economy's elite leaders who have made an unmistakable impact on the industry at-large and continue to drive growth and inspire their organizations," said HW Media Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler. "With these leaders at the helm, companies will be able to weather the current market to fight another day."

Verrette, a seasoned mortgage professional with extensive leadership experience launched Champions Funding in 2021 with Co-Founder and CEO, Evan M. Stone, previous Founder/CEO of Pacific Union Financial LLC, and Co-Founder and Chairwomen of the Board, Patty Arvielo. She has led the new wholesale lender to be a significant asset to broker partners in the Non-QM space and, furthermore, a benefit to the communities served as Verrette remains committed to the company's mission of serving the underserved.

"During the pandemic, the industry has seen a significant shift in the typical homebuyer's profile. At Champions Funding, we're innovating new mortgage solutions to meet those needs and present expanding options for a wider variety of borrowers," said President & COO Verrette. "We identified a need to lower barriers of entry for home ownership and are champions of accessible as a CDFI-certified lender."

Verrette's focus on presenting mortgage options for more diverse borrowers has resulted in significant growth for the company, especially notable considering the tumultuous year in the industry. Her Champions Funding team, led by an executive board composed largely of women, is dedicated to funding the dreams of home buyers and investors who are underserved by traditional agency programs.

"The Vanguards award showcases the exemplary leaders in housing who are constantly innovating and evolving despite inevitable economic headwinds," said Clayton Collins, CEO of HW Media. "This year's honorees have proven to be laser-focused on the goals of their organizations, recognizing and seizing opportunities when they present themselves and refusing to settle for the status quo."

This is not the first recognition for the Champions Funding executive team. In July 2022, HousingWire named Christy Mindell, Executive Vice President of Marketing, among their Marketing Leaders. It's a recognition that showcases the talented individuals and their teams responsible for building their company's brand. Read more about the honor here.

For more on the 2022 Vanguards Awards recipients, visit HousingWire.

About HW Media

HW Media is the leading digital community for mortgage, real estate and fintech professionals to engage, learn and access the information they need to support decision making and business growth. Aligned with our mission to Move Markets Forward, we publish daily news and content through each of our core publishing brands including HousingWire, RealTrends, Reverse Mortgage Daily and FinLedger. HW Media is based in Dallas, TX with team members across the country.

About HousingWire

HousingWire is the most influential source of news and information for the U.S. mortgage and housing markets. Built on a foundation of independent and original journalism, HousingWire reaches more than 70,000 newsletter subscribers daily and 1 million unique visitors each month and has more than 5,000 members and event attendees. Visit www.housingwire.com or www.solutions.housingwire.com to learn more.

About Champions Funding LLC

Champions Funding, LLC is a nationwide, wholesale lender providing Non-QM loan options for mortgage brokers and their customers. As a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), Champions Funding LLC empowers its Broker Partners to fulfill the dreams of their diverse homeowners as well as realize the mission of serving low-income and underserved communities.

As a women-led organization that empowers its team of service-focused and mission-driven team members, it offers exciting opportunities for high-performing and experienced mortgage professionals who love what they do and want to grow their careers. Find out more at ChampsTPO.com.

SOURCE Champions Funding LLC
SINGAPORE and HONG KONG, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wall Street and Silicon Valley are coming together to build digital asset management solutions focused on connecting institutional investors to the crypto ecosystem.

Earlier this year, former HSBC trader Ashutosh Goel and former Meta Asia executive Supreet Kaur paired up to build xalts, an investment management and technology firm focused on driving real-money institutional participation in the digital asset ecosystem.

In spite of what has been termed a "crypto winter", their vision has a lot of takers. The duo raised US $6 million from marquee Silicon Valley venture capital firm Accel, Citi Ventures (Citi's venture capital investing group) and crypto luminaries such as Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal and other hedge fund managers.

"What came to the forefront this past summer in several large crypto firms was a lack of basic controls, checks and balances which most of us take for granted in the financial industry. With xalts, we are building innovative, institutional-grade investment products and solutions which focus on high compliance and control standardsthings institutional investors care about," said Goel, Chief Investment Officer, xalts. "The next leg of growth in digital assets will be driven by institutional participation in the asset class. We are starting to see the early signs of that with a lot of new initiatives coming from banks and asset managers."

xalts is expected to launch multiple fund products linked to digital assets, including mutual funds and ETFs listed on several global exchanges. The company is also leveraging its technology platform to partner with several asset management firms and staking infrastructure providers to jointly launch and manage mutual funds and ETFs. In addition, xalts is developing several other products in collaboration with other players in the ecosystem, including a structured product and repackaging platform which will allow institutions to issue structured notes with embedded crypto options.

Institutional investors' interest in digital assets has swelled in recent years: professional investors traded $1.14 trillion of cryptocurrencies on Coinbase Global Inc. in 2021, compared with $120 billion in 2020. Earlier this month, financial heavyweights including Charles Schwab, Citadel Securities and Fidelity Investments announced the launch of a new cryptocurrency exchange, EDX Markets, which also saw participation from the likes of Virtu Financial and Paradigm.

"There is a lot of pent-up demand from institutional investors to participate in the digital asset class. However, a lot of institutions we are speaking with are not able to access this ecosystem directly. Our products and solutions bridge this gap without compromising the high standards of safety and compliance expected by institutional investors," said Kaur, Chief Operating Officer, xalts. "Apart from investors, we are also seeing a lot of interest from fund managers and issuers to use our platform to launch structured and fund products for their clients. We expect to build a team of 30 by the end of this year across our offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and Geneva."

Luis Valdich, Managing Director, Citi Ventures said: "xalts is our first investment in a digital asset manager, and we support its vision of creating innovative products to meet the growing appetite of institutional investors for more efficient and robust crypto-access investments."

"Our thesis is that institutional adoption of digital assets will continue to accelerate and we see a big opportunity in this space," said Abhinav Chaturvedi, Partner, Accel.

About xalts

xalts is a global investment management and technology firm headquartered in Hong Kong. Founded in 2022, xalts develops proprietary investment products, platforms and solutions for global institutions to access opportunities in the digital asset class in a secure and compliant manner. The company has offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, New Delhi and Geneva. To learn more about xalts, visit https://xalts.io/ or the company's LinkedIn page.

About Accel

Accel is a global venture capital firm that is the first partner to exceptional teams everywhere, from inception through all phases of private company growth. Atlassian, Bumble, CrowdStrike, DJI, Fiverr, Flipkart, Freshworks, Qualtrics, Segment, Slack, Spotify, Squarespace, Tenable, and UiPath are among the companies Accel has backed over the past 35+ years. We help ambitious entrepreneurs build iconic global businesses. For more, visit www.accel.com or www.twitter.com/accel.

About Citi Ventures

Citi Ventures catalyzes innovation and accelerates growth. The group invests in and partners with category-defining startups with the potential to augment and enhance Citi's products and services, and works with Citi colleagues, clients, and the innovation ecosystem to experiment with next-generation technologies and develop new products and services that respond to the changing landscape of the 21st century. Since its founding in 2010, the team has invested in over 100 startups across seven focus areas from Fintech to DLT & Digital Assets.

SOURCE xalts
JACKSON, Mich., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CMS Energy announced today it will provide 2022 third quarter results along with a business and financial outlook at 9:30 a.m. EDT on Thursday, October 27, 2022.

A webcast of the presentation will be available on CMS Energy's website, cmsenergy.com. An audio replay will be available approximately three hours after the webcast and will be archived for 30 days on CMS Energy's website in the "Investor Relations" section.

CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS) is a Michigan-based energy company featuring Consumers Energy as its primary business. It also owns and operates independent power generation businesses.

For more information on CMS Energy, please visit our website at cmsenergy.com. To sign up for email alert notifications, please visit the Investor Relations section of our website.

SOURCE CMS Energy
Marvel Digital Limited will also be showcasing Singapore's largest glasses free 3D screens  measuring 3.6m by 2.0m  during the Global Web 5.0 conference on 1 Nov 2022

SINGAPORE, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Metaverse Blockchain company Coinllectibles, Cosmos Group Holdings Inc. (OTC: COSG), is pleased to announce that it will be partnering Marvel Digital Limited to incorporate autostereoscopic 3D technology into the Digital Ownership Tokens (DOTs) minted by the Group.

Marvel Digital Limited is an award wining technology company that has been developing autostereoscopic 3D technology since 2013. Autostereoscopic 3D technology allow users to experience 3D content from devices without the need to wear 3D glasses and Marvel Digital Limited has registered more than 60 related patents.

Headquartered in Hong Kong, Marvel Digital has worked with many large government and commercial organisations like the Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong Cyberport and China Mobile. Marvel Digital Limited has also worked with education institutions like the Hong Kong Polytechnic University as well as City University of Hong Kong and was even involved in the Beijing 2022 Olympics.

Patrick Wong, Sales & Marketing Director of Marvel Digital Limited, said, "We are excited to be working with Coinllectibles. As a 3D solutions provider, we are always looking for possible partners and we are very keen to see how we can work with Coinllectibles to give their DOT owners a more immersive user experience. Given our technological expertise and our track record of working with large corporations, we are confident that we can use our 3D technology to help make Coinllectibles DOTs even more impressive."

Gerald Gn, Corporate Finance Director of Coinllectibles, said, "Based on our market research, we believe we are one of the first blockchain companies that has Digital Ownership Tokens (DOTs) which are playable on autostereoscopic 3D devices. Not only will this give our owners another way to enjoy the DOTs, more importantly, this will differentiate us from the rest of the companies that deal with NFTs."

"In terms of implementation, we intend to do this with selected art pieces first. Our DOTs have always been positioned as an ownership token for the physical art pieces  that does not change. However, in these specially curated 3D DOTs, owners will also get digital copies of the art, that have been digitally enhanced to be playable on autostereoscopic 3D screens. In this way, through the autostereoscopic 3D devices, owners who bought those art DOTs can still get to enjoy the artwork without actually taking possession of the physical item," added Gerald.

As part of their outreach efforts, Marvel Digital Limited will be showcasing Singapore's largest glasses-free 3D screen during the Global Web 5.0 conference on 1 Nov 2022. The screen has a viewable area of 3.6m by 2.0m and it will be the first time that the company is displaying this technology in Singapore.

On Marvel Digital Limited's participation in the Global Web 5.0 Conference, Patrick commented, "As part of our expansion plan, we have always wanted to enter into the ASEAN markets. Other than large screens we also have technology for tablet and even phone sized devices. On top of such display hardware, we have developed processor chips that can be used to greatly enhance users' 3D experiences as well as software  such as instant 2D-to-3D conversion programs. In short, we are able to provide our partner with a full fledge 3D ecosystem and we see the Global Web 5.0 conference as an excellent platform for us to showcase our exciting technologies."

For more information regarding the Coinllectibles, please visit www.Coinllectibles.Art/. For more information regarding the Web 5.0 conference, please visit www.Coinllectibles.Art/Web5Conference.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, which are often indicated by terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "intend," "look forward to," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would" and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future business activities including the expansion into the decentralized financing space. These forward-looking statements are not promises or guarantees and involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described or projected herein include uncertainties associated with operating a business in Singapore and Hong Kong, risk of interference by the PRC government, ability to compete, that financial resources do not last for as long as anticipated, and that COSG is a holding company that may not realize the expected benefits of DOT's offered by Coinllectibles. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other risks can be found in COSG's regulatory filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including in its annual report on Form 10-K filed on April 15, 2022. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. COSG undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

For media queries, please contact:

[email protected]

About Cosmos Group Holdings Inc

Cosmos is a business group that operates in two business segments:

Arts and Collectibles

Financing

Through CoinllectiblesTM, the group provides authentication, valuation and certification (AVC) service, sale and purchase, hire purchase, financing, custody, security and exhibition (CSE) services to art buyers through traditional channels, as well as through leveraging blockchain technology through the creation of digital ownership tokens (DOTs).

With subsidiaries licensed under Hong Kong's Money Lenders Ordinance, the group currently primarily provides unsecured personal loan to private individuals, with a small portfolio of mortgage loans. The group is integrating the two business segments by offering secured financing services to prospective art and collectibles purchasers to provide a one-stop arts and collectibles purchasing and financing experience.

About the Company  Coinllectibles

Coinllectibles is a technology company supporting the collectibles industry with a focus on rare memorabilia and artworks that exist and have intrinsic value in the real world, whether tangible or intangible in nature.

Coinllectibles applies blockchain, marketplace, metaverse and DOT technologies as tools to disrupt and enhance the real world collectibles industry. The technology underpinning DOTs (digital ownership tokens) has multiple functional use cases that Coinllectibles is applying to areas including art, sports, watches, numismatics, limited edition toys, limited edition fashion wear and sneakers. DOTs have the power to transform our societies and some areas may be subject to regulations. Coinllectibles uses DOT technology solely to provide a legally-binding digital ownership token (DOT) to a tangible or intangible collectible.

Website: www.coinllectibles.art

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Coinllectibles

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coinllectibles/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/coinllectibles

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coinllectibles

Telegram: https://t.me/Coinllectibles

About Coinllectibles Fusion DOT

Coinllectibles prides the Fusion DOT as the industry "Gold Standard". Being a Gold Standard, a Fusion DOT contains the following on Arweave  (1) a sale and purchase agreement reflecting the purchase, by the person minting the Fusion DOT, of the underlying asset at a fair value with all rights and restrictions clearly detailed, (2) bailment terms governing the rights to possession whilst the underlying asset remains with Coinllectibles, (3) a transfer deed reflecting the transfer of the ownership of the underlying asset (together with all rights and restrictions) by the transferor to the holder of the Fusion DOT, (4) ownership title deed written into the description of the Fusion DOT and (5) the unequivocal identification file of the underlying asset, whose ownership is reflected in the title deed represented by the Fusion DOT.

SOURCE Cosmos Group Holdings Inc.
VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Copper Mountain Mining Corporation (TSX: CMMC) (ASX: C6C) (the "Company" or "Copper Mountain") is pleased to announce it has entered into a definitive agreement with Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (JSE: HAR) (NYSE: HMY) ("Harmony") to sell its wholly-owned Eva Copper Project and its 2,100km2 exploration land package in Queensland, Australia for total consideration of up to US$230 million (the "Transaction").

Under the terms of the Transaction, Copper Mountain will receive the following consideration:

A. US$170,000,000 in cash payable on closing of the Transaction;

B. Up to US$30,000,000 in cash, based on a contingent payment arrangement where Harmony will pay Copper Mountain 10% of the incremental revenue generated from the Eva Copper Project and the Australian exploration land package above the revenue assuming a US$3.80/lb copper price; and

C. Up to US$30,000,000 in cash, based on a contingent payment arrangement where Harmony will pay Copper Mountain US$0.03 per pound of contained copper for any SAMREC copper resource discovered and declared on a new deposit within the Eva Copper Project and the Australian exploration land package after the closing of the Transaction.

Gil Clausen, Copper Mountain's President and CEO, stated, "We are pleased with this transaction as it demonstrates the value the Company has developed in the Eva Copper Project since our acquisition of Altona Mining Limited in 2018. It also recognizes the exploration upside that exists on the surrounding prospective land package."

Letitia Wong, Copper Mountain's CFO, added, "This transaction strengthens our balance sheet and allows the Company to evaluate options with respect to our long-term capital structure. Further, as our recently announced Life of Mine plan demonstrates, the Copper Mountain Mine is expected to generate healthy free cash flow starting in 2023 and we expect mine operations and the 65,000 tonnes per day expansion to be self-funded going forward."

The closing of the Transaction is subject to certain customary conditions, including approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) in Australia and Copper Mountain bondholder approval. The Transaction has received approval from the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and is not subject to any financing conditions. The Transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023.

Advisors and Counsel

Macquarie Capital is acting as financial advisor to Copper Mountain. Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP and Corrs Chambers Westgarth are acting as Canadian and Australian legal counsel, respectively, to Copper Mountain.

About Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Copper Mountain's flagship asset is the 75% owned Copper Mountain Mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. The Copper Mountain Mine currently produces approximately 100 million pounds of copper equivalent per year. Copper Mountain also has the 100% owned development-stage Eva Copper Project and an extensive 2,100 km2 highly prospective land package in in Queensland, Australia. Copper Mountain trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "CMMC" and Australian Stock Exchange under the symbol "C6C".

Additional information is available on the Company's web page at www.CuMtn.com.

On behalf of the Board of

COPPER MOUNTAIN MINING CORPORATION

"Gil Clausen"

Gil Clausen

President and Chief Executive Officer

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain "forward looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and Copper Mountain does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities legislation.

All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect Copper Mountain's expectations or beliefs regarding future events.

In certain circumstances, forward-looking statements can be identified, but are not limited to, statements which use terminology such as "plans", "expects", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "forecasts", "guidance", scheduled", "target" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. In this news release, certain forward-looking statements are identified, including the Company's potential plans with respect to its long-term capital structure, anticipated timing for the Copper Mountain Mine to generate free cash flow and become self-funding, anticipated timing for the closing of the Transaction, entitlement to any contingent consideration under the Transaction, obtaining and satisfying customary conditions (including FIRB approval and Copper Mountain bondholder approval), anticipated production at the Copper Mountain Mine, and expectations for other economic, business and/or competitive factors. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, achievements and opportunities to differ materially from those implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, among others, the parties' ability to consummate the Transaction, the ability of the parties to satisfy, in a timely manner, all conditions to the closing of the Transaction, assumptions concerning the Transaction and the operations and capital expenditure plans of the Company following completion of the Transaction, the potential impact of the announcement or consummation of the Transaction, the diversion of management time on the Transaction, the successful exploration of the Company's properties in Canada and Australia, market price, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, extreme weather events, material and labour shortages, the reliability of the historical data referenced in this document and risks set out in Copper Mountain's public documents, including the management's discussion and analysis for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 and the annual information form dated March 29, 2022, each filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although Copper Mountain has attempted to identify important factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, achievements and opportunities to differ materially from those described in its forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause the Company's results, performance, achievements and opportunities not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. While the Company believes that the information and assumptions used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Copper Mountain Mining Corporation
Investment to Fuel Nationwide Expansion of Industry-Leading Fraud, Waste and Abuse Analytics Platform

BOSTON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Council Capital and Health Enterprise Partners ("HEP"), healthcare-focused private equity firms based in Nashville and New York City respectively, jointly announced today a platform investment in Alivia Analytics, LLC ("Alivia"). Alivia provides a next-generation technology platform ensuring the accuracy of healthcare payments and leading the fight against fraud, waste, abuse and error in healthcare claims. Founded by technology visionary Kleber Gallardo, Alivia serves clients including state Medicaid agencies, commercial insurance plans and investigative service firms.

The Alivia investment is the result of a collaboration of Council Capital, Health Enterprise Partners, and industry veteran Michael Taylor, MD, an Executive-in-Residence at the firms who assisted with the search for a leading company in the payment integrity and fraud, waste, and abuse space. Dr. Taylor joins as the Chief Executive Officer. Kleber Gallardo will assume the role of Chairman and continue to lead the company's technology efforts as Chief Architect. Alex Kormushoff will also continue to serve on the leadership team as the Chief Operating Officer.

Council Capital and Health Enterprise Partners Announce Investment in Alivia Analytics to Fuel Nationwide Expansion Tweet this

Dr. Taylor stated, "I am excited to join the outstanding team at Alivia, which brings a superior technology platform to both government and commercial customers. Alivia's ability to leverage powerful AI and machine learning tools in service of improving the accuracy and efficiency of human auditors and reviewers represents a significant leap forward in our ability to combat error, waste, fraud and abuse."

Alivia founder Kleber Gallardo stated, "We welcome the partnership with Council Capital and HEP. The infusion of capital and talent will enable Alivia to reach the next level of success and expand our mission of providing superb technological innovation and outstanding customer service. Council Capital and Health Enterprise Partners' respective networks will be invaluable in accelerating the growth of Alivia."

Alivia has been selected as the preferred partner of government-funded and commercial insurance plans as well as third-party auditors and investigators. The Alivia platform ensures accurate payment of claims across Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and commercial claims, optimizing recoveries while minimizing false positive results through sophisticated modeling, strong domain expertise and superior technology.

"Mike Taylor and Kleber Gallardo are world class and proven payment integrity executives who understand the complexity of identifying irregularities and patterns within healthcare claims data that may indicate fraud or overpayment," said David Tamburri, Managing Partner at Health Enterprise Partners. "The Alivia platform is revolutionizing the industry which is of importance to our unique set of strategic investors."

Grant Jackson, General Partner at Council Capital, commented, "We are excited to invest in Alivia. The company's software platform is well-positioned to compete in a market sorely in need of innovation. We look forward to leveraging Mike's payment integrity experience and leadership as well as the company's strength in product development, to expand the Alivia solution. We also are eager to leverage our CEO Council members and value creation team to support Alivia as it continues to grow and expand."

About Alivia Analytics, LLC

Alivia Analytics partners with payers, government entities and investigative organizations to ensure the accuracy of healthcare payments. Alivia's next-generation software platform empowers customers by leveraging deep human expertise with technologically advanced machine learning and big data analysis tools to rapidly identify fraud, waste, abuse, and error in healthcare claims. For more information, please visit www.aliviaanalytics.com.

About Council Capital

Council Capital is a healthcare-focused private equity firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. Council Capital invests in lower middle market healthcare-related companies where it can drive growth by applying its Council Model, which draws upon the resources and experience of its CEO Council (experienced industry executives), Strategic Healthcare Investors, and Value Creation Team. Council Capital leverages its Council Model to attract and support leading management teams and portfolio companies on the 'right side' of change in the healthcare industry  where growth will accelerate as cost pressure and quality demands increase. For more details, please visit www.councilcapital.com.

About Health Enterprise Partners

Health Enterprise Partners provides expansion capital to the most innovative healthcare services and healthcare information technology companies. Central to HEP's strategy is its unique and extensive hospital system and health plan network, 37 members of which are investors in HEP's funds. HEP seeks to invest in companies that improve the quality of the patient experience, expand access, and reduce the cost of healthcare. For more information, please visit www.hepfund.com.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Michelle Heath

Chief Marketing Officer

Alivia Analytics

[email protected]

SOURCE Alivia Analytics
https://cnwglobal.com/

MIAMI, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global 'Next Flight Out' B2B logistics specialists Courier Network Inc. (CNW) has today announced the appointment of former DHL Express and DHL eCommerce Solutions CEO Ken Allen as Chairman of the Board with immediate effect.

Ken Allen

One of the most experienced logistics executives in the industry, Allen previously served 36 years with the Deutsche Post DHL Group in various roles and capacities including 13 years as member of the board and three years as the CEO of DHL eCommerce solutions. Best known for leading the global transformation of DHL Express for a decade, he brings extensive experience of leadership in the Express and eCommerce segments. He is also a published author on how simplicity and focus in business can transform a company into a world class performer.

Elazar Grinstein, CNW President and founder said: "We are delighted to welcome Ken Allen as the new Chair of the Board of Courier Network Inc. His deep market experience and significant life achievements will help support CNW to become even faster, more efficient and more completely customer focused. We welcome him to the CNW family."

Philippe Grinstein, Vice President, Strategy & Business Development said: "The appointment of Ken Allen ushers in a new chapter at CNW. As we continue our momentum as one of the fastest growing specialists in the Next Flight Out marketplace, the expertise and insight of Mr Allen will be invaluable in supporting the business to scale and respond to strong market demand."

Ken Allen, new Chairman of the Board of CNW commented: "I was attracted to CNW because of their thoroughly customer focused culture which has resulted in their market leading position. There is a great opportunity to quickly scale this business into the leading global player in the Next Flight Out market, and this is an area where I can add considerable value. In its relentless focus on the customer, the culture of the company is also largely devoid of bureaucracy. I want to ensure we keep these values as we grow the workforce and expand. I am very excited to become Chairman of this amazing company and, together with Elazar and the team, help guide us through the next five years as we pursue our growth agenda."

A leader in logistics within the semiconductor, automotive and aerospace industries, CNW has dedicated industry professionals operating within each sector, offering expertise, efficiency and problem solving at every stage of the transportation chain and guaranteeing the gold standard in expedited delivery and next flight out logistics.

Notes to Editors

https://cnwglobal.com/

Courier Network Inc. (CNW) is a market leading B2B specialist in expedited delivery, next flight out logistics and specialist courier services. The trusted global partner of leading brands, CNW supports some of the world's largest companies in moving crucial, time sensitive parts and packages. A leader in logistics within the semiconductor, automotive and aerospace industries, the company is renowned for its highly customercentric approach, customised services and solutions and 'make it happen' mindset- reflected in its strapline 'Redefining ASAP.' With 36 offices in 26 countries worldwide, plus a network of loyal global logistics partners, CNW provides the gold standard in reliable and efficient time and mission-critical shipments from anywhere to everywhere in the world.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1913570/Ken_Allen_profile_photo.jpg

SOURCE Courier Network Inc. (CNW)
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

On October 5, 2022, Credit Suisse declared a Coupon Amount for the Credit Suisse S&P MLP Index ETN (the "ETN").

ETN

Ticker ETN Name Ex-Date Record Date Coupon Payment Date Coupon Amount

per ETN Coupon

Frequency Current Yield* MLPO Credit Suisse S&P

MLP Index ETN 10/13/22 10/14/22 10/24/22 $0.2162 Quarterly 7.32 %

* The "Current Yield" equals the current quarterly Coupon Amount, annualized and divided by the Closing Indicative Value of the ETN on September 30, 2022.

 The Current Yield, which is based on the ETN's Coupon Amount, is not indicative of future quarterly Coupon Amounts, if any, on the ETNs. The quarterly Coupon Amount (if any) is variable and dependent on the most recent distributions of the MLPs included in the index, and such amount does not represent a fixed periodic interest payment. There can be no assurance that the MLPs included in the index will make any distributions in any future period. Any payment on the ETN is subject to Credit Suisse's ability to pay its obligations as they become due. For more information regarding the ETN's coupon payments, please refer to the ETN's pricing supplement.

Press Contact

Andre Rosenblatt, Credit Suisse, [email protected]

Credit Suisse ETNs

Telephone +1 800 320 1225, [email protected]suisse.com

The ETNs may not be suitable for all investors and should be purchased only by knowledgeable investors who understand the potential consequences of investing in the ETNs. The ETNs are subject to the credit risk of Credit Suisse. You may receive less, and possibly significantly less, than the principal amount of your investment at maturity or upon repurchase or sale. Investors will not have any partnership interests or other rights in the MLPs included in the index. Coupon Amounts on the ETNs will vary and could be zero. An investment in the ETNs involves significant risks. For further information regarding risks, please see the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the applicable pricing supplement.

Credit Suisse

Credit Suisse is one of the world's leading financial services providers. The bank's strategy builds on its core strengths: its position as a leading wealth manager, its specialist investment banking and asset management capabilities and its strong presence in its home market of Switzerland. Credit Suisse seeks to follow a balanced approach to wealth management, aiming to capitalize on both the large pool of wealth within mature markets as well as the significant growth in wealth in Asia Pacific and other emerging markets, while also serving key developed markets with an emphasis on Switzerland. The bank employs more than 50,000 people. The registered shares (CSGN) of Credit Suisse Group AG, are listed in Switzerland and, in the form of American Depositary Shares (CS), in New York. Further information about Credit Suisse can be found at www.credit-suisse.com.

Disclaimer

This document was produced by and the opinions expressed are those of Credit Suisse as of the date of writing and are subject to change. It has been prepared solely for information purposes and for the use of the recipient. It does not constitute an offer or an invitation by or on behalf of Credit Suisse to any person to buy or sell any security. Any reference to past performance is not necessarily a guide to the future. The information and analysis contained in this publication have been compiled or arrived at from sources believed to be reliable but Credit Suisse does not make any representation as to their accuracy or completeness and does not accept liability for any loss arising from the use hereof.

Credit Suisse has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, for the offering to which this press release relates. Before you invest, you should read the applicable Pricing Supplement, the Prospectus Supplement dated June 18, 2020, and the Prospectus dated June 18, 2020 that Credit Suisse has filed with the SEC for more complete information about Credit Suisse and this offering. You may obtain these documents without cost by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov or clicking the hyperlink below:

Pricing Supplement dated November 9, 2020:

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1053092/000089109220012081/e11689-424b2.htm

Alternatively, Credit Suisse, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC or any agent or any dealer participating in this offering will arrange to send you the applicable pricing supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus if you so request by calling 1-800-320-1225.

This document was produced by and the opinions expressed are those of Credit Suisse as of the date of writing and are subject to change.

Copyright  2022, CREDIT SUISSE GROUP AG and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Credit Suisse
Southern California legal community leader brings in-depth white collar and cybersecurity experience

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jennie Wang VonCannon has joined Crowell & Moring, expanding the firm's service to clients on white collar and regulatory defense matters, investigations, cyber and privacy incidents, and commercial civil litigation.

Jennie Wang VonCannon joins Crowell & Moring LLP's White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement and Privacy & Cybersecurity Groups in Los Angeles.

VonCannon joins as a partner in the firm's White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement and Privacy & Cybersecurity groups in Los Angeles. She is a leader in the Los Angeles legal community, serving as chair of the Privacy & Cybersecurity Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and on the executive committee of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles. VonCannon is also a member of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Women's White Collar Defense Association and a former board member of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association.

In late 2021, VonCannon played a key role on a trial team that obtained a full acquittal for a doctor charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California with 33 counts of health care fraud resulting from an alleged scheme related to his employment with a bariatric surgery company. She is also an experienced business and complex commercial civil litigator who has led internal investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct on behalf of companies and advised clients on cybersecurity issuesincluding ransomware attacks and insider cyber threats.

Prior to her defense work, VonCannon served for more than a decade as a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. During her tenure there, she was appointed Deputy Chief of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section of the National Security Division, and was a member of the Electronic Crimes Task Force. VonCannon also supervised a team of Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property prosecutors. Her investigations, prosecution, and supervision docket included cyber-related crimes, as well as matters involving theft of trade secrets, hacking, cyberstalking, copyright infringement, and counterfeit goods. In 2015, she supported the FBI's command post in the response to the San Bernardino domestic terrorism attack.

"Jennie is a highly skilled trial and investigations lawyer with extensive federal and state court litigation experience," said Rebecca Monck Ricigliano, co-chair of Crowell's White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement Group, noting that VonCannon joins less than a year after Agustin Orozco, a former senior federal corruption prosecutor in the Central District of California, joined the firm. "Jennie deepens our West Coast bench of white collar lawyers who can advise clients facing increased regulatory enforcement and an uptick in federal investigations and we are thrilled to welcome her to Crowell."

"In addition to her undeniable talents as a litigator, Jennie strengthens our capabilities at the intersection of privacy, cybersecurity, and law enforcement," said Jeffrey Poston, co-chair of Crowell's Privacy & Cybersecurity Group. "She brings a significant cache and hands-on experience prosecuting and grappling with complex cyber matters. As a Certified Information Privacy Professional, she is qualified to advise clients on data privacy policies and procedures, an area of the law that more and more clients are concerned about."

VonCannon earned both her law and undergraduate degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to being a Certified Information Privacy Professional, she is a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

"I was initially drawn to Crowell's dynamic platform in both the white collar and cyber spaces, but was really sold by its stand-out collegial culture," VonCannon said. "I am thrilled to grow my practice at a firm with so much to offer my clients."

About Crowell & Moring LLP

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with offices in the United States, Europe, MENA, and Asia. Drawing on significant government, business, industry and legal experience, the firm helps clients capitalize on opportunities and provides creative solutions to complex litigation and arbitration, regulatory and policy, and corporate and transactional issues. The firm is consistently recognized for its commitment to pro bono service and its programs and initiatives to advance diversity, equity and inclusion.

Media Contact:

Christine W. Elfmann

Senior Communications Manager

+1 312.840.3170

Email: [email protected]

Crowell & Moring LLP

1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

+1.202.624.2500 main

+1.202.628.5116 fax

SOURCE Crowell & Moring LLP
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Diraq, a world leader in building quantum processors using electron spins in CMOS quantum dots, today announces the appointment of Dr William (Bill) Jeffrey (PhD) as a non-executive Director and Chairman effective immediately.

Diraq CEO, Professor Andrew Dzurak said: "The Board and I are delighted that a technology leader the calibre of Bill has joined our team. He brings to Diraq over 30 years' experience in both government and commercial sectors, spanning our entire product lifecycle and key industry verticals across the globe."

"Bill's experience as an investor in cutting edge quantum technology, and as CEO and President of leading research organisations such as SRI International (founded as Stanford Research Institute in 1946) and HRL Laboratories (founded as Hughes Research Laboratory in 1948 and now a corporate R&D lab owned by Boeing and GM), will be a key impact on our trajectory going forward, and our ability to realize our target of being the global leader in full-stack quantum computing."

Dr Jeffrey said: "I am very pleased to join the Board of Diraq as Chair, and to work with Andrew and his team, in driving useful, scalable quantum computing to reach the billions of qubits needed. Diraq has been working on this important research for over two decades, and I am excited to join at this inflection point where we can accelerate this into a fully integrated chipset in a stable, compact system."

Dr Jeffrey is a General Partner of Airstream Venture Partners, based in San Francisco, California. He was the President and CEO of SRI International from 20142021 and the President and CEO of HRL Laboratories from 2008-2014. Prior to HRL, Dr Jeffrey served in the Bush Administration as Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He also served in the Executive Office of the President as Senior Director for Homeland and National Security and as the Assistant Director for Space and Aeronautics within the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

Dr Jeffrey will be joining Professor Dzurak in Sydney, Australia for a series of events in mid-November, including lectures on Diraq, formal announcements on the latest technological advancements from the research team, and commercial milestones for the Company. To schedule a presentation from the Diraq team, or to understand the technology in more detail please contact [email protected].

About Diraq

Diraq is a world leader in building quantum processors using silicon quantum dots, leveraging over two decades in engineering and research expertise and backed by an extensive IP portfolio. Diraq's goal is to revolutionise full-stack quantum computing by driving qubit numbers on a single chip to the billions needed for useful commercial application.

By capitalising on existing chip fabrication technology and the ability to manufacture at scale within current semiconductor facilities, Diraq is accelerating the change that can transform computing as we know it today. Diraq's platform architecture is purpose built to drive the significant processing advances required to reduce cost and energy barriers, and to realise quantum computing's full societal and economic potential. For more information visit www.diraq.com.

Follow Diraq on Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook.

SOURCE Diraq
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dover (NYSE: DOV) announced today that it will release third quarter 2022 earnings at approximately 6:00 a.m. Central time (7:00 a.m. Eastern time) on Thursday, October 20, 2022. Later that morning, Dover will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Central time (9:00 a.m. Eastern time) to discuss these results.

To participate on the conference call, please dial 1 (800) 343-4136 (domestic) or 1 (203) 518-9848 (international), conference ID DOVQ322. Due to the expected number of callers, please dial in at least 15 minutes before the conference is to begin and ask to be connected to the Dover teleconference.

A link to the live audio webcast will also be available on the company website at dovercorporation.com. An audio replay of the conference call will be available from 12:00 p.m. Central time, October 20, until 10:59 p.m. Central time, November 10, by dialing 1 (800) 934-4245 (domestic) or 1 (402) 220-1173 (international). Additionally, a replay link of the webcast will be archived on Dover's website for 90 days.

About Dover:

Dover is a diversified global manufacturer and solutions provider with annual revenue of approximately $8 billion. We deliver innovative equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services through five operating segments: Engineered Products, Clean Energy & Fueling, Imaging & Identification, Pumps & Process Solutions and Climate & Sustainability Technologies. Dover combines global scale with operational agility to lead the markets we serve. Recognized for our entrepreneurial approach for over 65 years, our team of over 25,000 employees takes an ownership mindset, collaborating with customers to redefine what's possible. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, Dover trades on the New York Stock Exchange under "DOV." Additional information is available at dovercorporation.com.

Investor Contact:

Jack Dickens

Senior Director  Investor Relations

(630) 743-2566

[email protected]

Media Contact:

Adrian Sakowicz

Vice President  Communications

(630) 743-5039

[email protected]

SOURCE Dover
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) is proud to announce it has been named to Modern Healthcare's 'Best Places to Work in Healthcare' for 2022. This is the 11th consecutive year Encompass Health has been named to the list.

"Encompass Health continues its rapid growth trajectory to provide inpatient rehabilitation services to thousands of individuals each year. The success of our Company depends on the talent and hard work of our employees, who are committed to providing the highest level of patient care and creating an exceptional workplace culture," said Mark Tarr, president and chief executive officer for Encompass Health. "Being ranked in Modern Healthcare's prestigious list for more than a decade is a tremendous accomplishment, and I'm grateful to our dedicated teams across the country for their contributions."

Honorees are selected and ranked based on an extensive employee survey conducted by the Best Companies Group. The complete list of this year's winners, in alphabetical order, is available at www.ModernHealthcare.com/bestplaceslist.

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.

Encompass Health Media Contact:

Danielle Hall | 205-970-5912

[email protected]

SOURCE Encompass Health Corp.
"It's an honor to be recognized once again for nurturing an employee experience where team members are empowered to share their ideas and career development goals, while delivering excellent business solutions and results for our clients," said Larry Solomon, Chief People Officer, SVP at EPAM. "When our people succeed, we succeed. As a rapidly growing global company, we're committed to fueling our entrepreneurial culture and making the future real for clients by ensuring EPAMers are given the resources needed to thrivefrom professional upskilling learning and development opportunities to volunteer and mentorship programs."

With teams in more than 50 countries, EPAM offers a flexible work environment with many resources to help team members learn new skills, find mentors and connect with colleagues worldwide. From unlimited learning opportunities to community involvement and exercise programs, employees are empowered to succeed both professionally and personally. In 2022, for example, EPAM made a $100 million commitment to support employees and their families in Ukraine with critical resources, including transportation to safe areas, shelter and other humanitarian assistance. The EPAM Ukraine Assistance Fund was also established to support charitable aid organizations that provide direct relief to those in vulnerable situations across Ukraine.

"The companies on this list represent the best at placing love at the center of their employees' experience," said Louis Carter, CEO, Best Practice Institute. "The number of applications this year and analysis of survey data reinforces our original findings that love is the strongest predictor of the strength of a company's culture, employee engagement, and satisfaction."

Produced in collaboration with the Best Practice Institute (BPI), a leadership development and benchmark research company, the Newsweek list results were determined after surveying more than 1.4 million employees from businesses with workforces varying in size from 50 to more than 10,000. To identify the top 100 companies for the Newsweek ranking, companies were evaluated and scored as follows: 35 percent of the initial score was based on employee survey responses; 25 percent was derived from analysis of external public ratings from sites such as Comparably, Careerbliss, Glassdoor, Indeed and Google; and 40 percent came from direct interviews with and written responses from company officials. Newsweek then conducted additional research into every company on the list, as well as the top runners up, to determine the final list of 100 companies and their ranking.

"As a result of 'The Great Resignation,' more companies recognize the importance of focusing on employee satisfaction to not only attract but retain top talent," said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief, Newsweek. "The businesses on this year's list clearly demonstrated that commitment."

For the full Newsweek list of 2022's Most Loved Workplaces, visit

https://www.newsweek.com/rankings/americas-100-most-loved-workplaces-2022.

To view EPAM's Most Loved Workplace profile, visit https://mostlovedworkplace.com/companies/epam-

systems-inc/.

To learn more about careers at EPAM, visit epam.com/careers.

About Newsweek

Newsweek is the modern global digital news organization built around the iconic, over 85-year-old American magazine. Newsweek reaches 100 million people each month with its thought-provoking news, opinion, images, graphics, and video delivered across a dozen print and digital platforms. Headquartered in New York City, Newsweek also publishes international editions in EMEA and Asia.

About Best Practice Institute

Best Practice Institute is an award-winning leadership and organization development center, benchmark research company, think tank, and solutions provider. BPI is the certifying body for Most Loved Workplace and conducted the original research to create the model and criteria for becoming a Most Loved Workplace. BPI's research proves that Most Loved Workplaces produce 3-4 times better customer service, employee performance, and retention than companies not loved by their employees.

For more information on how to apply to become a certified Most Loved Workplace in 2023, go to: http://www.mostlovedworkplace.com

About EPAM Systems

Since 1993, EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE: EPAM) has leveraged its advanced software engineering heritage to become the foremost global digital transformation services provider  leading the industry in digital and physical product development and digital platform engineering services. Through its innovative strategy; integrated advisory, consulting, and design capabilities; and unique 'Engineering DNA,' EPAM's globally deployed hybrid teams help make the future real for clients and communities around the world by powering better enterprise, education and health platforms that connect people, optimize experiences, and improve people's lives. In 2021, EPAM was added to the S&P 500 and included among the list of Forbes Global 2000 companies.

Selected by Newsweek as a 2021 and 2022 Most Loved Workplace, EPAM's global multi-disciplinary teams serve customers in more than 50 countries across six continents. As a recognized leader, EPAM is listed among the top 15 companies in Information Technology Services on the Fortune 1000 and ranked as the top IT services company on Fortune's 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list for the last three consecutive years. EPAM is also listed among Ad Age's top 25 World's Largest Agency Companies for three consecutive years, and Consulting Magazine named EPAM Continuum a top 20 Fastest-Growing Firm.

Learn more at www.epam.com and follow EPAM on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes estimates and statements which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Our estimates and forward-looking statements are mainly based on our current expectations and estimates of future events and trends, which affect or may affect our business and operations. These statements may include words such as "may," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate" or similar expressions. Those future events and trends may relate to, among other things, developments relating to the invasion of Ukraine, political and civil unrest or military action in the geographies where we conduct business and operate, developments relating to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, and the effect that they may have on our revenues, operations, access to capital, profitability and customer demand. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied include general economic conditions, the risk factors discussed in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, particularly under the headings "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors" and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe that these estimates and forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, they are subject to several risks and uncertainties and are made based on information currently available to us. EPAM undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities law.

SOURCE EPAM Systems, Inc.
110,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility increases infectious disease and immunology testing capacity to support growth of clinical, biopharma, and transplant diagnostic services

LENEXA, Kan., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Eurofins Viracor, a leader in infectious disease and immunology testing, today celebrated the opening of its expansive new laboratory in Lenexa, KS. The 110,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility will be home to 450 employees, comprised of 215 current employees and 235 newly created roles and creates additional capacity to support growth in biopharma and transplant diagnostic testing services.

The new facility is part of Eurofins Viracor's continued investment in building capacity and capabilities to meet growing customer demand in biopharma and clinical diagnostic testing services. Eurofins Viracor provides rapid, clinical diagnostic test results to medical providers and transplant care teams.

The new laboratory complements the ongoing expansion of Eurofins Viracor's biopharma and transplant biomarker testing services by strengthening its ability to deliver fast, innovative, and high-quality test results to providers, biopharmaceutical companies, and critically ill patients.

"I'm proud that an innovative company like Eurofins Viracor has chosen to call Kansas home," said Governor Laura Kelly. "Beyond providing 235 more Kansans with high-quality jobs, Eurofins Viracor will continue its crucial work to keep our nation safe and healthy."

"Governor Kelly's Kansas Framework for Growth specifically targets recruiting additional company headquarters and enhancing our state's bioscience sector," Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. "Eurofins Viracor is the type of visionary company we want to attract to Kansas."

To learn more, please visit: Eurofins Viracor grand opening.

About Viracor

Eurofins Viracor has over 30 years of diagnostic expertise in infectious disease, immunology and allergy testing for immunocompromised and critical patients. Eurofins Viracor is a subsidiary of Eurofins Scientific (EUFI.PA), a global leader in bio-analytical testing, and one of the world leaders in genomic services. For more information, please visit https://www.eurofins.com/ and https://www.eurofins-viracor.com/clinical

About Eurofins  the global leader in bio-analysis

Eurofins is Testing for Life. With over 61,000 staff across a network of 940 laboratories in 59 countries, Eurofins' companies offer a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods.

Eurofins Shares are listed on Euronext Paris Stock Exchange.

SOURCE Eurofins Viracor LLC
-- First Regulatory Approval Outside the U.S. --

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Evofem Biosciences, Inc., (OTCQB: EVFM) today announced that its hormone-free contraceptive vaginal gel has been approved by the Nigerian Regulatory Agency NAFDAC (National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control).

This marks the Company's first approval outside the United States. Regulatory dossiers have also been submitted in Ghana, Ethiopia and Mexico. The product will be potentially marketed under the brand name Femidence.

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh largest country in the world, with 45 million women of reproductive age. With nearly half of the population under the age of 18 years, a record number of young people will enter reproductive age in the next decade.

In October 2020, Adjuvant Capital made a $25 million strategic investment to expand global market access for Phexxi (lactic acid, citric acid, potassium bitartrate) vaginal contraceptive gel and to support EVOGUARD, Evofem's registrational Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating Phexxi for the prevention of chlamydia and gonorrhea in women. Evofem is on track to report top-line data from this landmark trial in mid-October 2022. Positive study outcomes would enable regulatory submissions and potential U.S. approval for prevention of these sexually transmitted infections in 2023.

"We expect Nigeria will be one of many commercial markets around the world in which Evofem can generate shareholder returns while favorably impacting the lives of women," said Jenny Yip, Managing Partner at Adjuvant Capital and a Director of Evofem Biosciences. "Women everywhere are demanding more contraceptive choices to suit their needs, and they specifically want non-hormonal options, like Phexxi, that are free from common side effects like depression, mood swings and irritability."

Evofem is grateful to DKT Nigeria, its distribution partner in Nigeria, for their support of this registration.

About Evofem Biosciences

Evofem Biosciences, Inc. is developing and commercializing innovative products to address unmet needs in women's sexual and reproductive health. The Company's first FDA-approved product, Phexxi (lactic acid, citric acid and potassium bitartrate), is a hormone-free, on-demand prescription contraceptive vaginal gel. It comes in a box of 12 pre-filled applicators and is applied 0-60 minutes before each act of sex. The Company expects to report top-line data in mid-October 2022 from its registrational Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating Phexxi for the prevention of chlamydia and prevention of gonorrhea in women. Learn more at phexxi.com and evofem.com.

Phexxi is a registered trademark and Femidence is a trademark of Evofem Biosciences, Inc.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Various factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including our ability to successfully commercialize Phexxi outside of the U.S. and general market and other conditions, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are current only as of the date of this press release. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements, or that could impair the value of Evofem Biosciences' assets and business, are disclosed in the Company's SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, and subsequent filings. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by such factors. The Company does not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statement except as required by law.

Contacts

Investors:

Amy Raskopf

SVP, Investor Relations

Evofem Biosciences, Inc.

[email protected]

(917) 673-5775

Media:

[email protected]

SOURCE Evofem Biosciences, Inc.
SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Extra Space Storage Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: EXR) announced today it will release financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 on Tuesday, November 1, 2022 after the market closes. The Company will host a conference call at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 2, 2022 to discuss its financial results. Hosting the call will be Extra Space Storage's CEO, Joe Margolis. Joining him will be Scott Stubbs, Executive Vice President and CFO.

During the conference call, company officers will review operating performance, discuss recent events, and conduct a question-and-answer period. The question-and-answer period will be limited to registered financial analysts. All other participants will have listen-only capability.

To Participate in the Conference Call:

A live webcast of the conference call will be available online from the investor relations page of the Company's corporate website at www.extraspace.com. Telephone participants may avoid any delays in joining the conference call by pre-registering for the call using the following link to receive a special dial-in number and PIN: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI3b8724fefa59407f8e829f5d86fd70d4

The conference call will also be available on the Company's website under Investor Relations at www.extraspace.com. To listen to a live broadcast, go to the site at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time in order to register, download and install any necessary audio software.

Conference Call Playback:

A replay of the webcast will be available on the Extra Space Storage Investor Relations website beginning November 2, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. ET, and will remain available for one year after the call.

Full Text of the Earnings Report and Supplemental Data

The full text of the earnings report and supplemental data will be available at the Company's investor relations website immediately following the earnings release to the wire services after the market close on Tuesday, November 1, 2022.

About Extra Space Storage Inc.

Extra Space Storage Inc., headquartered in Salt Lake City, is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust, and a member of the S&P 500. As of June 30, 2022, the Company owned and/or operated 2,177 self-storage properties, which comprise approximately 1.6 million units and approximately 168.0 million square feet of rentable storage space offering customers conveniently located and secure storage units across the country, including boat storage, RV storage and business storage. The Company is the second largest owner and/or operator of self-storage properties in the United States and is the largest self-storage management company in the United States.

For more information, please visit www.extraspace.com.

SOURCE Extra Space Storage Inc.
WESTON, Mass., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fastweb, the leading website for scholarship and financial aid information and a member of the Monster network, introduces the 11th annual 2022-23 Student Contributor Series student writer team.

Each year, Fastweb offers students the opportunity to be a part of the Student Contributor Series, a platform for high school and college student writers to express their voices, experiences, and student advice. Student members with listed career interests, such as creative writing, journalism, news media, publishing, and related fields, are notified when applications open and writers are selected from the applicants.

"Fastweb supports this program annually to showcase diverse and inspiring student writers," said Mark Nelson, Senior Vice President, Fastweb. "Through the Student Contributor Series, our writers share their first-hand experiences on relevant topics that matter to today's students."

For 2022-23, Fastweb welcomes back these talented contributors:

Alondra Arevalo: University of California-Irvine, Freshman

Jasmin Kaur: University of Dallas, Junior

Piper Megellas: Reeds Spring High School, Senior

Additionally, Fastweb welcomes new contributor, Danielle Steen: Insight School of Kansas, Junior.

The Student Contributor Series is open to high school and college students and article themes reflect real life student experiences, such as the college application process, admissions, and scholarships. Students can apply in July of each year to be a part of the series, which runs from September to June. Get to know this year's talented Student Contributor team and read all their current articles on Fastweb.

About Fastweb

Fastweb, a top site in the Monster network, is the nation's recognized leader in helping students pay for school, by providing scholarship and financial aid information, as well as information on jobs and internships. As the oldest and most popular free online scholarship matching service, one out of three college-bound seniors use the site and more than 50 million users have benefitted from Fastweb's information and services. Fastweb lets students create personalized profiles that can be matched against its expansive databases of colleges and scholarships. To learn more about Fastweb, visit www.fastweb.com and follow Fastweb on social media for the latest on paying for school all year long: Twitter (at @PayingForSchool); Facebook; Instagram and Pinterest.

About Monster

Monster is a global leader in connecting the right people to the right jobs. Every day, Monster aims to make every workplace happier and more productive by transforming the way employers find talent and candidates find careers. For 25 years, Monster has worked to transform the recruiting industry. Today, the company leverages innovative digital, social, and mobile solutions to enable employers and candidates to find the right fit.

SOURCE Monster
FieldRoutes continues to deliver advancements to drive customer growth with investments from ServiceTitan

MCKINNEY, Texas, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FieldRoutesa ServiceTitan company and a leading cloud-based and mobile SaaS provider for field service businessesannounced today that they will demonstrate the software's latest enhancements at PestWorld 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts on October 11-14. These enhancements will benefit its customers' ability to grow their business, enable them to become more efficient, attract and retain employees and increase their overall satisfaction with the platform. These features include developments to the FieldRoutes e-commerce platformthe only fully integrated end-to-end e-commerce solution available in the industrythe inclusion of technician tipping, a new mobile app, reporting enhancements, and its new Knowledge Base. The company also plans to officially launch its invitation-only user group, the FieldRoutes Pathfinder Network.

"If we've learned anything in the last few years, it's that the world is rapidly changing," said William Chaney, chief executive officer of FieldRoutes. "As a technology provider, we're in a unique position to help pest control companies of all sizes make the most of emerging opportunities like e-commerce and technician tipping while continuing to develop new and easier ways to grow and scale their business. We've been busy doing exactly that this past year and we're looking forward to showcasing these exciting new features and more at PestWorld 2022."

FieldRoutes will demonstrate the software's latest enhancements at PestWorld 2022 Tweet this

Two noteworthy additions to the FieldRoutes e-commerce platform were released this springenhancements to the Buy Services Online functionality and the addition of the Affiliate Network. Last year, the company commissioned an independent study which examined the psychology of online purchase behavior as it relates to field service industries. The results of this study provided key findings that were then applied to modernize the solution and introduce the e-commerce best practices to the pest control industry. As a result, from January 20 through April 29, 2022, FieldRoutes customers using the enhanced version of Buy Services Online saw on average a 2X increase in conversion rates as compared to FieldRoutes customers using the prior version of Buy Services Online from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021.

Additionally, the solution now provides a way to re-engage with abandoned leadsthose who initiated the online purchase process but decided not to complete a transaction. This gives pest control businesses a unique way to initiate sales discussions with prospective customers.

The newly released Affiliate Network drives more revenue with leads and sales from other pest control companies when the customer cannot be serviced. Both companies can profit from opportunities they otherwise wouldn't, and the consumer gets the service they're looking for without making multiple phone calls.

This winter, the new FieldRoutes Mobile app will release to both the App Store and Google Play and combines the functionality of its feature-packed, previously released PestRoutes Tech and PestRoutes Sales apps. The new app enables pest control technicians to effectively sell and upsell while in the field by providing an easy way to get contracts signed, schedule services, and take paymentsall from one mobile app. It increases efficiencies and sales opportunities for technicians and sales personnel, eliminates the need for field staff to access multiple apps, and makes same-day service a reality.

Also releasing this winter is technician tipping, which allows satisfied customers to reward excellent service by adding a tip when making a payment or leaving a review.

This feature will provide a new way to incentivize technicians to deliver exceptional service without adding to operational expenses. It also provides a unique recruitment tool to help pest control businesses attract and retain quality employees and alleviate the impact of the ongoing labor shortage. Additionally, pest control customers will benefit from superior service and will have a way to show appreciation to technicians who go above and beyond.

FieldRoutes has also added new reporting features that include reservice, reschedule, and cancellation reasons, which provide additional clarity on customer decision-making. Enhancements to existing disbursement reports in the FieldRoutes Operations Suite provides additional convenience as it lets pest control providers view key payment data without having to log into the payments portal.

Additionally, the company will soon launch its new Knowledge Base that includes instant access to user guides, FAQs, training videos, product documentation and more, in a searchable index that can be accessed anytime, anywhere via smartphone, notebook or desktop computer. Like its customer support, when this new feature is released, it will be available to FieldRoutes customers at no additional cost.

PestWorld 2022 will also mark the official launch of the FieldRoutes Pathfinder Networkthe company's invitation-only FieldRoutes user group. This new community will serve as a platform to showcase customer successes and provide networking opportunities between its members and the company itself and will serve as a key point of input to its upcoming product roadmap.

PestWorld attendees can visit FieldRoutes at booths #402 and #1401 during the event or visit FieldRoutes.com to learn more.

About FieldRoutes

FieldRoutes, a ServiceTitan company, is a cloud-based and mobile SaaS provider for field service businesses. FieldRoutes' platform automates many aspects of field service operations for enterprise and small business customers with office management, advanced route optimization, payment processing, digital sales, marketing, and customer acquisition capabilities. Contractors across the country rely on FieldRoutes to provide them with data-driven insights to become more efficient and drive revenue to their business, so they can grow quickly, scale intelligently and serve their customers relentlessly. In 2018 PestRoutes and Lobster Marketing joined together, and in 2021 unified under one brand, FieldRoutes.

SOURCE FieldRoutes
PITTSBURGH, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fifth Season  a food system pioneer and the first player in the vertical farming space to launch ready-to-eat salad kits with distribution in 12+ states in over 1,200 locations  is upping the ante again with a bold new package design, as well as a brand new flavor variety.

Fifth Season salads are now available in 1,200+ locations, including Kroger, Albertsons, Lidl, and many more. Tweet this Fifth Season's newest salad kit variety, Taco Crunch. Fifth Season's full lineup of salad kits in their updated packaging.

Fifth Season operates a 60,000 square foot fully-automated vertical farm in Braddock, Pa. that, because of its advanced technology, has twice the growing capacity of traditional vertical farms. Using robotics and AI, crops are grown under the perfect conditions, taking light, water, and even "wind" into consideration, so they end up deliciously crisp and flavorful every time, all year round. These greens are then paired with top-notch plant-based, protein-rich, and whole grain inclusions to create a diverse variety of salad flavors  including the newly-launched Taco Crunch, which features Sabra's popular creamy guacamole alongside Fifth Season's crunchy baby romaine.

"Most pre-packaged salads contain sad, wilted, not-so-fresh lettuce that, for the most part, is there to be filler," says Austin Webb, CEO & Co-founder of Fifth Season. "But because our greens are raised so carefully to be remarkably crisp and delicious, they are actually the star of our salads. Our package design and branding now showcase that."

That advantage takes shape in Fifth Season's completely reconstructed packaging that was built with functionality in mind. The salad mix-ins now sit atop the lettuce in a bento-style tray, separating those ingredients from the greens. This gives the robust lettuce the room it needs to remain intact without being tamped down by toppings, keeping it fresh and hearty days longer in your refrigerator than conventionally grown greens.

But this packaging redesign does more than just store the ingredients in the smartest way. It also was built to create the best grab-and-go salad eating experience possible for the consumer. The extra room in the bowl allows for "maximum shakability": Once the toppings and dressing are added, the salad is properly tossed with a couple of quick shakes, and all components end up well-combined and coated with dressing, lending itself to forkful after forkful of flavor-layered bite.

Speaking of forks, Fifth Season salad kits now include them! With a recyclable fork now tucked into the package, the grab-and-go salad kits can more easily be eaten on the run, working well into the busy lifestyles of their consumers.

Fifth Season also upgraded the plastic and cardboard sleeves it uses for its salads to be more eco-friendly. The salads now come in 100% recyclable Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic, which has a lower carbon footprint than glass or aluminum and can be recycled again and again, making it the most recycled type of plastic worldwide. Its paperboard sleeves are also 100% recyclable and are provided by a Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)-certified supplier.

Centering the uniquely bright, fresh greens in its packaging aesthetic was also a priority when the team sat down to strategize on its revamped branding.

"Our greens are vibrant and alive, and incredibly visually appealing," says Ben Hall, Fifth Season's creative director who spearheaded the visual update. "We wanted to highlight that on the exterior of the package and on our website so that consumers could quickly understand they're getting a high-quality product unparalleled in this category."

The result is a new look that for the first time features eye-catching photography of the plated salad on the package and website, making for a wholly more appetizing look to the product.

Taco Crunch will make its debut in this new leveled-up packaging. It is the third flavor released by Fifth Season featuring iconic plant-based CPG company Sabra, and will be available at Giant Eagle, Wakefern, Albertsons, and FreshDirect.

"Taco Crunch showcases the familiar yet unique flavors we are creating in collaboration with Sabra," says Varun Khanna, VP of Food Products. "They pop on the palate with unexpected elements, but are crowd pleasers at the same time  we think that's the perfect balance."

Fifth Season's packaging and flavor updates come as the company expands rapidly in the retail space. Fifth Season salads are now available in 1,200+ supermarket locations, including at Kroger, Albertsons, Giant Eagle, Lidl, and many more.

Fifth Season also recently announced plans to build a second fully-automated farm in Columbus, Ohio. This location is still in development and further details on this expansion will be released in the near future.

About FIFTH SEASON:

Fifth Season is a food system pioneer creating a new category of local, fresh food grown in fully-automated vertical farms. Fifth Season farms are run by proprietary software built in house, and this software and robotics system is what enabled the team at Fifth Season to deliver an unprecedented, entirely replicable farm that produces consistently fresh leafy greens and prepared salads. Fifth Season's flagship farm in Braddock, Pa., an historic steel town on the edge of Pittsburgh, features a 25,000-sq.-ft. grow room with twice the growing capacity of traditional vertical farms, growing up to 1 million pounds of produce per year. The company aims to decentralize the fresh food supply chain, grow fresh produce more efficiently in smaller spaces, and meet cravings for just-harvested, regionally-grown ingredients and inspired meals. For more information on Fifth Season, its technology, and produce, visit fifthseasonfresh.com.

Media Contact

Ali Trachta

[email protected]

SOURCE Fifth Season
FMCNA ranked among top five healthcare companies

WALTHAM, Mass., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), the nation's leader in kidney care, was named by Newsweek as one of the country's Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces, for the second consecutive year, citing the company's commitment to employees' professional development.

Newsweek ranked FMCNA No. 5 in healthcare and No. 73 overall. This year's ranking focused on FMCNA's industry-leading achievements in employee development, including the expansion of employee resource groups and professional opportunities.

"Love is an important concept in our company and being recognized again as a Most Loved Workplace shows the commitment we have to building a supportive, inclusive culture," said Bill Valle, CEO of Fresenius Medical Care North America and acting president of Fresenius Kidney Care. "Our employees are critically important to our success, and our care teams continue to show love, empathy, and compassion to our patients and one another."

In 2022, FMCNA announced the Caring About Renal Excellence (CARE) Award, which recognizes employees across the nation who excel in any of the company's five clinical pillars: quality and safety, growth, clinical leadership, clinical excellence, and patient experience. This year, the company will present 500 employees with CARE Awards, which include all-expenses-paid trips to professional conferences.

FMCNA leveraged several programs to help employees reach personal and professional goals. Among professional advancement opportunities are an in-house learning and professional development platform called the Academy, where more than 22,000 employees accessed more than 1.7 million program hours in 2021.

FMCNA was the first dialysis provider to establish a professional development program for registered nurses, standardizing a pathway to advancing a nephrology career. The company's tuition reimbursement program allows employees to further their education while continuing to gain hands-on experience in their existing roles. The company also offers a Nephrology Nursing Residency program, which has welcomed 740 pre-licensed nurses to the workforce since its launch in 2020. Its partnership with the National Association of Nephrology Technicians supports education and career development for more than 21,000 technicians.

"This honor shows our employees' belief in FMCNA's core values, and inspires a positive vision for the future," said Valle. "We are proud to support our employees and recognize that they are key to consistently delivering exceptional patient care."

FMCNA also supports employees with more rare benefits such as a $10 per paycheck medical option, caregiving options for elders, kids, and pets, fertility and family building support, and free financial counseling and guidance. The company offers employees expansive healthcare support, including free behavioral healthcare access, free virtual physical therapy programs, virtual counseling options to include text therapy, and gender affirming care. Rally, FMCNA's digital wellness experience, helps 20,000 employees work on healthier eating, sleeping, stress management, and more.

The 2022 Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces are the result of a collaboration between Newsweek and the Best Practice Institute (BPI), a leadership development benchmark research company. The results were determined after surveying more than 1.4 million employees from businesses with workforces varying in size from 50 to more than 10,000. The list recognizes companies that put respect, caring, and appreciation for their employees at the center of their business model and, in doing so, have earned the loyalty and respect of the people who work for them.

"As a result of 'The Great Resignation,' more companies recognize the importance of focusing on employee satisfaction to not only attract but retain top talent," said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief, Newsweek. "The businesses on this year's list clearly demonstrated that commitment."

About Fresenius Medical Care North America

Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) is the premier healthcare company focused on providing the highest quality care to people with renal and other chronic conditions. Through its industry-leading network of dialysis facilities and outpatient cardiac and vascular labs, Fresenius Medical Care North America provides coordinated healthcare services at pivotal care points for hundreds of thousands of chronically ill customers throughout the continent. As the world's largest fully integrated renal company, it offers specialty pharmacy and laboratory services, and manufactures and distributes the most comprehensive line of dialysis equipment, disposable products, and renal pharmaceuticals. For more information, visit the FMCNA website. If you'd like to join our team, please visit https://jobs.fmcna.com/

About Newsweek

Newsweek is the modern global digital news organization built around the iconic, over 85-year-old American magazine. Newsweek reaches 100 million people each month with its thought-provoking news, opinion, images, graphics, and video delivered across a dozen print and digital platforms. Headquartered in New York City, Newsweek also publishes international editions in EMEA and Asia.

About Best Practice Institute

Best Practice Institute is an award-winning leadership and organization development center, benchmark research company, think tank, and solutions provider. BPI is the certifying body for Most Loved Workplace and conducted the original research to create the model and criteria for becoming a Most Loved Workplace. BPI's research proves that Most Loved Workplaces produce 3-4 times better customer service, employee performance, and retention than companies not loved by their employees.

Media Contact:

Fresenius Medical Care

Scott Sayres

Corporate Communications

[email protected]

+1 (940) 297-5678

SOURCE Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
FREDERICK, Md., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Galen College of Nursing has selected Regent Education to automate financial aid processing for its flexible enrollment models.

Nurses are the largest workforce in the clinical healthcare industry, and it is growing. However, despite increases in hiring and opportunity, the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) estimates that by 2025, there will be a shortage of nurses. Galen College of Nursing, one of the country's largest educators of nurses, has helped address the national nursing shortage by expanding access to nursing education.

To better scale the College's diverse offering of flexible enrollment programs, Galen will deploy Regent Award and Regent Review to automate the entire financial aid lifecycle for its Borrower Based Academic Year (BBAY) and clock-hour programs, from document collection through the R2T4 and graduation processes. With Regent's solutions in place, institutions have seen up to 95% financial aid process automation, enabling them to not only provide improved student service but also expand enrollment without the need for a commensurate increase in financial aid staff.

"Our goal is to deploy technologies that fundamentally support our ability to scale while also being directly supportive of the learner experience," commented Jim Lepianka, Associate Vice President of Information Technology at Galen College of Nursing. "Regent supports that with automation across our varied enrollments models, and a student interface providing clear and actionable financial aid information for our learners."

"Our partnership with Galen College of Nursing will support their multiple enrollment models across their academic programs by enabling everyone with extensive financial aid automation and student-facing tools," added Jim Hermens, CEO of Regent Education.

Galen is projected to go live on Regent Education's financial aid solutions in 2023.

About Galen College of Nursing

Founded more than 30 years ago, Galen College of Nursing is one of the largest private nursing colleges in the United States. With a focus solely on nursing education, Galen offers master's, baccalaureate, associate, and practical/vocational nursing programs to over 9,000 students on its campuses in Louisville, Hazard, and Pikeville, KY; San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin, TX; Tampa Bay, Miami, Gainesville, and Sarasota, FL.; Cincinnati, OH; Nashville, TN; Myrtle Beach, SC; Richmond, VA; Asheville, NC and online. Galen is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, and master's degrees. Programmatic accreditation status for Galen's programs can be found at https://www.galencollege.edu/about-galen/accreditation. For more information about Galen College of Nursing and our pass rates, visit galencollege.edu.

About Regent Education

Regent Education is the leading provider of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions that automate and simplify the financial aid process for higher education institutions offering traditional and nontraditional enrollment models. Regent's solutions encompass the automation of financial aid management, verification processes, student financial planning, and state financial aid applications. These solutions offer institutions an unprecedented ability to automate the financial aid process to increase efficiency, mitigate compliance risks, expand enrollment, improve the student experience, and enhance financial management and financial aid lifecycle visibility. Since its inception, Regent has packaged and delivered $5 billion in financial aid to more than 250,000 students. For more information, visit https://regenteducation.com/.

Contact

Regent Education

Diane Eves, Marketing Director

(301) 662-5592 or [email protected]

SOURCE Regent Education
LAS VEGAS, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gaming Arts, one of the fastest growing gaming suppliers in North America, will have its largest booth ever at G2E 2022 along with introducing the biggest portfolio of innovative new games in company history. Also on display will be a long list of proven top performers and new technical innovations from Gaming Arts. Please visit Gaming Arts at booth 1853 at G2E.

Gaming Arts to Showcase its Largest Portfolio of New Games Ever at G2E 2022. Tweet this New titles to be displayed at G2E 2022 in Las Vegas.

Just one of the headliners at G2E will be the new Pop'N Pays More! series of games for its beautiful and sleek VertX 49" portrait cabinet which include Pinatas Ole, Big Top, and the recently launched, and massively successful, Brian Christopher's Pop'N Pays More!. This game is already performing at up to 4x house average on gaming floors across the country and has been shortlisted as a finalist for the GGB "Slot of the Year" award.

Brian, America's no. 1 slot influencer with over 320 million views, collaborated closely with the top game designers at Gaming Arts to produce this amazing new game. Brian will be at the Gaming Arts booth from 11am to 2pm on Tuesday and intermittently throughout the show and will host an exciting slot tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday at 3pm. The slot tournament will be live streamed and the lucky winner each day will receive a fabulous dream cruise of their choice from our wonderful partner, Carnival Cruise lines. Entries may be made at the Gaming Arts booth 1853 at G2E 2022.

Kung Fu Empress, the adorable little empress that is taking the country by storm, will also be on prominent display. This energetic and vibrant game is proving to be a fast favorite among players with performance to match. From incredible animations to an upbeat soundtrack, this game stands out amongst other games on casino floors and as the Kung Fu Empress battles her enemies, the bigger the enemy, the bigger the win!

Future favorites Egyptian Gems series, the Cash Quest series, Winning Wings series and GO Games! series, will also be prominently featured on the show floor. Also, not to be missed are the brand new, Big Fat Dragon, the Lucky Pick series along with many more. These are just a few examples of why Gaming Arts is known as one of the most innovative companies in the gaming space.

As for new games for the Gaming Arts' patented HaloTop wheel cabinets, a series of new games will be on display including Spooky Spins, Fortune Flip, Giant Gold Bar, Triple Double 7s and more. In addition, Gaming Arts will also be showcasing the incredible Ocean Phoenix game from its Taiwanese partner, Jumbo Technologies. This truly unique 6 player arcade style game is the first-of-its-kind to enter the North American market and has demonstrated exceptional performance at all locations.

On the electronic table games (ETG) front, Gaming Arts' Casino Wizard's popularity across gaming floors from coast to coast has led to the creation of Casino Wizard VIP, the world's most advanced and feature rich ETG. A first of its kind, Casino Wizard VIP, includes everything players loved about the original and expands upon it by adding 4 new titles, for a total of 8 games. These include: Pai Gow Poker, Triple Card Poker, Super Big 6 Wheel and the Gaming Arts' proprietary game, Swap 'Em Poker, along with the original game lineup of blackjack, craps, roulette and baccarat to fill out this incredible "Pit in a Box" ETG. Most games also include proprietary high-hold side bets, special bonuses and numerous opportunities for players to win exciting progressive jackpots.

In addition to its vast library of amazing slots and ETGs, Gaming Arts continues as the world leader in bingo and keno games and related technologies. On display at G2E, the company will be showcasing its latest innovations in the bingo and keno spaces, including the world's first TITO enabled self-serve EZ-Keno kiosk along with its "Super Win" and "Super Promo" technologies for bingo and casino promotions.

COO Jean Venneman shared, "Casino floors and our customer needs are constantly evolving and Gaming Arts is focused on anticipating players diverse needs as well as customer expectations. With the successful launches of unique games such as the social slot influencer-focused Brian Christopher's Pop'N Pays More, Casino Wizard VIP and arcade-style Ocean Phoenix game, it is clear that customers' expectations are changing, and it is exciting to be one of the front runners in this ever-expanding space."

Gaming Arts plans to continue to expand their extensive library of games, offering a huge variety of titles across multiple cabinets and creating games that can be enjoyed by all players. At the forefront of gaming innovation with new technologies, beautiful cabinets and themes that are state-of-the-art, Gaming Arts is confident that they will continue to exceed customer and player expectations.

David Colvin, Chairman and Founder of Gaming Arts, commented, "This G2E promises to be our most ambitious show ever and I could not be prouder of the entire team at Gaming Arts and the unique corporate culture we have developed. Although we may not be the largest manufacturer in the gaming space, I believe that our culture of innovation and creativity are unmatched, leading to truly amazing new games and technologies which can be seen and enjoyed across North America and beyond."

About Gaming Arts - Gaming Arts, LLC is an award-winning end-to-end gaming equipment technology provider of electronic gaming machines, electronic table games, bingo, keno, and emerging technologies. Gaming Arts is privately owned and operated, with its business headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is licensed in approximately 150 jurisdictions. To learn more, visit http://www.gamingarts.com/ or call 702.818.8943.

Media Contact

Bree Cardona

Marketing Manager

725.223.4592

SOURCE Gaming Arts, LLC
VAUGHAN, ON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - GFL Environmental Inc. (NYSE: GFL) (TSX: GFL) ("GFL" or the "Company") today announced that the Board of Directors of the Company has declared a cash dividend of US$0.012 for each outstanding subordinate voting share and multiple voting share of the Company for the third quarter of 2022.

The cash dividend will be paid on October 31, 2022 to shareholders of record at the close of business on October 17, 2022. The Company has designated this dividend as an eligible dividend within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

GFL also announced that the Company's investor conference call related to its 2022 third quarter financial results is being rescheduled to 10:00 am Eastern Time on Thursday, November 3, 2022 (previously 8:30 am Eastern Time).

Dial-in and registration details are unchanged from those previously announced and are reproduced below. Participants who have already pre-registered for the conference call do not need to register again.

A live audio webcast of the conference call can be accessed by logging onto the Company's Investors page at investors.gflenv.com or by clicking here or listeners may access the call toll-free by dialing 1-833-950-0062 in Canada or 1-844-200-6205 in the United States (access code: 688022) approximately 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.

The Company encourages participants who will be dialing in to pre-register for the conference call using the following link: https://www.netroadshow.com/events/login?show=19bafd94&confId=42493. Callers who pre-register will be given a conference access code and PIN to gain immediate access to the call and bypass the live operator on the day of the call.

About GFL

GFL, headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario, is the fourth largest diversified environmental services company in North America, providing a comprehensive line of solid waste management, liquid waste management and soil remediation services through its platform of facilities throughout Canada and in more than half of the U.S. states. Across its organization, GFL has a workforce of more than 19,000 employees.

Forward Looking Statements

This release includes certain "forward-looking statements", which are not guarantees or assurances of future performance. Because forward-looking statements are related to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. GFL undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, except as required by applicable securities laws. The declaration, timing, amount and payment of any future dividends remains at the discretion of GFL's Board of Directors.

For more information:

Patrick Dovigi

+1 905-326-0101

[email protected]

SOURCE GFL Environmental Inc.
DUBLIN, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Barite Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global barite market size reached US$ 1.7 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 2.2 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.39% 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.



Barite is a white or colorless naturally occurring mineral composed of barium and sulfate. The barite group consists of anhydrite, celestine and anglesite and is commonly extracted from lead-zinc mines in vein, residual and bedded deposit variants. The vein and residual deposits are hydrothermal, whereas the bedded deposits are sedimentary deposits.

Barite exhibits various advantageous properties, such as low solubility, high density, chemical inertness and cost-effectiveness. It is used as a weighting, filler and extender agent and as a crucial ingredient to manufacture barium carbonate. As a result, it finds extensive applications across various industries, such as oil and gas, chemical, rubber, plastic, medical and pharmaceutical.



Significant growth in the oil and gas industry, along with increasing offshore and ultra-deep exploration activities across the globe, is one of the key factors creating a positive outlook for the market. Barite is used as a weighing agent in oil well drilling fluids as it counters the pressure resulting from drilling operations.

Moreover, the widespread adoption of barite for the manufacturing of plastic products is also driving the market growth. It is used as a non-toxic, water-soluble and stable chemical filler to enhance the gloss, strength and weatherability of plastic products.

Additionally, the rising product demand for the production of paints, coating, rubbers, pharmaceuticals and automobile components, is acting as another growth-inducing factor. Rapid urbanization, along with increasing product utilization in the medical industry to absorb X- and Gamma rays, are some of the factors that are anticipated to drive the market further.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Anglo Pacific Minerals Ltd., Ashapura Minechem Limited (AMCOL International Corporation), Baker Hughes Company, International Earth Products LLC, Milwhite Inc., Newpark Resources Inc., P&S Barite Mining Co. Ltd., Schlumberger Limited, Sojitz Corporation, The Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation Limited and The Cary Company.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global barite market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global barite market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the grade?

What is the breakup of the market based on the application?

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 barite 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 Barite Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Grade

6.1 Upto 3.9

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Special Grade 4.0

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Special Grade 4.1

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Special Grade 4.2

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast

6.5 Special Grade 4.3 and Above

6.5.1 Market Trends

6.5.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Application

7.1 Oil and Gas

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Chemicals

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Pharmaceuticals

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

7.4 Others

7.4.1 Market Trends

7.4.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Region



9 SWOT Analysis



10 Value Chain Analysis



11 Porters Five Forces Analysis

12 Price Analysis



13 Competitive Landscape

13.1 Market Structure

13.2 Key Players

13.3 Profiles of Key Players

13.3.1 Anglo Pacific Minerals Ltd.

13.3.1.1 Company Overview

13.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.2 Ashapura Minechem Limited (AMCOL International Corporation)

13.3.2.1 Company Overview

13.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.3 Baker Hughes Company

13.3.3.1 Company Overview

13.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.4 International Earth Products LLC

13.3.4.1 Company Overview

13.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.5 Milwhite Inc.

13.3.5.1 Company Overview

13.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.6 Newpark Resources Inc

13.3.6.1 Company Overview

13.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.6.3 Financials

13.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.7 P&S Barite Mining Co. Ltd.

13.3.7.1 Company Overview

13.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.8 Schlumberger Limited

13.3.8.1 Company Overview

13.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.8.3 Financials

13.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.9 Sojitz Corporation

13.3.9.1 Company Overview

13.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.9.3 Financials

13.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.10 The Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation Limited

13.3.10.1 Company Overview

13.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.11 The Cary Company

13.3.11.1 Company Overview

13.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/portk6

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
Photographer Nick Ut and 'napalm girl' Kim Phuc will return to the Vietnamese village where iconic photo was taken 50 years ago

CHICAGO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1972, Associated Press photographer Nick Ut captured one of the most searing images of the 20th century: a young girl, naked and burned, running down a road after a napalm attack by the South Vietnamese Air Force. For the first time in 50 years, Ut and the subject of that photo, Kim Phuc, will return together to the village where it was taken, as part of a trip organized by Gohagan & Company.

Napalm Girl 1972 (left) and Kim Phuc and Nick Ut (right)

This 15-day land and sea tour of Vietnam and Cambodia, from October 29 to November 12, will be an extraordinary journey filled with exclusive insights not available from any other travel program, including an opportunity to meet the two people behind a photograph that changed the world. Participants will get an in-depth look at the region's scenic beauty, rich culture and fascinating history, while staying in five-star accommodations.

The itinerary includes two nights in Hanoi, Vietnam's bustling capital, known for its centuries-old architecture; a seven-night cruise on the South China Sea aboard the five-star Le Laperouse, with a private balcony in each of its 92 staterooms and suites; visits to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the imperial city of Hue; and three nights in Siem Reap, Cambodia, to explore the magnificent temples of Angkor. There's also an optional post-trip extension in Bangkok.

Travelers will have a chance to meet Phuc, now a Canadian citizen, and hear about her commitment to global peace. Reporter Jim Laurie will discuss his experiences covering Vietnam and Cambodia for NBC News in 1972. And Ut will conduct a workshop, along with fellow award-winning photographer Mark Edward Harris, which will help participants take better travel photos.

"This trip represents the kind of experiential travel that Gohagan specializes in," said Ted Sykes, Chief Executive Officer, Gohagan & Company. "For more than 35 years, we've been creating innovative journeys designed to appeal to intellectually curious and discerning travelers. We're excited about introducing our clients to the treasures of Vietnam and Cambodia and facilitating a historic return for Nick Ut and Kim Phuc to the place where their lives entwined on that tragic day 50 years ago."

"I want to thank Gohagan & Company for providing me with an opportunity to talk about my vital work as part of this journey," said Phuc, who has served as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and started the Kim Foundational International, which helps children whose lives have been affected by war.

"I have remained friends with Kim Phuc for 50 years, and I am thrilled to be able to go on this trip with her," said Ut. I'm also looking forward to helping travelers discover the beauty, history and culture of Vietnam."

Gohagan & Company specializes in one-of-a-kind, all-inclusive itineraries that are the result of decades of research, planning and firsthand experience in places around the world, complete with exclusive experiences and destination experts guiding the way. Gohagan is also the preferred provider of exclusive domestic and international travel programs to North America's most prestigious alumni associations, museums and cultural institutions.

Travelers interested in booking the trip to Vietnam and Cambodia can visit gohagantravel.com for more information.

CONTACT: Eric Mills, [email protected], 323-274-5242

SOURCE Gohagan & Company
ST. LOUIS, Mo., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Newsweek today announced its annual rankings for the Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces, and Graybar was named to the prestigious list. The 2022 Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces list is the result of a collaboration with the Best Practice Institute (BPI), a leadership development and benchmark research company.

Newsweek Names Graybar a Most Loved Workplace.

To compile the list, BPI surveyed more than 1.4 million employees from businesses with workforces varying in size from 50 to more than 10,000. The Top 100 list recognizes companies that put respect, caring, and appreciation for their employees at the center of their business model and, in doing so, have earned the loyalty and respect of the people who work for them.

"I am very proud that Graybar has been named one of Newsweek's Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces for 2022," said Graybar Chairman, President and CEO Kathleen M. Mazzarella. "This recognition is a testament to our employee ownership culture and the people whose innovative spirit, customer focus and shared values have made our company successful for so many years."

Companies on the Top 100 list were evaluated on a combination of factors, including employee survey responses, external data, and interviews with company officials. The employee survey measured employees' views about their future at the company, career achievement, alignment of values, culture of respect, and the level of collaboration in the workplace. In addition, companies were analyzed on factors such as inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging, and company response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As a result of 'The Great Resignation,' more companies recognize the importance of focusing on employee satisfaction to not only attract but retain top talent," said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief, Newsweek. "The businesses on this year's list clearly demonstrated that commitment."

For the full Newsweek list of 2022's Most Loved Workplaces, please click here.

Graybar, a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest employee-owned companies in North America, is a leader in the distribution of high quality electrical, communications and data networking products, and specializes in related supply chain management and logistics services. Through its network of more than 300 North American distribution facilities, it stocks and sells products from thousands of manufacturers, helping its customers power, network, automate and secure their facilities with speed, intelligence and efficiency. For more information, visit www.graybar.com or call 1-800-GRAYBAR.

Media Contact:

Tim Sommer

(314) 578-7672

[email protected]

SOURCE Graybar
Greif Ranked as 58 Among 100 U.S. Companies Recognized for Employee Sentiment and Satisfaction

DELAWARE, Ohio, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Greif (NYSE: GEF, GEF.B), a global leader in industrial packaging products and services, announced today they are featured in Newsweek's Most Loved Workplaces list for 2022 for the second year in a row. The 2022 Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces is the result of a collaboration with the Best Practice Institute (BPI), a leadership development and benchmark research company.

"Greif is honored to be recognized again as a Top 100 company among the Most Loved Workplaces for 2022," said Ole Rosgaard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Greif. "Our unique company culture is grounded in caring for our colleagues and working with respect and integrity wherever we are in the world. Greif's success reflects a work environment that incorporates diversity, equity, inclusion and a genuine feeling of belonging."

The top 100 results were determined after surveying over 1.4 million employees from businesses with workforces varying in size from 50 to more than 10,000. The list recognizes companies that put respect, caring, and appreciation for their employees at the center of their business model and, in doing so, have earned the loyalty and respect of the people who work for them.

"I am pleased Greif has been recognized as a Top 100 company for Newsweek's Most Loved Workplaces for the second year in a row, and I want to thank our colleagues for their authentic engagement and inclusion efforts. This recognition presents an exciting opportunity for Greif to attract top talent and expand our already diverse global company culture with exceptional candidates," said Bala V. Sathyanarayanan, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of Greif.

How workers feel about their future at a company, career achievement, how much their employer's values align with employee values, respect at all levels, and the level of collaboration were the five critical areas measured to gauge employee sentiment. In addition, areas involving inclusion, diversity, equity, and company response and adaptability to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as return-to-office rules, were also identified and analyzed in relation to the five critical areas measured.

Newsweek's list of 2022's Most Loved Workplaces is featured in the magazine's October 6 print edition and is currently available online. The 2022 Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces list is the main focus and cover story of the October 14 issue, their flagship issue entirely devoted to America's Most Loved Workplaces.

About Greif, Inc.

Greif is a global leader in industrial packaging products and services and is pursuing its vision: Be the best performing customer service company in the world. The Company produces steel, plastic and fibre drums, intermediate bulk containers, reconditioned containers, containerboard, uncoated recycled paperboard, coated recycled paperboard, tubes and cores and a diverse mix of specialty products. The Company also manufactures packaging accessories and provides filling, packaging and other services for a wide range of industries. In addition, Greif manages timber properties in the southeastern United States. The Company is strategically positioned in over 35 countries to serve global as well as regional customers. Additional information is on the Company's website at www.greif.com.

Contact:

Cheryl Caudill

VP Global Marketing Communications

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Greif, Inc.
DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GTN, a fintech-powered global trading and investment ecosystem, has appointed Jorge Sanchez-Galiani as Chief Marketing Officer. A seasoned marketer, Jorge will build GTN's marketing organisation, working alongside the executive leadership team to accelerate the group expansion.

Most recently, Jorge served as Head of Marketing for the Hong Kong-based FinTech, Premialab, creating the marketing function foundations to strengthen the business growth trajectory. With over 16 years of experience, he has held senior marketing roles at Ocorian, Moody's Analytics, ICE Data Services (former Interactive Data) and Thomson Reuters.

As CMO, he will lead all aspects of GTN's global marketing organisation  focusing on driving measurable growth, building GTN's global brand reputation, expanding client relationships, and supporting the organisation's revenue growth ambitions.

Commenting on the appointment, Manjula Jayasinghe, the Group CEO of GTN, said: "We are excited to have Jorge join Team GTN as the CMO. His vast experience in managing the marketing function in the FinTech domain will fuel GTN's marketing and communication strategy globally."

"I'm inspired by GTN's leadership team and company culture, particularly its focus on driving growth and unlocking value for its clients and their end clients," said Jorge Sanchez-Galiani, CMO, GTN. "I am enthused by the calibre of our strategic investors, IFC and SBI Group, and I look forward to propelling GTN's regional success globally, making a difference for clients, investors, and partners."

This latest executive hire follows several recent leadership appointments across the MENA and APAC regions to enable the GTN leadership's vision of becoming the most comprehensive electronic trading and investment platform globally.

About GTN

GTN is a fintech-powered global trading and investment ecosystem headquartered at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) with regulated operating subsidiaries in Dubai and Singapore, serving their respective regions. GTN operates on a B2B and B2B2C business model enabling customers to access over 80 cash equities markets and multiple asset classes using its proprietary trading and investment platform. Over 300 employees dedicate their talent and passion to the shared common purpose of creating the most comprehensive global trading ecosystem, offering best-in-class execution, custody, and post-trade solutions. GTN's buy-side and sell-side clients rely on its services and solutions to access trading and investment opportunities across asset classes and geographies. Please visit www.gtngroup.com for more information about GTN, or connect with us on LinkedIn.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1904122/GTN_Logo.jpg

SOURCE GTN
Scott Brinker Appointed President and Chief Executive Officer and Elected as Member of the Board

Tom Herzog Steps Down as Chief Executive Officer and Board Director

Scott Bohn Named Chief Development Officer and Adam Mabry Appointed Chief Investment Officer

DENVER, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthpeak Properties, Inc. (NYSE: PEAK) today announced that its Board of Directors (the "Board") has appointed Scott Brinker, the Company's President and Chief Investment Officer, as President and Chief Executive Officer, and elected him to the Healthpeak Board, effective immediately. Mr. Brinker succeeds Tom Herzog, who mutually agreed with the Board to step down as Chief Executive Officer and from the Board to pursue other endeavors.

Healthpeak also announced that Scott Bohn, Executive Vice President  Co-Head of Life Science, was appointed Chief Development Officer, in addition to retaining his role as Co-Head of Life Science, and Adam Mabry, previously Senior Vice President  Investments, was promoted to Chief Investment Officer.

"Healthpeak's financial and operational results over the last several quarters underscore the momentum of the business, which positions it well to continue to succeed and deliver value," said Brian Cartwright, independent Chairman of the Board. "On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Tom for his many contributions over his six-year plus tenure and setting a solid foundation for the business moving forward. Scott has played a critical role in Healthpeak's performance and we are pleased that he will step into the CEO role and welcome him to the Board."

Mr. Brinker served as President and Chief Investment Officer of Healthpeak since January 2020. He was previously Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of the Company. Prior to joining Healthpeak in 2018, Mr. Brinker served in various investment and portfolio management-related roles at Welltower Inc., a healthcare REIT, between July 2001 and January 2017, most recently as its Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer.

On the appointment of Mr. Brinker, Mr. Cartwright continued, "Since joining Healthpeak, Scott has consistently proven his operational expertise, strategic acumen and experience driving growth and profitability. He has been essential in both shaping and executing our growth strategies while maintaining a disciplined approach to capital allocation. Scott is exceptionally qualified to serve as CEO and the Board is confident that he will continue to deliver long-term value for all our stakeholders."

Mr. Brinker commented, "I am honored to step into this role and excited about Healthpeak's future. I look forward to working closely with our world-class team and Board to capitalize on our scale and expertise in life science, medical office, and CCRC real estate. We expect our high-quality portfolio and platform to produce consistent internal growth through the inevitable market cycles. Our land bank and relationships should drive attractive opportunities for accretive external growth, while we remain disciplined about capital allocation. This is an exciting time to take the helm, as our operating results and balance sheet are in good shape amidst a more chaotic economic environment. I am grateful to Tom for his substantial efforts and I look forward to building on the successful foundation he built for Healthpeak."

"It has been a privilege to serve as CEO of Healthpeak and I am deeply proud of what we have been able to achieve together for our investors and stakeholders over the last several years," said Mr. Herzog, outgoing CEO. "I am confident that Scott is the right leader at the right time to drive Healthpeak forward, building on our strong momentum and continuing to generate sustainable long-term value for our shareholders, employees and customers. I would like to thank the Board, Scott and the entire management team for their partnership and I look forward to watching Healthpeak's continued success."

Mr. Bohn has served as Executive Vice President  Co-Head of Life Science since February 2022, previously serving as Senior Vice President  Co-Head of Life Science. Prior to joining the Company in 2012, he held various development, acquisition and leasing positions at Terreno Realty Corporation, AMB Property Corporation and RREEF/Deutsche Bank.

Mr. Mabry, a CFA charterholder, has served as Senior Vice President  Investments since September 2018, previously serving as Senior Vice President  Corporate Transactions from February 2018 to September 2018, and Vice President  Corporate Transactions from June 2017 to January 2018. Prior to joining Healthpeak, he was a Vice President at The Wolff Company and a Vice President at Barclays in the real estate investment banking group.

About Healthpeak Properties

Healthpeak Properties, Inc. is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (REIT) and S&P 500 company. Healthpeak owns and develops high-quality real estate in the three private-pay healthcare asset classes of Life Science, Medical Office and CCRC. At Healthpeak, we pair our deep understanding of the healthcare real estate market with a strong vision for long-term growth. For more information regarding Healthpeak, visit www.healthpeak.com.

Contact:

Andrew Johns, CFA

Senior Vice President  Investor Relations

720-428-5400

Forward Looking Statements

Statements contained in this release 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. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding our and our officers' intent, belief or expectation as identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "project," "expect," "believe," "intend," "anticipate," "seek," "target," "forecast," "plan," "potential," "estimate," "could," "would," "should" and other comparable and derivative terms or the negatives thereof. Forward-looking statements reflect our current expectations and views about future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect our future financial condition and results of operations. While forward-looking statements reflect our good faith belief and assumptions we believe to be reasonable based upon current information, we can give no assurance that our expectations or forecasts will be attained. Further, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of any such forward-looking statement contained in this release, and such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the Covid pandemic and health and safety measures intended to reduce its spread, the availability, effectiveness and public usage and acceptance of vaccines, and how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume within the markets in which we operate; the ability of our existing and future tenants, operators and borrowers to conduct their respective businesses in a manner sufficient to maintain or increase their revenues and manage their expenses in order to generate sufficient income to make rent and loan payments to us and our ability to recover investments made, if applicable, in their operations; increased competition, operating costs and market changes affecting our tenants, operators and borrowers; the financial condition of our tenants, operators and borrowers, including potential bankruptcies and downturns in their businesses, and their legal and regulatory proceedings; our concentration of real estate investments in the healthcare property sector, which makes us more vulnerable to a downturn in a specific sector than if we invested in multiple industries and exposes us to the risks inherent in illiquid investments; our ability to identify and secure replacement tenants and operators and the potential renovation costs and regulatory approvals associated therewith; our property development, redevelopment and tenant improvement activity risks, including project abandonments, project delays and lower profits than expected; changes within the life science industry; high levels of regulation, funding requirements, expense and uncertainty faced by our life science tenants; the ability of the hospitals on whose campuses our MOBs are located and their affiliated healthcare systems to remain competitive or financially viable; our ability to maintain or expand our hospital and health system client relationships; operational risks associated with third party management contracts, including the additional regulation and liabilities of our RIDEA lease structures; economic and other conditions that negatively affect geographic areas from which we recognize a greater percentage of our revenue; uninsured or underinsured losses, which could result in significant losses and/or performance declines by us or our tenants and operators; our investments in joint ventures and unconsolidated entities, including our lack of sole decision making authority and our reliance on our partners' financial condition and continued cooperation; our use of fixed rent escalators, contingent rent provisions and/or rent escalators based on the Consumer Price Index; competition for suitable healthcare properties to grow our investment portfolio; our ability to foreclose on collateral securing our real estate-related loans; our ability to make material acquisitions and successfully integrate them; the potential impact on us and our tenants, operators and borrowers from litigation matters, including rising liability and insurance costs; an increase in our borrowing costs, including due to higher interest rates; the availability of external capital on acceptable terms or at all, including due to rising interest rates, changes in our credit ratings and the value of our common stock, volatility or uncertainty in the capital markets, and other factors; cash available for distribution to stockholders and our ability to make dividend distributions at expected levels; our ability to manage our indebtedness level and covenants in and changes to the terms of such indebtedness; changes in global, national and local economic and other conditions; laws or regulations prohibiting eviction of our tenants; the failure of our tenants, operators and borrowers to comply with federal, state and local laws and regulations, including resident health and safety requirements, as well as licensure, certification and inspection requirements; required regulatory approvals to transfer our senior housing properties; compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and fire, safety and other regulations; the requirements of, or changes to, governmental reimbursement programs such as Medicare or Medicaid; legislation to address federal government operations and administration decisions affecting the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; our participation in the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund and other Covid-related stimulus and relief programs; provisions of Maryland law and our charter that could prevent a transaction that may otherwise be in the interest of our stockholders; environmental compliance costs and liabilities associated with our real estate investments; our ability to maintain our qualification as a REIT; changes to U.S. federal income tax laws, and potential deferred and contingent tax liabilities from corporate acquisitions; calculating non-REIT tax earnings and profits distributions; ownership limits in our charter that restrict ownership in our stock; the loss or limited availability of our key personnel; our reliance on information technology systems and the potential impact of system failures, disruptions or breaches; and other risks and uncertainties described from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Except as required by law, we do not undertake, and hereby disclaim, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made.

SOURCE Healthpeak Properties, Inc.
Members of the U.S. Attorney's Office and the U.S. Department of Justice to Serve as Panelists

GERMANTOWN, Md., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The HealthWell Foundation, an independent non-profit that provides a financial lifeline for inadequately insured Americans, is honored to announce that its Chief Development Officer, Alan Klein, will moderate the Government Enforcement Trends Impacting Copay Assistance panel during the Copay, Reimbursement and Access Congress to be held October 12  14, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The panel will take place on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, from 2:15 p.m.  3:00 p.m. EDT. Joining Mr. Klein for the discussion will be Matt Howatt, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Augustine Ripa, Senior Counsel for Health Care Fraud, Fraud Section, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice, and Robert Clark, Esq., Managing Member, ClarkLaw PLLC.

During this timely discussion, panelists will address government oversight and enforcement trends to identify key areas of focus for patient access initiatives. If you will be attending the congress, either in-person or virtually, we hope you will join us for this informative session.

"We are pleased that the conference sponsors continue to recognize the significance of government enforcements related to charitable copayment assistance programs (CPAPs)," commented Alan Klein, Chief Development Officer, HealthWell Foundation. "The impact regulatory compliance has on the industry as a whole and, more importantly, on the patients who depend on CPAPs to access lifesaving medications they otherwise would not be able to afford, must always be paramount. Recent enforcement actions in the CPAP arena are a critical reminder of the legal requirements of efficient, transparent, and compliant operations and of the negative impact non-compliance places on patients."

To learn more about the Copay, Reimbursement and Access Congress, visit: https://informaconnect.com/copay-reimbursement-access. To learn more about HealthWell programs and our robust disease fund portfolio, visit our website at HealthWellFoundation.org.

About the HealthWell Foundation

A nationally recognized, independent non-profit organization founded in 2003, the HealthWell Foundation has served as a safety net across over 85 disease areas for more than 727,000 underinsured patients. Since its inception, HealthWell has provided over $2.7 billion in financial support through more than 1.1 million grants to access life-changing medical treatments patients otherwise would not be able to afford. HealthWell provides financial assistance to adults and children facing medical hardship resulting from gaps in their insurance that cause out-of-pocket medical expenses to escalate rapidly; HealthWell assists with the treatment-related cost-sharing obligations of these patients. HealthWell ranked 27th on the 2021 Forbes list of The 100 Largest U.S. Charities and was recognized for its 100 percent fundraising efficiency. For more information, visit www.HealthWellFoundation.org.

CONTACT:

Ginny Dunn

240-632-5309

[email protected]

SOURCE HealthWell Foundation
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EducationDynamics and Google recently brought together several higher ed leaders and industry experts to discuss these challenges, which will likely continue for several years. Despite challenges that many schools are facing, the day's conversation focused on the opportunity to attract students with Some College, No Credential, and serve them through non-traditional programs that offer more flexibility and better fit their lives and objectives.

The challenge facing the higher ed leaders in attendance is how to attract and serve these students in an increasingly complex and competitive marketplace, driven by an increased awareness of the possibilities of online learning and a more competitive marketplace as more colleges and universities turn their attention to online programs.

To help schools better understand and engage these students, experts from EducationDynamics and Google shared the latest best practices for engaging prospective students. The conversation centered on the role of the modern higher ed marketer, and the strategies they can leverage as marketing becomes more complex and strategic with Artificial Intelligence helping to automate many of the data-intensive tasks previously managed by people.

Participants in the half-day Huddle also exchanged ideas about the best marketing channels that resonate with students, and ways to best leverage these channels to reach more prospective students more efficiently.

"This event was an important opportunity for us to share what's happening in the higher education landscape and discuss where we can focus our energies to help higher education better serve adult students," said Bruce Douglas, CEO of EducationDynamics. "As more students turn to online learning to gain the skills they need for success in today's economy, it is essential that we work closely with our partners in marketing and higher education to understand their needs and help them adapt to a rapidly evolving landscape."

EducationDynamics organized the InsightsEDU Huddle to provide the opportunity to collaborate with leaders from marketing and higher education in an intimate setting designed to inform, motivate, and inspire. This event was hosted in a larger series of events geared towards higher ed marketing and enrollment management. The next event in the series is the annual InsightsEDU conference, which is being held in Denver on March 7-9, 2023.

About EducationDynamics

EducationDynamics is the industry leader in helping colleges and universities achieve their enrollment goals through the company's unique ability to find the highest quality adult student prospects. As the trusted partner to more than 900 higher educational institutions, EducationDynamics has earned a reputation for providing the resources and expertise required to meet a wide range of industry challenges, delivering inquiry generation and agency of record marketing (e.g. paid digital, organic search, awareness), enrollment management, retention, and technology solutions to universities across the country. For more information, visit educationdynamics.com.

Please direct inquiries to:

Eric McGee

Director of Marketing & Communications

Phone: 561-912-1858

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE EducationDynamics
CINCINNATI, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- When Home Helpers Home Care was founded 25 years ago, in-home care wasn't a commonly used service. Few knew there were options to bring needed care and assistance with daily living into the home. Proud to have brought the industry into the mainstream, Home Helpers Home Care has now provided more than 100 million hours of care and has had a remarkable impact on clients and their families all across the country.

The Home Care Association of America's (HCAOA) most recent report, Home Care at a Crossroads , showed that, among adults 65+ who are receiving care, 69 percent have long-term physical conditions, 39 percent have memory problems and 21 percent have emotional or health issues.

Home Helpers Home Care is celebrating both 25 years in business and 100 million hours of care. Tweet this

"Home care has significantly improved people's ability to live independently longer, which saves families money and provides a better quality of life for the recipient," shared Bobby Hartwiger, Home Helpers' longest operating franchisee. "For previous generations, living with these conditions would have meant long-term care. I've seen first-hand how Home Helpers has enabled clients to live safely and independently longer. What we do is such a blessing."

"Since its inception, Home Helpers has always had a mission to be the extended family when family cannot be there to provide care. That's what we've done for the past 25 years. Home Helpers has truly differentiated itself with how that care is delivered," Emma Dickison CEO & President of Home Helpers said. "Home Helpers makes it easier for seniors and those with lifelong conditions to be active. Many clients want to remain in their home forever, never needing the assistance of long-term care, and our services have adapted to meet those needs. Caregivers now run errands, take clients out shopping,, prepare meals and create life-long relationships with their clients. Technology solutions reduce risks of falls, assist in predicting additional care needs and provide additional support during emergencies, all while integrating with our in-person care. Home Helpers integrated care model ensures our clients are truly cared for."

And it's working. According to the HCAOA, families who use home care in lieu of residential care are saving money, reducing healthcare costs, and staying home upwards of 3 years longer.

"We've grown by 400 percent over the last 10 years and our caregivers now provide care in more than 1,500 communities. The last 25 years of care has taught us that home care will continue remain relevant well into the future," continued Dickison.

Home Helpers Home Care offers the industry's leading model for comprehensive care with its unique care program, Cared-4SM, which provides the four necessary components to living independently. This includes Personal Care and Companionship, Nutrition and Well-Being , 24-Hour Monitoring , and Wellness Calls.. Families looking for dependable, in-home care by Caregivers who are fully trained, background checked, and insured can call a local Home Helpers Home Care office for a free in-home consultation.

To find out more about Home Helpers Home Care's commitment to excellence, please call 800-990-9750 or visit https://homehelpershomecare.com.

ABOUT HOME HELPERS HOME CARE

Since 1997, Home Helpers Home Care has provided exceptional in-home care to seniors and others. With independently owned and operated offices in more than 1,000 communities across the United States, we are committed to supporting the dignity and independence of the families we serve. Learn more at HomeHelpersHomeCare.com. For franchising information, visit HomeHelpersFranchise.com.

SOURCE Home Helpers Home Care
$57 million overhaul will enable residents to enjoy a better standard of living for years to come

EAST ORANGE, N.J., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hudson Valley Property Group (HVPG), a leading, national affordable housing preservation company, announces the completion of the $57 million preservation project at Corinthian Towers, a 221-unit housing complex in the 4th Ward of East Orange, New Jersey.

City of East Orange Mayor Ted R. Green, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) officials attended a ribbon cutting ceremony earlier today to celebrate the completion of the extensive renovations and upgrades to Corinthian Towers.

Corinthian Towers

The comprehensive renovations totaling ~$11.5 million (~$50,000 per unit) feature major home improvements, including complex-wide infrastructure modernization, apartment upgrades, and the implementation of enhanced site monitoring utilizing intelligent cameras for adherence to HVPG's community standards, marking a new beginning for the 94-year-old facility.

"With the help of the City of East Orange, HUD and the NJHMFA, we are honored to transform Corinthian Towers into a place that residents will be proud to call home," said Jason Bordainick, co-founder and managing partner of Hudson Valley Property Group. "As the demand for affordable housing continues to increase across the nation, this project exemplifies our commitment to partnerships to make these projects possible and the quality and affordability we provide residents across our properties."

"The City of East Orange is excited to celebrate the completion of this expansive renovation project at Corinthian Towers and I applaud Hudson Valley Property Group for making this significant investment in our community," said Mayor Ted R. Green. "Quality, affordable housing is one of my administration's top priorities and the partnership we share with HVPG, HUD and the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency is an excellent example of how we can improve the standard of living for our residents, preserve the stability of our neighborhoods, and contribute to the economic revitalization of our city."

"The preservation of affordable housing is one of HUD's top priorities, and Corinthian Towers is a great example," said Alicka Ampry-Samuel, HUD Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey. "HUD is committed to providing rental subsidies to ensure these homes remain affordable so residents can count on housing and financial stability for years to come."

"NJHMFA is proud to support the $11.5 million plan to renovate, improve and ensure the continued affordability of Corinthian Towers," said NJHMFA Executive Director Melanie R. Walter. "These improvements will provide long-term safe, stable housing for 221 East Orange families; they represent a transformative investment in the future of this vital community."

All apartment units at the property received a subsidy through a HUD project-based Section 8 Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract. To ensure the long-term affordability of the property, HVPG obtained a new, 20-year-term HAP contract. No residents were displaced as a result of this transaction. HVPG additionally brought in a new property management partner at the property, Community Realty Management of Pleasantville, NJ.

Financing the rehabilitation included private equity raised from the Hudson Valley Preservation Fund, LLC, NJHMFA tax-exempt bonds and 4% Low Income Tax Credits (LIHTC) purchased by PNC, a construction loan from PNC and a Freddie Mac credit enhanced Tax-Exempt Loan (TEL) originated by PGIM Real Estate. The City of East Orange supported the project with a long-term PILOT Agreement.

Renovations of the 221 apartments included designer inspired kitchen cabinetry and countertops with high efficiency appliances, the creation of fully compliant ADA and H/V units, and new energy-efficient lighting and water conserving fixtures. HVPG also paid careful attention to the character of the building, reinvigorating the lobby's original terrazzo flooring with thoughtful tile touches carrying over to custom brass entry doors. A full elevator modernization was undertaken, and the old elevator car was donated to the Patterson Fire Department to be used for their ongoing training program. In addition, the building's generator, boilers, and roofing were replaced, adding to the quality-of-life upgrade provided to the residents. Security measures were also overhauled at the property with new generation, advanced smart cameras allowing for full building viewing in high definition, an audio and visual intercom system, and the addition of monitored access control points.

"The building has changed a lot since Hudson Valley Property Group took over. It's cleaner, the hallways are nicer, there are no rodent problems. Safety of the building is number one. Overall, it's a good place to live and raise your kids," says Jamillah Ellis, a resident of Corinthian Towers.

With construction now complete and similar to other HVPG properties, ownership and management will look to partner with local not-for-profit organizations and healthcare and technology providers to offer curated resident services programming at the property. HVPG currently owns over 4,500 units of affordable housing across 27 properties throughout the state of New Jersey.

This completion follows Hudson Valley Property Group's recent announcement that it closed its second fund, raising $292 million in capital commitments from a broad range of institutional investors. HVPG anticipates preserving more than 10,000 homes with the latest investment fund and continuing to expand its portfolio to provide quality affordable housing across the U.S.

About Hudson Valley Property Group (HVPG)

Hudson Valley Property Group (HVPG) preserves and elevates the quality of affordable housing in the United States. HVPG acquires existing affordable, multifamily properties and strategically invests capital to improve the physical, financial, and social vitality of each home. With improved operations and enhanced service offerings, HVPG properties deliver a better standard of living for its residents and stable investment assets. To date, HVPG has preserved over 9,500 units across more than 50 properties, serving more than 20,000 residents. For more information, visit: https://hudsonvalleypropertygroup.com/.

About Hudson Valley Preservation Fund (HVPF)

Hudson Valley Preservation Funds are Community Reinvestment Act-eligible real estate private equity funds managed by Hudson Valley Property Group (HVPG), an owner, developer, and operator of affordable housing. We leverage our expertise and relationships to apply a traditional model of investing in real estate to this specialized industry, preserving existing affordable housing while ensuring each asset is optimally financed, renovated, and operated. To date, HVPG and its funds have utilized equity and capital to leverage more than $2B of investment into affordable housing.

Contact:

Meredith Bishop

Prosek Partners for Hudson Valley Property Group

[email protected]

SOURCE Hudson Valley Property Group
By Trend

The Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), together with other infrastructure being constructed, has potential to completely change the shape of the gas industry in southern Europe, Julian Bowden, Senior Visiting Research Fellow at Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES) told Trend.

"It is a relatively small interconnector pipeline, 3 bcma initially and then expandable to 5 bcm with the construction of a compressor station. It will enable the direct from of Azerbaijani gas from Greece to Bulgaria, rather than an indirect flow in the older existing pipeline bringing Russian gas southwards from Bulgaria to Greece from Turk Stream," noted the expert.

Bowden believes that IGB must not been seen in isolation, but should be seen as part of overall changes in the region in terms of physical infrastructure, regulatory changes and co-operation between the regions TSOs (transmission system operators in each of the countries).

In this context, the completion of the LNG terminal at Alexandroupolis in northern Greece in late 2023 is important, as it will use IGB to move gas northwards to Bulgaria. At present, progress on the terminal (an offshore FSRU facility) seems good, and late 2023 appears to be realistic. It will have capacity of over 5 bcma. This new terminal, plus the existing Greece terminal at Revythoussa, will allow the movement of a lot of LNG into Greece and Bulgaria. It will probably accelerate the expansion of IGB to 5 bcm," he added.

The OIES expert noted that current gas demand in Greece is around 6 bcma, in Bulgaria 3.5 bcma.

"These 2 terminals (Revythoussa and Alexandropolis) would allow this demand to be completely met with LNG. If we add the pipeline gas from Azerbaijan, then there is plenty of capacity now to import gas and move the gas to Bulgaria and beyond. Strategically, therefore, what we see here is the potential of these countries to remove or displace all Russian gas from their supply arrangements," said Bowden.

IGB connects Bulgaria with the Southern Gas Corridor and will enable secure supplies from a variety of sources to several countries in Southeast and Central Europe, including Moldova and Ukraine.

The pipeline is set to transport 1 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas per year to Bulgaria. Its capacity is 3 billion cubic meters with the possibility of expanding to 5 billion cubic meters per year.
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today U.S. President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and IBM (NYSE: IBM) Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna will tour IBM's Poughkeepsie, New York site to see firsthand where the future of computing is being innovated, designed and manufactured. During the visit, IBM will announce a plan to invest $20 billion across the Hudson Valley region over the next 10 years. The goal of the investments, which will be strengthened by close collaboration with New York State, is to expand the vibrant technology ecosystem in New York to unlock new discoveries and opportunities in semiconductors, computers, hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence and quantum computers.

IBM has long called New York state home, and its business supports more than 7,500 jobs across the Hudson Valley. This region has been a hub of innovation and manufacturing for decades. From Westchester County to Poughkeepsie to Albany, IBMers are pushing the limits of computing and helping clients embrace digital transformation.

"IBM is deeply honored to host President Biden at our Poughkeepsie site today and we look forward to highlighting our commitments to the innovations that advance America's economy," Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO of IBM, said. "As we tackle large-scale technological challenges in climate, energy, transportation and more, we must continue to invest in innovation and discovery - because advanced technologies are key to solving these problems and driving economic prosperity, including better jobs, for millions of Americans."

President Biden's visit to the IBM Poughkeepsie site highlights the CHIPS and Science Act's unique opportunity to advance American innovation and manufacturing. The technology that IBM delivers today from Poughkeepsie will directly benefit from the CHIPS and Science Act that the President recently signed into law. It will ensure a reliable and secure supply of next-generation chips for today's computers and artificial intelligence platforms as well as fuel the future of quantum computing by accelerating research, expanding the quantum supply chain, and providing more opportunities for researchers to explore business and science applications of quantum systems.

IBM's Poughkeepsie site has helped the country embrace the transformative power of technology since 1941, from manufacturing armaments during World War II to developing and building the latest generation mainframe computers. In Poughkeepsie, IBM builds state-of-the-art mainframe computers that power the global economy. The site also is home to IBM's first Quantum Computation Center  where a large number of real quantum computers run in the cloud. IBM's vision is for Poughkeepsie to become a global hub of the company's quantum computing development, just as it is today for mainframes.

The future of semiconductor technologies also is being created in the Hudson Valley, from Yorktown Heights to Albany and beyond. In Albany, a unique public-private semiconductor ecosystem is where IBM last year announced the first 2 nanometer chip technology, one of the semiconductor industry's biggest breakthroughs of the last decade. The expansion of Albany's collaborative innovation model could be a foundation for the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) that will be implemented as part of the CHIPS and Science Act.

IBM's announcement today builds on and expands these investments in the future of American innovation, and will fuel economic growth and job opportunities for people of all backgrounds to work with cutting-edge systems and accelerate the pace of discovery across the Hudson Valley.

About IBM:

ibm.com

Media Contacts:

Ashley Bright

[email protected]

Miki Carver

[email protected]

SOURCE IBM
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IDrive e2 , an S3 compatible, scalable cloud-object storage platform, has recently released a new reseller program that gives MSPs and resellers the opportunity to purchase cloud storage space at a fraction of the cost of competing services and resell it to their customers at a price of their choosing.

Along with the IDrive e2 referral partner program, where resellers can refer IDrive e2 to their customers and earn 10% commission, this gives MSPs an opportunity to earn even more revenue with the most affordable S3 compatible storage platform available.

With the IDrive e2 Reseller Program, partners can offer their customers fast and large volumes of cloud storage. The service is an easy add-on to existing processes and solutions like backup, archiving, cloud replication, video surveillance systems, media production tools, and more, as well as being more affordable than AWS S3, letting users pay only for the storage used as IDrive e2 has a free ingress and egress policy.

Benefits of the new bulk reseller option include:

Meet the latest standards of data management with eleven 9s data durability, immutable storage, and storage policies

Offer petabytes of application, service, and workflow storage with quick uploads and downloads, accessible from a centralized web console

Reseller APIs: Integrate entire user management in any of your internal systems by using Reseller APIs such as create user, remove user, list users etc.

Create multiple accounts from your storage space and manage with ease from a centralized interface

Offer flexible data management with access configuration, encryption, object lock, versioning, and retention rules with bucket versioning

With a distributed network of 13 storage regions across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, customers can deploy applications, services, and important databases to the data center region closest to them for high performance and seamless operations.

IDrive e2 makes it easy to migrate your customers from their existing cloud storage, backup provider, or content management system to the e2 storage service, allowing resellers to:

Switch from on-premise data storage to IDrive e2 and eliminate handling and maintenance costs

Migrate data from other cloud providers to IDrive e2 and avoid additional charges on upload, download, or file deletion

Effortlessly pair with current S3 applications, data management tools, and gateways via S3 API integrations

Pricing starts at $2,000/year for 50TB of space, and there is a free 30 day 1TB trial available on the IDrive e2 website.

About IDrive

IDrive Inc. is a privately held company specializing in cloud storage, online backup, file sharing, remote access, compliance and related technologies. Core services include IDrive, RemotePC and IBackup.The company's services help over 4 million customers back up over 500 Petabytes of data.

SOURCE IDrive Inc.
Agency Founder Dave Imre Moves to Executive Chairman

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- imre today announces the appointment of Neera Chaudhary as its next Chief Executive Officer. Based in New York City, Chaudhary joined the agency on September 21, and will report to the agency's Board of Directors. Dave Imre, the agency's founder, will take on the role of Executive Chairman and remains a member of the Board of Directors.

Imre Names Neera Chaudhary as Next Chief Executive Officer

Chaudhary joins imre with more than two decades of experience leading top holding company agencies and practices and advising global clients across all industries with deep expertise for clients invested in healthcare across pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, health tech, consumer health, payor and health systems. Most recently serving as North America President of Ketchum, Chaudhary will lead imre's next growth phase as a leading full-service AOR. She will be responsible for the agency's business strategy and operations, talent, client engagements, growth and M&A.

"Upon meeting a remarkable set of candidates, the Board selected Neera because she's an inspiring hands-on leader who can galvanize people around a vision to usher in the next era of imre. Neera's large agency commercial experience of P&Ls exceeding $225M coupled with her growth prowess and energy for delivering disruptive firsts on behalf of clients, embodies all the qualities we were searching for in our next CEO," said Dave Imre.

"I'm proud of the agency we've built with a red thread to people and empathetic culture that has made the firm famous and Neera understands the ethos of that culture and has already begun building rapport within the team which is why I'm at ease passing her the baton. As Executive Chairman, my role will evolve to support Neera and the executive leadership team with culture and talent mentorship," added Imre.

Over the last 29 years imre evolved from a PR shop into a Digital/Social AOR, and has grown to become a full-service AOR. Its 2021 private equity investment by RLH Equity Partners proves the agency's independent business model is one clients are turning to when seeking more agile and innovative ways of working. As the agency scales under Chaudhary's leadership, they anticipate unlocking access to new, top talent while building and acquiring more in-demand services.

"Imre has built something special that has made it a magnet for impressive talent and digital-first clients at the forefront of marketing and communications. Its disruptor DNA, empathy-driven culture and diverse-owned heritage tells an incredibly rich story," said Chaudhary. "Under my leadership and in partnership with the executive leadership team, we'll further highlight the firm's unique equities in digital, analytics, creative, media and modern earned that has differentiated its role as full-service AOR while keeping that edge of delivering innovative firsts and award-winning campaigns for our partners," added Chaudhary.

Fueling its growth model is the agency's balance of global healthcare clients mixed in with brands across consumer verticals including retail, automotive, industrial, finance, tech and fashion.

"This alchemic blend of consumer marketing helps the agency by serving as a catalyst to explore culturally relevant behavioral shifts with consumers, and to recruit talent. As the consumerization of healthcare continues, it's already giving the agency an edge when working with healthcare brands and companies looking to break the status quo and I look forward to how we evolve this it-factor," added Chaudhary.

"As the eternal optimist of the firm, I know we have a bright future ahead with Neera as our CEO. We have positive momentum to close out the year, an energized team and fantastic partners as we head into this new era," added Mark Eber, President and Board Member.

About imre :

Imre works with many of the world's leading and high growth brands. Driven by innovation, the agency's integrated suite of marketing communications services include brand strategy, creative, omnichannel marketing, modern earned and media, data & analytics. Imre partners with a diversified and growing portfolio of brands including Amgen, AstraZeneca, Airstream, Bausch & Lomb, GSK, INFINITI, John Deere and PTC Therapeutics, among others. The agency maintains offices in New York, Los Angeles, Baltimore and Philadelphia in addition to a growing group of employees who work from anywhere. Imre is an LGBTQ-founded company.

About RLH Equity Partners:

RLH Equity Partners invests, together with entrepreneurial leadership teams, in uniquely positioned, high growth, knowledge-based B2B enterprises. Our portfolio companies span the business services, healthcare, and government services sectors and typically have $30-150 million of annual revenue at the time of investment. The RLH investment team, which averages 15 years of private equity experience, provides strategic and operational guidance to our portfolio companies in navigating the opportunities and challenges of scale and rapid growth. Our insights and processes to drive enterprise value have been honed over RLH's 40+ year history of successful investing. RLH currently manages over $1 billion of assets and is actively seeking new portfolio company investments.

SOURCE imre
Founding companies include BUCK, It's Nice That, VTProDesign, Giant Ant, Anyways Creative, If You Could Jobs, and Creative Lives in Progress, with more to follow

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the debut of Residence, a multidisciplinary network of companies with the shared vision of creating a thriving ecosystem to empower the creative community at large by nurturing rising talent, encouraging egoless creativity, and fostering community among its members.

Founded and led by the team that has grown creative services company BUCK to 600 employees across four offices, Residence consists of VTProDesign, Giant Ant, and the HudsonBec group, which itself comprises four companies. The full lineup includes:

Anyways Creative is an award-winning agency that impacts culture through creative collaboration. Based in London, Anyways explore new ways for brands to communicate and execute with a global network of collaborators. Anyways' clients include Google, Nike, IBM, Adobe, and Sonos.

BUCK is an Emmy award-winning style-agnostic creative company that crafts design, stories, and technology experienced by billions every day. With offices in Los Angeles, New York City, Sydney, and Amsterdam, BUCK's clients include Apple, Meta, Nike, Google, and Airbnb.

Creative Lives in Progress is an inclusive creative careers resource on a mission to transform the way emerging talent access, understand and connect with the industry. With a focus currently on the UK, Creative Lives in Progress encourages greater transparency and representation within the creative working world by sharing advice and insight, highlighting entry-level opportunities, as well as hosting events that bring talent and industry together.

Giant Ant is an Emmy award-winning creative studio focused on art, design, and animation. From their office in Vancouver, they work with a global list of clients including Google, Cartoon Network, Airbnb & Warner Brothers, to solve business problems with creativity.

If You Could Jobs is the place to find jobs in the creative industry. The platform is a quick and easy way to browse hundreds of roles across the creative industries. Currently focused on the UK, If You Could has helped companies of all shapes and sizes find creative talent.

It's Nice That is on a mission to inspire the global creative community by sharing stories, offering insights, and bringing people together to help them make more of their creativity. Over the last 15 years, It's Nice That has grown across many platforms and reaches over 2 million people every month.

VTProDesign is a Los Angeles-based interactive studio that connects people to brands through engaging experiences regardless of medium or technology. Their roster of clients includes Netflix, Google, Ray-Ban, and Heineken.

"We have arrived at a place where the culture of how we work is as important as what we deliver," says BUCK co-founder and CEO Jeff Ellermeyer. "In the shifting sands of creative services, we find ourselves at the right time and place to create a new network that champions this way of thinking."

The combined headcount for Residence tops 735 talent across seven offices and six timezones. Collectively, the group generated $170M USD in adjusted revenue for 2022. Member companies share infrastructure and benefit from federated finance, operations, and communications, while bespoke cross-company teams will unlock new creative possibilities and service offerings.

But the ambitions of Residence go beyond organizational efficiencies and business strategy.

"Residence promises to be a people-focused group based on shared values and vision. We're building a place with incredible commercial and creative potential for its members," says Ryan Honey, BUCK co-founder and Co-Chief Creative Officer. "A place that enables entrepreneurial organizations and people to continue to take risks, innovate and grow. A place that connects the world's most talented, creative people."

Residence is headquartered in Los Angeles and helmed by:

Jeff Ellermeyer , Chief Executive Officer

, Chief Executive Officer Ryan Honey , Co-Chief Creative Officer

, Co-Chief Creative Officer Orion Tait , Co-Chief Creative Officer

, Co-Chief Creative Officer Wade Milne , Chief Financial Officer

, Chief Financial Officer Madison Wharton , Chief Operating Officer

, Chief Operating Officer Jan Jensen , Chief Talent Officer

Following the launch of Residence, Emily Rickard will be promoted to the role of President at BUCK, where she will continue the growth she fostered as Chief Production Officer. Under her leadership, she oversaw the opening of BUCK's Amsterdam office and helped guide the company to eight straight years of high double-digit revenue growth.

ABOUT RESIDENCE

Jeff Ellermeyer, Orion Tait, and Ryan Honey founded BUCK in 2004. The company has since grown to more than 600 employees worldwide, pushing the boundaries of art, design, and technology. In October 2022, the team founded Residence with a focus on merging in like-minded creative companies to build an equitable creative services ecosystem. Companies in Residence include BUCK, VTProDesign, Anyways Creative, Giant Ant, It's Nice That, Creative Lives in Progress, and If You Could.

For more information, visit thisisresidence.co.

SOURCE Residence
Alfa Laval's Capital Markets Day will be held on 29 November 2022 at 10.00 - 17.00 CET.

LUND, Sweden, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- During the day, executive management will outline the strategic direction and operational performance as well as a deep dive into specific business areas and the opportunities ahead.

The CMD will this year be held at Alfa Laval's site in Soborg outside Copenhagen.

To participate, please register on Alfa Laval's website | Alfa Laval Capital Markets Day 2022 latest 14 November.

For more information:

Johan Lundin

Head of Investor Relations

Mail: [email protected]

Tel: +46 46 36 65 10

Mobil: +46 730 46 30 90

Beata Ardhe

Executive Assistant

Mail: [email protected]

Tel: +46 46 36 65 26

Mobil: +46 709 36 65 26

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/alfa-laval/r/invitation-to-alfa-laval-s-capital-markets-day-29-november-2022,c3644081

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/905/3644081/1635508.pdf CMD invite eng v2

SOURCE Alfa Laval
Groundbreaking new book to be released October 5

HOUSTON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In their upcoming book, A Categorical Defense of Our Future, senior engineers Esteban Montero and Brandon Baylor demonstrate that current approaches to problem-solving in business and industry are floundering when it comes to an increasingly interconnected world.

Every attempt to solve a problem creates a ripple effect of unintended consequences, some more severe than the original issue.

A Categorical Defense of Our Future Cover

The stakes are both high and personal, because human lives are directly affected when systems break down.

"No one wants to say it out loud, but it needs to be said: what got us here can't get us there," says Montero. "It's time to wave the red flag. I've seen global companies spend decades and millions of dollars on challenges involving complex systems, and what they're doing isn't working. We need a fundamentally different way of thinking."

Montero and Baylor not only sound the alarm but also point the way toward a solution. They call their new paradigm compcreation, which is a portmanteau of the words composition and creation.

Compcreation rests on a branch of advanced mathematics called category theory, which is notable for its focus on the dynamic relationships between things. This focus gives it the adaptability that is necessary for the fast-moving and everchanging modern world.

A Categorical Defense of Our Future is the first book about category theory written for business leaders and business owners, CEOs, and executives.

Anyone who deals with large-scale challenges around data, safety, and systems will find this book to be required reading.

Montero and Baylor are MIT-educated senior engineers. Between them, they have four master's degrees and nearly thirty years of engineering experience at global companies.

They are also the only people ever approved to write a book by their Fortune 500 employer.

"We could see that someone within industry needed to write this book, and we took it on," says Baylor. "It doesn't go deeply into category theory itself, because there are other books for that. Our book demonstrates why category theory is what we need as we design modern systems."

"We hope to point the way toward a completely new perspective for thinking and working both within and outside of industry," adds Montero. "We think this will be revolutionary, and it's a revolution the world badly needs."

The book will be released widely on October 5.

Request review copies or interviews via [email protected]. Learn more about the book and its authors at www.categoricalfuture.com. For updates, follow Esteban Montero at www.linkedin.com/in/jemonterov/ and Brandon Baylor at www.linkedin.com/in/brandonbaylor/.

Review

Modern technology is increasingly indistinguishable from magic, and its incantations are written in math. Unfortunately, mathematicians are challenged to explain what they do and why it matters. Baylor and Montero have written a book for the rest of us, explaining why composition is the key to understanding today's world and building tomorrow's.

A Categorical Defense of Our Future complements broad-ranging academic theory with a deep, lived experience from corporate industry to argue for a more principled understanding of the systems that govern our lives, from markets and institutions to communities and ecosystems. With clear prose and concrete examples, the authors show us why existing approaches to complexity fail, and point the way towards a new science of systems to help us understand the nth order effects of our interactions in an increasingly complex world.

Spencer Breiner, Ph.D., Mathematician at the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Hilary Ritz

Author Support

361-524-8146

[email protected]

SOURCE Esteban Montero and Brandon Baylor
ATLANTA, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jackson Physician Search today announced that it has been ranked among the top three healthcare suppliers in Modern Healthcare's 2022 Best Places to Work Awards program. This distinction marks the second year in a row that the company has secured the number three position on the list and its seventh consecutive year on the list overall.

Modern Healthcare partnered with the Best Companies Group on the assessment process, which includes an extensive employee survey. While this program has evolved over the years, its mission remains the same: recognizing workplaces that empower employees to provide patients and customers with the best possible care, products and services.

"It is exceptionally rewarding amid times of heightened burnout, the great resignation and quiet quitting that our associates have indicated they feel more content than ever," shared Tony Stajduhar, president of Jackson Physician Search. "Creating a workplace based on mutual respect and appreciation is key  and I have always believed that if we take great care of our people, they will take great care of our healthcare clients and the physicians we place. There's no doubt that this incredibly dedicated team is responsible for our exponential growth."

As the healthcare industry has been squarely on the frontlines of the global pandemic, the mission of the Best Places to Work program has only become more important. Healthcare leaders have proven that creating nurturing, supportive workplaces for their most valuable assets, their employees, is vital.

"Employees at healthcare organizations from all sectors of the industry have been the driving force behind the collaboration and effort that led the healthcare industry and the country through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tireless leaders at the organizations we honor with the 2022 Best Places to Work Awards have stood by their employees throughout an extremely challenging time and remained committed to humanizing the patient experience. They have built and nurtured supportive, engaging, flexible and fun workplaces that meet and exceed the needs of today's workers. Their success is an inspiration and model for building a more productive, creative healthcare workforce and a better healthcare system in which patients are the ultimate beneficiaries," said Fawn Lopez, publisher of Modern Healthcare. "We congratulate all of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare for their commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of their employees and the communities they serve."

Jackson Physician Search was honored at the 2022 Best Places to Work Gala on Thursday, September 29.

About Jackson Physician Search

Jackson Physician Search is an established industry leader in physician recruitment and pioneered the recruitment methodologies standard in the industry today. The firm specializes in the permanent recruitment of physicians, physician leaders and advanced practice providers for hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers and medical groups across the United States. Headquartered in Alpharetta, Ga., the company is recognized for its track record of results built on client trust and transparency of processes and fees. Jackson Physician Search is part of the Jackson Healthcare family of companies. For more information, visit www.jacksonphysiciansearch.com.

For More Information, Contact:

Kristen Myers

Associate Vice President, Marketing

[email protected]

SOURCE Jackson Physician Search
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Changing Our World, Inc., a global fundraising, strategy and social impact firm advising leading nonprofits and corporations, today announced Kevin Allan has returned to the company as executive vice president with overall responsibility for client success. Allan brings more than 20 years' experience supporting mission-driven organizations in achieving higher and more sustainable levels of support.

"Kevin is driven by a genuine commitment to delivering meaningful solutions and value, and we are thrilled to welcome him back to Changing Our World," says Brian Crimmins, Chief Executive Officer of Changing Our World. "We're passionate about offering clients the insight and resources needed to elevate performance and impact and Kevin's diverse thinking  gained from years as both a practitioner within and advisor to values-driven organizations  will help us elevate the skills and capabilities we need to deliver against our purposehelping our clients to change the world."

Kevin Allan returns to Changing Our World as Executive Vice President Tweet this

Allan first joined Changing Our World in 2005, initially primarily serving health and human service organizations and public-private partnerships out of the firm's Los Angeles office, before transitioning to New York office to lead the firm's work with international organizations and agencies. He has also served clients in education, youth development, and medical research.

Allan was most recently the head of advancement at The Culinary Institute of America. Prior to that he served in the chief fundraising role at Children's Aid and at Americares, where he was responsible for all private revenue including more than a half-billion in annual product donations from pharmaceutical and medical supply manufacturers.

"In this time of urgency and opportunity, Changing Our World is providing its clients with insights, strategies, and support that are enabling them to significantly advance their missions," says Kevin Allan, Executive Vice President. "I couldn't be more delighted to return home to work alongside Brian and his team as we help our clients adapt, grow and strengthen their impact."

A San Francisco native, Allan earned his M.S. in nonprofit management at The New School where he later taught in fundraising and development. Earlier in his career he was development director at Stonewall Community Foundation, managed the service-learning program at his undergraduate alma mater Manhattanville College, and worked in a family office.

About Changing Our World

Changing Our World is a trusted fundraising and social impact consulting firm that advises leading corporations and nonprofit organizations. Founded in 1999, Changing Our World has extensive experience designing, building and managing the implementation of strategic initiatives that enable corporations and regional, national and global nonprofits to achieve their programmatic and philanthropic goals. In 2002, the firm became part of the Omnicom (NYSE: OMC), becoming the only philanthropy consulting firm that is part of a Fortune 200 company. It is the only firm in the sector that has four primary service areas  fundraising, corporate social engagement, research and analytics, and communications. While each of these service areas represents distinct expertise, the ability to integrate them is a powerful asset that enables Changing Our World to deliver results  organizational, programmatic and financial  for clients around the world.

About Omnicom Public Relations Group

Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, marketing to women, global health strategy and corporate social responsibility. It encompasses more than 6,300 public relations professionals in more than 370 offices worldwide who provide their expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for clients through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom Public Relations Group is 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.

About Omnicom Group Inc.

Omnicom Group Inc. (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries. Follow us on Twitter for the latest news.

SOURCE Changing Our World, Inc.
Acquisition will make Foundation Partners the largest funeral services provider in Wisconsin.

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Foundation Partners Group, a leading provider of innovative deathcare solutions, today announced that Mark Krause, president of Krause Funeral Homes & Cremation Service, Inc. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has agreed to sell his firm to the company and join Foundation Partners as vice president of industry relations and government affairs. The acquisition will position Foundation Partners as the largest provider of funeral services by number of families served in the state of Wisconsin.

Over the last 40 years, Krause, a recognized leader and educator in the funeral profession, has built an innovative portfolio of businesses in the Wisconsin market designed to provide services to families across a wide spectrum of needs from high-touch, traditional funeral service to simple direct cremation.

"Mark's history of expanding funeral service offerings to anticipate how, when and where families want to be served is a perfect match for our vision for the company and the industry," stated Kent Robertson, Foundation Partners Group president and CEO. "He has played a critical role in the conversation around cremation and the laws that impact the profession. We're looking forward to working with him to expand his advocacy on behalf of the entire deathcare industry."

Krause, a fourth-generation funeral director, has a long history of leadership in the profession. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Foundation of Funeral Service and is on the Advisory Board of the Mortuary Program at Milwaukee Area Technical College. He is a past president of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) and the founder and past president of the Funeral Service and Cremation Alliance of Wisconsin.

"Joining Foundation Partners Group is a natural progression of our mission to serve families with proactive, exceptional deathcare services," said Krause, president of Krause Funeral Homes and Cremation Service. "We share the belief that to build the funeral home of future we must continuously evaluate new technologies and service delivery models to provide our families what they want and need. The entire Krause team is excited to be a part of Foundation Partners growth and we are looking forward to continuing to lead the profession forward."

About Foundation Partners Group: Orlando, Florida-based Foundation Partners Group is one of the industry's most innovative funeral solutions providers and the country's second-largest funeral home group based on the number of families served. Foundation Partners owns and operates a network of over 230 funeral homes, cremation centers and cemeteries across 21 states. Our deep understanding of technology and our ShareLife customer experience-centered approach allows us to deliver truly innovative and compassionate care to the families we serve. Visit www.foundationpartners.com to learn more.

CONTACT:

Scott Ankerholz

Foundation Partners Group

407.680.2771

[email protected]

SOURCE Foundation Partners Group
BANGALORE, India , Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Laser Marking Market is segmented by Type - Fiber Laser, Diode Laser, Solid State Laser, CO2 Laser, by Application - Semiconductor & Electronics, Automotive, Aerospace & Defense, Others. Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022 - 2028. It is published in Valuates Reports under the Electronics & Electrical Category.



The global Laser Marking market size is projected to reach USD 2728.9 million by 2028, from USD 1898.1 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 4.9% during 2022-2028.

Major factors driving the growth of the Laser Marking market

The expansion of the smart manufacturing industry and the expanding use of laser markers for part identification and traceability are both responsible for the growth of the laser marking market.

Browse The Table of Contents And List of Figures At https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-34G925/global-laser-marking

TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF LASER MARKING MARKET

Laser marking machines are in demand as a result of growing industrialization since they are useful for marking and coding applications including logos, QR codes, barcodes, and graphics. This aspect is anticipated to drive the Laser Marking market The demand for laser marking machines in the expanding automotive, aerospace, electronics, pharmaceutical, medical, and cosmetic industries for marking on shipper cartons, leather, glass bottles, metals, plastic, and PP labels to ensure brand protection, traceability, and other uses has created a wealth of opportunity for the product in the market.

The automobile is said to have about 30,000 pieces in total. Even if the amount can fluctuate from car to vehicle, this will remain the same with a few hundred or thousand difference. Laser marking is essential to the automotive sector. For consistent traceability and security purposes, automobile parts require clear, consistent markings that must be guaranteed. Almost any material used in the automotive sector can be marked with legible alphanumeric, barcodes, and data matrix codes using laser marking devices. The lifetime of an automobile or the component part is totally guaranteed by the durability of these markings. Thus, the increasing use in the automobile industry is expected to drive the growth of the Laser Marking market

Laser marking ensures clean processing with little contamination because the technique is non-contact. The damage-free procedure includes little to no material penetration, unlike printing systems that will burn down the material by marking. In order to comply with rules that protect quality, traceability, and other safety criteria, many government organizations want some form of identity. Similar to this, the Federal Aviation Administration mandates that aircraft engineers designate certain components including engines, propellers, and other things. Each part must be tagged using an approved fireproof method, and the FAA will decide which marks are necessary (such as model, builder, and certification). These advantages are expected to further drive the Laser Marking market growth.

In spite of the fact that lasers can be used in a wide range of industries and applications, the most common method for preventing counterfeit goods is to brand, engrave, or etch things using lasers. A permanent, indelible imprint is produced through laser marking. Different codes increase intricacy to discourage counterfeiters. Laser marking is a quick procedure that can keep up with all production line speeds. Laser marks can be undetectable or clearly apparent. Codes can demonstrate product traceability and reveal whether a product is authentic or not. This factor is expected to further fuel the laser marking market growth.

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LASER MARKING MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS

The fiber laser is expected to be the most lucrative during the forecast period. This is due to a number of advantages, including flexible fiber light, good optical quality, high output power, and small machine size.

During the forecast period, the APAC laser marking market is anticipated to develop at the highest CAGR. When compared to other regions, Asia Pacific has been at the forefront of adopting laser marking products and solutions. The large population in the area, rising R&D expenditures and expanding manufacturing and electronics sectors are anticipated to propel the laser marking market's expansion. One of the main centers for the production of automobiles is China, where laser marking is widely used.

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Market By Region

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

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Key players

Coherent

Han's Laser

Trumpf

Gravotech

Jenoptik

Epilog Laser

600 Group

Mecco

Laserstar

Novanta

IPG Photonics

Beamer Laser Marking Systems

Eurolaser

Foba

Keyence

Photoscribe Technologies

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SIMILAR REPORTS

- The global Laser Marking Machine market was valued at USD 2193.7 million in 2020 and it is expected to reach USD 3101.7 million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 4.6% during 2021-2027.

- Global Laser for Engraving Market Research Report 2022

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- Global Color Fiber Laser Marking Machines Market Research Report 2022

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- The global Medical Laser Marking Machine market was valued at USD 179.7 million in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 345.8 million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 9.8% during 2021-2027.

- Global Fly Laser Marking Machines Market Research Report 2022

- Global Laser Glass Marking Market Research Report 2022

- The global Wafer Laser Marking Machine market size is estimated to be worth USD 181.8 million in 2022 and is forecast to be a readjusted size of USD 268.3 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 6.7% during the review period.

- Laser Cladding Service Market Size, Share, Growth & Trends Analysis Report By Type, Application, and Segment Forecasts, 2021 to 2027

- In 2020, the global Power Semiconductor market size was USD 43750 million and it is expected to reach USD 62800 million by the end of 2027, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.3% during the forecast period 2021-2027.

Click Here To See Related Reports on Laser Marking Market

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SOURCE Valuates Reports
Cecilia Sanabria brings significant experience in complex patent litigation matters involving a variety of technologies to firm's top-tier IP Litigation Practice

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Latham & Watkins LLP1 is pleased to announce that Cecilia Sanabria has joined the firm's Washington, D.C. office as a partner in the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and member of the Litigation & Trial Department. Sanabria brings significant experience with complex patent litigation matters involving mechanical, pharmaceutical, industrial, and electrical technologies, both in federal court and before the International Trade Commission (ITC).

Cecilia Sanabria

"We are excited to welcome Cecilia to Latham and our Washington, D.C. office. Her impressive experience across complex patent technologies will further enhance our already robust capabilities in this area, and be a great asset to our clients," said Dan Lennon, Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins' Washington, D.C. office.

Sanabria's practice spans pre-trial, discovery, trial, and post-trial phases in federal intellectual property litigation. Her experience includes arguing motions in open court and examining witnesses in jury trials and hearings before the ITC. Sanabria also works on US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) proceedings including inter partes reviews.

David Callahan, Global Chair of Latham's Intellectual Property Litigation Practice, said: "Cecilia is a powerhouse IP lawyer who is known for her formidable ability both in and out of the courtroom. She has worked with and across from several Latham lawyers and has proven herself as a top-notch legal mind who consistently achieves the best possible results for her clients."

Michele Johnson, Global Chair of the firm's Litigation & Trial Department, said: "Cecilia is a phenomenal addition to our first-in-class litigation and trial team. She is adept at mastering the most technically complex and fast-evolving subjects to deliver exceptional counsel and courtroom results for our clients. We are thrilled to welcome her to the team."

"I'm delighted to be joining Latham & Watkins, a global firm whose expansive platform covers nearly all aspects of litigation and transactional work," said Sanabria. "I look forward to addressing my clients' most pressing challenges, and contributing to the firm's culture of teamwork and award-winning intellectual property practice."

In addition to her commercial practice, Sanabria maintains a robust pro bono practice handling landlord-tenant, social security disability, and criminal matters, often on behalf of Spanish-speaking clients. She is a member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and Hispanic Bar Association, who named her a Top Lawyer under 40. Sanabria was also named a Rising Star by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association.

Sanabria joins Latham from Finnegan in Washington, D.C. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University and her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida cum laude.

About Latham & Watkins (lw.com)

Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world's largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability.

Notes to Editors

1 Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in Israel through a limited liability company. Latham & Watkins operates in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Firm of Salman M. Al-Sudairi, a limited liability company, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Contacts

David Callahan, Global Chair of Latham & Watkins' Intellectual Property Litigation Practice, +1.312.876.7694

Michele Johnson, Global Chair of Latham & Watkins' Litigation & Trial Department, +1.714.755.8113

Daniel Lennon, Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins' Washington, D.C. office, +1.202.637.2200

SOURCE Latham & Watkins
Annual Award Honors Top 50 Women Disrupting the Franchise Industry

SARASOTA, Fla., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosalie Guillem, co-founder of Le Macaron French Pastries, the #1 macaron franchise in the United States, has been recognized as a Woman of Wonder by Franchise Dictionary Magazine. The national digital publication annually selects 50 women nationwide who are disrupting the franchise industry as "Women of Wonder" (WOW). Winners are featured in the current October 2022 issue with proceeds donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Franchise Dictionary Magazine, a national digital publication with nearly 450,000 readers, recognizes 50 outstanding women leaders annually for its "Women of Wonder" issue. Winners are featured in the current October 2022 issue with proceeds donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Rosalie Guillem, co-founder of Le Macaron French Pastries, was named a "Woman of Wonder" by Franchise Dictionary Magazine for her contributions to the franchise industry.

"Women are disrupting the franchising space and it's thrilling!" said Alesia Visconti, CEO of Franchise Dictionary Magazine. "By implementing culture and understanding the importance of everyone feeling valued, women can gain commitments from their teams and implement innovative ideas for success. Our '50 Women of Wonder' (WOW) are fran-tastic, talented, strong, and dynamic! The franchise community is better for their leadership and wisdom, and we are honored and excited to celebrate their powerful contributions."

Founded in 2009, Le Macaron features authentic macarons and pastries prepared daily by French-trained chefs. Since franchise development began in 2012, Guillem has grown the company from its headquarters in Sarasota, Florida, to 64 locations nationwide. Le Macaron is purposefully expanding in new markets where customers clamor for delicious, authentic macarons, gourmet chocolates, French gelato, European-style coffee, and other classic French pastries. In addition to Le Macaron's cafes, the company has a thriving catering and corporate gifting business that operates at a brisk pace year around.

"I am pleased and humbled to be selected as a Woman of Wonder," said Guillem. "Franchising has been a challenge and an adventure for us, and we are grateful to our franchisees and owners who have helped us succeed. It is extremely rewarding to witness our continued growth and expansion throughout the United States."

Le Macaron operates franchise stores coast-to-coast from Alabama to Arizona and offers lucrative opportunities for prospective franchisees. Recently, Le Macaron celebrated store openings in Cool Springs, Tennessee, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Elkhart, Indiana, and Valley Bend, Alabama. Additional openings planned throughout the remainder of the year include Columbus, Ohio, Clearwater, Florida, Lake Charles, Louisiana, Dixon, Arizona, and New York City. Guillem, who co-founded Le Macaron with her daughter, Audrey Saba, has been the inspiration for many franchisees who were determined to start their own businesses.

"In addition to our 64 locations, we have nearly 20 franchises in various stages of development," said Guillem. "We continually offer support and encouragement to our owners to help them succeed every step of the way."

In addition to the WOW recognition, Le Macaron was recently named to the FranServe 2022 Fran-Tastic 500 list, which recognizes the top franchises in the country. For more information, visit http://lemacaron-us.com

About Le Macaron French Pastries

Founded in 2009 by Rosalie Guillem and her daughter Audrey, Le Macaron French Pastries is an elegant French patisserie that offers guests the finest, authentic French macarons and pastries. Headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, the brand began franchising in 2012 and has since grown to more than 64 locations across the U.S. Le Macaron French Pastries is ranked on Inc. 5,000 2016, #17 on the 2019 Top Emerging Franchise List as well as ranking on the Top 100 Food and Beverage category by Entrepreneur and holds a No. 9 ranking in the baked goods category.

About Franchise Dictionary Magazine

Franchise Dictionary Magazine is a national digital publication, with nearly 450,000 readers and targets prospective franchisees in an informative and educational format. For more information visit www.franchisedictionarymagazine.com

Contact: Rhonda Price

(561) 371-9407

[email protected]

SOURCE Le Macaron French Pastries
RESTON, Va., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology company, has scheduled a conference call for Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, at 8 a.m. (ET) to announce its third quarter 2022 financial results for the period ending Sept. 30, 2022. The company plans to issue its quarterly earnings press release before the conference call on Nov. 1, 2022.

The details for the earnings conference call follow:

Date: Nov. 1, 2022



Time: 8 a.m. (ET)





To Listen via the Internet:

The company offers a live and replay audio broadcast of the conference call with corresponding press release, presentation materials, and supplemental information at http://ir.leidos.com.

To Listen via Telephone:

877-869-3847 (toll-free U.S.)

+1-201-689-8261 (for International Callers)

Replay:

A telephone playback of the third quarter 2022 earnings conference call is scheduled to be available beginning at 11:30 a.m. (ET) on Nov. 1, 2022, through 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Nov. 8, 2022. The replay will be accessible by calling 877-660-6853 (International callers: +1-201-612-7415) and entering conference ID 13733461.

An archived version of the webcast will be available on the Leidos Investor Relations website at http://ir.leidos.com.

About Leidos:

Leidos is a Fortune 500 technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. Leidos' 44,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $13.7 billion for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Media contact:

Melissa Lee Duenas

571.526.6850

[email protected]

Investor Relations:

Stuart Davis

571.526.6124

[email protected]

SOURCE Leidos
 Annual book prize hosted by the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy awarded to top book on international affairs 

TORONTO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The prize value of one of Canada's top literary awards will increase to $50,000 for the winning entry, the Lionel Gelber Prize board announced today.

"For more than thirty years, the Lionel Gelber Prize has highlighted some of the most important issues and authors writing in international affairs," said Judith Gelber, Chair of the Lionel Gelber Prize board. "We are excited to increase the value of the prize and to bring greater attention to these important works."

IMAGE: The Lionel Gelber Prize; Foreign Policy; Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

The Lionel Gelber Prize, awarded annually by the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and Foreign Policy magazine, is given to the best international affairs book published in English each year. The prize previously had an annual award value of $15,000 CAD. The winner will receive their prize at a ceremony and public lecture held at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy in April 2023.

The Gelber Prize board also announced that Professor Ian Shugart will take over as the Prize's new jury chair. Shugart was recently appointed to the Munk School as Professor, teaching stream. He had previously served in the federal civil service as Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to Cabinet and was sworn into the Senate of Canada on September 29, 2022.

"I am honoured to lead the jury for the Lionel Gelber Prize and to highlight some of the most important global conversations of our time," said Shugart. "We are indebted to former jury chair Janice Stein for her excellent stewardship of the prize and look forward to working with this year's esteemed jurors to select the winning title."

The prize was founded in 1989 by former Canadian diplomat Lionel Gelber, with the aim of deepening public debate on significant international issues. Recent winners have included Carter Malkasian for The American War in Afghanistan: A History, Matthew C. Klein and Michael Pettis for Trade Wars are Class Wars: How Rising Inequality Distorts the Global Economy and Threatens International Peace, Ivan Krastev and Stephen Holmes for The Light that Failed: A Reckoning, and Adam Tooze for Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World.





The Lionel Gelber Prize is awarded annually to the top English-language book on international affairs. The Prize is presented by the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. www.munkschool.utoronto.ca/gelber

Contact: Lani Krantz, [email protected], 647-407-4384 (text preferred)

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1915054/Munk_School_of_Global_Affairs_Lionel_Gelber_Prize_value_increase.jpg

SOURCE Governing Council of the University of Toronto via the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
Largest independent insurance brokerage and consulting group evolves its employee benefits business to better meet client needs

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockton Companies, the world's largest independent insurance brokerage and consulting group, announced today an evolution in its business as its employee benefits practice has become Lockton People Solutions.

Lockton's People Solutions practice consists of solutions supporting our clients in the areas of employee experiences and engagement, total rewards and benefits, and measurement and management of their programs.

Lockton Companies

"How we talk about our business needed to evolve to better reflect today's changing marketplace and how we advise and support our clients," said Tom Schaffler, Lockton's People Solutions Executive Committee Chairman in the U.S. "More than simply managing benefits programs, employers around the world need help engaging their workforce, recruiting and retaining talent, and driving efficiency for their business. Lockton People Solutions better reflects how we help our clients achieve these goals."

The launch of Lockton People Solutions comes at a time when the way people work is being challenged, and employers are under increasing pressure to attract and retain their talent. Companies must now not only offer compelling benefits packages but also create positive employee experiences and drive engagement, understanding and satisfaction. And they must do this while continuing to find efficiencies

Lockton's People Solutions practice helps organizations become more successful and make people's lives better by delivering a suite of solutions to meet the needs of companies operating in today's environment. For more information about Lockton's People Solutions practice and the suite of capabilities within, visit www.lockton.com or reach out to your local Lockton office.

About Lockton

What makes Lockton stand apart is also what makes us better: independence. Lockton's private ownership empowers its 9,500+ Associates doing business in over 125 countries to focus solely on clients' risk, insurance and people needs. With expertise that reaches around the globe, Lockton delivers the deep understanding needed to accomplish remarkable results.

For 14 consecutive years, Business Insurance magazine has recognized Lockton as a "Best Place to Work in Insurance." Lockton was named among the 2021 Best Managed Companies by Deloitte and the Wall Street Journal, a program that recognizes excellence and honors private companies for their strategy, execution, culture, and financials. For more information, visit www.lockton.com.

SOURCE Lockton Companies
Accounting and HR Services Provider Ranks Again LTD Global, nationally recognized as one of America's fastest-growing companies and a trusted partner to small and midsize businesses, nonprofits and government agencies, has been named one of San Francisco Business Times' 2022 Largest Women-Owned Businesses.

PLEASANTON, Calif., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LTD Global, nationally recognized as one of America's fastest-growing companies and a trusted partner to small and midsize businesses, nonprofits and government agencies, has been named one of San Francisco Business Times' 2022 Largest Women-Owned Businesses (paywall).

"I am proud that the business I launched from my home in 2003 for a handful of clients now supports the accounting, HR, talent recruiting, administrative and technology needs of companies and government entities worldwide," said Lili Tarachand, CEO and founder of LTD Global. "Our focus on clients' overall business goals and scalable support means we grow together. The integrity and reliability of the LTD team have helped LTD and our clients achieve this honor of our success."

The San Francisco Business Times partners with PriceWaterhouseCoopers to research privately held businesses headquartered in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties, ranking them by criteria such as revenues, ownership and growth.

About LTD Global, LLC

LTD Global empowers its clients to succeed by leveraging the cloud to provide a suite of business solutions across the entire enterprise that evolves as needs change. We simplify, automate and support strategies and requirements for success, so our clients can focus on their customers and deliver on their mission.

PRESS CONTACT

Tanya L Travers

7076536716

https://ltdglobal.com/

SOURCE LTD Global
MAG Interactive has collaborated with the Swedish Cancer Foundation on a special quiz in QuizDuel to increase awareness about the fight against breast cancer

STOCKHOLM, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MAG Interactive is proud to launch the Pink Ribbon quiz in QuizDuel together with the Swedish Cancer Foundation. During October, QuizDuel players in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark will be able to play the quiz, the content of which has been designed by both the Cancer Foundation and the QuizDuel team with the aim of increasing awareness about the Pink Ribbon campaign and breast cancer.

"We are very happy that, together with the Cancer Foundation, we have developed a Pink Ribbon quiz to further draw attention to the fight against breast cancer during the month of October. The Cancer Foundation is a socially conscious organization that we are more than happy to support. We hope that the Pink Ribbon quiz in Quizkampen will be informative and engaging for our players," says Louise Carell, Product Lead of QuizDuel.

In the QuizDuel shop, the players can also buy a special pink bundle offer during the month of October. Thirty percent of the proceeds of each purchase will be donated to the Cancer Foundation to support Swedish cancer research. MAG will also match players' purchases of the pink bundles with additional donations to the Cancer Foundation.

"We are constantly working to develop holistic approach and increase commitment to the vital cancer research in existing and new target groups, which is why we are very happy about this new, exciting collaboration with MAG Interactive and the team behind QuizDuel," says Veronica Espmark, Head of Fundraising and Marketing at the Swedish Cancer Foundation.

The Pink Ribbon quiz is available to play in QuizDuel in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark from October 6 and throughout the month.

About The Cancer Foundation

The Cancer Foundation's vision is to defeat cancer. By funding the leading research, spreading knowledge about cancer and influencing decision-makers on important issues, we work to ensure that fewer people are affected and more people survive. The Cancer Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization without government support. Our work is completely dependent on donations from individuals and companies. Since 1951, we have distributed close to SEK 13 billion to the leading research projects in Sweden.

About the Cancer Foundation's Pink Ribbon campaign

The Cancer Foundation's Rosa Bandet campaign has been running during the month of October every year since 2003, with the aim of raising money for cancer research, spreading knowledge and influencing decision makers in important questions. The money collected is distributed to the most promising research regardless of the type of cancer. During the campaign, we focus on breast cancer and issues with relevance to breast cancer in our knowledge-spreading and opinion-forming work. For more information visit: https://www.cancerfonden.se/om-oss/about

For additional information, please contact:

Tove Bengtsson / Marketing Communications Manager / +46 (0)72-220 73 22 / [email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/mag-interactive/r/mag-and-the-swedish-cancer-foundation-launch-pink-ribbon-quiz-in-quizduel,c3642964

The following files are available for download:

https://news.cision.com/mag-interactive/i/pink-ribbon-qd-en,c3097374 Pink Ribbon QD EN

SOURCE MAG Interactive
Collaboration links Magnifact's cloud-based insurance platform to DTCC's Insurance Information Exchange (IIEX); interface will extend the reach of Magnifact's AgentVizion solution

CHICAGO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Magnifact announced today it has successfully completed pilot testing of the integration of its cloud-based insurance platform with the Insurance Information Exchange (IIEX), a service offered by The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), to help carriers and their distributors gain automated access to their most current position information.

Magnifact's MagniFyle data transformation solution coupled with MagniBot, its Robotic Processing Automation (RPA) platform, will enable industry participants including insurance companies, financial institutions, and IMOs to exchange information seamlessly via DTCC's sophisticated IIEX APIs.

Collaboration links Magnifact's cloud-based insurance platform to DTCC's Insurance Information Exchange Tweet this

Financial institutions and marketing organizations will now be able to subscribe to scheduled file deliveries through a simple menu. Furthermore, this information can be optionally piped into Magnifact's AgentVizion solution and its companion AgentVizion2GO mobile app  a digital experience platform that offers agents, brokers, third-party administrators and insurers greater visibility into all aspects of life and annuity distribution.

"The integration to the DTCC ecosystem will further enrich the currency and quality of policy data," said Krish V. Krishnan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Magnifact. "Our vision is to leverage this information to deliver a 360-degree view of analytics for insurers and distributors alike through our game-changing solution."

About Magnifact, and its Insurance Platform

Magnifact is a leading provider of SaaS-based DataIntelligent solutions for the insurance industry, with secure process standards backed by a SOC 2 Type II attestation. To learn more about Magnifact, visit Magnifact.com and the Magnifact Newsroom.

Magnifact's insurance platform includes AgentVizion, an award-winning, patented suite that allows insurance carriers, agencies and downline agents to accurately get a 360-degree view of their business across different distribution channels and product lines. The AgentVizion2GO mobile app enhances the agent experience by leveraging native features including push technology, in-app notifications, and location sensitivity.

The insurance platform also includes MagniFyle, a secure Data Transformation as a Service offering that works with MystiFi, Magnifact's data obfuscation utility, and MagniBot, an automation suite powered by world-class RPA (Robotic Process Automation) technology.

Media Contacts

Ivory Banks

847-258-9149

[email protected]

SOURCE Magnifact
DUBLIN, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mallinckrodt plc (OTCMKTS: MNKPF) ("Mallinckrodt" or the "Company"), a global specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has appointed Susan Silbermann to its Board of Directors, effective October 5, 2022. With the addition of Ms. Silbermann, the Mallinckrodt Board will expand to nine directors, eight of whom are independent.

"Susan is a highly respected and deeply experienced global executive in the healthcare industry, and we are pleased to welcome her to Mallinckrodt's Board," said Paul Bisaro, Chairman of the Mallinckrodt Board of Directors. "Susan brings an important perspective, with decades of leadership experience across established and unique healthcare brands. We look forward to benefiting from her deep expertise and insights as we continue to strengthen the organization, sharpen our execution and deliver innovative therapies for patients."

"I am excited to join the Mallinckrodt Board at this transformative moment for the Company," said Ms. Silbermann. "With a strong platform in place, I see compelling opportunities ahead to grow the business, develop the pipeline and, most importantly, serve the many patients who can benefit from Mallinckrodt's products. I look forward to helping the Company deliver on its patient-first business priorities as we generate long-term value for Mallinckrodt shareholders."

During her 34-year career at Pfizer, Ms. Silbermann held numerous positions of increasing responsibility spanning public health, marketing, commercial development and general management in U.S. and international markets. As Chair of the Pfizer Global COVID-19 Task Force, she developed and led an organization-wide task force overseeing the safety and well-being of 100,000 colleagues in more than 100 countries. Alongside this role, Ms. Silbermann served as Global President, Emerging Markets from 2018 to 2020, with operational and managerial responsibility for the entire Pfizer portfolio in China, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, including the initial supply of COVID-19 vaccines in these regions. From 2012 to 2018, she served as President and General Manager, Pfizer Vaccines, creating the basis for much of Pfizer's current vaccine pipeline and portfolio and establishing and leading one of three inaugural global business units at Pfizer. Previously, Ms. Silbermann held the titles of Regional President, Latin America and Senior Vice President, Commercial Development at Pfizer.

Ms. Silbermann currently serves on the boards of LianBio and HilleVax, Inc. She also serves on the board of IAVI, an NGO focused on advancing vaccines and medicines for HIV-AIDS and other emerging infectious diseases, and is a board member for Meet the Writers, an education non-profit.

Ms. Silbermann holds a B.S. in Biology and French from Tufts University, an M.B.A. in Marketing and International Business from New York University and a Master of Administration degree in French Social and Political Sciences from New York University.

About Mallinckrodt

Mallinckrodt is a global business consisting of multiple wholly owned subsidiaries that develop, manufacture, market and distribute specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies. The Company's Specialty Brands reportable segment's areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, hepatology, nephrology, pulmonology, ophthalmology and oncology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; analgesics; cultured skin substitutes and gastrointestinal products. Its Specialty Generics reportable segment includes specialty generic drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com.

Mallinckrodt uses its website as a channel of distribution of important company information, such as press releases, investor presentations and other financial information. It also uses its website to expedite public access to time-critical information regarding the Company in advance of or in lieu of distributing a press release or a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosing the same information. Therefore, investors should look to the Investor Relations page of the website for important and time-critical information. Visitors to the website can also register to receive automatic e-mail and other notifications alerting them when new information is made available on the Investor Relations page of the website.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements in this release that are not strictly historical, including statements regarding Mallinckrodt's future financial condition and operating results, legal, economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting Mallinckrodt's businesses, and any other statements regarding events or developments Mallinckrodt believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, may be "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. The "Risk Factors" section of Mallinckrodt's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, as updated by Mallinckrodt's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended July 1, 2022 and other filings with the SEC identify and describe in more detail the risks and uncertainties to which Mallinckrodt's businesses are subject. The forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date hereof and Mallinckrodt does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

CONTACTS

Investor Relations

Daniel J. Speciale

Global Corporate Controller and Chief Investor Relations Officer

314-654-3638

[email protected]

Derek Belz

Vice President, Investor Relations

314-654-3950

[email protected]

Media

Michael Freitag / Aaron Palash / Aura Reinhard

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

212-355-4449

Mallinckrodt, the "M" brand mark and the Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals logo are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company. Other brands are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company or their respective owners. 2022 10/22.

SOURCE Mallinckrodt plc
With more than half of surveyed winter travelers willing to forego gifts for a special trip this holiday season, Marriott Bonvoy is helping fulfill their travel dreams with its extraordinary portfolio of 30 brands and exclusive offers

BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to travel today, people are making every moment count and no longer putting off that dream vacation. In fact, this holiday season more than one in three Americans1 who are planning a trip this winter aim to cross off at least one of their bucket list travel experiences, according to a recent YouGov survey conducted by Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International's award-winning travel program.

Marriott Bonvoy Brings Back Week of Wonders

To unleash the urge to travel like never before, Marriott Bonvoy's celebratory Week of Wonders (October 6-13, 2022) is set to satisfy wanderlust with exclusive offers, opportunities for discounts on room rates, options to earn bonus points towards free stays, and capabilities to redeem incredible experiences through Marriott Bonvoy Moments. The recent survey painted a picture of anticipation and excitement about the possibilities for travel this holiday season. Many are using their new-found freedom to explore new destinations. More than one in three of those surveyed Americans who are planning a trip this winter say they expect to travel to a place they have never been. The survey also revealed that travel was still a top priority despite economic concerns. Despite nearly half of Americans surveyed being concerned about the economy, 44% of those with winter travel itineraries plan to spend more on travel this holiday season than they have on travel in previous years. Further, over half of those Americans planning a winter trip said their desire to travel is so great that they are willing to sacrifice buying gifts in order to take a special trip this holiday season.

"Our survey shows that Americans are embracing travel and the joy of connecting with each other and with places in a tremendous way," said Anne Engelking-Smith, Vice President, Marriott Bonvoy Global Brand Marketing. "This year's Week of Wonders is an outstanding week to be a member with incredible offers that will satisfy the overwhelming urge to explore and experience the world whether it is a weekend getaway nearby or a trip halfway around the globe.

With Week of Wonders Marriott Bonvoy is satisfying wanderlust with extraordinary experiences and enticing global offers

Marriott Bonvoy is bringing back Wonders of Extraordinary - exclusive, money-can't-buy experiences that members can bid on with points on the Marriott Bonvoy's Moments platform. Some of the special Moments available during the week include:

Embark on a NYC Culinary Adventure with Phil Rosenthal : Explore NYC with Phil Rosenthal , "Everybody Loves Raymond" creator, foodie, and star of Netflix's "Somebody Feed Phil," who will guide you through some of the best stops in the city, such as Peter Luger , Don Angie , and Caffe Panna, to try some of Phil's personal favorite dishes. Guests will also get to take home a signed copy of Phil's new book, Somebody Feed Phil the Book: Untold Stories, Behind-the-Scenes Photos and Favorite Recipes: A Cookbook , to be released on October 18, 2022 .

Explore NYC with , "Everybody Loves Raymond" creator, foodie, and star of Netflix's "Somebody Feed Phil," who will guide you through some of the best stops in the city, such as , , and Caffe Panna, to try some of Phil's personal favorite dishes. Guests will also get to take home a signed copy of Phil's new book, , to be released on . Marvel at the Great Pyramids of Giza: Indulge in a midnight dinner featuring Egyptian cuisine with an exclusive guided tour of the Great Pyramids of Giza. Experience a meditation session inside the pyramids, which are usually closed to visitors at night, and a photography session.

Indulge in Omakase at W Osaka : Enjoy the ultimate Edomae sushi experience inside the Week of Wonders suite at the W Osaka. Begin with cocktails in the hotel's living room, followed by a full " Omakase " course of six dishes and 12 sushi options.

Edomae W Omakase Gear Up for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Take in the excitement on and off the track with The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. Members will also meet personnel behind the top-performing team, while enjoying luxurious accommodations at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal.

Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Cayman Cookout : The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman , presents the iconic Cayman Cookout, a culinary festival hosted by Chef Eric Ripert , featuring an impressive lineup of chefs, beverage experts, and a wide variety of intimate and memorable experiences and events in the Cayman Islands .

Marriott Bonvoy members can access a variety of other global Wonders across Marriott Bonvoy's expansive portfolio of extraordinary brands, including:

Wonders of Escape : Members can turn their dream vacation into a reality, with 20% off at over 5,900 hotels and resorts across the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio.

: Members can turn their dream vacation into a reality, with 20% off at over 5,900 hotels and resorts across the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio. Wonders of Exploration : Members can earn double the points on travel experiences booked through Marriott Bonvoy Tours & Activities, featuring a large selection of unique experiences.

Members can earn double the points on travel experiences booked through Marriott Bonvoy Tours & Activities, featuring a large selection of unique experiences. Wonders of Discovery : Travelers eager to reignite their spirit of discovery can book their next hotel redemption stay for up to 15% less points at over 4,500 properties worldwide during Week of Wonders.

Travelers eager to reignite their spirit of discovery can book their next hotel redemption stay for up to 15% less points at over 4,500 properties worldwide during Week of Wonders. Wonders of Unwinding : Members can take advantage of 15% off at All-Inclusive by Marriott Bonvoy  resorts, which connects travelers to the most sought-after experiences in the most coveted destinations.

Members can take advantage of 15% off at All-Inclusive by Marriott Bonvoy resorts, which connects travelers to the most sought-after experiences in the most coveted destinations. Wonders of Inspiration: Week of Wonders is the perfect time to book any of the 76,000+ premium homes available with Homes & Villas by Marriott International. Members can earn double the points on bookings made during Week of Wonders, plus earn double Elite Night Credits per stay toward Elite status.

These are a sampling of the extraordinary experiences and enticing offers. To explore all the Week of Wonders offers and to view the full set of terms and conditions as well to enroll in Marriott Bonvoy, please visit: www.MarriottBonvoy.com/WeekOfWonders. Join the conversation @MarriottBonvoy.

About Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International's award-winning travel program and marketplace, gives members access to transformative, eye-opening experiences around the corner and across the globe. Marriott Bonvoy's portfolio of 30 extraordinary brands offers renowned hospitality in the most memorable destinations in the world. Members can earn points for stays at hotels and resorts, including all-inclusive resorts and premium home rentals, as well as through everyday purchases with co-branded credit cards. Members can redeem their points for experiences including future stays, Marriott Bonvoy Moments, or through partners for luxurious products from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques. With the Marriott Bonvoy app, members enjoy a level of personalization and contactless experience that allows them to travel with peace of mind. To enroll for free or for more information about Marriott Bonvoy, visit www.MarriottBonvoy.com. Download the Marriott app. Travelers can also connect with Marriott Bonvoy on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

[1] YouGov Methodology:

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,150 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between August 31 - September 1, 2022. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18+).

SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.
Partnership with Principal Media for Formats and Property Development

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the recent success of their Ubisoft brand partnership with the format House Party: Just Dance, Media Ranch's President & Founder Sophie Ferron, announced another major property representation -- the iconic brand of Wild America. Media Ranch, an award-winning format production and distribution company, is pursuing its multi-tiered IP strategy of developing and acquiring IP by building new, and partnering with, existing world-class brands. With this new partnership Media Ranch aims to expand all aspects of the Wild America franchise. The first step -- the creation of Wild America Challenge, a thrilling adventure and survival competition format.

Left to Right: Sophie Ferron, President & Founder of Media Ranch and Gary Rosenson, CEO of Principal Media

As Media Ranch gears up to bring the format worldwide, they are partnering with Los Angeles-based Principal Media for finished program sales of the original Wild America series, bringing the series, as well as exciting never-before-seen content, to new international audiences. Media Ranch and Principal Media will collaborate with Monarch Films, the original distributor that represented the brand's creators, the Stouffer Brothers

Wild America -- an iconic documentary television series running for 12 years on PBS (and the inspiration for the Warner Bros. feature film Wild America) -- showcases the wild animals and lands of North America. It's renowned for its unflinching portrayal of nature, as well as its extensive use of advanced film techniques. The Wild America Challenge format takes the property to the next level  as a first-of-its-kind competition. Aspiring, young wildlife cinematographers must go head-to-head in the high risk, high reward world of wildlife filmmaking. Facing the greatest adventure of their lives in America's wildest locales, they must draw on every instinct and skill they have, to survive and bring awe-inspiring footage of rarely seen wildlife into living rooms across the globe. Only the best will win the chance at the grand prize.

Ferron said: "Media Ranch is thrilled to grow its partnership of influential brands  especially ones as iconic as Wild America, and to be launching the new format, the Wild America Challenge. This is just the beginning as we aim to expand all aspects of their brand. We and Principal Media have many exciting co-ventures planned around the Wild America franchise."

"Any AVOD platform that features wildlife content should consider Wild America, a 12-season series offering an unflinching portrayal of the wild animals and wild lands of North America," said Gary Rosenson, CEO of Principal Media. "We're excited to partner with Media Ranch on this franchise."

Marty, Mark, and Marshall Stouffer said: "We are proud to have joined forces with Media Ranch for the exciting new competition format, Wild America Challenge! We also look forward to the release - in vivid high-definition - of the original Wild America series along with never-before-seen episodes."

Media Ranch Info: MJ Sorenson , CEO E: [email protected] T: +1-646-225-6590 (NY)

SOURCE Media Ranch
Two leading digital health companies partner to offer health systems a unique program to increase patient engagement and unify clinical operations

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Memora Health, the leading intelligent, clinically validated care program for virtual care delivery and complex care management, today announced a partnership with Luma Health, the leading Patient Success Platform orchestrating all parts of the patient journey, to create a streamlined experience for patients across the many entry points of health systems.

Memora Health delivers AI-backed, clinically-validated care programs, through dynamic and conversational two-way text, to reduce care team burden and improve patient outcomes. Luma's platform enables healthcare organizations to unify operational, clinical, and financial journeys. The two digital health companies will help health systems increase patient access and ensure that patients are engaged and following their care plans to avoid care gaps. This partnership will be available to health systems nationally.

"At Memora, we're committed to improving complex care management for both patients and care teams. With so many platforms and portals available to patients, we understand the confusion and difficulty patients experience when reaching out to their care teams, especially outside of hospital walls," said Manav Sevak, co-founder and CEO of Memora. "We're excited to combine forces with Luma and offer a streamlined care experience where gaps in care are avoided and the patient experience is enhanced, all while keeping care teams working at the top of their license."

This partnership will enable care teams to keep patients engaged and successful between visits and unburden them from routine administrative tasks, allowing them to prioritize their time on patients that need it most. After implementing Memora's care programs and Luma's platform separately, health systems have reported a 62 percent increase in patients' care plan adherence and a 37 percent increase in referred patients seen. Additionally, this is the first partnership to offer health systems a combined wholesale digital front door and patient engagement tool which have traditionally been separate offerings.

"Today's health systems offer many entry points, making the care experience confusing for both patients and providers," said Aditya Bansod, co-founder and CTO at Luma. "At Luma, we believe that healthcare should work better for all patients and are thrilled to partner with Memora to create an improved and simplified care experience for all."

About Memora Health

Memora Health helps healthcare organizations digitize and automate care programs, making complex care delivery simple for patients and clinicians to navigate. Memora's deep knowledge of clinical workflows and patient experience allows the construction of cohesive digital programs that guide patients through their care episodes, and automates the completion of simple follow-up tasks in the EHR for care teams. Memora's digitized care programs reduce care team notifications by nearly 40%, has an average patient NPS over 70, and improves engagement and clinical outcomes across diverse populations. Memora Health is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, with clients and team members around the world. For more information about Memora Health, visit memorahealth.com.

About Luma Health

Luma was founded on the idea that healthcare should work better for all patients. Luma's Patient Success Platform empowers patients and providers to be successful by connecting and orchestrating all the steps in the patient journey, along with all the operational workflows and processes in the healthcare ecosystem. Headquartered in San Francisco, Luma serves more than 600 health systems, integrated delivery networks, federally qualified health centers, specialty networks, and clinics across the United States, and today orchestrates the care journeys of more than 35 million patients. For additional information, visit www.lumahealth.io.

Media Contact:

Kala Meadows

[email protected]

SOURCE Memora Health
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the latest market research report published by P&S Intelligence, the mental wellness market has garnered $131.6 billion revenue, and it is projected to generate $226.1 billion in 2030, advancing at a rate of 6.2% from 2021 to 2030. Brain-boosting nutraceuticals & botanicals are significant revenue contributors to the mental wellness industry. Their contribution is projected to reach $59.2 billion in 2030, rising at a rate of 6%.

Natural herbals, botanicals, supplements, functional foods, and drinks developed with the specific objective of improving mental health and wellness are emerging in the industry. They come with claims to enhance the sleep cycle, brain health, memory, as well as vitality.

Get the sample pages of this report at:

https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/mental-wellness-market/report-sample

Product Demand Driven by Rising Awareness of Stress Management

Stress impacts the emotional balance as well as the physical health of a person.

It also affects their capacity to perform successfully, think with clarity, and enjoy life. A major number of people experience stress, including occupational stress.

Excessive stress may impact the productivity, efficiency, and physical as well as emotional wellbeing of a worker. Therefore, stress management is crucial in workplaces, and the growing awareness of this fact has become a key market driver.

Growing Prevalence of Depression also Propelling Sales Revenue

Under the disorder segment, depression captures the largest share, of around 27%. It is credited to the increasing cases of depression, suicide, and anxiety, which has resulted in the growing concerns over mental health worldwide.

Moreover, depression is a widespread mental disorder, with 5% of the adult population suffering from it globally. It is identified as persistent sadness and lost interest in pleasure and rewarding activities. It can impact the appetite and sleep, thereby giving rise to the common symptoms of tiredness and poor concentration.

Senses, Spaces, & Sleep Enhancement Services Continue To Be Most Demanded

The senses, spaces, & sleep category contributes extensive revenue to the industry, and it will advance at a rate of 6.5% in the future. It includes products, services, and designs that improve the senses and mindbody link, along with the awareness of the larger impact of environmental stimuli on stress, mood, and sleep of a person.

Numerous products, such as smart beds, trackers, sleep accessories, sleep retreats, sleep applications, and nap cafes, are utilized for inducing sound sleep, optimally functioning senses, and relaxed mood.

Browse detailed report on Global Mental Wellness Market Size, Share and Growth Forecast Report, 2030

Rise in Smartphone Usage Driving Sleep App Downloads

The growing disposable income leads to the rising penetration of smartphones, which contributes to the increasing number of mental wellness mobile application providers. This, along with the rising popularity of mobile health therapies, is making it easier for patients to address their mental health concerns.

Market Strongly Driven by Rising Schizophrenic Population

Schizophrenia will capture the third-significant industry share by the end of this decade, of around 13%. The disorder presents with a wide number of issues in thinking, behavior, and emotion. The growing incidence of schizophrenia is ascribed to the ongoing lifestyle changes, in turn, strengthening people's focus on their mental health.

Mental Wellness Market Report Coverage

By Disorder

Depression

Anxiety

Schizophrenia

Substance use disorder

Bipolar disorder

Alcohol use disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Eating disorder

By Type

Senses, spaces, and sleep

Brain boosting nutraceuticals & botanicals

Self-improvement

Meditation and mindfulness

By Age Group

Adult

Geriatric

Teenager

Regional Analysis

North America

U.S.



Canada

Europe

Germany



France



U.K.



Spain



Italy

Asia-Pacific

China



Japan



India



Australia



South Korea

Latin America

Brazil



Mexico

Middle East and Africa

and South Africa



Saudi Arabia

Browse More Reports Published by P&S

Global Anxiety and Depression Treatment Market Size and Share Analysis, 2030

Global Brain Health Supplements Market Size and Share Analysis, 2030

Global Brain Modalities and Software Market Size and Share Analysis, 2030

About P&S Intelligence

P&S Intelligence provides market research and consulting services to a vast array of industries across the world. As an enterprising research and consulting company, P&S believes in providing thorough insights on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness. P&S keeps the interest of its clients at heart, which is why the insights we provide are both honest and accurate. Our long list of satisfied clients includes entry-level firms as well as multi-million-dollar businesses and government agencies.

Contact:

Prajneesh Kumar

P&S Intelligence

Phone: +1-347-960-6455

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.psmarketresearch.com

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Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1224988/P_and_S_Intelligence_Logo.jpg

SOURCE P&S Intelligence
LONDON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading premium international schools organisation Nord Anglia Education today announced it has appointed Mercedes Miguel to its Education Advisory Board.

Ms. Miguel is the former Secretary of State for Innovation and Quality in Education at the National Ministry of Education, Argentina. Her work in education has seen her create a national education strategy, develop education policies, and improve literacy outcomes for children.

Ms. Miguel started her career as a teacher and has previously served as the Planning General Director at the City of Buenos Aires Education Ministry. She has also represented Argentina at the OECD Education Committee and was a member of the UNESCO 2030 Steering Committee. In 2018, she was Chair of the Education Working Group during the Argentine Presidency of the G20. She is currently co-chair of the DeliverEd High-Level Advisory Group, which is part of the Education Commission's global initiative to encourage greater progress on Sustainable Development Goal 4  ensuring inclusive and quality education and promoting lifelong learning for all.

By working closely with senior leadership at Nord Anglia Education, the Education Advisory Board helps further the educational offering across its 81 schools worldwide by giving insight into the continuous development of programmes, curricula, and teaching.

Commenting on her appointment, Mercedes Miguel said:

"As a member of Nord Anglia's Education Advisory Board, I'll be able to use my experience to influence the teaching and learning that takes place across its 81 schools worldwide. Nord Anglia is the world's largest provider of the IB Diploma Programme and a pioneer in international education best practices through personalised learning, innovative edtech, and outstanding professional development for teachers."

Lord David Puttnam, Chairman of Nord Anglia's Education Advisory Board, said:

"Mercedes' work on our Education Advisory Board will have a significant benefit on our students' learning and our teachers' development. Her education reform work in Argentina to transform outcomes is impressive and Mercedes' expertise will help us create new and exciting ways to help our students achieve more than they ever thought possible."

Ms. Miguel joins Lord David Puttnam, Chairman, and fellow Board members: Dr. Joseph Polisi, President Emeritus of The Juilliard School; Dr. Jane Gaskell, professor and Dean Emerita at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto; Lord Jim Knight, former UK government minister; and Dr. Steve Munby CBE, a world-leading authority on school leadership and system reform in education.

Media enquiries

David Bates

Communications Manager

[email protected]

+44 7787 135223

About Nord Anglia Education

As a leading premium international schools organisation, we are shaping a generation of creative and resilient global citizens who graduate from our schools with everything they need for success, whatever they choose to be or do in life.

Our strong academic foundations combine world-class teaching and curricula with innovative technology and facilities, creating learning experiences like no other. Inside and outside of the classroom, we inspire our students to achieve more than they ever thought possible.

No two children learn the same way, which is why our schools around the world personalise learning to what works best for every student. Inspired by our high-quality teachers, our students achieve outstanding academic results and go on to study at the world's top universities.

To learn more or apply for a place for your child, go to nordangliaeducation.com .

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1503193/Nord_Anglia_Education_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Nord Anglia Education
Interview wait times exceeding 400 days cost U.S. economy a projected $11.6 billion

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of State's low prioritization of visitor visa (B-1/B-2) processing is severely hindering the U.S. economic recovery, keeping an estimated 6.6 million potential visitors from traveling to the United States in 2023 at a loss of $11.6 billion in projected spending, according to new analysis released today by U.S. Travel Association economists.

"Outrageous wait times send a message to travelers that the United States is closed for business," said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman. "Unacceptable visa delays are harming the American workforce and it is long past time for the Biden administration to solve the problem."

Wait times for visitor visa interviews now exceed 400 days for first-time applicants from top source marketsan immense deterrent that is undercutting America's global competitivenesssending millions of potential visitors and billions in traveler spending to other nations.

The U.S. Department of Commerce's newly released National Travel and Tourism Strategy identifies inbound travel as an economic priority and sets a national goal of welcoming 90 million international visitors by 2027. The State Department's lack of urgency on this issue is in direct conflict with the Commerce Department's objectives.

"Excessive visa delays are essentially a travel banno one is going to wait 1-2 years to interview with a U.S. government official to gain permission to visit the United States," Freeman added. "Our new research shows that millions of potential visitors will simply choose other destinationsdestinations that effectively compete for their business."

While the U.S. Department of State has made progress in processing other visa categoriessuch as H-2B and student visasfirst-time applicants for visitor visas are neglected by the agency. It is in the United States' economic interest for the State Department to accelerate interviews as these visitors account for a significant portion of U.S. travel exports. Spending losses from just three top marketsBrazil, India and Mexicocould total more than $5 billion in 2023.

New Survey: Millions Will Choose Other Countries

A new Morning Consult survey conducted of likely international travelers in Brazil, India and Mexico (who do not already have a valid U.S. visa) found strong interest in visiting the United States, but the majority said they would likely choose another country to visit if wait times for visa interviews exceeded a year (61% of Brazilians, 66% of Indians and 71% of Mexicans).

In Brazil, India and Mexico alone, the U.S. is losing the ability to compete for:

Brazil : 3.6 million visitors and $15.6 billion in spending

: 3.6 million visitors and in spending India : 3.5 million visitors and $13.3 billion in spending

: 3.5 million visitors and in spending Mexico : 7.1 million visitors and $4.1 billion in spending

The U.S. Travel Association has called on the State Department to make first-time visitor visa processing an economic priority and has shared several policy recommendations with the agency to help resolve this problem. The association's urgent calls for a solution were echoed by more than 60 bipartisan members of Congress in a recent letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"With a recession looming on the horizon, the United States simply cannot afford to turn away billions of dollars in visitor spending," said Freeman. "The Obama administration effectively addressed a similar problem and we call on the Biden administration to do the same."

U.S. Travel Association Contact

U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry. Travelers in the United States are estimated to spend $1.1 trillion in 2022 (still 10% below 2019 levels). U.S. Travel advocates for policies to accelerate an even recovery across the travel industry and restore economic and job growth for this essential contributor to our nation's success. Visit ustravel.org for information and recovery-related data.

SOURCE U.S. Travel Association
LONDON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Modulaire Group, Europe and Asia Pacific's leading business services company specialising in modular services and infrastructure, today announced its estimated financial results for the 2 months ending 31 July 2022 and 30 August 2022. The following information is not yet finalized, remains subject to completion and reflects management's current estimates of the two months.

Revenue for July and August 2022 was 292 million, compared to 237 million for July and August 2021, an increase of 55 million, or 23%. Organic Revenue for July and August 2022 was 233 million, compared to 191 million for July and August 2021, an increase of 42 million, or 22%.

Underlying EBITDA for the Group for July and August 2022 was 88 million, compared to 79 million for July and August 2021, an increase of 9 million or 11%. Organic Underlying EBITDA for July and August 2022 was 66 million, compared to 63 million for July and August 2021, an increase of 4 million or 6%.

Cash flow from operations less capex, tax and movements in working capital for the Group for July and August 2022 was (39) million, compared to (47) million for July and August 2021, an improvement of 8 million or 17%.

In addition, Modulaire successfully priced an incremental 140m Senior Secured Term Loan B on a fungible basis to the existing 1,510m Term Loan B due December 2028 through a private syndication process. The transaction is due to close in the next few weeks. Proceeds are earmarked for future M&A and to pay associated deal fees and expenses. Associated ratings actions will be published by Moody's, S&P and Fitch. Goldman Sachs acted as Sole Physical Bookrunner. ING and MUFG acted as Joint Bookrunners.

About Modulaire Group

Modulaire is a leader in European modular services and infrastructure. We create smart spaces for people to work, learn and live. Our business is designed to help customers find the right space solution, no matter what their requirements. Modulaire has operations in 24 countries with over 290,000 modular space and portable storage units and 4,400 remote accommodations rooms. The company operates as Algeco, its largest brand, across much of Europe and the United Kingdom. Other operating brands include Advante in the United Kingdom, Algeco Chengdong in China, Ausco in Australia, BUKO Huisvesting, BUKO Bouw & Winkels and BUKO Bouwsystemen in The Netherlands, Portacom in New Zealand, and Tecnifor and Locabox in Italy.

For further information:

Investor relations:

[email protected]

Media enquiries:

Tulchan Communications

[email protected]

+44 (0) 207 353 4200

SOURCE Modulaire Group
Chicago Heights, Ill. Manufacturer of fixtures, furniture, and graphics expands with 125,000 square foot lease in South Holland, Illinois.

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Ill., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Morgan Li, a custom fabricator of fixtures, furniture and graphics has today announced the opening of a 125,000 square foot warehousing and distribution facility in South Holland, Illinois.

The company, a Crain's Chicago Business Fast 50 Finalist and partner to national retailers, hospitality brands and student housing providers secured the lease in September 2022 and will use the space to support growing demand from clients both old and new.

This is Morgan Li's second expansion in the past year following the January purchase of a 13-acre, 230,000 square foot production space in Chicago Heights, Illinois.

"It's incredible to think how far Morgan Li has come in the past thirteen years," said Andy Rosenband, Founder and CEO of Morgan Li. "It feels like just yesterday that we had just a few employees and a paint line. But with this addition, we're ready to do so much more."

With the addition of this facility, Morgan Li now has four locations under ownership or lease in south suburban Chicago and boasts nearly three quarters of a million square feet of production, warehousing and distribution space. David Rodriguez, former Packing & Assembly Lead at the company's main production facility will now run the South Holland location.

"We couldn't be more excited for this expansion," said Jonathan Rosenband, President of Morgan Li. "This wouldn't be possible without the amazing work that each member of the Morgan Li family puts in."

For more information on Morgan Li, click here.

About Morgan Li

Headquartered in Chicago Heights, Illinois, Morgan Li combines 725,000-plus square feet of domestic space with 3.2 million more globally to combine wood, metal and more into unforgettable retail and hospitality experiences. Fixtures, furniture, and graphics, Morgan Li has the skill and scale to match specifications and smash expectations.

To learn more about Morgan Li, head to www.morganli.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Contact: Steven David Kluber

[email protected]

630.809.2368

Morganli.com

SOURCE Morgan Li
While state's Energy Master Plan Threatens Soaring Prices and Denies Choices

TRENTON, N.J., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With the cool and colorful arrival of the fall season, countless homeowners put away their outdoor grill, and for many, their summer memories of propane-fueled backyard barbecues.

For a few weeks more, many restaurants with outdoor seating increasingly rely on propane heating lamps to ward off the October chill. For many homeowners, fall temperatures mean their propane-fired furnace is kicking in, reliably heating their homes and businesses.

"Consumers everywhere are familiar with propane for their recreation and patio appliances, including grills, fire pits and swimming pools," explains Henry Papiano, president of the New Jersey Propane Gas Association, the statewide trade association representing propane dealers and service providers. "Tens of thousands of consumers also rely on propane for space heating, water heating and cooking. And thousands more business owners rely on propane for industrial processes and transportation.

"Likewise, local institutions like schools, hospitals, libraries, public safety and public works buildings utilize propane," he continued. "They all choose propane because it's clean, safe, reliable, affordable and delivered by locally-based business owners who know their customers. And it's produced right here in the U.S."

Highlighting these consumer-friendly attributes, October 7 has been designated National Propane Day by the Propane Education and Research Council. The celebration highlights propane's key role in New Jersey's---and the nation's--- energy profile, as well as its safety and efficiency.

Notwithstanding consumer preferences and propane's record as a clean, safe and affordable fuel, New Jersey's Energy Master Plan would force consumers to abandon their propane choice. Instead, the Energy Master Plan would force consumers and businesses to convert their propane equipment to electric, at a cost of thousands of dollars per household---or millions of dollars for businesses and local governments.

These up-front costs would be further compounded by electric operating costs estimated to be four to five times more expensive than propane, natural gas or fuel oil.

At the same time, state leaders refuse to disclose the total costs that the Master Plan will impose on every New Jersey household, business, institution and government facility.

The State Board of Public Utilities in August "accepted" a consultant's report that glossed over the 4-5 times higher operating costs. The same, "accepted" report completely omitted the up-front consumer and business costs for new, mandated, equipment.

Papiano recommends, "Instead of opposing consumer choices and constraining capacity, state energy planners should fully consider what's already happening in energy technologies and markets. We're already cutting emissions and saving money."

For example, propane is already one of the cleanest forms of energy available. Using propane produces 43 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than using an equivalent amount of electricity generated from the U.S. grid. Propane's low carbon intensity is why it is an approved clean alternative fuel under the federal Clean Air Act.

"Propane has proven itself for decades. It's clean, efficient, reliable and affordable. And with new technologies, it's becoming increasingly renewable," Papiano maintains. "New Jersey's propane consumers deserve to choose their energy sources for all of these important reasons. And energy planners should follow their lead."

The New Jersey Propane Gas Association is a statewide trade association of propane marketers and service companies providing propane fuel to more than 120,000 customers who use it for space heating, water heating, cooking, transportation, industrial processes and recreational uses. The Association and the New Jersey Propane Education & Research Foundation promote the utilization of propane as a safe, clean, reliable and domestic energy source for residential, commercial and industrial applications. More information is available at www.njpga.org.

The Propane Education & Research Council is a nonprofit that provides leading propane safety and training programs and invests in research and development of new propane-powered technologies. PERC is operated and funded by the propane industry. For more information, visit Propane.com .

Contact:

David Klucsik

Princeton Strategic Communications

[email protected]

609-516-6764

SOURCE NJ Propane Gas Association
Online Information Sessions October 13 and October 25 for Certificate Course for Professionals at all Levels

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Negotiation at work is constant  whether with customers, colleagues or bosses. Professionals at all levels should be ready to "think on their feet" when the next situation arises to negotiate  whether in product pricing, partnership agreements or the next job offer, says Professor of Management and Organization Vijaya Venkataramani at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Venkataramani is co-director of "Building Negotiating Skills"  a three-day professional certificate course from Nov. 2-4, 2022, at the Maryland Smith Washington D.C. campus in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The workshop can be previewed in free information sessions, via Zoom, noon-1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13 and 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25.

"The workshop-based program will involve experiential exercises and real-life simulations that cover a broad spectrum of workplace negotiation simulations," Venkataramani says. The activities further are designed "to bust the myth that good negotiators are born, not made."

But it's not about learning how to "win" at any cost, says program co-director Rellie Derfler-Rozin, associate professor of management and organization at Maryland Smith. "The goal is to learn how to get to a place where you are happy with the negotiation outcome, and your partner is also happy with the outcome and wants to negotiate with you further in the future. This is an invaluable skill in the dynamic business environment, in which reputation builds very quickly and is very important to maintain."

What's crucial to success in negotiations, she says, is for "both parties to shy away from the idea that if one side is getting more, the other must be coming out worse for wear."

Derfler-Rozin, who has extensively researched and taught about effective negotiating, gives three keys:

Don't have a zero-sum mindset. "Don't think about negotiations as a 'fixed pie,' where if one side gains a larger slice, the other side is losing. Instead, think about how you can expand what you are offering and asking for so that everyone leaves satisfied."

Decide what's most important. "Both sides can win if they prioritize the factors most important to them. Chances are, those aren't the same things and with a successful give-and-take based on those priorities, both sides can gain in a negotiation."

Finish strong. "You want to finish a negotiation in a situation where the other party highly respects you as a competent problem solver who tries to create value for both sides."

For more information and to register, go to the Smith Executive Education's Building Negotiation Skills homepage.

Video: Rellie Derfler-Rozin and Vijaya Venkataramani preview the Building Negotiation Skills workshop.

About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master's, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

Contact: Greg Muraski at [email protected]

SOURCE University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
Versant Ventures-founded precision oncology company focused on cryptic driver mutations

Goldman Sachs Asset Management leads $90 million Series A

Lead program on track for development candidate nomination by Q1 2023

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nested Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering a next-generation precision medicine platform to address hard-to-treat cancers, today announced the completion of a $90 million Series A financing led by the Life Sciences Investing business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, bringing the total financing to $125 million since Versant Ventures founded the company. New investors participating in the Series A include Foresite Capital, Avidity Partners, Cowen Healthcare Investments, and Section 32.

The financing will enable Nested to advance its pipeline programs, attract additional top-tier talent, and further develop its platform that reveals cryptic, or newly uncovered, driver mutations and pockets in high-conviction cancer targets to dramatically expand the reach of precision medicine.

"Our drug discovery platform enables us to find new, overlooked areas of opportunity in the form of high confidence targets with unconventional pockets, while also generating the insights necessary to design therapeutics with novel mechanisms for a perfect fit," said Darrin Miles, Chief Executive Officer of Nested Therapeutics. "Patients deserve more and better options, and our approach holds the promise to make first- and best-in-class precision oncology treatments available to a larger addressable population."

A Differentiated Oncology Platform

Nested's platform involves a three-pillar approach that: (1) maps mutational clusters onto the structural proteome, (2) identifies druggable pockets and cancer-driving mechanisms, and (3) designs novel drugs optimized for the druggable pocket. The company's lead compound, NEST-1, is a non-degrading dual molecular glue that targets multiple components of the MAPK pathway and has demonstrated potentially superior efficacy, tolerability and CNS activity relative to both single agents and combinations in RAS/MAPK-driven models.

"Working closely with our scientific co-founders and advisory board, we recognized the limitations with current precision medicines and felt there was an opportunity to combine insights and expertise from our various fields to build more effective therapies," said Klaus Hoeflich, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Nested. "Our platform uses insights from an array of fields, including genomics, structural biology, computational biophysics, and artificial intelligence. This opens doors to design novel small molecules for previously known targets with well-understood biology and to target what has been previously undruggable."

"Nested Therapeutics is poised to dramatically increase the number of targets that can be reached through precision medicine, giving more patients an opportunity to be treated with better, more targeted therapies," said Josh Richardson, M.D., Managing Director at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. "We look forward to working with this impressive team of industry experts to support the development of their platform and pipeline of medicines."

Nested Leadership Team

Nested is led by a highly experienced team of pioneers in the precision medicine space who have collectively brought 35 molecules to the clinic and overseen 10 precision oncology medicines now on the market, including:

Darrin Miles , Chief Executive Officer

, Chief Executive Officer Darrin brings invaluable experience in leading biotech program strategy and development and successfully overseeing novel cancer therapies through approval and commercialization. Darrin has held leadership roles at Agios Pharmaceuticals, where he was Chief Commercial Officer and previously led the precision oncology program management function through the development and approval of IDHIFA and TIBSOVO. He also spent 14 years at Genentech in numerous roles including leading global program strategy and US commercialization efforts for multiple brands, including Herceptin, Perjeta and Tarceva, among others.

and He also spent 14 years at Genentech in numerous roles including leading global program strategy and US commercialization efforts for multiple brands, including and among others. Klaus Hoeflich , Ph.D. , Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer

, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Hoeflich brings twenty years of R&D experience of small molecule drug discovery to the team. Prior to Nested, Dr. Hoeflich served as Senior Vice President of Biology at Blueprint Medicines, using expertise in protein kinases to advance precision therapies for genomic cancers, immuno-oncology, and rare diseases. He also worked at Genentech, where his team helped advance several programs into clinical development, including the approval of Cotellic for metastatic melanoma.

Yongxin Han , Ph.D., Head, Drug Discovery

Head, Drug Discovery Dr. Han has led multiple teams in the discovery and advancement of twelve development candidates in oncology, immune-oncology, chronic HIV and HCV infections, pain and inflammation, metabolic disorders, hypertension, and glaucoma. Before joining Nested, Dr. Han spent more than 27 years at Merck Research Laboratories where he served as a respected mentor, authored and co-authored over fifty-five publications in peer reviewed journals, and invented and co-invented more than seventy patents.

Nested Scientific Founders and Advisors

The team is bolstered by a scientific advisory board with deep expertise in precision medicine, computational chemistry, biophysics, and proteomics, including:

Kevan Shokat , Ph.D., Scientific Co-founder

Scientific Co-founder Dr. Shokat is an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at UCSF and a Professor of Chemistry at UC Berkeley. His lab is most well-known for drugging the "undruggable" oncogene K-Ras in 2013, leading to the development of the drug sotorasib which was approved for the treatment of lung cancer patients with the K-Ras mutation.

Arvin Dar , Ph.D., Scientific Co-founder

Scientific Co-founder Dr. Dar is a Professor in the Departments of Oncological Studies and Pharmacological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, as well as Associate Director of the Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutic Discovery. His groundbreaking research has earned him numerous awards and recognition, including the NIH Director's New Innovator Award, Damon-Runyon Rachleff Innovation Award, the Pew Charitable Trusts Pew-Stewart Scholarship for Cancer Research, among others.

Ryan Corcoran , M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Corcoran currently serves as the Director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center Program and the Scientific Director of the Termeer Center for Targeted Therapy at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. Ryan directs a research laboratory focused on personalized cancer medicine: the development of therapeutic strategies that target the specific mutations driving individual patients' tumors. Dr. Corcoran is also a co-founder of Alterome Therapeutics and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for C4 Therapeutics, Remix Therapeutics, Cogent Biosciences, among others.

General Hospital Cancer Center. Ryan directs a research laboratory focused on personalized cancer medicine: the development of therapeutic strategies that target the specific mutations driving individual patients' tumors. Dr. Corcoran is also a co-founder of Alterome Therapeutics and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for C4 Therapeutics, Remix Therapeutics, Cogent Biosciences, among others. Cigall Kadoch, Ph.D.

Dr. Kadoch is an Associate Professor of Pediatric Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School , Institute Member and Epigenomics Program Co-Director at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard , and Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She is also the Scientific Founder of Foghorn Therapeutics. She is a leading expert in chromatin and gene regulation and is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking studies in these areas.

, Institute Member and Epigenomics Program Co-Director at the Broad Institute of and , and Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She is also the Scientific Founder of Foghorn Therapeutics. She is a leading expert in chromatin and gene regulation and is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking studies in these areas. Tarun Kapoor , Ph.D.

Dr. Kapoor is the Pels Family Professor and head of the Selma and Lawrence Ruben Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology at The Rockefeller University . His lab studies the molecular mechanisms required for accurate propagation of genetic material during cell division, with the goal of developing new therapies to treat cancer. Additionally, he is a faculty member with the David Rockefeller Graduate Program and the Tri-Institutional Ph.D. Program in Chemical Biology, where he also serves as Program Co-Director.

and Lawrence Ruben Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology at . His lab studies the molecular mechanisms required for accurate propagation of genetic material during cell division, with the goal of developing new therapies to treat cancer. Additionally, he is a faculty member with the David Rockefeller Graduate Program and the Tri-Institutional Ph.D. Program in Chemical Biology, where he also serves as Program Co-Director. Angela Koehler , Ph.D.

Dr. Koehler is the Kathleen and Curtis Marble Professor in the Department of Biological Engineering at MIT and an Associate Director of the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT . Koehler's Lab aims to innovate in the earliest stages of drug discovery by building chemical tools or technologies to assist in the process of target validation and by expanding the repertoire of protein targets that are considered to be druggable.

"The team at Nested is an incredibly dedicated group working to advance precision medicine towards a variety of challenging yet unequivocal targets in cancer," said Arvin Dar, Ph.D., scientific co-founder and observing member of the Board of Directors at Nested Therapeutics. "My fellow co-founder, Kevan, and I are honored that this talented group of drug hunters are building from science in our respective labs and are optimistic about what they have accomplished in a relatively short amount of time."

"We have seen tremendous progress in precision medicine over the past several decades, but there continue to be barriers to drugging the wide array of genetically validated oncology targets," said Carlo Rizzuto, Ph.D., Managing Director at Versant Ventures and a Nested board member. "With Nested, our newest portfolio company in the space, we believe there now is potential to unlock significant therapeutic real estate."

About Nested Therapeutics

Nested Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing novel, targeted, small molecule precision medicine therapies for patients with cancer by using mutation clusters to identify druggable pockets. With a platform that utilizes insights from genomics, computational chemistry, proteomics, and AI, Nested is working to reach untapped mutations with the potential to improve outcomes for millions of patients. To learn more, visit www.nestedtx.com and follow Nested Therapeutics on Twitter (@Nestedtx) and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Nested Therapeutics, Inc.
Innovative partnership pairs Penn Foster's talent development platform with EnGen's unique approach to upskilling for English language competencies

BOSTON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pioneering talent development platform Penn Foster announced today the launch of an innovative partnership with EnGen designed to help English language learners earn a high school diploma, an often overlooked but critical step toward advancement in in-demand careers.

"There are millions of immigrants, refugees, and speakers of other languages in the United States who are unable to achieve their personal and professional goals because English is a barrier," said Katie Brown, PhD, Founder and Chief Education Officer, EnGen. "This partnership is about building an on-ramp to educational opportunitiesand careersthat honor the skills and intelligence of workers who are ready to make an impact and thrive in a rapidly evolving labor market."

Today, nearly one-third of talented Hispanic workers are, for example, excluded from colleges and universities, trade schools, and professional opportunities that require applicants to have a high school diploma. Earning a diploma can also have an immediate impact on earnings. Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that workers without high school diplomas earn 23 percent less than diploma-holders and face the highest rates of unemployment (8.3 percent). Over time, high school graduates earn an estimated $400,000 more over the course of their careers.

"Learning to speak English while earning a high school diploma opens doors to opportunity in the workforce, but language learning and high school have rarely been integrated with working learners in mind," said Stacy Caldwell, General Manager, Career and High School at Penn Foster. "Through our collaboration with EnGen, we created a flexible program that allows individuals with family or work responsibilities to learn at their own pace while building language skills  opening up a range of new career opportunities."

Penn Foster's High School Diploma for English Learners combines an immersive English language learning program with access to live small-group sessions with a certified English teacher. At the outset, participating learners complete an initial English placement test to determine their English proficiency, take interactive courses to improve their English, and re-assess their English proficiency to ensure they are prepared for high school-level coursework. The program content and curriculum are designed to cover essential topics like English, math, and science while instilling career-ready skills through situated learning and real-world simulations.

The High School Diploma for English Learners is open to participation to anyone interested in enrolling in the twelve-month program and can be leveraged by:

Employers that want to attract and retain English language learners, or provide a powerful benefit to current employees who speak English as a second language and an affordable alternative to traditional high school options.

Adults without a high school diploma who speak English as a second language, but lack proficiency, and need a high school diploma to take the next step in their career.

Social-purpose organizations that want to support members who speak English as a second language and lack a high school diploma.

For those looking for more information about Penn Foster's new High School Diploma for English Learners and how it can be used to support today's workers and learners, additional details can be found on the program webpage, here.

About Penn Foster

Penn Foster is bridging the gap between education and economic opportunity to build tomorrow's workforce. We partner with employers, education and workforce organizations and local community groups to design and deliver digital and blended learning programs that attract, upskill and retain workers in America's fastest-growing fields and professions. With more than 40,000 graduates each year, Penn Foster helps individuals discover pathways to opportunity through accredited diploma, certificate, and degree programs that matter in the world of work. For more information, visit https://www.pennfoster.edu .

About EnGen

EnGen is a Certified B Corporation that helps immigrants and refugees achieve self-sufficiency, economic mobility, civic participation and a better quality of life through virtual English language education. Prior to launching in 2020, the award-winning language learning platform was built and refined for ten years and informed by data of over four million learners, and it features ten patents and has received a digital promises certification. Available on desktop, tablet and mobile, EnGen offers customized learning pathways that adapt to language level, real-world interests and career goals. Currently, EnGen supports learners from employers such as Amazon, Walmart, the University of Maryland, Futuro Health, the state of Colorado, as well as community colleges, adult education providers, and immigrant-serving organizations. For more information about EnGen, visit www.getengen.com .

SOURCE Penn Foster
PECA's symposiums combine the best of the Oxford tutorial system with project-based learning. Students select from one of three paths: Design, STEM, or Business. Within these paths the school provides students with knowledge and resources to complete self-directed passion projects independently or in teams. These projects are designed to help students be of service to their communities while also building professional work portfolios so that students are hireable right out of graduation.

PECA has virtual school options for students in California and Arizona, with a physical center coming to Phoenix in 2023. Tuition includes the cost of college and is set at just $7,000 in 2022, but students in Arizona could attend for free as the state recently expanded Education Savings Accounts to all families in Arizona, with the first deadline extended to October 15. PECA is currently accepting their first cohort of students with open enrollment, and families can apply at PECA.org.

Media Contact: Ella Baker, [email protected]

SOURCE Pathways Early College Academy
Knowing how to help others and getting access to care continue to be among top barriersunderscoring urgent need for collective action

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a newly released public perception poll , the majority of adults in the U.S. (94%) see suicide as a preventable public health issue and 83% say they would be interested in learning how they might be able to play a role in helping someone who may be suicidal. Three of the nation's leaders in suicide prevention: the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance) and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), have again partnered with The Harris Poll to conduct a new national public perception survey of more than 2,000* adults in the U.S. to better understand the public's attitudes and beliefs about mental health and suicide preventionas well as their awareness, expectations, and barriers to using our nation's crisis hotline services.

The survey findingswhich build upon past surveys conducted by AFSP, SPRC, and the Action Alliance in 2015 , 2018 , and 2020 show that while gains have been made in valuing mental health and suicide prevention, there are not consistent societal supports for mental health care and barriers exist, such as a lack of knowledge and training about these issues and lack of affordable and accessible care and support. The just-released findings have the potential to inform and transform our country's public health messaging and advocacy efforts regarding these critical health issuesespecially now as more and more people in the United States are reporting mental health impacts.

Several key insights stand out in the 2022 survey findings:

Mental Health Is Increasingly Important, but Not Seen as Prioritized by Healthcare Systems

Exacerbated by the impacts of the pandemic and other world events, mental health has become a leading priority in the U.S. with people saying their own mental health is equally important to physical health (76%). However, only 31% of adults believe these issues are treated equally in our current health system, according to the polling data. More than 8 in 10 adults (84%) say that as a result of the pandemic, it's more important than ever to make suicide prevention a national priority and over 60% (up from 52% in 2020) have become more open to talking about mental health.

Since 2018, the number of people who report they ever thought they had a mental health condition has grown from 57% to 67% in 2022. As more people struggle with their mental health, adults in the U.S. see getting help from a mental health professional as a sign of strength (53%) and having open dialogue about mental health is widely seen as "brave" (57%).

Adults in the U.S. Believe Suicide Can be Prevented, But Need Education

Today, the majority of adults in the U.S. (94%) see suicide as preventable at least sometimes, and 75% (up from 71% in 2020) believe most people who die by suicide show signs beforehand. But only about 1 in 3 (36%) feel they can tell when someone is considering suicide, consistent with 2020 (33%). Adults in the U.S. overwhelmingly would take action if someone close to them was thinking about suicide (96%), and 8 in 10 people (83%, up from 78% in 2020 and 2018) would be interested in learning how they might be able to play a role in helping someone who may be suicidal. This survey shows there is a considerable gap between believing others show warning signs and being able to identify the signs and how to help.

Though most people believe suicide can be prevented, the poll tells us slightly more than half of people (51%) report feeling comfortable talking openly with others in public about suicide, on par with 2020 (49%). When asked about the reasons or barriers that would prevent people who are thinking about suicide from seeking help, more than half of adults in the U.S. (56%) believe not knowing how to get help, along with feelings of hopelessness (66%) and embarrassment (59%). However, if they were to reach out to obtain helpful resources or tips about coping with thoughts of suicide or helping a loved one who might be struggling, more than half of respondents reported that they would go to a mental health provider (57%, up from 50% in 2020) followed by turning to family or friends (52%), or a crisis line (46%).

This poll points to the opportunity to deepen public education that inspires people to reach out for help and to equip others who can help with lifesaving knowledgehowever, eliminating barriers, such as access and affordability, is key.

"The 2022 data show that while progress has been made, we have a lot of work to do," said Colleen Carr, Director of the Action Alliance. "To effectively lower rates of suicide and greatly improve mental health and wellness in the U.S., requires multi-sector collaboration to accelerate actionable and sustainable solutions. If we are serious about strengthening these issues, it will require leaders at all levels to take bold action now."

Greater Access to Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Services, Resources, and Education are Needed

When it comes to accessing mental health services, the majority of adults in the U.S. (61%) believe providing better access to mental health care and talk therapy, couples counseling, family therapy, and tele-therapy would help reduce the number of people who die by suicide. Though less of a barrier than in 2018 (55%), cost was perceived to be a deterrent to seeking help with nearly half of adults in the U.S. (46%) saying inability to afford treatment keeps people who are thinking about suicide from seeking help, while others (44%) point to lack of access to treatment

At the time of this poll, the country had just transitioned to the three-digit 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. When asked about crisis hotlines, the survey finds that adults in the U.S. would expect a trained mental health provider or mobile crisis team (86%), a medical professional or ambulance (66%), or police/law enforcement (64%) to respond if they called for themselves or someone they know who was experiencing a mental health or suicide related crisis.

Across the continuum of mental health care, the need for accessible providers is clearthe majority (61%) of people say they would encourage someone thinking about suicide to seek help from mental health professionals. Nearly half would encourage them to seek help from a doctor or primary care health professional (49%). Along with accessible providers, training is an essential part of the solution.

"The poll findings show we are making progress in public perceptions regarding the importance of mental health, and that suicide is a preventable cause of death. It also points out barriers to help-seeking and opportunities to further public understanding of how to help someone who is struggling," said AFSP CEO Bob Gebbia. "Without question, what we learned will strengthen AFSP's public education campaigns and guide the development of programs and resources that the public indicates are needed to address their mental health needs and to prevent suicide. The findings also affirm AFSP's current efforts to advocate for more accessible and affordable mental health care."

National Action from Across All Sectors Is Imperative

To eliminate barriers to promoting hope and help-seekingwhich can be key to saving and improving liveseducation for providers and lay responders stands out as in past polls as an important component needed to address this public health problem. The majority of adults in the U.S. (78%) believe that training and education for professionals (first responders, health care providers, community leaders, faith leaders, the media, etc.) would be most helpful for reducing the number of people who die by suicide.

"The 2022 data reiterates that SPRC's work to develop educational resources for mental health professionals, healthcare providers, and leaders in the field is vital for effective suicide prevention," said SPRC Director Shelby Rowe. "These survey results, paired with the integration of lived experience and a focus on justice, equity, and diversity, help inform SPRC's efforts in strengthening suicide prevention infrastructure across the nation."

Research matters when it comes to shaping public messages that inspire people to act and to informing strategies that ensure help is within reach. That's why the Action Alliance, AFSP, and SPRC have united to conduct regular national polling. The public is invited to learn more and take action through our first-ever website , which synthesizes the poll data from 2015 through 2022 and provides quick access to helpful resources for the public.

*METHODOLOGY: The Public Perceptions of Suicide survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention from July 18-20, 2020 among 2,054 adults in the U.S. ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Kim Torguson at [email protected].

ABOUT PARTNERS:

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, including those who have experienced a loss . AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through public education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, with an Advocacy office in Washington, DC, AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states including Puerto Rico, with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report , and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube .

Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) is the only federally funded resource center devoted to advancing the implementation of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. SPRC is supported through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration ( SAMHSA ). SPRC builds capacity and infrastructure for effective suicide prevention through consultation, training, and resources for state, tribal, health/behavioral health, and community systems; professionals and professional education programs; and national public and private partners and stakeholders. SPRC is based at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center ( OUHSC ). Follow SPRC on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , and YouTube .

National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance) is the public-private partnership working to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and make suicide prevention a national priority. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), through the Suicide Prevention Resource Center ( SPRC ) grant, provides funding to Education Development Center (EDC) to operate and manage the Secretariat for the Action Alliance, which was launched in 2010. Learn more at the Action Alliance website and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following the Action Alliance on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , and YouTube .

SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its mission to enhance access to quality healthcare where people live and work, NYU Langone Health continues to grow its outpatient network in Suffolk County on Long Island with new locations and specialty services.

"Our new locations ensure patients have convenient access to care as we continue to grow our services throughout Suffolk County, including on the East End," says Andrew Rubin, senior vice president for clinical affairs and ambulatory care at NYU Langone. "Building on this momentum, we're also recruiting more primary and specialty care providers to add to our sites so we can care for even more patients in the community."

New Locations for Wellness and Preventive Care

NYU Langone recently welcomed five locations from MyHealth Long Island, offering wellness services and preventive care. The providers at specialize in primary care, family medicine, rheumatology, and colorectal surgery.

"Our transition to NYU Langone has been great for both providers and patients," says Keriake Semertzides, DO, clinical assistant professor of medicine at NYU Long Island School of Medicine. "The information available in Epic, NYU Langone's electronic health record, provides a more complete picture of who my patients are and their needs, and has also enhanced health screening management, which enables physicians to provide the highest-quality care."

Patients can make appointments at our newest Suffolk County locations:

Expanding World-Class Gastroenterology Care

Expanding its gastroenterology (GI) network on Long Island, NYU Langone recently welcomed Steve Georgopoulos, MD, clinical assistant professor of medicine at NYU Long Island School of Medicine, who sees patients at NYU Langone Medical AssociatesRiverhead and NYU Langone Medical AssociatesBridgehampton. Dr. Georgopoulos treats GI conditions, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and diverticular disease, and performs endoscopies and colonoscopies at NYU Langone Medical AssociatesRiverhead. Before joining NYU Langone, Dr. Georgopoulos was the former chief of gastrointestinal endoscopy at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital.

NYU Langone also added GI services at NYU Langone Medical AssociatesPatchogue, 100 Hospital Road, welcoming Chris E. Lascarides, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine at NYU Long Island School of Medicine and clinical director for ambulatory gastroenterology in Suffolk County. Dr. Lascarides, who completed his entire education and training at NYU, including undergraduate studies, medical school, internship, residency, and fellowship training, returns to NYU Langone as a gastroenterologist with 20 years of experience. Dr. Lascarides treats general GI conditions and performs endoscopies, colonoscopies, and capsule endoscopies.

New Pulmonology Location in Patchogue

The multilingual care team at NYU Langone Pulmonary AssociatesEast Patchogue, formerly Suffolk Chest Physicians, offers comprehensive diagnostic testing and care for pulmonary conditions. In addition to routine care, they also provide specialized treatment for lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema, as well as sleep medicine and critical care medicine services.

"We welcome all of our new locations and providers to our world-class medical team and look forward to more growth to come," says Rubin.

Top ranked for quality and patient safety, NYU Langone's rapidly expanding care network offers more than 320+ convenient locations and 3,300 physicians across the New York Metro region, throughout Long Island, and in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Media Inquiries

Deborah "DJ" Haffeman

Phone: 212-404-3567

[email protected]

SOURCE NYU Langone Health
FARMINGTON, Conn., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: OTIS) will host a conference call on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. EDT. Otis Chair & CEO Judy Marks and Executive Vice President & CFO Anurag Maheshwari will discuss the company's third quarter results and 2022 outlook.

To join online click here. To register for the event and receive call back or dial-in information click here. A corresponding presentation and news release will be available on www.otis.com prior to the call and a recording of the call will be made available on the website later in the day.

About Otis

Otis is the world's leading elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation and service company. We move 2 billion people a day and maintain more than 2.1 million customer units worldwide, the industry's largest Service portfolio. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 68,000 people strong, including 41,000 field professionals, all committed to meeting the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn , Instagram , Facebook and Twitter @OtisElevatorCo.

Media Contact: Investor Relations Contact: Katy Padgett Michael Rednor +1-860-674-3047 +1-860-676-6011 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Otis Worldwide Corporation
Both companies will expand their cooperation through the distribution of medical cannabis products in the highly attractive Czech and Swiss markets

DUSSELDORF, Germany, BARCELONA, Spain and TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuraxpharm Group (Neuraxpharm), a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the central nervous system (CNS), and Panaxia (TASE: PNAX), a global pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets advanced medical cannabis products of pharmaceutical quality, today announced the signing of two addendums to their agreement to expand their collaboration into the Czech and Swiss markets.

The collaboration includes the marketing and distribution of advanced medical cannabis products, including cannabis extracts for inhalation, produced by Panaxia. This follows former collaborations between the companies in Germany and France. The collaboration model will be similar to the one in Germany with the joint branding, Naxiva Panaxol: Panaxia will manage the manufacturing of the products, such as pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis premium oils and extracts for inhalation based on clinical data, while Neuraxpharm will be responsible for the marketing, distribution, and commercialization of the products in the Czech Republic and Switzerland markets.

Dr Dadi Segal, CEO of Panaxia, said: "We are proud to expand our collaboration with our partner, Neuraxpharm, to the Czech Republic and Switzerland, two of the most advanced countries in Europe in terms of their medical cannabis policy. We are excited to make our advanced medical cannabis products available to patients in both countries and expand the variety of products offered."

Dr Jorg-Thomas Dierks, CEO of Neuraxpharm, added: "We are delighted about the new agreement with Panaxia, which is a great opportunity to benefit from the strong growth in the Swiss and Czech medical cannabis markets. We are confident that with our partner Panaxia we will be able to successfully leverage the potential of both markets going forward."

This agreement strengthens the position of Neuraxpharm and Panaxia as key players in the European medical cannabis market, with the two companies planning to further expand the agreement to other countries.

In order to combine its activities and to reinforce its position as one of the key European players in medical cannabis, Neuraxpharm has created a business unit at corporate level dedicated to medical cannabis and established a dedicated sales force in Germany. To this end, Neuraxpharm has appointed Rita Barata as new head of the specified corporate medical cannabis business unit to accelerate the launch and drive its growth at European level. Rita Barata has over 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and has a strong track-record in driving commercial growth and innovation, both at national and international level in different companies. Prior to joining Neuraxpharm she was Head of Marketing EMEA & Country Manager Iberia at Tilray.

Panaxia operates two EU-GMP facilities in Israel and Malta, which allow the export of advanced medical cannabis products to most European countries.

First sales of products in the Czech Republic and availability of scientific information in Switzerland are expected to begin by the end of 2022, subject to completing the regulatory registrations of the Czech and Swiss authorities for the distribution of medical cannabis products.

The medical cannabis market in the Czech Republic[1]

The Czech Republic is one of the most advanced countries in Europe in terms of the medical cannabis market size. The consistent increase in the number of patients, doctors and prescriptions issued during the last five years can be attributed to the subsidy of medical cannabis costs by health insurance. According to a report published by the SAKL, the Czech government agency for medical cannabis, prescriptions issued in the Czech Republic in 2021 increased by 37% from 2020. Medical cannabis is mostly prescribed for patients with chronic pain (80% of patients), Multiple sclerosis (12%) and Parkinson's disease. The report also reveals that 61.8% of medical cannabis patients in the Czech Republic are women.

The medical cannabis market in Switzerland[2]

Switzerland holds a leading position worldwide in the medical sector. However, its medical cannabis market is still in its infancy. In 2021, according to official reports, there were approximately 3,000 licensed patients for medical cannabis, although it is estimated that there are thousands more without a license. Recently, as a revision of the Swiss policy, access for patients has been dramatically streamlined, enabling the local cannabis industry to flourish. Starting in August 2022, patients are able to receive a prescription for medical cannabis without the need for a special license, similar to other drugs. This is expected to add thousands of additional patients to the legal, regulated medical cannabis market in the country.

About the Group Neuraxpharm

Neuraxpharm is a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of central nervous system disorders (CNS) with a direct presence in 19 countries. Backed by funds advised by Permira, Neuraxpharm has a unique understanding of the CNS market built over 35 years.

With its focus on CNS, Neuraxpharm develops and commercializes established brands, value added medicines, generics, Consumer Healthcare products, medical cannabis and beyond-the-pill solutions and is continuously striving to offer a wide range of effective, high quality and affordable CNS treatment options in Europe.

Present with its products in more than 50 countries, Neuraxpharm also manufactures pharmaceutical products and active pharmaceutical ingredients in its own manufacturing sites in Spain, Lesvi and Inke.

For further information, please visit: https://www.neuraxpharm.com.

About Panaxia Labs Israel

Panaxia Labs Israel Ltd. traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (Tel Aviv: PNAX) is a global pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets advanced medical cannabis products of pharmaceutical quality. In addition, Panaxia operates two EU-GMP approved factories in Israel and Malta, which enable the export of advanced medical cannabis products to most European countries. Panaxia's products are developed based on strong clinical data and a wide database of tens of thousands of patients.

Panaxia Israel is a subsidiary of Panaxia Pharmaceutical Industries, which was established in 2010 by Dr. Dadi Segal, Dr. Eran Goldberg and Adv. Assi Rotbart, as the cannabis division of the Segal Pharma group, which has been operating for over four decades, producing over 600 different pharmaceutical products, available in over 40 countries.

For further information, please visit: https://www.panaxia.co.il.

1. Prohibition Partners, The European Cannabis Report, 7th edition; https://prohibitionpartners.com/2022/01/19/could-czech-republic-be-europes-most-progressive-medical-cannabis-market/.

2. Prohibition Partners, The European Cannabis Report, 7th edition.

SOURCE Panaxia Pharmaceutical Industries
CALGARY, AB, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Pembina Pipeline Corporation ("Pembina" or the "Company") (TSX: PPL) (NYSE: PBA) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a common share cash dividend for October 2022 of $0.2175 per share to be paid, subject to applicable law, on November 15, 2022 to shareholders of record on October 25, 2022. The common share dividends are designated "eligible dividends" for Canadian income tax purposes. For non-resident shareholders, Pembina's common share dividends should be considered "qualified dividends" and may be subject to Canadian withholding tax.

Related Documents View PDF Pembina Pipeline Corporation Declares October 2022 Common Share Dividend, Quarterly Preferred Share Dividend and Announces Third Quarter 2022 Results Conference Call and Webcast (CNW Group/Pembina Pipeline Corporation)

For shareholders receiving their common share dividends in U.S. funds, the October 2022 cash dividend is expected to be approximately U.S. $0.1594 per share (before deduction of any applicable Canadian withholding tax) based on a currency exchange rate of 0.7331. The actual U.S. dollar dividend will depend on the Canadian/U.S. dollar exchange rate on the payment date and will be subject to applicable withholding taxes.

Pembina's Board of Directors also declared quarterly dividends for the Company's preferred shares, Series 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 and 25. Series 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 21 preferred share dividends are payable on December 1, 2022 to shareholders of record on November 1, 2022. Series 15, 17 and 19 preferred share dividends are payable on January 3, 2023 to shareholders of record on December 15, 2022. Series 23 and 25 preferred share dividends are payable on November 15, 2022 to shareholders of record on October 31, 2022.

Series Dividend Amount Preferred Shares, Series 1 (PPL.PR.A) $0.306625 Preferred Shares, Series 3 (PPL.PR.C) $0.279875 Preferred Shares, Series 5 (PPL.PR.E) $0.285813 Preferred Shares, Series 7 (PPL.PR.G) $0.273750 Preferred Shares, Series 9 (PPL.PR.I) $0.268875 Preferred Shares, Series 15 (PPL.PR.O) $0.385250 Preferred Shares, Series 17 (PPL.PR.Q) $0.301313 Preferred Shares, Series 19 (PPL.PR.S) $0.292750 Preferred Shares, Series 21 (PPL.PF.A) $0.306250 Preferred Shares, Series 23 (PPL.PF.C) $0.328125 Preferred Shares, Series 25 (PPL.PF.E) $0.325000

Confirmation of Record and Payment Date Policy

Pembina pays cash dividends on its common shares in Canadian dollars on a monthly basis to shareholders of record on the 25th day of each month (except for the December record date, which is December 31st), if, as and when determined by the Board of Directors. Should the record date fall on a weekend or a statutory holiday, the effective record date will be the previous business day. The dividend payment date is the 15th day of the month following the record date. Should the payment date fall on a weekend or on a statutory holiday, the business day prior to the weekend or statutory holiday becomes the payment date.

Dividends on the preferred shares Series 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 21 are payable on the first day of March, June, September and December in each year, if, as and when declared by the Board of Directors to shareholders of record on the first day of the preceding month, or, if such payment or record date is not a business day, the next succeeding business day after the weekend or statutory holiday. Dividends on the preferred shares Series 15, 17 and 19 are payable on the last day of March, June, September and December in each year, if, as and when declared by the Board of Directors to shareholders of record on the 15th day of the same month, or, if such payment or record date is not a business day, the next succeeding business day after the weekend or statutory holiday. Dividends on the preferred shares Series 23 and 25 are payable on the 15th day of February, May, August and November in each year, if, as and when declared by the Board of Directors to shareholders of record on the last day of the preceding month, or, if such payment or record date is not a business day, the next succeeding business day after the weekend or statutory holiday.

Conference Call and Webcast Details for Third Quarter 2022 Results

Pembina will release its third quarter 2022 results on Thursday, November 3, 2022 after markets close. A conference call and webcast have been scheduled for Friday, November 4, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. MT (10:00 a.m. ET) for interested investors, analysts, brokers and media representatives.

The conference call dial-in numbers for Canada and the U.S. are 1-416-764-8650 or 1-888-664-6383. A recording of the conference call will be available for replay until November 11, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET. To access the replay, please dial either 1-416-764-8677 or 1-888-390-0541 and enter the password 470415#.

A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed on Pembina's website at www.pembina.com under Investor Centre, Presentation & Events, or by entering:

https://app.webinar.net/q0WB2o1eNYp in your web browser. Shortly after the call, an audio archive will be posted on the website for a minimum of 90 days.

About Pembina

Pembina Pipeline Corporation is a leading energy transportation and midstream service provider that has served North America's energy industry for more than 65 years. Pembina owns an integrated network of hydrocarbon liquids and natural gas pipelines, gas gathering and processing facilities, oil and natural gas liquids infrastructure and logistics services, and a growing export terminals business. Through our integrated value chain, we seek to provide safe and reliable infrastructure solutions which connect producers and consumers of energy across the world, support a more sustainable future and benefit our customers, investors, employees and communities. For more information, please visit pembina.com.

Purpose of Pembina:

To be the leader in delivering integrated infrastructure solutions connecting global markets:

Customers choose us first for reliable and value-added services;

choose us first for reliable and value-added services; Investors receive sustainable industry-leading total returns;

receive sustainable industry-leading total returns; Employees say we are the 'employer of choice' and value our safe, respectful, collaborative and inclusive work culture; and

say we are the 'employer of choice' and value our safe, respectful, collaborative and inclusive work culture; and Communities welcome us and recognize the net positive impact of our social and environmental commitment.

Pembina is structured into three Divisions: Pipelines Division, Facilities Division and Marketing & New Ventures Division.

Pembina's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under PPL and PBA, respectively. For more information, visit www.pembina.com.

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), including forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of applicable securities legislation, that are based on Pembina's current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "continue", "anticipate", "schedule", "will", "expects", "estimate", "potential", "planned", "future", "outlook", "strategy", "protect", "trend", "commit", "maintain", "focus", "ongoing", "believe" and similar expressions suggesting future events or future performance.

In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements relating to: future dividends which may be declared on Pembina's common and preferred shares; the timing and the amount of such dividend payments; and the expected tax treatment thereof. The forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions that Pembina has made in respect thereof as at the date of this news release regarding, among other things: the success of Pembina's operations and growth projects; prevailing commodity prices, margins, volumes and exchange rates; that Pembina's future results of operations will be consistent with past performance and management expectations in relation thereto; the availability of capital to fund future capital requirements relating to existing assets and projects; future operating costs; that all required regulatory and environmental approvals can be obtained on the necessary terms in a timely manner; prevailing regulatory, tax and environmental laws and regulations; maintenance of operating margins; and the availability of coverage under Pembina's insurance policies (including in respect of Pembina's business interruption insurance policy).

Although Pembina believes the expectations and material factors and assumptions reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date hereof, there can be no assurance that these expectations, factors and assumptions will prove to be correct. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to: the regulatory environment and decisions; Indigenous and landowner consultation requirements; the impact of competitive entities and pricing; reliance on third parties to successfully operate and maintain certain assets; the strength and operations of the oil and natural gas production industry and related commodity prices; non-performance or default by counterparties to agreements which Pembina or one or more of its affiliates has entered into in respect of its business; actions by governmental or regulatory authorities; the ability of Pembina to acquire or develop the necessary infrastructure in respect of future development projects; fluctuations in operating results; adverse general economic and market conditions in Canada, North America and worldwide; risks relating to the current and potential adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; the ability to access various sources of debt and equity capital; changes in credit ratings; counterparty credit risk; the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and its potential impact on, among other things, global market conditions and supply and demand, energy and commodity prices; interest rates, supply chains and the global economy generally; and certain other risks and uncertainties detailed in Pembina's management's discussion and analysis and annual information form, each for the year ended December 31, 2021, and from time to time in Pembina's public disclosure documents available at www.sedar.com, www.sec.gov and through Pembina's website at www.pembina.com.

This list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Readers are cautioned that events or circumstances could cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, forecasted or projected. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release speak only as of the date hereof. Pembina does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information contained herein, except as required by applicable laws. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

SOURCE Pembina Pipeline Corporation
Pod Foods' Continued Expansion to Grocery Chains Nationwide Gives Retailers Access to In-Demand Items Like Mochidoki, the First and Only Truly Premium Mochi Ice Cream Brand

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pod Foods, the company reinventing the grocery supply chain with the first full-service wholesale B2B marketplace with built-in logistics, today announced an expanded partnership with Central Market. The partnership kicks off with the distribution of premium ice cream brand Mochidoki in nine stores across Texas, making it Mochidoki's first brick-and-mortar grocery partner and supplementing its explosive popularity in local NYC stores and online. The partnership reinforces Pod Foods' mission to give emerging food brands a chance to shine on grocery shelves, while allowing retailers to avoid supply chain snafus and give customers the in-demand brands they crave.

Mochidoki first appeared on menus at notable restaurants like Nobu and Tao prior to launching their e-commerce site and two brick-and-mortar stores in Manhattan. The brand continues to generate buzz with imaginative Japanese-inspired desserts, offering both classic and unique mochi ice cream flavors such as Matcha, Purple Sweet Potato, Cake Batter, and more.

It's a perfect fit for Central Market, famous for its large-scale storefronts that focus on unique brands with high-quality ingredients over conventional packaged goods. Pod Foods will provide regional areas in Texas with immediate access to Mochidoki products through its virtual warehouse of emerging CPG brands. The company's tech-enabled, data-driven full-service distribution solution delivers an optimized logistics network, data analytics, and an intuitive recommendation engine that enables brands to increase margins, and retailers to easily fill shelves in real-time to meet customer needs

"This is what Pod Foods is all about - disrupting the status quo in the grocery world to bring together incredible, premium brands like Mochidoki and forward-thinking retail chains like Central Market to create a win-win for both sides - and for the everyday consumer, who can walk right into their favorite store and find the trendy, high-quality products they want right on the shelf," said Larissa Russell, co-founder and CEO of Pod Foods.

The one-stop distribution service Pod Foods created has given control back to the brands, enabling them to connect with local and national retailers, while simultaneously building out a logistics plan to enable distribution. In the past, traditional distributors locked emerging brands out of top-tier retailer relationships due to order fills not reaching a minimum volume. Pod Foods solves this issue by packaging multiple brands together in each order, so brands get the exposure they deserve while retailers can maintain their usual flow of product.

"We're excited to partner with Pod Foods and Central Market, who recognize the need for premium mochi ice cream options in grocery stores and appreciate Mochidoki's innovation  from our flavors and ingredients, to our patent-pending packaging. As the first and only premium mochi ice cream brand, we're proud to introduce the imaginative world of Mochidoki to Texans, who can now experience our passion for delicious, bite-sized snacking and the joy of mochi ice cream," said Mochidoki President and CEO Claudio LoCascio.

Retailers that have expanded access to Pod Food's infinite warehouse, receive recommendations in real-time to expand inventory and bring customers fresh brands they've grown accustomed to seeing. Pod Foods offers retailers an additional competitive advantage with an industry-breaking distribution model that can support an endless array of trending brands. The infinite "virtualized warehouse" model enables retailers to meet the demand of consumers by resetting and expanding their inventory down to the local store level. Retailers on the Pod Foods network are effectively immune to supply chain disruptions with the platform delivering alternative local suggestions to retail customers at a speed that traditional distributors can't compete with.

As part of the expansion, Pod Foods will service retailers across Texas with its warehouse in Austin. The company has additional distribution centers across the country, positioned strategically to service all regions including New England, the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West, the West Coast, and the Southeast.

About Pod Foods

Pod Foods is a tech-enabled, data-driven full-service distribution solution, reaching retailers and brands via a B2B wholesale marketplace. Named a 2022 top 10 most innovative food company by Fast Company, Pod Foods is revolutionizing the relationship between brands and retailers. With the platform, food retailers can easily procure from emerging brands and receive orders in a consolidated fashion via an optimized logistics network. Food manufacturers can grow their retail businesses with higher margins, streamlined logistics, and transparency. In-store marketing support, data analytics, and online recommendations bring visibility to emerging brands, accelerating sales so retailers and manufacturers alike can sell more, more easily. Follow @podfoodsco or say [email protected] for better distribution. podfoods.co

About Mochidoki

Mochidoki is a nationally renowned, New York-based mochi ice cream company, beloved for their imaginative and refined Japanese inspired desserts. The first and only premium mochi ice cream brand, Mochidoki offers a lineup of elegant flavors including earthy and rich Purple Sweet Potato, Matcha made with premium matcha, nutty Black Sesame, Vegan Mango with alphonso mango and more.

Mochidoki uses internationally sourced, high quality ingredients and globally inspired, expertly crafted formulations to take customers on a journey of discovery, while patent-pending packaging keeps the products fresh and perfectly formed for optimal taste and presentation. As the frozen dessert industry, and especially the mochi ice cream market, continues to experience exponential growth, Mochidoki remains an innovator in the space, and has amassed a vast following for its irresistible creations. mochidoki.com

SOURCE Pod Foods
Popular chain expands product offering from premium Irish dairy brand

DUBLIN, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Truly Grass Fed, a premium brand of sustainably-produced dairy products from the green fields of Ireland, announced that Publix will carry its natural sharp and aged cheddar cheese wedges at over 1,300 stores nationwide. The brand's salted and unsalted butter foil packs have been in Publix stores since early 2020. The carefully crafted and naturally delicious grass-fed Irish cheddar products will arrive on-shelf in early October.

Publix Grocery Stores will offer Truly Grass Fed Cheddar Cheese at all stores nationwide. Tweet this Truly Grass Fed's natural sharp and natural aged cheddars are made from happy Irish cows that are grass-fed. (PRNewsfoto/Truly Grass Fed) Truly Grass Fed, a premium brand of sustainably-produced dairy products from the green fields of Ireland. (PRNewsfoto/Truly Grass Fed)

"We're pleased that Publix shares our commitment to bringing consumers great-tasting choices that are better for people, animals and the environment," said Eric Farr, Regional Development Manager, U.S. East for Truly Grass Fed. "We are delighted to introduce shoppers to our delicious, grass-fed cheddar from happy Irish cows at one of America's most popular stores."

All Truly Grass Fed products are sourced from cows that are 95% grass-fed (average of one cow for every two acres), Non-GMO Project Verified, Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World and free from growth hormones and antibiotics. The resulting dairy products are naturally creamy and rich in nutrients. Truly Grass Fed's full product line-up includes salted and unsalted butter sticks, ghee clarified butter, a spreadable butter tub as well as hand-cut slices of its natural aged and sharp cheddar cheeses. Truly Grass Fed Natural Aged Cheddar is aged for six months to a smooth and creamy consistency. Truly Grass Fed Natural Sharp Cheddar is aged for 12 months, giving it a distinctive, bold taste. Both are available in seven ounce wedges.

The expansion of the product offering at Publix marks a significant milestone for the Truly Grass Fed brand, which first entered the U.S. market in 2019 and has been steadily expanding distribution. Other recent deals for the brand include distribution of Truly Grass Fed butter at King Soopers in Colorado and Kroger in Atlanta, as well as Fresh Market distribution for Truly Grass Fed Ghee Clarified Butter.

Truly Grass Fed sources its high-quality ingredients from 3,000 family farms located across Ireland's fertile countryside. The 100% farmer-owned co-operative, now called Tirlan, was formerly part of Glanbia plc.

Truly Grass Fed is committed to regenerative farming practices and responsibly-produced dairy that is healthier for animals, the environment and consumers. Truly Grass Fed is a member of 1% for the Planet, a global movement inspiring businesses and individuals to support environmental solutions. The brand donates one percent of annual revenue to member organizations, like Slow Food USA, which align with the dairy brand's values.

For more information and additional brand retail locations, please visit www.trulygrassfed.com .

About Truly Grass Fed

Truly Grass Fed is a premium brand of Irish dairy products crafted with integrity and care for people, animals and the planet. The brand's distinctively creamy and delicious butter and cheese are made from cows that are 95% grass-fed, Non-GMO Project Verified, Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World and free from growth hormones and antibiotics. Truly Grass Fed is elevating dairy to a new standard. The brand is strongly rooted in the art of farming but deeply dedicated to sustainability, transparency and progress with wholesome dairy from cows living their best lives outside, on pasture on average 250 days a year, grazing on green Irish grass. The Truly Grass Fed seal signifies that the dairy ingredients inside meet the highest industry standards of quality, safety, animal welfare and environmental consciousness.

About Tirlan

Tirlan is a world-class food and nutrition co-operative, with a diverse portfolio of quality ingredients, leading consumer and agri brands. The farmer-owned co-operative has a first-class track record of success in the global market.

Rooted in a rich heritage of family farming and embedded in its communities, Tirlan has evolved to bring the passion of its farmers and their high-quality milk and grains to the international marketplace. Using modern-day technology and applying the best processes to its milk pool of three billion litres and its premium grains portfolio, Tirlan now exports to more than 80 countries.

Its award-winning brands are household names in Ireland, and include Ireland's number one consumer dairy brand, Avonmore. The organisation draws on a wealth of experience to deliver exceptional products and tailored nutritional solutions including Kilmeaden, Wexford, Truly Grass Fed, Solmiko, CheddMax and GAIN Animal Nutrition. Tirlan has a strong market presence in the UK, France, Germany, UAE, the US, North Africa, Japan and China.

A talented team of over 2,100 people manage Tirlan's network of 11 production facilities, with annual revenues of over 3 billion expected in 2022. Tirlan is committed to sustainability through its comprehensive Living Proof programme, and the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) contained within it. For more information visit www.tirlan.com.

SOURCE Truly Grass Fed
The event on Oct. 19 will feature "Notes from the Field," which depicts personal accounts of students, parents, teachers and administrators caught in America's school-to-prison pipeline.

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center at Prairie View A&M University announced it would host a screening of "Notes from the Field," a dramatization of an award-winning play by Anna Deavere Smith depicting the school-to-prison pipeline. A moderated discussion with Smith will follow the screening on Oct. 19.

Anna Deavere Smith

"We are thrilled to host Ms. Smith for a screening of her powerful film and for our students to hear directly from Ms. Smith as she discusses America's school-to-prison pipeline, which pushes underprivileged youth out of the classroom and into incarceration," said Camille Gibson, interim dean of the College of Juvenile Justice and executive director of the TJCPC at PVAMU. The TJCPC is the only center of its kind in Texas that focuses on reducing juvenile delinquency and crime.

Debuting as a play in 2015, "Notes from the Field" was drawn from more than 250 interviews by Smith with students, parents, teachers and administrators caught in the school-to-prison pipeline. The play was adapted into a television movie by HBO, premiering in 2018. It tackles questions of race and class through first-person stories.

About the event:

Event: Screening & Discussion of Anna Deavere Smith's "Notes from the Field" Date: Wed., Oct. 19, 2022 Time: 9-11 a.m. CDT Place: Prairie View A&M University Registration: Website

About the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center: The Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center is housed in the College of Juvenile Justice at Prairie View A&M University. It is committed to the reduction of juvenile delinquency in the State of Texas. Through the creation of the Center and the College, PVAMU supports this mission as it strives to attain national recognition in the areas of education, research, and service.

About Prairie View A&M University: Designated an institution of "the first class" in the Texas Constitution, Prairie View A&M University is the second-oldest public institution of higher education in the state. With an established reputation for producing engineers, nurses, and educators, PVAMU offers baccalaureate degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degree programs through eight colleges and schools. A member of The Texas A&M University System, the university is dedicated to fulfilling its land-grant mission of achieving excellence in teaching, research, and service. For more information regarding PVAMU, visit www.pvamu.edu.

SOURCE Prairie View A&M University
CHANDLER, Ariz. , Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Arizona Global Campus 2022 Teaching and Learning Conference (TLC)  A Culture of Care: Empathy, Advocacy, and Non-Traditional Student Success  takes place November 1-3, 2022. REGISTER HERE.

TLC provides faculty, staff, students, researchers, and practitioners a platform to share their knowledge and experiences of critical issues in online higher education. This year, TLC addresses empathy and advocacy as keys to students' continued access to and success in higher ed. The theme stems from the goal UAGC shares with many institutions  to help ensure that historically underserved students achieve their academic goals and attain rewards of their work after they graduate. It also reflects our acknowledgement that prioritizing students' success requires a sincere effort to understand their lived experience.

Prioritizing students' success requires a sincere effort to understand their lived experience. Tweet this

REGISTER HERE

The 2022 Teaching and Learning Conference will facilitate interdisciplinary dialogue through nearly 100 panel tracks and individual presentations from professionals across the country, as well as through asynchronous engagement opportunities on the TLC conference platform.

Critical pieces of this discussion are opportunities to learn from distinguished thought leaders in higher-education equity. To that end, TLC is proud to host Dr. Adrianna Kezar and Dr. Clint Smith, who will lead TLC plenary sessions.

Dr. Adrianna Kezar is the Director of the University of Southern California Pullias Center for Higher Education, which conducted a long-term research study, Promoting At-Promise Student Success (PASS) project. On November 2 , Dr. Kezar will speak about ecological validation, or understanding how the results of a controlled study would function in the real world. This discussion is instructive for institutions who must understand how students' life experience could impact the implementation of new institutional practices intended to boost student success on a global scale.

is the Director of the Pullias Center for Higher Education, which conducted a long-term research study, Promoting At-Promise Student Success (PASS) project. On , Dr. Kezar will speak about ecological validation, or understanding how the results of a controlled study would function in the real world. This discussion is instructive for institutions who must understand how students' life experience could impact the implementation of new institutional practices intended to boost student success on a global scale. Dr. Clint Smith is a staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of the narrative nonfiction book, How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America, which was a #1 New York Times Bestseller, and the poetry collection Counting Descent, which won the 2017 Literary Award for Best Poetry Book from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award. On November 3 , Clint will offer a fireside chat where he will discuss with the TLC community how to develop a better understanding of at-promise students' experiences and find productive ways to act on that understanding.

Live TLC sessions will occur between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. PT on each day of the conference, and asynchronous sessions and engagement opportunities will be available on the TLC conference app. To register, access session information and links, and download the app, visit the conference registration page.

About the University of Arizona Global Campus

The University of Arizona Global Campus ("Global Campus" or "UAGC") is an independent university that is operated in affiliation with the University of Arizona. Global Campus is designed to provide flexible opportunities for working students from diverse backgrounds who seek to gain knowledge and skills that will help them to achieve their life and career goals. Global Campus is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and is one of the nation's most innovative online universities with approximately 25,000 students. UAGC offers more than 50 degrees at the associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. For more information visit uagc.edu.

SOURCE University of Arizona Global Campus
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE: PLTR) between November 9, 2021 and May 6, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important November 14, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Palantir securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Palantir class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8711 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than November 14, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Palantir's investments in marketable securities were having a significant negative impact on the Company's earnings per share ("EPS") results; (2) Palantir overstated the sustainability of its government segment's growth and revenues; (3) Palantir was experiencing a significant slowdown in revenue growth, particularly among its government customers, despite ongoing global conflicts and market disruptions; (4) as a result of all the foregoing, Palantir was likely to miss consensus estimates for its first quarter 2022 ("Q1") EPS and second quarter 2022 ("Q2") sales outlook; and (5) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Palantir class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8711 mailto:or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.rosenlegal.com

SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
SAINT LOUIS, Mo., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Royal House Partners ("RHP") a leading provider of residential and commercial HVAC, plumbing and electrical services in Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma welcomes the addition of Craftsman Plumbing Company based in Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, to their family of businesses.

RHP was founded in 2021 by CPS Capital, a Toronto-based investment firm, and 1801 Holdings, a Dallas-based group of seasoned home services professionals, who have spent a considerable amount of time developing a residential and light commercial HVAC, plumbing and electrical roll-up strategy.

As a leadership team, we have been busy the last several months acquiring businesses in the HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical & Home Services space. The addition of Craftsman marks the second acquisition this year for Royal House Partners to further expand its Plumbing footprint in Missouri.

Craftsman's plumbing team consists of experienced, licensed journeymen plumbers and licensed apprentice plumbers. Craftsman has been caring for their loyal residential and light commercial clients for 20+ years.

Paul Adams, Chief Growth Officer & Founder of RHP, notes "Craftsman is a nice fit for our existing plumbing operation and it allows us to further expand our St Louis customer radius west."

Eric Rios, Owner, notes, "We are so excited to be partnering with such an amazing organization who values their employees and clients above all."

Craig Denton, Regional Vice President Missouri, notes, "We are excited to add Craftsman Plumbing Company to our home services family. This addition will strengthen our plumbing division and give us a stronger reach in the Saint Charles area."

HVAC businesses interested in joining the RHP team should contact Paul Adams [email protected] For more information about RHP, visit https://www.royalhousepartners.com/home

About CPS Capital:

CPS Capital is a lower middle market private equity firm, based in Toronto, founded by owner-operators who look to partner with business owners to realize their growth and transition goals. CPS Capital is focused on North American opportunities to invest in exceptional businesses in growing industries with attractive characteristics. We look to become value-added partners with every business we work with. We bring significant capability, expertise, and capital to provide business owners with an attractive option compared to traditional financial or strategic buyers.

For more information, please visit us at https://cpscapital.com/

SOURCE Royal House Partners
DALLAS, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Simmons Bank, as Trustee of the Sabine Royalty Trust (NYSE: SBR), today declared a cash distribution to the holders of its units of beneficial interest of $1.016680 per unit, payable on October 31, 2022, to unit holders of record on October 17, 2022. Sabine's cash distribution history, current and prior year financial reports and tax information booklets, a link to filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission and more can be found on its website at http://www.sbr-sabine.com/. Additionally, printed reports can be requested and are mailed free of charge.

This distribution reflects primarily the oil production for July 2022 and the gas production for June 2022. Preliminary production volumes are approximately 71,923 barrels of oil and 1,472,082 Mcf of gas. Preliminary prices are approximately $96.81 per barrel of oil and $7.26 per Mcf of gas.

This month's distribution is higher than the previous month's primarily due to increased production due to the timing of receipts through the end of the previous month, offset by a decrease in pricing for oil and an increase in pricing for gas.

The production from the horizontal gas wells in Panola County, Texas, has contributed approximately $1,158,000 reflecting June production. They were averaging about 597 Mcf per well, per day during June totaling over 143,000 Mcf with an average pricing of $8.56 per Mcf. In addition to these proceeds, the additional 8 new wells which were paid upon for the month of June, contributed approximately $322,000, reflecting an average of 161 Mcf per well, per day. Also, revenue of $249,000 was received for one additional well in Panola County reflecting June production, averaging 1,560 Mcf per day.

Additionally, another 3 horizontal wells, also in Panola County, were paid on by another operator for the month of production for July 2022, with production of 1,176 Mcf per well, per day with the respective pricing of $6.12 per Mcf resulting in approximately $628,000 being received by the Trust in September.

As more regular monthly receipts are made in the months to come, additional information will be made available.

An audit of the Sabine's various ownerships in Panola County has resulted in additional $315,000 recovered during September.

The table below compares this month's production and prices to the previous month's:





Net to Trust Sales







Volumes

Average Price



Oil (bbls)

Gas (Mcf)

Oil (per bbl)

Gas (per Mcf)

















Current Month

71,923

1,472,082

$96.81

$7.26

















Prior Month

49,404

1,231,557

$111.28

$6.56









































Revenues are only distributed after they are received, verified, and posted. Most energy companies normally issue payment of royalties on or about the 25th of every month, and depending on mail delivery, a varying amount of royalties are not received until after the revenue posting on the last business day of the month. The revenues received after that date will be posted within 30 days of receipt.

Due to the timing of the end of the month of September, approximately $3,092,000 of revenue received will be posted in the following month of October in addition to normal receipts during October. Since the close of business in September and prior to this press release, $4,557,000 in revenue has been received.

The 2021 Annual Report with Form 10-K and the January 1, 2022 Reserve Summary has been posted on the Sabine website at http://www.sbr-sabine.com/.

SOURCE Sabine Royalty Trust
DENTON, Texas, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sally Beauty Holdings, the leader in professional hair color, has an ambitious corporate purpose: to inspire a more colorful, confident, and welcoming world. The beauty retailer sells and distributes professional beauty supplies globally through its Sally Beauty and Cosmo Prof businesses. The retailer's purpose lives in the products it carries, the education it provides, and most importantly, in honoring and supporting its diverse group of consumers and employees. Sally Beauty Holdings is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and supporting the Hispanic community year-round through a holistic approach for both consumers and employees.

Sally Beauty continues to expand its product assortment to reflect consumer needs and support the Hispanic community. The retailer currently carries 17 Hispanic owned or founded brands such as It's a 10 Haircare, Honey Baby Naturals, Mini Mani Moo, Novex, and Suavecito. It's a 10 Haircare Founder Carolyn Aronson shared, "Cosmo Prof was my very first distributor. They believed in our Miracle Leave-In product and brought it to the market. They were the ones who invited It's a 10 Haircare to the party, and we've been dancing with Sally Beauty ever since."

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, consumers can navigate a landing page dedicated to Hispanic owned or founded products at SallyBeauty.com/HispanicHeritage . This year, the retailer revamped the page to highlight Sally Beauty Holdings associates across its omnichannel shopping experience. "It's extremely important to not only support our Hispanic consumer, from professionals to DIYers, but also to support our Hispanic associates, to make sure they feel seen, heard, and encouraged along their career path," said Gabriel Trujillo, Vice President, Consumer Marketing at Sally Beauty Holdings.

To further bring the retailer's purpose and values to life for associates, Sally Beauty Holdings launched 4 Employee Resource Groups (ERG) in March 2022 (Hispanic, Black, Women, and LGBTQ+) with plans to add additional ERGs in the future. These groups provide a safe and supportive environment for all associates to offer feedback and ideas, support customer strategies, and assist Sally Beauty Holdings with identifying new, innovative approaches.

The Hispanic ERG chapter, Somos SBH, fosters an inclusive environment where Hispanic associates can reach their full potential personally and professionally. The group works with and inspires Hispanic customers and associates, sharing opportunities for success and raising cultural awareness. As of August 2022, 22% of Sally Beauty Holdings associates identify as Hispanic. "Hispanic culture is a part of who we are. It makes us unique, influences how we behave, what we believe in, how we celebrate, and how we live," shared Trujillo.

Somos SBH secured the retailer's first partnership with the Hispanic Federation , the nation's premier Latino nonprofit membership organization with a mission to empower and advance the Hispanic community. "Hispanic Federation (HF) thanks Sally Beauty Holdings for its contribution to CREAR Futuros, HF's groundbreaking college success initiative which uses peer mentors to provide a community of care to first-generation Latino college students, setting them up for success," said Brent Wilkes, Hispanic Federation Senior Vice President for Institutional Development. "It makes perfect sense to honor CREAR Futuros and establish this brand-new partnership as we together celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which highlights the contributions, culture, and success of Hispanic/Latino Americans in the U.S. We look forward to deepening our partnership with Sally Beauty Holdings in 2023 and beyond as we together celebrate and empower Latino communities nationwide."

"Sally Beauty Holdings is proud to support the Hispanic community of consumers and associates today and every day," said Jose Gamio, Head of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) at Sally Beauty Holdings. Learn more about the retailer's DIB efforts by visiting https://www.sallybeautyholdings.com/our-company/diversity-inclusion-and-belonging .

About Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc.

Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SBH), as the leader in professional hair color, sells and distributes professional beauty supplies globally through its Sally Beauty Supply and Beauty Systems Group businesses. Sally Beauty Supply stores offer up to 7,000 products for hair color, hair care, nails, and skin care through proprietary brands such as Ion, Generic Value Products, Beyond the Zone and Silk Elements as well as professional lines such as Wella, Clairol, OPI, Conair and L'Oreal. Beauty Systems Group stores, branded as CosmoProf or Armstrong McCall stores, along with its outside sales consultants, sell up to 10,000 professionally branded products including Paul Mitchell, Wella, Matrix, Schwarzkopf, Kenra, Goldwell, Joico and Olaplex, intended for use in salons and for resale by salons to retail consumers. For more information about Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc., please visit https://www.sallybeautyholdings.com/ .

SOURCE Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Discover the World and SATA Azores Airlines recently announced the expansion of their partnership in the USA and now has new phone numbers allowing them to offer expanded hours and holiday coverage to the travel trade in the USA. Understanding the importance of the travel agency community in assisting customers with international travel, Discover will apply its vast experience in this area to provide excellence in service and support to SATA's valued existing travel agency partners and to reach out to new agencies interested in selling the Azores and other SATA destinations. Our new North American trade service center will operate Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm Eastern Time and can be contacted by phone at 1-855-266-5568 or (480) 447-6502, and via email at [email protected].

About SATA Group

Established in the Azores in 1941, and with more than eighty years of History, SATA Group has at its core the depth of the Azorean soul and is committed to overcoming the archipelago's isolation. Composed of two airlines (SATA Air Acores and Azores Airlines) and an aerodrome managing body in the Archipelago of the Azores, the SATA Group has affirmed itself as an international airline that embraces the mission of building Atlantic bridges between the Azores and the world. SATA Airlines currently operates a network of regular national and international routes, playing an essential role in the economic and social development of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

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 the World 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, or call (480) 707-5566

SOURCE Discover the World
DENVER, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Schwazze, (OTCQX: SHWZ) (NEO: SHWZ) ("Schwazze" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that Justin Dye, Chairman & CEO will present to investors in a live VID Forum Town Hall on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, at 11:00 am EST. Management will field moderated Q&A from investors and interested parties after their presentation. Please sign up here to register.

The Webinar will be interactive and will be hosted by VID Conferences. All stakeholders and interested investors are welcome to tune in and participate with questions. The playback will then be available on the Company's website.

About Schwazze

Schwazze (OTCQX:SHWZ, NEO:SHWZ) is building a premier vertically integrated regional cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico and will continue to take its operating system to other states where it can develop a differentiated regional leadership position. Schwazze is the parent company of a portfolio of leading cannabis businesses and brands spanning seed to sale. The Company is committed to unlocking the full potential of the cannabis plant to improve the human condition. Schwazze is anchored by a high-performance culture that combines customer-centric thinking and data science to test, measure, and drive decisions and outcomes. The Company's leadership team has deep expertise in retailing, wholesaling, and building consumer brands at Fortune 500 companies as well as in the cannabis sector. Schwazze is passionate about making a difference in our communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, and doing our part to incorporate climate-conscious best practices. Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. was Schwazze's former operating trade name. The corporate entity continues to be named Medicine Man Technologies, Inc.

Schwazze derives its name from the pruning technique of a cannabis plant to enhance plant structure and promote healthy growth.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements may be preceded by the words "plan," "will," "may,", "predicts," or similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control and cannot be predicted or quantified. Consequently, actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) our inability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own or in collaboration with third parties; (ii) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (iii) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (iv) loss of one or more key executives or scientists; (v) difficulties in securing regulatory approval to market our products and product candidates; (vi) our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy in Colorado and outside the state, (vii) our ability to consummate the acquisition described in this press release or to identify and consummate future acquisitions that meet our criteria, (viii) our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and realize synergies therefrom, (ix) the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, * the timing and extent of governmental stimulus programs, (xi) the uncertainty in the application of federal, state and local laws to our business, and any changes in such laws, and * out ability to satisfy the closing conditions for the private finding described in this press release. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.

SOURCE Medicine Man Technologies, Inc.
Singularity XDR Customers Benefit From Operational Value Though Automation and AI-Powered Cybersecurity

SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan , renowned research and consulting firm, recognizes SentinelOne , the leader in autonomous cybersecurity, with the 2022 Global Customer Value Award. In times of economic uncertainty, organizations seek maximum ROI from their technology investments, particularly operational staples such as cybersecurity. Delivering unprecedented operational value, time to value, and ROI are key reasons why SentinelOne is the fastest-growing publicly-listed cybersecurity company today and the recipient of the Global Customer Value Award.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents the Global Customer Value award to the company that has demonstrated excellence in implementing strategies that proactively create value for customers, and focuses on improving the return on investment that customers make in its services or products. The award recognizes SentinelOne's unique customer experience differentiation, leading to best-in-class customer retention and customer base expansion.

According to Sarah Pavlak, Security Industry Principal at Frost & Sullivan, "SentinelOne has recognized the need to complement human skills with greater automation and more intelligence-based pre-processing to assist security teams with their often onerous workloads. This helps counter the sophisticated AI-driven techniques cyber attackers use to unleash devastating attacks."

In evaluating the Global Customer Value Award, Frost & Sullivan researchers analyzed business impact and customer impact criteria. The award criteria include:

Business Impact

Financial Performance : Strong overall financial performance is achieved in terms of revenues, revenue growth, operating margin, and other key financial metrics

: Strong overall financial performance is achieved in terms of revenues, revenue growth, operating margin, and other key financial metrics Customer Acquisition : Customer-facing processes support efficient and consistent new customer acquisition while enhancing customer retention

: Customer-facing processes support efficient and consistent new customer acquisition while enhancing customer retention Operational Efficiency : Company staff performs assigned tasks productively, quickly, and to a

: Company staff performs assigned tasks productively, quickly, and to a high-quality standard

Growth Potentia l: Growth is fostered by a strong customer focus that strengthens the brand and reinforces customer loyalty

l: Growth is fostered by a strong customer focus that strengthens the brand and reinforces customer loyalty Human Capital: Commitment to quality and customers characterize the company culture, which in turn enhances employee morale and retention

Customer Impact

Price/Performance Value : Products or services provide the best value for the price compared to similar market offerings

: Products or services provide the best value for the price compared to similar market offerings Customer Purchase Experience : The quality of the purchase experience assures customers that they are buying the optimal solution for addressing their unique needs and constraints

: The quality of the purchase experience assures customers that they are buying the optimal solution for addressing their unique needs and constraints Customer Ownership Experience : Customers proudly own the company's product or service and have a positive experience throughout the life of the product or service

: Customers proudly own the company's product or service and have a positive experience throughout the life of the product or service Customer Service Experience : Customer service is accessible, fast, stress-free, and high quality

: Customer service is accessible, fast, stress-free, and high quality Brand Equity: Customers perceive the brand positively and exhibit high brand loyalty

Built on the foundation of patented Storyline technology, Singularity XDR helps enterprises monitor, track, and contextualize all data across all enterprise endpoints, clouds, and identities. Singularity XDR is rapidly delivering innovation - increasing platform capabilities - enabling business growth, risk reduction, and efficient spending. SentinelOne's autonomous remediation saves operator time and reduces skill level requirement. The Singularity XDR platform accommodates a wide range of security team skill sets  including novice, single person shops, advanced incident response threat hunters at global 200 companies, and well-known incident response firms, including Mandiant and KPMG.

"Our pace of innovation and focus on delivering customer value sets SentinelOne apart," said Raj Rajamani, Chief Product Officer, SentinelOne. "Whether it was unifying EPP and EDR, natively building our Ranger attack surface reduction, or delivering the industry's first and only fully autonomous platform, we dare to go farther in the name of helping our customers reduce risk and do more."

About Frost & Sullivan

For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion .

About SentinelOne

SentinelOne's cybersecurity solution encompasses AI-powered prevention, detection, response and hunting across endpoints, containers, cloud workloads, and IoT devices in a single autonomous XDR platform.

Contact:

Claudia Toscano

P: 1.210.477.8417

E: [email protected]

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan
A new ambition by 2030 to accelerate its transformation dynamic

A visual identity, a marker of the successful transformation of the Group, its ambitions and its renewal

PARIS, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Servier today unveils its 2030 ambition as well as a new visual identity that reflects the transformation undertaken by the Group, bringing visible results. The Group intends to accelerate its transformation dynamics in order to ensure, over the long term, its independence and its creation of value for all its stakeholders. Servier confirms its commitment to making a meaningful social impact and contributing to a sustainable world.

A transformation that leads to results

Related Documents View PDF Servier unveils its 2030 ambition and reveals a new visual identity

Servier committed in 2015 to a transformation aimed at sustainably improving the company's performance and ensuring the sustainability of its unique governance model for the ultimate benefit of patients. Being governed by a foundation also gives the Group a long-term vision, perfectly adapted to the long cycles of the pharmaceutical sector.

In recent years, Servier has strengthened its leadership in cardiovascular diseases, the leading cause of mortality worldwide[1]  Servier is the 3rd largest global pharmaceutical group in cardiology and in hypertension.[2] Drawing on recognized scientific know-how, the Group has developed a wide range of treatments distributed in 150 countries. Servier has significantly invested in incremental innovation, including Single Pill Combinations (SPCs), several medicines combined into a single tablet, which leads to better patient compliance and contributes to savings for the healthcare system. Servier is also a renowned global leader in venous diseases, thanks to daflon which is an important part of the Group's growth.

Servier has made a major shift in oncology as a new pillar of strategic growth. The Group allocates over 50% of its R&D budget to it, with the ambition to become a renowned and innovative player in the development of therapeutic solutions targeting hard-to-treat cancers. Servier leads its R&D programs around two approaches: immuno-oncology and targeted therapies. Over the past four years, the Group has significantly strengthened its position in oncology thanks to more than 6 billion investments, including two major acquisitions which have made it possible to establish a presence in new strategic territories such as the United States and Japan. The Group's major investment in oncology today results in a rich pipeline of 39 R&D projects and seven medicines available to patients.

The Group also consolidated its generic business through national champions with strong brands such as Biogaran in France, Egis in Eastern Europe, Pharlab in Brazil and Swipha in Nigeria. This activity opens access to quality care for the largest number of people and contributes to lowering healthcare costs.

The transformation has impacted all the Group's activities, including R&D, which has undertaken a transformation plan based on three pillars that support progress and therapeutic performance: a patient-centric approach, a more efficient organization with a collaborative dynamic, and a refocusing on four therapeutic areas (oncology, cardiometabolism, neuroscience and immuno-inflammation). In its ambition to build a very open, dynamic and productive research for the benefit of patients, the opening of the Servier Research and Development Institute at Paris-Saclay in 2023 is a major step in the transformation of R&D. The result of an investment of more than 370 million, it is situated at the center of a global scientific and technological innovation cluster. The future Institute will be the heart of the Group's global R&D organization and will work cross-functionally with Servier's other R&D centers based in Denmark (Ballerup), the United States (Boston) and Hungary (Budapest). It will accommodate 1,500 employees and will include an incubator housing approximately 15 start-ups.

The Group has also accelerated its digital transformation to create value for patients and healthcare stakeholders, while unlocking the potential of teams, through new agile and efficient ways of working as well as a transformed infrastructure.

Relying on a solid foundation, the Group is now able to confirm its trajectory to 2025  a revenue of

6 billion, including 1 billion in oncology, and a Group EBITDA of 1.3 billion  and to ambitiously address the second strategic step of its transformation plan by 2030.

Olivier Laureau, President of Servier, says: "I want to thank all the employees of the Group who contribute to the success of the company's profound transformation, recognized worldwide by healthcare professionals, patient associations and our partners. The path we have travelled has allowed us to value our uniqueness: Servier is a group governed by a foundation whose ultimate beneficiary is and will always be the patient. This independence allows us to invest in the long-term for the development of innovative therapeutic solutions to meet high unmet medical needs."

A 2030 vision and ambition to accelerate the Group's transformation

Building on the 2025 goals as an important milestone, Servier has set a 2030 ambition to accelerate its transformation. The Group thus intends to achieve a turnover of 8 billion in 2030 with an EBITDA of more than 30% through a strategy based on three pillars:

1  Be a mid-size, focused and innovative player in oncology as well as in neuroscience and immuno-inflammation

Thanks to the major investments made in R&D, the Group has strong innovation capabilities and a rich pipeline of projects targeting pathologies with a high unmet medical need. Servier thus intends to launch a new molecular entity, or a new indication, every year in oncology and to achieve a major launch in the area of neuroscience/immuno-inflammation by 2030. Servier sets a goal of achieving an oncology revenue greater than or equal to 3 billion in 2030.

2  Accelerate the Group's leadership in cardiometabolism and venous disease

Servier is very involved in the development of incremental innovations (Single Pill Combinations) as well as innovative digital services that aim to improve diagnosis, knowledge of chronic diseases and therapeutic compliance. The Group develops partnerships with patient associations to offer services that are best suited to the needs of patients and their families. The Group intends to achieve a revenue greater than or equal to 3 billion in 2030 in this area by relying on a renowned expertise, a strong capacity for incremental innovation and an extensive international presence.

3  Continue the profitable growth of the Generic business

Relying on national champions, the Group wishes, through its Generic business, to facilitate access to treatments for a largest number of patients. This business will seize the market opportunities offered by patent exclusivity losses and biosimilar development, with a targeted revenue of 1.8 billion by 2030.

Three strategic levers will help achieve the Group ambition:

1  An optimized industrial network

To support its growth and its development, Servier will rely on an industrial model based on an efficient and sustainable network of specialized production sites, suited to the evolution of its medicines' portfolio. This model will also use digital technologies (Artificial Intelligence and Big data) in order to provide visibility into the industrial activity and to anticipate production management from beginning to end (end-to-end supply chain).

2  Agile and efficient organization

An agile and efficient organization, aligned with strategic ambitions, is a key performance lever. That is why Servier will strengthen cross-functional decision-making and collaboration in order to allow everyone within the Group to save time and focus on tasks with high added value. In addition, digital technologies will benefit all activities of the Group, and will help increase its effectiveness, performance and therapeutic innovation capability.

3  A community of employees committed to future generations

Since its creation, Servier has placed employees at the center of its actions, recognizing them as the Group's main strength. To make Servier 2030 a success, for the benefit of patients, the Group creates an environment encouraging talent engagement, retention and attraction.

Beyond the strong commitments already made to reduce its carbon footprint, accelerate diversity and inclusion and support communities, in particular through Mecenat Servier, the Group plans to invest in a flagship CSR project every three years.

A new visual identity emblematic of the Group's transformation

The transformation undertaken, of which the results are visible to all of the Group's stakeholders, led Servier to change its visual identity by adopting a brand platform that reflects the Group's renewal.

This new identity reflects what animates and represents Servier's uniqueness: an independent group, governed by a foundation, committed to therapeutic progress to serve patient needs. It is the marker of Servier's successful transformation, its ambitions and its renewal. It also reflects the uniqueness of the Group that works for the common good and fully integrates CSR into its strategy.

The "moved by you" signature and the star symbolize the Group's proximity to its stakeholders (patients, partners and employees). The smile, represented by the curve of the "R", provides hope for patients. It symbolizes the passion, empathy, expertise and innovation that characterize Servier.

This new brand platform unites all employees around a common identity, a source of inspiration on a daily basis. It also strengthens the Group's employer brand: its vocation, and its independence guaranteed by its foundation status, respond to the younger generations' search for meaning.

Olivier Laureau, President of Servier, adds: "Our Group is founded on a vocation that inspires us and around strong values that drive us. The initiated transformation and our ambition represent a new chapter in our history. More than ever, with Servier 2030, we are focused on innovation and positive social impact thanks to an improved profitability and bold choices."

Press contact: [email protected]

About Servier

Founded to serve health, Servier is a global group governed by a Foundation that aspires to have a meaningful social impact, both for patients and for a sustainable world. With its unique governance model, it can fully serve its vocation with a long-term vision: being committed to therapeutic progress to serve patient needs. The 21,800 employees of the Group are committed to this shared vocation, source of inspiration every day.

As a world leader in cardiology, Servier's ambition is to become a renowned, focused and innovative player in oncology by targeting hard-to-treat cancers. That is why the Group allocates over 50% of its R&D budget to developing targeted and innovative therapies in oncology.

Neuroscience and immuno-inflammatory diseases are the future growth driver. In these areas, Servier is focused on a limited number of diseases in which accurate patient profiling makes it possible to offer a targeted therapeutic response through precision medicine.

To promote access to quality care for all at a lower cost, the Group also offers a range of quality generic drugs covering most pathologies, relying on strong brands in France, Eastern Europe, Brazil and Nigeria.

In all these areas, the Group includes the patient voice at each stage of the life cycle of a medicine.

Headquartered in France, Servier relies on a strong geographical footprint in over 150 countries and achieved a revenue of 4.7 billion in 2021.

More information on the new Group website: servier.com

Follow us on social media: LinkedIn , Facebook , Twitter , Instagram

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[1] Inserm, 2017

[2] Source IQVIA, Analytics Link / World 74 countries / Mat Q1 2022

SOURCE Servier
Shasqi's click chemistry in humans, inspired by Dr. Bertozzi's work in bioorthogonal chemistry, is leading the way to improving the utility and outcomes of cancer therapies

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Shasqi, a clinical stage biotech company developing oncology therapeutics with its proprietary Click Activated Protodrugs Against Cancer (CAPAC ) platform, announced today that the company's scientific advisor, Carolyn Bertozzi, Ph.D., has been awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, alongside Morten Meldal, Ph.D. (University of Copenhagen, Denmark), and Nobel Laureate K. Barry Sharpless, Ph.D. (Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA), for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry.

Click chemistry was first introduced in 2001 by Drs. Sharpless, Hartmuth Kolb, and M.G. Finn. It involves chemical reactions in which specific pairs of molecules selectively react with each other, ignoring their surroundings. Dr. Bertozzi and her team demonstrated that these types of reactions could be conducted in cells or animals without interfering with native biochemical processes. This phenomenon is now known as bioorthogonal chemistry.

Shasqi's scientific advisor, Carolyn Bertozzi, Ph.D., has been awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Tweet this

Click chemistry and the tools that the concept has enabled have immensely enriched the fields of biology and medicine by providing orthogonal methods to explore biological processes. The elegant simplicity and functionality of this concept has enabled the pursuits of countless scientists around the world and fundamentally strengthened life science research, manufacturing and drug development.

"We, at Shasqi, are ecstatic to see that the concept and potential of click chemistry has been recognized by the world's most respected award of scientific achievement, the Nobel Prize. We congratulate and celebrate Drs. Bertozzi, Meldal and Sharpless on their well-deserved prize and are incredibly fortunate to count on Dr. Bertozzi's advice and support as our advisor," said Jose M. Mejia Oneto, M.D., Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Shasqi. "Shasqi is proud to contribute to the ongoing advancement of biology and medicine, powered by click chemistry, by pioneering its use in humans to create better cancer therapies."

Click chemistry serves as the foundation of Shasqi's unique CAPAC platform, which enables precise oncology therapeutics to reach unprecedented doses at the tumor site with a strong safety profile. The company's lead asset, SQ3370, has established click chemistry in humans and uses a powerful chemotherapeutic, doxorubicin, as the payload. Clinical results from a Phase I study have shown that SQ3370 is well-tolerated in patients. Despite dosing more than 10-times conventional Dox per cycle for up to 12 cycles, a maximally tolerated dose has not been identified to date. Based on these promising results, SQ3370 has advanced to a Phase II clinical trial, which is currently enrolling patients.

To learn more about Shasqi's CAPAC platform and ongoing clinical trials, please visit http://www.shasqi.com

About Shasqi and the CAPAC Platform

Shasqi is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company whose mission is to enable patients to beat cancer with tumor-localized therapies by pioneering the use of click chemistry in humans. Click chemistry is a term that describes chemical reactions in which 2 compounds rapidly react with each other; ignoring everything else around them.

Shasqi's proprietary CAPAC platform enables precise oncology therapeutics to reach unprecedented doses at the tumor site with a strong safety profile in two steps. First, the CAPAC platform localizes a click chemistry reagent (activator) to the tumor. Then protodrugs (attenuated drugs activated by click chemistry) are infused systemically. When the protodrug reaches the activator, the payload is released at the tumor site. The lead asset, SQ3370 has established click chemistry in humans and uses a powerful chemotherapeutic, doxorubicin, as the payload. Shasqi's CAPAC Platform, when applied to a broad range of existing and experimental cancer drugs, is designed to reach unprecedented doses and unlock novel beneficial biological effects.

SOURCE Shasqi
Honeywell is the Visionary Sponsor of Country's Largest Gathering of Hispanic STEM Talent With Nine Thousand Professionals, Industry Leaders, and Innovators Expected to Attend

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SHPE (The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers), a national organization representing Hispanic professionals and students in STEM, will host its 46th National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Charlotte Convention Center on November 2 through 6, 2022. The largest gathering of Hispanic STEM talent in the nation, the event is expected to be attended by over 9,000 students, professionals, academia, and industry leaders.

The four day gathering will offer attendees professional and leadership development through sessions and workshops, speakers, networking, competitions, and award ceremonies. The theme of the convention is Racing Towards the Future, celebrating the evolution of SHPE, the community of Familia, and the innovation of Hispanics in STEM; with a nod to the NASCAR influences in the host city. For all attendees, the convention will serve as a catalyst for both personal and professional growth which, in turn, will have a powerful impact on the Hispanic community, the U.S. workforce, and our global economy.

Country's Largest Gathering of Hispanic STEM Talent With Nine Thousand Expected to Attend Tweet this

According to the Pew Research Center, while nearly 20% of the U.S. population is Hispanic, only 8% of STEM jobs are filled by Hispanic professionals. In leadership positions, this percentage is even lower. SHPE exists to narrow and eventually close this gap by raising awareness and increasing access. In addition to connecting our members with many of the top organizations in STEM, the Convention is also one of our most powerful tools to prepare Hispanic students and professionals to be top talent and leaders in their field.

This year, a major highlight of the convention will be Fearless, a new 8-session speaking series designed to inspire the audience to take risks, conquer fears and lead a life of purpose. Curated by SHPE CEO Dr. Chris Wilkie and sponsored by Rockwell Automation, Fearless speakers will include leading STEM experts and influencers on topics such as leadership, diversity and inclusion, technology, and equity in the workspace. A list of Fearless speakers is here.

Attendees will be able to take advantage of training, leadership, professional development, and networking as well as interacting with over 250 exhibitors actively recruiting new talent. The convention is made up of five specialized conferences, with something for everyone, including:

The Academic Conference hosts students and faculty at all levels of higher education

hosts students and faculty at all levels of higher education The SHPEtinas: Igniting Latinas in STEM Conference strives to accelerate Latina representation at all levels of corporate and academic leadership in STEM

strives to accelerate Latina representation at all levels of corporate and academic leadership in STEM The Professionals in STEM Conference provides a differentiated learning approach to its attendees, granting them a diverse toolkit of skills, knowledge, and experience

provides a differentiated learning approach to its attendees, granting them a diverse toolkit of skills, knowledge, and experience The SHPETech Conference is designed to shine a spotlight on cutting edge STEM technology for maximum impact

is designed to shine a spotlight on cutting edge STEM technology for maximum impact The Pre-College Conference will take place at five secondary schools in the area with SHPE staff and volunteers leading a "Dia de Ciencias" for the students and parents

A popular offering of the event is the two-day Career Fair & Graduate School Expo where thousands of jobs will be offered by companies like Facebook, Boeing, Apple, Google, Amazon, Johnson & Johnson and over 200 other leading companies in STEM. The full list of exhibitors is here.

SHPE's National Convention will also include the presentation of The STAR Awards, which recognizes key individuals, corporations, government agencies, and academic institutions that have contributed significantly to support Hispanics in STEM. 2022 recipients include U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, California, U.S. Senator John Cornyn, Texas, U.S. Congressman Tony Cardenas, California, and U.S. Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, Florida. The full list of winners is here.

The Visionary Sponsor of SHPE's 2022 National Convention is Honeywell. www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

About SHPE

SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) is a nonprofit organization serving and advancing Hispanics in STEM. With more than 13,000 student and professional members, SHPE's mission is to change lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support, and development. For more information please visit https://www.shpe.org/

Members of the media are encouraged to pre-register for the conference. For press credentials, contact Alyssa Sullivan at [email protected] or 617-899-8631.

Contact: Alyssa Sullivan

[email protected]

617-899-8631

SOURCE SHPE
Acquisition of sand preparation expert complements global offering

TAASTRUP, Denmark, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Norican Group, home to DISA, ItalPresseGauss, StrikoWestofen and Wheelabrator, has acquired US-based Simpson Technologies, experts in equipment for the mixing, cooling, handling, reclamation and analysis of sand.

The 110-year-old family business is based in Aurora, Illinois, with subsidiaries in Germany and India. It has a significant footprint in both foundry and chemical process industries.

Joining Denmark-headquartered Norican will expand Simpson's global reach, offer a one-stop shop for joint foundry customers and give chemical process industry customers access to Norican's leading digital technologies.

For Norican, the acquisition is a natural extension of its complete foundry offering, strengthening its capabilities in sand preparation, reclamation and laboratory testing.

The Simpson brand will sit alongside the other four Norican technology brands  DISA, ItalPresseGauss, StrikoWestofen and Wheelabrator, covering molding, diecasting, light metal melting/dosing and shot blasting  as well as digital brand Monitizer.

The acquisition completed at the beginning of October for an undisclosed sum. The existing Simpson team remains in place. Simpson's Bruce W. Dienst will take over the leadership of all Norican activities in the North American region as well as continuing as President & CEO of Simpson Technologies.

Anders Wilhjelm, CEO of Norican Group, comments: "I'm delighted to welcome Simpson Technologies into the Norican family. It's a great match for both sides. We were particularly impressed with Simpson's outstanding sand reclamation and energy-efficient continuous sand mixing equipment, which perfectly complements our suite of sustainable foundry technologies. It's reflective of an ethos that values resources and works hard to reduce our industries' impact on the planet."

Bruce W. Dienst, President & CEO of Simpson Technologies, adds: "We are very excited and honored to join the Norican family whose values, strategic vision and technologies fully align with and complement ours. In fact, we've already worked with and respected many of our new colleagues for decades. In North America, we will further integrate Simpson with our sister brands of DISA, Wheelabrator and Monitizer to provide a complete solution that produces castings of the highest quality. With Norican, Simpson will extend our innovative technologies to a global customer base with unequalled local support and technical assistance."

Simpson Technologies' processes will be integrated with Norican's systems over the coming months. Both businesses will continue to exceed customers' expectations during this seamless transition period and beyond.

For more on Simpson and Norican, visit www.simpsongroup.com and www.noricangroup.com.

SOURCE Norican Group
PRINCETON, N.J., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Singularity Systems, the next-generation Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) Company, announces its rebranding to AYR and the appointment of Ryan Raiker as its Vice President of Marketing, as the company accelerates into a new era of work. Leading the next stage of marketing and growth for AYR, Raiker will focus on creativity, analytics, and purpose to transform the global marketing function.

"We are thrilled to have Raiker take on this role at a very exciting time as we embark on our next growth stage. Ryan's experience crafting strategic company narratives to help modernize, redefine market perception, and increase awareness will drive demand and conversions for our next-generation IDP platform," said Scott Lee, Chief Revenue Officer at AYR. "He will be instrumental in helping us drive our AYR rebrand strategy and delivering on our customer-centric focus."

"The new website, AYR.ai, enhances the AYR digital marketing presence and showcases our AI-powered platform." Tweet this

Raiker commented, "The new website, AYR.ai, enhances the AYR digital marketing presence and showcases our AI-powered platform. The company's new brand and new identity reflect its forward-thinking approach to solving the most complex data automation challenges. The AYR brand perfectly illustrates our growing ambition: ARE YOU READY? This initiative will help us continue scaling the adoption of the award-winning SingularityAI platform."

Highly motivated and results-driven, Raiker labels the customer's voice as the basis upon which his strategies and brand campaigns are built. Raiker joins Singularity Systems, now AYR, from ABBYY, where he led their digital experience and global digital marketing strategy and was responsible for process mining go-to-market strategy and products.

Ryan Raiker, an MBA graduate of Widener University, holds an Executive Education certificate from Columbia Business School, along with recent certifications in digital marketing from the American Marketing Association and Digital Marketing Institute. Raiker is an adjunct professor and advisor for several technology firms and non-profits.

About AYR, formerly Singularity Systems

With its world-class team of scientists and developers, AYR has pioneered new AI techniques that have modernized and democratized Intelligent Document Processing (IDP). The company, headquartered in Princeton, NJ, provides SingularityAI, an award-winning Artificial Intelligence platform enabling enterprises to transform their raw data into actionable insight.

Enterprise leaders use SingularityAI to efficiently convert high-volume unstructured content into machine-readable data, enabling real-time decision-making and powering improvements in customer experience and operational agility.

SOURCE AYR, Inc

SOURCE AYR
STOCKHOLM, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanska has signed a contract with the Metropolitan Transport Authority to replace escalators in subway stations in New York, New York, USA. The contract is worth USD 113M, about SEK 1.1 billion, which will be included in the US order bookings for the third quarter 2022.

Skanska will replace a total of 17 escalators in six subway stations throughout the city, including Lexington Ave/59th Street station, South Ferry/Whitehall Street station, 145th Street station, 5th Ave/53rd Street Station, Smith-9th Street Station, and 59th Street Station. The project also includes associated repair work and upgrades to those stations.

Construction began August 2022 and expected completion is August 2026.

For further information please contact:

Maritza Ferreira, VP Communications, Skanska USA, tel +1 (678) 492 20 03

Jacob Birkeland, Head of Media Relations and Public Affairs, Skanska AB, tel +46 (0)10 449 19 57

Direct line for media, tel +46 (0)10 448 88 99

This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/skanska/r/skanska-replace-escalators-in-subway-stations-in-new-york--usa--for-usd-113m--about-sek-1-1-billion,c3643463

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/95/3643463/1635164.pdf 20221006 US Escalators NY

SOURCE Skanska
Used for teams to keep up with reddit discussions. Alerts for brand identity management, lead generation, technical support and security monitoring.

MONTREAL, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Lexyr Inc. announced SocialGrep Alerts, a new tool for keyword research and monitoring sentiment. Most important feature of these alerts is the filtering via selected subreddits, negative keywords and many other filters to avoid unnecessary notifications. Users can sign up to try the service for free at socialgrep.com/alerts.

"SocialGrep Alerts is a tool for savvy marketers and researchers who want to track social media sentiment about their brand," said Lexyr CEO and founder, Andrey Feyman. "There are dozens of social media listening tools that provide comprehensive keyword research, but we wanted to make the experience both easy for users, and very precise. Our Reddit keyword alerts are easy to set up, and they get the results delivered in near real-time."

SocialGrep Alerts works by alerting users when a particular keyword is mentioned by a Reddit user in a post or a comment. This alerts users to potential issues or opportunities that may exist within the post. Over a period of public beta testing, this product was used for brand identity management, lead generation, technical support, security/vulnerability monitoring and research.

"We wanted to make it easy for marketers to find what their customers are saying about their brand in real time," Lexyr continued. "If a customer is angry about a product, it is better to know about it immediately than to wait for someone to call you about it. With a wide array of advanced filters, SocialGrep Alerts make it easy to know what customers are saying about your brand." SocialGrep's filters include restricting results to match certain terms, filtering negative keywords out, and search by domains and subreddits. Filters can be combined to personalize an alert, making this one of the more advanced social media listening tools on the market.

SocialGrep Alerts is now available as part of Lexyr's media intelligence platform, SocialGrep. It is joining SocialGrep Exports, a tool for exporting Reddit posts and comments , and SocialGrep's own advanced Reddit search . With SocialGrep's family of tools, users can search, monitor, and report on social media sentiment about their brand, competitor brands, and industry trends. Users can also set up alerts to be notified when a keyword in a post or a comment is mentioned in social media. To promote open quantitative social science, SocialGrep also offers free Reddit post and comment datasets for download.

SocialGrep Alerts allows clients to easily set up tracking for the social media website Reddit, tracking new mentions and seamlessly integrating them with a multitude of notification media like Slack, Discord, email, and many more. For more information about the current and upcoming tools released under the SocialGrep umbrella, please visit socialgrep.com.

About Lexyr Inc

Lexyr is a media intelligence platform for social media monitoring, big data analytics and machine learning data. Focused on textual data and natural language processing. Extracting signals from the web of noise.

PRESS CONTACT

Andrey Feyman

1-866-519-6544

https://socialgrep.com

SOURCE Lexyr Inc
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Somera Capital Management, a California and D.C. based investment firm, announced today the formation of its latest partnership and the acquisition of Dallas-based hotel management company Quorum Hotels & Resorts.

With more than a 20-year relationship between Somera and Quorum principals as the foundation, the acquisition presented a natural evolution. The purchase will not only provide a comprehensive management solution for Somera's current hotel assets, but also position the company for future growth as it seeks to capitalize on market conditions for both its investors and partners.

"We have well established regard for the culture and talent of Quorum and look forward to continuing the legacy for our associates, partners, and guests alongside a growing portfolio," said CEO David Brown. "We congratulate the founding partners on their 35 years of success and thank them for the opportunity to work with such a dedicated, dynamic, and talented leadership team in this new chapter."

The new ownership group brings together more than 75 years of industry experience across all brands, segments, and disciplines and will be led by President, Todd Moreau. Moreau previously led a top California-based hotel management company as Chief Operating Officer through a decade of notable growth marked by the expansion of its diverse portfolio of branded and independent upscale, lifestyle hotels.

"The industry has experienced strength and resilience in its recovery over the past two years. In that time, we have also seen a significant increase in merger and acquisition activity in the third-party management space. We believe the relationships we cultivate with our partners, our attention to detail on all key performance factors, and our genuine, experience-focused culture will remain the differentiators for Quorum," said President Todd Moreau.

Quorum Hotels & Resorts currently operates properties in Texas, California, Arizona, South Carolina, Georgia, and Kentucky. Quorum will maintain corporate headquarters in both Dallas, Texas, and Newport Beach, California, positioned to support its geographically diverse, growing portfolio of hotels. Learn more about Quorum Hotels & Resorts at quorumhotels.com.

About Quorum Hotels & Resorts

Quorum Hotels & Resorts has a 35-year record of success comprising more than 185 hotel assignments spanning most major markets and all major brands including Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and IHG. Quorum provides hotel owners with a personalized, hands-on approach to hotel management focused on driving optimal operating results and return on investment. Core areas of expertise include hotel management, asset management, and advisory services. Today, Quorum Hotels & Resorts manages 2,000 keys across the United States. For more information about Quorum Hotels & Resorts visit quorumhotels.com.

About Somera Capital Management

Somera Capital Management was founded in 1994 to acquire and manage value-added real estate investments on behalf of its principals and accredited investor partners. With 28 years of commercial real estate investment experience across multiple sectors and geographic regions, Somera has sponsored over 120 investments totaling more than $2.5 billion in transaction volume. Somera's investment strategy centers on properties that are well-located with sound physical and economic fundamentals, are able to generate attractive distributions, and have value-add potential through recapitalization or repositioning.

Since its inception, 30% of Somera's acquisitions have been in hospitality which is the largest segment of the portfolio. Today, Somera continues to invest capital and actively manages more than two dozen projects in a portfolio valued at more than $900 million. To learn more about Somera visit someracapital.com.

CONTACT:

Jessica Buck

Vice President Sales & Marketing

Quorum Hotels & Resorts

[email protected]

SOURCE Quorum Hotels & Resorts
ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stateside Associates, the largest state and local government affairs firm, is pleased to announce the promotion of Johnathan Lozier to Senior Vice President and Principal of the firm. In his new role, Lozier will help to usher in the next growth phase of the firm by expanding its consulting practice, strengthening relationships with state Democratic legislative leaders and Governors' offices, and overseeing the firm's Business Development efforts.

Lozier's promotion and appointment to Principal demonstrates a boost to Stateside's strategic leadership team. Tweet this Johnathan Lozier, Senior Vice President and Principal of Stateside Associates

Lozier has been with Stateside for nearly seven years, having recently served as Vice President with a strategic focus on growing the firm's business development and branding efforts, supporting its clients' advocacy efforts, and helping them navigate the complex policy and political arena of state government affairs.

"We are excited to bring Johnathan into the ownership circle as we continue to grow our firm and different issue practices, support our clients' programs and bring on new business," said Michael Behm, Stateside's Co-Chief Executive Officer. "Johnathan's commitment to clients and his passion for excellence is what keeps us at the top of our field. His new role reflects his many contributions to the firm and our exponential growth over the last seven years."

Lozier's promotion and appointment to Principal demonstrates a boost to Stateside's executive and strategic leadership team.

"It's vital to Stateside's success that we have only the best individuals in the proper roles to capitalize on our positive momentum," said Mark Anderson, Stateside's Co-Chief Executive Officer. "Johnathan has been integral to Stateside's success for almost seven years. With his proven ability to build and grow the firm's business development team and clientele, this addition to the leadership team is the next natural step in growth for Stateside."

"I couldn't be more excited to take on the new challenges and I'm honored to have been given the opportunity to serve as a leader of the firm. The firm's evolution and success are important to me," said Lozier. "I believe in our work and see a bright future for the firm. I am eager to lead Stateside forward in this next chapter alongside my colleagues."

Lozier started his career with Stateside as a Senior Manager on the Issue Management team in 2016; he was quickly elevated to Vice President in 2019. Before joining Stateside, Johnathan worked in several capacities for national and international non-profits as part of their policy, communications, grassroots and development teams. Johnathan also plays an outsized role in several Democratic campaign organizations, including the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) and the Democratic Governors Association (DGA).

Originally from Seminole, Oklahoma, Johnathan graduated with a B.A. from East Central University and the Institute on Business and Government Affairs (IBGA) 2008 Class of The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) at Georgetown University.

Johnathan can be reached at [email protected]. Click here for his full bio.

About Stateside Associates

Stateside Associates is the leader in state and local government affairs. With its client first approach, Stateside Associates offers a full-service suite of state and local government relations services including strategic planning, direct advocacy, innovative issue monitoring, lobbying referral, public sector sales support, and engaging with public officials, state and local officials Groups and grass tops strategies.

Stateside Associates' employees and partners include experienced issue managers, former state legislative staff members, and regulatory attorneys. Since its founding in 1988, Stateside Associates has been championing companies, government and non-profit clients, and trade associations from all diverse industries across the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

In 2022, Stateside Associates launched two new service offerings, Infrastructure Funding Advisory & Consulting and Health Care Policy Reporting & Implementation. To learn more about Stateside Associates, visit Stateside.com.

For More Information,

Contact: Jennifer Whitney, Director, Marketing and Communications

Phone: (571) 895-5005

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Stateside Associates
WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After more than six hours, negotiations between the Teamsters and Sysco broke down Wednesday evening. As a result, more than 500 workers in Syracuse, N.Y., and Plympton, Mass., continue their strike against the company's unfair labor practices.

"Sysco pushes its workers to the physical brink as if they were disposable robots. Our members work hard, but they must be compensated with a secure and quality retirement and affordable health care. No longer will we allow this company to churn workers and then throw them away," said Sean M. O'Brien, Teamsters General President. "They are going to continue to stand up and fight for what they deserve. We have a saying on the strike line: one day longer, one day stronger."

More than 230 workers represented by Local 317 went on strike at Sysco Syracuse last Wednesday after weeks of contentious contract negotiations with the company. Less than three days later, more than 300 workers at Local 653 took to the picket line at Sysco Boston.

The breakdown comes after a Sysco report showed nearly half of its employees have been in their job for less than a year. On a recent investor call, Sysco CEO Kevin P. Hourican attempted to calm investor concerns about the company's inability to retain workers by saying he was committed to improving employee retention, training, and productivity.

"Kevin Hourican tells investors one thing and employees another. The company's current offer is just another corporate bait and switch. What they say they are giving in wage increases, they are taking away in employee paid health care costs," said Tom Erickson, Director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents hardworking men and women throughout the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org to learn more. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:

Daniel Moskowitz, (770) 262-4971

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
EL PASO, Texas, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With more than 20 years of experience providing comprehensive healthcare and programs to Texas women, Superior HealthPlan is urging members to schedule routine appointments and screenings to help prevent breast cancer. This is part of a larger effort by Superior in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

The story of Autumn, a Superior HealthPlan member who has a history of breast cancer in her family

"This national awareness campaign serves as an important reminder to those in need of a mammogram to contact their physician for support," said Dr. David Harmon, Chief Medical Director at Superior. "Early detection and treatment are essential in the fight against breast cancer, and we want to encourage everyone to get the care they need."

This year alone, an estimated 20,000 women in Texas will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and nearly 3,400 of those women will die from the disease. Women older than 40 should consider beginning annual breast cancer screenings with mammograms, and potentially earlier if they have a family history of breast cancer. Below are a few ways to lower risk and take preventive steps:

Early detection. If you notice any changes in your breasts, such as a new lump or skin changes, consult your doctor. Also, ask your doctor when to begin mammograms and other screenings based on your personal history.

If you notice any changes in your breasts, such as a new lump or skin changes, consult your doctor. Also, ask your doctor when to begin mammograms and other screenings based on your personal history. Limit alcohol. The more alcohol you drink, the greater the risk of developing breast cancer. The general recommendation is to limit yourself to no more than one drink per day.

The more alcohol you drink, the greater the risk of developing breast cancer. The general recommendation is to limit yourself to no more than one drink per day. Maintain a healthy weight. If you need to lose weight, ask your doctor about healthy strategies. Reduce the number of calories you eat each day and slowly increase the amount of exercise.

If you need to lose weight, ask your doctor about healthy strategies. Reduce the number of calories you eat each day and slowly increase the amount of exercise. Be physically active. Most healthy adults should aim for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus strength training at least twice a week.

Most healthy adults should aim for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus strength training at least twice a week. Breast-feed. Breast-feeding might play a role in breast cancer prevention. The longer you breast-feed, the greater the protective effect.

Breast-feeding might play a role in breast cancer prevention. The longer you breast-feed, the greater the protective effect. Limit postmenopausal hormone therapy. Combination hormone therapy may increase the risk of breast cancer. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of hormone therapy. You might be able to manage your symptoms with nonhormonal therapies and medications.

Along with early prevention and other steps, Superior offers several programs and support for women. This includes Care Management specifically for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. This program is featured in a new video that explores the story of Autumn, a Superior HealthPlan member who has a history of breast cancer in her family.

Superior can help members connect with their primary care physician, either through telehealth or in-person visits. Members can use the "Find a Provider" tool or call Superior at 1-800-783-5386.

For more about Superior's services and benefits, visit www.SuperiorHealthPlan.com.

About Superior HealthPlan

Founded in 1999, Superior HealthPlan is a managed care company that delivers quality healthcare throughout Texas. Committed to transforming the health of the community, one person at a time, Superior supports active local involvement in all 254 Texas counties with 3,000 employees throughout the state. Superior is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. More information on Superior can be found at www.SuperiorHealthPlan.com.

SOURCE Superior HealthPlan
Software and Services Industry Veterans Gordon Lam and Ryan Rodenburg Promoted to New Roles to Further Company's Global Expansion

BOSTON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Syniti, a global leader in enterprise data management, today announced the promotion of two current senior executives to new global roles at the company: Gordon Lam will assume the newly created role of president and chief revenue officer (CRO), and Ryan Rodenburg will become president and chief delivery officer (CDO). Both will report to Kevin Campbell, chief executive officer.

As president and CRO, Lam will lead Syniti's global sales, value engineering, marketing, alliances and customer success operations. He will be responsible for planning and executing a global strategy to drive the company's software-led services growth in collaboration with regional sales leaders, coordinating major system integrator alliances and ensuring the continued success and satisfaction of Syniti's long-term client relationships. Lam joined Syniti in 2019 to lead the company's APJ region, where he won multiple awards for leadership and innovation. A seasoned leader in sales, marketing and driving growth, he held various leadership roles at Fortune500 companies such as Microsoft, SAP and NetApp.

As president and CDO, Rodenburg will oversee Syniti's global professional services organization, as well as its centers of excellence and global delivery centers. He joined Syniti from DMR, Inc., a data management services company he founded and served as CEO until its merger with Syniti in 2021. In his new role, Rodenburg will help drive world class consulting solutions across all regions for every Syniti client. He brings more than 20 years of experience in technology and SAP talent management to the position with a keen focus on driving a talent-first culture and building high-performance teams.

These new global appointments follow Syniti's strong performance during the first half of 2022, including its highest revenue in history, as well as the launch of its next generation cloud-native Syniti Knowledge Platform, with major enhancements to its migration, matching and data quality components.

Kevin Campbell, CEO, Syniti, said: "We are thrilled to promote Gordon and Ryan to these two key new roles. They bring impressive track records in driving software and services revenue, and in motivating the best talent in data to achieve great outcomes for our customers. Their leadership is critical to help us grow and scale Syniti as the foremost provider of enterprise data management solutions and to deliver on our robust pipeline for the remainder of 2022."

Bill Green, chairman of the board, Syniti, said: "Digital transformation isn't going anywhere, even in an uncertain market. Syniti's software and solutions are well positioned as the management of data becomes critical for the success of organizations' long-term transformation initiatives. The board is pleased to see the company promote key senior leaders to help steer current and future growth."

About Syniti

Syniti solves the world's most complex data challenges by uniquely combining intelligent, AI-driven software and vast data expertise to yield certain and superior business outcomes. For over 25 years, Syniti has partnered with the Fortune 2000 to unlock valuable insights that ignite growth, reduce risk and increase their competitive advantage. Syniti's silo-free enterprise data management platform supports data migration, data quality, data replication, master data management, analytics, data governance, and data strategy in a single, unified solution. Syniti is a portfolio company of private equity firm Bridge Growth Partners LLC. Read more at www.Syniti.com.

SOURCE Syniti
CHERRY HILL, N.J., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TD announced a $500,000 contribution to support local relief efforts aiding people and communities impacted by Hurricane Ian across the Southeast. Donations will be distributed to a number of local non-profits leading recovery efforts across the region.

"Many communities across the Southeast are struggling to recover from one of the most devastating hurricanes to ever hit the region," said Leo Salom, President and CEO, TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank. "Our thoughts are with everyone impacted, especially those who lost a loved one, friend or neighbor or suffered damage to their home or business. TD is here to help and doing all we can to offer swift relief to those affected."

In addition to the $500,000 contribution, the bank has initiated TD Cares, a program that offers financial assistance to eligible TD Bank customers in areas hit by Hurricane Ian. Impacted TD customers may contact the bank to inquire about assistance that may include various fee refunds and early withdrawals from certificates of deposit with no penalty.

TD is also assisting impacted colleagues through its Employee and Family Assistance Program. In addition, eligible TD employees may apply for disaster relief grants from the bank if they're facing financial hardship due to the hurricane.

About the TD Charitable Foundation

The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has distributed over $230 million through more than 21,330 grants through donations to local nonprofits from Maine to Florida. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation is available at https://www.tdbank.com/corporate-responsibility/the-ready-commitment/funding-opportunities/

About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing over 9.8 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,100 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Auto Finance, a division of TD Bank, N.A., offers vehicle financing and dealer commercial services. TD Bank and its subsidiaries also offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.td.com/us. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US and www.twitter.com/TDNews_US.

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com/us.

SOURCE TD Bank
TD will empower RH customers with credit card financing for the brand's expanding product collections

WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TD Bank's Retail Card Services business announced today a multi-year financing partnership with RH, the leading luxury lifestyle brand and home furnishings retailer offering expansive product collections through its Design Galleries, Source Books, and online at RH.com.

"RH's elevated and personalized approach to its customer relationships is a shared philosophy for our team at TD," said Mike Rittler, Head of Retail Card Services at TD Bank. "We are proud to offer our credit solutions to power the brand across its unparalleled product set. As shoppers continue to look for flexibility heading into the fall and 2023, we are excited to partner with RH to provide financing options that deliver customer convenience and foster brand loyalty."

Through the partnership, TD has launched a private-label credit card program for RH customers offering competitive APRs on purchase financing and exclusive rates for RH Members.

RH is an international arbiter of design, taste and style offering one of the largest fully integrated assortments of luxury home furnishings, lighting, textiles and decor in the world.

TD Bank's Retail Card Services business (www.tdpartnershipprograms.com) launches and administers credit card programs for merchants across all sales channels.

About RH

RH (NYSE: RH) is a curator of design, taste and style in the luxury lifestyle market, offering collections through its Design Galleries, Source Books, and online at RH.com, RHContemporary.com, RHModern.com, RHBabyandChild.com, RHTEEN.com, and Waterworks.com. The brand also features an array of bespoke hospitality experiences. The World of RH, reflecting the brand's expanding ecosystem of Products, Places, Services and Spaces, is designed to inspire customers to dream, design, dine, travel and live in a world thoughtfully curated by RH. For more, visit RH.com and RHGuesthouse.com.

About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing over 9.8 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,100 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Auto Finance, a division of TD Bank, N.A., offers vehicle financing and dealer commercial services. TD Bank and its subsidiaries also offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.td.com/us . Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US and www.twitter.com/TDNews_US .

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com/us .

SOURCE TD Bank
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Texas Economic Development Corporation (TxEDC), the private side of a public-private partnership with Governor Greg Abbott's Office of Texas Economic Development & Tourism, recently concluded an international business recruitment mission that included high-level meetings with government officials and business executives, as well as events in London, Paris, and Frankfurt.

The Texas delegation included the First Lady of the State of Texas Cecilia Abbott, Texas Secretary of State John Scott, President & CEO of the Texas Economic Development Corporation Robert Allen and the Executive Director of the Governor's Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office Adriana Cruz, in addition to a dozen other economic development leaders from across Texas.

"Following our meetings and events in Europe, I can confidently report that the Texas brand continues to shine bright around the world," said Robert Allen, President and CEO of the Texas Economic Development Corporation. "Our delegation was proud to meet with business executives and host events to showcase why Texas continues to be the best state for business, and we look forward to expanding and creating new business opportunities as a result of this trip."

During the business mission, which took place from September 26-30, the delegation met with executives who are considering Texas as a location to establish or expand their footprint and create more jobs for the state. In London and Paris, the delegation met with trade leaders at the respective U.S. Embassies, which also included a meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to France, Denise Campbell Bauer.

"It was such a privilege to represent the people of Texas in our meetings with trade and business leaders from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany," said Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott. "Promoting the business advantages found only in Texas is easy thanks to our young, skilled, diverse, and growing workforce  a magnet for new business investments from around the world. I thank all of our hosts, especially Ambassador Bauer and embassy staff in London and Paris, for their warm and gracious welcome. The Governor and I look forward to returning the favor and welcoming them on their next visit to the Lone Star State."

Texas has strong business and economic connections with the U.K., France and Germany, with a reported total of 580 projects in Texas over the last decade, all of which is expected to create $21.2 billion in capital investments and more than 34,100 new jobs.

"When it comes to doing business, there's no place like Texas, and I am proud to have joined last week's outstanding delegation to Europe to help spread our success story to the world," Secretary Scott said. "I want to thank the First Lady, Robert and Adriana for their leadership, and look forward to seeing even more tremendous economic growth in Texas as a result of the new friendships and partnerships we've formed in the United Kingdom, France and Germany."

At their final stop on the business mission, the delegation visited and toured the Volkswagen headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany.

"I was honored to join this highly successful business development mission to Europe and help share the Texas story with business decision-makers in three of our top international trade and investment markets," said Adriana Cruz, Executive Director of Texas Economic Development & Tourism, within the Office of the Governor. "Under Governor Abbott's leadership, Texas ranks as the most popular destination in the United States for foreign direct investment and has been the top exporting state in the nation for the last 20 years. Our office is committed to upholding Texas' competitive business advantages for international businesses to continue to thrive."

In addition to the First Lady of Texas, the Texas Secretary of State, and the Executive Director of the Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office, the following economic development organizations from across the state joined the international mission:

Amarillo Economic Development Corporation

Arlington Economic Development Corporation

Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation

Dallas Regional Chamber

Frisco Economic Development Corporation

Greater:SATX Regional Economic Partnership

Greater San Marcos Partnership

Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce

Irving Economic Development Partnership

Lubbock Economic Development Alliance

McKinney Economic Development Corporation

The Borderplex Alliance (El Paso)

The Texas Economic Development Corporation (TxEDC) is an independently funded and operated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to economic development, business recruitment and job creation in the state of Texas. The public-private partnership of TxEDC and Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office in the Office of the Governor, markets Texas as a premier business destination to let corporate decision- makers and site selection consultants know that they can Go Big in Texas. For more information about TxEDC, visit www.GoBigInTexas.com.

SOURCE Texas Economic Development Corporation
ZUG Switzerland, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BSV Blockchain Association is excited to announce that it will be exhibiting in the fifth annual Future Blockchain Summit in Dubai.

The summit is one of the largest of its kind in the world, with over 100,000 visitors and exhibitors set to be in attendance from more than 170 countries. A further 100 speakers and 800 global investors are also set to attend the event which will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 10 - 13 October 2022.

The Future Blockchain Summit serves as a meeting point for the world's most disruptive business technology trends. The summit will allow industry experts to leverage countless networking opportunities, an expert conference programme and transformational workshops to explore distinct themes including:

Blockchain for Enterprise

The Future of Digital Assets

Into the Metaverse

BSV Blockchain Association will have a physical booth on the show floor where attendees can learn about the original Bitcoin, and its benefits to start-ups and enterprises, as well as speak to BSV Blockchain companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Muhammad Salman Anjum, BSV MENA Hub Lead and Chief Mate of InvoiceMate said:

"We are excited about this major summit which highlights the continued growth being seen in the blockchain world. My keynote at Block Stage will be a fantastic opportunity to educate investors and entrepreneurs on the benefits of BSV and why it is the best choice for their start-ups or enterprises. As an Association, we are committed to showing how Bitcoin and the blockchain are useful for the public, governments, and industries."

If you would like to attend or learn more about BSV please sign up for the Future Blockchain Summit here.

About the BSV Blockchain Association

The BSV Blockchain Association is a non-profit association (Verein) in Switzerland, and the global industry organisation which advances the BSV blockchain (BSV). It brings together enterprises, start-up ventures, developers, merchants, exchanges, service providers, blockchain transaction processors (miners), and others in the BSV ecosystem. The Association supports the BSV blockchain as the original Bitcoin, with a stable protocol and massive scaling roadmap to become the world's new money and global blockchain for enterprise. The organisation seeks to build a regulation-friendly ecosystem that fosters lawful conduct while encouraging digital currency and blockchain innovation.

Lightning Sharks on behalf of the BSV Blockchain Association

Key contact: Haris Khan, PR, and Media Manager

Email: [email protected]

Mobile: +44 (0) 7503 581 563

SOURCE BSV Blockchain Association
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NewBeauty released its Fall 2022 Issue with Naomi Watts as the cover profile. In a move that Watts said might "jeopardize her day job," the beloved actress gets ready to launch her new beyond- beauty brand, Stripes and she doesn't care if everyone isn't ready for it. She speaks candidly about her difficult time with fertility, going into early menopause and highlights so-far of her career.

NewBeauty's Fall 2022 Issue, featuring Naomi Watts, is on newsstands nationwide. Tweet this Naomi Watts graces the cover of the fall issue of NewBeauty

"It feels like we agreed to have a secret code of silence on the menopause conversation." Expressed Watts in a up-close, personal conversation with Elizabeth Ritter, Executive Editor. "It all worked out in my brain as, 'Well, no one must be experiencing the same things as I am.'"

When asked about filling the void in the beauty space with Stripes, a wellness brand, Watts commented that "Menopause can hit every part of your body in a different way. It's all-encompassing. For starters, I wanted to reach women who feel underserved and under-supported, and not necessarily reflected in the ways they want to be. We don't want to look at packaging or ad campaigns of women in their 20s or even 30s. That's never going to be the story I can adapt to. I'm never going to look like that again."

When we discussing her career, Watts had a definite opinion on being asked abut her favorite role.

"I hate answering the question about my favorite role...because there's a couple. I've had such good times on so many different movies. Early on, the David Lynch experience [Mulholland Drive] was really a standout, especially because it originated as a TV series, and then the doors closed because ABC didn't want to make it a TV series. But then it became a movie two years later when the French producers came back and said, 'Let's not let that sit there, doing nothing. Let's make a film out of it.' It was very, very lucky for meit could have been a project that just sat on the shelf, that no one got to see.

That was just a wonderful experience, and then, of course, King Kong and 21 Grams and The Impossible because it was such a gut-wrenching story, and shooting it there with people who had experienced the tsunami was life-changing for me."

NewBeauty's Fall 2022 Issue is on newsstands nationwide October 4, 2022. For up-to-date information and the latest beauty and aesthetic industry developments visit newbeauty.com.

ABOUT NEWBEAUTY:

NewBeauty is the authority on beauty and the trusted resource for the most affluent and influential beauty consumer. The only magazine dedicated 100% to beauty with more than 5x the beauty edit of any other magazine, NewBeauty dives deep to provide valuable information, founded in research and vetted by experts, empowering women to make better beauty decisions. NewBeauty is published by SANDOW, a leader in innovation and design that delivers powerful products and services to a highly selective audience.

Contact:

Sarah Eggenberger. Senior Editor-at-Large

[email protected]

SOURCE NewBeauty
Visionary Language Preservationist Dedicated His Life to Indigenous Languages, Teaching Young People The Lakota Language, Culture, and History

BLOOMINGTON, Ind., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kevin Locke, who passed on October 1, 2022, was noted for his outstanding efforts to preserve Native American languages, music, and culture. He was a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and was of Lakota and Anishinabe descent. Mr. Locke was closely aligned with The Language Conservancy (TLC) and the Lakota Language Consortium (LLC) and their mission to preserve and revitalize indigenous languages in North America.

Kevin Locke dedicated his life to indigenous languages, teaching young people the Lakota language, culture, and history.

For more than 15 years, Locke served as an LLC board member and volunteered and spoke on behalf of TLC at events around the world. As one of the first adult learners of the Lakota language, Locke was a role model, instrumental in language documentation, maintenance, and revitalization. His passion for languages was sparked by his own efforts as a young adult, learning Lakota by visiting elders and studying on Standing Rock. Locke looked to the past and to the future, drawing on his heritage to create a better future for his people.

An enormously gifted musician and dancer, he was widely recognized as one of the world's foremost Northern Plains flute players and hoop dancers. Locke performed for more than a million people in more than 90 countries at venues including schools, powwows, state and national parks, performing arts festivals (including the Smithsonian Folklife Festival), and at the Library of Congress. The Native American music award-winner recorded 12 highly acclaimed albums of music and stories to keep his culture alive. He was honored with numerous prestigious awards throughout his career, including a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.

A deeply spiritual person, Kevin Locke was particularly committed to bringing the gift of language to young people on reservations so that their history and culture would remain vital for generations to come. He championed teaching indigenous languages in schools and was instrumental in helping to incorporate them into the classroom. Working closely with TLC and LLC, he made enormous contributions to the organizations through volunteering, performing, and developing learning/teaching tools and content used widely in Native American schools.

"Kevin's presence will be missed though his spirit will remain with us as we advance our mission of protecting and strengthening the Lakota language. We continue this important work in his honor and to honor our people," said TLC and LLC Board Member Ben Black Bear.

"There are no words to describe the depth of loss we feel at Kevin's passing, but we take solace in knowing that his inextinguishable spirit and commitment to language revitalization lives on, both in the lives of those he touched and in future generations of indigenous young people," said Wil Meya, TLC CEO. "He will be missed greatly as we continue this work, which he was so passionate about."

About The Language Conservancy

The Language Conservancy is a nonprofit organization leading the preservation and revitalization of indigenous languages by developing innovative technologies and learning materials, conducting educational events, and raising awareness about the escalating loss of language worldwide. The Language Conservancy currently works with more than 50 indigenous language communities throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Australia. For more information, please visit www.languageconservancy.org.

About The Lakota Language Consortium

The Lakota Language Consortium is a nonprofit organization of Lakota community members, educators, and linguists working to revitalize the Lakota Language through the development of educational materials and technologies and the training of teachers. The Consortium also supports learners through the production of inventive media productions like the Lakota version of The Berenstain Bears and the documentary, Rising Voices. For more information, please visit www.lakhota.org.

SOURCE The Language Conservancy (TLC)
DUBLIN, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Sack Paper Market: Analysis By Grade (Brown Sack Paper and White Sack Paper), By Region Size and Trends with Impact of COVID-19 and Forecast up to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global sack paper market in 2021 was valued at US$32.27 billion. The market value is expected to reach US$41.76 billion by 2027. Sack paper is a packaging type that can be constructed of one or several layers of high quality kraft paper, usually produced from virgin fiber.

It is a special grade built to suit a very specific demand for the industry. Sack paper is made from renewable resources such as paper and paperboard that provide distinct environmental sustainability credentials. Thus, it is environmental-friendly, sturdy and keeps the product in a well condition.

The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.39% during the forecast period of 2022-2027. Due to incline in global biodegradable packaging market, growth in grocery retail sales and rapid urbanization, the market would propel in the forthcoming years. The global sack paper market demand reached 4.19 million tons in 2021.

Market Dynamics:

Growth Drivers: One of the most important factors impacting the global sack paper market is growing demand for biodegradable packaging. Kraft paper is one of the emerging segments of the biodegradable packaging industry, because it is highly durable and strongest that can be used on occasions where maximum strength is required. Therefore, growth in the biodegradable packaging industry is likely to propel the growth of the global sack paper market in coming years. Furthermore, the market has been growing over the past few years, due to factors such as rapid urbanization, surging courier services, accelerating grocery retail sales, accelerating demand for agricultural fertilizers, growing public awareness about the hazards of single-use plastic bags, and many other factors.

Challenges: However, the market has been confronted with some challenges specifically, rising focus on bio-plastics, stringent government regulations regarding deforestation, etc.

Trends: The market is projected to grow at a fast pace during the forecast period, due to various latest trends such as escalating penetration of e-commerce, rising demand for market pulp, etc. Paper is the most commonly used material for e-commerce packaging. An array of paper-based packaging options, that serve an aesthetic purpose also, offer protective advantages, adding operational efficiency to the fulfilment process. As ecommerce continues to penetrate rapidly in the retail sector, the demand for various paper based packaging would increase, which is likely to contribute to the growth of the global sack paper market.

Impact Analysis of COVID-19 and Way Forward:

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caused disruption in various sectors, using sack paper for packaging. The lockdown restrictions across most of the countries have forced several non-essential and sack paper using businesses to shutdown temporarily for a particular period of time, which negatively impacted sack paper demand on a global scale.

Further, closure of supermarkets and retail stores, along with the shutdown of fast food restaurants, have also negatively impacted the demand for sack paper, due to the weakening of their respective product sales, which resulted in the decline in the sack paper market globally in the year 2020.

Some of the strategies among key players in the market for Sack paper market are mergers, acquisitions, and collaborations. For instance, in 2022, Mondi plc announced that the company has agreed to acquire the Duino mill near Trieste (Italy) from the Burgo Group for a total consideration of US$40 million. Whereas, Nordic Paper announced cooperation with Centre Technique Du Papier. Nordic Paper's natural greaseproof papers is used in different food applications, for example as baking papers, for baking cups or for food containers.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary

2. Introduction

3. Global Market Analysis

3.1.1 Global Sack Paper Market: An Overview

3.1.2 Global Sack Paper Market by Value

3.1.3 Global Sack Paper Market by Grade (Brown Sack Paper and White Sack Paper)

3.1.4 Global Sack Paper Market by Region (Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa and Latin America)

3.2 Global Sack Paper Market: Grade Analysis

3.2.1 Global Sack Paper Market by Grade: An Overview

3.2.2 Global Brown Sack Paper Market by Value

3.2.3 Global White Sack Paper Market by Value

3.3 Global Sack Paper Market By Demand: An Analysis

3.3.1 Global Sack Paper Market By Demand: An Overview

3.3.2 Global Sack Paper Market by Demand

3.3.3 Global Sack Paper Market Demand by Region (Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa and Latin America)

4. Regional Market Analysis

5. Impact of COVID-19

5.1 Impact of COVID-19

5.1.1 Impact of COVID-19 on Sack Paper Market

5.1.2 Impact of COVID-19 on Retail Industry

5.1.3 Impact of COVID-19 on Construction Output

5.1.4 Impact of COVID-19 on Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) Industry

6. Market Dynamics

6.1 Growth Drivers

6.1.1 Global Biodegradable Packaging Market

6.1.2 Growth in Grocery Retail Sales

6.1.3 Upsurge in Courier Services

6.1.4 Accelerating Demand for Agricultural Fertilizer

6.1.5 Rapid Urbanization

6.1.6 Growing Public Awareness About the Hazards of Single-use Plastic Bags

6.2 Challenges

6.2.1 Rising Focus on Bio-plastics

6.2.2 Stringent Regulations Regarding Deforestation

6.3 Market Trends

6.3.1 Escalating Penetration of E-commerce

6.3.2 Rising Demand for Market Pulp

6.3.3 Growing Use of Multiwall Bags in Various End Industries

7. Competitive Landscape

8. Company Profiles

8.1 WestRock Company

8.1.1 Business Overview

8.1.2 Operating Segment

8.1.3 Business Strategy

8.2 Mondi plc

8.2.1 Business Overview

8.2.2 Operating Segment

8.2.3 Business Strategy

8.3 Canfor Corporation

8.3.1 Business Overview

8.3.2 Operating Segment

8.3.3 Business Strategy

8.4 BillerudKorsnas

8.4.1 Business Overview

8.4.2 Operating Segment

8.4.3 Business Strategy

8.5 GK Segezha PAO

8.5.1 Business Overview

8.5.2 Operating Segments

8.5.3 Business Strategy

8.6 Nordic Paper

8.6.1 Business Overview

8.6.2 Operating Segment

8.6.3 Business Strategy

8.7 Gascogne

8.7.1 Business Overview

8.7.2 Operating Segment

8.7.2 Business Strategy

8.8 Kastamonu Entegre (Natron-Hayat d.o.o. Maglaj)

8.8.1 Business Overview

8.9 Canadian Kraft Paper Industries Ltd.

8.9.1 Business Overview

8.10 Smurfit Kappa Group plc

8.10.1 Business Overview

8.10.2 Operating Segment

8.10.3 Business Strategy

8.11 International Paper Company

8.11.1 Business Overview

8.11.2 Operating Segment

8.11.3 Business Strategy

8.12 Georgia-Pacific LLC

8.12.1 Business Strategy

8.12.2 Business Strategy

8.13 Fujian Qingshan Paper

8.13.1 Business Overview

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7p01es

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
OXFORD, England, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Theolytics, a biotechnology company harnessing viruses to combat disease, will release data on their proprietary systemic therapy for stromal-rich tumours at the 2022 International Oncolytic Virus Conference, and announce executive appointments.

Theolytics presents CAF-targeting therapy for stromal rich tumours, and strengthens leadership team as pipeline accelerates into the clinic

Stromal rich cancers pose a challenge to many cancer therapies due to the abundance of cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs). This compartment of the tumour microenvironment physically blocks the penetration of drugs, immune cells and promotes resistance to many therapies. THEO-260 is a new oncolytic virus in development that is intrinsically capable of targeted killing of both cancer cells and CAFs.

Theolytics' Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder, Margaret Duffy shared "up to 60% of the tumour volume of many solid cancers is CAF-rich stroma. To effectively target the majority of metastatic solid carcinomas we need therapies that can be systemically delivered, and are able to tackle all components of the tumour microenvironment. THEO-260 is a virotherapy that potentially could demonstrate something that neither chemotherapy, nor immunotherapeutic approaches have been capable of to date. This lead programme demonstrates the power of Theolytics' platform to deliver a long-awaited step-change for the oncolytic virus field".

Whilst progressing this lead programme into the clinic, the company is strengthening their leadership team with the appointment of Andrew Oakley as Chief Financial Officer and Miriam Bazan-Peregrino as Vice President Translational Development.

Andrew brings a wealth of experience as a public and private biotech company CFO to Theolytics with previous CFO positions at Actelion, Sosei Group Corp and Vectura Group. Before joining Theolytics, Andrew was the CFO of Autolus through their IPO. Andrew said: "I am proud to join the team at Theolytics at this juncture of the company's development. The data being generated points to the potential for highly differentiated and targeted therapeutic options for cancer patients".

Over her career to date, Miriam has led the translational development activities required to start six phase I clinical trials with novel viral therapies across Europe and the United States. Miriam says: "It is very exciting to join Theolytics' leadership team. The company has strong foundations, backed by world leading scientists, talented people, and a unique platform and bioselection system to discover the best oncolytic therapy for each cancer indication". Dr Bazan-Peregrino most recently served as Director of R&D at oncolytic viral therapy company VCN Biosciences.

"I warmly welcome Andrew and Miriam to our leadership team" comments Charlotte Casebourne, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Theolytics. "They are joining us at an important time - as we prepare to transition from a preclinical, to clinical-stage company, with the goal of developing transformative new therapies for cancer patients."

About Theolytics

Theolytics is focused on developing category changing cancer therapies in the form of oncolytic viruses. The company is pioneering a phenotypic screening approach to the discovery and development of efficacious, targeted candidates suitable for systemic intravenous delivery and optimised for a chosen patient population. Theolytics, which was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Oxford, UK, backed by OxSciences and international life sciences investors Epidarex Capital, Taiho Ventures, and M Ventures.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914501/Theolytics.jpg

Media Contact

[email protected]

SOURCE Theolytics
YNM Home is celebrating 6 years of helping people sleep better with their famous "snug as a hug" weighted blankets by offering great discounts.

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- YNM HOME is excited to announce that they will be holding a Customer Appreciation Festival this month to celebrate their sixth anniversary. YNM's products aim to foster a sense of community by promoting restful sleep and relationships. Customers can purchase YNM's most popular items and new products from the YNM Home official website for up to 30% off and receive special greeting cards from October 8th to 16th as part of the anniversary celebrations. YNM will also run a social media campaign to thank their fans.

YNM stands for "you and me," the foundation of belonging and joyful living, and was founded in 2016. According to the YNM team, "Getting enough and peaceful sleep is important to health. At YNM we believe that progress comes to those who rest. Since our founding, YNM has been observing the market trends, implying customer feedback, upgrading our products, and launching a variety of choices to meet everyone's sleeping needs."

YNM Weighted Blanket

YNM's most well-known product is the weighted blanket, which has quickly risen to the top of Amazon's Best Seller list in the weighted blanket category. Based on the success of their weighted blankets, YNM has been inspired by customers and has expanded their sleeping product line to include cotton, bamboo, and knitted weighted blankets. YNM also provides knitted throw blankets, pillows, pillowcases, duvet covers, shoulder pads, sleeping masks, and other items at a reasonable cost to improve everyone's sleeping quality.

Since its inception, YNM Home has been creating beloved products that have helped millions of people get a better, more restful night's sleep. YNM weighted blanket has helped people who are suffering from anxiety, insomnia, and stress, and has been featured in several media outlets, including Forbes, Elle, and CNN, to name a few.

Furthermore, they've received rave reviews and positive feedback from happy customers. As one delighted YNM Home client put it, "This is literally the best thing I've ever given myself as far as sleep goes."

YNM Home has developed a cutting-edge blanket that creates a hugging sensation, allowing people to get a better night's sleep. Sleepers around the world are discovering the benefits of weighted blankets and turning to YNM Home for a high-quality product.

YNM's Expanding Product Line

YNM, an industry innovator and pioneer, recognized the high demand for superior quality bedding sheets and has gone on to produce several bedding sheet products. The YNM 100% Bamboo Sheet Set is available in ten different colors and seven different sizes. Customers who live in hot and humid climates will enjoy a restful night's sleep thanks to the cool and breathable bamboo viscose.

YNM will continue their "Snug as a hug" tradition and appeal by providing all-over comfort products in the sleep field and continuing to fulfill its brand promise of "Sleep your best self forward" as they celebrate six years of better sleep and satisfied clients.

YNM Home invites customers to join them in celebrating their sixth anniversary. Customers can purchase YNM's classic favorite items and new products from the YNM Home official website at up to 30% off and receive special greeting cards from October 8th to 16th. In addition, YNM will hold a social media campaign to thank their fans.

About YNM Home: YNM Home offers a ground-breaking product line that promotes restful sleep, improved cognition, restores energy, and promotes productivity and emotional well-being. Their famous high-quality weighted blankets have improved the sleep of over 2 million people and earned YNM over 34 thousand five-star reviews. The innovative company is committed to helping customers "Sleep your best self forward" by providing a superior product, a one-year warranty, free shipping, and a dedicated support team.

For more information, please visit https://ynmhome.com/ or YNM social channels

Media Contact: [email protected]

Social Media: [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE YNM HOME TEXTILE CO., LTD
TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Nate Walsh, a recognized expert on thyroid cancer, has published a new article on the best ways to diagnose thyroid cancer for Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month.

Thyroid cancer is the fastest growing cancer in the US, and is the 5th most common cancer in women.

The fact is, only a very small percentage of thyroid cancers are diagnosed through blood tests. Tweet this

Dr Walsh, a thyroid cancer surgeon with the Clayman Thyroid Center at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa, Florida, notes that many thyroid cancers have been present for a number of years before they are detected.

"Like all cancers, thyroid cancer is much more curable if found early and therefore less likely to have spread to other organs or the surrounding lymph nodes," says Dr Walsh. "So primary care doctors as well as patients need to know how to diagnose thyroid cancer so it can be accomplished as soon as possible."

While a thyroid cancer diagnosis can be scary to receive, the good news is that it is one of the most curable types of cancer. Of course, the first step toward treatment and being cured is a diagnosis.

First way to diagnose thyroid cancer: FNA or Needle Biopsy

"A fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA or needle biopsy) remains the mainstay in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer," says Dr. Walsh.

Thyroid needle biopsy is performed by sticking a very small needle into the thyroid lump or nodule. The doctor will use an ultrasound at the same time so he/she can watch the small needle go into the thyroid nodule. When the needle is removed it will contain a small sampling of cells from the thyroid nodule (or neck lymph nodes if the needle was put into a lymph node). Looking at those cells under a microscope is how the pathologist will diagnose the thyroid cancer.

Second way to diagnose thyroid cancer: Thyroid ultrasound

"An excellent ultrasound can be enough to make the diagnosis of thyroid cancer," says Dr. Walsh.

During ultrasound, the technician must thoroughly examine the thyroid and all the areas of lymph nodes in both sides of the neck that can be involved with thyroid cancer. If your ultrasound is not comprehensive and does not include this important component, cancer may be missed and left behind after surgery.

An expert evaluation at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery starts with a high-resolution ultrasound that looks at the thyroid gland and all the lymph nodes with a detection capability as small as 1 millimeter.

Third way to diagnose thyroid cancer: Self-checks

"Thyroid cancer usually has no symptoms," says Dr. Walsh, "so performing self-checks on your own neck regularly is very important."

Often, a nodule or lymph node with thyroid cancer is diagnosed on examination. Regularly performing self-checks of your neck and thyroid, coupled with routine visits to your primary doctor, are crucial in the diagnosis and monitoring of thyroid cancer.

The thyroid is a butterfly shaped organ that lays in the middle of your neck right above your collar bone. To perform a self-check, move your fingers around the middle of your neck where your thyroid is located. You also want to move your fingers up and down your neck as well as along both sides of your neck near the muscle you can see and feel that helps turn your head. Lymph nodes that can harbor thyroid cancer are located anywhere from below your ear to your collar bone on both sides of your neck.

Dr. Rashmi Roy, senior surgeon of the Clayman Thyroid Center at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery, recently released a video on how to perform a self-check in under one minute.

"Thyroid cancer screening is so important, and you wouldn't believe how many people have never performed a self-check on their own neck," said Dr. Roy. "If you feel a lump or bump in your neck, it may be nothing but it could be cancerous. This simple step can save thousands of lives per year by catching the thyroid cancer early."

Fourth way to diagnose thyroid cancer: CT scan

"Every day, we see thyroid cancers that were diagnosed through a CT scan that was done for another reason," says Dr. Walsh.

CT scans are frequently used to diagnose, follow, and treat numerous medical conditions. Due to widespread use, numerous thyroid cancers are found incidentally (or coincidentally) when someone gets a CT scan of their head, neck, and/or chest for another symptom or complaint (i.e., headache, neck pain, or difficulty breathing).

An ultrasound tells the doctor if there is something abnormal in the thyroid. The CT scan can further tell the doctor where the abnormality is located. Both studies complement each other.

Fifth way to diagnose thyroid cancer: Blood tests

"I often hear folks say that they had their annual blood work done and their thyroid levels were normal, so they're fine," says Dr. Walsh, "but the fact is, only a small percentage of thyroid cancers are diagnosed through blood tests."

The most common type of thyroid cancer, papillary thyroid cancer, which accounts for roughly 85% of cases, cannot be diagnosed with labs. It cannot be stressed enough that normal thyroid hormone levels on your labs does not rule out thyroid cancer!

The Hospital for Endocrine Surgery's thyroid surgeons are the most experienced and highest volume thyroid surgeons in the country, operating on more than 2,000 patients per year. They exclusively perform thyroid surgery, and there's nothing they haven't seen.

The Hospital for Endocrine Surgery's process streamlines evaluation, diagnosis, and surgical treatment from months to just one day. It is the only center in the world that offers this expedited process, which is particularly beneficial for traveling patients. And with more than 50% of the Hospital's patients traveling from out of state, they are committed to making the process as seamless as possible from the moment a patient reaches out.

About the Clayman Thyroid Center:

Founded by one of the nation's best-known thyroid surgeons, the Clayman Thyroid Center is the highest volume thyroid cancer referral center in the United States. The Center boasts the most experienced thyroid surgeons in the US who provide personalized care allowing the greatest opportunity for cancer cure, wellness and cosmetic, and functional, outcomes via all types of thyroid surgery from minimal incision to scarless thyroid surgery to advanced cancer care.

www.thyroidcancer.com | (813) 940-3130

About Hospital for Endocrine Surgery

The Hospital for Endocrine Surgery is a campus of HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital focused on compassionate patient care and highly specialized treatment of endocrine tumors. We provide a wide array of services necessary for the diagnosis and surgical treatment of tumors of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands. Our team includes doctors, surgeons, nurses and technicians who have dedicated their careers to delivering the highest cure rates using the most advanced techniques available. HCA's Hospital for Endocrine Surgery is the nation's highest volume hospital for thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal tumors and cancers.

www.hospitalforendocrinesurgery.com

Contact: Julie Canan, Director of Marketing

(941) 468-3002 | [email protected]

SOURCE Clayman Thyroid Center
SANTA CRUZ, Ecuador, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Galapagos Conservancy is disappointed that the criminals convicted in a June wildlife trafficking attempt have received the minimum prison sentence of just one year under Ecuadorian law. Wildlife trafficking endangers the ecological integrity of Galapagos, so we believe the offenders should have been sentenced to the maximum penalty of three years imprisonment.

The Ecuadorian Army carries out the apprehension of two boats, one of them with ten sacks that contained protected species of Galapagos  Armada del Ecuador

On September 30, Freddy Alfonso C. R., Dario J. C. R., and Maria Petrona S. Ch. received the minimum sentence under Article 247 of Ecuador's criminal code, which punishes crimes against wild flora and fauna. The Attorney General's Office also imposed a fine of $29,050 on the perpetrators.

The sentencing stems from an incident on June 25 in which six people were apprehended on a boat 30 nautical miles from the province of Santa Elena (Ecuadorian mainland). They were transporting five Galapagos Land Iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus) and 84 juvenile Giant Tortoises. Iguanas and tortoises are listed as threatened on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

After reviewing the evidence gathered against the six people arrested and charged by the Ecuadorian Prosecutor's Office, the judge determined that three of them were unaware that the iguanas and tortoises were being transported on the boat and were thus found not guilty.

Following the veterinary examination, the recovered species were transferred to the Valdivia Marine Park in Manglaralto, Santa Elena, where they are being cared for as they await repatriation to Galapagos.

"Galapagos Conservancy is staunchly opposed to wildlife trafficking and is working to assist the Galapagos National Park Directorate and Ecuador's Ministry of Environment to capture and prosecute perpetrators and ensure strong jail sentences and fines are applied," said Dr. Paul Salaman, President of Galapagos Conservancy. "Our team is also working to help the swift repatriation of the smuggled wildlife."

Washington Tapia, General Director of Conservando Galapagos, a partner of Galapagos Conservancy, expressed his dismay at the light sentence. "We hoped the maximum penalty would be applied in this environmental crime to set a clear precedent in the fight against species trafficking. Organized crime groups have set their sights on Galapagos species, so we cannot afford to be flexible with this type of crime," said Tapia. "We will provide resources to the Galapagos National Park Directorate to bring these animals safely back home and care for them during the quarantine process."

Previously, Galapagos Conservancy was instrumental in the repatriation of 127 juvenile Giant Tortoises recovered from a trafficking incident in March 2021. Those individuals remain in the care of our team at the Breeding Center on Santa Cruz Island, and we hope the 84 tortoises rescued this year will share the same happy fate.

Galapagos Conservancy is the only U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Galapagos Islands, including over 2,000 species found nowhere else on Earth. As a leader in on-the-ground conservation action, we work with partners, including Galapagos National Park and Conservando Galapagos to save imperiled species, build a sustainable society, and rewild the ecosystems of Galapagos.

U.S. Contact:

Tim Dobyns

[email protected]

+1-630-484-4080

Ecuador Contact:

Xavier Castro

[email protected]

+593-98-651-8122

SOURCE Galapagos Conservancy
Simon, Reichenstein bring more than 55 years of litigation experience

DALLAS, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Two longtime and accomplished business litigators have joined Meadows, Collier, Reed, Cousins, Crouch & Ungerman LLP in Dallas, further strengthening the firm's extensive capabilities in complex commercial litigation.

Craig Simon is a skilled trial lawyer who has represented clients ranging from large public companies to individual entrepreneurs in high-stakes litigation and arbitration across the nation. In a legal career that spans more than 30 years, Mr. Simon has proven adept at successfully prosecuting and defending a wide range of business disputes, including cases involving financial, accounting and valuation issues, bankruptcy and insolvency-related claims, and trade secret and noncompete litigation. He has been repeatedly recognized as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Texas by Thomson Reuters' Super Lawyers, on the list of the Best Lawyers in America every year since 2016, and among the Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine for nine consecutive years.

Paula Reichenstein has a broad-based litigation background, with experience representing clients in several national and high-profile "bet-the-company" cases as well as a range of contract, business tort and product liability claims for both plaintiffs and defendants. This work has often hinged on the development of novel legal theories or the application of existing laws in unconventional ways. Ms. Reichenstein's practice spans state and federal court as well as appellate work.

"We're honored to have these two distinguished attorneys join our firm, bringing a reputation for excellence and record of success for their clients," says the firm's managing partner, Anthony Daddino. "We're entering an increasingly dynamic time for litigation across virtually every business sector, and their experience and counsel will be invaluable."

Both Mr. Simon and Ms. Reichenstein join the firm from Loewinsohn Deary Simon Ray LLP in Dallas, and each previously practiced for many years in the Dallas office of Jones Day.

Mr. Simon earned his law degree magna cum laude from Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law and holds both master's and undergraduate degrees in accounting from The University of Texas in Austin.

Ms. Reichenstein received her law degree cum laude from The University of Texas School of Law, and her undergraduate degree from Colorado State University.

Attorneys with Meadows, Collier, Reed, Cousins, Crouch & Ungerman bring both dedication and experience to clients' legal matters. With origins in tax planning and tax litigation practice, the firm also provides counsel to clients with a variety of other specialized legal needs, including business and estate planning, probate, real estate, securities, banking, and commercial litigation. The firm also has a longstanding concentration in the area of white-collar defense and government regulatory practice.

Media Contact:

Barry Pound

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Meadows Collier
TALG is a platinum sponsor and a spotlighted speaker this October.

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TALG is attending the 2022 DeviceTalks West Conference in Santa Clara, CA. The conference takes place October 19-20, 2022, and we would be thrilled for you to join us! TALG is proud to announce that Ismail Amin, MBEE will be presenting on October 20th on FDA Device Safety & Reporting Best Practices. This session will cover the hundreds of thousands of medical device reports to the FDA concerning reports of alleged device-related injuries, deaths and malfunctions. It will examine the auspices of the FDA Medical Device Report (MDR) scheme and the mandatory reporting requirements. The session will then discuss preparation of relevant systems and protocols to provide manufacturers, distributors and importers with best practices and the Voluntary Malfunction Summary Reporting Program (VMSR) and other proactive approaches to mitigate risk.

TALG is a Platinum Sponsor

TALG is a multi-jurisdictional law firm that solves complex problems, leveraging cutting edge technology for clients, whether in the courtroom or boardroom. Having access to capital markets is critical, and we leverage our experience in credit transactions, private equity and equity offerings to the advantage of our clients. At the production and distribution level  We understand the need for current Good Manufacturing Processes (cGMP) compliance under the relevant Codes of Federal Regulation (CFR). We have experience counseling clients with product recall issues and adverse event and problem reports (MDR) as required by the CFR(s). We've assisted our clients with 510(k) premarket notification submissions and Premarket Approvals (PMA) for Class I, II and III devices. Moreover, we have experience counseling clients with respect to Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) for clinical studies and Medical Device Reporting (MDR).

Are you interested in attending DeviceTalks West? Check out DeviceTalks West at DeviceTalks West | Premier MedTech Events to learn more about the conference. Then visit https://talglaw.com/devicetalks-west-2022/ to connect with TALG!

SOURCE Talg
The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) now recognizes UL Solutions as an authorized third-party test house to test products using Matter, the newly released standard aiming to unite the smart home technology industry.

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science, today announced it is now authorized as a third-party test house for smart home products using Matter, the Connectivity Standards Alliance's (CSA) newly released an industry-unifying standard for smart home technology.

Authorized by the CSA as a Matter third-party test house following the launch of Matter 1.0, UL Solutions will assess the performance and functionality of products against Matter specifications. This new authorization, in addition to existing testing capabilities for Bluetooth, Zigbee and Thread technologies, allows UL Solutions to deliver a comprehensive testing solution for manufacturers that develop connected smart devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) space.

Authorized by the CSA as a Matter third-party test house in select Asia, Europe and North America locations following the launch of Matter 1.0, UL Solutions will assess the performance and functionality of products against Matter specifications. UL Solutions provides expertise to help companies validate product eligibility for Matter certification by the CSA.

This new authorization, in addition to existing testing capabilities for Bluetooth, Zigbee and Thread technologies, allows UL Solutions to deliver a comprehensive testing solution for manufacturers that develop connected smart devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) space.

UL Solutions, which offers more than 20 years of experience evaluating wireless and connected technology products, is an active member of the CSA's Matter working group. Leading up to its release, Matter has attracted support from major players across the technology industry. This is due primarily to its benefits for the industry and users, including a platform-agnostic approach to communication and compatibility across devices. According to global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, over half of the world's smart home devices will ship supporting Matter within five years.

UL Solutions evaluates connected technology products for compliance with applicable requirements, such as electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), radio frequency (RF), RF exposure. The company also evaluates connected technology products for safety to help prevent products from interfering with or being interfered by other devices or potentially causing fires or health problems.

"Matter testing services by UL Solutions help companies to validate certification eligibility of Matter-enabled products," Anurag Vennavaram, operations leader at UL Solutions, said. "Validating compliance to Matter specifications will be a key component in realizing the full benefits of the new standard, uniting the industry and helping manufacturers to avoid delays in achieving certification."

"The independent, third-party perspective and expertise of UL Solutions have already proven invaluable to the successful launch of Matter and our efforts to align the industry," Jon Harros, director of certification and testing, Connectivity Standards Alliance, said. "We welcome the continued support of UL Solutions, now as a CSA-authorized third-party test house for Matter-enabled products, in bringing together the industry and our technical capabilities to achieve more."

About UL Solutions

A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions transforms safety, security and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 100 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings, that support our customers' product innovation and business growth. The UL Certification Marks serve as a recognized symbol of trust in our customers' products and reflect an unwavering commitment to advancing our safety mission. We help our customers innovate, launch new products and services, navigate global markets and complex supply chains and grow sustainably and responsibly into the future. Our science is your advantage.

PRESS CONTACT:

Steven Brewster

UL Solutions

[email protected]

T: +1 (847) 664.8425

SOURCE UL Solutions
Dazzling array of solar reflective pigments is most wide-ranging available to plastics formulators

WYNYARD, UK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Venator is returning to K2022 this October where it will demonstrate its unrivalled expertise in manufacturing pigments for the plastics industry that have solar reflective capabilities. Following record-breaking temperatures across Europe this summer, Venator will use its time in Dusseldorf to highlight the breadth of its infrared reflective pigments portfolio  which is the most comprehensive of its kind available to formulators that want to improve the thermal stability and durability of plastics.

Venator is a leading supplier of pigments and performance additives to the global plastics industry - with an innovative range of products that bring color and vibrancy plus protect and extend the life of all kinds of plastics, from furniture and food packaging to car interiors and construction materials. When it comes to solar reflective pigments, Venator has a range of technologies available including:

ALTIRIS pigments  an award-winning range of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) pigments used to improve the durability of plastics and prevent warping and discoloration caused by the sun. Specific products include ALTIRIS W400  a near infrared reflecting pigment that can improve the thermal stability and durability of white, bright, and light-colored plastics used in exterior applications such as window and door profiles, sidings, decking, soffits and fascias. Venator also offers ALTIRIS 550 and 800, for mid to dark colored plastics

Complex inorganic pigments that can improve the appearance, durability and thermal stability of plastics are also available from Venator. These include:

COLOURPLEX  pigments  recommended for high performance applications, where weather resistance and thermal and chemical stability are essential, these pigments span a range of colors from cobalt-based blues, turquoise and greens; to titanate-based chemistries in the yellow to orange space; to iron-based tan and brown pigments

pigments  recommended for high performance applications, where weather resistance and thermal and chemical stability are essential, these pigments span a range of colors from cobalt-based blues, turquoise and greens; to titanate-based chemistries in the yellow to orange space; to iron-based tan and brown pigments REFLECT pigments  a range of metal oxides chemically engineered to maximize solar reflectance and keep products cool where heat management is an issue  for example in automotive interior applications and in building facade materials

SOLAPLEX  a portfolio of clean, bright highly reflective pigments that offer enhanced luminosity in the yellow to orange spectrum and are a high-performance alternative to cadmium and lead chromium

Dr. Jorg Hocken, Global Application Manager at Venator said: "With record-breaking temperatures this summer, plastics producers worldwide now need to think seriously about integrating solar reflective pigments into their formulations as standard. As we all make changes to help combat rising global temperatures, this decision could make a huge difference to the longevity of plastic products used across an array of applications. At Venator, we're committed to helping our customers address pressing sustainability issues, while keeping them at the cutting edge of their business  and our plastics experts are looking forward to discussing the issue of solar reflectance plus other pigment and additive-related topics with K attendees."

Other pigments and additives that Venator will put under the spotlight at K2022 will include:

DELTIO  48X pigment  this free-flowing titanium dioxide pigment is ideal for masterbatch producers and compounders who want to improve material flow through their systems and minimize the risk of costly blockages

48X pigment  this free-flowing titanium dioxide pigment is ideal for masterbatch producers and compounders who want to improve material flow through their systems and minimize the risk of costly blockages TIOXIDE  TR48 pigment  a TiO 2 grade with excellent coloristic properties that's easy to disperse and integrate into polyolefin master batches; biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films; and engineering compounds

TR48 pigment  a TiO grade with excellent coloristic properties that's easy to disperse and integrate into polyolefin master batches; biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films; and engineering compounds TIOXIDE  TR42  a blue tone, white pigment that can be easily integrated into rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastics and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films

TR42  a blue tone, white pigment that can be easily integrated into rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastics and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films Plus, a range of ultramarine pigments, high purity iron oxides and functional additives such as SACHTOLITH HDS/L

Visit Venator at K2022 from October 19  26, 2022 in hall 8a, stand K31 or alternatively, email the team at [email protected]

As a responsible global chemical company and a signatory of the UN Global Compact, Venator is actively increasing its sustainability efforts. In August, Venator published its second sustainability report. The document outlines Venator's commitment to enhancing lives and protecting our planet through every aspect of its work  from the products it makes and the manufacturing methods it employs, to its sourcing decisions and supply chain relationships. Click here to read a copy of Venator's second Sustainability Report.

About Venator

Venator is a global manufacturer and marketer of chemical products that comprise a broad range of pigments and additives that bring color and vibrancy to buildings, protect and extend product life, and reduce energy consumption. We market our products globally to a diversified group of industrial customers through two segments: Titanium Dioxide, which consists of our TiO 2 business, and Performance Additives, which consists of our functional additives, color pigments and timber treatment businesses. Based in Wynyard, U.K., Venator employs approximately 3,500 associates and sells its products in more than 110 countries.

Social Media:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/VenatorCorp

Facebook: www.facebook.com/venatorcorp

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/venator-corp

SOURCE Venator Materials PLC
BREA, Calif., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ViewSonic Corp, a leading global provider of visual solutions, has won the first prize in "Business Model Transformation" and "ESG Special Award" in the Ding-Ge Digital Transforming Award held by Harvard Business Review Global Traditional Chinese Edition. Recognizing ViewSonic's transformation from a hardware company to a solution provider, these awards also highlight the company's contribution to social responsibility and sustainability.

ViewSonic won the first prize in Business Model Transformation and CSR Special Award in Harvard Business Review Award

Bonny Cheng, Chief Operating Officer at ViewSonic, stated, "We are honored to receive these awards. Our company is committed to developing better solutions, expanding applications, and assuming a leading role in education technology solutions. ViewSonic utilizes the Ecosystem as a Service (EaaS) strategy to connect/enable individual companies' digital transformation efforts to a digital revolution of the industry as a whole. This innovative approach stimulates collaborative efforts to spur the development of global digital education. Moving forward, ViewSonic will continue to make every effort to promote the digital transformation to various industries and to benefit more people."

Linking Digital Transformation between Company and Industry

To help customers solve their pain points and create better user experiences, ViewSonic develops a total solution by integrating software, hardware, and services. Education technology solutions provide various devices, covering ViewBoard interactive displays, pen displays, projectors, and monitors, to meet the demand for a wide array of usage scenarios. In terms of software, it developed myViewBoard to provide various digital teaching tools. ViewSonic introduced UNIVERSE, the world's first metaverse for education, to solve the online interaction challenges this year. This 3D interactive virtual platform creates an immersive educational environment, setting a new milestone for digital education.

Furthermore, to innovate services, ViewSonic strengthens its relations with the ecosystem, connecting teachers, schools, government, and industry partners to develop new services based on co-creation, driving comprehensive transformation in digital teaching. ViewSonic holds a series of activities to help teachers improve their digital teaching capabilities, including in-person and online digital teaching training and lesson plan design competitions. It establishes an innovative online educator community that encourages teachers to exchange ideas and digital teaching experiences with each other.

Equity in Education, Social Dialogue, and Environmental Protection

ViewSonic has consistently strived to uphold its corporate social responsibility while promoting digital transformation. During the pandemic, many schools were forced to teach and learn online. ViewSonic provided the myViewBoard software for distanced learning and teaching in K-12 schools and colleges around the world, free of charge, so classes could still run.

In addition, ViewSonic has connected various communities to stimulate investment in public welfare and promote social dialogue and cultural exchanges. For example, At the end of 2021, an outdoor cinema was built for the Taiwan-Reyhanli Center for World Citizens at the border between Turkey and Syria, allowing residents and Syrian children to enjoy movies and better understand different cultures.

ViewSonic is continuously developing more energy-efficient and sustainable products. The latest ViewBoard has acquired EPEAT Silver certification, making it the interactive display with the highest environmental protection level on the market. ViewSonic is also closely involved in the development of LED projectors, reducing the use of traditional light bulbs containing mercury and other toxic substances to minimize environmental impact. All ViewSonic products comply with the European Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive and follow the ECO-Office guidelines to reduce carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions, landfill waste, and water usage.

About ViewSonic

Founded in California, with 35 years of expertise, ViewSonic is a leading global visual solutions provider and conducts business in over 100 countries worldwide. As an innovator and visionary, ViewSonic is committed to providing comprehensive hardware and software solutions that include monitors, projectors, pen displays, commercial displays, All-in-One LED displays, ViewBoard interactive displays, myViewBoard, and Universe by ViewSonic software. ViewSonic has established a strong position for delivering innovative and reliable solutions for education, enterprise, consumer, and markets." To find out more about ViewSonic, please visit www.viewsonic.com.

SOURCE ViewSonic Corp.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Weatherhaven is pleased to announce the creation of a US Advisory Board and the appointment of five highly decorated individuals to serve as the initial board members.

The purpose of the Advisory Board will be to provide advice and feedback to the company as it implements its US business strategy and focus on the development of the company's "Next Generation" rapidly mobilized infrastructure solutions.

"We are delighted to have attracted the interest of so many highly accomplished and respected people to serve as the initial members of our newly created Advisory Board," said Ray Castelli, Chief Executive Officer. "The added depth and knowledge this highly experienced group brings will help ensure our new solutions are designed to put the best kit possible into the hands of our men and women in uniform," Castelli added.

The initial five members of the US Advisory Board include:

Retired Lieutenant General Guy C. Swan III , a former US Army Commanding General and recently retired Vice President of AUSA

, a former US Army Commanding General and recently retired Vice President of AUSA Retired Lieutenant General Mark Brilakis , who served in several command roles with US Marine Corps

, who served in several command roles with US Marine Corps Retired Lieutenant General Chris Nowland , who has held several senior roles within the US Air Force

, who has held several senior roles within the US Air Force Retired Brigadier General Les Fuller , a former Commanding General within US Special Forces Command

, a former Commanding General within US Special Forces Command Mr. Craig Fugate , former Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from March 2008 to January 2017 .

Visit our website to view their full biographies: https://www.weatherhaven.com/Company

All five members of the Weatherhaven US Advisory Board will be attending the AUSA Conference in Washington, DC, starting October 10th, 2022 and can be reached by visiting our indoor display at booth #3555.

Weatherhaven is a leading global provider of rapidly redeployable mobile infrastructure solutions, ranging from military operations in the desert to climate research stations in ultra-cold Polar regions to sophisticated medical, humanitarian and disaster relief solutions. For 40 years, we've provided our customers with rapid and effective responses to challenges, overcoming every terrain and climate imaginable, with deployments in over 95 countries and across all 7 continents.

SOURCE Weatherhaven
Marking consecutive years of success for the Taiwanese distillery

TAIPEI, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- YoungCheers Co., Ltd. (YoungCheers), a world-renowned distillery based in Taiwan, has once again received international recognition with two gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition with its Bunnyville Single Grain Whisky No.17. This marks consecutive wins for its whisky since 2021.

Founded in 2000, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is the oldest and largest competition of its kind. Earning a medal from the organization not only helps brands enter and stand out in the U.S. and international markets, but is also a critical next step for any producer to earn recognition in the industry and with consumers.

Award winning unique single grain whisky

SFWSC medal winners range from some of the most renowned international distillers to small-batch producers. A SFWSC medal is a testament to the hard work put in by industry stalwarts, as well as an universally recognized indicator of exceptional quality and craftsmanship, which brings increased attention and coverage from the press, industry experts, and consumers.

With 17 years of experience in the industry, the Bunnyville Single Grain Whisky No.17 was released to commemorate the milestone. And with the awards it has garnered, it is certainly fitting for the continued success of YoungCheers, as well as the Taiwanese scene in general.

Setting itself apart from single malt whiskies from Scotland, this whisky uses a single raw material for fermentation and is distilled using a traditional pot still first, followed by the column still for a second time. The still is equipped with a unique control IC chip and hundreds of automatic sensors, and together with the use of an AI algorithm, methanol and impurities are removed with accuracy.

The entire process results Bunnyville Single Grain Whisky No.17 to be the equivalent of an aged whisky that has been tempered for more than 10 years. It is then stored in virgin American white oak barrels for ageing. The taste of the whisky delivers notes of apple and lemon, as well as a touch of honey fragrance, and the aftertaste contains a light floral aroma, perfect for the younger crowd looking for the right whisky to enjoy.

Continued success for YoungCheers

YoungCheers' wins firmly establish the company as one of the global distillery powerhouses, and a further endorsement of the growing industry in Taiwan. Taiwanese whisky has emerged in international competitions in recent years, and its climate is gaining in popularity among those looking to make a mark in the winemaking world. Taiwan's climate, along with the altitude of the mountains and its water, are very suitable for the winemaking process.

In addition to the Bunnyville Single Grain Whisky No.17, YoungCheers is also well known for its Spring Vodka, Formosa Rum, Palace Gin, and Bunnyville Liqueur products.

To find out more about YoungCheers and its award-winning products, please follow the brand on Facebook , Instagram or https://www.taiwantrade.com/company/966412

About YoungCheers Co., Ltd.

YoungCheers specializes in the production and supply of high-quality alcoholic beverages for the younger generation. Established in 2005, the brand trademark of a rabbit in a suit has become synonymous with its products, which is affectionately known as "rabbit liquor."

Having transformed its distillery in 2013, YoungCheers now utilizes a fully electronically controlled 20-junction continuous reflux distillation column (Reflux Column Still) and implemented hundreds of IoT Sensors to precisely control the production process. Starting from 2015, YoungCheers' products have won the SFWSC and ISC World Spirits Competition for 7 consecutive years.

Media Contact

YoungCheers Co., Ltd.

Eris Chang

[email protected]

0953 725 767

SOURCE YoungCheers Co., Ltd.
Hydrogen-electric aviation pioneer strengthens product roadmap with addition of world-leading HTPEM fuel cell stack technology and team

News follows announcement of deal signed with PowerCell for delivery of LTPEM fuel cell stacks, giving ZeroAvia a strong position across the fuel cell technology spectrum

HOLLISTER, Calif. and KEMBLE, England, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ZeroAvia , the leader in developing zero-emission solutions for commercial aviation, today announced that it has acquired in full the leading fuel cell stack innovator HyPoint . The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition adds HyPoint's advanced high-temperature fuel cell technology - a promising avenue for increasing power output and energy density of aviation fuel cell powertrains - to ZeroAvia's already leading expertise in developing the full powertrain to enable hydrogen-electric flight.

ZeroAvia acquires HyPoint, the leading fuel cell stack innovator.

All 40 HyPoint team members will be integrated into ZeroAvia, working across the R&D locations in Kemble, Gloucestershire and HyPoint's location in Sandwich, Kent. HyPoint's CEO Alex Ivanenko joins ZeroAvia as GM for VTOL and New Segments, to develop ZeroAvia's rotorcraft business applications, and to explore other applications outside of ZeroAvia's core focus on fixed-wing commercial aviation.

All of HyPoint's engineering team will join ZeroAvia's Hydrogen Power Generation Systems (PGS) division led by Rudolf Coertze, CTO Hydrogen, combining two rare sets of exceptionally talented fuel cell researchers and engineers working in the field today.

The two companies have worked closely together on co-developing and testing HTPEM fuel cell technology as part of ZeroAvia's powertrain development over the last couple of years, with HyPoint relocating the bulk of its R&D into the UK in February 2022 to support the partnership. HyPoint has garnered recognition as an innovator developing technology with the potential to significantly expedite the introduction of fuel cell propulsion into larger aircraft. This early partnership was part of ZeroAvia's work within the HyFlyer II programme, supported by the UK's ATI Programme.

Val Miftakhov, CEO and Founder, ZeroAvia, said: "We see this as a significant forward step for ZeroAvia, and a hugely important strategic step to strengthen our leadership position in hydrogen-electric powertrain development for aviation. There are no other organizations with the breadth of expertise and world-leading IP in hydrogen-electric aviation that we now have within the company. This acquisition, together with our long-standing partnership with the leading LTPEM (low-temperature PEM) fuel cell maker PowerCell, puts us in the top position for delivering the most environmentally and economically attractive solution to aviation's growing climate impact."

Alex Ivanenko, former CEO of HyPoint and newly appointed GM for VTOL and New Segments at ZeroAvia, said: "This acquisition is the natural next chapter in our journey, allowing us to tap into the benefits of the larger and strategic resources that ZeroAvia has to offer. It will accelerate our product development and, as a result, partners from different market segments will get mature products based on novel turbo-air cooled HTPEM hydrogen fuel cells. The team and I are excited to join forces with ZeroAvia to achieve the ambitious vision and product roadmap for zero-emission aviation."

This new development comes on the heels of the announcement of a major deal with ZeroAvia's long-term fuel cell partner PowerCell which will see the serial delivery of hydrogen fuel stacks beginning in 2024. Together, these moves will allow ZeroAvia to progress both LTPEM and HTPEM technologies for relevant aviation applications from a strong position of leadership.

ZeroAvia has identified hydrogen-electric powertrains  where fuel cells use hydrogen in a chemical reaction to generate electricity that powers electric motors  as the most practical, economical, and farthest reaching solution for reducing aviation's climate change and clean air impacts.

About ZeroAvia

ZeroAvia is a leader in zero-emission aviation, focused on hydrogen-electric aviation solutions to address a variety of markets, initially targeting a 300-mile range in 919 seat aircraft by 2025, and up to 700-mile range in 4080 seat aircraft by 2027. Based in the UK and USA, ZeroAvia has already secured experimental certificates for its two-prototype aircraft from the CAA and FAA, passed significant flight test milestones, secured a number of key partnerships with major aircraft OEMs and major global airlines, and is on track for commercial operations in 2025. The company's expanding UK operations are supported by grants from UK's Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, and ZeroAvia is part of the UK Government's Jet Zero Council. For more, please visit ZeroAvia.com, follow @ZeroAvia on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

SOURCE ZeroAvia
By Trend

Azerbaijans Goychay hydroelectric power plant generated 5.2 million kWh of electricity from January through September 2022, the Energy Ministry told Trend.

According to the ministry, the capacity of the power plant is 3.1 megawatts per hour.

"In total, from October 6, 2015 to date, this plant has generated 46.4 million kWh of electricity," added the ministry.
Copenhagen, Oct 6 : After months of speculation, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has finally called a general election in Denmark for November 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, on Wednesday.

"The government does not resign in conjunction with the announcement of the election," a statement from her office said.

The country's current Social Democratic minority government expects to remain in power as part of a ruling coalition, Xinhua news agency reported.

"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 added.

The Danish Parliament is re-elected 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.
Beirut, Oct 6 : The EU will increase its financial assistance to Lebanon by 75 million euros ($73.83 million) in 2022 to support the country in light of its difficult social and economic situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Beirut port explosions.

"We will increase the amount of our assistance for Lebanon to establish good governance and strengthen state institutions and the various parties involved in this process," Oliver Varhelyi, EU Commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Lebanese Presidency after his meeting at Baabda Palace with Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Wednesday.

Europe is grateful for the tremendous effort that Lebanon has made in hosting refugees, and it notices that Lebanon's hosting of Syrian refugees exceeds the country's capabilities, Varhelyi said, adding "this is why the EU has allocated 154 million euros this year to help Lebanon adapt to this reality".

For his part, Aoun urged the EU Commissioner to help Lebanon implement its strategy to ensure the safe return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Lebanese President also gave an overview to Varhelyi about the impact of hosting Syrian refugees on Lebanon's infrastructure and various aspects of life in the country.
Ramallah, Oct 6 : A Palestinian was killed during clashes with the Israeli soldiers in the village of Deir al-Hatab, north of the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

Nasser Zaghal, 21, was killed after he was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Wednesday in a statement, adding that another four were injured, including two in moderate conditions and two journalists from the Palestinian state-run television who sustained hand wounds from live ammunition.

Palestinian eyewitnesses and security sources said an Israeli army force stormed the village and surrounded a Palestinian citizen's home with armoured vehicles and soldiers, Xinhua news agency reported.

Heavy clashes broke out in the village between dozens of Palestinians and Israeli soldiers. The Palestinians threw stones at the soldiers who fired teargas and live ammunition to disperse the Palestinians, according to eyewitnesses.

Tension between Israelis and the Palestinians has been mounting over the past few months after the Israeli army intensified its military actions and operations against Palestinian militants and activists in the West Bank.

According to official Palestinian figures, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank since early January. Since March, 18 Israelis have been killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians in Israeli cities.
Muzaffarnagar : , Oct 6 (IANS) An former Army personnel has been arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Muzzafarnagar for allegedly seeking re-entry into the Army using fake documents, police said.

The accused identified as Kamal Singh had earlier been expelled from the Army when it was found that he had gained entry using fake documents and a fake name -- Rahul Singh.

Singh, now 25-years-old and overage for the Agniveer scheme, was recognised by military intelligence personnel and was arrested and handed over to the Muzaffarnagar police.

His interrogation led to the arrest of another former Army officer, Mehkar Singh, from Meerut, who is an expert in the preparation of fake documents.

According to Muzaffarnagar Senior Superintendent of Police, Vineet Jaiswal, "Agniveer recruitment is taking place in Muzaffarnagar and a joint team of military intelligence and Muzaffarnagar police identified Kamal Singh and he was arrested on Wednesday. He had participated in the running on September 21 representing Moradabad and now he was again here with another set of documents on Tuesday. This time his documents showed he belonged to Bulandshahr. He has been booked under IPC 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), etc." According to sources in the Army, intense questioning revealed the name of an individual from Baghpat Road, Meerut, who had made those documents in lieu of money.

He was identified as Mehkar Singh, 48, an former Army officer involved in the same and recovered a number of fake documents, and medical slips of the candidates from his possession to which the individual could not answer satisfactorily, thus confirming his connivance in the preparation of forged documents of candidates for Agniveer recruitment in lieu of money.

He was also arrested on Wednesday from Meerut.
New York, Oct 6 : Varun Manish Chheda, a 20-year-old Indian-American student at US's Purdue University, was killed in his dorm room by his roommate, who has been arrested on a preliminary murder charge, police said.

Ji Min Sha, a 22-year-old junior cybersecurity major from Seoul, South Korea, has been held as the prime suspect in the case, Purdue Police Chief Lesley Wiete said.

Wiete called the crime "unprovoked and senseless".

Chheda died of "multiple sharp force traumatic injuries" and the manner of death was a homicide, according to preliminary autopsy results, an NBC report said.

A university spokesperson told the media that a 911 call came into the Purdue University Police Department at 12:44 a.m. on Wednesday from McCutcheon Hall on the western edge of the campus. The call was made by Sha himself.

Purdue University President Mitch Daniels said in a statement that the Purdue University Police Department is conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.

"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... I assure you that the safety and security of our students is the single highest priority on our campus," Daniels added in his statement.

This was Purdue's first on-campus homicide since January 2014, according to the University.

Chheda was just 10 days away from his 21st birthday, the Indianapolis Star reported.

He graduated from Park Tudor High School in 2020 and was a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Programme the year he graduated.
Kiev, Oct 6 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he held a phone conversation with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration.

Zelensky on Wednesday added that he coordinated further steps with Stoltenberg on Ukraine's path toward integration with NATO, Xinhua news agency reported.

Separately, NATO Secretary-General tweeted that NATO will sustain and step up support for Ukraine for "as long as it takes".

On September 30, the Ukrainian President said that Ukraine would apply for membership in NATO under an accelerated procedure.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Ambedkar Nagar : , Oct 6 (IANS) A rape survivor in Uttar Pradesh's Ambedkar Nagar district ended her life by allegedly committing suicide after the police did not act on her complaint and even reprimanded her for pursuing her case.

The father of the deceased victim alleged that his daughter had even gone to the Superintendent of Police's office where she was scolded and asked to return home.

"After this, she took the extreme step of ending her life," he told reporters.

"On September 16, my daughter had gone to school but did not return home. We lodged a missing complaint with the police but no action was taken. She came back after two days and told us that she had been taken to Lucknow by two youths who raped her in a hotel room," the victim's father told reporters.

The father claimed that the police was pressuring his daughter to compromise in the case.

She had even told the Malipur police that she would commit suicide if they did not take action, he said.

Superintendent of Police, Ajit Sinha, said, "The medical examination of the girl has been done in this case. On the basis of the statement, rape has been confirmed by two people. The action will be taken by registering a case against the unknown persons. Meanwhile, senior police officials have visited her home after we learnt of the suicide. We will take action in the matter with promptness."
Bengaluru, Oct 6 : Karnataka police arrested three persons for beating their neighbour's adopted Indie dog with wooden logs in Bhattarahalli locality of K. R. Puram in Bengaluru, police said on Thursday.

According to police, Gaddigappa, a resident of Bhattarahalli, adopted the street dog and was nursing it for three years. The family called it Rachchu.

On Oct 3, when Rachchu had gone out, there started a quarrel with the pet dog of Nagaraju from the neighbourhood. Rachchu bit the other pet dog.

After coming to know about the incident, Gaddigappa rushed to the spot and took his dog home. However, the incident angered the sons of Nagaraju - Rahul, Ranjith and Rajath.

They entered the premises of Gaddigappa's house and beat the sleeping dog with wooden logs. When Gaddigappa tried to rescue the dog, the trio also allegedly assaulted him.

This led to a fight between the two families; neighbours intervened and peace prevailed. Gaddigappa, after taking the dog for the treatment at a veterinary hospital, lodged a complaint with police regarding the incident.

The video of the boys beating up the dog had gone viral on social media and animal lovers demanded action against the accused persons.

The police registered a case under the IPC and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and arrested the accused. Further investigation is on.
Chennai, Oct 6 : Five people are on the run in Cuddalore district in a case related to child marriage that took place in January 2021, when a 19-year-old youth, N. Badrisan, married a 13-year-old girl.

However, the district social welfare department and women's welfare department officials came to know about it only a few days ago and lodged a complaint with the All Women Police Station (AWPS) in Cuddalore.

Police, acting on the information from sources, arrested N. Suriya (23) after registering a case under Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, against six people. The arrested is the brother-in-law of the girl who was studying in Class 7 in a local school in Cuddalore.

The police registered cases against the girl's husband, father, mother, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and maternal uncle. The case was registered on Tuesday and the first arrest was made on Wednesday.

Cuddalore All Women Police officers told IANS that the arrested and the girl's father, father-in-law and brother-in-law are 'Deekshithars' (priest).

With instances of Child marriages on the rise in Tamil Nadu, the state child welfare department, social welfare department, and women's welfare department have been given a high alert to prevent such incedents.

Sources in the women's welfare department told IANS that they are planning to conduct massive awareness programmes across the state roping in known artists including cinema actors and television actors as also sportspersons of international repute in the awareness videos and promotions which will be shot and to be aired on prominent channels.

The videos, according to the women's welfare department will also be displayed in cinema theatres and the department is also planning to use screen it on the mobile phone across the state.
Bhopal, Oct 6 : Untoward incidents, including the death of a girl, acid attack on a woman and clashes were reported during the 10-day long Navratri celebrations in Madhya Pardesh which culminated on Wednesday with the burning of effigies of demon king Ravana and his brothers, sources said on Thursday.

Amid controversies over ID cards made mandatory at the garba venues, a 11-year-old girl, who was watching the progress in Indore, was found dead under mysterious circumstances on the last day. During a medical examination, the doctors detected a bullet-like object in her skull, which was removed during autopsy. The police suspect the victim died in a celebratory firing.

Late on Tuesday in Jabalpur, a group of men attacked a woman with an acid-like chemical at a Durga Puja pandal. The victim, who received severe burn injuries on her face, is undergoing treatment at a hospital. Ten suspects have been detained for interrogation.

"The victim, along with her mother, had gone to a Durga Puja pandal near Sunarhai locality in Jabalpur district, when suddenly some youths threw an acid-like chemical on her face. Once the laboratory reports confirm if it was acid, we will add stricter charges against the preparators," said a senior police official.

Many incidents of clashes between two communities were also reported in different areas in the last one-and-a-half week. One such clash was reported between two groups in the Agar-Malwa district where people from both sides attacked each other with sticks even as women and senior citizens tried to run for cover.

The incident happened at the temple premises of a village in Agar district over 200 km from Bhopal. At least half-a-dozen people received injuries during the clash. Ironically, the crimes at Puja pandals were reported despite the state government and the police claiming full security arrangements in place for the festivities.
Chennai, Oct 6 : Extensive awareness campaigns by the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital have led to an increase in the number of breast milk donors and beneficiaries in the district.

According to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, around 5,511 babies have benefitted from its breast milk bank from January 2022.

The hospital, in a statement, said that 2,355 women donated breast milk leading to the benefit of 5511 infants. It may be noted that the breast milk bank has been functioning in Coimbatore since 2015 and continued awareness programmes on breast milk donation have led to a large number of lactating mothers donating their milk. In addition to this, the beneficiaries of the scheme also have come to know of this through regular awareness programmes.

Coimbatore Medical College hospital Dean Dr A. Nirmala told IANS that infants whose mothers are ill, babies born with low weight, toddlers hospitalised with serious ailments and babies whose mothers are not able to breastfeed are benefitted from the hospital's breast milk scheme. She also said that regular awareness programmes on the same have helped more people approach the hospital to donate milk as well to get the benefit.

The hospital authorities also said that there are women who donate milk on a daily basis and this has led to a regular supply of breast milk in the bank.
Phnom Penh, Oct 6 : Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Thursday that the COVID-19 pandemic may hinder Cambodia's ambitious journey toward an upper-middle income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050.

"In the last few years, with the spread of COVID-19, the journey toward these visions may be hampered," he said during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Cambodia Outlook Conference, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said in 2020, this deadly disease caused Cambodia's economy to decline into the negative territory by 3.1 percent, which was the first negative growth over the last two decades.

In response, in addition to health measures, Hun Sen said the government launched the National Vaccination Campaign and built a strong herd immunity throughout the country.

"This achievement has allowed Cambodia to reopen the country fully and safely in all fields since Nov. 1, 2021, until today, and has made Cambodia's economy recover gradually with resilience and strength," he said.

"As a result, Cambodia's economy grew at a positive rate of 3 percent in 2021 ... and will likely continue to grow around 5 percent and 6 percent in 2022 and 2023, respectively," he added.

Hun Sen said that to sustain the economy in the long run, the government will further invest in the fields of healthcare, social protection, human resource development, small and medium enterprises, digital technology, and green development, among others.
Rawalpindi, Oct 6 : Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa discussed matters related to India, China, Afghanistan in his meetings with top US administration officials on his recent visit to Washington, sources told Geo News on Thursday.

The army chief left for Pakistan after concluding his week-long visit to America, where he held meetings with top US officials.

Sources said that General Bajwa told the US officials that Pakistan seeks an early resolution of the Kashmir issue, Geo News reported.

He also called for improvement in bilateral relations, trade and investment between Pakistan and the US.

"Pakistan has been a long-standing partner of the US," the sources quoted the army chief.

Meanwhile, General Bajwa was accorded an honour cordon by US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon.

In a meeting with the COAS, Secretary Austin said that the "long-standing partnership" between the two countries continues, The News reported.

"This long-standing partnership continues today with discussions focused on opportunities to address key mutual defence interests," the US defence department said in its press statement after General Bajwa's meeting with Secretary Austin.

"This year marks the 75th anniversary of relations between the US and Pakistan. It was my pleasure to host Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa to the Pentagon," Austin said in a statement on Twitter later.

He said the two leaders discussed long-standing defence partnership and areas of mutual interest between Pakistan and the US.

General Bajwa was heading the delegation, diplomatic sources said, terming the visit an important one that portrayed "robust relations" between the two countries.

During the visit, the army chief met the US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman during which "matters of mutual interest, regional security situation and bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed," according to the ISPR.
London, Oct 6 : Suella Braverman has again risked upsetting No. 10 after saying she has "reservations" about Britain's trade deal with India because it could increase immigration to the UK, The Guardian reported.

Liz Truss said she wants to sign a trade agreement with India by Diwali at the end of this month. The Indian government is demanding an increase in work and study visas for Indian nationals and earlier this year Boris Johnson said the agreement would lead to increased immigration.

In an interview with the Spectator, UK Home Secretary Braverman said Indian migrants make up the largest number of visa overstayers in the UK. The home secretary also criticised a deal with India, signed by her predecessor Priti Patel, to increase the number of illegal migrants and overstayers returned to the country, saying the agreement "has not necessarily worked very well".

Braverman told the Spectator: "I have concerns about having an open borders migration policy with India because I don't think that's what people voted for with Brexit." Asked whether she would support a deal if it only involved greater flexibility for students and entrepreneurs, she said: "But I do have some reservations. Look at migration in this country -- the largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants.

"We even reached an agreement with the Indian government last year to encourage and facilitate better cooperation in this regard. It has not necessarily worked very well."
New Delhi/Mandya, Oct 6 : An upbeat Congress on Thursday hailed its interim chief Sonia Gandhi joining the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Jakkanahalli to Karadya in Karnataka, saying her presence will help strengthen the party.

Taking to Twitter, Party General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Congress President Sonia Gandhi walked with @RahulGandhi & padayatris between Jakkanahalli & Karadya in Mandya district. Her programme was for only 30 mins. She stayed with #BharatJodoYatra for 2 hrs, energised by support of people of Karnataka & in turn strengthening our resolve." Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the yatra, said that Sonia Gandhi has always worked for strengthening democracy. "She walked to protect these principles. I am proud to walk with her." Party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi said that the nation will be strengthened.

In between, pictures of Rahul Gandhi tying shoe laces of Sonia emerged to which political analyst Sudheendra Kulkarni said, "Indian culture in action. This is why millions of Indians, who are not Congress supporters today, will start admiring #RahulGandhi after #BharatJodoYatra." Congress General Secretary Organisations K.C. Venugopal tweeted, "Giving a huge fillip to #BharatJodoYatra, Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi joined the epic journey today. Her arrival sent ripples of excitement among the crowd. Her presence alone is going to invigorate the common man and fortify the resolve of @RahulGandhi and the Yatris." The Congress interim president joined the Rahul Gandhi-led march in Mandya district of Karnataka which is being seen as a morale booster for the workers which will improve the party's prospects in the state.

Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed from Mandya district after the break of two days in view of Vijayadashami and Dussehra festivals.

Sonia Gandhi had arrived in Mysuru on Monday and put up in a resort near the backwaters of Kabini.

To counter the padayatra, the ruling BJP has planned a series of tours and conventions across the state.

This morning, the march started from Pandavapura and is slated to end at Chowdenahalli Gate in Mandya district.

Bharat Jodo Yatra, which entered day seven, has been scheduled for 21 days during which it will cover 511 kilometres.

After covering Chamarajanagar, Mysuru districts, the yatra entered Mandya district.
Islamabad, Oct 6 : The re-emergence of the dreaded terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in different parts of Pakistan is not only being condemned but is also being protested by locals, who have called on authorities to take immediate and urgent steps to counter the militants, who have been spreading fears down the spine of the locals.

There have been many reports now of incidents of kidnapping, killing and ransom demands surfacing from Swat and Parachinar in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan. Locals have also staged big rallies and protests to condemn the ongoing unrest and have called on authorities to take immediate action against the culprits before the militancy spreads across the country.

The development of re-emergence of militancy comes after talks between the Pakistan government and the TTP hit a deadlock, with both parties disagreeing to some of the terms and conditions put forth during the peace negotiations.

It is pertinent to mention here that peace talks between TTP and Pakistani authorities were facilitated by the Afghan Taliban regime in Kabul, in which various tribal elders and groups were also taken on board.

As per details of the terms and conditions, mutually agreed between the two sides in over a month-long tables talks in Kabul; the Pakistan government released a large number of TTP militants in custody and on death-row through a presidential pardon while TTP also agreed to not carry out any terror attacks in Pakistan.

However, there was a deadlock on the TTP demand that the tribal belt status should be reversed to Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and not be made part of the Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) province. TTP also demanded imposition of Sharia law and shrinking of military check posts.

And it is because of this reason why the TTP has started to not only re-emerge in areas, which used to be its stronghold in the past; but also started carrying our its terror activities through abduction and killings.

Pakistan Ministry of Interior has taken note of the deteriorating situation and has issued a nationwide threat alert, asking for opting to extreme vigilance, and directing authorities and security forces to initiate search and strike missions wherever militant activity is reported.

In a letter sent out to home and chief secretaries of Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pukhtunkha and Balochistan provinces along with Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Federal Ministry of Interior urged all to heighten security and exercise enhanced vigilance to avoid any untoward incident.

The letter maintained that "more than year-long peace negotiations between TTP and the government of Pakistan had come to a standstill, which has led to unease within the TTP's ranks".

"TTP accuses the Pakistani government of failing to fulfill its main demand - the reversal of the merger of former FATA with KP - as well as continuing to detain TTP members, while a truce was still being negotiated," read the letter.

The Ministry of Interior also warned that the TTP or its splinter groups and factions may also seek to escalate terrorist activities in the coming days with an aim to avenge the killing of their commanders and to show their strength.

Recently, two main commanders of TTP Omar Khalid Khorasani and Aftak Parkay have been killed in a blast in southern Afghanistan. Omar Khalid Khorasani was considered as the most influential and ruthless of the TTP commanders.

It was after their killing that TTP, its sub-groups defected to the other militant group Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) or joined hands with Hafiz Gul Bahadur group to resume terrorist activities.

With Pakistan government initiating Intelligence Based Operations (IBO) in all parts of the country, various important leaders and commanders of TTP and ISKP have been killed.

However, the deadlock in talks with the TTP is certainly a warning alarm for Pakistan as it tries to tackle the re-emergence of militancy on its soil.
New Delhi, Oct 6 : Meta is reportedly conducting 'quiet layoffs' at Facebook that may lead to thousands of job cuts -- at least 12,000 or about 15 per cent of its workforce.

According to a report in Insider, the senior executives are in the process of executing "quiet layoffs" of underperforming workers.

Several employees told Insider that as much as 15 per cent of the workforce could be cut within the next few weeks. This means that some 12,000 employees could be out of jobs soon.

"It might look like they are moving on, but the reality is they are being forced out," the employee told Insider.

Facebook employees are bracing for layoffs for months since the social networking giant announced a hiring freeze.

At its peak, Meta's stock price approached $380 per share. But in the last year, the company share price has nosedived 60 per cent.

Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made it clear that the social network is freezing hiring across the board, warning that more layoffs are in the pipeline.

According to reports, Zuckerberg made these comments during an internal call to employees.

Zuckerberg mentioned during the last Meta earnings call that "Our plan is to steadily reduce headcount growth over the next year. Many teams are going to shrink so we can shift energy to other areas." In May, Zuckerberg announced a hiring freeze affecting certain segments of Meta.

However, he has now expanded the hiring freeze across departments and verticals.

Facebook's parent company Meta is currently reducing staff to cut costs amid the economic downturn, apparently putting some of them on traditional 30 to 60 days "lists" to find a new role within the company or leave.

Meta has a "long practice" where employees whose roles are eliminated are subject to termination if they can't find a new job internally within a month.

As Big Tech companies lay off employees and freeze new hirings, Zuckerberg said in July that the company's plan is to steadily reduce headcount growth over the next year.

Admitting that the social network has entered an economic downturn that will have a broad impact on the digital advertising business, Zuckerberg said that many "teams are going to shrink so we can shift energy to other areas inside the company".
New Delhi, Oct 6: After years of deliberation by state governments, intellectuals and experts, the Modi Government in a surprising move banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) for five years in the early hours of September 28, 2022 under the stringent anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2019.

Other than PFI, the Centre also banned its affiliates including Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation Kerala as 'unlawful association'.

The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political arm of PFI, has been left out because of legal complications. It falls under the purview of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and not the Ministry of Home Affairs. Legally also, under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the ECI doesn't have the power to de-register a political party.

In my previous article on PFI, I have tried to highlight PFI's prolonged criminal activities like killings, destruction of property, threats to the internal security of the country, linkages with terrorist organisations like the ISIS, involvement in money laundering and how a ban will be justified. Now that the ban is in place, this article delves into whether a ban is enough or more efforts are required to curtail the PFI threat.

The Centre's main contention is that the PFI will continue to propagate anti-national sentiments by radicalising a particular community against the country and constitutional authority. This in turn will be a threat to the integrity, security and sovereignty of the country.

But banning the PFI wouldn't reduce the country's threat quotient because it is a resurrected form of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), which was banned in 2001 for terror activities. The objectives of SIMI were clear - to lead life according to the Quran, propagate Islam and wage jihad.

When the PFI was born, it chose to be more pragmatic. It presented itself as an organisation working for the upliftment of the Muslims, Dalit Hindus and promoting national integration while upholding the democratic and secular fabric of the country. But on the contrary, its acts run contrary to what it claimed.

On July 14, 2022, the Bihar Police conducted a raid in Phulwari Sharif and arrested three individuals for providing training to youths for terror activities. Among the arrested were a retired police sub-inspector and a former SIMI member. Along with PFI and SDPI material, the police also found literature titled 'India 2047 - Towards rule of Islam in India'. PFI's internal document calls to make India into an Islamic state by 2047 and this would be done by uniting Muslims under the flag of PFI, highlighting grievances, infiltrating power corridors, terrorising opponents and liaising with Islamic countries for funding.

Banning PFI will not solve the problem as it will mutate into something else. Therefore, it is its ideology that needs to be thwarted, attacked and neutralised in whatever way possible.

There are two kinds of groups under political Islam - the Muslim Brotherhood and Jihadi groups like Al-Qaeda. In 1920, Hassan al Banna founded the Muslim Brotherhood or al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun in Egypt, whose idea was that an Islamic Caliphate will pronounce over the world but it has to be done in a strategic manner where you create conditions where society becomes more Islamic; it can be through social means like health, education etc and eventually society will be overturned and Islam will prevail.

Then there are the Jihadi groups like Al-Qaeda which say that you don't have to wait for the right conditions because changes can be introduced by way of Jihad.

PFI in all its understanding is a dangerous cocktail of political Islam, whose ideology bears characteristics of the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Qaeda. The Muslim Brotherhood is banned in Egypt and several other countries like Saudi Arabia and Russia.

Like the PFI, the Muslim Brotherhood is being backed by Qatar and Turkey. Despite being banned for most of the time in its history, the organisation was able to increase its footprint during the Egyptian dictatorship to an extent that after the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, the then President Hosni Mubarak had to resign and in 2012 Muslim Brotherhood took power in Egypt through a democratic process.

Within a year, protests broke out against the government and Morsi was deposed in a coup d'etat by General Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the Muslim Brotherhood was declared a terrorist organization.

On March 24, 2014, an Egyptian court sentenced 529 members of the Muslim Brotherhood to death and on February 2, 2015, another 183 members were sentenced to death while thousands were arrested.

Even with so many death sentences, brutality and incarceration; Egypt is not able to neutralise the threat of the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt has taken a four-fold approach in the last eight years: first - ban the organization, second - arrest members of the Guidance Office and the Shura Council which were the organisation's two collective bodies, third - curb the influence of Muslim Brotherhood in public services, the military, the judiciary, media, universities, NGO's; and fourth - confiscate the organisation's assets and shut down affiliated social welfare organisations.

It caused a ripple in the structure of the Muslim Brotherhood but in turn, the old guard was replaced with the new guard which had a different approach to dealing with the regime. The Brotherhood's vertical command structure has been replaced by non-hierarchical networks and lines of communication, which enable the younger generation to play a decisive role and grow up the ladder with the office of Supreme Guide and the Guidance office remaining symbolic centres of command.

The Muslim Brotherhood's pyramid structure remains unbroken with the opening of Brotherhood offices in foreign lands which continue to function and operate without fear in a friendly atmosphere.

The public spectacle of the trial of the Brotherhood's leadership has restored respect for its senior leaders and ideology among grassroots members and prospective members.

Along with the command structure, even communication was not kept hierarchical. Communication is done through personal channels rather than a top-down approach and social media has further benefited the organisation.

Personal relationships remain an important tool and marriages solidify them. Various marriages have been solemnised between the families of Brotherhood members.

The most important factor that kept the individual and organisation going was the ideological servitude and willingness to carry on for their ultimate goal.

Even under dictatorial Egypt's harsh punishments, Muslim Brotherhood has continued to survive and India's counterpart - PFI will most likely survive given the Indian nation's ethos and its secular legal structure. PFI has already learnt its lessons from the SIMI days and the organisation and its leadership have undergone a metamorphosis in this regard.

The Modi Government has duly followed the Egyptian approach in dealing with the PFI.

The organisation has changed - it is no longer hierarchical. The now arrested General Secretary of the PFI, Anis Ahmed in a BBC interview said that as of 2020 there were about 4,00,000 members. Ahmed added that there is no centralised data repository from where one can know who is a member of the PFI. He said that the members do not have identity cards and all the data is kept at local units.

The PFI receives funding and support from Muslim Brotherhood and countries such as Qatar and Turkey. If the situation warrants, their coordinators will not shy away from getting their external office opened in these friendly countries.

Though the PFI official Twitter handle has been banned, that doesn't include encrypted social media and communication platforms where the members can interact.

Lastly, its ideology remains steadfast and unwavering considering the response of their family members and support by a section of civil society, politicians and media.

To lower PFI influence in society and make it irrelevant, the government needs to do the following - make inroads into the PFI apparatus and highlight before the society how the PFI is dangerous for the integrity of this country by proving to people how the PFI indoctrinates youth towards terrorism.

It will have to give space to non-Hindu voices like Christians who have faced the brunt of PFI in communal violence, highlight crimes by PFI in foreign countries which have become a haven for their functionaries and get them extradited to India. The government will have to impress upon the members of the PFI that their support to the PFI is not only offensive to the sovereignty of India but is also causing damage to the reputation of their religion and family.

Above all, the government will have to convince the supporters of the PFI that it will automatically become unsustainable for the PFI to survive as an organisation.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Chennai, Oct 6 : Paddy farmers of Tamil Nadu are confused and divided over the entry of National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF), a body under Ministry of Consumer Affairs of the Central Government, for procurement of paddy. Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies department has allowed the procurement of paddy only from non-delta districts in the state.

While NCCF has been in the procurement of paddy since 2016 -17 in Tamil Nadu, the procurement touched an all-time high during the current year. Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies authorities told IANS that the NCCF procured 10.3 per cent of the total paddy procured in the state.

According to TNSC officials, as on October 1, 3.35 lakh tonnes of paddy were procured in the state of which NCCF contributed 34,479 tonnes of paddy.

Paddy farmers are confused over the presence of intermediaries in the procurement by NCCF and these intermediaries, according to the farmers were quite rigid in dealing with the farmers.

M.C. Ponvelu, a Paddy farmer told IANS that NCCF has procured 35 tonnes of his paddy and has informed him that he will be paid in 15 days' time as against the one-week payment time of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation. The farmer also said that he does not have any idea about whom he should represent if the payment was not done in fifteen days.

The farmer said that there was no consultation at the local level before NCCF commenced massive procurement of paddy and farmer representatives were not included in the oversight committee for procurement of paddy. Ponvelu also said that while at present the NCCF is allowed procurement of paddy from non-delta districts, it may not be far off when delta farmers are also brought under the paddy procurement loop.

However, some farmers told IANS that the amount of money paid by them as informal charges to lorry drivers and local level players has come down in a big way.
Mexico City, Oct 6 : Eighteen people, including a city mayor, were killed and three others wounded when gunmen opened firing at a town hall in San Miguel Totolapan city in Mexico.

The gunmen opened firing at a city hall in Guerrero on Wednesday in which 18 people were killed, BBC reported.

Left-wing PRD party, to which Mayor Conrado Mendoza Almeda belonged, condemned the attack and sought justice.

Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado Pineda took to Twitter to say she deeply regretted the deaths.

Prior to the attack on Wednesday, alleged members of Los Tequileros, linked to a drug cartel, released a video on social networking sites announcing its return to the region.

Los Tequileros had devastated Guerrero between 2015 and 2017 and had been threatening the mayors of the region until its leader Raybel Jacobo de Almonte was killed.

The gang is named after its leader De Almonte who was known as El Tequilero - the Tequila Drinker.
Bengaluru, Oct 6 : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Thursday that he would immediately address the concern raised by Rahul Gandhi in the case of an injured baby elephant.

"Rahul Gandhi has written a letter to us. During his visit to the Nagarhole forest, he has sighted an elephant and a calf. He noticed that the calf was injured in its tail and trunk.

"I have reached Bengaluru just now. I will take all details in this regard from the senior forest officers and talk to them immediately," he said.

CM Bommai further said, "There will be an immediate action regarding the elephants on what can be done and in 30 minutes I will get all the details.

"Those are natural habitats (Nagarhole forest), how far human interference could be made has to be seen and verified. It has also to be seen on how the treatment should be given. What he (Rahul Gandhi) has raised, I will respond to it," he stated.

"The issue is being raised on humanitarian grounds and will do what has to be done", he added.

Rahul Gandhi in his letter addressed to CM Bommai had said that the Congress President and himself during their visit to the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve happened to witness a 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. I understand and appreciate that there is a view that nature must be allowed to take its own course. However, in the case of endangered and iconic species, exceptions are often made depending on severity of the situation. The aforementioned calf is undoubtedly in need of urgent medical care.

"Therefore, I wanted to cross political boundaries and appeal to your sense of compassion to intervene and save the little elephant," Rahul Gandhi wrote in the letter.
Kolkata, Oct 6 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of those killed in the Mal river flash flood in Jalpaiguri during idol immersion of Goddess Durga.

A sum of Rs 50,000 will also be granted to the families of the injured.

The tragedy struck late on Wednesday when thousands of people assembled for immersion of Durga idols on the occasion of the Vijaya Dashami.

In a statement, the chief minister has announced that a compensation of Rs 2,00,000 will be granted to each of the families of the persons killed in the flash flood. Similarly, a compensation of Rs 50,000 will be given to each of the families of the persons injured in the same mishap.

"Eight people lost their lives, I pray that their families find strength and solace in these difficult times," the statement from the chief minister read.

The chief minister also informed that a total of 13 persons are undergoing treatment at Mal Super Specialty Hospital. "I pray for their speedy recovery," she said.

The chief minister's announcement on this count came minutes after the leader of the opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari launched a scathing attack on the state chief minister and her office alleging that the CMO seems to be sleeping on the issue. There is no clarity on the details and number of missing persons, the leader of the opposition alleged.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) politburo member and the party's state secretary in West Bengal, Md Salim has issued a statement accusing the Jalpaiguri district administration and Mal Municipality of deliberately arresting the flow of river Mal by using stone- boulders to facilitate idol immersion. "Flash flood, which is common in Mal river, can be dangerous at times as it happened on Wednesday evening. Had the administration been cautious such a mishap could be avoided," he added.
New Delhi, Oct 6: Recently Habib Bank Limited (HBL), Pakistan's 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'.

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.

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 NBP's 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 court's 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 defendant's expulsion from the US. Those allegations are sufficient ...," the court said.

As Pakistan's 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 Pakistan's only bank with focus on regional trade and investment.

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 bank's 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.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Islamabad, Oct 6 : At least 10 people were killed and 13 others injured when a passenger bus collided with a truck on Indus Highway near Pakistan's Sindh province on Thursday.

The incident occurred when the bus was procceding towards Punjab province from Karachi, Geo News reported quoting police.

The deceased included drivers of the bus and truck, two women and as many children.

The deceased and injured were shifted to a Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro.
Los Angeles, Oct 6 : The next sexual assault trial against former film producer and co-founder of the Miramax studio - Harvey Weinstein, is set to begin next week in Los Angeles.

It involves an entirely new set of charges, separate from the monumental New York trial that put the movie mogul behind bars for 23 years when he was convicted of rape and sexual assault in early 2020, reports Variety.

In Los Angeles, he faces 11 counts of rape and sexual assault, stemming from charges from five alleged victims. At the same time, Weinstein is continuing to appeal his New York rape conviction and preparing to defend himself from additional assault charges against him in the UK.

According to Variety, Weinstein's trial will run at the same time and in the same courthouse as the rape case against 'That 70's Show' actor Danny Masterson. In New York, producer Paul Haggis' rape trial, and a courtroom battle between Kevin Spacey and Anthony Rapp, the actor who accused Spacey of assaulting him in 1986 when Rapp was 14 years old, will begin in the coming days.

Variety further states that in 2023, Shia LaBeouf will be on trial for allegations of sexual battery by his ex-girlfriend, actor and musician FKA Twigs.

They are just the latest to have their day in court. In September, R. Kelly was found guilty in a federal child pornography case, which was separate from his racketeering and sex trafficking conviction that earned him a 30-year sentence.

Earlier this year, Bill Cosby - who was released from prison in 2021, after his 2018 conviction was reversed, was found liable of sexually abusing 16-year-old Judy Huth in 1975 at the Playboy Mansion in a civil jury case.
Seoul, Oct 6 : South Korea, the United States and Japan staged another joint naval exercise in the East Sea on Thursday with a focus on countering nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.

The exercise involving the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier strike group opened in the international waters of the sea hours after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles, Seoul's military said.

Several warships, including South Korea's King Sejong the Great destroyer, the USS Benfold destroyer belonging to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier strike group, and Japan's Chokai destroyer, were mobilised, Yonhap news agency reported quoting the Seoul's military.

They simulated scenarios of North Korean ballistic missile launches and focused on detecting, tracking and intercepting them by sharing target information, it said.

The three countries held combined maritime drills in the East Sea on September 30 involving the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in a show of force against the North's continued provocations.

It was redeployed to the waters Wednesday in response to the North's firing of an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan the previous day.
Auckland, Oct 6 : External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held talks with his New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta on Thursday here and discussed wide-ranging issues, including the visa issues being faced by Indian students, Ukraine conflict and security in the Indo-Pacific region besides other bilateral issues.

Jaishankar, who was on a tour to the country, said in a joint press conference, "There was a discussion on some current, some pressing issues like the security situation in the Indo-Pacific, the consequences of the Ukraine conflict and naturally we spent some time on the major global issues, most of all climate action, climate justice." He said, "Some of the initiatives which India has been sponsoring over the last few years are the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for the Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, the Initiative for the Resilient Island States and their importance of collaborating not just bilaterally, but with other countries to deal with contingencies like pandemics, which we know will surely recur at some point in time and, of course, other common concerns, maritime security for example." "I think we do recognise today that countries like India and New Zealand have a particular responsibility in forging a post-colonial order, which is fairer, which is more equitable, and which will provide the prosperity and stability to large parts of the world with which we are historically linked," he said.

However, the large part of the conversation went to strengthening the bilateral relationship and the sum and substance of it was really an understanding that both should play to each other's strengths, which specifically meant business, education, technology, digital world, agricultural trade, talent, and most of all people to people connect because that's at the heart of both the societies.

On the visa issue , he said, "We spoke a bit about the need for better air connectivity. I also raised with the Minister, concerns which some of our students have faced, students who had to leave New Zealand during the Covid period and who didn't have the opportunity to get their visas renewed.".

"I urged a fairer and more sympathetic treatment for them, also students who are waiting to come to New Zealand to pursue their studies and whether the visa process for them could be hastened." He further said, "We also touched upon the skills demand in each society. There are perhaps demands in New Zealand which could be met out of India, and a mobility understanding with many countries, so the possibility whether those could serve as guidance for progress.

"There was also a very open discussion on how India and New Zealand together will shape the larger region, the Indo-Pacific region," he added.

Jaishankar is on a week-long visit to New Zealand and Australia.
Hong Kong, Oct 6 : China has banned residents from leaving Xinjiang over a Covid-19 outbreak - just weeks after the far-western region began relaxing restrictions from a stringent extended lockdown, fuelling public frustration among those scarred by food shortages and plunging incomes, local media reported.

On Tuesday, the region - home to 22 million people, many belonging to ethnic minorities - reported 38 new asymptomatic Covid cases, CNN reported.

It was enough to alarm officials, with Xinjiang's Vice Chairman Liu Sushe vowing to "strengthen the control of cross-regional personnel and insist that people do not leave the region unless it is necessary".

Liu added that Xinjiang will strengthen control measures in airports, train stations and checkpoints to prevent the virus from spreading to other parts of the country. All outbound trains, inter-provincial buses and most flights will be suspended until further notice.

At the airport in Urumqi, the regional capital, 97 per cent of departing flights and 95 per cent of arriving flights were cancelled on Wednesday, according to data from flight tracking company Variflight. Meanwhile, all flights departing Kashgar, a southern oasis town home to Xinjiang's second-largest airport, were canceled - except for two heading to Urumqi, CNN reported.

"The current round of Covid-19 outbreak is the fastest spreading, most widespread, most infectious and most difficult to control public health emergency in the history of Xinjiang," Liu said.

Since July 30, Xinjiang has reported a total of 5,790 infections.

Liu said that Xinjiang would make sure to "create a favourable environment" for the success of the 20th Party Congress - a meeting of the party elite later this month, where Xi Jinping is expected to be appointed to a third term in power, further cementing his status as the most powerful Chinese leader in decades.

The run-up to the congress, the most significant event on the Chinese political calendar, is particularly sensitive, with authorities nationwide working to smooth the way and contain any potential hiccups - like an untimely Covid outbreak, CNN reported.

But in Xinjiang, the news of the region's shuttered borders dismayed many residents for whom the pain of the last lockdown is still fresh.
Bangkok, Oct 6 : At least 31 people, including children and adults were killed when a gunman opened fire at a pre-school in northeatsern province of Thailand.

The attacker, a former police officer, is now on the run while the motive of the crime is unclear, BBC reported.

The former police officer, who had been recently dismissed, shot and stabbed the children and adults.

Mass shootings are rare in Thailand but in 2020, a soldier had killed 21 people in Nakhon Ratchasima.
Hyderabad, Oct 6 : Two men from Jharkhand have been arrested by police for theft of 432 mobile phones from an electronic showroom on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

Rachakonda Police on Thursday announced the arrest of two members of notorious inter-state gang 'Alam gang' while search was on for four others who were absconding.

With these arrests, police claimed to have solved the case relating to the theft which was committed on the intervening night of September 20 and 21.

The accused broke into Bajaj Electronics store at ECIL X Roads and committed theft of 432 mobile phones of various brands such as Oppo, Vivo, Apple worth Rs 70 lakh.

A case of theft was registered on September 21 at Kushaiguda police station of Rachakonda Police Commissionerate.

On examining the CCTV footage, police found that three unknown persons wearing face masks entered the store on September 20 around 11 p.m. by breaking open the false ceiling on the first floor of the shop. They made away with the mobile phones at 3 a.m.

As part of the investigations, 10 teams of Kushaiguda division of Rachakonda police scanned CCTV footage from over 500 cameras along the route taken by the accused to reach the shop. The police also identified the autorickshaw they used for travel between ECIL and Ambedkar Nagar.

After identifying the accused, a police team was sent to Jharkhand where it arrested main accused Sattar Shaik (40) on September 30 with the help of Sahaebgunj district police.

A second team was sent to West Bengal where it conducted a raid in coordination with the three police stations of Malda district and apprehended Asidil Shekh (20) on October 2.

Police seized Rs 80,000 cash and two mobile phones from the accused.

During the interrogation, the duo confessed to the crime committed along with four others Sayeed, Asharaul, Badruddin and Beullah, all residents of Jharkhand. Police said the efforts were on to nab the four absconding accused.

According to police, the accused are part of 'Alam gang' which usually target large establishments like banks, jewellery shops and mobile phone shops during night hours. The accused break into shops by making holes in the walls or roofs and after committing thefts, they take shelter in areas close to the borders with countries like Bangladesh. This makes it difficult for police to apprehend the offenders and recover the stolen property as the same is sent to countries like Bangladesh and Nepal.

Police said Sattar was involved in thefts in Mumbai, Delhi, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Gujarat. The gang was also involved in theft of gold jewellery worth Rs 2 crore from the Union Bank of India branch at Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh on May 9, 2022.
New Delhi, Oct 6 : Law Minister Kiren Rijiju has said the Central government will take steps after due consultation for major electoral reforms which are required as per the new changing time and situation.

The development comes after the Election Commission noted that the declarations provided by the political parties about the financial ramifications of poll promises are quite routine and ambiguous. The poll panel proposed to mandate the political parties to provide authentic information to the voters to assess the financial viability of their election promises.

The Law minister's office tweeted earlier in the day in connection with the electoral reforms. "The Centre will take steps after due consultation for major electoral reforms which are required as per the new changing time and situation," said the tweet, quoting the minister.

The poll panel has proposed to supplement the existing Model Code of Conduct (MCC) guidelines and mandate political parties to inform voters about financial ramifications of their promises in the manifesto against well-defined quantifiable parameters.

The existing guidelines under the MCC require the political parties and candidates to explain the rationale for promises made therein as well as the possible ways and means to finance such promises. According to the poll panel, the declarations are quite routine, ambiguous and do not provide adequate information to the voters to exercise informed choice in an election.

The EC in its meeting led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar and attended by Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey decided that it cannot remain a mute spectator and overlook the undesirable impact of some of the promises and offers, on the conduct of free and fair elections and maintaining level playing field for all political parties and candidates.

However, in August this year, the Election Commission told the Supreme Court that being a constitutional body, it should be kept away from the panel of experts -- representing a wide spectrum of governmental and non-governmental bodies -- proposed to deliberate on the issues with the validity of freebies announced by the political parties to induce voters during polls. In a previous hearing in the matter, the top court had orally expressed its discontent with the EC for not taking stand on the menace of freebies offered by the political parties.

The EC, in an affidavit, said: "It may not be appropriate for the commission being the constitutional authority, to offer to be part of the expert committee especially if there are ministries or government bodies in the expert body." However, it welcomed the setting up of an expert body, having representation from a wide spectrum of the governmental and non-governmental bodies; concerned regulatory, planning, policy research institutions; political parties; domain experts crisscrossing relevant socio-economic sectors -- agriculture, finance, banking, social justice environment. etc.

The EC said, "There are continuous elections in the country and any opinion/view/comment during deliberations in a multi-member body might, in the event of being publicised, amount to pre-decide the issue and disturb the level playing field." The EC further added that it will be greatly benefitted by the recommendations of the expert body, which the top court may deem appropriate to set up and also committed to give the highest consideration to the same, while strengthening/ modifying its existing guidelines in the interest of purity of electoral process. The EC filed its response on a PIL by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay to regulate freebies.
Lahore, Oct 6 : Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the country should not be forced to go out with a "begging bowl" to rich polluting nations after the floods that have devastated the country and said he would be seeking "climate justice" from the international community, local media reported.

Speaking from his home in Lahore, Sharif warned that Pakistan is facing an unprecedented crisis of health, food security and internal displacement after the "apocalyptic" monsoons which put a third of Pakistan's regions under water. Some areas were hit by 1.7 m of rainfall, the highest on record, The Guardian reported.

Scientists have determined that the floods were due to climate breakdown. But with Pakistan responsible for 0.8 per cent of global carbon emissions, Sharif said it was the "responsibility of the developed countries, who caused these emissions, to stand by us".

"I've never seen this kind of devastation, inundation and suffering of our people in my lifetime," said Sharif, The Guardian reported.

"Millions have been displaced, they have become climate refugees within their own country." While the international community has given billions in funds and donations and commitments for further support, Sharif was clear it was "not enough".

"The enormity of this climate-induced catastrophe is beyond our fiscal means," he said.

"The gap between our needs and what is available is too wide and it is widening by the day," he said.

The official death toll from the floods is 1,600, though many estimates on the ground have been higher. More than nine million people have been displaced and over 2 million homes destroyed, and millions of families have been forced to live in makeshift tents or shelters on roadsides.

The extent of the damage has been put at between $30bn and $35bn but Sharif said it was "a rough estimate, it could be more", with more than 30,000km of roads destroyed along with bridges, railways and power lines, as well as 4m hectares (10m acres) of crops washed away, The Guardian reported.
Kochi, Oct 6 : In a joint operation by the Indian Navy and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), an Iranian dhow was seized off the Kochi coast in Kerala on Thursday.

Six persons on board the dhow were taken into custody.

The joint operation was launched after a tip off and the officials suspect that the dhow was carrying drugs.

The dhow has been brought to the Mattancherry wharf, near here. The six people, who are now in the custody of the authorities, are being questioned.

More details are awaited.
Washington, Oct 6 : The US intelligence community believes the car bombing that killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of prominent Russian political figure Alexander Dugin, was authorised by elements within the Ukrainian government, local media reported.

The US was not aware of the plan beforehand, according to the sources, and it is still unclear who exactly the US believes signed off on the assassination. It is also not clear whether the US intelligence community believes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was aware of the plot or authorised it, CNN reported.

But the intelligence finding, first reported by The New York Times, would seem to corroborate elements of the Russian authorities' findings that the car bombing was "pre-planned".

Russia had accused Ukrainian nationals of being responsible for the attack, which Ukraine had strongly denied in the aftermath of the explosion.

Asked to comment, a Ukrainian defence intelligence official said following publication of the latest reports that their agency had no new information on Dugina's death. Shortly after her death, the same official had told CNN that Ukraine had nothing to do with it.

US intelligence officials believe that Dugina was driving her father's car on the night she was killed, and that her father was the actual target of the operation, one of the sources said.

Dugin is a Russian ultranationalist and philosopher who has been a fierce proponent of Russia's war in Ukraine. A friend of Dugina also told the Russian state owned news outlet TASS shortly after the explosion that the car she was driving was her father's.

Just days after Dugina's death, Russian authorities accused a Ukrainian woman of remotely detonating explosives planted in Dugina's Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, and then driving through the Pskov region and into Estonia to escape, CNN reported.
Hyderabad, Oct 6 : Setting aside their political and ideological differences, leaders of different parties and eminent personalities from various walks of life came together at annual Dasara fete 'Alai Balai'.

Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, who has been hosting the event for last 17 years, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, union minister of state for chemicals and fertilizers Bhagwanth Khuba, veteran Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao and Tollywood megastar K. Chiranjeevi attended the celebrations organised by the Alai Balai Foundation at the Exhibition Grounds here.

Former Maharashtra governor Vidyasagar Rao, BJP leaders Ramchandra Rao and G. Vivek, Dattatreya's daughter Vijaya Lakshmi and others attended the event held every year a day after Dussehra.

Bonhomie and enthusiasm marked the fete as the participants set aside their differences to greet each other. While Chiranjeevi was the centre of attraction, former MP Hanumantha Rao entertained guests by playing the drums.

The event reflected the rich culture of Telangana as artistes displayed their skills through songs, dance and playing of various musical instruments.

Personalities who fought for a separate Telangana state were felicitated along with others from fields like sports, literature and culture.

Speaking on the occasion, Chiranjeevi described 'Alai Balai' as a part of Telangana culture. He said he had long been waiting to attend the programme.

The former union minister said Dattatreya personally visited his residence to invite him for 'Alai Balai'. The actor said such programmes should be held across the country as it helps promote love, affection and brotherhood among people.

Chiranjeevi recalled that in the past Pawan Kalyan and Allu Aravind attended the programme. He said it was because of Dattatreya's efforts and personal interest that 'Alai Balai' has gained popularity.

He thanked people for the huge response to his film 'Godfather' released on Wednesday.
Chennai, Oct 6 : Three children died while 11 others were admitted to the hospital allegedly due to food poisoning at a children's home in Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu.

The incident occurred at Vivekananda Sevalayam in Tiruppur, which is a recognised childcare centre. Of the 11 children admitted to the government hospital in Tiruppur, three have been moved to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Hospital authorities told mediapersons that the children had 'rasam' and rice for dinner on Wednesday night after which they started vomiting. They were rushed to a private hospital near the childcare home where the condition of five worsened by Thursday morning.

The children were shifted to the government hospital on Thursday where three of them died.

Tiruppur District Collector S. Vineeth told mediapersons that the Vivekananda Sevalaya is a recognised children's home, and the authorities are trying to find out the exact reason behind the tragic incident.

The kitchen of the childcare home has been sealed and food authorities are conducting a detailed inquiry into matter.
Chandigarh, Oct 6 : The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Thursday arrested Assistant Inspector General of Police Ashish Kapoor, posted as Commandant, 4th IRB, Pathankot, for taking a bribe of Rs 1 crore through cheques.

DSP, Intelligence Pawan Kumar, and ASI Harjinder Singh are also among the accused in the case.

A Vigilance Bureau spokesperson said a case under Sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code have been registered.

Giving details, the spokesperson said during posting as the Superintendent at Central Jail in Amritsar in 2016, Kapoor had got acquainted with Poonam Rajan, of Haryana's Kurukshetra, who was under judicial remand in a case.

When Rajan, along with her mother Prem Lata, brother Kuldeep Singh and sister-in-law Preeti, was in police remand in a fraud case at a police station in Zirakpur town, Kapoor went to the police station and fraudulently convinced Rajan's mother to help her in getting bail and acquittal from the court.

Later, Kapoor in connivance with then SHO Pawan Kumar, and ASI Harjinder Singh got Preeti declared innocent in the case. In lieu of that favour, Kapoor obtained signatures of Prem Lata on different cheques amounting to Rs 1 crore, deposited them under the names of people known to him, and got them encashed allegedly through Harjinder Singh.
New Delhi, Oct 6 : Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V. Muraleedharan will be in the US from October 6 to participate in the High Level UN Security Council Debate, on "Peace and Security in Africa: Strengthening the fight against the financing of armed groups and terrorists through the illicit trafficking of natural resources", an official said.

The UNSC meeting is a signature initiative of Gabon's Presidency of the Security Council, and is likely to be presided over by the Foreign Minister of Gabon.

On October 7, the Minister will also attend an event to commemorate the fifth anniversary of India-UN Development Partnership Fund.

Established in 2017, the $150 million India-UN Development Partnership Fund is supported and led by Central government, and implemented in collaboration with the UN system.

The fund supports Southern-owned and led, demand-driven and transformational sustainable development projects across the developing world, with a focus on least developed countries and small island developing states.

During the visit, Muraleedharan is also likely to meet senior UN officials as well as ministers of other member states attending the UNSC meeting.

He is also scheduled to visit Atlanta for Indian community related engagements.
Gandhinagar, Oct 6 : Former Congress MLA from Visavadar constituency of Gujarat's Junagadh district Harshad Ribadiya on Thursday joined the BJP in presence of party general secretary Pradipsinh Vaghela.

Ribadiya refuted allegations that he joined the BJP as he was offered Rs 40 crores.

Gujarat Congress working president Ambarish Der has alleged that in one conversation with Ribadiya, the latter had told him that the BJP has offered him Rs 40 crore.

Ribadiya, while refuting the allegations made by Der, claimed that during 2017 Rajya Sabha elections, when party stalwart Ahmed Patel was contesting election, two Congress leaders had approached him and offered him Rs 40 crore in lieu of resigning as MLA. He alleged that the two leaders wanted that the party's MLAs strength comes down, and Patel lose the election.

The former Congress MLA said that the Congress party "lacks policy, vision and leadership that is why workers are quitting the party".

Along with Ribadiya, several of his supporters also joined the saffron party on the day.
Bangkok, Oct 6 : A mass shooting at a childcare centre on Thursday in Thailand's Nong Bua Lamphu province has killed at least 36 people, including 24 children, local authorities said.

The victims included 24 children and 12 adults, according to a report posted on the Facebook page of the provincial public relations department, Xinhua news agency reported.

Another 12 people were reportedly injured.

The shooting occurred at around 12:40 p.m. local time (0540 GMT), local police said.

The attacker, reportedly a 34-year-old former police officer, later killed his family members before taking his own life, Kornwit Nitkhamhan, deputy inspector at Na Klang Police Station where the childcare centre is located, told Xinhua via phone.

"About the horrifying incident, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the families of the dead and injured," Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha wrote on his Facebook account, adding that he has ordered the national police chief to "fast-track an investigation." TV footage showed ambulances and families of the victims gathering outside the childcare centre.

A woman working at the childcare centre told a local TV programme that they were having lunch when she heard the sound and saw the injured falling to the ground. The shooter broke the window in as the door was locked, and succeeded in fleeing the scene, she said.

Many locals rushed to the Nong Bua Lamphu provincial hospital in response to its urgent call for blood donation for the injured.
Colombo, Oct 6 : The Sri Lankan government launched its restructured welfare benefits programme that will benefit 3.1 million vulnerable families.

President's Media Division (PMD) said on Thursday that they have started registering those who deserve the government assistance and those who are interested in receiving the aid must register before October 15.

Applications can be downloaded from the website of the Welfare Benefits Board, the PMD said. The format of applications will also be published in all newspapers.

The theme of the programme is to "leave no one behind." Among those who are eligible to seek the benefit are those who already receive government assistance, those who are chronically ill or disabled, the elderly, and those who have lost their livelihood due to the current economic crisis.

The PMD also said the economic situation in the South Asian island country will improve in 2023.
Washington, Oct 6 : The US Department of Defense has added Shenzhen-based consumer drone maker DJI Technology to a list of firms allegedly connected to the Chinese military.

The Defense Department last year said that systems produced by Da Jiang Innovations (DJI) pose potential threats to national security.

The fresh list includes Shenzhen Dn Innovation Technology Co, Ltd. (DII) and BGI Genomics Co Ltd (BGI), China's largest genomics firm.

The initial list included Huawei Technologies and several other Chinese companies.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Defense Department said that it released the names of Chinese military companies "operating directly or indirectly in the US in accordance with the statutory requirement of Section 1260H of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021".

It said it is "determined to highlight and counter the PRC Military-Civil Fusion strategy, which supports the modernisation goals of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) by ensuring its access to advanced technologies and expertise are acquired and developed by PRC companies, universities, and research programs that appear to be civilian entities".

Section 1260H directs the Department to begin identifying, among other things, military-civil fusion contributors operating directly or indirectly in the US.

"The United States Government reserves the right to take additional actions on these entities under authorities other than section 1260H," the statement added.

In October last year, the US Federal Communications Commission Commissioner had warned that the Chinese drone maker DJI "is collecting vast troves of sensitive data on Americans and the US critical infrastructure, potentially operating as Huawei on wings".

Shenzhen-based DJI accounts for more than 50 per cent of the US drone market.

In May this year, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) added over 80 firms to its list that is likely to delist them from American exchanges, including China's JD.com, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, JinkoSolar, Pinduoduo, Bilibili, electric maker NIO Inc, and NetEase.
Athens, Oct 6 : The death toll has risen to 17 when a boat carrying refugees and migrants sank off the coasts of Lesvos island in the Aegean Sea in Greece on Thursday.

Most of the victims were young women of African origin, Hellenic Coast Guard spokesperson Nikos Kokkalas told Greek national broadcaster ERT.

A rescue operation was underway as a yet unidentified number of people were missing, Xinhua news agency reported.

Approximately 40 people were on board when the incident happened, according to the survivors, he added.

Meanwhile, 80 people have been rescued off the island of Kythira in southern Greece after another boat crashed onto rocks and sank on Wednesday night, according to a Coast Guard press release. Survivors said approximately 95 people were on the boat. No information was given on their nationalities.

Both rescue operations were hampered by strong winds reaching Category 8 on the Beaufort wind force scale, authorities said.

"We express sorrow over the tragic incidents in our seas which resulted in deaths and placed many lives at risk," government spokesperson Giannis Oikonomou told a televised regular press briefing on Thursday.

More than 1 million people entered Greece since 2015, mainly via the Aegean, seeking refuge in Europe from warzones and extreme poverty. Hundreds perished in the sea, according to the Greek authorities.

In March 2016, the European Union (EU) and Turkiye reached an agreement aimed to stem the influx, which produced results, but still thousands of people each year land on Greek islands, said the authorities.
Ranchi, Oct 6 : A hardcore Maoist belonging to the banned outfit People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) has been arrested here along with an assault rifle, the police said on Thursday.

Sonu Manjhi, who hails from Jharkhand's Khunti district, was arrested from Ranchi's Airport PS area after the police received a tip-off that he had come to meet his mother on the occasion of Durga Puja, a police officer said.

The woman resides at a rented accommodation in the Tonk Basti area near the airport.

The police have launched a probe to learn more about Manjhi's motive behind carrying the weapon -- even as he intended to meet his mother.

The police also suspect that others could also be involved or associated with him.

The police further said that several cases were registered against Manjhi in Jharkhand's Khunti, Ranchi and Chaibasa districts.
Patna, Oct 6 : Four persons, including two Patna Municipal Corporation employees, were arrested in a drunk state here on Thursday, police said.

The accused were identified as Madan Mohan and Umesh Paswan, deployed as sanitation inspectors in the civic body. They and two of their friends were consuming liquor in Purandarpur community centre located under the Jakkanpur police station.

The police said that some local people had informed them that a liquor party was going on in a community centre, and a raid was conducted and the accused arrested.

"We have arrested four persons for consuming liquor in a community centre. Their reports came positive and accordingly, they were booked under relevant sections of the prohibition act," said K.P. Singh, an investigating officer of Jakkanpur police station.

Liquor has been banned in Bihar since April 2016.
Chandigarh, Oct 6 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday said the work related to the Global City being developed over approximately 1,080 acres in Gurugram would be completed at the earliest.

"A single-window system would be adopted to execute all the works related to this. All companies with whom talks have been held regarding this projects have demanded that the work that is to be done through the government should be completed at the earliest," he told the media here.

The Chief Minister said for this project, the industries will not have to make rounds to get electricity, water, and any other permission, as all these will be given through the single-window system.

He assured the companies that they will not face any difficulty while working on the project. Also the companies will have to show the progress of construction within three years, he added.

Responding to a question, the Chief Minister said the plots in Global City will be sold in mixed land use format. As per the demand of the industry, allotment of the plots will be done. Plots up to 100 acres, 50 acres, 20 acres, and five acres will be allotted to the industries.

"An investment of about Rs 1 lakh crore is likely to come in the state through this city. This will create new employment opportunities. HSIIDC is a developer in this Global City project. Road, water, and other arrangements will be provided by them only. The construction on the plot is to be done only by those companies who will invest in this project," he added.

Regarding his three-day just-concluded Dubai visit, Khattar said the tour was a 'mission tour' to make Haryana a leading destination for investors and to create a business environment.

He said in a bid to promote Haryana as a leading investment destination, Invest Haryana Roadshow was organised in Dubai which drew an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from the business community there.

Besides this, the tour also aimed to explore skill-based employment opportunities for the youth.

"Talks have been held with eight placement companies to provide employment opportunities to the youth. Talks are also being held with companies for providing skilled and semi-skilled manpower from Haryana. We are ready to even impart necessary training," he said.

The government is ready to extend cooperation to these companies willing to setup their skill training centres in Haryana, said the Chief Minister.
New Delhi, Oct 6 : The Supreme Court has directed all state governments and Union Territories to bring on record information on existing welfare schemes for the elderly in connection with pension, old age homes in each district, and level of geriatric care.

A bench of Justices Anirudhha Bose and Sudhanshu Dhulia said: "Heard Dr.Ashwani Kumar in person and also senior advocate(s)/advocate(s) for the other appearing parties. We direct that schemes operating for the welfare of the elderly with respect of (i) pension for the elderly, (ii) old age homes in each district and (iii) level of geriatric care, ought to be produced before us." The apex court order came on a plea filed by former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar seeking a direction to set up old age homes providing basic healthcare facilities across the country.

The bench added: "Let the respective states and Union Territories furnish the information on their existing schemes on the aforesaid three heads to the advocate-on-record of the Union of India. After collecting information from all the respective states and the Union Territories within a period of two months. A revised status report shall be filed one month thereafter by the Union of India." The apex court said the state governments' report should provide details on the present status in connection with the implementation of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act. "The revised report of the States shall also disclose the present status as regards implementation of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act," it said.

Scheduling the matter for further hearing in January next year, the top court said: "Let copies of this order be sent by the Registry to the Chief Secretary of each State and the Union Territories for onward compliance of the directions contained in this order." Kumar had sought a direction for the effective implementation of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.
Chennai, Oct 6 : The Tamil Nadu police are on high alert to prevent drug cartels spreading their wings following the recent arrest of a Nigerian woman with 70 small packets of cocaine, worth Rs 5.75 lakh, at Kanathur in Tambaram.

Immediately after the arrest of the Nigerian woman, the state Director General of Police (DGP) held a high-level meeting of top police officials and reported the matter to the state Chief Secretary and Home Secretary.

The DGP has directed all the district superintendents and commissioners of police to be proactive and use their sources to find out if any drug cartels are operating in their respective districts.

While the drugs recovered were of small value, the police are questioning the Nigerian woman, identified as N. Onyeni Monica, to understand the route through which drugs were reaching the state.

It may be noted that there were intelligence reports that the now-defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) trying to fund its activities and recoup themselves using the smuggling of drugs as a main source of income.

A former operative of the LTTE intelligence wing, Satkunam alias Sabesan was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from Chennai on October 5, 2021 for smuggling arms and drugs from Pakistan to Sri Lanka. It was revealed that Chennai was being used by the LTTE for managing its operations.

The Tamil Nadu police are also on alert after back-to-back arrest and recovery of drugs from Kerala from an Iranian dhow and the arrest of a Keralite in connection with Rs 1,476 worth drug seizure at Mumbai port.

Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin had in an earlier meeting with officials had directed the police to crush the drug cartel in the state.

In August, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had announced "Tamil Nadu without Drugs" programme and had said that preventing drug abuse is his government's priority.
Canberra, Oct 6 : Jalandhar-born Sukhbir Singh Seehra, a mental health professional, is among 26 recipients of this year's Australian Bravery Decorations award that honour people who put risk their lives to protect others.

Seehra has been awarded 'Commendation for Brave Conduct' for his swift action towards an agitated patient who threatened to blow up the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in Queensland.

The patient had a red-wired explosive-looking device wrapped around his body, Seehra told SBS Punjabi.

Seehra, who works at the Psychiatric Emergency Centre of the Hospital, immediately dialled emergency services to report the situation, and "intervened immediately to assist in restraining the patient as it was a matter of the safety of other patients and the hospital staff", SBS Punjabi reported.

Police arrived shortly and took control of the situation.

"The awards I am announcing today recognise people who, in a moment of peril, were selfless and brave. Confronted with danger, they chose to help others," said Australian Governor General David Hurley, as he presented the awards recently.

Born and raised in Goraya, a small town in Jalandhar, Seehra arrived in Australia as a nursing student in 2007. He completed his education at Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, in 2011. Occupational violence protection training, according to him, is a part of his work.

Two Australian bravery lists are announced every year. The independent Australian Bravery Decorations Council makes recommendations to the Governor General regarding who should be recognised and at what level of award.

The awards are categorised into four groups -- Bravery Medal, Bar to the Bravery Medal, Commendation for Brave Conduct, and Group Bravery Citation.
Patna, Oct 6 : The accused of the rape of a minor in Bihar's Katihar district was lynched by a mob early on Thursday, police said.

The accused was identified as Mohammad Sagir, a native of Hasanganj Bazar under Hasanganj police station.

The police said that the victim, a 9-year-old girl, was sleeping with her mother inside the house, when the accused reached there and took her away silently.

"He initially took the girl to his house and then to an isolated place to commit the crime. While raping her, the victim cried for help. Meanwhile, the mother of the victim also woke up and started searching for her child in the village. Soon, other villagers also started searching and they reached the crime scene after hearing the cries," said an investigating officer of the case.

The villager nabbed the accused red-handed, tied him to a palm tree, and brutally assaulted him.

"When we heard about the incident, we immediately went there and rescued the accused. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he died. Sagir was a serial rape offender. He was arrested on the same charges and served a jail term in the past," the IO said.
Geneva, Oct 6 : Chinese authorities have developed an elaborate public relations strategy to end international support for Tibet after the death of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, which includes installing a puppet leader in his place, according to a new report by the International Tibet Network (ITN), media reports said.

In the 30-page report ITN found evidence of China's plans to use the Dalai Lama's passing as a "strategic" and "historic" opportunity to firm up its control of the region, based on two, previously unseen Chinese policy documents, RFA reported.

Central to the plan is China's intention to co-opt the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and name a pro-Beijing leader in his place, said the report, which was launched at a side event of the 51st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, sponsored by the US and cosponsored by the UK, Canada, Czech Republic and Lithuania.

In one paper, ITN researchers found references to the death of the Dalai Lama as an opportunity for China to "escape its passive situation in communicating on Tibet," while another states that the reincarnation issue "will be unavoidable but should also be seen as an opportunity" and acknowledges a possibility that the event may lead "hostile Western forces [to] make ever more noise about the 'Tibet issue.'" ITN said the two policy documents "reveal an ominous strategy designed to appropriate and control matters at the heart of the Tibetan religious identity," citing language in the papers which lays out Beijing's goal to "secure authority in Tibet and build influence across the Tibetan Buddhist world." Concerns over the advancing age of the Dalai Lama, now 87, have renewed uncertainties in recent years over his possible successor after he dies, with Beijing claiming the right to name his successor and the Dalai Lama himself saying that any future Dalai Lama will be born outside of China, RFA reported.

Tibetans remain bitter about Chinese intervention in the selection 25 years ago of the Panchen Lama, who died in 1989.

Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was recognised on May 14, 1995 at the age of six as the 11th Panchen Lama, the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 10th Panchen Lama.

The recognition by exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama angered Chinese authorities, who three days later took the boy and his family into custody and then installed another boy, Gyaltsen (in Chinese, Gyaincain) Norbu, as their own candidate in his place.

The Panchen Lama installed by Beijing remains unpopular with Tibetans both in exile and at home, RFA reported.
Chandigarh, Oct 6 : After a WHO product alert, authorities in Haryana have taken samples of cough syrup from Sonepat-based factory of Maiden Pharmaceuticals, and sent to the Central Drug lLboratory in Kolkata for analysis, state Health Minister Anil Vij said on Thursday.

He said if samples failed to meet the standards, strict action will be taken against the company and its owners.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that Maiden cough syrup could be linked to the deaths of 66 children in the west African nation of The Gambia.
New Delhi, Oct 6 : Interacting with IAS officers of the 2020 batch during the concluding session of the Assistant Secretary Programme, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked them to prepare their action plan for the aspirational districts programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Modi said that the officers have got the opportunity to serve the country at a time when the nation is aiming to become a developed economy by the 100th year of Independence in 2047.

He highlighted the significance of out-of-the-box thinking and adopting a holistic approach in their endeavours. Modi cited the example of PM GatiShakti Master Plan for showcasing the significance of such a holistic approach.

The Prime Minister also discussed the importance of innovation and how it has become a collective effort and part of work culture in the country.

He talked about the Startup India scheme and how the number of startups in the country has witnessed a significant jump in the last few years.

The Prime Minister noted that this has been made possible due to several ministries coming together and working as a team through a 'whole of government' approach.
Guwahati, Oct 6 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda will visit Assam on Friday to take part in a mega party workers' meet here, a senior party leader said on Thursday.

Bhabesh Kalita, BJP's Assam unit president said the two senior party leaders will also inaugurate the newly-built Assam state BJP headquarters on Saturday followed by a booth-level workers' meeting.

The BJP has formed a new core committee along with a few others including an election management committee for upcoming elections. Shah and Nadda will meet core committee members on Friday evening to discuss various issues related to the state.

Speaking to mediapersons here, Kalita said that at least 40,000 booth-level party workers across the state will take part in the meeting.

All Ministers, MPs, MLAs, and district-level office bearers will also attend the meeting. A few veteran party workers will be felicitated during the occasion.

It is believed that the programme is scheduled to kick-start the Lok Sabha poll preparation in Assam and other northeastern states.

Three north-eastern states -- Meghalaya, Tripura, and Nagaland are going for poll early next year. In Mizoram, elections will be held in the last part of 2023.

BJP is facing a sweet and sour relation with Conrad Sangma-led National People's Party (NPP) with Sangma announcing for going to elections without any pre-poll tie with the BJP in Meghalaya, while in Nagaland, the BJP has been enjoying a more favourable alliance with the ruling NDPP (National Democratic Progressive Party).

In Mizoram, though the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) is a part of the NDA, there were some clear discomforts between the allies.

Party sources said Shah and Nadda may discuss these issues with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the chairman of Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA) -- launched in 2016 with the objective of uniting the non-Congress parties in the region.
Bhopal, Oct 6 : The display picture (DP) of the social media accounts of government offices, ministries, cabinet ministers and BJP legislators in Madhya Pradesh, which were earlier changed to the tricolour, will now be replaced with the picture of the newly developed 'Mahakal Lok' in Ujjain.

The websites providing information regarding government-run schemes will also display the picture of 'Mahakal Lok' in the background.

A decision in this regard was been taken by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday.

Chouhan has also appealed to the people of Madhya Pradesh to replace their DPs with the picture of Mahakal Lok. The appeal came days before the inauguration of the newly-developed part of the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain, which has been named Mahakal Lok.

"The auspicious occasion has come. On October 11, Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) will inaugurate 'Shri Mahakal Lok'. Let's be a part of this festival and worship Shri Mahakaleshwar with reverence on the DP of your social media profiles," Chouhan tweeted, with the changed DP and background banner.

The expansion of the Mahakaleshwar temple is being done under the Mahakal Maharaj Mandir Parisar Vistar Yojna of the Madhya Pradesh government, which includes expansion, beautification and decongestion of the temple and its adjoining areas in three phases, the first of which has been completed.
Bengaluru, Oct 6 : The Janata Dal-Secular on Thursday claimed that the K. Chandrashekar Rao's new Bharatiya Rashtriya Samithi (BRS) would support it in the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka.

Party leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy told reporters that the BRS is not keen to field its candidates in Karnataka polls and decided to support his JD-S. But, for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, KCR is contemplating to contest in more than 150 seats. As part of this, he would field his candidates in few border regions of the state, Kumaraswamy added.

"Along with our legislators, many issues have been discussed with Telangana CM Chandrashekar Rao. Everything can't be told openly. KCR had told me that he had seen my administration for 20 months during 2006 and appreciated it for ruling without any black mark. He advised us to continue on the same path," he said.

"We are coming together against the atrocities on Dalits and to give succour to farmers. It will be made as the common minimum programme and we will go ahead," he said.

Kumaraswamy also declared that he welcomed the transformation of TRS into a national party BRS. "In the coming days, we will work with KCR," he underlined.

He stated that if JD-S is voted to power, the party would emulate the programmes like Raita Bandu, and Dalit Bandhu, which are implemented in Telangana. Under Raita Bandhu scheme, 24 hours free electricity and Rs 10,000 subsidy per acre is given. In case of death of a farmer, Rs 5 lakh insurance amount is given through LIC, Kumaraswamy said.

Under Dalit Bandhu, the Telangana government is giving Rs 10 lakh subsidy for Dalits to carry out work independently. The amount would be credited to their accounts directly from the government. KCR had asked to send a delegation to study these programmes and add them in the election manifesto, Kumaraswamy stated.

He further noted that the elections in Karnataka would make a big impact at the national level. KCR has influence in 15 to 20 Assembly seats in the state. Many legislators have forged relationships with Telangana. "We have won four seats in Hyderabad Karnataka region. In the upcoming Assembly elections, we might win at least 15 to 20 seats there," he said.
Chennai, Oct 6 : Local firecracker units in Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu that accounts for 90 per cent of firecracker business in the country are anxious as their business has dipped this season.

The firecracker industry has lamented the high prices that led to the plummeting of the business.

"I have a small wholesale and retail shop and I used to do business to the tune of Rs 60 to 75 lakh in a year but not anymore. This year, my sale has plummeted to such a level that I could do business to the tune of only Rs 15 lakhs, which is very low compared to the earlier business," R. Selvaraj, President of Small Firecracker Distributors of Sivakasi told IANS.

He said that a 40 to 50 per cent hike in the prices has been witnessed during the Diwali season. "In certain cases, it has catapulted to more than three times the earlier rates. During the last season, the cost of a specific cracker has been Rs 2,500 which is now being charged at Rs 8,500 and this has naturally affected the business." According to him, this is mainly due to the green crackers replacing the traditional barium nitrate-laden crackers that have a shelf life of 10 years.

"The green crackers generally don't have much shelf life and within months they become unusable as they draw huge moisture from the atmosphere, bringing their durability and longevity coming down and thus their total lot gets waste without any use." Sukumaran Natarajan, a firecracker businessman told IANS, "Earlier firecrackers that were not used during a season were carried over to the next year and there were no issues. After the ban on barium nitrate-laden crackers, we shifted to green crackers and these crackers absorb more moisture leading to the expiry of these crackers in a period of two to three months." It may be noted that apart from longevity, the barium nitrate-laden crackers also produces high sound, bringing in high demand from across the country for such crackers.

Sivakasi Fireworks Manufacturers Association (SIFMA) President, Asaithambi told IANS, "The decision on banning barium nitrate-laden crackers has to be revoked. This has led to the shutting down of 80 per cent of units in Sivakasi and Virudhunagar and we are witnessing huge loss due to this." There are around 1,070 firecracker units in Virudhunagar district, employing over six lakh workers.

Another issue that is plaguing the firecracker industry is the banning of chain crackers including '1000 Walas' which was a major hit among children and adults alike.

R. Rammohan, who runs a wholesale distribution shop at Sivakasi told IANS, "The industry is at a loss and many units have been shut down, several people have lost jobs due to this and our industry is on the verge of total closure." "The Sivakasi firecracker industry was meeting the demands of most of the firecracker lovers in the country but we can't move ahead now and it is better to shut down now," he added.

Virduhunagar District Collector Meghnath Reddy was not available for comments but a senior officer with the district administration told IANS that they are studying the losses suffered by the industry in the "firecrackers capital" of the country.

With Diwali being the most important time, when the business being done to the tune of crores, the green cracker replacing barium nitrate-laden firecrackers has taken a setback for the industry.

Latest updates on Diwali Festival 2022
Washington, Oct 6 : Former US President Donald Trump, who was 'permanently suspended' by Twitter in January last year, may return to the micro-blogging platform if Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk buys out Twitter, as he has sweetened the deal now by reconsidering his original offer of $44 billion.

Musk has said that he would lift the ban on Trump once he buys Twitter.

Trump's Twitter account was permanently suspended 'due to the risk of further incitement of violence', the company had said after the supporters of then President Trump stormed the US Capitol on January 6 last year.

Twitter had said the decision was made "after close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account".

Musk's decision this week to once again move forward with his deal to acquire Twitter could see the return to the platform of Trump, once the world's most influential 'tweeter', CNN reported.

Though Trump has originally stated that he would stick to his own social media platform, Truth Social, rather than return to Twitter, the former President may find the lure of tens of millions of Twitter followers difficult to resist.

"I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump; I think that was a mistake," Musk had said at a conference some time ago, pledging to reverse the ban were he to become the company's owner.

Despite agreeing to take over the company earlier this year, Musk soured on the idea over the summer and spent months battling to get out of it. Twitter sued him to force him to complete the deal. His U-turn and decision to go ahead with buying the company came to light in a securities filing on Tuesday, just two weeks before he and Twitter are due to go to court.

Twitter said on Tuesday that it was intent on closing the deal, opening the possibility that Musk could take over the company within weeks, if the deal is completed.

The company's board and shareholders had previously approved the deal, but uncertainties remain. Twitter will have to decide how to play ball with Musk, taking into account his prior waffling on the deal - a negotiation process that could come down to how to ensure the world's richest man will actually cut a check this time, CNN said.

If the deal goes through, it could soon return to Trump what was once his preferred social media platform. Trump, whose tweets as President often drove the agenda in Washington, had almost 90 million followers before he was banned permanently by the platform two days after the January 6 attack on the Capitol (though it's unclear whether Trump would automatically regain his followers if unbanned).

It may be recalled that a few weeks after he began his bid to take over Twitter, Musk had argued, "Banning Trump from Twitter didn't end Trump's voice, it will amplify it among the right and this is why it's morally wrong and flat out stupid." Musk has also said he's against permanent bans more broadly, which could open the door for far-right personalities and conspiracy theorists to return to the platform.

Jack Dorsey, who was the CEO of Twitter when the company banned Trump, but has since left the company, responded to Musk's comments saying he agreed that there should not be permanent bans. He said Trump's ban was a "business decision" and it "shouldn't have been".

Musk's comments came just as Trump was about to begin posting on his own social media platform, Truth Social. Trump told Fox News at the time that he would not return to Twitter, even if he were allowed.

"I am not going on Twitter, I am going to stay on Truth," Trump told Fox News.

He added, "I hope Elon buys Twitter because he'll make improvements to it and he is a good man, but I am going to stay on Truth." But relations between the pair seem to have soured since, with the men publicly trading barbs over the summer. After Trump called Musk a "bullsh*t artist" at a rally in July, Musk responded by tweeting, "I don't hate the man, but it's time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset." Trump has not commented on Musk's decision to revive the deal this week. Trump's potential return to Twitter comes just a few months before he could also be allowed to return to Meta's Facebook and Instagram. Unlike Twitter, which said it had permanently banned Trump, Meta (formerly Facebook) said it would review its ban after two years - meaning the former President could be returning to its platforms as soon as January 2023, just when the next presidential race is set to begin.
New Delhi, Oct 6 : Google on Thursday announced that the all-new Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro with new-gen Tensor G2 chip are now available for pre-orders in India.

Powered by Google's next-generation Tensor G2 processor and shipping with Android 13, Pixel 7 is priced at Rs 59,999 and Pixel 7 Pro is priced at Rs 84,999 in the country.

Both devices will be available for purchase starting October 13, said the company.

The company said that limited-time launch offers for Google's Pixel 7 and Pixel & 7 Pro in India include Rs 6,000 cashback on Pixel 7 and Rs 8,500 Cashback on Pixel 7 Pro.

Pixel 7 Pro has a 6.7-inch immersive display, a polished aluminium frame and a camera bar in three colours: Snow, Obsidian, and a new Hazel colour.

With a 6.3-inch display and smaller bezels, Pixel 7 packs advanced features and improvements into a smaller profile in three colours: Snow, Obsidian, and a new Lemongrass colour.

"Android 13 on Pixel 7 offers the best Android experience yet. It's fast, smart and secure. Plus, the fresh new style and customisation capabilities makes it feel unique to each user. Users can recolour the look of their app icons to match the aesthetic of their phone's wallpaper, and even assign specific languages to individual apps," explained the company.

Tensor G2 is the next-gen processor custom built for Pixel with Google's advanced machine learning and speech recognition.

It makes both the devices faster, more efficient, more secure and even more helpful.

It delivers Pixel's best photo and video quality with next-gen Super Res zoom, up to two times faster Night Sight processing, sharper photos with Face Unblur and new features like Cinematic Blur, said the company.

The Pixel 7 Pro also comes with Macro Focus, which delivers Pixel HDR+ photo quality from as close as three centimetres away.

"Photo Unblur", a feature coming first to Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, will use machine learning to improve blurry pictures - even old ones.

Users can also touch up those photos and easily remove distractions with 'Magic Eraser'.

With Pixel 7's speech recognition technology, the phone will be able to transcribe audio messages on Google's Messages app, so users can easily read them as soon as they receive them, said the company.

With Tensor G2 and the Titan M2 security chip, Pixel is built with multiple layers of security to help keep users safe and secure.

The company said that average battery life during testing was approximately 31 hours which was conducted on a major operator network.
Army bid adieu to pilot who killed in chopper crash in Arunachal. Image Source: IANS News

Army bid adieu to pilot who killed in chopper crash in Arunachal. Image Source: IANS News

Itanagar, Oct 6 : The army on Thursday paid tribute with full military honours to the mortal remains of Lt Col Saurabh Yadav, who was killed when a Cheetah helicopter of Army Aviation crashed in a forward area near Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang.

Defence spokesman Lt Col A.S. Walia said that a wreath was laid on behalf of a grateful nation for the officer's untiring service to the country.

The mortal remains of the 37-years-old pilot have been dispatched to Delhi in a special military plane.

Lt Col Walia said that the other injured pilot in Wednesday's incident was air evacuated to 151 base hospital in Guwahati and he is being treated by the best medical staff. The pilot is out of critical danger and is recovering well, he added.
Aizawl, Oct 6 : Australian Senator Dean Smith, who is on an official trip to Mizoram, told state Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati on Thursday that his government is observing the situation in Myanmar ever since the military coup there in February last year.

A Raj Bhavan official said that the Governor and the Australian Senator talked about the Myanmar refugee issue and how Mizoram is handling the situation.

Kambhampati briefed Smith about the number of Myanmar refugees in the state and how the civil society groups are extending help to them on humanitarian grounds.

The Senator shared the views of the Australian government on the refugee issue.

He also shared the condition of the Chin community (a tribal community) in Australia and how the Australian government is observing the situation in Myanmar after the military coup there.

The Governor also expressed his delight over the growing partnership between the two countries in trade and other areas.

Smith told Kambhampati that India-Australia ties are now stronger than ever.

As per official records, the majority of around 30,400 Myanmar refugees are sheltered in Mizoram at over 156 camps in all the 11 districts.

The Myanmarese are provided with food, medicines and other relief materials by the state government, NGOs, churches and village authorities.

The Myanmar nationals took shelter in Mizoram after the military junta led by army chief General Min Aung Hlaing seized power in the neighbouring country in February last year.

Mizoram shares 510 km unfenced border with Myanmar.
New Delhi, Oct 6 : An 11-year-old student was allegedly gang-raped by two seniors inside the washroom of a Kendriya Vidyalaya in the national capital.

According to sources, the incident reportedly took place in July. The victim's family approached the police earlier this week after the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) highlighted the matter. The sources said DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal has issued a notice to Delhi Police and the school principal in connection with the case.

"The girl has alleged that she was gang-raped by two seniors in July. According to the girl, she was going to her classroom when she accidentally collided with the two boys studying in 11th-12th standard. The girl said she apologised to the boys, but they abused her and took her inside a washroom. She alleged that the boys locked the washroom from inside and raped her," the sources said.

The victim said when she informed a teacher about the incident, she was told that the boys have been expelled and the matter was allegedly hushed up.

In the meantime, the DCW came to know about the incident and taking suo moto cognisance of the case, Maliwal issued a notice to Delhi Police and the school principal, seeking an action taken report in the matter.

The Commission has asked Delhi Police to provide a copy of the FIR and details of the arrests made in the matter. It has also asked Delhi Police and the school authorities to provide information about the action taken against the school teacher or any other staff for not reporting the matter to the police.

According to Maliwal, the girl has alleged that her school teacher tried to hush up the matter.

"The Commission has asked the school principal to inform as to when did the school authorities come to know about the matter and what action was taken by them. The Commission has also asked the school to furnish a copy of the inquiry report conducted in the matter," a DCW official said.

"It is very unfortunate that even schools are not safe for children in the national capital. Strict action must be taken in this matter. Also, an inquiry must be conducted into the role of the school authorities," Maliwal said.
Srinagar, Oct 6 : The Centre For Youth Development (CYD) and its initiative Downtown Coordination Committee held a programme on "Rising drug abuse and role of civil society" at 7C's Restaurant, Sangarmal in Srinagar.

Eminent people from different walks of life threw light on the topic and presenting their vision and advocacy on the issue.

From religious figures like Grand Mufti Nasir ul Islam to legal luminaries like retired Justice Bilal Nazki, administrative brilliant mind Abdul Salam Mir, eminent doctor Abdul Wahid, and business figure Sheikh Ashiq attended the programme.

Dynamic police officer Owais Wani, eminent women journalist Farzana Mumtaz, along with eminent anti-drug de-addiction activists Dr Fazal, Dr Manzoor Nazar and Shabir Ahmad were also present during the event.

The advocacy including increasing data input on overall picture of drug addiction in Kashmir, medical certificates mandatory for both genders especially at time of marriage so that they don't pass any dangerous communicable disease arising out of drug abuse, raising overall awareness and solutions in religious preaching on drug abuse, social boycott of drug peddlers and suppliers were important advocacy and suggestions explained.

It was resolved that drug menace would be uprooted. Chairman CYD Imtiyaz Chasti vowed to make it pan Kashmir movement to crush drug abuse from roots, with effective and efficient partnership from all relevant stakeholders.

Journalist Rameez Makhdoomi was anchored the programme.

It was also vowed to use religious preachers especially the mosques as an institution to fight the drug menace in Kashmir.
Chennai, Oct 6 : Congress leader and Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor on Thursday said he will not withdraw his nomination for the post of Congress party president for which election is scheduled to be held on October 17.

"Rumours that I am going to withdraw is false, I will not withdraw," he told the mediapersons.

The Congress leader also said that he was drawing huge support from the party leaders and cadres.

The former Union minister also said that as he was a democratically inclined person, and he has not asked other candidates to withdraw their candidature.

He said there was a need for a strong Congress party in the country to take on the BJP.

Tharoor said that he wants to change the Congress into a "party of young India", and his support base is swelling.

He also said that the youth who are the future of the country was backing him and added that 65 per cent of the population of the country are below 35, and his expectations are on this young generation.

He also said the Gandhi family welcomed free and fair polls and the family has not indicated support for any candidate.

Tharoor said that party colleagues from across the country have urged him to contest the elections.

The senior Congress leader also said that he was getting "good ground support from Tamil Nadu", adding and that he is confident of the outcome of the polls.

Earlier, Tharoor paid floral tributes to the memorials of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu K. Kamaraj.
New Delhi, Oct 6 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it has filed a chargesheet at a special Bengaluru court against several individuals -- Fairoz Khan, Tabrej Pasha, Abdul Dastagir, Syed Mudasir Fairoz Khan and Syed Muthahir, and two firms -- Ajmera Group (represented by Pasha and Dastagir), and MF Enterprises (represented by Muthaheer), for allegedly cheating the people by collecting around Rs 200 crore from them.

The ED said that that the special court has taken the cognizance of the matter.

An ED official said that the accused by committing the criminal activities had derived proceeds of crime, and have directly indulged in the process of its possession, acquisition and projecting or claiming it as untainted property, and are guilty of the offence of money laundering.

The ED initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR filed at Jayanagar police station of Karnataka under various sections of IPC.

After conducting the investigation, the Karnataka Police filed a chargesheet in the matter in 2019.

A supplementary chargesheet was also filed by the local police in the matter.

The ED learnt in the investigation that Pasha and Dastagir opened the said partnership firm Ajmera Group and accepted deposits from the general public without obtaining any license from the respective authorities, i.e. SEBI, RBI and without registering the business entity as NBFC.

"With a fraudulent intention to cheat the common public, Ajmera Group illegally collected funds from numerous investors to the tune of Rs 2,56,06,90,338 with a promise of an exorbitant rate of interest on the investments and returned an amount of Rs 1,83,97,04,264.

"However, it failed to return the amount of Rs 72,09,86,074 to the investors and thus cheated the common public. The partners of Ajmera Group and others siphoned off and diverted money of the investors for their personal gains and for the gain of their accomplices and thereby generated proceeds of crime and laundered by way of acquiring movable and immovable properties from the said proceeds of crime," the ED said.

Earlier in the case, movable and immovable properties worth Rs 8.41 crore were attached.
Bengaluru, Oct 6 : Karnataka's Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah on Thursday slammed the Central government's decision to import green areca nut from Bhutan, saying that due to the "ill-willed policy, the life of areca nut growers will be doomed".

The areca nut growers are already in distress because of various diseases attacking the crop and areca trees. During this difficult hour, the central government has betrayed them, he said.

The notification giving unconditional consent to the purchase of 17,000 metric tons of raw areca nut from Bhutan will prove costly and affect the livelihood of local areca nut growers, he said, adding that while the state areca nut farmers are agitating for a total ban on imports, the Centre has exhibited its "unilateral and arbitrary approach".

"The Union government, which has adopted an egoistic approach towards farmers, has not even laid down conditions for the specified minimum import price (MIP) and shown green signal for import of areca nut from Bhutan. The central government has also indicated more imports from different countries in future," Siddaramaiah said.

"I had warned when the Central government brought down excise tax on imported areca nuts and increased the GST on indigenous areca nuts. I had also prevailed upon the state government to make the Union government understand the situation of areca nut farmers. However, it is proved that the 'probationary' Chief Minister (Basavaraj Bommai) does not have capacity to talk to the Central government on farmers' woes," he added.

Noting that the farmers of Malnad (hilly) region have complained about the state and Central governments turning blind eye to their plight, he said that their worst fears have come true now, and the decision to import 17,000 tons of areca nut from Bhutan is the height of betrayal.

Siddaramaiah said that Home Miniister Araga Jnanendra, who heads the Task Force formed to look into the woes of areca nut farmers, is maintaining that imports will have no bearing. "The government and the Home Minister do not have common sense that these things won't solve the crisis of farmers," he said.

He also noted that the BJP's Karnataka President, national and state General Secretaries hail from regions where areca nut farming is taken up on large scale, but have not responded and the MLAs and MPs of the districts where the crop is grown are also tightlipped.

All are colluding to write the death warrant of areca nut farmers, Siddaramaiah alleged, demanding that the consent given to imports from Bhutan must be immediately reversed, GST on areca nuts reduced, and the state government should exert pressure on the Centre in this regard.
Bhopal, Oct 6 : Three persons have died after a tractor-trolley in which they were travelling overturned in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district, officials said on Thursday.

The incident took place at a village in Naigarhi block, around 50 km from Rewa.

The police said the incident occurred when the villagers who had gone to participate in the immersion procession of Goddess Durga idols were returning to their village.

"Around 40 people were travelling the in tractor-trolley which over-turned, killing three of them on spot. Around 12 people were injured... they were rushed to the nearby hospitals," said a police officer.

The deceased have been identified as Rajesh Kushwaha (45), Ashwani Patel (17) and Ram Ujagar (70). All were residents of Chandramouli village.
Jakarta, Oct 7 : Indonesian President Joko Widodo has asked the parliaments of the Group of Twenty (G20) countries to strengthen cooperation to overcome the global crisis and promote world economic recovery amid geopolitical conflicts.

In the opening ceremony of the 8th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit in Jakarta, attended by parliamentary representatives of members and dozens of invited parties, Widodo on Thursday expressed that global parliaments must be part of the solution to build dialogue, promote togetherness and avoid division.

"Multilateralism is the most effective way to overcome common challenges, because no single problem can be solved by one or more countries alone," he said as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

The meeting held from October 6 to 7 in Jakarta is the right place for creating togetherness with the people and across countries to work together to solve problems and build a just world, the President added.
Abuja, Oct 7 : Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has said the country was prepared to address the evolving and complex security threats, given the heavy investment in the military, as well as critical infrastructure.

While speaking at a military ceremony in the northwestern state of Kaduna, Buhari on Thursday added that his administration had invested heavily in infrastructure, with rail, roads, seaports, airports, and the power sector revitalised through strategic rehabilitation and reconstruction.

"The same template has been applied in tackling the challenges in the housing, water resources, and health sectors. Unsurprisingly, the first targets of attacks by the terrorists are our thriving infrastructure which was intended to make life easier for Nigerians, such as roads, railways, and power installations," he said.

According to him, Nigerian citizens could be assured that the military would deal with all security threats in any part of the country, as they did in the northeast region that had been facing insurgency issues, Xinhua news agency reported.

Buhari charged the armed forces to protect key national infrastructure from vandals and "enemies of the state," as well as safeguard the economic and military capability of the nation.

Reeling out some of his administration's interventions to equip the military to tackle the security challenges in the country, he said the country had procured more than 550 naval platforms, of which 319 have been delivered as a part of the aggressive fleet recapitalisation of the Nigerian Navy.

"We have also increased the number of Nigerian air force platforms by more than 38 per cent and enhanced the serviceability rate of aircraft in the Nigerian air force inventory by over 70 per cent," he said, adding the army had also received more than 2,000 units of various armored fighting vehicles and equipment.

Buhari said his administration "inherited a country at crossroads, with bombs going off with frightening frequency even in cities" when he took office more than seven years ago.

He added that the government has so far done well in confronting and managing the crisis, commending the military for both the kinetic and non-kinetic approaches they have adopted in tackling some of Nigeria's security challenges.
Kiev, Oct 7 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with visiting IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to discuss the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP), the presidential press service reported.

During the talks on Thursday, Zelensky and Grossi talked about the IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhia NPP and Russia's recent decision to designate the plant as Russian "federal property".

The Ukrainian President said that he considered the decision an illegal takeover, while IAEA Director General said transferring the plant to Russian ownership is a violation of international law, Xinhua news agency reported.

Zelensky called for a demilitarisation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, one of Europe's largest nuclear power plants, to ensure the nuclear safety of the facility.

The Ukrainian leader also stressed the need for the resumption of the plant's operation for the energy security of Ukraine and Europe.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that designates the plant, which has been controlled by Russian forces since early March, as Russian federal property.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Athens, Oct 7 : Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called for better cooperation to eradicate smuggling networks, after 18 people lost their lives in the latest tragedy involving a migrant boat in the Aegean Sea.

"I think this is a time to really cooperate much more substantially in order to avoid these types of incidents occurring in the future, and to completely eradicate the smugglers who prey upon innocent people, desperate people who try to reach the European continent in vessels which are clearly not seaworthy," Mitsotakis said on Thursday as he arrived at the European Political Community summit in Prague.

The bodies of 16 women, one man and a 15-year-old boy have been recovered after a boat sank off the coast of Lesvos island on Thursday, Greece's Coast Guard said. Ten people were rescued in the water, while another 15 were found on the island, Xinhua news agency reported.

Victims and survivors were of African origin, local officials told Greek national broadcaster ERT.

A rescue operation was underway to locate those who remained missing, despite strong winds in the area. Survivors said the boat had been carrying nearly 40 people.

In another incident off the island of Kythira in southern Greece, 80 people were rescued and 15 were still missing on Thursday after a boat crashed into some rocks and sank on Wednesday evening.

"We express sorrow over the tragic incidents in our seas which resulted in deaths and placed many lives at risk," Greek government spokesperson Giannis Oikonomou told a televised press briefing in Athens.

More than 1 million people have entered Greece since 2015, mainly through the Aegean from Turkey, seeking refuge in Europe from war zones and extreme poverty. Hundreds have perished in the sea. Of those who survived, most continued their journey to other European countries, until borders in the Balkan route to central Europe closed in 2016.

In March 2016, the European Union and Turkey reached an agreement aimed at stemming the influx of refugees. Although this worked to an extent, thousands of people still arrive on the Greek islands every year, local authorities say.
United Nations, Oct 7 : UN peacekeepers, for the second time in a week, repelled an attack on their base in eastern Congo, a UN spokesman said.

Suspected members of the Twirwaneho armed group on Wednesday opened fire towards the base in Minembwe, in South Kivu province, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Thursday.

"Our UN peacekeepers returned fire, forcing the assailants to disperse," Dujarric told a regular briefing.

"There are no casualties among peacekeeping troops. This is the second attack carried out by the group in a week towards the same UN base." He said a UN peacekeeper from Pakistan was killed in the September 30 attack, which was condemned by Guterres, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Minembwe base in the tropical highlands of Fizi territory is part of the UN mission in Congo known as MONUSCO.

The Twirwaneho is one of about 120 armed groups known to be terrorising eastern Congo. On Wednesday, the spokesman reported MONUSCO dispatched a patrol of peacekeepers to join Congolese forces in North Kivu province after eight civilians were killed in a raid in Beni territory believed to have been carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces rebel group.

Such attacks in Congo's mineral-rich eastern provinces have terrorised the civilian population. Earlier this year, civilians staged demonstrations, some turning deadly, protesting what they said is a lack of protection and failure to halt the violence.


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"We selected PrognoCIS for its Occupational Health focus and features, its modern extensible architecture & ability to support our clinic-in-a-box vision of providing all the capabilities we need to service our patients and employers effectively," said Shankar Rao, CIO, Akeso Occupational Health.

Bizmatics Inc (the makers of PrognoCIS EHR software) and the leading provider of clinical and business productivity software and services for ambulatory medical clinics, has partnered with Akeso Occupational Health, the complete workplace resource with 15 California based locations. Akesos clients include Federal, State, County and Fortune 500 companies.

The Akeso Clinic Excellence Solution, ACES, powered by PrognoCIS, offers a full scope of Occupational Medicine services designed to minimize the risk of work-related injury, reduce healthcare costs, minimize lost work time and increase employee productivity.

The digital platform provides the end-to-end capabilities to engage all the constituents  Patients, Providers, Employers, Care Delivery Network and Payers from Scheduling through Revenue Cycle Management.

Key features include:

 Speedy Self-Service tablet-based Check-In

 Clinical Workflows that are efficient and have incorporated clinical best practices

 Real-time integration with the care delivery network that includes Laboratories, Radiologists and other partners to ensure quick turnaround of orders

 Quick checkout with all necessary documentation being provided to the patient and employer electronically in real-time

 An integrated telemedicine offering that allows the providers to deliver effective care in a virtual setting

 Anytime, anywhere access to required information and transactions via our portals and mobile apps

The platform continues to be enhanced with market leading features for employers and case adjuster including online scheduling, real-time visit and case status and analytical insights into the service and care delivery.

Built with a focus on flexibility and customization, PrognoCIS is designed to fit the needs of even the most complex workflows said Marc Keller, EVP, Bizmatics Inc. The ultimate benefits of developing an EHR system is not just benefits to the providers but also to patients, the employers, employees and healthcare professionals, he added further.

We selected PrognoCIS for its Occupational Health focus and features, its modern extensible architecture and its ability to support our clinic-in-a-box vision of providing all the capabilities we need to service our patients and employers effectively said Shankar Rao, Chief Information Officer, Akeso Occupational Health. Ultimately, any product must be complemented with the right implementation, technical and support services and PrognoCIS team has demonstrated their professionalism, their willingness to understand our unique needs and deliver a solution that will be foundational in transforming our business, he stated.

About Akeso Occupational Health (http://www.akesomedical.com) Akeso Occupational Health develops occupational medicine clinic groups that improve injured worker outcomes through a focus on the patient and a commitment to better partnerships with the payor. The experts at Akeso believe the key to fixing the workers compensation system centers around a dedicated group of physicians committed to the right care, without financial incentives for over-treating injured workers. These highly skilled physicians are backed by a clinical organization that works more closely with the insurance carrier and employer to make sure that the right care is delivered in a timelier manner.

About Bizmatics: A Business Unit of Harris Computer

A leading EHR company, Bizmatics provides clinical and business productivity software and services to ambulatory medical clinics -small, large, and multi-specialty. Our cloud-based application, PrognoCIS is a HIPAA compliant, fully integrated software solution comprising of EHR, Occupational Medicine, Telemedicine, Practice Management, Medical Billing, and Patient Engagement tools.
"When the first fund managers began working with cryptocurrency as an asset class in 2016, they all gravitated to [CFM] because we embraced the challenge of figuring out how to structure a fund and disclose risk related to cryptocurrency.

Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP ("CFM") is pleased to announce that Managing Partner Karl Cole-Frieman has been named a Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, and Fintech Trailblazer by The National Law Journal in its 2022 publication. The journal recognizes leaders in the cryptocurrency, blockchain, and fintech legal space, honoring just 25 individuals from firms throughout the nation.

When asked about his path to becoming a trailblazer, Karl noted that [w]hen the first fund managers began working with cryptocurrency as an asset class in 2016, they all gravitated to [CFM] because we embraced the challenge of figuring out how to structure a fund and disclose risk related to cryptocurrency. He further stated that the firm has done a lot of pioneering work in this asset class, including a number of bespoke agreements that became templates for the entire industry.

Karl serves as counsel to many of the most prominent hedge fund managers in the United States and is well-known in the industry for his expertise regarding investment funds and his innovative work with non-traditional asset classes. His long career as both in-house and external counsel has provided him with the knowledge and experience that makes him one of the most sought-after advisers by managers looking to invest in the digital asset space.

Prior to co-founding Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP, Karl was General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Standard Pacific Capital, LLC, and SEC-registered hedge fund manager in San Francisco with offices in New York, Hong Kong, and a sub-advisor in Tokyo. His professional experiences also include serving as Associate General Counsel of Sagamore Hill Capital Management, L.P., a multi-strategy hedge fund in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Vice President and Associate General Counsel at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

About: Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP is one of the top investment management law firms in the United States, known for providing top-tier, innovative, and collaborative legal solutions to clients with complex financial services matters. Headquartered in San Francisco, Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP services both start-up investment managers and multibillion-dollar firms. The firm provides a full suite of legal services, including: formation of hedge funds, private equity funds, and venture capital funds; adviser compliance and registration; counterparty documentation; equity financings and token offerings; SEC, CFTC, NFA, and FINRA matters; seed deals; hedge fund due diligence; employment and compensation matters; and routine business matters. The firm also publishes the prominent Hedge Fund Law Blog, which focuses on legal issues that impact the hedge fund community. For more information, please add us on LinkedIn and visit us at colefrieman.com.

The full publication and interview can be found here.
Honor Flight South Florida Power Financial Credit Union has a deep appreciation for our military community so it is an absolute privilege for us to partner with Honor Flight South Florida to support our local veterans.

As Veterans Day approaches, Power Financial Credit Union (PFCU) is proud to launch a donation matching challenge to support Honor Flight South Florida.

To honor the service and sacrifice of our local veterans, Power Financial Credit Union will give $1, up to $5,000, for every $1 donated by its members or anyone else to Honor Flight South Florida. Donations can be made at any Power Financial Credit Union branch between October 13  November 10.

Power Financial Credit Union has a deep appreciation for our military community so it is an absolute privilege for us to partner with Honor Flight South Florida to support our local veterans, commented Allan Prindle, President and CEO. It is part of our DNA as a credit union to give back to our community, but its even more special when we can honor the service and sacrifice of the cherished men and women of our armed forces.

We are excited by the opportunity offered by Power Financial Credit Union to raise significant funds to support our mission and service to our revered veterans. On behalf of the heroes we serve, we thank them for this most generous offer, said Mike Miskew, Honor Flight South Florida Chairman.

Honor Flight South Florida is a 100% all-volunteer organization, dedicated to honoring all veterans in Broward, Dade, and Monroe counties. Honor Flight South Florida flies veterans who served during the WWII, Korea and Vietnam conflict periods to Washington D.C. for an all-expenses paid trip to visit and reflect at the memorials built in their honor. It is Honor Flight South Floridas goal to help every veteran, willing and able of getting on a plane and a bus, to visit their memorial.

For more information on Honor Flight South Florida, visit http://www.honorflightsouthflorida.org.

###

About Power Financial Credit Union

Serving the South Florida community since 1951, Power Financial Credit Union is committed to helping guide its members to better financial lives today and for generations to come. Power Financial Credit Union helps members achieve financial freedom by combining free financial education resources with a superior experience, and personalized banking solutions, many with great rates, low to no fees and exclusive discounts. Power Financial Credit Unions customized personal and business banking solutions including mortgages, home equity loans, checking, savings, CDs, money markets, IRAs, credit cards, auto loans, personal loans, business accounts, business loans, merchant services, payroll services, investments, and more. Power Financial Credit Union was the first credit union in South Florida to eliminate overdraft and non-sufficient funds fees. To learn more, please visit http://www.PowerFi.org.
We have been fortunate to have strong investor interest, commitment, and support. Revenue funded growth and capital efficiency are staples of our hypergrowth plan, stated Andrew Bart.

AlgoFaces Face AI enablement engine, utilizes advances in computer vision and edge computing to power customers Face AI ambitions. The companys 2D and 3D facial analysis detects and tracks facial landmarks with accuracy and speed in determining a person's features, expressions, eye gaze, head pose and mouth-to-eye ratio. The $13.6B computer vision market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 25.5% reaching $33.7 billion by 2026.

Key Hires

In fueling the companys expansion, it has hired two heavy weights from the Arizona tech community who will be major contributors in accelerating AlgoFaces growth. Randy Gustafson has joined the company as Vice President of Partnerships, Innovation and Government. Prior to joining AlgoFace, Randy was a key member of the Innovation Team at the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) and was involved in numerous financial and technical assistance programs serving over 1,600 technology and science-based startups comprising Arizonas entrepreneurial community. His primary focus over the last several years at the ACA included the creation and management of the corporate venture development initiative which was designed to involve larger corporations within the growing startup community. Joining Randy is Intel veteran Tom Lasiter, who was named Vice President of FaceTrace.ai leading the go-to-market strategy for AlgoFaces Face AI Enablement Engine. Tom spent close to 20 years at Intel working with Global 5000 companies leading strategy, architecture, innovation and business acceleration for real world deployment of industry impacting technology solutions.

The additions of Randy and Tom to our team are essential to our growth strategy. Both of them have deep roots in the Arizona tech community and beyond helping Fortune 5000 and startup corporations gain exposure to innovative technologies that fill corporate innovation gaps, stated Andrew Bart, CEO & Cofounder of AlgoFace.

Milestones

In the first quarter of 2022, AlgoFace sold 2.5X its entire six figure revenue produced in all of 2021, officially positioning the company in hypergrowth mode. The company has grown from 14 team members to 30 team members. The company continues to onboard new clients from a variety of industries and counts a Fortune 50 company as a client.

AlgoFace was named as a finalist for the 2022 Governors Celebration of Innovation Awards https://www.algoface.ai/az-governor-awards/ Recently, AlgoFace was asked by the National Science Foundation to submit a Phase I proposal for the highly competitive Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The programs were created to encourage domestic small businesses to engage in federal research and development for potential commercialization.

Funding

To date, AlgoFace has raised over $1.6 million toward its seed round to further deliver upon its aggressive growth plans. Investors participating in the current funding round are local groups including Arizona Tech Investors (ATI) and Canyon Angels, two of the states largest and most prominent investing groups, both of which are committed to supporting the capital needs of early stage, high growth companies based in Arizona. Other investors include San Francisco based Band of Angels which is the oldest and first high tech angel investment group in the U.S. with over 165 formal angel investors, the group invests in approximately 20 startups per year.

We have been fortunate to have strong investor interest, commitment, and support. We view our recent investments as a sign of investors confidence in our company, technology, and execution. Revenue-funded growth and capital efficiency are staples of our hypergrowth plan. We are discovering new use cases daily for face AI enablement in which facial analysis and landmark tracking are becoming an important part of a company's  domestic and global  growing technology needs, stated Andrew Bart.

About AlgoFace

AlgoFace is a B2B & B2G Ethical Face AI Enablement Engine that leverages Edge AI to create private, accurate, and ethical Applied AI solutions. Via enterprise venture client, commercial, and government relationships, our enablement engine powers trusted, responsible Face AI. Our technology fosters accurate facial landmark tracking, face analysis, eye gaze estimation, data labeling and annotation tools, synthetic data generation and deep fake detection with privacy and inclusivity at the forefront. Our Face AI enablement engine can be used to develop 2D and 3D Face AI solutions across mobile, desktop, embedded systems, AR/VR, the Metaverse and Web 3.0. For more information on the company, please access: http://www.AlgoFace.ai
LABA-MIMV Final Awards Recently two of Huang's paintings were appraised at over one million US dollars; "Inexhaustible" valued at $1,450,000, and "The Flower of Youth" valued at $1,150,000.

The Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA) announced the LABA International Art Festival's 2021-2022 "Most Influential and Most Valuable" (MIMV) Artists Global Top 10 List" at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The voting was held by LABA International Art Festival Jury Committee members, who selected the Top 10 artists from the Top 20 List announced yesterday.

The "Most Influential and Most Valuable Artists" selected for the 2021-2022 LABA International Arts Global Top 10 List are:

1. Jiannan Huang (China)

2. Remy Aron (France)

3. Marisa Cauchiolo (USA)

4. Bobby Ruiz (USA)

5. Dave Tourje (USA)

6. Joe Davidson (USA)

7. Philippe De Kraan (Australia tied for 7th), Meeson Pae Yang (USA tied for 7th)

8. Rosana Largo Rodriguez (Spain)

9. Devon Tsuno ( USA tied for 9th) and Macha Suzuki ( USA tied for 9th)

10. Joshua Elias (USA)

The voting session began at 10:00 a.m. Princess Karen Cantrell, the rotating chairman of the LABA International Arts Festival, presented the guidelines for the secret voting ballot on behalf of LABA-MIMV. The criteria for artist selection were read by attorney Jesse Weiner, managing partner at YK Law LLP, and the ballots were distributed to the judges.

The voting was close between artists, resulting in two ties - a tie for 7th place and a tie for 9th place. LABA Blue-chip artist, Jiannan Huang, received the most votes from all the judges and joined in for interviews via video conference from his art studio in Beijing, China.

"The awards ceremony will be held in the near future," said Joey Zhou, founder, and chairman of LABA.

About Jiannan Huang

Jiannan Huang is one of the world's finest artists, specializing in Chinese ink and oil painting. He is ranked third on the 2020 Hurun China Art List and 19th on the Hurun Global List, with art sales of $29 million. Huang ranked second on Artron.Net's 2020 Art Auction Market Ranking. Artron.Net is the world's leading Chinese art website and China's largest art service platform. In less than a year, interest from North American collectors has increased significantly.

Recently two of Huang's paintings were appraised at over one million US dollars; "Inexhaustible" valued at $1,450,000, and "The Flower of Youth" valued at $1,150,000. The appraisals were obtained from renowned art consultant Sara Mokhtari and her appraisal agency in Beverly Hills, California, in 2021.

About the Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA) and the LABA Los Angeles International Art Festival

The Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA), the Los Angeles International Art Festival, and the Beverly Arts Online Exhibition feature artists from all over the world who have come together to display their work in a virtual gallery exhibition. Visitors can visit the exhibit at any time and enjoy the artwork of some of the world's most talented and unique artists who have been chosen to participate in this event. For more information, visit http://www.thebeverlyarts.com.
This products innovative two blade design uses additional folds to increase resiliency without sacrificing comfort, while its Optimum Flow backing quickly whisks away rain and pet urine to create a more comfortable living environment.

Introducing Flow Duo

Turf Distributors is releasing a new product as part of their Flow series. Flow Duo combines Optimum Flow technology with Durablade Technology to create a longer lasting product! Flow Duos unique v and z-shaped blades are specifically designed for high traffic areas.

This products innovative two blade design uses additional folds to increase resiliency without sacrificing comfort, while its Optimum Flow backing quickly whisks away rain and pet urine to create a more comfortable living environment.

About Turf Distributors

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For more information on how Turf Distributors can help you call (951) 384-6540.
Keynote Kim Folsom of Founders First Capital Partners, Inc. This years much anticipated Pepperdine Graziadio Business School Most Fundable Companies Showcase event will unveil the 16 winners of the 5th annual startup competition. Winning companies were selected from more than 4,000 startups from all 50 states.

The Pepperdine Graziadio Business School Most Fundable Companies Showcase 2022 event will be held on October 13 at the Villa Graziadio Executive Center and presented by the Singleton Foundation for Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship, and announced today that Kim Folsom, founder and CEO of Founders First Capital Partners, Inc. will be this years keynote speaker.

This years much anticipated Pepperdine Graziadio Business School Most Fundable Companies Showcase event will unveil the 16 winners of the 5th annual startup competition. Winning companies were selected from more than 4,000 startups from all 50 states using an online comprehensive submission and review process powered by The Venture Alliance (TVA). The showcase event will introduce the audience to this incredible set of companies and kicks off a series of opportunities to interact with the winners, sponsors, council members, and Pepperdine Graziadio staff. The winning list of companies will also be featured in Entrepreneur magazine, along with other national publications.

The Most Fundable Companies are evaluated on several variables including financial projections, market opportunity, intellectual property, competitive advantage in their market, and the strength of management team expertise. Each of these variables is then used to generate objective and customized feedback and scoring to improve readiness for funding.

Were very excited to host this years showcase event in-person. Our virtual events the last couple of years were great, but nothing is better than having the founders and investors physically together in the same room, said Dr. Craig Everett, executive director of the Most Fundable Companies competition, and finance professor at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. This years event will include a startup expo, media room, special guest speakers, winning companies presentations, and award ceremony. Additionally, our keynote speaker Kim Folsom was chosen not only for her impressive philanthropic achievements, but also for her companys comprehensive approach to evaluating, funding, and helping companies achieve stellar growth.

I am very pleased to have been chosen as the keynote speaker for this years Most Fundable Companies event, added Ms. Folsom. The Most Fundable Companies evaluation process helps hone a startups infrastructure knowledge base and approach to raising capital. It is perfectly aligned with our companys vision and approach to fund and/or add growth support for underrepresented startups and small businesses lacking access to capital and human capital business growth expertise. I look forward to being part of this momentous event and meeting this years competition winners.

Based in San Diego, Ms. Folsom founded and leads the only black and women-led, revenue-based investment and advisory support venture platform, raising $150M in committed capital to date. She was recognized earlier this year as one of Graziadio's Notable Alumni, as well as a Pepperdine Outstanding Alumni | Women in Leadership honoree. Her company, Founders First Capital Partners, Inc., is focused on partnering with employer-based, contract revenue generating small businesses ($500K to $10M), to provide flexible and non-dilutive funding, expertise, and resources to achieve exponential growth in underserved communities. Since its founding in 2015, the firm has funded and helped approximately 650 companies. Ms. Folsom earned her MBA degree from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School and a bachelors degree in information systems and a minor in economics from San Diego State University.

Event information:



Location: Villa Graziadio Executive Center, Malibu, CA

Event Registration: https://engage.pepperdine.edu/s/lt-event?id=a2n4N000001nBGAQA2#

Hotels, Pepperdine has special rates at some local hotels. Please see: https://seaver.pepperdine.edu/parents/malibu/hotels.htm

About Pepperdine University Graziadio Business School

For more than 50 years, the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School has challenged individuals to think boldly and drive meaningful change within their industries and communities. Dedicated to developing Best for the World Leaders, the Graziadio School offers a comprehensive range of MBA, MS, executive, and doctoral degree programs grounded in integrity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The Graziadio School advances experiential learning through small classes with distinguished faculty that stimulate critical thinking and meaningful connection, inspiring students and working professionals to realize their greatest potential as values-centered leaders. Follow Pepperdine Graziadio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Contact:

Hillary Doran

Director of Brand Marketing

Pepperdine Graziadio Business School

(310) 568-2339

hillary.doran@pepperdine.edu
This years Twist & Shout gala will celebrate all our efforts, including the inspiring, talented, and passionate youth dancers. We will also highlight the impact of our community leaders who always keep us top-of-mind and provide us with additional ideas to keep thriving and growing.

OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center  pioneers of innovative and dynamic performing arts programs that motivate, challenge, and inspire youth to be the best they can be  will return in person for this years Twist & Shout gala on Saturday, October 22, 2022, beginning with a VIP reception at 6:30 p.m.

The night will include an evening of dance, spoken word, and music featuring performances from the Professional Dance Division and OrigiNation alums sharing their experiences at the cultural arts center and how its propelled them in their careers. Additionally, there will be an awards presentation honoring a few key impactful leaders within the OrigiNation community and a silent auction featuring

items donated by loyal supporters and partners, including the Boston Red Sox.

This years Twist & Shout gala will truly celebrate all our efforts, including the inspiring, talented, and passionate youth dancers. We will also highlight the impact of our community leaders who always keep us top-of-mind and provide us with additional ideas to keep thriving and growing, said Musau M. Dibinga, Executive Director of OrigiNation. Two and a half years after the coronavirus outbreak, we are excited to finally be back in person to host our 28th Twist & Shout gala! Proceeds from the evening will enable us to continue to impact the youth of our citys most underserved neighborhoods, providing them with a strong foundation before thrusting themselves into the real world to chart their career paths.

Those honored during the Twist & Shout gala include Sarita Allen - A world-renowned dancer and all-around performing artist. She is a former principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and a founding member and Artistic Advisor for Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Throughout Allens stellar career, she has been a shining example of mastery and excellence! Courtney Boston  Co-Founder, Program Director, and General Manager of WWOC Media/Radio, Boston, has contributed significantly to the change in the cultural landscape of the media industry here in New England! Her style, dopeness, and love for Black people and culture have brought Black love back to our community and, more importantly, our youth! Julia Mejia- First Afro-Latina to sit on the Boston City Council, Mejia is currently the Chair of the Committee on Education, Government Accountability, Transparency, and Accessibility, and the Committee on Labor, Workforce, and Economic Development.

OrigiNation will also honor Imani-Paris-Jeffries, Executive Director of King Boston. He leads a citywide racial equity transformation through the Embrace Memorial, the Embrace Center, and community organizing efforts. His continued commitment to social justice, community activism, and education reform, along with your work for the future memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, are shining examples to our youth.

Michael Bobbit  the host for the evening - is an award-winning theater director, choreographer, and playwright who has dedicated his professional career to arts leadership. He began his tenure as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council in February 2021 and is the highest-ranking cultural official in Massachusetts. Bobbitt serves on the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) Board of Directors, and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) Board of Directors and was selected for artEquitys BIPOC Leadership Circle. He is the former Artistic Director of the New Repertory Theater in Watertown, Massachusetts, and the Adventure Theater in Maryland. Bobbitt gained extensive experience in nonprofit arts management by training at Harvard Business Schools Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management.

To purchase tickets, visit http://www.bostontheatrescene.com. The $100 VIP tickets will include a 6:30 reception with a silent auction, light appetizers, and a meet & greet with the directors and special guests. Those unable to attend Twist & Shout but interested in supporting OrigiNation may do so by visiting their donation page.
Vivian Tsai, College Savings Foundation Chair We are starting to see people seek education at all different ages and levels; and what we found among parents is that they are focused on career choices driving their education decisions for their children and themselves, said CSF Chair Vivian Tsai.

U.S. parents across the country have a new vision of higher education for both their children and themselves  more career-oriented, affordable and targeted to their evolving employment needs. In the 16th annual State of Higher Ed Savings survey, the College Savings Foundation (CSF) took an intergenerational approach, asking 1,000 parents across the country about their childrens and their own plans for higher education, what higher education looks like for them today, and how they expect to pay for it. https://www.collegesavingsfoundation.org/surveys/

In addition to gleaning the perspectives of parents on these topics overall, the survey also honed in on three age groups. It asked parents about the upcoming plans of their children in high school, the higher education experiences of their 18-25-year-olds, and their own needs for their current and prospective careers. Key themes that emerged were that higher education is an ongoing need that also encompasses career preparedness and training throughout a persons life.

We are starting to see people seek education at all different ages and levels; and what we found among parents is that they are focused on career choices driving their education decisions for their children and themselves, said CSF Chair Vivian Tsai.

Key findings on how parents view higher education:

Higher Ed is a lifelong experience:



86% said their children will need to continue their education or gain additional skills throughout their lives.

For themselves, 41% of parents said they are interested in changing careers and will need additional education or certifications to do so.

Career and vocational schools are as important as traditional 4-year college:



68% of parents said they think of vocational and career/technical schools in the same way as they do public and private college  the highest in the surveys history of asking that question.

When asked what kind of career/vocational credential or traditional college diploma was important today, the majority, 51%, said they are of equal importance.

Saving, including in 529 plans, is still a foundational way to fund Higher Ed:



83% of all parents are willing to help fund their childrens higher education costs, with one-third of them saying that savings is the primary way to do so. 37% stated they are relying on grants, scholarships and direct aid.

65% of all parents were saving for their childs higher education; and 46% of all parents had saved at least $5,000 per child.

29% of all parents are saving in a 529 higher education plan; and three-quarters of those parents are saving through recurring  annual, quarterly or monthly  contributions. One-in-five parents prioritize 529s as their primary savings vehicle.

Nearly half of all parents (49%) are aware that they can use 529 plans for more than traditional college, to include career and technical/vocational schools, community college, graduate school and certified apprenticeships, are using them or planning to use them in that way. Additionally, 45% of parents are aware that 529s can be used for computers, books and technology software, are using them or planning to do so; and 35% are aware they can use them to pay off student loans with a lifetime limit of $10,000 per beneficiary, are doing so or are planning to do so.

One-third of all parents know they can use 529s for their own education, and 21% of all parents are using them for this reason or plan to do so.

As the higher education landscape changes, 529s can be used by all American families to pay for whatever path they choose, Tsai added.

Paying and borrowing for higher education

Beyond savings, most parents (70%) are looking to their children to help, with those funds coming from the childs job (43%), scholarships/grants/fellowships (33%), loans (12%), and savings (10%). Parents also expect children to contribute significantly: 51% say their children should contribute up to one-third of all costs, 34% up to two-thirds, and 15% more than two thirds.

When it comes to loans, parents showed hesitancy. One third (34%) said they would not take out loans for their childrens higher ed. When asked why not, 57% of those said they do not want the debt; 20% said they would fund it in other ways such as savings, aid, or income; and 15% said they did not think higher ed should be financed through debt.

How parents think higher ed should address workforce preparedness

In terms of their childs future career path, 71% of parents think the college experience should change. Of those, 37% said classes should be focused on career needs and training; 27% said schools should offer credentials along with degrees; and 22% said schools should test for skills/knowledge attained through comprehension, rather than hours in class.

These answers compare with what 1,000 high school students in CSFs Youth Survey (May 2022) said when asked what they would prefer if they could design their perfect higher education experience. Their top-ranked choices were: classes based on practical work experience; classes allowing them to take a test once they mastered the material for comprehension; and those giving credit for work experience done in conjunction with school.

Both parents and students are looking for more than an academic experience. They are also seeking to gain practical skills and credentials that they can use in their work lives, Tsai commented.

The following breaks out parents higher ed plans and expectations by age groups:

Parents of Children in High School:

Offering a window into the next group of higher ed consumers, parents of 15-17-year-olds said their children plan to go to a traditional 4-year public college (34%); vocational/technical, community college or an apprenticeship program (20%); and private college (14%). 31% dont yet know.

Parents of 18-25-year-olds:

Only 44% of parents said their 18-to-25-year-old children had gone to college and stayed there, with the remaining 56% having gone to college and switched to online courses (12%), taken a leave of absence (10%), or dropped out (7%). More than one quarter checked Other (27%), whose children predominantly did not go to college at all.

In terms of value, 61% of parents of this age group do not think that tuition and fees incurred by todays higher education represent a good value for what their child was receiving.

Of the 56% of parents whose students took remote classes due to COVID, more than half  52%  said they did not think the fees for these classes were appropriately priced.

Parents own plans for Higher Ed:

Not only do parents anticipate additional education to support their careers, some have already begun:



Nearly one-in-four (24%) say they will need further education for their current career.

In addition to 41% saying they need additional education and certifications for a new career, 15% of all parents have already started those credentialing requirements.

One in five (18%) parents said they are changing their career. Asked why, 54% are interested in an entirely different one; 31% want one that will allow them to spend more time with their families, and 7% said their former job required mandates they did not want to meet (i.e. going back to office).

The CSF 2022 State of College Savings survey of parents was conducted with 1,000 parents across the country via Survey Monkey. The College Savings Foundation (CSF) is a Washington, D.C.- based not-for-profit organization helping American families achieve their education savings goals. http://www.collegesavingsfoundation.org
As a leader in the hydrogen infrastructure space, GenH2 is uniquely positioned to move the hydrogen economy forward into the future

GenH2, a leader in hydrogen infrastructure technology, announced today that the companys Founder and CEO Cody Bateman will participate in two groundbreaking sessions at the World Hydrogen Congress being held October 11-13 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. GenH2 is also a platinum sponsor of the event.

The World Hydrogen Congress was conceived in 2018 to act as the senior executive networking congress for the clean hydrogen industry. It is produced by the World Hydrogen Leaders, the exclusive hydrogen executive membership community. The mission of the World Hydrogen Congress is to accelerate the global commercialization of clean hydrogen and to help connect the industry by providing an annual diary date for high-quality content and high-intensity networking.

Joining 2,000 attendees and 250 speakers from forty countries, Bateman, an outspoken advocate for the Hydrogen Economy, will speak twice on stage on Thursday, October 13th. First as part of a panel, alongside Andreas Frixen of Alstom Group and Berit Hinnemann of Maersk, at 11:50 am titled Making the business case for zero-emission: air transport, shipping and mobility. The panel, which will be moderated by Claire Behar of Hy Stor Energy, will focus on:



Creating an infrastructure system to feed heavy transport and aviation

How will the electrification industry complement hydrogen?

How can production scale up if the infrastructure isnt in place?

Strategies for increasing deployment: volumes and cost

SAF, CO2 capture, and the decarbonization of the aviation industry

Bateman will also present on stage at 2:30 pm, during which he will touch on state-of-the-art cryogenic liquid hydrogen storage, long-term industrial zero-loss solutions and the process of building large-scale liquefaction plants.

Im excited to have the opportunity to address international industry leaders at this elite conference where the hydrogen world comes to do business, said Bateman, who is widely recognized as a leader in the field of hydrogen infrastructure research and development. As a leader in the hydrogen infrastructure space, GenH2 is uniquely positioned to move the hydrogen economy forward into the future.

For more information, please visit http://www.genh2hydrogen.com and http://www.CodyBateman.com.

About GenH2

GenH2 is an industry leader in hydrogen infrastructure solutions. The Titusville, Florida-headquartered technology company was founded by Cody Bateman, who is widely recognized as a visionary and expert in this industry. The GenH2 team includes former NASA researchers and developers who possess decades of experience researching, engineering, and producing hydrogen solutions. GenH2 is focused on the mass production of infrastructure equipment necessary for the transition to a clean energy economy. GenH2 technology will allow safe onsite production, storage, and distribution of liquid or gaseous hydrogen, making the product accessible for everyday use; the company has plans to deliver its product to hundreds of locations across the country in the coming years. Learn more about GenH2 at http://www.DiscoverHydrogen.com
Boulder Administration Services We are committed to maintaining a seamless, high level of service for our valued existing clients while looking forward to growing our business. Our overall goal is to enhance our ability to better serve clients and members while remaining responsive to a dynamic marketplace.

Boulder Administration Services, a boutique third party administrator (TPA) that provides administration services for employee benefits nationwide, announced that Dror Baruch has been appointed as the new President and CEO of the company. Dror succeeds husband and wife team Bruce and Jackie Wagner, fully assuming his new responsibilities as of October 1, 2022.

Dror has worked in third party administration for over 11 years and has deep experience serving clients and designing quality and value into benefit plans. From his most recent roles at Cedar Gate Technologies and Deerwalk, he brings knowledge around helping brokers and self-funded employers optimally manage health plans with a data-driven approach utilizing healthcare analytics tools. Throughout his career, he has stayed at the forefront of the latest market trends, including developments in value-based care and provider contracting, and has successfully managed over 20 TPA and broker client accounts. He has also held leadership roles at two different TPAs, serving as a member of the executive team, developing national and state initiatives for healthcare improvement, and promoting price transparency, provider quality, and member engagement.

Bruce and Jackie Wagner, who will continue on in a consulting capacity expressed, We are thankful to our clients for their continued business throughout the years. From our experience working with Dror, we are confident this will be a smooth transition with the level of dedication and expertise he brings. We are happy to transition Dror into his new role, with peace of mind knowing the clients and customer service will remain a top priority.

Dror stated, Bruce, Jackie, and I will work together to ensure clients experience the same level of service as we coordinate this transition in leadership and ownership. Ill use these first days to gather information from my team, clients, and members to learn how we can improve and make adjustments where needed. We are committed to maintaining a seamless, high level of service for our valued existing clients while looking forward to growing our business. Our overall goal is to enhance our ability to better serve clients and members while remaining responsive to a dynamic marketplace.

About Boulder Administration Services

Headquartered in Boulder, Montana, with offices in Kalispell, Montana, and Seattle, Washington, Boulder Administration Services is a boutique third party administrator (TPA) that provides administration services for employee benefits nationwide. We help employers administer self-funded medical plans, cafeteria plans/HRAs, dental and vision coverage, and COBRA continuation coverage. Combining state-of-the-art technology with personable, hands-on support, we deliver a high-touch service experience with maximum transparency and flexibility for our clients benefits plans, accurate claims processing, and detailed reporting. Visit https://www.boulderadmin.com for more information.
The Thirty Percent Coalition has elected Board Chair Susan Angele, Vice Chair Esther Aguilera, Treasurer Rodrigo Garcia and Secretary Renaye Manley. The Coalition has also retained the Honorable Allison Herren Lee as a senior advisor and named Andrea McGrath as interim executive director.

New Leadership Team Will Support Coalitions Mission to Increase Board Diversity, Collaborate with Investors and Member Companies; Host Nov. 16 Member Event in NYC

The Thirty Percent Coalition announced today that it has elected the following executive officers to serve on its board of directors: Board Chair Susan Angele, Vice Chair Esther Aguilera, Treasurer Rodrigo Garcia and Secretary Renaye Manley. The Coalition has also retained the Honorable Allison Herren Lee as a senior advisor and named Andrea McGrath as interim executive director.

Incoming Chair Susan Angele said, We thank the outgoing officers  Chair Julie Kanak, Vice Chair Susan Scutt, Secretary Patti Gazda and Treasurer Dawn Jones  for their service to the Coalition. Our new team is excited about advancing the Coalitions mission. We are already hard at work on our upcoming 2022 Member Event planned for November 16, 2022 in New York City, and will continue our national search for a permanent executive director.

About the Coalitions Senior Advisor and Interim Executive Director

As senior advisor, Lee will engage with the Coalitions members and partners, expand its networks and share the Coalitions message of increasing gender, race and ethnic diversity on boards. She will also advise the Coalition on government affairs, policy and disclosure rules, and support the search for a permanent executive director. Lee served as a commissioner on the US Securities and Exchange Commission from June 2019 through July 2022 and served as acting chair from January through April 2021.

As interim executive director, McGrath will manage the organizations operations, including financial systems, governance and technology, and coordinate outreach and engagement. She will also develop recommendations for the board of directors and its various committees on programming, marketing, communications, infrastructure solutions, and network engagement. McGrath is a strategic and entrepreneurial leader who brings deep experience working within and between the worlds of finance, social impact, entrepreneurship, and academia. She is the principal consultant at Amplified Impact, the Boston-based strategic advisory firm she founded in 2007.

About the Thirty Percent Coalition

Since 2011, the Thirty Percent Coalition has provided a national forum for its members to develop strategies that influence companies to increase diversity in senior leadership and boardrooms. Members include public companies, private equity, institutional investors, state treasurers, professional services firms and advocacy groups. The Coalitions leaders are often called upon for guidance on diversity legislation and strategies. Many of its private equity members have made considerable progress to increase diversity on their portfolio company boards.

To date, the Thirty Percent Coalitions achievements include:


The International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) today announced the recipients of its 2022 awards which recognize the outstanding accomplishments of our members and the work they do on behalf of their agencies and our chapters.

IPMA-HR held a ceremony during the IPMA-HR Annual Business Meeting on September 30 in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the achievements of these individuals and agencies who are exemplary leaders and advocates, and whose contributions have advanced public sector HR and demonstrated IPMA-HRs impact on creating better places to work for those who serve the public good.

IPMA-HR Executive Director, Cara Woodson Welch, congratulated the winners, The people and organizations that have received these awards have demonstrated how the public sector HR profession delivers creative solutions to help their communities, agencies and employees. The award winners have developed powerful and impactful programs that promote positive change for their workforce. We are so happy to recognize their achievements!

Presidents Award

The Presidents Award recognizes the current association president for their dedicated leadership to IPMA-HR and public sector HR. The 2022 award was presented by Pamela Dollard, 2021 IPMA-HR President, to Jennifer Fairweather, MPA, PHR, IPMA-SCP, SHRM-SCP, the current 2022 IPMA-HR President. Fairweather is currently the Human Resources Director (CHRO) for Jefferson County, located in Golden, Colorado. She is also an affiliate professor with Regis University where she facilitates undergraduate and graduate courses for the College of Business and Economics.

Fairweather has public sector leadership experience in a variety of roles, including a civil service agency, a small court organization, a very large decentralized human resources city system in addition to her current role in a large county government organization. She has been an active volunteer and member of IPMA-HR for over 20 years and has served on the IPMA-HR Executive Council. She has also served on many IPMA-HR committees and served as president on the regional and chapter level.

Agency Award for Excellence

IPMA-HR established this award to recognize the overall quality, accomplishments and contributions of an agency human resource program that exceeds the normal operation of a good government human resource program. Awards may be given in each of the following categories, based on the number of employees covered by a human resources program:

1. Small Agency  Under 1,999 employees

2. Medium Agency  2,000 to 9,999 employees

3. Large Agency  10,000 employees and over

Small Agency Winner: City of Tamarac, Florida

The City of Tamarac, Florida was recognized for its mission, along with clear and comprehensive strategies in recruitment and onboarding, learning and development, compensation and recognition and fostering a collaborative environment with impressive results.

The City of Tamarac HR department was also recognized for an innovative program developed in response to the nationwide civil unrest that took place following the murder of Mr. Floyd. The City of Tamarac HR department took a bold first step towards healing its community through addressing racial discrimination in the workplace and the community, beginning with Conversations to Heal the Divide, established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board and adopted a Safer City Resolution supporting the LGBTQ+ community, as well as added signage supporting a racism free zone in its parks and recreation areas.

Medium Agency Award: Wake County Government

The Wake County Government was recognized for delivering high satisfaction ratings and low employee turnover. The driver of these results is an innovative talent management strategy which includes transformed processes to improve recruitment, retention, staff professional development, employee engagement and communications. The processes included streamlined application and onboarding, utilization of new technology and redesigning their website to better market vacant positions in the fast-growing county.

The made a commitment to professional leadership development and implemented a centralized call center for HR questions. Some of the many impressive results of their efforts included reducing the average days to fill a vacancy by 20 days, a 74% increase in positions filled the first time a job was posted, 95% engagement in wellness programs, 90% training completion rate for supervisors and managers, 50% of vacant positions filled with internal employees and high satisfaction ratings with training and development.

Chapter Award for Excellence

IPMA-HR established this award to recognize those chapters that significantly advance and enhance the public sector HR profession through innovative membership recruitment/retention strategies, excellent educational programs and quality member communication.

The 2022 award winner is the IPMA-HR Colorado Chapter who demonstrated it brings significant value to its members through educational programs in areas such as leadership development, emotional intelligence and mental health. They increased their membership by 138% through new recruitment and retention programs and by introducing new member benefits. The result was also an increase in their financial resources.

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.
Doodle Labs' mini-OEM Smart Radio (pictured) now integrates directly with ModalAI's VOXL 2 autopilot for drones. Doodle Labs, producer of long-range, industrial-grade wireless networking solutions, and ModalAI, Inc., a manufacturer of autonomous drone and robot technology, announced today the launch of a direct integration between Doodle Labs nano-OEM and mini-OEM Smart Radios and ModalAIs VOXL 2 autopilot.

Doodle Labs, producer of long-range, industrial-grade wireless networking solutions, and ModalAI, Inc., a manufacturer of autonomous drone and robot technology, announced today the launch of a direct integration between Doodle Labs nano-OEM and mini-OEM Smart Radios and ModalAIs VOXL 2 autopilot.

The integration between these key drone components empowers drone OEMs to seamlessly build highly intelligent drone systems with a powerful and reliable datalink. Doodle Labs Helix version of its Smart Radios and ModalAIs VOXL 2 are both part of the Blue UAS Framework, fully cleared for use by the US government.

To make it easier for new drone platforms to get airborne as quickly as possible, the Smart Radios and the VOXL 2 will be available for purchase as a bundle on the ModalAI website.

Our radios achieve very long range with high throughput and a reliable datalink. ModalAI is committed to developing autopilots for smaller, smarter and safer drones. Add in the Blue UAS connection and its a natural partnership that were very proud to support, said Nimesh Parikh, CEO and Founder of Doodle Labs. We think this integration could be a game-changer for many drone OEMs and allow them to go to market faster with their best drones ever.

As a Blue UAS Framework manufacturer, our mission is to advance the U.S. drone industry with advanced, interoperable technology that accelerates the path to autonomy, said Chad Sweet, CEO and Co-Founder of ModalAI. We are pleased to collaborate with Doodle Labs to make their Smart Radios available on VOXL 2. Developers who use VOXL 2 and Doodle Labs Smart Radios can achieve a quicker time to market and FY20 NDAA Section 848 Compliance.

Doodle Labs Helix Smart Radios

The development of Doodle Labs Helix Smart Radio was sponsored by the Department of Defenses Defense Innovation Unit specifically for the Blue UAS program. Its the only radio to meet all Blue UAS Framework requirements in one radio.

The Helix Smart Radio provides the tactical capability of six frequency bands (M1-M6) in one radio, an industry first. With Helix, end-users can switch frequency bands based on interference, country of operation or any other reason without having to swap out hardware. Helix Smart Radios are fully NDAA compliant.

Helix Smart Radios are available in two form-factors; mini-OEM and the even smaller nano-OEM, both low-SWaP designs that enable long range and high throughput and are tailor-made for drones. In addition to Blue UAS-compliant Helix versions, both Smart Radios are also available in unlicensed 2.4 GHz versions for commercial drone use.

Modal AI VOXL 2

VOXL 2 is ModalAIs latest autopilot, powered by the Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G platform. At only 16 grams, VOXL 2 boasts more AI computing than any other autopilot. VOXL 2 integrates a PX4 real-time flight controller with an 8-core CPU up to 15 TOPs, seven image sensors, TDK IMUs and barometer, 5G connectivity and is assembled in the USA. The new computing platform accelerates the development of commercial drone and robot solutions to realize the benefits of autonomous AI and 5G.

VOXL 2 enables autonomy and communications for indoor and outdoor drones and robots with vision-based SLAM and AI for movement, designed specifically for GPS-denied, autonomous UAVs with obstacle avoidance. With a 5G add-on, VOXL 2 enhances mission critical navigation, including beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) to support safer, more reliable flight.

About Doodle Labs

Doodle Labs designs and produces industrial-grade wireless networking solutions. The company focuses on mesh networking for robotic systems, providing high throughput, long-range Smart Radio solutions for UAVs, UGVs, AMRs, connected teams, government/defense, private wireless and other applications. Its customers, many in the Fortune 100, build dynamic solutions to complex problems with Doodle Labs products.

Doodle Labs was founded in 2008 and has offices in the United States, and Singapore. For more information, visit http://www.doodlelabs.com

About ModalAI

ModalAI accelerates development of smaller, smarter and safer drones and robots with SWAP-optimized Blue UAS Framework autopilots built in the U.S.A. From home and business security to retail and government applications, the companys highly-integrated AI-powered modules empower a variety of industries to utilize aerial and ground autonomous navigation systems that communicate on 4G and 5G cellular networks.

Based in San Diego, California, ModalAI was formed by former Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. employees in 2018 and builds on their prior research and development in the drone and robotic markets. ModalAIs VOXL product line helps manufacturers and independent builders get to market quickly and affordably. For more information, visit http://www.modalai.com.
Neil Gissler Zivra is an exciting company with a solid foundation and strategy, and a management team that can drive growth through differentiated, high-value services well into the future, said Gissler.

Gissler has 35 years of experience and a deep background in business strategy, operating model design and implementation, P&L design and management, go-to-market organization design, client segmentation and management, business operations and service delivery, while delivering year-over-year growth in start-up, hyper-growth, and maturing business cycles. His most recent role was COO of Dentsu International where he was responsible for the transformation of the business globally (spanning strategy development, operating model and organization design, as well as the global consolidation of brands and legal entities), as well as the on-going operations of the business to deliver planned growth and profit expectations.

Prior to Dentsu International, he was the Global COO at Merkle, a global advertising and marketing technology services company. At Merkle, he designed and implemented a new, growth-oriented operating model and organization design, implemented a market-based master service set and new multi-dimensional P&L, modernized the marketing technology services business by pivoting to fully cloud based technology solutions and transformed the overall operations of the business to deliver year-over-year profitable growth. The transformation resulted in business growth and expanded gross margin by 1400bps in less than 24 months, as well as enabled the overall business to drive organic/inorganic growth, growing revenue from $500M to $1.2B+ and expanding gross margin by 800bps and operating profit by 1200bps in less than 4 years.

Prior to Merkle, he was the North America leader for Accentures Technology growth platform. At Accenture, he managed $8.7B in Technology and IT Services sales and $7.9B in revenue and managed more than 57,000 service delivery personnel driving 16% year-over-year growth (while Gartner/IDC projected 4-5% industry growth) and expanding margins, reducing cost-to-serve and implementing improved pricing and client service delivery for 2 consecutive years.

Zivra is an exciting company with a solid foundation and strategy, and a management team that can drive growth through differentiated, high-value services well into the future, said Gissler. Their geographic reach, focus on client success, and expansion plans will help them to carve out a leadership position within the IT industry. I am excited to be joining and contributing my experience to accelerate the growth of Zivra. Im confident that I can help to realize its enormous potential.

JJ Alvarez, Founder and Managing Director at Zivra commented, We are delighted to welcome my mentor and advisor, Neil Gissler as a Senior Advisor. Neil led our Technology Growth Platform at Accenture, where I experienced the impact of his leadership firsthand. His vast experience will undoubtedly help us transform our operations to exceed our three-year growth and profitability targets elevating Zivra to the next level."

About Zivra

Zivra is an IT advisory services firm focused on providing insightful strategic consulting services with the goal of helping enterprises develop and implement their IT transformation strategy. Our mission is to promote strategic initiatives around DevSecOps, Cloud Strategy, Cybersecurity, and Digital Transformation to deliver services that increase the effectiveness of an IT organization throughout all phases of the software development lifecycle to ensure product delivery for their customers. Zivra is headquartered in Chicago with offices across the US, in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. Learn more at zivra.com.
2Hopkins isnt just a place with a Downtown Baltimore addressits genuinely a part of downtown. From the time we welcomed our first residents in 2017, weve viewed it as a genuine responsibility to be the best neighbor we can be, and that commitment hasnt wavered.

LIVEbe, a premier apartment developer and operator dedicated to delivering distinct apartment homes within connected communities, today announced it has been recognized with a 2022 Downtown Baltimore Clean and Green Award by the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, Inc.

LIVEbe was lauded for its efforts at 2Hopkins, a 21-story, 183-home apartment community located downtown at 2 Hopkins Plaza. LIVEbe was commended for its commitment to the exterior of the building and for the additions of planters, ornamental fencing and public art. Clean and Green winners were officially honored at a ceremony at the Downtown Partnerships annual meeting on Sept. 29.

We take our commitment to the city very seriously, and we are honored to be recognized with this prestigious award, said Elaine De Lude, vice president of LIVEbe. 2Hopkins isnt just a place with a Downtown Baltimore addressits genuinely a part of downtown. From the time we welcomed our first residents in 2017, weve viewed it as a genuine responsibility to be the best neighbor we can be, and that commitment hasnt wavered. We look forward to continuing to assist the community in any way that we can and keeping our building as inviting as possible.

LIVEBEs work in and around the property was recognized at the ceremony, held before numerous business and community leaders at 100 Light Street. Streetscape improvements and the continued aesthetic appeal of 2Hopkins were among the efforts identified.

2Hopkins is notable for its vast array of unique amenities and home features, including its awe-inspiring 21st-floor social spaces, dog park that features a spa and separate small- and large-dog play areas, EV-charging spaces and in-home floor-to-ceiling windows. In 2017, 2Hopkins became the first apartment community on the East Coast to implement refrigerated lockers, which serve as a premier service amenity that enables residents to safely store food deliveries.

While we are certainly proud of our amenities and home features, those only go so far with regard to the complete living experience, said Jennifer Rucker, vice president of operations for LIVEbe. Our people are who genuinely make the difference, and we are certainly humbled and honored to be recognized as an organization that genuinely takes pride in the downtown area that we serve. Well certainly continue to be unabashed ambassadors of downtown and do our part to create a warm and welcoming environment.

About LIVEbe

Headquartered in Rockville, Md., LIVEbe was founded in 2016 and is helmed by multifamily veterans Elaine De Lude and Jennifer Rucker. LIVEbe is the multifamily division of Berman Enterprises and was established with a specific focus on fostering a sense of community by offering an unparalleled living experience for residents and employing LIVEbe Ambassadors who are forward thinking and passionate about providing exceptional customer service.

About Berman Enterprises

Berman Enterprises is a multi-generational real estate and investment company founded on the principles of honesty, integrity, hard work, hands-on management, community and philanthropy. Employing a conservative financial strategy, Berman Enterprises has experienced sustained growth since brothers Melvin J. Berman and I. Wolford Berman founded the company in 1952.

Today, the Company and its affiliates own and manage more than 9 million square feet of commercial office, retail, industrial/flex and residential properties in Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. The Company also owns several hundred acres of developable land representing thousands of units of residential and hundreds of thousands of square feet of commercial and retail development potential.
Atmospheric and visually arresting, the Hall of Haunts Decoration sets the Halloween scene as spirits linger on a stormy night. We feel like weve barely scratched the surface of what can be created with digital decorating, says AtmosFX Co-Founder, Pete Reichert.

AtmosFX, the holiday decorating company known for inventing projection-based home decorating, today announces four new Halloween decorations, including the launch of its new Legends of Halloween franchise. Including these four new titles, AtmosFX now has 38 Halloween-themed decoration collections, and a total of 62 for year-round celebrations.

Available for use both indoors and out, AtmosFX Digital Decorations are a dynamic option for those who seek to decorate their homes and offices for Halloween and other special occasions. These decorations can be easily displayed with a projector or played on a television or tablet, and wont fill up your garage or basement like inflatables and plastic skeletons.

With Halloween taking place on a Monday this year, the long Halloweekend will be a great time to celebrate the holiday, says AtmosFX Co-Founder, Pete Reichert. Were glad to celebrate, too, with these four new decorations, and we cannot wait to see how the endlessly creative Halloween decorating community uses them. We are always amazed by what they do, and I know the trick-or-treaters and their parents are, too.

Of the four new AtmosFX Decorations released this season, the first is a sequel to one of AtmosFXs earliest decorations, and the second is a launch of a new franchise. The third Halloween release was inspired by our fans response to an April Fools joke, and the final decoration offers a unique way to easily create a haunted environment with your projector.

We feel like weve barely scratched the surface of what can be created with digital decorating, says Reichert. Beyond introducing iconic characters in our Legends of Halloween collection, we are excited to see how our fans use Hall of Haunts to enhance their Halloween decoration displays this year.

2022 ATMOSFX HALLOWEEN DECORATION RELEASES

All AtmosFX Decorations can be found here: https://atmosfx.com/collections/halloween

1. Spectral Signs

You can feel an ominous presence. But what do you see? Something wholly unnatural has arrived  yet the only evidence is footsteps, handprints, and cryptic communiques that fade into darkness. Available in four colors and four lighting variations, the portentous messages of the Spectral Signs Decoration Collection, the spiritual successor to Blood Walls, adds a sense of dread to any Halloween decoration display, whether projected on windows and walls, or played on a TV.

Spectral Signs is available here:

https://atmosfx.com/products/spectral-signs

2. Legends of Halloween

Halloween is but one day a year, yet a select few live it forever. They are icons, distinctive and eternal, who embody the lore  and sometimes the terror  of the scariest of seasons. The Legends of Halloween Decoration Collection tells the tales of three timeless characters  the Headless Horseman, the Grim Reaper and the Pumpkin King. No matter where you project them, they will draw you deep into these enduring myths  perhaps never to return!

Legends of Halloween is available here:

https://atmosfx.com/products/legends-of-halloween

3. Ghostly Pets

When ghosts walk the earth, wouldnt they want a dog to walk? A cat to caress? Frisky, faithful and friendly, these cuddly companions are ready to be scratched  but that's tricky, because they're ghosts! The Ghostly Pets Decoration Collection features four-legged phantasms perfect for a family-friendly Halloween. The complete collection even includes a bonus Paranormal Pet Party decoration featuring dogs and cats unliving together!

Ghostly Pets is available here:

https://atmosfx.com/products/ghostly-pets

4. Hall of Haunts

Transport yourself to another time and place  a haunted mansion where ghosts rule the household, objects live their own lives, and nothing is what it seems. Atmospheric and visually arresting, the Hall of Haunts Decoration sets the Halloween scene as spirits linger on a stormy night. Project on windows, walls and Decorating Disc, or display on a TV, this captivating decoration mixes new and classic thrills within an eerily mysterious setting.

Hall of Haunts is available here:

http://atmosfx.com/products/hall-of-haunts

About AtmosFX

AtmosFX is a Seattle-based company that seeks to dramatically change how people decorate their homes for holidays, parties and other celebrations. Through the use of beautifully animated characters, stories and atmospherics, AtmosFX Digital Decorations are an ingenious  and easy  way to decorate anywhere, any time of year. Endlessly versatile and entertaining, AtmosFX offers a variety of innovative, Hollywoodquality decorations that can be viewed on any TV or monitor, and projected on surfaces such as windows, walls  even thin air.

AtmosFX was founded in 2008 by Pete Reichert, a former MTV Producer, and Pete Williams, an animator and show creator. Both were inspired by the visual effects and animations they created for amusement parks and museums. Today, AtmosFX is the fastest growing digital home decorating company with customers in more than 150 countries around the world. To learn more about AtmosFX, visit http://www.atmosfx.com.
We are delighted that Sobi, especially as a fellow Swedish company, has chosen to partner with us to assist them with decisions of such importance.

Captario is pleased to announce that Sobi, one of the largest Swedish biopharmaceutical companies developing and providing sustainable access to innovative medicines for the treatment of rare diseases, has stepped ahead of their peers digital journey by choosing to partner with Captario in their efforts to increase efficiency in their strategic drug development initiatives.

Captario, a disruptive life science SaaS company based in Gothenburg, Sweden, offers a purpose-built SaaS platform that revolutionizes strategic decision-making during a medicines full life cycle. The Captario SUM platform combines modeling, simulations, and visualizations of assets and portfolios in one dynamic, end-to-end platform that forecasts for all types of risks and uncertainty.

With this partnership, Sobi will leverage cross-functional data and models, real-time dynamic forecasting, and simplified visualizations to make better business-critical decisions. Captario is excited to enable Sobi on their journey to become holistic, proactive, and efficient throughout a medicines and portfolios full life cycle, while also adding value to their ability to make strategic decisions in regards to the acquisition of late-stage assets, market penetration, and new market analysis.

As Johannes Vanngard, CEO at Captario, says, We are delighted that Sobi, especially as a fellow Swedish company, has chosen to partner with us to assist them with decisions of such importance. This is a frontier pharma needs to avoid stagnation, and I am excited about how this partnership will contribute to Captario's, Sobis, and Swedens, life sciences growth journey.

Since its inception, Captario has supported strategic decision-making for one-third of the top global pharmaceutical companies, and now has an international presence. This latest partnership together with Sobi not only solidifies Captarios continued game-changing dominance within the life sciences sector, but also shines a light on the commitment to disruptive innovation that continues to come out of Sweden.

For more information, contact Captario at team@captario.com.

About Captario

With operations in Europe, Australia, and the United States, Captario AB develops and implements Captario SUM, a SaaS-based decision analytics platform for individual drug projects and portfolios. Captario SUM provides real-time answers and the ability to compare a vast magnitude of options based on visual modeling, cross-organizational workflow reporting, and cloud-based simulation, all gathered into one seamless solution.

Learn more about Captario here.

http://www.captario.com | LinkedIn | Youtube | Twitter
Next Quarter, formally ForecastEra, a customer-centric revenue intelligence platform, unveiled the companys new brand identity today.

Next Quarter, formally ForecastEra, a customer-centric revenue intelligence platform, unveiled the companys new brand identity today. The rebranding follows a recent investment and valuable additions to the executive team that will allow Next Quarter to help empower organizations worldwide to leverage data intelligence with confidence for exponential growth. The rebrand represents the company's evolution to the Next Quarter platform, which continues to expand and adapt to meet existing and new customers' shifting needs.

Next Quarter has already established itself as the go-to AI platform for revenue intelligence among many Fortune 500 companies and is recognized by industry analysts Garner and Forrester. When identifying account planning tools that have achieved a significant market share, Gartner featured Next Quarter (then ForecastEra) in its 2022 Hype Cycle for CRM Sales Technology Report. Next Quarter is already moving forward to even greater market penetration with its revenue intelligence platform.

"A key component of the Next Quarter platform is its unique ability to accelerate the power of Salesforce to help its customers thrive. Next Quarter's solutions support collaboration between sales operations and finance departments while giving businesses real-time account and sales intelligence, forecasts, and the insights they need to grow," explains Rahul Shah, Next Quarter Founder and CEO.

The resulting rebrand represents the company's full suite of capabilities, account growth, revenue intelligence, and financial clarity in a single platform. It allows Next Quarter to provide a single source of truth that sales, revenue, and finance teams can trust.

The Next Quarter rebrand follows several company additions over the last year. In October 2021, the company received an investment funding round led by Ringbolt Capital.

"We're excited to see how the transformative Next Quarter platform performs. Being a Salesforce native platform enhances its value and extends its reach to more than 150,000 users worldwide. Next Quarter's impressive forecasting accuracy in real-time can provide CROs and CFOs with a significant advantage in plotting their companies' futures, said Joe Vacca, Ringbolt Managing Partner.

Shah realized that Next Quarter was in a unique and exciting position, further enhanced by the new funding. "Our investors appreciate the massive potential in this market. In fact, the data supports substantial growth over the next five years, with the strong possibility of seeing $1.6 billion in new business revenue through the Salesforce network."

Over the past year, Next Quarter has expanded its robust suite of capabilities and offerings. With the new name in place and the new website launched, Next Quarter is in an exceptional position to help companies close deals faster.

About Next Quarter

Next Quarter is a customer-centric revenue intelligence platform native to Salesforce that improves sales productivity and accurately predicts forecast performance. Next Quarter simplifies the overall sales process through account growth, revenue intelligence, and financial clarity, offering a clearer path to drive revenue growth. For more information, please visit https://nextq.ai.
Arcitectas original thesis is still relevant today: to harness the power of data to allow us to collaborate, see patterns and to make discoveries. All the buzz about AI and machine learning are predicated on one thing: having data and being able to use it effectively. ~ Jason Lohrey, CEO

Arcitecta, a creative and innovative data management software company, today announced that its CEO and founder, Jason Lohrey was honored by the Pearcey Foundation with its prestigious 2022 Pearcey Victorian Entrepreneur Award. The award was presented at an event in Melbourne, Australia.

Inspired by the arts and the unencumbered freedom of imagination and creativity they stir, Lohrey turned the concept of a data platform that could underpin the impending data age into a thriving data management software company. Founded in 1998, Arcitecta has become a global technology enterprise with a reputation for solving data management problems that others cannot. Its unique approach to data management empowers all sizes of organizations and global enterprises to simplify their data-intensive workflows and accelerate time to insight from their data to improve business and research outcomes.

Arcitectas original thesis is still relevant today: to harness the power of data to allow us to collaborate, see patterns and to make discoveries. All the buzz about artificial intelligence and machine learning are predicated on one thing: having data and being able to use it effectively, said Lohrey. Im humbled by the Pearcey Foundation recognition, appreciative of Arcitectas extraordinarily talented team, and gratified to lead a successful business that remains focused on a triple bottom line  people, planet and profits.

This honor follows the recognition of Arcitectas flagship product, Mediaflux, earlier this year as the Most Complete Solution and Best Software Architecture by the International Data Mover Challenge at Supercomputing Asia 2022. Mediaflux is an all-in-one data asset management system with high-performance data movement capabilities and a global file system to accelerate business outcomes and value. It leverages the power of metadata to provide a complete view of an organizations' disparate data and ensures that it is being captured and relayed  accurately and at the right time.

Jason epitomizes the purpose of the Pearcey Foundation, to promote and recognize Australian technologists who lead the world with their innovations, attract the respect and admiration of their teams, and contribute selflessly to improving our community for a better future for all, said Jordan Green, Chair  Victorian Committee, Pearcey Foundation. The technology Jason makes available through his company Arcitecta comprises unique and uniquely valuable innovations that launch software capabilities in whole new directions.

The Pearcey Foundation Inc. is a non-profit organization established in 1998 to raise the profile of the Australian Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry and profession. It was created in the memory of one of the greatest pioneers of the Australian ICT industry, Dr Trevor Pearcey. The Pearcey Victorian Entrepreneur Award is presented to an outstanding individual who has "taken a risk, made a difference and is an inspiration to others" in the Victorian ICT industry. The peer-nominated award process draws on nominations from the public and the Pearcey Foundation network. Selection is made in consultation with past award recipients to ensure the continued integrity and quality of the peer-based recognition.

About Arcitecta

Arcitecta is a creative and innovative data management software company. Founded in 1998, Arcitecta builds the worlds best data management platforms, enabling thousands of users worldwide in some of the most demanding data-driven environments. Arcitectas flagship Mediaflux platform began with the vision to provide organizations with extraordinary technology for handling all forms of data, from small to very large and complex. Today, it forms the foundation for managing the simplest and the most complex data for all sizes of organizations and global enterprises, empowering them to simplify data-intensive workflows and accelerate time to insight from their data to improve business and research outcomes.

# # #

Media Contact Information

Arcitecta:

Press@Arcitecta.com

US/EMEA Media Inquiries:

Denise Nelson, IGNITE Consulting

+1 925-858-5198

Australia/APAC Media Inquiries:

Emily King | Arcitecta Marketing and Communications

+61 434 255 022
AL Series Compressor

Tecumseh Products Company LLC, a global leader and innovator of commercial refrigeration technologies, will showcase its latest product portfolio at Chillventa 2022 in Nuremburg, Germany. Tecumsehs booth will be located at Hall 5-332.

New compressor and condensing unit technologies that will be unveiled at Chillventa include: Series AL compressor platform with high efficiency, optimized for R-290 refrigerants; new compressors and condensing units such as Series FH2 and Silensys Advanced, which are specifically optimized for A2L refrigerants; DC-powered cooling and refrigeration technology for refrigerated transport and mobile delivery solutions.

Tecumsehs product portfolio is designed to advance efficiency and sustainability in commercial refrigeration technology and positions Tecumseh as a full solutions-provider of farm-to-fork cold-chain beyond food service and food retail segments.

Series AL Compressor Platform for R-290

The new Series AL Compressor platform is making its first public appearance at Chillventa. It is up to 15% better in performance and energy efficiency packed in a very compact body compared to existing models in the market. In a quiet and small housing that is estimated to be roughly 5% shorter in height compared to competitive products, Series AL models provide up to 20cc displacements and are designed specifically for L/MBP applications in light commercial refrigeration. The expanded L/MBP operating range allows standardized use across display cases, reach-in coolers and ice machine applications.

Series AL, optimized for R-290 (propane) refrigerants, has capacities ranging from 1,240 to 1,800 Btu/h (0.36kW to 0.52kW) at LBP and from 3,730 to 4,990 Btu/h (1 to 1.5kW) at MBP both in EN12900 conditions. It delivers the same capacity as a larger displacement, single-speed compressor, making more room for merchandise in refrigeration units.

Expanding Portfolio with Low-GWP A2L Refrigerants

As one of the first manufacturers in the refrigeration industry to have introduced compressor models optimized for A2L refrigerants such as R-455A, R-454C and R-1234yf, Tecumseh continues to expand its low-GWP portfolio. The new A2L-ready compressors can be used in indoor or outdoor condensing units ranging from 1 to 20 kW, making it the perfect solution for cold rooms, display cases, refrigerated cabinets and beverage dispensers in food retail and services.

In addition to A2L-ready compressors, such as Series AE2, AJ2, FH2 and AG, Tecumseh has deployed its A2L refrigerant technology in Silensys Advanced, the outdoor condensing unit which is often considered the benchmark in the industry.

These additions are highly efficient alternatives to mid-sized system requirements that are too small for typical CO2-based systems and too large for an R-290-based system. Using Tecumsehs A2L offerings, design engineers at refrigeration OEM companies now have a more suitable approach to refrigerant transitions without compromising system efficiency while meeting low-GWP requirements.

DC-powered, Variable-Speed Cooling & Refrigeration for Transport and eMobility

Due to the recent increase in refrigerated transport of COVID-19 vaccines and accelerated adoption of e-commerce deliveries of perishable goods, Masterflux, Tecumsehs suite of DC-powered electric compressor technology, has gained significant demand. Masterflux compressors that were originally designed in 2004 have expanded their full line-up of cooling and refrigerated solutions to EV and mobile refrigerated applications over time. Most recently, Tecumseh has developed highly efficient mobile condensing units for refrigerated cargo, EV battery-cooling and mobile air-conditioning.

Refrigeration Expert Presentations

Technical Directors from Tecumseh will be presenting during the Industry Expert Presentations during Chillventa.

Lionel Audouy, the Global Compressor Platform Director, will present Best selection of refrigerants based on refrigeration capacity requirements in your application. In this presentation, Audouy will explain when and why A2L refrigerants should be used in certain commercial refrigeration projects by going over several key case studies. The presentation will be on Tuesday, October 11, 13:40  14:00, at Hall 7A, Booth 7A-616.

Robert Terry, the General Manager of Masterflux Business Unit, will present Improve Energy Efficiency of Electric Transport Refrigeration Utilizing Variable-Speed DC Compressor Solutions. Terry will discuss mobile refrigeration systems of transport refrigeration units utilizing variable-speed compressors; these are not only highly energy-efficient but also capable of controlling temperature more precisely. The presentation will occur on Wednesday, October 12, 11:40  12:00, at Hall 7A, Booth 7A-616.

About Tecumseh Products Company LLC

Founded in 1934, Tecumseh Products Company LLC is a leading global manufacturer of hermetic reciprocating, rotary and scroll compressors ranging in capacity from 1/15th to 30 horsepower, as well as offering a complete line of condensing units and systems for use in residential and commercial refrigeration and air conditioning applications. Tecumseh products are manufactured on four continents and sold globally through a network of sales professionals, authorized wholesalers and licensed distributors offering brand names that include: AE, AE2, AW, Celseon, LUnite Hermetique, Masterflux, Silensys, and Wintsys. Tecumseh Products Company LLC is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
iOS 15 Impact on Email Marketing We knew iOS 15 would have an impact on brands email marketing programs and were focused on providing the guidance and tools necessary for them to successfully navigate this shift.  Rytis Lauris, CEO, Omnisend

In September 2021, Apple released its iOS 15 software update which included Mail Privacy Protection. This feature had an unknown but anticipated impact on how email open data would be shared with ecommerce brands, having a potential cascading effect on DTC email marketing tactics and overall strategy. One year later, a new report by Omnisend reveals the impact of iOS 15.

Omnisends research reveals that open rates in the 11 months since the iOS 15 release are an incredible 93.6% higher than during the same period the year before.

Not only did open rates drastically increase in the 11 months since its release but the adoption of iOS 15 was immediately evident through Q4 2021 as open rates increased from one month to the next. These results were counterintuitive to seasonal trends. Comparing Q4 2021 to the previous nine months, open rates increased by 59%. In 2020, the increase was only 0.8%, and in 2019 it decreased by 1.9%.

The findings are part of Omnisends report, iOS 15 Email Marketing Impact Report. The research analyzed the performance of 15 billion marketing emails by Omnisend merchants since the iOS 15 release and 20 billion sent before the release.

As brands approach the holiday marketing season with a strong emphasis on email and SMS marketing, adjusting their strategies to account for this unnatural increase in opens is critical.

In addition to the research, the report illustrates ways brands can adapt their marketing for the post-iOS 15 new normal.

Other highlights of the report include:



The average open rate for the 11 months following the release (starting in October of 2021) is 93.6% higher than during the same period the year before.

In the first eight months of 2022, open rates increased 93.5% year-over-year. In 2021, the increase was 18.9%, and in 2020 it was 21.8%.

Click-based email automation is instrumental for sales growth. The report discusses specific ways brands can move from open-based marketing to click-based marketing.

Merchants should add complementary, high-engagement opt-in marketing channels such as SMS to engage unengaged email subscribers.

Being adaptable is essential for ecommerce brands and in todays environment. CEO and Co-founder Rytis Lauris said that Omnisend was well prepared to help their customers navigate these changes.

We knew iOS 15 would impact brands email marketing reporting and strategies, Lauris said. Thats why we were preparing our customers for this shift from day one, both by education and by updating our platform. The only way they would succeed was if we provided the guidance and tools necessary for them to make a seamless transition.

Pointing to the shift from an open-based to click-based marketing strategy, Greg Zakowicz, Ecommerce Marketing Expert at Omnisend, said brands have never been in a better position to make the switch.

The ability to create click-based rules inside of automated messaging workflows and create engagement-based segments has never been easier, Zakowicz said. Not only is it easier for brands to accomplish but the end result creates a better customer experience by allowing brands to deliver more relevant messages during customers shopping journeys.

About Omnisend Omnisend is an ecommerce-tailored email & SMS marketing automation platform built to help nimble teams drive more revenue without increasing their workload. One-click ecommerce stack integrations, pre-built workflows, and intuitive drag & drop editing make it easy to get up & running without diving into the smallest details, unless you want to.

More than 75,000 ecommerce brands use Omnisend to grow their businesses on autopilot, converting their customers with quick-to-build, highly relevant emails & texts.
RationAle Brewing, the San Diego-born, Sonoma-brewed non-alcoholic craft beer brand, partners with Karl Strauss With how quickly the demand for high-quality, non-alcoholic options is growing, were on a mission to have our brews available in retail and on-premise destinations where consumers go to find and enjoy the best craft beer in the region," shares Jamie Fay, Founder of RationAle Brewing.

RationAle Brewing (https://rationalebrewing.com/), the San Diego-born, Sonoma-brewed non-alcoholic craft beer brand, announces its partnership with Karl Strauss Brewing Company (https://www.karlstrauss.com/), the San Diego-based, independent, craft brewery and distributor, to provide new distribution across retail and on-premise accounts throughout Southern California. RationAle will be the distributors first and only brand of non-alcoholic beer, in its growing portfolio, as more and more consumers seek options for moderation.

Karl Strauss has been pioneering the craft beer scene with innovative beer releases for more than three decades. With its distribution arm, Karl Strauss Distribution, the brewery is giving other independent beverage producers, like RationAle, an opportunity to leverage its expertise and resource channels to effectively scale their brands.

Were stoked to have such a reputable, experienced and passionate team representing RationAle, as we further the reach of our non-alcoholic brews into the SoCal craft beer scene, shares Jamie Fay, Founder of RationAle Brewing. With how quickly the demand for high-quality, non-alcoholic options is growing, were on a mission to have our brews available in retail and on-premise destinations where consumers go to find and enjoy the best craft beer in the region.

Launched in late 2021, RationAle has added variety, flavor and innovation to the fast-growing U.S. non-alcohol beer category, providing brew-loving consumers with delicious options to enjoy craft beer in moderation. All of RationAles completely-crushable, non-alcoholic craft brews are served in 12oz. cans, made with high-quality ingredients and in small batches, maintaining the bold, refreshing taste of traditional craft beer.

Were excited to welcome RationAle to the Karl Strauss Distribution family, as our teams first foray into the non-alcoholic craft beer category, states Chad Health, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, at Karl Strauss. We know consumers love quality craft beer, are passionate about taste, and want flavor/style variety; and we also know they want all of those things while increasingly looking to moderate their alcohol intake. With RationAle in our portfolio, alongside our growing list of traditional craft beers, we have the opportunity to drive incrementality for our customers, and increase the number of people enjoying beer on more occasions than ever before.

RationAles partnership with Karl Strauss follows the appointment of Debbie Novograd, former Vice Chairman of the Board and CEO of BevZero and Director of Marketing for Starbucks, as a Strategic Advisor (https://www.prweb.com/releases/2022/9/prweb18930893.htm), as well as its partnership with Breakthru Beverage Group, a leading North American distributor of the world's top beer brands, to support the brands expansion into Colorado (https://www.prweb.com/releases/2022/9/prweb18874932.htm).

RationAles Brews without the Booze are available via RationAleBrewing.com (https://rationalebrewing.com/) and continue to carve out desirable beer fridge real estate in strategic retail and on-premise partners, throughout California and Colorado, including Whole Foods Market, Erewhon Market, Mollie Stones, Olivers, Lassens, and Seaside Market, with more being added in the coming months.

To learn more and shop for RationAle Brewing, visit http://www.rationalebrewing.com.

About RationAle Brewing:

RationAle Brewing offers an innovative variety of small-batch, non-alcoholic craft beers for those seeking to embrace moderation while drinking consciously and living boldly. Founded in 2021 by Jamie Fay and officially launching into the non-alcohol craft beer category in early 2022, RationAle is rooted in the idea of embracing moderation without sacrifice, quickly establishing itself as the official beer of moderation. RationAles four brews without booze are produced using a proprietary distillation technology to gently remove alcohol from the brewed beer, with minimal effects on its integrity and overall quality.

With the recent launch of The Original Rationale West Coast IPA and New England Hazy IPA, RationAles 12 oz. cans (at $16/six-pack) are now available online at http://www.rationalebrewing.com, shipping nationwide, in addition to retail and on-premise locations throughout California and Colorado.

About Karl Strauss Brewing Company:

Karl Strauss Brewing Company has been proudly independent since 1989, pioneering the craft beer scene with innovative and award-winning releases. Dedicated to growing the craft beer industry in San Diego and beyond, Karl Strauss Distributing helps fellow brewers by giving them an avenue for bringing their labors of love to market.

For more information, visit http://www.karlstrauss.com.
A. O. Smith's new Voltex AL reduces energy bills by estimated 78%, or up to $521 per year on utility bills. In addition to helping combat the effects of climate change, switching to a heat pump water heater is an easy step for homeowners to significantly lower their homes energy bills and carbon emissions, produce substantial upfront and long-term savings, and deliver plenty of hot water.

A. O. Smith, the worlds largest manufacturer of commercial and residential water heaters, has launched the most energy efficient water heater available today with its new Voltex AL (anti-leak) smart hybrid electric heat pump water heater line, designed to offer homeowners plenty of hot water at the lowest possible cost. Just in time for Energy Awareness Month and ENERGY STAR DAY on Oct. 12, the new A. O. Smith Voltex AL residential heat pump water heaters feature integrated smart home connectivity and leak protection technology to provide homeowners with exceptional energy savings and added peace of mind.

Heat pump technology continues to play an increasingly important role in decarbonization and efficiency efforts across the country, said Francois Lebrasseur, utility sector manager for A. O. Smith. In addition to helping combat the effects of climate change, switching to a heat pump water heater is an easy step for homeowners to significantly lower their homes energy bills and carbon emissions, produce substantial upfront and long-term savings, and deliver plenty of hot water.

Water heaters are the second highest source of energy usage in the home. On average, they use more energy than a refrigerator, dishwasher, laundry washer and dryer combined. Designed to help drastically reduce energy usage, heat pump technology is by far the most efficient way to heat water in the home, regardless of fuel type. The new A. O. Smith Voltex AL heat pump water heaters are three times as efficient as standard electric water heaters, saving homeowners up to 78% in annual energy bills. By dramatically decreasing the cost of operation, homeowners can save up to $521 per year on utility bills.*

In fact, the Voltex AL heat pump water heater includes the highest overall efficiency on the market today with a Uniform Energy Factor (UEF) of 4.02 (66-gallon model), and the highest 50-gallon efficiency available today of 3.8 UEF. For additional up-front savings, a federal tax credit is available and many utilities and energy organizations across the country offer incentives for purchasing A. O. Smiths ENERGY STAR certified heat pump water heaters  including instant rebates as high as $1,000 in some states. To find which incentives are available in your area, visit hotwater.com.

A. O. Smiths new Voltex AL heat pump water heaters are equipped with iCOMM technology to support new connected anti-leak technology, including integrated leak detection and a smart anode to extend the life of the product. Using the A. O. Smith mobile app, homeowners can remotely manage their water heater to improve performance and increase savings, including monitoring schedules and energy usage, as well as adjusting temperature levels and the operating mode. For added peace of mind, the smart sensor alerts homeowners immediately through the app if a leak is detected, and an optional shutoff valve accessory can be added. At 45 dBA, the new Voltex AL heat pump water heater operates with significantly less noise and is the quietest model currently on the market.

An industry first, A. O. Smiths new smart anode adapts to local water conditions to protect the unit and extend the life of the water heater by sending an alert through the mobile app and on the units control panel when it needs to be replaced  a primary cause of terminal failure in water heaters. Instead of requiring a professional to visually inspect it once per year for maintenance, these notifications provide proactive alerts when the anode should be replaced. Additionally, the Voltex AL line features built-in demand response intelligence that connects with local utility smart grid programs to automatically shift electricity usage during peak periods for the lowest utility rate available, helping homeowners save even more money without any added effort  unlike other models available today, which require manual utility data entry.

A family-founded business with 148 years of American manufacturing expertise, A. O. Smiths family of brands offers over 1,000 ENERGY STAR products. In 2022, A. O. Smith was named an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for the fourth consecutive year and received its second Sustained Excellence Award for year-over-year contributions to support Americas clean energy transition  a designation only a handful of water heating manufacturers have achieved.

The new A. O. Smith Voltex AL line is available in 50-, 66- and 80-gallon size tank options to suit each individual homes unique hot water needs. For more information about A. O. Smith and the new Voltex AL heat pump water heater, visit http://www.hotwater.com.

*Comparing 66-gallon Voltex AL heat pump water heater against pre-2015 similarly-sized standard electric tank type water heater using DOE EF to UEF conversion rates. Savings may vary.

About A. O. Smith Water Heating

Americas most trusted water heater brand, A. O. Smith is the worlds largest manufacturer of commercial and residential water heaters. The company brings a 148-year history of innovation and American manufacturing expertise to developing industry-leading, high-efficiency water heating products that are designed, engineered and assembled in the U.S. From creating the industry standard glass lining in 1933, to introducing the first 95% energy efficient water heater in 1986, A. O. Smith has continuously led the water heating industry with a tradition of innovation for almost a century. Today the multi-generational, family-founded business offers a wide range of water heaters  from standard gas and electric water heaters to high efficiency heat pump and tankless models  to meet every homes unique water heating needs. For more information, visit http://www.hotwater.com.
We genuinely care about the success and welfare of the founders we work with and knowing that our founder partners recognize and value these efforts is a source of great pride. Tom Formolo, Partner at New Harbor Capital

New Harbor Capital is grateful to be included for the third consecutive year in Inc.s 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.

The final list recognizes 184 firms that entrepreneurs collaborate with and trust as they receive the financial support they need to help drive growth. All 184 have successful track records of remaining actively involved with the businesses they invest in.

New Harbor is honored to be included on this list for the third year, said Tom Formolo, Partner at New Harbor Capital. Partnership, collaboration, and servant leadership are at the core of our firms culture and values. We genuinely care about the success and welfare of the founders we work with and knowing that our founder partners recognize and value these efforts is a source of great pride.

To compile the list, Inc. went straight to the source: entrepreneurs who have sold to private equity. Founders filled out a questionnaire about their experiences partnering with private equity firms and shared data on how their portfolio companies have grown during these partnerships.

New Harbor was founded on the belief that mutual respect and collaboration lead to the most successful outcomes. Servant leadership and partnership are the foundation of New Harbors priorities. This unique and collaborative approach has fostered deeply valuable, personal, and long-term relationships with founders, many of which have gone on to become Executive Advisors to the firm post-exit. The following testimonials tell this story:

From the very beginning, it was clear that our organizations shared similar values and commitments to innovation and growth. New Harbors extensive experience working with founder-led companies in relevant industries to ours has elevated our business, said Glen Marinelli, Founder and CEO of FoodPharma

New Harbors track record of scaling animal health companies has been extremely valuable as we expand IndeVets reach to new markets and bring balance, fulfillment, and joy to veterinarians across the country, said Michael Raphael, Founder and CEO of IndeVets

We are thrilled to have found a partner who aligns with our core values, mission, and vision for the future. New Harbor provides the guidance and capital necessary to help us invest in the most advanced technology, improve internal processes, and put important infrastructure in place so that we may continue to build upon what we love most: excellent patient care, said Dr. Thomas Quigley, MD and Founder of Quigley Eye Specialists

To view the complete list, visit https://www.inc.com/founder-friendly-investors/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 New Harbor Capital

New Harbor Capital is a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on investing in lower middle market, growth-oriented healthcare, education, and business services companies. Our Partners have over 80 years of combined experience, partnering with strong management teams to systematically enable accelerated growth in value creation. Since 2000, the New Harbor team has completed over 230 investments. As an experienced strategic partner, New Harbor supports management with ideas, connections and resources to capitalize on growth potential. For additional information, please visit http://www.newharborcap.com.

DISCLAIMER: This recognition was received from Inc. Media on October 4, 2022. New Harbor Capital paid $995 in entry fees to Inc. Media to be considered for this recognition. The entry process involved contacting past and present founders from New Harbor Capitals investment portfolio to ask them about their experience partnering with New Harbor Capital. New Harbor Capital was one of 184 firms to receive this recognition from Inc. Media. This rating may not be representative of any one investors experience and is not indicative of any future performance.
Learning Numbers With GOD and Me: a vibrant and enjoyable work that helps plant the seed for later successes in school and faith. Learning Numbers With GOD and Me is the creation of published author A.D. Lawrence, a loving wife and a mother of seven and grandmother of one. Lawrence has worked as a janitor and caregiver and is also a certified phlebotomist.

Lawrence shares, This book came about as I have always tried to teach my kids from home. It was very challenging and nerve-wracking. Not really knowing how to get them to focus because most of them suffered from ADD or ADHD, I must say that over the years, God was preparing me for my baby boy that we had later who seem to suffer from both. I had zero patience, but I wanted my kids to know as much as I could get them to learn before going to school, hoping it would give them a smooth start. However, including God in our learning has helped me gain patience and took a lot of pressure off of them in the learning process. I hope this book will help transition things for the good in your life as you teach your child or children how to count and learn about our wonderful Godhis creations and his love for us.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, A.D. Lawrences new book will encourage and empower young readers in their learning and spiritual growth.

Lawrence shares from experience to aid parents and little ones navigate the challenges and victories associated with education.

Consumers can purchase Learning Numbers With GOD and Me at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Learning Numbers With GOD and Me, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia have discussed the current status of the construction of the 240 MW Khizi-Absheron wind power plant, which was founded in January 2022, Azernews reports.

The discussion took place during the meeting between Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud, held on the margins of the 33rd Ministerial Meeting of OPEC and non-OPEC member countries in Vienna.

During the meeting, the ministers discussed the current status of the construction of the 240 MW Khizi-Absheron wind power plant, founded in January 2022. They noted that this project, implemented by ACWA Power, will contribute to Azerbaijan's goals on renewable energy.

The parties also exchanged views on the current situation in the global oil market and cooperation between the two countries in the OPEC plus format.

"In #Vienna, we discussed the regulation of the global oil market, the #EnergyCooperation, including the construction of the Khizi-Absheron #WPP, with Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi Arabian Energy Minister," Parviz Shahbazov tweeted.

Other areas of mutual interest in bilateral energy cooperation were also discussed during the conversation.

Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia are cooperating in different spheres of the economy, especially in renewable energy. In this context, the agreements on the 240 MW wind power plant project were signed between the Energy Ministry, the Azerenergy OJSC, and Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power on December 29, 2020. A groundbreaking ceremony for the plant to be built took place on January 13. The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $27 million in 2021.
Greg Bachman, an anesthesiologist who trained at Cornells Columbia-Presbyterian hospital, has completed his new book Tighter Wind the Giant Coils: Who Shot Mason Cooper?: a gripping and potent mystery novel that unravels a murder case with many possible suspects.

Its 1995, and superficially, Dr. Mason Cooper would appear to have it alla beautiful wife, a successful career, and a sterling community reputation. When his body is discovered under the dock of his estate home along the St. Johns River, it seems there would be few suspects. On the contrary, there are several individuals who are possible suspects.

Is it his stately and sophisticated wife, Lydia, who has conspired to kill Mason? Is it his mistress and coworker, Kendra Taylor, bent on revenge? Could it be Presbyterian Hospitals newly hired cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Lance Barton, whose reputation Cooper meant to destroy? Is it Presbyterians CEO, Brad Spence, who is determined to wrest control of Coopers practice and consolidate his power at the hospital? Is Dr. Robert Edwards, the anesthesiologist who has been the object of Coopers relentless bullying since arriving in Jacksonville the year before?

Dr. Jacob Fleckert, Jacksonville's renowned forensic pathologist, who discerns the killers identity, but he has his own reasons for not disclosing what he knows to his detective friend.

Author Greg Bachman writes, The body was past the point of rigor mortis, and it had died, but not all the cells within. Billions of microbes had continued to feast away in those four days, clostridium and other anaerobes, now unhindered by an immune system that otherwise would have held them in check. They feasted away on the body, creating carbon dioxide and eventually enough buoyancy to bring that part of the body to the surface.

Published by Page Publishing, Greg Bachmans riveting tale unfolds as secrets abound. Nearly everyone has a hidden past, and nearly everyone has at least one motivemoney, sex, or revengefor wanting Cooper dead. Interwoven into the story are true historical notes and personages of Jacksonville and that area of northeastern Florida in 1995, an area that bears more resemblance to the Deep South than typical Florida. It is a story that has enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing about the who, how, and why until the very end, and it is certain to have readers going back to find the missed clues.

Readers who wish to experience this intriguing work can purchase Tighter Wind the Giant Coils: Who Shot Mason Cooper? at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Jim Weeks, an Irish immigrant who was raised in southeastern Texas, enlisted in the US Air Force at the age of nineteen and retired after twenty-three years of service as a Senior Master Sergeant, and now lives in Florida, where he worked for a time at Cape Canaveral Space Center and Patrick Air Force Base has completed his new book Jin Mi: Life Goes On: a lighthearted continuation of his Jin Mi series inspired by his experiences in his first overseas deployment in Taiwan.

Jin Mi returned to Taiwan after a one-year absence. During his return, new chapters developed in his life. There was a beautiful Taiwanese movie star, a young schoolgirl, a prostitute, old loves, and new loves. There were also travels, concerts, CDs, and a new format called Love Night. Also, there was trouble when an old friend negotiated price for a band and when the schoolgirl walked out of his life. The drama seemed to build daily until he couldnt stand it anymore. How did Jin Mi handle all this drama?

Published by Page Publishing, Jim Weekss engrossing book is an entertaining choice for avid fiction readers.

Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase Jin Mi: Life Goes On at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing understands that authors should be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.


SOI.Pro signed a cooperation agreement with BARE International, a global customer experience assessment partner to exchange experiences and apply international standards. We are thrilled to expand our business and enter the Vietnam market with SOI.Pro," states Aviraj Puri of BARE International. "We are positive that this partnership will only help both companies achieve increased market efficiencies.

BARE International (BARE) announced a new partnership with SOI.Pro, a market research company based in Vietnam with 10 years of experience in the field of consulting, evaluating, and improving customer experience for businesses. This partnership allows BARE to support SOI.Pro with their global clients, with SOI.Pro providing an opportunity for BARE to grow and support specific market-based clients in Vietnam.

"We at BARE International always look for opportunities to grow, and we thrive for continued success and excellence, says Aviraj Puri, Regional Director for BARE India and Singapore.

This strategic partnership with SOI.Pro further supports BARE International's vision of becoming a worldwide customer experience leader. We are thrilled to expand our business and enter the Vietnam market with SOI.Pro and are positive that this partnership will only help both companies achieve increased market efficiencies.

Ensuring consistent experiences throughout the customer journey, monitoring employee compliance, surveying customers, and listening to customer feedback are all important steps to creating a great user experience at every touchpoint, across every platform.

This is why SOI.Pro signed a partnership with BARE International, shares a SOI.Pro representative. [They are] an organization with 35 years of providing market survey and customer experience enhancement services in nearly 200 countries around the world and can support Vietnamese businesses, improve experience, and keep up with international trends.

About BARE International: BARE International sets the industry standard as the largest independent provider of customer experience research, data, and analytics for companies worldwide. Founded in 1987, BARE International is a family-owned business with global capabilities providing unmatched service and supporting businesses in over twenty industries.

BARE is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Fairfax, Virginia with ten offices around the world. On any given day, BARE International is doing business for clients in more than 150 countries. To learn more about BARE Internationals customer experience research services and their dedicated field force of evaluators, visit https://www.bareinternational.com.

About SOI.Pro: SOI.Pro is a Vietnam-based market research firm that partners with many customer-centric Vietnam businesses and specializes in customer experience. SOI. Pro helps improve customer service quality, contributing to the sustainable growth of the business. They are a member of the Mystery Shopping Professional Association - Asia Pacific region and earned Top 10 Vietnamese Brands for the Customers Rights in 2022. Additionally, SOI.Pro has earned Outstanding Enterprises of Hanoi back-to-back years. To read more about SOI.Pro, visit https://en.soipro.vn/
Achieving gold-level status for the second year in a row is a real testament to the colleges efforts to not just be veteran-friendly for our more than 250 student veterans, but veteran-embracing, said Charles Heidelberg, veteran services coordinator.

Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency once again named Kalamazoo Valley Community College a Veteran Friendly School, with gold-level status and certified the college as an official Veteran Connector school, a program that connects veterans to benefits and resources in all areas of life, including education, employment and health care. The Michigan Veteran-Friendly Schools Program recognizes academic institutions committed to supporting the needs of veterans and military-connected students. These institutions are awarded gold, silver and bronze-level status based on their veteran-centric services and programs.

Any academic institution or training facility in Michigan eligible to receive veteran education benefits can apply for the program. Veteran-Friendly School Program criteria includes:



Established processes for identification of current student veterans

Veteran-specific website

Active student veteran organization or club

Veteran-specific career services, resources, advising and/or outcome monitoring

On-campus veterans coordinator and/or designated staff point of contact

System to evaluate and award academic credit based on prior military training and experience

Monitoring and evaluation of student veteran academic retention, progress, and graduation rates

Schools are accepted into the program at the bronze, silver, or gold level. A school that is accepted at the gold (highest) level has met at least six of the seven criteria to be a Veteran Friendly School.

Kalamazoo Valleys Veteran Services Coordinator Charles Heidelberg said it is an honor to be named a 2022 Veteran Friendly School.

Achieving gold-level status for the second year in a row is a real testament to the colleges efforts to not just be veteran-friendly for our more than 250 student veterans, but veteran-embracing, Heidelberg said. We work tirelessly to create a smooth transition from soldier to student, supporting these men and women every step of the way.

For more information about the veteran services available on campus, contact Heidelberg at 269.488.4970 or veterans@kvcc.edu.
Connecticut Innovations(CI), the states leading venture capital arm, today announced the companies selected to present at the VentureClash Climate Edition pitch and networking event on Thursday, October 27.

Presenting companies include:



Air Company (New York, New York): a carbon utilization company working with industries to create planetary change

Alt Tex (Toronto, Canada): creator of the worlds most radically sustainable polyester alternative, from one of the worlds largest landfill contributors  food waste

Fermata (Tel Aviv, Israel): developer of sustainable computer vision solutions for precise plant monitoring

IoTecha (Cranbury, New Jersey): a company focused on IoT as an enabling technology for the future of transportation electrification and power grid modernization

Living Ink (Berthoud, Colorado): a biomaterials company creating and delivering carbon-negative pigment and ink products from algae

Moduly (Montreal, Quebec): a company developing a technology to solve the problem of energy efficiency and the reduction of carbon dioxide

Prime Roots (Berkeley, California): a Koji-based deli meats company

After considering many worthy applicants, we are excited to welcome these innovative companies to New Haven and look forward to learning more about their respective visions and potential role within Connecticuts green ecosystem, said Konstantine Drakonakis, venture partner with Connecticut Innovations. By focusing this edition of VentureClash on the climate crisis, we are supporting the future green economy innovators and entrepreneurs while also deepening Connecticuts position as a hub for companies pursuing climate-focused business strategies.

Created in partnership with Connecticut Green Bank, the Department of Economic & Community Development, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, VentureClash Climate Edition is a networking and pitch event bringing together companies and thought leaders to solve real-world climate issues.

The event, which will attract some of the worlds most disruptive green companies, is a product of CIs new ClimateTech Fund, which seeks to invest $100 million in companies developing solutions that contribute to climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience. VentureClash Climate Edition participants will be introduced to a network of customers, investors, mentors and resources throughout the states ecosystem, while gaining access to strategic collaboration and investment opportunities.

For more information or to attend, please visit http://www.ventureclash.com.

About VentureClash Climate Edition:

VentureClash Climate Edition is a networking and pitch event where companies and thought leaders discuss and solve for the worlds biggest climate-related issues. Managed by Connecticut Innovations, VentureClash scans the globe for early-stage companies that are looking to land and expand in Connecticut. In addition to company investments, VentureClash companies also benefit from introductions to a critical network of potential customers, investors, mentors and talent.

About Connecticut Innovations:

Connecticut Innovations (CI) is Connecticuts strategic venture capital arm and the leading source of financing and ongoing support for Connecticuts innovative, growing companies. CI provides venture capital and strategic support for early-stage technology companies, financial support for innovation and collaboration, and connections to its well-established network of partners and professionals. For more information, please visit http://www.ctinnovations.com.


Customers near Wolfforth, Texas, Can Now Get Oil Change Services at Matador Motors

Regular engine oil changes are crucial to keep a vehicle running smoothly and efficiently. Although the oil protects the engine, it gets contaminated with dirt and debris over time. Therefore, drivers should get the oil changed every 5,000 to 7,000 miles. Vehicle owners looking for an oil change service can visit Matador Motors, an automotive dealership in Wolfforth, Texas. The dealership has a team of skilled technicians working on all kinds of makes and models in their state-of-the-art service department.

In addition to an oil change service, drivers can take advantage of the following services offered at the dealership:



Tire rotation

Filter replacement

Tire balance

Electrical service

Transmission flush

Vehicle inspection

Front end alignment

And much more!

Individuals interested in getting their vehicles serviced from Matador Motors in Wolfforth, Texas, can schedule a service appointment online. Alternatively, customers can contact the dealerships service team at 806-833-7300 to learn more about their services.

Along with maintenance services and repairs, the dealership has a range of pre-owned vehicles in stock. From sedans and trucks to SUVs and vans, the dealership has various options for all kinds of drivers. Moreover, the dealership lets prospective buyers test-drive the vehicles available on their lot.

Interested parties can visit Matador Motors at 214 E Highway 62/82 in Wolfforth, Texas, to explore their extensive inventory. Customers can also check out the dealerships inventory online on their official website - http://www.matadormotors.com from the comfort of their homes.
Ellen Mitchell, LPA Director of Sustainability and Applied Research "As we grow and scale our firm, we need someone focused on reinforcing the value that sustainable design brings to all of our clients. -Wendy Rogers, CEO, LPA Design Studios

LPA Design Studios has hired Ellen Mitchell, a recognized national leader in the design industrys move to create more energy-efficient, equitable and resilient built environments, to serve as Director of Sustainability and Applied Research.

Mitchell, who joins the firm as Associate Principal, has spent the overwhelming majority of her two-decade career focused on integrating sustainability and high-performance design, achieving results across a diverse range of project types, budgets and cultures. She has overseen more than $4 billion worth of construction, working with clients to reduce their projects' negative environmental impacts, while adding value and enhancing human health and well-being.

She is a frequent speaker and presenter at national and regional events, advocating for a holistic approach to sustainable design and the industrys role in developing equitable, supportive projects for communities and the environment.

In her new position, Mitchell will guide LPAred, LPAs in-house research team focused on developing actionable research to support the firms informed design process. She will also lead initiatives to advance sustainability and high-performance design, building on the integrated design firms culture of education, accountability and innovation.

We are thrilled to add Ellens knowledge and experience to our team, says LPA Chief Executive Officer Wendy Rogers. As we grow and scale our firm, we need someone focused on reinforcing the value that sustainable design brings to all of our clients.

The recipient of the 2021 AIA California Firm Award, LPA focuses on an informed design process that makes sustainable design the foundation of every project, regardless of size, budget or scale. In 2018 and 2019, LPA was the only firm in the country with more than 100 employees to surpass the AIA 2030 Commitment target of reducing predicted energy use by more than 70% across more than 11 million square feet of projects.

I have been an admirer of this firm for years and I am incredibly excited to be taking the next step in LPAs unique culture, Mitchell says. My goal will be to work with project teams and clients to optimize our approach and processes to help every project reach its full potential.

Throughout her career, Mitchell has championed an expanded awareness of the industrys social impact, as well as environmental issues. A tireless advocate for public interest design, she previously founded and directed an initiative dedicated to providing reduced-fee or gratis design work to communities and non-profits, working on projects ranging from a net zero energy maternity ward in Uganda to an urban food studio in Washington D.C.

Ellen will be a valuable resource across the firm, says LPA Chief Design Officer Keith Hempel. She will help our project teams set goals, find innovation and develop the rigor necessary to help our clients cut operating costs and create more sustainable, healthier environments.

About LPA Design Studios

Founded in 1965, LPA specializes in creating innovative environments that work better, do more with less and improve peoples lives. An integrated design firm with more than 400 in-house architects, master planners, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects and research analysts, LPA is focused on a research-driven, inclusive design approach to developing better-performing facilities. In 2021, LPA earned AIA-Californias Firm Award, the state industrys highest honor for an architecture practice. For more information, visit lpadesignstudios.com.
Cannoli Can: Takes on Kindergarten: a delightful narrative that will help parents encourage the young children in their life. Cannoli Can: Takes on Kindergarten is the creation of published author Emily Jennings Dito, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, who attended Oklahoma Christian University in Edmond, Oklahoma. After graduating with a bachelors degree in public relations, she returned to her home state of Texas. There she earned her Texas teaching certificate and is able to connect daily with children through laughter, stories, and the love of learning.

Dito shares, Cannoli is eagerly anticipating kindergarten. She discovers resiliency and a positive attitude are the key to success. How will Cannoli use these skills to conquer her fear? Join Cannoli as she embarks on her greatest adventure yet.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Emily Jennings Ditos new book provides a welcome opportunity to help young readers express their own anxieties related to starting school.

With an enjoyable narrative and vibrant imagery, young imaginations will be engaged and entertained as they root for Cannoli on her first day of kindergarten.

Consumers can purchase Cannoli Can: Takes on Kindergarten at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Cannoli Can: Takes on Kindergarten, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
FHU nursing students take patient vitals during a free pop-up dental clinic in Henderson, Tennessee Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. The turnout was both a reassurance of my purpose in starting this planning for the clinic and of the need for Remote Area Medicals services in this area.

Freed-Hardeman Universitys Remote Area Medical (RAM) Chapter made a difference in the lives of approximately 101 individuals by providing services valued at nearly $60,000 during a pop-up dental clinic held Sept. 30 through Oct. 1, 2022, at the National Guard Armory in Henderson.

RAM, FHUs RAM Chapter and a group of campus and community partners organized resources to bring the pop-up clinic to the area.

The turnout was both a reassurance of my purpose in starting this planning for the clinic and of the need for Remote Area Medicals services in this area, said Cameron Kuhl, an FHU senior business analytics major and former RAM intern.

RAMs mission is to alleviate suffering and leave patients in a better condition, according to Brad Hutchins, RAM clinic coordinator.

It takes a village to make all of this happen  from determining the type of care the clinic will offer to flying in our RAM volunteers from all over the country, Hutchins said. Saying that dental care is one of the most requested services, he added. In some cases, patients have gone an extended amount of time without care.

In Henderson, the clinic opened at 6 a.m. Friday. Half of the patients arrived the evening before to wait for the armorys parking lot gates to open at midnight. Each patient received a call ticket, which determined the order in which they were seen.

When FHU junior Elijah Brewer arrived at the parking lot at 4:30 a.m. Friday to volunteer, he noticed about 50 cars.

It was eye-opening to see how many people needed the clinic, said Brewer, a public relations major. Its good to make a difference and help people.

Inside the armory several areas were organized to serve patients. In triage, FHU nursing students helped process paperwork and prioritize patient needs. Once processed, patients waited in a large room with 10 stations separated by white tents, clear plastic and tape on the floor. The area was designated for dental students from University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis to provide patient care under the supervision of professionals. Patients received treatment for toothaches, along with cleanings, fillings and extractions during the two-day clinic.

Melanie Nollen of Henderson arrived at 11:30 p.m. the evening before the clinic opened and was 32nd in line. As she sat and waited her turn while reading a book, she felt only gratitude.

I feel blessed that its here, said Nolan, unbothered by the sounds of the fans and dental equipment around her. In my head, its like Im at the beach. Ill wait for however long it takes to get my dental work done.

A family member told Vincent Quick of Huntingdon about the clinic. He was No. 26 Friday. He was there to find out if something could be done about his chipped front tooth.

I only half smile now, and its a confidence-breaker for sure, he said. Quick passed the time by reading a daily mens Bible. Its a blessing for them to come and help us. Their hearts are big.

Community partners who supported the clinic include FHU Lions Pride, FHU through the donated use of the universitys shuttle and Laurel Cottage and Paul Gray residence hall to host RAM volunteers. Jacks Creek Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, Stantonville Church of Christ and the Tennessee State Guard also provided services.

Kuhls wish is that even more people could have been served.

I hope our community will continue to find ways to alleviate the unattended suffering of others in some way, he said. At the end of it all, I hope God is praised for what happened over the last few days. A lot of good came to Chester County through this clinic, and Im humbled to have been a part of it.

The mission of Freed-Hardeman University is to help students develop their God-given talents for His glory by empowering them with an education that integrates Christian faith, scholarship and service. With locations in Henderson and Memphis, FHU offers associate, bachelor's, master's, specialist and doctoral degrees. More information is available at fhu.edu.

RAM is a major nonprofit provider of free pop-up clinics. Its mission is to prevent pain and alleviate suffering by providing free, quality healthcare to those in need. RAM delivers free dental, vision and medical services to underserved and uninsured individuals. Since RAM was founded in 1985, nearly 183,000 volunteers have treated more than 888,500 individuals and delivered more than $181.5 million worth of free healthcare services.
We chose Genedata Biologics to support our quickly growing biopharmaceutical R&D operations and enable scientific innovation, including R&D of novel modalities such as bi- and multi-specifics and other next-gen therapeutics. Rebecca Sendak, SVP of Global Large Molecules Research Platform at Sanofi

Genedata, the leading provider of enterprise software solutions for biopharmaceutical R&D, today announced that Sanofi has expanded the use of Genedata Biologics to new sites, groups, and application areas, including high-throughput engineering of next-generation multi-specific antibody therapeutics.

We chose Genedata Biologics to support our quickly growing biopharmaceutical R&D operations and enable scientific innovation, including R&D of novel modalities such as bi- and multi-specifics and other next-gen therapeutics, said Rebecca Sendak, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Global Large Molecules Research Platform at Sanofi.

Genedata Biologics is used by major biopharma R&D organizations as a backbone for integrating globally operating research groups. Due to its flexible and scalable architecture, it facilitates the onboarding and integration of new R&D groups.

A key driver for extending the use of Genedata Biologics was the ability of the platform to implement fully automated end-to-end processes for generating rich data packages around innovative multi-specific antibody therapeutics. In addition to acting as an automation platform, Genedata Biologics provides a foundation of structured and accessible data that can feed into AI/ML workflows.

The Genedata Biologics foundation is complemented with other Sanofi enterprise systems and together they contribute to optimizing overall R&D operations by:

a) enabling users to monitor program performance, resource and project planning, and task prioritization.

b) providing a means for scientists, managers, and executives to have real-time access to data, which is the basis for systematic and transparent decisions on the biotherapeutic candidates to be progressed to the clinic.

We are pleased that our long-term partner Sanofi continues to expand their usage of Genedata Biologics, said Othmar Pfannes, Ph.D., CEO of Genedata. The digital transformation of biopharmaceutical R&D is continuing at a rapid pace as companies strive to better organize and analyze their R&D data. We are excited that our technology is helping Sanofi and our other partners to develop innovative biotherapies faster.

More details on the use of Genedata Biologics at Sanofi can be found in the mAbs Journal (Furtmann et al., An end-to-end automated platform process for high-throughput engineering of next-generation multi-specific antibody therapeutics) or at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19420862.2021.1955433.

About Genedata

Genedata transforms data into intelligence with innovative software solutions that incorporate extensive biopharma R&D domain knowledge. Multinational biopharmaceutical organizations and cutting-edge biotechs around the globe rely on Genedata to digitalize and automate data-rich and complex R&D processes. From early discovery all the way to the clinic, Genedata solutions help maximize the ROI in R&D expenditure. Founded in 1997, Genedata is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland with additional offices in Boston, London, Munich, San Francisco, Singapore, and Tokyo.

http://www.genedata.com

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________________________________________

Contact

Allison Kurz

Genedata

Public Relations

pr@genedata.com

Disclaimer

The statements in this press release that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with uncertainties related to contract cancellations, developing risks, competitive factors, uncertainties pertaining to customer orders, demand for products and services, development of markets for the Company's products and services. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

All product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.
Gilbane and Ohlone College to deliver affordable on-campus student housing in Newark, CA Ohlone College is committed to breaking down barriers that prohibit any student from receiving a quality higher education. Providing affordable student housing is just one step in assisting students to reach their fullest potential, said Dr. Eric Bishop, Ohlone College Superintendent/ President.

Gilbane, one of the industrys largest privately-held, family-owned real estate development and construction firms, is pleased to announce Gilbanes selection by Ohlone College as partner in the advancement of Ohlones student housing initiative. This comprehensive initiative will include services related to the planning, programming, designing, permitting, financing, construction, maintenance, management, operation, and overall development of the Colleges first residential student housing project. The project will be located on the Districts Newark Campus and will be developed under a public-private partnership model that includes the potential for a P3 project financing structure under a long-term ground lease. OCCD and the development team plan to submit a grant application to the state of California to apply for funds in accordance with Senate Bill 169  Affordable Student Housing Budget Investment (SB169).

The project will deliver housing for approximately 300-400 students, with +/- 400 beds, in both single student and family configurations and is intended to serve the full student demographic spectrum. The Program will be designed to enhance the student experience and promote academic success by providing students with a holistic residential experience, and to support the whole student by providing access to affordable and quality housing.

Gilbane recognizes the importance of affordable student housing across the country, and we are so pleased to bring our expertise in partnering with higher education institutions and in creating dynamic student communities to meet the housing needs of the students of Ohlone College, said Geoff Eisenacher, senior development director with Gilbane Development Company.

Project features under consideration include a childcare center for student parents, to be operated by a third-party service provider; options for accessibility of food in proximity to the community; and, student counseling services. Additionally, the partnership is focused on the ways in which new housing can best support the Districts disproportionately impacted students.

Ohlone College is committed to breaking down barriers that prohibit any student from receiving a quality higher education. A students primary focus should be on their studies, not finding housing. Providing affordable student housing is just one step in assisting students to reach their fullest potential, said Dr. Eric Bishop, Ohlone College Superintendent/ President.

Construction is expected to begin prior to the Fall of 2023, allowing for student occupancy by July 2025. For more information on the Ohlone Student Housing project visit: https://www.ohlone.edu/affordablestudenthousing.

The project team includes Gilbane Development Company as developer, Gilbane Building Company as builder, and PBK + Mogavero Architects as design team. Gilbane has delivered over 50,000 beds of student housing and has delivered or has underway more than 40 public private partnerships totaling over $3.8 billion.

About Ohlone College

Ohlone College was established in 1965 and services the cities of Newark, Fremont, and part of Union City. Ohlone College is part of the Ohlone Community College District. The Ohlone College Newark Center for Health Sciences and Technology offers a variety of programs and courses during the day, at night, and on the weekends to accommodate student scheduling needs. The eco-friendly campus is the first green community college campus in the nation. Environmental and sustainability components have been implemented across the curriculum. Program offerings include Biotechnology; Environmental Studies; Physical Therapist Assistant; Registered Nursing; and Respiratory Therapist. A selected array of General Education; fitness and wellness; and lifelong learning courses are also integrated into the Newark campus curriculum.

About Gilbane

Gilbane, Inc., a private holding company, is one of the largest family-owned construction, investment, and real estate development firms in the industry. Gilbane Development Company is the project development, financing, and ownership arm of Gilbane, providing a full continuum of real estate development and project management services. Gilbane Building Company is a full-service construction services firm providing preconstruction, general contracting, construction management, and design-build services on some of the nations most complex projects. Gilbanes Public Private Partnership Group has delivered nearly $4 billion in P3 projects for healthcare, higher education, K-12 schools, and federal/state/municipal clients. To learn more, visit http://www.gilbaneco.com.
Hospice of the Chesapeake, a not-for-profit care organization providing hospice care, supportive care, and grief support services for individuals living with and affected by advanced illness, announces they will be hosting Glow: More than a Runway, a historic fashion show on Saturday, October 8th displaying designers from all over the world, with ambassadors from South Africa and the U.K., to celebrate World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD). Hospice of the Chesapeake is the first American organization to celebrate this global initiative.

Together with Saks Fifth Avenue Chevy Chase, they are working to amplify the WHPCD theme, Healing Hearts and Communities. Guests will enjoy a highly curated evening that will consist of a dinner and fashion show highlighting the best fashion trends of the Fall season from some of the top international designers at Saks Fifth Avenue Chevy Chase. The planning for this fundraiser is already bringing together leaders from the communities of fashion, healthcare, business, and philanthropy.

We are honored to be a part of such an important day in the history of hospice care, said Shauna Chabot, Chief Advancement Officer at Hospice of the Chesapeake. As great as the designers are, and as glamorous as this fashion show is going to be, it is bigger than them and bigger than us. Glow truly is More than a Runway. Glow is about bringing the message to the world that those who are suffering and fearing the end do not have to go at it alone.

Funds raised from the event will support the work of the not-for-profit Hospice of the Chesapeake. The organization has grown and expanded over its 43 years to care for people living with advanced illness and loss as well as their families in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, and Prince Georges Counties. This amounts to more than 52,000 hospice patients and more than 100,000 family members receiving compassionate and expert care from hospice, supportive, and bereavement team members since founding of the care organization in 1979.

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is a unifying day of action to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care around the world. To mark WHPCD 2022, thousands of people will be coming together on the 8th of October 2022 to celebrate, but most importantly to speak out about their lived experiences in grief, loss, and bereavement.

So many of us all over the world have lost a loved one during the pandemic, said Dr. Stephen Connor, Executive Director of the Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance. Its important for patients and families of those suffering from all types of serious illness to know that they are not alone. Glow: More than A Runway, will show the world that there are resources to care for you during the times of your life when you are most in need.

According to the Global Atlas of Palliative Care, over 56.8 million people are estimated to require palliative care every year including 31.1 million prior to and 25.7 million near the end of life. The majority (67%) are adults over 50 years old and at least 7% are children. The majority (54%) are non-decedents who need palliative care prior to their last year of life. The burden of severe illness and health-related suffering, and the corresponding need for palliative care, are immense. Yet palliative care is still not accessible to most people in need, especially in low and middle-income countries.

About Hospice of the Chesapeake

Founded in 1979, Hospice of the Chesapeake has cared for more than 50,000 hospice patients and their families since inception. In 2021, Hospice of the Chesapeake cared for 3,881 hospice patients including 19 children, 2,092 palliative/supportive care patients, and close to 500 grief support clients. As a regional care organization, Hospice of the Chesapeake is providing care options for those living will advance illness and loss to the 1.7 million residents of Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, and Prince Georges Counties. The Hospice of the Chesapeake team members are regional experts and professionals who not only focus on direct care to patients and families but also on raising state-wide awareness and understanding of the benefits of hospice, palliative, and grief care. Hospice of the Chesapeake is the largest independent not-for-profit hospice organization in the State of Maryland.

Notes for editors:

What is World Hospice and Palliative Care Day?

World Day is a unified day of action to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care around the world.

For more resources and information on palliative care globally, visit: (link leads to the website WHPCD resources 2022). For general media inquiries, please contact Howard Kinyua the Communications Manager at the WHPCA.

Who is the Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance?

The Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance is a global action network focusing exclusively on hospice and palliative care development worldwide. With over 400 organisational members in over 100 countries, we provide a global voice with a vision to accelerate universal access to quality palliative care. For more information visit http://www.thewhpca.org Twitter: @whpca / Facebook: @thewpc and YouTube

Why do we need WHPCD?

There are still far too many people that are unable to access this essential service, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). We cannot achieve universal health coverage without palliative care, which is also a key component of the right to health and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal for good health and well-being.

NB: The WHPCA is asking all editors not to use the term hospice as a standalone word, as it merely reinforces perceptions that the palliative care is only delivered in an in-patient, or building. We are working to spread the word that a hospice goes hand in hand with palliative care that can be delivered in any setting, home, informal settlement, hospital, or care/nursing home.
With the growing legal market in Texas, [GT] remains committed to the growth of our three Texas offices. The recent additions to the Austin, Dallas, and Houston offices, including Jamie and Sheryl, were done strategically and in industry areas most critical in the state, said Richard A. Rosenbaum.

Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP welcomes Jamie Rose as a shareholder in its Austin office and Sheryl Dacso as senior counsel in its Houston office. Rose joins in the Litigation Practice and Dacso in the Health Care & FDA Practice.

Nearly 20 years ago, Greenberg Traurig established a presence in Texas and focused on delivering superior client service and providing top quality legal counsel to help clients achieve their objectives. With the growing legal market in Texas, Greenberg Traurig remains committed to the growth of our three Texas offices. The recent additions to the Austin, Dallas, and Houston offices, including Jamie and Sheryl, were done strategically and in industry areas most critical in the state, said Richard A. Rosenbaum, Greenberg Traurig Executive Chairman.

We are delighted to welcome these excellent attorneys to Greenberg Traurig in Texas. Jamie and Sheryl fit the firms culture of superior client service, collegiality, and teamwork. Their integrity, dedication to client success, and engagement in the legal profession make each of them an asset to Greenberg Traurig, said Demetrius G. McDaniel, the firms Regional Operating Shareholder for Texas. Each of us in the firm look forward to working with Jamie and Sheryl and know that they will make tremendous contributions to clients, the firm, and the legal and broader community.

Greenberg Traurigs client-centric approach encompasses a culture of collaboration and dedication to the community which aligns with my personal values. Its world class litigation practice will allow me to best serve clients with needs across the country, Rose said.

The firms vast legal talent and global platform sets it apart from other firms and will best meet the needs of our clients who are facing increasing complex challenges in the health care sector. I look forward to working with the robust team in Texas and around the country, Dacso said.

As a member of the Litigation Practice, Rose will join a growing Texas team that includes the recent hires of three litigation shareholders in the Dallas office: Christina M. Carroll, G. Michael Gruber, and Brian E. Mason. Dacso will be a prominent member of the Health Care & FDA Practice in Houston, which includes shareholders Charles C. Dunham, IV and Adam H. Laughton. Laughton and Dacso previously worked together at Seyfarth Shaw LLP.

Rose represents companies and individuals in complex business and commercial disputes in both state and federal court. With more than two decades of experience, she represents prominent plaintiffs and defendants across industries in high-stakes matters involving business torts, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, shareholder derivative claims, contested estate and trust proceedings, and civil appeals.

Dacso represents health care organizations, hospitals, and physicians on health care compliance, regulations, and transactions, including physician practice mergers, acquisitions, and business ventures as well as digital health and telemedicine. A Texas Board Certified Health Law Lawyer with more than three decades of experience, her practice includes the representation of nonprofit organizations such as federally qualified health centers, certified nonprofit health corporations, medical education foundations, and research organizations. She often advises on joint ventures involving exempt and non-exempt organizations and addresses issues associated with governance and regulatory compliance.

The firms three offices in Texas have recently added strategic hires in various core practice areas and will soon be announcing further key additions. Recent additions include shareholders Ashley Aten (Real Estate), Steven E. Bartz (Corporate), Denis Braham (Real Estate), Christina M. Carroll (Litigation), G. Michael Gruber (Litigation), Adam H. Laughton (Health Care & FDA), Vernon L. Lewis (White Collar Defense & Special Investigations), Brian E. Mason (Litigation), and Austin R. Wyker (Tax); and, as of counsels, Richard A. Crow (Real Estate), Martye Kendrick (Public Finance & Infrastructure), and Jennifer S. Kukla (Real Estate).

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP  Texas: Texas is important to Greenberg Traurig, LLP and the firms history. With approximately 150 Texas lawyers in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Greenberg Traurig has deep roots in the Texas business, legal, and governmental communities. Greenberg Traurig Texas works with clients to address their interdisciplinary legal needs across the state utilizing the firms global platform. The Texas attorneys are experienced in industries key to the states future, including: aviation, chemicals, construction, education, energy and natural resources, financial institutions, health care, hedge funds, hospitality, infrastructure, insurance, media, medical devices, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, real estate, retail, sports, technology and software, telecommunications, transportation, and video games and esports.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2500 attorneys in 43 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021 and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, and NLJ 250. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e Energy program certifies that the firms U.S. offices are 100% powered by renewable energy. The firm is often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com.
James McGinnis, a Vietnam veteran and recipient of the prestigious Combat Infantryman Badge, has completed his new book Romeo 1-1: Vietnam Tour of Duty: a gripping and authentic account of life in combat. Compiled of entries from the diary he kept, McGinnis paints a picture of what it was like to serve in the 196th Light Infantry Brigade.

I hope this diary will give you some perspective, too, and insight from inside my tour of duty, McGinnis writes in his preface. It is not entirely easy to share this as it has been over fifty-four years since I wrote it I think I needed to be ready to share it.

Published by Page Publishing, James McGinniss captivating tale details a year in his life stationed in South Vietnam from July 1966 to July 1967. From airmobile helicopter assaults to search-and-destroy missions to the dangerous night ambush patrols, McGinniss diary entries casually chronicle the chilling reality of war. Even more impactful and humanizing, though, are the accounts of the relationships McGinnis formed paired with pictures from his time in service.

Ive kept my diary close to me, says McGinnis, and it has been an important part of my life. If you ask me how my day is going now, I can look back to the same day during my year in Vietnam. He now generously shares this important part of his life with readers. Romeo 1-1: Vietnam Tour of Duty is a rare and intimate look into the soul of a soldier.

Readers who wish to experience this insightful work can purchase Romeo 1-1: Vietnam Tour of Duty at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
The Parade of Homes is the perfect event to showcase our HighRidge home  it's designed with everything active adults want."-Trish Hanchette, President, McKee Homes

North Carolina-based home builder McKee Homes is excited to announce that its model home in Fuquay-Varinas HighRidge community is part of this years Triangle Parade of Homes during October. The Parade of Homes is a showcase of new homes for sale, emerging trends in floor plans and home design, as well as home decor and technology.

We are so proud to be part of the Parade of Homes, says Trish Hanchette, McKee Homes President. Our model home in HighRidge is a perfect fit for this inspiring event because it features a floor plan design with plenty of natural lighting. Its perfect for an active adult lifestyle. Buyers get to enjoy the ease of low-maintenance living and amazing outdoor courtyards.

Realtors, potential home buyers and those simply looking for inspiration are invited to tour the McKee Homes model at HighRidge between 12 p.m.  5 p.m. during the following Parade of Homes dates: October 7-9 and October 14-16. Learn more and get directions for the McKee Homes HighRidge model at 1319 Richfield Oaks Drive in Fuquay-Varina here.

A Dynamic Floor Plan at HighRidge

The McKee Homes model at HighRidge showcases the companys Promenade 2020 floor plan with a cottage-style design, part of its Epcon collection. The collection includes 2- and 3-bedroom homes ranging from 1,681 to 2,115 square feet. Buyers can choose from the single-story, two-bedroom Craftsman or Classic options or a three-bedroom Bungalow style that features a second-floor guest suite with a living area, separate bedroom, full bath, walk-in closet and optional wet bar. All models have a private owners suite and bath with a beautifully-tiled shower and double sink vanity, creating a spa-like oasis.

The floor plans offer the easy and maintenance-free active adult lifestyle todays home buyers look for. Buyers have the opportunity to visit the Raleigh-Durham McKee Homes Design Studio to personalize their dream home.

Easy, From Buy to Build

McKee Homes delivers an easy and seamless experience for buyers of presale homes from start to finish. The company assigns New Home Sales Consultants (NHSC) to work hands-on with buyers from day one. Starting with the exterior of the home, the McKee NHSC team will assist buyers in choosing the right structural options and color schemes prior to breaking ground. For select homes, buyers have the opportunity to meet with a McKee Homes Design Studio Consultant at one of the companys three Design Studios to make customized interior selections. With McKee Homes, most new construction buyers have the freedom to select the exact kitchen cabinets, countertops, flooring and lighting that reflect their personal style and taste, Hanchette said.

To contact the McKee Homes sales office directly, call 910-672-7491 or go to McKeeHomesNC.com to learn more.

About McKee Homes

McKee Homes is an exclusive North Carolina home builder that offers an unwavering commitment to a unique and incredible experience known as the Team McKee Customer Experience. McKee Homes believes in embracing the local communities and providing excellent customer service from the beginning of the homebuying process to move-in and beyond. McKee Homes stands behind its core values: McKee Focus, Continuous Improvement, Good People and Work Smart, Play Hard.

McKee Homes was founded in 2010 by brothers Pat and Mike McKee in honor of their late father, Joe McKee, who passed away from Alzheimer's disease. The Joe McKee Memorial Alzheimers Fund was created in his honor, and a portion of every home sold is donated to research and support families living with Alzheimers. Our vision and mission are to help create A World Without Alzheimers.
Mercy College today announced a partnership with Oxford International Education Group (OIEG) in the establishment of Mercy College International, an innovative pathway program that gives students from all over the world the opportunity to obtain a high-quality undergraduate or graduate degree in New York City.

Together, Mercy and OIEG will recruit international students studying abroad, facilitate their admission and support their pathways to earning a college degree in the U.S. Students in Mercy College International will take courses at Mercys Manhattan Campus location in Herald Square. Mercy College will apply for program approval from The Department of Homeland Security through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program and hope to begin in summer 2023.

As part of the partnership, OIEG will recruit international students across 38 locations to participate in the new Mercy College International program. OIEG will also relocate their New York-based English Language School to Mercys Manhattan Campus.

With services out of MercyManhattan, OIEG will provide comprehensive linguistic and cultural adjustment support to Mercy College International students. Among the support services, which will be meaningfully and effectively tiered to meet students unique learning requirements, will be English for academic purposes, immersive co-curricular activities, and supportive academic and socio-cultural mentoring partnerships with current Mercy College undergraduate and graduate students.

These high-quality, individualized services from both Mercy and OIEGs dedicated and experienced faculty and staff will prime Mercy College International students to transition into a Mercy degree program to complete their undergraduate or graduate degrees in as little as one to three semesters.

The creation of Mercy College International, in collaboration with OIEG, marks an exciting time for Mercy, said Adam Castro, vice president of enrollment management for Mercy College. The partnership exposes Mercy students to diverse perspectives, provides international students an exciting location in which to study, and furthers Mercys mission of transforming lives through higher education. Moreover, this partnership prepares students to succeed in the latest job market, in a world which is becoming increasingly globalized.

Sharon Curl, Managing Director, North America at OIEG, said: As we continue to grow our portfolio, we constantly look to deliver greater opportunities for our students and higher education partners alike. More than half a million people have joined our international family of students, with our courses helping over 50,000 students achieve success every year.

As the higher education sector evaluates its future, we offer a variety of programs and support for students and university teams. Were delighted to be working with Mercy College to help prospective students begin their studies smoothly, ahead of an enriching university experience in New York City, one of the worlds most exciting cities.

To learn more about the partnership, please contact Alexander Burley with Brands2Life at +44(0)20 7592 1200 or OxfordInternational@Brands2Life.com.

To learn more about Mercy College, please contact Vice President of Enrollment Management Adam Castro at 914-674-7548 or acastro@mercy.edu.

About Mercy College

Founded in 1950 by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy College is an independent, coeducational college that offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs within five schools: Business, Education, Health and Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The vibrancy of the College culture is sustained by a diverse student body from around the region. The College offers campuses in Dobbs Ferry, the Bronx and Manhattan as well as online offerings.

About Oxford International Education Group

Oxford International Education Group is a private education company committed to creating life-enhancing experiences for students worldwide. Since 1991, the company has grown into a global force in international education, helping more than 50,000 students every year.

It offers academic English courses at its schools in the UK and North America and routes to Higher Education through partnerships with universities across the UK, the United States and Canada. Today, 54 UK institutions use its technology suite. Through its Digital Institute, it delivers online academic and vocational courses taught by accredited and experienced teachers.


WHAT

Digital Summit Indianapolis is a two-day, in-person conference that showcases marketing industry thought leaders who will present the current trends in todays marketing sector. From renowned global leaders  like Coca-Cola and Pinterest  to local and regional experts, each 30-minute speaking session offers highly curated content formatted as an instructional how to, providing attendees with breakthrough strategies and actionable insights immediately applicable to their businesses. The conference is open to all levels of marketing personnel, from campus hires to industry professionals with 40+ years of experience.

WHO

For attendees seeking guidance for honing specific skills, Digital Summit also offers its signature 4-hour deep dive courses known as Masterclasses. This year, Digital Summit Indianapolis will feature several Masterclasses led by premier thought leaders, including:



YouTube Lead Generation Strategies to Boost Your Business, with Desiree Martinez, All-In-One Social Media

Decoding SEO: How to Build Your Online Visibility - WIthout the Technical Jargon, with Hannah McNaughton, Metric Marketing

How to Make Your Content Irresistible, with Tamsen Webster, The Red Thread

Digital Summit Indianapolis will feature speaker sessions from prominent brands including:



Commerce-First Content: Shoppable Moments Across Platforms, presented by Kate James, The Coca-Cola Company

Conscious Communication: How to Elevate Your Influencer Relations, presented by Farah Deen, Skinfix

Swipe Right: How to Have a Successful Relationship with Your Digital Marketing Agency, presented by Bruce Gibbs, U.S. Bank

How to Master the Messy Ponytail of Digital Storytelling, presented by Aimee Rancer, Pinterest

3 Ways to Revolutionize Your Email Open Rates, presented by Emily McGuire, Atlassian

5 Marketing Musts, presented by Casey Comeau, GoDaddy Pro

Other notable presentations at Digital Summit Indianapolis include:



Audit to Action: A Structured Approach to Strengthening Your Social Presence, presented by Jennifer Radke, National Institute for Social Media

The Conversational Case: How to Script the Stories that Sell Ideas, presented by Tamsen Webster, The Red Thread

How to Write Content That Ranks, presented by Hannah McNaughton, Metric Marketing

Implement Video Marketing Strategy Anyone Can Do (No Dancing Required!), presented by Desiree Martinez, All-In-One Social Media

Problem Solving Tactics for SEO Success, presented by Corey Morris, Voltage

The headlining keynote speaker at Digital Summit Indianapolis will be motivational speaker and Olympic Gold Medalist Dominique Dawes, who will give you the tools, inspiration and push you need to succeed at your own personal goals.

To enable attendees to share ideas and insights after the sessions, Digital Summit Indianapolis will also feature several networking opportunities including coffee breaks, catered lunches and opening and closing ceremonies.

Digital Summit Series features an extensive network of standout sponsors who attend each Digital Summit conference on-site, offering innovative products and services for branding, merchandising, email and SEO marketing, marketing and advertising automation, digital communications, digital experiences and measurement, among others. Digital Summit Indianapolis sponsors include Pantheon, GoDaddy Pro, illumin, SwagChimp and devIT.

To view a complete list of speakers, presentation topics and sponsors, go to:

https://indianapolis.digitalsummit.com/2022/agenda/

WHEN/WHERE

Digital Summit Indianapolis will take place Thur., October 13, 2022 - Fri., October 14, 2022.

JW Marriott Indianapolis

10 S West Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204| (317) 860-5800

To purchase passes, go to: https://indianapolis.digitalsummit.com/tickets/

About Digital Summit Series

The Digital Summit Series is Where Marketers Stay on Top of Their Game. Since 2008, the annual national conference series is held in 18 U.S. cities and features highly curated, engaging content about the newest and most relevant topics in marketing  including email marketing, content management, digital advertising, lead generation, social media, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), analytics and more  presented by speakers from many of the most creative companies and innovative brands. Each two-day Digital Summit features working sessions formatted as instructional, how to talks that cover a specific topic to provide marketers with practical, actionable tactics that can be immediately applied to their own efforts. Produced by Naylor Association Solutions, a leading provider of innovative tools and services for associations that strengthen member engagement and increase non-dues revenue, Digital Summit Series each year attracts 15,000+ marketing professionals at all experience levels who seek to further their professional development and career networking in the ever-changing and evolving digital ecosystem for marketing communications. For more information, go to https://digitalsummit.com/ and follow on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Ornellaia 2019 Vendemmia d'Artista

The charity auction of Ornellaia Vendemmia dArtista 2019 Il Vigore organized by Sothebys gets underway from 5th to 19th October. Swedish artists Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg designed this vintages special labels and this years proceeds will once more go to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation for the Minds Eye program.

Jamie Ritchie, Worldwide Chairman, Sothebys Wine says: This is our twelfth partnership with Ornellaia for their annual Vendemmia dArtista project, which is so special to us because it supports worthy artistic causes and combines the brilliance of the estates wines with the visual ingenuity of the artists who take part. We look forward to presenting a range of bottles from the 2019 vintage 'Il Vigore' later this year, headlined, as ever, by a unique Salmanazar. With its emphasis on the senses, the Minds Eye program has been the ideal beneficiary. As in previous years, we expect these exclusive bottles to attract international interest from collectors eager to enjoy the unique experiences on offer.

Anyone who registers at http://www.sothebys.com/ornellaia will be able to view the lots, make a bid and participate in the international auction, while also making a gesture of generosity. The profits from the online auction will be announced on October 19th at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.

Since 2019, the proceeds from the Vendemmia dArtista charity auction have been donated to support this innovative program, which was created by the Guggenheims education department to help blind and low-vision visitors to experiment with art by the fullest use of the senses.

This enables the development of creative impressions, emotional connections, and lasting memories. As in all the arts, the appreciation of fine wines also necessitates the total engagement of the senses. Sharing this idea inspired Ornellaia to support the growth of this innovative program.

Ornellaias generosity has provided for the expansion of Minds Eye, connecting participants across the globe through virtual programs," states Richard Armstrong, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and Museum. In the last three years, our knowledge has allowed Guggenheim New York to increase accessibility both to the museum and to works of art through multi-sensorial exploration. We are grateful for the ongoing support of Ornellaia.

The Guggenheim stands out as an innovative institution for its commitment to accessibility and building the Minds Eye Community. Digitalization has enabled Mind's Eye to reach a vast public from many countries around the world through its Sensory Guide to the Guggenheim New York or through Verbal Descriptions that use specific language to convey a visual experience for artworks and the unique architecture of the Frank Lloyd Wright designed building.

The proceeds raised have allowed the program to be extended to the two other museums in the Guggenheim constellation, Venice and Bilbao, hence bestowing international prestige on the program.

For this reason, Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja, CEO of the Ornellaia estate, is excited to state: Since the beginning of Vendemmia dArtista in 2009, we have donated the proceeds from the auction to charity. It is immensely rewarding to see the project grow internationally and to know that the work we are doing gives the blind and low-vision persons the possibility to explore contemporary art through the senses. This sensibility has always been a key part of our philosophy.

About Ornellaia

Ornellaias philosophy considers the birth of the wines to be the truest expression of their terroir. The grapes for Ornellaia are selected by hand, and picked in the estate's vineyards in Bolgheri, on the Tuscan coast. The varying natures of the estate's terroirs, marine, alluvial and volcanic, are ideal for the cultivation of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The Estate extends over 115 hectares along the Tuscan coast, just a short distance from the medieval hamlet of Bolgheri and the famed cypress-lined avenue Viale dei Cipressi. The constant work of the Ornellaia team and the ideal microclimatic and geological characteristics have brought the wines great international success since the first vintage of Ornellaia in 1985. In 2001, the 1998 Ornellaia was declared Wine of the Year by the American journal Wine Spectator. In 2011 the German publication Der Feinschmecker awarded Ornellaia its most sought-after award, the Weinlegende. Ornellaia has received considerable recognition in the national and international press, and is consistently ranked among the top estates by Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, James Suckling, Antonio Galloni, Bruce Sanderson and the Italian Wine Guides: Gambero Rosso, Espresso, and Veronelli.

Ornellaia Vendemmia dArtista

The Ornellaia Vendemmia dArtista project celebrates and describes the character of every new vintage of Ornellaia. Every year, starting with the release of Ornellaia 2006, a contemporary artist creates a site-specific artwork and a set of limited-edition labels, inspired by a character chosen by the Estate Director Axel Heinz, to describe the vintage. The project calls for one label designed by the artist among the six 750ml bottles in every case of Ornellaia. The project includes a limited edition of 111 large-format bottles divided in 100 Jeroboams (3 litres), 10 Imperials (6 litres) and 1 Salmanazar (9 litres) that are numbered and signed by the artist. Every year, a selection of these bottles is auctioned by Sothebys and the proceeds are donated to support the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundations Minds Eye program.

Press Contacts:

Paul Yanon

Vice President - Wine

Colangelo & Partners

(646) 561-2239

pyanon@colangelopr.com

Erin Healy

Account Executive

Colangelo & Partners

(646) 561-2248

ehealy@colangelopr.com
P2 Science Inc., a green chemistry company, is proud to announce that the company has won 1st place in the highly competitive Environment Category of the innovation awards managed by Beratungs- und Serviceburo (BSB) of Germany.

The BSB awards are in their 20th year and are highly sought after by members of the cosmetics industry. Among the aims of the awards are to promote the global dissemination of up-to-date knowledge according to Dr. Jan Riedel, BSB founder.

The Citropol range of superior performing silicone and petrochemical alternatives from P2 Science was introduced to the global market in April of 2020. This patented biorenewable, biodegradable and biocompatible range of ingredients delivers strong differentiating performance in both skincare and haircare products. The BSB awards application for Citropol was made by P2 in collaboration with Connect Chemicals, P2s Citropol distributor in Germany and Italy.

About P2 Science:

P2 Science is a green chemistry company, co-founded by Professor Paul Anastas, head of the Yale Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering and Dr. Patrick Foley. P2 has developed and patented technologies for converting renewable feedstocks into high-value specialty products. Investors in P2 include BASF Venture Capital, Xeraya Capital, Elm Street Ventures, Connecticut Innovations, Ironwood Capital, HG Ventures and Chanel. The company started up its first manufacturing plant in September of 2018 which produces renewable aroma chemicals and cosmetic ingredients. The BSB Innovation award is the 3rd award the company has won in the last month. P2 also won Best Breakthrough Supplier in the Innovation category at the BeautyMatter NEXT Award, and first place at the C&T Alle Award in the Base Ingredient category. For more information, visit http://www.p2science.com.


Today, the development team from Pacific Group and community leaders from the City of North Las Vegas officially broke ground on the new Helios Health and Wellness Campus, kicking off a new era of economic development and job creation that will result in a transformative campus and economic hub to serve the growing population of North Las Vegas.

Todays historic groundbreaking of the Helios Health and Wellness Campus ushers in a new era of medical care in North Las Vegas, Southern Nevada, and the entire Southwest region, North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee said. Together with Pacific Group, who have invested a great deal of time and money into this project, the City of North Las Vegas has taken a prime piece of property across from the North Las Vegas VA Medical Center and transformed it into a true job creation zone that will become the premier destination in our region for medical research and care and fill a critical need in our community for generations. This piece of property is now valuable real estate and should add value to the Pacific Groups portfolio.

The project, designated as a Job Creation Zone, has now been named Helios, reflecting the focus of the project. Part world-class medical campus and part community gathering place to dine, shop and stay, Helios will offer the North Las Vegas community advanced and accessible healthcare hubs, and essential gathering places for locals to meet and mingle.

Slated for completion in phases over the next 7 to 10 years, this project is anticipated to include more than 2 million square feet of laboratory, research, and medical office space. More than 500,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space is also available, as well as 250 rooms for lodging. This project is anticipated to create over 10,000 jobs.

This is a major milestone for North Las Vegas and the Southern Nevada Community; were excited to start bringing our vision for this project to life, said Tony Sansone, Chief Financial officer of Pacific Group. We are incredibly excited to continue working hand in hand with our partners at the City of North Las Vegas to deliver a best-in-class medical campus to serve the diverse needs of this community.

North Las Vegas population has seen unprecedented growth in recent years, with its population increasing 132.3% since 2000, it is now Nevadas third largest city and one of the fastest growing metros in the country. It is also Nevadas largest minority-majority city. Southern Nevadas population is expected to rise to 3.4 million residents by 2060. With such rapid expansion, the need for medical services is clear. Once completed, the Helios Medical Campus will mean many residents will no longer have to travel outside city limits for a doctors appointment.

With Q2 2022 Las Vegas metro medical office vacancy at a decade low and no new medical developments completed in the last 12 months, the 135 acre world-class Helios Health and Wellness Campus is poised to satisfy the surging demand of the medical community with the most unique and flexible opportunity to develop, own or lease their next center of excellence. With only one full-service hospital in North Las Vegas, Helios represents a giant leap forward in access to healthcare for residents and the greater Las Vegas Valley as a whole.

The founders of Helios also recognize that in addition to fulfilling a tremendous need for health and wellness in the area, thousands of nearby residents are sorely underserved in traditional retail needs as well, such as grocers, retailers, restaurants, fitness options, and traditional neighborhood services. Helios has dedicated over twenty acres to the development and fulfillment of those needs exclusively. Helios founders have partnered with commercial real estate brokerage firm Colliers International to begin discussions with prospective developers in search of the best suited partners. More information about leasing and partnership opportunities can be found at Helios.realestate.
Like SMRP, PCA has a strong commitment to promoting excellence in facility maintenance and reliability, is continually innovating, and is dedicated to sharing useful, topical information.

Performance Consulting Associates, Inc. (PCA), a leading provider of maintenance, reliability, storeroom and asset management solutions, today announced that two of its most seasoned maintenance and reliability professionals will be expert presenters at SMRP 2022, being held in Raleigh, North Carolina on October 17-20. PCA will also be hosting Booth #227, where attendees can meet and speak with PCAs reliability and maintenance specialists. PCA will be accompanied at SMRP by its data scrubbing partner, Enventure.

In addition, PCA President and CEO Dick DeFazio and PCA COO Bob DiStefano are also attending the conference and will be available to speak with attendees at the booth.

For SMRP 2022, we are pleased to present two information-rich sessions that attendees will find both insightful and highly informative, said DeFazio. Like SMRP, PCA has a strong commitment to promoting excellence in facility maintenance and reliability, is continually innovating, and is dedicated to sharing useful, topical information.

In the Work Management track, PCA Reliability Consultant William Bill Judson, CMRP, will present "Why Dont Companies Use the CMMS to its Full Potential? on Tuesday, October 18 at 11:00 am in Room 305. This session will explore the rich functionality and value of computerized maintenance management systems and how attendees can get more benefit from theirs.

In the Organization & Leadership track, PCA VP of Operations Dan Moss, CMRP and Allied Managing Principal Chris Colson will present A Remarkable Reliability Journey  Equipment, Processes and People in Room 301 at 2:45pm, also on October 18.

This presentation will detail how Clarios, a global leader in advanced energy storage, joined forces with two professional reliability-focused companies  Performance Consulting Associates and Allied Reliability  to identify better asset reliability solutions for existing opportunity gaps.

Judson, Moss and Colson will all be available afterwards to answer questions from attendees about their respective presentations.

About Performance Consulting Associates, Inc.

Since 1976, Performance Consulting Associates, Inc. (PCA) has been providing maintenance and reliability best practice support to global manufacturing corporations across all industries. Based in Duluth, Georgia, PCA has more than four decades of expertise serving clients from the plant floor to the C-suite by delivering engineering and consulting services for Asset Reliability, MRO Stores and Maintenance Management. For more on PCAs solutions and services, please visit http://www.pcaconsulting.com.


Poet, Essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil discusses writing about phobias and how poetry promotes empathy in Dr. Margaret Payne's creative writing course during her visit Monday, Sept. 26, 2022. We were so excited to have Aimee Nezhukumatathil on campus. The students were engaged and we could not have asked for a better turnout.

Essayist and poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil smiles like an axolotl when faced with a challenge, finds endless inspiration amongst the worlds flora and fauna and encourages everyone to find empathy for others through prose, poetry and literature. In late September, she visited Freed-Hardeman University, becoming the first mainstream author in recent years to guest lecture on the campus.

Nezhukumatathils works have earned her national recognition and acclaim from the literary community including The New York Times and Barnes & Noble. She has written World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, & Other Astonishments (2020). It is in this book that she writes about the axolotl, also called the Mexican Walking Fish, a pink salamander with a perpetual smile. Her additional published works include Oceanic (2018); Lucky Fish (2011); At the Drive-In Volcano (2007) and Miracle Fruit (2003).

She is also an English and creative writing professor in the University of Mississippis MFA program. Nezhukumatathils visit to Freed-Hardeman Universitys campus was made possible by the Engaged Learning Initiative, or ELI, and the FHU Department of Communication and Literature. Nezhukumatathil began her afternoon in Dr. Margaret Paynes creative writing course. A dinner was held for her at the Hardeman House, and she ended the evening in Ayers Auditorium with 200 students from various English courses. Many of them were students of Neil Segars, Hannah Graves and Loren Warf, of FHUs English faculty. The classes were reading World of Wonders or Oceanic.

We were so excited to have Aimee Nezhukumatathil on campus, said Payne, who is the chair of FHUs Department of Communication and Literature. The students were engaged and we could not have asked for a better turnout.

While in Paynes class, Nezhukumatathil described herself as a life-long learner.

Im a full professor, yet I still feel like Im a student, she said. And I never want to get to a point where I think Im the master of poetry.

The class, filled with sophomores, juniors and seniors, some of whom have an interest in teaching and writing, listened to Nezhukumatathils story about how she discovered modern poetry.

It was very encouraging to hear her say she discovered poetry later when she was an undergraduate, said Shayli Studer, a senior English education major in Paynes class. Nezhukumatathil talked about the use of persona, or a mask, which is a method writers use to write from a perspective that is not their own. She asked students to discuss fears and phobias, and during an eight-minute free writing session, Nezhukumatathil challenged them to use persona to write about a phobia.

Studer chose to write about ancraophobia, or the fear of wind.

I enjoyed (the session) and thats something I want to teach my future students, to think for themselves and promote empathy for others, Studer said.

Students wrote about other fears including the fear of flowers (anthrophobia), the fear of the moon (selenophobia) and the fear of cats (ailurophobia), most chose to read their short poems aloud.

You built something out of 26 letters and eight minutes, Nezhukumatathil said. You made us all feel empathy. I encourage you to find other phobias to write about that evoke empathy for another persons life.

Students questioned Nezhukumatathil about her study of nature and her writing method.

When I have time, I make time to chip away at a poem, but my drafts are a hot mess, Nezhukumatathil quipped. After about 100 or so drafts, I start to take inventory whether Im writing about childhood, motherhood, or the outdoors. Out of 175 total poems, not all are solid, so I drill down. But I find that I write double in order to get to the good stuff.

Nezhukumatathil elicited laughter from the students while reading her poems Are All the Break Ups in Your Poems Real? The Mascot of Beaver Creek High Breaks Her Silence and several passages from World of Wonders where she made bird calls and asked students to mimic fireflies by turning on their cell phone flashlights as the rooms lights were dimmed.

It looks so cool; FHU, you look so good, Nezhukumatathil said as she paused to capture the moment on her cell phone.

FHU freshman Ben Cooper took a selfie with Nezhukumatathil after she signed a copy of World of Wonders for him.

It was an amazing book, he said. I usually have a hard time connecting with reading, but I enjoyed the nature stories. I personally loved the stories about Monarch butterflies and fireflies.

When Nezhukumatathil speaks about fireflies, she is reminded of road trips with her family. She encouraged writers when faced with a blank screen or page, to start with what they love and begin to write about it.

Be curious, the world is full of wonders, let yourself be astonished, Nezhukumatathil said. Be a student of something for the rest of your life.


The Peace Education Program nicely complements the Scouts objective to support peaceful actions for the betterment of mankind. The Peace Education Program is increasingly relevant as it offers a window of hope and highlights progressive initiatives to create social conditions conducive to peace, minimize conflict trigger points, and share guidelines to reduce conflict and strife.

Scouts Association Malaysia recently signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) to offer the Peace Education Program to youth throughout the country.

The MoU, which was signed by National Chief Scout, Major General Prof. Dato Dr. Haji Mohd Zin bin Bidin, and Founder of Peace Education Program, Prem Rawat, is expected to pave the way for the first batch of scouts to start on the program shortly. The Scouts Association is the largest youth organization in Malaysia and agreed to work with TPRF to help make the innovative video-based workshop series available to scout communities at schools across the nation.

Featuring Prem Rawats insightful video presentations and other dynamic activities, the Peace Education Program helps empower participants to discover their own inner strength and personal peace. Over 300,000 people have already participated in the program in 80 countries, with research showing a wide range of benefits for youth including enhanced resilience, self-awareness, hope and appreciation for life.

The Peace Education Program nicely complements the Scouts objective to support peaceful actions for the betterment of mankind.

The Peace Education Program is increasingly relevant as it offers a window of hope and highlights progressive initiatives to create social conditions conducive to peace, minimize conflict trigger points, and share guidelines to reduce conflict and strife, said the National Chief Scout following the signing.

On behalf of the foundation I look forward towards having this understanding and . being able to share the resources to make The Prem Rawat Foundation stronger and the Scouts of Malaysia stronger, so that more people can have the benefit of the Peace Education Program, said Prem Rawat.

The collaboration between Scouts Malaysia and The Prem Rawat Foundation goes back a long way, since Prem Rawat and Chief Scout Allayarham Tan Sri Dr. Hj. Shafie Mohd Salleh signed the 2014 Pledge to Peace to help young people to do more to bring about a peaceful world. At that time Prem Rawat was honored with the Scouts Award of Friendship.

About Prem Rawat

For more than 50 years, Prem Rawat has spoken to hundreds of millions of people in more than 100 countries to help empower people from all walks of life to discover personal peace. Prem Rawat is the New York Times bestselling author of Hear Yourself: How to Find Peace in a Noisy World.

Rawat founded The Prem Rawat Foundation in 2001 with the mission to address the fundamental human needs of food, water and the often-overlooked need for peace.

He also created the Peace Education Program, which is made available free of charge by TPRF and is taught everywhere from high schools and universities to prisons; in countries ravaged by war; in veteran centers and in hospitals in more than 80 countries and 40 languages. The program has reached 300,000 people from all walks of life, including those marginalized by society and conflict, and inspires participants to experience real personal peace.

Prem Rawats award-winning Food for People programs in India, Nepal and Ghana have transformed entire communities.

He has received numerous honors and awards including the BrandLaureate International Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming only the fourth recipient of the award (with previous winners including Nelson Mandela and Steve Jobs). Rawat is also a pilot, inventor, photographer, classic car restorer, husband, father of four children and grandfather to four grandchildren.

About Scouts Association of Malaysia

Scouts Association of Malaysia (SAM) is a Malaysian chapter of a global organization known as The World Organization of the Scouts Movement (WOSM), with the common objectives of promoting unity and peace from the personal, social and environmental perspectives.

The aim is to contribute to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual potential as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities.

The Scout Movement is based on the following principles: Duty to God; Duty to Others; and Duty to Self.
The new Roland DG LEC2 belt-driven hybrid UV inkjets combine the functionality of both a flatbed and a roll-to-roll printer to offer users maximum versatility and media compatibility.

Roland DGA Corporation, a leading provider of wide-format inkjet printers and other advanced digital imaging devices, has announced the addition of two new belt-driven hybrid UV printers to its VersaUV LEC2 S-Series. The LEC2-330S B-200 and LEC2-640S B-200 hybrid inkjets, which complement the existing flatbed models within the series, use a conveyer belt to transport media along the bed to a stationary printing gantry for increased versatility. The new hybrids also maximize creative options for users by printing directly not only on rigid and flexible substrates but also on roll-to-roll substrates.

The LEC2 S-Series belt-driven hybrid printers offer the same outstanding image quality and print speeds as the LEC2 S-Series flatbed models as well as faster loading and unloading times. Both the 30-inch LEC2-330S B-200 and 64-inch LEC2-640S B-200 are capable of printing directly on materials or three-dimensional objects up to 7.87 inches thick and supporting up to 44 pounds per square foot. Their combined capabilities make these innovative inkjets ideal for everything from product customization and personalization to creating traditional signage, posters and banners, backlit and POP displays, trade show graphics, window coverings, interior decor, and more. The added roll-to-roll functionality also enables users to create longer retail signs and print onto unique, thicker roll media like natural or synthetic leather, felt, rubber mat, and plastics.

Both hybrid models feature narrow, lightweight designs that increase installation options, allowing for space-saving placement in a variety of print environments. They also boast a wider range of usable modes, allowing users to choose extra print quality and/or higher-volume production to meet their specific needs. Plus, switching from printing on flexible materials to printing on rigid substrates is simple. Users will also appreciate the ability of the belt-driven hybrids to prevent wrinkling when printing on stretchable media  a common problem when roll-to-roll printing.

Like the LEC2 S-Series flatbeds, the belt-driven hybrid models use specially formulated, GREENGUARD Gold certified wide-gamut EUV5 inks that provide unsurpassed graphic results. Users can choose from six different ink configurations to suit their individual requirements, including dual CMYK for increased productivity, or CMYK with Red, Orange, White, Gloss, and Primer options. White and Gloss specialty inks make it easy to incorporate stunning dimensional and textural effects directly onto a vast array of substrates and objects, while the onboard Primer allows for improved adhesion and greater media compatibility.

A True Rich Color preset within the bundled VersaWorks 6 RIP software works together with the new Orange and Red ECO-UV 5 ink options to widen the color gamut, open up new creative opportunities, and increase color-matching accuracy. In addition to the new Orange and Red process colors, specific Pantone and DIC colors can now be achieved, making it simple to accurately reproduce company brand colors.

Other noteworthy features include innovative firmware with White Space Skip and two new Distance Modes that help maximize productivity and improve print consistency on flat, irregular, or curved objects; new larger, adjustable intensity UV-LED lamps, a quiet, powerful vacuum with Reverse Blow function that keeps media in place, a front-loading ink system for increased convenience, and more.

For optimum safety, each model features a separate control tower with touch panel controls that allows for the creation of a safe operator area as well as an emergency stop perimeter around the base (and on the side of the device) to further safeguard those operating the printer, even in the busiest production settings. In addition, the belt-driven hybrid printers are equipped with a signal beacon with variable alerts that clearly highlight the printer status.

The LEC2 S-Series belt-driven hybrid printers include VersaWorks 6 software  Roland DGs most powerful and intuitive RIP to date. VersaWorks 6 boasts a Harlequin RIP dual core engine with 64-bit native processing for enhanced speed and file handling, a simple drag-and-drop interface, advanced nesting, cropping and filing features, a special Color Plate Generation feature that allows you to automatically generate White, Gloss, and Primer layers directly in the RIP, variable data printing, and other cutting-edge tools for optimum functionality, productivity and ease of use.

To learn more about the new LEC2 S-Series belt-driven hybrid printers, visit http://www.rolanddga.com/LEC2-S-Series. For more information on Roland DGA Corporation, or the complete Roland DGA product line, visit http://www.rolanddga.com.

About Roland DGA Corporation

Roland DGA Corporation serves North and South America as the marketing, sales, distribution, and service arm for Roland DG Corporation. Founded in 1981 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Roland DG of Hamamatsu, Japan is a worldwide leader in wide-format inkjet printers for the sign, apparel, textile, personalization and vehicle graphics markets; engravers for awards, giftware and ADA signage; photo impact printers for direct part marking; and 3D printers and CNC milling machines for the dental CAD/CAM, rapid prototyping, part manufacturing and medical industries.
Sahadi Legal Group Now Has Offices in San Antonio and Goliad, TX We just love the community of Goliad and the surrounding area and to the extent we are able to do so, we will always help this community.

The Sahadi Legal Group, helping victims of negligence get the justice and compensation they deserve, have opened offices in San Antonio and Goliad, Texas. The law firm has been based in Corpus Christi since 2009.

In San Antonio, the new office can be found at 6011 N. Broadway; in Goliad, 134 W. End Street. Reagan Sahadi, the Founder of The Sahadi Legal Group, has ties to both communities and would like to bring the legal expertise of his team to the areas where he has identified tremendous need.

We just love the community of Goliad and the surrounding area and to the extent we are able to do so, we will always help this community, said Sahadi, whose wife was raised in the area. We have also received a number of calls from clients in San Antonio, and recognize that our services will be put to good use there.

Sahadi Legal Group has a history of extraordinary verdicts and settlements in commercial motor vehicle wrecks and has seen an influx of activity in both San Antonio and Goliad. The need for highly skilled personal injury lawyers in both cities has increased in recent years, and Sahadi felt compelled to step in and bring justice to those who are suffering.

Sahadi was raised in South Texas and comes from a family of entrepreneurs. Upon graduating from the University of Houston Law Center, he moved back to Corpus Christi where he joined Donnell, Abernethy & Kieschnick, and subsequently Wigington Rumley Dunn & Blair LLP. His practice focused on a range of cases including truck accidents, product liability, oil and gas accidents, and other catastrophic personal injury accidents.

Eventually, he formed Sahadi Legal Group to provide the wealth of experience and resources of a larger law firm while still maintaining the personal touch of a boutique firm. Sahadi has had overwhelming success litigating cases throughout the nation and has recovered several hundred million dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients - including the largest verdict for actual damages in El Paso County history.

Additionally, Reagan is a former sitting municipal court judge for the city of Goliad, Texas. He is a member of the TTLA and the Attorneys Information Exchange Group. Recently, he was named for the third consecutive year to the 2021 Texas Super Lawyers list.

For more information please visit http://www.sahadilegal.com

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About Sahadi Legal Group

The Sahadi Legal Group was founded by Reagan Sahadi on the idea that clients deserve more than just representation in the courtroom or around the negotiation table. The Sahadi Legal Group has a wealth of experience representing victims of catastrophic accidents.

Since 2009, Reagan Sahadi's verdicts and settlements in cases have exceeded $200 million for his clients. From car accidents to tire defects, the Sahadi Legal Group aggressively pursues each claim for clients with finesse. The Sahadi Legal Group is ready to put their expertise and passion to work for you. The legal team at the Sahadi Legal Group has over 45 combined years of experience.

The dedicated staff will be with you every step of the way to help you understand the process and keep you informed. http://www.sahadilegal.com
The Agency Having built an unmatched global following, The Agency is revolutionizing real estate and connecting global markets with its modern, collaborative approach to the business, says Danny Lowe.

Global real estate brokerage, The Agency has announced the launch of its new franchise office in The Bahamas. The new locale is the firms 41st global partner among its growing network of offices in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe. The Bahamas office will be led by esteemed industry professional and managing director, Danny Lowe. Marking the 62nd office across the globe, The Agency Bahamas is the firms third Caribbean location, following Turks & Caicos and the Cayman Islands.

Were delighted to continue The Agencys expansion throughout the Caribbean and partner with Danny Lowe on our new outpost in The Bahamas, said Mauricio Umansky, CEO and Founder of The Agency. Danny is an accomplished leader with an amazing track record and reputation. I know he will be an incredible steward for The Agency brand as he ushers in our boutique approach to business and a new era of luxury real estate to the region.

The Agency has rapidly expanded its presence across the globe throughout the past year, making it one of the fastest-growing luxury boutique brokerages in the world. The Agencys independent-owned brokerages are referred to and integrated as true global partners. Every Managing Partner, from both corporate or independently-owned offices, operates cohesively as one true global network. Rather than just using the brand likeness in their marketing, The Agencys global partners enjoy the same access to leadership, marketing, public relations training, tools, and technology as our corporate offices. In the past 12 months, The Agency has already showcased impressive global growth opening independently-owned offices in Amsterdam, Downtown Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Muskoka, Brantford, Naples, Florida, Birmingham, Michigan, Seattle, Washington, Miami, Florida, North Atlanta, Georgia, Austin, Texas, Grand Cayman, Frederick, Maryland, and now The Bahamas.

Our new franchise in The Bahamas is a true testament to the supreme interest and demand were experiencing throughout the Caribbean for a brand like The Agency, said Jim Ramsay, Executive Vice President of Franchise Sales at The Agency. Were excited to partner with Danny Lowe on this new endeavor as we continue to showcase the power of The Agency brand across the region.

Born and raised on the islands, Danny Lowe is among the regions youngest and most respected real estate professionals and the youngest real estate broker in The Bahamas. In addition to being a top sales producer in 2021, Danny ranked among the top 3% of real estate agents globally at his former firm, led the sale of a $10M+ local estate, and has appeared on HGTVs Bahamas Life. Known for his calm demeanor and straightforward communication style, Dannys in-depth market expertise ranges from luxury estate homes in Nassauincluding Old Fort Bay and Ocean Clubto condos, new development sites, out-island properties, and private islands. Raised in Nassau, Danny attended St Andrews School and achieved a Bachelor of Economics from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, China. Before starting his career in real estate, Danny worked for his family in their construction business, then managed a few of his own small businesses. Leading my own businesses helped me sharpen not just my management skills, but my knowledge of smart investing tactics. Today, his management and investment skills inform how he guides clients through their investment decisions, at every stage in the buying, selling or investment process.

Having built an unmatched global following, The Agency is revolutionizing real estate and connecting global markets with its modern, collaborative approach to the business, says Danny Lowe. The Agency Bahamas will elevate the service offered to clients and provide cutting-edge solutions to buyers and sellers across the islands, from New Providence and Paradise Island to Eleuthera, The Exumas, and beyond.

With solid infrastructure and a renowned brand that is featured on international television shows including Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and Buying Beverly Hills, debuting on Netflix this fall, The Agency has grown to over 60 corporately-owned and franchise offices across the globe. Poised for further expansion with like-minded partners in strategic markets, The Agency is noted by The Financial Times as one of Americas Fastest Growing Companies and has ranked among Inc. 5000s list of fastest-growing private companies in the country for six consecutive years. Recently, The Agency ranked 21st on the 2022 RealTrends 500 list, and led the top 50 firms in average sales price by sides with a whopping $2.5 million average sales price.

The Agency Bahamas is located at Sanford Drive, The Balmoral Corporate Center, Second Floor, Building D, Nassau, N.P.

The Agency

The Agency is an agent-first, tech-driven boutique luxury global brokerage representing clients worldwide in a broad spectrum of classes, including residential, new development, resort real estate, luxury leasing and vacation rentals. Breaking away from the traditional brokerage model, The Agency takes a collaborative approach to the business, fostering a culture of partnership in which all clients and listings are represented in a collaborative environment. Agents and clients benefit from the shared resources and networks of the entire global team, including in-house creative, public relations and cutting-edge technology divisions. The Agency has closed more than $41 billion real estate transactions since 2011, comprising over 60 offices in five countries, and counting, as one of the fastest-growing boutique, luxury real estate franchise brands in the world.
United Through Reading, a national non-profit connecting military families through shared storytime, today announced the appointment of Tim Farrell as Chief Executive Officer. Farrell will succeed Dr. Sally Ann Zoll on October 17, 2022. Dr. Zoll is expected to remain in an advisory role until December 31, 2022, at which time she will retire after 16 years of service to military families as United Through Readings Chief Executive Officer and a career dedicated to promoting education and literacy.

Farrell most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC), a national non-profit that supports all military-connected children by educating, advocating, and collaborating to resolve education challenges associated with the military lifestyle. His background includes 23 years of service as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, where he rose to the rank of colonel, and more than a decade with non-profit organizations predominantly focused on military/veteran/family and educational missions. Farrell holds a BA in Economics from Rutgers University and an MS in Administration from Central Michigan University.

I am thrilled to join United Through Reading as it writes its next chapter. I look forward to working with United Through Readings extraordinary staff, Board of Trustees, volunteers, and supporters to build upon Sallys incredible success over the past 16 years and to continue to champion shared reading in military families, said Farrell.

United Through Reading has a long track record of strengthening military families through shared reading, increasing literacy, and improving educational outcomes for children, said Sean McHugh, Chair of the United Through Reading Board of Trustees. Tim Farrells leadership in the military support community and his dedication to service make him an outstanding choice to ensure families stay connected through reading, no matter the distance between them.

Under Dr. Zolls leadership, United Through Reading has thrived in fulfilling the incredibly important mission of connecting service members who are separated from their families due to deployment, training, or active-duty assignment through the act of reading aloud. Since she became CEO in 2007, UTR has delivered millions of bedtime stories to military families. These stories have touched more than 2.7 military family members in United Through Readings quest to make sure no military child goes to sleep without a bedtime story.

McHugh continued, Weve been honored to have Sally lead and improve the reach and capabilities of our organization over the last 16 years. We owe her a debt of gratitude and have no doubt that she will continue to support military families and UTR in her retirement. The entire board and staff of UTR wish her all the best as she spends well-earned time with her husband Jim and their wonderful family.

It has been my distinct honor to serve as CEO of United Through Reading and help millions of military and Veteran families to stay connected through the power of reading. Our team is dedicated to helping every single family love reading and keep reading, even when military life makes reading together difficult. I cant wait to cheer them on as they continue this important work, said Dr. Zoll.

Farrell was selected from a competitive pool of candidates through a process led by the United Through Reading Board of Trustees and executive search firm Koya Partners.

About United Through Reading

United Through Reading keeps military families reading ready, no matter the distance between them. Families stay connected through storytime video recordings and books sent to military families. These stories ease the stress of time apart due to military duty, maintain positive emotional connections, and cultivate a love of reading and early childhood literacy. Service members and veterans can record a story for their family at more than 200 United Through Reading recording locations worldwide, as well as on their mobile device with the free and secure reading app. Since 1989, 2.7 million military members and their families have benefited from the program.
Church Advance Forward, Boots on the Ground: A Clarion Call to the Church: an urgent charge to people commissioned by God for His work here on Earth. Church Advance Forward, Boots on the Ground: A Clarion Call to the Church is the creation of published author Valerie K. Thornton, a loving and attentive woman of God whose life mission is to bring revival to the nations.

Thornton shares, Whenever God wants to do something, a child is born. From Adam, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Esther, Nehemiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Hosea, Debra, Joel, Obadiah, Zephaniah, Malachi, John the Baptist, Jesus, the disciples, Paul, to you and me. God has raised you up to be his hands extended in the marketplaceyour homes, workplace, government, the arts, religion, media, education, and calling you to advance forward with him to introduce all to the kingdom of light and overthrow the kingdom of darkness. We are to go to the high places (strongholds in our lives, our generation and the world) and tear the devils kingdom down. He has shown us the way to him and have given us the charge to show others the way to him through the Word, his love, and our lives (2 Cor 3:2).

We have been instructed to go in to all the world baptizing and teaching those under our sphere of influence what God has taught us. You do not have to wait for a position in the church or become a minister or pastor to do the work of God. If you are a born again, blood-brought child of God, you have the authority, through the Holy Spirit that lives in you, to proclaim the goodness of God (1 Pet. 2:9). The Bible said that they overcame -Triumphed over him by the blood; the cleansing, forgiving, redeeming, blood of lamb and the word of their testimony. They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death (Rev. 12:11). Tell them what you have seen, what you have heard, and what you have experienced, so that they also may have fellowship with us, with the Father, and with his son, Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3).

I will venture to say that we all have been placed in one of these cultural mountains of influence (arts, religion, media, education, family, government, and economy). This is a Clarion Call to the church, or should I say the Body of Christ. It is a call to advance forward, to go forth, a call to action. You are the boots on the ground. Go! Go! Go!

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Valerie K. Thorntons new book overflows with life and vigor as it urges Gods people to come together and accomplish His will. Expounding on scripture and exposing its truth, the author exhorts her readers to be the Christians God has called them to be, carrying the gospel to the ends of the earth.

View a synopsis of Church Advance Forward, Boots on the Ground: A Clarion Call to the Church on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase Church Advance Forward, Boots on the Ground: A Clarion Call to the Church at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Church Advance Forward, Boots on the Ground: A Clarion Call to the Church, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
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When Jon Scieszka was shopping The Stinky Cheese and Other Fairly Stupid Tales in the late 80s, most editors didnt get it. The stories were too sophisticated. The humor was too dark and mean, according to his many rejection letters. One, he paraphrases, said something to the effect of Please dont send us anything again.

Publishing was stuffy then, he said, and a lot of kids books were a little moralistic. But after 10 years of teaching second grade, the now-bestselling author knew a lot about kidswhat they love, how they think, and what makes them laugh. Theyre funny and they want something funny, he said. When Scieszkas wife Jeri Hansen introduced him to illustrator Lane Smith, he knew hed met a kindred spirit who understood kids the way he did. And when Viking editor Regina Hayes saw the pairs first collaboration, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, they finally made an editor laugh.

Jon and Lane and Molly created a book that was fresh and original in text, art, and design, Hayes said.

She bought the book and its success opened the door for The Stinky Cheese Man to reach readers. Now celebrating the 30th anniversary of its publication, Scieszka, Smith, and book designer Molly Leach (married to Smith since 1996) are looking back on the books runaway (pun intended) success, which includes a Caldecott Honor, translation into 12 languages, and well over four million copies sold.

A collection of twisted fairy tales, the book is narrated by Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk, who continually breaks the fourth wall with his cheeky comments. Each tale upends a classic story, sidestepping happy endings and allegories in favor of humor. The eponymous stinky cheese man isnt chased like the gingerbread manpeople run away from him. The ugly duckling grows up to be an ugly duck.

I think up until that point in time you had earnest books and you had funny books. But I dont recall parody, Smith said. Kids had to get that in Mad magazine or from Tex Avery or Jay Ward cartoons. I think Stinky was something different for a kids book. We broke all the rules.

The book pushed boundaries, in part, Scieszka said, because he, Smith, and Leach brought their interests to the table and worked together in the same room to create the book, bouncing ideas off each other. Scieszka had a masters degree in fiction writing and a penchant for surrealist literature, comics, and anime. While his own influences include Borges, Kafka, and comics, Smith has an encyclopedic knowledge of high art, but also of cartoons and anime. Lane thinks like an animator, Scieszka said. Leach came from the world of magazines, so she didnt think like a typical book designer. The three brainstormed each page together, hanging the pages on a wall and reacting. Stinky wouldnt be the way it is if we hadnt been in the same room together, Scieszka added. Discussion often started with Wouldnt it be funny if. Leach introduced the idea of different characters speaking in different typefaces. I dont know if that happened before us, she said. Throughout the process they didnt know exactly where they were going but they knew it was going to be good, Scieszka said.

The book was embraced immediately by teachers, librarians, booksellers and especially kids. Print run after print run sold out, even before the book won a 1993 Caldecott Honor. For Scieszka, the accolades were less important than what he believed the book was doingcatching kids at the time when they are entering into the very difficult thing that reading is and helping them see that it could be fun. Second grade is the time that determines whether or not a kid become a reader, he said.

If his books help turn that switch on, its everything he could hope for. As the Library of Congresss first National Ambassador for Young Peoples Literature, hes a strong believer that kids should read whatever appeals to them, whatever gets them reading. This belief inspired him to found Guys Read, an initiative that motivates boys to read, and his Guys Write for Guys Read anthologies, the Astronuts, Time Warp Trio, Spaceheadz, and Frank Einstein series, and his Trucktown books which have been made into a long-running TV series.

There have been echoes of The Stinky Cheese Mans irreverent humor in numerous bestselling books in the decades since it came out. I dont know if we had anything to do with the current slew of funny/fanciful books, Smith said. But I think we might be kindred souls with some current authors and illustrators. Bears eating hat-stealing rabbits! Goodness! There are so many hilarious folks out there, like Laurie Keller and Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen and Jory John and Bob Shea. I wouldnt presume to say we influenced any of them but I sure like their stuff.

When asked about the staying power of The Stinky Cheese Man 30 years later, Leach replied, Kids like to say the word stinky. Hayes said, It holds up astonishingly well. Reading it to my grandchildren has given me a new appreciation for the many levels of the humor. As they got older, they caught more and more of it, from The Princess and the Bowling Ball (an early favorite) to the rather sophisticated spoofs of bookmaking. It really is a picture book for all ages.

Children and childrens literature have changed a lot since the 90s. Kids are a lot more visual and visually literate these days, Scieszka said. They respond to the power of design and know how to read the signals. But theyre still as smart and funny as ever. They want to play around, and playing around is how we learn. When they have just learned how a story is constructedand even how a book is put togetherseeing those conventions turned on their heads is empowering and reinforces learning. During a school visit, Scieszka recalled, he was describing how he changes elements of familiar stories to turn the story on its head. A particularly astute third grader commented, So you take other peoples stuff and mess it up.

Im just thrilled to be still messing up other peoples stuff 30 years later, he said. In his upcoming release The Real Dada Mother Goose: A Treasury of Complete Nonsense he does just that, with a collection of playfully reimagined classic nursery rhymes based on the Blanche Fisher Wrights 1916 collection.

In honor of The Stinky Cheese Mans 30th anniversary, Scieszka is conducting a raffle for teachers with one cheddar-level winner who will receive an in-person author visit, an autographed class set of the book, an extra copy for the school library, plus two copies of The Real Dada Mother Goose and stinky swag, including signed squeeze cheese wedges. For Swiss-level winners, there are virtual visits and autographed books and swag as well.

Hes also got plans for celebrating the anniversary with indie booksellers, who have been so supportive of all of his books. Signed copies of both The Stinky Cheese Man and The Real Dada Mother Goose along with bookmarks, signed squeeze cheese wedges, and signed posters of Scieszka with a pile of cheese wedges will soon be on their way to 25 bookstores that helped make The Stinky Cheese Man and the many books that followed it a success.

After all these years, Leach says, Were just glad that it still holds up.
Blackstone Publishing, an imprint of independent audiobook publisher Blackstone Audio, is extending its presence in the childrens book landscape. Founded in 1987, the Ashland, Ore., company branched out into print publishing in 2015 and broke into the YA market two years later with the release of Loved, launching The House of Night Other World series by bestselling authors P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast.

Now, Blackstone has two disparate milestones on the horizon, beginning with the November 1 publication of its first-ever middle-grade novel, Exposing Ezra by Amy E. Feldman; and the posthumous, summer 2023 release of Face the Night by YA sci-fi and fantasy novelist Lani Forbes, who died last February at the age of 35 after a nine-month battle with neuroendocrine cancer.

Ushering in a New Chapter

The publisher signaled its commitment to the young reader marketplace in March 2021, when Daniel Ehrenhaft joined Blackstone as senior acquisitions editor, responsible for acquiring projects spanning middle-grade, YA, and adult.

A nearly three-decade publishing veteran whose credits include author, packager, and editor, Ehrenhaft launched Sourcebooks Fire in 2009 and Soho Teen in 2011. While at the latter house, Ehrenhaft had published a YA novel, H.E.A.R. by Feldmans sister, Robin Epstein. As I was leaving the company, Robin asked me to look at a childrens novel, Ezra Exposed, that her sister Amy had written, the editor said. And I agreed to read the manuscript.

Ehrenhaft was drawn in by Feldmans story of a middle-grade boy who learns the pitfalls of revealing too much on social media when he posts an inappropriate photo on Instagram. I immediately loved everything about the novel, Ehrenhaft said. Its not only a fun, awesome read, but it is also a practical tool, teaching readers about the legal ramifications and other consequences of texting something offensive. It is written without a shred of didacticism or condescension, from the point of view of a 10-year-old whose voice is so authentic.

The editor recalled that he wanted to help Amy in any way I could to get Ezra Exposed published, an opportunity he had when, in his words, I landed at Blackstone and was ready to roll with the novel. And so, in a felicitous sequence of firsts, Feldmans debut novel became the inaugural book Ehrenhaft acquired for Blackstone, as well as the publishers inaugural middle-grade release.

Inspiration from the Heart

On several levels, Feldman wrote of what she knows when crafting Ezra Exposed. A practicing attorney who received both a JD and a Masters in education from the University of Pennsylvania, she is a childrens rights advocate and syndicated legal radio commentator.

The mother of three, now ages 25, 23, and 18, Feldman has made frequent visits to schools over the years to inform educators and parents about legislation surrounding use of social media and the consequences of breaking those laws.

With her novel, Feldman hopes to extend that message directly to young readers. This is really intended to be a first building block in a conversation that will teach a lesson, in a non-threatening and age-appropriate way, about knowing the rules of social media and the importance of observing them, and protecting yourself online, she noted.

Shaping a Varied MG List

Ehrenhaft emphasized that Blackstones middle-grade offerings, in keeping with its YA list, will be eclectic. Following Ezra Exposed in April 2023 is I Am DJ Michelle: How a Nine-Year-Old DJ Became a Global Phenomenon, an autobiography by Michelle Rasul, written with Rabiah York Lumbard. Due out in print and audiobook, this story follows the life of a wunderkind from Dubai, who catapulted to international celebrity status for her skill as a DJ.

And the world of Japanese folklore is the setting for The Secret War, the first in the middle-grade Shadow Wars fantasy-adventure duology. The books are written by popular YA paranormal author Sherrilyn Kenyon (whose books have 70 million copies in print worldwide) in her first collaboration with her son, Madaug Hishinuma, and his wife, Hinako Hishinuma.

Blackstone is a great place to publish unique, diverse voices, and I am excited about how we are entering the middle-grade space, Ehrenhaft said. We are proceeding selectively and cautiously and are putting the full weight of our resources behind these books. I look forward to publishing additional titles for this audience down the road.

Anthony Goff, president of Blackstone Publishing, also welcomed the companys foray into middle-grade. Blackstone is in the business of storytelling, so it is only natural that we start publishing for some of the youngest readers, he said. This is the continued evolution of Blackstone as a publisher, from an audio-only publisher to where we are today, publishing some of the biggest names in the industry. Our expansion of middle grade and young adult titles is a part of that, as we continue to publish books for every type of reader, and now readers of all ages.

A Look at YA Ahead, and a Fond Farewell

As Blackstone moves into middle grade, its young adult program continues full-tilt.

Books scheduled for release in the early months of 2023 include Blood Circus, a debut novel by Camila Victoire (Jan.), a tale combining fantasy, magical realism, and suspenseinspired by the traveling circus that was the authors home for four years; The Hitherto Secret Experiments of Marie Curie by Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Henry Herz (Apr.), an anthology of short stories that imagine dark events in the life of Marie Curie as a teenager; and Hurt You by Marie Myung-Ok Lee, a novel inspired by the social realism of Steinbecks Of Mice and Men (May).

And summer 2023 will bring the bittersweet publication of Lani Forbess final novel, Face the Night, which she completed while terminally ill, a poignant experience she chronicled last November in a piece for PW.

The authors agent, Samantha Wekstein of Thompson Literary Agency, offered this remembrance: Lani Forbes was a dream client and a formidable author. She paired sublime ideas with exquisite execution, both of which are on full display in Face the Night. Her final novel is all the more impressive because she wrote most of it on her phone between chemo sessions, all while caring for her newborn son and her two other children. Lani understood the importance of persevering to tell her story. She led by example, teaching me and countless others how to face the things were afraid of head-on, a lesson her protagonist, Cat, also learns. It was a joy to collaborate with Lani, and her goodness and bravery shine through on every page.

Ehrenhaft noted that he looks forward to continuing to publish diverse voices and a range of genres at Blackstone, whose editorial protocol of separating acquisition and development tasks he praised. I like that I am responsible for acquiring the books, and we have a team of freelancers with expertise in various genres, one of whom works hands-on with each author on the actual line editing, focusing on a single project at a time, he explained. This is a great boon for authors, and frees me up to be their cheerleader. Having sat on both sides of the desk as editor and as author, I know how important that is.
Cybersecurity expert Magiera joined LucidLink from CloudCheckr, where he was responsible for security risk and compliance from 2019 until joining LucidLink in 2022. Before CloudCheckr, he held the virtualisation and identity management admin and deputy information security officer position at Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) in New York. Before FLCC, Randall was a senior associate in the enterprise risk management division of Freed Maxick CPA.In his new role, Magiera will be responsible for scaling the companys security and privacy programme, including compliance, certifications, and risk assessment.Weve always believed that security and data privacy are as much about protecting customer data as it is about safeguarding our own, said Peter Thompson, co-founder, and CEO of LucidLink (pictured left) commenting on the appointment. As our customer base expands to large enterprises with stringent compliance requirements, Randalls experience in cloud security and complex policies for global operations is crucial to our business. He is a great addition to our team.Im honoured to join the team at LucidLink, Randall added. Not only does the company offer customers business and productivity benefits with real-time access to encrypted, end-to-end cloud storage, but its zero-knowledge model speaks volumes to how serious this leadership team views data security.
All live events are of extraordinary importance with previously very high risk for failure. With wireless communications a necessity, the combination of the TVU One solution with SpaceX's satellite connectivity service was deemed vital as the large gatherings of people completely saturate the traditional cellular networks which can lead to dropped calls and unusable live shots and a battle for bandwidth between broadcasters.The ability of TVU One to aggregate multiple separate signals into a single redundant stream freed France Televisions users from cellular saturation and said TVU put an end to instability, the main cause of signal degradation in many live news situations.Through its partner Magic Hour, TVU Networks provided transmission packs allowing the routing of signals via Starlink as well as reception servers to increase the traffic needs of the France Televisions news control room on the day of the funeral. France Televisions was able to have continuous live broadcasts, control their production costs, and cover the event from all editorially relevant locations. The TVU One with Starlink deployed ensured the national editorial staff of France Televisions success in its mission."We must offer news production teams and reporters technological solutions to cover every major event regardless of constraints, explained Skander Ben Attia, director of engineering at France Televisions. The flexibility and ease of use of the TVU Networks solutions met these conditions 200%.The integration of the TVU Networks and Starlink technologies was tested and validated in the extreme transmission conditions in Ukraine and Corsica before being certified by the technical teams of France Televisions. After very conclusive trials in Ukraine and Corsica, we decided to deploy this TVU Networks/Starlink configuration on a large scale, added Romuald Rat, news production director for France Televisions. The TVU Networks/Starlink configuration has brought us to the crossroads of technology and history, creating the certainty of being able to serve our audience without fail and focus on the storytelling. It is impossible not to be very proud of what we accomplished.
Jared Leto will next star as late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld in a biopic.

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"Karl was an artist. Period," Leto told Women's Wear Daily. "He was a fashion designer, he was a photographer, he was an artist. There was no defining him. He was a creative powerhouse."

A director has not yet been announced, but Leto and partner Emma Ludbook will produce the film through their company Paradox, along with Lagerfeld's House of Karl Lagerfeld.

Lagerfeld's close confidants Pier Paolo Righi, Caroline Lebar and Sebastien Jondeau will serve as executive producers of the film.

"Over the years, we have been approached by several Hollywood producers who suggested to partner on a movie about Karl's iconic life," said CEO of Karl Lagerfeld Righi. "It has been only since we met Jared and Emma that we felt truly confident about the story being told in the artistic way Karl would have loved to see."

The German fashion industry icon and Chanel creative director died at age 85 in February 2019. The Metropolitan Museum of Art will honor him at the Met Gala in 2023 with their theme Karl Lagerfeld : A Line of Beauty.
Chicago P.D. star Jesse Lee Soffer is feeling grateful for fans following his exit from the show.

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The 38-year-old actor thanked fans Wednesday on Twitter after leaving the NBC police procedural series after 10 seasons.

Soffer played Det. Jay Halstead, who turned in his badge and resigned from the Chicago Police Department in Wednesday's episode after stabbing a man in self-defense. Halstead then takes a job with the Army, where he is tasked with tracking down drug cartels in Bolivia.

"For anyone that's ever been a Halstead fan, I just want you to know that I'm grateful. Thank you for going on this journey with me. I'm just grateful," Soffer wrote.

"If I could like every single tweet I would. I appreciate the love. It means so much to me. Thank you," he added.

Soffer's co-star Marina Squerciati, who plays Officer Kim Burgess, showed her love for the actor on Twitter.

"Jesse, I love you, dude. I cried a lot IRL so you know it's not fake social media stuff. SO MANY TEARS. #crybabyandproudofit #ChicagoPD," Squerciati wrote.

Soffer announced his exit from Chicago P.D. in August.

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"I want to thank the incredible fans for their unwavering support during the past 10 years," he said at the time. "To create this hour drama week after week has been a labor of love by everyone who touches the show. I will always be proud of my time as Det. Jay Halstead."

Chicago P.D. is in its 10th season on NBC. The series stars Jason Beghe, Patrick John Flueger, LaRoyce Hawkins and Amy Morton.
The Athens Area Diaper Bank hosted an open house event on Sunday in celebration of distributing 1 million diapers to the community since the organization was founded in 2015.
Through a miscommunication about wearing a red jacket, Richard Wilson knew it was Gods intention for him to paint Harold Alonza Black, Mary Blackwell Diallo and Kerry Rushin Miller. Newly built Black-Diallo-Miller Hall, named after the first three Black students to enroll as freshmen and graduate with their undergraduate degrees from the University of Georgia, proudly displays portraits of Black, Diallo and Miller as the first faces you see when entering the building.
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
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Russia have discussed the expansion of the trade relations between the two countries, Azernews reports.

The discussion took place during the meeting between Azerbaijans Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov and Russias Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov, held on the margins of the 2nd Caspian Economic Forum.

During the meeting, they discussed the expansion of trade relations between the two countries. The parties also discussed the holding of the Azerbaijani-Russian Interregional Forum and the promotion of the partnership on economic zones.

During the meeting with Minister of Economic Development of Russia Maxim Reshetnikov, we discussed the expansion of the #trade relations between our countries, establishment of clusters within the framework of the #economic cooperation, holding of the Azerbaijani-Russian Interregional Forum, as well as the promotion of the partnership on #economiczones, Mikayil Jabbarov tweeted.

Emphasizing the successful development of cooperation between the two countries, Mikayil Jabbarov spoke about the work done to expand economic ties and increase trade turnover.

In his turn, Maxim Reshetnikov underlined the high level of economic relations between Azerbaijan and Russia and shared his views on the directions of partnership development.

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 lions share of it 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.
International human rights lawyer Jared Genser is providing pro bono counsel to Cambodian-American lawyer and activist Theary Seng, who was sentenced to six years in prison in June on treason charges. She was sentenced on June 14 along with 50 other activists for their association with the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party, once the main opposition in the country before it was dissolved by the Supreme Court in 2017. On Sept. 30 the Supreme Court upheld a lower courts decision to deny bail to Theary Seng. Genser, a long-time friend of Theary Seng, spoke to RFA Khmers Sovannarith Keo about strategies to press for her release.

RFA: Among a lot of things going on with the Theary Seng case, the Supreme Court just denied her bail. Also, Cambodias Interior Ministry hasnt replied to a request from her lawyer in Cambodia to have her transferred back from Preah Vihear prison to Phnom Penhs Prey Sar prison. What do you make of all these latest developments?

Jared Genser: I think the government of Cambodia has yet to get the clear message that its impunity is not going to be tolerated. I think ultimately they will get that message and they'll understand that very clearly. I can't say I was surprised by the decision of the Supreme Court or by the lack of response in terms of transferring Theary back to Phnom Penh, but nonetheless, of course, I condemn those decisions and unequivocally Theary is undoubtedly along with many other political prisoners in Cambodia who's being detained for exercising her fundamental rights, her right to freedom of expression, to peaceful assembly and to political participation.

RFA: But the Hun Sen government chooses to uphold her detention rather than release her, per requests from the U.S government or the international community. In this sense, what are the consequences for the Hun Sen government if they choose to continue detaining her for as long as six years?

Jared Genser: Well, I think there is going to be an increasing amount of pressure on the government of Cambodia in a wide array of ways. I can say unequivocally based on my conversations in Washington and Europe and more broadly, that Theary's case is a bellwether case. What is happening to her is provides a great lens into what is happening in Cambodia today. And the longer that Hun Sen detains Theary, the more people will know about his repressive regime and its unwillingness to allow political dissen,t and the way in which he keeps his iron grip on power. So we are going to move now in many different directions to ensure that the costs outweigh the benefits of detaining Theary in really dramatic ways, and he'll ultimately have to make a judgment as to whether the costs are worth the benefits

RFA: In terms of effective advocacy, I see that there are a lot of international condemnations ahead of the ASEAN summit and immediately following her detention in mid-June. Do you see any expectation that there will be any leverage for the international community to put pressure on the Cambodian government to release her as soon as possible?

Jared Genser: Yes I think that there definitely will be. Again I don't want to get out front of what we're doing but there will be a couple of very high profile ways in which Hun Sen will understand quite clearly that the international community and the United States in particular is focusing on Theary's case and that of the other political prisoners. We're also of course going to be pressing President Biden to not meet with Hun Sen on a bilateral basis, but only agree to do so on a multilateral basis with the other ASEAN leaders. The longer that Hun Sen detains Theary and other political prisoners, the greater the consequences are going to be.

RFA: Will there be a statement from the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention?

Jared Genser: They have to go through an extended process. So it will take some time. But of course once we file the case we'll make public our submission to the U.N. so people can see what we were doing. We recently also had a very helpful report published by the Clooney Foundation for Justice and the American Bar Association. They had their own trial observer, an independent observer, observe her trial. And they recently came out with a very detailed report that gave the rating of F on an A to F scale, and condemned her trial as being totally inconsistent with the requirements of international law.

RFA: Talking about her conditions in the jail in a remote area in Cambodias Preah Vihear province, we learn from her lawyer in Cambodia saying that she was denied from practicing her religion and also she got a Covid during her jail time, as well as the overcrowded conditions and poor conditions in the jail. What are your reactions to that?

Jared Genser: This is again, a really dumb move on the part of the government of Cambodia. I mean she is a very high profile political prisoner. And the reality is that she is being treated terribly. And of course you know, if someone with her level of public attention is being treated so badly, what does that mean for the average Cambodian prisoner or the average Cambodian political prisoner? It means things are pretty terrible. You know, thankfully, Theary is strong of will and strong of body, and she is surviving one day at a time.

But, obviously, you know there are international law requirements for how a person should be treated in prison. And we are going to highlight obviously the violations of these international rules and regulations that are being committed against heroin in this case in terms of overcrowding or lack of access to medical care, the violations of a right to practice their religion. And also the arbitrary decision to keep her six hours away from Phnom Penh to make it more difficult for her lawyer and family to visit her. You know these are all very clear violations of her rights as our for example, the fact that she can't send out letters. She can't make phone calls or communicate via the Internet. Again these are all things that are designed to put more pressure on her and to make her life as miserable and to try to break her and I will say having known Theary for more than 20 years, there's no way in which Hun Sen and his regime will be able to break her.
Commentators say the move is linked to an ongoing crackdown on dissent and traditional freedoms in Hong Kong.

Douyin, China's most popular social platform, recently banned its streamers from using Cantonese to live stream, causing dissatisfaction among a large number of streamers.

Chinese social media platform Douyin appears to have pulled the plug on a live-stream host broadcasting in Cantonese, a regional Chinese language that is also the lingua franca of Hong Kong.

"We haven't been live-streaming much at all on Douyin lately," live-stream host Fung Siu, who has more than 4.6 million followers, said in a video statement posted to Facebook.

"The reason is very simple. The platform is banning hosts from live-streaming in the Cantonese language," he said. "They even shut down our account."

"The reason they gave is very simple. It's that they can't understand this language," Fung Siu said. "It's a pretty ridiculous reason, actually."

"The subtitles you can see on the bottom of the screen right now were all added using automation by the platform itself," he said.

"Yet they have no way of understanding me."

Mandarin Chinese, which largely derives from the language of Beijing officialdom, uses the same script as Cantonese, but the two are mutually unintelligible to casual listeners.

Cantonese has a subset of Chinese characters used to express specific structures and parts of speech not found in Mandarin, and these were also present in the Douyin automated subtitles to Fung Siu's video.

"There are many people in countries all around the world [who understand Cantonese], and we Cantonese are the biggest population in the country," Fung Siu said.

"Guangdong ranks first in the country in terms of the number of people online, annual GDP growth and online sales, yet you are so backward that you don't want ... a group of valuable Cantonese-speaking customers on your platform. Bye bye," he said.

Furious reactions

Fung's video prompted a flurry of reaction videos by fellow Cantonese speakers.

"Why should we be treated differently just for saying a few words in Cantonese on Douyin," one said.

Another answered claims from Mandarin speakers that Cantonese was an "uncivilized" language.

"People have been speaking Cantonese for thousands of years. Why do they say it's uncivilized?" the live-streamer said. "You can speak Mandarin. In Guangdong, people around you already speak Mandarin. We cater to you, but why can't you tolerate Cantonese? Who finds it offensive?"

They added that live-streamers are still allowed on Douyin speaking the dialects of Chinese found in Chongqing, the northeast and Chengdu.

A live-streamer with the handle @honest_guy_from_Guangdong said Fung Siu isn't the only Cantonese-language live-streamer to be banned, citing other broadcasters who have had their videos taken down from the site, or have been banned from the site.

Most are awaiting an explanation from Douyin, and daren't post for the time being, he added.

"It took everyone at least one or two years to get onto Douyin, and its growth isn't just down to Douyin on its own," he said.

"Now, the risks are too great, because we don't know if our video will be banned," he said. "I plan to take a break and wait for them to respond either clearly, saying they don't want us using Cantonese, or saying we can, and then we can start live-streaming again."

Current affairs commentator Fang Yuan said Douyin's ban on the use of Cantonese was likely linked to the current crackdown on all forms of political opposition and peaceful dissent in Hong Kong, in the wake of the 2019 protest movement.

"Over the past 40-something years of economic reform, Cantonese has represented a particular form of cultural ideology in China," Fang said. "With Hong Kong backing it up, it represents an innovative consciousness that is friendly to what is foreign."

"This has had a number of impacts on the mainland."

'Hostile foreign forces'

Now that ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping is moving China away from the economic reforms of late supreme leader Deng Xiaoping and closer to a state-controlled economy focused on domestic demand, that image has become linked to claims that recent waves of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong were the work of "hostile foreign forces" trying to foment a color revolution in the city, Fang said.

"The weakening of Hong Kong and its [ongoing] integration with the mainland also means the weakening of Cantonese," Fang said.

Cheng Yizhong, who founded the Guangzhou-based Southern Metropolis Daily, said the Cantonese-speaking people of Guangdong province have always been vulnerable to political persecution under the CCP due to the province's history as a source of Chinese migrants and a major international trading port.

Millions fled to Hong Kong during the political turmoil of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) under late supreme leader Mao Zedong.

"The CCP insists on a one-size-fits-all policy that is strict and extreme, culturally and ideologically," Cheng told RFA. "Language, as the carrier of both culture and ideology, must be restricted to one and one alone, and to something they can understand."

"Especially now, under the current totalitarian rule by the CCP," he said. "What if you were to use it to make fun of them; they can't allow such a thing to happen."

"Someone might use Cantonese to insult them or undermine their message, and they wouldn't know," Cheng said. "That would be an even bigger offense."

Cheng said there are already parallels in recent bans on schools using Mongolian to teach ethnic minority youngsters.

In March 2018, posters and graffiti briefly appeared on the streets of Guangzhou calling for independence not just for neighboring Hong Kong, but for Guangzhou.

Graffiti phrases like "Independence for Guangzhou, Go Hong Kong!" were photographed in a number of public places in the city, which is the provincial capital of Guangdong province, and lies at the heart of the Pearl River delta economic area.

The slogans were spotted at bus stops, and on the backs of bus seats, with the words scrawled in different color marker pens in traditional Chinese characters of the kind still taught and used in Hong Kong.

In mainland China, the ruling Chinese Communist Party simplified large numbers of Chinese characters after coming to power in 1949, while the original characters are still taught in Taiwan and Hong Kong, which weren't under communist control at the time of the reforms to the writing system.

Cantonese speakers in Guangdong province, which gave the dialect its name, have said they feel culturally very connected to those living in Hong Kong, where Cantonese has been an official language of government and the lingua franca of most residents for generations.

In 2010, thousands of people took part in mass protests in Guangzhou in support of the Cantonese language after a mainland Chinese political body called for cuts in Cantonese-language broadcasts.

Flash mobs showed up in public places wearing white as a sign of protest, sparking similar actions in Hong Kong. However, activists reported intimidation by state security police in the wake of the demonstrations.

Generally, television stations in China are required to use Mandarin, but the Guangzhou Broadcasting Network (GZBN) was given special approval in the 1980s to broadcast in Cantonese to attract viewers from neighboring Hong Kong and Macau, which were still under British and Portuguese rule at the time.

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Details of another official trip by a former military chief to Honolulu were leaked in the United States.

Taiwans national security director Chen Ming-tong, shown in this file photo, told the legislature the social media post was a form of pro-China "cognitive warfare."

Equipment manufactured by Chinese tech giant Huawei -- which is obliged to aid the authorities in matters of national security -- has been linked to the leaking of sensitive information about a visit to Thailand by Taiwan's intelligence chief, officials said on Thursday.

National security director Chen Ming-tong told lawmakers in Taipei that recent social media posts leaking sensitive details of his stay in Bangkok.

A Twitter account using the handle @andreny45652235 tweeted on Sept. 12 photos allegedly taken of Chen at the airport, along with an official customs document and a hotel bill. The same post was also shared on Facebook.

Taiwan's Legislative Council called on Chen to respond.

Chen told the legislature that the social media post was a form of pro-China "cognitive warfare," and pointed to the widespread use of Huawei equipment at the airport.

"This information was sourced from a temporary website, which is very similar to the methods used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the past," he said. "It's clear that this is a form of cognitive warfare."

He said Taiwanese intelligence had been advised that there could be security breaches linked to Huawei equipment at the airport.

"We saw surveillance cameras, and they were basically all made by Huawei," he said, promising to stop further leaks.

"We will work hard to ensure this kind of thing can't happen again," Chen told the Legislative Yuan's foreign affairs committee. "It can't happen again."

Investigations launched

The committee also questioned political warfare chief Yang An regarding a similar leak linked regarding an official visit by his predecessor Chien Shih-wei to Honolulu in September.

"The preparations for the itinerary were also leaked. We have set up a task force to look into our operational procedures ... and investigated who leaked the information and how," Yang said.

"Our investigation found that the itinerary [of Chen's trip] was leaked during an administrative visit to the United States," he told the committee.

"If there have been any illegal activities, these will be punished according to the law."

Responding to recent comments from CIA director Bill Burns, Chen said Taiwan's intelligence services generally regard 2023, 2025 and 2027 as potential years in which China could invade the democratic island.

"We take each of those possibilities seriously," Chen said. "The most important thing is to make it clear to the CCP that it can't win if it tries to take Taiwan by force."

"They will suffer economic boycotts and sanctions and diplomatic isolation that would have an impact on their so-called project, 'the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation'," he said.

"They should be very careful and not start such a war lightly."

Chen said Taiwanese intelligence fully expects CCP leader Xi Jinping to win a third term in office at the 20th National Congress of the CCP, which opens in Beijing on Oct. 16.

"Xi's first two terms were legitimate, and the third is controversial, but he will carry on amid that controversy," Chen said.

Chen's comments came as Alexander Gray, a former White House national security council chief of staff, arrived in Taiwan as a guest of the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), under the island's ministry of defense.

Gray will be in Taiwan for one month to discuss research topics with academics from the institute and share his research insights, Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

The INDSRs mission is to "safeguard Taiwan's democracy and prosperity" by directing the government on national security, defense policies, and regional security, it said.

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
If they dont turn themselves in, their whole family will be punished when the amnesty ends.

A propaganda poster is displayed before a worker standing at a machine at a cosmetics factory in Pyongyang, North Korea, July 28, 2018.

North Korea is offering amnesty to citizens who have sold propaganda lecture publications to buyers in South Korea, but only if they turn themselves in by the end of the month, sources in the country told RFA.

Citizens in North Korea are frequently made to attend lectures either at their workplace or in their neighborhood watch units. The purpose of the lectures can range from glorifying the leadership to reinforce loyalty, explaining the governments stance on world events, educating the public about new government policies or initiatives, or justifying unpopular ones.

To ensure uniformity in lectures given nationwide, they use official materials provided by the Propaganda and Agitation Department.

Occasionally, copies of the materials end up in South Korea, which is a problem because they could be used by organizations, media, or intelligence to gain accurate information about the North, or could be used to show how the government keeps its people in the dark.

Authorities are now telling people who leaked lecture materials in the past that they will be forgiven if they come clean now.

A resident of Songchun in South Pyongan province, north of the capital Pyongyang, said authorities in the city recently lectured people on the policy.

The meeting was hosted by a local official of the State Security Department, and the main topic was that citizens who have had communication with hostiles should surrender, the source told RFA Korean Tuesday on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

The source said that close communication with hostiles specifically refers to citizens who use brokers who can contact people in South Korea by using a Chinese mobile phone near the Sino-Korean border.

They hand over the publications of the Propaganda and Agitation Department, including lecture materials, to South Korea, he said.

The amnesty period is until the end of this month. The authorities promised that those who turn themselves in during this period would be forgiven of their charged crimes, the source said.

If they are caught after the amnesty period ends, punishment will be harsh, according to the source.

The authorities threatened that if the residents do not turn themselves in during the surrender period, they and their family members would be sent to a political prison camp, he said.

The amnesty is only available to ordinary citizens, according to the source. Government officials guilty of handing over lecture materials to the South are not to be forgiven, he said.

At a similar meeting in North Pyongan provinces Ryongchon county, which borders China, the lecturer said those turning themselves in would need to expose others, a source there told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.

[They] would have to reveal which party officials they contacted to steal lecture materials and learning materials, the second source said.

Residents are very nervous, arguing that the authorities may be using self-defense and mercy as bait to purge party officials, he said.

Sources say that authorities tend to offer amnesty to citizens for non-socialist behavior whenever there is a tense situation inside or outside the country, or when public sentiment is low.

The amnesty is always coupled with threats to more harshly punish those who did not turn themselves in, they said.

Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield (C) addresses a UN Security Council meeting to discuss North Korea's ballistic missile test, Oct. 5, 2022.

A U.S.-led push to condemn North Koreas launch of a missile across Japan was blocked by China and Russia in the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, with the veto powers saying Pyongyang was provoked by recent U.S. military drills.

The meeting of the 15-member council was called by the United States after North Korea fired a missile across Japanese territory into the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, violating council resolutions banning Pyongyang from such tests.

The test missile launch was condemned by the 12 other members of the U.N. Security Council  Albania, France, Ireland, Norway, the United Kingdom, India, the United Arab Emirates, Ghana, Mexico, Kenya, Brazil and Gabon. Each called for a return to dialogue between countries in the region.

But Russia and China  who had opposed a public council meeting and in May vetoed a resolution to impose new sanctions against North Korea for its new program of test launches  both said the United States was also at fault.

Russias deputy representative to the United Nations, Anna Evstigneeva, defended the test launches, and blamed the context of what she termed Americas unilateral security doctrine in the Asia-Pacific region.

She noted that the United States, Japan and South Korea last month carried out military exercises in the Sea of Japan using a nuclear aircraft carrier that she said focused training on hitting key targets in North Korea.



It is obvious that the missile launches by Pyongyang are a consequence of a short-sighted confrontational military activity surrounding this country conducted by the United States, which hurts their own partners in the region and also hurts the situation in Northeast Asia as a whole, Evstigneeva said.

China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Geng Shuang, mirrored the comments, also blaming U.S.-led drills for Pyongyang's launch.

We have also noticed the multiple joint military exercises held by the U.S. and other countries recently in the region, Geng told the Security Council. A brief examination will reveal that [North Koreas] launch activities took place either before or after such military activities and did not exist in isolation.

Pedestrians walk under a large video screen showing images of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un during a news update in Tokyo on Oct. 4, 2022, after North Korea launched a missile prompting an evacuation alert when it flew over northeastern Japan. Credit: AFP Blaming others

However, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, speaking for a second time after first making a case to condemn North Koreas actions, said the explanation from China and Russia made little sense.

As we expected, instead of putting the blame where the blame lies, Thomas-Greenfield said, Russia and China want to blame others for their actions.

She said that U.S.-led drills with South Korea and Japan were carried out responsibly and consistent with international law and that there was no equivalency with the unlawful, reckless missile launches by North Korea.

Japans permanent representative to the United Nations, Ishikane Kimihiro, who is not currently sitting on the council but was invited to address it, called on the council to enforce unanimously adopted resolutions banning such tests.

This council should be mindful that it is being tested and that its credibility is at stake. Silence is not an option, Ishikane said. North Korea has violated multiple Security Council resolutions and this council should act and provide an outcome that restores its credibility and fulfills its responsibilities.

The North Korean missile test was the first to pass through Japanese territory in five years, and flew 2,800 miles at 17 times the speed of sound. The United States and South Korea conducted their own missile tests in response earlier on Wednesday, with a malfunctioning South Korean missile crashing into an air force base on the outskirts of the coastal city of Gangneung.
Orders went out to settle their affairs by the end of September and wait in standby for Ukraine assignments.

Construction workers work on the site of the new municipal medical center in Russian-controlled Mariupol, Ukraine, with an Orthodox church in the background on July 13, 2022. Large areas of the city were destroyed in combat with invading Russian forces.

More and more North Korean construction workers deployed to Russia are escaping from their jobs after hearing they are to be sent to Russian-controlled areas in Ukraine, sources in Russia told RFA.

The cash-strapped North Korean government sends legions of workers to Russia to earn desperately needed foreign currency. Workers forward the lions share of their salaries to the government, but what they get to keep is greater than what they could earn doing similar work back home.

But now that there is demand for construction in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, increasing numbers of North Korean construction workers are abandoning their jobs and going into hiding, a Russian citizen of Korean descent told RFAs Korean Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

The North Korean workers are nowhere to be seen at the construction sites these days. This is because the command ordered they stop work for an internal investigation as increasing numbers of them are trying to escape after hearing they would be deployed to Ukraines Donbas region. said the source.

The workers are shaken by the news.  Pyongyang in early September ordered the dispatching companies to gather workers and put them on standby instead of taking on new work where they are currently dispatched, the source said.

The workers are well aware of Russias invasion of Ukraine, according to the source. Though the North Korean government is able to control media within its borders, it cannot as easily control what information is available to its citizens overseas.

After getting the news that the workers would soon be moved to a new construction site in Ukraine, and needed to settle everything by the end of September, many have escaped. Its not only the construction workers, but also management officials escaping, said the source.

The construction sites of Vladivostok in the Russian Far East are empty, a source there told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.

I know that some North Korean companies are on alert as the officials in charge of worker management escaped one after another, the second source said.

The problem of workers escaping is not new. Even in times of relative peace, many North Koreans deployed to Russia go missing, according to the second source.

At the end of each year, results must be reported and the managers must pay the workers their share and forward the rest [to Pyongyang], the second source said. However, managers and officials of some companies, who did not receive payment from local companies often escape because they are afraid of punishment they might receive after the review session.

North Korean workers live a tired life of despair. They cannot save any money even though they work all day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and then do additional overtime work at night, said the second source.

There are frequent cases where disgruntled workers escape, and others escape because they fear punishment.

Once news came from the North Korean consulate to prepare to be shipped out to Ukraine, escape numbers rose, the second source said.

Russias Ambassador to North Koera Alexander Matsegora mentioned the possibility of sending North Korean workers to Ukraine in an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia in July.

There were 21,000 North Korean workers living in Russia as of September 2018, a December 2018 statement from the Russian foreign ministry said. Approximately 19,000 of those were employed at factories, farms and construction sites.

Following the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2397 in Dec. 2017, tens of thousands of North Korean workers in Russia were repatriated by the end of 2019.

Though sanctions prohibit North Korea from sending workers overseas and preclude countries from issuing work visas to North Koreans, Pyongyang has been known to dispatch workers to China and Russia on short-term student or visitor visas to get around sanctions.

Translated by Leejin J. Chung. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
The mine will be permanently shut down if managers fail to protect worker safety, sources say.

Lao authorities have ordered a China-owned gold mine in the countrys northwestern Oudomxay province to suspend operations pending an inquiry into a series of accidents causing death and injury to miners, Lao sources say.

Located in the provinces Pak Beng district, the mine will be permanently closed if its owner, Chinas Lao Zin Long company, continues to ignore regulations governing worker safety, the Lao Ministry of Mines and Power said in its Sept. 22 order.

Lao mine workers speaking to RFA said that accidents have occurred there in the past, with many workers injured or killed by landslides or falling rocks. Casualty figures have been kept secret by company officials, though, one worker said, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

Another worker said that most accidents occur when miners dig for gold. This is mostly due to landslides during the rainy season, the worker said, also declining to be named.

I dont know how many have been injured or killed. Im still working there myself, but Im being as careful as I can, because anything might happen, the worker added.

Also speaking to RFA, a villager living near the mine said he had heard of accidents happening at the mine and had seen ambulances taking injured workers to a nearby hospital.

I cant go inside the mine, though. I just drive past in my car. Work at the mine is strictly controlled by the Chinese, and villagers cant go anywhere near the area, he said.

If anyone gets seriously injured, they are taken to the hospital, but I dont know how many there have been or how they are treated when they get there, the villager added.

Accidents go unreported

Reached for comment, officials at Oudomxay provinces Department of Mines and Power declined to discuss the issue, referring questions to central government authorities in the capital Vientiane.

But one department official speaking anonymously said that managers at the mine never made reports of accidents directly to his office. Therefore, we dont know whether the company paid compensation to the victim or not."

We receive reports of accidents unofficially or see stories about them on Facebook, but we cant do anything about them because the company and the victims families never notify us, he said.

They should let us know if they need our help, he added.

Work meanwhile continues at the mine despite the governments order suspending operations, said a Lao woman who works at the mine as a translator. No, nothing has stopped. Work is going on here as usual, she said.

Much of Laos recent economic growth has been generated through land concessions to China, Thailand and Vietnam for natural resources including timber, agricultural products, minerals and energy.

But the countrys concession policies have sparked friction over environmental pollution and land taken from villagers without proper compensation.

Translated by Sidney Khotpanya for RFA Lao. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Toru Kubota was sentenced to seven and three years, to be served concurrently, and faces a further charge.

UPDATED AT 1:30 p.m. EDT on 10-6-2022

Japanese documentary filmmaker Toru Kubota has been sentenced to seven years in prison on two counts, Myanmars military junta information group said on Thursday.

It said he was found guilty the previous day of defaming the state and violating the Electronic Communication Act by a military court at Yangons Insein prison.

He was sentenced to three years for the first charge and seven years for the second but the sentences will be served concurrently. Kubota still faces a third charge of breaching immigration law.

Section 13 (1) [of the Myanmar Immigration Recent Provisions Act of 1947] refers to charging foreigners. The maximum sentence is two years in prison and also a fine. Since it is a case handed down by a military court, we can only watch, a local lawyer told RFA on condition of anonymity.

Kubota, 26, was arrested while filming an anti-regime protest in Yangons South Dagon township on July 30.

The Japanese Ambassador to Myanmar was allowed to talk to Kubota by phone on Aug. 22 and asked for permission to meet with him. The request was rejected due to alleged concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. RFA contacted the Japanese Embassy in Yangon for comment on Thursday but received no response.



The Japanese government demanded his immediate release and protests against his detention were held in Tokyo on July 31.

Kubota is the fifth foreign journalist to be detained since the Feb. 1, 2021 coup, according to the AP news agency. It said Nathan Maung and Danny Fenster from the U.S., who worked for local organizations, and Polish freelancer Robert Bociaga were all deported before the end of their sentences. Japanese freelancer Yuki Kitazumi was freed before his trial, after a month of detention.



Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the secrecy of the trial and the sentencing based on vague laws, and called on Japan to "apply the utmost pressure" for Kubota's release.

We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Toru Kubota, who has been subjected to arbitrary arrest, fabricated evidence and a summary trial behind closed doors  treatment that is symptomatic of the military juntas abysmal disregard for the rule of law, said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSFs Asia-Pacific desk.

As Myanmars generals have become accustomed to using foreign journalists as bargaining chips in their relations with foreign governments, we urge Japanese foreign minister Hayashi Yoshimasa to use the utmost firmness to obtain this filmmakers release.

Updated to add response by Reporters Without Borders.
UPDATED AT 2:57 p.m. EST on 10-6-2022

Chinese authorities have developed an elaborate public relations strategy to end international support for Tibet after the death of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama that includes installing a puppet leader in his place, according to a new report by the International Tibet Network (ITN).

In the 30-page report, entitled Tibet, the Dalai Lama, and the Geopolitics of Reincarnation, ITN found evidence of Chinas plans to use the Dalai Lamas passing as a strategic and historic opportunity to firm up its control of the region, based on two, previously unseen Chinese policy documents.

Central to the plan is Chinas intention to co-opt the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and name a pro-Beijing leader in his place, said the report, which was launched Tuesday at a side event of the 51st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, sponsored by the U.S. and cosponsored by the U.K., Canada, Czech Republic and Lithuania.

In one paper, ITN researchers found references to the death of the Dalai Lama as an opportunity for China to escape its passive situation in communicating on Tibet, while another states that the reincarnation issue will be unavoidable but should also be seen as an opportunity and acknowledges a possibility that the event may lead hostile Western forces [to] make ever more noise about the Tibet issue.

ITN said the two policy documents reveal an ominous strategy designed to appropriate and control matters at the heart of the Tibetan religious identity, citing language in the papers which lays out Beijings goal to secure authority in Tibet and build influence across the Tibetan Buddhist world.

Concerns over the advancing age of the Dalai Lama, now 87, have renewed uncertainties in recent years over his possible successor after he dies, with Beijing claiming the right to name his successor and the Dalai Lama himself saying that any future Dalai Lama will be born outside of China.

Tibetans remain bitter about Chinese intervention in the selection 25 years ago of the Panchen Lama, who died in 1989.

Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was recognized on May 14, 1995 at the age of six as the 11th Panchen Lama, the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 10th Panchen Lama. The Panchen Lama is Tibet's second-highest spiritual leader and, together with the council of high lamas, is in charge of seeking out the next Dalai Lama.

The recognition by exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama angered Chinese authorities, who three days later took the boy and his family into custody and then installed another boy, Gyaltsen (in Chinese, Gyaincain) Norbu, as their own candidate in his place.

The Panchen Lama installed by Beijing remains unpopular with Tibetans both in exile and at home.

Tibetan tradition holds that senior Buddhist monks and other respected religious leaders are reincarnated in the body of a child after they die.

Uzra Zeya, the US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights & U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, speaks at a session on the human rights implications of the Dalai Lamas succession, in Geneva, Switzerland, Oct. 4, 2022. Credit: Uzra Zeya, Twitter Call for preparedness

Beijing has sought in recent years to control the identification of other Tibetan religious leaders, and says that the selection of the next Dalai Lamawho fled into exile in India following a failed 1959 Tibetan revolt against Chinese rulemust comply with Chinese law, while the Dalai Lama himself says that if he returns, his successor will be born in a country outside of Chinese control.

Given the Chinese governments atheist stance it may have been expected that Beijing would attempt to end the institution of the Dalai Lama entirely, ITN said in a statement accompanying the release of the report.

However, they have instead developed a strategy to exert control over the Tibetan Buddhist reincarnation system including the insistence that it is the prerogative of China to recognise the next Dalai Lama.

ITNs report called on world governments to prepare for Chinas anticipated interference by developing legislation to affirm that the Dalai Lamas succession is strictly a matter for Tibetans, the Tibetan Buddhist community and particularly that of the Dalai Lama.

The U.S. Tibet Policy and Support Act of December 2020 makes it official US policy to hold that the Dalai Lamas succession is a strictly religious matter that can only be decided upon by the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Buddhist community. Under the Act, if Chinese leaders attempt to identify a future Dalai Lama, they will face sanctions that could include having their assets frozen and their entry to the US denied.

The State Department is also tasked to work with like-minded countries worldwide to push back against Chinas plans to install its own imposter Dalai Lama.

In a tweet, ahead of hosting the U.N. Human Rights Council side event on the Dalai Lamas succession, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights and U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Uzra Zeya reaffirmed Washingtons stance on the succession issue.

We will continue to support members of the Tibetan communitys religious freedom, including the ability to choose their own religious leaders, Zeya tweeted.

Gyaltsen Norbu [2nd row from top, 3rd R], the 11th Panchen Lama and a delegate of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference stands with other delegates as they listen to national anthem during the closing ceremony of the CPPCC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 12, 2014. Credit: Reuters Coordinated response

Speaking to RFA Tibetan following the event, Rajiv Mehrotra, an Indian writer and student of the Dalai Lama, applauded the international community for preparing a coordinated response on an issue that will decide the future of Tibet and Tibetans.

They are looking at the larger picture regarding the significance of the Tibetan civilization and its value to the world, said Mehrotra, who is also a trustee and secretary of the Dalai Lamas Foundation for Universal Responsibility.

Barbara Demick, a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times and author of the book Eat the Buddha, which chronicles the history of contemporary Tibet, said it is clear from the number of statements the Chinese government has made about the succession issue that it is putting a plan in place to assert its control over the region when the Dalai Lama dies, and so everybody else needs to be planning too.

Kate Saunders, the author of ITN's report and former communications director for the U.S.-based International Campaign for Tibet, said Tibetans are in a fight to protect and defend their religious civilization amid a campaign of Sinicization through which Beijing hopes to replace their beliefs with Chinese cultural nationalism.

The Dalai Lamas influence transcends national borders. Tibetans want him to be involved. There is obviously a fear that Chinese forces and external forces will step into the vacuum when the Dalai Lama is no longer around, she said.

So, we have been urging other member states of the EU and the mechanisms of the U.N. to adopt similar language to the United States supporting the Dalai Lama, protecting Tibetan identity and supporting Tibetan legitimacy in this process.

Formerly an independent nation, Tibet was invaded and incorporated into China by force nearly 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. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Correction: An earlier version of this story failed to recognize Kate Saunders as the author of the ITN report and mistakenly referred to her as the current communications director at ICT.

This story has been updated to include a brief explanation of the duties of the Panchen Lama.
China and its allies on the Council defeated the US proposal in a 19-17 vote with 11 abstentions.

A view of the Artux City Vocational Skills Education Training Service Center, believed to be a 're-education' camp where mostly Muslim ethnic minorities are detained, north of Kashgar in northwestern China's Xinjiang region, June 2, 2019.

UPDATED at 4:40 P.M. EDT on 2022-10-07

Uyghur activists and human rights groups expressed outrage on Thursday over the voting down of a U.S. proposal that the United Nations Human Rights Council hold a debate on a recent report by the bodys rights chief on abuses in Chinas Xinjiang region.

China and its allies on the 47-member Council defeated the proposal, known as a draft decision, in a 19-17 vote, with 11 abstentions. The U.S. and Norway cosponsored the proposal.



The U.S. submitted the draft decision on Sept. 26 demanding that the Geneva-based council organize the discussion in response to a damning report issued a month earlier by former U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet.

Bachelets report, released on the final day of her four-year term on Aug. 31, documented widespread human rights abuses in Xinjiang, including torture, arbitrary arrests, forced abortions, and violations of religious freedom. It said the repression there may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.

For the first time in its history, the U.N.s top human rights body considered a proposal to debate the human rights situation in the Xinjiang region of China, Sophie Richardson, China director at New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement issued after Thursdays vote.

While the Councils failure to adopt the proposal is an abdication of responsibility and a betrayal of Uyghur victims, the extremely close vote highlights the growing number of states willing to take a stand on principle and shine a spotlight on Chinas sweeping rights violations, she said.

The Human Rights Council has long faced criticism that countries seen as major rights abuserssuch as China, Cuba, Eritrea, and Venezuelaare members of the body, and they often work to shield each other from scrutiny.

Angered by the vote which came despite years of revelations of abuses in Xinjiang, more than 60 Uyghur organizations from 20 countries urged U.N. agencies and experts to take concrete action to adopt a resolution committing to a debate on the Uyghur issue.

This is a missed opportunity by Council members to hold China to the same standard as other countries, said Dolkun Isa, President of the World Uyghur Congress, in a statement. The international community cannot fail the victims of the Uyghur genocide.

Member states that voted down the action have blatantly disregarded previously-accepted principles of objectivity, dialogue, impartiality, non-discrimination and non-selectivity within the Human Rights Council, said Omer Kanat, executive director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project based in Washington, D.C.

This failure on the part of Council members does not preclude action by other U.N. agencies, the global business community, and governments, nor does it cast doubt on the findings from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which found that abuses faced by Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity, he said in a statement.

If the vote had passed, the debate could have led to a resolution supporting a probe into Xinjiang, said Rushan Abbas, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Campaign for Uyghurs.

However, some member states have adopted Chinas genocide denial, she said in a statement. They should consider the consequences of allowing one powerful country to effectively have impunity for committing genocide.

CFU urged countries not to be influenced by the Chinese government threats, manipulations or propaganda that has denied severe rights abuses involving Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in Xinjiang.

The U.S. and parliaments in several Western countries have declared that Chinas repression in Xinjiang amounts to genocide and crimes against humanity.

Uyghur rights groups also called on Volker Turk, the U.N.s new rights chief to address the issue and to present his predecessors report to the Human Rights Council.

'A dire day for multilateralism'

Western democracies that had backed the U.S. proposal for debate of the report also expressed dismay over the voting outcome.

Today is a dire day for multilateralism: China has prevented a mere debate on the HR situation in Xinjiang in the #HRC, tweeted Germanys U.N. mission in Geneva. However: we will not turn a blind eye and continue to work for the indivisibility of #HumanRights worldwide.

HRWs Richardson also called on Turk to implement the recommendations in Bachelets report and hold Beijing to account for its maltreatment of the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs.

Nothing will erase the stain of Chinas crimes against humanity, laid bare by a recent report of former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, she said. We urge incoming High Commissioner Volker Turk to brief the Council on his offices report, and we call on states, companies, and the international community to implement the reports recommendations and hold Chinese authorities accountable for their international crimes.

Kenneth Roth, HRWs former executive director who has been sanctioned by the Chinese government, tweeted that the vote was a shameful moment for the members of the U.N. Human Rights Council as they reject even having a debate about the damning U.N. report on the Chinese governments persecution of Uyghur/Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang.

In another tweet, Roth said it was hard to know where to begin to apportion blame and noted that Latin American democracies abstained from voting, giving in to China's blackmail.

Muslim-majority Indonesia turned its back on the Muslims of Xinjiang, India refused to support a debate, and Ukraine abstaining while seeking help on Russia's war crimes, he said.

Argentina, where lawyers acting on behalf of two Uyghur rights groups filed a criminal case alleging that China is committing genocide and crimes against humanity through its repressive policies targeting Muslims in the countrys northwestern Xinjiang region, also abstained from casting a vote.

Beijing responded by calling the resolutions defeat a victory.

Hua Chunying, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, tweeted: The #HRC51 voted down the #Xinjiang-related draft decision filed by the U.S. and several other Western countries. This is a victory for developing countries and a victory for truth & justice. HRC51 refers to the Councils current 51st regular session.

Ambassador Michele Taylor, the U.S. permanent representative to the U.N. Human Rights Council, expressed dismay over the resolution's defeat.

We are disappointed that, by a narrow margin, the Council was unable to agree to hold a discussion about serious human rights concerns raised in the recent independent assessment by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights that is part of a growing body of expressed concerns by credible sources," she said in a statement on Thursday.

The U.S. would continue to work closely with its partners to seek justice and accountability for victims of human rights abuses and violations, including the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, she said.

When asked for comment on the resolution's defeat, U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel expressed disappointed that the Council was unable to agree to hold a discussion.

It is very clear to everybody based on that assessment of what is going on in Xinjiang, he said. And were going to continue to remain undeterred in our commitment to defend human rights, and well continue to insist that the Human Rights Council can be a meaningful forum and a vehicle to discuss and hold countries accountable for human rights violations.

Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

The story was updated to add comments by Ambassador Michele Taylor and Vedant Patel.
The stepped-up measure comes less than two weeks before a party congress in Beijing.

Uyghurs wear face masks as they walk along the streets of Aksu in northwestern China's Xinjiang region, March 18, 2021.

Chinese authorities have imposed a travel ban in Chinas far-western Xinjiang region to further prevent the spread of the latest coronavirus outbreak, a Xinjiang government official announced Tuesday, just weeks ahead of a sensitive leadership meeting in Beijing later this month.

Under the ban, residents cannot leave the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) unless it is absolutely necessary. Trains and buses destined for places outside the region have nearly stopped operating, and the number of flights has been drastically reduced. People are not allowed to drive their own vehicles outside the XUAR.

The ban comes on the heels of strict residential lockdowns in Xinjiang from August to September that prevented predominantly Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities from leaving their homes to get food and medicine amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Some reportedly died of malnourishment or untreated illnesses. Some of the restrictions have now been relaxed.

Authorities would now "curb the spillover momentum of the epidemic as soon as possible and create a favorable environment for the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China," Liu Sushe, vice chairman of the XUAR government, told a press conference on epidemic prevention and control in Xinjiang on Tuesday.

The congress is a key political gathering held every five years in Beijing to determine Chinas leadership and future policies. Authorities across the country are striving to quell problems, including the COVID-19 outbreak in Xinjiang, ahead of the event so they do not detract from this years congress, which begins on Oct. 16. During the gathering, President Xi Jinping is expected to seek an unprecedented third term in office.

The outbreak that was effectively controlled by the end of August saw a rebound because people became relaxed and measures were not strictly put in place, Liu said.

The rebound led to local spread and spillover to many other provinces, causing trouble for COVID-19 control in neighboring provinces and the country, he said.

Authorities failed to achieve Chinas dynamic zero COVID-19 policy in the region because of the highly infectious BA.5.2 variant of the virus and the ineffectiveness of control measures, Liu said, noting low testing capacity and staff who mishandled samples and became infected themselves.

The XUAR vice chairman also urged people of all ethnic groups to continue to cooperate with the epidemic prevention and control work to fight against what he said was the most serious public health crisis in the far-western regions history.

As of Monday, there were 1,170 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), home to 26 million people, including 15 million predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and Turkic-speaking minorities.

On Tuesday, officials reported no new confirmed coronavirus cases in the region, though there were 91 new local asymptomatic infections, bringing the total number to 354 local asymptomatic infections, and one imported asymptomatic infection.

Extremely tight control

Many Xinjiang residents expressed anger about the travel restrictions in addition to recent strict residential lockdowns that in some cases have prevented people from buying food or obtaining medicine, causing some deaths.

People in Yining, Kuerle and Shihezi have been under lockdown for over 60 days, and have they [officials] apologized? asked one netizen on social media.

Uyghurs in some areas under lockdown have been subjected to disinfectant spraying inside and outside their homes, sickening some and killing others.

Washington, D.C.-based Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) expressed concern over the total lockdown in the XUAR and the travel bans to and from the region.

The new restrictions imposed by the CCP against Uyghurs in East Turkestan will only continue to serve the regimes intent of destroying Uyghurs and Turkic peoples, Rushan Abbas, executive director of CFU, said in a statement issued Wednesday, using Uyghurs preferred name for Xinjiang. China must allow for independent investigators and cease their authoritarian lockdowns that have left Uyghurs dead.

Locking down the entire region is not a proportional measure, said Dolkun Isa, president of Germany-based World Uyghur Congress (WUC).

These restrictions coincide with the increasing international pressure and scrutiny on China, particularly at the U.N., where a growing number of governments are taking a firm stance on Chinas genocide of Uyghurs and the recent report by the OHCHR [Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights] has made Beijing even more anxious, he said.

The report issued in late August by the OHCHR said the repression in the XUAR may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.

The recent lockdowns might also be an attempt for the Chinese government to have an extremely tight control on the Uyghur population ahead of the CCP Party Congress, Isa said.

Sawut Mamat, a board member of the Japan Uyghur Association based in Tokyo and the WUCs Japan representative, suggested the region-wide travel ban is directly related to the Party Congress, without providing further details.

Payments for informants

Authorities in other parts of China have tightened up COVID-prevention measures in the run-up to the Party Congress.

The Shenqiu county government in central Chinas Henan province, for example, began a policy on Monday rewarding people who report to authorities anyone with a yellow code on their mobile phones indicating that they have been in an area with medium coronavirus risks, or anyone who has tested positive for the virus. In return, they can receive up to 50,000 yuan (U.S. $7,000).

Authorities are rewarding people for reporting others because there are no confirmed cases in the county, a Henan resident surnamed Jiang told RFA.

If there were COVID cases, they would have restricted people from moving around, she said. I think they really wish to have some cases.

Henans government reported only two confirmed new coronavirus cases in the province on Monday.

The Fuyang government in east Chinas Anhui province locked down the city without notifying the public, local sources told RFA. Those traveling to Fuyang are automatically placed in quarantine in higher-end hotels that they themselves must pay for.

Translated by RFA Uyghur. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Groups say the country would be a negative influence on the United Nations body.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has added its voice to a series of objections by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to Vietnam's hopes of joining the UN Human Rights Council, saying the government would have a problematic, highly negative influence.

The comments from Phil Robertson, deputy director of HRW's Asia-Pacific division came after Mondays release of a report calling on the United Nations not to elect Vietnam and four other authoritarian countries to the Council.

UN Watch, Human Rights Foundation and the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights held a news conference near the UN headquarters in New York to publicize their report: Who Guards the Guardians?"

Vietnam commits serious human rights violations, including: unlawful or arbitrary killings; torture; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest; political prisoners; politically motivated reprisals against individuals in another country; lack of independence of the judiciary; unlawful interference with privacy; serious restrictions on free expression, including arbitrary arrest of government critics, censorship, and criminal libel laws; substantial interference with freedom of association; restrictions on freedom of movement; lack of free and fair elections; government corruption; trafficking in persons; and child labor, the report said.

HRWs Robertson told RFA Vietnam takes every opportunity to show its contempt for human rights law and would most likely use a seat to undermine the Councils work.

As a Council member, Vietnam would likely join the group of nay-sayers like China, Syria, Eritrea, North Korea, Venezuela and others who constantly oppose HRC resolutions on particular countries and seek to sabotage the Council's work, he said.

A human rights activist in Hanoi, speaking on condition of anonymity, said joining the Human Rights Council would not push Vietnam to improve its record.

If Vietnam is elected to the UN Human Rights Council next time, it will not have any impact on the human rights situation in the country, unlike the previous year. There had been some moves to open the door to civil society before, the activist said.

Robertson said every aspect of Vietnam's human rights record shows that this is "a government that will have big problems if it is elected to the Council." He said the countrys horrible human rights record speaks for itself.

In the course of the last several years, Hanoi's leaders have pushed forward efforts that have effectively imprisoned most of the human rights defenders and political dissidents in the country. Vietnam is also pushing legal action to restrict on-line expression in ways that will effectively criminalize and force take-downs of any online content that criticizes the government. Use of the death penalty is rampant, prison conditions are brutal, and deaths in police custody occur with impunity on a regular basis. To speak bluntly, in every aspect of Vietnam's rights record, it screams that this is a government that will be highly problematic if it is elected to the Council.

The report released by the three NGOs on Monday said Vietnams track record on the Council shows that it is unfit to rejoin the body.

Vietnam served on the Human Rights Council from 2014 to 2016. In that capacity, it opposed resolutions speaking out for human rights victims in Belarus and Iran and failed to support resolutions on behalf of human rights victims in Burundi and Syria. It also supported counterproductive resolutions that undermined individual human rights or addressed issues beyond the competency of the Council.

United Nations Watch is a human rights organization based in Switzerland, the Human Rights Foundation is based in the U.S. and the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights has its headquarters in Canada. Their report follows a series of protests against Vietnam's candidacy for the UN body.

In April, a coalition of eight organizations from inside and outside Vietnam  including the Vietnam Human Rights Network, Defend the Defenders, and the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam  sent an open letter to the UN calling on the organization not to accept Vietnam as a member for the next term, saying that the current Vietnamese state is "unworthy" due to its poor human rights record, especially after supporting Russias invasion of Ukraine.

In September, 52 Goldman Environmental Prize laureates sent a letter to the UN Human Rights Council, urging the organization to reject Vietnam as a member of the Council for the next term.

Amnesty International has also joined the chorus of disapproval, telling RFA a recent crackdown on activists shows Vietnams true colors when it comes to respecting freedom of speech.

"Since Vietnam announced its candidacy for the Human Rights Council, dozens of journalists and activists have been detained, arrested, or sentenced for crimes that amount to nothing more than the peaceful exercise of their human rights, a spokesperson said.

Vietnam should prioritize dropping charges against these individuals and freeing them immediately Authorities should also show that they are willing to uphold international human rights standards. But nothing could be further from the reality on the ground, where the government continues to pass laws that restrict freedom of expression and association while promoting a climate of fear among people who dare to speak out."

The UN General Assembly holds elections for 14 new Council members next Tuesday.
The attack underlines the problem of fishing in areas with overlapping territorial claims.

An Indonesian soldier stands guard near detained Vietnamese fishermen onboard an Indonesian warship off the Natuna Sea in Anambas, Kepulauan Riau province, Dec. 5, 2014.

One month after a Vietnamese fisherman was seriously wounded in a shooting incident near the Spratly Islands, authorities have yet to identify the attackers with some sources pointing to a possible piracy attack.

Vietnamese experts meanwhile are calling for a clear demarcation of maritime boundaries in the South China Sea, as well as a better cooperation mechanism in overlapping, disputed areas in order to avoid potential conflicts.

The fishing boat from Quang Ngai province with 12 crew on board was attacked by a group of armed foreign men on Sept. 9, about 40 nautical miles (74 kilometers) southeast of Pigeon Reef, a Vietnamese outpost in the Spratly Islands.

In the brief shooting that followed, one fisherman, 52-year-old Vo Minh Quan, was hit in the leg and may have to retire from fishing.

As the incidents location was not far from Malaysias Sabah state, as well as the Philippines Palawan island, and also easily accessible from a rock occupied by China in the Spratlys, its impossible to say where the attackers came from, said Vu Thanh Ca, a former senior government official turned maritime analyst.

They might even be pirates, Ca told RFA in an earlier exchange.

A Malaysian expert seconded the suggestion, saying that, as the injured fisherman was not brought back to Malaysian shores, it was unlikely that the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) was involved.

In every case when the MMEA initiated shooting, it must be for self-defense and if the target is injured or dead they would be brought back to the Malaysian side, said the expert who wished to stay anonymous because of the sensitivity of the issue.

An MMEA spokesperson told BenarNews that there were no Vietnam fishing vessels or Chinese fishing vessels spotted on the said date in the Malaysian waters in the South China Sea.

No reports or no incident as such. It happened outside Malaysian waters, said the spokesperson who cannot be named as he did not get clearance to speak to the media," the spokesperson said in a statement echoed by the Royal Malaysian Navy.

In another incident two years ago near Malaysias Kelantan state, a Vietnamese fisherman died after being shot by the MMEA. His body was brought to shore together with other crew members who were detained by Malaysia for illegal fishing, illegal entry and attempted murder as they resisted the authorities efforts to inspect their boat.

Kelantan Maritime director Captain Muhd Nur Syam Asmawie Yaacob showing the Vietnamese boat that was held by the Malaysian coast guard, Aug. 17, 2020 CREDIT: AFP





Armed robbery with military involvement?

In a separate development, the Malaysian Home Ministry said twenty people, including military personnel, have been arrested for piracy in the waters off Sabah state.

Malaysian media quoted Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin as saying that the detained were accused of two cases of armed robbery near Pulau Si Amil on Sabahs eastern coast on Aug. 15 and Aug. 18.

They have been released on bail as the investigation continues, Hamza was quoted as saying. The crime of gang robbery can carry prison sentences of up to 20 years as well as whipping.

Piracy and sea robbery have been a big problem in the waters around the Spratly Islands. In March 2017, a fisherman also from Quang Ngai province was shot dead by unknown assailants, probably pirates, in the area.

Fishing is a hard job and a very unstable income source, the fisherman injured in the Sept. 9 incident, Vo Minh Quan, told local media.

It has been getting more difficult to catch fish in recent years,Quan said, adding: Were also facing greater risks of being attacked by unknown vessels.

Vietnamese fishermen operating in the South China Sea have also been chased and detained by law enforcement agencies from neighboring countries which hold overlapping, sometimes conflicting claims with Vietnam over certain areas of the sea.

Malaysia detained over 400 Vietnamese fishermen in 2021. In June this year, Malaysia detained 42 Vietnamese fishermen and released them after three months.

In 2021 alone Indonesia seized 42 Vietnamese fishing boats, sank some of them and detained more than 270 Vietnamese fishermen.

Unclear maritime borders

The European Commission issued a yellow card warning against Vietnams illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in 2017 and, despite the governments efforts to eradicate illegal fishing, the results are far from desirable.

In the first quarter of this year, 19 fishing boats with 131 fishermen from seven provinces in Vietnam were caught by authorities from neighboring countries, detained and fined, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

One of the main problems, according to Tran Cong Truc, a leading maritime expert and former head of Vietnams Border Committee, is that the boundaries between waters and continental shelves in certain areas in the South China Sea including between Vietnam and Indonesia, as well as between Vietnam and Malaysia in the south of the Spratlys, are not clearly defined.

In some cases, they are set unilaterally by a single claimant therefore are not being considered legitimate and respected by others, Truc told RFA.

Fluid borders cause grave misunderstandings, sometimes conflicts, between neighboring countries.

In the similarly named chapter of his highly-acclaimed book The Outlaw Ocean, journalist Ian Urbina described a heated confrontation involving both Vietnamese and Indonesian law enforcement vessels that he witnessed in 2017 in the waters between the two countries.

In the days after the confrontation, I emailed James Kraska, an international law professor at the U.S. Naval War College in Rhode Island and an expert on the South China Sea. I sent him the coordinates of where the clash occurred and asked him whose waters those were. Impossible to say, he replied. Countries have to agree on where to draw these lines, he said. In the South China Sea, Indonesia and Vietnam have never come to such an agreement, he explained, reads an excerpt of the book.

Foreign boats were destroyed in an Indonesian island after being accused of fishing illegally in its waters at an unspecified date. CREDIT: Reuters

Vietnamese fishermen and law enforcement agencies all need to learn thoroughly and in detail about existing maritime boundaries in the South China Sea, including the unilateral and disputed ones, said Tran Cong Truc.

The government should instruct relevant agencies to come up with different scenarios and regulations, to which fishermen should abide, he said.

Most urgently, we need to accelerate negotiations with other countries to either work out a final set of demarcations or a temporary joint development cooperation.

The main goals are not only to ensure a deal that is fair for every country but also to protect the natural resources of the South China Sea, the Vietnamese expert said.
Former German minister Christian Schmidt, who serves as the international high representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, commenting on the Russian influence in the Balkan country, has said that "there is no imminent danger to the stability of Bosnia-Herzegovina." Schmidt spoke to RFE/RL's Balkan Service in Sarajevo on October 5.
High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina Christian Schmidt says he's pleased with the "definite momentum" in the Balkan country since his dramatic election-night intervention to alter and unblock key institutions.

In a wide-ranging interview with RFE/RL, he also said that while "the country has priority and should make decisions on its own," he could invoke his international authority again "if I don't see another way to solve problems or difficulties."

Schmidt also acknowledged that his amendment of election laws, the constitution, and the formation of the legislature in the Bosniak and Croat federation that makes up half of Bosnia was motivated by the desire to avert a "blockade" by the largest ethnic Croatian party, the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZBiH).

"It seems to me that we are somewhat on the right track," Schmidt said in the German-language interview on October 5.

Critics have accused Schmidt, the UN's overseer of civilian and administrative aspects of the 26-year-old peace deal that still governs Bosnia along ethnic lines, of dealing a major blow to Bosnian democracy by using his so-called "Bonn powers" to sidestep local officials.

But he said his move "is not a test of who will win here" but rather allows elected politicians to "show what they know and can do" to overcome decades of political stalemate.

"I think that we have reached a certain stage, and some other things must happen for sure -- yes, there are some weaknesses -- but I think that overall we can still say that we are on the right path, and that's how I understood everyone I talked to [after the election], including the representatives 'under scrutiny.'"

Bosnia is made up of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, with a majority Bosniak and minority Croatian population, and the Republika Srpska, where majority Serbs led by Milorad Dodik have threatened secession.

Schmidt cited leaders' inability to form a government or appoint a president within the federation since elections in 2018, despite the HDZBiH party's popularity among Croats, as a major factor in his decision to intervene.

"That is absurd," said Schmidt, who took over as high representative with wide-ranging powers just over a year ago. "Until now, the situation was such that we had this blockade, which was created by the HDZ," he said.

Schmidt's election-day changes to the upcoming process of cantonal appointments and a new 30-day deadline mean "that blockade won't be able to go on like that anymore."

"I think that, because of that, it is a very pragmatic and correct decision," he told RFE/RL.

Two of the three seats in the ethnically partitioned Bosnian presidency were won by moderates over more ethno-nationalist candidates, with the exception being the victory of a Dodik ally for the Serbs' seat.

Losers included the HDZBiH's nominee, feeding long-running resentment that majority Bosniak votes can tip the balance for the Croats' seat.

Schmidt said his tenure so far had "really made a strong impression on me how big the difference is between the ruling political structures and normal people."

That situation "is something that needs to be broken, and the high representative cannot do it alone -- that must be done by the citizens."

Schmidt said he'd therefore amended the federation's constitution to give lawmakers one year to adopt legislation to allow citizens to submit proposed laws to parliament.

Responding to questions about Russia and Serbia's perceived encouragement of Bosnian Serb secessionist efforts, Schmidt said he spoke by phone with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on October 5 and said both men "are basically of the same opinion here and we believe the Dayton agreement [of 1995] must be accepted and the territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina is inviolable."

"People don't want war here...and I think that Mr. Dodik also knows that," he said.

He cited Russia's aggression against Ukraine and said that while Moscow's influence in Bosnia remained to be seen, "I don't think that we currently have any acute danger for Bosnia-Herzegovina."

Schmidt said he desired "strongly...that in the coming years [Bosnia] will finally start the path toward European integration."
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
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Tehran of employing excessive repressive measures, including lethal force, against participants in weeks-long nationwide anti-government protests sparked by the death last month of a young woman arrested by Iran's morality police.

Mahsa Amini died on September 16, three days after being detained by morality police because of "improperly" wearing the hijab, a headscarf that is mandatory for women in Iran to wear while in public.

Authorities said the 22-year-old died of a heart attack, an allegation rejected by her family and activists, who say she was subjected to beatings while in custody.

Her death has sparked a wave of protests across the country despite government warnings that a harsh crackdown on any dissent will continue.

At least 154 people, including nine children, have been killed during the 18 days of protest, according to a human rights group.

HRW said it had so far compiled a list of 47 individuals who have been killed, most by bullets, according to rights groups or credible media outlets. The names included at least nine children, two of them girls, and six women.

"Iranian authorities have ruthlessly cracked down on widespread anti-government protests with excessive and lethal force throughout Iran," HRW said October 5.

The New York-based group said it had documented numerous incidents of security forces unlawfully using excessive or lethal force against protesters in 13 cities across Iran.

"Videos showed security forces using shotguns, assault rifles, and handguns against protesters in largely peaceful and often crowded settings, altogether killing and injuring hundreds. In some cases, they shot at people who were running away," the group said.

"The Iranian authorities' brutal response to protests across many cities indicates concerted action by the government to crush dissent with cruel disregard for life," HRW's Tara Sepehri Far said.

"The security forces' widespread shooting of protesters only serves to fuel anger against a corrupt and autocratic government," Far said.

HRW said that the international community should take action and make sure those responsible answer for their deeds.

"Concerned governments should cooperate to increase pressure on Iran and undertake a United Nations-led independent inquiry into serious abuses committed during the protests and recommend avenues for holding those responsible to account," HRW said.
Amnesty International said dozens have been killed by Iranian security forces in the city of Zahedan in the southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province as unrest across Iran continues to build.



The rights group said in a report on October 6 that Iranian security forces unlawfully killed at least 66 people, including children, and injured hundreds of others after firing live ammunition, metal pellets and teargas at protesters, bystanders, and worshippers during a violent crackdown after Friday prayers on 30 September in Zahedan.



Since then, another 16 people were killed in separate incidents in Zahedan amid an ongoing clampdown on protests that have broadened in recent weeks since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died while in police custody after being detained for improperly wearing an Islamic head scarf, or hijab.



The Iranian authorities have repeatedly shown utter disregard for the sanctity of human life and will stop at nothing to preserve power," Agnes Callamard, Amnesty Internationals secretary-general, said in the report.



"The callous violence being unleashed by Irans security forces is not occurring in a vacuum. It is the result of systematic impunity and a lackluster response by the international community, she added.



Since Amini's death on September 16, anti-government street protests have rocked the country.



Reports overnight on October 5 said demonstrations took place in the cities of Talesh, Kermanshah, Shiraz, Qom and Tehran.



In the northern Iranian city of Talesh, a group of young people blocked the streets by lighting fires, while in the western city of Kermanshah, a group of women rallied under the slogan "Women, Life, Freedom." In a sign of support, passing cars continuously honked their horns.



In the holy Shiite city of Qom, many people gathered in the residential areas of the city and chanted "Don't be afraid; We are all together."



In Tehran, groups of girls took off their hijab while accompanied by boys, and then marched defiantly in the Tajrish neighborhood, while in another part of the city a group of protesters confronted security forces with the slogans "Shameless" and "Death to Khamenei," a reference to Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.



In a video sent to RFERLs Radio Farda, security forces on motorcycles can be seen firing tear gas at protesters' cars in Tehran's Parkway neighborhood.



Amnesty's death toll for Zahedan comes after Human Rights Watch said that at least 154 people, including nine children, have been killed over the past 18 days during the protests over Amini's death.



"Iranian authorities have ruthlessly cracked down on widespread anti-government protests with excessive and lethal force throughout Iran," HRW said on October 5.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
The United States has imposed sanctions on seven high-ranking Iranian officials over the shutdown of Internet access in the country and the continued violence against peaceful protesters following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after her arrest by the morality police.



Among those designated for sanctions on October 6 is Yadollah Javani, the lthe police chief in Tehran who oversees much of the morality polices activities to ensure hijab compliance in the capital.



Amini was detained on September 13 by the morality police for improperly wearing a hijab, the head scarf women must wear in public under Iranian law.



The U.S. Treasury Department said that, in addition to Javani, the officials designated for sanctions include Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, Communications Minister Eisa Zarepour, and Vahid Mohammad Naser Majid, the head of the Iranian Cyberpolice.



The United States also targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) officials Hossein Nejat, a commander who it said heads the security apparatus based in Tehran that is charged with quelling anti-government protests.



The designations together with the release of a license authorizing exports of additional tools to assist Iranians in accessing the Internet demonstrate U.S. commitment to free, peaceful assembly, and open communication, the Treasury Department said in a statement.



The Undersecretary of the Treasury Brian Nelson said in the statement that the United States condemns the Iranian governments Internet shutdown and "continued violent suppression of peaceful protest and will not hesitate to target those who direct and support such actions."



The sanctions designation freezes any assets or property interests owned by the seven officials in the United States and bars U.S. nationals from transactions involving them without special permission from the Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).



Since Amini's death on September 16, anti-government street protests have rocked the country, and the government has responded with a fierce crackdown.

Human Rights Watch said that at least 154 people, including nine children, have been killed over the past 18 days during the protests over Amini's death.



Amnesty International said on October 6 that at least 66 were killed by Iranian security forces in the city of Zahedan in southeastern Iran during a violent crackdown after Friday prayers on September 30.



Authorities have reported numerous deaths among the security forces and have accused foreign adversaries, including the United States and Israel, of meddling to destabilize Iran.



On September 22, the United States imposed sanctions on the morality police and other senior leaders of Irans security organizations over allegations concerning the abuse of Iranian women, saying it held the unit responsible for the death of Amini.

With reporting by Reuters and AP
MOSCOW -- Jailed Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza reportedly has been charged with high treason.

Russian media quoted unnamed law enforcement officials and sources as saying that the high-treason charge against Kara-Murza stems from his alleged cooperation with organizations in a NATO member for many years.

If convicted, the staunch Kremlin opponent faces up to 20 years in prison.

The 41-year-old politician was detained in April and sentenced to 15 days in jail on a charge of disobeying a police order. He was later charged with spreading false information about the Russian military while speaking to lawmakers in the U.S. state of Arizona.

Kara-Murza has rejected the charge, calling it politically motivated.

His lawyer, Vadim Prokhorov, told TASS on October 6 that the treason charge against Kara-Murza stems from speeches he gave at events in Lisbon, Helsinki, and Washington that criticized the Kremlin's rule.



These speeches did not carry any threat to the country; it was public, open criticism, Prokhorov said, according to TASS.

His arrest comes amid a mounting crackdown on Russian opposition figures and any dissent to the ongoing war in Ukraine that Moscow launched against its neighbor on February 24.

In August, Kara-Murza was additionally charged with carrying out activities of an undesirable organization for taking part in organizing a conference in Moscow last year to support political prisoners in Russia that was sponsored by the foreign-based Free Russia Foundation. That group has been declared "undesirable" in Russia.

The "undesirable organization" law, adopted in 2015, was part of a series of regulations pushed by the Kremlin that squeezed many nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations that received funding from foreign sources -- mainly from Europe and the United States.

Russian lawmakers have since dramatically widened the scope of the law, including to bar Russian nationals and organizations anywhere in the world from taking part in the activities of such "undesirable" groups.

In early March, President Vladimir Putin signed a law that calls for lengthy prison terms for distributing "deliberately false information" about Russian military operations.

The law envisages sentences of up to 10 years in prison for individuals convicted of an offense, while the penalty for the distribution of "deliberately false information" about the Russian military that leads to "serious consequences" is 15 years in prison.

A close associate of slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, Kara-Murza is best known for falling deathly ill on two separate occasions in Moscow -- in 2015 and 2017-- with symptoms consistent with poisoning.

Tissue samples smuggled out of Russia by his relatives were turned over to the FBI, which investigated his case as one of "intentional poisoning."

U.S. government laboratories also conducted extensive tests on the samples, but documents released by the Justice Department suggest they were unable to reach a conclusive finding.

With reporting by TASS, RT, and Izvestia
Russian President Vladimir Putin marks his 70th birthday on October 7. The jubilee comes at a time when the increasingly authoritarian leader faces some of the most daunting challenges of his two-plus decades in power, having gambled all his achievements on an increasingly costly and troublesome war against neighboring Ukraine.

Despite a relentless crackdown on dissent that has driven most active opposition figures out of the country, there are signs that Putins years of high public approval ratings could be in peril, as the war in Ukraine continues to expose weaknesses in the highly personalized political system that he has honed over 23 years as president or prime minister.



The situation, as far as I can tell, has radically changed, said Lev Gudkov, a sociologist with the independent Levada Center polling agency, suggesting that the military mobilization Putin decreed on September 21 may have decisively altered the atmosphere irreversibly.



Mobilization is affecting everyone. The declaration of mobilization has changed the situation fundamentally -- the war has come to Russia, he said.



The invasion of Ukraine met with what for many was unexpectedly strong resistance from the Ukrainian government and people, as powerfully exemplified last month when a lightning Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region sent Russian forces reeling in retreat and prompted Putin to announce a mobilization after months of denying he would ever do so.

The Kremlins unprovoked war has also sparked a fierce reaction from the West, which has imposed wave after wave of sanctions against Russia and provided billions of dollars worth of lethal and nonlethal assistance to Ukraine. Sweden and Finland, after decades on the fringes of NATO, have officially thrown in their lots with the transatlantic alliance.



Russia has rarely, if ever, been so isolated and estranged from so much of the international community.



Putin has been in zugzwang since February 24, said former State Duma Deputy and opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov, referring to the date of Russias mass military incursion into Ukraine. Eternal zugzwang  that is, a position in chess in which any move that can be made simply leads to a worsening of the situation.



'No Outrage, No Mass Protests'



But at home in Russia, Putins standing has until recently seemed nearly as solid as ever, in part because the Kremlin has spent more than a year driving the most organized and active opposition underground or out of the country.



Russias criminal war in Ukraine has highlighted such features of Russian society that even the most notorious Russophobes have not asserted, wrote academic and Estonian parliament member Mikhail Lotman in an essay for RFE/RLs Russian Service. Widespread reports of looting and war crimes have left the Russian public unmoved, he argued.



How has Russian society reacted? It hasnt. Or hardly at all, he wrote. No outrage, no mass protests.

Although polling in Russia is highly constrained and must be interpreted cautiously, the Levada Center has recorded Putins approval rating at consistently above 80 percent for most of 2022. In August, the figure was 83 percent.



After the war in Ukraine began, all [approval] indicators went up, Gudkov said. People felt confident, experienced a sense of pride at the demonstration of strength and of might as a military power.



But in September Putins approval dipped to 77 percent.



More Russians still approve of Putin now than in the months just before the February 24 invasion of Ukraine, but the military setbacks and the mobilization, in particular, are having an effect, Gudkov emphasized.



After mobilization, I think the situation will change rapidly, he said.



'A Feeling Of Hopelessness'



Undoubtedly, coming out publicly against Putins government is a huge psychological step for most Russians. In the early years of his rule, Putin used the massive state propaganda machines to promote values of strong, centralized government and the dictatorship of law while demonizing the chaotic 1990s, when democracy, media freedom, and self-determination were watchwords.



In more recent years, however, Putin has fashioned a new script that uses Russian exceptionalism, Russian nationalism, the projection of Russian power in the international system, cultural conservatism, and criticisms of the United States as a destabilizing force in the international system as the touchstones for mobilizing political support, wrote Cornell University politics professor Valerie Bunce in a 2017 analysis titled The Prospects For A Color Revolution In Russia. Such tactics have divided the Russian opposition by forcing them to choose between being patriots or traitors.

Since 2012, the Kremlin has been using a series of increasingly strict foreign agent laws to tar all political dissenters as traitors. The emotionally charged, Stalin-era term has become a wedge in a divided society, despite the efforts of some liberals to turn it into a badge of honor. Political dissenters in Russia can expect, if not imprisonment, scorn and condemnation from neighbors, relatives, coworkers, and employers -- and harassment from pro-Kremlin vigilantes.



And, in recent weeks, by falsely depicting the Ukraine war as an existential fight between Russia and a satanic West, Putin has rhetorically raised the stakes of opposing him even more and given tacit free rein to right-wing radicals who have been attracted by his nationalist and traditionalist messaging.



Timur Saifulmulyukov, a 35-year-old married fire-safety engineer in the Siberian city of Tomsk, personifies some of the processes going on within the Russian public conscience since the invasion. Before February 24, he was adamantly apolitical, so much so that he didnt even hear about the invasion of Ukraine until the following day. When he did hear of it, his response was not outrage, but some sort of apathy.

A feeling of hopelessness, he recalled in an interview with RFE/RLs Siberia.Realities. You feel unable to do anything. You dont feel your own role in any of it. I heard about those who disagreed with the Putin regime. And I heard criminal cases were filed against them, and they were put in prison. It provoked two feelings  on one hand, you think that nothing can be done, but, on the other, you think something must be done.



Throughout the summer, he remained passive and silent.



On September 24, after hearing Putins mobilization announcement, Saifulmulyukov marched to the middle of a main street in Tomsk, blocking traffic while holding a handmade sign bearing antiwar slogans. He was detained after about two minutes and later charged with a traffic violation and with discrediting the armed forces.



Siafulmulyukov said his wife did not support his decision to protest.



It is psychologically hard for her, he said. We had previously discussed our personal responsibility for what is happening in our country, and we came to differing conclusions. I feel this responsibility, but she -- well, she feels some, but she things that nothing should be done. We have no levers of influence, and there is no point in risking ones life.



'The Authorities Understood The Threats'



In the period before the large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putins government had energetically dismantled all forms of organized political opposition. Charismatic opposition leader Aleksei Navalny was imprisoned after being targeted in a near-fatal poisoning that he says evidence shows was carried out by Federal Security Service (FSB) operatives acting at Putins behest. Navalnys Anti-Corruption Foundation and his network of regional offices were branded extremist and shut down. Many of his most active supporters fled the country under the threat of criminal prosecution.



Other independent public organizations that had previously served as loci of dissent or opposition networking, such as the Memorial human rights society, were similarly targeted and affiliation with them was equated with treason.

The main problem for active protests is that they require not only individual action, said Russian political scientist Vladimir Gelman, who teaches Russian politics at the University of Helsinki in Finland, in an interview with the Russia-oriented media outlet Meduza. Protests demand coordination and cooperation among various people. And the situation in this regard [in Russia] is bad.



Local protests can be organized on the authority of individuals known in the community and by using local information-sharing networks. But the potential of these protests does not move beyond particular instances, Gelman added.



The potential for coordination was sharply curtailed even before February 2022, he said, referring to the date of the invasion, which dramatically escalated an eight-year-old war in eastern Ukraine. The authorities understood the threats that stem from any organized structures and tried to weaken them in any way possible. And they succeeded.



This situation also seems to be in flux. On October 4, Navalnys chief associates announced that they were reactivating his network in Russia as a sort of underground coordinating center for opposition to Putin and the war. The Telegram channel Sirena reported that Navalnys team made the decision because of the weakening of the position of the Putin regime after seven months of war and the mobilization.



Additionally, Gudkov said the Levada Centers research indicates a growing number of Russians still inside Russia are accessing information from sources not controlled by the Kremlin such as Telegram channels, consciously seeking to circumvent state censorship. Gudkov says the percentage of respondents using alternative channels has risen from 7-8 percent just a few months ago to 22 percent now.



'A Split Will Definitely Happen'



Mass popular uprisings rarely occur on the basis of moral outrage alone. The so-called color revolutions of the post-Soviet era have been largely driven by disappointed expectations surrounding disputed elections. They are fueled by divisions within the ruling elites, with some factions calling on the public to come to their support against authorities that refuse to relinquish power.



This has been the pattern in Russian history as well, when large-scale popular uprisings in 1905, February 1917, 1991, and in 1993 were effective against weakened and divided governments, with the protests themselves being supported by factions within the social and political power structures.



The phenomenon was seen again in Putins era, when pensioners and others across Russia took to the streets by the tens of thousands in late 2004 and early 2005 against a government plan to reform key social subsidies. Many of the protesters called for Putins resignation and revolution at demonstrations that were either tacitly or explicitly supported by regional governors, the Communist Party, and other forces.

The benefits crisis prompted the Kremlin to take strong measures to shore up the so-called power vertical. When evidence of widespread government fraud in 2011 parliamentary elections brought Russia as close to its own color revolution as it has come under Putin, the authorities already had in place all the tools they needed to tamp down the uprising, and no one of significance within the ruling elite broke ranks.



Now, however, opposition politician Gudkov says, the situation seems different, far from the euphoria of Putins 2014 seizure of Ukraines Crimea region.



When I looked at the pitiful faces of the bureaucrats and deputies who gathered in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses at Putins invitation, I didnt see any joy there, Gudkov told RFE/RL, referring to Putins September 30 speech formalizing Moscows baseless attempt to annex an additional four partially occupied Ukrainian regions.



It is too early, Gudkov said, to speak of a schism within the elites, but Putins system is shaking.



A split will definitely happen, he added, because we are now already seeing the formation of competing centers of power.



For now, however, everything still revolves around Putin, Gudkov said.
U.S. intelligence agencies believe a car bombing that killed the daughter of Kremlin-connected far-right ideologue Aleksandr Dugin was authorized by elements within the Ukrainian government, according to U.S. media reports.

The United States took no part in the attacks, was not aware of the plan beforehand, and would have opposed the killing had it been consulted, according to unidentified sources briefed on the intelligence who are quoted in the reports.

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.

The U.S. intelligence community's assessment that the Ukrainian government was complicit in the car bombing, which occurred in Moscow on August 20, was first revealed by The New York Times.

It is still unclear who the United States believes signed off on the killing or if the U.S. intelligence community believes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was aware of the plot or authorized it.

It appears to corroborate Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), which accused Ukraine's secret service of carrying out the bombing just days after it took place.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak denied that Kyiv was behind the bombing immediately after it was reported.

When asked about the U.S. intelligence assessment, Podolyak reiterated the Ukrainian government's denial.

"Again, I'll underline that any murder during wartime in some country or another must carry with it some kind of practical significance," Podolyak told The New York Times in an interview on October 4.

"It should fulfill some specific purpose, tactical or strategic. Someone like Dugina is not a tactical or a strategic target for Ukraine."

The U.S. officials, who are also quoted by CNN, spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss secret information and matters of sensitive diplomacy.

Ukrainian government officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment from CNN and The New York Times, and the news outlets said U.S. agencies, including the CIA, declined to comment.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said on August 22 the United States unequivocally condemned the intentional targeting of civilians anywhere.

He declined to say then whether Washington knew who was behind the attack that killed Dugina.

U.S. intelligence officials believe that Dugina was driving her father's car on the night she was killed, and that her father was the actual target of the bombing, one of the sources said.

According to family members, Dugin and his daughter, who was described as a journalist and political analyst, had attended a festival outside Moscow and he had decided to switch cars at the last minute.

In a statement released by a close associate on August 22, Dugin described his daughter as a "rising star" who was "treacherously killed by enemies of Russia."

Dugin, a Russian ultranationalist and philosopher, has been a fierce proponent of Russia's war in Ukraine.

The killing raised concerns in Washington that such attacks could provoke Moscow to carry out its own strikes against senior Ukrainian officials.

If the intelligence indicating Ukraine's involvement is accurate, it would signal an expansion of Ukraine's covert operations. Ukrainian strikes thus far inside Russia have largely been limited to attacks on fuel depots and military bases in cities along the Russia-Ukraine border.

The Ukrainian government also has quietly acknowledged killing Kremlin-installed officials in regions of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces.

With reporting by The New York Times and CNN
KHARKIV, Ukraine -- Tamara Halishnikova doesn't remember how long the attack targeting her and other residents trying to escape the Russian-occupied village of Kurylivka lasted.

All she remembers are the sounds that rang out as the column of vehicles made its way along a railway embankment that late-September morning.

"There was an explosion, then automatic-weapons fire, then more explosions, then we went to the embankment, then gunfire, gunfire, gunfire," she said, speaking at a press conference to RFE/RL at a hospital in Kharkiv less than two weeks later.

Halishnikova and her daughter, Lyudmyla Potapova, were among seven survivors of a September 25 attack on the vehicles, which carried 31 people attempting to flee fighting in Russian-held territory in northeastern Ukraine. Among the dead were 13 children, a pregnant woman, and Halishnikova's husband.

The attack was first reported by Ukrainian authorities on September 30, five days after it occurred.

While three survivors interviewed by RFE/RL could not identify the attackers, the assault on civilians falls into a pattern of Russian forces targeting civilian columns, as occurred in missile and artillery attacks near Zaporizhzhya on September 30 that killed 30 people, on April 8 in the Donetsk region city of Kramatorsk, and on March 6 in Irpin, outside Kyiv.

The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) has stated that the attackers were a Russian special forces group. The Prosecutor-General's Office has said that it has opened a war crimes investigation into the matter.

Survivors said the column of seven vehicles was being attacked with machine guns in an ambush.

The village lies near the small city of Kupyansk, which fell to Russian forces on February 27, just three days into the invasion. The area was under Russian occupation for more than six months, until a stunning Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region liberated much of Kupyansk and the surrounding district.

According to Halishnikova, Potapova, and Mykola Bondarenko, a 66-year-old man who was trying to get his adult son out of danger, residents of Kurylivka decided to leave amid exchanges of shellfire between Russian and Ukrainian forces. A local man told them about the route and assured them of its safety, charging each of them 6,000 hyrvnyas ($162) -- a significant sum for people impoverished after months of occupation and war.

In the fog of war, residents chose what seemed to be the most sensible course of action: rather than attempt to cross into Ukrainian-held territory in the Kharkiv region, the group planned to travel into Russia. And they believed the route to be safe.

They were wrong: As the convoy of seven vehicles rolled down a road parallel to the railroad tracks, an explosion ripped through the first car without warning. Then gunfire erupted from the thick undergrowth next to the tracks.

In the stricken first car, Bondarenko saw his son's head slammed into the steering wheel, his body hit by gunfire. He was dead.

Those who were capable jumped out of their vehicles when the firing died down and took cover by the raised turf of the railway embankment. Lying still, they said, they heard a vehicle moving, which they presumed to be looking for them. Taking their chances, they then darted across a field near the tracks.

The attackers continued to fire at them, and Bondarenko described the attackers firing rocket-propelled grenades into the woods in what he believed was an attempt to cut them off. "We had the feeling they were following us," Halishnikova added.

Photos published by the governor and the Prosecutor-General's Office show cars pockmarked with bullet holes, many pulled to the right in a vain attempt to avoid the barrages. Some pictures taken at the site after the attack appear to show cars with relatively few bullet holes, possibly pointing to the soldiers aiming carefully at the civilians inside.

None of the three survivors interviewed by RFE/RL could say for certain whether their assailants were Ukrainian or Russian. However, they believe the attackers would have been able to clearly see that many of the occupants of the cars were women and children.

The man who arranged the convoy, Bondarenko said, was found shot to death soon after the attack, although it's unclear by whom. "My guess is that it was the relatives of these dead people," he said.

Potapova's dog, a Pomeranian, was soaked in blood but survived the attack, and she said that brought a small measure of comfort as they mourn the deaths of her father and the other victims.

"He helps distract me and my mom now a little bit," she said.
Ukrainian forces have continued their advance in the south and east, retaking territory occupied by Moscow, even as President Vladimir Putin said he expected the situation to "stabilize" in the four Ukrainian regions incorporated by Russia last week.

Putin also ordered his government to seize immediate control over Europe's biggest nuclear power plant, located in the Russian-controlled region of Zaporizhzhya, prompting Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN nuclear agency, to depart for Kyiv for consultations on the facility with Ukrainian authorities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly address late on October 5 that Novovoskresenske, Novohryhorivka, and Petropavlivka settlements to the northeast of the city of Kherson had been "liberated."

Kherson is the capital of one of four partially Russian-occupied regions that the Kremlin formally seized, along with Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhya.

Oleksandr Starukh, the Ukrainian governor of Zaporizhzhya, said early on October 6 that shelling by Russian forces killed at least two people overnight, damaged or destroyed several residential buildings, and caused widespread fires.

In the eastern region of Luhansk, which has been almost completely under Russian control since the start of Moscow's unprovoked invasion in February, Ukraine also claimed victories over Russian forces.

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.

The region's Ukrainian governor, Serhiy Hayday, told Ukrainian television that Kyiv's military liberated six settlements in Luhansk. He did not specify the names of these settlements out of concern that Russian forces would then attack them.

"I will hold a pause until the official information of the General Staff. I can only say that these are six settlements," Hayday said.

Britain's Ministry of Defense confirmed the Ukrainian advance in Kherson in its daily intelligence bulletin on October 6.

"Advancing south, Ukrainian units have pushed the front line forwards by up to an additional 20 kilometers," the bulletin said.

Putin indirectly acknowledged Moscow's difficulties in asserting its control over the regions it seized, voicing hope the situation will "stabilize."

"We are working on the assumption that the situation in the new territories will stabilize," Putin told Russian teachers during a televised video call on October 5.

Putin also ordered the Russian state to seize complete control of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, a move immediately rejected by Kyiv.

"The Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant is now on the territory of the Russian Federation and, accordingly, should be operated under the supervision of our relevant agencies," RIA Novosti news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin as saying.

The plant, which has been occupied by Russian forces since March, is still run by Ukrainian engineers.

Rosenergoatom, Russia's nuclear power operator, said it would transfer the Ukrainian employees to a new Russian-owned organization.

Ukraine's state nuclear energy company, Enerhoatom, said Putin's decree and other Russian documents regarding the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant were "worthless, absurd, and inadequate."

The International Atomic Energy Agency's Grossi on October 5 said he was headed to Kyiv by train and would visit Moscow later this week.

Grossi said negotiations on a safe zone around the plant were more important than ever.

As Ukrainian forces continued to make advances into several of the four regions seized by Moscow, a senior Russian lawmaker called on military officials to tell the truth about developments on the ground.

"We need to stop lying," the chairman of the lower house of parliament's Defense Committee, Andrei Kartapolov, told a journalist from state-run media.

"The reports of the Defense Ministry do not change. The people know. Our people are not stupid. This can lead to loss of credibility."

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and RFE/RL's Russian Service
Written By

Managing Editor

she/her | Bridget is the Messengers managing editor. She oversees the newsroom and covers the Maple Run Unified School District and Franklin West Supervisory Union, the communities of Fairfield and Fairfax and pays attention to recreation, food and the arts. She enjoys seeing Vermont by bike and doing the snow dance. Reach her by email or at 802-391-0563.

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Based in San Diego, Ian Anderson writes contemplative features about food, drinks, travel, and culture. On the side, he authors left coast road trip guidebooks, and is currently at work on a collection of autobiographical essays, Stories from Before We Were Connected. He did not form British prog rock band Jethro Tull in 1967.

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By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

The 2nd Azerbaijan-Turkiye Energy Forum will be held in Istanbul, Turkiye on October 5-6, Azernews reports.

On the first day of the two-day forum, meetings of joint working groups on hydrocarbon and petrochemical products, renewable energy use and energy efficiency, the electric energy market, electricity distribution and transmission, as well as energy regulation will be held.

On the second day of the event, the speeches of a number of high officials, including Azerbaijans Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and Turkiyes Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez, are expected.

Moreover, the signing of the protocol on the outcomes of the forum is expected as well.

To note, the Azerbaijan-Turkiye Energy Forum was established within the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation between the two countries in order to further strengthen strategic energy cooperation.

The first forum was held on December 21-22, 2021 in Baku. A number of agreements were signed on the results of the first forum, including the memorandum of understanding on the supply of natural gas, an agreement on cooperation in the mining industry, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of mining, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of earth sciences, as well as a protocol on cooperation between Azerenergy OJSC and Turkiye Elektrik Iletim AS.

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, prosperity, and 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.
The Stephans Quintet, the Cartwheel Galaxy, the galaxy cluster SMACS J0723.3-7327, and the Carina Nebula were among the first publicly released images from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory had already observed these objects and the new composite images show how these two space-based telescopes complement each other.

In July and August 2022, Webb released images from some of its earliest observations with the newly commissioned telescope.

However, Webb will not pursue its exploration of the Universe on its own. The telescope is designed to work in concert with NASAs many other telescopes as well as facilities both in space and on the ground.

The new versions of Webbs first images show the Stephans Quintet, the Cartwheel Galaxy, the galaxy cluster SMACS J0723.3-7327, and the Carina Nebula.

They combine the infrared data from Webb with X-rays collected by Chandra, underscoring how the power of any of these telescopes is only enhanced when joined with others.

1. Stephans Quintet:

Discovered by the French astronomer Edouard Stephan in 1877, the Stephans Quintet is a visual grouping of five galaxies in the constellation of Pegasus.

Four of the five galaxies  NGC 7317, NGC 7318A, NGC 7318B, and NGC 7319  form a physical association: the Hickson Compact Group 92 (HCG 92).

The fifth and leftmost galaxy, NGC 7320, is well in the foreground compared with the other four. It resides 40 million light-years from Earth, while the other four galaxies are about 290 million light-years away.

The Webb image (red, orange, yellow, green, blue) of the Stephans Quintet features never-seen-before details of the results of the interactions between the galaxies, including sweeping tails of gas and bursts of star formation.

The Chandra data (light blue) of this system reveal a shock wave that heats gas to tens of millions of degrees, as one of the galaxies passes through the others at speeds of around 3.2 million km per hour (2 million miles per hour).

The composite image also includes infrared data from NASAs now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope (red, green, blue).

2. The Cartwheel Galaxy:

The Cartwheel Galaxy is a lenticular galaxy located 500 million light-years away in the constellation of Sculptor.

Otherwise known as ESO 350-40, IRAS 00352-3359 or LEDA 2248, it has a diameter of 150,000 light-years and a mass of about 3 billion solar masses.

The Cartwheel got its shape from a collision with another smaller galaxy  located outside the field of this image  about 100 million years ago.

When this smaller galaxy punched through the Cartwheel, it triggered star formation that appears around an outer ring and elsewhere throughout the galaxy

X-rays seen by Chandra (blue and purple) come from superheated gas, individual exploded stars, and neutron stars and black holes pulling material from companion stars.

Webbs infrared view (red, orange, yellow, green, blue) shows the Cartwheel Galaxy plus two smaller companion galaxies  not part of the collision  against a backdrop of many more distant galactic cousins.

3. The galaxy cluster SMACS 0723.3-7327:

SMACS J0723.3-7327, also known as SMACS 0723 or PSZ1 G284.97-23.69, is a massive cluster of galaxies within the southern constellation of Volans.

Were looking back in time at this cluster as it appeared approximately 4.6 billion years ago.

Its combined mass acts as a gravitational lens, magnifying much more distant galaxies behind it.

As some of the largest structures in the Universe, galaxy clusters are filled with vast reservoirs of superheated gas that is seen only in X-ray light.

In this image, the Chandra data (blue) reveal gas with temperatures of tens of millions of degrees, possessing a total mass of about 100 trillion times that of the Sun, several times higher than the mass of all the galaxies in the cluster.

Invisible dark matter makes up an even larger fraction of the total mass in the cluster.

4. The Carina Nebula:

The Carina Nebula, also known as NGC 3372 and Caldwell 92, is located 7,500 light-years away in the constellation of Carina.

Discovered in the 1750s by French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille, the nebula is a dynamic, evolving cloud of thinly spread interstellar gas and dust.

Spanning over 300 light-years, the Carina Nebula is one of the Milky Way Galaxys largest star-forming regions and is easily visible to the unaided eye under dark skies.

The Chandra data (pink) reveal over a dozen individual X-ray sources. These are mostly stars located in the outer region of a star cluster in the Carina Nebula with ages between 1 and 2 million years old, which is very young in stellar terms.

Young stars are much brighter in X-rays than old stars, making X-ray studies an ideal way to distinguish stars in the Carina Nebula from the many stars of different ages from our Milky Way Galaxy along our line of sight to the nebula.

The diffuse X-ray emission in the top half of the image likely comes from hot gas from the three hottest, most massive stars in the star cluster. They are all outside the field of view of the Webb image.

The Webb image uses the following colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, and blue.
A few hours after SpaceX flew four NASA astronauts to the orbital outpost from Cape Canaveral, another Falcon 9 rocket launched 52 Starlink satellites into orbit from the Californian Vandenberg Space Force outpost. Both rocket boosters made precise landings on their movable barges a few minutes after launch.

SpaceX broke another world record on the Starlink mission. It was the 45th launch of the year, the second of the day, and the fifth time the space company had used the Falcon 9 rocket booster.

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 52 Starlink Satellites

Just hours after flying NASA astronauts onto the International Space Station, Space.com said SpaceX launched 52 more of its Starlink internet satellites into orbit on October 5.

At 7:10 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, the Starlink satellites launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California (2310 GMT; 4:10 p.m. local California time).

8.5 minutes after launch, the Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth and touched on the SpaceX droneship, Of Course, I Still Love You, which was positioned in the Pacific Ocean.

Deployment of 52 Starlink satellites confirmed  completing SpaceXs second launch in ~7 hours!  SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 6, 2022

The upper stage of the Falcon 9 continued to accelerate into orbit as the first stage approached its landing. About 62 minutes after liftoff, the 52 Starlink satellites were deployed as expected, SpaceX said on Twitter on Wednesday night.

It was SpaceX's second launch of the day, after the Crew-5 manned mission for NASA, which blasted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center at 12:00 EDT (1600 GMT). This launch was the company's 45th of 2022.

You can follow the four-person Crew-5's journey to the International Space Station live here on Space.com on Thursday, October 6, at 4:57 p.m. EDT (2057 GMT).

ALSO READ: SpaceX's Falcon Heavy Set To Fly Again Later This Month for a US Space Force Mission After Three Years





How The Launch Went

According to Teslarati, an extremely new Falcon 9 rocket propelled a Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying four professional astronauts most of the way clear of the atmosphere before returning to the planet and safely landing on a SpaceX drone ship. After Dragon was launched, the top stage continued to low Earth orbit, beginning the 29-hour voyage to the International Space Station (ISS).

A second Falcon 9 rocket launched from SpaceX's Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) SLC-4E pad seven hours and ten minutes later, breaking through a heavy blanket of coastal fog. The Falcon 9 launched and landed the booster B1071 successfully, and the rocket's upper stage performed well during its two subsequent runs. This added to the more than 3000 operational satellites already in orbit.

And SpaceX isn't through yet. On October 6, less than 24 hours following Starlink 4-29, a third Falcon 9 rocket is planned to launch from SpaceX's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) LC-40 pad as early as 7:07 pm EDT (23:07 UTC). The mission will place Intelsat's Galaxy 33 and Galaxy 34 communications satellites into a geostationary transfer orbit to complete the trio (GTO).

The flight will be the 14th for Falcon 9 booster B1060, dramatically lifting the threshold for the adoption of recycled SpaceX rockets by the commercial sector. Prior to Galaxy 33/34, Transporter-3-the eleventh launch of Falcon 9 B1058-held the record for SpaceX's commercial reuse.

Intelsat Satellites to Be Launched

In addition, Advanced Television said SpaceX intends to launch two Intelsat communications satellites from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 7:07 p.m. EDT tonight, October 6. The two Intelsat satellites assist the operator's duties for C-band broadcasts to cable head-ends in the US.

Prior to this Intelsat mission, the Falcon 9 first-stage rocket that is assisting it launched the GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, Transporter-2, and ten Starlink missions. The first stage will touch down on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be positioned in the Atlantic Ocean following stage separation.

RELATED ARTICLE: SpaceX Brings Russian Cosmonaut, Other NASA Astronauts to International Space Station

Check out more news and information on SpaceX in Science Times.
Astronauts on the Crew-5 mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) paid tribute to the eminent theoretical scientist Albert Einstein on their way to the International Space Station (ISS).

The crew of SpaceX's Dragon spaceship "Endurance" unveiled their selected "zero-g indication" upon reaching Earth orbit on Wednesday (Oct. 5), a stuffed animal of the late theoretical physicist.

The doll, floating at the end of a tether, proved that the Crew-5 astronauts were safely traveling to the International Space Station and that one of Einstein's hypotheses was accurate.

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About Zero-G

Zero-g indications alert the crew members who are still buckled into their seats that they have reached orbit or are falling around Earth at a speed that causes them to feel weightless.

Before the first person entered space by rocket in 1969, more than 50 years later, Einstein had his "happiest idea" in 1907.

"We're experiencing Einstein's happiest thought continuously, as the International Space Station has been doing for over 20 years," said Crew-5 pilot Josh Cassada (per Collect Space).

ALSO READ: MICROSCOPE Mission Shows That Einstein's Relativity of Theory is Right





Albert Einstein Doll Flies Together With Astronauts to ISS

The Crew Dragon's commander and pilot are NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada. Koichi Wakada of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Anna Kikina of Roscosmos are their fellow mission specialists. Except for Wakada, who has made four missions to space as part of the Space Shuttle program, every other astronaut is leaving the planet for the first time.

It is the first time a scientist has also made it to the Crew Dragon during the voyage to orbit, thanks to the Crew 5 mission's decision to use a toy Albert Einstein figurine as their zero-g indication. After completing the first part of their mission and around 30 minutes after launch, the crew made their decision public when the Crew Dragon's hatch opened, and it detached from Falcon 9's second stage.

Astronaut Cassada spoke on their behalf and said that Einstein was essential in understanding how objects float in gravity and that what they were experiencing was his ideas. This was part of the first transmission from the crew following liftoff.

According to Cassada, the Crew-5 team called the Einstein doll as the little guy their "free-fall indicator."

"We're here to tell you that there's plenty of gravity up here; in fact, that is what is keeping us in orbit right now and preventing this trip on Crew Dragon from being a one-way trip," the astronaut said in a Space.com report.

Einstein, Other Plush Toys Who Went to ISS

The Unemployed Philosophers Guild, a specialty store providing "thoughtful gifts for thinking people," created Crew-5's free-fall indicator as part of their "Little Thinker" line of dolls. The 28-cm-tall (11-inch) plush version of Albert Einstein has the physicist's distinctively wild white hair and is clad in a gray pullover and black leggings.

Einstein has now joined a small but expanding group of dolls that have been to the space station on SpaceX flights. Previous zero-g indications have included a plush Earth globe, a sequined dinosaur, a toy Grogu, Star Wars Baby Yoda, a baby penguin, a few turtles, a stuffed dog, and a monkey.

RELATED ARTICLE: Hurricane Ian Postpones Launch of NASA's SpaceX Crew-5 Mission; New Target Date

Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.




Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga (second from left), Chairwoman of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), presents a gift to Lao National Assembly Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Lao Committee for Peace and Solidarity Sommad Pholsena. (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn)



She said the VUFO will provide all possible conditions for the Vietnam  Laos Friendship Association, the Vietnam Peace Committee and other VUFO members to step up bilateral friendship exchanges and closely coordinate with their Lao peers in people-to-people diplomacy mechanisms in order to better exercise their role as a bridge to promote the two countries relations in all areas.

Nga also called for strengthened education for people, particularly younger generations, from both sides on the one and only Vietnam  Laos friendship.

Pholsena, for his part, said he visited Vietnam at the time when the two countries are celebrating the Vietnam  Laos, Laos  Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year 2022, the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations and the 45th year of the signing of their Treaty for Amity and Cooperation.

He affirmed that the Lao Committee for Peace and Solidarity will carry out activities to further boost friendship and solidarity between the two countries' people.

The two officials also took the occasion to update each other on the two countries socio-economic development.

VNA


At the end of September 2022, FPT Semiconductor  a chip design and manufacturing company under FPT Software  launched its first line of microchip for Internet of Things products for the healthcare section. This integrated circuit line has been directly designed by FPT Semiconductor engineers and sold to its strategic partners for chip distribution in Australia and China.

In the next 2 years, FPT Semiconductor is planning to sell 25 million chips worldwide, and introduce another 7 lines to serve the fields of telecoms, IoT, lighting equipment, smart devices, automobile technology, energy, electronics, and refrigeration, said CEO Nguyen Vinh Quang of FPT Semiconductor.

On August 16, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh led a delegation to visit Viettel and received its proposal on launching a project for chip research, design, and manufacturing. Being a leading group to provide telecoms services, IT solutions, digital services, hi-tech production research, e-commerce and logistics, Viettel is fully capable of researching, designing, and producing chips to serve both domestic and foreign needs.

At the end of that month, Synopsys signed a memorandum of understanding with Saigon Hi-tech Park (SHTP) to support human resources training for integrated circuit design in Vietnam and to build a chip design center here. Accordingly, Synopsys will help SHTP to form a chip design center via the provision of software, curricula, teacher training. This cooperation means SHTP can take advantage of Synopsyss technology to boost the development of the semiconductor industry in the country.

Obviously, this is a positive signal after a long silence period since 2013, when HCMC launched the program Developing the IC Industry in the 2013-2020 Period.

In 2017, HCMC approved yet another program named Developing the IC Industry in the 2017-2020 Period, with a Vision to 2030, in hope of restarting the activities in this industry. Sadly, since then, the human resources training for this field has still made no progress in promoting the development of the industry.

Chairman of the HCMC Semiconductor Industry Association Nguyen Anh Tuan commented that a semiconductor business cannot survive without an initial market. In addition, this industry requires extremely high infrastructure to serve research and design tasks, which is rather out of reach of most businesses or research institutes. This has made it absolutely challenging to boost the growth of the industry.

Until now, the country still does not own any true manufacturing plant, and it is particularly tough for Vietnams IC industry to compete against giants from developed nations like Intel, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, STMicroelectronics, NXP, MediaTek.

Therefore, it is wiser for the country to focus on the products which have a long life to meet the urgent needs of the society thanks to their high applicability.

By Ba Tan  Translated by Thanh Tam


In his latest visit to Vietnam, Deputy General Director Hasan Kleib of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) stated that the use of IP to develop a business is critical all over the world, including Vietnam, which needs to consider it as a tool to promote its own national economic growth.

Sadly, Vice Chairman of the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam Tran Le Hong informed that although in developed countries, IP accounts for 90-95 percent of the production performance of a company, this proportion in Vietnam is rather low. Therefore, without breakthrough approaches in investment, manufacturing, and trading activities related to IP, it is difficult for the country to achieve the goals set by the Central Party and the State.

Many domestic and foreign experts in the IP field commented that Vietnamese businesses still do not pay proper attention to IP in their operation. As many of them are not truly aware of the importance of IP rights protection, the value of IP is not fully exploited in their manufacturing and trading activities.

Luckily, a large number of enterprises are gradually putting more attention to policies and financial mechanisms in the IP field. They wish to learn from international experience and to receive support from WIPO in improving their specialized skills and commercializing, valuating IPs.

WIPO shared that it now has various tools and programs to help businesses to better manage their IP rights. In particular, it offers guidebooks and books, software to evaluate the current IP status of a company (IP Diagnostic), a consultation program for IP management (IP Management Clinics). These are available on its official website.

Vietnam is planning to organize some IP-related events and programs in the upcoming time such as developing intermediary organizations to support enterprises in managing IPs, hosting training sessions and offering consultation sessions on IP.

By Tran Luu  Translated by Thanh Tam
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Sara Lau is an attorney with Skrine in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, who has been tracking the changes in Malaysia's Employment Act 1955, including its expanded maternity and paternity leave, as part of her work. She is also having a baby this year and was hoping to benefit from the expanded provisions, which were set to go into effect on Sept. 1.

Now the effective date has been pushed back to Jan. 1, 2023, "so I'm not statutorily entitled to it," Lau said. "But my employers have been very nice about it, and they have extended my maternity leave."

Women and men who become parents after Jan. 1, 2023, will benefit from the expanded maternity and paternity leave provisions. Maternity leave has been expanded to all female employees in Malaysia who are under a contract of service, and fathers can now take paternity leave.

The duration of paid maternity leave is also being expanded. "The current maternity protection as it stands is 60 days, and that's below the international standard of 14 weeks," Lau said. If a female employee gives birth after Jan. 1, she will now be entitled to 98 days, specifically, because that equals 14 weeks, Lau noted.

Also, female employees cannot be terminated from employment during their maternity leave, nor can they be terminated if they cannot return after their leave due to medical complications that arose from their pregnancy or childbirth. However, this particular protection does not extend to paternity leave.

New Paternity Leave

"Insofar as paternity leave is concerned, this is something new in Malaysia. Previously, paternity leave was not statutorily provided," Lau said. "So new fathers didn't get any kind of statutory minimum requirement to be off" following the birth of their children. But this has also changed, and as of Jan. 1, fathers in Malaysia will be entitled to seven days of paternity leave.

Both the new maternity and paternity provisions are consecutive, which means they include public holidays and weekends. So a seven-day paternity leave actually consists of five working days.

There are still some ambiguities and imperfections in the law to work through. It's unclear when paternity leave should begin, or if there is any flexibility with its commencement. "What that means is that employers are likely free to decide when fathers may take paternity leave," Lau said.

Paternity leave also applies only to married men, though individual companies can choose to expand that.

"If you're not married, and you have a child coming, you're not statutorily entitled to paternity leave," Lau said. "Employers can go above and beyond and state that we're going to afford this to all male employees, regardless of their marital status."

Some Limitations Remain

Maternity allowancewhat a woman is paid while on maternity leaveonly applies to the first five pregnancies a woman has.

"This limitation is on maternity allowance and not maternity leave," Lau said. "What it means is that a female employee may be entitled to days off, but it's not paid time off [after her fifth pregnancy]."

Paternity leave is also limited to the births of up to five children, which has its own complications. "It's irrespective of the number of spouses," Lau said. "In Malaysia, we are a Muslim-majority country and Muslims are entitled to marry up to four spouses, so this paternity leave spans potentially all spouses as long as [it is] limited to five confinements in total."

Employers should be aware of the expanded maternity and paternity leaves and prepare for Jan. 1. "It's important to know that regardless of whatever policies or terms and conditions of employment they have now, the law kicks into effect automatically.  If your contract provides for 60 days and is not updated, it doesn't mean that the employee then just gets 60 days, as automatically, they're entitled to 98 days," Lau said. "I think the first thing that employers should look out for is to ensure that their policies are updated."

All these provisions go into effect Jan. 1, but it doesn't represent the end of the push for expanded maternity and paternity leave rights in Malaysia. The union IndustriALL Malaysia, whose Southeast Asia office is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, appreciates the new policies and is also looking toward the future.

"IndustriALL Global Union, related to IndustriALL, will push against the capping of five children. I think that shouldn't be there, so we will focus on that," said N. Gopal Kishnam, council secretary of IndustriALL Malaysia.

Katie Nadworny is a freelance writer in Istanbul.
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Lisa has her MBA and leads the HR department at her company, but often feels that her ideas are dismissed or she's talked over by other members of her company's leadership team. She's sometimes able to regain traction and put her recommendations forward, while at other times feels frustrated that she's not given her fair turn to share or complete her thoughts. She believes she shouldn't have to work harder than her male peers to simply be acknowledged as a contributing member of the senior team. And she sometimes sees similar patterns with other female leaders that leave her feeling demotivated and concerned about an uneven playing field.



There are likely broader forces at play that Lisa may not be aware of. While the trajectory of female leadership over the past century is nothing short of astonishing, there remains a significant underrepresentation of women in the executive suite and on boards of directors. The reasons are many, from destructive cultural conditioning and reinforcement of negative cultural messaging to implicit bias and an ardent defense of the status quo. Still, it's not enough to allow female leadership to grow organically; we have to "push the river" to achieve gains that face stiff resistance on multiple fronts. The need has never been greater to redefine the future of work as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic to establish a new normal going forward.

Implicit Bias and the Glass Ceiling Are Real

To face the challenges at hand, we have to first acknowledge themsome so ingrained in our culture that we may not have thought to examine them. Consider the fairy tales we've been told as children, starting with the roles of princes and princesses. Princes have a positive affiliation of honor, bravery and morality, and in many ways are associated with the verbs protect, vanquish and conquer. The concept of the princess, in contrast, often creates impressions of helplessness, entitlement and fickleness. And the verb that princesses most often are associated with is waitwaiting to be saved, rescued or delivered from some type of evil force that only the prince can defeat.

"Impressions in the workplace typically follow suit," said Christine Porath, professor of management at Georgetown University and author of Mastering Civility (Balance, 2016) and Mastering Community (Balance, 2022). "Masculinity is typically associated with strength, assertiveness, ambition, confidence, independence and aggressiveness, while femininity typically brings ideas to mind traits that include sensitivity, modesty and selflessness. The takeaways are that men may make for better leaders and decision makers, while women may lack the 'killer instinct' required in today's tough business environment, which potentially skews the narrative for women's potential."

This imbalance is compounded by the fact that the feminine narrative includes assumptions about motherhood, which can conflict with the leadership narrative in the workplace. "Mommy discrimination" and the "motherhood penalty" can stem from assumptions that women will always put their families first, which, by definition, means their jobs must come second. Comments about female employees being "distracted by motherhood" are bad enough, but to make matters worse, research shows it's the opposite with men: Male employees with children tend to be paid more and promoted more quickly "because they have a family to feed."

The end result is an accumulation of disadvantage, where lower salaries and slower promotion rates create real-world differences in men's versus women's career progression, especially over multiple decades. The critical lack of representation in the C-suite and at the board level limits corporate America's ability to innovate and compete. U.S. companies need to step up and create the optimal conditions for women in our workforce to master the demands of career and family. Though systems and ways of thinking are slow to change, the progressive values of Millennials and Generation Z can help push the river in a new direction, focusing on diversity of thought, ideas and voices.

Moving from the X-Axis to the Y-Axis

We're all probably familiar with the succession planning 9-box grid that evaluates employees on both their performance (x-axis) and potential (y-axis). What research tells us is that men are evaluated much more on their potential and women are evaluated on their performance and experience. Said another way, men are assessed on the y-axis of the 9-box diagram, while women tend to be evaluated on the x-axis. Add to this the fact that men tend to apply for promotions when they possess 60 percent of the qualifications for a particular role, but women tend to apply when they possess in excess of 90 percent of the required qualifications, and you can again see where the roadblocks occur.

As Stacey Vanek Smith's book Machiavelli for Women (Gallery Books, 2021) points out, studies show that confidence has a much greater impact on a person's career than almost anything elseincluding competence. Yet women, on average, are about half as confident as men when it comes to self-promotion.

"The most practical solutions for female workers and executives lie in embracing the action verbs that are so often associated with their male counterparts," advised Kim Congdon, global vice president of human resources and talent management at Herbalife Nutrition in Torrance, Calif. "Women are frustrated because they see their male counterparts advancing faster than them. Without the confidence to ask how to continue to grow and advance in their careers, women fall behind. What comes next, they work even harder to demonstrate their value but still don't speak up for themselves and are passed over again. Leaders need to take the initiative in holding ongoing career discussions with both men and women. Empowering women to be open about their career aspirations is simply the right thing to do as well as an outstanding talent development strategy."

"The simplest way to move from the performance to the potential side of the equation is to ask for feedback," Porath said. "Nearly all of us have blind spots. By improving your self-awareness, you can grow personally and professionally. You may not always like the feedback that you hear, but it gets us thinking and provides an opportunity to contemplate and recalibrate. You can't fix what you're not aware of."

Other commonsense approaches to embracing the "active[AC1] verbs" of career development include:

Quantify your achievements. List bullet points of your constructive accomplishments that are tied to increased revenue or decreased expenses in terms of dollars, percentages or saved time. (Nothing creates greater confidence than concrete achievements.)

Develop your own informal board of directors for career advice and guidance.

Lighten up on control (i.e., micro-management) and perfectionism; instead, keep the broader picture and bigger goals in mind at all times.

Adjust to 60 percent thinking. You don't have to "have it all" in order to apply for a promotion; look at your career in terms of stretch assignments and challenges.

Surround yourself with a can-do tribe; build and maintain your professional network.

Pay it forward. Become a mentor to others.

"Cinderella taught us an important lesson: If they're not going to invite you to the ball, there's no reason to keep scrubbing the floors," Congdon said. "Find new ways of garnering achievements and adding value to get that invitation. But know in your heart that you are no more or less deserving than anyone else."

But the onus shouldn't be all on women. Companies could and should do more, including supporting women-in-leadership employee resource groups, sponsoring community activities that help young girls see their value and potential, and conducting gender pay equity and internal promotion audits to ensure fair and consistent pay practices across the organization. With so much change before us as we emerge from the pandemic and find our way back to work with new and heightened expectations, we have a unique opportunity to influence the workplace like never before.

Focusing on the growing half of our workplace populationfemale talentoffers the greatest return on investment and potential boon to all that corporate America is capable of becoming. As for Lisa, in her role as head of human resources for her organization, she can see herself as both the driver and beneficiary of such healthy change. She needs to start the conversation, invite men and women to the table to discuss appropriate initiatives, and move the organization's cultural needle in a new and exciting direction.

Paul Falcone (www.PaulFalconeHR.com) is a SHRM Online columnist and has served in a range of senior HR roles at such companies as Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, Time Warner and City of Hope Medical Center. He's a member of the SHRM Speakers Bureau, a corporate leadership trainer, certified executive coach and author of the five-book Paul Falcone Workplace Leadership Series (HarperCollins Leadership and Amacom). Other bestsellers include 101 Tough Conversations to Have with Employees, 101 Sample Write-Ups for Documenting Employee Performance Problems, 96 Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire, and 2600 Phrases for Effective Performance Reviews.
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California employers will soon be prohibited from taking adverse action against employees who refuse to report to a workplace during an emergency condition, according to a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law on Sept. 29. While some of the bill's language was tightened up during the legislative process, the new law, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2023, still contains some uncertainty and will raise compliance challenges and possible litigation risks for California employers. What do you need to know about SB 1044?

SB 1044 makes it unlawful for employers to take or threaten adverse action against an employee for refusing to report to or leave a workplace due to a reasonable belief that the workplace is unsafe due to an emergency condition. An emergency condition is defined as:

Conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons or property at the workplace, caused by natural forces or a criminal act.

An order to evacuate a workplace, worksite, worker's home, or the school of the worker's child due to a natural disaster or criminal act.



Notably, an emergency condition does not include a health pandemic, so SB 1044 will not apply to situations in which the employee says they feel unsafe, for example, due to COVID-19. A worker's belief is considered reasonable if a reasonable person would conclude there is a real danger of death or serious injury if that person enters or remains on the premises.

The existence of any health and safety regulations specific to the emergency condition and an employer's compliance or noncompliance with those regulations will be a relevant factor, if this information is known to the employee at the time of the emergency condition.

SB 1044 makes it unlawful for employers to prevent employees from using their mobile devices to seek emergency assistance, asses the safety of a situation, or communicate with a person to verify their safety in an emergency condition.



What This Could Mean for Employers



Through SB 1044, California lawmakers aimed to address situations where employees may feel compelled to work during natural disasters, such as wildfires or active shooter situations. Although it's no surprise that lawmakers want to address workplace safety, the new language will likely cause some confusion when you need to quickly find replacements for absent employees in order to continue operations.

For example, under this new law, an employee is required to notify you of the emergency condition prior to leaving or refusing to report to the workplace, if feasible. When this is not feasible, the employee must report to work as soon as possible.

This vague language makes employers vulnerable in situations where an employee skips out on work without reason. This is especially detrimental in fast-paced work environments where the absence of an employee necessitates an immediate replacement to continue to run time-sensitive services. While it may be easy to imagine clear-cut situations where this could arise -- a wildfire forces evacuation of the work location  there could be incidents that are less obvious, such as when a worker claims their home or child's school, which are far away from the worksite, are subject to an emergency condition.

Further, this language forces employers to be extra delicate with how they implement a no-cellphone policy in a situation that could be perceived as an emergency condition.



Moving Forward



With SB 1044 taking effect on Jan. 1, 2023, there are preventative measures you can take to avoid or mitigate a claim. The language of SB 1044 specifies that employers have the right to remedy alleged violations pursuant to the state Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) cure provisions, thus making it crucial for employers to act quickly, if cited.

We recommend employers revisit any workplace safety and health management programs and ensure standard procedures are followed in the event of a catastrophe, disaster, or criminal act. To avoid walking on eggshells, we suggest that you train supervisors on tempered communications in emergency situations.

This new law highlights the value of strict recordkeeping of employee attendance and timeliness to combat an employee's potential retaliation claim. California's PAGA laws have proven to be troubling to employers, and this new law is no exception.

Heather Domingo is an attorney with Fisher Phillips in Sacramento, Calif.  2022. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
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In 2023, the minimum wage rate in Washington state will increase to $15.74 per hour for employees 16 years of age and older, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries announced on Sept. 30. This represents an increase of $1.25 per hour, or an 8.66 percent increase year over year. Employees aged 14 to 15 years old must earn at least $13.38 per hour in 2023.

Given the steep increase in the minimum wage, the state's salary requirements for exempt employees are also increasing significantly. In 2023, small employers (with 50 or fewer employees in Washington) must pay exempt employees 1.75 times the minimum wage, meaning that exempt employees of small employers must earn at least $1,101.80 per week (or $57,293.60 per year) to meet the minimum salary requirement to be exempt from overtime pay.

Large employers (with 51 or more employees in Washington) must pay exempt employees at least two times the minimum wage to meet the minimum salary requirements. In 2023, large employers must pay exempt employees at least $1,259.20 per week (or $65,478.40 per year) to meet the state's minimum salary requirement to be exempt from overtime pay.

Exempt computer professionals who are paid on an hourly basis must earn at least $55.09 per hour, which is 3.5 times the minimum wage.

Adam T. Pankratz, Brenda L. Bannon and Kathryn P. Fletcher are attorneys with Ogletree Deakins in Seattle.  2022. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
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Embattled fund manager Magellan Financial Group has become a victim of the recent market meltdown, with one of its institutional clients forced to pull about $1.6 billion in funds due to the global volatility.

Magellan released its monthly funds under management update to the ASX on Thursday, showing a $6.7 billion drop in September. Total assets under management have hit $50.9 billion, down from $57.6 billion at the end of August. In the middle of last year, Magellan controlled $115 billion in assets.

Magellan CEO David George. Credit:Brook Mitchell

The firm said the September losses consisted of $3.6 billion in net outflows, of which $400 million was in retail outflows and $3.2 billion in institutional outflows.

In a footnote, the company said approximately half of the institutional outflows relate to the liquidity requirements of a client impacted by global market volatility in late September.
Gambling entrepreneur Matthew Tripp has confirmed plans to launch his highly anticipated News Corp Australia-backed bookmaker ahead of the Everest Carnival and the Caulfield Cup in an attempt to attract young punters and grow rapidly in a highly competitive market.

In his first interview about his new venture, betr, Tripp laid out its ambitions to become the leading force in Australian wagering and signalled he may seek out further investment from other media companies and strategic partners, as he tries to secure key wagering licences across the country.

Matthew Tripp has ambitious plans for his new startup. Credit:Jesse Marlow

Betr, which was first discussed by News Corp Australia and Tripp four years ago, remains in advanced talks with the WA TAB and is in early discussions with the Victorian government about its wagering licence, as it tries to scale up in a highly regulated and competitive wagering market.

We think [WA TAB] is a must for us as a start-up, Tripp said. We havent re-entered this market to play second fiddle to anyone. We want to grow sensibly through M&A and organically with the partnerships that we forged with everyone. We believe we will be - certainly a tier one operator very quickly - but in time the most prominent brand in the country.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Patrick Livesey has experienced a lot in 28 years. The flamboyant kid who would wear their mums wedding dress to kindergarten, or visit the video store in a bikini and heels, learnt to suppress those traits early, following an incident at primary school. In their teenage years, an eating disorder and an obsession with running lapsed when they discovered weed. All the while, Liveseys Adelaide home life was marked by their mothers battle with mental illness. Livesey was studying drama at VCA when Naomi took her own life. At this months Fringe Festival, Livesey performs Naomi, the solo show in which they play eight people from her life. Its verbatim theatre, painstakingly constructed from more than 30 hours of interviews conducted by the writer and performer, and its Adelaide premiere this year earned numerous five-star reviews as well as the Adelaide Critics Circle Award. Adelaide is a small town. It didnt take long for Livesey to hear a rumour that Naomi had died of brain cancer. She hadnt, but even those closest to her didnt want to speak openly about her real cause of death. My family didnt really want to talk about the fact that it was suicide, Livesey says. Suicide remains a profound taboo in our culture, and survivors often find themselves faced with a silence as confronting as it is frustrating. That reticence is understandable: the language we have to talk about suicide is often superficial, judgmental or misinformed. I think we as a culture dont have a language around grief, Livesey says. And so that was why in the time that everything was happening with Mum, I kind of felt it was something I wanted to share, because it changed everything in my life. I felt more people need to have a language around this. Livesey first caught the attention of Melbourne theatregoers in 2019 with The Boy, George, in which a teenage Prince George explains his plans to secure the throne in the wake of Queen Elizabeths death. The solo show was nominated for best performance at that years Melbourne Fringe, won a Tour Ready Award, and comedian Joel Creasey reprised the role the following year.

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Liveseys reputation quickly grew, with roles in Tom Ballards #KWANDA and Angus Camerons DIRT, which won best performance at the 2021 Perth Fringe and in their second play, Gone Girls, channelling Julia Gillard. Today, Livesey is recognised as a writer and performer to watch. The multi-award winner was recently named the latest recipient of the Marten Bequest Scholarship, a $50,000 gift whose previous recipients include Gideon Obarzanek, Eryn Jean Norvill and Paul Yore. Patrick Livesey in, from left, DIRT, The Boy, George and Gone Girls. As children we are aware of things for which we dont yet have labels, and Livesey understood from a young age that Naomi endured invisible suffering. She was the best mum and sacrificed so much ... But then there were also a lot of challenges, because she did have a mental illness which went undiagnosed for a really long time. Their parents split up when Livesey and sister Ruby were very young. Naomis house was always home, though. For whatever reason, Mum was just who we latched onto as little kids. When Naomi was on a high, life for the children felt great. But in her low points, they developed a sense of protectiveness towards their mother. It was not that regular relationship where Mums word was gospel and she was the authority. It was very much that we were all in it together, and we felt like sometimes we had to look after Mum and sometimes she had to look after us. When Livesey was 10, their stepdad sat them down and explained that Naomi suffered from depression. That was kind of a lightbulb moment to me. It meant that there was a reason these things were happening. There was a thing you could point to. Having a word to describe Naomis experience didnt mean things were out in the open. It wasnt like it became an ongoing conversation. It was just this murky thing that was there, but we still didnt really talk about what was going on.

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You certainly didnt bring any of this up with Naomi herself. Mum had so many incredible qualities, but open dialogue around how she was feeling was not one of them, Livesey says. You got used to the fact that there were just some things you didnt talk about, and there were times you didnt go there. Patrick Livesey with Naomi and sister Ruby. Credit:Courtesy Patrick Livesey The tension in the family was exacerbated by Naomis drinking. That fuels the resentment more because you can see it happening. Its not like a mental illness where its silent. You come home, you see the bottles. All of this might paint a familiar picture of children whose formative years were scarred by the impact of a parent facing mental health challenges. The truth is far more nuanced. She was a mum. That part of her was always the strongest. Even if shed sit us down and talk about how shed failed us, how she felt like a real failure as a mum, we were always like what are you talking about? That was not my impression at all, so when she said that stuff, again the protectiveness would come in and I would feel like I would have to look after her. To make sure she realised how amazing she was at being a mum, and how even through all of her darkest moments I never once felt abandoned by her or like she wasnt there for me. Livesey doesnt have a rose-tinted view of life growing up with a mother struggling with mental illness, but Naomi was a burden that I was happy to shoulder. It was something that defined the teenagers personality. As young people, as teenagers, we like to make such clear choices about who we are. To carve out our space in the world. For me, that was one of them. Home life was kind of crazy, but that was who I was.

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The details of what happened in primary school are long forgotten, but it was enough to set something off; Livesey came home and set about annihilating their Barbie collection. Beating the dolls against the base of a bookshelf and watching as their heads were crushed in, I destroyed all the Barbies and crushed that part of me. Loading Livesey had always been good at running, and so that became a way of fitting into what I was realising was a straight world. In high school they developed their own mental health challenges, including an eating disorder. Mums drinking was getting really bad, and maybe you could say that it was a reaction to that. I became very strict with food, I wasnt eating, I was running every morning and every night, going to training. That was my way of carving out control in a situation that I felt was completely out of my control. And then drugs came along. Livesey had a crush on the new boy at school, and someone mentioned the kid was a smoker. So one day I bought some weed off him. And then my whole life changed. I was quite a control freak, a perfectionist, and then I just became the complete opposite. Almost overnight, the eating disorder vanished. Stoner Livesey took the control freaks place. I was a shit. I was awful, and I really made my parents life hell. It was Liveseys love for Naomi that turned things around. I could see the impact I was having on the people around me, could see how much it was devastating my mum. At the same time I found theatre. Take 7: The answers according to Patrick Livesey Worst habit? Self-doubt Greatest fear? Not being good enough The line that stayed with you? Hamlets to be or not to be was the first theatre text I ever learnt and its the only one Ive never forgotten, but in all honesty its Cynthia Nixon as Miranda saying do not! follow me! with dramatic hands after Steve cheats on her in Sex and the City. Chills. Biggest regret? That I didnt call my mum back. Favourite room? My current living room with my partner, Wil. Its our first apartment, so other than being extremely sentimental and somewhere weve spent many a lockdown, it also looks really, really good. All those summer holidays spent reading my step-mums interior design magazines have not gone to waste, let me tell you that right now. The artwork/role you wish was yours? As an actor who frequently gets rejected for things, this question should come with a trigger warning, but maybe Tom Hanks in Philadelphia. It was the first gay movie I ever saw, and acting opposite Denzel Washington? Please and thank you. If you could solve one thing? Me needing to pay for things ... I mean, the climate crisis.

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If the Barbie massacre was the moment Livesey swore off life as a performer, there was no such decisive event leading back to the spotlight. There had been a school play now and then, and a teacher convinced a reluctant Livesey to enrol in year 12 drama. Then something clicked. Within a few years, they were studying drama at VCA. In 2015, midway through that course, Naomi died. Livesey wrote a lot in the following months, trying to find words to make sense of what the family was going through. In 2020, these ruminations began to offer themselves as the basis for a work of theatre. Livesey began by interviewing family and friends about their memories of Naomi, and soon amassed a great volume of audio. These formed the inspiration for a script exploring motherhood and sacrifice. The few first drafts didnt work. Friends told Livesey as much: it was too dark, too riddled with guilt and regret. When Liveseys mentor, director Bronwen Coleman, read the script, she asked to see the transcripts of the interviews. That was the play, she said. Remove Patrick Livesey from the picture, and let everyone else tell Naomis story. In the week leading up to its premiere, some of Liveseys family baulked at the prospect of seeing their words spoken on stage. A lot of it was, we dont want people to think about Naomi this way. We dont want people to know that this happened to her, or that she had these moments. I heard that and respected that, but then asked is anything going to change if we dont talk about it? We have an opportunity to show that Mum shouldnt be defined by her mental illness and what happened to her, but it also cant be ignored. You cant separate Mum from these things. Theyre part of her story. And I said: hopefully we can help some people. If Liveseys goal had been to give people the words to speak about their own grief, it worked. I got so many messages from people afterwards, or people would come up to me in the theatre straight away, saying theyd lost someone when they were younger, or theyd just lost someone. One young person said their family had never spoken about mental health, but after Naomi they went home and started the conversation. That was the moment when I became really satisfied that what we were doing made sense.

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The sudden departure of Andrew Thorburn just 24 hours into his stint as chief executive of AFL club Essendon over links to an anti-gay church unsurprisingly drew outrage from the religious right, with the Australian Christian Lobby claiming hed been booted for his beliefs by the club.

At least nobody is trying to cancel the ACL, despite their commitment to a brand of Christianity that seems to include making sure religious people can be a bit nastier to the LGBTQ community.

The lobby has managed to secure the Great Hall of Parliament House for the Canberra leg of its Babylon series, this month in which its boss Martyn Iles lectures true believers about the evils of godless modern life.

Martyn Iles of the Australian Christian Lobby. Credit:

Turns out its not all that hard to book an event at Parliament. You just need to cough up $9000 for venue hire and prove to the right bureaucrats at the Department of Parliamentary Services that your event is acceptable to the majority of MPs, will uphold the dignity of parliament, and is not likely to cause offence to a significant part of the Australian community.
McKechnies interest in dance theory grew, and she set about founding Australias first formal dance degree course at Rusden State College. This was the result of her academic studies overseas in 1974, particularly at the Julliard School in New York: They had such an incredible academic program  the physiology and anatomy training they delivered was outstanding. Her Australian course was accredited in 1977 and paved the way for dance programs in tertiary institutions around the country. She was head of Rusdens dance program from 1975 to 1984. 1977 was also the year she and Dame Peggy van Praagh, founding artistic director of the Australian Ballet, spearheaded the establishment of the Australian Association for Dance Education, which became Ausdance with McKechnie a later president. That in turn had grown out of the seminal Armidale choreographic seminars (1974-1976), for which she was a driving force. Her life was marked by generosity, intellectual rigour and support for artists across the whole spectrum. Julie Dyson, a former national director of Ausdance, on contemporary Shirley McKechnie. Her enthusiasm for dance performance alongside theory continued unabated. With the backing of the Australia Council and Arts Victoria, she established the Green Mill Dance Project (1993-1997), an exhilarating combination of the two. And she was instrumental in the foundation of Tasdance, Australias first dance-in-education company, in 1981. Its first artistic director, Jenny Kinder, was one of the many dancers McKechnie mentored, starting as a five-year-old student, developing as a dancer in McKechnies company and then as a colleague.

Such was the bond between the two that McKechnie often referred to Kinder as her artistic daughter and their exchange of ideas continued the rest of their lives. As a member of McKechnies company, Kinder enjoyed the development of her directors choreographic ideas and has embarked on a project to try and reconstruct key works so they are not lost forever  a challenge in that they often involved improvisation, which was stimulating for the performers but ephemeral in a pre-digital era. Kinder recalls the way McKechnie brought in a range of the arts, basing a work on themes by the artist Paul Klee, reading her young performers poetry and introducing them to unfamiliar music: It was very rich, it really was. VCA Dance head Jenny Kinder with her mentor Shirley McKechnie, 2007. Credit:Fairfax While McKechnies choreography initially reflected the influence of Gertrud Bodenweiser, Kinder says she moved into a more Australian style as she found new inspiration on her home ground. Judith Wrights poem The Finding of the Moon was one example. The discovery of a brain tumour grounded McKechnie as a pilot and a studio teacher, though an operation on it was successful. In her late 50s, she turned intensively to research, becoming the first person to be awarded an Australian Research Council grant in choreographic study.

Not that the urge to perform ever left her. In 1992, she was a guest artist with the Australian Ballet in the delightfully original Australian Nutcracker by Graeme Murphy, one of the choreographers she had encouraged. Her many awards and honours included an honorary professorial fellowship at the Victorian College of the Arts, where she later did multi-disciplinary research on two major projects exploring the cognitive and psychological processes of choreographic creation and its reception by audiences. Her collaborative study over eight years became a book, Thinking in Four Dimensions; Creativity and Cognition in Contemporary Dance, published in 2005 by Melbourne University Press. Between 1999 and 2008 she also wrote three important research papers, inspiring her research team to cross seemingly disparate academic disciplines that led to dance connecting with science. The numerous awards and honours that recorded the achievements of her lifetime included the Kenneth Myer Medallion for the Performing Arts in 1993, an Order of Australia medal in 1987 which was promoted to Officer in 2013, a Lifetime Achievement Award in the 2001 Australian Dance Awards and the Centenary Medal in 2001. She was a member of the council of the Victorian College of the Arts from 1974 to 1988, was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Visual and Performing Arts by the University of Melbourne and made an honorary fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean says he is convinced the Warragamba Dam wall must be raised, despite its impact on World Heritage bushland and having previously warned the project was economically unviable.

Kean, who has long been an outspoken voice in the Liberal Party on the environment, said the government needed to put the people of western Sydney before protected bushland upstream in an apparent backdown on Thursday.

Treasurer Matt Kean says the state government must raise the Warragamba Dam wall. Credit:James Alcock

The state government this week announced it would push ahead with plans to raise the dam wall by 14 metres, which will result in the inundation of World Heritage listed bushland and potential destruction of Aboriginal cultural sites.

Kean joined Premier Dominic Perrottet in declaring the government needed to protect people before plants.
The NSW government has launched an investigation into The Kings School over possible misuse of taxpayer funding following plans to install a plunge pool at the headmasters residence and a controversial trip by the schools senior staff to attend a British rowing event.

Investigators will conduct an audit of the states oldest private school and trawl through relevant financial documents to check for spending irregularities and possible misuse of government funding.

The Kings School is under the spotlight over recent spending decisions. Credit:Rhett Wyman

In June, the Herald revealed that an old boys representative on the Kings board quit over plans to fly the schools headmaster, his wife and deputy to watch students compete at the Henley Royal Regatta and that the council approved a request by its principal, Tony George, to have a private two-by-three-metre pool installed at his on-site residence.

The NSW Department of Education made initial requests for more information about the schools spending and began an investigation after consulting the non-government schools not-for-profit advisory committee. The advisory committee was set up in 2014 to ensure private schools spend public money appropriately.
The only thing known for certain about Paul Murrays final hours is that they would have been painful. The body of the 40-year-old opal miner, known to be generous with loans, was found naked and decomposing in scrub two kilometres from his camp site at Lightning Ridge in northern NSW on April 22, 1995. His bare feet were studded with thorny burrs.

A post-mortem examination at the time was unable to find signs of trauma or an obvious cause of death. Further investigations by police, and a 1996 inquest, failed to determine how he died. But his family firmly believe he was murdered, and that money played a part.

Now they are hopeful a reward of $500,000 announced by NSW Police on Thursday  quintupling the amount previously offered in 2012  will be enough to push those they believe are keeping information secret to come forward.

Paul Murrays siblings Rosemary Pearse and Simon Murray hope the reward will prompt people to talk. Credit:Jenny Noyes

Detective Chief Inspector David Laidlaw of the Unsolved Homicide Unit said police maintain an open mind about the circumstances leading to Murrays death, but we believe he met sinister play at the end of the day.
The NSW Ombudsman has opened an investigation into the way a high school handled complaints about the threatening behaviour of a boy who went on to rape one of his classmates.

The girls family repeatedly raised concerns about the behaviour of the boy and his friends before the assault, which took place over two hours at a house party in late 2019. He was found guilty in May of six counts of sexual intercourse without consent, and sentenced in August to nine months in jail, with a non-parole period of two months.

His lawyer is appealing the sentence for being too harsh, while prosecutors are arguing it was inadequate. NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman also took an interest in the case, reviewing the sentencing transcript and asking the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider appealing before the decision was made to do so.

This girl was raped by a boy from her grade at school. Credit:Wolter Peeters

The Ombudsmans investigation will look into whether the school - which cannot be named for legal reasons - complied with rules and procedures, was unreasonable, or was otherwise wrong in its approach both before and after the assault, a spokesman for the NSW Ombudsman said in a statement to the Herald.
Its raining again. On cue, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has re-announced raising the Warragamba dam wall, saying he is fast-tracking this controversial project.

Its the same tactic Liberal premier Mike Baird used in June 2016 when he committed to raising the dam wall by 14 metres, three days before the dam was expected to spill due to severe storms. Whatever becomes of this recycled, developer-driven Liberal pet project, first put forward by premier John Fahey in 1993, it wont do anything for anyone on the floodplain in the short term.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet announces the raising of the Warragamba Dam on Wednesday. Credit:Rhett Wyman

It certainly doesnt quell residents fury that the NSW government has done nothing to reduce the impact of the flood theyre likely to face in the next few days. The returned La Nina (not that it feels like it ever left) means every cloud, every drop of rain, every storm is another weight bearing down on an already water-logged community.

For farmers it means balancing the risk of sowing a crop of vegetables or turf against yet another destructive and costly loss; for many businesses, whose suffering continues long after floodwaters subside, its a matter of asking how much longer can I do this; for families on the Hawkesbury-Nepean floodplain, its the question will it get me again? or will it get me this time? This floodplain covers 425 square kilometres, so its not just homes with water views that flood.
Loading It was 100 per cent her The day Powers nanny failed to turn up, Azzopardi was arrested by NSW Police. She had presented to a charity, pretending to be an abused French teenager and sparked a multi-agency investigation. Azzopardi pleaded guilty at the end of August to making a false representation resulting in a police investigation, and was ordered to spend at least six weeks in prison while awaiting her sentence in October. Azzopardi made global headlines in 2013 when she turned up in a distressed state near the Dublin GPO in Ireland, telling police she was a teen victim of the sex slave trade. It took authorities a month and an estimated 250,000 to identify her.

A year later, aged 26, she turned up in Calgary, Canada, claiming to be 14-year-old Aurora Hepburn, a victim of abduction and sexual assault. An estimated $US150,000 was spent trying to help her. She was charged with public mischief for misleading police and deported in 2014. Police say she was charged more than 100 times in Australia, mainly for fraud and deception-related offences. Screenshot of Facebook message from Mayer to Theresa Power offering her nanny services. It was a criminal history Power was blind to when Mayer entered her familys life, introducing herself as an aspiring actress in Australia for a gap year. Mayer worked for the family for about 20 hours and was paid for that work.

She was sweet, polite and playful, Power says. I thought she was great with my baby daughter and amazing with the housework... she was fabulous. I kept saying, I cant fault her. But looking back, Power sees a number of red flags. Mayer never provided her mobile number or email address, despite Power asking several times, and would only communicate on Facebook Messenger. When Power emailed an address Mayer provided as a reference, she received a long, glowing response, ostensibly from a former employer called Inga, but they never spoke on the phone. Power asked Mayer for a Working with Children check, but the young woman said she was told she had not been in the country long enough. When asked, Mayer brought Power a passport with a red cover  but she did not get around to inspecting it.

A photo from Mayer Meleckas Facebook page. Mayer was a fake identity used by serial conwoman Samantha Azzopardi. Credit:Facebook During a walk in the park with the baby, Power suggested they take a selfie, thinking Mayer might like to send it to her family back home. She recoiled, Power recalls. She said shed never taken a selfie and didnt like seeing her pimples. I joked that I didnt think there was any such thing as a 19-year-old who didnt take selfies. After her first week, the family paid Mayer and arranged for her to return. But on Monday, she never showed. Several days later, Powers husband was reading The Sydney Morning Herald when he saw a story about the arrest of an internationally notorious conwoman earlier that week. After Googling, he instantly recognised the woman as their new nanny. I was terrified. Sick to my stomach, Power says. I had a pretty bad nights sleep and called the police to report what had happened to us, first thing in the morning.

NSW Police arrested Azzopardi on fraud charges unrelated to Powers situation, the day she was supposed to return as their nanny. Power lodged a police complaint, but was told no offences had been detected. Samantha Azzopardi in Melbourne in July 2019. A spokeswoman said: Officers from Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command commenced inquiries after receiving a report on Monday, September 5. Following those inquiries, no offence was found and no further police action is expected. This is not good enough for Power.

Theres clearly a gap in the system. Shes falling through the cracks, she says.The next best thing I can do as a concerned citizen is to speak up and raise awareness so other people dont make the same mistakes. You dont know who is on the other side of that Facebook profile In the past, Power felt asking for a prospective nannys Working with Children check, proof of ID and references were formalities, placing more weight on her gut feeling. Now, she sees these measures as necessary due diligence. Its a big decision, trusting your baby with someone and we placed so much weight on our gut instinct. Its a very unsettling experience to realise that you cant only rely on your gut feeling. Its not enough, Power says. She also believes nanny and au pair pages on social media platforms have a role to play, urging them to include basic information on how parents can verify the checks.

Loading A spokesman from the NSW Office of the Childrens Guardian, which administers Working with Children checks, said nanny and babysitting agencies must ensure any referrals had a check. It is also an offence to work in child-related work without a valid Working with Children check, or to employ someone to work in child-related work without a valid check. Penalties for working in child-related work without a valid check are up to $11,000 and two years in prison, and for an employer, the penalty is up to $11,000 for each non-compliant person they employ. When making arrangements for a self-employed babysitter or nanny, parents must ensure the nanny or babysitter has a valid Working with Children check, the spokesman said. Australian Nannying Association spokeswoman Annemarie Sansom said it was crucial for parents to get a Working with Children check and verify it by going on the relevant government website.
In this trade period special episode of the Real Footy podcast, Peter Ryan and Michael Gleeson discuss the merits of salary dumping and the state of play in various deals on day four of trade period.

The salary cap and how clubs manage it is crucial to on-field success. Its something clubs  and fans  are more aware of now. Though the Suns will lose pick seven along with Jack Bowes, theyll gain the ability to keep players such as Ben King, Matt Rowell and other talented youngsters.

Meanwhile, discussions continue around a trade between North Melbourne and Port Adelaide for Jason Horne-Francis, and West Coasts potential involvement. We look at why West Coast would be happy to move back from pick two in this years draft, and on the flipside, why they might want to make Port Adelaide sweat. And other clubs are interested but Geelongs Esava Ratugolea wants to get to Port Adelaide. Could it help unlock other deals?

Plus, the Dockers add depth to their forward line, whether Sam Weideman should have requested a trade out of Melbourne and could the Pies turn their attention to landing Lachie Whitfield?
Senior Liberal politician Simon Birmingham has called on the partys NSW vice president Teena McQueen to resign as former MPs condemned her comments after she apparently celebrated the defeat of moderate Liberals at this years election.

Speaking at a conservative conference on the weekend, McQueen appeared to welcome the defeat of several Liberal members at the May federal election.

Senator Simon Birmingham, Liberal Partys NSW vice president Teena McQueen and former Liberal MP Tim Wilson. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen, Simon Schluter

The good thing about the last federal election is a lot of those lefties [in our party] are gone, she said according to The Guardian. We should rejoice in that. People Ive been trying to get rid of for a decade have gone, we need to renew with good conservative candidates.

Birmingham, who is a member of the Liberals moderate faction, said if she did not want to support or endorse candidates or Liberal MPs, then she should not be part of the partys executive.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed Australia is preparing to ramp up support for his nations war against Russia by announcing a new tranche of military assistance, including donations of heavy weapons.

In an appearance via video link at the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney, Zelensky urged the global community not to give in to Russian President Vladimir Putins nuclear blackmail.

Putin would not be able to preserve his life if he dared to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine, Zelensky said.

Our victory is important for Ukraine and also for the whole world, he said.
Dr James Tadros: Ive spent hours trying to sort out an 88-year-old lady in kidney failure who has been waiting six hours. I had to go out to the waiting room to pick her up in a wheelchair, found her laying down across three chairs and some bystanders were helping her daughter to slowly move her around because she was so weak. This is basically Third World. They just keep prioritising the ambulance offloads who arent the sickest. It took me 20 minutes just to get her into a wheelchair then wheel her around to find a space to see her.

Dr Pramod Chandru: What a use of time.

Dr Tadros: The nurses just cant start anything for this woman while shes out there. They cannot give any slow intravenous fluids, but shes 88, so a fluid bolus will just put her into pulmonary edema and might kill her. Maybe that will get her a bed. I just wrote up 500ml to try and do something for her.

[Twelve hours after she first presented, six hours after she was first seen]

Dr Tadros: Remember the 88-year-old? Her abdomen is riddled with metastatic cancer of unknown primary. Twelve hours later, she finally got to a bed in time for me to tell her that shes probably going to imminently die from this. The worst part is, her and her daughter have been so nice the whole time despite our rubbish care. She still hasnt had the fluids.

Dr Chandru: God that makes me feel worse.
Whatever you think of the Andrews government, one of its greatest failures has been its inertia on voting reform in the upper house.

After eight years in office, there hasnt been any attempt to ensure that when we cast our ballots next month, the result will better represent the will of the people, not preference whisperers and party insiders.

Whichever party wins the November election will be forced to deal with an expanded crossbench in the Legislative Council. Credit:Justin McManus

There is something perversely satisfying about the growing anxiety among Labor MPs about the fate of the upper house after November 26. Going into the election the Andrews government, which has just 16 spots in the 40-seat Legislative Council, needs the support of at least five of the 14 crossbench MPs.

But conditions are expected to worsen for Labor after the election with pollsters predicting the government could lose four seats in the Legislative Council, reducing it to just 12 members and potentially forcing it to wheel and deal with more crossbenchers with the power to derail the governments legislative agenda.
Victorias democratically elected First Nations representatives hope Premier Daniel Andrews will listen to 50,000 people who want Maroondah Hospital to retain its Aboriginal name, after the government announced it would rename the facility in Melbournes east in honour of the Queen.

Andrews decision  announced last month as part of a $1 billion rebuild  attracted a flurry of complaints from Indigenous leaders and prompted a petition calling on the government to retain the name Maroondah, a Woiwurrung word that means throwing leaves.

Marcus Stewart, co-chair of the First Peoples Assembly, delivering a petition on the Maroondah Hospital name change. Credit:Justin McManus

Marcus Stewart, co-chair of the First Peoples Assembly, and a Nira illim bulluk man, delivered the petition with 53,000 names to the premiers office on Thursday.

Speaking to The Age afterwards, he said replacing an Aboriginal title to honour the Queen was an act of colonisation.
Federal police have arrested a 19-year-old Sydney man for allegedly sending scam texts to blackmail people whose data was separately published by the Optus hacker as the government moved to prevent fraud by letting the company share customer identification data with banks.

Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough said the texts, which demanded payments of $2000 to an Australian bank account, had gone to 93 people but that no one had fallen for the alleged scam.

A 19-year-old Sydney man was arrested after allegedly attempting to misuse stolen Optus customer data in a text message blackmail scam. Credit:Australian Federal Police

"The warning is clear: do not test the capability or dedication of law enforcement," Gough said. "Just because there has been one arrest doesn't mean there won't be any more arrests."

Police and overseas law enforcement under the banner of Operation Hurricane are still trying to find the hacker who downloaded almost 10 million customers data, including drivers licences, Medicare and passport numbers.
London: British Prime Minister Liz Truss has ditched Australian election strategist Isaac Levido, removing the man widely praised for his work on Boris Johnsons landslide victory in 2019 from his role with the Conservative Party.

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age can confirm that Levidos consultancy, Fleetwood Strategy, no longer holds the contract with the Conservative Party. It has been reported that instead, Truss chief of staff Mark Fullbrook will run the next election campaign instead via his private firm.

Isaac Levido (centre) at former British prime minister Boris Johnsons victory rally. Credit:

Fullbrook parted ways with his former C|T group business partners, Australians Lynton Crosby and Mark Textor, in April and announced he was establishing his own consultancy.

Levido, who has been dubbed a superstar by some within the Tory party, is a protege of Crosbys.
Bakhmut, Ukraine: A Russian missile demolished an apartment block in a Ukrainian region that Moscow says it has annexed, killing at least three people, as discontent mounted within Russia about the handling of the war by the top brass.

The missile attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia in the southern region of the same name left some people buried under the rubble, the regional governor said, and was a reminder of Moscows ability to strike targets even at a time when its forces have been pushed back in the south and east.

Rescuers work at the scene of a building damaged by shelling in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Credit:AP

There was no immediate comment from Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine has begun to unravel after a Ukrainian counteroffensive in which thousands of square miles of territory have been retaken since the start of September, including dozens of settlements in recent days.

In a blow for Moscow, thousands of Russian troops have retreated after the front line crumbled, first in the northeast, and, since the beginning of this week, also in the south.
Parents of children killed in Thai massacre unite at crime scene

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During this years federal election campaign, Solomon Islands became a Big Deal. Youll recall the Solomons had just signed a security deal with China, the air was thick with concern that China would eventually establish a military base there, and Penny Wong accused the Morrison government of the worst foreign policy blunder in the Pacific since the end of World War II.

Since then, the Albanese governments narrative has been one of righting such blunders; touring the world and mending relationships that were damaged mostly by Morrison government incompetence. In some cases, that seems a fair enough explanation  see the handling of AUKUS and French submarines. But in the Solomons case, this always seemed a stretch, more rhetorical than real. And now were starting to see this.

Relations between Solomon Islands and the new federal government have, at times, been tense.

This week, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare made an official visit to Australia. Such a visit, with the respect and gravity it confers, is also a Big Deal: a chance to discuss serious policy matters at a time of precarity and tension, but also to roll out red carpets and perform several gestures of unity. One of which is typically a joint press conference. So, it seems a moderately sized deal that Sogavare has refused to participate in one.

Its a fair symbol of the way Sogavare has always related to Australia: hot, cold, occasionally lacerating, sometimes conciliatory, frequently with a dig. In the 2000s, when the Solomons government invited the Australian military to establish peace and order via the RAMSI program, Sogavare attacked it as a violation of Solomons sovereignty. Then, when RAMSI left in 2017, he cried as he thanked Australia for saving the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praises Australia for its military aid

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PHILIPSBURG:--- The organizers of last Fridays Culture Time 35th anniversary show donated the proceeds from the event to the Charlotte Brookson Academy of the Performing Arts (CBA), said Fabian Badejo.

The cash presentation was made to Tatiana Arrindell, the school manager on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, said Badejo, host of the long-running PJD-2 radio program.

The 35th-anniversary show was a resounding success both in terms of the performances and the turnout, said Badejo.

Culture Time co-host, Dr. Rhoda Arrindell, made the presentation and expressed the hope that other entities would follow suit.

Thanking the Culture Time team, CBA manager Arrindell assured them that the donation will be put to good use.

Arrindell disclosed that the high school, the only one of its kind on the island, will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Bowie State University in the USA, which will open new horizons for CBA students.
PHILIPSBURG:--- On Wednesday, October 5th, the acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunication (TEATT) Omar Ottley presented, architectural renderings for the Phillipsburg Market Place. The Market Place has been an ongoing issue since the passing of hurricanes Irma and Maria. The Minister stated that he is elated to be a part of the solution.

Ottley received the final architectural renderings on Wednesday morning which include enhanced structures with removable components to prepare for a possible hurricane and on-site storage for the vendors. Minister Ottley immediately met with the stakeholders on Wednesday for their approval. The stakeholders of the Market Place were very impressed with the architectural renderings and gave the Minister their approval. The Market vendors told the Minister that they hope this time, these renderings can come to fruition because it was promised to them many years ago.

The Minister explained that while there were architectural renderings submitted in 2019, the Ministry of Vromi, deemed the plan "not feasible" and "not in line" with the regulations. Members of the Parliament of Sint Maarten made the necessary budget amendments to reserve funds in the 2022 budget for this specific project. Ottley said that before requesting the architectural renderings, a full overview was given by the department of Vromi, to expedite the process and ensure approval. Once the approval is granted, the intention is to obtain a bill of quantity for the Market Place project. The Royal Caribbean Group (RCG) has also pledged their commitment to assisting the government of Sint Maarten with the said project.

This is an opportunity we cannot afford to pass us by, the cruise line has shown extreme interest in the project. There is a workgroup between RCG, VROMI and TEATT, not only for this project but for other projects in the pipeline and onwards. The workgroup meets on a bi-monthly basis for updates and to ensure progress is being made on the various projects that will enhance our country and the tourist industry, Said Ottley.

Minister Ottley would like to thank Royal Caribbean Group for their commitment to the enhancement of the marketplace and the Minister and Ministry of Vromi for their assistance.

The Minister concluded that even though he is scheduled to be replaced by the incoming Minister of TEATT, he hopes that this project would be taken up as priority and he will ensure that it is done within the next year.
BONAIRE:--- As of April 2021, the KPCN has established a special cyber team with the aim of providing proper cybercrime support in the coming years. Besides the Digital Investigation Teams (TDO), the Cyber Crime Unit (CCU) contributes immensely to the development of digital investigation specialisms within the force.

This case study describes the situation for the TDO and CCU in 2021, the strategy the KPCN wants to grow towards, the tactical focus on victims, offenders & infrastructure to tackle cybercrime holistically, the operational focus on skills and the intelligence imagery & execution that make the TDO & CCU functional. It concludes with the goals and visions for the future of digital investigation specialism in the Dutch Caribbean.

While digitalization has given the police better tools to tackle crime and get people the help they need faster and more efficiently, it has also given criminals the means to commit crimes with the same efficiency. Without proper enforcement, the public remains vulnerable to cyber-attacks of all kinds. The cyber team of the Dutch Caribbean Police Force is unique in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and actively seeks (international) collaborations with police forces, organizations, and partners that support them in this. In doing so, they strengthen the KPCN and the population of the BES islands to stay safe, alert, and well-informed about cybercrime.

The case study was written by, respectively, Cyber quartermaster, Erik van de Sandt, coordinator of Team Digital Investigation, Elston Martis, head of Investigation, Alwyn Braaf, chief of Investigation, Steven Senior and head of Information, Melvin Sint Jago of the Dutch Caribbean Police Force.

To read the full case study visit this link on our website: https://www.politiecn.com/nieuws/2022/oktober/digitale-opsporing-in-caribisch-nederland-een-cybercrime-casestudy.html
PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department in the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (Ministry VSA), has taken note of a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) epidemiological alert concerning the resurgence of cholera in Haiti.

Due to the fact that cholera is not endemic to Sint Maarten, CPS would urge travelers that do travel to cholera-endemic countries to always take precautionary measures, such as drinking and using safe water, washing hands with soap and safe water, and cooking food thoroughly.

It has been three years with no cases of cholera reported in Haiti, however, on October 2, the Haiti national authorities reported two confirmed cases in the greater Port-au-Prince area. In addition, clusters of suspected cases and deaths are under investigation in various communes.

PAHO has requested the Member States to strengthen their surveillance systems for the timely detection of cholera cases and for outbreaks of acute diarrheal disease.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease that affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if left untreated. The infection is ingested by food or water contaminated. It has a short incubation period of two hours to five days. Up to 80 per cent of cases can be successfully treated with oral rehydration salts.



If it is necessary to travel to Haiti, travelers are cautioned to adhere to stringent hygiene measures.



Ensure that you take precautions such as hygienic food preparation, boiling or purifying all water, and washing hands often with soap and clean water. Carry with you at all times hand sanitizer.

Symptoms can occur within 24 to 48 hours of being infected with the cholera-causing bacteria. Cholera symptoms are generally mild; they include diarrhea, vomiting, and muscle cramps. About one infected person out of 20 has severe signs and symptoms, such as increased heart rate, dehydration, and shock.

If you have recently traveled and you experience any of the above mentioned symptoms, please contact your family physician immediately and CPS.

Cholera can be predicted, prevented, and treated. Help us keep Sint Maarten Cholera Free!



For more information call CPS at 914 or 542-1570 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Victoria Gold: Eagle Gold Mine Q3 2022 Production and Guidance Update

Victoria Gold Corp. (TSX-VGCX) (aVictoriaa or the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/victoria-gold-corp/ ) produced 50,028 ounces of gold during the period July 1 to September 30, 2022; the third quarter (aQ3a) of 2022. Year-to-date 2022 Eagle gold production is 106,441 ounces of gold.

Reduced year-over-year Q3 production was the result of no run of mine ore tonnes hauled directly from the open pit to the Heap Leach Facility (aHLFa). In Q3 of 2021, a total of 1.1M tonnes of run of mine ore was hauled directly from the open pit to the HLF. The Company decided to forego run of mine stacking during 2022 as it incurs higher unit costs and results in lower gold recovery. Waste tonnes mined in Q3 2022 were lower than the equivalent period of 2021 due to mine sequencing, longer waste hauls and scheduled component replacements on major mine production equipment.

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Temporary Outage Due to Overland Conveyor Belt Failure

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On September 29, the 1.5 kilometer overland conveyor that links and delivers ore from the crushing plant to the HLF experienced a splice failure of the main belt, which has been in service since the start of operations in 2019. After review of the overall condition of the belting, it has been determined that the best course of action is to replace, rather than repair, the belting. New belting is on site and additional resources have been mobilized to site to support the belting crews. Due to the length of the belt and number of sections to be spliced, it is anticipated that crushing, conveying and stacking operations will be down between 2 to 3 weeks. During this temporary outage, opportune maintenance on the crushing circuits will be performed. Mining and ADR plant operations are not impacted and continue to perform normally.

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Revised 2022 Guidance

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The Company had previously expected full year 2022 production to be close to the lower end of the guidance range of 165,000 ounces. If not for the conveyor belt failure, the mine was on track to meet guidance. Due to the expected length of time required to replace the overland conveyor belt, the Company anticipates it will no longer achieve production or cost guidance. As a result, 2022 production and cost guidance have been retracted. Updated guidance will be addressed following full resumption of Eagle operations.

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Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Paul D. Gray, P.Geo., as the aQualified Persona as defined in National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

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About the Dublin Gulch Property

Victoria Gold\-s 100%-owned Dublin Gulch gold property (the aPropertya) is situated in central Yukon Territory, Canada, approximately 375 kilometers north of the capital city of Whitehorse, and approximately 85 kilometers from the town of Mayo. The Property is accessible by road year-round, and is located within Yukon Energy\-s electrical grid.

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The Property covers an area of approximately 555 square kilometers, and is the site of the Company\-s Eagle and Olive Gold Deposits. The Company issued a National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report for the Eagle Gold Mine dated December 3, 2019 (the a2019 Eagle Technical Reporta). Since the date of the 2019 Eagle Technical Report, the Company has produced gold from its Eagle Mine. Based on the 2019 Eagle Technical Report and after adjusting for depletion through December 31, 2021, the Eagle and Olive deposits include Proven and Probable Reserves of 2.7 million ounces of gold from 133 million tonnes of ore with a grade of 0.64 grams of gold per tonne. Based on the 2019 Eagle Technical Report and after adjusting for depletion through December 31, 2021, the Mineral Resource for the Eagle and Olive deposits has been estimated to host 207 million tonnes averaging 0.63 grams of gold per tonne, containing 4.2 million ounces of gold in the \Measured and Indicated\ category, inclusive of Proven and Probable Reserves, and a further 28 million tonnes averaging 0.61 grams of gold per tonne, containing 0.6 million ounces of gold in the \Inferred\ category.

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Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed \forward-looking statements\. Except for statements of historical fact relating to Victoria, information contained herein constitutes forward-looking information, including any information related to Victoria\-s strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as aplana, aexpecta, abudgeta, atargeta, aprojecta, aintenda, abelievea, aanticipatea, aestimatea and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions amaya, awilla, acoulda or ashoulda occur, and includes any guidance and forecasts set out herein (including, but not limited to, production and operational guidance of the Corporation). In order to give such forward-looking information, the Corporation has made certain assumptions about the its business, operations, the economy and the mineral exploration industry in general, in particular in light of the impact of the novel coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease (aCOVID-19a) on each of the foregoing. In this respect, the Corporation has assumed that production levels will remain consistent with managementa?s expectations, contracted parties provide goods and services on agreed timeframes, equipment works as anticipated, required regulatory approvals are received, no unusual geological or technical problems occur, no material adverse change in the price of gold occurs and no significant events occur outside of the Corporation\-s normal course of business. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in, or implied by, the forward-looking information. These factors include the impact of general business and economic conditions, risks related to COVID-19 on the Company, global liquidity and credit availability on the timing of cash flows and the values of assets and liabilities based on projected future conditions, anticipated metal production, fluctuating metal prices, currency exchange rates, estimated ore grades, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in accounting policies, changes in Victoria\-s corporate resources, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, changes in development and production time frames, the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, uncertainty of mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, higher prices for fuel, steel, power, labour and other consumables contributing to higher costs and general risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, final pricing for metal sales, unanticipated results of future studies, seasonality and unanticipated weather changes, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, requirements for additional capital, permitting time lines, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims, limitations on insurance coverage and timing and possible outcomes of pending litigation and labour disputes, risks related to remote operations and the availability of adequate infrastructure, fluctuations in price and availability of energy and other inputs necessary for mining operations. Although Victoria has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in, or implied by, the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding Victoria\-s expected financial and operational performance and Victoria\-s plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. All forward-looking information contained herein is given as of the date hereof, as the case may be, and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management of the Corporation as at the date hereof. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information contained herein and the documents incorporated by reference herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.

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Silver is a valuable investment metal and at the same time industrial metal

Silver is closely linked to the gold price. At the same time, it enables portfolio exposure.

Silver in the investment portfolio provides diversification that can reduce overall risk. Therefore, investors should not overlook silver. Even though gold and silver often trend in the same direction, there is a big difference. Silver is more than half demanded by industry. As a result, silver tends to be more sensitive to global industrial activity, according to the Silver Institute. This also increases silver\-s volatility. The Silver Institute compared silver\-s historical performance with a number of traditional asset classes, from the beginning of 1999 through June 2022, and roughly speaking, it found that silver has a relatively low correlation with assets. This suggests that silver has valuable diversification potential. For this purpose, the Silver Institute performed portfolio optimization simulations.

The outlook for the global economy over the next ten years is fraught with uncertainty. According to the analysis for this period, everything points to a medium risk in a silver investment. Silver has earned a place in the investor portfolio; it is a cheaper alternative than gold and it can benefit from its inherent characteristics. Like gold, the precious metal is a store of value, but gold only accounts for about eight percent of industrial processing. Silver, which is important in the industry, will benefit from its use in various green energy applications, including electric vehicles, and will add value to a well-diversified portfolio. Discovery Silver or MAG Silver might come to mind here.

MAG Silver  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrelPMuItfk -, together with its partner Fresnillo, is taking care of the Juanicipio project in Mexico. In July, more than one million ounces of silver were produced and sold.

Also in Mexico is Discovery Silver\-s  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgDgfmsT5UU  Codero Silver Project (silver, zinc and lead). The results of the pre-feasibility study are extremely positive.

Current corporate information and press releases from Discovery Silver (- https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/companies/discovery-silver-corp/ -) and MAG Silver (- https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/companies/mag-silver-corp/ -).

In accordance with A34 WpHG I would like to point out that partners, authors and employees may hold shares in the respective companies addressed and thus a possible conflict of interest exists. No guarantee for the translation into English. Only the German version of this news is valid.

Disclaimer: The information provided does not represent any form of recommendation or advice. Express reference is made to the risks in securities trading. No liability can be accepted for any damage arising from the use of this blog. I would like to point out that shares and especially warrant investments are always associated with risk. The total loss of the invested capital cannot be excluded. All information and sources are carefully researched. However, no guarantee is given for the correctness of all contents. Despite the greatest care, I expressly reserve the right to make errors, especially with regard to figures and prices. The information contained herein is taken from sources believed to be reliable, but in no way claims to be accurate or complete. Due to court decisions, the contents of linked external sites are also co-responsible (e.g. Landgericht Hamburg, in the decision of 12.05.1998  312 O 85/98), as long as there is no explicit dissociation from them. Despite careful control of the content, I do not assume liability for the content of linked external pages. The respective operators are exclusively responsible for their content. The disclaimer of Swiss Resource Capital AG also applies: https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/disclaimer/.
Gold Terra Announces High-grade Sampling Results along a 700-Metre-long Epithermal Gold-Silver Corridor with up to 32.9 g/t Gold and 579 g/t Silver, Mulligan Project, New Brunswick

Gold Terra Resource Corp. (TSX-V: YGT; Frankfurt: TX0; OTC QX: YGTFF) (aGold Terraa or the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/gold-terra-resource-corp/ ) 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.A 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.A 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, aThe 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.a

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:

1. Stockwork/sericite alteration trending 296A/78A 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.

2. Stockwork/sericite alteration zone trending 225A/80A 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

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.A The 2022 trenching and stripping program was conducted to follow-up on the anomaly and gold/silver mineralization discovered and sampled in 2017-2018. A 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 A (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:

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.A

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.A

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.A 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 Terraa?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 Companya?s flagship project in the NWT.

Full sampling results:

Trench #1 Channel Au and Ag Results  Stockwork trending NW-SE 296A/78A:

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.

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 Terraa?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

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 Companya?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.
Splunk was founded on the principle of removing barriers between data and action, and one of the companys primary goals is to empower Splunks customers and partners to transform their organizations with data. As a responsible and ethical company, we take very seriously our responsibility to protect our intellectual property while also respecting the intellectual property rights of others.

Today, we filed an intellectual property infringement and unfair competition lawsuit against Cribl for, among other things, misappropriating and misusing Splunk source code and confidential technical and business documents, as well as willfully infringing other Splunk intellectual property. You can find a press release about the case here.

Our complaint asserts that Cribl illegitimately built its business through the misappropriation and unlawful use of Splunks proprietary intellectual property. Since Cribl launched its first product, developed using code that was unlawfully taken from Splunk, Cribl has engaged in a calculated campaign to undermine Splunk and compete unfairly against us in the market. As described in our complaint, Cribl has also improperly solicited important technical and business documents from departing Splunk employees and then used those documents to further develop its software and interfere with our customer relationships. Mr. Sharp actively participated in this effort, recruiting Splunk employees to join Cribl and encouraging them to bring Splunk confidential material with them. In addition, Cribl has used Splunks copyrighted software in conjunction with its software development work and marketing, despite having no license to do so. The software that Cribl markets to its customers infringes numerous Splunk patents, despite Cribls awareness of our patents.

We are not a litigious company by nature, and we did not take this action lightly. We first attempted to resolve our issues with Cribl privately. Unfortunately, Cribls refusal to act ethically, its willful disregard of intellectual property rights, and its coordinated campaign of misappropriation left Splunk no choice but to file a lawsuit as a last resort to right a wrong and protect the intellectual property that our customers rely on every day to manage their most critical security and observability needs.

This case is about Cribls misconduct. Splunk is not changing how it works with customers and partners, and looks forward to continuing to help them leverage Splunk to drive great insights and effective results. While we have asked the Court to require Cribl to stop using Splunks intellectual property and to fairly compensate Splunk, we have not asked the Court to shut Cribl down nor are we blocking interoperability with Cribl.

Splunk has long been a pioneer and leader in the data platform industry, as evidenced by the well over 1,000 U.S. patents we have been granted. Our foundational innovations define Splunks reputation and brand, and we remain committed to taking the appropriate and necessary steps to protect them for the benefit of all our stakeholders.

FAQs

1. What was announced?

Splunk filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware against Cribl asserting patent infringement, copyright infringement, unfair competition, and other claims.

The complaint asserts that Cribl has unlawfully misappropriated and misused Splunk source code and is infringing Splunks intellectual property, including Splunks patents.

2. What is Splunks relationship with Cribl? With Clint Sharp?

Splunk and Cribl used to be partners. Specifically, after launching its first product, Cribl joined Splunks Technology Alliance Partner (TAP) program, which enables partners to build on top of Splunks Enterprise platform to improve the ecosystem for customers, partners, and all other stakeholders.

In 2021, Cribls actions led Splunk to terminate its TAP membership.

Clint Sharp is a former senior leader in Splunks Product Management team who worked at Splunk for five years before starting Cribl. Splunks complaint asserts that before leaving Splunk, he copied Splunks proprietary and confidential source code, which he brought to Cribl.

Litigation is never the first option for Splunk. Splunk is disappointed that Cribls behavior and wrongdoing have left Splunk no choice but to file a complaint.

3. What can customers and partners expect while this is being litigated? To what extent will this litigation impact the business and the products/services Splunk offers?

Splunk is not changing how it works with customers and partners.

Splunk is not asking the Court to shut Cribl down.

Splunk is not blocking interoperability with Cribl.

Splunk is asking the Court to require Cribl to stop using Splunks intellectual property and to fairly compensate Splunk.

Splunk remains focused on supporting its customers and partners, and looks forward to continuing to work with its customers to help them leverage Splunk to drive great insights and effective results.

4. What happens next?

Filing the complaint is the first step of this process, and Splunk and Cribl will next make their cases in court.

Splunk is confident that the judicial process will determine that Cribl has infringed and misappropriated Splunk intellectual property.

5. Where can I find additional information?
By Trend

Representatives of the State Tax Service of Azerbaijan participated in the meeting of the working group on tax, customs and legal issues organized by the German-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce, Trend reports via State Tax Service of Azerbaijan.

The topic of discussion was connected to the main directions of the proposed amendment to the Tax Code.

Head of the Main Department of Tax Policy of the State Tax Service Nijat Imanov informed the participants of the event about the directions of the main amendments planned for 2023.

The expected amendments to the legislation were prepared on the basis of resolving issues arising from the economic agenda of Azerbaijan, state programs and relevant decrees and orders of the head of state, as well as proposals and feedback made at meetings with entrepreneurs.

During the meeting, the main directions, economic foundations and expected results of the provided changes in the legislation were commented on, it was emphasized that these changes will further increase the attractiveness of the country's investment climate, stimulate business activity in the territories liberated from occupation, and create and develop import-substituting industries in the country.
The Bucharest Auto Show (SAB) & Accessories 2022 opens on Thursday at Romexpo, the event being scheduled to end on October 16.

According to the organizers, at this year's edition of SAB, one can admire premieres, exclusive models and some of the novelties of the 2022 - 2023 season belonging to the following brands: BMW, Citroen, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Hyundai, Honda, Ineos Grenadier, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Mitsubishi, Mini, Opel, Piaggio, Ram, Ssang Yong, Suzuki, Tesla and Toyota, told Agerpres.

SUV Cars, the importer of DFSK, SERES, BAIC, FAW and JAC brands, will also be present at the stands.

The event takes place in Pavilion B2 within Romexpo, as well as in the adjacent outdoor area, on a total surface of over 25,000 square meters.

The official opening of SAB & Accessories will be marked by a press conference where the following are expected: Benone Marian Matei - Inspector General of the Romanian Police, Stelian Bujduveanu - Deputy Mayor of the Capital, Alina Nita - General Director of the Romanian Auto Registry, Adrian Crit - General Director of Bucharest Transport Company (STB), and Cristian Pistol - general director of the National Company for Road Infrastructure Administration (CNAIR).
The Competition Council approved the transaction by which Holcim (Romania) SA takes over General Beton Romania SRL, the institution informs on Wednesday.

"Following the analysis, the Competition Council found that this operation does not raise significant obstacles to effective competition on the Romanian market or on a substantial part of it and that there are no serious doubts regarding its compatibility with a normal competitive environment," reads press release states of the national competition authority sent to AGERPRES.

The Competition Council's decision will be published on the institution's website, after the removal of confidential information.

Holcim, part of the group with the same name, produces construction materials, being specialized in the manufacture of cement and concrete. The Holcim Group owns two cement factories in Romania, in Campulung (Arges county) and in Alesd (Bihor county), a grinding station and three cement terminals in Turda (Cluj county), Roman (Iasi county) and Bucharest, 19 ecological concrete stations, three aggregate stations and two special binder stations. The Holcim Group is active in over 70 countries, mainly in the field of production of construction materials - cement, aggregates, concrete and asphalt, told Agerpres.

General Beton has been active on the Romanian concrete production and trading since 1998, owning eight concrete plants, located in Timisoara, Dumbravita (Timis county), Arad, Sibiu, Constanta, as well as in the metropolitan area of Bucharest, in Otopeni, Cernica and in the Militari district.
There are producers who said that they are reducing their production capacities following the increase in energy prices, Economy Minister Florin Spataru said on Thursday, in Targoviste.

"(...) last week I was in Brussels and I learned from my counterparts, from the other ministers of Economy, that in other countries they shut down their production facilities. That is precisely why, on 10 October, I shall come up with proposals for measures to be adopted, both at the European and national level, to support these sectors," Minister Florin Spataru replied when asked if there were producers who told him they are leaving the market because of the increased energy prices, told Agerpres.

The increase in electricity and gas prices affected local producers in the steel industry and much was lost in terms of competitiveness, AFV Beltrame CEO in France and Romania, Carlo Beltrame, stated in this context.

"Electricity increased five times, gas ten times, in total, in Targoviste the impact was smaller because production started in June, in Calarasi, where we have another plant, the impact was around tens of millions of euro," Carlo Beltrame said.

The statements were made at the end of the working visit which Minister of Economy Florin Spataru carried out on Thursday at COS Donalam Targoviste.
The European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, present in Alba Iulia on the occasion of the signing of the 2021-2027 Partnership Agreement between the European Commission and Romania, said that the allocated funds will enable the construction of a more modern Romania.

Addressing the differences between Bucharest-Ilfov and other regions in Romania, as well as between large cities and neighboring areas, will contribute to increasing the country's competitiveness, because in this way an important part of the population and the territory will not be left behind. So this will increase, as a whole, the country's performance and its competitiveness, exploiting its full potential. This is our ambition and the goal of our joint effort. (...) Together, we will build a more modern Romania. The plans are good, and now is the time for action, said Elisa Ferreira.

Elisa Ferreira expressed her thanks in Romanian, on behalf of the European Commission, for the response of the Romanians to the refugees from Ukraine, adding that the effort of the Romanians is also supported by European funds, and declared herself honored to be in a historic city like Alba Iulia, told Agerpres.

European funds are a stimulus, said Ferreira, and the Romanians must know where they want to go, they must have the right administration and correct decision-making processes.

Based on the partnership agreement, the EU will grant money for the digital transition, supporting innovative companies that introduce new products or new methods of producing traditional goods to the market, for the digitization of public services, but also more than 7 billion euros for improving job access and skills, especially for young people.

The programs will also contribute to solving one of Romania's most pressing problems in the field of education, a problem that is not only found in Romania: early dropout. Romanian children have a lot of potential, so the cohesion policy will invest in each child, discovering their potential and making them like school. It will train teachers, she said.

Elisa Ferreira welcomed the Government's decision to decentralize the implementation of investments. She mentioned that Romania is a very diverse country, and European investments must respond to local and regional needs.

According to her, 2 billion euros will be invested in the Just Transition Fund, so that communities that are dependent on coal or industries that use fossil fuels discover new opportunities.

Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, present at the signing ceremony of the agreement, said that it is about a program of approximately 45 billion euros, of which approximately 31 billion are European funds, and 14 billion are national funds. The money will be allocated to develop transport infrastructure, in the field of health, sustainable development, smart development and digitalization, education programs, inclusion and social dignity.
Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, and Prince Radu visited, on Wednesday, the 21st Mountain Troops Battalion General Leonard Mociulschi in central Predeal.

Her Majesty Margareta was greeted by the commander of the 2nd Mountain Troops Brigade Sarmizegetusa, colonel Ilie-Marian Dragomir, and the Commander of the 21st Mountain Troops Battalion General Leonard Mociulschi, lieutenant colonel Bogdan Gheorghe, informs the Royal Family of Romania, in a Facebook post, told Agerpres.

The Crown Custodian and Prince Radu visited the Historical Testimonies exhibition dedicated to the ties between the Romanian Crown and the 21st Battalion, the mountain troops' weapon being created during the reign of King Ferdinand I, and King Carol II and King Mihai having close ties, including through their own military training, with mountain troops.

Crown Custodian Margareta discussed with the officers and soldiers both about the professional training programs and about the NATO and multinational missions in which they participated.

King Mihai's close connection with the 21st Mountain Troops Battalion was also evoked. The king was several times the guest of the 2nd Brigade and the 21st Battalion, after 1997.

On the Training Platform, the soldiers of the 21st Battalion performed a series of military climbing exercises in front of Her Majesty and Prince Radu.

The 2nd Brigade was created by Royal Decree signed by Ferdinand I, in 1923. The 21st Battalion was created in 1940, and in our years the soldiers of the battalion took part in international missions in Iraq (in 2006) and in Afghanistan (in the years 2009, 2021 and 2020), informs the Royal Family.
The Ambassador of Israel in Bucharest, Reuven Azar, gave an interview to the AGERPRES National Press Agency, at the beginning of his mandate, in which he talks about the perspectives of collaboration with Romania in the field of security, especially defense technology, but also in agriculture, IT, constructions, renewable energy, healthcare.

The diplomat also referred to the current situation in the Middle East, his country's relationship with the European Union and how the Israelis view Romania.

He highlighted the collaboration between Israel and Romania in the field of security as 'unique'.

"What is unique about this relationship is that, unlike other countries, Israel does co-production with Romania. We don't just sell, we cooperate in the field of technology, we do co-production. And every system that comes from Israel has been tested in combat conditions, comes with training, with methodology and it's very particular. Israel is a different state from the rest, in the sense that we don't sell large platforms, but we have advantages in specific fields - cyber, electronic warfare, anti-missile defense, aeronautics," the ambassador says .

Also, Reuven Azar says that, in the last decade, the image of Israel has changed, from a country associated with the conflict in the Middle East with Palestine to a nation to which European countries come for economic cooperation.

"Europe is very important, an important partner for Israel. (...) The conflict is important and we have to solve it, but it cannot be a condition for the common interests we have. So we focus on the bilateral side, because many European countries come to do business in Israel," the ambassador says.

Regarding the situation in Palestine, the diplomat says that there is "a crisis of leadership" there, and Israel does not have "a reliable partner in negotiations".

"Ultimately, we have to create stability and we do this by supporting our neighbours economically as much as we can, and we also try to create the necessary conditions to resume, at some point, the negotiations. (... ) The main problem in the societies of many countries in the region is that, first of all, the political establishment is weak, and when there are elections, radical Islamists cope", he adds.

The State of Israel, the ambassador announced, is willing to collaborate with Romania also in the field of agriculture, especially in terms of offering new technologies for farms and irrigation systems, but also in other sectors - green energy, hitech, healthcare, construction -, in which Israeli companies can bring foreign direct investments.

AGERPRES: Recently, the Romanian Minister of Defence was in Israel and there were reports about his visit in Israel that he was going to talk especially about reports from Haaretz. Haaretz was reporting that the bilateral exchanges in terms of security exchanges between Romania and Israel have reached 1 billion US dollars. Can you talk about the future of the exchanges between Romania and Israel regarding the defence?

Reuven Azar: First of all the future is based on the past, and we have a very rich past of trust and co-operation, for years, between the Israeli and Romanian security establishments, but also in the field of purchases and sales. What is unique about this relationship is that, unlike other countries, Israel does co-production with Romania. We don't just sell, we do technology cooperation, and we do co-production. And every system that comes from Israel is combat proven. It comes with training, it comes with methodology and it's very specific. Usually, Israel is different from other countries in that we don't sell big platforms but we have advantages in very specific fields like cyber, like electronic warfare, like missile defence, like aeronautics, etc. So all these issues have been discussed and we feel we are now in a moment in which we can upgrade substantially this relationship.

AGERPRES: This upgrade would also focus on acquiring radars? The reports referred to radars, drones, technology exchange between Israel and Romania. Can you elaborate?

Reuven Azar: I cannot get into technicalities, because at the end of the day the security establishments, the ministries of defence of Romania and Israel will have to elaborate all these details and get into agreements. But, I can certainly say that the main topics that we are interested in are things that have to do with the relative advantages that Israel has to offer, which I have mentioned before the whole issue of air defence. I am sure that we can reach the situation which the suitable systems can be provided, can be discussed. After the discussions well know exactly which system we will either sell or co-produce.

AGERPRES: Did you also talk about interoperability with NATO defence system? Because Romania is part of NATO and acquiring defence technology from Israel will actually put interoperability into question.

Reuven Azar: There are solutions in this regard, because usually, first of all Israel, part of the Israeli companies have already factories here in Romania, and also they co-operate with European companies that actually meet the standards of interoperability. Although there are some limitations when it comes to different systems, there are also opportunities to overcome that by doing co-production.

AGERPRES: Since you were talking about co-production, there have been discussions about the offset question, the fact that if you buy defence mechanisms from different countries, then that country should invest in your own industry, into your own defence industry. Is Israel open to this?

Reuven Azar: Actually, it is a fact that Israel has been the most open, and we had in the past very elaborate schemes of offset that actually usually Romania doesn't necessarily have to that extent with other countries. I think, in that respect, we will also have a pretty good record.

AGERPRES: Regarding the acquisitions that Romania would make from Israel, in the field of defense, do you approach the Government-to-Government (G2G) option or are you looking to a tender-based business?

Reuven Azar: At the end of the day, it depends on Romania itself. We feel that there are different possibilities when you get the security ministries, the defence ministries talking together the potential of a government-to-government is higher, because then you can discuss more sensitive issues, you can get to very specific solutions and, when you issue a tender, it's just a matter of meeting that tender and the negotiation process is less efficient in that regard. So, we have G2G schemes with many countries in Europe. And, of course, at the end of the day I believe it's going to be a combination of both, because there are some requirements that the Romanian government has to meet: sometimes they can do G2G, sometime they can't. You'll have to sort it out.

AGERPRES: Coming back to Romania and the Jewish community in Romania, which actually links the two countries there have always been discussions about the museum of the memory of the Holocaust, which is a long-term project that was always discussed but it never came to reality. Did you talk about this yet with the Romanian officials?

Reuven Azar: Actually today I am just coming from a very important event where Prime Minister Ciuca signed the contract with the direction of the museum. I think that the project is finally moving forward. The design was already granted to a company and now there's going to be a direction and funds. My understanding is that there have been found. This is a very important project, and we are very glad that the Romanian government is doing it. I think it's going to serve first and foremost the Romanian population, because it's going to be much easier to learn about that dark period in our history, in your history, which is very important for generations to come. This is going to be a great opportunity to educate the new generations. So, I'm very glad about that.

AGERPRES: Will Israel get involved into this project directly through funds or objects, as far as you know?

Reuven Azar: Usually there are many museums, remembrance museums that were established in Europe and other places, so in terms of the standards of how you are doing it, I think they are pretty much known and the institutions that are working on Holocaust remembrance cooperate with each other. There is Yad Vashem in Israel, there is the Elie Wiesel foundation here that is in contact; there is Aira, there is the Holocaust Museum in Washington. They cooperate between themselves, and I believe that at the end of the day they will be able to support the process in any way that the Romanian government asks us to.

AGERPRES: About the situation in the Middle-East, and especially the conflict between Israel and Palestine, my question would be because it's a long-lasting conflict and apparently there is no solution for peace in the near future: does Israel see any country or any union as a mediator in this conflict? Can you point out one?

Reuven Azar: The Middle-East has changed in a very, very significant way in the last decade. Because, in the past, this conflict used to be kind of the central issue in the international politics, and it ceased to be that way for many reasons: first of all because of the decrease in importance of the Middle-East geostrategically, second because of the Arab Spring and the Arab turmoil that actually torn countries apart, because of the fact that there are many other conflicts in the Middle-East that are much more important and disastrous in terms of consequences. Look at Syria for example, which out of the 24 million, 12 million people either left the country or were moved from their houses. Look at the conflict in Iraq, to what it's going on between Iran and the Sunni states. So, what happened in the last few years created the situation which many countries, Arab countries in the Arab world changed their view of Israel from enemy to actually a country that can support their national security. That's why you have the Abraham Accords, and that's why there is a different view about Israel in the region, in general.

In the context of the Palestinian issue, what happened is that crises in the Palestinian society resemble also the crises that you have in the larger Arab world; so, although both we and European countries and the US invested a lot in trying to help the Palestinians to create their own institutions, there is a crisis there; not only the difference between Hamas and Fatah, but also a crisis of leadership. And that creates a situation in which it is very hard for Israel to have a reliable partner for negotiations. We offered, several times in the past, very generous peace plans to our Palestinian neighbours, it didn't work, so right now we think we are concentrating in trying to keep civility as much as we can, and convince our neighbours that the way of terror is not going to work for them. When you look at the region you see which countries are controlled by terrorists. They are not in a good shape. Look at what's going on in Gaza, what's going on in Lebanon, etcaetera. All these countries with militias are unstable. At the end of the day we have to create stability, and we are doing it by, first of all, supporting our neighbours economically as much as we can, and also trying to find out, to create the conditions that we need in order to renew at some point the negotiation.

AGERPRES: You are talking about a crisis of leadership, especially in Palestine. Would the support of Israel for the long debated elections in the Palestinian territories be a solution?

Reuven Azar: It's a good question. I'm not sure; you know that the main problem in many of these countries in the region's societies is that on the one hand the political establishment is weak, and then when you have elections the Islamic radicals, they cope. So the issue is how to create the situation which this will change. I don't know. We cannot interfere in their own business. They would have to sort it out by themselves. What we can do is do the best we can, first of all to keep our security and economic interest and then to support processes that they will promote if these processes are constructed.

AGERPRES: When you took over your ambassador mandate here in Romania, there were attacks from Gaza to Israel. How does this regard the scenario? Does that regard Gaza as a separate entity from Palestine? What are the scenarios for peace that involve the Gaza strip?

Reuven Azar: We left the Gaza strip with the hope that we will be able to maintain stability. Unfortunately, the Hamas terrorist organisation took over. We are trying to get the situation stabilised by building deterrents. This is something that I think it's very common among the security challenges that countries have. Sometimes you have an adversary that you cannot just defeat. I don't think that the Israeli society is interested in invading Gaza again. So, if you are not going to militarily solve it, then you have to create the conditions in which there will be interest on the other side, first of all not to attack you, and second to engage in a positive and constructive dialogue. Right now, Hamas is not interested in peace with Israel. So, we will have to be patient and we will have to create the capabilities to have the deterrence that we need so Hamas stops this kind of behaviour.

AGERPRES: On Monday, there was the reopening of the EU-Israel platform of dialogue that involves all the ministers of foreign affairs but also the prime minister of Israel. Given the current security situation, is Israel gaining a louder voice when it comes to the dialogue with the European Union?

Reuven Azar: I think that Israel became generally speaking much more attractive because it is not only a security power, but it's also an economic power. I saw when I was working at the prime minister s office what are the issues that usually countries in Europe, what is their agenda when they come to Israel. Usually, they are first and foremost interested in Israeli innovation, in co-operation, economic co-operation, in investments, in creating the frameworks that are needed in order to untap the economic potential. Israel is part also in Horizon, they are in the facility of the European Union. We want to expand our relations with the European Union also to the cultural field, to the digital field. We have an open skies agreement with Europe. So, Europe is very important, it is a great partner for Israel. Increasingly, we want to deal with that instead of only the issues that have to do with conflict. So, the conflict is important and we have to sort it out, but it cannot be a condition to fulfilling the common interest that we have. So, we saw it first and foremost in the bilateral field, because many countries in Europe were flocking to Israel, to come and do co-operation. It took some time to transpire also to the multilateral field because there are countries that were more conservative in that regard. So, it took some time in order to get to this moment, but I think it's a very important achievement and we can build on it in order to expand our co-operation further.

AGERPRES: Given the reinforcement of this dialogue regarding the economic part, would it make the European Union a mediator when it comes to the conflict?

Reuven Azar: At the end of the day the whole issue of who's going to be the mediator, I think, can be important but it's not the main question. The main question is whether we are going to have the conditions, to have the interest on both sides to have a conducive dialogue that gets us to a certain result. We saw that when such interest exists, like for example between us and the Arab countries in the Gulf, between us and Egypt or Jordan, then we find the way to co-operate and the mediation is not the main topic.

AGERPRES: Talking about economics, high officials talk about food crisis, that there will be a food crisis in the near future. Israel has state-of-the-art agriculture. Is Israel open to collaborating with Romania in terms of agriculture and do you have facts about it?

Reuven Azar: Sure. I'll tell you exactly what is my working plan, cause that's what I've started to do. First of all in Romania you have a huge agricultural sector, you have the big farms, Israel can cooperate with big farms on technology that has to do with increasing the yield and increasing the control, the sensors that you need in order to increase the yields. Then, there are the medium-sized farms, the small farms in which we can cooperate, especially in the field of irrigation. What I'm trying to understand now is how the Romanian irrigation sector works and what we can do in order to take out more of that water that you already have, because Romania is very rich in water, but there are some parts of Romania that lack it. So, Israel is probably the most efficient country when it comes to water management. We have the system which we first of all prevent leakage, we have an integrated system with a lot of sensors, we purify 90% of our sewage water and we irrigate 70% of our crops with purified water.

These solutions do not necessarily fit the Romanian agriculture, but some of these solutions can fit. There is desalination, and I think desalination is what Israel can do for Romania, but the bottom line is that we can assess the situation together and see what are the best solutions that we can implement. So, there is the co-operation between governments, and then there the co-operation in the private sector, and we have to push both of them. Israel imports lots of grain from Romania, and now we also want to start importing not only live animals, but also processed meat. And we are working on that, because Romania can be a huge supplier for the Israeli market. Our population is growing very, very fast and we are opening our markets for agricultural produce to come and Romania is a great partner. So, we are working on that full steam ahead.

AGERPRES: But is Romania prepared, because you are talking about processed meat. Is Romania prepared to meet the requirements of the Israeli society when it comes to processed meat?

Reuven Azar: It's a professional issue that has to do with phytosanitary requirements and the relevant services are already in contact. They are going to do their work. There are some private sector companies that are pushing the government to do this. I believe we can do this, and it's doable, and we're going to work until we reach it.

AGERPRES: High officials also see an energy crisis, and the EU is pushing towards green energy. How is Israel able to support Romania or support the European Union in terms of technology, in terms of knowledge?

Reuven Azar: Many things are already happening. Romania is attracting a lot of foreign direct investment including investment from Israel. This crisis that we're passing now is also a great opportunity. I think what Winston Churchill would say: 'never get a good crisis to waste.' Romania actually is using this crisis, because you are attracting a lot of foreign investment. Israel is a pretty strong player in the investments in renewable energy. There are actually several companies already operating in Romania, and the biggest solar field being built today in Romania in an Israeli investment. It's a company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. It operates from London, but it has Israeli ownership.

So, we are already engaging in that. I've had a very good meeting with the minister of energy about this, and we are going to continue that. Some of these energies are very innovative; some of them are technologies that already exist. We have to combine between the technology that already exists, is proved and can be implemented on the ground, and this is already happening, and the developments in green energy, like for example hydrogen and many other fields.

The field of hi-tech is conducing not just for the agricultural sector, but in general. We are going to promote that as well. In Romania, you have a pretty good vibrant hi-tech sector which has a pretty good relative advantage in cyber, IT, fintech. So, we are mapping that and trying to see how can it fit to the Israeli market, what kind of co-operation we can have between the Israeli hi-tech companies and the local ones in these fields that I mentioned, but also in other fields.

AGERPRES: When you are talking about economic co-operation between Israel and Romania, are you talking about private co-operation, government-based co-operation, and how the two merge, actually?

Reuven Azar: Usually it merges in the classical way in which the government has to supply the tools for the private sector to operate. So, the main entrepreneurship and co-operation comes from the private sector: they do the investment, they do the co-operation, and the government has to support them. My job as a government is to create the situation in which first of all I give the information, the people that the entrepreneurs need; second that I help them with the bureaucracy here and in Israel in order to overcome and remove their obstacles, and once this is done, we can also organise very specific delegations that will deal with pin-pointed issues. For example, this year we had two delegations to Oradea and Timisoara that dealt with digital health - health is a huge sector for co-operation, and between Israel and Romania we already have our academic institutions working together for many years, and now it's about time to start implementing it in also projects of private entrepreneurship. When visiting Oradea, we spoke not only with the local government, but also with local hospitals. We also had an innovation delegation. We're going to bring a water delegation also to come to other places in Romania. So, we can do very, very specific things, but at the end of the day in order for the private sector to really seek all opportunities we need to remove obstacles. For example, there are many Israeli construction companies in Romania. They want building permits, et caetera, et caetera. We need to help them to continue the flow of investment.

AGERPRES: At this point in time can you imagine what an Israeli businessman or Israeli businesswoman think of Romania? What do they see when they think about Romania?

Reuven Azar: They see a country that is very stable, very secure. They see a country that is a member in the EU, that is a member in NATO, that is pretty open and inviting for foreign investment. You have many Israelis coming here. One of the first things I did when I arrived to Romania is to meet with the Israeli businessmen operating here so that they inform me what are the conditions. This is a very vibrant business community, and many Israelis are very interested in what's going on in Romania, we want to encourage them even more. We also are taking advantage of the personal connections between Romanian Jews that emigrated to Israel in the second generation that are also very interested in the business here. That's a huge support that we get in order to untap the potential in full.

AGERPRES: Presently, the European continent is experiencing a conflict after decades of peace. Israel has lived in conflict ever since its formation as a state. Is there any advice Israel could give to a Europe that is now in conflict?

Reuven Azar: I think that we have to be humble, we have enough trouble for ourselves and we have to deal with our own troubles. But, at the end of the day it's an issue of self-reliance. Alliances are a very good thing. In fact, as I said before, Romania is part of NATO, part of the EU, it's a great asset for the Romanian national security and additionally you get creating your own capabilities in order to, first of all, contribute to the alliance, but also contribute to yourself. As much as you get self-empowered not only you're safer but you are also more respected by other players that come to you to cooperate. This is what we see in Israel. We are investing 6.5 per cent of our GDP in Defence. 6.5. Imagine that. The average European is 2 per cent, I think. The fact that this thing changes in Europe I think it is important, because I think that at the end of the day, when Europe is safer and more trustworthy of its own capabilities, it cam aslo project the values that we all believe in, the value of democracy, of stability, of prosperity, of free markets. This is what we share with Europe, this is what we share with Romania, and we want our partners to be strong.

AGERPRES: And the last question is more technical as regards your mandate as ambassador. Did you start learning Romanian?

Reuven Azar (speaking in Romanian): I've started to learn Romanian for four-five months with a Romanian teacher in Israel (continues in English) and I hope I will continue to strengthen it.

AGERPRES: Do you have a deadline? To learn it?

Reuven Azar: (laughing): I don't have a test, it's not a requirement but I want to learn Romanian because this is my fifth mission abroad and I always knew the language of the country I went into and also because I'm interested in the Romanian culture and history and I'm interested to interact with the Romanian people. So, it matters that I will improve my language skill so to complete my mission in a much better way.
President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday that certain provisions of the draft education laws must be improved, giving as an example those related to integrity and ethics.

"So we are talking about drafts or bills that are being worked out at the ministry. The new [education] minister, Mrs Deca, will take these drafts and discuss with those interested and with experts how to improve one article or another. In my opinion, certain provisions, for example related to integrity and ethics, can be improved, so to speak," Iohannis said before the first meeting of the European Political Community, told Agerpres.

He added that his statement regards zero tolerance for plagiarism.

"Let me make myself clear: these laws do not regard the past, they regard the future and I want some laws that in the future will not even allow the appearance of plagiarism in various specialised works. For example, not to stay in the theoretical area: if someone wants to get a doctorate, then that doctorate thesis must be checked with anti-plagiarism software before the doctorate degree is awarded, so as to avoid arguments like there were over degrees awarded in the past."

Iohannis is participating in a meeting of the European Political Community in Prague on Thursday, and an informal meeting of the European Council scheduled for Friday.
The 2026 Conference of Plenipotentiaries (PP-26) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will take place in Qatar, in Doha, the delegations of the ITU member states unanimously decided at the conference taking place these days in Bucharest, told Agerpres.

"I applaud the decision to hold the next ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Qatar, a country with significant success in terms of past hosting events. PP-26 - which marks less than four years until 2030 - will support digital acceleration, essential to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals to ensure everyone is connected by the end of the decade," said ITU Secretary General Houlin Zhao.

Qatar also hosted the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference in 2006, the Connect Arab Summit (2012) and ITU Telecom World (2014).

The decision regarding the organization of PP-26 in Doha was unanimously adopted by the member states of the ITU during the second week of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries of the International Telecommunication Union, underway in Bucharest.

The ITU reunions, organized every four years, serve as benchmarks for the global digital transformation, which the organization aims to align with the priorities of the United Nations in terms of sustainable development.

Qatar's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Mohamed bin Ali Al Mannai, characterized the ITU plenipotentiary conferences as the main event where ITU member states define the role of the Union in boosting the development of telecommunications and information and communication technologies. He added that the state of Qatar has a strong ICT infrastructure, in accordance with international standards, which makes it one of the leading countries in the world in this regard.

The ITU member states recently elected Doreen Bogdan-Martin, who is currently the director of the organization's Telecommunications Development Office, as secretary general of the Union for the period 2023-2026.

Romania is the first EU country to organize the Conference of Plenipotentiaries of the International Telecommunications Union, an event during which the general policies of the organization are established, as well as the strategic and financial plans for the period 2024 - 2027, which cover the entire activity of the organization, but primarily key issues related to digital inclusion and closing the digital divide, how best to leverage artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G and future 6G networks, along with other new and emerging technologies.

The conference takes place between September 26 and October 14, at the Palace of the Parliament, and brings together over 3,000 leaders and delegates from 193 countries.

Along with the National Authority for Communications Administration and Regulation (ANCOM) and the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MAT), partners in organizing the conference are: the Senate of Romania, the Chamber of Deputies, the General Secretariat of the Government, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Culture, the City Hall of Bucharest, the Special Telecommunications Service, the Protection and Security Service and the Romanian Television Company.

AGERPRES National News Agency is media partner of the event.

The International Telecommunication Union is the international organization within the United Nations system specialized for information and communication technologies, which promotes innovation in this field, together with the 193 member states and with over 900 members from among international and regional companies, universities and organizations.

Established 157 years ago, the ITU is an intergovernmental organization whose main objective is to coordinate the safe use of the radio spectrum at the global level, promote international cooperation in the assignment of satellite orbits, improve communications infrastructure in developing countries and establish of worldwide standards to encourage the ceaseless interconnection of a wide range of communications systems.
The MiG 21-LanceR aircraft belonging to the Romanian Air Force were not grounded, in the period 2018-2021, due to technical problems caused by the quality of the fuel used, according to a point of view sent on Thursday by the Ministry of National Defense, at the request of AGERPRES.

The clarification was made in the context of an investigation carried out by the Ploiesti Territorial Service of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), which concerns "certain deeds committed by some persons within SC JET FLY HUB SRL Ploiesti, a company that supplied turbojet fuel to the Romanian Air Force, in the period 2018-2021".

"In the period 2018-2021, the coefficient of technical readiness of the MiG 21-LanceR aircraft fleet ensured the execution of the entire range of missions, including air policing, by use of this type of aircraft. During the reference period, there were no intervals during which the fleet of MiG 21-LanceR aircraft was grounded for technical reasons caused by the quality of the fuel used. The contractual relationship with SC JET FLY HUB S.R.L. Ploiesti took place between 01.03.2018 and 31.07.2021, the award procedure being open tender, in compliance with the provisions of the relevant legislation," says the quoted source.

The Ministry of National Defense (MApN) states that on December 14, 2018, non-conformities regarding the quality of the delivered fuel were found, and subsequently the supplier was notified of the refusal to receive that batch. Deliveries were resumed when the supplier provided fuel corresponding to the technical specifications in the contract.

The framework agreement was unilaterally terminated by the contracting authority on July 31, 2021, before the originally set deadline, due to repeated delays in the delivery of the contracted fuel quantities.

Regarding the interventions carried out during the respective period for the maintenance of MiG 21-LanceR aircraft, at the level of fuel installations, MApN mentions that they fall into two categories. It is about maintenance works performed within the air bases, under the technical assistance regime, by Aerostar SA Bacau, which aimed at eliminating the premises of accidental contamination of the aircraft fuel installation with external pollutants (water and mechanical impurities), as well as of diagnostic and routine repair work on a series of aircraft engine subassemblies, carried out in the company's facilities in Bacau.

"Currently, we cannot voice an opinion for any of these situations on a potential direct causal link between the quality of the fuel delivered by the supplier in question and the manifestations of the malfunctions reported, these aspects being the subject of a criminal case file instrumented by the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice - D.I.I.C.O.T .- Ploiesti Territorial Service. The General Air Force Staff has made available to this prosecution structure, following the orders of the case prosecutor, all the requested information and documents," the point of view sent by MApN further informs.

The DIICOT Ploiesti prosecutors are conducting investigations in a case in which businessmen Cristian Berendel and Dan Florin Berendel are targeted, among others, the case file documents showing that certain planes belonging to the Ministry of National Defense were damaged after using non-compliant fuel delivered by a company in which the two are involved, and thus the national security would have been affected.

According to the data included in the reasoning of the Ploiesti Court of Appeal, which, in July 2021, rejected DIICOT Ploiesti's proposal to arrest the two businessmen, they were charged with the following offenses: setting up an organized criminal group, false statements, falsifying documents under private signature, deception and acts of diversion, respectively instigation to commit the same acts.

The organized criminal group operated on five levels, its members having well-defined roles, according to the investigators.

"(...) as a result of the use of this fuel, certain planes belonging to the Ministry of National Defense suffered damage. From the investigation conducted in the case of the repairs carried out, in the causes that generated these harmful effects, it emerged that the integrity of the respective aircraft repaired at SC Aerostar was affected. There are witness statements that show the technical failures that occurred as a result of the use of this fuel, the value of the fuel content that led to these degradations. All these things had a major impact to the detriment of national security. It is obvious that, to the extent that military planes suffered such malfunctions and had periods of inactivity, these devices also having a role of defending the country and more, a strategic role, Romania being a NATO member, this condition was fulfilled and the typical elements of the crime of diversion were fulfilled," the quoted document states.

Judicial sources told AGERPRES that the case file is still in the criminal prosecution phase at DIICOT Ploiesti.
The Ministry of Economy is allocating 1.84 million lei, VAT exclusive, for software development and consulting under a four-month contract to be concluded, according to a notice of participation posted on the Electronic Public Procurement System (SEAP), told Agerpres.

The acquisition regards a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds.

The project refers to increasing the administrative capacity of the Ministry of Economy to monitor, evaluate and coordinate public policies in the field of economic competitiveness, co-financed from the European Social Fund through Operational Programme Administrative Capacity 2014-2020 (POCA).

The contract will be awarded in an open tender on a best quality-price ratio basis , and the deadline for receiving offers or requests to participate is November 7, 2022, at 15:00hrs.

The conclusion of a service provision contract regards the acquisition of a portal for the collection, processing and provision for viewing of statistical data provided by the Economic Atlas of Romania is being considered.
The government approved, on Wednesday, to establish within the General Secretariat of the Government (SGG) a structure with the role of monitoring and controlling the execution of judicial decisions pronounced by the ECHR against the Romanian state.

According to a press release sent by the Executive, the approved memorandum refers to the establishment within the General Secretariat of the Government of a structure to ensure the execution of the judgments issued by the ECHR, through which the violation of the Convention was found as a result of the non-execution of some judicial decisions, pronounced against some public debtors in Romania, told Agerpres.

"The creation of a mechanism at the national level to monitor and control the execution of judicial decisions pronounced against the state is part of the measures that Romania has assumed in the action plan requested by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to address the structural problems related to the non-execution of decisions judgments pronounced against some public debtors in Romania," the quoted source shows.
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca on Thursday welcomed at the Government House Octavian Fulop, a survivor of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

The meeting took place ahead of October 9, the National Holocaust Remembrance Day."At the age of 92, Mr Octavian Fulop recalled, during the meeting, the horrors he experienced during the Holocaust, evoking, with emotion and pain, the moment of separation from his family, which he lost in Auschwitz, and also the infernal universe there dominated by hunger, suffering, death and torture in which he fought, every moment, to survive, with the belief that he will live, in the end, the moment of liberation," the Romanian government says in a press statement.Ciuca is said to have been "deeply moved" by the "dignified and honourable" manner in which Octavian Fulop shared tragic events from his personal experience and welcomed his efforts to preserve and pass on these testimonies, "an essential component of the efforts of preserving the memory of the Holocaust, one of the most terrible pages in the history of humankind."Ciuca also emphasised the role of education about the Holocaust in strengthening a society attached to democratic values and principles, reconfirming the commitment of his Cabinet in that regard and highlighted the dangers that threaten democratic societies today.According to the government, Fulop thanked Ciuca for the meeting and said that it is the first time that a prime minister of Romania invited him to the Governemnt House to listen to his shocking story. He appreciated the efforts that the government is making in promoting the memory of the Holocaust and combating anti-Semitism, stressing how important the duty not to forget is.
The European Union's unity can be strengthen if Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia become past of the Schengen area, President Klaus Iohannis stated on Thursday, prior to the first meeting of the European Political Community, in Prague, told Agerpres.

"There are opportunities, because the need of unity in Europe became increasingly clear with the war Russia waged against Ukraine, and this unity can be strengthen if Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia become part of the Schengen area after so many years of waiting, I believe that all the leaders realised that this step can only improve the Union's unity and our solidarity in terms of approach," the head of state said.

He said that, in this regard, there will be a visit carried out by experts in Romania. Regarding the statements made on Wednesday, in the European Parliament, that Romania could block grain exports if there are countries to block Romania's access to Schengen, the President said that the respective MEP who stated this "got a bit carried away."

"There is no such option. On the contrary, we are doing everything we can so that we can facilitate the export of grain from Ukraine, to prevent a global food crisis. So something like is out of any discussion," President Klaus Iohannis stated.
The European Commission should come up with a clear plan in terms of the temporary capping of the natural gas price at the European Union level, based on which we will discuss what to do next, President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday.

"So far, it has only been discussed in principle that something must be done. For instance, I started saying as of February that we must do something, my proposal, if you recall, was to split the gas market from the electricity market. In my view, it would have been the most natural step, but the price capping was also under discussion. We, however, expect the Commission to come up with some concrete measures. (...) Currently, I cannot tell you more. but, as far as I know, tomorrow, at the informal Council meeting, the Commission's president will come up with several proposals in this regard. Afterwards, certainly, we can discuss these proposals," the head of state mentioned, prior to the first meeting of the European Political Community, told Agerpres.

President Iohannis is attending on Thursday, in Prague, the meeting of the European Political Community, and, on Friday, the informal meeting of the European Council is scheduled to take place.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday at the European Parliament that the EU should introduce a temporary capping of the natural gas price, as requested by the majority of member states, until a new index of prices shall be adopted.
President Klaus Iohannis, who is attending on Thursday, in Prague, the first meeting of the European Political Community, said he will speak within this new format, about "the need for solidarity with Ukraine'', told Agerpres.

He mentioned that among the topics to be debated also included is condemning the Russian aggression, the prospect of security in terms of the European continent, energy security.
Foreign leaders, including Prince Edward, the brother of King Charles III, are set to gather for the Duke of Edinburgh International Award Forum, which will take place in Cluj-Napoca, October 11-14.

"The Duke of Edinburgh International Award Foundation is preparing to host HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, for its 14th Global Forum. Next week, The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Romania Foundation is proud to host the 14th Forum of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award Associations, from Tuesday, October 11, to Friday, October 14, 2022. Taking place in Cluj-Napoca during the Education Month, the triennial event will bring together a series of world leaders to discuss and plan the future growth of the Award programme at the world level," it is shown in a press release sent, on Thursday, by the British Embassy in Bucharest, told Agerpres.

According to the same source, the global aspiration of the Award programme is that every young person aged 14-24 years has "the opportunity to participate in the programme and face challenges, to develop universal skills that will help both them and their communities in the coming years."

"The theme of the event, "Supporting the Infinite Potential of Youth," will look at the challenges and opportunities facing young people today and examine how the Award programme can work with and alongside its participants to ensure a comprehensive education to them, to help them face both the world and their future. The Global Forum 2022 officially begins with the Opening Ceremony on October 11, during which Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown and HRH Prince Radu of Romani, HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, in his capacity as President of The Duke of Edinburgh International Award Foundation, HRH Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, The Rt. Hon. Lord Boateng, International Administrator and President of the International Council of the Award Programme, and Deputy Mayor Dan Tarcea of Cluj-Napoca will address the delegations and special guests. During this four-day event, HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, will also meet young Gold level finishers from across Europe and learn first-hand about the positive impact the Award programme on their lives," the same press release reads.
The leader of the Social Democratic Party (co-ruling PSD), Marcel Ciolacu, said on Thursday that he does not believe that the Romanian state will have the capacity to attract all the funds for the hospitals under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) or through the financial exercises, noting that the Government must sit at the table with the private environment to measure what amounts can be attracted by the public and private health systems, told Agerpres.

At the launch event of the Romanian version of the "White Charter of Romanian SMEs", Marcel Ciolacu recalled the circumstances in which PSD entered the government.

"The fruit of economic growth must be redistributed further to the people through public policies and through economic incentives for companies, and protecting the purchasing power of the population through income indexation means maintaining a consumption that will continue to support the progress of the economy," said Marcel Ciolacu .

The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies said that our country is still in a difficult situation from an economic and social point of view, especially since we do not know what is happening in the euro zone or in Ukraine.

"What's more, in such moments the state must stand by the private investor. If we go by slogans such as: we must let the free market regulate things by itself, I'm afraid we'll be looking at a real jungle, where the big and strong will survive, and many of the smaller ones will disappear. It would mean looking at hundreds of thousands of small and medium-sized companies that would invest less because there is uncertainty, demand decreases, costs increase," added Ciolacu.

"At this moment, Romania should attract around one billion euros per month," Ciolacu said, adding that the portion the state cannot attract in the large infrastructure should be considered, with the amendment of procurement laws, and redirected to private environment.
As many as 845 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, by 214 fewer than on the previous day, on over 14,640 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed.

Of the new cases, 168 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 - 190, and in the counties of Cluj - 59, Brasov - 50, and Timis - 45, told Agerpres.

The 14-day COVID-19 notification rate is highest in the counties of Cluj - 1.4, Timis - 1.36, and in Bucharest - 1.32.

As of Thursday, 3,273,914 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania.

- Hospitalisations -

As many as 1,249 people with COVID-19 are hospitalised at specialist care facilities across the country, by 31 fewer than the day before; 84 of this total are children.

Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 112 are in ICUs. Of the ICU patients, 104 are unvaccinated for COVID-19.

- Deaths -

According to the Ministry, three Covid deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours - one man and two women. Two deaths were in the 70 - 79 age range, and one in the 80+ age range. All three deceased patients suffered from underlying conditions, and none of them was vaccinated for Covid.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 67,069 people diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania.
Romania's national plan against cancer will provide the necessary tools for prevention and treatment, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said on Thursday at consultations with patients with oncological disorders organised as part of the International Breast Cancer Awareness Month, told Agerpres.

He said prevention is important, adding that prevention is a well-defined component in the national plan to be adopted.

According to him, there is a need for financial support that can be provided by the Ministry of Health and the National Healthcare Insurance House.

"I hope that, once we make public the solutions we have identified to some of the problems reported by you, we can develop and further coalesce, so that the plan becomes as concretely applicable as possible. As such, please continue with the same determination and the same courage to expose all these problems and insist, so that we can bring this project to the end. There are thousands of people in Romania who are waiting for this programme to become operational. I know that in Romania, the first cause of mortality is cardiovascular diseases, immediately after that come oncological conditions. As such, we need to start somewhere," the prime minister said.

The event at the Government House was attended by representatives of government bodies tasked with the implementation of oncology programmes.
The UDMR (Democratic Union of Hungarians of Romania leader, Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor, states that the postponement for 11 years of Romania's accession to Schengen was the consequence of the fact that some states opposed it on grounds other than technical ones, which "is unacceptable."

As of January 1, 2023, Romania should be admitted to the circulation area without border controls, he said, while adding that he is positive Netherlands will also "understand" this.

"There is still an assessment to come, in the context in which 11 years have already passed since the last assessment. Of course we meet the technical criteria in 2022, which are the only criteria needed to be met for entering the Schengen Zone, there are no other criteria, only technical ones. Normally, Romania, alongside Bulgaria and Croatia, should join Schengen on January 1, 2023, when it comes to land and water transport, with airports to be included as of March next year. I think this will be the decision," said Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor, while in Arad on Thursday, told Agerpres.

He added that "we cannot accept this discrimination forever" and claimed that "there is still some reluctance on behalf of the Netherlands."

The head of the UDMR is attending, in Arad, the Romanian-Hungarian Reconciliation Park, in commemoration of the 13 generals executed at the end of the 1848-1849 Revolution, an event that the Hungarian community holds every year on October 6.

The Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union will seek to achieve unanimity at the summit in December regarding the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Zone, the Czech Minister of European Affairs Mikulas Bek announced on Wednesday, during the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg.

The Czech official stated that visits by European experts to Romania and Bulgaria in this respect will begin next week.
Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor claims that Romania can provide the population, for this winter, with the necessary quantities of electricity, gas and wood, while adding at the same time that there was no discussion in the Government about a possible blocking of energy and grain exports.

While in Arad on Thursday, Kelemen Hunor was asked if the Government will be able to give assurance that the population will get through the winter well."Today, everything we know means that we won't have problems with energy and we won't have problems with basic foods either. The government is concerned and looking for solutions, yesterday we made the decision for firewood as well, and we can ensure all the necessary quantities of electricity and natural gas for this winter. (...) There will be problems in the future, however, because we do not control the price for electricity, for natural gas, we did not create this situation, but we are doing everything we can and in the limits of the budget to ensure the best possible conditions for this winter," said the Deputy PM.Asked if the issue of blocking energy and grain exports was raised in the Government, Kelemen Hunor stated that there were no such discussions, but that "it wouldn't be that extravagant to discuss such a thing either."The head of the UDMR is attending, in Arad, the Romanian-Hungarian Reconciliation Park, in commemoration of the 13 generals executed at the end of the 1848-1849 Revolution, an event that the Hungarian community holds every year on October 6.
Sighisoara city's History Museum has an impressive pharmacy collection that presents the history of local medicine and pharmacy; on display are apothecary jars and bottles used to keep medicines starting from the 17th century, but also medical kits for surgery, gynecology, as well as an amputation set of tools used until the end of the 18th century.

Director of the Sighisoara Museum of History, Nicolae Tescula, told AGERPRES that the collaboration with a local pharmacist, Veress Laszlo, has helped reveal some extremely important data regarding the content of these pharmaceutical remedies and the way pharmacy has evolved.

The result of this collaboration is a bilingual Romanian-Hungarian catalog titled "Materia Medica" which presents the history of the centuries-old containers kept at the Pharmacy Museum in Sighisoara, a guide for each individual medicine prepared from combinations of plants and animal parts, and from where the public can learn what cures were used in the past for various ailments.

"Materia Medica" includes cures and medicines of plant origin (about 65 percent), mineral and chemical origin (21 percent), animal origin (9 percent), and of mixed origin resulting from the combination of the above (5 percent).

The pharmacists, who belonged to the city's upper crust, had their own apothecary at home, which also included the 'officina', i.e. the room where medicines were prepared, stored and dispensed for the sick.

From the Sighisoara museum one also learns that the pharmacopoeias from the 16th century, which included the description and formulae for the preparation of medicines, as well as the rules for their preservation and use, recommended mainly animal-derived components, the whole animal or parts of it (lung, fat, marrow, bone, hair, secretion), but also listed substances of human origin (urine, fat from an executed man, a mummy etc.).

Sighisoara's importance as a medical center ever since the 14th century is evident from the multitude of guilds that functioned here, as well as from the fact that monasteries were built here next to churches, where the sick were cared for.

"1461 is the year when St. Anthony's Church, the monastery and the care facility built at the south-western exit of the lower town, were mentioned for the first time (they were demolished at the end of the 19th century). They specialized in curing 'Saint Anthony's Fire', an illness caused by the ingestion of the rye ergot fungus - actually mass food poisoning caused by the fungus which was accidentally mixed with grain for bread-making. Apart from the Monastery of the Order of Saint Anthony, Sighisoara also had the Dominican Order, the Benedictine Order, the Jesuit Order etc. caring for the needy. In 1556, the inhabitants of Sighisoara switched to Lutheranism and most of the monks left the city. Their charitable role as healers was taken over by laypersons who had previously worked with the monks. The city had to provide hospitals and pharmacies for the residents. In 1575 there were already two hospitals operating here and it is inconceivable that they would not have had pharmacies to support them," it is shown in "Materia Medica".

"In the first part of the 18th century there were three pharmacies in Sighisoara: 'La Coroana', 'La Leul' (according to literary data, this was the first, dating from 1720) and 'La Vulturul'. The material of the city's Pharmacy Museum comes mainly from the latter. There are just few pharmacy museums in Romania to feature a rich collection, and these are all in Transylvania, in the following cities: Sibiu (the Pharmacy Museum and the Brukenthal Museum), Cluj (the Pharmacy Museum and the Museum of Transylvanian History), Sighisoara (as a section of the Museum of History), Brasov (the Museum of History), Oravita (the Knoblauch Museum). Outside the Carpathian area there are still eleven state-owned and eleven private collections in Bucharest, Craiova, Constanta, Galati, Braila, Pitessti, Focsani, Ploiesti (owned by pharmaceutical warehouses, universities, etc.)," the catalog also mentions.

The History Museum in Sighisoara was founded in 1899 by Dr. Joseph Bacon (1857-1941), who had pharmacist Andreas Wolfgang Lingner - the then owner of 'La Vulturul' - substantially contribute to the museum's inventory; on the occasion of the renovation of his pharmacy, Lingner donated the obsolete items to the museum for preservation and protection.
Such consensus he said was reached within the context of the coronavirus pandemic and the war between other countries, which impact societies mainly the most vulnerable ones in terms of public health, nutrition, and food.

"We welcome the presence of more than 24 foreign affairs ministers and observers, who meet today under the leadership of Luis Almagro (the OAS Secretary General), a friend of democracy and the fight against inequality," Landa stated.

When asked about equality in Peru, the high-ranking official described it as a value and a principle of the rule of law, as well as an issue to be overcome, considering that some burdens such as discrimination have historically persisted.

This discrimination he said occurs directly as well as indirectly, making for example indigenous groups, women, people with disabilities, minors, and LGBTI groups invisible.

According to the minister, inequality is being addressed through recognition policies a task framed within the commitments made by Peru for its accession to the OECD.

#AsambleaOEA???? | En conferencia de prensa, el Canciller @CesarLanda0 destaco la importancia de que el Peru sea nuevamente sede de la principal reunion hemisferica, con delegaciones de alto nivel de mas de 30 paises, en beneficio de la imagen del Peru en el mundo. pic.twitter.com/e20jz0g455
Santa Fe Bistro serves the worst sandwich Ive ever eaten. I probably should have built up to such a dramatic declaration, but so much about this 3-month-old Creve Coeur restaurant is so confounding that I didnt want the sandwich to get lost in the culinary chaos. Also, I would like to move on from this dish as quickly as possible.

The sandwich, from Santa Fe Bistros lunch menu, is a grilled cheese with smoked salmon and guacamole. I tried to rationalize ordering this by thinking of lox and cream cheese on a bagel on one hand and a tuna melt on the other. What I got wasnt even a proper grilled cheese. The slices of white American and cheddar cheese hadnt melted so much as gone as soft and droopy at the edges as a middle-aged restaurant critic.

The cheese  the temperature of a fever, with a texture best described as gummable  was draped over the sandwichs smoked salmon the way smoked salmon should be draped over a bagels schmear. The slices of smoked salmon, still carrying the chill of the refrigerator, had been layered as if they were cold cuts. This transformed the lusciousness of individual slices into a thick squish, like a pocket of fat in a mediocre steak, but salmon-flavored. On the other side of this, in case you had forgotten, was more cool, fatty creaminess: the guacamole. The sandwich comes with fries, which were fine.

Santa Fe Bistro is a new restaurant from the owner of Oceano Bistro, Amer Abouwardah. The name and some of the menu items suggest a focus on the cuisine of New Mexico and the broader Southwest, but Santa Fe Bistros menu also displays a strong connection to the seafood-focused Oceano. Strong, and to the casual diner drawn here by the name and a hankering for a green-chile cheeseburger or enchiladas striped Christmas-style with red and green salsa, jarring.

I wont claim to be an expert on New Mexico and its foods, but a few years ago I spent a whirlwind couple of days in the state  in Santa Fe and its surroundings, in fact. I admired the stark, rocky beauty of the landscape, walked through an open-air market teeming with chiles and learned that at certain altitudes even a couple of cocktails can detonate an extraordinary hangover. I confirmed what maps have taught me: New Mexico is a land-locked state. I didnt eat any grilled cheese sandwiches with smoked salmon and guacamole.

Santa Fe Bistro took a wrong turn at Albuquerque and ended up all over the map. Here is a small piece of pan-seared Alaskan halibut, ostensibly given a New Mexican or Southwestern or Mexican gloss with, according to the menu, an apple-jalapeno salsa and cilantro rice. The salsa on my fish looked to be pale, watery tomato and maybe a whisper of jalapeno. (If it was apple, it was whichever apple variety looks and tastes most like pale, watery tomatoes.) A ring of green oil encircled the halibuts bed of rice; I assume this was the aforementioned cilantro. The dish tasted mainly of lightly browned halibut and rice, which is to say of nothing at all.

The Hatch Green Chile Campechana delivered only a glancing blow from its signature ingredient, to say nothing of the jalapeno the menu also promised, but the shrimp cocktails fresh tomato tang did offset the natural sweetness of its chopped shrimp and slivers of avocado. The Fresno chile sauce that accompanied the plump, pan-seared Santa Fe Shrimp did pack a wallop of heat. (The restaurant should substitute a version of this for both the red and green salsas in its overpriced $8 serving of chips and salsa.) But the kitchen undercut what should have been a light, sharp appetizer by dribbling an unctuous garlic aioli over the shrimp.

Santa Fe Bistro didnt need to reach to justify a grilled strip steak on its geographically nebulous menu, but the little pool of red salsa on the bottom was so outrageously superfluous I almost admired the half-heartedness. Salsa or no, this was a deeply unpleasant plating for what should have been a no-fuss crowd-pleaser. The steak sat on a bed of fried potato wedges that had an unpleasantly gritty surface, as though they had been coated in dried quinoa. Tossed among these wedges were blobs of goat cheese because the one thing that could help sandpapery steak frites is creamy funk.

In 16 years on this beat, I have never encountered a restaurant where I was more alarmed by textures than flavors, techniques or ideas.

I would say Santa Fe Bistro needs to lean into its namesake, but the posole here is thin and wanly spiced, while the lunch menus green chile cheeseburger smothers its hatch-chile bite with that damned garlic aioli. Chicken enchiladas, from the dinner menus dubiously titled Santa Fe Specials section (another of the three specials is a plate of fish tacos), fans slices of tired grilled chicken breast meat of the sort you might choose to turn your salad-bar salad into a meal, across slender rolled tortillas.

If nothing at Santa Fe Bistro can match the awfulness of its grilled cheese with smoked salmon and guacamole, in its current form the restaurant as a whole is just as inexplicable.

Where Santa Fe Bistro, 12316 Olive Boulevard, Creve Coeur  More info 314-628-1001; santafebistromo.com  Menu Ostensibly Southwestern  Hours Dinner daily, lunch Monday-Friday, brunch Saturday-Sunday

Rating Not Recommended  The Post-Dispatch evaluates restaurants on the following scale, lowest to highest: Not Recommended, Recommended, Highly Recommended, Essential. The rating reflects how the restaurant succeeds on its own terms  and how it meets a diner's good-faith expectations of quality food and hospitality  regardless of cuisine, location or cost.

How much Santa Fe Shrimp  $15 Chicken enchiladas  $20 Alaskan halibut  $32 Strip steak  $32
The trailer for David O. Russells latest ensemble romp, Amsterdam, seems to promise some kind of 1930s-set caper about a dead body and a trio of friends who are fingered for a murder. Presumably, Amsterdam will figure in, but the premise presented is vague at best. As it turns out, the trailer is sly by design, and the film itself doesnt even give away its own gambit  and reason for existing  until the very end.

Amsterdam boasts all the markers of a prestigious project, including a cavalcade of movie stars, from Oscar-winners (Christian Bale, Rami Malek) to stunt casting (Taylor Swift, Mike Myers). Theres Emmanuel Luzbekis desaturated, sepia-stained cinematography, because historical. Its also a new project after many years from an Oscar-nominated auteur who has his own laundry list of personal and professional marks on his record, though that has apparently not deterred many lauded actors from signing up for this film.

At its core, Amsterdam is a movie about friendship, and kindness, a theme that Russell underlines and italicizes in its last moments. But its a challenge to buy what hes selling here, when even he doesnt seem to buy it. Its the kind of movie where monologues about friendship and kindness play over montages of characters dancing, making art and lying on the floor, which stands in for actual character development and relationships that have been fully fleshed out in the writing.

Bale, in a clownish but capable performance, plays the hapless Burt Berendsen, a doctor and a WWI veteran who has taken to treating his fellow vets in his experimental clinic, creating protheses and new drugs and testing them himself. His social climbing wife (Andrea Riseborough) seemingly detests him, and his glass eye keeps falling out. His best friend from the war is a lawyer named Harold Woodman (John David Washington), and the pair find themselves tasked with performing an autopsy on a Gen. Meekins (Ed Begley Jr.) whom they knew back in Europe, at the request of his daughter (Taylor Swift), who does not believe he died of natural causes.

Mayhem, mishaps and wrongful accusations of murder ensue, and soon the odd couple are on the run, trying to suss out the nefarious wrongdoers who have them on their heels. They serendipitously link up with their old friend Valerie (Margot Robbie), and Russell takes us for a spin through the 1918 days when they all met in a French war hospital and spent a few years recuperating and kicking up their heels in bohemian, progressive Amsterdam (the friends whisper the name of the city throughout the film like a mantra).

Back in 1933, the pals work their way through a series of mind-bogglingly tedious hijinks as the audience attempts to puzzle through why, exactly, we should care about any of this at all. Russell eventually comes through with an eleventh-hour reveal that the film is actually about the various isms that plague America: the hat trick of racism, capitalism and fascism.

After all that insufferable mugging, a baffling variety show and the villains declarations that they wouldve have gotten away with it too if it hadnt had been for those meddling kids, Russell pivots from irony to earnestness, informing the audience that war is bad and rich men will wage war for their own enrichment. Also, the film is mostly based on the true story of Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler, so no one is allowed to get mad because this really (kind of) happened.

Theres a lot wrong with Amsterdam: the dull writing, its interminable busy-ness, the dinner theater caliber of acting, the fact that the whole thing looks like its been soaked in tea. But worst of all it has a bad case of what one could call Dont Look Up disease, in which a film tries to exist solely on movie stars and a desire to lecture the audience about impending doom. Cinematically, the diagnosis is terminal, and Amsterdam is dead on arrival.
FERGUSON  Ferguson's city manager announced he was quitting his job in the middle of a heated argument with a city council member at a recent public meeting. But the mayor said on Tuesday that was "just a moment."

Eric Osterberg did not immediately return a request for comment regarding his self-proclaimed resignation as city manager during a Sept. 27 city council meeting. Ferguson Mayor Ella Jones said Tuesday that Osterberg will address the public at the city's next council meeting on Oct. 11.

"He's just going to address the public about what he said. He just got emotional," the mayor said. "He's not going anywhere."

Contrasting opinions flared between Osterberg and city council member Toni Burrow about whether the city should require exit interviews, especially when an employee gets fired. "This is the last time I'm going to be speaking with you, Councilwoman Burrow. I would like to announce my resignation effective immediately."

"Eric, Eric," the mayor said. "Nope. No. No. That is serious," said Osterberg before he and Burrow spoke at the same time, prompting the mayor to call the meeting to order.

Ferguson's government structure places the city manager as one of the top administrative and policymaking officials. The city council hires the city manager.

Osterberg took over as city manager last August, hailing from Oregon, where he was assistant city manager for Klamath Falls. He told the Post-Dispatch at the time, "I think that there is a shadow hanging over Ferguson from the past few years, but I believe with my experience and working together with the council, we'll be able to move past that."

Before Osterberg, John Hampton served simultaneously as fi re chief and the interim city manager for about six months. Hampton took over after the departure of the city's previous interim manager, Jeffrey Blume.

Residents, protesters and civil rights groups had called for the removal of Blume after the U.S. Justice Department criticized him in a 2015 report showing while as finance director he encouraged police officers to write more traffic tickets to increase city revenue.

Days after Osterberg claimed he was resigning, some Ferguson residents in support of Osterberg took to social media to create a petition to recall Burrow from the council.

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris  314-340-8319 @ladytiamoyo on Twitter tharris@post-dispatch.com
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - Former teacher charged for child porn: Prosecutors on Tuesday charged a former middle school teacher with downloading and possessing thousands of videos of child sexual abuse.

Scott Ellis, 36, was charged with six counts of possessing child pornography after police received a tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Police said they were told a Google account registered to Ellis - including his name, phone number, birthdate and email address - was used to store thousands of videos of child sex abuse along with another account on Mega, another cloud storage company.

Some of the files contained the names of the victims, according to charging documents, and contained images of infants and pre-adolescent children and included bondage and bestiality.

Ellis worked at Rogers Middle School between August 2019 and May 2022, according to the A_ ton School District. He has not worked in the school district during the 2022-2023 school year.

A spokeswoman for the district said someone came to district officials with concerns about inappropriate behavior by Ellis about a month ago. District administrators investigated the situation and filed a report with the Division of Children's Services.

"We are deeply troubled by any report alleging that a former employee may have engaged in inappropriate behavior," the district wrote in a statement. "Our schools are places where students should always feel safe, and we take any allegation of misconduct by a sta_ member, either current or former, very seriously."

Ellis was in custody Tuesday night on a $750,000 cash-only bond.

ST. LOUIS  Man charged with stealing ambulance, ramming police car: A St. Charles County man was charged Tuesday with stealing an ambulance then using it to flee from St. Louis police.

Dwane Vardiman, 48, of O'Fallon, Missouri, faces three felony charges: resisting arrest creating a substantial risk of serious injury, tampering with a motor vehicle and armed criminal action.

He is accused of stealing the EMS unit from Crystal City, just east of Festus in Jefferson County.

Police say Vardiman then drove the ambulance to St. Louis around 9:30 a.m. Monday, when officers spotted it at South Jefferson and Chouteau avenues.

Officers turned on their sirens and lights but the ambulance drove away, police said, intentionally striking a St. Louis police Tahoe in the process.

Officers said they then chased the ambulance throughout District 3, which includes neighborhoods such as Lafayette Square, Benton Park and Tower Grove East.

The ambulance crashed into a car in the 4500 block of South Broadway, but when officers got out of their car, the driver reversed the ambulance into another police vehicle and drove off again.

The Missouri Highway Patrol vehicle later set up spike strips, and St. Louis police arrested Vardiman at South Broadway and East Schirmer Street after shocking him with a Taser, according to the department.

He was taken to a hospital for treatment, police said.

Circuit Court Judge David Roither denied Vardiman bail Tuesday.
Sacheen Littlefeather, the actor and activist who declined Marlon Brandos 1973 Academy Award for The Godfather on his behalf in an indelible protest of Hollywood's portrayal of Native Americans, has died. She was 75.

Littlefeather's niece, Calina Lawrence, confirmed that she died peacefully Sunday, surrounded by loved ones at her Marin County, California, home. The cause was breast cancer, the family said.

Littlefeathers appearance at the 1973 Oscars would become one of the award show's most famous moments. Clad in buckskin dress and moccasins, Littlefeather took the stage when presenter Roger Moore read Brando's name as the winner for best actor.

Speaking to the audience, Littlefeather cited Native American stereotypes in film and the then-ongoing weekslong protest at Wounded Knee in South Dakota as the reason for Brandos absence. She said Brando had written a very long speech but she was restricted by time to brief remarks. Producer Howard Koch had allegedly warned Littlefeather, then 26, that he would have her arrested if she spoke for more than a minute.

I beg at this time that I have not intruded upon this evening and that we will in the future, our hearts and our understandings will meet with love and generosity, Littlefeather said, becoming the first Native American woman to appear onstage at the Oscars.

Although brief, straightforward and courteous, Littlefeathers appearance was contentious, receiving a mix of applause and boos from the audience. In the years after, Littlefeather endured considerable scorn and abuse for her speech, she said.

I spoke from my heart, she told The Associated Press days after the Oscars. Those words were written in blood, perhaps my own blood. I felt about like Christ carrying the weight of the cross on his shoulders.

Only recently did the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences officially address the treatment Littlefeather received following her appearance. In August, the film academy apologized to Littlefeather. Two weeks ago, it held an evening of conversation, healing and celebration in her honor.

"The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified, the academy's president, David Rubin, wrote in a letter to Littlefeather. The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable. For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged. For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration.

Littlefeather responded in a statement: "We Indians are very patient people  its only been 50 years!

We need to keep our sense of humor about this at all times, she added. "Its our method of survival.

Littlefeather was born Marie Cruz on Nov. 14, 1946, in Salinas, California. Her father was from the White Mountain Apache and Yaqui tribes and her mother was white. Both were saddle makers. They separated when Littlefeather was four, after which she was raised largely by her grandparents. She took the name Sacheen Littlefeather after high school. Sacheen, she said, was what her father had called her; the surname came from a feather she often wore in her hair.

Littlefeathers entry into acting corresponded with her activism. She was part of the Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969, she said, and began acting with San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater in the early '70s.

Littlefeather met Brando through her neighbor, Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola. She had known Brando for about a year before he called her the night before the 1973 ceremony, invited her to his house and asked her to attend in his place.

Political speeches at the Oscars were then still a rarity, and some in attendance saw the brief address as a break in decorum  and one that raised a subject not everyone was eager to consider.

I dont know if I should present this award on behalf of all the cowboys shot in all the John Ford Westerns over the years, Clint Eastwood said later in the evening, while presenting the award for best picture. Presenting best actress, presenter Raquel Welch cracked: "I hope they havent got a cause.

I went up there thinking I could make a difference, Littlefeather told People magazine in 1990. I was very naive. I told people about oppression. They said, Youre ruining our evening.

Littlefeather described the overwhelmingly white crowd as a sea of Clorox. She said some audience members did the so-called tomahawk chop and that Brandos house was later shot at.

Over the years, Littlefeather added to the lore, describing John Wayne, who was in the theater wings as she spoke, as ready to have me taken off stage. In 2016, Littlefeather told The Los Angeles Times that Wayne had to be restrained by six security guards." The film scholar Farran Smith Nehme has since researched the supposed incident and found no evidence it occurred.

But it was indisputable that Littlefeathers life was altered by those 60 seconds. Following the Oscars, her credentials as an actor and activist  Littlefeather had posed in 1972 for Playboy, which she defended as proof that red was beautiful  were questioned in tabloid reports and elsewhere. Her opportunities as an actor dried up. Littlefeather said she was red-listed from the industry. She fell out of show business and, in the decades after, worked primarily as an activist for Native Americans.

At the academy event last month, Littlefeather, then in a wheelchair, said despite all the hardship she faced after the Oscars, she would do it all again.

I was representing all Indigenous voices out there, because we had never been heard in that way before," Littlefeather said. "And if I had to pay the price of admission, then that was OK, because those doors had to be opened  like Yosemite Sam. Somebody had to do it.

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
The Jewish High Holidays are fast approaching: Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. While the first really commemorates the creation of the world, Jews view both holidays as a chance to reflect on our shortcomings, make amends and seek forgiveness, both from other people and from the Almighty.

Jews pray and fast on Yom Kippur to demonstrate their remorse and to focus on reconciliation. According to Jewish tradition, it is at the end of this solemn period that God seals his decision about each persons fate for the coming year. Congregations recite a prayer called the Unetanah Tokef, which recalls Gods power to decide who shall live and who shall die, who shall reach the ends of his days and who shall not  an ancient text that Leonard Cohen popularized with his song Who by Fire.

Forgiveness and related concepts, such as compassion, are central virtues in many religions. Whats more, research has shown that it is psychologically beneficial.

But each religious tradition has its own particular views about forgiveness, as well, including Judaism. As a psychologist of religion, I have done research on these similarities and differences when it comes to forgiveness.

Person to person

Several specific attitudes about forgiveness are reflected in the liturgy of the Jewish High Holidays, so those who go to services are likely to be aware of them  even if they skip out for a snack.

In Jewish theology, only the victim has the right to forgive an offense against another person, and an offender should repent toward the victim before forgiveness can take place. Someone who has hurt another person must sincerely apologize three times. If the victim still withholds forgiveness, the offender is considered forgiven, and the victim now shares the blame.

The 10-day period known as the Days of Awe  Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and the days between  is a popular time for forgiveness. Observant Jews reach out to friends and family they have wronged over the past year so that they can enter Yom Kippur services with a clean conscience and hope they have done all they can to mitigate Gods judgment.

The teaching that only a victim can forgive someone implies that God cannot forgive offenses between people until the relevant people have forgiven each other. It also means that some offenses, such as the Holocaust, can never be forgiven, because those martyred are dead and unable to forgive.

To forgive or not to forgive?

In psychological research, I have found that most Jewish and Christian participants endorse the views of forgiveness espoused by their religions.

As in Judaism, most Christian teachings encourage people to ask and give forgiveness for harms done to one another. But they tend to teach that more sins should be forgiven  and can be, by God, because Jesus death atoned vicariously for peoples sins.

Even in Christianity, not all offenses are forgivable. The New Testament describes blaspheming against the Holy Spirit as an unforgivable sin. And Catholicism teaches that there is a category called mortal sins, which cut off sinners from Gods grace unless they repent.

One of my research papers, consisting of three studies, shows that a majority of Jewish participants believe that some offenses are too severe to forgive; that it doesnt make sense to ask someone other than the victim about forgiveness; and that forgiveness is not offered unconditionally, but after the offender has tried to make things right.

Take this specific example: In one of my research studies I asked Jewish and Christian participants if they thought a Jew should forgive a dying Nazi soldier who requested forgiveness for killing Jews. This scenario is described in The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal, a writer and Holocaust survivor famous for his efforts to prosecute German war criminals.

Jewish participants often didnt think the question made sense: How could someone else  someone living  forgive the murder of another person? The Christian participants, on the other hand, who were all Protestants, usually said to forgive. They agreed more often with statements like Mr. Wiesenthal should have forgiven the SS soldier and Mr. Wiesenthal would have done the virtuous thing if he forgave the soldier.

Its not just about the Holocaust. We also asked about a more everyday scenario  imagining that a student plagiarized a paper that participants friends had written, and then asked the participants for forgiveness  and saw similar results.

Jewish people have a wide variety of opinions on these topics, though, as they do in all things. Two Jews, three opinions! as the old saying goes. In other studies with my co-researchers, we showed that Holocaust survivors, as well as Jewish American college students born well after the Holocaust, vary widely in how tolerant they are of German people and products. Some are perfectly fine with traveling to Germany and having German friends, and others are unwilling to even listen to Beethoven.

In these studies, the key variable that seems to distinguish Jewish people who are OK with Germans and Germany from those who are not is to what extent they associate all Germans with Nazism. Among the Holocaust survivors, for example, survivors who had been born in Germany  and would have known German people before the war  were more tolerant than those whose first, perhaps only, exposure to Germans had been in the camps.

Forgiveness is good for you  or is it?

American society  where about 7 in 10 people identify as Christian  generally views forgiveness as a positive virtue. Whats more, research has found there are emotional and physical benefits to letting go of grudges.

But does this mean forgiveness is always the answer? To me, its an open question.

For example, future research could explore whether forgiveness is always psychologically beneficial, or only when it aligns with the would-be forgivers religious views.

If you are observing Yom Kippur, remember that  as with every topic  Judaism has a wide and, well, forgiving view of what is acceptable when it comes to forgiveness.

___

Adam B. Cohen 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.

___
J. Ryne Danielson Fine Art Photography

Artist  J. Ryne Danielson

Age  36

Family  Danielson and his wife, Alana, live with their dog Ben, a German shepherd mix, three cats named Spot, Bigby,and Oddy, and two cockatiels, Albus and Calcifer. They lost a longtime feline companion very recently  Eve, the ancient one, who is very much missed.

Home  St. Louis Hills

What he does  Danielson is a photographer who produces art photographs under his name. He does not use editing software to create his manipulated images; he composes them in the camera using multiple exposures. He also shoots events, including weddings, under the Fable Photography name. He is also available for freelance work in journalism and leads private and group photography classes.

Where to buy  Prints of Danielsons art works may be purchased through his website, jrynedanielson.com and through Instagram in a number of different formats. He also exhibits at art fairs and shows, including the Shaw Art Fair on Oct. 8 and 9.

How much  Prices for open edition prints range from $10 to $120, depending on the size. Large limited edition prints top at $600.
Q: We havent handed out treats during Halloween since before the pandemic. This year, I think the kids will return to the neighborhoods and I would like to hand out healthy treats. What's something that parents will actually allow their kids to eat, since it'd be homemade? Are there any new, healthy treat ideas?

From a reader  Ive had very good luck with finding nonfood treats to hand out to trick-or-treaters in recent years. The neighborhood children all seemed to be thrilled with the mini packs of Play-Doh I gave them. Keep an eye on your local ads; these were sold specifically as a trick or treat sized pack at Walgreens and Target. Check out the holiday decorations section at the stores and see if any of the small toys, pencils, etc., fit into the price range youve set for treats.  A.M.J. in Atlanta

From a reader  Halloween snacks dont have to be unhealthy, sugary treats. Try Crispy Green's healthy freeze-dried fruit snacks. They offer parents a fun and healthy choice for real fruit snacks. You can go to crispygreen.com for more information.  Renee Hewett in Fairfield, New Jersey

From Jodie Lynn  If you personally know some neighborhood children that have looked forward to your homemade treats in the past, why not call their parents for ideas for this Halloween?

You can make absolutely sure that your treats are allergy-safe and healthy. Parents will tell you what you should watch out for, but if they don't, or you can't contact everyone you need to, be safe and buy individually packaged, healthy ones.

You have to be sure who your trick-or-treaters are or you could deliver homemade goodies to those you personally know after talking with their parents. Unfortunately, unless you clear it with each family, don't assume your hand-crafted goodies will be warmly received.

Another option would be to consider healthy ones like those shared above or even the non-food ideas. Dont worry; theyll get enough sugary treats from others.

CAN YOU HELP?

My husband smokes daily, yet he argues with our 17-year-old son when catching him doing it. There's constant turmoil around our house with heated debates but my husband wants to instill the do as I say and not as I do theory, which clearly does not work with our son. What tips can be used to get my husband to back off or at least try a different approach?
El Canciller Landa agradecio el respaldo recibido por los Estados Miembros de la OEA, y remarco que esta era la tercera oportunidad en la que el Peru recibe este compromiso y la primera en retomar el formato presencial despues de dos anos de pandemia. pic.twitter.com/drsqP9wLfn
Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman 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

Someone will almost certainly leave next weeks Landmarks Association of St. Louis gala with a big head  about 100 pounds or so big.

And if that certain someone subscribes to the notion that two heads are better than one, then they just might want to bring a truck to the party.

Two lion heads salvaged from the old, and now-demolished, Palladium nightclub in midtown St. Louis will be auctioned off to raise money for the local historic preservation group.

The terra cotta figures are slightly less than two feet square and weigh between 100 and 125 pounds, said event chair Jean Webb, who served as chief custodian and paint-peeler for the maned marvels.

It was kind of wonderful seeing them come alive, Webb said.

At one time, eight lion heads adorned the two-story Palladium Club at 3618 Enright Avenue, in the first block west of Grand Boulevard in midtown St. Louis.

The Palladium opened in 1914 as a roller rink. But it hit its historical high note in the 1940s and early 1950s when it was renamed the Club Plantation and jazz dance club and a must-stop for legendary Black musicians such as Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Carter and the Mills Brothers.

In later years, the building held a number of bars before being vacated by a thrift store around 2010.

The Landmarks group got involved in 2014 when an expansion plan for the John Cochran VA Hospital, which is across Enright from club site, called for the building to be torn down.

Landmarks placed the building on its endangered list, but no developer ever stepped up to save it and it was demolished earlier this year, Webb said.

Before it fell to the wrecking ball, the lion heads were salvaged and given to the Landmarks group, with two of those heads ending up in Webbs backyard in the Tower Grove South neighborhood.

Theyd been painted over so many times, with at least some of that being spray paint, she said. It was an ugly reddish-brown and it was in every crease.

So Webb set about cleaning them up, with the help of her husband, Doug Webb.

First, we washed them with just soap and water and scrubbed them with soft nylon brushes, she said. Then we bought this special paint remover and wed coat them with the stuff and then wrap them in plastic wrap for 24 hours.

Then after the wraps came off, the Webbs used dental tools, supplied by a helpful neighbor who is a dental hygienist, and carefully picked away at the remaining paint.

There was a lot of paint and it was everywhere: up their noses, in their teeth, Webb said.

So after spending a solid week on each head, the pair of figures are back to a close-to-original state, Webb said, noting that some black discoloration remains around the eyes, possibly from decades of being bombarded with acid rain and coal dust.

But that kind of makes them look ferocious, she said, which is kind of cool.

Webb said the Landmarks group has no idea how much such items will be worth on the auction market, though members now are scouring the Internet to come up with some general idea.

And if it all goes well, we have four more heads that could be auctioned off at later dates, she said.

Two of the eight heads have been earmarked to adorn the Landmarks new headquarters on Ninth Street in the Soulard neighborhood. Theyll look great in our courtyard, she said.

The gala on Oct. 15 will honor architect Doris A. Danna, who will receive the H. Meade Summer Jr. Award for being a pioneer in the St. Louis architectural community.

Danna was the first woman to be elected president of the St. Louis chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the first woman to receive its Gold Honor Award. She also once served as president of the Landmarks Association.

The soiree will be from 6-9 p.m. in a private mansion at 3263 Hawthorne Avenue. Tickets are $100 and available through Eventbrite.com.

And if one, or a pair, of lion heads should strike your fancy, take heed of Webbs advice.

Bring a dolly ... because these things are heavy.
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

Sam Wendt is suing a bunch of organizations that do important and difficult work.

Theres the Brain Injury Fund, the Domestic Relations Resolutions Fund, the Independent Living Center Fund, the Motorcycle Safety Trust Fund, the Spinal Cord Injury Fund, the Missouri Prosecuting Attorneys and Circuit Clerks Retirement System, and several other organizations that get their funding from court costs.

In the past 20 years, these funds have raised more than $100 million from defendants in Missouri, most of them charged with minor crimes, many of them living in poverty.

Some of these are wonderful causes, but they shouldnt just be funded on the backs of criminal defendants, Wendt says. Its $3 here, its $5 there. Individually it doesnt seem like much but when it applies to every single civil and criminal litigant in the state, that adds up very quickly.

Wendt is part of a team of Kansas City attorneys that filed a lawsuit in Jackson County Circuit Court last year targeting those fees that end up trapping poor people in a vicious cycle because all too often, after they cant pay their court costs, they end up back in jail, and their costs rise even higher.

This is how somebody like Brooke Bergen, a Dent County woman Ive written about many times, ended up doing a year in jail for stealing an $8 tube of mascara, and owing a $15,000 bill to the court. Its how Cory Booth was tethered to the courts in Caldwell County more than 10 years after he stole a lawnmower as a 17-year-old, even though he had not committed another crime. He was called to the courthouse month after month, just because he owed thousands of dollars that was never going to be collected.

All over the country, there are people lined up in courtrooms every day simply because they owe the courts money. The judges and attorneys even have a name for it: the revenue docket.

That absurdity is part of an American judicial crisis that caused three national organizations on Thursday to kick off a national campaign called End Justice Fees.

Lawmakers all over the country are waking up to the reality that for vulnerable individuals, families and communities to thrive, we need to eliminate the many justice fees that are unfairly taxing them, said Lisa Foster, co-director of the Fines and Fees Justice Center. Indeed, just Monday, Delawares governor signed one of the most comprehensive fee elimination bills in the country.

The Delaware law eliminates nearly all fines in the juvenile justice system, it repeals fees for probation supervision and using a public defender, and it ends the practice of courts charging fees for payment plans or collecting interest from defendants who fall behind paying their court costs.

The bipartisan End Justice Fees campaign, supported by the American Civil Liberties Union on the left, and Americans for Prosperity on the right, urges state legislatures to do precisely what Wendt is trying to accomplish in court. Eliminate the practice of passing back-door taxes on to the court system and turning judges into tax collectors.

We believe that the fees imposed by the criminal justice system are just taxes by another name, said Emily Seidel, CEO of Americans for Prosperity. They do not improve public safety.

In some cases, positive action can also be taken by cities and counties themselves, such as when the St. Louis County Council in 2019 eliminated several jail and medical fees and wiped away about $3 million in outstanding debts. Similarly, several north St. Louis County municipalities wiped out old court debt over the past few years, in part in response to lawsuits filed by ArchCity Defenders, the St. Louis University Law School Clinics and others.

Wendt wasnt even aware of this problem until last year, when the Missouri Supreme Court in a unanimous decision ruled a $3 fee that was charged to defendants to raise money for a retirement fund for rural sheriffs was unconstitutional. That battle started when municipal judges led by Frank Vatterott of Overland refused to collect the fee.

Politicians take advantage of people who are charged with minor offenses knowing they cant fight these insidious taxes, Vatterott says.

A new poll released Thursday by the End Justice Fees campaign suggests a clear majority of Americans agree with Vatterott that the courts should not be used to raise money that should be otherwise funded by legislatures. According to the poll, 62% of respondents agree with the elimination of fees in the court system.

Nonpayment of those fees often comes with devastating consequences, from the suspension of drivers licenses, to an actual return to debtors prison, as happened in Missouri for failure to pay board bills charged for stays in most rural jails in the state.

In 2019, both the Missouri Supreme Court and the Missouri Legislature put an end to that insidious practice, but the board bills are still being charged, as are more than a dozen fees that are likely as unconstitutional as the $3 sheriffs retirement fee that was eliminated.

These costs are totally unrelated to the administration of justice in the court system, Wendt says. They shouldnt exist.
Updated at 11:15 a.m. Thursday with comment from the Missouri Department of Social Services.

ST. LOUIS  Prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed on what to do with Marcus Mojo Ursery: Give the boy a chance to better himself.

Ursery was just 14 when he fatally shot 14-year-old Timothy Lucas in the chest two years ago in St. Louis. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with an agreement hed be screened for a program for youth offenders charged as adults.

But Ursery, now 16, wasnt accepted into the program. So he could be sent to prison for decades instead.

On Wednesday, his attorney and the prosecutor grilled a program official about why he was rejected, and they were visibly frustrated with the answers.

Im still kind of in a fog, Marvin Teer, assistant prosecutor for the city, said in court. Im just surprised there isnt more to this process.

The Dual Jurisdiction Program allows offenders to stay at a Division of Youth Services facility and receive counseling, schooling, vocational training and life skills. When they turn 21, a judge then decides whether to give them probation or send them to adult prison.

The screening process for acceptance into the program consisted of a two-hour interview with a three-person panel, including Amy Sax, a senior program administrator who answered questions at Wednesdays hearing, followed by reviews by higher-ups.

All of the panelists had experience working with kids, but they werent required to have degrees in psychology or counseling. They did not keep any handwritten notes from the interviews, Sax said.

Sax said as far as she knew, no one had formally opposed the agencys decision to reject a candidate before. But that changed Wednesday when Urserys attorney, Greg Smith, questioned Sax about why his client was rejected.

Sax said there were several reasons  he didnt open up enough to interviewers about his past, minimized fights at school, and made inconsistent statements about his family history, traumas and substance abuse.

"When entry is denied we recognize this has a serious impact on the life of that youth and their family; however, in order to maintain safe and rehabilitative programs we must be able to consider whether a youth is suitable and how their entry would impact program dynamics  that is essential," Caitlin Whaley, director of policy and communication for Missouri's Department of Social Services, said Thursday in a statement.

Smith pushed back on the assertion that his client was unwilling to open up, noting factors that could make Ursery hesitant to be vulnerable with strangers  the fact hes a 16-year-old boy who had been in custody for two years. And before the shooting, he experienced the trauma of his father being murdered in Arkansas.

One of the benefits of this program is that its treatment-based, Smith said Wednesday.

Teer followed up with more questions, and expressed dismay at the process for determining if someone is a good fit for the program.

He and Smith were both visibly frustrated with the hearings outcome.

Im a prosecutor. Ill lock up anybody  for the right reasons, Teer said to the court. But this kid was 14, and look at me, Im up here screaming for him.
Authorities from several St. Louis-area jurisdictions believe theyve solved a serial killer case that dates back more than three decades. Prosecutors from Lincoln, St. Charles and St. Louis counties on Monday announced four new counts of first-degree murder filed against 73-year-old Gary Muehlberg, who already is serving a life sentence for a fifth, and apparently unrelated, killing. DNA evidence led to the new charges, which accuse Muehlberg in the deaths of four women who were all strangled. All four disappeared in 1990. Prosecutors credited dogged police work, especially by OFallon, Missouri, Detective Jodi Weber, who reopened the case 14 years ago.
ST. CHARLES  Richard Darren Emery, convicted of murdering his girlfriend, her two children and her mother in 2018, was sentenced to death Tuesday.

After roughly two hours of deliberation, the jury unanimously recommended Emery should die. He was convicted Friday of four counts of first-degree murder, and the jury on Tuesday cited several aggravating factors that merited death, including the depraved, callous, inhumane and vile nature of the crimes.

Family members of Emerys girlfriend, Kate Kasten, 39, Kastens mother, Jane Moeckel, 61, and children Zoe, 8, and Jonathan, 10, shook hands, smiled and cried after Judge Michael Fagras read the verdict.

Emery hung his head, embraced his lawyers and cried while his family and friends also shed tears.

You dont take any pleasure out of being here, said St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar outside the courthouse after the verdict. On the flip side, we are satisfied. We feel that justice has been served.

Death by execution has become increasingly rare in Missouri, as fewer than one person per year has been killed by the state since 2015.

Emery was convicted after a weekslong trial in which a bevy of witnesses, including Emery himself, took the stand.

Jurors were shown body camera footage of officers at the scene finding the bodies, as well as a 911 call from Moeckel in which Zoe could be heard in the background screeching Why? Why? as Emery shot the family dead.

Prosecutors also presented evidence from Emerys shootout with two St. Charles police officers and an attempted carjacking where he stabbed a woman seven times, both of which happened after the killings. Emery was eventually arrested at a QuikTrip.

Emerys attorneys argued throughout the trial he had a mental illness that caused him to go into a dream-like state when he shot Kasten, then the others.

But prosecutors prevailed with an argument that Emery knew exactly what he was doing that night  systematically killing three generations of a family in less than a minute, then trying to make a getaway.

Prosecutor Phil Groenweghe argued during the punishment phase, which began Saturday, that after Emery killed his girlfriend, he then killed the others to eliminate witnesses. He shot at police and carjacked a woman, stabbing her seven times, all in the name of self-preservation, Groenweghe said.

All he cares about is his life  thats where his treasure is found, Groenweghe said. Send him the message that in St. Charles County, we will not tolerate this in any way.

Police officers and family members of Kasten testified about the destruction Emery left in his wake that night in the 100 block of Whetstone Drive.

Emerys friends and family testified Saturday and Monday, talking about Emerys life and how they were shocked to learn hed killed the family hed always wanted.

On Tuesday, prosecutors and defense attorneys made their final arguments.

Defense attorneys asked the jury to have mercy on a man who had never given anyone a reason to suspect he could brutally murder four people. They asked the jury to picture his family, including his son, Tyler Emery, sitting in a room and watching their loved one die of a lethal injection.

There has been so much pain, so much grief and so much loss, and we are asking you now to choose mercy, said Emerys attorney Stephanie Zipfel. We are asking you to choose life.

But prosecutors said there should be no mercy for a man whom they described as a master manipulator who used his family and loved ones to save his own life.

Judge Fagras will formally sentence Emery on Nov. 3, prosecutors said. If he confirms the death sentence, an execution date will be set.
ST. LOUIS  Public safety officials confirmed on Wednesday that two of the six people who died while being incarcerated this year died from drug overdoses.

Public Safety Director Dan Isom said during the Board of Aldermens public safety committee meeting that three others died from preexisting medical conditions and one person died by suicide.

Isom and the jails corrections commissioner also answered questions from aldermen about overcrowding, overdoses, officer retention and inmate deaths.

Certainly we are upset and concerned about the number of deaths that have happened in the jail, said Isom, who noted the absence of an independent analysis after a judges injunction idled the civilian jail oversight board last month.

When asked how drugs are getting into the jail, corrections commissioner Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah said the jail has been working to stop drugs from coming in by using drug-sniffing dogs and having staff conduct periodic checks.

But even one of its own staff members has been a culprit; Clemons-Abdullah noted that a corrections officer was charged in May with bringing in 30 fentanyl pills.

Officials latest solution to the spread of drugs and overdoses within the jail is to seek funding for a new body scanner to monitor both detainees and staff.

People get creative, said Clemons-Abdullah. But with due diligence we can curtail that.

Public safety officials did not specifically address inmates preexisting medical conditions, but detailed the intake process in which inmates needs are assessed.

A persons first stop is an initial medical exam within 24 hours where the person is supposed to let staff know about any medications and medical needs. A more extensive exam should happen within two weeks.

Alderman Joe Vaccaro questioned the timing.

For me, one day would be too long, without his medications, he said.

Clemons-Abdullah defended the intake process in light of the deaths. It was something that even if they were at home it wouldnt have been detected, she said.

I understand the publics wanting to know, but only a person coming in can tell me whats wrong with their body.

While mental health needs are also assessed during intake, sometimes staff miss warning signs that a person is at risk of suicide.

You can do it in a short amount of time, said Clemons-Abdullah. So I cant really account for somebody that wants to do self-harm, but what we do is we make every effort to be able to detect that.

Addressing the needs of more than 500 people at the jail while being short-staffed with fewer than 100 stressed staff, now working 16-hour shifts, is difficult, the jails commissioner said.

However, she said overcrowding is not an issue, refuting several aldermen who said theyd heard from constituents that it was a problem. A decision last month to move some inmates to another detention facility was an attempt to break up a disturbance, Isom said. The capacity of the City Justice Center is now at about 650 people and no one, as of Wednesday, is housed at the Medium Security Institution or Workhouse.

Clemons-Abdullah lobbied throughout the meeting to increase officer pay, which she said she thinks would increase staff morale. She also suggested superlatives for the officers with financial incentives, such as $1,000 for Officer of the Year.

Clemons-Abdullah said it would help officers strive to do better.

The next court date for the officer charged with bringing in drugs to the jail is Nov. 14.
UPDATED at 9 a.m. with interview with victim's father

PINE LAWN  Police on Thursday morning were searching for a 20-year-old man charged with murder in Pine Lawn.

Colby Harris was charged Wednesday in at-large warrants with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Jevon Durbin.

Durbin, 24, was shot to death inside a home in the 4100 block of Jennings Station Road about 10 a.m. Wednesday.

The North County Police Cooperative said Harris frequents Pine Lawn and Fairground Park in St. Louis. Officers searched overnight Wednesday for Harris but so far have come up empty.

"We've got lots of people out looking for him today," police Major Ron Martin said Thursday morning.

Martin said Harris, whose nickname is Santana, had a 9mm handgun. Once he is arrested, Harris will be held in jail in lieu of $2 million cash bail.

Durbin graduated from Normandy High School and had lived with his mother in the first block of Wayside Drive in Ferguson, according to Durbin's father, Paul Durbin of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Paul Durbin said Harris had previously robbed his son and posted on Facebook about it. Jevon Durbin and his brother "ended up at the same place" as Harris on Wednesday, when a confrontation and fight ended in the shooting.

"It's tough," Paul Durbin said Thursday of his son's death.

Jevon Durbin's brother wasn't injured in the shooting but was traumatized by the death of his brother, Paul Durbin said.

Jevon Durbin is survived by a son, who was born in February.
UPDATED at 11:30 a.m. Friday with name of teen who died

MADISON COUNTY  A woman and her teenage granddaughter were killed Wednesday morning when a tractor-trailer ran a stop sign and struck the woman's SUV in Madison County, authorities said.

The Illinois State Police identified the woman as Sheila M. Macon, 73, of Greenville, Illinois. Her passenger, 17-year-old Ciara Renee Macon, also died, according to Madison County Coroner Stephen Nonn.

Nonn said Ciara, of Alton, was Macon's granddaughter.

The crash happened at 7:55 a.m. Wednesday at Highway 4 and Highway 140 in Madison County.

The Illinois State Police said Macon was driving a 2016 Nissan Rogue west on Highway 140. The tractor-trailer was heading south on Highway 4.

The tractor-trailer ran a stop sign and hit the side of the Rogue, police said. Macon and her granddaughter died at the scene.

The truck driver was 38-year-old Daniel G. Belay, of Ellicott City, Maryland. He refused medical treatment, police said. Police cited Belay for disobeying a stop sign, the Illinois State Police said.
CLAYTON  A lawsuit filed in St. Louis County last week accuses a restaurant manager of attempting to poach workers from one large chicken chain to another.

Consolidated Restaurant Development Co., owner of seven Slim Chickens restaurant locations in Missouri and Illinois, filed suit Sept. 29 against former area director of operations Mike Moreland.

Moreland left his regional management role at Slim Chickens in June for a job at Wingstop, according to the suit.

The suit alleges Moreland then began texting managers of at least three central Illinois locations of Slim Chickens, offering them jobs at Atlanta Wingstop chains.

At least one Slim Chickens employee took him up on the offer, the suit claims.

The suit alleges the poaching violated a "non-solicitation" clause in Moreland's contract and will result in loss of investment and possible disclosure of confidential information" for the business.

Moreland declined to give comment on the suits claims Thursday.

The restaurant owners are seeking an injunction preventing Moreland from continuing to contact Slim Chickens employees.
JEFFERSON CITY  If youre tempted to vote next month to legalize the recreational use of marijuana  dont, say the leaders of Missouris four Roman Catholic dioceses.

In an article published by the Catholic Missourian on Monday, the bishops, acting as officers of the Missouri Catholic Conference, raised concerns about the social costs of legalization and said voters should reject the plan.

We urge Catholics and all persons of good will to oppose Amendment 3, the bishops said, mentioning concerns about public health, marijuana use by minors and people unable to hold jobs.

Amendment 3, on the Nov. 8 ballot, would legalize possession and cultivation of marijuana for individuals 21 and older.

We believe that marijuana legalization will negatively impact Missouri families, health outcomes, communities and workers, the bishops said in a statement.

St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski, Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph James Johnston Jr., Bishop of Jefferson City W. Shawn McKnight, and Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau Edward Rice signed on to oppose Amendment 3.

Let me state this in the clearest terms possible: the problem of drug use is not solved with drugs, the pontiff said at a drug conference in Rome in 2014.

Roman Catholic leaders generally have condemned drug use and supported abstinence. Sometimes alcohol has been the target. For example, Pope Leo XIII in 1887 endorsed the temperance movement, encouraging the faithful to abstain from every kind of intoxicating drinks.

But many Catholic leaders declined to endorse legal prohibition. St. Louis Archbishop John Glennon, while criticizing the proliferation of saloons, opposed the 18th Amendment, which banned the production and sale of alcoholic beverages from 1920 until its repeal in 1933. Glennon, who died in 1946, led the church in St. Louis during the Prohibition era and later World War II.

Asked to differentiate between alcohol and marijuana, Jamie Morris, executive director of the Missouri Catholic Conference, said Wednesday there were obviously problems with alcoholism and drunken driving but that he didnt know if pointing to alcohol and saying well thats legal, so marijuana should be ... legalized is maybe the strongest of arguments.

The bishops really dont have a ... specific position on the legalization or criminalization of alcohol, Morris said, adding the question isnt before voters.

I think the purpose of the statement was really just to give undecided voters, or those who support the question because of increased tax revenues, points to consider of the greater social cost, Morris said.

Whether Missouris Catholics will follow the bishops call to oppose Amendment 3 is unclear.

On abortion, for example, Catholics hold varying views even though church leadership opposes the procedure.

Sixty-eight percent of regular churchgoers surveyed said they were opposed to abortion in most or all cases, according to a poll released in May by Pew Research. Those who attended Mass less often were less likely to support strict anti-abortion laws, with 34% of those respondents saying most or all abortions should be illegal.

According to the Missouri Catholic Conference, there are 754,325 registered Catholics within the four Missouri dioceses and approximately 490,000 within the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

A spokeswoman said there was no way to know how many active Catholics there are, but that the figures reflected people who have registered with their parish.

Proponents of Amendment 3 have said the proposed system is preferable to current law, in which marijuana use can carry criminal penalties.

John Payne, campaign manager for Legal Missouri 2022, has said Amendment 3 will free up law enforcement to focus on serious crime instead of making tens of thousands of arrests and citations annually for marijuana possession.

Amendment 3 creates a thorough system of regulation, which will protect public health and safety far better than our current illicit and unregulated system, he said.

A number of organizations have endorsed the plan, including the ACLU of Missouri, the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers as well as St. Louis-area chapters of the NAACP.

Other groups have either raised questions or have come out in opposition to the plan. The Missouri Democratic Party and the Missouri Libertarian Party are both staying neutral, citing issues with the wording of the proposal.

Republican Gov. Mike Parson has called the plan a disaster, and the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys said last week it opposes the ballot measure.

The prosecutors later walked back a claim their association made that people who sell marijuana to middle schoolers would only be cited with a civil penalty under Amendment 3, the Kansas City Star reported earlier this week.

If a simple majority of Missouri voters approve of Amendment 3, Missouri will become the 20th state to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan received today Ambassador of Switzerland to Armenia Lukas Rosenkranz, the Parliaments press service said.

The agendas of developing the inter-parliamentary relations between the two countries, as well as details relating to the upcoming visit of Swiss parliamentarians were discussed. The recent incursion of the Azerbaijani forces into Armenias sovereign territory and its consequences were also touched upon.

The need for the support of international partners in the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenias territory was emphasized.
JEFFERSON CITY  Republican Scott Fitzpatrick has vowed to audit Missouri school districts if elected as the states next auditor.

Previous auditors have audited schools to ensure against the waste of taxpayer money, but Fitzpatrick promises to go a step further if he prevails over Democrat Alan Green in the Nov. 8 election.

Fitzpatrick, currently the states treasurer, has pledged to use his power as auditor to audit school curriculum and has touted a plan to eradicate certain subject material from school districts.

Ill ensure schools are following the law and keeping politically divisive curriculum like Critical Race Theory, and discussions relating to gender or sexual preferences out of the classroom, Fitzpatrick wrote on his campaign website.

His promise on schools echoes hard-right conservative rhetoric surrounding Critical Race Theory, a college-level academic concept that examines the role of institutions in perpetuating racism. The academic theory is not widely taught in Missouris K-12 schools, but the phrase has become a shorthand among conservatives for any lesson that delves into systemic racisms role in U.S. history or politics.

Fitzpatricks plan to audit curriculum would represent a significant shift in the duties of state auditor. The position has historically been in charge of looking for waste, fraud and financial accountability in state agencies.

For example, current Auditor Nicole Galloway, Missouris lone Democratic statewide officeholder who is not seeking reelection, has issued 23 audit reports related to public school districts and charter schools since taking over the office in 2015. But Galloway has never audited a school over its curriculum, her office told The Star.

Some state legislators, lawyers and public school advocates worry that Fitzpatrick will use the auditors office  and school districts  to promote partisan politics.

They say his campaign rhetoric foreshadows a politician who will overstep his position in order to appeal to the conservative base. Some say theyve already seen rumblings of that during Fitzpatricks tenure as treasurer.

State Rep. Peter Meredith, a St. Louis Democrat, said Fitzpatricks plan would be an absolute abuse of power.

Audits for accountability and transparency are one thing, but the last thing our schools should be having to deal with right now is more political harassment from GOP statewide politicians, he said. Theyve got enough on their plates with underpaid teachers, staffing shortages and trying to help our kids get caught up after the last few difficult years  especially over curriculum and local issues that are none of the auditors business.

Fitzpatrick, for his part, has vowed not to use the office in a partisan manner if elected.

When you look at my record in the Legislature and as treasurer, I have challenged policies and positions of Republicans and Democrats, he said in a phone interview. Im equal opportunity when it comes to holding people accountable.

Green, Fitzpatricks Democratic opponent and a former state lawmaker, said he hasnt even considered auditing school districts over curriculum.

The auditor sets no policy, he said. So were talking about trying to change curriculum and put that iron thumb down there thats trying to change curriculum, change peoples minds  the auditor doesnt do any of that kind of stuff.

Fitzpatrick said that if the Legislature passes a law that bans certain curriculum, like Critical Race Theory, it would likely give him statutory authority to make sure schools are compliant with state law. Until then, he said, he would be able to audit schools for informational purposes if parents complain.

One of the jobs of the auditor is to look at money spent and, if moneys being wasted, to highlight that, he said. From my perspective, that type of curriculum is a waste of taxpayer money.

Supporters point to Fitzpatricks financial chops





Some supporters of Fitzpatrick point to his time in the Legislature  where he served as House Budget Chair in 2017 and 2018  and his current role of treasurer as indicators of his financial expertise and willingness to work across the aisle.

They say auditing schools over curriculum could be an avenue for the auditor to provide insight into the health of the states school districts and make recommendations.

Maybe hell propose some changes to statute, but for parents that are worried about this  just knowing that its happening might be something that is valuable to citizens, said James Harris, a Jefferson City-based GOP lobbyist. To know, is this occurring in my district or not?

Harris was adamant that Fitzpatricks campaign promise was not just election-season rhetoric to appeal to conservative voters.

Fitzpatrick supporters say that while they have questions about whether the auditor would be able to actually enforce any changes to curriculum, they support his message and campaign.

State Sen. Denny Hoskins, a Warrensburg Republican and certified public accountant, said that because teachings such as Critical Race Theory are not currently illegal, a curriculum audit would solely inform citizens whether a school is teaching it. Hoskins, however, said he plans to file legislation next year that would outlaw the concept.

Scotts definitely a go-getter and hes very knowledgeable about the taxpayer dollars that come into the state and where those go, he said. I believe that Scott will make an excellent auditor.

Heather Fleming, founder of Missouri Equity Education Partnership, a coalition of groups that has pushed back against the GOP-dominated Legislatures attempts to oversee school curriculum, said Republican lawmakers focus on Critical Race Theory is a wedge issue designed to instill fear in conservative voters.

But, she said, Fitzpatricks plan to audit curriculum would have an adverse impact on schools.

What this will look like is further damage to our schools and we might see larger numbers of teachers leaving if they are only allowed to teach from a propagandist perspective of history instead of teaching real history, she said. So theres just a lot that we have at stake and these individuals are running on platforms that would put our schools at further risk. We cant allow that and we will continue to fight against that.

Will Fitzpatrick politicize the office?





Fitzpatrick has made school district oversight one of his top priorities throughout his campaign. During a candidate forum in Lake Ozark last month and on his campaign website, the Republican treasurer said he is concerned about the large percentage of Missouri students who test below proficient or advanced in math and science.

He has promised to review school costs and compare the performance of Missouris schools with the amount of taxpayer money allocated to those schools. Prior to the Aug. 2 primary, Fitzpatrick told The Star that he thinks he would have the power to make sure school curriculum is not racially-charged  another reference to critical race theory.

I think the auditor has a role to play to make sure that kids arent being indoctrinated with the curriculum that theyre being taught, he said at the time.

State auditors have the authority to conduct financial and performance audits of school districts under Missouri law. Typically, those audits are related to a schools compliance with state law or financial record-keeping. For example, Galloway completed an audit of the Smithfield School District earlier this month and recommended the school improve its accounting controls and oversight.

The auditors constitutionally assigned job is to audit the finances of state agencies, state officials and, where appropriate, political subdivisions, said Jim Layton, a former Missouri solicitor general under Democratic Attorneys General Jay Nixon and Chris Koster. When they go beyond that to start addressing curriculum, that seems well outside the realm of whats appropriate for a state auditor to be doing.

Meredith, the St. Louis Democrat, said Fitzpatrick was detail-oriented and hard-working when they worked together in the Legislature. But he said hes seen the Republican treasurer shift to become more politically-driven.

What I dont want to start seeing is an auditor that uses their audits as a political weapon to go after entities or local governments or school districts that they have ideological disagreements with, said Meredith. Thats not what an auditor is supposed to do.

Fitzpatricks critics said he has already transformed the treasurers office in a similar fashion where last year he refused to sign off on money-saving bond deals with school districts unless they dropped their COVID-19 health precautions.

Hes already politicized the treasurers office and if he does win this race, he will certainly politicize the auditors office as well, state Rep. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Kansas City Democrat, said of Fitzpatrick. Thats my fear for him taking over this position.

State Rep. Doug Richey, an Excelsior Springs Republican, said he fully supports Fitzpatricks plan to make sure public money used in school districts is being appropriately managed. He said he did not know to what extent he would be able to audit curriculum, but he would support the idea.

Hes certainly responding to the very pronounced interest on the part of parents around the state to make sure that what their students are being taught is in keeping with the real purpose of public education, he said.

2022 The Kansas City Star. Visit kansascity.com.
JEFFERSON CITY  The campaign to legalize marijuana for recreational use announced support from the states largest labor organization on Thursday.

The Missouri AFL-CIO is backing Amendment 3, Legal Missouri 2022 said in a news release.

Legalizing marijuana for Missouri adults, while also automatically expunging past, nonviolent marijuana offenses is a huge step forward for criminal justice reform in Missouri, Jacob Hummel, president of the Missouri AFL-CIO, said in a statement.

Hummel, a former state senator from St. Louis, touted significant revenue expected for the states coffers as well as freeing up law enforcement to focus on fighting serious and violent crime in the unions endorsement.

We urge Missourians to support this common-sense proposal to make Missouri the 20th state to legalize marijuana for adult use, Hummel said.

Stephen Webber, political director for the Missouri AFL-CIO, said the unions executive board recommended endorsing Amendment 3 at the unions statewide convention in August.

Delegates to the convention then voted to endorse the plan, he said.

The AFL-CIO is only the latest organization to make its position known on Amendment 3.

St. Louis-area chapters of the NAACP, the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the ACLU of Missouri have backed the amendment.

The Missouri Democratic Party and the Missouri Libertarian Party are staying neutral.

And, the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and the states four Roman Catholic bishops are among opponents of the plan.

The program allows current medical marijuana companies to access full recreational licenses before others, which has generated opposition from legalization advocates who want a more open cannabis market.

Amendment 3 would legalize possession of 3 ounces of marijuana for individuals 21 and older.

The state would tax retail purchases at 6%, with revenue generated first going toward running the program and then to processing the expungements for past marijuana offenses.

State public defenders, nonprofits and agencies working on addiction treatment, as well as the Missouri Veterans Commission and allied state agencies, would receive the leftover money, according to the amendment.
SEATTLE  Researcher Beatriz Carlini clicks through a few local cannabis retailers websites before finding what shes looking for.

Her screen displays a yellow goo, similar in appearance to raw honey, or as the products marketing calls it, Cake Batter.

The substance is a highly concentrated form of cannabis called a dab, which is produced by extracting the psychoactive compound THC from cannabis plants. Its usually vaporized and inhaled using a device that looks similar to a bong, but often involves a blow torch.

Cake Batter is potent. Its label reads 65% THC.

But the products THC concentration is relatively low in the vast and legal world of highly potent products, or dabs, says Carlini, acting associate professor at the Addictions, Drug and Alcohol Institute at the University of Washington School of Medicine. While a typical cannabis flower averages around 20% THC, some dabs sold in Washington contain as much as 90%.

Such products are setting off alarm bells for physicians and a group of research scientists in the Pacific Northwest, who see the wide availability of dabs and other highly concentrated substances as a quiet but growing threat to public health, especially among young adults and teenagers. Lawmakers are considering new regulations, like a THC cap or higher tax on potent products. However, retailers and suppliers point out that these products are already illegal for those under 21. And they warn that bans or increasing taxes on certain products could spur the growth of an illegal market that would be significantly more difficult to monitor and control.

When cannabis was legalized for recreational use in Washington beginning in 2014, extracted cannabis, which includes concentrates, made up about 9% of the market. Concentrates now make up 35%, according to 2020 data from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.

This is a case of product development trumping science and trumping policy, Carlini said. Nobody was aware we were legalizing this.

Industry leaders dispute this, and say that a variety of products  including more potent ones  are part of the natural evolution of a market.

Those products were envisioned, said Burl Bryson, executive director at the Seattle-based nonprofit The Cannabis Alliance. In a mature market youre going to see an increased use of concentrates over flower.

Research on highly concentrated products  which are also referred to as wax, resin or shatter  is still limited in the U.S., primarily because the federal government strictly regulates cannabis research.

But scientists point to emerging evidence from studies in adults that link high-potency THC to an increased risk of experiencing psychosis  and a heightened risk of developing psychosis years earlier than would otherwise be expected in people at risk for the condition. Psychosis involves a loss of contact with reality, and symptoms can include delusions and hallucinations.

While its unclear how high-potency THC affects youths, especially long term, a large body of research links frequent cannabis use in youths to psychotic symptoms. Anecdotally, pediatricians here report an increasing number of teenagers in emergency rooms with psychotic episodes, disorientation and severe vomiting, called cannabis hyperemesis syndrome.

Whether such products should be further regulated  and how to do so  raises complex questions for policymakers.

So far, only Vermont and Connecticut included caps on high THC concentrations in their cannabis legalization bills  both at 60% THC. California is considering legislation requiring cannabis producers to include a label warning of potential mental health consequences and other risks.

If Washington moves to regulate THC concentrates, the state would become a testing ground for what happens when a state cracks down on the cannabis industry after legalization. In 2021, Carlini and a group of researchers received $500,000 from lawmakers to study potential regulatory measures; their report was due to the Washington State Health Care Authority on Sept. 30 and is expected to be released publicly at the end of December.

We would be the first state to do something after (the state) already created this open season, said Rep. Lauren Davis, D-Shoreline, who proposed two THC-cap bills that failed to get out of committee in recent legislative sessions; one bill suggested capping THC concentrates at 10%, the other suggested a 30% cap.

Davis, who describes the states cannabis industry as a failed experiment, said she intends to propose new legislation based on the researchers findings.

Time bomb

Researchers face an uphill messaging battle: Historically, the U.S. governments Reefer Madness misinformation campaign and the war on drugs sowed serious public doubt about anti-cannabis rhetoric.

But scientists warn that emerging data is worrisome.

A majority of teens in the Northwest dont use cannabis, but among those who do, they increasingly report use of dabs and other alternatives to smoking. According to Washingtons 2021 Healthy Youth Survey, about 33% of Washington 12th graders who use cannabis reported that they dabbed it. And in Oregon, the portion of youth who use cannabis and reported dabbing jumped from 26% to 36% from 2017-2019.

U.S. Poison Control Center data suggests cannabis-related calls are going up at a time when poison center calls are going down overall. When people called with cannabis-related concerns, they were more likely to call poison centers after using manufactured cannabis products such as dabs than after using plant-based cannabis.

When we hear a signal coming through poison centers, Im taking that very seriously because those signals are quieter than they used to be, said Julia Dilley, a UW epidemiologist, who presented the data at a September symposium that attracted more than 150 scientists and others.

Nearly everyone interviewed acknowledged that more research is needed on high-potency products and their link to mental health consequences in youth. Theres an inherent lag in understanding the relationship, since the factors that contribute to serious mental illnesses are many and can compound over years.

Existing studies dont include results from people using the types of high-potency products available now: The bulk of the research is in products containing about 10% THC per U.S. government research rules, points out Denise Walker, a clinical psychologist and research professor at UW. And no studies prove a direct causal link between high-potency THC and psychosis, primarily because an experiment in people that tests a direct relationship would be unethical.

This has been used by the industry as a reason to do nothing, Carlini said, but everything we have in hand sciencewise, right now, is indicating this is a time bomb.

Pediatricians say theyre already witnessing what happens when youth with little or no THC tolerance try extremely potent products. Some wind up having a psychotic episode or experiencing temporary cognitive impairment, like trouble with simple motor tasks, finding words or remembering something they were just told. Others whove built up a tolerance to high-THC products seek help after severe bouts of vomiting, dehydration and stomach pain, symptoms of CHS.

Are people really seeing this or are we just blowing smoke here? Im totally seeing it. I see it at least three or four times a week, said Dr. Cora Breuner, professor of pediatrics at UW and a physician at Seattle Childrens hospital, noting shes referring more youth for cannabis use disorder than she did five years ago, but that demand is now outpacing available resources.

At a 2021 state legislative hearing on the issue, Dr. Beth Ebel said some youths are so high when they arrive at the ER that they appear to have a traumatic brain injury.

Almost a third of the kids 12 and up that I take care of in the trauma center have cannabis involved in their injury, said Ebel, a pediatrician at Harborview.

What happens now?

The question of how to address concentrates comes down to whether state regulations would embolden a more dangerous black market. Policymakers are weighing several options, including raising age limits or marketing restrictions on high-potency products, charging higher taxes, adding THC caps and launching more robust public health awareness campaigns.

Industry and consumer experts vigorously campaigned against Davis THC cap proposals and continue to argue that new restrictions will lead to worse public health outcomes as unregulated products may contain pesticides or dangerous additives.

(Our) top priority is a safe and quality-controlled marketplace that works to keep products away from kids, Vicki Christophersen, executive director and lobbyist for Washington CannaBusiness Association, which represents producers and retailers across the state, wrote to The Seattle Times. A return to prohibition policies is a threat to an open, transparent sector and inadvertently supports the illicit market, which operates in the dark.

Ramsey Doudar, who works at a cannabis dispensary and leads a consumer advocacy group called Patients and Users for Reasonable Cannabis Policy, said retailers already enforce strict rules that keep people under 21 from purchasing cannabis.

The next step is using some of that billion dollars of tax revenue (generated by the cannabis industry) to focus on education and prevention, he said. Adults should be held accountable when they give or sell cannabis to minors, he added.

Because this is new territory for policymakers, theres enormous uncertainty about the right approach, said Jonathan Caulkins, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh whos analyzed Washingtons cannabis market in collaboration with the nonprofit RAND.

If the state decides to regulate, it should start small, until we find out what kind of restrictions can be pulled off without creating an illegal market, he said. And thats in part finding out whether or not the Washington state government has the backbone to enforce a prohibition.
The FBI says a Mexican man fatally shot at a U.S. Border Patrol station in Texas had grabbed an edged weapon and was advancing toward agents when they opened fire. Thirty-three-year-old Manuel Gonzalez-Moran died at an El Paso hospital Tuesday after he was shot by Border Patrol agents. The FBI says Moran was taken into custody at the Ysleta Border Patrol Station for reentering the country illegally. The FBI says agents first used a stun gun on Moran after he charged out of a holding cell and eventually opened fire. Moran was released on parole earlier this year and deported after serving 11 years in prison in Colorado. He had been convicted in 2011 in Pueblo, Colorado, of assault with a deadly weapon resulting in serious bodily injury.
Its an article of various faiths  both secular and religious  that misunderstanding is the cause of conflict.

This sort of insight is generally true for individuals, so its often considered equally true of nations. Hence vast amounts of antiwar activism and state-level diplomacy rest on the assumption that nations are like people and if we can just get adversaries to talk to each other, and thereby to understand each others perspective, the bloodshed will end or be avoided in the first place.

The only problem: Its not true.

Consider the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to Vladimir Putin, Ukrainians are Russians. Hes long insisted that they are one people. He issued a 5,000-word manifesto on this theme in 2021. I have only revulsion for Putins criminal invasion of Ukraine, but Ukraine and Russia do have a deeply intertwined past. That connection doesnt justify Putins attempted annexation of Ukraine any more than it would justify Ukraine in attempting to annex Russia. But it does illuminate how mutual understanding isnt a safeguard against war.

Pakistanis and Indians, Israelis and Palestinians, Irish Catholics and Protestants, Serbs and Croats, Hutus and Tutsis, and nearly every other warring group you can think of do not lack for understanding of each other.

Sigmund Freud coined the term narcissism of small differences to describe the phenomenon. It is precisely the minor differences in people who are otherwise alike that form the basis of feelings of hostility between them.

In his book, Bloodlust, Russell Jacoby recounts how civil wars are usually crueler and bloodier than wars between external enemies. In the American Civil War, North and South understood each other very well. Brothers, both literally and figuratively, fought each other. Mutual understanding fueled anger rather than dampen it because mutual understanding illuminates the sense of betrayal, even heresy.

Understanding the limits of understanding is essential because if you believe talking is the only solution to conflict (and not merely the most preferable one), your opponent will use talk solely to distract or delay.

More importantly, this view often fosters sympathy or even support for bad actors on the assumption that theyve been unfairly misunderstood  and that America is to blame for foolishly provoking them.

Its amazing how some people feel that merely describing our adversaries motives is a justification for their actions. By confusing explanations for excuses  Putin feels surrounded. Iran wants a nuke to protect its regime.  this perspective often puts all of the blame for tensions or conflict on America or the West.

Ive made this point many times before, usually as a critique of left-leaning opponents of American foreign policy who insisted that all tensions stemmed from our misunderstanding of our adversaries.

Theres still a lot of that on the left, but its now a much more bipartisan affair, with many on the right insisting that we are being provocative by aiding Ukraine.

To listen to some critics of American support for Ukraine, Putin is less a human being with the ability to make decisions and more like a force of nature or a wild animal. Like a grizzly bear that  understandably  mauls someone who teases it, Putin is just doing what he must, like some Aesopian creature.

The rights newfound fondness for Putin and its (in Jeanne Kirkpatricks memorable phrase) blame America first mindset (much like the old Cold War left-wing versions) has much to do with ideological commitments that only tangentially have to do with foreign policy.

For many on the nationalist right, Putin plays the same role Fidel Castro did for the socialist left  an avatar for a wholesale critique of America. They like him because Putin is strong, anti-gay, anti-woke and a Christian nationalist.

The hitch to all of this is that their understanding of Putin is little more than a fantasy. The mastery and competence his fans once celebrated is now a joke. Some 60,000 Russians have died in Ukraine since February  roughly four times the number of casualties in the decade-long Soviet invasion of Afghanistan  and more Russians have tried to flee the country to avoid fighting in this criminally stupid war than have been deployed to Ukraine.

Obviously, we have to take nuclear threats from a sociopath seriously. But Putin is counting on his belief that America and the West is weak and decadent to save him from a disaster of his own making. The last thing we should do is act like he understands us better than we understand ourselves.

Jonah Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch and the host of The Remnant podcast. On Twitter: @JonahDispatch
The Republican nominee for Missouri auditor says that, if elected, he will use the office  which is tasked with addressing fiscal issues within government, period  to review school classroom curriculum in search of right-wing bogeymen like critical race theory. In essence, candidate Scott Fitzpatrick is vowing to politicize his office in service to culture-war ideological tropes, as state Attorney General Eric Schmitt has already done. Missourians of any party who care about competent governance should forcefully reject this partisan abuse of tax-funded offices.

Incumbent Auditor Nicole Galloway, a Democrat who isnt seeking reelection, is a certified public accountant, which isnt legally required for the job but which some have argued should be. Neither Fitzpatrick (currently Missouris state treasurer) nor his Democratic opponent, former state Rep. Alan Green, is a CPA. But of the two, Fitzpatrick appears to have a unique lack of understanding about what the position is supposed to entail.

Among the state auditors duties, according to the Missouri Constitution, is to establish appropriate systems of accounting for all public officials, to supervise budget systems for political subdivisions of the state, and to conduct financial audits and reports regarding state and local finances.

The section also specifies what isnt the auditors job: Anything that is not related to the supervising and auditing of the receipt and expenditure of public funds.

Try and reconcile that with the section of Fitzpatricks campaign website titled School District Oversight. The auditors office does indeed have the authority to audit the finances of school districts; Galloway has issued more than 20 such audits. But the key word there is finances, which is the whole point of the office. Fitzpatrick vows to increase such audits, but he also vows to ensure schools are keeping politically divisive curriculum like Critical Race Theory, and discussions relating to gender or sexual preferences out of the classroom.

Critical race theory is an advanced academic concept used in law schools to study institutional racism. It isnt generally taught in Missouri grade schools or high schools. But thats irrelevant, since the current conservative fixation on the term is a mere dog-whistle reference to any classroom discussion of race and racial discrimination or inequality. Ditto with gender and sexual preference, familiar obsessions designed to torque up the base.

But more to the point: What does any of this have to do with fiscal accountability in government? Nothing. Just like suing China and doing photo ops on the southern border has nothing to do with state legal issues, yet that hasnt stopped Schmitt from pulling those and other stunts in hopes of capturing some MAGA magic for his U.S. Senate campaign. How refreshing it would be if these and other elected Missouri Republicans would actually do their jobs, instead of cynically using their offices as soapboxes to pander to their angriest voters.
Regarding "St. Marys, Rosati-Kain high schools in St. Louis to close in Catholic downsizing" (Sept. 28): When grappling with the closure of historic Catholic schools in St. Louis due to declining enrollment, one possible solution may be school choice policies championed by the Missouri General Assembly. The MO Scholars program provides scholarships to help students attend private schools.

St. Louis-area families may qualify for a $6,375 scholarship if their child has an Individualized Education Plan or it's a household that qualifies for up to 200% of the free and reduced lunch program.

This could be the magic bullet that can help with declining Catholic school attendance. Gone are the days when a quality private education is reserved only for those with means. St. Marys yearly tuition would have been almost completely covered under this scholarship program. Similar programs have worked in other states.

Plus, people can donate to the MO Scholars program and receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for the donation. Simply put, people can give their taxes to the government, or they can donate money to an Educational Assistance Organization and change kids' lives by giving them the ability to receive a Catholic education.

Jean Evans  Manchester
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The DNA identification process of the remains or bodies of fallen troops in the latest Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia is still ongoing, healthcare minister Anahit Avanesyan told reporters.

She said the health authorities have sufficient capacity for the DNA identification process and they dont require assistance in the form of cooperation with foreign facilities.

Avanesyan did not disclose the exact number of bodies which are yet to be identified.

The examinations are still in process, she said.
Chinese leaders are watching the Russian and Ukrainian military performance during the current war with great interest and growing alarm. Thats because current Chinese armed forces are closer to what Russia is using than to the Ukraines, which China would like to emulate. That would be difficult because of Chinas politics and endemic corruption.

For most of this new century China's leaders have complained about the state of their armed forces. The critics include many irate generals and admirals. Increasingly the complaints are published, so that everyone knows the problem is still seeking solutions. Initially these complaints were confined to private meetings, but so many people attend these meetings that details eventually get out to the general public. Since these leaks do not represent official policy, they do not get repeated in the Chinese media, and foreign media tends to ignore it as well. It's more profitable for the foreign media to portray the Chinese military as scary.

The truth, as Chinese leaders describe it, is more depressing. It's all about corruption among the military leadership and low standards for training and discipline. In short, Chinese military power is more fraud than fact and three decades of trying to change that have not produced as much change as befits the most technologically advanced and well-equipped military China has ever produced. Corruption has been reduced, mainly through the use of unannounced audits by anti-corruption organizations that have been kept clean, so far. These audits continue to find a lot of theft and other misbehavior.

Some improvements come from ordering ships to stay at sea for long periods, which is the customary way to develop effective crews. Same with modern aircraft, which are built to be used a lot in peacetime so the pilots can develop flying skills. While Chinese pilots enjoy all this extra time in the air, their sailors are not happy about spending weeks or months at sea per voyage. The ground forces are the focus of most criticism because commanders can appear capable just by training the troops to look good during basic drills and paying attention to keeping the new equipment clean and presentable.

Government investigators continue to find ground units that report they are well trained to operate all their modern equipment, while the reality is that commanders dont employ realistic training, especially the kind that might injure troops or result in damaged equipment. History shows the more you sweat in peace the less you bleed in war. History also shows that peacetime commanders have to be pushed to practice this because peacetime soldiering has always been more about appearance than wartime reality.

Its not for want of trying to improve. Since the 1990s China has been undergoing a major military buildup and frequent equipment, organizational and training upgrades. There have been several generations of this since the 1960s. All have failed. Why should the current efforts be any different? The earlier efforts failed because of growing corruption and loss of military spirit.

Most people can understand the role of corruption. Military spirit is another matter, but as successful generals and military historians have noted for centuries, the warlike attitudes of an army make more difference than the quality of their weapons. It wasn't always this way. The People's Liberation Army (PLA), as China's armed forces are known, was forced to win or die from the 1920s to 1949, as it fought a civil war with the Nationalists while also resisting a Japanese invasion. The PLA was basically an infantry army which developed innovative tactics and leadership methods that defeated the Western supported Nationalists and fought the American army to a bloody standstill in the 1950-53 Korean War. The original PLA was forged in an atmosphere where failure was not an option. Currently getting rich, or simply looking good to get promoted, is more important than fighting skills because there's no one to fight and much wealth to be had.

After the Korean War the traditional PLA values began to fade. The senior members of the PLA had been campaigning for twenty to thirty years and they were tired. China was in ruins and had to be rebuilt. To make matters worse the communists then spent the next twenty years indulging in disastrous economic and political experiments. In the mid-1970s, the Chinese communists finally got down to business and introduced economic reforms that are still underway. But reforms in the military were not so easily implemented.

Then theres the political angle. The PLA was always seen as the basic enforcer of communist rule in China. The Communist Party wanted one thing above all from the PLA: loyalty. Everything else was secondary. This included military capability and fiscal responsibility. Until the 1990s the government was also short of cash most of the time. There was not much money for the military. What cash was on hand for defense went into things like nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and warplanes. Generals were allowed to fend for themselves. Units had farmland and grew their own food. Other soldiers worked in factories to produce weapons and equipment. This didn't leave much time for training, and a lot of the spare time available went to political indoctrination. Above all, the troops must be kept loyal to the Chinese Communist party. The results of all of this were predictable. For example, when China fought a short war with the combat-experienced Vietnamese in 1979, Chinese losses were enormous and the performance of the troops obviously poor. The Chinese soldiers were brave. They rushed forward and died by the thousands. The soldiers were not trained and their leaders knew little of battlefield management. The military still needed reform going into the 1980s but did not get it.

China went through an enormous economic boom starting in the 1980s. The communists held on to political power but allowed great economic freedom. It was now OK to get rich and the head of the Communist Party (and thus the country) said so, repeatedly and in public. The military took advantage of this. The military factories that had previously supplied military needs now began producing consumer goods and weapons for a booming export market. It wasn't until the late 1990s that the government forced the military to pay more attention to their primary job. Officers were ordered to get rid of their business interests. There was a lot of grumbling but by and large everyone complied.

More money was allocated to new weapons, including the latest warplanes and missiles from Russia and building new things like aircraft carriers. But this did not mean that the PLA was going to become more effective. There had been several attempts to introduce new weapons and new ideas since the 1970s. All had failed to improve combat abilities because of corruption. Money disappeared and little was spent on actually training the troops to use the new high-tech stuff or providing funds to maintain it.

Going into the 21st century China was still a paper dragon. They have an impressive arsenal of weapons, which are often long on quantity and short on quality. The troops are still spending a lot of time doing non-military tasks. Moreover, the economic boom in China rendered a military career a less attractive choice for talented young men.

Despite that, things were changing this time. The lessons of the past finally caught up with the military leadership. The most obvious evidence of this is the change in pilot training. For decades pilots got little air time. This reduced the wear and tear on the aircraft, making it cheaper to maintain a large number of warplanes. What this produced was a large number of ill-trained pilots flying second rate aircraft. Such a force is usually cut to pieces by a better trained opponent. That happened time and again to everyone from 1941 on. China then tried the other approach favored by Western air forces. PLA pilots were officially required to fly over a hundred hours per year. There was such enthusiasm for developing competent pilots that most squadrons scrounge up the money to fly their pilots more than the new minimum. Front line units, like those on the Taiwan strait, get even more and some have pilots in the air for over 200 hours a year. This is more than Taiwanese pilots fly and explains why the Taiwanese are so eager to upgrade their air defenses. Yet, at the same time some squadrons do not fly all that much, and the reason is usually that senior officers have stolen the money allocated for all that flight time.

The paper dragon is trying to sharpen its claws, putting on some muscle and learning how to fight. China now has thousands of modern warplanes, a growing fleet of modern warships, and modern equipment for many of its ground troops. But there are still a lot of corrupt or incompetent officers at all levels. It's not just the stealing, it's also the many officers who don't make the extra effort. There's also a lack of recent combat experience, which eliminates the possibility of getting the best officers promoted and the worst ones killed off or pushed to the side. While this mess is recognized by the senior political leadership, the public image the state-controlled media puts out there is that Chinas armed forces are ready for anything and capable of handling any foe. You can get away with that kind of propaganda in peacetime but once these troops go into combat it all falls apart. Keep that in mind the next time China rattles its saber because the Chinese leaders are.

This is especially true when it comes to taking Taiwan by force. The Ukraine War demonstrated the importance of motivation and morale. The Taiwanese identify with the Ukrainians while the Chinese note that they, like Russia, are basically police state dictatorships while Ukraine and Taiwan are democracies that are highly motivated to innovate and fight to preserve their way of life. China would also suffer more from any economic problems an attack on Taiwan would lead to. Taiwanese leaders are also watching the Ukraine War intently and have already made it clear they identify with the Ukrainians. That meant Taiwan again sought to establish diplomatic relations with Ukraine. Since the end of the Cold War Taiwan had been seeking to establish diplomatic and other relations with Ukraine. Until recently Ukraine tried to work with China. That did not work out and when Russian invaded, China sided with Russia while Ukraine sent more and more economic and medical aid. Taiwan also obeyed economic sanctions against Russia, and sold Ukraine nearly a thousand specialized UAVs via a trade contact in Poland. Plus Taiwan offers aid for reconstruction once the war is over, including establishment of hospitals in Ukraine and much more. By August Ukrainian officials were visiting Taiwan to discuss improved diplomatic, military and economic relationships. The Ukrainians were also shown Taiwans preparations to resist an attack by China. Most Western nations, including NATO members, recognize only China diplomatically (as part of the One China policy) but a growing number of them defy Chinese threats and do business with China and Taiwan. Most Ukrainians would prefer to recognize Taiwan diplomatically and assist them in improving their defenses against a Chinese invasion.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 6, 2022 / Gemina Laboratories Ltd. (CSEGLAB)(FRA:8I7) (the "Company" or "Gemina") is pleased to announce that it has entered into agreement with International Point of Care, Inc ("IPOC"), for the manufacturing of its Legio XTM COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test (the "Legio XTM Test"). The agreements signed today include both a Manufacturing and Supply Agreement and a License Agreement setting out the terms upon which IPOC will manufacture the Legio XTM Test in Canada to satisfy demand from distributors in CE Mark eligible jurisdictions.

The agreements entered into today build on the successful partnership between IPOC and Gemina that commenced in 2021. To date, IPOC has provided contract services to Gemina throughout the transfer to manufacturing phase of the Legio XTM Test's development, which were necessary precursors to the granting of the Test's CE Mark and its commercial product launch. In a strong show of confidence in the Legio XTM Test, IPOC has offered to defer $500,000 of invoicing costs, covering the final stages of product validation. The $500,000 deferral may be repaid to IPOC from Gemina's share of product revenues. Alternatively, IPOC has the ability to convert any outstanding portion of the $500,000 into common shares of Gemina at a conversion price of $0.60 per share.

"A huge amount of scientific and product development work has occurred to take us to where we are today," commented Brian Firth, Gemina's CEO. "The partnership has been a great success and as a result we now find ourselves in a position to bring a high performing, price competitive product to the international market. IPOC's deferral of $500,000 is quite unique in my experience and is a sign of IPOC's belief in the Legio XTM Test and the long-term future of Gemina and our chemistry platform. With today's agreements now in place, our focus shifts to achieving our initial product launch in the near future."

Garth Styba, President of IPOC, stated "It's absolutely wonderful to be on the brink of scale manufacturing with Gemina. The combined IPOC and Gemina teams have achieved something truly impressive - converting a new chemistry for diagnostics into a regulated, marketable product in just one year. We think the Gemina technology is a game-changer in our industry - it's been really exciting to have been involved with this team and technology from the beginning."

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

John Davies

Chairman

Gemina Laboratories Ltd.

About IPOC

International Point of Care is a leading Canadian company that develops, manufactures and supplies unique biological reagents, raw materials, and lateral flow components for the in-vitro diagnostic industry and the research and development community.

About Gemina Laboratories Ltd.

Gemina Labs is a biosensor and diagnostic company with a transformative, patented, proprietary chemistry that powers next-generation testing platforms for a wide range of pathogens that affect human health and wellness. Our technology drives testing platforms that are fast, affordable and accurate, and easily self-administered. Our development pipeline includes platforms for the rapid testing of COVID-19, influenza and other viruses. Additional information on the Company can be found at www.geminalabs.com.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this Release.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release includes forward-looking information and statements, which may include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding or inferring the future business, operations, financial performance, prospects, and other plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Company. Such statements include statements regarding the anticipated terms of any proposed transaction or engagement. Information and statements which are not purely historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information and statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information and statements herein. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking information and statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such information and statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking information and statements. Furthermore, the Company is presently unable to fully quantify the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic will have on its operations and recognizes that certain eventualities may affect planned or assumed performance moving forward. As such, any forward-looking information and statements herein are made as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information and statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward looking information and statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.

For more information regrading the Company, please contact:

James Tansey

Telephone: 604-562-4546

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Gemina Laboratories Ltd.

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Significant New Oxide-Hosted Mineralisation Intersected in Footwall of MC Prospect

PERTH, AUSTRALIA and VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 5, 2022 / Sarama Resources Ltd. ("Sarama" or the "Company") (ASX:SRR), (TSXV:SWA) is pleased to announce that exploration drilling at its 100%-owned(4) Sanutura Project (the "Project") has intersected new mineralisation in the footwall region of the MC Prospect. The mineralisation is located near-surface in oxide material outside the current Mineral Resource and has potential to enhance open pit stripping ratios in any eventual mine development. Sarama intends to pursue further growth in these areas in upcoming drill programs.

The reported drilling totals 2,200m and represents the fourth area of new mineralisation discovered in the ongoing +50,000m program, which has been designed to increase the oxide component of the Project's 0.6Moz Au (Indicated) plus 2.3Moz Au (Inferred)(1) Mineral Resource.

Highlights

Shallow, new mineralisation discovered in footwall of the MC Prospect , presents multiple new exploration targets proximal to the current Mineral Resource

, presents multiple new exploration targets proximal to the current Mineral Resource Highlighted downhole intersections in oxide material from new assays include: 17m @ 2.00g/t Au from 29m in TAA213 (hole ended in mineralisation); 23m @ 1.38g/t Au from 15m in TAA227 (including 7m @ 2.51g/t Au); 14m @ 2.16g/t Au from 32m in TAA226 (including 5m @ 5.30g/t Au); 17m @ 1.40g/t Au from 43m in TAA290 (including 5m @ 2.47g/t Au & hole ended in mineralisation); 15m @ 1.51g/t Au from 36m in TAA210; and 19m @ 1.00g/t Au from 35m in TAR061 (hole ended in mineralisation)

Intersections are in shallow, oxide material with high potential to add to the oxide and transition component of the Mineral Resource, currently standing at 0.2Moz Au (Indicated) plus 0.8Moz Au (Inferred) (2)

with high potential to add to the oxide and transition component of the Mineral Resource, currently standing at (Indicated) plus (Inferred) Identification of new mineralisation in close proximity to existing Mineral Resource has potential to enhance open pit stripping ratios in any eventual mine development

has potential to in any eventual mine development Results continue to highlight the scope for significant new discoveries close to known mineralisation

Further assays pending from Q2/Q3 2022 drill program - to be released as they come to hand and follow-up drilling, including greenfields exploration drilling, expected to commence in Q4 2022

Sarama's President, CEO & MD, Andrew Dinning commented:

"These most recent results continue to support our thesis that there is significant potential to discover major new zones between and adjacent to areas of known mineralisation and they represent the fourth such area to be discovered in the current drill program. Importantly, the drilling has intersected significant mineralisation in the lightly-tested footwall of the MC Prospect and presents compelling targets to add to a growing list which we are eager to follow-up in the next drill season."

Figure 1 -Tankoro Deposit Location Plan - Continued Exploration Success for Oxide Targets

A Growth-Oriented Drill Program in Oxide Material

Drilling Intersects Significant New Mineralisation in Footwall of MC Prospect

Results are being reported (refer Appendix A) for approximately 2,000m (35 holes) of aircore ("AC") and 200m (3 holes) reverse-circulation ("RC") drilling undertaken in Q2/Q3 2022 at the MC Prospect (refer Figures 1 & 2). The drilling targeted the near-surface oxide horizon to a depth of approximately 50m and highlighted downhole intersections include:

17m @ 2.00g/t Au from 29m in TAA213 (hole ended in mineralisation);

from 29m in TAA213 (hole ended in mineralisation); 23m @ 1.38g/t Au from 15m in TAA227 (including 7m @ 2.51g/t Au);

from 15m in TAA227 (including 7m @ 2.51g/t Au); 14m @ 2.16g/t Au from 32m in TAA226 (including 5m @ 5.30g/t Au);

from 32m in TAA226 (including 5m @ 5.30g/t Au); 17m @ 1.40g/t Au from 43m in TAA290 (including 5m @ 2.47g/t Au & hole ended in mineralisation);

from 43m in TAA290 (including 5m @ 2.47g/t Au & hole ended in mineralisation); 15m @ 1.51g/t Au from 36m in TAA210; and

from 36m in TAA210; and 19m @ 1.00g/t Au from 35m in TAR061 (hole ended in mineralisation).

Figure 2 -MC Prospect - Drilling & Mineralisation Plan

The drilling program targeted certain sections of the MC Prospect over a zone extending for approximately 2.8km along strike and had multiple objectives; testing for strike and dip extensions to lodes contributing to the current Mineral Resource and follow-up of isolated and unmodelled intersections encountered in previous exploration drilling.

While the MC Prospect has been the subject of significant historical drilling and currently contributes approximately 20% to the Project's 0.6Moz Au (Indicated) plus 2.3Moz Au (Inferred)(1) Mineral Resource, considerable exploration potential remains as demonstrated by the recent drilling.

The recent drilling successfully intersected new gold mineralisation outside the current Mineral Resource in 3 key areas (refer Figures 2-5). This new mineralisation is generally located in the footwall of the modelled lode package that forms the MC Prospect and highlights the potential for future growth around the eastern limit of drill coverage of the mineralised corridor.

Further drilling is planned to delineate the extent and geometry of mineralisation, including areas where several holes ended in strong mineralisation; 4m @ 4.30g/t Au (from 46m in TAA378), 6m @ 1.74g/t Au (from 60m in TAA213), 17m @ 1.40g/t Au (from 43m in TAA290) and 19m @ 1.00g/t Au (from 35m in TAR061) which illustrates the potential for further gold mineralisation to be discovered.

In general, the intersections are near-surface in the highly-weathered horizon and are likely associated with splays and separate lodes (originally quartz-feldspar and quartz vein in composition) within close proximity to existing modelled gold mineralisation. This has the potential to significantly enhance open pit stripping ratios in the specific regions and the Company is keen to develop its exploration model further to target this high-value material.

Drilling is currently paused until the end of the wet season in Q4 2022. The Company is currently interpreting results and incorporating these in its planning for further drilling of its highest priority targets around the Mineral Resource, including at these encouraging new locations, early in the next field season. A number of regional exploration targets will also be tested in the upcoming programs.

Figure 3 -Cross Section A-A' (Looking NNE)

Figure 4 -Cross Section B-B' (Looking NNE)

Figure 5 -Cross Section C-C' (Looking NNE)

An Already Large Mineral Resource with Potential to Grow

The Company's primary focus is its 100%-owned(4) Sanutura Project, which hosts a large Mineral Resource of 0.6Moz Au (Indicated) plus 2.3Moz Au (Inferred)(1) and covers an area of 1,420km2. The Project occupies a commanding position along 70km of strike in the prolific Hound Belt (refer Figure 6); Burkina Faso's pre-eminent gold belt.

The Project lies 60km south of Endeavour Mining's Hounde Mine (5Moz Au); 120km south of Fortuna Silver's high-grade Yaramoko Mine (1Moz Au), and 140km south of Endeavour Mining's Mana Mine (5Moz Au), highlighting the significant gold endowment of the Hounde Belt (refer Appendix B). Endeavour Mining's Bantou Project (1.5Moz Au Inferred Mineral Resource(5)) is located only 6km from the bulk of the Sanutura Project's main deposit, which illustrates the gold camp scale of endowment in the immediate area.

The Project has significant growth potential and the primary objective of the current +50,000m drill program is to increase the existing 0.2Moz Au (Indicated) plus 0.8Moz Au (Inferred)(2) oxide and transition component of the Project's Mineral Resource to enhance the economics of mine development.

The recent drill program has generally focused on shallow additional and extensional targets throughout the well-mineralised corridor, where mineralisation has been drill-defined for a semi-continuous strike length of 16km and where potential exists to expand the Mineral Resource at shallow depths in oxide material.

Figure 6 -Sanutura Project Location Plan

Appendices

To access the appendices referred to in this announcement please click on the links below

Appendix A: Summary of Recently Drilled Results

https://saramaresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/221006-appendix-a-summary-of-recently-returned-drill-results.pdf

Appendix B: References to Previous ASX Disclosure

https://saramaresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/221006-appendix-b-references-to-previous-asx-disclosure.pdf

Appendix C: JORC Code (2012 Edition) - Table 1 Information

https://saramaresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/221006-appendix-c-jorc-code-2012-edition-table-1-information.pdf

For further information, please contact:

Company Activities Media Enquiries Andrew Dinning or Paul Schmiede Angela East Media & Capital Partners e: [email protected] t: +61 8 9363 7600 e: [email protected] t: +61 428 432 025

ABOUT SARAMA RESOURCES LTD

Sarama Resources Ltd (ASX:SRR, TSX-V:SWA) is a West African focused gold explorer/developer with substantial landholdings in south-west Burkina Faso. Sarama is focused on maximising the value of its strategic assets and advancing its key projects towards development.

Sarama's 100%-owned(4) Sanutura Project is principally located within the prolific Hounde Greenstone Belt in south-west Burkina Faso and is the exploration and development focus of the Company. The Project hosts the Tankoro and Bondi Deposits which have a combined Mineral Resource of 0.6Moz gold (Indicated) plus 2.3Moz gold (Inferred)(1).

Together, the deposits present a potential mine development opportunity featuring an initial, long-life CIL project which may be established and paid for by the significant oxide Mineral Resource base.

Sarama has built further optionality into its portfolio including an approximate 470km exploration position in the highly prospective Banfora Belt in south-western Burkina Faso. The Koumandara Project hosts several regional-scale structural features and trends of gold-in-soil anomalism extending for over 25km along strike.

Sarama also holds an approximate 18% participating interest in the Karankasso Project Joint Venture ("JV") which is situated adjacent to the Company's Sanutura Project in Burkina Faso and is a JV between Sarama and Endeavour Mining Corp ("Endeavour") in which Endeavour is the operator of the JV. In February 2020, an updated Mineral Resource estimate of 709koz gold(3) was declared for the Karankasso Project JV.

The Company's Board and management team have a proven track record in Africa and a strong history in the discovery and development of large-scale gold deposits. Sarama is well positioned to build on its current success with a sound strategy to surface and maximise the value of its property portfolio.

FOOTNOTES

Mineral Resource estimate for Sanutura Project - 9.4Mt @ 1.9g/t Au for 0.6Moz Au (Indicated) plus 52.7Mt @ 1.4g/t Au for 2.3Moz (Inferred), reported at cut-off grades ranging 0.2-1.6g/t Au, reflecting the mining methods and processing flowsheets assumed to assess the likelihood of the Mineral Resources to have reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction. The effective date of the Company's Mineral Resource estimate is 16 November 2021. For further information regarding the Mineral Resource estimate refer to the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report Sanutura Project, South-West Burkina Faso", dated 7 February 2022 and prepared by Paul Schmiede, Rindra Le Grange and Fred Kock, and the Company's ASX Prospectus dated 11 March 2022. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama. Ms Le Grange and Mr Kock are employees of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and Orway Mineral Consultants Pty Ltd respectivley and are considered to be independent of Sarama. The technical report is available under Sarama's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and the ASX Prospectus is available under Sarama's profile on ASX at www.asx.com.au. Oxide & transition component of the Mineral Resource for Sanutura Project - 3.2Mt @ 1.6g/t Au for 0.2Moz Au (Indicated) plus 23.4Mt @ 1.1g/t Au for 0.8Moz Au (Inferred), reported above cut-off grades of 0.2g/t Au and 0.3g/t Au for oxide and transition material respectively. Mineral Resource estimate for Karankasso Project - 12.74Mt @ 1.73g/t Au for 709koz Au (effective date of December 31, 2019), disclosed on 24 February 2020 by Semafo Inc ("Semafo", since acquired by Endeavour Mining Corp. "Endeavour"). For further information regarding that Mineral Resource estimate, refer to the news release "Semafo: Bantou Project Inferred Resources Increase to 2.2Moz" dated 24 February 2020 and Semafo: Bantou Project NI43-101 Technical Report - Mineral Resource Estimate" dated 3 April 2020 and the Company's ASX Prospectus dated 11 March 2022. The news release and technical report are available under Semafo's and Endeavour's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and the ASX Prospectus is available under Sarama's profile on ASX at www.asx.com.au. The Mineral Resource estimate was fully prepared by, or under the supervision of Semafo. Sarama has not independently verified Semafo's mineral Resource Estimate and takes no responsibility for its accuracy. Semafo, and now Endeavour, is the operator of the Karankasso Project JV and Sarama is relying on their Qualified Persons' assurance of the validity of the Mineral Resource estimate. Additional technical work has been undertaken on the Karankasso Project since the effective date but Sarama is not in a position to quantify the impact of this additional work on the Mineral Resource estimate referred to above. The Government of Burkina Faso has processed the requisite documents to facilitate the grant of the new, full-term Tankoro 2 and Djarkadougou 2 Exploration Permits (the "Permits") and subsequently issued the invitation to pay the permit issuance fees (the "Fees") and the Fees were paid within the requisite 10-day timeline. Following the payment of the Fee, the issuance of the Permit's arrete and related paperwork becomes an administrative process during which time the Company may undertake work on the Tankoro 2 and Djarkadougou 2 Properties. The Company expects the arretes and related paperwork to be issued in due course. The properties, hosting the Tankoro and Bondi Deposits respectively, were formerly known as Tankoro and Djarkadougou, but have been renamed as part of the process of re-issuing the respective Permits. Endeavour Mining's Bantou Project Mineral Resource - 38.4Mt @ 1.2g/t Au for 1.5Moz Au (Inferred). This is the aggregate of the Mineral Resource listing for the Bantou and Bantou Nord Deposits which are located within the Bantou Project. Data is sourced from Semafo: Bantou Project NI43-101 Technical Report - Mineral Resource Estimate" dated 3 April 2020. The technical report are available under Endeavour's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

Information in this news release that is not a statement of historical fact constitutes forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the Company's future exploration and development plans, the potential for the Sanutura and Karankasso Projects to host economic mineralisation, the potential to expand the existing estimated Mineral Resources at the Sanutura Project (including the present oxide and transition component), the potential to extend and add to existing mineralisation at the MC Prospect, , the potential for development of a mine at the Sanutura Project, the potential for the receipt of regulatory approvals and the timing and prospects for the issuance of the arretes for the Tankoro 2 and Djarkadougou 2 Exploration Permits by the Government of Burkina Faso. Actual results, performance or achievements of the Company may vary from the results suggested by such forward-looking statements due to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such factors include, among others, that the business of exploration for gold and other precious minerals involves a high degree of risk and is highly speculative in nature; Mineral Resources are not mineral reserves, they do not have demonstrated economic viability, and there is no certainty that they can be upgraded to mineral reserves through continued exploration; few properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; the actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents.

There can be no assurance that any mineralisation that is discovered will be proven to be economic, or that future required regulatory licensing or approvals will be obtained. However, the Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Company's ability to carry on its exploration activities, the sufficiency of funding, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold and other precious metals, that the Company will not be affected by adverse political events, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain further financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Sarama does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws.

QUALIFIED PERSONS' STATEMENT

Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the preparation of the Mineral Resource estimate for the Sanutura Project is based on information compiled or approved by Paul Schmiede. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a Fellow in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Paul Schmiede has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Paul Schmiede consents to the inclusion in this news release of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to exploration activities at the Sanutura Project is based on information compiled or approved by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Guy Scherrer consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the quotation of the Karankasso Project's Mineral Resource estimate and exploration activities is based on information compiled by Paul Schmiede. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a Fellow in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Paul Schmiede has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Paul Schmiede consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. Paul Schmiede and Sarama have not independently verified Semafo's (now Endeavour's) Mineral Resource estimate and take no responsibility for its accuracy.

COMPETENT PERSONS' STATEMENT

The Mineral Resource estimates referred to in this disclosure were first disclosed in accordance with ASX Listing Rule 5.8 in the Company's ASX Prospectus dated 11 March 2022. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the ASX Prospectus and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the ASX Prospectus continue to apply and have not materially changed.

The new Exploration Results reported in this disclosure are based on, and fairly represent, information and supporting documentation prepared by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources and a member of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec. Guy Scherrer has provided their prior written consent as to the form and context in which the new Exploration Results and the supporting information are presented in this disclosure.

The previously reported Exploration Results referred to in this disclosure were first disclosed in accordance with ASX Listing Rule 5.7 in the Company's ASX disclosure listed in Appendix B. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in those previous items of disclosure.

This announcement has been authorised by the Board of Sarama Resources. 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: Sarama Resources Ltd.

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Following the Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) Dealer Finance Conference in Las Vegas this week, JPMorgan analyst Tami Zakaria told investors that end-user demand remains broadly positive.

The analyst provided bullish commentary in a note to clients, raising the firm's price target on Caterpillar to $220 per share from $205, maintaining an Overweight rating.

The analyst stated that based on their conversations at the conference, "end user demand remains broadly positive, especially for large equipment, while some dealers cited a 'few cancellations' in resi-focused smaller equipment orders." In addition, deliveries were said to have improved in the summer months but not enough to replenish inventory to historical levels.

"Most participants we spoke to expect 'some' volume growth next year assuming the backlog is delivered as cancellations remain low vs. average," wrote Zakaria. "Customers haven't notably pushed back on price increases as inventory shortages across other OEMs provide few alternatives while used equipment prices have surged."

Zakaria added: "From a stock perspective, we seen an opportunity to own CAT as expectations remain muted around sales and margins into the 3Q print given a disappointing 2Q and a lack of specifics in guidance."

By Sam Boughedda
Morgan Stanley analyst Simon Flannery told investors in a note Thursday that telecommunications stocks may hold up well into year-end.

Flannery explains in a research memo that investors are increasingly concerned that we are entering a recession, and typically, telecommunications stocks would benefit from a defensive rotation in such an environment.

"We did see some buying interest earlier this year, but a second consecutive guidance cut from Verizon in 2Q along with AT&T's bearish commentary on customer payment trends and free cash flow put an end to that rally," the analyst wrote.

He added that since then, we have seen telecommunications stocks struggle, "moving broadly in line with movements in interest rates with the dividend yield/10-year treasury yield spread remaining fairly stable."

"We are cautiously optimistic that 3Q results could be more reassuring, potentially helping the stocks hold up well into year end. Many of the macro headwinds (apart from rates) highlighted by our strategist Mike Wilson are less relevant for Telco stocks: Europe weakness, dollar strength, higher rates, China reopening uncertainty, etc," the analyst added.

Morgan Stanley's Top Pick in telecom services remains T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS), with Flannery commenting that "the $14bn initial buyback program providing valuable support in these volatile markets."

By Sam Boughedda
BofA analyst Vivek Arya told investors in a note Thursday that potential US restrictions on high-performance computing semis/tools in China amplify cycle risks.

The analyst said in a note to clients that media reports indicate the US Government is preparing further restrictions on shipments of advanced (sub 14nm) high-performance computing, AI, design and manufacturing chip technology for Chinese companies.

"The new rules could go beyond recently targeted NVDA/AMD AI products (see report), and extend into a broader set of computing, memory, manufacturing and design tools including non-US semis/tools that include US intellectual property," wrote Arya.

Commenting on what has prompted the new restrictions, Arya explained the US/China conflict in the semiconductor industry is not new and, in 2018, sparked the ban on Huawei.

They are also being used to restrict China's access to advanced AI/computing US tech that could be potentially used for weapon systems, biosciences, and surveillance applications. In addition, the US is said to be concerned that Chinese firms could become larger global suppliers.

We estimate about a 5-10% sales impact to US firms (assumed proportion of "leading-edge" shipments to domestic customers), though with offsets if that demand moves to other customers," said Arya. "In the most restrictive scenario, US vendors most exposed to restrictions include: 1) computing GPU/CPU vendors NVDA, AMD, INTC, 2) Semicap equipment vendors: LRCX (most exposed with YMTC ~10-12% of systems and 6-7% of total sales), AMAT, KLAC, and 3) EDA vendors: SNPS, CDNS."

By Sam Boughedda
(Updated - October 6, 2022 7:38 AM EDT)

Mallinckrodt plc (OTCMKTS: MNKPF) ("Mallinckrodt" or the "Company"), a global specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has appointed Susan Silbermann to its Board of Directors, effective October 5, 2022. With the addition of Ms. Silbermann, the Mallinckrodt Board will expand to nine directors, eight of whom are independent.

"Susan is a highly respected and deeply experienced global executive in the healthcare industry, and we are pleased to welcome her to Mallinckrodt's Board," said Paul Bisaro, Chairman of the Mallinckrodt Board of Directors. "Susan brings an important perspective, with decades of leadership experience across established and unique healthcare brands. We look forward to benefiting from her deep expertise and insights as we continue to strengthen the organization, sharpen our execution and deliver innovative therapies for patients."

"I am excited to join the Mallinckrodt Board at this transformative moment for the Company," said Ms. Silbermann. "With a strong platform in place, I see compelling opportunities ahead to grow the business, develop the pipeline and, most importantly, serve the many patients who can benefit from Mallinckrodt's products. I look forward to helping the Company deliver on its patient-first business priorities as we generate long-term value for Mallinckrodt shareholders."

During her 34-year career at Pfizer, Ms. Silbermann held numerous positions of increasing responsibility spanning public health, marketing, commercial development and general management in U.S. and international markets. As Chair of the Pfizer Global COVID-19 Task Force, she developed and led an organization-wide task force overseeing the safety and well-being of 100,000 colleagues in more than 100 countries. Alongside this role, Ms. Silbermann served as Global President, Emerging Markets from 2018 to 2020, with operational and managerial responsibility for the entire Pfizer portfolio in China, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, including the initial supply of COVID-19 vaccines in these regions. From 2012 to 2018, she served as President and General Manager, Pfizer Vaccines, creating the basis for much of Pfizer's current vaccine pipeline and portfolio and establishing and leading one of three inaugural global business units at Pfizer. Previously, Ms. Silbermann held the titles of Regional President, Latin America and Senior Vice President, Commercial Development at Pfizer.

Ms. Silbermann currently serves on the boards of LianBio and HilleVax, Inc. She also serves on the board of IAVI, an NGO focused on advancing vaccines and medicines for HIV-AIDS and other emerging infectious diseases, and is a board member for Meet the Writers, an education non-profit.

Ms. Silbermann holds a B.S. in Biology and French from Tufts University, an M.B.A. in Marketing and International Business from New York University and a Master of Administration degree in French Social and Political Sciences from New York University.

About Mallinckrodt

Mallinckrodt is a global business consisting of multiple wholly owned subsidiaries that develop, manufacture, market and distribute specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies. The Company's Specialty Brands reportable segment's areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, hepatology, nephrology, pulmonology, ophthalmology and oncology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; analgesics; cultured skin substitutes and gastrointestinal products. Its Specialty Generics reportable segment includes specialty generic drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com.

Mallinckrodt uses its website as a channel of distribution of important company information, such as press releases, investor presentations and other financial information. It also uses its website to expedite public access to time-critical information regarding the Company in advance of or in lieu of distributing a press release or a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosing the same information. Therefore, investors should look to the Investor Relations page of the website for important and time-critical information. Visitors to the website can also register to receive automatic e-mail and other notifications alerting them when new information is made available on the Investor Relations page of the website.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements in this release that are not strictly historical, including statements regarding Mallinckrodt's future financial condition and operating results, legal, economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting Mallinckrodt's businesses, and any other statements regarding events or developments Mallinckrodt believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, may be "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. The "Risk Factors" section of Mallinckrodt's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, as updated by Mallinckrodt's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended July 1, 2022 and other filings with the SEC identify and describe in more detail the risks and uncertainties to which Mallinckrodt's businesses are subject. The forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date hereof and Mallinckrodt does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

CONTACTS

Investor RelationsDaniel J. SpecialeGlobal Corporate Controller and Chief Investor Relations Officer314-654-3638[email protected]

Derek BelzVice President, Investor Relations314-654-3950[email protected]

MediaMichael Freitag / Aaron Palash / Aura ReinhardJoele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher212-355-4449

Mallinckrodt, the "M" brand mark and the Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals logo are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company. Other brands are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company or their respective owners. 2022 10/22.

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SOURCE Mallinckrodt plc
PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

ABL DIAGNOSTICS (Euronext Paris, FR001400AHX6, ABLD) today presents its ABLDX 2027 medium-term development plan to the financial community.

Formed from the end-August 2022 merger of ABL France into the listed entity without activity ETABLISSEMENTS FAUVET-GIREL (renamed ABL DIAGNOSTICS), the company aims to be part of the Top 3 worldwide players in genotyping of pathogens linked to infectious diseases.

A strategy based on proprietary expertise in sequencing processes

The sequencing processes offered by ABL DIAGNOSTICS are the two most popular DNA sequencing methods: so-called Sanger capillary sequencing and High-throughput sequencing or Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). By focusing on sequencing of target pathogens, with a view to optimising disease management, ABL DIAGNOSTICS offers a range of tests which enable the determination of each patients ability to respond favourably to a given treatment before administration.

With an all-in-one offering, from collection of samples through to analysis and automation of results obtained, ABL DIAGNOSTICS is present at each stage of the value chain.

Its 360 expertise in molecular diagnostics and genotyping by sequencing is based on three fundamental pillars: (i) proprietary R&D know-how, (ii) in-house manufacturing of tests and (iii) control of distribution channels (directly with laboratories or via recognised partners).

Holder of strategic partnership agreements with the main equipment manufacturers, distributors, specialist suppliers and leading public and private health establishments, ABL DIAGNOSTICS leverages its proprietary expertise and the CE marking of its products to distribute its genotyping tests to a wide range of international customers, potentially extending to up to 20,000 laboratories.

Significant upscaling by 2027

With major infectious diseases already part of its portfolio, including AIDS, Covid-19, viral hepatitis and tuberculosis, the company will accelerate its expansion by developing mastery of other existing or in gestation pathologies to offer the most comprehensive and unique range of genotyping products by sequencing for infectious diseases in the world.

The global genotyping* market should reach 46.4bn by 2027, i.e. a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +18.8% over 2020-2027, illustrating the strong development potential of ABL DIAGNOSTICS activities.

In a market which values technological progress, which has seen democratisation of molecular biology assay techniques owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and which has seen increased incidence of genetic diseases and greater awareness of personalised medicine, the increasing importance of genotyping in the development of drugs is a formidable growth driver for ABL DIAGNOSTICS.

For example, in 2021, there were 1.5 million new HIV cases worldwide, i.e. 4,000 new infections per day. This represents very significant testing potential and notably, beyond screening, HIV drug resistance testing is essential for appropriate initiation of care for HIV positive people to steer the choice of initial antiretroviral (ART) therapy. The same is true for patients having already received a first protocol to help better select new active ingredients during antiretroviral treatment regime changes in the event of intolerance, failure or changes to the primary treatment.

ABL DIAGNOSTICS aims to increase over the period the number of pathologies covered to 30 with a focus on new diseases such as monkeypox or high-impact diseases such as the cytomegalovirus for transplant patients or the papillomavirus for cervical cancer.

ABL DIAGNOSTICS aims to become a major player in the diagnostics industry by 2027 thanks to a largely recurring revenue model that includes a high level of royalties from its proprietary or licensed products. This ambition should bring profitability in the high standards of the market, it being specified that any communication of objectives and forecasts will be made in accordance with the applicable regulations.

A stock market listing to increase visibility and facilitate future fund raising

The listing of ABL DIAGNOSTICS will enable it to develop its reputation and enhance its visibility. The company is then contemplating plans to carry out fund raising to finance development investments to generate organic growth, first in Europe and then in the United States, Africa and Asia.

Ronan Boulme, Chief Executive Officer of ABL DIAGNOSTICS declared:

The listing of ABL DIAGNOSTICS shares on Euronext Paris is a key stage in the development of our company. As a benchmark player in genotyping by sequencing of the main chronic infectious diseases, we aim to support medical progress by reducing diagnostic cycle times for more effective patient care which is less expensive for communities. Our market is gigantic and, since our creation seven years ago, we have made massive investments. We are ready to step up our organic growth rapidly and thanks to the stock market, expand our future fundraising opportunities.

Doctor Chalom Sayada, founder of the ABL group added:

We place great hope in the ability of ABL DIAGNOSTICS to become the unchallenged leader in diagnostics through genotyping by sequencing of pathogens linked to infectious diseases. By mastering every stage of the value chain, we offer the medical world the most precise and best suited solutions to detect the main infectious diseases, anticipate mutations and facilitate recovery. This is a public health mission which we are proud to fulfil and to which we will allocate all of our expertise and our full determination.

*Source: Market Report  Global genotyping industry in 2021)

About ABL DIAGNOSTICS

Founded in 2015, ABL DIAGNOSTICS designs, develops, manufactures, commercialises and supports in France and internationally, directly or via a network of exclusive distributors in 45 countries, molecular diagnostic tests (UltraGene) and genotyping through DNA sequencing (DeepChek), for infectious diseases. These are based on its proprietary expertise acquired over the years and the fruit of scientific collaborations with recognised teams and dedicated technical protocols.

ABL DIAGNOSTICS has developed high-tech genotyping medical devices for chronic infectious diseases such as AIDS, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, and also for the genotyping of SRAS-CoV-2 (Covid-19), as well as other viral and bacterial targets.

ABL DIAGNOSTICS offers its customers complementary products in the patient care value chain such as sample collection kits (MediaChek), a specialised electronic medical record (EMR) system (Nadis, used by more than 200 hospitals in France) and medical devices for viral sampling, amplification, sequencing, and automation for pathology laboratories.

Based in Paris, Metz and Marseilles the company generated in 2021 revenue of 6.27m and has a headcount of 25.

www.abldiagnostics.com

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Ronan Boulme

Chief Executive Officer

[email protected]

Gilles Broquelet

Financial communication

[email protected]

Source: ABL DIAGNOSTICS
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of bbb- (Good) of Compagnie Centrale de Reassurance (CCR) (Algeria). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect CCRs balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and marginal enterprise risk management.

CCRs balance sheet strength assessment reflects the companys strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), supported by relatively low underwriting leverage and good internal capital generation. The companys balance sheet strength benefits from a state guarantee in the form of an interest-free loan facility, covering potential losses arising from Algerias compulsory natural catastrophe, net of retrocession. A partially offsetting rating factor is CCRs moderate dependence on retrocession, which is used to protect peak exposures, notably domestically in Algeria, although the associated credit risk is managed through the use of a panel of financially sound retrocession partners. The balance sheet strength assessment also considers CCRs significant exposure to the elevated levels of economic, political and financial system risk associated with Algeria, where the company is domiciled, holds approximately 95% of its invested assets, and derives the majority of its business.

CCR has a long-term track record of strong operating performance, with a five-year (2017-2021) weighted average return-on-equity of 13.4%. Operating results have been underpinned by strong and stable technical results, highlighted by a five-year (2017-2021) weighted average combined ratio of 82.5%. Underwriting profitability is driven by highly profitable domestic business, which compensates for the relatively weaker performance associated with the companys international portfolio. Results are supplemented by good investment returns, with a five-year average investment yield (including gains) of 5.2%. AM Best expects prospective underwriting profitability to remain robust, supported by relatively low net risk retention, a conservative underwriting approach and favorable domestic market conditions.

CCRs neutral business profile reflects its dominant position in Algerias reinsurance market, where it had an estimated market share of 65% in 2021, as measured by ceded premium, and where it continues to benefit from compulsory reinsurance cessions. The companys strong domestic market position, however, also creates a concentration and reliance on the Algerian market, which remains a partially offsetting factor. In 2021, CCR wrote DZD 40 billion (USD 286 million) of gross written premium (GWP), of which 84.7% was generated in Algeria. The balance of GWP was represented by international business, the share of which has been gradually increasing in recent years.

CCRs risk management framework is considered to be at an early stage of development, although this has been an area of focus and development for the company in recent years. AM Best expects risk management capabilities to continue to develop with the integration of an internal capital model in the companys strategic decision-making process.

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/20221006005839/en/

Katharine Campkin, ACA

Financial Analyst

+44 20 7397 4383

[email protected]

Christopher Sharkey

Manager, Public Relations

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159

[email protected]

Alex Rafferty, ACA

Associate Director, Analytics

+44 20 7397 0312

[email protected]

Al Slavin

Communications Specialist

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5098

[email protected]

Source: AM Best
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The Parliament of Armenia is debating the issue of electing two members to the Supreme Judicial Council.

The ruling Civil Contract faction nominated Karen Andreasyan and Yeranuhi Tumanyants for the members of the Supreme Judicial Council.

Chairman of the Standing Committee on State and Legals Affairs Vladimir Vardanyan introduced the candidates during the Parliaments session today.
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Ratings of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of a (Excellent) of Gulf Insurance Group K.S.C.P. (GIG) and Gulf Insurance and Reinsurance Company K.S.C. (Closed) (GIG-Kuwait) (both domiciled in Kuwait). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect GIGs consolidated 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.

GIG-Kuwait is a composite insurer with a leading position in Kuwaits insurance market. The company is strategically important to GIG and highly integrated into its operations.

GIGs balance sheet is underpinned by consolidated risk-adjusted capitalisation at the strongest level, as measured by Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), and benefits from a comprehensive reinsurance programme and a relatively conservative investment strategy. Whilst the balance sheet is leveraged moderately following GIGs acquisition of AXA Insurance (Gulf) B.S.C. (c) and AXA Cooperative Insurance Company (since rebranded known as Gulf Insurance Group (Gulf) B.S.C. (c) [GIG Gulf] and Gulf Insurance Group [A Saudi Joint Stock Company]), the group has plans to reduce its borrowing over the medium term. AM Best expects that GIG will maintain risk-adjusted capitalisation comfortably above the threshold for the strongest assessment.

GIG is amongst the largest and most diversified insurance groups in the Middle East and North Africa region, and its footprint has been extended further following its acquisition of GIG Gulf in 2021. GIG now holds market-leading positions in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain, and is a top five player in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Turkey and Algeria. In 2022, following the full consolidation of GIG Gulf, the groups premium revenue is expected to reach approximately USD 2.5 billion.

The group has a record of strong operating performance, returning a five-year (2017-2021) average return on equity of 16.3%, supported by a track record of positive underwriting performance, with an average combined ratio of 96.0% for the five-year period ending 2021. GIGs return on equity increased in 2021 to 23.6% (2020: 14.3%), largely driven by a one off accounting gain from the acquisition of GIG Gulf.

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/20221006005640/en/

Emily Thompson

Senior Financial Analyst

+44 20 7397 0291

[email protected]

Christopher Sharkey

Manager, Public Relations

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159

[email protected]

Tim Prince

Director, Analytics

+44 20 7397 0320

[email protected]

Al Slavin

Communications Specialist

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5098

[email protected]

Source: AM Best
STEM students can earn $50,000 scholarship, paid summer internship with Southern California Edison

ROSEMEAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- High school seniors with big dreams who want to make a difference in the world through the study of science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) are invited to become Edison Scholars. Edison International is accepting applications for the $1.5 million scholarship program through Dec. 9. Students can see if they are eligible and apply at edisonscholars.com.

Each year, Edison International awards scholarships to 30 high school seniors who live in Southern California Edisons service area. This year, the scholarship award amount has increased from $40,000 to $50,000, paid over four years. In addition, Edison Scholars are now eligible for a paid summer internship with SCE upon completing their first year of school. Scholars must meet the minimum eligibility requirements and complete the required hiring screening.

I am so pleased that we are expanding the Edison Scholars Program by increasing the scholarship amount and giving the students an opportunity to work as a paid intern, said Pedro J. Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International. The passion, resiliency and commitment of our Edison Scholars to follow their dreams is incredibly inspiring. We will need the next generation of STEM students to help lead societys transition to a clean energy future. I encourage high school seniors from all backgrounds to apply for the Edison Scholars Program.

Applicants must live in SCEs service area and plan to be a full-time undergraduate student majoring in a STEM field, cybersecurity or data analytics. Eligible students also must have at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA and demonstrate financial need. SCE encourages students from underserved communities, underrepresented groups and first-generation college students to apply.

Edison International has awarded more than $13.5 million in scholarships to 730 students through the Edison Scholars Program since 2006. Edison International, the parent company of SCE, is one of the largest corporate philanthropic contributors in Southern California. The Edison Scholars Program is funded entirely by Edison International shareholders. SCE customers utility bill payments do not fund company donations.

About Edison International

Edison International (NYSE: EIX) is one of the nations largest electric utility holding companies, providing clean and reliable energy and energy services through its independent companies. Headquartered in Rosemead, California, Edison International is the parent company of Southern California Edison Company, a utility that delivers electricity to 15 million people across Southern, Central and Coastal California. Edison International is also the parent company of Edison Energy, a global energy advisory company delivering comprehensive, data-driven energy solutions to commercial and industrial users to meet their cost, sustainability and risk goals.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005892/en/

Media Contact: Diane Castro, (626) 302-2255

Source: Edison International
Expansion Precedes Inaugural CAIS Alternative Investment Summit, October 17-19 in Los Angeles

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CAIS, the leading alternative investment platform, today announced four new additions to the CAIS Advisory Council (CAC), which is comprised of industry leaders representing the RIA, independent broker dealer, and custodian communities.

The CAC meets and collaborates with CAIS leadership team to ensure alignment on the key trends impacting the independent wealth management community and support the continued improvement of the CAIS platform user experience. Its newest members are:

Michael Glennon, Vice President & Head of Private Investments, Mariner Wealth Advisors

Gary Quinzel, Director of Portfolio Consulting, Wealth Enhancement Group

David Canter, President, Bluespring Wealth Partners

Dean Zayed, Founder and CEO, Brookstone

As the independent wealth ecosystem continues to evolve, we are pleased to welcome these industry leaders to the CAIS Advisory Council, said Matt Brown, Founder and CEO of CAIS. At a time when financial advisors are shifting away from the traditional 60/40 allocation towards a 50/30/20 three-dimensional portfolio with alternative assets included, this group has proven to be a valuable resource in accelerating our mission to democratize access to alts and level the playing field for financial advisors everywhere.

The announcement precedes CAIS inaugural Alternative Investment Summit, which takes place October 17 to 19 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, California. The three-day event will convene 40-plus leading alternative asset managers and hundreds of independent financial advisors, so they can engage with, and learn from, one another across various topics including private equity and credit, venture capital, hedge funds, real estate, structured solutions, and digital assets.

CAIS Summit is an invite-only event. To view the agenda and inquire to join us, click here. The full list of CAC members can be found here.

About CAIS

CAIS is the leading alternative investment platform for financial advisors who seek improved access to, and education about, alternative investment funds and products. CAIS provides financial advisors with a broad selection of alternative investment strategies, including hedge funds, private equity, private credit, real estate, digital assets, and structured notes, allowing them to capitalize on opportunities and/or withstand ever-changing markets. CAIS also offers custom solutions for advisors seeking to create custom fund vehicles around ideas they source.

CAIS also provides an industry-leading learning system, CAIS IQ, to help advisors learn faster, remember longer, and improve client outcomes.

All funds listed on CAIS undergo Mercer's independent due diligence and ongoing monitoring. Mercer diligence reports and fund ratings are available to advisors on the CAIS password-protected platform. CAIS streamlines the end-to-end transaction process through digital subscriptions and integrated reporting with Fidelity, Schwab, and Pershing, which make investing in alternatives simple.

Founded in 2009, CAIS, a fintech leader, is empowering over 6,600+ unique advisor firms/teams who oversee more than $2.5T+ in network assets. Since its inception, CAIS has facilitated over $18B+ in transaction volume as the first truly open marketplace where financial advisors and alternative asset managers engage and transact directly on a massive scale. CAIS has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Austin, and San Francisco. For more information about CAIS, please visit www.caisgroup.com.

Securities offered through CAIS Capital LLC, member FINRA, SIPC.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005895/en/

For CAIS

Nadia Damouni

[email protected]

Source: CAIS
Two leading insurance companies partner to make it easier and faster to insure small businesses online

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cerity, a digital provider of workers compensation insurance policies, has teamed up with Thimble to provide small business owners with a full suite of easy-to-access insurance solutions to protect their employees and businesses. Cerity is part of Employers Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EIG).

Navigating business insurance needs can be complicated and frustrating for a small business, no matter what industry theyre in. Thats why Cerity and Thimble have teamed up to digitize this process and supply small business owners with everything they need when it comes to insuring their business  whether thats learning just what they need to protect their company and their employees, getting an affordable quote in minutes, or downloading their own certificates of insurance.

Both companies share a vision of leveraging their modern tech stacks to make acquiring and managing insurance policies easier for small businesses. Through this partnership, Thimble will offer customers Ceritys best-in-class workers compensation insurance coverage, allowing these businesses to comply with state laws and grow safely.

Were thrilled to team up with Thimble to meet customers where they want to be  online.  said Executive Vice President Jeff Shaw at Cerity. By leveraging tech, we can create a digital-first experience that makes it easy for small business owners to get the coverage and peace of mind they need so they can focus on running their business.

"Our goal is to provide a one-stop shop for small business owners as they navigate all of their business insurance coverage needs," said Jay Bregman, Co-Founder & CEO at Thimble. "Working with Cerity will help make this a reality, by solving a key challenge and allowing Thimble to provide our customers with world-class workers compensation insurance in addition to our suite of products."

Cerity Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of Employers Holdings, Inc., which is solely focused on using technology to win partnerships and market share by making workers compensation insurance easier for small business owners to obtain.

To learn more about this and other collaborations, contact [email protected].

About Cerity

Founded with a bold vision to reimagine small business insurance, Cerity empowers business owners to quickly and easily protect their team, their assets, and their livelihood through an online workers compensation solution. With its digital-first approach, Cerity is transforming the entire process  from purchasing and maintaining coverage to filing a claim  to be simple, fast, and easy. The companys proprietary pricing model produces tailored quotes within seconds and can deliver a new policy in five minutes or less, enabling leaders to get back to what matters most: growing and scaling their operation. Cerity Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of Employers Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EIG), an industry veteran with over 100 years of experience in workers compensation. Employers Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates throughout the United States, with the exception of four states that are served exclusively by their state funds. Insurance is offered through Employers Insurance Company of Nevada, Employers Compensation Insurance Company, Employers Preferred Insurance Company, Employers Assurance Company and Cerity Insurance Company, all rated A- (Excellent) by the A.M. Best Company. Not all companies do business in all jurisdictions. See www.employers.com and www.cerity.com for coverage availability.

About Thimble

Thimble protects more than 95,000 small businesses around the U.S. via general and professional liability, business equipment protection, commercial property, event insurance and more. With 75% of its customers as first-time business insurance customers, Thimble has emerged as a go-to solution in the software toolkit of America's entrepreneurs. Founders Jay Bregman and Eugene Hertz are growing the $250 billion business insurance market by making it simple, scalable, and flexible for new and established businesses alike. For more information, please visit Thimble.com.

Copyright  2022 Cerity. All rights reserved.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005922/en/

Media Contact

The Abbi Agency

Lauren Meckstroth

[email protected]

Source: Cerity
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CLEAResult, the largest provider of energy efficiency services in Canada for residential and commercial and industrial (C&I) customers, is gearing up to quickly support the new and expanded energy savings programs announced by Ontarios Ministry of Energy, Todd Smith, on Tuesday. The ministerial directive increased funding for the Independent Electricity System Operators (IESO) energy efficiency programs by $342 million, bringing the total budget to over $1 billion, and introduced two new initiatives aimed at lowering costs for consumers and improving grid reliability.

Energy efficiency remains the cleanest and most cost-effective solution for Canadas rising electricity demand, and the additional funding is further validation of the past success and tremendous potential of energy efficiency in Ontario. The expansion is expected to begin in Spring 2023 with a new residential demand response program that pays people to save energy, targeted support for greenhouse growers in southwest Ontario, plus enhancements to Save On Energys existing Business Retrofit and Local Initiatives Programs.

CLEAResult works with households and businesses across Ontario every day to reduce their energy costs in support of the IESOs current programs. We're thrilled to see Minister Smith continue to invest in securing reliable, affordable electricity for Ontarians through comprehensive energy efficiency initiatives," said Ryan Shaw, CLEAResults Senior Vice President of Client Delivery in Canada. Long-term grid reliability is the goal, and were honored to be a part of the solution. Our role is to make sure people see the benefitsfrom saving money to keeping their businesses competitivethe positive impacts of this decision will be felt by everyone.

The companys recent partnerships, acquisitions and experience in Canada give the team great confidence in their ability to turn the announcement into action. Spring is coming fast, but well be more than ready, Shaw added.

Over the summer, CLEAResult acquired Ecofitt to expand their residential capabilities in Canada. The company also acquired ChooseEV earlier this year, an industry-leading provider of educational tools and resources for businesses and individuals looking to adopt electric vehicles as part of their sustainability efforts.

More recently, CLEAResult announced a partnership with distributed energy resource leader, Virtual Peaker, to provide customer-friendly demand response solutions designed with scale in mind. The company has also been an active partner in implementing many C&I efficiency programs throughout Canada, including support for various demand response initiatives over the past year.

Our team is looking for every opportunity to invest in, develop and train a skilled workforce to support Ontarios energy efficiency needs, Shaw emphasized. Its the fastest way to reliably meet demand and get savings into peoples hands.

In total, these new initiatives are estimated to save consumers over $650 million in energy costs by 2025 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by three million tonnes over the lifetime of the improvements. CLEAResults commitment to reaching net zero by 2025 is well-aligned with Ontarios sustainability and climate goals. The company also offers carbon consulting services for other organizations looking to accelerate their energy efficiency and decarbonization efforts.

Visit clearesult.ca to see all the ways people, business, municipalities and more can save energy in Canada.

About CLEAResult

CLEAResult is the largest provider of energy efficiency, energy transition and decarbonization solutions in North America. Since 2003, our mission has been to change the way people use energy. Today, our experts lead the transition to a sustainable, equitable, and carbon-neutral future for our communities and our planet. Our hometown teams collaborate with a diverse network of local partners to deliver world-class technology and personalized services that make it easy for commercial and industrial businesses, governments, utilities and residential customers to reduce their energy use and carbon footprint. CLEAResult is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and has over 2,400 employees in more than 60 cities across the U.S. and Canada. CLEAResult is majority owned by TPG through its middle market and growth equity investment platform TPG Growth and its multi-sector global impact investing strategy The Rise Fund.

Explore all our energy solutions at clearesult.ca.

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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005877/en/

[email protected]

Amber Tester

Director Corporate Communications

Source: CLEAResult
Uninsured residential flood loss is between $10 and $17 billion

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CoreLogic, a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, today announced its updated and final damage estimates for Hurricane Ian.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006006036/en/

Figure 1: Flood Extent of the Peace River in Arcadia, Florida After Hurricane Ian. (Graphic: Business Wire)

According to this new data analysis, total flood and wind losses are between $41 billion and $70 billion. This estimate (Table 1) includes wind loss, re-evaluated insured and uninsured storm surge loss and newly calculated inland flood loss for residential and commercial properties.

Flood loss from NFIP and private insurance for residential and commercial properties is estimated to be between $8 billion and $18 billion, which includes both re-evaluated storm surge and new estimates for inland flooding.

Uninsured flood loss for this area is estimated to be between $10 billion and $17 billion.

Wind losses are estimated to be $23 billion to $35 billion.

Wind and Storm Surge Led in Damages While Inland Flood Spared Concentrated Areas

Inland flooding was extreme due to significant riverine flooding along Peace River in Arcadia, FL, located south of Tampa, FL and north of Punta Gorda, FL. Peace River, which normally runs 130 feet wide, flooded to more than a mile wide due to Hurricane Ian surge and rainfall. However, this area is designated as a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) by FEMA and housing is sparse in this location (see Figure 1).

In many areas the flood extent approximates the SFHA boundaries, a clear indication that SFHA is a useful tool for city planners who wish to understand flood risk and mitigate flood damages, said Tom Larsen, senior director of Hazard and Risk Management, CoreLogic. Without constraints in development in the SFHA, flood damages would have skyrocketed. Learning from this riverine flood event will help city planners make better decisions about where residential development makes sense, from standard construction homes to manufactured home communities.

Hurricane Ians large wind field and landfall path caused severe wind and coastal storm surge damage along the densely populated coast. The key reason Hurricane Ian is so economically destructive is due to the massive growth in coastal real estate in Florida, said Larsen. Florida's population has grown 50% since 1992 when Hurricane Andrew hit Miami, with disproportionately more growth in South Florida. The extra costs incurred from the surge in repair needs simultaneous with a fragile economy are headwinds to rapid reconstruction and we should expect to see resident displacement and housing affordability issues in the state for some time to come.

Housing Impacts of Hurricane Ian

According to CoreLogic analysis, Florida had been a primary destination in the great migration trend of 2020 and 2021 due to the states lack of income tax and housing with lower cost per square foot than homes in major coastal metros like New York City and San Francisco. Additionally, residents have enjoyed increasing home equity gains throughout 2022, with homeowners reaching an average equity all-time high of nearly $300,000. Disasters like Hurricane Ian, however, may put a damper on the states housing growth.

Housing markets in Florida will face difficult times as many Florida residents have been impacted by the devastating storm, said Selma Hepp, interim lead of the Office of the Chief Economist, CoreLogic. Initially, we are likely to see an increase in mortgage delinquencies as is typical following catastrophes. Also, rents are likely to jump as households who lost their home seek immediate shelter. Longer term, home price growth in hard hit areas is likely to lag that of the rest of the state and nation as people may opt to move to areas less prone to natural disasters. CoreLogic observed this trend in the Gulf Coast region following Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Ida.

According to CoreLogic, more than 66,000 pending mortgage applications worth nearly $22.5 billion are currently in progress in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina and are in jeopardy from Hurricane Ian damages.

More Information on Damage Estimates

Insured loss represents the amount insurers will pay to cover damages. Unlike wind damage, which is covered by a standard homeowners policy, flood is a separate coverage which is not mandatory outside the designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs).

This analysis includes residential homes and commercial properties, including contents and business interruption and does not include broader economic loss from the storm. The inland flood analysis is based on the rainfall from September 25 to October 4.

Visit the CoreLogic natural hazard risk information center, Hazard HQ, at www.hazardhq.com to get access to the most up-to-date Hurricane Ian storm data and see reports from previous storms.

Methodology

The U.S. Inland Flood Model models all sources of precipitation-driven flooding including riverine, stream, off-plain, and flash flooding. It delivers a comprehensive analytic view of the risk, utilizing widespread coverage of hydrologic and hydraulic data that reflects regional flooding and drainage patterns. As flood risk evolves due to urbanization and change in baseline stream and sea levels, the flood risk methodology from CoreLogic is designed to stay abreast of the latest flood risk data and research, ensuring continuity of risk insights into the future.

The CoreLogic North Atlantic Hurricane Model includes improved location risk and estimation through its robust stochastic event set, high-resolution hazard modeling, component-level vulnerability, and usage of PxPoint, the structure- and parcel-level geocoding engine. With detailed and rigorously validated model outputs, the model provides the ability to calculate damage contributions from wind and storm surge, providing a transparent way of looking at loss as well as to obtain a better understanding of capital adequacy for the separate or combined perils of hurricane winds and coastal storm surge flooding. The model offers a complete view of the risk for all perils and sub-perils. The North Atlantic Hurricane Model is updated biennially and has been certified by the Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology (FCHLPM) since the inception of the process in 1997.

Source: CoreLogic

The data provided are for use only by the primary recipient or the primary recipient's publication or broadcast. This data may not be resold, republished or licensed to any other source, including publications and sources owned by the primary recipients parent company without prior written permission from CoreLogic. Any CoreLogic data used for publication or broadcast, in whole or in part, must be sourced as coming from CoreLogic, a data and analytics company. For use with broadcast or web content, the citation must directly accompany first reference of the data. If the data is illustrated with maps, charts, graphs or other visual elements, the CoreLogic logo must be included on screen or website. For questions, analysis or interpretation of the data, contact [email protected] or Caitlin New at [email protected]. Data provided may not be modified without the prior written permission of CoreLogic. Do not use the data in any unlawful manner. This data is compiled from public records, contributory databases and proprietary analytics, and its accuracy is dependent upon these sources.

About CoreLogic

CoreLogic is a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider. The companys combined data from public, contributory and proprietary sources includes over 4.5 billion records spanning more than 50 years, providing detailed coverage of property, mortgages and other encumbrances, consumer credit, tenancy, location, hazard risk and related performance information. The markets CoreLogic serves include real estate and mortgage finance, insurance, capital markets, and the public sector. CoreLogic delivers value to clients through unique data, analytics, workflow technology, advisory and managed services. Clients rely on CoreLogic to help identify and manage growth opportunities, improve performance and mitigate risk. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., CoreLogic operates in North America, Western Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit www.corelogic.com.

CORELOGIC, the CoreLogic logo and Hazard HQ are trademarks of CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006006036/en/

Robin Wachner

Corporate Communications

[email protected]

[email protected]

Caitlin New

INK Communications

512-906-9103

Source: CoreLogic
OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CUPE, Canadas largest union, will back Ontarios 55,000 education support workers until a fair contract is reached with the Ford government.

Speaking at CUPEs National Sector Council Conference in front of 700 delegates on Thursday, National President Mark Hancock pledged the national unions full support for the Ontario School Board Council of Unions, which is negotiating with the Ford government on behalf of CUPEs 55,000 education workers in Ontario.

"Doug Ford isnt just taking on 55,000 education workers in Ontario," said Hancock. "Hes taking on 715,000 CUPE members all across Canada. And we wont stop until we get a fair and just settlement for our members."

The OSBCU recently announced 96.5% of its membership supports strike action if necessary. CUPEs National Secretary-Treasurer Candace Rennick said Ontario education workers deserve better, and their whole union is ready to fight alongside them to get it.

Lets pledge here today to Laura and the entire OSBCU that CUPE members from coast to coast to coast have their back and stand shoulder to shoulder with them in their fight for fairness and respect!

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005918/en/

Hugh Pouliot

[email protected]

613 818-0067

Source: Canadian Union of Public Employees
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO) will release its third quarter 2022 results before the start of NYSE trading on Tuesday, October 25, 2022. A copy of the earnings release and supplemental presentation slides will be posted on Moody's Investor Relations website, ir.moodys.com.

Moody's Corporation invites you to participate in a teleconference to discuss its third quarter 2022 results. Following his prepared remarks, Rob Fauber, President and Chief Executive Officer, will be joined by Mark Kaye, Chief Financial Officer, for a question and answer period.

Earnings Release: Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Teleconference Details:

Date and Time October 25, 2022, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) Webcast The webcast and its replay can be accessed through Moodys Investor Relations website, ir.moodys.com within Events & Presentations. Dial In U.S. and Canada +1-888-330-2508 Other callers +1-240-789-2735 Passcode 9302427 Dial In Replay A replay will be available immediately after the call on October 25, 2022 and until November 24, 2022. U.S. and Canada +1-800-770-2030 Other callers +1-647-362-9199 Confirmation code 9302427

For further information, please contact Investor Relations at [email protected].

ABOUT MOODYS CORPORATION

Moodys (NYSE: MCO) is a global integrated risk assessment firm that empowers organizations to make better decisions. Its data, analytical solutions and insights help decision-makers identify opportunities and manage the risks of doing business with others. We believe that greater transparency, more informed decisions, and fair access to information open the door to shared progress. With approximately 14,000 employees in more than 40 countries, Moodys combines international presence with local expertise and over a century of experience in financial markets. Learn more at moodys.com/about.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005885/en/

SHIVANI KAK

Investor Relations

212.553.0298

[email protected]

MICHAEL ADLER

Corporate Communications

212.553.4667

[email protected]

moodys.com

ir.moodys.com

moodys.com/esg

moodys.com/sustainability

Source: Moodys Corporation Investor Relations
Active Adult Community in Fulshear Grand Opens October 8th

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Del Webb, the nations leading builder of active adult communities for those 55 and older, will grand open its newest community Del Webb Fulshear on Saturday, October 8th. Located in the growing suburb of Fulshear, just west of Houston with easy access to the city via I-10, Del Webb Fulshear is a resort-style community offering a fresh approach to authentic Texas living.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005697/en/

Del Webb will grand open its newest community Del Webb Fulshear on Saturday, October 8th. (Photo: Business Wire)

We are proud to open our third Del Webb community in the Houston area, said Lindy Oliva, president of PulteGroups Houston division. With Fulshears unique blend of rural charm and modern conveniences, excitement has been high for this community. Residents will truly appreciate the many upgraded features within their homes and the resort-style amenities and activities that this community has to offer.

Comprised of 725 single family ranch-style homes across more than 230 acres, Del Webb Fulshear features three unique home series from Del Webbs consumer-inspired GenYou collection: The Scenic, Distinctive and Echelon. While floor plans in each of the three Series have different attributes, they all come standard with upgraded features and the ability to personalize the home with popular finishes and options. Prices start in the upper $200s.

The Scenic Series

The Alpine, Contour and Compass home designs of the Scenic Series provide ample space for family get-togethers or entertaining friends with its open floor plans, flex spaces and private secondary rooms for overnight guests. Homes range in size from 1,223 to 1,403 sq. ft. with 2-3 bedrooms, 2-3 baths and 2 car garages.

The Distinctive Series

The four home designs of the Distinctive Series include the Prosperity, Palmary, Mainstay and Prestige and offer the perfect balance of space and privacy with a secluded Owner's Retreat and an extra bedroom for visiting family. Homes range in size from 1,600 to 1,989 sq. ft with 2-4 bedrooms, 2-3 bathrooms and 2 car garages.

The Echelon Series

With open floor plans perfect for entertaining, the Echelon Series features four home designs ranging in size from 2,179 to 2,712 sq. ft with 2-4 bedrooms, 2.5-4.5 bathrooms and 2-3 car garages. The Stardom, Stellar, Reverence and Renown home designs provide extra space for guests, a Flex Room, a gourmet kitchen and oversized Owner's Suite.

All Del Webb communities are designed for the perfect active adult lifestyle, and Del Webb Fulshear is no different. Once completed, residents and their guests will enjoy the year-round activities inside the recreation center, including an indoor and outdoor pool, fitness center, catering kitchen, craft room and a ballroom. Outside, the community will feature six pickleball courts and an 18-hole putting course, and all amenities and events will be overseen by a full-time Lifestyle Director.

Del Webb Fulshear is located at 7733 Lifestyle Blvd., Fulshear, TX 77441. Interested buyers are encouraged to visit the community and tour each of the six fully furnished model homes. For more information, visit www.delwebb.com/fulshear or call (281) 626-8839.

About Del Webb

Del Webb is a national brand of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE: PHM). Del Webb is the pioneer in active adult communities and Americas leading builder of new homes targeted to pre-retirement and retirees. Del Webb builds consumer inspired homes and communities for active adults ages 55+ who want to continue to explore, grow and learn, socially, physically and intellectually as they look forward to retirement. For more information on Del Webb, visit www.delwebb.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005697/en/

For Media Inquiries

Macey Kessler

office: 404.978.6414

[email protected]

Source: PulteGroup, Inc.
Thanks to the approval by the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), the Company increases its efficiency and is able to face the growing demand for its services.

MILAN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Dipharma Francis S.r.l. (Dipharma), a leading Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and a global manufacturer of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, announced today that the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) approved the brand-new production line at the cGMP pilot plant suite, located in its facility of Mereto di Tomba (Italy).

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New Dipharma cGMP pilot plant line, located in the Italian facility of Mereto di Tomba (UD). (Photo: Business Wire)

The expansion includes a further two glass-lined and two stainless steel reactors, along with a Hastelloy C-22 filter-dryer having a continuous liner discharge, featuring a full closed-system handling approach. With this state-of-the-art investment Dipharma doubles its capacity to process projects for customers, both in the generics and CDMO arena, while enhancing operational safety and isolation technologies.

Already fully operational, the current pilot plant configuration consists of two independent production lines and can produce batches ranging from 5 to 50 kilograms under the most rigorous cGMP conditions, providing flexibility to develop the most effective chemistry prior to moving to production scale.

We have experienced an unprecedented increase in demand for our services  said Jorge Nogueira, Chief Executive Officer of Dipharma Francis S.r.l. , particularly for small-scale projects, and the regulatory approval of our new pilot line enables us to better fulfill our customers requests and expectations, expanding our network capabilities and reinforcing our integrated services to materialize their projects. This expansion is the latest in a series of strategic investments we are planning in our facilities at all scales to enhance Dipharmas competitiveness and offer to our international pharma clients a full partnership all the way from preclinical to commercial.

About the Dipharma Francis group

With revenues over 137 million, Dipharma Group is a global CDMO and a leading manufacturer of APIs and Intermediates, with more than 500 skilled and highly committed employees, 4 cGMP plants, located in the U.S.A. and Italy, plus sales offices in Italy, the U.S.A. and China. The fully equipped R&D Centers develop innovative chemical processes and crystalline forms for the most prominent pharmaceutical companies worldwide. As a third-generation family-owned company, Dipharma has a long history if stability, commitment, and financial solidity. Since 1970, Dipharma has managed to achieve a positive unbroken record of inspections by the main Regulatory Agencies and its cGMP manufacturing sites are equipped to supply quantities from laboratory to industrial scale. Dipharma has the right size and variety of scale-up capabilities to act as a global player and manage processes efficiently, while offering flexibility and agility to promptly solve any challenge. Experience you can trust.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005738/en/

For more information:

Paola Clerici

Communication Manager

Dipharma Francis S.r.l.

[email protected]

www.dipharma.com

Source: Dipharma Francis S.r.l.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The repatriated 17 Armenian former prisoners of war are now undergoing examinations at the central military hospital, healthcare minister Anahit Avanesyan told reporters.

Our troops are now in the Defense Ministrys hospital and they will be discharged after undergoing the necessary examinations, and if needed treatment. I cant give any other information, Avanesyan said.

Azerbaijan released 17 Armenian PoWs on October 4 at the mediation of the United States.
BETHESDA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Enviva Inc. (NYSE: EVA), the worlds leading producer of sustainably sourced wood biomass, announced that it has appointed Mark Coscio as Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer. In his new role, Coscio will be responsible for leading Envivas corporate development and construction functions.

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Photo of Mark Coscio, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at Enviva. (Photo: Business Wire)

Given the continuing structural shortage in wood pellet supply in our industry, where long-term demand continues to outstrip supply, there has never been a better time to be in this business and we are excited to be executing on our program of significant, highly accretive capacity expansions, said John Keppler, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. To help us grow rapidly at scale, I am very pleased to announce that we have recently added Mark Coscio to our leadership team as Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer. Mark is a seasoned construction and development executive with nearly two decades of experience leading large scale, multi-billion-dollar infrastructure investment programs. His substantial experience and leadership add tremendous strength and depth to our internal capabilities as we execute our ambitious strategic plan to double our production capacity by adding six new plants over the next five years, concluded Keppler.

Mr. Coscio brings to Enviva extensive experience managing global engineering, procurement, and construction projects within the energy sector. Most recently, Mr. Coscio served as Senior Vice President, North, Central & South America at McDermott International, Ltd, a global provider of engineering and construction services for companies across the energy industry. Prior to his time at McDermott, Mr. Coscio held progressively increasing leadership roles at Chicago Bridge & Iron Company from 2007 to 2018.

About Enviva

Enviva Inc. (NYSE: EVA) is the worlds largest producer of industrial wood pellets, a renewable and sustainable energy source produced by aggregating a natural resource, wood fiber, and processing it into a transportable form, wood pellets. Enviva owns and operates ten plants with a combined production capacity of approximately 6.2 million metric tons per year in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi, and is constructing its 11th plant in Epes, Alabama. Enviva sells most of its wood pellets through long-term, take-or-pay off-take contracts with creditworthy customers in the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Japan, helping to accelerate the energy transition and to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors like steel, cement, lime, chemicals, and aviation fuels. Enviva exports its wood pellets to global markets through its deep-water marine terminals at the Port of Chesapeake, Virginia, the Port of Wilmington, North Carolina, and the Port of Pascagoula, Mississippi, and from third-party deep-water marine terminals in Savannah, Georgia, Mobile, Alabama, and Panama City, Florida.

To learn more about Enviva, please visit our website at www.envivabiomass.com. Follow Enviva on social media @Enviva.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005713/en/

Maria Moreno

[email protected]

+1-301-657-5560

Source: Enviva Inc.
RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Harris Williams, a global investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, announces it advised Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy (Ivy) on its continuation fund transaction. The transaction was led by Andy Dixon, Cheairs Porter and Lucas Scholl of the Harris Williams Healthcare & Life Sciences (HCLS) Group.

We continue to see strong investor interest in the outpatient physical rehabilitation services industry, especially for high-quality providers like Ivy, said Andy Dixon, a managing director at Harris Williams. We believe the companys exceptional patient care, proven de novo and partnership models, and outstanding management team position it to capitalize on a number of attractive trends driving demand for outpatient rehabilitation services. It was a pleasure working with the Ivy team.

We look forward to watching Ivy continue its growth alongside Waud Capital Partners, added Cheairs Porter, a managing director at Harris Williams.

Ivy is a leading provider of outpatient therapy services across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Midwest regions of the United States through a rapidly growing network of more than 450 clinics that includes approximately 100 dedicated pediatric therapy clinics. Across its network of sites, Ivy offers a comprehensive set of therapy treatment options and specialized care programs and is dedicated to providing exceptional clinical care and the best patient experience. Ivy has grown its clinic base and revenue more than tenfold since Waud Capital Partners initial investment in 2016. The company has pursued growth organically by opening new locations and expanding service lines and inorganically through add-on acquisitions to build density in existing markets and to expand into new geographies. Ivy is led by CEO Michael Rucker, and he and the experienced executive leadership team recruited by Waud Capital Partners will remain with the company over its new investment horizon in an effort to pursue additional growth and industry leadership.

Waud Capital Partners is a growth-oriented private equity firm with total capital commitments of approximately $3.7 billion since its founding in 1993. Waud Capital Partners seeks to partner with strong management teams to build market-leading companies within two industries: healthcare services and software/technology. Since its founding, Waud Capital Partners has successfully completed more than 400 investments, including platform companies and follow-on opportunities.

Harris Williams, an investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, advocates for sellers and buyers of companies worldwide through critical milestones and provides thoughtful advice during the lives of their businesses. By collaborating as one firm across Industry Groups and geographies, the firm helps its clients achieve outcomes that support their objectives and strategically create value. Harris Williams is committed to execution excellence and to building enduring, valued relationships that are based on mutual trust. Harris Williams is a subsidiary of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC).

The Harris Williams HCLS Group has experience across a broad range of sectors, including healthcare providers; payors and payor services; outsourced pharmaceutical services; medical device supply chain; healthcare IT; and pharmacy. For more information on the HCLS Group and other recent transactions, visit the HCLS Groups section of the Harris Williams website.

Harris Williams LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is a private limited company incorporated under English law with its registered office at 8th Floor, 20 Farringdon Street, London EC4A 4AB, UK, registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales (registration number 07078852). Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH is registered in the commercial register of the local court of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, under HRB 107540. The registered address is Bockenheimer Landstrasse 33-35, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (email address: [email protected]). Geschaftsfuhrer/Directors: Jeffery H. Perkins, Paul Poggi. (VAT No. DE321666994). Harris Williams is a trade name under which Harris Williams LLC, Harris Williams & Co. Ltd and Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH conduct business.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005871/en/

For media inquiries, please contact Julia Moore at [email protected].

Source: Harris Williams
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Global intimates and apparel brand Knix is proud to announce the launch of their first ever focused giving program - Knix Fund. The Knix Fund was inspired by Knixs ongoing desire to be the change it wants to see in the world, while funding progress and development amongst like-minded grassroots organizations, community initiatives and storytellers.

Voted on by Knix employees the focus for the inaugural year and $200,000 commitment is Period Poverty Equity and Period Poverty.

Since its inception in 2013, Knix has been on a mission to break barriers while supporting their community to live unapologetically free. Annually, Knix employees will cast their votes for the area of focus they want the Knix Fund to contribute to for the year. For its inaugural year Knix employees have chosen the focus area of Period Poverty/Period Equity. Through the Knix Fund, organizations, storytellers and groups will receive the opportunity to apply for funding that will help them start or sustain their work in helping to shed light on period equity and eradicate period poverty.

Ive always said its important to attach your company to a value thats bigger than you, and thats exactly what the Knix Fund is all about, says Founder and President of Knix, Joanna Griffiths. I am extremely grateful for the success Knix has experienced over the past decade, which is why its important to me and to our team to uplift and support charities, organizations and individuals that are making profound differences in our communities through the Knix Fund.

Applicants in the Period Poverty/ Period Equity space that are charitable organizations, storytellers and/or community groups are eligible to apply. An internal committee consisting of ERG leads, executives, HR representatives and select Knix employees will decide which recipients align the strongest within the focus area. The top four recipients will receive funding from the $200,000 yearly Knix Fund commitment. Knix will follow their journey throughout the year and highlight how they use their funds to make a positive change.

The Knix Fund launches on October 6th, 2022 and is available to applicants across the United States and Canada. The deadline to apply for the Knix Fund is November 6th, 2022.

To learn more about the Knix Fund, please click here.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005171/en/

Information: Knix Media Relations - [email protected]

Source: Knix
Private Equity Transaction Landscape, Valuation Compliance and Physician Compensation needs drive Growing Advisory Practice

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- LBMC, a top business consulting and advisory firm in the nation, is pleased to announce that Nick Newsad and Cody Taylor have joined the firms Healthcare Valuation team as Senior Managers. The addition of Newsad and Taylor to LBMCs Healthcare Valuation Practice is part of the firms strategic expansion of its Advisory Practice to accommodate growing client demand in the healthcare space.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005979/en/

Experts Nick Newsad and Cody Taylor join healthcare valuation to focus on private equity transactions, compliance and physician compensations. (Photo: Business Wire)

Nick Newsad performs valuation and litigation support services for private and publicly held companies and is focused on Healthcare Compensation Valuation and LBMCs Pulse FMV Calculator. He also provides consulting on Management Service Agreements and the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule changes. For more than 16 years, Newsad has been involved in over 400 healthcare business transactions. He has prepared independent Fair Market Opinion reports for review by former California Attorney General Kamala Harris, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Internal Revenue Service, the Indian Health Service, Medicare Administrative Contractors, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, as well as arbitration, courts, law firms, hospitals, health systems, physicians, and private businesses. An authority on the U.S. healthcare industry, Newsad is a frequent author and speaker, featured regularly in national publications and presenting at conferences across the U.S. Newsad holds his Master of Health Services Administration from Xavier University and his Bachelor of Arts, Entrepreneurship from Ball State University.

Cody Taylor specializes in providing valuation, transaction advisory, and consulting services to the healthcare industry and is focused on Healthcare Business Valuation at LBMC. He has been involved in more than 600 engagements, working with ambulatory surgery centers, diagnostic imaging facilities, physician practices, acute care hospitals, radiation therapy centers, physical therapy centers, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, home health agencies and numerous other ancillary service businesses. Taylor focuses on valuations in support of transactions, joint ventures and recapitalizations, and performs valuations of specific intangible assets including health system trade names and certificates of need (CON). Taylor holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and is a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA). He has completed the business valuation courses offered by the American Society of Appraisers and is pursuing the Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) designation.

We are pleased to welcome Nick and Cody to our growing Advisory practice, said Chris Lovin, Shareholder, Practice Leader. National experts in their fields, these top performers are instrumental to the expansion of our Healthcare Valuation practice. They join LBMC at a pivotal time as we continue to provide best in class expertise and solutions to meet the increasing needs of our growing client base. Nick and Cody play instrumental roles in supporting our clients working through acquisitions, joint ventures, and related compensation issues while also ensuring our clients remain compliant within the healthcare regulatory environment.

About LBMC

LBMC is a top 35 business consulting firm that provides complex, unique advisory and compliance solutions to over 10,000 clients across the nation. The firms broad range of services includes tax, audit & assurance, transaction advisory, cyber risk services, litigation & valuation, healthcare consulting, data insights, growth and innovation, staffing and HR outsourcing, technology solutions, financial outsourcing and procurement, and high net wealth planning and management for family offices and individuals. Primary industries include healthcare, technology, manufacturing, private equity, professional services, and not-for-profit. LBMC is a Top 3 Regional Accounting Firm and a national Pacesetter for Growth on Accounting Todays Top 100 Firms list, as well as a 2022 Forbes Top Tax and Accounting Firm. LBMC is proud to be a national Certified Great Place to Work two years in a row, with more than 750 team members across the U.S. and offices in Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, TN and Charlotte, NC.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005979/en/

Lisa Namm

[email protected]

615-309-2356

Source: LBMC
SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- PROG Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PRG), the fintech holding company for Progressive Leasing, Vive Financial, and Four Technologies, is scheduled to release financial results for the third quarter of 2022 on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, prior to market open.

The Company has also scheduled a live webcast for Wednesday, October 26, 2022, at 8:30 A.M. ET to discuss its financial results for the third quarter of 2022. The webcast can be accessed via the below link, or through the Events & Presentations section of the PROG Holdings investor relations website, https://investor.progholdings.com/. The webcast will be archived for playback on the companys investor relations website following the event.

Webcast Link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/6rcku54w

About PROG Holdings, Inc.

PROG Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PRG) is a fintech holding company headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT, that provides transparent and competitive payment options to consumers. The Company owns Progressive Leasing, a leading provider of e-commerce, app-based, and in-store point-of-sale lease-to-own solutions, Vive Financial, an omnichannel provider of second-look revolving credit products, and Four Technologies, provider of Buy Now, Pay Later payment options through its platform, Four. More information on PROG Holdings' companies can be found at https://www.progholdings.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005926/en/

Investor Contact

John A. Baugh, CFA

VP, Investor Relations

[email protected]



Media Contact

Mark Delcorps

Director, Corporate Communications

[email protected]

Source: PROG Holdings, Inc.
ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (NYSE: RGA) plans to release third quarter earnings on Thursday, November 3, at approximately 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time. The release will be issued via newswire and will also be available through RGAs website, www.rgare.com.

RGA will host a conference call to discuss the third quarter results beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, November 4. Interested parties may access the call by dialing 1-888-204-4368 (323-994-2093 international). The access code is 9502707. Participants are asked to call the assigned number approximately 10 minutes before the conference call begins. A live audio webcast of that conference call will be available on the Investors page of RGAs website, www.rgare.com. A replay of the conference call will be available at the same address for 90 days following the conference call.

Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (NYSE: RGA) is a global industry leader specializing in life and health reinsurance and financial solutions that help clients effectively manage risk and optimize capital. Founded in 1973, RGA is one of the worlds largest and most respected reinsurers and is guided by a fundamental purpose: to make financial protection accessible to all. RGA is widely recognized for superior risk management and underwriting expertise, innovative product design, and dedicated client focus. RGA serves clients and partners in key markets around the world and has approximately $3.4 trillion of life reinsurance in force and assets of $84.6 billion as of June 30, 2022. To learn more about RGA and its businesses, visit www.rgare.com. Follow RGA on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221004006062/en/

Jeff Hopson

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations

(636) 736-2068

Source: Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated
TEL AVIV, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) announced today that it will issue a press release on its third quarter 2022 financial results on Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 7:00 a.m. ET. Following the release, Teva will conduct a conference call and live webcast on the same day, at 8:00 a.m. ET.

In order to participate, please register in advance here to obtain a local or toll-free phone number and your personal pin.

A live webcast of the call will be available on Teva's website at: http://ir.tevapharm.com/.

Following the conclusion of the call, a replay of the webcast will be available within 24 hours on Teva's website.

About Teva

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) has been developing and producing medicines to improve peoples lives for more than a century. We are a global leader in generic and specialty medicines with a portfolio consisting of over 3,500 products in nearly every therapeutic area. Around 200 million people around the world take a Teva medicine every day, and are served by one of the largest and most complex supply chains in the pharmaceutical industry. Along with our established presence in generics, we have significant innovative research and operations supporting our growing portfolio of specialty and biopharmaceutical products. Learn more at www.tevapharm.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This document and the conference call may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are based on managements current beliefs and expectations and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from that expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks relating to: our ability to successfully compete in the marketplace; our substantial indebtedness; our business and operations in general including: uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the governmental and societal responses thereto; compliance, regulatory and litigation matters; other financial and economic risks; and other factors discussed in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the second quarter of 2022 and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, including in the sections captioned Risk Factors. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or other information contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005712/en/

IR Contacts



Ran Meir

(267) 468-4475



Yael Ashman

+972 (3) 914 8262



PR Contacts



Kelley Dougherty

(973) 832-2810



Eden Klein

+972 (3) 906 2645

Source: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Coty (NYSE: COTY), one of the worlds largest beauty companies with a portfolio of iconic brands across fragrance, color cosmetics, and skin and body care, unveils its new corporate identity. Centered around the value of fearless kindness, Coty announces its new company purpose: together, we unleash every vision of beauty. The introduction of this framework represents the next phase in Cotys growth under the vision and leadership of CEO, Sue Y. Nabi.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005324/en/

Coty announces its new company purpose: together, we unleash every vision of beauty. (Photo: Business Wire)

Sue Nabi, Cotys CEO, said: "Beauty has always been, and will always be, at the heart of society and culture. The question of what is beautiful has built and fueled our industry through time. We believe that today, no one can control or should dictate what is or is not beautiful. Beauty is formless, like water, a constantly evolving and adapting concept. Therefore, we need to UNDEFINE the notion of beauty.

In pursuit of our purpose to unleash every vision of beauty, Coty is on a mission to create forward thinking beauty: products that provide new, innovative, and simply better science-based solutions. Since 1904, Coty has fearlessly pioneered innovation across the beauty industry. The company has a history of firsts and bests that has laid the foundation for the industry as we know it today. For over a century, Cotys brands have been empowering people to express themselves and create their own vision of beauty.

A key part of this new perspective is a belief in working together and with the wider beauty industry on a singular mission of breaking down barriers in beauty. This ambition from Coty fearlessly acknowledges the role and responsibility of the beauty industry to address harmful stereotypes and transform for the 21st Century.

Sue Y. Nabi continues: "Co-creation is at the heart of what we do. It is to business as symbiosis is to nature. Together, we can not only solve the problems we face, but create synergies that will lead to innovations that will surpass anything we could have created alone. Collaboration is the catalyst for creating forward-thinking beauty. In synchrony with our people, our partners, and our customers, we will develop products that provide new, innovative, and simply better science-based solutions. Together, we will make over the world of beauty."

Following a business-wide review, Coty has gone a step further, codifying its corporate values under the framework of fearless kindness  its processes, businesses, and people are now anchored in this philosophy. The business sees fearless kindness as a strength; a value to live by and a commitment to stand by. This vision was launched internally over the summer, receiving overwhelming support of Cotys 11,000 associates around the world.

Coty encapsulates its new identity under a tagline which invites all its associates, partners, consumers and beyond to join the movement: Coty, Fearless. Forward. You.

About Coty Inc.

Founded in Paris in 1904, Coty is one of the worlds largest beauty companies with a portfolio of iconic brands across fragrance, color cosmetics, and skin and body care. Coty serves consumers around the world, selling prestige and mass market products in more than 130 countries and territories. Coty and our brands empower people to express themselves freely, creating their own visions of beauty; and we are committed to making a positive impact on the planet. Learn more at coty.com or on LinkedIn and Instagram.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005324/en/

For more information:

Investor Relations

Olga Levinzon

212-389-7733

[email protected]

Media

Aleksandra Kujawska

[email protected]

Source: Coty
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Six members of Wells Fargos Global Treasury Management (GTM) and Technology groups will appear on eight panels at the 2022 Sibos conference in Amsterdam from October 10-13.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005664/en/

Wells Fargo to participate in Sibos conference from October 10-13 (Photo: Wells Fargo)

Tami Hudson, head of Cyber Security Client Office, will appear on the Fighting cybercrime in uncertain times panel on Monday, October 10 at 2:15 p.m.* and on the DEI Accelerator Fireside Chat on Tuesday, October 11 at 12:30 p.m.

panel on Monday, October 10 at 2:15 p.m.* and on the on Tuesday, October 11 at 12:30 p.m. Lynne Kresse, GTM USD Banks Segment Solutions Leader, will appear on the Instant + Frictionless payments panel on Monday, October 10 at 3:30 p.m.

panel on Monday, October 10 at 3:30 p.m. Lisa Wong Bouldin, head of GTM Enablement and Execution, will appear on The Great Return: A key moment for talent and culture panel on Tuesday, October 11 at 10:30 a.m.

panel on Tuesday, October 11 at 10:30 a.m. Michael Knorr, head of GTM Payment and Liquidity Management will appear on The power of data: Delivering a step change in financial crime compliance panel on Tuesday, October 11 at 12:15 p.m. and on the Update from the Payments Market Practice Group (PMPG) panel on Wednesday, October 12 at 10:00 a.m.

panel on Tuesday, October 11 at 12:15 p.m. and on the panel on Wednesday, October 12 at 10:00 a.m. Joanne Strobel, GTM CIB Segment Solutions & Advisory Leader, will appear on The SWIFT platform: A foundation for future innovation panel on Wednesday, October 12 at 10:15 a.m.

panel on Wednesday, October 12 at 10:15 a.m. John Hunter, head of GTM Payments and Transaction Services, will appear on the Lets get digital: A blueprint for the payments model of the future panel on Wednesday, October 12 at 10:45 a.m.

*All times are local Amsterdam time GMT+2

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is a leading middle market banking provider in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 41 on Fortunes 2022 rankings of Americas largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy.

News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com | Twitter: @WellsFargo

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005664/en/

Media

Sam Arenson, 612-414-7618

[email protected]

Source: Wells Fargo & Company
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to media as he tours areas damaged by Hurricane Ian during a visit to Florida, in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, U.S., October 5, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

By Jeff Mason and Nandita Bose

WASHINGTON/ON BOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden expressed disappointment on Thursday over announced plans by OPEC+ nations to cut oil output and he and officials said the United States was looking at all possible alternatives to keep prices from rising.

Despite that move, Biden said he did not regret his summer trip to Saudi Arabia, which he said was focused on the Middle East.

OPEC+ agreed to steep oil production cuts on Wednesday, curbing supply in an already tight market and raising the possibility of higher gasoline prices right before the U.S. midterm elections in November, when Biden's Democrats are defending their control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

"We're looking at what alternatives we may have," Biden told reporters at the White House when asked about the OPEC decision.

"There's a lot of alternatives. We haven't made up our minds yet," he said.

Biden this week called on his administration and Congress to explore ways to boost U.S. energy production and reduce the cartel's control over energy prices. Some of his options include releasing more oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve or exploring a curb on energy exports by U.S. companies.

Biden went to Saudi Arabia in July but ended the trip without a deal for the OPEC+ group to help bring down gasoline prices, a key political problem for him at home.

Asked if he regretted his decision to go to Saudi Arabia, Biden said that trip was not essentially about oil.

"The trip was about the Middle East and about Israel and ... rationalization of positions," he said. "But it is a disappointment," he added of the OPEC+ decision, and indicates problems.

The White House has sought to take credit for a decline in gasoline prices in recent months after Biden started a series of oil releases from the SPR. High inflation has been a political albatross to the president, and the dip in prices a key victory.

The OPEC+ decision could threaten that momentum and benefit oil-exporter Russia, which is suffering under U.S. -led sanctions.

"We believe it's unnecessary and unwarranted at a period where, if you look at the global energy picture, oil picture, the lack of supply continues to be a significant challenge," Biden's economic adviser, Brian Deese, told reporters on Air Force One on Thursday.

"What the president has directed us, and it continues to be the case, is to take nothing off of the table," Deese said when asked whether the U.S. could limit energy exports.

"We will be assessing and consulting closely with Congress on a range of issues on the back end of this," he said.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Nandita Bose; additional reporting by Doina Chiacu. Editing by Heather Timmons, Alexandra Hudson)
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijans armed incursions and the strikes conducted against Armenias internationally-recognized territory are a violation of the United Nations Charter, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna said in the French Senate.

As you know, France stands shoulder to shoulder with the Armenian people. It always has, as youve said. It always has because our histories have been linked since our country took in refugees from the Armenian genocide of 1915. It stands by the Armenian people, it shows solidarity with the Armenian people, it will continue to do so until we achieve a negotiated, peaceful settlement to the conflict which pits it against Azerbaijan. Weapons have spoken for long enough.

Azerbaijans armed incursions and the strikes conducted against Armenias internationally-recognized territory are a violation of the United Nations Charter. They must cease. Weve said so. I repeat it right here. Were also making active efforts to secure the release of Armenian prisoners, prisoners of war, and I can let you know that 17 of them were released by Azerbaijan yesterday.

France, together with the European Union, is engaged in a process of dialogue between the two countries which is continuing as we speak, and President Macron will continue it tomorrow with a number of his European colleagues, because a commitment to peace and international law is what guides our action. And thats how Armenias right to live in freedom will be guaranteed.

Weve also brought the Security Council together twice under the French presidency, on 15 and 16 September, because yes, the Security Council can play a role, youre right. But since the immediate priority is to reduce tensions and since, to that end, an objective assessment must be made of the situation at the border, were working practically to ensure an OSCE fact-finding mission is quickly sent, and I asked that organizations acting president to do so barely a few days ago, she said.
International Game Technology PLC ("IGT") (NYSE: IGT) announced today that its subsidiary, IGT Global Solutions Corporation, has signed a new 10-year scratch ticket printing and services contract with the Texas Lottery Commission ("Texas Lottery"). Following a competitive procurement, IGT was awarded the printing contract to provide scratch ticket content and supporting services. The new contract will extend IGT's partnership with the Texas Lottery through August 2034.

"Since our inception in 1992, IGT has been a valued partner and has helped the Texas Lottery generate more than $35 billion in revenue for good causes," said Gary Grief, Texas Lottery Commission Executive Director. "We look forward to IGT's continued offering of innovative and entertaining scratch tickets in the years to come."

"For 30 years, IGT has worked closely with the Texas Lottery to pilot some of our most innovative products such as Super Ticket, in-lane solutions, and the scan-and-check feature of the mobile convenience app," said Jay Gendron, IGT Chief Operating Officer, Global Lottery. "These industry-leading lottery products and supporting operational services provide a multitude of benefits for players and retailers across the state. We look forward to building upon our longstanding partnership supporting educational and veteran service organizations in Texas."

IGT is the Texas Lottery's exclusive supplier for the highly successful Loteria family of games. Loteria is available at six different price points ($1, $3, $5, $10, $20 and $50) and in 2021, it generated more than $1.6 billion in sales. This new contract will provide Texas Lottery with continued access to IGT's catalogue of player-favorite games, licensed content, and innovative designs and features.

In addition to scratch ticket printing, IGT provides the Texas Lottery with lottery operations and services, including its lottery central systems, data center operations, field sales organization, retail equipment and support, warehouse and distribution, call center, and marketing services.

As the global lottery market leader, IGT is the primary technology provider to eight of the world's largest 10 lotteries and continues to grow its ticket printing global market share with more than 40 long-term instant ticket services contracts worldwide. For more information, visit IGT.com and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (the Company or MPT) (NYSE: MPW) today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements for the sale of three Connecticut hospitals to Prospect Medical Holdings (Prospect), the current lessee. Separately, Yale New Haven Health (Yale) has agreed to acquire the hospital operations from Prospect in a contemporaneous transaction.

Terms of the agreements establish an aggregate sale price of approximately $457 million, the approximate amount MPT paid for the hospitals in August 2019; the Prospect lessees have since made timely payments of all rent required under the leases to MPT totaling approximately $104 million. The strong interest of Yale in the Connecticut facilities further validates MPTs underwriting of these properties as essential hospital infrastructure due to their physical quality, local demographics, reimbursement sources and other key underwriting criteria. The transaction is expected to close in 2023 subject to certain regulatory approvals and is further conditioned upon the completion of Yales acquisition from Prospect of the hospital operations.

MPT presently plans to utilize proceeds from the transaction to reduce debt and to fund select acquisition and other investment opportunities. In combination with nearly $400 million in recent asset sale and loan repayment proceeds, which the Company used to reduce short-term debt during the third quarter, and roughly $200 million in anticipated loan repayment proceeds related to LifePoints planned acquisition of a majority interest in Springstone, MPT will have sourced in excess of $1 billion of immediately available liquidity.
Sylvamo (NYSE: SLVM), the world's paper company, is announcing it reached an agreement and completed the sale of its Russian operations to Pulp Invest Limited Liability Company for $420 million. After foreign currency exchange rates and transaction fees, Sylvamo received approximately $390 million in cash proceeds.

"We made a principle-based decision to exit Russia and believe Pulp Invest is the best option for our Russian colleagues and assets," said Jean-Michel Ribieras, chairman and chief executive officer. "We intend to use $325 million of the proceeds to repay debt."

Sylvamo announced its decision to sell all of its Russian operations in May. Pulp Invest, a management buyout vehicle, funded the purchase price through bank financing.

A Form 8-K, including updated pro forma financial statements, will be available at investors.sylvamo.com.
U.S. President Joe Biden listens to a guest doctor speak during a meeting of the Reproductive Healthcare Access Task Force in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 4, 2022. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

By Jeff Mason and Doina Chiacu

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden took steps to overhaul U.S. policy on marijuana on Thursday by pardoning thousands of people with federal offenses for simple marijuana possession and initiating a review of how the drug is classified.

Biden said thousands of people with prior federal convictions could be denied employment, housing or educational opportunities and his executive action would relieve such "collateral" consequences.

Nearly 40 U.S. states have legalized marijuana use in some form, but it remains completely illegal in some states and at the federal level. Reclassification would be a first step toward wider legalization, a move backed by a majority of Americans, and usher in sweeping changes for companies and law enforcement and impact millions.

The president's decision fulfills a campaign promise and is likely to please members in his left-leaning political base ahead of the November midterm elections in which the president's fellow Democrats are defending control of the House of Representatives and Senate.

"Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It's time that we right these wrongs," Biden said.

He urged state governors to follow suit.

"Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either," Biden said.

A senior administration official said more than 6500 people with prior federal convictions could be affected by the pardons.

Shares of cannabis growers and sellers surged following Biden's comments, with Tilray Brands and Canopy Growth both jumping more than 20%.

Supporters welcomed the move and its impact on racial imbalances in the U.S. justice system.

"The United States will never justly legalize marijuana until it reckons with the outdated policies that equated thousands of young Black men with hardened drug pushers," said Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network civil rights group.

"They were thrown behind bars for years on end for simple possession, a non-violent offense, for a substance that red states and blue states are now legalizing at a furious clip."

Some Republicans, who U.S. voters prefer over Democrats for addressing crime-related policies, criticized it.

"In the midst of a crime wave and on the brink of a recession, Joe Biden is giving blanket pardons to drug offenders many of whom pled down from more serious charges," Republican Senator Tom Cotton said on Twitter. "This is a desperate attempt to distract from failed leadership."

BIG CHANGES AHEAD

The results of a classification review could have wide ramifications. At present, the drug falls under the same classification as heroin and LSD and is in a higher classification than fentanyl and methamphetamine, the president said.

If marijuana classification were to ease at the federal level, that could allow major stock exchanges to list businesses that are in the cannabis trade, and potentially allow foreign companies to begin selling their products in the United States.

While many states have legalized the medical or recreational use of cannabis, its illegal status under U.S. federal law has forced most major banks to deny their services to cannabis-related businesses.

The issue has forced U.S. marijuana companies to trade their shares over the counter or by listing in Canada, with the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange prohibited from listing them.

The president's action drew praise from some members of Congress and from the industry.

The Progressive Caucus applauds this action by President Biden today to advance criminal and racial justice," said Representative Pramila Jayapal, who chairs a group of left-leaning lawmakers, in a statement.

"This represents a major step in righting the wrongs of the past and amending policies that have negatively impacted so many, said Khari Edwards, head of corporate social responsibility at Ayr Wellness Inc, one of the top U.S. cannabis retailers.

Biden said he had directed Attorney General Merrick Garland to develop an "administrative process" to issue certificates of pardon to those who are eligible.

The Justice Department will expeditiously administer the Presidents proclamation, which pardons individuals who engaged in simple possession of marijuana, restoring political, civil, and other rights to those convicted of that offense," the department said in a statement.

Biden said certain rules needed to stay in place even as regulations around the country loosened.

"Finally, even as federal and state regulation of marijuana changes, important limitations on trafficking, marketing, and under-age sales should stay in place," Biden said.

The global cannabis industry is forecast to hit $55 billion in sales by 2026, with the U.S. market growing to $40 billion by then, up from $25 billion last year, according to cannabis focused research firm BDSAs September projections.

Industry experts believe U.S. federal reforms could push those figures much higher.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Doina Chiacu; additional reporting by Noel Randewich, Shariq Khan, Richard Cowan, Makini Brice and Steve Holland; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien, Heather Timmons, Bill Berkrot and Deepa Babington)
MIAMI, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ayr Wellness Inc. (CSE: AYR.A, OTCQX: AYRWF) (Ayr or the Company), a leading vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator (MSO), is announcing the rollout of its premium live resin concentrates and vapes brand HAZE in Florida.

Having recently celebrated surpassing 50 retail stores throughout Florida, the introduction of Hydrocarbon Extraction products to its menus marks another major milestone for Ayr in the Sunshine State.

Ayr has carefully crafted a brand portfolio that appeals to a wide array of consumers throughout the value spectrum, providing quality products at every price point, said Jonathan Sandelman, Founder and CEO of Ayr. HAZE represents a premium experience at an attractive price point, enabled by the cultivation and production improvements since we took over the Liberty Health Sciences Gainesville facility last year.

HAZE premium live resin concentrates and vapes are formulated for rapid onset and deliver a full-sensory experience. Products available at launch include live resin vape cartridges, live badder and live sugar. Strains include WAP #27, Caesar, 8 Bagel, Gorilla Glue, Mr. Nasty and Ruby Slippers.

Following Hurricane Ian, 47 of Ayrs 51 Florida stores are currently open, and the Companys Bonita Springs store will reopen on Friday, October 8. In an effort to ensure medical marijuana patients have access to medicinal treatments, the Company is actively working to reopen locations in Cape Coral, Port Charlotte, and Sebring once it is safe and compliant to do so.

Sandelman continued, Following Hurricane Ian, we are pleased that all our Florida-based employees are safe. Additionally, our team on the ground in Florida did a great job preparing for the storm and securing our facilities. We also sustained no damage to our Gainesville cultivation campus, and harvests and products remain on schedule.

For more information about Ayr Wellness or to locate your nearest dispensary, please visit https://ayrwellness.com.

Forward-Looking StatementsCertain information contained in this news release may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as target, expect, anticipate, believe, foresee, could, would, estimate, goal, outlook, intend, plan, seek, will, may, tracking, pacing and should and similar expressions or words suggesting future outcomes. This news release includes forward-looking information and statements pertaining to, among other things, Ayrs future growth plans. Numerous risks and uncertainties could cause the actual events and results to differ materially from the estimates, beliefs and assumptions expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: anticipated strategic, operational and competitive benefits may not be realized; events or series of events, including in connection with COVID-19, may cause business interruptions; required regulatory approvals may not be obtained; laws or the interpretation, administration or enforcement thereof may change; differing regulatory requirements across states may prevent Ayr from achieving economies of scale; favorable locations may be restricted or difficult to obtain; acquisitions may not be able to be completed on satisfactory terms or at all, or if completed may not be successful; the enforcement of contracts may be restricted; scientific research regarding cannabis is still in its early stages and is subject to change as further research is completed; the inherent risks of an agricultural business; cyber-security, transportation, recall, product liability and litigation related risks; and Ayr may not be able to raise additional debt or equity capital if required. Among other things, Ayr has assumed that its businesses will operate as anticipated, that it will be able to complete acquisitions and acquire desirable retail sites on reasonable terms, and that all required regulatory approvals will be obtained on satisfactory terms and within expected time frames.

Estimates and assumptions involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. While Ayr believes there is a reasonable basis for these assumptions, such estimates may not be met. These estimates represent forward-looking information. Actual results may vary and differ materially from the estimates.

About Ayr Wellness Inc.Ayr is an expanding vertically integrated, U.S. multi-state cannabis operator. Based on the belief that everything starts with the quality of the plant, the Companys mission is to cultivate the finest quality cannabis at scale and deliver remarkable experiences to its customers every day.

Ayrs leadership team brings proven expertise in growing successful businesses through disciplined operational and financial management, and is committed to driving positive impact for customers, employees and the communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.ayrwellness.com.

Company/Media Contact:Robert VaniskoVP, Corporate CommunicationsEmail: [email protected]

Investor Relations Contact:Sean Mansouri, CFAElevate IRT: (720) 330-2829Email: [email protected]

Source: Ayr Wellness Inc.
Nokia CorporationStock Exchange Release6 October 2022 at 9:00 EEST

Chief Legal Officer Nassib Abou-Khalil to leave NokiaEspoo, Finland  Nokias Chief Legal Officer, Nassib Abou-Khalil, has decided to leave Nokia and step down from its Group Leadership Team. A recruitment process will begin immediately for his successor.

Nassib Abou-Khalil joined Nokia in 2014 and was appointed Chief Legal Officer in 2019. Before that role, he held various legal and compliance leadership positions in the company, including working as the general counsel for customer operations and leading the integration of the compliance programs of Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia.

This was a very difficult decision for me. However, after eight years with the company, its time for personal renewal and seeking new challenges externally. Whatever I have been able to realize  both as Nokias CLO and in our industry-leading inclusion and diversity work  has been possible only because of the support and encouragement I have received from my colleagues at Nokia. Even though Im excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, I will miss working with this great team, said Nassib Abou-Khalil.

Nassib has been a valued member of Nokias leadership team. I thank him both for leading our legal and compliance work and for being a strong advocate of equality, diversity and inclusion within and beyond Nokia. I wish him all the best for his future endeavors, said Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO of Nokia.

Esa Niinimaki, Deputy Chief Legal Officer, Corporate and Secretary to the Board of Directors, assumes the role of interim Chief Legal Officer of Nokia.

About NokiaAt Nokia, we 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.

Inquiries:

NokiaCommunicationsEmail: [email protected]Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of Public Relations

NokiaInvestor RelationsPhone: +358 40 803 4080Email: [email protected]

Source: Nokia Oyj
VICTOR, N.Y. and SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), a leading beverage alcohol company, announced today that it has reached an agreement with The Wine Group to divest a portion of its mainstream and premium wine portfolio, including Cooper & Thief, Crafters Union, The Dreaming Tree, Monkey Bay, 7 Moons, and Charles Smith Wines. This transaction is expected to close later today.

This decision builds on the companys efforts to establish a bold and innovative, higher-end wine and spirits portfolio with distinctive brands and products, delivering exceptional consumer experiences. Constellation divested the majority of its popular and mainstream wine and spirits portfolio in 2021 and is focused on competing predominantly in premium and fine wine and craft spirits segments, while continuing to invest in the growth of its remaining strategic mainstream wine and spirits assets.

A key driver of our success has been our relentless focus on consumer preferences, including long-term consumer-led premiumization trends, and remaining agile in our approach to stay ahead of evolving marketplace dynamics, said Robert Hanson, EVP & President, wine and spirits division. Over the past three years, we reshaped ourselves into a higher-end wine and spirits division with intentional, strategic mainstream plays and are moving our business towards becoming a leading global Premium/Fine Wine & Craft Spirits portfolio. This transaction will enable us to focus and shift our portfolio towards the higher end, positioning ourselves to continue delivering industry-leading growth and shareholder value with the right portfolio for our ambitions. In turn, The Wine Group is acquiring great brands that complement its current strategy of continuing to build a premium wine portfolio.

Constellations remaining wine and spirits portfolio contains a more focused set of leading, powerful brands aligned with consumer preferences, spanning mainstream, premium, fine wine and craft spirits segments, including Meiomi, Kim Crawford, The Prisoner Wine Company, The Robert Mondavi family of brands, High West Whiskey, Casa Noble Tequila, Schrader Cellars, Double Diamond, To Kalon Vineyard Company, SIMI, My Favorite Neighbor portfolio of brands, Lingua Franca, Nelsons Green Brier and others.

Additional commentary related to this transaction will be provided during Constellations second quarter fiscal 2023 financial results conference call to be held today, Thursday, October 6, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. EDT. The conference call can be accessed by dialing +1-877-407-9121 and entering conference identification number 13732540, beginning at 10:20 a.m. EDT. A live, listen-only webcast of the conference call will be available on the companys investor relations website at ir.cbrands.com under the News & Events section.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTSThis news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The word expect and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These statements may relate to business strategy, future operations, prospects and plans, and objectives of management, as well as information concerning expected actions of third parties. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations and should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results will in fact occur or will occur on the timetable contemplated hereby. No assurances can be given that the transaction between Constellation Brands and The Wine Group will occur or will occur on the contemplated terms or timetable. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and Constellation Brands undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

In addition to risks and uncertainties associated with ordinary business operations, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are subject to other risks and uncertainties, including completion of the announced transaction; the accuracy of all projections; and other factors and uncertainties disclosed from time-to-time in Constellation Brands filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2022, its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended May 31, 2022, and its Registration Statement on Form S-4, as amended from time to time, which could cause actual future performance to differ from current expectations.

ABOUT CONSTELLATION BRANDSAt Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), our mission is to build brands that people love because we believe sharing a toast, unwinding after a day, celebrating milestones, and helping people connect, are Worth Reaching For. Its worth our dedication, hard work, and the bold calculated risks we take to deliver more for our consumers, trade partners, shareholders, and communities in which we live and work. Its what has made us one of the fastest-growing large CPG companies in the U.S. at retail, and it drives our pursuit to deliver whats next.

Today, we are a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine, and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. Every day, people reach for our high-end, iconic imported beer brands such as Corona Extra, Corona Light, Corona Premier, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra, and Pacifico, and our fine wine and craft spirits brands, including The Prisoner Wine Company, Robert Mondavi Winery, Casa Noble Tequila, and High West Whiskey, and our premium wine brands such as Meiomi and Kim Crawford.

But we wont stop here. Our visionary leadership team and passionate employees from barrel room to boardroom are reaching for the next level, to explore the boundaries of the beverage alcohol industry and beyond. Join us in discovering whats Worth Reaching For.

To learn more, visit www.cbrands.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT Alex Wagner [email protected] Joseph Suarez [email protected]

A downloadable PDF copy of this news release can be found here http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/2ed66a87-7699-4327-be76-8377195af892

Source: Constellation Brands, Inc.
In the correction announcement the cargo type names liquid bulk and dry bulk have been exchanged on the rows in the table, the numbers on the rows remained the same.

In 2022 Q3, 4.4 million tonnes of cargo and 2.5 million passengers passed through the harbours of Tallinna Sadam. Compared to the same period of previous year, the number of passengers increased by 87% i.e. by 1.2 million passengers whereas the cargo volume decreased by 33%. At the same time, the number of vessel calls was relatively stable decreasing only by 4% to 1936 calls. The number of passengers and vehicles served between the Estonian mainland and the main islands and the number of charter days of the icebreaker Botnica stayed at the same level as in the previous year, utility rate of the vessel was 100%.

According to Valdo Kalm, chairman of the management board of Tallinna Sadam, the recovery of passenger business continued vigorously in the summer, the number of passengers increased by 2.3 times in 9 months year-on-year, primarily with the support of the Tallinn-Helsinki route and cruise passengers. "We are very pleased that cruise ships continue to find their way to Tallinn despite St. Petersburg's disappearance from the cruise map. Today, we have managed to recover to 70% of the pre-pandemic level in the passenger business," said Kalm.

In terms of cargo volumes, ro-ro and container volumes continue to grow, but the overall cargo volume has decreased due to the sanctions imposed on Russia. The sanctions affect the handling of liquid bulk and fertilizers (dry bulk).

Shipping volumes, i.e. the number of passengers and vehicles served by ferries, as well as the number of charter days of the icebreaker Botnica, are stable at last year's level.

The operational volumes of Tallinna Sadam group for 2022 Q3 and 9 months are presented in the following table. The data for the Q3 2022 are preliminary as of 05.10.2022. The final volumes for the period may be specified and will be published in the following financial report.

Q3 2022 Q3 2021 Change 9M 2022 9M 2021 Change Cargo volume by type of cargo

(th tonnes) 4 370 6 541 -33.2% 13 897 17 709 -21.5% Ro-ro 1 701 1 599 6.4% 5 235 4 818 8.7% Liquid bulk 1 156 2 976 -61.2% 4 325 7 396 -41.5% Dry bulk 887 1 371 -35.3% 2 195 3 737 -41.3% Containers 508 465 9.1% 1 649 1 391 18.5% in TEUs 60 231 56 221 7.1% 207 052 166 153 24.6% General cargo 114 129 -12.1% 480 367 30.8% Non-marine 5 0 - 14 1 - Number of passengers by routes (th) 2 533 1 358 86.5% 5 337 2 327 129.4% Tallinn-Helsinki 2 169 1 075 101.8% 4 633 1 953 137.2% Tallinn-Stockholm 146 105 39.0% 329 105 212.9% Muuga-Vuosaari 50 37 33.8% 129 99 30.0% Cruise (traditional) 116 54 115.4% 170 54 216.2% Other 52 86 -40.1% 76 116 -34.6% Number of vessel calls by vessel type 1 936 2 010 -3.7% 5 529 5 524 0.1% Cargo vessels 371 492 -24.6% 1 131 1 287 -12.1% Passenger vessels (incl. Ro-Pax) 1 455 1 479 -1.6% 4 220 4 198 0.5% Cruise vessels (traditional) 110 39 182.1% 178 39 356.4% Ferries*

(Saaremaa and Hiiumaa lines) Passengers (th) 897 906 -1.0% 1 852 1 759 5.3% Vehicles (th) 394 407 -3.3% 872 862 1.1% Icebreaker Botnica Charter days 92 92 0,0% 206 206 0,0% Utility rate (%) 100% 100% 0 75% 75% 0

*Ferry traffic volumes show the general demand for the service, but do not directly affect the financial results of the ferry segment, as the fee is fixed in the service contract regardless of the number of passengers and vehicles served.

More detailed statistics of passengers by nationality, gender and routes on monthly basis, can be viewed on the Tallinna Sadam web page: https://www.ts.ee/en/statistics/ . We now also publish quarterly key figures in xlsx format: https://www.ts.ee/en/investor/key-figures/

Detailed statistics on the number of passengers and vehicles on passenger ferries: https://www.praamid.ee/wp/statistics/

Tallinna Sadam is one of the largest cargo- and passenger port complexes in the Baltic Sea region, which serves annually 10 million passengers and 20 million tons of cargo in average. In addition to passenger and freight services, Tallinna Sadam group also operates in shipping business via its subsidiaries  OU TS Laevad provides ferry services between the Estonian mainland and the largest islands, and OU TS Shipping charters its multifunctional vessel Botnica for icebreaking and construction services in Estonia and offshore projects abroad. Tallinna Sadam group is also a shareholder of an associate AS Green Marine, which provides waste management services. The groups sales in 2021 totalled EUR 110 million, adjusted EBITDA EUR 54 million and profit EUR 26 million.

Additional information:

Marju Zirel

Head of Investor Relations

Tel. +372 5342 6591
MONACO, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Costamare Inc. (the Company) (NYSE: CMRE), an international owner and provider of containerships and dry bulk vessels for charter, announced the election of two Class III directors at the Companys annual meeting of stockholders held in Monaco today.

The elected Class III directors are Konstantinos Konstantakopoulos and Charlotte Stratos. Each Class III director was elected to hold office for a term ending at the annual meeting of stockholders in 2025 and until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified.

Stockholders also ratified the appointment of Ernst & Young (Hellas) Certified Auditors Accountants S.A. as the Companys independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022.

About Costamare Inc.

Costamare Inc. is one of the world's leading owners and providers of containerships and dry bulk vessels for charter. The Company has 48 years of history in the international shipping industry and a fleet of 76 containerships, with a total capacity of approximately 557,000 TEU (including five vessels that we have agreed to sell) and 45 dry bulk vessels with a total capacity of approximately 2,436,000 DWT. Four of our containerships have been acquired pursuant to the Framework Deed with York by vessel-owning joint venture companies in which we hold a minority equity interest. The Companys common stock, Series B Preferred Stock, Series C Preferred Stock, Series D Preferred Stock and Series E Preferred Stock trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols CMRE, CMRE PR B, CMRE PR C, CMRE PR D and CMRE PR E, respectively.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as believe, intend, anticipate, estimate, project, forecast, plan, potential, may, should, could and expect and similar expressions. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the Companys belief regarding future results, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Companys control. It is possible that actual results may differ, possibly materially, from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. For a discussion of some of the risks and important factors that could affect future results, see the discussion in the Companys Annual Report on Form 20-F (File No. 001-34934) under the caption Risk Factors.

Company Contacts:Gregory Zikos - Chief Financial OfficerKonstantinos Tsakalidis - Business Development

Costamare Inc., MonacoTel: (+377) 93 25 09 40Email: [email protected]

Source: Costamare Inc
TORONTO, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dundee Corporation (TSX: DC.A) (the Corporation or Dundee) today announces that TauRx Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (TauRx), a leader in tau-based research in Alzheimers, unveiled Phase 3 results from its Alzheimers disease (AD) study, LUCIDITY. For a copy of TauRxs official announcement, please visit:

https://taurx.com/news-insights/taurx-announces-results-from-phase-3-alzheimers-disease-study-lucidity-assuring-path-for-regulatory-submissions

TauRx Announcement Highlights:

For people with early Alzheimers (MCI), HMTM treatment resulted in sustained improvement in cognition over pre-treatment baseline, and normalization of brain atrophy to a rate similar to healthy individuals;

For people with mild to moderate Alzheimers, HMTM stabilized cognition and function and reduced rate of brain atrophy compared to historical matched individuals with AD;

HMTM is an oral drug with a strong safety profile, having no risk of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities;

TauRx will present the Phase 3 findings at the Clinical Trials in Alzheimers Disease (CTAD) conference on Wednesday, November 30th 2022, in San Francisco.

TauRx also announces the appointment of Dr. Richard Stefanacci as the companys new Chief Medical Officer. Alongside appointed strategic regulatory advisors in the UK, US and Canada, Dr. Stefanacci will assist with regulatory submissions.

Jonathan Goodman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dundee Corporation, commented: Alzheimers is a terrible disease that has impacted far too many people globally, including my own family. I am personally very encouraged by this news, as from our perspective, it gives great hope that we might be finally turning the tide in our fight against this disease. We understand that TauRx has some additional obstacles to overcome to obtain the regulatory approvals needed to bring their drug to market. It has the potential to have significant positive impact on both the value of TauRx and to Dundee Corporation. We are extremely pleased that LUCIDITY has demonstrated effectiveness for people afflicted with mild to moderate Alzheimers while retaining a strong safety profile. We are further encouraged by the fact that HMTM is administered orally without the need for expensive monitoring, providing advantages over more expensive and less safe and effective approved alternatives available to patients today. This is a very exciting time for both TauRx and for Dundee Corporation as we believe this is a milestone that will pave the way for eventual commercial success.

Dundee holds 1,015,008 shares in TauRx, representing an undiluted interest of 3.5% in the company (3.2% fully diluted, with warrants exercisable over a four-week period following the release of topline results). Dundee Corporation determined that the fair value of its investment in TauRx, at June 30, 2022, was $36.2 million.

ABOUT DUNDEE CORPORATION:

Dundee Corporation is a public Canadian independent holding company, listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol DC.A. Through its operating subsidiaries, Dundee Corporation is an active investor focused on delivering long-term, sustainable value as a trusted partner in the mining sector with more than 30 years of experience making accretive mining investments.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects Dundee Corporations 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 Dundee Corporations control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the factors discussed under Risk Factors in the Annual Information Form of Dundee Corporation and subsequent filings made with securities commissions in Canada. Dundee Corporation 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:

Investor and Media RelationsT: (416) 864-3584E: [email protected]

Source: Dundee Corporation
South Africa: Lesufi elected Gauteng Premier

Newly installed Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, has vowed to prioritise education as a catalytic driver of the provinces economic development.

The outgoing Gauteng Education MEC laid out his plan for the province in his inaugural speech following his election at the Legislature on Thursday.

His appointment was initiated by the resignation of David Makhura on Tuesday.

On Monday, Makhura tendered his resignation as both Premier and Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to Speaker Ntombi Mekgwe, effective from Thursday. The proceedings were presided by Deputy Judge President of the North Gauteng High Court, Judge Aubrey Ledwaba.

Lesufi contested the position with Gauteng Democratic Alliance chairperson, Solly Msimanga. With 38 votes, Lesufi pipped Msimanga (22) to the post. The EFF did not participate in the vote.

Addressing the Legislature for the first time as Premier, Lesufi said his appointment was nothing to celebrate, but a reminder that you must serve with integrity, humility and dignity.

He said: As long as our townships are still the way they are, our freedom has not arrived. As long as we still have informal settlements, we have not accomplished our tasks.

As long as we still have dirty and smelly hostels, we have not achieved our goals.

As long as our people in rural areas are struggling to get water, then our mission for a better free South Africa must continue.

Until such realities were eliminated, he said the province should double efforts of achieving economic growth.

He called on Members of the Legislature (MPLs) to always forever remain sensitive to the imperatives of the Constitution and to conduct ourselves with probity and always act in the best interest of the people of this province.

Lesufi said: I refuse to accept that all of us came here to elect one person to be the premier of our province. What we have done was the election of 16 million people of Gauteng to be the premier, not me.

"It takes all of us to pick ourselves up. Our citizens are confronted with many challenges, but you must remain firm to defend, shield, but most importantly, serve them.

His election, he said, was an opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate the vote of confidence bestowed on Gauteng MPLs to lead the province.

I want to take this opportunity to affirm one thing that I'm just a last servant that must conclude the last part of our administration that was led by our dynamic former Premier, David Makhura, he said.

Paying tribute to the outgoing premier, Lesufi hailed Makhura for successfully leading the province as premier for the past eight years, describing him as one of the humblest servants and a hard act to follow.

Growing Gauteng Together remains a blueprint that we must continue to implement, even beyond the era of comrade David Makhura. This blueprint was not a David Makhura blueprint; it was our blueprint and we are proud to take it forward, said the Premier.

"It is a blueprint that wants a growing province. It's a blueprint that wants a Gauteng that should be better by 2030. One that wants to encourage growth in terms of the economy, jobs and infrastructure. It is one that encourages a skills revolution in education and health.

One that calls for integrated human settlement and land release. It is one that calls for safety, social cohesion and food security. One that calls for a capable, ethical and developmental leadership. It also calls for a better Africa and the world and the need to have a sustainable development for future generations.

The incoming executive, he said, would continue to implement the plan.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-10-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

The 8th Baku International Book Fair has started at Baku Expo Center, Azernews reports, citing Azertac.

Over 60 foreign organizations from over 10 countries, 118 local publishing houses, and enterprises are represented at the book fair arranged by the Culture Ministry.

At the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Ali Ahmadov congratulated all readers on the occasion of a book holiday. He said that the book fairs have become a tradition in Azerbaijan.

Noting that the book is of human value, he highly appreciated the holding of such events in the country.

"The books occupy a great place in the acquisition of knowledge and habits of a person. They associate all human achievements with the book. It is impossible to imagine the development of human society without books. Now the book competes for survival in the electronic world. The Azerbaijani state and society treat science with great respect. Today, the country's book printing is the center of the state attention," said Ali Ahmadov.

He emphasized that thanks to the attention and care of President Ilham Aliyev, international book fairs and other international events are organized at a high level in the country.

Speaking at the event, Culture Minister Anar Karimov stressed the importance of the book fair.

He said that the Baku International Book Fair aims to increase interest in books and promote a reading culture.

The large-scale event introduces readers to digital innovations in the field of publishing and supports the development of the book industry sector and modern literary processes in the country.

The minister noted that the Baku International Book Fair, which has a 15-year history, is considered one of the country's leading events, which is welcomed by the society with great interest and stands out for its large number of participants.

"The difference of the 8th Baku International Book Fair from other previous years is that it is organized in a larger format. Of course, the book fair's previous edition was a turning point in the book industry. Azerbaijan has already formed experience in this field that meets new world standards. But the difference between this year's book fair and last year's is that the number of publishers and the book industry subjects, in general, is almost 30-40 percent higher than last year. For the first time, Turkiye participates in the book fair in our country as an honorary guest," said Anar Karimov.

He also noted that the 8th Baku International Book Fair is dedicated to the Year of Shusha in Azerbaijan and all constructions and book products are decorated with the symbols of the cultural capital. Anar Karimov added that 40 book publishing houses from Turkiye and 4 publishing houses from Russia, Iran, and Uzbekistan were invited to the book fair.

In total, over 110 book publishers are expected to participate. Quite famous guests from Turkiye and other countries have been invited as well. Among the guests are Ilbar Ortayl?, Fatih Erdogan, Khasiyet Rustam, and many others.

In his speech, Anar Karimov touched upon the campaign "Let's go to Karabakh with a book".

A campaign "Let's go to Karabakh with a book" will operate within the 8th Baku International Book Fair.

Around 93,212 books have been collected so far within the project, initiated by the Culture Ministry.

"On the last day of the book fair, the organizing committee will select winners 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," said the minister.

Turkish Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Serdar Cam hailed the friendly ties between Azerbaijan and Turkiye.

"We constantly exchange partnerships in any field together. In recent years, a large number of books with different titles have been published in Turkiye," said Serdar Cam.

Emphasizing that book fairs unite the past and the present, the writer and the readers in the same place, the deputy minister expressed his gratitude to everyone, who contributed to the event organization.

Chairman of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union, People's Writer Anar Rzayev spoke about the role of the book in the life of society. He said that books are one of the main concepts at the center of society, books are culture.

"It is very important to create a love for books in children from a young age. Research shows that children who read more books from an early age, as well as children whose parents read more books, have higher academic achievements later in life. This once again shows how important books are in our lives as a means of reading," he said.

He noted that over 200 events, including master classes for children and adults, book presentations on inclusion and other relevant topics, book signing days, conferences, symposia, reading, and music hours are organized as part of the book fair.

The writer informed the ceremony of events to be held within the book fair. The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism will hold a series of events for book lovers in Baku. World-famous writers, historians, scientists, and Turkish actors are taking part in the book fair.

The 8th Baku International Book Fair will last until October 9.
YEREVAN, 6 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 6 October, USD exchange rate down by 0.24 drams to 405.46 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.82 drams to 400.80 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.10 drams to 6.70 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 4.89 drams to 456.43 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 200.29 drams to 22167.45 drams. Silver price down by 6.55 drams to 266.39 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.
BOSTON, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GoTo, the all-in-one business communications and IT support platform, announced today it has been recognized as a winner of the 2022 TrustRadius Tech Cares Award for its commitment to its corporate responsibility initiatives.

The Tech Cares Award recognizes GoTo as a notable technology company diligently bolstering corporate responsibility through the company's Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) efforts across ten key areas, including Talent and Culture, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability, and Philanthropy and Volunteering. GoTo (formerly known as LogMeIn), has made a long-term commitment to positively contributing to the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which provide a global framework for the companys ESG strategy and implementation, guiding ongoing performance and management.

We are thrilled for our ESG work to be recognized with a 2022 TrustRadius Tech Cares Award. ESG is part of our daily lives here at GoTo, through our portfolio of hybrid work products that reduce the need to travel, our strong charitable giving programs, and DEI efforts, said Paddy Srinivasan, Chief Executive Officer at GoTo. We are looking forward to continuing to integrate the principles of sustainability and excellent corporate citizenship into our business and products for many years to come.

GoTos strong environmental sustainability initiatives are based on the companys enablement of hybrid working with tools like GoTo Connect and GoTo Resolve, which reduce the need to commute to collaborate with or support coworkers, customers, and partners. Through the use of its products, GoTo has helped customers avoid tens of millions of metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. GoTo has also worked towards creating a more environmentally sustainable world by maintaining carbon neutrality by purchasing certified offsets for the emissions GoTo employees generate during work hours, both in the office or at home, as well as for necessary corporate travel.

For more information on GoTo please visit: www.goto.com.

About GoTo:GoTo, the only all-in-one solution for business communications and IT support, makes IT easy and affordable. Built for small-to-medium-sized businesses, but powerful enough for the enterprise, GoTos portfolio, which includes GoTo Connect, GoTo Resolve, Rescue, and more, powers nearly 800K customers unified communications & collaboration (UCC) and IT management & support needs. At GoTo, we help you to stay connected to whats most essential: your customers and employees. With more than 1 billion people joining meetings and webinars, half a billion support connections and over $1 billion in annual revenue, the remote-centric companys physical headquarters is in Boston, Massachusetts, with additional offices and more than three thousand home offices in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and beyond.

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.

Media Contact:Jen Mathews[email protected]617-279-2443

Source: GoTo
GTT membrane technology to equip a major international scientific project, the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment

Paris  October 6th, 2022. GTT announces that it has been awarded a contract by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to support research work for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment1 (DUNE) under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energys Fermi National Laboratory (Fermilab). Under this contract, GTT will provide engineering and construction studies for the adaptation of its membrane technology inside a cryostat2 designed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and its partners.

DUNE is a major international experiment that aims to increase the understanding of neutrinos. The project takes advantage of the neutrinos produced by the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) at Fermilab, which are subsequently screened in the particle detectors filled with liquid argon. Liquid argon used in this experimental context has to be maintained at an extremely stable temperature of -186C, in an environment that secures, through perfect tightness, the purity of materials and a high level of thermal isolation.

This new contract follows the contract signed by GTT in 2018 with the CERN3, on behalf of the LBNF/DUNE4-US Project. In the framework of this previous collaboration, GTT contributed the final design of the far detector cryostats. The new contract will focus on the inner vessel design installed inside a warm support structure, for the liquid argon near detector.

Philippe Berterottiere, Chairman and CEO of GTT, declared: This new contract showcases the reliability and flexibility of the technologies developed by the GTT group. We are proud to provide technologies that can meet the technical and scientific requirements of the DUNE project, and to work with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, one of the most prestigious National Laboratories in the United States.

Fabrice Matichard, Lead Engineer for the LBNF/DUNE-US Near Detector Subproject and Head of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Mechanical Engineering department stated: Our collaboration with GTT will provide the membrane technology for the liquid argon detector. This new cryostat design incorporates features such as the ability to travel on rails and a low-density composite wall to probe neutrinos with the level of precision required by the DUNE experiment.

About GTT

GTT is a technological expert in containment systems with cryogenic membranes used to transport and store liquefied gases. For over 50 years, GTT has been designing and providing cutting-edge technologies for a better energy performance, which combine operational efficiency and safety, to equip LNG carriers, floating terminals, land storage, and multi-gas carriers. GTT also develops systems dedicated to the use of LNG as fuel, as well as a full range of services, including digital services in the field of Smart Shipping. The Group is also active in hydrogen through its subsidiary Elogen, which designs and assembles electrolysers notably for the production of green hydrogen.



GTT is listed on Euronext Paris, Compartment A (ISIN FR0011726835 Euronext Paris: GTT) and is notably included in SBF 120, Stoxx Europe 600 and MSCI Small Cap indices.

For more information, visit www.gtt.fr .

Media contact:

[email protected] / +33 (0)1 30 23 48 45

Investor Relations contact:

[email protected] / + 33 (0)1 30 23 20 87

1 More information about the DUNE project: https://www.dunescience.org/

2 A cryostat is a device by which temperature can be maintained at a very low level. For more information about the cryostats used in the framework of the DUNE project: https://lbnf-dune.fnal.gov/how-it-works/cryostats-and-cryogenics/

3 European Council for Nuclear Research.

4 LBNF-DUNE (Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility - Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment): Science project to increase the understanding of neutrinos. For more information: https://lbnf-dune.fnal.gov/

Attachment
MONTREAL, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GURU Organic Energy Corp. (TSX: GURU) (GURU or the Company), Canadas leading organic energy drink brand, today announced that Suzanne Poirier has resigned as a director of the Company. Ms. Poirier has accepted a new role as Senior Vice President Operations at Alimentation Couche-Tard, one of GURUs main clients. Given this new executive operational role and out of an abundance of caution, she resigned to avoid any appearance of conflict. Her resignation will be effective on October 7, 2022.

On behalf of the Board and management, I wish to extend our gratitude to Suzanne Poirier and thank her for her contributions over the last years. We also wish her all the best in her new role, said Joe Zakher, Executive Chair of the Board at GURU.

Ms. Poirier has served as a director of the Company since November 2020, including as Chair of the Audit Committee. The Company will work towards identifying a new independent director as soon as practically possible.

About GURU ProductsAll GURU energy drinks are plant-based, high in natural caffeine, free of artificial sweeteners, artificial colours and flavours, and have no preservatives. In addition, all drinks are organic, vegan and gluten free  and the best thing is their amazing taste.

About GURUGURU Organic Energy Corp. (TSX: GURU) is a dynamic, fast-growing beverage company launched in 1999, when it pioneered the worlds first natural, plant-based energy drink. The Company markets organic energy drinks in Canada and the United States through an estimated distribution network of over 25,000 points of sale, and through guruenergy.com and Amazon. GURU has built an inspiring brand with a clean list of organic plant-based ingredients. Its drinks offer consumers good energy that never comes at the expense of their health. The Company is committed to achieving its mission of cleaning the energy drink industry in Canada and the United States. For more information, go to www.guruenergy.com or follow us @guruenergydrink on Instagram and @guruenergy on Facebook.

For further information, please contact:

GURU Organic EnergyInvestorsCarl Goyette, President and CEOIngy Sarraf, Chief Financial Officer514-845-4878 [email protected] MediaLyla RadmanovichPELICAN PR514-845-8763 [email protected]

Source: GURU Organic Energy Corp.
Toronto, Ontario, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GrantMatch is Canadas leading grants & incentives management firm, most known for providing premium consulting services to many of the country's largest firms and municipalities of all sizes to assist in maximizing funding attained from government incentive programs.

In a nod to Small Business Month, GrantMatch has released its new platform, the GrantMatch Hub, to assist SMEs that are looking for funding to innovate or grow and who want to accelerate the funding process to increase their probability of success, while keeping costs to a minimum.

The platform has an extensive database of grant and incentive programs and past approval records that are targeted towards small business entities that have either been recently incorporated or whose activities occur on shorter timelines or a smaller scale.

The GrantMatch Hub provides SMEs with the following:

Customized, continually updated identification of grants that match your business needs

Clear and simple descriptions of each program, who and what it is for, and how to apply

Exclusive program intelligence news feed providing updates on programs youre monitoring

Recent grant recipients for the programs in your business sector

Access to funding consultations with GrantMatch Funding Experts

Discounted rates for grant writing services

The GrantMatch Hub is the brainchild of GrantMatchs Managing Partner, Mike Janke. Mike was instrumental in developing GrantMatchs partnership with RBC, which has resulted in a tremendous number of SMEs becoming newly interested in government funding. Mike realized that there was a real need for quick and easy access to a database that would allow SMEs to understand the confusing and multi-layered world of government funding and put his software development team to work.

The result, the GrantMatch Hub, takes the guess work out of determining if your business qualifies for a grant, and helps you get the ball rolling on applying. It is as simple as filling in a few quick pieces of information about your company. You will immediately begin to receive new grant program suggestions as they arise and will have access to the library of past funding approvals to better define eligibility. Users also benefit from a helpful progress tracker to help them stay organized at every stage of the grant application process.

The GrantMatch Hub is the key to unlocking the complex world of government funding programs. With so many grant programs opening and closing throughout the year, signing up for the GrantMatch Hub gives small business owners peace of mind that they are not missing out on relevant funding programs as they emerge. At $25 a month, few small businesses can afford not to take advantage of this opportunity.

In honour of Small Business Month, GrantMatch is offering a free half-hour consultation with one of its funding experts with every purchase of an annual subscription. To sign up and learn more, visit https://ca.grantmatch.com/hub

Gibson Ingram GrantMatch [email protected]

Source: GrantMatch
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Microbix Biosystems Inc. (TSX: MBX, OTCQX: MBXBF, Microbix), a life sciences innovator, manufacturer, and exporter, announces that, on behalf of Santina Castriciano of Copan Italia S.p.A. and in collaboration with Victorian Cytology Service of the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer (VCS Pathology), it will present results of novel methods to support diagnostic accuracy and whole-process workflow validation of cervical cancer screening tests on self-collected patient specimens. The poster presentation will be made at the 12th European Meeting on Molecular Diagnostics (EMMD) taking place in Noordwijk, Netherlands from October 12 to 14, 2022.

Ample evidence supports use of self-collected vaginal samples to improve participation in cervical cancer screening programs based on molecular (MDx) detection of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). However, broad adoption of self-collection has been set-back by a lack of materials and methods to evaluate the whole workflow experienced by a specimen  from collection to final diagnostic result. This critical gap is bridged by the current study using Microbix PROCEEDxFLOQ simulated positive HPV samples eluted into Copan MSwab medium  evaluating whether HPV was effectively eluted from the simulated self-collected swabs and then detected by commercial in vitro diagnostic (IVD) PCR-based MDx assays.

The study determined that three positive specimens simulating infection with high-risk HPV types (16, 18 & 45) and a negative sample were detected and individually identified on six IVD MDx assays: the Abbott Alinity m HPV & Abbott Realtime HPV, Qiagen NeumoDx HPV, Roche cobas 4800 HPV & Roche cobas 6800 HPV, and Seegene Anyplex II HPV28. Accuracy was 100% across all sample types and assays. The poster will be available on Microbixs website (https://microbix.com) and from EMMD after its presentation.

HPV represents a family of over 100 virus sub-types, of which 14 are deemed high-risk as they are proven to directly cause cancers, including but not limited to cervical cancer. Most sexually-active adults become infected with one or more types of HPV and such infections can be persistent. MDx tests permit early detection and guide timely preventative healthcare by identifying those at-risk years before the development of cancers. However, MDx-based screening programs require rigorous workflow design and ongoing validation to ensure their accuracy. Many healthcare systems now plan to resume the roll-out of MDx-based HPV screening programs that were delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, important diagnostic healthcare advancements that Microbix is pleased to support with its products and services.

Empowering women to collect vaginal samples in private, safe, and convenient locations is expected to promote patient access to healthcare and accelerate the widespread adoption of MDx-based HPV and cervical cancer screening programs. Microbix is proud to be a strategic partner of Copan and help to accelerate the evolution to self-collection by offering HPV-oriented PROCEEDFLOQ (RUO) and prospective REDxFLOQ (IVD) quality assessment products (QAPs) worldwide. Purchase enquiries for Microbixs QAPs can be e-mailed to [email protected].About Microbix BiosystemsMicrobix develops proprietary biological products and services for human health and well-being, with over 100 skilled employees and sales approaching C$ 2.0 million per month. It makes a wide range of critical ingredients and devices for the global diagnostics industry, notably antigens for immunoassays and its laboratory quality assessment products (QAPs IVD or RUO test-controls) that support clinical lab proficiency testing, enable assay development and validation, or help ensure the quality of clinical diagnostic workflows. Microbix antigens enable the antibody tests of over 100 international diagnostics companies, while its QAPs are sold to clinical laboratory accreditation organizations, diagnostics companies, and clinical laboratories. Microbix QAPs are now available in over 30 countries, distributed by 1WA (Oneworld Accuracy Inc.), Alpha-Tec Systems, Inc., Diagnostic International Distribution SpA., Labquality Oy, The Medical Supply Company of Ireland, R-Biopharm AG, SDT Molecular Pte Ltd, Seegene Canada Inc., and Thomas Scientific LLC. Microbix is ISO 9001 and 13485 accredited, U.S. FDA registered, Australian TGA registered, Health Canada establishment licensed, and provides CE marked products.

Microbix also applies its biological expertise and infrastructure to develop other proprietary products and technologies, most notably viral transport medium (DxTM) to stabilize patient samples for lab-based molecular diagnostic testing and Kinlytic urokinase, a biologic thrombolytic drug used to treat blood clots. Microbix is traded on the TSX and OTCQX, and headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Forward-Looking InformationThis news release includes forward-looking information, as such term is defined in applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, discussion of Copan, HPV, EMMD, or VCS, the poster or its relevance, the products of Microbix or its collaborators, Microbixs business and business results, goals or outlook, risks associated with financial results and stability, development projects such as those referenced in its corporate presentation, regulatory compliance and approvals, sales to foreign jurisdictions, engineering and construction, production (including control over costs, quality, quantity and timeliness of delivery), foreign currency and exchange rates, maintaining adequate working capital or raising further capital on acceptable terms or at all, and other similar statements concerning anticipated future events, conditions or results that are not historical facts. These statements reflect managements current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking information is inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Companys control. Accordingly, actual future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. All statements are made as of the date of this news release and represent the Companys judgement as of the date of this new release, and the Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking information.

Please visit https://microbix.com or www.sedar.com for recent Microbix news and filings.

For further information, please contact Microbix at:

Cameron Groome, CEO(905) 361-8910 Jim Currie, CFO(905) 361-8910 Deborah Honig, Investor RelationsAdelaide Capital Markets(647) 203-8793 [email protected]

Copyright  2022 Microbix Biosystems Inc. Microbix, DxTM, Kinlytic, PROCEEDx, QAPs, REDx and REDx Controls are trademarks of Microbix Biosystems Inc.PROCEEDxFLOQ and REDxFLOQ are trademarks of Microbix Biosystems Inc. in collaboration with Copan Italia S.p.A.Copan, FLOQ, FLOQSwab, and MSwab are trademarks of Copan Italia S.p.A.Other parties corporate or product names referenced herein may be the trademarks of their respective companies.

Source: Microbix Biosystems Inc.
Flower Mound, Texas, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Niagara, the leader in high-performance, high-efficiency, water-saving toilets, was honored today with The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPAs) WaterSense Partner of the Year award for helping people save water.

As many Americans look to reduce water consumption through products that can help alleviate high utility bills and reduce impacts of the serious drought in portions of the U.S., Niagara continues to innovate and be nationally recognized for its high-performing, water-saving products. This is Niagaras sixth WaterSense award and the company has received 12 awards or accolades this year that recognize the companys ingenuity in water conservation technology and products.

In just the last few months, Niagara was recently honored with the Business Intelligence Sustainability Initiative of the Year award for its Pro line. Niagara also received the Stevies Peoples Choice for Business-to-Business Products for the toilet product suites that it launched in 2021 that are designed specifically to save water. Two Niagara executives, Carl Wehmeyer and Holly Shadel, were honored with SEALs 2022 Sustainability Leader of the Year award for leadership in sustainability and environmental management, and Stevies Best Female Employee of the Year respectively.

"We are honored to be named the WaterSense Partner of the Year and to join such an incredible list of industry leaders, said Wehmeyer, executive vice president at Niagara. Our mission is to bring new technology to our customers that conserves water without sacrificing performance. This award is a huge accomplishment for our entire team and a giant step in continuing to fulfill our mission.

WaterSense, a voluntary partnership program sponsored by the EPA, is both a label for water-efficient products, programs, and homes and a resource for helping consumers learn ways to save water. Since 2006, more than 2,100 WaterSense partners and over 40,000 models of certified water-efficient plumbing and irrigation products have helped consumers and businesses save 6.4 trillion gallons of waterenough water to supply all households in the United States with water for eight months. In addition to water savings, WaterSense has helped reduce the amount of energy needed to pump, treat, and heat water by 754 billion kilowatt hours and helped consumers save $135 billion in water and energy bills. These savings also helped prevent 288 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which is equivalent to planting 4.8 billion trees.

Throughout 2021, our award-winning partners helped people protect this precious resource by promoting WaterSense labeled products and water-efficient behaviors, said Veronica Blette, Chief, WaterSense Branch. Saving water is particularly critical in areas impacted by drought, but is also a path to helping consumers stretch dollars by reducing their water and energy bills.

WaterSense honored Niagara as a 2022 Partner of the Year for Niagaras commitment to educating partners, architects, engineers, staff and sales teams about WaterSense benefits and products through continuing education programs, materials, online resources and product packaging. In recognition of their commitment to promoting WaterSense and water efficiency in 2021, Niagara was honored today during the WaterSmart Innovations (WSI) Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas, along with along with 33 other awardees - utilities, manufacturers, builders, retailers, and other organizations that partner with WaterSense to promote water-efficient products, homes, and programs.

To learn more about Niagaras high-performing, water-saving products, please visit niagaracorp.com.

About Niagara Founded in 1977 and headquartered in Flower Mound, TX, Niagara is leading the water revolution by saving the worlds water through everyday ingenuity without sacrificing performance. Recognized with several national EPA WaterSense Excellence and other industry awards for its Stealth Technology and superiority in reducing water waste, Niagara was one of the first toilet manufacturers to re-engineer the flush for a high-power, low-maintenance, no-waste toilet with Stealth Technology that saves customers money by reducing water while maintaining high performance. Niagara supports the U.S. and international markets. For more information, visit niagaracorp.com or call 888-733-0197.

About WaterSenseWaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering consumers and businesses simple ways to use less water with water-efficient products, homes, and services. For more information about WaterSense, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.

###

Media Contact: Jenni Steele [email protected]

Source: Niagara
CINCINNATI, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ohio National Financial Services announced today that AM Best has affirmed its ratings for the financial strength of The Ohio National Life Insurance Company and Ohio National Life Assurance Corporation at A (Excellent) with stable outlook.

The A rating is AM Bests third-highest ranking out of 16 categories. According to AM Best, insurers rated A have an excellent ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations.

AM Best noted Ohio Nationals balance sheet strength, strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management in its rating of the company and subsidiaries.

In its release, AM Best notes the following:

The balance sheet strength is assessed at the strongest level, as measured by Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR) and is supportive of the stable outlooks.

Best expects the recent completed demutualization and acquisition by Constellation to provide ONLIC with more financial flexibility.

Constellation has committed an additional $500 million in capital support over the next four years to support Ohio National Life Groups current life and annuity liabilities and the maintenance of its strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization.

We are pleased with todays action by AM Best to affirm our ratings, stated Barbara A. Turner, CRCP, Ohio National president and chief executive officer. This affirmation acknowledges our continued strategic execution through operating performance and business profile and recognizes the anticipated long-term positive impact from the Constellation transaction we completed in March 2022.

Turner also said, We continue to execute our strategy to grow our business and remain committed to our mission and long-term financial strength in support of our policyholders.

About Ohio National

Since 1909, Ohio National has been committed to helping individuals, families and businesses protect what matters most. Through our network of financial professionals across 49 states (all except New York), the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and through affiliated operations in South America, we provide the insurance products that help our policyholders achieve financial security and independence. As of December 31, 2021, its affiliated companies have $40.8 billion total assets under management. Products are issued by The Ohio National Life Insurance Company and Ohio National Life Assurance Corporation. The O.N. Equity Sales Company (ONESCO) is a full-service broker dealer and Ohio National Financial Services affiliate. Ohio National is recognized as a Leader in Workplace Equity by Ellequate. Please explore ohionational.com for more information and for the latest company updates, connect with Ohio National on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

Contact: Lisa Doxsee, APR513.794.6418 office 513.218.5519 mobile[email protected]

Source: Ohio National Financial Services
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patriot Battery Metals Inc. (the Company or Patriot) (TSXV: PMET) (OTCQB: PMETF) (FSE: R9GA) is pleased to announce that it has completed a private placement of 1,507,170 charity flow-through common shares (the FT Shares) at a price of $13.27 per FT Share for aggregate gross proceeds of $20,000,145.90 (the Offering). The FT Shares are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance.

Blair Way, President and CEO, comments: I am very pleased to be completing this significant financing for the Company at such a great premium. Our war chest is topped up again and we are fully funded to undertake our winter and spring drill program for the Corvette project. We will continue to drill out the CV5 corridor and explore the other lithium pegmatite outcrop clusters identified on the property.

The gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the FT Shares will be used to incur Canadian exploration expenses (CEE) that are flow-through mining expenditures (as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada)) and that qualify for the federal 30% Critical Mineral Exploration Tax Credit announced in the federal budget on April 7, 2022. The Company will renounce such expenditures to the subscribers effective December 31, 2022.

In connection with the Offering the Company paid fees commensurate with such a raising, including 6% fees in cash and 6% in broker warrants on a portion of the financing. Therefore, the Company paid a commission of (i) CAD $454,216.77; and (ii) 71,530 broker warrants, each such warrant entitling the holder to obtain one common share of the Company at a price of $6.35 per Broker Warrant (the deemed issue price), for a period of 24 months from the closing of the Offering.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

About Patriot Battery Metals Inc.

Patriot Battery Metals Inc. is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of mineral properties containing battery, base, and precious metals.

The Companys flagship asset is the Corvette Property, located proximal to the Trans-Taiga Road and powerline infrastructural corridor in the James Bay Region of Quebec. The land package hosts significant lithium potential highlighted by the CV5-1 spodumene pegmatite corridor with drill intercepts of 1.22% Li2O and 138 ppm Ta2O5 over 152.8 m (CV22-030), and 2.22% Li2O and 147 ppm Ta2O5 over 70.1 m, including 3.01% Li2O and 160 ppm Ta2O5 over 40.7 m (CV22-017). Additionally, the Property hosts the Golden Gap Trend with grab samples of 3.1 to 108.9 g/t Au from outcrop and 10.5 g/t Au over 7 m in drill hole, and the Maven Trend with 8.15% Cu, 1.33 g/t Au, and 171 g/t Ag in outcrop.

The Company also holds 100% ownership of the Freeman Creek Gold Property in Idaho, USA which hosts two prospective gold prospects - the Gold Dyke Prospect with a 2020 drill hole intersection of 4.11 g/t Au and 33.0 g/t Ag over 12 m, and the Carmen Creek Prospect with surface sample results including 25.5 g/t Au, 159 g/t Ag, and 9.75% Cu.

The Companys other assets include the Pontax Lithium-Gold Property, QC; and the Hidden Lake Lithium Property, NWT, where the Company maintains a 40% interest, as well as several other assets in Canada.

For further information, please contact us at [email protected] Tel: +1 (778) 945-2950 , or visit www.patriotbatterymetals.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

BLAIR WAY

Blair Way, President, CEO, & Director

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as will, may, should, anticipate, expects and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Companys expectations include the results of further exploration and testing, and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators, available at www.sedar.com.

The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Source: Patriot Battery Metals
Blocking click fraud websites is a simple and effective way to prevent click fraud

BERLIN, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Polygraph, a cybersecurity company specializing in click fraud detection, is reminding advertisers to block click fraud websites from being able to display or click on their ads.



Click fraud is an online scam which steals tens of billions of dollars from innocent advertisers each year. Criminals create websites for the purpose of displaying online ads, and use bots and trickery to generate fake clicks on the ads. For each of these clicks, the advertiser pays money to the advertising network, and the advertising network shares the money with the scammers.

There are tens of thousands of click fraud websites generating millions of fake clicks each day.

According to Trey Vanes, chief marketing officer at Polygraph, advertisers can prevent click fraud by blocking scam websites from being able to display or click on their ads.

Polygraph uses advanced click fraud detection to analyze ad clicks for fraud," said Vanes. "When our system detects click fraud, it's able to see which website sent the fake click. In other words, Polygraph knows which websites are doing click fraud, and we share this data with our customers."

Advertising networks, such as Google Ads and Microsoft Ads, allow advertisers to block scam websites from displaying their ads.

"The ad networks have a thing called placement exclusions lists - also known as website exclusions lists - which are simple text boxes where you can paste lists of websites, effectively banning those websites from displaying your ads.

"Using the click fraud website data provided by Polygraph, advertisers can block click fraud websites from displaying or clicking on their ads, resulting in drastically reduced rates of click fraud," said Vanes. "We have customers who have reduced their monthly click fraud cost to virtually zero."

According to Vanes, blocking click fraud websites is an important skill every advertiser should know.

"Knowing how to block click fraud websites protects your ads from fake clicks, saves your company money, and stops lining the pockets of scammers," said Vanes.

For more information, please visit https://polygraph.net

About Polygraph

Established in Berlin, Germany in 2021, Polygraph monitors the activities of click fraud gangs, including how they operate, who they target, the techniques they use, and how to detect their fraud. We go far beyond bot detection to ensure your ad budget is not stolen by cyber-criminals.

Contact Details:

114A Friedrichstrasse Berlin, BE 10117 Germany

Trey Vanes, Polygraph

+49 (030) 2204 4851
H1 revenues up 30.4% compared to H1 2021

EBITDA up 25% compared to H1 2021

Q3 sales up 19%

Eragny-sur-Oise, France, October 6th, 2022, 8:30 CET  Safe (FR0013467123  ALSAF), a company specializing in the design, manufacturing, and marketing of single-use technologies for spinal surgeries, publishes its financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2022 as approved by the Board of Directors on October 5, 2022 and certified by the statutory auditors, as well as its revenues for the third quarter of 2022.

Financial results for the first semester 2022Safe's 2022 half-year financial report will be available on the Company's website (www.safeorthopaedics.com) by October 30, 2022 under the heading Investors > Documentation > Regulated Information.

In thousands of euros  IFRS standard* 30/06/2022 30/06/2021 Revenues  Direct sales 1 114 773 Revenues  Indirect sales 560 556 Revenues - Production subcontracting 1 071 776 Adjusted total revenues 2 745 2 105 +30,4% Other income 15 4 Purchases used and changes in inventories (994) (1 425) External costs (987) (973) Personnel costs (3 490) (3 341) Other operating expenses (765) (377) Operating income / (loss) before non-recurring items (3 478) (4 006) +13,2% Other operating income (expenses) 43 (6) Operating income / (loss) (3 434) (4 012) +14,4% Financial income / (loss) (464) (204) Net income / (loss) (3 897) (4 216) +7,5% * Audited accounts

Revenues of 2,760 thousand (including other revenues of 15 thousand and post IFRS15 impact of 80 thousand), up 31%, were driven by double-digit growth: 27% for Safe Orthopaedics and 38% for Safe medical. Safe Orthopaedics' growth was driven by its direct sales activity in the United States and France, despite the fact that sales resources were optimized for the French sales force, and by stable indirect sales (up 26% on the first half of 2021).Safe Medical's growth is explained by increased orders and a strong commercial dynamic to which historical customers are entrusting more and more integrated projects (+38% compared with the first half of 2021);

Purchases were down thanks to a positive change in inventory, due in particular to the increase in inventory to serve US growth, support the clinicpartner contract and the international rollout of Hickory and Sycamore products.

Personnel expenses were stable compared to H1 2021, as were external expenses, the stability of which is linked to the implementation of internal budget management tools and the decrease in consulting fees offset by the increase in fees related to clinical studies.

Other operating expenses were up by 388 thousand due to the impact of depreciation charges (purchase of new production machines and their qualification at Safe Medical at the end of 2021/beginning of 2022) and charges to provisions related to current assets (inventory, trade receivables). As previously communicated, the Group has internalized all its production and expects a relative decrease in external expenses.

It should be noted that EBITDA for the first half of 2022 is equal to 2,778k, an improvement of 25% compared to the first half of 2021 when it was 3,706k.

Third quarter 2022 revenues

In thousands euros Q3 2022(3 months) Q3 2021(3 months) 9M 2022 9M 2021 Direct Sales 707 +40% 506 1 887 +43% 1 318 Indirect Sales 249 +0% 248 808 +1% 804 Subcontracting Sales 441 +5% 420 1 543 +26% 1 221 Total Sales 1 397 +19% 1 174 4 238 +27% 3 342

*Unaudited. Excluding IFRS 15

In the third quarter, the Group grew by 27% in the Safe Orthopaedics perimeter and by 5% in the Safe Medical perimeter.As in the previous three quarters, Safe Orthopaedics achieved double-digit growth, driven by direct sales in the United States and France.

Direct quarterly sales are up sharply, led by US sales at 212 thousand and French sales at 380 thousand, up 23% on the previous year. Since the beginning of the year, a strong recovery of 43% has been noted in direct sales areas compared to the previous year.

Indirect quarterly sales are stable compared to last year, reflecting the cautious recovery of distributors in all geographies.

Sales of subcontracted production (Safe Medical) were up sharply by 26% over 9 months to 1,543k.

As a reminder, in the first, second and third quarters, Safe Medical had announced sales growth of 26%, 48% and 5% respectively. Indeed, at the request of its customers, the company had delivered products before the summer shutdown of the factory, thus explaining the strong growth in the second quarter and contained growth in the third quarter. The cleanrooms generated their first third-party sales in the first half of the year.

"Our first half of 2022 shows double-digit commercial growth in both our Safe Orthopaedics and Safe Medical entities as well as a 25% improvement in our EBITDA at the consolidated group level. Today, we are announcing a third quarter in line with the previous ones. The Group's latest news, fully integrated production and the partnership with Wenzel Spine, are important milestones to continue to improve our financial results in the coming quarters and reinforce our potential to innovate in the global market" commented Pierre Dumouchel, President and CEO of the Safe Group. "We are aware that the Group's financing and the international financial crisis are weighing heavily on the share price. However, we remain focused on our commercial execution and are working on opportunities to achieve financial balance as quickly as possible, which is essential to the revaluation of our group."

Cash position

At June 30, 2022, the Group's audited cash position amounted to 0.2 million, compared with 3.9 million at the end of June 2021. As a reminder, the remaining balance of the financing to be received amounts to a maximum of 2.4 million.

It is reminded that the press release published on December 10, 2021 lists the risks related to the financing, including the risk of dilution induced by the financing by convertible bonds.

The impact of the share issues linked to the conversion of the OCEANE bonds under the said financing program on the investment of a shareholder holding 1% of the Company's share capital on the launch date of the program, December 9, 2021 (on the basis of the number of shares making up the Company's share capital as at December 9, 2021, i.e. 54,113,396 shares) is summarized below:

Participation de lactionnaire Total number of shares Non-diluted basis Diluted basis(1) Before issue 54.113.396 1,00% 0,99% Dilution at current date (after issuance of 187,632,338 shares resulting from the conversion of the OCEANEs) 241.753.024 0,22% 0,22% Final dilution, after issue of 240,000,000 new shares resulting from the conversion of the OCEANE(2) 481.753.024 0,11% 0,11%

The diluted basis takes into account the exercise of all existing dilutive instruments as of December 9, 2021, which could result in the creation of a maximum of 581,599 new shares. Theoretical calculations made on the basis of a conversion carried out on the basis of the nominal amount of the company's share, i.e. 0.01 euro.

Next financial publication

Convenience notice of an extraordinary shareholders meeting, October 10, 2022 (after market close)Second-half 2022 revenues, January 10, 2023 (after market close)

About Safe Group

Safe Group is a French medical technology group that brings together Safe Orthopaedics, a pioneer in ready-to-use technologies for spine pathologies, and Safe Medical (formerly LCI Medical), a medical device subcontractor for orthopaedic surgery. The group employs approximately 150 people.

Safe Orthopaedics develops and manufactures kits combining sterile implants and single-use instruments, available at any time to the surgeon. These technologies are part of a minimally invasive approach aimed at reducing the risks of contamination and infection, in the interest of the patient and with a positive impact on hospitalization times and costs. Protected by 18 patent families, SteriSpineTM kits are CE marked and FDA approved. Safe Orthopaedics is headquartered in the Paris region (95610 Eragny-sur-Oise) and has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and the Lyon region (Fleurieux-sur-l'Arbresle).

For more information: http://www.safeorthopaedics.com/

Safe Medical produces implantable medical devices and ready-to-use instruments. It has an innovation center and two production sites in France (Fleurieux-sur-l'Arbresle, 69210) and in Tunisia, offering numerous industrial services: design, industrialization, machining, finishing and sterile packaging. Supported by the French stimulus plan in 2020, the company invests in additive printing and will be operational in 2022 on this new technology.

For more information: http://www.safemedical.fr/

Contacts

Safe Group Francois-Henri Reynaud Chief Financial and Administrative Officer Tel. : +33 (0)1 34 21 50 00 [email protected]

Attachment

Source: Safe Orthopaedics
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. In the October 6 plenary session, the Congress of Deputies of Spain unanimously adopted a statement of support for the Armenian people, reaffirming its intolerance towards military operations, ARMENPRESS reports the Armenian Embassy in Spain presented the text of the statement, which was supported by all 350 deputies.

The statement reads as follows,

Taking into account the aggression carried out by the units of the armed forces of Azerbaijan on the night of September 12-13 against the Armenian positions of Goris, Sotk and Jermuk settlements of Armenia using artillery and drones, which resulted in the death of at least 207 Armenian servicemen,

The Congress of Deputies of Spain
Vancouver, British Columbia, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spey Resources Corp. (CSE: SPEY) (OTC: SPEYF) (FRA: 2JS) ("Spey or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has settled outstanding indebtedness (the Debt Settlement) of the Company in the aggregate amount of $377,772.09 (the Debt), pursuant to the terms of debt settlement agreements with three arms length creditors and Abbey Abdiye, the Companys Chief Financial Officer (collectively, the Creditors).

In settlement of the debt, the Company has issued an aggregate of 2,158,696 units (the Units) of the Company. Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a Share) and one-half of a common share purchase warrants (each whole warrant, a Warrant), with each Warrant entitling the holder thereof to acquire one additional Share (each, a Warrant Share), at an exercise price of $0.35 per Warrant Share, for a period of 24 months, provided that if the volume weighted average trading price of the Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (or such other securities exchange the Shares are then trading) is at a price greater than $0.70 per Share for 10 consecutive trading days, then the expiry date of the Warrants shall automatically accelerate and will expire on the date that is 30 days after the date that notice of such acceleration is provided to the Warrant holders by way of press release by the Company.

The Debt Settlement with Mr. Abbey Abdiye is a related party transaction pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101) as Mr. Abdiye is the Chief Financial Officer of the Company.

With respect to the Debt Settlement with Mr. Abdiye, the Company has relied on the exemption from the valuation requirement pursuant to section 5.5(b) (Issuer Not Listed on Specified Markets) of MI 61-101 and from the minority shareholder approval requirement prescribed by section 5.7(1)(a) (Fair Market Value Not More Than 25 Per Cent of Market Capitalization) of MI 61-101.

All securities issued in connection with the Debt Settlement are subject to a statutory four month hold period in accordance with the policies of the CSE and applicable securities laws.

None of the securities to be issued in connection with the Debt Settlement have been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), and none may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act.

The Company also announces that, subject to regulatory approval, it has granted (a) incentive stock options to certain directors, officers and consultants of the Company to acquire an aggregate of 1,400,000 common shares in the capital of the Company at an exercise price of $0.24 (the Options), such Options being fully vested as at the date of grant and exercisable for a five-year term expiring on October 4, 2027 and (b) an aggregate of 5,600,000 restricted share units (RSUs) to certain officers and consultants of the Company effective October 4, 2022, in accordance with the Companys amended and restated equity incentive plan.

About Spey Resources Corp.

Spey Resources is a Canadian mineral exploration company which holds two option agreements to acquire 100% interest in the Candela II and Pocitos II lithium brine projects, and a 20% interest in the Pocitos I lithium project, all of which are located in the Salta Province, Argentina. Spey also holds an option to acquire a 100% undivided interest in the Silver Basin Project located in the Revelstoke Mining Division of British Columbia as well as an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Kaslo Silver project, west of Kaslo, British Columbia.

For more information, please contact:

Nader Vatanchi VP of Corporate Finance and Director[email protected]778-881-4631

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including with respect to the settlement of the Debt owing by the Company to the Creditors through the issuance of securities and regulatory approval of the issuance of such securities. The Company provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections, or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct, and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited those identified and reported in the Companys public filings under the Companys SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. 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 information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. 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 unless required by law.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the contents of this press release.

Source: Spey Resources Corp.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2022) - Batero Gold Corp. (TSXV: BAT) (FSE: 68B) (OTC Pink: BELDF) ("Batero," "The Company") today announced the results of the Mineral Resource update and the preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") of its 100% owned La Cumbre project located in the department of Risaralda, Colombia.

Highlights include:

The present Mineral Resource update now include the Primary zone, which increase the resources in 113 Mt with 0.462 Au g/t and 1.7 Moz Au.

The project has two phases with different capital investments in order to reach the infrastructure requirements of each phase. The first phase corresponds to the mining of the ore contained in the oxide and transition zones, which will be agglomerated and processed in leach pads at a throughput of 15 ktpd. The second phase involves the mining of the primary sulfide zone that will be processed in a flotation and gravimetry plant at a throughput of 30 ktpd.

Stage I will have an average annual production of approximately 75.4 koz Au and 96.4 koz Ag. The second stage expands mining activities into the sulphide zone and extends the mine life to 14 years with average annual production of approximately 131.7 koz Au and 230.1 koz Ag.

In the first stage, 452 koz Au and 578 koz Ag will be produced. In the second stage, 1.18 Moz Au and 2.15 Moz Ag will be produced.

The estimate capital expenditure for phase one totals US$169.5 million of initial capital while phase two totals US$248.3 million for the expansion.

The total operating cost including mining, processing, site G&A, treatment and refining adds to a total of US$1,113 million. The C1 cash cost on a by-product basis over the life-of-mine totals US$684/oz of gold or US$12.90/t milled.

The economic analysis was performed assuming a 5% discount rate. The pre-tax NPV discounted at 5% is US$730 million; the IRR is 47.5%, and payback period is 1.9 years. On a post-tax basis, the NPV discounted at 5% is $481 million, the IRR is 32.1%, and the payback period is 2.5 years.

All dollar amounts are in US dollars, unless otherwise noted.

The valuation metrics presented in this news release are based on a preliminary economic assessment that includes an economic analysis of the potential viability of the mineral resources. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability; however, given the advanced engineering detail of the components, this could be considered as an advance estimate of potential Mineral Reserves. This preliminary economic assessment is preliminary in nature, including resources inferred in the Mineral Resources Statement that are considered too geologically speculative to apply the economic considerations that would allow them to be classified as mineral reserves. However, for the estimation of the mine life and consequent economic evaluation, all material considered as an inferred resource was considered as waste. See "Qualified Person and NI 43-101" below.

Successfully Executing an Alternative Strategy

Batero is carrying out all the processes related to activating the "proportionality test" with the Ember Karamba indigenous community with the objective that, together with the protocolization stage carried out with the Embera Chami group, the prior consultation process can be fulfilled with both indigenous biases, in order to file the environmental impact study (EIS).

Discovering New Mineralization on Patented Mining Claims

Three intrusive centers have been identified within the mining property: Dos Quebradas, Mandeval-Centro and La Cumbre. They are copper-poor gold porphyry-type systems in which the intermediate argillic conclusion locally overprints an early potassic assemblage and stockwork of quartz veins, where gold is found in altered dioritic intrusions and contact zones. The Dos Quebradas and Centro-Mandeval intrusives were verified with some drilling, pending their characterization and development of the filling program to determine their mining potential. Additionally, to the south of the property, epithermal-type mineralized structures and the presence of mineralized breccias have been found.

Expanding Private Land Package

Batero has been acquiring surface property that is within the area of influence of the pit and mining infrastructure. To date, it has 67 properties corresponding to 250.51 Ha, which fully cover the area of influence of the pit and the area of influence of the deposit of organic and waste material located north of the pit and, partially, the areas corresponding to the stockpile and plant.

The pending properties are under evaluation of the state of titles and commercial appraisals.

Unlocking District Potential

Following the success of exploration in the mining concessions, Batero began evaluating alternative design options to generate value within this potential district. This included the reevaluation of the 2018 Mineral Resources, the incorporation of new Mineral Resources from successful exploration results and the completion of metallurgical testing, leading to a comprehensive review of the mine plan, the design of the process, mining infrastructure siting strategies, and permitting requirements for the new project.

2022 PEA Summary

The La Cumbre Project contemplates a two-phases mine plan, the first phase reflects a 6-year mine life. Phase II extends the mine life to 14 years through an expansion to the sulphide zone by gravimetry and flotation.

Phase I contemplates average annual production of up to 75.4 koz Au and 96.4 koz Ag over a 6-year mine life. Phase II contemplates an expansion of the processing facilities which would increase average annual production up to 131.7 koz Au and 230.1 koz Ag. over the remaining life of mine. The total operating cost including mining, processing, site G&A, treatment and refining adds to a total of US$1,113 million. The C1 cash cost on a by-product basis over the life-of-mine totals US$684/ oz of gold or US$12.90/t milled. 21. The estimate for phase one capital expenditure includes a contingency of 12.8% and totals US$169.5 million of initial capital while phase two includes a contingency of 25% and totals US$248.3 million for the expansion.

The first stage, designed to treat the ore from the oxide and transition zones at a rate of 15,000 tons per day, has as its principal process the extraction of gold by leaching with cyanide solution in dynamic pads with estimated recovery of 85.5% in 18 days of spraying. The second stage, designed to treat 30,000 tons per day of ore from the primary zone, aims to concentrate the gold-bearing ore by gravimetric and flotation processes, with laboratory tests estimating a recovery of 84.9% between the two concentrates. Subsequently, the concentrates are leached by the CIL process, where a recovery of 95% is estimated, giving an overall recovery of 80.6% gold.

With the inclusion of phase II and assuming a gold price of $1,750 per ounce, the pre-tax net present value of the total project using a 5% discount rate is US$730 million; the IRR is 47.5%, and payback period is 1.9 years. On a post-tax basis, the NPV discounted at 5% is $481 million, the IRR is 32.1%, and the payback period is 2.5 years.

According to the tables 1 and 2 the valuation metrics are highly sensitive to the gold price and at a price of $1,925 per ounce, the post-tax net present value of LOM, using a 5% discount rate, increases to $609 million and the internal rate of return in LOM increases to 38.4%.

Table 1

1NPV 5% at Various Scenarios

Variation Gold prices (US$m) Silver prices (US$m) Opex (US$m) Initial capex (US$m) Sustaining capex (US$m) (20%) 223 476 586 535 486 (10%) 352 478 533 508 483 Base Case 481 481 481 481 481 10% 609 483 428 453 478 20% 737 486 375 426 475



1.Net present value and internal rate of return are shown on a post-tax basis.

Table 2

IRR at Various Scenarios

Variation Gold prices (%) Silver prices (%) Opex (%) Initial capex (%) Sustaining capex (%) (20%) 18.7% 31.9% 37.0% 41.8% 32.4% (10%) 25.6% 32.0% 34.6% 36.5% 32.3% Base Case 32.1% 32.1% 32.1% 32.1% 32.1% 10% 38.4% 32.3% 29.7% 28.5% 32.0% 20% 44.5% 32.4% 27.1% 25.5% 31.9%

A summary of key valuation, production and cost details from the PEA can be found below in Table 3. For further details, including operating and cash flow metrics provided on an annual basis, please refer to Exhibit 1 and 2 at the end of this news release. For further details regarding the nature of the PEA and its limitations, please refer to "Qualified Person and NI 43-101" below.

Table 3

LoM Financial Valuation and Parameters

Item Unit Open pit Commodity Prices (Long term) Gold Price US$/oz $1,750 Silver Price US$/oz $22.00 LoM Mine Plan Summary Mine Life Years 14.0 Minable resource1 kt 106,594 Gold grade g/t 0.56 Silver grade g/t 1.57 Processing Rate tpd 15,000-30,000 LoM Processing Recovery (Oxide and Transitional Materials) Gold Recovery % 85.5% Silver Recovery % 46.9% LoM Revenue Net Revenue US$M $2,905.4 LoM Operating Cost Mining $/t processed 3.66 Processing $/t processed 6.98 Site G&A $/t processed 0.22 Treatment, Refining, Freight $/t processed 0.13 By-product credits $/t processed (0.55) C1 Cash Operating Cost US$/oz 684.22 AISC Cost US$/oz 770.89 Operating Costs US$M $1,171.5 Royalties US$M $92.5 LoM Cash Flow EBITDA US$M $1,641.4 Net Cash Flow Less: Cash taxes US$M ($352.4) Less: Change in working capital US$M $0.0 Less: Capital expenditures US$M ($466.3) Net Cash Flow US$M $822.7 Post-Tax NPV 5% US$M $480.6 Post-Tax IRR US$M 32.1% Payback (1st phase) Years 2.5



1. Gold spot price 1575 US$/oz and silver spot price 20 US$/oz. Cut-off for leachable materials is 0.243 Au g/t and for mill process is 0.20 Au g/t

Overview of Proposed Operation

Batero Gold's La Cumbre project is planned to be a traditional open pit truck and excavator operation with a flotation sulphide gold processing plant and an oxide leach processing facility producing gold and silver dore bars.

The proposed ore haulage at the La Cumbre project is based on a conveyor belt system in addition to 35-tonne capacity trucks. Minera Quinchia considers that possibility of using only trucks as transportation method would increase social risks due to increased road traffic. Consequently, the ore will be transported by trucks to a temporary zone within the project area, and from there, it is being planned to use conveyor belts to transport it to the interim stockpiles in the La Perla or Matecana sector. This re-handling is planned to be supported by load haul dump (LHD) equipment to the area assigned for final heap leaching.

An additional benefit of using a belt conveyor system is the potential generation of electrical energy from the operations in the favorable -549 m vertical distance over 2250 m in length. The overland belts have a descending path that allows conceptualizing their regenerative nature, resulting in a possible economic advantage estimated at -0.09 $/ton compared to truck system transport. These possibilities are still under study and have not been defined in this PEA.

The overall mining operation is expected to be a 2-phase open pit. Phase I will operate on land 100% owned by Batero Gold and will last 6 years. This phase is focused on extracting ore from the oxide and transition zones and their recovery through the leaching process. All waste and tailings will be disposed in dumps and pads located on private land owned by Batero Gold. Phase II of the Project has exploration completed and will extend the life of the mine up to 14 years, all permitting is supposed to be completed and the remaining land acquisition will be completed.

During phase I, 23% of commercial ounces will be obtained with the operation at a mining rate of 15,000 tons per day, both the ore and the waste will be transported through the overland conveyor, which has an approximate capacity of 30,000 tons per day. Phase II will operate at a rate of 30,000 tons per day, waste dumps will be located north of the pit and will be transported by mining trucks, during this phase the remaining 73% of planned ounces will be obtained.

The waste storage facilities (WSF) and tailings storage facility (TSF) for Batero are under conceptual design, in contrast to the heap leaching area which is at an advanced stage of design (can be considered as PFS).

Mineral Resource Estimate

The mineral resource estimate has an effective date of December 31, 2021, that is the cut-off date for information used in the estimate. Mineral resources that are not reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Table 4 summarizes the mineral resource estimate for the La Cumbre deposit.

Table 4

Total Mineral Resource Statement for All Mineral Zones - December 31, 2021:

Resource Volume Density Tonnage Au g/t Au oz Ag g/t Ag oz Measured 49,317,902 2.624 129,421,866 0.509 2,117,649 1.52 6,336,330 Indicated 2,411,421 2.606 6,283,667 0.383 77,476 0.45 91,432 Meas. + Ind. 51,729,322 2.623 135,705,533 0.503 2,195,124 1.47 6,427,763 Inferred 356,987 2.533 904,088 0.413 12,005 1.32 38,472



Notes to accompany La Cumbre Mineral Resource tables:

Mineral Resources have an effective date of December 31, 2021. The Qualified Person for the estimate is Mr. Walter La Torre, CP and MAusIMM. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability Mineral Resources are reported within a conceptual optimized pit that uses the following input parameters: Au price: US$1,750/troy oz and US$22.0/troy oz Ag, mining cost: US$1.95/t, process cost (including G&A): US$9.08/t processed, gold selling cost: US$47.00/troy oz and overall slope angle of 38. Gold recovery in the oxide and transitional zones was fixed at 85.5%. Gold recovery in the primary zone was fixed at 84.1%. Mineral Resources (Oxide) are reported using a 0.218 Au g/t cut off grade. Mineral Resources (Transitional) are reported using a 0.218 Au g/t cut off grade. Mineral Resources (Primary) are reported using a 0.179 Au g/t cut off grade. Totals may not sum due to rounding as required by reporting guidelines.

Qualified Persons

Mr. Walter La Torre, MAusIMM (CP), is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43 101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators. Mr. La Torrre reviewed and approved the scientific or technical disclosure in this release and has verified the data disclosed.

About Batero Gold

Batero Gold Corp. is a precious and base metals advanced exploration company. The company's objective is to develop the La Cumbre deposit. La Cumbre is located within the Company's 100% owned Batero-Quinchia Gold Project, which sits within Colombia's emerging and prolific Mid Cauca gold and copper belt, which has measured and indicated resources of about 2.2 million ounces of gold and 6.4 million ounces of silver. In pursuing these objectives, Batero plans to leverage its secure treasury position, strong regional relationships, experienced management team, and long-term financial partners. Shares of the Vancouver-based company trade on the TSX-Venture Exchange under the symbol "BAT".

For further information please visit the Batero Gold Resource website at http://www.baterogold.com or contact:

Gonzalo de Losada President and CEO Batero Gold Corporation

Email: [email protected]

www.baterogold.com

Tel: + 57 6046041948

Exhibit 1: Mine Plan and processing schedule

Table 5

Life of Mine Plan



Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12 Year 13 Year 14 LoM Ore Leach kt 3,844 5,400 5,400 5,400 1,293 571 193 232 492 834 550 0 0 0 24,209 Ore Mill kt 65 94 223 34 3,563 6,800 7,534 8,883 10,800 10,800 10,800 10,800 10,800 1,187 82,384 Waste kt 1,605 1,281 1,190 770 2,392 1,948 3,007 6,482 11,952 7,777 7,129 4,163 2,485 9 52,191 Leach Au g/t 0.61 0.81 0.77 0.70 0.52 0.60 0.50 0.42 0.39 0.33 0.30 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.68 Leach Ag g/t 1.46 1.55 1.73 1.72 1.45 1.45 1.94 1.34 1.56 1.23 0.92 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.58 Mill Au g/t 0.52 0.66 0.69 0.74 0.78 0.84 0.65 0.63 0.48 0.44 0.45 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.53 Mill Ag g/t 1.42 1.44 1.49 1.70 1.67 1.73 1.82 1.54 1.45 1.73 1.52 1.37 1.51 1.42 1.57



Note: Leach include oxide and transitional ore. Mill is referred as Flotation-Gravimetry plant and include only primary sulfide ore.

Table 6

Processing Schedule



Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12 Year 13 Year 14 Heap Leaching Processing ore Mt 3.80 5.40 5.40 5.40 1.30









2.90





Au g/t 0.61 0.81 0.77 0.70 0.52









0.40





Ag g/t 1.46 1.55 1.73 1.72 1.45









1.33





Flotation Processing ore kt







4.00 6.80 7.50 8.90 10.8 10.80 10.80 10.80 10.80 1.20 Au g/t







0.78 0.84 0.65 0.63 0.48 0.44 0.45 0.42 0.42 0.42 Ag g/t







1.67 1.73 1.82 1.54 1.45 1.73 1.52 1.37 1.51 1.42



Note: Processing ore include leach and sulfide ore. Leach include oxide and transitional ore. Mill is referred as Flotation-Gravimetry plant and include only primary sulfide ore. Treatment plan is a conceptual plan from the strategic mine plan at PEA level prepared by Batero's staff.

Exhibit 2: Detailed Cash Flow Model and Key Assumptions

A detailed cash flow model containing annual production and cost information is shown below. Overall assumptions for commodity prices, marketing parameters, operating costs and capital costs are also provided.

Table 7

Financial Model Summary

Item Units Year -1 Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year

8 Year

9 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12 Year

13 Year 14 Total LoM Gold price US$/oz 1750 1750 1750 1750 1750 1750 1750 1750 1750 1750 1750 1750 1750 1750 1750 1750 1750 Silver price US$/oz 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 Mining t ore kt - 3,909 5,494 5,623 5,434 4,856 7,371 7,727 9,115 11,292 11,634 11,350 10,800 10,800 1,187 - 106,594 Mining t waste rock kt - 1,605 1,281 1,190 770 2,392 1,948 3,007 6,482 11,952 7,777 7,129 4,163 2,485 9 - 52,191 Strip Ratio W:O - 0.41x 0.23x 0.21x 0.14x 0.49x 0.26x 0.39x 0.71x 1.06x 0.67x 0.63x 0.39x 0.23x 0.01x - 0.49x Processing t ore kt - 3,844 5,400 5,400 5,400 5,273 6,800 7,534 8,883 10,800 10,800 13,672 10,800 10,800 1,187 - 106,594 Gold Grade % - 0.61 0.81 0.77 0.7 0.72 0.84 0.65 0.63 0.48 0.44 0.44 0.42 0.42 0.42 - 0.56 Silver Grade % - 1.46 1.55 1.73 1.72 1.62 1.73 1.82 1.54 1.45 1.73 1.48 1.37 1.51 1.42 - 1.57 Payable Gold koz - 64 120 114 104 102 153 131 151 140 129 161 121 122 14 - 1,627 Payable Silver koz - 82 123 137 136 135 190 222 222 253 302 321 239 264 27 - 2,651 Gold revenues US$m - 113 211 200 182 179 268 230 264 245 226 282 212 214 24 - 2,847 Silver revenues US$m - 2 3 3 3 3 4 5 5 6 7 7 5 6 1 - 58 Total Revenue US$m - 114.3 213.4 202.7 184.8 182 271.7 234.6 269.1 250.1 232.4 289.5 217 219.4 24.2 - 2,905.40 (-) Downstream costs US$m - -0.5 -0.9 -0.9 -0.8 -0.8 -1.2 -1.1 -1.2 -1.2 -1.1 -1.4 -1 -1.1 -0.1 - -13.4 Net Revenue US$m - 113.8 212.4 201.8 184 181.2 270.5 233.5 267.9 249 231.3 288.1 216 218.3 24.1 - 2,892.00 (-) Mining costs US$m - -13.6 -16.7 -16.8 -15.7 -18.8 -23.5 -26.8 -38 -55.6 -46.7 -44.6 -36.4 -32.5 -4.9 - -390.6 (-) Processing costs US$m - -31.7 -43.9 -43.9 -43.9 -37.5 -45.5 -50.2 -58.9 -71.3 -71.3 -93.8 -71.3 -71.3 -9.4 - -743.9 (-) G&A US$m - -1.5 -1.5 -1.5 -1.5 -1.7 -1.7 -1.7 -1.7 -1.7 -1.7 -1.7 -1.7 -1.7 -1.7 - -23.6 (-) Royalties US$m - -3.6 -6.8 -6.5 -5.9 -5.8 -8.7 -7.5 -8.6 -8 -7.4 -9.2 -6.9 -7 -0.8 - -92.5 EBITDA US$m - 63 144 133 117 117 191 147 161 112 104 139 100 106 7 - 1,641 EBITDA Margin % - 55% 67% 66% 63% 64% 70% 63% 60% 45% 45% 48% 46% 48% 30% - 56% C1 cash cost US$m - 45.5 60.3 60.1 59 55.9 67.8 75 95 124.2 114.2 134.5 105.2 100.8 15.6 - 1,113.20 AISC US$m - 49.2 67.1 76.1 64.8 61.7 88.3 82.4 103.6 143.5 121.6 143.7 112.1 107.8 16.3 15.8 1,254.20 C1 cash cost US$/oz - 707.7 501.3 527.1 567.3 546.7 443.5 571.1 629 888.8 885.2 833.1 869.6 826.2 1,152.3 - 684.2 AISC US$/oz - 764.3 557.8 667.3 624 603.4 577.9 628 685.8 1,026.4 942.6 890.3 926.7 883.5 1,209.4 - 770.9 (-) Cash taxes US$m - -13.6 -40.2 -36.9 -29.5 -27.9 -47.9 -33.8 -35.9 -18.1 -15.7 -21.9 -14.3 -16.1 -0.5 - -352.4 (-) Change in working capital US$m - -16.1 -12.9 1.3 2.3 0.5 -11.7 4.3 -5.1 1.1 2.6 -7.9 10.2 -0.1 27.9 3.7 - (-) Capital expenditures US$m -169.5 - - -9.5 -149 -99.3 -11.9 - - -11.3 - - - - - -15.8 -466.3 Unlevered Free Cash Flow US$m -169.5 33.7 90.4 87.9 -59.2 -9.5 119.6 117.8 119.7 84.1 91.1 108.9 95.6 89.5 34.7 -12.1 822.7 Cumulative Cash Flow US$m -169.5 -135.8 -45.4 42.5 -16.7 -26.1 93.5 211.3 331 415.1 506.2 615.1 710.7 800.1 834.8 822.7



To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139797
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2022) - Bear Creek Mining Corporation (TSXV: BCM) (OTCQX: BCEKF) (BVL: BCM) ("Bear Creek" or the "Company") announces production results for the three months ended September 30, 2022 ("Q3 2022"), representing the Company's first full quarter of production from the Mercedes Gold Mine in Sonora, Mexico.

Production Highlights:

148,211 tonnes of ore processed during Q3 2022, representing an average of 1,611 tonnes per day

11,169 ounces of gold produced during Q3 2022; a 14.9% increase in Mercedes production year over year (1)

The operational improvement program initiated shortly after acquiring Mercedes began showing positive results during Q3 2022, with tonnage, gold production, and development meters all trending higher throughout the quarter

Recent development work will provide access to higher grade deposits at Rey de Oro and Marianas during Q4 2022, which is expected to contribute to additional production improvements

Production and development results for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 were:

July 2022 August 2022 September 2022 Total Q3 2022 (2) Ore Mined (tonnes) 37,532 45,638 45,528 128,698 Ore Processed (3) (tonnes) 45,505 50,875 51,831 148,211 Au recovery (%) 95.1 96.1 95.33 95.53 Au grade processed (gpt) 2.1 2.8 2.41 2.45 Au ounces produced 2,886 4,459 3,824 11,169 Au ounces sold (4) 6,557 3,419 2334 12,310 Au ounces streamed (5) 600 1,200 959 2,759 Operating development (mts) 199 173 389 761 Capital development (mts) 276 495 381 1,152

(1) Mercedes gold production for the three months ended September 30, 2021 was 9,722 ounces as reported by Equinox Gold Corp. (https://equinoxgold.com/_resources/news/2021Q3/2021-Q3-EQX-MDA.pdf).

(2) Silver production during the quarter amounted to 36,540 ounces and were delivered under a pre-existing streaming obligation.

(3) Ore processed during the quarter included 28,310 tonnes of low-grade stockpiled material.

(4) Au ounces sold at market prices.

(5) Au ounces sold at contracted gold stream prices.

Anthony Hawkshaw, CEO, stated, "Our focus at Mercedes is to safely increase throughput to achieve higher gold production. The operational improvement program we initiated shortly after acquiring Mercedes began bearing fruit during Q3 2022, with tonnage, gold production and development meters all trending higher throughout the quarter. We are extremely pleased that these production increases were achieved without a single lost time accident. Management has identified several cost reduction opportunities, and measures are being implemented to continue to increase production while lowering operating costs. These measures are expected to be realized through the remainder of 2022."

Bear Creek will announce its third quarter financial results on November 29, 2022 following which it will host a conference call to discuss Mercedes' performance (conference call details to follow).

Shares for Services

Subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval, Bear Creek will issue 250,274 common shares at a deemed price of $0.58 per share to Unison Mining Consulting Pte. Ltd. ("Unison") for work on the Mercedes Gold Mine operational improvement program completed as of September 30, 2022. Details regarding the ongoing Mercedes improvement program, and the terms of the Unison engagement agreement, are provided in the Company's news release dated September 6, 2022.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Anthony Hawkshaw

Chief Executive Officer

For further information contact:

Barbara Henderson - VP Corporate Communications

Direct: 604-628-1111

E-mail: [email protected]

www.bearcreekmining.com

Subscribe to Bear Creek Mining news

NI 43-101 Disclosure

Disclosure of a scientific or technical nature in this news release has been reviewed and approved by, Andrew Swarthout, AIPG Certified Professional Geologist, Director of the Company and a Qualified Person ("QP") as defined in NI 43-101.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding: the anticipated outcomes of the Mercedes operational improvement program and anticipated timeframe thereof; the potential to increase gold production from the Mercedes mine; the potential to reduce Mercedes operating costs; the anticipated date of release of the Company's Q3 2022 financial results and conference call related thereto; and TSX Venture Exchange approval and the subsequent issuance of shares to Unison. These forward-looking statements are provided as of the date of this news release and reflect predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events based on the Company's beliefs at the time the statements were made, as well as various assumptions made by and information currently available to them. In making the forward-looking statements included in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to the assumptions: that the location, scope and cost of the Company's planned development and operating activities will not differ materially from expectations; that potential cost reduction opportunities can be realized; and that TSX Venture Exchange approval of the Unison share issuance will be forthcoming. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and the risk exists that estimates, forecasts, projections, and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions on which they are based do not reflect future experience. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the expectations expressed in them. These risk factors may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions expressed above do not occur, but may include additional risks as described in the Company's latest Annual Information Form, and other disclosure documents filed by the Company on SEDAR. The foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. Investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on behalf of the Company, 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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139714
Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2022) - A new campaign from Chicken Farmers of Canada encourages Canadians to expand their choices with an infinite variety of dishes for Canadian chicken.

"We know Canadians love chicken, and that they believe chicken raised in Canada is a healthy and much-loved meal," said Tim Klompmaker, Chair of Chicken Farmers of Canada, "but our research shows consumers typically rely on a handful of go-to chicken recipes and are not taking advantage of the incredible diversity of meal options that chicken provides."

The Different Day. Different Dish campaign, created by Toronto agency Bob's Your Uncle, showcases a myriad of options, playing on seasonal habits like beer-can chicken on the BBQ and oven roasts in the winter. "The campaign playfully highlights the incredible cultural diversity of chicken recipes, playing against consumers' tendency to cook chicken on repeat," said Bob Froese, Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Bob's Your Uncle.

The campaign is anchored by a national tv campaign with five commercials in English and French; Dinner Diversity, Beer Can BBQ, Rice Reps, Roast Routine and Winter Warmers, with 6 second versions created for social and digital media. The campaign encourages Canadians to visit chicken.ca for recipes and to 'let their taste buds travel the world.'





Winter Warmers

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8584/139778_8ea5cea684869bbe_003full.jpg





Roast Routine

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8584/139778_8ea5cea684869bbe_004full.jpg





Rice Reps

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8584/139778_8ea5cea684869bbe_005full.jpg





Dinner Diversity

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8584/139778_8ea5cea684869bbe_006full.jpg





Beer Can BBQ

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8584/139778_8ea5cea684869bbe_007full.jpg

About Chicken Farmers of Canada

Chicken Farmers of Canada represents the over 2,800 chicken farmers in every province from coast to coast. Our Raised by a Canadian Farmer brand demonstrates our commitment to excellence in quality, food safety, animal care, and sustainability. Canadian chicken farmers raise their chicken to the highest standards: yours.

About Bob's Your Uncle

Bob's Your Uncle is a creative agency that tells brand stories that consumers care about.

For more information

Marty Brett

Senior Corporate Communications Officer

(613) 566-5926

[email protected]

www.chicken.ca

Bob Froese

[email protected]

(416) 451-6912

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139778
Longmont, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2022) - Star Buds, known for their signature Cannabis Cup-winning sativa, is excited to announce the details for the upcoming Longmont Fall Festival scheduled for Saturday, October 8th. The dispensary customer appreciation event will be open to the public and run from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm.

"Star Buds is incredibly grateful for the support we've received from the Northern Colorado community and the Fall Festival is our way of showing that appreciation. We're excited to feature exclusive deals, food trucks, raffles, and a lot more on Saturday. Wana, Harmony, Cheeba Chews, and The Clear will also have vendor pop-ups on-site to provide information to those interested. Come by and say 'Hello!'" said Brittanny Swalewski, Marketing Coordinator for Schwazze, the parent operator for Star Buds.

In addition to food trucks, vendor pop-ups, raffles, a social media scavenger hunt, and discounts, Fall Festival attendees will enjoy complimentary lunch with every dispensary purchase (details below) as well as double points for all Gratify Rewards Members.

The Longmont Customer Appreciation Fall Festival event details are as follows:

When: Saturday, October 8th

Cost: No Charge

Time: 11:00 am to 6:00 pm

Location: 7521 Ute Hwy #66, Longmont, CO 80503

A complimentary entre from The Bamboo Skewer in Longmont will be available to those with a Star Buds receipt from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, and Hippops Gelato Bar will be giving complimentary bars to those with a Star Buds receipt from 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm.

About Star Buds

Star Buds Marijuana Dispensary in Longmont is home to top-tier strains, including their signature Cannabis Cup-winning sativa, as well as a wide selection of popular concentrates, edibles, tinctures, and more. With a mission to provide a dispensary experience focused on the customer and their needs, their staff is always on-hand to guide visitors and answer questions. Star Buds also gives back to the community through its Cancer Relief Program, discounts for veterans, and other unique local opportunities that make a positive impact.

Media Contact:

Brittanny Szalewski, [email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139697
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2022) - Trican Well Service Ltd. (TSX: TCW) ("Trican" or the "Company") intends to release its Third Quarter 2022 results on Wednesday, November 9, 2022 after the close of the market.

The Company will host a conference call on Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. MT (12:00 p.m. ET) to discuss its results for the Third Quarter 2022.

To listen to the webcast of the conference call, please enter the following URL in your web browser: https://www.gowebcasting.com/12016.

You can also visit the "Investors" section of our website at www.tricanwellservice.com/investors and click on "Reports".

To participate in the Q&A session, please call the conference call operator at 1-800-319-4610 (North America) or 1-403-351-0324 (outside North America) 10 minutes prior to the call's start time and ask for the "Trican Well Service Ltd. Third Quarter 2022 Earnings Results Conference Call."

The conference call will be archived on Trican's website at www.tricanwellservice.com/investors.

ABOUT TRICAN

Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Trican supplies oil and natural gas well servicing equipment and solutions to our customers through the drilling, completion, and production cycles. Our team of technical experts provide state of the art equipment, engineering support, reservoir expertise and laboratory services through the delivery of hydraulic fracturing, cementing, coiled tubing, nitrogen services and chemical sales for the oil and gas industry in Western Canada. Trican is the largest pressure pumping service company in Canada.

Requests for further information should be directed to:

Brad Fedora

President and Chief Executive Officer

Scott Matson

Chief Financial Officer

Phone: (403) 266-0202

Fax: (403) 237-7716

2900, 645 - 7th Avenue S.W.

Calgary, Alberta T2P 4G8

Please visit our website at www.tricanwellservice.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139774
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- First Acceptance Corporation (DBA Acceptance Insurance) (OTCQX: FACO) today announced the sudden and unexpected death of President and CEO Larry Willeford. He was 65.

The company's board of directors issued the following statement: "Larry Willeford was a visionary leader who exemplified our service vision of taking care of each other. Larry always put people first, and he was dedicated to the success of everyone at Acceptance Insurance. As we mourn his passing, we will remember his legacy of boundless compassion and generosityboth as a leader and a friend."

A spokesman for the company added, "The Acceptance Insurance family is profoundly saddened by this untimely event and extends its heartfelt condolences to Larry's wife, his three sons, and his family."

Mr. Willeford was appointed President and CEO of Acceptance Insurance in November 2021 to succeed Ken Russell, who has remained closely involved in the company as a strategic advisor and board member. Mr. Russell will lead Acceptance in an interim capacity to ensure the continuity of its operations.

Larry Willeford attended Texas State University before beginning an insurance career spanning 42 years. He joined the team at Acceptance Insurance as its Chief Claims Officer in October 2016 before serving as President and Chief Operating Officer starting in 2019.

Under his leadership, Acceptance received national acclaim for its commitment to excellence in workplace culture. In 2022, the company was named to Forbes' annual list of America's Best Midsize Employers, Best Employers for New Graduates, and Best Employers for Diversity.

About Acceptance Insurance

Acceptance Insurance (OTCQX: FACO) is both an omnichannel insurance agency and insurance carrier operating in 13 states across 338 retail locations. Their team of 1,300-plus focuses on developing long-term relationships with historically underserved customers and those who prefer more flexible payment schedules and greater risk tolerance. Local community engagement, supported by robust digital messaging on owned and earned platforms, gives each agency a local feel and the resources of an institutional carrier. Learn more online at acceptance.com.

Media ContactChris Song615-202-0595[email protected]

Investor Relations ContactMike Bodayle615-844-2907[email protected]

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SOURCE Acceptance Insurance
LANSING, Mich., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AF Group, a nationally recognized holding company whose affiliated companies provide workers' compensation and other specialty insurance solutions across the U.S., is pleased to announce Naveena Spitz as managing director of Integration, where she will serve as a leader of acquisition integration.

"We're so excited to welcome Naveena to the team," said Mitch Walsh, vice president of Business Transformation. "Her extensive insurance experience, combined with her ability to think strategically and act tactically, will enable us to most effectively integrate acquisitions and realize target outcomes."

Spitz will join the Integration Management Office and will focus on technology weighted functions such as Digital Experience, IT, and Data and Analytics. Spitz will work in collaboration with AF Group's leadership team to provide integration coordination across people, processes, technology and products to ensure alignment, execution and benefits realization.

Spitz, who is based in Texas, holds more than 15 years of insurance industry experience. She has broad expertise in data engineering and analytics to help drive business value through the engineering of efficient decision support and models at speed and scale. Prior to joining AF Group, Spitz served as assistant vice president for Data Engineering at Travelers and held various roles at Texas Mutual providing enterprise reporting, analytics and predictive modeling. Spitz earned a Business Administration degree in Management Information Systems and International Business from Baylor University.

AF Group previously announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement through its subsidiary Accident Fund Insurance Company of America to purchase AmeriTrust Group from Fosun. To learn more about AF Group, visit afgroup.com.

About AF Group

AF Group is a nationally recognized holding company whose affiliated insurance companies are premier providers of specialty insurance solutions offered through independent agents nationwide. All policies are underwritten by a licensed insurer subsidiary. For more information, visit afgroup.com.  AF Group.

Contact: Marissa Sura(517) 896-3707[email protected]AFGroup.com

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SOURCE AF Group
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A recently launched clinical trial at the University of Pennsylvania will evaluate a chewing gum designed by Penn Dental Medicine's Dr. Henry Daniell to trap SARS-CoV-2 in the saliva, potentially blocking transmission of COVID-19 decrease self-infection.

The trial will recruit participants from a pool of Penn Medicine employees whose responses to a screening system indicate that they may be battling COVID-19. Those who enroll will be given a packet of 12 experimental gum tablets, to be chewed four times each day, for three days.

The cinnamon-flavored gum is designed to do far more than freshen breath. Thanks to innovations emerging from Daniell's lab, the gum contains plant-derived material genetically engineered to contain ACE2, a protein found naturally in human blood and saliva. The ACE2 receptor is found on human cells and is bound by SARS-CoV-2 virus during infection. In experimental models, chewing the gum released the embedded ACE2, blocking the interaction of the chewer's own ACE2 receptor and the viral spike protein.

In effect, the gum is designed to trap and neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in the saliva and, ideally, diminish the amount of virus left in the mouth. It is hoped that less virus would mean a lower likelihood of passing the infection on to others or developing symptoms.

Daniell and colleagues are also working on another gum, containing a different protein, which could target a broader range of respiratory viruses, including influenza.

"I'm hoping that if this is effective and safe it will be the beginning of several other oral delivery drugs using this platform," says Daniell, W. D. Miller Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Basic and Translational Sciences.

Findings from a preclinical study of the gum's efficacy in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus in patient samples, published in Biomaterials in July, showed it could reduce viral load to nearly undetectable levels. The results supported an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for an Investigational New Drug, which went into effect in May and paved the way for the launch of the clinical trial. The gum represents the first Investigational New Drug submission for a human therapeutic protein drug that does not require a cold chain or protein purification. Read more >>

Contact: Beth Adams, [email protected]

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SOURCE Penn Dental Medicine
VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Copper Mountain Mining Corporation (TSX: CMMC) (ASX: C6C) (the "Company" or "Copper Mountain") is pleased to announce it has entered into a definitive agreement with Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (JSE: HAR) (NYSE: HMY) ("Harmony") to sell its wholly-owned Eva Copper Project and its 2,100km2 exploration land package in Queensland, Australia for total consideration of up to US$230 million (the "Transaction").

Under the terms of the Transaction, Copper Mountain will receive the following consideration:

A. US$170,000,000 in cash payable on closing of the Transaction;

B. Up to US$30,000,000 in cash, based on a contingent payment arrangement where Harmony will pay Copper Mountain 10% of the incremental revenue generated from the Eva Copper Project and the Australian exploration land package above the revenue assuming a US$3.80/lb copper price; and

C. Up to US$30,000,000 in cash, based on a contingent payment arrangement where Harmony will pay Copper Mountain US$0.03 per pound of contained copper for any SAMREC copper resource discovered and declared on a new deposit within the Eva Copper Project and the Australian exploration land package after the closing of the Transaction.

Gil Clausen, Copper Mountain's President and CEO, stated, "We are pleased with this transaction as it demonstrates the value the Company has developed in the Eva Copper Project since our acquisition of Altona Mining Limited in 2018. It also recognizes the exploration upside that exists on the surrounding prospective land package."

Letitia Wong, Copper Mountain's CFO, added, "This transaction strengthens our balance sheet and allows the Company to evaluate options with respect to our long-term capital structure. Further, as our recently announced Life of Mine plan demonstrates, the Copper Mountain Mine is expected to generate healthy free cash flow starting in 2023 and we expect mine operations and the 65,000 tonnes per day expansion to be self-funded going forward."

The closing of the Transaction is subject to certain customary conditions, including approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) in Australia and Copper Mountain bondholder approval. The Transaction has received approval from the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and is not subject to any financing conditions. The Transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023.

Advisors and Counsel

Macquarie Capital is acting as financial advisor to Copper Mountain. Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP and Corrs Chambers Westgarth are acting as Canadian and Australian legal counsel, respectively, to Copper Mountain.

About Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Copper Mountain's flagship asset is the 75% owned Copper Mountain Mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. The Copper Mountain Mine currently produces approximately 100 million pounds of copper equivalent per year. Copper Mountain also has the 100% owned development-stage Eva Copper Project and an extensive 2,100 km2 highly prospective land package in in Queensland, Australia. Copper Mountain trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "CMMC" and Australian Stock Exchange under the symbol "C6C".

Additional information is available on the Company's web page at www.CuMtn.com.

On behalf of the Board of

COPPER MOUNTAIN MINING CORPORATION"Gil Clausen"

Gil ClausenPresident and Chief Executive Officer

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain "forward looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and Copper Mountain does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities legislation.

All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect Copper Mountain's expectations or beliefs regarding future events.

In certain circumstances, forward-looking statements can be identified, but are not limited to, statements which use terminology such as "plans", "expects", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "forecasts", "guidance", scheduled", "target" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. In this news release, certain forward-looking statements are identified, including the Company's potential plans with respect to its long-term capital structure, anticipated timing for the Copper Mountain Mine to generate free cash flow and become self-funding, anticipated timing for the closing of the Transaction, entitlement to any contingent consideration under the Transaction, obtaining and satisfying customary conditions (including FIRB approval and Copper Mountain bondholder approval), anticipated production at the Copper Mountain Mine, and expectations for other economic, business and/or competitive factors. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, achievements and opportunities to differ materially from those implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, among others, the parties' ability to consummate the Transaction, the ability of the parties to satisfy, in a timely manner, all conditions to the closing of the Transaction, assumptions concerning the Transaction and the operations and capital expenditure plans of the Company following completion of the Transaction, the potential impact of the announcement or consummation of the Transaction, the diversion of management time on the Transaction, the successful exploration of the Company's properties in Canada and Australia, market price, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, extreme weather events, material and labour shortages, the reliability of the historical data referenced in this document and risks set out in Copper Mountain's public documents, including the management's discussion and analysis for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 and the annual information form dated March 29, 2022, each filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although Copper Mountain has attempted to identify important factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, achievements and opportunities to differ materially from those described in its forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause the Company's results, performance, achievements and opportunities not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. While the Company believes that the information and assumptions used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements.

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SOURCE Copper Mountain Mining Corporation
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan participated in the European Political Community Summit in Prague. The event was attended by leaders of more than four dozen states: EU member states as well as EU partner countries, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

The summit was held in the Old Castle of Prague. The leaders of the participating countries were welcomed by the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala. After the plenary session, a joint photo-taking ceremony of the participants of the summit took place.

Within the framework of the event, Prime Minister Pashinyan also participated in the round-table discussion on the topic of security.

A 4-sided meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Council President Charles Michel and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will take place in Prague today.

On the same day, a meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled.
Galileo's novel community-based care model brings Elation's dynamic, flexible platform to complex and underserved populations across the U.S.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Elation Health, the clinical-first technology company powering innovation in primary care, today announced a partnership with Galileo, a rapidly growing risk-bearing primary care group serving diverse and complex populations across 50 states.

"Galileo shares our passion for delivering the highest-quality primary care with technology, and we're so pleased to welcome them to Elation," said Kyna Fong, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Elation Health. "Together under this shared vision, we're excited that our radical approach to technology that prioritizes the physician-patient relationship aligns so well with Galileo across product development, operations, and customer experiences."

Through the Elation Health application programming interface (API), Galileo clinicians are now seamlessly able to automate and customize alerts at the point of care to maximize their value-based contracts. As the platform of choice for primary care innovators and a leader in value-based care, Elation's clinical-first approach means its API gives customers the ability to build proprietary applications that drive excellent cross-collaboration for clinical and operations teams to scale to more than one million daily API calls.

"After a thorough evaluation of the market it was clear that Elation was the best partner to meet the needs of our complex care business," said Thomas Lee, CEO of Galileo and the pioneer behind One Medical and Epocrates. "The scalability of Elation's platform, vision for supporting value-based care, and clinically driven technology were key factors in our decision. We're excited to partner with Elation on providing the highest quality care for our complex Medicare and Medicaid members."

Powering the largest network of independent primary care organizations in the U.S., Elation Health works across traditional and newer care settings (small independent practices, onsite employer clinics, at-home models, and hybrid teams) to drive success in Medicare, Medicaid, commercial, and other quality programs by closing care gaps and alleviating reporting burden.

High-quality, effective primary care is rooted in a strong physician-patient relationship and requires thoughtful and innovative technology designed to enhance the clinical experience. Elation Health's approach to primary care technology stands apart because of its clinical-first design, intuitive charting, seamless integrations, and API-first development. These tools along with Elation's modern, open, cloud-native platform support enterprise clients in achieving success in value-based care delivery, driving results such as 30% healthcare cost savings and four times reduction in referrals to high-cost specialists. Elation's tiered implementation and training packages and its technical consulting services will allow Galileo to quickly get up and running  and innovating  on the Elation platform, and Elation's automation and customizable alerts will support Galileo achieving maximum performance in its contracts.

For more information about Elation for primary care, visit elationhealth.com/enterprise/. To explore Elation's developer toolkit and access its powerful APIs further, visit elationhealth.com/contact-us/sandbox/.

About Galileo

Galileo is a modern, risk-bearing medical group working to improve the quality and affordability of healthcare for all. Operating nationally across 50 states, Galileo offers high-touch, multispecialty, longitudinal care to diverse and complex patients  on the phone, in the home, and everywhere in between. Regional and national health plans, employers, and Fortune 500 organizations trust Galileo as the leading solution to improve population health. Founded by Thomas Lee, MD, the healthcare pioneer behind One Medical and Epocrates, Galileo includes a team of leading innovators from healthcare, technology, and human-centered design. More can be discovered at Galileo. Follow Galileo on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Elation Health

Elation Health is the most trusted technology platform for high-value primary care. Since 2010, the company has delivered clinical-first solutions  built on a collaborative EHR platform  that help practices start, grow, communicate, and succeed in delivering the highest-quality personalized care to patients. Elation Health supports primary care clinicians in upholding the craft of medicine, while thriving in an evolving healthcare landscape. Today, Elation Health serves 24,000 clinicians caring for millions of Americans. Learn more at elationhealth.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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SOURCE Elation Health
Investment Community Teleconference Set for November 11, 2022 at 8 a.m. ET

TORONTO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Hydro One Limited (TSX: H), the largest electric transmission and distribution utility in Ontario, plans to release its third quarter financial results the morning of November 11, 2022 before North American financial markets open. A summary of the results will be distributed by newswire and the complete MD&A and financial statements will be posted at www.hydroone.com/investors and www.sedar.com.

Hydro One's management will host a teleconference with the investment community at 8 a.m. ET that same morning to discuss the results and outlook. Those wishing to listen to the teleconference should access the live webcast on the Investor Relations Events and Presentations section of Hydro One's website at www.hydroone.com/investors. A rebroadcast of the teleconference will be available following the call at the same link.

Those members of the North American financial community wanting to ask questions during the call should go to this link (https://register.vevent.com/register/BIe604796c0d2d4fcc9562e8e557ea7097), and you will be provided with personalized dial-in details. To avoid delays, we encourage participants to dial into the conference call fifteen minutes ahead of the scheduled start time. Other interested parties and media are welcome to participate on a listen-only basis.

Hydro One Limited (TSX: H)

Hydro One Limited, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, is Ontario's largest electricity transmission and distribution provider with approximately 1.5 million valued customers, approximately $30.4 billion in assets as at December 31, 2021, and annual revenues in 2021 of approximately $7.2 billion.

Our team of approximately 9,300 skilled and dedicated employees proudly build and maintain a safe and reliable electricity system which is essential to supporting strong and successful communities. In 2021, Hydro One invested approximately $2.1 billion in its transmission and distribution networks, and supported the economy through buying approximately $1.7 billion of goods and services.

We are committed to the communities where we live and work through community investment, sustainability and diversity initiatives. We are designated as a Sustainable Electricity Company by the Canadian Electricity Association.

Hydro One Limited's common shares are listed on the TSX and certain of Hydro One Inc.'s medium term notes are listed on the NYSE. Additional information can be accessed at www.hydroone.com, www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov.

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SOURCE Hydro One Limited
Founding companies include BUCK, It's Nice That, VTProDesign, Giant Ant, Anyways Creative, If You Could Jobs, and Creative Lives in Progress, with more to follow

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the debut of Residence, a multidisciplinary network of companies with the shared vision of creating a thriving ecosystem to empower the creative community at large by nurturing rising talent, encouraging egoless creativity, and fostering community among its members.

Founded and led by the team that has grown creative services company BUCK to 600 employees across four offices, Residence consists of VTProDesign, Giant Ant, and the HudsonBec group, which itself comprises four companies. The full lineup includes:

Anyways Creative is an award-winning agency that impacts culture through creative collaboration. Based in London, Anyways explore new ways for brands to communicate and execute with a global network of collaborators. Anyways' clients include Google, Nike, IBM, Adobe, and Sonos.

BUCK is an Emmy award-winning style-agnostic creative company that crafts design, stories, and technology experienced by billions every day. With offices in Los Angeles, New York City, Sydney, and Amsterdam, BUCK's clients include Apple, Meta, Nike, Google, and Airbnb.

Creative Lives in Progress is an inclusive creative careers resource on a mission to transform the way emerging talent access, understand and connect with the industry. With a focus currently on the UK, Creative Lives in Progress encourages greater transparency and representation within the creative working world by sharing advice and insight, highlighting entry-level opportunities, as well as hosting events that bring talent and industry together.

Giant Ant is an Emmy award-winning creative studio focused on art, design, and animation. From their office in Vancouver, they work with a global list of clients including Google, Cartoon Network, Airbnb & Warner Brothers, to solve business problems with creativity.

If You Could Jobs is the place to find jobs in the creative industry. The platform is a quick and easy way to browse hundreds of roles across the creative industries. Currently focused on the UK, If You Could has helped companies of all shapes and sizes find creative talent.

It's Nice That is on a mission to inspire the global creative community by sharing stories, offering insights, and bringing people together to help them make more of their creativity. Over the last 15 years, It's Nice That has grown across many platforms and reaches over 2 million people every month.

VTProDesign is a Los Angeles-based interactive studio that connects people to brands through engaging experiences regardless of medium or technology. Their roster of clients includes Netflix, Google, Ray-Ban, and Heineken.

"We have arrived at a place where the culture of how we work is as important as what we deliver," says BUCK co-founder and CEO Jeff Ellermeyer. "In the shifting sands of creative services, we find ourselves at the right time and place to create a new network that champions this way of thinking."

The combined headcount for Residence tops 735 talent across seven offices and six timezones. Collectively, the group generated $170M USD in adjusted revenue for 2022. Member companies share infrastructure and benefit from federated finance, operations, and communications, while bespoke cross-company teams will unlock new creative possibilities and service offerings.

But the ambitions of Residence go beyond organizational efficiencies and business strategy.

"Residence promises to be a people-focused group based on shared values and vision. We're building a place with incredible commercial and creative potential for its members," says Ryan Honey, BUCK co-founder and Co-Chief Creative Officer. "A place that enables entrepreneurial organizations and people to continue to take risks, innovate and grow. A place that connects the world's most talented, creative people."

Residence is headquartered in Los Angeles and helmed by:

Jeff Ellermeyer, Chief Executive Officer

Ryan Honey, Co-Chief Creative Officer

Orion Tait, Co-Chief Creative Officer

Wade Milne, Chief Financial Officer

Madison Wharton, Chief Operating Officer

Jan Jensen, Chief Talent Officer

Following the launch of Residence, Emily Rickard will be promoted to the role of President at BUCK, where she will continue the growth she fostered as Chief Production Officer. Under her leadership, she oversaw the opening of BUCK's Amsterdam office and helped guide the company to eight straight years of high double-digit revenue growth.

ABOUT RESIDENCE

Jeff Ellermeyer, Orion Tait, and Ryan Honey founded BUCK in 2004. The company has since grown to more than 600 employees worldwide, pushing the boundaries of art, design, and technology. In October 2022, the team founded Residence with a focus on merging in like-minded creative companies to build an equitable creative services ecosystem. Companies in Residence include BUCK, VTProDesign, Anyways Creative, Giant Ant, It's Nice That, Creative Lives in Progress, and If You Could.

For more information, visit thisisresidence.co.

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SOURCE Residence
Cybersecurity Expert Dr. Randall Magiera Will Lead the Company's Security and Compliance Programs

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LucidLink, a global leader in remote collaboration, announced Dr. Randall Magiera has been named Director of Information Security and Privacy. Randall will be responsible for scaling the company's security and privacy programs, including compliance, certifications, and risk assessment. These programs will strengthen end-to-end data integrity for LucidLink services and business practices.

We believe security & data privacy are as much about protecting customer data as it is about safeguarding our own.

"We've always believed that security and data privacy are as much about protecting customer data as it is about safeguarding our own," said Peter Thompson, co-founder, and CEO of LucidLink. "As our customer base expands to large enterprises with stringent compliance requirements, Randall's experience in cloud security and complex policies for global operations is crucial to our business. He is a great addition to our team."

Randall joined LucidLink from CloudCheckr, where he was responsible for security risk and compliance from 2019 until joining LucidLink in 2022. Before CloudCheckr, he held the Virtualization and Identity Management Admin & Deputy Information Security Officer position at Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) in New York. At FLCC, he developed the educational institution's security strategies and led the design and execution of vulnerability and risk assessments, network hardening, disaster recovery planning, and attack surface optimization. Before FLCC, Randall was a senior associate in the Enterprise Risk Management division of Freed Maxick CPA. He provided information security and assurance consulting services to enterprise clients of Freed Maxick. Previous roles included IT engineering and technical admin support positions for cloud solutions, storage, and virtualization technologies. In addition to a business career, Randall is an adjunct professor teaching graduate-level information security and privacy classes for online programs.

Randall holds a doctor of science (D.Sc.) in cybersecurity and a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) in cybersecurity leadership. He has cybersecurity and privacy certifications, including CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM, CISSP, and CISM.

"I'm honored to join the team at LucidLink," said Randall. "Not only does the company offer customers business and productivity benefits with real-time access to encrypted, end-to-end cloud storage, but its zero-knowledge model speaks volumes to how serious this leadership team views data security."

Filespaces Provides End-to-End Security

LucidLink Filespaces is built on a modern, general-purpose distributed file system designed for the cloud. One of the fundamental tenets of the design is the strong focus on security to provide the best-of-class solution for highly sensitive data and workloads. LucidLink technology streams data on-demand, eliminating the need for storing unprotected copies of files on multiple devices, which is radically dierent from existing solutions.

About LucidLink

LucidLink offers an innovative cloud-native file service designed specifically for extensive data access over distance. LucidLink Filespaces provides best-in-class security and high-performance scalability to run file-based workloads on object storage for maximum efficiency and productivity. The service is compatible with Microsoft Azure Blob and any Amazon S3 consistent object storage provider that utilizes the cloud, on-prem, or hybrid storage. It supports all major operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS. Investors include Baseline Ventures, Headline, Adobe, Bright Cap Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, S28 Capital, and Fathom Capital. LucidLink is privately held and headquartered in San Francisco, California, with offices in Bulgaria, Europe, and Australia.

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SOURCE LucidLink
Funds will support research and development of employer-based solutions in the restaurant and hospitality industry

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to address workforce challenges for young adults working in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

The NRAEF receives $1M grant to reduce young adult employment barriers in the restaurant industry.

Working in conjunction with its network of community-based organizations in its Restaurant Ready program, the NRAEF will use the grant funds to undertake a nationwide study to glean insights from young adults and employers on perceived barriers to restaurant career retention and advancement, as well as steps to address these barriers. Based on the results of the study, the NRAEF will identify and deliver a framework of solutions for community organizations serving young adults and the restaurant and hospitality industry. Through the grant, the NRAEF will work with committed employers to adapt practices, pilot resources, and connect young adults with employment opportunities.

"We are excited that the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has selected us to receive this generous tranche of $1 million to jump start our efforts to better address workforce barriers for young adults," said Rob Gifford, President of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. "The restaurant industry provides jobs for more than 14 million Americans, but there is still much that needs to happen to help people from all walks of life find a path to advancement and career growth. I look forward to the understanding and opportunity these funds will help generate in the months ahead."

While the restaurant and hospitality industry offers a low barrier to entry and multiple career pathways, restaurant operators continue to face rapid attrition  a trend that has been compounded by the pandemic. Despite steady gains, industry-wide employment remains down 5% from the start of the pandemic, according to the National Restaurant Association. This grant presents an opportunity for the NRAEF to design and implement creative solutions that address the needs of the next generation of industry team members.

Restaurant Ready is a national program dedicated to helping individuals acquire the basic job and life skills necessary to pursue jobs in the restaurant industry and jumpstart a pathway to independence. Launched in 2016, the program focuses on supporting individuals in diverse communities who are not in school and or/employed with their transition into communities and work. Working with local community-based organizations, the NRAEF currently operates Restaurant Ready programs in 64 locations across the country.

Visit ChooseRestaurants.org to learn more about the NRAEF and its work to build pathways to meaningful jobs and careers in restaurant and foodservice.

About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF): As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's (NRAEF) mission of service to the public is dedicated to enhancing the industry's training and education, career development and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower and Advance today's and tomorrow's restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart  a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready  partnering with community based organizations to provide "opportunity youth" with skills training and job opportunities; Military  helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships  financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and the Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center (RHLC)  accredited apprenticeship programs designed to build the careers of service professionals. For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org.

Click here for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's 2021 Annual Impact Report.

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SOURCE National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
DALLAS, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inflate your Halloween decor in seconds with the Airblown Inflatables by Gemmy Industries featuring Star Wars: The Mandalorian fan-favorite galactic characters.

Tricks and Treats Await with Star Wars: The Mandalorian Airblown Inflatables at Walmart and The Home Depot

Individual Character Inflatables

Inspired by the most adorable asset in the galaxy, The 6-ft wide stylized Grogua Holding a Treat Bag Airblown Inflatable ($34.98) is one of the most wanted inflatables and is available exclusively in-store and online at Walmart. It self-inflates in seconds and lights up with energy-efficient LEDs for nighttime visibility.

Decorate with the galaxy's deadliest bounty hunter, the Boba Fett  Airblown Inflatable ($34.98), available in-store and online at Walmart. Standing 5-ft tall, Boba Fett is decked out in his armor holding a pumpkin with flying bats and a 'Hands off my Bounty' statement.

Fans of Star Wars: The Mandalorian will love the 3.5-ft Airblown Inflatable Grogu ($34.98), accented with an orange Mandalorian treat sack. Available in-store and online at The Home Depot, the Grogu inflatable makes a spooktacular addition to your indoor or outdoor Halloween decorations.

Indoor Lighting

Transform a room with this amazing Halloween decoration, The Mandalorian ShadowLights ($14.98) tabletop projector, available only in-store at Walmart. It features bright, energy-efficient LEDs and projects a rotating scene with images of characters from The Mandalorian including Grogua. It is perfect for parties and haunted houses.

For more Star Wars seasonal decor and retailer information visit www.gemmy.com

About Gemmy Industries

Gemmy Industries is a leading seasonal lighting and decor innovator that has changed the way America decorates for the holidays. As the originator of Airblown Inflatables and LightShow lighting, Gemmy is a trendsetter in making homes festive for every special occasion. For more information on product lines and retailers, go to www.gemmy.com.

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SOURCE Gemmy Industries
Simon, Reichenstein bring more than 55 years of litigation experience

DALLAS, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Two longtime and accomplished business litigators have joined Meadows, Collier, Reed, Cousins, Crouch & Ungerman LLP in Dallas, further strengthening the firm's extensive capabilities in complex commercial litigation.

Craig Simon is a skilled trial lawyer who has represented clients ranging from large public companies to individual entrepreneurs in high-stakes litigation and arbitration across the nation. In a legal career that spans more than 30 years, Mr. Simon has proven adept at successfully prosecuting and defending a wide range of business disputes, including cases involving financial, accounting and valuation issues, bankruptcy and insolvency-related claims, and trade secret and noncompete litigation. He has been repeatedly recognized as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Texas by Thomson Reuters' Super Lawyers, on the list of the Best Lawyers in America every year since 2016, and among the Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine for nine consecutive years.

Paula Reichenstein has a broad-based litigation background, with experience representing clients in several national and high-profile "bet-the-company" cases as well as a range of contract, business tort and product liability claims for both plaintiffs and defendants. This work has often hinged on the development of novel legal theories or the application of existing laws in unconventional ways. Ms. Reichenstein's practice spans state and federal court as well as appellate work.

"We're honored to have these two distinguished attorneys join our firm, bringing a reputation for excellence and record of success for their clients," says the firm's managing partner, Anthony Daddino. "We're entering an increasingly dynamic time for litigation across virtually every business sector, and their experience and counsel will be invaluable."

Both Mr. Simon and Ms. Reichenstein join the firm from Loewinsohn Deary Simon Ray LLP in Dallas, and each previously practiced for many years in the Dallas office of Jones Day.

Mr. Simon earned his law degree magna cum laude from Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law and holds both master's and undergraduate degrees in accounting from The University of Texas in Austin.

Ms. Reichenstein received her law degree cum laude from The University of Texas School of Law, and her undergraduate degree from Colorado State University.

Attorneys with Meadows, Collier, Reed, Cousins, Crouch & Ungerman bring both dedication and experience to clients' legal matters. With origins in tax planning and tax litigation practice, the firm also provides counsel to clients with a variety of other specialized legal needs, including business and estate planning, probate, real estate, securities, banking, and commercial litigation. The firm also has a longstanding concentration in the area of white-collar defense and government regulatory practice.

Media Contact: Barry Pound 800-559-4534 [email protected]

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SOURCE Meadows Collier
SAN RAMON, Calif., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumin Digital announced today that Tennessee-based UT Federal Credit Union (UTFCU) has signed a multi-year agreement for Lumin Digital's cloud-based online and mobile digital banking platform. Lumin will support UTFCU's more than $460 million in assets and 26,000 plus members when the platform is launched in May 2023.

A cloud-native digital banking platform, Lumin Digital will provide UTFCU members with an integrated, customized experience that matches larger financial institutions' offerings. Focusing on service, user experience, safety, and security through sophisticated automation, Lumin Digital helps credit unions and financial institutions drive better engagement with their users through personalized recommendations. These include everything from spending insights and financial advice to fraud alerts and help with savings goals. Lumin also enables credit unions to provide users with real-time updates and new features that add value and simplify everyday banking.

Chartered in 1969, UTFCU is a member-owned financial cooperative based out of Knoxville, Tennessee.

"Our operating principals are to provide the highest quality service to our members, and we can now provide the highest quality digital banking tools through Lumin Digital's platform," said Debbie H. Jones, CPA, President and CEO of UT Federal Credit Union. "We aim to ensure a lifelong financial relationship with each member, and the experience Lumin will provide will only fortify those relationships."

"UTFCU has a strong history of providing their members with exceptional financial services, and Lumin Digital's platform will help take those experiences to new heights," said Jeff Chambers, founder and CEO of Lumin Digital. "We're excited to partner with UTFCU and provide their members with a modern and engaging digital banking experience."

About Lumin Digital

Lumin Digital is a PSCU-majority-owned fintech company specializing in digital banking solutions. Through a fundamentally different approach to technology, service, and people, we're creating the next generation of financial solutions each and every day. Lumin helps credit unions and financial institutions build and deploy next-gen digital experiences that help to continually serve, engage, and grow their membership base. While other platforms are partially adapted or retrofitted for the cloud, Lumin is 100% cloud-native. It was built specifically for the cloud environment, allowing us to realize the advantages more fully it offers. It's a difference that financial institutions and their users will see and feel almost immediately. For more information, visit lumindigital.com.

About UT Federal Credit Union

Chartered in 1969, UT Federal Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative based out of Knoxville, Tennessee. UTFCU has more than 25,000 member-owners and is nearing half a billion in assets. While products, services, locations, and technology continue to expand, the credit union has strived to stay true to its roots: a cooperative of people helping people. For more information, visit utfcu.org or call toll-free (800) 264-1971 or (865) 971-1971.

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SOURCE Lumin Digital
FILE PHOTO: Employees walk past the logo of SK Hynix at its headquarters in Seongnam, South Korea, April 25, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

By Alexandra Alper and Karen Freifeld

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Biden administration plans to spare SK Hynix and Samsung from the brunt of new restrictions on memory chipmakers in China aimed at thwarting Beijing's technological ambitions and blocking its military advances, sources said.

The Commerce Department, which plans to release new curbs on exports of technology to China this week, will likely deny requests by U.S. suppliers to send equipment to Chinese firms like Yangtze Memory Technologies Co Ltd (YMTC) and ChangXin Memory Technologies, Inc (CXMT) if they are making advanced DRAM or flash memory chips, the sources said.

However, license requests to sell equipment to foreign companies making advanced memory chips in China will be reviewed on a case by case basis, sources said, potentially allowing for them to receive the equipment.

"The goal is not to hurt non-indigenous companies," one of the people briefed on the matter said.

The White House and Commerce Department declined to comment. SK Hynix Inc, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, YMTC, and CXMT did not respond to requests for comment.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington on Thursday described the expected rules as "sci-tech hegemony." It accused the United States of using its "technological prowess ... to hobble and suppress the development of emerging markets and developing countries."

The move could assuage the worst fears of South Korean memory chipmakers that the United States might hobble their China-based manufacturing business in its effort to thwart China's rise, cripple YMTC and protect vulnerable U.S. memory chipmakers.

They still worry, however, that the case-by-case review standard is far from an explicit greenlight for U.S. equipment to be shipped to their Chinese facilities and could result in bickering with regulators over what shipments to approve.

Details of some of the new regulations facing China-based memory chipmakers have not been previously reported.

The new curbs target China-based producers of DRAM chips, which hold information from applications while the system is in use, and NAND chips, which are used for data and file storage.

U.S. suppliers seeking to ship equipment to China-based semiconductor firms would not have to seek a license from the Commerce Department if selling to firms producing DRAM chips above the 18 nanometer node, NAND Flash chips below 128 layers, or logic chips above 14 nanometers, the sources said.

However, U.S. companies selling sophisticated technology to indigenous Chinese chipmakers producing DRAM chips at 18 nanometers or below, NAND flash chips at or above 128 layers or logic chips at or under 14 nanometers would have to apply for a license that would be reviewed with the tough "presumption of denial" standard.

U.S. suppliers seeking to sell the equipment to non-Chinese origin companies operating in China and producing those same types of chips would also face a license requirement but the applications would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, the sources added.

If published as expected, the rules would mark the first U.S. bid through export controls to target Chinese production of memory chips without specialized military applications, representing a more expansive view of American national security, according to export control experts.

They would also hit YMTC, a rising power in manufacturing NAND chips founded in 2016. Its expansion and low-price offerings represent "a direct threat" to U.S.-based Micron Technology Inc and Western Digital Corp, the White House said in a June 2021 report.

YMTC is already under investigation by the Commerce Department over whether it violated U.S. export controls by selling chips to Chinese telecoms company Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. Its chips are being evaluated by Apple Inc for inclusion in some of its iPhones in China, a major concern for U.S. lawmakers and the Biden administration.

The rules could also hurt CXMT, a state-backed Chinese company that is working to enter the DRAM market.

LAM Research Corp, Applied Materials Inc and KLA Corp, major U.S. vendors of equipment to make chips, are likely to be hit by the restrictions. LAM and Applied Materials did not respond to requests for comment. KLA declined to comment.

South Korea's Samsung has a facility producing NAND Flash memory chips in China's Shaanxi Province. South Korean rival SK Hynix has purchased Intel Corp's NAND flash memory chip manufacturing business in Dalian and produces DRAM chips at another China-based facility.

According to consulting firm Yole Intelligence's Walt Coon, 25% of SK Hynix's and 38% of Samsung's NAND wafer production is based in China, and about 50% of SK Hynix's DRAM production is in China.

Reuters first reported that the United States was considering limiting shipments of American chipmaking equipment to memory chip makers in China including YMTC, part of a bid to halt China's semiconductor sector advances and protect U.S. companies.

Reuters also reported last month that the Biden administration planned in October to broaden curbs on U.S shipments to China of semiconductors used for artificial intelligence and chipmaking tools.

(Reporting by Alexandra Alper and Karen Freifeld; Editing by Chris Sanders and Richard Chang)
(Tribune News Service)  Air Force Research Laboratory calls the event its version of the "Academy Awards," and it's happening next Wednesday at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

AFRL will honor 17 scientists and engineers from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Oct. 12 at the museum during the laboratory's 2022 AFRL Fellows and Early Career Awards, or ECA, ceremony.

This year's celebration marks the first time that the ceremony will be held in person since the COVID-19 pandemic began, AFRL said.

The 2022 group includes nine Fellows and eight science and engineering ECA winners.

Each new Fellow receives a $300,000 multiyear research grant along with a medallion and a place in a display in the AFRL headquarters building on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

AFRL's Research Advisory Council, or RAC, reviewed the submission packages and ranked the nominees, the laboratory said. AFRL Commander Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle reviewed the group's findings.

"I'm so proud of how our workforce advances meaningful science and technology for Airmen and Guardians," Pringle said in a statement. "This year's group of scientists and engineers is blazing a trail of excellence within the Department of the Air Force."

AFRL historians Jeff Duford and Darren Raspa will host the event.

"We are excited to present extraordinary professionals and provide historical context in honor of the Air Force's 75th anniversary," Duford said. "This year's event is about celebrating outstanding professionals who will surely be in the history books of tomorrow for the capabilities they deliver to warfighters."

Raspa likened the event to the Academy Awards.

"These scientists and engineers are the best of the best of AFRL  true research and development rock stars," he said. "It's truly extraordinary to talk about a little of our amazing history while sharing the stage with folks who are creating groundbreaking and historic developments."

AFRL said the Fellows represent 0.3% of this year's AFRL professional technical staff.

"This brings the total number of AFRL Fellow recipients to 242 in the 35 years since the program started in 1987," the lab said in a release.

The 2022 Fellows include:

 John Brausch, team lead in the materials integrity branch; Materials and Manufacturing Directorate; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

 Tamara Chelette, extramural research program manager; 711th Human Performance Wing, Airman Systems Directorate; Wright-Patterson.

 Dale Ferguson, principal physicist; Space Vehicles Directorate; Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.

 Joe Mabry, principal scientist; Aerospace Systems Directorate; Edwards Air Force Base, California.

 Richard "Andy" McKinley, cognitive and physical performance core research area lead, 711th Human Performance Wing, Airman Systems Directorate; Wright-Patterson.

 David Mollenhauer, principal materials research engineer; Materials and Manufacturing Directorate; Wright-Patterson.

 Jason Parker, division chief engineer and senior electronics engineer; Systems Technology Office; Wright-Patterson.

 Gregory Reich, principal scientist, Aerospace Systems Directorate; Wright-Patterson.

 Ashwani Sharma, research electronics engineer; Space Vehicles Directorate; Kirtland.

The AFRL Science and Engineering ECA recognizes junior scientists and engineers at the onset of their career. The award is specifically for military/government scientists and engineers who are in the first seven years of their careers with no more than 15 years since the award of their bachelor's degree. Since its inception in 2012, 59 have received this honor.

The Early Career Award winners include:

 Stuart Benton, research aerospace engineer; Aerospace Systems Directorate; Wright-Patterson.

 Joel Bixler, research biomedical engineer and principal investigator; 711th Human Performance Wing, Airman Systems Directorate; Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

 Daniel Dault, technical lead; Sensors Directorate; Wright-Patterson.

 Sean Donegan, digital manufacturing research lead; Materials and Manufacturing Directorate; Wright-Patterson.

 Nicholas Glavin, senior materials engineer; Materials and Manufacturing Directorate; Wright-Patterson.

 Candice Hatcher-Solis, research biological scientist, 711th Human Performance Wing, Airman Systems Directorate; Wright-Patterson.

 Sean McDaniel, senior physicist, Systems Technology Office; Wright-Patterson.

 Andrew Metcalf, space mission area lead; Space Vehicles Directorate; Kirtland.

(c)2022 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)

Visit the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) at www.daytondailynews.com

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YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The meeting of the Prime Ministers of Armenia and Greece, Nikol Pashinyan and Kyriakos Mitsotakis, took place within the framework of the European Political Community Summit held in Prague, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

At the meeting, the interlocutors discussed a number of issues on the agenda of relations between Armenia and Greece.

The sides referred to the consequences of the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the international community's, including Greece's, direct response to Azerbaijan's actions and demands to eliminate the consequences of the aggression.

Prime Minister Pashinyan and Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized the need for close bilateral cooperation in overcoming challenges. Armenia-Greece-Cyprus trilateral cooperation was also highlighted.
(Tribune News Service)  The Fort Jackson recruit accused of hijacking a school bus full of children with an empty rifle has indicated he intends to assert he is not guilty by reason of insanity, according to documents filed in the Richland County Court.

An order requiring that Jovan Collazo submit to an evaluation of his criminal responsibility and capacity was filed in the Richland Circuit Court on Sept. 27. The order requires that Collazo, who fled Army basic training at Fort Jackson in May 2021, be evaluated by the state Department of Mental Health within 60 days.

Circuit Judge Debra McCaslin issued the order with the consent of both the defense and the prosecution after defense counsel has indicated the intent to assert the defense of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Collazo, 24, has been charged with nineteen counts of kidnapping as well as armed robbery, carjacking, pointing a firearm, carrying a weapon on school property and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to court records.

In South Carolina, the defense is responsible for proving to a jury that Collazo is not guilty by reason of insanity. If Collazo is found legally insane, he would not be incarcerated in a state prison. Instead, he would be confined for care and treatment, according to South Carolina law.

The 5th Circuit Solicitors Office, which is prosecuting the case, said its policy is to not comment on ongoing prosecutions.

Following his arrest, Collazo allegedly attempted to escape from the Richland County jail. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said Collazo assaulted a guard before breaking his leg in the escape attempt.

But Collazos attorney, 5th Circuit chief public defender Fielding Pringle, characterized it as a desperate act by a troubled man on suicide watch.

People who are thinking clearly and normally do not run around jail dorms completely naked with their hands cuffed behind their back running into locked steel doors and jumping from the second tier to the floor below, Pringle said at the time.

These are not the actions of a healthy and clear-minded individual who is trying to escape. They are the actions of a very troubled young man who was on suicide watch at the time, Pringle said.

The State was not able to reach Pringle for this story.

Collazo fled basic training at Fort Jackson on the morning of May 7, 2021. After hopping the perimeter fence of the countrys largest Army basic training facility, Collazo attempted to hitch rides from passing cars on Interstate 77. Armed with his unloaded rifle, Collazo then hijacked the school bus, Lott said at the time.

Authorities say that Collazo ordered the bus driver to take him to the next town. But he got frustrated when the children began asking him questions, and he told the bus driver to stop after traveling about 3.5 miles. He ordered the children and driver off the bus and then drove a few more miles before being arrested by sheriffs deputies.

2022 The State.

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Would you train your workers and then squeeze them out by creating a hostile environment? Would you drive out these workers so they can go work for a competitor? The answer is obviously no. Yet this is whats happening now in the U.S., with a rising number of U.S.-trained Chinese scientists leaving this country.

In 2021 alone, 1,400 U.S.-trained scientists have left their corporate positions or relinquished tenured positions at top-tier American universities such as Harvard, MIT and Princeton. This trend has grown since former President Donald Trump promoted anti-China rhetoric during his term. To make things worse, many of these Chinese scientists are returning to China to compete against the United States.

At the same time, the flow of Chinese students to the U.S. is declining. During the first six months in 2022, the U.S. issued 31,055 academic visas to Chinese nationals, down from 64,261 for the same period in 2019. Chinese students make up 16% of all U.S. students in STEM fields, and a significant percentage of STEM workers in the U.S. are of Chinese descent, which means this problem could affect STEM fields for years into the future.

The departure of U.S.-trained Chinese scientists and the reduced numbers of Chinese students could hinder the plan to revitalize domestic semiconductor manufacturing and electric vehicle manufacturing. These trends will also weaken the ability of the U.S. to compete with China in science and technology, especially when China is already leading in several key scientific metrics such as the number of patents and the number of papers published.

Why would these U.S.-trained Chinese scientists give up their secure and prestigious positions in this country? Why do Chinese students seek their higher education elsewhere?

First, mistrust and the hunt for spies among Chinese Americans have long been present in U.S. history. And the distrust of China has soared since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump stoked suspicion and fear about China, and President Joe Biden received bipartisan support to view China as a strategic competitor.

Under the Trump administration, the Department of Justice launched a program called the China Initiative in 2018 that was intended to counter theft of U.S. secrets and technology. Many scientists of Chinese descent have been falsely accused of spying for China, and many of them have been interrogated by FBI agents.

For example, Gang Chen, a professor at MIT, had federal charges against him dismissed after undergoing a lengthy espionage investigation. These cases have had a profound effect on Asian American academics, especially those of Chinese descent. Even though the China Initiative program ended this year after intense public outcry, fear and the perception of the U.S. being a hostile environment continues.

Second, putting political risk aside, many Asian Americans, despite having a strong presence in corporate America, are virtually absent in the executive suites and feel least included at the workplace. In fact, Asian American workers are the least likely group to be promoted to management  even less likely than Black and Latino workers.

Asian American professionals and scientists, including Chinese Americans, are often portrayed as well-educated, hardworking, successful. Yet they remain underrepresented in leadership roles and are regularly left out of discussions about discrimination in the workplace. In fact, Asians are often excluded in diversity and inclusion plans entirely.

This climate makes many Chinese scientists and professionals feel pessimistic about their prospects in the United States. They may, however, be more optimistic about China when Chinese universities and companies are offering them senior positions with attractive benefits.

Finally, many people of Chinese descent feel they have been made scapegoats for the spread of the coronavirus. This negative sentiment has triggered a staggering increase of hate crimes against Asians  by 339% in 2021. The murder of Shaoxiong Zheng, a Chinese student, near the University of Chicagos campus in broad daylight in 2021 sent a shock wave through Chinese students in the United States. Heightened safety concerns over hate crimes against Asians have nudged more Chinese scholars to leave and discouraged Chinese students from coming to the U.S.

The dynamic causing Chinese scientists to leave now, in some ways, recalls the dreadful case of Qian Xuesen, the MIT-trained rocket scientist and co-founder of the California Institute of Technologys Jet Propulsion Lab. He was accused of being a communist sympathizer, and placed under house arrest for five years before being deported to China in 1955. There was no evidence that he was a spy. Upon returning to China, Qian helped China to develop its first nuclear weapon. Former Navy Secretary Dan Kimball later lamented that the treatment of Qian was the stupidest thing this country ever did.

Regardless of current tensions between the U.S. and China, the long-term public interest surely lies with promoting policies that would help retain the best U.S.-trained scientists in this country.

Christopher S. Tang is a University Distinguished Professor and Edward W. Carter chair in business administration at the University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Management.
BANGKOK  A court in military-ruled Myanmar has sentenced a Japanese journalist to prison after he filmed an anti-government protest in July, a Japanese diplomat and the Southeast Asian nation's government said Thursday.

Toru Kubota was sentenced Wednesday to seven years for violating the electronic transactions law and three years for incitement, said Tetsuo Kitada, deputy chief of mission of the Japanese Embassy. The sentences were to be served concurrently.

A statement sent to journalists from the military's information office explained that Kubota was sentenced to seven years in total, while a trial continues on the charge of violating immigration law against him.

The electronic transactions law covers offenses that involve spreading false or provocative information online, and carries a prison term of seven to 15 years. Incitement is a catch-all political law covering activities deemed to cause unrest, and has been used frequently against journalists and dissidents, usually with a three-year prison term.

Kubota was arrested on July 30 by plainclothes police in Yangon, the countrys largest city, after taking photos and videos of a small flash protest against Myanmars 2021 takeover by the military, which ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Kubota was the fifth foreign journalist detained in Myanmar after the military seized power. U.S. citizens Nathan Maung and Danny Fenster, who worked for local publications, and freelancers Robert Bociaga of Poland and Yuki Kitazumi of Japan were eventually deported before serving full prison sentences.

Since the military seized power in February last year, it has forced at least 12 media outlets to shut down and arrested about 142 journalists, 57 of whom remain detained. Most of those still detained are being held under the incitement charge, for allegedly causing fear, spreading false news, or agitating against a government employee.

Some of the closed media outlets have continued operating without a license, publishing online as their staff members dodge arrest. Others operate from exile.

The army's takeover triggered mass public protests that the military and police responded to with lethal force, triggering armed resistance and escalating violence that have led to what some U.N. experts characterize as a civil war.

According to detailed lists by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a watchdog group based in Thailand, 2,336 civilians have died in the military governments crackdown on opponents and at least 15,757 people have been arrested.

The military said soon after Kubotas arrest that he was detained while taking pictures and videos of 10-15 protesters in Yangons South Dagon township. It claimed he confessed to police that he had contacted participants in the protest a day earlier to arrange to film it.

A graduate of Tokyos Keio University with a masters degree from the University of the Arts London, Kubota, 26 at the time of his arrest, has done assignments for Yahoo! News Japan, Vice Japan and Al Jazeera English.

His work has focused on ethnic conflicts, immigrants and refugee issues, including the plight of Myanmars persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority. The military is particularly sensitive about the Rohingya issue because international courts are considering whether it committed serious human rights abuses, including genocide, in a brutal 2017 counterinsurgency campaign that caused more than 700,000 members of the Muslim minority to flee to neighboring Bangladesh for safety.

Kubota's countryman Kitazumi, a freelance journalist, was arrested in April 2021 and freed and deported just under a month later, after being indicted but not tried.

The military government said at the time it decided to release Kitazumi in consideration of cordial relations between Myanmar and Japan up to now and in view of future bilateral relations, and upon the request of the Japanese government special envoy on Myanmars national reconciliation.

Japan has historically maintained warm relations with Myanmar, including under previous military government. It takes a softer line towards Myanmar's current government than do many Western nations, which treat it as a pariah state for its poor human rights record and undermining democracy, and apply economic and political sanctions against its army rulers and their families and cronies.
ATHENS, Greece  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 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 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.

Kythira is some 250 miles west of Turkey and on a route often used by smugglers to bypass Greece and head directly to Italy.
SARAJEVO, Bosnia  Several thousand people in Bosnia joined an opposition protest Thursday against a result in the country's general election last weekend, alleging a pro-Russia Bosnian Serb leader rigged the vote to win the position he sought.

Chanting slogans against Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, the protesters blocked traffic in central Banja Luka, the main city in the Serb-run part of Bosnia. They want a repeat of Sunday's vote for the president of the Serb entity, Republika Srpska.

Bosnia's central election authorities have said that Dodik won the most votes in that election. The opposition alleged he orchestrated fraud to prevent his main challenger, Jelena Trivic, from winning.

"We want to open the (ballot) bags and establish the truth, so that people are told why they stole (votes) and so that those responsible for the theft be held responsible," opposition leader Branislav Borenovic said. "Jelena Trivic is the new president of Republika Srpska."

Dodik has been the most powerful politician in the Bosnian Serb half of Bosnia for years. He has close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the United States and Britain have sanctioned him earlier this year for allegedly trying to undermine peace and stability in the country.

Dodik - who last held the position of the Serb member of Bosnia's multi-ethnic presidency - has denied the election fraud allegations. The nationalist politician has repeatedly called for the separation of Republika Srpska from the rest of Bosnia.

Russia has backed Dodik, fueling fears in the West that Moscow might try to create further instability in volatile Bosnia to avert some attention from the war in Ukraine.

Separatist ambitions among ethnic Serbs sparked the devastating 1992-95 war in Bosnia ,which killed more than 100,000 people, displaced millions and shattered the country for years to come.

A U.S.-brokered peace agreement that ended the war created a Serb-run and a Bosniak-Croat-dominated entities, tied loosely by joint institutions. Sunday's election filled positions at all levels of government.

The Balkan nation of some 3.3 million people remains plagued by corruption and ethnic tensions that have impeded efforts to join the European Union.
WASHINGTON  Three Democrats are calling for the removal of U.S. troops and defense systems from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates following a decision by the energy cartel OPEC to drastically cut oil production.

The move by the group on Wednesday to raise prices drew ire from some lawmakers who said oil production needs to increase to lower gas prices and replace Russian exports of crude blocked by sanctions.

Reps. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., Sean Casten, D-Ill., and Susan Wild, D-Pa., swiftly introduced legislation in response, seeking to withdraw U.S. forces from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, two of OPECs 15 member countries and longtime strategic partners of the United States.

Both countries have long relied on an American military presence in the Gulf to protect their security and oil fields, the lawmakers said in a statement. We see no reason why American troops and contractors should continue to provide this service to countries that are actively working against us. If Saudi Arabia and the UAE want to help [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, they should look to him for their defense.

The bill mandates the pullout of some 3,000 American troops in Saudi Arabia and 2,000 service members stationed in the UAE as well as the removal of all U.S. equipment, including Patriot missile batteries and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, systems. The U.S. also maintains fighter squadrons, F-35 fighters and other weapons systems operated by U.S. personnel in the two countries.

The missile defense systems would be moved to other areas in the Middle East with the aim of protecting American service members, according to the legislation.

Lawmakers described OPECs decision, after months of lobbying by the White House to stave off a production cut, as a hostile act against the U.S. that signals support for Russia in its war against Ukraine. Russia reaps enormous revenue from its exports of crude.

By significantly boosting global oil prices, OPECs decision appears designed to increase Russias oil export revenues, enabling Putin to continue his war crimes in Ukraine, and undercutting Western sanctions, the lawmakers said.

The cut ordered by OPEC  a reduction of 2 million barrels per day  is the largest decrease in oil production since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, when demand plummeted. The U.S. at the time exerted pressure on Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of OPEC, to lower oil supply or face potential legislation by Congress to remove troops from the kingdom.

OPECs actions this week dashed hopes of stabilizing global energy markets in the wake of Russias invasion and demonstrated a lopsided relationship between the U.S. and its Gulf partners that overwhelmingly benefits the Middle East, the lawmakers said.

President Joe Biden made a controversial visit to Saudi Arabia during the summer partly to convince Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to boost oil production and lower skyrocketing gas prices. The CIA implicated the crown prince in the killing of the U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident who sharply criticized the kingdom's regime.

Lawmakers said the rejection of U.S. overtures was a slap in the face that will hurt American consumers and undermine national interests.

It is time for the United States to resume acting like the superpower in our relationship with our client states in the Gulf, they said. They have made a choice and should live with the consequences. Our troops and military equipment are needed elsewhere.
American troops launched an early morning helicopter raid against a militant leader in northeast Syria, killing him, wounding one of his associates and capturing two others, U.S. Central Command said Thursday.

No Americans nor civilians were killed or wounded in the operation, CENTCOM said.

The attack targeted Rakkan Wahid al-Shammri, a senior Islamic State official involved in smuggling weapons and fighters, CENTCOM spokesman Col. Joseph Buccino said in an email.

The raid took place in Hassakeh province, Al Jazeera television reported, citing interviews with villagers who said that three U.S. helicopters landed in the area after midnight.

Syrian state television also said the raid killed one person, the Al Jazeera report said.

Al-Shammri had also coordinated ISIS sleeper cells, Reuters reported Thursday.

About 1,000 American troops remain in Syria to train, advise and assist the Syrian Democratic Forces, primarily to ensure the defeat of ISIS, officials have said.

ISIS detainees and their families have remained in prisons in Syria since 2019, when the group suffered defeats that resulted in the loss of the large territories they once controlled.
(Tribune News Service)  A tourist who was killed in the Turks and Caicos Islands earlier this week when the vehicle he was traveling in was ambushed by armed gunmen has been identified as a local NAACP leader from Virginia.

Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force spokeswoman Denyse Renne confirmed that the tourist was Kent Carter of Arlington, Virginia, and told the Miami Herald that his family was notified of his death on Tuesday morning, two days after he was fatally shot while vacationing in the Caribbean. Two other individuals who were killed were an employee with a local business on the island chain and an unidentified man found in Dock Yard on the island of Providenciales, where Carter was killed.

Carter was a member of the NAACP Arlington branch, which notified the community of his passing in a Facebook post. He served as 1st vice president with the civil rights organization and was described as a nice person and important community leader in the outpouring of sympathy.

Carter was also an established real estate broker who was featured this summer among Washingtonian magazines 2022 100 Best Agents and Elite Producers in the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., area.

According to those who knew him, Carter also was an Air Force veteran and Freemason who has served in the leadership of Universal Lodge No. 1. The historically Black lodge was the first to be established in Alexandria, Virginia., and was founded 17 years before the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln freeing slaves.

Carter and two others were killed in the British dependent territory on Sunday when a suspected gang-related shooting spree exploded in the Long Bay area of Providenciales, the island chains main tourist hub. Five others, including an officer with the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, were wounded during four separate incidents after the first shots were fired at around 6 p.m.

His death marked the first time since a disturbing spate of gun-related violence began in late July that a visitor to the islands had been caught in the crossfire. Statements by authorities after the incident also were the first time that they publicly acknowledged that the violence had gang and drug ties.

In a statement, Police Commissioner Trevor Botting said the crime was linked to reckless and dangerous armed criminals and drug suppliers, and fueled by revenge, turf wars and retribution.

He and the islands leadership have requested police reinforcement from the Bahamas, Jamaica and Barbados, to help stem the surge in violent crime in the territory. FOX5 in Arlington, Virginia, said Carter was a prominent community leader who was on the countys police practices working group.

The TV station quoted a friend of Carters who said he and his girlfriend were celebrating his 40th birthday when gunmen traveling in a vehicle indiscriminately shot into their vehicle as they were headed back to their accommodations after an excursion.

When the gunfire erupted, Carter, an Air Force veteran, used his body to shield his girlfriend, the friend said. His girlfriend was not injured, the Turks and Caicos police spokeswoman said.

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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.

Wednesday's session ended with no agreement on next steps, despite warnings from the U.S. and its allies that the council's inability to reach consensus on North Korea's 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 Korea's launches.

North Korea's 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 Korea's 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.

Russia's 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 Korea's action.

China's 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.

Wednesday's 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 Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China's 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. That's because all five permanent members have the power to veto council actions.

The Security Council imposed sanctions after North Korea's 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 won't 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.
A hacker took control of the Air Force Officer Training Schools official Facebook page this week, adding a profile picture of a man wearing socks with sandals, changing the pages status to permanently closed and deleting graduation photos.

Staff for the page  which has 22,000 followers and highlights airmens progress in an eight-week course for becoming commissioned officers at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.  regained control Tuesday morning.

We're back! It's us! THANK YOU for your patience! We're working to get the deleted posts restored as well as 22-09/10's photos up, the pages administrator wrote that morning. No more socks and sandals though  sorry.

The footwear of the man in the photo became a hot topic on social media. One commenter pointed out to Reddits r/AirForce community that the training school had been hacked by a man wearing socks with thong split sandals. Another commenting on the schools Tuesday post pleaded for admins to bring back sandal man.

The page is managed by cadres at the schoolhouse, Air University spokesman Philip Berube told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday. The training school did not respond to emailed questions that day.

The schools staff consists of full-time active-duty, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard members, including 106 officers, 42 enlisted and nine civilian personnel, as well as seven Air Force Reserve officers, according to the Air Force.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass referenced the hack Wednesday in a Facebook post highlighting the importance of cyber awareness.

This is a great reminder to make sure your social media accounts are secured, she wrote, using a #socksandsandals hashtag. Glad to see USAF Officer Training School back on their feet.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan had a brief meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz within the framework of the European Political Community Summit held in Prague, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

The interlocutors referred to issues related to the development of Armenian-German relations.

The Prime Minister presented details about the processes taking place in the South Caucasus, referred to the consequences of the Azerbaijani aggression against the sovereign territory of Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan attached importance to the adequate response of the international community.

In the context of preventing new aggressions, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of introducing international mechanisms for monitoring and controlling the border situation.
(Tribune News Service)  President Joe Biden will travel to Colorado next week to designate a historic military site as a national monument, delivering on a key priority of Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, who is fighting for reelection.

According to three people familiar with the planning, Biden and Bennet are set to appear together at an event Wednesday where the president will officially designate Camp Hale, a World War II-era training site nestled along the Continental Divide, as a national monument. The move, which Bennet and Colorado's predominantly Democratic congressional delegation have pushed for, will protect the site's historic buildings and wildlife habitats from potential development by energy companies and honor the veterans who trained there decades ago.

Biden has previously expanded existing national monuments, but Camp Hale would be the first entirely new monument designated since he took office.

The three people said officials are still trying to work out the logistics of getting Biden to Camp Hale, which sits at 9,200 feet above sea level in the Colorado high country. Such a trip would likely require Biden to fly to Eagle County Regional Airport on Air Force One and then take Marine One to the site itself. If the logistics are too onerous, the event could take place in the Denver metro area instead.

The designation is intended to bypass gridlock on Capitol Hill and boost Bennet, who is seeking a third term in a state that has become bluer since he was appointed to an open Senate seat in 2009.

Polls show Bennet leading Republican Joe O'Dea, who has emphasized his opposition to GOP abortion bans in ads and is running as a more moderate candidate than many of his party's other Senate hopefuls.

But OPEC+, the group of oil-producing nations led by Saudi Arabia, moved Wednesday to cut oil production  a blow to the Biden administration, which worked hard to head off the move.

The cartel's decision could imperil Bennet and other congressional Democrats. Republicans have long criticized Democrats for limiting domestic energy production. Those attacks may prove more potent if gas prices, which have dropped significantly in recent months, rise again.

Bennet's bill to create a national monument at Camp Hale passed the House with bipartisan support, but ran aground as the evenly divided Senate refused to take up the measure. Biden's action relies on the 1906 Antiquities Act, which authorizes the president to protect public lands and waters for the benefit of all Americans.

As president, he has already used the act three times to restore full protections to three national monuments that President Trump reduced in size, including Utah's Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, home to some Native American settlements.

Biden's stop in Colorado is likely to be the first part of a multiday Western campaign swing that will also bring him to California and perhaps a third state. Although plans remain in flux, he is scheduled to attend a fundraiser for Democratic House candidates in Los Angeles on Thursday along with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), an administration official said.

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WASHINGTON  Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday directed senior defense leaders to begin changing the names of military bases and assets honoring the Confederacy, bringing the Pentagon in line with recommendations issued by a congressional commission.

Austin said he agreed with the findings of the Naming Commission, a group convened by Congress to purge the military of commemorative references to the Confederacy, and is committed to implementing the renaming plan as soon as possible.

The installations and facilities that our department operates are  powerful public symbols of our military, Austin wrote in a memo to senior officials. The names of these installations and facilities should inspire all those who call them home, fully reflect the history and the values of the United States and commemorate the best of the republic that we are all sworn to protect.

The secretary said he established a working group to review the commissions report, develop a plan of action and oversee the full implementation of the renaming recommendations. Defense Department leaders and the service branches must hold off until Dec. 18 to begin part of the process due to a mandatory 90-day waiting period required by Congress. Changes to the Pentagons memorialization and naming processes can begin immediately, however.

Commissioners spent 18 months reviewing more than 1,100 assets linked to the Confederacy, including installations, ships, monuments, symbols and paraphernalia. Their first report called for the renaming of nine Army bases: Fort Benning in Georgia, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Gordon in Georgia, Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Lee in Virginia, Fort Pickett in Virginia, Fort Polk in Louisiana and Fort Rucker in Alabama.

The second report focused on assets at the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy, recommending West Point take down a famous portrait of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, while the third and final report addressed all other property under the jurisdiction of the Defense Department.

The list of recommended changes includes the renaming of guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville, which was recently deployed to the East Sea to carry out exercises with Japan and South Korea amid provocations by North Korea, and the stripping of the Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia to its base.

It is projected to cost an estimated $62.5 million to carry out the renaming work.

The departments implementation of the commissions recommendations  will give proud new names that are rooted in their local communities and that honor American heroes whose valor, courage and patriotism exemplify the very best of the United States military, Austin wrote.
More than three dozen prominent gun-control groups accused the Justice Department on Thursday of retraumatizing survivors of the 2017 mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, by appealing a lawsuit that found the United States Air Force partially responsible for the attack.

Last year, a U.S. district judge found that the government was 60 percent liable for the attack because it failed to submit records that should have prevented the shooter from buying guns, among other missteps. A few months later, the judge ordered the government to pay the victims more than $230 million in damages. But the Justice Department appealed the ruling, which has left survivors struggling to pay expensive, ongoing medical bills.

In a letter signed by Brady United Against Gun Violence, March for Our Lives and Everytown for Gun Safety, the organizations said it was well past time for the government to take responsibility for its failures and lethal inaction that led to the deadly 2017 shooting. Twenty-six people were killed and 20 others were wounded when former airman Devin Kelley armed with an AR-15-style rifle opened fire inside the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs in November 2017. Kelley died by suicide after the attack.

The groups argued the continued legal battle would undermine the integrity of existing gun laws, including the nations background check system, and delay justice for a community that continues to suffer irreparable trauma.

The governments apparent refusal to accept responsibility for its failure in this case actively undermines the very gun safety laws it is required to enforce, the letter reads. In seeking this appeal, the government is choosing to prolong the suffering that grieving families and injured survivors will endure.

The letter comes as a DOJ official confirmed that the parties are in mediation.

During the trial, Justice Department lawyers argued that the Sutherland Springs gunmans violence was unforeseeable and that background checks would not have stopped the massacre. That legal position runs counter to the Biden administrations efforts to expand background checks as a deterrent to such mass shootings.

The letter was released Thursday morning; the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dozens of victims sued the United States Air Force in 2018 after the branch said it failed to report Kelleys history of violence, including a 2012 conviction for domestic assault, to the FBI. That conviction, which led to Kelleys dismissal from the Air Force, should have prevented the former airman from being able to buy the guns he used in the attack.

U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez later found that the Air Force was 60% liable for the shooting, pointing to other details uncovered in the case, including that Air Force officials were aware Kelley had previously researched and threatened a mass shooting and had a history of severe mental health issues that led officials to declare him to be dangerous and a threat.

According to testimony and evidence in the case, Air Force officials were so alarmed by Kelleys threats of violence that he was permanently barred not only from the New Mexico air base where he served but also all bases around the country. Yet Air Force officials failed to report his conviction to the FBI background check system or warn others of his potential for violence, a decision that Rodriguez condemned in a July 2021 ruling.

The trial conclusively established that no other individual  not even Kelleys own parents or partners  knew as much as the United States about the violence that Devin Kelley had threatened to commit and was capable of committing, Rodriguez wrote.

In February, Rodriguez ordered the government to pay more than $230 million to 84 victims and survivors. But in June, the Justice Department gave notice that it planned to appeal that judgment, further delaying any final outcome in the case.

Those involved in the case say the appeal has added to the anguish of survivors, who are struggling to pay expensive medical bills related to their debilitating physical injuries and lingering emotional trauma.

Attorneys for the Justice Departments civil division, which is handling the case, have not yet disclosed their grounds for appeal. But opponents have seized on their court statements that background checks would not have stopped the violence.

Its an absurd argument, said Kris Brown, the president of Brady United Against Gun Violence, who helped organize the letter to Garland. A working background check system is our greatest defense and will stop these kinds of shootings.

In recent weeks, the Justice Department appeared to open the door to resolving the case. In an August statement, Dena Iverson, a spokeswoman, said the department would continue to engage in a review of this case while it remains on appeal in the Fifth Circuit, considering all options for reaching a resolution, including possible mediation or settlement.

Last month, government attorneys requested and were granted an extension by the appeals court to file their brief outlining their appeal  pushing back the deadline from Oct. 11 to Nov. 11, just days after the fifth anniversary of the attack.

Even as the Justice Department appealed this case, it has settled with other victims of mass shootings over background check errors. In October 2021, the Justice Department agreed to pay $88 million to the families of nine people killed in the 2015 shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., to settle claims that background check errors allowed the gunman to buy a weapon. Weeks later, the government agreed to pay $127.5 million to the families of those killed in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., over claims the FBI failed to act on tips about the gunman. Both cases were settled before they went to trial.

Groups representing families and survivors from Parkland; Newtown, Conn., and other prominent mass shootings over the past decade were among those who signed Thursdays letter in support of the Sutherland Springs survivors  which mentions those other settled lawsuits.

Please allow these victims to finally close this horrific chapter of their lives and move forward, the letter reads. Please withdraw your appeal. Please deliver justice.
WASHINGTON  A lieutenant of longtime former Proud Boys chairman Henry Enrique Tarrio became the groups first member to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot on Thursday, deepening the governments case against an organization accused of mobilizing violence to prevent the inauguration of Joe Biden.

Jeremy Bertino, 43, of Belmont, N.C., becomes a potential key witness for the Justice Department against Tarrio and four other Proud Boys leaders, some of whom had ties to influential supporters of President Donald Trump. The five Proud Boys defendants are set to face trial in December on charges including plotting to oppose by force the presidential transition, culminating in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol.

At a hearing before U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly in Washington, Bertino pleaded guilty to that count and to one count of illegal possession of firearms as a formerly convicted felon, punishable by 51 to 63 months in prison at sentencing under advisory federal guidelines, prosecutors said.

From December 2020 to January 2021, Bertino did knowingly combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with the Proud Boys leaders and other persons known and unknown, to oppose by force the authority of the Government of the United States and to delay by force the execution of the laws governing the transfer of power, the two-page charging document alleges.

In a sign of the sensitivity and potential importance of Bertinos testimony, prosecutors agreed that if he provides substantial cooperation, they would seek leniency at sentencing and enter Bertino into a Justice Department witness protection program.

Bertino held a place in the top inner circle of Proud Boys leaders accused of conspiring to impede Congress with angry Trump supporters as lawmakers met to confirm the election results. Bertinos home in North Carolina was searched in March at the same time that Tarrio was arrested on charges that he and at least four others directed, mobilized and led a crowd of 200 to 300 supporters onto Capitol grounds. Many in that crowd are accused of leading some of the earliest and most aggressive attacks on police and property.

At the time of the search, Bertino allegedly possessed two pistols, a shotgun, bolt-action rifle and two semiautomatic AR-15 style rifles with scopes. Bertino was convicted in 2004 of first-degree reckless endangerment in New York state, a felony, and sentenced to five years of probation with a period of local jail time, according to court filings.

Bertinos testimony could implicate Tarrio, a former aide to GOP strategist Roger Stone, and co-defendant Joe Biggs, a former employee online Infowars show host Alex Jones. Stone and Jones are two prominent right-wing figures who promoted Trumps incendiary and baseless assertions that the election was stolen.

Stone remained in contact with Trump at Mar-a-Lago and in Washington in the weeks leading up to the Jan. 6 attack, coordinated post-election protests and privately strategized with figures such as former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Stop the Steal organizer Ali Alexander, The Washington Post has reported.

Stone also communicated via encrypted texts after the 2020 election with Tarrio as well as Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of a second right-wing extremist group, the Oath Keepers, accused of playing an outsize role in planning for and organizing violence at the Capitol. Rhodes was on trial Thursday for seditious conspiracy in the same courthouse where Bertino pleaded.

Tarrio and Rhodes were part of a Signal chat group titled F.O.S.  or Friends of Stone, and the pair met in an underground parking garage next to the Capitol the evening before Jan. 6 with leaders of two pro-Trump grass roots groups.

Jones, meanwhile, promoted a Nov. 20, 2020, podcast by Tarrio in which he suggested in an expletive-laden call that Trump supporters infiltrate the Biden inauguration and turn it into a circus, a sign of resistance, a sign of revolution. That podcast, which featured Tarrio co-defendants Ethan Nordean and Biggs, a former Infowars employee, was first reported by online news site the Daily Dot and viewed by The Post.

Rhodes, Tarrio, Nordean and Biggs have pleaded not guilty to seditious conspiracy and other charges. Stone, who has not been charged, has categorically denied involvement in the Jan. 6 breach. He has previously told The Post, Any claim, assertion or implication that I knew about, was involved in or condoned the illegal acts at the Capitol on Jan. 6 is categorically false and there is no witness or document that proves otherwise.

An attorney for Alexander said he testified to a federal grand jury this summer after being assured he was not a target of the investigation. Joness attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tarrio and Bertino were not present in Washington on Jan. 6, the only two of more than 870 federally charged defendants who were not. But prosecutors alleged that Bertino was in direct contact with Tarrio, who oversaw events from Baltimore, and Nordean, who was in charge in Washington, according to a 10-count indictment against the pair and earlier charging papers.

For instance, Bertino was Nordeans guest in a Parler-linked video on Dec. 31 in which Bertino called Proud Boys soldiers of the right wing at war, and Nordean said that Americans must desensitize themselves to violence.

On Dec. 30 and 31, according to his indictment, Tarrio exchanged messages with an individual who sent him a plan called 1776 Returns to occupy crucial buildings in Washington, including the House and Senate. His indictment stated that the individual messaged Tarrio, the revolution is [sic] important than anything, to which Tarrio replied, Thats what every waking moment consists of ... Im not playing games.

On Jan. 4, according to his indictment, Tarrio posted a voice message to a Ministry of Self Defense leaders group of Proud Boys, stating, I didnt hear this voice note until now, you want to storm the Capitol. After the Capitol was breached, Tarrio wrote in a Telegram group chat, We did this, prosecutors said.

That night, Bertino  previously identified as Individual A or Person 1 in charging papers  messaged Tarrio 1776, exulting with a profanity, and Tarrio replied The Winter Palace, according to the indictment. Prosecutors allege it is a reference to a Proud Boys planning document that had a section called Storm the Winter Palace, referring to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the former imperial palace in St. Petersburg that was raided by Bolsheviks, CNN first reported.

Bertino also suggested to Tarrio that the election result could be invalidated if lawmakers failed to vote by midnight, an argument that echoed the effort by Trumps own lawyers to deny Bidens victory.

Bertino has been on the radar screen of both the FBI and a House select committee investigating the events of Jan. 6. Bertino told the House panel that membership tripled after Trump famously urged the Proud Boys to stand back and stand by during a 2020 presidential debate, according to a video clip of his interview played in a House hearing in June.

Social media posts, video recordings from Jan. 6 and earlier charging papers by the FBI also indicate that Nordean and Proud Boys leaders were motivated to confront police that day in part by what they perceived to be an insufficient response to the stabbing of Bertino outside Harrys Bar in downtown Washington after a pro-Trump demonstration the previous month.

In a Proud Boys live-stream video taken at the Capitol shortly before it was stormed, Nordean can be seen shouting at police through a bullhorn, You took our boy in, and you let our stabber go  an apparent reference to Tarrios arrest and the dismissal of charges against another man initially accused of being involved in a Dec. 12 melee. On Jan. 4, Nordean shared a post of a photograph of himself and Bertino captioned, And fight we will, and included a link to his podcast Rebel Talk with Rufio, in which he and Bertino discussed the stabbing.

Before Bertino, all four of 14 people hit with the historically rare charge of seditious conspiracy in the Capitol riots were affiliated with the Oath Keepers. At least two other Proud Boys defendants have pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct Congresss joint proceeding on Jan. 6 and agreed to cooperate with the government, Matthew Greene, 34, of Syracuse, N.Y., and Charles Donohoe, 34, of Kernersville, N.C.
JUNEAU, Alaska  Two Russians who said they fled the country to avoid military service have requested asylum in the U.S. after landing in a small boat on a remote Alaska island in the Bering Sea, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski's office said Thursday.

Karina Borger, a spokesperson for the Alaska Republican senator, said in an email that the office has been in communication with the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection and that the Russian nationals reported that they fled one of the coastal communities on the east coast of Russia to avoid compulsory military service.

Thousands of Russian men have fled since President Vladimir Putin announced a mobilization to bolster Russian forces in Ukraine. While Putin said the move was aimed at calling up about 300,000 men with past military service, many Russians fear it will be broader.

Spokespersons with the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection referred a reporters questions to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security public affairs office, which provided little information Thursday. The office, in a statement, said the people were transported to Anchorage for inspection, which includes a screening and vetting process, and then subsequently processed in accordance with applicable U.S. immigration laws under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The agency said the two Russians arrived Tuesday on a small boat. It did not provide details on where they came from, their journey or the asylum request. It was not immediately clear what kind of boat they were on.

Alaska's senators, Republicans Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, on Thursday said the two Russians landed at a beach near the town of Gambell, an isolated Alaska Native community of about 600 people on St. Lawrence Island. Sullivan said he was alerted to the matter by a senior community leader from the Bering Strait region on Tuesday morning.

Gambell is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) from the western Alaska hub community of Nome and about 36 miles (58 kilometers) from the Chukotka Peninsula, Siberia, according to a community profile on a state website. The remote, 100-mile (161-kilometer) long island, which includes Savoonga, a community of about 800 people, receives flight services from a regional air carrier. Residents rely heavily on a subsistence way of life, harvesting from the sea fish, whales and other marine life.

A person who responded to an email address listed for Gambell directed questions to federal authorities. A message seeking comment also was sent to the Consulate General of Russia in San Francisco.

Sullivan, in a statement, said he has encouraged federal authorities to have a plan in place in case more Russians flee to Bering Strait communities in Alaska.

This incident makes two things clear: First, the Russian people dont want to fight Putins war of aggression against Ukraine," Sullivan said. Second, given Alaskas proximity to Russia, our state has a vital role to play in securing Americas national security.

Murkowski said the situation underscored the need for a stronger security posture in Americas Arctic.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday, as initial details of the situation were emerging, said he did not expect a continual stream or "flotilla of people traversing the same route. He also warned that travel in the region could be dangerous as a fall storm packing strong winds was expected.

It is unusual for someone to take this route to try to get into the U.S.

U.S. authorities in August stopped Russians without legal status 42 times who tried to enter the U.S. from Canada. That was up from 15 times in July and nine times in August 2021.

Russians more commonly try to enter the U.S. through Mexico, which does not require visas. Russians typically fly from Moscow to Cancun or Mexico City, entering Mexico as tourists before getting a connecting a flight to the U.S. border. Earlier this year, U.S. authorities contended with a spate of Russians who hoped to claim asylum if they reached an inspection booth at an official crossing.

Some trace the spike to before Russia invaded Ukraine, attributing it to the imprisonment of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny last year.

Associated Press reporters Manuel Valdes in Seattle and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
(Tribune News Service)  For the past century, a row of military graves in Tacoma's Oakwood Hill Cemetery has been conspicuously gap toothed. Only a patch of grass has marked the final resting place of David Franklin, Tacoma's only Black naval Civil War veteran.

That changes Saturday when a years-long effort spearheaded by a Civil War historian will finally bring Franklin the white marble tombstone that was forgotten in 1920.

Tumwater-based historian Loran Bures' quest to get Franklin his headstone began in 2017 when he was researching Pierce County's Civil War veterans. He found documents listing Franklin and his burial at Oakwood Hill but when he visited the cemetery he couldn't find his grave.

Using cemetery records, Bures discovered the gap in the neat row of military burials was Franklin's unmarked grave. That's when he set out to learn who Franklin was and right a wrong.

"As any veteran of the United States they should receive their proper burial honors," Bures said. "That's what were trying to rectify after 102 years."

Franklin and the battle for Wilson's Wharf

Little is known about Franklin's early life except that he was born free in New York City in 1840. He enlisted in the Union Navy on Nov. 13, 1863, when he was 23.

The young seaman was assigned to the Union Navy's USS Dawn, a gunboat, as the officers' steward and cook.

According to Cynthia Wilson, a Seattle-based historian who researches Black Civil War veterans, the 154-foot-long steamer Dawn averaged 65 crew and three officers. Approximately 17 percent of the crew were Black.

The ship was part of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and, while Franklin served on it, it spent most of its time on the James River in Virginia.

While on the Dawn, Franklin would have taken part in one of the most significant battles in Black Civil War history, according to historians  The Battle of Wilson's Wharf.

On May 24, 1864, about 2,500 Confederate troops attacked the Union supply depot at Wilson's Wharf, Virginia. They were repulsed by two Black regiments totaling 1,100 men, with help from the USS Dawn's guns.

The battle showed that a smaller force of Black soldiers and sailors could defeat a larger, white force.

"It was a loss for the Confederacy with minimal deaths to the African American soldiers (40) but the Confederacy lost 200 men," Franklin said.

"It was a turning point in Black history," Bures said.

Coming to Tacoma

Franklin was discharged on March 31, 1865, Wilson learned from documents provided by the National Archives. A few days later, Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union general Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, Va.

Where Franklin went after the war has been lost to history. But he first appears in Tacoma as a member of a veterans group, the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), in 1888. An 1899 Tacoma city directory lists him as a broiler at the Donnelly Cafe. The cafe was attached to the Hotel Donnelly.

Tacoma was a boom town in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Franklin would have witnessed Washington achieving statehood in 1889 and lived through the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918.

In 1906, records show Franklin enlisted in the hospital corps of the 2nd regiment of the Washington National Guard infantry. He was listed as a cook.

"We know nothing else about it except that," Bures said. "It's amazing that at 65 years old he's enlisting in the National Guard."

According to census records, Franklin died March 16, 1920, at age 79 in his home on South 4th Street.

Franklin's death certificate says he was a widower but Bures hasn't been able to find any records confirming that Franklin had a wife or children. He's still looking for family members. A flag flown over the U.S. Capitol Building on Sept. 2 in honor of Franklin will be presented to a family member if one is found.

Finding Franklin

Bures' discovery of Franklin came when he attempted to locate the graves and final resting spots of every Union Civil War veteran in Pierce County.

"It's important for history and genealogy," Bures said.

He was aided by a 1939 survey conducted by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a Depression-era New Deal agency aimed at employing people for government projects. WPA workers created biographical cards for all war veterans in Pierce County.

The original cards are stored in the Northwest Room at the Tacoma Public Library. About 75% of the 2,000 cards at the library are Civil War vets, Bures said.

During Bures' research, Franklin's card stood out.

"What's interesting about it is what's not there," Bures said. It didn't show how or where he served.

It wasn't until Bures found Franklin's death certificate that he learned the veteran was Black. Further digging in a National Park Service database revealed Franklin had served on the Dawn.

Then earlier this year, Bures went looking for Franklin's grave at Oakwood Hill.

"We went out in the cemetery and found it was unmarked," Bures said.

Righting a wrong

The GAR was the nation's first veteran's organization. It was dissolved after its last member died in the 1950s. Bures belongs to Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the successor of the GAR.

Bures worked with Oakwood Hills owner Corey Gaffney to confirm that Franklin was buried in the cemetery and was missing his tombstone.

The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is considered by the Veterans Administration to be Franklin's legal next of kin and therefore Bures was able to apply for the grave marker. The VA provided the marker, cut from the same Vermont quarry in use a century ago, at no cost.

Gaffney is donating his cemetery's resources to ensure Franklin gets the respect he deserves.

"If you're in the funeral business, you're almost by default a historian," Gaffney said, "This is just me doing my very small part to make sure that Mr. Franklin gets what he's had coming to him."

The redress is personal for Bures. His great-great grandfather, another Civil War veteran, is interred just steps away from Franklin's grave. Both men were members of the Custer Post of the GAR and might have known each other.

Earlier this week, Franklin's tombstone was lying on its back in a cemetery building, waiting for its installation.

In the military section where it will be installed, years of neglect have turned the tombstones a dark gray. Rosettes of orange lichen grow in blotches on the marble.

Gaffney, who bought the cemetery in 2021 with his wife, said he has a VA-approved cleaning solution that will restore the darkened stones to their original white color.

Until then, Franklin's gravestone will be the brightest spot in Oakwood Hill Cemetery.

(c)2022 The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.)

Visit at www.TheNewsTribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(Tribune News Service)  Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough appeared at a congressional field hearing chaired by U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) at the Oahu Veterans Center.

The head of the Department of Veterans Affairs testified on Oahu Wednesday about the state of health services in Hawaii and issues including staff shortages, women's care and complaints from community clinic providers about payments.

Hawaii is home to an estimated 100,000 veterans spread across Oahu and 30,000 veterans on the neighbor islands. All are served by the Oahu-based VA Pacific Islands Healthcare System, which is also responsible for providing care to all veterans across the U.S. Pacific island territories of American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

"Health care of all kinds is in short supply throughout the Pacific islands and Hawaii," McDonough said. "We've made hiring and retention one of our top priorities, to make sure that we're both attracting and keeping great medical professionals to serve Hawaiian vets."

He said that nationwide the department estimates it will need to hire 45,000 nurses over the next three years. "July was the first month of this calendar year that we hired more nurses than we lost through retirements or through leaving to go to other other health care systems," McDonough said.

He credited the newly passed Retention and Income Security Enhancement Act  or RAISE Act  for giving the VA more options on giving raises and bonuses. Currently the entire country is facing a shortage of nurses that has put a strain on hospitals and clinics.

"One thing we have to do better on, and this is squarely on me, we have to hire faster, onboard more quickly and get them providing care," McDonough said.

During the hearing Hirono noted statistics that show that Asian American and Pacific Islander veterans have the highest suicide rates of any demographic. The VA has invested $1.5 million in a study on the issue in Hawaii.

Pacific Islanders served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in particularly high numbers. A study of 2003 recruiting data found that Pacific Islanders joined the Army at a rate 249% higher than that of other ethnic groups, and that American Samoa has consistently had among the highest enlistment rates of anywhere in the United States.

"Suicide prevention continues to be our number one clinical priority, " McDonough said. In 2020 roughly 6,000 veterans across the country died by suicide, but while McDonough said the number needs to be brought to zero, he noted that number showed a decrease of 220 from 2019, which itself was a decrease from 2018.

The VA's Pacific health care system has unique challenges.

Outside of the Spark M. Matsunaga VA Medical Center on the grounds of Tripler Army Medical Center, it has few facilities of its own, relying on partnerships with community clinics. A new clinic on Oahu's Leeward side named after the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka  who spent years unsuccessfully pushing to get it funded and built  is finally under construction but will not be ready for operations until at least late next year.

Overall, McDonough painted an optimistic picture of the VA's efforts on the national level to streamline its handling of claims and referrals for patients, with 33 million completed community care appointments.

"Now, we're not where we need to be on the untimely scheduling of those referrals, (but) we're making steady progress in reducing wait times," he said.

In Hawaii, the reliance on community care clinics has led to strains.

Diane Haar, founder of Hawaii Disability Legal Services, testified that after providing treatment to veterans, many are receiving "overpayment" notices that they owe thousands of dollars back to the VA because they supposedly received more money than they were entitled to.

"Most of our medical providers here are pretty small one-doc shops who are doing their own billing," Haar said. "The VA is sending them these letters telling them if they don't pay the money back immediately, VA will take it out of what they owe them or what they're supposed to owe them in the future for any future veterans they take."

She said that more often than not they're successful if they appeal the letters, but the process is time consuming and particularly disruptive for small clinics.

"I've had doctors really reach out to me and let me know that they really are seriously considering not taking veterans anymore, they've got one foot out the door already, because they don't know how to handle this, " she said.

The president of TriWest Healthcare Alliance, contracted to handle claims in Hawaii and the Pacific islands, also testified.

David McIntyre said there have been "providers, in some cases, who need some rudimentary training to make sure that those claims that are submitted are done properly," but that he needed more information about repayment notices.

"I'm just mystified, Mr. Secretary, as to why this is happening and there's no explanation, and resulting in already a lack of private providers," Hirono said.

"Whenever I think VA, I always think they're going to tell me no, they're going to put as much roadblocks in front of me that I have to overcome in order for me to get treatment," testified Air Force veteran Roxanne Bruhn. "That seems to be the prevalent thought. When you talk to any veteran who has to journey through the VA system is that they're gonna give me a hard time and the answer is going to be no and I have to fight. And so I'm hoping that that will change."

Bruhn testified that when she sought therapy to deal with trauma related to a sexual assault during her military service she was unable to talk to a female therapist because there were none available. She currently sees a therapist outside the VA and said she hasn't been a patient with the VA since 2020.

"Why was there no female that could help a female veteran who suffered an assault while on active duty? You know, I didn't feel comfortable talking to another male about what happened to me," she said. "It was through that, those issues that I asked them to be referred out to community for care."

Many veterans across Hawaii and the Pacific have found it difficult to access facilities. The VA is in some cases able to reimburse them for travel costs between islands to reach facilities, but even then that can be a challenge for those in rural areas.

"This is really important because, honestly, some of our veterans are pretty poor," Haar said. "They'll be reimbursed by VA, but they can't afford it in the first place and these referrals make a huge difference."

VA officials have been pushing to increase telemedicine to reach veterans on far-flung islands to diagnose and recommend treatments for minor ailments and preventive care. But several participants in the hearing testified that many remote areas on neighbor islands have no cellphone service and limited internet. And many procedures and checkups still require in-person care.

"That's the real issue is that lack of practitioners, that lack of service, " George Barlett, adjutant general of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Hawaii, told the Star-Advertiser after the hearing.

"The neighbor island people and the people from Guam and Samoa aren't coming to Hawaii to get care because the care is better here than anything else they're getting," Barlett said. "They're coming here because they don't have access to that care there."

(c)2022 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Visit at www.staradvertiser.com

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Ronal Bassham wishes he could look back fondly on his 22-year Air Force career as a ground crewman.

Im proud of my service, but I am not proud of the way I was treated, said Bassham, a Black Korean War veteran from Niagara, N.Y., who also served in Vietnam and received a Bronze Star medal.

He said he is grateful there is now a place where he and other Black military veterans and their families can go to celebrate their contributions and pay tribute to those who never made it home.

On Sept. 24, Bassham attended the unveiling of the African American Veterans Monument in Buffalo at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park. The $1.8 million project was built with a combination of state funds, charitable contributions and business donations.

For Bassham, it was a moment he wondered if hed ever see.

I did everything [the Air Force] asked me to do, but I was not treated equally, he said. Its long overdue that people know the truth about what Black people experienced in the U.S. military.

Bassham, 88, said he remembers segregated barracks, racist comments and losing out on promotions to white crewmen when he was in the Air Force.

This monument is a pebble compared to the mountain of anger I have felt over the years, he said. But this will be a site for healing.

The Buffalo monument is believed to be the first of its kind in the country, honoring the contributions of Black service members in 12 U.S. wars, from the Revolutionary War to the war in Afghanistan.

There are other memorials and museums that honor Black soldiers, though the Buffalo monument is the only one dedicated to living and deceased veterans from all branches of the U.S. military, said Robin E. Hodges, 60, a U.S. Navy veteran and vice-chairwoman of the monuments board of directors.

Visitors to the new monument stroll paths paved in bricks engraved with the names of current and former service members as they view 12 black cylinders resembling giant candles.

The 10-foot pillars are positioned according to the longitude and latitude coordinates of where each war took place, and the spaces in between represent peace time, Hodges said.

The lights on top of the pillars replicate the candles that burned in families windows during the Civil War to guide soldiers home, she said.

Hodges said the monument also has interactive exhibits that tell the stories of Black veterans and provide context about racial disparity and discrimination they experienced over the centuries.

From the segregation of troops during the Civil War to the denial of benefits after World War II and discrimination that followed the desegregation of the Armed Forces in 1948, no part of the militarys treatment of Black servicemen and women should be left untold, said Warren Galloway, a Vietnam War veteran and the monument boards chairman.

For the most part, these stories arent in the history books, so a lot of people dont know the history of African American service, he said. Were hoping people will take away the same kind of emotion and intense closeness they feel after visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

For $250, anyone can purchase a brick for a current or former Black U.S. military member, he said, noting that about 600 bricks have been sold and installed so far, with another 6,000 available.

The monument also gives Buffalo residents a place to gather and honor Black service members in the aftermath of a racially motivated shooting that killed 10 people at a grocery store in May, Galloway added.

From what Im hearing, the project has brought a resilience to the African American community, he said. This is something to be proud of.

The idea for the monument started six years ago after a small group of Buffalo area residents told New York Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes they hoped to locate some land to build a park to honor Black service members.

She got the land donated from the city, started a committee and put me on it, said Madeline O. Scott, 87, a Black amateur historian whose ancestors served in the Civil War.

Scott said she regularly scans obituaries for the names of deceased Black military veterans from western New York, and she was excited to finally have a way to honor them for their service and thank those still on active duty.

Peoples-Stokes said the project was personal for her as well, since her father and grandfather were enlisted. The story of Black people in the U.S. military has not been fully told, she said.

I felt it was only right to honor our relatives and descendants contributions, she said. [They] fought for our nations rights and freedoms, while in many cases, they didnt have their own.

Peoples-Stokes and other board members selected Jonathan Casey, a local concrete artist, to design the monument. When Casey, 42, died in an accident in April 2020, a craftsman hed enlisted to help with the project offered to finish it.

I think hed be happy to know it turned out exactly as hed planned, said Rocky Gray, a fabricator who runs Buffalo Stoneworks.

Jonathan was proud of his work on the monument, and it was an emotional moment to see it unveiled, said Caseys father, Tom Casey, of West Seneca, N.Y.

Henry Curtis, a retired Army Reserves veteran from Buffalo, said he was impressed with Caseys vision.

We now have a way for Black families to gather and say, Hey, theres my daddys name, or theres my grandfathers name,  said Curtis, 87.

For Ronal Bassham, now a monument board member, seeing his own name and the names of four family members at the monument was a small step forward in recognizing the contributions of Black people during times of war and peace.

It cant change what happened, Bassham said. But Im happy the truth that should have been told 100 years ago is now coming out.
Britain's King Charles III will be crowned next June 3 in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey, Bloomberg reported, citing officials.

October 6, 2022, 09:56 Charles III will be crowned on June 3 in London

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 6, ARTSAKHPRESS: The coronation will be the centerpiece of a celebration marking the start of the monarch's reign. Charles ascended to the throne and was named king last month after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

By next June, the king will be 74 years old, making him the oldest crowned monarch in British history. The coronation is expected to be a more modest version of previous ceremonies, with room for representatives of different faiths and social groups, in keeping with the diversity of modern Britain. Charles would be crowned with his wife, Queen Consort Camilla.

When Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, more than 8,000 guests from 129 countries arrived at Westminster Abbey in central London, where temporary platforms were erected to accommodate guests, including all members of the British aristocracy.
Dublin Coroners Court heard how Abdulgaffar Ganiyus friends desperately tried to save him and raise the alarm

Fort Bridge, locally known as Callaghan's Bridge in Bohernabreena where Abdulgaffar Ganiyu (13) from Deerpark in Tallaght drowned. Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin   Colin Keegan

A 13-year-old boy started to panic immediately after he dived into a river, an inquest has heard.

Schoolboy Abdulgaffar Ganiyu from Deerpark in Tallaght died after getting into difficulty while swimming with a group of friends in the River Dodder underneath Callaghans Bridge on Bohernabreena Road, Tallaght, on August 9, 2020.

An inquest into his death at Dublin Coroners Court heard how the boys friends desperately tried to save him and raise the alarm.

In a statement, one of the victims friends, who cannot be named as he is a minor, said they had walked to the area and decided to go swimming as it was a very dry day.

The boy, who was the first of the group to jump into the Dodder, said Abdulgaffar  known as Gaffar  started to panic immediately after he had dived into the river at around 4.30pm.

Although the witness told his friend not to worry, he said the victim had started pulling him down into the water in his panic when he went to help him.

He described how his friend had gone under the water in an area like a waterfall.

Another friend said a passer-by had come down with a stick to try and offer assistance.

A passing motorist, Ciara OBrien, said she had stopped her car near the bridge after being flagged down by three boys.

Ms OBrien told the inquest that they informed her that several other motorists had failed to stop to help them.

She said the boys had appeared very distressed as they explained their friend was drowning but she sensed he had already been in the water for a while.

The inquest heard evidence that paramedics who arrived on the scene found the victim lifeless after taking his body out of the river.

The coroner, Dr Clare Keane, was also informed that Gaffar was not a strong swimmer and had been prohibited by his mother, Fatima, from swimming.

Dr Keane said post-mortem results on the victims body had shown the classic findings of a death by drowning.

The inquest heard that safety measures have been introduced to discourage people from swimming at the location.

The coroner's court heard new spiked railings and a gate have been erected at the location where the group of teenagers got access to the riverbank.

Warning signs advising the public of dangerous currents in the river and that swimming at the location is unsafe have also been erected, while a ringbuoy stand has also been installed on the bridge.

Garda Adrian OSullivan of Tallaght garda station told the hearing that the location of the tragedy was not a known swimming location and there was no easy access to the site.

However, he said Gaffar and his friends had been able to get to a diving point under the bridge by climbing over a gate with relative ease.

At the time of the accident, he said there were no warning signs or lifebuoys.

The inquest heard that it was a location that would be passed by people visiting the nearby Bohernabreena reservoir where swimming also took place, although it was prohibited.

Gda OSullivan, who had been alerted to the incident by a 999 call, said the victims friends were in a state of shock when he arrived at the scene.

He said Gaffar appeared to have got into trouble straight away after jumping into the river but could not get back out of the water.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Dr Keane said she was pleased to hear that some measures had been taken to prevent people from swimming at the location.

The coroner observed that every summer there were tragedies of drownings recorded in reservoirs and locations like the scene of the tragedy which were more dangerous than swimming in saltwater.
Murray was arrested and told gardai that he was in financial difficulties at the time, owing several debts including 6,000 to the Revenue.

A man who agreed to transport 379,400 because he was in financial difficulties has been handed a three-year prison sentence.

Derek Murray (39) of Greenwood Walk, Ayrfield, Dublin 13, pleaded guilty to possessing 379,400 as the proceeds of crime at Skelligs Lane, Artane, Dublin 5 on May 24, 2021.

Murray has no previous convictions.

Judge Nolan imposed a three-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today saying that Murray had involved himself in serious crime as money is the reason why criminals engage in criminal activity.

Garda Detective Susan Plunkett told the court that gardai were carrying out surveillance of a property after receiving confidential information about money laundering and the supply of drugs.

At 8.10 pm on the day in question, the accused pulled up in his work van outside this property but did not get out.

Gardai observed a man leave the house at 8.40 pm carrying a Lidl shopping bag. He placed the bag in the passenger seat of the vehicle and spoke with the accused.

They later stopped the van, where they found the shopping bag and a boot bag containing bundles of cash, totalling 379,400.

Murray was arrested and told gardai that he was in financial difficulties at the time, owing several debts including 6,000 to the Revenue.

Det Plunkett told Jane Murphy, BL, prosecuting, that Murray stated he had agreed to transport the money in exchange for 1,500.

The accused told gardai that he had been contacted by a third party, who offered him a way to make money. He was told to download the Signal app and to go to the address which was under surveillance.

Murray told gardai that he knew the bag contained a serious amount of money when he saw it and panicked. He said he would have been given the delivery address the next day.

Derek Murray pictured arriving to Dublin circuit court this morning.. Pic Collins Courts

Det Plunkett agreed with Karl Monahan, BL, defending, that Murray had admitted having cash in his car when stopped by gardai and had been fully cooperative. His client handed his phone to gardai and provided them with the password.

Det Plunkett also agreed with defence counsel that Murray was performing a limited function under the direction of a third party.

Murray's employer gave evidence that the accused had worked with his company as a technician for 21 years and had continued in his role after the company became aware of his offending.

Mr Monahan told Judge Nolan that it speaks volumes of Murray's character that his employer was willing to speak up on his behalf.

His client had been aware that he would be transporting money, but did not know that it would be a considerable amount.

He said his client is the father of three children and was in a long-term relationship at the time, which has since ended. Murray is now in a new relationship and his partner is pregnant.

Mr Monahan said Murray found himself in a nightmare situation which had turned his life on its head. His client has been suffering from mental health difficulties.

Mr Monahan said Murray was in extreme financial difficulty and was offered an opportunity, which he took. He asked Judge Nolan for leniency, suggesting that a non-custodial sentence may be appropriate.

Judge Nolan said the accused is a mature man who was asked to do something criminal in exchange for money and had succumbed to temptation.

Acknowledging Murray's remorse and previous good character, Judge Nolan said it would have been obvious to the accused that the bag contained a lot of money.

Considering the mitigating factors, Judge Nolan concluded that it would be very unlikely that Murray would re-offend in the future. However he said a custodial sentence had to be imposed as punishment on the accused and as a deterrence.
Theyre the joke of the jail  They were telling the lads thats they were out, they were even saying goodbye to people

Coke brothers Mark and Glenn Rainey had to unpack their bags after hopes of being sprung from prison were dashed.

Instead of heading home the drug dealing siblings were returned to their cells  which will be home for the next three years.

The Sunday World understands the brothers were convinced they were heading home despite admitting dealing drugs in east Belfast.

Prison insiders have told us the brothers had told family and friends they were on their way home.

But then the judge at Antrim Crown Court handed down six year sentences  three to be served behind bars and three on licence.

Theyre the joke of the jail, a prison source told us.

They were telling the lads thats they were out, they were even saying goodbye to people, it was like packing your bags to go on holiday only to be told your flights been cancelled.

The only thing youre left with is unpacking your bags. Its hilarious.

The Raineys and co-defendant were described by a judge as "commercial suppliers" of cocaine and cannabis before they were handed jail sentences.

They were convicted of dealing drugs in east Belfast in 2020.

Brothers Mark, 42, and Glenn 36, were each given six-year sentences and 34-year-old Hunter was given a 40-month sentence.

It is understood the Raineys are furious Buff Hunter was handed a much lesser sentence and have accused their former accomplice of ``doing a deal in return for evidence.

They cant understand how theyve been hammered compared to what Buff got.

Earlier this year, east Belfast men Mark Rainey, from St Patrick's Walk, Glenn Rainey, from McArthur Court and Hunter, from Upper Canning Street, admitted supplying class A and B drugs, cocaine and cannabis, between 1 June and 15 October 2020.

Hunter admitted supplying class C prescription drug diazepam between the same dates and having cannabis on 23 August last year.

Glenn Rainey also admitted possessing cocaine, diazepam and pregabalin on 23 August 2021.

Previous court hearings were told that the men were arrested last August as part of a wider investigation into suspected crime connected to the east Belfast UVF.

During searches of Glenn Rainey's car and home, said the judge, police uncovered a total of 29 grams of cocaine in addition to scales, deal bags and 2,000 in cash.

Mark, was arrested driving a Skoda car in which police uncovered a small amount of cannabis and an extendable baton.

When Hunter's home was raided, officers seized scales, deal bags, cash and a cannabis grinder.

Detectives also seized phones belonging to the three men and it was when they were examined that police were able to adduce evidence the three men were heavily involved in the sale and supply of drugs, with messages about multiple deals anywhere between 100-500.

The judge revealed that one exchange of messages related to a deal involving 4,350.

The judge said Glenn "was a significant player" in the illicit drugs trade and could rightly be described as having played a "leading role".

He described Hunter, who has a multitude of previous convictions, as a "career criminal" whose latest offences "are merely the most recent in a long line of offending that shows no sign of ending".

"They know each other, there are connections between them other individuals are involved in this network and it's obvious from the messages that they are not acting alone," said the judge.

He added that "the evidence demonstrates that each was well established" when they were arrested and that their offending only stopped when police searched their houses and seized their phones.

Commenting that each of the three "was a leading player in the supply of class A drugs," the judge issued a warning to others that "those who willingly deal in this illicit trade must expect severe sentences".
Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae  the son of Kerry TD Michael  has lost his Circuit Court appeal

Cllr Jackie Healy-Rae who has been found guilty of assault

Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae  the son of Kerry TD Michael  has lost his Circuit Court appeal against his December 2019 conviction for assault causing harm.

The Kerry County Councillor was sentenced to a total of eight months (three months and five months concurrent) for the two linked assaults with both sentences suspended for six months.

In a key finding the Judge also ruled that Cllr Healy-Rae had lied to gardai when questioned about the incident .

Cllr Healy Rae had claimed he was attempting to restrain people and prevent violence during the late night-incident in Kenmare for which he, his brother, Kevin and a friend, were subsequently convicted of assaulting a man following a row over queue-jumping at a chip van.

Cllr Healy-Rae (26), who had been sentenced to eight months suspended, launched his appeal against his conviction on Tuesday and the verdict was delivered by Judge Francis Comerford on Wednesday evening.

Cllr Healy-Raes appeal is proceeding, his younger brother, Kevin Healy-Rae (25), withdrew his appeal against an assault conviction arising form the same incident.

A third man  a friend of the Healy-Rae brothers  Malachy Scannell (36) of Inchinacoosh, Kilgarvan, also withdrew his appeal to an assault-causing-harm conviction which resulted from the same incident.

Cllr Jackie Healy-Rae, Kevin Healy-Rae (25) and Malachy Scannell were convicted three years ago of assaulting a man in Kenmare on December 28, 2017.

Cllr Jackie Healy-Rae who has been found guilty of assault

The victim of the assault, Kieran James; and his then-fiancee and now wife, Lauren James, both attended Tuesdays hearing having travelled from London to give evidence.

Mr James  who has family in Kilgarvan  told the court that, following an evening socialising with relatives at the Square Pint bar in Kenmare, he and his companions went to a nearby chip van to buy food before going home.

After Mr and Mrs James had ordered, the court heard that Kevin Healy-Rae had barged to the front of the queue, slammed money on the counter and ordered food.

Mrs James told the court that when she politely told the chip van server that Mr Healy-Rae had jumped the queue, he said This is my chip van and this is my town.

Mr James said that Kevin Healy-Rae then pushed him against the side of the chip van, and he was then grabbed from behind and put into a headlock by Jackie Healy-Rae.

Mr James said he was struggling to breathe while Cllr Healy-Rae had his arm around his throat.

When he was released, Mr James and his group decided to leave the area immediately and proceeded up Main Street.

When they were a short distance up the street, they heard shouting from behind them and turned to see three men running towards them and shouting aggressively.

Mr James said that within a matter of seconds, Jackie Healy-Rae had grabbed him and prevented him from moving while Kevin Healy-Rae and Malachy Scannell punched my face in.

Mr and Mrs James both insisted that Jackie Healy-Rae also punched Mr James several times during the assault.

Giving evidence in his own defence on Wednesday Cllr Jackie Healy Rae claime that he had not seen anyone struck during the assault for which his brother and friend had previously been found guilty and dropped their appeals.

When asked by Prosecution Barrister Tom Rice if he accepted that Mr James had been assaulted  a fact accepted by Mr Berry on several occasions during the two day trial  Cllr Healy Rae declined to go into detail.

Based on the medical evidence Its safe to assume something happened. I cant say with any certainty how the injuries happened or who did what, Cllr Healy Rae told the Court.

Asked the same question again Cllr Healy-Rae said I cant say what did or didnt happen.

Cllr Healy Rae also denied lying to gardai when he provided a statement stating that he could not say if Malachy Scannell had been present on the night of the assault.

Mr Rice said that in his garda interview Cllr Helay-Rae had been asked do you recall Michael Scannell being there? to which he replied No.

Pressed on the inconsistencies in his statement to gardai Cllr Healy Rae admitted that he didnt give gardai the fullness of my side of the story" but denied lying.

I dont believe I told lies. Could I have added more? Absolutely, said Cllr Healy-Rae.

Delivering his verdict Judge Comerford said he was entirely satisfied that the version of events provided by Mr James; his wife and their companions on the night were absolutely true and that he absolutely rejected any suggestion to the contrary.

Judge Comerford said that he did not believe that there was any reasonable possibility that Cllr Healy Rae had been actively trying to stop the assault as he had claimed.

Jackie Healy-Rae was not the instigator but I do not believe his account that he just stood there without getting involved, said Judge Comerford.

He also said it was inconceivable that Cllr Healy Rae could have been present at the scene of the assault on Main Street and did not see anyone being hit.

The Judge also ruled that Cllr Healy Rae had lied to gardai.

He was perfectly prepared to lie to gardai to prevent people getting blame and he did that, said Judge Comerford.

The judge said the reason for this was to get someone out of a charge that they were subsequently found guilty of.

With regard to the incident at the chip van - for which Cllr Healy-Rae was facing a separate assault charge - Judge Comerford said he did not accept the Cllr Healy-Raes claim that he was merely restraining Mr James and did not use excessive force.

Judge Comerford said he was satisfied that the correct verdict was to deny the appeal and affirm the original verdict of the District Court.

He imposed concurrent five and three month sentences both of which he suspended for six months.
Quirke is seeking to overturn his conviction for the murder of love rival Bobby Ryan, a part time DJ known as Mr Moonlight

Irelands human rights watchdog has been given permission to make submissions on the reach of search warrants in killer Patrick Quirkes Supreme Court conviction appeal.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commissions involvement comes amid concerns it has about ensuring there are proper safeguards in place when electronic data is seized during searches.

Quirke is seeking to overturn his conviction for the murder of love rival Bobby Ryan, a part time DJ known as Mr Moonlight.

The Supreme Court appeal focuses on the validity of a search warrant used in the murder investigation and the DPPs discretion in calling expert witnesses in a trial.

Mr Ryan (52) disappeared in June 2011 after spending the night at his girlfriend Mary Lowry's home in Fawnagown, Co Tipperary. Quirke (53), a married farmer who previously had an affair with Ms Lowry, "discovered" the body in a run-off tank on her farm, which he was renting, nearly two years later.

Among items seized by gardai from Quirkes home was a computer.

Officers found that internet searches had been conducted in relation to the decomposition of human remains and DNA.

The evidence was a crucial part of the largely circumstantial case which led to Quirkes conviction in 2019 following the longest criminal trial in the history of the State.

Quirke, of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary, previously unsuccessfully challenged the validity of the search warrant on various grounds in the Court of Appeal, including that it did not refer to computers.

The Court of Appeal said the absence of computers from the sworn information given to the District Court judge who issued the warrant was "sub-optimal".

However, it said in this case it was "not in the nature of a fundamental error" and it was not persuaded the warrant was issued without jurisdiction.

IHREC applied to the Supreme Court to be made an amicus curiae, or friend of the court, earlier this year in relation to the search warrant issue.

The court, made up of Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne, Ms Justice Iseult O'Malley and Ms Justice Marie Baker, this morning gave it permission to make submissions in the appeal.

The watchdog said it would assist the court on the issues raised and, in particular, safeguards in relation to the use of search warrants in respect of the seizure of electronic devices.

Its chief commissioner, Sinead Gibney, said: Search warrants are an important tool for effective policing. As electronic devices permeate every aspect of our lives today, it is important to explore and consider safeguards regarding the use of search warrants in the seizure and examination of these devices.

We thank the court for the opportunity to assist and bring forward relevant aspects of national and international human rights law on this issue.

IHREC will go into the court as an uninterested party, neither taking sides with the DPP nor Quirke.

However, it has a role in sharing domestic, constitutional and international human rights law with the court.
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Bono says we really need the UK to go back to leading the world
Over 9k was taken from bank customers when they clicked on text message links and transferred to Brendan OBriens account

A money mule who let smishing scammers use his bank account had become involved as a way of clearing a family members drug debt, a court has heard.

Brendan OBrien (44) allowed the use of his account for the transfer of more than 9,000 that was taken from three other bank customers when they clicked on text message links.

Judge Bryan Smyth adjourned the case for compensation and a community service suitability report.

OBrien, of The Close, Millbrook Lawns, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to money laundering.

Dublin District Court heard that in September 2021, 9,282 entered the accuseds bank account.

Detective Garda David Jennings said the money came from the accounts of three victims as a result of them clicking on text messages.

A woman had 3,000 removed from her account in this way, a man clicked a link and 1,800 was transferred, while 4,482 was taken from the account of another man who clicked the message. This money was all credited to OBriens account.

When this was identified, the accused was co-operative with the garda investigation and made admissions.

The court heard some of the money was stopped before it left the account and this was recovered but Bank of Ireland was still at a loss of 4,811. All the account holders were reimbursed.

OBrien told gardai he had got involved to clear a drug debt for a family member.

Defence barrister John Griffin said the debt had to be paid and there was an element of duress, that OBrien would get involved or there would be consequences.

There is far too much of this happening, Judge Smyth said.

Mr Griffin said OBrien was unemployed and he did not think there was any reality to this large sum being repaid.

Judge Smyth said he was considering all options and OBrien was going to have to look at coming up with the compensation.
Armenians held a Silent Protest in front of the Dutch Parliament (Tweede Kamer), preceding a debate of Dutch Parliament with Prime Minister Rutte, Federation of Armenian Organizations in the Netherlands (FAON) reports.

October 6, 2022, 11:17 Dutch MPs voice about latest Azerbaijani aggression on Armenia during debate in Parliament

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 6, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: On the agenda were two coming up EU meetings in Prague, namely the European Political Community meeting on 6 October and the Informal European Council on 7 October.

During the debate, for most part on Ukraine war, MPs Piri, Sjoerdsma, Amhaouch and Omtzigt put forward questions about the invitation of both Armenia and Azerbaijan to the European Political Community meeting. According to Mr. Sjoerdsma - mentioning the attacks by Azerbaijan and war crimes - these subjects can't remain undiscussed at this new European Forum in order to prevent it from being a podium where hypocrisy will get too much room.

MP Amhaouch referring to what happened recently in Armenia and Azerbaijan, which has to be condemned, asked the PM to reflect on that.

MP Omtzigt stated that Azerbaijan for the last days and weeks has been attacking Armenia, with hundreds of lost lives as a result while at the same time, the EU is in the process of the gas deal with Azerbaijan. How do these two matters connect with each other, he wondered. Mr. Omtzigt also wishes to learn whether the attacks have been condemned.

Answering the questions, Prime Minister Rutte called the violence between Azerbaijan and Armenia extremely worrying, and referred to the role of the EU to prevent further escalation and restart negotiations. Alleged violations of human rights and war crimes need to be investigated. The Netherlands supports an independent, neutral and impartial investigation. This and the importance of an independent investigation was also discussed today in a conversation with the ambassador of Azerbaijan to the Netherlands.

PM Rutte also recalled the condemnation, done by EU High Commissioner Borell. Sanctions are not considered now, including import of gas, according to PM Rutte, before the independent, neutral and impartial investigation has taken place.
Gavin Goodfellow was put on the sex offenders register after the disgusting airport antics

A boozed-up GAA star barred from a flight to Ibiza for being too drunk repeatedly exposed his Balearics to shocked police officers outside an airport.

Gavin Goodfellow took a slash outside Belfast International Airport and later flashed his bits at a female cop in June.

In July the embarrassed flasher, from Edendoit Road in Pomeroy, told the Sunday World he was deeply sorry and claimed hed had a few too many before the flight.

He claimed then that what happened was hed been caught short after all the beer hed drank and just desperately needed to go to the toilet.

But in court this week the truth came out that on top of urinating in public hed actually waved his penis at police while laughing  in full view of the public.

And thats why on top of a 100-hour community service order the judge at Antrim Magistrates Court also ordered him to sign the sex offenders register for five years.

A lawyer for the 26-year-old told the court that Goodfellow had learned a salutary lesson and referenced how the Sunday World had turned up at his home.

Defence counsel Blaine Nugent revealed there had been significant media attention to the case with the tabloid media arriving at his door the day after he was charged.

The day we turned up to his door was the day after he was charged but he also pleaded guilty to the charges of indecent behaviour and exposure that day.

Goodfellows father told us his son was at work and revealed he knew nothing about his sons airport escapades.

He explained his embarrassed son had claimed to the family he missed the trip to Ibiza because of a failure to provide the necessary Covid travel certificate.

In truth he had pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent behaviour and a second charge of exposing his genitals to cause alarm to a named airport police constable during the drunken episode.

On Tuesday a prosecuting lawyer outlined how staff at a cafe in Aldergrove called police for help regarding a male passenger who was intoxicated, falling off a chair, and bothering staff and passengers.

Having identified Goodfellow, he claimed he was getting a flight to Ibiza but staff at the check in desk confirmed he had earlier been refused boarding because he was too drunk to fly.

Goodfellow was told to leave and police stayed in the area in case he either hurt himself or tried to get back in.

But a short time later, he was again trying to get into the check-in hall, claiming he had managed to book a flight but again, check-in staff confirmed there was no such booking.

Escorted from the building, the defendant continued to remain in the area and tried to get back in before he went to a nearby hedge where taxis and buses were parked, pulled down the front of his shorts and began urinating, she told the court

Warned by the police about his behaviour, Goodfellow tried to get back into the airport building, claiming he needed to use the toilet but when he was again warned about urinating in public, he started to laugh at police, turned slightly, pulled his shorts down and grabbed his genitals. public

Police shouted at him to stop but he repeated the gesture and there were members of the public in the area at the time, said the lawyer.

Mr Nugent told the court: Theres little doubt that he was intoxicated and significantly so, said the barrister, submitting that but for that intoxication, these are offences that would not have occurred  its no excuse but it puts it in context.

He said there had been no sexual element or sexual thrill to the offending but rather a lack of maturity and decision making.

District Judge Nigel Broderick told him, I think you have recognised what you did was a very foolish thing and was a very serious matter given the wide variety of people at an airport, including children.

In July Goodfellow told the Sunday World: Im deeply sorry for what happened. It was completely out of character. Id like to draw a line under it and continue with my life and Ill make sure this doesnt ever happen again.

steven.moore@sundayworld.com
Mr Dooleys death has sent shockwaves through the local community in Kerry.

A man in his 30s has been arrested by gardai investigating the fatal stabbing of Thomas Tommy Dooley at a cemetery in Co Kerry yesterday.

Mr Dooley was stabbed to death just yards from the cemetery after he attended a funeral service in the town. His partner also suffering serious injuries as she desperately tried to protect him following a violent confrontation after a funeral.

It is believed he was attacked by a group of men outside New Rath cemetery at Rathass in Tralee where a large crowd had gathered for the funeral of a young Killarney mother.

Gardai have confirmed a man has been arrested in connection with the attack early this morning.

A garda spokesman said: He was arrested in the early hours of this morning, Thursday 6th October, in Cork and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Tralee Garda Station.

A post-mortem examination is expected to be carried out by Dr Collis, Office of the State Pathologist, at University Hospital Kerry, Tralee later this morning.

Investigating Gardai continue to appeal for witnesses to come forward and for any person with camera footage to make it available to them.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room at Tralee Garda Station on 066 710 2300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.

The investigation is ongoing and further updates will follow.

Thomas Dooley and his wife Siobhan

Mr Dooleys death has sent shockwaves through the local community in Kerry.

It is believed the incident occurred just minutes after the burial ceremony had concluded and the gathering was dispersing towards the Castleisland Road around noon.

The man's partner tried to go to his aid. She suffered a serious stab injury as a result.

The alarm was raised and gardai raced to the scene with the man discovered lying critically injured in a pool of blood on the ground.

Despite desperate efforts by paramedics to stabilise the man's condition, he died minutes later before he could be taken to the nearby University Hospital Kerry (UHK).

The injured woman was rushed to the hospital where she was scheduled to undergo emergency surgery.
He was taken to Naas Hospital for treatment where his injuries are described as being non-life threatening.

The man was treated in Naas General Hospital

A man was rushed to hospital last night after he received facial wounds in a stabbing incident in Naas, Kildare.

The shocking incident occurred on South Main Street in Naas shortly before 8pm last night.

Gardai rushed to the scene after receiving reports of a violent confrontation.

After they arrived, they discovered a man bleeding heavily from a wound  reportedly on his face.

He was taken to Naas Hospital for treatment where his injuries are described as being non-life threatening.

A garda spokesman said: Shortly before 8pm, on Wednesday 6th October, 2022 Gardai were alerted following reports of a disturbance on South Main Street, Naas. A man in his 30s was found at the scene with an apparent laceration. He was taken to Naas Hospital for treatment. His injuries are not life threatening.

"Enquires in to the matter are ongoing.
Second man now held over fatal stabbing

The scene of the fatal stabbing and inset, Tommy Dooley

A row over an arranged marriage may have provided the fatal spark in a simmering eight-year-feud that claimed the life of Thomas Tommy Dooley.

The Sunday World revealed earlier how a man in his 30s, who was arrested over the fatal cemetery stabbing of Thomas Tommy Dooley was well known to the deceased and had been feuding with the victim for a number of years.

He was arrested in the Wilton area of Cork early this morning.

Gardai have now made a second arrest in Cork this afternoon.

This individual is aged in his early 40s.

Among the incidents associated with the feud was a petrol bomb attack on well liked Mr Dooleys home in Ballyspillane two years ago.

A source, with intimate knowledge of the situation, confirmed to the Sunday World that a third party had been brought in by a senior family member to try and calm the situation following the petrol bomb attack  and hostilities associated with the feud had abated in the wake of this move.

However, a separate disagreement occurred within the past 12 months that reignited tensions.

This disagreement is now understood to have related to an arranged marriage.

Thomas Dooley and his wife Siobhan

Mr Dooley is understood to have taken one view on the arranged marriage while those on the other side of the pre-existing feud took another.

There was a feud stretching back seven or eight years between Tom and a number of others, a source told the Sunday World.

It started with niggling things and then took on a life of its own.

A couple of years back there was a petrol bomb thrown at Toms front door on Hazel Wood Drive.

Thankfully the fire was caught before it spread and the damage was limited to the front door.

A third party was asked to make informal approaches and he spoke with the parties involved.

"Because there was a fear from senior family members that it could have led to a killing if it wasnt sorted.

It did abate afterwards but there were still tensions.

"Then about eight months ago another issue arose, and without getting into the finer details, the tensions escalated again.

The man detained by gardai early this morning was arrested in the Wilton area of the city.

Mr. Dooley was stabbed to death on Wednesday just yards from the cemetery after attending the funeral mass of a young woman who had passed away suddenly.

He was attacked by a group of men outside New Rath cemetery at Rathass in Tralee where a large crowd had gathered for the funeral of a young Killarney mother.

His wife Siobhan also suffering serious injuries as she desperately tried to protect him following a violent confrontation after a funeral.

A garda spokesman said of this morning arrest: He was arrested in the early hours of this morning, Thursday 6th October, in Cork and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Tralee Garda Station.

A post-mortem examination is expected to be carried out by Dr Collis, Office of the State Pathologist, at University Hospital Kerry, Tralee later this morning.

Investigating Gardai continue to appeal for witnesses to come forward and for any person with camera footage to make it available to them.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room at Tralee Garda Station on 066 710 2300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.

The investigation is ongoing and further updates will follow.

Mr Dooleys death has sent shockwaves through the local community in Kerry.

Despite desperate efforts by paramedics to stabilise his condition in the wake of the attack, he died minutes later before he could be taken to the nearby University Hospital Kerry (UHK).

Wife Siobhan was rushed to the hospital where she was scheduled to undergo emergency surgery.
"A number of individuals, wearing hoods and scarves over their faces were in the process of attempting to rob a bike that was clearly locked.

A Sinn Fein TD has shared how he came face-to-face with criminality on our streets when out for a run yesterday afternoon.

John Brady, the TD for Wicklow, told the story of a robbery he caught in progress on Twitter.

As the TD was running along the Merrion Road, there was an attempt in progress to steal some bikes, he said.

"A number of individuals, wearing hoods and scarves over their faces were in the process of attempting to rob a bike that was clearly locked.

"I let a roar at one of them to stop, running towards him, he turned and ran towards me, reaching inside his jacket for what I believed to be a weapon of some description.

The TD detailed how the alleged individual then turned and ran before coming at him on a bike.

"I sidestepped him and tried to grab him off the bike but was unable to keep a grip, he said.

"He made off, and myself and two teenagers one of whom owned the bike gave chase, but were unable to catch him.

The TD said he reported the incident to the Gardai.

A Garda spokesperson said the Gardai are investigating a theft that occurred in Dublin 4 (on) Wednesday, October 5, 2022 at approximately 4.30pm.

"Investigations are ongoing at this time.

Encountered first-hand today an example of criminality on our streets.

Stuck in the Dail until later tonight, I went out for a bit of a run between Dail business this afternoon. I ran out along the Merrion road towards St. Vincents Hospital.  John Brady TD (@johnbradysf) October 5, 2022

John Brady, who is the Sinn Fein spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Defence, said on Twitter that it is frightening to think that the threat of crime and violence is there even in broad daylight in a busy area in the middle of Dublin.

The TD said he was extremely lucky as the incident had the potential to have escalated into something much worse.

"But it does again raise the debate about the need for additional resources for the gardai to tackle crime on our streets.

Deputy John Brady said he had encountered first-hand today an example of criminality on our streets.
Nicola Tallant discusses Merseysides links to organised crime and its position as the UKs most important city for drugs and weapons importation

Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot in her own home by a gangland gunman   PA

Olivia Pratt-Korbel's coffin is carried out of St Margaret Mary's Church in Knotty Ash, Liverpool after her funeral. The nine-year-old girl was shot at her home in Dovecot, Liverpool. Picture date: Thursday September 15, 2022.   PA

The murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool on August 22 has left Merseyside's underworld reeling from a major crackdown on organised crime.

The little girl, who was shot when her mother opened the door of their home after hearing commotion outside, will forever be remembered as the ultimate innocent victim of gangland crime.

This week, Thomas Cashman was charged with her murder and a second man, Paul Russell, was brought before the courts for assisting an offender.

Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot in her own home by a gangland gunman   PA

But police have said their investigation is on-going and they are committed to finding anyone involved in the murder, while a record 200,000 reward has been put up for information.

Nicola Tallant chats with Liverpool Echo Crime Reporter Jonathan Humphries, who discusses 'Operation Miller', the policing tsunami that has followed Olivias murder and the hundreds of criminals caught up in the searches, raids and seizures.

He describes the history of Liverpools links to organised crime, its position as the UKs most important city for drugs and weapons importation and the widespread grief and disbelief of its citizens for a lost child.

Crime Word Podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Soundcloud.

MORE EPISODES 
Father-of-six Michael McDonagh (53), died at the Camber Sands holiday park in Lydd Road near the East Sussex border on August 6 following an altercation between a group of people.

The family of a Sligo man who died in an incident at a holiday park in the UK made a renewed appeal for information at his funeral this week.

Father-of-six Michael McDonagh (53), who lived in London with his family, was pronounced dead at the Camber Sands holiday park in Lydd Road near the East Sussex border on August 6 following an altercation between a group of people.

McDonagh is believed to have gotten into a row after watching the opening match of the Premier League between Crystal Palace and Arsenal.

It has been reported that the convicted drug dealer was held down by a number of men and had stated he couldnt breathe.

McDonagh was buried in a gold casket two months on from his death following a funeral at Sacred Heart and Mary Immaculate Church in Mill Hill, London on Wednesday.

Around 200 people were in attendance including some who had travelled from Ireland.

Speaking after her fathers funeral service, Stephanie McDonagh said: Dad was loved by everyone, what happened to him shouldn't have happened.

He was there with his family and he should have had a nice time, and he should have come home and he didn't.

If people know any information, I hope they come forward so we can get justice.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Camber Sands holiday park said: We understand the McDonagh family's grief at this very difficult time.

Our park team is actively supporting the police and is doing everything they can to assist with their inquiries. As this is a live police investigation we cannot comment further.

Seven people were previously arrested on suspicion of murder but were released on conditional bail.

An appeal for witnesses was launched, but detectives say they are particularly keen to speak to people who may have recorded the incident on mobile devices.

At least one man, described as short and thin by witnesses, is believed to have recorded the incident from start to finish, Sussex Police said in a statement.

We would encourage this person to come forward or if anybody knows who this person is to make contact with the investigation team.

In 2000, the Criminal Assets Bureau successfully seized McDonaghs home near Ballintogher, Sligo after proving that it was bought from the proceeds of crime before the courts.

Soon after that Mr McDonagh left Ireland, he returned and he stayed in local hotels with his family.

He was also on the radar of the National Crime Agency in Britain and was arrested in Amsterdam, Holland in November 2010 and extradited back to the UK on foot of an international warrant for his arrest.

He was subsequently jailed for seven years for drug trafficking.

The family of the Sligo dad had earlier said they were walking away with broken hearts and unanswered questions.
Three men who were travelling in one car were taken to University Hospital Limerick with the condition of one described as critical.

A man in his 20s is in a critical condition and three others have been hospitalised following a serious road crash in Co Clare.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses following the collision near Newmarket on Fergus his evening, Wednesday, October 5, at 6.10pm.

The crash involving two vehicles occurred on the R458 in the townland of Drumline. Three men who were travelling in one car were taken to University Hospital Limerick with the condition of one described as critical. The two other men continue to receive medical attention.

The driver of the second car, a woman aged in her 60s, was also taken to University Hospital Limerick with non-life threatening injuries.

A garda spokesperson said: The R458 is currently closed and will remain closed overnight pending a full technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators. Local diversions are in place.

Gardai in Shannon are appealing to any person who may have information in relation to this collision to contact them.

Any person who witnessed the collision is asked to come forward, and any road users with video footage (including dash cam) is asked to make this available to investigating Gardai.

Anyone with information can contact Shannon Garda Station on 061 365900 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
Dubliners have been competing on Twitter to find the worst tar blobs across the city centre.

Disgruntled Dubliners are finding the ugliest tar blobs in a bid to reveal how much of an eyesore some road repairs are.

The trend has taken off as Twitter users air their frustrations.

When old lumps meet new lumps on South William Street. Variety is the spice of life as they say and that is most certainly true in Dublin. Tar lumps of all ages, shapes & sizes #tarfest pic.twitter.com/OXnDZtFClk  South Georgian Core (@sgcra) September 25, 2022

The week-long #TarFest competition is organised by the South Georgian Core Residents Association, who talk sarcastically on social media about the lumps appearing on some Dublins historic cobblestone streets.

"When old lumps meet new lumps on South William Street, they said on Twitter. Variety is the spice of life as they say and that is most certainly true in Dublin. Tar lumps of all ages, shapes and sizes.

What @DubCityCouncil allowed to be done to the triangle on Lower Merrion Street takes the absolute biscuit, its been left like this for over 2 months. #tarfest pic.twitter.com/Sf5o9IlyS9  Conor McGarry (@mcgcnr) September 25, 2022

Picking on something like tar lumps, its petty but its something that could be fixed really easily, one of the organisers, David, told Dublin Live.

"There needs to be minimum standards the utility companies adhere to. Historic streets often have a high footfall, we need to ensure theyre kept neat and tidy.

"I dont think its beyond the realm of possibility to cut down on times and ensure the work is done a bit more prettily than is currently the case.

The Twitter #TarFest is the latest social media venture of Irish people looking to tackle public works.

A parody account recently popped up in a bid to draw attention to similar tar blobs in Cork.

The Twitter user has posted everything from unused phone boxes to manky bins and stray rubbish in the city centre.

South Georgian Core Residents Association on Twitter (@sgcra)

The accounts join efforts to raise awareness on local issues by other social media campaigners.

#DerelictIreland is a similar quest to show what is hiding in plain sight in city centres, snapping shots of buildings around the country that are empty or derelict.

Owners of derelict sites paid less than a quarter of the 4.5 million they owed in levies to local authorities last year, the Irish Independent revealed in June.
Senator Timmy Dooley asked whos paying for the lights on Twitter. So much for an energy crises!

A Fianna Fail politician has lashed out at the Christmas lights already being strung up in Dublin city centre.

"Its not even Halloween yet and the Christmas lights are going up in Dublin, Senator Timmy Dooley tweeted.

"So much for an energy crises!

The Senator asked whos paying for the energy bill the festive decorations will rack up.

Its not even Halloween yet and the Christmas lights are going up in Dublin - so much for an energy crises! #whospaying pic.twitter.com/KAeMRURrwK  Timmy Dooley (@timmydooley) October 4, 2022

The response on Twitter turned back on the Senator himself, with some users asking the politician to do something about it.

"Dont cancel Christmas! another said.

The calls come as Green Party Eamon Ryan faced backlash last month for failing to rule out whether Christmas lights would be effected by energy cuts and costs this winter.

The Minister said it the lights are an issue the Government will come back to closer to Christmas.

"Leave our Christmas lights alone, a Dublin Councillor told Eamon Ryan in a letter.

"The energy crisis is impacting everyone and our most vulnerable are bearing the brunt so why remove Christmas cheer from the streets of Dublin?" she said.

"As you draft guidelines and directives to deal with our energy crisis, I'm asking you to leave our Christmas lights alone."
Turkey will continue to oppose the transfer of Greek armored vehicles to the Aegean islands with a non-military status, the country's National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said, Anadolu reports.

October 6, 2022, 12:36 Turkey intends to disrupt transfer of Greek equipment to Aegean Islands

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 6, ARTSAKHPRESS: Turkey will not give up one step or one millimeter on the ground or at the negotiating table, he said during a speech at the National Defense University in Ankara, according to Anadolu Agency.

According to Akar, the Turkish side is taking all measures to thwart Athens' plans to militarize the islands.

At the same time, the minister noted that Ankara remains in favor of a peaceful settlement of the disagreements in the Aegean Sea.

The minister also assured that the Turkish military has taken all necessary precautions and is ready to counter any provocation from the Greek Cypriot side against the background of Washington's recent decision to lift the arms embargo on the Greek administration of South Cyprus.
Screenshots of conversations showing 12 Irish dance teachers either asking for, or offering to, fix competitions were handed over to the CLRG

The prestigious global body that governs Irish dancing has been rocked by allegations of competition fixing and cheating.

An Coimisiun Le Rinci Gaelacha (CLRG) is dealing with its largest ever alleged cheating scandal, which has seen some of the most successful and well regarded Irish dance teachers and schools accused of fixing competitions for their own students.

The CLRG, the largest and oldest Irish dancing body in the world, has now announced that it had appointed a former Court of Appeal judge to oversee an investigation into the cheating allegations.

It is understood that screenshots of text conversations showing 12 Irish dance teachers either asking for, or offering to, fix competitions were handed over to the CLRG in July.

Separately the Sunday World has seen more screenshots, which have not yet been shared with the CLRG, which appear to implicate at least another six teachers.

The dancing teachers, some based on the island of Ireland, were both asking for and offering to fix feiseanna.

In one case, a dance teacher and a competition judge appeared to be exchanging sexual favours for higher scores.

The CLRG said that its ethics committee had received allegations, with supporting documentation, of several grievous breaches of our Code of Conduct.

Such unethical behaviour cannot and will not be tolerated by this organisation, it said.

The CLRG said that due to the potential extent of the allegations, it had hired a former Court of Appeal judge to oversee and supervise the immediate investigation into these matters. They will have full and open access to the resources and records of CLRG.

It added: The process will no doubt be difficult and arduous, but this grossly unethical behaviour must be eliminated from our competitions, dance schools and governing organisations..

An Coimisiun regards such breaches to be Gross Misconduct. Any registered member found to be engaged in such practices will be subject to due and full process under our published Disciplinary Procedures.

This process has already started and the principles of natural justice apply. To ensure the integrity of the process and until it is complete, no further comments will be made.

Irish dance teachers adjudicate dance competitions, from feiseanna to major events like the All Irelands and the Worlds.

It is understood that one of the dance teachers alleged to have been involved had been previously accused of interfering with scores at competitions.

The CLRG is regarded internationally as the guardian of Irish dancing.

In response to a number of queries from the Irish Independent, it said it was regrettable the matter has been aired in public now lest it compromises CLRGs own investigations into the matter.

It said: We are aware of allegations against a number of members circulating on social media. Allegations without evidence are simply that  allegations..

All complaints to Coiste Faire are treated on a confidential basis pending investigation and possible disciplinary action. It is unfortunate that somebody has chosen to break that confidentiality which may deter complaints in relation to these or future allegations of wrongdoing.

There is no mention in the texts of money being exchanged.

Current and former Irish dancing teachers and competitors, who spoke to the Irish Independent on the condition of anonymity, said that a school with a reputation for success can generate more in fees.

The Sunday World also attempted to contact the 18 dance teachers identified in the screenshots. One dance teacher responded and claimed that this newspaper was definitely mistaken.

After the Sunday World sent back screenshots of a conversation showing the same teacher discussing feis fixing for their students, the teacher stopped responding.
Its understood former cop Panya Khamrap (34) killed his wife and child before taking his own life after the attack

A wanted poster released by Royal Thai Police after Panya Khamrap's attack on the children's daycare centre

Police have named the suspect in a horror shooting in Thailand in which over 30 people lost their lives as Panya Khamrap (34).

Early reports suggest at least 24 children have died in the massacre at the childrens daycare centre.

Its also understood Khamrap killed his wife and child before taking his own life after the attack.

The incident happened in the Uhai Sawan area of the country.

Khamrap, a former police officer, also killed teachers at the daycare centre, one of whom is believed to have been eight months pregnant.

After the attack Thai police launched a major manhunt.

Khamrap is said to have fled the scene in a pickup truck before taking his own life.

Reuters have reported 22 children may have been killed in the attack, with up to 34 people killed altogether.

A wanted poster released by Royal Thai Police after Panya Khamrap's attack on the children's daycare centre

HLN news in Belgium has reported that a large amount of weapons have been smuggled into the country even though Thailand has strict gun laws.

Just two years ago a soldier killed 29 people after a failed real estate deal.

A spokesperson for the government in the country said the Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha expressed his condolences to the victims of the most recent attack.

Videos have circulated on social media after the attack appearing to show sheets covering childrens bodies.

It has been reported that Khamrap was discharged from the police after being arrested in possession of methamphetamine, and was due to appear in court.

He is alleged to have arrived at the school around lunchtime, forcing his way into a locked room where children were sleeping before attacking them.
Photos appeared to show that gold teeth had been pulled from torture victims, with dozens of dentures piled into a clear plastic box

Ukrainian soldiers on the front line in the Kharkiv region   AP

Dental crowns pulled out by the Russian troops from mouths of local residents and POWs   AP

UKRAINIAN investigators have discovered a box of gold teeth, pulled from victims at a Russian torture chamber where people were buried alive.

The violence was allegedly inflicted on residents, veterans and soldiers at a makeshift facility dubbed mini Auschwitz by investigators in the liberated Pisky-Radkivski village in the eastern Kharkiv region.

Photos appeared to show that gold teeth had been pulled from torture victims, with dozens of dentures piled into a clear plastic box.

Investigators also discovered a gas mask, which they said was used with a smouldering rag to torment prisoners by forcing them to inhale smoke.

Other signs suggested Russians had buried their captives alive or abused them with a sex toy.

Neighbours constantly heard screams from there, wrote Serhii Bolvinov, head of Ukraines national security service investigations wing in Kharkiv, on Twitter.

The torture chamber  one of dozens discovered in formerly occupied areas of the war-torn country  was found by police earlier this week.

Ukraine police wrote on the Telegram messaging app on Monday: After the deoccupation, our police officers document here the war crimes of the liberators army.

At least 10 torture sites have been discovered in the Kharkiv region, which was largely liberated by a lightning counter-offensive, with survivors telling local media in Ukraine of their ordeal inside the facilities.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin ordered his government yesterday to take control of Ukraines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, as the UN nuclear watchdog warned that power supply to Europes largest nuclear site was extremely fragile.

However, the boss of Ukraines state energy agency announced he was taking over the power 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 Putin formally incorporated into Russia last week, 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, said deputy foreign minister Sergei Vershinin.

Putin later signed a decree that designated the ZNPP federal property.

Russias 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 Russian-owned organisation.

The new operating organisation is designed to ensure 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 Zelensky, said Putins 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.

Petro Kotin, head of Ukraines state nuclear energy company, said he was taking charge of the ZNPP and 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 [Ukraines nuclear power supplier], Petro Kotin said in a video .

We will continue to work under Ukrainian law, within the Ukrainian energy system, within Energoatom, said Kotin.

His comments followed the brief detention by Russian forces last weekend of the ZNPPs 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 UN agency said.

Grossi is also due to visit Moscow this week, and Russias state-owned TASS news agency said he might also visit the ZNPP.

Before Russias invasion, the massive power plant produced about one-fifth of all of Ukraines electricity and nearly half the energy generated by the countrys nuclear power facilities. (Telegraph Media Group Ltd, 2022)
The exchange unfolded when Kate and Prince William were undertaking an impromptu meet and greet with people in north Belfast.

The Prince and Princess of Wales meeting the Vice Lord Lieutenant of County Antrim, Miranda Gordon, as they arrive for a visit to Carrick Connect, a youth charity based in Carrickfergus which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties, as part of a visit to Northern Ireland. Picture date: Thursday October 6, 2022.   PA

The Prince and Princess of Wales tasting drinks after a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland. Picture date: Thursday October 6, 2022.   PA

The Princess of Wales speaks to a volunteer during a visit to PIPS Suicide Prevention (PIPS Charity) in Belfast which works across communities in the city and throughout Northern Ireland to provide crisis support for those at risk of suicide and self-harm, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland. Picture date: Thursday October 6, 2022.   PA

The Princess of Wales was challenged by a woman she shook hands with during a walkabout in Carrickfergus as part of a visit to Northern Ireland. Picture date: Thursday October 6, 2022.   PA

Britains Kate Middleton has been challenged by a woman in Northern Ireland who suggested she was not visiting her own country.

The exchange unfolded when Kate and Prince William were undertaking an impromptu meet and greet with people in north Belfast.

The royal couple, who were on a one day visit to Northern Ireland, were shaking hands with the public on the citys Antrim Road after visiting a suicide prevention charity.

Kate speaks to a volunteer during a visit to PIPS Suicide Prevention (PIPS Charity) in Belfast which works across communities in the city and throughout Northern Ireland to provide crisis support for those at risk of suicide and self-harm, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland. Picture date: Thursday October 6, 2022.   PA

The woman reached out and shook Kates hand and while doing so said: Nice to meet you but it would be better if it was when you were in your own country.

The woman, who appeared to be videoing the exchange on a mobile phone, added: Ireland belongs to the Irish.

Kate smiled at the woman before moving on to shake hands with a well-wisher.

The encounter happened in what is a predominantly nationalist area of Belfast.

William and Kate received an otherwise warm reception as they were greeted by other members of the public who gathered outside the Public Initiative for Prevention of Suicide and Self Harm (PIPS) charity.

The encounter also jarred with the welcome the royal couple were afforded on the rest of their trip to Northern Ireland.

The PIPS charity was their first stop of the day, with Lord mayor of Belfast Tina Black and Sinn Fein MP for the constituency John Finucane among those who welcomed the royal couple on arrival.

William and Kate tasting drinks after a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre   PA

Inside, 12-year-old Elyse Quinn, the daughter of the charitys executive director Renee Quinn, presented the princess with a bouquet of flowers.

PIPS was founded in 2003 following the loss of 14 young people to suicide in Belfast over a short period of time the previous year.

During their visit, William and Kate spoke with staff about their work helping people at risk of suicide and self-harm.

William and Kate told 'Ireland belongs to the Irish' in Belfast

The charity also arranged for them to take part in an art therapy session, painting pumpkins, with some vulnerable children who have been supported by PIPS.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation has seen a significant rise in those reaching out for help, including an increase of more than 500% among young people.

At the close of their visit, the prince and princess joined a group of volunteer counsellors in packing up the charitys Little Boxes of Hope. The support packages are given to children following their time with PIPS to assist their ongoing recovery and ensure that their parents and guardians feel better equipped to cope.

Kate and William meeting the Vice Lord Lieutenant of County Antrim, Miranda Gordon, as they arrive for a visit to Carrick Connect, a youth charity based in Carrickfergus which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties   PA

After the visit to PIPS, the couple travelled into Belfast city centre to view Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market where they took part in a spirited cocktail-making race.

After William was declared winner, the couple heard more about the Trademarket enterprise which transformed a previously vacant site, aiming to showcase new businesses while also increasing footfall in a less-visited area.

They also met with representatives from Kainos, a Belfast-based software company which provided the site for the market at a peppercorn rent.

The final visit of the day was to the town of Carrickfergus in Co Antrim.

The royal couple were greeted by cheering crowds who had lined the streets as they arrived to visit youth charity Carrick Connect which offers support services to local young people experiencing social or emotional difficulties.
A predicted fall in the number of school children could cost hundreds of teachers their jobs next year.

The Education Ministry has told schools it expects to fund 45,118.4 FTE teachers next year, 351.5 fewer than this year.

The ministry's operations and integration leader Sean Teddy says the figure is based on forecast student enrolments for 2023.

Most of the decline would be in primary and intermediate schools which would lose funding for 355 teachers.

Secondary schools would lose 18.5 FTE positions but specialist schools would gain 16 and composite schools which teach both primary and secondary students would gain six.

Teddy says a reduction in school's entitlement staffing might not mean a school will cut teachers.

"In practice, often schools do not employ all the teachers they are funded for, for a variety of reasons. Some schools may not be able to fill positions, and some may choose to bank the funding and spend it on other things if they are confident that is in the best interests of their students."

The ministry tends to over-estimate staffing so schools can manage big reductions over several years, Teddy says.

The decline in primary schools is largely due to large birth cohorts moving out of that sector and into secondary schools, he says.

Primary principals had been warning of potential cuts and some wanted this year's staffing frozen to help schools cope with pandemic-related pressures.

Principals Federation president Cherie Taylor-Patel says the cut in entitlement staffing is disappointing and will have a big effect on schools that lose teachers.

"We're really disappointed that we've had to lose any teachers out of the system," she says.

"NZPF have been advocating since term one that staffing for 2023 needed to stay the same so that schools can support those students who have lost learning time."

Taylor-Patel says it's likely schools in growing neighbourhoods will lose teachers for the start of next year only to rehire them as more families move into new housing in their area.

Schools could ask the ministry for a review of their staffing entitlement estimates, she says.

-John Gerritsen/RNZ.
Eastern Bay Community Foundation has jumped on board the mission to save Onepu Community Park.

Save Onepu Community Park group spokesperson Sarah van der Boom says the foundations support is a huge step toward achieving the goals of the campaign to keep the community park in public use.

If Kiwis can buy a beach in Tasman Bay, why cant we buy a community park in Onepu.

Having the fund being held by the community foundation will mean we can leverage other funding as well.

Community Foundation chairman Scottie McLeod has confirmed it will provide use of the foundations bank account to hold funds for Save Onepu Community Park fundraising.

Foundation executive officer Rosemary Sloman says, initially, this account will be as a pass-through fund, meaning the foundation will hold funds on the communitys behalf until the community is ready to make a bid on the Onepu Community Park site.

We (the foundation) have been looking at several projects and this is really timely.

Weve been building our resource over the past 10 years to the point where were starting to make a difference. This just seemed a really good way for us to provide a vehicle for this to be successful.

Sarah has been the first to put her money where her mouth is with a $1000 donation.

She says the goal is to raise enough money to purchase the 71.83 hectare site outright, about $1.8 to $2 million, by October 13.

Onepu Community Park has been established over the past 12 years on 72ha of privately owned land, 60ha of which is planted in radiata pine.

Earlier this year, Norwegian pulp and paper company Norske Skog sold the property to Shane Le Prou, who has since put it on the market and says it will be closed to the public as of mid-October.

The park has established trails that are well used by Whakatane mountain bikers, a restored wetland, arboretum and donated artwork. It is popular with dog walkers and wheelchair accessible.

The park has been subject to thousands of hours of hard work by volunteers, funding from charitable trusts and investment from Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

Whakatane Mountain Bike Club president Richard Hamer says the club has been speaking directly with Shane, who has not told them they could not use the park from any particular date.

His concern was with insuring the park against fire risk and he told us we would not be able to use it during the dry months. That would be in mid-summer as far as I can tell. We will keep on using it until we are told otherwise.

Shane has made an offer to sell the park to Whakatane District Council, but Richard says he did not think it's fair for anyone to put pressure on the council to purchase the park at such short notice.

He says the clubs first priority was still to have a mountain bike park in or close to Whakatane.

Until that happens, as a club we would love to continue using Onepu Park and are in support of the Save Onepu Community Park group.

Our club has created most of the mountain bike tracks in the park. We just want to dig tracks and ride and do so legally.

The property is advertised on Trade Me with October 13 as the closing tender date.

We researched several different funding and investment options and asked the community for expressions of interest on different options. The philanthropic community-owned option was the standout favourite, says Sarah.

Rosemary says in the event the purchase bid was successful, a long-term endowment fund could be started for Onepu Community Park, and this would include funds from the harvest of the trees in about eight years time.

The Onepu Community Park Endowment Fund would continue to grow and fund maintenance and facilities in the park, until the next harvest is ready. This would create a perpetual community facility that has the ability to grow and change in accordance with the needs of the district in years ahead.

The bank account is a separate account to others, so all funds will be easily tracked and traced, and will be provided with a tax- deductible donation receipt.

Anyone wishing to donate to the fund can make payments to Kiwibank account number 38-9016-0292432-06, with Onepu Park in the particulars and code 34/22. The donors name can be entered as a reference.

Sarah says if the foundation is not successful in its tender for the park, the donations can be returned to the donors.

If the tender is successful, the foundation will own the park as an asset of the fund which is owned by the Onepu Charitable Trust.

Donors are encouraged to email their contact details to support@easternbaycommunityfoundation.nz to ensure the receipting process is simple and swift.

-Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
An officer who fired nine shots at a man in the Bay of Plenty in 2020 has been found justified in firing some, but not all of the shots.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has released its findings into the Te Teko shooting today.

The Authoritys report states that Mr X applied for compassionate leave from Waikeria Prison to attend a tangi in Te Teko and on May 13, 2020, he was granted bail by a District Court Judge for that purpose.

He was to return to prison at 6pm the next day but failed to do so.

On May 27, 2020, police unexpectedly came upon the man.

He fled and was pursued by police, says the IPCA.

The man stopped his spiked car in Te Teko.

He pointed a shotgun towards police officers as he ran across the road to steal a BMW, parked outside a dairy.

An officer, believing the man was firing at himself and other officers, shot his glock pistol at the man five times, the report reads.

While the man sat in the drivers seat of the BMW, the officer fired three more shots, hitting the back of the car.

The man then appeared to be getting out of the car with his shotgun, and the officer fired one last shot.

The man dropped the shotgun onto the footpath before driving off in the BMW.

He was taken into custody a few hours later.

The entire shooting incident took place over 37 seconds and the officers nine shots were fired over about 15 seconds, says the authority.

No-one was injured.

There is no evidence the man actually fired his shotgun.

However, the authority believes it was reasonable for the officer to genuinely believe he was firing towards him and other officers, given analysis of video footage of the incident and witness accounts.

The Authority found the first five shots and the last shot fired by the officer were justified in order to defend himself and others.

I accept the officers overall actions were to defend himself and others, in this fast-moving, challenging situation, says authority chair Judge Colin Doherty.

However, it is implausible to believe he perceived the man posed an immediate threat to anyone while the man was sitting inside the car, at the instant the officer pulled the trigger to fire shots six, seven and eight.

The officer fired some of the shots from his slow-moving patrol car, a practice which is not currently addressed in policy.

The IPCA says police are amending policy to ensure this is covered.

The authority also found police did not follow all procedures after the shooting incident.

Police acknowledge the findings of the Independent Police Conduct Authority in relation to an incident where a firearm was pointed at officers by a gang member who had failed to return to prison, says a statement from the New Zealand Police.

Bay of Plenty District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson says this was a high-risk incident for our officers involved.

This was an extremely dangerous incident.

I am proud of the officers involved and how they reacted to a fluid and fast-changing situation.

As always, we review these incidents and take learnings from them.

I am grateful that no one was injured and that our officers were able to go home at the end of their shift.

We have ensured they have been supported following this incident.
A memorandum of understanding has been was signed between Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi and Rau Ora, Hospice Eastern Bay of Plenty to help address palliative care shortages.

This effort creates a new scholarship for Te Ohanga Mataora: Bachelor of Health Science Maori Nursing students.

The MOU, which was signed on Tuesday, formalises a long-standing relationship Awanuiarangi has with Rau Ora, Hospice Eastern Bay of Plenty.

This partnership looks to offer a scholarship to third and fourth year Te Ohanga Mataora: Bachelor of Health Science Maori Nursing students who are interested in becoming palliative care nurses.

Rau Ora, Hospice Eastern Bay of Plenty will also continue to offer placement opportunities to students undertaking the nursing degree in their final year of study.

Council chairperson, the Hon. Justice Layne Harvey, says Awanuiarangi sees the connection with Rau Ora, Hospice Eastern Bay of Plenty as a natural fit for the wananga and the communities it serves.

Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi Council Chairperson Hon. Justice Layne Harvey, left, and Rau Ora, Hospice Eastern Bay of Plenty Chief Executive Peter Bassett after signing the memorandum. Photo: Supplied.

We are very pleased to be able to improve and strengthen our relationship with Rau Ora, Hospice Eastern Bay of Plenty, says Harvey.

Palliative care will increasingly become an important area of specialisation for our nursing students into the future.

They will bring not only a high standard of clinical care but also an added layer of understanding of tikanga (correct Maori protocols).

Rau Ora, Hospice Eastern Bay of Plenty Chief Executive Peter Bassett says the agreement shows the organisations commitment to supporting the development of more nurses in the Eastern Bay of Plenty to ensure Maori palliative healthcare needs are met.

We receive up to 300 new patient referrals each year and 40-45 percent of these identify as Maori. Therefore, its essential our staff are equipped to meet Maori healthcare needs, says Bassett.

The training offered by Awanuiarangi with its focus on tikanga Maori and tikanga hauora (health protocols) means its graduates have the skills and knowledge to support our patients.

Bassett adds that getting hands-on experience will enhance students learning experience.

Students will see first-hand the delivery of specialist palliative care services, such as reviewing patient records, attending visits with experienced nurses, involvement in project work for their course and more importantly exposure on what it means to offer palliative care in our community, he says.

Rau Ora, Hospice Eastern Bay of Plenty also hopes to help address employment challenges in the Eastern Bay of Plenty healthcare sector by offering permanent work to the successful student once they attain their degree.

Awanuiarangi currently offers Te Ohanga Mataora: Bachelor of Health Science Maori Nursing and is looking to add Nurse Practitioner, Midwifery and Occupational therapy to its programme in the future.
A not-for-profit animal rescue organisation has headed back to Matakana Island this month to help residents overcome the barriers of desexing their cats and kittens.

The Rescue. Revive. Rehome Bay of Plenty charitable trust went to the island, with a team vets and vet nurses from Rotorua, to spend a sponsored day of desexing 22 felines from one colony back in July.

While on the island, they learnt of other colonies, strays and undesexed felines roaming far and wide.

A cat colony on the island.

So the team returned on Wednesday, October 5, to undertake the second phase of the project  to assist those on the island with desexing their own animals and stray cats some residents are feeding.

RRR board member and project manager Liz Proudlock says her team understand the many difficulties people often face when it comes to desexing pets  especially when multiple animals are involved.

For Matakana Island residents, the logistics of transporting pets to the vets on the barge is an added hurdle that can impact their ability to have these procedures carried out, says Liz.

For families with six or more cats to desex, the cost of getting them off the island, waiting with them for the day, and the operating fees  its just huge.

There are a lot of variables to juggle, particularly if you are an elderly person.

The vets visiting Matakana Island for the last desex drive.

Thats where RRR steps in, with assistance from the Barrowman Goodman Vets staff.

In July the team desexed 22 felines from one colony.

It was amazing how that day brought out stories from other residents whod also found themselves with colonies of cats, says Liz.

This time RRRs second phase of the programme aimed to desex a further 50 cats, with their friends from Barrowman Goodman once again stepping up to perform the procedures.

A vet operating on a cat on Matakana Island.

The team will included two vets, two vet nurses, an admin person, and four RRR representatives.

We are hoping to make a difference to both people and animals  and also to the environment  by offering this service, says Liz.

Residents are invited to contribute a koha to Matakana Island School, who kindly loaned the use of their facilities.

A helper checking on the cats post-operation.
Kyiv cannot enter NATO amid combat operations currently underway in Ukraine, Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market, told French BFM television on Thursday, TASS reports.

October 6, 2022, 17:51 Ukraine cannot join NATO amid fighting in its territory: EU commissioner

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 6, ARTSAKHPRESS: "[Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky has asked about membership in NATO, but, as you know, in order to join NATO, a country must not be at war, while Ukraine is a country at war, so, evidently, [at the moment] it is impossible," Breton said.

The politician described the situation as "a political demarche," and said that the request was "symbolic."

In late September, Zelensky signed an application for an accelerated accession to NATO. The blocs Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg declined to answer a direct question of whether the alliance would endorse that application.
ReportLinker

Abstract: What`s New for 2022? Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares. Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial.

New York, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global COVID-19 Vaccines Industry" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06097782/?utm_source=GNW



Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates



Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform



Complimentary updates for one year

- Global COVID-19 Vaccines Market to Reach $60.7 Billion by 2025

- Annual Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines estimated at US$255 Million in the year 2020, is projected to reach US$60.7 Billion by 2025. Value of annual doses in China is forecast to stabilize to US$23 billion by 2025, after peaking at US$73 billion in the year 2021. Global percentage of individuals vaccinated by the year 2025 is expected to taper down to 47% by the year 2025 as compared to the 73% estimated for the year 2022.

- Vaccinated population in Africa will reach only 12% by the year 2023, a figure that will dwindle to 4% by 2025. In comparison, the percentage of individuals vaccinated in France is expected to touch 92% by the end of 2022. Number of doses administered worldwide is expected to rise to 4,186 million by 2025.



Select Competitors (Total 358 Featured)

Moderna, Inc.

Pfizer Inc./BioNTech

AstraZeneca/University of Oxford

Johnson & Johnson

CanSino Biologics, Inc.

China National Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (Sinopharm)

Sinovac Biotech Ltd.

Novavax, Inc.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals

Sanofi/GlaxoSmithKline





Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06097782/?utm_source=GNW



I. METHODOLOGY



II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



MARKET OVERVIEW

Omicron Spreads Panic Worldwide; Omicron Variant Brings Back

Memories & Fears of the Worst Part of the 2020 Pandemic

Table 1: Time is of Essence! What We Know So Far - ?Vaccine

Efficiency Against New Strains is Decreasing?

South Africa: Omicron?s Origin Location

Omicron: Impact on Travel Industry

Countries that have Already Detected Omicron Cases

Steps taken by the Countries to Prevent Transmission of Omicron

Variant

Fears of Tourism Industry

Industry Response to the Travel Curbs

Short-term Impact of Omicron on Travel

Financial Impact

Scientists Seek to Gather More Information on Omicron

Pharma Firms Aim to Improve Existing Vaccines to Counter Omicron

With New Strains Emerging at an Alarming Rate, Focus Shifts to

Booster Doses & Vaccine Tweaking. But How Practical Is It to

Implement Them?

Table 2: With Vaccinated Population Showing Signs of Declining

Clinical Protection, Booster Doses Are Emerging Into a

Necessity to Restore Vaccine Effectiveness, but this Strategy

is Not Within Reach for Most Countries: Number of Booster Doses

Administered Per 100 People by Country as of December 2021

At the Dawn of 2022, We Leave Behind Millions of Deaths Due to

New Strains & Once Again Stare at an Impending Catastrophe

Split Scenarios Unfold: The Great Vaccine Divide Emerges

Amid this Prolonged Pandemic, Why Should Businesses Care About

Progress on Vaccinations?

With IMF Making an Upward Revision of Global GDP for 2021,

Companies Are Bullish About an Economic Comeback Despite a

Continuing Pandemic

Table 3: A Strong Yet Exceedingly Patchy & Uncertain Recovery

Shaped by New Variants Comes Into Play: World Economic Growth

Projections (Real GDP, Annual % Change) for 2020 through 2022



Table 4: Easing Unemployment Levels in 2021 & 2022 Although

Moderate Will Infuse Hope for Industries Reliant on Consumer

Discretionary Incomes: Global Number of Unemployed People (In

Million) for Years 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022

Widening Revenue Gap between mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines & their Rivals

COVID-19 Vaccine Makers Set to Reap Rich Dividends from Booster

Shots

Are COVID-19 Boosters Going to Follow Flu Shot Pattern?

Covid-19 Vaccine Shortages Hit Global Supply Initiative

Despite US Donation, Global Delivery of COVID-19 Vaccines

Remains Far Short of Target

Anti-Vaccine Movement Poses Significant Threat

Table 5: COVID-19 Cases Worldwide by Country: As on November

21, 2021



Table 6: COVID-19 Cases in the US by State: As on November 21,

2021

COVID-19 Vaccines - Global Key Competitors Percentage Market

Share in 2022 (E)



THE VARIOUS COVID-19 VIRUS VARIANTS

Widening Revenue Gap between mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines & their Rivals

COVID-19 Vaccine Makers Set to Reap Rich Dividends from Booster

Shots

Are COVID-19 Boosters Going to Follow Flu Shot Pattern?

Covid-19 Vaccine Shortages Hit Global Supply Initiative

Despite US Donation, Global Delivery of COVID-19 Vaccines

Remains Far Short of Target

Anti-Vaccine Movement Poses Significant Threat

COVID-19 Cases Worldwide by Country: As on November 21, 2021

Emergence of Delta Variant Sparks New Wave of Infections

Is South African Variant a Formidable Threat?

E484K Mutation Challenges Vaccine Developers

California Strain Emerges to be More Contagious and Deadly

Is COVID-19 Virus Increasingly Resorting to Mutation to

Outsmart Vaccines?

Less Effectiveness of AstraZeneca Vaccine Against South African

Variant Leads to its Halt

Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Demonstrates Low to Modest Level of

Efficacy against South African Variant

US Government Unveils Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Shot Plan to

Maximize Vaccine Protection Against Emerging Variants

AstraZeneca Vaccine Effective against New Emerging Variants

Sinovac Vaccines Effective against Mutated Variants of Coronavirus



AN OVERVIEW OF COVID-19 VACCINE ROLLOUT

COVID-19 Vaccine Approval Details

Table 7: Production Capacity by Company for Frontrunners in

Millions of Doses for 2021

COVID-19 Vaccine Funding Details

Pfizer/BioNTech?s COVID-19 Vaccine Receives World?s First

Authorization

UK Clinches the First Position in the World to Approve Pfizer?s

Vaccine

After UK, Pfizer?s Vaccine Gains Approval from the US and EU

UK Clinches the First Position in the World to Approve Pfizer?s

Vaccine

After UK, Pfizer?s Vaccine Gains Approval from the US and EU

Novartis Inks Agreement with Pfizer-BioNTech to Support Covid-

19 Vaccine Production

After Pfizer, Moderna Vaccine Bags Coveted EUA from US FDA

Moderna Kick-Starts Inoculation in the US

AstraZeneca?s Vaccine - Third Globally to Obtain Approval

J&J?s Single Shot Vaccination Resumes after Temporary Suspension

Pfizer/BioNTech vs. Moderna vs. AstraZeneca vs. J&J Vaccine

A Comparison of Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine

Johnson & Johnsons Adenovirus-based COVID-19 Vaccine vis-a-vis

Moderna or Pfizer

Russia Commences Mass Vaccination from Mid-December, 2020

China Awards Conditional Approval to First COVID-19 Vaccine

from Sinopharm

WHO Approves China`s Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for Emergency Use

China Issues License for Vaccine Production to Overseas Partners

Brazilian Authorities Approve Sinovac?s CoronaVac

AstraZeneca?s Covishield and Bharat Biotech?s Covaxin Receive

Emergency Use Approval in India

Sanofi-GSK to Offer Vaccine at a Discounted Rate

CanSinoBIO Claims No Blood Clot Issues from COVID-19 Vaccine

Novavax Obtains First Authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine



VARIOUS COVID-19 VACCINES UNDER CLINICAL TRIALS

Table 8: COVID-19 VACCINES UNDER DEVELOPMENT



Table 9: Vaccines in Pipeline by Technology



Table 10: Vaccine Technologies in Pre-Clinical Studies



mRNA: A NEW APPROACH TO MEDICINE

mRNA Vaccine Marks Dawn of New Era of Vaccines & Medical Therapies

RNA Technology: Benefits & Potential for Future Outbreaks

Key Challenges

mRNA Vaccines Could Vanquish COVID-19 and Cancer

Efforts to Target New Application Areas



MARKET DYNAMICS

Rise of Vaccine Passports: Key to Ease COVID-19 Restrictions &

Ensure Public Safety

Developments Regarding Digital Certificates

COVID-19 Vaccine Passport: Insights & Progress

Why Digital Format Holds Merits?

What Information a Vaccine Passport Would Contain?

Regions/Countries Planning to Seek Vaccine Passport

mRNA Vaccines Offer More Protection Against Newer Variants

Vaccine Companies Stress on Booster Dose

Longer Interval between the Two Doses of Pfizer Vaccine to

Boost Antibody Levels

Mix and Match is the New COVID-19 Vaccine Mantra

Long-Haul COVID-19 Holds Potential to Become a Public Health Issue

Vaccine Alliances Ensure Supplies for All

Table 11: Select Funding Deals for COVID-19 Vaccine R&D: 2020 &

2021

Licensing and Partnership Deals Worldwide Propel Vaccine

Production

Table 12: COVID-19 Deals Worldwide - Jan 2020 to July 2021



GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE

Table 13: Global Percentage of Individuals Vaccinated by

Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe,

Asia-Pacific (India, Rest of Asia-Pacific), Latin America

(Brazil, Mexico, Rest of Latin America), Middle East and Africa

Markets - Independent Analysis of Percentage of Individuals

Vaccinated for 2020 through 2025



Table 14: European Percentage of Individuals Vaccinated by

Geographic Region - France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy,

Russia, Spain, and Rest of European Markets - Independent

Analysis of Percentage of Individuals Vaccinated for 2020

through 2025



Table 15: Global Number of Annual COVID-19 Vaccine Doses (In

Million) for Years 2020 through 2025 by Geographic

Region/Country - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe,

Asia-Pacific (India and Rest of Asia-Pacific), Latin America

(Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America), Middle East, and

Africa Markets



Table 16: World 5-Year Perspective for COVID-19 Vaccines by

Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Million Doses for

USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific (India and Rest

of Asia-Pacific), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of

Latin America), Middle East, and Africa Markets for Years 2021 &

2025



Table 17: World Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19 Vaccines

by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe,

Asia-Pacific (India and Rest of Asia-Pacific), Latin America

(Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America), Middle East, and

Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Doses in US$

Million for Years 2020 through 2025



Table 18: World 5-Year Perspective for COVID-19 Vaccines by

Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for

USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific (India and Rest

of Asia-Pacific), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of

Latin America), Middle East, and Africa Markets for Years 2021 &

2025



VACCINES FOR KIDS

Kids: A Key to COVID-19 Controlling Efforts

US FDA Approves Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine in Kids aged 5-11

Years, and 12 to 15 Years Age

Pfizer Approves Vaccine for Kids Aged 5-11 Years

Moderna Begins Testing its Vaccine on Children Aged Below 12

Years (March, 2021)

Oxford University Halts AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Trial on

Children over Perceived Safety Concerns

COVID-19 Vaccine Spikevax Approved for Children aged 12 to 17

in EU



REGIONAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE

THE UNITED STATES

MARKET ANALYSIS

Current Vaccine Scenario

New Delta Variant Cases Cause Concern

Deceleration in Economic Activity Likely Due to Omicron Effect

US Recommends COVID-19 Booster Shots

Pfizer and Moderna?s COVID-19 Vaccine Secures US FDA?s

Emergency Use Approval for Booster Shot for Vaccinated Adults

US FDA Authorizes Johnson & Johnson?s COVID-19 Vaccine for

Booster Shot

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Gets Emergency Use Nod in US

for Children 5-11 Years

Moderna Aims to Achieve Approval for its COVID Vaccine for

Children

Reopening of Borders & Inflow of International Travelers to US

Spurs Demand for Digital Vaccine Certificates

Federal Health Agencies End Temporary Pause of J&J?s Covid-19

Vaccine Use

Sanofi Joins Hands with Moderna to Produce COVID-19 Vaccines

for Global Supply

The ?Operation Warp Speed? Program Expedites Vaccine Development

Table 19: US GOVERNMENT DEALS WITH VACCINE DEVELOPERS

MARKET ANALYTICS

Table 20: USA Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19 Vaccines

Market: Annual Sales in Million Doses for the Years 2020

through 2025



Table 21: USA Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19 Vaccines

Market: Annual Sales in US$ Million for the Years 2020 through

2025

CANADA

MARKET ANALYSIS

Vaccination Gathers Steam Across Canada

Canada Expands Approval for Pfizer-BioNTech & Moderna COVID-19

Vaccines to Cover Adolescents 12 Years & Above

MARKET ANALYTICS

Canada Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19 Vaccines Market:

Annual Sales in Million Doses for the Years 2020 through 2025

Canada Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19 Vaccines Market:

Annual Sales in US$ Million for the Years 2020 through 2025

JAPAN

MARKET ANALYSIS

Slow Rollout of COVID-19 Vaccines in Japan

Japan Ropes in Armed Forces to Expedite Vaccinations

Slow Vaccination Rates Affect Olympics

Japan Looks Forward to Double Supply of COVID-19 Vaccines to

Other Countries

Daiichi Sankyo Eyes on Booster Shots in Local Market for

Impending COVID-19 Vaccine

Vaccine Passports

Japan Inks Deal with Pfizer to Secure 50 Million Additional

Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine

Japan Pushes Shipments of Pfizer?s COVID-19 Shots to Vaccinate

Elderly

Takeda Obtains Approval for Moderna?s Vaccine

AnGes Fast Tracks COVID-19 Vaccine Development Program for 2021

Rollout

Japan Commences Production of AstraZeneca?s Vaccine

VLP Therapeutics Japan Commences Trial of Replicon RNA COVID-19

Vaccine

MARKET ANALYTICS

Table 22: Japanese Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19

Vaccines Market: Annual Sales in Million Doses for the Years

2020 through 2025



Table 23: Japanese Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19

Vaccines Market: Annual Sales in US$ Million for the Years 2020

through 2025

CHINA

MARKET ANALYSIS

Chinese Vaccine Development Scenario

China Reaches Milestone of Administering over Billion Covid-19

Vaccine Doses

Vaccine Candidates in China

CoronaVac from Sinovac Obtains Emergency Use Authorization in

China for Children

WHO Recognizes Sinopharm?s COVID-19 Jab as Effective & Safe

Chinese Regulator Gives Nod to COVID-19 Vaccine from Sinovac

Life Sciences

China Approves Sinopharm?s Vaccine

BioNTech?s Shot to Become First Western COVID-19 Vaccine to

Secure Authorization in China

Countries Relying on the Chinese COVID-19 Vaccines

Trials Indicate Neutralizing Effect of Chinese COVID-19

Vaccines on South African & UK Variants

MARKET ANALYTICS

Table 24: Chinese Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19

Vaccines Market: Annual Sales in Million Doses for the Years

2020 through 2025



Table 25: Chinese Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19

Vaccines Market: Annual Sales in US$ Million for the Years 2020

through 2025

EUROPE

Covid-19 Scenario in Europe, Rise in Cases Noted

New Covid-19 Variants

Skepticism Regarding the Vaccination

Europe Witnesses Increase in COVID-19 Cases, Turns to Booster

Doses

EMA Approves Use of COVID-19 Vaccine of Pfizer for Children

EU to Recommend 9-MonthTime Limit for COVID-19 Vaccine Validity

for Travelers

EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation to Aid Free Cross-

Border Movement

EU Digital COVID Certificate: Eligibility, Process & Free Movement

Pfizer & Moderna Escalate Unit Price of COVID-19 Vaccines in

Latest EU Contracts

EU Obtains 1.8 Billion Doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

European Agency Makes Changes to Ramp Up Supply & Manufacturing

Capacity of Pfizer & Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines

BioNTech to Scale up Vaccine Production to Fill Supply Gaps and

Support Vaccination Efforts in the EU

Europe?s Horizon 2020

EC-AstraZeneca Settlement Deal Ends Legal Dispute over COVID-19

Vaccine Supplies

Johnson & Johnson to Resume Shipment of Janssen COVID-19

Vaccine to Europe

Apparent Side-Effects Prompt Denmark to Extend Suspension of

Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine

MARKET ANALYSIS

UNITED KINGDOM

Vaccine Passport

UK Wins COVID-19 Vaccine Race with Approval of Pfizer-BioNTech

Vaccine

Vaccine Distribution Challenges

The UK Approves AstraZeneca?s Vaccine

Oxford-AstraZeneca?s COVID-19 Vaccine in the form of Nasal

Spray, to be Tested Soon (March, 2021)

Moderna Modifies Supply Contract with UK to Deliver Additional

Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine

UK?s Independent Vaccine Deals

GSK to Aid Production of Novavax?s COVID-19 Vaccine for

Distribution within UK

FRANCE

France Embarks on Plans to Offer COVID-19 Vaccine Free to Citizens

France Suggests mRNA Vaccines for Second Coronavirus Shot After

AstraZeneca?s First Shot

GERMANY

Germany Allows the Use of J&J Vaccine

SPAIN

Spain Prioritizes Frontline Healthcare Providers for

Immunization Policy

Spain to Donate Vaccines to Latin America and Caribbean

ITALY

Italy Plans to Produce mRNA Vaccines Domestically

RUSSIA

Gamaleya Institute?s Sputnik V Vaccine Trials Show Promise with

92% Efficacy

CanSino Obtains Approval for Phase III Trial of COVID-19

Vaccine in Russia

NORWAY

Norway Bans AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine

MARKET ANALYTICS

Table 26: European Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19

Vaccines by Geographic Region - France, Germany, Italy, UK,

Spain, Russia, and Rest of European Markets - Independent

Analysis of Annual Doses in Millions for Years 2020 through

2025



Table 27: European 5-Year Perspective for COVID-19 Vaccines by

Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Million Doses for

France, Germany, Italy, UK, Spain, Russia, and Rest of European

Markets for Years 2021 & 2025 Region 2021 2025



Table 28: European Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19

Vaccines by Geographic Region - France, Germany, Italy, UK,

Spain, Russia, and Rest of European Markets - Independent

Analysis of Sales in US$ Million for Years 2020 through 2025



Table 29: European 5-Year Perspective for COVID-19 Vaccines by

Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Dollar Sales for

France, Germany, Italy, UK, Spain, Russia, and Rest of European

Markets for Years 2021 & 2025

ASIA-PACIFIC

MARKET ANALYSIS

INDIA

Second Wave of Covid-19 in India Attributed to Delta Variant

Indian Government Initiates COVID-19 Vaccination Drive

India Makes Notable Contribution in Production of Vaccines

AstraZeneca?s Covishield Receives Emergency Use Approval in India

Spike in New Cases Coerces India to Briefly Suspend Export of

Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine

Bharat Biotech`s Covaxin Gets Approval

Bharat Biotech Obtains Government Financial Backing to Ramp up

Production of Covaxin

Panacea Biotec Obtains DCGI`s Nod for Manufacturing Sputnik V

vaccine

Bharat Biotech & SII on Capacity Expansion Mode

Trial Indicates Decent Efficacy of Covaxin against B.1.617

Variant of COVID-19

IIL Partners with Bharat Biotech to Produce Active Drug

Substance for Covaxin

Johnson & Johnson?s Covid-19 vaccine, Produced by Biological E,

Ready for Export

Serum Institute Obtains Approval for Novavax Vaccine Trial in

7-11 Age Group

Increasing Commitments of SII and Novavax

Dr Reddy`s Rolls out Sputnik V Covid-19 Vaccine in India

DCGI Yet to Approve COVAXIN for Children

DCGI?s Approval Mandatory for the Covaxin to be Administered

for Children

Sanofi, GSK Obtains Approval to Conduct Phase 3 trial of their

Covid-19 vaccine in India

Zydus Vaccine Approved for Kids

AUSTRALIA

Australia to Invest on Novel Coronavirus Vaccines for Wider Region

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand Acquires Ultra-Cold Freezers to Store Pfizer?s

COVID-19 Vaccine

SOUTH KOREA

With the Spread of Delta Plus Variant, Fresh Covid Cases

Witness a Sharp Increase

South Korea Extends its Vaccination Programme to the Workers of

Electronics and Chip Manufacturing Industries

J&J Covid-19 Vaccine Receives Approval in South Korea

INDONESIA

Indonesia Negotiates Additional COVID-19 Vaccines from China

and GAVI

Indonesia Gets First Consignment of COVID-19 Vaccine from

China?s Sinovac

Chinese Vaccine Sinovac Allowed for Use in Sri Lanka and

Bangladesh but restricted in Malaysia

BANGLADESH

Serum Institute of India to Offer 3 Crore Doses of COVID-19

Vaccine to Bangladesh

MYANMAR

China Meets Myanmar?s Requirements

MARKET ANALYTICS

Table 30: Asia-Pacific Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19

Vaccines by Geographic Region - India, and Rest of Asia-Pacific

Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Doses in Millions for

Years 2020 through 2025



Table 31: Asia-Pacific 5-Year Perspective for COVID-19 Vaccines

by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Million Doses

for India, and Rest of Asia-Pacific Markets for Years 2021 &

2025



Table 32: Asia-Pacific Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19

Vaccines by Geographic Region - India, and Rest of Asia-Pacific

Markets - Independent Analysis of Dollar Sales in US$ Million

for Years 2020 through 2025



Table 33: Asia-Pacific 5-Year Perspective for COVID-19 Vaccines

by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Dollar Sales for

India, and Rest of Asia-Pacific Markets for Years 2021 & 2025

THE MIDDLE EAST

MARKET ANALYSIS

BAHRAIN

Bahrain Becomes the Second Country to Offer Emergency Use

Approval to Pfizer?s Vaccine

Sinopharm?s Vaccine Doses Reach Bahrain

COVID-19 Vaccine Production in the UAE

SAUDI ARABIA

IRAN

Iran Procures Vaccine Doses

AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan to Procure COVID-19 Vaccines

TURKEY

COVID-19 Vaccines in Turkey

ISRAEL

Israel Reimposes Restrictions

COVID-19 Vaccines for Israel

SYRIA

Syria Obtains AstraZeneca Vaccines, the first for the Country

MARKET ANALYTICS

Table 34: The Middle East Current & Future Analysis for

COVID-19 Vaccines Market: Annual Sales in Million Doses for the

Years 2020 through 2025



Table 35: The Middle East Current & Future Analysis for

COVID-19 Vaccines Market: Annual Sales in US$ Million for the

Years 2020 through 2025

AFRICA

MARKET ANALYSIS

UNICEF Enters into Agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica for

Supply of Vaccine to African Union

Relief for Countries in Africa that Finally Receive Vaccine

Shipment as third wave Creates Havoc

Takeaways from Covid-19 Vaccine Program in Africa

SOUTH AFRICA

Approach of South Africa towards Covid-19 Vaccination Program

New Virus Variant in South Africa Creates a Challenge

South Africa Halts AstraZeneca?s Vaccination

Highly Infectious COVID-19 Variant Spurs Countries to Impose

Travel Ban from South Africa

South Africa: The First Country in Africa to Start Vaccine

Clinical Trial

South Africa to Resume J&J Jab Vaccination

Aspen to Manufacture Johnson & Johnson?s COVID-19 Vaccine in

South Africa

China to Deliver Potential COVID-19 Vaccine to Africa for Free

CEPI Identifies Biovac Institute as Potential Manufacturer in

South Africa

EGYPT

MARKET ANALYTICS

Table 36: African Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19

Vaccines Market: Annual Sales in Million Doses for the Years

2020 through 2025



Table 37: African Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19

Vaccines Market: Annual Sales in US$ Million for the Years 2020

through 2025

LATIN AMERICA

MARKET ANALYSIS

Mass COVID-19 Vaccination Campaigns Launched in Latin American

Countries

BRAZIL

Brazil Signs Deal to Buy Additional 100 Million Doses from

Pfizer/BioNTech

Brazilian Town Serrana Beats COVID-19 with China`s Sinovac Vaccine

Brazil, Turkey Announce Vaccination Plans for Chinese Vaccine

GSK to Aid Production of Novavax?s COVID-19 Vaccine for

Distribution within UK

Brazil Blocks Import of Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 Vaccine over

Efficacy & Safety Concerns

Covaxin Clinical Trial?s Stopped in Brazil but Supply Continued

in India

MEXICO

Mexico?s Cofepris Approves Emergency Use of Pfizers COVID-19

Vaccine

Tulane University, Children?s Hospital Launch Moderna COVID-19

Vaccine trial for Childre

ARGENTINA

Argentina Secures 22 Million Doses of AstraZeneca?s COVID-19

Vaccine

CHILE AND PERU

Chile, Peru Approve Clinical Trials for AstraZeneca?s COVID-19

Vaccine

Chile Struggles with Escalating Cases of COVID-19 despite

Massive Rollout of Vaccine

CanSinoBIO Secures Emergency Use Authorization for COVID-19

Vaccine in Chile

MARKET ANALYTICS

Table 38: Latin American Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19

Vaccines by Geographic Region - Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of

Latin American Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Doses

in Millions for Years 2020 through 2025



Table 39: Latin American 5-Year Perspective for COVID-19

Vaccines by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Million

Doses for Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin American Markets

for Years 2021 & 2025



Table 40: Latin American Current & Future Analysis for COVID-19

Vaccines by Geographic Region - Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of

Latin American Markets - Independent Analysis of Dollar Sales

in US$ Million for Years 2020 through 2025



Table 41: Latin American 5-Year Perspective for COVID-19

Vaccines by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Dollar

Sales for Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin American Markets

for Years 2021 & 2025

Competitive Market Presence - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial for

Players Worldwide in 2022 (E)



FOCUS ON THE FRONTRUNNERS

Moderna, Inc. (USA)

Pfizer Inc./BioNTech (US/Germany)

AstraZeneca/University of Oxford (The UK)

Johnson & Johnson (USA)

CanSino Biologics, Inc. (China)

China National Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (Sinopharm) (China)

Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (China)

Novavax, Inc. (USA)

Inovio Pharmaceuticals (USA)

Sanofi/GlaxoSmithKline (France/UK)



INITIATIVES FOR EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF VACCINES

Fair Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccine

Vaccine Nationalism Hampers Equitable Distribution of Vaccines

COVAX Created to Ensure Fair and Universal Access to COVID-19

Vaccine

COVAX Inks Additional Deals for Global Rollout of COVID-19

Vaccines

African Countries Become Part of the COVAX Facility for Timely

Access to Successful Vaccines

COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC)

World Economic Forum to Push COVID-19 Vaccine Production

Capability

Pushing Manufacturing Capacity to Fulfil Global Demand

Technology Transfer and Other Payments



KEY VACCINE TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS

Inactivated Vaccines

Inactivated Vaccine Candidate in Preclinical Development: As on

Nov 19, 2021

Protein-Subunit Vaccines

Protein-Subunit Vaccine Candidate in Preclinical Development:

As on Nov 19, 2021

Non-Replicating Viral-Vector

Non-Replicating Viral Vector Vaccine in Preclinical

Development: As on Nov 19, 2021

Replicating Viral Vector Vaccine Candidate in Preclinical

Development: As on Nov 19, 2021

Nucleic Acid Vaccines

RNA Vaccine Candidate in Preclinical Studies: As on Nov 19, 2021

DNA Vaccine Candidate in Preclinical Studies: As on Nov 19, 2021

Replicating Bacteria Vector

Live Attenuated Vaccines (LAVs)

Live Attenuated Virus Candidate in Preclinical Studies: As on

Nov 19, 2021

Live Attenuated Bacterial Vector Candidate in Preclinical

Studies: As on Nov 19, 2021

Virus-like Particle Vaccines

Virus-like Particles (VLP) Vaccine Candidate in Preclinical

Development: As on July 27, 2021



WORLD COVID-19 VACCINE BRANDS



SELECT CORPORATE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE COVID-19 VACCINE MARKET: 2021



IV. COMPETITION

Total Companies Profiled: 358

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06097782/?utm_source=GNW



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By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Tourist information boards will be installed on the statues to be erected in Azerbaijan.

Culture Minister Anar Karimov told reporters on the fringes of the 8th Baku International Book Fair.

Tourist information boards will be installed on the existing statues as well.

The minister also clarified that the inscriptions on some statues are written in Cyrillic, Azernews reports, citing Azertac.

"Our historical monuments are the cultural wealth of Azerbaijan and the legacy of our ancestors. The statues with inscriptions in the Cyrillic alphabet are monuments erected during the Soviet era," the minister said.

"We, as the Azerbaijani state, should take care of them, but not only the state, I think all citizens should own their heritage and cultural monuments. The statues with the Cyrillic alphabet were erected during the Soviet Union. There are still inscriptions written in the old alphabet. This is history. We must respect every history, every tradition. In fact, by keeping every tradition, we increase its value," he added.
Vietnam has reportedly asked Netflix to remove its recent Little Women series over a distorted depiction of the Vietnam War.

The series, a South Korean drama based loosely on the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott, has been released internationally on the streaming service.

The controversy stems from episode eight of Little Women, which features a scene in which a Korean military veteran discusses the achievements of Korean soldiers during the war.

In our best battles, the kill-to-death ratio for Korean troops was 20 to one, the character says at one point. Thats 20 Viet Cong killed for one Korean soldier dead.

In a letter seen by Vietnamese newspaper Truoi Tre, (per Bloomberg), the Vietnamese Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information said that the series had contravened Vietnamese press law.

Specifically, the series is alleged to have breached Clause Four, Article Nine of the document, which precludes media from inciting war, infringing upon the countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity, or distorting history.

Vietnamnet reports that Netflix is currently processing the request, also claiming that the series is expected to be removed from the streamers catalogue in Vietnam later this week.

The Independent has contacted Netflix for comment.
Lomar Shipping announces the corporate acquisition of Carl Buttner Holding GmbH & Co. KG

Lomar Shipping, maritime subsidiary of Libra Group, has acquired ship owning and management company Carl Buttner Holding GmbH & Co. KG

October 3, 2022, London, U.K. Lomar Shipping, a maritime subsidiary of Libra Group, has acquired the Bremen, Germany-based Carl Buttner Holding GmbH & Co. KG (Carl Buttner or "CB"). The acquisition of the 166-year-old shipowner and manager  known for its technical management expertise and strong maritime legacy  is Lomars most recent step to further diversify and grow its fleet. Lomar entered into preliminary discussions with CB in Q4 2021, and the final agreement between the groups was reached in early 2022. After obtaining final regulatory approvals, the transaction closed last week at an enterprise value of close to $160 million. Transport Capital provided advisory services and negotiated on behalf of the sellers. Established in 1856, CB has been owned and managed by five generations of the Buttner family. Through this acquisition, CB will become a subsidiary of Lomar, a leading ship-owning and management group established in 1976 with a diversified fleet of container vessels, bulk carriers, and chemical/product tankers. Lomars extensive experience in maritime includes ownership, commercial management, and technical management working with many leading organizations around the world. Lomar is also itself a maritime subsidiary of the family-owned Libra Group, a global business group whose subsidiaries are predominately in six key sectors, including transportation, with assets and operations in nearly 60 countries. We are pleased to see the acquisition of Carl Buttner successfully completed and look forward to welcoming our new colleagues and their vast tanker management expertise as Lomar enhances its presence in the sector, said Nicholas Georgiou, CEO of Lomar Shipping. Our organizations cultures share many fundamental similarities, from our long-standing family values to a commitment to developing future talent within the maritime industry. We have a deep understanding of the maritime history in Bremen and are committed to strengthening our presence in the area by welcoming CB into the Lomar family. George M. Logothetis, Executive Chairman of Libra Group said, This deal reflects the ethos and family values shared across our business group. We are pleased that as the Carl Buttner group joins Lomar, a proven maritime leader, it will also benefit from the strength of Libra Groups network around the world. He continued, This is an exciting time for Lomar, and we look forward to many innovative and future-thinking announcements to come. In 2017, long-time managing director of the CB Group, Thorsten Mackenthun, launched the most extensive newbuilding program in the company's history, which was successfully implemented with the delivery of four state-of-the-art ECO/fuel-efficient handy size chemical/oil-product tankers in 2019 and 2020, advancing the company despite the challenging market environment caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic. He has decided to retire following the successful acquisition, noting that after more than 42 years in shipping, this result is a wonderful conclusion, and it is time to pass the wheel into younger hands. He continued, CB has had a strong track record in shipping for 166 years, and this deal is a new chapter as part of a trusted company in the space. Among their shared values, Lomar and CB are both dedicated to growing the next generation of maritime leaders. Former CEO of Lomar, Bremen-born Achim Boehme, passed away at 56 in 2020 following a courageous battle with cancer. In his memory, Lomar launched the Achim Boehme Scholarship program to support the next generation of seafarers and shipping professionals. This program is currently supporting shipping students at Hochschule Bremen - City University of Applied Sciences that are taking degree programs in International Ship Management - Nautical Sciences B.Sc. (ISMN) and International Shipping and Chartering B.A. (ISSC). Lomar has long had a presence in Bremen, a vibrant port city and economic hub with a historic seafaring tradition. Under the final terms of the acquisition, CBs foundation will support the Achim Boehme Scholarship program, providing approximately $500,000 in additional program funding for German maritime students. All funding from the family and foundation will be used to support the next generation of German seafarers.




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The St. Alphonsus Food Pantry in Auburn is coordinating a Thanksgiving Potholder Project this year.

The goal of the project is to provide a potholder to each of the 500 families who will receive a turkey dinner this holiday from the pantry. Any new potholders will be accepted, including ones purchased, sewn or woven on a loom.

"We look forward to being able to provide this essential kitchen tool to families in need this time of year and hope you can help us reach our goal!" the pantry said in a news release.

All potholders must be delivered to the pantry, 85 E. Genesee St., Auburn, by Wednesday, Nov. 16. Pantry hours are 9 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
A man is facing six years in prison after being convicted of multiple theft-related crimes.

Cayuga County Acting District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci announced that Tyler Hulslander, 27, of Cortland, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges including burglary, grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.

Hulslander was arrested in January 2021, when police checking on a reported trespassing in the town of Genoa found him behind the wheel of a pickup truck that had been reported stolen in Syracuse. The pickup had guns and drugs inside, police said at the time, and a stolen ATV in the back.

Hulslander was later tied to a burglary and theft at a hunting lodge, and the theft of two trailers and a total of seven snowmobiles from multiple locations, including the town of Venice. Prosecutors said the crime spree began on Dec. 8, 2021.

The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office, in conjunction with the Cortland County Sheriffs Office, the Chenango County Sheriffs Office and the New York State Police, were ultimately able to locate and recover four snowmobiles and both of the stolen trailers.

The DA's office said that Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher Valdina handled the prosecution, and Hulslander is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 26, 2023 to six years in prison and three years of post-release supervision. He will also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims for any damaged or unrecovered property.

A second suspect, Amy Graham, 49, of the Chenango County town of Pitcher, was arrested in August and charged with felony grand larceny.
What just happened? In what is thought to be a first, an executive at a company has been found guilty of charges relating to concealing a hack. Joe Sullivan, Uber's former chief security officer, authorized payments to the perpetrators of a 2016 data breach that saw the personal details of 50 million Uber customers and 7 million drivers stolen.

The Washington Post reports that a jury found Sullivana former prosecutor of cybercrimes for the San Francisco US attorney's officeguilty of obstructing justice for not revealing the October 26, 2016, breach to the FTC; companies are required to disclose data breaches under state and federal laws. He was also found guilty of actively hiding a felony, or misprision.

The hackers emailed Uber anonymously in 2016, informing it that they had accessed the company's Amazon Web Services (AWS) storage and downloaded swathes of data, which included names, email addresses, and phone numbers, along with 600,000 US drivers' license numbers. It later emerged that they achieved this by accessing a private GitHub coding site used by Uber software engineers and used the login credentials they obtained there.

The hackers were directed to Uber's bug bounty program, but its maximum $10,000 reward didn't satisfy the criminals, who wanted a six-figure sum in return for deleting the stolen info and keeping quiet about the incident. Already under FTC investigation over a similar 2014 breach, Uber agreed to a $100,000 payment in Bitcoin under the guise of it being a bug bounty payment. The two hackers were later arrested and pleaded guilty to hacking charges.

The hack only became public knowledge in November 2017 when new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi disclosed it and fired Sullivan. Prosecutors claim Sullivan kept the breach hidden to protect his reputation.

"Sullivan affirmatively worked to hide the data breach from the Federal Trade Commission and took steps to prevent the hackers from being caught," Stephanie Hinds, US attorney for San Francisco, said in an email to Bloomberg. "We will not tolerate concealment of important information from the public by corporate executives more interested in protecting their reputation and that of their employers than in protecting users."

Sullivan faces up to eight years in prison but is reportedly likely to receive a much shorter sentence.

Uber confirmed it suffered another data breach last month that could have been as bad as or worse than the 2016 incident. It was carried out by the same 18-year-old hacker behind the GTA 6 leak, who has since been arrested.
In brief: Google on Thursday unveiled the Pixel Watch, a flagship wearable positioned to go toe to toe with the Apple Watch and other mainstream smartwatches in the growing wearables category.

The Pixel Watch features a 41mm case made of 80 percent recycled stainless steel that measures 12.3mm tall and weighs 36 grams without a band. The 320 PPI AMOLED, always-on display boasts up to 1000 nits of peak brightness and is coated in custom 3D Corning Gorilla Glass.

Under the attractive exterior is a Samsung Exynos 9110, a dual-core SoC with Mali-T720 MP1 graphics, alongside a Cortex M33 co-processor, 2GB of SDRAM and 32GB of eMMC flash. Dedicated sensors include a compass, altimeter, blood oxygen sensor, an optical heart rate sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an ambient light sensor and a multi-purpose electrical sensor.

The watch is also loaded with an array of navigation sensors including GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo. Wireless connectivity options include 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz. The integrated 294mAh battery is said to offer up to 24 hours of runtime on a single charge, and you can get a 50 percent boost in about half an hour.

It all starts with the aesthetic, and Google seemingly has a winner on its hands. The wearables are reminding me a lot of the vintage Nike watches from around 2000 or so. Cherlynn Low with Engadget said it's possibly the prettiest smartwatch she has ever touched. The Verge's Victoria Song notes that it very much feels like it fits within the Pixel family. Lisa Eadicicco from CNET believes it could be the Apple Watch alternative that Android users have been waiting for.

The Pixel Watch starts at $349.99 for the Wi-Fi only model and $399 for a unit equipped with 4G LTE capabilities. It is available to pre-order as of this writing in your choice of black, silver or champagne gold color schemes and comes with a free six-month trial of Fitbit Premium plus three free months of YouTube Music Premium. It ships and hits stores on October 13, the same day the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro launch.
What just happened? As artificial intelligence continues to develop and become a bigger part of our lives, many people believe AI should have regulations or guidelines in place. The White House agrees with those citizens, releasing a "bill of rights" dedicated solely to artificial intelligence.

It would be a massive understatement to say artificial intelligence has affected our lives. Whether that's a positive or negative is entirely up to you. Virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri are integrated into many devices that people interact with everyday. Self-driving vehicles, not limited to Tesla models, utilize machine learning to teach AI to drive the vehicle. Manufacturing robots is another such example, although more relevant to business than the consumer.

Some people view AI as a revolutionary breakthrough, allowing our day-to-day lives to become easier. However, others see artificial intelligence as dangerous, scary, or potentially "robots plotting to take over the world." Regardless of what side you stand on in this matter, most do agree that AI should have regulations or guidelines which developers have to follow when building their creations.

Last year, Joe Biden's former chief science advisor, Eric Lander, proposed a "bill of rights" strictly for artificial intelligence, hoping to limit any potential harm that it could bring and earlier this week, the White House officially laid out the blueprint to make those plans a reality.

Since the artificial intelligence bill is "opt in," companies can choose to ignore it for now.

A report from the Washington Post details the proposal in-depth, claiming the bill has "five overarching principles," including:

Users should be "protected from unsafe or ineffective" automated systems, and tools should be expressly "designed to proactively protect you from harms."

Discriminatory uses of algorithms and other AI should be prohibited, and tools should be developed with an emphasis on equity.

Companies should build privacy protections into products to prevent "abusive data practices" and users should have "agency" over how their data is used.

Systems should be transparent so that users "know that an automated system is being used" and understand how it's affecting them.

Users should be able to "opt out of automated systems in favor of a human alternative, where appropriate."

Alondra Nelson, the deputy director of science and society for the White House, spoke further to the Washington Post, claiming that the bill is simply "laying down a marker for the protections." An anonymous White House official stated these plans are a "call to action" and "we recognize there is still a lot of work to do."

Since the artificial intelligence bill is "opt in," companies can choose to ignore it for now. This may change if Congress elects to enforce the protections which are laid out within those plans, but that could be years away. It is interesting to see the U.S. government step up and attempt to keep AI under check to ensure it doesn't blossom into something dangerous to any citizens.
The Space Surveillance Telescope (SST) has been declared to be capable of initial operations by the Australian Department of Defense and the US Space Force, as reported by Interesting Engineering.

(Photo : MATT HARTMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Heavy blasts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California as it launches a spy satellite on it's final flight from California, September 24, 2022

With the threat of a space attack, space-based technologies are more important than ever. The SST has been part of the Pentagon's Space Surveillance Network (SSN) that can track many objects in space.

A Work in Progress

The SSN is a work in progress, and to strengthen its coverage, the Pentagon signed an agreement with Australia in 2013 to move the SST to a smaller continent. In the agreement, the SST was installed at the White Sands Missiles Range in New Mexico was to be moved to Australia in 2017.

The SST was built by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It can find and track debris up to 22,000 miles above the surface of the Earth.

Additionally, the SST is still owned by the US, but is now operated and maintained by the Royal Australian Air Force. By 2020, the SST captured its first images from its new home at the Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt.

Then, it went through phases of testing and evaluation, and now, it can now begin its initial operations. The full operational capacity of the SST is expected to be by late 2023.

Also Read: SpaceX: US Space Force Spy Satellites using Recycled Falcon Boosters to Launch Soon

Better Space Awareness

Space awareness is top priority for Space Force and the US Space Command. It has been assigned to Space Delta 2 at the USSF. It is also assigned to execute combat-ready domain awareness.

The importance of the Space Surveillance Telescope cannot be undermined. It has been declared to be a vital part of the Pentagon's ability to track and to report space activities and a space asset that is owned by the US and operated by Australia.

The Pentagon is hopeful that threat assessments and tracking of objects in space will be more accurate. Now, while the state of technological readiness of the SST is growing, Space Force is also preparing itself for assessment and tracking of space objects in the near future.

Space Threats

Space threats are threats to national security. These threats include the need for space situational awareness, space surveillance, and the maintenance of US space assets. One of them is Space junk or space debris is the remnants of spacecrafts and satellites floating in space. These objects can do damage to space assets and satellites, thus threatening the safety of people on Earth. This is why Space Force is concerned with these space threats. To keep these space threats at bay, the US should protect their space surveillance assets and maintain their space situational awareness.

With the SST, Space Force can get an early warning system against space threats. Also, it can use the SST to track and assess the status of space assets and satellites. Tracking space junk will help Space Force secure the safety of vital assets in space.

Related Article: US Military's 'World's Only Reusable Spaceplane' Has Been Flying for 781 Days - New Endurance Record Achieved!

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Written by April Fowell

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Europe is experiencing a massive power crisis in the present day due to Russia and Ukraine's conflict that cut off a massive source for the rest of the European region, now experiencing problems. Copelouzos Group, a massive company from Greece, is now working with Egypt to deliver power to the EU in the latest venture for an 853-mile-long underwater power cable to supply the continent.

EU Power Crisis: Egypt is Here to Help

(Photo : Copelouzos Group)

The venture started last year, and the idea is to bring clean energy from Egypt to Greece to supply the European country with an ample supply of power for its residents' use. And it is a strategic one because early in 2022, the unexpected conflict between Russia and Ukraine started, with the Russians also severing their ties to global partners.

Russia is renowned for supplying power to Europe as well, featured in many of its country's power plants that mostly rely on its coal mining technology, a now denounced power supply.

Greece's Copelouzos Group started this venture with Egypt last October 2021, and a year later, they are already in working meetings with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi regarding the future of the project.

Read Also: UK's New Energy Project to Explore Bugs in Creating Soil Batteries for Solar Energy Storage

Copelouzos Group's Underwater Cable

The company calls this the GREGY - Green Energy Interconnector, derived from the names of both countries participating in the venture, Greece and Egypt. The group aims to lay 853 miles of underwater power cables that will bring power from Egypt to Greece, supplying the European country with 3,000 megawatts of clean energy for its needs.

It aims to offset the country's reliance on the EU's energy, now experiencing a power crisis.

Underwater Technology

Most of the underwater technology available to the world now focuses on delivering internet to far-off countries that do not have any terrestrial or land-based cellular connections that will help connect them online. An initiative from Google previously focused on connecting Portugal to Togo, a venture that it finished in three years.

The underwater fiber optics line also aims to connect Google's services to Nigeria and Cape Town in the African continent.

However, the main challenge of wired technology to deliver internet to far-off regions is that it is prone to breaking for natural reasons, something which happened to Tonga's underwater cables.

It took several weeks before users were able to experience being online again, as it took a long time for the company to restore its internet connection in the Polynesian country. Still, there are many wireless solutions in place to answer this problem for all, soon giving them more options for an internet connection like Starlink.

However, that principle would not apply to deliver power to far regions like Egypt to Europe's Greece, and it needs cables to bring power from coast to coast. The Copelouzos Group aims to supply Europe with as much as 3,000 megawatts of clean energy coming from Egypt, thereby ensuring power and no longer relying on Russia for this need.

Related Article: Babcock Ranch in Florida Survives Hurricane Ian, Solar Power Helped Avoid Power Loss

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Written by Isaiah Richard

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The USS Gerald R. Ford, the first Ford-class aircraft of the US Navy is now at sea, as reported by Interesting Engineering. The deployment of the aircraft carrier is highly significant as the Navy hasn't commissioned a new generation of aircraft carriers in almost 40 years.

(Photo : South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images)

EAST SEA, SOUTH KOREA - SEPTEMBER 30: In this handout image provided by the South Korean Defense Ministry, The submarine USS Annapolis (front), U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan (C) and South Korean and Japan warships seen during a combined trilateral anti-submarine exercise on September 30, 2022 in East sea South Korea.

The Christening

The christening is the ceremonial ship launch that involves lowering the ship into the water. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Newport News Shipbuilders, and the US Navy were all present during this time. Susan Ford-Bales, the daughter of Gerald R. Ford, was the one who christened the Ford on November 9, 2013.

Ford-Bales concluded the final minutes of the ship ashore by christening the aircraft carrier on behalf of the United States of America. It was done by breaking a champagne bottle across the bow, which is a custom that dates back a hundred years.

The Aircraft Carrier

The aircraft carrier has electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) and features cutting-edge technology compared to the Nimitz-class carriers. EMALS system uses electric power to launch aircraft off the vessel, which will shorten the time between launches. It will also reduce the strain placed on the aircraft because they are launched from the carrier.

Additionally, a more sophisticated radar system is installed on the ship and it will be the only Ford-class carrier with a dual-band radar.

Just before the first deployment, the aircraft carrier underwent workups to ensure that it was ready for its journey. The USS Gerald Ford will conduct operations alongside allies and partners in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore, the deployment would be shorter than the usual six months.

The deployment of the USS Gerald Ford is a chance for the US to further down the field and demonstrate the advantage of it that can be used for the future of naval aviation to the region and to allies and partners. It will also involve 9,000 personnel from nine nations, 20 ships, and 60 aircraft. The countries involved are the US, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden.

Also Read: US Navy Will Deploy the Most Expensive Aircraft Carrier in the World

The Ford Class Carriers

The Ford Class carriers are successors of the Nimitz class carriers and are named after former US Presidents. They are the next generation of aircraft carriers after the Nimitz class.

Ford class carriers have many benefits like increased electrical power generation, advanced weapons elevators, new dual band radar system, virtual docks, and a better nuclear power plant. Ford-class carriers also have a different design compared to that of the Nimitz class. It is expected to have an electromagnetic launcher and a host of other improvements.

Related Article: US Navy's Next-Gen Amphibious Ship Could Camouflage? Can Blend In With Normal Fishing Boats and Other Features

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Written by April Fowell

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
India may be the next site to develop the iPhone series as there is a massive change from its China manufacturing due to tensions between Beijing and Washington in their policies. Additionally, China is best known for its pandemic response that is strict on enforcing it among factory workers, one which Apple was previously affected by its shutdown.

Companies manufacturing in China are known for their "plus one" policy which also looks at other countries to have alternatives for factory work, as well as its supply chain.

Apple to Manufacture More iPhones in India?

(Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Apple Inc. said last week that it is already transferring five percent of its iPhone 14 production to India, and according to BBC, this may see more future production take place in the Asian country. This move may be Apple's shift to diversify its supply chain and contribute to making India the manufacturing hub by 2025.

The move is also a part of the "plus one" strategy that manufacturers enforce, especially if they have their central production in China and are seeing a decline in their supply chain.

While India is already centering on a small percentage of Apple's production, there are indications that it might see more in the future, developing as the center for many tech companies in the future.

Read Also: Apple Accepts TSMC Chip Price Hike for iPhone 15: Report

China and US: Tensions Affecting Tech?

Not only is China's COVID policy affecting the technology it brings for US companies in the present, but also the tension it has with the country.

According to Reuters, the tension between Beijing and Washington is at no point where either is backing down, and this may indicate hardships in the future supply chain of businesses and corporations relying on delivering their products with Chinese production.

Apple and its Chinese Manufacturing

Apple is making a move toward diversifying its supply chains by having more manufacturing plants outside of China to avoid further delays and limit its operations due to the Asian country's anti-COVID policy. One of the countries that the company moved towards is India, having as much as five percent of Cupertino's supply chain coming from the country.

Other manufacturers also play a massive role as alternatives to China, with Apple putting their MacBook and Apple Watch production in Vietnam, as part of its diversification.

The Cupertino giant is known for centering its manufacturing in China for the longest time now, and it brought the world the design from California, but its assembly takes place in the East Asian country. However, the COVID-19 response of the country shut down factories for several weeks to contain an outbreak, with Apple expecting a loss of as much as $8 billion should they continue.

Despite the COVID restrictions easing in the global operations and daily lives of the public, it is not the same for China's health response team. It aims to fully avoid any outbreak among the many plants and factories in the country, and it is prioritizing health instead of the supply chain for the public's safety.

It seems that more iPhones may see manufacturing in India, to soon deliver to the world.

Related Article: Apple App Store Price Hike Affects Android, 'Pokemon GO,' Other Apps In-App Purchases

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Written by Isaiah Richard

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
ByteDance's Chinese TikTok app, Douyin, is now criticized by Cantonese-speaking streamers after the platform took down their videos.

(Photo : Photo by LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)

This picture taken on October 5, 2020 shows the logo of social media TikTok on a tablet screen in Toulouse, southwestern France. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP)

They claimed that Douyin was prematurely cutting off their content. Of course, ByteDance explained why this happens on TikTok.

This was seen in the message received by the Cantonese-speaking live streamers.

They explained that their screen will take down their posts and say that the texts or languages are unrecognizable.

TikTok Prematurely Taking Down Cantonese Content?

According to Fortune's latest report, the Cantonese language is spoken by around 85 million Chinese residents.

(Photo : Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)

A picture taken on January 21, 2021 in Nantes, western France shows a smartphone with the logo of Chinese social network Tik Tok. (Photo by LOIC VENANCE / AFP)

Also Read: TikTok Removes 113 Million Videos for Violating Policies as per the Company's Quarterly Report

Those who use the dialect are really frustrated with TikTok's actions. Some of the Cantonese-speaking streamers even accused Douyin of discrimination.

Guangdong liangzai feng shao, a Cantonese-speaking streamer, said that the action of TikTok regarding their content is ridiculous, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

Due to this issue, he decided to limit his uploads on Douyin. The influencer added that he also reduced his live streams because of the platform's restrictions.

Is TikTok Fixing the Issue?

ByteDance hasn't responded to the complaints of affected Cantonese streamers.

But, if the problem worsens, the company will have no choice but to address the issue.

This is not the first time the Chinese TikTok version has been accused of prematurely taking down Cantonese videos.

Back in 2020, many users also called out the Chinese video platform because they were encouraged to use Mandarin instead of Cantonese.

During that period, ByteDance explained that they are still enhancing their moderation capabilities in languages so that its platform can easily recognize other dialects.

On the other hand, ByteDance explained that the live-streaming feature of TikTok was just launched in 2018.

The company said that it is still considered a "newer feature," which suggests that they still need time to improve its moderation capabilities.

If you want further details about the latest issue of Douyin, you can visit this link.

Previously, the U.K. warned TikTok after it was accused of failing to protect children's privacy.

We also reported that the TikTok Sept. 24 conspiracy is not actually true, thanks to fact checkers' efforts to debunk the theory.

For more news updates about TikTok and other popular social media apps, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Tiktok Denies Data Breach Following Hackers Claim of Obtaining Users' Records

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Written by Griffin Davis

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
" " This New Hampshire vanity license plate reads "Last Bug," fitting for the back of a VW "bug." Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Back in 1900, there were just 4,192 motor vehicles in the U.S. But every year, the number of cars was skyrocketing (by 1908, it would reach 63,500). As automobiles grew in popularity, eventually replacing the horse and buggy, state governments needed a way to keep tabs on vehicles. The simple license plate was the solution, with a few letters and numbers stamped into a thin metal sheet to designate a car to its owner.

"New York became the first state to require owners to register their motor vehicles with the state," says Ian Lang, senior car advice editor at Bumper.com via email. "The New York legislature required vehicle registration on April 25, 1901, followed by California later that year. New York's first plates were homemade, bearing only the owner's initials without any numbers. It was Massachusetts that actually issued its first license plates in 1903."

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These were the first instances of car registration in the U.S., but France beat them to the punch, with motor vehicle tags issued as early as 1893. In fact, all the way back in 1783, King Louis XVI mandated that carriage drivers in Paris have metal plates with their names and addresses fixed on their carriages.

"By 1918, license plates had been issued by all 48 contiguous states," says Lang. These plates were made out of either leather or metal and were not very standardized from state to state. "It was common for early plates to have just the state's name or abbreviation, a registration number, and, more often than not, the year."

" " This California car from the early 1920s is equipped with a license plate. American Stock/Getty Images

Initially, license plates were issued to last the life of the vehicle, says Lang, but by the 1920s, registration renewal became a thing. "During this time, states began experimenting with different methods of creating license plates. Typically, the front of the registration card [plate] would have the registration number in large, centered numbers while the back would have the abbreviated name of the state and a two- or four-digit year of validity."

Around the 1950s, license plate size and materials began to be standardized to what we see today. After 1956, all American, as well as Canadian plates measured exactly 6 by 12 inches (15 by 30 centimeters). In 1954, the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) was also introduced as a reliable method of tying registration documents to a particular car.
Online retail giant Amazon is electrifying its massive fleet of delivery and supply chain vehicles, and as part of the initiative, it recently placed an order with Swedish car manufacturer Volvo for 20 electric trucks. This is in line with the company's commitment since 2019, which is to make its entirety carbon-neutral.

Agreement Between Amazon and Volvo

Volvo announced a press release today. In a report by Electrek, it confirmed, "Volvo Trucks will deliver fully electric heavy-duty trucks to Amazon in Germany by year-end. The 20 Volvo FH Electric are expected to drive more than one million road [kilometres] annually, fuelled with electricity instead of diesel."

According to Andreas Marschner, Amazon's vice president of Transportation Services Europe, the company is dedicated to reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced by its fleets, and yet, the middle mile has been "a notoriously hard-to-abate sector."

Marschner said that while Amazon is operating one of the fast-growing commercial transportation electrification initiatives, it will continue to invest and innovate in order to decarbonize its operations and provide clients with package delivery that produces no emissions.

Volvo executive for Product Management Jessica Sandstrom also mentioned how the transport businesses became essential to driving the effort to reduce its carbon footprint. She added, "I'm glad that Amazon is working with us to help reduce their emissions in longer and heavier transport assignments."

Related Article: Rivian-Amazon Delivery Van Shows Up in California-Is this the Self-Driving Electric Vehicle for Future Deliveries?

More Details on Volvo FH Electric Trucks

The Volvo FH Electric is a heavy-duty vehicle truck with a capacity of "up to 44 tonnes GCW."

The car manufacturer divulged some of its technical specifications. The battery capacity is 540 kWh with continuous output power at 490 kW. The range is up to 300 km or 186 miles, although the Volvo FH Electric may travel up to 500 km in a typical workday if a top-up charge is added, such as during the lunch break.

The Climate Pledge

Back in 2019, the online retail giant made an announcement on its brand new project called "The Climate Pledge." It is the company's commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2040, which is ten years earlier than what is required by the Paris Agreement.

Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge intending to build a cross-sector community of companies, organizations, individuals, and partners working together to address the current climate crisis. This also aims to overcome the challenges of decarbonizing the economy.

Previous Electric Vehicle Purchase

Prior to the truck purchase, the news about Amazon and American automaker Rivian's partnership surfaced.

Apparently, Amazon already ordered 100,000 electric vans from Rivian to reduce the negative effects of carbon emissions on the environment.

Two months ago, Rivian revealed that its electric vans had delivered over 430,000 packages to Amazon's consumers.

Read Also: Amazon Rivian Van to Use Netradyne 'Always-On' Surveillance Cameras Inside Vehicles for Safety

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Written by Trisha Kae Andrada

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
AUSTIN, Texas  Lindsey Banks this week signed with Ikigai Marketing for her public relations efforts. The well-known cam girl and content creator named Kristel Penn as her official publicist.

Working hands-on is important to me as a business owner, so having a listening ear to help with my companys needs was reassuring when choosing Ikigai Marketing, said BanksieTV founder Lindsey Banks. On top of being established in the adult industry, giving back to the community, and ethical practicing, it was a clear choice for BTV to partner with Ikigai Marketing. It feels like an enormous and motivating next step for BanksieTV.

Ive had the distinct privilege of seeing Lindsey in action as both a community builder and brand ambassador throughout the years, added Penn. She is charming, sincerely kind, and one of her many gifts is her ability to use her platforms to build community. I have great respect for what she is building with BanksieTV and how she shares her space to amplify so many diverse voices and stories.

Ikigai Marketing will be handling all press for Banks and her creative projects, such as BanksieTV (also known as BTV).

Based in Texas, Banks is an award-winning cam star and community figure. The "Queens of Cams" is also a seasoned speaker at industry conferences and experienced host at red-carpet events. As a former Fleshlight Girl, the first official Pornhub collaborator, and Flirt4Frees Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Banks is also the Creative Director of BanksieTV, a brand that that promotes awareness and unity in the community and sex tech.

For more information, visit Banks official website at BanksieTV.com and follow her on Twitter at @QueenBanksie and BanksieTV and YouTube at BanksieTV channel and Banksie channel.
On Wednesday, the Varadero airport in Cuba received a flight from Russia, the first one since the European Union (EU) banned Russian planes from entering its airspace in February.

The charter of the Russian airline Nordwind Airlines landed at the aerodrome of the main tourist hub of the Caribbean country after a 13-hour flight. This Russian airline will also fly three times a week to the tourist center of Cayo Coco, an islet located in the central zone of Cuba.

In September, Cuban Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Garcia paid a visit to Moscow where he declared that the conditions were created so that Russian airlines and tourists could visit the island again.

In the first half of this year, over 52,000 Russian tourists visited Cuba. Authorities estimate that tourism from that country increased by 40 percent until the end of August.



November will mark the 30th anniversary of the UN vote where the overwhelming majority of the nations condemn the US blockade of Cuba.



WATCH Cubas FM @BrunoRguezP explain to @RaniaKhalek why this vote matters & how the blockade hurts both the US & Cuba: https://t.co/YKH09U85VM pic.twitter.com/guvVwhCjnS  BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) October 5, 2022

In Cuba, tourism has become the second main source of foreign exchange earnings and the second most important sector of the gross domestic product (GDP)

In 2021, Russia was the main issuing country of visitors to the Caribbean island, despite the decrease in travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In that year, the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) estimates that Cuba received 146,155 Russians, 68,944 Canadians, and 52,804 Cubans residing abroad.

Local authorities expect 2.5 million foreign tourists to arrive in their country in 2022. During the first semester, 682,297 international travelers visited Cuba, a country that receives some 400 weekly flights operated by 45 foreign airlines.
The dam built on the Densu River is the source of potable water for more than half of the 5.4 million population of the national capital.

Thousands of residents of the southwestern part of Accra, the Ghanaian capital, have been displaced due to the spillage of the Weija Dam, which was caused by excess water following torrential rains over the weekend.

Stanley Martey, communications manager for the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), said the spillage was necessary as the water behind the dam had exceeded its maximum holding capacity.

"We informed the communities days ahead of the spillage, but many did not heed the warning," Martey said, adding that there were no reported deaths yet, but thousands of residents were displaced and their properties destroyed.

"My house is flooded with the water at my waist level now... Four of my employees have left because they fear for their lives, and I understand them. It is that bad. Most people have left the area, but this is where I have resided for a decade, so I can't leave," said Philip Owusu-Afriyie, an entrepreneur.

Power was cut off in the communities as electricity transformers were inundated by flood waters. Water supply lines were also not working, creating the possibility of sanitation-related infections should the situation persist.

Weija dam spillage: Kenkey house flooded as water from the spillage destroys wares and foodstuffs halting production.



How boys go eat now? #PulseVoxpop #Weija pic.twitter.com/M5kw9CocNn  Pulse Ghana (@PulseGhana) October 6, 2022

Many of the residents were trapped by the flood, and some residents marooned in tall buildings could not receive or make phone calls as their cell phones had gone off due to the power outage.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), together with the Marine Police Unit, Ghana Navy, 48 Engineers Regiment, Ghana National Fire Service, and the Ghana Ambulance Service, has embarked on search and rescue operations response to distress calls.

"This situation is different. It is worse than we have ever experienced, so people in areas which were usually not affected are affected this time," said Richard Amo Yartey, director of Inspectorate at NADMO.

"This is not the normal raining season that we all know. We are talking about climate change, global warming, and the rains came at a time nobody was expecting it and the inflow into the dam is high. Without the spillage, the dam could burst, with dire consequences to those downstream," he added.

Built in 1977, the Weija dam on the Densu River is the source of potable water for more than half of the 5.4 million population of the national capital.
The Bolivarian Vice President Rodriguez and Colombian Minister Umana seek to promote trade dynamism between both countries.

On Wednesday, Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez held a meeting with Colombian authorities who traveled to Caracas to analyze and update the bilateral cooperation agenda.

She received the Colombian Trade, Industry and Tourism Minister German Umana and Foreign Trade Vice Minister Luis Quintero, with whom she discussed some issues to promote trade dynamism between Venezuela and Colombia.

They agreed to strengthen the border municipalities as integration points for the purpose of favoring citizens living in the areas immediately adjacent to the common land border.

In September, Umana met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who declared that a cooperation path was opening to strengthen the economies of two sister nations.

The US is already trying to destabilize Colombia's new, first ever left-wing government



Colombia reopened its border with Venezuela and was preparing Caracas-Bogota flights. So the US threatened Colombia with sanctions, forcing the flights to be cancelledhttps://t.co/7Fcc73KllD  Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) September 28, 2022

Both countries are beginning a new stage in their economic relations as a result of the arrival to the Colombian presidency of Gustavo Petro, who has shown a willingness to promote various forms of South American integration.

His attitude contributed to putting an end to three years of broken diplomatic relations and facilitated the reopening of the Colombian-Venezuelan land border, which had been disabled for the passage of vehicles for seven years.

In the Caracas meeting, Venezuelan officials were also present, such as the Superintendent of Customs Jose Cabello, and the Foreign Trade Vice Minister Johann Alvarez.
Hohhot, Inner Mongolia: The risk of community transmission has not been completely blocked and is still facing the risk of a rebound of the epidemic - Xinhua English.news.cn
More than 2,000 people in Arizona died of opioid overdose last year, a 45% increase since 2019.

Across Arizona, and really the nation as a whole since 2019, weve seen a huge increase in opioid overdoses, said Angeles Guzman, the manager of the Opioid Crisis Response Program at Coconino County Health and Human Services. "That is due to many reasons. I think COVID played a huge part in that -- COVID and the combination of COVID and fentanyl. Just to give you a comparison, in 2017 in Arizona there was a total of 923 overdoses."

Every day, her team comes face to face with the realities of an epidemic fueled in part by the growing prevalence of fentanyl  a drug that is roughly 50 times more potent than heroin, according to data provided by CCHHS.

I live in a pretty rough part of Flagstaff, and I see quite a bit of drug use right outside my front door. So, it is very prominent said Tamara Seaton, who works on Guzmans team as a peer support specialist in Opioid Crisis Response (OCR). "Just in our small community."

OCR is a program specifically designed to address the problem of opioid overdose, starting from a place of understanding.

The program is staffed primarily by people with lived experience, many of whom have battled substance abuse disorder  all of whom are committed to connecting the people most deeply affected by harmful drugs with the resources they need to survive and thrive. Theyre called peer supports.

Baudilio Chavez, who goes by Buddy, has been sober for 11 years, and hes one of the Forensic Peer Support Specialists at OCR.

I was incarcerated in 2011 for sales of heroin. I ultimately had to do three and a half years in prison, he said. For me, I had a lot of time to think while I was incarcerated. I saw my parents getting older. I didnt want to hurt them anymore. I wanted to spend the best years of my life with my family and my mom and dad, making them proud.

"So, I strived to change my life. It was definitely clear that I got a second chance at life, and that second chance made me want to do something other than hurting people  which I did by selling drugs. For me, it was a chance at redemption. I get to help people.

That goal of making his parents proud? Chavez can check it off the list. Today, he works three doors down from the office where his mother spent her 35-year career working for the county. Following in her footsteps was something Chavez wasnt sure hed be able to achieve when he lived in a cycle of incarceration and addiction.

Waking up

The people at OCR understand the cycle is hard to break and recovery is a process filled with twists and turns, relapses and rewards. Tyler Gossmans story demonstrates that.

He started using drugs and alcohol at the age of 13. His first arrest was on an alcohol-related charge at age 20. Hes been through the jails EXODUS program. Hes been on intensive probation. Hes been incarcerated.

I couldnt find a solution, because I couldnt stop. My guilt, my shame, just everything swallowed me alive while I was in there, so I continued to use while I was in there," Gossman said.

He was able to achieve sobriety for about a year, but relapse is a part of his story.

I relapsed and kept on using drugs, heroin, methamphetamines, other illicit, hard drugs. That lasted for nine months and then I got arrested three times in two months, he recalled.

He spent another three years behind bars after that. Two days before he was released from incarceration in 2019, Gossman had a lucid dream that catalyzed his life now. He dreamed of two roads, two paths diverging. One kept him living with addiction and arrests, and the other he describes as being drenched in light.

He hasnt touched a substance since he woke up.

Gossman now brings the compassion of someone who understands recovery as a complicated journey to potentially life-saving interactions with clients.

Being able to connect with the client on a whole different level, of literally saying, 'Ive been there. Ive done that. I know the feelings that you have inside of you and they are completely valid,' Gossman said.

OCR peer supports aim to meet people who are using drugs where theyre at, especially when theyre most vulnerable to overdose.

When somebody is released from incarceration or residential treatment, anytime when theres a period of abstinence, thats a high-risk time for overdose, Guzman said. We have a lot of clients that are sentenced to prison terms, and we are tracking their release dates so that when it gets close to their release date, we can jump in and communicate with them and be like, Hey, what is your plan for when you get out of jail? How can we help you? Making sure that they have a safe plan, and harm reduction education.

OCR is part of the recovery and resiliency division of CCHHS, the same division as the Pathways to Community Program. Pathways connects people who have just been released from jail immediately with a wide range of resources  including the peer support offered by OCR.

Supporting support

Guzman started her career in probation, and for her this is a shift in perspective.

I was an intensive probation officer," Guzman said. "So I was working with our high-risk, high-need population. That is individuals who have a history of failure on probation, individuals who have a history of going to the department of corrections, that have long histories of substance use...

"I think that COVID, for me, kind of changed things. The jail wasnt taking certain charges and crimes, so it really forced not only myself but the entire department to think, OK, jail is not always going to be the answer. Jail is not a help. Jail is a consequence. So, how can we get our people help when they need it?

Now, Guzman works to support the peer supports.

When I was switching jobs, I was like, Oh my gosh! Is my job still going to be rewarding? If Im not working directly with clients, what is my life going to be?" she said. "But then when I started working with peers, it is seriously one of the most rewarding things for me. Helping them to feel empowered and reminding them, Hey, you know best. I dont know what its like to be in this persons shoes. You do. You know exactly what it is that these people need. You know what its like to be released from jail and have nowhere to go, and have no support at all whatsoever. Seeing them just really be successful in their roles and feeling empowered has just been so amazing to me. Im so grateful."

Guzman explained that substance use disorder is not a choice, and that stigma is a barrier to care for a lot of people, but its not the only challenge OCRs clients face.

In jail, you have a captive audience. Theyre sobering up and thinking, 'OK, I dont want to live this way anymore.' I would say 99.9% of the time theyre always willing to go to residential treatment," Guzman said. "When we have our individuals who are in the community, theyre essentially at a much higher risk of overdose because they are in the community. If somebody has that short window where they want to get help and theyre ready to get help, we dont have a lot of time to work with."

When time is of the essence, local treatment facilities play a vital role in reducing the likelihood of overdoses for people ready to seek treatment, according to Gossman.

We have to go to Prescott, because they always have beds in Prescott. We have to reach out to Phoenix or Williams Detox Center. Thats actually one of the biggest problems right now, Gossman said.

OCRs clients who are ready for treatment also face constraints from their insurance companies -- or don't have insurance at all.

Insurance is sometimes a huge barrier," Guzman emphasized, "and just the lack of resources that we have in our small community. The agencies that we do have, we work very, very closely with them. In all reality there is only one residential treatment center in Flagstaff that takes Medicaid. Thats what really pushed me to do outreach, learn our Medicaid system and how that works, and which agencies or which facilities are contracted with certain insurance plans.

Were finding it challenging, to have to get referrals to go to treatment centers, and thats just part of the system that takes time, Chavez added. If somebody needs treatment and they want treatment, the time to take them to treatment is today. If you have to wait two weeks, they might die in that time period.

By providing free peer support, they hope to get at the root causes of addiction and overdose.

My story and my lived experience is in trauma recovery, mostly, Seaton said. I am able to say to them, I am in trauma recovery, because I am a survivor of childhood abuse. Ive had moments where Ive said that very directly to one of my clients and you could just see their guard go down. You could see their armor fall off. Especially after they disclose that theyve also had experiences with childhood abuse and thats obviously why theyre self-medicating and using. Almost like disclosing the root of the issue, it does so much for them, I think.

"The thing is, they see someone sitting in front of them disclosing this hard thing, but someone sitting in front of them thats generally doing well and helping other people. I think it really does give them hope. I think just the validation, and feeling safe with someone whos been through the same thing, does a lot for them.

Recovery time

Ultimately, not everyone is ready for recovery.

There are times when clients do really well, and people enter recovery and they return to themselves and its really beautiful. Then there are times when you are with someone, like a client, who are at the worst points of their life," Seaton said. "You are just witnessing their bottom, their rock bottom. Theyve gone to jail and theyre going to go to prison for a really long time, and you have an opportunity to remind them that theyre human, that theyre allowed to be messy, and it sucks that these are the consequences. Those moments when they feel self-compassion, you watch them have compassion for themselves for the first time in a long time and youre just like, 'Ugh!' This is so worth all the devastating parts of this job -- which is losing friends and clients to overdose.

"That is, I think, why the opioid crisis is really getting a lot of funding and a lot of attention right now. Because one decision is just so final. It shouldnt be like that, especially if Narcan is available. My personal experience has been a really awesome blend of beauty and pain."

The OCR program is designed to help people find a path to recovery, but for those still using drugs, they offer services and provide training on Narcan (an emergency opioid overdose reversal drug) and training in harm reduction.

Ultimately, it's why Chavez said he wants anyone who knows someone facing addiction or battling substance abuse disorder to call the opioid crisis hotline at 928-679-8643 or drop in during office hours (Tuesdays and Thursdays 1-4 p.m. at Coconino County Health and Human Services, located at 2625 N. King St.).

Theres zero judgement here. Im not in a position of power; I am your peer and you can tell me whatever you want to tell me," Seaton said. "We put in effort to reduce stigma and make it very clear that youre not a bad person if youre using drugs. You shouldnt feel ashamed or guilty about that. You can come here and we wont make that worse. We wont feed that. Just check it out, dont be scared. I think youll see that were totally ready to be with you wherever youre at.
The conservative group, Look Ahead is working to find jobs for people who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Jake Chansley, of Phoenix, in the horned hat, came to be known as the face of the insurrection.

A right-wing organization that calls the perpetrators of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol political prisoners is trying to find jobs for the insurrectionists.

Many of these folks, for ultimately being charged with misdemeanor trespass, have had their savings wiped out, lost their jobs, lost their homes, lost their businesses, Matt Braynard, executive director of Look Ahead, told the Arizona Mirror.

Braynard said hed spoken with countless people who had lost their jobs because they attended the rally or following riot on Jan. 6, and added that many of the insurrectionists who took plea deals will soon be released from prison and will need jobs.

So far, around 870 people have been arrested in association with their actions on Jan. 6, when thousands of Trump supporters descended on the Capitol, overran police in violent confrontations, smashed doors and windows to enter the building and stormed the House and Senate as they were certifying the 2020 election.

Some 380 people have pleaded guilty  80 of them to felonies and 300 to misdemeanors, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Another 13 people have been found guilty through jury trials.

Ten of the people charged were from Arizona or had Arizona associations, and five of those pleaded guilty.

I think that everybody thats been convicted and serves their time deserves a chance, Braynard said, but added that he believes political protesters on the left have a better support system.

The groups Jobs for #J6 platform has already gotten interest from a few dozen businesses, Braynard said, but he wouldnt share the names of the businesses or their locations because he said journalists would try to put those employers on the spot and destroy them.

Braynard claimed that the media treats employers as heroes if they hire a murderer after his release from prison, but would vilify those who employ Jan. 6 rioters. He falsely said that the campaign of U.S. Senate candidate in Pennsylvania John Fetterman employed two murderers and was lauded for it. Fettermans campaign employs Dennis Horton and Lee Horton, who were convicted for a 1993 murder despite evidence that they were not involved; they served 30 years in prison before their sentences were commuted last year by Gov. Tom Wolf.

Below are details about those from Arizona, or with local associations, who were charged for their reported participation in the insurrection.

Edward Vallejo

Edward Vallejo is charged with seditious conspiracy for his actions on Jan. 6, along with several other felonies, including obstructing an official proceeding. Hes charged alongside a group of 10 other members of the Oath Keepers with attempting to use force to stop the transfer of the presidency from Donald Trump to Joe Biden, according to court documents. The Oath Keepers are a far-right extremist group,

Vallejo is accused of coordinating teams of Oath Keepers who waited outside of the capital on the day of the insurrection, on stand-by to deliver guns and ammunition to rioters on the Capitol grounds.

He was released from jail and put on house arrest with electronic monitoring in May.

His trial is set for Nov. 29.

Felicia and Cory Konold

Felicia and Cory Konold, siblings from the Tucson area, are charged with several felonies for their purported actions on Jan. 6. Both have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The Konolds are charged with conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding and carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon, in addition to other charges, alongside three men from Kansas and one from Missouri who are members of the Proud Boys. The Proud Boys are a far-right extremist group.

The group is accused of making their plans for Jan. 6 on the right wing social media site Parler and of intending to forcibly enter the Capitol building to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

They reportedly brought paramilitary gear, including tactical vests, helmets, eye protection and radio equipment with them to the Capitol on the day of the insurrection.

Both Konolds have been released without bond and their next court date is set for Nov. 1.

Jacob Zerkle

Jacob Zerkle was arrested in Tucson in March and faces numerous charges, including assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers and acts of physical violence on the Capitol grounds or in the building.

Zerkle is accused of getting into physical fights with police officers while he was part of the mob on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, including throwing punches at an officer, according to court documents.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges in April and was released without bond. A trial is set for June 2023.

Joshua Knowles

Joshua Knowles, of Gilbert, was arrested in August and charged with multiple felonies and misdemeanors in association with the Jan. 6 riot, including entering and remaining on restricted building or grounds and demonstrating in a Capitol building. He pleaded not guilty to all charges on Sept. 29.

Knowles is accused of entering the Capitol building on Jan. 6 as part of the mob and later that day of violating a curfew imposed in Washington, D.C., staying on the Capitol grounds even though officers told him to leave, according to court documents.

He was released without bond Sept. 8.

James McGrew

James McGrew, who was arrested in Glendale, pleaded guilty in May to one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers, as part of a plea agreement.

McGrew is accused of being among the first rioters who crashed through police lines, climbed the Capitol building terrace and entered the building through the terrace doors. Hes also accused of pushing and struggling with police officers inside the Capitol, including grabbing an officers baton after the officer hit him with it, as well as throwing a pole at them, according to court documents.

McGrew was on parole for a past crime when he participated in the riot, according to court records. He was convicted of shoplifting in 2011 and 2013 and vehicle theft in 2016.

Hes set to be sentenced Oct. 14, and could face up to 8 years in prison.

McGrew has been in jail since his arrest in June 2021.

Jacob Chansley

QAnon Shaman Jacob Chansley is arguably the most famous participant in the Jan. 6 insurrection, with photos of him in his signature furry horned viking hat, with paint covering his shirtless body published over and over again around the world.

Chansley pleaded guilty in September 2021 to one count of obstructing an official proceeding, a felony, as part of a plea agreement. In November he was sentenced to 41 months in prison and three years of probation. He is currently incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Safford and is set to be released in December 2023.

During court proceedings, the prosecution accused Chansley of serving as the face of the insurrection, as he walked through the Capitol carrying an American flag and a bullhorn and shouting obscenities and threats of violence, according to witnesses.

Nathan Entrekin

Nathan Entrekin, of Cottonwood, pleaded guilty in January to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building, a misdemeanor, and was sentenced in May to 45 days in jail, three years of probation, 60 hours of community service and $500 in restitution.

Jan. 6 investigators said they recognized Entrekin in footage from inside the Capitol building because of his unique outfit. In photos and video from that day, he appears to be dressed in a Roman gladiator costume, complete with sandals. He was also accused of carrying a wooden dowel with a piece of white cloth attached that read, In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives and our children.

Entrekin tweeted July 31 that hed been released from prison.

To those still in captivity for the wrongs of government  peace be unto you, he tweeted that day.

Andrew Hatley

Andrew Hatley pleaded guilty in September 2021 to one count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building, as part of a plea agreement. He was sentenced last December to three years of probation and ordered to pay $500 in restitution.

Hatley claimed via social media that he was not part of the Capitol insurrection, saying that he didnt back lost causes. But the FBI said data from his cell phone proved that he was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to court documents.

Hatley was arrested in Eloy, but according to court documents, he drove to the Capitol from South Carolina on the day of the riot.

Micajah Jackson

Micajah Jackson, of Phoenix, pleaded guilty in November through a plea agreement to one count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

He was sentenced in March to three years of probation, including 90 days in a residential re-entry center and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $500 restitution.

The judge in his case said she sentenced him to the 90 days in a residential center because he at times seemed to express remorse for his actions on Jan. 6, but other times made obviously untrue assertions about the day, including that Antifa, a loosely organized group of anti-fascists, was responsible for the violence that day and that police officers were beating women, children and the elderly.

January 6th was a dark day, Jackson said during an interview, according to court documents. I call it the D.C. massacre. There was nothing glorious about that day. Citizens were attacked by the government. People got agitated. People fought back.

Jackson was accused of marching with members of the Proud Boys on the day of the riot, but he has denied being a part of the group.
Maricopa County Supervisor Clint Hickman holds a claim about the 2020 General Election made by Senate contractors Cyber Ninjas during a Jan 5, 2022, hearing. Photo by Michael Chow | Arizona Republic/pool

A 64-year-old Iowa man has been arrested for threatening to lynch Maricopa County Supervisor Clint Hickman and an employee of the Arizona Attorney Generals Office for not investigating claims of fictitious voter fraud.

When we come to lynch your stupid lying Commie [expletive], youll remember that you lied on the [expletive] Bible, you piece of [expletive], Mark Rissi allegedly said in a voicemail to Hickman, according to a press release by the Department of Justice. Youre gonna die, you piece of [expletive]. Were going to hang you. Were going to hang you.

The call came three days after Cyber Ninjas released its flawed analysis of the 2020 election results, the end product of the Arizona Senates partisan election review, which has continued to be fodder for conspiracy theorists and lawmakers.

I remember exactly where I was when I heard that voicemail. It was chilling, Hickman said in a written statement about the call. This wasnt a prank call. This wasnt protected speech. This was a serious threat to me and my family.

Im grateful to the Department of Justice and the FBI for taking this case seriously and making an arrest, and Im pleased the U.S. Attorney General has set up a task force to address increased threats of violence to election workers and elected officials.

Hickmans statement went on to say that todays indictment is not enough, as over the past two years, he and his colleagues have received numerous threats. One of those colleagues includes Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer.

A Missouri man was indicted earlier this year for threatening to kill Richer because he opposed the Senates partisan election review, leaving a voicemail on the Republicans cell phone telling him that other people from other states are watching your ass.

Youre gonna die, you piece of (expletive). Were going to hang you. Were going to hang you.  A voicemail for Maricopa County Supervisor Clint Hickman, allegedly left by Mark Rissi

Hickman laid the blame at the feet of Republicans who have remained silent about election lies in order to maintain their standing in a political party that views those who deny the baseless fraud claims as apostates.

And by and large, people in positions of power, in positions of leadership, in positions of influence here in Arizona are silent, Hickman said in his statement. How can you be silent?

Hickman further went on to say that he hopes by speaking out it will encourage others to follow suit in hopes of combating disinformation that imperils our democracy.

Whether its a person who shares your politics or your worldview or not, no one should be subjected to this kind of hatred, he said.

Hickman wasnt the only official who was threatened.

Rissi also allegedly called Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovichs Office claiming he was the victim of a crime. Brnovich has been a target of election denialists who believe the AG should be investigating perceived fraud or arresting those they believe are responsible.

Rissi claimed in his call that the crime was the theft of the 2020 election and repeated the debunked claim of the Maricopa Board of Supervisors deleting files from a computer system.

Rissi then told an unidentified employee to do your job or you will hang with those [expletive] in the end. We will see to it. Torches and pitchforks. Thats your future, [expletive]. Do your job.

I want to thank the Department of Justice for taking threats to public officials seriously, Brnovich said in a statement to the Arizona Mirror. No one should be threatened for doing their job.

Rissi is charged with two counts of making a threatening interstate communication and making a threatening telephone call. Each count of making a threatening interstate communication carries a maximum penalty of five years and making a threatening telephone call holds a maximum penalty of up to two years so Rissi could be facing up to 12 years in prison.

The FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case with the assistance of the FBI Cedar Rapids Field Office.

Election officials across the country have faced unusually high levels of threats, including Arizona, and since June 2021 the FBI has received over 1,000 tips related to threats to election workers. Approximately 11%, or 110, of those tips have led to investigations.
An 18-year-old was shot after a fight broke out in an aprtment complex across from Hugler Hall, a dorm for sophomores and juniors on the campus of the University of Louisiana at lafayette.
Catch a demonstration by members of the Red Stick Roller Derby team at 2 p.m. Saturday at the EBR Main Library Plaza, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. Team members are seen here performing during the annual Denham Springs Kiwanis Christmas parade in 2021.
Joe Sullivan, the former Uber security chief, was found guilty 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, Sullivan learned of a new breach that affected the Uber accounts of more than 57 million riders and drivers.

.Joe Sullivan, Ubers former security chief, was charged with failing to disclose a 2016 data breach to federal regulators. Credit:Timothy Archibald/ The New York Times

The jury found Sullivan guilty on one count of obstructing the FTCs 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.
The sudden departure of Andrew Thorburn just 24 hours into his stint as Essendon footy club chief executive over links to an anti-gay church has prompted a backlash from the religious right, with the Australian Christian Lobby claiming the former NAB boss was a victim of cancel culture, booted from Windy Hill for his faith.

But nobody is trying to cancel the lobby. They have managed to secure the Great Hall of Parliament House for the Canberra leg of its Babylon series, in which its boss Martyn Iles lectures true believers about the evils of godless modern life.

Martyn Iles, managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby.

Its not hard to book the big room at Parliament. You just need $9000 for venue hire, and to prove to the Department of Parliamentary Services that your event is acceptable to the majority of MPs, will uphold the dignity of parliament, and is not likely to cause offence to any significant part of the Australian community.

A parliamentary services spokesperson said: As the event is closed to ticket holders it is unlikely to cause offence to any significant part of the Australian community consistent with the policy.

No complaints have been received regarding the hosting of the event.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The most anticipated film of the year is finally here and, for those who were hoping for more dramatic Hollywood schadenfreude, Dont Worry Darling has not disappointed. Unfortunately, we cant promise the same for everyone else. After the most chaotic press tour in recent memory  with countless stories about alleged behind-the-scenes tensions between director Olivia Wilde and lead actor Florence Pugh  this psychological thriller is getting destroyed by critics. But is it really all that bad? Or is it just fun to be part of the pile on? Culture reporter Meg Watson and culture news editor Osman Faruqi have entered the Group Chat. Meg Watson and Osman Faruqi not pictured. Credit:Warner Bros. Pictures Note: Most of this conversation is spoiler-free, but there is a spoiler-filled section at the end (well warn you). Not to immediately out myself, but I didnt think the movie was that bad. Yes, it took way too long getting to the twist and that diminished its impact. And yeah, there are definitely some questions that remain totally unanswered  But overall, I had an OK time. I liked hanging out in Wildes eerie hyper-stylised 50s suburbia. Florence Pugh was great. The twist was interesting and also culturally relevant. There was a big car chase. We all got something to talk about. Thats cinema!

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But I know you feel differently, Os. And youre in the majority, so dont hold back: please tell me why this movie sucks. Meg, I have enormous respect for you  both as a person and as a cultural critic  but you have never been more wrong. Wow. OK, damn, lets go. I walked into this film as a lover of cinema and I walked out feeling so sad about the future of art.

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OK, maybe thats a bit too dramatic, but this movie is terrible. I appreciate that its an original story, which is a big deal in an era dominated by IP and franchises, I like that it takes some big swings and tries to grapple with contemporary political issues, and I love Florence Pugh. But this movie is a mess. The first 15 minutes are pretty fun  the Palm Springs setting is great, and the production design is masterful. Bad movie. Great furniture. Credit:Warner Bros. Pictures But straight away you know something is up. The movie takes too long to explain what is happening, when it does explain it, it makes no sense, every scene is too long, all the actors are performing like they are in different movies, the ending is absurd, so much is left unexplained, Harry Styles performance is dreadful, and thats probably just half the criticisms I have. Do you think youd feel the same way if you hadnt known anything about this movie going in, though? I just feel like everyones been having so much fun hating on the film during the press tour (myself included) that that same energy has just flowed on.

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Like, yes, the movie could have been A LOT better. Both the script and the film itself needed a major edit (and some of KiKi Laynes scenes put back in). But people are acting like its going to sweep the Razzies. This isnt on the same level as like The Emoji Movie and Adam Sandlers Jack and Jill, right? I think thats a fair point, and I do think that the lead-up to the film may have raised expectations. Not so much the drama around the production, or even Spitgate, but more the way Wilde talked about it. Loading If you believed her own hype youd think this movie was a searing interrogation of modern gender dynamics, the internet and the role of shadowy cultural figures like Jordan Peterson. The Emoji Movie and Jack and Jill arent pretending to be compelling social satires. This movie has been jokingly referred to as Get Out for white women, but even as a joke its an embarrassing comparison. Most of the film is something weve seen plenty of times on screen, from Pleasantville to The Stepford Wives, and it just didnt give us anything that new.

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True. All Wildes comments about how this is a film that celebrates ~female pleasure~ have also aged so badly when you consider the context that pleasure takes place in (spoilers) I think if the movie took itself less seriously, and tried less to grapple with some of the Big Issues of Our Time it might have been a more contained, sharper story, with time for actual character development and story resolution that makes sense. But its possible Im just a cynical critic who expected one thing and got another, and maybe most moviegoers wont care? Its worth pointing out that its not getting totally dragged by audiences. The film has a 39 per cent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but a score of 75 per cent from audiences. And I feel like thats happening a lot recently! Remember how much critics initially hated Elvis? Do you think critics and people in the media have different expectations of films?

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A new play that has Justine Clarke playing former prime minister Julia Gillard in the lead-up to her famous misogyny speech is one of the highlights of Sydney Theatre Companys new season.

Next years line-up, announced on Thursday evening, also includes an adaptation of Nevil Shutes On the Beach by Tommy Murphy, towering roles for Sigrid Thornton, Helen Thomson, Claudia Karvan and John Bell, and the return of Eryn Jean Norvills triumphant solo performance in The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Excited and terrified: Justine Clarke will play Julia Gillard in a new play announced for Sydney Theatre Companys 2023 season. Credit:Steven Siewert

One of six world premieres, Joanna Murray-Smiths Julia is described as an intimate and compelling insight into the countrys first female prime minister and a reflection on the experience of women in contemporary politics. It includes excerpts from the famous speech a decade ago.

Artistic director Kip Williams says Murray-Smith responded to an approach about writing a play on leadership in this country that was also a portrait of Gillard.
Spare a thought for our feet, which have been through a lot these past few years. Weve been through the trend of flimsy sneakers being worn for sport, the COVID-linked ugg boot foot and the popularity of shoes such as mules that barely stay on the foot unless one grips their toes with maximum force, or moves around with a shuffle more than a gait. Podiatrists must cringe when they see these shoes in stores but, also, they stand to benefit, at least business-wise.

But here is a trend that both fashion lovers and foot doctors can get around: the Mary Jane. Like sneakers, they never really go away but if their prominence on the European runways is anything to go by, theyre one of the key footwear styles of the coming season.

Mary Janes, on the streets of Paris and New York (centre), show a variety of styling options, from prim to punk. Credit:Getty

When we think Mary Janes, we may think of school uniforms, or Alice in Wonderland, or 1960s modelling icon Jean Shrimpton (not at the Melbourne Cup, mind you, she didnt wear Mary Janes that day, but she was known for the style more generally). That is to say, a vision of shoes that encloses and embraces the foot in such a way that conjures security and stability, with just a hint of coquettishness. And isnt that what were all seeking in these post-COVID times?

Annie Abbott, founder of Australian handmade shoe brand Habbot, loves the Mary Jane both for its tailored aesthetic, and its anatomical benefits. We look beyond the traditional dolly shoe approach and go for a more creative take, which gives us lots of scope for a more sophisticated result and there is no denying the functional characteristics make it a popular seller, Abbot says.
The West Australian government is being urged to stop evictions of public housing tenants without reason, or risk a deluge of litigation following an injunction being granted in the Federal Court.

After receiving a without grounds eviction notice in August, Noongar man John Abraham lodged a racial discrimination complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Advocacy groups have urged WA Housing Minister John Carey to halt without grounds terminations of public housing tenancies.

In September, the Federal Court granted an injunction to his eviction until his AHRC complaint is heard.

The Tenancy Network, a group of community law firms, on Thursday urged Housing Minister John Carey to issue an immediate moratorium on the use of without grounds terminations of public housing tenancies.
On the night of Friday November 13, 2020, missing fraudster Melissa Caddick made a reservation for two at Pompeiis, a simple Italian restaurant on Bondi Beach. But the 49-year-old never made the dinner to celebrate that afternoons planned delivery of her new diamond necklace and matching bracelet, worth $100,000.

Around midday that same day, her husband, Anthony Koletti, 11 years her junior, had finally reported his wife missing. Shed vanished 30 hours earlier, not long after the corporate regulator and federal police had raided her Dover Heights house over a major fraud in which she had stolen more than $23 million from friends and family who thought she was investing their money in shares.

Melissa Caddick and Anthony Koletti sporting his and hers diamond sapphire jewellery purchased by Caddick with stolen funds.

Instead, the stolen millions were supporting the extraordinarily lavish lifestyle Caddick shared with her husband.

The recent inquest into Caddicks disappearance and presumed death has heard that jeweller Stefano Canturi was due at 5pm that Friday afternoon to personally deliver the jewellery, which had been commissioned by one of his best clients.
A university student who took LSD and became psychotic before killing his girlfriend, fearing she was a demon, has been jailed for 20 years.

Newcastle Supreme Court Justice Richard Cavanagh said Jordan Brodie Miller, 22, had violently attacked his partner of two years, Emerald Wardle, when delusional and suffering a psychotic disorder caused by the temporary effects of his drug taking.

Jordan Brodie Miller, 22, violently attacked and killed his partner of two years, Emerald Wardle, when delusional and suffering a psychotic disorder caused by the temporary effects of his drug taking. Credit:Nine News

Cavanagh said Miller believed he had been cursed and needed to kill either himself or Wardle to lift the curse.

This was his first episode of psychosis. Although these effects were only temporary, they were acting upon him at the time he killed Ms Wardle, the judge said on Thursday.
His was a life of big ideas, people, different landscapes and international connection. But it did not begin like that, making all that followed more remarkable. He was born in the small town of Inverell and spent his early years in Bunnan, halfway between Scone and Merriwa in the upper Hunter Valley of NSW.

At Monash, his conviction that Australias future lay in Asia led to the internationalisation of the university  both through opening offshore campuses in Malaysia, India, China and Indonesia and in expanding the make-up of its student body. His commitment to give greater opportunity to all to access tertiary education is a gift he has given many thousands of people. Many of them, like him, were the first in their family to go to university.

Professor Mal Logan was a transformative figure in higher education in Australia who leaves a profound legacy. As vice-chancellor of Monash University from 1987 to 1996 and as a scholar of international distinction in geography and public policy, he made an extraordinary contribution.

His father, Alexander, was a primary teacher in the one-teacher school that Mal attended. As he wrote in a memoir, most of his family had virtually no skills, no money and, being good Presbyterians, were content to serve out their lives as drovers, shearing shed roustabouts, burr-cutters, fence-menders and anything else on offer from the surrounding huge properties that wealthy individuals or companies had carved out of the land.

The land, though, made a deep impression on Mal. He recalled being inspired by a geography teacher at Tamworth High School who would draw maps covering the entire blackboard showing in vivid colours the distribution patterns of corn and cotton, telling a story that would otherwise take many pages to tell. He later said these maps reminded him of Indigenous art in their shapes, patterns and subtle narratives.

From Tamworth, he won a teachers college scholarship at New England University College just outside Armidale, which was then a college of the University of Sydney. Hid did his honours year in geography at Sydney University, and then completed a one-year diploma in education at Sydney Teachers College. This was where he met his future wife, Toni.

His first teaching job was at Forbes Intermediate High School, from where he moved to Armidale; then to a lectureship in geography at Sydney Teachers College; followed by tenured lectureship at the University of Sydney.

After 10 years, feeling the need for a change from 1960s Australia, he and Toni moved to the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where the geography department had been rated as one of the best in North America. After spending part of a sabbatical year at Wisconsin, he later received an offer of an associate professorship with tenure. It was here in Madison their daughter Kate was born.
Last night marked another forward step in the development of civil aviation in Victoria, when the lights at the Essendon aerodrome were officially switched on by the Controller of the Civil Aviation department (Captain Johnston).

There was a crowd estimated at more than 3000 persons present, and those who had expected something in the nature of spectacular flood lighting were somewhat disappointed. The lights that have been installed are all designed for the safety of pilots when night flying begins. The Neon light erected over the aerodrome is of 200,000 candle power, and the letters M.L., the code signal of Melbourne aerodrome, are brilliantly picked out for the guidance of pilots, and can be seen 30 miles away. Obstruction and boundary lights have been installed, and at the end of the runways green lights have been erected to indicate the best approach. All the obstruction lights are a bright red.

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Captain Johnston, after switching on the lights, spoke from the control tower on the aerodrome. Many planes were drawn up on the tarmac Captain Johnston said that nearly 800 miles of air route had been lighted for night flying since 1929, and the ceremony that night was another step in the complete lighting of the air route between Adelaide and Brisbane. (Applause.) Six grounds were already lighted and eight more were well in hand. When the lighting system was complete there would be 36 installations between Perth and Brisbane. (Applause.) Captain Johnston explained that the most powerful light in the scheme would be installed on the Keilor-road, about a mile and a half from the aerodrome. This was a rotating beacon of 1,500.000 candle power, and in good weather could be picked up at a distance of 80 miles.

At the conclusion of Captain Johnstons address the rotating beacon was demonstrated for the benefit of those present, and sent its powerful white rays sweeping over the ground. Beacons of a similar type will be erected right across Australia to guide machines by night.
Helsinki/Stockholm: A crime scene investigation of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines from Russia to Europe found evidence of detonations, strengthening suspicions of gross sabotage, Swedens Security Service said on Thursday.

Swedish and Danish authorities have been investigating four leaks after the pipelines, which link Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea and have become a flashpoint in the Ukraine crisis, were damaged at the start of last week.

A small release from Nord Stream 2 is seen in the Baltic Sea. Credit:AP

Europe, which used to rely on Russia for about 40 per cent of its gas, is facing an energy crisis in the aftermath of Moscows invasion of Ukraine which has cut off supplies of the fuel in a continuing stand-off.

It is investigating what caused the leaks as Moscow seeks to pin the blame on the West, suggesting the United States stood to gain. Washington has denied any involvement.
Coverage of the 2022 elections for control of US Congress. See all 22 stories .

Donald Trump has sought to woo one of Americas fastest-growing voting blocs as he lays the groundwork for a potential presidential run, urging the Hispanic community to get behind him to stop the US becoming a country of recession, depression and fear.

As Joe Biden toured hurricane-ravaged Fort Myers with Floridas Republican Governor Ron DeSantis - a Trump-ally who has spent years taking potshots at Democrats - Trump was on the other side of the state, taking aim at the FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago home, lamenting the influx of illegal immigrants at the Mexico border, and warning that the nation was in decline.

Former US president Donald Trump speaking at the Hispanic Leadership Conference in Miami, Florida. Credit:C-Span

In a 40-minute speech to the National Hispanic Leadership Conference in Miami, Trump also praised Chinese President Xi Jinping as a very powerful man and very smart as he called for the US to impose the death penalty on convicted drug dealers.

I got to be very friendly with President Xi, Trump told the enthusiastic audience of Latino leaders and community members. (Hes a) very strong person, very smart If someone is caught in China selling drugs, theyre given a trial quickly, and if guilty, they are executed.
Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan will star in the first major New York revival of Lorraine Hansberry's The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window, directed by Anne Kauffman.

Performances will begin on February 4 at the Harvey Theater at Brooklyn Academy of Music, with opening set for February 23. The work premiered on Broadway in October 1964, just shy of three months before Hansberry's death at the age of 34 from pancreatic cancer. Kauffman first directed the play in 2016 at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.

Isaac and Brosnahan will play Sidney and Iris Brustein, a couple "fighting to see if their marriagewith all its crackling wit, passion, and petty crueltywill be the final sacrifice to Sidney's ideals."

Full casting and additional information will be announced in the coming months.
The last line of the biography for playwright Gracie Gardner in the program for her new play I'm Revolting cites an interesting tidbit: that she's also an EMT in Brooklyn. Right from its opening scene, in which dermatologist Denise (Patrice Johnson Chevannes) previews the day's scheduled appointments with resident dermatologist Jonathan (Bartley Booz), a tantalizing air of authenticity permeates the proceedings, with Chevannes and Booz delivering gobs of medical jargon in a convincingly businesslike manner on Marsha Ginsberg's antiseptic-looking gray-and-white waiting-room set. That lived-in feeling, a sense that Gardner truly knows of what she speaks, is enough to lend a measure of coherence to the sprawling play, now making its world premiere with the Atlantic Theater Company.

I'm Revolting is set during one day in the aforementioned waiting room of a skin-cancer clinic. Instead of a neat three-act structure, we observe people going in and out while they wait either to be seen or for their loved ones to reemerge from their operations. Character details gradually swim into view. Reggie (Alicia Pilgrim) is anxious about how she will look after reconstructive surgery on her nose, a worry that her workaholic older sister Anna (Gabby Beans) does little to allay beyond trying to empower her to advocate for herself, regardless of what the doctor says. Liane (Emily Cass McDonnell) has it even worse, with a strangely distant husband, Jordan (Glenn Fitzgerald), and the threat of possibly losing an eye. Clyde (Peter Gerety), by contrast, is something of a veteran at the clinic, here for an annual operation. At one point, he gets into a heated argument with Paula (Laura Esterman), the mother of another patient, Toby (Patrick Vaill), over her New Age-y belief that her son's physical condition is essentially psychological in nature, thus curable with a more positive attitude.

Laura Esterman, Patrick Vaill, Glenn Fitzgerald, Emily Cass McDonnell, Peter Gerety, Alicia Pilgrim, and Bartley Booz appear in Gracie Gardner's I'm Revolting, directed by Knud Adams, at Atlantic Theater Company.

( Ahron R. Foster)

The sheer number of characters inhabiting this one space suggests that Gardner is going for an "everything but the kitchen sink" approach, exploring a wide variety of case studies, character profiles, and themes in one work. In I'm Revolting, blind faith in doctors and medicine clashes with a more circumspect, if not outright skeptical, approach, while aged acceptance challenges youthful vanity. Gardner doesn't necessarily valorize one perspective over another; instead, they all coexist in conversation with each other throughout the course of the play's 90 minutes. Gardner's zeal to encompass so much of the human condition in one play means that these characters run the risk of coming off as mere emblems rather than human beings. Plus, one final plot twist at the very end can't help but seem a bit too writerly compared with the naturalism of the rest.

It's a tribute to Gardner's keen attention to character detail that I'm Revolting rarely feels schematic. The generally terrific cast helps, too, as does Knud Adams's fine-tuned direction. Fresh off her Tony-nominated performance in Lincoln Center Theater's Broadway revival of ''The Skin of Our Teeth'', Gabby Beans scores a smaller yet no less impressive scene-stealing triumph in her two scenes, hilariously assertive alongside the initially more reserved Pilgrim. As written, the characters of Liane and Jordan have less on the surface than the rest of the cast, but McDonnell and Fitzgerald do a lot to suggest oceans of unspoken tension in their marriage.

Peter Gerety plays Clyde, and Alicia Pilgrim plays Reggie in Gracie Gardner's I'm Revolting, directed by Knud Adams, at Atlantic Theater Company.

( Ahron R. Foster)

Gerety and Esterman strike appropriately tense notes in their one big argument scene, but Esterman refuses to turn her character into a bubble-headed caricature; her devotion to her son is never in doubt. Vaill's subtly chilling turn as Jud Fry in the 2019 Broadway revival of Oklahoma! may well be the kind of performance that an actor might find hard to completely shake off in subsequent performances, but as Toby, he does at least exude the sense of a mama's boy who tries to come off as otherwise. Perhaps most impressive of all, though, are Chevannes and Booz: Chevannes a fount of world-weary wisdom and experience compared with the young, idealistic Booz.

If anything, Knud Adams's direction adds an intriguing layer or two to Gardner's play. Beyond Kate McGee's dimming of lights to signal jumps in time (a tactic Adams uses somewhat confusingly), perhaps the most noteworthy touch is the use of mirrors lining the back wall of Ginsberg's set: a slightly surreal element that's perhaps meant to implicate us in the audience as much as its characters. (Clint Ramos took a similar tack in his set for Slave Play, albeit in a completely different context.) The visual gambit is arguably too self-conscious: Gardner's writing in this messy but compelling new play is often enough to organically raise such questions by itself.
Walt Disney Animation Studios has partnered with Lighthouse Immersive Studios, the producers of the popular Immersive Van Gogh exhibit, to create Disney Animation: Immersive Experience, which will receive its world premiere at Toronto's Lighthouse ArtSpace this December.

A press statement promises, "Audiences will feel like they've entered the incredible worlds of beloved Disney characters and become one with them." The exhibition will include material from Encanto, Zootopia, The Lion King, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, and, of course, Frozen.

"The work lends itself brilliantly to the immersive experience and I am confident this program will give our guests the opportunity to be engulfed in the world of Disney, making them feel like they're standing next to their favorite characters and seeing the world through their eyes," said Lighthouse Immersive founder Corey Ross.

The creative team for Disney Animation: Immersive Experience is led by Oscar-winning producer J. Miles Dale. Tony-winning set designer David Korins (Hamilton) will develop never-before-seen interactive lobby elements that guests can enjoy before or after entering the gallery.

Following the run in Toronto, Disney Animation: Immersive Experience will be seen in Cleveland, Nashville, Detroit, Denver, Boston, San Antonio, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, and Columbus in the first four months of 2023. Tokyo is slated to be the first city outside of North America to receive the exhibit.

Click here for more information about Disney Animation: Immersive Experience.
By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

Central Asia Weekly Review: 29 Sep - 5 Oct Sep 22

HIGHLIGHTS

Kazakhstan allocates over $42m for presidential elections

Kyrgyz leader, CSTO Secretary General discuss situation in CA

Putin awards Tajik president with Order of Merit for Fatherland

Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan adopt decree on Caspian Sea border

Uzbekistan, Hungary sign 16 documents to develop strategic partnership

KAZAKHSTAN

Over 200,000 Russian citizens arrive in Kazakhstan

Over 200,000 Russian nationals have arrived in Kazakhstan since the announcement of partial mobilization in Russia, Kazakh Interior Minister Marat Akhmetzhanov said.

Over 200, 000 Russians have arrived, over 147,000 left Kazakhstan since September 21," he told reporters following a cabinet meeting.

The minister added that on October 3, over 7,000 citizens of Russia arrived in Kazakhstan, and some 11,000 left the country.

Kazakhstan allocates over $42m for presidential elections

The Kazakh Finance Ministry allocated nearly 20.5 billion tenges ($42.9 million) for the extraordinary presidential election on November 20, Deputy Finance Minister Yerzhan Birzhanov said.

He said that up to 80 percent of the allocated funds, that is 16.8 billion tenges ($35.2 million), will be spent on salaries.

Polling stations are created locally and election committee members are recruited. According to the legislation, the salary must be at least three minimum monthly wages, which is 180,000 tenge ($377). Naturally, the printing of the ballots and the allocation of transport means are considered. This all adds up to 20.5 billion tenges, Birzhanov said.

KYRGYZSTAN

Kyrgyz leader, CSTO Secretary-General discuss situation in Central Asia

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Stanislav Zas discussed in detail the situation in the CSTO area of??responsibility, including paying special attention to the situation in Central Asia.

The CSTO Secretary-General told about the work to prepare for the upcoming meetings of the statutory bodies of the organization and the session of the Collective Security Council, which are scheduled to be held this fall in Armenia.

Zas reported to the head of Kyrgyzstan on the progress in the fulfillment of a number of individual assignments of the CSTO Collective Security Council.

School children in Bishkek hold campaign to support their peers from Batken

An initiative group of Bishkek school children organized a charity fair to raise funds for their peers from Batken, coordinator of the initiative group Children to Children, a student of the 10th grade of the capitals school, Alina Dyusheeva, said.

They managed to raise 19,620 soms (244$), which were transferred to the single treasury account of the Kyrgyz Finance Ministry.

Local entrepreneurs, children, well-known people, and a kids' dance group participated in the charity fair.

As the children from the implementation group noted, this is their first project of such scale. We very much hope that we will be able to help the affected children, Bishkek school children said.

TAJIKISTAN

Putin awards Tajik president with Order of Merit for Fatherland

Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Tajik President Emomali Rahmon the Order of Merit for the Fatherland of the 3rd class.

The decree notes that the award was "for a great personal contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership and alliance between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan, as well as to ensure regional stability and security".

EBRD renders further support for small private businesses in Tajikistan

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing further support for small private businesses in Tajikistan by offering fresh funds to the countrys second-largest microlender.

A loan of $2 million will improve the sustainability of domestic micro and small enterprises and will help create new jobs. As part of the project, Humo will team up with a local vocational school to provide certified computer training to 240 women.

The training will help them access market-oriented IT skills and thus improve their employment opportunities. It will also help address the issue of computer literacy, which affects all Central Asian states, where only 11 percent of the population can perform basic IT functions.

TURKMENISTAN

Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan adopt decree on Caspian Sea border

The Kazakh parliament approved the ratification of an agreement with Turkmenistan on the delimitation of the Kazakh-Turkmen state border and the delimitation of adjacent sections of fishing zones in the Caspian Sea.

Further, the agreement will be submitted for consideration to the Kazakh Senate.

The agreement, which will complete the process of delimitation of the state border of Kazakhstan in the south, will be the first document in history that legally fixes the state borders on the Caspian Sea between coastal states.

Ashgabat, Minsk eye aspects of bilateral trade in agro-industrial complex

Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister Annageldy Yazmyradov and Belarus ambassador to Turkmenistan Vyacheslav Beskosty discussed issues of bilateral trade-economic cooperation.

The sides discussed issues of mutual trade in agricultural products and prospects of supplies of Belarusian equipment for the needs of Turkmenistan's agriculture.

UZBEKISTAN

Uzbekistan, Hungary sign 16 documents to develop strategic partnership

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban signed a joint statement on the development of a strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Hungary.

The signing ceremony took place in Budapest after high-level negotiations.

The document notes that the negotiations took place in a friendly, open, and constructive spirit, it is envisaged to activate all-around mutually beneficial cooperation.

The top leaders also signed 15 documents aimed at further expansion of the Uzbekistan-Hungary strategic partnership. The documents include a joint program for the development of industrial cooperation in 2023-2024; an action plan for the development of cooperation in the field of science and technology; an action plan for expanding cooperation in the agricultural sector; agreement on cooperation in the field of physical education and sports; agreement on cooperation in the field of scientific development.

Memorandums of cooperation were signed between the Academy of Public Administration of Uzbekistan and the Hungarian State Service University, Samarkand region and Khaydu-Bihar district, the Information, and Analysis Center of International Relations and the Institute of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Tashkent State Agrarian University and the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Natural Sciences in the fields of customs, justice, environmental protection, horticulture and greenhouses, viticulture and investment.

Samarkand to host summit of Organization of Turkic States

A summit of the Organization of Turkic States will be held on November 11 in Samarkand.

The Uzbek Foreign Ministry has started accreditation of the media to cover the meeting of the leaders of the countries of the organization.

The Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) was established in 2009. In November 2021, at the summit in Istanbul, the Turkic Council was transformed into the Organization of the Turkic States, which currently includes Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan and Hungary have observer status in the organization.
The Beatrice Community Hospital Foundation announced its awarding $254,284 in grants for both hospital and community projects this year.

The 2022 BCH Foundation Healthcare Grants were awarded with the intent of enhancing the medical and healthcare services in the region, Gina Heckey, BCH Foundation Senior Executive, said in a press release. Each of the grants awarded addresses issues of medical care, accessibility, social determinants of health and the patient experience.

A total of 12 grants were awarded to hospital departments to upgrade equipment and provide new services. Nine grants were awarded to community nonprofits to improve upon health and wellness challenges facing area residents, and to enhance the community experience.

Grant applications in 2022 reflected the diverse health and wellness needs of our community. Rich Hovendick, president of the Foundations volunteer board of directors, said. The BCH Foundation board is always pleased to be able to support the work of both the hospital and the community in such an important way.

When the BCH Foundation was originally formed, Heckey said an endowment fund was established to address the ever-changing needs of healthcare in the area. Each year, some of the earnings from the endowment fund are distributed to fill local healthcare gaps.

Beatrice Community Hospital departments and clinics are being awarded $207,534 in grants. They include:

Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring Devices, $5,000 awarded to Clinic Case Management.

Update Main Entrance Landscaping, $10,000 awarded to Facilities.

Endoscopy Gastroscope, $4,200 awarded to Surgical Services.

Scott Care Tablet, $5,000 awarded to Infusion Clinic.

HUGS Safety System, $55,575 awarded to Labor and Delivery.

Spot Vision Screener, $7,185 awarded to Childrens Clinic.

Retinavue 700 Imager, $10,975 awarded to the Beatrice Family & Internal Medicine.

Hearing Screener, $14,451 awarded to Labor and Delivery.

Artwork, $30,000 awarded to Clinic Consolidation.

Remodel, $50,000 awarded to Cafeteria.

Lactation Room, $12,000 awarded to Facilities.

Gage County community nonprofits were awarded $46,750.00 in grants. They include:

Handicap Accessibility, $5,000 awarded to Whispering Acres Tails & Treasures.

Gage County Child Wish, $2,000 awarded to Make-A-Wish.

Volunteer Training Materials, $1,000 awarded to CASA of Gage County.

Building Hope Capital Campaign, $5,000 awarded to Hope Crisis Center.

Dignity Pantry, $1,000 awarded to Mother-to-Mother Ministry.

Athlete Hygiene Kits, $1,500 awarded to Beatrice Special Olympics.

AED Machine & Hearing Machine, $3,750 awarded to Southern Public Schools.

Capital Campaign, $25,000 awarded to Community Pantry & Emergency Services.

Youth Frontiers, $2,500 awarded to Gage County MAPS.

The BCH Foundation accepts healthcare grant applications from hospital departments and the community on an annual basis, with grants announced each October. Grant applications are available online at www.thebchfoundation.org or by contacting the Foundation Office.

As our endowment fund grows, so does the amount we can give back to the hospital and the community year after year, Heckey said. The BCH Foundation is proud to be able to support the diverse health and wellness needs of Gage County, and we recognize the importance of investing in high-quality care as close to home as possible.

To make a tax-deductible donation to the Beatrice Community Hospital Foundations Endowment Fund, call 402-223-3068, or send your contribution to PO Box 641, Beatrice, NE 68310. To donate online, see www.thebchfoundation.org.
A Beatrice man who stabbed a family member last year was sentenced to probation in Gage County District Court.

Michael E. Tamerius, 37, appeared in court Wednesday afternoon, where he was sentenced for two counts of third-degree assault and one count of carrying a concealed weapon.

District Court Judge Rick Schreiner sentenced Tamerius to one year of probation on each of the three counts to be served consecutively, totaling three years.

Defense attorney Lee Timan said the case nearly went to trial, and that argued it was a case of self defense.

Mr. Tamerius made a snap decision, pulled the pocket knife that he had in his pocket out and stabbed his brother-in-law once, Timan said. He then immediately once he realized what had happened he rendered aid to his brother-in-law. He was actually the one outside trying to stop the bleeding when police officers arrived.

Tamerius was arrested last October when Beatrice police were called to a stabbing in the 1100 block of Meriwether St.

Dispatchers advised Tamerius was applying pressure to the victims wound in the front yard of the residence.

The wound was around one inch long and appeared to be a straight puncture on the abdomen.

The victim was transported to a Lincoln hospital with injuries that were not life threatening.

Tamerius was interviewed by police, and arrest documents state he told them he was taking a nap with another person when the victim woke him up by yelling.

The two got into an argument, and Tamerius said he pulled out a pocket knife when the victim raised his fists, acting like he was going to throw a punch.

Tamerius then stabbed the victim at a downward angle. Tamerius said he didnt realize the victim was actually stabbed, and once he realized it he directed the victim outside and to lay down while he put pressure on the wound.
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A Table Rock woman who failed to complete the drug court program was sentenced to prison this week in Gage County.

Whitney Hile, 35, was sentenced to serve 5-8 years in prison for distribution of a controlled substance in Gage County District Court. She was also sentenced to 1-2 years in prison on each of two counts of possession of a controlled substance, though District Court Judge Rick Schreiner ordered the prison sentences be served concurrently, so the total sentence will be 5-8 years.

She was also ordered to pay a $300 fine for possession of marijuana and $100 for possession of drug paraphernalia in the case.

Hile was previously accepted into drug court, an alternative to incarceration for drug offenders. However prosecutors said she was noncompliant for much of her eight months in the program, and she was sentenced to prison on Wednesday.

The drug court was kind of that last-gasp effort for you to bring you to that point where you finally believe that you dont have to live like this anymore, Schreiner said. And you dont have to live like this anymore. You just dont. We just have to get you to believe that.

Hile was arrested in January 2021 after a Beatrice narcotics officer was investigating possible drug distribution in the 700 block of North Ninth Street. While doing surveillance, Hile and a male were spotted entering the residence.

During a search, authorities found suspected methamphetamine, marijuana a controlled narcotic and drug paraphernalia.
Batavia, NY (14020)

Today

Cloudy with occasional rain showers. High around 45F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Some clouds. A shower of rain or wet snow possible. Low 36F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.
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.
JOHNSON  When Ashton Bohling came to Johnson-Brock Public Schools three years ago to teach industrial tech, she had plenty to learn herself.

While she'd taught agriculture education and welding before at Conestoga and Auburn, the Plymouth native didn't have much experience in the other fields her class would cover.

So she reached out to her college instructors, construction companies, woodworkers and mechanics to get up to speed.

"It's definitely been a learning experience," Bohling said.

The lesson here is to never stop learning. But there's also another phrase that applies to Bohling's career: Perseverance pays off.

Tuesday during a surprise ceremony in the Johnson-Brock gym, Bohling was named the winner of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. It was her third year applying for the grant.

"I was really shocked and surprised," Bohling said. "I wasn't expecting this."

She is one of just 20 skilled-trade instructors nationwide to receive the award, sponsored by the charitable foundation of Harbor Freight Tools, a national tool and equipment retailer with stores in Lincoln and Beatrice.

The prize comes with a $50,000 check: $15,000 for Bohling and $35,000 toward her industrial tech program.

It's a program she's helped grow over the years by improving the school's shop space, adding new equipment and expanding her curriculum.

"She's a go-getter," Johnson-Brock High School Principal Lucus Dalinghaus said.

The award noted the "solutions-based culture" Bohling has created at Johnson-Brock, in which students brainstorm and create their own projects, including developing small-engine tool kits, redesigning oxyfuel stations and creating tool hangers for welding booths to keep track of tools.

Under Bohling, students also developed a lawn-mower maintenance company out of the program's shop, blending hands-on work with real-world experience in sales, marketing and other skills.

"She's not really someone who will say 'no' to a project," senior Natalie Clark said. "She's very much someone who is open to your creativity and there to help you achieve that."

Last year, Bohling created a skilled-and-technical sciences advisory council at Johnson-Brock, pairing students with industry professionals to identify skills students need to enter the workforce.

The council is also a way for students to network with local businesses for job shadows, interviews, apprenticeship programs and field trips.

"The trades are something that we've been pushing for a long time ... and Ashton's just taken it to another level," Superintendent Jeff Koehler said. "The trade industry needs people right now, and what better way than to teach those skills in the classroom."

Senior Chase Holthus, who is eying a career in wind energy, appreciates how Bohling's classes are hands-on and often take place out in the field.

"She doesn't spend too much time in the classroom," he said.

Bohling started her teaching career at Omaha Bryan High School, before moving on to Conestoga, Auburn and finally Johnson-Brock, a K-12 school of more than 360 students in Nemaha County.

She sees her classes as a break in the day for her students, an opportunity for them to move around, create, design and problem-solve.

Industrial tech also teaches much-needed skills that are in high demand and aren't going away anytime soon.

"We're not going to be able to outsource a mechanic, we're not going to be able to outsource an HVAC tech," she said. "We need electricians, we need welders. And they're great careers for kids where they can make a decent living."

The Harbor Freight Tools award was started in 2017 by founder Eric Smidt to advance skilled-trades education in the U.S.

This year's winners are from 15 states. There are five grand-prize winners who receive $100,000, while the 15 other winners each receive $50,000.

This year's contest drew from 768 applications from all 50 states and included three rounds of judging by experts from education, trades, philanthropy and more.

Bohling hasn't thought too much about how she'll use the money. She said there are some tentative plans to redesign the shop space and adding a concrete pad outside for use in the school's building construction class.

Either way, the money will help students learn.

"She deserves it," Holthus said, "and it will be put to good use here."
A Greek Coast Guard vessel sails, after a boat carrying migrants sank, off the island of Lesbos, Greece on Oct. 6, 2022. (Panagiotis Balaskas/Eurokinissi via Reuters)

17 Migrants Dead, Dozens More Missing After Boats Sink in Greek Waters

At least 17 migrants, including one boy, have died, while dozens more are missing, after two boats sank in Greek waters on Thursday.

Authorities in Greece said on Thursday that they had recovered 17 bodies close to the eastern island of Lesbos after a dinghy that left the Turkish coast carrying about 40 people ran into trouble amid high winds. Ten women were rescued and around a dozen people were presumed missing.

The women who were rescued were in a full state of panic so we are still trying to work out what happened, coast guard spokesman Nikos Kokkalas told state television. The women were all from African countries, aged 20 upward.  There is a search on land as well as at sea and we hope that survivors made it to land.

Greek Migration Minister Notis Mittarachi took to Twitter following the incident to call on Turkey to take immediate action to prevent all irregular departures due to harsh weather conditions.

Already today many lives lost in the Aegean, people are drowning in unseaworthy vessels. EU must act, he wrote.

In a separate tweet, Mittarachi shared video footage that he said showed the Turkish coastguard violently pushing forward migrants to Greece, in violation of international law and the EU joint statement.

He claimed the video footage was filmed by a refugee who was saved by Greek authorities.

We Could See The Boat Smashing Against The Rocks

Turkish officials have previously denied claims that authorities have pushed migrants back to Greece. In a statement issued on Oct. 4, the Turkish coastguard command said the migrants involved in the latest incidents had been pushed back to Turkish territorial waters by Greek assets.

In a separate incident on Wednesday, Greek authorities rescued 80 migrants, of which 18 were minors, after a boat smashed into rocks and sank near the southern Greek island of Kythira amid stormy weather, officials said.

According to those rescued, 15 were still missing. Officials have launched a search-and-rescue operation along the wider coast of Lesbos to find migrants who may have made it to shore. Three were found trapped in a remote area.

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.

Kythira is roughly 400 kilometers (250 miles) west of Turkey and located on a route that is often used by smugglers seeking to avoid waters around Greece, which are heavily patrolled, and head straight to Italy.

According to data on the Turkish coast guards official website, more than 37,000 illegal migrants were discovered in all seas surrounding Turkey this year, of which 6,328 were found in August alone.

Greece saw a wave of refugees enter the country between 2015 and 2016, when around a million fleeing war and poverty in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan arrived, mostly via Turkey.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Undated family handout photo of Irish man Rory Mason, 23, who has been killed while fighting in Ukraine. (Family handout via PA Media)

23-Year-Old Irish Man Killed Fighting in Ukraine

An Irish man who enlisted to fight in Ukraine in March has been killed in action his family confirmed on Wednesday.

Rory Mason, 23, from Dunboyne in Co Meath, died on Sept. 28 while fighting in Kharkiv in the International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine.

The legion said Mason was killed in action after his unit came under attack during counter-offensive operations.

It also said they are in contact with Masons family and are handling the repatriation process following the familys wishes and instructions.

Rorys memory will live on in his unit, in the Legion, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the statement reads.

Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs is providing consular assistance for the family.

Mason is survived by his parents Rob and Elizabeth and a 22-year-old brother and 21-year-old sister.

Rob said the family is deeply saddened by Masons death and is enormously proud of his courage and determination and his selflessness in immediately enlisting to support Ukraine.

Describing Mason as a private young man of drive, purpose, and conviction, Rob said his son had never been political but had a deep sense of right and wrong and an inability to turn the other way in the face of injustice as well as 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, Rob said.

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, principal, and honour,' he added.

Rob said the family will miss Mason enormously, and appealed for privacy at this difficult time.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the death of the 23 year old was very, very sad.

Speaking at government buildings in Dublin alongside the Environment Minister Eamon Ryan and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar, Martin said, Our thoughts and prayers are with the family right now.

He also advised against people going to Ukraine.

Im reluctant to make comment in the context of his passing that would in anyway be perceived as a judgment. People make individual decisions in their lives for the best of reasons, he said.

We have advised people not to go to Ukraine. We continue with that advice.

Extending his condolences, Varadkar said Ukraine was a very dangerous place at present but he respected that some people will make the decision to join the fight.

I think war should never happen but sometimes people choose to fight and anyone on the Ukrainian side of the war are fighting the good fight and we shouldnt forget that, he said.

On Thursday morning, Brian Maher, another Irish man who has been fighting in Ukraine since late May, said he had not met Mason and was shocked when hearing the news.

Speaking to RTE radios Morning Ireland programme from an ambulance on the way to Lviv, the injured Irish man said, Hes from Dunboyne and Im from Ratoath.

The two Co. Meath towns are around 7 miles from one another.

Asked why he decided to go to Ukraine, Maher said he had life insurance and his children would be safe if something was to happen to him.

In my head, I felt justified in going. Theres [sic] kids here that are not safe. I suppose thats the reason why I came over here, he said.

Maher was shot in his right forearm and has shrapnel in his heart and spine. He said the shot was aimed at his chest.

The Irish man said hes looking forward to coming home while feeling guilty for leaving his unit.

PA Media contributed to this report.
A police officer looks at medical equipment at the scene after three people have been taken to hospital following reports of stabbings at Bishopsgate in London on Oct. 6, 2022. (James Manning/PA Media)

3 Stabbed in Central London in Suspected Robbery

Three people were taken to hospital on Thursday morning following a stabbing in central London, police said.

A fourth victim was discharged after being treated at the scene outside 22 Bishopsgate near Liverpool Street station, according to London Ambulance Service.

The City of London Police said the incident is being treated as a suspected robbery, not as a terror-related incident.

Witnesses said the incident started as a phone robbery and that the victims were stabbed trying to stop the robbery.

Writing on Twitter, the City of London Police said they had received reports at 9:46 a.m. of three stabbings and a person pushed to the floor. Officers arrived at the scene at 9:51 a.m.

Investigations are ongoing, police said. Its understood that the attackers fled the scene.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the victims injuries are not life-threatening.

A 50-metre-long police cordon was set up at the scene. By 3 p.m., forensic teams arrived, combing the area for clues and taking photographs.

Blood and medical equipment at the scene after three people have been taken to hospital following reports of stabbings at Bishopsgate in London on Oct. 6, 2022. (James Manning/PA Media)

A shop owner near the scene said two masked boys tried to snatch a mans phone.

Sayeed Dukanwala, 53, owner of BK News newsagent, said he was working when he saw a man running past the shop shouting Oi oi oi.'

Two boys on a bike, I believe, tried to nick his phone. I think [he] was trying to get peoples attention, Dukanwala told The Times of London, adding that the boys faces were obscured by helmets and scarves.

He then went outside and saw four or five people fighting.

They tried to stop one of the men on the bike but then he pulled out a knife and started stabbing them, the shop owner said, calling the victims heroes.

Another nearby worker told the PA news agency that he saw two or three teenagers on bicycles following a middle-aged smartly dressed man.

The next thing I saw was this teenager grabbing this guy, this middle-aged man. Things escalated so quickly. Pedestrians got involved and they were trying to help the middle-aged man. I heard lots of screams and shouts. The next minute, a man on a white moped saw what happened and jumped off, and got himself involved, the witness said.

There was a fight with these teenagers. Out of nowhere, the guy on the moped got stabbed. The middle-aged man was already on the floor at this point after he got stabbed and another pedestrian got hurt too, his head was hurt. The teenagers then just took off.

A video was later shared on social media showing police detaining a man, with the caption saying, #bishopsgate man apprehended following stabbing of 4, before the City of London Police clarified that it was a separate incident and does not relate to the incident on Bishopsgate this morning.
In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, U.S. and South Korea Air Force fighter jets including South Korea's F-35A stealth fighters  and U.S. F-16 fighter jets, fly in formation during a joint drill on June, 7, 2022. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)

Air Force Scrambles Jets After North Korea Flies 12 Warplanes Near Inter-Korean Border

At least 12 North Korean military planes flew in formation close to the South Korean border on Thursday, prompting U.S. allies to scramble dozens of fighter jets.

A group of eight fighter jets and four bombers operated by North Korea flew in formation near the inter-Korean air boundary at around 2 p.m. local time, officials with the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff told Yonhap. They are believed to have carried out air-to-surface military drills, the officials said.

In response, South Korea mobilized 30 fighter jets and scrambled them to near where North Korea carried out its drills, authorities told Yonhap.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff told news outlets that the 12 North Korean warplanes flew in squadron this afternoon in the South Korean side  to stage a protest.

Reportedly, North Koreas Air Force has not been able to train properly due to the scarcity of fuel, it is extremely unusual for North Korea to have flown 8 fighter jets and 4 bombers, Cheong Seong-Chang, the head of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute, told ABC News.

North Korea has previously sent military aircraft near the border, but Yonhap news agency said this is likely the first time it has mobilized so many warplanes for such a provocative flight and firing exercises.

Tensions

Tensions have risen sharply on the Korean Peninsula amid North Koreas recent barrage of missile tests prompted South Korea, the United States, and Japan to conduct joint drills in response.

Earlier Thursday, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters. The launches came after the United States redeployed an aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula in response to North Koreas launch of a nuclear-capable missile over Japan earlier this week.

A TV screen shows a file image of a North Korean missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 28, 2022. (Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo)

U.S., South Korean, and Japanese destroyers launched joint drills Thursday off the Korean Peninsulas east coast to hone their abilities to search, track, and intercept North Korean ballistic missiles, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Also, the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier group returned to the sea east of the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday to stage a naval exercise with Japan and South Korea

President Yoon Suk-Yeol noted tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high, but he pledged that Seoul would remain cautious.

Since the situation is not easy to deal with, the USS Ronald Reagan returned to our waters at around 8 p.m. yesterday, Yoon said, reported the Korean Times. The public would be worried about the current security circumstances, but the government will not miss a single step in protecting the people based on the strong South Korea-U.S. alliance and the security cooperation between Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un (L) and sister Kim Yo Jong attend the Inter-Korean Summit at the Peace House in Panmunjom, South Korea on April 27, 2018. (Korea Summit Press Pool/Getty Images)

North Korean Threat

South Korea will face extermination if it adopts military confrontation against North Korea, top North Korean official Kim Yo Jong said in a threat earlier this week.

In case south Korea adopts military confrontation against us, our nuclear combat forces are inevitably obliged to carry out its mission, Kim, the high-ranking sister of dictator Kim Jong Un, said. If the situation develops to such an extent, terrible attack would be mounted and the south Korean army would have no other choice but to suffer tragic lot of extermination.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
People watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 25, 2022.(Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images)

Australian Foreign Minister Calls Out North Korea Missile Launches

The Australian government had called out the North Korean regime for launching ballistic missiles over Japanese territory for the first time in five years.

Taking to social media, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia strongly condemned the launch of a ballistic missile over Japanese territory, which she said was another demonstration of reckless and unacceptable behaviour that threatens the security of our neighbours and undermines the stability of the Indo-Pacific.

Australia strongly condemns North Koreas launch of a ballistic missile over Japanese territory. It is another demonstration of reckless and unacceptable behaviour that threatens the security of our neighbours and undermines the stability of the Indo-Pacific.  Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) October 4, 2022

Additionally, in an official media statement the minister said, Pyongyang continues to show blatant disregard for multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions prohibiting its dangerous ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs.

We continue to be gravely concerned by North Koreas apparent readiness to undertake a seventh nuclear weapons test.

The foreign minister urged North Korea to change course, abandon its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and resume dialogue with the United States and the Republic of Korea.

Senator Penny Wong reacts while questioning from Marise Payne during the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on March 24, 2021. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

Warning Comes As North Korea Fires 2 More Missiles into the Sea of Japan

The warning from Australia comes as South Korea and Japan confirmed that North Korea fired two more ballistic missiles, 22 minutes apart, into the Sea of Japan on Thursday. It came two days after the first launch on Tuesday.

In response, South Korea and the United States have said they will increase their surveillance posture.

However, the U.S. has diverted the USS Ronald Reagan, which recently took part in military exercises alongside Japan and South Korea in late September, to the Korean Peninsula.

South Korean military officials have called the return of the U.S. aircraft carrier strike group a demonstration of the U.S.s firm will to counter North Koreas behaviour.

Thursdays launch is the sixth round of weapons firing in the last two weeks, putting the region on edge and fuelling speculation that North Korea will carry out a nuclear weapons test in mid-October.

North Koreas launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean forced Japanese citizens to seek shelter. Experts suspect it was a Hwasong-12 missile capable of reaching the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and beyond. It was the first such weapons test in five years.

Caden Pearson contributed to this report.
Ben Sasse Responds After Reports Hes Set to Resign From Senate

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) on Oct. 6 indicated hell accept a position at the University of Florida after reports that he would resign from the Senate.

Sasse, 50, said that the University of Florida is uniquely positioned to lead this country through an era of disruption and that the partisanship in Washington isnt going to solve workforce challenges.

He also said he was delighted to be under consideration to be president of the university.

Reports emerged earlier Thursday that Sasse is going to resign from the Senate to take the potential job offer. They were primarily based on anonymous sources, though former Sasse aide Ian Swanson, who now hosts a radio show on KFAB, also said Sasse would step down.

Sasses office declined to comment.

The University of Florida said its committee charged with finding its next president only recommended one name to its Board of Trustees: Ben Sasse.

This is right for the University of Florida, right for the state of Florida and right for the Sasse family, Rahul Patel, chair of the Presidential Search Committee, said in a statement. Ben brings intellectual curiosity, a belief in the power and potential of American universities, and an unmatched track record of leadership spanning higher education, government and the private sector.

Sasse previously served as president for Midland University in Nebraska. He won election to the Senate in 2014.

Sasse was re-elected to the Senate in 2020. Senate terms are six years.

Under Nebraska law, the governor of the state would appoint a replacement if either Senate seat representing Nebraska becomes vacant. A special election would be held down the road for voters to choose who serves the remainder of the term.

Pete Ricketts, a Republican, is the governor of Nebraska.

The Senate is currently composed of 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats or nominal independents who regularly vote with the Democrats. The Democrats hold control of the upper chamber since Vice President Kamala Harris is a Democrat. In her role as president of the Senate, she can cast tiebreaking votes.

Sasse was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict former President Donald Trump after Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives in 2021. Sasse was later censured by the Lincoln County Republican Party for the vote and criticized by the Nebraska Republican Party.

The Nebraska Republican Party Central Committee expresses its deep disappointment and sadness with respect to the service of Senator Ben Sasse and calls for an immediate readjustment whereby he represents the people of Nebraska to Washington and not Washington to the people of Nebraska, the party said in a resolution.

Trump supported Sasse in the 2020 election, but Sasse said at the time he must vote to convict because he believed Trump lied about voter fraud and that Trumps acts led to the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.

Zachary Stieber Reporter Follow Zachary Stieber covers U.S. and world news for The Epoch Times. He is based in Maryland.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference at The Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida on Feb. 25, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

USs Reported TikTok Security Agreement Is a Bad Deal: Rubio

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) criticized a reported preliminary agreement between the Biden administration and TikTok that would avoid major changes to the popular video-sharing apps Chinese ownership.

Any agreement with TikTok absent full divestment from ByteDance and the Chinese Communist Party is a bad dealboth for U.S. national security and for the millions of Americans whose private data will remain accessible to Beijing, per Chinese law, Rubio told The Epoch Times in an email.

TikToks parent company, ByteDance, is based in Beijing. U.S. lawmakers have expressed concern that American users data can be accessed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), given that the regimes laws compel companies to cooperate with security agencies when asked.

The Biden administration and TikTok have drafted a preliminary agreement to resolve national security concerns but are still finalizing the terms, media outlets recently reported, citing unnamed officials.

The deal, if completed, could allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States without requiring the platform to cut ties with ByteDance, a New York Times report said. TikTok would reportedly make changes to data security and governance under the deal.

However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other departments on the U.S. side of the negotiations have concerns about the potential deal, the NY Times reported. According to the report, the Treasury Department is skeptical about whether the potential agreement could solve national security concerns, while the DOJs top official is concerned that the terms arent tough enough on the Chinese regime.

President Bidens own bureaucrats at the Justice and Treasury Departments are worried that their alleged preliminary agreement wont solve these critical problems, Rubio said. Why is he so intent on striking a deal in the first place?

People walk past the headquarters of ByteDance, the parent company of video sharing app TikTok, in Beijing on Sept. 16, 2020. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)

Data Security Concerns

The short-form video app, which has grown hugely popular among young people in the United States and elsewhere, has attracted heightened scrutiny by U.S. officials because of its Chinese ties.

Related Coverage Beijing Will Know More About You Than You Do: Gettr CEO

Officials and experts say the personal information of millions of Americans collected by the app could be used by the CCP to conduct espionage operations, or even shape their perceptions to be favorable to the Chinese regime.

TikTok has repeatedly denied such allegations, saying that U.S. users data is stored outside of China, and the company has never, and will never, hand any data to the CCP.

However, such concerns were renewed after leaked recordings of 80 internal company meetings obtained by BuzzFeed News purportedly show that engineers in China had access to the apps U.S. data from at least September 2021 to January. Additionally, TikTok employees at times had to turn to their colleagues in China to determine the flow of U.S. data, which U.S. staff wasnt authorized to independently access, the report said.

TikTok is just another invasive tool for communist China to infiltrate Americans personal and proprietary information, Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) previously told The Epoch Times. This app presents a very real threat to our national security, and the United States should take strong action to stop the CCPs espionage campaign.

While the Trump administration sought to ban TikTok and another Chinese social media app, WeChat, citing data security risks, the order was stalled by several lawsuits and court orders. In June 2021, President Joe Biden revoked the executive order, instead directing the Commerce Department to evaluate the platform to determine whether it poses a national security risk.

Rubio, along with five other Republican senators, sought updates on the administrations security review in a June letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

The results of the security reviews  have not been publicly released after one year, the GOP senators wrote in the letter.

At a Senate hearing last month, TikTok Chief Operating Officer Vanessa Pappas declined to make a commitment that the app would cut off flows of American users data to China. Instead, Pappas said that TikToks final agreement with the U.S. government will satisfy all national security concerns.

Officials at TikTok, the Treasury Department, and the White House didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

Dorothy Li Follow Dorothy Li is a reporter for The Epoch Times based in Europe.
President Joe Biden speaks in a neighborhood impacted by Hurricane Ian at Fishermans Pass in Fort Myers, Florida on Oct. 5, 2022. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden Claims Hurricane Ian Proves Climate Change, Despite Hurricane Experts Dismissal

President Joe Biden attributed deadly Hurricane Ian to climate change and suggested people should do something about it, despite such a conclusion going against the nations top hurricane expert.

Biden traveled on Oct. 5 to Florida to survey the devastation of hurricane-ravaged Florida and meet those who had lost homes and businesses. While the president put up a rare united front with Gov. Ron DeSantis in the wake of the Category 4 storm, as the two toured the damage and praised each other for collaboration, Biden opened his remarks by underscoring climate change.

Were in a situation where the Colorado River looks more like a stream, Biden said during his Wednesday speech in Fort Myers Beach, a hard-hit town in southwest Florida during the Ian landfall, as DeSantis stood behind him.

Theres a lot going on, and I think the one thing this has finally ended is a discussion about whether or not theres climate change and we should do something about it, the president continued.

When Hurricane Ian, described by DeSantis as a 500-year flood event, slammed into the state last week and caused widespread destruction, flooding, and power outages to coastal communities, it spurred a bevy of Liberals and left-wing media outlets to push hard the climate agenda, asserting that carbon emissions and global warming have intensified hurricanes.

Biden administrations top hurricane expert, however, has rebuked such claims due to lack of evidence.

I dont think you can link climate change to any one event, Jamie Rhome, the acting director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) National Hurricane Center, told CNN during a Sept. 27 interview, after being pressed about how climate change had contributed to the storm and its rapid intensification.

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, Rhome added.

Premature Conclusion

NOAA recently released a study with similar conclusions, saying it is premature to conclude with high confidence that human-caused increases in greenhouse gases have impacted hurricane activity in the Atlantic.

After adjusting for a likely under-count of hurricanes in the pre-satellite era there is essentially no long-term trend in hurricane counts, according to the federal agency.

Michael Shellenberger, the founder and president of Environmental Progress and author of The Death of Environmentalism, pushed back the long-term trend of increasing hurricane intensity at CPAC Australia, known as the Conservative Political Action Conference, in Sydney.

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, the California-based environmentalist said on Oct. 1.

As part of his Wednesday remarks, Biden stressed the amount of federal help Florida will receive for storm aid and as part of Democrat-backed spending, including $13 billion over the next five years for highways and bridges.

The death toll from Hurricane Ian has climbed past 100, while nearly 400,000 homes and businesses remained without power in Florida as of Oct. 4.
Biden Pardons People Convicted of Marijuana Possession

President Joe Biden on Oct. 6 announced he has chosen to pardon every person who was convicted of possessing marijuana on a federal level or in the District of Columbia.

There are thousands of people who were previously convicted of simple possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result. My pardon will remove this burden, Biden said in a statement.

The Biden administration said there are over 6,500 people with federal convictions from 1992 to 2021 and thousands of others with convictions under D.C. law.

Possession of marijuana is a misdemeanor that can land a person up to one year in jail on the first offense, two years in jail on the second offense, and three years in jail for each subsequent offense. No people, however, are currently in federal prison solely for possession of marijuana, a Biden administration official told reporters on a call.

Under federal law, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug. Schedule I is the highest classification, reserved for drugs that have a high potential for abuse and for which there is no accepted medical use, according to the Controlled Substance Act.

But a growing number of states have decriminalized marijuana possession and other marijuana-related offenses in recent years, and federal officials rarely bring federal charges against people who are violating federal law.

Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit, Biden said.

Anthony Coley, a Department of Justice spokesman, said the agency will expeditiously administer the Presidents proclamation and start implementing a process that will provide the relevant people with certificates of pardon.

Bidens proclamation makes clear that the pardons do not apply to any other offense, and do not apply to non-citizens who werent legally present in the United States at the time they possessed marijuana.

Along with his pardon of federal-level offenses, Biden is urging governors across the country to pardon state-level marijuana possession charges.

He also asked Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and Attorney General Merrick Garland, both Biden appointees, to start a review of how marijuana is classified.

Officials with the Departments of Health and Justice said they would undertake the review.

A slew of Democrats praised Bidens pardon announcement.

This step was long overduethe next step: legalization! Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) said in a statement.

This is an important step forward. Outdated and prejudicial laws criminalizing marijuana usage harm our communities and Im glad to see the Administration taking action toward a more fair justice system, Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) added.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, said that he supports reclassifying marijuana but called Bidens blanket pardon the most political, cynical abuse of the pardon power in history, noting that the midterm elections are taking place in about a month.

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws said Bidens moves are long overdue but that the administration and Congress need to work together to repeal laws related to marijuana.
Carolyn Burjoski, a former Waterloo Region District School Board teacher, was ejected from a school board meeting in January 2022 after raising questions about the age-appropriateness of some books in elementary school libraries that deal with gender transition. She has since filed a $1.7 million lawsuit against WRDSB. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Cancelled Ontario Teacher Speaks Out Against School Boards Actions

A cancelled Ontario teacher who was silenced during her presentation at a school board meeting, spoke out publicly on Oct. 5 against actions the school board has taken against her and others, citing a lack of transparency between the administration and parents.

Carolyn Burjoski was removed from the trustee meeting, expelled from her classroom, and subject to a disciplinary investigation after expressing concerns at the meeting about the age-inappropriate of sexual content in elementary school library books.

Im motivated out of concern for children, said Carolyn Burjoski during an Oct. 5 event titled Education at the Crossroads, which was held in the Kitchener-Waterloo region.

Burjoski, who has a website called cancelledteacher.com through which she explains her situation, is involved in an ongoing defamation lawsuit against the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB).

Burjoski filed the suit after the school board barred her from her classroom following her presentation to the board, during which she raised concerns about elementary school library books that dealt with topics such as a 12-year-old finding happiness after undergoing gender transition and a grade 3 student declaring his asexual identity after wondering why hes not thinking about naked girls.

School board chair Scott Piatkowski said he cut Burjoskis presentation short because he believed her words to be in violation of the Ontario Human Rights Code. In subsequent media interviews, he said Burjoskis comments were transphobic.

At the Oct. 5 event, Burjoski said she acted against the advice of her lawyers in speaking out publically against the board.

I couldnt not speak, she said, later adding that she hopes her legal action against the WRDSB will deter future school boards from trying to intimidate, silence, and punish and slander parents and teachers whose diverse opinions may be inconsistent with the schools ideology.

The Epoch Times reached out to Piatkowski for comment but didnt immediately hear back.

Ring the Alarm Bell

Mike Ramsay, a WRDSB trustee who was later suspended from meetings between June and September for allegedly violating the boards code of conduct, was also scheduled to speak at the event but later decided against it due to legal concerns.

Ramsay, who also spoke out in defence of Burjoski, is currently challenging his suspension by the board and seeking a court order that would require the board to declare its actions unreasonable and a violation of his charter rights.

I cant risk speaking right now, Ramsay wrote in a statement that was read at the event by guest speaker David Haskell, a tenured Wilfrid Laurier University professor. For all that you have seen and heard so far in the WRDSB, I will continue to ring the alarm bell.

I want to continue the fight against indoctrinating kids to adopt divisive concepts, said Ramsays statement. I want to continue to promote educating kids about important historical events in an unbiased manner and without teachers imposing their own personal beliefs.

On Oct. 2, Ramsay posted school board documents and the code of conduct complaint that were used as evidence in his ongoing legal challenge. The documents, which Ramsay said he is now permitted to legally share, showed that his suspension was allegedly related to his public criticism of Piatkowski and the WRDSB.

Piatkowski responded to Ramsays actions in a statement, saying hes disappointed that a Trustee who chose to breach it [the code of conduct] is also choosing to share information publicly that all Trustees are required to keep confidential.

Speaking at Education at the Crossroads, Burjoski called for a reform of the WRDSB and spoke out against the lack of openness between the board and its constituents.

I believe that what happened to me shows how far our school board has fallen from its former emphasis on critical thinking, open discussion, collaboration, academic excellence, and democratic values, Burjoski said. It is essential that we work together to reform this school board, which must begin with recovering our democratic right to speak without fear of intimidation.

Burjoski also called attention to the upcoming Ontario school board trustee elections which will be held on Oct. 24.

On Oct. 24, we can elect trustees who operate in a more transparent, responsive, and democratic manner, she said.

Andrew Chen contributed to this report.
Mormons like to call themselves "a peculiar people."

The phrase comes from 1 Peter 2:9. In the words of the Apostle Peter, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people."

Mormon peculiarity goes way back. We know so much about the intimate personal lives of church founders like Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. They were so well documented that their specific irregularities rose to the top. The religion followed suit.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from its beginnings during the Second Great Awakening in the "Burned Over District" of western New York, to its flight through the hollows of Ohio and Missouri and eventuality onto the plains of Illinois and on to the deserts of Utah, the Mormons have always been well, peculiar. There are eccentricities here, from the oft-parodied temple garments to the religion's abstinence from alcohol and caffeine to their obsession with soda.

These things grow out of close knit, insular cultures, which Mormon folks have traditionally had. If you're from one of those communities, it takes a jaundiced eye to pick up on the irregularities.

Nobody knows that better than Aaron Woodall. Woodall was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He grew up in Massachusetts, but has been in the Salt Lake City area since moving there to attend Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where the vast majority of the student and faculty bodies are practicing members of the church.

But Woodall found something other than God in Utah. It was stand-up comedy. He first did stand-up at a church summer camp talent show. And that interest really blossomed at BYU where he joined a club for people who wanted to try stand-up. He eventually became president of that club, and got his start touring and performing for Mormon college students.

Woodall eventually left the church, a process he captured in his popular "Mormon and the Meth-Head" podcast with fellow comedian Jessa Reed. The show, which ended in 2019, detailed Woodall's baggage from his upbringing in the church juxtaposed against Reed's lingering issues from substance abuse. It turned hell into hilarity blending the sacred and profane and finding a spot somewhere in the middle.

Woodall used his background of Mormon peculiarity to turn himself into a joke writing machine. He's been doing stand up across the country for 12 years now. He'll be in Montana for a string of dates this week, with shows in Billings on Oct. 6 at NOVA, Bozeman on Oct. 7, Missoula on Oct. 8 and Helena on Oct. 9. Tickets and more information for Billings, Missoula and Helena are at bonedrycomedy.com, and the Bozeman date is at lastbestcomedy.com.

He's particularly excited for the Bozeman show, calling the Last Best Comedy Club "one of the best comedy clubs in America that no one has heard about. All the things you want in a club, Last Best Comedy has it."

In advance of his Montana tour, Woodall sat down with the Gazette to discuss Mormonism, dealing with past trauma, fall in Montana and, of course, James Cameron's 2009 cinematic masterpiece, "Avatar."

What about Mormonism is funny?

A lot about Mormonism is funny. There's a lot of little weird things that Mormons believe. It's a religion that stems from a lot of early American folk magic. They don't really talk about it anymore, but there's a lot of things that are leftover from it. There was an early Mormon prophet who said he saw Bigfoot once, and talked to him. And Bigfoot told him that he was Cain, from the Bible. And God cursed him to walk the world forever for killing his brother. And that's really just like a campfire story, but for generations Mormons kept saying like "Yeah, you know Bigfoot is real, right?" There's stuff like that I find really interesting.

You've performed a lot in Montana through the years. Why do you keep coming back?

It's not just that I keep coming back, but I keep coming back specifically in the first week of October. The first time I went to Montana was for the Big Sky Comedy Festival. I drove from Salt Lake City across Montana in early October and I though it was the prettiest thing I'd ever seen in my life. I went back to help out with the festival and i just got addicted to seeing bright yellow trees underneath a big, bright blue sky and white clouds, with perfect mid-50s weather. It's the tour that I look forward to every single year. I know that for the first week of October, I'm kickstarting fall. Because I love fall, but it's short. You have to find a way to stretch it out. When I go to Montana, you're already in peak fall. And then by the time I'm back in Utah, our fall has kicked off. It's like a preview.

Do you work clean?

No. I started my comedy career only writing clean material. But I haven't worked exclusively clean in a long time. I've got lots of strong opinions on the whole clean comedy debate. Lots of church people will have you believe that clean comedy is elevated, harder and smarter. And I disagree with that. Because comedy is just heart. I've seen insanely smart bits that are about dirty things. And there's nothing dumb about what the comedian is saying. But I also don't agree that clean comedy is sanitized or square. One of the main secrets of stand-up comedy is being honest. The better you are finding your true voice the better audiences receive you. There are comics that are just clean guys, and that's how they talk and how they want to talk on stage. For me, I know I could work clean. And I did for a while. But it doesn't' feel authentic to me, because I like some swear words, you know? And I like to talk about some topics that maybe you should be talking to kids about. This is my personal brand, I want to be honest to who I am.

Why did you end your podcast?

It was time. We set out to tell a story. And it wasn't a show where we just sat and chatted with friends every week for an eternity. From the "Mormon and the Meth Head" podcast, from the outset, we tried to tell a specific story. And after we told that story, we were kind of spinning our wheels for a bit. We felt like the last few months of the podcast were very weak. We just became like other podcast and were talking about current events and Zendaya, and her dress or whatever. We didn't like it. I started that podcast because I had so much that I wanted to process about leaving the Mormon church. I needed to get it all our there, and I needed to talk about it desperately. So I talked for two years and really worked through a lot of my problems and my baggage. And then I got to a point where I was like "I don't want to talk about this anymore." There's a difference between processing your trauma and rehashing it. There's a line you cross where you're no longer being helpful to yourself. I want to fix the past but not live in it.

Let's get to the big question. Your Twitter name is "Avatar 2 Updates." Has America become "Avatar"-pilled again? It was such a punchline for so long, despite making so much money. Is "Avatar" back?

going to see Avatar in IMAX 3D the way the lord Cameron intended pic.twitter.com/qi6nlDTFgN  Avatar 2 Updates (@AaronWoodall14) September 27, 2022

[Laughs] We're yet to see if its back. I am holding my breath. It's not even my favorite movie, I just couldn't stand the punch lines. For years people have acted like this movie sucks. We have short-term memories. It made $1 billion. We all saw it. Because it blew our minds. We'd never seen anything like it before. And now all anyone remembers is Pocahontas hair sex. I don't care about the story. The groundbreaking visual effects is why i went why everyone liked it. And the fact that James Cameron has spent the last 13 years doing nothing but working on the sequel has me very excited. He's got to have something amazing for us.

Beating this "Avatar" drum started as a joke, and then it became my personality. But it's just like I have faith that this is going to be a mind-melting experience. Now if "Avatar 2" comes out in December and it sucks, after I spent years of my life defending it, I'm going to have so much blue egg on my face.
President Joe Biden visits Florida. What does he say about damage caused by Hurricane Ian, and how is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis addressing Bidens actions?

OPEC ignores Bidens plea to ramp up production and instead does exactly the opposite. Its slashing oil productionthe biggest cut in two years. How is the White House responding?

The U.S. national debt has reached a record high, according to a new report this week. The national debt has increased by over 30 percent since the pandemic started.

The number of murders in the United States rose last year, according to a new report by the FBI this week.

The First Amendment is in the spotlight again. Another conservative group is in the crosshairs of the Department of Justice.

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Arizona refuses to debate her Republican opponent. This is one of the key races attracting national attention heading into the November elections.

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Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang inspect honour guards at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 9, 2019. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

CCP Suppressing the Truth and Spreading Lies in Solomon Islands: Australian Think Tank

The regime in Beijing is spreading false information in the Solomon Islands in an attempt to undermine the Pacific nations partnerships with Australia and the United States, a report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) says.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) used local media and disinformation to sway public opinion and undermine the Solomons existing partnerships with countries such as Australia and the United States during mass protests in its capital last year, according to the report, titled Suppressing the Truth and Spreading Lies: How the CCP is influencing Solomon Islands information environment and published on Oct. 5.

During a November 2021 protest, hundreds of demonstrators massed outside the Parliament building in Honiara to protest stalled economic development, government corruption, and cronyism.

The protestors raised concerns about the CCPs growing influence in the country and demanded the ouster of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who switched the nations diplomatic allegiance to Beijing from Taiwan. Authorities heavy-handed response led to rioting that included the looting and burning of shops in Honiaras Chinatown.

This photo shows the aftermath of a looted street in Honiaras Chinatown, Solomon Islands, on Nov. 27, 2021. (Piringi Charley/AP Photo)

CCP Blames US, Australia, Taiwan for Unrest

In the immediate aftermath of the Honiara riots, the CCP tried to blame Australia, the United States, and Taiwan for inciting the unrest, according to the report.

In the weeks that followed, CCP officials were also active in pushing a narrative that foreign forces with ulterior motives were aiming to smear the relationship between the Solomon Islands and China, an ASPI statement says.

That narrative was pushed through party-state media (both in English and in Chinese) through statements from Chinese officials that were shared by the Chinese Embassy, published in local media outlets, and quoted by local journalists, reads the report.

US, Australia Described as Colonialist Bullies

After a proposed security agreement between the CCP and the Solomon Islands was leaked online in March, the communist regime sought to further undermine Solomon Islands relations with Australia and the US.

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, right, locks arms with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on May 26, 2022. (Xinhua via AP)

At the time, the United States and Australia sought high-level meetings with Sogavare to discuss their concerns about the security agreement. Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison rejected a meeting with the Chinese ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, saying it would be a sign of weakness.

At the same time, the CCP pushed a similar narrative that Australia and the U.S. were colonialist bullies that were threatening Solomon Islands sovereignty.

Over the two observed periods (18 weeks in total), the CCPs party-state media outlets published a total of 67 articles about events in the Solomon Islands. Forty-seven of the articles (70 percent) directly supported the CCPs narratives attempting to undermine Solomon Islands existing relationships (predominantly with the United States and Australia), while the rest reported on the issue without a clear agenda.

Party-state media headlines about the November 2021 riots and the China  Solomon Islands security agreement. (ASPI)

CCPs Influence on Local Media

According to ASPIs analysis, the CCPs most concerned channel of influence in shaping the Solomons information environment was the publication of CCP officialled articles in local media, which included opinion pieces, press releases, and locally produced articles that contained almost no direct quotes from CCP officials.

These publications came wrapped in the packaging of a trusted local media source and allowed the CCP to spread its message to a wider audience, resulting in greater penetration and engagement, the report reads.

In this case of the Honiara riots, CCP officials had almost as many statements published in local media discussing the cause of the riots as the Solomon Islands own government officials.

The report authors also found that the Chinese Embassy is in close contact with several media outlets in the Solomon Islands.

For instance, the ChinaSolomon Islands Friendship Association, which is part of the CCPs United Front system, was found to have ties with some Solomon Islands policymakers and journalists.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang inspect honor guards during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 9, 2019. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

Whats the Solution?

In response to disinformation campaigns by the CCP, the ASPI analysts encourage social media companies to provide contextual information on misinformation in national Pacific languages and label state affiliations on messages from state-controlled entities.

Social media companies could encourage civil society to report state affiliations and provide evidence to help companies enforce their policies, the report reads.

The authors also called for the U.S. and Australian governments to offer more support.

Pacific island countries will need support as great-power competition intensifies in the region, they wrote.

The US, for example, can do more to demonstrate that the CCPs narratives are false, such as proving Washingtons genuine interest in supporting the region by answering the call of the local Solomon Islands population to do more to clean up remaining unexploded World War II ordnance on Guadalcanal.

The Australian Government should coordinate with other foreign partners of the Solomon Islands, including the US, New Zealand, Japan, and the EU, to further assist local Pacific media outlets in hiring, training and retaining high-quality professional journalists.

A Navy Force helicopter under the Eastern Theatre Command of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) takes part in military exercises in the waters around Taiwan, at an undisclosed location on Aug. 8, 2022. (Eastern Theatre Command/Handout via Reuters)

Similarly, a Taiwanese academic also urged Australia to heed Beijings dangerous expansion and assume more responsibility in the Pacific.

What a good relationship the Solomon Islands [used to] have with Australia! But no matter how good you treat it, the CCP would bribe [its officials], David Yeau-Tarn Lee, an adjunct professor at the Graduate Institute of Development Studies of National Chengchi University, previously told The Epoch Times.

Itd be inevitable for Australia to face the consequence of [the CCPs] dangerous expansion, he said. So I think Australia needs to awaken further.

It plays an important role in the confrontation between liberal democracy and autocracy.
A Berlin exhibition explores Donatellos artistic, inventive brilliance

BERLINTwo Davids greet visitors at the entrance to the exhibition Donatello: Inventor of the Renaissance in Berlins Gemaldegalerie, and they couldnt be more different.

Having left Florence, Italy, for the first time, Donatellos triumphant marble sculpture David dons classical drapery and a crown of wine grapes normally seen on Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. He appears pensive. Look closely and youll see the sculptures anatomy is not quite right: Notice his elongated neck and fingers as per the Gothic style.

David, 140809 and 1416, by Donatello. Marble; 75 3/8 inches by 16 1/2 inches. Bargello National Museum, Florence, Italy. (David von Becker/State Museum of Berlin)

The other David is the gallerys plaster cast of Donatellos best-known bronze masterpiece, the original of which never leaves Florence. In this work, Donatello chose to depict a naked, young shepherda new ideawhen traditionally the biblical figure had been depicted as a wise king. Compared to Donatellos older marble piece, Davids anatomy here is much better.

Donatellos bronze masterpiece David never leaves Florence, Italy, but in the Donatello: Inventor of the Renaissance exhibition, at the Gemaldegalerie in Berlin, a plaster cast copy is on display from the citys Bode-Museum. (Paolo Gallo/Shutterstock)

Donatello made his bronze David some 30 years after his marble sculpture. It would be easy to surmise that the later work showed the artists progress and defined his style; it doesand it doesnt.

We cant define Donatellos artistic style, as he was a true Renaissance man darting from one material and technique to another. We can say, however, that he seemed to have mastered everything he touched. He mastered both the subtraction (wood and stone carving) and addition (clay, goldsmithing) methods of sculpture, an exceptional feat.

The Donatello exhibition at Berlins Gemaldegalerie (Picture Gallery) is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a wide array of works by one of the founders of one of the greatest eras in art history, the Renaissance. Some 90 sculptures, paintings, and related objects are on display, including works by Donatellos contemporaries. All exhibition loans are by Donatello, with some of the workslike his marble David and the Prato tribune (a raised platform used to address a congregation)having never before left Italy.

Challenging the Status Quo

Despite the exhibitions title, Donatello didnt invent the Renaissance by himself. He was one of many who set the Renaissance style in Florence, notably the painter Masaccio and architect Filippo Brunelleschi. Donatello completed his apprenticeship with goldsmith and sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti, while his master made his famous bronze doors for the Florence Baptistery. Donatello met Brunelleschi when he was a goldsmith, and the two became friends making discoveries and working together on projects.

Donatellos inventive, artistic brilliance in sculpture did pave the road for the artists who came around a century later, during the High Renaissance (often considered the best period of art history). This is partly why Donatello is lesser-known: Once the Renaissance style reached its epitome in the High Renaissance, the foundational work of early Renaissance artists fell somewhat into the shadows. Its a little like building a house. The house above ground is seen but the foundation, which is of the utmost importance, remains hidden. Another reason, exhibition curator Neville Rowley added, is because a biography of Donatello was not written until 100 years after his death.

Rowley showed us some key exhibits that demonstrate Donatellos creative brilliance and ingenuity.

Virgin and Child (Mantel Madonna), created around 1415, shows the artists early Gothic influences as a style of the time and one that was passed to him by his master, Ghiberti. Notice the idealized figures with almond eyes and elegant, elongated fingers and limbs typical of the Gothic style.

Virgin and Child (Mantel Madonna), circa 1415, by Donatello. Terracotta, formerly painted; 35 3/8 inches by 29 1/2 inches by 9 1/2 inches. Sculpture Collection (Bode-Museum), State Museum of Berlin. (Antje Voigt/Sculpture Collection and Museum for Byzantine Art, State Museum of Berlin)

Donatello evolved his art from the Gothic style to create expressive works. The 16th-century art historian Giorgio Vasari put it well (around a century later) when he wrote in his Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects: What many skilled hands once did for sculpture, Donato [Donatello] has accomplished alone: To the marble he has given life, emotion, movement: What more, can nature give, save speech?

Donatello looked to the past but never passively copied it; he strived to make something fresh and new, to show his talent, Rowley explained. He points to the museums Pazzi Madonna as a good example of this.

In the piece, Donatello created a Greek profile that could almost be mistaken as a copy of an ancient relief. But the rest of the piece is naturalistic.

Virgin and Child (Pazzi Madonna), circa 1422, by Donatello. Marble; 29 3/8 inches by 28 3/4 inches by 2 1/2 inches. Sculpture Collection (Bode-Museum), State Museum of Berlin. (Antje Voigt/Sculpture Collection and Museum for Byzantine Art, State Museum of Berlin)

We can see and feel not only the earthly mother-child bond but also the divine. The Virgin gazes at her son with apprehension, for she knows that she must let him go to fulfill his sacred mission. See how she sinks her fingers into Christs pudgy body as she holds him tight. We could almost be looking at soft flesh rather than hard marble. As with all Donatellos biblical works, this expressive sculpture first moves our heart and then reminds us of whats most important: to deepen our faith.

Look at Donatellos Madonna and Child pieces and it seems no two are the same. Rowley believes Donatello changed the sacred couples composition 30 times or more.

Donatellos Madonna of the Clouds on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, combines two different traditions in its composition. Rowley explains that the seated Madonna and child motif, symbolizing the Madonna of humility, comes from 14th-century Siena. Donatello takes this revered motif and, rather than depicting the figures seated on the ground, he raises them up into the clouds among a choir of angels and cherubs. Traditionally, the Madonna ascends to such heavenly heights at the time of her assumption, as seen in the many renditions of the Assumption of the Virgin. Yet for this work Donatello chose to show her in heaven with her son.

Virgin and Child With Angels (Madonna of the Clouds), circa 142530, by Donatello. Marble; 13 3/8 inches by 12 5/8 inches by 1 1/8 inches. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. (Lorraine Ferrier/The Epoch Times)

The work needs to be appreciated up close and in person, as photographs dont pick up the tiny nuances. Up close, the angels and cherubs fly among the clouds. Its almost as if Donatello has lightly danced his chisel over the piece, creating such a paradise. How he created this with a chisel, and without any color, must be one of arts miracles.

Dead Christ Tended by Angels, circa 1435, by Donatello. Marble; 31 3/4 inches by 45 inches by 2 3/8 inches. Victoria & Albert Museum, London. (Victoria & Albert Museum, London)

For the work, Donatello used stiacciato, a technique he invented, whereby extremely low reliefs are made on the marble, Rowley explained. The technique is so difficult that few artists used the technique after him. Many of the exhibition works show this technique, including Dead Christ Tended by Angels, and the Virgin and Child with Four Angels (Hildburgh Madonna). The latter work shows Donatellos use of single-point perspective (a mathematical technique that Brunelleschi revived from classical times, where the artist ensures that parallel lines converge on one point on the picture plane to make the work appear three-dimensional), something that he and his friend Brunelleschi introduced to art.

Virgin and Child With Four Angels (Hildburgh Madonna), circa 142030, by Donatello. Marble; 16 3/8 inches by 12 3/4 inches by 1 3/8 inches. Victoria & Albert Museum, London. (Victoria & Albert Museum, London)

New From Old

Rowley explained that, while other artists created works showing how learned they were by referencing certain texts, Donatello created sculptures that had never before been seen. For instance, he was the first to make terracotta standing Madonnas. He had learned to sculpt in clay from his master Ghiberti, who was the first to sculpt in terracotta since antiquity. Making these standing Madonnas meant that patrons who couldnt afford marble could suddenly own works in plain or painted terracotta.

On display in the exhibition is a recently conserved Virgin and Child (Mellon Madonna), from the National Gallery of Art in Washington. Here, the Virgin holds Christ on her hip as if shes showing him to us.

At the center of the Donatello: Inventor of the Renaissance exhibition is the Virgin and Child (Mellon Madonna), circa 1422, by Donatello (or after Donatello). Painted and gilded terracotta; 47 1/2 inches by 18 1/2 inches by 13 1/4 inches. Andrew W. Mellon Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington. (David von Becker/State Museum of Berlin)

Rowley finds the work fascinating, especially how Donatello chose not to create a front-facing composition, as typically seen in most architectural settings at the time. Instead, the artist turned the couple at an angle. The curators challenge is how best to publicly display such a piece.

Attributing terracotta works to Donatello rather than his workshop is tricky, as it can be difficult to ascertain whether the piece was cast from another terracotta work made by him, Rowley explained.

Donatello too revived an ancient tradition when he began adding spiritelli, or little spirits (naked, winged children)a motif hed seen on ancient Roman sarcophagiinto his works in the 1420s. One fascinating work resulted from a partnership with another sculptor. Donatello couldnt afford to do many commissions, so he formed a partnership with the sculptor Michelozzo. Together they accepted many commissions, working simultaneously on several projects in different regions.

Dancing spiritelli from the pulpit of Prato Cathedral, 143438, by Donatello and Michelozzo. Marble and mosaic of ceramic tiles glazed and formerly gilded. Museum of the Opera del DuomoDiocese of Prato, Prato in Tuscany, Italy. (David von Becker/State Museum of Berlin)

In the city of Prato, Tuscany, the pair worked on a marble tribune. The patrons commissioned them to create a series of reliefs with putti (winged baby boys) holding the citys coat of arms. Donatello had other ideas. Rowley noted that Donatello somehow convinced the patrons to portray a pagan dance of spiritelli on the Christian monument, which would normally have a set iconography.

Donatello chose what he created and patrons had to accept it. Rowley said that, at that time, it was unusual to work in such a way as for commissions, everything was codified and cleared by corporations and contracts.

Surprising Works

Donatello turned his talent to mastering many materials. He cast a golden reliquary bust in bronze of Saint Rossore, a saint revered in Pisa. Viewing this bust of St. Rossore, Rowley said that Donatellos art was evolving. He was depicting anatomy better and was now showing his subjects psychology. Rowley feels that Donatello effectively conveyed the saints melancholia just before hes martyred by beheading.

Reliquary bust of Saint Rossore, circa 142225, by Donatello. Bronze, gilded, and silvered; 21 5/8 inches by 22 7/8 inches by 16 1/2 inches. The National Museum of Saint Matthew, Pisa, Italy. (Lorraine Ferrier/The Epoch Times)

The most remarkable Donatello acquisition of the 20th century, the bronze Virgin and Child (Chellini Madonna) is in this exhibition. Four angels surround the Madonna in a tondo, a round composition popular in Florence. The work is special on its own, but look at the back: Donatello created the piece so that copies of the work could be cast in glass. Thats no easy feat. At the time, Donatello was working in Padua, which is close to Venice and the beginning of the now-famous Murano glass factory, Rowley explained. The nearby glassmakers mustve piqued Donatellos thirst to create in the medium.

Virgin and Child (Chellini Madonna), circa 145055, by Donatello. Bronze, partly gilded; 11 1/4 inches (diameter) by 1 inch. Victoria & Albert Museum, London. (Lorraine Ferrier/The Epoch Times)

Remarkably, or perhaps horrifyingly, an elderly English noblewoman had been using the bronze roundel as an ashtray, unaware that it was a masterpiece, before the Victoria and Albert Museum in London acquired the piece in 1976.

Viewing each of Donatellos different masterpieces in the exhibition is like opening a surprise gift. Its a delight to see this virtuoso sculptor anew, beyond his Davids, and learn about the ways he constantly strove to create, invent, and enjoy his talent. One wonders what the Renaissance wouldve been like without him.

The Donatello: Inventor of the Renaissance exhibition runs until Jan. 8, 2023, at the Gemaldegalerie in Berlin. To find out more, visit SMB.museum

The Berlin exhibition is curated by Neville Rowley in collaboration with Francesco Caglioti, Laura Cavazzini, and Aldo Galli. The exhibition is a unique partnership between the Staatliche Museum zu Berlin (State Museum of Berlin), the Museo Nazionale del Bargello (Bargello National Museum) in Florence, the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi (Strozzi Palace Foundation) in Florence, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Each venue will show a slightly different version of the exhibition, with some works and loans differing. The exhibition opened in Florence and will travel to London in February 2023.
A navy force helicopter under the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese army takes part in military exercises in the waters around Taiwan, at an undisclosed location, on Aug. 8, 2022. (Eastern Theater Command/Handout via Reuters)

China Is Taking Preparations for the Invasion of Taiwan Very Seriously: Retired Navy Captain

The Chinese regimes latest military drills near the Taiwan Strait suggest that it is taking preparations very seriously to achieve its goal of taking over Taiwan, according to Carl Schuster, former director of operations at U.S. Pacific Commands Joint Intelligence Center. However, the regime must achieve air and sea supremacy before it can launch a full-scale invasion of the island nation, he added.

During a military drill in August, the Chinese military used civilian ferries to transport attack ships in a mock amphibious landing to seize Taiwan.

The Chinese navy brought amphibious landing craft to a Chinese beach near the Taiwan Strait, according to Aug. 31 satellite images reviewed by USNI News.

The main ferry, code-named Bo Hai Heng Tong, is a 15,000-ton multipurpose cargo ship. Its cargo-carrying capacity is nearly three times that of the U.S. San Antonio-class amphibious warship (LPD-17). The ferrys internal parking lanes are 1.6 miles long and 3 meters wide, spread over three decks.

Combining amphibious warships with civilian vessels is not new to the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) navy. Over the years, many civilian ships have been used to transport military supplies, while some carry artillery on deck for shore bombardment. However, their use to transport attack ships is a recent development.

This tells me theyre going to have future exercises of this nature, Schuster told The Epoch Times on Sept. 30.

The first time I saw it was two years ago. They did it on a very small scale. This last exercise was slightly larger, and I think the next one will be larger still.

The retired Navy captain said the latest drill indicates the CCP can land more forces more quickly across a broader beach.

[Chinas] landing force can be increased significantly, [it] just takes a lot of practice, he said. Theyre taking preparations for the invasion of Taiwan very seriously.

He argued that for an amphibious landing to succeed, the CCP must have air and sea supremacy.

Until the [Chinese troops] reach the beach, [they have] to go over the Taiwan Strait. To do that, they need to achieve superiority over Taiwan and air supremacy over the Taiwan Strait, he said. Plus, they need to be able to ensure submarines cant reach the amphibious task. So the amphibious [landing] capability reflects the final stage of an assault on Taiwan. The intermediate stages are seizing control of the air over Taiwan and seizing control of the air and sea over the Taiwan Strait.

Schuster said that the Chinese leadership hopes to force Taiwan to accept reunification without the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) having to invade the island by amphibious assault.

I believe the PLA hopes that air and missile strikes will break Taiwans political will, he said. Historically, that hasnt happened. Looking back on the Battle of Britain, the Germans hoped the same thing.

Taiwans Preparation Is Critical

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines testified to Congress in May that the threat of Taiwans reunification with mainland China between now and 2030 was acute.

As early as May 2018, James Fanell, a retired Navy captain and intelligence officer, told Congress that the CCP could launch a military invasion of Taiwan by 2030 at the latest.

However, Schuster believes that if Taiwan actively builds up its military, maintains the readiness and strength of its forces, and the United States stands firm in its commitment to Taiwan, Beijing will not take action because they want a quick, easy victory, not a long drawn outside.

He noted that there are only a few landing beaches in Taiwan.

It all boils down to how ready the Taiwanese are to contest the air and sea space, he said. If the answer is yes, then the invasion will come. If the answer is no, then it boils down [to] the fighting on the beach, and the fighting on the beach is a matter of combat capability and will.

China has to overcome minefields both in the water and on the beach, and Taiwanese people are committed to their defense, he continued, saying that he doesnt believe the CCP will succeed by 2030.

Soldiers fire 155mm howitzers during an annual live-fire military exercise in Pingtung county, southern Taiwan, on Aug. 9, 2022. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

But if Taiwan does not continue to build its defenses, then it becomes an increasing possibility. Remember, victory in the impetuous landing requires overwhelming power  if you weaken your will, then the invasion becomes not only possible, it might be successful.

Will the US Defend Taiwan?

Schuster hopes the United States will defend Taiwan in the event that the CCP launches an attack.

If we dont help Taiwan defend itself, then we will have abandoned a free democratic country, and that loses credibility, he said.

Plus, we have been defending Taiwan or promising to defend the Taiwanese people now for over fifty years. If we fail to keep that promise, that undermines our credibility elsewhere in Asia.

If Taiwan falls to China, and China has a doorway to the central Pacific, it can cut off sea supplies to Japan and the Philippines and establish hegemony over west Pacific and East Asia.

So, from a strategic perspective, we have to defend Taiwan. From a geopolitical perspective and credibility perspective, we have to defend Taiwan.

During a visit to Taiwan on Aug. 3, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that the United States will not abandon Taiwan.

Today, the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy, she said. Americas determination to preserve democracy here in Taiwan and around the world remains ironclad.

In September, U.S. President Joe Biden said in an interview on CBS that the United States would defend Taiwan if there was an unprecedented attack by the CCP.

Strategic Ambiguity

Bidens statement appears to be a change from the strategic ambiguity that has characterized the U.S. policy on Taiwan over the past few decades. Under the policy, U.S. leaders would neither confirm nor deny whether the United States would protect Taiwan militarily in an attempt to maintain a peaceful status quo: to deter Chinese aggression and dissuade Taiwan from seeking independence.

Schuster believes that the CCPs military threats have forced the United States to abandon strategic ambiguity.

[CCP leader] Xi Jinping launches missiles around Taiwan, launches military threats around Taiwan, and continues to do so, he said. So Biden is letting Xi Jinping know that behavior is not acceptable.

The United States will counter it if it goes into conflict, so the strategic ambiguity ended not because we sought conflict with China, but because Xis behavior forced us off the fence.
Chinas COVID-19 Restrictions Weakened its Consumer Markets and the Food and Beverage Industry

Chinas zero-COVID policy has negatively impacted consumer buying habits and severely weakened the food and beverage industry. Companies like Taiwans famous Bafang Dumpling chain hint they may withdraw from the Chinese market and divert their operations to the United States. Although Bafang has yet to confirm this, it has activated its stop-loss mechanism, closed poorly operating stores in China, and opened its first U.S. store in March of this year.

Bafang and Other Restaurant Groups May Exit China

Headquartered in Taiwan, Bafang Dumpling is a potsticker and dumpling specialty store. In its heyday, the company operated over 100 stores in mainland China, which now generate less than one percent of Bafangs total revenues. Taiwan accounts for 81 percent of Bafangs revenues and Hong Kong accounts for 16.9 percent.

Bafangs sluggish performance in China began three years ago when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began its zero-COVID policies to contain the pandemic. The ensuing city lockdowns, power restrictions, escalating prices of raw materials, and higher rents prevented consumers from shopping and devastated the profits of businesses.

Like Bafang, numerous restaurant groups in China have begun downsizing their operations and turning to the United States for expansion. In March of this year, Bafang opened its first U.S. store in City of Industry and a factory in Irvine, both in California. The company said it expects to add an additional eight stores and a central factory in California over the next two years.

Chinas Domestic Market in Rapid Decline

In an interview with The Epoch Times, Taiwanese financial expert Hsu Kow-Huang said the demand for Chinas domestic products has been unsatisfactory since 2020. He attributed the problem to the CCPs COVID lockdowns that restricted in-store consumption and severely weakened the restaurant industry. To make matters worse, he said the CCP shows no signs of ending its damaging policies.

Hsu described the Chinese domestic market under the CCPs zero-Covid policies as involution fierce, suggesting the market is continuing to shrink. He said a company is unlikely to grow market share against larger companies if its products are not significantly different from others and not favored by consumers. Under the COVID-19 restrictions, Chinas consumers lack income and their buying preferences have switched to low-cost items. For example, high-quality and costly foods are no longer as appealing. People are trying to get by on just enough food. Shrinking of the high-priced foods market has delivered a severe blow to China.

Under the circumstances, Hsu believes its reasonable to expect that many Taiwanese food and beverage companies will begin developing their brands in the United States. While Chinas market consists of 1.2 billion people, and the United States has less than 332 million, the U.S. average annual income is higher. In the case of Bafang Dumpling, this means the revenue from 100 stores in China can be earned from only 50 stores in the United States, even though the cost of making dumplings in the United States may be twice as high.

Chinas Restaurant Industry is Suffering

Chinese media company 36Kr released a report titled Chinas Restaurant Industry Development Report in August 2022, claiming half of Chinas 32 listed restaurant entities experienced cumulative losses of $296 million during the first half of 2022, an average loss of $18.5 million per entity.

The restaurant categories struggling the most included formal Chinese dining, Western-style fast food, braised foods, and hot pot eateries. The significant decline in restaurant net profits thus far in 2022 was attributed to the COVID-19 lockdowns across China and the rising costs of raw materials and labor. In combination, these factors have led to operational difficulties and reduced revenues.

Similar data from the Taiwan Commercial Times confirms that in 2020 and 2021, the number of canceled or revoked stores in mainland Chinas restaurant industry totaled over 320,000 and 935,000 respectively. During the first half of 2022 alone, a total of 373,000 restaurants or stores were canceled or revoked, which exceeded all of those in 2020.

During the first half of 2022, Beijing and Shanghai were hit by consecutive epidemic lockdowns that effectively banned in-store dining. Across mainland China, many restaurant entities were forced to shut down due to falling profits and rising costs for rent, labor, and ingredients. Even the big-brand stores were affected.

A high percentage of the restaurant closures that have occurred to date in 2022 were concentrated in Shanghai. After work resumed there in June, the restaurant industry didnt respond with massive spending to reinvigorate consumer sales. Nor did consumers return to their old habits of wanting high-priced quality brands. Instead, people wanted lower-priced items, which delivered yet another blow to Chinas weakened restaurant industry.

Looking ahead at Chinas restaurant industry, analysts with Goldman Sachs in China have downgraded their compound revenue growth from 11 percent to 8 percent for the 2021-26 period. Rather than recover swiftly from the epidemic restrictions, they believe the industry will stagnate in 2022 and show only 0.6 percent annual growth.
Police keep watch in Hong Kong on Oct. 1, 2022, during commemorations for China's National Day. The day marked the 73rd founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China by the Chinese Communist Party. (Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images)

Manchester Rally Protests Hong Kongs Loss of Freedoms

There was a strong police presence on Hong Kong streets on Oct. 1, the 73rd anniversary of the fall of China to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Termed as the National Day of the Peoples Republic of China by the CCP, communist flags flew all over subdued Hong Kong while across the world in Manchester, U.K., a large crowd of Hongkongers in exile gathered to protest the loss of freedom in the city of their birth.

U.K.-based HK Indigenous Defence Force and Manchester Hongkonger Association joined forces at the rally held at St. Peters Square to call for global resistance against the CCP and its authoritarianism.

Several renowned Hongkongers in exile were invited to speak, among them former Yuen Long District Councilor To-Ka Lun, political activist Finn Lau, veteran commentator Ching Cheong, and the convenor of Hong Kong Independent Alliance Wayne Chan.

The rally started with speeches from the guests, followed by a march that included many young people and families from Hong Kong, chanting slogans such as, Say no to China, Hong Kong is not China, Free Hong Kong, Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong.

Hongkongers in exile gather at St. Peters Square in Manchester, U.K., calling for global resistance against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its authoritarianism. (Hu Jiang/The Epoch Times)

A spokesperson for the HK Indigenous Defence Force said that according to local police, the number of rally attendees reached 1,200.

Former HK District Councilor To-Ka Lun spoke in fluent English and said, Freedom is not free. Freedom does not come freely. Indeed, freedom is very costly. As the CCP celebrates its National Day, this is a day of mourning for the people of HK who are scattered overseas due to the CCPs oppression.

End Sister Cities

Hong Kong activist Finn addressed the rally via video and called for an end to the sister cities program with China in order to resist the CCPs influence.

Law encouraged overseas Hongkongers to learn from the lessons of the 2019 protest, preserve Hong Kongs history and language, and maintain the cultural identity of the Hong Kong people.

He further advocated for Hongkongers to remind Western countries that the CCP can never be trusted, and dismantling the Partys economic resources and legitimacy internationally is the only way to defend freedom.

Hong Kong activist Finn Law addressed the rally via video. (Hu Jiang/The Epoch Times)

Dr. Lit, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor from Hong Kong, had a Ukrainian flag on his shoulders.

He said that on the CCPs National Day on Oct. 1, he can only remember the martyrdom of the protester Marco Leung and the incident where the Hong Kong police opened fire on a protester.

Other rally attendees chanted the call for an end to the CCP. Dr. Lit encouraged the audience to never give up and to have faith and fight on.

Political commentator Ching Cheong spoke at the rally and said that the CCP historically has relied on three pillars to seize power: violence, deceit, and collusion with foreign powers.

Cheong spoke about the violence of the 1950s and 1960s when the CCP incited followers to riot and seize private land without any compensation and to kill all so-called counter-revolutionaries such as landlords and capitalists.

One example he gave of the CCPs early use of violence to seize power was the CCPs Hunan Provincial Committee which issued orders to kill anyone deemed as counter-revolutionaries.

Cheong said that deceit was the second tool used by the CCP and gave an example of how Mao Zedong told a Reuters reporter in 1945 that he wanted to build a new free, and democratic China.

Mao told the reporter, A free and democratic China would be a country where all levels of government, up to the central government, would be elected by universal suffrage and would be accountable to the people who elected them. It would reflect Dr. Sun Yat-sens three principles of democracy, President Lincolns ideals of the government of the people, by the people, and for the people, and President Roosevelts four freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.

Cheong said such a beautiful lie deceived a generation of Chinese people as well as the United States and other Western nations.

He then spoke about the CCPs collusion with foreign powers, with the Soviet Union, in particular, helping the CCP grow stronger in the 20th century. In order to gain the backing of the Soviet Union, the CCP was willing to give up 150 million hectares of land that Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin had earlier declared three times that he would return to China.

Even during World War II, the CCP cooperated with Japan to sabotage the Republic of China at a time when the communists were supposedly fighting the Japanese invasion with the Nationalist Chinese government. The CCP would cooperate with the Japanese military in exchange for their forces not invading CCP-held territories.

The CCP has relied on these three pillars to seize and consolidate power, and gradually these characteristics have become intertwined in the Partys DNA, he said.

Since the CCP took power in China, no fewer than 40 million Chinese have died as a result of the CCPs policies, Cheong said. In the 73 years since the founding of the party, the lies of the CCP have never stopped, and from the Hong Kong perspective, the Party has violated all the promises of the Basic Law of Hong Kong. These points demonstrate the regimes illegitimacy, he said.

Transformed Into an Unfree Society

Cheong further called on Hongkongers in exile to use their own experiences as examples to show the world the true nature of the CCP.

Since the handover to China, Hong Kong has shown the world a textbook case of how a once free metropolis has been transformed into an unfree society in a short span of 25 years, Cheong said.

Once a haven for mainland Chinese seeking freedom, it now produces its own political refugees who are scattered all over the world. If the world continues to appease the CCP, the free world will be walking into a crisis.

End the CCP banner at the rally. (Hu Jiang/The Epoch Times)

A Bloody Record

During its early history, the CCP took advantage of peoples dissatisfaction with society, using it to defeat their opponents while becoming the voice of China. After the CCP took over China in 1949, its only expertise seemed to be in killing the Chinese people indiscriminately.

In the course of the Land Reform Movement, the Korean War, the Great Leap Forward, and the Cultural Revolution, the CCPs reign of terror resulted in nothing but massacres and extreme poverty.

At one time, the CCP said that population growth was good and encouraged childbirth; later, it switched to suppressing population growth and introduced the one-child policy, which led to forced abortions en masse.

Following the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, the CCP took advantage of Chinas cheap labor to coax the Western countries into fully opening up their markets while it succeeded in joining the World Trade Organization (WTO).

However, the Chinese regime secretly worked to commit intellectual property theft worldwide. Using the lies of one country, two systems to deceive Hong Kong, the CCP signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration which resulted in the U.K. ceding Hong Kong to China in 1997.

Convenor of Hong Kong Independent Alliance Wayne Chan told rally attendees at the end, It is hard to imagine what will happen next month or next year. What we can do is to live without regrets and with dignity, and hope that we will not forget our love for Hong Kong and for our people.
Chinese Company Tuya Faces NY Class-Action Lawsuit for Allegedly Misleading Investors

Shareholders in New York filed a class action lawsuit against Tuya Inc., a Chinese AI and Internet of Things (IoT) platform.

Lian Xiaomeng, a Chinese national, was the first to initiate a lawsuit in federal court in the Southern District of New York on Aug. 9 through the shareholder rights law firm Johnson Fistel, alleging that Tuya violated federal securities laws in its March 2021 initial public offering (IPO).

Four other law firmsShareholders Foundation, Levi & Korsinsky, Hagens Berman, and Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowdfollowed suit, announcing they were launching an investigation and calling for the lead plaintiffs attorney to join them by Oct. 11.

The law firm Vincent Wong of East Broadway in Chinatown, New York, also announced on Oct. 3 that a class action lawsuit has been filed suing Tuya Inc., the companys principals, and the intermediary that underwrote the offering, on behalf of all individuals or entities who purchased Tuyas American Depositary Shares (ADSs) in or traceable to the companys IPO in March 2021.

2021 US IPO Raised $946 Million

Headquartered in Eastern Chinas Zhejiang Province, Tuya Inc. operates a global IoT cloud platform.

At its U.S. IPO event on March 18, 2021 it sold 43.59 million ADSs at a price of $21 per share, totalling $946 million.

Chinese state media at the time touted the event as being the worlds first IoT cloud platform to make an honorary debut on the New York Stock Exchange.

Hagens Berman alleged in its indictment that Tuyas IPO documents hyperbolized the companys historical growth, claiming it was driven by the thriving ecosystem of customers, made up of brands, OEMS, industry operators, and system integrators, who generated revenue for Tuya by selling products through e-commerce marketplaces, such as, Amazon.com. The statements allowed Tuya to go public and raise over $946 million in gross proceeds.

The plaintiff alleges that Tuyas IPO documents failed to disclose that: (1) a material portion of Tuyas China-based customers were engaged in the widespread and systematic manipulation of reviews and product offerings in violation of Amazon.coms terms of use; (2) prior to the IPO, a consumer investigation and data breach had exposed 13 million records of organized fake review scams linked to over 200,000 Amazon account profiles; and (3) as a result, there was a substantial risk that a material portion of Tuyas significant customers would be barred from using Amazon.coms platform, negatively impacting Tuyas business, revenues, earnings and prospects.

Fake Reviews on Amazon

To support their claim, plaintiffs cited the famous report by the UK-based consumer insight website Which? (www.which.co.uk), released on April 16, 2019 and titled Revealed: Amazon plagued with thousands of fake five-star reviews.

Which? found that the top-rated items were dominated by unknown brands with names such as ITSHINY, Vogek, and Aitalk, which in many cases had thousands of unverified reviewsmeaning there is no evidence that the reviewer has even bought or used the product, the report said.

In August 2020, UCLA and the University of Southern California jointly published a study analyzing the market for products with fake reviews, and found that the vast majority, 84 percent, are located in China.

In September 2020, Amazon deleted approximately 20,000 product reviews, after a Financial Times investigation uncovered that several little-known Chinese brands were profiting from posting fraudulent reviews.

As a result, the plaintiffs allege that, unbeknownst to investors, a significant portion of Tuyas Chinese customers engaged in illegal activities to misleadingly promote and sell their products in the e-commerce marketplace, and are therefore at high risk of being banned from using the Amazon platform, negatively impacting Tuyas business, revenues, earnings, and prospects.

According to the indictment: Further, on March 1, 2021, more than two weeks before the IPO, a data security organization, Safety Detectives, had recovered a database that exposed 13 million records of organized fake review scams linked to over 200,000 Amazon account profiles, many of which implicated Tuyas clients.

Then, on July 9, 2021, it was reported that Amazon had closed 340 online stores of one of its largest Chinese retailers in the first half of this year as it cracked down on paid reviews and other violations of Amazons terms of use. In subsequent weeks, Amazon banned hundreds of Chinese brands across thousands of sellers accounts, many of which were clients of Tuya. Amazon stated that these sellers knowingly, repeatedly, and significantly violated Amazons seller policies, especially the ones around review abuse.

Tuyas Share Price Plummets

On Aug. 19, 2021, Tuya reported its second quarter financial results, providing estimated revenues of $83 million to $86 million, in addition to its projectswell below the previous estimate of $110 million. The company blamed the poor performance on a number of challenges affecting its customers, including Amazons strict enforcement of seller policies, rising raw material prices, and shortages of semiconductor components.

As of August 2022, Tuyas share price had fallen below $2 per share90 percent below its IPO price. Investors who purchased shares last year suffered huge losses.

The U.S. court has asked all parties in the lawsuit to file status updates by Oct. 30.

Tuya headquarters did not respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times by press time.
Police in full personal protective gear holding guns in Xishuangbanna airport, China's southwestern Yunnan Province on Oct. 4, 2022. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Chinese Police With Weapons Reportedly Lock Down Tourists in Airport

Footage of Chinese police holding weapons at the airport of Xishuangbanna (Banna) prefecture to stop tourists from boarding their planes has gone viral in China and overseas.

Tourists were trapped in the airport after the local authorities of Banna suddenly locked down the city of Jinghong on Oct. 4. They chanted We want to go home!

Then police wearing full personal protective gear and holding guns appeared at the airport. It is not clear if their guns were loaded with live ammunition. A tourist can be heard shouting: Are you going to kill us all?

Xishuangbanna, a prefecture in Chinas southwestern Yunnan Province, borders both Burma and Laos. It is well-known for its tropical rainforest, one of the largest in Asia, and is home to Asian elephants, Indo-Chinese tigers, and green peacocks, making it a popular attraction for Chinese tourists.

The prefecture seat is Jinghong, which reportedly saw an outbreak of the pandemic on Oct. 2 and recorded a total of one asymptomatic case and two symptomatic cases as of Oct. 4.

Jinghong City, with a population of 642,737 people, was locked down on Oct. 4. Starting from 2 p.m., Jinghong Citys flights and high-speed railways were suspended, the highways were closed, and a large number of passengers were trapped.

The Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times reached out to several passengers who were at the airport on Oct. 4.

Police Came to Suppress Protest: Tourist

Mr. Song (pseudonym), a tourist in Jinghong, told The Epoch Times on Oct. 5 that he was at the airport when the armed police came to shut down the protest of tourists who were prohibited from boarding their plane.

He said that the tourists were at the departure hall of Bannas airport. We saw planes landing and then taking off without letting passengers board the plane, so some people rushed the boarding gates, hoping to have an opportunity to leave, Song said, adding that the police came with guns to clamp down on the protest.

He said that all the planes were canceled after 2 p.m. without notice. Some planes landed and then flew away without taking any passengers, Song said.

We protested until midnight, and we got no reply from the authorities [about] when we can leave.

Song is still staying in a hotel in Jinghong.

No one knows how long Jinghong is to be locked down, and we find future airfares have significantly increased, said Song.

He told the publication that they have to pay for the hotel accommodation by themselves.

We left the airport after midnight, and the hotel we had stayed at charged us 260 yuan ($37) per night. Some tourists were charged 300 yuan ($42) per night, Song said the hotel increased its charges to newcomers.

Now that all the flights have been canceled and high-speed trains have been suspended, we cant go anywhere, Song said. He told The Epoch Times that some tourists wanted to change hotels but were not able to leave the hotel because local public transport and taxis were all banned from operating.

Ms. Lin (pseudonym) is a tourist from Shenzhen. She said that her wish is to go back home as soon as possible.

The local government previously told us that the city would be locked down until Oct. 6, but they have extended the time to Oct. 9. The authorities also asked us to get three PCR tests in the five-day lockdown period, Lin told The Epoch Times.

She said there are about 1,000 travelers from Shenzhen who have been locked down in Jinghong.

Some people were still staying at the airport after the conflict, according to Lin.

We have called the Shenzhen government, telling them about our situation. We asked them if they [Shenzhen government officials] can help us charter planes to fly us back to Shenzhen at our own expense, said Lin. She didnt say if the Shenzhen municipal government would help or not.

She added that there were protests by tourists on Oct. 4 at a local night market and police came and hit the protesters.

The protestors are tourists because we are locked down here, but the three COVID patients are locals, not tourists. But the locals can move around, while tourists have to be isolated, Lin said that physical conflicts occurred between the protesting tourists and the local police.

According to an Oc. 4 notice by the Jinghong pandemic prevention and control command, all people must be quarantined for five days and subject to PCR tests three times within the quarantine period. Only those with three negative test results and with no COVID symptoms are allowed to leave the prefecture, the notice reads.

Taiwans Central News Agency (CNA) believes that Chinas local governments are further tightening their already stringent zero-COVID policies in an effort to prevent the spreading of COVID to Beijing as the CCPs key national congress is drawing near. According to the CNA, there were over 1,000 passengers trapped at Bannas airport on Oct. 4 when the police, in full personal protective gear and with guns and shields, confronted protestors at the airport.

The CCP is convening its 20th national congress in mid-October in Beijing, a top event for political reshuffling and policymaking for the coming five years.

Yunnan provincial government stated on Oct. 6 that Jinghong city reported one asymptomatic case and three symptomatic cases as of midnight on Oct. 5.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Jinghong municipal government and its pandemic prevention and control office for comment on Oct. 6 and had received no reply as of press time.

Gu Xiaohua and Zhao Fenghua contributed to the article.
Newly elected Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks at the Conservative Party of Canada leadership vote, in Ottawa, on Sept. 10, 2022. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

Conservatives Ahead of Liberals in Projected Seat Victories, Pollster Says

Pierre Poilievres Conservatives lead the Liberals in projected seat victories for Canadas next federal election, according to pollster Nanos Research.

In the latest Nanos seat projections that we do, we actually have the Conservatives winning more seats than the Liberals, which means there will be a chance of not just a Liberal defeat, but of the Conservatives having a chance to form a government, said pollster Nik Nanos during an appearance on CTV News Trend Line podcast on Oct. 5.

The Liberals won 160 seats compared to the Conservatives 119 in the snap election Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called in September 2021.

Led by Erin OToole, the Conservatives won the popular vote, but heavily lost seats to the Liberals in Ontario and Quebec, which hold a combined 198 seats of the countrys total 337.

In the past, the Conservatives have led but havent been efficient at converting into seats, said Nanos, adding that new monthly polling shows Poilievres Conservatives increasing their popularity in Ontario.

Nanos said traditional Liberal ridings in Ontario are beginning to look less secure in recent projections, with the Conservatives and NDP challenging the Liberals for some key Ontario seats.

You can see ridings like Oakville in play, Hamilton in play, he said. Look at Oshawatoo close to call.

In the 2021 election, the Conservatives won a total of 5,747,410 votes while the Liberals won 5,556,629, totalling a difference of 1.1 percent of all the countrys votes. However, the Conservatives managed to win just 37 seats in Ontario compared to the Liberals 78.

Ontario is really the one to look at, Nanos said, adding that new projections bring good news for Ontario Conservative candidates.

Conservatives are doing better in Ontario than they have in the past, and as a result, its yielding more seats, he said.

In a report released Oct. 4, Nanos also said the number of Canadians undecided on who their preferred prime minister is has dropped five percentage points over just four weeks.

The proportion of Canadians who are unsure who they would prefer as PM is down from 25 to 20 percent, Nanos said. Numbers are starting to trend positively for Poilievre.

Speaking on Trend Line podcast, Nanos said Trudeaus Liberals may have to start considering renewing their mission and vision for the country if they want to retain popularity.

If they dont do renewal and just think that they can do what theyve done in the last few years, Im not sure thats going to work, Nanos said.

If youre Justin Trudeau, and an adviser to Justin Trudeau, youve got to be thinking, Oh, boy, theres some ridings at risk that are traditionally Liberal ridings and have to be very careful on what happens in the next couple of years.
Costa Mesa Man Accused of Carjacking, Pursuit in Newport Beach

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.A 26-year-old felon was behind bars Oct. 5 on suspicion of carjacking a vehicle near Fashion Island and leading police on a chase before barricading himself in a house and ultimately surrendering.

Alfredo M. Hopgood of Costa Mesa was booked on suspicion of robbery, carjacking, felon in possession of a firearm, ammunition, and a large capacity magazine as well as assault with a deadly weapon, recklessly evading police, violating parole, and carrying a gun in a public place, according to Newport Beach police. He was being held without bail, according to jail records.

Police were dispatched at 3:33 p.m. Oct. 4 to a report of a carjacking near Fashion Island, police said. Hopgood is accused of taking one vehicle, and when it broke down, he carjacked another vehicle at gunpoint, police alleged.

Police picked up the pursuit of the stolen black Jeep Cherokee for several miles until the suspect pulled over on Santiago Drive in the Dover Shores neighborhood, jumped out and ran away, and hid in a residence, where he barricaded himself, police said.

Officers eventually caught up to the suspect at 8:50 p.m. in a backyard within a perimeter police had established, and he surrendered without incident, police said.
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.
CRA Paid Out $100 Billion in Wage Subsidies Without Any Screening, Auditor General Says

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) did not do cursory checks on claims requesting wage subsidies under a pandemic relief program using the information it already had before paying out $100.6 billion to businesses, including those in tax default, according to Auditor General Karen Hogan.

An example we saw was in the Emergency Wage Subsidy program, Hogan testified before the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance on Sept. 4, as first reported by Blacklocks Reporter. The Canada Revenue Agency had information where they could have vetted the eligibility of businesses.

The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program was first announced by the federal government on March 27, 2020, as a measure to provide small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic a 75 percent wage subsidy for up to 12 weeks, retroactive to March 15, 2020.

On April 11, 2020, the federal government introduced and passed Bill C-14, A Second Act Respecting Certain Measures In Response To Covid-19, to implement CEWS. The bill, which received royal assent on the same day, had the program administered by the CRA under the Income Tax Act.

Cabinet expanded CEWS in June 2021 to cover large publicly traded corporations. The program, which was originally estimated to cost $73 million, went 38 percent over budget with payments on five million separate claims, according to Blacklocks.

[The CRA] could have done some sort of screening before giving out wage subsidies and they didnt use all the information available to them, Hogan told the committee. They didnt share information across divisions which would have facilitated the heavy labour that is now needed during post-payment verification.

According to an Inquiry of Ministry tabled in Parliament on May 16 and obtained by Blacklocks Reporter, records show that the CRA paid $145.9 million in subsidies to insolvent companies, and subsidized 352 firms in default of their federal taxes.

Wage subsidies were also given to Canadian offices of Chinese corporations such as the Bank of China, Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines Company, the inquiry said.

In his testimony before the Standing Committee on Finance in April 2020, Frank Vermaeten, assistant commissioner at the CRA said that the agency was able to process claims in a timely and accurate fashion.

Vermaeten was asked by Tory MP Marty Morantz how Canadians can be confident in the services provided by the CRA after a report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business graded the agency a D for its ability to answer inquiries at its call centres.

Id say that with respect to our ability to provide funding and refunds and do that accurately, I think we are doing a very good job, Vermaeten said.
The offices of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, at 2 New Square in London, on Oct. 2, 2018. (Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Deloitte-China Case Not Alone Among International Financial Standards Violations in China: Experts

Business environment under CCP fosters irregular financial dealings

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) fined Deloitte-China $20 million on Sept. 29 for its failure to comply with basic U.S. audit requirements. Experts say the incident highlights the need for better oversight of Chinese audit firms.

Deloitte-China, also known as Deloitte Hua Yong, is the Chinese affiliate of international accounting firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

Responding to the allegation the same day, Deloitte Hua Yong acknowledged on its official website that its audit failed to meet Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) auditing standards for fiscal year 2018. The firm said those audit procedures have been re-performed and effectively remediated.

We find that Deloitte-China fell woefully short of professional auditing requirements in numerous component audits of Chinese operations of U.S. issuers and audits of Chinese companies listed on U.S. exchanges, said SEC Chair Gary Gensler in a Sept. 29 press release confirming the $20 million settlement. These basic, foundational auditing requirements are necessary to instill trust in our capital markets.

Its a privilege for issuers to access our marketsthe largest, deepest, most liquid markets in the world. Investors in U.S. markets should be protectedand have trust in a companys financial numbersregardless of whether an issuer is foreign or domestic, Gensler said.

Gensler said the incident highlights the need for the PCAOB to inspect Chinese audit firms.

Deloitte-China is not alone in this situation, Katherine Jiang, a Hong Kong-based financial analyst, told The Epoch Times on Sept. 30. If the SEC wants to investigate, it will find additional violations at other international financial institutions that provide financial services to China.

State-owned enterprises or large private companies backed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), have basically lost Chinese traditional virtues that contain benevolence, justice, etiquette, wisdom, and trust, Jiang said. CCP-backed companies often use local market strengths to coerce global financial service providers to reap financial interests rather than following etiquette and trust, Jiang added.

Workers produce shoes for a U.S. company at a state-owned factory in Shenyang, China, on May 31, 2000. (Goh Chai Hin/AFP via Getty Images)

International Financial Institutions Compromised

Jiang said it is difficult for foreign financial institutions to do business in China because they have to satisfy their clients while finding ways to meet regulatory requirements at all levels.

Western financial institutions doing business with China face unique challenges. Jiang explained that many Chinese companies are unaware that they fall short of global standards, and may not be professional enough to properly address their shortcomings. In addition, some companies have bad habits formed under CCP rules. That may include coercing financial institutions or making unreasonable demands, especially when those demands are backed by Chinas State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

Jiang cited her experience working with state-owned Chinese companies: when she questioned the veracity of data, the company blamed it on different statistical methods. One company even gave different data every time she asked the same question. As she continued to track down the answer, she was finally labeled as not understanding Chinas situation and not understanding how Chinese enterprises work.

A Matter of Falsification

Its not a matter of understanding or statistical methods, [its] a matter of falsification, Jiang said.

Jiang warned the company of the dangers of falsifying data, but they [state-owned enterprises] dont care as the regulators wont punish them; the state-owned assets supervisor supports them.

As a monopolist reaping the benefits of the masses in its domestic market, the CCP does not care about the opinions of the foreign financial industry, Jiang said.

Deloitte Global is one of the worlds largest accounting firms, with 415,000 professionals worldwide. Brand Finance, a UK-based evaluation agency, has ranked Deloitte the most influential and most valuable business service brand in the world for four consecutive years.

Deloitte-China, like other large accounting firms, provides ethics training to its staff on a regular basis, but in the communist environment the training may be largely disregarded, said Jiang. She believes that the CCPs ruling environment is conducive to irregular financial operations.

Communist Rule Fosters Unregulated Financial System

Jiang believes that as foreign financial institutions develop their businesses under the CCPs rule, the corporate culture of their Chinese branches devolves, and ethical conflicts become common.

Once [a business] doesnt abide by basic ethics for the first time, it will get used to making compromises later, Jiang said.

Many Western veteran bankers or financial practitioners find that when their China business grows rapidly, the company culture deteriorates significantly, because there is always the dilemma of whether to do business or maintain ethical conduct.

People who work in financial institutions are smart, but when dealing with Chinese companies, part of those smarts [are] used to keep Chinese clients happy while satisfying the superficial requirements of regulators, rather than actually following ethics, Jiang said.

CCPs Financial Data Counterfeiting

Falsehoods are common in Chinese official statistics. For example, on Aug. 18, the Ministry of Commerce released data claiming that Chinas use of foreign capital in the first seven months of the year had achieved double-digit growth of 17.3 percent.

However, a Bloomberg report on Sept. 5 revealed this was a falsification of the CCP, reporting that Hong Kong was the source of as much as 76 percent of actually utilized foreign direct investment in China last year. This was most likely the result of mainland companies routing funds through Hong Kong in a process dubbed round-tripping.

In addition, the majority of the new investment flowed to the service industry, not the high-end manufacturing that the Chinese regime favors.

In an interview with The Epoch Times on March 26, Dr. Frank Tian Xie, a professor at the University of South Carolinas Aiken School of Business, said many CCP officials, because of the regimes preferential treatment for foreign funding, transfer money from the state treasury to overseas locations in various ways. That money then reenters the Chinese market as American or overseas capital, in a process that is, essentially, money laundering.

In light of this, the CCPs official data is definitely distorted, Xie said.
An Upland, California, resident spied on his Ring doorbell security cam an uninvited guest skulking, in broad daylight, just inside the gate of his front yard.

The guest was a burly black bear that had roamed onto Joshua Morgans property on Sierra Drive; when suddenly he saw an Amazon delivery driver arrive outside the gate to deliver a package.

Stop right there! There is a bear right there! Can you hear me? Thats a bear! Back away! Morgan is heard calling to the driver over the Ring speaker.

The gate is already opening, breaching the space between the two visitors.

Like a wraith, the bear disappears behind the bushes and then reappears in plain sight atop the propertys stone wall. The deliveryman and bear see each other and the man, seemingly unfazed, raises his hands high to make himself appear bigger to ward off the bear.

At which point, the bear promptly scales down the outside of the wall and moseys on down the street, allowing the Amazon driver safe passage to complete his delivery.

Hes seen entering the gate without further incident.

Morgan told media its not uncommon for him to see bears, coyotes, mountain lions, and other wildlife in his yard in his neck of the woods. His San Bernardino County home is located at the foot of Mt. San Antonio, which is literally right in his backyard.

Ring regularly shares on Facebook and YouTube such entertaining security cam footage from its customers, garnering viral attention.

Although the company claims to prioritize the security and privacy of its clients, they have come under fire for sharing their customers data with Facebook, Google, and other analytics and marketing companies.

(ring)

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Tax time will soon be here. The good news is that there still is time to reduce your taxes this year. Making changes now can help you get more tax deductions on your upcoming 1040 taxes.

Getting the biggest IRS refund means you need to have a lot of receipts for any tax deductions you want to claim. If you have not already done so, look at the various types of tax deductions available in your situation. Here are eight options you may want to consider.

1. Contribute to a Retirement Account

One of the best ways to reduce your taxes is to contribute to a retirement account. Some of these accounts allow you to deduct your contribution from your total income (pretax), and others require you to pay taxes on the money contributed.

Each account has maximum contribution limits. An individual retirement account (IRA) or Roth IRA has a contribution limit of $6,000 if you are under 50, or $7,000 if 50 or older. The Internal Revenue Service says that this amount is the total you can contribute to all of your IRA accounts. You cannot contribute to a standard IRA beyond 70.

Contribution limits for a 401(k) are a maximum of $20,500 if you are under 50. People 50 and over can contribute up to $27,000, which includes a $6,500 catch-up contribution.

Contributions for a 410(k) in 2022 must be made by the end of the year. In some cases, according to Investopedia, employers may delay matching contributions until their companys tax time in the following year. IRAs are different. Contributions to an IRA can be made from January 1 until April 15 of the following year.

2. Consider a Health Savings Account

If you have a health savings account (HSA), the IRS says you can make contributions anytime between January 1 and April 15 of the following year.

When your employer contributes to your HSA, you cannot deduct it because it has already been deducted and reported on your W-2. If you make the contribution, HRBlock says it is deductible.

3. Be Aware of Medical Expense Deductions

Many of your costs for medical care are deductible. The IRS is rather generous on this type of deduction, so if you have not already done so, you may want to undergo the medical treatments you want before the end of the year.

TurboTax says that qualified expenses need to be unreimbursed, and the total must be more than the deductions you would have if you itemize. Oftentimes, the standard deduction is high enough to include the value of medical expenses.

Although you cannot deduct the cost of cosmetic treatments, you can deduct many medical procedures, and more. The deductible, unreimbursed expenses include preventative care, surgeries, treatments, eyeglasses or contacts, hearing aids, and false teeth. You also can deduct so much per mile traveling to medical offices.

4. Defer Your Income

Another way to reduce your taxes this yearif you are a freelancer or self-employedis to delay your billing until closer to the end of the year. It would enable you to get paid in the new year.

This strategy is only good if you do not anticipate making more money next year. It may also not be a good idea if, because its added to next years income, it puts you into a higher tax bracket.

5. Make Charitable Donations

Donations to qualified charities are always a good way to reduce your tax liability. Note that the IRS has some limitations on donations. The deduction can only be taken if you itemize on a Schedule A.

There are two rules the IRS mentions for individuals concerning charitable donations. The first one is for cash donations: it cannot exceed 60 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI). The second one is that non-cash donations are limited to 30 percent of your AGI.

Another smart strategy, mentioned by Schwab, is to make a direct contribution of stock. By doing so, you also reduce your liability for capital gains taxes.

According to Investopedia, you can deduct up to $300 in donations to qualified charities if you are single. Married people filing jointly can donate up to $600. These donations do not require you to itemize.

6. Retire Before the End of the Year

If you have been waiting for the ideal time to retire, you may want to do it before the year ends. When you stop earning new income, your tax liability is less. YahooFinance says that retiring before the end of the year may help you avoid any income-related monthly adjustment amount penalties from Medicare if your income in the last months puts you in a new bracket.

Retiring (stop working) is one of the life-changing events listed on Medicare that may enable you to earn more in the year you retire without raising your Medicare premiums. It may make it the ideal time for you to make a conversion to a Roth IRA, because doing it in the same year as a life-changing event probably will not change your Medicare costs.

7. Harvest Your Capital Losses

If you have had a loss on your stock market investments, you can claim them on your tax forms. You will need to sell them, and then you can deduct up to $3,000. The stock you sold cannot be repurchased for 30 daysor purchased less than 30 days before the sale and then claimed. If you do, the IRS will disallow it.

You can also apply capital gains losses to cryptocurrency losses. It can be helpful since it has not been doing very well this year.

8. Tax Tips for Your Small Business

Small businesses and self-employed people have the opportunity to get many IRS tax deductions. There are too many to list here, but you need to know what they are. A few of them are deductions you can get for start-up costs, office equipment, marketing, special equipment for the business, supplies, travel, electronicsand much more.

A final way to get the tax deductions you need can come from visiting a professional tax person. They know the ins and outs of taxes and will likely enable you to find some you were not aware of previously. They can also give you some tax planning tips for next year to get the maximum tax deductions you want.

The Epoch Times Copyright  2022 The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.
Elon Musk attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala in New York on May 2, 2022,. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Elon Musk Seeks to Stop Twitter Trial, Says Company Wont Take Yes for an Answer

Lawyers for Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Thursday asked a Delaware court to halt a trial later this month and suggested Twitter is refusing his new $44 billion offer to purchase the social media company.

His lawyers filed a motion to stay the proceedings and remove the trial from Delawares Court of Chancerys calendar that was scheduled to start on Oct. 17.

Twitter will not take yes for an answer, the filing said (pdf). Astonishingly, they have insisted on proceeding with this litigation, recklessly putting the deal at risk and gambling with their stockholders interests.

Earlier this week, Musk confirmed his intention to purchase Twitter for $54.20 per share, or $44 billion, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The San Francisco-based social media firm later confirmed in a statement that it received the letter.

But in the new filing Thursday, Musks lawyers alleged that Twitter has not set aside its litigation and would impede the deal moving forward.

Instead of allowing the parties to turn their focus to securing the Debt Financing necessary to consummate the transaction and preparing for a transition of the business, the parties will instead remain distracted by completing discovery and an unnecessary trial, his attorneys wrote.

On Wednesday, the judge presiding over the case wrote that she will continue the plan to hold the trial later this month.

Musks lawyers added that proceeding toward trial is not only an enormous waste of party and judicial resources, but it will undermine the ability of the parties to close the transaction.

By far the most likely possibility is that the debt is funded in which case the deal will close on or around October 28, they wrote, adding that counsel for the debt financing parties has advised that each of their clients is prepared to honor its obligations under the Bank Debt Commitment Letter on the terms and subject to satisfaction of the conditions set forth therein.

Funding

Bank of America and Morgan Stanley were among the financial institutions that initially agreed to provide $12.5 billion in debt for Musk, according to CNBC.

Earlier this week, Twitter wrote that it has received the letter from the Musk parties which they have filed with the SEC, and the intention of the Company is to close the transaction at $54.20 per share. The company, however, did not indicate whether it will end its lawsuit against Musk.

Meanwhile, Twitters shares dropped further from the Telsa CEOs offering price on Thursday, down to $51.12. That came after shares rose 20 percent since Musk this week proposed to go ahead with the acquisition.

Theres still some uncertainty based on whether or not Elon can find the actual financing to do the deal, Randy Frederick, managing director of trading and derivatives for the Schwab Center, told Reuters.

Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 4, 2022

Robert Gilliland, managing director at Concenture Wealth Management, told the outlet that the deals financing will eventually end up going through one way or another and that it is just a point of negotiating terms at this stage.

As for Musk, he wrote on the social media platform that he envisions Twitter becoming a stepping stone to his mysterious X system.

Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app, he wrote on Oct. 4. He did not elaborate.

Previously, Musk has been highly critical of Twitters rules and content moderation policies, saying they often favor left-wing viewpoints and users.

The Epoch Times has contacted Twitter for comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Elon Musk Texts Suggest Twitter Mass Layoffs Coming If Buyout Goes Through

Text messages between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and a number of his contacts that were made public this week suggest the businessman is considering mass employee layoffs at Twitter if his deal to purchase the social media platform goes through.

The text messages were released in a court filing (pdf) as part of Musks ongoing legal battle with the social media platform and show communications between Musk and business leaders, media personalities, celebrities, Twitter executives, and friends.

In one exchange between Musk and American entrepreneur Jason Calacanis, the two spoke of how Twitters revenue per employee was low when compared to other tech giants like Google, suggesting potential layoffs may be on the table.

Calacanis wrote: Back of the envelope. Twitter revenue per employee: $5B/8K employees, or $625,000 per employee in 2021, and compared that number to Apples $2.37 million per employee and Googles $1.9 million.

Musk responded to the message by emphasizing the text with exclamation points and then adding, Insane potential for improvement, but did not specifically state if he was weighing up mass layoffs.

The businessman has previously said he is not phased by a potential mass exodus of Twitter employees should his takeover bid go through.

Its a free country, Musk told reporters on the red carpet at the annual Met Gala in New York on May 2, adding: Certainly if anyone doesnt feel comfortable with that, they will on their own accord go somewhere else. Thats fine.

Earlier in July, Musk also insisted that Twitter staff should work in-office for at least 40 hours a week or find another job.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks before unveiling the Model Y at Teslas design studio in Hawthorne, Calif., on March 14, 2019. (Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)

Hard Reboot of Twitter

In another series of text messages between Musk and Calacanis published this week, the latter proposed a hard reboot of Twitter, including a plan for Twitter staff to return to the office.

Musk responded by asking Calacanis if he would like to join Twitter as a strategic adviser if the deal goes through, to which Calacanis replied: 100 percent board member, advisor, whatever  you have my sword.

Musk confirmed his plans to purchase Twitter for $44 billion in an Oct. 3 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing following months of a back-and-forth legal battle between the businessman and executives at the social media platform.

Both Musk and Twitter had been scheduled to appear before a Delaware Chancery Court beginning on Oct. 17 as part of a five-day trial over the businessmans effort to terminate the deal to buy the platform. Musk has claimed that Twitter failed to provide the necessary information needed to establish how many automated bots and fake accounts are on the platform.

We write to notify you that the Musk Parties intend to proceed to closing of the transaction contemplated by the April 25, 2022, Merger Agreement, Musks lawyers stated in a letter filed with the SEC.

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, the letter states.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey addresses students during a town hall at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in New Delhi, India, on Nov. 12, 2018. (Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters)

Is Twitter Dying?

Other text message exchanges between Musk and his contacts made public this week include communications with Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder and former CEO.

During that exchange, Dorsey and Musk discuss making Twitter an open source protocol.

I believe it must be an open source protocol, funded by a foundation of sorts that doesnt own the protocol, only advances it. A bit like what Signal has done. It cant have an advertising model. Otherwise, you have surface area that governments and advertisers will try to influence and control. If it has a centralized entity behind it, it will be attacked, Dorsey wrote. This isnt complicated work, it just has to be done right so its resilient to what has happened to Twitter.

Other messages between Musk and Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal appeared to suggest soured relations between the two.

In that exchange, Agrawal told Musk that his April 9 Twitter post in which he asked, Is Twitter dying? wasnt helping [Agrawal to] make Twitter better in the current context.

Id like the company to get to a place where we are more resilient and dont get distracted, but we arent there right now, Agrawal wrote, to which Musk responded: What did you get done this week? Im not joining the board. This is a waste of time.

The text messages come amid reports that hundreds of Twitter workers, known as tweeps are leaving the company ahead of Musks possible takeover.

The Epoch Times has contacted a spokesperson for Musk for comment.
A satellite image shows the mobilization of military forces in the town of Shiraro, Tigray region, Ethiopia, on Sept. 26, 2022. (Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters)

Ethiopia, Tigrayan Forces Accept African Union-Led Peace Talks

NAIROBIEthiopias government and rival Tigrayan forces said on Wednesday they have accepted an invitation by the African Union (AU) to participate in peace talks aimed at ending a two-year conflict.

The conflict has killed thousands of civilians and uprooted millions. Both sides had previously said they were prepared to participate in AU-mediated talks but intense fighting has continued to rage across Tigray, a northern region bordering Eritrea.

The Ethiopian government 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, Redwan Hussein, the national security adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, said on Twitter.

In a statement Tigrayan forces said they had accepted the invitation, and asked for clarification on who had been invited as participants, observers, and guarantors.

The Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) said last month it was ready for a ceasefire and would accept an AU-led peace process after previously raising objections to AU proposals.

Olusegun Obasanjo, the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa, will lead the negotiations with support from former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and former South African deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, according to one of the AUs invitation letters seen by Reuters.

No formal talks between the two sides were held during a five-month ceasefire between March and August. Fighting resumed on Aug. 24.

Abiys government accuses the TPLF, which dominated Ethiopias ruling coalition until Abiy came to power in 2018, of trying to reassert Tigrayan dominance over Ethiopia.

The TPLF accuses Abiy of over-centralizing power and oppressing Tigrayans. Both dismiss each others accusations.
Family of 4 Kidnapped in California Found Dead, Suspect in Custody

The bodies of a family of four, including an 8-month-old girl, who were kidnapped in California earlier this week, were discovered on Wednesday, law enforcement officials said.

Authorities had been searching for 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri; her parents, Jasleen Kaur, 27, and Jasdeep Singh, 36; and her uncle Amandeep Singh, 39, since Monday.

Eight-month-old Aroohi Dheri. (Merced County Sheriffs Office via AP)

Police said the family had been abducted from their family trucking business in the city of Merced at around 1 p.m.

Video footage released by police on Wednesday appeared to show them being kidnapped at gunpoint by a male who had tied the mens hands behind their backs with zip ties before marching them into a nearby vehicle and driving off.

The vehicle returned to the scene shortly after and the man marched Jasleen Kaur and her baby daughter into the vehicle, too.

The suspect, Jesus Manuel Salgado, 48, was apprehended by police on Tuesday after police received information that one of the victims cards was used at an ATM located at a bank in the City of Atwater in the morning.

Before officers could place Salgado in custody he attempted to take his own life, officials said. He is currently receiving medical attention and is in critical condition.

Despite being sedated, police said the suspect has been talking off and on with them.

Tonight, our worst fears have been confirmed, Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said during a news conference Wednesday night. There are no words right now to describe the anger I feel and the senselessness of this incident. I said it earlier, theres a special place in hell for this guy and I mean it.

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)

Jesus Salgado in a file photo. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation via AP)

Suspect Has Prior Criminal History

Warnke said that a farm worker discovered the bodies at around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday and notified the sheriffs office.

The sheriff added that the farm is in an extremely rural and remote part of the state, near the intersection of Indiana and Hutchins roads where not many people go.

Law enforcement officials and detectives arrived at the scene quickly, a clearly emotional Warnke said, and found the family relatively close together.

Again, this is horribly senseless what happened here, Warnke said, adding that police do not yet know if there was any motivation for the crime.

An investigation into the matter is ongoing but police believe at least one other person is involved in the kidnapping and murder, although Warnke said police currently dont have any evidence to support that.

Family members of the victims have been notified that their bodies have been discovered, he said.

Now that we have the whereabouts of our victims, now we have to do the criminal investigation, gather up all the evidence, and tie everything together, Warnke said.

This investigation is now gearing towards putting this rotten son of a gun in prison, he added.

Warnke said in an earlier press conference that the suspect in the case, Salgado, has a previous criminal history and was convicted in 2005 in a case involving armed robbery and false imprisonment. He was paroled in 2015.
NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci listens to President Joe Biden (out of frame) speak during a visit to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md., on Feb. 11, 2021. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Faucis Peculiar Defense of EcoHealth Funding

Commentary

Dr. Anthony Fauci is always very careful about whom he grants interviews to. We know this from the trove of emails released so far.

Preferred are friendly, deferential, adoring interviews. Out of the question are any from overly inquisitive or hostile interviewers or venues. But he cant always perfectly control content. Every once in a while, a reporter throws in a serious question that provokes an answer that goes beyond his usual Im-the-Science routine.

Fauci must have figured that an interview with Dan Diamond of The Washington Post, hosted by the Center for Health Journalism at the University of Southern California, was a perfect safe space for him. However, fairly deep into an otherwise fatuous appearance, Fauci was hit with a question of major relevance.

As part of the probes into the lab leak, EcoHealth Alliance, which conducted so-called gain-of-function research on coronaviruses in China, there are reports that it is again being funded by your agency, Diamond said. Why are you confident, doctor, that EcoHealth is a good funding partner?

By way of background, my initial impression was that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to EcoHealth was $653,000. But The Epoch Times dug deeper and discovered an incredible $3 million in grants given just last month! This is the most funding that EcoHealth has ever received, and this is despite how Peter Daszak, the head of the organization, has been a major player throughout this entire fiasco.

Faucis answer: Because otherwise he and NIH would have sued and won.

Here is the text of what he said: There is really no mechanism to say arbitrarily, We cant fund you, even though youve been peer-reviewed and highly recommended for funding, because someone doesnt like you.

If they ever brought that in court, they could sue us and win that in a microsecond, so youve got to be careful. 

If something is peer-reviewed, gets a high recommendation for funding, you cant arbitrarily decide, I just dont want to fund it because people dont like them.

Then, the reporter moved on.

Not to put too fine a point on this, but it truly does sound like someone is being blackmailed. Thats what it means effectively to say: Cough up $3 million or I will sue. Is that what Fauci is saying that Daszak was doing, even if only implicitly? Its completely bizarre. Also, since when is there a court-enforced right of any nonprofit to get millions in funding from an agency that is supposed to be supporting scientific research with public benefit?

I asked some of my friends in the scientific community and none could come up with a single instance of some organization, scientist, or institution successfully suing the NIH for the failure to fund. They all found the claim to be utterly ridiculous.

So if this isnt believable at all, why in the world would Fauci raise the specter of legal reprisal? Freudian slip?

When the news of this funding came out over the weekend, many of us were completely gobsmacked. We had all assumed that Fauci and all his cohorts around the world would take a strategy of sweeping this whole mess under the rug as quickly and deeply as possible. We never imagined that Fauci would be so brazen, aggressive, and unapologetic as to sign off on another $3 million to the party that was part of provoking this incredible crisis for the entire world.

The Wall Street Journal even editorialized on it:

EcoHealth Alliance hasnt been forthcoming about how it used National Institutes of Health grants for coronavirus research in China that may have resulted in the Covid-19 outbreak. Yet Anthony Fauci on his way to retirement this year is rewarding the outfit by giving it more money for  coronavirus research.

Early in the pandemic, EcoHealth Alliance president Peter Daszak tried to shut down debate over the viruss origins by coordinating a letter from scientists in The Lancet that condemned the lab-leak hypothesis as a conspiracy theory. Well probably never know for certain how the virus originated, but the evidence for a lab leak has grown stronger with time.

Its likely that a coronavirus will again jump from animals to humans as MERS and SARS did, so more research in this area is worthwhile with the proper care and protection against a lab breakout. But arent there organizations with better records than EcoHealth Alliance to do it?

The NIH has repeatedly rapped the outfit for failing to monitor its partners and to comply with its grant terms. In August, the NIH told the House Oversight Committee that it has requested on two occasions that [EcoHealth Alliance] provide NIH the laboratory notebooks and original electronic files from the research conducted at WIV [Wuhan Institute of Virology]. To date, WIV has not provided these records.

The website of the NIH states: The NIH invests most of its $45 billion budget in medical research for the American people.

Oh sure. Thats a great bromide but how much control do we the people have over the funding decision of Fauci and the agency? The answer is none. True, Congress allocates the money and can cut the budget. But no one seems to have any oversight or control over disbursements in any detail apart from the deep-state bureaucrats running the committees.

And lets just say it: $45 billion is a heck of a lot of money. With that kind of money comes vast power, along with the prospects of groupthink stagnation as well as corruption.

Professor Marty Makary of Johns Hopkins and colleagues decided to do a close investigation of NIHs funding priorities in 2020. Some really bizarre results: In the entire year, only 2 percent of the budget went to any kind of COVID studies. Makary said on Twitter: NIHs failure to fund rapid research on the big Covid questions early (Airborne vs surface, cloth vs quality mask, distancing, nat immunity, etc.) resulted in an evidence void. Opinions filled that vacuum, resulting in Covid policy guided by groupthink opinion rather than science.

Makary further told a podcast: Why has the NIH not done a study on natural immunity? It keeps saying, We dont know. Theyre ignoring the 141 studies that have been documented by the Brownstone Institute. Its not that hard. Go to New York, where people had the infection, interview them, test their blood. Why is my research team doing this without NIH funding?

Because the NIH is not only not funding it, theyre not doing it, and theyre relying on two really flawed studies that the CDC put out. This is the distortion of science itself, shutting down scientific discussion and that should be our greatest lesson.

If you think back to those days, you remember Fauci parading all over the media for a year, going on about all that he and his colleagues were discovering about the science and how it meant we had to stay locked down and masked up. It turns out that not much COVID-related science was being produced at all, particularly not on burning issues such as masks and natural immunity.

Instead, he and others were making things up the whole time.

One area that would have been incredibly fruitful was research on early treatment. That was being done all over the world, with the result that many countries such as India minimized deaths. In this country, the CDC/NIH machinery actually leaned on pharmacies not to distribute approved repurposed medicines that were actually being prescribed by doctors!

How many people died as a result? I like to think we will know but maybe not. If it werent for the truly heroic efforts of Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, there would have been many more who died. Obviously, FLCCCA didnt get an NIH grant.

Untangling the interests, networks, committees, and real reasons for this astounding debacle will take many years. Many people want to forget about it all and pretend life is normal and that the gravy train should just keep operating as it always has.

One of those people is the well-funded EcoHealth Alliance and its well-connected head Daszak. But, hey, at least he doesnt have to sue Fauci. The NIHs $3 million at least made that potential lawsuit go away. Many other commentators had a different phrase for it: hush money.

If anyone has a reason to sue the NIH, its the American people.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Hispanic Leadership Conference in Miami, Fla., on Oct. 5, 2022. (NTD)

FBI Search Has Given Mar-a-Lago About $5 Billion Worth of Free Publicity: Trump

Former President Donald Trump said on Oct. 5 that the August raid conducted by the FBI had backfired by generating about $5 billion worth of free publicity for his Mar-a-Lago residence.

The comment was made at the Hispanic Leadership Conference in Miami, Florida, organized by the America First Policy Institute.

Mar-a-Lago came under the spotlight following the raid, as Trump described, with helicopters flying over it. According to Trump, the intensive coverage has helped boost his estates promotion free of charge.

It has given us about $5 billion worth of free publicity, I will say. People said, Thats a nice house. If it werent so nice, they probably wouldnt be doing it because it gets ratings, Trump said.

He again called the raid a hoax, a charade. He repeated that the political attack on him was an effort to oust him from the 2024 presidential run.

Now the failing Biden regime wants to start investigating me, and the only reason is because Im leading everybody in the polls, both Republicans and Democrats, by a lot, Trump contended.

Trump further rejected the allegations lodged against him, such as obstruction of justice and mishandling of presidential records, after federal investigators claimed to have found dozens of classified and top secret documents at Mar-a-Lago.

Everyone knows weve done nothing wrong. They are targeting me because they want to silence me, silence you, and silence our amazing MAGA movement. Theres never been a movement like this in the history of our country, Trump said at the event.

Since the raid, Trump had stated that he declassified a range of materials when he was president. His lawyers have yet to provide details about those declassification orders in court papers.

During an interview in September, Trump argued that he had standing 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, he 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.

The classified documents are currently being investigated by the court-appointed special master.

On Wednesday, Trump called out the unfair persecution he has been facing.

Regarding the handling of presidential records, no other person has been harassed and persecuted, Trump said.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
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.
A pedestrian walks in front of a Meta sign at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. on Oct. 28, 2021. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

FBI Sued for Withholding Records of Facebook Censorship of Hunter Biden Laptop Story

Amid mounting questions over an FBI warning that prompted Facebook to suppress a story about Hunter Bidens laptop, the federal agency now faces a lawsuit seeking to compel it to publicize conversations it had with the social media giant.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday by America First Legal (AFL) at a Washington D.C. District Court. The non-profit group, founded by longtime Donald Trump adviser Stephen Miller, said Americans deserve to know what the FBI and the social media giant were up to as the November elections approached.

According to the complaint (pdf), the AFL requested in August that the FBI make public all of its communications with Facebook between Oct. 1, 2020, and Nov. 15, 2020. However, the FBI turned down that request, claiming that it was so overly broad that it couldnt be done with a reasonable amount of effort.

AFLs complaint said: Barely a month before the 2022 midterm election, FBI officials continue to suppress information of great interest to American voters and stonewall AFLs request for records relating to the FBIs collusive scheme with Facebook to censor news and information about the contents of Hunter Bidens laptop.

Zuckerbergs Podcast Comments

Facebook has drawn much scrutiny after Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, told popular podcast host Joe Rogan that the platform did algorithmically suppress a New York Post story on emails allegedly recovered from a laptop owned by then-presidential candidate Joe Bidens son. Those emails, according to the Post, showed a direct link Biden had with his sons dubious business dealings in China and Ukraine.

File image of then Vice President Joe Biden walking out of Air Force Two with his granddaughter Finnegan Biden and son Hunter Biden at the airport in Beijing, China on Dec. 4, 2013. (Ng Han Guan-Pool/Getty Images)

Zuckerberg said this apparent censorship only happened after the FBI approached Meta with warnings about Russian disinformation.

The background here is that the FBI came to ussome folks on our teamand was like, Hey, just so you know, you should be on high alert. We thought there was a lot of Russian propaganda in the 2016 election, we have it on notice that basically theres about to be some kind of dump thats similar to that,' he told Rogan in the Aug. 25 interview.

The FBI didnt specifically mention the laptop story, Zuckerberg said, but Facebook thought it fit that pattern the FBI described and decided to limit its reach.

Despite Zuckerbergs claims, the AFL insists that there was a comprehensive collusion between the FBI and Big Tech to censor and control critical information in an effort to put Joe Biden into the White House.

The evidence is that during the 2020 Presidential election campaign, the FBI conspired and combined with large corporations, including Facebook, to censor and suppress the damning evidence of Biden family corruption and influence peddling found on Hunter Bidens laptop, said AFL Senior Counselor Reed Rubinstein. This was done to help Joe Biden and the Democrats win the 2020 election.

Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley (Iowa) and Ron Johnson (Wis.) agreed. In their letters to Zuckerberg and FBI Director Chris Wray, the senators asked for names of the government and Facebook employees involved in those conversations about Russian disinformation.

The American people deserve to know whether the FBI used Facebook as part of their alleged plan to discredit information about Hunter Biden, the senators wrote.
Illegal immigrants, most from Honduras, walk toward a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico near Mission, Texas, on March 23, 2021. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Federal Appeals Court Rules That DACA Program Is Illegal, Orders Review of Bidens Final Rule

Current beneficiaries remain unaffected

A federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which shields certain immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children from deportation, is illegal.

The ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday (pdf) affirms a decision in July 2021 by a Texas federal judgeU.S. District Judge Andrew Hanenwho declared the DACA program illegal and blocked new applications but kept the policy intact for current beneficiaries. The appeals court similarly left the DACA program intact for current beneficiaries, which means current DACA recipients can continue to file renewal applications.

The appeals court on Wednesday also sent the case back to Hanen to have him review a revised set of rules that the Biden administration announced in August, to determine its legality.

The Biden administrations new final rule to preserve and fortify DACA codifies the existing policy, with limited changes, into federal regulation. It was subject to public comments as part of a formal rule-making process intended to improve its chances of surviving lawsuits challenging it. Its set to be effective Oct. 31 to replace the 2012 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memorandum that had created DACA.

The latest court decision comes as part of an ongoing lawsuit filed by Texas and other Republican-controlled states in 2018 that argued that the Obama administration lacked the authority to create DACA.

Policy Not Authorized by Congress: Rulings

Since its creation in 2012, DACA has granted an estimated 800,000 illegal immigrants protection from being deported from the United States. The immigration program was established via a DHS memorandum in 2012, under President Barack Obamas administration. It gives eligible recipients, known as dreamers, a renewable, two-year reprieve from deportation, as well as work authorization and access to social security.

In 2017, President Donald Trump announced he would rescind DACA, but court rulings and the Biden administration have kept DACA in place.

Hanen, in his decision in July declaring DACA illegal, had stated that DACA goes against the Constitution given that Congress never provided the executive branch authorization to grant deportation reprieves to illegal immigrants in the United States.

Chief Judge Priscilla Richman of the 5th Circuit of Appeals wrote in the opinion on Wednesday: The district courts excellent opinion correctly identified fundamental substantive defects in the program. The DACA memorandum contracts significant parts of the [Immigration and Naturalization Act].

She added: DACA creates a new class of otherwise removable aliens who may obtain lawful presence, work authorization, and associated benefits. Congress determined which aliens can receive these benefits, and it did not include DACA recipients among them.

We agree with the district courts reasoning and its conclusions that the DACA Memorandum contravenes comprehensive statutory schemes for removal, allocation of lawful presence, and allocation of work authorization.

In sending the case back to the lower court, Richman wrote: A district court is in the best position to review the administrative record in the rulemaking proceeding and determine whether our holdings as to the 2012 DACA Memorandum fully resolve issues concerning the Final Rule.

The Justice Department under the Biden administration did not immediately signal whether it would appeal the latest decision. If it files a formal appeal, the case would go to the U.S. Supreme Court.
A salesman shows off weapons for sale at Coliseum Gun Traders Ltd. in Uniondale, New York on Sept. 25, 2020. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)

Federal Judge Blocks Parts of New Yorks Restrictive New Gun Law

A federal judge in New York on Oct. 6 issued a temporary injunction against portions of the states new gun law to allow a pro-gun group to pursue a lawsuit to challenge the measure.

The law, which took effect on Sept. 1, created new requirements to obtain a firearms license, including submitting social media accounts for review and creating a list of private and public places prohibiting the carrying of a gun even for license holders. The measure was approved by New Yorks legislature after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a 100-year-old concealed carry law over the summer.

Chief Judge Glenn Suddaby of the U.S. District Court in Syracuse issued the injunction, siding with six New York residents who are members of Gun Owners of America.

Simply stated, instead of moving toward becoming a shall-issue jurisdiction, New York State has further entrenched itself as a shall-not-issue jurisdiction. And, by doing so, it has further reduced a first-class constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defense  into a mere request, Suddaby wrote in his order.

Suddaby noted that his order wouldnt take effect for another three days to allow lawyers for New Yorks government to appeal his ruling in a higher court.

His order blocks provisions of the law that gave new requirements for background checks for gun permits, which include handing over social media accounts. One of the provisions he blocked includes the requirement that a license applicant has to provide evidence to show they have good moral character, according to the ruling.

The laws statewide ban on carrying firearms carried in some public and private properties was also blocked in the Oct. 6 ruling.

Historical statues forming the basis of that precedent treated people as being entitled to a firearm unless they pose (or more specifically are found by the government to pose) such a danger, Suddaby wrote, adding that New Yorks law provides that people are not entitled to carry concealed unless they can persuade a licensing officer (who possesses enormous discretion) that they are not such a danger.

We Have Pens, Too

Several weeks ago, Suddaby ruled that much of the newly enacted law was unconstitutional in dismissing an earlier lawsuit by Gun Owners of America. But he found neither the group nor an individual member of it had standing to file a lawsuit before New Yorks law came into effect.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat up for reelection in November, claimed the bill would help keep New Yorkers safe from harm, despite the earlier Supreme Court ruling. The Supreme Court may think they can change our lives with the stroke of a pen, but we have pens, too, she declared.

The governor also said that the law would reduce shootings, which she called gun violence, amid a surge in violent crime across the state and New York City. The work were doing across the state  from getting weapons off the streets to supporting violence interrupters  will help return these streets to our communities, she wrote.

Her office hasnt released a public statement about Suddabys order.

Other Lawsuits

Other than the Gun Owners of America suit, several lawsuits challenging the new law have been filed.

Earlier this month, several dozen churches in upstate New York filed a lawsuit to challenge the laws provision to ban guns in houses of worship. This week, a Jewish gun club sued Hochul to carry firearms into synagogues, quoting a line from the Torah.

This law specifically targets religious people, by threatening them with arrest and felony prosecution if they carry their firearms while engaging in religious observance, the club wrote.

An orthodox Jewish man who started the club, Tzvi Waldman, told the Jewish Chronicle that he is pretty confident in this case. People are concerned. This is a constitutional right and its extremely important to us.

The National Rifle Association (NRA), which isnt a plaintiff in the Gun Owners of America case, sharply criticized the bill after its proposal.

Gov. Hochul and her anti-Second Amendment allies in Albany have defied the United States Supreme Court with an intentionally malicious rewriting of New Yorks concealed carry law, Darin Hoens, the New York NRA state director, said in a statement in July.

New York was among about a half-dozen states that had gun provisions invalidated by the Supreme Courts ruling.

The law seems another overreach by the state, George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley wrote in July after New Yorks new gun bill was proposed. New York has thus far been about as effective in curtailing gun rights as Monty Pythons Judean Peoples Front Crack Suicide Squad was effective in combating Roman occupation.

This is a developing story and will be updated later. Reuters contributed to this report.
John Fetterman fills out his emergency absentee ballot for the Pennsylvania primary election in Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital in Lancaster, Pa., on May, 17, 2022. (Bobby Maggio via AP)

Fetterman Often Absent From Lieutenant Governor Commitments, Records Show

John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee in a tightly contested Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race against Republican Mehmet Oz, has drawn widespread criticism for making few public appearances, mostly avoiding the media, and agreeing to just one debate.

Oz has said that Fetterman is hiding from voters and reporters, and trying to run the clock out on the race as the candidates compete to replace retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey.

Now, an Oct. 6 Associated Press report indicates that Fetterman has kept a light daily schedule as Pennsylvanias lieutenant governor and has often been absent from state business, including presiding over the state Senate, which is one of his most significant responsibilities.

Fetterman has served four years as lieutenant governor, an elected role in Pennsylvania, with an annual salary of $179,000.

A billboard from Mehmet Ozs campaign about John Fetterman stands at the entrance of Braddock, Pa., where Fetterman lives and served as mayor for several years. (Jeff Louderback(Epoch Times)

In Pennsylvania, a lieutenant governors primary roles are to preside over state Senate sessions, serve as chair of the Board of Pardons, and lead the governors emergency management committee.

The Associated Press review of Fettermans records shows that his daily schedule was empty for around one-third of the workdays between January 2019, when he took office, and May 2022, when he suffered a severe stroke just days before the primary.

On days when his schedule listed activity, Fettermans typical workday lasted four to five hours, the records indicate. In 2019, details show he frequently attended ribbon cuttings and traveled the state on a listening tour about the topic of legalizing marijuana.

During the COVID-19 crisis, records show that Fettermans schedule often included a morning meeting about the pandemic followed by interviews with local and national media outlets.

There were instances when Fetterman chose national media interviews over state business commitments, according to the Associated Press.

Last year, Fettermans calendar listed 115 workdays with no lieutenant governor-related tasks. Records show he worked about 11 hours from the end of June through mid-September.

Fettermans work schedule showed around 70 days with no activities or events during the first half of 2022, the Associated Press reported.

This report is a misleading and inaccurate reflection of Johns actual schedule that totally fails to capture the breadth of his official work and his accomplishments, Fetterman campaign spokesman Joe Calvello said in a statement.

Fetterman said in a statement that as lieutenant governor, my record of showing up and shaking up this office has transformed the Board of Pardons, saved Pennsylvania millions in taxpayer dollars, and grown support in our state for defending LGBTQIA+ rights, weed legalization, union workers, and raising the minimum wage.

The details of Fettermans calendar as lieutenant governor are drawing attention because his work ethic has been questioned through the Senate campaign by Republicans. Ozs campaign and the GOP have repeatedly said that the 53-year-old Fetterman is a trust fund beneficiary who was financially supported by his father until he was elected lieutenant governor.

Fetterman grew up in affluent York, Pennsylvania, which is located west of Philadelphia and south of Harrisburg. His father, Karl, is the founder and owner of Kling Bros. Insurance.

In 2005, Fetterman was elected as mayor of Braddock, a borough of around 2,000 residents southeast of Pittsburgh.

In 2015, Fetterman ran for U.S. Senate and lost in the Democratic primary. A financial disclosure that year indicates that he was paid an annual salary of $1,800 as mayor of Braddock and received $54,000 from his parents.

He bought the spacious Braddock loft, where he currently lives with his wife and three children, from his sister for $1, according to property records.

Ozs campaign released a digital ad calling his Democratic opponent Freeloading Fetterman and showing an image of a man in a black hoodie, a reference to Fettermans fashion preference.

Thank goodness for daddys deep pockets, the narrator says in the spot.

Former President Donald Trump, who endorsed Oz, said at a September rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, that Fetterman is a spoiled and entitled socialist loser who leeched off his parents moneyyou know he lives on his parents moneyuntil he was 49 years old.

Records from Fettermans tenure as mayor of Braddock (2006-2018) reveal that he missed at least 53 city council meetings (approximately one-third) over the 12-year period.

As lieutenant governor, Fetterman did not lead 27 of the 53 state Senate sessions in 2020, Senate journals indicate. During that time, when the pandemic curtailed activity, legislators were allowed to log in to sessions by video.

In 2021, Fetterman was absent for one-third of the state Senates 59 session days, records show.

The Oz campaign and multiple media outlets have repeatedly criticized Fetterman for his sporadic public appearances and questioned his fitness to serve if elected to the Senate.

Fetterman has agreed to only one debateon Oct. 25, two weeks before the Nov. 8 general electionbecause he does not want to answer questions about his health and his extreme far-left record and platform, Oz has said.

Election day is almost one month away, and the Oz-Fetterman race has tightened. Three weeks ago, Fetterman held a 10-point advantage in multiple polls. A new survey from the Monmouth University Polling Institute reported that 48 percent of the respondents will definitely or probably vote for Fetterman compared with 43 percent for Oz.

The polla telephone survey of 610 Pennsylvania voters between Sept. 29 and Oct. 3indicated that 25 percent of voters will definitely cast their ballot for Oz while 37 percent will definitely vote for Fetterman.

The Cook Political Report recently changed its forecast on the race from leans Democrat to toss-up.

In conversations with several GOP strategists and lawmakerswho a month-and-a-half ago had begun to put the Keystone State in the loss columnthis has emerged as a margin-of-error race that they once again see winnable, the Cook reports Jessica Taylor wrote in a social media post. Republicans and Democrats alike admit the race has tightened and that Pennsylvania could be the tipping point state for the Senate majority.
New science shows COVID-19 vaccines remains in breastmilk for up to 45 hours after jab

Scientists at New York Universitys Long Island School of Medicine have detected messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccines in human breast milk, according to a new study.

This peer-reviewed research, published on September 26, 2022 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, looked at the breastmilk of 11 healthy breastfeeding women, five of whom had received the Moderna vaccine during pregnancy and six of whom received the Pfizer vaccine.

Participants in the study were asked to collect and freeze their milk before and after vaccination. The milk collected before vaccination served as the control.

One hundred and thirty-one breast milk samples were collected between one hour and five days after women received the vaccines. Just under half of the women enrolled in the study (five out of 11) had detectable amounts of mRNA vaccine components in their breastmilk.

However, no mRNA vaccine was found in the pre-vaccine samples or in the samples taken 48 hours or more after vaccination.

The scientists speculated that after vaccination, lipid nanoparticles containing vaccine mRNA are carried to the mammary glands either through the blood or the lymphatic system.

The study authors contended that they were the first to report that vaccine mRNA reaches breast tissue. Their work seems to have hit a nerve: In the two weeks that this study has been available on-line, its been viewed well over 150,000 times, which is highly unusual for a scientific research letter about breastfeeding.

At the same time, the scientists claimed in their study that it proved that vaccinating breastfeeding women is safe. The sporadic presences of trace quantities of COVID-19 vaccine mRNA detected  suggest that breastfeeding after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination is safe, particularly beyond 48 hours after vaccination, they concluded.

NYU Scientists Urge Caution

While they did say they believed it was safe for vaccinated mothers to breastfeed, the researchers did add a cautionary note in their discussion.

However, caution is warranted about breastfeeding children younger than 6 months in the first 48 hours after maternal vaccination, until more safety studies are conducted, they wrote. In addition, the potential interference of COVID-19 vaccine mRNA with the immune response to multiple routine vaccines given to infants during the first 6 months of age needs to be considered.

As the researchers pointed out, initial vaccine safety trials excluded several groups of people, including babies, small children, pregnant women, and lactating moms. However, the CDC is now recommending mRNA vaccines for all of these groups except for infants under six months old.

A Disaster for Infants?

This isnt just a disaster for infants, Alex Berenson, who worked as a reporter for the New York Times for over a decade, wrote in a tweet about the article on September 27, its more proof that mRNA/LNP [lipid nanoparticles] in the shots hits practically every cell in the body.

Berensons tweet to his 428,000 followers, prompted so-called fact checkers to come out full force with claims, which they backed up with Big Medicine establishment sources, that vaccine safety is not a problem. No Indication Breast Milk After Vaccination Unsafe, Despite Posts About New Study, an October 4, 2022 article from factcheck.org insists.

The fact checkers seem to have forgotten that when the mRNA vaccines were first licensed, experts told the public that the mRNA would stay localized to the arm in which the vaccine was injected because the spike protein and the mRNA degrade so quickly.

That, however, has turned out not to be the case. Instead, several studies have shown that the mRNA actually gets distributed throughout the body to every major organ system. In fact, the mRNA lasts significantly longer than was originally believed as well. It has been detected months after vaccination.

According to Dr. Robert Malone, holder of some of the original patents on mRNA technology, this is probably due to the substitution of pseudo-uridine for uridine in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which was done to avoid the rapid degradation of the molecules.

But while using pseudo-uridine has been hailed as a brilliant technological innovation, the result appears to be that the mRNA remains much longer than expected, giving it the opportunity to migrate to cells throughout the body.

Not Safe Breastfeeding

The problem with declaring COVID-19 vaccination safe for breastfeeding mothers is that we now have a growing body of evidence that it is not safe. While lipid nanoparticles and vaccine mRNA may only be detected in breastmilk for less than 48 hours after vaccination, it appears that mRNA can last for monthsor perhaps even yearsin the vaccine recipients body. This causes body cells to continue manufacturing toxic spike proteins and triggering inflammatory responses.

Therefore, it is likely that the mRNA ingested via breastmilk will remain in the body of an infant, whose immune system is far less mature than the parents, disrupting the normal progression of immune development.

The recent study showing evidence that the actual vaccine material (the mRNA) is present in the breast milk of some mothers should have the FDA halting all pregnant and breastfeeding mothers from getting these shots, Dr. Robert Lowry, a neurologist based in San Antonio, Texas, told The Epoch Times via email. If this were any other day and age, no government body or physician would ever recommend even a truly safe but new vaccine to a pregnant or breastfeeding woman, Lowry wrote.

These young infants are still in a rapid time of organ development and cellular division as they grow. If this mRNA is getting into their cells (which it now appears it is), there is no telling the level of mischief that material can cause in the short or long-term in these children. And to think that the likelihood of an infant suffering a significant injury or death from COVID is astronomically low, it makes even less sense. There is essentially nothing that these vaccines are even saving anyone of these infants from. It is all risk and unknown future dangers, and no benefit, wrote Lowry.

Lowry has also publicly said that we must be doing autopsies on every young person who has died unexpectedly of neurological or cardiac causes to find out if the deaths are connected to these COVID-19 vaccines.

Two of the babies in the study were born extremely premature, at only 26 weeks gestation. Preterm babies are at increased risk of infection, necrotizing enterocolitis, disrupted microbiomes, and a host of other health problems. But even for full-term infants, scientific studies indicate that early disruption in immune development often results in neurological and endocrinological disruption as well. But we will not know what kind of effects, if any, vaccines given to lactating moms will have on their offsprings brain and immune development for several years, at least.

Problematic to Human Health in a Variety of Ways

Dr. Cindy Schneider is a gynecologist based in Phoenix, Arizona, who is an internationally recognized expert in identifying environmental toxins associated with brain disorders as well as in treating immune, gastrointestinal, and metabolic disorders that co-occur in children with autism.

As Dr. Schneider has pointed out, it is imperative to have clear proof of safety for interventions, like vaccines, designed to prevent an illness rather than to treat it.

Others, including Dr. Cammy Benton, an integrative family physician based outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, agree.

Studies like this in JAMA show that before we declare anything safe and effective, true ethical informed consent should require full testing of any new medical product, along with honest disclosures about what we do and do not know, said Dr. Benton.

This is why it should take many years of testing in all types of people to risk-stratify patients based on age, health conditions and more.

Benton is concerned that this experimental mRNA technology is problematic to human health in a variety of ways.

We must disclose that we simply dont know long-term effects related to cancer, autoimmune conditions, or reproductive health, Dr. Benton said.

No, we cant be sure its safe.
Russian army soldiers march during an action in support for the soldiers involved in the military operation in Ukraine, at the Mamaev Kurgan, a World War II memorial in Volgograd, Russia, on July 11, 2022. (Alexandr Kulikov/AP Photo)

Global Conflicts Lead Back to Russia and China

Commentary

Ukraine is grabbing the headlines, but military conflicts are flaring up around the globe, many of which are tied to China, Russia, or both.

Of the 32 armed conflicts reported in 2021, the majority are still going on. Ethiopias Tigray region has been in a state of civil war since November 2020. China has provided billions to the government to fund infrastructure and manufacturing projects and train the national police. Through 2021, Ethiopia purchased air defense equipment from Russia until sanctions halted sales. Ethiopia did not condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In April, Reuters reported that Ethiopian men turned up at the Russian Embassy to volunteer to fight on the Russian side, although there is no evidence they were accepted.

The war in Yemen started in 2014 and is ongoing, with China backing the Saudi-aligned government of former President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. The war in Ukraine has threatened starvation in Yemen as wheat exports from both Russia and Ukraine run dry.

In Afghanistan, the new government cannot pay civil servants. The economy has collapsed, and ethnic minorities are being persecuted. China is the primary diplomatic partner and financier of the Taliban, while the local branch of the Islamic State is threatening war with the countrys rulers.

The conflict in Burma (commonly known as Myanmar) is the worlds longest ongoing civil war that began in 1948, according to School for International Training. The military government, which overthrew the duly elected Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, has enjoyed high-level ties with China and Russia, obtaining weapons from both countries and selling resources to China.

The United States and China have been engaged in a trade war for roughly six years while the threat of a military conflict becomes ever more likely. The Chinese regime continues its encroachment on the South China Sea, risking war or at least skirmishes with numerous Southeast Asian nations, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam. Simultaneously, the regime has stepped up its military pressure on Taiwan. This prompted the U.S. government in early September to approve the sale of over $1 billion worth of weapons to the island nation.

A Peoples Liberation Army member looks through binoculars during military exercises as Taiwans frigate Lan Yang is seen in the background on Aug. 5, 2022. (Lin Jian/Xinhua via AP)

The United States and Iran have continually locked horns over nuclear weapons. U.S. sanctions prevent most of the world from trading with Iran; however, China is buying Iranian oil. Russia is ready to sell weapons to Iran, while Iran is supplying Russia with the weapons-capable drones currently used in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Europe is suffering energy shortages due to sanctions imposed on Russia in response to the Ukraine invasion. If the recent uprisings in Iran manage to topple the government, it is possible that the European Union could purchase oil from the new government and eliminate any leverage Russia has over the West.

Wars are not just taking place in faraway-sounding places. In Europe, other conflicts are looming beyond Ukraine. The Greek navy was mobilized in late September for joint exercises with France. The Greek defense ministry has accused Turkey of increasingly violating Greek airspace. Greek state media see increased Hellenic militarization and closer defense ties with the United States and NATO as crucial amid recent world events such as a possible threat from Turkey, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the September 2020 Azerbaijan attacks on the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. While the United States condemned the attack on Armenia, it was supported by Moscow and Ankara.

According to Greek media, the United States is interested in converting the Greek port of Alexandroupoli into a naval base and hosting U.S. destroyers. Currently, the port is used by the United States to transship weapons to NATO and to support the Ukrainians in the fight against Russia. Placing destroyers, which have guided missiles, in the Northern Aegean Sea could be an important component in a containment strategy against Russia. The U.S. naval base will augment the large-scale rearmament of the Greek military, which began late last year. Athens has purchased French Rafale fighter jets, U.S. F-16 fighters, new warships, and Israeli defense systems in addition to overhauling the Greek special forces.

The U.S.-Greece Defense and Interparliamentary Partnership Act of 2021, which lifted a prohibition on arms sales to Cyprus, included provisions for modernizing the Suda Military Base in Crete, the Larissa Airport, the Stefanovikeio Air Base, and the Alexandroupoli Port. This military expansion is part of the Greek leg of the U.S.-NATO preparation for war with Russia. Under the 2021 agreement, Greece can purchase advanced U.S. weaponry, including anti-tank weapons, heavy-duty torpedoes, and guided missiles for the Hellenic Air Force.

Greek military officers wearing World War II Military costumes take part in the military parade at the northern port city of Thessaloniki, Greece, on Oct. 28, 2021. (Giannis Papanikos/AP Photo)

As soon as the war broke out in Ukraine, the Turkish government closed the Turkish straits between the Aegean and Black seas to all warships, further underscoring the importance of the U.S./NATO port of Alexandroupoli near the Turkish border. Alexandroupoli is one of nine U.S. military bases in Greece. It provides access to not only the Balkans and Europe, but also represents the only deepwater port in the Mediterranean Sea. The U.S. base in Souda Bay, Crete, is crucial to the United States and NATO as it lies geographically near the center of several conflicts and hotspots with access to Syria, Libya, and the Black Sea. The base in Crete is also being expanded to accommodate large numbers of U.S. F-35s.

Also, seeing the strategic importance of Greece, China purchased an interest in the Port of Piraeus. The concern with Chinese civilian-use ports is that they could easily be expanded to accommodate Chinese navy vessels. In March, Greeces highest administrative court, the Council of State, blocked China from expanding the port.

Greece sees Turkey as a potential threat. This viewpoint is exacerbated by Turkey being a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which includes China and Russia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan even attended the 2022 summit of the SCO in Uzbekistan. When asked if Turkey would become a full member of the SCO, Erdogan told PBS that he felt that his country was neither of the East nor the West and as it has yet to be granted membership in the EU, Turkey might find that its interests better align with the SCO.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Demonstrators reach out to Los Angelenos about complications associated with gender reassignment surgeries in downtown Los Angeles on March 12, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Groups Plan Protest Against Transgender Stance of American Academy of Pediatrics

At least a dozen organizations, ranging from Christian conservatives to gay rights advocacy groups, are planning a massive protest outside the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) national convention in Anaheim this weekend.

Jaimee Michell, Founder of Gays Against Groomers, which helped organized the protests, told The Epoch Times the groups are joining forces to rally against the medical organizations promotion of the use of transgender procedures on children, including gender reassignment surgeries and puberty blockers.

The protest is planned for Saturday, Oct. 8, the second day of the AAPs planned five-day APP convention in the Disneyland hub of California.

These are the real-life Frankensteins. Its not affirming to mutilate and sterilize confused children, Mitchell said, referring to the term gender-affirming care that advocates use. Its horrific abuse and the epitome of evil.

The AAP did not respond to inquiries from The Epoch Times about the planned protests.

Other groups planning to participate in the Anaheim protests include Moms For Liberty, A Time To Stand, Advocates Protecting Children, FIST, M.O.M. Army, Genespect, Interfaith Coalition, Lesbians United, the California Family Council, and Partners for Ethical Care. Our Duty, an international parents group with a large membership in the United States, is expected to lead the protests.

AAP, which has about 67,000 members worldwide, has booked rooms and conference halls at more than a dozen area hotels for the Anaheim convention.

The mass-scale event, which is themed Better Together, consists of daily lectures and workshops on a wide variety of topics including gender reassignment for children. One of the sessions is entitled Beyond the Basics: Gender-Affirmative Interventions in the Primary Care Office.

Described as gender-affirming topics, such subjects planned for the multidisciplinary session are menstrual suppression, chest binding safety education, safe tucking/gaff use, reproductive health care, and another topic entitled gender-affirming psychoeducation for parents/caregivers.

In another planned lecture, a Florida pediatrician is scheduled to talk about what sextortion of a child is.

A workshop entitled Tough Conversations: Discussing Sex and Gender is scheduled to take place around the same time the protesters are planning to hold their rally.

According to the workshops description, attendees will engage in role-playing as parents and teens and practice asking each other about gender and sexuality.

One of the scheduled instructors for the workshop is a Rhode Island sex therapist who lists her specialties as gender affirmation, sexual functioning, and sexual pleasure. A social worker who is part of The Gender and Sexuality program team at the Hasbro Childrens Hospital is also slated to teach the workshop.

Some members of the gay community said they are ashamed of the way groups like the AAP are using them.

If I [had] understood when I was younger that fighting for my rights as a lesbian would mean allowing children to drag shows, attaching child molesters to our community, and allowing children to change their sex before they even know what their favorite color isI would have never done it, Carol Hatch, a lesbian and member of Gays Against Groomers, says in a video she created and posted on social media.

Michell, who a lesbian, said groups like AAP are especially disturbing because they are part of a gender cult hellbent on convincing kids they were born in the wrong body just because they are different.

We are here to save the tomboys and the feminine boys who are being preyed upon by them, she said.

Earlier this month on a podcast called Saving Kids From The Gender Cult, Erin Friday, founder of Our Duty, which organized the protests against AAP, talked about being a longtime Democrat who has become ashamed by her own partys promotion of transgendering kids.

They dont seem to understand the parents in my parents group, and even across the nation, were Democrats or are Democrats and were against this, she said. They dont seem to want to hear us.
Gun Group Questions LAPDs Fee for Concealed Carry Weapon Permit

A gun-rights group is taking issue with the Los Angeles Police Departments (LAPD) new concealed carry weapon permitting policy, which adds a $268 fee with 20 percent or $53 due at the time of the in-person interview.

The fee is quite high at $268, said attorney Konstadinos T. Moros who represents the California Rifle & Pistol Association (CRPA). This compares to the $150 total the LA Sheriffs Department charges. Its not clear why LAPD feels it can charge so much more.

Neither the LAPDs fee of $268 nor the Los Angeles Sheriffs fee of $150 includes the cost of the livescan or training class, which adds nearly $300 to the cost of becoming licensed to carry a concealed weapon.

We are looking at more than a $500 effective price tag to exercise a constitutional right if you are getting a permit from LAPD, Moros told The Epoch Times.

The LAPD, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment, previously told The Epoch Times that it temporarily suspended the application process for concealed carry permits while it evaluates the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark ruling in N.Y. State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen.

We are still waiting to see whether LAPD actually gets moving soon, Moros said. Releasing a policy is one thing, but actually processing applications in a reasonable time frame is another.

In Bruen, the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated good or proper cause requirements in concealed carry weapon permitting with Justice Clarence Thomas explaining that permit regimes that do not require applicants to show an atypical need for armed self-defense are acceptable.

On Sept. 16, the CRPA issued a pre-litigation letter to the LAPD demanding that it comply with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling by accepting applications for permitting within 45 days.

If we do pursue a lawsuit against LAPD, the excessive expense would certainly be one of the claims, particularly for any working-class plaintiffs for whom $268 is not a trivial amount of money, Moros added.

The letter to the LAPD threatening legal action was addressed to Chief Michel R. Moore and accuses the department of having unclear processes on how to apply for permits, endless wait times, subjective requirements, application procedures that violate applicants privacy, and the refusal to even accept applications for processing.
House Republicans Demand Investigation Into Chinese Recruitment From Top US Nuclear Lab

In the wake of an alarming report on Chinas decades-long effort to recruit scientists from the top nuclear lab in the United States, House Republicans are calling on the Biden administration to take action to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from further exploiting American research and technology.

In a letter (pdf) sent Wednesday to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhakar, a group of 11 Republican members of Congress said they have serious concerns over the national security threat unveiled in the new report.

The report (pdf), published last month by strategic intelligence company Strider Technologies, claims that the CCP has been recruiting leading scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, an institution known for producing the first atomic bombs used in World War II.

According to the report, at least 162 scientists who had worked at Los Alamos returned to China between 1987 and 2021 to support a variety of domestic and military research programs. Collectively dubbed the Los Alamos Club, many of those individuals have helped the CCP to advance key military and dual-use technologies in areas such as hypersonics, deep-earth penetrating warheads, unmanned autonomous vehicles, jet engines, and submarine noise reduction.

The report further noted that at least 90 of the 113 Los Alamos postdoctoral researchers and permanent staff members that returned to China were selected through CCP talent programs. In addition, 59 of those scientists were recruited as part of the communist regimes Thousand Talents Program and the Youth Thousand Talents Program.

The Los Alamos Club confirms the concerns surrounding malign talent recruitment programs, clearly demonstrating that the [CCP] had been successful at stealing and capitalizing on our research and development, the Republicans wrote in the letter. As a result, these malign talent recruitment programs have now resulted in a tangible national security threat to the United States.

Specifically, they asked the Energy Department and the White House to explain if theyre aware of the issues discussed in the report, as well as what steps they are taking to prevent federally funded U.S. research and development from being stolen by the CCP in light of the report.

The FBI has repeatedly warned about the Thousand Talents Program, an initiative designed to lure scientists into secretly bringing their knowledge and innovation back to China.

In 2020, former Los Alamos scientist Turab Lookman pleaded guilty to a charge of making a false statement to a federal investigator about his involvement in the Thousand Talents Program. An India-born U.S. citizen who had worked at the laboratory for over two decades, Turab was sentenced to a $75,000 fine and five years of probation, during which he is forbidden to leave New Mexico.
Conservative MP Kelly Block rises in the House of Commons in Ottawa on March 10, 2021. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

House Votes Down Conscience Rights Bill for Health-Care Workers

In the House of Commons on Wednesday, MPs voted down a Conservative members bill that would have protected the conscience rights of health-care workers unwilling to participate directly or indirectly in medical assistance in dying, or MAiD.

Bill C-230, introduced in February by Saskatchewan Conservative MP Kelly Block, aimed to amend the Criminal Code to make it an offence to intimidate a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist, or other health care professional for the purpose of compelling them to take part, directly or indirectly, in the provision of medical assistance in dying.

The bill was defeated 208115 on Oct. 5, with the majority of Conservatives, including leader Pierre Poilievre, voting in favour and the Liberals and most NDP and Bloc Quebecois MPs voting against.

Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman, who is one of the partys deputy leaders, had no recorded vote on the House of Commons website, along with several other Conservative MPs.

In a previous statement, Block said Bill C-230 was a necessary safeguard against Bill C-7, which widely broadens availability of MAiD in Canada, even extending it to individuals whose sole medical condition is mental illness.

With Bill C-7, patients are at risk of being pressured to receive a medically assisted death and doctors are being pressured to be complicit in deaths that they would not advise, Block said.

The government has reiterated that C-7, which permits MAiD for individuals whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable, would not infringe on health-care workers freedom of conscience and religion.

As with the existing law, nothing in the Bill compels healthcare providers to provide such assistance or otherwise interferes with their freedom of conscience and religion rights under section 2(a) of the Charter, reads a justice department explanation of the bill.

However, the online document also says since Bill C-7 greatly widens the availability of MAiD, it would lead to requests for medical assistance in dying in circumstances that may be contrary to some health care providers conscience or religious beliefs.

Since MAiD was legalized in 2016, the number of assisted suicides across the country has risen every year.

According to Health Canadas third annual report on MAiD, over 31,000 Canadians have received medically assisted death between 2016 and 2021.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
With pheasant season fast approaching, on this episode we are talking about a new program here in Montana that has stirred plenty of debate for the last year and a half.

Housed at Montana State Prison, inmates there are now raising pheasants for release on wildlife management areas. We attended the release of some of the first prison-reared pheasants at Lake Helena recently for the special youth season, but thousands were released across the state.

This week, Tom Kuglin of the Montana State News Bureau talks about the history of pheasants in Montana and why these releases are significant.

This podcast is created in partnership across five newsrooms  the Billings Gazette, the Helena Independent Record, the Missoulian, the Montana Standard and the Ravalli-Republic. You can support this podcast and our efforts by subscribing. Visit any of these newspapers websites, and click on the Become a Member button at the top of the home page. We appreciate your support of local journalism.
South Korea cracked down on human flesh capsules, made with the remains of deceased human babies and fetuses, back in 2012, but they have been found on black markets in recent years. (Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images)

Human Flesh Capsules from China Reappear in South Korea

Recent reports from South Korea media suggest that the smuggling of capsules from China containing human DNA have recently reappeared despite ethical and health concerns.

According to data obtained from the Korea Customs Service (KCS) by representative Kim Young Sun of the South Korean National Assembly on Sept. 28, the KCS reported six incidents of human flesh capsule smuggling from 2016 to 2021, with a total of more than 1,000 capsules seized from the belongings of travelers entering South Korea.

Human flesh capsules, as local media dubbed them, were found to be made with the remains of deceased human babies and aborted fetuses. These capsules, marketed as a health supplement, have been sold in the black markets of China and South Korea since 2011. Over 60,000 capsules were seized in South Korea between 2011 and 2013, according to the KCS.

In 2011, Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), one of the three biggest South Korean television broadcasters, made a documentary after secretly filming the capsule production process in a small city in China.

According to the documentary, the black market vendors collaborate with local hospitals to obtain frozen fetuses, and these dead infant bodies are then dried and shipped to a factory for use in the capsules.

Analysis conducted by South Koreas National Forensic Service (NFS) in 2011, confirmed that the powdered filling in the capsules contained human genetic sequences that allowed scientists to discern the sexes of the fetuses.

In an interview with The Epoch Times, Lee Seung Won, president of the Korea Association for Ethical Organ Transplants, said he believes that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is a key reason for the moral deterioration of the Chinese people.

The fact that the CCP is harvesting and selling organs from prisoners of conscience, allowing human flesh capsules to be made in China and smuggled into South Korea, allowing South Koreans to travel to China for organ transplantations, and deteriorating the basic human ethics of the Chinese people under its rule, shows that the CCP holds no restrictions on itself in terms of treating the human body and organs illegally.

The public in South Korea should continue and sustain discussions on the issue to stop the manufacturing of human flesh and forced organ harvesting in China, he said.

In addition to the ethical concerns of the franken capsules, South Koreas Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) also found that the capsules pose serious health hazards to users.

Investigations by the MFDS found that one single capsule contained 18.7 billion bacteria as well as the hepatitis B virus (HBV).

Following the recent reappearance of these capsules, representative Kim urged the KCS to tighten its control of the goods entering South Korea.

For the safety of South Koreans, all inappropriate items should be blocked from entering South Korea during the customs clearance process, she said.
Female protesters react and chant towards a man standing at a podium in Shiraz, Fars province, Iran, on Oct. 4, 2022, in this still image from a video obtained by Reuters. (Reuters)

Iranian Police Deploy at Universities as Unrest Over Mahsa Aminis Death Churns On

DUBAIIranian security forces deployed at universities in several cities on Wednesday, witnesses said, stepping up efforts to quell more than two weeks of protests ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police.

The nationwide unrest sparked by her death has spiralled into the biggest challenge to Irans clerical leaders in years, with protesters calling for the downfall of the Islamic Republic founded in 1979.

Riot police fanned out in the cities of Urmia, Tabriz, Rasht, and the capital Tehran, particularly around universities which have been a focal point of protests in recent days, the witnesses said.

There are lots of security forces around Tehran University. I am even scared to leave the campus. Lots of police vans are waiting outside to arrest students, said a student in Tehran.

Rights groups say thousands have been arrested and hundreds injured in the crackdown waged by security forces including the Basij, a volunteer militia affiliated with Irans Revolutionary Guards, which is designated as a terrorist group by the United States. Rights groups put the death toll at over 150.

Authorities have reported numerous deaths among the security forces, accusing foreign adversaries including the United States of meddling to destabilize Iran.

Videos shared on social media on Wednesday showed high school girls in Tehran taking off their headscarves and chanting death to [Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei.

In a footage said to have been filmed at a school in Shiraz on Tuesday, about 50 female pupils surrounded a member of the Basij who had been invited to give a speech, shouting Basij get lost and death to Khamenei.

Reuters could not independently verify the videos.

People from different layers of the society across Iran have joined protests since Amini, an Iranian Kurd, died after being detained in Tehran on Sept. 13 for inappropriate attire.

The death of a 17-year-old girl since the start of the protests has become another focal point of protester anger, with activists on Twitter saying Nika Shakarami was killed in Tehran while demonstrating over Aminis death.

State media said on Wednesday a judicial case had been opened into Shakaramis death, citing officials claiming it had nothing to do with the unrest, and that she had fallen off a roof and her body contained no bullet wounds.

Hideous Scenes

Analysts do not believe the clerical establishment is close to being toppled despite growing frustration over strict social and political limitations imposed over the past four decades since the fall of the U.S.-backed Shah.

The government has ordered an investigation into Aminis death, which Khamenei has said left him heart-broken.

But underlining unbending views in government, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi accused demonstrators of creating hideous scenes in the name of womens rights.

Vahidi, the former commander of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, defended the dress code law, saying protesters saw freedom in the nakedness and shamelessness of women.

Aminis death and the crackdown have compounded tensions in Irans already difficult relations with the West, deepening rifts at a time when negotiations to revive Tehrans 2015 nuclear deal with world powers have stalled.

Iran has summoned several ambassadors from Western countries it accuses of meddling or playing a part in the unrest.

State media reported that the British ambassador, already summoned once, was summoned again on Tuesday in reaction to interventionist comments from the British foreign ministry.

In signs of growing international support this week, leading actresses in France like Juliette Binoche and Isabelle Huppert cut locks of their hair in protest at Aminis death, and a Swedish member of the European parliament snipped off her ponytail while giving a speech.

By Parisa Hafezi
A worker stands beside the wrecked train engine (Bottom R) at the site of a train crash in Santiago de Compostela, northwestern Spain, on July 27, 2013. (Miguel Vidal/Reuters)

Jeers, Scuffles as Trial of 2013 Spanish Train Disaster That Killed 80 Begins

MADRIDThe trial of a Spanish train driver and a former head of traffic safety at national rail-infrastructure operator Adif over a train disaster that killed 80 people in the summer of 2013 kicked off on Wednesday, with a protester punching one of the defendants in a scuffle outside the courtroom.

In the countrys worst rail accident in decades, another 145 people were injured when the eight-carriage, high-speed Alvia 04155 train veered off the track on a sharp bend near the northernwestern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela, slamming into a concrete wall and bursting into flames.

The Rail Accident Investigation Commission, which is under the Transport Ministry, concluded in a report that the accident was caused by speeding and the driver, Francisco Jose Garzon, being distracted by a call from a superior.

However, the Association of Victims of Alvia 04155, one of two organisations representing the victims, blame the accident not only on human error but also on the railways security systems.

Garzons lawyer, Manuel Prieto, told reporters on Wednesday that there were safety flaws on the railway. Neither Adifs former head of traffic safety, Andres Cortabitarte, nor his representatives commented on the case. He previously told a parliamentary commission in 2018 that he was not responsible for the safety of the line in question.

One of the protesters punched Cortabitarte in the back as he was escorted by police while he was jeered at by bereaved relatives of victims of the accident.

TV footage outside the courtroom in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, in Spains northwest, showed the aggressor being taken aside by a policeman.

The prosecutor is asking for both defendants to be imprisoned for four years and disqualified from their professions. They are charged with 80 offenses of manslaughter by gross professional negligence, 145 offenses of injury, and one offense of damages.

Earlier this week, members of the association protested in front of the Spanish parliament in Madrid requesting justice.

There are people who are no longer here, they have passed away. There will never be justice for them, spokesman Jesus Dominguez told national broadcaster TVE on Wednesday before the trial started.

The proceedings, held in a cultural centre in Santiago de Compostela, are expected to last months with more than 700 witnesses and experts taking the stand.
Judge Rules Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Must Testify in Abortion Lawsuit

A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton must testify in a lawsuit bought by a string of nonprofit organizations seeking to block potential criminal charges against abortion providers offering Texan women access to abortions out of state.

U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman had previously quashed the subpoena before marking a U-turn on the decision on Thursday, court documents (pdf) show.

Paxton, a Republican, allegedly fled his home on Sept. 26 while a process server, Ernesto Martin Herrera, attempted to serve him with a subpoena regarding the lawsuit. Paxton said he fled to avoid a stranger who was lingering outside his home amid concerns over the safety of his family.

The nonprofits who filed the lawsuit have requested that Paxton clarify previous statements he made about the enforcement of Texass trigger law as it related to out-of-state abortions.

They argue that his statements chill their First Amendment rights to speak about and fund abortion care and restrict their ability to facilitate out-of-state abortions, which is protected by the right to interstate travel.

The plaintiffs in that lawsuit (pdf) are: Fund Texas Choice, The North Texas Equal Access Fund, The Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity, Frontera Fund, The Afiya Center, West Fund, Janes Due Process, Clinic Access Support Network, and Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi.

According to an affidavit (pdf) filed in federal court last week, Herrera arrived at Paxtons home to serve him with the subpoena to appear in a federal court hearing but the attorney general fled in a vehicle driven by his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton.

Paxton disputed Herreras version of events, stating on social media that he had left his home to avoid a stranger who was outside his house, and that conservatives have faced threats to their safety that have not been covered in the media.

Abortion activists (R) argue with pro-life activists (not in image) in front of the Supreme Court on June 26, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Its clear that the media wants to drum up another controversy involving my work as Attorney General, so theyre attacking me for having the audacity to avoid a stranger lingering outside my home and showing concern about the safety and well-being of my family, he wrote.

At the Eleventh Hour

Judge Pitman had initially quashed the subpoena the morning after Herrera arrived at Paxtons home because the subpoena was issued at the very last minute.

But in Tuesdays ruling, the judge said he had done so on the assumption that counsel for Paxton had made candid representations to the Court about when Paxton had been served and when Paxton was notified that he was expected to attend the hearing.

The Court took Paxtons factual statementsthat the notification occurred at the eleventh hour and on the literal eve of trialas accurate, candid representations of counsel, and those statements influenced the Courts decision on Paxtons motion to quash, Pitman wrote in the filing.

Pitman said the court had also assumed Paxton provided full, accurate factual statements but had later learned that the attorney general had failed to disclose Plaintiffs repeated emails attempting to inquire as to whether Paxton could testify.

The judge also said Paxton, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, has unique, first-hand knowledge regarding how he will enforce the Trigger Ban, requiring him to testify.

The Court will not sanction a scheme where Paxton repeatedly labels his threats of prosecution as real for the purpose of deterrence and as hypothetical for the purposes of judicial review, the judge wrote.

Because the Court was forced to decide Paxtons motion to quash on a very limited timeframe  and because the Court relied on Defendants representations as accurate depictions of when Paxton had been served and notified of his expected testimony, the Court issued its ruling on incomplete facts, the filing reads.

Pitman gave lawyers for both parties until Oct. 11 to meaningfully confer  to agree on the particulars of Paxtons testimony, whether by deposition or evidentiary hearing.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Texas attorney generals office for comment.
Vice President Kamala Harris gives remarks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Sept. 13, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Kamala Harris Prepares for Texas Visit, Not Clear If Shell Visit Border

Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to travel to Texas this weekend as part of a Democrat fundraising campaign in the state. However, it is unclear whether she intends to visit the Texas border with Mexico.

In June 2021, Harris visited a migrant processing center at the Texas border, which has been her only visit to the region since becoming vice president. On Saturday, Oct. 8, she will be attending the Texas Democrat Partys annual Johnson-Jordan Reception and will meet with people to discuss abortion policies in the state, The Hill reported.

In an interview with the New York Post, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) said he hasnt been made aware of any potential visits by Harris in his district, which stretches from Del Rio to just outside of El Paso.

I dont understand why the vice president just wont take an hour plane ride to the border and just listen, talk to people, just show up and say, Hey, we are here to help. Just say, The administration hasnt abandoned you  something! Gonzales said.

Harris was appointed as the border czar by President Joe Biden in March 2021, who insisted she was the most qualified person to identify root causes of the border crossing surge. Under Harris, the country has seen a record number of illegal aliens enter the United States at the southern border with Mexico.

Since March 2021, Border Patrol agents have consistently reported over 100,000 encounters every month, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

For fiscal year 2022 through the end of August, agents reported over 2.15 million encounters, which is higher than the 1.73 million encounters reported for fiscal year 2021 and the 458,088 encounters reported during fiscal year 2020.

Korea Visit, Transporting Migrants to Washington

Harriss reluctance to visit the Texas border has been contrasted with her visit to the Demilitarized Zone separating North Korea and South Korea during her recent trip to that region. This attracted immense criticism, especially from GOP members who questioned why Harris was not visiting the U.S.Mexico border.

Border Czar Kamala Harris is traveling thousands of miles to visit the DMZ in Korea instead of visiting our own southern border. Our country is literally being invaded and she doesnt care, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) said in a Sept. 27 tweet.

Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been transporting illegal immigrants from Texas to Washington, near Harriss home. On Oct. 3, about 50 illegal aliens were dropped off in front of the vice presidents Washington residence.

Our supposed border czar, Vice President Kamala Harris, has yet to even visit the border to see firsthand the impact of the open border policies she has helped implement, even going so far as to claim the border is secure, Abbott said recently, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The border crisis is also having an impact on politics. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showed the majority of respondents believed the GOP was the best party to address the problems of immigration and crime rates.
Police recruits attend their graduation ceremony at Los Angeles Police Department Headquarters in Los Angeles, Calif., on July 8, 2016. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

LAPD Losing More Officers Than It Recruits

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is struggling to recruit new officers as the number of sworn personnel continues to decrease, Chief Michel Moore told the Police Commission Oct. 4.

Over the last three years, the department has lost more than 600 officers, and each month theyre losing a minimum of 50 sworn personnel due to retirement, Moore said. At least 60 new personnel each month are needed to make up the difference, but there arent enough new recruits, according to Moore.

As a result of fewer officers in the city, there has been an increase in crime in several categories and longer emergency response times, according to the chief. Certain departments have been downsized or completely eliminated, such as the cold case unit and that which seeks fugitive warrants, Moore said.

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michael Moore speaks to media about fallen LAPD officer Fernando Arroyos in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb.2, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Our city right now faces a monumental challenge in meeting the substantial needs of public safety, Police Commissioner William Briggs said in response. Our personnel in the sworn numbers are going backwards, not forward.

Briggs cited, during the meeting a Loyola Marymount University study released last week showing much of Los Angeles residents are concerned about LAPD response times, which have increased rather than decreased, Briggs said.

This is a direct result of the departments inability to attract sufficient recruits to replenish and fill its ranks, he said. The majority of our citizens want to see an increase in police patrols in their neighborhoods, but the department does not have sufficient personnel to meet those needs.

Moore told the commission there are currently 9,215 sworn officers, which is down 38 from the week prior. The civilian workforce stands at 2,667, he said, which is down five staffers.

Last week, Los Angeles City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who also chairs the councils Public Safety Committee, introduced a proposal for the city to work with the police department to improve recruitment incentives.

Moore said other agencies across the country are implementing similar measures to recruit more officers.

Im looking forward to the councils actions to establish an incentive program recognizing the difficult job market that were in and a critical need to add staffing to our ranks, he said.

One of the incentives the city is exploring, is offering stipends to LAPD recruits to help cover the tremendous cost of housing in the city of Los Angeles, the police commissioner said.

Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti speaks in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 29, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Over the summer, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti proposed an aggressive new budget calling for the recruitment of 780 officers, increasing the number of sworn personnel to about 9,745.

But the citys legislative analyst said such an increase wouldnt be possible due to current recruitment trends.

The budget was revised to fund 9,615 officers by June 2023. But, the analyst said realistically the department may not have more than 9,500 officers by that date.

The departments struggle to hire more recruits is attributed to various reasons Moore previously said, but Joe Buscaino, LA councilman and former LAPD officer, said during a council meeting in August that the shortage is due to the force being demoralized.

Theyve been disrespected by leaders at all levels of government, by posts on social media, by ongoing attacks on our civilian and sworn personnel within the law enforcement community, Buscaino said.
A police tape marks the perimeter of a crime scene in Mexico, on April 21, 2019. (Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images)

Mayor and Father Among 18 Dead in Mexico Town Hall Shooting Attack

Gunmen shot and killed a mayor, his father, and 16 other people in the Mexican state of Guerrero on Oct. 5, according to authorities.

San Miguel Totolapan Mayor Conrado Mendoza Almeda and his father, a former mayor of the town, were identified among the victims killed in the shooting, state Attorney General Sandra Luz Valdovinos told Milenio Television late on Oct. 5.

The BBC, citing police, reported that the gunmen stormed the San Miguel Totolapan town hall at 2 p.m. local time before carrying out the shooting attack.

Local media outlets reported that the gunmen were heavily armed and arrived at the building in two vehicles shortly before opening fire. Security personnel to the mayor were also shot during the incident, along with other government members, Mexican newspaper Reforma reported.

Disturbing images shared online show the town hall riddled with bullet holes and a number of bloodied bodies lying on the floor of the building.

Following the attack, Guerreros Public Safety Department said in a statement that it has launched a coordinated operation along with army and navy units that are being deployed by land and air to find the gunmen. The department noted that injured people from the site of the shooting had been transferred to local hospitals for immediate medical attention.

The Secretary of State Public Security, together with civil and military authorities, will maintain a presence in the area, the statement reads.

Almedas party, the PRD, confirmed the deaths in a statement on Twitter in which they condemned the cowardly attack and called for justice.

The National Executive Directorate of #PRD condemns the cowardly murder of our colleague Conrado Mendoza Almeda, Mayor of San Miguel Totolapan, #Guerrero. We demand justice @FGEGuerrero, enough of violence and impunity, the party wrote.

Gang Violence, Conflict Plague Residents

Guerrero Gov. Evelyn Salgado Pineda, a member of the nations ruling Morena party, also condemned the attack in a statement on social media and said there will be no impunity in the face of the cunning aggression against the municipal president and officials of the City Council.

Pineda said she has asked the state Attorney Generals Office to investigate the shooting.

Our commitment is firm, we will not take a step back to provide security to the population of San Miguel Totolapan and to our entire region of Tierra Caliente, she said.

San Miguel Totolapan is a remote township in Tierra Caliente, which has been disputed by multiple drug trafficking gangs and has been riddled with conflict.

In August, the U.S. State Department issued an updated travel advisory warning Americans about an increased risk of kidnapping when visiting Mexico, amid a wave of cartel violence, including homicides, kidnappings, carjackings, and robberies in several areas.

Americans were advised to not travel to several Mexican states in the bulletin, including Sinaloa, Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Zacatecas, and Tamaulipas.

In another shooting later on Oct. 5 in the neighboring state of Morelos, state Deputy Gabriela Marin Sanchez was shot dead as she exited a vehicle in the city of Cuernavaca, located south of Mexico City, according to reports.

My solidarity with the family and friends of local deputy Gabriela Marin Sanchez in these difficult times, Luis Jorge Gamboa Olea, president magistrate of the Superior Court of Justice of the State of Morelos, wrote on Twitter on Oct. 5.

The deaths of Mendoza and Sanchez on Oct. 5 bring the total number of mayors killed during Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors administration to 18 and the number of state lawmakers to eight, according to data from Etellekt Consultores.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Medical Misdiagnosis, a Leading Cause of US Deaths, Adds Billions to Health Care Costs

The prospect of walking into a hospital or clinic and receiving a misdiagnosis is something that fills most patients with dread. An incorrect medical assessment can be a hassle, even in the best case scenario.

At the other end of the spectrum, diagnostic errors can be expensive, dangerous, and even deadly.

This is, however, a reality for 12 million Americans seeking outpatient care yearly.

Some of the conditions practitioners miss may carry grave consequences without a timely diagnosissuch as in the treatment of cancer, heart attack, and stroke.

One Johns Hopkins study revealed that, out of 6,000 patients across the United States, health practitioners misdiagnosed one out of every 71 cancer cases. The same report showed that one out of five cancers were also misclassified. This can result in dangerously delayed or ineffective treatment.

Known as the big three within the medical community, the top conditions subject to misdiagnosis are cancers, vascular events, and infections.

In another evaluation of 538 patient diagnostic errors, 28 percent were life threatening, resulted in death, or created permanent disability.

Medical misdiagnosis has become one of the leading causes of death in the United States. One estimate suggests up to 250,000 U.S. deaths per year may be attributed to mistakes in the diagnostic process.

Concurrently, faulty assessments are costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars. In 2009, a report put the cost of unnecessary medical services resulting from misdiagnosis at $750 billion annually.

Even today, research points to wasteful clinical services as a critical driver of excess health spending, accounting for upwards of 15.7 percent of total national health spending.

Terrible Price to Pay

When it comes to diagnosing health issues, there are multiple areas where things can go wrong. Former Johns Hopkins risk manager Danielle Miller is a registered nurse and the CEO of Stars and Stripes Consulting LLC. She told The Epoch Times multiple factors across the entire spectrum of health care services are contributing to the misdiagnosis problem.

Error in diagnostic testing results, incomplete evaluation or history of the patient. Premature diagnosis made without completing appropriate diagnostic testing, and evaluation due to guidelines and teaching  just to name a few, Miller said.

Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which threw another wrench into an industry already struggling with accurate diagnostics.

Telemedicine was mass adopted in a short time frame during the pandemic. This led to many incomplete and error prone systems being used, Miller explained, adding that there was little to no widespread knowledge or education for appropriate evaluation and diagnosis with telehealth.

Though for some, diagnostic errors during the pandemic were not made over the phone and resulted in months of crippling medical bills and tragedy.

In the city of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, Dawn Gratke watched a misdiagnosis nightmare unfold over nearly four months, ultimately costing her husband his life.

I couldnt believe it then. I still cant believe it, Gratke told The Epoch Times with a heavy sigh.

In September 2021, Gratke was convinced her husband John had gotten some kind of bug. He had classic flu symptoms, including fever and body aches, which Dawn was helping him manage at home since they did not appear to be serious. He had no respiratory symptoms at all, she said.

Then on the evening of Sept. 25, John went into cardiac arrest at their home.

In a panic, she called 911. Paramedics were able to stabilize John after they arrived and rushed him to a nearby hospital.

Gratke drove to the hospital along with their equally distraught teenage daughter, who had witnessed the horrifying event. Within a few hours of arrival, John was put on a ventilatordespite the lack of respiratory symptomsafter the staff induced a medical coma.

The following day, John tested positive for COVID-19. Dawn and her daughter also tested positive for the virus.

It was all about COVID after that. Everything was COVID. They didnt even look at other possibilities, Gratke said.

John remained in a coma until Oct. 11, when he slowly regained consciousness. The long recovery process began, but his wife noted the doctors still wouldnt discuss what else might have caused John to go into cardiac arrest on that fateful September night.

The rest played out like a bad dream, she said.

Johns recovery was slow and then began to backslide near the end of October, when he presented with flu-like symptoms again.

I helped roll him on his side one day because he said he was in pain, and there was a nasty infected bed sore, Gratke remarked.

Despite what Gratke maintained was an obvious infection, the attending physician disagreed, concluding the flu symptoms were more likely to be long COVID related. Undeterred, she pressed for more tests, determined to get to the bottom of what was happening with her husband.

After diagnosing a staff infection more than a week later, John was treated with antibiotics. However, it proved too little too late. The infection had become systemic, and Gratke was helpless to watch her husbands slow decline. It took two agonizing months for John to die amid a slew of failed attempts to stop the infection. The delayed diagnosis proved deadly for a man with an already weakened immune system.

The same week the hospital began treating John with antibiotics, Gratke said the doctor admitted there was a possibility her husband had been fighting a different, non-COVID-19 related infection that had gone undetected upon his admission in September.

On Jan. 8, 2022, Gratke felt her husband squeeze her hand for the last time. Her teenage daughter and oldest son, who had returned from college, were in the hospital elevator, on their way to see their father as he quietly slipped away.

My husband was essentially murdered, she said, They didnt follow protocols and they misdiagnosed his symptoms.

Gratke and her family are now suing the hospital for malpractice. She requested the hospitals name be omitted from the article on the advice of her attorney.

One third of all malpractice cases resulting in death or permanent disability come from a delayed or inaccurate diagnosis. Further, missed infections account for nearly 14 percent of the aforementioned big three.

Expensive Mistakes

In a 2021 report published by the National Library of Medicine, the diagnostic process within the context of COVID-19 was admitted to be complex and challenging for health care professionals. It further noted the evolving virus can contribute to confusion and increase risk of mistakes.

COVID-19 Unit at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Texas, on July 2, 2020. (Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images)

Although we have improved our capacity to make a more precise diagnosis, we still dont have an explicit number of patients who are hospitalized for COVID alone, Dr. William Schaffner, professor of medicine and infectious diseases, told The Epoch Times.

He explained that despite improvements in testing since the onset of the pandemic, it remains problematic in some cases to determine to what extent COVID-19 plays a primary or secondary role in acute illness.

Concurrently, the meter is running and the cost of diagnostic errors continues to add up for Americans. Since 2011, family insurance premiums have risen 47 percent. Some industry insiders believe malpractice claims are contributing to this trend.

These two findings are related. Every misdiagnosis leads to an increase in overall health care costs, attorney Collen Clark, founder of Schmidt & Clark, LLP, told The Epoch Times.

Clarks firm works closely with medical malpractice claims, which he says there are a lot of these days.

Misdiagnosis leads to higher medical costs and higher income loss. It also negatively impacts insurance providers.

A study examining 24 years of U.S. malpractice claims revealed diagnostic error payouts totaled $38.8 billion between 1986 and 2010.

Up to 18,000 claims are filed every year, with an average payout of more than $10,000 per lawsuit.

Though for people like Gratke, the price of health care isnt nearly as painful as the cost.

It cost me everything, losing John, she said.
FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies at a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee at Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on Aug. 4, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Memos Show FBI Double Standard on Sexual Misconduct Favors Execs: Grassley

Internal Department of Justice (DOJ) documents obtained from FBI whistleblowers show at least 44 high-level FBI officials either resigned or retired without being disciplined after sexual misconduct charges were documented against them, according to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

Those 44 officials left the FBI before the DOJs Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) was able to file official recommendations for appropriate penalties, Grassley said in a statement that was made available to The Epoch Times. The final disposition of one case in which the FBI executive left the bureau after OPR issued its decision isnt known.

The 45all of whom were members of the federal governments Senior Executive Servicewere among a total of 665 FBI employees who were confirmed by investigators to have committed sexual misconduct while on the job between 2004 and 2020. The data was produced for a review conducted by the DOJs Office of Disciplinary Appeals of FBI disciplinary records.

That review was prompted by a December 2020 Associated Press story that found eight sexual misconduct cases among the FBIs executive ranks. As a result of the review, FBI Director Christopher Wray in the same month issued a zero tolerance memo to agents regarding sexual misconduct on or off duty.

There may be many more examples of sexual misconduct among the FBIs senior ranks that werent documented in the DOJ review, according to Grassleys statement.

The data doesnt include resignations or retirements that occurred prior to the initiation of or during an ongoing misconduct investigation, so the actual number of employees who departed the FBI following allegations of sexual misconduct could be much higher, Grassley wrote.

The documents provided by whistleblowers to Grassley also indicate the FBI has failed to implement Wrays policy effectively since it was announced nearly two years ago.

The only discernible pattern appears to be that higher-graded employees, especially supervisors, are more likely to have their sexual misconduct case adjudicated under Offense Code 5.22, and therefore subjected to lesser penalties; whereas, lower-graded employees are seemingly more likely to be adjudicated under Offense Code 5.20, and have a statistically greater likelihood of being dismissed for their sexual misconduct, according to an internal DOJ report titled Inconsistent Adjudication of Non-Consensual Sexual Misconduct.

That report observed that its findings may give the appearance the FBI is not holding its supervisors accountable for unwelcome sexual conduct.

In an Oct. 5 letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Wray, Grassley addressed multiple questions to them and requested answers no later than Oct. 14.

Simply put, these two documents show a systemic failure within the Justice Department and FBI to protect female employees from sexual harassment and sexual misconduct in the workplace and a failure to sufficiently punish employees for that same misconduct, Grassley told Garland and Wray.

FBI employees should not have to suffer under daily abuse and misconduct by their colleagues and supervisors. Congress has an obligation to perform an objective and independent review of the Justice Departments and FBIs failures and determine the accuracy of the data contained in the documents so that the American people know and understand what, if any, changes have been made to solve these significant problems.

Grassleys latest revelations, based on documents he received from whistleblowers within DOJ and the FBI, are bound to strengthen Republican congressional demands for comprehensive investigations and reforms of the bureau.

Prior to the Grassley revelations, the FBI hadnt been publicly associated with internal sexual misconduct problems, but that changed when it was learned in 2018 that two top-level employees were involved in an inappropriate relationship that became public when many of their official emails were disclosed during a DOJ inspector general investigation.

Peter Strzok, an FBI special agent, and attorney Lisa Page, special counsel to then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, were romantically involved even as they participated in some of the bureaus most controversial investigations, including into allegations that Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign was aided by Russia.

In one of the 2016 emails, Strzok told Page an insurance policy was needed to ensure that Trump didnt defeat his Democratic presidential opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The emails with Page were key evidence in the FBIs August 2018 decision to terminate Strzok, according to the letter from then-FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich. As The Epoch Times reported, Bowdich said in the letter that he was having difficulty fathoming Strzoks repeated, sustained errors of judgment while leading the probe into the TrumpRussia allegations.

In a statement, the FBI told The Epoch Times that the FBI looks critically at ourselves and will continue to make improvements. The bottom line is, employees who commit gross misconduct and sexual harassment have no place in the FBI.

The statement also noted that the bureau cannot legally stop someone from resigning or retiring. It is infuriating that we are left with little disciplinary recourse when people leave before their case is adjudicated. Under circumstances where an employee leaves under inquiry, the FBI takes available steps to ensure that the individuals file reflects that they left under inquiry, which may lead to disqualification from certain privileges otherwise available to former law enforcement, among other things.
Mexican soap opera star Pablo Lyle listens to attorneys during pre-trial motions at MiamiDade Criminal Court in Miami on Sept. 22, 2022. (Jose A. Iglesias/Miami Herald via AP)

Mexican Actor Guilty in Miami Road Rage Death

MIAMIA Mexican actor was convicted in South Florida on Tuesday of fatally punching a man during a road rage confrontation.

A six-person jury in MiamiDade circuit county found Pablo Lyle, 35, guilty of manslaughter, according to court records. He faces up to 15 years in prison.

Two lives were destroyed by simple roadway anger, a situation we see far too often on our streets and on streets across the country, MiamiDade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a statement.

Before his arrest in the United States, Lyle starred in several Televisa telenovelas and a Netflix crime show called Yankee. His first major role was the lead on La sombra del pasado.

Lyle has claimed he acted in self-defense and was trying to protect his children in March 2019 when he punched Juan Ricardo Hernandez, 63, during a confrontation at a Miami intersection.

The unarmed Hernandez suffered a traumatic brain injury and died four days later at a hospital.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

The UK government has hailed Azerbaijan for returning 17 Armenian servicemen to their home country, Azernews reports, citing the British embassy in Baku.

The UK government welcomes the release of 17 Armenian prisoners by Azerbaijan. This is an important humanitarian gesture, the embassy tweeted.

Azerbaijan has returned 17 Armenian servicemen to Yerevan, proceeding from the principles of humanism.

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.

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 opposite side.

Following the recent border clashes, the bodies of 133 Armenian troops were transported to Armenia.
Thompson, a Washburn native, for four years has been director of the North Dakota Concrete Council. He worked previously as general and business manager of JMAC Resources, and has served as operations manager for Knife River Corp. and senior public relations representative for MDU Resources Group. Early in his career he was WSIs public relations manager.
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces march during the Calgary Stampede parade in Calgary, July 8, 2016. (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh)

Militarys Chief Orders Halt to Non-Essential Activities, Focus on Personnel Crisis

Chief of the defence staff Gen. Wayne Eyre is ordering an immediate halt to all non-essential activities in favour of boosting military recruitment and retention, with the Canadian Armed Forces facing an unprecedented personnel crisis.

Eyre issued the sweeping order to senior commanders across the country on Thursday, saying dramatic action is needed to ensure the military has the troops it needs to respond to growing demands and threats at home and abroad.

The reconstitution order sets a completely new direction for the military after years of high-tempo deployments and operations in Canada and overseas by making the recruitment and retention of personnel its top priority.

The interim goal is to address shortcomings that are preventing the CAF more specifically from being in the position it needs to (be) in order to excel as a modern and combat-ready military force, the order reads.

It later adds: The rebuilding process needs to occur on an accelerated timeline given the geopolitical environment that we find ourselves operating within, especially in light of the invasion of Ukraine.

Expected for several months, the order follows a period of unprecedented activity by the military. That includes large-scale deployments to Iraq, Mali, Ukraine and Latvia as well as helping with the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters in Canada.

It also coincides with lagging recruitment rates and a shortage of experienced personnel to train new recruits and lead actual missions, which Eyre said continue to imperil our ability to recruit, train, employ and retain diverse Canadian talent, thus jeopardizing the readiness and long-term health of Canadas defence capabilities.

The Armed Forces is supposed to be adding about 5,000 troops to the regular and reserve forces to meet a growing list of demands, but is instead short more than 10,000 trained membersmeaning about one in 10 positions are currently vacant.

The problem has become so acute that some senior offers have started using the word crisis in interviews with The Canadian Press, including the commander of the navy and the officer responsible for military recruitment and training.

Eyres order reflects on the seriousness of the situation, saying: Owing to personnel and staffing levels that have been compounded by the CAFs heavy commitment to operations, the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and a culture crisis, National Defence continues to lose its ability to deliver and sustain concurrent operations at the scope and scale necessary.

To that end, the order directs commanders to prioritize fully staffing recruiting centres and training schools and calls for a complete reassessment of the militarys current structure and composition.

Military commanders will take a closer look at what missions and other activities are no longer critical, whether certain positions in their units are no longer needed, and even whether certain recruitment targets are still realistic.

Eyre also opens the door to more flexible working arrangements for service members while emphasizing the continued need to change the militarys culture to better attract and retain women, Indigenous people and other under-represented groups.

Culture change will remain the top departmental priority throughout the reconstitution process, the order reads. This endeavour will require significant resources and a willingness to embrace recommendations from external review authorities.

The new approach wont come without risks, which Eyre acknowledged in directing a reduction of large-scale training exercises in favour of more individualized classes as the military focuses on getting enough troops with basic skills into the ranks.

While military commanders have previously underscored the importance of large-scale exercises, the order says Eyre will be ready to accept the associated reduction in readiness levels using a risk-based approach.

And while many Armed Forces members join to serve on missions, the defence chief ordered commanders to strike a balance between providing deployment opportunities to junior members and the need to rebuild our mid-level leader capacity.

The defence chief indicated the reconstitution effort will take up to eight years, with the immediate goal of growing the force, and working toward the broader objective of ensuring the militarys size and structure are lined up with future needs and missions.

External events such as major domestic emergencies caused by climate change, economic crises impacting the federal governments fiscal flexibility, and widespread disinformation campaigns creating a lack of public confidence in national institutions could impede efforts to reconstitute, he added.

By Lee Berthiaume
Bloc Quebecois MP Julie Vignola rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Feb. 25, 2021. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

MP Tables Motion to Review Governor Generals Travel Expenses in Relation to $100,000 Catering Bill

Bloc Quebecois MP Julie Vignola tabled a motion on Oct. 6 to call more witnesses and examine all governors general travel expenses since 2015, including Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, as an opposition MP says a committee was misled by witnesses who tried to downplay Simons recent Middle East trip that may have cost almost $100,000 in catering.

During a meeting of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates on Oct. 3, Vignola said she received about 500 emails from taxpayers who were upset about the spending on Simons trip, and Conservative MP Kelly McCauley said he received about 1,300 in one day.

Vignola requested three meetings with witnesses from the Department of National Defence, Department of Foreign Affairs Trade and Development, Department of Canadian Heritage, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

She said the committee should be given a report about accommodation costs, catering costs, caterer costs, travel costs, security costs, and the cost of alcohol and drinks. She said the information should indicate the number of people in each delegation.

After our committee meeting, we were made aware of details by way of a newspaper.  [Officials from Rideau Hall] couldnt give us the information because they didnt have the information at their disposal. And yet, a newspaper got their hands on the information very quickly, Vignola said, referring to the details about the expenses that the National Post obtained from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which in turn had obtained all the trips catering receipts via an access to information request.

How is it that prepared folks, competent folks, would appear before our committee without those figures at hand and yet a newspaper got their hands on them? she said, before telling the committee that the expenses since 2015 should be gone over with a fine tooth comb so taxpayers know how their money was spent.

I just want to avoid this situation occurring again in the future. This is taxpayers money, and our taxpayers have trouble making ends meet, Vignola added.

McCauley said the two witnesses who testified in September either mistakenly misinformed, misled this committee, or purposely misled this committee.

In an interview with the National Post, Vignola referred to the witness testimony as disinformation by omission.

We were told [they were] the same meals we get on Air Canada, and thats certainly not the case, McCauley said in an interview with National Post. Thats why I asked if it was filet mignon, and they said, no, its regular food! Well, beef Wellington is not regular food.

Although redacted in many places, invoices obtained by the National Post revealed many extravagant purchases.

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon inspects members of the Guard of Honour comprised of 50 members of the Maritime Forces Pacific, at the legislature in Victoria, B.C., on May 20, 2022. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press)

They said the invoices showed it cost $7,657.06 to stock the plane for the trips first leg, where they picked up Simon in the UK. At this point, the bill included $230 in flower arrangements, $984 worth of Flow-brand boxed water, $165 in lemon and lime slices, and $128 for Perrier water. Passengers had the choice of chicken tikka masala or apple-stuffed pork tenderloin with roasted squash and sauteed Brussels sprouts.

Then from the UK to Dubai, which was a seven-hour flight, passengers could choose omelettes or crepes for breakfast and then either chicken scallopini in a creamy mushroom white wine reduction or beef Wellington for lunch.

Leaving Dubai, it cost $16,276.75 to stock the plane with food. Some of the meal options were beef carpaccio, linguine, and roast vegetables. A special request for arugula and wild rice salad was $247 plus a $329 concierge fee for shopping to buy the ingredients.

Breakfast during the 30-minute flight from Dubai to Doha to meet the Emir of Qatar was a light affair for passengers  either yogurt or smoked salmon bagels, according to National Post, while Simon and her husband had a china-plated choice of masala omelette with chicken sausages and sauteed potatoes, or scrambled eggs with turkey sausage and hash browns.

Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Commander Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny told the committee that there are challenges with global catering on flights due to very limited choices as to who we can cater with. He said some countries have much higher food prices than others.

Kenny said catering companies do not break down costs for menu items and that the price they get to see is overall costs.

The governor generals secretary Christine MacIntyre told MPs at the committee meeting on Sept. 22 that she was on the flight with Simon and the meals given are the types you would get on a commercial flight.

The costs were really shocking to all of us, she said. We had eggs, we had omelettes.

Vignolas motion was approved on Oct. 6, with the witnesses set to testify in November and the complete documents without anything blacked out submitted to the committee by the end of the month.

Peter Wilson contributed to this report.
Documentary filmmaker Frank Panico had often seen a mysterious 57-year-old handicapped man limping into church using his walker. Without knowing anyone was watching, the downtrodden man would quietly take a seat in the back of the Church.

This mans demeanor touched Franks heart, since it appeared as if he had hit rock bottom. After church, Frank offered the man a ride home. The disheveled stranger gave Mr. Panico a slight smile, and with gratitude, accepted the ride. The stranger introduced himself: My name is Raymond Matthew Battey, but people sometimes call me Ray.

Raymond appeared to always be in excruciating pain, but this never stopped his faithfulness. He would still walk to church because of his deep love for God. Frank found compassion for Raymond and felt like there must be an interesting story behind his situationa story that needs to be told. Raymond became a subject for Franks next film.

Ray spoke slowly and with a slur. Frank knew, if Raymond accepted his proposal to have his lifes story told through film, Raymonds impediment would slow down the filming process. Nevertheless, Mr. Panico felt it was worth the challenge. To Franks delight, Raymond agreed to be part of the film. Little did Frank know, this solitary man with a childlike innocence would have the most interesting life story that Frank had ever heard.

The first day of filming consisted of Raymond explaining the cause of his disability. Raymonds unbelievable story started on Dec. 23, 1970. Eleven-year-old Raymond was riding his bike over a nearby bridge in Stuart, Florida. He was on his way home from Christmas shopping. A fisherman, unaware of Raymonds presence, while casting his pole accidentally hooked Raymonds tire. This unfortunate incident caused the young boy to flip off his bicycle and into an oncoming, speeding burial car.

While telling the story, Raymond jokingly said, It should have been me in that hearse, but God didnt want that to beand Im here for a purpose.

Ray explained that his speech impediment was a result of the accident. That life-changing tragedy left Raymond with several broken bones in his body and a crushed skull, which caused severe brain trauma. And as if that wasnt enough for a kid to handle, a careless doctor had accidentally cut his vocal cords, too. Raymond was in a coma for six months and hung onto life by a thread, but through the grace of God, today he lives.

Strangely enough, Rays plot thickens. He informed Frank that he had died three times on Dec. 23once in the street, once in the ambulance, and once in the hospital. This information was told to Raymond by his mother.

However, for some reason, in the deep recesses of Raymonds heart, he already knew about his leaving this earth three times and returning. I already knew it anyway. I had gone to Heaven, Raymond said.

I saw Jesus, Mary, God, and Michael the Archangel, too, and my heart was beating faster than you can imagine when I spoke with God. There was a huge golden gate and millions of angels. Heaven is the most beautiful place that I had ever seen.

You actually saw God? Mr. Panico asked. Ray answered with certainty: Yep, and He told me that He had been waiting for me. God told me that I was part of a beautiful plan. God said things are going His way and dont worry.

Frank questioned Ray again, Did you speak to God or Jesus? Without missing a beat, Ray held up his index finger and said, Both as One. This blew Frank away, knowing that scripture basically states the Father and the Son are One. Then Raymond said, I saw my brother, Michael, too. He was reaching out and taking Jesuss hand.

It turns out that just four months after Raymonds accident, while he was still in a coma, havoc had struck the Battey family again. While his mother and father were visiting him in the hospital, disturbing news came to them about their 14-year-old, epileptic son, Michael. Raymond explained that his brother, Michael, was fishing on the Palm City Bridge, just a couple of miles from the bridge where Raymonds accident took place. Michael had a seizure, fell into the water, and drowned.

Mr. Panico asked Ray, Who told you the news about your brothers death? Ray answered: Nobody told me. I knew before anyone else did. I had a vision while I was in the hospital, and I knew about Michaels death, and how he is in the hands of Jesus, like I told you before.

Frank strongly felt that Raymond was appointed by the Lord to convey a message of strength through God. The Evil One and his spirits did not want Raymonds message to get to people. These evil forces were hell-bent on destroying the strong relationship that Raymond and Frank had cultivated while preparing for the film that they were to make.

Judging by the information that Mr. Panico was gathering, he strongly sensed that Raymond had been the target of demonic attacks that wanted to shut him up and shut him down. Furthermore, these assaults had been occurring ever since he was just a child.

Dark supernatural events occurred while filming. For example, a sinister sound was picked up through a mic connected near Raymonds chest while interviewing. However, this noise was not recorded on another camera, which recorded audio through a built-in external mic.

In another instance, Raymond received an anonymous phone call from someone, or something, pretending to be Frank. Surprisingly enough, the voice was identical to Franks. The caller told Raymond, Im done with you, and our friendship is over! Raymond, devastated and in tears, stayed up all night and suffered extreme anxiety until Frank arrived at his home the next day.

Frank assured Raymond that the call was not from him. When Mr. Panico checked Raymonds phone records, a phone number listed as unavailable caller appeared at the exact time that Ray had stated. Frank, as well as two different phone companies, tried to call the number back. Their attempts were futile. It was as if the number and the caller did not exist.

These two men now referred to each other as brothers-in-Christ and attended church daily. Both knew they needed to be all guarded up to face the spiritual warfare that was unfolding. They also prayed that Raymond would be healed from the disabilities that had plagued him since childhoodif it was in Gods will, of course. Their focus on Our Father in Heaven paid off. The entities that wanted to thwart their friendship were soon overcome. Moreover, Raymond now walks and speaks better than ever.

Raymond is now a living testimony that Heaven does exist, and God is everywhere, and in everyone. Furthermore, perhaps the purpose of Raymonds story is to be one of encouragement to the downcast. Maybe his story will be a compelling message to the viewer, and will let a viewer think that if this handicapped man, who had been through so much suffering, can maintain a positive attitude and carry on, so can I.

Raymond told Frank to make sure the people know that this story is not about him, but it is meant to give glory to God. The paramount message of the film could be summed up through one simple statement that Ray exclaimed: I am nothing without God!

Mr. Panico testifies, Because of my surprised relationship with Raymond, Im changed for the better and am deeply inspired, and I know this is the Lords doing. God is surely using this handicapped man as a tool to bring hope to mankind, and I am immensely honored to have met My Friend Raymond.

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National Lottery Pauses Funding for Transgender Charity Mermaids

A 500,000 lottery-funded grant to Mermaids, a charity that promotes transgenderism in gender-dysphoric children, has been paused while it is probed by a watchdog over safeguarding concerns.

The National Lottery has frozen future funds from the leading LGBTQ+ charity amid a recent series of revelations and accusations.

It comes days after a trustee who sat on the board of the British childrens charity quit after it emerged that he spoke at a conference for an organisation that was founded by a convicted child rapist.

Jacob Breslow, associate professor of gender and sexuality at the London School of Economics, gave a talk to U.S.-based B4U-ACT in 2011. B4U-ACT was co-founded by Michael Melsheimer, a paedophile and convicted sex offender.

On Sept. 30, the Charity Commission, the regulatory body for charities in England and Wales, confirmed that it is looking into concerns about Mermaids approach to safeguarding young people.

This was after an investigation in The Telegraph alleged that the charity sent chest-flattening devices to children as young as 13 and 14 against their parents wishes or behind their parents backs.

A Mermaids spokesperson at the time pointed to a statement that denied any wrongdoing.

The Charity Commission case is a regulatory compliance case and not a statutory inquiry, meaning that this is not in itself a finding of wrongdoing, but rather it is the first step the commission can take in examining potential wrongdoing.

National Lottery

Mermaids has received 530,000 ($590,000) in total from four projects funded by the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF), which gives out millions of pounds from the UKs National Lottery to good causes.

NLCF is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Mermaids is a childrens charity that supports gender variant and transgender youth, and many celebrities, politicians, and businesses have endorsed the organisation. It provides gender-diversity training in many places such as the NHS, schools, social services, children and adolescent mental health services, police and uniformed services, as well as other charity and corporate clients.

General view of the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual, and agender) flag outside the RICS London Bookshop during UK Pride Month 2021 in London on June 1, 2021. (Edward Smith/ Getty Images)

An NLCF spokeswoman told The Epoch Times by email that it has paused any future payments to Mermaids, pending the Charity Commissions Regulatory Compliance Case.

This is an option open to us in cases such as this, she added.

Mermaids most recent grant is for a 500,000 ($556,000) project called Embrace, Empower and Educate transgender children and young people. The grant, awarded in 2019, is still marked as active and is meant to last until 2024.

NLCF awarded 500,000 over five years to Mermaids in 2018. This was to establish 45 local groups across the country.

At the time, NLCF produced a report (pdf) to look into the grant award after a backlash following a Sunday Times article in which MPs, feminists, and womens organisations accused the charity of pressuring parents towards puberty blockers and promoting questionable statistics in relation to suicide risks.

Mermaids denied all the allegations and NLCF concluded in its recommendations that while there are some areas of practice which can be improved we have not found evidence to support the substantive allegations made about the organisation.

Horrified

On Oct. 5, Mermaids published a response about former trustee Breslow, saying it was horrified.

We have explained that it was only on the 3rd October that we became aware of his participation in a 2011 conference that would have disqualified him from becoming a trustee. Once notified, we immediately launched an investigation and Dr. Breslow tendered his notice that same day, wrote Mermaids Chair of Trustees Belinda Bell.

We want to apologise for the distress and concern this news has caused. It is clear that Dr. Breslow should never have been appointed to the board, and as Chair of the trustee board I am horrified that he was, she added.

The charity added that all trustees and staff are subject to background checks including enhanced DBS searches, social media reviews and other due diligence. On this occasion we also placed weight on the fact his employer is a globally renowned institution that would have carried out its own checks.
A car passes Facebook's new Meta logo on a sign at the company headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., on Oct. 28, 2021. (Tony Avelar/AP Photo)

Nigeria Regulator Seeks $70 Million Penalty in Lawsuit Against Meta

ABUJA, NigeriaA Nigerian advertising regulator has sued Meta, accusing the owner of Facebook and WhatsApp 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 regulators 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 Africas 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 doesnt 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 Facebook 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 Nigeria.

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 Nigerias 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 Nigerias corporate existence.

By Chinedu Asadu
No Regard for Life: California Dream Dwindles as Crime Rises

LOS ANGELESMyra Millan, manager of a 7-Eleven in Los Angeles, told The Epoch Times that working at the convenience store has become scary, because you never know what is going to happen.

The store, located in the 1800 block of West Olympic Boulevard, was robbed around 1 a.m. on Sept. 13. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said the suspect waited in line, walked up to the counter, took out a handgun, and fired one shot over the counter.

The suspect demanded that employees behind the counter fill a bag with money from the cash register. The suspect fired a second shot over the counter and fled the store on foot with the stolen money.

No injuries were reported, but Millan said it left her and her employees shaken. She said this was the third time the store had been targeted by thieves this year.

You dont know what to expect, who to trust and who not to trust, she said.

The LAPD released security footage of the incident on Sept. 21, asking for the publics help in finding the suspect.

In January, lifestyle social media influencer Mandy Madden Kelleys home in the Melrose area of Los Angeles was broken into by an intruder shortly after midnight. She told The Epoch Times at the time that several houses in her neighborhood had been burglarized during the pandemic, too.

My husband and I felt very scared and unprotected, Kelley said.

She said that in the 20 minutes it took for the police to arrive, it was traumatizing to be so helpless.

Los Angeles crime is a microcosm of what many business owners and residents alike are facing across the state. With the November election on the horizon, the Los Angeles mayoral candidates, real-estate developer Rick Caruso and Rep. Karen Bass, will have to convince voters why theyre the best fit to handle public safety.

Crime Data

In Californias big cities, safety is a top concern. According to LAPD data, which is reported weekly, robberies were up 17 percent the week of Sept. 19, compared to the same period last year.

The latest crime statistics for the state as a whole show violent crime is on the rise. According to the attorney generals office, homicides increased 7.2 percent between 2020 and 2021. Despite the increase, officials insist the overall crime rate is low compared to the states historic highs.

The violent crime rate in Californiameasured by the number of violent crimes per 100,000 peopleincreased 6.7 percent from 437 two years ago to 466.2 in 2021. This number still falls below Californias record high of 1,103.9 in 1992.

While crime rates remain significantly below their historical highs, property and violent crimes continue to have devastating consequences for communities across the state, state Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement on Aug. 25.

Shootings, in particular, remain an issue, Bonta said, with three-quarters of all homicides in 2021 involving a firearm.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore noted in the departments most recent data report that in the city there has also been a troubling increase in robberies involving firearms.

The incidences of officers rolling into or coming upon instances of gun violence has increased, Moore said on Sept. 20. We are working with our training personnel to talk about and remind officers of the critical importance of their safety, seeking cover, and ensuring that they recognize that there are many more guns in the streets today than in years past.

Viral videos on social media show a grim reality of organized retail theft, assault, home invasions, and sprawling homeless encampments in the states largest cities.

In a recent report by the National Retail Federation, $94.5 billion in losses were reported, resulting from organized retail crime across the country. The survey noted that the top locations for organized retail crime were Los Angeles, San Francisco/Oakland, New York, Houston, and Miami.

Vern Pierson, El Dorado Countys district attorney, has studied these trends and told The Epoch Times that theres more behind the data than meets the eye.

The attorney general puts in their report saying its not as high as the numbers for the peak back in the 1990s for homicides, but one of the significant differences that anybody whos in the criminal justice world should be aware of is that emergency medicine today is tremendously better than it was in 1995 or the mid-90s, Pierson said.

A report released in July by Redfin found the states highest out-migration rate are residents leaving San Francisco and Los Angeles, citing mainly the high cost of living, but a few have told The Epoch Times in previous interviews that crime also was a factor.

Data reveal that only a few of the states cities are driving the numbers up. The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), a nonpartisan research group, reported in January that Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, and San Francisco saw upticks in homicides by 17 percent in 2021. Meanwhile, property crime in 2021 driven by car break-ins and auto thefts, returned property crime numbers close to pre-pandemic numbers, the report noted.

Behind the Numbers

Critics point to several of the states criminal justice reform policies that have been passed in recent yearssuch as Propositions 47 and 57, and zero-cash bailwhile those in favor of reform believe the root problem lies in an inequitable environment.

Passed by voters in 2014, Proposition 47 reduced the sentencing for theft from a felony to a misdemeanor if the amount stolen doesnt exceed $950. According to PPIC research, the proposition did have some impact on property crimes in that it may have contributed to a rise in larceny thefts, which increased by roughly 9 percent (about 135 more thefts per 100,000 residents) compared to other states.

In 2016, Proposition 57, meanwhile, allowed for early parole for nonviolent criminals. Zero-cash bail, also established in 2020, allows criminals to be let out without bail. Lawmakers believed this would give more opportunity to inmates who couldnt afford bail.

Under Proposition 57, prosecutors are prohibited from charging juveniles as adults without a judges approval. The new law also allowed those convicted as adults for crimes committed as juveniles to appeal their sentences.

I think we have unintentionally been encouraging a culture to become more violent and more lawless, Pierson said of the new laws.

Following the trend of reforming criminal justice, district attorneys in both San Francisco and Los Angeles were elected on a promise to boldly reshape the criminal justice system in their respective cities. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon, elected in December 2020, introduced a series of reforms, including eliminating cash bail, most gun enhancement charges, and the death penalty.

But not all officials agree with the policies. More than 34 cities registered a vote of no confidence in Gascon, while Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva also supported a second failed recall effort against the district attorney this year.

The public face of their plan is, Oh, we want to reimagine; were going to reinvest. They have all these big, flowery ideas. Lets reinvest in the community.  Were going to go to the root cause of crime, and lets spend our money there, so we dont have to pay for the consequences, Villanueva told EpochTVs Siyamak Khorrami. Well, thats like offering a person in the desert who was dying of thirst and heat: Lets plant a tree. [It] does absolutely nothing for that person.

Villanueva has been a vocal critic of Gascons policies and accused his office of not prosecuting any crimes.

This lax approach to criminal justice, critics say, is the cause of crime.

While the most recent recall effort against Gascon failed in August, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin was ousted by voters during the June primaries.

The recall of Chesa Boudin, this rogue, so-called Progressive DA who clearly didnt embrace his required elected role to actually prosecutehis recall should send a clear message across the nationthat serving as District Attorney yet not holding criminals accountable is a dereliction of duty, Recall Chesa Boudin spokesperson Richie Greenberg said in a statement on June 7.

The turn to a progressive criminal justice reform strategy was a response to the states multi-decade history of mass incarceration stemming from tough-on-crime laws, such as the Three Strikes Sentencing Law, which sentenced third-time violent or serious felony offenders with 25 years to life.

While criminal justice reform advocates argued the law was too harsh, it worked, Villanueva said.

The law, which was deemed too arbitrary by critics, locked away numerous nonviolent suspects for life who committed smaller property crimes.

From 1988 to 2011, four state governors considered the tough approach a priority. But in 2011, California took a turn and released tens of thousands of nonviolent and non-sex offender inmates under the Brown v. Plata ruling, which ruled Californias prison systems violated the states Eighth Amendment of cruel and unusual punishment.

After a long trial, the court ordered the release of enough prisoners for the inmate population to come within 137.5 percent of the prisons total design capacity. As a result, between 38,000 and 46,000 inmates were releasedmany of them suffering from mental health issues or psychotic disorders.

You have people who are being released early, and theyre out committing crimes because theyre out of custody, Pierson said. A significant percentage of those people were mentally ill, and they would not be going back into custody because they did the lower-level property crimes. They live on the streets, and the homeless population has exploded as a result of it.

Homelessness

California leads the nation in homelessness.

On any given night in the Golden State, there are more than 160,000 people sleeping on the streets. According to the last point-in-time count in Los Angeles last month, there are 41,980 unsheltered homeless people.

In 2020, about 25 percent of Los Angeles Countys homeless population suffered from severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders and 27 percent had a long-term substance abuse disorder, according to the Los Angeles Housing Services Authority. Chronically homeless individuals were reported to have a higher percentage of being addicted to drugs, suffering from a mental health issue, or both.

According to a June 2021 analysis, homeless-related crimes in the city of Los Angelesthat is, any crime involving either a homeless suspect or victimmade up 11 percent of violent crime in 2018, 13 percent in 2019, and 15 percent in 2020 and 2021.

LAPD data this year showed that 23 percent of homicide victims were categorized as unhoused.

Venice resident Deborah Keaton previously spoke to The Epoch Times about a recreational vehicle encampment parked outside her home on Abbott Kinney Boulevard for more than a year. One of the RV dwellers, identified as Brandon Washington, had been arrested several times before. But this didnt stop him from making threats against Keaton.

He rang the bell, and he was wasted, and he said to me: I just need to know all the evil people; Is your husband evil? Because I need to kill your husband, Keaton told The Epoch Times last November. It was scary.

Keaton filed a police report and captured the entire interaction on her doorbell camera.

Theres no repercussions for these guys, and they cant be held and they know it. A lot of these guys have been arrested 400 times, she said.

Neighbors alleged at the time that Washingtonwho often appeared to be on drugshad prostituted women in the RVs, in addition to dealing methamphetamine to other homeless people. Keaton said that in the summer, a woman was hiding in her backyard because she claimed that Washington was pimping her out.

After the community rallied together to urge the city to do something about the transients, the encampment was eventually cleared by LA Sanitation. Its unclear if any of the transients accepted services.

A Firsthand Perspective

Additionally, LAPD-reported homicides within the first half of 2022 reached a historic high in the past 15 years. In the past two years, data also showed about a third of homicide victims were black men, even though they account for just 4 percent of the Los Angeles population.

This month, popular rapper PnB Rock was shot dead during a robbery while eating at a restaurant in Los Angeles. Prior to his death, he appeared on a podcast and said robberies in Los Angeles have become normalized because its so common.

Stan Muhammed, founder of the Venice-based gang interventionist group HELPER Foundation, told The Epoch Times: To walk up to somebody and just kill themits become beast-like, almost predatory. Theres no regard for life.

The LAPD reported a 14.9 percent increase in robberies between 2020 and 2021 in the city, with a 3.1 percent uptick so far this year compared to the same period last year.

Muhammed, who was incarcerated in the 1990s for drug possession and gang association, said hes noticed a stark contrast to todays criminals due to the kinds of drugs available. He established the HELPER Foundation in 1999 to help young adults prone to gang violence and substance abuse to be productive in their communities through group counseling, leadership training, field trips, mentoring, tutoring, job development, job training, and workshops.

You take the fathers out, you lock up the leadership. There are all these young people growing up without any leadership, Muhammed said.

He said in the 1990s, substances such as fentanyl and meth were uncommon compared to today.

So, a lot of us were not using that type of substance, but nowadays you get fentanyl and all these other drugs that are causing people to really go insane, he said.

Muhammed said that despite his mothers efforts to keep him on the right track growing up with a Christian upbringing, he fell victim to the environment like so many others in his community who grew up seeing violence in the home. He said there is a lack of resources to aid those in communities of color who grew up around gang violence in Los Angeles because no one really wants to deal with them.

This stuff has been happening for 40 years, Muhammed said. Its a civil war is what it is, but its not being called that; its called gang violence.

Although the HELPER Foundation receives partial city funds, the coalition is still small compared to the bigger organizations that receive state funding for outreach services and shelter. He said its easier for officials to fund the same groups because theyve been in bed with these people for so long.

They feel more comfortable dealing with those top organizations because they dont have to worry about the people with the guns, Muhammed said. What we have to deal with is the guy who has murder on his mind.
A TV screen showing a news program reporting about North Korea's missile launch with file footage of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Oct. 4, 2022. (Lee Jin-man/AP Photo)

North Korea Fires 2 Missiles as US Aircraft Carrier Redeploys

North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Oct. 6, one day after the United States redeployed an aircraft carrier to the region in response to a previous missile launch over Japan by the isolated communist regime on Oct. 4.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and the office of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida confirmed the missile launch. North Korea launched two missiles 22 minutes apart, the South Korean JCS said in a statement. Kishida called the action absolutely intolerable.

In response, South Korea and the United States are boosting their surveillance posture and maintaining readiness.

The USS Ronald Reagan, which recently took part in military exercises alongside Japan and South Korea in late September, changed course to return to the Korean Peninsula after North Koreas missile launches.

South Koreas military has said the return of the U.S. aircraft carrier strike group demonstrates the firm will of the countrys allies to counter the belligerent regimes provocations and threats.

North Korea considers the recent military drills near the peninsula by South Korea and its allies an invasion rehearsal.

The Oct. 6 launch is the sixth round of weapons firing in the past two weeks, putting the region on edge and fueling speculation that North Korea will carry out a nuclear weapons test in mid-October.

North Koreas launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean forced Japanese citizens to seek shelter. Experts suspect it was a Hwasong-12 missile capable of reaching the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and beyond. It was the first such weapons test in five years.

US, South Korea Respond

The United States and South Korea have so far responded to North Koreas provocations with their own live fire drills, including launching ballistic missiles into the sea and dropping precision-guided bombs from fighter jets.

One of the South Korean Hyumoo-2 missile launches malfunctioned upon liftoff and crashed into an air force base on Oct. 5. No one was injured.

The international community has condemned North Koreas missile launches. The United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway, and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

South Korean lawmakers believe North Korea may be preparing for another nuclear test in mid-October ahead of the November U.S. midterm elections and at the time of the Chinese regimes Party Congress, which is scheduled for Oct. 16.

North Korea, which has carried out a record number of missile tests this year amid long-stalled diplomacy with the United States, aims to expand its nuclear arsenal to boost its leverage in future negotiations, according to observers.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo believes North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un is a puppet of the Chinese Communist Party, which he said uses Pyongyang as an important buffer state, causing Washington to spend energy defending East Asia against North Koreas nuclear weapons systems.
An elderly couple who didnt have a wedding ceremony when they got married in 1972, were surprised when their family organized a full church ceremony and a party for their 50th wedding anniversary.

Scottie and Kay first met in March 1972, when Scottie was living with her sister and brother-in-law in Ohio.

(Courtesy of Maddie Ilapit)

Kay, who is Scotties brother-in-laws brother, was invited to a Sunday dinner, and the rest was history. The couple tied the knot at a courthouse in North Carolina, a month after Scotties 19th birthday on Sept. 2, 1972. With most of their family in Virginia, the young couple opted for a quiet wedding.

Today, they have nine children, 26 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

(Courtesy of Maddie Ilapit)

When the couples family began to think of ideas for a surprise celebration for their 50th wedding anniversary, one of their grandchildren, Maddie Ilapit, who got married in October 2021, recalled Scottie wishing shed also had a wedding with all the family present.

So ahead of the celebrations, Maddie got to thinking: What if we threw them a wedding instead of just a party?

My brother, Travis, is a photographer, Maddie told The Epoch Times. We had previously done Scotties makeup for weddings, and just for fun; we knew if we told her that we wanted to do her makeup so my brother could take photos for their anniversary, they would believe us.

Maddie, her mom, Lisa, her aunt Bonnie, and her sister Elle put their heads together to make it a reality. The wedding would take place at Oakland Christian Church in Suffolk, Virginia. Scottie and Kays children would be the bridal party, two granddaughters would be flower girls, and family, friends, and coworkers would be in attendance, to shower the couple with their love and best wishes.

(Courtesy of Maddie Ilapit)

The day came, and we had Scottie and Kay come over, to do Scotties makeup, Maddie said. My mom had purchased a dress for her to wear for the photos, and we told her we would be going to this pretty church down the street so Travis could take photos of them in front of the stained glass. When we got there, all the guests were inside the chapel, waiting.

Neither Scottie nor Kay noticed the cars parked outside the church, Maddie said. Kay entered with Elle and was met by family and friends, while Travis pretended to take photos of Scottie outside.

(Courtesy of Maddie Ilapit)

Next, it was Scotties turn to be surprised.

The family walked her into the chapel, where she was met by her children, her stepfather, and a beautiful bouquet of flowers with which she could walk down the aisle. Footage capturing the magical moment was later posted on Instagram and TikTok, where it went viral.

She was very surprised  there was not a dry eye, Maddie said. Seeing the joy and emotion in Scottie, especially her childrens faces getting to witness their parents get married again after 50 years together  there was so much love that filled the room, and they couldnt be more deserving.

It was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me, Scottie told The Epoch Times. When I walked to the front and all my beautiful children were dressed, standing there, smiling at us, all I could think was, This is my life, and how grateful I was to be surrounded by them.

After the wedding ceremony, guests joined Scottie and Kay for dinner and dancing at the same church, with food prepared by their daughter Lacey, and Scotties close friend Shanda. Maddies brother, Justin, and her husband were the DJs.

(Courtesy of Maddie Ilapit)

(Courtesy of Maddie Ilapit)

The blushing bride and her proud husband shared with The Epoch Times why their marriage has stood the test of time.

Kay said: Shes just such a caring and loving person. Shes sweet and beautiful, inside and out. Theres a Don Williams song that goes, Youre my bread when Im hungry, youre my shelter from a troubled wind, youre my anchor in lifes ocean, but most of all youre my best friend, and thats how l feel about Scottie.

Scottie added: I love his patience with his family, his kindness, and his willingness to help others.

(Courtesy of Maddie Ilapit)

Respect, love, and compromise are the couples cornerstones of a longevous marriage.

Never use harsh words toward another, always say Im sorry, and always say I love you  you have to accept people for who they are, they advised. Weve had a wonderful life and wonderful children, we would do it all over again. We are so thankful.

Maddie, who says video footage of her grandparents special day has gleaned nothing but positive comments from netizens, hopes that sharing Scottie and Kays love story inspires others to be kind to their loved ones.

We are not promised tomorrow, and memories together can last a lifetime, she said. I come from a very large family on both sides  weve lost many along the way, so I am always reminded that if you have the opportunity to be together, or throw these silly parties or weddings, always follow your heart and do it.

(Courtesy of Maddie Ilapit)

During their 50 years together, one of the hardest times Scottie and Kay had to face was when Scotties sister, Ann, passed away in 1982. Their family grew suddenly as they welcomed three of Anns children. Scottie became a stay-at-home mom until she returned to nursing school, finally graduating at 40.

Raising a large family brought lots of chaos at times, Maddie said, [but] their faith and love for each other was enough to be able to overcome any stress and obstacles that came their way.

(Courtesy of Maddie Ilapit)

Having witnessed her grandparents love and commitment toward each other over the last several years, she added: Scottie and Kay are the kindest people you will ever meet.

They have been such role models to me and our family  they have shown me that spending time with your loved ones means more than any words or gifts you could give, they have shown me that true love that can last 50-plus years exists, and theyve done it with a smile on their face!

(Courtesy of Maddie Ilapit)

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
Nurse Sues NHS Trust Claiming She Was Forced to Attend Racist Critical Race Theory Training

The team supporting a nurses lawsuit that claims she was forced by a National Health Service (NHS) Trust to attend a course that branded all white people as racist and is aiming to go after more institutions that have adopted a highly politicised, divisive set of ideologies.

Amy Gallagher, a mental health professional undertaking training in psychotherapy at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, is suing the Trust, over claims it is forcing students to adhere to critical race theory (CRT).

Im bringing this legal case to protect my career but its also the first test of woke ideology in the courts. The NHS is forcing someone to adopt a racist ideology and it needs to be stopped, Gallagher told The Telegraph.

Dr. Anna Loutfi, a barrister and head of legal at the Bad Law Project, told The Epoch Times that supporting the case is part of the wider remit of the project, which was set up by actor and activist Laurence Fox, the campaigner and former policeman Harry Miller, and family law barrister Sarah Phillimore.

White Privilege

Gallagher, a Christian, said was forced to attend anti-racism training where she was told that Christianity was linked to racism. She also objected to a lecture titled whitenessa problem of our time in October 2020, where attendees were forced to confront the reality of white privilege.

Critics of CRT call it an outgrowth of Marxism and say that it interprets society through a dichotomy between oppressor and oppressed, replacing social classes with racial groups. The ideology has worked its way through contemporary society, affecting the education system, workplace, military, and more.

Proponents of CRT see deeply embedded racism in all aspects of society, including in neutral systems such as law and in the school curriculum, and deem it to be the root cause of racial inequity, or different outcomes for different races.

The Bad Law Project is supporting Gallaghers legal team over claims the NHS Trust subjected her to disciplinary proceedings for questioning CRT. Gallagher is bringing claims of racial discrimination, religious discrimination, breach of contract, harassment, bullying, and abuse of power against the NHS Trust.

Amy Gallagher. (Courtesy The Bad Law Project)

Loutfi said, what they call antiracism, we say is racism.

Her case rests on the case that Tavistock is pushing anti-white racism as part of its ethos, is discriminating against people who dont believe that white people should be treated negatively, discussed negatively or called pejorative names, which she claims she has experienced, said Loutfi.

Freedom of Expression

Loufti said the Equality Act is often used when discrimination is discussed, but we then forget that we have a common law right in England and Wales for freedom of expression. The Equality Act is UK legislation that protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in society.

That means that the general principle in England and Wales is that you are free to say things unless theres some reason why you should not, and thats enshrined in the European Convention of Human Rights Article 10. Under Article 9, we also have a right to freedom of conscience which means our thoughts, our beliefs, are protected, she said.

Theres a problem with that as we are losing our relationship with freedom of expression, said Loufti. She added that the Equality Act turns the country and the culture away from the idea that freedom of expression is a given.

British Actor Laurence Fox, Leader of The Reclaim Party who co-founded the Bad Law Project, speaks with EpochTVs American Thought Leaders on Sept. 20, 2022. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Of late, cases have been fought on this principle. The case of Maya Forstater, who lost out on a job for saying people cannot change their biological sex, established a binding legal precedent that gender-critical beliefs were in principle protected by the Equality Act.

Though I think we should not be having to defend everything we say and think based on whether we can show a judge its a whole belief system or a lack of, we should be able to rely on the common law principle that in general, speech is protected, said Loufti.

Loufti said that in some select cases the Bad Law Project will go after the big institutions such as the Church of England, the NHS, the Police Force, the judiciary, and the education system.

Particularly public institutions that are funded with public money that we think are not serving the public impartially but are adopting a highly politicised, divisive set of ideologies with taxpayers money, which are against the majority of peoples will, in order to push a way of thinking that has never been debated in parliament, doesnt have the consent of the population and is thoroughly corrosive to society, she added.

An Anti-Racist Organisation

A Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson told The Epoch Times by email that it cannot comment on an ongoing legal case. As a Trust we have made a public commitment to work to become an anti-racist organisation.

The spokesperson pointed to the Trusts anti-racist statement, which says it is committing to perpetual learning and reflection at all levels in order to identify actions and tackle structural racism.

Some of the commitments include mandatory inclusive and compassionate leadership training as well as Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion elements, such as obligatory Allyship training, a training program that helps employees to promote and foster an inclusive culture.

A spokesperson for the law firm Shakespeare Martineau, which is representing the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, told The Epoch Times by email that it is working with our client on preparation of its defence.

As this is a live matter, we are unable to comment further, added the spokesperson.
Ottawa Police Officer Who Donated $55 to Freedom Convoy Pleads Guilty to Discreditable Conduct Charge

An Ottawa police officer has pleaded guilty to a charge of discreditable conduct for donating $55 to the Freedom Convoy in February.

Const. Kristina Neilson donated to the Ottawa convoy through the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe on Jan. 23. The money was automatically refunded to her on Feb. 5 after GoFundMe stopped accepting donations for the convoy, citing a violation of its service terms.

The day her money was refunded, Neilson donated $55 to the convoy through another platform called GiveSendGo. This donation was also automatically refunded on March 25 after the Ontario government successfully petitioned a court to freeze the fundraiser.

Between the time Neilson donated through GiveSendGo and before her money was refunded, the Ottawa Police Services (OPS) professional standards unit was alerted of her donation by a chiefs complaint, and launched an investigation.

Neilson attended a disciplinary hearing on Sept. 15 to face the discreditable conduct charge under the Police Services Act. The hearings notice said she acted in a disorderly manner, or in a manner prejudicial to discipline or likely to bring discredit upon the reputation of the Ottawa Police Service by donating money to the Freedom Convoy Fund on a website called GiveSendGo.'

Neilson cooperated with questioning during the Oct. 6 public sentencing hearing and acknowledged she made the donations.

During the hearing, prosecution lawyer Angela Stewart said Neilsons conduct fell well below the reasonable expectation that the public has of the service and its officers.

Despite the small amount of Neilsons donation, Stewart called Neilsons actions serious misconduct and said the penalty has to be serious enough, as well, to deter Constable Neilson as well as any other officers from ever acting in a similar manner.

Neilsons representative at the hearing, Sgt. Pat Laflamme, noted that she has served as an Ottawa police officer since 2012 and has received excellent performance reviews both internally and through public letters of commendation.

The prosecution also noted that Neilsons penalty will be mitigated because of her early guilty plea, cooperation with the investigation, and the fact that shes never been previously disciplined in her nine years with the OPS.

Theres no indication that there have ever been issues surrounding her performance and no reason to believe in this case that any actions like this or any sort of issues are going to reoccur, said Stewart.

Neilsons penalty will most likely be a forfeiture of hours, according to the prosecution, who said that similar disciplinary cases in the past have ended as such.

The OPS has not yet posted the official decision from the sentencing hearing on its website.

Rachel Emmanuel contributed to this report.
Akash Pradhan, TPG

When Akash Pradhan needs to clear his head, the 6'1" principal at TPG heads to the basketball court.

The Golden State Warriors fan's love of sports led him to his first job with The Raine Group. The UC Berkeley graduate joined the boutique-investment bank in 2011 despite not knowing much about what the firm did because of The Raine Group's focus on sports, media, and entertainment, he told Insider.

As an analyst at Raine, the company exposed Pradhan to M&A advisory and private-equity investing. He realized he preferred the latter.

"I realized that giving advice as an investment banker and investing your own money are very, very different jobs, and require different things," he told Insider.

He left Raine for TPG in 2013 and has been with the $127 billion private-equity firm ever since, aside from a stint at Harvard Business School to get his MBA. Promoted to the role of principal in January 2022, Pradhan helps leads investments in software and enterprise technology, working across funds including TPG Capital, TPG Growth, and the impact-oriented sector of TPG, The Rise Fund.

Over the past five years, Pradhan has been involved in or helped lead deals that total roughly $3 billion in invested capital.

He was part of TPG's investments in the software unicorns Nintex and Catalis. Nintex represents Pradhan's interest in workflow automation, facilitating, for instance, automatic emails about benefits to new employees once they submit a signed offer letter.

Pradhan had to sell his peers on Catalis, which is used to process one out of every three online property-tax payments, according to TPG, and the unsexy niche of software for government efficiency. After much research and debate, TPG became a minority shareholder in Catalis last summer.

"The conventional notion was that there was no way to make money as an investor doing anything that has to do with the government," Pradhan said. "I'm proud to have changed people's thought processes and perspectives on a particular industry we ended up investing in."

The last book he read: "Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Career Strategies for Asians" by Jane Hyun.

Alexander Lukas, Barclays

As the head of SPX-options trading, Alexander Lukas helms one of the largest books in the Barclays sales-and-trading division. Operating within the bank's vaunted volatility-trading team  flow volatility in the US brought in $450 million in revenue last year at Barclays, Insider previously reported, and is a perennial breadwinner  Lukas at age 28 manages and executes multibillion-dollar notional trades more commonly handled by veterans with a decade of trading experience.

That Lukas exudes maturity beyond his years isn't a coincidence. Growing up on Canada's rural west coast, he was the eldest of three siblings to a single father, and the family got by on social-assistance programs. "I had to grow up faster," Lukas told Insider.

Lukas' father, unable to work, decided to give back by starting a charity that collects leftover donuts and pastries from Tim Hortons and other bakeries and drives them to schools, homeless shelters, and other places that provide for people in need  excursions Lukas regularly helped with until heading off to college.

Raised on modest means, meritocracy always appealed to Lukas, who threw himself into academics and excelled at math and sciences, earning a scholarship to a boarding school and then admission to MIT in 2011. Wall Street didn't immediately appeal to him, but he came to believe his quantitative chops could have an impact in trading, and he appreciated that success hinges on ability and black-and-white results.

"The P&L speaks for itself," he said.

He joined Barclays in 2015 on its volatility-trading desk  an area he found especially appealing given how the playbook and problems constantly evolve. He quickly made a mark by developing metrics and tools to better assess risk-and-trading decisions from a quantitative standpoint.

The team's ability to navigate risk  and in turn offer better pricing  on large trades is a key selling point to clients.

The last book he read: "The Three-Body Problem" by Liu Cixin

Allison Boxer, Pimco

Allison Boxer is responsible for helping craft Pimco's macroeconomic outlook on issues like inflation and monetary policy. She leads discussions about the market outlook at Pimco's investment forums and represents the $1.8 trillion money manager as an economic expert to the press.

The Tufts University graduate knew she wanted to work in finance, but she still wasn't sure of what she wanted after her internships, including stints at Merrill Lynch and the financial-software company SS&C Technologies.

She started her career at Pimco, where she had also interned, as an analyst working with insurance clients. After a year, she got the opportunity to work as a research associate for Rich Clarida, the asset manager's longtime economist.

Boxer took the chance and worked side-by-side  literally  with Clarida, a former assistant secretary of the US Treasury until his departure from Pimco in 2018 to become the vice chair of the Federal Reserve. She considers Clarida her mentor and told Insider that the relationship changed her life.

"I didn't even realize when I was starting out that this sort of career path was even available to me," she said. "I feel like Rich taught me everything I know about being a Fed watcher, understanding fixed-income markets and all the way down to more academic-type economics as well."

Her job requires real-time economic analysis, but Boxer is always thinking about the long game.

"It's not just about what next week's inflation print is going to look like but where's inflation going over the next three to five years, and those sorts of things."

The last book she read: "When We Cease to Understand the World" by Benjamin Labatut

Amy Chen, Moelis & Company

Amy Chen leads the healthtech practice at Moelis & Company, primarily advising on mergers and acquisitions for healthcare, software, and tech-enabled companies. She helped establish the firm's coverage in this sector early last year, but has been advising on M&A transactions in healthtech since 2018.

"It was an industry I started doing deals in and then it kind of snowballed," Chen, who studied pre-med in college, said in an interview. She said the traction she was getting in the market was her inspiration for building the team into a continuous source of business for the bank.

"I find it really interesting and also kind of rewarding to work with companies that are trying to improve people's health, improve the consumer experience, eliminate waste in the system, and bring drugs to market in a more efficient manner," she told Insider. "You can make a lot of money by also doing good for the world."

She's now the firm's only managing director focused on the healthtech space, but joins forces with colleagues who cover companies in other niches of the healthcare ecosystem, such as pharmaceuticals.

Healthtech experienced a surge of interest as a result of advances tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. At Moelis, Chen's team has closed eight deals in the past year and a half, the terms on most of which going undisclosed. One effort she helped steer in 2021 was advising the online health-insurance marketplace eHealth on its defense against the activist hedge funds Hudson Executive Capital and Starboard Value, as well as a $225 million investment from H.I.G. Capital.

Away from work, Chen said her hands are full juggling family life. "We have two young kids, so I spend most of my time trying to keep them alive," she said.

Asked which is tougher  keeping her kids alive or handling high-stakes deals for demanding clients  Chen said it's the balancing act that is actually the hardest. "It's definitely juggling both, because you can't really drop the 'keep the kids alive' portion."

The last podcast she listened to: "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend" with Conan O'Brien

Angel Pu Shum, Warburg Pincus

Angel Pu Shum admits she only jumped into private equity because she needed a job after her two-year analyst program at Goldman Sachs ended. But she stayed to be instrumental in providing investments to technology companies, especially those run by immigrants.

"I have a soft spot for it," Shum, who has four portfolio companies with CEOs that have immigrated to the US, said. "The American Dream is very personal. I know how difficult it is to get started in the States."

One of those four companies is Clearwater Analytics, a software company that went public in September 2021, on the 30th anniversary of when Sandeep Sahai, the company's CEO, and his wife immigrated from India, Shum said.

Shum immigrated to the US with her parents from Beijing at age seven. The family lived in multiple cities before settling down in Chicago. Shum picked English up faster than her parents, and by the time she turned 10, her family often tasked her with negotiating with bill collectors on their behalf.

"My mom and I  we joke about it all the time  she's like, 'It's because I told you to refute those AT&T bills and those Comcast bills that you're doing deals today. You should be grateful I made you call the customer-service reps when you were younger," Shum said.

Shum has helped Warburg invest in software companies like Beacon, a risk-analytics fintech, and Samsara, a cloud-platform provider that went public last December.

When she's not closing a deal or managing a portfolio company, she's out picking up a new hobby or skill, like cooking, improv, or art.

"I have goals to learn something every couple quarters. It's not regimented, but I find it really helpful to balance work with something different that uses a different part of my brain," Shum said. Most recently, she's delved into tennis.

The last podcast she listened to: The New York Times's "The Daily" or NPR's "How I Built This."

Bryan Hom, Blackstone

Bryan Hom, an investor in Blackstone's $30 billion infrastructure business, has played a key role in executing on and growing several of the firm's infrastructure investments since he joined Blackstone in 2019.

Hom has worked on deals including Applegreen, an investment that valued the major gas-station operator at some $878 million when it was announced in 2020, and the US motorways business of the airport-concession giant HMSHost. Hom serves as the head of corporate development and M&A at Atlantic Power Transmission, or APT, a Blackstone portfolio company.

The senior associate has helped APT launch bids to develop a clean-power transmission solution in New Jersey and helped shape the strategy for Applegreen Electric, an electric-vehicle-charging-infrastructure business within Applegreen.

Even to a dealmaker like Hom, the nature of the business can be "too transactional." For him, "it's really about forming relationships and thinking about and understanding what the other side wants in a negotiation."

Earlier in his career, Hom worked at EIG Global Energy Partners, a private-equity firm, sourcing and executing investments across renewable-power and energy infrastructure.

Hom counts Wallace Henderson, an executive advisor to Blackstone's infrastructure group, as a mentor. Also formerly an executive at EIG, Henderson encouraged Hom to go to business school to take advantage of the network and perspective the program could give him.

Hom prioritizes mentorship opportunities. He is on the board of Bottom Line, a nonprofit organization focused on helping first-generation students from low-income backgrounds succeed in college. It's a mission that resonates with Hom; many of his and his wife's family members were the first to attend college in their family.

"It's hard to learn to use all the career resources, if there are even career resources there in the first place, to set yourself on the right trajectory and get ahead," Hom said. "I was lucky, because my parents did go to college."

The last podcast he listened to: Daily morning radio show "Sports Junkies"

Chao Xia, Man Numeric

Chao Xia's path to the quant profession came from her early interest in math. Born in Shangrao, a southern Chinese city in Jiangxi province, to two schoolteachers, Xia developed a knack for numbers. She won medals in math competitions and attended a young-and-gifted program at the University of Science and Technology in China.

After earning a bachelor's in statistics in China, the quant professional moved to the US to advance her studies in applied mathematics at Brown University.

Despite enjoying her field of study, Xia found herself wanting to apply her learnings to financial models: "Financials, to me, is a bigger challenge. It's a more complex, dynamic system," she said.

Xia now builds models as a quant researcher and co-manages the intellectual-property alpha-strategies portfolio at Man Numeric, the $40 billion division of the publicly traded hedge fund Man Group.

The firm knows the 30-year-old for her reliability and structured approach to evaluating and following the progress of her team's research. Her findings help keep Man Numeric's investment committee supplied with fresh ideas to stay competitive and agile against market changes. Xia said her latest projects involve using machine learning to spot patterns in data.

When Xia's not working with Man's strategic alpha-research group, she's helping its equity team to increase the capacity for alpha modeling in China.

One of the things that Xia is most proud of is sharing her experiences with other up-and-coming quants through Man Group's mentorship program. She has set up training for research teams in other countries to promote cohesion among the firm.

"They have the same confusion and worry about their growth and their career. So that's why I'm more than happy to take this role," Xia said.

The last book she read: "Look Inside" a book series from children's book publisher Usborne (which she read to her two kids)

David Israel, Credit Suisse

Credit Suisse is a powerhouse in trading non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities  the typically riskier packages of home loans banks and other private institutions issue that the US government does not back. At the heart of the Swiss bank's success is David Israel, a 27-year-old VP who many consider to be among the best on the Street, one headhunter told Insider.

Israel studied at Johns Hopkins, initially pursuing biomedical engineering and spending his free time competing in debate, winning numerous awards and honors along the way. After a summer internship convinced him a career in research wasn't the right fit, he added an econ major and set his sights on something more fast-paced and intensive. He settled on Wall Street trading, where his math and finance chops were indispensable, but his background in debate also provided a valuable skill set: thinking on the fly and cogently responding to new issues that pop up.

Israel started out at Credit Suisse in 2015 in securitized products, eventually homing in on residential-home loans and joining the non-agency RMBS desk in 2017. The technical aptitude for the notoriously complex RMBS products came easy to Israel  but that was only half the battle.

"What allowed me to get to where I am today is marrying technical skills with communication  being able to summarize the issues at hand to clients who may not be as in the weeds as I am," Israel told Insider.

Israel is quick to credit his team, which he said has been best-in-class since he joined five years ago.

"In market share and volumes in the products we trade, we've been the leader on the street," Israel said.

The last book he read: "Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution" by Elie Mystal

Erica Britton, Morgan Stanley

Last year, Erica Britton decided that it was time to shake things up.

Britton, 35, was head of P&L and valuation control at Millennium Management, one of the world's largest hedge funds, when she took a chance on a much smaller and less-established platform.

She left Millennium for Riverview Omni, the multi-manager hedge-fund platform housed inside Morgan Stanley Investment Management. The fund pursues equity long-short, quantitative, and other strategies.

Now an executive director in charge of Riverview Omni's treasury, P&L, and finance functions, Britton is enjoying a more entrepreneurial role helping to build the fund manager from the ground up.

"For the early part of my career, I always played it safe," Britton said in an email response to Insider's questions. "Looking back, there were a few opportunities where taking a risk could have benefitted my career. So last year I made a decision to learn from these missed opportunities."

Riverview Omni's fund launched in July 2021 with Britton on board and roughly $375 million under management. It's now grown to over $675 million despite an uncertain market environment and a down year for hedge funds.

Britton has differentiated herself by eking out returns despite not being a portfolio manager. As the treasurer, she acts as a liaison between Wall Street prime-brokerage desks and her colleagues, structuring trades around stocks that investors are betting against, and optimizing cash balances and currency holdings to earn more yield.

During her five years at Millennium, the Villanova University grad was a founding member of the firm's LGBTQ network, and she has continued her advocacy work at Morgan Stanley.

The last book she read: "Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story" by Jewel

Jason Lightning, Goldman Sachs Asset Management

When Jason Lightning entered the asset-management industry, he soon realized he'd found the perfect place to marry his business-school experience at Yale with his love for history, which he majored in as an undergraduate.

As he moved forward in his career, he was in search of "something that piqued my intellectual curiosity in the same way that being a history major did, but also incorporated the qualitative and quantitative concepts that I studied in business school, and granted me the opportunity to make decisions based on that analysis," Lightning told Insider.

In quick succession, his career at Goldman Sachs Asset Management has taken off. He started as a summer analyst in 2016 before becoming a fixed-income analyst and eventually being promoted to Goldman's vice-president rank at 28. As a credit analyst on the high-yield-and-bank-loan team, Lightning, now 29, currently covers some of GSAM's most important sectors, such as telecom, media, building products, and homebuilders.

Lightning's research contributes to the team that manages the Goldman Sachs High Yield Fund and Goldman Sachs High Yield Floating Rate Fund, which respectively had $1.5 billion and $4.4 billion in assets as of June 30.

He notes that covering media has been "extremely intriguing" given how it's changed with the proliferation of streaming services, like Netflix and HBO Max, and how that competes with cable.

"It's really interesting to look at how that ecosystem will evolve over time," he said.

During his free time, Lightning, a Harlem native, has found it equally important to serve as a mentor in his own community, as well as in the broader finance industry.

Lightning has volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem, which is just eight blocks from where he grew up. He's also been involved in Goldman's HBCU Possibilities Program, which aims to prepare undergraduates at historically Black colleges and universities for careers in financial services.

The last book he read: "The Nineties" by Chuck Klosterman

Jay Jacobs, BlackRock

Jay Jacobs has spent his whole career working in the world of exchange-traded funds, and this spring he joined the biggest player in the industry.

BlackRock hired Jacobs in April as its US head of thematics and active equity ETFs, a newly created role aimed at bolstering BlackRock's menu of funds around specific themes like clean energy and cybersecurity.

He is responsible for $15 billion worth of ETFs within its lineup of Megatrends funds and $200 billion of international ETF assets under management. He oversees all aspects of the products' life cycle, from which themes to seize on, how to package and market them, and how to balance elements like ETFs' liquidity and exposure. BlackRock is the largest ETF provider with $2.8 trillion of ETF assets as of June.

"Being able to take these nuanced ideas around investing in disruptive technology or investing in foreign countries and bringing that to anyone, not just the institutions that could do that in the past, but mom and pop who want to diversify their portfolios or get exposure to new growth ideas  I just think it feels very rewarding," he told Insider.

Jacobs started his career as an analyst working with ETF providers at the New York Stock Exchange. Global X, then a small asset manager and one of his clients, hired Jacobs as an analyst in 2013. He left as the head of research and strategy  the team he founded there  and helped build the firm to oversee more than $40 billion of assets.

Through his career he found a mentor in Laura Morrison, who is now the chief revenue officer of the ETF provider Direxion and who previously ran the ETF business of the New York Stock Exchange. And Jacobs said Bruno del Ama, a cofounder of Global X, imparted "that entrepreneurial attitude" that he values.

The last book he read: "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Julia Dworkin, Jefferies

Julia Dworkin is quickly becoming a top player in the capital-introductions space on Wall Street.

Dworkin has helped Jefferies triple its prime-brokerage business since she started in 2016. She manages eight people in the US alongside Victor Bang, and has helped build out technology for the cap-intro and sales teams. She has covered the Midwest for most of her career and has also taken over Texas.

A key part of her role is to connect massive institutions and wealthy clients with promising hedge funds. To stand out in that space, the Wharton grad said it's important to become an expert on the clients, including knowing their history.

"I think it's also having intellectual curiosity," she said. "I don't like not knowing the answer to a question and you have to anticipate someone else's needs four steps in advance."

It also helps to be timely and a good advisor to clients, she said. For example, helping a hedge fund structure its marketing strategy or helping institutional investors with their manager due diligence and manager discovery.

"That's not really in the job description, but it makes you more of a commodity that folks want to talk to," she said. "The ultimate goal of cap intro is to be an information broker who can synthesize information from investors, and you synthesize it and optimize it for hedge funds."

Dworkin has excelled at all of these factors. "Julia has incredible technical knowledge," Leor Shapiro, the global head of capital intelligence at Jefferies, said. "She is very advanced quantitatively and technically in explaining to a manager how their numbers and attribution looks and in how to position their product offering in the market."

The last book she read: "Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker

Julia Pei, Fidelity Investments

Julia Pei started dabbling in trading as an economics major at the University of Chicago.

"I really liked the puzzle element of putting together an investment idea and gathering knowledge to ultimately figure out whether or not to buy a stock," Pei told Insider.

The Atlanta native joked that she "learned a lot of lessons" as an amateur trader, but she's improved since. After working at Credit Suisse's investment bank and the real-estate billionaire Sam Zell's family office, Pei got her MBA from Wharton and joined Fidelity in 2018. As a healthcare analyst covering medical-equipment stocks, her portfolio returned 80.28% and outperformed the benchmark by 21.8%, according to the brokerage firm.

During the pandemic, she covered manufacturers of diagnostic tests, which was stressful but educational.

"It was a really interesting experience to help the firm understand the arc of the pandemic, how quickly we were going to be able to get these diagnostic tests, and how reliable or unreliable they were," she said. "I learned just a tremendous amount about healthcare, about investing, and about the immune system."

She was promoted in August 2021 to manage Fidelity's environment-and-alternative-energy fund. Pei, who started her career in Credit Suisse's power-and-renewables group, hadn't planned on returning to the sector, but environmentalism is close to her heart. Now based in Boston, she spends many weekends hiking in New Hampshire and has a balcony garden with dahlias, tomatoes, and blueberries.

"Being out in nature really makes me think about the implications of climate change and the impact you see on the environment," she said.

The last podcast she listened to: "Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy"

Juli Bowe, Wells Fargo

In the three years since Juli Bowe joined Wells Fargo, she has made her mark by boosting Wells' trading franchise within one of Wall Street's most complex and quickly growing asset classes: structured products.

A trader on Wells Fargo's commercial mortgage-backed securities, or CMBS, desk, Bowe has led the bank to lead rankings in single-asset, single-borrower deals  typically based on one real-estate property  as well as conduit transactions  which work more like high-yield credit.

Bowe began her career on Wall Street at Goldman Sachs, and she credits her big break to the departure of a mentor in 2012. Bowe was just two years into her career, but she raised her hand to take on the senior trader's book of business, at the time worth roughly $1 billion.

The opportunity to run a large book at a young age and surpass expectations "furthered my ambition to continue in this market and learn more and become a better trader," Bowe told Insider.

Bowe also credits the half-decade she spent on the buyside, at David Tepper's Appaloosa Management, for broadening her experience. Bowe said that she was the first female trader Appaloosa had ever hired, and that she expanded her remit to trade other asset classes, ranging from corporate credit and interest rates to equities.

After joining Wells Fargo in 2019, Bowe set herself apart with high-conviction trades, like a bet that hotel properties would rebound as pandemic-related shutdowns wane. "It just comes down to having an opinion and not being afraid to voice it," she said. The trust she's built with counterparties across Wall Street has also been foundational to her success. Many asset classes now trade electronically and can feel impersonal, but CMBS trading is complex enough that having solid trading relationships can go a long way.

"Having those deep relationships and having people you trust is something that I really enjoy," Bowe said.

The last podcast she listened to: Fantasy Football podcasts "Fantasy Footballers" and "FantasyPros"

Kathleen Lawler, KKR

Kathleen Lawler has developed a wealth of knowledge in the power-and-utilities sector. And it's paid off in spades in her role as a director within KKR's infrastructure team.

Lawler honed her energy expertise at two investment firms in the 2010s and then landed at JPMorgan, where she was responsible for originating, structuring, and monitoring investments in utilities, power, and transportation.

By the time she reached KKR in 2021, she was ready for a broader leadership role.

The firm's infrastructure business oversees $49 billion in assets globally and Lawler has kept busy putting that money to work, leading the $1.9 billion carveout of Clearway Energy's district-heating business late last year. The deal brought one of North America's top owners of district-energy systems  low-carbon facilities that can heat and cool many buildings  into the KKR fold.

"We're facing a complete rebuild of energy infrastructure to accommodate the energy transition," Lawler, who noted she was recently in Los Angeles and was struck by how much work needed to be done to support renewable electricity in the area, said.

"It's just a massive investment," Lawler said of the impending infrastructure work needed to transition the energy grid to renewables.

"Everyone is grappling with how consumers are going to pay for it and how businesses are going to pay for it."

Lawler graduated from Yale University and, when she isn't focused on KKR's investments, she mentors and advocates for female executives, both within KKR, its portfolio companies, and in the power-and-utility industries more broadly.

A former player for the Yale University Rugby Football Club, Lawler still supports the team by serving on the board of Friends of Yale Rugby in her spare time.

The last book she read: "The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion

Kelsey Berro, JPMorgan Asset Management

As a portfolio manager at JPMorgan, Kelsey Berro helps run $15 billion as part of the firm's Unconstrained Fixed Income strategies. She has risen from analyst to vice president in her seven years at the bank's money manager.

But her plan wasn't to land on Wall Street at all.

Berro worked in theaters growing up and, after high school, enrolled in the performing-arts college Boston Conservatory at Berklee. The narrow focus on musical training became overwhelming, and she wanted to make a change.

Berro transferred to Pace University in Manhattan to study economics. Early on, a professor encouraged her to join the college's monetary-policy club after she aced an economics test.

That's when her passion for the Federal Reserve, finance, and economics  topics she enjoyed batting around with her father, an investor, while she was growing up  started flourishing.

"I'm a bit relentless when it comes to learning things, understanding things, and being a subject-matter expert," she told Insider. Her years at Pace intensely studying the financial system's inner workings gave her a leg up when she started out in finance full time in 2015.

Berro is now on the team that manages the firm's Unconstrained Fixed Income strategies, including the $3.2 billion Global Bond Opportunities Fund and the $990 million Unconstrained Debt Fund. She helps shape decision-making at the firm more broadly as secretary of JPMorgan's asset-management-investment committee.

At the start of 2022, Berro co-wrote a report where she predicted the European Central Bank would hike interest rates this year; it was an out-of-consensus call at the time but has proved prescient.

"It's motivating every day to follow the market, follow the data, try to understand where it's going, and help my team ultimately come up with investment decisions that are going to drive alpha," Berro said. "It doesn't have to be the biggest call or the most show-stopping call. It's looking at the data every single day  being the one that's in the weeds."

The last book she read: "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Naveen Shahani, Apollo Global Management

Naveen Shahani has spent the past eight-and-a-half years at Apollo Global Management and is currently a principal, working within the firm's private-equity division to scout out and execute investments ranging from distressed opportunities to straightforward buyouts.

Shahani, who helped found and spearhead Apollo's special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, business that raised two inaugural SPACs in 2021, had a key role in the distressed-for-control investment of the airport-baggage handler Swissport, which came about during the COVID pandemic.

The investor has racked up an expansive range of deal experience, having helped facilitate four buyouts, three restructurings, and two exits. Notably, Shahani worked on the buyout of the restaurant chain Qdoba, the exit of Sprouts Farmers Market, and the restructuring of the family-entertainment center Chuck E. Cheese.

Shahani, a native of Long Island and the son of two entrepreneurs, said he was drawn to private equity in part through the inspiration of seeing his father run multiple businesses, starting with a retail store in Manhattan in the 1980s.

"My father had a number of ventures, from the time I was a kid, to the time I went to college," Shahani said. "In each of those ventures, I saw him facing adversity, facing different business challenges, and that just really resonated with me."

The Wharton graduate said he likes to reposition Apollo's investments for growth  a process that comes through teamwork. Apollo staffs its investment with teams of three: one partner, one principal and one associate. He pointed to the home-security firm ADT as one Apollo portfolio company that recently received a $1.2 billion investment from State Farm.

Prior to working at Apollo, he worked in the financial-sponsors group of Credit Suisse and helped finance Apollo's acquisition of Hostess. It was through Shahani's work at Credit Suisse that he became familiar with Apollo and its professionals.

The last podcast he listened to: NPR's "How I Built This" with Guy Raz

Noah Zerance, Bank of America

Noah Zerance didn't follow the traditional path to finance, but he credits his success to the time he served as an airborne infantryman right out of high school.

"It really gave me an advantage, at least from a problem-solving perspective, on how to accelerate and how to move quickly in the business world," Zerance, a vice president with Bank of America's global sustainable-finance group, said.

Zerance said he faced challenges breaking into Wall Street and wasn't aware of the pipelines for vets to join large banking firms. But after leaving the military and graduating college, he joined JPMorgan in 2014 in Delaware. After a year and a half, Zerance used the network he'd built at JPMorgan to transfer to New York before ultimately making the jump to Bank of America in 2017. There Zerance supported the bank's commodities desk  setting up the pipes for complex trades to transform from ideas into completed transactions. Three years later he found a spot on Bank of America's Sustainable Asset Finance team.

At Bank of America, Zerance has helped spearhead a range of green-energy investments, from sustainable construction projects and wind farms to electric vehicles, or EVs. He spent his initial time on the team leaning on his accounting bonafides to lead a tax-equity transaction involving fuel-cell technology.

In 2021, Zerance worked with Bank of America's consumer division to craft auto-leasing products for EVs. Over time, he has become one of the global sustainable-finance group's experts on EVs.

"I'm pretty confident I work on the coolest team at the bank," Zerance said. "It's like a dream come true for a kid that was obsessed with cars, getting an opportunity to work in an industry that is having a once-in-a-century revolution."

The last book he read: "The Way of Kings" by Brandon Sanderson

Oliver Townsend, Millennium Management

Oliver Townsend isn't one to list his own career accomplishments.

"As we always say in cycling, I 'just let the legs do the talking,'" he said.

A senior portfolio manager at the $57 billion multi-strategy fund Millennium manages a macro and relative-value interest-rate strategy focused on developed markets. He attributes much of his success to working with "the brightest and hardest working people," like one mentor who would leave no stone unturned when looking for a winning investment idea.

Townsend said he learned from the mentor that "even if you don't find anything, the planning is indispensable and keeps you agile and educated for whenever something changes."

Townsend, whose education focused on engineering, started his career at Goldman Sachs as a software engineer on its electronic bond-trading platform.

He then joined Morgan Stanley as a trader on the US interest-rate-swap desk, where he ultimately ran the US short-end-rates business. In 2013, Townsend made the jump to the buy side as a trader at Citadel. He left as a senior portfolio manager and a limited partner to join Millennium in 2019.

The financial industry satisfies his appreciation for math and modeling techniques "while at the same time working in a competitive and iterative environment," he said.

Every year, Townsend competes on either the running, cycling, or triathlon circuit, which helps him clear his head and sharpen his focus. In 2021, he was a runner-up in the Old Man Winter Duathlon and won first place in the New York City Duathlon in 2017.

"I find that it's good to offer oneself multiple opportunities and outlets for success," he said. "So, if I were, let's say, struggling at work, I can still win on the bike, or vice versa. It's important for one's confidence and well-being to always feel like you're doing a good job somewhere."

The last book he read: "Origins of Political Order" by Francis Fukuyama

Richesh Shah, PJT Partners

Richesh Shah isn't your average investment banker. As a director at PJT Partners, he doesn't preach the value of toiling late into the night unnecessarily, and he eschews the harsh bedside manners that society stereotypically associates with whip-cracking Wall Street bosses.

"There's no, 'Hey, I'm a director. I'm more senior. I have analysts, associates, VPs that do the work.' For me, we're all on the same team," Shah told Insider, describing his vibe around the office.

At PJT, Shah is part of the boutique bank's structured-products team, which develops bespoke financing and capital solutions for big investors. They've worked on a variety of projects for clients such as Blackstone, Yum! Brands, and Madison Square Garden. Previously, Shah was an investment-banking analyst covering financial institutions and media-and-telecoms companies at Citi. He was part of the original team that spun out of Blackstone's M&A group in 2015, forming PJT Partners.

Now, he sees himself as a mentor for junior bankers coming up the ranks. Shah learned the hard way that putting his hand up for every task can put bankers on the fast track to burnout, he said. He advises junior bankers to be emboldened to set more practical boundaries to prevent work from overtaking their personal lives.

In August, when most senior Wall Streeters had deserted New York for the summer holidays, Shah was in the bank's headquarters in Manhattan, and recalled thinking his office had become "a revolving door" of juniors coming in, one after the other, seeking advice on topics like how to advance their careers or whether they should participate in private-equity recruiting.

"There's days when I'm running a model, and there's days when I'm asking junior folks to lead a call with board members because I feel confident they can do that," he said.

The last book he read: "Building A Second Brain" by Tiago Forte

Samuel Haber, Bridgewater Associates

Samuel Haber got a taste of the finance industry in high school working a summer job clerking in the crude-oil-trading pit at the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Haber grew up in Long Island around the corner from a man who worked for the exchange and continued picking up work through his college breaks. Haber became fascinated with how political events dictated oil prices and the energy markets in general.

After graduating from Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania with an undergraduate degree in finance and statistics and a minor in East Asian languages and culture, he started his career at Barclays Capital. He spent two years as an analyst on the bank's US Rates trading desk overseeing the desk's automated pricing-and-hedging system.

He joined Bridgewater in 2013 as a trading associate and was promoted in 2021 to head of portfolio research. He is responsible for the evolution of the firm's portfolio-construction process and evaluating and managing investment risks across Bridgewater's portfolios.

Over the past three years, Haber has also helped run Bridgewater's investment-associate class, a multi-year curriculum to help people without prior investing experience become developed investors.

When he's not working, Haber and his wife, who also works at Bridgewater, are big poker players  a skill they both learned from previous coworkers. Haber played in the World Series of Poker main event in 2021, where he came in 349th place out of more than 6,000 players.

Haber uses similar problem-solving skills when he's investing to play poker. It's about "dealing with imperfect information and thinking about how to calibrate the size of your bets and how to spread your bets over time given that uncertainty," he said.

The last book he read: 'This is How They Tell Me the World Ends' by Nicole Perlroth

Swati Rao, Citi

Swati Rao is a director within the banking, capital markets, and advisory division at Citi, focusing on deals mainly for companies handling transportation, logistics, and the supply chain.

An onslaught of negative headlines about supply-chain snarls and cargo headaches has beset the industry. Founders in the space, Rao said, have risen to the occasion admirably, praising them for investing "blood, sweat, and tears into building cutting-edge technology companies and marketplaces very quickly."

"Technology is driving significant change in every part of the supply chain, and it is an exciting time to be a thought leader in a sector where players like Uber Freight, Flexport, e-commerce and warehouse-fulfillment providers continue to scale and disrupt the market," Rao said.

In just the past year, Rao has been involved in trades and transactions worth more than $8 billion in total value, spanning tech, logistics, and transportation. Deals Rao has advised on include the $640 million sale of the industrials company Transtar Industries to Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors last year, as well as the combination of Worldwide Express and GlobalTranz Enterprises in 2021.

Rao, who relocated from India to the US about a decade ago, studied engineering but came to finance via an internship at Citi in 2012. She's gone on to work with clients including FedEx, UPS, Google, and other big names throughout her career in banking. She predicted that the need to speed up the movement of goods throughout supply chains is going to keep bankers like her busy advising on mergers and combinations.

"Consolidation will remain a theme in this highly fragmented industry while shippers and carriers continue to accelerate the pace of technology adoption to create end-to-end nimble and efficient supply chains," she said.

The last podcast she listen to: The BBC's "Global News Podcast"

Tinofara Majoni, Trian Fund Management

Wall Street knows the billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz as the face of Trian, the $7.6 billion fund that has taken stakes in names like Wendy's, Invesco, and Unilever, and agitates for change.

Who the public does not know as well is the elite team behind him, which includes people like Tinofara Majoni, who goes by Tino, a 32-year-old analyst on the investment team.

Majoni is focused on holdings across consumer, industrials, and non-bank asset-management firms like Invesco and Janus Henderson. He takes on virtually all aspects of the investment process, from generating new investment ideas and attending investment-committee meetings to doing due diligence.

Majoni has forged a path in high finance he may not have found if he hadn't left Zimbabwe, where he was born and raised.

As Majoni finished high school, devastating hyperinflation and economic instability there led him to seek higher education out of the country. He was admitted into a US Embassy-backed program that allowed him to apply to Colgate University in upstate New York. He earned a full scholarship to attend and studied mathematical economics and computer science there.

"I have always desired a high-impact career that challenges me, and where I get to work on complex issues. Active-shareholder engagement embodies that," Majoni, who joined Trian as a part-time analyst in 2019 and became full time last year, told Insider.

Before joining Trian, Majoni worked at Prudential Financial, first as an analyst in the pension-buyout business and then as a senior analyst in the mergers-and-acquisitions group. In his first role, he was part of the small team that carried out pension buyouts at Motorola Solutions, JCPenney, and the industrial-parts manufacturer Timken.

Peltz likes to remind employees that "they don't teach persistence in business school," a belief Majoni says he tries to live by.

The last book he read: "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol S. Dweck.

Vahe Musoyan, Citadel Securities

Vahe Musoyan has spent the past decade building and growing the systematic-trading capabilities at the industry juggernaut Citadel Securities, where he's now a lead quantitative researcher. He's among the most influential young quants on Wall Street, according to conversations with several industry experts.

"Vahe is definitely a badass," one senior quant recruiter familiar with his work said.

Musoyan, the son of two engineers, grew up in Armenia. He started coding by age 11, creating a flash-card computer tool in middle school to help memorize English vocabulary words. He started university in Armenia and transferred to Stanford, where he graduated in 2010 with a degree in computer science. After ruling out academic research  he preferred "faster feedback loops"  he noticed many people with similar backgrounds were flocking to high-frequency trading. He joined up with Getco, which at the time was among the largest-market makers in US equities.

A couple years later, Citadel approached him, and in the interview process, he became taken with the company's scientific approach to markets.

"I got the impression the people in charge of the business were approaching the markets like a physicist approaches the natural world: formulate hypotheses and learn fundamental truths about the market," Musoyan said.

He joined in 2013 and got to work building fully automated market-making systems  testing hypotheses about the market and harvesting the novel insights that hold predictive-trading power. He and a colleague spearheaded a trading effort that quickly gained traction, and they eventually scaled it up globally across multiple asset classes, Musoyan said, declining to specify in which markets it traded.

"Being able to bootstrap an effort that eventually became one of the largest in its space was a big point of personal pride," Musoyan said.

The last book he read: "River out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life" by Richard Dawkins

Vinay Trivedi, General Atlantic

During his time at Harvard studying computer science, Vinay Trivedi spent most of his free time building apps and "pretending I was the next Mark Zuckerberg," as he put it.

One of his apps allowed students to map their plans and location for the summer so they could connect with other interning students.

This passion for technology is what ultimately led him to the investment industry. He's now a vice president at General Atlantic focusing on the sector.

While at Harvard, Trivedi started moonlighting at a Boston-based venture-capital firm, Romulus Capital.

What lured him into the field was, "a combination of me building things on my own, and then actually being able to see entrepreneurs take their products to market," he said. "I obviously fell in love with investing."

Since joining General Atlantic in 2019, Trivedi has been involved in several deals totaling $3.3 billion in invested capital. One of those investments last year even marked General Atlantic's first in space exploration. The $1.4 billion Series A investment in Sierra Space, which General Atlantic, Coatue, and Moore Strategic Ventures led, was the second-largest private-capital raise to occur in the aerospace-and-defense sector globally.

Trivedi, who previously worked at Blackstone and SoftBank, was also involved in General Atlantic's deal-making with the biometric-security firm Clear Secure, from its initial 2019 investment to Clear's June 2021 IPO.

Trivedi is on the advisory council for the think tank Center for Democracy and Technology, and noted that his interest in innovative technologies also extends to the impact they have on society, "whether that's diversity issues, AI and job loss, or privacy," Trivedi said.

"While I'm out there investing in the most cutting-edge technologies, I do find causes to be involved with to think through those issues and see how the industry can address those as well," he said.

The last book he read: "The Master: The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer" by Christopher Clarey
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)

Ottawas Gun Buyback Program Cost $3.7 Million, Before Any Firearms Bought

The federal governments firearms ban and buyback program has so far cost $3.7 million, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), which noted that no guns have been bought back as yet.

As part of the program, the federal government created the Firearms Buyback Secretariat inside the Department of Public Safety in June 2020. The CTF says it has received a statement from the department showing that of the $3.7 million cost, $2.1 million has been spent on salaries, and $1.6 million on operations.

The feds are spending millions of dollars before reimbursing a single gun owner, so its a good bet that this bill will keep ballooning, said Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the CTF, in a statement, adding that the program is going to be another taxpayer boondoggle.

In May 2020, the Liberal government announced new legislation to ban more than 1,500 models of firearms, including AR-15s. Firearm owners would have a two-year amnesty period to comply with the Order-in-Council, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at the time.

That amnesty period has been extended to October 2023, and the federal government is now seeking provincial aid to collect the guns. No firearms have been purchased so far and the prairie provinces are pushing back on Ottawas request for aid.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates reimbursing gun owners could cost up to $756 million, not including administrative or staffing costs.

The CTF said the department has refused to provide the total budget allocated to the office each year.

Terrazzano said the government should end this ineffective and expensive policy.

The people protecting us say the gun ban and buyback wont make Canadians safer, and taxpayers dont need another government program that wastes our money.

The National Police Federation, the union which represents the RCMP, said the federal gun ban and buyback will do very little to address their goal to increase public safety. The gun ban and buyback diverts extremely important personnel, resources, and funding away from addressing the more immediate and growing threat of criminal use of illegal firearms, the group said.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Department of Public Safety for comment but didnt immediately hear back.

The Liberal government has said its legislation is needed to fight violent crimes.

Because of gun violence, people are dying, families are grieving, and communities are suffering. It must end, Trudeau said in May 2020 when announcing the legislation.
Our Deluded Leaders Ignore Reality and Ensure Disaster

Commentary

Do you think that without electricity you can charge an electric car? The governor of California Gavin Newsom and the dozen states that follow Californias rules do, and so apparently does Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada. They have mandated electric cars by 2035. But the green energy that they also mandate is incapable of supporting an electric grid that will charge anything more than your cell phone.

Have you tried growing crops without fertilizer? The United Nations Environmental Program demands that you do so. Their advice was tragically made government policy in Sri Lanka and led to the collapse of agricultural production, food security, and the national economy. But Trudeau has adopted UNEP advice and is pressing Canadian farmers to dispense with fertilizer. So much for Canada feeding the hungry of the world. Perhaps if the farmers dont comply quickly and fully enough, it will be necessary to declare the Emergencies Act once again.

Do you believe that if the temperature increases several degrees all life on Earth with be extinguished? President Joe Biden does, calling climate change, which has been going on throughout the history of the Earth, an existential crisis. Apparent Trudeau believes the same, as he has systematically destroyed the Canadian economy in fear of climate change. All of our left-wing elites believe in this existential crisis, notwithstanding the fact that all of the predictions based on fictional computer modelsa rise in sea levels flooding all coastal areas and inundating islands, the melting of the polar ice caps and glaciers, the disappearance of polar bears, massive deaths from tornados, hurricanes, and other extreme eventswere refuted, as these things never happened, a sure indication that climate catastrophism is nonsense.

Have our climate extremist leaders ever even heard about the global greening resulting from the increase in CO2, the florescence of vegetation all over the world, and its great boon for agriculture? So what can we conclude? Michael Shellenberger, in agreement with the 1,200 scientists and professionals who signed the World Climate Declaration, says there is no scientific basis for any claim of climate apocalypse. He continues, It is hard to come up with any scenario where temperature changes of 4C could be world-ending.

Another reform advocated by our leaders at the national, state or provincial, and municipal levels has been justice reform. The justification for this is that there are too many criminals in prison, and that criminals are really victims of society, so should be treated sympathetically. Black and Hispanic criminals, who make up a majority of violent offenders, are, it is alleged, victims of systemic racism, so their criminality is not really their fault. Thus, social justice requires that they not be incarcerated, or, if currently incarcerated, be released immediately.

Some members of the U.S. Congress have advocated defunding the police and abolishing all jails and prisons. Democrat governors have released tens of thousands of offenders, including violent offenders. Some states, New York and Illinois, have done away with cash bail, simply releasing those arrested into the public. Many Soros-funded district attorneys refuse to indict individuals for criminal acts. Laws have been passed in California that essentially legalized theft of up to $950. Though repeatedly attacking random civilians, mentally ill violent offenders among the vast populations of homeless in cities are excused for their crimes because they are homeless and mentally ill, so nothing can be done about them.

The result of all this, precisely recorded in crime statistics, is the massive increase in crime, particularly violent crime, over the last few years. Recidivism, repeat violent offenses, of those released from prison, unindicted, or released on their own bond is common. In cities particularly, the streets and public transport are unsafe. Anyone walking on the sidewalk can be attacked at any time, either for their valuables or because someone mentally ill is angry. Driving is equally unsafe, as car-jackings are a growth industry. You take your life in your hands taking a bus or subway, both favorite places for the mentally ill homeless. Dont stand too near the edge of the platform in the subway, or someone might find it too tempting to push you under a train.

Trudeaus answer to the increased lawlessness, yes, even in Canada, is to forbid law-abiding civilians from owning firearms and from using them in self-defense. This ensures that only criminals could have and use guns. What could go wrong? Biden and members of his party loudly condemn gun violence, but never have anything critical to say about the criminals who use the guns, except of course that they are victims who must be coddled. The real victims of violent crime are never given any thought by our leaders, because they are probably privileged. The reality, of course, is quite different. The privileged government officials all have teams of armed bodyguards. The many victims of violent crime are primarily black and Hispanic, but also Asian and Jewish minorities.

Our leaders know that they must capture the youth in order to ensure their control in the future. Trudeau promulgated in 2017 a mandatory program called Dimensions: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, requiring university presidents to sign it formally on behalf of their universities, and restricted the allocation of national government funds to those institutions that fulfilled their objectives to the satisfaction of national bureaucrats. The three independent national funding agencies for medical, natural science, and social science research adopted the EDI guidelines in their funding. The new objectives for higher education were social justice, anti-racism, and decolonialization, while the old universities objective of the disinterested search for truth was rejected, along with its criteria of achievement and merit because they are allegedly the tools of racist white male supremacy and colonialism. With reverse racism and reverse sexism now obligatory, Canadian universities have never been the same. Nor has science, now that biology is canceled in favor of radical gender theory, and non-colonial indigenous science is a growth industry.

Biden has directed that critical race theory and radical gender theory be integrated not only in every federal bureaucracy and the military, but also K-12 schools. School children must be taught that white children are privileged oppressors, while black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) are taught that they are helpless victims who have no future in systemical racist America. But as LGBTQ+ children are also allegedly oppressed and marginalized, every effort must be made to center them and ensure that their identity is fulfilled, which is why biological males must be allowed in girls bathrooms, dressing rooms, and female sports, as the Department of Education has demanded both at the K-12 and university levels. This is a wonderful precedent for educational institutions, for it shows the way that science-denial can justify the creative imaginings of identity. So throughout the educational systemand a special mention must go to the teachers unions who so energetically have advanced these causesscience and merit are out and racism, sexism, and social justice are in.

Brian Lee Crowley, in a prescient essay titled Canada has devolved into a childish country incapable of solving big problems, but equally applicable to the United States, points out that If you dont maintain the institutions and behaviours that create order and stability because those institutions and behaviours are constraining, you dont simply remove the constraints while maintaining the previous orderyou get different and far more painful constraints without the blessings of order.

He explains: We all have to face some harsh, yet simple, truths. Nature is unaffected by our illusions. The laws of physics, the inevitability of biology and the march of time are indifferent to our purposes.  Events happen that are beyond our control. When we engage in magical thinking and believe what we want to be true, rather than what actually is true, we become not just child-like, but childish.

Leaders have based their childish actions on ideological delusions and imaginary virtue signaling, regardless of the disastrous consequences for their citizens and for future generations. We are paying for this now, but the consequences will get worse and worse. Our future is a freight train headed for us at top speed.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Pennsylvania Man Has Not Filed Income Taxes in 17 Years

'We don't see the IRS in the Constitution,' said Barry Durmaz

The Pledge of Allegiance states that America is one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Liberty, the dictionary says, is living free from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on ones way of life, behavior, or political views.

Pennsylvania author Barry Durmaz says he is living his life in liberty. That means, among other things, he has not filed income taxes for the last 17 years, and recently he stopped licensing his car. Instead, he had a custom license plate made that says Private, DOT exempt, for non-commercial use only.

As a person of liberty, he no longer consents to disclosing private information to the government or filling out forms for taxes or for a car license.

The married father of five is soon to publish his first book, What Is An American: How the Virtuous Government of Americas Unseen King Deals a Death Blow to the Evils of Socialism, Marxism, and Communism. In it, he says the liberty of each individual household is the key to Americas freedom.

After considering the Bible, history, and the U.S. Constitution, Durmaz has come to believe that ultimate liberty is faith and self-government, or self-control. That comes from being independently dependent upon God.

Constitution and History

Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to impose and collect taxes. But Durmaz argues Congress was not given authority to delegate that power to another entity such as the IRS, state governments, or employers.

It is worth noting the same section of the Constitution directs Congress to make laws to carry out the powers described in the Constitution.

We dont see the IRS in the Constitution, Durmaz told The Epoch Times. When Congress is ready to send a bill to me or to whomever, we ought to pay it. But we never received one. Its good to make a distinction between what taxing authority is in the Constitution, versus this organization, the IRS, that terrorizes people if they dont fill out these forms.

He doesnt recognize the IRS as the authority because he doesnt consider it constitutional.

However, [the IRS] obviously has the power. Thats something for all of us to get clear on when were navigating life in America with the problems and demands were all confronted with, he said.

Withholding Employee Taxes

Before he stopped paying taxes, Durmaz thought about income tax from many angles. He considered the tax forms available at the post office and the library.

Nobody is telling me to take those. There is no threat, Durmaz said. Of course, there are threats out there, but when it comes down to it, I had to choose to pick up those forms and fill them out. And he did for years, sometimes preparing taxes on his own, and other timesas a then-business ownerhe paid for tax preparation.

Barry Durmaz (3rd L), and his wife Kyoko to his left, with their five children. (Courtesy of William Bradford Ross)

As he withheld taxes from employee paychecks, Durmaz thought about one of the 10 Commandments in the Bible, Thou shall not steal. He felt that he was stealing from his employees. He had an agreement to pay perhaps $12 an hour, but with taxes, that is not what they earned. The government had not been involved in the agreements between him and his employees. He was in the position of collecting taxes like the IRS.

In America, we have the right to make contracts. And conversely, that means that we have the right not to make contracts. He didnt have a contract and was not being compensated for removing taxes from paychecks for the government. Its voluntary on the employer side. I started educating my employees about the IRS and told them they were going to have to go deal directly with them. Im not going to provide the service anymore.

Because his wife is Japanese, the family moved to Japan for what they thought would be 10 years. Durmaz filed paperwork at that time regarding the move and was not expected to pay U.S. income taxes. But the family returned to the United States after three years, and that was 17 years ago. He has been off the IRS radar and has not filed income tax since then.

Faith Perspective

What our forefathers did though the Declaration of Independence was a declaration of shifting dependence on a visible law giverthat was King George IIIonto the awesome, unseen law giver, and that is Jesus Christ, Durmaz said.

In one well-known Bible passage, Mark 12:17, Jesus encourages paying taxes, stating, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to God the things that are Gods.

Who is Caesar in America? Durmaz asks. There can be any number of answers. Somebody might say the president of the United States. But people who have some working knowledge of our history, we can conclude that Caesar in America is the U.S. Constitution, or probably more likely, the people themselves who drafted the Constitution, and who won our independence. After the Declaration of Independence was written, they are the ones who drafted the Constitution that formed our federal government.

People have a natural ability to govern and properly control themselves when theyre under the rule of God, he said.

He looks to the Bibles book of Galatians, where the fruit of the spirit is described. If the Spirit leads you, then you are not subject to the Law, Galatians 5:18 says. The book describes the fruits as traits evident in people who are following Gods law.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self-control; against such there is no law, Galatians 5:22-23 says.

Gods spirit is the highest law, Durmaz says, and the one he follows. Liberty starts at home, with self-control, or self-governance, he says.

Durmaz said hes aware of the risk hes taking by sharing his story publicly, and that he considered the consequences before agreeing to an interview with The Epoch Times.

Love casts out fear, He said Im not living in torment. Thats how liberated Im learning to be.
A Phantom 4, developed by major Chinese consumer-drone maker DJI, flies during its demonstration flight in Tokyo, Japnan, on March 3, 2016. (Shizuo Kambayashi/AP Photo)

Pentagon Blacklists Drone Giant DJI as Chinese Military Company

The Pentagon has blacklisted a Chinese drone manufacturer that Ukrainian officials previously accused of providing military support to Russia.

DJI Technology, the worlds largest consumer drone manufacturer, was added to a Department of Defense (DOD) list of 60 Chinese military companies operating in the United States, the Pentagon announced on Oct. 5.

Adding DJI to the list (pdf) means that the Department of Commerce may now choose to take additional actions to restrict U.S. companies from doing business with or investing in DJI.

The move is part of a broader effort by the United States to curb the growth of companies affiliated with Chinas military or that have helped promote its development.

Chinas Military-Civil Fusion

Identifying and effectively mitigating the dangers posed by such companies has proven difficult, however, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) implements a military-civil fusion strategy in which all civil technologies are expected to serve a dual use as military technologies. Military and commercial-first drones are critical to the CCPs efforts to expand and modernize its military through this strategy.

The DODs announcement noted that the effort is intended to highlight and counter military-civil fusion and the military modernization that its fueling.

A DOD spokesperson said in an email that the designation of DJI as a Chinese military company was made in accordance with Section 1260H of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (pdf).

That section defines Chinese military companies in two ways: first, companies that are owned, controlled, or act on behalf of the CCPs military wing, the Peoples Liberation Army, and second, companies that assist with military-civil fusion by contributing to the CCPs defense-industrial base.

This includes companies that knowingly accept assistance from the Chinese Communist Party through science and technology efforts initiated under the Chinese military-industrial planning apparatus.

The spokesperson didnt specify which of the definitions DJI fell under or whether it fell under multiple categories.

A History of Security Complaints



The designation isnt the first time that DJI has come under fire from U.S. leadership for its connections to the CCP.

A July 2021 statement by the DOD said some DJI drones pose potential threats to national security, citing DJI drones China-based manufacturing and cyber security risks.

Mitigating the threats posed by small [drones], including DJI systems, remains a priority across the Department, and DOD continues to ensure [the] existing policy remains current and appropriately implemented, the DOD stated at the time.

In a more extreme but unverified case, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov accused the company of assisting in Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Fedorov said the Russian military was using DJI technology to navigate its missiles and accused the company of downgrading the usability of some of Ukraines own DJI systems in a March 16 Twitter post.

Fedorov also published an open letter to DJI CEO Frank Wang, pleading that he cut business ties with Russia.

The socially responsible business always supports values of humanity, responsibility, and peace, Fedorov wrote. We call on your company to end any relationship and stop doing business in the Russian Federation until the Russian aggression in Ukraine is fully stopped, and fair order is restored.

The letter also followed reports alleging that DJI downgraded its service for Ukrainian platforms but not for Russian platforms.

DJI issued a statement on Twitter, saying its technology couldnt be turned off and denied that it had altered the functionality of Ukrainian-based systems.

Theres no indication of whether the Department of Commerce will impose new controls on DJIs U.S. operations or U.S. businesses ability to transact with the company.

Representatives for DJI didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.
A Planned Parenthood clinic is shown in St. Louis, Mo., on May 30, 2019. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Planned Parenthood to Launch Clinic-On-Wheels for Illinois Border Near States With Abortion Bans

St. Louis is among the regions that Planned Parenthood in Illinois will target with a clinic-on-wheels for abortion procedures without crossing state lines.

The planned mobile unit is a 37-foot recreational vehicle (RV) that will travel in Illinois along the borders of Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee, The Associated Press reported. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, all three states have outlawed abortions with few exceptions, but the procedure is still legal in Illinois.

The reversal of Roe v. Wade eliminated federal jurisdiction over abortion laws and left each state to determine its own laws on the issue.

They cant come into Missouri, so thats not going to happen, said St. Louis County Councilman Tim Fitch (R-District 3). They could be on the border all they want as long as theyre in Illinois. They just cant come into Missouri.

If the traveling abortion clinic were to cross the state line from Illinois to perform the procedure in Missouri, it would be a criminal violation, according to Fitch, who voted against allocating funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to nonprofits to pay for travel and lodging for pregnant women seeking abortions outside of Missouri.

Planned Parenthood is in a town called Fairview Heights and Granite City, he said. Theres one in both and theyre both 2 miles from the Mississippi River, which divides Missouri and Illinois.

The Fairview Heights clinic in St. Clair County, Illinois, reported a 30 percent rise in patients since the landmark Supreme Court ruling, and the time it takes to schedule an abortion has increased from four days to nearly three weeks, according to Yamelsie Rodriguez, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri.

The more abortions they provide, the more money they make, Fitch told The Epoch Times.

Inside the RV will be two exam rooms, a lab, and a waiting room. Surgical abortions will not be performed right away. Only medication abortions will be offered to women who are up to 11 weeks pregnant.

The traveling Planned Parenthood program is expected to begin in a month.
(LR) Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping gives a military flag to Wei Fenghe, commander of the Rocket Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), and Wang Jiasheng, political commissar of the Rocket Force, in Beijing on Dec. 31, 2015. (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP)

PLAs New Leadership Appointments to Focus on the Taiwan Strait and Loyalty: Experts

In the 20th rubber-stamp legislature to be held in China on Oct. 16, the regime will recompose its military leadership to focus on regional military coercion in the Taiwan Strait and loyalty said China experts.

Xi Jinping, the head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), increased his control over the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) through military reform and using anti-corruption campaigns to imprison and execute those who support an opposing political faction. The PLA is the military of the CCP and not the Chinese military.

Over the years, Xi personally directed the appointments of members of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the command authority of the armed forces.

In the upcoming national meeting, Xi is expected to continue a third five-year term as the leader of both the Party and the CMC.

A younger generation of CMC commanders who gained experience in the Taiwan Strait Crisis in the mid-1990s are expected to replace aging senior commanders.

Aging Military Commanders

Four of the six executive members of the CMC have reached the retirement age of 68.

Both Vice Chairmen Xu Qiliang and Zhang Youxia are aged 72; Wei Fenghe the PLA Rocket Force commander is 68; and Li Zuocheng the Joint Staff Department chief is 69.

That leaves only two members likely to remain: Political Work Department Director Miao Hua aged 66; and Discipline Inspection Commission Director Zhang Shengmin aged 64.

Xi the chairman of the CMC is 69 years old.

In 2014, Xi promoted Miao to political commissar of the PLA Navy and subsequently appointed him the director of the Political Work Department in 2017.

Miao spent 36 years in the 31st Army stationed in Fujian Province where Xi had a political career for 17 years.

Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers march next to the entrance to the Forbidden City (L) in Beijing on May 22, 2020. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images)

Commanders From Fujian

An overseas Chinese media controlled by the CCP called Sing Tao Daily said in September that Miao and General He Weidong are likely to become the new vice chairs of CMC.

The 65-year-old He was the commander of the Eastern Theater Command from 2019 to 2022. According to Sing Taos report, He grew up in Fujian and used to serve as the chief of staff and deputy commander of the 31st Army in Fujian.

A major reorganization of the CMC is inevitable, said Cheng-fung Lu, associate professor of National Quemoy University, to the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times on Oct. 3.

In an effort to break through the first island chain, promotion of commanders from Fujian and the southeast coastal region would be expected, said Lu.

Li Cheng-Hsiu, a military expert and associate researcher at the National Policy Foundation of the Republic of China (Taiwan), agreed.

The CCP is most likely to launch its armed forces activities towards Taiwan or in the South China Sea, he said, adding, the PLA needs commanders familiar with those areas.

Loyalty to Xi and His Agenda

Chi Le-yi, a senior military analyst in Taiwan, does not believe Xi would have a geographical preference.

For example, Lin Xiangyang, the incumbent commander of the Eastern Theater Command, used to be the commander of the Northern Theater Command, said Chi.

He does not believe Xi would prefer any disproportionate geographic arrangement in the CMC. He said, Its a taboo for Xi. It took him a great effort to eliminate the powerful Guo Boxiong and his influence in the northwest.

Former Central Military Commission vice chair General Guo Boxiong in Beijing on March 9, 2012. Guo was sentenced to life in prison by a Chinese military court on July 25, 2016. (Ng Han Guan/AP Photo)

Guo, once a commander of the Lanzhou Military Region which is now the Western Theater Command, retired as the vice chairman of CMC in 2013. He was expelled from the Party in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison in 2016 as a result of Xis anti-corruption drive.

Joel Wuthnow, the senior research fellow at the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs at the National Defense University, in Gray Dragons: Assessing Chinas Senior Military Leadership (pdf), argued that Senior PLA leaders are drawn relatively equally from the 5 theater commands and 13 group armies. Even though it is responsible for Taiwan, the Eastern Theater Command cannot be described as a cradle of the generals.'

He said, all PLA officers must have enough political acumen to demonstrate loyalty to Xi and his agenda.

Haizhong Ning and Luo Ya contributed to this report.
Signage on a car that reads End the evil CCP (Chinese Communist Party) was defaced at Floriade car park, Canberra, Australia on Oct. 4. (Courtesy of Songfa Liu)

Beijing Sympathisers Allegedly Assault Woman After Vandalising End CCP Car Signage

A woman has suffered bruises to her arms and is now in crutches after suffering a physical assault by two menalleged Beijing sympathiserswho were vandalising her car that had signage criticising the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The incident occurred at Floriade car park on Oct. 4 at 4:10 p.m in Canberra, Australias capital, where the two Chinese men were seen graffitiing Chinese signage on a car that read, End the evil CCP.

Two Chinese men are seen graffitiing signage on a car that reads End the evil CCP (Chinese Communist Party) at Floriade car park in Canberra, Australia, on Oct. 4, 2022. (Supplied)

The owner of the car, Nancy Dong, a local Canberran woman, recorded the incident on her phone before one man snatched it and proceeded to assault her.

Chain of Events

In the footage, Dong could be heard asking the men in Chinese, What are you doing?

They did not say anything, and continued to spray the display board, until the entire display board was covered by black spray paint, Dong said in a statement provided to The Epoch Times.

Dong then saw a young woman standing at the entrance of the car park also recording the men spray painting. Dong started to record the young woman.

At that time, the taller young man ran away, and another young man suddenly snatched my mobile phone from behind me and also ran away, Dong said.

The young woman then asked Dong why she was filming her, telling Dong that she did not know the men.

Dong said she had reason to believe the woman was connected with the men; she then attempted to grab the ladys jacket.

As the lady attempted to run away by removing her jacket that I was holding onto, I proceeded to grab her handbag. She wasnt able to run away as I was holding onto her handbag, Dong said.

The young man who stole Dongs phone then came back telling Dong to let go of the young woman.

You stole my phone, I wont let her go, Dong told one assaulter.

The young man then threw her phone on the ground, after which she loosened her grip on the womans handbag.

Unexpectedly, this young man then grabbed my neck with his elbow, lifted me up, and threw me to the ground.

He then started to kick and punch me. I almost fainted from the fall and I lost the ability to resist his attack, Dong said.

An Australian woman then came forward, grabbing the mans arm and urging him to stop. The man and woman then drove off in a grey car.

Because my phone screen was smashed and my whole body was hurt so badly and couldnt move, I did not get the cars number plate, Dong said.

But she managed to retrieve the footage from the phone and sent it to ACT Policing.

Photos supplied to The Epoch Times show the injuries Dong sustained on her arms and elbows during the altercation.

Injuries sustained to the Canberran women during an altercation with pro-CCP men on Oct. 4, 2022 in Canberra, Australia. (supplied)

Holly Wei, a friend of the victim, said in a statement that Dong felt like this man was a trained policeman who knew where to attack.

In a statement to The Epoch Times, a spokesperson for ACT Policing said they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and have urged anyone who witnessed the incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A report has been made to police that a woman returned to her vehicle to find two men spraying graffiti on it, and an altercation occurred, the spokesperson said.

ACT Policing is currently seeking the publics assistance in identifying three people who allegedly assaulted the woman and damaged property.

Human Rights Issue

Former Senator Eric Abetz told The Epoch Times that the alleged damage to property and even worse physical assault on a lady critical of a brutal dictatorship is an attack on an individual, [and] is an attack on free speech.

He added that the attack is a display of misguided loyalty to a regime which has a human rights record which Australians rightly find appalling.

Dong practices Falun Gong, an ancient spiritual practice that is currently banned in China.

Since its ban in July 1999, Falun Gong practitioners across the world have been peacefully protesting against the CCPs ban and persecution, while also exposing the human rights atrocities carried out by the totalitarian regime.

This comes amid a wave of withdrawals from the CCP and its affiliated resignations that has seen over 400 million Chinese people quit the CCP, according to Tuidang, the Global Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party.

Many End CCP car rallies have been held in cities around the world to mark this milestone.

The Tuidang movement was triggered by an editorial series published in 2004 by the Chinese Epoch Times called Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. The editorial series details the brutality and deception perpetrated under the totalitarian regime.

In Australia, End CCP car rallies have toured major cities across the country; however, this is the first reported case of an assault on an individual in Australia involved in the car event.
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Chipmaker Micron is planning to build a giant semiconductor factory in New York state. Its set to be the largest in the United States, complete with up to $100 billion in investment money.

The United States and South Korea are holding military drills and demonstrating their precision strike capabilities. The move follows a North Korean missile launch.

Ahead of Chinas national congress, close to one and a half million people are detained. Is it just a show of force?

An expert labels social media giant TikTok as a tool to build a totalitarian surveillance state. He breaks it down.

Topics in this episode:

Report: U.S. Gave China $28M Funding for Research Micron Set to Build Giant Chip Factory in New York Taiwan Minister on New First Strike Definition S. Korea, U.S. Launch Missiles in Show of Power After N. Korean Missile Test Reunion Hopes Fade for Korean Families Torn Apart Beijing Detains 1.43M Ahead of National Meeting TikTok Trojan Horse Hunting for Data: Geoffrey Cain

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BUY Jan 6 DVD: The Real Story of Jan. 6 Documentary102 Minutes, Color) , Promo Code [Tiffany] for 20% off.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas arrives for the US Coast Guard (USCG) change of command ceremony at USCG Headquarters in Washington on June 1, 2022. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Republicans Warn DHS Secretary Mayorkas He Could Be Impeached

Two top Republicans have warned Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that he faces possible impeachment proceedings if his department doesnt quickly implement new border controls.

Your failure to faithfully enforce this nations immigration laws and willful blindness to the very real humanitarian crisis at our southern border amounts to a gross dereliction of duty and a violation of your oath of office, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) stated in a letter to the secretary. This is gross dereliction of duty and, if not corrected swiftly, could provide grounds for impeachment.

They included figures showing that the number of people crossing into the United States from Mexico has dramatically increased since Mayorkas and President Joe Biden took office about 19 months ago.

Despite the heroic efforts by the men and women of Border Patrol, who operate with very little support from Washington, D.C., you have failed to achieve any semblance of operational control of the southern border, the letter, dated Oct. 4, says.

Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is overseen by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), shows there were more than 4.4 million illegal crossings, including over 3.5 million apprehensions by CBP and at least 900,000 gotaways, who evaded apprehension, they wrote.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaks at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol to discuss immigration at the southern border in Washington, D.C., on June 22, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Graham and Cruz added that the surge of illegal immigration is accompanied by drug trafficking into U.S. communities.

Drug cartels produce bulk amounts of fentanyl in Mexico, using the Chinese-supplied ingredients, and smuggle the drug across the U.S.Mexico border, they wrote. This amounts to a multibillion-dollar business for transnational criminal organizations, who then launder the money out of the United States and back into China.

Impeachment

Even if Republicans take control of both the House and Senate, an impeachment conviction requires two-thirds of senators to vote in favor. The House, which has a lower threshold, requires only a simple majority to impeach an official.

For example, then-President Donald Trump was impeached twice in the House, but he wasnt convictedand therefore not removed from officewhen those articles of impeachment were considered in the Senate. Also, in the late 1990s, President Bill Clinton was impeached in the House but wasnt convicted in the Senate.

The most recent federal official to be convicted was former Judge G. Thomas Porteous Jr., who was impeached in March 2010 on charges of accepting bribes and making false statements under penalty of perjury. He was found guilty by the Senate in December 2010 and was subsequently removed from office.

Administration Denials

The White House and Mayorkas have repeatedly denied that a crisis exists at the southern border. Recently, Vice President Kamala Harris declared that the United States has a secure border, but provided no evidence for the claim.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to the media at the naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, on Sept. 28, 2022. (Leah Millis/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

What we stand by is that we are doing everything that we can to make sure that we follow the process thats been put forth, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said after Harriss remark in mid-September. Thats why we have historic funding to do just that, to make sure that the folks that we encounter at the border be removed or expelled.

Jean-Pierre then asserted, without providing evidence or details, that the White House is currently trying to fix a broken system that was left by the Trump administration. She didnt make reference to the dramatic increase in the number of illegal immigrants crossing the U.S.Mexico border since Biden took over.

This week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent more illegal immigrants to the home of Harris in Washington, according to reports. For months, Abbott has been sending busloads of illegal aliens to New York City, Washington, and Chicago.

DHS officials didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment about the letter.
Activists with the group Extinction Rebellion block traffic during a climate change protest in downtown Vancouver in Canada on Oct. 18, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck)

Researcher Questions Extent of Carbon Dioxides Climate Effect

NASA scientist calls paper 'hilarious' on social media, but journal contradicts his 'speculat[ion]' on an initial rejection

A Sept. 18 paper in the journal Climate Dynamics claims that the climates long-range sensitivity to carbon dioxide could be remarkably low.

In an Oct. 4 interview with The Epoch Times, the studys author, Nicola Scafetta, noted that models assuming that our climate system is quite sensitive to carbon dioxide are more alarming than those assuming it is less sensitive.

This alarmthis climate emergency, in my opinion, does not exist, Scafetta said.

Scafetta is an associate professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Georesources at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy.

Its crucial to work out our atmospheres actual equilibrium climate sensitivity, or ECS. (In plain language, ECS means the temperature change that can ultimately be expected from a doubling of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.)

Higher climate sensitivity could help justify expansive spending to mitigate our production of greenhouse gasses. But if the climates sensitivity is lower, the case for that sort of spending may be weaker.

Scafetta used 38 models to hindcast (that is, to forecast backward in time) the temperature since 1980. That allowed him see how well the results compared with actual temperature data, including measurements taken at the Earths surface and satellite-based measurements from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Huntsvilles satellite data show that temperatures have increased roughly 0.13 degrees Celsius per decade since 1980. Thats less than in other satellite data sets.

Whats more, those satellites track warming in the troposphere, the lowest layer of the atmosphere. That area should be warming faster than the surfaceyet the Huntsville records show less warming than surface-based measurements.

Scafetta used the Huntsville data to set the lowest possible limit for warming at the surface.

He noted that a range of factors could distort surface records.

If the [temperature] station gets dirty for any reason, then it will start to record a higher temperature, he said.

Scientists debate whether the urban heat island effect still biases surface temperatures upward.

Scafetta determined that middling or high ECS models consistently overstated past warming. Low ECS models, by contrast, were more consistent with surface temperature data.

Yet, by comparing surface warming records on the ocean with those on land, he said he found evidence that land-based measurements may also suffer from bias in favor of warming.

While scientists generally expect greenhouse gasses to cause more warming on land than at sea, surface temperature records show the land warming much quicker and faster than some might have thought. Indeed, in Scafettas analysis, surface data from the land exhibited a much stronger warming trend than the models he tested and the Huntsville satellite data.

If land surface temperature records are, in fact, distorted, then even the low ECS models may overestimate the climates sensitivity.

The upshot? According to Scafetta, our atmospheres ECS could be as low as 1.5 degrees Celsius, much lower than middling or high ECS estimates, which top out at 5.7 degrees Celsius.

During his interview with The Epoch Times, he added that natural oscillationsfor example, the solar cyclealso could be significantly contributing to recent warming. That would drive down the ECS even further.

His past work has explored the role of the sun in temperature changes over the last several decades.

Scafetta describes his methodology and findings in more technical detail in a blog post at the website of climate scientist Judith Curry.

NASA Critic: This Is Hilarious

Scafetta said his paper is new enough that it will take time for substantive responses to roll in.

Yet, he and his article have already been harshly criticized by climate scientist Gavin Schmidt, who took to Twitter to voice his complaints.

This is hilarious, wrote Schmidt, who leads the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

In a Twitter thread, he accused Scafetta of making various technical errors, including through his treatment of uncertainty.

He also questioned a graph that compared Huntsville satellite temperature data with surface temperature data.

[H]es not comparing like with like, Schmidt said.

The two have tangled before.

In a 2009 paper, Schmidt challenged Scafettas attribution of significant global warming to solar activity. Scafetta fired back in a blog post and paper of his own.

In an Oct. 4 email, Scafetta told The Epoch Times that Schmidts Twitter thread continuously misinterprets his research, disputing, among other things, the technical criticism of how his analysis treats uncertainty.

Addressing the inclusion of Huntsville satellite data, Scafetta said his article made it clear they marked a lowest limit for surface warming.

He also explained the exclusion of satellite temperature records from Remote Sensing Systems, the basis of another Schmidt critique.

It would match the surface records and would be unnecessary, he said, adding that his paper had already explained why those data were omitted. (That explanation can, in fact, be found on page 3 of Scafettas publication.)

According to his Twitter thread, Schmidt will tackle the Scafetta article again in a future blog post at the website RealClimate.

Accusations of Rejection Denied by Journal

Schmidts harshest comments concern the relationship between the new article in Climate Dynamics and a past Scafetta paper. That work appeared earlier in this year in Geophysical Research Letters.

One might speculate, Schmidt said, that Scafetta first submitted the new research to Geophysical Research Letters as a corrected version of that earlier paper. Schmidt guessed it may have been rejected there and then sent to Climate Dynamics, where, in his words, it could have enjoyed more sympathetic/naive reviewers.

He had previously criticized the Geophysical Research Letters paper in a blog post. (Scafetta disputes those critiques.)

Scafetta flatly rejects Schmidts latest accusation, calling it false and ridiculous.

I never submitted it to [Geophysical Research Letters], he said in his Oct. 4 email.

The editor-in-chief of that journal, Johns Hopkins Universitys Dr. Hari Rajaram, told The Epoch Times in an Oct. 6 email that the new paper in Climate Dynamics was not initially sent to Geophysical Research Letters.

He said that the two papers are being evaluated by a team with American Geophysical Union (AGU) Publications, which publishes Geophysical Research Letters.

I cannot share the details of these investigations at this time, he wrote.

The Epoch Times reached out to Schmidt seeking his response to Rajarams comments.

The bottom line is that Scafettas conclusions are unsupported by his analysis, either in the GRL paper or the new Climate Dynamics paper. A good review of either paper should have seen that, Schmidt wrote in an Oct. 6 email.
During this past week, Christian churches around the world have been celebrating the Feast of Saint Francis, which includes an annual blessing of the animals. I don't know if you've ever participated in such a service, but they are generally delightful events. This year, at Worcester Cathedral (UK), participants were treated to a spectacular performance by Pablo, a goat who attended the blessing, along with two alpacas who live with him at the Attwell Farm Park in Redditch. ClassicFm explains:

She continued: "Pablo really enjoyed himself  he was very vocal. Lots of people have commented on the looks the animals were giving him in the video too. It's our most liked video on our TikTok account. "It was Pablo's first visit to the animal blessing ceremony, and we'll certainly be inviting him back again without a doubt. We had a really good turnout at the blessing ceremony this year  it was a full house."

TikTok user Thomas Zima463, commented on the video: "GET PABLO INTO THE CHOIR!" I couldn't agree more! You can watch the TikTok video here. Enjoy!
A lesson learned too late by an indulged young man who goes off track

R | 2h 28min | Drama, Adventure | 2007

Into the Wild (2007) is one of the most moving cinematic critiques of selfish individualism and haughty naturalism, when practiced at the expense of humanism. Its camera turns outward, to magnify the beauty of the natural world, then inward, to salute the equally beautiful world within us. It makes us reflect and realize how tragic it is to find beauty in only one of these worlds.

The film is adapted from the 1996 nonfiction book by Jon Krakauer, loosely based on the travelogue of a nomad, Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), who, while in his early 20s, trekked alone across America into the Alaskan wild.

Fed up with fulfilling his squabbling parents dreams, he heads off to fulfil his own, leaving behind his bruised parents (William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden) and baffled sister, Carine (Jena Malone). Carine is narrator for much of the film; Chris narrates the rest.

Chris passes breathtaking American scenery and wildlife. He takes odd jobs but otherwise lives off the wild, hops on freight trains and trucks, hitches rides on freeways, even kayaks down a stretch of rapids. Station wagons of hippies and hipsters seem more like home to him than his own. Roadies and tramps like Jan (Catherine Keener) and Rainey (Brian H Dierker) seem more like family to him than his own.

Emile Hirsch as Chris McCandless takes odd jobs but otherwise lives off the wild, hops on freight trains and trucks, hitches rides on freeways, even kayaks down a stretch of rapids in Into the Wild. (Paramount Vantage)

With Roger Millers bewitching King of the Road playing in the background, its hard to resist Chriss schmaltz for the road. Ironically, his discovery about himself and life hits him when he runs out of road.

Addicted to Whats New

Chris insists with deafening certainty that the core of mans spirit comes from new experiences. Turns out, he isnt after life or its fullness, hes after experience: the newer, the more, and more radical, the better. His hirers pays well for his work, yet Chris moves on because things were more exciting when I was penniless, and because the freedom and simple beauty is just too good to pass up.

Carine speaks of Chriss characteristic immoderation. Shes right. Hes no different from a junkie, except that wanderlust is his drug. The scenery of his childhood and adolescence cant give him a high any longer; nothing short of the Alaskan tundra will do.

She adds that Chris measures himself and others by a rigorous moral code. Shes wrong. Chris measures others more rigorously than himself. He detests people being mean to each other, but is unaware that hes cruel to his family by upping and leaving after a lifetime under their protection, however flawed that family may be.

In his self-righteous rejection of materialism (cash, car, career), Chris forgets that, at every step, hes exploiting someone elses material, whether its his backpack, sleeping bag, reading glasses, knife, rifle, the bus he hides in, or the pen-pad he uses for his meticulous diary entries. None of these are natural. They reek of humanity, each crafted by a tradition of learning, skill, patience, and excellence, and all made in factories or sheds by thousands of hard-working folk.

Chris replaces one form of materialism with another and calls it naturalism. Its the idea of rejecting that hypnotizes him, not rejection itself. Hes like a sulking child with the bedroom door shut, imagining hes cutting himself off from family, only to sneak out an hour later, just in time for dinner. He thinks nothing of taking free rides, meals, or a bed in shelters meant for the destitute and not rich graduates like himself.

But Chris discovers to his shock that solitude isnt our natural state. We might use it to spur the occasional burst of creativity, of introspection, or quiet healing, but were not meant to be alone. Were meant to give and receive, to love and be loved, to sacrifice, to forgive. And we can do none of these things alone in the woods. That Chris talks to himself is a clue to this truth, but he doesnt catch on soon enough.

No, Chris isnt some beer-swigging hermit on a Harley. Hes every young man and woman who feels alienated (and selfish) enough to euthanize their most vital relationships that are screaming for air.

Emile Hirsch as Chris McCandless continues his trek because things were more exciting when I was penniless, and because the freedom and simple beauty is just too good to pass up, in Into the Wild. (Paramount Vantage)

Chriss tragic tale of misanthropy is vital viewing for an age thats sold a new brand of my, me, mine each week, and a new othering every weekend. It reminds the climate change activist why hes agitating: not to protect nature, but mankind alongside nature. It reminds the human rights activist why shes protesting: not to protect rights, but humanity alongside rights. Man and Nature arent meant to contradict but to complement each other. Man is a part of Nature: a different part, but a critical part still.

Fine Filmmaking, Fine Cast

Screenwriter-producer-director Sean Penn, cinematographer Eric Gautier, and editor Jay Cassidy excel in close-ups of eyes, lips, hands. Through sheer precision and timing they uncover a mood, a fear, a suspicion, a longing, a regret. The soundtrack is a commentary on misconceived activist notions that anything outside of the exhilarating footage on National Geographic is lifeless, pointless.

The cast is superb. Hirschs eyes and smile convey tenderness and virtue. When a 16-year-old girl, Tracy (Kristen Stewart), swayed by a free life of caravanning, tries to seduce him, Chris is the one warning that shes too young.

Halbrook, Keener, and Dierker play compassionate sounding boards. And Malones voice aches with the agony of a sister whos losing her brother afresh each day, not of a sister whos lost her brother just once in a lifetime.

Hal Holbrook as Ron Franz and Emile Hirsch as Christopher McCandless share a moment in Into the Wild. (Paramount Vantage)

Brimming with wisdom that comes only with age thats learnt from its aging, the lonely artisan Franz hints at Chriss seething resentment against his parents and counsels Chris, When you forgive, you love. And when you love, Gods light shines on you.

Chris tells Rainey, struggling for intimacy with Jan, that some people feel they dont deserve love, and stray into empty spaces, trying to close gaps to the past. Its a remarkable moment for Chris to turn his insight on himself. But he lets it pass, teaching the other very little, learning even less.

As his family is forced to come to terms with what they lost, Chris is forced to come to terms with what he finds. The lesson he learns at the end is one of the most powerful captured on film, because of all thats come before it.

Figuratively, that dawning of wisdom indicts, not his seeking (always a good thing in a young person), but his lack of humility, his presumptuousness, his cultivated victimhood.

Tellingly, the film opens with Lord Byrons seductive verse that Chris seems to have taken to heart: I love not man the less, but Nature more. Rarely has a young man appeared more misguided in both the difficult choice and the ultimate preference.

Christopher McCandless, played by Emile Hirsch, passes breath-taking American scenery and wildlife. He takes odd jobs but otherwise lives off the wild. (Paramount Vantage)

Into the Wild

Director: Sean Penn

Starring: Emile Hirsch, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden, Jena Malone, Hal Holbrook

MPAA Rating: R

Running Time: 2 hours, 28 minutes

Release Date: Sept. 21, 2007

Rated: 5 stars out of 5
The U.S. head office of TikTok in Culver City, Calif., on Sept. 15, 2020. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

Russia Fines TikTok for LGBT Propaganda, Twitch Over Ukraine Content

MOSCOWRussia on Tuesday fined TikTok for failing to delete content that violates Russian laws on LGBT propaganda and streaming service Twitch for hosting a video interview with a Ukrainian political figure that Moscow said contained fake information.

Neither company immediately responded to a Reuters request for comment. Interfax reported that a TikTok representative in the courtroom had insisted the proceedings be terminated, without giving further details.

The fines mark the latest step in Moscows long-running dispute with Big Tech, with penalties over content, demands over data storage and some outright bans.

TikTok, owned by Beijing-based IT company ByteDance, was fined 3 million rubles ($51,000), Moscows Tagansky District Court said.

News agencies reported that the case against TikTok was based on accusations that the company was promoting non-traditional values, LGBT, feminism, and a distorted representation of traditional sexual values on its platform.

Twitch, owned by Amazon, was fined 4 million rubles ($68,000), the court said. News agencies said the case had been drawn up in response to Twitch hosting an interview with Oleksiy Arestovych, and adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Twitch was fined 3 million rubles earlier this year for hosting another Arestovych interview.

Russia passed a law in early March, soon after sending tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine, that prohibits discrediting the armed forces, with a sentence of up to 15 years. Foreign tech firms have been warned against violating that law.

TASS reported on Tuesday that Twitch faces two new fines of up to 8 million rubles for not deleting what Russia considers unreliable information about the course of its special military operation in Ukraine.

Russias LGBT Propaganda Law

Russia is considering expanding its existing gay propaganda law, passed in 2013, which bans any person or entity from promoting homosexual relationships to children. Lawmakers have argued the law should be expanded to include adults as well and fines for exposing minors to LGBT propaganda should be increased.

Russian authorities say they are defending morality in the face of what they argue are un-Russian liberal values promoted by the West.

Separately, the Wikimedia Foundation, which hosts online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, also faces a 4 million ruble fine for not deleting fakes about the Russian army, RIA reported.

($1 = 58.8000 rubles)
People attend a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, outside the Russian embassy in Canberra, Australia, on Feb. 26, 2022. (Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia Takes Australian Government to Court Over Cancellation of Embassy Site

Russian authorities have taken Australia to court over the cancellation of a site slated for the construction of its embassy.

The challenge was launched on Oct. 6 in the Federal Court of Australia with Russias lawyers arguing the local planning authority did not have power to terminate their lease for a site in Yarralumla.

Lawyer Elliot Hyde also argued they were concerned key Russian diplomatic figures could be expelled from the country if the legal fight dragged on for too long.

Justice Steven Rares of the Federal Court agreed, according to AAP.

In mid-August, the National Capital Authority terminated the lease in Yarralumla, a precinct home to several other embassies including the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and French missions.

The Russian government has held a lease since 2008 with an intention to replace its existing embassy in the suburb of Griffith. Building approvals were granted in 2011.

Yet Sally Barnes, CEO of the National Capital Authority, said ongoing unfinished works detracted from the overall aesthetic and dignity of the area.

With limited blocks currently available for diplomatic purposes, unless a country can demonstrate a willingness and ability to develop the site, the [National Capital Authority] supports a policy of Use it or lose it,' she said in a statement.

Initially, Russia was given 20 days to exit the site, but Australian authorities agreed to wait until the court matter was finished.

The matter will return to court on Nov. 18.

Australia Considering Expelling Russian Ambassador

Earlier this week, Australias Foreign Minister Penny Wong said expelling the Russian ambassador was under consideration following President Vladimir Putins threat to use nuclear weapons.

Russian Ambassador Aleksey Pavlovsky said his government would reciprocate. He further claimed Australians were not informed of the genesis of the situation and said they had been brainwashed.

Australia has followed in the stead of its fellow Five Eyes nations, announcing another round of sanctions on the Russian government following its attempts to annexe parts of Ukraine.

Wong said the government would roll out targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on 28 Russian-appointed separatists, ministers, and officials who aided Russia with attempts to annex the four regions by holding referendums.
Saudi Arabia Surprises Markets by Holding Oil Prices Steady Despite OPEC+ Cuts

Just a day after OPEC+ roiled the White House with its decision to slash oil production by 2 million barrels per day, the cartels key decision-maker, Saudi Arabia, decided to hold crude prices steady for Asian markets and lower them for Europe, defying market expectations for increases.

Saudi Arabias state-controlled Saudi Aramco left November prices unchanged on its Arab Light grade crude at a $5.85 per barrel premium above the average of the regional Oman/Dubai benchmark.

A Bloomberg survey of traders and refiners shows that markets expected the price of Arab Light to go up by 40 cents, while a Reuters poll predicted a 25-cent increase.

Respondents to the Reuters survey said they expected bigger price increases for Arab Medium and Arab Heavy grades for Asia, however, Aramco raised those prices by a relatively modest 25 cents.

Aramco lowered all grades for Europe, while all those for the United States went up by 20 cents.

The surprise announcement by Aramco to keep the key Arab Light grade prices steady comes a day after the OPEC+ alliance, led by Saudi Arabia, delivered its biggest production cut in years, prompting a series of Wall Street investment banks to boost their crude price predictions.

Goldman Sachs analysts raised their fourth-quarter 2022 Brent crude forecast by $10 to $110 per barrel. The oil team at Morgan Stanley raised its first-quarter 2023 Brent price prediction to $100 per barrel from $95, while ING analysts boosted their expectations for Brent crude to $97 per barrel from $90 for all of 2023.

$90 Oil Non-Negotiable for OPEC+

Some industry analysts have said that OPEC+s move to cut output was a bid to stem a decline in oil prices, which have slumped to roughly $90 on fears of an economic slowdown from about $120 per barrel during spring.

Stephen Brennock of oil broker PVM told Reuters that $90 oil is non-negotiable for the OPEC+ leadership, hence they will act to safeguard this price floor.

At a press conference following OPEC+s decision to cut output, Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman insisted that the move came in response to energy market volatility.

We are here to stay as a moderating force, to bring about stability, he told reporters while dismissing suggestions that the cuts could be seen as an act of belligerence.

The President Is Disappointed

Ahead of OPEC+s decision, draft White House talking points to the U.S. Treasury Department described the expected cuts as a total disaster and stated that they could be seen as a hostile act, CNN reported.

After OPEC+ announced the cuts, the White House directed a sharp rebuke toward the alliance.

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 adviser Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said in a statement following OPEC+s announcement.

Sullivan and Deese noted that the Biden administration would release another 10 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to protect American consumers and promote energy security.

ING analysts wrote in a note that given that the SPR has been aggressively drawn down and is now at its lowest levels since 1984, there will be limits on how much more the Biden administration can release to hold down prices.

Ultimately, the analysts wrote, OPEC+ can cut output for longer than the U.S. can tap into its SPR.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in Washington on May 25, 2022; and Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a file photo (Ting Shen/Getty Images; Aly Song/Reuters)

Sen. Graham Warns Elon Musk After He Calls for De-escalation of Ukraine War

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) targeted Elon Musk over recent Twitter posts and warned that senators could take away Teslas tax breaks after Musk urged for de-escalation of the RussiaUkraine war.

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, Musk wrote on Twitter this week in response to a Musk-critical poll made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Musk also posted a poll of his own on whether people in the disputed Donbass and Crimea regions should decide whether theyre part of Ukraine or Russia.

That prompted a critical comment and warning from Graham.

With all due respect to Elon Muskand I do respect himI would suggest he needs to understand the facts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Graham wrote on Twitter. Suggesting we end the Russian invasion by simply giving Russia parts of Ukraineafter all the sufferingis dumb. It is also an affront to the bravery of the Ukrainians fighting to defend their homeland.

Later in the thread, Graham suggested that lawmakers should revisit the electric vehicle tax credit boondoggle.

It is where the credit is now solely benefiting electric vehicle manufacturers who have increased prices equal to the tax credit, he wrote on Twitter, in what some suggested is a veiled threat against Musks company, Tesla, the largest manufacturer of electric vehicles in the United States.

Starlink

In response, Musk said his firm has not received a consumer tax credit in several years.

An elderly woman walks past a building partially destroyed by a missile strike in the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 13, 2022. (Sergy Bobok/AFP via Getty Images)

First of all, he wrote, Tesla hasnt had that consumer tax credit for years [and] we didnt ask for this oneGM [and] Ford did.

Other than Grahams criticism, the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, told Musk to [expletive] off.

The only outcome is that now no Ukrainian will EVER buy your [expletive] tesla crap, Ukraines ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, said on Twitter. So good luck to you.

During the early part of the UkraineRussia conflict, Musk announced that he would use his Starlink Internet service to aid Ukraines government as well as its military efforts against Russia. This week, Musk confirmed that SpaceX spent $80 million on Starlink in the Eastern European country.

SpaceXs out of pocket cost to enable & support Starlink in Ukraine is ~$80M so far. Our support for Russia is $0. Obviously, we are pro Ukraine, he said.

War Developments

Russias invasion of Ukraine has begun to unravel after a Ukrainian counteroffensive in which thousands of square miles of territory have been retaken since the start of September, including dozens of settlements in recent days.

In a blow for Moscow, thousands of Russian troops have retreated after the front line crumbled, first in the northeast, and, since the beginning of this week, also in the south.

Members of Russias Federation Council, the upper house of parliament, attend a session to ratify legislation on annexing Ukraines Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions into Russia, in Moscow on Oct. 4, 2022. (Russian Federation Council/Handout via Reuters)

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law to incorporate four partially occupied Ukrainian regions into Russia, including Zaporizhzhia, in Europes biggest attempted annexation since World War II.

Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that his army had retaken more settlements in the southern Kherson region and footage released from Kherson showed a Russian infantry fighting vehicle with a white piece of fabric wrapped around its gun barrel in apparent surrender.

Reuters contributed to this report.
South African Police Search for Suspects in Tourist Killing

JOHANNESBURGAt 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 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.

By Mogomotsi Magome
Stewart Rhodes, founder the Oath Keepers, speaks during a rally in Washington on June 25, 2017. (Susan Walsh/AP Photo)

Stewart Rhodes Was in Touch With Secret Service Agent: Former Oath Keepers Member

WASHINGTONThe head of the Oath Keepers was in contact with a Secret Service agent in the months leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, a former Oath Keepers member testified on Oct. 6.

John Zimmerman, the former member, testified that Oath Keepers were preparing for then-President Donald Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act. Asked how they would know if Trump invoked the act, Zimmerman said Rhodes would likely be the first to learn of the development.

Rhodes didnt have a connection with Trump but had the number of one of his Secret Service agents, Zimmerman testified in federal court in Washington.

Zimmerman also said that Rhodes told him that at one point, he spoke with somebody from the Secret Service.

Zimmerman has not been charged in relation to Jan. 6.

A Secret Service told The Epoch Times in an email, We are aware that individuals from the Oath Keepers have contacted us in the past to make inquiries. The spokesman suggested the inquiries were related to questions about what activities are allowed in sites protected by the service.

William Todd Wilson, another former Oath Keepers member, pleaded guilty earlier this year to obstruction of an official proceeding. Wilson, in the statement of defense, recounted being with Rhodes in a hotel room on the evening of Jan. 6 and Rhodes calling an individual over speaker phone.

Wilson heard Rhodes repeatedly implore the individual to tell President Trump to call upon groups like the Oath Keepers to forcibly oppose the transfer of power. This individual denied Rhodess request to speak directly with President Trump. After the call ended, Rhodes stated to the group, I just want to fight,' according to the statement.

That is accurate, Wilson said in his plea hearing.

The Insurrection Act enables a president to deploy U.S. troops domestically if certain circumstances, such as civil disorder, arise.

Zimmerman told the court Thursday that he believed Trump might invoke the act due to there being a rogue government.

Kind of like what were going through now, with Congress just seeming to do whatever they want, he added.

Rhodes is one of the current or former Oath Keepers on trial for seditious conspiracy. He and his co-defendants face decades in prison if convicted.

The Oath Keepers is a group comprised of current and former members of the military, law enforcement, and first responders.

Zimmerman said what he understood as the groups purpose shifted, leading to him exiting the organization. The group became known for providing security at events. He recounted Rhodes saying he hoped Antifa and Black Lives Matter would attack the Oath Keepers so the Oath Keepers could retaliate. Thats not what we do, Zimmerman recounted saying in response.

A retired Army member, Zimmerman, who lives in North Carolina, used to head one of the Oath Keepers chapters.
Suicide Bomber Strikes at a Center of Taliban Power, Kills 4

KABUL, AfghanistanA suicide bomber struck at a center of Taliban power Wednesday, setting off a blast at a government ministry in the Afghan capital of Kabul and killing at least four people.

The explosion went off in the afternoon as workers and visitors were praying inside a mosque of Afghanistans Interior Ministry, which is responsible for security and law enforcement in the country. At least 25 worshippers were injured, a Taliban representative said.

The attack inside a fortified compound dealt a serious blow to the Taliban terrorist group, who has been trying to project control and strength since they seized power in August 2021.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the terrorist group ISIS, the main Taliban rival, has carried out a series of attacks, including in mosques, as part of a long-running attack. Targets have included Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistans Shiite minority.

Wednesdays attack took place around 1:30 p.m. at the Interior Ministry compound on a main road next to Kabuls international airport.

Abdul Nafi Takor, a ministry spokesman, said the blast went off during prayers. He said four worshippers were killed and 25 wounded.

The Emergency Hospital in Kabul said it began receiving patients at around 2 p.m. with injuries and burns. Some of those wounded reported seeing a man detonate a device, said the hospitals acting country director, Dejan Panic. It was a suicide attack.

The mosque blast follows last weeks suicide bombing at an education center in Kabul that killed as many as 52 people, according to a tally compiled by The Associated Press, more than twice the death toll acknowledged by the Taliban.

Earlier this year, United Nations experts said the main military threat to the Taliban came from ISIS and guerrilla-style attacks by former Afghan government security personnel.

Their report said the presence of ISIS, the al-Qaeda terrorist group, and many other terrorist groups and fighters on Afghan soil was raising concerns in neighboring countries and the wider international community.

In 2020, the ISIS affiliate attacked a Kabul maternity hospital that killed 24 people, including newborn babies and mothers. In 2021, before the Taliban takeover, the group attacked a school, killing more than 90, most of them schoolgirls.
General view of the YouTube Artist Lounge at Coachella 2022 at Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., on April 15, 2022. (Anna Webber/Getty Images for YouTube)

Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Cases About YouTube, Twitter Allegedly Facilitating Terrorist Groups

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear two cases about the extent to which social media platforms may be held responsible when terrorist groups use the platforms to promote their cause.

Social media platforms such as YouTube and Twitter say they shouldnt be held responsible if terrorists use their websites.

Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act of 1996 generally prevents internet platforms and internet service providers from being held liable for what users say on them. This created a broad protection that has allowed innovation and free speech online to flourish, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

The first case is Gonzalez v. Google LLC, court file 21-1333, an appeal from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. The high court agreed to hear the case in an unsigned order dated Oct. 3.

The family of student Nohemi Gonzalez, a U.S. citizen who was killed in an ISIS attack on a bistro in Paris in November 2015, sued, claiming that Google, owner of YouTube, was liable under the Antiterrorism Act for aiding ISIS recruitment efforts by using algorithms to steer users to ISIS videos. The killing was part of a larger series of attacks the terrorist group carried out in Paris at that time. Gonzalez was one of 129 people killed during the terrorist campaign.

The plaintiffs asserted that Google had knowingly permitted ISIS to post on YouTube hundreds of radicalizing videos inciting violence and recruiting potential supporters to join the ISIS forces then terrorizing a large area of the Middle East, and to conduct terrorist attacks in their home countries, according to the petition (pdf) filed with the high court.

Because of the algorithm-based recommendations, users were able to locate other videos and accounts related to ISIS even if they did not know the correct identifier or if the original YouTube account had been replaced.

Googles services played a uniquely essential role in the development of ISISs image, its success in recruiting members from around the world, and its ability to carry out attacks. The complaint added that Google officials were well aware that the companys services were assisting ISIS.

A divided 9th Circuit panel found that under Section 230 the viewing recommendations were protected by federal law even if the section shelters more activity than Congress envisioned it would.

Google denied liability in a court filing, saying that its impossible for it to review every video that gets posted to YouTube, which accepts more than 500 hours of new content every minute.

Justice Clarence Thomas has frequently suggested that the Supreme Court should revisit the reach of Section 230.

The second case is Twitter Inc. v. Taamneh, court file 21-1496, which the Supreme Court also agreed on Oct. 3 to hear.

Twitter asked the high court to review (pdf) a lower court ruling regarding a lawsuit filed against the micro-blogging website by the family of a Jordanian national killed in an ISIS attack in an Istanbul nightclub.

Twitter argues it shouldnt be held responsible for acts of international terrorism if ISIS used its platform.

Twitter filed what it called a protective, conditional petition relating to Gonzalez, urging the court not to take up the Gonzalez case. At the same time, the company said if the court agrees to hear Gonzalez it should also hear Twitters case.

Twitter is engaged in a separate, extended legal battle with magnate Elon Musk over his $44 billion takeover bid for the company. Conservatives say Twitter discriminates against them and censors their views.
A gas leak from Nord stream 1 in the Swedish economic zone in the Baltic Sea in this picture taken from the Swedish Coast Guard aircraft on Sept. 28, 2022. (Swedish Coast Guard/Handout via TT News Agency/via Reuters)

Swedish Investigators Find Evidence of Serious Sabotage of Nord Stream Pipelines

A Swedish agency on Oct. 6 found in its preliminary investigation that leaks from the Russian Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea were likely caused by serious sabotage.

The Swedish Security Service confirmed that detonations were responsible for the extensive damage last week to the wholly Russian-owned pipelines. Seismologists in Denmark and Sweden also have said that the damage wasnt of natural origin, saying that blasts most likely were the cause. Evidence taken from the site will be examined.

During the crime scene investigation  seizures have been made, the Security Service stated. As part of the work, it added in a statement, the seizures will now be reviewed and analyzed.

The continued preliminary investigation must show whether someone can be served with suspicion and later prosecuted, the agency said, adding the blasts are a very serious development.

Now that the initial investigation is completed, a blockade around the pipelines off Sweden will be lifted, Swedish officials also said on Oct. 6.

The governments of Denmark and Sweden previously said they suspected that several hundred pounds of explosives were involved in carrying out a deliberate act of sabotage. The leaks from Nord Stream 1 and 2 discharged huge amounts of methane into the air.

Danish authorities said the two methane leaks they were monitoring in international waters stopped over the weekend. One of the leaks off Sweden also appears to have ended.

Energy Standoff

Officials in the European Union have publicly suspected sabotage, since the ruptures occurred in the midst of an energy standoff between the EU, Germany, and Moscow. Authorities in Moscow have said accusations that Russia is likely to blame are predictably stupid, noting that the pipelines are Russian-owned infrastructure and that the natural gas inside them is also Russian in origin.

Jeffrey Sachs gives a discussion in Trondheim, Norway, on June 21, 2017. (Michael Campanella/Getty Images)

Its also been suggested that the United States or one of its allies was behind the sabotage attack, which Pentagon and White House officials have categorically denied.

Earlier this week, a top economist with Columbia University, Jeffrey Sachs, publicly speculated that the United States would have the most to gain from the attack because it would then be able to sell its natural gas to Europe by cutting out Russia.

Sachs also pointed to public statements made by President Joe Biden about the pipeline and last weeks comment from Secretary of State Antony Blinken that its now a tremendous opportunity for the EU to reduce dependency on Russian gas.

In a statement on Oct. 6, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote that EU countries were betrayed by the United States. She noted that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak recently said Russia was ready to supply gas through an undamaged branch of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Will anyone now dare claim after that our country is behind this act of sabotage? I agree its hard to face the truth. But someday the EU countries will have to face up to the fact they were betrayed by their allies, Zakharova wrote.

US Not Involved in Sabotage

During a Fox News interview on Oct. 4, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby flatly denied that Washington had anything to do with the incident. Those allegations, he asserted, are Russian propaganda.

Thats just Russian propaganda and disinformation, Kirby told Fox News. 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.

No nation-state or group has claimed responsibility for the blasts. The United States also hasnt accused any country of carrying out a sabotage attack.

White House spokesman John Kirby speaks to reporters in Washington on Aug. 2, 2022. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

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.

But later in the interview, Kirby implied that Russia could be behind it.

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, he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A pilot is suing Southwest Airlines and a former co-pilot, Michael Haak, after the gentleman allegedly locked the cockpit door during a flight, stripped off his clothes, and "committed a lewd act for 30 minutes" in front of her as he watched pornography on his computer, according to ABC News.

Christine Janning says not only did Southwest ground her after she reported the inappropriate behavior to the airline and the FBI, but the airline also permitted Haak, who's been accused of sexual misconduct in the past, to continue flying until his planned retirement three weeks later.

Although Haak later pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge and was sentenced to probation, he now claims it was she who encouraged him to take off his clothes, and she "who made sexual advances after he disrobed."

From ABC News:

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. 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.  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. At his sentencing hearing last year, Haak called the incident "a consensual prank" that got out of hand.

Southwest denies the allegations against the company and claims the airline has always supported Janning.
China's official app for digital yuan on a mobile phone next to 100-yuan banknotes on Oct. 16, 2020. (Florence Lo/Illustration/Reuters)

SWIFT Sets Out Blueprint for Central Bank Digital Currency Network

LONDONFinancial messaging system SWIFT has laid out its blueprint for a global central bank digital currency (CBDC) network following an 8-month experiment on different technologies and currencies.

The trial, which for the last month has involved both France and Germanys national central banks as well as global lenders like HSBC, Standard Chartered and UBS, looked at how CBDCs could be used internationally and even converted into fiat money if needed.

Around 90 percent of the worlds central banks are now using, trialling, or looking into CBDCs. Most dont want to be left behind by bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, but are grappling with technological complexities.

SWIFTs head of innovation Nick Kerigan said its trial, which will be followed by more advanced testing over the next year, resembled a bicycle wheel where 14 central and commercial banks in total connected spoke-like into its main hub.

The idea is that once scaled-up, banks may need only one main global connection, rather than thousands if they were to set up connections with each counterpart individually.

We believe that the number of connections needed is much fewer, Kerigan said. Therefore, you are likely to have fewer breaks [in the chain] and you are likely to achieve greater efficiency.

CBDCs are being seen as a step forward as they could effectively be programed to meet both governments and individuals specific needs, although they have also raised concerns about privacy and surveillance.

SWIFTs trial also tested different underlying CBDC technologies known as Distributed Ledger Technologies. The use of various technologies has also been raised as a potential hurdle for rapid global adoption.

There was a separate trial too carried out with Citi, clearing house Clearstream and Northern Trust on tokenized assetstraditional assets like stocks and bonds transformed into digital tokens that can then be issued and traded in real-time.

Some countries such as the Bahamas and Nigeria already have CBDCs up and running. China has been running real-life trials of an e-yuan, while central bank umbrella group, the Bank for International Settlements, has also been running cross-border trials.

SWIFTs main advantage though is that its existing network is already usable in over 200 countries and connects more than 11,500 banks and funds.

The Belgium-based firm has gone from being virtually unknown outside banking circles to a household name this year after it cut most of Russias banks off from its network as part of the Wests sanctions for the countrys invasion of Ukraine.

Kerigan said that kind of move could also happen in a new CBDC system, but doubted whether it would stop countries joining one.

Ultimately what most central banks are looking to do is to provide us with a CBDC for the people, the businesses, and the organizations in their jurisdiction.

So a solution thats fast and efficient and that gains access to as many other countries as possible would seem to be an attractive one.

By Marc Jones
Texas Executes Inmate John Ramirez Who Challenged Prayer, Touch Rules

Texas death row inmate John Ramirez, who won a legal bid to have a preacher by his side to perform religious rites, was executed on Wednesday at the state penitentiary in Huntsville.

Ramirez was sentenced to death for the murder of 46-year-old Pablo Castro, who he robbed of $1.25 and stabbed 29 times at a convenience store in Corpus Christi in 2004. Ramirez killed Castro during a drug-fueled multiple-day binge, during which he committed robberies with two women.

A lethal dose of pentobarbital was injected into Ramirez on Wednesday night. Around 14 minutes later he was pronounced dead, at 6:41 p.m. local time.

In his last statement, Ramirez addressed the relatives of his victim, including four of his children, as they watched his execution.

Ramirez acknowledged the efforts the family had made to communicate with him via the Victims Advocacy program and told them nothing he could say or do would help them.

I have regret and remorse, this is such a heinous act. I hope this finds you comfort. If this helps you, then I am glad, he said. I hope in some shape or form this helps you find closure.

Ramirez also gave his love to his family and friends, saying he had fought a good fight and was ready to go.

Legal Fight for Prayer, Touching

In a noteworthy legal challenge, Ramirez sought to have a pastor in the chamber, touching him, and praying aloud for him at the time of his execution.

Bryan Collier, executive director of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, tried to prevent this, arguing in court last year that, among other things, the presence of an outsider in the execution chamber posed a security risk.

That a state may not impose policies coercing an inmate to do what his religious tenants [sic] forbid does not mean that it must accede to his every religious demand, Collier said in court filings. By design, prisons impede inmates freedom to behave as they might wish, which, necessarily limits some of their religious behavior.

Collier, who was speaking for Texas, also argued that Ramirezs religious needs were already being accommodated. He would be allowed to visit with his preacher for four hours on the morning of his execution, and then again for two hours in the afternoon.

But through his attorney, Ramirez argued that Texas was depriving him of his constitutionally protected right to exercise his religion, as well as running afoul of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.

Ramirezs legal challenge led to the delay of his execution and others.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Ramirez in March. As he was executed, his pastor said a prayer while placing his right hand on Ramirezs chest.

On Wednesday night, the victims son, Aaron Castro, said only God could judge his fathers killer, the Texas Tribune reported.

Peace and Love and justice for Pablo G. Castro may his name not be forgotten, and may God have mercy in J.H.R. for it is not up to us, Castros statement reads. He is receiving his true judgement with our Lord and Savior. The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end. A Life taken away is not to be celebrated but closure can definitely take place.
By Nick Kindelsperger

From Chicago Tribune

ChicagoBarbecue has been on my mind for months now, from the newer Texas-style offerings in the suburbs to the saucy South Side classics. As Ive hopefully made clear, Chicago has a robust barbecue tradition, particularly for a northern city. But after looking through the Tribunes archives, even I was surprised by how early and often barbecue pops up.

Our reporters have been writing about smoked meat almost since the very beginning. The Chicago Tribune was founded on June 10, 1847, and barbecue shows up regularly by the mid-1850s. This is especially impressive considering our existing records between 1847 and 1852 are incomplete.

The only caveat is that early on, most of the barbecue was being eaten in other parts of Illinois. During this time, barbecue was rarely eaten at a restaurant. Instead, as Adrian Miller writes in his excellent book, Black Smoke, political events at the time often attracted large crowds with the promise of barbecue. Cooks would dig long trenches, fill them with lit wood and set poles or sticks across for the meat to rest on.

A Grand Rally of Republicans came to Urbana for a barbecue in September 1856, the Chicago Tribune reported on Sept. 20, 1856. (Chicago Tribune/TNS)

The genius of the trench method was its complete scalability to cater to a crowd in ways that other cooking methods could not match, Miller wrote. Want to feed hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people? Just dig a longer trench.

Miller isnt kidding about the numbers. On Sept. 20, 1856, the Tribune told of a barbecue the Republican Party had hosted earlier in the month with 7,000 attendees in Urbana. (More accurately, the event was held East of the old town, in the edge of the Big Grove, under the shade of a number of wide spreading oak and ash trees. But you get the idea.)

The food spread was impressive:

Dinner was then announced, and the immense crowd wended their way to the long tables, groaning under the large quantity of substantials prepared for the occasion under the superintendence of John W. Baddeley, Jas. Lee and Benj. Bent, the dinner committee, who showed their ability to barbecue beeves and every other meat suitable to feed an army of ten thousand. (Though very rarely used these days, beeves is the plural of beef.)

Illinois Democrats werent strangers to the big barbecue game. On Aug. 14, 1858, the party hosted a barbecue in Clinton with 2,000 to 3,000 people. Though it should be pointed out that one month later, the Republicans Clinton barbecue drew twice the crowd.

Barbecue continued to be served mostly at large events through the early part of the 20th century. On May 31, 1908, an old-fashioned barbecue took place on Northwestern Universitys campus. A whole ox, which had been roasted under the care of Frank Davis, a Virginia (Illinois) barbecue expert, was portioned out to the 1,500 students and secondary school visitors along with coffee, sandwiches, and pickles.

The Elks (formally, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks) apparently loved to host large barbecue events. On July 6, 1918, its barbecue at Comiskey Park drew between 5,000 to 10,000 people to raise money for World War I.

But thats nothing compared to the event the Elks hosted after the Eighteenth Amendment, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors in the United States, was ratified. On Jan 19, 1919, the group held a wake in Comiskey Park for John Barleycorn, a fictional character often used as a symbol for alcohol, which they hoped would be one of the biggest barbecues Chicago has ever seen. Between 10,000 and 20,000 people were expected to attend. (Though ratified by the States, prohibition wouldnt officially begin until Jan. 17, 1920.)

More than a decade later on Aug. 14, 1931, the Tribune even printed a fairly detailed guide to throwing one of these large events, though youd have to of course forget the beer. (By the way, a trench 10 feet long is considered sufficient for about 400 pounds of beef; 15 feet, about 600 pounds. Now you know.)

The Chicago Tribunes article Heres Recipe for a Barbecue Minus, of Course, the Beer, was published Aug. 14, 1931. (Chicago Tribune/TNS)

While enormous political barbecues still took place in the 20th century, restaurants serving barbecue started becoming more popular. In an article on June 23, 1928, Jane Eddington wrote that a new feature is the wayside barbecue sandwich shop, which is multiplying by leaps and bounds.

Unfortunately, not much was written about specific barbecue restaurants until the 1970s, as dining at restaurants in general became more popular.

Along with opening restaurants, Black entrepreneurs started selling barbecue-related products. One of the most successful was Argia B. Collins, who created Mumbo Sauce in 1950. (Though the history is very contentious, this may have been the start of mild sauce, which is a South Side staple to this day.) An advertisement from March 17, 1967 describes the product as not too mildnot too hotnot too sweet.

Oak Parkers celebrate the villages golden jubilee by downing a half-ton of barbecued meat, 7,200 buns and and uncounted bottles of pop in less than an hour in 1951. (Chicago Tribune/TNS)

Collins was honest about how difficult it was as a Black entrepreneur in an article from Nov. 14, 1971. He said getting into grocery stores was especially hard: I ran into the brick wall of a closed consumer market that wouldnt let me into the stores.

By the 1970s, Chicago was becoming known as a rib town. In 1974, an article called The ribs scene: Raps and raves by the ravenous does a great job of showcasing how rib joints were popping up all over the city. While the article is credited to Harriet Choice, it also features the opinions of Gene Siskel, the papers famous film critic. While most of the restaurants are now closed, including Eddies Real Barbecue in Logan Square and The Homestead Tavern in Blue Island, the article features one of the first mentions of Lems Bar-B-Q House, which got a glowing recommendation. Its also one of the first mentions of rib tips.

The 1980s brought even more attention to Chicagos barbecue scene, thanks to a couple of large food events. On July 3, 1981, Leons Bar-B-Que was a huge attraction at the second Taste of Chicago, leading Howard Reich to write these glowing words:  owner Leon Finney turns out the kind of softer-than-butter, hickory-smoked ribs that have made him a gastronomic legend in Chicago.

Leons Bar-B-Que was a huge attraction at the second Taste of Chicago in 1981. (Anne Cusack/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

Then there was Ribfest, which was created somewhat on a lark by the citys biggest columnist at the time, Mike Royko. As recently recounted by Rick Kogan, Royko hosted the first Ribfest in 1982 with over 400 contestants. By 1984, the event swelled to 600 eager to compete.

The Tribunes restaurant critics weighed in on the matter throughout the years. In 1983, critic Paula Camp wrote an article called, In search of the best barbecued ribs in Chicago. The highest-rated option was Lems. They were huge, meaty and had very little fat, Camp wrote.

Ten years later, restaurant critic Phil Vettel also crowned Lems the winner. It was probably the judges easiest call of the night, he wrote. Lems meaty, richly smoked ribs, topped by a tangy barbecue sauce with a vinegary bite, were the unanimous choice for no. 1.

By 2007, rib tips had started to supplant ribs as the preferred South Side barbecue order. On May 10 of that year, food writer Kevin Pang chatted with Lems owner, James Lemons, about the change: Lemons has seen a shift in his customers taste over the last five years. Before, everyone ordered slab ribs. These days, they prefer rib tips. At his cash-only takeout restaurant, they can go through 1,000 pounds of tips on a good day.

Tips are on the move, Lemons said.

2022 Chicago Tribune. Visit chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Commentary

Last September, Biden announced that he was mandating COVID vaccines for all 10 million healthcare workers in Americaas well as for any American working for a company employing more than a hundred people. In a televised evening speech, he announced, My job as president is to protect all Americans. Actually, his oath of office was to uphold and defend the Constitution, but no matter.

Biden issued the equivalent of a declaration of war on 80 million unvaccinated Americans, portraying them as Public Enemy Number One (except for postal workers, who the White House exempted from the mandate due to the clout of postal unions).

Biden castigated the unvaxxed: Weve been patient but our patience is wearing thin. And your refusal has cost all of us. Bidens declaration sounded like the threat a dictator makes prior to invading a foreign nation. Biden finger-wagged: This is not about freedom or personal choice. Its about protecting yourself and those around youthe people you work with, the people you care about, the people you love. But who would protect Americans from Bidens dictatorial mandates?

Bidens Vaccine Lies

The Biden administration has consistently portrayed vaccines as a pandemic panacea. Shortly before dictating the mandate, Biden promised, Youre not going to get COVID if you have these vaccinations. When he announced plans to impose the mandate in a September 9 speech, Biden declared that theres only one confirmed positive case per 5,000 fully vaccinated Americans per day. Youre as safe as possible.

Biden deceived the American public by pretending that the vaccines would keep them safe by preventing all contagion. To buttress the Biden storyline, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ceased counting the vast majority of breakthrough infections among vaccinated people several months earlier. The Washington Post reported that the CDCs overly rosy assessments of the vaccines effectiveness against Delta  may have lulled Americans into a false sense of security. In October, Biden repeated his claim that vaccines prevent COVID transmissioneven though the CDC had finally admitted its failure on that score.

The moral principles involved in Bidens decree were showcased in numerous court battles late last year. Three days after Bidens mandate speech, a federal judge temporarily blocked New York States vaccine mandate for all healthcare professionals, which was a mirror-image of the new federal mandate.

Seventeen healthcare workers who claimed religious exemptions had asserted that the mandate emerges in the context of an atmosphere of fear and irrationality in which the unvaccinated are threatened with being reduced to a caste of untouchables if they will not consent to being injected. Biden did his best to fuel hostility, assuring vaccinated individuals that I understand your anger at those who havent gotten vaccinated.

Biden did not formally issue his vaccine decrees until Nov. 5, when his appointees unveiled a 150,000+-word Federal Register sidewinder announcing his jab or job ultimatum. The official notice touted the initial 95 percent claimed efficacy of COVID vaccines from the clinical trials but ignored subsequent studies that revealed plummeting efficacy. Team Bidens announcement explained that it was mandating vaccinations because the most important inducement [for vaccination] will be the fear of job loss. And the president had the right to destroy peoples jobs for the public goodat least according to the latest progressive version of the Constitution. The ultimatum was justified, according to the Federal Register notice, because vaccination mandates have generally been more effective than merely encouraging vaccination.

In other words, compulsion produces submission.

Healthcare Workers Fight Back

Across the nation, thousands of healthcare workers were fired for refusing to get injected. The Cleveland Clinic fired 700 employees. In New York, a hospital closed its maternity ward and ceased delivering babies because of a shortage of vaccinated nurses. One health system curtailed elective and nonemergency surgeries and reduced radiology treatment in part because of loss of health personnel due to the vaccine mandate.

After conflicting decisions on the Biden mandate in federal appeals court, the Supreme Court speedily took up the case. According to a brief from the attorneys general of Missouri and Nebraska, Bidens mandate threatens economic ruin and patient harm throughout the [healthcare] industry and will have disastrous consequences on [health care] particularly in rural communities.

The Federal Register notice on the new mandate dismissed concerns about the loss of healthcare staff because there is insufficient evidence to quantify the impact. Since the feds chose not to tabulate the damage, the problem didnt exist. Biden responded to shortages of critical personnel by sending in a thousand U.S. military personnel to assist hospitals but provided zero relief for most healthcare facilities.

In its brief to the Supreme Court, the Biden administration declared that the vaccine mandate was critical to preventing outbreaks of (COVID-19) that had devastated Medicare- and Medicaid-participating facilities earlier in the pandemic. However, two weeks before the Supreme Court heard oral arguments, the CDC changed its previous guidance on healthcare workers isolating after testing positive for COVID-19. The CDC decreed that the quarantine time for COVID-infected health employees can be sharply reduced if there are staffing shortages. Some COVID-19-positive nurses across the country have been told to come into work and treat patients even if they still have symptoms.

People who contract a virus and recover have natural immunity that subsequently protects them. But the Biden administration ignored post-infection immunity, perhaps because it did nothing for presidential bragging rights100 million shots in 100 days, as Biden crowed in March 2021.

According to Biden policymakers, it was better for hospital patients to be treated by fever-ridden COVID-positive nurses (whose COVID-19 vaccinations failed to safeguard them from the virus) than by unvaccinated nurses with no COVID. Zenei Triunfo-Cortez, president of National Nurses United, said the new policy will only result in further transmission, illness and death.

Shortly before the Supreme Court heard the case, Biden declared that almost everyone who has died from COVID-19 in the past many months has been unvaccinated. But the fully vaccinated accounted for 21 percent to 27 percent of COVID-19 fatalities in Oregon from August through November and 40 percent to nearly 75 percent of deaths in Vermont from August into October. The data had become so embarrassing to the Biden administration that the CDC stopped publishing vaccination details on COVID deaths in October.

Biden Admits No Federal Solution

Biden also admitted in late December that there is no federal solution (to COVID-19). This gets solved at the state level. That was a far cry from his pledge in his final debate with Donald Trump in October 2020, when Biden promised: I will take care of this. I will end this. Im going to shut down the virus, not the country. Bidens no federal solution offered ample justification for the Supreme Court to reject Bidens mandate.

On Jan. 7, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments amidst the worst COVID surge ever. Mandates have curbed almost everything except COVID-19 cases, Yahoo editor Javier David quipped. Even though almost two-thirds of the U.S. population was fully vaccinated, more than a million new COVID cases were being diagnosed every day in early January. But that surge did nothing to stop Biden from prattling about a pandemic of the unvaccinated.

During oral arguments, Justice Elena Kagan declared that the Biden policy is saying to healthcare providers the one thing you cant do is to kill your patients. Workers must get vaccinated, Kagan said, so that youre not transmitting the disease that can kill elderly Medicare patients. You cant be the carrier of disease.

Unless the carriers of disease are CDC-approved, as my USA Today op-ed on the morning of the courts arguments noted. At that point, more than half a million healthcare workers had already had COVID-19 infections, and more than 99+ percent of them survived. However, the Biden mandate presumed that vaccines were the sole source of good health and protection and ignored postinfection immunity because of perceived uncertainties  as to the strength and length of (natural) immunity. However, a major Israeli study in August found that people who had COVID-19 have far better protection against the Delta variant than people who have received multiple COVID-19 vaccine injections.

The Supreme Courts deliberations occurred in a make-believe world that tacitly assumed that the vaccines were still the miracle cure that politicians like Biden initially claimed. But the effectiveness of the COVID booster shot had fallen to 31 percent, according to the CDC. Nobel Laureate scientist Luc Montagnier noted in the Wall Street Journal that Moderna and Pfizer vaccines after 30 days had no statistically significant positive effect against Omicron infection, and after 90 days, their effect went negative  i.e., vaccinated people were more susceptible to Omicron infection. Later studies confirmed that vaccines and boosters increased the odds of contracting Omicron. CDC later admitted that almost half the COVID deaths in early 2022 were among the fully vaxxed. On January 11, Bidens FDA acting chief Janet Woodcock told a Senate committee that most people are going to get COVID. So what was the point of mandatory vaccines?

SCOTUS Vaccine Rulings a Mixed Bag

On January 13, the court voted to uphold the vaccine mandate for all healthcare workers by a 5 to 4 vote. (A separate ruling struck down Bidens mandate for employees of large companies.) The courts healthcare mandate ruling declared, Ensuring that providers take steps to avoid transmitting a dangerous virus to their patients is consistent with the fundamental principle of the medical profession: first, do no harm.

Unfortunately, federal policymakers were exempt from the do no harm admonition. The justices ignored or failed to comprehend how the Biden administrations welcome mat for COVID-positive nurses obliterated both its legal and moral case for mandates.

Shortly after the decision was announced, The Lancet, one of the most respected medical journals in the world, editorialized that healthcare workers who recovered from COVID should be exempt from vax mandates.

COVID vaccines can help reduce the risk of severe outcomes from COVID among the elderly and people with compromised health. But there was never any scientific rationale for forcing every healthcare worker or every American to get an experimental jab that performed worse with each new COVID-19 wave.

Bidens vaccine mandates are another demolition of freedom that do nothing to end the most politically exploited pandemic in American history. But the government has no liability for the injections it mandates or the freedoms it destroys. For bureaucrats and politicians, gaining power and compelling submission are victory enough, even when their policies fail to vanquish a virus. How much longer will politicians pretend that their iron fists are a magic bullet?

Originally published on The Future of Freedom Foundation, reposted from the Brownstone Institute

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Hispanic Leadership Conference in Miami on Oct. 5, 2022, in a still from video. (NTD)

Trump Asks CNN to Prove His Big Lie About 2020 Elections Is False

Former President Donald Trump, who sued CNN for defamation early this week, said in an interview on Wednesday that the media should prove his allegations about the 2020 presidential election being rigged are false.

CNN had termed Trumps allegations a big lie, a term that Trump claimed was coined by anchors to malign his reputation. While talking to hosts John Solomon and Amanda Head on the Real Americas Voice network show Just The News No Noise on Oct. 5, Trump said CNN should prove the big lie.

Theyll say whatever comes to mind. They talk about the big lie. I said, well prove the big lie. The big lie is not a big lie at all. The big lie is the opposite, said Trump.

All the statswe have everything. Unfortunately, we havent had judges that want to look at it. They dont want to change elections.

The former President filed a lawsuit against CNN on Monday, alleging defamation and seeking $475 million in punitive damages.

And so we sued CNN for a lot of money and well see how that goes. I think it should go very well, Trump said.

The 29-page lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, accuses CNN of having sought to use its massive influencepurportedly as a trusted news source to defame Trump for the purpose of defeating him politically.

The effort resulted in CNN claiming credit for [getting] Trump out in the 2020 presidential election, attorneys for Trump said in the complaint (pdf) adding that the libel and slander against Trump has only escalated in recent months because CNN fears Trumps presidential campaign for 2024.

CNN has been given the dreaded Pants on Fire! designation by PolitiFact for its stories comparing Trump to Hitler, said the attorneys.

They were referring to two psychiatrists discussing coverage of Trump on CNNs now-canceled Reliable Sources program. Allen James Frances, the chairman emeritus of Duke Universitys department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, had said on the show: Trump is as destructive a person in this century as Hitler, Stalin, and Mao were in the last century. He may be responsible for many more million deaths than they were. He needs to be contained, but he needs to be contained by attacking his policies, not his person.

Politifact, a fact-checking website operated by the Poynter Institute of MediaStudies had done a fact-check on the claim and rated it as Pants on Fire on its Truth-O-Meter, which means the statement is not accurate and makes a ridiculous claim.

Trumps attorneys said that [o]ne of the most pervasive associations between [Trump] and Hitler that CNN has employed is its use of the term the Big Lie in relation to the Plaintiffs stated concerns about the integrity of the election process for the 2020 presidential election.

The Big Lie is a direct reference to a tactic employed by Adolf Hitler and appearing in Hitlers Mein Kampf, they wrote.

According to a footnote on the lawsuit, Trumps lawyers had earlier contacted CNN in July with a notice of soon-to-be litigation and had requested that the media stop referring to Trumps comments on the 2020 elections as lies. However, CNN declined his request and said: You have not identified a single false or defamatory statement in your letter.

In 2019, Trumps lawyers had also sent a letter to CNN threatening to sue and seek substantial payment, but CNN dismissed it as a PR stunt.

CNN hasnt responded to The Epoch Times earlier requests for comments and the media has yet to offer any public statement on Trumps recent lawsuit.
Former President Donald Trump gets ready to speak during a Save America rally in Warren, Mich., on Oct. 1, 2022. (Emily Elconin/Getty Images)

Trump Calls for Return to Paper Ballots, Ending Mail-In Voting

Former President Donald Trump this week called for the United States to return to using paper ballots and again called for an end to mail-in balloting.

We shouldnt have mail-in ballots, unless somebodys very, very sick or its military far away, Trump told Just the News in an interview, noting that lengthy delays for a week or more in counting those ballots have eroded voters confidence in election systems.

We should go to paper ballots, like they did in France. Thirty-six million people [voted] and they had no disputes. Everyone had paper ballots, and it was one-day voting. They didnt store them over there in the corner, and you see the boxes moving all over the place, Trump said.

Government should adopt one-day voting and should go to paper ballots, Trump said. And you would have elections that everybody could be proud of. Because right now, this country is a laughingstock all over the world. Theyre laughing at our stupid elections.

Following the 2020 presidential election, Trump frequently criticized how long it took states to count and certify votes. Hes also often stated that mail-in ballots can be easily tampered with and has said the 2020 election was marred by mail-in ballot fraud.

Lawsuits

Since that election, a number of lawsuits have been filed to toss mail-in ballot provisions in several states. Several months ago, Republicans challenged a 2019 law that largely expanded mail-in voting in Pennsylvania, while a Delaware state court separately blocked voting by mail in that state on Sept. 14 following a lawsuit.

A judge in June, meanwhile, rejected a Republican challenge to Arizonas mail-in voting provision, which was set up in 1991.

This week, North Carolinas State Board of Elections directed county election officials not to engage in signature matching when reviewing absentee ballot envelopes this fall after a judge rejected the GOP appeal of a state board ruling prohibiting the practice.

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)

The North Carolina Republican Party had filed motions in Wake County Superior Court last week, asking the court to block the state board from enforcing its declaratory ruling that prevented county election officials from comparing signatures on absentee ballot request forms and return envelopes with the signatures included in voter registration records.

The GOP-controlled Texas legislature last year passed a measure to overhaul the states elections, including making it a felony to provide voters with a vote-by-mail application if they hadnt already requested one.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A statue representing the scales of justice is seen on the roof of the Old Bailey courts in central London, on Jan. 26, 2007. (Toby Melville/Reuters)

UK Man Accused of Murder Tells Jury He Ran After Victim Because He Was Curious

Prosecutor told jury murder was linked to violent rivalry between London gangs

LONDONA man on trial for murdering a gang member who was stabbed to death on a London street in broad daylight has told the jury he only chased after the victim because he saw others running and he was curious.

Donte McCalla, 21, Tristan Bullock, also 21, and Darius Kwakye, 29, all deny murdering Salem Koudou in Brixton, south London, in August 2020.

Bullocks younger brother, Yaseen, was convicted of murdering Koudou at a previous trial.

The jury has heard that Koudou, a member of the All Bout Money (ABM) gang from Stockwell, drove onto the Angell Town estate in Brixton with two accomplices planning to launch an attack on the rival 150 gang.

After their car crashed and overturned the two other men in the car fled but Koudou, who was armed with an enormous knife, stabbed Tyreicke Williams before a group of up to 15 people, several of whom were armed, chased him off the estate.

Koudou was then chased into a cul-de-sac on the other side of the main Brixton Road, where he was surrounded and stabbed to death.

On Thursday, McCalla went into the witness box to give his own version of the events of Aug. 20, 2020.

McCalla said he had been hanging out with a group of friends on the Angell Town estate when they heard a commotion and began seeing people running after someone.

He was asked by his barrister, Jenny Dempster, KC, why he began running.

I dont know. I was curious and wanted to find out what was going on, McCalla replied.

She asked him why he had run across the Brixton Road and down the cul-de-sac.

Because the people ahead of me ran there and I was curious, he responded.

McCalla said he knew Tristan Bullock and his brother Yaseen, and another individual in the running group, but did not know Kwakye or any of the others who were in the chasing pack.

He admitted grabbing a Royal Mail trolley outside the sorting office but denied he planned to use it to trap Koudou, who he says he did not know at the time.

McCalla said he saw a group catch up with the man and he said: He was on the floor and people were kicking and punching him  he was sitting on the floor with a knife in his hand.

I Froze  I Was Shocked

Dempster asked him what he was thinking at the time.

I froze. I didnt really know what was going on. I was shocked, McCalla replied.

He denied seeing any knives in the hands of the people attacking Koudou.

Dempster then asked him why he can suddenly be seen running off on the CCTV footage.

I saw others running and that triggered me to do the same, McCalla replied.

He said he went to a shop to buy a drink and spent an uneventful evening afterwards, unaware that anyone had been killed.

McCalla said he thought he had just witnessed someone being beaten up and it was only the following day, when he saw the news, that he realised he had witnessed a murder.

Dempster asked him why he did not contact the police to offer information on what he had witnessed.

I didnt want to be involved in anything to do with a murder, McCalla replied.

He was not arrested and charged with murder until almost 15 months later.

Under cross examination by junior prosecutor, Jonathan Polnay, McCalla was asked if he heard people say wet himmeaning stab himas they chased Koudou.

McCalla denied hearing it but added, Im not saying it wasnt said.

Polnay asked him, You were part of a plan, on the spur of the moment, to try and corner Mr. Koudou?

No, I wasnt, he replied.

Prosecutor Oliver Glasgow, KC, has told the jury the ABM gang had a violent rivalry with the 150 gang and their allies, the 410 gang from the nearby Myatts Field estate.

In his opening speech to the jury last month Glasgow told the jury, Donte McCalla has been identified from the CCTV as part of the group that pursued Salem Koudou into Wynne Road and who tried to prevent his escape.

He added, Donte McCalla has been identified from the CCTV as one of the group that chased Salem Koudou down Wynne Road and either stabbed him to death, or who encouraged others to do the same; and Donte McCalla has been identified from the CCTV as he ran away from the fatally wounded Salem Koudou with his hands placed, rather awkwardly, in his waistband or in his pockets.

The trial continues.
A facility believed to be a re-education camp where mostly Muslim ethnic minorities are detained, in Artux, north of Kashgar in China's western Xinjiang region, on June 2, 2019. (Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images)

UN Votes Down Debate on Uyghurs After CCP Lobbying

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Oct. 6 rejected a move to debate Chinas ongoing human rights abusesa rare move that could signal U.S. influence abroad is waning.

Leaders from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada called for a debate on the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) suppression of the Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang after a U.N. report documented possible crimes against humanity in the region.

The extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim groups  may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity, the report says.

Serious human rights violations have been committed in [Xinjiang] in the context of the Governments application of counter-terrorism and counter-extremism strategies.

Despite widespread concern about the report, the UNHRC voted 1917 against the motion for a debate, with 11 nations abstaining. Its only the second time in the councils 16-year history that a motion has been rejected.

The CCP engaged in extensive lobbying efforts ahead of the vote to debate the issue. Communist leadership hosted a photo exhibition called Xinjiang Is a Wonderful Land, which featured pictures of Han Chinese and Uyghur schoolgirls helping each other with their studies.

The vote also raised political dilemmas for many developing nations on the 47-member council. They may have concerns about defying the regime in Beijing because of their dependence on the CCP for economic projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative, also known as One Belt, One Road.

Notably, the CCPs lobbying efforts began months before the report documenting its crimes was released. In June, Beijing circulated a letter among foreign diplomatic missions in Geneva, urging them to bury the report and add their signature to a document supporting the regime.

We strongly urge Madame High Commissioner not to publish such an assessment, the letter said.

In another, more strongly worded response (pdf) to the publication of the report, the CCP criticized the UNHRCof which it is a memberfor promoting anti-China forces that spread disinformation and lies.

The U.S. envoy to the council vowed to continue seeking justice for those in Xinjiang whose lives and families were destroyed by the regime.

No country should be immune from a discussion at the council, Michele Taylor said after the vote concluded.

We will continue to work closely with our partners to seek justice and accountability for victims of human rights abuses and violations, including the Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

Reuters contributed to this report.
US Charges 11 Pro-Life Activists for Blocking Access to Abortion Clinic

U.S. prosecutors charged 11 pro-life activists with violating federal law by blocking access to an abortion clinic in Tennessee in 2021.

Prosecutors say Chester Gallagher and others conspired to blockade a clinic in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, utilizing Facebook to coordinate travel and logistics for co-defendants.

Caroline Davis, also a defendant, at one point wrote to Coleman Boyd, who was also charged, that she would meet him for a rescue in Tennessee in March 2021.

The group did block a woman and an employee from entering the clinic, authorities said, citing a livestream broadcast by Boyd. The broadcast was titled Mt. Juliet, TN Rescue March 5, 2021. The group went into the hallway outside the clinics two entry doors before it was scheduled to open.

Gallagher said on a separate livestream that he and those with him were willing to be incarcerated to rescue families from this place of destruction.

Local police officers arrested nine people, including Gallagher. The people went inside the facility and basically just sat down, and they were not going to leave, Mount Juliet Police Department Capt. Tyler Chandler said at the time.

A federal grand jury has indicted Gallagher, Davis, Boyd, Heather Idoni, Dennis Green, Calvin Zastrow, and Paul Vaughn on charges of civil rights conspiracy and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act). Eva Edl, Eva Zastro, James Zastro, and Paul Place were charged only with violating the FACE Act.

Civil rights law prohibits two or more people conspiring to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person  in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States.

The FACE Act bars obstructing people from obtaining reproductive health services, including abortions.

If convicted, those charged with conspiracy face up to 11 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Those charged with FACE Act violations face up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

The only lawyer listed on the docket was a public defender. Public defenders dont comment on ongoing cases outside of court.

Edl and Idoni didnt respond to requests for comment. The others couldnt be reached. Vaughn has already made his initial appearance and has been released, according to the docket.

A.J. Hurley, director of Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust, told The Epoch Times that he was at other protests at the clinic and that hes friends with some of those who were charged.

Hurley said the group did block the clinic but noted that the trespassing charges were dropped against some of those charged locally. He later said that violations of the FACE Act will need to be proven in a court of law.

Hurley also said the group is innocent of the conspiracy charges due to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization Court that struck down Roe v. Wade, a 1973 decision that concluded that access to abortion was a constitutional right.

In Tennessee, abortion is not a constitutional right, and Dobbs declared that the states have the right to determine their own laws regarding abortion, he said. Its never been a constitutional right in the state of Tennessee. Therefore, theyre completely innocent of those charges.

Correction: A previous version of this story inaccurately stated the conspiracy law. It is civil rights conspiracy. The story also inaccurately stated that A.J. Hurley said the group is innocent of all charges. He only said that about the conspiracy charges. The Epoch Times regrets the errors.
Keith Krach, former undersecretary for economic growth, energy, and the environment, speaks onstage during the 2021 Concordia Annual Summit in New York City on Sept. 22, 2021. (Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit)

US Must Build Trust to Counter CCP Authoritarianism: Nobel Nominee

The United States must work to build trust at home and abroad if it is to effectively counter creeping authoritarianism from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), according to one nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Trust is the most important word in any language, said former under secretary of state Keith Krach during an Oct. 4 talk with the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank.

You do business with people you trust. You buy from people you trust. You partner with people you trust. You love the people you trust.

U.S. leaders, Krach said, should lead the way internationally by divesting from China-based technology corporations connected to forced labor and investing instead in corporations and nations that promote data privacy, security, and human rights.

This trust principle, Krach said, was at the heart of his work with the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue University, a bipartisan initiative aimed at bridging gaps in knowledge and experience between innovators and policymakers, and for which he has been nominated for a 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.

Such efforts, Krach said, would be invaluable in pivoting critical U.S. technologies and supply chains away from authoritarian nations by demonstrating to business leaders just how risky investments in regimes like the CCP were.

Krach underscored the point by recalling his own experience as a business leader and the widespread lack of understanding in the business community about the extent of the CCPs efforts and ability to take companies data, including intellectual property.

When I was CEO of DocuSign, for example, I had no idea about [Chinas] National Intelligence [law], Krach said.

Basically, what that law does is it deputizes every Chinese citizen to be a spy.

It requires any Chinese company, state-owned or otherwise, and any citizen, to turn over any information: data, proprietary technology, intellectual property, to the Chinese Communist Party, or [to] suffer the consequences.

As such, Krach said, fostering economic and diplomatic relations with governments dedicated to democratic values was paramount to escaping the trappings of authoritarianism. Increasing technological ties with governments like that in Taiwan, he said, was critical to curbing the power of the CCPs espionage campaigns designed to spy on and extort Americans.

It was for this reason, Krach said, that CCP leader Xi Jinping wanted Taiwan to be destroyed one way or another. Taiwans belief in self-determination and transparent, democratic governance dispelled the CCPs myth that Chinese culture was somehow not compatible with democratic government.
Now that the wavering Elon Musk has come back to the Twitter table, announcing this week  once again  that he intends to purchase the company for $44 billion, a couple of his funders have pulled a Musk and walked away.

Although he's forking over $32 billion of his own cash, which he obtained by selling Tesla stock, he's also relying on loans from banks like Morgan Stanley and Bank of America, as well as private equity investors, to help foot the bill, according to Rolling Stone, and two of said investors are no longer interested.

From Reuters:

Apollo Global Management Inc (APO.N) and Sixth Street Partners, which had been looking to provide financing for Elon Musk's proposed $44 billion buyout of Twitter Inc (TWTR.N), 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.  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.

And from Rolling Stone:

Ahead of his trial in the Delaware Court of Chancery, where Twitter was suing him to make the purchase after he tried to back out of it, Musk had lots of his private messages with mega-rich colleagues aired in legal discovery. Those texts saw him encouraging Oracle CEO Larry Ellison to dump $2 billion into the deal, and some discussions about the head of cryptocurrency exchange FTX Sam Bankman-Fried potentially shelling out as much as $15 billion. It's possible the collapse of the Apollo and Sixth Street negotiations will send Musk back to Silicon Valley friends for their copious pocket change. In the meantime, he's putting a positive spin on the deal, claiming that it's a step on the path to creating "X" or "X.com," which he has called "the everything app."

If Musk is sincere this time around, shaking an extra $1 billion out of his own piggy bank will be a lot easier than finding investors who can trust him.
Vancouver Area Council Members Attend Chinese National Day Celebration, as Global Protests Are Held Against the CCP

Some Vancouver-area municipal politicians recently participated in an event where Chinese consulate representatives celebrated the founding of the communist regime in Beijing.

On the same day, a number of rights groups gathered to protest the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in cities across Canada and in other countries, as part of a global movement against the regimes authoritarian rule.

The Oct. 1 celebration was held at the Vancouver Art Gallery and titled The 4th Chinese Culture and Art Festival, according to several Chinese-language media. Chinas Consul-General in Vancouver Yang Shu and Deputy Consul-General Wang Chengjun attended the event.

Phoenix Television, a media outlet partially owned by Beijing, reported that the event was to celebrate the 73rd National Day of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Yang said in a speech that Chinese-Canadians expressed their genuine birthday wishes to their motherland.

City of Richmond councillors Alexa Loo and Chak Kwong Au attended the event, and Phoenix Television reported that the Canadian politicians joined in the celebration of the PRCs National Day.

The Epoch Times asked Chak and Loo for comment. Chak didnt respond, while Loo said her attendance at various community events is not an endorsement of a particular belief.

I attend community events, because I am part of the community. Arts, culture and sport are an excellent means of coming together, to learn about each other and create community, she said in an email.

One of the groups co-hosting the Chinese Culture and Art Festival was the United Global Chinese Womens Association of Canada (CWACA), according to a screenshot of a WeChat post from the organization shared by the substack Found in Translation. The Epoch Times reached out to CWACA but didnt hear back.

On Sept. 10, Loo attended another event organized by CWACA, this time to celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and establish a Chinese library. The new library is closely affiliated with the Nantong Overseas Chinese Library in China, whose co-founder, Zhen Xiang, is also the vice-chairman of an organization, the Federation of Jiangsu Returned Overseas Chinese. The Federation said on its website that it follows the thoughts of former and current CCP leaders, including the spirit of united front work.

The Federation of Jiangsu Returned Overseas Chinese will conscientiously implement the opinions of the Central Party Committee and the Provincial Party Committee  study and implement the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, thoroughly study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinpings series of important speeches, the website said, adding that it will uphold the spirit of united front and actively expand overseas work and work related to new overseas Chinese immigrants.

Loo said the Sept. 10 festival was a multicultural art event.

Our public library has many books with different views, and opinions on myriad topics, including fascism, nazi, apartheid, gender issues, inclusivity etc. Ideas are not the enemy. Ignorance is the enemy, she said in her email.

Library Project

At the Sept. 10 library unveiling, CWACA president Maria Xu described the new library as a book drifting station, explaining that drifting refers to the books having been first collected in China and then going on to other parts of the world.

The library is part of a project that aims to build 100 such overseas Chinese libraries worldwide by the end of 2023.

The project was spearheaded by Zhen Xiang, founder of the Nantong Overseas Chinese Library, which is based in Nantong City, Jiangsu province, China.

In October 2021, Xus organization made a donation to the Nantong Overseas Chinese Library at an event where she met with Zhen, who said at the time that the book drifting stations will help spread overseas the voice of the Chinese Communist Party and country, as well as knowledge of Chinese culture.

At the Sept. 10 event, Xu entered into an agreement with 11 Chinese-language schools and four educational institutions in British Columbia to establish more book drifting stations. As of mid-August 2022, the Nantong Overseas Chinese Library had made agreements with overseas Chinese organizations and Chinese-language schools in 27 countries, to build a total of 42 book drifting stations, according to an Aug. 19 article published on the Nantong City government website.

Since 2016, Xu has been an honourary chair of the Canadian Alliance of Chinese Associations (CACA), a co-host of the Oct. 1 celebration at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

CACA, an umbrella organization encompassing over 100 Chinese organizations, has previously echoed Beijings party line on certain issues, such as supporting the CCPs claims to Taiwan in a letter published in Chinese-language media in September.

The Epoch Times reached out to CACA for comment but didnt hear back. The Epoch Times also previously reached out to Xu for comment but didnt hear back.

Global Anti-CCP Protest

On Oct. 1, multiple organizations held demonstrations in major Canadian cities, including Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver, in solidarity with a global anti-CCP protest to coincide with the PRCs National Day celebration.

In Vancouver, over 300 people gathered outside the Chinese consulate to protest the communist regimes abuse of ethnic and religious minorities, as well as other dissidents. Protesters came from various geographic backgrounds, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

The protesters chanted while holding signs with slogans such as Human rights for China, and Stop Chinas Intrusion Now.

Protesters hold signs at an anti-CCP demonstration held outside the Chinese consulate in Vancouver on Oct. 1, 2022. (NTDTV/Melodie Von)

The Chinese consulate in Vancouver is about a 10-minute drive from the Vancouver Art Gallery.

In Toronto, up to 500 people from a total of nine organizations gathered at the Chinese Embassy to protest Beijings repression of the Chinese people. Protesters carried numerous signs and banners reading, Free Hong Kong, Free Xinjiang, Free Tibet, as well as Shame on CCP and CCP get out.

A sign seen outside of the Chinese consulate in Vancouver, where multiple organizations held an anti-CCP protest on Oct. 1, 2022. (NTDTV/Melodie Von)

Similar protests against the CCPs authoritarian rule also took place around the world on Oct. 1, including in the United States, United Kingdom, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, as well as in major cities in multiple European countries. In Manchester, northwestern England, an estimated 1,200 people took to the streets to protest the regime.
Students cross the street at Tomken Road Middle School in Mississauga, Ont., on April 1, 2021. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

Vote Against Woke: New Website Offers List of Non-Woke Trustee Candidates

A new website called VoteAgainstWoke.ca is offering Ontarians a list of non-woke candidates who are running in the upcoming school board trustee elections on Oct. 24.

The only objective of this project is to unseat woke trustees, said the websites anonymous founder, who goes by the name Matt, in an email to The Epoch Times.

Any trustee that can be reasonably established as non-woke is listed on the site as a recommend for voters.

VoteAgainstWoke offers site visitors three steps to follow. First, they can select between the English Catholic or English Public school system before being directed to a list of all Ontario boards in either category. Voters can then choose a district to see which candidates running therein are considered non-woke.

We dont determine who is non-woke, said Matt. Crowdsourcing does.

The founder collects feedback from both Twitter and forums on VoteAgainstWoke.ca that show what constituents think about trustee candidates and their policy positions.

We do not dictate or suggest policies to the non-woke trustees we recommend. Their platform and policies are not scrutinized by the site, Matt wrote.

Policies vary all over the political spectrum except for one part: this new so-called woke spectrum has been cut off.

Cancel Climate

Matt said he remains anonymous in his role because of the current cancel climate.

In my industry, which is outside of education, I would certainly run into many problems by being associated with this, he said.

So far, Matt says the website has identified at least one non-woke candidate in about 30 percent of Ontarios school board wards and districts.

He added that some boards have a far greater number of non-woke candidates than others, such as the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB), which received heavy media coverage after silencing a teacher who expressed concern during a meeting about the age-appropriateness of certain library materials.

Shortly after, the board voted in a closed meeting to suspend Mike Ramsay, a trustee of over 30 years, for allegedly violating the code of conduct. Ramsay recently posted documents online showing that his suspension, which he is challenging in court, was allegedly related to his public criticism of the WRDSBs actions.

Matt says he started VoteAgainstWoke.ca after hearing the same question repeatedly from many of his neighbours: Which school trustee candidates are not woke?

No one had a good answer, he said. Many candidates dont even have websites because these are small elections (but have long-term influence).

While some boards have a large number of non-woke candidates running, others have none, he said.

Our discussion revolves around the frustration of living in a country with high taxes with the supposed benefit of well-funded schools but then facing the reality that political infiltration of schools was getting to the point where we could not put our children in them, Matt said.

It is incredibly important to get politics out of schools and become the best education system in the world.
A driver unloads raw crude oil from his tanker to process into gas at Marathon Refinery in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 24, 2022. (George Frey/Getty Images)

Wall Street Boosts Oil Price Forecasts After OPEC+ Supply Cuts

Wall Street investment banks have raised their price forecasts for oil after OPEC+ moved to slash production by around 2 million barrels per day and squeeze supply in a snub to the Biden administration and its pleas to the cartel to pump more crude.

While the White House reacted negatively to OPECs decision by accusing the alliance of aligning with Russia and calling the move shortsighted, Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said it was about bringing stability to markets.

Some analysts have said OPECs cuts are meant stem the decline in oil prices, which hit about $120 per barrel during spring but have since slumped to roughly $90 per barrel on fears of an economic slowdown.

Wall Street, meanwhile, responded to news of the OPEC cuts by boosting their bets on the price of crude.

Dramatic Shift in Oil Balance

The oil team at Goldman Sachs raised their fourth-quarter 2022 Brent crude forecast by $10 to $110 per barrel.

All the developments we have seen on the supply side at this point very much sets the stage for what we believe will be higher prices into the end of this year, Damien Courvalin, head of energy research at Goldman, told Bloomberg TV.

Morgan Stanley analysts said in an Oct. 5 note that they expect Brent prices to hit $100 per barrel quicker than we estimated before. The team raised its first-quarter 2023 Brent price forecasts from $95 per barrel to $100, while keeping the outlook unchanged for the subsequent three quarters.

Analysts at ING said in a note on Oct. 6 that OPECs announcement dramatically shifts the oil balance for the rest of 2022 and all of next year, though this depends on whether the cartels members fully comply with the cuts.

While ING previously expected Brent to trade around the $90 per barrel mark through the first half of 2023 before advancing to $100 in the final quarter of 2023, they new expect a price point of $97 per barrel for all of 2023.

The U.S. administration will not be thrilled with the action taken by OPEC+, particularly given that US mid-term elections are just around the corner, the ING team wrote.

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)

The White House directed a sharp rebuke toward OPEC+ after its members announced the cuts.

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 Adviser Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said in a statement following OPECs announcement.

Sullivan and Deese added that the Biden administration would release another 10 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to protect American consumers and promote energy security.

But given that the SPR has been aggressively drawn down and is now at its lowest levels since 1984, ING analysts said there will be limits on how much more the Biden administration can release to hold down prices.

Ultimately, OPEC+ can cut output for longer than the US can tap into its SPR, they said.

Reliance on Foreign Oil

President Joe Bidens Republican critics said the administrations reluctance to boost domestic crude production was amplifying the impact of OPECs move.

OPEC is taking advantage of Pres. Bidens reliance on foreign oil and slashing supply, which will drive up prices that Louisianians pay. Its as simple and sad as that, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said in a statement on Twitter.

Oil industry insiders have blamed high gas prices in the United States on a misalignment between U.S. oil production and refining, along with the Biden administrations inaction, bad policies, and political hostility toward fossil fuels.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) called OPECs decision humiliating for the Biden administration.

As diplomatic humiliations go, its hard to top the decision by Saudi Arabia and its OPEC+ allies to cut oil production by two million barrels a day despite U.S. entreaties, the Republican senator said in a statement on Twitter.

At a press conference following OPECs meeting, Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman dismissed suggestions from reporters that the cuts could be seen as an act of belligerence, arguing instead that the decision is meant to provide stability to oil markets.

We are here to stay as a moderating force, to bring about stability, he told reporters.
Wall Street Expects Second-Biggest Home Price Drop Since Great Depression

Top investment firms, including Morgan Stanley, are predicting a significant drop in U.S. home prices amid high mortgage rates, elevated home prices, and affordability challenges.

Morgan Stanley is calculating home prices to dip by 7 percent by the end of 2023, which is more than twice as large as the 3.1 percent peak-to-trough decline seen during the early 1990s. If the prediction were to become true, it would be the second-largest drop since the Great Depression. The top spot is taken by the 27 percent peak-to-trough decline seen between 2006 and 2021.

Morgan Stanley blamed unprecedented home price growth and spiking mortgage rates for the situation. Affordability is already challenged, exposing would-be homeowners to an increasing rent environment that erodes their ability to save for a downpayment, the firms researchers wrote in a note, according to Fortune.

If that were to be combined with increasing unemployment, we could imagine a scenario in which existing home sales continue to outpace the GFC [great financial crisis of 200809] to the downside.

The 7 percent drop is only the investment firms base-case forecast. The bull case predicts an increase of 5 percent in case mortgage rates drop by next spring.

But if the United States slips into a recession, which is Morgan Stanleys bear-case scenario, the firm expects a decline in home prices in excess of 10 percent.

According to mortgage analytics firm Black Knight, median home prices fell by 0.98 percent in August, following a 1.05 percent decline in July. Both these months have registered the largest one-month price declines since January 2009.

More Price Declines, Pessimistic Builder Sentiment

Goldman Sachs is predicting home prices to fall by 510 percent in 2023, a big change when compared to the 1.8 percent increase it predicted last month. Even though housing inventory levels are historically fairly low, home prices are still falling, the investment bank said, according to Fox.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moodys, sees home prices falling 510 percent in case the U.S. economy does not fall into a recession and by 1015 percent in case of a recession. Credit-rating firm Fitch Ratings is expecting a 510 percent decline in home prices next year.

Mortgage applications fell to a 25-year low in the week ended Sept. 30, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).

Meanwhile, homebuilders are becoming more pessimistic, according to a report released last month by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index.

Homebuilders blame rising mortgage rates for making housing less affordable for first-time buyers when home prices are already elevated.

As the recession in the housing market is showing no signs of abating, homebuilders are being forced to lower their prices, NAHB said in the report.
Chris Geldart, D.C. Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, speaks at a news conference near a collapsed pedestrian bridge in Washington, D.C., on June 23, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Washington Deputy Mayor Charged With Assault After Allegedly Grabbing Man by His Neck

Washington, D.C., Deputy Mayor Chris Geldart was charged with assault and battery after allegedly getting into a fight outside a gym in Virginia over the past weekend.

Geldart was placed on leave after the charges were filed against him, according to Democrat Mayor Muriel Bowsers office.

We take any accusations seriously and are reviewing the matter. While it is under review, Deputy Mayor Geldart is on leave. Unfortunately, it sounds like something that happens to a lot of peoplea dispute over something minorand we hope it is resolved quickly, the mayors office told local media on Wednesday.

Geldart allegedly got into a verbal dispute with a man after opening his car door, hitting the vehicle belonging to the victim, said the Arlington County Police in Virginia.

The suspect and male victim became engaged in a verbal dispute after the door of the suspects parked vehicle struck the vehicle the victim was entering, said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. The dispute escalated, during which the suspect allegedly grabbed the victim by the throat.

Savage told Arlington Now that the victim responded to the Office of the Magistrate, completed a criminal complaint and a warrant for Assault and Battery was issued for Christopher Geldart, 53, of Falls Church.

Geldart later turned himself to law enforcement and was released on a court summons, she said.

Video Footage

Purported video footage of the incident shows a larger man approaching another man in a parking lot before the larger appears to push the other one away. The larger man is then seen walking back to the vehicle.

The District of Columbias website says Geldart has served as the District of Columbias Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice since he was named to the position in January 2021.

Something should be done. Its not okay, Dustin Woodward, whos identified as a trainer at the gym, told Fox5, saying that Geldart was involved in prior incidents at Golds Gym. Weve been dealing with him a while at Golds (Gym). Multiple locations actually thats how we even figured out who he was.

Woodward told the outlet that he was the victim as seen in the video.

Its a little frustrating, right? Because hes way too big to be trying to be a bully, especially with his position, he said, adding: Something needs to be done because you cant just abuse your power like that. Thats pretty frustrating on my end.

The Epoch Times has contacted both the D.C. Mayors Office and Geldart for comment.

An automatic reply from Geldarts email address said Thursday: Thank you for contactiing the Office of the Deputy Mayor of Public Safety. Deputy Mayor Geldart will be out of the office.
Epoch Times reporter Jann Falkenstern and her husband, Pete, survey the damage to their pool enclosure at their Punta Gorda, Fla., home on Oct. 5, 2022, a week after Hurricane Ian thrashed their property. (Courtesy of Jann Falkenstern)

What Its Like at Ground Zero: A Hurricane Survivors Story

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.In journalism school, professors say, Always report the news; dont be the news.

That all changed with Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28. I hated to disappoint my old professor, but here I am being the news, all thanks to Ian.

My husband, Pete, and I have been through three major hurricanes while living in the Sunshine State during our 22-year marriage. The worst, before Ian, was Hurricane Charley, a Category 4 storm in 2004.

Charley had a 5-mile-wide eye and blasted through Punta Gorda in an hour. The storm packed damaging winds that left behind a swath of crumpled structures. Our home and yard suffered heartbreaking damage.

But as hurricanes go, Charley was a quick-moving storm.

So as veteran hurricane survivors, we were brimming with confidence, even as Ian suddenly dodged rightheading directly toward us.

We can ride out this storm, we assured each other. And probably with minor property damage. Not to worry, right?

Pete operates a dump truck business, and, as he does when any ominous storm turns in our direction, he set up what he calls redneck hurricane shutters.

Dump trucks surround the home of Pete and Jann Falkenstern as a makeshift blockade against the wind ahead of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 27, 2002. (Jann Falkenstern/The Epoch Times)

Soon, a small fleet of red-and-black dump trucks and a yellow front-end loader stood guard around our home, ready to hold back the wind and any flying debris. Pete birthed that ingenious idea after Charleys unwelcome visit 18 years earlier.

Up went our shutters for hurricanes Jeanne and Irma. We made it through those storms just fine. Ians pelting rain and angry wind would be no match for our invincible fortress.

Trucks also ringed our new fifth-wheel camper. We figured we might have to go without power for a little while. So, we planned to live there, enjoying the comforts powered by a generator, until linemen could restore electricity to the house.

Forecasters predicted the storm would hit the Tampa Bay area, 90 miles north. Ian had other ideas.

On Sept. 27, the storm veered to the right and assumed the same path as Charley. With winds building to 155 miles per hour, Ian began inching ever closer to the tranquil waters of Charlotte Harbor. That inlet of the Gulf of Mexico laps at the shore across the street from our home.

The next day, Hurricane Ian rudely introduced himself to our community at 10:30 a.m. Then, he overstayed his welcome.

Instead of passing through politely in an hour, Ian lingered for 12, demolishing homes, splitting trees, and flinging precious belongings in the air like an oversized toddler throwing a tantrum.

New Florida residents Ross and Rita Davis marvel at the flowers remaining on a bush in their Punta Gorda, Fla., yard on Oct. 5, 2022, a week after deadly Hurricane Ian roared through. The plant is a symbol of renewed hope, they say. (Jann Falkenstern/The Epoch Times)

The Blessings of Ian

Through the initial hours, Pete and I distracted ourselves by trying to reassure Ross and Rita Davis, transplants from Portland, Oregon, who moved to our community this spring. They came to face Ian with us and our three senior dogs.

We were the only veteran hurricane survivors they knew, and they decided to shelter with us behind our wall of dump trucks when their other options disappeared.

When they first moved in next door, wed exchanged the expected pleasantries. We smiled and waved as we passed each other in cars and at mailboxes.

But we never got to know them on a personal leveluntil Ian came into the relationship.

Before the storm, they became concerned and then afraid. Theyd never been part of the waiting for a hurricane to show its path.

Talk of evacuation was unfamiliar to Ross and Rita. And when Ians path changed, it was too late for them to flee to safety away from Charlotte Harbor, ground zero.

We gladly took them in. Ross and Rita brought over a pot of home-cooked stew. As rain and wind began pelting the house, we combined our resources and engaged in great conversation about their lives in Portland.

As Hurricane Ians force builds outside, Pete Falkenstern breaks out a gas-powered World War II-era mountain stove from his collection to heat up a can of SpaghettiOs pasta at his home in Punta Gorda, Fla. on Sept. 28, 2022. (Jann Falkenstern/The Epoch Times)

Despite the din of the storm that raged outside, we enjoyed our time forging new friendships.

Never again will I take for granted the opportunity to get to know our neighbors. Its one of the blessings Ill carry away from Ian.

A Time to Survive

Hours later, all went calm, and the men ventured outside. Together, they worked on firing up the onboard generator on the camper. Until power could be restored to the house, we had already decided that wed stay there. Maybe it would be days. Maybe weeks.

We made it! Smugly, we reveled in the fact that wed dodged another bullet.

Without power, we were still cut off from information. Cellphone service was spotty. No updates were coming in.

My news team colleagues fretted, watching radar and weather reports. The eye of the storm was passing over us. And the worst was yet to come.

Unaware, Rita and I chatted in the camper, and I held Buddy, a pug-Chihuahua mix, in my lap. Hes always needed comfort during storms. Overflowing with relief, we chatted, eagerly anticipating the restoration of air-conditioning, a must in balmy Florida.

Then suddenly, the winds shifted and became fierce again. The camper rocked violently.

Clutching Buddy to my chest, I stepped out with Rita and made a run for the house. The wind was so strong, and the rain pelted us so hard, it felt like knives pricking our faces. We had to cling to each other to make it back inside.

Poor Buddy quaked with fear, traumatized. Was it the howling, screaming wind that terrified him, or my own pounding heart that telegraphed that it was time to panic? I couldnt tell.

It alerted me to a truth. I realized I couldnt allow myself to become emotional or hysterical. I had to be strong for everyone else.

So I buried my fear and pasted on a smile. I so desperately wanted to scream and cry. I questioned how we could have been so wrong about staying put, instead of escaping. But this wasnt the time for regrets, I told myself. It was a time to survive.

A railroad crossing signal lies useless beside tracks in Punta Gorda, Fla. on Sept. 29, 2022, after Hurricane Ian left a swath of destruction. (Jann Falkenstern/The Epoch Times)

Wed been back in the house for about five seconds when we heard a horrible ripping sound and felt a burst of hot, humid air blow in, sending papers and books flying. The 155-mph winds had pushed in a window.

Rain poured in. I had to stop it.

I pushed through the rain, wind, and flying debris to the gaping hole in my wall. With great effort, I hauled the window up off the floor and shoved it back into the opening. Then, I leaned against it, using all the strength I could muster to hold it in place.

Bracing a broken window with my body wasnt wise, I knew. But in those moments of chaos and panic, no other course of action made sense.

Then glancing up, I saw my front lanai tear away from the house. A white rocking chair from Cracker Barrel took flight as well. And all four tires of my new Jeep Wagoneer left the ground, bouncing as the wind whipped under it.

All I could think was, Lord, hear my prayer! The rosary I use for guided prayer had long since blown away.

Then, Rita screamed. I saw the twisted wreckage of the aluminum enclosure that had covered our backyard pool. It had collapsed into a crumpled heap.

I was in the middle of a war zone. Metal slammed into the side of the house. Ian hurled our neighbors patio furniture across the yard. Transformers crashed to the ground from the tops of utility poles and exploded.

Were entirely on our own! I realized. No help could come to us now.

We had to be smart. I was determined Ian wouldnt win this war.

Then, the cavalry rode to the rescue.

Ross threw his body against the window, joining me as the winds pushed it back at us. Then, Pete rigged two 50-pound bags of dog food against the window, held in place with a crutch left over from an ankle injury. In battle, you use the resources you have.

Wondering if wed make it out alive, all we could do was pray. And, knowing that our messages might not go through, we texted loved ones and friends, telling them we loved them.

Helpers sort salvageable items from the hurricane-tossed debris spread across the Falkensterns five-acre homestead in Punta Gorda, Fla. on Oct. 4, 2022. (Jann Falkenstern/The Epoch Times)

As 11 p.m. approached, wed had all we could take. We were tired. So tired. We no longer cared about the horrors outside our walls.

Winds had ebbed to 40-to-50 mph, but were still strong enough to bend trees and toss debris around. We secured the pets and our neighbors in other rooms and crawled into bed.

If we didnt make it through, this would be how they would find usstill holding onto one another, a testament to 22 years together.

But we did make it.

Ian moved on to ravage more inland areas of the state. And the next morning, the sun smiled down on devastation the likes of which Id never imagined.

It was my home. But nothing was familiar.

The stillness was punctuated only by the distant roar of chainsaws. They chewed into fallen trees that were trapping families in their homes and blocking roadways that rescuers needed to travel to reach people in need of help.

A few days passed with more of the same. Finally, a grocery store opened, and survivors of the storm stumbled in like zombies. They all had the same lost look in their eyes.

I understand now what shell-shocked means. Im pretty sure its reflected in my eyes, too.

As the shock begins to wear off, grief will take over. Well all process it differently. My training in psychology assures me of that.

Natural disasters can either bring out the best in people or the worst.

At the grocery store that day, I noticed acts of kindness and understanding. People smiled at each other when they unintentionally collided in crowded aisles or inadvertently knocked something off a shelf. They helped pass out-of-reach items to each other. Some gave up treasures in their shopping carts to strangers who seemed to need them more.

Thats the kindness that resides in all of us. Its awakened when a community goes through a tragic event together.

We realize we can lose all our belongings. But we still have life. We still have one another. And for that, we can all be grateful.
Why California Has a Dem-GOP Binary

Commentary

A CalMatters article this week reported California stuck in Dem-GOP binary. But it didnt explain why. I will here. There are three major reasons, in order of importance.

First, there is the much-derided Electoral College. Democrats like to attack it because its not democratic, giving added weight to small states, as does the U.S. Senate. Each state gets electoral votes based on congressional representation: two for each Senator plus one for each representative.

In the 2020 U.S. Census, Californias population was 39,613,493. Wyomings was 581,075, or 1.5 percent of the Golden States.

In the 2024 election, California will get 54 electoral votes. But Wyoming will get three, or 5.6 percent of Californias total.

Do the same for other small, conservative states, and its easy to see why the pure democracy crowd hates the Electoral College: Alaska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, three each. Montana and Idaho, 4 each.

But what the Electoral College does is produce two usually moderate partiesbecause finishing third usually means getting no electoral votes. Ross Perot won 19 percent of the vote in 1992, but got zero electoral votes. His Reform Party soon fizzled.

If the two major parties get too far away from moderationlike the Republicans with Goldwater in 1964 and the Democrats with McGovern in 1972they lose big. Barry Goldwater garnered only 39 percent of the vote to Lyndon Johnsons 61 percent. George McGovern won only Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. In each case, the next election saw more moderate candidates who won: the Republicans won with Nixon in 1972, and the Democrats with Carter in 1976.

The alternative to the Electoral College, making the election more democratic through some sort of direct election, would only produce the chaos seen now in Europe. There no party gets a majority, and shifting coalitions are formed, briefly, only to be followed by more uncertainty.

Because California is part of the larger United States, the national pattern of two parties carries over to our elections. Politicians naturally want to get promoted to the national level. Legislators want to move up to Congress. Governors and U.S. senators enviously eye the Oval Office. To get a promotion from the voters, they have to work within the national election binary.

Americas founders had no idea about another reason why their genius in crafting the U.S. Constitution has saved us: nuclear weapons, of which America now wields 5,428compared to 5,997 for Russia and 350 for China (probably a vast understatement), according to the tally by the Federation of American Scientists. An almost random shifting of political coalitions among multiple parties, as in Italy, Sweden, and Germany, could produce nuclear instability here. Its bad enough wondering what a particular president might do when there are only two to choose from. But at least the Electoral College system, as I have described it, provides some stability.

Second, in 2010 California voters made the mistake of enacting Proposition 14, the Top Two system. As I predicted at the time, it wiped out what little clout remained to third parties:

I talked to three of the four top other parties or minor parties, as they sometimes call themselves. Currently, theyre the only four parties that meet state law to be automatically listed on state primary and general-election ballots. The Peace and Freedom Party didnt get back to me. Prop. 14 would be disastrous for minor parties, Libertarian Party spokesman Richard Winger told me; hes also campaign manager for Christine Tobin, the partys nominee for secretary of state, the post that runs state elections. And he edits Ballot Access News. Weve seen it in action in Washington state and Louisiana, two states with similar measures, he said. In the 35 years Louisiana has had such a system, not a single minor party candidate has passed the gauntlet of the primary to make it onto the general election ballot.

Third parties can move forward some issues. And they provide a safety valve for voter outrage when the binary system breaks down. That happened with Perots 1992 campaign, which brought up populist themes that matured and were championed to victory by Republican Donald Trump in 2016. Another example was when Independent Jesse Ventura was elected Minnesota governor in 1998.

A missed opportunity in California was Independent Michael Schellenbergers campaign as an Independent in this years June gubernatorial primary. He finished fourth, with 3 percent. So hes not on the Nov. 8 Top Two runoff. Too bad. Weve had an almost invisible campaign between Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is campaigning for president with ads broadcast in Florida and Texas, and state Sen. Brian Dahle, whos too conventional a Republican to gain traction.

If Schellenberger were on the ballot, we would be hearing his innovative ideas on Generation IV nuclear power and other issues. Newsom still would win handily, but new ideas would be advanced for future examination and perhaps implementation.

Third, America itself obviously is bifurcating. An August Pew Research Center survey found:

On several traits, majorities of both Republicans and Democrats attribute negative stereotypes to members of the opposing party: An overwhelming majority of Democrats (83 percent) say Republicans are a lot or somewhat more closed-minded than other Americans, while nearly seven-in-ten Republicans (69 percent) say the same about Democrats. Nearly three-quarters of Republicans say Democrats are more immoral (72 percent) than other Americans, while an identical share (72 percent) say Democrats are more dishonest. Smaller majorities of Democrats characterize Republicans as more immoral (63 percent) or more dishonest (64 percent).

Thats so different from what I grew up with in the 1960s and 70s in a Michigan factory town. My family were Republicans, but most of the kids in my high school were from working-class Democrat families. We disagreed on politics, but did so politely. In the elections mentioned above, Michigan went 67 percent for Democrat LBJ in 1964, but then went 56 percent for Republican Richard Nixon in 1972.

California, of course, once voted for either party depending on the candidates. But the last time a Republican won was President George H. W. Bush in 1988. The state is so Democratic the candidates dont even campaign here past the primaries, except to troll for campaign cash.

People across America also are sorting. Republicans are tending to move to GOP states, especially low-tax places such as Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. Democrats are moving to California and other Democrat states. NPR reported in February, America is growing more geographically polarizedred ZIP codes are getting redder and blue ZIP codes are becoming bluer. People appear to be sorting.

Recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions returning such issues as abortion to the states probably will accelerate that sorting.

As I like to joke, the best way for a conservative Republican to survive in California is to leave.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Eric Weinberg (62), executive producer of Scrubs and a writer for many well-known television series, was arrested today on 18 felony charges of sexual assault, including rape, oral copulation, forcible sexual penetration, sexual battery by restraint, false imprisonment by use of violence, assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury, and attempted forcible penetration with a foreign object, according to NPR.

He was released the same day on a $5 million bond and will be arraigned on October 25.

At a news conference in Los Angeles, District Attorney George Gascon said Weinberg's history of raping women goes back to the 1990s. "The defendant relied on his Hollywood credentials to lure young women for photo shoots where he allegedly sexually assaulted them," Gascon said. "Power and influence can corrupt some to hurt others, that often leads to a lifetime of trauma for those who are victimized."

From NPR:
That release could not be found.
A source in the presidency has denied allegations that some supporters of Labour Party candidate, Mr Peter Obi, were secretly arrested by security agencies.

Peter Obi, on Tuesday, had condemned the intimidation of some of his supporters via a statement.

According to him, Recent reports of OBIdients being silently arrested by some security agents is extremely disturbing and condemnable.

We must ensure that everyone is given a level playing field in the forthcoming elections, and that no eligible Nigerian, irrespective of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation is disenfranchised, more so through violence and intimidation, Obi had said.

However, denying the report, a presidency source confided in Vanguard that all political parties under President Muhammadu Buhari administration have the absolute constitutional and God-given right to campaign openly and without hindrance.

The source said that Obis assertions were unfounded and both the Nigeria Police Force, (NPF) and the Department of State Services, (DSS) had confirmed that no arrests were made.

The source said, The democratic process in Nigeria is free and fair and all candidates  whether those from the established parties or minor ones  have the absolute constitutional and God-given right to campaign openly and without hindrance.

What is also the case is that anyone who breaks the law whether they are a supporter of the government party or opposition  must be held to account for their actions.

If, for instance, opposition parties supporters damage private property in the course of a campaign, march or rally, should they not be held to account? For instance, governing party supporters defame an opposition figure should they not be held to account? Of course they all should.

The source, however, revealed that the only arrest they are aware of was an LP member identified as Joseph Chimezie ONUORAH with the Passport No: A12553760 who arrived Nigeria aboard Air France.

He explained that Chimezie was arrested at about 2230hrs at the E wing of MMIA Lagos by the Nigerian Immigration Service at the instance of the Lagos State Police Investigation Bureau for an investigation that concerned him.

He went on to urge political candidates to refrain from making public statements that could raise tensions and make the prospect of aggressive physical behaviour more likely.

Accusations that individuals have been silently arrested  and no one, frankly, knows what that description is supposed to mean is an example of a statement made by a politician without any known foundation with the express intention of raising the temperature in this electoral contest.

That cannot be good for democracy that thrives on facts and thinking, not on false statements and fiction, the source said.
Gunman murders at least 30 in nursery attack

NONG BUA: A former police officer armed with a gun and a knife stormed a nursery in Nong Bua in northeast Thailand today (Oct 6), shooting dead at least 30 people including children before killing himself and his family, police said.

deathviolence

By AFP

Thursday 6 October 2022, 03:38PM

Panya Khamrab. Photo:AFP / Thailands Central Investigation Bureau

The attacker, armed with a shotgun, a pistol and a knife, opened fire on the childcare centre in Nong Bua Lam Phu province at about 12:30pm before fleeing the scene in a vehicle, the force said.

The death toll from the shooting incident... is at least 30 people, Anucha Burapachaisri, a spokesman for the Thai prime ministers office, said.

Police colonel Jakkapat Vijitraithaya, from the province where the attack happened, identified the gunman as Panya Khamrab, a police lieutenant colonel he said was dismissed from the force last year for drug use.

Jakkapat said there were 23 children among the dead, aged two to three years old.

The mass killing comes less than a month after a serving army officer shot dead two colleagues at a military training base in the capital Bangkok.

While Thailand has high rates of gun ownership, mass shootings are extremely rare.

But in the past year, there have been at least two other cases of shooting murders by serving soldiers, according to the Bangkok Post.

And in 2020, in one of the kingdoms deadliest incidents in recent years, a soldier gunned down 29 people in a 17-hour rampage and wounded scores more before he was shot dead by commandos.

That mass shooting was linked to a debt dispute between gunman Sergeant-Major Jakrapanth Thomma and a senior officer, and the military top brass were at pains to portray the killer as a rogue soldier.
Allegra Jaros, the longtime president of John R. Oishei Children's Hospital, is leaving Kaleida Health at the end of the year for a hospital leadership position in Florida.

Kaleida on Thursday announced that Jaros has been named president of Wolfson Children's Hospital and Children's Health Network in Jacksonville, which is part of the $2.5 billion, 12-hospital system Baptist Health. Jaros also will become a senior vice president with Baptist Health.

"My career at Oishei Children's Hospital has set me on a path of personal growth, advancement and advocacy for pediatric and women's health," Jaros said in a statement. "This is an exciting opportunity and adventure for my husband and me, and our family. I am thankful to Buffalo for trusting me to lead our children's hospital. We've accomplished so many incredible things together for which I will forever be grateful and proud."

Jaros, a Western New York native, was appointed president of Oishei Children's Hospital, formerly Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo, in May 2014, after serving eight years as vice president and chief operating officer. During her tenure, Jaros helped plan and execute the move that saw 125 patients transferred from the Bryant Street hospital to the new Oishei Children's Hospital in 2017. Kaleida also credited her with helping to build the hospital's operational and business development strategies.

In late July, Kaleida announced Jaros would take on expanded duties by also having oversight of the health system's long-term care facilities, including HighPointe on Michigan and DeGraff Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Facility.

Most recently, Jaros was one of the Kaleida officials at the bargaining table with two unions representing about 6,300 Kaleida workers. The two sides reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year labor contract late Sunday night.

For Kaleida, it means the health system will have to fill another key opening in its leadership ranks.

To name just a few recent leadership changes: Don Boyd in mid-July took over as Kaleida's president and CEO, replacing Bob Nesselbush; Beth Hughes, president of MercyOne's Western Iowa region, recently started as the president of Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute; and Kaleida's Upper Allegheny Health System last month appointed Dr. Jill Owens as its president after a three-month interim period.

At Oishei Children's Hospital, Christina Mills last month was named chief nursing officer, replacing Cassie Church, who left over the summer for a chief nursing officer position with a larger pediatric health care provider in North Texas.

Another new face at Kaleida Health as Buffalo General names its next president Beth Hughes has been named president of Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute in Buffalo after a national search, Kaleida announced Friday. Hughes will start Oct. 3.

Kaleida said Jaros will remain in her position until the end of the year to help plan for the transition. The health system said more details will be released soon about plans to replace Jaros on an interim and permanent basis.

"While it is a loss for us, it is a great career opportunity for Allegra," Boyd said in a statement. "It is no surprise that this national opportunity attracted her and that she was a strong candidate given her success here over the years. She has the opportunity to go to a larger market and larger health system and utilize her 25 years of service here at Kaleida Health. Not to mention, the move will also allow her to be closer to family in Florida."
Pioneer Credit Recovery will cut nearly 230 jobs in Wyoming County by the end of the year, as the ripple effect of the federal government's student loan forgiveness program hit the collections firm.

Pioneer plans to cut 105 jobs at its location in Arcade and 123 jobs at its location in Perry, according to a filing with the state Department of Labor.

The jobs being eliminated are in Perry's guarantor collector operations, which collect on defaulted student loans backed by the federal government and owned by other entities, said Paul Hartwick, a Pioneer Credit spokesman.

"This collections work has been on pause for more than two years," Hartwick said. "And now with the governments proposed 'Fresh Start' initiative, which will move defaulted federal borrowers to current repayment status, we no longer have a clear path to effectively continue this work."

The planned cuts represent 37% of the employees at the Arcade site and 32% of employees at the Perry location, according to the filing with the Labor Department.

The final number of employees impacted is yet to be determined, Hartwick said. Some employees will be shifted to new roles or new contracts. Employees who leave the company will receive severance pay, extended health insurance and job placement help.

"These decisions are especially difficult because of the great results we consistently delivered over the years," Hartwick said. "Our Pioneer team members supporting guarantor clients have a long history of providing defaulted student loan borrowers with debt relief and have helped millions of borrowers return their loans to good standing."

Pioneer is a subsidiary of Navient, which is based in Delaware.

In addition to the job cuts in Wyoming County, Pioneer will eliminate 102 jobs in Horseheads, in Chemung County.
The sheriff of Merced County in California says a baby girl and three other family members who were kidnapped at gunpoint from their business two days ago have been found dead
In a close diplomatic victory for China, the U.N.s top human rights body has voted down a proposal from Britain, Turkey, the United States and other mostly Western countries to hold a debate on alleged rights abuses against Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Chinas western Xinjiang region
North Attleboro Public Health Nurse Lenore Paquin, shown here in 1993, would never allow her community pantry to go empty.
Jurors next week will begin to deliberate the fate of the man charged in a 1978 cold case homicide in Buffalo.

John M. Sauberan's defense rested Thursday in his murder trial in Erie County Court after about 3 1/2 days of testimony from prosecution and defense witnesses.

Jury gets glimpse of criminal past of man on trial for 1978 Buffalo homicide John Sauberan was indicted in March 2020 on a second-degree murder charge in the killing of Linda Tschari, 19, in a cottage on Pooley Place in February 1978. The charge came more than 40 years after the crime after prosecutors said he was linked to the crime scene by a DNA match.

Attorneys on both sides will deliver closing arguments Tuesday morning, with jury deliberations to follow.

Sauberan faces a second-degree murder charge in the February 1978 slaying of Linda Tschari, 19. Tshari's body was found on the afternoon of Feb. 8, 1978, in a cottage on Pooley Place, off Grant Street near Forest Avenue.

Sauberan was charged in March 2020 after DNA linked him to the crime scene, according to prosecutors.

DNA evidence leads to trial in 1978 cold case: 'He was banking he would get away with murder' John M. Sauberan, 63, also known as John Fullagar, was charged in March 2020 with second-degree murder in Linda Tschari's death after prosecutors say he was linked to the crime scene through a DNA match.

Prosecutors rested their case Wednesday afternoon, having called nine witnesses, including the victim's brother.

Sauberan, 63, did not take the stand in his own defense.

Sauberan's defense team came close to resting their case Thursday morning, just before they were to call their own expert witness on DNA evidence. Prosecutors told the judge the defense turned over material related to the expert late Wednesday afternoon, less than a day earlier.

Assistant Erie County District Attorney Ashley Morgan told County Judge Sheila DiTullio that defense attorney Paul Dell provided an email authored in May and sent to the defense by forensic DNA consultant Tiffany Roy, but which had not been previously provided to prosecutors as part of the discovery process.

In the email, "she expresses very specific opinions which are more specific in nature than what we received from her report" in August, Morgan told the judge. She asked the judge to preclude Roy, a Florida-based consultant, from being called as a witness.

Dell told the judge everything included in the email was part of Roy's final report, which was given to prosecutors.

After a conference with attorneys in chambers, the judge permitted the defense to call Roy to the stand.

The defense's first witness, called Wednesday, was Timothy Crino, a retired FBI special agent. The defense called Crino to testify about general procedures and practices in crime scene investigation and evidence collection, as well as proper methods for law enforcement to maintain the chain of custody of evidence.
US satellite champion Viasat may have felt it was home and dry when it persuaded the Business Department to sign off on its 5.6billion bid for British space pioneer Inmarsat.

But, as that great American sage Yankees manager Yogi Berra once noted, the 'game ain't over until it's over'.

Britain's Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) is looking after the interests not just of UK consumers, but global users of in-flight internet connections, by objecting to the deal.

Probe: The Competition & Markets Authority is looking after the interests of UK consumers and global users of in-flight internet connections, by objecting to the Inmarsat takeover

In-flight internet may only represent 10 per cent of the current turnover of the joint business, but it is the big growth market for satellite communications.

Moreover, it was British scientists and technicians at Inmarsat who were pioneers in this technology and could not but fall under the command and control of their Californian masters.

As concerning is that Rick Baldridge, the Viasat executive who parked himself in the UK and conducted most of the negotiations with the authorities, no longer appears to be the point person.

Viasat CEO and executive chairman Mark Dankberg is leading the response. In its notice, the CMA pulls no punches. It argues that both companies are in expansion mode, sending ever more satellites into space and competing aggressively for new business.

In fact, the two firms are seeking many of the same clients in the still nascent market for on-board aviation services. Removing one competitor from the mix would give the combined company more pricing power.

Incidentally, many of the same arguments could be deployed in Vodafone's effort to gain control of the UK's mobile network Three.

The CMA has given Viasat five days to come up with a response before a full investigation  which could take months to complete  is undertaken.

In the recent past, competition interventions  such as when US chip designer Nvidia sought to buy Arm Holdings  effectively killed the deal. Viasat argues that there is huge investment going into satellites.

Monoliths such as Elon Musk's Starlink and currently the Government-backed OneWeb are launching large networks of low orbit satellites which could become competitors.

What is not known is whether these newer, lower orbit satellites will be as capable as Viasat and Inmarsat in developing the on-board aviation technology.

Nevertheless, one should never discount the ability of Musk to disrupt as he has done so effectively in the motor industry and currently is planning to do in social media with the acquisition of Twitter.

This paper's concerns about the Viasat/Inmarsat takeover have been much broader. For too long UK governments, in their determination to maintain one of the most open economies in the world, have offered a welcome mat to overseas takeovers.

Britain's control over technology developed in our universities and backed by UK venture capital has vanished over the horizon.

Among the victims have been Arm, aerospace pioneers Cobham and Meggitt, submarine sonar developer Ultra Electronics and many more.

Not only has this stunted the UK's ability to develop its own thriving domestic tech sector, it has diminished the role of UK headquarters and seen patents and valuable R&D fall into foreign hands.

Kwasi Kwarteng and the Treasury should also note that too often we are exchanging a one-off flow of global capital for a permanent drain on the corporate tax base as profits are diverted to lower tax regimes.

That is among the reasons why rolling back the proposed 25 per cent corporation tax break and keeping it at 19 per cent was so important.

But this is an argument which has not been heard at all from the blob which chose to demonise lower taxes.

It is not just Inmarsat and competition which is endangered by an overseas takeover. OneWeb and French rival Eutelsat have also signed a merger agreement. It may be a perfectly sensible deal given the strength of rivals in the satellite orbit.

However, it goes without saying that this too needs careful examination by the Business Department under Jacob Rees-Mogg and the CMA.

If Viasat and Inmarsat wanted to satisfy the CMA rapidly, they could perhaps volunteer to dispose of either one of the on-board aviation internet franchises.

No such solution is contemplated. That is not surprising. The Inmarsat tech is the crown jewel of the sector, and having come this far, its Californian rival is not willing to make further concessions just yet.
The founder of CMC Markets enjoyed some respite as traders took advantage of mounting economic uncertainty.

Lord Cruddas, who set up the trading platform in 1989, said the business has been boosted by market volatility and increased client trading.

In a trading update, CMC said revenues in the six months to the end of September were 21 per cent higher than a year earlier at around 153million. Shares rose 5.6 per cent, or 12.5p, to 235p.

Revenues up: Tory peer Lord Cruddas, who set up trading platform CMC Markets in 1989, said the business has been boosted by market volatility and increased client trading

The update will have come as a relief for Cruddas. The Tory peer, 69, is CMCs biggest shareholder with a 58.83 per cent stake while his wife Fiona owns 3.2 per cent.

The Cruddass family stake is worth nearly 409million. But, despite todays rally, this is still a far cry from when those shares were worth 936million when the stock peaked at 538p last April.

With fears of a recession lingering, the FTSE 100 was down 0.78 per cent, or 55.35 points, to 6997.27 and the FTSE 250 inched up 0.40 per cent, or 70.22 points, to 17,632.64.

The mood was not helped by credit ratings agency Fitch which downgraded its outlook for the UK to negative from stable in the wake of the mini-Budget.

In Londons top index, Imperial Brands offered a double dose of good news for its investors.

The tobacco company, whose brands include Lambert & Butler, John Player, Golden Virginia and Rizla, said it will start a 1billion share buyback programme tomorrow.

Trading has remained in line with expectations while revenue and profit for the year is expected to increase by around 1 per cent, Imperial added. Shares rose 2.5 per cent, or 47p, to 1944p.

Stock Watch - Victorian Plumbing Shares in Victorian Plumbing surged after its financial year ended strongly. The bathroom retailer said revenues in the second half of the year were 5 per cent higher than the same period in 2021. This beat the 3 per cent figure predicted by City broker Numis. Revenues for the 12 months to the end of September were in line with last year. Shares in the AIM-listed firm, which rose as high as 330p after its float in June last year but fell as low as 34p this week, rose 13.8 per cent, or 4.9p, to 40.5p.

Credit scorer Experian has beefed up its board with two new appointments.

The group said fintech expert Kathleen DeRose, who sits on the board of the London Stock Exchange Group (down 1.4 per cent, or 108p, to 7682p) and Louise Pentland, a solicitor who has worked at PayPal, will join next month. Shares inched up 0.07 per cent, or 2p, to 2753p.

Halma, the safety equipment company, has swooped in on the German designer and manufacturer of electrical testing technology Weetech for around 50million. Shares in Halma rose 0.9 per cent, or 19p, to 2160p.

Diageo hailed a good start to its new financial year in a brief update ahead of its annual general meeting.

The Guinness owner reiterated it is on-track to meet its medium-term targets for sales and profit growth between 2023 and 2025. Shares slid 1.4 per cent, or 53p, to 3728.5p.

A host of blue-chip and mid-cap stocks traded ex-dividend.

Centrica fell 4.4 per cent, or 3.18p, to 68.44p, Synthomer dropped 8.3 per cent, or 9.3p, to 103.2p and Vistry Group sank 4 per cent, or 24p, to 579p.

Turning back to corporate news, Ferrexpo brought the horrors of Vladimir Putins war to life after the iron ore miner said eight of its workers have died while serving in the Ukrainian armed forces.

In an update on the third quarter of the year, the group said iron ore pellet production tumbled 68 per cent compared with last year while sales slumped 65 per cent due to the conflict.

Liberum analysts said the group highlighted how this was likely to be its weakest quarter though Ferrexpo boss Jim North hailed his teams for continuing to operate despite the war in Ukraine. Shares plunged 3.9 per cent, or 5.2p, to 126.7p.

Investment firm Abrdn may have been hoping for a better assessment from Deutsche Bank.

The broker issued a sell rating and trimmed the target price to 125p from 135p ahead of a possible dividend cut when the full year results are unveiled as Abrdn shares fell yesterday 1.1 per cent, or 1.54p, to 135.61p.
The foreign takeover of one of Britains leading satellite firms could be blocked over competition fears.

US giant Viasat was hoping to complete the 5.6billion purchase of London-based rival Inmarsat before the end of the year.

But the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the tie-up would remove a key competitor from the market.

Threat: The Competition and Markets Authority said Viasat's takeover of Inmarsat would remove a key competitor from the market

This could lead to airlines facing higher prices and worse quality WiFi on board planes, the watchdog said. That is because Inmarsat is the biggest provider of in-flight WiFi, while Viasat is also a leading operator.

The watchdogs intervention set the scene for a full-blown investigation that could see the deal blocked.

CMA senior director Colin Raftery said: This is an evolving market, but the merging companies are currently two of the key players  and it remains uncertain whether the next generation of satellite operators will be able to compete against them effectively.

Ultimately, airlines could be faced with a worse deal because of this merger, which could have knock-on effects for UK consumers as in-flight connectivity becomes more widespread.

The CMA gave the firms five days to offer potential solutions to avoid an in-depth phase 2 investigation.

But Viasat will likely not come up with a proposal in time and boss Mark Dankberg suggested the investigation will go ahead.

Dankberg said he will work closely with the watchdog to spell out why the takeover will benefit consumers.

He also hopes Viasat will be able to convince the watchdog that its competition concerns are unfounded, pointing to the strength of rivals, including Elon Musks Starlink.

But the probe could either lead to the deal being blocked or with Inmarsat and Viasat having to hive off parts of their business.

String of raids in the spotlight The prospect of a full-blown probe into Viasats 5.6billion takeover of Inmarsat is one of a number of investigations into foreign raids on British firms. Authorities are weighing up a series of takeovers spanning the technology, telecoms and defence sectors. A key deal on the desk of Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg is Chinese-backed Nexperias takeover of semiconductor firm Newport Wafer Fab, which he has been urged to reverse using the National Security and Investment Act. Rees-Mogg is also examining French conglomerate Schneider Electrics swoop on Aveva, one of Britains leading technology firms. Concerns have been raised over Schneiders joint venture with Chinese conglomerate Delixi Electric. The proposed tie up between telecoms operators Vodafone and Three is also likely to come under scrutiny. Three is owned by Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison.

It is the latest setback for the controversial takeover, which has faced opposition from MPs as well as technology and defence experts. Critics fear the hollowing out of British industry as overseas predators swoop on assets.

As well as the competition probe, the deal faced a lengthy investigation on national security grounds.

But Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg last month cleared the deal under the National Security and Investment Act, leaving CMA clearance as its last major UK regulatory hurdle.

The deal is also being looked at by the European Unions competition watchdog and authorities where Inmarsat and Viasat operate globally.

Inmarsat is Britains leading satellite company and the largest provider of in-flight WiFi for airlines and a major player in internet connections for ships.

Customers include the military and, as a result, the company is considered a strategic asset by the Government.

Conservative MP and chairman of Parliaments defence select committee Tobias Ellwood said foreign takeovers of strategic British firms appear increasingly unwise.

He said national resilience and supply chains are increasingly challenged and warned against allowing overseas takeovers of UK defence firms.

Ellwood added that Viasats Inmarsat takeover does not pass the Governments social value test  a policy that it must consider the wider benefits of policies including tax contributions, national insurance returns and levelling up.

Founded in 1979, Inmarsat began life as a UN agency helping distressed sailors send SOS signals. It employs around 1,800 staff across the world, including 860 in London.

Its technology is used in everything from climate change tracking to keeping rural cattle farmers connected to the internet.

In March, Viasat and Inmarsat agreed legally binding commitments with the Government including pledges to increase the number of highly skilled jobs, raise R&D spending and keep key operations in Britain.
Police were searching Thursday night for a suspect in the slaying of a woman in Buffalo as officials explained why he was released from custody the day before the killing and called on New York to change its bail laws to prevent similar tragedies.

Law enforcement is looking for Adam R. Bennefield, 45, to question about the death of his estranged wife, Keaira Bennefield, 40, who was shot in front of her children in her SUV at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at Shawnee and Richlawn avenues in the city's Leroy neighborhood.

The homicide came one day after Adam Bennefield was released from custody on his own recognizance by a Cheektowaga Town Court judge following an arrest for an earlier domestic incident against Keaira Bennefield that occurred Sept. 28, according to Cheektowaga police chief Brian Gould.

After surrendering to detectives Tuesday for additional charges that evolved from the Sept. 28 incident, Bennefield was charged with several misdemeanors  including assault  that are not bail eligible, Gould said. A stay-away order was issued to the suspect, the chief added.

Gould told reporters at a news conference Thursday that he previously joined a contingent of police chiefs in a meeting with local leaders to take umbrage with New York's stance on bail reform.

"New York State is the last state that doesn't take into account the dangerousness of a defendant to the community when considering bail," Gould said. "We hope that our elected officials consider those changes."

A fatal shooting. A 14-year-old suspect. $50,000 bail. And more questions about bail reform A Buffalo shooting case that saw a teen suspect released on bail this week has family and law enforcement officials wondering if changes in bail rules have gone too far.

Gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin, a Republican running against Gov. Kathy Hochul, also attended the news conference and criticized the state's bail laws.

Gould said his department has "learned from previous tragedies" of domestic violence, but emphasized Bennefield was a person-of-interest in a homicide just one day after he was arraigned on assault charges against the same victim.

Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia in a news conference Thursday afternoon urged anyone who encounters Adam Bennefield to call 911, but not to intercede themselves, as Bennefield is potentially armed and considered dangerous. Crime Stoppers Buffalo is offering a $7,500 reward for information leading to the suspect's whereabouts.

"This is an awful, awful, tragic ending to a domestic violence incident," Gramaglia said.

Gould detailed the assault case against Bennefield, which evolved after the initial call to Bennefield's Barbara Place residence Sept. 28, where a woman said she'd been punched by her husband. Gould said that because of the condition in which officers found Adam Bennefield locked in the bathroom, he was taken to Erie County Medical Center for medical and psychological evaluation. Cheektowaga police filed a warrant for Bennefield's arrest after the suspect left ECMC.

Zeldin vows feisty fight against Hochul after hard-fought Republican primary win Trailing in early returns to Andrew Giuliani  son of the former New York mayor  Rep. Lee Zeldin pulled into a double-digit lead once returns from Long Island were counted. The two other candidates, former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino and businessman Harry Wilson, trailed far behind.

According to a release from the Erie County District Attorney's Office, Bennefield reportedly displayed a knife and box cutter during the incident and was accused of preventing the victim from leaving the residence and taking her cell phone to prevent a call for help.

The charges against Bennefield worsened as the Cheektowaga Police Department's domestic violence advocate and detectives uncovered more information later in the week. Gould said Keaira Bennefield told the domestic violence advocate that she had suffered injuries and had video of the incident, Gould continued.

On Sunday night, Keaira Bennefield called Cheektowaga police again when she believed an intruder was in her home. When police arrived and did not find anyone, she showed law enforcement a video showing a more severe instance of domestic violence than what was originally reported to an officer Sept. 28, Gould said.

She met with detectives Monday to discuss new evidence, and detectives decided to upgrade the initial charges to misdemeanors, Gould said. Detectives reached Bennefield, who turned himself in Tuesday.

When Adam Bennefield was released after the arraignment, the domestic violence advocate worked with Keaira Bennefield to find safe housing. She decided to stay at her mother's house.

The homicide occurred the next day.

Gramaglia said the homicide suspect's vehicle did not pull over for Buffalo police on Wednesday, maneuvering through a congested area and entering the Kensington Expressway headed in the wrong direction. Police later found the suspect's vehicle and gathered evidence, said Gramaglia, who believes the suspect is still in the area.

Pastor Timothy Newkirk of GYC Ministries said he is spearheading the community portion of the search for Bennefield.

In a post on Facebook, Newkirk said Keaira Bennefield was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time of her death.

MonTaysha Jeter, Keaira Bennefield's sister, told The News that the situation is "horrible." She said her sister felt endangered by Bennefield before yesterday's shooting.

Newkirk was frustrated with the law enforcement response, given the detail that Bennefield was on the loose and potentially armed. Newkirk said there was no official identification of the suspect or alert from police until three hours after the shooting.

"He's a threat to the community. He's a threat to women. He's a threat to children," Newkirk said.

Bennefield had been imprisoned from about 2000 to 2015 for the attempted kidnapping of two women and then an escape from Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden in 2000, The News reported previously.

Bennefield, described as "mentally troubled" at the time of his 2000 arrest, drove a stolen car to cut off the vehicle of his estranged girlfriend, The News reported, and then forced the ex-girlfriend at gunpoint to drive to Grand Island with police chasing them.

Bennefield, who was 22 at the time, then escaped the correctional facility by climbing over a 15-foot fence and a roll of razor wire at the top and was at-large for 19 hours, The News reported.

When police traced the manhunt to a friend's house, Bennefield "locked himself in the flat, cut his wrists with a kitchen knife and threatened to blow up the building with fumes from a gas stove," according to The News' report. His trial was delayed due to a psychiatric evaluation, The News reported.

News Staff Reporter Dale Anderson contributed to this story.
By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

The return of Azerbaijanis to their hometown of Aghdam will commence from 2025, Special Representative of the President in the liberated territories of the Karabakh Economic Region (except for Shusha district) Emin Huseynov said.

The remarks were made on the sidelines of the Azerbaijani National Urban Forum in Aghdam.

"The major construction projects of Azerbaijan will kick off at the end of 2023 and wrap up by the end of 2024. The residential areas, cultural institutions, administrative centers, social institutions, kindergartens, parks  everything required for a fulfilling life, are supposed to be ready and be put into service by the end of 2024," he added.

He noted that the major infrastructure projects will be completed by the end of 2022.

According to him, the reconstruction activities in the city center and nearby villages are to begin next year.

"The key projects speeding up the 'Great Return', as well as the return to a normal life on liberated lands will be launched in the foreseeable future. Hopefully, we will be able to witness the resettlement of our compatriots in Aghdam and its surrounding villages, as well as in liberated Fuzuli, Khojavand, and Tartar districts in the next three years, he stressed.

Further, Huseynov stated that Azerbaijan plans to resettle about 10,000 people in Aghdam city at the initial stage.

"Currently, the resettlement is based on the overall maximum potential forecasts and in accordance with living space. Alongside this, work is underway to create new workplaces. The new workplaces that will be created in the ongoing recovery processes will be potential jobs. In addition, certain jobs will be created both in the agriculture and light and food industries. In general, at the initial stage, it's planned to resettle about 10,000 people in Aghdam city," he said

Construction & restoration

Speaking at the forum, Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture Anar Guliyev said that Azerbaijan is successfully carrying out unprecedented comprehensive restoration and construction work on its liberated territories in accordance with advanced urban planning standards.

He noted that the parallel implementation of such large-scale works in a short period of time, along with the involvement of a large number of highly qualified designers, architects, engineers, and builders, also increased the relevance of applying new effective institutional management methods.

"In accordance with the presidential order dated November 24, 2020, on the liberated territories, in order to centrally resolve issues and coordinate the activities of all organizations involved in the restoration work, a Coordination Headquarters was created, which includes members of all government agencies, Guliyev said.

He added that the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture, along with many other ministries and state committees, ensures the preparation of basic documents for territorial planning of settlements liberated from occupation.

Similarly, Director of Chapman Taylor British Company Marcelina Zielinska noted that the progress that is seen today in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan is impressive.

"Today we got acquainted with the plan for the reconstruction of Aghdam city. We are very impressed by the ambitious plans of the Azerbaijani government to revive these lands," she said.

According to Zielinska, the work that has already been done in Shusha is amazing.

"We will continue to implement various projects. We will also work in the city of Jabrayil. This work will be different from what we did in Shusha. There will be more social infrastructure in Jabrayil," she added.

At the same time, she noted that one of the primary tasks is the preservation of the natural environment.

Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN?Habitat) Maimunah Mohd Sharif expressed appreciation for the work that Azerbaijan is doing to populate its liberated territories.

"Azerbaijan's government is intensively working to restore lands and return former internally displaced persons," she said.

Sharif noted that factors such as climate change, and COVID-19 create problems for the urban process and transformational changes.

"Today's forum is important from the point of view of studying the work done by Azerbaijan in its liberated territories, studying the country's technical experience," she added.

Green energy

Meanwhile, UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva added that the UN will begin a needs assessment for the reconstruction of Aghdam city.

"The research mission together with the EU, the World Bank was carried out back in March, including in Aghdam, and UN thinks that in a few weeks, an assessment of the needs for the restoration of these territories will begin," she said.

She stressed that the UN is supporting Azerbaijan in such an important issue as mine clearance, as well as in the transition to a 'green' economy.

"The post-conflict period provides an opportunity for Azerbaijan to accelerate the achievement of sustainable development goals and generally improve the quality of life of the population. UN is developing the strategy together with the Azerbaijani government based on such areas as a competitive economy, inclusive growth, building human capital, and, of course, a clean environment," she noted.

Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture Anar Guliyev stressed that the committee provided preparation for the General Plan for the entire region liberated from occupation, the development of general plans for Aghdam and many other cities and villages were completed, and the design of hundreds of settlements continues.

He noted that during the development of master plans, modern approaches to' smart city', 'green energy, such factors as a clean environment, the integrated development of industry and agriculture, and the wide realization of tourism potential were taken as the basis.

Additionally, Azerbaijans Deputy Economy Minister Elnur Aliyev pointed out that the country aims at long-term inclusive and sustainable economic development of liberated territories.

"In accordance with the long-term inclusive development model of Azerbaijan, the main goal is to create a modern production infrastructure in the liberated territories, attract investments aimed at introducing modern technologies, and effectively realize the potential of the region," Aliyev said.

He emphasized that for this purpose, all conditions for entrepreneurs have been created in the industrial parks created in the liberated territories.
A former policeman killed 34 people, including 23 children, during a knife and gun rampage at a daycare centre in northeast Thailand on Thursday, police said, before later shooting dead his wife and child at home and turning his weapon on himself.

In one of the worlds worst child death tolls in a massacre by a single killer in recent history, most of the children who died at the daycare centre in Uthai Sawan, a town 500 km (310 miles) northeast of Bangkok, were stabbed to death, police said.

The age range of children at the daycare centre was from two to five years, a local official told Reuters.

Police identified the attacker as a former member of the force who was dismissed from his post last year over drug allegations and he was facing trial on a drugs charge.

The man had been in court earlier in the day and had then gone to the daycare centre to collect his child, police spokesperson Paisal Luesomboon told broadcaster ThaiPBS.

When he did not find his child there, he began the killing spree, Paisal said. He started shooting, slashing, killing children at the Uthai Sawan daycare centre, Paisal said.

Its a scene that nobody wants to see. From the first step when I went in, it felt harrowing, Piyalak Kingkaew, an experienced emergency worker heading the first responder team, told Reuters.

Weve been through it before, but this incident is most harrowing because they are little kids.

A large van that police said contained bodies of 22 people, mostly children, was seen by Reuters departing from a police station headed towards the city of Udon Thani, 80 km (50 miles) away, where autopsies would be performed.

I BEGGED HIM FOR MERCY

A Reuters photographer also saw late on Thursday the body of the shooter, Panya Khamrapm, being moved in a bodybag from a van to a police station in the province.

Photographs taken at the daycare centre by the rescue team and shared with Reuters showed the tiny bodies of those killed laid out on blankets. Abandoned juice boxes were scattered across the floor.

He was heading towards me and I begged him for mercy, I didnt know what to do, one distraught woman told ThaiPBS, fighting back tears.

He didnt say anything, he shot at the door while the kids were sleeping, another woman said, becoming distraught.

Police said the attackers weapon was a 9 mm pistol and it had been obtained legally.

Thailands police chief said the perpetrator had tried to break into the premises and had mostly used a knife in the killings.

Then he got out and started killing anyone he met along the way with a gun or the knife until he got home. We surrounded his house and then found that he committed suicide in his home, Damrongsak Kittiprapas told reporters.

He said a few children had survived, without giving details.

About 30 children were at the facility  a pink, one-storey building surrounded by a lawn and small palm trees  when the attacker arrived, fewer than usual, as heavy rain had kept many people away, said district official Jidapa Boonsom, who was working in a nearby office at the time.

The shooter came in around lunch time and shot four or five officials at the childcare centre first, Jidapa told Reuters.

The attacker forced his way into a locked room where the children were sleeping, Jidapa said. A teacher who was eight months pregnant was also among those stabbed to death, she said.

The massacre is among the worst involving children killed by one person. Anders Breivik killed 69 people, mostly teenagers, at a summer camp in Norway in 2011, while the death toll in other cases include 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut in 2012, 16 at Dunblane in Scotland in 1996 and 19 at a school in Uvalde, Texas, this year.

The Beslan school hostage crisis in Russia in 2004 saw 186 children killed by a group of hostage takers.

Reuters Graphics

DRUGS CHARGE

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha was expected to visit the region on Friday. In a statement on Facebook, he called Thursdays rampage a shocking incident.

Prayuth ordered all government departments to fly the national flag at half mast on Friday to mark a tragedy that had caused grief to the entire nation, his spokesperson Anusha Burapchaisri said.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida will visit families of the victims in Udon Thani on Friday, according to a local announcement.

The government said it would provide financial aid to the families to help cover funeral expenses and medical treatment.

The White House and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres both expressed shock at the attack and sent condolences to the victims families.

Gun laws are strict in Thailand, where possession of an illegal firearm carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. But ownership is high compared with some other countries in Southeast Asia. Illegal weapons, many brought in from strife-torn neighbouring countries, are common.

Mass shootings in Thailand remain rare, although in 2020, a soldier angry over a property deal gone sour killed at least 29 people and wounded 57 in a rampage that spanned four locations.

SOURCE: REUTERS
Ukraine said its forces have retaken more settlements in Kherson, one of four partially Russian-occupied regions that President Vladimir Putin formally incorporated into Russia in Europes biggest annexation since World War Two.

With Russian forces retreating from front lines in the south and east, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a late Wednesday address that Novovoskresenske, Novohryhorivka and Petropavlivka to the northeast of Kherson city had been liberated.

At the United Nations, Russia is lobbying for a secret ballot instead of a public vote next week when the 193-member U.N. General Assembly considers whether to condemn its annexation of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south after staging referendums there.

Putin signed a law on Wednesday to incorporate the regions into Russia. Ukraine says it will never accept an illegal seizure of its territory by force. Kyiv and the West said the referendums were rigged votes held at gunpoint.

The new law would incorporate about 18% of Ukraines territory into Russia. Putin says he wants to ensure Russias security and protect Russian-speakers in Ukraine. Kyiv accuses Moscow of a land grab.

Russias move to annex the regions raises the possibility of an escalation in the war, as Putin and other officials have said they could use nuclear weapons to protect Russian territory including the annexed provinces.

Ukraine has said it will not be cowed by any nuclear threats and Zelenskiy said in his address he and his senior military officials met to discuss recovering all lands occupied by Russia.

Switching from Ukrainian to Russian, Zelenskiy addressed pro-Moscow forces, telling them they had already lost.

Ukrainians know what they are fighting for. And more and more citizens of Russia are realizing that they must die simply because one person does not want to end the war, he said in a reference to Putin.

Moscows map of Ukraine appears to show shrinking areas it controls. A map of new regions published by state news agency RIA included the full territory of the Ukrainian provinces, but some parts were labelled as being under Ukrainian military control.

Ukraines military in the south said its forces had killed at least 58 Russian fighters, destroyed nine tanks, 17 armoured vehicles and four howitzers.

Overnight, seven Russian missiles hit the city of Zaporizhzhia, damaging or destroying several buildings and causing fires and injuries, regional governor Oleksandr Starukh said. Rescuers are already pulling people out from under the rubble, he said.

Reuters could not immediately verify the reports.

BODIES IN TREES

Ukrainian forces have recaptured thousands of square miles of territory since the beginning of September, including dozens of settlements in the past few days.

Thousands of Russian troops retreated after the front line crumbled, first in the northeast, and, since the beginning of this week, also in the south.

Putin celebrated the annexations in a ceremony in the Kremlin followed by a concert on Red Square last week, only hours before Ukrainian forces captured Lyman, Russias main bastion in the northern part of Donetsk.

On Wednesday, the bodies of two Russian soldiers were still lying bloating in trees on opposite sides of a road near Lyman, close to the blasted hulks of cars and a van.

Occasional crumps echoed from distant fighting as Ukrainian troops advanced toward a north-south highway that serves as one of the last supply routes for Russian forces in Luhansk province.

In Lyman, Nina, 73, stood waiting for an aid delivery by a municipal building. There were 15 bodies of Russian soldiers lying in her street, she said.

Nobody removes them. Its the fifth day they are lying there. And we have the smell, she said.

POWER STATION

In one of his first moves to assert his rule over the four annexed provinces, Putin ordered the Russian state to seize control of the Zaporizhzhia power station, Europes biggest, still run by Ukrainian engineers despite being captured early in the war by Russian forces.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, said it had learned of plans to restart one reactor at the plant, where all six reactors have been shut down for weeks.

The power station is right on the front line, on a Russian-controlled bank of a reservoir with Ukrainian forces on the opposite bank, and both sides have warned of the danger of a nuclear disaster.

In recent days, Russia detained the plants Ukrainian manager. He was released but will not return to work. The head of Ukraines state nuclear energy company Energoatom, Petro Kotin, said he was 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, which it says would increase the risk of an accident.

IAEA head Rafael Grossi, who is due to visit Kyiv and Moscow this week, said negotiations on a safe zone around the plant were more important than ever.

SOURCE: REUTERS
A substantial number of people will be contacted in the coming months about how their data was compromised in the 2021 HSE cyber attack, a committee has heard.

The ransomware attack resulted in the HSE having to close down all of its IT services, causing widespread delays and the cancellation of appointments at hospitals across the country.

The HSEs interim CEO Stephen Mulvaney appeared before the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday for the first time since taking up the role after his predecessor Paul Reid stepped down on Monday.

He told the committee that he did not believe anyone affected by the cyber attack had been contacted yet, but said he expected that would begin in the coming months.

There is a significant volume of work which is progressing so we can get to the point where we can appropriately communicate with those individuals who do need to be communicated with, and we are very anxious to do so in a way that does not cause unnecessary upset.

Weve been conscious that this is taking longer than people might expect, however the volume and complexity of what were dealing with is very, very substantial.

HSE chief operations officer Damian McCallion, who also appeared before the committee, said there was a substantial number of people that will need to be contacted.

We stood up a team who will be making contact for people so all of that part of it is in place in terms of contacting people.

He said that work was ongoing to work out who needed to be contacted.

I dont want to throw out a number that isnt correct to here today, were trying to finalise that, but its a substantial number of people that will need to be contacted.

Mr Mulvaney also committed to ensuring that most pandemic bonuses would be paid to Section 38 and 39 workers, including Dublin Fire Brigade workers, by the end of the year.

We understand that our colleagues and Section 39s need to get this recognition, we absolutely do. Its simply a question of the practicalities of it and making those payments.

Mr Mulvaney and Mr McCallion were among the HSE and Department of Health officials before the committee on Thursday to discuss expenditure on emergency services.

The committee was told that around 3,018 new staff will be needed by the National Ambulance Service by 2028 for the ambulance service to meet future demand.

Last year, 70 new recruits were hired by the National Ambulance Service (NAS).

Director of the National Ambulance Service Robert Morton agreed that greater improvement around recruitment was needed and that 90 student paramedics started in September, with further students to start in December.

From a core ambulance perspective, we need 2,161 additional staff by 2028.

That also includes a number of new service developments that will be focused on preventing many patients from needing to go to hospital. Particularly older, frail patients and were developing a lot of services to treat patients at home.

In addition to the 2,161 growth, we also need to recruit 854 just to stand still  thats to allow for retirements, resignations and internal movement.

Mr Morton said that paramedics are educated in Dublin, Ballinasloe and Tullamore, but over the next three years they are looking to expand into Wexford, Cork and Sligo so that we can effectively double our education capacity to meet the future workforce needs.

He also said that it was a myth that two ambulances are sent to a callout in case one breaks down.

If we do send two vehicles it depends on the clinical criteria of the call.

So, in the event of a cardiac arrest, for example, we send two resources as a matter of clinical requirement to make sure that theres three to four practitioners or responders on the scene.

We would never never send two vehicles because of a mechanical issue, he said.

Clinical director of the NAS Professor Cathal ODonnell said that ambulance response time targets are a blunt instrument in measuring an ambulance service, and doesnt really impact on patient outcomes.

A 90-minute response time over the breadth of the kinds of clinical presentations that we see and for many of them, it doesnt really impact on patient outcomes.

From a clinical perspective, were much more interested in how can we improve the patients acute healthcare.

If were sending two very highly-trained clinicians on a call, and if they get there in 90 minutes or 20 minutes or 15 minutes if youre having a heart attack or a stroke or you have a broken leg, thats a very blunt instrument in terms of success.

He said one of the indicators they have is in cases of cardiac arrests, what proportion of patients had their heart restarted before arriving at an emergency department. Two other indicators relate to stroke care and the fourth clinical key performance indicator is in relation to pain relief.
The Northern Ireland Protocol as it was originally designed is a little too strict, Irelands deputy premier has said.

Leo Varadkar said the protocol was working despite it not being fully implemented, demonstrating there is room for further flexibility for some changes.

He added that a window of opportunity now exists for agreement to be reached between the EU and the UK.

His remarks come as negotiations between officials on the protocol are due to get under way later today.

The European Commission earlier this week confirmed the two sides will meet for technical level talks.

A meeting between Irelands Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is scheduled to take place in London this evening ahead of Mr Coveney co-chairing a British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris on Friday.

Speaking in Dublin, Mr Varadkar said: We should not forget that the protocol is working. It was designed to prevent a hard border between north and south, and there is no hard border between north and south.

It was designed to protect the integrity of the single market and it has, and also the Northern Ireland economy is outperforming the rest of the UK economically.

But one thing that I would concede is that perhaps the protocol, as it was originally designed, was a little too strict.

The protocol has not been fully implemented and yet it is still working.

I think that, you know, demonstrates that there is some room for further flexibility for some changes that hopefully would make it acceptable to all sides.

The protocol was agreed by the UK and EU as part of the Withdrawal Agreement and sought to avoid a hard border with Ireland post-Brexit.

But the arrangements have created trade barriers on goods being shipped from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

The protocol is vehemently opposed by many unionists in Northern Ireland and the DUP is currently blocking the formation of a powersharing executive in Belfast in protest.

Mr Varadkar said an agreement would be very beneficial as it would allow for the restoration of powersharing in Northern Ireland.

Stormont collapsed earlier this year amid a row over the protocol and has not returned despite elections in May.

Speaking after an industrial relations conference at University College Dublin, Mr Varadkar also told reporters: There is a window of opportunity now over the next couple of weeks to see if we can come to an agreement on the protocol.

That would be very beneficial for Ireland and Northern Ireland because it would allow us to get the executive up and running, and could be helpful for Britain as well in economic terms.

The Tanaiste welcomed the UKs Northern Ireland Minister Steve Bakers apology over his previous ferocious negotiating stance on Brexit but said it would remain to be seen if they would prove to be significant.

Mr Baker, a former strident Brexiteer and member of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of MPs, said relations with Ireland are not where they should be, and added that ministers need to act with humility to restore relationships with the Republic and the EU.

Mr Varadkar said: It remains to be seen what the significance of them are, but they are very welcome comments and (I) would agree with the Taoiseach on that.

Asked about the political instability surrounding UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, he said the Irish Government does not concern itself with the UKs domestic politics.

Thats just not the way we operate. Liz Truss is the Prime Minister, and the British government is the British government, and the European Union, including Ireland will negotiate with them and try and come to an agreement if we can, he said.

We wont concern ourselves about any individual countrys domestic politics.

Legislation to enable the UK Government to effectively tear up parts of the protocol is to return to Westminster on October 11.

The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill has already cleared the House of Commons and will be debated at second reading by the House of Lords, which is expected to consider it at length, next week.
In this post we share some recent crime cases along with notes on police action and afternoon gunfire.

As always, we try to fight a bit of hope toward the end of the compilation.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

KC police K-9 officer training class returns For the first time since the start of the pandemic, a Kansas City K-9 officer dog training class is back.Highly trained K-9 officers worked on perfecting their skills on Thursday. The work may be routine training, but the situations they face can save officers' lives."Without a dog, we would be going around dark corners by ourselves searching for armed suspects.

1 dead, 2 in custody after shooting at Independence gas station INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - Two people are in custody after a shooting left one person dead at a gas station in Independence, Missouri. Independence police officers responded to the shooting at the Road Star gas station off U.S. 40 Highway around 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Officers found one person dead, according to police.

Off-duty Kansas City firefighter killed in shooting at Independence gas station An off-duty Kansas City firefighter was killed in a shooting Thursday afternoon at an Independence gas station.Independence police said they were called about 2:30 p.m. to the Road Star gas station at 11100 East U.S. 40 Highway on a reported shooting and found a man dead.A spokesman for the Kansas City Fire Department confirmed the victim was a firefighter.

Suspect of homicide at Independence apartment taken into custody in KCMO KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A male suspect of a fatal shooting Saturday in Independence, Missouri, is in custody after being captured in Kansas City, Missouri, according to the Independence Police Department.

Woman pregnant at time of murder in Shawnee apartment, court documents show SHAWNEE, Kan. - A metro woman was pregnant when her on-again off-again boyfriend allegedly shot and killed her last month, according to court documents. Kathleen Dampier, 25, died Sept. 18. Prosecutors charged 29-year-old Doniel Sublett Jr. with first-degree murder in her death.

Former Chillicothe hospital worker's murder trial moving to new county CHILLICOTHE, Mo. - The trial for a former Chillicothe, Missouri, hospital worker will see a change of venue. Jennifer Hall faces first-degree murder charges from a 20-year old murder case where she's accused of killing a patient. An attorney representing the former respiratory therapist told FOX4 changes of venue are common for court cases in small communities like Chillicothe.

2 imprisoned men swear they're innocent, blame former KCK detective Roger Golubski for convictions Two men convicted of murder are going back to court in hopes of gaining a new evidentiary hearing. They say disgraced Kansas City, Kansas, police detective Roger Golubski has some connection to the case and had a hand in sending the pair to prison.

Ex-wife charged with shooting US Army officer ex-husband at Fort Leonard Wood KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that a woman has been charged with assault in the attempted murder of her ex-husband, a U.S. Army sergeant, earlier this week at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Katara R. Hamilton, 30, was charged in the U.S.

ATF still seeking leads on April apartment arson in Kansas City The Kansas City field division for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is looking for new information in an April 8 arson that injured 15, including nine children at the Stonegate Meadows apartment complex.

Grain Valley Schools District investigating recent malware attack GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. - The Grain Valley School District notified parents Tuesday it has been the victim of an apparent malware attack. In the notification to parents, the district said an investigation is underway after the district's IT systems reported technical difficulties.

Man arrested for 130-mile joyride on back of semitruck from Kansas to Oklahoma Joyriding is not a charge we see often, but troopers said it fits a man they arrested this week.The semitruck traveled in the middle of the night and little did the driver know, he was carrying some extra cargo."It's so bizarre.

At East Patrol, CIO Speaks The Language After a few years and unable to fend off his dream any longer, Gordillo applied to the police academy and has been at East Patrol since graduating in September 2018. When one of the Community Interaction Officer (CIO) positions became available, Gordillo applied with a goal of better connecting with the Hispanic community.

Developing . . .


Rampant violence on KCMO streets persists and this week a student endured misfortune amid a worsening violent crime crisis . . .



"A 17-year-old girl was the victim of two different gun crimes Wednesday morning"



Check the deets and more reporting . . .



The victim told officers that a man came up to her with a gun and stole her vehicle.



KCPD said officers were able to find the stolen vehicle and a police chase began.



One person in the stolen vehicle took off near E. 51st Street and Chestnut Avenue, according to police.



Three others were taken into custody near E. 74th Street and Bellefontaine Avenue.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Kansas City police investigating armed carjacking at Northeast High School KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Police are investigating following a reported armed carjacking Wednesday morning at a Kansas City, Missouri high school. Just after 10 p.m. school resource officers at Northeast High School were informed of an armed carjacking in the school parking lot.

The armed carjacking of a Kansas City high schooler ends in a high-speed chase with police A 17-year-old girl was the victim of two different gun crimes Wednesday morning, including a carjacking at gunpoint in her high school's parking lot.According to Kansas City Police and her mother Carol Ready, the first incident happened when Elnora Owens, 17, was caught in the crossfire between two people.That gunfire

Developing . . .
Kansas City homicide numbers continue along a HISTORIC SURGE and, once again, this could be the 2nd most violent year in local history.

The slaying of two young, beloved and brilliant scientists has garnered more publicity than most local murders because the couple were not knowingly plagued by other factors that tend to confront KC's homicide victims like poverty, violent home life, drug addiction and/or street gang affiliation.

The murder victims were elite young people with a bright future ahead of them.

Sadly . . .

As police continue to investigate the gruesome slaughter . . . Locals struggle to make sense of worsening homicide numbers which confront not only a growing number of people in this cowtown but also the nation at large.



Check the local angle . . .



"On Wednesday, Antonia Urrejola Noguera, minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile, said the general counsel of Chile in Chicago is in contact with law enforcement in Missouri. One of the victims, Pablo Guzman-Palma, 25, is a native of Chile. The second victim, Camila Behrensen, was born in Argentina. Responding fire crews located the pair inside an apartment unit in the 4100 block of Oak Street. An investigation revealed they had been shot."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Slaying of 2 Kansas City science researchers garners international attention KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Officials in South America are following the deaths of two Stowers Institute researchers who were found dead in an apartment fire in Kansas City, Missouri, over the weekend. On Wednesday, Antonia Urrejola Noguera , minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile, said the general counsel of Chile in Chicago is in contact with law enforcement in Missouri.

Related reading . . .

US murder rate continued grim climb in 2021, new FBI estimates show Violent crime continued to rise across the U.S. last, according to an annual estimate the FBI released Wednesday. Murders increased 4.3% last year, rising from 22,000 to 22,900, while rape instances rose as well. The FBI acknowledges that violent crime is at the very least matching the high levels seen in 2020, which surged nearly 30% over 2019.

Homicides Continued to Increase in 2021, According to the FBI's Flawed Crime Report The estimated 22,900 murders and other killings last year would bring the nation's homicide rate to 6.9 per 100,000-the highest in almost 25 years.

Developing . . .
John Esplen, president and CEO of The Humberview Group, which has pledged to match donations of up to $1M to William Osler Health System Foundation. - William Osler Health System photo
From Dorothy Parker and friends in the jazz age to activism in the American Civil War, these novels show ideas and morals matter
A three-hour meeting on Wednesday between Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. officials and leaders from seven counties left both sides hopeful that the agency's relationship with local governments will improve in the long-term.

The meeting came after the betting agency that runs Batavia Downs came under fire from Erie County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick and others for not answering questions over its spending practices and other controversies for several months.

Hardwick said Thursday that he thought the meeting was productive, though he did have outstanding information requests that he hopes will be answered in the coming days.

"Their attitude has changed," Hardwick said. "They did attempt to answer questions."

Hardwick sent five letters to the WROTB since mid-July demanding answers for everything from a hotel buyback deal at Batavia Downs to the number of outside lawyers and lobbyists the agency hired by the OTB.

In addition to Batavia Downs racetrack and casino, the agency runs other off-track betting sites in 15 counties.

After push from Hardwick, OTB agrees to meeting to answer money questions WROTB President Henry Wojtaszek is inviting each of the comptrollers or fiscal officers from the OTB's 17 member counties to the OTB's corporate offices at Batavia Downs on Oct. 5.

After some resistance, WROTB President Henry Wojtaszek and the agency's board agreed that Wojtaszek should host a meeting for all 17 county fiscal leaders and comptrollers representing 15 counties, plus Buffalo and Rochester. Ultimately, representatives attended from Erie, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Chautauqua, Oswego and Steuben counties. Both Hardwick and Deputy Comptroller Timothy Callan attended on behalf of Erie County.

"It went extremely well," Wojtaszek said. "There were no surprises. It was a great interaction between WROTB and the various counties, including Erie County."

He added that he hopes the meeting is a positive step toward improving relationships with local governments over the long term.

Hardwick and Callan said they asked for follow-up information regarding the number and amount spent on outside lawyers and lobbyists for OTB, as well as follow-up information about the sale of Batavia Downs property for a new hotel and the buyback decision several years later. They also still want to know how many current and former board members receive fully covered health insurance through the OTB and how much it costs.

Comptroller Kevin Hardwick targets OTB over transparency concerns Hardwick is demanding answers for everything from a hotel buyback deal at Batavia Downs to the number of outside lawyers and lobbyists hired by the OTB, and how much they were paid.

Wojtaszek said he intends to provide the information requested and will reach out to Callan before sending over the information to make sure all the county's information requests are addressed.

Wojtaszek has refused to release a compliance report and recommendations commissioned by OTB and produced by consultant and former Buffalo FBI Agent Paul Moskal. The report was done in response to two audits released last year by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office.

Such reports, shared with a government-appointed board of representatives, are not typically secret documents. Many documents held by the OTB are subject to Freedom of Information Laws. However, Wojtaszek said OTB still considers the report to be private.

"At this point, its still attorney-client privilege and not something were willing to give out," he said.

Hardwick said he is skeptical of some responses he received Wednesday and will determine next steps after receiving follow-up responses from the OTB.
The five teenage girls from Western New York did not know "gregory.oneil.752," who sent a friend request on Facebook and began separate conversations with them on Facebook's Messenger application in the spring of 2018. But quickly within each exchange, authorities said, this unfamiliar social media user gained control over them.

A 17-year-old from Gowanda, a 13-year-old from Fredonia, a 14-year-old from Forestville, a 16-year-old from Silver Creek and a 16-year-old from West Valley fell prey to gregory.oneil.752, according to court documents. He would send sexual images of someone he claimed to be, and then after complimenting the girls' appearance, request they respond with a sexual image of themselves.

Gregory.oneil.752 would then ask for more sexual images or videos, and if they did not comply, he would threaten to expose their conversations and content to the girls' parents, boyfriends or Facebook friends. Intimidated by the threats, the girls kept complying with the demands, documents show.

If any of the girls threatened to stop talking to or report him, gregory.oneil.752 would emphasize his power to make public the girls' images, or in one case, threaten to harm their family members. In two of the five cases, gregory.oneil.752 followed through on his threats, sharing the girls' images with other Facebook users.

Gregory.oneil.752 was actually a Florida man named Andrew Lynch, according to law enforcement officials. Last month, Lynch came to a plea agreement to one count of production of child pornography after being indicted by a grand jury. When he is sentenced later this year, he faces up to 30 years in prison and a public listing as a sex offender.

The activity Lynch engaged in is defined as sextortion, or blackmail using sexual content to gain anything from money to more photos and videos.

. . .

Eric Schmidt, an officer in FBI Buffalo's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, said his office has received 40 complaints of sextortion in the first nine months of this year. That's an increase from last year, he said, and a troubling sign.

"It is an emerging crime in the Buffalo area," said Schmidt, who balances FBI responsibilities for the last five years with working for the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, where he has spent the last 20 years. "I think you're going to see that trend continue to go up."

Schmidt said the increase in cases can be partly attributed to the social impact caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"You've got school-aged children being in school six, seven, eight hours a day now being home isolated from friends, family  that social aspect of being a kid, which is to meet people in person, has now been pushed over to the virtual world," Schmidt said. "That can be a scary place."

Hamburg Police Capt. Jeff Lavelle warned about sextortion Sept. 20 on the department's Facebook page to address a problem he said has struck the town four times this year. His message cited national statistics: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center last year received more than 16,000 calls of sextortion complaints, about half of which came from people between 20 and 39 years old.

Schmidt described what he has seen as the general process of sextortion.

"It starts off with a suspect reaching out to a victim, moving into 'How old are you?', 'Where are you from?', 'Are you a boy or girl?'  age, sex, location type of thing. Then they'll move forward with requesting images and videos of the victims. Once they have those videos and images, they'll then extort the victims for money."

A 17-year-old died by suicide hours after being scammed. The FBI says he was targeted in 'sextortion' scheme. Law enforcement calls the scam "sextortion," and investigators have seen an explosion in complaints from victims leading the FBI to ramp up a campaign to warn parents from coast to coast.

Requests for money often do not stop after one threat, however.

"There's never enough money," Lavelle said.

Harm to victims extends beyond money, too. In the last year, media outlets have reported three 17-year-old boys committed suicide, in San Jose, Calif.; Manitoba, Canada; and in Detroit, Mich., after being targeted in sextortion attempts. The FBI lists at usa.gov ways in which a crime may be reported, and sextortion-specific complaints may be made to ic3.gov.

. . .

Cybercriminals engaging in sextortion are notoriously hard to pin down, according to law enforcement. Facebook is far from the only platform used in these crimes  social media sites such as Instagram, Snapchat and Tik Tok, or dating apps may be the criminal route.

Money acquired through sextortion may be sent over Venmo or other mobile payment services, making the money trail difficult to follow. The cybercriminals may operate from other countries that lack the infrastructure to identify, investigate and punish these crimes.

"We have to constantly try to stay on top of the technology," said Schmidt, who said the FBI has a host of resources for investigators, including access to analysts and communication with other departments.

The criminals' undoing may be how wide they cast their net  Schmidt said some suspects have as many as 30 to 60 victims.

The biggest barrier to catching cybercriminals' sextortion is that the crime is not even reported in the first place. The intensity of a victim's fear and shame  in light of the social repercussions of a stranger possessing compromising sexual media  has made sextortion a likely highly underreported crime.

"Telling somebody is huge," Schmidt said. "It's a horrible, dark secret that they're holding  and that's a lot of undue stress for a kid, especially in school. They've got enough going on."

And even though kids under 18 years old do not represent the largest proportion of reported sextortion complaints, they're especially vulnerable, Lavelle said.

"It's believable to them, to an extent," Lavelle said of a stranger's sexual advances online. "They're not thinking clearly. They aren't fully developed."

. . .

Schmidt said the FBI Buffalo team  comprising two special agents and three task force officers  visits local schools to warn against sextortion attempts. It is incumbent upon parents, however, to have potentially uncomfortable conversations with their children about media usage.

"It's a tough talk for parents to have with their kids, especially to say, 'Hey, listen, let me see your phone,' " Schmidt said. "Some kids feel it's an invasion of privacy  in this day and age, it's tough. You've got to be a diligent and a vigilant parent."

The FBI Buffalo officer said parents should be familiar with the social media platforms their children use and how they function. They should consider following their kids on those platforms, too.

The simple message to kids, Schmidt said, is to not take photos you would not want family members to see. But even if a kid is caught in a sextortion scheme, the images and videos may not be recoverable, but help is available.

"The feeling of shame is temporary, and there's help out there," said Schmidt, who said that FBI Buffalo can refer counselors as one means of assistance. "There's people out there that are just like you and are doing well, and there are people out there who want to help. Reach out for the help."
This morning , we kick off the show today with someone who is no stranger to the Morning Edi
Training of junior commanders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including classes in leadership, psychological, methodical, fire, technical and tactical training, has begun in Great Britain.

The basic level training of junior commanders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has begun on the territory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This course was developed on the basis of the Ukrainian training program for non-commissioned officers, taking into account the combat experience of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted on Facebook.

As noted, the course includes classes in leadership, psychological, methodical, fire, technical and tactical training, as well as International Humanitarian Law.

Training is conducted by Ukrainian and British instructors with the involvement of foreign models of weapons and military equipment.

After successful completion of training, servicemen will be appointed to the positions of units commanders of various branches of the military.

The General Staff notes that this course expanded the existing training program on the territory of the United Kingdom, which previously provided only basic general military training for Ukrainian soldiers.

As reported, Lithuania joined the international training program of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the UK in September.

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The air defense units shot down six kamikaze drones that attacked Odesa and Mykolaiv regions at night.

"During the night attack of kamikaze drones on Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, according to preliminary data, six drones were shot down by the air defense forces," the Operational Command "South" reports.

As noted, the enemy has intensified aerial reconnaissance.

"There were no significant changes in the number, position and quality of the enemy forces. Trying to find ways to counter our active advance, the enemy has intensified aerial reconnaissance," the Operational Command "South" explains.

In the evening, the enemy launched an airstrike with a helicopter on the Ukrainian positions. In response, Ukrainian aircraft launched four strikes on the enemy, and the air defense units destroyed two Orlan-10 drones in Beryslav district.

As reported, on the night of October 5, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with kamikaze drones from the south. Out of about 12 drones, six were shot down.

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According to preliminary data, two people were killed in a Russian missile attack on Zaporizhzhia city. Residents have been trapped under the rubble of destroyed apartment blocks.

"Preliminary data on victims of the enemy attack! One woman was killed. Another one died in an ambulance. There are at least five people under the rubble of houses," Oleksandr Starukh, Head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, posted on Telegram.

As noted, many people were saved, including a three-year-old girl. The child was hospitalized.

The rescue operation is ongoing.

As reported, the Russian army fired seven missiles at Zaporizhzhia. As a result of the attack, two apartment blocks were destroyed.

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The EU intends to formally launch a military training mission for Ukraine at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on October 17, despite threats and blackmail from the Kremlin regime.

According to Ukrinform, EU High Representative Josep Borrell wrote this in his own blog on the website of the European External Action Service.

"At the next Foreign Affairs Council on 17 October, I hope we can formally launch our training mission for Ukrainian armed forces," Borrell wrote.

Commenting on the recent events surrounding Russia's attempt to annex the occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as Putin's threats to use nuclear weapons for their "defense", the high representative of the EU emphasized the EU's continued strong support for Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.

Read also: Council of EU reaches agreement on 8th package of sanctions against Russia

"As EU, we have made it clear that we will never accept the annexation and that we will not be intimidated by Russia's threats and escalations. On the contrary, we will reinforce our strategy of supporting Ukraine - militarily, financially and politically; upping the pressure on Russia with more sanctions and supporting our international partner to handle the fallout of the war. [] At the same time, we remain ready to pursue a diplomatic solution, should the circumstances return to do so in a meaningful way," Borrell said.

Photo: Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperation
President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the world to give a strong response to Russias decision regarding an attempt to annex the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine in order to prevent further escalation of Russian aggression.

President said this in his address to the Australian Lowy Institute via video conference, Ukrinform reports.

Now is the time to increase this pressure. Just now. Right after Russia staged this farce with sham referenda and this annexation. The price of such actions must be tangible, the consequences - devastating. The aggressor should have no illusions that 2014 can still happen again, the president said.

Zelensky reminded that on September 30 of this year, the head of Russia announced the purported annexation of part of the territory of Ukraine. Four of our regions, from which the Russian occupation contingent has not yet been ousted.

According to him, this new attempt by Russia to grab someone else's property is an obvious attempt to repeat 2014  the annexation of Crimea. In 2014, Russia was not punished for this crime and this increased the aggressor's sense of impunity.

"Be sure - the head of Russia is now carefully analyzing the world's reaction to the sham referenda he organized on Ukrainian soil and to the announcement of the annexation of our territory. What exactly is he interested in? Its simple: he is interested in whether he still has the potential for escalation. If the world's reaction is weak now, Russia will come up with some new escalation, Zelensky said.

The president stressed that strength is needed to finally put an end to aggression - to the aggressor's ability to escalate. In particular, on international platforms, a clear and principled condemnation of Russia for this attempt to annex Ukrainian territory is needed. At the level of states and unions of states, new and tough sanctions against Russia are needed. And at the level of cooperation with Ukraine, regular and demonstrative support packages are needed, primarily defensive and financial.

As Ukrinform reported, on September 30, the Kremlin held a ceremony on "the accession to Russia" of the self-proclaimed DPR/LPR, as well as the territories of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions captured by the Russian army after sham referendums held on September 23-27.

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Russia has already used a total of 86 Shahed-136 kamikaze drones to strike Ukraine, 60% of them were destroyed by Ukrainian defenders.

Oleksiy Hromov, Deputy Chief of the Main Operations Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said this at a briefing, Ukrinform reports.

"Last night, the forces and means of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed 9 out of 12 kamikaze drones. In total, since the beginning of the enemy's use of kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicles of Shahed-136 type, they deployed 86 units, of which 60% were destroyed," Hromov said.

Read also: Ukrainian Armed Forces destroy nine kamikaze drones overnight

He added that the enemy will continue to terrorize the civilian population of Ukraine with the threat of using missiles, aviation and UAVs, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine protect the Ukrainian sky, making every effort to minimize the consequences of enemy shelling.

As reported, on September 13, the Strategic Communications Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine informed that the Ukrainian military downed a Shahed-136 drone near Kupiansk, Kharkiv region.

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Over the past day, the Ukrainian troops repelled Russian attacks near Soledar, Bakhmutske, Yakovlivka, Odradivka, Zaytseve, Bakhmut, Krasnohorivka, Pobeda, Vodiane, and Liubomyrivka settlements.

This is stated in the report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00, October 6, published on Facebook.

As noted, the troops of the Russian Federation try to hold the temporarily captured territories of Ukraine, focusing their efforts on attempts to disrupt the activity of the Ukrainian troops in certain areas and continuing offensive operations in Bakhmut and Avdiivka areas.

In some directions, the enemy regroups its units and reinforces defense. It also fires on the Ukrainian positions along the contact line and conducts aerial reconnaissance.

At the same time, the aggressors continue to attack civilian infrastructure and residential areas, violating the norms of international humanitarian law, the laws and customs of warfare. There is still a threat of airstrikes and missile strikes on the entire territory of Ukraine.

Today, the Russian troops launched six missile strikes and seven airstrikes, more than 23 MLRS attacks. Objects and civilians in more than 25 settlements, including Zaporizhzhia, Shepetivka, Siversk, Bilohorivka, Olhivske, and Hoptivka, were affected by enemy shelling.

In Volyn and Polissia directions, the situation has not changed significantly. The enemy opened fire in other directions.

In particular, in Siversky direction, Russian troops shelled the areas of Senkivka, Yasna Poliana, and Bleshnia of Chernihiv region, and Seredyna Buda, Kyyanytsia, and Fotovyzh of Sumy region with tube artillery.

In Slobozhansky direction, the enemy opened fire from tanks, mortars, tube and rocket artillery in the areas of Udy, Strilecha, Neskuchne, Hatyshche, and Vilkhuvatka.

In Kramatorsk direction, the invaders attacked the areas of Spirne, Bilohorivka, Siversk, and Verkhniokamyanske using mortars, tube and rocket artillery. In Bakhmut direction, Russian troops fired artillery of various types on the areas of Soledar, Bakhmut, Yakovlivka, Kurdiumivka, New York, and Zaitseve.

In Avdiivka direction, the Russians shelled the areas of Avdiivka, Kamyanka, Krasnohorivka, Pervomaiske, Paraskoviivka, Pisky, and Novomykhaylivka with tanks, mortars, tube and rocket artillery.

The enemy did not carry out offensive actions in Novopavlivka and Zaporizhzhia directions. The infrastructure of more than 20 settlements, including Novoukrainka, Vremivka, Poltavka, and Novopil, were damaged by enemy shelling.

In Southern Buh direction, more than 30 settlements near the contact line, including Pravdyne, Myrne, Kyselivka, Kobzartsi, and Velyke Artakove, were hit.

It has been established that the partial mobilization announced by the Russian military-political leadership actually "absorbs" small settlements in remote regions of the Russian Federation. Practically the entire male population of conscription age is forcibly taken to military enlistment offices.

It is noted that the Russian troops continue to use scorched-earth tactics in Ukraine. During another chaotic retreat, the enemy blew up a dam, flooding the settlement of Raihorodok.

Meanwhile, in the town of Kadiivka, Luhansk region, archives and copies of documents, especially those containing the history of the occupation, are being destroyed massively. In Svatove, the main infrastructure facilities, buildings and territories have already been mined.

During the day, Ukraines aviation struck the Russian positions 11 times. One enemy stronghold, five areas of weapons and military equipment build-up, as well as five anti-aircraft missile systems were hit. In addition, the Ukrainian air defense units shot down five enemy drones, including two Shahed-136 and one Mohajer-6.

The Ukrainian missile and artillery units hit 19 areas of manpower, weapons, and military equipment build-up, two ammunition depots and six artillery systems.

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Russian invaders attacked the Odesa region with nine Shahed-136 kamikaze drones, with all of them destroyed by Ukrainian air defense units.

Maksym Marchenko, the head of the Odesa regional military administration, said this in an evening televised address to the residents of the region.

"The enemy once again attempted to attack our region with Iranian-made kamikaze drones. This time he used as many as nine drones. All of them were shot down by our air defense unit," Marchenko said.

Earlier, Ukraine's Operational Command South said that on October 6, a Ukrainian air defense unit shot down three Shahed-136 drones over the sea near Odesa.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported on Telegram that in total, units of the Air Force's anti-aircraft missile forces shot down five enemy UAVs in the south of the country.
Town of Hamburg residents and business owners will get to have their say on draft recommendations for the town's proposed comprehensive plan at a public meeting set for 5 to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 19 in Hamburg Town Hall, 6100 South Park Ave.

As an entity with zoning power, Hamburg, like all municipalities in the state, is required to pursue its zoning in accordance with a comprehensive plan aimed at guiding development and land use decisions in the town and its two villages  Blasdell and the Village of Hamburg  over the next few years. More than two years in the making, the draft plan is nearing completion, Town Council Member Elizabeth Farrell said Wednesday.

"This plan will chart the course for the future of Hamburg, Farrell said in a statement. "Anyone interested in such topics as commercial development, neighborhoods, connectivity and sustainability in our town is encouraged to take this opportunity to give their input, before the plan is finalized."

The Town Board is set to adopt a final version of the comprehensive plan in December.

Meanwhile, the latest version of the 127-page draft plan includes a new section that addresses agriculture and its role in the future development of Hamburg.

"Hamburg does have some agricultural areas," Farrell said.

"We also have some areas that have previously been affiliated with agricultural usage that have been transitioning, and so our feeling is that we needed to have a conversation about it with stakeholders in our community who are in the agricultural field so that we address it in our comprehensive plan," she added.

Farrell said town officials were encouraged to review its agricultural assets after applying for and receiving a county grant.

"We formed an agriculture subcommittee, and they have been meeting and putting together that section that will be included in the comprehensive plan," she said.

"So it may not be something that people think of right away in terms of the Town of Hamburg, but we do have areas that have a rich history in agriculture  even if they were shrinking  and we had some areas, again, that were transitional," Farrell added.

Farrell said numerous meetings have already been held with farmers and various stakeholders in the town which, she added, was a very important process in drafting the comprehensive plan.

"When we were first looking for what consultant to work with and to guide us through this process, we articulated that it was very important that we had a robust public engagement process during this development of the new plan because ... something as comprehensive as this plan requires that we also have those in-depth conversations with all of the stakeholders in the different neighborhoods," Farrell said.

The first half-hour of the meeting, from 5 to 5:30 p.m., will be an open house format in which participants can view plan recommendations. An overview presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session.
The European Political Community, which unites countries from Iceland to Azerbaijan, from Spain to Turkey, should become not just a gathering of politicians, but a gathering of peacemakers. Europe needs a community of those who know how to protect peace and put any terrorists in their place.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his nightly video address, Ukrinform reports.

Ukrainians!

Today is the day of active diplomacy. We inform our partners about the latest manifestations of Russian terror. About missile strikes on Zaporizhzhia and other cities of Ukraine. About the use of Iranian drones against our people and infrastructure.

For some reason, Iran claims that there are no Iranian-made drones in Ukraine. People see them in the sky. We shoot them down. But we are told that there are allegedly no Iranian drones in Ukraine. Well, well find ways to ensure that there aren't any left indeed.

We also provide information about our movement on the frontline. Since October 1, more than half a thousand square kilometers of territory and dozens of settlements have been liberated from the Russian sham referendum and stabilized only in the Kherson region.

There are also successes in the eastern direction. The day will surely come when we will report on successes in the Zaporizhzhia region as well - in those areas that are still under the control of the occupiers. The day will come when we will also talk about the liberation of Crimea.

This perspective is obvious. It is also obvious that there is still some way to go. There is still a lot to endure, a lot to do. Both for Ukrainians and for our partners - all who value freedom and international law.

Ive talked today with representatives of political, business and expert circles of Australia. I felt full support and interest in our victory. By the way, Australia is among the top 10 countries that provide us with defense aid. This is a very significant contribution to the protection of our state, the international legal order and humanity as such.

Ive addressed the European leaders at the summit of the European Political Community held today in Prague. I called on them to do everything so that this new format of our cooperation in Europe, which unites different states: from Iceland to Azerbaijan, from Spain to Turkey, could become not just a gathering of politicians, but a gathering of peacemakers. Europe needs a community of those who know how to protect peace and put any terrorists in their place.

These days, the European Union is moving towards the introduction of the eighth package of sanctions against Russia. In particular, this package envisages limiting the sea transportation of Russian oil and creates a toolkit to limit the oil revenues of the terrorist state. This is good. But this is only the beginning.

We must ensure that the terrorist state does not receive any profit from the sale of oil and gas. So that not a single oil dollar and not a single gas euro could go to the continuation of the Russian war against Ukraine and the entire civilized world. I am confident that it will be ensured in due time.

And I thank all Europeans, all in the free world, who work for this result. Who promote the necessary political decisions and who create the necessary economic alternatives to Russian energy resources.

I will continue working in this direction tomorrow. I will address the participants of the meeting of the European Council.

Today in Kyiv I met with Samantha Power, head of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). We discussed the existing and prospective programs of our cooperation, the implementation of our plan for the rapid reconstruction of Ukraine. The main focus of these programs is security. And we will soon introduce this new security approach to our civil infrastructure to the public.

I thanked Mrs. Power for allocating funds to prepare our infrastructure for the winter period, in particular heating.

I held a meeting today with IAEA Head Grossi, who arrived in Kyiv. It is clear that our negotiations primarily concerned the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant captured by Russian terrorists. But in fact, this topic is much broader. It concerns not only Ukraine and not only in the context of radiation safety.

Of course, any decisions of the current head of Russia regarding the Zaporizhzhia station and any attempts by Russia to transfer the station to its alleged ownership are worthless and, frankly speaking, stupid. This is a nuclear power plant. This is not some palace, Yukos or something else that the Russian leadership has already managed to steal.

Only Ukrainian specialists can guarantee that there will be no radiation incidents at the Zaporizhzhia station. And it was important to hear from Mr. Grossi that the international community will only contact Ukraine regarding the ZNPP, because it is Ukrainian property. Was, is and will be.

Now there are about five hundred occupiers at the station. And this is nothing but five hundred risks of disaster. The world understands this. And I am grateful for the support of everyone who is fighting for the return of full Ukrainian control over the station and for its complete demilitarization.

Another aspect of this topic is electricity itself. And if the Zaporizhzhia station is not working, we in Ukraine face certain difficulties. We are getting a situation where we do not have a surplus of electricity, which we can, in particular, export to EU countries.

This is a disadvantage for the people of the EU, who lose a reliable source of energy supply. This is a disadvantage for us, Ukrainians. We are honest about it. We say honestly that all of us in Europe must fight for our interests together - in complete unity.

I thank everyone who helps Ukraine!

I thank everyone who fights and works for our victory!

Glory to Ukraine!
Not a single oil dollar must be spent on Russia's war against Ukraine and the entire civilized world.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his nightly video address, Ukrinform reports.

"We must ensure that the terrorist state does not receive any profit from the sale of oil and gas. So that not a single oil dollar and not a single gas euro could go to the continuation of the Russian war against Ukraine and the entire civilized world," Zelensky said.

He noted that the European Union is preparing for the introduction of the eighth package of sanctions, which provides for restrictions on the sea transportation of Russian oil and the creation of a toolkit to limit the oil revenues of the terrorist state.

However, Zelensky said that this should be only the beginning of sanctions pressure on Russia's energy resources in order to force the aggressor to stop the war. He noted that Ukraine would continue working in this direction tomorrow thanks to the appeals to the participants of the European Council meeting.

He also thanked "all in the free world, who work for this result, promote the necessary political decisions and create the necessary economic alternatives to Russian energy resources."
Russian assets confiscated abroad should not only be frozen, but also allowed to be used to rebuild Ukraine. Also, to defeat Russia, a new security architecture must be built.

Thats according to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who spoke at an international conference in Warsaw on Wednesday, Ukrinform reports.

The head of the Polish government noted that a new security architecture must be built to defeat aggressive Russia.

"This security architecture should apply a totally different paradigm in the fields of energy, economy, trade, and financial cooperation," Morawiecki said.

He emphasized that no one is able to hide from Russian threats or ignore Russian capital. Therefore, Poland supports not only the freezing of Russian capital, but also its confiscation and reassignment to the reconstruction of Ukraine, in which Polish businesses will also partake.

The Prime Minister of Poland noted that the country's government supports pro-active involvement of Polish businesses in the reconstruction of war-torn Ukraine.

"Within the new security architecture, we will make sure that Poland and Polish entrepreneurs, who were on the first line of assisting Ukraine in its most difficult moments, which are not yet over, and that after the end of the war, Poland and Polish entrepreneurs are among those who will rebuild Ukraine in accordance with the new, grand Marshall Plan," Morawiecki said.

He added that it is also necessary to maintain positive energy in the matter of Ukraine's integration into the EU. He also recalled that Kyiv received the status of a candidate for membership, including, thanks to Warsaw's resolute actions.

During the conference, the Minister of Development and Technology of Poland Waldemar Buda recalled that 1,200 Polish companies submitted applications to the Polish Investment and Trade Agency regarding their will to participate in Ukraines reconstruction. He expressed belief that although other foreign businesses, in particular those from the USA and Germany, would like to actively participate in the restoration of Ukraine, the involvement of Polish companies will be the most significant one in the process.

As reported earlier, Ukrainian government is counting on utilizing confiscated Russian assets, in particular those of the International Reserve Bank (formerly Sberbank) and Prominvestbank (PIB), to restore housing stock destroyed as a result of hostilities.
Members of the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the world to increase military assistance to Ukraine amid the Russian military aggression.

According to the press service of the European Parliament, the resolution was adopted by 504 votes in favour 26 against and 36 abstentions.

Hailing the courage of the Ukrainian people defending their country and European values, MEPs urge EU member states and other countries supporting Ukraine to increase massively their military assistance, particularly in areas requested by the Ukrainian government. MEPs call on hesitating member states to provide their fair share of necessary military assistance, which will help shorten the war.

In the resolution, MEPs say the results of the sham referenda conducted at gunpoint to annex the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions are null and void and call on member states to adopt additional severe sanctions.

They called on member states and international partners to prepare a quick and decisive response should Russia conduct a nuclear strike on Ukraine.

Any attempt by Russia to present attacks on occupied territories as an attack on Russia itself, and thus as grounds for a nuclear attack, is illegal and baseless and will not deter the European Union from further assistance to Ukraines self-defence, MEPs said.

MEPs also condemn the military mobilisation in Russia and measures compelling residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to serve in Russias armed or auxiliary forces, an act which the Fourth Geneva Convention forbids.

MEPs called for the establishment of an ad hoc international tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, where Putin and all those Russian civilian and military officials and their proxies responsible for masterminding, launching and conducting the war in Ukraine would be prosecuted.

Finally, MEPs called on member states to treat the protection of European critical infrastructure as a priority.

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Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey in Accra as part of a tour of African countries.

As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reports, Kuleba outlined Ukraine's efforts to liberate our territories from Russian invaders. He thanked Ghana for its solidarity with Ukraine, support for resolutions at the UN and other international organizations aimed at restoring Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Ghana's participation in the Crimea Platform.

The minister emphasized Ukraine's desire to start a new high-quality partnership with Ghana based on mutual respect, support, and benefit.

"As part of the implementation of the African strategy, elaborated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the instructions of President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine is expanding its presence in Africa. We reached an agreement with the Ghanaian side: we plan to open a Ukrainian embassy in Ghana in the near future. The establishment of a diplomatic presence in Accra will give impetus to the development of political contacts, trade, investments, cultural exchanges and cooperation in the area of education," Kuleba said.

The ministers discussed in detail the steps to intensify UkraineGhana cooperation in security, cyber security, digital transformation, and agriculture.

They agreed to start preparations for the establishment of the Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey expressed the interest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ghana in studying the Ukrainian experience in combating disinformation.

As a result of the meeting, the ministers agreed to hold political consultations between the ministries of foreign affairs with the participation of representatives of various departments of the two countries to develop a comprehensive road map for the further development of UkraineGhana relations.

As reported, from October 3 to 12, Dmytro Kuleba is on the first tour of the African countries in the history of Ukrainian diplomacy.

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Ukraine counts on financial and security assistance from the Benelux countries.

"We count on the support of our friends in strengthening the economic and defense capacity of Ukraine to confront the enemy," Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal posted on Telegram.

At the same time, Shmyhal emphasized that support for Ukraine in its fight against the Russian aggressor became a key topic at the meeting with the prime ministers of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Prague.

"I personally thanked Alexander De Croo, Mark Rutte, and Xavier Bettel for the powerful and comprehensive assistance to Ukraine," the Prime Minister noted.

As reported, 44 European leaders gathered at the summit of the European Political Community in Prague to analyze the escalation of the war of aggression against Ukraine. The Ukrainian delegation is led by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

Photo: Shmyhal/Telegram

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Ukrainian presidential press secretary Serhii Nykyforov has denied the incorrect quoting by some media outlets of Volodymyr Zelensky's words about "preemptive strikes" against Russia if it decides to use nuclear weapons.

He said this on his Facebook page, Ukrinform reports.

"The president spoke about the period before February 24. At that time, it was necessary to apply preventive measures to prevent Russia from starting a war. Let me remind you that the only measures that were discussed at that time were preemptive sanctions," Nykyforov said.

He noted that representatives of Ukrainian and foreign media outlets began to "hear nuclear strikes even where there are none." He said that Ukraine would never resort to such methods.

"Only the terrorist state Russia allows itself to blackmail the world with explosions at the ZNPP and hint in every way at the use of nuclear weapons. You will never hear such calls from Ukraine," Nykyforov wrote.

In his speech via video link at the Lowy Institute, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that NATO and the entire international community should review the procedure for responding to the possible use of nuclear weapons by Russia.
This community fought for its pool. It deserves the 2023 reopening it was promised, but it will take collaboration and positive attitudes from all parties involved.

In August, West Seneca residents got signatures on petitions, organized on social media, held a vigil and spoke before their Town Board for three hours in defense of their community pool in Veterans Park.

It worked. Though the Town Board had voted 4-1 at a May 23 meeting to demolish the pool, on Aug. 22, the passion of the West Seneca Swims group carried the day and the pool, which had failed to reopen in 2022, was reprieved for future seasons.

Now, however, some activists worry that the Town Board is setting the town up for disappointment by asking outside engineers to provide a detailed report. They fear the report might be used to provide more reasons for demolishing the pool rather than expert advice toward saving an essential amenity.

Maybe all parties can cut each other some slack here. Town Supervisor Gary Dickson has asserted that a more detailed assessment is needed and Town Engineer Steven R. Tanner wants a thorough examination of the pools structural systems. Thats fair and well take them at their word. The pool is almost 50 years old, after all. Still, this task should be undertaken with a prejudice toward making it happen.

Reopening the pool, even after repairs, will still be a heavy lift; staffing has yet to be found and that means hiring lifeguards, of which there is a long-running national shortage. But theres determination from Town Board members as well as activists. Board Member Robert J. Breidenstein says he wants the pool open and asserts, We will go a long way for the town to address at least the West Seneca portion of the national lifeguard shortage.

It will be important for all those who care about the pool and all those who oversee it to work together. The residents are right to be worried. This pool was almost taken away from them, in spite of it being a place where local children learned how to swim and elder residents got low-impact exercise. Pools arent just for splashing around in when its hot. Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise out there. It works the entire body, including the cardiovascular system; an hour of swimming burns almost as many calories as an hour of running, but without jarring bones and joints. Those who think splash pads are equitable replacements for pools should let these facts sink in.

Keeping Western New York community pools open is clearly a challenge  none in the City of Buffalo was open this year  but its a challenge worth meeting. And that wont happen without cooperation and hard work by both residents and municipal governments.

  

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.
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 22, 2022) - Aurwest Resources Corporation (CSE: AWR) ("Aurwest" or the "Company") announces that, contrary to is Press Release dated September 9, 2022, announcing the approvals of the previously announced Plan of Arrangement ("Plan of Arrangement"), there will only be one record date , being September 23, 2022 (the "Record Date"), designating those Aurwest shareholders that will be entitled to receive shares of six separate companies, however there will be two share distribution dates. The companies subject to the spin out are as follows:

the spinout of five (5) newly formed reporting issuer entities which will be used for the purposes of evaluating future go public business opportunities (collectively, the "SpinCos"); and

spinout of its Stellar Stars mining property into a separate reporting issuer company ("Stellar Stars SpinCo"), which will has covenanted to make an application to list on the Canadian Securities Exchange, in connection with and subject to completion of the Stellar Stars Financing (as defined below).

The distribution date for the SpinCos is expected to be on or about September 27, 2022 (the "SpinCos Distribution Date"), following closing of the Plan of Arrangement. Each shareholder of Aurwest as of the Record Date will receive 0.0051 shares of each of the five (5) newly formed SpinCos for every one (1) common share of Aurwest held. No action is required by Aurwest shareholders in order to receive shares of the SpinCos and Aurwest shareholders will retain their original Aurwest shares. Shareholders entitled to receive shares of the SpinCos will receive either a DRS advice or a physical share certificate reflecting their ownership of the shares of each of the SpinCos, or their brokerage account will be credited with the shares through the CDS system. None of the SpinCos will be listed on a stock exchange upon completion of the Plan of Arrangement.

Financing, Distribution Date and Application for a Stock Exchange Listing for Stellar Stars SpinCo

The distribution date for the Stellar Stars SpinCo is conditional upon Stellar Stars SpinCo undertaking a private placement financing of a minimum of $1,000,000 (the "Stellar Stars SpinCo Financing"). The timing, pricing and terms of the Stellar Stars SpinCo Financing are subject to market conditions and further details of this offering will be disclosed as they become available.

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Aurwest shareholders as at the Record Date, will receive 0.3 shares of a Stellar Stars SpinCo. The distribution date for the spin out of the Stellar Stars SpinCo shares will only be set once the Stellar Stars SpinCo Financing has been completed and conditional listing approval has been obtained for common shares of Stellar Stars SpinCo. Aurwest will communicate this information through one or more press releases in the future.

The Aurwest Shares are currently listed and posted for trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") under the symbol "AWR". Pursuant to the Plan of Arrangement, Stellar Stars SpinCo has covenanted and agreed to use its commercially reasonable efforts to apply for the listing of the Stellar Stars SpinCo Shares on the CSE in connection with the closing of the Stellar Stars SpinCo Financing. The listing of Stellar Stars SpinCo is subject to meeting all the conditions for listing established by the CSE and acceptance by the CSE. There is no assurance that Stellar Stars SpinCo will complete the Stellar Stars Financing within the time required under the Plan of Arrangement.

On Behalf Of Aurwest Resources Corporation

"Colin Christensen"

President and Chief Executive Officer

For additional information please contact:

Colin Christensen

Telephone: (403) 483-8363

Email: cchristensen@aurwestresources.com

Website: www.aurwestresources.com

About Aurwest Resources Corporation

Aurwest is a Canadian-based junior resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties in Canada. The Company currently has three Option Agreements to earn a 100% interest in Paradise Lake and Stony Caldera projects covering a 57,600-hectare (576 sq kms) package of gold exploration licenses within the emerging Central Newfoundland gold district. The Company also currently holds a 100% interest in the 28,814 hectare Stellar/Stars porphyry copper project, located approximately 25 kilometers southwest of Houston, British Columbia.

Forward-Looking Information

Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning our plans, intentions, and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements". Forward looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation: historical exploration results; positive diamond drilling results; styles of copper-molybdenum mineralization; and future work programs.

In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, Aurwest has made numerous assumptions regarding, among other things: the proposed Plan of Arrangement and the proposed Stellar Stars SpinCo Financing. While Aurwest considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies.

Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause Aurwest's actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. Known risk factors include, additional exploration of the Properties may not locate significant copper-molybdenum mineralization; historical exploration results may not be; accurate; additional exploration of the areas of copper mineralization may not locate significant mineralization; the positive diamond drilling results may not be accurate; styles of copper-molybdenum mineralization; and future work programs may not result in the location of significant copper-molybdenum mineralization future work programs may not be completed as planned or at all; receipt of permits to conduct the exploration plans and matters relating to the Company's future operations and business prospects; certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, except in accordance with the applicable laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL SECURITIES OR A SOLICITATION FOR PURCHASERS TO BUY SECURITIES. THIS PRESS RELEASE IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS A PUBLIC OFFERING IN ANY PROVINCE IN CANADA UNLESS A PROSPECTUS RELATING THERETO HAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR FILING BY A SECURITIES COMMISSION OR SIMILAR AUTHORITY IN SUCH PROVINCE.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/138027
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Washington, Oct 6 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Oct, 2022 ) :"All kinds of crazy things" is how Carolyn Bertozzi, a 2022 Nobel laureate, describes her life's work. Actually performing "chemistry in cells and in people." When she started her research in 1997, the Stanford professor was aiming only to observe the evolution of certain molecules on the surface of cancer cells.

Today, thanks to her discoveries, at least two companies -- including one she co-founded -- are developing innovative cancer treatments.

The multitude of applications made possible by her findings are impressive: delivering treatments with extreme precision, understanding better how drugs act inside the body, visualizing certain bacteria, to name a few.

"I can't even really enumerate them. The vast majority of those applications I would never have foreseen," she told AFP in an interview.

The Nobel Prize committee recognized Bertozzi's pioneering advances on Wednesday, making her only the eighth woman to win the chemistry prize, at just 55 years old.

- Lego pieces - Her journey began when she found she had a passion for organic chemistry, while taking pre-medicine courses at Harvard.

The subject is notoriously -- many say fiendishly -- difficult, but she credits an "amazing professor," the late David Evans, for bringing it to life -- and changing the course of her life.

"I said, forget the med school thing. I'm going to be a chemist," said Bertozzi, whose sister is a professor of applied mathematics, and father a retired professor of physics.

After completing her post-doctorate and joining the faculty at UC Berkeley, she wanted to take a closer look at glycans: complex carbohydrates, or sugars, located on the surface of cells, which "go through structural changes" when they become cancerous.

At the time, "there was no tool to image sugars, like in a microscope, for example," she said.

She had an idea that would require two chemical substances that fit together perfectly, like pieces of lego.

The first lego is fed to cells via a sugar. The cell metabolizes it and places it on the tip of the glycan. The second piece of lego, a fluorescent molecule, is injected into the body.

The two lego pieces click together, and voila: hidden glycans reveal themselves under a microscope.

This technique is inspired by "click chemistry" developed independently by Denmark's Morten Meldal and American Barry Sharpless -- Bertozzi's co-winners.

But their discoveries relied on using copper as a catalyst, which is toxic to the body.

One of Bertozzi's great leaps was achieving the same type of ultra-efficient reaction without copper.

The other tour de force: making it all happen without wreaking havoc with other processes in the body.

"The beauty of it is that you can take the two Legos and click them together, even if they're surrounded by millions of other very similar plastic toys," she explained.

She coined the term "bioorthogonal chemistry," meaning a reaction that doesn't interfere with other biochemical processes. Perfecting the technique took 10 years.

- 'Cycle of science' - Researchers are now leveraging these breakthroughs to develop cancer treatments.

Glycans on cancer cells "are able to hide the cancer cell from the immune system -- and so your body can't fight it, it can't see it," she explains.

Using bioorthogonal chemistry, "we made a new type of medicine, which basically acts like a lawnmower," says Bertozzi.

The first lego attaches to the cancer cell's surface, and the second, which clips onto it, is equipped with an enzyme that "mows off the sugars as if they're just grass, it cuts the grass and the sugars fall off," she says with a smile.

The drug is currently being tested in the early stages of a clinical trial.

Another company is seeking to use bioorthogonal chemistry to better target cancer treatment. The first lego piece is injected into a tumor, then a second, which carries the drug, attaches itself and acts only on its target.

"So that allows the oncologist to treat the tumor and kill the tumor without exposing the person's entire body to a toxic chemical," she says.

"What the future holds is hopefully an impact in human health," says Bertozzi. "But the people who decide that more so than myself, are the students and postdocs that join my lab."Hundreds of them, current and former, filled her email box with messages of congratulations this morning.

"That really is the cycle of science -- it's being mentored and then mentoring" she adds. And "mentoring students gives you an opportunity to amplify the impact of your science."
UNITED NATIONS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Oct, 2022 ) :Teachers are at the heart of education, and their valuable work must also lead to better salaries and working conditions, the heads of three UN agencies and a partner organization said on Wednesday.

The statement comes in their joint message to mark World Teachers' Day, celebrated annually on Oct. 5.

The international community has committed to transform education - a process that must be led by teachers.

That's the firm belief expressed by Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UN educational and cultural agency, UNESCO; Gilbert Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO); Catherine Russell, Executive Director at the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), and David Edwards, General Secretary of Education International.

"Today, on World Teachers' Day, we celebrate the critical role of teachers in transforming learners' potential by ensuring they have the tools they need to take responsibility for themselves, for others and for the planet," they said.

"We call on countries to ensure that teachers are trusted and recognized as knowledge producers, reflective practitioners, and policy partners." The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that teachers are the engines at the heart of global education systems, the statement said.

Without them, it is impossible to provide inclusive, equitable and quality education to every learner. Teachers are also essential to pandemic recovery and preparing learners for the future.

"Yet unless we transform conditions for teachers, the promise of that education will remain out of reach for those who need it most," the partners warned.

They recalled that the Transforming Education Summit, held last month at UN Headquarters, reaffirmed that transformation requires the right number of empowered, motivated and qualified teachers and education personnel in the right place with the right skills.

However, in many parts of the world, classrooms are overcrowded, they said, and teachers are too few, on top of being overworked, demotivated and unsupported.

As a result, an unprecedented number are leaving the profession. There has also been a significant decline in people studying to become teachers.

"If these issues are not addressed, the loss of a professional teaching corps could be a fatal blow to the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 4," they warned, referring to global efforts to ensure quality education for all, by 2030.

Furthermore, teacher loss disproportionately affects students in remote or poor areas, as well as women and girls, and vulnerable and marginalized populations.

The partners pointed to recent estimates which reveal an additional 24.4 million Primary school teachers will be needed globally, along with some 44.4 million secondary education teachers, if the world is to achieve universal basic education by the end of the decade.

Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia alone will require 24 million more teachers, roughly half the number of new teachers needed in developing countries, it was pointed out.

These regions have some of the most overcrowded classrooms in the world, and the most overburdened teachers and understaffed educational systems. A remarkable 90 per cent of their secondary schools face serious teaching shortages.

"Therefore, bringing qualified, supported and motivated teachers into classrooms  and keeping them there  is the single most important thing we can do to improve the learning and wellbeing of students and communities," said the partners.

"The valuable work that teachers do must also be translated into better working conditions and pay." Relatedly, three innovative programmes from Benin, Haiti and Lebanon have been recognized for their efforts to enhance the role of teachers and transform education, both in their communities and beyond.

These projects are the recipients of the 2022 UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development, which will be presented at a ceremony in Paris on Wednesday.

They are run by the Graines de Paix Foundation, the organization PH4 Global and the American University of Beirut, who will share a $300,000 endowment to help further their initiatives.

Graines de Paix organizes a programme in Benin called Apprendre en paix, Enseigner sans violence (Learning in Peace, Education without Violence) that provides educational solutions focused on how to prevent all forms of violence and prevent radicalization.

The project also promotes well-being and a culture of peace, security, equity, and inclusion. Over 4,500 teachers have been trained, and more than 250,000 children reached.

Through its Training Teachers to Transform Haiti programme, P4H Global strives to improve the quality of education in the Caribbean country by training teachers as well as school directors, parents and community members.

The objective is to transform teachers' methods into effective student-centred strategies that cultivate critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. These are reinforced through measures that include personalized feedback via social media and messaging apps.

More than 8,000 educators and 350,000 students across Haiti have benefited from the programme.

Under the TAMAM Project for School-Based Educational Reform, university researchers and educational practitioners in Lebanon work together to generate strategies grounded in the sociocultural contexts of the Arab region.

The initiative covers 70 schools in 10 countries in the region, and has benefited 1,000 educational partners, with 100 improvement projects initiated over the past 15 years.

The UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development was established in 2008 to support the improvement of teaching and learning quality in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

The prize, which is awarded every two years, is supported by the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance.
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The Prime Minister says PTI Chairman played with the national interests and hurt the country's relationship with the outside world which the present government is trying to repair and improve.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Oct 6th, 2022) Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says recent audio leaks regarding Cipher have exposed the true face of PTI Chairman Imran Khan before the nation.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Thursday, he said it was the PTI Chairman who played with the national interests and hurt the country's relationship with the outside world which the present government is trying to repair and improve.

Prime Minister said the coalition government stands vindicated in its stance.

Strongly criticizing the PTI Chairman, Shehbaz Sharif regretted that baseless allegations were levelled against our constitutional struggle. He also made it clear that the government has no role in the audio leaks.

Prime Minister said government has spent almost one hundred billion rupees for the relief and assistance of the flood affected people.

He said under BISP, sixty billion rupees have already been spent.

Billions of rupees have been spent for the provision of blankets, tents, food packages and other items to the flood victims.

Prime Minister said China has provided ninety million Dollars for the flood victims while other countries including the US, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Japan have also come forward for the assistance of the flood affected people.

He said Federal and provincial governments as well as other institutions are strenuously working to extend relief to the flood victims. He however regretted that the PTI Chairman is trying to create hurdles in the way of assistance pouring in from abroad.

Responding to a question, the Prime Minister said Islamabad High Court has given clean chit to Maryam Nawaz on merit. He said Maryam Nawaz appeared before the courts for four years and also faced imprisonment with Nawaz Sharif.
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Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday said the assault and pelting of stones on the teachers by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police in Peshawar was "condemnable and shameful".

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Oct, 2022 ) :Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday said the assault and pelting of stones on the teachers by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police in Peshawar was "condemnable and shameful".

"Imran Khan, who seeks Haqeeqi Azadi under the guise of so-called conspiracy, is stoning the teachers in KP on demanding salaries," she said in a news statement.

The teachers were bemoaning Imran Khan' economic revolution, which had been imposed on the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for last eight years, she added.

Marriyum said the teachers held the Haqeeqi Azadi (real freedom) march at the Peshawar Assembly Chowk to get rid of Imran Khan's "fascism and tyranny". The payment of salaries and pension to the working and retired government employees in KP had been stopped on the orders of Imran Khan, she claimed.

"A liar and conspirator" Imran Khan intended to descend on the Federal Capital, but did not want peaceful teachers to exercise their right to protest, she regretted.
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ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Oct, 2022 ) :Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan should not be forced to go out with a "begging bowl" to rich polluting nations after the floods devastated the country, stressing that he would be seeking "climate justice" from the international community.

In the second part of his interview by the British daily "The Guardian" published Thursday, Sharif warned that Pakistan is facing an unprecedented crisis of health, food security and internal displacement after the "apocalyptic" monsoons put a third of Pakistan's regions under water.

With Pakistan responsible for 0.8% of global carbon emissions, Sharif said it was the "responsibility of the developed countries, who caused these emissions, to stand by us"."I've never seen this kind of devastation, inundation and suffering of our people in my lifetime," he said. "Millions have been displaced, they have become climate refugees within their own country." While the international community has given billions in funds and donations and commitments for further support, Sharif was clear it was "not enough".

"The enormity of this climate-induced catastrophe is beyond our fiscal means," he said. "The gap between our needs and what is available is too wide and it is widening by the day." The official death toll from the floods is 1,600, though many estimates on the ground have been higher. More than nine million people have been displaced and over two million homes destroyed, and millions of families have been forced to live in makeshift tents or shelters on roadsides.

The extent of the damage has been put at between $30 billion and $35 billion but Sharif said it was "a rough estimate, it could be more", with more than 30,000 km of roads destroyed along with bridges, railways and power lines, as well as 4 million hectares (10m acres) of crops washed away."Let me be clear, this is about climate justice," said Sharif. "We are not blaming anybody, we're not casting allegations, what we are we saying is this is not of our making but we have become a victim. Should I be asked to cast my appeal into a begging bowl? That is double jeopardy. That's unjust, unfair."PM Sharif expressed confidence that Pakistan would not get defaulted despite the upcoming billions of foreign debt repayments, and the billions more in flood damages. "No way. We will not default," he said.Sharif confirmed that the government would be talking to "everybody" about the possibility of foreign debt moratorium. "What we are asking for is fiscal space but not through the burden of more debt," he said.

PM Sharif mentioned that due to vastness of the flood situation and big distances among the affected areas, the government was still struggling to overcome the challenges. He emphasized that the government was disbursing flood relief funds among the affected people through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) in a transparent manner.
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ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Oct, 2022 ) :Saudi Arabia has sent 4,000 tons of food relief to Pakistan, with the aid provided by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center helping almost 800,000 people worst affected by the disaster.

The floods, caused by abnormal monsoon rains and glacial melt, have submerged vast swathes of the South Asian country since mid-June and killed almost 1,600 people, most of them women and children.

Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are living in the open, exposed to malaria, diarrhea, dengue fever, and severe skin and eye infections, with stagnant floodwaters, which officials say will take months to recede, increasing disease transmission.

"A total of 4,385 tons of different kinds of relief goods through land route and air bridges have been distributed so far, which benefited more than 785,636 people all across Pakistan," Dr. Khalid Muhammad Al-Othmani, KSrelief Pakistan director was quoted as said by Arab news on Thursday.

He said the agency had also distributed 15,000 packages containing more than 1,425 tons of essential food items in the southwestern province of Balochistan, one of the worst hit by floods.

Ten Saudi flights loaded with various relief goods delivered the aid, with packages handed over to the National Disaster Management Authority. Relief goods have also been sent via a land bridge established by KSrelief.
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BRASILIA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th October, 2022) The development of relations between Russia and Brazil does not depend on the victory of any politician in the elections, they are of a strategic nature, Russian Ambassador to the Latin American country Alexey Labetsky told Sputnik after the first round of presidential elections.

Voting took place on October 2. None of the candidates gained more than 50 percent, so the second round will take place on October 30.

Ex-president of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the current head of state, Jair Bolsonaro, reached it.

"The development of our strategic partnership with Brazil does not depend on such political factors as the victory of one political figure or another. The history of our relations over the past 20 years has reliably proven this. Moreover, our relations are developing not only in the political sphere, including bilateral and multilateral formats, but also in the economic sphere," Labetsky said.
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MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th October, 2022) The European Union agreed on the eighth package of sanctions against Russia over its special military operation in Ukraine on Thursday, the EU Commission said.

"The Commission welcomes the Council's adoption of an eighth package of hard-hitting sanctions against Russia for its aggression against Ukraine," a statement read.

The new package of EU sanctions includes economic measures and personal restrictions, the EU Commission added.
Investment will reduce carbon emissions by more than 80 per cent

Disponible en francais

KINGSTON, ON, Oct. 6, 2022 /CNW/ - The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and Modern Niagara Group Inc. (Modern Niagara) announced an agreement to retrofit 945 Princess Street in Kingston, Ontario. The CIB is committing $25 million in financing towards the large-scale retrofit of the 220,000 square-foot commercial building.

Artist rendering of Modern Niagara building (CNW Group/Canada Infrastructure Bank)

Through the CIB's financing, the commercial space will be upgraded to reduce carbon emissions by more than 80 per cent or approximately 2,000 tonnes annually. By replacing the building's existing fossil-fuelled heating system with electrified systems such as heat pumps and enhancing its operation control system and insulation, the retrofit will help transform this building from the 1940s into a leading energy efficient and sustainable innovation hub.

Through the creation of a greener and future proof facility to attract prominent tenants, the CIB's investment supports 945 Princess Street's green initiative. It also supports the City of Kingston's goal to reduce carbon emissions in the region, while advancing economic opportunities.

Modern Niagara helps building owners, managers, and general contractors achieve their objectives by developing custom, turnkey solutions that meet the mechanical, electrical, integrated building technology, and building services needs of their properties across Canada.

Construction for the retrofit project has begun and is expected to be completed by 2024.

Endorsements:

We are proud to provide tailored financing solutions to organizations, municipalities and businesses across Canada, helping them advance their green projects and meet their sustainability targets. Not only will this partnership with Modern Niagara result in significant carbon reductions, it will also advance the creation of an innovation hub in Kingston which will attract jobs and prominent tenants to the community for years to come.

Ehren Cory, CEO, Canada Infrastructure Bank

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We are looking forward to partnering with the Canada Infrastructure Bank to support our clients becoming greener and moving towards net-zero carbon buildings. This investment will help our client at 945 Princess Street achieve their sustainability goals more quickly and efficiently. We are passionate about building sustainability, and in 2022 alone, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint from the energy consumption of our corporate office buildings in Ontario by 30%, based on 2019 benchmarks. We are excited to continue offering our clients carbon reduction solutions to help them meet their building sustainability objectives.

Brad McAninch, Chief Executive Officer, Modern Niagara Group Inc.

Energy retrofits of buildings are pivotal in removing carbon from the atmosphere. Through this innovative investment, the Canada Infrastructure Bank is building greener commercial spaces to create a more sustainable Canada and advance the creation of jobs. These upgrades will bring this facility up to the latest standards of energy efficiency and reduce operating costs.

Mark Gerretsen, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities.

Quick Facts:

Through its Building Retrofits Initiative (BRI), to date the CIB has committed more than $800 million toward building energy retrofits.

The CIB seeks to invest up to $5 billion into green infrastructure which supports climate change action and sustainable economic growth.

The CIB's investments are subject to approval by its Board of Directors.

Learn More:

Canada Infrastructure Bank

Modern Niagara

Canada Infrastructure Bank (CNW Group/Canada Infrastructure Bank)

Modern Niagara (CNW Group/Canada Infrastructure Bank)

SOURCE Canada Infrastructure Bank

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View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2022/06/c8418.html
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Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on Thursday that the European Political Community (EPC) format is not a substitute for the process of the European Union enlargement

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th October, 2022) Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on Thursday that the European Political Community (EPC) format is not a substitute for the process of the European Union enlargement.

"Please do not treat European Political Community as a substitute to Europe enlargement process.

Because Europe enlargement process is a different channel," Nauseda told reporters on the doorstep of the EPC meeting.

The first EPC meeting, a get-together of 27 EU members and 16 other countries, is taking place in Prague on Thursday.

EU enlargement policy applies to countries currently aspiring to join the bloc and potential candidates. Current candidate countries include Albania, Moldova, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.
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CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th October, 2022) Movement of military equipment on the Moldovan-Romanian border is due to the upcoming joint exercises, a source in the Moldovan defense ministry told Sputnik on Thursday.

Photos and videos circulated social media earlier this week, depicting the movement of military equipment from Romania in the south of Moldova.

"Next week, on October 10, our military will start joint military exercises with its counterparts from Romania and the United Kingdom. Military equipment comes from Romania for this purpose. The maneuvers were scheduled one year ago," the source said.

The Joint Combined Exchange Training will take place at Moldovan training centers until October 21. The drills' purpose is to increase the level of interoperability and the synchronization of operational activities between troops, according to the defense ministry.

The total number of active servicemen in the Moldovan armed forces totals 6,500, in addition to 2,000 civilian militia, according to Moldovan Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatii. The army is equipped with old Soviet weapons and equipment.

The Moldovan government reinforced efforts to strengthen its military amid the crisis in neighboring Ukraine. In June, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Moldova would receive an additional 40 million Euros ($39 million) from the European Defence Fund to double its military budget. Moldovan officials have stated the country would acquire modern drones, armored vehicles and other equipment with the support of the EU.
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Rochester, New York reached a $12 settlement with the family of Daniel Prude, a black man who died of asphyxiation after being hooded and pinned to the ground by police, the city announced on Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th October, 2022) Rochester, New York reached a $12 settlement with the family of Daniel Prude, a black man who died of asphyxiation after being hooded and pinned to the ground by police, the city announced on Thursday.

"After more than two years, the City of Rochester has come to a settlement agreement with the estate of Daniel Prude. In this agreement, the City will pay the estate the sum of $12 million. Given the costs of continued litigation, this settlement was the best decision," Mayor Malik Evans said in a statement quoted by news 10. "It would have cost taxpayers even more to litigate, and would have placed a painful toll on our community. It is now time to look forward so we may work together and focus our efforts on Rochester's future."

According to a court filing, the city of Rochester agreed to pay Prude's family $12 million with the majority going to his five children.

On March 23, 2020, Prude, who was visiting from Chicago, ran out of his brother's house acting erratically. His brother, Joe, called 911 while the police department also received a separate call about a naked man running in the street and shouting that he had the coronavirus.

Video footage shows that after Prude began spitting, they covered his head with a spit hood, pinned him face-down to the ground, and pushed his head into the pavement. Prude died days later in a hospital after being taken off life support. The county medical examiner ruled Prude's death a homicide caused by asphyxiation, but a grand jury declined to bring charges against the officers.

The public became aware of Prude's death when his family and lawyer released videotape of the incident months after Prude's death. That sparked sustained protests around Rochester and demands for police accountability.

The fallout included former Rochester mayor Lovely Warren firing then-Police Chief Police Chief La'Ron Singletary and several members of his command staff and Warren and Singletary keeping critical details of the case secret for months and lying to the public about what they knew.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th October, 2022) North Korea sees ballistic missile launches as a countermeasure to joint US-South Korean drills that are increasing tensions in the region, North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

North Korea on Tuesday morning fired a ballistic missile that flew over the territory of Japan and fell in the Pacific Ocean. Last week Pyongyang also conducted several missile launches.

"The DPRK Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the U.S. and its some satellites for unwarrantedly referring to the UNSC the just counteraction measures of the Korean People's Army against south Korea-U.S. joint drills escalating the military tensions on the Korean peninsula," the ministry said in a statement, published by the state-run Korean Central news Agency.

According to the ministry, the redeployment of the US forces to the shores of the Korean Peninsula poses a serious threat to stability in the region.

On Wednesday, the UN Security Council held a meeting on the North Korean missile lounches. While Western countries unequivocally condemned North Korea, the Russian and Chinese envoys said North Korea's ballistic missile launches are not random, pointing out that United States and its allies in the region have conducted joint military exercises that concern Pyongyang.

On September 25, Pyongyang launched a short-range ballistic missile for the first time since June 5 and conducted several missiles launches last week. The first test-launch was carried out amid the arrival of the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group to participate in the combined drills with the South Korean navy.

On Wednesday, a Pentagon official confirmed to Sputnik that the US carrier strike group led by USS Ronald Reagan has returned to the Sea of Japan after North Korea conducted ballistic missile launches.
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MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th October, 2022) A group of 11 member countries of the Organization of American States (OAS) proposed to deprive the Venezuelan opposition of the right to represent the country in the OAS, since the official Caracas has not participated in its work for more than three years, this issue will be resolved by a vote of all participants of the organization, Secretary General of the organization, Luis Almagro, said on Tuesday.

"The request (to withdraw the accreditation) has been duly considered taking into account the political dynamics ... The participation of representatives of the National Assembly of Venezuela (which was under the control of the opposition) in the OAS Permanent Council and other formats has been approved by vote, and this initiative will also be put to a vote," Almagro said during a press conference.

Earlier in the day, Antigua and Barbuda, supported by the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Dominica, Grenada, Mexico, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago submitted to the members of the OAS a draft resolution to revoke the Venezuelan opposition's right to permanent representation in the organization. The authors of the resolution pointed out that Venezuela ceased to be a member of the OAS in April of 2019.

According to the secretary general, Venezuela's participation in the organization was not formally terminated, despite Caracas' official announcement that it stopped its participation in the organization in 2017 and the expiration of the two-year deadline for the country's withdrawal.

"It is not enough to wait two years to withdraw. During that period, a country must continue to fulfill its obligations to the organization. At the very least, it is worth acknowledging that they owe us several million Dollars in contributions," Almagro added.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced his decision to leave the regional bloc in April 2017, after the OAS accused the authorities of unleashing violence in the country amid protests. Delcy Rodriguez Gomez, then head of the republic's foreign ministry, attributed the halt in participation to abuses that came from the secretary general and several governments that "hated Venezuela's model of development." In April 2019, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry announced that the country was officially no longer a member of the OAS.

Following Venezuela's attempted coup in January 2019, the OAS, which includes 35 countries in the region, did not recognize Maduro's presidential credentials, nor those of the parliament elected a year later. The organization advocated a change of power in Venezuela and considered the former speaker of the parliament of the republic, Juan Guaido, as president.
The West will not be able to hold Russia and Iran responsible for the problems related to the West's need for energy resources, Iranian deputy energy minister Ahmad Asadzadeh told Sputnik on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th October, 2022) The West will not be able to hold Russia and Iran responsible for the problems related to the West's need for energy resources, Iranian deputy energy minister Ahmad Asadzadeh told Sputnik on Wednesday.

"Today there is a meeting of OPEC+, where a decision will be made. I want to say that the countries of Europe and the US will not be able to shift the responsibility to satisfy their needs in the oil sector and the energy crisis on us," the minister said.

Earlier in the day, OPEC+ countries have voted on production cuts and agreed to reduce it by 2 million barrels per day.
ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th October, 2022) Turkish air force and navy have been instructed to join forces in countering the deployment of Greek armored vehicles on the neutral Aegean Islands, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Thursday.

Akar, during a speech at the National Defense University in Ankara, said that Turkey refuses to give in to Greece either on the ground or at the negotiation table.

"The Turkish navy and air force have been given clear instructions in this regard. Regardless of who is behind them (Greece), we are determined to do everything necessary," Akar said, as quoted by Turkish news agency Anadolu.

At the same time, Akar added that Ankara still seeks to settle all the differences with Greece in the Aegean region peacefully.

"We strive to ensure that the wealth of the Aegean Sea is fairly distributed within the framework of international law and good neighborly relations," Akar said.

Akar also noted that the Turkish armed forces have taken all necessary precautions and are ready to oppose "any provocations of the Greek Cypriot side" amid Washington's recent decision to lift the arms embargo on the Greek administration of southern Cyprus.

Turkey and Greece have been trading accusations of provocative actions in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean seas, where they have conflicting military and energy interests. Most recently, Turkey has accused its NATO ally of militarizing neutral Aegean islands close to its shores.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th October, 2022) Japan expressed a protest to North Korea over its missile launches, Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said.

"This is absolutely unacceptable. We sent a strong protest to North Korea through diplomatic channels," the minister said.

The Yonhap news agency earlier on Thursday reported citing the South Korean military that North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan.

Hamada said the two ballistic missiles launched by North Korea had ranges of 350 and 800 kilometers and maximum altitudes of 100 and 50 kilometers.

"We believe that the trajectory of at least one of the fired missiles was non-standard," he said.

North Korea on Tuesday morning fired a ballistic missile that flew over the territory of Japan and fell in the Pacific Ocean. Last week Pyongyang also conducted several missile launches.
The United States has added seven senior Iranian officials to its sanctions list for their alleged role in suppressing protests that arose in the wake of the death of a young woman in the custody of the morality police, the US Treasury said on Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th October, 2022) The United States has added seven senior Iranian officials to its sanctions list for their alleged role in suppressing protests that arose in the wake of the death of a young woman in the custody of the morality police, the US Treasury said on Thursday.

"Today, the U.S.

Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating seven senior leaders within Iran's government and security apparatus for the shutdown of Iran's internet access and the continued violence against peaceful protesters in the wake of the tragic death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly wearing a hijab improperly, and died in the custody of Iran's Morality Police," the Treasury said in a press release.
Hundreds of global experts and leaders began a three-day United Nations-sponsored conference at Utah Valley University (UVU) today. Why It Matters is a first-of-its-kind academic conference resulting from a longtime partnership between the UN and UVU. Special guests on campus included representatives from Uganda, Cameroon, Peru, India, Thailand, Afghanistan, and Spain, as well as former Congressman Nick Lampson of Texas.

More than 70 international presentations on the United Nations will be given between October 5 and October 7, addressing the UNs 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These goals include no poverty; zero hunger; good health and well-being; quality education; gender equality; clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation, and infrastructure; reduced inequalities; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; climate action; life below water; life on land; peace, justice, and strong institutions; and partnerships.

During the conferences opening session, UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez said, The main takeaway [of the conference] is hope is the opposite of despair. President Tuminez went on to detail that the world's issues often cause people to feel deep despair; however, the papers and actionable ideas presented during this conference can help bring citizens, academics, and leaders hope and optimism.

The day began with a press conference with panel members UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez, UN Deputy Director and Chief of Partnerships and Global Engagement Robert Skinner, UN Chief of Education Outreach Jayashri Wyatt, Chief International Officer for UVU Baldomero Lago, and Communications Officer of UN NGO Relations and Advocacy Felipe Queipo. Each spoke about the importance of the conference and the benefits of shared ideas and solutions.

Larry Cesspooch, spiritual leader of the Ute Tribe, performed a land acknowledgment. Inspirational remarks were also provided by President Tuminez; Robert Skinner; Franz Kolb from the Utah Governors Office of Economic Development; L. Todd Budge, second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and Lauren Taylor, a UVU student and youth representative to the conference.

The UVU Contemporary Dance Ensemble performed a compelling dance about community  an excerpt of the dance To Have and To Hold, choreographed by Shapiro & Smith. Ramu Damodaran, a conference executive board member, offered closing remarks for the session.

The conference will be livestreamed in 80 languages, and the inaugural session is available here.

Youth representative Lauren Taylor said, Two different words, two different meanings, two different truths. That is the amazing thing about global conferences like this. We have all come from different places, different lived experiences, and were all here to share our truths.

The 21st Century Refugees special session featured a panel of six youth refugees who now live in Utah. The panelists were Seyyed Ahmadi of Afghanistan, Dona Ibrahim of Somalia, Chit Chit Poe of Myanmar, Silvain Sangano of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tamim Solhadost of Afghanistan, and Alexandra Zubko of Ukraine. Robert Skinner moderated the panel. Before beginning the discussion, Solhadost took a moment to honor the 53 people killed in the Kabul, Afghanistan, school bombing on September 30, 2022.

The panelists detailed feelings of depression after immigrating and experiencing cultural and language hurdles. However, they also expressed gratitude for the support they felt from people in the United States. Solhadost discussed his experience of receiving support from organizations and helping fellow refugees navigate journeys he had already taken, such as obtaining a drivers license or learning English. Sangano expressed his desire to be an advocate for refugees and to bring awareness to refugee camps.

Ibrahim detailed her experience of feeling isolated in the U.S., particularly in Utah. She shared how she turned adversity into motivation in her first job as a writer. So what if Im the only immigrant Black Muslim person of color in the writers room? she said. Im going to use that to my advantage because I had a unique perspective to share in that room that nobody else had. Ibrahim added that she has often heard the rhetoric about refugees lack of ability or ambition, but that it is patently untrue, as she has observed how hard refugees work.

Solhadost discussed heavy feelings associated with leaving a war-torn country while feeling grief and pain for the people left behind. Our people now are in a bad situation, he said. They dont have food; they are all killed. I feel so sad because we are human  if we feel pain in our one finger, we will feel pain in our whole body. War is the same as this; it does not matter where we are from; we are all human. We are [the] same.

One theme among the panelists was uncertainty  uncertainty related to being in refugee camps, wondering what will happen next and how long they will be permitted in the U.S. To compound the uncertainty is the incredible amount of time some refugees must wait to immigrate. Ahmadi shared that his family spent ten years in Turkey awaiting approval to enter the U.S.

When asked by an audience member how institutions like UVU can assist refugees, a prominent answer among panelists was financial support. Many refugees have very little wealth and often struggle to find work in the U.S., even in areas in which they are qualified. Goals like attending college are challenging without the universitys financial backing.

Ibrahim eloquently answered the final question to the panelists by saying, Be kind to everyone. You never know the situation they were in, and kindness really does go a long way.

Solhadost ended the session by asking the UN not to recognize the Taliban as a legitimate governing body because of its acts of terrorism and persecution in Afghanistan. Recognizing the Taliban is, in fact, recognizing terrorists, he said.

Tomorrows major events include a service project in the Sorensen Student Center Grand Ballroom, where 2,000 newborn kits will be assembled for refugee families. The events also include a sustainable fashion show featuring multiple international designers.
hasan-minhaj-kings-jester

Hasan Minhaj in 'The King's Jester' Credit - Clifton PrescodNetflix

Hasan Minhaj is back on Netflix with The Kings Jester, the comedians second special following 2017s Homecoming King.

In Homecoming King, Minhaj spoke at length about his life as a first generation Muslim Indian American growing up in Davis, Calif.focusing on his experience as an immigrant, with stories about his parents, hate crimes, racism, prom, and the looming pressure of the phrase Log kya kahenge? (What will people think?). The Kings Jester sees the comedian and former host of the Netflix political comedy show Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj grow into a new phase. After breaking through by centering his material on his cultural background and minority identity, Minhaj now has the space and platform to focus on the full picture of his life in a new set that is intimate, raw, grandiose, and even embarrassing at times.

Minhaj has always known how to tell a storyperforming with a certain sleight of hand, building up earnest and vulnerable moments, and breaking them in an instant. Whether hes considering the hubris of getting consumed by fame or getting deep about fertility problems, Minhaj performs comedy like its theater. He pirouettes across the stage, voice breaking when he gets emotional; he flops to the floor to confess things like, Malala follows me on Instagram, and I dont follow her back. After four years of waiting for a child, when his daughter is born and his wife tells him to promise you will always protect this family, he replies Of course. I need youfor material. Stand-up doesnt write itself.

Comedy moves beyond cultural commentary

With The Kings Jester, Minhaj has become part of a new generation of comedians of color who have moved beyond focusing only on cultural differences as the driving force behind their jokes, a practice popularized by comedians like Chris Rock, Russell Peters, and Margaret Cho in the 1990s and early-2000s and continued in years since by others, including Lilly Singh, Hari Kondabolu, Romesh Ranganathan, and Nimesh Patel. In his first Netflix special, Asian Comedian Destroys America!, Ronny Chieng focuses on race and identity politics from the perspective of an insider and outsider (Chieng is Malaysian Chinese and has lived in Singapore and Australia). His second special, Speakeasy, adds more detail about his experience growing up in Singaporebut tells us little about himself beyond his relationship with America.

Story continues

But comedians of color are defining themselves beyond their race or gender. For example, while much of Trevor Noahs comedy specials have covered similar themes about South Africa, race, politics, and identity, his most recent special Son of Patricia also dives into a discussion of family and the lessons that hes learned from his mother. Comedians like Aparna Nancherla and Ali Wong have developed their own distinctive styles outside cultural commentary and followed it consistently throughout their careers. Wong has always led with an unapologetic and provocative voice and focus on marriage, motherhood, and monogamy. Rather than going heavy on one-liners, her sets are focused on telling a deeper story through form-driven comedy.

Read More: Comedians Obsession With Their Haters Is Ruining Comedy

Like Wong, Minhaj uses his platform to share stories about his life, not just move from laugh to laughor make a punchline out of his differences. He adds cultural nuance without feeling the need to qualify it. In Homecoming King, he translated Hindi phrases and offered explanations, like, Hindus and Muslims are like the Montagues and Capulets of India. But with Patriot Act, which ran from October 2018 to June 2020, he began shedding the additional context, singing Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and going on a tangent about lotas, and allowing viewers to figure out the references on their own.

Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj Cara Howe/Netflix

How Minhaj got here

Across his projects, Minhaj is always open about his missteps and regrets, from explaining how he did a comedy set after learning that his dad had a heart attack in Homecoming King to talking about how fame put his family in danger in The Kings Jester. The new special allows Minhaj to address how he sees his sense of purpose in the public eye: In The Kings Jester, he explains that hes built his career to create the sense of justice that he lacked as a Muslim kid growing up in the U.S. He shares a story about Brother Eric, a white man who joined his mosque and turned out to be an undercover FBI informant through the Patriot Act, a law created in response to the 9/11 terror attacks, through which the U.S. government coerced Muslims to falsely confess to terrorism, with victims who were just like Minhaj. One town next to me, there was a 16-year-old kid, his name was Hamid Hayat. He gave a false confession, Minhaj says. This kid served 20 years in prison. Hes my age, hes 36. I think about Hamid all the time. Thats why, when I finally got my own shot to do my own show on Netflix, I named that sh-t Patriot Act.

Read More: Everything to Know About the Try Guys Cheating Drama

With his own show, Minhaj had control and aimed his platform toward exposing the wrongdoings of the powerful. In the first episode of Patriot Act, he criticized Saudi Arabian prince Mohammed bin Salman, and made global headlines. Suddenly, he was the #1 trending topic on Twitter (I become bigger than BTS, he jokes).

In The Kings Jester, Minhaj, no longer a comedian on the rise, opens up about the toxic sides of fameand the risks of criticizing public figures. At the height of his notoriety, Minhaj learns that he is on the 2019 TIME100. Speaking at the TIME100 Gala that year, he uses his speech as an opportunity to try to convince Jared Kushner, who is reportedly friends with Mohammad bin Salman, to persuade him to release Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul, a 2019 TIME100 honoree who was in prison for advocating for womens rights.

This incident leads Minhaj to a power trip that comes from trending number one again. His wife questions whether he actually cares about the cause, or if his activism is all performative. In future episodes of Patriot Act, Minhaj decides to get another dose of social media meth by going after every single dictator in the world. Like Icarus flying too close to the sun, this fame gets him to a point where he rips open fan mail to find white powder which falls into his daughters stroller and makes them rush to the emergency room. His wife tells him You chose clout over our kids You get to say whatever you want onstage, and we have to live with the consequences.

In the special, Minhaj says he considers himself as a jester of powerful figures like Russian president Vladimir Putin and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi because no matter how much money or power or fame you have, you cant buy your way out of ridicule. After establishing himself based on jokes about his immigrant story, Minhaj can now use his platform to talk about broader truths. He tells the audience, I want to be able to switch between satire and sincerity and trust that you will know the difference.
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 the liberation of Azerbaijans territories from nearly 30-year Armenian occupation.

Trend presents the chronicle of the 11th day of the Second Karabakh war:

- President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev gave an interview to Russian "Perviy Kanal" TV channel.

- President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkiye Mevlut Cavusoglu.

- The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan reported that as a result of a precise fire strike by the Azerbaijani army, the central ammunition depot located in the Ballija settlement was destroyed. In addition, two BM-21 combat vehicles as part of the Grad field reactive system and D-20 artillery units, belonging to the Armenian armed forces, were destroyed in battles in different directions of the front.

- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following the Cabinet of Ministers meeting, stated that the duty of every respected state is to support the struggle of Azerbaijan for the liberation of its occupied territories.

- The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan shared footage from Chakhyrly village, Jabrayil district, liberated from Armenian occupation.

- The Defense Ministry published a video of the armored vehicles of the Armenian armed forces captured as trophies.

- As a result of the shelling of the Aghdam district by the Armenian armed forces, an employee of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan was injured.

- The Parliament of Azerbaijan approved the return of the historical name Sugovushan to the Madagiz village recently liberated from Armenian occupation.

- Azerbaijani Defense Minister Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said at a special meeting that if Armenia uses Iskander complexes, adequate retaliatory measures will be taken.

- The State Security Service carried out radio interception of the negotiations of terrorists participating in military operations against Azerbaijan.

- During the counter-offensive operation of the Azerbaijani army, two more terrorists - mercenaries who fought on the side of the armed forces of Armenia - were neutralized.

- The Armenian armed forces fired on the territory of Yevlakh, Goranboy and Beylagan districts.

- The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has shared footage of armored vehicles of the armed forces of Armenia, captured by the Azerbaijani army.

- The ammunition depot located in the Ballija settlement was destroyed together with the manpower. Unable to withstand the onslaught of the counter-offensive operation of the Azerbaijani army, the Armenian soldiers left their combat positions and fled.

- The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has published new footage of the captured Armenian post and trophies.
Bill Barrow/AP

A Daily Beast report on Monday alleged that Herschel Walker reimbursed a woman for an abortion.

Walker has since denied the allegation and called the report a "flat-out lie."

The senate candidate solicited donations on Wednesday in light of the claims.

Herschel Walker experienced a rift in his senate campaign after a report alleged that he paid a woman for an abortion, but the GOP candidate is hoping it can be an advantageous moment to rile up support and donations.

In an email sent to his supporters on Wednesday, Walker's campaign called the allegations in The Daily Beast story a "flat-out lie" and an attempt by Democrats to "hold their majority in the Senate." The Georgia senate seat is a highly contested race between Walker and Democrat incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock, which could tip the Senate majority to Republicans if Walker wins.

The email goes on to state that Walker is "going to fight and win this seat...but I need you to stand with me," with options at the bottom of the message to donate $5 to $100 to the Walker campaign.

The strategy follows a familiar playbook from Trump's Save America PAC, where the committee solicits donations after each controversy or bombshell report on the former president.

A week after the FBI raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort for missing White House documents, Trump's fundraising vehicle sent a flurry of emails that denounced the search and asked supporters for donations to "bolster our Official Trump Defense Fund."

For at least two days, the PAC raised up to $1 million, according to The Washington Post.

Walker has repeatedly denied the allegations that he paid a woman in 2009 for an abortion, which would contradict his firm anti-abortion stance. The candidate previously said "there's no exception" for the procedure.

"This is another repugnant hatchet job from a Democrat activist, disguised as a reporter," the campaign email claimed. "Now, they're using an anonymous source to further slander me."

The Daily Beast reported that the woman shared a $575 receipt from an abortion clinic as well as an image of a $700 check signed by Walker and a "get well card" that appeared to have Walker's signature. They also corroborated the details with a friend of the woman who helped take care of her after the abortion.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The recent National Prayer Day celebration in Kenya took place at the Marian Shrine in Subukia, Nakuru, under the theme: Gods family journeying together in a united and environmentally sustainable Kenya.

Rose Achiego Ande - Nairobi, Kenya.

The Bishops used the opportunity to also urge Kenyans to take care of the environment. Conserve the environment, take care of trees and grow trees, do not cut them to burn charcoal, the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kisumu, Maurice Muhatia Makumba said in his homily.

Bishop Muhatia called on the pilgrims who thronged the Shrine to be responsible and pray for the conservation of the environment. Through the intercession of Mary, we pray that we may conserve the environment, he said.

Thanksgiving prayers for peace

Tens of thousands of the Christian faithful drawn from different dioceses congregated in Subukia to give thanks for peaceful general elections in Kenya. They also prayed for various national, family, and individual needs.

Speaking during the same function, the Bishop of Kitui Diocese who doubles as Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB)  Commission for the Pastoral and Lay Apostolate, Joseph Mwongela, thanked God for the prevailing peace while applauding Kenyans for maintaining peace before, during, and after the General Elections.

Pray and work for an end to corruption

Bishop Mwongela called on Christians to walk together in Christ and to continue the fight against corruption, reminding the congregation that the war on graft begins with ones examination of conscience. Pray that corruption may come to an end. Remember that the fight begins with you! he said.

He, however, expressed happiness that this years National Prayer Day was well attended due to relaxed Government rules on Covid-19, unlike the past two years when attendance was restricted by law. The celebration was attended by more than 20 Bishops including the Archbishop Emeritus of Nairobi, Cardinal John Njue.

The next national prayer day is slated for 7th October 2023 and will be animated by the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nairobi.
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate should bear witness to Christ in community and in hope, always staying close to the poor, according to Fr. Luis Ignacio Rois Alonso, the newly-elected Superior General.

By Devin Watkins

Fr. Luis Ignacio Rois Alonso, OMI, was in the Western Sahara on 29 September, when he was elected as the 14th Superior General of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI).

The 58-year-old Spanish-born priest had spent the previous 6 years in the mission territory on the northwestern coast of the African continent.

Then, the call came, and within a few short days he was back in Rome, taking the helm of the 206-year-old OMI Congregation, which counts nearly 3,500 priests and professed brothers.

Fr. Chicho, as his brother Oblates call him, is now playing catch-up to get a handle on what the 78 delegates have been discussing at the 37th General Chapter, taking place until 14 October in Nemi, near Rome.

But this is not Fr. Chichos first time in the Eternal City. He served as the General Councilor for Europe from 2004 until 2016, and was frequently a resident at the Oblate General House in Rome.

Missionaries of hope

Speaking to Vatican News after his election, Fr. Chicho said he feels his new mission is one of animation.

Our theme at the Chapter is Pilgrims of Hope in Communion. So, our mission is about being pilgrims with the whole of humanity and pilgrims with the poor, in communion among ourselves and with the Church.

His new job, therefore, will be to act as a missionary of hope, together with the new leadership team, known as the General Counsel, which has been elected for a 6-year-term.

We have to become friends ourselves, said Fr. Chicho. And then live the Gospel as good missionaries for the poor, and in communion together.

Pope Francis meets with the OMI General Chapter delegates

Close to the poor

The Chapter delegates met with Pope Francis on Monday, and received encouragement in their mission to preach the Gospel of hope and peace to the poor, even on the margins of society.

The mission to the peripheries is one with which Fr. Chicho identifies easily after his most recent mission in the Western Sahara.

Our community is in an area where 100 percent of the population is Muslim, he noted. So, how can the Church bring hope in this situation?

The 3 or 4 Oblates who serve there are unable to preach the Gospel with words, since proselytism is outlawed, so they must preach it with their lives.

We become witnesses through living the Gospel. The first way is by living in community, because you are lost there if you do not live in community, and it would not be a witness of the Church.

An important part of his ministry, added Fr. Chicho, was learning from his Muslim neighbors, such as how they pray, their faith, and how they help each other. Many of those his community serves are poor migrants.

They have something of the Gospel in their tradition, and I can learn from that, he said. They have a special gift of the Holy Spirit. So, we can apply the same to any other context where we are working as missionaries.

Fr. Louis Lougen, previous Superior General (L) and Fr. Luis Ignacio Rois Alonso (C)

Striving for holiness

Asked if he had a special message as he takes up the helm of the OMI Congregation, Fr. Chicho urged Oblates to be faithful to the inspiration of St. Eugene de Mazenod, the 19th century French Saint who founded the order in Aix-en-Provence.

Poor people can teach us about hope and life. So, we must work with poor people, with lay people, with indigenous peoples, bringing new life to the Congregation. For me, this means bringing holiness to the Congregation, and the best way to do that is to be a missionary, to be a saint.
Pope Francis appears in a foto with the King of Bahrain on the wall of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Awali

The Holy See Press Office publishes the schedule, logo, and motto for Pope Francis Apostolic Journey to Bahrain on 3-6 November, where he will attend the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue, under the motto Peace on earth to people of goodwill.

By Devin Watkins

Pope Francis is set to make an Apostolic Visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain on 3-6 November 2022, to encourage the countrys small Catholic flock and to attend the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence.

Ahead of his departure, the Holy See Press Office released the programme for the papal visit to the Middle East country, along with the logo and motto.

Interreligious aspect to visit

The Bahrain Forum for Dialogue will also see the participation of Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Egypts Al-Azhar Al-Sharif.

The Pope and the Sheikh met last month in Kazakhstan for the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

Over 200 other religious leaders from various parts of the globe are also scheduled to attend the forum, held on 3-4 November.

Pope Francis was formally invited to visit Bahrain and attend the Forum by King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa.

Overview of papal schedule

According to the programme, the Pope departs Romes Fiumicino Airport at 9:30 AM on Thursday, 3 October, and lands in the central Bahrain city of Awali at the Sakhir Air Base at around 4:45 PM (GMT+3).

He will then make a courtesy visit to King Hamad at the Sakhir Royal Palace and meet with Bahrains authorities, civil society, and diplomatic corps.

On Friday morning, the Pope will attend the closing session of the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue. Later, in the afternoon, he will meet privately with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, then hold an audience with the members of the Muslim Council of Elders (of which Sheikh Ahmed is the Chairman).

Afterwards, Pope Francis turns his attention to Christians living in Bahrain, as he holds an ecumenical meeting and prayer for peace in the Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral in Awali.

On Saturday, the Holy Father celebrates Mass in the Bahrain National Stadium in the morning for the countrys Catholic population, which numbers around 161,000 faithful.

He holds a meeting with young people at the Sacred Heart School in the afternoon.

The Pope wraps up his Apostolic Visit on Sunday morning with a prayer meeting with local Bishops, priests, consecrated persons, seminarians, and pastoral workers at the Sacred Heart Church in Manama. The papal plane then takes the Pope and his entourage back to Rome for an arrival at Fiumicino Airport around 5 PM.

Listen to our report

Motto and logo

The motto for the Apostolic Journey to Bahrain is Peace on earth to people of goodwill, which is taken from the Gospel of Luke, 2:14.

The visits logo consists of the flags of the Holy See and the Kingdom of Bahrain, which are represented in stylized form as two hands open towards God.

According to the Holy See Press Office, the logo symbolizes the commitment of peoples and nations to encounter each other free from prejudice and in a spirit of openness as brothers and sisters.

An olive branch extending upwards from the hands symbolizes peace, the fruit of fraternal encounter.

The words Pope Francis appear below the symbol in the color blue, to show that the Visit is entrusted to Our Lady of Arabia, the patroness of the Cathedral, which was a gift of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the local Catholic Church.

Official logo of Pope's Visit to Bahrain

Detailed schedule

Thursday, 3 November 2022

ROME  AWALI

09:30 Departure by airplane from Rome/Fiumicino International Airport to Awali

16:45 Arrival at Sakhir Air Base in Awali

16:45 OFFICIAL WELCOME

17:30 COURTESY VISIT TO HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF BAHRAIN at Sakhir Royal Palace

18:10 WELCOME CEREMONY in the courtyard of Sakhir Royal Palace

18:30 MEETING WITH THE AUTHORITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY, AND THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS

Friday, 4 November 2022

AWALI

10:00 CLOSING OF THE "BAHRAIN FORUM FOR DIALOGUE: EAST AND WEST FOR HUMAN COEXISTENCE" at Al-Fida' Square of Sakhir Royal Palace

16:00 PRIVATE MEETING WITH THE GRAND IMAM OF AL-AZHAR in the Papal Residence within the grounds of Sakhir Royal Palace

16:30 MEETING WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE MUSLIM COUNCIL OF ELDERS at the Mosque of Sakhir Royal Palace

17:45 ECUMENICAL MEETING AND PRAYER FOR PEACE in Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral

Saturday, 5 November 2022

AWALI

08:30 HOLY MASS at Bahrain National Stadium

17:00 MEETING WITH THE YOUTH in Sacred Heart School

Sunday, 6 November 2022

AWALI  MANAMA  AWALI  ROME

09:30 PRAYER MEETING AND ANGELUS WITH BISHOPS, PRIESTS, CONSECRATED PERSONS, SEMINARIANS, AND PASTORAL WORKERS in Sacred Heart Church in Manama

12:30 FAREWELL CEREMONY at Sakhir Air Base in Awali

13:00 Departure by airplane from Sakhir Air Base to Rome

17:00 Arrival at Rome/Fiumicino International Airport
(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk and Twitter Inc. agreed to postpone the billionaires long-awaited deposition in the companys lawsuit aimed at forcing him to go through with a $44 billion buyout, according to people familiar with the matter.

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Musk reversed course earlier this week and committed himself to consummating the $54.20-per-share offer for the social-media platform on its original terms. Even though the deal still may take months to close, a trial set for Oct. 17 is almost certain to be put on hold.

Both sides agreed Wednesday to delay the deposition that was set for Thursday morning in Austin, Texas, while lawyers try to finalize procedures to dispose of the suit, according to the people, who declined to be identified discussing a confidential matter.

Twitter shares fell 1.4% to $50.58 in New York Thursday morning, suggesting the stock market at least isnt entirely sold on the doneness of the deal.

Meanwhile, banks and other investors are reviewing the deals original $12.5 billion debt-financing package. The lenders are led by Morgan Stanley. Other investors include Oracle Corp. Chief Executive Officer Larry Ellison.

Before restoring his original offer, Musks representatives held talks with Twitter on lowering the deal price, people familiar with the negotiations told Bloomberg News. Musk was seeking a price cut of 30%, and more recently explored a 10% discount, but the discussions failed to yield an agreement, the New York Times reported, citing unidentified sources.

Delaware Chancery Judge Kathaleen St. J. McCormick said Wednesday that since neither side has yet asked to pause the case, shes pressing ahead with the upcoming trial. In a securities filing earlier this week, Musk offered to go forward with the deal if Twitters suit was put on hold.

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Twitter didnt immediately respond to a request for comment after regular business hours on the deposition being delayed.

Musk skipped out on other deposition dates in the case. He cancelled a Sept. 28 meeting to answer questions because of Covid-19 concerns, according to court filings. He also demanded that the deposition be conducted in Texas instead of Delaware.

Musk backed away from his planned Twitter purchase earlier this year, claiming the company hadnt leveled with him and investors about the number of bot accounts that artificially pump up advertising revenue. Twitter countered that the concerns were a pretext for Musk when he started feeling buyers remorse.

In the past, Musk - chief executive officer of electric-car maker Tesla Inc. -- has turned belligerent in pre-trial questioning in other court cases focused on his deal-making efforts.

In a deposition tied to a suit by Tesla investors over Musks buyout of renewal-power company SolarCity, the billionaire belittled a lawyer for shareholders who argued the deal was rife with conflicts.

To bail out SolarCity was good for the world youre telling us? investors attorney Randy Baron asked in a pre-trial query.

Advancing solar is absolutely good for the world, Musk shot back. Do you just think about money? What is your purpose in life? Musks deposition testimony was played in the 2021 trial of the SolarCity dispute.

During his cross-examination at trial, Musk told a Delaware judge he didnt respect Baron, who he considered to be a bad human being who specialized in asking deceptive questions. The judge ultimately ruled for Musk in the case.

The case over the Twitter buyout is Twitter v. Musk, 22-0613, Delaware Chancery Court (Wilmington).

(Updates with share trading in fourth paragraph)

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The 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council has rejected a resolution to hold a debate next year on alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang by a narrow margin of 19 votes against, 17 in favor and 11 abstentions.

The vote was preceded by a vigorous debate in which several member states presented their positions for and against the draft resolution. The United States, one of 10 Western sponsors, introduced the resolution.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Council Michele Taylor noted that evidence of human rights violations in Chinas Xinjiang province was recorded in a U.N. report published more than a month ago. She said it was important to hold a debate on the issue in a neutral forum.

The evidence in this independent assessment was compiled over a three-year period," said Taylor. "It relied extensively on Chinas own records. It corroborates several concerns raised by special procedures, independent media, academic researchers and most importantly, by Uyghurs themselves.

The report was issued on August 31 by former U.N. high commissioner for human rights Michelle Bachelet. It documents credible evidence of torture or other ill-treatment and sexual and gender-based violence against the Uyghur minority. The report says the violations may constitute crimes against humanity.

More than a million Uyghurs and other Muslim groups reportedly are incarcerated in so-called vocational centers in Xinjiang. China has consistently denied the allegations in the past and did so again at the council.

Chinas ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Chen Xu, said the draft proposal was not pro-human rights but was another example of politicization. He accused the United States and other Western countries of fabricating lies and spreading rumors to smear China.

He warned the draft decision will not promote dialogue but only lead to new confrontations. He spoke through an interpreter.

If China is targeted, tomorrow, any other developing country is going to be targeted," said Chen. "To allow the adoption of such a draft decision is tantamount to supporting Western countries interference in Chinas internal affairs under the pretext of Xinjiang-related issues and will damage the work of the council and the international human rights cause in the long run.

This is the first time the council has considered a proposal to debate the human rights situation in Xinjiang. China has always been seen as too powerful to take on.

Pressure exerted on the 13 African member countries has paid off. Eight voted no, four abstained and Somalia cast the only vote in favor of the draft resolution. Four important Muslim states voted against the resolution. One abstained.

Human Rights Watch has called the councils failure to adopt the proposal an abdication of responsibility and a betrayal of Uyghur victims. Another leading rights organization, Amnesty International, said the vote protects the perpetrators of human rights violations rather than the victims and makes a mockery of everything the Human Rights Council is supposed to stand for.
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Inspired by protests in neighboring Iran, women in Afghanistan took to the streets after a suicide bombing at an education center in Kabul killed dozens of people, most of them school girls. Nazrana Ghaffar Yousufzai reports.
Delegates at Africa's biggest oil conference have expressed concern about rising prices after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, plus nonmembers who also export oil, decided this week to cut production targets.

The majority of the oil cartel's 13 member states are in Africa, but many African countries have to import refined oil.

Speaking at the Africa Oil Week conference in Cape Town, Omar Farouk Ibrahim, secretary-general of the African Petroleum Producers Organization, said the move was aimed at ensuring stability in the global market and ensuring that prices dont fall too low.

"I believe its the right thing they did in order to save the industry," he said, "and I totally think that every country has the responsibility to protect the interests of its citizens. And if by reducing production they see that as in their best interest, so be it.

Rashid Ali Abdallah, executive director of the African Energy Commission, said it was too early to tell what the impact of the planned cuts would be.

I hope that the price is not shooting up, because in Africa we depend on oil products in power generation, he said.

Natacha Massano, vice president of Angolas National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels, said she wasnt sure how the announcement would affect her country. Angola is one of the two biggest oil producers in Africa; Nigeria is the other, and both are OPEC members.

Some countries will be affected more than the others," Massano said. "Some are benefiting  of course, the producers may benefit from the high prices, but at the same time they are paying also for all other commodities.

Saudi Arabia, OPECs biggest producer, has denied colluding with Russia on the production target cut.

However, Herman Wang, managing editor of Vienna-based OPEC and Middle East News, said one couldn't tell what was discussed behind closed doors. He said he thought the cut was clearly a big win for Russia."

"You know that they are trying to raise money for their war effort in Ukraine," Wang said. "Again, like all these OPEC countries, [Russia is] heavily reliant on oil revenues, and when you have a case where the outlook for the war is quite dire, [Russia is] needing this revenue. And the other impact of this is that higher oil prices make it harder for the West to enforce and impose their sanctions on Russia. So that might have been part of the calculation here for Russia in terms of trying to get this production cut done.

OPEC+ members said the group would cut production targets by 2 million barrels per day.

U.S. President Joe Biden called the move shortsighted, noting the global economy has been dealing with the negative impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian city of Bucha was the scene of one of the worst massacres in Russia's war against its neighbor, with hundreds of bodies discovered in mass graves back in April. Now, against many expectations, a robust reconstruction effort is making it possible for children to return to school. For VOA, Anna Chernikova reports from Bucha. Camera - Serhii Smychok.
Concern grew on Wednesday over what caused the death of 16-year-old Nika Shahkarami who had joined the protests in Iran, even as the Iranian judiciary rejected accusations that she had been killed by security forces.

Reports from Persian media based outside Iran have said that the grieving girl's family were not allowed to bury her body in her hometown, while two close relatives have also reportedly been arrested.

Her aunt Atash Shahkarami wrote on Twitter that Nika went missing after attending a protest in Tehran on Sept. 20.

Ten days later the family was told that she had been found dead.

Protests across Iran, matched by solidarity marches in other countries, erupted in mid-September over the death of Mahsa Amini who had been arrested by the notorious morality police in Tehran.

Rights groups say that dozens of people have been killed in a crackdown by the Iranian security forces on the protests.

Media including BBC Persian and Iran Wire have said that Nika's family were permitted to see the body of Nika Shahkarami in a morgue but were not allowed to bury her in their hometown of Khorramabad in Lorestan province.

Instead, she was secretly buried by the authorities on Oct. 3, the date which would have marked her 17th birthday, in a village dozens of kilometers away from Khorramabad.

Footage published on social media, including by the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, instead showed the family attending a protest in her memory in Khorramabad with her distraught mother declaring: "Today was your birthday, my dear!... Today I say, congratulations on your martyrdom!"

Images said to show her burial site in the village of Veysian show a dirty grave with a roughly cut headstone.

Relatives detained

Both Atash Shahkarami and an uncle have both been arrested, the reports said. Atash Shahkarami last tweeted on Oct. 2 with no activity since.

There are reports Nika Shahkarami had been held in Kahrizak prison outside Tehran, but this has not been confirmed by the Iranian authorities. When the family saw her body, her nose had been smashed and skull cracked, reports said.

BBC Persian reported on Monday that an autopsy report by the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in the area had concluded she died due to multiple injuries sustained by being hit "with a hard object."

An investigation opened Wednesday into Shahkarami's death and eight people have been arrested in connection, according to the official IRNA news agency Tuesday.

But Iran's judiciary on Wednesday rejected any connection between the death of Nika Shahkarami and protests over the death of Mahsa Amini.

An autopsy showed "multiple fractures... in the pelvis, head, upper and lower limbs, arms and legs which indicate that the person was thrown from a height," state news agency IRNA quoted Tehran judiciary official Mohammad Shahriari as saying.

"No bullet marks were found... and the evidence shows that the death was caused by the person being thrown," he said, adding: "The incident has nothing to do with the recent disturbances."

Earlier, Tasnim news agency said eight people who were working in a building near the scene had been arrested in connection with Shahkarami's death.

Norway-based rights group Iran Human Rights (IHR) says at least seven women are among the more than 90 people killed by the Iranian security forces in the crackdown on the protests.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare is meeting with senior Australian government ministers Thursday as Canberra works to prevent its Pacific neighbors forging closer ties with China.

Australia signed a security agreement with Solomon Islands in 2017, but the relationship has frayed over a deal the Pacific nation struck with China earlier this year.

There were concerns in Canberra that the accord might allow Beijing to set up a military base in the Pacific and could destabilize the regions delicate geopolitical balance. China said the pact would help it respond to natural disasters and maintain social order.

Solomon Islands, a mostly Melanesian archipelago northeast of Australia, has a history of instability. Canberra led a multilateral peacekeeping mission in 2003 following political violence that flared in the late 1990s.

Analysts have said the visit of its Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to Australia on Thursday will give both sides the chance to reset relations. It will also allow Canberra the opportunity to push-back against Chinas diplomatic and trade ambitions in the region.

Meg Keen, the director of the Pacific Island Program at the Lowy Institute, told VOA that Chinas interest in the Pacific is growing.

It is part of the Chinese expansion to get greater global reach, greater influence, as a great power, as it sees itself and there are a large number of votes, independent countries, in the Pacific islands, she said. So, that is valuable for it in terms of the U.N. In particularly Melanesia, there are resources that will be of interest to it, particularly in fisheries, forestry, and minerals.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met Sogavare in July at the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji.

Sogavare also traveled recently to Washington, D.C., for a White House summit of Pacific leaders. He signed up to an agreement that pledged to allow democracy to flourish and made climate change a priority.

The United States has also increased its engagement in the Pacific islands since the Solomon Islands-China deal.

It plans to reopen its embassy in the Solomon Islands capital, Honiara, and provide hundreds of millions of dollars in aid.
President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new executive actions aimed at decriminalizing the U.S. stance on marijuana, which is now legal for medical use in 37 states and available for recreational use in 19 states, the national capital and Guam.

In a recorded video message, Biden said he was announcing, via executive order, a pardon for all prior federal offenses of simple possession of the substance. That pardon could affect more than 6,500 Americans, White House officials told reporters. But they added that most marijuana convictions happen at the state level, leading to Bidens second announcement, which called on governors to issue pardons for state marijuana possession offenses.

Biden also on Thursday directed a federal review of how marijuana is scheduled under federal law. It is currently classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Schedule I drug, defined as drugs with no medical use and a high potential for abuse, putting it at the same level as heroin and LSD.



As I said when I ran for president, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana, Biden said in a statement. Its legal in many states, and criminal records for marijuana possession have led to needless barriers to employment, housing and educational opportunities.

And thats before you address the racial disparities around who suffers the consequences. While white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people are arrested, prosecuted and convicted at disproportionate rates.

Senior administration officials told reporters the president still supports limitations on trafficking, marketing and underage sales.

The president has been clear that our marijuana laws are not working, a senior administration official told reporters. Members of Congress have been working on this issue, but that effort is stalled. And we're almost at the end of the Congress. So, the president has been considering his options and he's now taking executive action to address the country's failed approach to marijuana.

The executive director of NORML, a group that lobbies for legalizing marijuana for adults, said the administrations actions are long overdue and the president should work with Congress to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol.

Moving forward, the administration must work collaboratively with congressional leadership to repeal Americas failed marijuana criminalization laws, Erik Altieri said in an emailed statement.

Biden's Republican opponents opposed the move, raising questions about whether Republican legislators and governors would heed Biden's call to pardon people for state marijuana possession offenses.

"In the midst of a crime wave and on the brink of a recession, Joe Biden is giving blanket pardons to drug offenders  many of whom pled down from more serious charges," tweeted Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas. "This is a desperate attempt to distract from failed leadership."

Since California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, an increasing number of Americans have supported decriminalizing the drug.

Last year, a Gallup public opinion survey indicated that more than two-thirds of Americans supported legalizing marijuana.

Still, Gallup also reported that Americans are evenly split in their views about marijuana's effect on society, with roughly equal numbers saying it is negative and positive.
U.S. President Joe Biden expressed his disappointment Thursday that OPEC+ nations intend to cut oil production targets by 2 million barrels a day but said the United States has alternatives and is exploring them.

"There's a lot of alternatives. We haven't made up our minds yet," Biden told reporters at the White House, without elaborating.

Wednesdays decision by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, along with Russia and other oil producers, to cut production targets could help Moscow fund its war in Ukraine and hurt Bidens chances to further cut gasoline prices for American motorists ahead of next months nationwide congressional elections.

Opposition Republicans have blamed Biden and fellow Democrats for the higher gas prices as they try to wrest control from Democrats of one or both chambers of Congress.

In a July trip to the Mideast, Biden had pushed Saudi Arabia, the worlds second-biggest oil producer after the U.S., to hold the line against a production cut or even boost output to the global crude oil market to keep oil prices, which directly correlate to the price motorists pay for gasoline at service stations, from increasing.

Biden said, however, that he did not regret his stopover in Riyadh to meet with Saudi leaders.

"The trip was about the Middle East and about Israel and ... rationalization of positions," he said, while acknowledging the OPEC+ production cut "is a disappointment.

Biden made the trip to Saudi Arabia even though during his presidential campaign in 2020 he branded the longtime U.S. ally as a pariah state for its role in the killing and dismemberment of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, at the hands of Saudi agents in the countrys Istanbul Consulate in 2018.

One of Bidens key congressional allies, Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, voiced a more critical view of Saudi Arabia than Biden in the immediate aftermath of the oil production target cut.

From unanswered questions about 9/11 & the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, to conspiring w/ Putin to punish the US w/higher oil prices, the royal Saudi family has never been a trustworthy ally of our nation, Durbin said on Twitter. Its time for our foreign policy to imagine a world without their alliance.

Durbins 9/11 reference was to the 2001 al-Qaida terrorist attacks on the U.S. that killed nearly 3,000 people. Fifteen of the 19 airline hijackers who carried out the attacks were Saudi nationals.

Three Democratic members of the House of Representatives, Tom Malinowski, Sean Casten and Susan Wild, called for an end to U.S. troop protection of Persian Gulf allies.

If Saudi Arabia and the UAE want to help [Russian President Vladimir] Putin keep oil prices high, they should look to him for their defense, the three lawmakers said.

Despite Bidens diplomatic overtures in recent months to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, they said, they have now answered ... with a slap in the face that will hurt American consumers and undermine our national interests.

The OPEC+ coalition of 23 nations 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 of oil-producing countries has been undershooting its target by 3 million barrels a day this year.

With the production cut, 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 again in recent days in anticipation of 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 the nationwide congressional elections on November 8.

A year ago in the U.S., gas prices averaged $3.20 a gallon (3.78 liters), and in some states fell to nearly that low in recent months. But now, with crude oil prices rising again, the national average is at $3.87 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.

While U.S. motorists are pinched by higher gas costs, 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.
President Joe Biden headed to hurricane-ravaged Florida on Wednesday, putting himself in the path of one of his most fervent critics, Governor Ron DeSantis. Biden pledged to increase support for the Sunshine State, while the governor praised the states cooperation with the federal government. VOAs Anita Powell reports from Washington, with reporting from Jorge Agobian, who traveled with the president.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday announced new humanitarian aid to migrants and refugees in the Americas, on a visit to Peru.

Blinken is on a regional tour that has taken him to Colombia, Chile and now Lima, where he was attending the annual meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly, which closes Friday.

Shortly before attending OAS ministerial talks on the perplexing question of migration in the western hemisphere, Blinken told reporters of "new humanitarian and bilateral and regional assistance" to the tune of $240 million.

This would go toward addressing the needs of refugees and migrants "throughout our hemisphere," he added, including health services, shelter, education, and legal assistance.

"We have more people on the move around the world, displaced from their homes, than at any time in recorded history  more than 100 million," said Blinken.

"And our own hemisphere is experiencing that in deep, profound and new ways."

Migration has been a headache for the administration of President Joe Biden, with Republican opponents frequently claiming that he has left the southern U.S. border unprotected against unauthorized crossings.

Peru, which has an estimated 1.2 million Venezuelans within its borders, is playing host to the 52nd session of the OAS General Assembly of North and South American countries.

The meeting opened Wednesday with a video address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who urged the body to support his country's plight in the face of Russia's military invasion.

The assembly was due Friday to adopt a resolution condemning the "Russian aggression against Ukraine," according to diplomatic sources.

It will also discuss resolutions on human rights concerns in Venezuela and Nicaragua, and on the troubling humanitarian situation in Haiti.

Blinken's visit has taken him to three countries that have recently elected leaders on the left of the political spectrum, which in Latin America has traditionally been strongly anti-United States.

In June, several Latin American leaders were angered by Washington's decision not to invite Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela  all under US sanctions  to a Summit of the Americas held in Los Angeles.


Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 3, 2022) - Sanu Gold Corporation (CSE: SANU) ("Sanu Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce significant gold assay results from the first holes of its initial reverse circulation ("RC") drill program (the "Program") on the Daina Gold Exploration Permit ("Daina" or the "Permit") in Guinea, West Africa, including results from the Daina 2 Main Zone discovery.

Highlights from the Daina 2 Main Zone:

4.75 g/t Au over 21 m 1 , including 85.5 g/t Au over 1 m , in DAI-RC-004,

1.99 g/t Au over 37 m , including 32.6 g/t Au over 1 m and 15.0 g/t Au over 1 m , as well as 1.23 g/t Au over 15 m , including 12.3 g/t Au over 1 m in DAI-RC-001,

5.50 g/t Au over 11 m, including 56.6 g/t Au over 1 m in DAI-RC-013,

1.80 g/t Au over 7 m , including 3.29 g/t Au over 3 m in DAI-RC-006, and

1.04 g/t Au over 15 m in DAI-RC-012.

Martin Pawlitschek, President and CEO of Sanu Gold commented: "We are extremely pleased to announce a new gold discovery at our Daina Gold Exploration Permit in Guinea. Over the past several months we have been working to systematically define multi-kilometer long gold mineralized trends, and in our first drill holes intersected several high-grade gold intercepts at the Daina 2 Main Zone. Drilling has begun to define a moderately-dipping mineralized structure intersected on the three 65 m spaced lines drilled to date. As we progress through this first and subsequent phases of drilling, we will continue to test the downdip extent of the Daina 2 Main Zone, as well as lateral extensions along its potentially 4 km long strike extent."

Program Details

The Program commenced in early August, 2022 and is now complete, with 3,675 m drilled in 40 RC holes at the Daina 1, Daina 2 and Daina 6 targets. The Program was designed to provide an initial drill test below high-grade gold in rock chip samples from artisanal working pits at the Daina 2 and Daina 6 targets and strong gold in auger bedrock anomalies at the Daina 1, Daina 2 and Daina 6 targets. For additional information on the rock chip and auger sampling programs, see the Sanu Gold news releases dated July 29, August 3 and September 9, 2022.

Story continues

Daina 2 Target including Daina 2 Main Zone Discovery

A total of 2,609 m were drilled in 31 RC holes at the Daina 2 target to test an initial 2 km length of the potentially 4 km long mineralized corridor. Assay results have been received for the first 14 holes (DAI-RC-001 to -013 and DAI-RC-015), which have begun to outline a gold mineralized structure on three 65 m spaced lines in the central portion of the target, termed the Daina 2 Main Zone. Initial assay results from the Daina 2 Main Zone include multiple high-grade gold intercepts as summarized in Table 1, Figures 1 and 2 and the highlights section above.

An additional five holes were drilled on the Daina 2 Main Zone (DAI-RC-014 and DAI-RC-032 to -34 B; Figure 2). DAI-RC-034A was lost near the top of the prospective horizon and was redrilled as DAI-RC-034B; assay results for these remaining holes are pending. A further 14 holes were drilled at the Daina 2 target on sections up to 1,000 m north and 1,000 m south of the Daina 2 Main Zone, with assays pending.

The gold mineralization encountered to date within the Daina 2 Main Zone is associated with strongly deformed, hydrothermally altered and folded, coarse-grained greywacke containing quartz vein stockwork and breccia and pervasive disseminated pyrite and arsenopyrite. Key alteration associated with the gold mineralization is silicification. Interpretation of the potentially gold-bearing alteration and deformation zones demonstrates that the mineralized structure strikes north-northwest and dips moderately to the west, with a potential width of up to 50 m, and hosting several sub-parallel zones of gold mineralization with widths approaching 40 m (Figure 2). The RC drill holes intercepted deep saprolite horizons which extend to depths of up to 50 m.

The initial results reported herein confirm the saprolite-hosted gold mineralization reported from the auger drill program at the Daina 2 Main Zone extends to depth and suggest the potential for a significant north-south strike extent of mineralization in this target area.

Daina 6 Target

A total of 607 m was drilled in 6 RC holes at the Daina 6 target to test the depth extension of high-grade gold in rock chip samples from artisanal workings and a well-defined gold in auger bedrock anomaly. Assay results from the first 4 holes returned short intervals of anomalous gold mineralization up to 0.70 g/t Au over 4 m in the first 2 holes and no significant gold values in the next 2 holes (Table 2). Assay results for the final 2 holes from the Daina 6 target are pending.

Daina 1 Target

Two fences of two holes each were drilled at the Daina 1 target, for a total of 324 m in 4 RC holes to test strong gold in auger bedrock anomalies. Assay results for all holes from the Daina 1 target are pending.

Next Steps

Sanu Gold geologists are currently compiling data from the Program with geological and structural information from areas where new artisanal mining activities have exposed previously unknown zones of gold mineralization to aid the current geological and structural model for the Daina 2 Main Zone discovery. This information, together with pending results from the Program will aid in planning the next round of drilling at Daina, which the Company intends to commence in early November.

Further results from the Program are expected to be released in Q4/2022.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control ("QA/QC")

Sampling was completed following industry best practices, conducted under the supervision of the Company's project geologists and the chain of custody from the project to the sample preparation facility was continuously monitored. An appropriate number and type of certified reference materials (standards) and blanks totaling 5% of the total number of samples shipped to the laboratory was inserted approximately every 20th sample to ensure an effective QA/QC program was carried out. Data verification of the analytical results included a statistical analysis of the standards and blanks that must pass certain parameters for acceptance to ensure accurate and verifiable results. All samples were analyzed using Fire Assay FAA505 at the SGS Laboratory in Bamako, Mali ("SGS"). SGS is an internationally recognized and commercially certified laboratory and is independent of Sanu Gold. Sample pulps from select holes are being sent to a secondary independent laboratory for verification.





Figure 1: Daina 2 target map showing geological and structural features, drill hole surface plan and highlighted initial assays results from the RC drilling of the Daina 2 Main Zone.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8941/139153_75f2476394c69b21_001full.jpg

Figure 2: Daina 2 Main Zone cross-sections showing geological and structural interpretation, RC drill hole traces and highlighted assays results from RC drill holes.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8941/139153_sanufigure2.jpg

Table 1: Daina 2 Main Zone RC drill intercepts.

Hole ID X-UTM Y-UTM





Intercept Interval From Prospect Length Azimuth Dip





(m) (o) (o) (g/t Au) (m) (m) DAI-RC-001 503315 1319025 75 270 55 1.23 15 1 Daina 2 including









12.3 1 11













1.99 37 21

including









15.0 1 38

and









32.6 1 54













0.31 1 68

DAI-RC-0002 503365 1319021 100 270 55 NSV Daina 2 DAI-RC-0003 503407 1319030 46 270 55 NSV Daina 2 DAI-RC-0004 503336 1318964 100 270 55 0.49 1 4 Daina 2











0.71 9 17

including









1.22 3 23













0.65 3 46













4.75 21 56

including









85.5 1 69













0.33 1 94

DAI-RC-0005 503382 1318968 100 270 55 0.33 1 1 Daina 2 DAI-RC-0006 503291 1319080 70 270 55 1.80 7 1 Daina 2 including









3.29 3 1













0.29 4 19













0.98 3 29













0.34 1 53

DAI-RC-0007 503338 1319076 65 270 55 NSV Daina 2 DAI-RC-0008 503260 1319020 96 270 60 0.36 2 2 Daina 2











0.43 2 16













1.54 1 27













0.62 4 34













0.36 4 84

DAI-RC-0009 503148 1319022 85 90 60 NSV Daina 2 DAI-RC-0010 503050 1319015 110 90 60 0.44 1 5 Daina 2 DAI-RC-0011 503143 1319090 120 90 60 0.47 1 84 Daina 2











0.77 1 9

DAI-RC-0012 503236 1319078 115 270 70 1.04 15 45 Daina 2











0.38 1 91













0.51 1 100













0.59 1 108

DAI-RC-0013 503276 1318953 110 270 70 5.50 11 80 Daina 2 including









56.6 1 80













0.51 2 96

DAI-RC-0015 502941 1319015 135 90 60 NSV Daina 2



Notes: The Company does not have sufficient information to make a determination of the true widths of the drill hole intersections reported in this release. Drillhole intercepts are calculated using a minimum downhole length of 1 m, a cut-off grade of 0.3 g/t gold, and may include up to 3 m of internal dilution within the intercept. Only intercepts 1 m are reported. Sample intervals are comprised of RC drill chips, which are sampled at regular 1 m intervals. Assays are reported uncut and high-grade sub-intervals are highlighted. Grid coordinates are UTM WGS84 Zone 29N. NSV = no significant values.

Table 2: Daina 6 target RC drill intercepts.

Hole ID X-UTM Y-UTM





Intercept Interval From Prospect Length Azimuth Dip





(m) (o) (o) (g/t Au) (m) (m) DAI-RC-0016 501758 1319112 120 270 55 0.39 1 42 Daina 6











0.30 1 51

DAI-RC-0017 501735 1319140 100 270 55 0.70 4 1 Daina 6











0.34 2 32

DAI-RC-0018 501651 1319111 95 90 70 NSV



Daina 6 DAI-RC-0019 501633 1319151 95 90 55 NSV - - Daina 6



Notes: The Company does not have sufficient information to make a determination of the true widths of the drill hole intersections reported in this release. Drillhole intercepts are calculated using a minimum downhole length of 1 m, a cut-off grade of 0.3 g/t gold, and may include up to 3 m of internal dilution within the intercept. Only intercepts 1 m are reported. Sample intervals are comprised of RC drill chips, which are sampled at regular 1 m intervals. Assays are reported uncut. Grid coordinates are UTM WGS84 Zone 29N. NSV = no significant values.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Serigne Dieng, Ph.D., M.Sc., a Member (MAIG) of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG), Exploration Manager of the Company and a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Sanu Gold

Located within the world class Siguiri Basin, host to several operating mines, Sanu Gold is exploring three high quality gold exploration permits in Guinea, West Africa targeting multi-million ounce gold discoveries. The Company has defined multi-kilometer scale gold bearing structures on each of the gold exploration permits, with multiple high-value drill targets. Sanu is operated by a highly experienced team with successful records of discovery, resource development and mine permitting.

Martin Pawlitschek

President & CEO, Sanu Gold Corp

For further information regarding Sanu Gold, please visit the Company's website at www.sanugoldcorp.com or contact:

Fiona Childe

VP, Corporate Development & Communications

Sanu Gold Corp.

info@sanugoldcorp.com

John Boidman

Renmark Financial Communications Inc.

+1 (514) 939-3989; +1 (212) 812-7680

jboidman@renmarkfinancial.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" with respect to the Company 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 words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "indicates", "opportunity", "possible" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Sanu believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such material risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company's plans for exploration on its properties and ability to execute on plans, ability to raise sufficient capital to fund its obligations under its property agreements going forward, ability to maintain its material property agreements, mineral tenures and concessions in good standing, to explore and develop its projects; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; the inherent hazards associated with mineral exploration and mining operations, future prices of gold and other metals, changes in general economic conditions and local risks in the jurisdiction (Guinea) in which it operates, accuracy of mineral resource and reserve estimates, the potential for new discoveries, the ability of the Company to obtain the necessary permits and consents required to explore, drill and develop the projects and if obtained, to obtain such permits and consents in a timely fashion relative to the Company's plans and business objectives for the projects; the general ability of the Company to monetize its mineral resources; and changes in environmental and other laws or regulations that could have an impact on the Company's operations, compliance with environmental laws and regulations, dependence on key management personnel and general competition in the mining industry. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

1 g/t Au = grams of gold per tonne, m = metres

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139153
Cameroons defense minister said it is safe for 40,000 villagers displaced by the militant group Boko Haram near the borders with Chad and Nigeria to return home. But villagers say they first need food aid as the fighting forced them to abandon their farms and livestock.

Cameroon military officials, led by Defense Minister Joseph Beti Assomo, told workers at Marouas military hospital that the government will foot the bills of all troops injured in battles against the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram.

Among the injured soldiers is 31-year-old Damien Ekelle, who lost his left leg in a September 13 battle with Boko Haram fighters in Mayo Tsanaga, an administrative unit on Cameroons northern border with Nigeria and Chad.

Ekelle said he is grateful that Cameroons defense minister and his delegation visited injured soldiers to have an appraisal of the challenges government troops encounter while fighting Boko Haram terrorists. He also said he is thankful to God for saving his life.

The government said there are less than 30 injured government troops in the hospital, down from 60 in June.

In June, Cameroon said it deployed hundreds of troops along its border with Nigeria, especially in Mayo Tsanaga, after attacks by Boko Haram militants forced more than 40,000 villagers to flee the area.

Government officials said the troops were deployed after villagers organized daily protests in front of government offices demanding protection from the military.

After visiting Mayo Tsanaga and the injured soldiers in Maroua this week, Defense Minister Assomo assured villagers that it is safe to return home.

Assomo said threats by the terrorist group Boko Haram have greatly diminished the sporadic attacks that the military is stopping. He said President Paul Biya is happy that the military has greatly reduced the ability of Boko Haram fighters to strike innocent civilians and government troops have maintained Cameroon's territorial integrity that was threatened by Boko Haram.

The government says about 10,000 villagers have returned within the past month.

But some locals remain reluctant to go home. They say if they return, they will lack food since farms and cattle ranches were abandoned in June when the fighting was intensive.

The government said, in addition to ensuring security, it will provide planting seeds to villagers who agree to return.

Boko Haram has been fighting since 2009 to create an Islamic caliphate in northeast Nigeria and parts of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin.

The violence has cost the lives of tens of thousands of people and displaced about 2 million civilians.
The push for democracy in Chad suffered a setback last weekend, when a political forum organized by military rulers postponed elections for another two years.

An 18-month political transition led by Mahamat Idriss Deby was supposed to end this month.

Instead, its been prolonged after a national dialogue forum last weekend adopted resolutions that push back elections by two years and authorize Deby to run for president.

Cameron Hudson, a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told VOA he wasnt surprised by the developments but called the conference a missed opportunity to move Chad in a more democratic direction.

From the outset this was not a national dialogue that met the stated goals of the junta itself, which was to be inclusive and representative of the broadest views of Chadians; it was not that, he said. So, when it wasnt that it became clear that it was going to essentially reaffirm the juntas position and hold on to power.

Danny Ayida, a senior regional director for the U.S.-based National Democratic Institute, said he was concerned that opposition voices in Chad are being left out of the conversation.

If you take the opposition group in Chad, the political party les transformateurs, its one of the most important one, he told VOA while on his way to the Chadian capital, NDjamena. If you see the ways they mobilized the country, I think they should be part of whats going on.

Ayida said this was not a good thing for democracy in Chad.

We are trying on our side as an international organization supporting the transition to understand what they can do because democracy is important, he said. Also, Chadians need now more support from the international community to help them deal with this crisis. Now is also time for Chad to deal with some reforms that would allow the country to organize fair and transparent elections.

Another decision that came out of the forum now allows Deby to run for president, contrary to what had been talked about when he became interim leader.

Deby took over last year after his father and longtime Chadian president Idriss Deby Itno was killed fighting insurgents.

Hudson said Deby is not a lone actor and there could be a number of reasons for that change.

My understanding is that Deby doesnt just represent the Deby name, the family legacy, he said. He also represents the Zaghawa tribe which has many, many influential people in power, in business, in government, and in the military. And to some degree hes captured by that group and under enormous pressure from that group to maintain the status quo and to maintain Zaghawa dominance over the political, economic and security affairs of the country.

Meanwhile, some people feel the current international pressure on Chads rulers is not strong enough. But there may be a reason for that, said Hudson.

I think we have to remember two things about Chad right now, he said. One is, Chad remains one of the more capable counterterrorism forces in the region battling both the Islamic extremist forces that are in both in Burkina Faso and Mali now as part of the G5 Sahel and also continue to do battle with Boko Haram and those forces in the Lake Chad basin so its maintaining a very strong security posture that the West really rely heavily on. So, there is a sense that as long as they continue to perform that function that we should not rock the boat internally and push for more rapid or aggressive democratic reforms inside of Chad.

That, Hudson said, may hold back a country that was ruled with an iron fist for decades transition to a more democratic and inclusive society.
Ethiopia's nearly two-year civil war with Tigrayan forces may finally see peace talks after both sides agreed to an African Union-mediated dialogue in South Africa this weekend. The talks would come after a series of airstrikes in Tigray, including one Tuesday that aid workers say killed more than 50 people when it hit a school sheltering war-displaced people.

There have been reports of heavy fighting since hostilities resumed in late August between Ethiopias federal government and the countrys Tigray rebels, with dozens of civilians dying in airstrikes.

This latest round of fighting also has seen Eritrea renew its involvement in the conflict on the side of Ethiopia's federal military, with the Tigray leadership saying Eritrea has launched a full-scale offensive into northern Tigray.

Now, both the Tigray authorities and the federal government say they are ready to attend peace talks this weekend in South Africa sponsored by the African Union (AU).

According to the AU Commission, the talks will be led by AU special envoy Olusegun Obasanjo, who will be supported by former South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

However, the Tigray leadership has requested more information regarding the structure of the talks before attending them.

They have long criticized Obasanjos role as a mediator, seeing him as close to the Ethiopean prime minister, and have insisted that international officials participate in cease-fire discussions as observers and guarantors.

Ahmed Soliman, a researcher at the Chatham House think tank in London, said there are credibility questions hanging over Obasanjo as a mediator. But he added that the talks could lead to a breakthrough.

If these talks proceed in the next couple of days, theyll be the first formal face-to-face, direct talks between the conflict parties, he said. And in that regard, theres a huge opportunity to reset this mediation and try to build some confidence. Whether the opportunity is seized, of course, is another matter entirely. Weve seen previous efforts not be successful, but I think what should be apparent is the seriousness of African partners [and] the international community to resolve this conflict.

The Tigray leadership has insisted on four demands as part of any agreement to end the fighting. These are: unfettered humanitarian access to Tigray; the withdrawal of Eritrean troops; the restoration of the Tigray's communication and banking services; and the return of territory lost in the conflict.

A previous round of informal talks held in Djibouti last month broke down without an agreement after federal officials failed to give guarantees on the restoration of Tigrays services, which have been shut down for more than a year.

Soliman said the South Africa talks  if they take place  will not settle these issues, but they could kickstart a longer-term political process that does.

And that needs to be communicated through this process as a longer-term process toward ending this conflict, not just a one-time meeting, he said. These talks should be seen as a stepping stone, not an end goal, not to achieve the ambition of ending the conflict. Because that, they wont do.

Will Davison, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, said the talks are likely to discuss procedural issues rather than thorny substantive issues. He added that any deal could also be derailed by Eritrea.

Even in a best-case scenario where the federal and Tigray parties are able to come to terms on all of their outstanding disagreements, there is nothing like a guarantee that would stop Eritreas approach, which is currently a military approach, he said. They have fully re-engaged in the conflict over the last month, and there is really no indication that theyre interested in [a] negotiated settlement with the TPLF and Tigrays leadership. Instead, [its] reasonable to think they are looking for a military solution and the total defeat of the Tigray political and military leadership. So, Eritrea could well be a serious spoiler, even if these AU-mediated talks between the federal and Tigray governments go incredibly well.

So far, the Tigray rebels and the federal government have stuck stubbornly to their negotiating positions. But with the cost of the fighting increasing every day, they might be persuaded to sign a deal that stops the bloodshed, at least in the short term.
EU lawmakers on Thursday condemned the crackdown on media freedom in military-ruled Myanmar and called for the release of "every unfairly detained journalist."

Since the military seized power in February last year, it has forced at least 12 media outlets to shut down and arrested about 142 journalists, 57 of whom remain detained.

Most of those still detained are being held under an incitement charge for allegedly causing fear, spreading false news or agitating against a government employee.

In its resolution adopted by show of hands, the EU Parliament cited the cases of BBC freelance producer Htet Htet Khine; Sithu Aung Myint, a Frontier Myanmar columnist and contributor to Voice of America; and freelancer Nyein Nyein Aye.

"Strongly condemning the military junta's violent and illegitimate rule in Myanmar, MEPs urge it to drop all politically motivated charges against the members of the press and media workers, and unconditionally release every unfairly detained journalist," the EU Parliament said.

"They also call on the junta to immediately end its abuses, including arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, sexual violence and other ill-treatment, as well as unfair trials against people working in the media."

According to Reporters Without Borders, Nyein Nyein Aye was sentenced in July to three years in prison with hard labor on charges of "causing fear, spreading false news and agitating crimes against a government employee."

Htet Htet Khine was sentenced on Sept. 15 to three years' hard labor. On Sept. 27, a court sentenced her to a further three years, with a reduction for time served. She has been in detention since August 2021.

"We remain concerned for her safety and wellbeing in detention, and call for the release of Htet Htet Khine and other media workers who have been unjustly detained in Myanmar," said BBC Media Action Chief Executive Officer Caroline Nursey.

Sithu Aung Myint was arrested in August 2021 along with Htet Htet Khine.

Some of the closed media outlets have continued operating without a license, publishing online as their staff members dodge arrest. Others operate from exile.

The army's takeover led to mass public protests that the military and police responded to with lethal force, triggering armed resistance and escalating violence that have led to what some U.N. experts characterize as a civil war.

According to detailed lists by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a watchdog group based in Thailand, 2,336 civilians have died in the military government's crackdown on opponents and at least 15,757 people have been arrested.

EU lawmakers also called for restoration of the civilian government and the "unconditional release" of Myanmar's former president, Win Myint, and former leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Iranian-American Baquer Namazi arrived Wednesday in the United Arab Emirates to receive medical care after being allowed to leave Iran.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that 85-year-old Namazi has asked that we convey his deepest thanks to all of those who worked so tirelessly to secure his release.

Iran convicted the former United Nations official of collaborating with a hostile government in 2016 and sentenced him to 10 years in prison before releasing him to house arrest on medical grounds in 2018.

Blinken said Namazi was wrongfully detained and that the United States remains committed to freeing all remaining wrongfully detained U.S. citizens in Iran and around the world.

Namazis son, Siamak, was also convicted in 2016 on the same charges, which the United States described as baseless for both men.

Another son, Babak Namazi, said in a statement released by the familys lawyer that news of his fathers release was bittersweet; his brother and other Americans remain in Iranian detention.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
At least 38 people, including 24 children, were killed in a gun and knife attack Thursday at a child care center in northern Thailand. It was the country's deadliest ever mass shooting carried out by an individual.

The killing spree took place in Nong Bua Lam Phu, about 482 kilometers north of the capital Bangkok,

Local authorities identified the gunman as Panya Kamrab, an ex-police officer who was fired from the force last year because of his involvement in drug trafficking.

The 34-year-old gunman was initially on the run after fleeing in a white Toyota pick-up truck, but police colonel Jakkapat Vijitraithaya from the province told local media the gunman had since killed himself, along with his wife and child. The motive for the killings is unknown. An investigation is underway.

In a Facebook post, Thailands Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha called the incident shocking, and he expressed his deepest condolences to the families of those killed and injured.

"This shouldn't happen," he said. "I feel deep sadness toward the victims and their relatives."

His spokesman later confirmed that the prime minister would travel Friday to Nong Bua Lam Phu.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken offered condolences.

We are deeply saddened by the tragedy in Nong Bua Lam Phu province, he said. This violence is both senseless and heartbreaking. We stand with the people of Thailand and extend our deepest condolences to those who lost their loved ones today. The United States is ready to assist our Thai allies in the wake of this tragedy.



Described as filled with natural beauty by Thailands Tourism Authority, Nong Bua Lam Phu sits in Thailand's northeast, and the forest outside the provincial capital was home to one of the most famous practitioners of Buddhist meditation.



But there was nothing peaceful about Thursdays incident.

Local authorities said the former police officer was facing trial over drug charges and had been in court hours before the shooting.

According to district official Jidapa Boonsom, the gunman had entered the nursery in Uthai Sawan town around lunchtime before shooting four or five staff, including a teacher who was eight months pregnant, before forcing his way into a locked room where children were sleeping and killing them, she told Reuters. Victims in Thursday's attack were as young as 2-years-old.

But the number of those killed could have been more. Many parents had kept their children out of the nursery because of bad weather during Thailand's current monsoon wet and rainy weather.

Images have since emerged online that show children and adults lying in pools of blood on the floor following the deadly attack. Eyewitnesses say Kamrab had several weapons with him, including a pistol, shotgun rifle and a large knife.

Thailand's police chief General Damrongsak Kittiprapas confirmed the gunman used his own 9mm legally owned pistol in the shootings, and said he believes he was under the influence of amphetamine drugs at the time.

Mental health speculation

Although investigations are continuing, speculation about Kamrab's state of mental health has been questioned. According to a WHO report, an estimated 1.5 million suffer from depression in Thailand.

But Dr. Apichat Jariyavilas, a psychiatrist at Vejthani Hospital in Bangkok, said the understanding and availability of mental health help has increased in recent years in Thailand.

"People understand more about mental health, and with social media nowadays, Thai people tell each other, and many people [speak] out that psychiatry is one part of a medical condition [that] they can seek help. Thai people seek mental health help much more than before," he told VOA.

Mass shootings

Mass shootings are rare in Thailand, but this is the second incident in less than three years that has resulted deaths. In 2020, a solider of the Royal Thai army shot and killed 29 people and injured 58 more at a military camp and a shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima before being shot and killed by authorities. At the time, it was the was the deadliest mass shooting in Thailand's history.

Phil Robertson, deputy director of Asia with Human Rights Watch in Bangkok, says Thailand has a problem with guns and action needs to be taken.

Thailand has one of the highest civilian gun ownership rates in Asia, with 15.1 weapons per 100 population, compared with 0.3 in Singapore and 0.25 in Japan. That's still far lower than the U.S. rate of 120.5 per 100 people, according to a 2017 survey by Australia's GunPolicy.org nonprofit organization.

"This is an unimaginable tragedy that calls out for action. What's clear is Thailand is awash in guns, both legally registered and illegal, and this is the second mass shooting in two years. It's time for Thailand to wake up and realize that protecting its people means getting this situation under control rather than treating this as a 'one-off' incident that can be ignored," Robertson told VOA via email.

"The Thai government has not recognized that they have a problem with so many guns held in communities across Thailand, but perhaps this incident will serve as a wake-up call that they need to develop strategies to prevent further tragedies like this in the future," he said.

Jon Ungphakorn, a former member of the Senate of Thailand, posted on Facebook that Thailand should have strict gun control restrictions like Japan, England and other European countries.
Seventy-five years after the blood-soaked partition of British India, the scars can still be found in this unique Himalayan community which straddles the boundary between what are now the Indian- and Pakistani-administered portions of Kashmir.

On the eastern bank of the Kishan Ganga River, which in this area defines the military Line of Control between Indian and Pakistani Kashmir, sits the village of Teetwal. Just across the shallow waterway  known to Pakistanis as the Neelum River  sits the village of Chilhana.

Despite having two names, this has long been one community, and many families have members on either side of the river. Until 2018, the Indian and Pakistani armies allowed family reunions at a "Meetup Point" on the narrow footbridge connecting the villages. Since then, barbed wire coils have blocked anyone wishing to cross the span.

Older residents of the divided community recount stories of the heartbreak that accompanied the 1947 partition, an event that forced millions of Muslims and Hindus to relocate to one new country or the other amid violence and chaos that left hundreds of thousands dead.

"My grandmother used to sit in the lawn and cry hard since she missed her siblings who were on the other side of the frontier," said Syed Ishfaq, who operates a private school in Teetwal. He said his grandmother had two sisters and a brother who chose to live on the Pakistani side.

"She considered herself ill-fated as she had no contact with her siblings [and] thus died with this unfulfilled wish in her heart," Ishfaq said.

Sain Khan, now 80 years old, said he and his family fled to Pakistan, joining the rush of humanity seeking to avoid violent reprisals after a maharajah ceded what was then his princely kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir to India on Oct 26, 1947.

Khan returned to the Indian side in 1955 "as all our property and land are in this part of Kashmir," he told VOA. Since then, he has seen his sisters on the Pakistani side in Muzaffarabad only three times, including once when he crossed the bridge to Chilhana on foot in 2008.

In recent years, family reunions have become even more difficult.

"I have stayed for 15 days in Delhi to get the necessary permissions and documents to travel to other side of Kashmir in Muzaffarabad, which otherwise is a matter of 45 minutes' drive from my home and involves huge sums which many can't afford," Khan said.

Restrictions on travel and communications were eased after a massive earthquake in October 2005, which killed more than 73,000 people and left millions homeless. But whatever ray of hope that created for the divided families was slowly extinguished and since 2018 it has not even been possible to visit one another at the Meeting Point on the bridge.

The separation also haunts members of generations born long after the 1947 partition.

Sajad Geelani, a 36-year-old shopkeeper in Teetwal, has not visited his uncles on the Pakistani side since he was able to cross the bridge in 2011. "I want to visit Neelum Valley again but can't go due to the present situation," he said.

Ishfaq, the private school operator, said the costs of the separation are economic as well as emotional.

"Had the situation been peaceful, it could have been much easier for us to go to Muazaffarabad to earn a living, buy essentials and visit hospitals," he said.

"Muazaffarabad is only 36 kilometers distant from my home but I have to travel all through 200 km to Srinagar to earn my living." That journey, he explained, requires a difficult trip through the Sadhna Pass which is often cut off by snow during the winter.

While the footbridge remains closed, relative peace along the Line of Control following a 2021 cease-fire accord has led to a rush of tourism, sparked on the Indian side by curiosity-seekers eager to visit the de facto border. Many were drawn to a tourism festival on the banks of the Kishen Ganga River in Teetwal last month.

Tofeeq Ahmad Banday, the owner of a cafe in Tanghdar, about 25 kilometers from Teetwal, said he is seeing several times more visitors than in past years.

The divided families live in hope of better times in the future. Khan said he has come to accept that his sisters will not return from Muzaffarabad but he dreams that a grandson now studying medicine in Kazakhstan will one day "serve his community in the border village of Teetwal."

And many take heart from the official handling of a recent incident in which a youth sneaked across the river from the Pakistani side to Teetwal. When he was caught he was handed back by the Indian army to their Pakistani counterparts as a goodwill gesture.


As protests flare across Iran over the death of young Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, the Kurdistan region of neighboring Iraq has paid a price, coming under bombardment from the Islamic republic's forces.

Their target is the long-exiled Iranian Kurdish opposition, installed in Iraq under Saddam Hussein during his war with Iran in the 1980s. Tehran regards these armed factions as "terrorists" and accuses them of attacking its territory.

A general in Iran has charged that the Kurdish opposition groups have been inciting the Mahsa Amini protests in Iranian Kurdistan in the face of a lethal crackdown by the security forces.

Amini, 22, was pronounced dead on September 16, days after Iran's notorious morality police detained her for allegedly breaching Iran's strict dress code for women.

According to Adel Bakawan, director of the French Centre for Research on Iraq, Iran needed to "find an enemy" to blame for stoking the nationwide protests.

"The weakest link that could be targeted without provoking consequences was the Iranian Kurds," he said.

On September 28, Iran unleashed a deluge of fire on positions of Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, killing 14 people and wounding 58, including civilians. It has followed up with less bloody attacks.

On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani reiterated Tehran's accusation against these groups, saying they threaten the country's national security.

However, experts say the far-left groups have practically ceased all military activity, focusing on political action instead.

Protected presence

Any fighters they still have could be viewed as reservists, keeping up training.

Iranian Kurdish journalist Raza Manochari said there has been an agreement since the 1990s between such groups and the government of Iraq's own Kurdistan Region.

It protects their deployment, "and in exchange, they do not engage in military activities, to avoid causing problems for relations with Iran," he said.

Manochari, who has himself lived in Iraq for eight years, highlighted the ties between Kurds in the two countries: they speak the same Sorani dialect, and many have relatives on both sides of the border.

Masoud Barzani, leader of Iraq's Kurdistan Democratic Party and former president of the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan Region, was born in 1946 in Iran.

He is the son of iconic Kurdish nationalist leader Mulla Mustafa Barzani, the former head of the only breakaway state in Kurdish history, founded in the Iranian town of Mahabad until it was crushed by Iranian troops in 1946 after a year.

Today, Iran's Kurdish minority  about 10 million people out of a population of 83 million  complain of marginalization.

"In Iran, the Kurds don't have many basic cultural and political rights," said Shivan Fazil, researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

"The right of education in their mother tongue continues to be outlawed," he said.

'Never use Iraqi soil'

Their plight is bleaker than that of Kurds elsewhere in the region, Fazil said, citing Kurds in parliament in Turkey since 2015, a de facto autonomy in northeast Syria and the regional Kurdish government in northern Iraq.

Aso Saleh, an executive committee member of the Iranian Kurdish Party KDPI targeted by Tehran last month, said the party has "never used the soil or the territory of Iraq to launch any attack on Iranian forces."

Sweden-based Saleh said the movement was "predominantly located inside Iranian Kurdistan," where its activities must remain "covert."

Only "the leadership and bureaucratic apparatus" were present in Iraq.

"This movement is trying to bring democracy and federalism to Iran," he told Agence France-Presse of the party founded in Iran in 1945.

Edris Abdi of the Iraq-based Komala Iranian Kurdish nationalist group told AFP, "We do not engage in military activity."

Hardi Mahdi Mika, a political scientist at Iraq's Sulaimaniyah University, points to the Kurdish minority's marginalization.

"In terms of economic growth and unemployment, the Kurdish regions are the poorest" in Iran, he said. "The government is neglecting these regions."

Kurdish workers cross the border every day in search of temporary jobs in Iraq that pay more than those at home in sanctions-hit Iran.

Even in Iranian provinces where they are in the majority, "the Kurds have no say in local governance," Mika said.
Amid an intensified terror campaign by the Islamic State Khorasan (ISK) group in Afghanistan which has killed dozens of civilians this week, Taliban authorities claim they have captured the groups liaison for Europe.

On Tuesday, the Talibans intelligence agency released a video confession of an alleged ISK member who says he helped foreign nationals join the terrorist group in Afghanistan.

I had invited 10 to 15 people and one of them has come to Afghanistan, says the Afghan man in the video.

The man also claims he collected funds for ISK from three European countries. I collected $15,000 from Ukraine, 5,000 euros from Germany, and about 1,500 euros from Spain.

The release of the Taliban video comes at a time when ISK has perpetrated several deadly attacks in the Afghan capital over the past few weeks.

At least 50 people, mostly schoolgirls, were killed and more than 100 wounded in an explosion at an educational center in Kabul on Friday.

The victims were Shiite Muslims. ISK has declared a religious war against Shiites.

On Wednesday, a bomb blast at a mosque near the interior ministry in Kabul killed at least four worshippers and wounded 25 others, Taliban authorities confirmed.

Rejecting foreign counterterror cooperation, the Taliban claim they are capable of routing ISK in the country on their own.

Experts say ISK has proven to be a potent threat in Afghanistan as it is seriously challenging the new Taliban regime.

Speaking at an event at the New American Security, David Petraeus, former director of the U.S. CIA, said ISK is trying to plunge Afghanistan into sectarian wars as seen in Iraq in 2006-08.

Counterterror violation?

It is very difficult to ascertain the authenticity of the confession clips being put out by the Taliban intelligence regarding ISK funding and arrests, Obaidullah Baheer, an Afghan analyst, told VOA.

The brutal animosity between the Taliban and ISK is widely reported, but the Taliban also are accused of allowing or ignoring other foreign terrorist groups as they establish an active presence in Afghanistan.

In July, a U.S. drone strike killed the leader of al-Qaida, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in downtown Kabul and U.S. officials accused the Taliban of violating their counterterror commitments made under a U.S.-Taliban agreement signed in February 2020 in Doha.

The Taliban have not yet confirmed al-Zawahiris death in Kabul but have accused the U.S. of violating Afghanistans aerial sovereignty.

Nowhere in the [Taliban-U.S.] agreement does it demand that the Taliban expel al-Qaida from Afghanistan, nor does it demand that the Taliban break ties with al-Qaida, said Lisa Curtis, an expert at the Center for a New American Security who previously took part in U.S. negotiations with Taliban representatives in Doha.

It says that the Taliban will not allow al-Qaida to threaten the United States and its allies from the Afghan soil, Curtis said at an event last week.

U.S. officials say that, in addition to al-Qaida, the Taliban have allowed members of several other foreign terrorist groups in Afghanistan, such as Lashkar-e-Toiba, Ansarullah and Tehrek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

The Taliban deny such allegations and maintain they will not allow foreign actors to use Afghan territory against any other country.

There is some fear that the Taliban lack the will to control al-Qaida and lacks the capacity to halt IS terrorism, although it is also possible that the Taliban's internal divisions would impede any effort versus al-Qaida, even if some top leadership wished to crack down, Martha Crenshaw, an expert of international security at Stanford University, told VOA.

Talk or not talk to Taliban?

While the U.S. has used so-called over-the-horizon military and intelligence capabilities to neutralize terrorist threats from Afghanistan, some analysts say the U.S. and other international actors should engage the Taliban politically for counterterror objectives.

The international community and the Taliban are both in a prisoners dilemma, which is a direct result of lack of communication, said Baheer, noting that the U.S. dual policy of simultaneously deploying drones and swapping prisoners with the Taliban has created confusion in the region.

Communication will create grounds for trust and a sense of what either side expects from the other, he said.

Others question the reliability of Taliban both as a counterterror partner and as a legitimate Afghan government.

We cant simply engage them, said Curtis, of the Center for a New American Security, while accusing the Taliban of systematic human rights violations, including denying education and work rights for Afghan women.

Some will argue that we need to engage [the Taliban] in order to encourage stability in the country. I think that this logic is flawed because the Afghans themselves are going to resist infringement on their rights and freedoms, and they're going to join resistance, she said.

Despite imposing sanctions on them, the U.S. government has maintained limited contact with the Taliban over the past year. U.S. officials have said removal of sanctions and recognition of the Taliban regime is not on their agenda in the near future.
Lebanon and Israel appear close to completing a maritime deal that would permit offshore natural gas exploration and potentially defuse a historic conflict between the Jewish state and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia, Lebanons powerbroker. The Qana natural gas field in the eastern Mediterranean has long been disputed by Israel and Lebanon, which have been technically at war for decades.

The two countries have been locked in a maritime border dispute, in part, over coastal drilling rights in the Mediterranean Seas potentially hydrocarbon-rich waters. Both have claimed about 860 square kilometers there as being within their exclusive economic zones.

Elias Bou Saab - Lebanons deputy speaker of parliament and lead envoy to the U.S., mediated indirect negotiations. He said the proposed U.S.-brokered deal was produced by thinking  as he put it  "outside of the box." Israels high-level security cabinet is expected to discuss the terms Thursday.

Under the deal, Lebanon would have sovereignty over the area north of Line 23 on the sea map, including the Qana gas field, while Israel will remain in control of the Karish gas field. Observers believe that a foreign company operating under Lebanese license would produce natural gas at Qana, with Israel receiving a partial share of the revenues.

Although not confirmed, Lebanese officials have suggested that the French company TotalEnergies SE could be involved.

Israels prime minister, Yair Lapid, initially welcomed the draft agreement. Even arch foe Hezbollah, Lebanons powerful armed militia and political party backed by Iran, has expressed cautious optimism that a deal could be secured.

But negotiations in the final hours have been delicate and doubts about the economic and political benefits persist.

Lebanese analyst Dania Koleilat Khatib, an affiliated scholar with Stanford Universitys Hoover Institute, told VOA she sees the demarcation as having more value as a way to pressure the Lebanese political elite to resolve their differences than economic benefit at this time.

Once you do the demarcation, you would need a time of agreement to make sure that this is like a de-confliction, she said. So, there would not be any conflict, any clash. I dont think at this current time it has much of an economic value. First, they need to see if there are proven reserves. After that they start the extraction, so you wont have the gas before a few years. Once there is gas, and the political class want things to move, there will be more pressure from outside to find a solution, like to elect a president, elect a government, do reforms.

Marc Ayoub, an associate fellow at the American University of Beirut's Issam Fares Institute, told the French news agency AFP that if commercially viable reservoirs are in fact found, it could take five to six years to extract gas.

Although Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has threatened several times to hit Israeli drilling operations, alleging it was infringing on Lebanons maritime rights, Khatib and other analysts say Hezbollah doesnt want a war with Israel because it could ill-afford to retaliate.

Nizar Abdel Kader, a retired Lebanese Army Brigadier General, told the online publication Breaking Defense that if Israel launches a full-scale war on Hezbollahs areas of control in Lebanon, there will be extensive destruction, which will likely cause huge anger within the Shiite community against Hezbollah and Iran.
This small female north Atlantic right whale died from severe entanglement during the summer of 2017 in New Brunswick. The population of north Atlantic right whales is estimated at 336 individuals, with 70 breeding females. (Shane Fowler/CBC - image credit)

The federal government is challenging charges from U.S. environmentalists that it's not doing enough to protect critically endangered north Atlantic right whales, claiming measures taken since 2018 have reduced the risk of entanglements in the critical Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab fishery by 82 per cent.

The new statistic was unveiled by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) at a parliamentary committee meeting held after the latest environmental condemnation  a red rating from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch  recommending consumers avoid buying Canadian snow crab and lobster because of the risk posed to right whales from entanglements in fishing rope.

"We disagree with it," said Adam Burns, an acting assistant deputy minister.

Burns was repeatedly questioned about the red rating on Sept. 27, the first of six meetings planned on right whales by the DFO committee.

"Canada worked to ensure that [Seafood Watch] had the necessary information to make a fair and balanced assessment of Canada's management regime. Unfortunately, we do not believe that they took all of that into consideration in their findings and did not recognize the differences in Canada's regime from those in the U.S.," Burns testified.

DFO is not disputing that north Atlantic right whales are imperilled.

Endangered species

Brett Gilchrist, DFO's director of national programs, fisheries and harbour management, told committee members it's believed north Atlantic right whales no longer die of natural causes because they don't survive ship strikes or entanglements to live beyond age 40.

In 2017, 12 endangered right whales died in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Two deaths were blamed on entanglement in Canadian snow crab gear. Five more died in U.S. waters.

The population is now estimated at 336 individuals, with 70 breeding females.

CBC

Entanglements occur in the waters of both countries although the exact type of fishing gear is most often not established.

Story continues

Both the Maine and Canadian lobster industry repeatedly point out that lobster gear has not been directly implicated in a single right whale death.

Both countries have responded to the right whale situation with a variety of measures affecting pot, trap and gillnet fisheries.

The U.S. steps include reduced lines in the water with weaker rope strength to make escape easier.

Unlike the U.S., Canada imposed sweeping closures when right whales are detected.

After a visual or acoustic detection, a 2,000 square kilometre area is closed for 15 days and fixed fishing gear is removed.

In the Gulf, a whale detection in a closed area during the next nine to 15 days triggers a season-long closure.

Burns also said the Canadian consulate in Boston has been actively making Canada's case to American decision makers, including in the U.S. Congress and Senate.

Consul General Rodger Cuzner, a former Liberal MP from Nova Scotia, was not made available for an interview on efforts from his office.

Global Affairs spokesperson Lama Khodr said the consulate has been working for several years in tandem with Canadian departments to "ensure Canada's aggressive and proactive measures to protect NARW (north Atlantic right whales) are clearly understood in the U.S."

"The joint advocacy we've conducted over the years was intended to avoid groups making incorrect conclusions such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch," Khodr said in a statement.

The Monterey Bay Seafood Watch did not respond directly to criticism from Canadian officials.

It referred the CBC to previous statements that fishery rule changes imposed by both Canadian and U.S. regulators do not go far enough to reduce the risk of entanglements or promote species recovery.

"North Atlantic right whale mortalities from fishing entanglement continue to occur at levels five times higher than the species can withstand."

Seafood Watch also issued what it called a "response to misinformation" about its red rating of both Canadian and U.S. trap, pot and gillnet fisheries saying the fisheries violate U.S. law, continued use of vertical lines puts a protected species at risk of extinction and its ratings are based on a globally accepted approach to determining environmental sustainability.

Access to U.S. seafood market at stake

At stake for fishermen and coastal communities in Atlantic Canada is access to the United States seafood market for lobster and snow crab, worth more than $2.5 billion in 2020.

Under the United States Marine Mammal Protection Act, imported seafood must be caught under regimes with protections comparable to those in the U.S.

The regime in the United States is changing because of successful lawsuits by environmental groups seeking to ban fisheries that use vertical ropes anchored to the bottom that can entangle whales.

Despite management measures taken to date, in July a U.S. district court judge ruled that pot and trap fisheries in New England with vertical lines violate the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act.

In response last month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  the equivalent of DFO in the U.S.  proposed regulations that aim for a 90 per cent reduction in risk to right whales.

'There's more to be done' in risk reduction

Most of the 82 per cent drop in the risk of snow crab gear entanglement claimed by Canadian officials comes from Canadian Wildlife Federation research commissioned by DFO.

A federation study said that since 2018, the risk of entanglement fell by 60 to 65 percent when snow crab gear is removed from areas where the whales are present.

"It's a really great risk reduction accomplishment, but there's more to be done," said co-author Sean Brillant, a senior conservation biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Federation.

CBC

Brillant said to get to the 82 per cent figure, DFO took other measures it is taking like removal of ghost gear and applied the same methodology used by the Americans in their calculation of risk reduction.

"We weren't involved in making these assessments," said Brillant.

"I'm not too surprised that DFO suggests they're given credit for some of these things, but we consciously kept that out of our study simply because a lot of the conservation value of those activities are not yet clear."

90 per cent risk reduction achievable

Brillant said it's "likely" Canada can reach the 90 per cent risk reduction level, citing improvements in ropeless gear and other advancements that could further reduce the risk.

"There are a lot of challenges for implementing this into the fishing operations, which we totally understand and it's going to take some time," he said. "But there is a good opportunity. I think we can get there. It's not an easy thing."

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Leaders from 44 European countries met Thursday in Prague in the inaugural meeting of the European Political Community, a new regional group seeking to find strategies to address shared concerns such as energy, the economy and Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The group was the brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron and includes all 27 members of the European Union, plus 17 other nations, some of which are seeking EU membership.

The only two European nations not invited were Russia and its neighboring ally Belarus.

In remarks to open the meeting, Macron said the groups existence is aimed at sending a message of unity to all European nations by building a strategic closeness and finding common strategies. He indicated the group was not seeking to compete with the EU but to find complementary projects.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who closely supported Macron in creating the summit, said the meeting sends a strong signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It is very visible that all of us who are meeting here know that the Russian attack on Ukraine is a brutal violation of the security and peace that we have had in Europe over the last decades. And therefore, it is important that we reject this attack, said Scholz.

Thursday's summit featured an opening ceremony, followed by a series of meetings where leaders discussed the key challenges Europe faces: security, energy, climate, the economy and migration.

No formal policy statements, resolutions or declarations were expected from the summit.



Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
North Korea fired two more short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) early Thursday, as diplomats at the U.N. Security Council were locked in debate over how to respond to the launch of another missile over Japan two days earlier.

North Korea's latest ballistic missile test marked the sixth in 12 days, and came hours after a U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, returned to waters near South Korea for additional trilateral naval drills.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Thursday decried the volley of missile fire as "absolutely unacceptable."

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said the latest missiles "likely flew at an irregular trajectory," reiterating that the escalation of "provocative actions is a threat to peace and security of [Japan], [the] region and the international community."

The two missiles launched Thursday appear to be of different types. One flew 350 kilometers with a maximum altitude of 80 kilometers and the other traveled 800 kilometers at a top altitude of 60 kilometers, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

They were launched into the East Sea, also called the Sea of Japan, between 6:01 a.m. and 6:23 a.m. local time from North Korea's Samchok area in Pyongyang, JCS said, an area mentioned for the first time.

During a 25-minute phone call Thursday evening, Japan's Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol jointly condemned North Korea's action. Calling the missile tests "reckless," the two leaders agreed to make clear to Pyongyang that provocation will be met with consequences, Seoul's top office said.

North Korea Breaks Silence

In its first commentary since the ballistic missile tests began on September 25, North Koreas foreign ministry issued a brief statement Thursday, using state media KCNA, strongly condemning the United States and its satellites for unwarrantedly referring North Korea to the U.N. Security Council.

The statement called the missile tests just counteraction measures against South Korea-U.S. joint drills that escalated military tensions on the Korean peninsula.

The U.S. was posing a serious threat to stability in the region by redeploying the USS Ronald Reagan to the Korean Peninsula, the statement said.

Trilateral Naval Exercises, Part II

Seouls Joint Chiefs of Staff later said an exercise at sea among the U.S., Japan and South Korea had resumed, aimed at responding to a hypothetical ballistic missile attack by North Korea.

The East Sea exercise brought back the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group, which had concluded a one-day trilateral exercise with Japan Sept. 30, preceded by bilateral exercises with South Korea Sept. 26 through 29.

The JCS said the defensive exercise involving South Koreas Sejong the Great Aegis destroyer and Japans JS Chokai destroyer, would look to master the detection, tracking and interception of enemy fire.

Emboldened

North Koreas missile tests suggest North Koreas leadership has become emboldened, and not as fear-struck by U.S. supercarriers as in years past, says Park Won-gon, North Korean Studies professor at Ewha Womans University in South Korea.

In addition to advancements made to its nuclear capability, Park says North Korea is taking notes from Russias invasion of Ukraine and dealings with the West.

The international environment and world politics right now is very favorable to North Korea, and North Korea has not missed this chance to develop their nuclear weapon, Park said. And their final goal, of course, is to be recognized by the international community as a de facto nuclear weapons state.

A group of North Korean military aircraft -- eight fighter jets and four bombers  were also spotted flying in formation, the JCS said, presumed to be conducting air-to-surface firing drills north of the border dividing the two Koreas. The JCS said as the group moved further south, closer to a buffer zone, the South Korean Air Force scrambled an "overwhelming" response of 30 fighter jets. Though it did not escalate to an altercation, it was a rare moment of nerves, even as the carrier strike group and destroyers were engaged in an exercise of their own in waters to the east.

An emergency meeting Wednesday of the U.N. Security Council on North Koreas missile test overflying Japan ended without a joint resolution, as Russia and China both dismissed the idea of preparing additional economic sanctions as ineffective.

A joint statement condemning North Korea spearheaded by U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and joined by Albania, Brazil, France, India, Ireland, Japan, Norway, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom, however, was issued.
Turkeys disinformation bill is one step closer to being signed into law, despite protests by the countrys media.

Parliamentary debate on the proposal on the amendment of the press law and other laws started Tuesday.

The Turkish government says the bill, suggested in May by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its alliance partner, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), is needed to tackle the serious threat from disinformation.

The draft of 40 articles includes punishments for spreading misleading information on national security, public order and health in an attempt to spread panic or fear; requirements for social media companies to appoint Turkish representatives to handle requests related to content removal; a new committee to handle press accreditation; and a provision making digital media eligible to receive state advertising revenue.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan first suggested legislation on disinformation after his government was criticized on social media over its handling of wildfires in Turkeys Mediterranean and Aegean coastal cities last year.

Personally, I do not have a positive view of social media, and I believe that with the opening of the parliament, it is necessary to work on new legislation on social media, Erdogan said in a TV interview in August 2021.

But journalists warn the provisions are vaguely worded and that the proposed bill could be used to repress critics.

The public will be silenced, and the journalists will censor themselves. Self-censorship, which already exists, will become more widespread, and freedom of expression will be completely stifled by this law, Pinar Turenc, president of Turkeys Press Council, told VOA.

Editorial independence

Critics warn that provisions in Article 29, which focuses on misleading information, could be used to further restrict independent news and social media as Turkey draws near to presidential and parliamentary elections in 2023.

We are faced with a blanket bill that aims to silence not only the digital media and the press but also the dissidents before the 2023 elections by intimidating them, Yaman Akdeniz, a cyberlaw professor at Istanbul Bilgi University, told VOA.

Because of their news articles, media outlets will face investigations for the crime of disinformation, and the journalists will be prosecuted, Akdeniz said.

Kemal Aktas, head of the Parliamentary Correspondents Association, raised concerns that the bill could make political reporting and access to sources difficult.

The bill mentions the terms of public order, national security and public health, but it is unclear where these terms begin and end, Aktas told VOA. Because it is unknown how a prosecutor or a judge will evaluate these terms, we think there will be great difficulties in covering political news.

The founder of Yeniden TV, Aysegul Dogan, said the bill risked eroding journalists editorial independence.

Are we going to cover news and ask questions by thinking, 'If I write like this or ask this, will I create anxiety, panic, or fear? We are talking about a legal regulation that should worry everyone who uses social media as much as journalists, Dogan told VOA, adding that it could also affect citizen journalists.

Ahmet Ozdemir, the ruling AKPs deputy for Kahramanmaras city, dismissed the criticism, saying that provisions in Article 29 have nothing to do with journalists.

Why would a press member knowingly and willingly spread false news among the public? Why would his reputation be damaged? It is not technically possible for a press member to be the subject of this crime, Ozdemir said during the parliamentary debate.

In a separate event, Fahrettin Altun, communications director of the Turkish presidency, spoke more widely at a symposium Tuesday on the need to protect against digital threats.

"It is not up for debate to exclude any area from the reach of the law, Altun said. We prioritize and address security issues in the cyber world in the same ways that we prioritize and address security issues in the real world.

Digital media

Turkish media have also objected to parts of the bill that would allow news websites to receive public advertising revenue and would establish a new committee to issue press cards.

Some journalist associations said that allowing websites to receive revenue from the state-run Press Advertising Agency (BIK) could adversely affect local newspapers. With no additional budget, the revenue will have to stretch further, which could force some papers to downsize, the groups said in a statement Tuesday.

Advocacy groups including Reporters Without Borders have previously criticized BIKs criteria for allocating official revenue, saying it is liable to give rise to arbitrary practices that deprive outspoken media outlets of advertising revenue.

A spokesperson for BIK told VOA in September that the agency works within the regulations that govern it, and its decisions are completely objective.

Similarly, journalism unions objected to provisions concerning media accreditation.

The proposed legislation says press cards will be granted by a nine-member committee, five of whose members are appointed by the directorate of communications. The other four will come from journalism organizations.

Gokhan Durmus, chair of the Journalists Union of Turkey, objected that the committee will be controlled by bureaucrats instead of journalism organizations. The unions should issue the press card, as in the rest of Europe, he said.

As long as a government is hostile to the independent media, press cards do not provide security for journalists, Durmus added.

The authorities do not look at the card in the journalist's pocket. They look at what news the journalist came to cover. And if the news is not wanted to be made public, the journalist is beaten, detained, tried at the court or arrested, Durmus told VOA.

With AKP and MHP holding a majority in parliament, the bill is expected to pass. The main opposition Republican Peoples Party has voiced its opposition and has said it will appeal to the Constitutional Court if the law is enacted.

This story originated in VOAs Turkish Service.
A Nigerian gang has freed the remaining 23 people it had held for six months since attacking a train in northern Kaduna state. Gunmen initially took more than 60 people from the train and authorities have negotiated for months with the gang to win their release.

Relatives of the victims welcomed their release but have also had strong words about growing insecurity in Nigeria.

The victims were released Wednesday evening, more than 180 days after they were abducted when armed men attacked their train.

Usman Yusuf, the secretary of a seven-member government-led committee that negotiated their release, said security agencies and the Federal Ministry of Transportation worked together to rescue the victims.

Their abduction had triggered national and international criticism of the government.

Their release has been welcomed by many, including Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who said on Twitter, "I am delighted by this news and we are all grateful to the security agencies."

Idahat Yusuf expressed her happiness over the release of both of her sisters.

"It's the best news ever, she said. We thank God almighty that this has finally come to an end, even though it ended after six months. Nobody died in captivity so we're very happy about that."

President Buhari had opposed suggestions to deploy military force in search of the remaining abductees, citing fears the victims could be caught up in a crossfire.

Authorities said the rescued victims would be reunited with their families after medical examinations have been conducted.

Jesse John, one of the train abductees released in August, said he was also excited about the news of the other kidnap victims.

"I was so excited, I started calling my friends, to be honest yesterday was my first time since I got out of there [that] I posted on my [social] media, because I told them I will never be happy if the rest are not released, John said.

Nigeria has seen a wave of large-scale kidnappings in its northwest and central states since late 2020.

Authorities have intensified offensives against gangs in recent months and said operations have been largely successful.

But Yusuf said the government must take security matters more seriously to prevent abductions.

"The government needs to get more serious because honestly there's no excuse for such attacks in a sovereign nation like ours where we have the military, air force, the navy, she said. I don't see any reason why people should not be able to sleep peacefully in this country."

The railway between the capital, Abuja, and Kaduna city has been closed since the attack. Many are waiting to see if services will resume, though they remain skeptical about safety.
A Ukrainian official said Thursday Russian shelling struck residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia, killing at least two people.

Oleksandr Starukh, the governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, posted on Telegram that five other people were trapped in rubble following the attack.

Ukraine controls the city, but the Zaporizhzhia region is mostly occupied by Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law Wednesday declaring Russia was annexing Zaporizhzhia and three other regions, a move denounced by Ukraine and its Western partners, as well as the United Nations, as a violation of international law.

Zaporizhzhia is home to Europes largest nuclear power plant and shelling in the area in recent months has raised international fears of a nuclear disaster.

Rafael Grossi, the head of the U.N.s atomic energy agency, is due to visit Kyiv and Moscow this week for what he said would be important meetings. He said Wednesday that the need for a protective zone around the power plant is now more urgent than ever.

Zelenskyy says Putin already lost

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Wednesday that his forces had recaptured Novovoskrysenske, Novohryhorivka, and Petropavlivka, three villages in the Kherson region that was also a part of Russias annexation claims.

The gains add to Ukraines recent successes in reclaiming territory from Russia in the northeastern and southern parts of the country.

Zelenskyy said in his address that Putin has already lost, calling the war the Russian leader launched in late February self-destruction of your nations every prospect.

Ukrainians know what they fight for, Zelenskyy said. And more and more Russian citizens realize that they must die simply because one single man does not want to stop the war.

The head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, arrived in Kyiv on Thursday for what the agency said was a visit to meet with government officials, farmers, journalists, entrepreneurs and energy workers to discuss how to more effectively assist the Ukrainian people.

It is a critical moment for the Ukrainian people as they defend their freedom from brutal attack, liberate occupied land, prepare for winter, and strengthen democratic institutions & the rule of law, Power tweeted.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
A Rwandan court has 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 practice journalism.



"I am a journalist, and I was a journalist, and I will always be," Nshimiyimana told Reuters.



The trio's defense lawyer Jean Paul Ibambe said he welcomed the acquittal, but criticized 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."
Brazil, once a minor player in drug trafficking, now ranks among the worlds top sources of cocaine and the main transshipment point of narcotics to Europe. And in Sao Paulo, South Americas largest city, the illegal drug trade has turned entire neighborhoods into wastelands. For VOA News, Sao Paulo correspondent Edgar Maciel visited one of those neighborhoods.
An independent expert is calling for international support for Somalia which is struggling to stave off famine and conflict amidst a humanitarian and human rights crisis. She has submitted her report to the U.N. Human Rights Council.

The most pressing issue facing Somalia is a looming famine resulting from four years of consecutive drought. U.N. agencies report hundreds of thousands of people are facing starvation as acute malnutrition reaches new heights.

Independent expert on the human rights situation in Somalia, Isha Dyfan, said 90% of Somalias districts are ravaged and more than a million people have been forced to leave their homes in search of lifesaving assistance.

The drought has caused a grave humanitarian crisis affecting more than seven million people, in terms of food shortage, child mortality and acute malnutrition, and increased fighting for ever scarcer resources, which has resulted in mass displacement and an increase in violence against women and children.

Dyfan noted Somalia also is facing a human rights crisis that is impeding the governments peacebuilding and state-building efforts. She says the long-running armed conflict, perpetrated by the Islamist militant group al-Shabab, continues to take a heavy toll on civilians and livelihoods. Fighting, she said, is preventing humanitarian relief from reaching communities in need.

Al-Shabab continues to be a major threat and carry out targeted attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including markets and hotels in the capital, Mogadishu and other towns under government authority. These deadly attacks by al-Shabab serves as a reminder that much work remains to be done in the fight to ensure security for all people in Somalia.

Dyfan criticized Somalias government for failing to reign in human rights violations and abuses by its security forces, saying ongoing reports of intimidation, arbitrary arrest, and ill treatment of human rights defenders and journalists by security forces without accountability are deeply worrying.

In response, Somalias Ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Ebyan Mahamed Salah, said the new Somali government is committed to ending impunity and is taking measures to ensure the proper administration of justice and accountability.

She said the new government is prioritizing the ongoing drought to try to head off a potential full-blown famine, and actions also are underway to tackle the culture of violence and fight extremism.
Swedens domestic security agency said Thursday that its initial investigation into explosions last week along two Russian natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea "has strengthened the suspicions of serious sabotage" as the cause.

Separately, a Swedish prosecutor said that "seizures have been made at the crime scene and these will now be investigated," although he did not identify the seized evidence.

Neither of the underwater Russia-to-Germany Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines had been in use at the time of the blasts but for days sent methane from the pipes bubbling to the surface off the coasts of Sweden and Denmark.

Some Scandinavian officials have speculated that Russia detonated the pipeline explosions as a way to punish Western allies for their support of Ukrainian forces in fighting Moscows seven-month invasion and to cut the possible flow of fuel for the coming winter months.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of attacking the pipelines, which the United States and its allies have vehemently denied. They have said that Russia had the most to gain by disrupting Europe's energy supplies.

The Swedish Security Service said its investigation confirmed that "detonations" caused extensive damage to the pipelines. The security agency said what happened in the Baltic Sea was "very serious," but did not release further details of its investigation.

Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said he had given "directives to temporarily block [the area around the damaged pipelines to] carry out a crime scene investigation."

But he said that now that the initial probe is completed, the blockade around the pipelines off Sweden will be lifted.

The Danish and Swedish governments had previously said they suspected that several hundred pounds of explosives were used to damage the pipelines.

Some of the material in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
The United Nations and humanitarian agencies called Thursday for the immediate opening of a humanitarian corridor in Haiti to allow fuel to be accessed at the countrys main fuel terminal.

What we need is to unblock the fuel terminal so we can get fuel to pump clean water, to reopen the hospitals, to allow families to get access to potable water, said Ulrika Richardson, the U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator for Haiti.

The Varreux Terminal, which is Haitis main entry point for fuel, has been blocked by armed gangs since mid-September, causing widespread fuel shortages.

This is killing people  literally killing people, Richardson told reporters of the shortages, during a video briefing from Haiti.

The Caribbean island nation has been in the grips of widespread gang-driven violence for more than a year. They are seeking to exploit the political vacuum left by the assassination of President Jovenel Moise at his home in Port-au-Prince on July 7, 2021.

The United Nations estimates that 1.5 million people have been directly affected by the violence, and 20,000 have fled their homes seeking safety. Rape and other sexual violence are being used systematically.



Cholera returns



Haiti, already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has had its troubles compounded by a severe economic crisis that has sparked massive protests and looting, and now the return of cholera.

Richardson said on Sunday that there were two confirmed cases of the waterborne disease, after nearly three years without a reported case. Since Sunday, she said, there have been 11 confirmed cases and seven deaths. There are currently 111 suspected cases and about another 20 samples pending results at the national laboratory, but actual numbers could be much higher, she said. All have been in the capital, Port-au-Prince, but in various neighborhoods.

She warned that the situation can evolve rapidly, and with the current conditions in the country, Haiti could be in for quite an exponential if not an explosive increase of cholera cases.

A cholera epidemic ravaged the country after the devastating 2010 earthquake, infecting more than 800,000 people and killing an estimated 10,000. The outbreak was traced to sewage from a U.N. peacekeeping camp that contaminated a main water supply. It took the U.N. six years to admit its role in the epidemic.
(AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk may still have to go to trial against Twitter for the purchase of the social media company despite having put in a new offer to purchase it.

Kathaleen McCormick, the judge on Delawares Court of Chancery, wrote that no one has applied for a stay in the action.

The parties have not filed a stipulation to stay this action, nor has any party moved for a stay. I, therefore, continue to press on toward our trial set to begin on Oct. 17, 2022, wrote Ms McCormick in a letter. The judge was expected to preside over a five-day non-jury trial between Mr Musk and the company.

Tesla, which is owned by Mr Musk, is also a Delaware corporation and as such could open the unprecedented scenario in which the court would go after Mr Musks stock options if Mr Musk lost the case.

Mr Musk had made many requests via the court for Twitter data, but Ms McCormick has been historically critical of these requests, calling them absurdly broad, the Wall Street Journal reports.

However, Twitter has reportedly agreed to delay a deposition by Mr Musk that was scheduled to take place today as the two groups talk about closing the deal, the Financial Times reports.

Mr Musk had cancelled a previously scheduled deposition over concerns about catching Covid-19.

Musk and Twitter previously held talks about potential price cuts to the deal, but these were unsuccessful according to previous reports.

Eric Talley, a law professor at Columbia University, told The Verge that Mr Musk was likely facing a very unpleasant deposition that could potentially dredge up extremely inconsistent statements made throughout this debacle  and that was likely the reason he wants to avoid the court case.

Mr Musk has said that he wants Twitter to be an accelerant for a super app like Chinas WeChat that could facilitate a number of features including payments and instant messaging.
Ongoing anti-government protests in Iran since the death in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody have drawn worldwide attention. Irans president has pledged an investigation into her death, but that has done little to appease demonstrators who continue to denounce Irans leadership and its laws requiring women to completely cover their hair in public.

In the weeks since Aminis death, security forces using live rounds and tear gas have failed to put down the demonstrations. New U.S. sanctions have targeted security forces blamed for cracking down on the protesters.

In an interview with VOAs Kurdish Service, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, talked about how the United States is approaching the situation in Iran, Iranian officials accusations that Washington is helping to orchestrate the protests, the status of ongoing nuclear talks with Tehran, as well as recent Iranian attacks in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

VOA: U.S. President Biden on Monday issued a statement condemning the continued violence against peaceful protesters in Iran, saying more measures will be taken this week against perpetrators of violence. Do you know what these new measures might be?

Van Hollen: I don't know the specifics of the new measures, but this, of course, all has grown out of the outrageous killing of Mahsa Amini. And the Biden administration has already taken actions against the so-called morality police and others involved in the crackdowns against peaceful protesters. So, I believe what the Biden administration will continue to do is look for entities that are part of this network that [are] cracking down on peaceful protests and doing so in such a brutal way.

VOA: Do you think these actions are enough? Are there any more practical steps that the United States can take to support the protest movement?

Van Hollen: Well, the United States is trying to take a two-pronged approach here. First is to hold accountable and sanction those involved in cracking down on peaceful protesters, and they will continue to look for ways to do that. There are already lots of sanctions that have been applied to Iran and its economy, but they're trying to target these sanctions in a way to hold people accountable for cracking down on peaceful protests.

The other, of course, is trying to find more ways to get information  independent factual information  to the people of Iran. That's why the Biden administration issued a general license. There are, of course, issues and challenges with getting some of that equipment in Iran. But we are working with partners around the world and especially in the region to try to better position our information communication devices so that they can get through to the Iranian people.

VOA: Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials have accused the United States and Israel of planning these protests.

Van Hollen: Well, that's laughable. You know, Iran has a habit of pointing fingers at other people when they need to be looking in the mirror, because the killing of Mahsa Amini was at the hands of the Iranian regime and the morality police, and no effort to point fingers at anybody else is going to take that away. And these protests are a natural result of the supreme deprivation of people's basic human rights. And you've got a regime that continues to crack down on those human rights to deprive women of essential freedoms. And so, it's natural that you would have this kind of reaction from people who want to be free and want to be able to express themselves freely.

VOA: These are some of the biggest protests inside Iran for years. Do you think this is the time for the United States to sit down with anti-government opposition groups to look for alternatives? Because this could, at some point, lead to some [greater political impact] inside Iran?

Van Hollen: Well, I think the United States keeps an open line of communication with civil society within Iran to the extent that we are able to communicate with civil society groups within Iran. If you're asking me about whether or not the administration should adopt a policy of overt regime change, I think that the administration is pursuing the right course at the current time. And if you look at the situation on the ground, I do think that the Biden administration is responding as they should and need to.

VOA: If the United States is going to support the people of Iran, would helping them overthrow this regime be one of the options?

Van Hollen: Well, look, I personally would like to see this regime go. The question is, how does it go? And if the people of Iran, you know, want to take that into their own hands, that's the question for them to determine. But what the United States has to be careful not to do is to suggest that, for example, we would use our military or force to try to replace the regime in Iran. Because what you don't want to do is have people rise up on that expectation if the United States is not going to take that action. So, I encourage the people of Iran to continue to push for self-determination and democracy. And I think that is exactly what they're pushing for.

VOA: The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has been carrying out missile and drone attacks inside Iraqi Kurdistan against Iranian Kurdish opposition groups. The Iranian government claims that these Kurdish groups have been responsible for staging anti-government protests inside Iran. Now this is about violating the sovereignty of a neighboring country that happens to be a U.S. ally, Iraq. In terms of regional stability, how dangerous is this move?

Van Hollen: Well, this is dangerous. This is a violation of Iraq's sovereignty for the Iranian government to be coming across the border and attacking sites and people on the Iraqi side. And the Iraqi government and the United States have been very clear that these violations of sovereignty need to end. Look, the reality is that the Iranian regime has only itself to blame for the rise in peaceful protests because of their repression and oppression against the Iranian people. And they shouldn't try to export that to Iraq. We need to do what we can to protect the sovereignty of Iraq. Overall, in addition to Iranian forces now, you have continued incursions and attacks by Turkey into Iraq.

VOA: Could you elaborate on that?

Van Hollen: Yeah, I mean for many months, for a long time, Turkey has launched military operations against the northern part of Iraq. Not that long ago, they killed a lot of innocent people. So, everybody outside of Iraq should end their violations of Iraqi sovereignty. The United States forces are there at the invitation of the government of Iraq. These other outside forces or not.

VOA: As you said, there are U.S. forces on the ground. There is a U.S. consulate in Erbil that has oftentimes been threatened by Iranian-backed militia groups inside Iraq. How should the U.S. support its ally, the Kurdistan Regional Government, here?

Van Hollen: Well, the United States has been doing two things. One is supporting the Iraqi government  which of course right now, you know, we have a continuing challenge in the formation of a government of Iraq. But and we hope that that will be resolved. And we're working with parties to try to resolve that. But we also need to continue to support our Kurdish allies who have been such a key partner in the fight against ISIS and others in the region that are malign actors. So, we've continued to do that. We've been providing continued support, training to the Kurdish forces, but obviously also within the context of supporting the Iraqi military overall.

VOA: Considering these protests, several U.S. lawmakers from both political parties have called on the Biden administration to stop its talks with Iran for the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal. Do you support that notion?

Van Hollen: I do not support walking away from an effort to reach a diplomatic solution that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Remember, the fundamental goal here, and President Biden has said many times, is to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He has indicated that that will not happen. So, the question is how do you achieve that goal? There are some that would like to go to war in the region. But my view  and I know President Biden's view  is we're all better off if we can achieve that goal peacefully. And I hope we would all agree that a nuclear armed Iran engaging in all the bad acts and malign behavior it's currently engaged in is worse than a non-nuclear armed Iran doing the same thing. So, I continue to support the effort to get to have a JCPOA that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

VOA: These new calls came in light of the protest movement in Iran. These U.S. lawmakers say you can't negotiate with a government that is currently killing its own people. They say if anything, this is going to encourage the regime to carry out more violence against its own people.

Van Hollen: Well, let's understand that ... Iran's malign actions in Iraq right now are happening in the absence of a JCPOA. In fact, their actions in Iraq stepped up considerably after President [Donald] Trump tore up the JCPOA. Iran became much more aggressive in Iraq after the jackpot was turned out. So, all this terrible repression is happening right now. How would we be better off if Iran right now, conducting this repression, had a nuclear weapon? That doesn't make sense.

You know, Ronald Reagan in the middle of the Cold War, he called the Soviet Union the evil empire. But that did not mean that we should not negotiate a nuclear arms control agreement with the Soviet Union at the time if it was in our interests. And it is definitely in our interest to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and in our interests to stand by and support the Iranian people in their fight against repression.
The Biden administration will begin redirecting U.S.-bound travelers who had been to Uganda within the previous 21 days to five major American airports to be screened for Ebola as public health officials sent an alert to health care workers.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday issued an alert to health care workers to raise awareness about the outbreak but said there were currently no suspected or confirmed U.S. Ebola cases from the Sudan strain, which is behind the latest Uganda infections.

According to Uganda's Health Ministry at least nine people had died of the disease in Uganda by October 3. Authorities in the east African nation announced the outbreak of the deadly hemorrhagic fever on September 20. There are 43 total cases, including the deaths.

U.S. screening began Thursday at the airports but the funneling requirements are expected to take effect within the coming week or so, a source told Reuters.

"Out of an abundance of caution (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will apply new layers of screening at these five U.S. airports in response to the Ebola outbreak in Uganda," the U.S. Embassy in Uganda said

Travelers from Uganda need to arrive at New York-John F. Kennedy, Newark, Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare or Washington Dulles airports for screening. There is no approved vaccine for the Sudan strain of the disease, triggering fears of a major health crisis in the country of 45 million people.

Two sources said about 140 people who had recently been in Uganda arrive daily in the United States, with 62% landing at one of those five airports. Officials will conduct a temperature screening, ask health questions and report arrivals to local health departments.

Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, said the CDC's health alert is an important message to both the public health and the medical community that they should be prepared for possible cases in the United States, as happened in the 2014-2016 Western Africa outbreak.

"We can handle Ebola safely in the hospital setting and provide best care to the patient, but you have to be aware that it might even be a possibility," he said, referring to the 2014 incident in which a traveler from Liberia was evaluated initially at a hospital in Dallas and was turned away.

That patient was not admitted until two days later, when he arrived at the hospital by ambulance, potentially exposing emergency responders to the deadly virus.

The U.S. Embassy in Uganda said Thursday "the risk of Ebola domestically is currently low," adding "enhanced screening applies to all passengers, including U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and visa holders (to include diplomatic and official visas)."

On Wednesday, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra spoke with Ugandan Health Minister Jane Aceng Ocero to discuss Ebola and U.S. efforts "to support Uganda throughout this challenging period," HHS said.

On Saturday, a Tanzanian doctor working in Uganda who contracted Ebola has died, the first health worker killed by the disease in the latest outbreak in the country, Uganda's health minister said.
During the coup in Burkina Faso last Friday, civilians and troops took to the streets with Russian flags, saying they wanted the country's security partnership with France replaced by one with Russia. In this report from Ouagadougou, Henry Wilkins investigates how Russian disinformation played a part in the country's second coup in eight months. VOA footage by Daniel Gnienhoun and Henry Wilkins.
Zambia's anti-corruption commission has arrested a former health minister and four others for an alleged corrupt deal worth nearly $18 million.

Zambia's anti-corruption commission says former health minister, Chitalu Chilufya, defrauded the government in a deal to buy health kits worth nearly $18 million.

He was arrested and charged Wednesday along with four others  the ministry's former permanent secretary and three directors of the Honey Bee Pharmacy company.

They denied the charges and were released on bond until the case goes to court.

Chilufya was arrested for alleged corruption in 2020. The charges of purchasing shares and property with proceeds of crime, which he denied, were later dropped.

Separately, Zambia's Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) on Wednesday detained opposition politician Kelvin Fube Bwalya for failing to report a suspicious transaction.

He also denied the charge.

Wednesday's arrests are the latest in a Zambian government campaign to crack down on corruption. Critics say the campaign is being used to target and intimidate political opponents.

Numerous officials who served under former President Edgar Lungu have been arrested and his family has been questioned.

In July, Zambia's anti-money laundering agency questioned former first lady Esther Lungu over her ownership of 15 luxury apartments, but no arrest was made.

Current President Hakainde Hichilema has denied allegations that his fight against corruption is targeting opponents.

Hichilema defeated Lungu in the August 2021 election, in part because of his promises to crack down on fraud and government waste.

So far, there have been many charges and investigations in the anti-corruption campaign, but few convictions.


Thuso Khumalo

South African Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says his department is tracking foreign nationals, who engaged in fraudulent marriages to get citizenship of South Africa, as well as those using fraudulent passports.

Minister Motsoaledi told reporters in Johannesburg on Thursday that since January 2022, his department has reversed 553 fraudulent marriages.

He said close to 200 passports were investigated and their numbers blocked on the national population register. Motsoaledi said they are tightening rules and regulations for obtaining by changing in identifying people.

 We are adding the iris, a dot in your eye. The iris is an identification technique. Your iris is like your fingerprint. Its yours and yours alone.

Some foreign nationals have allegedly married South Africans they never met by just using their stolen documents.

Others are allegedly using South African passports obtained using fraudulently acquired identity documents.

Greatman Mkhwebu said indications are that some Zimbabweans may be affected as there are some with fake marriage certificates and passports.

I think this will touch a lot of people. Things are not going well. When he (Motsoaledi) spoke about this last time, I thought he was jocking. It seems he is serious. Some Zimbabweans may land in big trouble as some weddings may have been conducted as per the laws of the country and the same applies to obtaining passports. Some people were relaxing thinking that all is well after obtaining those documents but it seems everything is going wrong for those with fake documents.

At least 178,000 Zimbabweans are currently in the process of applying for new work permits following the termination of Zimbabweans Special Exemption Permits. Holders of these permits have been given up to June next year to get new documents for living and working in South Africa.
The United States Supreme Court is poised to hear two cases concerning the responsibilities of social networks.

In the first, Gonzalez v. Google, the Court will have to rule on Googles responsibility for allowing videos with radical content to circulate on its YouTube application. The family of Nohemi Gonzalez, a US citizen shot dead in Paris during the 2015 attacks, is convinced that the terrorists could not have acted without recruiting accomplices via YouTube.

In the second case of Taamneh v. Twitter, the family of Nawras Alassaf, a Jordanian murdered by Daesh in an Istanbul nightclub in 2017, claims that the terrorists were emboldened by the ease with which they were able to post their propaganda on Twitter.

The cases come at a time when Texas and Florida have passed laws allowing social media to be sued if they stifle different viewspoints.

In the United States, the First Amendment guarantees complete freedom of expression, including calls for murder.

The main question the Supreme Court will have to consider concerns the rules on algorithms. Today, social networks are funded by advertisements. Consequently, they develop algorithms allowing them to captivate Internet users as long as possible, exposing them to a maximum amount of advertising. A choice that so far has even led them to promote content that they do not necessarily agree with.
FILE PHOTO: Flags of United Arab Emirates and Israel flutter during Israel's National Day ceremony at Expo 2020 Dubai, in Dubai

By Alexander Cornwell and John Irish

DUBAI/NEW YORK (Reuters) -Israel has agreed to sell an advanced air defence system to the United Arab Emirates, two sources familiar with the matter said, in the first such known deal between them since they forged ties in 2020.

The deal reinforces how, for some Arab states, resolving the decades-long Israel-Palestinian conflict has now been overshadowed by national priorities, such as security and the economy.

Israel and the U.S.-allied UAE share an ultimate fear, that Iran obtains a nuclear weapon, an ambition Tehran denies.

Israel approved a UAE request in the middle of the summer and would supply the Gulf state with Rafael-made SPYDER mobile interceptors, two sources said, declining to provide further details due to the sensitive nature of the deal.

A third source said the UAE had acquired Israeli technology capable of combating drone attacks like those that struck Abu Dhabi earlier this year.

Israel's defence ministry and SPYDER manufacturer Rafael declined to comment. The UAE's foreign ministry did not comment.

It was not immediately clear how many interceptors, which are fitted to vehicles and can defend against short to long-range threats, would be supplied, or if any had so far been shipped.

Asked if Israel was providing the UAE with air defence systems, parliament Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee Chairman Ram Ben-Barak told Israeli radio on Sept. 20 there was broad cooperation with the UAE, but declined further comment.

ATTACKS

The need to bolster the UAE's air defence capabilities increased after a series of missile and drone strikes on the Gulf state in January and February. Most of the attacks were intercepted, but a strike killed three civilians in Abu Dhabi.

That strike rattled the leaders of the UAE, which has long boasted of its security and stability in a tumultuous region, foreign diplomats said. An under-construction terminal at Abu Dhabi airport was also hit, injuring civilian workers, sources briefed on the attacks said.

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At least some missiles and drones flew at low-altitude to escape detection by the UAE's U.S.-built Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot interceptors, the sources said.

Rafael says SPYDER can defend large areas from threats such as drones, cruise missiles, attack aircraft, helicopters, and bombers, including from low altitude.

President Isaac Herzog, visiting the UAE in January when an intercepted strike took place, said Israel supported the UAE's security needs. And last week Prime Minister Yair Lapid said he was horrified by the attacks and Israel stood by and with the UAE.

Most of the strikes were claimed by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, who the UAE has been fighting in the war in Yemen as part of the Saudi Arabian-led military coalition seeking to restore the ousted government.

The sources said the interceptors deal was reached in mid-summer, which was around when the United States and Israel were pushing Arab states to link their air defence systems to better defend against Iranian drone and missile attacks.

That proposal was met by resistance from some Arab states that Israel does not have ties with, Reuters reported in July, although an Israeli official said partner countries were synchronising systems through remote electronic communication.

Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, told reporters in July that the UAE would consider anything that protects the country from drones and missiles as long as it was defensive and not targeting a third country.

Gulf state Bahrain also established ties with Israel in 2020 and later the two signed a security agreement. Israel and the UAE this year signed a free trade deal; Israel's first with an Arab state. Negotiations with Bahrain started this week.

(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell and John Irish; Additional reporting by Dan Williams in Jerusalem; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Temple lintel of King Amenemhat III from Hawara, Egypt, 12th Dynasty, 18551808 BCE (British Museum)

Ask any of the staff members helpfully loitering around the entrance to the British Museums Great Court and theyll tell you - there are three things that people ask for. The mummies, the toilets and the Rosetta Stone.

The latter, for future reference, is normally found in the Egyptian Sculpture gallery, though its usually impossible to see due to the mass of people crammed around its case, holding up their phones for a snap before moving on, one more world-famous artefact ticked off the list.

For the next five months or so, however, the Rosetta Stone will be the centrepiece of the museums new exhibition, Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt, which celebrates the 200th anniversary (almost exactly) of the decoding of one of human historys oldest written languages.

It tells the story of our slow road to understanding hieroglyphs, how two men pursued a (mostly) cordial rivalry over the course of a 20-year race to decipherment, and the vast wealth of invaluable information that the decoding  which happened thanks to the discovery of the Rosetta Stone  gave to the world.

The Rosetta Stone (British Museum)

The stone will sit alongside a host of exceptional loans, and treasures from the museums own collection. Alongside statues, sarcophagi and a number of beautiful texts, from love poetry to tax returns, international treaties and shopping lists, highlights of the exhibition include the Enchanted Basin  a black granite sarcophagus from about 600 BCE, richly decorated with hieroglyphs and images of gods. It was actually the coffin of Hapmen, a nobleman of the 26th dynasty - it was thought on discovery that bathing in it could offer magical relief from the torments of love.

Then theres a length of mummy bandage of Aberuait, on loan from the Musee du Louvre and never seen in the UK before. A souvenir from an unwrapping party held in 1698 CE  yes early European collectors would unwrap a 1,500 year old mummy, cut up the bandages and hand them out  with a mummy from the royal burial grounds at Saqqara, about 30km south of modern-day Cairo.

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Theres the even older, beautifully painted cartonnage containing the mummy of the lady Baketenhor, dating from about 945 to 715 BCE, which arrived in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1821 (though she was briefly removed, she was returned to her box mercifully unmolested, and less invasive digital techniques have since been used to identify the various objects carefully concealed within her wrapping).

It will be shown alongside warm correspondence between 19th century scholars about the hieroglyphs it carries, soon after the decoding breakthrough - of which more later - that expanded our knowledge of Egypts history by some 3,000 years.

Mummy bandage of Aberuai from Saqqara, Egypt during the Ptolemaic period (Musee du Louvre, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Georges Poncet)

Ever since we stopped being able to read them, humans have been fascinated by hieroglyphs. You can see why  the sheer richness and beauty of the carving or painting on what were often high-end objects, and the mystery of who these lavish people were must have been maddening.

And for an awfully long time, we had completely the wrong end of the stick as to what they meant. Scholars from both East and West (many of whom no doubt thought of themselves as men of reason) indulged in all kinds of flights of fancy as to what the symbols  birds and eyes, boats and snakes, and is that water? Do we think thats a cup?  might represent.

Medieval Islamic scholars leaned on magical interpretations says the exhibitions curator, Ilona Regulski; they thought the markings contained secret knowledge, the key to the laws of nature, whatever that means, while European scholars contributed to the misunderstanding of ancient Egypt owing to their tendency to view the culture through the lens of classical and biblical sources.

They thought hieroglyphs were symbols that corresponded to the essential natures of the things they represented (again, whatever that means). It didnt occur to them that it might actually be writing.

One or two early Arabic scholars did dare to posit the idea that hieroglyphics might be a language, but that work was mostly lost to view and not picked up again for centuries due to Western scholars mainly not bothering to learn Arabic (eye roll).

Senior conservator Stephanie Vasiliou and conservation student Shoun Obana clean The Enchanted Basin at the British Museum (British Museum)

Things started to move again with the massive increase in Egyptian artefacts travelling to Europe in the 17th century, due to the explosion in popularity of Cabinets of Curiosity (the site of the infamous unwrapping parties). Scholars started to get excited about it again, but decipherment still far eluded them.

Then everything changed, with the discovery by a classically educated young French lieutenant of a large, dark, very dusty stone in the rubble of the old fort at Rashid (then known as Rosetta; now a thriving fishing port about an hours up the coast from Alexandria) in 1798.

It was a time of both an enthusiastic flowering of interest in ancient cultures, and an equally if not more enthusiastic treasure hunt.

In 1798, Napoleon invaded Egypt to cut off Britains lucrative overground trade with India and it led to an amazing discovery. During the conflict, Lieutenant Pierre-Francois Bouchard was supervising the rebuilding of a 15th-century fort using ancient Egyptian blocks, when he noticed an interesting slab poking out of the rubble.

It bore three distinct texts, each in a different script - ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs at the top, ancient Greek at the bottom and something else in the middle, now known to be Demotic, a cursive script that represents a later development of the ancient Egyptian language.

Cartonnage of the lady Baketenhor, between 945 and 715 BCE (Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums)

If these three texts were the same, reasoned Bouchard, might it prove useful in the decoding of hieroglyphs? He took it to the Commission of Arts and Sciences, 167 scholars known as the savants Napleon had brought with his invading force, and, according to the exhibitions curator Ilona Regulski, its importance was recognised immediately.

In the meantime, the British, unhappy about the French incursion into Egypt, retaliated, led by Lord Nelson and in 1801, the French capitulated. Following an occasionally bad-tempered negotiation, the savants relinquished much of their scholarly material and acquisitions (though in the spirit of global intellectual advancement they were allowed to take copies).

The stones discovery inspired a fever of scholarly endeavour for the next 20 years, bolstered by the material that flooded out of Egypt in the decades that followed the British victory (the de facto ruler Muhammad Ali, the Ottoman viceroy, was keen to retain both British and French support for his modernising agenda, and granted huge numbers of permissions to excavate, collect and remove pharaonic antiquities). In the end though, it came down largely to the work of two men, to unlock 4,000 years of ancient Egyptian history.

Thomas Young was a British physician and polymath who also established the wave theory of light, among other remarkable achievements (he literally pursued his hobby of deciphering one of the worlds oldest written languages in his leisure hours). Jean-Francois Champollion was the precocious son of a rather rackety bookseller, who became fluent in Coptic, Ancient Greek, Hebrew, Latin and Arabic and gave his first public paper on the decipherment of Demotic while still in his teens.

The process by which both Young and Champollion incrementally but steadily worked towards decipherment is so complicated that trying to understand it made me want to lie down in a desert tomb. But it is, as ever, not a story of individual genius but one of scholarly collaboration and breakthroughs precipitated by other peoples work.

Portrait of Dr Thomas Young on a copper medal (British Museum)

Both men published frequently and though they didnt agree on many things, it was clearly Youngs work that led Champollions own thinking down the necessary path, to the point of understanding that hieroglyphs are not just symbolic, alphabetic or phonetic, but all three.

This led the Frenchman, on September 14, 1822, to stagger to his brothers front door clutching a sheaf of notes and gasp, Je tiens mon affaire, vois! (look, Ive got it!) before collapsing in a dead faint. As Regulski notes dryly, Champollions eureka moment literally knocked him off his feet.

Inevitably, the Rosetta Stone, the British Museums star exhibit, is, in and of itself, a bit dull. It carries the rather tedious, formulaic text, in triplicate, of a decree issued at Memphis (the original none, not the one in Tennessee) on March 27, 196 BCE, establishing the divine cult of the new ruler, 13-year-old King Ptolemy V.

It describes what the priests should be doing to glorify and deify the king and the various reasons for doing it, including his generous gifts of silver and grain to the temples, and his damming of the excess waters of the Nile during a period of particularly high flooding, to benefit the farmers. Basically is a glorified parish newsletter.

Portrait of Jean-Francois Champollion by Eugene Champollion (Musee Champollion  les Ecritures du Monde | Figeac)

But what it represents, its status as the key to 4,000 years of civilisation, means that this slab of black granodiorite still has a tight hold on the imaginations of scholars and the public alike.

The Rosetta Stone, the first object of its kind to be found, has been in the British Museums collection since 1802. Since its discovery, 28 stelae engraved with the same decree have been discovered, and 21 of those remain in Egypt. But its this one (which, comparatively, is not in the best nick, having been broken at some point during the French-British handover) that people want to see.

Just this week a new petition has been set up by prominent Egyptian archaeologists for its return to the country, though according to the British Museum, there has been no formal request for the return of the stone from the Egyptian government. Even among all these treasures, its still the star of the show.

Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt is at the British Museum from October 13 to February 19; britishmuseum.org
Sergei Bachlakov/ABC

It was a mere month ago that I was so beleaguered by the state of the network television drama that I declared the entire genre dead. Yes, Im well aware of how repugnant it is to reference myself right off the bat, but you must understand: I was hopeless. I was fed up. I had watched so many hours of middling-to-bad network shows that I finally threw my hands in the air and my television off the balcony. And I stood by that statementuntil now.

I am here today to tell you that I was wrong. So wrong! Tail between my legs, devote-my-life-to-making-amends wrong. The network drama is not dead, it just had to take a seaplane off the mainland in order to thrivesome 2,000 miles northwest to Alaska, to be exact.

Youre looking at (well, youre reading) a certified Alaska Daily devotee. No doubt youve heard of the new ABC drama series, which premieres Thursday night. Its marketing budget seems to have no cap. Ads have been popping up on bus stops, billboards, and poster walls all around major metropolitan cities. But this isnt just a show for us coastal elites, oh no. Wed venture that every American has, at this point, spotted an image of the shows star, two-time Oscar-winning star, Hilary Swank, shooting a determined look over her shoulder while browsing the web or amidst an episode of Abbott Elementary or The Conners.

It turns out that ABC was right to give the show such an aggressive push. Watching it, I felt a sensation I hadnt in far too long: This is something new. Thats within reason, of course. This is not game-changing on the level of, say, Severance. But Ive been sold shit wrapped in glitter too many times by networks. I can safely say Alaska Daily is nothing of the sort. This is the rare, modern network drama to balance mass appeal with semi-progressive ideology. Led by an absorbing performance from Swank (who shocked the world this week with the announcement that she is pregnant with twins at age 48), Alaska Daily is the most intriguing new show on network television.

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Sergei Bachlakov/ABC

Fortunately, Alaska Daily doesnt take long to get to that point of excellence.

Eileen Fitzgerald (Swank), a journalist who has spent months tracking down a source for an expose on a corrupt American general, is experiencing a swift fall from grace after her sources veracity is publicly questioned. Stories of Eileens gruff treatment of the junior staff at her newspaper dont help her case, either. (Apparently, in the Alaska Daily universe, we here at The Daily Beast are leading the charge for her cancellation!)

Eileen steps down from her post, deciding to turn her expose into a book. When shes approached by her old colleague Stanley (Jeff Perry) to come work at a local Alaskan daily, she initially balks at the suggestion. Shes eventually convinced after hearing about a nefarious string of unsolved murders of Alaska Natives, which Stanley wants her to investigate. And so Eileen heads to Anchorage, electrifying their newsroom with her hardened, know-it-all attitude.

Susan Sarandons Monarch Is So Bad It Officially Killed the Network Drama

Alaska Daily borrows the narrative format of many successful dramas, like Veronica Mars, by balancing a new, local problem each week with a larger, overarching mystery. These micro-whodunits are where Alaska Daily mines a great deal of its charm. They perfectly illustrate the shows suggestion that, despite all of its natural beauty, Alaska has just as much of a dark underbelly as anywhere else.

No one knows more about that than Roz (Grace Dove), a gallant Alaska Native assigned to work alongside Eileen. Solving the case will require both Rozs intrinsic, lifelong knowledge of Alaska and its Native population, as well as Eileens decades of investigative experience. Both women are too spirited to accept that working together is best for the story, but have no choice other than to butt heads and make it work.

If all this sounds formulaic, its because it is. But whats wrong with sticking to a recipe that everyone enjoys? As long as you make sure to add a couple of extra spices for a little bit of a kick. Here, that zest comes from Swank and Dove, who have terrific working chemistry. Their shared turgid stubbornness means that they have much more in common than they realize. Its no surprise that Swank is sensational in this kind of hard-nosed role, and Dove more than holds her own alongside such an established screen presence.

Christopher Willard/ABC

Alaska Daily also delivers an interesting take on cancel culture. Before you close out the browser tab youre reading this on, hear me out for just a moment. Indulge me, as Eileen Fitzgerald indulged the prospect of lending her talents to the greater Alaska journalism scene.

Normally, any show in which a character says, Stop acting like a bunch of scared woke wussies more interested in eating their own than reporting the news, would send my eyes rolling like a hamster wheel out of control. But I was surprised by how well the show navigates the portrayal of a reporter working in a field where the culture is changing by the second.

Eileen is an investigative reporter, someone whose job it is to piss people off for the greater good of the public. Its only natural that she would have a difficult time adapting to a different set of standards and practices. Shes a woman who didnt come to prominence in her career by making friends, and shes tired of watered-down, overly sanitized journalism that lacks sting. But its that callousness, which gets in the way of her being a decent human, that really triggers her downfallnot a journalistic source that needs more verifying. She thinks that her cancellation is a result of the feeble state of media, completely ignoring that all anyone is asking her to do is have some compassion.

Darko Sikman/ABC

Eileen might have more formal experience than her peers in the Anchorage newsroom, but in a place like Alaska, that only gets her so far. She sees her fellow reporters abilities to ingratiate themselves as a weakness, when its really one of their biggest strengths. The only way shell be able to solve these murders before someone else turns up dead is to find out why her walls are so impenetrable.

Still, Mare of Westtown this is not. Theres little stylistic flair, and the show rests on its beautiful scenery (which, I might add, is Canadianwe are being sold a lie) and strong performers to elevate it beyond your typical procedural. But it also understands that some lightness is necessary. Alaska Daily is corny at times, and it knows it. It embraces it! Its attempts to take that corniness and match it with social relevance may not work every time, but each try still managed to charm the hell out of me. Ive even gotten to the point where Ive been lamenting all week, to anyone who will listen, I need more Alaska Daily.

While its central mystery is certainly engrossing, Im inclined to stay in Alaska for the locals. Id happily watch six more seasons of Alaska Daily if it was merely just a small-town procedural, with Hilary Swank and her wiry wigmeant to convey Eileens lack of concern for anything but the truthsolving episodic mysteries with her intrepid cohorts. But Alaska Daily seems to have higher ambitions than that. Instead, its settling nicely into a fluffy but pertinent take on the importance of journalism. A network drama that doesnt sacrifice its social tenets for mass appeal: Who figured wed have to go all the way to Alaska to get that?

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Artemisia Gentileschi was a pioneering and fearless Roman artist whose trailblazing artistic legacy is only being fully appreciated in modern times.

The stellar career of Italian early baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi has long been overshadowed by her tumultuous life story, whose tragedies and triumphs continue to captivate the public imagination more than three and a half centuries after her death.

Born in Rome in 1593, Gentileschi was the eldest of five children, and only daughter of Orazio to whom she was apprenticed in her early teens following the death of her mother.

In 1610, aged 17, she made her stunning debut with Susanna and the Elders. Her use of a full-frontal nude to interpret a biblical tale was particularly daring during the Counter-Reformation era. The fact that this masterpiece was painted by a female, a teenager at that, during a time when women artists were confined to portraits and still lifes, was even more mould-breaking.

Detail of Susanna and the Elders by Artemisia Gentileschi

The Rome of Gentileschi's childhood was plagued by violence and crime, meaning she had little access to the city's cultural heritage and its hive of artistic production.

The year after she painted Susanna and the Elders, Gentileschi began taking private lessons from her father's artist colleague Agostino Tassi, who raped the teenager in her own bedroom. Nine months later Orazio took Tassi to court for reneging on his alleged promise to marry his daughter to restore her dignity.

The 18-year-old Gentileschi's trauma was compounded by a gruelling seven-month public trial in which she testified courageously against her perpetrator, a despicable character whose murky past included accusations of raping his sister-in-law and having his wife murdered by bandits.

As part of then courtroom practice Gentileschi was subjected to sibille, a primitive mediaeval torture device involving the tightening of thumbscrews or metal rings around her fingers, to ensure she was telling the truth, leading her to shout across the courtroom to Tassi: This is the ring and these the promises you gave me.

The trial in 1612 and its salacious details shocked Rome and received considerable publicity. A transcipt from the court still survives, providing a graphic account of the case which propelled the young Gentileschi into the spotlight for the worst reasons. Paradoxically it was the victim who suffered the worst punishment in the end: although Tassi was found guilty of rape and was imprisoned for two years, his verdict was later annulled and he was at liberty a year later.

Following the trial, Gentileschi was forced into a rushed arranged marriage with the cash-strapped Florentine artist Pierantonio di Vicenzo Stiattesi. Exiled to Florence in 1613, Gentileschi's personal situation was worsened by a loveless union and the premature deaths of several children. However she countered this litany of misfortune with tenacity and talent, becoming the first woman accepted to the Accademia del Disegno.

Florence also allowed Gentileschi to meet other artists of the day, such as Cristofano Allori who introduced her to influential figures including Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, while her patron Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger helped her win prestigious commissions and acquainted her with the scientist Galileo.

In 1620 Gentileschi returned to Rome with her husband, her daughter Palmira and her lover Francesco Maria Maringhi, who helped her keep two homes on Via del Corso and Via della Croce. Despite the seemingly violent relationship with her father, she was now free to explore the capital as well as interact with her artist peers, notably French painter Simon Vouet, who was so impressed with her work that he painted her portrait, palette in hand.

During her time in Rome Gentileschi's prowess as a portrait painter continued to develop, as she absorbed the influences of artists working round her. In 1630 Gentileschi moved to Naples, making her Neapolitan debut with the celebrated Annunciation, influenced stylistically by Massimo Stanzione, who was working in the city at the time.

Detail of Self-portrait as the Allegory of Painting by Artemisia Gentileschi

In 1638 Gentileschi travelled to London, apparently at the invitation of Charles I, where she joined her ailing father at the Stuart court. She worked closely with him on paintings for the ceiling at the Queens House, as well as undertaking numerous other works before his death in 1639, while remaining in England for a further year or two to fulfil her commissions.

Most of her London works were dispersed in the sale of crown assets after Charles was beheaded in 1649 and her only identifiable work still in the Royal Collection today is Self-portrait as the Allegory of Painting.

Little is known of her movements after her eventual return to Italy. Records indicate that Gentileschi worked in Naples until her death, the exact date of which is unknown but is believed to have been in or around 1656.

Much like Caravaggio, Gentileschi was largely forgotten until the 20th century. Renewed interest in her work was sparked in 1916 when a research paper by Italian art critic Roberto Longhi described Gentileschi as "the only woman in Italy who ever knew about painting, colouring, doughing, and other fundamentals". Interest grew further in 1947 following the publication of Artemisia, a fictional account of Gentileschi's life by Longhi's wife, Anna Banti.

Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy by Artemisia Gentileschi

Gentileschi expert Judith Mann describes it as a phenomenon in the history of art that we understood the artist's life far earlier than her painting.

Despite a growing appreciation for the artist's work, the gender gap on the art market between father and daughter Gentileschi remains substantial. In January 2016 the painting Danae by Orazio was bought at auction in New York by the Getty Museum in Los Angeles for more than $30 million. Two years earlier, Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy by Artemisia was sold at auction in Paris for 865,000.

Notwithstanding the widely-held narrative that the rape of a teenage Gentileschi had an everlasting effect on her artistic output - leading to her reputation as a painter of powerful women as well as her modern-day interpretation as a feminist heroine - the artist will be forever remembered for her masterful artistic legacy and for 'shattering the glass ceiling' in a male-dominated age.

By Andy Devane
Test flight of air taxi held in Rome airport on Thursday.

Rome's Fiumicino airport unveiled plans to make flying taxis a reality in 2024 with the city's first test flight of the rotor-bladed Volocity aircraft on Thursday morning.

The battery-powered two-seater air taxi was presented at a media event titled 'Flying into the Future - Vertiport Experience in Rome!', less than a year after the aircraft first went on display in the Italian capital.

The futuristic venture is part of a collaboration between Aeroporti di Roma (AdR) and Atlantia, the Italy-based global company which manages motorways and airports, with German urban air mobility company Volocopter.

The electric flying taxi will be able to take passengers into the centre of Rome in 20 minutes and will connect Fiumicino to the city via a series of "vertiports".

The project is set to become operational in time for the Vatican's Jubilee Year in 2025, an event that is expected to attract millions of pilgrims to Rome, and comes as the Italian capital bids to host Expo 2030.

"We have invested in this futuristic project that will make Rome one of the first cities for air mobility", AdR chairman Claudio De Vincenti told reporters on Thursday.
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Science Twitter was bursting with joy yesterday with the news that Stanford University chemical biologist Carolyn Bertozzi had finally been recognized by the Nobel committee, one of three researchers to win the prize for chemistry. And that joy wasnt only about her important contributions to science. It was also because of Bertozzis incredible leadership in the scientific community. Shes been a mentor to a long and still-growing list of researchers who have gone on to their own successful careers. And she also hasnt shied away from using her position to advocate for faster progress to diversify the ranks of science at all levels.

The prize went to click chemistry, a term might sound dauntingly wonky to the lay person. But click chemistry boils down to a fast and easy ways to snap together molecules. Bertozzi showed it was possible to develop such reactions so that they could happen inside living organisms without disturbing their everyday activities. In an early example of that technique that blew the scientific communitys mind, she put a fluorescent tag on sugars in a live zebrafish, allowing the molecules movement to be tracked over time. That work, longer term, could be critical to developing drugs and diagnostics. Bertozzi has started a number of biotech companies using these insights to develop everything from a cheap test for tuberculosis to novel cancer treatments.

Bertozzi came up in academia at a time when very few women were in organic chemistry. In fact, as an undergraduate at Harvard University, she was actively rebuffed when she tried to do research with certain professors who simply refused to work with women (mind you, this was in the 1980s, not the 1880s).

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In 2016, she published a scathing editorial calling out the egregiously small percentage of female faculty in chemistry and demanding more be done to correct the issue. I mean seriously, in an age when we fly by Pluto and send President Jimmy Carters metastatic melanoma into remission, how is it that we cannot figure out how to hire and promote female professors of chemistry? she wrote.

Bertozzi has started to more often tell the story of what she described in a 2018 lecture at the University of York as the weird discordance between her career and personal life. As a lesbian, she constantly saw her rights under attack. During some of the highest points, professionally  publishing in prestigious journals, winning grants, being courted by the worlds most competitive institutions  she was grappling with a society that refused to recognize her relationship with her wife.

In the York lecture, she talks about the pain of people in her own California community voting against allowing her to marry her partner, or times when she worried her parental rights might not be affirmed by the courts.

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On the one hand, I would go to work, someone would give me a plaque, someone would give me a medal, Id win an award, publish papers, she said in the lecture. And then Id go home and people would say, actually youre garbage. Youre worthless. Youre not even good enough to be married.

In recent years, many people have challenged the relevance of the Nobel Prizes. Science, after all, is a team sport. Picking just three people to elevate to the rarified air of Nobel Laureate unfailingly means leaving out the contributions of many others in a field.

And the awards can seem hopelessly out of tune with society. Laureates have been almost exclusively White men, even when the judges could have recognized others.

Im not ready to throw out the Nobels. They help draw the public in to the wonder of science, and remind people of its critical role in making the world a better place. Some have suggested they be refashioned to recognize teams rather than the people. Id argue its the human stories  the setbacks, perseverance and breakthroughs  that help draw people in. But for too long, many aspiring scientists might not have recognized themselves in those stories.

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At the time the Nobels were announced, the most recent tweet in Bertozzis feed was a response to a young scientist who had won a prestigious grant from the National Institutes of Health. The researcher was expressing gratitude to mentors, including Bertozzi, who welcomed an outsider and helped pave the way to a successful career.

Bertozzi wrote back: Outsider no more!

Neither is she.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Mapping Our Genetic Ties to Neanderthals Deserved a Nobel: Faye Flam

 Sheryl Sandbergs Lean In Legacy Is Underrated: Sarah Green Carmichael

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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Lisa Jarvis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering biotech, health care and the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, she was executive editor of Chemical & Engineering News.

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Yet again, trouble at a big European bank, this time Credit Suisse Group AG, is roiling markets. Concerns about the cost of an expected restructuring have sent its share price gyrating wildly, leading both executives and analysts to appeal for calm and emphasize that the bank is among the best capitalized of its peers.

If only that comparison were more reassuring. As the tempest surrounding Credit Suisse demonstrates, the worlds largest banks remain too fragile  a long-running shortcoming that policy makers must address.

Bank capital plays a crucial role in the financial system and the broader economy. Its not, as often portrayed, cash set aside for a rainy day. Its equity from shareholders, money that can be used to make loans and other investments. As opposed to debt, it has the advantage of absorbing losses. The more banks have, the better theyre able to take risks, make loans, prevent contagion, transmit monetary policy and generally promote prosperity.

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The biggest global banks have a lot more capital than they did when the last major crisis hit in 2008, and Credit Suisse does indeed stand out. As of June, its leverage ratio  a relatively simple measure of capital as a share of assets  was 6.1%, significantly higher than those of systemically important European peers such as BNP Paribas SA and Deutsche Bank AG.

In the US, levels are likewise much improved since the financial crisis, though theyve declined somewhat in recent years. For the four largest US banks, the weighted average ratio of tangible equity to tangible assets stood at 6% in June, down from a peak of 8.4% in 2015. (Thats not exactly comparable to European banks, due to differing definitions of assets and capital.)

Problem is, experience and research suggest theyd all need a lot more to survive a severe crisis and still have enough left to inspire confidence. Back in 2009, during the darkest days of the subprime mortgage bust, the International Monetary Fund projected that total losses on loans and securities would amount, on average, to almost 8% in the US and Europe. Some research suggests theyd need about twice that much capital to bring the probability of bailouts down to an acceptable level.

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This fragility has consequences even in relatively calm times, allowing what could have been manageable issues  such as the possible multi-billion-dollar cost of Credit Suisses yet-to-be-detailed restructuring, coming after last years $5.5 billion loss related to the implosion of Archegos Capital Management  to morph into mini-crises. And at a moment when the combination of a global pandemic, an energy emergency and the war in Ukraine have increased governments debts and reduced their capacity to undertake bailouts, it leaves the whole financial system unduly vulnerable.

The prescription for policy makers in the US and Europe is simple: Hold the line on capital, and keep pushing for more. The danger of having too little far exceeds that of demanding too much.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 No, Credit Suisse Isnt on the Brink: Paul J. Davies

 RBA Sends Up an Interest-Rate Flare. Lets Hope Its Seen: Daniel Moss

 Do You Know How Much Parenthood Will Cost You?: Erin Lowry

The Editors are members of the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board.

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In the days since Vladimir Putin ordered Russias largest mobilization since World War II, some 400,000 Russians have fled the country, with many more attempting to follow. Some neighbors, including European Union states, are fretting about the consequences. The reluctance of front-line countries to absorb new waves of Russian exiles is understandable  but closing the doors to them will only strengthen Putin and undermine the Wests goals in Ukraine.

Putins mobilization order has shocked the Russian public, much of which had until now regarded the invasion as an unpleasant mess to be ignored. Though the Kremlin claims its call-up of 300,000 troops applies only to former military personnel, theres ample evidence the net is being cast far wider. Russias annexation of areas in Ukraine that its forces barely hold will require even more men to be rushed to the front; many are reportedly being deployed without medical checks or substantial training. In one unverified video widely circulated on social media, an officer tells recruits to bring their own mats, tourniquets and even tampons to stanch the bleeding from bullet wounds. Pharmacies have reported a run on first aid kits and material.

In the first week after Putins announcement, the number of Russians traveling to the EU increased by 30%. Nearly half went to Finland, which last week closed its border to Russians seeking to enter for reasons other than to work, study or visit relatives. Those who favor denying Russians entry or limiting it to those with actual conscription papers argue that many of these men have not been active opponents of the regime, so should be left to deal with the consequences. Their fear and anger, the argument goes, should be channeled into collective protest at home and overthrowing Putin. There are also worries about how Russians will fit with existing refugee populations, which include millions of Ukrainians.

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And yet shutting doors to Russian refuseniks would be counterproductive to the Wests most pressing aim: draining Putins war machine, already struggling with mounting casualties and badly in need of reinforcements. For one, if these men are turned back, there is no guarantee they will rise up against the regime, let alone that such protests will succeed. But its almost certain that they will end up being sent to fight, probably sooner rather than later. Even more importantly, those leaving are men Russia cannot afford to lose. A lack of manpower is already straining the Kremlins efforts to build a self-reliant fortress and circumvent sanctions through parallel imports of technology and other goods. Theres a reason companies have been left scrambling to exempt staff from draft orders.

For tactical reasons alone, Western countries should help more Russians get out. EU member states that support entry for refuseniks, such as Germany, should facilitate their resettlement from countries bordering Russia that are smaller, and for historical reasons more reluctant to let them in. European governments should provide more visas for students, scientists and other Russians with technical skills. Europe and the US can step up humanitarian support for non-EU countries struggling to deal with the social and economic strain caused by the influx of Russians, particularly in central Asia. All the while, the West must keep supporting Ukraine militarily while tightening up sanctions, as Brussels is attempting to, thereby ensuring pressure on the Kremlin from all sides.

The plight of Russians seeking to avoid the battlefield pales in comparison to the suffering Putin has inflicted on the people of Ukraine. Yet giving more Russians a way out erodes Putins ability to prosecute his assault. The West should make the most of it.

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The Editors are members of the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board.

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Last month UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, speaking with the overconfidence that only comes from a lack of knowledge, promised that the UK wouldnt face energy rationing this winter. National Grid ESO, which manages the nations power system, isnt so sure. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The grid managers winter electricity outlook, published Thursday, lays out a baseline case under which the UK escapes the cold season unscathed and without resorting to blackouts. But the electricity operator laid out two alternative scenarios that could strain electricity output past breaking point. The first examines what would happen if power shortages in the European Union mean the UK couldnt import electricity from its neighbors. The second looks at the implications of gas shortfalls due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Both are plausible.

If the EU restricts exports, there is the potential to need to interrupt supply to some customers for limited periods of time in a managed and controlled manner, the report says. It confirms what many in the energy industry have been saying for months: Keeping the lights on this winter will be a lot more challenging than politicians are admitting. The British government has a duty to come clean with voters and business about those risks. Minimizing the scale of the problem or, worse, pretending theres not an issue wont keep power supplies running.

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The UK government needs to take three immediate actions: Reach out to European partners to try to keep electricity interconnectors running, so it can buy power from the continent; start a public campaign to save power; and create an easy system to communicate the need for emergency energy reductions if the need arises to sidestep blackouts.

Under both alternative scenarios, the grid would have to call upon emergency coal-fired power plants for help, and pay companies to sign up for a new, untested system called Demand Flexibility Service to reduce consumption. In other words, voluntary rationing.

National Grid hopes it can save as much as 2 gigawatts by companies shifting consumption away from peak times  roughly equal to the output from two nuclear plants. The plan will launch in November and run until March. Its the first time its been tried in the UK, and no one knows for sure whether companies will sign for it. There are already signs companies will demand bigger payments than are currently proposed to scale back demand.

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In the absence of EU imports, UK blackouts may become necessary, particularly on cold, windless days, the report says.

For the second scenario, dealing with a gas shortage, the outlook is even darker. Should this scenario happen, it may be necessary to initiate the planned, controlled and temporary rota load-shedding scheme under the Electricity Supply Emergency Code (ESEC), it says. In the unlikely event we were in this situation, it would mean that some customers could be without power for pre-defined periods during a day  generally this is assumed to be for three-hour blocks.

National Grids winter outlook maintains a decent balance between its relatively benign central case and the less likely, though still possible, alternative outcomes. Now, its up to the government to acknowledge the dangers, and take immediate action.

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So far, Downing Street appears unprepared. It has yet to launch a public campaign to encourage households to save energy this winter. It also lacks a good communication system to prompt conservation when the system starts to creak.

London should quickly copy-and-paste the well-trialed systems used in California and France, called FlexAlert and EcoWatt, respectively, which offer consumers an easy way to know the tightness of the electricity network via website and smartphone apps. The systems, modelled around a traffic-light of green, yellow and red, tells when savings are needed, and encourages consumers to turn off appliances, reduce their thermostats, or stop charging electric vehicles. During the past heat wave in California, it helped the grid to avoid feared blackouts at the very last minute.

Currently, the UK relies on complicated so-called system notices to manage supply and demand. The arrangement is suitable for electricity traders and industry insiders, but not for the public at large. No householder can be expected to understand what an Electricity Margin Notice (EMN), a Capacity Market Notice (CMN), or a High Risk Demand Control (HRDR) means.

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The grid says its working with the energy regulator ways to improve the communication of system notices, but warned it is an ongoing process and more detail will be published in due course. It needs to get moving before temperatures drop.

If all goes well, the UK will emerge into spring with only a few days of yellow lights. But the public needs to be informed now that red lights may flash during the winter months.

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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Javier Blas is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy and commodities. A former reporter for Bloomberg News and commodities editor at the Financial Times, he is coauthor of The World for Sale: Money, Power and the Traders Who Barter the Earths Resources.

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Denmark is heading for early elections just as the country grapples with escalating security and energy crises caused by the war in Ukraine. However, it isnt soaring power bills that threaten to topple the government of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, but the fallout from a decision she made almost two years ago. Her order to cull 17 million mink at the height of the coronavirus pandemic was condemned by political rivals and later found to be unlawful. Frederiksens minority government has tried unsuccessfully to shake off the scandal ever since.

1. What happened?

Frederiksen, 44, made the controversial cull order in November 2020 after coronavirus was detected at some mink farms and experts warned it could potentially mutate into a deadlier strain and make future vaccines less effective. Denmark had the worlds largest population of the small animals, whose soft fur is used in clothing and furnishings. There was no legal basis for the cull when it began and, as it progressed, public outrage grew and the countrys food and veterinary affairs minister quit. Parliament eventually passed a bill giving legal cover to the cull but, by then, millions of healthy animals had been slaughtered. It later emerged that the decomposing bodies of buried mink were threatening to contaminate local water supplies, forcing the government to exhume them. Frederiksen avoided an impeachment trial, but a party that had backed the government in parliament withdrew its support and new elections were set for Nov. 1 -- seven months before the usual deadline.

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2. Did the cull really cause this crisis?

Its not the whole story. While Frederiksen received praise in some quarters for showing strong leadership during the pandemic, rivals have painted her as power-hungry and authoritarian. She was criticized for a lack of contrition over the cull, though she personally was cleared of any illegal behavior. Trust in her cabinet was further eroded after revelations during a parliamentary probe that she and several key government employees had deleted text messages from their phones. Frederiksen said that, as a woman in power, she was treated more harshly than a man would have been in the same situation.

3. Who is likely to form the next government?

Polls indicated that her Social Democrats could lose power to the center-right opposition, though it was too close to call. Frederiksen has proposed to recruit rival parties into what would be Denmarks first grand coalition government in more than four decades. The idea was quickly rebuffed by several parties, which were reluctant to be seen ruling with her after the mink scandal. The situation is even harder to predict because the Denmark Democrats, a new right-wing party, could gain about 10% of the vote, according to polls. The uncertainty threatens to delay Denmarks response to Europes worst energy crisis in decades and the recent sabotage of natural-gas pipelines close to its territorial waters.

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4. What remains of the mink industry?

The government funded a support package estimated at about 19 billion kroner ($2.5 billion) to bail out the countrys 3,000 mink farmers. A temporary ban on mink farming in Denmark was due to expire at the end of 2022. However, there may be no way back for the industry, which was effectively wiped out by the cull and lacks the breeding animals needed to restock farms. Kopenhagen Fur, the worlds largest auction house for furs, announced it would close down and liquidate its assets after the cull.

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Turn an illicit product into a highly taxed and regulated one and you have a classic business experiment. Do it with a little-studied psychoactive substance that has both medical promise and addictive potential and you have a public health trial, too. Thats what the US has done with cannabis, otherwise known as marijuana, pot or weed. Changes in state laws since 1996 have given 74% of the US population access to some form of legal cannabis. Now President Joe Biden is taking steps toward decriminalizing marijuana on the federal level.

1. Whats been the impact of legalized weed?

Its been difficult to measure, as each state tracks data differently, if at all. What evidence there is shows that while legitimizing cannabis has generated jobs and tax revenue, the larger effects on society are a mixed bag. The effects on crime rates and social justice have been positive, but not entirely so. Some people seem to benefit from access to marijuana, but there are signs its easy availability puts more people at risk of addiction to it and increases cases of impaired driving.

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2. What are the benefits of marijuana?

Apart from getting people high, theres solid evidence that it reduces chronic pain, multiple sclerosis-related muscle spasms and chemotherapy-related nausea, according to one of the largest studies, a 2017 report that reviewed more than 10,000 scientific abstracts since 1999.

3. Whats the legal landscape of cannabis?

Thirty-seven US states have authorized the marketing of cannabis for people who have a doctors recommendation and qualifying ailments, which vary by jurisdiction. Of those states, 18 also allow people 21 and older to possess it for recreational purposes, with restrictions on quantities and public consumption. These liberalizations have given rise to thousands of licensed dispensaries selling weed products. They include flower, the smokable, dried bud of a cannabis plant; edibles, marijuana-infused snacks and drinks; and cartridges filled with cannabis oil for vaping. While the US continued to classify marijuana as illegal, officials in recent years have taken a relatively relaxed approach toward enforcement of that law. On Oct. 6, Biden said he had ordered a review of how federal law addresses marijuana, including whether it should be classified as one of the most dangerous drugs, alongside heroin. He also said he would pardon thousands of Americans convicted of possession.

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4. What has legalization done to crime rates?

A decade ago half of all drug-crime arrests in the US were related to cannabis, so not surprisingly such detentions have plunged. Still, the expectation that a licensed weed market would stamp out the illicit marijuana trade is being reassessed as licensed dispensaries struggle to compete with cheaper sellers on the underground market. In Colorado, organized crime linked to the trade actually increased from 31 cases in 2012, the year the state permitted recreational use, to 119 in 2017 before abating to 34 in 2019. Because African Americans as recently as 2018 were arrested for cannabis crimes at nearly four times the rate of White people despite similar levels of use, legalization has been put forward as a fix for the disparities that have flowed from that: disproportionate incarceration, broken homes and arrest records that hamper careers. But it hasnt been that simple.

5. Whats happened on the race front?

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While marijuana arrest rates have plummeted overall, racial disparities have persisted in arrests for violating regulations of legal marijuana. Before and after legalization in Washington state, Black adults went from being 2.5 times to 5 times as likely as White adults to be arrested for unlawful cannabis possession, a 2019 study found. After legalization in Colorado, the greatest decrease in arrests was among White people, down 72% as of 2019, versus a 63% decline for Black people and a 55% decline for Hispanics. Fifteen states have programs that aim to ensure members of minorities gain a fair share of the new industrys profits. But in a country in which Black people make up 13% of the population, they own fewer than 2% of cannabis companies, according to a 2022 report from the Minority Cannabis Business Association. One barrier to entry is the difficulty gaining access to the services of banks, many of which eschew these businesses as long as weed is illegal on the federal level.

6. How big is the US cannabis industry?

Sales generated more than $11 billion in tax revenue for states and localities from 2014 through 2021, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Much of the other available data on the industry comes from organizations spawned by it, so should be taken with a grain of salt. The research firm New Frontier Data projects the lawful weed business in the US will bring in sales of $32 billion this year. A joint report by the online marijuana marketplace Leafly and industry consulting firm Whitney Economics estimated that legal cannabis had created the equivalent of 428,000 full-time jobs as of January 2022.

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7. How has cannabis use changed?

Before the legal changes, it had been thought that more readily available marijuana might increase casual use by appealing to the so-called cannacurious. Surprising data show its also encouraged a rise in hardcore stoners. The US in 2019 saw a significant increase in the percentage of people over 26 who used marijuana in the previous month as well as in the share who used it daily or almost daily, according to an annual government survey. In Colorado, the first state to sanction recreational use, 15% of those age 18 to 25 consumed weed daily, a figure twice as high as the national average. According to a different report, 48% of people in Colorado who used cannabis in 2019 did so on a daily or near-daily basis, up from 44% in 2014. Canada, which authorized recreational use nationwide in 2018, has seen similar results. By the end of 2020, 20% of people reported using marijuana in the previous three months, versus 14% at the outset of 2018. Daily or near-daily use rose, too.

8. What are the worries about increased marijuana use?

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 Cannabis, in particular when smoked, is associated with an increase in chronic bronchitis episodes, according to the 2017 research review. Its impact on asthma, lung function, immunity, heart attack, strokes and diabetes requires more research, the report concluded. It said marijuana use is likely to increase the risk of schizophrenia, other psychoses, social anxiety disorders and depression. Other research, by contrast, has found that recreational access leads to a significant reduction in demand for prescription drugs not only for pain and seizures but also for depression, anxiety, sleep and psychosis.

 Research has shown lower birth weights for babies exposed to marijuana in the womb, and pregnant women more than doubled their intake of cannabis from 2002 to 2017.

 Frequent use, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adds to the probability that people will develop cannabis use disorder, a term for addiction. The CDC cites studies estimating that likelihood for all users ranging from 10% to 30%. Among the signs of addiction are cravings, a need to use more of the drug to get the same high, and continued use despite relationship or work problems. The condition can put people at higher risk for other negative consequences, such as problems with attention, memory and learning. Young people appear to be particularly vulnerable: Cannabis is almost as addictive as opioids in teens, a 2021 study concluded. The US surgeon general has said that chronic marijuana use in teens is linked to impaired learning, declines in IQ and school performance, and suicide attempts.

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 A rise in daily consumption has secondary effects: As regular users develop a tolerance for THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, the industry has increased the potency of its product to keep up. The average percentage of THC in cannabis seized by US officials increased to 14% in 2019 from 5% in 1996.

9. Are legalizations effects showing up in public health data?

Its a challenge to draw definitive connections, but there are some signs of this.

 On the plus side, regulated cannabis can offer a health benefit to those who previously bought the drug on the illicit market, given that laws require legitimate sellers to monitor their wares for contaminants. States with lawful recreational weed had fewer cases of vaping-related lung injuries that were linked to illegally sold cannabis oil, a 2020 study found.

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 On the downside, rates of cannabis use disorder in people age 12 to 17 grew 25% more in states that legalized recreational marijuana than in those that didnt, according to a 2020 study.

 Cyclical vomiting, episodes of severe vomiting that have no apparent cause and are associated with daily marijuana use, is on the rise, up 60% nationwide from 2005 to 2014.

 Since legalization, Colorado has seen an increase in hospitalizations, emergency-department visits and poison-center calls linked with marijuana exposure. Children who stumble upon a parents edibles are a particular cause of concern. In 2019 and the two years prior, there were a total of 4,172 exposure cases nationwide in kids 0 to 9 years old, according to a study of calls to poison-control centers, which found that the rate was higher in states with sanctioned recreational use.

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10. What about road safety?

Proponents of legalization have posited that lawful weed would make roads safer because people would substitute it for alcohol, which they argue impairs driving more. Its difficult to get a clear picture of whats actually happened as theres no uniform law nationwide on driving while stoned, nor any widely accepted testing method for it. However, the evidence so far suggests the advocates were optimistic. It shows that legalization has led to more people in the US using cannabis in combination with alcohol and other substances. And in Canada in 2019, the year after legalization, cases of drug-impaired driving rose 43% over the previous year, and the overall incidence of impaired driving increased 19%. That ended a downward trend that had begun in 2011.

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OTTAWA  Chief of the defence staff Gen. Wayne Eyre is ordering an immediate halt to all non-essential activities in favour of boosting military recruitment and retention, with the Canadian Armed Forces facing an unprecedented personnel crisis.

Eyre issued the sweeping order to senior commanders across the country on Thursday, saying dramatic action is needed to ensure the military has the troops it needs to respond to growing demands and threats at home and abroad.

The reconstitution order sets a completely new direction for the military after years of high-tempo deployments and operations in Canada and overseas by making the recruitment and retention of personnel its top priority.

The interim goal is to address shortcomings that are preventing the CAF more specifically from being in the position it needs to (be) in order to excel as a modern and combat-ready military force, the order reads.

It later adds: The rebuilding process needs to occur on an accelerated timeline given the geopolitical environment that we find ourselves operating within, especially in light of the invasion of Ukraine.

Expected for several months, the order follows a period of unprecedented activity by the military. That includes large-scale deployments to Iraq, Mali, Ukraine and Latvia as well as helping with the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters in Canada.

It also coincides with lagging recruitment rates and a shortage of experienced personnel to train new recruits and lead actual missions, which Eyre said continue to imperil our ability to recruit, train, employ and retain diverse Canadian talent, thus jeopardizing the readiness and long-term health of Canadas defence capabilities.

The Armed Forces is supposed to be adding about 5,000 troops to the regular and reserve forces to meet a growing list of demands, but is instead short more than 10,000 trained members  meaning about one in 10 positions are currently vacant.

The problem has become so acute that some senior offers have started using the word crisis in interviews with The Canadian Press, including the commander of the navy and the officer responsible for military recruitment and training.

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Eyres order reflects on the seriousness of the situation, saying: Owing to personnel and staffing levels that have been compounded by the CAFs heavy commitment to operations, the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and a culture crisis, National Defence continues to lose its ability to deliver and sustain concurrent operations at the scope and scale necessary.

To that end, the order directs commanders to prioritize fully staffing recruiting centres and training schools and calls for a complete reassessment of the militarys current structure and composition.

Military commanders will take a closer look at what missions and other activities are no longer critical, whether certain positions in their units are no longer needed, and even whether certain recruitment targets are still realistic.

Eyre also opens the door to more flexible working arrangements for service members while emphasizing the continued need to change the militarys culture to better attract and retain women, Indigenous people and other under-represented groups.

Culture change will remain the top departmental priority throughout the reconstitution process, the order reads. This endeavour will require significant resources and a willingness to embrace recommendations from external review authorities.

The new approach wont come without risks, which Eyre acknowledged in directing a reduction of large-scale training exercises in favour of more individualized classes as the military focuses on getting enough troops with basic skills into the ranks.

While military commanders have previously underscored the importance of large-scale exercises, the order says Eyre will be ready to accept the associated reduction in readiness levels using a risk-based approach.

And while many Armed Forces members join to serve on missions, the defence chief ordered commanders to strike a balance between providing deployment opportunities to junior members and the need to rebuild our mid-level leader capacity.

The defence chief indicated the reconstitution effort will take up to eight years, with the immediate goal of growing the force, and working toward the broader objective of ensuring the militarys size and structure are lined up with future needs and missions.

External events such as major domestic emergencies caused by climate change, economic crises impacting the federal governments fiscal flexibility, and widespread disinformation campaigns creating a lack of public confidence in national institutions could impede efforts to reconstitute, he added.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2022.

Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press
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Hurricane Ian is serving as a shot across the bow for Floridas struggling homeowners insurance market. Even before the storm, the confluence of intensifying hurricanes and persistently rampant insurance litigation helped push six companies into insolvency this year and left others in financial distress, with local leaders offering only tepid solutions to the underlying issues. Now, Florida lawmakers must seize the moment to push for truly meaningful insurance reforms before climate change makes the situation even worse.

The problem is multifaceted and calls for an ambitious plan that goes beyond the band-aids offered by a recent round of changes. That means both moving to restrain storm risk exposure and reining in frivolous lawsuits to a degree that will actually move the needle.

Prudently managed insurance companies try to balance their exposure to Floridas disasters (hurricanes, sinkholes and mold) with lower-risk policies and relatively uncorrelated exposures (tornadoes in the Midwest, wildfires and earthquakes on the West Coast) to ensure that they wont get wiped out by a single catastrophic event. Unfortunately, Florida is only becoming more populous and riskier, which makes it an awkward fit in many portfolios. Climate change is auguring more intense storms while the local population is booming, sending housing values and disaster reconstruction costs skyward. Meanwhile, the out-of-control litigation costs related to rebuilding magnify exposure even further. And theres been nary an effort to dissuade the new arrivals from settling in some of the riskiest real estate in the country.

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Of course, some companies will always take on risk at the right price, but Floridas potential returns just arent that juicy thanks to the competitive landscape. Florida has a large and rapidly growing state-backed insurer, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., which essentially competes with the private sector at below-market rates, making it hard for insurers to seek what they would deem reasonable compensation. Although Citizens is often described as an insurer of last resort, homeowners can get a policy as long as private-market premiums are at least 20% more expensive, which is increasingly the case. As a result, private firms struggle to fully offset Floridas inherent risk with higher prices, as Bloomberg Intelligence senior insurance analyst Matthew Palazola told me.

The upshot is that much of the insurance industry is balking at the prospect of doing business in Florida. Many of the big national companies have been gone for years, leaving smaller, poorly diversified regional players to fill the market. To offset their concentrated risk exposure, they generally have to buy reinsurance  insurance for primary insurers  but the cost of those policies is becoming prohibitive for all of the same reasons.

In the long run, that means that more and more policyholders may get dumped by private insurers and mopped up by Citizens. For its part, Citizens unchecked growth means that all Floridians will ultimately bear the cost of poor risk management if a big storm hits. In such an event, the state-backed insurer has the ability not just to demand surprise assessment fees from its policyholders but from all private-market insurance policyholders in the state up to 30% of their annual premium until Citizens is able to cover its deficits. In other words, the cost of living in Florida would surge meaningfully.

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So what can be done? First, the state needs to address its underlying risk by actively discouraging development in coastal communities and barrier islands. Short of uprooting substantial parts of the population, the state should at least prohibit Citizens from providing new policies with below-market rates on those properties. Florida prides itself on its vibrant coastal communities, but people who insist on moving there now in the face of growing risks should bear the true costs.

Next, the state should address its rampant litigation problem, going even further than previously contemplated. In the most egregious example of this phenomenon, opportunistic contractors have famously coerced homeowners to let them file homeowners claims on their behalf and then sued when claims were denied. The scheme was essentially a win-win for contractors and plaintiffs attorneys, thanks to a rule that dictates that insurance companies had to pay the claimants legal fees if they prevailed, but not the other way around. Insurers were so scared of the fees that they would often just settle.

Fortunately, the reforms approved in May make some progress in that direction: They limit the assignment of attorneys fees to cases filed by policyholders themselves, not contractors potentially acting on homeowners behalf. But that mostly just tackled the most shocking offenses of the phenomenon  the true scam artists and opportunists  and probably wont do enough to fix a litigation issue that the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation estimates is orders of magnitude worse than the rest of the country; Florida accounts for 79% of nationwide homeowners suits but only 8% of the nations homeowners claims. The companies cannot price for that, said Mark Friedlander, spokesman for the Insurance Information Institute. They cant get proper levels of reinsurance coverage to cover this excessive litigation. Many insurers believe that the best way to have an impact is to eliminate the one-way attorneys fees rule.

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Regrettably, the challenge is exacerbated by politics, and none of this will be easy. Yet its the confluence of factors thats hitting Floridas insurance industry, and the solution has to tackle all of them to be viable in the long run. Generations of Florida politicians have scored easy political points by advocating for artificially low premiums and scapegoating insurance companies  which, to be sure, arent exactly benevolent forces for the states residents. Premiums have already been surging, and its difficult to tell voters that they might have to pay higher rates or, for instance, lose an ostensible advantage that they had in court over insurers. But the time for politics is over, and residents are in need of candid discussion about the costs of climate change, which may well make some parts of Florida unlivable for all but the most risk tolerant. If everyone buries their heads in the sand, then everyone will eventually be forced to pay the price.More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Use Market to Combat Climate Change and Hurricanes: Tyler Cowen

 Food Crisis Is Bad; Crop Insurance Makes It Worse: Adam Minter

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 Insurers Must Brace for Catastrophic Cyber Risk: Olson & Culpan

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Jonathan Levin has worked as a Bloomberg journalist in Latin America and the U.S., covering finance, markets and M&A. Most recently, he has served as the companys Miami bureau chief. He is a CFA charterholder.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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In her second-grade classroom outside Seattle, Fatima Nunez Ardon often tells her students stories about everyday people realizing their dreams. One day, for example, she talked about Salvadoran American NASA astronaut Francisco Rubio and his journey to the International Space Station. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Another day, she told them her own life story  how she, an El Salvadoran immigrant who arrived in the U.S. in middle school speaking very little English, came to be a teacher.

Nunez Ardon took an unusual path to the classroom: She earned her teaching degree through evening classes at a community college, while living at home and raising her four children.

Community college-based teaching programs like this are rare, but growing. They can dramatically cut the cost and raise the convenience of earning a teaching degree, while making a job in education accessible to a wider diversity of people.

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In Washington state, nine community colleges offer education degrees for teaching grade school and up. All of the programs started within the last decade.

Around the country, education programs remain far more common at four-year institutions. Six other states  Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Nevada and New Mexico  have community colleges that offer degrees related to K-12 education, according to Community College Baccalaureate Association data.

The expansion comes at a good time: Teacher shortages have worsened in the past decade, and fewer undergraduates are going into teacher training programs. The number of people completing a teacher-education program declined by almost a third between the 2008-09 and 2018-19 academic years, according to a report in March from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

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More community colleges around the country are starting to offer teacher education, said CCBA President Angela Kersenbrock. In all, 51 community college-based teaching programs have launched across the country since the early 2000s.

And theyre attracting students like Nunez Ardon, who became certified to run a K-8 classroom in June, at the age of 36. Its likely she wouldnt have pursued a classroom career otherwise.

Teacher shortages predate the pandemic. For years, the number of people graduating from teacher education programs has fallen short of demand. In 2018, 57,000 fewer students nationwide earned education degrees than in 2011.

To fill gaps in staffing, schools in Washington state have had to turn to underqualified employees. The number of waivers granted for staff who had not completed certification requirements rose to 8,080 in the 2019-2020 school year, from less than 2,800 a decade prior, according to a 2021 report from the states Professional Educator Standards Board.

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The state in recent years has encouraged Grow Your Own programs, or alternative pathways to classroom certification. Some are run by schools, others by colleges. Theyre seen as a way to buffer the teacher shortage and to grow a workforce more representative of the student body. Statewide, 50% of Washington students are people of color, while 87% of classroom teachers are white.

At Yakima Valley College, like other Washington community colleges, teacher candidates are assigned a residency at a partner school for the second half of the two-year program.

Students must first have an associate degree before starting the program. Classes are primarily in the evenings. While juggling their work and school load, teacher candidates are also taking a series of tests required by the state to get certified.

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By the time they finish their residency, they have fulfilled all of their requirements not only of the program but also of the state, said Elizabeth Paulino, who runs Yakima Valley Colleges teacher education program.

There has been pushback against community college degree programs in education in Washington and nationally, as universities with teacher education programs grapple with declines in enrollment, said Debra Bragg, the founder and former director of the University of Washingtons Community College Research Initiatives.

Community colleges argue that theyre a good place for teacher training because theyre open-access  there is no selective admissions process  and that they are attracting students that the universities probably are not attracting and probably wont attract, she said.

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Nunez Ardon said this was the case for her.

For one thing, she was place-bound by her growing family, and the nearby University of Washington doesnt offer a bachelors degree in teacher education. Cost was another factor. The program Nunez Ardon attended at Highline College costs roughly $7,100 a year  far less than nearby universities  and allowed her to live at home and accommodated her work schedule.

Many education programs at Washington community colleges grew in response to demand from local schools.

Connie Smejkal, Centralia Colleges dean of teacher education, said area superintendents were calling frequently to say they were struggling to hire and retain teachers.

Their need was extraordinary, she said.

In 2016, Centralia and Grays Harbor community colleges launched a teacher education program in collaboration, anticipating that neither would have enough students to run a full program on their own. Each planned to have an initial cohort of 12 teacher candidates. But student interest was high: There were more than 80 applicants to Centralia alone for the first cohort.

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We realized how thirsty the community was to become teachers, Smejkal said. The next year, Centralia and Grays Harbor formed their own separate programs, and between the two schools, 175 people have completed degrees.

Smejkal said everyone from last years cohort who was interested in classroom teaching had signed a contract with a school before graduating.

Peter Finch, superintendent of West Valley School District in Yakima, said hes experienced no shortage of general education teachers since the launch of Yakima Valley Colleges program.

He also said the teachers hired from the local program have so far been predominantly Latinx, and half had been bilingual Spanish-English speakers, better matching the districts student demographic and support needs.

Meanwhile, Nunez Ardon spends her days at Madrona Elementary School in SeaTac as a teacher and role model to young students she sees herself in  and in whom she hopes to inspire the same curiosity and passion to learn.

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This story is part of Tackling Teacher Shortages, a collaboration between AL.com, The Associated Press, The Christian Science Monitor, The Dallas Morning News, The Fresno Bee in California, The Hechinger Report, The Seattle Times and The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina, with support from the Solutions Journalism Network.

___

The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Poliomyelitis (polio for short) has been a cause of life-threatening paralysis for thousands of years. At the height of the biggest-ever outbreak in 1952, almost 60,000 cases with more than 3,000 deaths were reported in the US alone. Thanks to immunizations and access to clean water, wards filled with children kept alive in iron lungs are a distant memory. For years, polio has teetered close to global eradication. Now a combination of old and new challenges -- including conflict, vaccine hesitancy and the Covid-19 pandemic -- are frustrating a decades-long effort to stop its international spread. A case in an unvaccinated man from New York in July was a reminder that failure to vanquish polio from its last remaining strongholds could result in a resurgence of the crippling disease.

1. Whats polio?

Its a highly infectious disease caused by one of three poliovirus types that replicate in the human gastrointestinal tract. Infectious viral particles are shed in fecal matter, which can infect other people if they are transferred to the mouth via unwashed hands or ingested in contaminated food and drinks. Virus particles can survive in soil and water for months; the duration is shortened by warm weather and sunlight, and formaldehyde and chlorine kill them. Once inside the body, the virus can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis in a matter of hours. In some cases, symptoms can take as many as 30 days to appear. Initial signs include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness of the neck and pain in the limbs. Most infections, though, are asymptomatic, with only 1-in-200 leading to irreversible paralysis, usually in the legs. Among those paralyzed, 5% to 10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized. Polio mainly affects children younger than 5, though anyone who is unvaccinated can contract the incurable disease. In the long term, 25% to 40% of children who recover from paralytic polio get post-polio syndrome, a group of potentially disabling symptoms including weakness and fatigue that appear some 15 to 40 years after a patients recovery.

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2. How many people does polio affect?

Cases of paralytic polio have declined sharply since vaccines became widely available, and especially since 1988, when health officials began a campaign, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, that initially sought to put an end to the disease within 12 years. Back then, polio was paralyzing more than 1,000 children daily across 125 countries. Although only six cases caused by wild poliovirus were reported in 2021, 10 times more were inadvertently caused by a variant of the virus used in the oral polio vaccine.

3. How does the vaccine cause polio cases?

The oral polio vaccine developed by Albert Sabin in the 1950s uses a live, attenuated form of the poliovirus. Among its advantages: Children who receive the inexpensive immunization excrete the virus in their stools for as long as six weeks, passively vaccinating those around them. A disadvantage is that if the weakened virus is transmitted from person to person over a prolonged period in an under-vaccinated community, it can undergo genetic changes that turn it back into the paralysis-causing form. A second polio vaccine, originally developed by Jonas Salk, is routinely given as a shot more than 120 countries, including the US. It contains inactivated or dead poliovirus that cant cause paralysis. Its usually administered to kids four times from age 2 months to 6 years.

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4. Whats known about the New York case?

The 20-year-old man, who was hospitalized in June, was a resident of Rockland County, which is north of New York City and bordering New Jersey. He contracted a poliovirus variant derived from the oral vaccine thats been genetically linked to strains collected from wastewater in the county as well as London and the greater Jerusalem area. The patient had recently traveled to Europe, according to the Washington Post. New York authorities have been investigating the source of the infection and testing wastewater to assess the viruss spread. (All polioviruses are excreted in feces, so traces of the pathogen are often detected in sewage when enough infected people are shedding virus in the area of a particular wastewater system.) Since only the inactivated polio vaccine has been given in the US since 2000, its likely the virus originated somewhere else where the oral vaccine is still used. Rockland County has a polio vaccination rate of 60.5% among 2-year-olds, compared with the New York average of 79.1%. Low rates of routine pediatric vaccination within communities in the New York metropolitan area were linked to a 2018-2019 measles outbreak, the largest in the US since 1992. The nations last naturally occurring cases of polio were reported in 1979. The last known case in the US derived from the oral vaccine was recorded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2013.

5. Why is polio rebounding?

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Outbreaks of imported poliovirus, like those seen in the US, UK and Israel in 2022, have occurred in dozens of other countries over the past six years, and for the same reason: undervaccination. There are multiple reasons for low immunization rates, according to virologist Mark Pallansch, a senior advisor at the CDC. In general, vaccine hesitancy and avoidance -- reinforced by disinformation -- yield similarly undervaccinated populations, Pallansch wrote in the Oct. 5 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. Rockland has the lowest routine childhood immunization coverage of any county in New York, The Lancet medical journal reported in August. In London, the proportion of infants immunized with the inactivated polio vaccine has fallen in recent years, dropping as low as 73.6% in some boroughs -- below the 80% thought to be needed to stop transmission in a community.

6. What effect has Covid-19 had?

In 2020, the pandemic prompted a four-month pause of the Global Polio Eradication Initiatives campaigns, disrupting disease surveillance and routine immunizations. That put more than 80 million children at increased risk of polio. Vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreaks tripled from 2019 to 2020, when more than 1,100 children were paralyzed globally. Cases declined in 2021 as immunizations resumed. However, the pandemic continues to stretch health systems, risking further spread. In late 2021, wild poliovirus from Pakistan -- which along with Afghanistan hasnt been able to stop transmission of the virus -- sparked outbreaks in Malawi and Mozambique. The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan following its change in political regime and the war in Ukraine, where weak immunization has repeatedly given rise to outbreaks of vaccine-derived poliovirus, threaten to prolong the scourge. The 32nd meeting of an emergency committee convened by the World Health Organization concluded in June that the risk of international spread remains a public health emergency -- a declaration first made in 2014.

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7. Whos at risk of polio?

Anyone who hasnt received the recommended doses of polio vaccine, including babies. Almost all children (99 out of 100) who complete an immunization course will be protected from polio. In respect to the Rockland County case, unvaccinated New Yorkers who live, work, go to school in, or visit the county are at the highest risk of exposure, according to the states health department. Although vaccination isnt necessary for most adults who were immunized against polio as children and have a low risk of exposure, the CDC recommends a one-time booster shot for certain groups:

 Travelers to areas or countries where polio is epidemic or endemic

 Health-care workers who have close contact with patients who may have traveled to areas or countries where the risk of polio is greater

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 Unvaccinated adults whose children will be receiving oral poliovirus vaccine (for example, international adoptees or refugees)

These higher-risk adults may need one to three doses of the inactivated polio vaccine, depending on how many doses they have had in the past. Unvaccinated adults at risk for poliovirus infection should get three doses: two doses separated by 1 to 2 months, and a third dose 6 to 12 months after the second dose.

8. Is a booster really necessary?

Immunity provided either by the oral vaccine or exposure to poliovirus provides lifelong protection against paralytic disease, according to a WHO position paper. Its not known how long people who received four shots of inactivated polio vaccine will be immune, but the CDC says theyre most likely protected for many years and the WHO says possibly for life. Higher-risk adults who have had one or two doses of polio vaccine in the past should get the remaining doses, and higher-risk adults who have had three or more doses of polio vaccine in the past can get a lifetime booster dose, according to the CDC.

(Adds detail on wastewater surveillance in section 4 and undervaccination in section 5, and section 6 on Covids impact.)

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Three people were on board the small Cessna, Virginia State Police said in a statement. The two people who were injured were rushed to a local hospital.

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Michael Giardino, executive director of the airport, told the newspaper that the plane is based out of the airport. But he said he didnt know where it was headed or who was on board.
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DEARBORN, Mich.  A man accused of fatally shooting a hotel clerk in suburban Detroit during a dispute over money then barricading himself inside a room has surrendered to police, authorities said. The gunmans surrender at the Hampton Inn in Dearborn occurred shortly before 9 p.m. EDT Thursday, or nearly seven hours after the standoff began. Businesses in the surrounding popular dining and shopping area had been evacuated or locked down.

The man was armed with a rifle, many times threatened officers, and it was quite tenuous, Dearborn police Chief Issa Shahin told reporters. But fortunately, we were able to resolve that peacefully.

The shooting stemmed from a dispute over money with staff, Shahin said. The man who was shot, identified as a 55-year-old from Riverview, was taken to a hospital and died, Shahin said.

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He was just trying to do his job, Shahin said.

Shahin said the suspect, who was not identified by police Thursday, had a history of mental illness and substance abuse.

Shots were reported shortly after 1 p.m. in the busy district in Dearborn, a city of over 100,000 people just west and southwest of Detroit. The suspect was contained in the hotel, police Cpl. Dan Bartok told reporters.

Police evacuated the hotel and surrounding businesses. Traffic into the downtown was blocked, Michigan State Police Lt. Mike Shaw said.

Earlier, state police tweeted that the situation is active and dangerous and that shots still were being fired by the suspect.

Officers in tactical gear could be seen, as well as emergency vehicles.

Some businesses near the hotel, including Dearborn Federal Savings Bank and Better Health Market, locked down with customers inside.

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There are police everywhere, said Cheryl Seguin, a security officer at the bank. Police from multiple jurisdictions and federal, county, state agencies. Multiple police cars and other types of units -- EMS, just about everything.

Patrick Collins, manager of the Better Health Market, described seeing police, automatic weapons and ambulances. Three customers were inside the market.

Theres a lot going on, he said.

___

Savage reported from Chicago. Williams reported from West Bloomfield, Michigan.

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CANBERRA, Australia  Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday it was hard to say whether the risk of nuclear war had increased with his militarys territorial gains, but he remains confident his Russian counterpart would not survive such as escalation in hostilities. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Zelenskyy was addressing the Lowy Institute international think tank in Sydney via video link after Ukraines military retook ground illegally annexed by Russia last week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that he wont hesitate to use nuclear weapons to ward off Ukraines attempt to reclaim control of Moscow-occupied areas.

Asked if the risk of Russia using nuclear weapons had risen, Zelenskyy said through an interpreter: Its hard to say.

He questioned whether Putin had enough control over the Russian campaign to direct a tactical nuclear strike. The Russians found it hard to control everything that is happening in their country, just as theyre not controlling everything they have on the battlefield, Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy said Putin understood that the world will never forgive a Russian nuclear strike.

He understands that after the use of nuclear weapons he would be unable any more to preserve, so to speak, his life, and Im confident of that, Zelensky said.

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MEXICO CITY  Five migrants were killed and seven others injured Thursday in a highway accident in Mexicos Gulf coast state of Veracruz.

Immigration authorities said all of the injured migrants were Nicaraguans. The dead might be as well, but the National Immigration Institute said it was still working to identify them.
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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina  A judge in Argentina has launched a criminal investigation into Nicaraguas President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Maria Murillo to determine whether they are responsible for crimes against humanity. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight Federal Judge Ariel Lijo launched the investigation Wednesday at the behest of prosecutor Eduardo Taiano after two lawyers filed a criminal complaint against Nicaraguas leaders.

Taiano has said Argentinas judiciary is within its rights to investigate human rights violations that took place in another country because Argentinas Constitution recognizes the principle of universal jurisdiction.

As the first measure, Lijo sent a request for information to the Nicaraguan judiciary demanding details on whether there are any open cases related to alleged illegal detentions and the disappearance of people, a judicial official with knowledge of the case told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still in a preliminary stage.

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This is not the first time Argentinas judiciary has investigated allegations of human rights abuses in another country using the principle of universal jurisdiction.

A court in Argentina launched an investigation in 2010 into allegations of human rights abuses during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) as well as during Francisco Francos regime and the two years between the dictators death in 1975 and the first democratic elections. More recently, a court in Argentina gave the green light in 2021 to an investigation into claims of human rights violations against the largely Muslim Rohingya population in Myanmar.

In his request for the investigation to be opened, Taiano specifically targeted Ortega and his wife, who is also the countrys vice president, as well as those who within the state or semi-official structures can be responsible for dictating executions and persecutions on political and/or religious grounds.

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Ortegas government has intensified the persecution of its political adversaries and uses the courts to accuse their family members of criminal activity, according to human rights organizations.

Tens of thousands of Nicaraguans have fled the country as a result of the persecution that followed the massive protests of April 2018 that led to people being detained and receiving long prison sentences.

Argentinas judicial action is in response to a complaint filed by two lawyers, Dario Richarte and Diego Pirota, based on a news story regarding the detention of Rolando Alvarez, the bishop of Matagalpa who is under house arrest. Little is known about his health.

The complaint pointed out that the situation of the bishops detention takes place within the context of a systematic attack against the civilian population and mentions investigations pointing to abuses by Ortegas government. The investigations were carried out by the Inter American Commission of Human Rights, the U.N. Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, the Center for Legal and Social Studies and the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights.

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Taiano has said Argentinas judiciary can launch the investigation into Nicaraguas government due to international commitments that establish the duty of domestic tribunals to investigate in the name of the international community.

The prosecutor also pointed out that the International Criminal Court would not be able to try any alleged crimes because Nicaragua has not ratified the Rome Statute.

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NAIROBI, Kenya  The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Uganda next week will host a ministerial meeting on the outbreak of the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus which has no proven vaccine and has caused alarm in the East Africa region. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight Acting director Ahmed Ogwell told journalists on Thursday the three countries that suffered the devastating West Africa outbreak of Ebola in 2014-16, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, also are invited to the Oct. 12 meeting.

The current Ebola outbreak in central Uganda has a 69% case fatality rate, which Ogwell called very high, and four health workers are among 10 people confirmed to have died of Ebola. There have been 43 confirmed cases. None have been in the capital, Kampala.

Ugandan scientists and their partners abroad are looking to deploy one of two possible vaccines against the Sudan strain of Ebola, the WHO representative to Uganda told reporters Thursday. But there are only 100 doses of the vaccine from the Sabin Vaccine Insitute, said Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam.

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These manufacturers are looking to produce more, he said. We do not have sufficient data to deploy it in a large (population) and the supply is not there. Currently the scientists are agreeing (on) scientific protocol for the study and as soon as the protocol is agreed ... I think the vaccine will be imported into Uganda. Hopefully within less than a week.

Immediate contacts of confirmed Ebola cases would be targeted in the study, he said.

Ogwell of the Africa CDC said health workers were exposed to Ebola at the beginning of the outbreak when we did not know what we were dealing with, and he dismissed the suggestion that the infections signaled the outbreak was getting out of hand.

He said more than 860 active contacts have been listed and at least 78% of them are being monitored, a situation that has almost doubled from a week ago.

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The Africa CDC said it has procured 20,000 test kits that should arrive early next week for the region, and it will ship stockpiles of personal protective equipment next week.

A mobile lab set up at a hospital near the outbreak has reduced the turnaround time for test results to six hours, according to Woldemariam, who said the response of Ugandan health authorities is improving every day.

Ebola can be difficult to detect at first because fever is also a symptom of malaria. Ebola, which manifests as a viral hemorrhagic fever, is spread through contact with bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding.

Uganda has had multiple Ebola outbreaks, including one in 2000 that killed more than 200 people.

Ebola first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks in South Sudan and Congo, where it occurred in a village near the Ebola River after which the disease is named.

___

This story has been corrected to say four health workers have died of the 10 confirmed deaths.

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Casey Dubyk says it's still unclear why her bag was left in tatters after an Air Canada flight from Vancouver to Calgary. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press - image credit)

A Vancouver woman has compensation but few answers after a flight from her hometown to Calgary ended in a checked bag left in tatters.

Casey Dubyk, 27, flew to Calgary from Vancouver International Airport on Sept. 26 for a work trip.

The marketing co-ordinator normally only takes a carry-on bag, but before she boarded, she was told the volume of liquids in her small duffel bag was too great. She checked it instead.

When she and her colleagues deplaned at Calgary International, her bag wasn't there. An Air Canada rep told her it would come on the next flight and the airline would take down her info and deliver it to her hotel.

The bag was delivered. Sort of.

@thecaseefacee/Tiktok

"I'm like, oh, wait, why can I see my highlighter-yellow sweater in a closed bag?" she recalled thinking as she gazed upon it.

The bag had a huge hole torn into it. The clothing and other items inside, including expensive cosmetics, were largely shredded to tatters as well. Dark marks were seen on many of the items.

She estimates $1,100 worth of damage, in total, was done.

"The initial reaction was like, shell shock, laughing and then just crying."

Passengers may be entitled to compensation

A marketing professional  ironically, for a travel company  Dubyk recorded her opening of the battered bags in a series of TikToks that have racked up hundreds of thousands of views.

She complained to Air Canada, which has since reimbursed her and given her a $300 credit.

She says she's pleased the airline paid her back for the incident, but she still has no clear explanation as to what happened.

"There's a couple people that I guess work in baggage service that commented on the TikTok and they said that it looks like it got caught in the belt conveyor and then it just [had] a friction burn," Dubyk said.

She's also upset that no one from the airline gave her any warning or update about the bag before delivering it in such a state to her hotel room.

Air Canada, in a statement, said it always strives to handle bags with care.

Story continues

"The overwhelming majority of bags arrive as expected," the statement said.

"Despite our best efforts, sometimes things don't go quite as planned and baggage may regrettably sustain damage, which can occur as it goes through airport baggage systems."

The Canadian Transportation Agency notes air passengers may be entitled to compensation of up to $2,300 if their bags are lost, damaged or delayed, and that it's important to file a claim right away.

Dubyk says if anything, this experience has reinforced her preference to go with carry-on bags whenever possible.
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SAN MIGUEL TOTOLAPAN, Mexico  A drug gang shot to death 20 people, including a mayor and his father, in the mountains of the southern Mexico state of Guerrero, officials said Thursday. Residents began burying the victims even as a video posted on social media showed men who identified themselves as the Tequileros gang claiming responsibility for the mass shooting.

The Guerrero state security council said gunmen burst into the town hall in the village of San Miguel Totolapan Wednesday and opened fire on a meeting the mayor was holding with other officials.

Among the dead were Mayor Conrado Mendoza and his father, Juan Mendoza Acosta, a former mayor of the town. Most of the other victims were believed to be local officials.

The walls of the town hall, which were surrounded by childrens fair rides at the time, were left riddled with bullets. However, residents said the attack that killed the mayor occurred a few blocks away.

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Totolapan is geographically large but sparsely populated mountainous township in a region known as Tierra Caliente, one of Mexicos most conflict-ridden areas.

There were so many victims that a backhoe was brought into the towns cemetery to scoop out graves as residents began burying their dead Thursday. By midday, two bodies had already been buried and 10 more empty pits stood waiting.

A procession of about 100 residents singing hymns walked solemnly behind a truck carrying the coffin of one man killed in the shooting. Once they neared the cemetery, several men hoisted the coffin out of the truck and walked with it the waiting grave. Dozens of soldiers were posted at the entrance to the town.

Ricardo Mejia, Mexicos assistant secretary of public safety, said the Tequileros are fighting the Familia Michoacana gang in the region and that the authenticity of the video was being verified.

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This act occurred in the context of a dispute between criminal gangs, Mejia said. A group known as the Tequileros dominated the region for some time; it was a group that mainly smuggled and distributed opium, but also engaged in kidnapping, extortion and several killings in the region.

Totolapan was controlled for years by drug gang boss Raybel Jacobo de Almonte, known by his nickname as El Tequilero (The Tequila Drinker).

In his only known public appearance, de Almonte was captured on video drinking with the elder Mendoza, who was then the towns mayor-elect, in 2015. It was not clear if the elder Mendoza was there of his own free will, or had been forced to attend the meeting.

In that video, de Almonte appeared so drunk he mumbled inaudibly and had to be held up in a sitting position by one of his henchmen.

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In 2016, Totolapan locals got so fed up with abductions by the Tequileros that they kidnapped the gang leaders mother to leverage the release of others.

While the Tequileros long depended on trafficking opium paste from local poppy growers, the growing use of the synthetic opioid fentanyl had reduced the demand for opium paste and lowered the level of violence in Guerrero.

Also Wednesday, in the neighboring state of Morelos, a state lawmaker was shot to death in the city of Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City.

Two armed men traveling on a motorcycle fatally shot state Deputy Gabriela Marin as she exited a vehicle outside a pharmacy. A person with Marin was reportedly wounded in the attack.

Based on the information we have, we cannot rule out a motive related to politics, Mejia said of that killing. The deceased, Gabriela Marin, had just taken office as a legislator in July, after another member of the legislature died, and there were several legal disputes concerning the seat.

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The killing of Mendoza brought to 18 the number of mayors slain during the administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and the number of state lawmakers to eight, according to data from Etellekt Consultores.

Mexicos Congress this week is debating the presidents proposal to extend the militarys policing duties to 2028. Last month, lawmakers approved Lopez Obradors push to transfer the ostensibly civilian National Guard to military control.

While attacks on public officials are not uncommon in Mexico, these come at a time when the Lopez Obradors security strategy is being sharply debated. The president has placed tremendous responsibility in the armed forces rather than civilian police for reining in Mexicos persistently high levels of violence. He pledged to continue, saying we have to go on doing the same things, because it has brought results.

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Lopez Obrador sought to blame previous administrations for Mexicos persistent problem of violence.

These are (criminal) organizations that have been there for a long time, that didnt spring up in this administration, Lopez Obrador said. He also blamed local people in the Tierra Caliente region for supporting the gangs  and sometimes even electing them to office.

There are still communities that protect these groups, and even vote them into office as authorities, the president said.

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BRUSSELS  EU lawmakers on Thursday condemned the crackdown on media freedom in military-ruled Myanmar and called for the release of every unfairly detained journalist. Since the military seized power in February last year, it has forced at least 12 media outlets to shut down and arrested about 142 journalists, 57 of whom remain detained. Most of those still detained are being held under an incitement charge for allegedly causing fear, spreading false news or agitating against a government employee.

In its resolution adopted by show of hands, the EU Parliament cited the cases of BBC freelance producer Htet Htet Khine; Sithu Aung Myint, a Frontier Myanmar columnist and contributor to Voice of America; and freelancer Nyein Nyein Aye.

Strongly condemning the military juntas violent and illegitimate rule in Myanmar, MEPs urge it to drop all politically motivated charges against the members of the press and media workers, and unconditionally release every unfairly detained journalist, the EU Parliament said.

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They also call on the junta to immediately end its abuses, including arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, sexual violence and other ill-treatment, as well as unfair trials against people working in the media.

According to Reporters Without Borders, Nyein Nyein Aye was sentenced in July to three years in prison with hard labor on charges of causing fear, spreading false news and agitating crimes against a government employee.

Htet Htet Khine was sentenced on Sept. 15 to three years hard labor. On Sept. 27, a court sentenced her to a further three years, with a reduction for time served. She has been in detention since August 2021.

We remain concerned for her safety and wellbeing in detention, and call for the release of Htet Htet Khine and other media workers who have been unjustly detained in Myanmar, said BBC Media Action Chief Executive Officer Caroline Nursey.

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Sithu Aung Myint was arrested in August 2021 along with Htet Htet Khine.

Some of the closed media outlets have continued operating without a license, publishing online as their staff members dodge arrest. Others operate from exile.

The armys takeover led to mass public protests that the military and police responded to with lethal force, triggering armed resistance and escalating violence that have led to what some U.N. experts characterize as a civil war.

According to detailed lists by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a watchdog group based in Thailand, 2,336 civilians have died in the military governments crackdown on opponents and at least 15,757 people have been arrested.

EU lawmakers also called for restoration of the civilian government and the unconditional release of Myanmars former president, Win Myint, and former leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

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RIO DE JANEIRO  Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva received two symbolic endorsements Wednesday as he seeks new allies ahead of an Oct. 30 runoff against incumbent Jair Bolsonaro to return to the countrys highest office. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight Simone Tebet, a center-right candidate who came third in Sundays election with 4% of the votes, and former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who remains highly respected in business circles, have both announced they will back da Silva, who is universally known as Lula.

For my love for Brazil, for democracy and for the constitution, for the courage I never lacked, I apologize to my friends and companions who begged for neutrality in this second round, Tebet said at a press conference in Sao Paulo. What is at stake is far greater than each of us.

Citing a country divided by hate speech and ideological polarization, she called her nearly 5 million voters to join her in supporting democracy, adding that she will be actively campaigning for da Silva.

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The leftist Workers Party candidate came close to an outright victory on Sunday, receiving over 48% of the votes. Far-right Bolsonaro got 43%. Since the election, the two men have been on a hunt for support across Brazil and the political spectrum.

Earlier Wednesday, former President Cardoso, 91, said he will cast his vote for da Silva in the name of a history of struggle for democracy and social inclusion, and posted old photos of da Silva and him distributing pro-democratic pamphlets during the military dictatorship (1964-1985).

Political analyst Carlos Melo said the announcements were symbolic and could bring crucial votes to da Silva.

Tebet managed to win votes during the election, she built her own political estate, not that of her party, said Melo, a science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo, also underlying her popularity among women. Meanwhile, Cardoso could help strengthen da Silvas popularity among those in the business and intellectual elite that are still reticent.

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Da Silva was jailed for 19 months as part of a massive corruption investigation known as the Car Wash probe, which targeted his Workers Party and upended Brazilian politics. The Supreme Court later annulled his convictions amid accusations the judge and prosecutors manipulated the case against him.

Ex-President Michel Temer and the powerful agro-business lobby in Congress joined three state governors in Brazils southeast, the countrys richest and most populous region, in backing Bolsonaro Wednesday.

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UNITED NATIONS  Russia called for a secret ballot vote next week on a Western-backed resolution that would condemn its attempted illegal annexation of part of four Ukrainian regions and demand that Moscow immediately reverse its actions. Russia apparently hopes it would get more support from the 193 nations in the General Assembly if their votes are not public.

Russia vetoed what would have been a legally binding Security Council resolution on Sept. 30 to condemn annexation referendums in the four Ukrainian regions as illegal, declare them invalid and urge all countries not to recognize any annexation of the territory claimed by Moscow.

The United States and Albania, which sponsored the resolution, vowed to take the issue to all U.N. members in the General Assembly, where there are no vetoes but resolutions are not legally binding.

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Unless the international community reacts, European Union U.N. Ambassador Olof Skoog said Wednesday, there can be claims that no one pays attention and this is now a carte blanche for other countries to do likewise or to give recognition to what Russias done.

The General Assembly has announced that its emergency special session on Ukraine will resume on Monday afternoon, when the draft resolution will be presented. Diplomats said they expect speeches from member nations to continue Tuesday, with a vote on the resolution likely on Wednesday.

Votes on resolutions in the world body are traditionally public and are illuminated with different colored lights on a large board which has the name of every country.

But Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said in a six-page letter to all other U.N. ambassadors obtained by The Associated Press that the U.N. legal counsel has confirmed that a secret ballot can be used by the General Assembly in decision-making.

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In addition to demanding that Russia reverse its annexation of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the draft resolution would declare that Moscows actions violate Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity and are inconsistent with the principles of the U.N. Charter.

The proposed resolution says the annexations also have no validity under international law and do not form the basis for any alternation of the status of these regions of Ukraine.

It demands that Russia immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders ... to enable peaceful resolution of the conflict  through political dialogue, negotiations, mediation and other peaceful means.

Russias call for a secret ballot vote on the resolution is the latest step in the escalating confrontation between Moscow and the United States and its European allies over its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

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Russias veto in the Security Council last Friday came hours after a lavish Kremlin ceremony where President Vladimir Putin signed treaties to annex the Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions, saying they were now part of Russia and would be defended by Moscow.

Putin signed the final papers Wednesday to annex the four regions and in a defiant move, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov held the door open for further land grabs in Ukraine, saying certain territories will be reclaimed, and we will keep consulting residents who would be eager to embrace Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the annexation by announcing Ukraines fast-track application to join NATO. In a decree released Tuesday, he also ruled out negotiations with Russia, declaring that Putins actions made talking to the Russian leader impossible.

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In his letter to U.N. member nations, Russias Nebenzia called the attempt by the U.S. and its allies to have the General Assembly condemn the referendums a clearly politicized and provocative development aimed at deepening the divide among U.N. member nations.

He claimed the Western actions have nothing to do with protecting international law and the U.N. Charter, and are only to pursue their own geopolitical objectives, alleging Western double-standards in backing Kosovos declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008 without a referendum.

Unlike Kosovo, Nebenzia said, the four Ukrainian regions are exposed to a real existential threat from Ukraine now.

The Russian ambassador said Moscow understands the huge pressure the United States and its allies will exert on other countries to support the resolution, and we also understand that in such circumstances it may be very difficult if positions are expressed publicly. Therefore, he said, Russia is proposing a secret ballot vote and calls on member states to support the initiative.

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Asked for reaction to the Russian move, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield replied: No comment.

While the Security Council has been stymied on taking action on Ukraine because of Russias veto power, the General Assembly has approved three resolutions.

It voted 141-5 with 35 abstentions on March 2 to demand an immediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of all its forces and protection for all civilians. On March 24, it voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions on a resolution blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and urging an immediate cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their survival.

But the assembly voted by a far smaller margin on April 7 to suspend Russia from the world organizations leading human rights body, the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the United States and Ukraine have called war crimes. The vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.

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UTHAI SAWAN, Thailand  A former police officer facing a drug charge burst into a day care center Thursday in Thailand, killing dozens of preschoolers and teachers and then shooting more people as he fled. At least 36 people were slain in the deadliest rampage in the nations history. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight The assailant, who was fired earlier this year, took his own life after killing his wife and child at home.

Photos taken by first responders showed the schools floor littered with the tiny bodies of children still on their blankets, where they had been taking an afternoon nap. The images showed slashes to their faces and gunshots to their heads and pools of blood.

A teacher told public broadcaster Thai PBS that the assailant got out of a car and immediately shot a man eating lunch outside, then fired more shots. When the attacker paused to reload, the teacher had an opportunity to run inside.

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I ran to the back, the children were asleep, said the young woman, who did not give her name, choking back her words. The children were two or three years old.

Another witness said staff at the day care center had locked the door, but the gunman shot his way in.

The teacher who died, she had a child in her arms, the witness, whose name wasnt given, told Thailands Kom Chad Luek television. I didnt think he would kill children, but he shot at the door and shot right through it.

At least 10 people were wounded, including six critically, police spokesman Archayon Kraithong said.

The attack took place in the rural town of Uthai Sawan in Thailands northeastern province of Nongbua Lamphu, one of the countrys poorest regions.

A video taken by a first responder arriving at the scene showed rescuers rushing into the single-story building past a shattered glass front door, with drops of blood visible on the ground in the entryway.

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In footage posted online after the attack, frantic family members could be heard weeping outside the building. One image showed the floor smeared with blood where sleeping mats were scattered around the room. Pictures of the alphabet and other colorful decorations adorned the walls.

Police identified the attacker as 34-year-old former police officer Panya Kamrap. Police Maj. Gen. Paisal Luesomboon told PPTV in an interview that he was fired from the force earlier this year because of the drug charge.

In a Facebook posting, Thai police chief Gen. Dumrongsak Kittiprapas said the man, who had been a sergeant, was due in court Friday for a hearing in the case involving methamphetamine, and speculated that he may have chosen the day care center because it was close to his home.

Earlier, Dumrongsak told reporters that the main weapon used was a 9mm pistol that the man had purchased himself. Paisal said he also had a shotgun and a knife.

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Thailand Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who planned to travel to the scene on Friday, told reporters that initial reports were that the former officer was having personal problems.

This shouldnt happen, he said. I feel deep sadness toward the victims and their relatives.

Police have not given a full breakdown of the death toll, but they have said at least 22 children and two adults were killed at the day care. At least two more children were killed elsewhere.

Some family members of those killed in the attack were still at the scene of the rampage late into the evening. Mental health workers sat with them, trying to bring comfort, according to Thai TBS television.

Firearm-related deaths in Thailand are much lower than in countries such as the United States and Brazil, but higher than in Japan and Singapore, which have strict gun-control laws. The rate of firearms related deaths in 2019 was about 4 per 100,000, compared with about 11 per 100,000 in the U.S. and nearly 23 per 100,000 in Brazil.

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Mass shootings are rare but not unheard of in Thailand, which has one of the highest civilian gun ownership rates in Asia, with 15.1 weapons per 100 population compared to only 0.3 in Singapore and 0.25 in Japan. Thats still far lower than the U.S. rate of 120.5 per 100 people, according to a 2017 survey by Australias GunPolicy.org nonprofit organization.

The countrys previous worst mass shooting involved a disgruntled soldier who opened fire in and around a mall in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima in 2020, killing 29 people and holding off security forces for some 16 hours before eventually being killed by them.

Nearly 60 others were wounded in that attack. Its death toll surpassed that of the previously worst attack on civilians, a 2015 bombing at a shrine in Bangkok that killed 20 people. It was allegedly carried out by human traffickers in retaliation for a crackdown on their network.

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Last month, a clerk shot co-workers at Thailands Army War College in Bangkok, killing two and wounding another before he was arrested.

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the TV station, Kom Chad Luek, not Kom Chad Leuk, and to correct the police chiefs name to Dumrongsak Kittiprapas, not Damrongsak Kittiprapha.

___

Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul, Elaine Kurtenbach and Grant Peck in Bangkok contributed to this report.

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By Trend

As previously reported, on 6 October President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev was interviewed by the Russian "Perviy Kanal" television.

Trend presents the interview.

My name is Yevgeniy, I am a correspondent of "Perviy Kanal". Thank you very much!

President Ilham Aliyev: Very nice to meet you. Thank you!

-Ilham Heydar oglu, you have repeatedly stated that the goal of the current offensive operation is the return of Karabakh. "Karabakh is our land and we will return there"  these are your words. Quite an unequivocal position. But the position of the opposite side is no less unambiguous  "We will not give up an inch of land". This, as it turns out, is a road to nowhere. In your opinion, what should happen for Azerbaijan and Armenia to sit down at the negotiating table?

-First of all, four resolutions of the UN Security Council, which were adopted in 1993, at a time when the Armenian occupying forces were seizing the territories of Azerbaijan, must be implemented. These resolutions send a very clear signal to the aggressor. They state that an immediate, unconditional and full return of the occupied territories must be ensured. Twenty-seven years have passed since then. The Armenian side does not comply with these resolutions, ignores them and tries in every possible way to freeze the conflict as much and as far as possible. All calls from the international community, including the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries, that the status quo is unacceptable and must be changed, remain in the air. Therefore, our position is based on the norms and principles of international law and on historical justice. Meanwhile, the Armenian position is based on historical lies and violation of the norms and principles of international law. As soon as the resolutions of the UN Security Council are implemented by Armenia, as soon as Armenia agrees to the withdrawal of its troops from the occupied territories, I am sure that both sides can come to an agreement that will establish peace in the Caucasus in a short time.

-Fighting has been going on for more than a week now and, judging by the video footage circulated by both sides, it is clear that the fighting is quite intense and involves heavy losses. Can you cite these figures from the Azerbaijani side?

-On our side, as a result of shelling from Armenia and from Nagorno-Karabakh, 27 civilians have been killed and more than 170 civilians have received wounds of varying degree of severity. More than 800 houses have been destroyed. The current escalation of the confrontation began on 27 September, when shelling of Azerbaijani settlements, as well as our combat positions, began from the occupied territories, as a result of which civilians and servicemen were killed in the very first minutes of this attack. We were forced to take adequate action and quickly launched a counteroffensive. As a result of this counteroffensive, we suppressed a large number of firing points and combat positions of the opposing side and liberated a part of the occupied territories in the northern and southern directions. Therefore, many settlements of Azerbaijan, citizens living there, can already live normally there because they are beyond the reach of Armenian artillery. In recent days, however, the shelling of the territory of Azerbaijan is carried out by long-range artillery from the territory of Armenia, using such deadly systems as "Point U" and "Elbrus", which represents a flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention, a crime, a war crime. The shelling of the town of Tartar, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the conflict zone, continues this morning too. The population of Ganja, the second largest city of Azerbaijan, was also shelled. One missile hit the territory of our largest power plant in Mingachevir. More than 10 of our cities and hundreds of villages are subjected to massive artillery bombardment. This is an old tactic of the Armenian side. Every time they suffer defeats on the battlefield, they resort to such ignoble actions, trying to harm the civilian population and thus attempting to stop the counteroffensive of the Azerbaijani army. But they are not succeeding and will not succeed.

-Is it possible to talk about military losses?

-Military losses. To date, the information related to this is confidential. The Azerbaijani public will be informed about this after the end of the active phase of hostilities.

-You are calling on Turkey to participate in the settlement of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. What exactly, in your opinion, should this participation consist in? Should there be a military or political effort?

-I said this yesterday, proceeding from the fact that Armenia's aggressive actions continue, proceeding from the fact that Armenia is trying in every possible way to involve as many countries as possible in this conflict. I spoke in an interview about the inadmissibility of such a policy. The conflict should not go beyond the borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. In fact, the conflict does not even enter the territory of Armenia. Despite the shelling from the Armenian territory, we do not strike any strikes on the territory of Armenia, we do not go into the territory of Armenia although there are all the possibilities to do that. The Armenian side is trying to drag the CSTO into this confrontation, but to no avail. It is trying to involve European countries. In essence, it is trying to internationalize this conflict, and we, accordingly, present our position on the inadmissibility of such an approach. Regarding my statement about Turkey's involvement. I meant, of course, only a political settlement, a post-conflict settlement. At the moment, Turkey is not in any way involved in the conflict, despite all rumors and insinuations in this regard. This is not supported by any facts  for example about the Turkish F-16 fighter shooting down an Armenian SU-25. This news circulated both in Russian and European media. There is no evidence. It turned out that the Armenian pilot, apparently due to a lack of professional training, crashed into the mountain. Such fake news are often thrown into circulation. I don't know for what purpose. I can only guess. But they have no foundation whatsoever. So, when the phase of the military confrontation ends, we will, of course, return to the negotiating table. By the way, from the very beginning of the hostilities, Azerbaijan said that we are not leaving the process of negotiations, we are counting on a political settlement, but there must be a settlement. We cannot sit and wait for another 30 years for pressure to be put on Armenia. Of course, Turkey, as a great country, as our neighbor and neighbor in the South Caucasus, has every right to take part in the mediation mission that will be carried out after the end of hostilities. Given that the current mediation mission has not led to any results for 28 years but led to inaction, to what we are seeing now, we must, of course, proceed from a pragmatic approach  who can really have a positive impact on events in the region, reduce escalation, establish a lasting peace and develop cooperation. Of course, first of all, I think, these are Turkey and Russia.

-You mentioned European countries. You responded quite harshly to the President of France and called on him to apologize for the words about the mercenaries who are fighting on the side of the Azerbaijani army. Can you confirm once again today that the mercenaries do not participate in the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh on the side of Azerbaijan?

-I have been talking about this all these days. I am surprised with such media speculation, and in my telephone conversations with the President of France I defended our position with sufficient reasoning. First, I asked for evidence, and if there is no evidence, then he should apologize to the Azerbaijani people. Secondly, I said we do not need mercenaries. Today Azerbaijan has a powerful army. According to all international ratings, it is among top 50 most powerful armies in the world. We have 100,000 fighters under arms, not counting the reservists and not counting other paramilitary formations ready for battle. Today the Azerbaijani army is liberating our territories. Videos from the scene of hostilities show our artillery and drones in action, they should, Azerbaijani soldiers and officers planting flags in the lands already liberated from occupation. Therefore, these accusations are unfounded, we resolutely reject them and cannot allow such rumors and unverified data to somehow manipulate public opinion. Let them provide evidence. We are in the tenth day of hostilities, but no evidence has been presented to us.

-If we assume that the hostilities are over and Azerbaijan has achieved its goals, what is the future for Karabakh given the number of Armenians living there? What will happen to them?

-I have also repeatedly spoken on this topic before and during the escalation. As recently as yesterday, in an interview with a Turkish TV channel, I said that we consider the Armenians living in the territory of Karabakh our citizens. And we believe that after the settlement of the conflict, after the end of the occupation, the Armenian and Azerbaijani population of Nagorno-Karabakh should live together, as has been the case for many years. When the conflict began in the late 1980s, 75 percent of the population in Nagorno-Karabakh was Armenian and 25 percent Azerbaijani. The city of Shusha, where they held the so-called "inauguration" of the leader of the criminal regime and insulted the Azerbaijani people, consisted of the Azerbaijani population by 98 percent. The city of Shusha was founded by the Azerbaijani Panahali Khan. This is an ancient Azerbaijani city from which all Azerbaijanis were expelled. So after the end of the conflict, after a peaceful settlement, which, by the way, is reflected in the fundamental principles, the so-called Madrid principles, the Azerbaijani population should return to the occupied territories. It is explicitly stated that all displaced persons have the right to return to their places of residence. Thus, after a peace agreement is reached, and I hope that this will happen, the Azerbaijanis will return to Nagorno-Karabakh and will live where they used to live. My position has always been that we must return to the atmosphere that existed before the start of the conflict in the late 1980s. I think it is possible. It will not be easy after what the Armenian executioners did in Khojaly, having exterminated the civilian population, destroyed our historical and religious sites and erased the historical heritage of Azerbaijanis from these territories. It will not be easy. But I believe that we should strive for this. And my appeal to the people of Armenia and to those who live in Nagorno-Karabakh now was repeatedly expressed during the hostilities. I called on the Armenian people to reason their government. I called on Armenian mothers not to send their children to the occupied territories. It is probably no secret for anyone that the so-called army of Nagorno-Karabakh does not exist. What is called the army of Nagorno-Karabakh consists by 90 percent of the citizens of Armenia. I made these calls. I have not heard such calls from the Armenian side these days  apart from hatred, apart from aggression, apart from threats and apart from completely inappropriate actions. Our position is that we are in favor of a peaceful settlement of the conflict. I am confident that if there is political will on the part of Armenia, we will be able to achieve this.

Ilham Heydar oglu, sooner or later, all wars end in peace. How do you imagine this moment?

-You know, it is difficult to talk about this because our people have experienced so much grief, so much suffering has been inflicted on them by Armenian occupiers that it is very difficult to imagine this moment now as a holistic picture. We have not had peace for over 30 years. What we had over the past more than two decades has been a truce. But everyone understood that it was unstable, it was not durable. Therefore, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group represented by the presidents of Russia, the United States and France made statements several years ago, there was more than one statement of this kind, that the status quo is unacceptable and that it must be changed. They perfectly understood and understand that this truce is very fragile and unstable. Today's escalation confirms this once again. Therefore, if we talk about peace, first of all, I see it as a political settlement that would be comprehensive, that would be long-term, that would be eternal with serious guarantees from leading countries of the world, countries that would be acceptable to both Azerbaijan and Armenia. I do not exclude that the composition of these countries may be different from the composition of the Minsk Group and its co-chairs today. Because the Minsk Group was set up in 1992, in completely different geopolitical realities, just after the collapse of the USSR and, to be honest, I don't quite understand the basis on which this group was established. Because there must be some principle on which this or that association or temporary format is created. Therefore, I think that, returning to what we talked about earlier, the active participation of regional powers, guarantees of international organizations and, of course, the return of Azerbaijanis to the lands that rightfully belong to them.

-A clarifying question. What configuration can that be, in your opinion?

-It is probably premature to talk about it. I think I am slightly jumping the gun already. I just want our neighbors and partners to know my position. I think that regional cooperation has already proved its worth in many areas. If we pay attention to recent years, we can see that Azerbaijan, together with its neighbors, has worked very hard to create a strong regional cooperation format  political, economic, transport, energy and any other. Suffice it to look at the achievements we have made after many years by signing the Convention on the Settlement of the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea. Almost from the very beginning of their independence, some of the five Caspian littoral countries could not agree but then, showing good will, we came to agreement and saw the advantages. Today, cooperation between such a great power as Russia and such a great power as Turkey, a NATO member, is much more sincere, durable and effective than cooperation of NATO member Turkey with, say, another NATO country that constantly accuses Turkey of something. These are new geopolitical realities. This was not the case in 1992. The world has changed. It is changing right before our eyes. And we must proceed from this, not from any dogmas, not from any assumptions or established opinions that this or that country has a potential for a solution. Today, when the conflict has entered an active phase and when the Armenian prime minister, as I can see, is annoying world leaders with his phone calls, it is clear who has the potential for settlement. These are the countries that have the potential for a settlement, the countries Azerbaijan respects for dignity, justice and sincerity. They should be the guarantors of long-term peace.

-Thank you very much for the detailed answers and for the interview.

-Thank you!














-- Cybin strengthens its intellectual property library with more than 20 active patent filings across six patent families, and multiple license agreements that provide access to over 35 patents and applications --

TORONTO, October 06, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cybin Inc. (NEO:CYBN) (NYSE AMERICAN:CYBN) ("Cybin" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on progressing Psychedelics to Therapeutics, is pleased to provide an update on its intellectual property ("IP") progress in support of its research and development strategy. The Company continues to prioritize the development of in-house IP and licensing opportunities that support its active development programs and future novel drug candidates.

Cybin currently has more than 20 active patent filings - 14 of which were filed this year alone - across 6 patent families. Additionally, the Company has entered into multiple licensing agreements that provide Cybin with additional access to IP from over 15 more patents or patent applications. Collectively, Cybin has access to more than 35 patents and applications through a combination of internal filings and licensing arrangements.

"Securing and maintaining a robust IP portfolio is an important component of our approach to successful drug development," said Doug Drysdale, Chief Executive Officer of Cybin. "We are focused on adding targeted IP that we believe complements our research and development strategy, supports our position as an innovator in the psychedelic therapeutics space, and will continue to build shareholder value."

Cybins three-pillar strategy leverages the Companys core competencies in preclinical innovation and clinical development toward the creation of intellectual property focused on developing the Companys platform technology, the progression of clinical development programs including CYB003, a deuterated psilocybin analog, CYB004, a deuterated dimethyltryptamine (DMT), CYB005, phenethylamine derivatives, and an expansive list of preclinical molecules to facilitate future development opportunities.

Story continues

"Supplemented by our agreements with multiple licensors, our IP extends across six patent families, and we have an expansive number of preclinical compounds to explore that have the potential to strengthen our R&D pipeline and support our mission of bringing important new therapeutic options to treating multiple mental health disorders," concluded Drysdale.

Cybins wholly owned subsidiary Cybin IRL Limited recently entered into licensing agreements that collectively provide the Company with access to a broad range of preclinical molecule combinations for its library of psychedelic derivative drug development candidates. These agreements include the acquisition of an exclusive license to a targeted class of tryptamine-based molecules from Mindset Pharma Inc. (CSE: MSET) (FSE: 9DF) (OTCQB: MSSTF) as announced by the Company in September 2022.

About Cybin

Cybin is a leading ethical biopharmaceutical company, working with a network of world-class partners and internationally recognized scientists, on a mission to create safe and effective therapeutics for patients to address a multitude of mental health issues. Headquartered in Canada and founded in 2019, Cybin is operational in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Ireland. The Company is focused on progressing Psychedelics to Therapeutics by engineering proprietary drug discovery platforms, innovative drug delivery systems, novel formulation approaches and treatment regimens for mental health disorders.

Cautionary Notes and Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including, without limitation, statements regarding Cybins future, strategy, plans, objectives, goals and targets, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words "believe", "expect", "aim", "intend", "plan", "continue", "will", "may", "would", "anticipate", "estimate", "forecast", "predict", "project", "seek", "should" or similar expressions or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the Companys plan to engineer proprietary drug development platforms, innovative drug delivery systems, novel formulation approaches, potential treatment regimens for psychiatric disorders and development of medicinal psychedelics to address unmet medical needs.

These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; expectations regarding the size of the psychedelics market; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives; plans for growth; political, social and environmental uncertainties; employee relations; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions in the markets where the Company operates; and the risk factors set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended June 30, 2022 and the Company's annual information form for the year ended March 31, 2022, which are available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

Cybin makes no medical, treatment or health benefit claims about Cybins proposed products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada or other similar regulatory authorities have not evaluated claims regarding psilocybin, psychedelic tryptamine, tryptamine derivatives or other psychedelic compounds or nutraceutical products. The efficacy of such products has not been confirmed by approved research. There is no assurance that the use of psilocybin, psychedelic tryptamine, tryptamine derivatives or other psychedelic compounds or nutraceuticals can diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition. Vigorous scientific research and clinical trials are needed. Cybin has not conducted clinical trials for the use of its proposed products. Any references to quality, consistency, efficacy and safety of potential products do not imply that Cybin verified such in clinical trials or that Cybin will complete such trials. If Cybin cannot obtain the approvals or research necessary to commercialize its business, it may have a material adverse effect on Cybins performance and operations.

Neither the Neo Exchange Inc. nor the NYSE American LLC stock exchange have approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and are not responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the contents herein.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005305/en/

Contacts

Investors & Media:

Leah Gibson

Vice President, Investor Relations & Strategic Communications

Cybin Inc.

irteam@cybin.com - or - media@cybin.com



Gabriel Fahel

Chief Legal Officer

Cybin Inc.

1-866-292-4601
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.
In the cover photograph of her new biography, the young Agatha Christie looks supremely confident. Perhaps she was. During her long career she would break records for both detective fiction and the theatre. Like Dickens, with similar following and sales, she was a great inimitable.

She is also a difficult subject. Her greatest adventure was when she literally became elusive, going missing for 11 days after the breakdown of her marriage in 1926, which caused a sensation. Unlike her mysteries, it still cannot be fully explained. The same applies to the lady, a highly private person, devoted to her work.

She presented a facade of the commonplace and conventional, but her success shows she was not an ordinary woman. She had her quirks and unorthodoxies: as a female surfer in the 1920s; divorcing at a time when it was still declasse; and remarrying a man 14 years younger.

Agatha Christie seen in 1946 with her husband, Max Mallowan, whom she married after her first marriage collapsed. Credit:

Like her fiction, Christie was supremely adaptable. She needed to be, living through a century marked by extreme change. Her family were middle-class wealthy, but came down in the world. Young Agatha Miller was bright, but under-educated, except for matrimony. She attracted many proposals, but married for love. Archibald Christie, says biographer Lucy Worsley, was hot. He also was almost immediately summoned to World War I.
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.
Loading In a different recording, another City on a Hill leader said practising homosexuality was a sin. Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich said he was pleased the words had been removed. Im glad that the reference was excised from the original text, he said on Thursday evening, but added Pastor Mason will not get a free pass for leaving the video of the sermon on the site. He said it made may wonder about whether the church understood the gravity of the exploitation of the Holocaust and called on them to remove the video.

I also urge the pastor to provide an assurance that he will refrain from invoking the suffering deaths of millions to promote their agenda. That is the least he should do. The apology from the church comes after prominent Christian and gambling reform campaigner Reverend Tim Costello said the fierce debate over Thorburns resignation highlighted the need for a bill of rights. Meanwhile, Premier Daniel Andrews responded to criticism from Melbourne Catholic Archbishop Peter Comensoli over his commentary on the issue. [Im] not here to be having a debate with faith leaders, Andrews said. Im a Catholic. I send my kids to Catholic schools. My faith is important to me and guides me every day.

Costello, a former CEO of World Vision Australia, said the nation needed to have a more nuanced conversation about balancing religious freedom and inclusivity than had unfolded since Thorburns departure from the Bombers, over his connection to a controversial church. I think weve had a rush to judgment. I think its been probably unfair to Andrew. Sadly and depressingly, for me, its triggered the culture wars, Costello told ABC Radio National on Thursday. Weve got warriors on both sides wanting to fight the culture wars. And then theres most of us, like me, who are the exhausted middle, who are going, Who can win a culture war? Whats the point of this? Thorburn, a former boss of National Australia Bank, was appointed Essendons CEO on Monday but resigned on Tuesday amid criticism of his role as chair of the conservative City on a Hill church, which is part of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne.

Masons contentious sermon had been on the churchs website since 2013, but came to prominence this week when Thorburn landed the job at the Bombers. Costello said, if Australia had a bill of rights the competing views of its complex, multicultural society would be managed in a more civil way than this week. Melbourne Anglican Archbishop Philip Freier. Credit:Eddie Jim I think its outrageous were the only western democracy without one. Thats the way you actually deal with this, particularly in a multicultural society, Costello said. A bill of rights is the mechanism to say how we actually settle this down and make sure that there is a legal framework for both respect and tolerance, and freedom of religion and conscience.

Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne Dr Philip Freier told ABC Radio Melbourne he had advocated for a national bill of rights based on Victorias human rights charter. He said it was crazy Thorburn had been forced to choose between his Essendon job and chairing his church. Freier, who oversees the Melbourne Anglican diocese  which includes the City on a Hill church  said Anglicanism was a diverse organisation but disagreed with the controversial sermons view of abortion and gay marriage. Freier, an Essendon supporter, said the clubs decision to ask Thorburn to pick between chairing his church and continuing as the Bombers boss was a knee-jerk reaction. He added similar religion-based employment decisions were prohibited in Victoria under the states bill of rights.

It just seems remarkable to me that it exists in all of that space, but just kind of overflows into this chaos in other circumstances, he said. The Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act establishes 20 rights, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief. Andrew Thorburn resigned as Essendons chief executive the day after his appointment. Credit:Peter Braig I think Victoria has a good opportunity for pulling back a bit and understanding the good principles we have in the bill of human rights and responsibilities and how we enact that more broadly. Ive been advocate for that to happen at the national level, Freier said. Costello, also an Essendon fan, said he knew Thorburn during his tenure as NAB boss.

Loading He said Thorburn was very principled, but acknowledged he looked very ordinary after adverse findings from the banking royal commission. Costello added Essendon should have paused to consider his churchs views after the issue arose on Monday. When Essendon says, We want to be the most diverse club in the AFL, they really now have a problem, Costello said. This has ripple effects that we just need to pause and think about. The Victorian premier, state Opposition Leader Matthew Guy and federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton sparred over the controversy on Wednesday, with the Liberal leaders depicting Thorburns resignation as a form of religious persecution.
The costs of buying carbon credits to comply with Australias climate target will be less than 0.1 per cent of big mining and gas companies multibillion-dollar profits, new analysis shows, ramping up pressure on the government to restrict the use of credits to put the burden of emissions reduction on polluters that can most afford it.

The federal government recently upgraded its climate target to cut emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 and will use a policy known as the safeguard mechanism to impose pollution caps on the 215 largest industrial emitters to deliver a large chunk of the greenhouse gas savings it needs to achieve.

A bucket wheel reclaimer at a coal stockpile in Newcastle Port. Credit:Bloomberg

The federal energy department is considering allowing companies to buy Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) to offset their emissions instead of directly investing in new technology, and carve-outs for target industries.

The Greens and independent senators who could hold the crucial votes for the government to pass its safeguard mechanism reforms through parliament want the government to restrict or refuse fossil fuel companies access to ACCUs.
Exhibit G was shown on the screen, disembodied from its owner  the white, sleeveless midi cocktail dress Brittany Higgins was wearing the night she alleges Bruce Lehrmann raped her.

Lehrmann, whose sexual assault trial is being heard in the ACT Supreme Court, is pleading not guilty to the charge against him.

He sat with his head down, taking notes, as the jury looked at a picture of the dress, which had been laid out for photographing like a ghost from his previous life, and from Higgins.

Brittany Higgins arrives at court on Thursday. Credit:Getty Images

The complainant sat in the witness box, undergoing examination by Crown Prosecutor Shane Drumgold, SC.
Weve seen U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes duke it out in ads and on social media since August, but Friday will be the first time the U.S. Senate candidates participate together in a televised debate.

Heres what you should know about the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association debate, which is scheduled to air from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday.

How to tune in

You can watch  or listen  to the debate on more than 70 radio and television channels across Wisconsin. If you want to watch the debate and you live in Madison, you can tune in to PBS Wisconsin, Wisconsin EYE, WISC-TV (Ch. 3), WKOW-TV (Ch. 27), WMSN-TV (Ch. 47), WMTV-TV (Ch. 15), C-SPAN National Cable Network or Fox Nation.

For radio listeners in Madison, WERN-FM, WHA-AM and WTTN-AM are streaming live, while WORT-FM will be replaying the debate Oct. 10.

For a full list of networks where you can listen, watch or livestream the debate, go to tinyurl.com/wisconsin-debate.

Whos asking questions?

Veteran broadcast journalist Jill Geisler will be moderating the debate.

Alongside Geisler will be panelists:

A.J. Bayatpour, Capitol bureau chief, WKOW, Madison

Mark Leland, anchor/reporter, WLUK, Green Bay

Kim Murphy, anchor, WITI, Milwaukee

Montse Ricossa, news anchor, Telemundo Wisconsin

Dale Ryman, anchor/reporter, WSAW, Wausau

Brad Williams, anchor/reporter, WIZM Radio, La Crosse

Next debate

A second debate between Johnson and Barnes is scheduled to take place at Marquette University from 6 to 7 p.m. Oct. 13. Madisonians can watch the debate on WMTV (Ch. 15).
London: British homes and businesses could face rolling three-hour blackouts in the coming months if the country cannot import electricity from Europe and source enough gas to fuel gas-fired power plants.

National Grid, the company in charge of Britains electricity and gas systems, warned on Thursday that millions of British households would need to cut back on energy consumption to avoid the worst-case scenarios.

A pub in Cornwall, England has resorted to using candles because of spiralling energy costs. Credit:Masons Arms

Countries across Europe are drawing up winter contingency plans against the disruption of flows of gas from Russia because of the war in Ukraine, which could lead to rationing and a curb in exports of energy to other countries.

A shortage of gas in Europe, as well as maintenance issues with several French nuclear power plants and low water levels at Norways hydropower plants, have raised the risk Britain could be unable to secure the gas it needs or the imports of electricity it typically receives from the continent.
Ukrainian pothole. (Courtesy of State Sen. Tom Brewer)

LINCOLN  An old soldier is headed back to the front lines in Ukraine, saying that at certain times in history, you need to get involved.

You can either sit on the sidelines and watch history go by or dive in and try to make a difference, said State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, a decorated military veteran, who represents Nebraskas Sandhills in the State Legislature.

Brewer, 64, will return to Ukraine on Oct. 14, just after undergoing another chemotherapy treatment for an ongoing bout with leukemia.

Battling cancer, COVID

A month ago, he was battling a combination of COVID-19, pneumonia and a sinus infection, but on Wednesday Brewer pronounced himself good to go.

Brewer, a sniper by training, spent a month this summer touring the war-torn country, delivering humanitarian supplies and talking to soldiers and civilians.

But this time, his mission will be to deliver electronic Bibles to Ukrainian soldiers and chaplains through a Kyiv-based Christian outreach group, Young With a Mission (YWAM). He said he has also been asked, because of his military experience, to help evacuate some elderly people in no-mans land between the Ukrainian and Russian lines.

Theyre trapped, Brewer said. They have no electricity and no natural gas, and little access to food. So it would be unlikely they they could survive the winter.

Chaplains ask for Bibles

Military chaplains he met in Ukraine during his summer trip said they needed Bibles they could read in the dark, at the front, without drawing the attention of enemy fire, he said.

So the senator, who was wounded twice during deployments to Afghanistan, said he did some research and found some electronic Bibles on Kindle-type devices, as well as some solar-power Bibles that the 49 chaplains that serve the Ukrainian military can use.

YWAM is paying for the 1,000 Bibles, according to Brewer, while he is paying for the expenses of the trip.

I think it will be a nice thing to share, especially for the guys in hospital, said the senator, who was raised a Baptist in the Gordon area.

U.S. aid has made a big difference

Brewer dodged a few artillery rounds on his last trip, which took him near the battle lines in eastern and southern Ukraine, and he expects this trip will present the same kinds of hazards.

Part of the trip, he said, will take him near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeast Ukraine, which the Russians have occupied since March and where fighting has been fierce in recent weeks.

Brewer said U.S. military aid has made a big difference for Ukraine in the war, especially the highly accurate High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) systems sent over.

If it wasnt for us, they would be speaking Russian right now, he said.

Fears nuclear bomb use

Brewer said he would support sending longer range rocket systems to Ukraine, so troops could knock out Russian missile launch facilities. But he fears that Russian President Vladimir Putin would use tactical nuclear bombs to retaliate, after his troops lost some territory they had captured during the six-month-long war.

I fear that hes boxed in a corner and he has to do something, Brewer said.

The senator said he expects to be back in Nebraska in time for a sinus surgery in early December and then meetings with new state senators in advance of the 2023 legislative session, which will begin Jan. 4.

When I was over there the first time, I saw a need for some things, he said. Now, I have a window before the session (starts).
HARRISBURG  In his campaign for a U.S. Senate seat, Democrat John Fetterman takes credit for reinventing Pennsylvanias lieutenant governors office, transforming it from a political pit stop into a bully pulpit from which hes advanced progressive causes.

Records from Fettermans four years in office, however, offer a different portrait of his time in the $179,000-a-year elected job. They show Fetterman typically kept a light work schedule and was often absent from state business, including presiding over the state Senate, which is one of his chief duties, according to an Associated Press review of his daily calendars and attendance records.

The review found that Fettermans daily schedule was blank during roughly one-third of workdays from January 2019, when he first took office, to May of this year, when he suffered a serious stroke. Even on days where his schedule showed he was active, a typical work day for Fetterman lasted between four and five hours, the records show.

The findings, which focus entirely on his tenure before his stroke, are notable because Fetterman points to his time as lieutenant governor as a leading credential in his Senate campaign. And as his bid for a seat that could swing the Senate majority becomes more competitive, some Democrats privately worry that Fetterman is proving a lackluster candidate and losing ground in the campaign.

Fettermans campaign didnt explain the gaps in his schedule. In a statement, his spokesman, Joe Calvello, said that this report is a misleading and inaccurate reflection of Johns actual schedule that totally fails to capture the breadth of his official work and his accomplishments.

Fetterman didnt respond to interview requests, but he said in a statement that hes shown I can have an impact beyond the prescribed power of a given office.

As lieutenant governor, he said, my record of showing up and shaking up this office has transformed the Board of Pardons, saved Pennsylvania millions in taxpayer dollars, and grown support in our state for defending LGBTQIA+ rights, weed legalization, union workers, and raising the minimum wage.

The job of lieutenant governor is typically a stopover for politicians seeking higher office and often comes with limited duties. In Pennsylvania, the primary legal responsibilities for a lieutenant governor are presiding over Senate sessions, chairing the Board of Pardons and heading up the governors emergency management committee.

Theres no suggestion that Fettermans absences prevented the state from conducting important business, and his formal calendars may not capture the full range of his activities.

And, due at least in part to Fettermans criminal justice advocacy, the state agency that handles applications for pardons and commutations of life sentences saw a surge in activity while he chaired it. That produced a big jump in grants of clemency by Gov. Tom Wolf.

Fettermans defenders say the pandemic sapped opportunities for him to take a more active role and that Wolf did not call on him to take on a bigger workload.

I believe he ... would have to liked to, state Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, said of Fetterman. Every time (Wolf) called on John to communicate, he did.

In a statement, Wolf said Fettermans office has limited responsibilities but called him a dedicated public servant who has supported my priorities over the past four years.

Fettermans daily schedules offer a window into his time in office, detailing his obligations including meetings, phone calls, hearings and even drive time to events around the state.

In 2019, Fettermans first year in office, he regularly attended ribbon cuttings and conducted a statewide listening tour focused on legalizing marijuana. Still, on 47 different work days he had nothing on his schedules.

His workload plummeted after the coronavirus pandemic hit, the schedules show.

For months, starting in March 2020, his work days often consisted of a morning meeting focused on the pandemic that typically lasted 45 minutes, sometimes followed by interviews with local and national journalists. Occasionally he would attend virtual events.

But Fetterman also did not take an active role and seldom participated in the daily Cabinet meetings, even though he was tapped to head a task force on disparities in the COVID-19 response. It produced a 32-page report.

In some cases, he booked national media interviews during times he otherwise had state business to attend to, including presiding over the Senate, or pandemic work group meetings.

During a one-month period beginning in October 2020, the vast majority of events listed on Fettermans calendar were interviews with national or Washington-based news outlets, with a scattering of official duties and events mixed in, the records show.

In 2021, Fettermans calendars showed 115 work days with no activities or events listed. That includes a period that stretched from the end of June to mid-September where Fettermans schedules were largely blank, listing a total of about 11 hours worked during that period.

In the first half of 2022, lasting up to his stroke, there are nearly 70 days with nothing listed on his schedule.

Fettermans work ethic has been a persistent focus of attack in the Senate campaign by Republicans who characterize the 53-year-old as a trust fund beneficiary who never had a paying job until he was elected lieutenant governor. Fettermans father was a partner in an insurance firm.

Asked on a radio program Wednesday to respond to the claim that hed never worked a day in your life, Fetterman said it wasnt true.

For 13 years he was the mayor of Braddock, a struggling steel town of 2,000 residents outside Pittsburgh.

He called being mayor a full-time job, fighting to bring (back) a community that was abandoned, left behind. Fetterman has also told of working for an insurance firm in Connecticut in the 1990s. He also held a job helping people get GED certificates.

Still, Fettermans 2015 financial disclosure when he first ran for U.S. Senate showed that he was paid just $1,800 a year to be Braddocks mayor and lived off $54,000 given to him by his parents that year alone. Property records show that he bought his home in Braddock from his sister for $1.

That has fueled a 25-second digital ad from the campaign of Republican nominee Mehmet Oz that touts the legend Freeloading Fetterman over the vague image of a man in a black hoodie  Fetterman wears hoodies just about everywhere he goes. The narrator finishes, Thank goodness for daddys deep pockets.

At a rally in Wilkes-Barre last month, former President Donald Trump called Fetterman a spoiled and entitled socialist loser who leeched off his parents money  you know he lives on his parents money  until he was 49 years old.

Its a line of criticism first used by Fettermans Democratic rivals in past campaigns, whispering that he blew off city council meetings rather than face critics while serving as mayor of Braddock.

Records show that Fetterman skipped at least 53 city council meetings during his 13 years as the towns mayor, or roughly one-third of the meetings held during his tenure.

Its a trend that extends to his duties presiding over the state Senate.

In 2020, Fetterman did not preside during 27 of the 53 Senate sessions that year, according to Senate journals, a period when the chamber adapted to the pandemic by letting numerous members connect to sessions through video links.

Fetterman did not show up for one-third of the Senates 59 session days in 2021. This year, he was present for 15 of 16 session days before suffering a stroke in May.

He came back to preside over the Senates session on Sept. 21  then skipped the next two days of Senate sessions as he returned to the campaign trail.

Fettermans campaign attributes 20 of his absences in 2020 to COVID-19 restrictions  although that did not stop a number of senators from attending sessions in person. It also attributed 10 absences to conflicts with Board of Pardons meetings or other official business.
New Jersey officials are calling for a regional approach to investigate a deadly car rally that took place in Wildwood, New Jersey, during the weekend of Sept. 23-25, and to make sure it does not happen again.

Crashes related to the unsanctioned rally left two people dead, including a Carlisle woman, and several others seriously injured, and disrupted Wildwood and other communities as thousands of drivers flocked to the shore for an event organized through social media.

On that Saturday night, there were two serious accidents at close to the same time in Wildwood. In both instances, charges have been filed and officials connected the crashes to the rally.

Gerald White, 37, of Pittsburgh, faces two counts of aggravated manslaughter and other charges, including leaving the scene of an accident, after a collision that led to two deaths, including Lindsay Weakland, 18, of Carlisle, at Burk and Atlantic avenues in Wildwood.

Weakland, a 2022 Cumberland Valley High School graduate, is the daughter of Mark and Sharon Weakland of Carlisle.

Eryk R. Wnek, 22, of Linden, Union County, has been charged with aggravated assault and assault by automobile in a different crash.

On Wednesday, Middle Township Mayor Tim Donohue joined Cape May County Commissioner Leonard Desiderio and Martin Pagliughi, the director of the county Office of Emergency Management, to call for a regional task force to investigate the events leading up to the weekend.

The event, H2oi, was said to take place in Wildwood, but the effects spilled over into other communities, including those sharing the barrier island and those on the mainland, such as Middle Township.

While the Wildwood Police Department struggled to maintain order, Middle Township and other Cape May County communities were also forced to mobilize extensive resources, call for mutual aid and fund staff overtime to deal with a constant barrage of challenges and complaints related to these flagrant violations of the law, all coordinated via social media, Donohue said in a statement. The criminal element within these groups, from outside our county, with absolutely zero respect for the law or for the safety and welfare of our communities, must be prosecuted to the fullest extent.

According to Desiderio, task force organizers will reach out to local and county elected officials and law enforcement agencies to discuss details on the makeup and mission of the proposed group.

The people we serve are rightfully demanding answers, Desiderio said. We must be open and transparent as we take steps to determine how and why these dangerous and ultimately tragic events occurred.

Pagliughi said his office is coordinating with the Cape May County Sheriffs Office and the county Chiefs of Police Association to gather data and statistics from several municipalities on their response to the H2oi car meetups.

We need to build consensus on a regional plan to ensure this can never happen again in our hometowns, Pagliughi said. This task force will be challenged to develop an effective and unified approach that leaves no window of opportunity open in any Cape May County municipality for a recurrence of this type of dangerous mayhem and lawlessness.

The statement released Wednesday did not say who would make up the task force or what authority it would have.

Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron was not mentioned in a statement announcing the task force plans. On Wednesday afternoon, he indicated he would have his own statement to release Thursday.

Police in several jurisdictions said they had their hands full responding to calls that Saturday as participants announced new locations on social media as other sites were blocked off or brought under control.
A gunman was fatally shot by police officers after a violent spree in Texas that left one dead and three more wounded.

The violence kicked off Wednesday night alongside a road in Baytown around 6:30 p.m.

Baytown police Lt. Steve Dorris said the gunman got into an argument with a man and a woman still inside their vehicle before he started shooting. The man died from a gunshot wound to the head while the woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

After the gunfire, another woman  who was driving by to meet up with a friend 10 minutes down the road  pulled over to see what had just happened. She was also shot by the gunman, who then fled the scene. Dorris said a short time later, he got into an argument with another man that was unrelated to the initial shooting, and then shot him too.

He was critically injured and airlifted to a Houston-area hospital.

The suspect then returned to the site of the initial shooting, where he engaged in a shootout with law enforcement. Dorris said he was killed in the exchange.

Its unclear whether the man knew any of the victims. Authorities have not identified anyone involved.

Dorris said the investigation, which is very complex and involving multiple crime scenes, is ongoing.
If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here.

PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

- The Palmer Township Board of Supervisors denied a conditional use for two warehouses proposed by developer Abe Atiyeh.

- B. Braun bought Starboard Medical's Clif-FIX line of devices that secure catheters for an undisclosed price.

- The Lowhill Township Planning Commission denied a plan for a warehouse at 7503 Kernsville Road, saying it would change the character of the rural township.

- Just A Dream Frozen Yogurt in Forks Township closed its doors after 10 years.

- Khanisa's Pudding Bar held a grand opening at its new Downtown Allentown Market location after having moved from Easton.

- Mussel Polymers Inc. says its glue for bonding carbon and synthetic fibers is a big step toward creating lighter and stronger fiber-reinforced materials.

- Poke Bar 25 & Bubble Tea in the Shops at Bethlehem (the Giant shopping center on Easton Avenue in Bethlehem Township, on the border with the City of Bethlehem) will open in late November or early December.

- The former Rosanna's Restaurant in Bethlehem, which closed in February, will reopen as a deli and bar called Rosa's Corner.

- Victaulic has expanded in Tennessee with the acquisition of Tennessee Metal Fabricating, price not disclosed.

- The old Forks Diner will be serving auto-repair customers by early spring of 2023 with a six-bay garage known as Wrenchtec.

- Lehigh County-based Shift4 Payments stepped in to help the owners of Better on the Bone Butcher and Deli in Pottstown finally open their doors.

- Mid Penn Bank opened a new, bigger location in Blue Bell.

- Balloon Junction held a grand opening in Pottsville for its store offering custom balloon creations.

- Rentschler's Ice Cream has reopened just a few doors down from its former location in Ringtown after it was destroyed by a fire in February.

- Mill Street Aesthetics, a day spa and skincare boutique, held a grand opening in Belvidere, New Jersey.

- Provident Financial Services agreed to acquire Lakeland Bancorp in a stock deal valued at $1.3 billion, creating a bank that will hold 4% of the deposits in New Jersey.
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. &&
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Sheetz fans in Lehigh County had a reason to celebrate Thursday.

A grand opening bash was held at the new Sheetz in the 900 block of Trexlertown Road in Upper Macungie Township.

The store gave out prizes and treated customers to free self-serve coffee and soda.

"It takes a lot of work to get a store from empty lot to the building that we see behind us, so we appreciate the efforts of our store team and wish them the best of success as we get the doors open here," said Sheetz Public Relations Manager Nick Ruffner.

Sheetz also donated $2500 each to Second Harvest Food Bank and Special Olympics of Pennsylvania.
The devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Ian will be felt for a long time.

"When we walked out, it was like something out of a war zone. It was just devastating," said Margaret Cruz, whose home was destroyed.

Some are still desperate for basic necessities a week later.

"I would rather, as the governor said, if you had a choice between water and electric, give me water," said Cindy Walton, who also lost her home.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrived in Florida Wednesday to tour some of the hardest hit areas.

"Search and rescue teams have knocked on nearly 70,000 doors and rescued over 3,800 people," Biden said.

Biden met with Gov. Ron DeSantis and extended the Federal Disaster Declaration for Florida for another 30 days.

"Today we have one job and only one job, and that's to make sure the people of Florida get everything they need to fully and thoroughly recover," Biden said.

And to help with recovery, more than 30 volunteers from the Greater Pennsylvania region are in Florida to help with the aftermath. Six of those volunteers are from the Lehigh Valley area.

The Red Cross says its emergency vehicles are delivering food and relief supplies. They're also helping people replace their medications, eyeglasses or critical medical equipment like canes and wheelchairs.

The Red Cross says volunteers from all 50 states will be helping people recover for the weeks and months to come.
Thursday is a big day for WFMZ.

The antenna that blasts our signal across the Lehigh Valley and beyond is being replaced.

A helicopter has been taking off from and landing in our parking lot in Salisbury Township, Lehigh County, to carry pieces up to the tower on South Mountain.

So why is it getting replaced, and what does it mean for our staff and viewers?

"It'll allow broadcasters to do far more for consumers at home, and allow the TVs and the over-the-air signals to interact with the internet, and give a lot more capabilities for everything from emergency alerting to various high-level programming," said Barry Fisher, general manager of WFMZ.

Ultimately, we're gearing up for future broadcasts standards.

"The TV antenna is basically a 16-inch round pipe that has slots in it. And then there's an element in the center that radiates the energy outward and broadcast," Fisher said.

And the process is an incredibly intricate one.

"The top section of the old tower comes off, a new top section goes on that's built especially for this new antenna, and then the new antenna is lifted onto the tower," Fisher said.

A crew on the ground is working with a crew in the sky.

"We've been here for about a week, just preparing for one day," said Paul Fitzs, chief operating officer of Vertical Technology Services. "Every lift is about 6,500 pounds, which is right about the helicopter capacity."

The 69 News sunrise and noon broadcasts are taking place at the PPL Center studio in downtown Allentown on Thursday, as WFMZ staff follow safety protocols.

"They can be completely operating from the facility at the PPL Center, without even being connected to the TV station," Fisher said.

It's also an opportunity to test out our backup facility.

"Because when disasters happen, people are relying on us," Fisher said.

The new antenna is shared by three stations, WFMZ, WLVT and WBPH.
TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey lawmakers are pushing ahead with a plan they hope will help make navigating the Motor Vehicle Commission's website a little easier.

A bill setting up a call center overwhelmingly passed the state Assembly on Monday.

Operators at the call center would answer phones and walk people through the website.

There would be English and Spanish-speaking operators.

A similar bill must pass New Jersey's state Senate before it goes to Gov. Phil Murphy to sign.
By Laila Kearney

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Oil prices rose about 1% on Thursday, holding at three-week highs after OPEC+ agreed to tighten global supply with a deal to cut production targets by 2 million barrels per day (bpd), the producers' largest reduction since 2020.

Brent crude futures settled at $94.42 a barrel, up $1.05, or 1.1%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled at $88.45 a barrel, gaining 69 cents, or 0.8% after closing 1.4% up on Wednesday.

The agreement between the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia, a group known as OPEC+, comes ahead of a European Union embargo on Russian oil and would squeeze supplies in an already tight market, adding to inflation.

"We believe that the price impact of the announced measures will be significant," said Jorge Leon, senior vice president at Rystad Energy. "By December this year, Brent would reach over $100/bbl, up from our earlier call for $89."

Following the OPEC+ decision, Goldman Sachs raised its 2022 Brent forecast to $104 per barrel from $99, and its 2023 forecast to $110 from $108.

Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said the real supply cut would be about 1 million to 1.1 million bpd. Saudi Arabia's share of the cut is about 500,000 bpd.

Iraq oil minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar told Kuwait news agency (KUNA) the OPEC+ move came as result of a production surplus.

Several OPEC+ members have been struggling to produce at quota levels because of underinvestment and sanctions.

"Maybe Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and the 'little train that could' Kazakhstan may cut production to new quota, but I doubt anybody else will," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho in New York.

The output cut comes as the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks are raising interest rates to fight inflation. Higher oil prices will likely cut demand, which could cap price gains, said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC in New York.

Story continues

"That's what's cutting back the other way and why prices have stabilized for WTI just under $90," Kilduff said.

U.S. President Joe Biden expressed disappointment over OPEC+ plans and said the United States was looking at ways to keep prices from rising.

"There's a lot of alternatives. We haven't made up our minds yet," Biden told reporters at the White House.

Earlier, the White House said Biden would continue to assess whether to release more supplies from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and would consult Congress on other ways to reduce market control of OPEC and its allies.

(Additional reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar and Florence Tan in SingaporeEditing by Marguerita Choy and David Gregorio)
LEHIGHTON, Pa. - Our region is saying goodbye to a military hero.

Clarence Smoyer was known as the "Hero of Cologne" for his service during World War II. He died last week at 99 years old. On a warm, sunny Thursday in Lehighton Cemetery, Smoyer was finally laid to rest to the sound of taps played on a trumpet, and a 21-gun salute.

"He was just a great man and it's an honor and a privilege for us to be here today and give him the military send off that he so much deserves," said Kevin Long, the Commander of the Lehighton American Legion, where Smoyer was a longtime member.

He said, despite being awarded a Purple Heart, a French Legion of Honor, and a Bronze Star, Smoyer was always humble about his service.

"One thing that he always said to us, I did the best I could, and that was Clarence you know? He did what his country asked of him," said Long.

"I think Clarence embodies the Greatest Generation. There's no doubt about it," said Thomas Applebach, the Lehigh County Director of Veterans Services.

Applebach has known Smoyer for years, who he said was an important part of both the Lehighton and Allentown communities, but Applebach tells us his favorite memory of Smoyer didn't happen in Lehighton. It actually happened on Susquahanna St. in Allentown back in 2019, when Smoyer rode a literal tank right through town.

"I got a phone call from a friend of mine who said hey, can we get a tank in Allentown? And I said well, I've done some crazy stuff before and we'll see what we can do," said Applebach.

What they did was clear the streets for the man known as the "Hero of Cologne." The event was in part to celebrate the release of the book "Spearhead," which documents the fighting of Smoyer's unit in France during World War II. It's a story Applebach is glad was told, but he said there are more that will soon be gone.

"Get to know those stories. We lose those stories, and if they're never told, they're gone forever," said Applebach.
WATERBURY, Conn. (AP)  A lawyer for families of eight people killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre told a jury Thursday that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones started lying about the shooting the day it happened and provided the machinery that allowed that lie to spread.

Jones' attorney countered by telling the jury his client didn't invent the Internet and argued jurors should not award excessive damages just because they are angry about the harassment the families went through at the hands of others who also believed the lie that the shooting was a hoax.

The attorneys presented closing arguments in the trial to determine how much Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, should pay for representing to the audience of his Infowars show that the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a hoax staged to impose more gun control laws.

Plaintiff attorney Christopher Mattei told the jury that it was because of Jones and his massive Infowars platform, the families have been subjected to a decade of torment at the hands of conspiracy theorists.

As soon as he did it, everyone else came coming in over him, Mattei said. The threats, the harassment, the fear, the allegations of actors, when every single one of these families were drowning in grief. And Alex Jones put his foot right on top.

Mattei suggested to the jury that it award the plaintiffs at least $550 million, telling them Jones will spread lies about other shootings and other families if they dont make him understand the harm his comments caused. Mattei tied that dollar amount to the estimated 550 million views of the Sandy Hook content on Jones and Infowars' social media accounts from 2012 to 2018  an estimate provided by a plaintiffs' expert witness who said he reviewed the content.

Their lives were shattered by December 14, 2012, but Alex Jones has made it so they cant escape, Mattei said.

It is your job to make sure he understands the extent of the wreckage that he caused, he added. Because you know damn well he doesnt get it.

Another plaintiff attorney, Joshua Koskoff, told the jury that lies like the ones Jones tells, get people killed.

We dont know when, but it is going to happen at some point, he said.

Defense attorney Norm Pattis opened his arguments with a 19-minute video from a 2018 episode of Jones' Infowars show in which the Jones accuses the media of misrepresenting his position for questioning Sandy Hook and bringing it up long after he acknowledged the shooting happened.

It's edited and then it's brought back up as if I'm bringing it back up, Jones says in the video.

But the plaintiffs argue that Jones continues to misrepresent the families as tools of anti-gun and anti-free speech forces.

The lies that started on December 14, 2012, are continuing to this very day, Mattei said. In two months it will be 10 years, 10 years since these families lost their loved ones and even now, even now, hes still doing it.

The six-person jury, comprised of three men and three women, could begin deliberations by the day's end in the lawsuit, one of several filed against the conspiracy theorist by relatives of the 26 people killed in the mass shooting.

Since the trial began Sept. 13, all 15 plaintiffs in the Connecticut lawsuit have testified about being tormented for a decade by people who believed Jones' claims that the shooting never happened, and that the parents of the 20 slain children were crisis actors.

The plaintiffs said they have received death and rape threats, mail from conspiracy theorists that included photos of dead children, and had in-person confrontations with hoax believers. They sued Jones for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violating Connecticuts unfair trade practices law by profiting off the hoax lies.

The people suing Jones and Free Speech Systems in the Connecticut case include the relatives of eight massacre victims, as well as an FBI agent who responded to the school.

Mark Barden, whose son Daniel was among the 26 victims, testified that conspiracy theorists threatened to dig up the boy's grave to prove the shooting never happened.

Pattis noted the plaintiffs' lawyers did not show monetary harm to the families, no doctor's bills reports, very few mentions of treatment. He told the jurors that punitive damages are by law limited to attorneys fees and they should not confuse those with compensatory damages, which should be for losses caused by Jones.

This is not an action to compensate the folks at Sandy Hook for the loss of their children, he said. Alex Jones is not (shooter) Adam Lanza.

Jones, whose show and Infowars brand are based in Austin, Texas, was found liable for defaming the plaintiffs last year. In an unusual ruling, Judge Barbara Bellis found Jones had forfeited his right to a trial as a consequence of repeated violations of court orders and failures to turn over documents to the plaintiffs' lawyers.

Earlier in the Connecticut trial, Jones took the stand for a contentious day of testimony, saying he was done saying I'm sorry for calling the school shooting a hoax.

Outside the courthouse and on his show, he has repeatedly bashed the trial as a kangaroo court and an effort to put him out of business. He has cited free speech rights, but he and his lawyer were not allowed to make that argument during the trial because he already had been found liable. His show is also broadcast on many radio stations.

Koskoff pointed out the Jones was not in court to hear any of the families testimony, and called him a coward.

Pattis is trying to limit any damages awarded to the victims' families and claimed the relatives were exaggerating their claims of being harmed and falsely placing the blame for that harm on Jones.

Alex invented fear, Alex invented anger, Alex invented what's wrong with this world, Pattis said. Kill Alex and we'll all live happily ever after. Do you believe that for one moment?

In a similar trial in Texas in August, a jury ordered Jones to pay nearly $50 million in damages to the parents of one of the children killed in the shooting, because of the hoax lies. A third such trial, also in Texas, involving two other parents is expected to begin near the end of the year.

Jones has said he expects the cases to be tied up in appeals for the next two years and has asked his audience to help him raise $500,000 to pay for his legal expenses. Free Speech Systems, meanwhile, is seeking bankruptcy protection.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse is the sole finalist to become the president of the University of Florida, the school said Thursday, and the Republican senator has indicated that he will take the job. That means he could resign in coming weeks.

The school said in a statement that its presidential search committee had unanimously recommended Sasse as the sole finalist, a decision that will have to be be voted on by the schools board of trustees and then confirmed by the board of governors. The school said he will visit the campus on Oct. 10 to meet with students, faculty and other members of the university community.

In a statement released by the school, Sasse said he is thrilled about the opportunity to work alongside one of the nations most outstanding faculties.

Sasse is a second-term senator who has been a sometime-critic of former President Donald Trump. He was one of seven Republican senators to vote for the former presidents impeachment after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
WASHINGTON (AP)  A North Carolina man pleaded guilty Thursday to plotting with other members of the far-right Proud Boys to violently stop the transfer of presidential power after the 2020 election, making him the first member of the extremist group to plead guilty to a seditious conspiracy charge.

Jeremy Joseph Bertino, 43, has agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department's investigation of the role that Proud Boys leaders played in the mob's attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, a federal prosecutor said.

Bertinos cooperation could ratchet up the pressure on other Proud Boys charged in the siege, including former national chairman Henry Enrique" Tarrio.

The guilty plea comes as the founder of the another extremist group, the Oath Keepers, and four associates charged separately in the Jan. 6 attack stand trial on seditious conspiracy  a rarely used Civil War era offense that calls for up to 20 years behind bars.

Bertino traveled to Washington with other Proud Boys in December 2020 and was stabbed during a fight, according to court documents. He was not in Washington for the Jan. 6 riot because he was still recovering from his injuries, court papers say.

Bertino participated in planning sessions in the days leading up to Jan. 6 and received encrypted messages as early as Jan. 4 indicating that Proud Boys were discussing possibly storming the Capitol, according to authorities.

A statement of offense filed in court says that Bertino understood the Proud Boys' goal in traveling to Washington was to stop the certification of Joe Biden's victory and that the group was prepared to use force and violence if necessary to do so.

On Jan. 6, Bertino applauded the insurrection from afar and sent messages encouraging other Proud Boys to keep pushing toward the Capitol.

DO NOT GO HOME. WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF SAVING THE CONSTITUTION," he wrote on a social media account. That night, he messaged Tarrio, You know we made this happen."

Bertino also pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawfully possessing firearms in March 2022 in Belmont, North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly agreed to release Bertino pending a sentencing hearing, which wasnt immediately scheduled.

Justice Department prosecutor Erik Kenerson said sentencing guidelines for Bertinos case recommend a prison sentence ranging from four years and three months to five years and three months.

A trial is scheduled to start in December for Tarrio and four other members charged with seditious conspiracy: Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola. The charging document for Bertino's case names those five defendants and a sixth Proud Boys member as his co-conspirators.

Tarrio's case is among the most serious charged in the attack, which sent lawmakers running and left dozens of officers bloodied and bruised.

Nayib Hassan, one of Tarrios attorneys, said Bertinos cooperation doesnt change the landscape for his clients case. He described Bertino as just another individual who is going to be testifying. Tarrio is still looking forward to his day at trial, Hassan added.

The indictment in Tarrios case alleges that the Proud Boys held meetings and communicated over encrypted messages to plan for the attack in the days leading up to Jan. 6. On the day of the riot, authorities say Proud Boys dismantled metal barricades set up to protect the Capitol and mobilized, directed and led members of the crowd into the building.

Video testimony by Bertino was featured in June at the first hearing by the House committee investigating Jan. 6. The committee showed a clip of Bertino saying that the groups membership tripled, probably after Trumps comment at a presidential debate that the Proud Boys should stand back and stand by.

Tarrio wasnt in Washington on Jan. 6, but authorities say he helped put into motion the violence that day. Police arrested Tarrio in Washington two days before the riot and charged him with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a protest in December 2020. Tarrio was released from jail on Jan. 14 of this year after serving his five-month sentence for that case.

More than three dozen people charged in the Capitol riot have been identified by federal authorities as leaders, members or associates of the Proud Boys. Two  Matthew Greene and Charles Donohoe  pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress for certifying the Electoral College vote.

Proud Boys members describe the group as a politically incorrect mens club for Western chauvinists. They have brawled with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.

Nordean, of Auburn, Washington, was a Proud Boys chapter president and a member of the groups national Elders Council. Biggs, of Ormond Beach, Florida, is a self-described Proud Boys organizer. Rehl was president of the Proud Boys chapter in Philadelphia. Pezzola is a Proud Boys member from Rochester, New York.

For full coverage of the Capitol riot, go to https://www.apnews.com/capitol-siege
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP)  Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz calmly told a psychologist why he picked Valentines Day to massacre 17 people at Parklands Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School four years ago: Because no one loved him, he wanted to ruin the holiday forever for anyone associated with the school.

Prosecutors concluded their rebuttal case Thursday after playing that video clip from jailhouse interviews Cruz did with their psychologist hoping it bolsters their contention that he wasnt driven to kill by a mental disorder he couldnt control, but planned his attack and chose to carry it out.

They are trying to convince jurors they should sentence Cruz, 24, to death for the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at the suburban Fort Lauderdale school. He pleaded guilty a year ago. For the former Stoneman Douglas student to receive a death sentence, the seven-man, five-woman jury must be unanimous. Otherwise, his sentence will be life without parole.

Cruzs attorneys have contended throughout the trial that his birth mothers heavy drinking during pregnancy left him with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, causing brain dysfunctions that led to lifelong episodes of bizarre, erratic and sometimes violent conduct that culminated with the shootings. After several attempts that were blocked by Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer, they were also able to tell jurors Thursday that Cruz believes he was raped and sexually molested numerous times by a neighbor when he was 9.

Robert Denney, a Missouri neuropsychologist testifying for the prosecution, interviewed and tested Cruz last March over three days  under Florida law, if defense attorneys argue their client has a mental deficiency, prosecutors get to conduct their own examination.

Denney testified earlier that he believes Cruz purposely did poorly on tests in an attempt to mimic severe brain dysfunction. He reiterated his belief Thursday that Cruz does not have fetal alcohol issues, but has antisocial personality disorder  in lay terms, he's a sociopath.

He said Cruz understands reality and can control his actions when it suits him. He said that differentiates antisocial personality disorder from schizophrenia or delusions, where the person acts on false thoughts they can't control.

Assistant prosecutor Jeff Marcus played two videos from Denney's interviews with Cruz. In the first, Cruz describes his torture of animals such as toads and lizards as a child, an issue that has been raised several times.

I burned, I tortured them, I skinned them alive, I shot them, Cruz said without emotion. I would play with their dead bodies or I would eat them.

In the second video, Denney asks Cruz as he is finishing his second and final day of interviews is there anything important that I haven't asked you?"

Cruz thought for about 10 seconds and then responded, Why I chose Valentine's Day. He then explained.

Because I thought no one would love me," Cruz said. I didn't like Valentine's Day and I wanted to ruin it for everyone. A soft gasp went up from victim's parents and relatives sitting in the courtroom.

Do you mean for the family members of the kids that were killed? Denney asked.

No, for the school, Cruz replied. The holiday will never be celebrated there again, he said.

Marcus then read off the names of the 17 victims and after each asked Denney if fetal alcohol syndrome could explain why Cruz murdered that person. No, Denney replied 17 times.

Under cross-examination by defense attorney Casey Secor, Denney conceded Cruz said in their interviews he has memories of being molested and raped by a neighbor who was three years older. It is an issue the defense has wanted to present several times, but Judge Scherer ruled that the only three people who can corroborate the accusation aren't available. Cruz's adoptive mother, Lynda Cruz, died months before the shootings and the alleged rapist and his mother no longer live in the United States and can't be forced to appear as witnesses.

In video clips played for the jury, Cruz told Denney and another expert his mom tried to convince him the molestation never happened, but he is 75% to 80% certain it did. He said the older boy would tell him he could play his video games if he let him molest him.

Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday. Deliberations would begin on Wednesday.
Chinese fighter jets or drones that intrude into Taiwans territorial airspace will be regarded as a first strike, Taiwans Defense Minister warned Wednesday, as the island seeks to step-up its defenses in response to Beijings military pressure.

Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng made the remarks while addressing lawmakers on the threats posed by Chinas recent spate of escalatory measures, which has seen Chinese warplanes and drones fly near to the self-governing island.

Chiu did not specify how Taipei would respond if Peoples Liberation Army aircraft breached the territorial limit, defined as 12 nautical miles (22.2 kilometers) from the islands shores.

In the past, we said we wont be the first to strike, which meant we will not fire the first shot without (China) firing artillery shells or missiles first, Chiu Kuo-cheng said.

But now the definition has obviously changed, as China used means such as drones. So we have adjusted, and will view any crossing of aerial entities (into Taiwans territorial airspace) as a first strike, Chiu said during a meeting of the Legislatures Foreign and National Defense Committee.

Earlier this year, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said the islands military would take necessary and forceful countermeasures as appropriate against what she called Chinese gray zone warfare tactics, including drone harassment.

We will not give China the pretext to create conflict. We will not provoke disputes and we will be restrained, yet that does not mean we will not counteract, Tsai said.

Pressed by lawmakers Wednesday, Chiu said Taiwans military definitely has its red line when it comes to the islands defense, and stressed that the military will launch countermeasures once the red line is crossed, without specifying what the red line is and what those countermeasures will be.

CNN has reached out to Chinas Foreign Ministry for comment and is waiting for a response.

Taiwan lies fewer than 110 miles (177 kilometers) off the coast of China. For more than 70 years the two sides have been governed separately, but that hasnt stopped Chinas ruling Communist Party from claiming the island as its own  despite having never controlled it.

Story continues

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said that reunification between China and Taiwan is inevitable and refused to rule out the use of force.

Tensions between Beijing and Taipei are at the highest theyve been in recent decades, with the Chinese military holding major military drills near the island.

Following the visit of US House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in early August, China stepped up military pressure tactics on the island, sending fighter jets across the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the body of water separating Taiwan and China.

For decades, the median line had served as an informal demarcation line between the two, with military incursions across it being rare.

But Chiu said Beijing has shattered that understanding.

He said China has changed the status quo and is establishing a new normal.

Chius statement adds to the complicated security situation across the strait, following recent remarks by US President Joe Biden that US military personnel would defend Taiwan if the Chinese military were to launch an invasion of the democratically ruled island.

Under the One China policy, the US acknowledges Chinas position that Taiwan is part of China, but has never officially recognized the Communist Partys claim to the self-governing island of 23 million. The US provides Taiwan with defensive weapons, but has remained intentionally ambiguous on whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack.

According to the US intelligence community, China is actively attempting to build a military capable of taking over Taiwan  even in the face of US support for the island.

Earlier this year, CIA Deputy Director David Cohen said that while Chinas leaders would prefer to gain control of Taiwan through nonmilitary means, they want the countrys military to have the capability to take control of the island by 2027, should such a decision be made.

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Based on an unfinished play by Friedrich Schiller about a short-lived 17th-century Russian Tsar, Dmitry has clear contemporary resonance. For one thing, it shows how far back the Western-Russian tensions we see playing out so disastrously in Ukraine go, and how deeply rooted they are in religion.

This new version by Peter Oswald, a noted Schiller interpreter, opens the new Marylebone Theatre, located at Rudolf Steiner House. It's an appropriate choice seeing as Steiner himself was an enthusiastic proponent of the play, which, among many things, explores the way stories can be altered to suit competing causes.

In this case, that story is of a man who believes himself to be the lost (presumed dead) youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, and is co-opted by the Polish and Cossacks to rule Russia in their interest. Much of their success hinges on the testimony of Dmitry's mother, the former Tsarina, whose own motivations are coloured by her desire to avenge her son's murderer, Boris Godunov, who now sits in the Kremlin.

It all seems nicely set up for a drama of power, politics and familial betrayal, but unfortunately, Oswald's script soon gets bogged down by the weight of its own exposition. We get occasional glimpses of its poetic potential  Godunov (a stand-out performance by Daniel York Loh) speaks fanatically of the West, and the Pope in particular, "sprawling towards us". But mostly it feels like wading through a long (2 hours 45 minutes to be precise) and laborious history lesson.

Tim Supple's surprisingly workmanlike production does little to help matters. There are some stylistic flourishes; when the forces clash, rubbish is strewn around to indicate the destruction of conflict, and the climax features a series of slow-motion tableau. But overall, the choreography is flat and episodic, with scenes bookended by entrances and exits that feel clunky. It doesn't help that Robert Innes Hopkins' anaemic wood-panelled design retains the feel of the former lecture hall the theatre occupies.

There is plenty of established talent on show, from Mark Hadfield as Polish leader Prince Mnishek (doubling as truth-teller Razin) to Poppy Miller as Dmitry's anguished mother Maria. Relative newcomer Aurora Dawson-Hunte also impresses as Marina, Mnishek's daughter and Dmitry's betrothed, while Tom Byrne lends admirable poise to the title role. It's an impressive 16-strong ensemble, so more's the pity they're labouring with such leaden material.

It's always a pleasure to welcome a new theatre to the fold, and Supple's return to the London stage is also cause for cheer. But, topical as it may be, this opening production fails to deliver a suitably celebratory inauguration.
Authorities in St. Francois County are looking for an area man who led police on a pursuit outside Bonne Terre Monday before bailing from the vehicle on foot and evading capture. He had been indicted Thursday on charges of sex crimes.

Communications from emergency dispatch indicated a pursuit began Monday afternoon in northern St. Francois County. Officers reportedly pursued 35-year-old Charles Edgar King of Farmington after he failed to stop. Before the chase, a Grand Jury warrant had been issued for King's arrest when the man was indicted last week on eight counts of sexual crimes involving children.

Monday's pursuit continued onto Highway K outside Bonne Terre, according to police communications. At about 1:33 p.m., pursuing officers said King bailed from the vehicle near the intersection of Highway K and Hillsboro Road. King fled on foot, and a subsequent search ensued.

A section of Highway K was temporarily shut down to eastbound traffic as authorities set up a perimeter for the search and K-9 tracking. Search efforts in the area were eventually called off, and police are still looking for the man.

He is 6 feet tall, and weighs about 175 lbs., according to charging documents. Anyone with information regarding King's whereabouts should contact the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department at 573-756-3252.

King was initially charged on Aug. 8 with four counts of first-degree statutory sodomy - deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 14 years old; two counts of sexual misconduct involving a child under 15 - first offense, first-degree statutory rape - sexual intercourse with a person less than 14 years old; and statutory sodomy - deviate sexual intercourse - person less than 12 years old.

The case was bound over to circuit court and a new warrant issued when King was indicted on the charges by a Grand Jury on Sept. 28.

The charges against King stem from reports made of alleged sexual assaults involving three young girls over a period of several years.

According to a probable cause statement from the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department, a now 24-year-old woman reported that when she was 11 years old, King began to abuse her sexually.

The woman reportedly told police the abuse by King included sexual intercourse and other sex acts. She reported that he would expose himself to her and force sexual contact. The reported instances of abuse are alleged to have happened at a residence on Silver Springs Road near Lake Timberline between May 2009 and Nov. 2010.

Charging documents allege that King victimized three different children over a period of several years. Other alleged sexual abuses of children by King are said to have occurred at an address on South Long Street in Farmington between Aug. 2014 and June 2016 and again between August 2020 and February 2021.

A search of King's criminal history showed he was convicted in 2013 of possessing a controlled substance in Jefferson County. He was placed on five years of supervised probation for the crime.
More than 70 law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMS personnel converged on North County High School last Friday, taking part in another round of active-shooter response training designed to mitigate disasters like the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, which occurred in late May when an 18-year-old killed 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School.

The chief of the Desloge Police Department, James Jebo Bullock, got the ball rolling in June when he announced during a meeting of the North County Board of Education  of which he is currently president  that what were later said to be systemic failures on the part of first-responder communication in Uvalde, would not be happening in any of the districts in the Mineral Area, if he could help it.

I can only speak for the Desloge Police Department, we wont wait, he said at the time, referring to the delayed police response in Uvalde, which lasted an hour while the gunman was still killing kids in the school. And you know the sheriff's (Jebos brother Dan Bullock) not going to, so that's the only ones I can speak for.

Since then, three exercises have been held  at Farmington High School, North County Parkside Elementary and North County High School on Friday.

Doug Calvert, police chief for Bonne Terre Police, said Fridays training was similar to the kind his officers do at North County schools on a regular basis, ever since Columbine (High School), so back when Fred Mallow was chief.

One key difference, he said, was that there were so many different departments attending the training on Friday. He pointed out that, although police departments might already be familiar with the layout of the schools in their jurisdiction, first responders who arrive on the scene of a shooting might not be.

The really positive part of the training was getting groups of responders together, because when an event occurs, its going to involve response from all jurisdictions, Calvert said. And its not just police, its fire, dispatch and EMS who are also going to be involved.

"Plus, even though we all work interdepartmentally on a regular basis, there's a lot of new faces running around, and all of us speaking and working with one voice, and cooperative action, its going to be really important. That cooperative aspect made the training very good.

The training at Farmington and North County schools was conducted by Jason Fitzwater, an adjunct instructor for Mineral Area College Law Enforcement Academy (MACLEA) and co-owner of N&F Training Solutions, a company that consults all over the U.S. and Canada on security and law enforcement solutions and training. According to his biography on the N&F website, for 21 years, half of it spent in Florida, Fitzwater has worked as a patrol deputy, field training officer, seven-year detective (three years in homicide) and patrol supervisor. He was in recent years the police chief of Arcadia Valley, where he grew up.

Initially, an active shooter was thought to be just a police problem. It was our job to just go in and stop the threat, he said. But theres so much more to it.

"Through the years, the training has evolved. You have to have all first-responder units involved in the training because it takes all of them  police, fire and EMS. When something happens, for instance, we take EMS in there as soon as we can so they can perform triage.

Fitzwater said this month, MACLEA plans to invite the leaders of the area police departments, central dispatch, fire departments and ambulance services to the community college for a breakfast, so they can all brainstorm and figure out what the next steps are.

Were going to continue to offer this training, but were going to accelerate it to where were pretty much doing mock, live scenarios using force on force, with the dispatchers, officers, medics and firefighters all doing what they have to do, he said. And were going to begin to start setting out what trainings were going to offer beginning January of 2023. Were taking the ball and running with it, and we dont want to just train for shootings, there are other scenarios we can train on, as well.

Since he co-founded N&F, Fitzwater said, he has traveled to more than 30 states and to Canada, training almost 2,000 law enforcement officers in counter ambush tactics. He has written 11 law enforcement courses for N&F Training Solutions LLC that are POST-accredited in the state of Missouri. In 2018, Fitzwater wrote the PTSD: the Silent Sniper course and has taught the training to thousands of law enforcement and public safety personnel. He has also taught at the Missouri Police Chiefs Command College in 2019, 2020, 2021.
Gelobt seist du, Herr Jesus Christ! Pastor Christian Kessler said. Praise be to you, Lord Jesus Christ. Kessler, from nearby Zion Stone Church in Westfield, Wisconsin, held services in private homes in the Rock Springs area beginning in 1872. It was the birth of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church.

On October 9, the church celebrates its 150th anniversary with guest speaker Pastor Paul Schroeder at their Sunday church service. Under the theme of Forward in Faithfulness, the congregation invites all for fellowship with an eye toward the future while celebrating its storied, faith-filled past.

The goodness of Jesus living and dying on our behalf. Thats what I want to share, said Pastor David Karow. The 51-year-old minister accepted the call to St. John in 2011. Hes been a pastor since 1997. We want to give to this community, he said. What Jesus did for us, we want to do for the community. We want to be an anchor.

The church has been an anchor for generations of people in the Rock Springs area.

My faith has always been the main focus of my life, noted church historian Carol Baumgarten, a resident of North Freedom who has woven herself into the fabric of the churchs history. Shes been a part of the church in one form or another since 1968. Having a church family has been so important to me. Every family, everyone, has a different gift to give and we invite people to be part of this family.

The church family at St. John has deep roots. Kessler was the pastor from 1872 until 1889. By 1882, a white frame church was built. It cost $200 to build. By 1884 the St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church was recorded at Baraboos Sauk County courthouse.

The church, and the faith within it, grew. They built a railing on the church in 1885 so congregants could tie up their horses. In 1886 lamps were purchased for the church. In 1889 Pastor F.P. Popp played the newly purchased organ and served as the churchs pastor and organist until his death in 1930.

On the organ he played, Christ ist erstanden, Sei uns wilkommen, Herre Christ, Alle Jahre Wieder. In the original church, German was the language of choice. English was not used in worship services until 1920.

The current church standing had its cornerstone laid on December 14, 1930. The building cost a little over $30,000. The building, and those worshipping inside it, have been a rock of support for the community since.

We are a part of the community, Baumgarten said beneath the stained glass windows. We are always going to be here for the community, she said, looking at the altar before her. Floods, that have devastated Rock Springs in recent years, nor the vagaries of church attendance, will sway or move them.

Jesus is always here with us, Pastor Karow said. And we will always be here for the community.
JUNEAU  A 34-year-old Wauzeka woman was sentenced to spend 16 months in prison for sending suboxone strips to an inmate at Fox Lake Correctional Institution.

Anjelica Lydia-Marie Pitzer was found guilty of a felony charge of delivering illegal articles to an inmate in August.

Dodge County Circuit Court Judge Brian Pfitzinger sentenced Pitzer on Wednesday to spend 40 months in the Wisconsin Prison System with 24 of them on extended supervision. As a condition of her supervision, she must maintain absolute sobriety.

According to the criminal complaint:

A card was sent to an inmate in Fox Lake Correction Institution and was inspected on Jan. 28, 2021. During the inspection a correctional officer located three suboxone strips in a card that was altered.

Suboxone can be used to treat opioid addiction.

Pitzers address was the return address for the card, and she had talked to the inmate about sending the mail during a phone conversation, according to the complaint.

Pitzer was called and said that she was a friend of a friend of the inmate at Fox Lake Correctional. According to the criminal complaint, she admitted to sending him letters and talking to him on the phone, but she denied sending him a card.
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin was very impressed with Portages use of ARPA funds after a visit to city hall on Wednesday.

Portage officials, city staff and members of the Portage ad hoc ARPA funds committee were present for Baldwins visit to Portage which highlighted the Portage Fire Department and Public Works Department.

This is a very impressive and very democratic process Portage has gone through as far as using the American Rescue Plan funding in response to the pandemic, Baldwin said following the meeting.

When Baldwin arrived in Portage on Thursday afternoon, she first met with members of the ad hoc ARPA funds committee including former mayor Rick Dodd, who formed the committee when he was in office. The committee, made up of city staff and city residents, made recommendations that the city council would then vote to approve.

Baldwin stated that the allocation of ARPA funds showed that municipalities like Portage would not have been able to make these purchases without these funds.

Looking at essential needs and investments that were perhaps set aside in the years past for affordability, but that will enhance the safety and functionality of the community and the surrounding areas, Baldwin said.

One of the items the city council approved for purchase using ARPA funds was a new fire engine with a tower or aerial unit. The new aerial unit will be able to go 100 feet in the air and will replace the current unit that is a 1992 model.

Fire Chief Troy Haase told Baldwin that being able to use ARPA funds to replace their current aerial unit allowed the city to save around $325,000. He did add that large supply chain issues have slowed the delivery of the truck.

The council voted on April 28 to use $325,000 in ARPA money to help pay for the $1.4 million 2024 Pierce Enforcer mid-mount 100 aerial platform unit, which is set to be delivered by July 2024.

Another item approved by the council was the allocation of $100,000 to establish a revolving loan fund which would be available to residents wishing to replace their lead water service lateral. The lateral is the portion of the water service from the curb stop to the water meter.

Whether its the investment in firefighting equipment or replacement of aging equipment, or the initiative to ultimately get rid of lead drinking water pipes to help in the interest of public health, all are extremely vital, Baldwin said.

Utility Manager Jared Royal has lead pipes and gave Baldwin a firsthand explanation of what different parts of the water service may need to be replaced based on when it was first installed, which is difficult due to the age of Portages infrastructure.

One of the issues with Portage is that some streets have infrastructure that was built in the 1940s, but that has helped the Public Works Department.

Phil Livingston, Director of Public Works, said the department is currently investigating how many service laterals will need to be replaced. He said they have data that can help the city find out which laterals were installed in the 1940s and the 1950s; that information could help pinpoint where lead pipes could be located.

Online records show the city has about $140,000 of the $1.08 million allocated ARPA funds remaining.
A community organization in Wisconsin Dells is reaching its century mark at the end of this month.

The Wisconsin Dells Kiwanis Club, the citys faction of Kiwanis International, is celebrating its 100th anniversary with an open house during the afternoon on Oct. 30 at Spring Brook Vacation Home Resort in the city.

Stephen Stuelke, a 58-year member of the club, said that the celebration will feature hors doeuvres and refreshments, and will honor current and former members of the club during a short program.

Chartered on Oct. 30, 1922 in conjunction with the Portage Kiwanis Club, the Dells Kiwanis has provided annual scholarships for Wisconsin Dells High School students and performed literacy and other youth outreach work in the Dells area.

One annual Kiwanis-sponsored program is the Food Basket, which Stuelke says is a program during the Christmas season that has also been expanded to include fruit baskets for area seniors. The Dells Kiwanis has also sponsored events at Camp Wawbeek in the city, as well as fundraisers that included the Chicken Picnic, when members used to cook chickens at Bowman Park during the annual Wo-Zha-Wa Days festival in fall.

Stuelke did not provide an exact year, but said that the Chicken Picnic fell by the wayside the past few years.

Dwindling membership and health conditions of current members are the main challenges for the Dells Kiwanis Club today. Stuelke said that the organization has roughly 12 members, with only seven really able to be active. At its peak, Dells Kiwanis had over 75 members.

Were struggling to maintain our identity, said Stuelke.

The Dells Kiwanis sponsors Key Clubs at Wisconsin Dells and Mauston high schools, as well as local Cub and Boy Scouts in the Dells. Stuelke said that the organization is in the early stages of strategizing to improve membership and that the COVID-19 pandemic had an expected negative impact on that.

The last 10 years have been the most difficult, said Stuelke, adding that membership numbers have been cyclical over time.

Annual dues for Dells Kiwanis Club membership are $154, which includes dues for Kiwanis International, the district Kiwanis organization, and the club.

Kiwanis is unique in that all the operating expenses of the club are paid by members and any funds that come from our fundraising are all for charitable purposes, said Stuelke.

Stuelke talked about Kiwanis Internationals sponsored organizations, Circle K International, a collegiate-level service organization, and Key Club, a similar organization for high school students. He was one of the charter members of Wisconsin Dells High Schools first Key Club in 1955.

In 1966, four Wisconsin Dells natives held area leadership positions within Kiwanis International. Paul Reineking was the Governor of the Wisconsin/Upper Michigan District of Kiwanis, Jeff Kaleas was Governor of the Key Club, and Ken Wright was the Governor of Circle K International.

Reineking was also the faculty advisor for the charter Key Club in 1955, according to Stuelke. All three served one-year terms in their positions.

That had never happened in the history of Kiwanis, where all three governors of the district were from the same community, said Stuelke.
By Trend

A true honour to meet with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT Maimunah Mohd Sharif wrote on her Twitter page, Trend reports.

"A true honour to meet with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan. I feel very proud to have been able to present to him with the UN-HABITAT Country Programme Document that was worked on closely with the State Committee of Urban Planning & Architecture," she wrote.
On Wednesday, the meeting room at the St. Francois County Weber Road Facility was already standing-room-only 15 minutes before a 10:30 a.m. meeting in which County Clerk Kevin Engler shared possible changes he is exploring for April elections and beyond.

He stressed at the top of the meeting that, except for Missouris new law requiring photo IDs and changes to nursing home voting, the Nov. 8 election will have no other alterations, the precincts will all be open for citizens to exercise their constitutional rights.

If you don't have an ID, the state will provide you with an ID, he said, so if you knew anybody didn't have a U.S.-issued passport or a driver's license, they can go to the (license bureau) and get a non-driving voter ID for voting purposes and it'd be free.

Accompanying Engler at the meeting were Jerry Kiske Jr. from Modern Litho, an 80-year-old printing company based in Jefferson City that handles mailed ballots, and Scott Leiendecker, founder and CEO of KNOWiNK, an elections solution company whose digital services and equipment have been used in 36 states, both blue and red.

Modern Litho, Engler said, is working with St. Louis County to expedite the mailing of ballots for voters, which he said is an extremely time-consuming, expensive process for his office and the printing companys commercial rates for mailing could help defray the costs.

The KNOWiNK system does not tabulate election results, it checks voter rosters when citizens arrive to vote, prints out the ballot appropriate to the voters address, and marks them off the state database as having voted so multiple ballots cant be submitted by one person.

While the timing of the release of the information was not to his liking, Engler said at the meeting, he was also open to discussing recent news he was exploring consolidating all 21 voting precincts to four ADA-compliant locations not far from US 67, beginning with April 2023 elections. The possible election centers would be located at North County High School, Mineral Area College and the Farmington Community Civic Center, in addition to Elections Central on Weber Road.

A hybrid system is also something hes thinking about, Engler told the audience, in which the four main election centers would be opened  since, he said, 85% of the countys population lives within five miles of US 67  and outlying precincts in places like Leadwood and Iron Mountain Lake could be kept, since they have ADA-compliant polling places.

Regardless, Engler said he was interested in changing the election process for multiple reasons, among them cost, a shortage of election workers, lack of ADA compliance and inconvenience on the part of voters.

We got a two-year period in here, that we will not have a federal election. So if we're going to make any changes in anything we're going to try to do it during those periods of time, he said. We only have about 7% of people who vote  it's pathetic  in April, and it's a lot easier to handle the changes then.

Cost

Elections in St. Francois County can cost anywhere from $53,000 for last Aprils election, to $66,000 for the November 2020 election. Engler reminded the crowd the original purpose of the meeting was to take a look at KNOWiNKs election equipment and get a possible price, which he said he had just received that morning and the estimate might be more than his offices budget can handle  anywhere in the ballpark from $100,000 to $400,000.

The estimates are based on the number of Poll Pads  the verification and check-in iPads voters would see when they arrive at the polling place  and the number of ballot printers the county decides to order, if any.

During the demonstration of the equipment, Leiendecker said he chose to go with Apple products for their relative, and a Japanese manufacturer for the printers.

As much as Id like to be able to, I cant find a reliable printer manufacturer in America, he said. I knew I didnt want a Chinese manufacturer, thats why we went with Japan.

Engler said another cost of the current way elections are held involves shredding unused ballots, which costs hundreds of dollars since they have to print out a ballot for every potential, registered voter, and only a fraction of them actually vote.

Election Workers

Engler said it was challenging to find the requisite number of poll judges, especially Democrats, to serve each of the 21 precincts.

We have to have between 140-160 poll judges, depending on the election, he said. When you ask people if they can be there at 5 o'clock in the morning, spend 15 hours and make, you know, whatever, you usually hear, click.

Another challenge is to provide party representation at each polling place. He said hes lawfully required to have both Republican and Democrat poll judges at each precinct.

I don't have enough Democrats. Sorry, Democrats in the room, he said.

Later in the meeting, he invited anyone interested in being a poll judge to fill out an application. Following the meeting, several followed him to his office to sign up. An employee later confirmed seven volunteers for poll judging had been added.

ADA Accessibility

Although voters with disabilities can request a different, ADA-compliant precinct to be assigned to them or can choose to vote by mailed ballot, Engler pointed out if the voters arrive at a non-ADA compliant polling place, they should have their expectation fulfilled of having the same voting experience as an able-bodied persons, meaning they should be able to vote in private, within the polling place, and without having any extra steps taken to call someone to help them vote.

I've had a couple of disabled people and one person, once I explained the problem, well, one was OK then. The other one though  said her voting place has accessibility. She's in a wheelchair, and she didn't care about the others (non-ADA compliant polling places), Engler said. I gotta care about the others. She's happy because she can access her polling place in a wheelchair. But there's seven places in this county that they can't, you know, and we eventually have to address that.

Current Inconvenience

Engler said in addition to making the voting process more efficient to execute, a four-location or hybrid system would make casting a ballot more convenient for workers. He cited a doctor who might work a 15-hour shift at Parkland Health Center, who could take a 15-minute break to vote at the nearby Civic Center.

Andrew Young, who once ran against Engler for the county clerk seat and who is involved in the county's Democrat Club, said he was concerned that, while Engler said it currently takes only a minute or so to check in to any given precinct at this time, Leiendecker acknowledged it takes about a minute to check in to the KNOWiNK system and get a ballot, as well.

If you have hundreds of people converging on only four locations instead of being dispersed around 21, it seems like that would result in waiting in line, depending on how many computers and workers are set up at each spot, he said, adding that, as someone who has a disability, he knows he could request a ballot be mailed if he wanted to vote.

The meeting ended about 90 minutes after it started, with a lot of information shared in terms of the technology, debates as to whether challenges cited were really problems, and several in the audience asking Engler for notice of future meetings concerning elections. Several walked down to the Elections Central office to sign up for poll judging.

During the meeting, one audience member asked Engler regarding the changes being explored, My question is how do you know? So we're talking about a 7 and 8% vote voter turnout in April elections. Well, how do you know that this would even improve that?

Engler replied, I know it can't make it much worse.
Lamar Johnson's sister Candace Crisp and his mother Mae Johnson braved the cold to bring attention to Johnson's case on Dec. 10, 2019, in front of the Old Post Office downtown. A group of about 25 community leaders and residents, organized by Color Of Change and Organization for Black Struggle, demonstrated outside of Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitts office to demand that he stop trying to block a new trial for Lamar Johnson (Wiley Price / St. Louis American).

Up until last year, if elected prosecutors believed a person was wrongfully convicted, there wasnt anything they could do about it.

A state law, passed in May 2021, changed that, giving them a pathway to present evidence of innocence to a judge. And since then, three prosecutors have filed motions to set people free from prison or clear their records.

On the day the law went into effect in August 2021, Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney Jean Peters Baker filed a motion to vacate Kevin Stricklands murder conviction. He was set free last November after serving 43 years of a life sentence.

Washington County Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Hedgecorth followed in May, filing a motion regarding the conviction of Michael Politte, who was released on parole on April 22 after serving 23 years for murder. His case is still pending.

Then in August came St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardners motion for Lamar Johnson, who Gardner believes is innocent of a 1994 murder.

The circuit attorney cannot, and will not, turn a blind eye to the conviction of an innocent person, Johnsons motion filed in the 22nd Circuit Court states.

All three cases have one thing in common: Fierce opposition from Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt.

In the Strickland case, Baker said Schmitts office tried a number of bizarre ways to keep Strickland from getting his day in court. Schmitt even attempted to get the case renamed, from State of Missouri v. Kevin Strickland to Jean Peters Baker v. State of Missouri, which Baker said was an effort to shift the focus away from an innocent man and onto her personally.

Since May, Hedgecorth and Polittes attorneys have been hit with a constant stream of motions from the attorney generals office, which included opposing the case from being heard in Washington County.

Last month, a St. Louis judge set a Dec. 12 hearing for Johnson. That same day, Schmitts office added five attorneys to the case.

The attorney general will likely waste an enormous amount of taxpayer money on preventing Johnsons case from getting a hearing, Baker said, just as he did in Stricklands and Polittes cases.

But if the pattern holds true, she predicts Schmitts team wont have any evidence to present in court.

At the end of the day, I was embarrassed for them, Baker said of Schmitts offices performance during Stricklands hearing. If [Johnson and Politte] get a fair settingthe attorney generals office is in trouble because they cannot compete in a courtroom where actual justice is being sought, facts are being sought, and real evidence is being discussed. They cant win there.

Schmitt, who is also the Republican nominee for Missouris open U.S. Senate seat, responded to the criticism through a spokesman, who said in an email: It has been and continues to be one of the duties of the attorney generals office to uphold criminal convictions, and thats what weve worked to do.

Schmitts opposition

While Baker filed a motion to vacate Stricklands conviction in August 2021, it took her more than two months to get into a courtroom. She blames Schmitts opposition.

But in Johnsons case, its been more than three years since the attorney general began fighting to prevent Gardner from getting a hearing.

Its got to be gut wrenching for her, Baker said of Gardner.

Gardners office declined comment due to the ongoing litigation.

Johnsons was the first exoneration case that Gardners conviction-integrity unit brought forth in July 2019. It was a case that prosecutors statewide were watching closely.

Gardner hit a major roadblock when the circuit judge asked Schmitt to intervene.

Schmitt argued all the way to the Missouri Supreme Court that the states elected prosecutors dont have the power to ask for a new trial, even if they have evidence that a person has languished in prison for decades wrongfully.

The states highest court sided with Schmitt in March 2021, saying the Missouri legislature had to pass a law creating a pathway for prosecutors to correct wrongful convictions.

Legislators did that last year.

While the new state law gave Gardner and other prosecutors the authority to address wrongful convictions, it also gave the attorney general the power to insert himself into these cases.

The attorney general is not a party in these cases, but he has the ability to file a motion to dismiss the motion to vacate or to set aside the judgment in any appeal filed by the prosecuting or circuit attorney, the law states.

In Polittes case, Schmitts team filed a motion to dismiss, saying that Hedgecorth didnt have jurisdiction because the case changed venues to St. Francois County many years ago.

However, Hedgecorth responded in court documents that the Washington County prosecutor was required by state law to prosecute this case after the change of venue  at trial, sentencing, and any motion hearings over the last twenty years. The Washington County prosecuting attorney never lost jurisdiction.

The judge in Polittes case denied all of the attorney generals motions, but Schmitt appealed.

Hedgecorth did not respond to a request for comment.

Baker says she sympathizes with the struggle both Gardner and Hedgecorth going through  knowing innocent people are languishing in prison because of Schmitts actions.

It hurts, Baker said. Thats why I get so upset with the attorney generals office because they seem to believe its just sort of an academic kind of process. And its not. Were talking about real peoples lives and the value of the criminal justice system.
America's rivers are amongst the country's most important and beautiful geographic features. Each with its unique natural and social history, these rivers across the land reveal a wide diversity of wildlife, cultures, and simply breathtaking beauty. Here are 10 of America's most beautiful rivers.

Columbia River

The Columbia River flowing through the cities of Washington.

The mighty Columbia River is the Pacific Northwest's largest waterway and travels an incredible 2,000 kilometers. Passing through Washington State, Oregon, and the Canadian province of British Columbia, the Columbia River is one of the most beautiful and truly majestic rivers in America. Home to various fish species, including Chinook Salmon and Rainbow Trout, the river has been an important part of the historical development of the Western United States. As a center of trade and transportation, the Columbia River has been and continues to be an important economic driver for the Northwest region. But of course, for many visitors, the natural beauty and surroundings of the Columbia River and its famed Gorge make it one of the country's most visited and admired natural sites.

Read MoreColumbia River

Hanalei River

Aerial view of the Hanalei River flowing through the Tao fields in Hawaii.

On the Hawaiian island of Kauai, the beautiful Hanalei River may only stretch a short distance of 26 kilometers but crosses a most scenic route. Flowing down from Mount Waialeale volcano some 3,500 feet high, Hanalei River gently makes its way down to Hanalei Bay, an estuary of the Pacific Ocean. Along its path, stunning greenery, tropical forests, and breathtaking valley views make following the River one of the most beautiful experiences one can take. Kayak down its pristine waters, meet unique island flora along the way, or just head down to the Bay for a truly spectacular postcard-perfect backdrop. Indeed the Hanalei River was designated a "Heritage River" in 1998 to protect this most special natural treasure further.

Colorado River

Rafting on The Colorado River in the Grand Canyon at sunrise.

Crossing several States, including Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada, the 2,330-kilometre-long Colorado River is a true marvel. Passing through the famed Grand Canyon, the river is amongst the most widely photographed site of the 446-kilometer-long rock valley. With its spectacular views of steep canyon walls, wide desert vistas, and red-colored rocks, traveling along the Colorado River is indeed a most special visual delight. An important water source for millions of Americans, the Colorado River is also a great place for outdoor exploration. Take a raft, go for a swim, or hike along its banks. When near the majestic Colorado, you are sure to experience a great sense of awe and emotion.

Read MoreColorado River

Rio Grande

Hot air balloons over the Rio Grande River.

Flowing an amazing 3,051 kilometers, the Rio Grande is the USA's fourth longest river, stretching across the border into Mexico. Covering an astonishing 472,000 square kilometers, the Rio Grande spans from southern Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and into the Gulf of Mexico.

Read More4 Major US Rivers That Are Drying Up

A vital water source for the regions it crosses, this river has witnessed its share of pollution and diminishing water levels, causing concerns for scientists and the public alike. Indeed the effects of climate change and overconsumption have seen the Rio Grande frequently exhibit drought. Due to this, efforts for conservation and several reservoir projects have begun in the hopes of preserving this important natural and economic wonder.

Read MoreRio Grande River

Hudson River

Hudson River

Named after 16th-century explorer Henry Hudson, the Hudson River is one of New York State's most famous natural landmarks. Spanning a distance of 507 kilometers, the river's journey includes the beautiful Adirondack Mountains through the panoramic Hudson Valley and into the Atlantic Ocean. A famous component of Manhattan, the Hudson River also acts as a border with the State of New Jersey. Renowned for lush green valleys and serene waters, the Hudson River also served as an inspiration for a group of 19th-century artists, better known as the Hudson River School. Indeed some of Hudson's best views are not in New York City but in the idyllic wilderness and stunning foliage along much of its banks.

Read MoreHudson River

Kenai River

Rafting and fishing are some popular recreational opportunities in the Kenai River.

Alaska's Kenai River runs some 132 kilometers from the Kenai Mountains to the Cook Inlet on the Pacific Ocean. The river is home to a rich abundance of wildlife. Many species of birds, bears, caribou and even moose can be found along this river's banks. And, of course, its fish content is widely renowned, making the Kenai the premium destination for fishing in Alaska. The Kenai River is an angler's paradise with abundant fish, from the Chinook Salmon to the Rainbow Trout. With pristine blue waters, lovely forested views, and snow-capped mountain peaks surrounding it, the Kenai River defines what it means to be picture-perfect. This Alaskan gem is indeed one of the most stunning natural sites to visit for anyone in "The Last Frontier" State.

Truckee River

Truckee River flowing in the countryside in Truckee, California.

With its clear blue waters and stunning forested surroundings, the Truckee River is a wonderful place to spend time. Indeed in the summer months, this 195-kilometre-long river is a very popular spot for fishing and whitewater rafting, and tourists from all across Nevada and California make the voyage to its banks. The Truckee River is the largest in Western Nevada and is the only outlet for Lake Tahoe making its water an essential source of irrigation for the region. Controlled by the Lake Tahoe Dam, much of the river's flow is regulated, and towns like Reno and Sparks use its treated water. But whether it is drinking its water, hiking or biking along its trails, fishing in it or partaking in the ultimate rafting adventure, the Truckee River does, without doubt, have something for everyone to appreciate.

Potomac River

Aerial View of Harper's Ferry and the Potomac River.

The Potomac River covers an area of 38,000 square kilometers and runs for 652 kilometers. Forming a natural border between the State of Maryland and the nation's capital, Washington DC, the Potomac is the Eastern United State's fourth largest river. Within the capital, visitors can enjoy its serene waters alongside monuments like the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials. But beyond Washington, this river also flows into the States of Virginia and West Virginia, respectively, where a more natural view of its banks can be found. With beautiful panoramas and a charming, wooded ambiance, visitors will surely not want to miss the Great Falls. Some 23 kilometers from Washington D.C., this series of waterfalls and rapids is a popular spot for activities like rafting, kayaking, and hiking.

Read MorePotomac River

Crooked River

Crooked River High Bridge Jefferson County, Oregon, USA.

A tributary of the Deschutes River, Oregon's Crooked River is nonetheless an impressive waterway in its own right. Spanning 201 kilometers, the river passes through the Smith Rock State Park and is a popular place for fishing, hiking, camping, and boating. With beautiful canyon vistas and winding waterways, the Crooked River is an awe-inspiring locale where majestic mountains and charming waterfalls can also be found. And for those who travel up into Jefferson County, a stop at the Crooked River Railroad Bridge, some 320 feet above the water, is a photo opportunity surely not to be missed!

Loxahatchee River

Jupiter Inlet meeting the Loxahatchee River from the top of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse.

From a Seminole indigenous word meaning "river of turtles," the Loxahatchee River is a small but gorgeous waterway in southeast Florida. This slow-moving river, running a short distance of only 12 kilometers, is a peaceful place of relaxation and meditation and is ideal for paddling and canoeing at a leisurely pace. With stunning bayou surroundings, the Loxahatchee River is a native habitat for many species of wildlife, and visitors may even see a majestic manatee or two in its waters. Eventually, meeting with the Atlantic Ocean at the Juniper Inlet, Loxahatchee River may not command the same attention as some other rivers, but it is an undisputed place of great natural beauty and wonder.

Merced River

El Capitan and Merced River in autumn in California.

California's Merced River runs through the Yosemite National Park, from the peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the San Joaquin Valley. Spanning 233 kilometers, the Merced River has seen inhabitants along its banks for centuries, from indigenous populations to those seeking wealth in the California Gold Rush. A beautiful waterway with stunning mountain vistas, green valley trees, and sparkling waters, this river is also a popular destination for rafting, swimming, and fishing. This most scenic destination also has an abundance of wildflowers blooming in the springtime, adding an added layer of allure to an already picturesque place.

Read MoreYosemite National Park

Salt River

Wild Horses in the Salt River in the Arizona Desert.

The aptly named Salt River, flowing over large salt deposits, is situated within the Phoenix metropolitan area and runs for some 329 kilometers. A popular place for fishing, camping, hiking, and picnicking, the Salt River is also an incredible natural habitat for wild horses. Surrounded by saguaros cactuses, a simple journey down the river may indeed be one filled with views of horses, either grazing or galloping freely in the valley of the White Mountains. Meanwhile, the Salt River also forms a boundary with the Tonto National Forest, where further outdoor adventures await. From rock climbing to star gazing, spending time in this natural wonderland along the water's edge is indeed a type of earthly paradise.

Read More10 Longest Rivers In The United States

Whether one swims, catches fish, walks along their banks, or makes use of their water, these rivers reflect some of the very best waterways in all of America.
A kidnapped family of 4 has been found dead in California, authorities say
The Graves County Sheriff's Office shared this photo from an investigation into fentanyl trafficking in West Kentucky. Sheriff Jon Hayden says the photo was taken around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday in Carlisle County as investigators carried out a search warrant. Hayden says the photo shows Carlisle County Sheriff Gilbert counting pills that were packaged to be sold illegally. Hayden says presumptive tests indicated the pills contained fentanyl.
The assailant fled the first scene, shooting from his car as he drove home, before killing his wife and child and taking his own life.
Parents to be charged after adult sons with disabilities found living in 'deplorable conditions' in McCracken County
Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South Members of Parliament and Assembly Members to write a monthly article with updates on their work in their respective Parliaments and closer to home  you can find them all here.

In her column for October, Wrexhams MP Sarah Atherton writes.

Last month, I was honoured to be appointed as the Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families.

As a veteran myself, defence has always been close to my heart and delivering for those who are serving, have served and their families will always be at the top of my agenda.

Wrexham has a proud military history and veterans community and now the Defence Secretary has committed to returning a reserve company (3rd Battalion Royal Welsh) to Hightown Barracks in June 2023, I am proud to now be championing Wrexham as both the Minister for Defence People and the MP for Wrexham.

I can assure you that alongside my duties in the MOD, I am focused on being a constituency MP and continuing to raise Wrexham and making sure Wrexham is firmly on the map.

Following on from the letter sent by my North Wales MP colleagues regarding the shortcomings of Avanti services, on the 3rd of October I wrote to Avanti West Coast to obtain assurances about the reliability and frequency of train services to and from Wrexham.

Now that Wrexham is a city, we need our transport systems to reflect that of the capital of North Wales.

I will continue to push for better connectivity. Follow this link to read the full letter to Avanti and to fill in my transport survey: https://www.sarahatherton.org.uk/transport-survey.

Last month in Parliamentary Recess, I did a street surgery every day, starting from Pandy, then onto Marford and Rossett, and finishing in Holt. Whilst chatting to residents, one issue that frequently came up was the shocking state of NHS dentistry.

Since my election in 2019, I have been inundated with complaints from residents over access to healthcare, including dentist appointments.

This is precisely why I launched my health campaign, as healthcare in Wales is devolved to the Welsh Labour Government.

For two years I have been asking the Welsh Government for a plan on how they will address the backlogs and lengthy waiting times and I have not received a plan or a vision to address these shortcomings.

I will continue to call on the Welsh Government to reform Waless failing NHS dentist practices so that Wrexham residents receive the healthcare they deserve. To sign my health campaign, follow this link: https://www.sarahatherton.org.uk/healthcare-wrexham.

Earlier this month the Chancellor set out his mini-budget which included cuts to National Insurance contributions, basic rate of Income Tax, and freezing Alcohol Duty  all helping families to keep more of their hard-earned money. The Government has taken strong and decisive action to help families across the UK get through these difficult times.

Whilst first-time buyers will be reaping the rewards from cuts to stamp duty in England, due to devolution, the Welsh Government have the choice of whether to adopt this policy.

The UK Government will provide the Welsh Government with approximately 70 million to do this, but ultimately, it is up to the Welsh Government what they do with this money.

I will be working hard to lobby the Welsh Government to make sure that this money is spent to ensure that Welsh first-time buyers have the opportunity to get their foot on the property ladder just like those across the border.

Following on from the Chancellors mini-budget, many businesses in Wrexham have contacted me to outline their concerns that the introduction of new Investment Zones does not cover Wales. Under the Conservative Governments Growth Plan, businesses are set to benefit from streamlined planning rules and time limited tax cuts to boost growth in areas that need it most.

However, due to devolution, the Welsh Government has the choice to either adopt or neglect this growth-driving measure at the expense of businesses in Wales.

I met with the Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to air my concerns about pushing the Welsh Government to adopt Investment Zones in Wales so that businesses in Wrexham can have the same benefits as those in England.

As always, if you are a resident in Wrexham and need my assistance with any local or national issues, please contact me by emailing sarah.atherton.mp@parliament.uk.
As many as 80 workers at Amazons JFK8 Staten Island warehouse have been suspended after refusing to go to work in the immediate aftermath of a fire inside the facility. Management took the vindictive action after around 100 workers at the facility, including representatives of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), which won a union election at the facility in April, staged a protest in a management office and demanded to be sent home with pay because of unsafe conditions.

Amazon's JFK 8 facility on New York City's Staten Island on the evening of October 4, 2022 [Photo: WSWS]

The International Amazon Workers Voice calls on all workers to oppose the blatant victimization of these workers and demand their immediate reinstatement with full back pay.

The fire started in a trash compactor inside the building around 4 p.m. on Monday. As shown in several videos taken by warehouse workers and posted on social media, the blaze was significant and not isolated from the rest of the facility; a clear danger to those working inside.

One worker, a stower in the warehouse, told the World Socialist Web Site Tuesday that management, responding to the fire alarm, initially told day-shift workers to remain at their work stations. Keeping workers at their stations during an emergency is apparently standard operating procedure at JFK8. The worker told the WSWS that during past fire alarms, despite work stations powering down, management instructed workers to, Stay at your stations while we investigate.

Workers were eventually told to evacuate the facility after management saw the fire firsthand, and they were sent home with pay. This was not surprising, one worker told the WSWS. The day shift was almost over anyway, so they thought they might as well send us home. Workers also reported that they were not allowed to use nearby fire exits but had to use turnstiles to badge out before leaving the facility.

Night-shift workers, arriving shortly after the dismissal of the day shift, were directed by warehouse managers to the facilitys cafeteria and told to wait for further instructions. Workers received little to no information about what was happening, reporting that standard safety protocols were not being enforced. Warehouse safety personnel, who are supposed to be stationed at entrances during such an incident, were nowhere to be found. One worker told the WSWS, We didnt know what was going on. Our representatives should have been here stating what was going on.

After over two hours, management instructed workers that it was safe to go to work, despite the warehouse reportedly still smelling of smoke and other unknown fumes. Several workers are reported to have had trouble breathing and one person was sent to the hospital.

Managements announcement caused an eruption of anger among numerous workers, concerned over their safety and potential health risks. They demanded that all employees be sent home with pay until the facility was entirely safe for workers to return to work. Roughly 100 workers marched to the offices of JFK8 management and confronted warehouse managers.

The protest action eventually broke up with some workers returning to work while others left the facility.

The majority of JFK8 night-shift workers had returned to work before the protest. However, many have indicated strong opposition to Amazons actions, and several workers said that they were not informed that the protest action was taking place, almost completely unaware of the details.

The next day, dozens of workers who protested discovered that they had been suspended from work. Smoke and fumes rise, a warehouse worker who participated in the protest action told the WSWS the day after. They wont be contained to one area. Thats dangerous! I have asthma and many of the people working here have pre-existing health issues. Its not just about me, its about the safety of all of us in this place. Im not risking my life to make more money for Amazon, no one should. But for that, now Im suspended. Another worker who participated in the protest and was suspended added, We have the right to do this. Theyre violating our right, treating us like some slaves. All they care about are the packages, not us, never us. I went back to work and they still suspended me!

The multibillion-dollar, multinational corporation is infamous for its horrendous and repressive working conditions, gross exploitation, callous indifference to workers lives and retaliation against workers opposition. According to a report by the Strategic Organizing Center, in 2021 Amazon reported a staggering 38,334 workplace injuries in the US alone, 7.9 injuries per 100 workers. The injury rate at Amazons facilities increased by 20% between 2020 and 2021. In 2021, Amazon employed one-third of all warehouse workers in the U.S., but it was responsible for nearly one-half (49 percent) of all injuries in the warehouse industry. The injury rate at Amazon warehouses is reported to be twice as high as the rate at non-Amazon warehouses in the logistics industry.

In the span of just three weeks in July, three workers employed at three different Amazon warehouse facilities in New Jersey died while on the job.

In December of 2021, Amazons DLI4 warehouse facility in Edwardsville, Illinois was struck by an EF-3 (winds of 158-206 mph) tornado, which caused the building to collapse. Plant managers at the fulfillment center disregarded days of advance storm warnings from local and national weather forecasts and refused to cancel the December 10 evening shift to keep operations going during the immensely profitable holiday season. Six workers were killed and dozens injured.

Workers in Illinois who raised concerns about the approaching storm were threatened with severe reprimand and termination.

A former Amazon worker in upstate New York was harassed by Amazon management and eventually fired after publicly protesting against Amazon denying workers time for bathroom breaks during their shifts, another glimpse of the pervasive system of control in Amazons warehouses.

Over the last two and a half years, Amazon has forced workers to continue in-person work amidst the raging, deadly and debilitating Coronavirus pandemic. The company admitted that at least 20,000 of its workers were infected in 2020 alone, and it is certain that a substantial number died. Thousands, if not tens of thousands, no doubt are suffering lingering health problems associated with Long Covid. Meanwhile, the corporate behemoth has seen its coffers grow significantly.

However, Amazon is not an evil aberration. It most ruthlessly and openly exemplifies the brutality and callousness of the logistics industry and the entire capitalist system. No matter the job or employer, workers face unsafe working conditions, brutal exploitation, poverty wages, unbearably long working hours, and deliberate exposure to life-threatening viruses. UPS delivery drivers were forced to work long hours in the summer heat without air conditioning in their trucks. Cab temperatures rose to well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit causing workers to fall ill from the unbearable heat. On June 25, 24-year-old UPS driver Esteban Chavez, Jr. collapsed inside his delivery van while working and died from heatstroke. A UPS driver in New York City was reprimanded for taking a 47-second break to sip water amidst an intense heat wave in July.

Last week grieving families, friends and coworkers buried Ben and Max Morrissey, two brothers who leave behind wives and small children, who were killed in a fire at the British Petroleum-Husky oil refinery in Oregon, Ohio. The brothers, who worked side-by-side at the BP refinery, were killed in what is largely seen as a preventable workplace accident, victims of Americas industrial slaughterhouse that sacrifices hundreds of workers daily to the alter of private profit.

Under the capitalist profit system, workers lives are expendable, worth less to the ruling capitalist class than the basic machinery and equipment that workers operate. In the eyes of these parasites, workers have one function, to produce profits. Those who die can be quickly replaced with another.

The fight to ensure workplace safety and against oppression requires that workers take matters into their own hands by forming rank-and-file committees, completely independent of the Democratic Party and the pro-company trade union apparatus, which have overseen the decay of working and living conditions and sought to strangle every attempt by the working class to take up an effective fight.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) in South Yorkshire, England is set to close by November this year with the loss of 800 jobs.

The decision to close DSA permanently was blamed by owners, the Peel Group, on the high fixed costs associated with running a safe, regulated airport, together with recent events materially reducing prospective future aviation income streams.

The apron view at Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Three Thomson 737-800s parked on the Apron ready to depart to Alicante, Tenerife and Dalaman [Photo by C1poplar / CC BY-SA 4.0

The Peel Group said it had been actively engaging with local authorities and the Department for Transport (DfT) as well as numerous airlines but None of these discussions has delivered any tangible results that have changed the board of DSA or Peels clear view that the airport is and will remain unviable.

Along with job losses for 800 workers employed directly at DSA, another 2,500 jobs are threatened. These are linked to ancillary services for the airport in nearby South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and north Nottinghamshire.

Following the ending of scheduled services from nearby Sheffield City Airport in 2008, the former RAF Finningley site was reopened as Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield (DSA) in April 2005. DSA is used by holiday providers such as Tui, with flights to destinations including the Canary Islands, Balearics, Greece, Turkey, Poland and the Baltics.

The Peel Group, owned by billionaire John Whittaker, is a British infrastructure and property investment corporation based in Manchester. It is one of the biggest infrastructure, transport and real estate investors in the UK, with collective investments owned and under management in excess of 5 billion. The company reported profits of more than 30 million in 2021 from its operations at Mersey Docks and Harbour Company.

The DSA is worth 100 million a year to the regions economy. In negotiations, Peel referred to the potential value of the DSA site for alternative employment, with speculation it will be used for warehousing and light industry. The region has been transformed into a hub for low wage online retailers such as Amazon.

On September 23, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) made a last-minute attempt to keep the DSA open, even offering to compensate Peel Group from public funds for financial losses for another year while a new owner for the site was found.

The offer was declined with Peel Group chief executive Steven Underwood declaring, We will not accept any public sector grant to cover the costs of an airport that is not viable due to its lack of adequate forward revenues and high operating costs.

The corporation stated, Accepting funds from SYMCA may postpone the inevitable for another 13 months, but it will divert funds away from services on which communities throughout South Yorkshire rely. Yet it wasnt troubled when accepting millions from the public purse over the lifetime of the DSA.

South Yorkshires Labour Party mayor Oliver Coppard responded, For years, we have been investing public money in and around DSA to support the airport, including providing emergency funding [during] the pandemic. Since the announcement by Peel that they were entering into a review of DSA, we have done everything we could to constructively and proactively find a path forward.

Coppard continued We have identified market interest, brought potential investors to the table, and last week we offered them a deal to protect the jobs and livelihoods of DSA staff, and to give Peel the time and space to negotiate with new investors. The fact that they chose to turn our offer down simply confirms what many of us suspected: that Peel was never serious about finding an alternative and safeguarding the future of DSA.

With his pathetic pleas Coppard only demonstrates the utter prostration of Labour-run local authorities. He begged, It is still not too late for them to do the right thing; for them to reconsider their decision for the sake of those employees, businesses and communities directly impacted by this appalling decision.

The DSA is set for closure, only two weeks after Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss publicly pledged to protect it. Asked by Don Valley Tory MP Nick Fletcher about the DSAs future during her first Prime Minister's Questions on September 7, Truss said, We will protect this airport and this infrastructure.

Truss told the Commons she had already instructed her new transport secretary to begin talks with DSA stakeholders. Truss claimed she would be absolutely focusing on levelling up and making sure were attracting investment and growth into this country [to regions] that have been left behind so they have their share.

Regardless of Trusss empty words, Peel Groups parasitic investors have concluded the DSA is simply not profitable enough, with or without public subsidies. Since opening in 2005, the DSA has never turned a profit. The COVID-19 pandemic was the final straw, with flight numbers falling by more than half.

DSAs closure exposes the ongoing decline in the north of England. South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and North Nottinghamshire cannot provide the volume of passengers able to afford regular package holidays. Tour company Tui operates near the bottom of the package holiday market, selling mostly to working class families. The decline in the volume of flights from DAS speaks to the social crisis gripping poorly paid workers who are struggling to survive.

The airports closure is a blow to the region and will impact thousands of workers in the run-up to Christmas. The Peel Group said it would be engaging closely with the airports staff over the next few weeks, with the local Labour authority and trade unions working to facilitate an orderly closure.

The Manchester Airports Group (MAG) offered guaranteed interviews for DSA employees for an unspecified number of vacancies across their three airportsEast Midlands, London Stansted and Manchester. These are all located many miles from Doncaster.

Last week, South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard and Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones, also Labour, confirmed they were in talks with a serious takeover consortium. Rumours that billionaire Virgin Atlantic owner Sir Richard Branson was involved were quickly denied.

The GMB unions senior organiser Les Dobbs said he was devastated and amazed by news of the closure. But the union has issued no call to rally its members across the transport industry to fight DSAs closure. Peels own Mersey Docks and Harbour Company (MDHC) is currently in dispute with hundreds of dockers on strike over wages at the Port of Liverpool.

A GMB rally attended by 200 people protested the closure but provided a platform for Labour Party politicians to issue bankrupt pleas for Peel to accept more public cash and remain open. The GMB made no call for industrial action, with GMB regional organiser Sarah Barnes calling on the Tory government to step in quickly and commit money to save DSA.

With closure imminent, Dobbs announced last week that the GMB would continue to fight and campaign to the bitter endempty words that amount to a kiss of death. The closure of DAS speaks to the destructive consequences of subordinating basic infrastructure to private profit. The airline industry must be nationalised under workers control, along with the transport and energy corporations, as part of the fight for a democratically planned world socialist economy to meet human needs not private profit.
Millions of Australians face an increased risk of identity theft after their personal data was exposed in a massive online security breach at Optus last month.

The so-far unidentified hacker obtained sensitive details, including passport, drivers licence and medicare numbers, of around 10 million current and former customers of Australias second-largest telecommunications provider.

Screenshot from email sent to customers

While Optus insists that 7.7 million of the victims need not take action, this may only mean that the information of theirs that was compromised is impractical to change, such as their full name, home address and date of birth.

The company reports that of the 2.1 million customers who had at least one identifying document number stolen, 1.2 million had current, valid identification numbers exposed. In most cases this included drivers licences, while around 150,000 passports and 37,000 Medicare cards were also compromised.

While an online forum poster using the name Optusdata, thought to be the hacker, claims to have deleted the stolen data, there is no guarantee that this is true. As a result, almost 40 percent of the Australian population, along with international visitors who registered for Optus services since 2017, confront an enhanced likelihood of fraud.

At minimum, more than 10,000 Optus customers are at risk, as they were in included in a sample posted online by Optusdata to prove they had access to the data. This data has been reposted and remains readily accessible.

Stolen identity documents could be used to establish fraudulent bank and credit card accounts, allowing criminals to launder money or rack up huge debts against the names of the Optus breach victims.

Basic information like that stolen from customers, that Optus says should not be of concern, such as addresses, phone numbers, full names and dates of birth, could be used in social engineering attacks to gain access to existing accounts with other companies.

The Optus hack was reported in the media on September 22, the day after the company detected unusual data traffic on their networks.

While the company initially claimed it had been the victim of a sophisticated attack, the consensus among security experts, backed up by the claims of the purported hacker, is that it was anything but.

Optusdata told Information Security Media Group reporter Jeremy Kirk they had acquired the data through an unsecured Application Programming Interface (API), which allowed access to Optuss customer database from devices anywhere on the public internet.

The hacker was able to access the information of all of the companys customers by running an automated script that asked for database records one-by-one, simply increasing the contactId index number by one with each request.

Optusdata explained that no username, password or authentication token was required, writing to Kirk: No authenticate needed. That is bad access control. All open to internet for any one to use.

APIs are used extensively to allow communication between different pieces of software, within a single device or across networks. When Optus customers view their account via a mobile app or the web, a similar API to the one that was breached is used to retrieve and display their own information. Properly implemented, this is only possible after logging in, and cannot be used to display the details of other customers.

Security experts have speculated that the exploited API was a new version that was being tested and was not intended to be accessible from the public internet. To protect security, such an API should have used test data rather than actual customer details.

Kirks analysis of public Domain Name System (DNS) recordsessentially the internet equivalent of a phone booksuggests that the unsecured API may have been accessible for up to three months.

The massive breach points to the danger of placing sensitive data in the hands of vast corporations, whose only concern is profit. While the Optus data breach is notable for its vast scale, hacks accessing substantial amounts of personal data are increasingly common.

Last month, American Airlines revealed that personal data including drivers licences, passport numbers and certain medical information of more than 1,700 employees and customers had been stolen in a phishing attack in July.

Last week, Ubers former security chief, Joe Sullivan, was found guilty of covering up the 2016 exfiltration of 50 million customers and 7 million drivers personal data. The court heard that Sullivan paid the hackers $US100,000 in Bitcoin in exchange for their silence on the breach, which was only revealed more than a year later when Sullivan was fired.

In 2020, Australian logistics giant Toll was hit by a ransomware attack that compromised workers personal and financial details and prevented them from being paid correctly. The email addresses and full names of 139 million users of graphic design software company Canva were stolen in 2019.

One of the largest ever breaches of sensitive data was the 2017 exploitation of a website application vulnerability at credit reporting agency Equifax, in which the personal and credit information of 143 million was stolen over a period of more than two months. The company had failed to install a patch for a well-known bug in their Apache web server.

This is particularly notable because Optus is offering customers affected by last months hack a 12-month subscription to Equifaxs credit monitoring service.

In response to the Optus attack, federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland today announced changes to the Telecommunications Act to facilitate targeted data sharing between telcos and financial institutions.

For security reasons, Chalmers claimed, the identity of these financial institutions could not be disclosed. In other words, some 10 million Optus customers, whose personal information may already be being traded on the online black market, now face having it shared further between unidentified institutions.

The announcement marked a shift from Labors earlier denunciations of the lax security at Optus. Now, the governments clear priority is to work closely with the multi billion-dollar company to salvage its reputation.

The latest regulatory change is in line with years of prior legislation, passed with bipartisan support, that imposes few responsibilities on corporations to protect user data, and minimal penalties for the failure to do so.

Legislation regarding the telecommunications industry has instead been focussed on increasing the scope of data that must be retained, in order to facilitate greater surveillance by the state. The very fact that Optus had passport and drivers licence numbers recorded, and therefore vulnerable, is a result of such laws.

In addition to identity information, Australias data retention laws require telecommunications providers to keep records of source and destination phone numbers, email addresses and IP addresses for all communication except web browsing, as well as the location of the user at the time of the transmission.

Amendments to the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 passed in 2021 allow the Australian Signals Directorate to take control of critical infrastructure, the definition of which has been expanded to include supermarkets, banks, financial markets, education and transport, in the event of a cyber security incident.

Law firm Corrs, Chambers and Westgarth noted last year: The new government response powers go beyond the measures other members of the Five Eyes alliance have implemented.

These regulatory changes have nothing to do with protecting ordinary Australian people from the growing threat of cyber attack. Despite the propaganda campaign employed to justify ever more draconian surveillance measures, digital attacks are mostly opportunistic exploitations of vulnerabilities that exist due to the profit-led priorities of business.

The only answer to this is to take the valuable personal data of individuals out of the hands of corporations by placing vital digital infrastructure, like telecommunications and cloud services, along with traditional utilities and the banks, under democratic workers control and ownership.
This article was published as a two-part series on October 6-7

Some two dozen Democratic candidates for Congress, running as challengers to Republican incumbents or as would-be successors to retiring Democratic incumbents, are drawn from the military-intelligence apparatus. This phenomenon, which the WSWS first analyzed and exposed in 2018 in our much-read series The CIA Democrats, is becoming an increasingly important factor in American official politics.

Eleven military-intelligence candidates were elected in 2018 as part of the Democratic takeover of control in the House of Representatives. Their numbers increased by one in 2020, as one of the 11 lost his bid for reelection, but two new military-intelligence Democrats were elected. This year, the size of the caucus could nearly double, even in an election in which the Democratic Party as a whole may well lose ground.

The influx of military-intelligence operatives into the ranks of the Democratic Party in Congress is now an ongoing political trend. There were 30 such candidates nominated by the Democrats in 2018, 11 of whom won. There were 35 such candidates in 2020, including the 11 incumbents, and 12 won, a slight increase despite the election being a poor one for the Democrats. In 2022, the total number of such candidates stands at 34: in addition to 11 incumbents, there are 23 more candidates drawn from the CIA, Pentagon and State Department.

These figures suggest that the influx of Pentagon and CIA operatives into Congress, by means of the Democratic Party, is not an accidental phenomenon, but the outcome of a definite policy, which has two components. First, the Democratic Party leadership is deliberately cultivating military-intelligence candidates and creating opportunities for them to run in Democratic-leaning congressional districts where they are likely to be elected. Second, sizeable sections of the military officers corps, the CIA and the State Department see the Democratic Party as their preferred vehicle for advancing the interests of American imperialism, to which they have devoted their own careers.

As was the case in our 2018 series and its follow-up in 2020, all the information presented here is gathered from publicly available sources, including Wikipedia and Ballotpedia, and particularly from the campaign web sites established by each candidate. Also considered are the published lists from the Democratic and Republican congressional campaign committees, identifying which campaigns they view as truly competitive and where significant party resources will be expended.

As before, we must point out that these Democratic candidates are far from seeking to conceal their role in unpopular wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or in the skulduggery of the intelligence world, dominated by political subversion, illegal surveillance and outright murder (whether by drone-fired missile or the old-fashioned knife in the back). They positively glory in it, with combat veterans posting photos of themselves in military gear, preferably in some foreign landscape. The intelligence agents are more discreet in terms of photographs and other information, as is to be expected, but no less celebratory in describing their service.

As a preliminary, let us review who is still in Congress from the initial intake in 2018, and who is not. There are two departures from the original 11.

Max Rose, who commanded an Army unit in several deployments in Afghanistan, was elected in 2018 in the 11th District of New York, which includes Staten Island and part of Brooklyn. He was defeated for reelection in 2020 by Republican Nicole Malliotakis. Rose is the Democratic nominee for the seat again in 2022 in a rematch with Malliotakis, with the district considered slightly more favorable to the Democrats than before because of redistricting.

Conor Lamb, a judge adjutant general in the Marine Corps, won a special election in early 2018 and then reelection in November of that year in the 17th Congressional District of Pennsylvania (western suburbs of Pittsburgh, Beaver Falls, Allegheny Valley). Reelected in 2020, he sought the Democratic nomination for the vacant US Senate seat this year and lost the primary in a landslide to Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman. He will leave Congress at the end of this term.

The other nine were reelected in 2020 and are seeking reelection again in 2022. Four are considered heavy favorites to win, including Jason Crow (82nd Airborne, commanded Army paratroopers in Iraq) in Colorado, Chrissy Houlihan (Air Force captain) in Pennsylvania and Mikie Sherrill (Navy helicopter pilot) and Andy Kim (Pentagon adviser, headed Iraq desk at the National Security Council) in New Jersey. The five others are considered in some danger, with only slight edges over Republican challengers, including Jared Golden (Marine Corps, Afghanistan) in Maine, Tom Malinowski (State Department) in New Jersey, Elaine Luria (Navy commander) and Abigail Spanberger (CIA agent) in Virginia, and Elissa Slotkin (CIA agent, White House aide, Pentagon official) in Michigan.

In 2020, offsetting the defeat of Rose, two more military-intelligence candidates won seats, for a net increase of one in the ranks of this group. Jake Auchincloss won a nine-candidate primary in Massachusetts with only 25 percent of the vote, in the heavily Democratic Fourth Congressional District in the southwest Boston suburbs. He had been an Army captain commanding troops in Helmand Province in Afghanistan, and later led an elite reconnaissance force in anti-drug operations in Panama.

Also in 2020, former State Department official Sara Jacobs won a safe Democratic seat in San Diego opened up by the retirement of incumbent Susan Davis. Jacobs ran for and lost a contest for the Democratic nomination in an adjacent district in 2018, when she was profiled in the original series on the CIA Democrats. Jacobs should perhaps have an asterisk, since along with her years in the State Department under Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, she is the granddaughter of billionaire Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs, and therefore has access to unlimited campaign funds.

Both Auchincloss and Jacobs are expected to retain their seats easily in the November vote.

With the subtraction of Conor Lamb earlier this year, the number of CIA Democrats seeking reelection in the House is back to the original total of 11 going into the November 8 general election. This figure could be reduced somewhat or as much as double, depending on the outcome at the polls.

There are 23 new military-intelligence candidates running as Democratic nominees for Congress this year, a substantial proportion, nearly 10 percent, of the 252 available Democratic nominations. (There are 435 seats in Congress, but 183 Democratic incumbents are seeking reelection.)

The proportion is even higher if we set aside safe Republican seats and consider only those which the Democratic Party views as competitive. In these districts, numbering 56, there are 12 military-intelligence candidates, more than 20 percent of the total. Six of these are running in districts carried by Joe Biden in 2020, six in districts narrowly won by Donald Trump.

Twelve military-intelligence candidates in competitive seats

Who are these 12, and where are they running?

Jackie Gordon is the Democratic nominee for New Yorks Second Congressional District, on Long Island, against first-term incumbent Andrew Garbarino. Gordon retired after a 29-year career in the Army military police, which included tours of duty in combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. Her campaign website adds that she also served as an operations officer at Guantanamo Bay, the US base which is the site of a notorious prison and torture center.

Jackie Gordon retired from the Army Military Police as a lieutenant colonel

Gordon, who is African American, was elected to the Babylon Town Council while still on active duty and retired from the Army Reserve in 2014 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. She was the Democratic candidate in 2020 for the seat left open by the retirement of longtime Republican Rep. Peter King, losing narrowly to Garbarino, and is now running against him again. She had no primary opposition.

Max Rose is running in New Yorks 11th Congressional District (Staten Island-Brooklyn) for the third consecutive election, having won in 2018 and lost in 2020, as explained above. In 2018, his campaign website described him as a proud veteran of the U.S. Army. It continued: He served as an active duty officer in Afghanistan from 20122013, and earned a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Infantryman Badge. He continues his service today in the National Guard, and is also Ranger-qualified.

Max Rose, left, was an Army officer deployed to Afghanistan and later qualified as an Army Ranger.

According to our profile in 2018 following his victory in the Democratic primary, After active duty, Rose went to work as a special assistant to the Brooklyn District Attorney, while remaining an officer in the National Guard. During August, he took a two-week break from campaigning to participate in small-unit training exercises.

Pat Ryan won a special election in August in New Yorks 19th Congressional District, filling the vacancy created when two-term Democratic Representative Antonio Delgado was appointed lieutenant governor of New York. In November, because of redistricting, Ryan is seeking election in the 18th Congressional District, which has much different boundaries, further south in the Hudson Valley, and is heavily Democratic, making Ryan the favorite to win.

Pat Ryan, right, deployed twice to Iraq as an Army intelligence officer

After an education at West Point, Ryan deployed twice to Iraq as an Army intelligence officer, including a tour as the lead intelligence officer for an infantry battalion of 1,000 soldiers and officers responsible for ground operations in Mosul, according to his 2018 campaign website. In that year, he ran in the Democratic primary for Congress in the 19th district, but lost to Delgado, a millionaire lawyer. He then ran for and won the position of Ulster County executive and held that position until becoming a member of Congress.

Francis Conole is the Democratic nominee in New Yorks 22nd Congressional District, which is based on the city of Syracuse. He is a career Navy officer, graduating from the Naval Academy and serving on board several warships before joining the Office of Naval Intelligence. He was later deployed with Army Special Forces in a combat zone in Iraq.

Democratic candidate Francis Conole (bottom right), with Army Special Forces in Iraq

After the US withdrawal from Iraq, he obtained a masters degree in National Security Studies from the Naval War College and worked as a policy adviser for two secretaries of defense, Ash Carter, a Democrat, and James Mattis, a Republican. His area of responsibility was U.S. Defense Policy for Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel, drafting strategy that protected U.S. interests and strengthened our partnerships in the Middle-East, according to his campaign website.

Conole is favored to win the open seat created when the Republican incumbent, four-term representative John Katko, retired at the age of 60. Katko was one of the 10 Republican House members who voted to impeach Trump after the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. As a result, he was facing multiple right-wing challengers in the Republican primary, as well as contesting a district that had voted for Biden and had been redistricted to make it even more favorable to the Democrats.

Ashley Ehasz is running against incumbent Republican Brian Fitzsimmons in the First Congressional District of Pennsylvania, based in Bucks County, the northeast suburbs of Philadelphia. While Fitzsimmons, a three-term incumbent, is a former FBI agent, Ehasz was an Apache helicopter pilot serving in Kuwait, Iraq and South Korea in the course of her Army career. Her website boasts, If elected, Ashley would be the first woman serving in Congress to have graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Democratic congressional candidate Ashley Ehasz (left front), posing with her Apache helicopter unit.

The website continues: Upon graduating West Point, Ashley was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant within the U.S. Army Aviation branch she trained to become an AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter pilot, and graduated in January 2012 as the only woman in her Apache class. From there, she was stationed in Fort Bliss, Texas with the 4th Battalion, 501st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion. There, she served as a platoon leader in both a line unit and an aviation maintenance unit, deploying to Kuwait under Operation Spartan Shield. Later, as the battalion logistics officer and pilot-in-command, she deployed once again to Kuwait and Camp Taji, Iraq, with Operation Inherent Resolve. Ashley then commanded two aviation troops deploying to South Korea in 2017.

Chris DeLuzio, a former Navy officer and Iraq War veteran, is running to succeed CIA Democrat Conor Lamb in the 17th Congressional District of Pennsylvania. Lamb gave up the western Pennsylvania seat to run for US Senate. According to his campaign website, after DeLuzio graduated from the US Naval Academy, he was commissioned as an active-duty surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy. Chriss military service included three deployments, including a tour of duty as a U.S. Army Civil Affairs Officer in Iraq.

Chris DeLuzio on deployment in Iraq.

DeLuzio then obtained a law degree, clerked for a federal judge, and worked at the Brennan Center for Justice, specializing in election security and cybersecurity as well as developing contacts with the trade union bureaucracy through an effort to organize the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh. He lives in the northwest suburbs of the city, part of the 17th Congressional District. The contest with Republican Jeremy Shaffer for the seat left open by Lamb is expected to be a close one.

Dan Davis, a graduate of the US Air Force Academy and former operations officer, is running to succeed longtime incumbent Democrat G. K. Butterfield in North Carolinas First Congressional District, in the northeastern part of the state. Butterfield retired this year after 38 years in Congress. Redistricting made this heavily Democratic district, with a large black population, far more competitive, but Davis is still favored to win.

Dan Davis with Hillary Clinton while he was an operations officer at Andrews Air Force Base

After a military career that included coordinating operations at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington DCa critical and highly sensitive role since this base is the primary route for all presidential travelDavis returned to eastern North Carolina an assistant professor of Aerospace Studies at East Carolina University instructing national security affairs and leadership courses, according to his campaign website. He entered politics in 2010, winning a heavily Democratic seat in the state senate which he has held ever since.

Jeff Jackson is another military officer turned North Carolina state senator. He is the Democratic candidate in the 14th Congressional District, which is newly formed because of population growth in the state, and includes northern portions of Mecklenburg County (Charlotte suburbs) and Gaston County to its north.

Jeff Jackson in Afghanistan

According to his campaign website, Jackson enlisted after the attacks of September 11th, trained at Ft. Bragg, and served in Afghanistan. He continues to serve today as a Major in the Army National Guard. He is currently in his 19th year of military service. He was elected to the state senate in 2014, but drills monthly with the 113th Sustainment Brigade of the National Guard.

Eric Lynn, a former Pentagon security consultant, is running in Floridas 13th Congressional District to replace Democratic incumbent Charlie Crist, who gave up the seat to run for governor against incumbent Ron DeSantis. The district comprises St. Petersburg, Clearwater and some adjoining suburbs. Lynn was appointed by President Barack Obama as a senior adviser to the secretary of defense, and he continued to work into the Trump administration.

Lynn with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. He was a senior adviser to Panetta and two other Pentagon chiefs.

His campaign website notes: During six years of service at the Pentagon, Eric advised three Secretaries of Defense During his tenure, Eric made more than 50 overseas trips with Defense Secretaries and senior military leadership, including working with the U.S. Military on the Obama Administrations Middle East Peace Mission. While abroad, Eric met with heads of state and military leadership throughout the world to combat terrorism, discourage radicalism, promote peace, and coordinate with our allies on national security. Eric was the Pentagons lead official on the Iron Dome Project, the Israeli anti-missile system.

John Lira, a former Marine and Iraq war veteran, is the Democratic candidate in the 23rd Congressional District of Texas, against incumbent Republican Tony Gonzales. This is one of the largest districts in terms of land area, extending from San Antonio to El Paso, and encompassing the US-Mexico border along the Rio Grande as far south as Laredo. It includes the small city of Uvalde, where 19 schoolchildren and two teachers were slaughtered by a deranged gunman last May.

John Lira spent 11 years in the Marine Corps, including two tours in the Iraq War.

Liras campaign logo carries the slogan From foreign battlefields to Congress. His website notes that his great uncle Alfonso Valdez died in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, and that four years later he enlisted in the Marine Corps. His 11 years as a Marine included participation in the 2003 invasion of Iraq under President George W. Bush, after which he volunteered for a second deployment a year-and-a-half later.

Since leaving the military, Lira has been heavily involved in promoting entrepreneurship for military veterans and advocating for national service, a precursor to reestablishing the draft. His website explains, John also worked at the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service, created by Senators John McCain and Jack Reed to develop policies aimed at reviving an ethos of service in America.

Kermit Jones, a former Navy medic and White House fellow, is the Democratic candidate in the Third Congressional District of California, which has no incumbent because of redistricting. While he has worked as a medical doctor for the past several years, Jones has a highly political background, as evidenced by his years in Washington D.C.

Kermit Jones as a flight surgeon in the Iraq War

According to his website, After the tragedy of 9/11, I wanted to do my part and serve my country, so after completing medical school, I joined the U.S. Navy to become a flight surgeon. I deployed to Iraq with a Marine squadron that took injured service members and Iraqi civilians to safety. After returning from Iraq, I served as a White House Fellow under President Obama, working with the Secretary of Health & Human Services to improve quality of care for our veterans.

Jay Chen, a former military intelligence officer, is challenging one-term Republican incumbent Michelle Steel in the 45th Congressional District of California, in the Orange County portion of the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, along the Pacific coast. Steel narrowly defeated first-term Democrat Harley Rouda in 2020. Like John Lira, Chens campaign logo affirms his military background in its title: Jay ChenVeteran for Congress.

Jay Chen worked in Naval intelligence in Iraq and Syria

His campaign website declares (in all caps to underline the importance of bipartisanship), IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY RESERVES, IT DOESNT MATTER IF YOU ARE A DEMOCRAT OR A REPUBLICAN, YOU WORK TOGETHER TO COMPLETE THE MISSION, AND JAY HAS SERVED HONORABLY FROM THE KOREAN PENINSULA TO THE MIDDLE EAST.

As part of Operation Inherent Resolve Lieutenant Commander Chen led an intelligence team and brought justice to the terror group ISIS, and he played a key role in the militarys response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East.

A mercenary and a CIA agent run against Marjorie Taylor Greene and Elise Stefanik

The remaining 11 military-intelligence candidates are not expected to win, but in some cases they are challenging high-profile Republicans, like Elise Stefanik, the number three leader of the House Republicans, and fascist Marjorie Taylor Greene, which ensures that their campaigns will receive extensive publicity.

Marcus Flowers is running against Greene in the 14th Congressional District of Georgia, the northwest corner of the state. He has spent nearly 30 years in the Army and as a military contractor and State Department official deployed around the world. An article in the New Republic that focused on his murky record as a military contractor (not Blackwater, according to Flowers) notes that he had worked at one point for DynCorp, another notorious employer of mercenaries.

A campaign ad for Marcus Flowers linking his Republican opponent to Russia.

A campaign statement given in response to the article reads: I spent several years working in logistics and procurement in combat zones. That included mentoring and training the Iraqi and Afghan National Army in how to safely move and account for equipment, people, and materials. That included at one point meeting with Afghan warlords to negotiate safe passage of critical infrastructure through territories under their control.

As the campaign ad shown above demonstrates, Flowers is actually attacking the fascist Republican incumbent from the right, denouncing her as a stooge of Russian President Vladimir Putin and affirming his support for the US-NATO war in Ukraine, which threatens the nuclear annihilation of humanity.

The candidate challenging Stefanik in New Yorks 21st Congressional District, in the Adirondack area, is Matt Castelli, a former CIA agent. According to one local news report, Castelli said he straddled the agencys operational and analytical wings as a targeting specialist and, later, a leader of various teams. A targeting specialist would be an agent who identifies individuals to be assassinated by drone-fired missiles.

He was apparently good at this grisly task. His campaign website declares, Matts success at the CIA led to the opportunity to serve as Director for Counterterrorism at President Obamas National Security Council. In that role, he developed strategy, policy, and operations to keep America safe from terrorism and extremism. His work degraded Al Qaeda and ISIS, and strengthened security cooperation with our allies. Matt stayed in this role for the first year of the Trump White House before returning to CIA...

Castelli was counterterrorism director for the National Security Council under Obama and later Trump.

Castellis campaign against Stefanik bears all the hallmarks of a high-level state operation. He remained in Washington after leaving the CIA and only moved back to New York state in 2021, relocating to the Adirondack area, where he had never lived, to establish residency before seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Stefanik. He was quickly endorsed by Democratic local leaders in all 18 counties in the district. After he won the party primary with 81 percent of the vote, the New York Times published a flattering profile of the previously unheard-of, newly minted political figure.

The remaining nine military-intelligence candidates, all heavy underdogs, include the following:

Max Della Pia, a career Army Reserve officer specializing in logistics, is running in New Yorks 23rd Congressional District (Buffalo suburbs, southern counties along the Pennsylvania border) against Republican Nick Langworthy, for the seat previously held by Republican Chris Jacobs.

Steven Holden, a four-tour veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is challenging incumbent Claudia Kenney in New Yorks 24th Congressional District, which incorporates a large swath of rural territory around Syracuse and Rochester, as well as the Finger Lakes region.

Matt Kilboy is running against incumbent Republican David Joyce in Ohios 14th Congressional District, comprising the northeast corner of the state. Kilboy was a Navy nurse at the Guantanamo Bay detention and torture center, then served as an adviser to the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Alfonsos campaign logo centers on his military role

Joseph Alfonso is the Democratic candidate in Michigans 4th Congressional District against incumbent Bill Huizenga. The district covers the southwest portion of the state, including Battle Creek, Kalamazoo and St. Joseph. Alfonso is a Marine veteran whose military service was focused on logistics, including in the Middle East. He emphasizes his military record, as shown in his campaign logo, and also highlights that he is married to a Marine veteran.

Patrick Schmidt is running in the 2nd Congressional District of Kansas (Topeka and eastern Kansas, outside Kansas City) against incumbent Jake LaTurner. Schmidt is a young former naval intelligence officer who only left the military in mid-2021 to move back to Topeka and run for Congress. According to his website, Schmidt was stationed on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan supporting the battle groups intelligence team defending U.S. interests from China and Russia.

Patrick Schmidt was a Naval Intelligence officer on board the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

Daryl Scott is the Democratic candidate in the 7th Congressional District of South Carolina, where Republican Russell Fry ousted incumbent Tom Rice after Rices surprise 2021 vote to impeach Trump. Scott is a career Army officer, retiring as a major after 24 years in the South Carolina National Guard, including one deployment to Iraq.

Corinna Robinson is running in Floridas 18th Congressional District against incumbent Republican Brian Mast. After enlisting in the Army at the age of 17, her 25-year career in the Army military police included Officers Candidate School, tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and command of Special Forces troops. Then, according to her website, she led the Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection Directorate at the Pentagon, leading teams responsible for protecting high-risk personnel and safeguarding over 100 facilities.

Isaac McCorkle is challenging incumbent Republican Ken Buck in the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, his second campaign for that position. After an 18-year career in the Marines, largely in special ops, with four combat deployments, he uses the Marine motto Semper Fi as his campaign slogan.

Max Steiner is running in the 1st Congressional District of California against longtime Republican incumbent Doug Lamalfa. He deployed to Iraq in the Army infantry, later transitioning to the reserves, before working for the State Department and then the RAND Corporation, a notorious national security contractor.

Some political conclusions

The coming together of the Democratic Party and the Pentagon-CIA axis entirely refutes the notion, peddled assiduously by Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and pseudo-left groups like the Democratic Socialists of America, that it is possible to push the Democratic Party to the left or even capture control of it and transform it into a vehicle for progressive social reform. The Democratic Party is one of the two major parties of American imperialism and Wall Street, the most reactionary forces on the planet. It cannot be reformed.

The military-intelligence Democrats in Congress are already far more influential as well as more numerous than the much more publicized squad identified with AOC, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar. That will be reinforced by the outcome of the 2022 elections, whatever the fate of individual candidates.

One episode in particular stands out. In September 2019, the initial reports came out of Trumps phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky threatening to delay military aid if Zelensky did not help him in collecting political dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden. Seven Democratic representatives, all first-term and six from the CIA Democrats group, published an op-ed column in the Washington Post calling for a formal impeachment inquiry.

The six included two ex-CIA agents, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, and four former military officers, Elaine Luria of Virginia, Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Jason Crow of Colorado.

Their statement declared: To uphold and defend our Constitution, Congress must determine whether the president was indeed willing to use his power and withhold security assistance funds to persuade a foreign country to assist him in an upcoming election. If these allegations are true, we believe these actions represent an impeachable offense.

This declaration had a huge impact in Washington political circles. Given the identity of the signatories to the column, it was little less than an ultimatum from the CIA, the Pentagon and the State Department to address Trumps undermining of an effort to strengthen the military position of the Ukrainian government, which was critical to the longer term national security planning of American imperialism.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cited the column as decisive in influencing her to give the green light to the House Intelligence Committee and House Judiciary Committee, under Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler, respectively, to open investigations into the Trump phone call and related actions in withholding US aid to pressure the Ukrainian regime.

The full significance of this first drive to impeach Trump can be better appreciated now, under conditions of the US-NATO war against Russia, using Ukraine as its proxy force. As the WSWS noted at the time, pointing to the disparity between the brief delay in weapons shipments to Ukraine and the scale of the Democratic response:

Given the enormous political cost of impeachment to those who initiated it, what could possibly explain the urgency and ferocity with which the entire national security establishment responded to a delay in the distribution of weapons to Ukraine? Is there a timetable for using these weapons in combat? Is the United States planning a provocation that would thrust Ukraine into a major new military offensive?

There have been other important interventions. Former CIA agent Abigail Spanberger of Virginia played an outsize role after the congressional Democrats poor showing in 2020, denouncing the supposed advocates of the defund the police slogan (who appear to have numbered zero in the Democratic caucus) and demanded of the Democratic Party leadership: We need to not ever use the words socialist or socialism ever again.

The other former CIA agent in the group, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, has become a major spokesman for the House Democrats on national security issues and has been repeatedly promoted and profiled in the national media. Her reelection campaign in a Lansing-based district is the most expensive in the country, already costing over $20 million for Slotkin and her Republican opponent combined.

The CIA Democrats have all been appointed to top committee positions dealing with the military and intelligence agencies and their budgets, far more frequently than their counterparts elected in the same year but from non-military-intelligence backgrounds.

Jason Crow of Colorado has emerged as perhaps the most influential of this group, named by Pelosi in January 2020 as an impeachment manager, as well as to positions on both the House Armed Services Committee and the House Intelligence Committee in January 2021, an unprecedented combined role for a second-term representative.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces the House managers for the first impeachment of Donald Trump, with Jason Crow at far right. [AP Photo]

With the installation of these former military-intelligence officials on the committees that oversee their operations, the CIA, Pentagon and State Department are becoming quasi-autonomous arms of the state. Their budget requests are to be vetted in detail by their own former personnel now sitting as members of the supposedly independent legislative branch. Rather than the separation of powers, as envisioned by those who drew up the constitutional structure of the United States, we have the concentration of power in the hands of the most lethal and anti-democratic agencies of the executive branch.

This elevation of the military-intelligence apparatus is characteristic not merely of the CIA Democrats themselves but of the Democratic Party as a whole. The Democrats have undertaken, over several decades, to cut off any association with antiwar or anti-militarist sentiment, which they had sought to capture and neutralize during the period extending from the Vietnam War to the US interventions in Central America during the Reagan and first Bush administrations.

As late as 1991, a majority of Democrats in both the House and Senate voted against authorizing George H. W. Bush to go to war against Iraq. But from 1992 on, with the nomination of Bill Clinton and Al Gore, both supporters of the Persian Gulf War, every Democratic presidential candidate has either openly espoused hawkish views on national security issues, or, like Barack Obama, been directly associated with the murky world of US intelligence operations.

In 2016 and 2020, the Democratic candidates for president, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, were publicly supported against Trump by hundreds of former generals, admirals and CIA officials. The entire focus of the opposition to Trump by the Democratic Party was his divergence from longstanding US foreign policy goals, particularly against Russia. After the failure of the Mueller investigation to confirm Democratic claims that Trump was a stooge of Vladimir Putin, the 2019-2020 impeachment drive sought to revive the same arguments in a slightly different form.

Meanwhile, the task of containing and diverting popular antiwar sentiment has been taken up, in a nationalistic and isolationist form, by Trump and his fascist acolytes. This accounts for much of his enduring support in rural areas, where the burden of US militarism, in terms of death, maiming and psychic wounds, has fallen particularly heavily.

This history confirms that the central political task facing the American working class is to break free of the reactionary framework of the two-party system, in which both parties defend the interests of Wall Street, the financial oligarchy and its national-security machine, and establish its political independence. This means the building of a mass independent political movement of working people and youth based on socialist and internationalist principles.
This article was originally posted on Twitter.

In its report on the August 20 car bomb assassination in Moscow of Darya Dugina, daughter of the Russian fascist Alexander Dugin, the New York Times hastened to declare that there was no evidence that the attack was connected to the war in Ukraine

The Times cited, without a hint of skepticism, the denial of Ukraines involvement by Zelensky adviser Mykhailo Podolyak: Ukraine certainly had nothing to do with yesterdays explosion. We are not a criminal state like the Russian Federation, much less a terrorist one.

But today, the Times has posted an article headlined, U.S. believes Ukrainians were behind an assassination in Russia. It reports:

United States intelligence agencies believe parts of the Ukrainian government authorized the car bomb attack  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 Times states: 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.

The article continues: Afterward, American officials admonished Ukrainian officials over the assassination, and adds, The closely held assessment of Ukrainian complicity, which has not been previously reported, was shared within the U.S. government last week.

The denial of involvement by the US lacks any credibility. The Kiev regime is a creation of the US-instigated 2014 Maidan coup, and the dependence of its military on US armaments and intelligence services is an established fact.

Just three days before Duginas assassination, the Times published an article headlined: Behind Enemy Lines, Ukrainians Tell Russians You Are Never Safe. Correspondent Andrew Kramer wrote:

They sneak down darkened alleys to set explosives. They identify Russian targets for Ukrainian artillery and long-range rockets provided by the United States. They blow up rail lines and assassinate officials they consider collaborators with the Russians.

Kramer described Ukrainian use of car bombs in assassinations: They first cut an electrical wire, blacking out a streetlight, then dashed quickly into the darkness where they planted a bomb, wrapped in tape with the sticky side facing outward, into a wheel well.

The fishing line was taped both to the inside of the wheel and to a detonator, rigging the bomb to explode when the wheel turned.

Kramer named the Ukrainian military units responsible for overseeing operations behind enemy lines  the military intelligence service, known as HUR, and Ukraines Special Operations Forces. Nothing Kramer reported was unknown to US intelligence.

It is nothing less than preposterous to suggest that Ukraine could have carried out a high-level killing in Moscow without US knowledge and approval.

However, the question arises: Why have US intelligence agencies leaked to the Times a report that implicates Zelenskys regime in the Moscow assassination? Why does it report that it has admonished Ukraine for this operation?

Can it be that the report indicates US concern over the political fallout from a more recent operation that is of far greater international consequence than the Moscow assassination? The unexplained bombing of the Nord Stream pipeline comes to mind.

My guess is that the purpose of the exposure of the Moscow assassination is to provide the Biden administration with a degree of plausible deniability should Ukrainian involvement in the Nord Stream bombing become known. So Kramer now writes:

While the Pentagon and spy agencies have shared sensitive battlefield intelligence with the Ukrainians, helping them zero in on Russian command posts, supply lines and other key targets, the Ukrainians have not always told American officials what they plan to do.

The United States has pressed Ukraine to share more about its war plans, with mixed success. Earlier in the war, U.S. officials acknowledged that they often knew more about Russian war plansthanks to their intense collection effortsthan they did about Kyivs intentions.

Using language that sounds like a carefully constructed alibi, Kramer writes: U.S. officials also lack a complete picture of the competing power centers within the Ukrainian government, including the military, the security services and Mr. Zelenskys office.

It is no less likely that the Biden administration lacks a complete picture of the competing power centers within the CIA, the military and countless other segments of the vast US national security state, and cannot control all the covert operations under way in Ukraine.

This reality underscores the recklessness of the US-instigated war. An event can take place, with or without the approval of the Biden administration, that can trigger a drastic escalation of the conflict, all the way to thermonuclear war.
Last weekend, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) officially reported the 150,000th coronavirus death in Germany. This shocking milestone is the result of the profits-before-lives policy that all federal and state governments, and governments throughout the world, have pursued since the beginning of the pandemic.



This catastrophic loss of life is unprecedented in peacetime. In two and a half years, as many people have died as there are residents of a medium-sized city. Life expectancy for girls fell by 0.4 years and for boys by as much as 0.6 years compared to 2019.

Refrigerated container for coronavirus dead at the main cemetery in Hanau, Germany, in December 2020 (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Behind the figure of 150,000 dead are millions of people who have lost friends, relatives, children, or parents. Millions more are suffering from the long-term effects of infection with the virus.

The actual extent of the deaths is much higher than the official figures indicate. A WHO study examining excess mortality because of the pandemic came to the conclusion that 195,000 people had already died in 2020 and 2021 in Germany--that is 42 percent more than the officially recorded deaths in the same period. Extrapolated from the 150,000 deaths now officially reached, that would be 213,000 actual deaths.

One would think that these shocking numbers should give cause to remember the dead and to seriously discuss the political decisions that led to this disaster. However, this is not even remotely the case. On the contrary, the establishment politicians react mainly with silence. Dying from the virus is to be accepted as something natural and inevitable.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (Social Democrats, SPD) made no official statement marking the tragedy. And German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) merely penned a tweet, Now there are 150,000 corona dead. Too many, but without the solidarity and common sense of the population, there would be many more. Keeping the death toll low must remain one of our goals.

This is as cynical as it is mendacious. The figure of 150,000 is anything but low; it is roughly equivalent to the population of Regensburg. And in fact, it was never the goal of the federal governmentneither the previous grand coalition of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and SPD, nor of the current traffic light coalition of the SPD, Liberal Democrats (FDP) and Greensto keep the death toll low. From the beginning, it placed protecting profits above saving lives. The 150,000 deaths are the direct result of this policy.

Shortly after the pandemic began in March 2020, then-Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) declared she and her government assumed that 60 to 70 percent of the population would become infected with the virus. It was only because of protests and wildcat strikes by the working class, which spread through Italy and other southern European countries to the US and North America within a few days, that the government was forced to impose a limited lockdown.

The ruling class used this lockdown to transfer billions into the bank accounts of the large corporations and the rich in the form of so-called rescue packages. All parties in the Bundestag (federal parliament), from the Left Party to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), worked closely together on this. When Bundestag President Wolfgang Schauble (CDU) declared at the end of April 2020 that the right to life was not absolutely protected by the constitution, all parties took this as a signal to lift the limited lockdowns and other protections.

The following winter of 2020/2021 was to be the deadliest winter of the pandemic so far, with nearly 900 people dying daily at its peak. At the same time, stock prices skyrocketed, and a fabulous orgy of enrichment took place at the top. According to the US business magazine Forbes, the number of German billionaires rose by 29 to 136 in the first year of the pandemic alone. Since then, this class policy has been steadily intensified.

When the traffic light coalition took over the government after the September 2021 federal election, it took the policy of allowing the virus to run wild to the extreme, in order to protect capitalist profit interests. On November 25, even before the traffic light government was officially in office, coalition officials ended the designation of an epidemic emergency, taking away the legal basis for lockdowns, school and business closures, and other life-saving measures.

As a result of the traffic light coalitions criminal policies, Omicron emerged as the dominant variant in Germany, like the rest of the world, and infection rates soared to record levels. At the peak of the wave, hundreds of thousands were infected daily. The government responded by completely dropping the pretense it was trying to contain the pandemic.

In January 2022, the government shortened the quarantine period to seven days. In March, it passed a so-called Protection Against Infection Act that reduced the coronavirus measures to basic protection. In April, it rejected a policy of mandatory vaccination. In May, it shortened the quarantine period to five days, and in June, eliminated free testing.

Under the new Infection Protection Act that took effect October 1, the traffic light government is also eliminating the last protective measures, laying the groundwork for more mass fatalities this autumn and winter. Already, more than 500 people are dying from the virus each week, and new immune-resistant subvariants such as the Omicron BA 2.75.2 are spreading.

At the same time, the government is subordinating all areas of society to its war policy. While it is pouring 100 billion euros into the military via a special fund for the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces) and tens of billions more into arms deliveries for Ukraine, the health budget is being cutby dozens of billions of euros.

Lauterbach himself summed up the priority of the ruling class when he tweeted on Saturday: We are at war with Putin, and not his psychotherapists. We must continue to consistently pursue victory in the form of the liberation of Ukraine. That is unequivocal. After more than 150,000 deaths in the pandemic, the ruling class is ready to sacrifice even greater masses of people in the war against Russia.

This must not be allowed to happen. The milestone of 150,000 coronavirus deaths, like the dangerous escalation of the NATO proxy war in Ukraine, must be taken by the working class as a wake-up call to discuss a political perspective that can end mass deaths in the pandemic and war.

As the emergence of more and more dangerous mutations shows, the only strategy to end the pandemic is to eliminate the virus. But since this runs contrary to the profit interests of the ruling class, this strategy can only be implemented by the working class and requires a socialist program. The enormous scientific and social resources available to fight the pandemic must be deployed and coordinated globally. The struggle against the pandemic, like the struggle against war, is at its core a struggle against capitalism.
One week after Hurricane Ian struck Florida in the heavily populated vicinity of Fort Myers and began carving a path of destruction across the state, rescue crews continued searching for survivors as the total confirmed deaths from the storm rose to 110 on Wednesday evening.

President Joe Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis arrive to tour an area impacted by Hurricane Ian on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla. [AP Photo/Evan Vucci]

Some news outlets are reporting that thousands remain missing amid the devastating structural obliteration and flooding caused by one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever make landfall in the US. With many more deaths expected in the days to come, Hurricane Ian has already surpassed the toll of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which was a Category 5 storm when it hit Florida, killing 65 people.

The death toll cited by the state of Florida does not include at least 16 Cuban migrants who are missing after their boat capsized off the coastline during the hurricane. There were 27 people on board and nine were rescued by the US Coast Guard while two swam ashore at Stock Island, near Key West. The bodies of two who died have been recovered, but the Coast Guard is no longer searching for those still missing.

Rescue teams have evacuated 2,500 people from wrecked communities with no clear idea of who might be buried in the rubble. There is no list of missing persons available to search teams. Lee County Manager Roger Desjarlais admitted on Monday that officials have no idea how many people they are searching for and that first responders are relying on cadaver dogs.

The Washington Post published a list of the ages, genders and causes of death of those who are so far known to have perished in Florida during the hurricane and its aftermath. A significant percentage were either elderly or of retirement age. A few were killed in vehicle accidents or from blunt force trauma. The vast majority drowned.

With public anger mounting over the attempt by federal and state government officials to offload responsibility for the horrific impact of the hurricane onto Florida residents who remained in the path of the storm, President Joe Biden arrived in Fort Myers on Wednesday afternoon to deliver a joint press conference with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, DeSantis, a Trump acolyte, continued to deflect blame for his lack of evacuation plans and the insufficient warnings given to people in Lee County about the hurricane by claiming that the national regime media wanted to see the storm cause major damage. The governor told the right-wing outlet Floridas Voice that he was fed up with the pissing match in the press, referring to mounting criticism of the failure of his administration to respond early and decisively as the hurricane approached from the Southwest.

DeSantis has persistently defended the timing of the evacuation order in Lee County which was issued less than 24 hours before the hurricane struck the barrier island Coya Costa. A seven-year-old planning document on the website of the Lee County government says that due to our large population and limited system, Southwest Florida is the hardest place in the country to evacuate in a disaster. In other words, even though the area was known years ago to be vulnerable to a hurricane, nothing has been done by the state or federal governments to address the issue.

Under these conditions, Bidens statements on Wednesday praising DeSantis, who has yet to acknowledge publicly that the president was legitimately elected to office in 2020, are significant. At the press conference, Biden said, What the Governor has done is pretty remarkable so far, what is, what hes done. The president said of the fascistic Republican governor, we have different philosophies, andbut we worked hand in glove.

This is not the first time that Biden and DeSantis have leaned on each other to prop up the discredited and despised US political establishment during a disaster in Florida. The president appeared with DeSantis before the assembled corporate media on July 1, 2021 to bolster the Florida governor following the catastrophic collapse of Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside that killed 98 people in a matter of seconds a week earlier.

In that event, Biden placed his hand on DeSantiss arm and said, You know whats good about this? The way you have cooperated, and its really important. ... We come together. DeSantis returned the praise, thanking Biden for being very supportive. Aside from the nearly $1 billion settlement with the families of those killed in Surfside, no one has been held accountable for the tragedy, despite evidence of collusion between local and state government officials with powerful Miami-area real estate interests that directly led to the collapse.

With Bidens appearance in Fort Myers on Wednesday, the very same type of coverup is underway. After the president finished prattling on about how the federal government will be here until its finished, he got on a plane to head back to the White House to administer the top priority of the administration, the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine in which the US government has spent tens of billions of dollars.

Meanwhile, horrifying stories are being told about the fate of people who were killed by Hurricane Ian. The Washington Post reported that 40-year-old Nishelle Harris Miles was killed on the top floor of a vacation house that she and three friends had rented to celebrate her birthday.

The women huddled together on a bed as the storm surge rushed into the house and lifted the mattress up until they were smashed against the ceiling. The roof collapsed and a nail was lodged into Nishelles neck. Her friend, Chantel Maston, told the Post, Nene died right there with us. She took her last breaths with us.

CNN reported that Mike Verdream, 66, decided to ride out the storm and spoke to family members on Wednesday and told them the water in his house was four feet deep. His niece Stacey said, It was a very brief call because he said he was very scared, and shed never heard him like that, because he wasnt that type of person. Hes always put on a brave face.

Later attempts to reach Mike by phone were unsuccessful. Almost a week later, Stacey was told by a detective that her uncles body was found in a canal on Friday. His body was decomposed, and medical records were required to identify him.
In an egregious act of political censorship, the University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) is refusing to reaffiliate the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) club on campus, despite it having met all of the requirements.

The IYSSE held a highly successful Annual General Meeting (AGM) attended by over 40 students on September 22.

The AGM was held despite the anti-democratic disaffiliation of the IYSSE club by the UMSU and its affiliated Clubs and Societies Committee (C&SC).

In a September 16 open letter, Overturn University of Melbourne student unions anti-democratic disaffiliation of the IYSSE! the IYSSE stated: We do not recognise the decision of the C&SC to disaffiliate the club and will proceed with our Annual General Meeting.

The IYSSE wrote to C&SC detailing the success of the AGM. The response of C&S Coordinator at UofM Fiona Sanders was, in full:

Dear IYSSE The club has been disaffiliated by the C&S Committee, and the decision confirmed by Students Council. The matter is closed. This is our final correspondence on the matter. Kind regards,

Fiona

At the AGM, titled The political issues in the US-led war drive against China and the threat of World War III, the IYSSE clubs constitution and statement of aims were endorsed unanimously, without dissent. The IYSSE membership elected its club executive of six office-bearers, as required under the C&SC regulations.

The IYSSE exceeded the 20 student club members that needed to attend the AGM, as required by the C&SCs regulations. In addition, students from other campuses including La Trobe University, Victoria University and young workers were in attendance.

A significant number of Chinese international students attended and actively participated in the discussion at the meeting, attracted by the IYSSEs anti-war program. The IYSSE campaigned among students for weeks ahead of the AGM advancing a socialist alternative to the catastrophic nuclear war plans of all the imperialist powers led by the United States.

The IYSSE has been alone on campus in warning of the threat of world war and fighting to build an anti-war movement orienting students and youth to the revolutionary social force of the working class.

As the IYSSE explained in its open letter:

The move is a blatant attack on the democratic rights of the IYSSE and the entire student population. It is part of a broader onslaught on cultural and political life at universities, as they are transformed into fully corporatised instruments of big business, governments and the military. Within this context, the targeting of the IYSSE is particularly significant. The disaffiliation of its club is aimed at suppressing any discussion of the key political issues confronting young people, including the mounting threat of world war, the disastrous consequences of the let it rip COVID policies and the turn to authoritarianism by governments around the world.

On June 16 the C&SC seized upon technical issues experienced, unbeknownst to the club, in submitting its membership list to disaffiliate the IYSSE . This resulted in the late submission the list of IYSSE members despite having more than the required number.

The C&SC took the IYSSEs elaboration of the technical issues on July 1 as an appeal of the disaffiliation. C&SC officer Eleanor Cooney-Hunt told an August 4 Student Council meeting of UMSU which heard the appeal that the IYSSE should be disaffiliated because the club is not operating.

IYSSE members were not informed that the appeal would be heard on August 4. Nor was the result of the vote upholding the IYSSEs disaffiliation communicated to the IYSSE until the clubs president requested the minutes of the Student Council meeting.

The IYSSEs well-attended meeting exposes the dishonesty of the C&SC claim that the club is not operating. In fact, the highly successful AGM followed a series of weekly meetings of the club totalling more than 32 meetings til September 22 on a range of topics from the defence of Julian Assange, to the fight against the drive to war and the homicidal response by the government to the COVID pandemic.

After the formal business of the AGM, the IYSSE held a political discussion on the threat of nuclear war emerging out of the reckless drive of US imperialism to arrest its historic decline as the global hegemon, targeting nuclear-armed Russia and China in particular.

Leading IYSSE member Evrim Yazgin delivered an opening report which details the Trotskyist position of the International Committee of the Fourth Internationalof which the IYSSE branches around the world constitute the youth and student armagainst imperialist war and for an independent movement of the working class against the capitalist system which leads to imperialist war.

Students asked key questions about Washingtons recent actions renouncing the One China policy, the history of the Trotskyist movement and its struggle against the counterrevolutionary bureaucracy that emerged in the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin who promoted the anti-Marxist position that socialism could be built in one country, and the life and writings of Leon Trotsky, leader with Vladimir Lenin of the 1917 Russian Revolution.

At its AGM, the IYSSE passed unanimously the following resolution:

This meeting of the University of Melbourne chapter of the IYSSE condemns in the strongest manner the anti-democratic attempt of the UMSU to disaffiliate our club. The disaffiliation was based on the most spurious and arbitrary groundsa deadline for the submission of our membership list was narrowly missed, apparently due to website technical issues, and no proper communication was subsequently received from UMSU, with sent emails going to our executives spam folders. We demand the immediate revocation of the UMSU ban and reinstatement of the IYSSE as a fully affiliated club on campus. We also demand that UMSU recognise our meeting today for what it isa legitimate annual general meeting, held as required under student union stipulations. The IYSSE understands the disaffiliation attempt as an attack on not just our democratic rights, but those of all University of Melbourne students. It is part of a broader onslaught on cultural and political life at the universities, as they are transformed into corporatised instruments of governments, big business, and the military. The IYSSE has been targeted because we advanced an internationalist and socialist perspective, opposed to the entire political establishment including Labor and the Greens, and because we are an anti-imperialist and anti-war organisation. The IYSSE will sustain a wide, international campaign against the disaffiliation in the event that UMSU does not immediately move to reverse the disaffiliation. We call on all students and student clubs, at the University of Melbourne and more broadly, to support our campaign and publicly oppose the student unions manoeuvres.

While the bureaucrats in the UMSU and C&SC have supposedly sent their final correspondence on the matter, the IYSSE has not.

The IYSSE will continue to develop its international campaign against this anti-democratic, political attack. The disaffiliation of the IYSSE cannot be allowed to stand!

This assault must be seen as a warning to students. Whatever the immediate motivation behind the decision, C&SC is functioning as thought police, attempting to arbitrarily decide what students can discuss and even think, through their tight control over which clubs are allowed to exist on campus.

We urge all students and student clubs to support our campaign. Get in contact with the UofM IYSSE, give statements of support and join our fight against this anti-democratic attack.

To get in contact with the IYSSE, email: iysse.uom@gmail.com

Join the IYSSE Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/IYSSEaustralia

Follow us on Twitter: @IysseA
Take up the fight for rank-and-file control! Join the Railroad Workers Rank-and-File Committee by sending an email to railwrfc@gmail.com, texting (314) 529-1064 or filling out the form at the bottom of this page.

Norfolk Southern rail yard on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, in Atlanta. [AP Photo/Danny Karnik]

According to electricians who are members of the IBEW and who personally spoke to IBEW Railroad Department head Al Russo via telephone in recent days, the IBEW has acknowledged that a significant number of ballots were not properly sent to workers.

The IBEW claimed last Wednesday that a contract based on widely unpopular recommendations from federally-appointed mediators passed narrowly by only 150 votes. Workers were immediately suspicious of the results, and the IBEWs own internal statistics showed the number of questionable and undeliverable ballots exceeded the margin of victory. The Railroad Workers Rank-and-File Committee, an independent group of workers fighting for workers control, issued a statement late last week demanding a re-vote under workers oversight.

The IBEW has given different explanations to different workers, raising further questions about whether the union disenfranchised so many workers intentionally in the recent rail contract vote. Despite acknowledging the fact that many eligible workers were not able to vote, the IBEW has still refused to conduct a re-vote.

An IBEW member named Tim told the World Socialist Web Site,Mr. Al Russo informed me it was an IT issue with members addresses not being updated. So, the ballots got sent to the wrong houses/old address. And the people who complained were told it was too expensive to overnight new ballots. That was his explanation around 8 a.m. on the 4th of Oct, 2022. (Emphasis added).

Another electrician and IBEW member in Nebraska said, When I spoke with Al Russo on September 21 [to ask for a ballot after not getting one], he told me that a vendor was hired to supply the envelopes and I believe print the ballots also. He said the vendor had failed to print the system council number and the local number on the envelopes. Why should that hold up delivering the ballots? All that need be said is for union reps to tell the workers to add it.

These two answers do not seem to correspond to one another, and neither response addresses the question as to why so many workers were evidently denied the right to vote. However, Russos answers to IBEW members are highly revealing.

The claim that overnighting ballots would have been too expensive does not hold water. The IBEW has $575 million in assets, and every year the international office in Washington D.C. pays $66 million in workers dues money in salaries to bureaucrats. Al Russos salary is $223,317, roughly the equivalent to overnighting envelopes via USPS (flat rate=$26.35) to 8,500 workers, more than the entire rail department.

The idea that the union cannot afford to make sure workers are able to vote on a contract is absurd. After all, if the ballot issue was the product of an innocent mistake, the very least the IBEW could have done would have been to extend the deadline by which ballots would be accepted and counted.

But Russos claim that overnighting ballots would be prohibitively expensive also says more than he intended.

If it were just a question of mailing a few mistaken ballots, the cost of overnighting would be negligible. But if hundreds, or thousands, of workers did not receive ballots, then the costs would add up. In other words, it appears Russo inadvertently admitted that the total number of workers was significant enough to clearly impact the outcome of the contract vote.

Since the IBEW claims the contract passed by a narrow 150 votes, this means a re-vote is necessary to protect the democratic rights of railroad workers who wanted to have a say in the terms of their labor for the next years.

IBEW members are highly suspicious of Russos failure to explain widespread issues with balloting.

Referring to Russos statement to the WSWS that he had no comment for workers who were not able to vote due to mailing issues, a Nebraska electrician said, It sounds like its time for Mr. Al Russo to step down or be removed from his position. He said No comment and No comment. Is he hiding something or just that arrogant!?

A West Coast railroader told the WSWS, I think with the shenanigans going on today, [in order] to take away from fraud, paper ballots should be given to members and there should be ways to verify it. You should be able to drive anywhere to vote and verify your ballot using your government ID. It should be no different how we do elections in the U.S. but with the IBEW, it sounds like theres nothing but fraud, confusion and willful neglect. It would be conspiracy as well, if union officials come together and do what they can to make sure ballots dont go out to individuals. If those statements are true, then thats conspiracy. How is it possible that someone has lived in the same address in 20 years and not get their ballot? All it takes is one person to vote no to swing the whole election. We can return to our right to strike by telling our union no. Theres a lot invested for the unions to force through this contract.

The worker added, My fellow coworkers talk about it, they all believe that its fraud. Theyre hiding votes and not allowing their members to vote. If they falsify that election, they deny their right to strike. I believe that workers are still 90 percent ready to go on strike.

As for Russos statements that he had no comment to workers who could not vote, the worker added, Im familiar with being on record, and when youre being asked [a question] as a representative, by saying no comment [that shows] he is fearful of his wrongdoing. If he wanted to be truthful he wouldve talked to you guys. A no comment for me is an admission of guilt. We look at it as guilt.

The rail carriers are using the claim that the contract passed to carry out a further attack on the democratic rights of electricians and all rail workers. In Barstow, California, workers report that they are being threatened with termination if they protest, attend pickets or wear any pins or t-shirts that criticize the vote on the grounds that the contract has been passed.

Despite this, workers across the rail industry continue to demand a re-vote on the IBEW contract to ensure that their democratic rights are respected. In several rail yards, workers are distributing petitions to inquire as to how many workers did not receive ballots. In most yards that have conducted informal polls so far, between a fifth and half of workers did not receive ballots.

Workers should fill out this survey and share it with coworkers and on social media to get a better sense of how many workers did not vote. So far, the survey results show that roughly 40 percent of workers did not receive a ballot or that they received a ballot too late to cast a vote.

If the rail struggle remains in the hands of the IBEW apparatus and the bureaucracies of the other rail unions, the union leadership will continue to employ methods of deception to force through contracts and prevent a strike. But if the workers organize themselves on the basis of a fight to give power to the rank-and-file, they can unlock their immense potential power. This requires the building of the Railroad Workers Rank-and-File Committee into a broad network embracing workers in every rail yard to link workers together in a common fight and to ensure that workers have control over voting, over the conduct of this contract struggle, and over conditions at their workplaces.
The following email was sent by UAW presidential candidate and rank-and-file worker Will Lehman to UAW members. Ballots for the 2022 national UAW elections are scheduled to be mailed out to UAW members on October 17 and must be returned by November 18 to ensure that they are counted. For more information on Lehmans campaign, visit WillforUAWPresident.org.

Dear brothers and sisters,

On October 17, in less than two weeks, ballots will begin going out for the first-ever direct elections of the leadership of the United Auto Workers. This is a historic opportunity for rank-and-file workers to express our opposition to the entire bureaucracy, which has sold us out for decades, rammed through contracts we opposed and defied the will of the membership.

For this reason, the UAW apparatus has done everything it can to keep workers in the dark about the election and the positions of the candidates. I have spoken to many workers who do not even know that an election is being held.

A week and a half ago, I participated in a debate among the candidates for UAW president. But the UAW apparatus has done virtually nothing to inform workers that there was a debate, and only about 1.5 percent of UAW workers and retirees have watched the video. The UAW doesnt want anyone to watch the debate because it so thoroughly exposed incumbent President Ray Curry and Co. as pro-corporate enemies of the working class, who have as little connection to rank-and-file workers as the man on the moon.

My campaign is about establishing a new base of power through the building of rank-and-file committees of workers in every plant and workplace to fight for what we need, not what the UAW bureaucracy and the companies say is acceptable. We must assert our will and our interests. We must unite all workers in the UAW with workers throughout the country and around the world who are confronting the same issues and face the same enemies.

The election itself is a critical stage in this battle. The bureaucrats in the UAW want as little participation in this election by rank-and-file workers as possible. They opposed the referendum for direct elections because they know that the apparatus is universally despised by the rank and file.

The situation will not change unless we act. As workers, we have tremendous strength, but nobody is going to fight for what we need but ourselves. This is the purpose of my campaign, but I am not a miracle worker. You must make the decision to take up this fight.

This is why I am calling on you to form a rank-and-file election committee in your workplace.

These committees will accomplish the following:

Distribute information throughout your workplace on how to participate in the election, including what workers must do to ensure that they get a ballot and when they have to send it in. You can view and share frequently asked questions about the UAW elections on my website at willforuawpresident.org/uawelections. Make sure that all workers watch the presidential candidates debate, which I have posted on my website here. Organize meetings of workers in your plant or workplace to discuss the issues in the election and what demands we must fight for to secure our interests. Set up informational pickets outside your workplace to distribute information and promote my rank-and-file campaign for UAW president. Lay the foundation for the rank-and-file networks that are necessary to continue to fight for what we need once the election is over. I am asking you today: write to my campaign at willforuawpresident@gmail.com or text (267) 225-6633 for assistance in setting up an election committee. Tell me where you work and what you think we must fight for in this election and beyond. I will do everything I can to assist you in setting up a committee at your workplace and to link your committee to similar committees that are being set up across the country.

Fellow rank-and-file workers: If we are going to fight for what we need, we cannot allow the initiative to remain in the hands of the apparatus. We must organize ourselves! Contact my campaign and build a rank-and-file election committee today!

Thank you,

Will Lehman

P.S. I want to do everything I can to make sure workers are informedabout the elections, about my campaign, and about the strikes and other struggles workers are launching. But to do that, I need your financial support. If you agree with what Im fighting for, then donate as much as you can to my campaign today.
A circuit court judge on Tuesday dismissed criminal charges against seven state officials indicted in connection with the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. The officials faced felony charges that included involuntary manslaughter, misconduct in office and perjury.

Downtown at dusk with Flint River in the foreground [Photo: WSWS]

Genesee Circuit Judge Elizabeth Kelly had been expected to dismiss the charges after the Michigan Supreme Court ruled in July that the indictments had been arrived at improperly. Kelly dismissed the charges without prejudice, meaning the defendants can be charged again.

The dismissals amount to one more betrayal by the state of the residents of Flint, who have seen justice delayed and denied repeatedly since the crisis began in 2014.

The problem with the indictments, according to the state Supreme Court, was that they had been decided upon by a one-person grand jury. While Michigan is one of three states that still on occasion submits cases to a one-person grand jury, in which a lone judge reviews evidence, the Supreme Court ruled that such judges are not entitled to issue indictments.

Because the one-person grand jury does not have the power to issue indictments, Kelly explained in her dismissal of the charges, the indictments issued in the felony Flint water cases were void ab initio [from the beginning].

The question arises, why did the state attorney general, Democrat Dana Nessel, choose to employ the one-person grand jury instead of bringing charges in open court?

Assuming office in 2019 as part of the administration of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Nessel promptly voided the investigation and subsequent charges brought by former Attorney General Bill Schuette, an investigation that had taken years and cost Michigan taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. Vowing to open her own investigation into the Flint water crisis, Nessel arrogantly told Flint residents, Justice delayed is not always justice denied. So far it has proven to be just that.

The seven state officials whose charges Kelly dismissed are former Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Director Nick Lyon, former MDHHS medical executive Eden Wells, former MDHHS employee Nancy Peeler, former Governor Rick Snyders aides Jarrod Agen and Richard Baird, and former Flint emergency managers Gerald Ambrose and Darnell Earley.

Lyon and Wells each faced nine counts of involuntary manslaughter, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Agen and Baird had been indicted on perjury charges, also punishable by 15 years in prison.

The Flint water crisis is one of the worst public health disasters in US history, and it was entirely preventable. In 2014, under an anti-democratic emergency manager regime, the state switched the city of Flints water source from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, whose water comes from Lake Huron to the industrially contaminated Flint River. The switch was made through a privatization scheme called the Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA). The water was improperly treated and, as a result, distribution pipes in Flint corroded and leached lead and other contaminants into the citys drinking water.

Soon Flint residents were complaining that their water had turned brown and that they were feeling ill, all the while they were assured by state officials that the water was safe.

Investigative work by Flint pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha and Virginia Tech civil engineering professor Dr. Marc Edwards resulted in an independent study of Flints water and exposed the lies of Michigan water authorities and Republican and Democratic politicians. The study found that the water was contaminated with lead, a severe neurotoxin especially harmful to children.

Lead is particularly damaging to brain development, where its effects are irreversible. Lead can also cause damage to the kidneys and nervous system. In 2020, Dr. Hanna-Attisha estimated that as many as 14,000 children under the age of six may have been exposed to lead in Flints water.

In addition to the children suffering lead poisoning, 12 people in Flint died in an outbreak of Legionnaires disease in 2014 and 2015, caused by low chlorine levels in the water.

Another lasting harm from the water crisis was revealed last month, when a new study, conducted by researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, found that tens of thousands of Flint residents are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Nearly one in four Flint residents 18 and older suffers from PTSD, an incidence three times higher than the general US population, while nearly one in five suffers from depression, an incidence five times higher than the general population.

In November 2021, a federal judge approved a $626 million settlement for Flint residents. District judge Judith Levy touted the agreement as a remarkable achievement. While the settlement establishes a formula for allotting award amounts, directing more money to claimants who were young children at the time of the poisoning and to those who can prove greater damage, no amount of money can make those children whole.

Flints residents were poisoned because government officials and business intereststhat is, the capitalist classplaced profits ahead of human health and safety. It was a social crime of unprecedented proportion in the US until the bipartisan let it rip approach to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once the damage was done in Flint, officials from the governor on down attempted to cover it up. Even President Barack Obama stopped in Flint one day in May of 2016 to sip a glass of water for the cameras and assure the citys residents, and the nation, that all was well in Flint.

Obama made clear that he did not believe that anybody consciously wanted to hurt the people in Flint and took a swipe at Republicans by blaming the corrosive attitudethat believes that less government is the highest good no matter what. Of course, the idea that politicians consciously wanted to hurt anyone is unnecessary to the crime. Capitalism does its damage to workers knowingly and heedlessly. Harm is not the objective but the externalized cost of doing business. Consider the more than one million lives sacrificed to COVID-19 in the US and the 6.5 million lost worldwide, both figures almost certainly significant underestimates, all for the sake of corporate profits.

Just as the Trump administrations murderous pandemic policies were not only excused but replicated by President Joe Biden, and Obama turned a blind eye to the war crimes of George W. Bushs administration, so the Democratic administration of Governor Whitmer has, since it took office in 2019, given every appearance of sweeping the crimes of the Flint water crisis under the rug. Understandably so. The malfeasance and pro-corporate orientation of the Democrats are no less characteristic of that party than they are of the Republicans. To expose one party to public scrutiny is to expose both.

The ruling class, though riven itself between a feeble adherence to bourgeois democratic forms and an increasing turn to fascism, is of one mind where the working class is concerned. Workers are to be exploited to the breaking point for their labor, and any anti-establishment sentiment is to be suppressed. One result of this abusive policy of wealth extraction is the utter disregard for the welfare of workers, from the dismantling of COVID-19 mitigation to the neglect of social infrastructure.

Despite Bidens talk of reviving the nations economy by refurbishing its infrastructure, the roadways, railways, water systems and electrical grids of the US continue to deteriorate, to say nothing of the condition of factories, warehouses, and schools. One of the most recent and alarming indications of this disrepair is the water crisis taking place in Jackson, Mississippi.

Since early summer, residents of Jackson have been subject to over 300 boil-water alerts, and last month went a week without running water. Jacksons ongoing crisis is the result of many decades of neglect to the citys water infrastructure, and the scene playing out in Jackson can and will be replicated throughout the country, where capitalism has placed the profit motive ahead of the health, safety, and welfare of workers. But workers have the power to change this situation.

Only a mass movement of the working class, based on an internationalist socialist perspective, can wrest control of the nations infrastructure and industrial production from the parasitical capitalist class and reorganize them in the service of human welfare rather than the profits of an oligarchy.
Last Friday, the former president of the United States issued a clear and unambiguous death threat targeting the leader of the Republican Party in the Senate, Mitch McConnell.



On his social media platform, Donald Trump attacked McConnell for voting in favor of a bill to fund the federal government through mid-December. Trump said that McConnell must have voted for the legislation because he hates Donald J. Trump  [h]e has a DEATH WISH.



Immediately after suggesting that McConnell was courting death, the ex-president pivoted to a racist attack against the senators wife and Trumps former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, whom he referred to as McConnells China loving wife Coco Chow!

Trump threatens Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Truth Social on September 30, 2022.

The death threat against McConnell takes place in the context of fascistic rallies organized by Trump in advance of the midterm elections, one month from now. These rallies feature, among others, Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a self-described Christian nationalist.

On her social media accounts prior to becoming elected, Greene embraced fascist and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories blaming George Soros for funding migrant caravans and liked comments calling for the execution of Democratic politicians, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi. Last year she labeled New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other Democrats the #JihadSquad and claimed they harbored terrorist sympathies.

Trumps rallies, which have generally been sparsely attended, have promoted the fascist replacement theory, called for the mass executions of drug dealers and featured orchestral songs and salutes associated with the QAnon movement and the fascist Nicholas Fuentes America First group.

In the aftermath of Trumps attacks against McConnell and Chao, not a single Republican senator, including moderate Republicans such as Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, condemned Trump for attributing a DEATH WISH to McConnell.



This includes former Florida governor and current Republican Senator Rick Scott, who in two different television interviews Sunday not only refused to condemn Trumps DEATH WISH remarks, thus implicitly endorsing Trumps call to violence, but also tried to explain away Trumps racist slurs against Chao as just a nickname.

The developments this week underscore the extent to which the Republican Party has been transformed into a fascistic organization.

Just one month ago, Biden himself essentially acknowledged as much in a nationally televised address, in which he said that the Republican Party is dominated and intimidated by MAGA [Make America Great Again] Republicans who do not respect the Constitution or accept the results of a free election.

Commenting on the speech, the World Socialist Web Site wrote:

The fact that one of the twin pillars of capitalist politics in the United States is led by a fascist, endorsed his rejection of the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, and supported, both covertly and overtly, the violent coup attempt of January 6, 2021 means that a substantial section of the ruling class actively favors the overthrow of the Constitution and a rapid and violent shift to dictatorship.

The rallies that Trump has held over the past week, culminating in his call for political violence against opponents, confirm this statement.

What is most significant about Trumps threats, however, is the silence of the Democratic Party. Not a single leading Democrat has condemned them. Biden himself has said nothing about the threat, while using a trip to Florida in the aftermath of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Ian as an opportunity for a photo-op and show of unity with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.

Since Biden gave his speech one month ago, neither he nor other leading Democrats have said anything about Trump and the Republican Partys continuing embrace of fascism.

The fascistic transformation of the Republican Party has been aided and abetted at every point by the Democratic Party.

It is 20 months since the attempted coup of January 6, 2021, which sought to block the electoral certification of Biden. Biden responded to this insurrection by calling for a strong Republican Party. The coup itself was preceded by the plot against Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and other Democratic governors. The Democrats responded by covering up the significance of the plot, which was a dress rehearsal for January 6.

The response of the Democratic Party throughout Trumps coup plotting, prior to and after January 6, has been motivated by two considerations. First, as a party of Wall Street and the military, it is determined to forge a unity with the Republican Party, or a section thereof, behind the escalating US-NATO war against Russia and the plans for war against China.

Second, the main concern of the Democratic Party is not the threat of fascism and dictatorship but the growth of working class opposition from below.

Since coming to power, Biden has pursued in all its essentials the same domestic policy as Trump, particularly in relation to the pandemic, which Biden has declared to be over, despite the deaths of more than 400 Americans every day. He is utilizing the services of the trade union apparatus to suppress the class struggle and subordinate the working class to a policy of war that threatens to unleash a nuclear catastrophe.

It is necessary to stress that there is no mass constituency for fascist dictatorship in the United States. The relatively low attendance at Trumps rallies underscores this fact. Support for Trump, outside of sections of the ruling class and the military-state apparatus, is largely a product of the fact that there is no mechanism within the political establishment for the broad mass of the population to articulate their interests.

As the WSWS wrote one month ago, In Americas entrenched two-party system, sections of workers and the middle class back the Republican Party not out of conviction but by default. ... To the extent that Trump has a mass base, two-thirds of it, if not three-quarters, is sustained by the hot air of his demagogy. The development of the class struggle will burst his balloon.

This is the critical question. If it is up to Biden and the Democratic Party, there will be no serious fight against the fascist right, and the danger will continue to grow, whatever the outcome of the vote on November 8.

Only to the extent that the working class breaks out of the constraints that have been imposed upon it can the filth and reaction that has risen to the summits of American politics be exposed and opposed.

The growth of the class struggleamong rail workers, Amazon workers, service workers, educators, health care workers and other sections of the working classreveals the social force for opposing dictatorship and war.

This social force, however, must be: 1) organized and unified through the development of rank-and-file committees independent of the trade union apparatus, of which the campaign of UAW presidential candidate Will Lehman is the highest expression; and 2) guided by a political perspective, advanced by the Socialist Equality Party, to unite all sections of the working class in the US and internationally on the basis of a socialist program, against all forms of capitalist exploitation and imperialist war.
Are you a worker at the BP Husky refinery? Please use the form below to send information about conditions at the refinery that could have led to the September 20 disaster, which killed Max and Ben Morrissey. Your identity will be kept anonymous.

It is two weeks since the September 20 explosion and fire that claimed the lives of two young workers at the BP Husky refinery in Oregon, Ohio. Two brothers, Max and Ben Morrissey, aged 34 and 32, respectively, suffered horrific burns in the fire and succumbed to their injuries the following day. The Morrissey brothers, who were also fathers of small children, were buried after a memorial attended by hundreds of family members, friends and co-workers at the refinery last week.

The BP/Husky oil refinery in Oregon, Ohio, on September 29, 2022

There is widespread suspicion among workers that cost-cutting measures by management contributed to the disaster. Workers have long complained about manpower shortages, management cutting corners on maintenance and repair, and the contracting out of jobs to non-union workers who lack knowledge and training. Operators have also warned that exhausting work schedules and the practice of shifting them from unit to unit, instead of keeping them on units where they have experience and specific knowledge, undermines safety.

BP, which is in the process of selling off its share of the refinery just east of Toledo to Calgary-based Cenovus, has not released any details about the September 20 fire. Nor have inspectors from the federal and state Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The United Steelworkers (USW), which has 315 members at the refinery, including the two deceased brothers, has not released any information either. Last week, Eric Sweeney, the District 1 staff representative for USW Local 1-346, told the Toledo Blade that no one wants to rush to judgment.

On September 26, the World Socialist Web Site published an article on the disaster that raised the following questions:

1. Was the turnaround process (when the refinery is shut down for repairs and maintenance) rushed or done without trained crews?

2. If BP was already in the process of selling off its stake for $300 million, did it delay or cancel any crucial repair work?

3. What did the United Steelworkers know about dangerous conditions and safety violations at the refinery?

The WSWS was recently contacted by a union pipefitter who worked at the BP Husky refinery before the September 20 explosion. In an email and subsequent interview, the worker detailed unsafe practices by refinery management in the days leading up to the disaster. The information he provided is based on personal experience, the experiences of co-workers who worked the shutdown at the refinery, and from union representatives.

In an initial email, the worker, whose identity we will keep anonymous to protect him from retaliation, said, This past summer BP/Husky hired 55 percent non-union pipefitters to complete the spring 2022 shutdown! It is documented that the non-union outfit UNITED, well call themworked the unit that blew up. They were seen doing shabby work, not following proper procedures on taking valves, etc. to the wash pads, and had many other safety infractions! I blame the plant manager who decided to hire UNITED. Most employees were from Texas, and they hired anyone.

Seems too coincidental the Toledo refinery was 100 percent UNION pipefitters before this past shutdown and NEVER HAD AN INCIDENT AS THIS! OUR LEGISLATORS NEED TO MANDATE A LAW SIMILAR TO CALIFORNIAS WHERE ONE MUST HAVE VERIFIED 5+ YEARS IN A CERTIFIED INDENTURED APPRENTICESHIP OR EQUIVALENT!

In a subsequent discussion, the worker said, Im very familiar with conditions at the BP refinery. I am a union pipefitter who worked in and out of that refinery for years. I dont want to throw the non-union contractors under the bus, they have families to feed too, but they lack the training and knowledge to do this work. The company is only interested in getting manpower and getting the job done quickly.

I blame this on the plant manager. He had a meeting with union leaders of the three trades. He told them point blank: Im bringing in non-union pipefitters to do the work and when they mess it up, Ill hire your guys to fix it. I really wonder if the plant manager has some interest in this United Piping out of Texas. These guys worked on the unit that exploded.

This unit was very volatile. They were not taking the valves to the wash pads, to clean the valves according to specifications. They were using old gaskets and doing anything to get the job done. This is so the contractor can say, We did the job in record time.

Over the last few years, the unionized pipefitters have also lost break time. It used to be two half-hour breaks during shutdown. Now its one 45-minute break. Management cracks the whip to get the job done and restart production as soon as possible. They put profits over people.

Friends and family mourn the death of Max and Ben Morrissey, picture right, at the celebration of life ceremony in Oregon, Ohio on Thursday, September 29, 2022 [Photo: WSWS]

Im glad your publication is putting the word out. This company doesnt want to spend a few thousand dollars to pay trained pipefitters even though they are making billions of dollars. They should not be able to get away with this. They can spend the money to get the proper equipment and materials.

I dont blame the contractors. But we never had a disaster like this before the shutdown. 55 percent were non-union. As a union pipefitter, I have to take a five-year apprenticeship, and I am not allowed to be in a refinery until after three years. The workers they brought in dont have an inkling of what a refinery is. Theyre just given a wrench and told, Go do the job. Its sickening. Theyre breaking flanges, not welding pipes properly. All of that requires training. I went to the Local 50 pipefitting school to be top-notch.

They try to say that union workers are lazy, and three guys just sit around to watch somebody else do a job. But its about equality, safety and training.

BP management also constantly switches the union operators from the units they are familiar with. It makes much more sense for an operator to stay on that unit. Each unit has particular characteristics and demands. This is a very difficult and potentially dangerous process, especially after a turnaround when the refinery is starting up production again. If youre unfamiliar with a unit, you dont know what to expect. But management insists that operators get moved from unit to unit.

What happened to the two young workers was horrible. The youngest one was only in the refinery for six months. They have wives and children who have lost their husbands and dads. The plant manager has to be investigated. The whole company and its practices have to be investigated.

Ive worked as a pipefitter in steel mills, refineries, power houses. Everywhere they are cutting corners and undermining safety. This is the richest and most powerful country in the world, and we have working conditions that are more like Mexico and other Third World countries.

Responding to the fact that 340 workers a day die in industrial accidents and from exposure to toxic materials, the worker said, In construction, we have suicides, falls and exposures to chemicals and hazards. It comes from the top, with corporate management. They are always skimping on equipment and training. Ive seen guys use channel locks as hammers because they dont have the right tools for the job. To me its all corporate laziness and greed that produce these tragedies.

BP has a long record of safety violations. In 2020, Houston-based BP Products North America Inc. agreed to pay $2.6 million in fines to settle long-standing air pollution, monitoring, maintenance and record-keeping violations at its BP-Husky Refining LLC refinery. Investigators also found that cost-cutting and speed-up contributed to the 2005 explosion at BPs Texas City, Texas refinery, which killed 15 workers and injured 180, and the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster and oil spill, which killed 11 workers.
Amid growing warnings that the war between Russia and NATO in Ukraine could turn nuclear, Polish President Andrzej Duda said Wednesday that he has spoken to Washington about stationing American nuclear weapons in the country.

Poland shares a 120-mile border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.

The first problem is that we dont have nuclear weapons, Duda told Gazeta Polska. There is always a potential opportunity to participate in the Nuclear Sharing program. We spoke to American leaders about whether the United States was considering this possibility.

This photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Feb. 19, 2022, shows a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile being launched from an air field during military drills. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

The announcement comes as authorities in Kiev have started distributing potassium iodine tabletsused to protect from radiation exposure from nuclear detonationsin evacuation centers throughout the city.

On Thursday, the department of health and human services announced that it has purchased more than $290 million worth of Nplate, for use in radiological and nuclear emergencies.

According to the National Institutes of Health, Nplate has expanded the toolbox of medical countermeasures available in case a catastrophic event exposes people to high doses of radiation. Such an event could be a nuclear explosion, an accident at a nuclear reactor, a radiotherapy accident, or the escape of radioactive waste

Earlier this week, the Times of London reported that

President Putin is set to demonstrate his willingness to use weapons of mass destruction with a nuclear test on Ukraines borders, Nato is believed to have warned its members.

The report continued,

Sources said Nato had sent an intelligence report to its members and allies alerting them to the fact that Russia is expected to test its nuclear-capable torpedo drone Poseidon, possibly in the Black Sea, which it controls. As officials in Washington draw up possible scenarios for a response, Nato is thought to have reported that the nuclear submarine K-329 Belgorod is headed to the Arctic, having become operational in July.

Additionally, the Times reported that a train operated by the division of the Russian armed forces responsible for nuclear weapons had been spotted advancing toward the front.

Notably, when asked about those reports during a background press briefing Monday, a Pentagon spokesman confirmed seeing the reports but refused to comment on them.

The growing warnings of a nuclear escalation came as Ukraine continued its offensive along large portions of the front, as Russian forces continued to retreat in the face of Ukrainian advances.

For the first time, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the destabilization of the Russian line, telling reporters he expected the situation to stabilize.

We are working on the assumption that the situation in the new territories will stabilize, Putin said.

On Wednesday, Putin signed four laws ratifying Russias annexation of four Ukrainian provinces, even as Russian officials could not exactly explain what territory they had annexed.

Ukrainian officials said they have taken thousands of square miles of territory since last month, and have captured dozens of towns and villages in recent days.

The UK ministry of defense reported that Ukraine continues to make progress in offensive operations along both the north-eastern and southern fronts. In the north-east, in Kharkiv oblast, Ukraine has now consolidated a substantial area of territory east of the Oskil River.

Ukrainian forces appeared to be moving their offensive into the province of Luhansk. The de-occupation of the Luhansk region has already officially started, Serhiy Haidai, the head of the Ukrainian regional government of Luhansk, wrote on Telegram.

Putin also announced that he had made a series of corrections to Russias mobilization drive, exempting a broader range of students from being called up.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss declared Wednesday that Ukraine will win. She stated, We will stand with our Ukrainian friends, however long it takes. Ukraine can win. Ukraine must win. And Ukraine will win.

The statement appeared to be an endorsement of Ukraines stated aim of retaking all of the Donbas and Crimea.

Even as Russian forces continued their retreat, Russia apparently carried out a strike 50 miles south of Kiev using a swarm of kamikaze drones, according to Ukraine officials.

Amid the growing debacle for Russian forces, US officials are becoming more explicit in stating the goals of their intervention in the conflict.

One senior US official told the British Telegraph that the recapture of Crimea by Ukraine is now a distinct possibility and can no longer be discounted.

He continued, 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.

Meanwhile John Bolton, former UN ambassador under George W. Bush and National Security advisor under Donald Trump, has called on the United States to formally state its implicit goal of regime change in Russia.

There is no long-term prospect for peace and security in Europe without regime change in Russia, Bolton wrote in an article for an online journal, declaring, The whole regime must go.

Bolton praised the call for the ouster of Putin made by Biden in March, and condemned efforts by the White House to distance itself from Bidens remark.

Bolton wrote, Why the angst? There is no long-term prospect for peace and security in Europe without regime change in Russia. Russians are already discussing it, quietly, for obvious reasons. For the United States and others pretending that the issue is not before will do far more harm than good.

He continued, Carefully assisting Russian dissidents to pursue regime change might just be the answer. Russia is, obviously, a nuclear power, but that is no more an argument against seeking regime change than against assisting Ukrainian self-defense.

Bolton added that it must involve far more than simply replacing Putin. Among his inner circle, several potential successors would be worse. The problem is not one man, but the collective leadership constructed over the last two decades. No civilian governmental structure exists to effect change, not even a Politburo like the one that retired Nikita Khrushchev after the Cuban missile crisis. The whole regime must go.

He concluded, It is from the colonels and one-star generals, and their civilian-agency equivalents [in Russia], where the most-likely co-conspirators to take matters into their own hands [will come].
According to an update from Copper Mountain Ski Resort, they've officially started making snow for the 2022-23 slopesport season. This comes more than a month ahead of the resort's intended opening day of November 14.
Colorado and nine other states joined the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit against pesticide makers Syngenta and Corteva on Thursday, accusing them of engaging in anti-competitive practices.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

The Armenian armed forces have shelled the Azerbaijani military positions in liberated Kalbajar, Azernews reports, citing the Defense Ministry.

On the evening of October 5, units of the Armenian armed forces, using small arms, subjected to fire the Azerbaijani military positions stationed in Kalbajar Districts Alagollar area from their positions in Basarkhecar [Gegharkunik] regions Yukhari Shorja [Verin Shorzha] village.

Units of the Azerbaijani army took appropriate retaliatory measures to suppress the opposite side, the report added.

Meanwhile, the ministry dismissed the information spread on October 5 about the Azerbaijani armed forces alleged shelling of the Armenian military positions with mortars and large-caliber weapons as another example of the opposite side's disinformation policy.

The ministry stressed that during the mentioned period, Armenian military units fired on Azerbaijani positions stationed in the opposite direction from their combat positions in Basarkhechar region's Istisu village.

We declare that the Azerbaijan Army Units take retaliatory measures only against provocations committed by the Armenian side, the ministry emphasized.

Armenia's military and political leadership bear sole responsibility for the escalation of tension on the border, the ministry added.

Armenia periodically shells Azerbaijani military positions on liberated territories. Since early September, Azerbaijani positions have multiple times come under Armenian fire.

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.
South Africas MultiChoice Group is perhaps best known for its DStv satellite TV service that is a major force in sub-Saharan Africa. However, it has now aggressively entered the fibre internet market by bringing both DStv and internet into its own uncapped fibre products offering at heavily discounted prices.

The DStv website currently advertises two products, one that bundles the cheaper DStv Compact bouquet and another that offers the top-end Premium bouquet. Both include 25Mbit/s uncapped fibre with 10Mbit/s on the uplink as part of a deal that includes TV subscription.

A 24-month subscription is, however, a requirement for consumers wanting to sign up to these new bundled packages. DStvs Streama box is part of the bundle. It has built-in Wi-Fi and supports 4K HDR playback and Dolby Atmos audio.

The launch of DStvs fibre products is the first time that MultiChoices DStv Internet division has offered fibre internet. It has, however, offered fixed-4G/LTE services.

This offering clearly requires the support of at least one fibre network operator as MultiChoice does not own a fibre service, though MultiChoice has been tight-lipped about who it is working with  so far. However, the TechCentral website suggests that the speeds on offer match those offered by Openserve, operator Telkoms wholesale division, which operates one of South Africas largest fibre-to-the-home networks.

As we pointed out in July, there is fierce competition in the lower end of the South African fibre market, though whether these deals are intended to trouble Frogfoot, MetroFibre Networx and Vumatel, among other companies targeting underserved markets in South Africa, is not clear.
(from left) Leonardo DiCaprio in Shutter Island; Warren Beatty in Heaven Can Wait; and Tom Cruise in Vanilla Sky.

Amazon Primes juggernaut series Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power may be dominant property on the streaming service right now, but that doesnt mean there arent plenty of movies to be found on Prime this October. Heres a look at just some of the titles queued up on the streamer this month, including a gem of a Warren Beatty comedy, a classic Western in the form of Shane, a rare horror effort by Martin Scorsese, and one of Tim Burtons finest films. And, of course, if you need an additional Tolkien fix between Rings Of Power episodes, you can always check out Peter Jacksons two film trilogies, The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit.

Audrey Rose (Available October 1)



Audrey Rose (1977) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]

Following the phenomenal success of Rosemarys Baby (1968), The Exorcist (1973) and The Omen (1976), audiences couldnt get enough of evil children possessed by demonic creatures. For a slightly obscure entry in this surprisingly deep subgenre, check out 1977s somewhat-cornball-but-also-kinda-creepy Audrey Rose, starring Marsha Mason and John Beck as parents who meet a strange man (played by Anthony Hopkins, no less) who becomes convinced their daughter is a reincarnation of his deceased daughter. While the film tries to present itself as a horror film, its really a bit more savvy than that; in fact, it was directed by Robert Wise, best known for West Side Story (1961) and The Sound of Music (1965). In a review for the Los Angeles Free Press, Ruth Batchelor praised Wises skillful direction, saying he supplies ample suspense, which is not easy because there can be no screaming scenes while the dialogue and explanations are taking place.

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Shane (Available October 1)



Shane (1953) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

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George Stevens 1953 Western Shane is considered a classic Western, the story of a mysterious gunslinger named Shane (Alan Ladd) who cruises into a sleepy Wyoming town looking to change to less dangerous work by becoming a farmhand. He connects with Joe Starrett (Van Heflin) who hires Shane on before becoming embroiled in a battle between an ornery cattle baron (Emile Meyer) and the generally amicable townsfolk. One reason Shane is such an exemplary Western is that, it turns the macho tradition of the gunslinger Western on its head. Shane doesnt want trouble, but that struggle bubbles to the surface as we, along with Shane, wonder whenand ifan ol cowboy can make a change. In a review for his Great Movies series, Roger Ebert details the issues Shane faces, observing the power in the choice for the whole movie to build to the inescapable fact that Shane must eventually face Wilson and the other gunmen. If Shane is still alive afterward, he will have to leave town.

Shutter Island (Available October 1)



Shutter Island - Official Trailer [HD]

While there have been horrific elements in the films of Martin Scorsese, the venerated master had never really done a full-on horror film until 2010s Shutter Island. Upon its release critics, critics dug it but audiences were left cold and confused by the tricky narrative. That Scorsese also went full-on Val Lewton or William Castle didnt help audiences unaccustomed to that kind of gothic classicism from him. Leonardo DiCaprio plays U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels, who is sent to Ashcliffe Hospital to investigate the seemingly impossible escape of a high-profile patient. But the investigation spirals in a different direction than Danielsand the audiencecan predict. Shutter Island is a classic case of if you didnt like it the first time, try it again, as multiple viewings will be rewarded. In an A- review for The A.V. Club, Scott Tobias said, What begins as a simple missing-person procedural slowly morphs into full-on psychological horror, as more disturbing revelations come to pass and the stress on DiCaprio starts eating away at his nerves.

Zack And Miri Make A Porno (Available October 1)



Zach and Miri Make a Porno (2008) Official Trailer #1 - Seth Rogan Movie HD

With Kevin Smith back in movie news of late with his final (or simply latest) installment of the Clerks trilogy, what better time to revisit Zack And Miri Make A Porno. Its arguably his last decent movie before he disappeared into a haze of weed smoke which, incidentally kicked off when Zack And Miri star Seth Rogen got Smith to actually start smoking weed during the film rather than acting like it onscreen. (Thanks, Seth.) While certainly not top-tier Kevin Smith, the film has that raunchy and offbeat sensibility mixed with some real heart, the hallmarks of Smiths beloved early work. When platonic roommates and BFFs Zack (Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) find themselves low on cash, well, you probably can guess how they decide to raise money. The film probably isnt going to change your life, but it manages to be a pretty sweet little rom-com. The A.V. Clubs Noel Murray gave the film a solid B grade and said while its romantic-comedy elements are by-the-numbers, the romance is touching, and the sequence where the two leads shoot their big sex scene takes some touching turns as it shifts from hilarious to something richer.

Vanilla Sky (Available October 1)



Vanilla Sky (2001) Official Trailer # 1 - Tom Cruise HD

Tom Cruise reunites with Jerry Maguire writer-director Cameron Crowe, but flies a bit under the radar. here with his turn as conflicted and tormented lover David Aames in Vanilla Sky, Crowes adaptation of Alejandro Amenabars 1997 Spanish language film Abre los Ojos. Aames devil-may-care lifestyle comes crashing to an end (literally) after a violent car accident, sending him into a sort of dreamy, psychedelic chaos where he, and by relation, the audience reflects on love, sex, jealousy and more. Its a great film that sticks with you well after the credits roll. In a review for The A.V. Club, Scott Tobias liked the film but said Though Vanilla Sky doesnt have anything close to the emotional resonance of the earlier film, its a great leap forward in ambitionthe sort of brash, daring, and intermittently exhilarating mess that studios stopped financing after the 70s. This is a great point, as in many ways Vanilla Sky is in conversation with Hal Ashbys Shampoo, a film (and filmmaker) Crowe says he adores.

The Northman (Available October 11)



THE NORTHMAN - Official Trailer - Only In Theaters April 22

Filmmaker Robert Eggers exploded onto the film scene fully formed with 2015s Gothic creeper The Witch, and followed it with the bizarro lighthouse horror-drama The Lighthouse. After that, Eggers got a shot at a much bigger budget with 2021s Viking actioner The Northmanand, results were mixed. The storyline for The Northman is a pretty basic one of a man (Alexander Skarsgard) on a lifelong mission to avenge his fathers (Ethan Hawke) death. These things never go as planned because, if they did, it would be a pretty short movie. Along the way to revenge, Skarsgards character, Amleth, meets all sorts of interesting folks, including witches, sorceresses, and oodles of sundry Viking types. The cast is buoyed by Nicole Kidman and Bjork, as well as The Lighthouse holdover Willem Dafoe. Tomris Laffly reviewed the film for The A.V. Club and called it an unapologetic, non-stop adventure that dispenses everything, everywhere, all at once.

Hackers (Available October 1)



Hackers Official Trailer #1 - Matthew Lillard Movie (1995) HD

The year was 1995 and this newfangled invention called The Internet was all the rage. Its possibilities were endless, leading preteen hacker Dade Zero Cool Murphy (Jonny Lee Miller) to jack up the stock market with a computer virusand subsequently getting caught and banned from computers until hes 18. Showing you cant keep a smart hacker down, Murphy plays it cool by staying off the government radar by simply changing his hacker name to Crash Override before engaging in a quick online hacking battle with a mysterious figure named Acid Burn. As the film progresses, Murphy lands at a new high school where he befriends foxy and enigmatic Kate (Angelina Jolie) who, Murphy soon finds out, is Acid Burn. Did we mention the film is also a sort-of classic paranoia espionage thriller? Look, Hackers isnt a truly great movie but its zippy and entertaining. Its also fun to look back at how people thought the computer age would go and, better, how studios tried to look like cool kids by making films that were pretty flimsy because they had zero idea what the subject matter was about. In his review of the film, Roger Ebert gave it three stars, calling it smart and entertaining.

Heaven Can Wait (available October 1)



1978 Heaven Can Wait Official Trailer 1 Paramount Pictures

When you look at the credits for the 1978 hit film Heaven Can Wait, youll see it was co-directed by Buck Henry and Warren Beatty. Thats because Beatty, undoubtedly the biggest star of that era simply, would not let directors do their job without buzzing around like a fly on a corpse. For another example, ask Hal Ashby how his collaboration with Beatty went on 1975s hit Shampoo. While Ashby got to keep sole credit, the negative effect on his psyche would never recover. Still, Heaven Can Wait is a very good film that manages to combine Beattys gorgeous looks, cocky charm and fragile man/boy personae into a memorable character. Beatty plays Los Angeles Rams quarterback Joe Pendleton, who is accidentally brought to heaven too soon due to an overzealous angel (played by Buck Henry) who inadvertently punches Pendletons ticket in an auto accident. Owning up to his mistake, the angel sends Pendleton back to earth but in the form of a wealthy, greedy industrialist. Adapted from the 1941 film Here Comes Mr. Jordan, the film also stars Julie Christie, who was rarely better than when she was working onscreen with then real-life beau Beatty. In a piece for The A.V. Club detailing Ignatiy Vishnevetsky said the film has a surplus of winning charm.

Get Shorty (Available October 1)



Get Shorty Official Trailer #1 - Gene Hackman Movie (1995) HD

Barry Sonnenfeld directed the massive hit Get Shorty all the way back in 1995. Well, maybe it wasnt all that surprising of a hit given that the stellar cast (at that time) was lead by John Travolta, Rene Russo, Gene Hackman, and Danny DeVito, and the film was based on a novel by Elmore Leonard. When mob enforcer Chili Palmer (Travolta) heads to Los Angeles to collect a debt, he tracks film producer Harry Zimm (Hackman) who owes his boss moneyand craziness ensues. Soon Palmer forges a way into the filmmaking business, while also appeasing his increasingly annoyed mobster boss (Dennis Farina), who already does not like him. The film is fast moving and fun, and best of all reminds us of what a great leading man Travolta could be when he wasnt just collecting a paycheck. Its also always great to see Gene Hackman stretching those comedy wings. In a Washington Post review praising Travolta, Desson Howe said, This comic potboiler about gangsters in Hollywood would be a great piece of fun even without Travolta.

Edward Scissorhands (Available October 1)



Edward Scissorhands (1990) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

What better month to watch Tim Burtons all-time great Edward Scissorhands? Wait, thats a trick question because, there is no bad time to watch Tim Burtons all-time great Edward Scissorhands. The film is completely unique but also shares so many things Tim Burton loves, with nods to classic horror films like the German Expressionist classic The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, and casting Vincent Price as the lonely scientist who creates his scissor-handed friend. This film is also a painful examination of the other as well as the unfairness of bullying and the scary nature of groupthink. Plus theres outstanding performances by Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder and  we could go on and on. The film is simply wonderful. In a review for Empire, Jo Berry said It remains an ambitious and quite beautifully conceived fairy tale.

Hostel (Available October 1)



Hostel (2005) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

Eli Roths 2005 film Hostel really shook people up. Its always a good thing when a film can start a major discourse outside of just the moviegoing circles, and, boy oh boy did Hostel ever start a dialogue as horror fans felt attacked by folks who were raising pitchforks to condemn and possibly even ban the film. In the film, two Americans travel to Europe with an Icelandic friend, ending up at a seemingly legendary hostel in Slovakia. From there, things quickly become terrifying, as the hostel serves as a place to gather victims for wealthy people who pay to torture human beings. While certainly less philosophical than say Michael Hanekes Funny Games, Eli Roth brings on the bloody mayhem in non-stop spurts. Scott Tobias likens Hostel more to something like Takashi Miikes films in his review for The A.V. Club.

Teen Wolf (Available October 1)



TEEN WOLF (1985) | Official Trailer | MGM Studios

Back in 1985 Michael J. Fox broke out of his TV stardom cage in a massive way dropping both Back To The Future and Teen Wolf in the same year. These films (and the subsequent Back To The Future sequels) basically cemented Fox as a superstar, because how great are those commercial hits?! In Teen Wolf, Fox stars as super normal high schooler Scott Howard, who aspires to go beyond his allotted place on the social scale by dating the hottest girl in school, and seeking more minutes on the basketball court. When a moment of puberty reveals that the Howards are a family of lycanthropes, Scotts anger unleashes his inner werewolf, making him big man on campusbut, to what end? In a review for The Hollywood Reporter, Duane Byrge called the film an amiable teen film and gets a pleasing performance from Fox in the title role.

Noah (Available October 9)



NOAH | Official Trailer [HD] | Paramount Movies

After becoming a critical and audience darling following Requiem For A Dream (2000), The Wrestler (2008) and Black Swan 2010, writer/director Darren Aronofsky went crazy with his massive biblical epic Noah. Aronofsky puts all of his biggest budget to date on screen with stars Russell Crowe in the lead, supported by Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins, and Emma Watkins. Granted, the film is a divisiveand for good reasonwhich makes it ripe for a rewatch, especially removed from the buzz surrounding it in 2014. In a B- review of the film for The A.V. Club, A.A. Dowd said Noah, in other words, belongs to that rare class of auteuristic religious opus, in which (often secular) filmmakers twist Scripture to suit their own artistic obsessions.

Visioneers (Available October 1)



Visioneers Official Trailer [HD]

Thanks to the popularity of Apple TVs excellent show Severance, now is a good time to check out this underrated and underseen 2008 workplace dramedy Visioneers. Directed by first timer Jared Drake, the film stars Zach Galifianakis as George Washington Winsterhammerman, a level-three employee at the Jeffers Corporation, the biggest and most successful business in the history of man. George seems to have it all with a solid job, a nice house, a boat and a lovely wife (Judy Greer), but sometimes all the material things are not enough. Making matters worse, a recent spate of employees literally exploding from the pressure of denying their feelings. Obviously, Visioneers is a dark comedy/satire, and its pretty far ahead of its time considering our current state of consumer monopolies. In a review for The A.V. Club in which he gave the film a B, Josh Modell posits that Visioneers sits somewhere between the ugly futures of Brazil and Idiocracy, leaning less fantastical than the former and less goofy than the latter, while putting across a message they share: Things are getting bleaker and stupider, and something should probably be done about it.

Fire In The Sky (Available October 1)



Fire in the Sky (1993) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

Alien abductions stories have been around in various forms for so long, its almost become hard to pay attentionor worse, to even care. But 1995s Fire In The Sky is most definitely an exception to that notion, because its damn affecting. Based on a true story (arent they always), the film stars a whos who of mid-level 90s stars including D.B. Sweeney, Robert Patrick, and Craig Sheffer as Arizona loggers who witness a bright, fiery light in the sky. After going to check it out, one of them goes missing for five days. When he is finally found, he has no idea where hes been the whole time but he, and we, soon discover a truly creepy recollection of his apparent abduction. Again, Fire In The Sky is very effective, and what makes the film work is a quietly complicated storyline and the genuine likability of Sweeney, who plays the abducted logger. Roger Ebert was mixed on the film, but did say The scenes inside the craft are really very good. They convincingly depict a reality I havent seen in the movies before, and for once I did believe that I was seeing something truly alien, and not just a set decorators daydreams.
Arizona has no shortage of spa resorts for people looking for a relaxing escape. Some of these destinations just received national recognition among the nation's best.

Conde Nast Traveler released its 2022 Readers' Choice Awards results, compiled based on readers' favorite travel experiences. It recognized four Arizona spa resorts - two in Tucson, one in Sedona and one in Carefree - among its list of the 19 best destination spas in the U.S.

Here's a look at the Arizona spas that the travel magazine's readers enjoyed the most.

Arizona's best: This resort hidden away in the mountains was just named No. 1

No. 4: Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa in Tucson

Meditation is a key activity at Miraval in Tucson. Credit: Miraval.

This escape in the Catalina Mountains has an abundance of ways to decompress, from its 23 indoor spa treatment rooms and six outdoor treatment rooms to its more than 100 fitness, yoga and meditation classes weekly. Guests also can bond with horses through the Equine Experience, or be a beekeeper for a day in a two-hour, hands-on experience that also includes honey tastings.

Details: miravalarizona.com.

Downtown resorts: These hotels are making a comeback thanks to 2 key factors

No. 5: Canyon Ranch Tucson

Whether staying for a few days or coming for just one (the resort offers day passes for $325), what sets Canyon Ranch apart is its personalized approach to wellness and healing. Booking a stay involves not only choosing the dates, but also choosing a wellness pathway: it could involve relaxation and self care, developing healthier everyday habits, inspiring creativity, escaping into nature or even going with the flow with a self-guided stay.

Details: canyonranch.com/tucson.

Halloween 2022: Best things to do around Arizona

No. 12: Mii amo in Sedona

The Inner Quest spa treatment at Mii Amo at Enchantment Resort in Sedona.

Frequently named one of the best destination spas in the country, Mii amo stands out for its spectacular setting along the red rocks of Boynton Canyon. Mii amo is currently closed for renovations and is expected to reopen this fall or early 2023.

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Details: miiamo.com

Landscape hotel: Here's a look inside Sedona's Ambiente

No. 15: Civana Wellness Resort & Spa in Carefree

A state of the art spa with a Sonoran Desert backdrop, Civana Wellness Resort & Spa seeks to redefine wellness through its 22 spa treatment rooms, plant rich and seasonal on-site dining and an abundance of complimentary movement and fitness classes, not limited to but including yoga and hiking.

Details: civanacarefree.com

$80 million renovation: This hotel will include vertical water slide, in-room Pelotons

More Phoenix resorts honored among the best of the Southwest

In addition to the four destination spas, Conde Nast Traveler readers also recognized four Arizona resort hotels on its list of the 25 best hotels in the Southwest.

No. 3: The Camby Hotel, Phoenix.

No. 7: The W Scottsdale, Scottsdale.

No. 8: Tempe Mission Palms, Tempe.

No. 18: LAuberge de Sedona, Sedona.

Reach the reporter at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salerno_phx.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: These Arizona spa resorts ranked among best in U.S.
For food-obsessed travelers, these immersive experiences offer a thorough look into culinary arts, from smoking wild game in Sussex, England, to pickling vegetables in Vermont.

Courtesy of Away from the Ordinary A scotch tasting by Away from the Ordinary.



The pandemic transformed many home cooks into dynamos. At my house, we kneaded, glazed, and julienned our way through long months stuck inside, funneling frustration into dishes that served up bold flavors  and created fodder for our Instagram feeds.

With travel now on everyones mind, the quest for advanced cooking know-how has become a focal point for those booking trips. These expert-led culinary experiences offer participants the chance to get down and dirty with ingredients while acquiring skills for butchering, cheese making, fermentation, and more.

Foraging in the Hudson Valley

Courtesy of Deep Forest Wild Edible Fiddlehead ferns in New Yorks Hudson Valley, where guests forage with chef James ONeill of Deep Forest Wild Edible.

Longtime chef turned forager James ONeill leads three-hour excursions through New Yorks Hudson Valley with his company, Deep Forest Wild Edible. The tours gather seasonal plants, including watercress, wild carrots, and multiple kinds of mushrooms, as well as edible flowers such as dandelions. ONeill explains how to identify medicinal or poisonous species, and how to best prepare edibles for the table. Some workshops culminate in a picnic prepared by ONeill using foraged ingredients.

Scottish Culinary Adventures

Courtesy of Away from the Ordinary A scotch and cheese tasting by Away from the Ordinary.

Tour operator Away from the Ordinary crafts artisanal food (and whisky) experiences in rural pockets of Scotland. On tap: craft butchery at the 650-acre family-run Peelham Farm, close to the coast of Berwickshire, where guests help break down a whole lamb and pig, then learn to air-dry and cure the meat. In southwestern Scotland at the Ethical Dairy, travelers can sign on for a full-day cheese-making course (one soft cheese, one hard), which includes a farm tour and lunch. Crannach Bakery, at the edge of Cairngorms National Park, offers a full-day class in bread making. Participants work through the various steps  fermenting, shaping, and proofing  to bake classic loaves, sweet breads, and buns.

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Pizza and Pasta Making in Southern California

From left: Courtesy of Ojai Valley Inn; Burgundy Blue/Courtesy of Ojai Valley Inn From left: Chef Nancy Silverton at Californias Ojai Valley Inn; a pizza oven ready for action at the Inn.

Set on 220 acres in the foothills of the Topatopa Mountains, Ojai Valley Inn is known for its serene atmosphere. But the sage-scented enclave is also a destination for epicureans, thanks to culinary workshops and collaborations with star chefs like Nancy Silverton and Tuscan butcher Dario Cecchini. Neapolitan-style pizza classes involve making herbed ricotta and making dough from scratch using protein-rich Caputo 00 flour; for pasta classes, students craft the dough, shape it, and sauce it with pesto made with a mortar and pestle.

Wild Game in Sussex

The idea of skinning and preparing wild game in pastoral Sussex, about two hours south of London, piques the sense of adventure in many travelers. Now they can book an all-day session with Hunter Gather Cook. This is a rustic, mostly outdoor undertaking: guests forage through the forest; learn how to butcher deer, game birds, or rabbit; then try various smoking and wood-fired-cooking techniques. The group can celebrate a job well done with a wild cocktail crafted with found herbs like nettles and pineapple weed.

Crafting Sausages in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Courtesy of Chop Shop Butchery A class at Asheville's Chop Shop Butchery.

From heritage-breed pork sourced within 12 miles of the premises to the neighborhood craft beer sampled before class, the Chop Shop Butchery, in Asheville, North Carolina, celebrates homegrown flavor in all its forms. The experience kicks off with a sampling of house-made charcuterie and beers. Next, participants head to the cut room, where they learn to season and grind the meat and stuff fresh casings. The end result is 2 1/2 pounds of links to take home.

Canning in Vermont

At the women-run Green Mountain Girls Farm, a two-hour course on the art of canning and preserving involves making vinegar brine, prepping the produce and spices, sterilizing jars, and monitoring temperatures. Participants go home with jars of dilly beans, giardiniera, and Mexican-style pickled carrots.

Smoking Meat in Kansas City

Champion pitmaster Richard McPeakes four-hour smokology class at the Culinary Center of Kansas City shows barbecue enthusiasts how to pair meat with the right variety of wood  oak, hickory, or maple. The classes tackle timing and temperature, trimming ribs, shredding pork, and understanding the four stages of flavor.

Cheese Making in the Rockies

From her sun-dappled Briar Gate Farm in Longmont, Colorado, Kate Johnson, founder of the Art of Cheese, hosts tastings, teaches workshops, and leads tours to introduce students to her herd of Nubian goats. One class on the property, which is about 30 minutes from Boulder, focuses on making mozzarella, stracciatella, and burrata; another looks at crafting and waxing hard cheeses; a third is all about farm-to-table milking and ricotta making.



A version of this story first appeared in the September 2022 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline Class Is in Session.

For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
Peacock unveiled the first look at its new Pitch Perfect spin-off series starring Adam Devine on Wednesday (Oct. 5).

Titled Bumper in Berlin, the comedy series will follow Devines character Bumper Allen as the former leader of the Treblemakers moves to Germany to reignite his music career.

More from Billboard

Hey everyone, its me, Bumper Allen! Devine tells the camera in the shows first teaser. I know I mightve been off the grid for a little while, but Ive been busy putting together a little mash-up for you guys. So, check it out. You might recognize a familiar faceor seven. (Spoiler alert: all seven faces are Bumpers, because of course they are.) Bumper mashes up two 80s classics: Nenas 99 Luftballoons and a-has Take On Me.

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Adam DeVine

Adam DeVine Wants You to Know That He's Not Adam Levine & He Did Not Cheat on His Wife 10/05/2022 10/05/2022

Bumper in Berlin will reunite Devine with his Modern Family co-star Sarah Hyland and also stars Flula Borg (returning as Pieter from Pitch Perfect 2s Das Sound Machine), Lera Abova and Jameela Jamil. All episodes of the series will hit Peacock on Nov. 23, just in time to binge over Thanksgiving weekend.

To think this journey began over 15 years ago  from the discovery of Mickey Rapkins book, to three incredible films, and now a television series, said Elizabeth Banks, who returns as an executive producer on the project after acting in all three films and directing Pitch Perfect 2. We could never have imagined the life that this story would take on. It was really important to us that Bumper in Berlin be recognizable to the fans, for its irreverent comedy and phenomenal music, but also entirely distinct from what youve seen before.

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We wanted to honor The Barden Bellas and the Pitch Perfect world, while expanding into a fresh and brilliantly weird character journey, she continued. This story is about second chances, friendship, and the idea that your dreams can come true in unexpected ways  anywhere in the world, at any point in your life.

Hilariously, Devines also spent time recently making sure fans know he is not, in fact, Adam Levine in the midst of the Maroon 5 frontmans headline-making cheating scandal.

Watch the teaser for Bumper in Berlin below.

Click here to read the full article.
Young Afghan children paint a piece of paper with the colors of the national flag of Afghanistan in an art class at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, Virginia.

Young Afghan children paint a piece of paper with the colors of the national flag of Afghanistan in an art class on August 11, 2022 at the National Conference Center, which in recent months has been redesigned to temporarily house Afghan nationals in Leesburg, Virginia. Credit - Anna MoneymakerGetty Images

As the one-year anniversary of the Talibans takeover in Afghanistan has come and gone, about 100 Afghan youth remain in United States government custody without their parentsthe majority of whom are placed in shelters and other congregate care settings. This number reflects both great progress in releasing hundreds of Afghan youth to sponsors over the past year and significant issues that plague the system serving unaccompanied minors.

Afghan children fled to the U.S. hoping to find security and freedom after unexpectedly having to leave their lives and families behind. But for too many of these children, one unimaginable trauma was replaced with another: After escaping the brutal Taliban regime, Afghan youth who have yet to be reunited with family have languished for months in highly regimented settings ill-suited to meet the needs of children with complex trauma.

As attorneys representing children in federal immigration custody, we have traveled around the country over the past year, interviewing detained Afghan youth and hearing first-hand about their experiences in U.S. custody since the fall of Kabul. One young man shared his harrowing journey from Kabul to Qatar to Michigan to New York; his fears that he and his Afghan brothers were being forgotten and that no one was working on their cases; his sadness that he could not speak to his family in Afghanistan more often; his frustration over not being able to go to a real school or be part of American life; and his feelings of complete isolation as he and the other Afghan youth often spent 23 hours a day in the same building, apparently due to rigid rules, staff shortages, and the cold New York winter.

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These stories are absolutely devastating, but for us, all too familiar. Children in federal immigration custody face a restrictive care system that all too often fails to meet the needs of children that do not have family to whom they can be released.

Read More: A New York Mosque Becomes a Refuge for Afghan Teens Who Fled Without Their Families

As we have spoken with Afghan youth, we have consistently heard them describe regimented settings where children cannot leave the facility except for limited field trips, move around on their own or even visit other childrens rooms, hug one another, take a walk outside alone to get some fresh air, or possess a cell phone or other technology to be in touch with family and friends. One 17-year-old Afghan girl noted that we feel like prisoners because they dont let us take even one step outside our trajectory. We, girls, are quiet and try to obey the rules, but we need some room to breathe.

Most children live with constant anxiety about the safety of their families in Afghanistan but face strict limits on how often they can speak with their familiesoften just two 10-minute phone calls per week. One 16-year-old Afghan boy said he participated in a hunger strike to secure more phone time, explaining We were really struggling mentally with how little we were able to talk to our families. It really helps our mental health to be able to speak to our families and make sure that they are okay.

Childrens hopes of continuing their education in the U.S. have also been frustrated. Classes that are provided are geared toward children with brief stays rather than an entire school year. Children with longer stays generally do not receive transferrable school credits and often find the curriculum repetitive and basic. One 13-year-old Afghan boy expressed his deep desire to learn English and said, I also want to be exposed to the outside world to learn about how to live outside this place. I came to the United States in hopes of making my life better, but I feel like I have wasted so much time here, and it is time for me to go to real school.

Unsurprisingly, prolonged stays in government custody and separation from their families has led many Afghan children to experience deteriorating mental health. Multiple children have been transferred to more restrictive psychiatric facilities, allegedly because their mental health needs could not be met in the shelter setting. Childrens frustration and trauma can also manifest in what staff considers aggressive or defiant behavior, often leading to punitive action rather than solutions that address the root cause of distress. One 17-year-old Afghan boy told us, I am worried they will keep me here until I go crazy and then they will send me to a mental institution.

Afghan children and other youth in government custody who dont have family in the U.S. desperately need placements in home-like settings through the ORR Long-Term Foster Care and the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) programs. As another Afghan girl who hopes to become a womens rights lawyer expressed, I just want to live with real people with real lives and go to school. Yet neither foster care program has sufficient available placements to accommodate the number of eligible children, leaving children to remain on opaque waitlists for months on end, with no updates on if or when they will be placed. Perversely, in our experience, the children with the highest levels of trauma who are struggling the most in institutional care are the least likely to secure one of the limited URM or Long-Term Foster Care spots.

We can and must do better for vulnerable children who arrive without family supports. It serves nobodys interest for children to deteriorate in shelters for months at government expense when they could be living with families, attending school, and building new futures in the community. The federal government must act now to significantly invest in Long-Term Foster Care, URM placements, and therapeutic family foster care. The failure to do so will mean children will continue to unnecessarily suffer in government custody when they could be living with families in the community.
The backlash against Kanye West for weaving White Lives Matter shirts into his recent YZY SZN 9 Paris Fashion Week show continued on Wednesday (Oct. 5) when the family of Ahmaud Arbery called the artist now known as Ye out for what they described as a hurtful, duplicitous publicity stunt.

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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, said Arberys mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, in a statement to Rolling Stone through her attorney Lee Merritt. That is the thing that Wanda and families like hers continue to fight against.

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Arbery, 25, was killed in Feb. 2020 when he went for a jog in Georgia and was chased down by three white neighbors and shot. Arberys family said the shirt was especially offensive because Ye privately supported the family after Arberys murder in the racially motivated attack.

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 hes said,] the familys statement continued. Its confusing for her, its confusing for the families to receive his support privately, but publicly to set us all back. Merritt told RS that in addition to Wests donation of $2 million to the families of George Floyd, Arbery and Breonna Taylor at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, West also also provided financial support to the family of Jemel Roberson, a Black security guard who was fatally shot by police in 2018.

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According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the phrase White Lives Matter is a racist response to the civil rights movement Black Lives Matter that is the name of a neo-Nazi group that is growing into a movement as more and more white supremacists groups take up its slogans and tactics. Following the fashion show, Ye posted an Instagram Story in which he wrote, EVERY ONE KONWS THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER WAS A SCAM NOW ITS OVER YOURE WELCOME.

Wests latest provocation came during a surprise Paris Fashion Week show on Monday evening (Oct. 3), which began trending online when he was seen wearing a long-sleeved shirt with White Lives Matter emblazoned on the back. In addition to Ye, some of the models in the show also wore the shirts, with Kanye later posing with conservative commentator Candace Owens, who wore a matching White Lives Matter top.

So far, West has not specifically explained the reasoning behind promoting the phrase, but the incident has drawn widespread disgust from a number of fellow artists decrying the sight of a Black man promoting the slogan of a racist group, even as West went on the attack against fashion editor and director Gabriella Karefa-Johnson  who was in attendance at Mondays show  by posting since-deleted Instagram comments mocking her appearance.

Model Gigi Hadid also weighed in, coming to Karefa-Johnsons defense while condemning Yes treatment of the editor, calling her one of the most important voices in our industry and could school that disgraceful man in more ways than he knows. Kanye said he held a two-hour meeting with Karefa-Johnson on Tuesday to discuss their difference of opinion, writing on Instagram, GAB IS MY SISTER. IM NOT LETTING PEOPLE GO TO BED THINKING I DIDNT MEET WITH GABRIELLE [sic], while claiming that Vogue editor Anna Wintour got acclaimed Elvis director Baz Luhrmann to film the conversation.

And while he claimed to have settled things with Karefa-Johnson, West continued to lash out at Hadid, roping her into his ongoing disagreement with ex-wife Kim Kardashian over the co-parenting of the estranged couples four children. He also hit out at Hailey Bieber on Wednesday night after the model supported Karefa-Johnson in an IG Story, taunting those who would criticize him for what he called his paradigm shifting t-shirt while offering a misogynist taunt to Haileys husband, pop superstar Justin Bieber, that read: And Justin get your girl before I get mad.

The Black Lives Matter organization also blasted West, issuing a scathing statement on Tuesday that read, While some may see Kanye and Candaces stunt as a distraction, we recognize that it harms thousands of families fighting for justice for their loved ones killed by state-sanctioned violence. It can spread toxic confusion and be used to legitimize violent assaults on Black people. Battling misinformation while continuing to do the hard [work] that liberation requires is nothing new for us.

Tripling down on his latest pot-stirring stunt, on Thursday morning (Oct. 6) West posted a partial quote from Breonna Taylors mother, Tamika Palmer, in which she said in a since-deleted April 2021 FB post, I have never personally dealt with BLM Louisville and personally have found them to be fraud, in reference to groups raising money in the wake of her daughters killing by officers pursuing a no-knock warrant on the wrong apartment.

Click here to read the full article.
In Arizona, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly and Republican challenger Blake Masters will face off in the race's sole debate between the two candidates.

The debate is a chance for both candidates to present themselves to voters and offer contrasting visions. Kelly leads Masters by only three percentage points  well within the margin of error  according to a poll from CBS News and YouGov.

The two are expected to clash over issues that have dominated other competitive races this election season such as inflation and abortion  two topics particularly sensitive to the Grand Canyon State.

Here's a preview of what's to come Thursday night.

A new abortion ban in Arizona

An abortion ban recently went into effect in Arizona  expect the candidates to talk a lot about it.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade, an Arizona judge last month revived a law from 1901 that outlaws abortion almost completely, with no exceptions for rape or incest.

Related: After Roe v. Wade, abortion bans from the 1800s became legal matters in these states

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey also signed a bill earlier this year that bans abortion in the state after 15 weeks, but the 1901 law is currently the prevailing law in the state.

Kelly has heavily campaigned on abortion as his Democratic colleagues have done in other races nationally. On Tuesday night, he told MSNBC he supports codifying Roe v. Wade to guarantee a right to an abortion across the nation.

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., talks to reporters before attending a Senate Democratic luncheon, at the U.S. Capitol on September 28, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Masters has criticized the 1901 law, calling it out of step with Arizona voters. But he has supported the ban signed by Ducey and another 15-week nationwide abortion ban proposed by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

Inflation's an issue everywhere, but especially in Arizona

Inflation and the economy will be a particularly important issue in Thursday nights debate. In Phoenix, inflation was at its highest compared to any other large city in the nation at 13% over the past 12 months, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Masters has hammered Kelly and President Joe Biden over inflation, telling the Arizona Republic, the Democrats have failed spectacularly, and Arizonans are hurting the most.

Kelly has defended himself by pointing to legislation passed such as the CHIPS Act (which boosted domestic manufacturing of computer chips) and the Inflation Reduction Act (which allocated money to combat climate change and lowered prescription drug costs), but also telling the Arizona Republic there is still more work to do.

A lot of border talk

Expect to hear about the record number of migrant crossings at the southern border. Arizona  along with Texas and Florida  have started state-funded programs to transport migrants to Democrat-led major metro areas.

Political opponents have blasted the programs, calling them inhumane and political stunts.

Political consequences: Could Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' migrant tactic backfire politically with key voting bloc?

Republican U.S. senatorial candidate Blake Masters speaks during his election night watch party on August 02, 2022 in Chandler, Arizona.

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently made national headlines for flying 48 migrants to Marthas Vineyard, an affluent island in deep-blue Massachusetts. Masters applauded the controversial move, telling KTAR News it was a necessary stunt to bring attention to the border.

Kelly has distanced himself from Bidens immigration policy and has criticized his administration for not providing more resources to the border.

Where to watch the debate

The debate is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m CT/6 p.m. PT.

USA Today will livestream the debate in addition to it's live blog Thursday night. C-SPAN will also be airing the debate along with the debate's organizers, Arizona PBS.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mark Kelly, Blake Masters face off in Senate debate in Arizona
Google has announced the launch of a cloud region in South Africa, its first in the African continent. South Africa now joins Googles network of 35 cloud regions and 106 zones worldwide.

Google is also said to be building what are called Dedicated Cloud Interconnect sites on the continent. These sites, in Nairobi, Lagos, Cape Town and Johannesburg, will link users on-premises networks with Googles grid. They will also be supported by links to Googles Equiano subsea cable.

Google Cloud regions allow users to deploy cloud resources from specific geographic locations and access several services including cloud storage, compute engine and key management systems.

Obviously the fact that, as Google Cloud Africa Director Niral Patel puts it, The new region will allow for the localization of applications and services, and that the new region and interconnect sites will take its cloud computing services closer to its clients are both very important.

This move should also make it easier for Google to address the growing trend towards privacy and data laws that require companies to store their data within borders and process it through servers hosted locally.

While South Africa is the biggest market for cloud services on the continent, Google is said to be looking to launch in more markets within Africa, although, as more than one local media outlet points out, its not obvious why the company waited so long. Giants like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure made inroads into the continent a few years ago. In fact South Africa now houses four major cloud storage providers on the continent.

That said, Google last year announced a five-year, $1 billion plan to boost digital services across Africa and the company has made quite a few investments in local technology infrastructure and initiatives, including its first product development centre in Africa, which is in Nairobi. An AI and research centre opened in Ghana in 2019.
EXCLUSIVE: Barbara Broccoli, one of the teams of producers behind the powerhouse film Till  about the extraordinary efforts of Mamie Till Mobley to find justice after the lynching of her 14-year-old son Emmett Louis Till, for whistling at Carolyn Bryant, a white woman, by white supremacists in Mississippi in 1955  told Deadline, that audiences must seek out the movie: This is not a time for us to look away.

Broccoli said Emmett, who was visiting his cousins, was lynched and murdered for whistling at Bryant, keeping shop at Bryants Grocery & Meat Market in Money, Mississippi. A few days later a group of men dragged the boy from his uncles home. Days later his mutilated body was discovered in the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi.

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Citing fellow producers Keith Beauchamp, Whoopi Goldberg, Thomas Levine, Michael Reilly and Fred Zollo, Broccoli added, This is an important film to me, to all of us.

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The film, directed by Chinonye Chukwu (Clemency), was receiving its world premiere screening Saturday night at the New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center, will open peoples eyes, Broccoli said following a private screening of Till in London this week. I pray that people see it, added the producer who controls Eon Productions, with Michael G. Wilson, home of the James Bond franchise.

Broccoli was worried, she said because the racial climate in the United States feels worse now than it did 20 years ago. A lot of it is Donald Trump, isnt it? Hes made it so that people can openly deny this happened.

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She explained that Keith Beauchamp was the producer who basically spent his whole adult life researching this, its his scholarship that has gotten us to this point. He was very close to Maimie and this film is about what really happened. He and Fred and Tom, and then Whoopi and I got involved and then we brought Chinonye on having seen Clemency, and shes done a magnificent job.

The casting of Danielle Deadwyler (The Harder They Fall) to portray Mamie Till Mobley was a proud moment, Broccoli noted. And Danielle is truly extraordinary. She sent in a tape to the casting director, we had lots and lots of submissions. Chinonye sent me a note that said: Have you seen the tapes today? Call me. I was actually in L.A. and I called her and said, Oh, my God. I think we said Oh, my God in unison, actually. We were sold on Danielle and what was fantastic was the reaction at the studios. Alana Mayo who runs Orion Pictures and Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca who financed the film; when we said that we wanted someone who was not an established name, then they saw her there was no argument about casting her. They supported this film 100 percent. And weve had 100 percent support from MGM and UAR [United Artists Releasing] who are doing a great job, and tremendous support from Universal, Broccoli said.

Sighing, Broccoli continued, Getting to the point where we got it to them was a long journey but once we gave it to them it was instantaneous. They just wanted to make this film  because it was Orion which has a long history of making films that stand for something.

The films propelled by the power of a mothers love and the power of a mother seeking the truth of what happened to her teenage son, portrayed with stand-out skill by Jalyn Hall (Shaft). Chinonye wanted to focus the story on Mrs. Mobley and was very adamant, rightfully so, that she didnt want to show the violence of Emmett being killed. But, obviously, the aftermath was important for people to see. It was important to show what had been done to Emmetts body and thats what Mrs. Mobley did when she displayed her sons tortured body in an open casket. Let the world see what Ive seen,' Broccoli explained.

Also, said Broccoli, the director wanted to start and end the film in a place of joy. And she wanted to show the love, and the resilience, and the complexity that Mrs. Mobley was a middle-class woman living in Chicago with a great job; she had a life and had friends and had not set out to become a Civil Rights activist. And when you think of what happened to her in just one month: its a month from the abduction to finding out about the murder and then having to testify in Mississippi. Its extraordinary what she achieved. Shes a real hero and people do not know her story. She goes beyond what anyone can even imagine doing; standing up to the system, to all those [white] men, and putting her grief aside for the greater good. Pain to purpose. That cant happen without a great performance. Danielle provides that, Broccoli declared.

Clearly, Broccoli is heavily invested in Till, both emotionally and practically. She claimed that some states are banning the teaching of the history in a whole bunch of places. But were opening wide [October 14 in the U.S.] and were showing it at the London Film Festival on October 15 and 16. We have a huge school program, a huge program with schools and colleges. People think they know the name and they think they know the story, but they dont really know the story.

Broccoli mentioned a key scene in Till when a relative informs Mrs. Mobley that she cant look at Emmetts disfigured corpse in an open casket at the Roberts Temple Church of God in the Bronzeville district of Chicago. Auntie Lizzie says, I cant look, and Maimie says We must. And so must we. This is not a time for us to look away, Broccoli insisted.

Goldberg also features in Till as Mrs. Mobleys mother Alma Carthan; Frankie Faison portrays her father, John Carthan. Civil rights giant Medgar Evers is portrayed by British actor Tosin Cole, his wife Myrlie Evers is played by Jayme Lawson. Medgars wife says in the film that she worries. It sends chills knowing what was to happen, Broccoli said, referring to Medgar Everss assassination eight years later in 1963. Haley Bennett plays Carolyn Bryant.

Repeating her mantra, Broccoli said, No, this is not a time to look away.

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MATTAPOISETT  Their boat stands are sold around the world, and with an expansion plan in motion, Peter and Alex Kavanaugh are gearing up for a move from Mattapoisett to Dartmouth.

The father and son plan to add jobs at Brownell Boat Stands & Equipment, their steel fabrication company, as they solidify their manufacturing base in the state.

Brownell Boat Stands was recently awarded a matching $250,000 grant from the Massachusetts Manufacturing Accelerate Program, which is managed by the Center for Advanced Manufacturing at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, a public economic development agency.

The grant covers capital purchases, with most of the $250,000 going toward the cost of their new building in Dartmouth, as well as a new coding system. Kavanaugh said it will help free up cash and take some of the burden off so the company can follow through on its future plans.

Brownell Boat Stands president Alex Kavanaugh speaks with Gary Dompierre, production manager, at the manufacturing plant in the Mattapoisett industrial park.

It helps us allocate our resources a bit more efficiently and make sure going into this new building we can do just about everything we want in terms of layout and new equipment, he said. With this new building, there will be other capital items well need to purchase, including a new finishing system, and well probably be investing in a bit more automation down the line, he said.

The Kavanaughs learned about the grant through their partnership with the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a collaboration of government, business and academic partners focused on helping manufacturers meet the challenges of competing in an ever-changing economy.

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Jay Medeiros welds a boat rack at the Brownell Boat Stands manufacturing plant in the Mattapoisett industrial park.

Boat storage innovation started in the 1950s

In the 1950s, local boatyard owner and boat builder David Fred Brownell created a couple of different ways of moving and storing boats. The conventional method had been to drag boats out of the water, sit them in a boatyard and hammer in some timbers to keep them upright.

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After a year or two, he would have to throw the lumber away and decided there had to be a better way using a tool that would be reusable, adjustable and last a long time. He invented the boat stand, which is similar to what they are still making today.

Brownells daughter, Linda, took over the business in the 1990s, and in 2009, Peter Kavanaugh bought the company, adding some employees and keeping many of the existing employees. Alex joined him as a partner in the business six years ago.

Some of the complete boat stands are stacked before painting at the Brownell Boat Stands manufacturing plant in the Mattapoisett industrial park.

The decision to diversify resulted in the manufacturing of different products for storing and moving boats including dollies to move boats around, different ways of storing boats for different purposes and a number of systems for lifting boats off trailers so they can work on them.

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Brownell Boat Stands & Equipment expansion

Weve expanded to a few different affiliated product lines and grown the business significantly over the 13 and a half years, Alex said. The bulk of our business is in North America but we also export to the Caribbean, Northern Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and to a lesser extent the Mediterranean, Asia, Central America and the Middle East.

They have a year-round staff of about 20 mostly local employees, and everything is made in Mattapoisett. That will change soon, however. They are in the process of designing a new facility in Dartmouth. The initial timeline calls for the move to be finalized the first quarter of 2024. With the move, they anticipate up to 22 new hires.

Kavanaugh said the new building will provide greater efficiency in a larger, more modern space with an open floor plan so they can design it to fit their plans for continuing to grow the businesses locally for years to come.

A robot welds some of the boat stands at the Brownell Boat Stands manufacturing plant in the Mattapoisett industrial park.

They plan on adding one or two new hires to operate the coding system along with other new employees as they expand their production facility and generally grow the company. They are looking at expanding into a couple of new markets in the marine industry.

He said they are looking at their capabilities in relation to the wind industry because they believe there are opportunities for getting involved in it, but this will require some navigating to determine where they would fit in as part of the local supply chain.

Kevin Kerby files a metal section of a boat lifting system made at the Brownell Boat Stands manufacturing plant in the Mattapoisett industrial park.

The production of new boats and a strong market for boat sales has figured into their decision to expand the business that maintains a controlling market share in the boat stand industry. Its a busy time of the year with boats going into storage this fall.

It has been a good couple of years for us, and thats triggered us to make the move and find ourselves a new long-term home, he said.

Standard-Times staff writer Kathryn Gallerani can be reached at kgallerani@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @kgallreporter. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Brownell Boat Stands manufacturing bringing new jobs to Dartmouth
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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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
Reported COVID-19 cases in Arizona last week remained relatively low, but slightly higher than the week prior, according to the state's latest weekly update.

Health officials on Wednesday added 3,675 new COVID-19 cases and 36 new known deaths over the weeklong period ending Oct. 1. Recent weeks have seen lower reported case counts.

Case counts are far below the winter, state data shows. Case numbers in recent months likely are not showing the full picture of infections as many more people have used at-home test kits and may not report positive results to their doctors or county health departments.

Some epidemiologists are predicting another wave of infections this fall and winter.

New Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna booster formulations of the COVID-19 vaccine that specifically target omicron subvariants were granted emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at the end of August. The Moderna version is for anyone age 18 and older, while the Pfizer version is for individuals 12 years and older.

Arizona, like other states, was seeing elevated cases largely driven by two contagious subvariants of the virus, BA.4 and BA.5, with BA.5 the more dominant of the two. It's also likely contributing to reinfections given its contagiousness and ability to evade antibodies.

The U.S. reported 15,850 deaths from COVID-19 in August, which was the highest national toll in several months, according to USA TODAY.

All 15 Arizona counties were designated as low in terms of COVID-19 levels for the second week in a row, according to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of Sept. 29. No counties were "high," at which point the CDC recommends people wear face masks indoors in public.

The CDCs community level guidance metrics are based on a countys COVID-19 hospital bed use, COVID-19 hospital admissions and case rates for the virus over the past week.

Reported cases since the pandemic began are over 2.2 million. Known deaths in Arizona are over 31,400.

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Wednesday marked the 32nd of the weekly updates to the state's data dashboard, instead of daily updates that Arizonans became accustomed to following for the latest data on infections, illnesses and deaths.

The previous week's update added 3,402 cases and 44 deaths, compared with 3,999 cases and 82 deaths three weeks ago and 6,119 cases and 82 deaths four weeks ago.

This week's update shows the differences between data reported for the week of Sept. 25-Oct. 1 and Sept. 18-24.

Health officials say weekly updates match how public health monitors trends and other disease reporting.

Case numbers generally were relatively lower in the past couple of months, and public health experts estimate cases of the highly contagious omicron variant peaked in Arizona around mid-January.

The state data dashboard no longer shows key hospitalization information since Gov. Doug Ducey ended the COVID-19 emergency declaration on March 30. State health officials said hospitals are no longer required to report some COVID-19 surveillance data to the state, meaning certain graphs showing weekly hospitalization levels for the disease and bed usage by COVID-19 patients are no longer updated.

At the time that data reporting stopped, hospitalizations for the disease had dropped steadily since late January.

The CDC still reports state hospitalization data for Arizona and showed a 7% decrease in the seven-day average of COVID-19 hospital admissions during Sept. 26-Oct. 2 compared with Sept. 19-25. Hospital admissions last week were down 93.4% from the peak seven-day average in early January 2021.

The number of known deaths in the state was at 31,406 as of Wednesday, after passing 30,000 known deaths in the May 4 update. The state surpassed 25,000 deaths on Jan. 13. Deaths are reported with a four-week lag.

The CDC places Arizona's overall pandemic death rate since early 2020 as the third-highest nationwide.

Arizona's breakthrough COVID-19 death rate was 0.06% as of Aug. 24

As of Aug. 24, there had been 2,883 breakthrough deaths in fully vaccinated individuals, according to state health officials preliminary data, which works out to a breakthrough death rate of about 0.06% among fully vaccinated people.

The state in December began publicly disclosing data on breakthrough COVID-19 infections, and state officials say the data underscores the effectiveness of the vaccine, especially for people up to date on all recommended COVID-19 doses, including boosters.

Data from July show that 44% of hospitalizations and 37.3% of COVID-19 deaths were among unvaccinated people, 50% of hospitalizations and 59.3% of deaths were among vaccinated but not up-to-date people, and 6% of hospitalizations and 3.4% of deaths were among people up-to-date on vaccination.

State health officials previously broke down hospitalization and death data for unvaccinated people and people with and without boosters, but said they changed the format for July to show the impact of staying up-to-date with a second booster shot plus future vaccine recommendations.

Unvaccinated people ages 5 and older had an 18 times greater risk of hospitalization and 47 times greater risk of dying from COVID-19 in July compared to people who were up-to-date on their vaccination. Unvaccinated people were 6.9 times more likely to be hospitalized and 7.2 times more likely to die from COVID-19 compared to people who were vaccinated but not up-to-date, per the states July analysis.

Stronger protection from hospitalization and death is seen in those who are up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, interim state health director Don Herrington wrote in a blog post.

Health officials emphasize the best protection against severe illness from COVID-19 is to remain up to date with recommended vaccinations, including second booster doses for those 50 and older and people who are immunocompromised. The FDA recently authorized the new booster formulations as a single booster dose at least two months following primary or booster vaccination.

"The FDA has extensive experience with strain changes for annual influenza vaccines. We are confident in the evidence supporting these authorizations, Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research said in an Aug. 31 statement.

"We sought input from our outside experts on the inclusion of an omicron component in COVID-19 boosters to provide better protection against COVID-19. We have worked closely with the vaccine manufacturers to ensure the development of these updated boosters was done safely and efficiently."

Case rates and death reports

Contagious omicron subvariants, particularly BA.5, are contributing to many of the cases in Arizona, according to results from sequencing labs.

Percent positivity, which refers to the percentage of COVID-19 diagnostic tests that are positive, varies somewhat based on how it's measured. It was high in the winter months, a sign of more community spread. Then it was much lower but began climbing upward in April, and then back downward in recent weeks.

Arizona's percent positivity for COVID-19 testing was at 3% for the week of April 3, and went up in subsequent weeks. It was 29% for the week of July 10, 28% for the week of July 17, 27% for the week of July 24, and 24% for the week of July 31. It has since continued to go down  21% for the week of Aug. 7, 17% for the week of Aug. 14, 14% for the week of Aug. 21, 12% for the week of Aug. 28, 11% for the week of Sept. 4, 10% for the week of Sept. 11, 10% for the week of Sept. 18 and 11% for the week of Sept. 25. The percentages are now for all diagnostic tests conducted, rather than for unique individuals tested, after a change to the state dashboard.

A positivity rate of 5% or less is considered a good benchmark that the disease's spread is under control.

The state's overall COVID-19 death and case rates since Jan. 21, 2020, still remain among the worst in the country.

The COVID-19 death rate in Arizona since the pandemic began is 430 deaths per 100,000 people as of Tuesday, according to the CDC, putting it third in the country in a state ranking that separates New York City from New York state. The U.S. average is 317 deaths per 100,000 people as of Tuesday, according to the CDC.

New York City has the highest death rate, at 500 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by Mississippi at 433.

Arizona's first known death from the disease occurred in mid-March 2020.

Many of the reported deaths occurred days or weeks before because of reporting delays and death certificate matching.

A total of 2,275,235 COVID-19 cases were identified across the state through Oct. 1.

Read more: Yuma agriculture lab steps up to help fight, prevent COVID-19 outbreaks

Arizona is still behind the US vaccination rate

Arizonans ages 6 months and older are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, while the Moderna vaccine is approved for children ages 6 months to 5 years and people 18 and older. The CDC has recommended the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on a more limited basis for people 18 and older. Many individuals are eligible for booster doses, too.

The state reported over 5.3 million people in Arizona  about 74.4% of the total state population  had received at least one vaccine dose through Oct. 2, with over 4.5 million residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The states data dashboard now separates out doses administered to Arizona residents versus all doses administered in the state.

Arizona's rate of fully vaccinated people (completed the primary series) out of the total population was 63.5%, which was behind the national rate of 67.9%, according to the CDC as of Sept. 28.

There's a wide range of vaccine uptake across the U.S. About 85.5% of the total population of Rhode Island was fully vaccinated, which is the highest rate in the U.S. In Wyoming, which has the lowest rate, just 52.1% of the population was fully vaccinated, per the CDC.

Out of people ages 5 and older, 67.3% of those in Arizona were fully vaccinated, compared with 72% at the national level, CDC data shows.

Health experts strongly recommend booster shots for those eligible, especially with the omicron variant spreading. About 48.4% of fully vaccinated Arizonans over the age of 18 had received a first booster shot as of Sept. 28, below the national rate of 51.9% for that same age group.

What to know about latest numbers

Reported cases in Arizona: 2,275,235, as of Oct. 1.

Cases by county: 1,426,763 in Maricopa; 292,232 in Pima; 147,773 in Pinal; 67,777 in Yuma; 63,723 in Mohave; 55,235 in Yavapai; 49,793 in Coconino; 44,299 in Navajo; 36,159 in Cochise; 31,424 in Apache; 19,870 in Gila; 18,545 in Santa Cruz; 13,418 in Graham; 5,754 in La Paz; and 2,470 in Greenlee, according to state numbers.

The rate of cases per 100,000 people since the pandemic began is highest in Apache County, followed by Navajo, Gila, Santa Cruz, Graham and Coconino counties, according to state data. The rate in Apache County is 43,761 cases per 100,000 people. By comparison, the U.S. average rate since the pandemic began is 28,991 cases per 100,000 people as of Tuesday, according to the CDC.

The Navajo Nation reported 74,528 cases and 1,917 confirmed deaths as of Tuesday. The Navajo Nation includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

The Arizona Department of Corrections reported 15,524 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Tuesday, the highest number at its Tucson facility with 2,468 confirmed positive cases. A total of 5,715 prison staff members have self-reported testing positive, the department said. Sixty-three incarcerated people in Arizona are confirmed to have died of COVID-19, with six additional deaths under investigation.

The race/ethnicity breakdown of cases since the start of the pandemic in 2020 is 40% white, 29% Hispanic or Latino, 5% American Indian, 4% Black and 2% Asian/Pacific Islander. Race/ethnicity of positive cases since the onset of the pandemic is unknown in 14% of cases and listed as other races in 6% of cases.

Of those who have tested positive in Arizona since the start of the pandemic, about 21% were younger than 20, 42% were 20-44, 13% were 45-54, 11% were 55-64 and 13% were age 65 or older.

Laboratories had completed 20,912,522 total diagnostic tests for COVID-19 as of Oct. 1, 12.6% of which have come back positive. That number includes both PCR and antigen testing.

Percent positivity was at 11% for the week of Sept. 25, just above the week prior. It's been lower than the summer, though still at a high level. The state numbers leave out data from labs that do not report electronically.

The state Health Department includes probable cases as anyone with a positive antigen test, another type of test to determine infection. Antigen tests (not related to antibody tests) use a nasal swab or another fluid sample to test for current infection. Results are typically produced within 15 minutes.

A positive antigen test result is considered very accurate, but there's an increased chance of false-negative results, Mayo Clinic officials said. They say a doctor may recommend a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to confirm a negative antigen test result.

Arizona as of Tuesday had the 16th highest overall case rate of all U.S. states and territories since Jan. 21, 2020, per the CDC. Ahead of Arizona in cases per 100,000 people since the pandemic began are Alaska, Rhode Island, Kentucky, North Dakota, Guam, New York City, Tennessee, West Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, Utah, Wisconsin, Delaware, Arkansas and Louisiana, according to the CDC.

Arizona's infection rate is 31,208 cases per 100,000 people, according to the CDC. The national average is 28,991 cases per 100,000 people, although the rates in states hard hit early in the pandemic may be an undercount because of a lack of available testing in March and April 2020.

Reported deaths in Arizona: 31,406

Deaths by county: 17,956 in Maricopa; 4,008 in Pima; 1,732 in Pinal; 1,548 in Mohave; 1,285 in Yavapai; 1,209 in Yuma; 941 in Navajo; 625 in Apache; 595 in Cochise; 497 in Coconino; 398 in Gila; 238 in Santa Cruz; 184 in Graham; 151 in La Paz; and 39 in Greenlee.

People age 65 and older make up 22,437 of the 31,406 deaths, or 71%. About 15% of deaths were among people 55-64 years old, 8% were 45-54 and 5% were 20-44 years old.

While race/ethnicity was unknown for 4% of deaths, 57% of those who died were white, 26% were Hispanic or Latino, 7% were Native American, 3% were Black and 1% were Asian/Pacific Islander, the state data shows.

The global death toll as of Wednesday was 6,550,717. The U.S. had the highest death count of any country in the world, at 1,060,468, followed by Brazil at 686,371 and India at 528,733, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Arizona's 31,406 deaths represent about 3% of COVID-19 deaths in the United States.

Republic reporter Stephanie Innes contributed to this article.

Reach the reporter at Alison.Steinbach@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-444-4282. Follow her on Twitter @alisteinbach.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona weekly COVID-19 update adds 3,675 cases, 36 deaths
Ron DeSantis, Casey DeSantis, US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden

OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty

President Joe Biden's trip to Florida to survey the catastrophic damage in parts of the state caused by Hurricane Ian created a series of viral moments after the president, 79, and first lady Jill Biden met with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday.

DeSantis, a Republican widely rumored to be considering a 2024 run for the White House, helped facilitate the Bidens' visit. The first couple spoke with Floridians affected most by the storm, which is estimated to have caused more than 100 deaths in the U.S. since it made landfall in Florida last week.

DeSantis praised the government's disaster relief response in Florida during the trip. "We are cutting through the red tape and that's from local government, state government, all the way up to the president. We appreciate the team effort," DeSantis said, according to the Associated Press.

The AP also reported that Biden complimented DeSantis for working "hand in glove" with the federal government on the response to Hurricane Ian.

RELATED: Joe Biden Heads to Florida to Meet with Ron DeSantis, Visit Those Affected by Hurricane Ian

But amid the logistical talks, a couple of lighter-hearted memorable moments arose from the visit as well, one being a photograph captured when Biden was embracing a woman while he laughed with her and another man.

DeSantis also appeared in the image, though he was captured appearing forlorn in the photo's foreground, standing by himself.

joe biden, ron desantis

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Then, cameras and a hot microphone caught Biden uttering an expletive in public while speaking with Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy.

In a video shared on Twitter by journalist Greg Price, Murphy thanked Biden for visiting and for the federal government's assistance.

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"Thanks for everything, thanks for coming down, we appreciate it," he tells Biden as they embrace in the video. Murphy appears to say something about "keep[ing] the faith" to Biden just before the president says: "No one f---- with a Biden."

"Yeah, you're goddamn right," Murphy can be heard saying, laughing.

"And you can't argue with your brothers outside the house," Biden says in the video.

RELATED: Barack Obama Makes Throwback 'BFD' Mic Moment Joke as Inflation Reduction Act Becomes Law

Murphy told NBC News that he could not recall what prompted Biden to drop the now-viral expletive.

"It was not directed at anybody. It was just two guys talking," Murphy told NBC News hours after meeting the president. "It didn't faze me one bit. That's just the way two guys talk to each other from our respective backgrounds."

"Unpopular take: I like having a president who swears in public occasionally..." Meghan McCain wrote on Twitter in reaction to the video of Biden speaking with Murphy.

Casey DeSantis, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, US First Lady Jill Biden, and US President Joe Biden

OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty

RELATED: Joe Biden Visits Puerto Rico in Wake of Hurricane Fiona: 'I Want to See the State of Affairs'

Murphy and Biden had never met before Wednesday's visit, but the two men appeared to get along well and found they had mutual acquaintances from Biden's Scranton, Pennsylvania, hometown and across Delaware, where the Bidens have a home, according to NBC News.

"We're both Irish Catholics. We're both devout Catholics. But every once in a while a little salty language comes out," Murphy told NBC News about the now-viral F-bomb.

As is now nearly internet tradition with Biden's activities in recent months, other reactions to the viral moment in Florida involved the ever-evolving Dark Brandon meme, as Media Matters' Matthew Gertz posted on Twitter in response to the video.

Media personalities including Huffington Post White House correspondent S.V. Date simply summed up Biden's meeting with DeSantis by sarcastically writing "Thanks, Brandon," in a Twitter post, echoing the "Thanks, Obama" meme that circulated during President Barack Obama's administration, according to Know Your Meme.
An Alabama man was left with serious injuries following a crash with an Escambia County fire truck Tuesday night at North W Street and Mobile Highway.

The fire truck, driven by a 29-year-old Crestview man, was traveling south on North W Street, approaching Mobile Highway at approximately 9 p.m., according to a Florida Highway Patrol report. At the same time, a sedan driven by a 42-year-old Mobile, Alabama, man was traveling west on Mobile Highway approaching North W Street.

More: Pensacola pedestrian killed in Pace Boulevard hit-and-run; FHP searching for vehicle

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The fire truck failed to yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic after attempting to clear the intersection while running lights and sirens. Subsequently, the front of the fire truck collided with the right side of the sedan.

The driver of the sedan was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening serious injuries. No injuries were reported from the firefighter on the fire truck.

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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Escambia County fire truck crash leaves Alabama man seriously injured
You can even spend Christmas Eve in the Christmas Story house!

In many ways, the film A Christmas Story seems to fly in the face of what a Christmas classic should be. All the main character, 9-year-old Ralphie Parker, wants for Christmas is an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifleeven though everyone assures him, You'll shoot your eye out! Ralphie is also disappointed by Santa, fights a bully and is forced to put on a frighteningly pink pair of bunny pajamas made by his Aunt Clara. None of that seems like the warm and fuzzy makings of say, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and there's not much in the way of a Christmas Carol-like morality tale, either. But somehow, A Christmas Story has still become a cherished and beloved holiday tradition.

The film was based on In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash, a collection of semi-autobiographical stories by humorist and radio personality Jean Shepherd. Shepherd lent his engaging radio voice to the film, narrating as adult Ralphie while telling the story of his circa-1940 Christmas (he also has a cameo as a customer in the department store who tells Ralphie to get to the back of the line to see Santa).

When the film was released right before Thanksgiving in 1983, there was no sign of how popular it would be today. Nobody was ready for another Christmas movie, says Steve Siedlecki, executive director of the A Christmas Story House & Museum. It got most of its money earned right here in Cleveland from people who wanted to go see it from being filmed here.

Related: How To Watch the All-New 'A Christmas Story Christmas' Movie for 2022

In the years since its release, however, it's only become more and more canonical. The story of a family from years gone by resonates with peopleit even inspired The Wonder Years, right down to the voiceover every episode. Why do people like it so much? Zack Ward, who played Ralphies nemesis Scut Farkus, thinks he knows why. Ive seen 5-year-old kids squat down in front of the TV and not talk while theyre watching it. Theres no song from Frozen, theres no dancing, no talking reindeer or snowman," he once said. "Its kids, in a time when that 5-year-old doesnt care if its a little white boy or girl, little black boy or girl, Hispanic, Asian, Jewishit doesnt matter: they dont care. Theyre watching it because thats their family.

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Billingsley has likewise said, Theres tension, theres some fear of the father, theres anxiety in the household, theres very much a sibling battle, theres a mother trying to hold things together and hold her place, theres probably financial trouble, the fathers do-it-yourself aspect of the household: nothing is sourced outhes going to handle it! Yet through all that, theres a genuine sense of love and protection within the house, and yet the words I love you are never uttered in the movie.

But what about the iconic house itself? In the years after filming, it became dilapidated and went on the market in 2004. However, in a true Christmas miracle, the house that served as the family's abode was rescued, became a LEGO set and now has a thriving museum and gift shop; people can even sleep there overnight! Sit back with some Ovaltine and find out everything you want to know about the house from A Christmas Story, including how it ended up on eBay, got saved by a purveyor of leg lamps and how you can sleep in the houseeven on Christmas Eve!

Related: Get Into the Holiday Spirit With 26 Quotes From A Christmas StoryWe Triple-Dog-Dare Ya!

Where is the real A Christmas Story house?

The house's address is listed as 3159 W. 11th Street Cleveland, Ohio. In a neat twist of fate, Shepherd actually grew up on Cleveland Street in Hammond, Indiana. However, it was A Christmas Story director Bob Clark who spotted the house that would become the house.

Clark and the production team were intent on finding a location that would resemble Indiana's steel mill towns, eventually turning to Cleveland. Clark immediately knew the house on 11th Street was the one; it reminded him of his own childhood house growing up. What clinched the deal was that the film required a department store to film in, and the nearby Higbees came throughas long as no one ruined the stores reputation by cursing, of course. Fun fact: Thats why The Old Man just grumbles his curses instead of saying them out loud.

Where did they film A Christmas Story?

All the exteriors of A Christmas Story were done in Cleveland and nearby locations; all the neighborhood scenes and the backyard scenes were done at the 11th Street house. It turned out to be a challenge for filmmakers because even though they were in Ohio, a place that often gets its share of snow, there wasnt enough of it during the production of the film. Much of the snow that viewers see had to be brought in from ski resorts in the area; firefighter foam and potato flakes were also used.

Related: Does Peter Billingsley of A Christmas Story Still Watch the Film?

None of A Christmas Story was shot inside the actual house; in fact, just about all of the movie's interior shots (except Higbees Department Store) were largely done in Canada. For instance, while Warren G. Harding Elementary School is a real schoolthat Shepherd attendedthe film shot those scenes at Victoria School in St. Catharine, Ontario, Canada.

Who owns the house from A Christmas Story?

The 1,792-square-foot house was bought in 2004 by California entrepreneur and A Christmas Story fan Brian Joneson eBay! Jones ultimately bought the place for only $150,000 and paid for it with money from his business. What kind of business, you ask? The Red Rider Leg Lamp Company, which sells leg lamps, of course! Jones then spent $350,000 to restore the house and recreate the homes interior from the film. Eventually, Jones bought the house across the street and turned that into a museum and gift shop; he also bought the Bumpus House next door.

Is the Christmas Story house in a bad neighborhood?

Well, the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland where the house sits went through some rough times. This was a neighborhood, to be honest, you did not venture into. It was crime-ridden, says Gary Holden, a tour guide. He says that in 2004, when Jones bought the Christmas Story house, it was about a month from being condemned and torn down. It was completely gutted, down to the stud walls: no copper, no wiring.

However, renewed interest in A Christmas Story House has helped Tremont in the recent years.Every year I see the neighbors getting a little more invested in the Christmas Story house. And, of course, we invest in the neighborhood, says Steven Intermill, curator of the museum. [It's] really a fun neighborhood to be in here. Its really great to see this part of Tremont really coming back. Very working class. Very Cleveland west side.

Theres even an annual A Christmas Story 5K and 10K run that raises money for the neighborhood (though there won't be one in 2022, they're hoping to return for 2023). The finish line is in front of the museum. Says Holden, Let me tell youyouve missed out until youve witnessed a thousand bunny suits running down this street."

Related: Nearly 40 Years Later, We Still Love A Christmas StoryBut Where Is the Cast Now?

How long does it take to go through the Christmas Story house?

If you decide to visit the Christmas Story house, youll be there for a while. The house itself, restored perfectly, is a sight to see; you can check out Ralphies bed or hide under the sink like Ralphie's younger brother did when he thought Daddys gonna kill Ralphie.

But thats not all; since Jones owns the home of those hillbillies the Bumpuses, you can explore that house as well.

Across the street, A Christmas Story Museum will need some attention too. Its packed with costumes (like Randys snowsuit), pictures, props and other neat items from the movie, like a replica of the Parker car. A gift shop is stocked with Aunt Claras bunny pajamas and you can buy your own Leg Lamper, major award.

If you dont have time to get to Cleveland, dont worry. There's a live-streaming video of the house, set up by the Museum, that's viewable at any time. You can also shop online and get your working Leg Lamp in a cardboard box or a wood crate like The Old Man. Fancy bunny pajamas from Aunt Clara? You can get those online too!

How much does it cost to stay in the house from A Christmas Story?

From April to January, the house can be yours! Reserving a stay gives you access to a private third floor loftand a full run of the entire Christmas Story House from an hour after the house is closed to the public (about 8-10 p.m., depending on the day) until 9 a.m. the next day. The private loft is outfitted with a living room, bedroom, full bathroom and full kitchen. The house sleeps six, and you and your party can sleep in a queen bed, sleeper sofaor even Ralphie and Randys twin beds, if you like.

So how much is all this? Prices vary throughout the year, but in 2022, costs started at $545 per night in April and ran up to $3,595 for Christmas Eve and Christmas Dayand prices are going up in 2022. Certain dates require a two-night minimum stay.

For considerably lessand year-roundyou can live the hillbilly life at the Bumpus house next door, which offers two spaces: The Bumpus House Hound Dog Haven on the first floor and The Bumpus House Stolen Turkey Suite, on the upper floors.

How much are tickets to A Christmas Story Museum?

Tickets cost $15 for teens and adults, $11 for children ages 3-12 and $14 for seniors older than 60. Military members, whether active or retired, can get a 20 percent discount on their tickets. Children under 3 can get in for free. You can buy tickets at the gift shop or online.

The museum's hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time. There are house tours throughout the day beginning at 10:15 a.m. local time.

There are several ways to watch the film, but if you can wait until Christmas Eve, many fans enjoy the tradition of watching one of the nonstop broadcasts that take place for 24 hours on both TBS and TNT.

Next, Nearly 40 Years Later, We Still Love A Christmas StoryBut Where Is the Cast Now?
Judge Thomas Wilson listens to the first witness, FBI agent Henrik Impola testify during the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot at the Jackson County Circuit Court in Jackson on Feb. 23, 2022.

The FBI agent who a day earlier told Jackson County Circuit Court jurors how an investigation into three members of a paramilitary group unfolded described on Thursday dozens of threatening digital posts that the defendants had made over several months before being arrested in 2020.

Among the posts, images that said: "I want to commit violence," "By bullet or ballot, restoration of the republic is coming," and "One, two, I'm coming for you," which tagged Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who the prosecution said was a target of a kidnapping plot.

Joseph Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar are on trial, charged with assisting a larger kidnapping scheme targeting Whitmer. The prosecution also accuses the trio of belonging to a dangerous gang, the Wolverine Watchman, and using weapons while committing a crime.

The prosecution had told jurors it aims to use the defendants' own words against them.

For much of the morning, prosecutors projected posts onto a screen as Special Agent Henrik Impola described them. In the afternoon, Impola described audio recordings of conversations among the men that had been obtained through a confidential informant.

The trial is expected to continue for at least another week.

The agent testified about how the defendants recruited and vetted new members, viewed themselves as patriots and bragged about getting recognition.

The defendants, Impola said, often chatted in coded language, using phrases such as "vibe check," which meant shooting police in the back, and "3 a.m." In some states, the agent explained, police make "red flag" arrests at 3 a.m. to confiscate guns and, in a poetic twist, that's when the defendants wanted to kidnap officials.

More:Opening statements in Whitmer kidnap plot: Were suspects dangerous or just disgruntled?

While public online access to the courtroom has been available on YouTube, a chat commentary feature  which was on the day before  had been disabled.

Other evidence included was a flagged Twitter post by Musico, Impola said, that was removed from the social media service. The post blamed the governor and other politicians for budget problems and called for Whitmer to be hanged "from a noose in a tree for treason against the American people."

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There were other posts, too. Some celebrated the Oklahoma City bombers, domestic terrorists who used a truck filled with explosive materials, to attack the Murrah Federal Building in 1995. The blast destroyed a third of the structure, killed 168 people and injured more than 680 others.

Posts also described detailed tactics to commit violence, how to select targets, and showed weapons. Several other posts referenced the boogaloo, a word the federal agent said extremists used that meant that they intended to spark a civil war.

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But as Assistant Attorney General Sunita Doddamani built the state's case against the trio in court, the defense objected, arguing that she was presenting evidence out of context and out of order. Judge Thomas Wilson, however, disagreed and allowed her to continue.

The defense is seeking, as attorneys signaled in their opening statements, to plant seeds of doubt that the men who did the plotting already have been convicted for their crimes in federal court. The federal case resulted in four convictions and two acquittals.

The men on trial in Jackson are charged with providing material support for terrorism, a felony punishable by up to 20 years, and related charges, but not with participating in the kidnapping scheme involving Whitmer. They are accused of assisting others who did.

Both sides aim to capitalize on the convictions in federal court.

Jurors may be swayed that the defendants' affiliation with two men who prosecutors said were the ringleaders  Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr.  and have already been convicted and that it's reasonable that the trio joined with them and were part of their plans.

They also could conclude, as the defense attorneys said in their opening, that the suspects are not charged with plotting because they did not break the law, but exercised their rights to associate with others and voice views that might be upsetting but were not criminal.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: FBI agent details digital threats by Whitmer kidnap plot defendants
Golden Retreiver on a roof

Courtesy

Huckleberry (Huck for short) is happy to welcome you to the neighborhood  if you don't mind looking up.

The 10-year-old golden retriever, born on Christmas Day, loves to greet neighbors and new friends from the roof of his Austin home.

Huck  named after Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn  splits his time between Austin, Texas, and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, with owners Allie and Justin Lindenmuth, who got the canine in 2011.

"Huckleberry definitely lives up to his name ... loveable and mischievous," Allie told PEOPLE about her pooch's personality.

Huck started to show off his mischievous side a year after the Lindenmuth family moved into their current Austin home.

RELATED: Senior Dog in Shelter for 7 Years Is Looking for a Pet Parent Who 'Will Take the Time' to Bond

Golden Retreiver on a roof

Courtesy

"Huck discovered he could jump from the hill in our backyard onto the roof," the golden retriever's owner explained. "There was no going back after that. He loves it up there."

After realizing how much Huck adored watching the neighborhood from the roof, his pet parents started allowing supervised visits to the top of the house, which have now become routine.

"We only allow him outside when we are home, or he would be up there all day. With his old age, we have since built him a little ramp, so he does not hurt his hips getting up there," Allie shared.

Over his years of roof visits, Huck has amassed quite a following of local fans and online supporters. The dog has over 44,000 Instagram followers on his account @HucktheRoofDog.

RELATED: Ohio Middle School Facility Dog Gets Her Own Adorable Yearbook Photo: 'She Brings Happiness'

Golden Retreiver on a roof

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"We started an Instagram because many people would come to our door and ask to learn more about Huck. We never thought it would grow so popular," Allie said, adding that it is still common for drivers to do a U-turn "to confirm they, in fact, saw a dog on the roof."

The Lindenmuth family's neighbors know to look for Huck on the roof, where the dog eagerly greets them from his perch, but "new neighbors and passersby still come up to the door weekly" to meet Huckleberry for the first time.

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Allie is happy to let Huck continue his watch from the roof because she can tell how happy it makes the pet.

RELATED VIDEO: Hundreds of Golden Retrievers Celebrate 'Golden Day' in Colorado

"He just loves watching all the neighbors pass by. He has an amazing view of Austin from up there. I truly think he thinks it is just an extension of the backyard. He barks at all his neighbor friends to say, 'Hi!'' she said.

When Huck isn't outside ruling the roof, the golden retriever can be found swimming or cuddling.

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.

Golden Retreiver on a roof

Courtesy

"Huck is the sweetest pup. He could be snuggled all day long and has never met a stranger," Allie said.

"He is so protective and loving. He wants to be with his humans all day long," she added.

Huck will share his love for roofs and his caring attitude with the world through a new book, according to his pet parents, which is due out next year.
Twenty people were killed in a shooting in the southern Mexico small town of San Miguel Totolapan, including the current and former mayor.

The group of shooters wearing ski masks drove two SUVs to the municipal hall and a smaller house in the town, where they killed Conrado Mendoza, the current mayor, and his father Juan Mendoza, the former mayor.

Ten victims have been identified by the authorities, with most of them serving in local government, according to the newspaper Reforma.

The governor of Guerrero state, Evelyn Salgado Pineda, requested a quick investigation by the state office of the attorney general.

There will be no impunity for the malicious aggression against the municipal president and local government officials, she tweeted.

The deputy minister for public security, Ricardo Mejia, said that the shooting was carried out by two criminal organisations called the Familia Michoacan and Los Tequileros, according to Bloomberg.

Los Tequileros previously controlled heroin poppy sales in the area, Mr Mejia added.

Gang violence spiked in August with cartel members setting vehicles aflame in the state of Colima. That came after the arrest of a cartel leader.

Following separate arrests, members of the Jalisco Nueva Generacion cartel set fire to 25 convenience stores belonging to the chain Oxxo.

Another local government worker was fatally shot outside a pharmacy in Cuernavaca, a city south of Mexico City in the central parts of the country, according to the newspaper El Universal.

The town of San Miguel Totolapan is located southwest of Mexico City and about 230 miles from the coastal tourist town of Acapulco.

The Guerrero Public Safety Department said in a statement that agents from the Mexican Defence Department worked with police on the state and local levels to take the injured to area hospitals, Bloomberg noted.

Police said the attack took place at 2pm local time on Wednesday when the gunmen laid siege to the San Miguel Totolapan town hall, the BBC reported.

Story continues

Photos show the building covered in bullet holes.

A member of the Mexican Army stands guard in front of the bullet-ridden building of the Municipality of San Miguel Totolapan, state of Guerrero, Mexico, on October 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

View of the bullet-ridden facade of the Municipality of San Miguel Totolapan, state of Guerrero, Mexico, on October 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

View of the bullet-ridden building of the Municipality of San Miguel Totolapan, state of Guerrero, Mexico, on October 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

The PRD left-wing party, of which the murdered mayor was a member, called his assassination cowardly and demanded that justice be carried out.

Others killed in the attack included police officers and council staff.

Juan Mendoza, the former mayor and father of the current local leader, Conrado Mendoza, was murdered at his home ahead of the massacre at the town hall, according to the BBC.

A highway in the state was blocked for a period of time to stop security forces from entering the city.

The town is located in the region of Tierra Caliente in western Mexico where cartels exert control through violence.

A number of criminal groups are fighting for control of the area and its highly sought-after drug routes, following the Pacific corridor, the BBC noted. Opium poppies are grown in the area, which is also a place notable for its heroin production.

While the killing of local government officials isnt a rare occurrence, the motive for the mass shooting remains unclear.

At least 36 mayors, previous mayors, and candidates for mayoral offices were murdered in 2018. In the last few years, those numbers have decreased to single figures, but local officeholders remain targets as the drug cartels want to be the sole source of authority in any area, the BBC reported.

Just before the shooting, apparent members of Los Tequileros shared a video on social media saying that they had come to the region where they had been in a battle with another drug gang.

The groups presence led to widespread devastation in the area between 2015 and 2017 until the killing of its leader Raybel Jacobo de Almonte. He was called El Tequilero, the Tequila Drinker, from which the gangs name was derived. They were infamous for threatening mayors in the region.
The grief has never really gone away for Cathy Lingenfelter. It will be rekindled again when she attends a hearing in Erie County Common Pleas Court on Friday.

Lingenfelter, 61, is the aunt of Lila Ebright, the 5-year-old Erie girl murdered by her 17-year-old neighbor, Scott A. Schroat, in April 1992 in one of Erie's most notorious killings.

Schroat, now 47, has twice been sentenced to life without parole for his guilty plea to first-degree murder in November 1992.

As a "juvenile lifer"  a defendant sentenced to life with no parole for a murder committed when he was younger than 18  Schroat has been able to seek reprieves in court.

Convicted murderer Scott A. Schroat is led to a hearing at the Erie County Courthouse on Aug. 1, 2019. Schroat was convicted as a juvenile for the 1992 killing of his 5-year-old neighbor, Lila Ebright.

Schroat remains in state prison. But due to a Pennsylvania Superior Court ruling in March that set aside his life sentence with no parole, he will have his third sentencing hearing on Friday.

Lingenfelter will be there, just as she was present at the other two sentencing hearings.

Once more, she said, she will listen to District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz argue that Schroat should be incarcerated for the rest of his life, with no chance of getting out before he dies.

Once more, Lingefelter will convey her views  this time, most likely via a letter, Hirz said.

And once more, Lingenfelter and her family will listen to a defense lawyer argue that Schroat deserves a chance at freedom.

"We have to sit there with a heavy heart and an aching soul," Lingenfelter said. "It is heart-wrenching to have to listen to this again."

Supreme Court alters course of 'juvenile lifer' cases

In December 1992, Erie County Judge Shad Connelly, now retired, gave Schroat what was then a mandatory sentence of life without parole for first-degree murder.

Through his guilty plea a month earlier, Schroat admitted that he stabbed and strangled Lila and placed her lifeless body in a banana box to hide the murder.

Schroat and Lila were living across the street from each other on Seneca Street, just west of Franklin Avenue on Erie's far east side. Her body was eventually found in a dumpster at a nearby housing project.

Story continues

Connelly's sentence stood until the U.S. Supreme Court started to change the law for juvenile lifers in 2012.

The Supreme Court ruled mandatory life sentences for juveniles unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The court said defendants can still receive sentences of life with no parole for crimes they committed as juveniles, but that such sentences for juveniles cannot be mandatory and must be rare.

The Supreme Court decision eventually led to a resentencing hearing for Schroat before Erie County John J. Mead on Aug. 1, 2019. Mead heard evidence and testimony. He heard arguments from the District Attorney's Office, who wanted Schroat resentenced to life without parole, and Schroat's lawyer, Emily Merski, who asked for a lesser sentence.

Mead issued his ruling in October 2019. He resentenced Schroat to life without parole. Schroat "does not have the capacity for change," Mead said in a written opinion.

A three-judge panel of the state Superior Court overturned Mead on March 15. In a decision designated as precedent, the panel sent the case back to Mead for another resentencing hearing. The panel said that, in finding Schroat "permanently incorrigible," Mead failed to give enough consideration to mitigating factors the defense presented in arguing for a sentence of less than life without parole.

The resentencing hearing was originally scheduled for Aug. 1. It was moved to Friday as Hirz and Merski, the defense lawyer, prepared their respective cases.

Scott Schroat's case under review, again

Mead is not required to rule on Friday. Based on how he handled the first resentencing, he will announce his decision later in another written opinion to explain his reasoning. Sometime after the hearing, Hirz said, she and Merski will file briefs with Mead to summarize their positions as he drafts his opinion.

The law allows Mead to sentence Schroat again to life without parole. But in making his decision, Mead must show he fully considered all the relevant factors in revisiting a sentence of life without parole for juvenile offenders.

At Friday's resentencing hearing, the defense and prosecution will offer arguments based on the evidence they presented at the first resentencing, Hirz said.

Schroat testified at that hearing, saying he is "a different person," but he also contended that Lila's death was an accident despite the evidence otherwise.

'It is very difficult,' Lila Ebright's aunt says

Lingenfelter, who has has been in touch with Hirz, said she is preparing herself to hear arguments on Friday similar to those made at the first resentencing hearing  including arguments by the defense.

"It is very difficult," Lingenfelter said about returning to court. "Our family is appalled that we have to do this again  listen to him or his counsel say that he has changed and is rehabilitable. He is not."

Schroat has been incarcerated for about 30 years and is at the State Correctional Institution at Rockview, in Centre County. He is one of nine juvenile lifers from Erie County, but only one of two who have been resentenced to life with no possibility of parole instead of getting lesser sentences.

The other defendant is Raynard S. Green, who was 17 when he beat to death 89-year-old Harriet Mikielski in Erie in 1978.

Erie County Judge Daniel Brabender resentenced Green to life without parole in March 2018. A three-judge panel of the state Superior Court unanimously affirmed the sentence in June 2019. Green, 61, is at the State Correctional Institution at Albion.

Lingenfelter said she wanted Mead's decision in the Schroat case to stand. Asked if Mead was correct in resentencing Schroat to life with no parole, Lingenfelter said: "Absolutely."

Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNpalattella.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie 'juvenile lifer': 5-year-old victim's family faces new resentencing
Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker pushed back on reports that he paid for a former girlfriend to have an abortion in 2009 in his first public appearance since the allegations were publicized.

At the end of a campaign stop on Thursday, Walker read a statement to media outlets, arguing Democrats are desperate to hold on to the Senate seat.

Theyre desperate to make this race about my family, he said. They dont want to talk about [President] Joe Biden and [Sen.] Raphael Warnock [D-Ga.], what theyve done to Georgia families.

Walker claimed Democrats are willing to say and do anything to hold onto power, while expressing optimism about his chances in the race.

The Daily Beast reported Monday that a woman claimed Walker reimbursed her for an abortion after they conceived a child together, despite Walker campaigning as an opponent of abortion in all cases, with no exceptions for rape, incest or protecting the life of the mother.

The outlet further reported on Wednesday that the woman is the mother of one of his children, having later conceived a second time and going through with the pregnancy.

Walker said he has not reached out to any of the mothers of his children in the wake of the allegations. His campaign acknowledged in June that Walker has four children, three of whom were with women he was not married to.

In an appearance on The Hugh Hewitt Show earlier Thursday, the GOP candidate denied the latest allegations.

Im saying Ive been forgiven because of all of the things I did when I went to my, the thing with my ex-wife and all that, and things I did I dont know how many years ago that I wrote in my book. I forgot. I wasnt perfect. I had my problem with mental health. And I was, Ive been  I hate to say  Ive been born again, but I have a new life, he told Hewitt.

And Ive been moving forward, and had that happened, I would have said it, because its nothing to be ashamed of there. You know, people have done that, but I know nothing about it, Walker continued in the interview.

Story continues

Walker said later in the day that he was referring to past actions involving his ex-wife, with whom he has one son, Christian. Walkers ex-wife has accused him of domestic abuse.

Christian Walker has slammed his father in recent days since the Daily Beast story, accusing him of cutting corners and lies.

Herschel Walker said at the press conference that he loves his son, and he will love him no matter what he has said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Bad news for petroleum and energy prices in the West.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Wednesday agreed to steep cuts in oil production, which means less supply in an already tight market. That, in turn, means customers are likely to pay more.

Saudi Arabia, the groups de facto leader, said the cut of 2 million barrels per day  which equals 2 percent of the global oil supply  was necessary to respond to rising interest rates in the West and a weaker global economy (Reuters).

The Saudi government denied any collusion with petroleum ally Russia when deciding on the cuts, an amount that could drive oil and gas prices back up after weeks of decline and thereby buoy Russias oil market amid the Wests punishing sanctions.

President Biden and his team on Wednesday challenged big oil companies, OPEC, Russia and just about any entity seen as contributing to higher energy costs at a time when U.S. inflation is both an economic problem and a political weapon (The Hill). The White House issued a statement criticizing OPECs decision and voicing Bidens disappointment.

In July after a controversial meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the president boasted that Saudi Arabia shared the urgency of the United States to increase oil supply, which I expect will happen, Biden said at the time. He attracted criticism for the trip and failed to get what he wanted.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, joined by Biden economic adviser Brian Deese, modified a message on Wednesday.

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, they said (The Hill).

Bidens eagerness to see the global cartels production of fossil fuels rise stirs political friction among progressives who want to curb reliance on oil and natural gas as a way to battle climate change.

Story continues

U.S. options to respond to OPECs decision are shrinking (Bloomberg News); more releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, already at its lowest level since 1984, are expected (Reuters).

Recognizing that high U.S. gasoline prices contributed to Bidens shaky job approval ratings, administration officials had been eagerly calling attention to the number of consecutive days during which U.S. gasoline prices dropped. Officials have worried that higher energy prices this winter in Europe could contribute to recession risks and weaken Western resolve against Moscow amid the war with Ukraine.

Biden said Wednesday he will continue to direct releases from the reserve as necessary, a shift from the White Houses previous comments that it would soon end the drawdown.

The administration early this year announced the sale of 180 million barrels for six months beginning in May. Last month it extended that historic sale because only about 155 million barrels had been sold. It now aims to sell 165 million barrels through November, according to Reuters.

 The Hill: Democrats excoriate Saudis over OPEC decision to cut oil production.

 NPR: Russia and Saudi Arabia agree to massive cuts to oil output. Heres why it matters.

Europe, meanwhile, is gearing up for an even starker natural gas crisis next year, according to the head of the International Energy Agency. After Russia cut off gas supplies to the continent as a response to sanctions following the February invasion of Ukraine, European countries have filled up 90 percent of their gas storage tanks to deal with winter demand (Reuters).

With gas storages almost at 90 percent, Europe will survive the coming winter with just some bruises as long as there are no political or technical surprises, Fatih Birol, the executive director of the agency, said Wednesday.

Related Articles

 The Wall Street Journal: European Union likely to approve Group of Seven cap on Russian oil price in two steps.

 The New York Times: Western effort to drain funding from Russian President Vladimir Putins war machine faces global oil producers now making Russias crude more valuable on the world market.

 The New York Times: A strong dollar is wreaking havoc on emerging markets. A debt crisis could be next.

LEADING THE DAY

 POLITICS & INVESTIGATIONS

Arizona Republican Senate hopeful Blake Masters faces a critical moment in tonights televised debate against Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), writes The Hills Caroline Vakil. Masters prospects have dimmed in the past few weeks as his hard-right views have raised concerns. A super PAC with ties to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) recently yanked millions of dollars from the race.

With five weeks remaining before the midterms, Republicans are banking on Masters  endorsed by former President Trump  to use the debate as an opportunity to appeal to a broader swath of voters in a crucial race.

Masters will debate Kelly and Libertarian Marc Victor on Arizona PBS at 9 p.m. ET.

 The Hill: Kelly leads Masters by 3 points in Arizona Senate poll.

 CBS News: Kelly has edge in Arizona Senate race that hinges on abortion, economy, immigration.

 CNBC: GOP megadonor Peter Thiel signals he is done helping Ohio Senate hopeful J.D. Vance and will fundraise for Arizonas Masters.

 The Hills Greg Nash/ Getty Images-Brandon Bell | Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) (left) and Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters will debate on Thursday.

Following a report earlier this week that hed paid for an ex-girlfriends abortion in 2009, Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walkers campaign has been in turrmoil. The Republican  who has positioned himself as staunchly anti-abortion  denied the allegations, telling interviewers that he doesnt know the woman he allegedly supported over a decade ago. But the woman has now told The Daily Beast that shes not only Walkers ex-girlfriend, she also had another child with him  one hes publicly claimed as his own. Walker denied these allegations as well (Bloomberg News).

CNBC: Herschel Walker campaign says it raised over $500,000 after report Georgia GOP Senate hopeful paid for an abortion.

In the Senate, McConnell has been facing regular attacks from Trump, who once praised him as one of his staunchest allies in the Senate. Now the former president is calling on Republicans to oust him as leader, The Hills Alexander Bolton reports. Details from Trumps first impeachment trial in 2020 show just how much his relationship with the minority leader changed.

McConnell led a coordinated defense of Trump during the 2020 impeachment proceedings, including encouraging Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to vote against a push to prolong the trial by hearing from more witnesses, according to an excerpt from the new book Unchecked by Washington Post journalists Rachael Bade and Karoun Demirjian. Murkowski subsequently criticized McConnell for pledging to work in close coordination with the Trump White House during the trial, the book reveals, which didnt sit well with McConnell, who scolded the Alaska senator by email and requested that she call him.

But, fast forward more than 2-1/2 years, and a McConnell-affiliated super PAC is now pouring money into Alaska to support Murkowski against her Trump-backed challenger Kelly Tshibaka.

Meanwhile, in the House, the hostility between Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the man likely to succeed her should the GOP regain the chamber, has intensified.

As The New York Times reports, 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. Rivalries between lawmakers are nothing new, but rarely have feuds between the Speaker  who is elected by the whole House, as per the Constitution  and another member of Congress reached this level of disdain.

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 respectively, arent going to be their leaders forever. The Hills Hanna Trudo reports on debates within the left about who might succeed them as leaders of the progressive movement.

The Hill: Here are 10 of the potential 2024 presidential contenders with big stakes in the midterms.

 The Hills Data Deep Dive: When it comes to political views, a growing gender gap divides young men and women, The Hills Daniel de Vise reports. Women increasingly identify as liberal but men do not. Gallup poll data analyzed by the Survey Center on American Life in 2021 found 44 percent of young females described themselves as liberal, compared with 25 percent of young males. A decade earlier, roughly similar numbers of young men (27 percent) and young women (30 percent) identified as liberal. The gap widened in the 2000s during the George W. Bush administration. Trumps presidential election in 2016 blew the gap wide open, in part because more young women than men said they disliked Trump. Also a factor: the #MeToo movement.

 Book bans are on the rise in the U.S., writes The Hills Alejandra OConnell-Domenech. According to PEN America, more than 1,600 individual titles have been removed from classrooms this past year. And while book bans have been commonplace in libraries and schools over the decades, authors of recently banned books believe the attacks on their work are different in organization and intent.

This is a more organized effort, said Ellen Hopkins, who is the most frequently banned author in the U.S. according to PEN America. The ultimate goal is to dismantle public school education.

Experts are bracing for renewed discussions of civil war, as the Nov. 8 midterm elections approach and political talk grows more urgent and heated. Social media mentions of the phrase skyrocketed after the FBIs search of Mar-a-Lago, and again when Biden made a speech calling out MAGA Republicans. With the midterms on the horizon, some experts worry about an increase in threats of violence online (The New York Times).

First reported by Bloomberg News, the thousands of documents seized from Trumps Florida home included a mix of government, business and personal affairs, including analysis about who should get a pardon, call notes marked with a presidential seal, retainer agreements for lawyers and accountants, and legal bills, according to newly disclosed logs created by federal investigators.

The logs, apparently unsealed in error, are part of a filing that has since been removed from the court docket (The Hill).

 The Washington Post: What the FBI took from Trump, according to an accidentally unsealed list.

 Bloomberg News: Trump says a U.S. agency packed top-secret documents. These emails suggest otherwise.

 The Hill: Court agrees to fast-track DOJs appeal in Trump special master case.

IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES

 ADMINISTRATION

Biden on Wednesday met with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in Florida to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Ian, which swept through the state last week and left 109 dead and countless with destroyed and flooded houses, and no electricity (CNN).

Biden and DeSantis put their political rivalry on hold as they toured Fort Myers, one of the cities impacted by the storm, write The Hills Alex Gantigano and Brett Samuels, projecting unity in Ians aftermath.

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, flanked by DeSantis. Biden said the governor has done a good job responding to the storm, adding, We have very different political philosophies, but weve worked hand in glove.

Before arriving, Biden issued an amended disaster declaration for Florida that doubled the eligibility window for fully covered federal aid from 30 to 60 days. In Fort Myers, he spoke about using aid to provide temporary housing, insurance assistance, food, water and other critical supplies. DeSantis repeatedly thanked the whole federal government for cutting through red tape to expedite assistance before, during and after Hurricane Ian made landfall.

 CNN: Biden and DeSantis put political rivalry aside  for now  as president toured hurricane damage.

 The Guardian: Hurricane Ian ends discussion on climate crisis, Biden says on Florida visit.

 The Washington Post: Ian is probably Floridas deadliest hurricane since 1935. Most victims drowned.

 The New York Times: During Bidens visit to Florida, he and DeSantis put politics (largely) on hold.

A federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled that the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy violates U.S. immigration law. It left intact the program created in 2012 to cover some 600,000 immigrants who came illegally to the United States as children through no fault of their own.

A three-judge panel for the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a 2021 ruling that prevented the Biden administration from enrolling new immigrants in the program, but left the enforcement waiver policy in place for current beneficiaries (CBS News).

Biden on Wednesday expressed his disappointment about the ruling.

The courts stay provides a temporary reprieve for DACA recipients but one thing remains clear: the lives of Dreamers remain in limbo, the president said in a statement. Todays decision is the result of continued efforts by Republican state officials to strip DACA recipients of the protections and work authorization that many have now held for over a decade It is long past time for Congress to pass permanent protections for Dreamers, including a pathway to citizenship.

The Washington Post: Vice President Harris, driven in Washington by the Secret Service on Monday, had to switch vehicles after a minor accident immobilized the SUV when the driver hit a curb. The Secret Service initially described the accident as a mechanical failure before correcting the details.

 NASA and SpaceX on Wednesday sent four astronauts on a journey to the International Space Station with a schedule to dock this evening close to 5 p.m. ET. Roughly an hour and 45 minutes later, the space stations hatch will open ahead of a welcome ceremony.

The crew of four includes two American astronauts, one astronaut from Japan and a Russian cosmonaut. Despite tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine, cooperation continues between NASA and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency (The New York Times).

At 8:15 p.m. the seven astronauts already aboard the space station will help the new crew settle in before a separate spacecraft will bring four of the seven back to Earth. Crew-5, the current group heading into orbit, is expected to return home in about five months (CNN).

OPINION

 IMF-World Bank meetings are the last stop before a coming economic storm, by Larry H. Summers and Masood Ahmed, opinion contributors, The Washington Post. https://wapo.st/3SXQrAy

 There are two Americas now: One with a B.A. and one without, by Thomas Edsall, columnist, The New York Times. https://nyti.ms/3CxEXhU

 Russias nuclear threat: Whos bluffing who? by Melanie Amann, editorial writer, Der Spiegel. https://bit.ly/3e7y6Cr

WHERE AND WHEN

The House meets Friday at 1:30 p.m. for a pro forma session. Members are scheduled to return to the Capitol on Nov. 14.

The Senate convenes Friday at 10 a.m. for a pro forma session. Senators also are scheduled to return for work on Nov. 14.

The president will arrive in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., at 11:40 a.m. to tour IBM at 1:20 p.m. ahead of a 2 p.m. speech focused on semiconductors and technology. (IBM will announce it will invest $20 billion in tech over the next decade in the Hudson Valley region). Biden will fly from Poughkeepsie to Red Bank, N.J., for a Democratic National Committee fundraiser at 5 p.m. The president will fly from New Jersey to New York City for a political reception at 8 p.m. to benefit the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. He will depart New York to arrive back at the White House shortly before 11 p.m.

The vice president at 4 p.m. will ceremonially swear in Arati Prabhakar to be director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Lima, Peru, to lead a U.S. delegation at the General Assembly of the Organization of American States.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will speak at 11 a.m. at the Center for Global Development ahead of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group meeting about challenges in the global economy and the role of multilateral development banks.

First lady Jill Biden arrives in San Francisco at 5:15 pm. PT for events today and Friday (SFist).

Economic indicator: The Labor Department at 8:30 a.m. will report on filings for unemployment insurance during the week ending on Oct. 1.

 Hill.TVs Rising program features news and interviews at http://thehill.com/hilltv, on YouTube and on Facebook at 10:30 a.m. ET. Also, check out the Rising podcast here.

ELSEWHERE

 INTERNATIONAL

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine is caught in a diplomatic seesaw between Putin and opponents in Kyiv, with the International Atomic Energy Agency occupying a risky middle ground. On Wednesday Putin issued a decree nationalizing the plant with intentions that Russia control it, while the head of Ukraines state nuclear energy company said that he was taking charge, The New York Times reported.

Today, Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director of the International Atomic Energy group, which is under the umbrella of the United Nations, headed to Kyiv to continue advocating for a nuclear safety zone around the plant (The New York Times).

Meanwhile, in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia Thursday, a Russian missile demolished a five-story apartment block and left one woman dead while trapping other residents (Reuters).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine condemned Russias attempt to take control of the plant in the southern city and urged that the European Union, the Group of Seven industrialized countries and other partners impose sanctions against Russias state nuclear power corporation, Rosatom. The ministry also called on member countries of the International Atomic Energy Agency to limit cooperation with Russia. Energoatom, Ukraines state energy company, said on Wednesday that Putins decree nationalizing the plant has no practical significance.

 The New York Times: New Russian recruits will not be ready for months, according to a NATO official.

 The New York Times: Russia capitalized Wednesday on flatbed truck-launched kamikaze drones supplied by Iran to break through Ukrainian defenses near Kyiv.

Putin appeared to concede Russias military setbacks in Ukraine during a televised video call on Wednesday with Russian teachers. We are working on the assumption that the situation in the new territories will stabilize, he told them. Ukraine has advanced in the east and south against Russian forces, and Putins troops have been retreating under pressure on both fronts, confronted by fast moving and nimble Ukrainian forces supplied with advanced Western-supplied artillery systems (The Guardian and The Moscow Times).

In a twist of international intrigue, the U.S. intelligence community says it believes Ukraine was behind a car bomb assassination plot in Russia that killed the daughter of ultranationalist Alexander Dugin in August. American officials said they were not aware of the plan that killed Daria Dugina, adding that the U.S. subsequently admonished Ukraine for the bombing. Some U.S. officials believe the operatives who carried out the plot targeted Dugin and thought, mistakenly, as it turned out, that he would be in a vehicle with his daughter. U.S. officials would not say who in the Biden administration delivered the admonishments or to whom in the Ukrainian government they were delivered. It was not known what Ukraines response was. It is unclear if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed off on the operation, The New York Times reported.

The 44-nation European Political Community meets for the first time today in Prague as the brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron, who envisions a unifying alternative to the 27-nation European Union (The New York Times).

North Korea on Thursday launched two short-range ballistic missiles 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. Upshot interpretation: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is determined to continue with weapons tests aimed at boosting his nuclear arsenal in defiance of international sanctions (News Wires).

 PANDEMIC & HEALTH

One in 7 Americans are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and experts say medical care alone isnt enough to treat and prevent the disease. Improving peoples environments and communities, including walkability, housing, access to better food and health care, and reframing the epidemic as a social, economic and environmental problem help address the diseases causes, they say (The New York Times).

Our entire society is perfectly designed to create Type 2 diabetes, Dean Schillinger, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told the Times. We have to disrupt that.

Insurance prices are likely to increase next year at faster rates than medical costs, according to some Wall Street analysts, Bloomberg News reports. According to a survey by Bank of America Global Research, health insurance benefits brokers expect rate increases of 6 to 12 percent.

Politico: Bidens Operation Warp Speed revival for vaccines and treatments stumbles out of the gate.

Total U.S. coronavirus deaths reported as of this morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (trackers all vary slightly): 1,061,490. Current average U.S. COVID-19 daily deaths are 330, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

THE CLOSER

Try Our Morning Report Quiz

And finally   Its Thursday, which means its time for this weeks Morning Report Quiz! Alert to the lineup of high court justices, were eager for some smart guesses about the Supreme Courts new term, which began Monday.

Email your responses to asimendinger@thehill.com and/or kkarisch@thehill.com, and please add Quiz to subject lines. Winners who submit correct answers will enjoy some richly deserved newsletter fame on Friday.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson made her debut and reporters noted she did which of these during oral arguments about a wetlands case?

Remained silent throughout Posed pointed questions about Congresss intent Interrupted the chief justice Winked with a thumbs-up for her family members

The Onion filed a 23-page petition to the Supreme Court in a particular case on behalf of what?

Vegetables Gerrymandered congressional districts Third grade Parody (and humorists)

Something disappeared outside the court ahead of the new term. News reports this week recounted Chief Justice John Robertss comment last month that seeing _____ when arriving at the court was gut-wrenching every morning?

Demonstrators with megaphones Barricades Overflowing garbage bins Flocks of geese

Gallup reported last week that Americans opinions of the Supreme Court are ____?

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Three House Democrats have introduced legislation to end U.S. troop protection in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in response to news this week that OPEC and its allies will slash oil production.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which together comprise about 30 percent of global crude oil reserves, have some 5,000 U.S. troops stationed there. In addition to removing those troops and American missile defense systems from the two countries, the legislation introduced by Reps. Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) and Susan Wild (D-Pa.) would move all U.S. technology and defense systems elsewhere in the region.

This decision is a turning point in our relationship with our Gulf partners. If Saudi Arabia and the UAE hope to maintain a relationship with the United States that has been overwhelmingly beneficial to them, they must show a greater willingness to work with us  not against us  in advancing what is now our most urgent national security objective: the defeat of Russias aggression in Ukraine, the three said in a statement.

Instead, by significantly boosting global oil prices, OPECs decision appears designed to increase Russias oil export revenues, enabling Putin to continue his war crimes in Ukraine, and undercutting Western sanctions, they added.

The bill follows words by other Democratic lawmakers who harshly criticized the decision by OPEC+ to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day  about 2 percent of global supplies  a move that prompted some lawmakers to call for a reevaluation of the U.S.-Saudi relationship.

President Biden visited the kingdom in July to appeal to its leadership to increase oil production. Following the announcement, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said the whole point of the Washington-Riyadh alliance was that when an international crisis came, the Gulf could choose America over Russia/China.

The White House has been more diplomatic in its response but has expressed disappointment with the decision, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre calling it shortsighted and a mistake that would benefit Russia.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Chris Watts publicly pleaded for his familys safe return and tried to paint himself as a concerned fatherbut investigators say he ultimately admitted to killing his pregnant wife and two young daughters after their bodies were discovered at a Colorado oil field.

Once his family was found, he confessed to everything, FBI Special Agent Grahm Coder said last week at the Northeast South Dakota Family Violence Prevention Conference, according to People. He knew he had no other choice. He told us what he had done.

Coder and Colorado Bureau of Investigation Field Agent Tammy Lee, who had also been a lead investigator on the case, spoke at the Aberdeen, South Dakota conference to help the social workers, educators, medical professionals and prosecutors in attendance be able to identify signs of domestic violence.

Watts had no known history of domestic violence when authorities said he strangled his pregnant wife Shannan to death in the couples bedroom in the early morning hours of Aug. 13, 2018, then drove his two young children, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste, to the oil field along with Shannan's body.

RELATED: Neighbor Recalls 'Really Odd' Encounter With Chris Watts Before He Killed Family

He buried his wifes remains in a shallow grave before smothering both of his daughters and dumping their bodies in separate oil tanks. His daughter Bella was the last to die and had pleaded with him not to kill her, according to investigators, telling him Daddy, no.

During his confession, Watts said that the words still haunt him.

Its like every time I close my eyes I see, I hear Daddy, no, he said, according to People.

Chris Watts

Chris Watts in Court. Photo: AP

Watts initially played the role of the grieving family man, pleading for his familys safe return in multiple media interviews. However, investigators said he failed a polygraph test when questioned about his family's whereabouts, before eventually later confessing to killing his pregnant wife and children.

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This case shows that domestic violence can happen anywhere," Lee said last week. "It affects so many families  and sometimes, the results can be deadly."

It wasnt the first time Lee has shared her feelings on the case.

Sherri Papini Pd

Lee described the internal outrage and disgust she felt when Watts described the callous way he had disposed of his family in Oxygens 90-minute special Criminal Confessions, in 2019.

I just couldnt believe a father could do something so horrible to his children and his wife, she said in the special. I was completely disgusted. I felt sick.

Lee got emotional as she recalled how Watts had never shed a tear for his slain family.

Oxy App

You know, he didnt even cry for them, she said. Like, Ive cried more for them than he has. Like, who does that?

While investigators suspected Watts may have had a role in the familys disappearance, Lee told Criminal Confessions the truth had been more horrible than I even let my mind go to. We had not even fathomed how horrible he could have been, what a monster he was.

Watts  who had been having an affair at the time of the murders  is currently serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole at a Wisconsin prison after pleading guilty to nine charges, including five counts of first-degree murder.
From playing parts that are too good to be true, to those so bad you wish they were not (Matt Licari/Invision/AP)

Before Jake Lacy became Shane, the odious newlywed in last years smash-hit class satire The White Lotus, the 37-year-old actor was famous for playing nice guys. Not just good guys, but human beings so exceedingly pleasant in looks and affect that they could only be fiction.

In HBOs Girls, for example, Lacy was Fran, the kindly schoolteacher who still offered Hannah a ride after she dumped him hundreds of miles from home. In the 2020 remake of High Fidelity, he played a harmless rock-climbing fanatic  the guy you date when youre on the rebound from heartache.

Lacy thinks the nicest guy he ever played  I asked  was probably Ken from the film How to Be Single, a goofy one-night stand who coasts into unexpected fatherhood with uncanny aplomb. But thats a caricature almost, Lacy says. The idea of a nice guy.

That said, the actor is incorrect. The nicest guy he ever played is Max, who in another one-night stand plot from the 2014 romcom Obvious Child, supports his partners decision to get an abortion. He also warms her butter packet between his hands at a restaurant  a gesture so indelible it will surely unseat You complete me as cinemas most romantic moment. (Just ask any woman born in the mid-Eighties.)

But after a decade spent radiating celluloid sweetness, Lacy went and played The White Lotuss Shane, a real estate bro so entitled that the world seemed to pause so we could relish hating him together, in real time. In Mike Whites vicious lampoon, Lacy played a man so obsessed with getting what he paid for  the modestly superior Pineapple Suite!  that he ruins his honeymoon by harassing the resort manager to get it. Now, Lacy is the guy people shout at when they see him. Oh man, we hated you, he quotes back to me, laughing over a heated interaction with a fan. You were so terrible but thats a compliment.

Besides, Lacy insists that how a character might be perceived has never been a guiding principle for him. Instead, he explains over a video call from his Connecticut home, he looks at new roles holistically: Do I want to do this work? Do I want to be a part of this story? He clarifies, More than asking, Will people see me in a different way? Its like, Well, thats their problem, and not mine.

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Jake Lacy in A Friend of the Family (Peacock)

Its a question hes been compelled to ask himself again more recently. On Peacocks disturbing true-crime series A Friend of the Family, Lacy plays Robert Berchtold, the charismatic Idaho man who groomed and abducted his neighbours young daughter twice over the course of a few years. Berchtold forced Jan Broberg into underage marriage in Mexico and sexually assaulted her. Its the kind of ripped-from-the-headlines nightmare that seems destined for a stomach-churning TV movie, but there are two compelling ways in which the series distinguishes itself from its trashier cousins.

The first is that Jan Broberg serves as an executive producer. Showrunner Nick Antosca, who also wrote the true-crime heart-grippers Candy and The Act, assured Lacy from the beginning that she would be, and if she wasnt, I wouldnt be doing this.

Were not trying to understand a paedophile

But its the second difference that will be more directly meaningful to viewers. The glut of true-crime offerings lately can feel like a race in the direction of more exploitative and more depraved retellings (Netflixs Dahmer, about the serial killers troubled upbringing, and the multiple graphic restagings of a womans fatal fall in HBOs The Staircase come to mind). But A Friend of the Family isnt looking to depict Berchtolds more detestable crimes or even explain why Berchtold  whom Brobergs family affectionately called B  was inclined to commit them.

Were telling this story of a psychological drama of gaslighting and manipulation, Lacy explains of the insidious ways Berchtold, who was a furniture salesman in his late thirties when he met the Brobergs, ingratiated himself with Jans entire family. Their kids were best friends. But were not hiring a 19-year-old actress to then look 14, so that we can legally show abuse. I have zero interest in doing that.

So the series allows B to operate on the storys cold periphery, where the question of who he is never threatens to overtake the devastation of what hes done. Were not trying to understand a paedophile, Lacy says matter-of-factly. Were trying to understand the effect that this person has within a community. And I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to get to explore the thing that no one talks about.

A Friend of the Family mostly situates the viewer alongside Jans maddeningly trusting parents, played by Colin Hanks and Anna Paquin. They dont witness Bs criminal behaviour and are too naive to read much into the nefarious breadcrumbs he leaves behind. The viewer, of course, cant help but see the threat. The moment that B delivers the line, I am in the mood for a talent show looking right at 12-year-old Jan, had me hiding behind my fingers faster than anything more explicit.

Jake Lacy and Murray Bartlett in The White Lotus (HBO)

In The White Lotus, too, Lacy demonstrated this knack for conveying the complete world of a man in the space of a single line. For his Emmy-nominated turn as Shane Patton, the short remark was delivered breathlessly to the hotels manager, each word punctuated by gesticulating: What I want is to speak to your boss. We know that Shanes been thinking the cringy cliche, but now that hes finally expelled it, he can go back to living in harmony with himself. The customer is always right.

Lacy, for the record, says these days he relates more to the Mossbachers, the glamorously middle-aged couple, played by Steve Zahn and Connie Britton, who spend most of the series uncomfortable with their own wealth. The compromising and the self-negotiating that goes on to be like: how do I both live selflessly, put my money where my mouth is in terms of equal rights, supporting government programmes, all these things, and then also live in a distinctly capitalist society and want as much money as I can get and nice things?"

Lacy grew up with sweet, supportive parents in rural Vermont, over two hours drive from the nearest place a New Yorker might call a city. But he moved to Brooklyn straight out of university in North Carolina; he worked odd jobs  receptionist, bar work  while hustling for auditions. He only quit the city recently. Like many a New York dad, Lacy and his family moved to the Connecticut suburbs during the pandemic in search of a garden his sons could safely drive their Power Wheels through.

Jake Lacy in Girls (HBO)

As his eldest son approaches kindergarten age, hes feeling iffy about whether or not theyll stay put. The culture is maybe not what we are used to being a part of coming from Brooklyn, he explains, but the schools are fantastic. He could move to a different town, but then the schools are not that great. And you go, Am I going to send them to private school? Am I going to do that?

Like Shanes fixation with the nicer hotel room, this is an existential crisis of moneys own making. Am I fully living in Connecticut with kids in a private school? Lacy says, his tone dripping with how-did-I-get-here self-awareness that wouldnt be out of place on Whites scathing miniseries. Who have I become? When The White Lotus came out, most viewers insisted they knew someone just like Shane or even the Mossbachers. No, no, no, no, no, says Lacy. The whole point is we are those people. Youre not quite getting the whole story there if your takeaway is like, Ive seen folks like that.

Jake Lacy in High Fidelity (Hulu)

Sadly, when The White Lotus returns for season two, most of the cast  including Lacy  will not. But from the nice guy to the guy we loved to hate to the guy lurking in the shadows, Lacy has only scratched the surface of what interests him. Hed love to do an action film or a period drama. Personally, Id like to know when Jake Lacy gets to be the hot guy the lead is pining after and not the hot guy she dumps. Despite his success, though, Lacy says his trajectory is shaped by Hollywoods whims. Ive never really been in a position career-wise to go like, lets look for a comedy, you know what I mean? I get these auditions and if Im lucky, I get some offers.

Mostly, what Lacy would like most is to shoot in New York, where he can be close to his kids and family. That would be nice, he says, sounding very much like the good guy you used to remember him as. To be home for a minute.

A Friend of the Family is available on Peacock in the US on 6 October and the UK on 7 October
'Chicago P.D.' lost one of its original cast members tonight.

The grey areas of working in the Intelligence Unit got to be too much for Det. Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), who tonight, turned in his badge to Chief Patrick ONeal (Michael Gaston) on Chicago P.D.

It has been a while coming but Jay, who began as a cop who strictly saw things as black-and-white and went by the book, had been influenced too much by the shady way that his boss Sgt. Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) policed.

So, following hand-to-hand combat with a suspect in which Jay stabbed a man to death, he refused to go along with the cover story that Voight and Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) cooked up to protect him. He didn't like the man he had become.

Related: Jason Beghe on Hank Voight Going A Little Crazy and the New Cast Joining Chicago P.D. for the Season 10 Premiere

Instead, he resigned from the force and took a job with the Army tracking down really dangerous drug cartel members. The job, though, is in Bolivia for eight months or so, and he tells his wife and partner Upton that it is what he needs because the Army is black and white; good and bad. Its no more of this, referring to the cover-ups in Intelligence.

While also telling her that he had to leave that same day, he said he was coming back because shes the love of his life, and if Im yours, then youll know that you have to let me go. She let him go.

Tracy Spiridakos, Jason Beghe, Jesse Lee Soffer Photo by: Lori Allen/NBC

As Jay was about to enter the airport, Voight, who saw Halstead as his successor as head of the Intelligence Unit, stopped him and told him he could have any job with the Chicago P.D. that he wanted if you dont want to be me. And that he didnt even need Voights help to make it happen.

Thats when Jay revealed that the problem was, I do want to be you. But its like youve always told me: Im not, and I shouldnt try.

Related: Chicago Fire Bosses Tease Who's Doing What to Who on the Season 11 Premiere!

And then he turned and entered the airport. The one high note for Jays departure is since his character is not dead, there is the potential for his return at some point in the future.

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After the episode aired, Soffer tweeted:

Soffers exit was first revealed back in August, when he released the following statement exclusively to Variety:

I want to thank the incredible fans for their unwavering support during the past 10 years and want to express my deepest gratitude to Dick Wolf and everyone at Wolf Entertainment, Peter Jankowski, Matt Olmstead, Derek Haas, Michael Brandt, Rick Eid, Gwen Sigan, NBC, Universal Television, my fellow castmates and our incredible crew, he said in a statement to Variety on Monday. To create this hour drama week after week has been a labor of love by everyone who touches the show. I will always be proud of my time as Det. Jay Halstead.

Chicago P.D. airs Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Next, Its Crime Time! Check Out Our Guide for Season 10 of Chicago P.D.
Medical director of Ward 86 at San Francisco General, Monica Gandhi, watches as patients get off the elevator on July 2, 2020.

Medical director of Ward 86 at San Francisco General, Monica Gandhi, watches as patients get off the elevator, on July 2, 2020. Credit - Liz HafaliaThe San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Andres Cantero tried to see his doctor every three months to discuss his treatment for HIV. Hed visit four times per year, asking questions about his antiretroviral medication, discussing side effects, and confirming he still had an undetectable viral load, meaning he could not transmit the virus to his partner.

But in the two and a half years since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Cantero, a 32-year-old lawyer in California, says he has only been able to see his doctor in person twice. Its been difficult to get an appointment, he says, initially because of lockdown restrictions and now because many offices have transitioned to telehealthan option he finds pales in comparison to the care he received before the pandemic. His routine for treating his HIV has been completely disrupted, he says, and he worries others have had similar experiences, particularly in communities of color like his own Latinx community.

I think for some people, with the stigma that comes with HIV, you dont feel comfortable having these conversations with someone you cant see [in person] and develop this level of trust, Cantero says. With communities of color that already feel disenfranchised with the medical community people are going to feel less enfranchised to engage with the sources that are available.

A report released by the LGBTQ media advocacy group GLAAD on Oct. 6 and first reported by TIME suggests that Canteros situation is not unique. The reportwhich analyzes peer-reviewed scientific literature along with 26 interviews with both people living with HIV and staff at community-based organizationsfound that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted HIV prevention measures and patient care in the United States. As COVID-19 precautions and lockdowns superseded other public health concerns, services for HIV patients became limited, communities grew hesitant about health-care services, and the rate at which HIV testsone of the primary tools for fighting the virus spreadwere administered dramatically declined.

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In June, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that from 2019 to 2020, new HIV diagnoses reported to the agency decreased by 17%. Another study published in the journal the Lancet Regional HealthAmericas in March, which examined HIV testing and HIV-positive rates in health care systems in Louisiana, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Washington, found that from 2019 to 2020, HIV testing numbers decreased by 68% to 97%, and remained 11% to 54% lower than prior rates after some pandemic-era restrictions were lifted. A third study of patients at a Boston community health center published in the Journal of the International Aids Society in 2020 found that initiations of PrEPan antiretroviral medication that prevents HIV infectiondecreased by 72% from January to April of that year.

The GLAAD report warns there is now a real risk of an HIV resurgence in the U.S. The authors of the report propose several changes to streamline the fight against HIV as new medical crises, such as monkeypox, emerge. We just lost two years, says Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD. We need folks to look up, wake up, and realize that we as a community and a country can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can deal with a major pandemic while not forgetting about our most marginalized folks.

Lessons learned

The COVID-19 pandemic and the HIV epidemic interact with each other in sometimes deadly ways, exacerbating the problems discussed in GLAADs report.

People with HIV are more likely than people without HIV to be immunocompromised, putting them at a greater risk of death and disease from COVID-19. (One study published in Scientific Reports in March 2021, for example, found that being positive for HIV was significantly associated with a high risk of mortality from COVID-19.) As with HIV, COVID-19 has disproportionately affected marginalized communities, and the virus negative impact has been exacerbated by systematic racism, stigma, and economic disenfranchisement, limiting access to adequate medical care. One study published February 2021 in the journal AIDS Reviews found that one HIV prevention and treatment clinic in New York City that had been seeing more than 2,000 patients face-to-face in early March 2020 had shrunk down to under 100 per day in May 2020. The clinic transitioned to telehealth, and the results were mixedas they were with many clinics.

Telehealth made accessing care easier for many patients. One survey of 202 patients with HIV at a clinic in San Francisco, California, published in the journal AIDS Patient Care and STDs in July 2021, found that 80% of respondents said they were equally or more likely to attend a telehealth visit as an in-person appointment. But the transition wasnt always easy, as patients dealt with technical issues, barriers in digital literacy, and their distrust of speaking about stigmatized issues in a digital setting. One survey published in the journal AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses examining a HIV clinic in Georgia from March to May 2020 found that 40% of the clinics patients who had used telemedicine experienced delays getting follow-up appointments, 35% reported difficulty getting their viral load measured, and 21% reported difficulty accessing antiretroviral therapy. Telemedicine provides us with a variety of options and a variety of providers, says Shanell McGoy, senior director of public affairs and corporate citizenship at the biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, which provided grant support for GLAADs report. But theres nothing like that in-person connection that can be established between a provider and a client.

The report warns that the disruptions in HIV care and prevention over the past two-plus years could be felt for many years to come. In September, the San Francisco Department of Public Health announced that for the first time in nine years, the city saw an increase in the number of HIV diagnoses made from the previous reporting year.

To address these setbacks, GLAAD lays out five lessons to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic as communities prepare for the next health crisis. First, they call for more funding from a variety of sources, particularly in communities that might have limited access to accurate information on the risk and prevention of HIV. They also urge providers to find ways to give consistent care, including having telehealth and in-person options, and to offer a variety of services in one location, rather than directing patients to new locations for different services. And they suggest a streamlining of public-health campaigns using clear, simple language that discuss both the COVID-19 vaccines and HIV prevention. One medical crisis need not eclipse the other, GLAAD argues.

Theres this level of invisibility thats surrounded HIV since [its] inception and came back to light during COVID, says Cantero, the lawyer in California. When reflecting on the past two years, he says COVID kind of took over, and made any other concerns related to his health take the back seat.
Following the cancelation of his tour dates in South America, South Africa and Asia, Justin Bieber has postponed all of his remaining Justice World Tour dates until an unspecified time next year. The announcement, which was made via the tours official Instagram page, says ticketholders will be informed on next steps as updates occur.

More from Variety

The tour, which was originally scheduled to launch in 2020, has been postponed or delayed several times already, most recently due to his bout with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare virus that in his case caused facial paralysis. It finally launched in March and covered most of North America, but he postponed the remaining dates early in June after announcing his difficulties with the disease.

He resumed the tour in August, but after several dates he announced on Sept. 6 that he needed to take a break from performing to make my health the priority right now.

The tour had been scheduled to resume on Oct. 22 in Malaysia, continue through east Asia, Australia and New Zealand before resuming in Europe in January and continuing through the end of March. The postponed North American dates also have not been officially canceled.

Despite Biebers previous announcement about his health, fans for the postponed dates, who cannot receive a refund until the shows are officially canceled, were not pleased by the announcements, judging by the comments on the post.

Just cancel the rest of the tour at this point and give everyone a refund I cant even remember how long ago I bought tickets its been that LONG!, one wrote.

In announcing the postponements last month, Bieber wrote: Earlier this year, I went public about my battle with Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome, where my face was partly paralyzed.

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As the result of this illness, I was not able to complete the North America leg of the Justice Tour.After resting end consulting with doctors, family and team, I went to Europe in an effort to continue with the tour.

I performed six live shows, but it took a real toll on me. This past weekend I performed at Rock in Rio and I gave everything I have to the people in Brazil. After getting off stage, the exhaustion overtook me and I realized that I needed to make my health a priority right now. So Im going to take a break from touring for the time being.

Im going to be OK, but I need time to rest and get better period Ive been so proud to bring this show and our message of justice to the world.Thank you for your prayers and support throughout all of this exclamation point i love you all passionately!

The announcement comes as a surprise, as Bieber was posting photos from his appearance at the Rock in Rio festival on Instagram the night before.

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Beach House to Replace Iggy Pop at Desert Daze Festival

Kevin Parker has taken to Instagram to reflect on the 10th anniversary of Tame Impalas second album, Lonerism, which was originally released on Oct. 5, 2012. The group performed Lonerism in its entirety at a special one-off show on Saturday at the Desert Daze festival in Lake Perris, Calif.

Difficult to sum up what the album means to me at this point, Parker wrote. It was a pretty special time for me making the music. In a way its when I truly discovered myself as an artist. Coming off the back of Innerspeaker, I had this new sense of purpose  calling  whatever you want to call it. I had finally given myself permission to let music take over my being completely  to become totally immersed in my own world of recording music. So I had this new sense of creative freedom. I felt free to be ambitious, weird, pop, experimental, whatever, and didnt feel judged because I was finally just doing it for myself and believed in myself. For the most part anyway  of course the day came to release it and it all came crashing down and I thought the album sucked and couldnt even imagine people enjoying it. As it turns out, I was wrong  the album dropped and exceeded all my expectations and my life changed massively again, and I slowly realized the music was pretty good, again, which gave me a new sense of purpose, and the cycle starts again.

More from Spin:

In a separate post, Parker reminded fans that the album was originally titled Loner Pop until after it had been mastered and sent off for production. He recalled sitting in the courtyard outside my apartment in Paris and realizing he didnt think [he] got the title quite right. Suddenly the world lonerism popped into my head and it was obvious that was the one. Parker called Glen Goetze, his A&R rep at Modular Recordings, and begged him to stop the press and have it changed. The CDs must have already gone into production because all the first pressings say Loner Pop when you put them in a CD player.

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Parker also said the reason theres a scarcity of footage or photos of him recording Lonerism is because he wasnt exactly dying to get in front of a camera back then. My friend and photographer Sav came round a couple of times to take some photos and film me messing around in the studio, and thats basically all there is (which is why Im wearing that purple t-shirt and green jeans in all of them).

Lonerism was nominated for the best alternative album Grammy and was Tame Impalas first release to appear on The Billboard 200, where it reached No. 34. It includes two of the groups best-known songs, Elephant and Feels Like We Only Go Backwards.

Tame Impala will tour in New Zealand and Australia beginning Oct. 15 in Auckland. No live activity has yet been announced for 2023, although Parker and company appear on New Gold from the forthcoming Gorillaz album Cracker Island, which will be released Feb. 24.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

The post Beach House to Replace Iggy Pop at Desert Daze Festival appeared first on SPIN.
Korn frontman Jonathan Davis has announced the launch of his new pet brand, 'Freak On A Leash'.

Announcing the news on Instagram, Davis said that the products were created as a homage to the horror and rock music we love.

The first collection, designed exclusively by me, contains all custom products made with high-quality gunmetal hardware, leather, nylon, and plushies that will set your pet apart from the pack, he wrote.

The brand has partnered with festival promoter Danny Wimmer Presents and non-profit Take Me Home to offer an early merchandise preview at Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California on Saturday (October 8).

Davis shared that the first 100 fans attending the festivals to purchase 'Freak On A Leash' merch at the Take Me Home tent will receive a wristband to meet him in person that day, with a portion of proceeds going towards the charity. The worldwide launch is set for October 28, while fans can sign up for updates via the website.

In August, Korn reunited with Evanescences Amy Lee to perform "Freak On A Leash" during their joint tour.

At the end of Korns set, Lee joined the band for a live rendition of their 2007 MTV Unplugged collaboration  a take on Korns 1998 track "Freak On A Leash", which featured on their album Follow The Leader.

Korns latest album Requiem, which came out in January, received considerable acclaim. Typical of the critiques was the NME review: It would be a push to call this Korns first happy album. More accurately, Requiem has brought something new to a discography that, until now, has been an exploration of human suffering. Its led to the bands most nuanced record to date.

The nine-track album features the hit single Start the Healing, which peaked at No.1 on the Active Rock chart, in addition to the previously released tracks Forgotten, which Rolling Stone described as explosive and Lost In The Grandeur, which dropped as a final taste of Requiem just a few days before the records release.

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Listen to the best of Korn on Apple Music and Spotify.

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.
If there was any doubt about Kranium being at the forefront of the dancehall reggae market, set those aside. Emerging as a talented artist in multiple countries  mainly his homelands of Jamaica and the United States  Kranium is poised to take the next step in his career with his forthcoming eight-song EP, In Too Deep.

Every time I create a record, I think of the obstacles of being a dancehall artist, he tells Billboard. That alone gives me enough confidence to relax and make sure that Im putting out something that makes sense for everybody to enjoy.

More from Billboard

Kraniums burning drive comes from being born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, but his flavorful swagger came from his move to the States at 12. The icing came when he carved out his breakout single with Nobody Has to Know in 2015. The gold-certified record received an extra boost when Ty Dolla $ign put his stamp on the remix, propelling the song to No. 2 and No. 44 on the Billboard Reggae Digital Songs and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts, respectively.

The chart win landed Kranium a label deal with Atlantic Records later that year, and helped him accomplish a rare feat: becoming a star in the United States as a dancehall artist with little to no buzz in Jamaica. However, it came at a price, he explains, as life got rather dark once Nobody Has to Know became a hit.

I really thought I was going to be a one-hit wonder, he admits. Nobody Has to Know, at that time, when it came out, was the only thing you were hearing. That was the only reggae that translated from the American market to Africa and the Caribbean at the time. It was a hard mountain and a high one at that.

He adds: I didnt believe I would climb that mountain because that was the same time I went into a depression, he says. The first time I knew what anxiety and depression were was when that song came out. You get so much love, and then eventually it starts slowing down, and you start thinking everything doesnt seem the same anymore, and then its like, Whats next?'

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Kranium says that for artists in Jamaica, blowing up there is an amazing feeling because its one of the most musical places on Earth. He adds that the island nation accepts music with no reservations, and that artists there can get a hit record at any age so long as the music is good.

He came to understand there really is no blueprint, and whats popular in one region may not be the same on the other side of the world. Music is universal, and that understanding got Kranium out of his rut and into a period of creativity that generated more hit songs, such as We Can featuring Tory Lanez, Gal Policy and more.

Ive always wanted to make a difference, he says. But I just didnt know how. All I knew was I can only do that by being consistent and understanding theres no blueprint for success. You have to just keep creating.

With his new album In Too Deep, Kranium is looking to expand on the outlook hes found with his career, which revolves around the idea that different music markets have their own go-to records. The first single, Without You, featuring Queen Naija, released last week, is a lush record with hints of Afrobeat, dancehall reggae, and R&B sprinkled throughout.

I feel like music changes at a very fast pace, if were being fair, Kranium says. The sound changes every day, and you have kids on the internet that are creating their own thing because of different impressions and outlets, so what I do is basically adapt to the sound of whats going on now while still keeping that authenticity of how I personally think music is supposed to be and thats how I stand out.

The world has more or less opened back up after the pandemic stopped everything when it hit in 2020, and theres a whirlwind of emotions flying around with being back outside. People want something to feel good about after a crazy few years, and Kranium feels hes giving that with In Too Deep.

In Too Deep can mean two things, he shares. Im a very sexual and raw artist, but I feel like its going to catch them when they really listen to the project and realize that Im in too deep. I have a record on here called Paranoid about having people around, and then you have dope love songs that nobody ever really heard from me.

The eight-track album will feature only two other appearances by R&B sensation BLEU and fellow Jamaican artist Dexta Daps. An album with expectations of hitting different markets is expected to have several guests join the fun, but Kranium believes you cant just throw anyone on a song, and he wont work with just anybody, because it has to make sense.

The way I work with artists, I never have a specific person I wanna work with. I always make the song first, and then I think this person would sound dope on it, Kranium explains. I have some big artists who have hit me up for a record, and I turned them down because I dont want to put something out thats going to backfire or waste an opportunity.

Kranium hasnt announced an official release date, but says the album is coming sooner rather than later. And with this new journey, the Mo Bay product wants fans to know he put his all into the project and will pour out even more in the future.

I want my fans to take away the quality and time spent, the emotion in each voice, the growth, and creativity of a youth born different, he adds. I spent 19 months on this album. I feel like the quality is quality, while trends come and go. I want to be the artist when Im old and gone that Im still getting sampled 20 to 30 years from now, and that only happens with the realness.

Click here to read the full article.
The last time that the Oregon Ducks left the desert with a victory was back in 2011, when they blew out the Arizona Wildcats by a score of 56-31. In that matchup, Oregons uniforms were relatively tame, wearing dark green pants, white tops, and green helmets.

Will they follow the same mentality this week in order to make sure that the attention stays on the field, rather than what they are wearing?

It appears so, judging by the uniforms that the Ducks unveiled on Wednesday night for their Saturday night showdown against the Wildcats. Take a look at what the Ducks will be wearing:

Oregon Ducks uniforms vs. Arizona Wildcats

Oregon Ducks uniforms vs. Arizona Wildcats

Oregon Ducks uniforms vs. Arizona Wildcats

Oregon Ducks uniforms vs. Arizona Wildcats

Oregon Ducks uniforms vs. Arizona Wildcats

Oregon Ducks uniforms vs. Arizona Wildcats

Oregon Ducks uniforms vs. Arizona Wildcats

Story originally appeared on Ducks Wire
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.
Dover Chamber welcomes new board members at annual meeting

The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce announced three new board members at its recent annual meeting at The Sassy Biscuit Co.

DOVER  The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce recently held its annual meeting at Sassy Biscuit Co. to welcome incoming board members and pay tribute to outgoing board members.

The three incoming board members are Benjamin Lord of Chapel + Main, Benjamin Bradley of Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, and Kevin Foley of First Seacoast Bank.

Ben Lord is a restaurateur with over 25 years in foodservice and hospitality. Ben is the co-owner of Chapel + Main Brewpub in Dover and Black Birch in Kittery. He has served on several seacoast nonprofit boards, including The Dance Hall and Kittery Block Party. Lord grew up in Dover. He is an alummus of St. Thomas Aquinas (1995) and Keene State College (2001).

Ben Bradley currently serves as Director of Government Relations and Public Policy for Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, a Mass General Brigham community hospital. Ben is the vice chair of Wentworth-Douglass Hospitals senior management council and was an integral parti in the Hospitals Incident Command during the peak of COVID-19. He has been a member of the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerces Government Affairs Committee since 2017 and currently serves as the chair.

Kevin Foley is the Vice President and Director of Retail Banking & Sales at First Seacoast Bank. Kevin has devoted his career to making a positive difference for the customers and communities that he and his teams serve. He regularly attends civic and professional networking events and values the collaboration of community. He has volunteered for organizations such as the Special Olympics of Maine, Ending Hunger in Maine and Wreaths Across America.

The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce also thanked outgoing board members Dennis Burke of Mr. Electric and Jeff Hughes of Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, and introduced Renee Touhey-Childress of the Dover Childrens Home as board chair.

Bill Stevens joins St. Marys Banks Board of Directors

MANCHESTER  Bill Stevens, president and owner of Harvey Construction Corporation, has been selected as the newest member of St. Marys Banks Board of Directors. Appointed by the Board at their September meeting, Stevens fills the vacancy created when a former director resigned due to ill health.

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Bill, a long-time member of St. Marys Bank, is genuinely committed to the mission of our credit union, noted Steve Grzywacz, chairman of the board. With his business acumen and deep roots in New Hampshire, he will make a great addition to our board.

A graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, Stevens oversees Harveys business and construction operations. Under his leadership, Harvey has become one of New Hampshires leading commercial construction firms.

In the past two years, the American Institute of Architects has recognized Harveys work for construction of the Boyce Thompson Field House at Phillips Exeter Academy and St. Pauls. Other well-known structures for which Harvey has received recognition include Currier Museum of Art, Palace Theatre, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, University of New Hampshire, Smuttynose Brewing Co., Anheuser Busch, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, Catholic Medical Center, and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

Currently serving on the Catholic Medical Center Cabinet, Stevens is a member of the

Manchester Country Club Finance Committee and NH Associated General Contractors Building and PAC Committee. He also serves as Palace Theatre Trustee Emeritus.

Prior to his career at Harvey, Stevens worked as a project manager for Holden Engineering and VHB Engineering. Stevens and his wife, Jayna, have three children and reside in Hookset, N.H.

Hampton United Methodist Church welcomes new Pastor and Choir/Music Director

HAMPTON  Hampton United Methodist Church, located at 525 Lafayette Road, Hampton, N.H., announces that with the retirement of the Reverend Dr. Steven Notis this summer, the Reverend Susan M. Frost was appointed, effective July 1, 2022. She is the first female pastor to lead the congregation.

Pastor Sue Frost

Pastor Sue most recently served as pastor of St. Johns United Methodist Church in Dover, N.H. She grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and is a graduate of Williams College and Yale Divinity School. In addition to her pastor role, she is involved with the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church and currently serves as a Spiritual Director at Neighborhood Seminary, a program of spiritual direction and theological education for laypersons who want to better understand God's plan for their lives and the neighborhood they live in. Pastor Sue also participates in the NEUMC Foundations Jump Start program, which collaboratively provides creative ideas on how to invigorate churches and their outreach programs. Pastor Sue is married to Mike Bennett, a retired United Church of Christ pastor; they have two adult children, Beth, and John.

Hunter Harville-Moxley

Hunter Harville-Moxley has also recently joined the HUMC as Choir/Music Director. Hunter grew up in Las Vegas, went to college in New York state, and currently lives in Medford, Mass. He has an associate degree in Pipe Organ Performance and a bachelor's in Music Composition; he is currently working on a master's in Conducting at Tufts University. Hunter was most recently the Music Director at a Presbyterian Church in upstate New York. Previously, he served as an accompanist for a gospel choir, where he learned to play piano by ear, and taught piano and vocal lessons to children.

Michael Skelton is appointed to the New England Legal Foundation New Hampshire Advisory Council

Michael Skelton

BOSTON - Michael Skelton, President and CEO of the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire, has been appointed to the New Hampshire Advisory Council of the New England Legal Foundation (NELF, www.newenglandlegal.org), the leading non-profit public interest law firm in the region dedicated to addressing policy and constitutional concerns related to free enterprise.

The BIA is the state's leading business advocate and statewide chamber of commerce. Before joining the BIA, Mr. Skelton served as President and CEO of the Greater Manchester Chamber, the state's largest regional Chamber of Commerce. In total, he has more than 12 years of leadership experience in the Chamber of Commerce industry and a background in public relations, media relations, economic development, and government affairs.

Skelton is also a member of the Board of Directors of Amoskeag Industries, a member of the Board of Trustees of Manchesters historic Palace Theatre, and he was appointed by Governor Sununu to serve as a Board member of the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority. Skelton lives in Bedford, N.H. with his wife Emily and their two children, Colin and Eleanor.

Michaels long experience in promoting the Granite States business affairs, his great appreciation of the societal role of commerce, and his extensive personal network, NELF President Dan Winslow said, will further strengthen our already impressive New Hampshire Advisory Council.

Our state Advisory Councils, he added, help develop our Foundations positions on matters in the judicial branch, and they often recommend legal advocacy for consideration by our Board of Directors on issues of importance to the regions economy. The Advisory Councils also host speakers of interest to their particular sector of the economy at locations convenient to members in each state.

The Granite YMCA welcomes Ryan Gadow as Chief Operating Officer

Ryan Gadow

MANCHESTER  The Granite YMCA welcomes Ryan Gadow to the position of Chief Operating Officer. Michele Sheppard, President and CEO states, Ryan will be an extraordinary new member of our leadership team with his 25 years of Y experience and he understands the intricacies of optimizing operations and staff development in areas such as youth development, member experience, community and volunteer engagement.

Ryan Gadow holds a Bachelor of Art from North Carolina State University. He began his YMCA career in 1994 and earned YUSA certifications in Organizational Leadership and Fiscal Management. By 2005, Gadow was serving as a Senior Program Director/ Operations Director for the Tampa Metro YMCA where he successfully managed a multimillion-dollar budget for the first time. His steady leadership and success for the programs under his purview earned him positions as Director of Operations at the Desert Foothills YMCA and later a Senior Executive role at Valley of the Sun YMCA. Most recently, Ryan was asked to serve as a Senior Vice President for the Y in Central Maryland where he has served for the past six years.

I have a deep commitment to servant leadership for the community, members, program participants, donors and volunteers. Most importantly, I bring attention to Y employees with deep empathy and compassion; guiding, supporting, and driving them to success, Ryan Gadow, COO explains. I am very excited to join the leadership team at The Granite YMCA and I look forward to having a positive impact across all six branches as we strive to enhance our connection to community and our offerings to meet the changing needs of the youth and families we are so privileged to serve, added Gadow.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Names to Know: Meet the new professionals on the Seacoast
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.  The SpaceX taxi service from the Space Coast took flight again Wednesday with NASAs Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station.

The four-person crew from NASA, Japan and Russia hitched a ride in the Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket that lifted off from KSCs Launch Pad 39-A just after noon.

That was a smooth ride, said Crew-5 commander and NASA astronaut Nicole Mann. Youve got three rookies that are pretty happy to be floating in space right now and one veteran astronaut whos pretty happy to be back as well.

Once again, SpaceX was able to recover its first-stage booster on recovery ship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic while the spacecraft made it to orbit.

Mann is joined by fellow NASA astronaut and pilot Josh Cassada and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina  all three flying for the first time  plus Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, who is making his fifth trip to space having flown on several space shuttle missions and one Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

With roughly a 29-hour ride before arriving to the ISS, the crew could be seen clapping hands and throwing fist pumps as a plush Albert Einstein doll floated about the cabin.

Were experiencing Einsteins happiest thoughts, said Cassada explaining Einstein had a brainstorm that a person in freefall would not feel their own weight. We call this little guy our freefall indicator. Were here to tell you theres plenty of gravity up here. In fact, thats whats keeping us in orbit right now and preventing this trip on a Crew Dragon from being a one-way trip.

The launch is the second of three from the Space Coast this week following a Tuesday night Atlas V liftoff and a planned SpaceX Falcon 9 launch Thursday from neighboring Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Weather has been near perfect all week.

It was picturesque, you know with the blue sky, the blue background, a beautiful day here in Florida, said NASA commentator and astronaut Bob Behnken, who flew on the first crewed Dragon flight Demo-2 back in May 2020. The only thing I wish was that I was there with them because the one place that its better to watch the launch from than right here at the Kennedy Space Center is onboard the rocket ship.

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The quartet woke up at 4:30 a.m., suited up around 8 a.m. and walked out for last chance goodbyes with family before heading out to the launch pad in a trio of white Teslas, each featuring custom license plates that read BLA5TOFF. Mann and Cassada led the way after arriving to the pad doing what commentators called the rocket recline looking up at the rocket before heading up the launch tower to board the spacecraft.

They made their entrance and took the two middle seats as commander and pilot just after 9:15 a.m. followed by mission specialists Kikina and Wakata. With 2 1/2 hours before liftoff, Mann and Kikina broke into ear-to-ear smiles with all four trading off a series of fist bumps while secured in their seats.

During an initial hatch closing procedure before 10:30 a.m., teams identified potential foreign object debris  a hair  in the seal, and cleaned it out followed by a second closure and good side-hatch leak check.

Its really important that that area is super pristine, Behnken said. That hatch is going to be closed for six months as they make their way into orbit and then that wont get open until they come back aboard the recovery ship.

The closeout team left the tower and the crew access arm has swung away from the capsule allowing the arming of the capsules launch escape system and then propellant load.

Crew-5 is go for launch, Mann said with just under an hour before liftoff.

Mann is the first woman to command a Crew Dragon flight, and will also be the first Native American woman to fly into space.

Shes very excited about flying in space, said NASA Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich after a Launch Readiness Review on Monday. Its very exciting for Commercial Crew to have our fist female commander in our program and were very excited to fly Anna Kikina.

Kikina is the first cosmonaut to ride on a Crew Dragon.

We just continue what was started many years ago in 1975 when Apollo-Soyuz crew worked together, said Sergei Krikalev, executive director for Human Space Flight Programs with Roscosmos during a post-launch press conference. Now we continue our cooperation.

Crew-5 marks the fifth rotational mission to the ISS that sends up four astronauts at a time for six-month stays on board. SpaceX and Boeing with its CST-100 Starliner were contracted under NASAs Commercial Crew Program to provide the service flights ending NASAs reliance on rides from Russia during the decade after the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011.

SpaceX has really been inventive, creative, Nelson said. Theyve been a good partner for NASA and it shows that this commercial public-private partnership is actually working.

SpaceX sent its first Crew Dragon with passengers on a test flight with NASA astronauts Behnken and Doug Hurley less than 2 1/2 years ago, and has also since flown missions with civilians among its four Crew Dragon spacecraft so that Crew-5 marks the eighth capsule flight now having taken 30 people into space. Crew Dragon Endurance is making its second flight having also launched on the Crew-3 mission in 2021.

Boeings Starliner has yet to fly its first humans, but could be making that trip by February 2023 so that the Crew-5 members will get to welcome them on board during their stay. Until Boeings Starliner is certified, SpaceX is on tap to continue the twice-a-year rotational flights with Crew-6 slated to arrive in March 2023.

When Crew-5 arrives, targeting arrival Thursday at 4:56 p.m., the ISS population will grow to 11 until the four members of Crew-4 who have been on the ISS since April will return home with a splashdown off the coast of Florida as early as next week.

Were looking forward to another handover mission, said NASAs International Space Station manager Joel Montalbano. This handover between the two crews will be about five days. Once we get on orbit and get moving well be able to refine the landing time for Crew-4.

Crew-5 is slated to stay on board about 150 days, he said, with more than 230 experiments on tap of human research, commercialization and technology development.

Kirt Costello, NASAs chief scientist for the ISS program said 76 are new investigations to the space station. He highlighted three including a custom-fitted bio monitoring suit to investigation astronaut cardiorespiratory health, a gut on a chip microbiome study with 10 different species of bacteria that have a role of human health, and the return of a 3-D human tissue printing experiment that will among its goals print tissue used for organ repair and hopefully one day transplantation.

With less than a week since Hurricane Ian passed right between launch pads 39-A and 39-B, Kathy Lueders, NASAs associate administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate praised those who put in extra effort to pull off Wednesdays launch.

These are real human endeavors and theres a team here that had to recover from the hurricane last week, get back, get the Kennedy Space Center back open, get things cleaned up, get us ready to go, she said. The fact that were here today is a testimony to all that work that that team did.

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As the polls tighten in Oregons gubernatorial race, Republican candidate Christine Drazan appears to be tightening her ties to right-wing extremists, too.

Drazan, who served in the state legislature from 2019 to 2022 and was also the House minority leader, has taken a total of $70,000 this year from conservative megadonor David Gore and his wife, per a review of Drazans campaign finance records.

That includes their $20,000 campaign donation from a couple of weeks ago.

Who is Gore? The Oregon libertarian has been a major funder of the far-right Tea Party Patriots, which helped organize the Jan. 6, 2021, rally in support of former President Donald Trump that led to the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Gore has given a total of $449,000 to the Tea Party Patriots three sub-organizations in recent years, according to The Intercept. Between 2018 and 2021, he gave $50,000 to Tea Party Patriot Action, $275,000 to Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund and $124,000 to the Tea Party Patriot Foundation.

Among those donations, Gore gave $100,000 to the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund in January 2020. That contribution more than doubled all of his previous federal donations since 2007, and it was a major infusion of cash for the group, which started that year with just $11,200 cash in reserves.

And curiously, about a week after the insurrection at the Capitol, Gore gave $150,000 to the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund, according to FEC filings.

Oregon Republican gubernatorial nominee Christine Drazan appears to be tying herself to violent extremists in the final weeks of her campaign. (Photo: via Associated Press)

Oregon Republican gubernatorial nominee Christine Drazan appears to be tying herself to violent extremists in the final weeks of her campaign. (Photo: via Associated Press)

Beyond her financial ties to Gore, Drazan recently featured B.J. Soper, a far-right, anti-government militia leader, as a speaker at one of her campaign events.

Soper issued a rousing call to arms to Drazans supporters at her Sept. 1 campaign event in Terrebonne, Oregon, as one local website put it. He tied his support for GOP candidates like Drazan to the mission of his organization, Peoples Rights, which he said is to defend people against federal government intrusion at all costs.

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We do that physically if everything else fails, Soper said during his remarks. Thats our motto at this point.

He also compared central Oregon to a military fort, and warned Drazans supporters of an assault coming our way  a socialist, communist assault aimed at stripping people of their way of life. It is time that we stand up and we take hold of this redoubt here, he said.

Heres video footage of Soper speaking at Drazans campaign event.

Soper has a long history of far-right militia organizing. The Washington Post described him in 2016 as an emerging leader in a growing national movement rooted in distrust of the federal government, one that increasingly finds itself in armed conflicts with authorities. Law enforcement officials see people like Soper as dangerous, delusional and sometimes violent, the article notes.

Soper founded the Pacific Patriot Network in 2015, a far-right paramilitary network under the direction of Oath Keepers, per the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, an organization that unmasks movements that threaten democracy. Sopers network included members of Oath Keepers, the leaders of which are currently on trial for seditious conspiracy, and Three Percenters, a militia movement that backs the idea of a small number of dedicated patriots protecting Americans from government tyranny.

Soper also founded the Central Oregon Constitutional Guard, a group that practices basic infantry tactics and trains with concealed handguns and combat-style rifles, per The Washington Post. In April 2015, he put on paramilitary camouflage fatigues, carried his AR-15 rifle and spent a couple of weeks standing guard at the Sugar Pine Mine in Oregon, where miners were having a dispute with the federal Bureau of Land Management.

Sopers stump speech for Drazan comes at a time when she has refused, twice, to say if she supports Jo Rae Perkins, a QAnon supporter running for U.S. Senate in Oregon. QAnon conspiracy theorists believe that a cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic sexual abusers of children operating a global child sex trafficking ring conspired against Trump when he was president. (Yeah.)

Perkins also attended the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. She called the attempted coup the American Revolution.

Asked in August if she supports Perkins, Drazan simply wished her the best.

Oregon Democratic gubernatorial nominee Tina Kotek, on the right, appears skeptical of whatever GOP nominee Christine Drazan is saying in this image from their July 2022 debate. (Photo: via Associated Press)

Oregon Democratic gubernatorial nominee Tina Kotek, on the right, appears skeptical of whatever GOP nominee Christine Drazan is saying in this image from their July 2022 debate. (Photo: via Associated Press)

Drazan spokesperson John Burke did not respond to a request for comment on why Drazan appears to be tying herself to right-wing extremists in the final weeks of her campaign.

Instead, Burke attacked Drazans Democratic opponent, Tina Kotek, and said that she and random HuffPost editors are the only ones who believe that Drazan is a right-wing extremist. (There is no evidence that any HuffPost editors believe that Drazan is a right-wing extremist or even know who she is.)

Burke requested that his entire statement be shared, so here it is:

The only people who believe Christine Drazan is a quote right-wing extremist are the editors at Huffpost and the Kotek campaign. Oregonians know that this line of questioning is complete nonsense and a desperate attempt to use pitched opposition research to save a governorship that Democrats have held for nearly 40 years. Unlike Tina Kotek, who is focused on spreading laughable conspiracy theories like this one, Christine Drazan is focused on the issues that matter most to the people of our state.

Kotek spokesperson Katie Wertheimer also did not say that Kotek believes Drazan is a right-wing extremist. Instead, she said what Drazan is doing is appealing to extremists to try to win their votes ahead of the election.

The threats to our democracy are very real and they are here in Oregon, said Wertheimer. Instead of standing up for whats right, Christine Drazan is courting the support of election deniers, insurrectionists and MAGA loyalists.

Drazan currently holds a slight lead in the polls in her three-way race against Kotek, who served in the state legislature from 2007 to 2022 and was House speaker from 2013 to 2022, and independent Betsy Johnson, who served in the state legislature for 20 years as a Democrat.

Oregon hasnt elected a Republican governor since 1982. But The Cook Political Report recently shifted this race to a toss-up, citing Johnsons influence as a well-funded independent and a potential spoiler.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
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.

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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
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.

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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.

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"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
Veteran-owned, small-batch Black Rifle Coffee Company is a Utah-based chain founded by Evan Hafer, a former U.S. Army Green Beret.

Its dark roasted, bold coffee beans imported from Brazil and Colombia coupled with its mission to help former service members have made the coffee popular since Hafer opened shop in 2014.

"Our culture and mission are built on serving Veterans, active military, first responders, and those who love America," the company states on its website. The company has pledged to employ 10,000 veterans and supports transitions into entrepreneurship.

Food Network's Bobby Flay: Chef is opening his first Phoenix restaurant.

Arizonans could order the beans online or find the coffee at QT stores. But in October 2022, Black Rifle officially opened its first stand-alone coffee shop in Arizona.

What to expect at the first Black Rifle Coffee Co. in Arizona

The Phoenix location offers more than 15 different blends, snacks and a dog-friendly patio.

Visit the shop to try the coffee or subscribe to receive coffee bags or pods via the Coffee Club. Subscribers also receive discounts and free shipping. If you don't know what type of coffee you want, the website includes a coffee quiz to help you decide. Stickers, T-shirts and mugs are also available.

Celebrate the store's grand opening on Oct. 22.

The next Arizona location is slated to open in Mesa in November.

Details: 4126 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. 210-891-0385, blackriflecoffee.com.

You must try it: A most decadent riff on ice cream sandwich is at this Phoenix shop.

Reach the reporter at BAnooshahr@azcentral.com. Follow @banooshahr on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Black Rifle Coffee Co. opens first Arizona coffee shop. Here's where
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City has embarked on an exotic trip to kick off its new season, and its brought the cast just one state over to what cast member Heather Gay calls the redheaded stepchild of Utah.

Also known as Arizona.

Its not St. Tropez, Bali or the Maldives, as Meredith Marks points out  but its also not 110 degrees, so theres that. (Heather declares, I love Arizona in the winter.)

Alas, they cant go very far because, at the time of filming, Jen Shah was in the midst of court proceedings after she and one of her assistants were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The terms of Jen's bail included "No travel outside the state of Utah without prior permission from the pretrial officer."

Though shed initially pleaded not guilty, in July she changed her tune and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

All aboard the party bike: What happened when 'RHOSLC' cast filmed in Scottsdale

The 'RHOSLC' cast took a girls trip to lift Jen Shah's spirits

But as the cast was filming Season three, Episode two (which aired Oct. 5) in February, Jen had not yet pleaded guilty and was agonizing over the impact the case was having on her family. So Heather, Meredith, Lisa Barlow and Whitney Rose took Jen on a girls trip to lift her spirits and allow Whitney to reconnect with her half-brother. It doesnt take long for the waterworks to start.

Its quickly apparent that Phoenix is not a top destination for the housewives.

Its just Utah  warmer (and) with more white people, if thats even humanly possible, Heather says in her commentary.

They stay at a $2.85 million ultra-luxury mansion  thats how the home is described in its Airbnb listing  in Phoenix (not Scottsdale, as the chyron claims) that is reminiscent of a home that former cast member Mary Cosby owns.

Walking into this house, I feel like weve stepped foot into Mary Cosbys grand foyer. Its almost like Mary is still with us, Whitney says after arriving early with Lisa.

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Exclusive: RHOSLC cast stayed at this Phoenix mansion  and so can you

Whitney Rose hired a shaman to come to an Arizona mansion

This is where they will go on a healing journey with a shaman, partake in a lingerie party and engage in leftover drama between Meredith and Lisa from Season 2.

In Episode two, they sip from a cacao drink prepared by their shaman, Kseniya, in the backyard of the rented mansion and reveal the life events that they are trying to heal from. Apparently, the third times the charm, because Kseniyas ceremony goes better than the ones that Whitney has arranged for the group in the past.

The camaraderie is short-lived, however, because Meredith is still holding a grudge against Lisa since her hot mic tirade last season. In Episode three, well find out whether drinking on a Scottsdale party bike, playing putt-putt or partying in lingerie thaws the ice between them.

Exclusive: Here's why so many Arizonans are on reality shows

How to watch 'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City'

New episodes of "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.

Reach Entertainment Reporter KiMi Robinson at kimi.robinson@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @kimirobin and Instagram @ReporterKiMi.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' recap: Girls' trip to Arizona
The Board of Regents approved Dakota State Universitys acquisition of real estate Thursday to construct the DSU Applied Research Lab in Sioux Falls.

Industry and higher education leaders have said the new lab will establish South Dakota as a cyber state, and help more graduates stay and work at home in South Dakota.

Sixteen acres of land near the Sanford Sports Complex on the north side of Sioux Falls donated by Sanford Health will be the future home of the lab. The facility is set to open by fall 2025, and could support as many as 500 full-time jobs in cyber research and cyber security.

Dakota State University announced Wednesday a $90 million initiative to grow the cyber-research industry in the state and expand to Sioux Falls. Here's an artist's rendering of the DSU Applied Research Lab that will soon come to Sioux Falls.

This new $90 million facility was funded by $50 million over five years from T. Denny Sanford as laid out in 2022s Senate Bill 130; $10 million from the city of Sioux Falls; $250,000 from Forward Sioux Falls; and, $30 million from the state as laid out in 2022s Senate Bill 54.

More:Dakota State University could help establish South Dakota as a cyber state by building research lab in Sioux Falls

The Board also approved the incorporation of the DSU Applied Research Corporation (DSU-ARC), a nonprofit research park corporation with the Board of Regents as the sole member that will appoint a board to lead the DSU-ARC.

Incorporators of the new DSU-ARC are DSU president Jose-Marie Griffiths, and BOR general counsel Nathan Lukkes. The initial Board of Directors for the DSU-ARC are Griffiths, Lukkes, Miles Beacom, Andrea Thompson and Sara Venhuizen.

This pile of dirt southwest of the Sanford Sports Complex is the future site of Dakota State University's Applied Research Laboratory in Sioux Falls. The future site as pictured Jan. 26, 2022.

New academic pathways receive approval

In other regular business, the Board approved several requests for new academic pathways, including:

A request from Black Hills State University to offer a specialization in health services administration within the bachelors of science degree program in business administration.

A request from Northern State University to offer a masters of science degree program in educational studies online.

A request from the University of South Dakota to offer a bachelors of science degree program in elementary education at USD-Sioux Falls.

A request from USD for an accelerated pathway for the attainment of the master of social work degree from the bachelors of arts degree in sociology so students in that program can extend their education to five years.

An agreement for academic cooperation between South Dakota Mines and the University of Zaragoza in Zaragoza, Spain, allowing for joint research, faculty collaboration and student, faculty and staff exchange.

An agreement for academic cooperation between USD and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena in Jena, Germany, allowing for joint research, faculty collaboration and student, faculty and staff exchange.

Authority for South Dakota State University to purchase a 2015 or newer used Piper Seminole aircraft for the Aviation Education program with $600,000 of the programs funds. The 193-student program currently has 15 aircraft.

A request for USD to plan full proposals for a future Board meeting on offering a bachelor of science degree program in conservation biology, and a bachelor of science degree program in physiology, cell and molecular biology.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Dakota State University cyber research lab moves forward
The 2020 election saw Democratic candidates gain seats up and down the ballot, from U.S. president to county-level offices.

The lone exception was the Georgia General Assembly.

Local Republicans held their posts in the Georgia House and Georgia Senate, and only one race was competitive: Georgia House District 164.

Rep. Ron Stephens defeated challenger Marcus Thompson with 52.5% of the vote in a district that straddles western Chatham County and southern Bryan County and includes parts of Pooler, Bloomingdale, Garden City and Richmond Hill. Stephens leveraged his standing as the longest-serving local lawmaker to hold off Thompson, a political newcomer from Richmond Hill.

Georgia Senate District 1 and House District 164 candidates respond to questions posed by Shannon Royster from WJCL. Forum was hosted at the Richmond Hill City Center by League of Women Voters of Coastal Georgia. Oct. 3, 2022.

Few challenges in Savannah's Georgia House races. Here's who is running in 2022 election

As Election Day approaches in Georgia, campaign signs are everywhere. But do they work?

The two meet again in the 2022 general election, which opens Oct. 17 with early voting. Election Day is Nov. 8. The two candidates participated in a candidate forum on Oct. 3 at the Richmond Hill City Center.

The hour-plus event sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Coastal Georgia was a cordial affair, with each candidate making his case for election. Here are excerpts from the forum. The responses are listed in the same order as they were given and have been edited for length and clarity.

A full recording of the forum is available here.

What makes you best qualified to represent such a diverse district?

Marcus Thompson: First I have anchors in each of the cities in our district, and they are all very different. Each has its own culture and its own mindset. I live in Richmond Hill, but I work in Savannah and I have incredible ties in Pooler and I play softball in Bloomingdale. I love people, and I enjoy listening to what is most concerning, whether it is people I work with or people who I want to represent them, and I do not take them for granted.

Marcus Thompson

Ron Stephens: Experience matters. Twenty-five years experience in the House of Representatives is something you cant put a price on. I can remember for two-and-a half or three decades the city of Richmond Hill and Bryan County fighting to get the interchange at Belfast-Keller Road done. That happened almost overnight once they got the right people asking the right questions. The Stephens-Day exemption in Chatham County. They said that would never happen and now that tax exemption is used in 65 taxing districts across the state and it started right here. Were all taking advantage of that.

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Representative Ron Stephens

What is your position on Medicaid expansion?

Stephens: Ive been up there 25 years and every year weve expanded Medicaid. Every year it costs more and more. It is a problem. It is growing. Every bill that I have my fingerprints on are in the business of giving working-class people a better opportunity to have a job. So those who say we need to expand Medicaid, were doing that. The things that we can do as lawmakers is create jobs that create well-being people so that they dont rely on Medicaid for their health care.

Thompson: If the Legislature has expanded Medicaid each year, then were missing something, because were still the second highest state in the United States in maternal mortality. That makes us the second most dangerous state in the nation to have a baby. Let that sink in. If weve been expanding Medicaid then we are doing something wrong because that rate has been steadily going up. Were now third in the nation in the number of closed hospitals. The average Georgian has to drive 30 to 90 minutes for emergency care. Somethings not being done right. Its time for a fresh look.

What can legislators do, other than raising pay, to support public school teachers?

Thompson: Raising pay is very important. Teachers are tasked with the futures of our children and are paid peanuts. More than pay we need to listen to teachers. Lawmakers are making decisions that greatly affect educators on a daily basis and educators are sitting there wondering, I might have something to say about what we can do to make education better. My wife is an educator but I call her an awakener - she awakens the potential in students. Thats what teachers do. The other thing that we really need to look at is the funding formula, which hasnt been updated since 1985.

Stephens: Ive worked hard to get our teachers to be the best paid in the South. Weve fully funded the funding formula two of the last three years. The formula is old but it is the formula. And I dont know that I want to get in the way beyond that. The idea that I'm going to get in the way of a local school system that is driving jobs to this location is ridiculous. Ill continue to work to support teachers in retirement and fund our schools., but I want to do everything I can to stay out of the way.

Following the 2020 election, the Legislature passed voting reform known as SB 202. Do you believe Georgia elections have been fair and free?

Thompson: I believe 2020 was the most secure election in Georgia history. SB 202 is extremism disguised as legislation. We said to Georgia voters who voted in record numbers in 2020, Congratulations, lets make it harder to vote. Congratulations, lets make sure those people who bring you water while you standing in three-hour-long lines go to jail because of it. Thats what Georgia is about? Thats not what I think Georgia is about. SB 202 was misplaced and we need to take a very hard look at why that was put in place.

Stephens: Elections are more secure now than theyve ever been. For 130 years, you had one day to vote. It didn't matter if you were sick or in the hospital. That was voter suppression. When GOP took over, we went to six weeks. Today we have a month and two weekends. And lets not forget, you can vote by absentee ballot and you dont have to provide an excuse. Thats the reason we have record turnout and thats the reason why we can say in Georgia its easy to vote and hard to cheat.

Related: Reaction: Lawmakers, activists weigh in on SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade

Georgia passed a law that bans abortions in most cases after six weeks, HB 481 or the so-called heartbeat bill. Do you consider abortion health care?

Stephens: I am pro-life, and the heartbeat bill took into consideration things like when the mothers life is in danger as well as the viability of the fetus. Thats part of the health care issue. On the opposite end of the spectrum is California where they believe a birthday abortion is OK. To me, that is vile. Somebody has to speak for those who cant and Im glad we have.

Thompson: God gave the awesome responsibility of channel birth to a woman because men cannot handle it. The bottom line, is men are the ones who made this law. How can women not have a say in what they do? I believe HB 481, which only gives you six weeks by which time many women dont even know they are pregnant, why can't we expand that timeframe so those women have the time to consider if they are pregnant and have time to talk to people who can help them make the best decision.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Georgia House District 164 candidates Stephens Thompson election forum
Leading Republicans this week either voiced support or stayed silent on Herschel Walker after the Georgia GOP Senate hopeful denied an ex-girlfriend's claim that he paid for her to have an abortion in 2009.

Walker, who has campaigned as an anti-abortion candidate, dismissed the ex-girlfriend's allegation, which was reported by The Daily Beast on Monday. "It's a lie," Walker said on Fox News.

Republicans like South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel and former President Donald Trump backed Walker after his response to the story.

"Herschel has properly denied the charges against him, and I have no doubt he is correct," Trump, who endorsed Walker earlier in this campaign, said in a statement on Tuesday.

MORE: What to know about Herschel Walker's son Christian, who went viral for denouncing his dad

The Daily Beast reported that the unidentified woman provided them with documentation to support her account of Walker's involvement in her abortion: a receipt from an abortion clinic, a bank deposit receipt with an image of a $700 check that she said was signed by Walker sent within a week of the abortion and also a "get well" card that she said was signed by Walker.

But Trump and some of these other Republicans argued that The Daily Beast's reporting was the latest example of what they called a larger dynamic: The news media amplifying personal allegations against Republicans or Republican-aligned figures in a bid to aid Democrats.

The GOP politicians backing Walker did not respond to the specific details of the ex-girlfriend's account, such as what she said was documentation.

PHOTO: Herschel Walker speaks with the press following Herschel Walkers Unite Georgia Bus Stop rally at the Global Mall in Norcross, Ga, September 9, 2022. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images, FILE)

Walker, when pressed on Fox News on Monday, side-stepped a question about the check the woman said he sent her: "I send money to a lot of people."

ABC News has not independently confirmed The Daily Beast report.

"Herschel Walker is being slandered and maligned by the Fake News Media and obviously, the Democrats," Trump said in his statement.

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Rick Scott, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRCC) said in a statement on Tuesday that Democrats will "lie, cheat, and smear" because Walker is "winning" against Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock.

"Herschel has denied these allegations and the NRSC and Republicans stand with him, and Georgians will stand with him too," Scott said.

MORE: Christian Walker says father Herschel Walker's campaign 'has been a lie'

The NRCC is a top donor to Walker's campaign. Another of his biggest financial boostesr, the Senate Leadership Fund, said it wasn't changing its support.

"We are full speed ahead in Georgia," Steven Law, the group's president said, in a statement.

The super PAC is aligned with GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell -- though McConnell, who has backed Walker throughout his campaign, has not publicly commented on The Daily Beast story.

McDaniels, the RNC chair, also said that the party would continue to "invest" in Walker.

"Georgia could decide the Senate majority, so desperate Democrats and liberal media have turned to anonymous sources and character assassination. This is an attempt to distract from Warnock's record of failure," McDaniels said in a statement on Tuesday.

PHOTO: Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks during a news conference, Sept. 29, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Mariam Zuhaib/AP, FILE)

Sen. Graham, like Trump, contended that coverage of the abortion allegation and Walker's denial were part of a pattern of news outlets picking up anonymous claims without doing due diligence.

"This is the way the media world works today for conservative Republicans," Graham wrote in a tweet on Wednesday.

One conservative not supporting Walker was his son Christian Walker, a social media personality who publicly denounced him in a series of social media posts this week: "You've lived a life of DESTROYING other peoples [sic] lives," Christian Walker wrote in one tweet.

PHOTO: Former President Donald J. Trump shake hands with politician Herschel Walker at his Save America rally at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, Georgia on September 25, 2021. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images, FILE)

Ralph Reed, a Walker backer and the founder of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, told The New York Times that, in his view, "100%" of evangelical Christians support Walker, too.

One local religious figure agreed. Walker held a fundraiser lunch with supporters on Wednesday. There, Bishop Dr. James Mason, who grew up with Walker in Wrightsville, Georgia, told ABC News that he didn't believe the report.

"They'll probably be more allegations ... All things are possible," Mason said. "But until it's proven, which you can't prove a lie. You can only lie to cover up a lie."

ABC News' Lalee Ibssa, Will Steakin and Trish Turner contributed to this report.

Republicans say they're 'full speed ahead' on Herschel Walker after he denies abortion claim originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The new music, art and food festival coming to Los Angeles State Historic Park on Dec. 10-11 under the LA3C banner released its full musical lineup on Thursday (Oct. 6). The first-ever culture/creativity fest from Penske Media Corporation will feature already announced headlining sets from Megan Thee Stallion and Maluma, as well as performances from SEVENTEEN, Snoop Dogg, Free Nationals, Gerardo Ortiz, Fonseca, Marc Segui, Shawn Wasabi, Monogem, Shea Diamond and Chicocurlyhead.

Related

LA3C

Maluma & Megan Thee Stallion to Headline LA3C Festival 10/06/2022 10/06/2022

We are thrilled to share our full music lineup today, said Juan Mora, CEO of LA3C in a statement announcing the full lineup for the event whose mark translates to Los Angeles, the Capital of Culture and Creativity. Our goals were to create a lineup that celebrates the range of musical genres Los Angeles offers including Pop, Hip-Hop, R&B, K-Pop, Regional Mexican Music, EDM and more and for attendees to discover new artists while enjoying names they know and love.

More from Billboard

LA3C also announced a partnership with HIN Events LLC and Hot Import Nights for a second HIN-sponsored stage featuring a headlining set from Mustard, with additional sets from AJ Hernz, ARIUS, Cam Girl, Freya Fox, Kill Bambi, Kim Lee, LOLO, Lucky Light, Madds, MEIRLIN, Peach and Vice. More artists will be announced in the coming weeks, along with the lineup of chefs, restaurants, artists and more programming.

The Hot Import Nights Brand began in California, with our very first event in Long Beach, said Michael Munar, CEO of HIN Events LLC in a statement. We are immensely proud of our LA heritage and how we have grown our events around the world celebrating cars, music, gaming, fashion, technology and more. Our partnership with LA3C was organic. We both share a love for LA and are so excited to bring our unique point of view to this special stage curated by HIN Events. Attendees can expect our talent lineup of DJs, dancers, and more evoking the amazing sound and electric spirit of LA.

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The festival and performance sets are slated to run from 1 p.m.-10 p.m. PT on the first day and 12 p.m.-9 p.m. PT on day two; all attendees must be 21+. In its effort to nurture and preserve the citys creative pulse, in its inaugural year LA3C has partnered with the non-profits Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) and Film Independent.

Tickets for LA3C are available to purchase here. For up-to-date news on LA3C, follow the festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Penske Media Corporation is the parent company of Billboard.

Check out the event poster below.

LA3c

Click here to read the full article.
Techstars, a network of startup accelerators and an investment company, is launching a new accelerator in Paris called Techstars Sustainability Paris. This isnt the first time that Techstars is running an accelerator in France, as the company originally launched Techstars Paris in 2017.

With this sustainability-focused accelerator, Techstars is hitting the reboot button. Going forward, the Paris team will focus exclusively on impact startups, with Raphaele Leyendecker acting as the managing director.

Every year, Techstars Sustainability Paris plans to accept 24 startups across two batches. Companies receive $120,000 and hand out 6% of their equity. They also go through an intense acceleration program that should help them scale and reach the next level.

I talked with Baptiste Fradin, who currently acts as entrepreneur in residence for this accelerator. He believes that the tech ecosystem has matured quite a lot in France over the past 10 years. But impact companies could still benefit from new processes, better network effects and more ambition in general. According to him, Techstars could bridge the gap between these two worlds.

France could become a leading market when it comes to sustainability-focused and impact startups due to local and European regulation, innovation and talent looking for opportunities in this ecosystem. Thats why Paris makes sense when it comes to building a team of mentors, investors and corporate partners for a sustainability accelerator.

But because its a hybrid program, companies dont have to be based in France to apply. Techstars already has 24 portfolio companies for its sustainability program, and 16 of them arent based in France.

With this program, Techstars is looking for companies working on water, energy, waste management and other sustainability-related issues. It is then tech and industry agnostic, which means that these companies can be hardware or software, but also deeptech, biotech or fintech startups.

Some companies include Kumulus Water, a startup working on a water generator from air; Mavuno Technologies, a company that uses satellite imagery and machine learning to improve harvest yield; and Outlander Materials, a company working on a new material made out of organic waste to replace plastic. And if things work well for portfolio companies, Techstars can also offer to invest in funding rounds down the road.
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.

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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 free Halloween event that usually attracts hundreds of costumed kids to the University of Alabama campus will return this year for the first time since 2019.

The Alabama Panhellenic Association's Trick or Treat on Sorority Row will begin at 6 p.m. Oct. 25. More than 500,000 pieces of candy will be distributed by members of the association, who will be dressed up in Halloween costumes. Activities for kids will be available on the lawns of the sorority houses on Magnolia, Colonial, and Judy Bonner drives,

The event is designed for children ages 12 and younger. All trick-or-treaters must be accompanied by an adult. Parents are advised to bring one bag, basket, or bucket per child to collect candy. The association also recommends arriving early and bringing your own camera.

No RSVP is required and participation is free. All candy is donated by sororities within the Alabama Panhellenic Association.

Kids move along Sorority Row collecting Halloween candy from the various houses Tuesday evening, October 24, 2017. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]

The association asks that all costumes be school appropriate with no masks and no fake weapons or weapons that look realistic. Also, all bicycles, skateboards, scooters or hoverboards should be left at home.

Free parking will be available around Sorority Row in on-campus residential and faculty/staff lots beginning at 6 p.m., as well as surrounding street parking on Eighth Avenue and 12th and 13th streets. On-campus visitor pay-to-park options will be available before 6 p.m. in designated parking lots. Go to https://www.ua.edu/map/ to see specific on-campus parking areas.

In case of inclement weather, the event will be canceled. Check all Alabama Panhellenic Association social media platforms for updates.

For more information about Trick or Treat on Sorority Row, go to the Alabama Panhellenic Association Facebook page.

In 2020 and 2021, the event was canceled because of the COVID pandemic.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Trick-or-treating will return to University of Alabama's Sorority Row
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
Viggo Mortensen is set to star in, write and direct The Dead Dont Hurt, a Western love story set in the 1860s.

The film also stars Vicky Krieps (Bergman Island, Phantom Thread) and is slated to begin shooting Oct. 12 in Canada.

The Dead Dont Hurt is a Talipot Studio, Recorded Picture and Perceval Pictures production, produced by Regina Solorzano (Los Reyes del Mundo), Oscar winner Jeremy Thomas (EO) and Mortensen.

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Talipot Studio is fully funding the film that will shoot predominantly in Durango, Mexico, where Talipot will manage the production. It is also shooting in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada. HanWay Films will handle worldwide sales and distribution.

Krieps and Mortensen are the two leads and star alongside Solly McLeod (House of the Dragon), Danny Huston (Worlds Apart), Garret Dillahunt (Blonde), Tom Bateman (Death on the Nile), Lance Henriksen (Falling, Aliens) and W. Earl Brown (The Unforgivable).

Krieps stars as fiercely independent French Canadian Vivienne Le Coudy who embarks on a relationship with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Mortensen). After meeting Olsen in San Francisco, Vivienne agrees to travel with him to his home near the quiet town of Elk Flats, where they start a life together. The Civil War separates them, leaving Vivienne to fend for herself in a place controlled by powerful rancher Alfred Jeffries (Dillahunt) and his violent, wayward son Weston Jeffries (McLeod), aided and abetted by corrupt Mayor Rudolph Schiller (Huston). Olsens eventual return challenges their relationship as they have to confront and make peace with the person each has become. Described as both a tragic love story and a tale of revenge, The Dead Dont Hurt is a portrait of a passionate woman determined to stand up for herself in an unforgiving world dominated by ruthless men.

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The Dead Dont Hurt will reunite Mortensen with cinematographer Marcel Zyskind (As in Heaven), award-winning production designer Carol Spier (Eastern Promises), art director Jason Clarke (Black Mirror), and costume designer Anne Dixon (The Song of Names) who worked together on Falling. Mortensen previously worked with Jeremy Thomas on David Cronenbergs award-winning drama A Dangerous Method.

My aim is to do justice to the story of a uniquely resilient woman living in a lawless and isolated part of the U.S. Southwest in the 1860s, Mortensen said in a statement. Vivienne is a woman for all seasons; courageous, unfailingly honest and direct, yet capable of great empathy. The idea is to not simply have a woman play the leading role in a Western, but to have her lead the way in our story by virtue of her fiercely uncompromising nature. Vivienne is a real woman who stands alone in her time and place because of her principled behaviour, forward-thinking and passion for life. We are very fortunate to have the talented Vicky Krieps embody this role, and, with the help of the great team we have assembled thanks to Talipot Studio, we hope to do justice to her exemplary life.

Mortensen is represented by Theresa Peters at UTA and Lynn Rawlins. Krieps is represented by CAA, Agence Adequat and Wasted Management.
Democratic Congresswoman Karen Bass, a candidate for L.A. mayor, speaks at a pro-choice event at the Womens March Action Headquarters in Los Angeles on Oct. 3, 2022.

Signs at a pro-choice event at the Women's March Action Headquarters in Los Angeles on Oct. 3, 2022. Credit - Carolyn ColeLos Angeles Times/Getty Images

Since the Supreme Court eliminated the national right to abortion in June, abortion policy has been sent back to the states. Now some of those states are letting voters decide directly how abortion should be regulated within their borders.

Six states have amendments or measures affecting abortion on the ballot in 2022. Its the highest number of abortion-related ballot measures on record in a single year, according to Ballotpedia.

Before this year, there had been 47 abortion-related ballot measures since 1970. Most of those sought to restrict abortion rights in some way, and they often came from state legislators or other officials placing them on the ballot. With Michigan, this year marks the first time in decades that any state has a voter-initiated ballot measure that would enshrine abortion rights in a state constitution.

One of the six states has already put its measure to a vote. In August, Kansas became the first state to let voters weigh in on abortion since the Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization. Legislators had worked for years to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would have opened the door to more abortion restrictions by saying that nothing in Kansas constitution guarantees the right to an abortion. This tactic had already been used successfully in four statesAlabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, and West Virginiaeven before the fall of Roe v. Wade. But voters in Kansas overwhelmingly rejected the measure, maintaining abortion access in the state and indicating a growing backlash among voters to the Supreme Courts decision that may affect other state-by-state abortion battles to come.

Five other statesCalifornia, Michigan, Vermont, Kentucky, and Montanahave abortion ballot measures in November. Heres what you need to know about their proposals.





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California

In California, voters will weigh in on Proposition 1, which would enshrine abortion rights in the states constitution.

A yes vote supports changing the state constitution to say the state shall not deny or interfere with an individuals reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions, which includes their fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and their fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives.

A no vote would reject this change. While that would mean the explicit new protections wouldnt be included, abortion would still be allowed in California under state law and the state supreme courts interpretation of the state constitutions current language.

State Democratic leaders introduced the new language after a draft of the Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs leaked in May, and in June after the final decision, the Democrat-controlled state legislature approved putting the measure on the November ballot.

The measure is expected to pass in deep blue California, but groups on both sides are still gearing up to fight ahead of November. The California Catholic Conference, which opposes Proposition 1, has called it an expensive and misleading ballot measure that allows unlimited late-term abortionsfor any reason, at any time, even moments before birth, paid for by tax dollars. The Yes on Proposition 1 campaign says the measure will not change current state laws, which provide for the right to choose an abortion prior to viability or to protect the pregnant persons life or health, and would safeguard these rights from future attacks.

Vermont

Voters in Vermont will have a similar choice to those in California. Article 22 would amend Vermonts constitution to protect the right to personal reproductive autonomy.

A yes vote supports amending the state constitution, while a no vote opposes the change. Abortion is currently legal at all stages of pregnancy in Vermont.

The effort behind this amendment started in the Vermont legislature in 2019. But the Vermont for Reproductive Liberty Ballot Committee, the group backing the proposal, says the Supreme Courts decision raises the stakes. Now that SCOTUS has struck down Roe v. Wade, state-level protections are vital to safeguarding access to reproductive health care, the group said.

Michigan

Michigan is the third place where voters will decide whether to add protections for abortion rights to the states constitution. The vote holds high stakes for the battleground state, as Michigan has an abortion ban from 1931 still on its books. The law is currently blocked by the courts while two cases challenge it, but abortion rights advocates see this proposed constitutional amendment as the best hope for permanently blocking the law or other bans from taking effect.

Read More: Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Her Fight for Abortion Access in Michigan

A yes vote would establish a new individual right to reproductive freedom, including right to make and carry out all decisions about pregnancy, such as prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion, miscarriage management, and infertility, according to the amendments summary. It would also prohibit prosecuting people for exercising their right to abortion and allow the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability except to protect the pregnant patients life and physical or mental health. A no vote would keep the status quo, meaning the legality of abortion in Michigan would likely hinge on the outcome of the current court cases.

The Michigan initiative represents the first time in decades that a voter-driven measure supporting abortion rights is on a states ballot. A coalition including Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, ACLU of Michigan, and Michigan Voices launched a campaign in January to put the proposal on the ballot, and the effort picked up steam once the draft of the Dobbs decision leaked in May. Advocates ultimately collected 750,000 signatures, far more than the roughly 425,000 required by the state to put the question on the ballot. But the measure still had a rocky time getting approved. Anti-abortion advocates in the state argued the text of the measure shown to voters contained spacing and formatting errors, and Republicans on the Michigan Board of Canvassers agreed with them, blocking certification of the initiative. The coalition supporting the measure then asked the state Supreme Court to weigh in, and the court ordered the Board of Canvassers to certify the measure in early September, ensuring it will appear on the ballot in November.

Kentucky

Kentuckys Amendment 2 is similar to what Kansas considered over the summer. The proposal would change the state constitution to say that it does not secure or protect the right to abortion or require government funding for abortion.

Like Kansas, Kentucky is a conservative state with a Democratic governor. But it is also one of 13 states that enacted a trigger law anticipating the fall of Roe, so it now has two abortion bans in effect: the trigger law banning nearly all abortions and a law that bans abortion after about six weeks.

The states only abortion clinic has challenged those laws, arguing they violate the right to privacy and personal autonomy in the Kentucky constitution, but the state supreme court allowed the laws to remain in effect while the case continues.

This means that a yes vote supporting the constitutional amendment could make it difficult for abortion rights supporters to keep fighting the states laws, while a no vote rejecting the amendment would keep the door open for the arguments the clinic is making.

Montana

In Montana, voters will decide on a different kind of ballot measure. The states LR-131 is a legislative referendum on the Montana Born-Alive Infant Protection Act and would establish that infants born alive at any stage of development are legal persons and would require providers to give them medical care after induced labor, C-sections, and attempted abortions. Medical providers who violate the law would face penalties up to $50,000 and 20 years in prison.

Montanas ballot measure comes after the states former Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock vetoed a similar bill in 2019. Now, a yes vote in Montana would enact the proposed legislation and the no vote would reject it. Montana currently prohibits abortion after fetal viability except to protect the life or health of the pregnant woman.

Supporters of the proposal say it is needed to make it abundantly clear that Montana protects all life. Opponents argue that it is unnecessary, as babies are protected under existing state and federal law regardless of how they are born. Health care providers that oppose the referendum say the legislation could interfere in already difficult situations such as a pregnancy complication where there is no chance the newborn infant will survive. Right now, a newborn baby with a fatal prognosis could be offered palliative care so the family can spend time with their dying infant, whereas providers fear the proposal would push them to pursue aggressive interventions even if the family does not agree.

Health care providers who oppose the measure also note that the situations the referendum references do not happen regularly. Third trimester abortions make up a very small percentage of abortions in the U.S.about 1% take place after 21 weeks of gestation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionand instances of babies being born alive after an abortion procedure are even more rare.
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.

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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.
Last month, an effort led by a rural county in Nevada handed election deniers a major victory: In November, several jurisdictions in the state will be hand-counting votes.

The Nevada Secretary of State approved a proposal allowing jurisdictions to hand-count votes starting as soon as this fall's midterm election, after Nye County, based on unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, decided earlier this year to abandon the Dominion voting machines it had relied on for years.

"Everyone said, 'It's not you, it's not the officials,'" said Sandra "Sam" Merlino, who resigned her position as county clerk after the county in March this year decided to use a hand-count instead of voting machines. "But what people don't understand is, I put my trust in those machines and how the process works."

MORE: With 10 weeks until midterms, election deniers are hampering some election preparations

Last week, Merlino's successor, Mark Kampf -- who himself has been echoing unsubstantiated claims of 2020 election fraud -- took a step back and announced a plan to use both hand counting and the Dominion machines for the upcoming elections as a way to cross-check results between the two methods.

Dominion, which following the 2020 election was accused by lawyers representing Trump of participating in a far-fetched scheme to switch votes from Trump to Biden, is currently suing a number of those attorneys as well as several conservative news outlets that amplified the false claims.

"Literally almost every election, I can be ready for a recount because a candidate just doesn't believe they could possibly lose," Merlino, a Republican who had served in Nye County government since 2000, told ABC News. "So it's not that I was new to [accusations of] election fraud ... but this was just on a whole different scale."

An 'easy target'

Nearly two years after Donald Trump ignited a movement of supporters who deny that Joe Biden won the 2020 election, the Nevada county has become the first in what election deniers hope will be a series of election districts across the country to turn to hand-counting -- prompting concerns among some election experts about the potential impact on the public's perception of election integrity.

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In Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Florida, Colorado and New Mexico, officials are seeing an increase in letters and petitions demanding the removal of electronic voting machines as election deniers and conspiracy theorists seek to change the way ballots are counted.

Derek Tisler, counsel for the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan organization that tracks elections and voting rights, told ABC News that voting machines and technology are an "easy target" for conspiracy theorists.

"There's less insight into the workings of a computer among just the average voter than the other processes in the election where you can really see what's happening at every step of the way," he said.

Barb Byrum, the clerk for Ingham County in Michigan, said that conspiracy theorists have it backwards -- computers are actually more reliable than human vote counters.

"Humans are the ones who make the human errors -- tabulators do not," said Byrum, who told ABC News that she has recently started receiving emails asking the county to get rid of its voting machines.

PHOTO: In this July 19, 2022, file photo, Nye County Commissioners Debra Strickland, Frank Carbone and Leo Blundo discuss appointing a new county clerk, in Pahrump, Nev. (Samuel Metz/AP, FILE)

"Counting the ballots, one by one, is not the solution to their conspiracy beliefs," Byrum said. "And we will be waiting for weeks for unofficial results if we were to count by hand every single race on the Michigan ballot."

'I would much prefer a machine'

The movement to eliminate voting machines has picked up steam with some supporters attending local government meetings and targeting election officials through social media. Their efforts have been encouraged by David Clements, a former college professor who has been touring the country spreading unsubstantiated claims about the 2020 vote ahead of the midterm elections.

"We'll never quit until Dominion is vanquished in New Mexico," Clements told the crowd at a recent event.

"I'll work with anyone, anywhere, to get the message out on getting rid of rigged election machines," said Clements, who began speaking out against voting machines in New Mexico's Dona Ana County prior to the 2020 election. Numerous experts have since said there's no evidence of election machines being rigged.

Dona Ana County Clerk Amanda Lopez Askin told ABC News that lately, Clements has been organizing followers to attend county commission meetings and demand that local officials remove Dominion voting machines in favor of hand counting.

PHOTO: David Clements speaks during an event supporting the people charged with crimes related to the January 6th, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., Sept. 24, 2022. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters )

"How would you feel if you went to a grocery store, and we counted on the cashier to manually add your groceries?" said Lopez Askin. "As much as I have faith in people, I understand that problems happen. I would much prefer a machine that has been certified, verified, and has gotten through every rigorous process there is, to confirm its accuracy."

Asked about her encounters with election conspiracy theorists, Lopez Askin said, "What I tell them is simple: 'You don't understand. You're wrong.'"

'Lies and misinformation'

Just last week, an election denial group in Arizona launched an initiative that seeks a ban on electronic voting machines in that state.

"Arizona cannot guarantee free and fair elections until these voting machines are banned from use and removed from our state," wrote Save My Freedom founder Michele Swinick in a social media post, even though a months-long post-election audit last year reaffirmed Bidens 2020 victory by an even bigger margin, and found no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

In Colorado, far-right podcaster Joe Oltmann has also been spreading false election claims and demanding that local clerks abandon voting machines and software.

"Get rid of the machines or we are permanent slaves," Oltmann posted on his Telegram channel in late August.

Oltmann is one of those being sued for defamation by Dominion, as is MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a vocal Trump supporter who's organized a pair of voter "summits" in an effort to contest the 2020 vote. At last month's event, Lindell held a "trial of the machines" segment in which he called on experts to blame Trump's 2020 loss on voting machine irregularities.

"We have to get rid of every single machine in this country, no matter what brand they are," Lindell told ABC News. "We can't have computers and electronic voting machines."

PHOTO: In this Aug. 5, 2022, file photo, Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow, speaks during the general session at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas. (Go Nakamura/Reuters, FILE)

Dominion's suit against Lindell, which was filed last February, is seeking $1.3 billion after Dominion says Lindell defamed the company by falsely claiming that Dominion's machines were used to steal votes.

"Lies and misinformation have severely damaged our company and diminished the credibility of U.S. elections, subjecting hardworking public officials and Dominion employees to harassment and death threats," Dominion says on its website.

Even states that don't use Dominion machines are being pressured to drop them.

"Most of the calls and the concerns that we hear from voters are people saying, 'Get rid of Dominion voting machines in Texas,'" Sam Taylor, a spokesperson for the Texas Secretary of State, told ABC News. "And if they did a simple Google search and looked on our website, they would know that we don't have Dominion voting machines."

MORE: False accusations of election fraud prompt some election workers across the US to quit ahead of Election Day

In response to calls like these, other voting machine companies say they have implemented enhanced security measures.

Officials with Elections Systems & Software, and fellow voting machine company Clear Ballot, told ABC News they've taken additional measures to protect their employees.

At Clear Ballot, which operates in 13 states, the physical address of the company's manufacturing facility was removed from its website, and staff have been trained in how to respond to a hostile situation.

Meanwhile, the company's CEO, Bob Hoyt, told ABC News that they're working to improve the voting process by utilizing new technology that provides "visual evidence" for voters, and they've also increased voter outreach to help familiarize voters with Clear Ballot's systems and machines.

"We work hard to provide transparency at all different levels of elections, and with transparency should come confidence," Hoyt told ABC News.

'We'll show you the machines'

Lisa Schaefer, executive director of the county commissioners of Pennsylvania, said she has complete confidence in the current voting systems.

"Voting machines go through extensive logic and accuracy tests to make sure they are working properly and that they are securely transported to and from polling places, with limited access only for those authorized," Schaefer told ABC News.

To those who question their accuracy, Schaefer said, "We'll show you the machines. We'll show you the process we use to process voter registration so you can tell that we're making sure that each eligible voter is only accounted for one vote."

PHOTO: In this May 28, 2022, file photo, voters in Nye County arrives on the first day of early voting at the Bob Ruud Community Center in Pahrump, Nev. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via AP Images, FILE)

Tisler, of the Brennan Center, said that skeptics who attend poll worker training session and voting machine demonstrations are often surprised to often learn that many of their concerns have already been thought through by voting machine and election officials.

"They're aware of how processes can be abused," Tisler said of the officials who run elections. "And they've put in place procedures to check, double check, triple check all the way throughout the election process, and make sure that eligible voters are casting ballots and that they are recording the voter choices accurately."

"There are always vulnerabilities that may exist whenever you're using computers, but that's not a reason to just discard technology altogether," Tisler said. "It's a reason to understand the technology and have safeguards put in place."

ABC News' Ali Dukakis contributed to this report.

After victory in Nevada, election deniers increase calls to eliminate voting machines across the country originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
FORT RUCKERArmy officials warn that pointing a laser at an aircraft goes beyond the risk to everyones safetyit also violates federal law.

Aiming lasers at Army aircraft is a large safety issue, said Fort Rucker civilian police Capt. Douglas W. Johnson, Directorate of Public Safety. Aviators and crew members flying during hours of darkness are routinely utilizing night vision equipment, and a laser shining into the cockpit is bright enough to injure them.

The distraction of being blinded by a laser could potentially cause the pilot to lose control of the aircraft and cause an aviation mishap as well, he added.

But shining a laser at an aircraft is also a crime, and it can bring serious repercussions to the offender, Johnson said.

Shining a laser at an aircraft violates Title 18 U.S. Code 39A, Aiming a Laser Pointer at an Aircraft, said Johnson. There are additional charges that can be filed at the state level, and if the person shining the laser is a military member, they are subject to Uniform Code of Military Justice action. DPS also submits an eGuardian, which is a suspicious activity report to the FBI.

Since 2010, there have been 145 reported incidents of aircraft being illuminated with a laser or spotlight, averaging about 11 per year, according to Paul Meissner, Fort Rucker air traffic and air space officer.

The key point is the safety issue. It only takes one incident to have catastrophic consequences, he added.

The effects on pilots can differ depending on the duration, strength, and point of the laser, said Meissner. In some cases, aircrews can continue their flight training mission. In other cases, aircrews must cease training and return to base.

He further explained that the danger of shining lasers at aircraft is not just to the pilots and aircrews in the aircraft. If an aircraft and its crewmembers are placed in harms way, it could lead to accidents or incidents that may impact personnel or property on the ground.

Meissner stressed that being informed is the best way to protect yourself and the aircrews in the sky.

Fort Rucker has a great relationship with our neighboring communities who are very supportive of our mission, he said, I would say many of the incidents involve people playing around with lasers, not fully understanding the associated dangers.

You can learn more about how laser safety can protect local aviators by visiting https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/lasers.
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.

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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
Eleven people face federal charges for their role in blocking the entrance of a Mount Juliet reproductive health clinic during an anti-abortion protest in 2021, including a Lebanon man who now faces a separate federal lawsuit for a July 2022 protest at the same clinic.

A federal grand jury indicted the 11 on violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits even temporary interference with reproductive health care services.

The group livestreamed their protest, which they called a "rescue," outside the doors of the Mount Juliet carafem clinic on March 5, 2021, with several members physically blocking a patient and employee from accessing the clinic, according to court documents.

Seven people were charged with conspiracy against rights secured by the FACE Act and committing FACE Act violations. Those charged include:

 Chester Gallagher, 73, of Lebanon, Tenn.

 Paul Vaughn, 55, of Centerville, Tenn.

 Heather Idoni, 58, of Michigan.

 Calvin Zastrow, 57, of Michigan.

 Caroline Davis, 24, of Michigan.

 Coleman Boyd, 51, of Bolton, Miss.

 Dennis Green, 56, of Cumberland, Va.

Conspiracy charges can bring up to 11 years in prison and fines up to $250,00, according to a Department of Justice release.

Also charged as part of the indictment for alleged FACE Act violations were Eva Edl, 87, of Aiken S.C., Eva Zastro, 24, of Dover, Ark., James Zastro, 25, of Eldon, Mo., and Paul Place, 24, of Centerville, Tenn. If convicted, those charged with other FACE Act violations face up to one year in prison for misdemeanor offenses and fines up to $10,000.

Prosecutors allege Gallagher in February 2021 began promoting anti-abortion events scheduled to take place between March 4-7 in the Nashville area. Gallagher and others used Facebook to coordinate travel and logistics for other participants.

This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by the Civil Rights Coordinator of the U.S. Attorneys Office and trial Attorneys of the Departments Civil Rights Division.

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The Mount Juliet clinic has been at the center of several high-profile protest issues, including July 2022 demonstrations that prompted the carafem clinic to file for a federal restraining order against a group of anti-abortion activists, including Gallagher.

In court, carafem argued the July demonstration effectively blocked the doors of the clinic in violation of the FACE Act. Attorneys for some of the activists have argued the group didn't meaningfully obstruct the clinic's doors.

In September, a federal judge barred the 2022 demonstrators from clinic property.

Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on Twitter @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Anti-abortion blockade in Mount Juliet leads to charges for 11 people
Detectives say Justin R. Foley admitted that he had been filming up-skirt-style videos for the last seven years while working at Columbus Alternative High School, including as recently as the week before his arrest.

The Columbus Alternative High School teacher who was arrested last month for taking up-skirt videos and photos of female students resigned Wednesday  the day after the city school district's Board of Education voted unanimously to initiate his termination.

Columbus City school board voted on Tuesday its intention to begin formal action to terminate chemistry teacher Justin R. Foley's contract with the district. The resolution formally suspended Foley without pay effective Wednesday, and stated that formal action to fire him would take place at its Oct. 18 board meeting.

However, the district reported Wednesday afternoon that Foley, 47, had resigned, retroactively effective to Oct. 3.

More:Columbus Alternative HS teacher arrested for taking up-skirt videos of students, others

Foley was arrested Sept. 20 after admitting to having more than 5,000 images and more than 160 videos of child pornography on his cellphone and other electronic devices, according to Delaware County Common Pleas Court records. He was charged with one count of illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material, with additional charges that could eventually be considered by a grand jury.

The investigation into Foley began after Delaware police received a tip Aug. 16 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding an image being uploaded online. That image was traced to an email address with the name "nastyboyreginald" and someone going by the name "Reginald Punnett," which was linked by investigators to Foley's home in Delaware.

Police received additional information from Google on Aug. 25 that ultimately resulted in the discovery of more than 5,000 images and 166 videos that were pornographic in nature and featured girls who appeared to be between the ages of 12 and 16.

More:Bloom-Carroll athletic director arrested, charged with two counts of sexual battery of then-student athlete

Detectives say Foley admitted that he had been filming up-skirt-style videos for the last seven years while working at Columbus Alternative High School, including as recently as the week before his arrest. Foley also reportedly admitted to taking videos in other places.

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Court records said Foley had videos showing "females of various ages in department stores around the Columbus area, downtown Columbus public areas, near Ohio Wesleyan University, downtown Delaware areas and outside Conger Elementary School in Delaware."

After his arrest, Columbus City Schools' immediately suspended Foley, who had been with the district since 2013.

The district added that it has submitted an Educator Misconduct report with the Ohio Department of Education and "will provide ongoing support to ODE in their efforts to address Mr. Foley's licensure status and potential disciplinary action."

@leem386

mylee@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus teacher who was arrested for taking up-skirt videos resigns
A rendering of the possible look of 180 apartments behind Timberline Church, 2908 S. Timberline Road, being developed in a three-way deal among the church, Colorado State University and Tetrad Property.

Colorado State University and its development partners broke ground recently on 180 apartments at 2908 S. Timberline Road, the first step toward meeting a growing need for housing for CSU employees.

Rendezvous Trail Apartments  named for the trail that skirts the perimeter  is the first workforce housing project undertaken by CSU and involves a three-way partnership with Tetrad Property Group and Timberline Church.

Sixty of the 180 apartments will be set aside for CSU employees making between 60% and 100% of area median income.

As part of the deal, Timberline swapped 10 acres of land along the church's southeast edge with five acres owned by CSU on Timberline Road south of the church. When the land swap was finalized last week, CSU donated its land to Tetrad, which will build and operate the 180 apartments.

Donating the land to Tetrad reduces the cost of the units, allowing them to provide the deed-restricted affordable units, said Brett Anderson, special assistant to CSU System Chancellor Tony Frank. Tetrad now owns the property, but CSU has a binding contract to ensure affordability of the 60 units for a minimum of 20 years. "That way if they ever sell the building, the restriction would follow through," Anderson said.

Providing affordable housing for its workforce has been a top priority for CSU, which has a number of other initiatives to help employees afford housing in a city where median home prices have topped $626,000.

As a university concerned with equity and with attracting and retaining the best staff and faculty, it matters a great deal that too many of our employees cant afford to live in the community where they work, Interim CSU President Rick Miranda said at the groundbreaking ceremony Sept. 28, according to Source, a CSU publication. We know from our Employee Housing Needs Assessment that we already have more than enough demand to fill these 60 units.

We also know that, over the last decade, our lowest-income employees have been the ones pushed farther and farther from campus, adding the cost of a longer commute to their housing burden. That commute makes it harder to pick up a sick child from school, harder to take part in the life of our campus, and harder just to make ends meet, Miranda said.

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Fort Collins' 2022 AMI, set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is $75,200 for a single person or $107,300 for a family of four. Someone making 80% of that would earn about $60,100, or about $85,800 for a family of four, and someone making 60% would earn $45,120 and $64,380 for a family of four.

An apartment is considered affordable to rent if a household earning 80% or less of AMI pays no more than 30% of their gross monthly income toward rent, including utilities.

Of the 60 units reserved for CSU workers, six will be for those earning 60% AMI, 48 for those at 80% AMI and six at 100% AMI, Anderson said. "We felt we have a few employees at the lower end of the income spectrum and really wanted to help them. That's how we came up with six" for those earning up to 60%.

"One-hundred percent AMI doesn't equate to market rate," Anderson said. Average rents in Fort Collins are nearing $2,000 per month, depending on size and amenities.

The apartments include seven three-story buildings with 24 or 36 units. The apartment mix includes 96 one-bedroom, 78 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom apartments.

Anderson said he expects the first buildings to be ready for occupancy late next year, with all buildings completed by February or March 2024.

CSU has not finalized the process for applying for the 60 units, but Anderson said "we want to ensure those who need them the most are getting access to them. We're doing everything we can (to help provide affordable housing) but we know 60 is not enough."

The university's Office of Housing Programs is working with different factions on campus to flesh out the process, which it hopes to have in place by the end of this year. "We'll have to look at family income," Anderson said. "We could have an employee making $50,000 and their spouse making $300,000." They should not have access to the apartments, he said.

The application process will likely open four to six months before the units are ready. Anderson said the university wants to give people as much lead time as possible but doesn't want to promise an opening date until "we know for certain when the building will open."

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado State University breaks ground on workforce housing
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.
By Vera Eckert and Christoph Steitz

FRANKFURT (Reuters) -Germany's Sefe, formerly known as Gazprom Germania, is in talks with partners, including Shell, to significantly raise liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies and meet obligations of up to 300 terawatt hours (TWh) a year, its managing director said.

"We are seeking a diversified portfolio from west European pipeline gas and globally sourced LNG," Egbert Laege told Reuters on Thursday during a trip to Singapore, one of the most important global trading hubs, to talk with potential suppliers.

Laege said the share of LNG in the company's portfolio was expected to be around 20% for 2023 and that he was in "intensive talks" with potential trading partners during his trip to raise that share.

Sefe, short for Securing Energy for Europe, would open up new geographic origins and seek partnerships on trading hubs across Europe and the world, he said.

Europe is scrambling for gas after former top energy supplier Russia cut supplies of pipeline exports, ending the country's longstanding energy relationship with the bloc, and Germany in particular.

Sefe was aiming to have brought most of its portfolio under so-called long-term deals, which can run for between 10 and 25 years, in around three years' time, Laege said.

Laege also said Sefe will require state-backed financing from Berlin beyond an agreed 9.8 billion euros ($9.7 billion) to plug funding gaps and ensure it can buy missing Russian volumes on the spot market.

"The abolition of the gas levy also changes our situation," Laege said, referring to the cancellation of an instrument that would have allowed gas importers to pass on higher procurement costs to customers.

Gazprom Germania was dropped by Russia's Gazprom earlier this year and put under German federal trusteeship to avoid the collapse of the company, which is one of Germany's largest importers of natural gas.

Sources told Reuters on Sept. 22 that Germany was looking at nationalising Sefe to protect it from bankruptcy but this could take weeks.

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Laege said that he was confident that there will be clarity in ongoing discussions with the government over all open questions regarding future ownership and financing of the group before the end of the year.

He also said that Sefe was currently fulfilling an obligation to supply 65 TWh of gas per annum to German importer VNG - part of utility EnBW - and that there were very good talks with VNG about a long-term solution.

($1 = 1.0125 euros)

(Reporting by Vera Eckert and Christoph Steitz, editing by Paul Carrel, Miranda Murray, Susan Fenton and David Evans)
American Flag Hurricane Ian

Volusia Sheriff's Office/Facebook

A Florida police department made a meaningful rescue from Hurricane Ian's deadly flood waters this week.

A now-viral video posted to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page Monday shows deputies searching the swollen St. Johns River by boat. They were in the Osteen area when a submerged American flag caught their attention. The video shows a female deputy leaning out of the boat to cut the flag free before shaking it out to dry.

"Today on the rising St. Johns River in Osteen, deputies saw an American flag in need of rescue," the caption reads.

Today, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office provided an update on the flag, sharing that it had been returned to where it was found and placed "high and dry by request."

According to the U.S. Flag Code, the American flag should always be able to fly aloft, kink- and fold-free, and should never touch the ground, water, or merchandise.

Hurricane Ian made initial landfall on Cayo Costa island off the coast of Fort Myers, Florida, Wednesday afternoon as a Category 4 storm. It then tore across the peninsula, causing catastrophic flooding throughout Central Florida before making a second landfall in South Carolina as a Category 1 storm.

At least 103 Florida residents died as a result of the stormthe deadliest to hit the state since 1953.
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

Harrison Ford is returning for one more adventure as Indiana Jonesand he couldn't be prouder.

Back in 2020, Disney announced in a tweet that the fifth installment of Indiana Jones was in the works, and that "Indy himself, Harrison Ford, will be back to continue his iconic characters journey."

In 2023, Harrison Ford returns as the legendary #IndianaJones. Check out this first look of the new James Mangold-directed film. pic.twitter.com/ALs82tsmXw  Indiana Jones (@IndianaJones) May 26, 2022

This news lit a fire of excitement in fans everywhereespecially on Twitter.

"No way!!!! So excited I thought he never wanted to do another one," one fan tweeted.

"Hearing the news on Harrison Ford back in action again as Indiana jones is fantastic, he is like the last action hero," another fan said.

The actor told Parade in 2020 that he was excited to to jump back into traditional Indiana Jones antics, which include all the "running, jumping, falling and rolling around on floors."

Ford sure knows how to tease his fans, but we aren't complaining!

Read on for all the details we know about Indiana Jones 5, including updates about the premiere, cast news, spoilers, and more.

When will Indiana Jones 5 premiere?

Though the initial release date was set for July 2022, it has since been pushed back and will premiere in June 2023.

Is there a trailer?

The trailer for Indiana Jones 5 premiered at Disney's D23 expo in September. The trailer has not officially been released to the public, but Empire Magazine described it as "incredibly action-packed."

The Indiana Jones 5 trailer was incredibly action-packed. There was desert, there was sea, there looked to be flashbacks with a de-aged Harrison Ford. Adventure awaits! Everybody now: da da da dah, da da da #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/6MDk0Pjpef  Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) September 10, 2022

After the trailer's debut, Ford reportedly got emotional while speaking with the audience in a surprise appearance at the D23 Expo.

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In his speech, he teared up after thanking the crowd. "Thank you for making these films such an incredible experience for all of us. I'm very proud to say that this one is fantastic." Ford said, according to Variety.

What will Indiana Jones 5 be about?

The plot has not been confirmed. Both Ford and Lucasfilm (the movie's production company) have kept the show's storyline under wraps so far. But at least we know that the film will have all the action and adventure that we're used to from other films in the franchise.

Who will be in the Indiana Jones 5 cast?

We told you that Ford will be reprising his lead role as Indiana Jones. Starring alongside him is Phoebe Waller-Bridge (best known as the creator, head writer, and star of the BBC sitcom Fleabag). The rest of the cast includes Mads Mikkelsen, Boyd Holbrook, Shaunette Renee Wilson, and Thomas Kretschmann.

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ENTERPRISE - The family of a man who was fatally shot during a Wednesday night incident that occurred in the Walmart Store here says there is other evidence that needs to be reviewed by law enforcement investigating the death.

According to Enterprise police, Richard Matthew Smith, 43, of New Brockton, was killed after an argument between Smith and a man who police have not identified.

Enterprise Police Chief Michael Moore said during a Thursday press conference the deadly incident might fall under the Alabama self-defense law. No charges have been filed in the case.

The family sent an email Friday morning to several Wiregrass media outlets to outline the victims side of the story.

A person, who declined to give her name when contacted by the Eagle Friday, said she was serving a spokesperson for the family and the email included the statement written by Smiths wife, Brittany Smith.

The familys email questions the lack of evidence in the early police findings.

We have faith that EPD will pursue the truth and locate the evidence needed. If there are any issues with the gathering of this evidence, the family of Mr. Smith is willing to pay out of their pocket to help collect or forensically recover any of this footage, the email stated. Our hope is that all locations in the area of concern have already been asked to preserve the video footage since it is common for many locations to delete surveillance footage after a short period of time.

Unfortunately, the statement of the one person that was there from the beginning of the road rage incident until the death of Mr. Smith - his wife - was unable to give her statement until earlier today, the email continued.

In response to the email, Moore sent the Eagle a statement xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

At the Thursday press conference, Moore said that an investigation revealed that a verbal altercation started in the parking lot between Smith and another man and continued inside the store. The verbal altercation escalated when Smith, who was armed with a knife, threatened the other individual who was armed with a firearm, Moore said.

Moore referred to the person with the gun as the defender during the media event. He had recently had surgery and had his arm in a sling, Moore said. He is also smaller in stature than Smith, Moore said.

EPD detectives have obtained witness testimony and received evidence to support this shooting may fall under Alabama Code 13A-3-23 self-defense law, Moore said. The Enterprise Police Department has been in continuous contact with the Coffee County District Attorneys Office during this investigation. EPD detectives are actively investigating this shooting and no arrests have been made at this time.

Moore said that there is no evidence that the two men knew each other prior to the situation that occurred outside the store as both men, in their respective vehicles, were turning into the Walmart parking lot. Moore described the two mens initial encounter as a road rage situation.

Once inside the store, Smith aggressively approached the defender who tried repeatedly to remove himself from the aggressor, Moore said. A knife was brandished by the aggressor and the defender fired multiple rounds. Life saving measures were immediately begun by both the defender and others at the scene, Moore said. It appears through witness statements, evidence at the scene and statements from the defender that this is clearly a self-defense situation.

The family spokesman said that Brittany Smith had been transported to a local hospital from the scene of the shooting.

The email states that the following was Brittany Smiths statement to police:

I was at the green light to turn left into Walmart in between Taco Bell and the cash place. I was going to turn left there so I was waiting for the traffic coming the other direction so I could turn. Thats when the man behind me started laying on his horn and just edging forward up underneath my truck.

Matt looked out the window and threw his hands up like what the heck! I noticed the guy's shirt was Hawaiian looking with black and yellow. I told Matt that I was going to park away from him so that man could calm down and we should give him his space because I could see he had followed us into the parking lot. I parked over near the garden section, and we sat there for a few minutes. I'm gonna say about 5 minutes, maybe a little less. Then we thought it was okay, so we went inside the store, but we took our time because we didnt want to see him in there. We were being a little cautious the whole time we were in there.

Then we see him coming from the pharmacy, an aisle over from us. Then he came up behind us and started to confront Matt. After they started to argue the man pulled up his shirt on his hip and showed Matt that he had a gun. Matt said, 'What are you going to do...shoot me? I only have a knife.' And then the guy said 'Nah. I'm not going to do anything". They parted ways after arguing. Nothing else was being said at that moment.

As soon as we got far enough away, the guy with the gun turned around and started yelling at Matt again and started laughing really loud. So, Matt walked over there toward him and once he was between 8 to 12 feet from him, the guy pulled his gun and started shooting. Matt was already falling after the 2nd shot but he kept shooting until the gun started clicking because it was empty. Then he just looked at me with no emotion as I was trying to save Matt.

The woman with the shooter ran over to help us but he did not. Matt never pulled his knife. It was only a pocket-knife and it stayed clipped to his right pocket. I saw it after he fell, still clipped inside of his right pocket. I saw it because his shirt lifted up after he fell to the floor.
Herschel Walker, the Georgia Republican nominee for Senate, paid for an abortion for a woman he was dating in 2009, The Daily Beast reported Monday night. Walker vehemently denied the story, called it a "flat-out lie" and threatened to sue the outlet.

CBS News has not confirmed the allegations and reporting by The Daily Beast.

The Daily Beast reported that Walker "urged" the woman to get an abortion because "the time wasn't right for a baby." After she had the procedure, the story says that she received a $700 check from him and a "get well" card.

The Republican U.S. Senate candidate for Georgia, Herschel Walker, speaks at a campaign event on September 9, 2022 in Gwinnett, Georgia. / Credit: Megan Varner / Getty Images

The reporter, Roger Sollenberger, wrote that the woman wanted to remain anonymous for "privacy concerns." He corroborated the story with one of the woman's close friends and also reported that the procedure took place when Walker was not married.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Walker criticized the reporter and said, "This is another repugnant hatchet job from a Democrat activist disguised as a reporter who has obsessively attacked my family and tried to tear me down since this race started."

The Daily Beast previously reported that Walker has four children, three sons and one daughter. He had not publicly disclosed three of the four before his Senate run but did so in June, after the report.

"He's called my children 'secret' because I didn't want to use them as campaign props in a political campaign. Now, they're using an anonymous source to further slander me. They will do anything to hold onto power. It's disgusting, gutter politics," Walker said. "I'm not taking this anymore."

Walker added he is planning to sue the Daily Beast "for this defamatory lie" and that his lawsuit would be filed Tuesday morning. However, Walker's lawyer, Robert Ingram, told CBS News Tuesday, "We are currently considering our options, but no final decision has been made on the future handling of this matter."

When he was asked by Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview Monday about the "get well" card and the $700 check, Walker called it a lie and that he's "never asked anyone to get an abortion." Pressed again about the $700 check, he replied that he sends money "to a lot of people."

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Walker is in one of the the tightest Senate elections in the country, against Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock. Asked for his response to The Daily Beast's report, Warnock told the Atlanta Journal Constitution, "I'll let the pundits decide how they think it will impact the race."

A CBS News poll on the race last month found Warnock has a two-point edge over Walker. According to the survey, 58% of registered voters dislike how Walker handles himself personally, and 67% of voters who say abortion is their top issue are choosing Warnock.

Walker has previously said he is against abortions and that he has "no exception" in his mind.

"I believe in life. I'm a Christian," Walker said at a presser in mid-September. "And it is strange that my opponent he seems to be really excited about a woman killing her baby. He said, up until birth, it's okay for a woman to kill her baby. What is his term, 'it's not right to have a doctor and a patient and the government all in the same room.' And I say, `Do you not realize there's a baby in that room too?'"

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has spent $17,837,060 on advertisements and ad reservations for Georgia's Senate race, according to AdImpact. The committee said it would continue to support Walker, and called The Daily Beast's report "innuendo and lies."

In a statement Tuesday, NRSC Chairman Rick Scott said, "when the Democrats are losing, as they are right now, they lie and cheat and smear their opponents. That's what's happening right now." He then equated the story to "the smears they attempted against Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas, and it will not work."

"Herschel has denied these allegations and the NRSC and Republicans stand with him, and Georgians will stand with him too," Scott said.

After Walker's initial denial of the story, one of his sons, Christian Walker, said on Twitter, " I would really appreciate if my father Herschel Walker stopped lying and making a mockery of us."

"Every family member of Herschel Walker asked him not to run for office, because we all knew (some of) his past. Every single one. He decided to give us the middle finger and air out all of his dirty laundry in public, while simultaneously lying about it. I'm done," he said in a different Tweet.

Christian Walker has not yet responded to CBS News requests for further comment. He posted additional videos on Twitter on Tuesday in which he said, "It's literally his handwriting in the card."

When asked about his son's Tweets, Herschel Walker's campaign responded with a text pointing to a Tweet from Herschel Walker that says, "I LOVE my son no matter what."

Elizabeth Campbell contributed to this report.

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Hilary Swank made a big announcement on Wednesday: Shes pregnantand expecting twins.

The 48-year-old shared the news on Good Morning America while promoting her new show, Alaska Daily. Im going to be a momand not just of one, but of two, the Oscar winner said. I can't believe it. Swank added that its so nice to be able to talk about it and share it.

Swank,who married her husband Philip Schneider in 2018, also shared that shes wanted to be a parent for a long time.

Swank later went on Live with Kelly and Ryan and said that shes feeling great right now. She also added that its so fun to actually finally be able to say it, you know, to get past the 12 weeks and be able to say, Im pregnant!

According to Swank, the cast and crew of Alaska Daily just learned the news, too, and she had trouble hiding her news before her announcement. My clothes started not to fit so I had to, the other day . . . cut [my jeans] open. And then I put a jacket on that wasnt in continuity, she said. And [they] came and said, You know thats not in continuity. And I said, Oh, I think it works. And shes like, It doesnt. Im like, No, it does. Im going to make it work. She's like, Youre an executive producer, you can do it, but this is weird.

Swank said that twins run in both her family and her husbands family. Its double excitement, she said. My grandmother was a twin, my husband's grandmother was a twin, so we have twins in our lineage.

Its pretty rare to see pregnancies in your late 40s, according to Christine Greves, M.D., an ob/gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies. We see pregnant patients in their early 40s more frequently than we did years ago, simply because of assisted reproductive technology, she says. But its not common for people in their late 40s.

Matthew Carroll, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine, agrees, but says doctors are seeing later pregnancies more often. Both average age of people pregnant for the first time and the birth rate in people 35 and older have increased, while other demographics have seen birth rates decrease, so it is increasingly common, he says. This does not mean it is necessarily easy, as fertility can decrease significantly after age 40 and spontaneous pregnancy is very rare after 45. (Spontaneous pregnancy, in case you're not familiar with the term, is getting pregnant without reproductive assistance.)

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There are increased risks with having a pregnancy at an older age, Dr. Carroll says, including miscarriage, pre-term delivery, preeclampsia (i.e. high blood pressure in pregnancy), and low birth weight in infants. Multiple gestations carries its own increased risk for any pregnancy and these risks compound with increasing maternal age, Dr. Carroll says.

Every ob/gyn practice is different, but some may have extra precautions in place for women in their late 40s who are pregnant, including more monitoring and more frequent appointments, Dr. Greves says.

But Dr. Carroll stresses that, even though there are greater risks of complications in people who are pregnant at a later age, older pregnant patients and their babies still typically do well. While there are more risks to pregnancy at this age, studies show that most people in this group have good pregnancy outcomes and can cope with the stresses of pregnancy, both physical and emotional, he says.

Swank didnt share her due date, but it seems to be sometime in the spring.

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Photo credit: Hector Sanchez

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5. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION: Expenses not specifically included in prize description and all taxes are the sole responsibility of the Winner. Each prize is awarded as is with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied outside of manufacturer's limited warranty. No transfer, assignment or substitution of a prize permitted, except Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize for an item of equal or greater value in the event an advertised prize is unavailable. The Winner is required to comply with any and all applicable federal, state, provincial, if Canadians are eligible to enter, and local laws, rules and regulations. All federal, state and local taxes, and any other costs not specifically provided for in these Official Rules are solely the Winners responsibility. If the actual retail value of any Winners prize is $600 or more, the Winner must complete a W9 form and supply Sponsor with his/her social security number for tax purposes. An IRS Form 1099 will be issued in the name of the Winner (or, if a minor, in the name of the minor) for the actual value of the prizes received. Sponsor shall have no responsibility or obligation to the Winner or potential Winner who are unable or unavailable to accept or utilize prizes as described herein. Entrants agree to be bound by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of Sponsor, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Sweepstakes. Winner (and parent or legal guardian if Winner is a minor) may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release and where legally permissible a Publicity Release within seven (7) days following the date of first attempted notification. Failure to comply with this deadline may result in forfeiture of the prize and selection of an alternate Winner. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate Winner. Winner hereby further agrees that it will sign any documents necessary to transfer copyright of his/her submitted entry, if applicable, to Sponsor within seven (7) days following the date of first attempted notification. By entering, Entrant grants permission for Sponsor, and any of its affiliates and subsidiaries, participating advertising and promotion agencies, and prize suppliers to use the entrants submission (including an altered form of the entry), if any, for editorial, advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law. If images are being submitted to Sponsor as a requirement for entry, Entrants agree that they have all rights to use the images submitted and to allow Sponsor, any of its affiliates and subsidiaries, participating advertising and promotion agencies, and prize suppliers to reuse any of the images, without any liability, for editorial, advertising and promotional purposes. Additionally, acceptance of the prize by Winner constitutes permission for Sponsor and any affiliates and subsidiaries, participating advertising and promotion agencies, and prize suppliers to use Winners name and/or likeness and biographical material for editorial, advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law. By accepting prize, Winner agrees to hold Sponsor, its advertising and promotion agencies and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, representative agents, successors, assigns, officers, directors, and employees harmless for any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused by participation in the Sweepstakes or acceptance or use of the prize. Sponsor is not responsible for any printing, typographical, mechanical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the Sweepstakes or in the announcement of the prize.

6. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES / INDEMNIFICATION: By participating in the Sweepstakes, entrant warrants and represents that his/her entry is original to the entrant, has not been previously published or won any award, and does not contain any material that would violate or infringe upon the rights of any third party, including copyrights (including, without limitation, copyrighted images or footage), trademarks or rights of privacy or publicity. Modification of an existing image does not count as original for purposes of this Sweepstakes. The entrant further warrants and represents that entrant has all appropriate clearances, permissions and releases for the entry, including releases from all persons appearing in the photograph, location releases for all recognizable locations, and releases from anyone who assisted in the creation of the photograph. The entrant must be able to provide on request all appropriate clearances, permissions and releases for the entry, including releases from all persons appearing in the photograph, location releases for all recognizable locations and releases from anyone who assisted in the creation of the photograph. The image must not contain any personally identifiable information of any person. Excepting those of Sponsor, the image must not contain or reference any names, products or services of any company or entity or any third party trademarks, logos, trade dress or promotion of any brand, product or service. If any person appearing in the image is under the age of majority in their state of residence, the written consent and signature of a parent or legal guardian is required. At Sponsors request, and in its sole discretion, Entrants may be required to execute an assignment and release transferring all rights and ownership of their image to Sponsor, the form of such assignment to be determined by Sponsor. In the event an entrant cannot provide all required releases, Sponsor reserves the right, in Sponsors sole discretion, to disqualify the applicable entry or seek to secure the releases and clearances for Sponsors benefit. The photograph may not feature nudity or obscene language or material that is libelous or defamatory. Each entrant hereby agrees to indemnify and hold the Sweepstakes entities harmless from and against any and all third party claims, actions or proceedings of any kind and from any and all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses relating to or arising out of any breach or alleged breach of any of the warranties, representations or agreements of entrant hereunder. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole and unfettered discretion to disqualify any entry that it believes contains obscene, offensive or inappropriate content, that does not comply with these Official Rules or that is not consistent with the spirit or theme of the Sweepstakes. Entries that do not comply with the above requirements may not be eligible, and, if submitted, may be removed at any time in Sponsors sole discretion. By participating in the Sweepstakes, each entrant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor, which shall be final and binding in all respects.

7. INTERNET/mobile: Sponsor is not responsible for electronic transmission errors resulting in omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or alterations of entry materials, or for technical, network, telephone equipment, electronic, computer, hardware or software malfunctions or limitations of any kind, or inaccurate transmissions of or failure to receive entry information by Sponsor or presenter on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet, at any Web site, or via the mobile phone or any combination thereof. If for any reason the Internet or mobile phone portion of the program is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which corrupt of affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Sweepstakes, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Sweepstakes. Sponsor reserves the right to select winners from eligible entries received as of the termination date. Sponsor further reserves the right to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process. Sponsor may prohibit an entrant from participating in the Sweepstakes if it determines that said entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes by cheating, hacking, deception or other unfair playing practices or intending to abuse, threaten or harass other entrants. Caution: Any attempt by a participant to deliberately damage any Web site or undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such participant to the fullest extent of the law.

8. DISPUTES/CHOICE OF LAW: Except where prohibited, each entrant agrees that: (1) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by state or federal courts situated in New York, NY, (2) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, but in no event attorneys' fees; and (3) no punitive, incidental, special, consequential or other damages, including without limitation lost profits may be awarded (collectively, "Special Damages"), and (4) entrant hereby waives all rights to claim Special Damages and all rights to have such damages multiplied or increased. New York State law, without reference to New Yorks choice of law rules, governs the Sweepstakes and all aspects related thereto.

9. SPONSOR: The Sponsor of this Sweepstakes is Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. and/or its joint venture partners, 300 W. 57thStreet, New York, NY 10019.

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Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner. (Photo: Lars Niki via Getty Images)

Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner. (Photo: Lars Niki via Getty Images)

Huma Abedin, Hillary Clintons longtime aide, says she had to go to great lengths  and to prison  to help her son have a good relationship with his dad, her ex-husband Anthony Weiner.

The former congressman was sentenced in September 2017 to 21 months in federal prison for sending sexually explicit text messages to a 15-year-old girl.

Abedin told The Wall Street Journal that her son, Jordan, was 7 at the time of the sentencing, and that she was filled with so much anger and resentment toward her former husband.

As a result, Abedin dealt with the shame upon shame she felt by taking my son on adventures to distract him, instead of visits to the prison where Weiner was incarcerated.

One of those adventures was a Christmas trip to Hawaii where she and her son ran into another family with a child about Jordans age.

Its the end of a very long night. We go to dinner with his family, and the boy stands up and puts his hands up towards his father so his daddy picks him up, she said. My little boy looks at this scene and breaks down and says, I want my daddy, I want my daddy!

Abedin said a light bulb went on in her head at that moment.

That was the day I decided I would not be ashamed about where my son would have to go to see his father, she told the Journal. I took him to see his dad [in prison], and he was giddy and was so excited.

Abedin published a memoir last year in which she described the bolt of lightning moment when Weiner confessed one of his transgressions to her.

Weiner served in Congress as a Democrat from New York for 12 years, until his resignation in 2011. He was released from prison in 2019, at which time he and Abedin made a decision that there were going to be no secrets in this family. At the time, Weiner told reporters that he hoped to be able to live a life of integrity and service.

Now that their son is older, Abedin says she and Weiner are trying to always be sources of truth for him, that we wanted him to learn from us before learning something on social media or through his friends.

Story continues

As a result, Abedin says, her relationship with Weiner is better than it was after their divorce.

He was my best friend before we became anything else, and we will always have this connection because well always be a family, she said.

But while they are a family, Abedin has a new man in her life: Bradley Cooper, whom she has been dating since summer, according to E! Online.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
An influencer has candidly revealed how much money she earns from each social media platform for her content.

Erika Kullberg, a lawyer who uses her TikTok to share investment advice, money-saving hacks and travel tips, has accumulated more than 9m followers on the platform. In addition to her TikTok followers, she has 4.1m followers on Instagram, 3.3m followers on Facebook and 755,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel.

In a video posted to her TikTok on Wednesday, the content creator and founder of legal tech startup, Plug and Law, opened up about the income she makes as a result of her followings and content, with Kullberg revealing that she earns a few dollars each day from the video-sharing platform alone.

In case youre curious, here is how much every social media platform has paid me with 17m followers, Kullberg began the video.

According to Kullberg, who noted that she started creating TikTok videos exactly a year ago, she has since accumulated a lifetime total of 452m views on the platform. And you can see that Im making a few dollars each day, she continued as she showed a screen recording of the daily payments, which ranged from $2.23 to $24.88.

That brings my total earnings on TikTok to $3,255, Kullberg revealed, before adding: BUT, wait until you compare that to YouTube.

TikTok pays creators through its Creator Fund, which the platform created as a way of giving creators the opportunity to earn money doing what they love and turn their passion into a livelihood. According to the platform, the funds that each creator can earn are worked out by a combination of factors; including the number of views and the authenticity of those views, the level of engagement on the content, as well as making sure content is in line with our Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.

To be eligible for the Creator Fund, TikTok notes that a creator must be based in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain or Italy, be at least 18, have at least 10,000 followers and have at least 100,000 video views in the last 30 days.

Story continues

The influencer then moved on to her Facebook account, where she said she began posting videos just a few months ago. According to Kullberg, since she started using the platform to share her content, she has received three payouts, with the first for $447 and the second for $895.

Kullberg then revealed that she received her biggest payout from Facebook in September, when she earned $1,729 from the platform.

While reflecting on her Facebook content, Kullberg noted that the cool thing is that the videos she posts on the platform are the same ones she already made for TikTok.

So theres no extra work besides hitting upload, she said.

In the video, Kullberg then directed her attention to Instagram, where she said her videos have received 263m views.

Interestingly, Kullberg said that Instagram pays some creators, but not if you have over 1m followers, which she said means that she has made zero dollars from the social media platform. While influencers can make a significant amount from Instagram posts, the revenue does not come from the platform directly, but rather from brands and advertisers.

According to the influencer, when it comes to how YouTube pays its creators, she said that it varies depending on whether its a short video or a long video.

Kullberg then used her own content as an example, showing viewers a screenshot of a short 29-second video shed posted to the platform about a credit card hack that has since been viewed 1.8m times. And I made $3 from it, she said.

However, as a result of a 12-minute video shed uploaded to the platform, which was viewed 2.3m times, YouTube paid Kullberg $35,000, according to her TikTok.

For my grand total earnings from YouTube, and remember this is all BEFORE taxes, $196,000, Kullberg revealed. According to Kullbergs YouTube channel, she posted her first video on 29 October 2019.

Similarly to TikTok, YouTube has a Partner Program, which gives creators greater access to YouTube resources and monetisation features. The eligibility requirements for the video-sharing platform include having more than 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months and more than 1,000 subscribers.

As of Thursday, Kullbergs video has been viewed more than 1.8m times, with viewers in the comments praising her for the transparency.

This transparency! one person commented, while another said: Not a lot of people would show this. Thats so cool and transparent. Congrats btw.

Im always so curious how much creators make. Thanks for sharing the info! someone else wrote.

Others revealed that they were inspired to start creating content on YouTube, with one person joking: Okay okay I should get my YouTube channel going.

I need to make a YouTube, another person wrote.
Following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Iran, more than 50 French female artists have banded together to show their support of the ongoing protests in Iran.

Amini died in police custody on September 16 after being arrested for not properly wearing her hijab to fully cover her hair. Iranian police said she died of a heart attack, but eyewitnesses claim she was beaten to death. Women around the world have since cut a lock of their hair with #HairForFreedom to show their support for Amini and in solidarity with Iranian women living under the Islamic Republics strict theocratic rule.

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Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard, Isabelle Huppert, Isabelle Adjani, and Charlotte Gainsbourg were among the French actresses to cut their hair in a viral Instagram video. Binoche says for freedom when blindly cutting her hair atop her head. A Persian version of Italian anti-fascist resistance ballad Bella Ciao is performed by Iranian artist Gandom in the background, while the final artist shown in the video is Persepolis creator Marjane Satrapi, a French-Iranian artist and director who penned the award-winning graphic novel and its film adaptation.

Since Mahsas death on September 16, the Iranian people, led by women, have been protesting at the risk of their lives, the caption reads. These people only hope for access to the most essential freedoms. These women, these men, are asking for our support.

The post continues, Their courage and dignity oblige us [to act]. It is impossible not to denounce again and again this terrible repression. There have been dozens of deaths, including children. The arrests are swelling the number of prisoners already illegally held and too often tortured. We decided to answer the call that was thrown at us by cutting some of these locks.

Story continues

The initiative was started by international human rights lawyer Richard Sedillot in cooperation with French barristers Julie Couturier and Christiane Feral Schuhl. The video campaign follows an open letter signed by more than 1,000 members of French cinema supporting the protests in Iran.

Catherine Corsini, Alice Diop, Audrey Diwan, Julia Ducournau, Eva Husson, Alice Winocour, Rebecca Zlotowski, Jacques Audiard, Nicolas Bedos, Bertrand Bonello, and Dany Boon were among the signatories, as well as Cannes delegate general Thierry Fremaux.

IndieWire recently spoke with Isabelle Huppert here.

Earlier this year, Iranian filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Al-Ahmad were arrested for posting statements on social media speaking out on government-sanctioned violence.

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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.

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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.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mandela Barnes and Ron Johnson debate Friday. Here's how to watch
All care locations in MercyOne Central Iowa's region, including Des Moines, remain open and are caring for patients even as the health system struggles with an unspecified IT security breach affecting its parent company, official said.

Iowa hospital officials have not said whether any patient appointments or procedures were postponed this week as a result of the "IT security incident" at parent company CommonSpirit Health, an apparent cyberattack that has disrupted hospitals throughout the U.S.

But MercyOne Central Iowa officials said Thursday patients can't schedule appointments online because of the problem. Instead, they should call to schedule an appointment at one of MercyOne's clinics.

"Patients can be assured that MercyOne is able to serve all health care needs with minimal disruption to normal operations," said MercyOne Spokesperson Marcy Peterson.

More:Valley West Mall set for auction as foreclosure approved by court

Beginning Monday, MercyOne facilities shut down some of its information technology systems, including its electronic medical records, because of the security incident. These systems were taken offline as "as a precautionary step" afterward, which appears to be affecting hospitals across the country.

Officials have been tight-lipped, offering no details on what occurred. It's unclear whether patient health information has been compromised, or how long systems will be taken offline.

Health care providers are required by law to notify the federal Department of Health and Human Services if a breach has compromised the private information of 500 or more patients.

Reports of cancelled appointments, delayed procedures following incident

Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health is the second largest nonprofit health care system in the country, operating more than 140 hospitals across 21 states.

It's unclear exactly how many of its sites are affected at this time, but the scope of the attack is broad, crippling facilities nationwide. The massive outage of its health record system has resulted in canceled appointments and delayed procedures in some areas, according a report from the Kitsap Sun in Washington state.

Story continues

UnityPoint Health-Des Moines officials confirmed Iowa Methodist Medical Center received five ambulances Monday that were diverted during "the short period of time" MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center was sending patients elsewhere.

A TV outlet out of Tacoma, Washington, reported one patient had been scheduled to get a cancerous tumor on her tongue removed on Monday, but the procedure was put off several days due to the incident.

Another Washington couple told the Kitsap Sun anonymously that the husband had been denied a planned CT scan to check on a life-threatening brain bleed, and they have been unable to reschedule.

More:Iowa couple locked in legal battle to stop company from surveying their farm for carbon capture pipeline

CommonSpirit officials have not said how many patients have faced disruption to their health care, but they acknowledged some appointments have been rescheduled as a result.

"Patients will be contacted directly by their provider and/or care facility if their appointment is impacted," officials said in a statement Wednesday.

The Iowa-based MercyOne was jointly operated by CommonSpirit and Trinity Health until earlier this year, when Trinity signed an agreement to become the sole owner of the Catholic health system that operates throughout Iowa.

However, MercyOne systems continued to use CommonSpirit Health technology as officials prepared to integrate into Trinity.

Ransomware a growing threat to hospitals, expert says

CommonSpirit officials have also not addressed whether this incident is a ransomware attack. But experts say given the growing cybersecurity threat hospitals have faced in recent years, that's most likely the cause of this massive outage.

Ransomware is malware used by hackers to encrypt data or a computer system, blocking access until the hackers' demands are met  usually a ransom fee.

These kinds of attacks would prevent hospitals from accessing key systems and prevent staff from accessing crucial data, hindering their ability to provide patient care. In the past, that has meant hospitals have delayed cancer treatments, canceled surgeries and even diverted ambulances carrying trauma patients from the facility, said John Riggi, national adviser for cybersecurity and risk at the American Hospital Association.

More:Big Iowa energy users say they want to buy power on open market, bypassing current providers

"If their health care system or hospital has seen a high-impact attack  whether its a small Critical Access Hospital or a large multi-state system  it could take 3-4 weeks minimum to restore just their mission-critical systems," Riggi previously told the Des Moines Register.

There were at least 168 ransomware attacks against health care organizations in 2020 and 2021, affecting more than 1,700 clinics, hospitals and other health care settings across the country, according to Pew Charitable Trusts.

So far in 2022, at least 15 health care systems managing more than 60 hospitals in the U.S. have been affected by ransomware, according to Emsisoft, a cybersecurity provider. Data was stolen in the majority of instances, Brett Callow, a threat analyst with Emsisoft, told the Associated Press.

Hospitals face large financial blows from these attacks, even as more facilities are refusing to pay the ransom, Riggi said. A 2021 attack on California-based Scripps Health cost the system $112.7 million, mostly in lost revenue.

Michaela Ramm covers health care for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at mramm@registermedia.com, at (319) 339-7354 or on Twitter at @Michaela_Ramm.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: MercyOne clinics operating after online systems shut down by breach
OZARK  A Dale County Commission decision to exclude municipalities from the distribution of American Rescue Plan Act funds received by the county has been challenged, Ozark Mayor Mark Blankenship said at a council meeting here this week.

A complaint to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee was filed by the Dothan law firm of Jones, Cobb, Wadsworth and Davis LLC on behalf of Ozark, Midland City, Grimes, Napier Field, Newton, and Pinckard asking for an investigation into the Dale County Commissions distribution of ARPA funds.

It is our hope that you will require the Dale County Commission to reevaluate their distribution method, wrote attorney Jordan S. Davis in the complaint, calling the countys distribution plan a misuse of funds.

With ARPA funding based on the population of the entire county, Dale County received approximately $9.3 million ARPA funds. At the commission meeting May 10, the commission passed a resolution authorizing the expenditure of ARPA funds to be paid quarterly for the rescue service providers who opted to participate in the disbursement of the federal funding which was received as part of a $1.9 trillion federal COVID-19 relieve package that was signed into law in March 2021.

Dale County is one of 41 Alabama counties in partnership with the Association of County Commissions of Alabamas Investing in Alabama Counties program for administration of the federal funds which are to be used by Dec. 31, 2024.

On May 5, the commission invited area Emergency Medical Service providers and officials from county municipalities to a special called meeting at the government building in Ozark with ACCA Executive Director Sonny Brasfield. At that meeting, Brasfield said that the IAC was created to help the member counties ensure that the money was spent in compliance with federal law.

Dale County Commissioner Steve McKinnon told the group at that meeting that money allocated for Dale County needed to be spent in Dale County. Brasfield concurred and said that if the rescue service providers could reach an agreement on which of the rural unincorporated areas of Dale County they would service, funds could be allocated on a square mile basis.

Ozark is still making EMS runs all over the county and not being funded like the others, Blankenship told those attending the Oct. 4 council meeting. The commissions EMS distribution system makes no sense and discriminates against the cities within the county.

The commission chairman said multiple times they could not spend county ARPA funds inside a citys limits. We know that is not true, Blankenship said, noting that the cities of Dothan, Enterprise, Headland and Abbeville have received ARPA funding from their respective county governments.

The distribution, rather than utilizing number of EMS pick-ups, the population of the area covered, or any other reasonable methodology previously used when distributing EMS funding for the county, relied strictly on the square mileage of areas covered by the EMS outside municipal police jurisdiction limits, Davis wrote in the complaint. This allocation gives the bulk of the funds, approximately $1.2 million, to an EMS provider for Echo, a sparsely populated unincorporated area in Dale County. Conversely, the EMS for Ozark, the largest municipality in the County, receives only $36,000. If the distribution had been made based upon population, Ozark would have received approximately $450,000 in funding.

Noting that the county funding was given in accordance with its total population, Davis said the commissions distribution has resulted in an absurd result, effectively wasting and misusing the ARPA funds.

Reading from an article in the Oct. 4 issue of the Dothan Eagle, Blankenship said Houston County is spending $5 million on a water project on Highway 231in Dothan. Houston County also approved a $1 million ARPA funding to Dothan for downtown green space, a $1.85 million water and sewer improvement in the towns of Taylor, Cowarts, Kinsey, and Rehobeth and allocated $900,000 to secure industrial property next to Napier Field in a joint project with Dothan and the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce, he said.

Dale County is proud of the bold initiative it has undertaken to use the countys American Rescue Plan Act Funds, designated as revenue replacement funds, to support improvements to the delivery of emergency responder ambulance services in the county, said McKinnon in a written statement distributed at the commission meeting Oct. 11. The goal of the current initiative is to improve and ensure the reliable delivery of vital emergency medical transport services to citizens both living in and traveling through the unincorporated, more rural areas of Dale County. The consistent availability of timely emergency services to these areas will save lives and help to maintain the safety and quality of life for all Dale County citizens.

The Dale County Commission continues to encourage the participation of any other service provider that may wish to join in this important effort, including municipal providers that are willing and able to provide services in these areas, McKinnon said in the written statement. Participating squads will be reimbursed quarterly for expenses they incur to attain an established set of performance metrics in their coverage areas. The county will receive its first report on these efforts, which will help demonstrate the effectiveness of the program and the investments participating squads have made in achieving these goals.

The point were trying to make is that you cannot grow a county with such a division between city and county government, Blankenship said.
Saudi Arabias decision to make crown prince Mohammed bin Salman its prime minister effectively grants him immunity from prosecution over any alleged involvement in the journalist Jamal Khashoggis killing, his lawyers have argued in court.

The lawyers, in a petition filed to dismiss a case related to the killing in a federal district court in Washington DC on Monday, said his appointment as the countrys prime minister meant there is no doubt that he ranks as Saudi Arabias head of state and should therefore not be prosecuted.

The royal order leaves no doubt that the crown prince is entitled to status-based immunity, lawyers for the prince said in the petition, referring to King Salmans decree last week, and citing other cases where the US has recognised immunity for a foreign head of state.

Bin Salman faces a lawsuit in the US over the brutal killing of the Saudi journalist in 2018. Khashoggi was murdered and his body dismembered by Saudi agents inside the kingdoms consulate in Istanbul.

A US intelligence report released more than two years after the killing assessed that the Saudi crown prince approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey, to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, though it provided no direct evidence of Bin Salmans involvement.

The prince denied ordering Khashoggis killing, but acknowledged later it took place under my watch.

Last week, his 86-year-old father King Salman named him prime minister in a royal decree. While King Salman will continue to chair any cabinet meetings he attends, observers say the measure formalises Bin Salmans status as the kingdoms de facto ruler.

Critics of the Saudi government have claimed the move is directly related to efforts to provide the 37-year-old prince with immunity over the Khashoggi case.

Despite the conclusions of US intelligence and the subsequent sanctioning by Washington of 76 Saudi citizens, no further action has been taken against Bin Salman himself.

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President Joe Biden infamously fist-bumped the crown prince on a visit to Saudi Arabia in July to discuss energy and security issues. He later said he had told the crown prince that he considered him responsible for Khashoggis killing.

He said the prince denied involvement and asserted those involved had been held to account.

Khashoggi, who had criticised the crown princes policies in columns for The Washington Post, had travelled to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain papers he needed to marry Hatice Cengiz, a Turkish citizen.

The lawsuit was filed jointly by Ms Cengiz and a human rights group founded by Khashoggi. The suit seeks unspecified damages against the crown prince, known in the west as MBS. It also named more than 20 other Saudis as co-defendants.

It charged that the crown prince, his co-defendants and others carried out a plot to permanently silence Mr Khashoggi after discovering he planned to use the group as a platform to espouse democratic reform and promote human rights.

The court had asked the US Justice Department to express a view on whether the prince had immunity, setting a 3 October deadline for a response.

However, the department sought a 45-day extension to give a response after the appointment of the prince as prime minister, something granted by the court.

The case has put the Biden administration under legal and diplomatic pressure, as it tries to balance its efforts to advocate for justice for the slain journalist while also maintaining relations with Saudi Arabia, an important Middle East ally.

Additional reporting by agencies
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.

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.

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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.
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."

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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)
When Trevor Noah announced his departure from The Daily Show after seven long years, fans were utterly deflated. The South Africa-born host assuaged his viewers with an in-studio Q&A session Tuesday, during which he described his exit as a happy one.

The comedian likened his departure to one of those funerals where people are dancing rather than crying. He said leaving was a huge process before adding, thats why I tell you I am going to leave so that its not like an Irish goodbye  as giving people ample notice would soften the blow.

Id be weird if I was just like, on a Thursday, just like, Bye everybody! And then Monday comes, youre like, Wheres Trevor? Noah said jokingly. And then you just see me on Instagram, sipping something on the beach, just like, Who, me?

The 38-year-old said taking the reins from Jon Stewart on Sept. 28, 2015, was insanely difficult but that this period was very different to him than the Trump years that followed.

When I was taking over, I was like, This is so crazy, Noah said. John Boehner? Whos this person? What is happening? Who are these people? And then Trump came, and I was like, Oh, I know this. And then that period was different. And then COVID hits and then that felt like a different period.

He admitted what he missed doing the most was being around people, and the COVID lockdowns and guidelines made him feel like he missed two years of peoples lives two years of eating food in South Africa of traveling with my family and friends.

Noah said he looked forward to once again traveling to countries like Canada, Germany and India. While theres currently no official date regarding his final night on Comedy Central, he told his audience the one thing we cant get back is time  and that departures are a part of life.

I think the joy in life is, you know, finding ebbs and flows, Noah said. Its the moment when kids leave home, its the moment when they have to move back in cause their thing didnt work. Maybe Ill come back cause my student debt will kick my ass. You never know.

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Watch the entire Q&A session on YouTube.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
The room erupted in thunderous applause after U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes welcomed Vice President Kamala Harris onto the stage Wednesday at Central Connecticut State University.

Harris joined Hayes and Planned Parenthood CEO and President Alexis McGill Johnson to discuss the federal action that is being taken to defend access to reproductive care in the nation.

CCSU students and local community leaders loudly cheered as the vice president walked onto the stage at Davidson Hall.

Student Mia Deantris said she was excited to see the moment, especially as a member of one of the local chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha, which is the same sorority of which Harris is a member.

The representation is probably the best part. Just seeing somebody that looks like me in a position of power and having her come to my school and give a speech is surreal, Deantris said.

Others who heard Harris speech also shared the same excitement and sentiment.

Attendee Babz Rawls-Ivy of New Haven said that the conversation with the vice president was good to hear.

All this Black girl power, are you kidding me? It was good, it was a necessary conversation. Its a conversation that we need to be having in this country. Women should have agency over their body and the government shouldnt be telling us what to do with it, Rawls-Ivy said.

UConn student Melissa Wi said she found out about the event through her internship and came away from the event feeling hopeful about the future.

Ive never been in a room with this many important people, these many lawmakers. Im just so grateful that I got this experience, she said.

Im glad that we have [Harris] as vice president. I dont think anyones more qualified to you know, you know, fight for the right [of] abortion justice, Wi said. Were going in the right direction. We have a good leader.

So hopefully, since we have good leaders, things all turn out okay, eventually. With Roe v Wade being overturned, its scary right now, but hearing what she had to say kind of gave me a little bit of hope for the future, she said.

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While many were excited for the arrival of the vice president, others hoped that she would see their signs for pro-life, as they said the hold the belief that abortion is wrong.

Protestor Connie Ferreira said that she believes that the vice president was sending the wrong message to CCSU students.

Shes sending the wrong message to these students hereAbortion is not life. She should be doing the right thing for her people. The Black babies, they are being aborted, Why? Why (are) any babies being aborted? All these beautiful children here, shes going on here telling them that its for health. Abortion does nothing for health. It does nothing for a woman, does nothing for her health, she said.

Marcelina Halas, a New Britain native who is a sophomore political science major at the university, said the Dobbs decision was positive because it returned the issue of abortion to the states. We are not protesting anyones presence on the campus, Halas said in an interview. But we are protesting abortion...We might be the silent majority, but were there, and we want to show that.

Halas, who plans to attend law school, serves as president of a group on campus of both economic and social conservatives who believe in free speech. This issue is bigger than Kamala Harris, she said. Its bigger than the president of Planned Parenthood and Jahana Hayes. This is about the fundamental right to life.

CCSU student Eliza Harris said that she was here to protest the vice presidents conversation on reproductive rights on campus, as she believes that life begins at conception.

We heard that Vice President Kamala Harris was coming here two days ago. We didnt know before that. So, were here protesting against her conversation today for reproductive rights or thats what she calls it. We believe that life begins at conception, she said, And that humans no matter what age, race, [or] gender deserve the same love and compassion that everyone has. So, were just here to show her that we love people and that we want her to love us like we love each other.

She said Harris had a constitutional right to be here. Were just protesting the issue of debate, womens reproductive rights, abortion.
Young women are more likely to identify as liberal now than at any time in the past two decades, a trend that puts them squarely at odds with young men.

Forty-four percent of young women counted themselves liberal in 2021, compared to 25 percent of young men, according to Gallup Poll data analyzed by the Survey Center on American Life. The gender gap is the largest recorded in 24 years of polling. The finding culminates years of rising liberalism among women ages 18 to 29, without any increase among their male peers.

Several societal forces have conspired to push young women to the left in recent years, including the #MeToo movement, former President Trump, rising LGBTQ identification and, most recently, abortion policy. Slower-cooking trends in marital status and educational attainment have also nudged the needle.

I think there is a big generational shift that happened with Generation Z women who were really coming of age in the last five years, said Kelsy Kretschmer, a sociologist at Oregon State University who studies gender politics.

The rift between young men and women may widen further. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a precedent that had protected abortion as a constitutional right for nearly half a century. The ruling has energized young women. New survey data, released this week, shows that 61 percent of young women consider abortion a critical issue, compared with 36 percent of all Americans.

I would always choose a candidate thats pro-abortion, said Rose Merjos, 21, a government major at Wesleyan University in Connecticut who is an avowed liberal. Almost everyone either knows someone who has had an abortion or has had one themselves. This is something everyone can relate to.

The share of men who identify as liberal has held fairly steady for almost 25 years, according to annual Gallup surveys. Roughly one-quarter of men ages 18 to 29 term themselves liberal, year after year.

Meanwhile, among young women, liberalism has exploded. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, fewer than 30 percent of women identified as liberal. The liberal camp grew through the second term of former President George W. Bush. It expanded further during the tenure of former President Obama. It reached 39 percent in 2017 with the inauguration of Trump. In the last two years, liberalism surged anew.

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Young women today are much more liberal than young men, Daniel Cox wrote in a June newsletter of the Survey Center on American Life, a project of the American Enterprise Institute. His work documents a growing political rift between young women and men.

Merjos attends a university long associated with both liberalism and activism. These days, though, she senses more of both among the women.

In all of my government classes, there are probably two men out of 18 people, she said. ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union], thats mostly women. Im wondering if women are maybe just more inclined to be involved in the community, engaged in the community. And that liberalizes them.

Ezra Meyer, 22, is a senior at the George Washington (GW) University who leads the College Republicans. He is a conservative on a campus that is overwhelmingly liberal and largely female. In conversations with classmates about politics, he treads lightly.

My metric for deciding if Im going to be friends with someone really does not come down to what their politics are, he said. It comes down to how tolerant they are.

Meyer doesnt know whether the men at GW skew more liberal or conservative than the women. But he has noticed a distinct trend among campus conservatives this fall.

Weve been doing a lot of recruiting of freshmen on campus, he said. And I would say, overwhelmingly, it has been male. The conservative females that do get involved, theres fewer of them, but they tend to be way more passionate and way more involved.

Several factors have liberalized the nations 20-something women. The most recent, and perhaps the most powerful, is #MeToo, an uprising against sexual assault, abuse and harassment that caught fire in 2017, empowering millions of women to come forward and seek justice.

The inauguration of Trump in the same year pushed more young women into the liberal column. The 45th president battled his own #MeToo allegations and proved uniquely unpopular among young, female voters. Polling in 2016 showed that only 25 percent of women ages 18 to 34 favored Trump, compared with 40 percent of same-aged men.

The rise of liberalism among young women has also marched apace with a dramatic increase in young people identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. In a recent survey, 56 percent of young women reported exclusive attraction to men, while three-quarters of young men said they were solely attracted to women. Prior research suggests LGBTQ Americans of all ages tend toward liberalism.

Several longer-term trends have fed the liberalization of young women as well. One is marriage. The share of women ages 18-29 who are married has fallen by half in twenty years, from 31 percent in 2000 to 15 percent in 2021, according to the National Opinion Research Center.

The growing ranks of single, 20-something women feel a sense of linked fate, researchers say. They gravitate toward female friends in political views, whereas married women more often mirror the politics of their spouses.

The correlation between womens sense of linked fate and liberal political preferences suggests that the Democratic Party will benefit from declining marriage rates among young women, Kretschmer and two co-authors wrote in a 2017 paper for the journal Political Research Quarterly. They noted that women make up the majority of the population and vote at high rates.

Women also outpace men in educational attainment, a trend that dates to the 1980s. The ratio of women to men in college enrollment now stands at roughly 60 to 40, and it continues to grow. Americans who complete college are more liberal than those who do not.

Putting off marriage, going to college, entering the workforce, women are doing that at much higher rates than they used to, said Marc Hetherington, a professor of political science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And all of those things are going to make conservatism and the Republicans significantly less attractive to women.

In 1998, the first year of data collected by Gallup in its Social Series surveys, 28 percent of young men and 29 percent of young women identified as liberal. The gender gap in liberalism grew steadily wider in the 2000s, wider still in the 2010s. The 2021 poll yielded a 19-point spread between young men and young women, the largest on record.

I do have some male friends that are moderate, said Luci Paczkowski, 20, a California liberal. And it annoys the hell out of me.

What bothers Paczkowski about her nonliberal friends is not their centrism but her suspicion that they do not have any clue why they are moderate. They just do not want to pick a side and, therefore, they are apathetic.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Russian President Vladimir Putin points while visiting the exhibition after riding a train across the bridge linking Russia and Crimean Peninsula at Taman railways station on December 23, 2019 near Anapa, Russia Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

Two Russians sailed hundreds of miles to a remote Alaskan island, local and federal officials said.

According to a media report, the individuals were fleeing Putin's military mobilization.

A Homeland Security official told Insider the individuals were sent to Anchorage to be processed.

Two Russians trying to avoid President Vladimir Putin's partial military mobilization sailed hundreds of miles across the Bering Strait to a remote Alaskan island, according to a report and multiple officials.

The individuals landed Tuesday in a small boat near the city of Gambell, local outlet KTUU reported Wednesday. Local authorities then informed the Coast Guard of what happened.

The Russians told some locals that they sailed from Egvekinot, a remote village in eastern Russia about 300 miles away, according to the report. Other villagers said the men informed them that they fled the Russian military.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy confirmed the incident during a Wednesday press conference and said "my understanding is that they're in Anchorage now, being dealt with by federal authorities."

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed this to Insider on Thursday, and said "the individuals were transported to Anchorage for inspection, which includes a screening and vetting process, and then subsequently processed in accordance with applicable US immigration laws under the Immigration and Nationality Act."

Gambell is a city of about 500 people located on the northwest tip of St. Lawrence Island, which is along the middle of the Bering Strait. Gambell is about 200 miles from the city of Nome, on Alaska's mainland.

Egvekinot, Russia and Gambell, Alaska. Screenshot/Google Maps

Last month, after Putin announced the partial military mobilization of his country's reservists, many Russians attempted to flee so they wouldn't be sent to fight in Ukraine. As they did, Russians faced traffic jams at borders with neighboring countries and sold-out or very expensive flights.

Putin's announcement came after weeks of military setbacks in Ukraine. Now, weeks later, his troops continue to face aggressive counteroffensive moves by Ukrainian forces that have forced Russian troops into retreat.

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"We don't anticipate a continual stream of individuals, or a flotilla of individuals  we have no indication that's going to happen. So this may be a one-off," Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said, adding that the situation "was a surprise to us."

"Who knows what's going to happen in the future, if more individuals from Russia attempt to leave Russia through the Bering Strait," he added.

US Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan said in a joint statement Thursday that the two individuals have requested asylum in the US.

Murkowski criticized federal authorities in her statement for their response to the Russian nationals and said it was too slow. She praised the response from local officials and state agencies.

"This incident makes two things clear: First, the Russian people don't want to fight Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine," Sullivan said in his Thursday statement. "Second, given Alaska's proximity to Russia, our state has a vital role to play in securing America's national security."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Dozens of clinics around the country have stopped providing abortions since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion, according to a new report from the Guttmacher Institute.

The analysis, released Thursday, found at least 66 clinics had stopped offering abortion services as of Oct. 2, 100 days since the Supreme Court's Dobbs ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and national abortion-access protection. They are located in 15 states, the bulk situated in the South.

Thirteen of the states  Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia  have enacted near-total abortion bans since Dobbs, while providers in Wisconsin have suspended abortion services because of uncertainty about the enforceability of an 1849 ban. In Georgia, one clinic closed while 13 still offer abortion services during the first six weeks of pregnancy.

The waiting room of the Women's Health Center in Charleston, West Virginia sits empty in late June, the week after the Supreme Court overturned a constitutional right to abortion. One hundred days after that ruling, West Virginia is one of 14 states where no clinic is now providing abortions, according to a new Guttmacher Institute analysis.

ABORTION BANS: After Roe v. Wade, abortion bans from the 1800s became legal matters in these states

Nearly 22 million women of reproductive age (from 15 to 49), or just under 30% of the nation's population in that category, live in those 15 states. These states accounted for 18% of the 930,000 abortions performed in the United States in 2020, according to Guttmacher, an organization that supports abortion rights and provides research, policy analysis and public education on a range of sexual and reproductive health issues.

"The new reality of clinics no longer offering abortions or closing down entirely is having a devastating impact on states with abortion bans  and far beyond," the analysis said. "The loss of clinics is felt in all states  even those where abortion remains legal," due to a large number of people from states with bans traveling for abortion procedures.

Demand for the procedure at a Planned Parenthood clinic in southern Illinois, where abortion remains legal, has "really just exploded" since the Supreme Court's ruling, said Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, which operates the facility just miles away from St. Louis and also has plans for a mobile clinic in Illinois.

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Pregnant patients who used to get an appointment in two or three days now can wait up to three weeks, even with the clinic ramping up to 10-hour days six days a week. "Folks are coming from all over the country for this care," she said, with the Illinois clinic experiencing a 435% increase in patients from beyond Illinois and Missouri between June and September.

'WE MARCH FORWARD': Planned Parenthood to launch first-of-its-kind mobile abortion clinic in Midwest

National Right to Life, a leading anti-abortion advocacy group, supports the state bans and the resulting stoppage of abortions at clinics within their borders, president Carol Tobias told USA TODAY.

"Since we don't think anybody should die, including unborn babies, we think that's a good thing," she said, while trying to persuade patients not to travel to other states for abortions. "I would strongly encourage any woman considering abortion to find help.  Several states are coming forward with programs to help, or they already have programs in place."

With the bulk of affected clinics located in the South, it means longer and costlier trips for those thinking of traveling to states where abortion remains legal, said Rachel Jones, Guttmacher's principal research scientist and the lead author of the analysis.

"When you look at a state like Louisiana, you're not just crossing to the next state. You're having to go multiple states over. There's an incredible impact that these bans are having because they're concentrated in certain parts of the country," she said.

The Jackson Women's Health Organization in Mississippi, seen in May 2021, was at the center of the Supreme Court's June decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to abortion. Dozens of clinics are no longer providing abortion in 15 states, including Mississippi, as a result of state abortion bans, according to a new Guttmacher Institute analysis.

Of the 66 clinics, 40 are still providing other health care services. However, 26 have closed completely, including the three that were operating in Louisiana and the sole clinic in Mississippi, leaving low-income residents in those states, among the nation's poorest, with fewer healthcare options, Jones said.

"This means people in these communities are not going to have access to contraceptive care, STI (sexually transmitted infection) testing and treatment and pregnancy care, which some of these facilities that closed completely were offering," she said.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which describes itself as the political arm of the pro-life movement whose goal is ending abortion, said the existing and upcoming bans "are anticipated to protect as many as 200,000 unborn children annually." The organization estimates that bans in effect, which it calls "life-saving laws," are stopping nearly 140,000 abortions annually in 15 states, while another 60,000 could be prevented if laws take effect in seven other states.

COURT CALENDAR: Supreme Court to grapple with race, elections in new term as battle over abortion lingers

"For the past 30 years, we have been seeking to make abortion unnecessary, unthinkable, not part of the American experience. Any life saved is a positive for us," said Katie Glenn, the organization's state policy director. "We celebrate that lawmakers and voters in these states have been pushing to let these laws take effect for a long time and we think it's a really terrific thing that the Supreme Court got out of the way and sent this back to the people."

Anti-abortion activists seem to be getting their way. The number of clinics that have stopped providing abortions has grown since a July Guttmacher analysis that found 43 clinics in 11 states had stopped providing abortions conducted one month after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Going forward, Jones said, the number of clinics that cease offering abortions is expected to grow, as Guttmacher projects 26 states are "certain or likely to ban abortion" within a year of Roe's reversal. Strict bans in Indiana, Ohio and South Carolina, temporarily blocked by court action, could take effect once those cases are resolved.

"Unfortunately, I can't imagine it's going to do anything but keep getting bigger," she said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Abortion bans force clinics in 15 states to stop offering procedure
Commissioner Sandra Kennedy makes a statement after the swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 7 at Arizona Corporation Commission offices in Phoenix.

Democrat Sandra Kennedy is having fun regulating Arizona utilities and said she has more work to do in another four-year term that she hopes will bring a Democratic majority to the Arizona Corporation Commission for the first time in decades.

I know how to do it and I truly have enjoyed the last three-and-a-half years at the commission just being a voice for the people who cant speak for themselves, she said. I am truly having fun. I dont think there is a day that goes by that Im not in the office and asking questions.

Kennedy is one of two Democrats running for two seats on the five-member commission that will be determined by this year's elections. The Corporation Commission is an office created by the Arizona Constitution that oversees utility rates, securities regulation, pipeline safety and railroad crossings.

Kennedy, who was born in Oklahoma City, moved in 1971 to Phoenix, where she graduated from South Mountain High School. She formerly ran a restaurant. She is married with three adult children and two grandchildren.

In 1986 she was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives, where she served six years followed by six in the Arizona Senate. In 2008 she became the first African American elected to statewide office in Arizona when she won a seat on the Corporation Commission.

She did not win a second term in 2012, when Arizona Public Service and Southwest Gas, two entities regulated by the commission, contributed to a political fund that sent mailers supporting Republicans who ran that year. The utilities at the time had policies against participating in commission elections and blamed the spending on the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Kennedy won another term in 2018, though, and immediately upon taking office joined Republican Commissioner Robert Burns in seeking financial disclosures from APS to determine the extent of its election spending.

That resulted in the utility confirming that it and its parent company spent millions on political activity to help its preferred candidates win office at the commission, including $10.7 million spent on the 2014 elections. That spending also helped defeat Kennedy that year.

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With a new CEO since that time, APS has pledged to stay out of commission elections.

Four years ago, the political controversies at the commission played a bigger role in the elections, but Kennedy said she still feels that the staff at the commission can be too cozy with utilities.

When I talk about the coziness of our staff and the utilities, some staff get offended, she said. I try to say that its not really them that I am concerned with ... . What we should be doing is regulating and not allowing the utilities to control the commission.

Pushing for more renewable energy

Much like her campaign for the commission in 2008, Kennedy continues to push for more renewable energy in Arizona.

Kennedy said criticism that she and fellow Democrat Lauren Kuby are pushing the Green New Deal is hogwash.

We would love to see the renewable energy industry just take over this state. We know its not going to be easy. We know its not going to happen overnight. Weve got to bring everyone together, she said. Its going to be a give and take. Its not our way or the highway.

Election guide: November 2022

She said there is wide support for increasing the state's renewable-energy standard.

I talk to Republicans and say, 'What is so bad about renewable energy' They say, 'We like solar. We think its the best thing since sliced bread,' she said. So we think that the people are on our side.

Kennedy voted for increasing the states renewable-energy standard, but the majority of the commission went the other way earlier this year, voting against an increase.

It was a huge disappointment for me, she said. I had sleepless nights wondering what could I do as an alternative. Thats why we need a Democratic majority. With a Democratic majority we could do a lot more than this present administration is doing.

Proud to rein in APS revenue

Kennedy participated in a vote late last year that cut about $119 million from APS revenue and resulted in a slight rate decrease for most customers. APS has sued to reverse the decision.

The decision came after a 2017 rate hike granted by the previous commission that included the two Republicans who benefited from APS political spending to get elected. That hike resulted in widespread confusion among the companys customers, a new rate structure the company was at times unable to explain and a $24 million penalty for not communicating the rates to customers properly.

Kennedy said she was happy with the more recent decision to cut APS revenue.

When the meeting was over, I got up from my desk and I was jumping up and down, she said. I was so elated that I got more than I thought I was going to get.

When asked about the utilitys complaints that the decision harmed its financial standing, Kennedy shrugged her shoulders emphatically.

Of course they are going to say that. It showed that the commission had strength to do its job that day, she said. We showed APS that times have changed.

Even though she handily won four years ago and has far more political experience than anyone else in the race, she said she is campaigning hard.

You never take anything for granted. Im running this time as if it were my first time ever, she said.

Kennedy said she laments that partisan politics drive most discussions around the state Capitol now, compared to her time in the Legislature. She said it was common during her years in the Legislature for members from the opposing party to have lunch together and discuss families, which she doesnt see much of today.

I see more bullying going on than I see camaraderie, she said.

She said Republican Commissioner Jim OConnor, elected two years ago, is a pleasant surprise.

Hes turned out to be someone that has really been an ally, she said.

Reach reporter Ryan Randazzo at ryan.randazzo@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4331. Follow him on Twitter @UtilityReporter.

Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Corporation Commission 2022 Democrat candidate: Sandra Kennedy
The enormous mass public demonstrations in Iran could bring a change in regime. The fundamentalist Islamic rulers of the nation must be worried. A large number of cities across the country are experiencing the ongoing protests, though estimates of just how many vary.

The immediate spark for this important development is the troubling death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman of 22, while in police custody. Authorities allegedly arrested her for improper wearing of the headscarf required by the government.

Iran continues to be a focus of frustration for United States foreign policy. The fundamentalist Islamic regime in Tehran has long voiced hostility to Israel as well as the U.S., punctuated from time to time with public threats of apocalyptic destruction.

Arthur I. Cyr

Consequently, the steady expansion of Irans uranium enrichment program causes understandable concern.

The P5+1 formation is the principal international group dealing with Iran. Nations involved are Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S.  the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council  plus Germany.

In November 2013, the group, after considerable challenging diplomatic effort, reached an agreement with Tehran. The accord increased international monitoring of Irans nuclear enrichment program in exchange for lifting some economic sanctions. The Trump administration abruptly ended this nuclear agreement.

Immediately after World War II, Soviet troops occupied northern Iran. The Truman administration successfully pressured Moscow to withdraw. Later, British and CIA operatives overthrew the elected government of Mohammad Mosaddegh.

In 1979, revolutionaries overthrew the pro-U.S. Iran regime and Islamic fundamentalism ascended. This abruptly ended Irans previous posture as a close and notably influential American ally. Over the intervening decades, the breach has continued.

After ousting the autocratic Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, Islamic militants seized the American embassy, took hostages and held them for months. The lengthy crisis poisoned Tehran-Washington relations and helped Ronald Reagan defeat incumbent President Jimmy Carter in 1980. During the Reagan administration, the U.S. supported Saddam Husseins Iraq in a lengthy eight-year war with Iran.

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The 2009 presidential election sparked mass demonstrations against alleged election fraud. Use of cell phones to report the demonstrations revealed broad public discontent. Dictators can no longer completely suppress information, though Tehran is trying.

The Shahs modernization policies over the long term had fostered a relatively well-educated population. There is a sizable middle class. The urban population has been expanding steadily.

Women play influential roles in a wide range of professions. The relatively modern economy  and society  contrast with other nations where fundamentalist Islam plays a major or dominant role.

Zbigniew Brzezinski, president Jimmy Carters national security adviser, remained an interested  and often acutely perceptive  analyst of Iran developments. Until his death in 2017, he regularly noted publicly that the fundamentalist mullahs running the country face very fundamental problems.

Without a new nuclear agreement, sanctions on Iran could eventually destroy the economy. Brzezinski believed Iran could move in the same direction as Turkey. That nation constitutionally is a secular state, and remains a faithful member of NATO, even though a fundamentalist political party controls the presidency.

Nearly a decade before the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, former President Richard Nixon in his book Beyond Peace argued that invading provocative Saddam Husseins Iraq would be a mammoth blunder, leading to expansion of the influence of Iran, our actual regional diplomatic and strategic rival.

History and current unfolding events confirm President Nixons insight, and should guide policy.

 Arthur I. Cyr is the author of After the Cold War  American Foreign Policy, Europe and Asia (Macmillan and NYU Press). Contact acyr@carthage.edu.

This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Arther Cyr: Iran presents an opportunity as well as a challenge
The Black Keys have released two albums since the last time they played Phoenix in 2019.

And to hear Dan Auerbach describe the thrill he gets just being in the studio with drummer Patrick Carney after 20 years, you get the sense that he'd be every bit as happy to have just kept making records while the amps were warm.

"We're both just totally addicted to recording even now," he says. "I don't know what it is. But we get such a high off getting in there and creating something out of nothing, pulling songs out of thin air. It's like this magic trick we learned to do when we were 16 and we never stopped. We never got tired of the trick."

The Black Keys reclaim their hill country roots with 'Delta Kream'

The first of those two albums, last year's "Delta Kream," is the sound of The Black Keys reclaiming their roots in the hill country blues they cut their teeth on in Akron, Ohio, covering R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, Mississippi Fred McDowell and more.

They didn't have much time to overthink the song selection, having tracked it in a single day on what Auerbach says was a whim.

He'd just finished producing an album in his Nashville studio, Easy Eye Sound, for Louisiana bluesman Robert Finley with bassist Kenny Brown and lead guitarist Eric Deaton.

"It was the first time I had ever worked with Kenny," Auerbach says. "And just hearing his playing reminded me of those records I loved so much like 'Too Bad Jim' by R.L. Burnside and 'Sad Days and Lonely Nights' by Junior Kimbrough."

Those are records he and Carney listened to "over and over again" while crisscrossing the country in a minivan. So he got Carney on the phone and asked if he was free the next day to record with Brown and Deaton.

"I knew that he would get a kick out of it," Auerbach recalls.

"So he came over and we cut the record in a day. Then we just sat on it for a few months, didn't even listen to it."

A year and a half later, they released the songs in all their ragged, unkempt glory.

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"We didn't touch it at all," the guitarist producer recalls.

"It's just a completely raw improvisation. We'd never played with a bassist before. We'd never played with Kenny Brown. We've never played with a percussionist. So it was all these new things."

They'd played those old familiar songs before, but not since they were starting out.

"It's music we'd obsessed over when we were younger," Auerbach says. "And it was very good for us. Reset our mainframes. And I think we were a little bit more comfortable to record extra raw and leave that gnarly first take on the record, which is what we did on 'Dropout Boogie.' Three or four songs are complete first takes."

Duane Eddy interview: How his road to the Hall of Fame started in a Phoenix junkyard

On 'Wild Child': 'We knew it was special'

Other songs on their latest release required more finesse.

"Some of the songs are a little more pop-minded, thinking about it in terms of, 'How do we make something catchy?'" he says. "We wanted to have some of those on the record. We also wanted to have some very raw improvisations. And I think we got a healthy mixture."

They also got a hit. "Wild Child," the first single released from "Dropout Boogie," topped Billboard's Rock and Alternative Airplay charts in May.

"As soon as we cut the instrumental, we knew it was special," Auerbach recalls.

"We had the chorus really quickly. And the instrumental was just jumping out of the speakers. So we took a little extra time. And we called in a couple friends to help us write. That was really the difference maker."

Being open to outside perspectives is something they picked up from working with Danger Mouse on a string of hit albums, from their 2008 mainstream breakthrough, "Attack & Release" through "Brothers," "El Camino" and 2014's "Turn Blue."

It also doesn't hurt that Carney nails the groove while also allowing the record to breathe.

"Pat's just a crazy good drummer," Auerbach says. "He's able to play real loose. He's also able to play super rock 'n' roll. And he's also able to play very dancey. I think the older he gets, the more confident he gets in his drumming. He's one of the best drummers I've ever played with."

"Pat's just a crazy good drummer," Dan Auerbach says of fellow Black Key Patrick Carney. "He's able to play real loose. He's also able to play super rock 'n' roll. And he's also able to play very dancey."

Then, Billy Gibbons showed up with a bottle of wine ... and no guitar

"Dropout Boogie" also features ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons on a track called "Good Love."

Surprisingly, given his age, 46, and his love of the blues, Auerbach came late to ZZ Top.

"I don't think either Pat or I really knew too much about ZZ Top, to be honest," Auerbach says. "I think we grew up knowing them as the guys from the music videos, 'Cheap Sunglasses' and stuff like that. My dad did not listen to ZZ Top. And so I wasn't really aware of their first couple albums or first records. I had never heard them."

The Black Keys were already touring by the time they got turned on to early ZZ Top.

"And it just really blew my mind," he says. "I didn't realize what an amazing drummer Frank Beard was, how great they were singing together, how catchy their songs were but how raw everything was. So it was really cool to hear."

He came away from that exposure feeling he'd discovered kindred spirits.

"I could hear what records Billy was copping on guitar and stuff like that, because I'd been obsessing over those blues records when I was young, and hearing their spin on that was really cool," Auerbach says. "I felt like we were definitely drinking from the same well."

Over the years, they became friends.

"I heard Billy was in town," Auerbach says. "He comes to Nashville often. So I texted him. I said, 'Me and Pat are in the studio jamming. Why don't you stop by if you get a free minute?' I didn't hear from him for hours, and then all of a sudden, I got a text. He said, 'I'm coming over, hombre.'"

Gibbons showed up with a bottle of wine and no guitar.

"I handed him a guitar and plugged it straight into an amp, no pedals, nothing," Auerbach recalls.

"Just turned the amp all the way up, poured him a glass of wine and we commenced to jamming for about an hour and a half. I think we came up with three or four song ideas. And one of those was 'Good Love.' That was just all improvising."

Why there's no major concerts at Arizona State Fair: And what to expect in 2023

Why The Black Keys are still going strong

It's been 12 years since "Tighten Up" became their first No. 1 on the Rock and Alternative charts. The fact that they can still be counted on to rock those charts all these years later is an impressive feat not lost on Auerbach.

"I mean, it's definitely a testament to how much we toured, building our fan base, and how amazing our fans are," he says.

"But we also put in the work. I think there's something to that. We were always willing to just do crazy (expletive) to try to succeed in this business, like driving 9,10,11,12 hours every single day for months for years. And every year, life got a little bit better.

'Like magic, sort of': Dan Auerbach reflects on chemistry he has with Patrick Carney

"Dropout Boogie" hit the streets in May, one day shy of the 20th anniversary of The Black Keys' debut, "The Big Come Up," an album he loves as much as ever.

"We learned how to play music together, how to record together, how to write songs together," he says. "Every time I hear our records, I hear us learning and growing. I know where our heads were and stuff like that. It's pretty interesting. I hear a record like that and I can hear the basement. The cinderblock walls."

He says it feels good to still be out there making music and touring arenas with The Black Keys after all these years. "It's just been a true blessing."

"I get to play music with my best friend from high school. And The Black Keys has allowed me to live a dream, to afford to have a studio and make records and run a record label. And I don't have to just think about hits. I can just work with people I really love and respect no matter what I think they're gonna be selling. I don't take it for granted, that's for sure."

The Black Keys

The Black Keys

When: 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10.

Where: Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix.

Admission: $34.50 and up.

Details: 602-254-7200, livenation.com.

Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Black Keys' Dan Auerbach talks 'Wild Child' and more on 2022 tour
Cheslie Kryst. John Lamparski/Getty Images

The 2022 Miss USA pageant was held in Reno, Nevada, where Cheslie Kryst was crowned in 2019.

Kryst died in January at the age of 30.

The pageant honored Kryst with a speech during the pageant and a moment of silence.

A new Miss USA was crowned at the Grand Sierra Resort and Spa in Reno, Nevada, on Monday night, just as Cheslie Kryst had been three years prior.

And Kryst's legacy was clear during the 2022 pageant as tributes poured in for the former beauty queen, who died by suicide in January. She was 30 years old.

Crystle Stewart, Miss USA 2008 and the current president of the Miss USA organization, previously told E! News that Reno was chosen for this year's competition in honor of Kryst.

The pageant opened with the message "In honor of Cheslie Kryst," and later in the evening, FYI correspondent Christian Murphy gave a speech about Kryst's impact on the pageant world.

"If you're lucky in life, you get the chance to know someone who lights up a room, makes every moment seem better, and makes you feel important with a simple gesture or a word," Murphy said. "That was Cheslie Kryst."

Miss USA Cheslie Kryst appears onstage at the 2019 Miss Universe Pageant at Tyler Perry Studios on December 08, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. Para Griffin/Getty Images

"Now, I had the privilege to work alongside her, and her accomplishments were literally endless," Murphy went on to say. "Cheslie was crowned Miss USA 2019. And in the words of her family, she embodied love, and served others, whether through her work as an attorney fighting for social justice, as Miss USA, and as a host on Extra. Most importantly as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor, and colleague."

"We know her influence will live on, and tonight we honor Cheslie," he said. "We were lucky to have her if for only what seems like a fleeting moment, and even more blessed that her light lives on."

Murphy's statements were followed by a moment of silence by the live audience at the pageant.

Kryst, who represented North Carolina during the 2019 Miss USA, became part of an iconic quartet after taking the crown. Her year marked the first time Miss Universe, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, and Miss America were all women of color.

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Miss USA Cheslie Kryst competes in the 2019 Miss Universe pageant. Miss Universe

"I just think this is an important moment," she told Insider at the time. "And maybe people can carry this inspiration into other areas of their lives."

Kryst also made history as the oldest woman to win Miss USA. She would go on to make the top 10 at Miss Universe that year.

Kryst was working as a host on Extra at the time of her death. She was also a complex-litigation attorney who worked pro bono with clients serving long sentences for low-level drug offenses.

She helped free one client who had been sentenced to life in prison and also spent years raising funds for the nonprofits Dress for Success and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

April Simpkins, Kryst's mother, said the pageant queen had high-functioning depression and hid it from everyone "until very shortly before her death."

Benjamin Askinas/The Miss Universe Organization

During an interview on "Red Table Talk," Simpkins revealed that Kryst had been "blindsided" by online criticism after winning Miss USA.

Simpkins said she hopes that by sharing more of Kryst's story, she can "encourage people to be kinder."

"People aren't kind sometimes to those who have mental challenges," she said. "And Cheslie knew that."

Read the original article on Insider
CHINA-TECHNOLOGY

A chip by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is seen at the 2020 World Semiconductor Conference in Nanjing in China's eastern Jiangsu province on August 26, 2020. Credit - STR / AFP- Getty Images

Are your customers concerned, one financial analyst asked Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) chairman Mark Liu last summer, when China from time to time threatens a war against Taiwan? CEOs are used to tough questions about capital expenditures and profit margins. Executives at the worlds largest producer of the semiconductors that power phones, computers, and data centers face more existential questions.

Making advanced chips requires using complex software, explosive chemicals, ultra-pure silicon, and machines costing hundreds of millions of dollars to pattern billions and billions of nanometer-sized transistors onto silicon wafers. For the past half-decade, TSMC has been the worlds leader, its engineers pioneering secret methods to pattern chips with unprecedented accuracy at unparalleled scale. TSMC has around 55% of the global market for contract chip fabrication, far above OPECs 40% market share for oil. And unlike the oil market, where each barrel is more or less the same, there are vast differences between types of chip. Taiwan produces almost all the most advanced processors, a market position that makes Saudi Arabias 12% share of global oil production look unimpressive.

Each year, nearly a third of the new computing power we rely on each is fabricated in Taiwan. This has made TSMC one of the most valuable companies in the world. It has also left the entire worlds digital infrastructure dependent on a small island that China considers a rogue province and that America has pledged to defend by force.

The more indispensable TSMC has become to the global economy, the more risk has risen. Even investors who for years chose to ignore the growing severity of the U.S.-China antagonism began looking nervously at the map of TSMCs chip fabs, arrayed along the western coast of the Taiwan Strait. TSMCs chairman insists that there is no reason for concern. As to the invasion of China, let me tell you, he declared in 2021, everybody wants to have a peaceful Taiwan Strait. Taipei-born, Berkeley-educated, and Bell Labstrained, Liu has an impeccable chipmaking record. His skill in assessing the risk of war, however, has yet to be tested. Peace in the Taiwan Strait is to every countrys benefit, he argued, given the worlds reliance on the semiconductor supply chain in Taiwan. No one wants to disrupt it.

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In the U.S., discussion of the semiconductor shortage has centered on the deficit of chips for autos that froze car factories for parts of 2021 and 2022. Yet the worlds chip firms actually produced more semiconductors over the course of the pandemic8% more in 2020 and 20% more in 2021. The shortage resulted from higher demand, not from problems with supply.

And yet, it isnt difficult to imagine ways in which the supply of semiconductors could collapse. In July 2021, the day after TSMCs Liu predicted a peaceful Taiwan Strait, dozens of Peoples Liberation Army Type 05 amphibious armored vehicles stormed off the Chinese coast into the ocean. Though they look like tanks, these vehicles are equally capable of driving on beaches as they are of speeding through the water like small boats. Theyd be instrumental in any PLA amphibious assault. After motoring into the ocean, dozens of these vehicles approached landing ships stationed offshore, driving from the water up onto the ships, where they prepared for a long-distance sea-crossing, Chinese state media reported. The landing ships steamed toward their target. Upon arrival, wide doors in the ships bows swung open and amphibious vehicles streamed off into the water, making their way to the beach and firing their guns as they went.

This time, it was just an exercise. Over the next few days, the PLA launched other drills near the north and south entrances to the Taiwan Strait. We must train hard under scenarios just like those in real battles, be combat-ready at all times and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Chinas Global Times newspaper quoted one battalion commander as saying. When Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August this year, China responded with a similar set of military exercises.

The Pentagons public reports on Chinese military power have identified multiple ways China could use force against Taiwan. The most straightforwardbut most unlikelyis a D-Day style invasion, with hundreds of Chinese ships steaming across the Strait and landing thousands of PLA infantrymen on shore. The history of amphibious invasions is littered with disasters, however, and the Pentagon judges that such an operation would strain the PLAs capabilities.

Other options would be easier for the PLA to implement. A partial air and maritime blockade would be impossible for Taiwan to defeat on its own. Even without a blockade, a Chinese air and missile campaign alone could defang Taiwans military and shut down the countrys economy without placing a single pair of Chinese boots on the ground. In a couple days, absent immediate U.S. and Japanese aid, Chinese air and missile forces could probably disarm key Taiwanese military assetsairfields, radar facilities, communications hubs, and the likewithout destroying the islands productive capacity.

This photo taken on March 25, 2021 shows a factory of Taiwanese semiconductors manufacturer TSMC at Central Taiwan Science Park in Taichung. Sam Yeh- AFP/Getty Images)

TSMCs chairman is certainly right that no one wants to disrupt the semiconductor supply chains that crisscross the Taiwan Strait. But everyone would like to control them. The idea that China would simply destroy TSMCs facilities out of spite doesnt make sense, because China would suffer as much as anyone, especially since the U.S. and its friends would still have access to other advanced semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S., South Korea, and Europe.

Nor has it ever been realistic that Chinese forces could invade and straightforwardly seize TSMCs facilities. Theyd soon discover that crucial materials and software updates for irreplaceable tools must be acquired from the U.S., Japan, and other countries. Moreover, if China were to invade, its unlikely to capture all TSMC employees. If China did, it would only take a handful of angry engineers to sabotage the entire operation. The PLAs proven it can seize Himalayan peaks from India on the two countries disputed border, but grabbing the worlds most complex factories, full of the worlds most precise machinerythats a different matter entirely.

However, its easy to imagine a way that an accident, like a collision in air or at sea, could spiral into a disastrous war that neither side wants. Its also perfectly reasonable to think China might conclude that military pressure without a full-scale invasion could decisively undermine Americas implicit security guarantee and fatally demoralize Taiwan. Beijing knows that Taiwans defense strategy is to fight long enough for the U.S. and Japan to have time to arrive and help. The island is so small relative to the cross-strait superpower that theres no realistic option besides counting on friends. Imagine if Beijing were to use its navy to impose customs checks on a fraction of the ships sailing in and out of Taipei. How would the U.S. respond? A blockade is an act of war, but no one would want to shoot first. If the U.S. did nothing, the impact on Taiwans will to fight could be devastating. If China then demanded that TSMC restart chip fabrication for Huawei and other Chinese companies, or even to transfer critical personnel and know-how to the mainland, would Taiwan be able to say no?

Such a series of moves would be risky for Beijing, but they wouldnt be unthinkable. Chinas ruling party repeatedly promises to assert control over Taiwan. The government has passed an Anti-Secession Law envisioning the potential use of what it calls non-peaceful means in the Taiwan Strait. Its invested heavily in the type of military systems, like amphibious assault vehicles, needed for a cross-strait invasion. It exercises these capabilities regularly. Analysts uniformly agree that the military balance in the Strait has shifted decisively in Chinas direction.

Read More: Can American Make Advanced Chips Again?

Long gone are the days, as during the 1996 Taiwan Strait crisis, that the U.S. could simply sail an entire aircraft carrier battlegroup through the Strait to force Beijing to stand down. Now such an operation would be fraught with risk for the U.S. warships. Today Chinese missiles threaten not only U.S. ships around Taiwan but bases as far away as Guam and Japan. The stronger the PLA gets, the less likely the U.S. is to risk war to defend Taiwan. If China were to try a campaign of limited military pressure on Taiwan, its more likely than ever that the U.S. might look at the correlation of forces and conclude that pushing back isnt worth the risk.

If China were to succeed in pressuring Taiwan into giving Beijing equal accessor even preferential accessto TSMCs fabs, the U.S. and Japan would surely respond by placing new limits on the export of advanced machinery and materials, which largely come from these two countries and their European allies. But it would take years to replicate Taiwans chipmaking capacity in other countries, and in the meantime wed still depend on Taiwan. If so, wed find ourselves not only reliant on China to assemble our iPhones. Beijing could conceivably gain influence or control of the only fabs with the technological capability and production capacity to churn out the chips we depend on.

Such a scenario would be disastrous for Americas economic and geopolitical position. It would be even worse if a war knocked out TSMCs fabs. The world economy and the supply chains that crisscross Asia and the Taiwan Strait are predicated on this precarious peace. Every company thats invested on either side of the Taiwan Strait, from Apple to Huawei to TSMC, is implicitly betting on peace. Trillions of dollars are invested in firms and facilities within easy missile shot of the Taiwan Strait, in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, Fujian and Taipei. The worlds chip industry, as well as the assembly of all the electronic goods chips enable, depends more on the Taiwan Strait and the South China coast than on any other chunk of the worlds territory except Silicon Valley.

Business as usual is not nearly as fraught in Californias tech epicenter. Most of Silicon Valleys knowledge could be easily relocated in case of war or earthquake. This was tested during the pandemic, when almost all the regions workers were told to stay home. Big tech firms profits even went up. If Facebooks fancy headquarters were to sink into the San Andreas Fault, the company might barely notice.

If TSMCs fabs were to slip into the Chelungpu Fault, whose movement caused Taiwans last big earthquake in 1999, the reverberations would shake the global economy. It would only take a handful of explosions, deliberate or accidental, to cause vast damage.

The post-COVID semiconductor shortage was a reminder that chips arent only needed in phones and computers. Airplanes and autos, microwaves and manufacturing equipmentproducts of all types would face devastating delays. Around one-third of PC processor production, including chips designed by Apple and AMD, would be knocked offline until new fabs could be built elsewhere. Growth in data center capacity would slow dramatically, especially for servers focused on AI algorithms, which are more reliant on Taiwan-manufactured chips from companies like Nvidia and AMD. Other data infrastructure would be hit harder. New 5G radio units, for example, require chips from several different firms, many of which are made in Taiwan. Thered be an almost complete halt to the rollout of 5G networks.

It would make sense to halt cell phone network upgrades because it would be extremely difficult to buy a new phone, too. Most smartphone processors are fabricated in Taiwan, as are many of the dozen plus chips that go into a typical phone. Autos can require hundreds of chips to work, so wed face delays far more severe than the shortages of 2021. Of course, if a war broke out, wed need to think about a lot more than chips. Chinas vast electronics assembly infrastructure could be cut off. Wed have to find other people to screw together whatever phones and computers we had components for.

Yet it would be far easier to find new assembly workersas difficult as that would bethan to replicate Taiwans chipmaking facilities. The challenge wouldnt simply be building new fabs. Those facilities would need trained personnel, unless somehow many TSMC staff could be exfiltrated from Taiwan. Even still, new fabs must be stocked with machinery, like tools from ASML and Applied Materials. During the 2021 chip shortage, ASML and Applied Materials both announced they were facing delays in producing machinery because they couldnt acquire enough semiconductors. In case of a Taiwan crisis, theyd face delays in acquiring the chips their machinery requires.

After a disaster in Taiwan, the total costs of the semiconductor shortage would be measured in the trillions. Losing a third of our production of computing power each year could well be more costly than the COVID pandemic and its economically disastrous lockdowns. It would take at least half a decade to rebuild the lost chipmaking capacity. These days, when we look five years out we hope to be building 5G networks and metaverses, but if Taiwan were taken offline we might find ourselves struggling to acquire dishwashers.

Read More: How the U.S. Could Sleepwalk Into War with China

Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen recently argued in Foreign Affairs that the islands chip industry is a silicon shield that allows Taiwan to protect itself and others from aggressive attempts by authoritarian regimes to disrupt global supply chains. Thats a highly optimistic way of looking at the situation. The islands chip industry certainly forces the U.S. to take Taiwans defense more seriously. However, the concentration of semiconductor production in Taiwan also puts the world economy at risk if the silicon shield doesnt deter China. Looking at the role of semiconductors in the Russia-Ukraine War, one Chinese government analyst recently publicly argued that if tensions between the U.S. and China intensify, we must seize TSMC.

Its now common to describe the U.S.-China antagonism as a second Cold War. Cold War I had its own standoffs over Taiwan, of course, in 1954 and again in 1958, after Mao Zedongs military barraged Taiwanese-held islands with artillery. Today Taiwan is within range of far more destructive Chinese forcesnot only an array of short- and medium-range missiles, but also aircraft from the Longtian and Huian airbases on the Chinese side of the Strait, from which its only a seven-minute flight to Taiwan. Not coincidentally, in 2021 these airbases were upgraded with new bunkers, runway extensions, and missile defenses.

A new Taiwan Strait crisis would be far more dangerous than the crises of the 1950s. Thered still be the risk of nuclear war, especially given Chinas growing atomic arsenal. But rather than a standoff over an impoverished island, this time the battleground would be the beating heart of the digital world. Whats worse is that unlike in the 1950s, its not clear the Peoples Liberation Army would eventually back down. This time, Beijing might wager that it could well win.

Adapted from Chris Millers new book, Chip War: The Fight for the Worlds Most Critical Technology
A healthcare worker vaccinating against Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on March 21, 2021. Alain Uaykani/Xinhua via Getty Images

An Ebola outbreak that began in September is spreading quickly in Uganda.

So far, four healthcare workers have died battling the outbreak.

This strain of Ebola isn't covered by existing vaccines or treatments, so prevention is key.

At least four healthcare workers are dead in Uganda as a dangerous strain of Ebola spreads in certain sections of the country. Early estimates suggest at least two dozen people have been killed by the virus since the outbreak began in September.

This particular kind of Ebola, called Sudan Ebolavirus, is different from the one existing vaccines were designed to combat. There are no vaccines or treatment for it yet.

"This is another wake-up call for the international community," Kartik Chandran, a virologist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, told The Wall Street Journal. "The medical community has to keep working on vaccines and therapeutics that work on multiple strains, not just a single strain."

(Existing vaccines target the Zaire Ebolavirus. There is one vaccine from Johnson & Johnson which might work in some capacity against the Sudan strain  but it hasn't been clinically tested for that purpose yet.)

Stop shaking hands, authorities warn

For now, health authorities in Uganda are stressing that people should not shake hands, or treat the virus with home remedies like ginger and garlic, saying instead that sick patients should be isolated away from others as quickly as possible.

Ebola can spread easily via touch, or contact with bodily fluids including saliva, blood, vomit, semen, and urine. Unlike COVID, Ebola is not transmitted before people show symptoms, which can include fever, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, and unexplained bleeding or bruising. But, Ebola can come on suddenly, and early symptoms can easily be mistaken for malaria or other illnesses.

A midwife and a doctor are dead

Medical workers disinfect beds at an Ebola treatment center in Mubende District, Uganda, September 21, 2022. Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua via Getty Images

The Sudan Ebola strain is slightly less deadly than the Zaire Ebolavirus that existing vaccines can prevent  but it is still very fatal. World Health Organization estimates suggest the fatality rate for Sudan Ebolavirus can range anywhere from 41% to 100%.

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Official numbers from the ministry of health in Uganda tally nine confirmed deaths and 43 confirmed Ebola cases in this outbreak so far, but there are likely many more. According to the WHO, the outbreak may have began about three weeks before the first case was noticed, and some transmission chains have not been tracked at all, especially in a region near an active gold mine, where people are traveling in and out frequently.

Nabisubi Margaret, a 58 year old health worker, died on Wednesday "after battling the disease for 17 days," Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, Uganda's minister of health, tweeted. She is at least the fourth healthcare worker who has died during the current outbreak. The others included a midwife, a health assistant, and a doctor.

Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero (@JaneRuth_Aceng) October 1, 2022

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Dr. Mehmet Oz, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, speaks during a campaign stop in Erie, Pa., Thursday, September 29, 2022. David Dermer/AP

Dr. Oz is fighting his Istanbul-based sister over the rental income from two Manhattan apartments.

The TV doctor-turned-Senate candidate is making a 'money grab,' his sister's lawyer said Thursday.

The rent squabble is part of a multi-million-dollar inheritance battle spanning the US and Turkey.

Settlement talks ended without agreement Thursday in the New York portion of an ugly, cross-continental battle over the multi-million-dollar family fortune of TV personality-turned-Pennsylvania GOP senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Oz and his Istanbul-based sister, Nazlim Oz, were not present as their lawyers clashed in a Manhattan courtroom, but in one heated moment, Oz was accused by his sister's lawyer of making a "grab" for the rental income from two condos in the city's Upper East Side.

"This is what I call a money grab," Nazlim Oz's lawyer said during an otherwise calm hearing before New York Supreme Court Justice Suzanne Adams, accusing Dr. Oz of unilaterally stowing the disputed rent in a private account instead of letting a judge or jury decide who gets it.

The harsh words and settlement collapse were the latest development in an ongoing battle over millions of dollars left by the squabbling siblings' father, Mustafa Oz, a wealthy Turkish surgeon and investor who died in 2019.

Dr. Oz meanwhile remains a contender in another heated and controversy-dense battle  the contest for a US Senate seat in Pennsylvania, in which Democratic opponent John Fetterman most recently slammed him as a "puppy killer."

Oz personally owns at least 10 properties, including a New Jersey mansion and a Pennsylvania farmhouse he claims as his residences.

In the 2020 lawsuit on the docket Thursday, his sister Nazlim Oz alleges that the former "Dr. Oz Show" host is failing to forward to her the combined $15,000-a-month rental income for two additional properties, a pair of three-bedroom apartments that had been owned by their father.

Dr. Oz counters that his sister is under investigation by Turkish authorities for allegedly forging the father's signature; on Thursday Dr. Oz's lawyer asked the judge to let that much larger investigation play out before deciding the apartment matter.

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Dr. Oz and his California-based sister, Seval Oz, have also sued the Istanbul-based sister in the Turkish courts, alleging she has looted $2.9 million of their father's money and stashed it in accounts in Holland, India and the Cayman Islands.

"Dr. Oz was acting prudently, in light of what we've seen in the Turkish matter," Dr. Oz's lawyer, Michael J. Cohen, told the judge Thursday in asking that the apartment rental lawsuit be for now put on hold.

Besides, Cohen argued  there's zero evidence that the Istanbul-based sister ever received income from the two condos, even when their father was alive.

"While Nazlim claims that Dr. Oz has cut off her distributions, it in fact appears that she was never receiving any distributions," Cohen said.

The documents also show that the apartments aren't generating anywhere near $15,000 a month, he added.

But the sister's lawyer, Laurence J. Lebowitz, noted that it would be unfair to put the rent battle on ice until the Turkish authorities and courts complete their work.

"There's no telling when the Turkish inheritance matters will be resolved," Lebowitz said, adding that allegations that Nazlim committed forgery and theft are, "by no means proven."

The judge did not set a date for a decision on Dr. Oz's request to hold off on, or "stay," his sister's lawsuit pending resolutions in Turkey.

"The discussions were preliminary," the lawyer for Nazlim Oz said when asked about the settlement talks. "There is nothing of substance to report at this time." The lawyer for Dr. Oz did not respond to a request for comment.

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Evelyn Hockstein-Pool/Getty Image

Warren and Nadler reintroduced a bill to reform the bankruptcy system for student-loan borrowers.

It would simplify the process for borrowers to get rid of the debt with approval from a judge.

Borrowers currently have to prove a very strict standard to discharge their debt in court.

Two Democratic lawmakers want to ensure President Joe Biden's student-loan forgiveness isn't the only route to relief borrowers will get.

Last week, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and House Judiciary Chair Jerrold Nadler reintroduced the Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act, which would simplify the bankruptcy system and ensure a path to relief for Americans who have no other way out of debt.

For student-loan borrowers in particular, getting rid of debt through bankruptcy is very difficult due to the strict standard of undue hardship, which requires a borrower to prove that they cannot maintain a minimal standard of living, that their circumstances aren't likely to improve, and that they have made a good-faith effort to repay their debt.

Warren and Nadler's legislation would make the process easier for borrowers who have no other way to pay off their loans.

"The Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act takes long overdue steps to make it a little easier and a little less expensive for people who are in deep financial trouble to get meaningful bankruptcy relief," Warren said in a statement. "I'm grateful to be working with Chairman Nadler on this important legislation to give struggling families a better chance to get back on their feet."

The bill would create a new Chapter 10 bankruptcy code, according to CBS News, which would allow student loans to be treated like credit cards and other forms of consumer debt  meaning student-loan borrowers could file for Chapter 10 and get their student loans discharged through a simpler process once a judge approves it.

Along with provisions to help student-loan borrowers, the bill would also close loopholes in the bankruptcy code that aid wealthy people and address racial and gender disparities by exempting income related to child support, the child tax credit, and the Earned Income Tax Credit from factoring into a borrowers' financial capabilities of paying off debt.

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Warren and some of her Democratic colleagues have previously expressed the need to reform the bankruptcy system for student-loan borrowers. In September, she wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland regarding the undue hardship standard, which "has proven to be so difficult to meet that most borrowers do not even attempt to discharge their student loans through bankruptcy."

"To support the administration's efforts to overhaul the student loan system and ensure that bankruptcy relief is a viable option for borrowers in severe financial straits, it is critical that you issue and implement this updated guidance without delay," she wrote.

While Biden's administration has committed to reforming the student-loan bankruptcy process, little progress has been made so far. Federal Student Aid head Richard Cordray told a House education subcommittee last fall that "the process doesn't work well. It needs to be reformed  and we're committed to doing that." But throughout the pandemic, the administration has continued to oppose borrowers' requests to seek debt relief in court, prompting an increased push from Democratic lawmakers to reform the process as soon as possible.

And, as Insider previously reported, Biden himself has played a role in making bankruptcy standards stricter. In 2005, he supported the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act as a senator, which expanded the undue hardship requirement to borrowers with private student loans, expanding the scope of borrowers who would have to prove their dire financial situation in court.

Warren and Nadler's bill has also received support from 86 law professors who wrote in a letter last week that "the existing consumer bankruptcy system is too expensive and too complex to serve this function. Its doors are often shut to people who need to file because they cannot afford to hire an attorney to help them."

"The Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act turns back the clock and makes student loans subject to the bankruptcy discharge," they wrote. "Debtors who can pay will not be able to walk away from their obligationsstudent loans or otherwise. But for debtors who cannot pay, allowing student debt relief will release people from the burden of student loans and will help the economy by freeing up income for productive investment, such as purchasing homes and starting families."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Herschel Walker, US Republican Senate candidate for Georgia, speaks to members of the media following a campaign rally in Macon, Georgia, US, on Wednesday, May 18, 2022. Heisman Trophy-winner Walker is vying to face incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock in his first political run.

Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty

Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker has suffered a blow in the polls this week following a one-two punch of controversy that could stand in the way of unseating incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock.

On Monday The Daily Beast alleged that Walker, who is outspokenly anti-choice, paid for a woman to abort his child back in 2009  a claim he vehemently denies. On its own, it's an allegation he could probably overcome, much like other scandals that have routinely popped up throughout his campaign and quickly faded out of voters' memory. But what really called his candidacy into question was how his own son, a popular right-wing social media personality, reacted.

Christian Walker, 23, aligns with his father on most political issues. The two are pro-MAGA, anti-"woke" and prominent contributors to the far-right culture wars. Since the day that Walker tossed his hat into the ring for the Georgia battleground race, Christian had appeared to support him, excitedly endorsing the campaign in a podcast episode on the day his candidacy was declared.

Christian Walker, son of Senate candidate Herschel Walker

Christian Walker/Instagram Christian Walker

But on Monday night, Christian's public attitude toward his father changed in a series of tweets suggesting Walker should not be trusted.

"I know my mom and I would really appreciate if my father Herschel Walker stopped lying and making a mockery of us," Christian wrote on Twitter Monday night. (Christian's mother is Cindy DeAngelis Grossman, who is no longer married to Walker.)

He continued the tirade against Walker, claiming, "You're not a 'family man' when you left us to bang a bunch of women, threatened to kill us, and had us move over 6 times in 6 months running from your violence."

RELATED: Herschel Walker's Son Christian Breaks Ties with Father amid Tense Ga. Senate Run: 'Everything Has Been a Lie'

In a follow-up tweet, Christian wrote: "I don't care about someone who has a bad past and takes accountability. But how DARE YOU LIE and act as though you're some 'moral, Christian, upright man.' You've lived a life of DESTROYING other peoples lives. How dare you."

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Christian posted two videos online Tuesday morning that elaborated on some of the frustrations he laid out, accusing Walker of being an absentee father to all his children and downplaying "atrocities" committed against his ex-wife (during their marriage, Grossman claimed that Walker held a gun to her head while they were married, which he chalked up to his dissociative identity disorder; court records show she obtained a protective order against him three years after their divorce).

"I was silent lie after lie after lie," Christian said in one of the videos, before accusing Walker of continuing to lie this week by denying that he paid for a former girlfriend's abortion. Christian said "it's literally his handwriting" displayed on a post-abortion get well card that The Daily Beast published alongside their allegation.

Ive stayed silent for nearly two years as my whole life has been lied about publicly. I did ONE campaign event, then said I didnt want involvement.



Dont you dare test my authenticity. Here is the full story: pic.twitter.com/ekVEcz8zq3  Christian Walker (@ChristianWalk1r) October 4, 2022

For most of the 2022 election cycle, Walker has been viewed as Republicans' best hope for taking back the Senate, currently split 50-50 with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie in Democrats' favor. He entered the race with momentum, backed by family friend Donald Trump, but has routinely faced criticism as unglamorous moments from his past surface.

RELATED: Did Herschel Walker Lie About Lying? GOP Senate Candidate Denies Making False Claim About Graduating College

Donald Trump and Herschel Walker

Even in the face of scandal, Walker has chugged along in his campaign. Prior to this week he was sitting at an average of only 2.1 points behind Warnock in polls, according to election tracking site FiveThirtyEight.

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Then fresh polls dropped on Wednesday, which surveyed likely voters during the timeframe that Walker's campaign began imploding.

One B-rated poll conducted by InsiderAdvantage on Tuesday showed Warnock leading Walker 47% to 44%, which placed Walker within the margin of error. But an A-rated poll conducted by SurveyUSA over the past five days put Warnock 12% ahead, alluding to a dark cloud looming over Walker's head in the final weeks of the election.
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STORY: A sight now all too familiar in Haiti:Anti-government protests, descending into the looting of stores rocks thrown at police who respond by firing tear gas.Port-au-Prince was engulfed in another day of protests on Monday.This time against the US and Canada sending military gear  such as armoured vehicles - to Haitian law enforcement last week, to help it combat local gangs.Some demonstrators waved Russian flags, in an apparent act of rejecting western foreign powers.No to the Canadians, no to the Americans. You are monsters, you don't have solutions. You are chaos.You are behind the gangsterization of crime. You are giving arms to our brothers and those who are in underprivileged neighbourhoods.On Monday, the US and Mexico proposed deploying a security mission to restore order in Haiti amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.Also put forward was a sanctions regime that would target anyone who threatened the peace in Haiti.These moves are aimed at breaking the chokehold local gangs have over Haitis fuel supply.Gangs have blockaded Haitis main fuel port for nearly a month, halting transport and leaving many Haitians without food or clean water amid an outbreak of cholera.The UN says more than 4 million Haitians now face acute food insecurity, as looting and gang shootouts becoming increasingly common.At a UN Security Council meeting, Chinese and Russian representatives rejected the idea of a security mission, saying Haitian leaders have openly opposed foreign intervention.A UN peacekeeping mission known as MINUSTAH, which operated in Haiti between 2004 and 2017, faced harsh criticism from its role handling a cholera outbreak in 2010, to allegations of sexual abuse.
By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, French President Emmanuel Macron, and President of the European Council Charles Michel are expected to hold a joint meeting on October 7.

It is expected that the meeting will take place in Prague within the framework of the meeting of the European Political Community.

Meanwhile, EU diplomat Josep Borrell noted that Brussels is working to have a border commission meeting before the end of this month.

"We do not spare diplomatic efforts. We mobilize the resources we have," Borrell added.

Azerbaijan offered Armenia to hold the third meeting of the commission on the delimitation of the state border in October, and not in November, as previously planned. The meeting is planned to be held in Brussels.

It is worth noting that earlier, Pashinyan and Macron met in Paris to discuss the latest regional developments.

Talking about the escalations at the border, Macron stated 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.

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.

On October 2, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan met to negotiate a draft peace treaty in Geneva.

To recap, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met for the fourth time in Brussels on August 31 under the auspices of EU Council President Charles Michel to look into ways of expediting preparations for drafting a peace deal.

After the meeting, Michel said that Azerbaijan and Armenia decided to accelerate substantive work on the peace treaty governing inter-state ties between the two countries and tasked the foreign ministers to meet within a month to work on a draft text.

The parties also thoroughly discussed humanitarian issues, like demining, detainees, and the fate of missing people.

The leaders assessed progress on all issues relating to border delimitation and how to best guarantee a stable situation and agreed that the next Border Commissions meeting to be held in Brussels in November.

The parties discussed the status of negotiations on the mechanisms of unblocking transport lines.
The City of Dothans efforts to reimagine the heart of downtown and the Highway 84 East corridor have been recognized by the Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association.

Dothan was recently selected to receive the 2022 Franklin M. Setzer Urban Design Award. The award, nominated by the Wiregrass Foundation, will be presented at this years chapter annual conference in Orange Beach.

The award is given in memory of Frank Setzer, the former director of the Auburn University Architecture and Urban Studies Center in Birmingham and recognizes projects in which design is an integral part of the planning process and is a major concern of the built environment.

While recognizing more than six years of planning focused on the Highway 84 East corridor, the award specifically recognizes the work currently being done to reimagine the Dothan City Center, according to a news release. The Dothan City Center Design and Redevelopment Plan, according to the release, presents a powerful urban design scheme that skillfully bridges the architecture of earlier times with new and varied design schemes to accommodate revitalization of the City Center.

Tuesday, a public input meeting was held at the Wiregrass Museum of Art for part of the City Centers Phase I  a pedestrian plaza that creates a visual line from Foster Street to St. Andrews Street, creating pedestrian-friendly open spaces downtown with water features, seating, shade, landscaping, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Other aspects to the City Center project include an addition to the Dothan Opera House, an art and innovation center, and an events arena. Early plans also dedicate space for a parking deck and a boutique hotel downtown.

A new overlay district for Highway 84 East establishes long-term planning, design and zoning for a corridor that runs through downtown and all the way out to the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. The concept for the corridor is to create opportunities for people to live, play, and work in the same area of town.
Ana Gore grew up learning English and Spanish simultaneously. At home, her Peruvian mother would primarily talk to her in Spanish, while her American father spoke to her in English.

But early on in life, Gore lost her fluency in Spanish. Her family in Peru didnt expect her to speak the language, and when she did, it was a big dealit was just not the kind of attention that I wanted. And she compared her level of fluency to her older sisters Spanish.

She kind of had this basically, like, perfect Spanish and I was far enough behind that it was kind of that feeling of like shame that, if I wasn't able to do it perfectly, I shouldn't do it at all, said Gore, a 20-year-old college student in Chicago.

Many U.S.-born Latinos like Gore face the pressure and expectation to speak fluent Spanish. But many factors, including English dominance and language discrimination, make maintaining Spanish difficult for many Latino families in the United States.

Even though the number of Latinos who speak Spanish at home has been growing, the share has declined  from 78% in 2000 to 68% in 2021, according to the Pew Research Center. Among U.S.-born Latinos, the share has decreased from 66% to 55%.

The drop in the share of Latinos speaking Spanish at home is because the growth of the Latino population has been driven by births as immigration from Latin America has slowed. In 2020 and 2021, virtually all Hispanic population growth came from births, according to Pew.

We're talking about the share of Latinx people in the United States who speak Spanish the share is decreasing because the language is being lost among the U.S. born, said Phillip Carter, a professor of linguistics at Florida International University.

Little Havana locals play dominoes in historic Domino Park. The once predominantly Cuban neighborhood has changed dramatically in recent years, with new development and changing demographics. Little Havana is no longer majority Cuban, making up only a third of the local population.

Language abilities tend to diminish across generations. In the United States, immigrant languages that arent English are usually lost after three generations. According to a 2017 report by Pew, about half of second-generation Latinos are bilingual. The share drops to 24% among third or higher generation Latinos.

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Spanish, however, may be retained longer than other languages in areas of the country like Floridas Miami-Dade County, where theres a large percentage of Spanish speakers, or Texas, where the language has a historical presence, Carter said.

On the one hand, Spanish can, depending on the region, hang on longer than other languages, Carter said. On the other hand, Spanish can be exceptionally stigmatized in certain parts of the country, and linked, because of political discourses, to toxic identities, identities that are constructed as criminal.

Language discrimination

For many Latinos, it takes an extraordinary effort to preserve their Spanish, said Lourdes Torres, a professor in DePaul Universitys Department of Latin American and Latino Studies in Chicago.

The loss of Spanish is not due to an individual problem of Latinos not wanting to learn or maintain the language but rather the really hostile context in the U.S. against other languages, especially Spanish and indigenous languages, languages that aren't considered prestigious, and the people who speak it, Torres said.

During the first year of the pandemic, half of Latinos in the United States reported experiencing some form of discrimination and about 23% said they were criticized for speaking Spanish in public, according to Pew.

First generation parents, for example, suffer a lot when they get here because they don't speak English or they don't speak English well, said Torres, whose book on Spanish language use in Chicago comes out next year. And they dont want the same thing for their kids. Instead of promoting bilingualism, often, parents to save their own kids from the agony that they had, the discrimination that they felt because of the language they push them to just learn English.

It wasnt until Gore enrolled in a course for heritage speakers of Spanish at DePaul that she was able to regain a lot of her fluency. She took the class to challenge herself and because her mom always wanted her to have a connection to the language.

I had a very hard relationship with Spanish for years, Gore said. I almost couldn't make the words come out of my mouth. I could think them and I understood what people were saying, but I just couldn't get the words to come out because I was just terrified of speaking it.

DePaul University in Chicago

Some Latino families do emphasize Spanish or speak only Spanish at home, Torres said. But once the child starts school, the curriculum is entirely in English, making it hard to maintain the language.

In the early 20th century, English-only curriculums in schools were the norm, even though theres no official language in the United States, said Laura K. Munoz, an assistant professor of history and ethnic studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

We have an expectation that these children will be truly assimilated into the English language to the detriment of their own native language, because the goal here is to strip them of Spanish, ideally to strip them of their cultural ways to Americanize them, Munoz said.

By the late 19th century, Arizona, for instance, required English-only instruction in every school in the territory, Munoz said. And in California, it wasn't until 1947 that a federal court ruled to end segregated schools for Mexican children  the first federal school desegregation decision in the country.

We assume that this failure to maintain the language has something to do with us  with the way that we were raised, with the inability of our parents to succeed at teaching Spanish  when in fact there are so many other pressures coming at both the parents and the children, Munoz said. "When I think about Spanish language loss, the big word is lastima.

Preserving the language

For Munoz, the loss of Spanish makes many Latinos question their own identity. The big question many who have lost their Spanish ask themselves, she said, is, Am I truly Latino?

We believe (Spanish) is a marker of identity because people on the outside are telling us Oh, well, you're not a true Latinx if you don't speak Spanish, Munoz said. We've been in American school systems that have told us Well, you're not a true American and you don't speak English. So when you're caught between that sort of rock and a hard place, it makes you question your identity.

Latino families watch the traditional Mexican Mariachi dance during the Hispanic Heritage Month at St. Catherine of Siena Parish Catholic Church in South Phoenix.

For many younger Latinos, however, not speaking Spanish doesnt strip them of their identity.

There's a lot of judgment if you're a Latino who doesn't speak Spanish, Gore said. It's very stigmatized, and I think that it probably shouldn't be because, you know, it's not because of the child.

Losing a language at a certain point in ones life doesnt mean its lost forever. With the right motivation and encouragement, people can regain comfort in the language, Torres said.

Languages can be revived, Torres said. All it takes is desire and the right context, and people can reconnect with their language.

For Gore, regaining her Spanish fluency has been a relief. Her connection to Spanish, she said, is now at a point of healing.

I've had a lot of kind of emotional turmoil and kind of trauma related to it, Gore said. But now it's much safer and more of a haven where I feel comfortable with myself and not just being half Latino, but being a full person with multiple languages and multiple cultures and those things don't need to split me up as a person.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spanish language loss in US-born Latinos as generations advance
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty

Faced with mounting economic costs from sanctions on the Russian government and increasingly explicit nuclear threats from the Kremlin, the Biden administration still believes that a war of attrition is the only way to beat Vladimir Putin.

The newest tranche of sanctions punishing Russia for its illegal annexation of four Ukrainian provinces wont turn the tide in the war, administration officials said on Friday, but are the safest way to continue backing the Ukrainian resistance without risking direct American involvement.

The sanctions element of our strategy, the economic pressure that we are placing on Russia, and the denial of their ability to gather what they need to be able to regenerate their war machine, this has been a critical element to how we have prosecuted our strategy so far, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters in the White House briefing room. The impacts of it will continue to be felt month on month as we go forward and put us in a stronger position, and Russia in a more disadvantaged position.

Draft Dodgers Slam Putins War After Finally Escaping Russia

Sullivans remarks came hours after the Commerce, State and Treasury departments announced new economic, diplomatic and financial actions against Russia and its leadership in response to Putins announcement on Friday morning that four Ukrainian provinces are now Russian territory.

People living in Luhansk and Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are becoming our citizens. Forever, Putin said in a speech from the Kremlin on Friday morning, naming the four Ukrainian provinces, which make up nearly one-fifth of Ukraines territory. The annexationwhich is illegal under international law and was met with a range of sanctions, visa restrictions and other economic measures by allied governments around the worldwas widely expected by U.S. officials in the months leading up to Putins announcement, though the debate over the Biden administrations response was a matter of internal dispute.

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What is a proportionate response to the illegal seizure of one-fifth of an allys territory? one senior U.S. official told The Daily Beast before a series of sham elections in the occupied provinces that were used to justify Putins annexation address. Russia waited seven years after annexing Crimea to mount another pretext-less invasion of Ukrainewithout a proportionate response, whatever that looks like, there is no disincentive to discourage them from another invasion seven years from now.

In the first hours after the annexation, the administrations counteroffensive was focused primarily on the economic front: sanctions against the head of Russias central bank, more than two hundred members of Russias Federal Assembly, and on companies that feed Russias military supply chains.

These sanctions will impose costs on individuals and entitiesinside and outside of Russiathat provide political or economic support to illegal attempts to change the status of Ukrainian territory, President Joe Biden said in a statement. We will rally the international community to both denounce these moves and to hold Russia accountable.

Despite those measures, the debate over a proportionate response continues, with some senior State Department officials pushing for the U.S. to more aggressively back Ukraines bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a proposal Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for and which Sullivan sidestepped.

The best way for us to support Ukraine is through practical on-the-ground support in Ukraine, Sullivan said, adding that the question of hastening Ukraines entry into NATOs mutual-defense pact should be taken up at a different time.

Thats a B.S. answer, one senior U.S. diplomat told The Daily Beast when sent a transcript of Sullivans remarks. There is no more apt time to support fast-tracking NATO membership than when half the country has been stolen.

The U.S. support for Ukraines resistance is not entirely in the form of punitive measures taken against the Kremlin, of course. Earlier this week, the Pentagon announced an additional $1.1 billion in security assistance for the country, which includes artillery rocket systems, armored vehicles, drones and body armor, and Biden on Friday signed a stopgap spending bill that included nearly $12 billion in additional aid for Ukraine.

But while limited military assistance for Ukraine has helped Kyiv make major gains in Eastern Ukraine against Russian forces, one national security official said, the White House and National Security Council are constantly aware that backing Putin into too tight a corner risks provoking increasingly desperate counter-responses.

There are two apex priorities: 1) support Ukraines attempts to expel Russian forces and reclaim its occupied territory; and 2) do not do so in a way that sparks World War III, the official said. Those two priorities are not in definitional conflict, but the margin is narrowing.

Zelensky Says Ukraine Is Making Accelerated Application to Join NATO

One need only look at the apparent sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, the official said, as an indicator of how far Putin may go as the invasion falters and inexperienced Russian conscripts replace tens of thousands of dead soldiers on the front. The pipelines, which were discovered on Monday to have massive leaks of methane gas following underwater explosions, supplied nearly 20 percent of Europes natural gas before the invasion.

The threat of continued implausibly deniable sabotage is far from the topmost concern, however. That would be Putins increasingly explicit threats of nuclear war in the event that Russian territorywhich now includes much of Eastern Ukraine, at least in the Kremlins eyesis threatened.

Biden called the leaks a deliberate act of sabotage, although he later hedged on directly blaming the Russian government for an attack on the pipeline. At the appropriate moment when things calm down, were gonna send the divers down to find out exactly what happened.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Caleb McLaughlin spoke about the "toll" that racism in the "Stranger Things" fandom took on him.

McLaughlin said he wondered as a child why he wasn't as favored as his white castmates.

Other Black actors, like John Boyega, have spoken about the racism they've suffered in fandom.

Caleb McLaughlin spoke about the "toll" that racism in the "Stranger Things" fandom took on him, from his childhood onwards.

In a video recorded during McLaughlin's appearance at Heroes Comic Con Belgium, posted to Twitter by the user @spideychalamet, McLaughlin said that racism affected him from the first season of the show and his first comic con appearance.

"My very first comic con, some people didn't stand in my line because I was Black," McLaughlin said in the video, which has been viewed over 415,000 times. "Some people told me like, "Oh, I didn't want to be in line because you were mean to Eleven.' Even now, some people don't follow me, or don't support me, because I'm Black."

L  met timothee (@spideychaIamet) September 25, 2022

McLaughlin joined "Stranger Things" during its first season, which premiered on Netflix in 2016 when he was 14 years old. In the show, he plays Lucas Sinclair, a member of the original group of children rounded out by Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), and Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), all of whom are white.

McLaughlin said that racism affected him "a lot" as a child, and he wondered why he had the least amount of social-media followers out of his castmates and wasn't as favored by the fandom despite the fact that he had been on "the same show as everybody from season one."

"My parents had to be like, 'It's a sad truth, but it's because you're the Black child on the show,'" McLaughlin said. "Wow, that's crazy. Because I was born with this beautiful chocolate skin, I'm not loved."

Other Black actors have been subject to racist treatment by fans of the franchises that they star in. John Boyega, who played Finn in the latest "Star Wars" trilogy, has spoken repeatedly in the past about the racism that he experienced from fans of the franchise, urging studios to protect their actors against "racial backlash" in a 2020 interview with Variety.

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In May, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" author Rick Riordan posted a statement decrying racist responses to the casting of 13-year-old Leah Sava Jeffires, a Black actor, as Annabeth Chase in the Disney+ series adaptation of his novel.

McLaughlin said that ultimately, he wanted to use his platform as an actor to "spread positivity and love."

"I do not give hate back to people that give hate to me," he said.

Read the original article on Insider
Charles Snead at Zebulon's Grotto

According to Daily Press King William County, Virginia, is pursuing legal action against gay-owned Zebulons Grotto  a clothing optional bed and breakfast and campground.

In July, owner Charles Snead was denied an effort to expand his LGBTQ-friendly resort by the countys Board of Supervisors and now he faces legal action over alleged zoning violations.

Zebulons Grotto, which features its own lake and Greek statues, is a popular destination for nakations, but Daily News reports that Sneads neighbors arent fans of its scale of activities.

In August, one neighbor, Peter Mason, accused Snead of zoning and building violations and demanded the Board of Supervisors take action, asking, Whats being done to resolve these violations? Why should anybody apply for any permit if theres never any enforcement for violations?

Snead described complaints as inaccuracies and lies, at the meeting.

County Attorney Andrew McRoberts noted that there is ongoing legal action against Snead, saying in an email to Daily News, The county has issued numerous notices of violations against Zebulons Grotto, has filed a lawsuit to enforce the zoning ordinance and building code, and achieved an order from the court confirming certain violations and ordering compliance with those violations.

Over the past several years, Zebulons Grotto has reportedly been the target of repeated zoning citation for exceeding occupancy. This years complaints include refurbishing freight containers into a commercial kitchen, converting a storage building into a guest house, and building camping platforms with roofs  all without the proper permits.

Snead was reportedly previously ordered to stop offering day passes, to end special events, and to limit his guests to 14 a night: eight at the B&B and six in the campground.

Sneads effort to expand the campground was shot down by the Board of Supervisors in a 4-1 vote.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to provide unanticipated legal representation to fight for the right to continue to operate.

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The effort, posted by Steven Hoy says the 36-acre clothing-optional retreat prides itself on being an LGBTQIA-friendly environment offering a judgment-free oasis for individuals to escape their hectic lives and experience the wonder of naturism.

The GoFundMe campaign describes the zoning issues as fueled by opposition and discrimination by a conservative countyin an attempt to 1) remove existing permits, 2) prevent ZG from obtaining necessary permits to comply with zoning and building ordinances and 3) discriminate against our black, gay, & naturist-owned business and business owner.

It adds, Zebulon's Grotto is a labor of love and the culmination of years of hard work for its owner, Charles Snead, a retired landscape architect who has invested over 25 years in making this space a reality.
I went behind the scenes at the 2022 Miss USA pageant. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I went behind the scenes at the 2022 Miss USA pageant in Reno, Nevada, on Monday night.

I saw that there's plenty you don't see on TV  like the very well-dressed audience.

I learned the contestants' secret tips for walking in heels and went to the official after-party.

I went behind the scenes at the 71st annual Miss USA pageant this week, and I learned there's a lot you don't see on TV.

Me at the Miss USA 2022 pageant. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I've been covering pageants for years, but have never attended Miss USA  until now.

Current Miss USA president Crystle Stewart gave me an exclusive peek behind the curtain to see how the pageant came to life, and I was sitting in the audience as Miss Texas R'Bonney Gabriel took the crown.

Here's everything you missed at the 2022 Miss USA pageant.

The judges all have lunch together before the show.

The Miss USA 2022 pageant contestants were shown on the big screen during the show. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I sat down with this year's judging panel  fashion designer Aaron Potts, Tony Award-winning producer Ashlee Clark, Dogpound founder Kirk Meyers, fashion designer Nicole Williams-English, model and social-media influencer Olivia Ponton, and South Korean table tennis champion Soo Yeon Lee  a few hours before the show began at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada.

Along with some fun get-to-know-you chatter (like Ponton excitedly discovering that Williams-English used to be on the reality show "WAGS"), the judges chatted with me about what they were looking for in the next Miss USA winner.

"I'm rooting for a revolutionary," Potts told me. "What is the most modern, forward-thinking Miss USA but to say, 'I'm going to stand for truly helping people across the spectrum.' If she got up and said, 'Fight the power,' I would probably cheer."

"I think far too many people are standing on the sidelines trying to be politically correct," Clark added. "I think that's just absolutely damaging to our world. I think you have to be not afraid to insert yourself in conversations when you have a title like that. I want someone that is not going to stand on the sidelines, because we do have to fight for ourselves as women."

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The pageant queens have special tricks that help them stand in those heels for hours on end.

Some Miss USA 2022 contestants before the show. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I ran into a few Miss USA contestants while I was backstage before the show, and they were more than happy to spill their secrets for walking in high heels like a pro.

Numbing spray, wearing socks with heels during rehearsal, and using blow dryers to stretch the ankle straps are just some of the ways these pageant queens get ready for the stage.

The contestants also told me there's a lot of sharing behind the scenes.

"One girl forgot a cocktail dress so I gave her one of mine. One girl forgot a lipstick so they threw it down the hallway  it's very collaborative," Miss Arizona Isabel Ticlo told me.

There's a seamstress working behind the stage.

The seamstress room behind the stage at Miss USA. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Help is on hand if there are any fashion emergencies during the show. I saw this Miss USA seamstress hard at work hours before the pageant began.

People in the audience are dressed up just as much as the contestants.

Two fans at Miss USA 2022. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Miss USA is a glamorous affair both on and off the stage. I saw so many gorgeous sparkling gowns and major fashion moments while I was waiting for the pageant to start (and was very glad I opted to wear a full-length gown).

Family members bring signs to show their support for the contestants.

Family members for Miss Hawaii at Miss USA. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

One of my favorite things about going behind the scenes at Miss USA was meeting so many proud family members. I chatted with multiple moms who had flown across the state to cheer on their daughter's best friend. And many people that I talked to had never even watched a pageant before.

"We're new to the game and I feel like I'm part of it already," the brother of Miss Hawaii Kiana Yamat told me. "All I'd seen was those TV shows like 'Toddlers and Tiaras' and 'Miss Congeniality.' But it's not a joke, it's very welcoming  it can be any type of woman competing in your own way and they're recognizing it in so many positive ways."

There was a massive line for the bar in front of the theater before the show.

The line for the bar wrapped around the theater's lobby. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Everyone was hoping to grab a cocktail before the pageant began.

People were also buying special Miss USA merchandise.

The merchandise table at Miss USA 2022. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Sweatshirts, caps, pullovers, and tumblers were all on sale, with prices ranging from $40 to $75.

The first dance is pretaped.

We watched the pretaped dance show on big TV screens. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Do you know that dance sequence that kicked off the show? That wasn't live! The girls were lining the stage in their gowns for the first elimination while the pretaped segment played on two big TV screens on either side of the stage.

The pretaped segments that featured Miss USA 2021 Elle Smith were also shown after commercial breaks to give the girls more time to get ready and back on the stage.

The contestants have to stand during many of the commercial breaks and hold their poses.

Miss USA contestants during a commercial break. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

While some contestants would subtly chatter to each other during the breaks, most held their smiles or waved to family members.

And those stairs they had to walk on were not easy  even in flip-flops.

Me on the stage before the Miss USA show. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I got to walk on the Miss USA stage before the pageant began and those steps were deep. When I saw the towering stilettos that the contestants were wearing on Monday night, I was even more impressed by their poise as they walked up and down the stage stairs.

The top 16 are selected by a different group of judges.

The top 16 at Miss USA. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

The panel of judges you see on TV didn't have a hand in the first big cut of the night. That is actually done by a different group of judges who watch the preliminary rounds, including a private interview and Sunday's state costume contest.

The Miss Teen USA contestants were having a blast  especially when they saw Jason Derulo.

Miss Teen USA contestants cheering on the Miss Teen USA winner Faron Medhi. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Some Miss Teen USA contestants were seated together during the show and they were the best cheering squad for winner Faron Medhi when she had her moment onstage during the Miss USA pageant.

During a commercial break, the Miss Teen USA contestants also joined forces to sing Jason Derulo's name when they spotted him in the audience on the other side of the theater (he stood up and gave them a wave).

The top five selected a random card with a question during the commercial break.

The top five contestants before the question round. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Before the final question round, a man came up to the stage with five cards and had each contestant select one from the pile.

There was an impromptu moment of silence during the tribute for former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst.

The Cheslie Kryst tribute during Miss USA. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Kryst, who was crowned in Reno in 2019, died by suicide earlier this year. FYI correspondent Christian Murphy gave a speech about Kryst's impact on the pageant world during the show, saying she "embodied love and served others."

"If you're lucky in life, you get the chance to know someone who lights up a room, makes every moment seem better, and makes you feel important with a simple gesture or a word," he said. "That was Cheslie Kryst."

While the telecast cut to a commercial after Murphy's speech, the live audience was completely silent for two minutes. It was unplanned  no one told us to take a moment  but the theater was completely still. It was a stunning and sobering moment that brought me to tears.

After the TV cameras turned off, everyone who worked on Miss USA had a chance to take pictures on the stage.

Plenty of photos are taken after the live show. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

From the judges to the volunteers, there's an organized schedule for photo opportunities after the show wraps. Time was given for the family members of the new Miss USA to take photos on the stage with her as well.

And yes, there's an official Miss USA after-party.

The Miss USA 2022 after-party. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Right after the competition ended, those with after-party tickets went right next door to keep the celebrations going.

There was a DJ, two bars, and an atmosphere that felt straight out of a Vegas club. The contestants were having a blast as they danced together at the DJ booth, sang along to Beyonce, and partied with their families after a long week of competing.

Read the original article on Insider
MONTGOMERY  Nola Jean Ernest, MD, PhD, FAAP, a community pediatrician in Enterprise, began her term on Oct. 1 as president of the Alabama Chapter-American Academy of Pediatrics (AL-AAP), an 850-member statewide society of pediatricians.

She is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at Vanderbilt University. She is currently practicing as a primary care pediatrician with Enterprise Pediatric Clinic, one of the five multi-specialty pediatric clinics that comprise the Dothan Pediatric Healthcare Network.

Before her two-year tenure as AL-AAP vice president/president-elect, Dr. Ernest served the organization and the children of Alabama for a number of years as Legislative Chair and Early Career Physician representative. She also has worked at the AAP national level, representing the AAPs District X on the executive board of the Section on Early Career Physicians. She has played a strong role in the Chapters advocacy for children, especially across social media platforms as well as leading legislative advocacy efforts in the last five years.

In addition, she has served as a physician lead/champion in the child quality improvement collaboratives.

She accepted the presidents gavel at the AL-AAPs 2022 Annual Meeting, held Sept. 9-11, marking the beginning of her two-year term.

With the help of our strong and diverse Executive Board members, as well as our members from across the state who are passionately involved in specific child health initiatives, I plan to build on the Chapters long-time role in advocating for improvements in health conditions for Alabamas children, she said. In order to have the greatest impact for the children of Alabama, I will, like my predecessors, serve as an expert resource for lawmakers and those involved in negotiating state policies that affect some of the most vulnerable of Alabamas citizens.

At home, Dr. Ernest enjoys spending time with her husband Trent and sons William, age 23, Caden, 16, and Jacob, 10.
ANDOVER, Mass., October 06, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alert Innovation, a market leader in e-grocery fulfillment automation, has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Walmart. Alert Innovation has been working with Walmart to customize technology for Walmarts market fulfillment centers (MFCs) since 2016 and began piloting the Alphabot System in Walmarts first MFC in Salem, New Hampshire in 2019.

"I am proud that Alert Innovation is one of the most innovative and capable automation companies in operation today. Our mission to improve peoples lives through innovation will now be dedicated to Walmart customers and associates which is an inspiring undertaking," said John Lert, Alert Innovation Founder and Executive Chairman.

"We will continue leveraging our development, manufacturing and deployment expertise to enable Walmart to build and scale MFC technology in its stores. With Walmart, we have the opportunity to positively impact millions of lives through the Alphabot System," said Fritz Morgan, Alert Innovation CEO.

David Guggina, Senior Vice President of Innovation and Automation, Walmart U.S., said, "We are committed to exceeding customer expectations and serving them in new ways, whether its in a store, curbside, or at their home. Bringing the best of Alerts technology and capabilities in-house will enable us to reach more customers quicker by deploying MFCs with greater speed, providing both an unmatched shopping experience and a competitive advantage in omnichannel fulfillment."

Alert Innovation will continue to operate under the Alert Innovation brand based in the Boston area.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better - anytime and anywhere - in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 230 million customers and members visit more than 10,500 stores and numerous eCommerce websites under 46 banners in 24 countries. With fiscal year 2022 revenue of $573 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting https://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at https://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/walmart.

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About Alert Innovation Inc.

Alert Innovation is a thought leader in grocery automation, driving innovation that improves lives by transforming how retailers operate and people shop. Alert Innovation is an industry leader in robotic e-grocery fulfillment. The Alphabot system, designed by the Alert Innovation team is a unique automated fulfillment solution that utilizes patented omnidirectional robots in a temperature-controlled system for fresh, efficient, and high-quality grocery fulfillment. Alert Innovation also designed the Novastore, a store concept utilizing the Alphabot system, delivering a dynamic and efficient shopping experience. www.alertinnovation.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005563/en/

Contacts

Media:

Ron Margulis - RAM Communications - ron@rampr.com - +1 908.337.0020
Anna Delvey (aka Anna Sorokin)  whose story inspired the hit Netflix series, Inventing Anna  had been released from a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in New York. The fake heiress has been detained at the facility since March 2021 when she was arrested for overstaying her visa. She previously served just under two years in prison for financially defrauding affluent New Yorkers.

To recap, the Russian-born con-artist became a household name earlier this year when the Netflix adaptation of her crimes landed on screens. Now, she has been bailed out of ICE on a $10,000 (8,831) bond but will remain under house arrest and wear an electronic tag. Delvey has reportedly been banned from using social media as well.

"We are extremely gratified by the courts decision today to release Anna Sorokin," her lawyer Duncan Levin said. "The judge rightfully recognised that Anna is not a danger to the community."

Levin continued: "While there are still a few hurdles to jump through on her release conditions, Anna is thrilled to be getting out so she can focus on appealing her wrongful conviction."

Photo credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY - Getty Images

Delvey  played by Ozark's Julia Garner in Inventing Anna  arrived in New York in 2013 and posed as a rich German heiress with a multi-million euro fortune. For several years she lived the high life amongst New York's elite, travelling on private jets and racking up costly hotel bills without ever paying.

In 2017, Delvey's web of lies caught up with her and she was jailed for her financial crimes. Just one month after her release from prison in February 2021, the 31-year-old was taken into ICE and has remained there until now.

Reacting to Netflix's portrayal of her crimes, Delvey told Cosmopolitan: "I don't think I ordered people around as much. I think I'm more self-aware of the way I come across. Not all the time, but I just don't think I'm so brazen and shameless."

She continued, "I personally moved on a very long time ago and I'm absolutely not in the same place, but I'm also being affected by the way the world sees me and by what people think of me. I exist in relation to everybody else and to the world, I don't just exist on my own."

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Earlier this year, sources claimed that Delvey was being deported back to Germany.

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The Arizona Cardinals welcomed back cornerback Antonio Hamilton to the practice field on Wednesday and within moments, his presence was felt everywhere.

It was great. You could see him and hear him, coach Kliff Kingsbury said. Thats the type of energy he brings. Hes excited. He was playing at which a high level in training camp, and we saw some good things out there today. Well be smart easing him back in. We dont want to put too much of a load on him early, but yeah, he brings great juice to the practice field.

Hamilton had earned one of Arizonas starting cornerback jobs with a terrific camp but a week and half before the season opener, he spilled hot oil on his legs and feet during a cooking accident at home and had to be hospitalized with second-degree burns.

Days later, Hamilton tweeted photos of his injuries and wrote this on Twitter: Had the greatest camp of my career & last Monday I had (an) accident that couldve ended up deadly for me & my family but instead I got the short end of it by having my feet severely burned. It was literally a freak accident and God spared me to only have these injuries.

Had the greatest camp of my career & last Monday I had a accident that could've ended up deadly for me & my family but instead I got the short end of it by having my feet severely burned (2nd degree). It was literally a freak accident and God spared me to only have these injuries pic.twitter.com/8SXhJjzZbW  Antonio Hamilton (@UnitedSt8Of_Ham) September 1, 2022

Wide receiver Antoine Wesley (groin) and backup quarterback Colt McCoy (calf strain) also returned to the practiced field after missing the first four games of the season. Hamilton, though, figures to have the biggest role in Sundays game against the visiting Eagles if hes able to go.

If he is, he will join cornerbacks Byron Murphy Jr. and Marco Wilson somewhere in the mix in helping fend off quarterback Jalen Hurts and his top pass catchers  A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert.

Hams obviously a bigger guy, a leader, and given the situation, were just happy to have him back with us, Murphy said.

Hopkins in the house

DeAndre Hopkins, who already has served four game of his six-game suspension for violating the leagues policy regarding performance-enhancing drugs, was spotted in the Cardinals locker room after practice on Wednesday.

Although suspended players are not allowed to be at team facilities during practice or meeting times, Hopkins made a brief appearance that apparently was within the rules.

Not having Hopkins, in addition to playing the first three games without fellow receiver Rondale Moore (hamstring) and last week without veteran wideout A.J. Green (bone bruise) has impacted Kingsburys play calling and the offense overall.

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Who wins NFL Week 5 game? Philadelphia Eagles vs. Arizona Cardinals picks, predictions

Yeah, my very first college coach, his saying was, Its not about the Xs and Os its about the Jimmys and the Joes, Kingsbury said. You find that out quick when guys like that (Hopkins) who are all-time greats are no longer a part of your offense. But Ive been proud of the way our staff and our quarterback has kind of handled that this year, just trying to find ways to win.

Even though it hasnt always been pretty and we havent played great on offense and havent coached great on offense, but to be 2-2 with some of the things we have going on I think is going to lead to some positive things down the road.

Injury report

A total of 15 players were on the Cardinals first injury report of the week on Wednesday and only two of them did not practice due to having been given a rest day. Those two players were tight end Zach Ertz and right tackle Kelvin Beachum.

The other eight not practicing were wide receiver Marquise Brown (foot), center Rodney Hudson (knee), guards Justin Pugh (elbow) and Max Garcia (toe), linebacker Nick Vigil (hamstring), tight end Maxx Williams (knee) and kicker Matt Prater (right hip).

Kingsbury said Prater wont play against the Eagles, meaning Matt Ammendola, signed to the practice squad on Tuesday, will be elevated to the active roster on Saturday.

Listed as limited for the Cardinals on Wednesday were linebackers Zaven Collins (shoulder) and Ezekiel Turner (ankle), left tackle D.J. Humphries (hamstring), defensive end J.J. Watt (calf) and Green.

Not practicing for the Eagles were linebackers Kyron Johnson (concussion) and Patrick Johnson (concussion), tackle Jordan Mailata (shoulder), cornerback Avonte Maddox (ankle) and kicker Jake Elliott (ankle). Running back Boston Scott (rib) and guard Isaac Seumalo (ankle) were limited.

6-0 vs. NFC East

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Arizona Cardinals looks on during the third quarter of the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on October 2, 2022, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Since Kingsburys arrival in 2019, the Cardinals have never lost to an NFC East team, going 6-0.

I did not (know that), Kingsbury said. I hope that didnt jinx us, but we havent won a home game in a while so maybe that kind of cancels out.

Under Kingsbury, the Cardinals beat the Giants twice (2019, 2020), the Cowboys twice (2020, 2021), the Commanders (2020) and the Eagles (2021). Philadelphia has never won at State Farm Stadium, going 0-4 there, including the postseason.

Arizona has also won three of four and six of its last eight against Philadelphia. This years Eagles team, however, is undefeated at 4-0 and comes to Arizona as the easy betting favorite. As Kingsbury noted, the Cardinals have dropped seven straight games overall at home dating back to last season.

Roster moves

With depth an issue now on the offensive line, the Cardinals on Wednesday re-signed offensive lineman Koda Martin to the practice squad. In a corresponding move, the team placed offensive lineman Lachavious Simmons on the practice squad injured reserve.

Have an opinion on the Arizona Cardinals? Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic.com and follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac. Listen to him live on Fox Sports 910-AM every Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 on Calling All Sports with Roc and Manuch.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cardinals' Antonio Hamilton makes presence felt in return to practice
Rep. Liz Cheney cautioned voters in Arizona Wednesday against voting for Arizona Republican candidates for governor and secretary of state, arguing that they pose a risk to democracy.

Cheney, R-Wyo., said Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem have denied the 2020 election results.

"They both said that they will only honor the results of an election if they agree with it," Cheney, said.

"We cannot give people power who have told us that they will not honor elections. Elections are the foundation of our republic and peaceful transfers of power are the foundation of our republic," she continued.

Lake ran a primary campaign focused on supporting former President Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and has called President Joe Biden an illegitimate president.

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks to supporters at a primary night event Tuesday in Jackson, Wyoming. Cheney conceded her loss in the Wyoming GOP primary.

Finchem, also backing Trump's election falsehoods, has said that if he had been secretary of state when Biden won Arizona, he would not have certified the 2020 election results.

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Cheney, who lost the Wyoming Republican primary to Trump-backed Harriet Hageman, has been a vocal critic of Trump and has vowed to fight against candidates who support his false claims of the 2020 elections.

Her comments come at a time when over 300 candidates across the country running for public offices have either questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election or denied it without providing evidence.

They are running for Congress, governor, attorney general, and secretary of state, and many are running in key battleground states such as Arizona that helped Biden win the presidency.

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Cheney said she has never voted for Democrats but would vote if she were in Arizona.

"I don't know that I have ever voted for a Democrat," she said. "But if I lived in Arizona now, I absolutely would, for governor and for secretary of state. I think we cannot be in a position where we elect people who will not fundamentally uphold the sanctity of elections."

An Arizona/Suffolk Poll released in September suggests that Lake is in a tight race with Democratic Challenger Katie Hobbs, with Hobbs having a razor-thin lead over Lake.

According to the poll, 46% of respondents said they would certainly or probably vote for Hobbs versus 45% for Lake. Thats within the polls margin of error.

There have not been widely reported polls for the secretary of state race.

Contributing: Arizona Republic

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Liz Cheney warns AZ voters against backing Kari Lake and Mark Finchem
SINGAPORE and HONG KONG, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wall Street and Silicon Valley are coming together to build digital asset management solutions focused on connecting institutional investors to the crypto ecosystem.

xalts logo

Earlier this year, former HSBC trader Ashutosh Goel and former Meta Asia executive Supreet Kaur paired up to build xalts, an investment management and technology firm focused on driving real-money institutional participation in the digital asset ecosystem.

In spite of what has been termed a "crypto winter", their vision has a lot of takers. The duo raised US $6 million from marquee Silicon Valley venture capital firm Accel, Citi Ventures (Citi's venture capital investing group) and crypto luminaries such as Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal and other hedge fund managers.

"What came to the forefront this past summer in several large crypto firms was a lack of basic controls, checks and balances which most of us take for granted in the financial industry. With xalts, we are building innovative, institutional-grade investment products and solutions which focus on high compliance and control standardsthings institutional investors care about," said Goel, Chief Investment Officer, xalts. "The next leg of growth in digital assets will be driven by institutional participation in the asset class. We are starting to see the early signs of that with a lot of new initiatives coming from banks and asset managers."

xalts is expected to launch multiple fund products linked to digital assets, including mutual funds and ETFs listed on several global exchanges. The company is also leveraging its technology platform to partner with several asset management firms and staking infrastructure providers to jointly launch and manage mutual funds and ETFs. In addition, xalts is developing several other products in collaboration with other players in the ecosystem, including a structured product and repackaging platform which will allow institutions to issue structured notes with embedded crypto options.

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Institutional investors' interest in digital assets has swelled in recent years: professional investors traded $1.14 trillion of cryptocurrencies on Coinbase Global Inc. in 2021, compared with $120 billion in 2020. Earlier this month, financial heavyweights including Charles Schwab, Citadel Securities and Fidelity Investments announced the launch of a new cryptocurrency exchange, EDX Markets, which also saw participation from the likes of Virtu Financial and Paradigm.

"There is a lot of pent-up demand from institutional investors to participate in the digital asset class. However, a lot of institutions we are speaking with are not able to access this ecosystem directly. Our products and solutions bridge this gap without compromising the high standards of safety and compliance expected by institutional investors," said Kaur, Chief Operating Officer, xalts. "Apart from investors, we are also seeing a lot of interest from fund managers and issuers to use our platform to launch structured and fund products for their clients. We expect to build a team of 30 by the end of this year across our offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and Geneva."

Luis Valdich, Managing Director, Citi Ventures said: "xalts is our first investment in a digital asset manager, and we support its vision of creating innovative products to meet the growing appetite of institutional investors for more efficient and robust crypto-access investments."

"Our thesis is that institutional adoption of digital assets will continue to accelerate and we see a big opportunity in this space," said Abhinav Chaturvedi, Partner, Accel.

About xalts

xalts is a global investment management and technology firm headquartered in Hong Kong. Founded in 2022, xalts develops proprietary investment products, platforms and solutions for global institutions to access opportunities in the digital asset class in a secure and compliant manner. The company has offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, New Delhi and Geneva. To learn more about xalts, visit https://xalts.io/ or the company's LinkedIn page.

About Accel

Accel is a global venture capital firm that is the first partner to exceptional teams everywhere, from inception through all phases of private company growth. Atlassian, Bumble, CrowdStrike, DJI, Fiverr, Flipkart, Freshworks, Qualtrics, Segment, Slack, Spotify, Squarespace, Tenable, and UiPath are among the companies Accel has backed over the past 35+ years. We help ambitious entrepreneurs build iconic global businesses. For more, visit www.accel.com or www.twitter.com/accel.

About Citi Ventures

Citi Ventures catalyzes innovation and accelerates growth. The group invests in and partners with category-defining startups with the potential to augment and enhance Citi's products and services, and works with Citi colleagues, clients, and the innovation ecosystem to experiment with next-generation technologies and develop new products and services that respond to the changing landscape of the 21st century. Since its founding in 2010, the team has invested in over 100 startups across seven focus areas from Fintech to DLT & Digital Assets.

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Hunters will have an easier time enjoying their hobby in the popular recreation areas near Queen if a proposed ordinance gets the go-ahead from the New Mexico Department of Transportation.

Eddy County awaited approval from the governing body to clear nearly seven miles of pavement for use by all-terrain vehicle operators along New Mexico State Road 137 in Queen.

The Eddy County Public Works Department, Eddy County Sheriffs Office, and New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) worked together to request NMDOTs Commission authorize use of all off-road vehicles in the western Eddy County wilderness areas, wrote County Public Works Director Jason Burns in a memorandum to the Eddy County Board of County Commissioners.

Burns presented the original resolution in January to commissioners.

More:Proposed Lincoln National Forest management plan in conflict with Eddy County priorities

This has been a back-and-forth deal, and this is something really simple that has turned into something complicated, he said during Tuesdays County Commission meeting.

Burns said he and NMDOT District 2 Engineer Francisco Sanchez from Roswell drove on New Mexico 137 deciding on a start and end point for use of off-road vehicles on the paved highway that begins at U.S. Highway 285 south of Artesia and ends at the Texas state line at Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Nearly seven miles of New Mexico 137 from mile marker 14.7 to mile marker 21.5 were designated for off-road vehicles, according to Burns.

Members of the Hidden Bear ATV Club participate in a trail ride in 2017.

He said NMDOTs governing board postponed a number of off-road pavement requests earlier this year, and when reviewing the County's request Burns said NMDOT lawyers found a discrepancy from the original starting and finish point which created a need for revisions.

More:Financial support sought for New Mexico highways 128 and 31 as construction study moves on

Burns expected approval from NMODT commissioners during a Nov. 17 meeting in Silver City.

A bill passed nearly six years ago by the New Mexico Legislature allowed local authorities and the NMDOT commission authority to pass resolutions or ordinances designating certain paved roads as open to off-road vehicle traffic, read the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish website.

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It is illegal to operate off-road vehicles on pavement without prior approval from local or county governments or the NMDOT commission, per Game and Fish.

More:Eddy County asks NMDOT to declare Queen Highway usable for OHV's

Ross Morgan, spokesperson for the Department of Game and Fish, said game wardens enforce laws helping counties and municipalities manage non-traditional traffic on those roads.

We dont have an issue as long as people abide with ordinances and resolutions, he said.

Morgan said Eddy Countys proposed ordinance allows flexibility for hunters in the Queen area traveling the paved sections from one hunting spot to another.

More:Quicker emergency response times prompts formation of new fire districts in Eddy County

Eddy County approved an off-road vehicle ordinance in 2018 within paved areas of the county some two years after state approval.

Sanchez said NMDOT commissioners evaluate certain criteria when reviewing applications for off-road use, placing priority on any request from a county or municipality for route designation for off-road vehicles.

Sanchez said also heavily considered is road safety.

"One of the biggest criteria that the State Transportation Commission and NMDOT must meet or like to meet is does it meet the characteristics of the community for these recreational vehicles. Eddy County did request through the State Transportation Commission review New Mexico 137 to Queen," he said.

The seven mile stretch of New Mexico 137 is within Eddy Countys jurisdiction.

The problem is that law didnt provide for state highways, and the Queen Highway is a state highway, said Eddy County Sheriff Mark Cage.

Eddy County Sheriff and Southeast New Mexico College Trustee Mark Cage attends a presentation celebrating the college's independence, April 11, 2022 in Carlsbad.

He said there are some provisions where off roaders can ride parallel to the highway and cross over the highway.

He said the off-road designation also benefits Queen residents who deposit trash in dumpsters near the Queen Volunteer Fire Department or trek from house-to-house for visits.

More:Concerns aired on project to connect major southeast New Mexico highways

The County would like to have more of it designated but I agree with what they (commissioners) did, and you take what you can get and then see if you can get more later, Cage said.

Its a great benefit to the folks up at Queen. Its a great benefit to the recreational people riding on the trails and everything. Were just trying to do whats best for the citizens and visitors that are going to go up there, he added.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Measure would aid hunters, others using off-road vehicles near Queen
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.

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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.
Fans of midcentury modern home design, retro-futuristic architecture, and The King rejoice: Elvis and Priscilla Presleys Palm Springs honeymoon home is for sale for a modest $5.65 million, according to Architectural Digest.

Known as the House of Tomorrow, the 4,695-square-foot home was designed by Modernist architect William Krisel in 1960. Extremely futuristic for the time period, Look Magazine, per AD, described the house as a pleasure dome that proves California has only begun to show how luxurious things can be on this planet in 1962.

More from SheKnows

Priscilla Presleys relationship with Elvis Presley is one that we need to talk about. https://t.co/7qMxOEU3gf  SheKnows (@SheKnows) June 23, 2022

The four-bedroom, five-bathroom abode features an incredibly unique facade comprised of four circular sections housed under a dramatically sloping roof for an eye-catching structure that looks like something out of The Jetsons brought to life.

Most recently purchased in 2020 for $2.6 million, the owners performed extensive renovations within the home while maintaining the integrity of its original character  so much so that the home earned a historic site designation.

Click here to read the full article.

The houses curved walls are lined with exposed rock and floor-to-ceiling glass windows, some of which open to lead to a pentagon-shaped pool and sweeping pool deck. A futuristic fireplace sits at the center of the living room, with a beaker-shaped white fireplace hood hanging over a floating hearth that sits atop a raised platform.

Learn more about the extended Presley family ahead of the highly anticipated film, #ELVIS. https://t.co/7wYx7SYFy4  SheKnows (@SheKnows) June 23, 2022

The kitchen features a matching range hood over a circular island that houses multiple gas burners in a semi-circle layout. Unlike the rest of the house, the kitchen is lined with light-colored wood paneling that adds a gorgeous warmth to the homes aesthetic.

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The second level of the home features the main bedroom, which is lined with glass windows for a wide-angle view of the surrounding palm trees and mountainscapes. The ensuite bathroom is centered by a large, circular bathtub, mimicking the living rooms layout on the lower level. For a very casual $5.65 million, the charmingly unique property could be yours.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Elvis originally rented the midcentury modern home for a year starting in 1966, and after he and Priscilla were wed in Las Vegas in 67, the couple retreated to the Palm Springs abode to enjoy their honeymoon. The house remains a significant landmark in California, as its routinely visited by Elvis fanatics, architecture buffs, and curious tourists.

Before you go, click here to see all of the biggest and most expensive celebrity homes!



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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.

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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.
Washington  A one-time member of the far-right Oath Keepers told a jury that he was led to believe that the group's leader, Stewart Rhodes, had the phone number belonging to a U.S. Secret Service agent and that Rhodes had been in contact with that individual in the months before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

John Zimmerman, a former member of the North Carolina chapter of the militia group and military veteran, testified that Rhodes told him of the alleged connection with the agent during a Sept 2020, phone call between Rhodes and the individual who Zimmerman thought was the Secret Service agent ahead of a Trump rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Zimmerman, called as a government witness in the case, said that although he couldn't hear the other end of the call, Rhodes led him to believe he had spoken with the agent about gun laws in the D.C. area ahead of the rally.

Rhodes and four codefendants  Kelly Meggs, Jessica Watkins, Kenneth Harrelson, and Thomas Caldwell  are on trial for multiple charges stemming from their alleged planning for and participation in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, including the high crime of seditious conspiracy. Each has pleaded not guilty.

The U.S. Secret Service said in a statement that they are "aware" that individuals from the Oath Keepers had contacted them.

"Regardless of organization affiliation, no weapons of any kind are allowed inside of a Secret Service protected site or venue," the Secret Service said in the statement. "Only sworn law enforcement officials who are actively participating with the security plan are allowed to have weapons at these locations. As part of our protective mission, we will establish an overall security plan, including traffic and crowd management protocols at venues where a protectee is scheduled to visit. As part of this effort, it is not uncommon for various organizations to contact us concerning security restrictions and activities that are permissible in proximity to our protected sites."

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The Secret Service is not aware of any allegations of criminal wrongdoing among their ranks connected to the Rhodes case, the officials said.

Prosecutors called Zimmerman  who said he was a member of the Oath Keepers group for about three months  to discuss the group's planning and coordination ahead of events in September and November of 2020, specifically, a march in support of former President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., after the 2020 election.

Ahead of the Nov. 14, 2020 demonstration, the witness said he joined Rhodes and other Oath Keepers at Calwell's Virginia home, where they planned their presence in the capital city. Zimmerman said they were headed to D.C. to provide protective services in the area and prepare for a potential call to action from Trump should the former president invoke the Insurrection Act.

According to Zimmerman, the Oath Keepers transported more than a dozen firearms, including long guns and handguns, to just outside Washington, D.C., in the expectation that Trump would invoke a decades-old law to take up arms against what Zimmerman characterized as a "rogue government" and overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

But Trump's call never came, and Zimmerman told the jury that the group largely provided personal security detail to higher-profile participants in the protest and were prepared to give medical care if needed. He said they were particularly on high alert for any violence from their perceived political rivals, members of the Anifa or Black Lives Matter groups.

Zimmerman testified that Rhodes' desire to entice those opponents into committing acts of violence caused a rift in the group that ultimately drove Zimmerman to leave the Oath Keepers. Zimmerman said he saw the North Carolina contingent as an extension of law enforcement and wanted no part in Rhodes' plan to incite violence.

Still, the witness said, he and other Oath Keepers came prepared for violence and Trump's call to action.

"We would need the weapons in the event that President Trump invoked the Insurrection Act," he told prosecutors in court on Thursday, adding that his car had "plenty of room to carry weapons" from Caldwell's Virginia property to just outside the Washington, D.C. limits, where gun laws are much stricter.

According to Zimmerman, concerns about gun laws were the impetus for Rhodes' alleged call to the apparent Secret Service agent in September 2020, months before the rally in Washington, D.C. Zimmerman said the Oath Keepers group staged a "Quick Reactionary Force" (QRF) four to five miles away from where then-President Trump was set to speak in case violence broke out and they needed to respond. The goal of the call, Zimmerman said, was to establish "boundaries."

Firearms and weapons are not permitted inside areas secured by the Secret Service, officials said, but areas outside of a secure zone, near presidential events, are under the jurisdiction of state and local authorities. The U.S. Secret Service doesn't dictate what happens outside a secure zone.

Zimmerman did not come to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6 2021, but prosecutors allege the Oath Keepers who did  including the five defendants on trial  again staged an armed QRF, this time in a Virginia hotel. They are accused of amassing weapons and supplies and investigators say Caldwell even looked into using a boat on Jan. 6 to ferry the QRF into the city should Trump call upon them.

According to court documents filed earlier this year ahead of trial, another member of the North Carolina Oath Keepers, William Wilson, told prosecutors that on the evening of Jan. 6, Rhodes repeatedly implored an unnamed individual on the phone "to tell President Trump to call upon groups like the Oath Keepers to forcibly oppose the transfer of power."

During cross examination on Thursday, defense attorneys asked Zimmerman about his thoughts on the disorganization of the Oath Keepers and his decision to leave the group, trying to poke holes in the government's contention that the group engaged in an organized conspiracy against the government on Jan. 6.

"I love Stewart Rhodes, I love Jessica. I love all of them," Zimmerman said, "I don't like what they did and I don't like some of the events we've gone through."

In the first days of the weeks-long trial, prosecutors have accused Rhodes and his associates of planning to bring arms to the D.C. area to use force to prevent the peaceful transfer of presidential power.

In a recorded portion of a Nov. 9, 2020 call played in court on Tuesday, Rhodes allegedly told attendees, "You gotta be willing to go to D.C. and street-fight AntifaIf the fight comes, let the fight come." They were allegedly planning to Nov. 14 Trump rally, according to the FBI agent who took the stand.

Nicole Sganga contributed to this report.

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New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard doesnt fully understand how his ACL ended up torn against the Dallas Cowboys, but he refuses to let it get him down.

Despite the injury, Shepard has remained a constant presence in and around the Giants. He was visibly elated when the team picked up their third win of the season last week against the Chicago Bears.

Shep is all of us rn: pic.twitter.com/PjamgSqpud  New York Giants (@Giants) October 2, 2022

Just because Im going down doesnt mean I need to have a cloud over my head and bring everybody else down, Shepard told reporters on Wednesday. I think its big for me, being one of the veteran guys in this locker room, to help the guys in any way I can  whether thats helping them with route technique or just to hype them up. I like to be around the guys.

Shepard will remain around the team until he undergoes his ACL surgery, which should come at some point next week. In the mean time, he intends to travel with the Giants to London where theyll take on the Green Bay Packers.

What comes after that is anyones guess but Shepard is certain about one thing: Retirement isnt an option. Instead, hes going to fight like he always does because he believes hes got another return in him.

Dang right. Im a fighter, he said. So, I want to go out on my own terms. I dont want something like this to make me go out. So, Im going to fight to get my body back to where I can perform and get this thing good.

That may or may not come with the Giants, but thats something else Shepard refuses to concern himself with. Hes appreciative of the organization for giving him another shot after his ruptured Achilles and feels like he owes it to them to battle back one more time.

They mean a lot to me. They didnt have to give me another shot to come back off that Achilles, and they did. And I cant thank this staff and ownership enough for the opportunities that theyve given me, he said. And I feel like I owe so much to them. I want to give them my all; I dont want to go out like this. So, like I said: Im going to fight. Im a fighter. So, thats what Im going to do.

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Shepard cant do anything for the Giants on the field at the moment, but he certainly can help them recruit. Which is precisely what he did earlier this week when Odell Beckham Jr. left his vacation in the Bahamas to come visit Shep in East Rutherford.

It meant a lot to me. Thats one of my brothers, Shepard said. Hes done that a number of times, flying from wherever he is. He was in the Bahamans, but he wanted to come see me. But I was happy to see his face; I hadnt seen him in a while. But it was great seeing him.

And the recruitment? Shepard paused and took a look at the Giants public relations team, making sure he didnt say anything to cause waves.

We didnt do anything illegal, Shepard said with a laugh.

Related

Report: Giants' Kenny Golladay has sprained MCL, will miss London game Giants place CB Aaron Robinson on IR Giants have growing trust in Tanner Hudson, tight ends

Story originally appeared on Giants Wire
Tyler Kistner

In his first run for Congress in 2020, Minnesota Republican candidate Tyler Kistner repeatedly claimed to have seen combat in the Marine Corps, but records prove this is untrue. So now the Republican trying to unseat the first out LGBTQ+ member of Congress from that state, Rep. Angie Craig, is trying to explain the discrepancy.

A spokesman for Kistner said he was referring to when he led combat missions in the noncombat region of North Africa, advising and assisting partner forces against violent extremist organizations, the Minnesota Reformer reports.

As the outlet stated, he would have received a combat action ribbon if he had fought in combat; however, he never received one. Military definitions of combat include engagement against an enemy on the ground in a combat zone.

The progressive veterans group VoteVets requested that local television stations remove ads that said Kistner had served in four combat deployments.

The group, which is supporting Craig in the upcoming election, asked KARE, KSTP, KMSP, WCCO, and several streaming services to remove the advertisement, according to the Reformer. VoteVets said that Kistner served four overseas tours in noncombat areas such as Japan and Korea, not four combat deployments. The Congressional Leadership Fund paid for the ad to run between September 11 and 29.

The Reformer reports that Kistner's military record was also controversial in 2020 when he lost to Craig by two points.

In a speech before the GOP convention, Kistner described himself as the most decorated military person in the race. However, Kistner's Republican opponent, Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Erika Cashin, called on him to release a copy of his DD214 form, which reveals if he has served in armed combat.

Kistner initially declined, citing confidentiality reasons, claiming to the Prior Lake American newspaper that "even basic details could help foreign adversaries."

After additional candidates requested the records, Kistner relented. He shared the documents with supporters in 2020, claiming he had never claimed to be a combat veteran. The Reformer reports that his DD214 indicates he was honorably discharged from the army with the rank of captain but did not reflect any combat action.
Judge Barbara Bellis addresses attorney Norm Pattis in Connecticut Superior Court on September 23, 2022. Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool

Alex Jones' attorney, Norm Pattis, presented closing arguments in the Sandy Hook hoax case Thursday.

Pattis was reprimanded when he warned the jury that opposing counsel would "attack" him in their rebuttal.

Judge Barbara Bellis said she wouldn't tolerate personal attacks on attorneys in her courtroom.

The Connecticut judge in Alex Jones' Sandy Hook defamation case reprimanded the conspiracy theorist's lawyer on Thursday as he presented his closing arguments.

Jones is currently on trial for spreading a lie that the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was staged by the government.

Jones has already lost the case by default, and the jury will decide how much he owes the plaintiffs  most of whom are parents whos children were killed in the massacre.

On Thursday, Jones' attorney, Norm Pattis, was called out by Judge Barbara Bellis when he told the jury that one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, Josh Koskoff, would attack him during his rebuttal.

Norm Pattis is pictured on September 13, 2022. H John Voorhees II/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool

"No lawyer in Connecticut or anywhere can walk into this courtroom and expect anything but scorn. And I will be attacked by Mr. Koskoff in his rebuttal to me. It will be 'Mr. Pattis that,' 'Mr. Pattis this,' all in an effort to gin you up, get you angry," Pattis said.

Soon after, Pattis was interrupted by Judge Bellis, who reprimanded him for singling out Koskoff.

"Please refrain from any further personal attacks or comments about the plaintiffs' lawyers or their law firm. It's highly improper. Let's move on. You talk about the plaintiffs, the plaintiffs' case. I don't want to hear it again," Bellis said.

After Pattis ended his closing arguments a few minutes later, Bellis brought up the moment again as she addressed the jury before they headed for lunch.

Alex Jones addresses the media outside of his defamation damages trial in Waterbury, Connecticut, on September 21, 2022. Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images

She said while she does "not like to interject" herself, she "will not tolerate any personal attacks on lawyers."

"Certainly the evidence can be commented on and arguments can be made but there will no personal attacks on Attorney Koskoff or Attorney Pattis or any lawyer in my courtroom. It's my job to control the proceedings ... and so I will continue to control the proceedings along those lines," Bellis said.

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Drama has a way of finding its way into the courtroom anytime Alex Jones goes on trial.

During a similar trial in Texas in August, levied by the parents of Sandy Hook victim Jesse Lewis, one of Jones' attorneys, F. Andino Reynal, was caught on the livestream flipping off Mark Bankston, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

While this played out while the judge was out of the courtroom, she addressed it the next day, saying, "Next time anyone wants to have an argument, you need to take it outside."

Read the original article on Insider
Pep Guardiola believes the brilliance of Erling Haaland is allowing another attacking weapon in Julian Alvarez to settle quietly and effectively at Manchester City.

Haaland has commanded the spotlight at the Etihad Stadium since his summer move from Borussia Dortmund, scoring a remarkable 19 goals in just 12 appearances.

The prolific Norwegian grabbed another double as City thrashed FC Copenhagen 5-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday but he was not the only new striker to get on the scoresheet.

Erling Haaland scored another two goals against Copenhagen (Nick Potts/PA)

Alvarez, the Argentina international brought in from River Plate, netted his fourth goal for the club in the second half.

After playing for most of the past two seasons without an out-and-out centre-forward, Guardiola feels the pair have brought a new dimension to Citys play.

The City manager said: Copenhagen are a team that are able to make intense high pressing, but if we are able to make good movements they will defend deep and in that moment.

Against these type of teams we need players in the box and, with Erling and Julian, we have this weapon.

In these type of games it is so important for the people outside  Joao (Cancelo), Sergio (Gomez), others  to have players there.

How many times did Bernardo (Silva) arrive at the byline and Julian have the movement? Against teams like that the space in the middle is so minor we have to try to make a movement there and Julian is really good.

All of us, not just me, are incredibly happy with the goal he scored and the way he played.

Hes a little bit behind for the highlights of Erling  thats normal, Erling is something special  but hes a guy we rely on incredibly, a lot.

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The way we played since day one was magnificent and, against teams that play so tight, he helped us a lot to have an extra weapon close to the box with this sense of scoring a goal.

Haaland scored with his first touch of the game (Tim Goode/PA)

Haaland picked up from where he left off after Sundays hat-trick against Manchester United by breaching the Danish champions defence with his first touch on Wednesday.

He added another before being substituted at half-time as City also benefited from an own goal from David Khocholava.

Riyad Mahrez added a penalty after the break before Alvarez, who also hit the post, wrapped up a convincing win that put City within touching distance of the last 16.

City have won all three of their games and have a three-point lead over Dortmund, who in turn are five points clear of Sevilla and Copenhagen.

Guardiola said: They were incredibly well organised in all departments but we played really well.

Our performance, beyond the result, was really, really good.

The way we played was magnificent. Im so satisfied for the guys, how they performed.
Kim Kardashian has the answer as to why her ex-boyfriend Pete Davidson dates "hot girls."

In an episode of The Kardashians on Hulu Thursday  which was filmed in February when the two were still together  the SKIMS founder, 41, reflected on the 28-year-old Saturday Night Live alum's allure.

"Pete has the best heart," she said during a confessional in the episode. "I feel like people, they have this, like, idea of him that he dates all these hot girls. And he does. But he's just the sweetest, most thoughtful person."

Prior to dating Kim, Pete had been linked to Ariana Grande, Margaret Qualley, Kate Beckinsale and Kaia Gerber, among others.

RELATED: Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson Split Following 9 Months of Dating: Source

kim and pete. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf4gpU7v87y/.

Kim Kardashian/ Instagram Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson

In the episode, Kim thoughtfully searched Milan, Italy for the perfect gift to bring back for the comedian. After dismissing a pair of Nike Air Force 1s, she finally settles on a New York Yankees hat for the Staten Island native.

And while the couple broke up in August after nine months of dating, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians alum still holds a place in her own heart for the Meet Cute star.

Last month, in a conversation with Interview Magazine, Kardashian called Davidson "a cutie."

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson

Gotham/Getty Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson

She added, "He's literally such a good person, they don't really make them like him anymore. I'm excited for what he has coming up."

Kardashian and Davidson first started conversations when they kissed during a sketch on her SNL hosting debut last October. Later that month, they were photographed holding hands on a roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm. Davidson formally confirmed his relationship with Kardashian to PEOPLE in February, calling her his "girlfriend."

RELATED: Kim Kardashian Takes North West Sightseeing in Italy After Milan Fashion Week

Kim kardashian pete davidson https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc0_H5gvO-d/

Kim Kardashian/Instagram Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson

But by August, the couple had parted ways.

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"Part of the reason they split was because of their busy schedules," an insider told PEOPLE at the time. "They both travel all the time and it was hard."

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 Kim has said she's not ready to date anyone else at the moment, Pete may be preparing to move on.

Kim Kardashian Shows Off Pete Davidson Tattoo

Kim Kardashian/Instagram

RELATED: Kim Kardashian Appears to Reveal 'My Girl Is a Lawyer' Tattoo Pete Davidson Got in Her Honor

This week, rumors swirled that the actor had removed a tattoo near his clavicle  which he got in Kim's honor  when he was seen on the set of Bupkis sporting a large bandage on his chest.

The former couple revealed the "my girl is a lawyer" tattoo in March.

But a source close to Davidson told PEOPLE that's not the case.

"While he continues to remove his tattoos, that image is from set and not related to removing the lawyer tattoo," the insider said.
Whether you're looking for a terrifying thrill or a family-friendly monster bash, Central Wisconsin has got you covered.

The area is packed with haunted woods, ghost encounters, ghoul-infested corn mazes and daytime trick-or-treating events.

Creepy Hollow Haunted Trail

Where: N11818 Cedar Road, Birnamwood

This attraction may require a drive, but past visitors guarantee it is worth it.

The Creepy Hollow Haunted Trail is full of creatures and spooks that will have visitors screaming, shaking and scared out of their wits.

The attraction is open for one weekend only. The haunting begins at 7 p.m. Oct. 28 and Oct. 29. Tickets are not sold after 11 p.m.

Entry costs $15 per person and $25 for a fast pass. This event is not recommended for children younger than 12.

Proceeds go to local nonprofit organizations. Last year, $15,000 was given to Wisconsin K9 SOS Search and Rescue, Norwood Advancement Association and Langlade County families in need.

For more information, visit the Creepy Hollow Haunted Trail Facebook page.

Feltzs Haunted Corn Maze

Feltz's Dairy corn maze becomes haunted the last two weekends of October.

Where: 5796 Porter Drive, Stevens Point

Ghosts, ghouls and goblins will overtake the 12-acre Kwik Trip-themed corn maze at Feltzs Dairy during the last two weekends of October.

Get lost in the winding, pitch-black maze where every corner brings on a new terror.

The parking lot opens at 5:30 p.m. each night, and the corn maze opens at 6:15 p.m. Oct. 21-22 and 28-29. No one is allowed to enter the maze after 10 p.m.

Tickets to enter cost $18. If you want to skip the general admission line, buy a fast pass for $30. Groups of eight or more buying tickets save $1 on each ticket.

This attraction is recommended for ages 12 and older. To find out more, visit the Feltzs Fear Farm website.

Greater Wausau Children's Museum Monster Bash

Where: 10101 Market St., Suite D70, Rothschild

For some kid-friendly monsters, head to the Greater Wausau Childrens Museum for their Monster Bash from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 21.

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Kids and their parents are encouraged to wear costumes and dance the night away with DJ Justin Pitlik. Other activities include games, a candy drop and ghoulish themed science and art activities.

Tickets are $9.50 and must be purchased in advance at the Greater Wausau Childrens Museums website. Museum pass holders receive a $2 discount.

Haunted Hollow

Where: N3762 Maple Grove Road, Weyauwega (about 5 miles east of Waupaca)

You dont even have to leave your car for a fright at Haunted Hollow. This drive-thru 600-foot yard is full of unimaginable scenes sure to shock you and all your passengers.

Live characters drift across the roadway for extra scares while you journey through this haunted thoroughfare. Haunted Hollow welcomes visitors of all ages.

The haunted roadway is open to vehicles nightly from Oct. 8-31. Hours are 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The event is free but cash and food donations are appreciated. Donations go to the Waupaca Area Food Pantry and the Waupaca Area Humane Society.

More information can be found on the Haunted Hollow Facebook page.

Haunted Sawmill

Where: 700 Hendricks St., Merrill

The Scare Crew is ready to set your pulse jumping as they take you on a journey through a love triangle gone very bad.

The Haunted Sawmill tells the story of Vincent Mudgett, the Massacre at Merrill Sawmill and the Arcane Asylum. The venue is filled with volunteer actors accessorized with plenty of blood and gore ready to terrify their onlookers.

The Haunted Sawmill opens its doors for the 2022 Halloween season at 6 p.m. Oct. 7.

Tens of thousands of visitors stream through the attraction each year, meaning lines are long. The website said visitors can expect to wait one to three hours, so dress for the weather. Fast passes can be purchased, but they dont guarantee a quick entry.

The shows run every weekend until Halloween. Tickets cost $15 per person. A fast-pass can be purchased for an additional $10. Purchase tickets online or at the event.

Gates open at 6 p.m. Oct. 7-8 and Oct. 30, and tickets are sold until 9 p.m. Tickets will be sold until 10 p.m. Oct. 14-15, and until 11 p.m. Oct. 21-22 and Oct. 28-29.

A childrens matinee will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 29. This is a lights-on and no- scare version with games, face painting, pumpkin painting and trick-or-treating. Tickets cost $15. One adult can accompany each child free of charge.

Food will be available for purchase. Proceeds from the event help support local youth activities.

For more information on the Haunted Sawmill, visit their website or Facebook page.

Historic Downtown Wausau Haunted Walking Tour

Costumed Ghost Tours offer an interactive experience and feature costumed actors bringing the historic ghosts of downtown Wausau to life.

Where: 414 Scott St., Wausau

If you fancy finding real ghosts this October, take a tour with the Wausau Paranormal Research Society.

The group offers two different guided excursions to uncover the historic ghosts of downtown Wausau.

The Original Ghost Tours cover about one mile of the downtown area and highlight 10-12 haunted locations.

The Costumed Ghost Tours have fewer stops but offer an interactive experience. Costumed ghosts are featured at each location and tell their personal historical stories.

The tours are almost entirely outdoors, so participants need to dress for the weather. The events will go on rain or shine.

To sign up for the Original Ghost Tours head to the Wausau Paranormal Research Society Facebook page. Tickets cost $10 and must be paid using Venmo. Three tours will be offered on Oct. 21 and 28. Start times are 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. The tour begins at the Wausau Elks Lodge #248 and usually lasts an hour and a half.

The Costumed Ghost Tours are offered on a first-come basis. They will be offered on Oct. 22 and 29. Tours start at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person. Only cash payments are accepted on the day of the event. Tours leave every 20 minutes. Tour sizes are limited to 30-35 people. The tour starts at the Wausau Elks Lodge #248 and lasts about an hour and a half.

A portion of the proceeds go to local charities.

For more information, visit the Wausau Paranormal Research Societys website or Facebook page.

Howl-oween at the Zoo

Where: 608 W. 17th St., Marshfield

Animal lovers looking for a howling good time, head to Marshfields Wildwood Park and Zoo for their Howl-oween at the Zoo event. The event runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 7 and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 8.

Visitors are welcome to dress up in costume and explore the zoo for candy, games, educational signs and, of course, animals.

The cost is $5 for each participant, which includes a reusable tote bag for all the zoo goodies.

A visit to the pumpkin patch for a pumpkin costs an additional $5. Food trucks will be on hand for food purchases.

Proceeds benefit Wildwood Park and Zoo. For more information, visit the the zoo's online event page.

Perdition Pines Haunted Event

Terror is around every corner at Perdition Pines in Antigo. The attraction is open every Saturday in October from 7 p.m. until midnight. On Sundays, Oct. 23 and 30, the event will also be open from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Where: N1385 Langlade County D, Antigo

If youre looking for a terrifying walk in the woods, head to Perdition Pines in Antigo.

Their outdoor haunted grounds are loaded with ghosts and ghouls that are sure to get your spine tingling and your feet moving.

The haunted attraction is open every Saturday in October from 7 p.m. until midnight. On Oct. 23 and 30, the event will also be open from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Attend their Halloween event from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Oct. 31.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the location with cash only. Entry costs $10, but this price lowers to $7 when you bring two or more nonperishable food items to the ticket booth.

For $20 get VIP treatment which includes entry into the attraction, skip the line priority, one free drink and one free treat.

On Oct. 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the pines will be scare-free for kids. The ghouls of the night will be in full costume, but will be handing out candy instead of frights. There will also be face painting and cookie decorating.

The kids event is free for ages 14 and younger and costs $5 or two nonperishable food items for those older than 15. Proceeds and food donations will go to the Antigo Community Food Pantry. Strollers and wagons are not allowed into the attractions.

For more information, visit the Perdition Pines Haunted Event website or Facebook page.

Wilkes Haunted Weekends

Where: T8417 Marathon County W, Wausau

Hop aboard a hayride for the scare of your life through the haunted woods. Attempt to solve the corn maze in complete darkness. No flashlights are allowed. This and more takes place in the haunting hours at Wilkes Dairy Farm.

During the last two weekends in October, the spooks come out from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets to the attractions are $10 each or three for $25.

Catch a hayride for a frightening adventure in the spook-filled woods at Wilke's Dairy Farm. The haunted hayrides and dark corn maze are open the last two weekends of October.

If youre looking for a kid-friendly option, head to the farm from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 29. This event will feature a trick-or-treat hayride with friendly ghouls giving out candy. The cost is $5 per person.

For more information, visit the Wilkes Dairy Farm website or Facebook page.

Willow Springs Garden Haunted Corn Maze and Kids Halloween Party

Mysterious creatures overtake the corn maze at Willow Springs Garden in Wausau from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Oct. 27-29. It costs $15 per person.

Where: 6905 N. 60th Ave., Wausau

At the end of October, the Willow Springs Garden corn maze becomes haunted. For three nights, visitors enter the dark maze with an assigned quest that must be completed before they depart. Scares are around every corner and no flashlights are allowed. This maze is recommended for ages 10 and older.

The Haunted Corn Maze runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Oct. 27-29. It costs $15 per person.

On Oct. 30, the spooks leave the corn maze and children are invited in for trick-or-treating from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

This family event is part of the venues Halloween Party for kids 12 and younger and their parents. The party also includes concessions, games and dancing. It costs $5 for kids. Parents and children younger than 1 are free.

For more information, visit the Willow Springs Garden website or Facebook page.

MORE NEWS: Apples, pumpkins, corn mazes and more: 13 Central Wisconsin destinations for fall family fun

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Contact USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin reporter Jennifer Poyer at jpoyer@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: Looking for a scare? 10 haunted attractions to visit Central Wisconsin
Marine Colonel Nicole Aunapu Mann made history as one of a four-member astronaut crew to blast off from Florida bound for the International Space Station. Mann, 45, became the first Native American woman to launch into space.

Mann was joined on the SpaceX Falcon rocket Wednesday by fellow NASA astronaut Josh Cassada, Japan's Koichi Wakata and Russia's Anna Kikina, orbiting in a Crew Dragon capsule and set to reach the outpost in 29 hours. The mission known as Crew-5 is SpaceX's sixth crewed flight under contract from NASA and eighth overall when including private spaceflights.

Mann, a member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in California, said she hopes future generations of Native Americans can feel inspired by her mission.

"(I hope it) will inspire young Native American children to follow their dreams and realize that some of those barriers that are there or used to be there are being broken down," she told BBC. "Anytime we are able to do something that is a first, or wasn't done in the past, it's so important. They have these opportunities."

'Instantly unites us': Russian launches to space from US, 1st time in 20 years, amid tensions over Ukraine

This is Manns first spaceflight since becoming an astronaut in 2013, according to NASA. As mission commander, she's responsible for all phases of flight, from launch to reentry.

Mann and her crew are set to join seven colleagues once they arrive at the space station: four NASA and European Space Agency astronauts and three Russian cosmonauts. The flight had been delayed by Hurricane Ian, which devastated parts of the state last week.

"You've got three rookies that are pretty happy to be floating in space right now and one veteran astronaut happy to be back in space as well," she said.

Mann was born in Petaluma, California, according to NASA. She earned a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a masters degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University with a specialty in fluid mechanics. She is a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps and was a test pilot for the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet.

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"I have a special dreamcatcher that my mother gave me which will be another little piece of my family to carry with me," she told BBC.

Crew-5 is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which was established to replace the space shuttle's role in taking crews to the station. The U.S. went without crewed spaceflight access for nearly a decade  relying on Russian Soyuz spacecraft in between  until May 2020, when SpaceX launched the Demo-2 mission. Since then, SpaceX has launched six crews under that multibillion-dollar contract with NASA.

Contributing: Emre Kelly of Florida Today, Natalie Neysa Alund

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASA astronaut Nicole Mann now first Native American woman in space
PANAMA CITY  Local law enforcement officials have arrested another person allegedly involved in a brawl that broke out at a popular night club earlier this year.

According to the Bay County Clerk of Courts website, 22-year-old Corey Peterson of Panama City was arrested Monday in connection to the violent outbreak that occurred at Vibez on May 22.

Corey Peterson, a 22-year-old Panama City resident, was arrested Monday for his alleged involvement in a brawl that broke out at Vibez in May.

Peterson, who was arrested more than four months after his warrant was issued, faces charges of rioting, failing to appear in court and violating a court order.

Chief Mark Smith of the Panama City Police Department declined to comment on the arrest.

Vibez club closes: says it was 'public enemy No. 1' after 'Panamaniac'. City denies claims

Vibez club in Panama City: reopens with new rules: age requirement, dress code, no smoking

Court records state Peterson was identified "as a willing participant" in the brawl by witnesses and security cameras at Vibez.

"Footage provided by (Vibez) showed approximately 16 people, separated in groups of approximately eight, line up, (face) each other and exchange what appeared to be gang signs," the records read. "After the gang signs were displayed, (the fight) started."

Vibez also was one of the gathering sites for a group of unruly tourists who flocked to the area in March for an unsanctioned social media event dubbed "Panamaniac," local leaders have said.

From March 26-27, local law enforcement agencies seized throughout Bay County 75 illegal guns and arrested more than 160 people connected to the gathering.

The club temporarily closed at the beginning of June and reopened about a month later with new rules that required patrons to be at least 25 years old. A strict dress code also was implemented that restricted sagging pants, swim wear, plain T-shirts, jerseys and slides. Smoking inside the venue also was prohibited.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City man arrested in Vibez brawl, called 'willing participant'
Residential area of Vinhomes Central Park in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by Shutterstock/Ho Su A Bi

Vietnams richest man Pham Nhat Vuong has established a new company, VMI JSC, which offers to split a Vinhomes property into 50 smaller pieces for investors to buy.

The buyer of each of these pieces will be certified of their asset and earn profit should the property value go up.

VIM also offers a minimum annual profit guarantee in case market conditions are unfavorable, but the company has not revealed a specific figure.

"We expect to create a product to help customers with small capital to invest in the property market and help boost the secondary market," said CEO Phan Thanh Long.

Vuong, chairman of conglomerate Vingorup, contributes VND16.2 trillion ($678.39 million) worth of capital using 243 million of Vingroups VIC shares.

This means he accounts for a 90% stake in the VND18 trillion company.

Joint property investment has been adopted by several companies in Vietnam in recent years.
After a four-year hiatus, Paramore is back with a new album and hitting the road again. But after an incident at the Salt Lake City leg of their fall tour, the band is reassuring fans they are still into them and are not in the misery business.

In a message across their social media platforms, the band addressed the incident, in which a male fan "physically and verbally assaulted multiple women, including an engaged couple." Hayley Williams and co. made sure to note that this kind of behavior is unacceptable at their shows.

BOSTON, MA  MAY 25:Hayley Williams of Paramore performs onstage at Harvard Athletic Complex on May 25, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts.(Photo by Natasha Moustache/GettyImages)

Natasha Moustache/Getty

"After last night's show in SLC, we were made aware of an incident that happened in the crowd while we were on stage," the band wrote in a statement shared on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. "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. 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 went on to emphasize that they do not condone "violence, homophobia, or bigotry of any kind. It is supremely unwelcome in our community and has no place at our shows."

Paramore rose to fame in the early-00s on the strength of such pop-punk bangers as "Misery Business, " That's What You Get," and "Still Into You." Frontwoman Hayley Williams also lent her powerful pipes to a number of hits including B.o.B.'s "Airplanes" and Zedd's "Stay the Night" before releasing her debut solo album Petals for Armor in 2020, and its follow-up Flowers for Vases / Descansos in 2021.

Amid internal turmoil, the members of Paramore took a break from each other in 2018, only to return with their upcoming sixth studio album, This Is Why, which is set to be released next year on Feb. 10. The album's lead single, also titled "This Is Why," was released at the end of September, just before the band launched its first tour in four years.

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The tour kicked off in Bakersfield, Calif., then headed to Utah. After the assault incident at that show, the band apologized to "the fans who were hurt by or who witnessed what happened," and hoped that they know "we will always do anything we can to protect you and make you feel celebrated."

"To make things as clear as possible," the band's statement concluded, "Paramore shows are meant to be a safe place for people. If you can't respect that, do not come."

Related content:
See Penelope Cruz' business chic look in the new photos.

Penelope Cruz is celebrating the premiere of her new film in style.

The film star, 48, strutted the red carpet like a true professional on Tuesday, Oct. 4, while sporting a trendy business-chic look at the premiere of En Los Margenes (On The Fringe) in Spain.

The Spanish actress showed up to Tuesday's event at the Capitol cinema in Madrid, where she donned a classic black blazer and trousers with a white blouse underneath. The look was made complete with a black tie and platform black heels.

Cruz also posed for the camera alongside actor and director Juan Diego Botto, who was also dressed up in a black and white ensemble for the screening, as well as their fellow co-star in the film, Luis Tosar.

In addition to starring in the feature film, Botto also directed the social drama, which follows the effects of the eviction crisis in Spain.

Cruz plays the role of Azucena, a supermarket employee struggling to avoid being evicted from the apartment she shares with her husband and young son in the midst of the housing crisis.

"The housing problem is the central theme that defines the poverty problem in Spain," Botto explained to Variety, noting, "The market is not regulated. They can raise your rent 100%, 200% from one day to the next."

According to Botto, he only planned to write the script for the film at first, before Cruz encouraged him to direct it himself.

It was Penelope who suggested that. You know the material so well, she said. Youre in love with the story. Why dont you do it,'" he recalled to the outlet. "It was a suggestion that I appreciated because she trusted me. Shes a huge star and that trust was very helpful.

More Pop Culture:
Palm Beach Synagogue Hebrew school student Asher Isaacs, 7, decorates the Sukkah, an outdoor structure, for Sukkot Sept. 19, 2021 in Palm Beach. Pensacola community members are invited for a similar event on Oct. 13 in Pensacola.

In a modern celebration with ancient roots, the Jewish community of Pensacola will celebrate a once-in-seven-years unity celebration called 'Hakhel' (gathering together).

The unity event on Oct. 13 will feature live music, a BBQ and bar, entertainment, and a children's program. It promises to draw excited participants from all walks of Jewish life. The community is invited to join the celebration.

The celebration will take place in the Sukkah built at the Pensacola Chabad Jewish Center, the traditional seven-day leaves hut holiday, that will be the largest ever seen in Pensacola, with space for over 100 people.

Its a very exciting year with a celebration that will bring special unity within the community, and people are sure to enjoy, said Rabbi Mendel Danow, director of the Pensacola Chabad Jewish Center.

Open to community: B'Nai Israel Synagogue starts 'gourmet kosher' feasts once a month

More: Religious landscape of early Pensacola laid foundation for community of many faiths

We are especially excited for this Year of Hakhel and unity, coming after COVID-19 when people were not able to congregate in large crowds, to now get back to celebrate in person with the whole community.

Hakhel is the Hebrew word for gathering or assembling, representing the biblical command for all Jews to gather in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, 2,000 years ago, once every seven years on the holiday of Sukkot.

The Jewish king read selections from the Torah to the huge crowd and the event inspired the nation to greater commitment to Jewish life and learning for the next seven years. The literal observance of Hakhel was only possible during the Holy Temple era.

Palm Beach Synagogue Hebrew school students Aerin Bar-Or, 7, and Noah Fromowitz, 9, decorate the Sukkah, an outdoor structure, for Sukkot Sept. 19, 2021 in Palm Beach. The Pensacola community is invited to a similar unity event on Oct. 13 that will feature live music, a BBQ and bar, entertainment, and a children's program.

The modern observance of Hakhel as a year of Jewish unity and inspiration was established by the Rebbe  Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, the most influential rabbi in modern history. Born in Ukraine 120 years ago, the Rebbe built back Jewish life there after the fall of Communism and led Judaisms global post-Holocaust renaissance.

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The Rebbe called for the year of Hakhel to be a time for people to come together in unity. Throughout this new Jewish year, Synagogues, Jewish institutions, and people at their homes will host communal unity gatherings to encourage the celebration of Judaism, its observance, and study of the Torah.

The Pensacola Chabad Jewish Center firmly believes Jewish traditions and customs are the birthright of every Jew and that every Jew should have access to them.

Especially highlighted this year, as a year of gathering and unity, every Jew, no matter affiliation or practice, is invited to come and celebrate in this once-in-seven-year unity celebration.

What is Sukkot?

Sukkot, the Festival of the Booths, is a seven-day holiday that begins this year on Sunday at sundown and ends on the following Sunday, Oct.16, at dark, and is immediately followed by the two-day holiday of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, ending at nightfall on Oct.18.

The holiday is celebrated by eating in a sukkah, a temporary structure covered with vegetation or bamboo that commemorates the time the Jews wandered in the desert wilderness and the miraculous clouds that surrounded them. For more information about Sukkot, visit www.ChabadPensacola.com/Sukkot

Want to go?

What? Jewish Unity Celebration

Where: Pensacola Chabad Jewish Center

When: 5 p.m., Oct. 13

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola's Jewish community is celebrating once-in-seven-years event
Update: The head of UA Hydrology Department, Thomas Meixner, was identified as killed in the campus shooting. Read the latest news on the shooting.

A shooting at the University of Arizona campus in Tucson on Wednesday left one person dead, according to UA campus police. A suspect was arrested after an hourslong search.

Timeline of what happened

1:59 p.m.: Campus police received a call from someone in the Harshbarger building that there was a former student in the building who was not wanted there.

2 p.m.-2:07 p.m.: Police responded immediately, but the shooting occurred before they got there. The shooter fled the building about 2:07 p.m.

2:15 p.m.: UA students received a message from the emergency UAlert system regarding a shooting that occurred at the John W. Harshbarger building at the university's main campus in Tucson.

UA police blocked off the area surrounding the Harshbarger Building and asked people to stay away from the area while they searched for the suspect.

3:04 p.m.: Another UAlert said all in-person classes were canceled for the remainder of the school day.

5:10 p.m.: After a search, a suspect was captured during a traffic stop.

Hydrology professor killed; suspect in custody

At a news conference, UA campus police Chief Paula Balafas said a male professor in the department of hydrology was pronounced dead after arriving at Banner University Medical System. The name of the professor was not released.

Campus police began a search for the suspect that ended just after 5 p.m., with a traffic stop. With the assistance of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, police apprehended Murad Dervish, 46, Balafas said. Dervish is a former student of the professor who was killed, Balafas said.

Balafas said there were two witnesses to the shooting inside Harshbarger.

Classes on the UA campus will likely be held Thursday, but Balafas said it's unclear whether classes will be held in Harshbarger.

Its one of the things you just cant predict, she said.

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Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey tweeted after the shooting, expressing condolences and thanking law enforcement for their cooperation.

Arizona is praying for the family and friends of the professor and those affected by todays tragedy in Tucson. 1/  Doug Ducey (@DougDucey) October 6, 2022

This is a developing story; return to azcentral for updates.

Reach breaking news reporter Vic Verbalaitis at vverbalaitis@gannett.com or on Twitter @VicVerb.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Professor killed in shooting at University of Arizona campus
Poland said it has spoken to the US about having Natos nuclear weapons on its territory amid growing alarm over Russias explicit threats of using nuclear arms in Ukraine.

Polish president Andrzej Duda said there was a potential opportunity for the country to take part in nuclear sharing.

The problem, first of all, is that we dont have nuclear weapons, Mr Duda said in an interview with the Gazeta Polska newspaper on Wednesday.

We have spoken with American leaders about whether the United States is considering such a possibility. The issue is open, he added.

White House officials have, however, said they are not aware of the request being raised and referred further questions to the Polish government.

Were not aware of this issue being raised and would refer you to the government of Poland, a US official said, according to Bloomberg.

Polands suggestion to host nuclear weapons on its soil is the latest example of growing fears over the use of nuclear weapons as the Biden administration and Nato seek to strike a balance between supplying Ukraine with weaponry and refraining from moves that could escalate the conflict to nuclear war.

While it is unclear what Poland is actually seeking in its request, observers said it could mean pilots from the host country being trained to carry out nuclear missions using US-provided nuclear warheads, among other things.

Nato members and its allies Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy and Turkey host US nuclear weapons on their soil, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

A senior diplomat in Warsaw, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said hosting the US weapons could be in the interest of Poland as well the region and serve all of Europes security needs.

Mr Dudas offer to host the weapons follows a move by Russias top ally Belarus to make changes in its constitution to allow the Kremlin to base and use nuclear weapons from its territory.

The potential demand has also been raised as the prospect of the use of nuclear weapons is estimated to be higher than at any time since the Cold War and possibly since the Cuban missile crisis 60 years ago.

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Vladimir Putin raised the prospect anew when he said he would use all available means to defend Russian territory while declaring the annexation of four more Ukrainian regions.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in April 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.

Deploying US nuclear weapons to Poland, a neighbour of Ukraine, could be a violation of Natos Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Nato-Russia Founding Act.

The latter states that the bloc will not deploy nuclear-capable arsenal on the territory of any new member.
A brief White House press release issued Friday was the only indication President Joe Biden had signed a bill renaming a Mishawaka veterans affairs clinic in honor of the late U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski.

The intimate, as far as Oval Office meetings go, nature of the signing didnt surprise Keith Walorski  Jackie Walorskis older brother  given the Presidents slip-up earlier that week when he mistakenly called out for the deceased congresswoman at a conference.

President Biden apologizes for 'Where's Jackie'

However, Keith said Biden was extremely gracious to his family during the signing and apologized for the gaffe.

He brought the Wheres Jackie? comment and basically said, Im sorry that that went out like it did, and that it was basically a slip. He was the one to bring it up, he apologized and we basically told him we were fine, we had no hard feelings about that, Keith recalled.

When Biden first broached the topic, Martha Walorski, Keith and Jackie's mother, quickly interjected that the President didn't have to ask where Jackie was, because "she's with Jesus in Heaven."

The gaffe wasnt intentional or malicious, Keith feels, and said he felt the Presidents apology was genuine given Bidens first wife, Neilia Biden, and daughter were killed in a car crash in 1972.

Jackie Walorski died in an Elkhart County wreck on Aug. 3, along with two of her staffers  27-year-old Zach Potts and 28-year-old Emma Thomson. The driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash, 56-year-old Edith Schmucker, also was killed.

'Excessive speed' led to Walorski crash:Police say driver likely attempting to pass truck when crash happened

Joining Keith and Martha in the Oval Office were Dean Swihart, Jackies widower, and two of Jackies staffers. The group traded stories with the President and First Lady for around 30 minutes before Biden signed the measure into law, Keith said.

The bill was introduced by the Indiana congressional delegation shortly after Jackies death and unanimously passed the U.S. Senate in September. Jackie Walorski, 58, had served Indiana's 2nd district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013 and was on the Committee on Veterans Affairs for two terms. She, along with former senator Joe Donnelly, worked to secure funding to open the St. Joseph County VA Clinic in 2017.

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People should know that she was a true patriot, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said at a bill enrollment ceremony last month. She worked very hard for our veterans on the Veterans Affairs Committee, so this is such an appropriate designation.

As of Friday, the building is to be called the "Jackie Walorski VA Clinic.

For Keith, the renamed clinic is a huge honor, but just as meaningful were the numerous people who spoke with the family at Jackies visitation and told of how she touched their lives.

She would be honored to have that, Keith said of the clinic. But she would be just as honored to know how many people that we talked to at the visitation  who came and said to us, She helped me. I learned a lot about how far her influence went after she was gone.

After signing the bill, Biden took the family on a tour of the White Houses personal quarters.

In review:Five things that have happened since Rep. Jackie Walorski died two months ago

Now back in Michiana after driving through the vestiges of Hurricane Ian, Keith said the family is trying to move forward and regain a sense of normalcy following Jackies death. Though he appreciates the political communitys efforts to honor Jackies legacy, attending events often reminds him of his sisters death, Keith said, making it difficult, at times, to move on.

Weve been ready to move on for a long time, Keith said. Considering all of the things that are still happening, like this signing, everything you go to takes you back to where you started.

Locally, Swihart has resumed work with his and Jackie's nonprofit Impact International Ministries. Swihart's endorsement also propelled former Walorski campaign finance director Rudy Yakym to win the Republican Party caucus to succeed Walorski. Yakym will face Democrat Paul Steury and Libertarian candidate William Henry in the general election.

Email Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@sbtinfo.com. Follow him on Twitter: @marek_mazurek

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Biden meets with family of Jackie Walorski, signs bill honoring her
The 22-year-old junior at Purdue University was taken into custody and charged with murder. (Photo: Michael Hickey via Getty Images)

The 22-year-old junior at Purdue University was taken into custody and charged with murder. (Photo: Michael Hickey via Getty Images)

A 20-year-old Purdue University student was stabbed to death by his roommate inside their dorm room in a school residence hall early Wednesday morning, local authorities said.

The students roommate, Gji Min Sha, was taken into custody within minutes of calling police just before 1 a.m. to report the death of Varun Manish Chheda in McCutcheon Hall, authorities in West Lafayette, Indiana, said at a press conference. The 22-year-old now faces a charge of murder.

Chheda died from multiple sharp force traumatic injuries, according to a preliminary autopsy report. The toxicology report is still pending, the Tippecanoe County Coroners Office said.

I believe this was unprovoked and senseless, Purdue University Police Chief Lesley Wiete said when asked if there was a struggle.

Sha, a junior, is an international student majoring in cyber security from Korea. Chheda was a senior majoring in data science, she said.

We had him very quickly, and there was no threat to campus by this individual any further, she said.

In a statement to students, Mitch Daniels, the universitys president, assured them of the schools safety following the tragedy.

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, he said.

Such statistics are of no consolation on a day like this, he added. A death on our campus and among our Purdue family affects each of us deeply.

In 2014, a Purdue University student Cody Cousins fatally stabbed and shot his classmate Andrew Boldt inside a classroom. Cousins and Boldt were teaching assistants in Purdues electrical engineering program at the time.

Cousins was sentenced to 65 years in prison but killed himself later that year while behind bars.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
It's one year into Google's five-year, $1 billion plan to boost digital services across Africa, and on the heels of its latest investment -- announcing South Africa as its first cloud region on the continent -- the internet services giant also gave an update to lay out how it's making good on its commitment.

It has built infrastructure -- a subsea cable -- to position itself as a major connectivity provider in the region; and it's played financier, with low-interest loans to small businesses and investments to African growth startups.

Overall, Googles $1 billion investment in the continent is focused on four key areas: providing affordable access and helpful (Google) products for Africans, supporting businesses with digital transformation, investing in entrepreneurs to spur next-generation technologies and supporting nonprofits working on some of the continents biggest challenges.

Reports say Africas internet economy can grow to $180 billion by 2025, accounting for 5.2% of the continents GDP. Subsea cables are pivotal to this growth as they drive down data costs and increase data speed as more Africans participate in the internet economy.

Since its announcement this February, Googles subsea cable, Equiano, which connects Africa with Europe, now runs through Togo, Nigeria, Namibia and South Africa. The subsea cable is expected to be fully operational by years end, Nitin Gajria, Google's managing director for Africa, said today.

Project Taara is another Google scheme centered around making the internet accessible and affordable. Taara uses light to transmit data, removing the need for expensive infrastructure like cables. While the technology is a work in progress, the company had made successful pilots across six African countries, including Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Our colleagues at X, Alphabets moonshot factory, are providing high-speed internet access using beams of light in areas where its either too difficult or not economically viable to install fiber. This is now piloted in six African countries working to bring affordable and abundant internet to more people across the country. Were excited about the possibilities this opens up in terms of bringing down infrastructure costs, and therefore the cost of data to the end user, he added.

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Gajria also announced updates on Googles programs for the African tech scene. Since its launch in 2018, Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program has supported more than 96 startups in seed to Series A stages, collectively raising $230 million in venture capital. Last year, Google revealed its Africa Investment Fund, a $50 million fund, to invest in growth-stage startups across the continent. It has backed three companies through the fund: Ugandan mobility platform-turned-super app SafeBoda, South African mobile gaming company Carry1st and Kenyan online logistics and haulage company Lori Systems.

Underlining its commitment to support underserved entrepreneurs in Africa, the tech giant also set up the Black Founders Fund, which kicked off with a promise to provide capital of up to $100,000, an opportunity to connect with founders from across the globe and access to some of the firms services and products.

In its latest and second batch, Google provided $4 million in non-dilutive capital to 60 startups within Africa, building on the $3 million it extended to the first cohort. Google said that the fund is meant to fuel generational and systemic change in an ecosystem where only a handful of founders manage to raise funding. And in continuing with its efforts to support SMEs, early this year, the tech giant also launched Google Hustle Academy with a plan to train thousands of SMEs and entrepreneurs across the continent.

Earlier this year, we launched the Hustle Academy and to date, more than 3,000 small and medium-sized businesses have gone through this free week-long boot camp geared at helping them increase revenue, position themselves for investment and build sustainable business models for the future, said Gajria about progress on this front. The role that Google has played in supporting Africas entrepreneurs is particularly close to my heart because this is an area Im truly passionate about.

On Googles fourth area of investment, which is its work with NGOs, Gajria highlighted how the tech giant is giving out $1 million in ad grants monthly to over 40,000 people collaborating in Google workspaces for nonprofits on the continent.

Doubling down on its infrastructural investments in Africa, in April this year, Google also launched its first product development center in Africa in what it said was aimed at building transformative products and services for the African market and the world. The center in Nairobi is Googles second major research and development investment in Africa after the tech giant set up an AI and research center in Ghana in 2019.
The Cedarburg School District had 76.6% of its students scoring proficient or advanced on the math portion of the Forward Exam and scored a 22.7 ACT composite score for the 2021-22 school year.

Suburban Milwaukee schools districts had mixed results when it came to 2021-22 state standardized testing scores.

While, statewide, fewer than half of Wisconsin students were deemed proficient in math and language arts in 2021-22, most local districts fared better.

In suburban Milwaukee school districts, the K-8 Lake Country School District led the way with the highest scores on the math portion of the Forward Exam, as the district saw a slight increase from 79.3% proficient or advanced in 2019 to 80.9% in 2022.

On the language arts portion of the Forward Exam, the district saw a slight decrease from 72.9% proficient or advanced in 2019 to 72% in 2022.

Lake Country School Superintendent Chad Schraufnagel said the district was excited about its Forward Exam results.

"This is a reflection of the dedication of the students, staff, parents, community, and board of education and the collective commitment to providing a quality education to all students who attend the Lake Country School District. We will continue to analyze our data and continue to look for ways to grow and better support our students," said Schraufnagel in an Oct. 5 email.

More: Fewer than half of Wisconsin students were proficient in math, language, according to 2022 standardized tests

Another district that performed well on the Forward Exam was the K-12 Cedarburg School District. The district improved its math proficiency from 67.3% proficient or advanced in 2019 to 76.6% in 2022 and improved its language arts proficiency from 62.9% in 2019 to 68.9% in 2022.

The K-8 Hartland-Lakeside School District improved from 73.4% in math proficiency in 2019 to 75.6% proficiency in 2022. The district saw a slight decrease on the language arts portion, from 67.4% proficiency in 2019 to 65.6% proficiency in 2022.

Another K-8 district that had high 2022 marks on the Forward Exam was North Lake, which decreased in math proficiency from 78.6% in 2019 to 72.5% in 2022 on the math portion and slightly decreased in language arts proficiency from 68.8% in 2019 to 67.2% in 2022.

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Merton, another K-8 district, also had high marks, improving its language arts proficiency from 63.2% in 2019 to 69.9% in 2022 and decreasing in math proficiency from 71.9% in 2019 to 69.3%.

On the flip side, some suburban Milwaukee districts saw their scores decrease in 2021-22.

Brown Deer, for example, decreased in math proficiency from 42.9% in 2019 to 25.8% in 2022. The district's language arts proficiency also decreased, declining from 39.2% in 2019 to 25.2% in 2022.

Another district that did not perform well on the Forward Exam in 2021-22 was Cudahy. The district's language arts proficiency decreased from 36.2% in 2019 to 28% in 2022 and its math proficiency decreased from 33.5% in 2019 to 23% in 2022.

Other local districts that did not fare well in 2022 on math and language arts exams:

Palmyra-Eagle decreased in math proficiency from 42.9% in 2019 to 26.9% in 2022 and decreased in language arts proficiency from 37.4% in 2019 to 30% in 2022.

South Milwaukee decreased in math proficiency from 38.3% in 2019 to 24.4% in 2022 and decreased in language arts proficiency from 31.6% in 2019 to 24.7% in 2022.

West Allis-West Milwaukee decreased in math proficiency from 36.9% in 2019 to 21.8% in 2022 and decreased in language arts proficiency from 40.8% in 2019 to 28.1% in 2019

The Forward Exam's math and language arts test is given annually to third- through eighth-graders statewide.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction cautioned against comparing numbers for the Forward Exam in 2022 with those from 2021 due to low participation numbers caused by the pandemic. Some school districts were still in virtual learning at the time of testing in 2021. Scores for the exam also counted students who did not take the test as not proficient, which lowered schools' proficiency rates. Tests were canceled in 2020.

ACT testing

Area school districts also performed well on the ACT exams in 2021-22, with most districts' average composite score exceeding the 2021-22 state average composite score of 19.2.

Some districts saw high ACT average composite scores in 2021-22, which in most cases were improvements over their 2020-21 average composite scores. They included:

Whitefish Bay at 25.1, an increase from 22.7 in 2020-21

Elmbrook at 23.5, an increase from 23.0 in 2020-21

Mequon-Thiensville at 22.8, an increase from 22.5 in 2020-21

Arrowhead and Cedarburg, who each had 22.7; Arrowhead's score increased from 22.5 in 2020-21 while Cedarburg decreased from 23.4 in 2020-21

The Whitefish Bay School District sent an emailed statement to a reporter Oct. 5 attributed to Superintendent John Thomsen.

Although this is just one measure, it is a key indicator of post-high school readiness. These results reflect our ongoing commitment to developing strong student academic and 21st century skills while addressing the whole child in a caring and supportive environment. We do not know of any other public school district in the state that has matched this high, long-standing record. Consistent ACT scores above 25 are just one reflection of the dedicated effort and commitment to learning demonstrated by our students, their families, and our entire District Team," Thomsen said in the emailed statement.

The district with the lowest composite score in the area for 2021-22 was St. Francis with 16.2. Other districts with low composite scores were Cudahy with 16.7, West Allis-West Milwaukee and Brown Deer with 17.1 and South Milwaukee with 17.2.

To see how your district performed on the Forward Exam and ACT, visit wisedash.dpi.wi.gov/.

Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here's how suburban school districts performed on state testing
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, October 06, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Soundport has officially been inaugurated. Soundport is Ferring Pharmaceuticals A/S new domicile and is the companys biggest site for biopharmaceutical research & development.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005093/en/

Ferring Soundport Building - outside photo (Photo: Business Wire)

The property, at Kastrup old harbour a short walk from Copenhagen Airport, was acquired in 2013 and the building took two years to design. Architects are Foster + Partners assisted by local partner architects Mikkelsen Arkitekter A/S. Jacobs Engineering were the main technical and engineering advisors until 2019, when Novo Nordisk Engineering took over the execution of the plans. In 2022, our employees finally started to move into Soundport and it is now a building buzzing with creative activity.

The ethos for Soundport is openness and transparency with the main view towards Sweden through the east-facing 630 m glazed atrium facade. The arrangement of the spaces internally allows employees to easily interact and closely collaborate as well as offering different spaces to work individually or collectively, socialise, take a break, and eat. The building sits on a solid plinth raised above sea level to prevent possible flooding. On the plinth the domicile is resting with glazed windows, with a view towards water on all three sides. The dome and the roof inside the house finish the building in a spectacular way. The architecture and material choices are inspired by maritime and Nordic influences. The total area is 37,000 m with 24,000 m office and lab floor space. The topmost part of the building is 48m above sea level. Soundport has been awarded a LEED Gold rated certificate for the buildings high sustainability credentials and low energy consumption.

"Soundport is the largest R&D center in Ferrings global network. It plays a crucial role in the discovery and development of new medicines across our therapeutic areas and will enable us to explore and address new frontiers in medical science for patients", says Frederik Paulsen, Chairman Emeritus, Ferring Pharmaceuticals A/S.

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The building is projected for up to 750 employees and there are already 640 employees working at the site. "We are expanding the number of employees and we hope that this new, fantastic site can help attract new talent", says Marianne Kock, General Manager, Ferring Pharmaceuticals A/S.

About Ferring Pharmaceuticals:

Ferring Pharmaceuticals is a research-driven, specialty biopharmaceutical group committed to helping people around the world build families and live better lives. Headquartered in Saint-Prex, Switzerland, Ferring is a leader in reproductive medicine and maternal health, and in specialty areas within gastroenterology and urology. Ferring has been developing treatments for mothers and babies for over 50 years and has a portfolio covering treatments from conception to birth. Founded in 1950, privately-owned Ferring now employs around 6,000 people worldwide, has its own operating subsidiaries in more than 50 countries, and markets its products in 110 countries. Learn more at www.ferring.com, or connect with us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

More information available on https://ferring.dk/

Picture copyright: Foster + Partners

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005093/en/

Contacts

For more information:

Marianne Kock

General Manager

+45 88 33 88 34

marianne.kock@ferring.com
Com Vietnam rice is sold in France. Photo by Huong Nguyen

Vietnamese rice has been served for the first time for lunch at the Japanese Cabinet Office, according to the Vietnam Trade Office in Japan.

On September 2, chefs there made fried rice from ST25, the award winning Vietnamese grain.

To enter the Japanese market, the Vietnamese producers of the rice had to meet more than 600 stringent technical standards and took over a year of negotiations with authorities in that country.

Then, in September, Loc Troi Group exported the Com Vietnam brand of rice to France where it was bought by retailer E.Leclerc.

Some 500 tons of Com Vietnam were sold to Frances Carrefour, Europes largest retailer and wholesaler.

For more than 20 years Vietnamese rice had been exported without proprietary brand names or under the brand name of foreign importers. This is the first year that rice exports are packed and labeled with brand names registered internationally.

The evident quality of the product is increasingly attracting consumers in the high-end segment.

A Loc Troi spokesperson said rice exports so far this year have been higher than in the whole of 2021.

The company plans to increase exports to Europe, the U.S., Japan, and Australia, where it has rice farms and controls pesticide residues.

Distributors in those markets have been expressing interest in buying from Vietnamese businesses.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, American consumers are fond of fragrant and long-grain rice varieties like Vietnams ST25, and their imports have seen a surge in the last two years.

Pham Thai Binh, general director of Trung An Hi-tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company from southern Can Tho Province, told VnExpress, his company is unable to meet European demand.

"We are also trying to increase production." He expected the Philippines and China also to increase rice imports.

Analysts at securities company VnDirect expected Vietnam's rice exports to benefit from Indias export restrictions to stabilize prices after output was hit by drought.

This has caused rice prices in Vietnam and Thailand to increase sharply in the past half month, they noted.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agricultural Development Phung Duc Tien said rice exports are expected to be worth US$3.2-3.3 billion this year.

The government recently instructed the agriculture ministry to zone one million hectares for high-quality specialized rice in the Mekong Delta.

The initial draft envisages the zones to be situated in Dong Thap, Long An, An Giang, and Kien Giang provinces and Can Tho City.

These areas are relatively less affected by drought and salinity, have extensive irrigation systems and can ship their produce by waterway, according to Nguyen Nhu Cuong, director of the ministrys Department of Crop Production.
BROCKTON  There have been three cases of monkeypox in or connected to Brockton as of Wednesday.

One case involved a city resident, said Eno Mondesir, executive director of the Board of Health. The other two involved people who had interactions in Brockton, he said Wednesday.

Mondesir said that if people notice blisters or skin rashes, they should have themselves checked by their doctor.

Because of the city's low incidence of the disease, as of Wednesday state health officials were not stocking the monkeypox vaccine at Brockton pharmacies. If you meet the eligibility requirements for the vaccine, it is available nearby in Randolph, New Bedford and multiple locations in Boston.

Board of Health Executive Health Officer Eno Mondesir, MD, center, Greg Davis, Brewster Director of Health, left, and Mayor Robert Sullivan, during a press conference at the Shaw's Center in Brockton for Covid-19 booster vaccines on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021.

Mondesir urged people who think they may have been exposed to to avoid close contact with individuals.

Massachusetts has had 409 confirmed or probable cases as of Oct. 6, according to the most recent state data. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health releases new monkeypox data each Thursday at 5 p.m.

Brockton identity theft nightmare: 'Living in fear': How one Brockton resident has dealt with her identity theft

"Monkeypox can spread to anyone through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact," the state agency said on its website. "Anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk, but data suggest that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men make up a high number of cases."

The rare disease has claimed the lives of two people nationwide as of Sept. 30, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Residents with questions about monkeypox are invited to call the Board of Health at 508-580-7175.

Send your news tips to reporter Chris Helms by email at CHelms@enterprisenews.com or connect on Twitter at @HelmsNews. Thank you, subscribers. You make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Brockton Enterprise.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton monkeypox: Three cases tied to city
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.

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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.

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Jasper Kenzo Sundeens reporting for the Yakima Herald-Republic is possible with support from Report for America and community members through the Yakima Valley Community Fund . For information on republishing, email news@yakimaherald.com.
Activists known as "dreamers" rally in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA, as they march at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. (J. Scott Applewhite / AP)
Here's how first lady Jill Biden's WA visit will impact your commute and travels
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Netflix has removed South Korean movie "Little Women" from its Vietnam roster following Vietnamese authorities complaints about it falsifying Vietnam War history.

A Netflix representative said Thursday the movie was removed from Netflix in Vietnam "in accordance with a document (submitted) by the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Information and Communications."

The Vietnamese agency requested removal of the movie because it violated national media and cinema laws with actors making inaccurate statements about the Vietnam War in episodes 3 and 8.

Le Quang Tu Do, head of the authority, said Netflix had removed the movie by 3 p.m. Thursday.

"Netflix has always upheld and abided by the laws and agreements regarding content with violations. However, due to the large number of films, they admitted that there are mistakes, still. Netflix said it would ramp up self-monitoring and minimize the mistakes," Do added.

Netflix is also looking into regulations to open either a representative office or a company in Vietnam, he said.

In July last year, the streaming giant also withdrew six episodes of its spy drama "Pine Gap" after regulators found it contained "illegal images" of the infamous "nine-dash line."

The K-drama Netflix series "Little Women" is an adaptation from the classic novel of the same name, but with a different spin to suit Korean taste, premiered in September.

The film, directed by Jung Seo Kyung and produced by Kim Hee Won, follows the travails of three impoverished sisters, Oh In-Joo (Kim Go Eun), Oh In Kyung (Nam Ji Hyun) and Oh In Hye (Park Park. Ji Hoo).
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Thirteen Vietnamese citizens in the Philippines have been freed after being rescued from local human trafficking rings, the foreign affairs ministry said Thursday.

Filipino police said September 27 they found 24 human trafficking victims, 14 Vietnamese and 10 Chinese women, following tipoffs about the victims being imprisoned inside three apartment buildings in Manila. Two Chinese suspects were also arrested during the rescue operations.

Thirteen Vietnamese were set free Wednesday, while the other one is being taken care of at a local women and children support center because she has contracted Covid-19, foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said Thursday.

Vietnamese agencies in the Philippines have contacted the Covid-19 patient and taken necessary measures to protect her rights and interests, Hang said.

Filipino media reported that the trafficking victims were apparently promised stable jobs in the country and forced into prostitution instead.

Late last month, Filipino authorities announced they have suspended the operation of 175 gambling companies and deported around 40,000 Chinese workers following multiple reports of murder, kidnapping and other crimes committed by Chinese people in the Philippines.
Polish government officials point to the legal interpretation of experts from the Jan Karski Institute of War Losses according to which Bolesaw Bieruts decision from August 23, 1953, to relinquish WWII reparations is invalid. Following this logic, Germany owes Poland PLN 6 trillion 220 billion 609 million for material and demographic losses. At least that is the estimate provided by the state institute's experts.

Pro-government media about Baerbocks trip to Warsaw

The official reason for Baerbocks trip had to do with the German Unity Day celebrations organized by the German embassy in Warsaw. On the day before, Polands Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau signed a diplomatic note calling on Germany to settle the issue of WWII reparations.

Despite being aware of the note even before arriving in Warsaw, in her official statement, the head of German diplomacy did not mention the issue. She wrote that she was happy to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of German Unity in Warsaw, and thanked Poland for supporting the process.

As she pointed out, the reunification would not have been possible without the "courageous Poles who firmly stood up for freedom and true democratic co-determination". Meanwhile, pro-government media claimed that her arrival in Warsaw was the first response to Poland's demand for reparations.

REKLAMA

The two ministers were supposed to address bilateral cooperation in the face of the war in Ukraine, as well as the looming energy crisis. During their joint press conference, Minister Rau first referred to the situation in Ukraine, only to immediately segue to making a point about how the Polish and German societies, having experienced imperial policies very differently, should present a model way of "overcoming the traumas of wars, material plunder, attempts to colonize and exterminate entire nations".

Baerbock: We have a common future with our European Union

Minister Rau pointed out that Polish society still suffers collective trauma following the German 1939 aggression, Nazi occupation, and its consequences. - This prevents the possibility of developing and deepening Polish-German relations- he said. He then recalled that the Polish government has made a demand for resolving this problem and addressing the issue of "a material and legal settlement of the losses suffered by Polish citizens and the Polish state". -We very much look forward to good cooperation and a model way of overcoming the consequences of violence in international relations- he said.

Baerbock remarked that veterans of the Warsaw Uprising were also present during the reception at the German embassy and that she would later lay flowers at the insurgents cemetery, using the afternoon to pay her respects to those who were murdered and robbed. She downplayed the Polish government's note, saying that she "realizes that there is a letter on its way to Berlin". She pointed out that Germany is aware of its historical responsibility.

REKLAMA

- Our eternal task is to remember the suffering that Germany inflicted on millions of Poles- she proclaimed, adding that the answer to this is the European Union, which should also be dear to her Polish counterpart.

- The good news is that we have a common future with our European Union- she said, driving her point home by adding that "Europe's unity remains our greatest asset. We could not do Putin a bigger favor than to give up on our unity. Poland plays a key role in Europe's security".

Press conference: state media get preferential treatment

The German minister did not return to the issue of reparations, even though the press conference organized by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs was prepared so that the one question from the "Polish side" could only be asked by a journalist associated with the state broadcaster TVP. Sure enough, the question was about "whether the ministers addressed the issue of reparations". The answer: "yes".

REKLAMA

In his statement, Minister Zbigniew Rau pointed out that the position of Poland and Germany on Ukraine and its support is in principle compatible. He recalled that Europe, including Poland and Germany, jointly condemns Russia for its unprovoked use of force. Both countries condemn "Russia's holding of sham referendums and do not recognize the annexation" - We also agree that the war must end with the restoration of Ukraine's full territorial integrity, the bringing of the perpetrators of war crimes to justice, and the payment of reparations to Ukraine- Rau said.

The German minister expressed her gratitude and admiration for the Polish people who assist in helping Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees.

Representatives of both countries said they will invariably support Ukraine, as it is their common and unquestionable duty.

Minister Rau about the Polish-German Treaty of Good Neighbourliness

After Chancellor Olaf Scholzs initial hesitation, Germany has recently stepped up its shipment of heavy weaponry to Ukraine, particularly the IRIS-T air defense system, which is also capable of shooting down drones and cruise missiles.

From the very start, Minister Baerbock supported the faction of the German coalition government that pushed for providing Ukraine with military aid. In March 2022, she gave a fiery speech at the UN. Responding to Russias Minister of Defense Sergei Lavrov's false claims that the Russian army was supporting the people of Ukraine, she said: "your tanks do not bring water or baby food, your tanks bring death and destruction".

Minister Rau was asked by the German side to assess the 1991 Treaty of Friendship and Good Neighbourliness and to say what the note to the German government contained.

The head of the Foreign Ministry said he assessed the treaty well, although some of its provisions had not been implemented for 30 years, and this was also the subject of the conversation with the German minister. He declined to disclose the content of the note, saying that it was a matter of trust between the involved parties.

***

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.
Hungary has achieved an exemption of pipeline deliveries of crude from European Union oil price caps, and ensured nuclear energy was exempt from the latest sanctions imposed on Russia, the foreign minister said.

In a Facebook post after the meeting of member states permanent representatives to the EU (COREPER) in Brussels, Peter Szijjarto said the meeting had focused on the sanctions against Russia.



As we have said many times before, Hungary refused to support sanctions that would have harmed the Hungarian people, he said.



Thanks to Hungarys tough negotiations, EU oil price caps do not pertain to pipeline deliveries, the way Hungary receives its supplies, he said. Marine deliveries are also exempt when they replace pipelines in an emergency, he added.



We ensured that nuclear energy is exempt from the sanctions, so they will not pertain to the construction of the Paks nuclear plant.



The sanctions list does not contain institutions important for cooperation in nuclear R&D, he said.



The government has successfully stopped measures that would have harmed Hungarians or threatened their security, the minister said.



We will continue to stand up for Hungarian national interests, he added.
Museum sustainability is at the heart of the 17th Autumn Festival of Museums, which will bring together almost 40 museums in the capital and 80 in the countryside to offer more than 500 programs to visitors across the country until 13 November.

The festival is organized by the Szentendre-based Open-Air Ethnographic Museum  Museum Education and Methodology Center (MOKK), which launched the series of events on Tuesday with the National Museum Education Year Opening Ceremony, a professional conference of the Hungarian museum scene.



As the organizers stressed, the main theme of this year's Fall Festival of Museums is sustainability. Its aim is to highlight the role of museums in the natural, spiritual and social spheres, to clarify the concept of sustainability among both the public and museum professionals, and to raise awareness of the activities of museums in this field.



During the opening week of the event (October 3-9), which runs until November 13, free programs will be organized throughout the country to celebrate the Fall Festival of Museums.



During the first week of the Festival, from Tuesday to Sunday, the museums offer an interesting and free program of events for every day of the year across the country. For city walkers, hikers and literature lovers, there is something for everyone this week.



More info about the Festival in Hungarian: http://www.oszifesztival.hu/
Editors note: In 1999, as part of the York News-Times Celebrate 2000 initiative at the turn of the century, the York County Ag Hall of Fame was created, to honor influential people in York Countys rich agricultural history. The intent was  and continues to be  to memorialize the stories of local people who have played a major role in the biggest part of our economy and heritage  agriculture.

Each year, nominations are received from the public. After the inductees are chosen, the YNT staff writes their stories which are placed on plaques that will hang in perpetuity at Wessels Living History Farm.

On Sunday, Oct. 9, at 1:30 p.m., two more plaques will be hung. The public is encouraged to attend. If someone hasnt seen the display before, or they havent seen it in a long time, this is a wonderful opportunity to read the stories about neighbors, relatives, mentors, teachers, ancestors and friends who have had an impact on the countys rich agricultural history and economy. The induction ceremony will be held in the historic church at the Living History Farm.

Roger Bailey was born July 2, 1940, in York County, Nebraska. He graduated from McCool Junction Public Schools in 1958.

He was raised in the McCool area  his father, Rex Gerald Bailey, was a cattleman and farmer, while his mother, Merna Marie (Meradith) Bailey was a country school teacher.

They lived in a small farmstead in southeast York County, about five miles east of McCool Junction.

When Roger was eight years old, he became fascinated with honey bees.

While riding home from school, he would roll down the window of his parents car and hang his head out the window, observing the bees from a nearby neighbors farm, as they were working alfalfa in the fields and the smartweed growing in the ditches along the road home.

Around that time he also noticed a swarm of bees growing in the chimney of his parents home and observed them as they worked the lilac bushes around the farm. His curiosity led him to climb on the roof to collect and move the colony to a box he built.

With each year, he grew the number of hives, learning the process for all stages and seasons of an apiary.

He would seek out and talk to other beekeepers around the area and eventually as far away as Australia.

He started with bees at his McCool Junction farm in 1948 and Bailey Enterprises was born. He first brought bees to winter in Texas in 1964, to the Nacogdoches area. He began with 20 locations for his hives and increased to about 100. In order to transport bees, the boxes are moved on large flatbed trucks with nets over them.

His intrigue and passion for honeybees, pollination and honey production never waivered over the span of the past 74 years, and it still exists today.

His childhood passion grew into one of the largest honey production companies in the United States, with operations spanning from North Dakota to Texas primarily, and pollination of the largest almond farms in California.

He has been involved with the National Honey Board and was brought in on many consulting meetings with the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M and later NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) for observation of his bees in space.

Today he still consults the new owners of his business, which continues to thrive and has grown to over 50,000 active hives.

Bailey continues to call York County his lifelong home -- he lives just one quarter mile from where he grew up and continues to keep a few hives on his farm.

In his retirement, now just seven years, he has helped young families and individuals around York County, begin to develop their own colonies and learn the processes of raising and caring for these very unique and valuable livestock.
YORK  Christopher M. Gray, 43, of Madelia, Minnesota, has pleaded no contest to possession of methamphetamine after a traffic stop on Interstate 80 in York County.

He changed his plea during proceedings this week in York County District Court.

According to the affidavit filed with the court, a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol was on regular patrol when he saw a motorcyclist proceeding east and the driver was not wearing a helmet.

A traffic stop was initiated and court documents indicate Gray said he didnt know that was the law in Nebraska.

He also told the trooper he didnt have his registration and he didnt have any insurance on the motorcycle.

He did give him an Adult Interstate Compact Travel Permit for Nebraska Probation and said he had just met with his probation officer in York. He said he was on probation for possession of a controlled substance.

The trooper was informed that Gray had just thrown a pipe into the ditch  which was found in the mowed grass. The pipe had white residue inside it, which tested positive as methamphetamine.

Sentencing has been set for Dec. 12.
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.
Yorks a great place to be stranded

Dear Editor:

I wanted to reach out and say that the town of York, Nebraska makes for an amazing place to be stranded.

Headed from Michigan to Colorado, my car broke down and my son and I found ourselves being towed into York. We ended up being here for two days and weve met countless people now who have gone above and beyond for us.

A gentleman from the towing company, Frank, bought us lunch and made sure we made it to the hotel.

The guys at Auto Zone didnt just get me my supplies, but they also worked on my car for me.

Cashiers and hotel staff engaged with my son so I could make it through another hour  by offering him a muffin or just talking to him so I could think.

These people dont know us and I dont know them, but they did so much for us. For being stranded in Nebraska, York is the best place and I wanted to give a shout out! Thank you!

Heidi and Noah Davenport, Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Akasa Air, which launched two months ago, will permit domesticated dogs and cats in the cabin as well as cargo, and it will also launch new routes soon. The "fully capitalised" airline intends to launch international operations in the second half of 2023 once it has a fleet of 20 aircraft. The airline now has 6 aircraft, and by the end of March next year will have a total of 18 aircraft. Vinay Dube, the founder and CEO of Akasa Air, said on Thursday that the airline's performance over the first 60 days has been "satisfying." He added, "We are very happy, satisfied with... Our performance."

Currently, the carrier has 30 daily flights and will start services from Delhi on Friday. It started operations on August 7. The airline is progressively expanding its network and connecting more cities, its Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer Praveen Iyer said.

From November, domesticated dogs and cats can travel. The bookings in this regard will start from October 15, its Co-Founder, Chief Marketing & Experience Officer Belson Coutinho, said while addressing a press meet here.

Also read: Star Air launches Mumbai-Kolhapur flight services, to operate thrice a week

Each pet will have to be in a cage. The weight limit, including the cage, will be 7 kilograms in the case of the cabin and 32 kilograms in check-in. There will be another option for heavier pets. The policy for pets will be "enhanced" later. "We did have a lot of pet lovers asking... We all believe that we need to have an inclusive environment for pets as well. It (the decision) comes out of our love for pets," Coutinho said.

The airline will be leveraging the expertise of an NGO with respect to the carrying of pets such as how to be prepared and what all things pet owners should know as well as the dos and don'ts, he added.

Among others, Air India allows carrying pets onboard. Dube said the airline is well capitalised and is not looking to have new investors. To a query on whether there has been any change in strategy following the demise of its key investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Dube replied in the negative. "There is no change in strategy... In terms of moral, emotional support, it is a deep, deep loss," he noted.

On August 17, Dube said the airline is well-capitalised, and its growth is secure with the financial means to place an order for more planes, days after the passing away of Jhunjhunwala. With the passing away of ace investor Jhunjhuwala, whose backing itself had provided a tailwind for the country's newest airline, the future trajectory of the airline will be closely watched.

Regarding the government's Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS), the Akasa Air chief on Thursday said it is appreciative that the government continues to recognise the importance of the aviation sector.

"We just hope that the government's support extends to startup airlines as well. Startup airlines are operating in the same difficult environment... We will be more than happy to get any kind of government support... I don't know what is on the table. So I can't elaborate," he said. About airfares, Dube said the airline looks at the affordability of airfares in a much longer time horizon, and "our view is that we will have a high degree of focus on infrastructure." At present, the airline has a total staff of around 800, and about 175 people are joining every month.

With inputs from PTI
A Turkish Airlines plane flying from Istanbul to Singapore made an emergency landing in the Kolkata airport on Thursday after a 69-year-old passenger fell seriously ill mid-air, an official said here.

The elderly passenger suffered from bouts of convulsions and was bleeding from the nose and mouth, the official said.

Seeing his condition, the pilot of the Turkish Airlines flight TK-054 decided to make an emergency landing at the NSC Bose International Airport in Kolkata.

After getting approval from Air Traffic Control, the flight landed at 11.45 AM.

The sick passenger was initially treated at the airport and he was taken to a hospital later, the official said.

The plane with all other passengers resumed its journey at 2.52 pm, he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a concert marking the declared annexation of the Russian-controlled territories of four Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, September 30, 2022. Photo by Sputnik/Maksim Blinov/Pool via Reuters

Vietnam on Thursday called for all parties to resume dialogue and resolve conflicts through peaceful methods when asked to comment on Russia annexing four Ukrainian regions.

"Vietnam calls for all relevant parties to resume dialogues and resolve issues through peaceful methods in accordance with international law, especially the principle of respecting the sovereignty of nations," spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said at a regular press meet.

Vietnam continues to closely follow the developments of conflicts in Ukraine, she added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday completed paperwork for the annexation of four Ukrainian regions: the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the Luhansk People's Republic (LNR), Kherson region and Zaporizhzhia region, Reuters reported. The annexations were declared after Russia held what it called referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine, it added.

Western governments and Kyiv said the votes breached international law and were coercive and non-representative.
New Delhi: 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.

Delhi

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.

Ranchi, Jharkhand

The Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren, celebrated Vijaydashmi at the Morabadi Maidan where Raavan was burnt.

Ludhiana, Punjab

In Ludhiana, Raavan Dahan was performed at the Daresi Ground where the effigy of Raavan could be seen going up in flames.

Patna, Bihar

The festival of Vijayadashami, a symbol of victory of light over darkness, was celebrated in the state capital on Wednesday at the Gandhi Maidan.

Dehradun, Uttarakhand

Hoards of people gathered at the Parade Ground in Dehradun where `Raavan Dahan` was performed by burning the effigy of Raavan.

Leh, Ladakh

A program on the occasion of Vijayadashmi was held at the Polo Ground in Leh, on Dussehra.

Amritsar, Punjab

On the occasion of Dussehra, the `Raavan Dahan` was performed outside Durgiana Temple in Amritsar. Effigy of Raavan could be seen busting up with crackers as it fell to the ground.

Dusshera falls on the tenth day of Sharada Navratri, however, despite the fact that celebrations and cultural practices vary according to the location in India`s culturally rich country, the festival`s fabric that binds everyone together remains.







(Disclaimer: Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Zee News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Karwa Chauth 2022: Karwa Chauth is a Hindu festival which is celebrated by married Hindu women. The festival is popularly celebrated in north and western India. As per the Hindu calendar, Karwa Chauth, this year, will fall on October 13.

To celebrate the festival, married women observe fast and pray for the safety and long life of their husbands. The women are not even allowed to take water during the day. The fast is over only after the sight of the moon. Women first look at the moon and then their husbands face through a sieve to break the fast. Once all the rituals are done, the husbands feed their wives with food.

Karwa Chauth is celebrated in the Kartika month on the fourth day after the full moon day, as per the Hindu calendar. The day falls on the chaturthi tithi of the dark fortnight in the Kartik month.

Karwa Maata is also worshipped by married women on this day to pray to her for the long life of their husbands.

Karwa Chauth 2022: Date

As per the Drik Panchang, Karwa Chauth will fall this year on October 13. The Chaturthi Tithi will begin at 1:59 AM on October 13, and conclude at 3:08 AM on October 14.

Karwa Chauth 2022: Muhurat

According to the same Panchang, the puja should be conducted in between 5:54 PM and 7:09 PM. The timings for married women to observe the fast will be from 6:20 AM to 8:09 PM.

Karwa Chauth 2022: Moon Sighting

Then moon is expected to rise at 8:09 PM. However, the timings could vary because of the weather conditions.







(Disclaimer: The article is based on general information. Zee News does not confirm this.)
New Delhi: The auspicious occasion of Karwa Chauth will be celebrated this year on October 13, Thursday. On this special day, wives pray for their husbands' long life and prosperity. It is also known as Karak Chaturthi in various parts of the country. According to the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Kartik, the special day falls on the fourth day after the full moon.

KARWA CHAUTH CELEBRATIONS

The festival of Karwa Chauth is majorly celebrated in parts of North India, especially Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as well. Married women dress in their best attire and adorn their hands with beautiful Mehendi designs. Many unmarried girls also observe a fast (vrat) on this day and break it after the moon is sighted in night (as per some beliefs unmarried girls look at the star and break their vrat).

Check out the most trending and easy Henna designs for Karwa Chauth 2022:

KARWA CHAUTH RITUALS

A few days before Karwa Chauth, married women would buy new Karvas (spherical clay pots) -- 7"-9" in diameter and 2-3 litres capacity, decorating them with paint outside. They would make beautiful designs on it. The pots would be filled with items such as bangles, ribbons, homemade candy and sweets, make-up stuff, and small clothes as well.

On the festival day, women would then visit each other and exchange these Karvas too.

Happy Karwa Chauth to those celebrating!
NEW DELHI: AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday took a dig at Lt Governor VK Saxena over what he called the latters love letter to him and asked him to chill for a while. It may be noted that Delhi LG has recently written several letters alleging gross irregularities in the Delhi governments power subsidy scheme and its controversial excise policy, which is now being probed by the CBI.

Taking to Twitter, CM Kejriwal said, Even my wife does not scold me the way Delhi LG does. In the last six months, my wife has not written me as many love letters as LG Sahib has written to me. LG sahib, chill a bit. And also ask your super boss to chill a little."

LG      ,        



    LG        ,          



LG ,  chill        ,  chill   Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 6, 2022

It may be recalled that the Delhi government and the LG office have been at loggerheads over several issues and have spared no opportunity to attack each other. The tussle between the Delhi LG and the AAP government further intensified after the latter ordered an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the power subsidy scheme, raising the hackles of AAP leaders who claimed his move was linked to Gujarat polls and aimed at stalling the free electricity initiative.

Saxena, who took over as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi in May this year, has in his tenure ordered several probes into the Kejriwal government's works including excise policy, classroom construction, and hospital construction. The AAP has alleged that the LG's actions were politically motivated and done at the behest of the BJP-led central government.

Even Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday wrote to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena 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 Delhi government's work and ordering probes into "fake cases" 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 measures. Let alone processing the request, the LG didn't even acknowledge the letter, he claimed. "You are illegally interfering in the work of the elected government instead of paying attention to public issues... I request you to order a CBI probe into the MCD scam," he 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 said the LG, being the chief of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), has the responsibility of managing it but alleged that the mafia occupies its land at several places.

Sisodia also alleged that the LG has ordered a probe into the free electricity scheme but it will bear no fruit just like the officials "found no wrongdoings" in their investigations into the alleged irregularities in the excise policy and the procurement of buses by the Delhi Transport Corporation.

Sisodia further alleged in the letter that the LG got his house raided by the CBI but they couldn't find anything. He said all the investigations ordered by the LG against the democratically elected government of Delhi are bogus and baseless. They are based on fabricated facts because of which nothing came out, he added.

(With Agency Inputs)
Hero MotoCorp has been looking for an entry into the Indian electric two-wheeler market. Yes, the company has invested money in an electric scooter manufacturing brand, but it is also preparing itself to launch its very-own electric scooter. Well, the worlds largest two-wheeler producer will be launching its new electric two-wheeler brand - Vida, in the country tomorrow. Also, a new electric scooter will be launched as a part of the exercise. Although the brand has been tight-lipped about its upcoming electric scooter, some details about it have surfaced on the internet. On the basis of details, heres what we can expect from the Hero Vida electric scooters launch tomorrow.

In an image leaked earlier, it could be seen that the Hero Vida electric scooter will don a boxy appeal. The scooter will have a rather quirky design with flat side panels and distinctive-looking front LED headlamps. Also, the scooter will get grey finish for the 5-spoke alloy wheels with telescopic forks on the front. More details will emerge as the brand takes the veils off the scooter tomorrow.

Hero Vida Electric Scooter: Features

As regards for features, the Vida electric scooter is likely to sport an all-digital instrument cluster, which will come with tech like Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation. Moreover, it might get connected technologies to offer OTA updates, while the users will be able to check the vehicle's stats remotely via their phone.

Hero Vida Electric Scooter: Range

A range of around 130-150 km is anticipated on the Hero Vida electric scooter. Also, it will come with swappable battery packs, as the company has made a partnership with Bharat Petroleum for setting up battery swapping stations at fuel bunks.

Also read - 2022 MG ZS EV Facelift Review: Top 5 things about it - Watch video

Hero Vida Electric Scooter: Price

In all likelihood, the Hero Vida electric scooter will have a price tag of a shade over Rs 1 lakh. Therefore, it will rival the likes of the Ola S1, Ather 450X, TVS iQube, Okinawa Okhi-90 and more. In fact, multiple variants of the scooter are expected to be launched in our market.

Hero Vida Electric Scooter: Development

It should be noted that Hero MotoCorp is making sure that the Vida electric scooter reaches buyers in its finest form. The brand has tested the scooter for more than 200,000 km in varied testing conditions. Also, over 1,006 prototypes of the scooter and child parts have been developed and tested during the course.
New Delhi: Karm Yuddh, which is streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar is a powerful revenge drama with spectacular performances from Satish Kaushik, Paoli Dam, and Ashutosh Rana.

According to a report from Ormax Media, it has become one of the most watched series across platforms for the week of October 2nd, 2022, thanks to its engaging plot, insightful direction, and brilliant acting. Karm Yuddh is directed by Ravi Adhikari and produced by Kailashnath Adhikari under the banner of Sri Adhikari Brothers Enterprise.



Karm Yuddh is a tale of power struggles inside the Roys, a wealthy Bengali family. The way the story has been written transports the viewer on a journey that explores a variety of human emotions, including rage, joy, jealously, and longing.

The talented star-cast of Satish Kaushik, Paoli Dam, Ashutosh Rana, Anjana Sukhani and Pranay Pachauri along with the others have brought forth a masterpiece which is being loved by everyone all over. The show was trending in the top 10 trends all over social media as netizens were enchanted by the series.

With its captivating story, the scenic setting of Kolkata, and the chess-like strategies of a business family, Karm Yuddh has captured the eye of viewers worldwide and has become one of the most watched series on OTT.



All episodes of Karm Yuddh are currently streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar.
Los Angeles: All four Sikh family members, including an eight-month-old baby girl, who were kidnapped in the US state of California earlier this week have been found dead, authorities said on Wednesday. The family, originally from Harsi Pind in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, was kidnapped at a business in Merced County, California, on Monday. Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said the bodies of 36-year-old Jasdeep Singh, 27-year-old Jasleen Kaur, their eight-month-old child Aroohi Dheri and the baby's uncle, 39-year-old Amandeep Singh were found on Wednesday evening in an orchard near Indiana Road & Hutchinson Road. Warnke said that a farm worker near the orchard found the bodies and immediately contacted authorities.

Also Read: Indian origin couple, 8-month-old infant among 4 people kidnapped in US' California

All of the bodies were found close together. "There are no words to describe the anger I feel," Warnke said during a press conference Wednesday evening.

"There's a special place in hell for this guy," he said about Jesus Manuel Salgado, the suspect, who attempted to kill himself. Earlier in the day on Wednesday, the Merced County Sheriff's Office released a chilling new video showing the moment the family was kidnapped.

Jasdeep and Amandeep Singh came out of the business with their hands zip-tied together. Moments later, the video shows the kidnapper leading Jasleen and her 8-month-old baby, Aroohi, out of the building into a truck.

Salgado, the person of interest, was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon and remains in the hospital in critical condition after he tried to kill himself. The sheriff's office said his own family contacted authorities reporting that Salgado had admitted to them he was involved with the kidnapping of the family.
Mumbai: Lok Sabha MP Rahul Shewale on Wednesday accused Aaditya Thackeray of roaming around and enjoying himself in Switzerland when former state chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was admitted to hospital."When the CM (then CM Uddhav Thackeray) was admitted to the hospital, this Yuvraj (Aaditya Thackeray) was roaming around and enjoying himself in Switzerland in the pub. I am here to tell you that though he kept talking about the environment, his foreign tour was industry-related," Lok Sabha MP Rahul Shewale said adding that Aaditya Thackeray also took a female MP with him.

As Environment Minister, Thackeray had visited Davos to inaugurate the Maharashtra Pavilion at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on May 22, 2022. Shewale`s remarks came amid the show of strength of Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde on the occasion of Dussehra when both party leaders held their separate rallies.

Also Read: Uddhav Thackeray calls Eknath Shinde TRAITOR' at mega Shiv Sena rally in Mumbai

Addressing the rally, Uddhav Thackeray said, "The only thing I feel 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 thinking that I will never return from the hospital. "Reacting to Thackeray`s comments on October 5, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during his Dussehra rally hit back at him for the "Katappa" remark, by saying that even Katappa had self-respect and did not have double standards."They call me `Katappa`. I want to tell you that even `Katappa` had self-respect and did not have double standards like you," Shinde said.

Slamming Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde also said that if Balasaheb Thackeray had been alive, Narayan Rane would have become the CM. Notably, Balasaheb Thackeray`s other son Jaidev Thackeray came to show his support and shared the stage with Shinde during the Dussehra rally at Mumbai`s BKC ground on Wednesday. Extending support to CM Shinde, Jaidev Thackeray said, "Don`t leave Eknath Shinde alone. He is working for farmers and commoners".
Ujjain (MP): Dipu Sharma could barely contain his excitement about the soon-to-open Mahakal corridor in his hometown. He travels to an old overbridge near his house nearly every night to catch a glimpse of the "dazzling new project" and take selfies, he says. And Sharma isn't the only local admiring this drastic change of landscape from the ramp of Hari Phatak Overbridge that offers a view of the 108 ornate sandstone columns bearing decorative 'Trishul' (tridents) on top and 'mudras' (symbolic hand gesture) of Lord Shiva on its faces, gushing fountains surrounded by sculptures of the deity and illuminated murals. This trend of admiring the project site from a distance has picked up over the last few weeks.

Last month, after the Madhya Pradesh cabinet's first-ever meeting in the 'holy city', this craze for "flyover selfies" has only grown. Every day, particularly after dark, scores of people gather near the overbridge parapet and either stand and admire the emerging skyline facing the ancient Rudrasagar Lake or take selfies with the corridor in the background.

Sharma, a resident of the Jaisinghpura area near the project site, had gone to the flyover with his wife on Navratra's final night on Tuesday. He parked his motorcycle on the flyover while his wife peeked below to admire the view. "People of Ujjain are super excited about the new corridor, especially after it was confirmed by the Madhya Pradesh government that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate it soon. As that day nears, excitement is only building up," he told PTI.

Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the first phase of the Rs 856-crore Mahakaleshwar Temple corridor development project here, around 200 km from Bhopal, on October 11. The Mahakaleshwar Temple is one of 12 'jyotirlingas' (a representation of Lord Shiva) in the country and gets devotees throughout the year.

While daylight offers a clear view of the new structures, people gather mostly after dark to enjoy the illuminated fountain at play, Sharma said.

His wife said women in her neighbourhood were also excited, particularly the young ones.

The state government has named the over 900-metre corridor, billed as one of the largest in India, 'Mahakal Lok'. It has also started to garner popularity among the youth through social media. Two majestic gateways -- Nandi Dwar and Pinaki Dwar -- have been erected near the starting point of the corridor, which winds its way to the entrance of the ancient temple while offering aesthetic views along the way.

"This portion of the overbridge faces the main gateway (Nandi Dwar), and it has sort of becoming a viewing gallery and a favourite selfie point. This craze has particularly picked up over the last few weeks and I see it often while driving by," said Ujjain-based cab driver Rohit Songara.

Ujjain Smart City Chief Executive Officer Ashish Kumar Pathak feels excitement levels would only go up and lead to a "huge jump" in tourist footfall after the opening. "The ornate columns, the aesthetic-looking fountains, and depictions of various elements from Shiv Puran in murals will enhance viewer experience," he told PTI.

Officials of IPE Global, the consultancy firm which worked on the project under the Ujjain Smart City mission, said testing of fountains and lights had been taking place over the last several days, drawing scores of people. "The project started in 2017 and, in five years, the entire landscape has undergone a sea change, from a chaotic, haphazard space into an aesthetic and pleasing sight. Since the opening is still a few days away, people are getting curious," said Amit Gupta, manager, of urban infrastructure and tourism at the firm. "Once it opens, people will feel a different kind of excitement when they see the details on the columns and in murals."

On Wednesday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan offered prayers at the Mahakaleshwar Temple on Dusshera and took part in the grand 'Mahakal ki Sawari', describing it as an "extraordinary moment". His visit to Ujjain for a few hours further heightened the excitement among people about the corridor. "This is an extraordinary moment and an extraordinary time. Delight is all around and there is an environment of excitement," the chief minister told reporters as he took part in the ceremonial procession.

Chouhan and his wife joined 'Mahakal ki Sawari' midway and he also played a 'damru' and briefly carried a sacred flag. Later, he braved the rain to walk barefoot to Dussehra Maidan. According to officials, the development of 'Mahakal Lok' includes a midway zone, a park, a multi-storied parking lot for cars and buses, florist and other shops, solar lighting, a facility centre for pilgrims, a mega entry gate, a water pipeline and sewer line, among other works. A lighting and sound system has also been developed along with installation of 108 ornate pillars showcasing Shiv Tandav shlokas (verses) as well as 52 murals depicting various stories taken from Shiv Puran. Several other majestic statues have also been installed, they said.
New Delhi: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's brother Jaidev Thackeray on Wednesday (October 5, 2022) shared the stage with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during the rebel faction's Dussehra rally at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai. Jaidev is said to share an uneasy relationship with his younger brother Uddhav. During his brief speech, he lauded the "courageous step" (of charting a new course) that Shinde has taken and urged the workers not to abandon him.

Jaidev'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. A vacant chair used by Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray during his last rally in Thane was also placed at the center of the stage.

Champa Singh Thapa, a trusted aide of Bal Thackeray who served the Shiv Sena founder for 27 years, was also present at the event.

Shinde's rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership led to the collapse of the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in June this year.

'Gaddar', 'betrayer', 'Katappa': Eknath Shinde, Uddhav Thackeray trade charges

In what was a parallel show of strength by the Shiv Sena rivals after the change of government three months ago, Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray held their respective Dussehra rallies in Mumbai. While Uddhav held the rally at iconic Shivaji Park ground in central Mumbai, where Sena has been holding the Dussehra rallies since its inception in 1966, Shinde addressed the crowd at Bandra Kurla Complex in the suburbs.

Both the leaders bitterly traded charges and used caustic terms like "gaddar" and "betrayer".

During his 43-minute-long speech, Uddhav branded Shinde and his supporters as "gaddar" for teaming up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to wrest power.

Thackeray, who started his speech ahead of Shinde, mounted a scathing attack on the chief minister and his supporters, saying their reputation as "traitors" will never be washed away.

"As time changes, Ravan's face also changes. Today, it is the traitors (who are Ravan). When I was unwell and underwent surgery, I had given the responsibility to him (Shinde). But he conspired against me thinking I will never stand up on my feet again," he said.

The Shiv Sena does not belong to any one person, but it belongs to all loyal party workers, the former chief minister said, adding, "If you feel I should not remain the Sena president, I will quit."

"There is a limit to lust for power...After the act of treachery, he now wants the party, its symbol, and also wants to be called the party president," he said, targeting his one-time trusted aide who served under him in the MVA cabinet.

"I swear on my parents that it had been decided that the BJP and Shiv Sena will share the chief minister's post for two and a half years," Thackeray said.

It is notable that the Sena had parted ways with its ally BJP after the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls following differences over the issue of sharing the post of the chief minister.

"We have to defeat the traitors in every election," he said, in an apparent reference to the November 3 Assembly byelection in Andheri (East) in Mumbai.

Thackeray also took a 'Bahubali' jibe at Shinde and compared him to the character 'Katappa' in the superhit film.

"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 said.

On the other hand, addressing the crowd for an hour and a half, Eknath said that Thackeray had "betrayed" the people of Maharashtra who voted for the Sena and the national party to form an alliance government, by teaming up with Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) after the 2019 Assembly elections.

Shinde asserted his rebellion was not an act of "betrayal", but a "revolt" and asked Uddhav Thackeray to kneel down at Bal Thackeray's memorial in Mumbai and apologise for going against his ideals and aligning with Congress and NCP.

He said massive crowds at his Dussehra rally were proof enough to show who are true inheritors of Bal Thackeray's legacy.

Slamming Thackeray, Shinde said the Shiv Sena was not a "private limited company" and maintained that the political outfit was built through hard work of common Sena workers.

Stoutly defending his rebellion against Thackeray's leadership in June that brought down the MVA government, he asserted that his rebellion was not an act of "betrayal" (gaddari), but a revolt (gadar).

The Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena has often targeted rebels as "traitors".

"We did not do 'gaddari' (betrayal), but this (rebellion) was 'gaddar' (revolt). We are not 'gaddar' (traitor), but soldiers of Balasaheb (Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray). You sold Balasaheb principles. Who are real traitors who betrayed Hindutva for the sake of power?" Shinde said.

Hitting back at Uddhav Thackeray for calling him 'Katappa', a character portrayed as a betrayer in the movie 'Bahubali', Shinde said he was not someone who practised double standards.

"They call me 'Katappa'. I want to tell you, that even 'Katappa' had self-respect, and did not have a double standard like you," Shinde said.

(With agency inputs)
China Airlines set to fly from Taipei to Da Nang

High-rise buildings in Da Nang City are seen from above. Photo by Kim Lien

China Airlines has announced plans to launch a direct service between Taiwan's Taipei and Da Nang on January 2 next year.

There would be five weekly flights on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and fares would start at TWD8,468 (US$268), it said in a release.

The launch would meet demand in Taiwan for travel to Vietnam following the easing of Covid entry restrictions, it added.

The airline also plans to restart its Taichung-Ho Chi Minh City route on November 18 with four weekly flights.

Taiwan is set to end its mandatory Covid quarantine for foreign arrivals on October 13 while Vietnam did so in March.
New Delhi: Accused Irfan Abdul Raheem Beelkia was arrested by police under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (death by negligence). According to police, five people were killed and eight others were injured when a speeding car collided with three other stationary vehicles and an ambulance on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai on Wednesday. The accident happened around 3 a.m. on the southbound stretch of the sea link bridge, which connects Bandra in the western suburbs to Worli in south Mumbai. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) expressed sadness over the deaths in the accident. "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 injured have a speedy recovery: PM @narendramodi," the PMO tweeted.

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: PM @narendramodi October 5, 2022

According to a police official, during an investigation into the incident, they discovered that a car initially struck a divider on the bridge and an ambulance was rushed to the scene for assistance. He said the occupants of two other cars also halted to assist. According to the official, another car coming from behind rammed into three stationary cars and the ambulance at the time. Thirteen people were injured, including a woman and a Sea Link employee, and five of them died during treatment, he said.

Also Read: PM Jan Dhan Yojana: Here's HOW to get benefit of up to Rs 1.30 lakh

Six of the injured were being treated in various hospitals. According to police, two others were allowed to leave after being treated for minor injuries.

(Inputs from PTI)
New Delhi: In an unfortunate incident, 9 people died while 38 were injured after a tourist bus reportedly crashed into Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus in Vadakkenchery in Palakkad district. The fatal accident occurred after midnight on Wednesday, killing nine on the spot. School students were among the dead, a media report says.

A bus carrying Baselius School 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students on tour lost control while attempting to overtake a speeding car. That is when an RTC bus crashed at Anjumurthy Mangalam bus stop. After which it lost control, crashed into a nearby stream, and overturned. This catastrophe resulted in the deaths of several people.

The tourist bus was carrying students and teachers of Baselios Vidyanikethan in Ernakulam district and was going to Ooty.
New Delhi: Congress leader Udit Raj on Wednesday (October 5, 2022) courted controversy after he accused President Droupadi Murmu of indulging in "chamchagiri". Taking to his official Twitter account, the Chairman of the Unorganized Workers & Employees Congress also said that "no country should get a President like Droupadi Murmu".

"No country should get a President like Droupadi Murmu ji. 'Chamchagiri' also has its limits. She says 70 per cent of the people eat Gujarat's salt. She will get to know once she starts living by consuming salt only," Udit Raj said in a tweet in Hindi.

                  70%                 Dr. Udit Raj (@Dr_Uditraj) October 5, 2022

Earlier this week, President Murmu had noted in a civic reception hosted by the Government of Gujarat in her honour that the state produces 76 per cent of the country's salt and added on a lighter that "the salt produced in Gujarat is consumed by all Indians".

After backlash over his tweet, Udit Raj said on Thursday that his statement on Droupadi Murmuji is his personal view and has nothing to do with Congress.

"My statement as regard to Droupadi Murmuji is mine & nothing to do with Congress. Her candidature & campaign were in the name adivasi, it doesnt mean she is no longer adivasi. My heart cries that when SC/ST reach to higher position, they ditch their communities & become mum," he added.

My statement as regard to Draupadi Murmuji is mine & nothing to do with Congress.Her candidature & campaign were in the name adivasi, it doesnt mean she is no longer adivasi. My heart cries that when SC/ST reach to higher position, they ditch their communities & become mum.  Dr. Udit Raj (@Dr_Uditraj) October 6, 2022

'Anti-tribal mindset': BJP slams Congress over Udit Raj's remarks on Droupadi Murmu

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has slammed Udit Raj for his remarks on President Murmu and said that it showed the Congress party's "anti-tribal mindset". BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the kind of words Udit Raj has used for the President are "indecent, sad, and worrying".

"It is surprising and saddening how Congress is regularly using disrespectful words for the President of India who has struggled enough to reach the topmost position of the country and it shows their mentality," Patra said, adding that it "exposes their anti-tribal mindset".

He also sought an apology from the party as to why they have "such psychology" for the country's first tribal president.

Words used for President Murmu by Congress leader Udit Raj worrisome, unfortunate. This isn't the 1st time they've used such words. Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury did it too. This reflects their anti-tribal mindset: BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Udit Raj's tweet pic.twitter.com/pWgi2L7zDA October 6, 2022

BJP's Shehzad Poonawalla also took a jibe at the party and asked if Congress endorsed such behaviour. He said this was the real "Chaal Charitra Chehara" of Congress which has time and again insulted India's first woman Adivasi President.

Recounting how Congress leader Ajoy Kumar had labelled Murmu ji as one having an "evil mindset" and how Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary called her "Rashtrapatni", Poonawalla said that if Congress was against this language of calling the highest constitutional post holder a "chamcha", would they sack Udit Raj and would Rahul and Sonia Gandhi condemn this statement.

"It is unlikely that they would (condemn it) as such statements are applauded by the first family which ensured the defeat of Babasaheb Ambedkar twice and ensured that Bhagwan Birsa Munda never got his due," Poonawalla added.

After Ajoy Kumar called President Draupadi Murmu as evil & then Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary used the term Rashtrapatni now Congress stoops to a new low! Udit Raj uses unacceptable language for the 1st woman Adivasi President!



Does the Congress endorse this insult of Adviasi samaj pic.twitter.com/W0owoqxYHu October 6, 2022

He also accused Congress of having "deep-seated hatred for Adivasis and Dalits" and said, "Droupadi Murmu ji rose up through sheer hard work and commitment despite her challenging socio-economic circumstances and became a people`s President but Congress cannot accept this."

(With agency inputs)
Bengaluru: The Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', which is currently passing through the poll bound Karnataka, with the participation from the party's top leadership- Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, "will have no impact", state's Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Thursday, October 6. He rejected the claims that the ruling BJP was planning for rallies and state-wide tours of its leaders to counter the Congress' yatra, stating that they were planned much earlier.

"Naturally all party leaders will work for their own party, she (Sonia Gandhi) has walked for half-a-kilometer and gone, it's okay. As far as we are concerned, we have nothing to do with it and it doesn't make any impact," Bommai said in response to a question on the impact of Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi's marching in the state as part of the yatra.

To a question on the ruling BJP planning rallies and state wide travel of its leaders, to counter Congress' yatra, he said these were all planned much earlier.

"As I had said earlier there will be six rallies, this will be part of that...We had planned it earlier, but as there was assembly session, we had decided to do it after Dasara," he added.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra here, participating in a public event of the party after a long gap. Amid cheers and slogan-shouting by party workers, Sonia Gandhi walked beside her son Rahul Gandhi and other leaders for a few kilometres in Mandya district.

Asked whether he will be travelling to New Delhi to discuss with the BJP central leadership the cabinet expansion, the CM merely said, "I will let you know before going."
Bhopal: Unwanted incidents, including the death of a girl, an acid attack on a woman, and clashes, were reported during Madhya Pradesh's 10-day Navratri celebrations, which culminated on Wednesday with the burning of effigies of demon king Ravana and his brothers, according to sources on Thursday. Amid controversy over the introduction of ID cards at Garba venues, an 11-year-old girl who was watching the proceedings in Indore was discovered dead under mysterious circumstances on the final day.

Doctors discovered a bullet-like object in her skull during a medical examination, which was removed during the autopsy. Police believe the victim was killed in a celebratory shooting.

A group of men attacked a woman with an acid-like chemical at a Durga Puja pandal in Jabalpur late Tuesday. The victim, who suffered severe burns to her face, is being treated in a hospital. Ten suspects have been detained for questioning.

Also Read: 4 kidnapped Sikh family members, including 8-month old baby, found dead in California

"The victim, along with her mother, had gone to a Durga Puja pandal near Sunarhai locality in Jabalpur district, when suddenly some youths threw an acid-like chemical on her face. Once the laboratory reports confirm if it was acid, we will add stricter charges against the preparators," stated a senior police official.

Many clashes between two communities have also been reported in various areas over the last one and a half weeks. One such clash was reported in the Agar-Malwa district, where people on both sides attacked each other with sticks while women and senior citizens tried to flee for safety.

Also Read: J&K DG Prisons found dead under mysterious circumstances, cops suspect murder

The incident happened at the temple premises of a village in Agar district over 200 km from Bhopal. At least half-a-dozen people received injuries during the clash. Ironically, the crimes at Puja pandals were reported despite the state government and the police claiming full security arrangements in place for the festivities.
Auckland: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday held "warm and productive" talks with his New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta during which the two leaders exchanged views on issues of international concerns such as the Indo-Pacific and the Ukraine conflict. It is Jaishankar's first visit to New Zealand as External Affairs Minister.

"Warm and productive talks with New Zealand Foreign Minister @NanaiaMahuta this afternoon. Two societies, respectful of tradition and culture, are seeking to forge a more contemporary relationship," Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting.

"Appreciated the exchange of views on (issues of) international concerns such as the Indo-Pacific and the Ukraine conflict. Value our working together in multilateral forums including the UN and Commonwealth," he said.

Warm and productive talks with New Zealand Foreign Minister @NanaiaMahuta this afternoon.



Two societies, respectful of tradition and culture are seeking to forge a more contemporary relationship. pic.twitter.com/8xdZLunxHF  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 6, 2022

India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the resource-rich region.

China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. China also has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.

India has repeatedly emphasised on the immediate cessation of hostilities in Ukraine and the need to resolve the ongoing conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. Jaishankar also took up the issue of Indian students impacted by COVID measures in New Zealand and urged expeditious visa processing of those desirous of studying in New Zealand now.

India is the second largest source of international students in New Zealand pursuing higher education in various disciplines such as information technology, hospitality, science, engineering and architecture. He also met Associate Minister for foreign affairs Aupito William Sio during his meeting with Mahuta.

"Pleasure to meet Associate Minister for foreign affairs @AupitoWSio_MP during my talks with FM Nanaia Mahuta. Benefitted from his insights on Pacific Islands," Jaishankar tweeted.

Pleasure to meet Associate Minister for foreign affairs @AupitoWSio_MP during my talks with FM @NanaiaMahuta.



Benefitted from his insights on Pacific Islands pic.twitter.com/NLn1e8byK4  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 6, 2022

On Wednesday, Jaishankar met Indian-origin minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan, and also had an interactive session with prominent personalities of the country.

Good to meet Minister @priyancanzlp today in Auckland. Thank her for an interactive session with prominent personalities of New Zealand. Committed to furthering our relationship, he tweeted.

Radhakrishnan is New Zealand's Minister for Community and Voluntary Sector, Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, and Youth. She is the first person of Indian origin to become a minister in New Zealand. New Zealand has approximately 2,50,000 persons of Indian origin and NRIs, a vast majority of which have made the country their permanent home.

During the visit, Jaishankar will join Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday 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 Mahotsav in New Zealand," an External Affairs Ministry statement said on Monday. Jaishankar will also launch the book 'Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery'.

A book showcasing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special bond with the Sikh community 'Heartfelt- The Legacy of Faith' will also be released on the occasion.

Further, he will interact with parliamentarians, members of the business community as well as the Indian diaspora, including students. In Wellington, Jaishankar will inaugurate the newly constructed building of the High Commission of India. Jaishankar is on a week-long visit to New Zealand and Australia. In Australia, the External Affairs Minister will visit Canberra and Sydney.
Pune: The "huge" crowd at Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Dussehra rally in Mumbai showed who leads the real Shiv Sena, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said here on Thursday. Fadnavis also dubbed the other rally held by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday as "Shimga", a pejorative term used to describe abusive rhetoric. He himself did not listen to the speeches of both Thackeray and Shinde when they were underway, the BJP leader said.

He was busy with the Dhammachara Pravartan Din celebration in Nagpur but got the gist of the two speeches and listened to Shinde's speech on YouTube later, Fadnavis said. "I will not give any reaction to Uddhav Thackeray's speech. No need to give a reaction on `Shimga', he told reporters.

The Shimga celebration in parts of Maharashtra ahead of the Holi festival involves the lighting of bonfires, but revellers using cuss words or obscene language in a light-hearted way was also customary during the festival once. "There was nothing in the speech except Shimga," Fadnavis said.

"There was a huge gathering at the BKC ground whose capacity is double that of Shivaji Park (where Thackeray spoke), and the BKC ground was filled to the brim... Shiv Sainiks proved that Shinde's Sena is the real Shiv Sena and that is why I would like to congratulate him," the BJP leader further said.

On opposition's jibe that Shinde, who rebelled against Thackeray's leadership in June this year and broke away to form a new government, read out the BJP's `script' at the rally, Fadnavis said those who say this should find a new writer.

"How many times you will say the same thing? Ask your writer to use creativity or get a new writer," he said. Fadnavis, a former chief minister, parried a question about Thackeray's assertion that he was ready to swear on his parents that the BJP had promised the CM's post to the Shiv Sena for half the term before the 2019 elections. He had already given his reaction, Fadnavis said.

The reason for the split in the Shiv Sena was that Thackeray put Shiv Sena's ideology aside and accepted the NCP and Congress's ideology and sat beside people `who had connections with the Mumbai blasts and those who abuse freedom fighter V D Savarkar', he said.

"I should congratulate Shinde as he talked about development. He talked about what we are doing and he talked about what we are planning to do. This was missing when Uddhav Thackeray was CM. He always spoke like a party chief," Fadnavis said.
Mumbai: In response to Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's harsh attack that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde became 'Katappa' and betrayed him, the latter defended his rebellion against the Shiv Sena leadership, terming it as not `treachery but an `uprising' to save the party, and proclaimed himself as the real `inheritor of late Balasaheb Thackerays political legacy while addressing a mega rally at the Bandra Kurla Complex's MMRDA ground on the occasion of Dussehra.

Chief Minister Eknath 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

This was in the wake of Uddhav Thackeray's attack on him saying, "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 hospital."

Maharashtra Chief Minister was peeved over Thackeray's remark and asserted that his rebellion was not an act of "betrayal", but a "revolt" and asked Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray to kneel down at party founder Bal Thackeray's memorial and apologise for going against his ideals and aligning with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Questioning Uddhav Thackeray's style of working, Shinde asked how many times he visited Mantralaya, the state secretariat in south Mumbai, when he was the chief minister (November 2019-June 2022), claiming that administrative works came to a virtual standstill in the two-and-a-half years of the MVA government led by Uddhav Thackeray. He added that although the chief minister hailed from the Shiv Sena, it was the NCP which ran the show in the previous dispensation.

Shinde further said, "Balasaheb used to run the government through his remote control, but Thackeray gave the remote control to the NCP and danced to the NCP's tunes."

Also read: 'Shiv Sena is not your private company': Eknath Shinde

Shinde said voters in the state elected the Shiv Sena and the BJP in the 2019 Assembly elections, but Thackeray "betrayed" people by joining hands with the Congress and the NCP to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, adding "We did not do 'gaddari' (betrayal), but this (rebellion) was 'gadar' (revolt). We are not 'gaddar' (traitors), but soldiers of Balasaheb (Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray). You sold Balasaheb principles. Who are real traitors who betrayed Hindutva for the sake of power?"

Also read: Uddhav Thackeray calls Eknath Shinde TRAITOR' at mega Shiv Sena rally

In a speech that lasted for over an hour and a half, Shinde said, "We took this step (rebellion) to save the Shiv Sena, preserve the principles of Balasaheb, Hindutva and for the betterment of Maharashtra. And we took it publicly," adding that he has been getting an overwhelming response for the decision.

In a scathing attack at his political rival, he asked, "Do you (Uddhav Thackeray) even have the right to occupy the post (of Shiv Sena chief) after compromising on the principles of Bal Thackeray." He stated that massive crowds at his Dussehra rally was proof enough to show who are true inheritors of Bal Thackeray's legacy.

Shinde said being the chief minister, he could have intervened to get the Shivaji Park ground for his camp to hold the Dusshera rally, but avoided doing so to maintain law and order, adding "Even if you have got the (Shivaji Park) ground, we have the principles of Shiv Sena pramukh (late Bal Thackeray)."

Notably, the Thackeray-led faction had approached the Bombay High Court last month to hold its rally at Shivaji Park after the Mumbai civic body denied it permission to use the iconic ground in Dadar for its Dussehra event.

Slamming Thackeray, Shinde said the Shiv Sena was not a private limited company and maintained the 56-year-old outfit was built through hard work of common Sena workers, adding that Thackeray never went beyond "hum do hamare do", a reference to his sons Aaditya and Tejas Thackeray.

The rally was attended by Jaidev Thackeray, brother of Uddhav Thackeray, and his estranged wife Smita Thackeray. Nihar Thackeray, grandson of late Bal Thackeray and son of Bindumadhav, also attended the rally besides Champa Singh Thapa, a long-time personal aide of the Sena founder. Uddhav Thackeray reportedly shares an uneasy relationship with Jaidev, Smita and Nihar Thackeray.

A vacant chair used by Bal Thackeray during his last rally in Thane was placed at the centre of the stage at the sprawling ground in BKC, located close to Matoshree', the private residence of the Thackeray family in suburban Bandra.

Shinde asked why a decision of Shiv Sena MLAs tendering their resignation was not taken when the party chose to align with the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP in 2019. He was responding to Aaditya Thackeray's challenge that rebel MLAs should resign and face re-election.

(With PTI Inputs)
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir police in a joint operation with the Indian Army arrested a terrorist affiliated with Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit Awantipora in South Kashmir on Thursday. The police have also recovered arms and ammunition from the terrorist. In a statement, the police said that based on specific input Awantipora Police along with Army 42 RR and CRPF 130 BN laid a special Naka at Chandrigam and during Naka checking one person who was moving in suspicious circumstances was apprehended, during search one Pistol along with pistol magazine was recovered from him.

"The arrested terrorist has been identified as Danish Mohiuddin Ganie, a resident of Dadsara Awantipora," said a police spokesperson.

"On preliminary questioning, the apprehended terrorist admitted that he is a terrorist of the proscribed terrorist outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen," he said.

The police have registered a case under relevant sections of law at the Awantipora Police Station. Further investigation is going on in this matter, the statement stated.

Also Read: Twin encounters neutralise 4 terrorists in J-Ks Shopian district

Earlier this week, 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. In another encounter, an unidentified terrorist was killed at Moolu village in Shopian.
United Nations: India, joining the US, UK and France, has strongly condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launch which overflew Japan, with New Delhi underlining that these launches affect the peace and security of the region and beyond. The missile fired on Tuesday was the first from North Korea to fly over Japan in five years. The launch mark the 24th time this year that North Korea has conducted missile tests.

We have noted with concern the reports of ballistic missile launches by the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said at a UN Security Council meeting on DPRK on Wednesday.

"These follow the launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile by the DPRK in March this year, which was discussed in this Council, as well as other successive launches, she said.

Later, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield delivered a joint statement on behalf of Albania, Brazil, France, India, Ireland, Japan, Norway, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States at the UN Security Council stakeout on North Korea's ballistic missile launches.

The United States, Albania, Brazil, France, India, Ireland, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, strongly condemn the DPRK's long-range ballistic missile launch which overflew Japan on October 4 and its seven other ballistic missile launches conducted since September 25, the joint statement said adding that North Korea has now launched over 35 ballistic missiles this year alone.

Also Read: Kim Jong Un's North Korea launches two more missiles; Japan PM calls it 'absolutely intolerable'

These launches violate multiple Security Council resolutions and pose a threat to not only the region, but to the entire international community, the joint statement said.

North Korea on Tuesday conducted its longest-ever weapons test, a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that flew over Japan and could reach the US Pacific territory of Guam. Kamboj, in her remarks to the Council, stressed that these launches constitute a violation of the resolutions of the Security Council relating to the DPRK and they affect the peace and security of the region and beyond.

India called for full implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions relating to DPRK and reiterated the importance of addressing the proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies related to DPRK in our region. These linkages have an adverse impact on peace and security in the region, including on India.

Kamboj said the Global South has already been disproportionately affected by the prevailing geopolitical situation and related challenges. It is therefore important to continue to make all efforts to maintain peace and stability. Ensuring peace and security in the Korean Peninsula is in our collective interest. Going forward, we will continue to support dialogue and diplomacy as the means to resolve the issues in the Korean Peninsula," she said.

Kamboj reiterated New Delhi's continued support for denuclearisation towards peace and security in the Korean peninsula.

In the joint statement, the 11 countries said that North Korea had made its intentions clear in April and September when its leader signaled an effort to accelerate the DPRK's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and even alluded to pre-emptive use of nuclear forces.

We are witnessing the DPRK's pursuit of this objective, it said.

We call on all UN member states, especially Council members, to join us in condemning this reckless behavior and in urging the DPRK to abandon in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner its unlawful weapons programmes and engage in diplomacy toward denuclearisation, the joint statement said, recalling the Council's decision referring to further significant measures.

The US Ambassador said Washington, and those who have joined her at the podium for the joint statement remain committed to diplomacy and continue to call on the DPRK to return to dialogue.

But we will not stay silent as the DPRK works to undermine the global nonproliferation regime and threaten the international community, she said. The joint statement called on the member states to fully implement the relevant Security Council resolutions.

Noting that following North Korea's provocations and escalatory behaviour in 2017, the Council came together and unanimously took action to hold the DPRK accountable for its unlawful actions, the joint statement said that now again the DPRK is testing the Council's resolve and we must act accordingly. The Council will continue to engage over the course of the next week to find a unified voice and way forward.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had strongly condemned the launch of the ballistic missile, calling it a reckless act and a violation of Security Council resolutions.

Guterres said it is also of serious concern that North Korea has again disregarded any consideration for international flight or maritime safety. The Secretary-General urged North Korea to resume dialogue with the key parties concerned with a view to achieving sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Taiwanese authorities announced Vietnamese travelers could apply for social visit or tourist entry visas starting next week.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hanoi earlier this week announced nationals of countries that are not eligible for visa exemption can apply for visas to enter Taiwan for tourism purposes from Oct. 13.

Taiwan will also reinstate its visa simplification policy. Visitors are allowed to enter with a visa on arrival, an electronic visa (e-visa) or a Travel Authorization Certificate reserved for nationals from Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam.

Taiwan is set to end its mandatory Covid quarantine for foreign arrivals on Oct. 13 while Vietnam did so in March.

In recent years, Vietnam has been among the biggest feeder markets for Taiwans tourism boom. In 2019, the year before the onset of Covid, Taiwan welcomed over 777,000 Vietnamese tourists, a year-on-year increase of 26.5%.
New Delhi: Four months from its release, the criticism of Om Raut's film "Adipurush" -- starring Saif Ali Khan, Prabhas and Kriti Sanon -- continued on Wednesday (October 5, 2022) as the head priest of Ram temple in Ayodhya said that the Bollywood movie has "wrongly portrayed" the deities. Demanding an immediate ban on the movie, priest Satyendra Das alleged that the way in which Ravana has been depicted is "absolutely wrong and condemnable".

"The way in which Ravana has been depicted is absolutely wrong and condemnable. Through the media, we demand an immediate ban on the film," Das said on the occasion of the annual Vijay Rath Yatra in Ayodhya.

"Adipurush doesn't show Lord Rama and Hanuman as mentioned in the epic either and hence goes against their dignity," he added.

The movie has been receiving backlash since its 1.46-minute teaser was launched on Sunday.

ALSO READ | 'Adipurush' director Om Raut reacts to film's trolling: 'I was disheartened for sure'

Fronted by "Baahubali" star Prabhas, who features in the title role as Lord Ram, the big-budget adaptation of the Ramayana shows Saif Ali Khan playing the role of a 10-headed demon king called Lankesh. With a beard, fierce eyes, and a buzz cut, netizens have called out the filmmakers for the apparent Islamisation of Ravana.

The portrayal of Hanuman, with a beard, without a mustache, and dressed in leather, has also attracted widespread criticism.

Some social media users also criticized Adipurush's inferior visual effects, saying that the VFX was a "huge letdown" for a film that reportedly has a budget of Rs 500 crore, and is one of the most expensive Indian films ever made.

The film, which also features Kriti Sanon as Sita, is set to debut in theatres on January 12, 2023.

(With agency inputs)
Srinagar: Highlighting the development push by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, October 5, said that 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. He 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. 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.

Also Read: No talks with Pakistan; Modi govt will WIPE OUT terrorism from J&K: Amit Shah at Baramulla rally

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.

Also Read: 'Elections will be held in J&K with full transparency after voters' list compilation': Amit Shah at Baramulla rally

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, work on a 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.
New Delhi: Mulayam Singh Yadav, the founder of the Samajwadi Party, remains in the Intensive Care Unit of Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, where his condition is critical, the hospital said on Thursday. A bulletin stated that he is receiving life-saving drugs.

"Mulayam Singh Ji is still critical and on life-saving drugs, he is being treated in the ICU Medanta hospital, Gurugram, by a comprehensive team of specialists," the hospital quotes that Yadav, 82, was admitted to the hospital on Sunday.

Also Read: Mulayam Singh Yadav remains critical, is on life-saving drugs: Medanta Hospital

The Samajwadi Party also tweeted the health update on its official account. On Wednesday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar paid a visit to the Medanta hospital to inquire about Yadav's health. He also met Akhilesh Yadav, Yadav's son and SP chief. Khattar later told reporters, "There is some improvement." However, we cannot say that he is no longer in the "risk zone." More information will be available in a day or two."

(Inputs from PTI)
RPSC 2022: Rajasthan Public Service Commission has released RPSC School Lecturer Admit Card 2022. Candidates who will appear for the school lecturer examination can download the admit card through the official site of RPSC at rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in. All the candidates who have applied for RPSC exam can download the admit card now. The hall ticket is released on the official website rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in. The RPSC recruitment is being conducted to fill 6000 School lecturer vacancies.

The examination for School Lecturer post will be conducted from October 11 to October 21, 2022 at various districts including Ajmer, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Udiapur, Alwar and Sriganganagar. The exam will be conducted in two shifts- from 9 am to 12 noon and second shift from 2 pm to 5 pm.

RPSC School Lecturer Exam admit card: Steps to download

Step 1: Visit the official website rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in

Step 2: Click on School Lecturer admit card link

Step 3: Key in your login details and submit

Step 4: Check and download the admit card

Step 5: Take a printout for future reference

The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) selects applicants for appointment to civil service jobs in the Indian state of Rajasthan as per the merits of the applicants and the rules of reservation. It advises the government of Rajasthan on all matters relating to the rules of recruitment, appointment, transfer, promotion, professional standards and disciplinary action of civil servants.
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has downplayed Sonia Gandhis participation in the ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', saying it wont have much impact in his state. "She has walked for half-a-km and gone", Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said while speaking to reporters.

CM Bommai added that the yatra, which is currently passing through the poll-bound Karnataka, will have no impact on the State. "Naturally all party leaders will work for their own party, she (Sonia Gandhi) has walked for half-a-kilometre and gone, it's okay", Bommai told reporters here when asked about the "impact" of the yatra.

"As far as we are concerned, we have nothing to do with it and it doesn't make any impact," he said. The CM rejected claims that the ruling BJP was planning rallies and state-wide tours of its leaders to counter the Congress' yatra, stating that they were planned much earlier.

"As I had said earlier there will be six rallies, this will be part of that...We had planned it earlier, but as there was an Assembly session, we had decided to do it after Dasara," he added.

Sonia Gandhi today joined the yatra in Pandavapura in Mandya district, participating in a public event of the party after a long gap.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi walked with @RahulGandhi & padayatris between Jakkanahalli & Karadya in Mandya district. Her programme was for only 30 mins. She stayed with #BharatJodoYatra for 2 hrs, energised by support of people of Karnataka & in turn strengthening our resolve pic.twitter.com/9VlvDPu8F3  Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 6, 2022

Amid cheers and slogan-shouting by party workers, Sonia Gandhi walked beside her son Rahul Gandhi and other leaders. Taking to Twitter, Party General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Congress President Sonia Gandhi walked with @RahulGandhi & padayatris between Jakkanahalli & Karadya in Mandya district. Her programme was for only 30 mins. She stayed with #BharatJodoYatra for 2 hrs, energised by support of people of Karnataka & in turn strengthening our resolve."



Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the yatra, said that Sonia Gandhi has always worked for strengthening democracy. "She walked to protect these principles. I am proud to walk with her." Party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi said that the nation will be strengthened.



In between, pictures of Rahul Gandhi tying shoe laces of Sonia emerged to which political analyst Sudheendra Kulkarni said, "Indian culture in action. This is why millions of Indians, who are not Congress supporters today, will start admiring #RahulGandhi after #BharatJodoYatra."



Congress General Secretary Organisations KC Venugopal tweeted, "Giving a huge fillip to #BharatJodoYatra, Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi joined the epic journey today. Her arrival sent ripples of excitement among the crowd. Her presence alone is going to invigorate the common man and fortify the resolve of @RahulGandhi and the Yatris."



The Congress interim president joined the Rahul Gandhi-led march in the Mandya district of Karnataka which is being seen as a morale booster for the workers and will improve the party`s prospects in the state. Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed from Mandya district after the break of two days in view of the Vijayadashami and Dussehra festivals.



Sonia Gandhi had arrived in Mysuru on Monday and put up in a resort near the backwaters of Kabini.

(With Agency Inputs)
New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday said the Election Commission's recent proposal to change the model code goes against the spirit of competitive politics and will be "yet another nail in the coffin of democracy".

The EC has asked all recognised national and state political parties to provide authentic information to voters on the financial viability of their poll promises, saying inadequate disclosures have far-reaching ramifications.

The EC has asked parties to submit their views by October 19.

Asked about the development, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said it was simply not the business of the Election Commission.

"It goes against the very essence and the spirit of competitive politics and will be yet another nail in the coffin of democracy in India," he said.

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, Ramesh added.

Several parties have raised their opposition, with the Left parties saying it was not the poll body's job to "regulate" policy pronouncements.

In its letter, the EC said, "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 poll panel said if the parties make adequate disclosures on the financial implications of their promises, the electorate will be able to make informed poll choices.
UTET 2022: Uttarakhand Board of Secondary Education, UBSE is expected to release the UTET Answer Key 2022 soon. As per reports, the UTET Answer key will be released this week. Once released, candidates will be able to view their answer key for this sarkari exam on the official website  ukutet.com and ubse.uk.gov.in. UBSE conducted the Uttarakhand Teacher Eligibility Test, UTET for candidates on September 30, 2022. As per reports, the UTET 2022 answer key is expected to be released in the first week of October. An official date has not been shared or confirmed by officials from the state education board.

UTET 2022: Here's how to download Answer Key

Step 1: Go to the official website of the UBSE, i.e. ubseonline.uk.gov.in

Step 2: In the left column of the website, look for the link that says, Departmental Exam/ UTET and click on it.

Step 3: In the new tab that opens, find the link for Departmental Exam/ UTET Answer Key and click on it to open the answer key for the exam.

Step 4: The answer key will open in the PDF format. Candidates can download the answer key if they wish to and print it out.

The UTET answer key expected to be released this week will likely be provisional in nature. It is expected that candidates would be allowed to raise their objections and challenge the answer key. Keep a check here for the latest updates on UTET 2022. In order to clear the UTET 2022 exam, candidates from the general category must obtain 60 percent (90 out of 150). Candidates from the SC, ST and OBC categories would be required to obtain 55 percent marks (82 out of 150) in order to clear the exam and obtain their UTET certificate.
Kolkata: A special CBI court at Alipore here on Wednesday extended the judicial custody of former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee till October 19 in connection with the central agency's probe into the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam.

The court also sent former West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) president Kalyanmoy Ganguly, ex-secretary of West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) Ashok Saha, and the former adviser to SSC, S P Sinha, to judicial custody till October 19 on a prayer by the CBI, which is investigating the scam as per an order of the Calcutta High Court.

Chatterjee and his alleged close associate Arpita Mukherjee were on July 23 arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the money trail in the SSC recruitment scam, following the seizure of Rs 49.80 crore in cash from the latter's flats in the city, apart from bullion, jewellery and property deeds.

The ED has alleged that Chatterjee and Mukherjee laundered money by indulging in criminal conspiracy for illegally giving teaching post jobs, on recommendations by the School Service Commission (SSC), in state-sponsored and aided school, and generated huge proceeds of crime.

It also said in a chargesheet submitted before a PMLA court that the total worth of the seizures, including the cash, amount to more than Rs 100 crore.

The CBI had on September 16 obtained the custody of Chatterjee for questioning him, and thereafter he was remanded in judicial custody from September 21.

The former minister is also in judicial remand in connection with the ED case.

Chatterjee was relieved of his ministerial duties by the Mamata Banerjee government shortly after his arrest, while the TMC, too, removed him from the posts he held in the party, including that of the secretary-general.

He was the education minister when the scam was allegedly pulled off.
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday took a dig at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over its chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks at a Dussehra rally in Nagpur, asking whether a leopard can ever change its spots. Referring to a media report on Bhagwat's remarks at the Dussehra event in which he batted for women's rights, Singh asked whether the RSS would appoint a woman as Sarsanghchalak.

"Is RSS changing? Can a Leopard ever change its spots? If they are really serious about changing the basics of RSS' character, I have few questions to Mohan Bhagwat ji? Would they give up their Agenda of Hindu Rashtra?" the senior Congress leader said.

Would they appoint a woman as Sarsanghchalak and would the next Sarsanghchalak be a "non Konkast/Chitpawan/Brahmin", he asked.

"Would an OBC/SC/ST Sarsanghchalak be acceptable to rank and file of Sarsanghchalak? Would they register RSS? Would they have regular membership of RSS?" he asked.

Singh also questioned whether the RSS would open its membership to minorities.

"If the answer to all my questions/doubts are clarified positively I shall have no problem with RSS!! Mohan Bhagwat ji if you can do it I shall become your admirer!!" he tweeted.

During the rally, Bhagwat said India should frame a well thought out, comprehensive population control policy applicable to all social groups equally and flagged the issue of demographic "imbalance", as he also asserted there was no danger to minorities.

Speaking at the annual RSS Dussehra rally at the Reshimbagh Ground in Nagpur, Bhagwat called for women's empowerment and covered a wide range of issues, from "Hindu Rashtra", education, self-reliance to India's help to crisis-hit Sri Lanka and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict during his more than 60-minute-long address.
By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov arrived in Russia for a working visit upon the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

During the visit, Asadov will attend the 2nd Caspian Economic Forum, as well as hold bilateral meetings with the heads of governments of the Caspian littoral states.

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.
ELKO  A late-night car crash resulted in injuries and damage to a building on College Parkway.

Elko Police are investigating the crash that occurred at approximately 1:20 a.m. Thursday in the 1500 block.

Upon arrival on scene, officers found a 2015 Chevrolet Camaro crashed into a business and was upside down inside, stated the police department.

Three occupants of the vehicle were injured. Two of them had significant injuries and were flown to Salt Lake City for advanced medical care.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that speed and alcohol may have been factors in the crash, stated police.
New Delhi: After being trolled for `bad VFX`, Ajay Devgn`s company NY VFXwala has clarified that it has not done the VFX for `Adipurush`.

Director Om Raut made the film with the dream of bringing the story of Ramayana to the silver screen but ever since the first teaser of Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan and Kriti Sanon-starrer `Adipurush` dropped recently, 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.The credit slate at the end of the film teaser mentioned the name of one of the producers and VFX supervisor, Prasad Sutar, who is the co-founder of the famous VFX company, NY VFXwaala launched by Ajay Devgn.

Ajay serves as the Founder and Chairman of NY VFX Waala. Film critic and analyst Taran Adarsh shared the post on Instagram. The post reads, "`ADIPURUSH` CG/SPECIAL EFFECTS: NY VFXWALA ISSUES CLARIFICATION... OFFICIAL STATEMENT... #Adipurush #NYVFXwala."

"Leading VFX studio, NY VFXWaala has clarified that they have not worked/are not working on the CG/special effects of Adipurush. An official note on their behalf clarified, `we are putting this on record because we have been asked by a few media people."

Here is the tweet by film critic Taran Adarsh:

`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.The upcoming mythological film is Om`s new directorial venture after his last blockbuster `Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior`.

`Adipurush`, the mega Indian film produced by T Series and Retrophiles, is a visual extravaganza slated to release on January 12, 2023, in IMAX and 3D. Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Om Raut, Prasad Sutar, and Rajesh Nair, the film will be released in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada.
From initiating special train services to launching tour packages, Indian Railways makes travelling better in every possible way. Having said that, Indian Railways is back with another initiative to benefit passengers. To enhance the bouquet of its travel and tourism offerings, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has recently started online medical tourism packages for its passengers. With this aim of providing a holistic experience of medical value, travel coupled with various other elements such as travel and accommodation arrangements, road transfers, and optional wellness packages after the treatment, IRCTC has partnered with a medico-technical online services company on a pilot basis which will provide the entire back-end services to the customers availing various medical and wellness packages.

How to book IRCTC medical tourism?

- For availing of the medical tourism services, customers will have to log in to the tourism portal of IRCTC www.irctctourism/MedicalTourism and fill up a basic enquiry form detailing their need for treatment.

- Once the enquiry is generated, the IRCTC team will call up the customer and explain to him the treatment options for the ailment as per the convenience and budget of the customer and will further enable the customer to take up the treatment handling all back-end arrangements.

Also read: Indian Railways Update: IRCTC cancels over 110 trains on October 6, Check full list HERE

With a substantial network of hospitals, nursing homes, and diagnostic centers empanelled with its technical partner, IRCTC is offering medical treatment and wellness packages to its customers at highly competitive prices. The company has also conducted a product sensitization session for its officers and staff working in various zonal and regional offices.

India is one of the most sought-after destinations in Asia for Medical Value Travel. The country has enormously progressed in the field of modern medicine in the last few decades and has created a unique ecosystem for holistic health which combines the best of modern healthcare, alternative medicine, and wellness.

According to data from the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), approximately 6.97 lakhs medical tourists visited India in 2019 alone for medical treatment. By 2023, India will account for 6 percent of the global medical value tourism (MVT) market share.

With the growing presence of medical facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, and diagnostic centers across the country, a need is felt to guide and assist the customers in opting for the medical facilities for treatment of their ailments as per their choice, convenience, and budget.

(With inputs from ANI)
Indian Railways Update: Setting out for train journey today? Then this news is for you. A day after Dussehra festivities the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has decided to cancel a total of 164 trains today on October 6, due to multiple reasons including maintenance and operational concerns. 111 trains were fully cancelled, while 53 trains were partially cancelled. This news comes a day after IRCTC cancelled over 190 trains on Vijayadashmi (Oct 5). Additionally, it has decided to divert 15 trains and reschedule 2 trains due to various reasons varying from operational work on tracks to natural disasters. Furthermore, chances are multiple trains can be cancelled on October 7 as well, based on the information on the NTES website.

The cancellation and other changes in the trains' schedule will have an effect on passengers travelling from cities like, Pune, Bina, Satara, Bhatinda, Pathankot, Gorakhpur, New Delhi, Vadodara, Ratnagiri, Madgaon, Lucknow, Varanasi and many more.

Here's the full list of IRCTC's cancelled trains on October 6:

Also read: Diwali 2022: Indian Railways to run 179 festival special trains till Chhath Puja due to THIS reason

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.
New Delhi: People today are very tech-savvy and frequently utilise devices like smartwatches. A Gurgaon woman recently used her smartwatch to follow the person who stole her phone. While she was out shopping for groceries, her smartphone was stolen.

On August 28 at around 6 o'clock, Pallavi Kaushik, 28, a resident of Palam Vihar Sector 28, was doing her food shopping in Huda market. She was making a UPI payment in a store when a man was peering over her shoulder from behind. He grabbed the phone and took off running. According to the FIR, Kaushik did issue a public alert, however, no bystander responded to the circumstance. (Also Read: Video of delivery agent flying on a jetpack to deliver food goes viral, Twitterati go crazy-- watch video here)

She did pursue him for a while, but he was able to escape. At this point, Kaushik began using her smartwatch to locate the phone. When the smartphone came inside the radius, the smartwatch beeped to let the wearer know. After almost three hours of stumbling around and tracking the phone, Kaushik came across the burglar using her phone while seated on a motorcycle. (Also Read: Twitter, an accelerant to fulfill my vision of a super app: Musk)

As you versed the majority of smartwatches available today have a feature called "Find My Phone" that enables users to locate a linked smartphone in the event that it is lost.

She rushed up to the man and hit him in the head right away. The man allegedly fled, but while rushing, he dropped the phone. Kaushik recovered her smartphone, but sadly the thief had already used her UPI pin to transfer Rs 50,865 from her bank account to other accounts.
New Delhi: The daily app quiz from Amazon is back in action. The quiz will be found in the Funzone section of the e-commerce app. The winner will get Rs 2500 Amazon Pay Balance. If you are interested to play the quiz, you can play it in the Funzone section of the app.

Questions type

Five questions, usually based on general knowledge and current events, make up Amazon's daily quiz. (Also Read: Video of delivery agent flying on a jetpack to deliver food goes viral, Twitterati go crazy-- watch video here)

How can you win?

For a contestant to be eligible for the quiz reward, they must properly answer each question. There are four options for each quiz question. Participants in the quiz are required to select one accurate response from these choices. Once all questions have been correctly answered, participants will enter a drawing to determine the quiz's winners. (Also Read: Unbelievable! Make your smartphone waterproof by just spending Rs 50, here's HOW)

Here are all the five questions and its answer for October 6, 2022:

1. Ruth Ozeki won the 2022 Women's Prize for Fiction for which novel?

Answer: The book of form and emptiness

2. Which airline unveiled a comprehensive 5-year transformation plan Vihaan.AI?

Answer: Air India

3. Who became the first Asian to win Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series?

Answer: Lee Jung- Jae

4. This palace was built by which European dynasty?

Answer: Hapsburg

5. In which city is this famous mosque situated?

Answer: Cairo

How to play the quiz?

- Open the Amazon app.

- Click on the search bar.

- Search Fun zone.

- Click on the Amazon daily quiz option available at the bottom of the fun zone.
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.

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. (Also read: WhatsApp entering film-making biz, movie to premiere on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube)

Check out the Garena Free Fire Redeem Codes for October 06, 2022

MCPW3D28VZD6

FFCMCPSEN5MX

ZZZ76NT3PDSH

MCPW2D1U3XA3

EYH2W3XK8UPG

NPYFATT3HGSQ

MCPW2D2WKWF2

FFCMCPSJ99S3

BR43FMAPYEZZ

FFCMCPSGC9XZ

UVX9PYZV54AC

XZXJE25WEFJJ

HNC95435FAGJ

V427K98RUCHZ

U8S47JGJH5MG

ZZATXB24QES8

FFIC33NTEUKA

VNY3MQWNKEGU

6KWMFJVMMQYG

(Also read: OMG! An 18-year boy hacks Uber, employees' thoughts someone is joking)

How to Redeem Garena Free Fire codes for today, October 06, 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 York: In yet another case of growing racism and hate crime against Indians abroad, a restaurant in Henrico County, Virginia, was vandalised with vulgar and racist graffiti, local media reported. The walls of India K`Raja restaurant, owned and operated by Tony Sappal, were spray-painted with derogatory words and phrases targeting Asian Americans. "For 27 years, this has been home. Nobody has ever displayed that kind of anger or hate to us," Sappal told the Richmond Times Dispatch.

Sappal said he was returning from a catering event last weekend when he came across the racist graffiti. Operating in Henrico since 1995, the restaurant provided free lunches for students when schools shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Henrico police told the local media that the incident is being investigated and that the suspects are still at large.

"This is heinous. We will not tolerate hate crimes and acts of racism in Henrico. India K` Raja is a beloved staple in our community," Virginia State Delegate, Rodney Willett, said in a tweet.

"India K` Raja is one of the best places to get Indian food in Central Virginia. To the people who committed this heinous crime - we will not be intimidated," Bob Shippee, House of Delegates candidate for the 57th district in the US, tweeted.

Anti-Asian hate crime increased by 339 per cent last year compared to the year before, with New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other cities surpassing their record numbers in 2020, according to research by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.

Also Read: 4 kidnapped Sikh family members, including 8-month old baby, found dead in California

Earlier on Wednesday, four Sikh family members, including an eight-month-old baby girl, who were kidnapped in the US state of California have been found dead. The family, originally from Harsi Pind in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, was kidnapped at a business in Merced County, California, on Monday.

Late in August, four Indian American women were told that they were "ruining" America and should "go back to India" by a Mexican-American woman in Texas.

Community members have also expressed concerns over multiple brazen attacks on Mahatma Gandhi`s statue in New York and other US cities.
Seoul: 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 Pyongyang's 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 Kim's goal is to eventually win US 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 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 Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada, who confirmed that the missiles didn't reach Japan's 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 modelled 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 defences.

South Korea's military said it has boosted its surveillance posture and maintains readiness in close coordination with the United States. The US Indo-Pacific Command said the launches didn't pose an immediate threat to the United States or its allies, but still highlighted the "destabilising impact" of North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

North Korea's continued missile launches are 'absolutely intolerable': Japanese PM Fumio Kishida

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was expected to hold a telephone call with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol over the North Korean threat later Thursday, said the North's continued launches were "absolutely intolerable".

Yoon's office said his National Security Director Kim Sung-han discussed the launch at an emergency security meeting where members discussed plans to prepare for further North Korean hostilities, including military provocations.

Launches were North Korea's sixth round of weapons tests in less than two weeks

The launches were North Korea's sixth round of weapons tests in less than two weeks, adding to a record number of missile launches this year that has prompted condemnation from the United States and other countries.

South Korean officials the North may up the ante soon by testing an intercontinental ballistic missile or conducting its first nuclear test explosion since 2017 and seventh overall, escalating an old pattern of heightening tensions before trying to wrest outside concessions.

On Tuesday, North Korea staged its most provocative weapons demonstration since 2017, firing an intermediate-range missile over Japan, forcing the Japanese government to issue evacuation alerts and halt trains.

US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan returned to waters east of South Korea

Thursday's launches came as the US 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 North's 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 US-led drills near the peninsula as an invasion rehearsal and views training involving a US carrier as more provocative.

North Korea says redeployment of Reagan poses 'a serious threat'

North Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that 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 ministry said it strongly condemns US-led efforts at the UN Security Council to tighten sanctions on the North over its recent missile testing, which it described as a "just counteraction" to joint US-South Korean drills.

After the North's intermediate-range missile launch, the United States and South Korea also carried out their own live-fire drills that have so far involved land-to-land ballistic missiles and precision-guided bombs dropped from fighter jets.

After Tuesday's North Korean launch, the United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. But the session Wednesday ended with no consensus, underscoring a divide among the council's permanent members that have deepened over Russia's war on Ukraine.

Russia and China during the meeting insisted to fellow Security Council members that US-led military exercises in the region had provoked North Korea into acting.

The United States and its allies expressed concern that the council's inability to reach a consensus on North Korea's record number of missile launches this year was emboldening North Korea and undermining the authority of the United Nations' most powerful body.

North Korea has fired nearly 40 ballistic missiles over more than 20 different launch events this year, using the stalled diplomacy with the United States and Russia's war on Ukraine as a window to speed up arms development.
Canberra: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday it was hard to say whether the risk of nuclear war had increased with his military's territorial gains, but he remains confident his Russian counterpart would not survive such as escalation in hostilities. Zelenskyy was addressing the Lowy Institute international think tank in Sydney via video link after Ukraine's military retook ground illegally annexed by Russia last week. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that he won't hesitate to use nuclear weapons to ward off Ukraine's attempt to reclaim control of Moscow-occupied areas.

Asked if the risk of Russia using nuclear weapons had risen, Zelenskyy said through an interpreter: It's hard to say. He questioned whether Putin had enough control over the Russian campaign to direct a tactical nuclear strike. The Russians found it hard to control everything that is happening in their country, just as they're not controlling everything they have on the battlefield, Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy said Putin understood that the world will never forgive a Russian nuclear strike.He understands that after the use of nuclear weapons he would be unable anymore to preserve, so to speak, his life, and I'm confident of that, Zelensky said.

Also Read: Russian rockets slam into Ukrainian city near nuclear plant

Meanwhile, Russian missiles hit apartment buildings in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Thursday, a local official said, killing three people and wounding at least 12 in a region that houses Europe's biggest nuclear power plant and which Moscow has illegally annexed.

The two strikes, the first before dawn and another in the morning damaged more than 40 buildings, authorities said. The attacks came hours after Ukraine's president announced that his military had retaken three more villages in another of the four regions annexed by Russia, Moscow's latest battlefield reversal.
Bangkok: At least 34 people including 22 children were killed after an ex-cop opened fire at a day-care centre in Thailand on Thursday. The gunman has been identified as Panya Khamrab, a 34-year-old former police officer who was recently dismissed from the force on drug possession charges. After the attack, he killed his wife and child before shooting himself dead. About 30 children were at the centre, located in the town of Uthai Sawan in the northeastern province of Nong Bua Lamphu when the gunman came in around lunchtime.

A Police spokesperson told news agency Reuters that the gunman had been at a court hearing in connection with a drug case earlier on Thursday and had gone to the daycare centre to find his child, but the child was not there.

"He was already stressed and when he couldn't find his child he was more stressed and started shooting," he said,

"He had then driven home and killed his wife and child there before taking his own life", he further added.



"The man first shot four or five staff, including a teacher who was eight months pregnant. According to the latest media reports, he also used knives in the attack," District official Jidapa Boonsom was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.
ELKO  What qualifies a candidate to be a judge in a rural community?

That was one of the talking points discussed by candidates for Elko Justice of the Peace Department B during a candidate forum hosted by the Elko Area Chamber of Commerce Tuesday evening at the Elko Conference Center.

Elko Police Detective Bryan Drake and attorney David Loreman, who are vying for the seat in the November general election, debated over how much education and experience defines the best candidate to handle cases as Elko Township and Municipal Court Judge.

Having an understanding of the law was first mentioned by Loreman, who has practiced law in Elko County since 1991.

Loreman emphasized doing the job was essential to being justice of the peace. You cant speculate as to what thing you want to bring into the court, you have to deal with the cases and the case load and the people that come through the court.

Drake, who has served as an officer with the Elko Police Department for nearly 20 years, said he believed the judges most important role in the court is determining if there is enough probable cause in felony or gross misdemeanor cases to have the defendant bound over to Elko District Court. I would say that effectively reviewing those cases would be the most important.

Both candidates discussed Nevada law, which does not require a law degree for justice of the peace candidates in less populated counties.

Drake pointed to lay judges in Elko and Carson City who did not have a law degree as an example that the system currently works well, stating he did not see a reason to change the current law. There are several examples of plenty of lay judges who have gone on to accomplish great things.

We shouldnt confuse education and experience with aptitude, Drake said, adding he is working on a masters degree and is interested in attending law school. I have an aptitude to learn the job and serve the community, which I have done for the last 20-plus years.

Loreman disagreed, explaining that he qualifies to be a justice of the peace in other counties, including Clark and Washoe, due to his 38 years of practicing law, and his experience would be useful on the bench. I believe this job involves a legal-trained person with regard to being a lawyer.

It helps to have that knowledge and youre not going to get that by on-the-job training, Loreman said. Even if you say youre going to law school, thats going to take three plus years to get it done and you have to be accredited and pass the bar. Thats just the way Nevada is.

Regarding enforcing tougher sentencing, both candidates pointed to the current laws that dictate penalties for crimes. Each candidate also suggested looking into establishing a mental health court for Elko County.

The only way to get [the sentence] longer is if you have more counts on it, Loreman said. If I gave someone six months and a $1,000 fine, thats the maximum. Theres nothing else that you can do, and in certain circumstances it probably needs to be more.

Theres still a lot of leeway for justices to make decisions, even within the confines of those laws, Drake said. I think its important for the justice to evaluate each case when making their decision.

Each candidate asked for the communitys vote for Justice of the Peace in November.

I hope that Ive let people know that regardless of the fact that I dont possess a law degree that I am a viable candidate for this position, Drake said. There are those who do not have law degrees that have been very successful in the position that I am seeking.
New Delhi: A former policeman, who killed thirty-four people including 22 kids in Thailand in a mass shooting at a day-care centre on Thursday (October 6, 2022), has also killed his wife and child before shooting himself dead. According to police, he had been discharged from the service for drug-related reasons.

About 30 children were at the centre, located in the town of Uthai Sawan in the northeastern province of Nong Bua Lamphu, when the gunman came in around lunchtime.

District official Jidapa Boonsom told news agency Reuters that the man first shot four or five staff, including a teacher who was eight months pregnant.

According to the latest media reports, he also used knives in the attack.

After fleeing the scene of the attack, he reportedly returned to his home and killed himself along with his wife and child.

Earlier in 2020, a soldier angry over a property deal gone sour had killed 29 people and wounded 57 in a rampage that spanned four locations.
Bangkok: At least 32 people were killed in a mass shooting at a nursery in northeast Thailand, local media reported on Thursday. Many children and adults were killed in the shooting in Na Klang district in the country`s Nong Bua Lamphu province.

Police said that the gunman was a former police officer and a hunt was underway for him, according to media reports.

"Follow up Mr Panya Khamrab, 34, the assailant in the shooting at the child`s center. Uthai Sawan Subdistrict, Na Klang District, Nong Bua Lamphu Province. Observe the vehicle used by the culprit, a white Toyota Vigo pickup truck, license plate registration 6 Kor 6499, Bangkok," Thailand`s Central Investigation Police (CIP) said in a Facebook post.

The suspect who fled the crime scene reportedly shot himself. A local publication said Panya was fired from his position in the police force in 2021 for failing a drug test.

More details are awaited.
San Francisco: The former chief security officer for Uber was convicted Wednesday of trying to cover up a 2016 data breach in which hackers accessed tens of millions of customer records from the ride-hailing service. A federal jury in San Francisco convicted Joseph Sullivan of obstructing justice and concealing knowledge that a federal felony had been committed, federal prosecutors said. Sullivan remains free on bond pending sentencing and could face a total of eight years in prison on the two charges when he is sentenced, prosecutors said.

Technology companies in the Northern District of California collect and store vast amounts of data from users, U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds said in a statement. We will not tolerate concealment of important information from the public by corporate executives more interested in protecting their reputation and that of their employers than in protecting users.

It was believed to be the first criminal prosecution of a company executive over a data breach. A lawyer for Sullivan, David Angeli, took issue with the verdict. Mr Sullivan's sole focus in this incident and throughout his distinguished career has been ensuring the safety of people's data on the internet, Angeli told the New York Times.

Also Read: 73 websites hacked every day in India, 2021 saw highest cyber breaches in four years

An email to Uber seeking comment on the conviction wasn't immediately returned. Sullivan was hired as Uber's chief security officer in 2015. In November 2016, Sullivan was emailed by hackers, and employees quickly confirmed that they had stolen records on about 57 million users and also 600,000 driver's license numbers, prosecutors said.

After learning of the breach, Sullivan began a scheme to hide it from the public and the Federal Trade Commission, which had been investigating a smaller 2014 hack, authorities said.

According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Sullivan told subordinates that the story outside of the security group was to be that this investigation does not exist, and arranged to pay the hackers $100,000 in bitcoin in exchange for them signing non-disclosure agreements promising not to reveal the hack. He also never mentioned the breach to Uber lawyers who were involved with the FTC's inquiry, prosecutors said.

Also Read: OMG! An 18-year boy hacks Uber, employees' thoughts someone is joking

Sullivan orchestrated these acts despite knowing that the hackers were hacking and extorting other companies as well as Uber," the U.S. Attorney's office said. Uber's new management began investigating the breach in the fall of 2017. Despite Sullivan lying to the new chief executive officer and others, the truth was uncovered and the breach was made public, prosecutors said.

Sullivan was fired along with Craig Clark, an Uber lawyer he had told about the breach. Clark was given immunity by prosecutors and testified against Sullivan.

No other Uber executives were charged in the case. The hackers pleaded guilty in 2019 to computer fraud conspiracy charges and are awaiting sentencing. Sullivan was convicted of obstruction of proceedings of the Federal Trade Commission and a misdemeanour of a felony, meaning concealing knowledge of a felony from authorities.

Meanwhile, some experts have questioned how much cybersecurity has improved at Uber since the breach. The company announced last month that all its services were operational following what security professionals called a major data breach, claiming there was no evidence the hacker got access to sensitive user data.

The lone hacker gained access posing as a colleague, tricking an Uber employee into surrendering their credentials. Screenshots the hacker shared with security researchers indicate they obtained full access to the cloud-based systems where Uber stores sensitive customer and financial data. It is not known how much data the hacker stole or how long they were inside Uber's network.
New York: Without naming China and Russia, the United States on Wednesday (local time) accused "two permanent members" of the United Nations Security Council of enabling North Korea by protecting Pyongyang from attempts to strengthen UNSC sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

"The DPRK (North Korea) has enjoyed blanket protection from two members of this council," US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said at the UN. "In short, two permanent members of the Security Council have enabled Kim Jong Un," She said.

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.

North Korea on Tuesday conducted its longest-ever weapons test, a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that flew over Japan, after which Tokyo urged residents to evacuate to shelters.

According to Kyodo News, early Tuesday, the government issued an alert urging residents in Japan`s northernmost main island of Hokkaido and the country`s northeastern prefecture of Aomori to stay inside buildings.

The White House said that both Biden and Kishida confirmed that they would continue to closely coordinate their immediate and longer-term response bilaterally, trilaterally with the Republic of Korea, and with the international community.

"They confirmed they would continue to closely coordinate their immediate and longer-term response bilaterally, trilaterally with the Republic of Korea, and with the international community. The leaders discussed the importance of immediate return and resolution of the cases of Japanese citizens abducted by the DPRK and resolved to continue every effort to limit the DPRK`s ability to support its unlawful ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs," the statement 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.
Americans are living in the Amazon economy. Each day, they buy thousands of household goods online. This has certainly been a boon for Amazon  and the companys net income hit a stunning $33 billion last year. Unfortunately, China has been a major beneficiary of this success, too. Chinese companies now account for almost 40 percent of all Amazon sales. This is doubly troubling when one considers that loopholes in U.S. tax policy give these Chinese exporters an unfair advantage over domestic American e-commerce companies. Its a problem that Congress must rectify.

Right now, any U.S. company selling more than $600 worth of products or services online is required to report their income to the Internal Revenue Service. However, this tax regulation doesnt apply to foreign companies, including Chinese sellers. That means companies in China can keep selling goods on Amazon essentially tax-free. But at the same time, domestic American companies must pay U.S. taxes.

Realistically, Chinese companies face little tax burden. Not only do they avoid U.S. taxes, but Beijing routinely ignores, defers, or acquits smaller Chinese e-sellers from their tax obligations. As a result, Chinese e-sellers frequently pay little or no taxes.

Chinese companies also enjoy other advantages in the e-commerce arena, particularly the trafficking of counterfeit and unsafe goods. Its estimated that 83 percent of all intellectual property seizures that come through international mail and express shipping originate in China. As a result, U.S. consumers may receive a faulty or counterfeit product through Amazon  and can request a refund. Amazon may terminate that particular vendor. But an estimated 75 percent of all new sellers on Amazon are Chinese companies. And so the unscrupulous vendor may soon reemerge on Amazon under a new name.

This is unacceptable, and Congress must ensure that Chinese companies are finally held accountable in the same way as domestic U.S. firms.

The answer is for Congress to pass legislation requiring Chinas exporters to receive a 1099 form whenever they sell to U.S. consumers. That means any e-commerce market with an American Tax ID number  including Amazon  would need to report a Chinese vendors assessed taxes to the IRS.

Online commerce in China continues to be a nebulous affair. But smart legislation could expose some of Chinas shady practices  and make it the responsibility of vendors such as Amazon to collect and pay Chinas e-commerce taxes to the IRS.

It seems inconceivable that unscrupulous vendors in China are continuing to sell a wide array of goods to U.S. consumers while paying little or no taxes in return. This gives them a serious competitive advantage over domestic U.S. companies. Its time for Washington to protect Americas e-sellers by establishing a tax on Chinas e-commerce. This is the only way to finally correct years of unfair online business practices.
What was going to be the soap opera of the summer is extending into what will eventually be a year-long story, or maybe more. It all started last January when Microsoft announced its plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for nearly $70 billion. As the months passed by, controversy flooded all the debates due to the different regulatory bodies that must approve the operation for it to go forward.

Now, within the international debate, we have seen progress in South America, Brazil's CADE (Administrative Council for Economic Defense), one of the members of what has become a kind of jury, has approved the acquisition and has not hesitated to be forceful in explaining its reasons. The Brazilian regulator sees no problem with the purchase going ahead.

Brazil votes in Microsoft's favor

According to information from the CADE document, translated on ResetEra and shared by famous analyst Benji-Sales on Twitter, the body in question explains that their job is not "to protect Sony / PlayStations interests or position," and goes further; they don't even consider that if Microsoft decides to keep the Call of Duty franchise exclusive it will affect the competitiveness of the market. Even if the Activision Blizzard game catalog were to become exclusive to the Microsoft ecosystem after the Transaction SG/Cade considers that such exclusivity would not result in a substantial reduction in the levels of competition.

PlayStation is fighting for its interests

PlayStation, on the other hand, has positioned itself firmly against the purchase of Activision by Microsoft. So much so that we have recently learned that Jim Ryan himself flew to Brussels to show his concern to the European Union, something that reaffirms its position, since not even a month ago the Japanese company considered "inadequate" the offer of Microsoft in relation to keeping the Call of Duty saga on PlayStation consoles for a limited time.

Source | VGC, Benji-Sales
Vietnamese lychee sold at a supermarket in Perth city of Australia (Photo: VNA)

Notably, Vietnams exports to Australia surged 42% to 4.9 billion USD, according to Vietnams trade office in the country.

Among the main exports to Australia, fishery products brought home 247.6 million USD (up 49%), timber and wood products 135.4 million USD (up 23.99%), confectionery over 50 million USD (up 50%), and steel 142 million USD (up 232.92%).

Meanwhile, imports also rose 34.75%, with input materials for production such as coal, iron ore, metal, and wheat being the main commodities purchased from Australia.

Nguyen Phu Hoa, head of Vietnams trade office, attributed the impressive export growth to the increasing diversity and competitiveness of Vietnamese goods, efforts by Vietnamese firms to help their products get a foothold in the Australian market, and localities support for businesses in trade promotion./.
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)

Editor: Zhang Zhou
The Verkhovna Rada has appealed to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union with a request to continue the temporary measures to liberalize trade until the completion of negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the European Union.

Corresponding draft resolution No. 8075 was supported by 301 parliamentarians at a plenary session on Thursday, MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on Telegram.

As reported, the duration of the preferential regime is provided for by the Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU dated May 30, 2022 on temporary trade liberalization measures that supplement trade preferences for Ukrainian goods in accordance with the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that just over the past day, the Ukrainian military liberated three settlements in Kherson region from the Russian pseudo-referendum  Novovoskresenske, Novohryhorivka and Petropavlivka.

"Only during the past day in Kherson region, such settlements as Novovoskresenske, Novohryhorivka and Petropavlivka were liberated and stabilized from the pseudo-referendum. The offensive continues," Zelensky said in a video message on Wednesday evening.

The head of state also noted the soldiers of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who managed to shoot down six Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles of invaders in a day.

"Three drones were shot down by anti-aircraft gunners of the 302nd Kharkiv anti-aircraft missile regiment, and three more were shot down by our fighter pilots from the 204th Sevastopol tactical aviation brigade. Thank you for your accuracy, guys!" he said.
Two women were killed as a result of a night missile attack on Zaporizhia, preliminary five people are still under the rubble, head of the regional military administration Oleksandr Starukh has said.

"One woman died. Another died in an ambulance. There are at least five people under the rubble of houses," he wrote.

Starukh stressed that many residents had already been saved.

"Many have been saved. Among them, a three-year-old girl, the child is hospitalized. A rescue operation is underway at the scene of the incident," the regional head said.

Earlier in the morning, it was reported about seven missile attacks on residential apartment buildings in Zaporizhia. City Council Secretary Anatoliy Kurtev stated that hospitals and information centers at schools were fully ready to receive people.
Kyiv calls on EU, G7 to impose sanctions against Rosatom, urges IAEA to limit cooperation with Russia due to attempt to take control of ZNPP

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine condemned Russia's attempt to take the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in the occupied city of Enerhodar, Zaporizhia region, under operational control and stated that they consider the respective decree of the President of the Russian Federation on this matter as null and void, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

"We strongly condemn this crime that further increases risks and threats in the sphere of nuclear security caused by the Russian occupation of the ZNPP. We call on all states to adhere to the consistent position on insuring the inevitability of political, economic and legal consequences for the terrorist-state for all its crimes and illegal actions," the MFA said.

In this regard, the Foreign Ministry invited the European Union, G7 states and other partners to immediately consider imposition of sanctions against Russian state corporation Rosatom, affiliated companies and institutions as well as other key players of the Russian nuclear energy sphere.

"We call on the member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency to restrict cooperation in the framework of any projects with Russia that resorts to undisguised nuclear blackmail of the entire world. We expect a clear position and proactive role in these issues of the IAEA Director General," the MFA said.

The Foreign Ministry also warned the citizens of the Russian Federation who will follow illegal orders on seizure of objects of the civil nuclear infrastructure of Ukraine about the criminal liability for the illegal actions and inevitability of punishment. The ministry demanded from the Russian side to ensure safety and inviolability of citizens of Ukraine who continue to perform critical functions at the Nuclear Power Plant.

"We reiterate the urgent need to put maximum efforts of all members of the international community aimed at ensuring de-occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and its return under the control of Ukraine as the only possible way to eliminate current threats in the sphere of nuclear security," the MFA said.

As reported, on October 3, in the Russian unified public register of legal entities, JSC Zaporozhye NPP Operating Organization was registered at an address in Moscow with a charter capital of 2 billion rubles. The parent company with 100% of the management company is the state corporation Rosatom, the general director is Oleg Romanenko.

National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom called this decision null and void.
By Trend

A trilateral meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, President of the European Council Charles Michel and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will be held in Brussels next month, Trend reports.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is on a visit to Prague to attend the European Political Community Summit at the invitation of President of the European Council Charles Michel and Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has today met with President of the European Council Charles Michel.

During the conversation, the sides discussed the agenda of the trilateral meeting scheduled to be held in Brussels next month.

They exchanged views on prospects for Azerbaijan-European Union partnership.
Enemy launches new missile attack on Zaporizhia  local governor

On Thursday morning, the enemy carried out a missile attack on Zaporizhia, head of the regional military administration Oleksandr Starukh said.

"Attention! Another enemy missile attack. Stay in shelters!" he wrote on the Telegram channel.
Head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power has arrived in Kyiv.

"I have just arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine. It is a critical moment for the Ukrainian people as they defend their freedom from brutal attack, liberate occupied land, prepare for winter, and strengthen democratic institutions and the rule of law. USAID now and always stands with Ukraine," Power said on Twitter.
NATO must make it impossible for Russia to use nuclear weapons  Zelensky

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky believes that "NATO should make it impossible for Russia to use nuclear weapons."

"Preemptive strikes are needed so that they know what awaits them if they use nuclear weapons. Not the other way around, waiting for Russia's nuclear strikes and then saying, 'oh, you've done that, then get this,'" he said on Thursday, speaking via video link at Australia's think tank, the Lowy Institute.

NATO, Zelensky said, "should reconsider how it uses its pressure."
Since October 1, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have taken control of 29 settlements in Kherson direction, Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Hromov said.

"In Kherson direction, the enemy is trying to counterattack at the expense of reserves in order to restrain the offensive of our troops and resume the lost position. Since October 1, 29 settlements have been taken under control," Hromov said at a briefing at the Military Media Center on Thursday.
Russia attacked Ukraine by 86 Shahed-136 drones, 60% of which were downed, Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Oleksiy Hromov has said.

"In general, since the start of attacks by Shahed-136 kamikaze drones, they have used 86 units, 60% of which were downed," he told a Thursday press briefing at the Military Media Center.

"The enemy launched air strikes near the residential areas of Myroliubivka, Arkhanhelske, Sukhyi Stavok, Ternovi Vody, Davydiv Brid, and mounted missile attacks near Bereznehovate and Mykolaiv. During the period from September 30, the enemy fired 20 missiles of various types, in particular it fired 13 ballistic missiles. The enemy also used 46 Shahed-136 kamikaze drones to attack military objects, civilian infrastructure and defense positions, 24 of them were destroyed," Hromov said.

He also noted that on Thursday night the Air Force eliminated nine of twelve kamikaze drones launched by the enemy.
The Verkhovna Rada has dismissed Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Kyrylo Shevchenko on the proposal of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The adoption of relevant draft resolution No. 8104 was supported by MPs at a plenary session on Thursday, Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a member of the Holos faction, reports on Telegram.

"The parliament supported the dismissal of Kyrylo Shevchenko from the post of head of the National Bank of Ukraine. Mr. Shevchenko himself was not there, so the dismissal took place in a "turbo mode", only speeches by MPs," he wrote.

The Rada appointed Shevchenko to this post for a seven-year term on July 16, 2020, and before that he was the head of the board of state-owned Ukrgasbank (2015-2020). On October 4, 2022, he announced his resignation for health reasons. On October 5, the presidential office submitted a draft resolution on the dismissal of Shevchenko to the Verkhovna Rada.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has submitted for consideration by the Verkhovna Rada the candidacy of the former head of Oschadbank, Andriy Pyshny, for the post of governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).

The corresponding resolution was published on the website of the Verkhovna Rada on Thursday.

As reported, Pyshny was named as a possible candidate for the post of head of the NBU even before the start of the war, when the topic of a possible change of the central bank head arose several times. At the same time, the ex-head of Oschadbank was ready to compete for the post of head of Ukreximbank, but due to the war, the corresponding competition was canceled. In May of this year, Pyshny became an adviser to the head of the board of Oschadbank, and is also a member of the Yermak-McFaul sanctions group.

The incumbent head of the National Bank of Ukraine, Kyrylo Shevchenko, announced his resignation on October 4 for health reasons. On October 6, the financial committee of the Rada approved his dismissal.

The Rada appointed him to this post for a seven-year term on July 16, 2020, and before that he was the head of the board of state-owned Ukrgasbank.
Finland will donate more defense equipment to Ukraine, the country's government said.

"The defensive battle of Ukraine continues. Unfortunately, it seems that the war can last a long time. Finland continues to support Ukraine," Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen said, the Finnish government said in a statement on Thursday.

It is noted that this is the ninth delivery of military equipment from Finland to Ukraine. In order to guarantee the safe delivery of assistance, no additional information about the content, delivery method or schedule of assistance will be provided. The additional assistance took into account both the needs of Ukraine and the situation with the resources of the Defense Forces, the message says.
The European Political Community has a real possibility of becoming a European Community of Peace, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

"Dear leaders of Europe! At this first meeting of ours in this format, I would like to congratulate you on the establishment of our new political initiative. I would like to congratulate you on the fact that, thanks to this initiative, we have received not just another format of cooperation in Europe, but an extremely powerful opportunity to restore peace in Europe," he said in a video address at the summit of the European Political Community in Prague.

The European Political Community has a real possibility of becoming a European Community of Peace, he stressed.

"Peace! That Ukraine needs so much. That absolutely every country presented here today needs," the head of state said.

He also drew attention to the fact that there were no representatives of Russia at the summit.

"A state that geographically seems to belong to Europe, but from the point of view of its values and behavior is the most anti-European state in the world," Zelensky said.

According to him, Ukraine and European leaders are now in a strong position to direct all possible powers of Europe to end the war and guarantee long-term peace  for Ukraine, for Europe, for the world.

"Ukraine is only the first battlefield this state has entered. [] In 225 days of full-scale war, we have all already shown that Europe can influence the issues of war and peace. But now  all together  we must ensure that the formula for war is completely blocked and the formula for peace is fully implemented," the president said.

"So, let's do it! And let today be the starting point. The point from which Europe and the entire free world will move to guaranteed peace for all of us. It is possible," he said.
The State of Israel should change its position of avoiding an answer to the request for military assistance to Ukraine against the war with the Russian invaders. Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk said this in response to an interview with Israeli Justice Minister Gideon Saar, according to the Embassy's Facebook page.

Unfortunately, the minister's position aligns with the position of the Israeli government so far - avoiding taking an unequivocal position and minimal aid. As mentioned, with humanitarian aid, as important as it is, you don't win the war!, - said the ambassador.

At the same time, he appealed to the Israeli authorities: This is a David vs. Goliath war - Ukraine is facing a brutal Russian army. We are in immediate need of military and defensive assistance and I repeat asking Israel's leaders to assist us in this war that was imposed on us, for no reason.

Earlier, G.Saar said that during the UN meeting, Israel condemned the Russian invasion of the territory of Ukraine.

We are against the invasion, we do not recognize the annexation of four regions. This is our permanent position. We also provide assistance to Ukraine. We have decided not to supply Ukraine with weapons systems, but we will definitely provide humanitarian aid. I think that the principled position was taken correctly, - he said.
By Azernews

By Orkhan Amashov

India, a rising power on the global stage, seeks a greater role in the South Caucasus, the region in which its footprint remains modest.

The scale of New Delhi's close ties with Armenia should neither be underestimated nor unduly overestimated. Nor should it be viewed as denuded from the wider regional landscape of competing interests comprising different actors, encompassing Turkiye, Russia, China, and others.

New Delhis rationale is not merely circumscribed to an extended knee-jerk reaction to Azerbaijans steadfast partnership with Pakistan and its firm backing of Islamabad over the Kashmir issue.

Indias policy choice of seeing Yerevan as a regional partner, at the expense of snubbing" Baku, is also dictated by its preference for utilising the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) with Armenia as a connecting link, rather than favouring that using Azerbaijan as a conduit to Europe, together with its desire to counteract growing Turkish influence in the South Caucasus.

Pendominium and economic reality check

India and Yerevan like to think of themselves as natural allies, and profess to be determined to exploit the massive untapped potential of these bilateral ties. This is, of course, a bit of wishful thinking. If to glance at the situation from the point of definable and solid economic advantages, rather than imaginary geopolitical interests, it is obvious that Azerbaijan is actually more attractive to New Delhi.

In the first six months of 2022, India established itself as Azerbaijan's fourth largest export partner, with an increase in volumes by 107 percent, when compared to the previous year, reaching $896 million. During the same period, trade turnover between the two nations amounted to $1.188 billion, increasing by 169.1 percent year on year.

Indias trade turnover with Armenia is considerably less, amounting to an infinitesimal $181 million in 2021. Of course, figures are not everything and one should look at bilateral relations from the perspective of long-term interests. Yet it remains true that for the present and foreseeable future, it is highly improbable that Armenia will in any way augment its value as a trade partner, outweighing Azerbaijan, in the eyes of India.

Thus, in key respects, the glittering future of Indo-Armenian relations is too hoary a suggestion to be substantiated as a serious project, for its economic substratum is too thin. Naturally, there are some other considerations that have contributed to today's pandemonium.

Perceived geopolitical risks

New Delhis espousal for Yerevan is mostly driven by the perceived benefits such backing may accrue for the advancement of its greater foreign policy. In the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan is centrally placed, with the potential to connect Ankara with Islamabad via a land route. For India, this is the axis with a strong military component, which aims to draw a transport map alongside the East-West route in such a way that New Delhis own preferred South-North route is reduced in import and efficiency. India appears to see many potential risks in the suggestion that Ankara could use its presence in Azerbaijan as a springboard into Central Asia.

The Zangazur Corridor has been actively opposed by Narendra Modi's government, which sees it as an obstacle to its access to the North. The worry is that if Armenia loses its land connection with Iran, India's ambitious plan for reaching Europe via the INSTC will be imperiled. This is an erroneous view on two grounds. Firstly, the Zangazur Corridor does not jeopardise the Iranian-Armenian land route as such. Secondly, the South-North route, in its original concept, should have gone through Azerbaijan, which India later reviewed, not on the basis of economic suitability but of the imperative of choosing Armenia over Azerbaijan as a subjective geopolitical necessity.

It is in this context that Indias enhanced military ties with Armenia and its clear steps of counteracting Azerbaijan on a diplomatic forum across various platforms could be meaningfully explained.

India has strengthened its military ties with Armenia during the past few years. The recent $245 million-worth deal means that the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket system, light years away from being the last word in technological innovation, but nonetheless a pricey item from the Indian military industry, will be exported to Armenia.

India is not a large arms exporter, but is keen to increase its share in the global market, capitalising on policy reforms and active governmental support to secure overseas orders. Armenia is not awash with money and capable of buying huge quantities. But it is a party that is willing to import from reliable sources that will deliver.

Whilst speaking on the draft Armenian defence budget for 2023, which is set to reach $1.2 billion, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan mournfully expostulated that a disruption in weapons supplies from allies is attributable to Azerbaijans efforts. We have cases when hundreds of millions of dollars in payments have been made, but partner countries are not fulfilling their obligations, went on the Armenian PM, in an oblique reference to Russia.

In addition, India has taken steps to counteract Azerbaijan in the field of diplomacy. It was on Indias insistence that Baku was not invited to the latest BRICS summit, with the other members - Russia, China, Brazil, and South Africa - expressing no objection. New Delhi blocked a Non-Aligned Movement measure, designed to express solidarity with Azerbaijan over the egregious attack on the Azerbaijani Embassy in London by the radical religious group called the Mahdi Servants Union on 4 August. Following the recent 12-14 September escalation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, India chose to support Armenia, implicitly accusing Baku of aggression.

Indias aggressive tone vis-a-vis Baku and its conspicuous cozying up to Yerevan are part and parcel of today's malleable and squidgy situation. But nothing is set in stone. India is a serious international player which has yet to seriously claim a role in the South Caucasus. Its present pattern of behaviour mimics preparatory tabletop game tactics.

If New Delhi is content being a counterweight to the Azerbaijani-Turkish alliance in the region, backing the weaker option, which is Armenia, its role will be limited, in no way gratifying its foreign policy ambitions. If such a choice, in view of its alignment with Tehran and Yerevan, is made, it had better be transitionary, or even better, reversed after a respectful period of inaction to placate Azerbaijan.
South Sinai and the Greater Cairo area will enjoy warm daytime temperatures while Upper Egypt will see warmer ones through the weekend, according to the Egyptian Meteorology Authority (EMA).
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.
Egypts Public Prosecution ordered the release of 50 pretrial detainees on Sunday and Monday, a member of the Presidential Pardon committee announced.

Member of the Presidential Pardon Committee and renowned lawyer Tarek El-Awady shared on his Facebook page on Sunday a list of 45 names of pretrial detainees in addition to five other detainees.

The detainees were released on Sunday and Monday, he added.

In recent months, the Public Prosecution has ordered the release of hundreds of pretrial detainees in groups.

In September, authorities released over 100 pretrial detainees, including Ahmed El-Nagdy, a journalist at the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera TV channel, and prominent leftist activist and lawyer Haitham Mohamadein.

Since the re-activation of the Presidential Pardon Committee in April and the launch of preparations for the National Political Dialogue in May, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has pardoned many high-profile political activists who had received final sentences.

This included Hossam Mones, Yahia Abdel-Hady, Hisham Fouad and others.

The committee, which was first formed in 2016, receives the names of prisoners for presidential pardon consideration from various parties and political forces, including the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), parliaments Human Rights Committee, as well as directly through its own official website.

The scope of the work of the reactivated committee has been expanded to include imprisoned debtors.

The government and various political forces prepare for the extensive National Political Dialogue that will discuss pressing political, economic and social issues within a few weeks.

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President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi affirmed on Tuesday that the October War victory will remain eternally carved in the conscience of Egyptians, Arabs and all peace-loving peoples.

President El-Sisi made his statements in a speech at the 36th Cultural Symposium of the Armed Forces to mark the 49th anniversary of the 6th of October War victory in 1973, which falls this year on Thursday.

"This day was designed to be eternally carved not only in the conscience of the Egyptian people but also in the conscience of the entire Arab nation and all peace-loving peoples in the world," the president said.

The president paid tribute on this occasion to the late president Anwar El-Sadat, who courageously made the decision to pursue peace, thus turning the page on the past and opened up prospects of the future for the entire region.

Egypt did not only fight to defend its land, but also to achieve peace, he stressed.

"There were men during the glorious October War who were guided by Almighty God to take decisive decisions that changed the map of regional and international balances."

"Egypt celebrates today the 49th anniversary of the glorious October victory, a day of pride and dignity, a day that represented proof of the capabilities of Egyptians in overcoming the toughest moments of the nation's history."

The president saluted the Egyptian Armed Forces which achieved the victory, expressing his pride in belonging to its ranks.

He added that Egypt achieved on the 6th of October "the miracle of crossing" of the Suez Canal, making the most glorious day in the modern history of Egypt.

El-Sisi noted that "the struggle for transforming the realities of defeat into victory and pain into glory and pride" was at the core of the 6th of October War.

Security, development, and hope

The president warned in his speech that the "Forces of Evil" are still spreading rumours and delusions to shake citizen's confidence in their country amid the global economic crisis facing the world.

The president said that he is sure that the development projects that are being carried out in Egypt would achieve security and hopes for the new generations and will also improve the living conditions of Egyptians.

The president urged that citizens and officials should realise that the "nation's future cannot be determined in a year, or two, or three, or even ten years."

He stressed on the importance of fighting poverty and illiteracy, describing them as "real enemies" and warning of their dangers.

El-Sisi asserted that the state has been keen to carry on with development ppojects during its war on terrorism, noting that the Armed Forces and the civilian police fought the "Forces of Evil" in Sinai for eight consecutive years from 2011.

The cost of protecting Sinai has been very high, the president underlined.

The president vowed to continue the construction process in the country despite the challenges posed by the increase in the country's population by 25 million in the last decade.

Despite all the challenges, the development process in the country could not be stopped in the last several years, he stressed.

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The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) said it will launch the Guided Trade Initiative at its 10th African Trade Ministerial Meeting, in which Egypt is taking part, on 7 October.

Egypt will participate with the largest shipment of products to Ghana within the framework of the initiative, according to a press statement.

The 10th African Trade Ministerial Meeting of the AFCFTA will be hosted for two days in the Ghanaian capital Accra.

The initiative will symbolise the beginning of commercially meaningful trade on a pilot basis between Ghana, Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Tunisia. These countries were selected to represent the five African Union regions, namely: Western, Central, Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa, respectively.

The trade initiative directed to the free trade zone aims to send a message to Africa and the rest of the world to start activating trade using the procedures of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

The initiative also aims to reconcile businesses and products for export and import between interested state parties in collaboration with their national AFCFTA implementation committees.

The initiative will serve as a gateway to encourage continued trade under the AFCFTA resulting in increased opportunities for SMES, youth, and women in trade, and ultimately establishing sustainable and inclusive economic development.

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Algerian state energy firm Sonatrach has agreed with Spanish buyer Naturgy to revise prices on gas deliveries through a key undersea pipeline, it said Thursday, as Europe gears up for a winter energy crunch.

"Sonatrach and its partner Naturgy have agreed to revise the prices of the existing long-term gas supply contracts taking into account market developments," the Algerian firm said in a statement.

It did not say which way they would be revised, but natural gas prices have more than doubled in Europe since Russia's February invasion of Ukraine, as Russia cuts back supplies in suspected retaliation against Western sanctions.

Algeria, Africa's top natural gas exporter, has signed a flurry of deals with southern European governments and energy firms seeking to offset the fallout, delivering a cash windfall for Algeria.

But experts have cast doubt over its ability to boost production in the short term.

The Spanish government in July urged energy firms to reduce their imports of gas from Russia.

But ties between Madrid and Algiers have been cold since the government of Pedro Sanchez in March dropped decades of neutrality on the Western Sahara conflict, backing an autonomy plan drafted by Algeria's arch-rival Morocco.

Algeria in June suspended its 2002 friendship treaty with Spain, but has said gas deliveries will continue.

Sonatrach supplied more than 40 percent of Spain's natural gas imports in 2021 through the deep-sea Medgaz pipeline.

Naturgy is Spain's top buyer of Algerian gas, which represents over a fifth of the firm's total gas purchases.

Spanish gas regulator Enagas says Algeria was the country's second gas supplier (24 percent) in August, behind the United States (26.5 percent).

But Algeria's share has dropped in recent months as Spain has increased its imports from other sources.

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Egypt has condemned the criminal attack by a gunman on Thursday on a nursery in northern Thailands Nong Bua Lamphu province, which killed dozens of poeple, mostly children.

Related 35 killed in attack beginning at Thailand childcare center

In a statement, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack and extended condolences to Thailand and the families of the victims.

The ministry wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Egypt stresses that it stands by the government and people of the friendly Kingdom of Thailand in this tragic time, the ministry added.

Countries around the world have been offering their condolences to Thailand over the incident, which is one of the deadliest of its kind in the country's history.

Penya Khamrab, a former police officer, stormed a nursery in Na Klang District and shot dead at least 37 people, mostly preschoolers, according to reports. He then killed his wife and son before taking his own life.

Khamrab was dismissed from service in January for drug possession and appeared in court over a drug charge hours before the crime, Thai police say.

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Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi issued a decree pardoning 1,557 prisoners at various correctional centres nationwide on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the 6 October 1973 War, the Ministry of Interior announced on Thursday.





The ministry said its social protection department has studied the files of inmates in rehabilitation and correctional centres nationwide to determine those eligible for presidential pardon.

The decision reflects "the interior ministrys firm intentions to establish a modern punitive policy and to provide the utmost care for inmates at correction centres, the ministry said.

The ministrys decision enforces President El-Sisis decree no. 458/2022 to release a number of convicts who are eligible for presidential pardon in celebration of the 6 October war victory, the ministry added.

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A number of pardoned inmates appeared in a video released by the interior ministry in which they thanked President El-Sisi for the decree.

We thank President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi because he gave us another chance. The decree confirms the president's previous assertion that an inmate should not be punished twice, one of the pardoned inmates said.

Egypt has released thousands of inmates in recent years on different national and religious occasions as per presidential pardon decrees.

Moreover, since the president's call for a National Political Dialogue and a reactivation of the Presidential Pardon Committee in April, hundreds of inmates and pre-trial detainees have been released either by presidential pardon decrees or by decisions from the public prosecution

The restructured Presidential Pardon Committee, which was formed in 2016, receives requests for pardon through many channels, including the National Youth Conference website.

The committee also receives requests through the complaints committee of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) and via email to the human rights committees in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Pardon requests can also be submitted directly to the members of the pardon committee.

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Starting from October 1, 2022 number of accusations of the Republic of Azerbaijan in violation of the International Humanitarian Law have been published in the Swiss media.

They are based only on information from the Armenian side without acquiring the position of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In response to these accusations the Embassy would like to deliver the below-listed facts to the Swiss media:

- Azerbaijan has always been committed to upholding its obligations under international humanitarian law (IHL) and the principles of humanity. Promotion of respect for and strict compliance with IHL norms is a part of military education in Azerbaijan and the relevant state structures closely cooperate with ICRC and other similar bodies to that end;

- Azerbaijan has taken measures necessary to prevent any act of violation by its servicemen of international humanitarian law. The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in cooperation with the ICRC, has prepared special brochures with instructions on compliance with combat rules and other elements of international law, including the treatment of the civilian population during the conduct of war, and handed them over to the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan;

- During 44-Day Patriotic War and in its aftermath, Azerbaijan has consistently demonstrated its strong commitment to IHL;

- Azerbaijan has provided all the conditions for the search and retrieval of the remains of Armenian servicemen. Remains of up to 1800 Armenian military servicemen have been retrieved;

- Azerbaijan, in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law, has also taken very seriously the allegations of inhumane and degrading treatment by some Azerbaijani servicemen over the captured Armenian military. On the basis of the materials collected in connection with those allegations, the Military Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan has initiated criminal investigations. Thus far, the Prosecutors Office has identified 4 military servicemen of the Azerbaijani Army as potentially being responsible for illegal acts and as a result, has initiated a criminal case against them. Investigative operational measures by the Prosecutor Generals Office still continue;

- Azerbaijans strong commitment to IHL remains unchanged including in the context of latest military escalation that took place on September 12-14 along the undelimited state border;

- While Armenia was recklessly continuing to breach the established ceasefire, the Azerbaijani side declared its willingness to return to Armenia the remains of deceased military personnel on a unilateral basis and informed the ICRC, accordingly;

- After the establishment of the ceasefire on September 14, 2022, Azerbaijan has already returned the remains of 133 soldiers to Armenia;

- All Armenian servicemen who were captured by Azerbaijan in the course of escalation were treated fully in line with relevant norms of international humanitarian law. Six of them who were captured with injuries of different types were provided with all necessary medical treatment. The ICRC was provided access to visit the captured Armenian servicemen and get familiar with the conditions of their detention;

- On October 4, 2022, Azerbaijan repatriated 17 Armenian servicemen, including those 6 injured;

- The Military Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan has immediately initiated investigative procedures in relation to some video and photo material allegedly demonstrating IHL violations by the Azerbaijani servicemen;

- All such allegations are being thoroughly investigated. The Government of Azerbaijan demonstrates necessary to ensure that justice is served in terms of allegations of IHL by its servicemen;

- In view of Azerbaijans prompt actions regarding the investigation of IHL violations, it is a matter of serious concern that no similar action has ever been taken by Armenia throughout the past 30 years, including in the context of the 44-Day Patriotic War;

- Impunity still continues to horrific war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide that have accompanied Armenias armed aggression against Azerbaijan, including those committed in Khojaly, Bashlibel, Malibayli, Gushchular, Aghdaban, to name just a few;

- The whereabouts of 3890 Azerbaijani citizens who went missing due to the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 1992-1994 need to be clarified in accordance with international humanitarian law. Armenia continues to disregard its obligation under international humanitarian law to share information regarding missing persons, including the maps of mass graves;

- Several mass graves have already been identified in areas recently liberated from Armenian occupation. The facts collected thus far by investigative institutions of Azerbaijan provide enough ground to conclude that the Azerbaijani captives, be it military or civilian were subjected to cruel treatment and torture leading to death. Moreover, Armenia has also gravely violated the international humanitarian law by not ensuring that the dead were interred honourably, their graves were respected and properly maintained and marked as stipulated by the international humanitarian law;

- Yet, no single investigative action has ever been initiated by Armenia with regard to such grave IHL violations against Azerbaijani captives;

- In a similar vein, Armenia has not taken any step to investigate and take punitive actions in relation to its servicemen who have committed war crimes in the course of the 44-Day war, despite the existence of a considerable number of photographs and videos depicting a number of human rights violations by Armenian servicemen against Azerbaijani captives, including acts of humiliation and ill-treatment, such as physical assault, verbal abuse, executions through beheadings, and ill-treatment of dead bodies;

- Deliberate targeting of densely populated residential areas, such as the cities of Ganja, Barda, Tartar with ballistic missiles and cluster munitions remains unaddressed by Armenia. No one in Armenia has even been investigated for such grave war crimes;

- Of particular concern is Armenias refusal to submit the accurate and comprehensive maps of mined areas (formularies) in the recently liberated territories to the Azerbaijani side as stipulated under the customary international humanitarian law;

- Armenia has shared only a small portion of the mined areas, only 25 per cent of which contain some useful information for effective de-mining. As a matter of fact, after the November 10 Joint Statement, 246 Azerbaijani civilians and military suffered from mine explosions, almost 55 per cent of which took place in areas on which no record was shared by Armenia;

- Armenia continues to plant mines in territories of Azerbaijan even after the signing of the Trilateral Statement and the end of all military hostilities. Recently, more than 1400 antipersonnel and anti-tank mines that have been produced in Armenia in 2021 have been discovered in the Lachin, Kalbajar and Dashkasan Districts of Azerbaijan. Massive and indiscriminate planting of mines by Armenia in territories of Azerbaijan aims at inflicting as much suffering as possible for Azerbaijan and its population, and thus, constitutes a grave war crime.

As a conclusion, the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan would like to underline, that despite of referring of some video allegations dated September 13, 2022, anti-Azerbaijani publications started in the Swiss Confederation two weeks after, on October 1, on the day of the opening of a new infrastructural element of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), which is going to double the delivery of natural gas from Azerbaijan to the West in the most challenging times for energy security of Europe. In this ceremony, the President of the European Commission called Azerbaijan a reliable and trustworthy partner in difficult times. This reliability has been clearly shown in relations with the Swiss Confederation, where 70 percent of natural gas in the reservoirs is originally delivered from Azerbaijan. The export of crude oil from Azerbaijan to Switzerland in the first six months of 2022 increased by 23 percent.

These accusations in the Swiss media continued on the 2nd of October, when for the first time ever direct negotiations took place in Geneva, with strong support and hospitality of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, between ministers of foreign affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia without any foreign mediation. These direct talks have been assessed as one of the first steps in a difficult way to peace.

Unfortunately, despite of all the above-mentioned facts, the accusations continue. They seriously impact the constructive atmosphere of negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, created in Geneva by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and do not serve to their successful continuation.

The Embassy recommends to all the representatives of the Swiss media to refer not only to emotions, which havent been legally approved but to the real facts and results of ongoing investigations. The Embassy hopes, that Swiss contribution in the achievement of peace between the two countries could be much more valuable and historically important than attempts of some local and foreign actors to prevent these processes
Egyptian Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar and his Qatari counterpart Hanan Al-Kuwari agreed Thursday, on the sidelines of of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) currently held in Doha, on exchanging expertise in the field of health.

Egyptian Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar and his Qatari counterpart Hanan Al-Kuwari agreed Thursday, on the sidelines of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) currently held in Doha, on exchanging expertise in the field of health.

During the meeting, the two sides agreed that Qatar shall benefit from Egypt's experience in launching health initiatives, in order to conduct studies and surveys on some diseases such as hepatitis C virus and breast cancer, health ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar said.

On the other hand, Egypt will make use of Qatars experience in setting its own universal health insurance scheme and in digitisation, he noted.

The health minister congratulated the Qatari minister on the success of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), which is held every two years, and praised its in-depth discussions.

The two sides agreed to form a working group in a number of sectors relevant to the field of health, and to start holding meetings via video conference followed by visits to identify areas of cooperation.

In September, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi held an official session of talks with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Wednesday at the royal palace in Doha. Then the two leaders oversaw the signing of a number of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between the two countries.

During the talks, Emir Tamim told El-Sisi that he hoped fraternal relations between the two countries continue to grow and develop, according to the official Qatari News Agency QNA.

The Qatari emir also expressed his hopes that El-Sisis visit would contribute to consolidating cooperation between the two countries in ways that fulfil both people's aspirations and promote their interests, QNA added.

For his part, El-Sisi affirmed to Emir Tamim Egypt's openness to deepening ties with Qatar in the fields of politics, security, economy and trade.

The Qatari emir hailed Egyptian efforts in supporting Arab and Gulf causes, lauding the country's prominent role in promoting joint Arab action mechanisms in the face of crises and challenges.

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French author Annie Ernaux awarded Nobel prize in literature 2022 for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory.

Ernaux, 82, started out writing autobiographical novels, but quickly abandoned fiction in favor of memoirs.

Her more than 20 books, most of them very short, chronicle events in her life and the lives of those around her. They present uncompromising portraits of sexual encounters, abortion, illness and the deaths of her parents.

Anders Olsson, chairman, Nobel Committee for literature, said Ernaux's work was often "uncompromising and written in plain language, scraped clean.''

"She has achieved something admirable and enduring,'' he told reporters after the announcement in Stockholm, Sweden.

Ernaux describes her style as "flat writing'' (ecriture plate), a very objective view of the events she is describing, unshaped by florid description or overwhelming emotions.

In the book that made her name, "La Place'' (A Man's Place), about her relationship with her father, she writes: "No lyrical reminiscences, no triumphant displays of irony. This neutral writing style comes to me naturally.''

Her most critically acclaimed book was "The Years'' (Les annees), published in 2008 and describing herself and wider French society from the end of World War II to the present day. Unlike in previous books, in "The Years,'' Ernaux writes about herself in the third person, calling her character "she'' rather than "I''. The book received numerous awards and honors.

Last year's prize went to the Tanzanian-born, U.K.-based writer Abdulrazak Gurnah, whose novels explore the impact of migration on individuals and societies.

Gurnah was only the sixth Nobel literature laureate born in Africa, and the prize has long faced criticism that it is too focused on European and North American writers. It is also male-dominated, with just 16 women among its 118 laureates.

The prizes to Gurnah in 2021 and U.S. poet Louise Gluck in 2020 helped the literature prize move on from years of controversy and scandal.

In 2018, the award was postponed after sex abuse allegations rocked the Swedish Academy, which names the Nobel literature committee, and sparked an exodus of members. The academy revamped itself but faced more criticism for giving the 2019 literature award to Austria's Peter Handke, who has been called an apologist for Serbian war crimes.

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 Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded Wednesday to Americans Carolyn R. Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, and Danish scientist Morten Meldal 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.

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.Ernaux, 82, started out writing autobiographical novels, but quickly abandoned fiction in favor of memoirs.

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This came as Lenderking provided the latest updates regarding the UN-mediated truce in Yemen, which expired on October 2nd without the parties reaching an agreement for an extension.



He also said that the US is concerned that the Houthis did not accept the UNs proposal for a truce extension on the 2nd of October.



"We do see that key elements of the truce continue to hold and that intensive UN-led negotiations and U.S. diplomacy continue unabated. When I talk about key elements of the truce holding, let me be clear what I mean. I mean that there is still a relatively low level of violence in the country. Fuel ships continue to offload into Hodeidah port. There will be more continuity in civiliancommercial flights from Sanaa airport. These particular elements of the truce have been extremely effective and have delivered tangible results to the Yemeni people over the last six months," he said.

He stressed that there is a stark choice that lies ahead, that "on the one hand, there is a return to war, which will bring nothing but casualties and destruction on Yemen and will create further confusion as to where this conflict is headed. [and that] On the positive side, there is the opportunity to not only extend but expand the truce  that is, to bring more elements, positive elements of the truce, the likes of which would include flights, as I mentioned; there have been ongoing and very energetic discussions with numerous countries on additional flight destinations."



He stated that the US would anticipate that the kind of processing for fuel into Hodeidah would be streamlined even further. "We expect to reach  be able to reach agreements on salary payments. This has been a core demand of both parties, right, to have the ability to pay Yemeni civil servants who have not been paid for many years: teachers, nurses, civil servants, to provide salaries for them," he said.



According to Linderking, these are the kinds of benefits that stand in the balance should the parties, particularly the Houthis, choose the path of peace. Its a very clear choice on the part as viewed by the international community and as viewed by the United States, he affirmed.



"We already have a public commitment from the Yemeni Government, the Saudi-led coalition, on the salary issue. The stumbling block to renewing the truce on Sunday was, in fact, the Houthis imposing maximalist and impossible demands that the parties simply could not reach, certainly in the time that was available. So, I think if we see more flexibility from the Houthi side going forward, then this opens the road, I think, to this much better peace option," he said.



The US envoy reiterated that Washington and UN and international diplomacy continue unabated. He affirmed that there is absolutely no let-up in the engagement among the parties and across the lines of the conflict parties and that all channels remain open.



He referred to the tangible benefits of the peace, saying it included a "dramatic reduction of 60 percent in civilian casualties; over 25,000 Yemeni citizens being able to fly on commercial flights in and out of Sanaa airport for the first time since 2016; theres five times more fuel per month coming onto the market through Hodeidah port compared to last year, which makes it more widely available and actually lowers fuel prices."



He called on the Houthis to listen to the calls from Yemeni men, women, and children, and to prioritize a brighter future for their country.



He reiterated that an extended truce opens the way to a durable ceasefire and to Yemeni-Yemeni talks that will decide the future of the country. "These are very significant possibilities that are within reach if the parties step forward and embrace it," he said.



He expressed the US concerns about the humanitarian situation in Yemen, arguing that most of the metrics that humanitarians look at to use to assess humanitarian needs point to the fact that the needs are great, and the funding is not adequate.

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As the world celebrates the bicentenary of the decipherment of hieroglyphs and the creation of Egyptology, leading Egyptologist and former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass has asked for the return of the Rosetta Stone from London

In a revival of an earlier initiative to repatriate treasures looted during the colonial era from formerly colonised countries by the European powers, leading Egyptologist and former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass is putting his name to a petition to be sent to various European museums in October that demands the return of the Rosetta Stone from the British Museum in London, the Queen Nefertiti bust from the Neues Museum in Berlin, and the Dendera Temple Zodiac Ceiling from the Louvre Museum in Paris.

The petition is also being signed by many other Egyptian and foreign historians and intellectuals.

We must build up a strong national campaign to return these unique objects that were illegally smuggled out of the country during the 19th century, Hawass told Al-Ahram Weekly. I believe those three items are unique and their home should be in Egypt. We have collected all the evidence that proves that these three items were stolen from Egypt.

This is not the first time that Hawass has asked for the return of these artefacts. In 2005, when he was secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), Hawass said at a meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin held at the UN cultural agency UNESCO in Paris that Egypt had been deprived of five key items of the countrys cultural heritage and that these should be handed over to their homeland.

He said that the objects in question were the Rosetta Stone, now in the British Museum in London, the bust of Queen Nefertiti in the Neues Museum in Berlin, the statue of Great Pyramid architect Hemiunnu in the Roemer-Pelizaeus Museum in Hildesheim, the Dendara Temple Zodiac Ceiling in the Louvre Museum in Paris, and the bust of the Kephren Pyramid builder Ankhaf in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Hawass said that the Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799 in the Nile Delta town of Rosetta by soldiers belonging to Napoleons expedition to Egypt. In 1801, the French surrendered to Britain, and the stone fell into the hands of British officials who sent it to London. The following year, it was presented to the British Museum, where it is still the most visited exhibit.

Dating from 196 BCE, the Stone is inscribed with a royal decree of Ptolemy V in three scripts, hieroglyphic, demotic and ancient Greek, and in 1822, this enabled French scholar Jean-Francois Champollion to make a breakthrough in deciphering hieroglyphics. Two modern inscriptions on the stone now record key moments in its modern history  Captured in Egypt by the British Army in 1801 and Presented by King George III.

The bust of Nefertiti, perhaps the best-known work of art from ancient Egypt, was unearthed in 1912 by the German excavator Ludwig Borchardt. Hawass said that Borchardt, anxious to preserve the bust for Germany, took advantage of the practice at the time of splitting the spoils of any new discovery between the then Egyptian Antiquities Authority and the foreign mission concerned.

Back then, the law required discoveries to be brought to what was called the Antiquities Service, where a special committee supervised the distribution. Borchardt, who discovered the head at Tel Al-Amarna in the Minya governorate, either did not declare the bust or hid it under less important objects. Either that, or the Egyptian authorities at the time failed to recognise its beauty and importance.

According to Borchardt, he did not clean the bust but left it covered in mud when he took it to the Egyptian Museum for the usual division of spoils. The Service on that occasion took the limestone statues of Akhenaten and Nefertiti that had been found and gave the head of Queen Nefertiti to the expedition because it was made of gypsum, or so they thought.

Some said that Borchardt had deliberately disguised the head, covering it with a layer of gypsum to ensure that the committee would not see its beauty and realise that it was actually made of beautiful painted limestone. Whatever happened, Hawass said, the antiquities authorities at the time did not know about the bust until it was put on show in Berlin in 1923 and they had certainly never expressly agreed that this piece should be included in the German share of the Tel Al-Amarna finds.

Since the earliest days of cultural property legislation, the principle has been that the country of origin must expressly permit any and every export of a national cultural treasure. With respect to the bust of Nefertiti, the Egyptian authorities did not give that permission. The Egyptian government later made an attempt to have the bust returned, but Adolf Hitler, in power in Germany at the time, had fallen in love with it and refused.

He announced that the bust was his beloved possession and would remain in Germany forever. The exquisite painted limestone bust has been on display in dramatic surroundings at the Berlin Museum ever since.

The loss of the Dendara Temple Zodiac Ceiling to the Louvre Museum in Paris is felt not only for its artistic value, but also because it demonstrates what the science of astrology owed to the ancient Egyptians. When General Desaix, a member of Napoleons expedition to Egypt, set eyes on the ceiling he was so enchanted that he commissioned the artist Denon to draw it for the Description de LEgypte, the record the expedition put together of its exploration of Egypt.

When French collector Sebastien Saulnier saw the Zodiac Ceiling, he decided that such a remarkable piece should belong to France. Because he did not want others to hear of his plan, he announced that he was excavating at Thebes, where he bought some mummies and antiquities to cover his tracks. At that time, some English visitors were also sketching at Dendara, and only after they left did Saulnier return. He and his French agent then set about removing the Ceiling of the Temple. It then arrived in Paris and was sold to King Louis XVIII for 150,000 francs.

The statue of Hemiunnu, architect of Khufus Great Pyramid, in the Roemer- Pelizaeus Museum in Hildesheim, Germany, is another example. Hemiunnu, Khufus nephew, served his uncle as vizier. His statue was discovered in 1912 in his tomb in the shadow of the Great Pyramid at Giza and was transported to the Roemer-Pelizaeus Museum that belonged to a wealthy German citizen, Pelizaeus, a collector who backed scientific excavations at Giza.

The bust of the Kephren Pyramid builder, Ankhaf, now in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, is another unique piece of Egyptian heritage. American Egyptologist George A. Reisner found it in Ankhafs tomb at Giza.

The Ankhaf statue was the only one of the five objects named by Hawass that left Egypt legally, but it is also a unique and valuable object that should be returned to its homeland.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 1 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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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 AFP 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.

Kyiv has long been demanding deliveries of German-designed Leopard II tanks. But Berlin has not agreed, preferring that any such transfer be part of a wider accord among Western allies.

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, who was the first head of an EU institution to visit Kyiv, back in April, said countries willing to give tanks would be reimbursed from an EU fund, the European Peace Facility, which has released 2.5 billion euros ($2.5 billion) for Ukraine military purchases.

"I think these are discussions we need to have now, especially because we are seeing Russia is escalating but also on the flipside when we are seeing Ukraine successfully pushing the Russians out," she said.

Several EU countries are concerned that major donations from their arsenals could compromise their own national defence capabilities.

Metsola contended, though, that Leopard tank deliveries "would not significantly dent" individual countries' overall preparedness.

Ukraine's EU Bid

The parliament president also reiterated her call for Ukraine to have an "accelerated" entry into the European Union.

Kyiv in June obtained candidate status to start that process, but the vetting and analysis stages typically run to years, and Metsola did not want to forecast how long it might take in Ukraine's case.

But, she said, "We have a country that has shown us its intention, and overwhelming willingness to join, and surpassing expectations and meeting goals that other countries would have taken months or years."

She also said Moldova, which obtained candidate status at the same time as Kyiv and which is vulnerable to Russia's expansionism because of a Moscow-backed breakaway territory within its borders, must not be forgotten.

Albania and North Macedonia, which are further along the path towards EU adhesion, additionally need attention, otherwise "these countries could look elsewhere," she cautioned.

Friday's EU summit in Prague will be preceded by a broader one on Thursday inaugurating a "European Political Community" with Ukraine, Moldova, Albania and North Macedonia among 44 countries represented.

Metsola underlined that the gathering, a brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron, will not "replace the enlargement process".

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Ukraine said Thursday it had recaptured over 400 square kilometres (155 square miles) in Kherson in less than a week, after Moscow claimed to have annexed the southern region.

"The Armed Forces of Ukraine have liberated more than 400 square kilometres of the Kherson region since the beginning of October," Ukrainian southern army command spokeswoman Natalia Gumeniuk said in a briefing online.

The Russian army meanwhile said "the enemy had been pushed back along the Russian defence line" on this southern front.

It said the Ukrainian troops deployed four tactical battalions and made "repeated attempts to break through our defences" near Dudchany, Sukhanove, Sadok, and Bruskinskoe.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the recapture of the villages of Novovoskresenske, Novogrygorivka and Petropavlivka in the same region around Kherson.

The Ukrainian army announced its counteroffensive in the south in late August.

After regaining almost full control of the northeastern region of Kharkiv, the Ukrainian forces recently claimed more gains on the eastern and southern fronts.

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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.

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.

Ukraine's state nuclear operator, Energoatom, said it considers Putin's 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, Europe's 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 UN'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 Moscow's 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 didn't 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 plant's 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 plant's 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.

"I'm 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 don't have my freedom?''

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"The quake that hit at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) in West Azerbaijan province has injured 528 people, 135 of whom have been admitted to hospital," the region's governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian told state television.

The quake and its aftershocks "damaged 500 houses, completely destroying 50 of them, in 12 affected villages," he added.

State television aired footage of stores damaged and homes destroyed in the 3:30 am (0000 GMT) quake.

National emergency services spokesman Mojtaba Khaledi told the state broadcaster that "electricity and water have been cut in some villages" near the cities of Salmas and Khoy, which lie close to the epicentre of the earthquake.

Iran sits astride the boundaries of several major tectonic plates and experiences frequent seismic activity.

Iran's deadliest quake was a 7.4-magnitude tremor in 1990 that killed 40,000 people, injured 300,000 and left half a million homeless.

In 2003, a 6.6-magnitude quake in southeastern Iran levelled the ancient mud-brick city of Bam and killed at least 31,000 people.
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.
Pilot operations for the first part of phase three started in May without passengers.

This part, known as 3A, of the eco-friendly third metro line will be officially launched at the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), which Egypt will host on 6-18 November in Sharm El-Sheikh city, the ministry said.

The 3A section extends for four kilometres, passing through four stations  Gamal Abdel-Nasser in Downtown Cairo, Maspero, Safaa Hegazy in Zamalek, and Kit Kat in Imbaba.

Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir, Frances Ambassador to Egypt Marc Barety, and head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Egypt Christian Berger attended the launch of the pilot operation today.

The third line of the Cairo Metro is managed by the French transportation firm RTP Dev.

The third line of the metro is heavily funded by the EU. In July, the European Investment Bank said it funded the project with 600 million euros, making the project the largest backed by the EIB in Africa.

El-Wazir thanked the French government and companies for their fruitful cooperation in implementing the Cairo Metro projects and also hailed the support provided by the EU and European countries on Egypts transport projects.

The minister said that the launch of 3A signals the start of the completion of eco-friendly mega projects that run on electricity, including the light rail transit (LRT), the monorail, the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and the fourth and sixth metro lines.

The third phase of the Cairo Metros third line, of which 3A is a part, covers 17.7 kilometres through 15 stations (eight tunnel stations, five elevated stations, and two at-grade stations).

Work is underway to complete 3B, which extends along 6.6 kms and links the Kit Kat area with Rod Al-Farag axis. 3B will be linked with the BRT, which is currently under construction and set to run through the 106-kilometre Ring Road.

As part of the countrys efforts to expand the use of sustainable green mass transit networks, Egypt seeks to complete the subway network in parallel with the implementation of new electric traction projects, such as the fast electric train network, LRT, and monorail projects.

The third line is meant to connect the Administrative Capital monorail at El-Estad Station in Nasr City and the 6 October City monorail at the Nile Valley station.
President Ilham Aliyev, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Armenian PM meet in Prague [PHOTO/VIDEO]

06 October 2022 [15:59] -

President Ilham Aliyev, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan met in Prague within the framework of the European Political Community Summit.

















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Rights groups say thousands have been arrested and hundreds injured in the crackdown waged by security forces including the Basij, a volunteer militia affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Rights groups put the death toll at over 150.

Riot police fanned out in the cities of Urmia, Tabriz, Rasht and the capital Tehran, particularly around universities which have been a focal point of protests in recent days, the witnesses said. "There are lots of security forces around Tehran University. I am even scared to leave the campus. Lots of police vans are waiting outside to arrest students," said a student in Tehran.

The nationwide unrest sparked by her death has spiraled into the biggest challenge to Iran's clerical leaders in years, with protesters calling for the downfall of the Islamic Republic founded in 1979.

Iranian security forces deployed at universities in several cities on Wednesday, witnesses said, stepping up efforts to quell more than two weeks of protests ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police.

Videos shared on social media on Wednesday showed high school girls in Tehran taking off their headscarves and chanting "death to (Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei." In a footage said to have been filmed at a school in Shiraz on Tuesday, about 50 female pupils surrounded a member of the Basij who had been invited to give a speech, shouting "Basij get lost" and "death to Khamenei." Reuters could not independently verify the videos.

People from different layers of the society across Iran have joined protests since Amini, an Iranian Kurd, died after being detained in Tehran on Sept. 13 for "inappropriate attire."

The death of a 17-year-old girl since the start of the protests has become another focal point of protester anger, with activists on Twitter saying Nika Shakarami was killed in Tehran while demonstrating over Amini's death. State media said on Wednesday a judicial case had been opened into Shakarami's death, citing officials claiming it had nothing to do with the unrest, and that she had fallen off a roof and her body contained no bullet wounds.

 'Hideous Scenes'

Analysts do not believe the clerical establishment is close to being toppled despite growing frustration over strict social and political limitations imposed over the past four decades since the fall of the U.S.-backed Shah.

The government has ordered an investigation into Amini's death, which Khamenei has said left him "heart-broken." But underlining unbending views in government, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi accused demonstrators of creating "hideous scenes" in the name of women's rights. Vahidi, the former commander of the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, defended the dress code law, saying protesters saw "freedom in the nakedness and shamelessness of women."

Amini's death and the crackdown have compounded tensions in Iran's already difficult relations with the West, deepening rifts at a time when negotiations to revive Tehran's 2015 nuclear dealwith world powers have stalled. Iran has summoned several ambassadors from Western countries it accuses of meddling or playing a part in the unrest.

State media reported that the British ambassador, already summoned once, was summoned again on Tuesday in reaction to "interventionist comments" from the British foreign ministry.

In signs of growing international support this week, leading actresses in France like Juliette Binoche and Isabelle Huppert cut locks of their hair in protest at Amini's death, and a Swedish member of the European parliament snipped off her ponytail while giving a speech.
The Korea National Park Service will introduce a reservation system for the most popular trails to prevent overcrowding and the spread of coronavirus ahead of the peak autumn foliage season.

The system will be in place for 27 sections of Korea's hiking trails including Mt. Bukhan, Mt. Jiri, Mt. Seorak and Mt. Taebaek. To make a reservation, visit the website of the agency at https://reservation.knps.or.kr

Meanwhile, health authorities are worried about a rise in cases of the BF.7 variant of coronavirus, which has been spreading quickly in the U.S. and Europe. Korea has reported 15 cases so far.

The rise in COVID reinfections is also of concern. Of the new cases reported in the third week of September, 10.92 percent were reinfections, compared to 9.65 percent from the fourth week of August.

On Thursday morning, the daily tally of new coronavirus infections stood at 28,648 with 29 deaths and 325 severe cases.
Korea will serve as a council member of the International Civil Aviation Organization for another three years.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on Wednesday the country has been re-elected as one of 36 council members of the UN agency for an eighth consecutive term.

At the organization's general assembly meeting in Montreal, Korea was elected with 151 votes from 175 member countries, along with the United Arab Emirates (161), Qatar (160), Ethiopia (154) and Ghana (150).

Korea will continue to support the strengthening of air safety and participate in setting international standards for aviation technology.
The Busan International Film Festival, one of Asia's biggest film events, kicked off on Wednesday.

The event is teeming with movie lovers excited to see the festival back in full swing for the first time in three years since the coronavirus pandemic broke out.

For the past two years, the festival was drastically downscaled and mainly went online with limited outdoor screenings and red carpet events.
Young girls now make up the bulk of K-pop fans, be their idols male or female.

Girl bands recently dominated the weekly top 10 chart on Genie Music, and Aespa, Blackpink, TWICE and ITZY each sold more than a million albums to mostly female fans.

Analysis of the top sellers on Genie Music from June to August shows women accounting for more than 50 percent of sales, and the same trend is happening offline. Women accounted for 72.1 percent of people who bought IVE's new song, "After Like" at bookstore Aladin.
North Korea's latest missile launches forced the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan to return to South Korean waters on Wednesday after the end of joint naval drills.

The decision was made in the belief that North Korea is limbering up to another nuclear test.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff here said, "The USS Ronald Reagan will be redeployed to the East Sea. It is extremely rare for an aircraft carrier to be redeployed, which demonstrates the firm resolve of the U.S.-South Korea alliance to respond to any North Korean provocation or threat."

A senior official at the presidential office here said, "We believe North Korea's continued provocations are part of a sequential scenario heightening the possibility of a seventh nuclear test."
LIVE Razboi in Ucraina, ziua 237: Atac rusesc masiv asupra infrastructurii energetice din Kiev si alte orase / Zelenski: 30% din centralele electrice din Ucraina au fost distruse / Kremlinul sustine ca nu stie daca armata sa foloseste drone iraniene
KYODO NEWS - Oct 6, 2022 - 14:44 | World, All, Japan

A Japanese documentary filmmaker detained in Myanmar's largest city Yangon in July was sentenced Wednesday to seven years in prison for sedition and violating a law on electronic communications, a military spokesperson's office said.

A junta-controlled court gave Toru Kubota three years for sedition and seven years for electronic communications-related violations, according to a source familiar with the case. The office said in a statement on Thursday that he is to serve the terms concurrently.

Riot police arrest anti-coup protesters on Feb. 27, 2021, in Yangon, Myanmar. (Getty/Kyodo)

Kubota was detained by authorities on July 30 while filming a protest against the military, which seized power from the democratically elected government in a February 2021 coup.

The military claims he entered the Southeast Asian country from neighboring Thailand using a tourist visa, and that he was participating in the demonstration and communicating with protesters while filming.

The military also alleges Kubota previously reported on the Rohingya Muslim minority group and disseminated false information. The Rohingya have been persecuted in the Buddhist-majority country, with hundreds of thousands of them uprooted and forced to flee to neighboring Bangladesh in recent years.

Kubota, who has been detained in Yangon's notorious Insein Prison for political prisoners, was sentenced by a court set up inside it, according to the source. The military spokesperson's office said he is still facing trial for an immigration-related charge.

The next hearing for the case is scheduled for next Wednesday.

Kubota has no health issues, according to the Japanese Embassy in Yangon. While Tokyo plans to continue calling for Kubota's swift release, there is so far no prospect of that happening soon.

A spokesman for the military said in August that authorities would consider prosecuting Kubota for alleged electronic communications-related violations, but there was no information about whether they had followed up on that -- until Wednesday, when the court issued a seven-year sentence.

In junta-ruled Myanmar, Japanese freelance journalist Yuki Kitazumi was arrested in April last year and indicted for spreading false news reports. He was released the following month and returned to Japan.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 6, 2022 - 20:20 | All, Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday that he confirmed with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol the importance of security cooperation involving the United States following ballistic missile launches by North Korea.

After their first telephone conversation since Yoon was inaugurated in May, Kishida told reporters that the two leaders also agreed to maintain communication to build a "future-oriented" relationship between Japan and South Korea.

Earlier in the day, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles from near Pyongyang. On Tuesday, the nuclear-armed country launched a ballistic missile over the Japanese archipelago for the first time in five years.

Kishida said Japan and South Korea "strongly condemn" North Korea's missile launches in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, adding that Tokyo, Seoul and Washington will urge Pyongyang to comply with them and realize denuclearization.

Thursday's missile firing came a day after the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan was redeployed to the Sea of Japan for a joint drill.

Japan and South Korea will "continue closely monitoring" whether North Korea will take further provocative actions, including its seventh and first nuclear test since September 2017.

Under the government of Yoon's predecessor, the left-leaning Moon Jae In, relations between Tokyo and Seoul deteriorated to the worst level in decades over wartime labor and territorial issues.

Japan and South Korea, however, have shown signs of a thaw in ties since Yoon took office. Yoon, known for adopting a hard-line stance on North Korea, has pledged to take a future-oriented approach toward Japan.

Kishida said he talked with Yoon on Thursday about "several challenges" the two counties are facing, although he did not elaborate.

Last Friday, Japan, South Korea and the United States also held anti-submarine drills in international waters adjacent to the Sea of Japan, for the first time in five years.

The projectile fired Tuesday from North Korea may have been a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile.

It flew 4,600 kilometers, which is the longest horizontal distance achieved by a missile from North Korea, while reaching an altitude of 1,000 km. The distance is enough to reach the U.S. territory of Guam, where key military bases are located.

After 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.

On Thursday, Japan, South Korea and the United States carried out joint drills to detect ballistic missiles, in apparent response to North Korea's military provocations.

In late September, Kishida and Yoon reaffirmed the nations will 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 the 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, while Kishida and Yoon spoke by phone for the first time after Yoon's win in the presidential election in March.

Related coverage:

North Korea fires missiles again as U.S. carrier redeployed

Japan, S. Korea leaders to hold phone call on Oct. 6 over N. Korea

Japan apologizes for J-Alert malfunction after N. Korea launch
KYODO NEWS - Oct 5, 2022 - 23:41 | All, Japan

The head of Japan's nuclear regulator said Wednesday a rule that limits the operating life of nuclear power plants to a maximum of 60 years is expected to be removed from the country's regulations.

The possible change is in line with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's goal of extending the lifespan to reduce carbon emissions and provide a stable electricity supply. Still, public concern over the safety of nuclear facilities is deep-seated in Japan following the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

"We can assure you that strict regulations will never be compromised," Shinsuke Yamanaka, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, said at a press conference.

Following the nuclear crisis triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami, Japan introduced stringent safety standards limiting nuclear reactors' service period to 40 years in principle.

However, that period can be extended once by 20 years if safety upgrades are made and a reactor passes the regulation authority's screening.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Wednesday it would determine the plants' operational service per a regulation under its jurisdiction, and its plan was approved by the regulatory body.

The NRA plans to create a system to ensure each aging nuclear power plant's safety.
By Trend

As previously reported, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Prague within the framework of the European Political Community Summit, Trend reports.

Several pictures and videos from the talks between the leaders of the countries have been published in social media. One of these photos can definitely be called a photo of the week. A symbolic shot with the ranting Armenian prime minister and the calm, confident leader of Azerbaijan.

And the iron fist of President Ilham Aliyev is in place. On the table, facing Pashinyan.
By Takehiro Ehama, KYODO NEWS - Oct 6, 2022 - 13:58 | Feature, All, Japan

In recent years, stink bugs, which can cause major damage to farm crops, have been appearing in alarming numbers in Japan.

By the end of August this year, 35 of the country's 47 prefectures had issued "stink bug warnings" to farmers, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Global warming is likely behind the population rise of the insect, which feeds on plant fluids, experts say, warning that its numbers could keep growing.

Stink bugs produce a foul smell when threatened, a mechanism thought to help ward off predators. They are also called shield bugs.

"Damage this year is the worst ever," Toru Kawana, 47, a grower of high-quality Japanese pears in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, lamented as he held up unevenly shaped pears whose juices had been partially sucked out by stink bugs. "Stink bugs and other pests have increased because of temperature rises caused by climate change," he said.

Warnings have been issued against three kinds of stink bug -- those that suck nutrients from and discolor rice plants, bugs that pierce the skin of fruits and extract their juices, and bugs that attack soybean plants.

The agricultural ministry said this year's first warning was issued on May 24 by the Kagawa prefectural government against bugs that feed on fruits.

By the end of August, 24 prefectures had issued warnings against fruit tree stink bugs, 18 against rice stink bugs, and seven against both. In addition, the Yamaguchi prefectural government warned against a possible outbreak of stink bugs that target soybean plants.

In some parts of the country, the numbers of stink bugs were the highest in a decade.

The Fukuoka prefectural government, which warned rice growers of stink bugs in August, used lights to lure the insects to five locations from May till August while carrying out surveys of their numbers and found 1,083 southern green stink bugs, roughly six times the average number in a typical year.

More than 1,000 kinds of stink bug inhabit Japan, and over 100 of them cause damage to agricultural crops, according to Kenji Fujisaki, a professor emeritus at Kyoto University and former head of the Union of Japanese Societies for Insect Sciences.

He said that their numbers have grown in recent years because of global warming and other issues.

"Southern green stink bugs, which feed on rice, vegetables, fruits and other things, originated in Africa but have spread all over the world, in part because of global warming," said Fujisaki, who has researched stink bugs for more than 50 years.

In a May-July survey conducted by Kyodo News on the impact of climate change on crops in 47 prefectures, many local governments said higher temperatures had brought an increase in stink bugs, resulting in damage to and a deterioration in the quality of rice.

Fujisaki said the biggest impact has been in winter, noting that although stink bugs originated in the south, more are surviving the colder months because of the rise in temperatures.

In fact, warming throughout the year has not only increased their activity from spring onward but also seen them propagate earlier than in the past.

For the farmer facing a significant increase in unsellable crops, this is "a matter of life and death," Fujisaki said.

"Countermeasures, such as the use of yellow fluorescent light that repels stink bugs, insect nets and pesticide spraying should be combined," he said.
Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi addresses the central ceremony of the Peace and Reconciliation Day at the Heroes' Square in Maputo, Mozambique, Oct. 4, 2022. (Photo by Israel Zefanias/Xinhua)

Mozambique celebrated Tuesday Peace and Reconciliation Day, which marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the General Peace Accords that ended 16 years of civil war in the country.

MAPUTO, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Mozambique on Tuesday celebrated Peace and Reconciliation Day, which marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the General Peace Accords that ended 16 years of civil war in the country.

Leading the central ceremony with the laying of a wreath and an honor guard's march at the Heroes' Square in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi appealed to all citizens to continue to fight for national peace.

Nyusi considered the 30 years as a long way of advances and setbacks for achieving lasting peace and said the great message for this day is that Mozambicans learn to live together and respect differences.

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi lays a wreath during the central ceremony of the Peace and Reconciliation Day at the Heroes' Square in Maputo, Mozambique, Oct. 4, 2022. (Photo by Israel Zefanias/Xinhua)

The head of state said the implementation of the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) of former rebel movement Renamo's guerrillas has made remarkable progress, in which more than 4,000 out of the 5,221 registered soldiers have already been covered.

"We hope that by the end of this year we will be able to conclude the DDR process, which will mean a milestone in the implementation of the peace and national reconciliation agreement," he said.

In a message sent on the occasion, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Mozambique Mirko Manzoni and the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Mozambique Myrta Kaulard commended the government and Renamo for the continued use of dialogue to achieve sustainable peace and reconciliation. 
People are seen at a makeshift market in Bunagana, a border town in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on Oct. 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Alain Uaykani)

by Xinhua writer Alain Uyakani

BUNAGANA, DR Congo, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Bunagana, a once-busy border town in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has been thrust into desolation since it was captured by the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels in June.

A Xinhua journalist who made a visit to this city recently, with the approval to enter the city under the surveillance of the rebellion's military spokesperson Willy Ngoma, found that activities in this once very hectic city remain suspended, with about 85 percent of its population already fleeing when the rebels arrived and later seized their hometown.

As an important commercial crossroads on the border between the DRC and Uganda, Bunagana, about 70 km northeast of Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province, is strategic in cross-border trade. In November 2012, the M23 occupied Goma for 10 days. This occupation followed eight months of intense fighting in Rutshuru territory which administers Bunagana. Although the rebels withdrew from Goma after heavy international pressure, they continued to control key strategic sites, such as the border town of Bunagana.

A few meters from the border, near the entrance to the fallen city, a checkpoint was set up by the rebellion with a few agents to stand guard and monitor the passage of the local population crossing the border, despite the official closure by both governments.

"We hope there will be a quick solution in a peaceful way to this crisis between the two sides. Nothing is working here. Nothing is working out commercially. It's sad for us," an anonymous passerby told Xinhua not far from the checkpoint.

Willy Ngoma, the M23 spokesperson, claimed that Bunagana works "well," with its people "very comfortable" with the presence of the M23.

The majority of businesses in the city are almost paralyzed and several neighborhoods are nearly empty, except for an almost deserted makeshift market run by a few women to sell farm produce. The tour around the city was, without any doubt, accompanied by Willy Ngoma, the M23 spokesperson, who was secured by a few very young M23 members armed with AK-47s.

Though deprived of necessities, some inhabitants of Bunagana still insist on staying, while waiting for the city to return to normal.

"We have seen fit to stay here at home, even if we do not have access to necessities due to the closing of the border. But we are holding out until the situation is resolved peacefully," Marceline Mughole, a vendor at Bunagana's makeshift market, told Xinhua.

The M23 is a group of former rebels of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP). The name came from the March 23, 2009, agreement between the CNDP and the Congolese government.

After its defeat by the army, the M23 signed a peace accord with the government in December 2013, in which it agreed to demobilize its fighters and transform itself into a political party. M23 leaders, however, have accused the government of failing to respect that agreement.

"For us, there is no other solution apart from the full application of these agreements which bind us with the authorities," said Willy Ngoma during an exclusive interview granted to Xinhua.

The M23 is also at the heart of a new episode in the diplomatic clashes between the DRC and Rwanda. DRC authorities accuse Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels. Kigali denies any allegation of support for the M23, a charge also refuted by the rebellion's spokesman during his interview with Xinhua. 

Photo taken on Oct. 1, 2022 shows a view of Bunagana, a border town in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Xinhua/Alain Uaykani)

Photo taken on Oct. 1, 2022 shows a checkpoint of Bunagana, a border town in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Xinhua/Alain Uaykani)
A teacher helps learners with mathematics and science lessons during a tutorial in Windhoek, Namibia, on Oct. 5, 2022. (Photo by Ndalimpinga Iita/Xinhua)

Teachers are at the center of basic education delivery to all the learners in the country because they play an instrumental role in transforming education.

WINDHOEK, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- A Namibian secondary school teacher extends care by tutoring struggling learners to improve performance in mathematics and science, subjects that are rated as priority fields by the Namibian government.

Eugene Mangundu, qualified mathematics and physical science teacher at Khomastura High School in Windhoek, the Namibian capital, took the initiative to tutor as an extracurricular to help learners who had not grasped the subject contents during normal classes.

"I started in 2012 with one learner. When they saw the positive impact I made before I knew it, the demand grew as more people across the city approached me," he said Wednesday.

The primary focus is to hearten the youngsters and give them hope for a better future.

He conducts tutorials after normal school hours, in groups, and individual sessions at home for learners from Windhoek and other regions.

Students stand in queues to comply with social distancing at a school in the Namibian coastal town of Walvis Bay on Aug. 4, 2021. (Photo by Ndalimpinga Iita/Xinhua)

"This is done to accommodate the demands and uniqueness of each learner. Some learn better in a group, others require individual attention to grasp the work to catapult ability," Mangundu said, who holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Namibia.

To date, he has helped more than 120 youngsters who have moved on to universities or the job market.

As the numbers grew in 2019, the tutoring sessions became more organized and structured.

Mangundu also cultivated a flair for writing study guides in mathematics, physical science, and chemistry, availed to the learners.

"The aim is to supplement learning material already offered by schools and aid learners in studying. Most importantly, to challenge them and boost their cognitive skills. Learners become more confident when they grasp the fundamentals, and grades start improving," he said.

According to Mangundu, the tutoring offered under Eugene First Tutorial Academy complements government efforts in providing education. The feedback has been positive. Thekla, a parent of one of the youngsters helped by Mangundu, said that her child's understanding of the subject and performance drastically improved.

To Mangundu's delight, all beneficiaries bear such testimonies. According to the 35-year-old teacher, positive feedback meant he had given a gift of academic progression to the learners.

"Sometimes you get a very poor performance learner, and it requires passion and going the extra mile to transform the potential of that youngster into the best performer. This keeps me motivated to help more learners," he said. In the interim, he hopes to transform the lives of more learners.

Ester Anna Nghipondoka, minister of Education, Arts, and Culture, said teachers are at the center of basic education delivery to all the learners in the country because they play an instrumental role in transforming education.

"Teachers are the engines at the heart of our education system, without whom, it is impossible to provide inclusive and equitable quality education to every learner," the minister said.

Namibia joined the rest of the world in observing World Teachers' Day on Oct. 5 under the theme -- The Transformation of Education Begins with Teachers. 
Students learn Chinese calligraphy during a Chinese language class in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on Oct. 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

"I just started learning the language, but the way my teachers taught us helped us get a lot of insight into the Chinese culture which not only increased our interest in the language but also widened our horizon," said a student.



by Misbah Saba Malik



ISLAMABAD, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Sana Farooq has been learning the Chinese language at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) for over a month, and the more she learns about the Chinese language, the more she feels herself getting attached to the Chinese culture.

"I just started learning the language, but the way my teachers taught us helped us get a lot of insight into the Chinese culture which not only increased our interest in the language but also widened our horizon," Farooq told Xinhua after her class.

Due to the rising demand and popularity of the Chinese language in Pakistan after the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), several Pakistani universities including the NUML made it mandatory for all students pursuing a bachelor's degree to pass a test of basic understanding of the Chinese language.

Students learn Chinese calligraphy during a Chinese language class in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on Oct. 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

As a result, thousands of students are learning the Chinese language in the country. The students give credit for their interest in the Chinese language to their teachers who are acting as cultural ambassadors of China in Pakistan by teaching students the language and telling them about the Chinese culture.



The teachers are mostly local people with a large number of female teachers who have spent a lifetime learning and teaching the language.

Most of the teachers have studied in China and observed its culture closely during their stay in different Chinese cities.

The teachers are now sharing their experiences and observation with their young students, many of whom aspire to follow their teachers' footsteps.

Sabiha Haseeb, who has a master's degree in the Chinese language from Shanghai University, now teaches the language in the NUML, and half of her day is spent telling about the beauty of the Chinese culture to her students.

She especially mentioned her Chinese teachers who made her feel at home during her stay in China and won her over with their love and hospitality.

Sabiha Haseeb (Rear), a lecturer at the Chinese language department of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), teaches a Chinese language class in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on Oct. 5, 2022.

"They were so dedicated and concerned about their students. After learning the good qualities of being a competent teacher from my teachers in China, I try to be the same loving and revered teacher to my students," Haseeb told Xinhua.



She said that the Chinese language is more than just academic knowledge to her students, but also a pathway of knowing more about China and the Chinese people, such as their culture, food, custom, and history.

Muhammad Mateen Hashmi, a Chinese language teacher in the NUML, believes that the Pakistani students' interest in the Chinese language is because of the friendship between the two countries and people-to-people contact which is getting stronger day by day.

"Teachers, as ambassadors of the Chinese culture, has a great responsibility in not only teaching students about the language but also showing their professional excellence by enhancing the students' interest in China. Most of the teachers in Pakistan are doing this job well," Hashmi told Xinhua.
Photo taken on Sept. 26, 2020 from a helicopter shows a view of Mingxinba Village by the Tuojiang River in Zizhong County, Neijiang, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing)

CHENGDU, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Every late autumn, groups of black-headed gulls arrive "as scheduled" in Luzhou City on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Circling over the water, the red-billed oceanic birds always attract a crowd of bird-watchers.

"The time for meeting the birds this year is coming soon," said Li Tian, a resident in Luzhou in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Besides Luzhou, the migratory birds are also frequent visitors to Sichuan's Deyang, Neijiang and other cities where the Tuojiang River flows. Local enthusiasts have all set up bird-watching and bird-love associations.

The black-headed gull, a rare bird species with white feathers and red beak and claws, is regarded as the "barometer" of the ecological environment in watersheds. The spotting of more such birds reflects the promising results produced by Sichuan's green efforts in recent years.

Known as "a province of thousands of rivers," Sichuan is an important water conservation area and a core area for ecological construction along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

Among Sichuan's many water systems, Tuojiang River shares a pivotal position, not only because it is an essential tributary of the Yangtze River, but also due to the fact that the 25,500 square km it flows through covers the most concentrated, densely populated and economically powerful areas in the province.

Since the 1990s, the continuous acceleration of industrialization and urbanization exerted huge environmental burdens on the Tuojiang River, making it once the most severely polluted river in Sichuan.

A treating-water pollution campaign was consequently launched in 2018. After years of efforts, the water quality of the Tuojiang River flowing into the estuary of the Yangtze River has now reached its best level in 20 years.

Building a solid ecological barrier in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River not only ensures the ecological safety of the downstream waters but also enables local residents to experience the beauty of life in a good ecological environment.

Chengdu City, capital of Sichuan Province, has embraced more blue skies in recent years thanks to the promotion of air pollution prevention and control work. Watching the snowy scenery of distant mountains has become a new hobby for local residents.

According to the Chengdu Mountain View Data Report released annually on social media platforms by a large group of photography enthusiasts, the number of days when people were able to see snow mountains from downtown Chengdu increased from 50 days in 2017 to 63 days in 2021. 
A worker makes oud at a workshop in Cairo, Egypt, on Sept. 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)



Shahd Hesham, a 19-year-old Egyptian, played on the oud, an ancient Arabian musical instrument, the Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower, which is usually played in China on the Chinese oud-like instrument pipa.

"When different cultures cooperate and jointly present a concert, the result is so beautiful and diversified," she said.



by Mahmoud Fouly



CAIRO, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- A young Egyptian lady was playing a piece of music on the oud, an ancient Arabian musical instrument, at the Arabic Oud House for teaching oud playing in a historical area of the Egyptian capital Cairo.

The piece she was playing was the Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower, or Mo Li Hua, which is usually played in China on the Chinese oud-like instrument pipa.

Shahd Hesham, an oud player and teacher, plays the oud at Arabic Oud House in Cairo, Egypt, on Sept. 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)



Shahd Hesham, 19, an oud player and teacher at the Arabic Oud House, played a piece of Egyptian music and highlighted the similarities between the tones created by oud and pipa and between Egyptian and Chinese folk music.

"Egyptian and Chinese folk music can communicate and complete one another in many areas. For example, we can take music sentences from a Chinese track and play them in an Egyptian style, while the Chinese can take Egyptian music sentences and play them in their own style," the Egyptian oud teacher told Xinhua.

She explained that the Chinese pipa is a string instrument just like the oud, but it is a little smaller, it sounds a little sharper, and it is played vertically while the oud is played horizontally.

Oud is the origin of many string instruments in the East, she added.

"When different cultures cooperate and jointly present a concert, the result is so beautiful and diversified," Hesham told Xinhua.

A worker makes oud at a workshop in Cairo, Egypt, on Sept. 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)



Meanwhile, Mario Saied, an oud teacher and music composer, was on stage making a sound test for his oud before leading a performance in the yard of the Arabic Oud House.

Saied, 24, expressed his belief that cooperation between different cultures in music means "richness."

"Difference in music is beautiful, and what's more beautiful is to have cooperation among different music instruments, which produces beautiful tones," said the Egyptian oud player.

"We're always trying and searching for a beautiful sound of combining instruments, so we try the oud with the Chinese pipa, the mandolin, the Indian sitar, etc. Each experience is richness in itself," the young man told Xinhua.

People learn oud playing at Arabic Oud House in Cairo, Egypt, on Sept. 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)



The Egyptian musician described the Chinese culture as "great," expressing his obsession with Chinese historical sites and artifacts.

"I have on my cell phone a photo gallery of Chinese artifacts and museums, which I am fond of. So, I hope there will be a chance for future music cooperation not only between Egypt and China but between Egypt and every place where there is music," Saied said. 
VIENNA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Energy ministers of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Wednesday rejected accusations that they were "endangering the global energy market" and causing "energy poverty in the West" with their latest oil production cut.

OPEC and its allies, a group known as OPEC+, held its ministerial meeting on Wednesday and announced a major production cut of 2 million barrels per day (bpd) starting November as oil prices have recently tumbled over recession fears. The cut equals around 2 percent of this year's global oil demand.

While OPEC+ said its "proactive, preemptive" decision was made "in light of the uncertainty that surrounds the global economic and oil market outlooks," U.S. officials said President Joe Biden is "disappointed by the shortsighted decision by OPEC+" when the global economy is struggling.

In a heated exchange with Western journalists at a press conference on Wednesday following the meeting, OPEC officials and energy ministers defended the OPEC+ decision and insisted that more attention should be paid to the problem of energy poverty in underdeveloped countries in Africa, Asia and South America rather than in the West.

In response to comments from a CNBC reporter that the OPEC+ production cut would cause "energy poverty" and "social unrest" in the West, Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud said the problem of energy poverty applies "first and foremost to countries that are truly suffering because of the lack of means," referring to countries in Africa and Asia, where billions of people suffer from the lack of access to energy.

He criticized the "wealth arrogance" that ignores the people who suffer most from energy poverty.

"It's like (you can't) get your Ferrari to be electrified, when the poor guy barely has to cut trees and make his food with burning woods," he said.

The Saudi minister's opinion was echoed by Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, energy minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who said that "When we talk about energy poverty, I don't think we're talking about Europe. I think we should be talking about Africa, South America, the East, and talk about people who don't have access to energy."

He attributed the current tight oil supplies to long-term under-investment in the oil sector and defended the OPEC+ production cuts by saying that higher oil prices are a mechanism to encourage more investment in the industry.

Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua, minister of hydrocarbons of the Republic of the Congo, also noted the dire situation of energy poverty in Africa, including in some African OPEC member states.

He explained that OPEC+ is slashing production to stabilize the oil market because those African countries need "revenue from oil and gas" to "address the issue of energy poverty."

He insisted that the production cut is beneficial to the people of his country, the global economy and the energy market.

He added that the position of OPEC+ is fully supported by Africa. "Not only the producing countries. All Africa fully supports the OPEC and OPEC+ position," he said.

At the press conference, OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais also defended the OPEC+ production cut, saying it aims to provide "security, stability to the energy market."

Noting that OPEC maintains its open-door approach to European policymakers, he said the organization is still "waiting for someone to knock on that door." 
China's Pearl River region has embarked on a green development path, thanks to the water treatment efforts in the past years.





Liede River, a tributary of Pearl River, runs through downtown Guangzhou. Over the past few decades, rapid economic development and a sharp increase in population alongside the river have turned this area from a village to the most prosperous area in the metropolis.





However, this 5.1-kilometer-long river suffered deteriorating water quality in the wake of the growth.





Things changed after the Guangdong provincial government launched a campaign for water treatment in 2017.





Maozhou River in Shenzhen, once one of the most heavily polluted rivers in the city, has also embraced green transformation.





Through years of efforts, in 2019, all of the polluted water bodies in the 41.61-kilometer-long river were treated.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Aerial photo taken on April 15, 2022 shows a view of Shanghai's Yangshan Port in east China. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

"Everything that we do, in the end, it has to be backed by the people," said Vinnie Molina, national president of the CPA, in an interview with Xinhua. "I see that the CPC has got the backing of the Chinese people."



CANBERRA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's modernization is based on the development in the interest of its people, hence great support from the Chinese people for the initiatives from the Communist Party of China (CPC) in its leadership, said the leader of the Communist Party of Australia (CPA).

"Everything that we do, in the end, it has to be backed by the people," said Vinnie Molina, national president of the CPA, in an interview with Xinhua. "I see that the CPC has got the backing of the Chinese people."

The CPC, he said, has given "a strong leadership to the people of China in the development towards a socialist society," not least in rapid economic development including lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and impressive technological development, particularly in the area of space.

Photo released on June 11, 2021 by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) shows a selfie of China's first Mars rover Zhurong with the landing platform. (CNSA/Handout via Xinhua)

Molina was a carpenter who had been working with the construction union for about 25 years and likes watching videos on construction in other parts of the world.

"Some of the infrastructure that China has been able to develop are very impressive," he said. "As a construction worker, I feel very happy when I see those developments."

During the past two pandemic years, Molina saw China's respect of people's life from its handling of the disease. "We can contrast this with the treatment of COVID in other parts of the world." While lots of people across the world died from the COVID, he said, in China, "every life is precious."

Molina praised China for providing the COVID vaccine to the world. "Millions of people could benefit out of the Chinese biotechnology," he added.

A staff member checks vials of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine on an automated packaging line of Sinovac Life Sciences Co., Ltd. in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

China has provided more than 2.2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to over 120 countries and international organizations.

China's development is also in line with the interests of the world, Molina said. The CPC is committed to promoting peace, cooperation, mutual respect and development for a shared future.

"The development of the Belt and Road Initiative is very important, in which it treats developing nations with respect on an equal basis," he said.

In spite of the efforts, China was not reported fairly by some Western media, Molina said. "I think what goes on with some Western media is they only see things through their own lens."

Molina voiced hope that the Australian government could improve its relationship with China. "We should treat China as a partner," he said. 
By Trend

The sa_partner Swiss company together with Azerbaijani government is developing a general plan for three cities, a co-founder of sa_partners Tomas Kovari told Trend on the sidelines of the Azerbaijan National Urban Forum.

"So far the company is developing general plans for the cities of Zangilan, Kalbajar and Gubadli. This is a very long process, which includes the participation of various ministries. And the company hopes to see the results of the work over the next year," he said.

According to Kovari, the speed of restoration work on its liberated territories is amazing.

"I must say that the speed of the reconstruction process is extraordinary. Every time we come here, we see something new. I have never seen anything like it. I really hope that this will also speed up the process of returning former internally displaced persons to their homes," he added.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada and Chinese ambassador Qian Minjian are seen during their tour of the construction site of the China-funded National Higher Conservatory of Music in Dbayeh, near Beirut, Lebanon, on Oct. 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

BEIRUT, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music funded by the Chinese government near Lebanon's capital Beirut will be a center of attraction for the Middle East region, said Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday.

"It wouldn't have been possible to build this artistic and cultural beacon if it wasn't for the cooperation between the Chinese and Lebanese governments," Mikati told Xinhua while he visited the conservatory to check the completion of the project's first phase.

Mikati thanked the Chinese government for constructing the "icon building," stressing that "China has made this dream come true."

The prime minister said he hopes Lebanon cooperates with China on a bigger scale.

"The Chinese government expressed its readiness to support Lebanon in all fields," he noted, adding that Lebanon will soon receive support from China in the field of solar energy.

Officials visit the construction site of the China-funded National Higher Conservatory of Music in Dbayeh, near Beirut, Lebanon, on Oct. 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)



For his part, Qian Minjian, the Chinese ambassador to Lebanon, said this project, which will be completed in a year and a half, will allow the Lebanese people "to have access to a professional place to enjoy great performances."

"This project will be a symbol of the friendship between Lebanon and China to strengthen ties between the two peoples, and a successful example of joint work under the Belt and Road Initiative," Qian said.

The ambassador reiterated China's readiness to continue supporting Lebanon on all levels.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada said Mikati's visit to the conservatory conveys the message that Lebanon is keen to preserve its cultural identity while working on restoring its cultural role.

He added that the China-funded conservatory will play a tremendous role by attracting people eager to learn music from around the world.

The conservatory began its construction in December 2020 and will take three years to finish.

With an expected cost of 62 million U.S. dollars, the conservatory covers an area of 39,000 square meters. It features teaching rooms, a library, lecture and auditorium halls, and a theater that can host up to 1,200 people. 
Wei Zifeng (L, Front), vice president of Intretech Hungary, shakes hands with Kong Jian (R, Front), founder of Shanghai Kuaibu New Energy Technology (KBVIP), after signing an agreement in Budapest, Hungary, on Oct. 5, 2022. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

The agreement signed with Intretech Hungary is KBVIP's first overseas project and the new energy market in Hungary and Europe has a huge potential, he said.

BUDAPEST, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai Kuaibu New Energy Technology (KBVIP) of China signed its first photovoltaic (PV), battery storage and electric vehicle (EV) charging pilot project agreement with Intretech here on Wednesday.

KBVIP provides battery storage and super charging service solutions worldwide while Intretech Hungary Ltd. is a subsidiary of Intretech that focuses on intelligent manufacturing system with a high level of informatization and automation.

Balazs Gazso, state secretary at the Ministry of Technology and Industry, said that the development of different charging technologies and energy storage solutions is very important for both the industry and people of Hungary.

The cooperation between KBVIP and Intretech Hungary "will promote the future economic strength of Hungary," he said.

Kong Jian, founder of KBVIP, said that the company is following in the footsteps of Chinese battery manufacturer CATL, which announced a 7.34-billion-euro (7.25 billion U.S. dollars) investment in eastern Hungary in August.

- Balazs Gazso, state secretary at Hungarian Ministry of Technology and Industry, speaks during an agreement signing in Budapest, Hungary, on Oct. 5, 2022. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

The agreement signed with Intretech Hungary is KBVIP's first overseas project and the new energy market in Hungary and Europe has a huge potential, he said.

"In 2017, in response to China's Belt and Road Initiative, Intretech set up its European headquarters in Hungary, and introduced the world's most intelligent manufacturing technology and R&D capabilities to the country," Wei Zifeng, vice president of Intretech Hungary, said.

Wei said he was very excited about entering the new, very important renewable energy sector.

Vehicles run on a road in downtown Budapest, Hungary, on July 13, 2022. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

The strategic partnership between Intretech Hungary and KBVIP will aim to help resolve the current shortages of energy storage and EV super charging stations, and will help Hungary and Europe move towards a more sustainable and renewable future, he said. 
Wei Zifeng (L, Front), vice president of Intretech Hungary, shakes hands with Kong Jian (R, Front), founder of Shanghai Kuaibu New Energy Technology (KBVIP), after signing an agreement in Budapest, Hungary, on Oct. 5, 2022. Shanghai Kuaibu New Energy Technology (KBVIP) of China signed its first photovoltaic (PV), battery storage and electric vehicle (EV) charging pilot project agreement with Intretech here on Wednesday. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

BUDAPEST, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai Kuaibu New Energy Technology (KBVIP) of China signed its first photovoltaic (PV), battery storage and electric vehicle (EV) charging pilot project agreement with Intretech here on Wednesday.

KBVIP provides battery storage and super charging service solutions worldwide while Intretech Hungary Ltd. is a subsidiary of Intretech that focuses on intelligent manufacturing system with a high level of informatization and automation.

Balazs Gazso, state secretary at the Ministry of Technology and Industry, said that the development of different charging technologies and energy storage solutions is very important for both the industry and people of Hungary.

The cooperation between KBVIP and Intretech Hungary "will promote the future economic strength of Hungary," he said.

Kong Jian, founder of KBVIP, said that the company is following in the footsteps of Chinese battery manufacturer CATL, which announced a 7.34-billion-euro (7.25 billion U.S. dollars) investment in eastern Hungary in August.

The agreement signed with Intretech Hungary is KBVIP's first overseas project and the new energy market in Hungary and Europe has a huge potential, he said.

"In 2017, in response to China's Belt and Road Initiative, Intretech set up its European headquarters in Hungary, and introduced the world's most intelligent manufacturing technology and R&D capabilities to the country," Wei Zifeng, vice president of Intretech Hungary, said.

Wei said he was very excited about entering the new, very important renewable energy sector.

The strategic partnership between Intretech Hungary and KBVIP will aim to help resolve the current shortages of energy storage and EV super charging stations, and will help Hungary and Europe move towards a more sustainable and renewable future, he said. 

Balazs Gazso, state secretary at Hungarian Ministry of Technology and Industry, speaks during an agreement signing in Budapest, Hungary, on Oct. 5, 2022. Shanghai Kuaibu New Energy Technology (KBVIP) of China signed its first photovoltaic (PV), battery storage and electric vehicle (EV) charging pilot project agreement with Intretech here on Wednesday. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)
Chinese Ambassador to Moldova Yan Wenbin (2nd L) and Moldova's deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and European integration Nicu Popescu (2nd R) sign on the commemorative envelopes in Chisinau, Moldova, Oct. 6, 2022. China and Moldova marked on Thursday the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations by jointly issuing a commemorative envelope and stamp in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. (Chinese Embassy in Moldova/Handout via Xinhua)

BUCHAREST, Oct.6 (Xinhua) -- China and Moldova marked on Thursday the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations by jointly issuing a commemorative envelope and stamp in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova.

Moldova attaches great importance to developing relations with China and is willing to maintain friendly ties, and strengthen bilateral economic, trade and investment exchanges, thereby bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples, Nicu Popescu, Moldova's deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and European integration, said at the ceremony.

The official called China an important partner of Moldova and thanked Beijing for its assistance to his country during difficult times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

Chinese Ambassador Yan Wenbin said that China and Moldova have always cooperated on the basis of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. They understood and supported each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, such as national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China and Moldova are good friends and partners, who can trust and rely on each other, Yan said, adding that China is willing to provide support and assistance to Moldova's economic and social development.

Roman Cojuhari, director of the national postal service Posta Moldovei, also attended the ceremony.

The commemorative envelope and stamp were jointly issued by the national postal services of the two countries. 

Chinese Ambassador to Moldova Yan Wenbin (L) and Moldova's deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and European integration Nicu Popescu display the commemorative envelopes and stamps in Chisinau, Moldova, Oct. 6, 2022. China and Moldova marked on Thursday the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations by jointly issuing a commemorative envelope and stamp in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. (Chinese Embassy in Moldova/Handout via Xinhua)
A police officer stands guard at the childcare center where a shooting took place in Nong Bua Lamphu province, Thailand, Oct. 6, 2022. The death toll from a mass shooting at a childcare center on Thursday in northeast Thailand's Nong Bua Lamphu province has risen to 38, most of them children, local authorities said. (Xinhua)

BANGKOK, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a mass shooting at a childcare center on Thursday in northeast Thailand's Nong Bua Lamphu province has risen to 38, most of them children, local authorities said.

The shooting occurred at noon. Police identified the attacker as a former police officer who was arrested early this year over drug allegations and was dismissed from his post in June. He was supposed to face trial on drugs charge in court on Friday, National Police Chief Damrongsak Kittipraphat told a press conference hours after the incident.

When the attacker intruded into the childcare center, he was suspected to be under the influence of drugs and stress due to the upcoming trial, Damrongsak said.

The number of the victims included the shooter and his family members, who were found dead in his home house, Damrongsak said, without mentioning the number of the injured in the incident.

"About the horrifying incident, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the families of the dead and injured," Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha wrote on social media, adding that he has ordered the national police chief to "fast-track an investigation."

Prayut will head to Nong Bua Lamphu province on Friday in support of the family of the victims, and he has ordered the provision of psychological counseling services to the people concerned, acting government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said Thursday.

TV footage showed ambulances and families of the victims gathering outside the childcare center after the incident.

"I cannot see my child's face," cried a man, who lost his pregnant wife in the incident, as a video showed the heartbroken man crying on the ground at the scene. He and his wife, a teacher at the childcare center, were expecting a baby next month.

A woman working at the childcare center told a local TV program that they were having lunch when she heard the sound and saw the injured falling to the ground. The shooter broke the window in as the door was locked, and she succeeded in fleeing the scene, she said.

Suwit Chanwon, deputy provincial governor, said, "We are making sure that all the injured and the family members of the victims are well treated."

According to Anucha, the family of the deceased will get a compensation of 200,000 baht (about 5,360 U.S. dollars) per person.

After the incident, many locals rushed to the Nong Bua Lamphu provincial hospital in response to its urgent call for blood donation for the injured. 

Staff members gather at the childcare center where a shooting took place in Nong Bua Lamphu province, Thailand, Oct. 6, 2022. The death toll from a mass shooting at a childcare center on Thursday in northeast Thailand's Nong Bua Lamphu province has risen to 38, most of them children, local authorities said. (Xinhua)
Wang Shumao works at the office in Tanmen Village of Tanmen Township in Qionghai, south China's Hainan Province, Sept. 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

HAIKOU, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- At 18, Wang Shumao, a villager from China's southern island province of Hainan, became a skillful fisherman, but little did he know then that he would become a village leader in the years to come.

Born in the village of Tanmen on the east coast of Hainan in 1956, Wang spent a large part of his life sailing and fishing in the South China Sea, which locals call the "Ancestor Sea" for the abundance it provides.

Over the years, he has been a captain of his own ship, a mentor to youth in his village, and a village Party chief who led his folks to prosperity by developing local fishing and tourism industries.

This year, Wang was elected as a delegate to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Fishing has been a traditional trade in Tanmen, and like many other young people in the village, Wang became a fisherman following the steps of their fathers.

Life on the sea went well for Wang, who saved enough to buy a 30-tonne wood boat in the 1980s. In the following years, his business has expanded steadily.

At the time, he had already become a master in the business, and like his father, he voluntarily taught his fishing skills to youngsters in the village and led local fishermen to make handsome profits.

One of the youngsters was Chen Zebo.

"When I was 13, we were really poor and I knew nothing about fishing, but Wang taught me without any reserve," Chen recalled. "He really cares about others."

Fishing on the sea is a high-risk job, especially when typhoons hit. With years of experience, Wang was always among the first to reach out to other fishermen in danger. Over the years, he has saved over 600 fellow fishermen.

In the eyes of many, Wang also played the role of a captain in their lives.

"We trust him and follow him. Thanks to his efforts, we are living better lives," said villager Wang Zhenfu.

In recent years, Wang Shumao steered local fishermen towards new professions.

In 2018, he was elected as a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress. He put forward a proposal to support the development of the recreational fishery industry in coastal fishing villages. The idea received support from the government.

Since then, homestays have sprung up in the township of Tanmen, which administers Tanmen Village, and the number of seafood restaurants has expanded to 167 in the township.

In 2021, Wang was elected as Party chief of Tanmen Village. He decided to explore local aquaculture amid the country's rural revitalization drive.

Under his guidance and support, more than 40 local fishermen have built 33 aquaculture farms. The seafood from the farms is sold to customers across China.

Tourism also boomed. The once little-known Tanmen Township has become a popular tourist destination, receiving about 1.6 million tourists every year.

"Now people in our village are making more money," Wang said. "I think we have chosen the right way." 

Wang Shumao (R) visits an aquaculture farm in Tanmen Village of Tanmen Township in Qionghai, south China's Hainan Province, Sept. 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

Wang Shumao (R) visits an aquaculture farm in Tanmen Village of Tanmen Township in Qionghai, south China's Hainan Province, Sept. 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

Wang Shumao (C) talks with colleagues at the office in Tanmen Village of Tanmen Township in Qionghai, south China's Hainan Province, Sept. 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
People walk on Via dei Condotti in Rome, Italy, May 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni)

On Tuesday the daily infection rate of nearly 59,000 was the highest since August 2. Health officials have cautioned that rates could rise further in the coming weeks, as cooler weather pushes more activities indoors.

ROME, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Italy appears to be heading for a new coronavirus wave, with surging infections and hospitalizations in the last week, according to data released Thursday by the Italian Ministry of Health.

On Thursday, the country registered nearly 45,000 new coronavirus cases, down slightly from a day earlier but still well above the average for the last month. According to the health data body Gimbe Foundation, the broad infection rate over the last week was 52 percent above the previous week.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday the daily infection rate of nearly 59,000 was the highest since August 2.

Health officials have cautioned that rates could rise further in the coming weeks, as cooler weather pushes more activities indoors.

A COVID-19 notice board is seen in Galleria Alberto Sordi in Rome, Italy, May 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni)

The Gimbe Foundation reported that coronavirus-related admissions to intensive care units had surged 21 percent over the week ending on Tuesday, while general hospitalizations related to the pandemic were 32 percent higher.

The Ministry of Health said that the virus' positivity rate -- the percentage of tests producing a positive result for infection with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has been around 20 percent for four of the last five days. This is double the rate of around 10 percent a month ago.

The total number of active coronavirus cases in Italy topped 500,000 on Thursday, for the first time in a month.

The developments come just as the last of the coronavirus health restrictions have been lifted. In September, Italian children returned to school with no mask or coronavirus testing requirements, and last Friday was the final day that masks were required on public transport in Italy.

Students wait to enter a high school in Rome, Italy, Sept. 13, 2021. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)

Roberto Speranza, the outgoing minister of health, said the government would not implement new coronavirus health restrictions during the remainder of its mandate. Italy's newly-elected parliament will sit for the first time on Oct. 13, and the new government will be formed shortly afterwards.

Nevertheless, there are some positive outcomes regarding COVID-19, with the weekly mortality rate falling to 281 in the last week from 307 a week earlier. This remains far below weekly totals of more than 1,000 in July, and weekly totals approaching 2,000 in late 2021 and early 2022.

According to the Gimbe Foundation, the death rate declined 8.5 percent over the last week, and has now fallen for five consecutive weeks. 
Photo taken on May 21, 2020 shows the U.S. Treasury Department building in Washington D.C., the United States. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

Altogether, seven senior Iranian officials were designated by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for sanctions, including Minister of the Interior Ahmad Vahidi, Minister of Communications Eisa Zarepour, as well as five officials within Iran's security services senior leadership, according to the Treasury's statement.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Thursday announced sanctions against Iranian leaders over their role in shutting down Internet access in the country and in adopting other "violent" measures to quell the ongoing domestic protests sparked by the death of a young girl.

Altogether, seven senior Iranian officials were designated by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for sanctions, including Minister of the Interior Ahmad Vahidi, Minister of Communications Eisa Zarepour, as well as five officials within Iran's security services senior leadership, according to the Treasury's statement.

"As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of these individuals that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC," read the statement. "In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked."

The U.S. sanctions came in the wake of the death last month of 22-year-old Iranian girl Mahsa Amini. Amini died while in the custody of Iran's morality police, who said she failed to properly wear the Islamic headscarf known as the hijab.

Amini's death triggered nationwide protests in Iran, during which women were seen waiving and burning the veils.

Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has accused the United States of having "long attempted to undermine Iran's stability and security." 
TEHRAN, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Two French nationals who were arrested in Iran have admitted to attempts to incite anti-government protests in the country, Iran's Press TV reported.

In a video aired on Iran's Arabic-language television news network al-Alam TV on Thursday, Cecile Kohler, 37, admitted to being an agent of the French Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE), Press TV reported.

Kohler said in the video footage that she went to Iran with her partner, Jacques Paris, 69, to lay the groundwork for mass unrest in an effort to start "a revolution" against the Islamic Republic, according to the report.

Paris said the DGSE's objective was to "put pressure on the Iranian government," according to the report.

Kohler and Paris traveled to Iran on April 28 as tourists. However, Iran's Intelligence Ministry said in May that the two French nationals had been arrested for attempting to incite chaos and social disorder in the country during teachers' protests. 
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has sent peacekeepers to a North Kivu site where rebels killed civilians, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday.

The UN mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, dispatched a patrol of peacekeepers to join with Armed Forces of the DRC to Vido, near Oicha in Beni Territory, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The troops reacted to initial reports of eight civilians killed on Tuesday in the rebel raid.

Dujarric said there were reports that assailants torched at least 10 houses and a school. The attackers were believed to be from the rebel Allied Democratic Forces.

He said the raid triggered the displacement of civilians from their homes toward nearby Tchabi and a government forces camp.

The joint response to the attack showed MONUSCO "continues to pursue efforts to protect the civilian population in the eastern region of the country," the spokesman said.

Civilians in eastern DRC recently staged protests against UN peacekeepers and others, claiming they had not been receiving enough protection from deadly rebel raids. 
The first meeting of the European Political Community Summit has kicked off in Prague, the Czech Republic, Azernews reports.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is attending the meeting.

Czech Republic's Prime Minister Petr Fiala welcomed President Ilham Aliyev and other heads of state and government attending the Summit.

***

The European Political Community is a platform for political coordination and aims to foster political dialogue and cooperation to address issues of common interest, strengthen the security, stability and prosperity of the European continent.

Leaders from 44 European countries gather in Prague to launch a European Political Community aimed at boosting security and economic prosperity.

The summit will involve a series of meetings on the key challenges Europe faces: security, energy, climate, the economic situation, and migration.




ABUJA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 19 extremist militants were killed in anti-terror operations by troops in Nigeria's northeast region in the past two weeks, an official said on Thursday.

Musa Danmadami, the spokesman for the military, told reporters at a press briefing in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, that airstrikes by troops targeted enclaves of the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militant groups in Kolaram and Bukar Meram, two towns in the northern state of Borno.

The airstrikes resulted in the killing of the 19 militants, Danmadami said, adding others fled in disarray.

The military official said 14 abducted civilians held in the militants' camps were rescued during the military operations.

At least 79 extremist militants were also nabbed and more than 400 militants and their families surrendered to the troops during the period, Danmadami said. They are being profiled for further action, according to him.

The ISWAP has been collaborating with its sister group Boko Haram to establish an Islamist state in northeast Nigeria. The terror groups have also extended their attacks to other countries in the Lake Chad Basin. 
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- UN peacekeepers, for the second time in a week, repelled an attack on their base in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a UN spokesman said on Thursday.

Suspected members of the Twirwaneho armed group on Wednesday opened fire towards the base in Minembwe, in South Kivu province, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"Our UN peacekeepers returned fire, forcing the assailants to disperse," Dujarric told a regular briefing. "There are no casualties among peacekeeping troops. This is the second attack carried out by the group in a week towards the same UN base."

He said a UN peacekeeper from Pakistan was killed in the Sept. 30 attack, which was strongly condemned by Guterres.

The Minembwe base in the tropical highlands of Fizi territory is part of the UN mission in the DRC known as MONUSCO.

The Twirwaneho is one of about 120 armed groups known to be terrorizing the eastern DRC. On Wednesday, the spokesman reported MONUSCO dispatched a patrol of peacekeepers to join DRC forces in North Kivu province after eight civilians were killed in a raid in Beni territory believed to have been carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces rebel group.

Such attacks in the DRC's mineral-rich eastern provinces have terrorized the civilian population. Earlier this year, civilians staged demonstrations, some turning deadly, protesting what they said is a lack of protection and failure to halt the violence. 
ABUJA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said the country was prepared to address the evolving and complex security threats, given the heavy investment in the military, as well as critical infrastructure.

While speaking at a military ceremony in the northwestern state of Kaduna, Buhari said his administration had invested heavily in infrastructure, with rail, roads, seaports, airports, and the power sector revitalized through strategic rehabilitation and reconstruction.

"The same template has been applied in tackling the challenges in the housing, water resources, and health sectors. Unsurprisingly, the first targets of attacks by the terrorists are our thriving infrastructure which was intended to make life easier for Nigerians, such as roads, railways, and power installations," he said.

According to him, Nigerian citizens could be assured that the military would deal with all security threats in any part of the country, as they did in the northeast region that had been facing insurgency issues.

Buhari charged the armed forces to protect key national infrastructure from vandals and "enemies of the state," as well as safeguard the economic and military capability of the nation.

Reeling out some of his administration's interventions to equip the military to tackle the security challenges in the country, he said the country had procured over 550 naval platforms out of which 319 have been delivered as a part of the aggressive fleet recapitalization of the Nigerian Navy.

"We have also increased the number of Nigerian air force platforms by more than 38 percent and enhanced the serviceability rate of aircraft in the Nigerian air force inventory by over 70 percent," he said, adding the army had also received more than 2,000 units of various armored fighting vehicles and equipment.

Buhari said his administration "inherited a country at crossroads, with bombs going off with frightening frequency even in cities" when he took office over seven years ago.

He said the government has so far done well in confronting and managing the crisis, commending the military for both the kinetic and non-kinetic approaches they have adopted in tackling some of Nigeria's security challenges. 
CANBERRA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Pacific island nations suffered severe depopulation from diseases introduced by European settlers, Australian researchers have found.

According to a new study recently published in the Journal of Archaeological Science by Australian National University (ANU), population declines in Pacific island nations as a consequence of diseases introduced by initial contact with European vessels were larger than previously thought.

On the main island of Tonga alone the population was found to have declined between 70 and 86 percent following first contact with Europeans, according to the study.

Study co-authors Phillip Parton from the ANU School of Culture, History and Language and the Australian Research Council's Geoffrey Clark used data from aerial laser scanning and archaeological research to estimate Tonga's population at between 100,000 and 120,000 prior to European contact.

"This improved understanding of the past has allowed us to show a significant population decline from 50,000 to 60,000 to 10,000 during a 50-year period on the main island of Tongatapu in the Kingdom of Tonga," Parton said in a media release.

"Because this number is so much larger than anything anyone had previously considered, I used shipping and missionary data to check my estimates and found they were plausible."

Parton said this obviously shows a big reassessment of the impact of globalization in the 19th century.

"As in many parts of the world, the population of Pacific islands suffered severe declines after contact when Europeans introduced new pathogens," he said. 
SEOUL, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- South Korean households' surplus fund holdings rose in the second quarter as policy rate hikes lowered demand for borrowing, central bank data showed Thursday.

The surplus fund, or the value of financial assets minus financial liabilities that were held by households and non-profit organizations, stood at 39 trillion won (27.8 billion U.S. dollars) in the April-June quarter, up 14.5 trillion won (10.3 billion dollars) from a year earlier, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).

Financial liabilities diminished to 41.9 trillion won (29.8 billion dollars) in the second quarter from 55.6 trillion won (39.6 billion dollars) in the same quarter of last year.

Households refrained from borrowing money as borrowing costs were on the rise. The BOK has raised its key rate since August last year from 0.50 percent to 2.50 percent.

Financial assets, such as deposits and securities, totaled 80.9 trillion won (57.6 billion dollars) in the second quarter, slightly up from 80.1 trillion won (57 billion dollars) a year earlier.

The holdings of equity securities and investment funds dropped from 30.1 trillion won (21.4 billion dollars) to 18.9 trillion won (13.5 billion dollars) in the cited period.

The deposits holdings expanded from 33.2 trillion won (23.6 billion dollars) to 39.9 trillion won (28.4 billion dollars). 
DHAKA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Six people were killed and 35 others injured in a collision between a bus and a private car in Tangail city in Bangladesh on Thursday, reported by the local newspaper Daily Sun.

The identities of the deceased could not be known yet.

The bus hit the private car at the Bangabandhu Bridge intersection area at around 12:30 p.m. (0630 GMT), leaving six dead on the spot and 35 others injured, Bangabandhu Bridge's safety in-charge Rafiqul Islam told the Daily Sun. 
NEW DELHI, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed and 13 others injured after being hit by a flash flood during idol immersion in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, local government officials said Thursday.

The flash flood hit the Mal river on Wednesday night in Jalpaiguri district about 616 km north of Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal.

According to officials, hundreds of people had gathered on the banks of the Mal river to participate in a religious festival that included an immersion ceremony of idols.

However, the strong water currents swept some of them inside the river along its banks.

"A tragic flash flood hit the Mal River in Jalpaiguri as Durga Visarjan (immersion) was underway. Eight people lost their lives, and I pray that their families find strength and solace in these difficult times. Thirteen people are undergoing treatment at Mal Superspeciality Hospital, I pray for their speedy recovery," West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a statement said.

According to Banerjee, around 70 people were saved by the efforts of the police, civil defense volunteers and local youth.

"There have been no reports of missing persons so far," she said.

Visuals of the incident played on television showed people struggling against the river current as they tried to move to the banks. Many of them are seen being swept away, as some clung to others to save themselves.

Even the calls of people urging the ones struggling inside the water to hold rope are also audible.

The local government of West Bengal has also announced a compensation of 2,448.37 U.S. dollars to each family that lost its member and 612 U.S. dollars to the injured in the incident.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the mishap. 
PHNOM PENH, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Thursday called for international cooperation and solidarity to address global environmental challenges for the sake of humanity.

"Environmental issues have no boundary, so, for the sake of our people, only international cooperation and solidarity can effectively address global environmental challenges and save our planet from disasters," Hun Sen said in a speech delivered via video link from Phnom Penh to the opening ceremony of the international inter-party conference organized by United Russia Party.

The conference was being held in the Russian city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk under the theme "Ecological Policy and Sustainable Development."

Hun Sen, who is also president of the ruling Cambodian People's Party, said many good examples of solidarity and cooperation, such as the implementation of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, which has phased out and gradually eliminated ozone-depleting substances, have given a strong hope that countries can truly overcome all of these challenges together.

Hun Sen added that financial support and technology transfer from developed countries to developing countries is essential for contributing to addressing global environmental issues in a more active and highly effective manner.

"At the same time, we should also focus on building and integrating human resources, through the sharing of knowledge on addressing environmental issues and study tour programs, to respond to the urgency of global environmental issues," he said.

Hun Sen said Cambodia remains committed to participating in tackling global climate change by increasing its national budget threefold for activities related to climate change mitigation and setting a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 42 percent by 2030.

Also, the Southeast Asian nation has adopted the long-term strategy for carbon neutrality to promote a climate resilient green economy with low carbon emissions, he added.

"In conclusion, Cambodia is ready and we need partners, both public and private, to help us realize these commitments," Hun Sen said. 
MUMBAI, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- India's capital market regulator on Thursday issued a winding-up order against a domestic credit rating agency for the first time ever, citing for failure to exercise proper skill, care and diligence while discharging its duties.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in its order canceled the license of Brickwork Ratings as a credit rating agency and asked it to wind up its operations in six months.

"The contraventions/deficiencies observed in the first and second inspections led to the initiation of separate adjudication proceedings against Brickworks," the SEBI order said.

Last month, India's Supreme Court allowed SEBI to conclude the proceedings for the cancellation of the license of Brickwork for allegedly violating various credit rating regulations.

SEBI had begun investigating the credit rating agency in 2020 and undertook a joint inspection with the Reserve Bank of India, India's central bank, and found several lapses in not following due process during rating exercises.

Founded by banking and credit rating professionals and promoted by state-run lender Canara Bank as a strategic partner, Brickwork had rated debt instruments, bonds, bank loans, securitized papers worth 231.5 billion U.S. dollars and also fixed deposits and commercial papers etc. worth over 10.2 billion dollars.

The ratings by such credit rating agencies were used by investors to take business decisions on investing in such financial instruments. 
Indonesian President Joko Widodo (front) speaks during the opening ceremony of the 8th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct. 6, 2022. Widodo on Thursday asked the parliaments of the Group of Twenty (G20) countries to strengthen cooperation to overcome the global crisis and promote world economic recovery amid geopolitical conflicts. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

JAKARTA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Thursday asked the parliaments of the Group of Twenty (G20) countries to strengthen cooperation to overcome the global crisis and promote world economic recovery amid geopolitical conflicts.

In the opening ceremony of the 8th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit here, attended by parliamentary representatives of members and dozens of invited parties, Widodo expressed that global parliaments must be part of the solution to build dialogue, promote togetherness and avoid division.

"Multilateralism is the most effective way to overcome common challenges, because no single problem can be solved by one or more countries alone," Widodo said.

The meeting, held from Oct. 6 to 7 in Jakarta, is the right place for creating togetherness with the people and across countries to work together to solve problems and build a just world, Widodo added. 

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (at the podium and on the screens) speaks during the opening ceremony of the 8th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct. 6, 2022. Widodo on Thursday asked the parliaments of the Group of Twenty (G20) countries to strengthen cooperation to overcome the global crisis and promote world economic recovery amid geopolitical conflicts. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)
By Trend

Russia comprehensively assists in normalizing relations between our allies Azerbaijan and Armenia, Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said during a weekly briefing, Trend reports.

"Our comprehensive proposals were submitted to Baku and Yerevan during the trips of the special representative of the Russian foreign minister to Azerbaijan and Armenia, Zakharova noted.

Those who are trying to somehow doubt our role indulge in wishful thinking. We are engaged in practical work, to fix this for achieving the result, she said.

Given the high sensitivity of the topic of peace treaties, we, frankly, consider it inappropriate to publicly comment on the details of ongoing negotiations. We are focused on results," added the official.
ANKARA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish National Intelligence Organization on Thursday killed a senior member of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, the state-run TRT broadcaster reported.

Hasan Demertas, who was in charge of YPG operations in the northern Syrian city of Kobani, was killed in an operation in Ayn al-Arab town, the TRT quoted anonymous Turkish security forces as saying.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Defense Ministry said its forces killed nine YPG members in Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Peace Spring zones on Thursday.

Demertas joined the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in 2001, and operated for many years in the rural areas of Turkiye's southeastern provinces of Hakkari and Tunceli, along with the Zagros Mountains in northern Iraq, according to the TRT.

Turkiye issued an arrest warrant for Demertas on the grounds that he participated in the 2011 attack in Tunceli's Ovacik district which killed Turkish prosecutor Murat Uzun and a taxi driver.

Ankara sees the YPG as the Syrian branch of the PKK.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for over three decades.

The Turkish forces frequently carry out ground operations, airstrikes, and artillery bombardments against the group's positions in northern Iraq, especially the Qandil Mountains, the main base of the PKK.

The Turkish army launched Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016, Operation Olive Branch in 2018, Operation Peace Spring in 2019, and Operation Spring Shield in 2020 in northern Syria in order to create a YPG-free zone along its border within the neighboring country. 
ATHENS, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The death toll has risen to 17 when a boat carrying refugees and migrants sank off the coasts of Lesvos island in the Aegean Sea on Thursday, Greek national broadcaster ERT reported, citing local authorities.

Most of the victims were young women of African origin, Hellenic Coast Guard spokesperson Nikos Kokkalas told ERT. A rescue operation was underway as a yet unidentified number of people were missing.

Approximately 40 people were on board when the incident happened, according to the survivors, he added.

Meanwhile, 80 people have been rescued off the island of Kythira in southern Greece after another boat crashed onto rocks and sank on Wednesday night, according to a Coast Guard press release. Survivors said approximately 95 people were on the boat. No information was given on their nationalities.

Both rescue operations were hampered by strong winds reaching Category 8 on the Beaufort wind force scale, authorities said.

"We express sorrow over the tragic incidents in our seas which resulted in deaths and placed many lives at risk," government spokesperson Giannis Oikonomou told a televised regular press briefing on Thursday.

More than 1 million people entered Greece since 2015, mainly via the Aegean, seeking refuge in Europe from warzones and extreme poverty. Hundreds perished in the sea, according to the Greek authorities.

In March 2016, the European Union (EU) and Turkiye reached an agreement aimed to stem the influx, which produced results, but still thousands of people each year land on Greek islands, said the authorities. 
ATHENS, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Fifteen people lost their lives when a boat carrying refugees and migrants sank off the coasts of Lesvos island in the Aegean Sea, Greece's Coast Guard said on Thursday morning.

Another 15 who have been rescued told authorities that about 40 people were on board when the incident happened, an e-mailed press release has said, adding that a rescue operation was underway.

All victims were young women of African origin, Hellenic Coast Guard spokesperson Nikos Kokkalas told Greek national broadcaster ERT.

Meanwhile, 80 people have been rescued off the island of Kythira in southern Greece after another boat crashed onto rocks and sank on Wednesday night, he said.

Survivors said approximately 95 people were on the boat, according to an e-mailed press release. No information was given on their nationalities.

Both rescue operations were hampered by strong winds reaching Category 8 on the Beaufort wind force scale, authorities said. 
KIEV, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday met with visiting International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi to discuss the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP), the presidential press service reported.

During the talks, Zelensky and Grossi talked about the IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhia NPP and Russia's recent decision to designate the plant as Russian "federal property."

Zelensky said he considered the decision an illegal takeover, while Grossi said transferring the plant to Russian ownership is a violation of international law.

Zelensky called for a demilitarization of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, one of Europe's largest nuclear power plants, to ensure the nuclear safety of the facility.

The Ukrainian leader also stressed the need for the resumption of the plant's operation for the energy security of Ukraine and Europe.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that designates the plant, which has been controlled by Russian forces since early March, as Russian federal property. 
MEXICO CITY, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's government plans to file a new civil lawsuit in the United States alleging U.S. arms manufacturers are arming drug cartels and other criminal groups through proxies and fronts, said Mexican Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Wednesday.

"We are going to show that they are operating through frontmen and that they must be held criminally responsible," Ebrard told a plenary session of the Mexican Senate.

As part of the government's fourth-year report, the foreign minister said this second lawsuit to be filed in the southern state of Arizona would identify 10 American counties responsible for selling firearms through fronts.

Mexico's initial lawsuit, filed in 2021 against 11 U.S. weapons manufacturers "for negligence and promoting the illicit trafficking of their products" in Mexico, sought 10 billion U.S. dollars in damages in a bid to draw attention to the connection between lax gun laws in the United States and rising violent crime in Mexico.

That suit was struck down last week by a federal district court judge in Boston, Massachusetts. U.S. law prohibits suing weapons manufacturers for the misuse of guns, but Mexico has planned to appeal that decision, Ebrard said.

According to the minister, the appeal will be supported by the entry into force of a new U.S. law that establishes arms trafficking as a federal crime and penalizes those who buy weapons destined for criminal activity.

Highlighting the problem, Ebrard told the Senate that "the trafficking of these weapons is superior in number and fire capacity to everything that we officially bought in a year for our armed forces and police."

Since January 2020, Mexican security forces have seized 55,996 weapons, including 21,430 high-powered ones, mainly along the border with the United States, Ebrard said.

Next week, binational talks on security matters will be held in the United States, and Mexico plans to raise the issue, said the minister. 
Russia facing dilemma in light of Ukraine's offensive in Kherson Oblast, says British intel 6 October, 11:52 AM The Ukrainian militarys successful offensive in Kherson Oblast has created a dilemma for Moscow (Photo:General Staff)

The Ukrainian militarys successful offensive in Kherson Oblast has created a dilemma for Moscow: to flee across the Dnipro River or stay and defend occupied territory, the UKs Ministry of Defense said on Twitter on Oct. 6.

The MoD says that on Oct. 2, Ukrainian forces began a new phase of offensive operations in Kherson Oblast.

Moving south, Ukrainian units pushed the front line another 20 km, primarily by advancing along the eastern bank of the Inhulets River and the western bank of the Dnipro River, but have not yet threatened Russias primary defensive positions.

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"Russian commanders are likely to see the growing threat to the Nova Kakhovka sector as one of their most pressing concerns," the report reads.

Read also: Ukrainian Army liberates several settlements in Kherson Oblast

The damaged Dnipro crossing in the area remains one of the few ways available to them to replenish their forces, UK intelligence notes.

"Russia faces a dilemma: withdrawal of combat forces across the Dnipro makes defense of the rest of Kherson Oblast more tenable; but the political imperative will be to remain and defend," the agency added.

It is also noted that Russia has sent most of its severely understaffed airborne forces to defend Kherson.

"Therefore, Russia currently has few additional, high quality rapidly deployable forces available to stabilize the front: it likely aims to deploy mobilized reservists to the sector," UK intelligence analysts believe.

In his evening address on Oct. 4, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are advancing rapidly in the south as part of an ongoing liberation operation, and this week alone, dozens of settlements in Kherson, Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk oblasts were liberated from the occupiers' sham referendums.

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Fortune Business Insights

According to Fortune Business Insights, The Medical Tape Market size is anticipated to reach USD 1.61 Billion by 2028, the market size was USD 1.10 billion in 2020 and is anticipated to rise at a CAGR of 5.0%

Pune, India, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global market for medical tape is expected to rise during the forecast period due to increasing number of surgeries and utilization of these tapes. Fortune Business Insights publishes this information in a report titled, " Medical Tape Market , 2021-2028". Medical tapes have rising demand and applications in wound care and wound supportive closure. These tapes are also highly used in patient monitoring and wearable devices such as electrode fixtures, ostomy bags, and splint attachments. Also, the tapes are selected on the basis of porosity, water resistance, shear strength, and adhesive strengths. Increasing utilization of these tapes in surgeries and the rising number of surgical procedures are expected to boost the market during the projected period.

Key Industry Development:

December 2021: Boyd Corporation announced the acquisition of MBK Tape Solutions to expand wearable technologies such as biosensor, transdermal patches, and medical wearable expertise.





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Report Scope:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 CAGR 5.0% 2028 Value Projection USD 1.61 billion Base Year 2020 Market Size in 2020 USD 1.10 billion Historical Data for 2017 to 2019 No. of Pages 128





Report Coverage:

The report provides factual information and statistical data about market development and recent trends in the industry. Also, the report highlights the impact of COVID-19 on the market development and business growth strategies to overcome the losses faced during the pandemic. Furthermore, drivers and restraints affecting the market growth are discussed in the report to analyze potential market growth opportunities. The report aims to provide complete information regarding market development and optimum business strategies implemented by the key players.

Story continues

Drivers and Restraints:

Increasing Number of Hospitals To Stimulate Market Growth

The market is expected to witness prominent growth during the forecast period, owing to increasing number of hospitals in the segmented regions. Also, developing healthcare infrastructure in developed and developing countries is expected to boost the product demand in the coming years. Furthermore, surgical procedures have increased post-pandemic, thereby increasing product demand and ensuring market growth. Rising technological advancements encourage the key players to adopt new technical alternatives and enhance their product portfolio. These factors are likely to ensure the global medical tape market growth during the projected period.

However, skin damages and nosocomial infections may hinder market growth during the projected period.





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Segments :

Wound Care Segment Dominates Market During Forecast Period

By material, the market is divided into paper, plastic, fabric, and others.

On the basis of application, the market is segmented into post-operative care, wound care, IV set placement, others.

Based on end-user, the market is segregated into hospitals & ASCs, clinics, and others.

By geography, the market is categorized into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Cardiac Pacemakers Market Segments:

Market Segmentation By Material Paper

Plastic

Fabric Others By Application Post-Operative Care

Wound Care

IV Set Placement Others By End-User Hospitals & ASCs

Clinics

Others By Geography North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa





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Regional Insights:

North America Dominates Global Market Due to Developing Healthcare Infrastructure

North America holds the highest global medical tape market share during the forecast period. The region stood at USD 0.56 billion in 2020 and dominated the global market due to increasing hospital admissions. Also, the rising adoption of elective procedures is expected to dominate the market in the coming years.

Europe holds the second-largest position in the global market. The increasing number of surgical procedures and rising demand for medical consumables are expected to drive the market in this region.

Competitive Landscape:

Brand Acquisition Allow Key Players to Propel Growth

Key players in the market implement several business growth strategies such as forming strategic alliances, partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions. These strategies allow key players to expand their business reach and implement innovative ideas to develop the products. Implementing innovative product development ideas allow key players to propel growth by attracting global customers and satisfying their needs.

List of Key Players Mentioned in the Report:

Cardinal Health (Ohio, U.S.)

3M (Minnesota, U.S.)

Beiersdorf (Hamburg, Germany)

Smith and Nephew (London, U.K.)

McKesson Corporation (Texas, U.S.)

Medtronic PLC (Dublin, Ireland)

Medline Industries (Illinois, U.S.)

Avery Dennison Corporation (California, U.S.)

Nichiban (Tokyo, Japan)

Paul Hartmann AG (Heidenheim, Germany)

Nitto Denko Corporation (Osaka, Japan)

Scapa Group PLC (Ashton-under-Lyne, U.K.)





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Table of Content

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Number of Hospital Admissions, By Key Countries, 2020 Number of Key Surgeries, By Region/Country, 2020 New Product Launches, By Key Players Recent Industry Developments (Mergers, Acquisitions, etc.) Impact of COVID-19 on the Market

Global Medical Tape Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Material Paper Plastic Fabric Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Wound care IV set placement Post-Operative Care Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By End User Hospitals & ASCs Clinics Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa

North America Medical Tape Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Material Paper Plastic Fabric Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Wound care IV set placement Post-Operative Care Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By End User Hospitals & ASCs Clinics Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Country U.S. Canada

Europe Medical Tape Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Material Paper Plastic Fabric Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Wound care IV set placement Post-Operative Care Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By End User Hospitals & ASCs Clinics Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Country/ Sub-region Germany UK France Italy Spain Scandinavia Rest of Europe

Asia pacific Medical Tape Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Material Paper Plastic Fabric Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Wound care IV set placement Post-Operative Care Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By End User Hospitals & ASCs Clinics Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Country/ Sub-region India China Japan Australia Southeast Asia Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America Medical Tape Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Material Paper Plastic Fabric Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Wound care IV set placement Post-Operative Care Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By End User Hospitals & ASCs Clinics Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Country/ Sub-region Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa Medical Tape Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Material Paper Plastic Fabric Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Wound care IV set placement Post-Operative Care Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By End User Hospitals & ASCs Clinics Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Country/ Sub-region GCC South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa



Toc Continued





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Travis Deyle and Erik Schluntz, Cobalt's cofounders. Cobalt

The robotics startup Cobalt offers security teams robots that patrol offices and report anomalies.

These robots have been used for everything from badge checks to crowd control for evacuations.

Despite surveillance concerns, security teams rave about the robots' ability to protect employees.

This article is part of "Enterprise Tech Blueprint," a series exploring the strategies leading-edge companies use to innovate and grow.

For some, the phrase "robotic security guard" conjures up images of dystopian all-seeing machines or the omnipresent "Big Brother" from George Orwell's novel "1984."

While not quite as menacing, the robotics startup Cobalt makes 5-foot-1 robots meant to replace human security guards. They patrol offices and report any observed anomalies. Cobalt's human security analysts can also communicate with office workers through a screen on the robot and assess the more complicated situations the robots encounter.

Travis Deyle and Erik Schluntz, former Google and SpaceX employees, respectively, founded the startup in 2016. The two had quit their jobs and decided they wanted to start a company together but didn't know what to focus on. They decided to interview a lot of people in a variety of roles and asked them: "If you had a magic wand to fix any problem in your job, what would you fix?"

After interviewing multiple security teams, they learned that these teams wished they had robots to complete the rote tasks of human guards.

At first, Deyle and Schluntz were surprised, as they questioned how robots would be able to stop an intruder. The security teams told Deyle and Schluntz that because of insurance concerns, human guards weren't allowed to make physical contact with intruders, either. With this knowledge, the cofounders realized that robots could fulfill the observing and reporting duties of security guards at lower costs.

Cobalt's robots are fitted with more than 60 sensors, including thermal cameras, temperature and humidity sensors, and badge readers. The robots integrate into a company's security network, allowing them to respond automatically to triggered alarms. Using their knowledge of past security incidents, the robots can determine whether a situation needs to be escalated  for example, if the robot spots a broken window versus a faulty alarm.

Story continues

According to Mike LeBlanc, Cobalt's president and chief operating officer, the company's value proposition became clearer during the pandemic, since the robots could replace unwieldy security teams that were no longer necessary in empty offices. In large workplaces, robots were able to more efficiently patrol multiple floors and respond faster to alarms. In smaller offices that required only a single guard, robots could take over all security tasks, from managing visitors to escorting employees to their cars late at night.

"There's such high turnover in security guards," LeBlanc said. "So the robots are actually able to fill these posts at a lower cost. People love that they can automate this and get the same thing every time, rather than paying more for someone where they're going to have varied results."

Not just a security-guard robot

Many Cobalt customers are finding creative ways to use their robots beyond security.

As workers returned to the office, DoorDash, for example, had the robots' temperature sensors check employees for fevers and used its badge readers to figure out whether COVID-19 wellness surveys had been completed, according to Chris Cherry, DoorDash's head of global safety and security.

Even as pandemic lockdown measures like mandatory masking eased and people returned to the office, security teams found new uses for the robots.

The fintech startup Ally Financial's senior director of physical security, Bill Davis, said Cobalt robots alerted workers to dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide after contractors cleaned out an enclosed parking garage with gas-operated power washers. In another example, a Cobalt robot discovered someone impersonating another employee after a routine badge check.

Ralph Parks, the senior safety and security manager at the mobility solutions company Woven Planet, told Insider that he had standing weekly meetings with the Cobalt team to brainstorm use cases for the robots. His company has used the robots for everything from air-quality checks during the 2020 California wildfires to WiFi-strength indication to crowd control during office evacuations.

Employee privacy concerns

While security teams have embraced Cobalt's robots, they say they've encountered employee concerns around surveillance and privacy.

Parks said the true priority of security teams was to protect employees.

"I get that a lot of times. They say, 'Are you Big Brother?'" Parks said.

LeBlanc told Insider that Cobalt's robots were designed with these fears in mind. The robots look like a "piece of high-end office furniture" to match the "frictionless environment" of modern-day tech companies and help them blend into the background, he said.

"Buildings are already filled with cameras everywhere," LeBlanc said. "People are already being watched all around these places by security, so there's not actually a difference of having some cameras on a robot."

Other startups in this space have faced controversy. The police-robot startup Knightscope found itself in hot water after several publicized incidents, including a robot knocking down a toddler and running over his foot and another ignoring a woman's cries for help.

Both LeBlanc and security teams said the key to gaining acceptance from employees was education around the robots' purpose.

"There's Big Brother that's spying on people, and then there's Big Brother where you're walking down a dark alley and there's a bunch of bad people coming toward you," Parks said. "That's what the purpose of the robots is."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Fortune Business Insights

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global Advanced Energy Storage System market size is projected to grow from USD 145 billion in 2018 to USD 211 billion in 2026, at CAGR of 4.82% during forecast period;

Pune, India, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Advanced Energy Storage System Market was USD 145 billion in 2018. The global market size is expected to be reach USD 211 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.82% during the forecast period from 2021-2026. This information is provided by Fortune Business Insights, in its report, titled, Advanced Energy Storage System Market, 2021-2026.

According to our analysts, the factors such as increasing number of solar farms and growing awareness of energy conservation will favor growth. Recent advancements in advanced energy storage industry have, therefore, favored the growth of the global advanced energy storage system market in recent years.





Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/advanced-energy-storage-system-market-100817





Report Highlights:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2019-2026 Forecast Period 2020 to 2026 CAGR 4.82% 2026 Value Projection USD 211 billion Base Year 2018 Market Size in 2019 USD 145 billion Historical Data for 2015-2017 No. of Pages 130 Segments covered By Technology, By Application, and By Region Growth Drivers Increasing Number of Solar Farms Will Fuel Demand Company Collaborations Will Create Attractive Growth Prospects





COVID-19 Impact Analysis-

The emergence of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill. We understand that this health crisis has brought an unprecedented impact on businesses across industries. However, this too shall pass. Rising support from governments and several companies can help in the fight against this highly contagious disease. There are some industries that are struggling and some are thriving. Overall, almost every sector is anticipated to be impacted by the pandemic.

Story continues

We are taking continuous efforts to help your business sustain and grow during COVID-19 pandemics. Based on our experience and expertise, we will offer you an impact analysis of coronavirus outbreak across industries to help you prepare for the future.





To get to know more about the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market, please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/advanced-energy-storage-system-market-100817





Drivers and Restraints:

The increased awareness regarding global warming and ways to minimize it has given rise to several products that are able to harness solar energy. In a bid to conserve energy, governments across the world are actively engaged in building the right platforms for efficient distribution of solar energy. Solar farms are by far, the most effective ways of harnessing solar energy to generate electricity. Growing number of government subsidies have further attracted the riches and solar farm deployment firms are gaining investor traction.

The adoption of advanced energy storage system in solar farms has led to efficient energy harnessing methods. In April 2019, subsidiaries of the China Energy Engineering Corp. initiated two solar farms with the ability to generate a combined 500 MW solar energy. Considering the enormous population in China, this will be a major step towards establishing green energy regions, in a bid to conserve energy. Fortune Business Insights states that the use of advanced energy storage systems in solar plants across the world will have a positive impact on the global market growth in the forthcoming years.

Advanced energy storage system has the ability to enhance electricity grids. The gradual depletion of fossil fuels has created the need to conserve energy on the global platform. This has resulted in a huge emphasis on deployment of several methods of energy harnessing across the world. The adoption of advanced energy storage system can play a major part in enhancing energy storage, thereby improving energy resource utilization. To suffice the needs of the massive global population, it essential to preserve energy and deploy it based on the convenience of end users. The report provides a detailed analysis of several factors that have contributed to the demand for advanced energy storage.

Industry Developments:

April 2019: General Electric announced that it has signed an agreement with Helios Energy to install two hybrid storage systems combined with solar arrays in New York, USA, operations are due in the mid of 2020.

April 2019: Shanxi Electric Power Engineering, subsidiary of China Energy Engineering Group, announced the development of 250 MW solar plants with one of the largest energy storage systems in the country.

List of Key Players Mentioned in the Report:

ABB

AES Corporation

Ecoult Energy Storage Solutions

LG Chem Ltd.

Tesla Inc.

GS Yuasa Corporation

Samsung SDI Co.

General Electric

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Evapco Inc.

Panasonic Corporation

Saft Groupe S.A.

Hitachi Chems

Sonnen GmbH

Lockheed Martin





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Key Benefits for Advanced Energy Storage System Market:

The Advanced Energy Storage System market analysis covers in-depth information of major industry participants.

Porters five forces analysis helps to analyze the potential of buyers & suppliers and the competitive scenario of the industry for strategy building.

Major countries have been mapped according to their individual revenue contribution to the regional market.

The report provides an in-depth analysis of the Advanced Energy Storage System market during the forecast period.

The report outlines the current market trends and future scenario of the global Advanced Energy Storage System market to understand the prevailing opportunities and potential investment pockets.

The key drivers, restraints, and opportunities and their detailed impact analysis is elucidated in the study.





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Regional Insights:

Rapid Transformation in Storage Systems to Aid Growth in North America

The market in North America is expected to rise rapidly during the forecast period owing to the stringent government policies and regulations regarding carbon emissions. The declining costs of storage technologies along with retrofitting of existing pumped hydro storage facilities will boost the market in the region. The rapid transformation in energy storage systems and new large-capacity projects will drive the market in North America.

The market in Asia Pacific is expected to witness an exponential growth rate. The growth in the region is attributed to the focus on fossil fuels for energy supply. The rising energy demand and availability of cost-effective storage options in emerging countries will bolster the growth of the market. The growing utilization of reliable, safe, efficient, and sustainable electricity systems will foster the growth of the market. The increasing investment in advanced energy storage systems by major companies will create opportunities for the market in the region.

Competitive Landscape:

The increasing number of company collaborations have created several opportunities for the companies involved. Mergers and acquisitions will help companies generate a substantial amount of advanced energy storage system market revenue in the coming years. The report highlights a few of the major company mergers and takeovers in recent years and gauges the impact of these M&As on the global market. In 2019, General Electric (GE) signed an agreement with Helios Energy to establish two hybrid solar array systems. GE is expected to witness accelerated gains in the coming years due to this collaboration, which in turn will aid the growth of the global market.

Advanced Energy Storage System Market Segmentation:

By Technology:

Solid State Battery

Flow Battery

Thermal Energy Storage

Pumped Hydro Storage

Others

By Application:

Residential

Commercial

Industrial

Utility

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

1.1. Research Scope

1.2. Market Segmentation

1.3. Research Methodology

1.4. Definitions and Assumptions

2. Executive Summary

3. Market Dynamics

3.1. Market Drivers

3.2. Market Restraints

3.3. Market Opportunities

4. Key Insights

4.1. Key Emerging Trends  For Major Countries

4.2. Latest Technological Advancement

4.3. Regulatory Landscape

4.4. Porters Five Forces Analysis

5.Global Advanced Energy Storage System Market Analysis (MW & US$ Mn), Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026

5.1. Key Findings

5.2. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Technology

5.2.1. Solid State Battery

5.2.2. Flow Battery

5.2.3. Thermal Energy Storage

5.2.4. Pumped Hydro Storage

5.2.5. Others

5.3. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application

5.3.1. Residential

5.3.2. Commercial

5.3.3. Industrial

5.3.4. Utility

5.4. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Region

5.4.1. North America

5.4.2. Latin America

5.4.3. Europe

5.4.4. Asia Pacific

5.4.5. Middle East & Africa

Continued





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ReportLinker

Forecasts by Component (Communication, Navigation, Surveillance, Others), by System (Airspace Management, ATC, ATFM, AIM), by Airport Size (Large, Medium, Small), by End-use (Tactical, Commercial) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Pattern Analysis.

New York, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Air Traffic Management Market Report 2022-2032" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06326332/?utm_source=GNW





The Air Traffic Management Market Report 2022-2032: This report will prove invaluable to leading firms striving for new revenue pockets if they wish to better understand the industry and its underlying dynamics. It will be useful for companies that would like to expand into different industries or to expand their existing operations in a new region.





Major Airports and International Hubs Across the Globe Continue To Expand



While major airports and international hubs continue to expand, providing integrated air traffic control services from the current tower facility may be a problem, as it may be too limited for the number of controllers required or because of the growth of the airport it can no longer have the best overview of all runways. On the other hand, it can be difficult to remain cost-effective at small airports, as their low volumes do not generally warrant the operation of full air traffic control services from the tower on site. A solution to these challenges is to digitize air traffic control functions.





Strict Regulatory Requirements Likely to Hamper Market Growth



One of the main factors limiting the expansion of the ATM sector is strict regulatory requirements. There are regulatory agencies in several nations that oversee the safety standards related to flying aircraft. For instance, the safety regulation division of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) oversees the regulatory function for the airworthiness certification and registration of ATM components and services, the licencing of individuals and organisations engaged in the maintenance of these components, and the approval and oversight of ATM operating standards. Additionally, this branch conducts audits and inspections of airports, airport vendors, and inflight service providers. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has also established rules that must be followed globally. To maintain the security of aircraft operations and reduce the dangers brought on by faulty components, all aircraft systems and components must adhere to the regulatory standards established by the ICAO.





Story continues

To meet all safety standards and create the best possible air traffic management systems, ATM component makers must abide by these strict laws and regulations. The markets expansion is also being hampered by rising cyber threats and increased demand from homeland security to limit air management systems access to airspace.





What Questions Should You Ask before Buying a Market Research Report?



 How is the air traffic management market evolving?



 What is driving and restraining the air traffic management market?



 How will each air traffic management submarket segment grow over the forecast period and how much revenue will these submarkets account for in 2032?



 How will the market shares for each air traffic management submarket develop from 2022 to 2032?



 What will be the main driver for the overall market from 2022 to 2032?



 Will leading air traffic management markets broadly follow the macroeconomic dynamics, or will individual national markets outperform others?



 How will the market shares of the national markets change by 2032 and which geographical region will lead the market in 2032?



 Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?



 What are the air traffic management projects for these leading companies?



 How will the industry evolve during the period between 2022 and 2032? What are the implications of



air traffic management projects taking place now and over the next 10 years?



 Is there a greater need for product commercialisation to further scale the air traffic management market?



 Where is the air traffic management market heading and how can you ensure you are at the forefront of the market?



 What are the best investment options for new product and service lines?



 What are the key prospects for moving companies into a new growth path and C-suite?





You need to discover how this will impact the air traffic management market today, and over the next 10 years:



 Our 321-page report provides 120 tables and 161 charts/graphs exclusively to you.



 The report highlights key lucrative areas in the industry so you can target them  NOW.



 It contains in-depth analysis of global, regional and national sales and growth.



 It highlights for you the key successful trends, changes and revenue projections made by your competitors.





This report tells you TODAY how the air traffic management market will develop in the next 10 years, and in line with the variations in COVID-19 economic recession and bounce. This market is more critical now than at any point over the last 10 years.





Forecasts to 2032 and other analyses reveal commercial prospects



 In addition to revenue forecasting to 2032, our new study provides you with recent results, growth rates, and market shares.



 You will find original analyses, with business outlooks and developments.



 Discover qualitative analyses (including market dynamics, drivers, opportunities, and restraints), Porters Five Forces Analysis, PEST Analysis and recent developments.





This report includes data analysis and invaluable insight into how COVID-19 will affect the industry and your company. Four COVID-19 recovery patterns and their impact, namely, V, L, W and U are discussed in this report.





Segments Covered in the Report





Component



 Communication



 Navigation



 Surveillance



 Others





System



 Airspace Management



 ATC



 ATFM



 AIM





Airport Size



 Large



 Medium



 Small





End-use



 Tactical



 Commercial





In addition to the revenue predictions for the overall world market and segments, you will also find revenue forecasts for five regional and 20 leading national markets:





North America



 U.S.



 Canada





Europe



 Germany



 UK



 France



 Italy



 Spain



 Russia



 Rest of Europe





Asia Pacific



 Japan



 China



 India



 Australia



 Singapore



 Thailand



 Malaysia



 Rest of Asia Pacific





Latin America



 Brazil



 Mexico



 Argentina



 Rest of Latin America





MEA



 GCC



 South Africa



 Rest of MEA





The report also includes profiles and for some of the leading companies in the Air Traffic Management Market, 2022 to 2032, with a focus on this segment of these companies operations.





Leading companies and the potential for market growth



 Advanced Navigation and Positioning Corporation



 BAE Systems



 Frequentis



 Honeywell International Inc.



 INDRA SISTEMAS, S.A.



 Intelcan Technosystems Inc.



 L3Harris Technologies, Inc.



 Leidos



 Leonardo S.p.A.



 Northrop Grumman



 Raytheon Technologies Corporation



 Saab AB



 Searidge Technologies



 SITA



 Thales





Overall world revenue for Air Traffic Management Market, 2022 to 2032 in terms of value the market will surpass US$10 billion in 2022, our work calculates. We predict strong revenue growth through to 2032. Our work identifies which organizations hold the greatest potential. Discover their capabilities, progress, and commercial prospects, helping you stay ahead.





How will the Air Traffic Management Market, 2022 to 2032 report help you?



In summary, our 320+ page report provides you with the following knowledge:





 Revenue forecasts to 2032 for Air Traffic Management Market, 2022 to 2032 Market, with forecasts for component, system, airport size, and end-use, each forecast at a global and regional level  discover the industrys prospects, finding the most lucrative places for investments and revenues.





 Revenue forecasts to 2032 for five regional and 20 key national markets  See forecasts for the Air Traffic Management Market, 2022 to 2032 market in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and MEA. Also forecasted is the market in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, UK, Italy, China, India, Japan, and Australia among other prominent economies.





 Prospects for established firms and those seeking to enter the market  including company profiles for 15 of the major companies involved in the Air Traffic Management Market, 2022 to 2032.







Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06326332/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in response to Wednesday's ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit declaring the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to be unlawful:

The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is a national, nonprofit, public-interest, membership organization of concerned citizens who share a common belief that our nation's immigration policies must be reformed to serve the national interest. Visit FAIR's website at www.fairus.org . (PRNewsFoto/FAIR)

"Yesterday, the Fifth Circuit correctly upheld a federal district judge's ruling that the Obama-era DACA program is unlawful. Presidents do not have the authority to exempt entire classes of immigration lawbreakers from enforcement, or provide them with authorization to work in the United States, when federal statutes explicitly bar them from being here or working here.

"This ruling could not have been timelier. Building upon what we once thought was the pinnacle of unlawful executive action during the Obama administration, President Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have been working around the clock to negate virtually every immigration law on the books. The end result? The worst border crisis in the history of our country with no end in sight.

"The response of the Biden administration and congressional Democrats to yesterday's ruling is telling and discouraging, and demonstrates that they are the ones using DACA beneficiaries as political pawns. Rather than showing even the slightest bit of interest in addressing a raging border crisis they created, they called for mass amnesty  and not just for the 600,000 illegal aliens enrolled in DACA, but for upwards of 4 million immigration lawbreakers. Amnesty is their only solution when it comes to Congress exercising its power over immigration, and the American people are taking note.

"The multiple immigration crises facing our nation cannot be solved through unlawful executive action or an amnesty bill. They can only be addressed when the White House and congressional Democrats finally decide to act in good faith to restore the integrity of the countless immigration laws to which they have laid waste."

Story continues

Contact: Ron Kovach, 202-328-7004 or rkovach@fairus.org.

ABOUT FAIR

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

Cision

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SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)
CALGARY, AB, Oct. 6, 2022 /CNW/ - Canadian Utilities Limited (TSX: CU) (TSX: CU.X)

CANADIAN UTILITIES TO RELEASE THIRD QUARTER 2022 RESULTS ON OCTOBER 27, 2022 (CNW Group/Canadian Utilities Limited)

Canadian Utilities Limited (Canadian Utilities) will release its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, on Thursday, October 27, 2022. The news release will be distributed via Cision ( www.newswire.ca/news-releases/ ) and the results, including Financial Statements and Management's Discussion & Analysis, will be posted on www.canadianutilities.com .

Canadian Utilities will hold a live teleconference and webcast at 9:00 am Mountain Time (11:00 am Eastern Time) on Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 1-800-319-4610. No pass code is required.

Brian Shkrobot, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, will discuss third quarter 2022 financial results and recent developments. Opening remarks will be followed by a question and answer period with investment analysts. Participants are asked to please dial-in 10 minutes prior to the start and request to join the Canadian Utilities teleconference.

Management invites interested parties to listen via live webcast at: https://www.canadianutilities.com/en-ca/investors/events-presentations.html

A replay of the teleconference will be available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call until November 27, 2022. Please call 1-800-319-6413 and enter pass code 9463. An archive of the webcast will be available on October 27, 2022 and a transcript of the call will be posted on

https://www.canadianutilities.com/en-ca/investors/events-presentations.html within a few business days.

With approximately 4,800 employees and assets of $21 billion, Canadian Utilities Limited is an ATCO company. Canadian Utilities is a diversified global energy infrastructure corporation delivering essential services and innovative business solutions in Utilities (electricity and natural gas transmission and distribution, and international operations); Energy Infrastructure (energy storage, energy generation, industrial water solutions, and clean fuels); and Retail Energy (electricity and natural gas retail sales, and whole-home solutions). More information can be found at www.canadianutilities.com .

Investor & Analyst Inquiries:

Colin Jackson

Senior Vice President, Finance, Treasury, Risk & Sustainability

Colin.Jackson@atco.com

(403) 808 2636

Story continues

Media Inquiries:

Kurt Kadatz

Director, Corporate Communications

Kurt.Kadatz@atco.com

(587) 228 4571

Subscription Inquiries:

To receive Canadian Utilities Limited news releases, please click here .

Forward-Looking Information:

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking 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.

Forward-looking 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 forward-looking information.

The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions (including as may be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic), and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company.

The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon.

Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Company's 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 forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.

SOURCE Canadian Utilities Limited

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2022/06/c3964.html
Adroit Market Research

The growing population, changing lifestyles, awareness among consumers regarding the use of environmentally friendly products, high spending power on mechanically determined products, and growing desire in lightweight items all have an impact on the ceramic fiber industry.

Dallas, Texas, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global ceramic fiber market is expected to grow nearly USD 4.98 billion at a compound annual growth rate of 9.7% during the forecast period of 2022-2030. Escalating local market for ceramic fiber, increasing buying capacity of domestic consumers, rapid improvements in growing population, rising standard of living, awareness among consumers, increasing productivity, better management of environmental resources, upgrading of the infrastructure and strengthening institutional capacity is further propelling the global ceramic fiber market.



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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 ceramic fiber businesses and manufacturers across the globe. 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 ceramic fiber market.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Study Period: 2020-2030 CAGR CAGR of 9.7% during 2021-2031 Segment Covered Type, Products Form, End-User, Regions Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, South America











Key Players Profiled Double Egret Thermal Insulation (China), Unifrax (US), Luyang Energy Savings Material (China), Yeso Insulating Product (Japan), Ibide (Japan), Harbisonwalker International (US), Nutec Fibratec (Mexico), Rath Group (US), Isolite Insulating Product (Japan), FibreCast (US), and Morgan Advanced Materials plc (UK)

Despite the fact that covid-19 outbursts challenges persist, in terms of the mental and physical wellbeing concerns of humans, households and societies, the pandemic also brought in restrictions and lockdowns that momentously squeezed minor and new businesses and workers across the globe which act as a restrictive factor to the international ceramic fiber market.

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Nevertheless, in spite of the worldwide undesirable impacts of COVID-19, the ceramic fiber manufacturers could take benefit of the emergency to familiarize and revolutionize. The coronavirus outburst of 2019 empowered the expansion of numerous innovative tactics and approaches in the small and medium scale business segment.

Small and medium scale business sector survived the effects and influences of the outburst and subsisted through numerous approaches. Likewise, convenience of government backing and funding as well as the resourcefulness persisted to be vital development forces for the universal ceramic fiber market. The market players endeavored to cope, adapt, overcome and even survive the pandemic. These organizations were able to thrive through incorporating innovations into diverse social and political situations, as well as how production, supply, and the market continued to function. Additionally, in response to business-supporting government initiatives and policies, plans for adaptation, investments, and action plans were made to ensure the sustainability and resilience of companies 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 ceramic fiber market.

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Regionally, APAC is the region with the largest regional share of the global ceramic fiber market due to factors like increasing disposable income, population growth, rising standards of living, consumer awareness of the environment, which has led to a rise in the demand for environmentally friendly products, and increasing demand for ceramic fiber insulation from high-temperature applications. Important regional firms are also refocusing their efforts on mergers and acquisitions in order to significantly increase their market domination. As for the forthcoming times, evolution and progress of Asia-Pacific companies play a vigorous role in the international ceramic fiber market. Professionals estimate that, 2022 should be an optimistic year for mergers and purchases and alliances for the market companies in the section.

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction

2. Research Methodology

3. Market Outlook

4. Ceramic Fiber Market by Type, 2022-2029 (USD Billion)

4.1. RCF

4.2. AES Wool

5. Ceramic Fiber Market by Product Form, 2022-2029 (USD Billion)

5.1. Blanket

5.2. Module

5.3. board

5.4. Paper

6. Ceramic Fiber Market by End-User, 2022-2029 (USD Billion)

6.1. Refining & Petrochemical

6.2. Metals

6.3. Power Generation

7. Ceramic Fiber Market by Region, 2022-2029 (USD Billion)

7.1. North America

7.1.1. US

7.1.2. Canada

7.2 Europe

7.2.1. UK

7.2.2. Germany

7.2.3. France

7.2.4. Rest of Europe

7.3. Asia Pacific

7.3.1. China

7.3.2. Japan

7.3.3. India

7.3.4. Rest of Asia Pacific

7.4. South America

7.4.1. Brazil

7.4.2. Mexico

7.4.3. Rest of South America

7.5. Middle East & Africa

8. Competitive Landscape

9. Company Profiles

10. Appendix

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SANTIAGO, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Chile's environmental regulator announced on Thursday four charges against Canadian-owned Lundin copper mine for a sinkhole that appeared in the northern area of the country in late July.

The country's SMA environmental regulator said the main infractions were overextraction and construction outside of environmentally approved zones.

Emanuel Ibarra, the SMA superintendent, said in a statement that the regional office's investigation linked the sinkhole on the mine's property with ore overextraction.

"In addition, when the event occurred, large amounts of water began to leak into the mine from places where the company intervened beyond what was considered in the environmental assessment," Ibarra said.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Canada's Lundin Mining Corp owns 80% of the property, while the remaining 20% is held by Japan's Sumitomo Metal Mining and Sumitomo Corp.

In mid-August, the SMA ordered "urgent and transitory" measures while investigating the causes of the 36.5-meter-diameter (120 feet) hole in Tierra Amarilla, some 665 km (413 miles) north of the capital.

The alleged overextraction was labeled as a "serious" infraction while modified mining infrastructure that could cause "irreparable environmental damage" to an aquifer was labeled "Very serious."

The two minor charges were related to infractions in transporting minerals.

The company risks fines equivalent to more than $13 million, closure or having its environmental permit revoked. (Reporting Fabian Cambero; Writing by Alexander Villegas Editing by Alistair Bell)
A number of organizations, including those in the public and private sectors, has recognized a clinical workflow management system's worth. Besides, and clinical decision support systems and clinical settings that encourage the installation and integration of EHR are projected to benefit the business by incentivizing hospitals to use such services.

NEWARK, DE / ACCESSWIRE / October 6, 2022 / The global clinical workflow solutions market is valued at US$ 9 Bn in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 41.7 Bn by 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 16.7% between 2022 and 2032. According to Future Market Insights, a market research and competitive intelligence provider, global Clinical Workflow Solutions consumption has increased at a CAGR of roughly 13.2% over the last half-decade.

Future Market Insights, Inc., Thursday, October 6, 2022, Press release picture

The importance of a clinical workflow management system has been recognized by an array of industries, including the public and commercial sectors. Furthermore, clinical environments that promote the installation and integration of EHR and clinical decision support systems are projected to have a beneficial influence on the industry by encouraging hospitals to employ such services.

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Key Takeaways from Market Study

Clinical workflow solutions market is estimated to reach a valuation of US$ 9 Bn in 2022.

The market is projected to account for an absolute dollar opportunity of US$ 32.7 Bn during 2022 - 2032

Among Types of clinical workflow solutions, revenue through Data Integration Solutions is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19% during 2022 - 2032

Among end-use, the market revenue through hospitals is projected to garner a CAGR of 18.2%

S. is expected to continue being the largest market for clinical workflow solutions, and the market in the country is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.7% during the period of projection

The adoption rate of workflow systems is being driven by rapid technological breakthroughs that provide easier flexibility and decreased complications. The use of cloud computing to improve clinical database management platforms is expected to have an impact on growth throughout the projection period. These solutions make data storage and retrieval easier. Furthermore, the successful implementation of interoperability in the healthcare industry has considerably increased the usage of clinical workflow systems.

Story continues

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Winning Strategy

The development of EHRs alongside the advent of workflow solutions allows cloud-based computing to manage health record portals, the proficiency of which facilitates the automation of components of clinical operations.

Market entities are actively building their market share through the making of software. Government initiatives designed to improve clinical workflow solutions are projected to increase demand for these software programs even more in the forthcoming years. However, difficulties in implementing an infrastructure that can support interoperability at reasonable cost, guaranteed incomes and high investments are the barriers to the expansion of the subject.

Competitive Environment

The clinical workflow solutions industry is extremely competitive and dominated by key companies with a global presence. The bulk of the players are situated in the United States, with a few more key players residing in Europe. Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc., Cerner Corporation, NXGN Management, LLC, McKesson Corporation, and Koninklijke Philips N.V. are some of the market's leading companies. The worldwide industry is known for its constant product innovation. Mergers and acquisitions, as well as capacity growth, are top priorities for top Clinical Workflow Solutions firms.

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More Insights Available

Future Market Insights, in its new offering, presents an unbiased analysis of the Clinical Workflow Solutions Market, presenting historical market data (2015-2021) and forecast statistics for the period of 2022-2032.

The study reveals extensive growth in Clinical Workflow Solutions Market in terms of Type (Data Integration Solutions, Real-time Communication Solutions, Clinical Workflow Automation Solutions, Care Collaboration Solutions, Rounding Solutions), Application (Hospitals, Long Term Care Facilities, Ambulatory Care Centers), across five regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa).

Table of Content

1. Executive Summary

1.1. Global Market Outlook

1.2. Demand-side Trends

1.3. Supply-side Trends

1.4. Technology Roadmap Analysis

1.5. Analysis and Recommendations

2. Market Overview

2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy

2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations

3. Market Background

3.1. Market Dynamics

3.1.1. Drivers

3.1.2. Restraints

3.1.3. Opportunity

3.1.4. Trends

3.2. Scenario Forecast

3.2.1. Demand in Optimistic Scenario

3.2.2. Demand in Likely Scenario

3.2.3. Demand in Conservative Scenario

3.3. Opportunity Map Analysis

3.4. Investment Feasibility Matrix

3.5. PESTLE and Porter's Analysis

3.6. Regulatory Landscape

3.6.1. By Key Regions

3.6.2. By Key Countries

Toc Continue...

Explore FMI's Extensive ongoing Coverage on Technology Market Insights

MEA Enterprise Software Market Size-The MEA enterprise software market revenue totalled US$ 7,727.9 Mn in 2021. The EIA market is expected to reach US$ 13,791.4 Mn by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.5% for 2022-2032.

Telecom Order Management Market Share- Telecom Order Management Market analysis report by Future Market Insights shows that global sales of Telecom Order Management Market in 2016 was held at US$ 1.9 Bn.

Survey and Feedback Management Software Market Analysis- The survey and feedback management software market is garnering substantial momentum and is anticipated to record a CAGR of 16.5% during the forecast period.

Advanced Distribution Management Systems Market Value- Advanced distribution management systems market stood at around US$ 2,872.0 Mn in 2021, and is slated to increase at a CAGR of 20.0% to reach a valuation of US$ 12,102.0 Mn by 2029.

Carrier Infrastructure in Telecom Applications Market Forecast- The telecommunications infrastructure consists of various companies that provide content, database, transmission, switching, applications, signaling OSS/BSS systems, required software and others services.

E-tailing Solutions Market Trend- E-tailing solutions market size in 2020 is estimated to be valued up to US$ 12 Bn

Clinical Alarm Management Market Sales- The clinical alarm management market is projected to surpass ~US$ 5,920.3 Mn by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 32.3% for 2022 - 29.

Workflow Management Software (WMS) Market Overview- The workflow management software (WMS) market is expected to reach ~US$ 71.8 Bn by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 27.0% during the forecast period (2022-2032).

Workflow Content Automation (WCA) Market Product- The global workflow content automation (WCA) market expected to reach ~US$ 4,454.2 Mn by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 15.3% during 2022 - 2032.

Music Market and Streaming Services Market Demand- Global Music Market and Streaming Services demand is anticipated to be valued at US$ 22.9 Billion in 2022, forecast to grow at a CAGR of 18.4% to be valued at US$ 25.8 Billion from 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.

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SOURCE: Future Market Insights Inc.





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https://www.accesswire.com/719291/Clinical-Workflow-Solutions-Market-is-Expected-to-Rise-to-US-417-Bn-by-2032-at-a-CAGR-of-167-During-2022-32-FMI




Straits Research - Market Research Strategy | Strategy Consulting | Business Research | Business Consulting | Market Research

The global cochineal extract market size was valued at USD 35.4 billion in 2021 and is anticipated to reach an expected value of USD 69.5 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 6.9% over the forecast period (20222030). North America is expected to hold a significant share of the global cochineal extracted market

New York, United States, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Peru is the largest producer and exporter of cochineal extract and holds approximately 80%83% global production share. Cochineal extract is usually found in the country's tropical and subtropical parts; hence, it is the Peruvians' primary source of income. The Peruvian government is in continuous efforts to increase the cochineal extract's production to enhance the employment rate in the rural part of the country. A government organization, the Instituto de Investigaciecnola Industrial y de Normas Ticas (ITINTEC), and Simon Fraser University have developed a carmine dye extraction process for efficient production of pure carmine. It is backed by the plentiful availability of cochineal insects and experienced labor force in rural parts.

A majority of the local cochineal processing plants are built near the farming areas to employ the local people. Currently, a cochineal farmer earns more than 10% of the cochineal extract market's revenue. Cochineal extract consumption in Peru is dominated by the food and beverage industry as it is considered one of the non-toxic natural color additive choices. A majority of its demand in the country comes from a pastry shop and confectionery, drinks, and dairy items.





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COVID-19 to Negatively Impact the Global Cochineal Extract Market

Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Peru are among the largest producers of the cochineal extract and most affected countries. Mexico and Brazil are topping the charts with most COVID-19 cases in the world. Lockdown in these countries and broader closures has severely affected the cochineal extract market's global supply chain. The border closures have fueled the disruption in the carmine supply. Lack of carmine dye availability is expected to lead to the adoption of other substitutes and hamper the cochineal extract market growth.

Story continues





Report Scope

Report Metric Details Market Size USD 69.5 Billion by 2030 CAGR 6.9% (2022-2030) Historical Data 2019-2020 Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 2022-2030 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Grade, Application, Regions Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, LAME and Rest of the World Key Companies Profiled/Vendors Gentle world, DDW The Color House, Chr Hansen Holding A/S, Xian LiSheng-Tech Co., Ltd, Sensient Technologies Corporation, Naturex, Roha Dyechem Pvt. Ltd., BioconColors, ColorMaker, Inc., and Colores Naturales EIRL Key Market Opportunities The unique characteristics of the cochineal extract have created lucrative opportunities in pharmaceutical sectors. Key Market Drivers Wide Range of Substitutes to Hamper the Growth of the Market

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Regional Analysis

North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central and South America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Africa are the different geographic regions that make up the global market for cochineal extract.

Because of the growing demand from the food processing industry in the United States and Mexico, North America is anticipated to account for a sizeable portion of the global market for cochineal extract. The market for cochineal extract is steadily expanding in Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. The consumption of natural colour additives is expected to rise in the future years in Asia-Pacific, which is predicted to have the fastest rate of growth in the packaged food sector . During the projected period, the cochineal extract market is expected to expand significantly in Europe. The Middle East and Africa collectively possess very small market shares for cochineal extract, but it is anticipated that their demand would increase over the course of the forecast period compared to the previous few years.





Key Highlights

The global cochineal extract market size was valued at USD 35.4 billion in 2021 and is anticipated to reach an expected value of USD 69.5 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 6.9% over the forecast period (20222030).

Geographically, the global cochineal extracted market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central, and South America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Africa.



North America is anticipated to account for a sizeable portion of the global market for cochineal extract .

Asia-Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest-growing for cochineal extract.





Some of the prominent players in the market are

Gentle world

DDW The Color House

Chr Hansen Holding A/S

Xian LiSheng-Tech Co. Ltd

Sensient Technologies Corporation

Naturex

Roha Dyechem Pvt. Ltd.

BioconColors

ColorMaker Inc.

Colores Naturales EIRL

Lake Foods





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Market Segmentation: Cochineal Extract Market

By Grade

Food Grade

Pharmaceutical Grade

Industrial Grade

By Application

Food Beverages Bakery and Confectionery Beverages Dairy and Frozen Products Meat Products Oil and Fat Fruits and Vegetables Other Food Products

Pharmaceuticals

Others

Regions Covered

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Central and South America and the Caribbean

The Middle East

Africa





TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Introduction

1.1 Market Definition

1.2 Market Scope

2 Research Methodology

2.1 Primary Research

2.2 Research Methodology

2.3 Assumptions and Exclusions

2.4 Secondary Data Sources

3 Executive Summary

4 Market Overview

4.1 Report Segmentation and Scope

4.2 Value Chain Analysis: Cochineal Extract Market

4.2.1 Vendor Matrix

4.3 Key Market Trends

4.3.1 Drivers

4.3.2 Restraints

4.3.3 Opportunities

4.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis

4.4.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.4.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers

4.4.3 Threat of Substitution

4.4.4 Threat of New Entrants

4.4.5 Competitive Rivalry

4.5 Environmental and Regulatory Landscape

4.6 Forecast Factors and Relevance of Impact

4.7 Macro-Economic and Geopolitical Scenario

4.8 Parent Market Overview

4.9 Technology Landscape

4.10 Market Share Analysis

4.11 Potential Venture Analysis

4.12 Regional Price Trends

4.13 Raw Material Trends

4.14 Cost Structure Analysis

4.14.1 Labor Cost

4.14.2 Consumables

4.14.3 Maintenance Cost

4.15 Covid-19 Impact Analysis

4.15.1 Pre and Post Covid-19 Market Scenario Analysis

4.15.2 Market Recovery Timeline and Challenge

4.15.3 Measures Taken by Top Players

4.15.4 Quarterly Market Revenue and Growth Forecast Till 2021

5 Grade Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.1.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

5.2 Food Grade

5.2.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

5.3 Pharmaceutical Grade

5.3.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

5.4 Industrial Grade

5.4.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

6 Application Overview

6.1 Introduction

6.1.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

6.2 Food and Beverages

6.2.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

6.2.2 Bakery and Confectionery

6.2.2.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

6.2.3 Beverages

6.2.3.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

6.2.4 Dairy and Frozen Products

6.2.4.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

6.2.5 Meat Products

6.2.5.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

6.2.6 Oil and Fat

6.2.6.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

6.2.7 Fruits and VegeTABLEs

6.2.7.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

6.2.8 Other

6.2.8.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

6.3 Pharmaceuticals

6.3.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

6.4 Others

6.4.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

7 Regional Overview

7.1 Introduction

7.1.1 Market Size and Forecast (Value and Volume)

7.2 North America

7.2.1 Economic Overview

7.2.2 Market Scenario

7.2.3 The U.S.

7.2.3.1 By Grade

7.2.3.2 By Application

7.2.4 Canada

7.2.4.1 By Grade

7.2.4.2 By Application

7.2.5 Mexico

7.2.5.1 By Grade

7.2.5.2 By Application

7.3 Central and South America and the Caribbean

7.3.1 Economic Overview

7.3.2 Market Scenario

7.3.3 Brazil

7.3.3.1 By Grade

7.3.3.2 By Application

7.3.4 Argentina

7.3.4.1 By Grade

7.3.4.2 By Application

7.3.5 Columbia

7.3.5.1 By Grade

7.3.5.2 By Application

7.3.6 Rest of Central and South America and the Caribbean

7.3.6.1 By Grade

7.3.6.2 By Application

7.4 Europe

7.4.1 Economic Overview

7.4.2 Market Scenario

7.4.3 Germany

7.4.3.1 By Grade

7.4.3.2 By Application

7.4.4 France

7.4.4.1 By Grade

7.4.4.2 By Application

7.4.5 The U.K.

7.4.5.1 By Grade

7.4.5.2 By Application

7.4.6 Italy

7.4.6.1 By Grade

7.4.6.2 By Application

7.4.7 Rest of Europe

7.4.7.1 By Grade

7.4.7.2 By Application

7.5 Asia-Pacific (APAC)

7.5.1 Economic Overview

7.5.2 Market Scenario

7.5.3 China

7.5.3.1 By Grade

7.5.3.2 By Application

7.5.4 Japan

7.5.4.1 By Grade

7.5.4.2 By Application

7.5.5 India

7.5.5.1 By Grade

7.5.5.2 By Application

7.5.6 Australia

7.5.6.1 By Grade

7.5.6.2 By Application

7.5.7 South Korea

7.5.7.1 By Grade

7.5.7.2 By Application

7.5.8 Rest of APAC

7.5.8.1 By Grade

7.5.8.2 By Application

7.6 The Middle East

7.6.1 Economic Overview

7.6.2 Market Scenario

7.6.3 Saudi Arabia

7.6.3.1 By Grade

7.6.3.2 By Application

7.6.4 The UAE

7.6.4.1 By Grade

7.6.4.2 By Application

7.6.5 Qatar

7.6.5.1 By Grade

7.6.5.2 By Application

7.6.6 Oman

7.6.6.1 By Grade

7.6.6.2 By Application

7.6.7 Turkey

7.6.7.1 By Grade

7.6.7.2 By Application

7.6.8 Rest of MEA

7.6.8.1 By Grade

7.6.8.2 By Application

7.7 Africa

7.7.1 Economic Overview

7.7.2 Market Scenario

7.7.3 Nigeria

7.7.3.1 By Grade

7.7.3.2 By Application

7.7.4 South Africa

7.7.4.1 By Grade

7.7.4.2 By Application

7.7.5 Rest of Africa

7.7.5.1 By Grade

7.7.5.2 By Application

8 Competitive Landscape  Manufacturers and Suppliers

8.1 Competition Dashboard

8.2 Industry Structure

8.3 Gentle world

8.3.1 Business Overview

8.3.2 Financial Performance

8.3.3 Recent Developments

8.3.4 Product Portfolio

8.4 DDW The Color House

8.4.1 Business Overview

8.4.2 Financial Performance

8.4.3 Recent Developments

8.4.4 Product Portfolio

8.5 Char Hansen Holding A/S

8.5.1 Business Overview

8.5.2 Financial Performance

8.5.3 Recent Developments

8.5.4 Product Portfolio

8.6 Xian LiSheng-Tech Co

8.6.1 Business Overview

8.6.2 Financial Performance

8.6.3 Recent Developments

8.6.4 Product Portfolio

8.7 Sensient Technologies Corporation

8.7.1 Business Overview

8.7.2 Financial Performance

8.7.3 Recent Developments

8.7.4 Product Portfolio

8.8 Naturex, Roha Dyechem Pvt. Ltd.

8.8.1 Business Overview

8.8.2 Financial Performance

8.8.3 Recent Developments

8.8.4 Product Portfolio

8.9 Lake Foods

8.9.1 Business Overview

8.9.2 Financial Performance

8.9.3 Recent Developments

8.9.4 Product Portfolio

9 Conclusion and Recommendation

10 Acronyms and Abbreviations





Table of Content and Figure @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/cochineal-extract-market/toc





News Media

Peruvian Government to Push Cochineal Extract Production





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Market Research Future

Core Banking Solution Market Growth Boost by Rising Banking Activities Like the Payments, Transactions, Updates and Secured Transactions

New York, US, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a comprehensive research report by Market Research Future (MRFR),  Core Banking Solution Market Research Report: By Component, Deployment, and Region - Forecast till 2030, the market is predicted to thrive substantially during the assessment era from 2020 to 2030 at a healthy CAGR of approximately 5.4% to attain a valuation of around USD 10.31 Billion by the end of 2030.

Core Banking Solution Market Overview:

The core banking process refers to the back-end procedure following the banking transaction between various bank branches on a single platform. The global market for core banking has expanded in the recent years. The expanding number of online transactions is the primary parameter supporting the market's growth. Furthermore, the high internet usage in recent days is another crucial parameter boosting the market's growth over the review timeframe. The back-end function of the banking solution is to keep up with the flow of the banking activities such as updates, transactions, payments, user accounts, and the record of financial records. In recent years, utilizing the banking solution, several bank-related activities such as debts, access to their accounts, loan processing, and access to their loans may also be possible.

Competitive Analysis

The catalog of renowned participants across the global market for core banking solutions includes businesses such as:

SAP

HCL

Oracle

Temenos

Infosys

Capgemini

FIS

Infrasoft

Tata

Neloto

Misys

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Core Banking Solution Market USP Covered

Market Drivers

The global market for core banking solutions has grown immensely in the last few years owing to the rising usage of mobile phones, online transactions, and technology.

Market Restraints

On the other hand, the concerns regarding data loss may restrict the market's growth.

Story continues

Report Scope:

Report Metrics Details Market Size by 2030 USD 10.31 Billion CAGR during 2022-2030 5.4% Key Market Opportunities Regional assessment in this report unlocks a plethora of untapped core banking solution market opportunities in regional and domestic market spaces.

Detailed company profiling enables users to evaluate company shares analysis, the scope of the existing and emerging product lines in new markets, pricing strategies, innovation possibilities, and much more. Key Market Drivers Rising focus of banks on customer interaction & engagement to ensure customer retention is creating a substantial demand for banking solutions that can innovatively deal with critical issues, simplifying them for their customers.

Browse In-depth Market Research Report (141 Pages) on Core Banking Solution Market:

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/core-banking-solutions-market-3208

COVID-19 Impact of Core Banking Solution Market

The global health crisis in the form of COVID-19 has had a considerable effect on the mainstream industry sectors across the globe. Unlike all the other market areas, the global market for core banking solutions witnessed substantially positive growth during the pandemic. With all the financial and industrial activities returning on track, the global market for core banking solutions is likely to witness massive growth over the coming years.

Core Banking Solution Market Segment Analysis

Among all the solutions, the enterprise customer solutions segment is predicted to secure the top position across the global market for core banking solutions over the coming years. Enterprise customer solutions effortlessly incorporate CRM and ERP systems and administrate customer information and management tools via the central database of a bank. This assists financial institutions and banks attain economies of scale through data integration for several purposes, such as regulatory reporting, cross-selling, and CRM. Furthermore, these solutions assist banks in recognizing key business drivers and making decisions to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. Core banking solutions enable interconnectivity between branches of the same financial institution and bank and allow the management of credit processing, deposit, and loan.

Among all the services, the professional service segment is predicted to hold the leading position across the global market for core banking solutions over the review era. The segment's growth is credited to the aspects such as a growing focus on adopting open-system architecture and cutting-edge and platform-independent technology. Furthermore, the growing requirement for support at every stage of the software deployment process, such as integration, project management, and pre-implementation of scope and consulting, is also predicted to catalyze the segment's growth. On the other hand, the managed service segment is anticipated to witness maximum growth over the coming years.

Among all the deployment modes, the on-premise segment will dominate the global market for core banking solutions over the review timeframe. However, the cloud segment will likely grow at the maximum CAGR over the coming years.

Among all the end-use sectors, the bank's segment is predicted to lead the global market for core baking solutions over the review era, owing to the internet's growing network and vast information technology advancements. On the contrary, the financial institution segment is predicted to record the highest growth over the coming years.

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Core Banking Solution Market Regional Analysis

The global market for core banking solutions is analysed across five major regions: Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

According to the research reports by MRFR, the Asia-Pacific region is predicted to secure the top position across the global market for core banking solutions over the assessment era. The central aspect supporting the growth of the regional market is the increase in the usage of online transactions across the Asia Pacific region compared to all the other regions. Furthermore, the rise in technology development is also predicted to boost the regional market's growth over the coming years. Moreover, the factors such as improving the standards of online transactions, growing adoption of mobile and web-based business applications, and several banks in the region emphasizing the implementation of core banking systems are also predicted to catalyze the growth of the regional market over the review timeframe. In addition, aspects such as increasing focus on R&D activities & innovations in technology and developing economies of Asia-Pacific countries, such as India and China, are also likely to influence the growth of the regional market over the review era.

The core banking solutions market for the North American region is likely to thrive substantially over the review timeframe. The main factor causing an upsurge in the regional market's growth is the large-scale adoption of advanced core banking software by prominent players across the region. Moreover, small & medium enterprises across the region are deploying these solutions for the efficient flow of finance activities is another crucial parameter supporting the growth of the regional market. In addition, the aspects such as the growing areas of application of these solutions and rapidly increasing sizes of enterprises are also anticipated to catalyze the growth of the regional market over the coming years. Furthermore, the increasing demand for next-generation cloud-based core banking systems in the last few years is also likely to influence the regional market's growth over the review timeframe.

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The core banking solutions market for the European region is likely to thrive over the coming years. the primary factor boosting the regional market's growth is the drastic changes and the growth in the financial and global capital transactions.

Related Reports:

Digital Banking Market , by Services, By Deployment Type, By Technology, By Industries - Forecast till 2030

Mobile Banking Market , By Solution, By Technology, By Deployment - Global Forecast 2030

Banking as a Service Market Research Report: Information by Type, Organization Size, Application, and Region - Forecast till 2027

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Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis regarding diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions.

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Eagle Bancorp, Inc.

BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EagleBank, one of the largest community banks in the Washington, D.C. area, today announced it provided $41,579,740 in financing to Lowe, FLGA., The Davenport Group and USAA Real Estate for a 99-year ground lease with Howard University for a 1.85 acre lot located in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The Lowe plans to develop a 525,000-square-foot, 10-story building with up to 500 apartments, 27,000 square feet of ground floor retail space and 246 below grade parking.



Situated at 2047 9th Street and 2251 Sherman Avenue in the up-and-coming Shaw neighborhood of northwest Washington, DC, the property is just two blocks west of Howard University and Howard University Hospital and three blocks north of the U Street Corridor which is home to a mix of restaurants, theatres and nightlife entertainment venues. With easy access to Georgia and Florida Avenues, the property is also a short walking distance from both the U Street/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo Metro Station and the Shaw-Howard University Metro Station (both on the Green/Yellow lines) and accessible to other mass transit options.

As a top CRE lender in the DC market, EagleBank is proud to contribute to the development of one of the oldest DC neighborhoods  an enclave of businesses, theaters and rowhouses since the 19th-century -- alongside our trusted partners. Our CRE lending team has deep expertise and a unique understanding of the DC area, and the development of this property serves as an example of the flexible lending solutions we can offer, said Ryan Riel, EVP and Chief Real Estate Lending Officer at EagleBank.

The transaction was facilitated by members of EagleBanks experienced commercial real estate team, including senior vice president and market executive Barb Mackin, and vice president and portfolio underwriting manager Steven Rabin.

About Lowe

Los Angeles-based Lowe, formerly known as Lowe Enterprises, is a leading national real estate investment, development and management firm. Over the past 50 years, it has developed, acquired or managed more than $32 billion of real estate assets nationwide as it pursued its mission to build value in real estate by creating innovative, lasting environments and meaningful experiences that connect people and place. Lowe currently has more than $2 billion in commercial real estate projects in the pipeline or under development. In addition to its Los Angeles headquarters, Lowe maintains regional offices in Southern California, Northern California, Charleston, Denver, Seattle, and Washington, DC Lowes hospitality subsidiary, CoralTree Hospitality, operates numerous hotel and resort properties across the US. Lowes commercial property operations subsidiary, Hospitality at Work, brings hospitality inspired-property management service to office buildings nationwide. Lowes affordable housing subsidiary, Concord Communities, is actively developing and redeveloping quality affordable communities in the metropolitan Washington, DC area.

For more information visit www.Lowe-RE.com, www.hospitality-work.com, www.coraltreehospitality.com, www.concordcommunities.com



Story continues

About FLGA

FLGA is a 100% Minority-owned, Washington DC-based real estate development and investment company with a unique blend of public and private sector experiences and successes in the areas of mixed-use and urban lifestyle development. The Company was established in 1995 by Fred L. Greene after serving as the Director of Planning for the District of Columbia from 1984 to 1992. The professionals that make up FLGA have developed and/or participated in the development of approximately 2 million square feet of commercial development across all major asset classes including multifamily residential, office, retail and hotel. Presently, FLGA has more than $900 Million in commercial real estate projects in the pipeline or under development.

For more information, visit www.flgallc.com.

About Davenport

Formed in 2020, Davenport is a boutique real estate and investment advisory firm focused on acquiring value-add and opportunistic real estate in and around the DC Metro area without limitation in multi-family, retail, office and industrial asset classes.

For more information, visit www.davenportdc.com.

About USAA Real Estate

Along with its affiliate companies, USAA Real Estate invests across the risk spectrum for a global client base, managing over $36 billion in net assets under management within a diversified portfolio across North America and Europe. USAA Real Estate provides strategic equity and debt capital, including to capitalize on the accelerating demand for technology-driven real estate assets, to meet the critical need for housing solutions, and for other market and capital structure opportunities exhibiting compelling risk-return characteristics. For more information, visit usrealco.com.

EagleBank Contact

Vikki Kayne,

Chief Marketing Officer

301.986.1800

About Eagle Bancorp, Inc. and EagleBank

Eagle Bancorp, Inc. is the holding company for EagleBank, which commenced operations in 1998. EagleBank is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and conducts full service commercial banking through 16 offices, located in Suburban, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia. EagleBank focuses on building relationships with businesses, professionals and individuals in its marketplace.




TORONTO, Oct. 6, 2022 /CNW/ -

Ewing Morris & Co. Boutique (CNW Group/Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners Ltd.)

First Capital REIT has significantly underperformed its peers despite owning the premier grocery anchored real estate portfolio in Canada.

This disconnect between asset value and performance can no longer be tolerated.

Appoint Kelly Marshall and Darcy Morris to the FCR Board of Trustees to help restore FCR's value.

Ewing Morris issues the following letter to the unitholders of First Capital REIT ("FCR") after its brief meeting with two members of the Board of Trustees (the "Board") on October 4th (the full content and relevant sources of the letter can be accessed here). This meeting was rescheduled by FCR from the original date of September 22nd. During the 12-day delay, the Board was fully aware of both our business concerns and proposed Trustee changes. However, the meeting was perfunctory, and did not address these issues nor provide us with confidence the Board was willing to engage constructively.

We are releasing this letter publicly to halt value destructive capital allocation and appeal directly to unitholders for change.

To our Fellow Unitholders:

Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners Ltd. ("Ewing Morris") is a value-driven firm that invests in a limited number of carefully chosen, undervalued public companies in North America. It is our customary practice to engage actively with the stewards of companies where we have a meaningful ownership position. In many circumstances, management has a defined plan that we support. In other instances, we believe in a company's assets but lack confidence in leadership and may seek to effect change to unlock value. First Capital REIT ("FCR") represents the latter.

We draw fellow unitholders' attention to the following five facts about FCR:

Fact #1  Current FCR Leadership has Consistently Underperformed

Since February 2015, when a change in leadership occurred, FCR has significantly underperformed the S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index and today, more than seven years later, FCR units are trading more than 25% lower.

Story continues

Prior to February 2015, FCR regularly traded at a premium to IFRS NAV. The NAV premium gradually eroded during the CEO's first four years of leadership.

Fact #2  FCR is the Worst Performing Retail REIT in Canada Since 2017

On a one, three and five-year basis, FCR is the worst performing REIT in Canada and has consistently under-performed both the REIT index and its peer group. Today, FCR trades at the widest discount to NAV of any of its peers.

Fact #3 FCR's Underperformance has Been Rewarded

Despite chronic underperformance and a shrinking overall business, FCR's executive compensation continues to grow. Since 2017:

Funds From Operations ("FFO") declined more than 10%

FCR unit price declined more than 25%

CEO total compensation increased by 37%

Named Executive Officer compensation increased by 34%

Bewilderingly, the compensation committee continues to praise the CEO, Adam Paul's leadership:

"The Compensation Committee was of the view that Mr. Paul demonstrated exceptional leadership and his performance could be characterized as having achieved in excess of his individual objective targets."

"The Compensation Committee was of the view that Mr. Paul demonstrated exceptional leadership in 2021, leading to the achievement of many corporate stretch goals."

If Mr. Paul is demonstrating "exceptional leadership" and achieving his targets while the stock price underperforms, perhaps the Board should set new targets.

Fact #4  FCR's Strategy is Incoherent

We suspect that, like us, many investors are struggling to follow FCR's ever-evolving strategy.

We were told the strategy was "fully integrating retail with other uses to create thriving neighborhoods" and "concentrating capital in dense, high growth neighbourhoods" like Liberty Village. The recent sale of 1100 King Street West (below replacement cost) directly contradicts the stated strategy.

We were told FCR was "comfortable with its current debt to assets ratio" and "not focused on deleveraging beyond present levels". The recent decision to "manage net debt to EBITDA to below 10x" and "manage total net debt to less than $4B" directly contradicts the stated strategy.

We were told that "repurchasing FCR units provides the best risk-adjusted opportunity that we have available to us". The recent decision to double the monthly distribution directly contradicts the stated strategy.

These disjointed, contradictory messages do not seem to be coming from a position of strength and confidence in a well thought out strategy on the part of FCR's leadership. Furthermore, these reversals are logically inconsistent:

Skilled capital allocators normally seek to be "greedy when others are fearful". Why commit to asset sales, including deadlines and price expectations, amid significant market turmoil?

If debt reduction is the priority, why increase the distribution ahead of schedule?

If repurchases are the best opportunity, why increase the distribution ahead of schedule?

Most troubling, the most recent announcements, taken together, amount to funding increased distributions with asset sales. This strategy is both reckless and financially unsustainable.

Fact #5  FCR's Leadership has no "skin in the game"

We believe that companies perform best when there is an ownership voice on the Board. Even including trustee fees earned as Deferred Trust Units, the Board collectively owns less than 0.3% of FCR. While we applaud public market purchases in 2022 by several trustees, the absence of insider buying from both the Chairman, Bernard McDonell ("McDonell"), and the CEO speaks volumes about their own confidence in FCR's ever-evolving strategy. McDonell currently owns roughly $40,000 (outside of earned Deferred Trust Units) of units and he has been a trustee for over 15 years.

Ewing Morris' Request For Change

Based on persistent underperformance we believe change is needed. Our fundamental objective is to help restore FCR's premium valuation consistent with its superior asset portfolio. We are publicly requesting two immediate changes to FCR's Board.

Request #1: Immediate appointment of Kelly Marshall to succeed McDonell as independent Chair.

While we acknowledge ongoing board refreshment at FCR, we believe the tone comes from the top. McDonell has been a trustee for more than 15 years, the majority in a lead role. His extended tenure, de minimis ownership and lackluster track record (which includes oversight of another public company into Chapter 11/CCAA restructuring), necessitate his prompt retirement from the Board.

Since the Board has no apparent succession plan, Ewing Morris proposes the immediate appointment of Kelly Marshall ("Marshall"). Marshall represents a significant upgrade to McDonell. Marshall has over 25 years of finance and real estate experience including senior roles at Brookfield, OMERS, Citibank, Fortress Investment Group and Lonestar.

Marshall is currently Chair of Granite REIT ("Granite"), a position he assumed amidst unitholder turmoil in 2017. At Granite, Marshall helped a fragmented Board coalesce around a common strategy then helped lead the strategy's execution. Since Marshall became Chair, Granite has outperformed its benchmark by almost 4x.

Request #2: Immediate appointment of Darcy Morris to FCR Board.

We believe that companies perform best when Boards include an ownership voice. As described above, FCR's Board lacks meaningful personal ownership. The appointment of Darcy Morris ("Morris") would restore an ownership voice to FCR's Board.

Darcy Morris is the co-founder and CEO of Ewing Morris. He would bring an ownership perspective, extensive public company experience and a track record of value creation. Most recently he was a trustee of Cedar Realty Trust ("Cedar"), another grocery-anchored retail REIT. Cedar's stock price increased by 80% during his 16-month tenure which ended when Cedar was sold.

Request #3: Suspend all asset sales.

We believe the Board should immediately suspend all asset sales until the Board transition is complete. Following Board transition, selective asset sales can be evaluated within the framework of a thoughtful, long-term capital allocation strategy.

What Happens Next? That's up to the FCR Board

The release of a public letter creates an unfortunate distraction. To date FCR has responded to our concerns with erroneous claims and attacks on Ewing Morris rather than responding to the fundamental business issues. We expect FCR will now respond to all unitholders in a productive manner and cease deflecting to issues that do not pertain to value creation. Our proposed changes are reasonable: the appointment of two highly qualified trustees and the retirement of an over-tenured Chairman with a lackluster track record. Surely squandering corporate resources in defense of one individual is not in the best interests of FCR. We implore upon FCR to stop its reactionary strategy and failed attempts at value creation. Unitholders have a collective interest in demanding FCR restore its premium valuation.

Sincerely,

John Ewing Darcy Morris

Co-Founder & CIO Co-Founder & CEO

Advisors

McCarthy Tetrault LLP is acting as legal counsel to Ewing Morris.

Additional Information

The information contained in this public letter does not and is not meant to constitute a solicitation of a proxy within the meaning of applicable corporate and securities laws. While Ewing Morris may take additional steps in the future, which may include requisitioning a meeting of unitholders of FCR, soliciting proxies of unitholders, filing a dissident information circular and/or other actions or steps, no such decision has yet been made, nor has any requisition of a meeting been submitted to FCR. There is currently no record date or meeting that has been called and unitholders are not being asked to execute or not execute a proxy with respect to any matter (including any potential nominees of Ewing Morris).

About Ewing Morris:

Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners Ltd. is a value driven Canadian investment firm established in September 2011 by John Ewing and Darcy Morris. Our aim is to achieve preservation and growth of capital for our Limited Partners by focusing on inefficient markets. We do this by relying on fundamental analysis, high conviction and the use of flexible capital. We manage strategies with a focus on small and mid-cap companies. We manage investments for individuals as well as charitable organizations, institutions and corporations.

SOURCE Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners Ltd.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2022/06/c0008.html
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Prague on October 6, Trend reports.

During the meetings, President Ilham Aliyev had a warm conversation with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan looks confused in videos shared on social media. While the leaders were having friendly talks, Pashinyan stood aloof, averted his eyes, and was lost in thoughts.

Such behavior of the Armenian prime minister was observed several times. Wherever Pashinyan is, he experiences communication problems or gets into awkward situations.

One need only remember how Pashinyan almost disrupted the CSTO online summit in January 2022. The leader choked and started muting the microphones in a panic. Later, he decided to end the summit without giving the floor to the President of Russia Vladimir Putin. President Putin had to remind Pashinyan that he had something to add based on the results of the discussions.

During another CSTO online summit in December 2020, the microphone of the Armenian prime minister turned off and he spoke for a long time into the void.

Another embarrassing moment was in December 2019 at a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (SEEC) in St. Petersburg.

Greeting all the heads of EAEU member states, as well as special guests President of Moldova Igor Dodon and Honorary Chairman of the SEEC Nursultan Nazarbayev, Pashinyan didn't give the floor to the leader of the host country Vladimir Putin by declaring the procedure for signing the agreed documents.

President Putin refused to speak after such a violation of the protocol.

We have once again witnessed that Pashinyan is lacking decisiveness, and is always unsure of himself. Everyone is aware of this.




In South Korea, there are about 7.3 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) -- defined as firms with less than 250 employees. Their workforces combined make up 83.1% of all corporation employees in the country, totaling about 17.1 million people, according to OECD data.

To help meet SMEs' financial needs in the country, Seoul-based fintech startup Korea Credit Data (KCD) said Thursday that it has raised $24.7 million in Series D extension financing.

Strategic investors -- Fiserv, a Nasdaq-listed fintech company, and LG Uplus, a telco unit of LG Corporation -- participated in the extension round. In total, KCD has raised about $70 million in its Series D round and about $112 million since its 2016 inception, said CEO of KCD Kelvin Dongho Kim.

The latest financing values the company at approximately $776 million (1.1 trillion KRW). KCD was valued at about $563 million in November last year when it raised $28.1 million in its Series D1.

The startup wants to address small merchants pain points by providing digital financial services, Kim told TechCrunch. In 2017, KCD launched its bookkeeping app for SMEs, called Cash Note, which helps small and mid-sized enterprise owners track a comprehensive overview of cash flow, including revenues, credit card sales and expenditure. The app also provides services like SMEs sales ledgers and policy information. It enables small business owners to connect with other entrepreneurs in their communities looking to scale their businesses.

Most small and mid-sized business owners with low credit records often struggle to secure working capital loans and survive tight cash flow, according to Kim. So the startup added SME-focused lending services to its platform, connecting SMEs entrepreneurs to access capital loan programs, Kim said.

KCD claims that it has more than 1.7 million registered merchants in South Korea and its app has grown into a super app among small and mid-sized business owners.

KCD has acquired South Korean startups, including ImU, a POS (point of sale) service provider, and Persona, a government subsidy alert service for SMEs. The company plans to use its fresh capital to expand its team of 230 and make additional acquisitions.

Its previous backers include KB Kookmin Bank, KB Securities, GS Holdings, KT Investment, Pavilion Capital, Shinhan Card, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, Kakao and Kclavis.
(Bloomberg) -- The OPEC+ alliance agreed to its biggest production cut since the start of the pandemic in Vienna on Wednesday, a move that drew a swift rebuke from the US and prompted Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to increase its price forecast for global benchmark Brent crude this quarter.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Heres what leading analysts have to say about the oil market after the group pledged to slash daily output by 2 million barrels from November:

Morgan Stanley

Brent will find its way to $100 a barrel quicker than we estimated before after OPEC+s move, Morgan Stanley analysts including Martijn Rats said in a note. The reduction risks tightening markets significantly, although much depends on how Russian oil output fares once the European Unions embargo comes into force, they said. The bank increased its Brent forecast $5 to $100 for the first three months of 2023, while keeping its outlook unchanged for the next three quarters.

Goldman Sachs

All the developments we have seen on the supply side at this point very much sets the stage for what we believe will be higher prices into the end of this year, Damien Courvalin, head of energy research, told Bloomberg TV. The bank increased its fourth-quarter estimate for Brent by $10 to $110 a barrel.

UBS Group AG

The oil market is expected to tighten further and Brent will advance above $100 over the coming quarters, analysts including Giovanni Staunovo said in a note. The OPEC+ cut will combine with the European ban on Russian crude imports, the likely end of OECD releases of strategic oil reserves, and higher demand from gas-to-oil switching this winter to squeeze the market.

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ING Groep NV

The move is enough to dramatically change the balance for next year, pushing the market into a deficit for the whole of 2023, Warren Patterson, Singapore-based head of commodities strategy at ING Groep NV, said in an interview. There is clear upside to the banks Brent forecast of $97 a barrel for next year, he said. However, further releases from US strategic reserves are seen as possible, although they would probably have only limited impact.

Citigroup Inc.

While the reduction is large on paper, the effective cut will be much smaller because the group is already failing to reach their quotas, analysts including Francesco Martoccia and Ed Morse said in a note. The move could backfire on OPEC+ if it hits economic activity and oil demand further, they added.

RBC Capital Markets

The actual cut will likely be about 1 million barrels a day, with Saudi Arabia accounting for more than half, analysts including Helima Croft said in a note. While the White House signaled there could be further releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, theres unlikely to be another blockbuster release in the near term, they said.

SPI Asset Management

The oil complex is busy gauging the complexities of the actual cut while factoring in the misalignments between the production and quota, Managing Partner Stephen Innes said in a note. Brent crude could push back above $100 in the next few quarters, he said.

(Adds Morgan Stanleys comments)

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2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Green Thumb Industries

Richard Drexler, former CEO and Chairman of the Board at Quality Products, and Jeff Goldman, seasoned entrepreneur with expertise in CPG brand-building, join Board of Directors

CHICAGO and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Green Thumb Industries Inc. (Green Thumb) (CSE: GTII) (OTCQX: GTBIF), a leading national cannabis consumer packaged goods (CPG) company and owner of RISE Dispensaries , today announced that Richard Drexler, a proven financial executive who currently serves as Chairman of the Audit and Finance Committee at Bison Gear and Engineering and previously served as CEO and Chairman of the Board at Quality Products, and Jeff Goldman, a seasoned entrepreneur with expertise in CPG brand-building, will join the Companys board of directors. Drexler will assume the role of Chair of the Audit Committee in this new capacity. The appointments follow the resignation of three board members, William Gruver, Glen Senk and Dorri McWhorter. The resigning directors informed management that their cause for resignation was not related to Green Thumbs business performance, operations, financial performance, financial statements or financial controls, but rather over a disagreement as to the Companys policies and practices related to personal misconduct. It became clear that the former directors and existing management could not find a resolution satisfactory to all parties.



There comes a time in a companys evolution that a change in leadership is required, and we regret that there was an impasse with the former board members, said Green Thumb Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ben Kovler. There are massive opportunities in front of us and we now have a board aligned with management to provide increased shareholder value. As we enter this next phase for the company, Richards financial discipline and Jeffs strategic brand experience will help us continue to win as we deliver on our long-term vision.

Drexler was CEO and later Chairman of the Board at Quality Products, a manufacturer and distributor of products for aircraft ground support equipment for the military and hydraulic machine tool markets. Under his leadership, Drexler orchestrated strategic changes that pulled the company out of debt and resulted in significant positive cash flow. In addition to his role at Quality Products, Drexler held senior advisory roles at several multi-million dollar manufacturing and product companies.

GTI has proven itself as a truly remarkable cannabis company with a strong purpose, said Drexler. I am thrilled to join Ben and the team at such a pivotal time and drive growth and operational excellence as we help deliver on the Companys growth strategies to maximize shareholder value.

Goldman is a brand veteran and seasoned entrepreneur that has operated and scaled multiple CPG businesses. Under his leadership, Goldman has grown Carols Cookies, a family-owned business founded by his mother in 1979, into a multi-million dollar, nationally distributed brand by successfully partnering with Fortune 500 companies such as Whole Foods Market and Sysco Foodservice. In addition to his role with Carols Cookies, Goldman was the owner and operator of Reed-Union Corporation, known for the top-selling automotive appearance brand in North America, Nu Finish. As the head of domestic and international sales, Goldman forged partnerships with Fortune 100 companies such as Walgreens, Target, Walmart and AutoZone. In 2018, Jeff orchestrated the sale of the companys brands to Energizer Holdings.

Im honored to join Green Thumb, a company creating some of the most iconic brands within the cannabis space, said Goldman. Their ability to innovate with products and create brands and retail environments that resonate with consumers is extremely valuable. I am excited to work alongside Ben and the entire team to ensure that GTI remains the undisputed market leader.

Senk served as Chair of the Executive Committee and a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees. Gruver served as Chair of the Audit Committee and a Member of the Executive Committee. McWhorter served as a member of the Audit Committee.

About Green Thumb Industries:

Green Thumb Industries Inc. (Green Thumb), a national cannabis consumer packaged goods company and retailer, promotes well-being through the power of cannabis while giving back to the communities in which it serves. Green Thumb manufactures and distributes a portfolio of branded cannabis products including &Shine, Beboe, Dogwalkers, Doctor Solomons, Good Green, incredibles and RYTHM. The company also owns and operates rapidly growing national retail cannabis stores called RISE. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Green Thumb has 17 manufacturing facilities, 77 open retail locations and operations across 15 U.S. markets. Established in 2014, Green Thumb employs approximately 4,000 people and serves millions of patients and customers each year. The company was named to Crains Fast 50 list in 2021 and 2022 and a Best Workplace by MG Retailer magazine in 2018, 2019 and 2021. More information is available at www.GTIgrows.com .

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains statements which may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words may, would, could, should, will, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, or similar expressions and include information regarding the filing of the Documents and the timing thereof. The forwardlooking information in this news release is based upon the expectations of future events which management believes to be reasonable. Any forwardlooking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and, except as required by law, Green Thumb does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forwardlooking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forwardlooking information in this news release is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those express or implied. When considering these forwardlooking statements, readers should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in Green Thumbs public filings with the applicable securities regulatory authorities, including with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on its website at www.sec.gov and with Canadas System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com, as well as on Green Thumbs website at https://investors.gtigrows.com, including the in the Risk Factors section of the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Investor Contact: Media Contact: Andy Grossman MATTIO Communications EVP, Capital Markets & Investor Relations GTI@mattio.com InvestorRelations@gtigrows.com 310-622-8257

Source: Green Thumb Industries




Harnessing the power afforded an Oscar winner, let alone someone with two little gold men on their mantel, is a delicate endeavor. On the one hand, an Academy Award is forever. Its an honor that becomes an honorific  attached to your name from the moment its won until well after it cant be attained again. But despite its seemingly timeless distinction, an Oscar can still fade along with the star its tied to  becoming a descriptor in name only, without the capacity to command the attention it once did.

Hilary Swank, a two-time winner of the film worlds top prize, and Tom McCarthy, a three-time nominee who took home the trophy once himself, are in no danger of losing the respect earned from works like Boys Dont Cry, Million Dollar Baby, and Logan Lucky, as well as Spotlight, Up, The Visitor, and The Station Agent. But it would be hard pressed to spot any of the ambition put into those acclaimed projects in the pairs TV collaboration.

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Alaska Daily, created by McCarthy (who writes and directs the pilot), and starring Swank (who also serves as an executive producer), is objectively not good. Perhaps one could argue that if the goal was to make two episodes of procedural television that are utterly indistinguishable from the decades of procedural TV that preceded them, then, yes, OK, maybe the creative team behind Alaska Daily did right by their charge. But at best, the first two hours are forgettable. At worst, theyre insulting  to anyone whos actually lived in a small town and to anyone who expects more from people clearly capable of it.

Jeff Perry in Alaska Daily - Credit: Darko Sikman / ABC

Darko Sikman / ABC

The latter point proves particularly vexing  given the series half-assed attempt to explain the divisive state of America by claiming a lack of effort on both sides  but that, at least, is an Episode 2 problem. First, we have to meet Eileen Fitzgerald (Swank), an award-winning investigative journalist working on a story that could oust the Presidents pick for Secretary of Defense. Eileen claims shes done her homework. Shes spent five months on the article, met in secret with high-level sources, and vetted the damning materials herself. Somehow, despite all this, she only has one source  or so claims an inquisitive legal assistant shortly before the report publishes  and before we can tell if Eileen is, in fact, a bad reporter, shes getting doxxed by her enemies, hung out to dry by her editor, and canceled by people she refers to as scared woke wussies.

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Never fear, Eileen. Questionable journalistic practices and office bullying accusations (she was verbally dismissive to that legal assistant) have never stopped anyone with a strong online following from making money online. But rather than setting up a Patreon, Eileen gets a surprise visit from her former editor, Stanley Cornik (Jeff Perry). Hes flown to New York to ask his former ace reporter to resume her duties at The Alaska Daily, a news outlet housed in Anchorage, Alaska. With a staff of 25 covering the largest state in America, theres plenty of stories to be found north of Vancouver, he promises, and the paper (yes, they still print a physical paper) needs Eileens experience, instincts, and tenacity to keep the citizens of our countrys third least-populated state in the know.

Soon enough, shes jogging alongside a giant moose and sharing drinks with a poet/pilot, all while learning which local customs are worth respecting, and which need to be overrun by her big city know-how. Anchorage (pop. 291,000) is Alaskas largest city, but that doesnt stop McCarthy & Co. from treating it like a small town  and treating its residents like dummies. One young reporter is so naive, she needs a pep talk to understand the basic purpose of her job. The second-most senior editor is similarly in the dark over why journalists and cops may not always see eye to eye. And as for the Alaskans who dont work at the Daily, forget about it. Within the first two episodes, multiple adults confess to major felonies without so much as light pressure being applied  and confess on the record!

Such eagerness to be found out can be partly chalked up to the way procedurals work: Each week, theres a mystery, and each week, the mystery is solved. (Alaska, Daily also has a long-term, serialized investigation focusing on a pattern of murdered Indigenous women.) Audiences can take comfort in getting firm answers to one plot while anticipating answers to the other plot in future episodes. Its a tried-and-true formula, but one thats given zero flair here. Everything you expect to happen in Alaska Daily will happen, and theres too little humor, romance, and wit to turn a rote crime procedural into a comforting weekly watch. (Even the moose fits a pattern established long ago where our protagonist goes for their morning run, only to come face to face with a wild animal.)

To be clear, Alaska Daily could be a successful procedural. Not every Academy Award winning duo has to put out an HBO-style drama of the ilk typically chased by prestige talent like Swank and McCarthy. And after two episodes, the show could set itself on a better course. But whats so dispiriting thus far, aside from its condescending attitude toward an imaginary small town (300,000 people isnt small!), is that the series takes its procedural format for granted. Just two years ago, ABC released another crime procedural set in the Pacific Northwest, and Stumptown was really freaking good, in part, because its characters felt genuine, its humor was on point, and it didnt act like just because it has a few appealing names attached people would care enough to keep tuning in.

Stumptown worked to earn a brief but beloved following, but Alaska Daily isnt just a fish-out-of-water story spouting enough political buzzwords to feign significance. Its lazy. And not even an Oscar (or two) means you can get away with not trying.

Grade: C-

Alaska Daily premieres Thursday, October 6 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. New episodes will premiere weekly and stream on Hulu.

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Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2022) - Hill Street Beverage Company Inc. (TSXV: HILL) ("Hill Street", or the "Company"), is pleased to provide a letter to all shareholders from CEO Craig Binkley, with a preview of selected preliminary unaudited financial results highlights for the three-month and twelve-month periods ended June 30, 2022 and an update on operations.

Dear Hill Street Shareholders,

As I stated in my August 11, 2022 Update Letter, fiscal year 2022 was by far the most successful fiscal year in the history of Hill Street. That update included a significant review of the specific operational successes of the Company throughout the year that have helped to drive our financial results. While 2022 audited financials are due at the end of this month, I want to share a preliminary view of select unaudited results which show a strong continuation of the growth trend of the business. In addition, I want to share several operational updates on our business lines to provide context for these results and to preview our evolving business initiatives as we progress through FY23.

Stellar Q4 Performance Drove Significant Growth in Financial Metrics for Q4 and the Full Year

Anticipated consolidated net revenue more than doubled in Q4 of fiscal year 2022, growing a dramatic +118% vs. Q4 one year ago. Full fiscal year 2022 net revenue growth is expected to finish at a robust +42% vs. fiscal 2021, completing a very strong growth year.

Expected gross profit grew even faster than revenues. The quarter marks the first time that this key metric will have surpassed $500,000, with +127% growth vs. Q4 one year ago. Expected gross profit for the full fiscal year 2022 grew an impressive +47% vs. fiscal 2021.

These preliminary results evidence the Company's sustained financial performance that we have previously highlighted. Graph 1 below, which was first introduced in my April 5, 2022 CEO Letter has been updated to include the quarterly trailing 12-month figures (TTM) for net revenue and gross profit from September 2019 to June 30, 2022, an analysis period that covers the past three full fiscal years. The figures above each line represent the change vs. prior year for that metric. Additionally, the figures in the green boxes represent the gross profit margin expressed as a % of net revenue.

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As communicated previously, TTM net revenues have been increasing consistently between 24% and 53% since Q4 of fiscal 2020 - a period of nine quarters. TTM gross profits have been increasing even more rapidly, and the profit margin on the business has increased significantly from 31% in Q3 2020 to a sustained 52-53% for the last four quarters, including the anticipated Q4 2022 figure. Driving profitable growth is our mission and these key financial metrics indicate that we've been successful at that.

Graph 1



To view an enhanced version of Graph 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5205/139750_7033bedd242ec8a4_001full.jpg

Note: The preliminary fiscal year 2022 and Q4 financial results are unaudited, subject to revision, and anticipated to be finalized and released by late October 2022. The Company's final audited financial results for the fiscal year 2022 and Q4 could differ materially from these selected preliminary results.

We Implemented a Significant Streamlining of the Vin( Zero) Alcohol-Free Wine Business in Q4

Early in the fiscal year, we began an evaluation of our commercial operating system for Vin(Zero), with many of the recommendations from that program being implemented in Q4. We made major adjustments across all the key areas of production planning, shipping and logistics, warehousing, sales and retail distribution. We expect to see several key positive financial impacts from these changes over time. Importantly, we have:

shortened our order-to-cash cycle dramatically;

reduced the level of working capital that we will be holding in finished goods inventory; and

structured our forecasting, operations planning, and inventory logistics models to create a more efficient shipping cycle that will reduce the need for more expensive temperature-controlled containers for our products.

However, an important by-product of these changes is that we expect to see more dramatic quarter-to-quarter swings on the recognized revenues of this business. As we've previously explained, the alcohol-free wine business often had quarterly sales shifts resulting from depleted inventories from supply chain issues or COVID-related delays. These inventory problems often caused additional fees from retailers, multiplying the negative impact of the inefficiencies. It was therefore always our view that it was more accurate to look at the business over time to determine the true sales and financial trends.

In this new streamlined commercial model, we will be placing larger orders less frequently, but more rapidly converting those orders to revenues on the P&L and cash on the balance sheet. As a result, we will provide normalizations and longer-term trend analysis for our investors to better understand the true performance of the business.

Q4 of fiscal 2022 got a boost in estimated revenues because we shifted our model and converted warehoused finished goods inventory to revenue and importantly, into cash. We will provide more detail on those impacts when we release the audited results.

Importantly, while a lot of attention has been placed on the launches of our cannabis projects, the Vin(Zero) business has allowed us to generate cash for operations in a way that many other cannabis-related companies can't. We continue to believe in the growth opportunity of this business as we continue to expand our view beyond Canada, and we believe that the new model will be a more efficient operational and financial approach to profitably capturing that growth.

DehydraTECH TM Technology Licensing Business Delivered a Strong Year of Expansion and Growth

As we've said before, integrating the DehydraTECH licensing business into the Company following our December 2020 acquisition from Lexaria Bioscience Corp. changed our business financially, operationally, and geographically. The DehydraTECH rights have allowed us to build plans to fundamentally grow our business beyond Canada into global markets, beyond beverages into cannabis technology, and beyond B2C into B2B scale opportunities as we work to build a global, multi-business company pioneering the space where premium crafted consumer products meet bioscience.

As noted previously, as of July 2021, the Company only had one DehydraTECH licensee operating live in-market with DehydraTECH THC-infused products - the owner of the "1906 Drops" line of products ("1906"), which were then available in four U.S. states, with 1906's cannabis-infused chocolate products then also available primarily in Colorado.

By the end of fiscal 2022 our U.S. footprint was up to eight states, representing a population of over 90 million people[1] (+305% vs. the 29.5MM with which we started the fiscal year) and an addressable market of $19.2B USD[2] in estimated 2022 total cannabis sales.

With 1906's expansion into Ohio and Pennsylvania in Q1 of fiscal 2023, we now have an operating footprint in the U.S. covering ten states with a total population of 115MM[3] and an addressable market of approximately $21.5B USD in estimated 2022 cannabis sales[4]. That footprint covers states generating almost two-thirds of the addressable market of $33B USD in projected total U.S. cannabis sales for 2022[5], up from our coverage of less than one-quarter of total U.S. cannabis sales at the beginning of FY 2022.

Expected revenues for fiscal year 2022 from DehydraTECH licensing are approximately $550,000 vs. just over $200,000 in fiscal year 2021. As we've previously highlighted, in fiscal year 2022, we have not yet realized the full impact of revenues expected from many of the DehydraTECH product launches and expansion plans of new and existing licensees that have been announced as they continue to roll out.

Recently Announced Expansions Are Now Hitting the Markets Live:

1906 Drops have expanded to Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio in Q1 of fiscal year 2023.

Lume launched their brand utilizing DehydraTECH in Michigan dispensaries in September.

Neo Alternatives launched their Root 66 brand utilizing DehydraTECH in Massachusetts dispensaries in September.

Folium Farms is expected to launch their Karma brand utilizing DehydraTECH in Oregon in early October.

Importantly, this licensing business unit has a very attractive financial structure. It is a low operating expense business, with even lower capital expense required of the Company. As the revenues continue to grow and make up a greater percentage of the total consolidated financials, we expect it to continue to improve the overall financial efficiency metrics of the company and further drive our cash efficiency.

We Are Re-evaluating Our Overall Cannabis Strategy for Canada and Withdrawing Our (V)ia Regal Cannabis Beverage Initiative from the Canadian market

Before discussing the important strategic rationale behind our decision to withdraw our (V)ia Regal cannabis beverage initiative from the Canadian market, it is important to note that the exceptional financial numbers that I have shared earlier in this update do not include any revenues from the sale of (V)ia Regal beverages in Canada. We will provide more details when we release our audited fiscal year 2022 results, but the revenues from our Canadian cannabis beverage business were very disappointing and overall, this has turned out to be an unprofitable initiative for Hill Street due to the complexities of the business system that was put in place.

Our rationale in coming to this decision was based on several factors:

The cannabis beverage market is in very early-stage development but is already highly saturated.

Beverages hover around only 2% cannabis market share in Canada and around 1% in the US[6]. Yet there is an exploding number of distinct products fighting for that small and relatively stable share, increasing from around ten products in June of 2020 to over 100 by January 2022 in the Canadian provinces. That type of competitive intensity often drives price and margin compression as we've seen in other markets, as brands pay to secure scarce retail space and drop pricing to compete for consumer purchases.

Based on my almost forty years operating in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages across the globe with leading companies and brands, I personally believe that the ready-to-drink (RTD) cannabis beverage market is going to take a longer time and significant capital investment to develop. Large investments in capital equipment for manufacturing have been made by LPs in Canada and the US, but it will also take additional significant investment at retail for cold drink equipment - just as we've needed those major investments to drive presence, consumer purchase and growth in other beverage categories.

In addition, RTD beverages have higher costs to transport, warehouse, and stock at retail due to weight and bulk vs. other edible products, so the category will always be competing with more efficient cannabis alternatives for distribution and shelf space.

There are significant regulatory challenges in the Canadian cannabis market.

The planning of our (V)ia Regal initiative, like many other cannabis initiatives in Canada, began before cannabis edibles were even legal, and before the final cannabis regulations were published by Health Canada. It is now well known that there are significant regulatory challenges in the Canadian cannabis market with very limited abilities to promote products.

Marketing and promotion in mainstream markets provide necessary navigation for consumers and drive differentiation for brands - it's not just about delivering a product with a name and a logo. The regulatory limitations on cannabis promotion in Canada make it unfeasible for us to support a premium cost / premium priced product like (V)ia Regal. Because of Health Canada's interpretation of Canadian cannabis promotion regulations, we have had to withdraw multiple elements of our marketing tools and basic messaging around the core product proposition and ingredients. Our inability to effectively promote the brand was further exacerbated by the complex chain of cannabis licenses needed in the route to market, as we could not operate directly without our own licenses.

The (V)ia Regal business system is not financially efficient.

The supply chain and manufacturing model for (V)ia Regal was not financially efficient, unlike the key drivers of our success on our other two business lines. Hill Street took on significant amounts of inventory of alcohol-free wine - the base of the (V)ia Regal product, because of the long lead time order and production cycle for that base material. The alcohol-free wine imported as a bulk wine input into (V)ia Regal has a comparatively shorter shelf life than when imported as our Vin(Zero) finished goods. As we ordered bulk wine inventory based on early aggressive forecasts for the industry and, as early forecasts for the (V)ia Regal business did not materialize, we have had to write off significant amounts of that inventory due to code date expiration and spoilage.

The cannabis market size in Canada is relatively small vs. our US DehydraTECH opportunity.

The (V)ia Regal business was our first cannabis initiative in Canada and was in development well before we acquired the rights to DehydraTECH technology. Canada has a total population of 38MM, with addressable cannabis market sales estimated to be just under CDN $4B2 in 2021. Contrast those figures with the US population of 115MM and approximately USD $21.5B market that we are currently operating with our DehydraTECH footprint in the US, and it's clear that the larger opportunity for our resources is DehydraTECH in the US. The dramatic difference in the financial efficiency and profitability of the two cannabis businesses amplifies the rationale to prioritize the US DehydraTECH business.

While we remain committed to developing quality options for Canadian consumers to have great-tasting drinks with THC, the (V)ia Regal results to date and overall Canadian cannabis beverage market conditions have made it such that we believe it would be prudent for us to withdraw from this market at this time and to redirect our efforts to higher and more efficient returning initiatives in our portfolio.

Therefore, we are announcing today that we have made the decision with our Health Canadalicensed manufacturing and sales partner Molecule Inc. to no longer produce any additional quantities of (V)ia Regal Pink Grape or White Grape sparklers, the two products that we launched together. Once existing inventories of (V)ia Regal products are sold through, they will no longer be available for sale in Canada.

Our Longer-Term View of Winning Consumer Occasions with Cannabis Beverages

While we are withdrawing from the RTD cannabis beverage business in Canada at this time, we do believe that there will be global opportunities for this business in the future, as the category and commercial systems more fully develop. At the appropriate time, we expect to return to product R&D and concept development on the cannabis infused RTD beverage category utilizing our patented DehydraTECH technology as the backbone vs. the other technologies and ingredient systems being used across the current RTD cannabis beverage market.

In the meantime, we also continue to work on securing a licensed partner in Canada that could support a DehydraTECH manufacturing operation, which would allow us to potentially launch a consumer form factor that could be mixed into a consumer's favorite drink to win occasions. Interestingly, drops, mixes, elixirs and syrups are the largest segment of the cannabis beverage category in the US markets, and we are continually expanding our experience and knowledge base in those segments as we work with our US DehydraTECH licensees. These form factors leverage the infrastructure and presence of existing RTD beverages in the market - both at home and on premise - and allow for more individual customization of consumer beverages to their favorite types and flavors that they already buy and consume.

Lastly, we continue to evaluate options for our Mississauga, Ontario Lucknow facility but have paused any additional investments through the end of calendar 2022, as we utilize our cash on initiatives that have a higher and more immediate return.

We Continue to Make Progress on Building Our Corporate Reputation

As mentioned in the August update, we have now done significant work internally on the Hill Street corporate reputation strategies and plans for both B2B industry awareness and investor relations support. We are actively working with The Panther Group to help drive many of these reputation-building activities with us through their network and programs. We worked closely with them to make additional connections and introductions at two events in September 2022 - the Benzinga Capital Conference in Chicago and MJ Unpacked in Las Vegas. We will share additional programs and materials as they develop, but we believe that our exceptional business performance provides a strong foundation on which to expand and amplify our awareness and reputation.

Summary

In summary, we had a transformative fiscal year 2022 with major operational advances leading to the outstanding financial performance that we've previewed here. We enter fiscal year 2023 with the impact of many of those fiscal 2022 operating successes expected to hit our financial results in FY 2023, as well as several important new wins that have already kicked off this fiscal year.

We appreciate your support and hope you share our excitement about the FY22 financial results and the coming year.

Sincerely,

Craig Binkley, CEO

About Hill Street Beverage Company Inc. (TSXV: HILL)

Hill Street Beverage Company Inc. is a progressive non-alcoholic beverage and cannabis solutions company. We are pioneering the space where craft consumer products meet bioscience by combining our deep CPG expertise and our rights to use Lexaria Bioscience Corp.'s ground-breaking DehydraTECH patent portfolio for product development, licensing and B2B sales of cannabis ingredients.

For more information on our business activities or to check out Hill Street's award-winning alcohol-free line-up and order product to be delivered straight to your home go to https://hillstreetbeverages.com/wines/ .

For more information:

Craig Binkley, Chief Executive Officer

craig@hillstreetbevco.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements in this press release may contain forward-looking information. Any statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "would", "anticipate", "expects", and similar expressions. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances, such as future availability of capital on favourable terms, may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by securities law.

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.

Not for dissemination in the United States.

[1] US Census Bureau, https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045221

[2] MJBiz Factbook 2022

[3] US Census Bureau, https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045221

[4] MJBiz Factbook 2022

[5] MJBiz Factbook 2022

[6] "Cannabis Beverages: A look at category trends & performance", Headset 2022 Report, https://www.headset.io/industry-reports/cannabis-beverages-a-look-at-category-trends-performance#form

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139750
FILE PHOTO: RJ45 cables are pictured inside the data centre operated by French telecoms operator Iliad in Paris

ROME (Reuters) - Iliad has signed a deal with rival broadband operator Fastweb to extend its fibre offer in Italy as the French telecoms group taps into greater demand for ultra-fast connectivity, the companies said on Thursday.

Under the agreement, Fastweb, which is the Italian business of Swisscom, will offer access to its ultra-fast fibre network across Italy, enabling Iliad to cover more than 10 million households by early next year.

Iliad entered the Italian fixed-line broadband market in January after shaking up the country's mobile market with its low-cost offer in 2018.

The group, owned by French billionaire Xavier Niel, previously signed similar fibre deals with Telecom Italia and Open Fiber.

(Reporting by Alvise Armellini, Elvira Pollina; Editing by Keith Weir)
(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia will curb liquefied natural gas shipments to Japan this winter after a pipeline leak disrupted exports, another hit to already strained global supplies of the power-station fuel.

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Petroliam Nasional Bhd. has made a request to reduce contracted deliveries to several Japanese customers through the year-end, according to traders with knowledge of the matter. Petronas said Wednesday that it declared force majeure on supply to its LNG export facility due to a leak on Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline on Sept. 21.

Read more: Petronas Declares Force Majeure on Gas Supply to LNG Plant

A landslide last month likely caused damage to the conduit, although it may be repaired before the end of the year, according to traders. Roughly 10 LNG shipments will be lost over the next three months, they estimated. Malaysia delivered 51 cargoes to Japan from October through December last year, according to ship-tracking data. Japan is the biggest buyer of Malaysian LNG.

The reduction in scheduled shipments threatens to intensify a scramble in Asia to find replacement cargoes, boosting competition with Europe for scarce supply. Global gas prices surged to a record earlier this year after Russias invasion of Ukraine upended energy markets.

The state-owned Petronas didnt respond to a request for comment regarding the impact on Japanese customers.

Japan, which imports most of its energy needs, is grappling with a worsening shortfall, and narrowly avoided blackouts earlier this year. The government is expected to call on residents and businesses to conserve power this winter.

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TipRanks

Not many hedge managers have ignited as much controversy as Cathie Wood. The founder of Ark Invest has built her brand on running against the crowd. From her early embrace of tech stocks to her outspoken political conservatism, Cathie Wood has always been something of a lightning rod. Wood is staking her reputation and fortune on a belief that new technologies, and especially the way that new technologies will interact with each other, are going to completely transform our world. In her view, se
Microsoft has held conversations to invest in the Indian play-to-earn gaming platform Zupee in recent weeks and proposed to potentially lead a funding round of over $100 million, two people familiar with the matter told TechCrunch, the latest in a series of bets from the cloud services giant to expand its business in the key overseas market.

The two firms havent reached an agreement and there is a reasonable chance the deal will not materialize, the people cautioned. A team within Microsoft has expressed apprehension about optics around betting and advised the global tech giant to steer away from the deal, a person briefed on the details said.

Zupee declined to comment. Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment late last month. Like many other startups, including Oyo, in which Microsoft has invested in India, the Zupee deal sought to have the startup use Azure and other Microsoft cloud services as part of the deal, two people familiar with the matter said.

The New Delhi-headquartered Zupee -- which has raised over $120 million to date, including about $100 million in its Series B round that it closed in January this year -- operates what it describes as a "skill-based casual gaming" platform. The firm, which was last valued at $600 million, has garnered over 70 million downloads across board games such as ludo, snakes and ladder, and playing cards and carrom.

In January, it formed what it described as a "first-of-its-kind strategic" partnership with Jio Platforms, India's largest telecom operator with over 420 million subscribers. The two firms will work to build an "ecosystem that will facilitate faster and more efficient development and distribution of products and services," Zupee said in a press release earlier.
SAN DIEGO, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nomad Temporary Housing, a leading global provider of temporary accommodations, today announced the promotion of Karl Thuge to President. He will have primary responsibility for leading the organization into its next phase of growth, further developing Nomad's technology and talent to better serve its valued clients.

The most awarded company in global temporary housing (PRNewsfoto/Nomad Temporary Housing)

"Karl has been an integral part of Nomad's success, and I am thrilled to promote him to this leadership role," said Gavan James, Nomad CEO and Founder. Going forward, Gavan will focus on the company's growing footprint, major client focus, and administration. Heather James, EVP/Partner, continues in her role focusing on clients, sales, and marketing.

Mr. Thuge joined the company in 2011 as EVP/Partner and quickly made an impact on the business. His ability to motivate and inspire people has contributed to the success of Nomad globally. Mr. Thuge has been a pillar of the global mobility community for many years, and has held previous leadership roles with Bank of America and GMAC Relocation Mortgage, among others.

Nomad Temporary Housing, with global headquarters in San Diego, California, is a leading provider of temporary apartments, serviced apartments and extended-stay hotel solutions around the world. Nomad is not a broker, managing stays from start to finish for its valued corporate and relocation clients. Nomad utilizes its vast array of partners to offer thousands of apartments and suite hotel rooms to clients in the locations they need, with the selection of choice they demand. Our top clients report Nomad's service delivery is a step above any other global serviced accommodation brand. Nomad also has regional offices in Phoenix, London, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. For more information, visit www.nomadtemphousing.com

For additional details, please contact Heather James at hjames@nomadtemphousing.com

Cision

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SOURCE Nomad Temporary Housing
By Trend

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for seeking U.S. assistance amid ongoing tensions with Turkiye, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah.

"The Greek Prime Minister is seeking help from the U.S. Against what? Against Turkiye. Whatever you do, we will continue to and are ready to do whatever is necessary," the president told a conference marking the week of the Prophet Muhammad's birth in the capital Ankara.

Erdogan also repeated his criticism of Greek pushbacks of irregular migrants in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.

"We watch in awe as Greek ferries bury innocent people in the Aegean and Mediterranean," the president said, as he also criticized the world for remaining silent in face of Greek violations.

His criticism came a day after Greek officials said Mitsotakis would agree to meet with Erdogan on the sidelines of a European summit later this week if the latter asked.

Long-simmering tensions between the two countries, which are NATO allies but historic foes, have flared anew recently due to treaty violations and provocations by Greece.

Erdogan has accused Greece of "crimes against humanity," referring to its treatment of migrants and illegal pushbacks, and of arming islands in the Aegean Sea that have a demilitarized status.
TOLEDO, Ohio, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JobsOhio, along with the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP) and the Ohio Manufacturers' Association (OMA) announced a pilot project to increase the number of workers with in-demand skills to power northwest Ohio manufacturers.

"In Ohio, we are committed to creating job opportunities while also ensuring workers have access to in-demand skills training so they can be hired quickly," said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. "Through this collaborative effort, career technical and community colleges, along with businesses will work hand-in-hand to fill high-paying positions while improving Northwest Ohio's manufacturing competitiveness."

Manufacturing is the largest sector in Ohio's economy, providing nearly 700,000 jobs with an average pay of $63,000. The pilot program includes a sophisticated marketing campaign across a 17-county area supported by a full-time recruitment partner who will guide candidates into local manufacturing jobs or training programs.

"This first-of-its-kind pilot project enables us to generate a direct pipeline between advanced manufacturing talent and the companies that need a skilled workforce," said Lt. Governor Jon Husted, who leads the Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation. "Improving access to the best and the brightest in Northwest Ohio sends a strong signal to companies in Ohio and globally that our state is the ideal location to build and create success."

Unique to the pilot will be a full-time recruitment partner who will assist job seekers on behalf of employers and training institutions, matching them with local job opportunities in manufacturing, training opportunities at six regional education providers, and/or additional support services found through Ohio's workforce development system.

"Because the recruitment partner is a third party and doesn't work for a specific training provider or employer, they can facilitate the connections that are best for the job seeker and the northwest Ohio manufacturing industry as a whole," said Ryan Augsburger, president of the OMA.

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This new financial commitment is combined with a previous JobsOhio investment of $1.5 million to pay for equipment and software for the Penta Career Center, Apollo Career Center, Vantage Career Center, Vanguard-Sentinel Career & Tech Center, Northwest State Community College, and Owens Community College.

Students who wish to participate can do so by registering on https://makingohio.com/all

"This innovative pilot project is positioned to meet a critical demand of more than 14,000 manufacturing jobs in Northwest Ohio," said J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio president and CEO. "We are proud to partner with the OMA and our regional partners to deliver the level of talent needed to fill these crucial advanced manufacturing jobs."

JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention, and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio through Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

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SOURCE JobsOhio
Fortune Business Insights

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global Orphan Drugs Market size is expected to reach USD 340.84 Billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 10.5% during the forecast period, 2022-2027

Pune, India, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The rising prevalence for chronic diseases is a major factor expected to drive the global orphan drugs market during the forecast period. In the base year i.e. 2019, the global market was accounted for US$ 151.00 Billion and is estimated to reach US$ 340.84 Billion by forecast year i.e. 2027. Furthermore, the global market is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 10.5% throughout the forecast years.

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

June 2020  Chiasma, Inc. announced that the company had received the FDA approval for their product offering of Mycapssa for the treatment of acromegaly, a rare disorder.

June 2020  Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the company had received the FDA Orphan Drug Designation for their pipeline candidate of Mitapivat for the treatment of Thalassemia.

May 2020  AstraZeneca, and Daiichi Sankyo Company announced that the company had received the FDA Orphan Drug Designation for their product offering of Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) for the treatment of patients with gastric cancer, including gastroesophageal junction cancer.





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Report Scope

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2020 to 2027 Forecast Period 2020 to 2027 CAGR 10.5% 2027 Value Projection USD 340.84 Billion Base Year 2019 Market Size in 2019 USD 151.00 Billion Historical Data for 2016 to 2018 No. of Pages 135





North America Continues to Remain Strong Until 2027 Backed by Governments Support

North America dominated the global orphan drugs market in 2019 by generating a revenue of 151.00 Billion. The region continues to remain strong throughput the forecast period between 2019 and 2027. The rising support from governments regarding research and development (R&D) of orphan drugs is driving the market in North America. This region is likely to witness the highest number of FDA approvals for the orphan drug development, encouraging companies to develop new orphan drugs. Further to this, the increasing emphasis on the implementation of orphan drugs act in North America is likely to create growth opportunities in the market. Besides North America, Europe is also anticipated to witness considerable growth owing to the incentivization of orphan drug manufacturing. Asia Pacific is expected to exhibit a considerable CAGR during the forecast period. This is ascribable to the increasing prevalence of rare diseases.

Story continues





Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market.

Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/orphan-drugs-market-100088





Rising Prevalence of Cancer and Related Diseases Fuels Demand for Orphan Drugs

The oncology segment is witnessing considerably high demand on account of the rising number of patients suffering from different types of cancers. This also increases the demand for novel therapeutics, which as per the report will bode well for the global orphan drugs market. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the U.S. is likely to witness around 1,762,450 new cancer cases in 2019. Spurred by these numbers, the demand for orphan drugs is likely to increase in the coming years. Governments are investing heavily to build a strong framework for supporting drug development, thus offering a significant impetus to the orphan drugs market. Furthermore, the return on investment, with regards to orphan drugs, is expected to be higher than non-orphan drugs, which in turn is increasing the demand for orphan drug therapeutics worldwide.

People across the world are becoming more aware about the rising prevalence of rare disorders and importance of orphan drugs, stated a lead analyst at Fortune Business insights. This, coupled with robust support from EU and FDA to drug development, drives the orphan drugs market, he added. Several pharma companies are also putting continuous efforts to develop orphan drugs, thus improving creating scope for generating more revenue in the overall global market for orphan drugs.





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Treatment and Medications Associated with Rare Diseases are Expensive, Limiting Growth of Orphan Drugs Market

Although the orphan drugs market is growing at a good pace, there are some factors that may hinder its growth. High cost of orphan drugs, insufficient information on rare diseases, and lack of skilled healthcare professionals are factors restricting growth in the global orphan drugs market. In addition to this, rising competition from generic industries may pose a serious threat to the growth of the market.

Emergence of New Players to Drive the Orphan Drug Market and Increase Competition

The global orphan drugs market is anticipated to pave way for the entry of several new players in the coming years. This is mainly because of the rapid drug development and discovery over the years. Several leading companies are manufacturing orphan drugs to build a nimble and agile framework. Some of the savvy players present in the global orphan drugs market are Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Biogen, Eli Lilly and Company, Bayer AG, Amgen Inc., and Pfizer Inc. These leading players are likely to give tough competition to the small entrants. Therefore, these small scale companies may need support from governments and other authorities to sustain in the market.





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Segmentation

Market Segmentation By Therapy Area Oncology

Hematology

Neurology

Endocrinology

Cardiovascular

Respiratory

Immunotherapy By Distribution Channels Hospital Pharmacy

Retail Pharmacy

Online Sales By Geography North America (USA and Canada)

Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia and Rest of Europe)

Asia Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, Southeast Asia and Rest of Asia Pacific)

Latin America (Brazil, Mexico and Rest of Latin America)

Middle East & Africa (South Africa, GCC and Rest of Middle East & Africa)





Some of the Main Key Players Covered in the Report

Amgen Inc. (Thousand Oaks, U.S.)

Bayer AG (Leverkusen, Germany)

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (Basel, Switzerland)

Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Boston, U.S.)

Novo Nordisk A/S (Bagsvrd, Denmark)

Novartis AG (Basel, Switzerland)

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (New York, U.S.)

AstraZeneca (Cambridge, U.K.)

DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED (Tokyo, Japan)

GlaxoSmithKline plc (Brentford, U.K.)

Other Players





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Detailed Table of Content:

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Market Trends

Key Insights Prevalence of major orphan disease, by key countries Pipeline review for orphan drugs Technological Developments Healthcare spending for key countries  2017

Global Orphan Drugs Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2014-2025 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Therapy Area Oncology Hematology Neurology Endocrinology Cardiovascular Respiratory Immunotherapy Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Drug Type Biologics Non-Biologics Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Distribution Channels Hospital Pharmacy Retail Pharmacy Online Sales Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Geography North America Europe Asia Pacific Rest of the World



Continued...

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The Ambition Africa Forum, which took place on October 4 and 5 in Bercy, Paris, brought together hundreds of African and French participants, to examine the challenges of Franco-African economic and trade relations. Representing the Moroccan side, the forum was attended by UX Centers founder and CEO, Abid Badil.

RABAT, Morocco, October 06, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In his address during the plenary session titled Technologies and telecommunications: a lever of growth and inclusion for Africa, Abid Badil, CEO of UX Centers, highlighted the three success factors behind UX Centers strong growth trajectory, notably, infrastructure, talent and opportunities. He also praised His Majesty King Mohammed VIs leadership, which allowed this valuable conjunction of elements.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005785/en/

Abid Badil at Ambition Africa (Photo: AETOSWire)

Since its establishment in 2015, UX Centers has allotted 10% of its net income to innovation, which lies at the heart of its operational strategy. In addition to traditional customer relations services, it has developed new products and applications, designed to empower "new digital workers" and help them go beyond recurring administrative tasks, by launching its innovative Wittly platform. The solution enables seamless and simple administrative tasks in just 3 clicks.

UX Centers is also preparing for the upcoming launch of a new product in Morocco, "Mousahamati", which would allow millions of informal workers to register in the revamped social protection system implemented by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, which will see 23 million Moroccans registered by the end of the year.

Commenting on the upcoming launch, Abid Badil, CEO of UX Centers said: "We target mostly Micro-entrepreneurs and VSBs (Very Small Businesses), who are underserved in this field. We will be offering two different products, for the south and for the north, each adapted to market specificities. This marks is a huge challenge for us, because it not only serves our business model, but also benefits society at large."

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About UX Centers:

UX Centers is a major player in the outsourcing of customer relations activities. With a workforce of 4,500 employees operating out of Morocco, Egypt and the Dominican Republic, UX Centers supports its customers across multiple sectors and industries in creating value and optimizing customer experience.

*Source: AETOSWire

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005785/en/

Contacts

Soukaina Bousalham

Email: soukaina.bousalham@uxcenters.com
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation

GREELEY, Colo., Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pilgrims Pride Corporation (NASDAQ: PPC) announced today that it will release its third quarter 2022 financial results after the U.S. market closes on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022 and host its third quarter 2022 earnings conference call and webcast on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022 at 7 a.m. MT (9 a.m. ET). Prepared remarks regarding the companys financial and operational results will be followed by a question and answer period with Pilgrims executive management team.



Investors and analysts may pre-register for the webcast to receive a unique PIN to gain immediate access to the call and bypass the live operator. Pre-registration may be completed at any time, including up to and after the call has begun, by accessing the companys investor website at https://ir.pilgrims.com in the Events & Presentations section. Participants also can register for the conference call and webcast at https://services.choruscall.com/links/ppc221027.html

Participants who would like to join the call but have not pre-registered can do so on the day of the event by dialing +1 (844) 883-3889 within the US, or +1 (412) 317-9245 internationally, and requesting the Pilgrims Pride Conference. To submit a question to management during the call, participants must be logged in via telephone.

The webcast will be available for replay on Pilgrims website two hours after the call concludes and will remain available through Feb. 8, 2023. Alternatively, the telephone replay may be accessed by dialing +1 (877) 344-7529 in the US, or +1 (412) 317-0088 internationally, and requesting conference number 9422354, which will be available through Nov. 27, 2022.

About Pilgrims Pride Corporation

Pilgrims employs over 60,000 team members and operates protein processing plants and prepared foods facilities in 14 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.K., the Republic of Ireland and continental Europe. The Companys primary distribution is through retailers and foodservice distributors. For more information, please visit www.pilgrims.com.

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Contact

Andrew Rojeski

Head of Strategy, Investor Relations & Net Zero Programs

Phone: 970.506.7783

IRPPC@pilgrims.com




Realkredit Danmark A/S

To

NASDAQ Copenhagen

Executive Board

Lers Parkalle 100

DK-2100 Kbenhavn 

www.rd.dk







Telephone +45 7012 5300

Telefax +45 4514 9622













6 October 2022

Company Announcement No 88/2022



Repayments, Realkredit Danmark A/S





Pursuant to 24 of the Capital Markets Act, Realkredit Danmark A/S hereby publishes repayments as at 4 October 2022.



Please find the data in the attached file.



The information will also be available on www.rd.dk .







Yours sincerely

The Executive Board







Any additional questions should be addressed to Hella Gebhardt Rnnebk, Chief Analyst, phone +45 4513 2068.

Attachments




RightRice  Veggie Rice is launching two special edition flavors for Holiday 2022: Holiday Stuffing and Brown Butter Sage

Both Holiday RightRice  items will be available at all 513 US Whole Foods Market locations and on ThriveMarket.com

RightRice  exhibited at Carmela Foods' trade show in August 2022 by special invitation, which has resulted in new retail and foodservice placements for the brand

RightRice  's ecommerce footprint has expanded to include four new listings through the US Army & Air Force Exchange Service ecommerce site ( shopmyexchange.com ) and additional listings on Amazon.com

RightRice  SKUs, along with items from Hope and Sesame  , Mozaics, and Veggicopia, will be included in Amazons Prime's Early Access Sale October 11-12

Planting Hope exhibited at the UNFI Natural Winter Show in Las Vegas, October 4-5

Planting Hope is sponsoring Chicago's Fall Dress for Success charity event on October 6, in coordination with James Beard award-winning sommelier Belinda Chang

CEO Julia Stamberger is participating in the UBS Consumer Insights Day on October 7

CHICAGO, IL and VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 6, 2022 / The Planting Hope Company Inc. (TSXV:MYLK)(OTCQB:MYLKF)(FRA:J94) ("Planting Hope" or the "Company"), a plant-based food and beverage company focused on producing the world's most nutritious and planet-friendly products, is pleased to announce that it is launching two new special edition flavors of RightRice Veggie Rice for the 2022 Holiday season: Vegan Brown Butter Sage RightRice and Holiday Stuffing RightRice.

"The special edition RightRice holiday flavors were a hit in 2021, and by popular demand we're bringing back our customer favorite, Vegan Brown Butter Sage, plus adding new Holiday Stuffing RightRice," said Julia Stamberger, CEO and Co-founder of Planting Hope. "These items will exclusively be available to consumers through our retail partners Whole Foods Market and Thrive Market, and on select ecommerce sites."

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Holiday RightRice flavors are available at all 513 Whole Foods Market locations in the United States while supplies last, as well as on ThriveMarket.com. Holiday RightRice will also be available at plantinghopebrands.com and Amazon.com by the end of October.

The Planting Hope Company Inc., Wednesday, October 5, 2022, Press release picture

Brown Butter Sage Holiday RightRice in Holiday Rice recipe

Holiday RightRice recipes are available at Rightrice.com, including:

RightRice - A Success at Carmela Foods Trade Show

RightRice exhibited at the Carmela Foods trade show in August 2022 by special invitation. A premier retailer and foodservice distributor, Carmela services specialty food retailers, restaurants, country clubs, hotels, resorts, and wine establishments throughout the state of Michigan and in Northern Ohio. As a result of the successful reception at that show, Carmela is now carrying the complete RightRice Core and RightRice Risotto product lines.

The Planting Hope Company Inc., Wednesday, October 5, 2022, Press release picture

Carmela Foods Social Media Post Introducing RightRice to Customers

RightRice Expands ecommerce Footprint:

The US Army & Air Force Exchange is adding four new RightRice listings to shopmyexchange.com, the online ecommerce site available exclusively to millions of active and retired service people. The four new listings include a RightRice Variety Pack, a Risotto Variety Pack, a Red White & Blue Bundle, and a 20lb Bulk Box of Original RightRice.

A 5lb Bulk Bag of Original RightRice is now available through Amazon.com.

Holiday RightRice items will be listed on PlantingHopeBrands.com, RightRice.com, and Amazon.com by the end of October 2022.

Amazon is debuting their Prime Early Access Sale event this year, October 11-12. RightRice SKUs, along with items from Hope and Sesame, Mozaics, and Veggicopia, will be included in this retail event.

Upcoming & Recent Events:

October 4-5 - Planting Hope exhibited RightRice, Hope and Sesame, and Mozaics, to grocery retailers and food service partners at the UNFI Natural Winter Show in Las Vegas, hosted by UNFI Distribution.

October 6 - Planting Hope is sponsoring Chicago's Fall Dress for Success: Women, Wine, and Wardrobe event, and supplying Hope and Sesame sesame milk espresso martinis and gifts for attendees. Michelin Star Chef Henry Hill will be creating five canapes with Planting Hope products, including mini walking tacos' featuring Mozaics Real Veggie Chips and Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk beignets. This event is being held in collaboration with James Beard Award-winning star sommelier Belinda Chang, along with Cypress Grove cheeses, Perrier sparkling water, and others.

October 7 - As part of UBS' Consumer Insights Day, Planting Hope's CEO and Co-founder Julia Stamberger will be participating in a virtual fireside chat pertaining to the food habits of health-conscious consumers at 9:00 a.m. ET.

About RightRice

RightRice Veggie Rice is a vegetable-based, protein-rich, low carbohydrate alternative to white rice that's packed with fiber and complete plant-based protein. RightRice is the first of its kind: a shelf-stable grain that's 90 percent vegetables (lentils, chickpeas, green peas), and delivers on taste, functionality, and nutrition. With 10g of complete protein and 5g of fiber per serving, RightRice provides almost four times the protein and 40 percent fewer net carbohydrates than traditional white rice, plus it can be prepared in 10 minutes. RightRice and RightRice Risotto are available in a range of pre-seasoned flavors, including Garlic & Herb, Wild Mushroom, Creamy Parmesan, and Spanish. All RightRice products are made using real herbs and spices, and are plant-based, non-GMO verified, gluten-free certified, and kosher certified. RightRice products are currently sold in more than 8,000 leading retailers across North America, including Whole Foods Market, Wegman's, Kroger, Sprouts, and Publix, and are debuting in Q4 2022 in Canada. RightRice is ideal for food service applications, and is featured on restaurant menus, including CAVA locations nationwide. RightRice Risotto was awarded Best Sauce/Store Cupboard Product in FoodBev's 2021 World Plant-Based Taste Awards and received the 2021 Eco Excellence Award for Best Gluten Free Product, in addition to being chosen as a 2021 Editors' Pick for Best New Product by Progressive Grocer. For more information visit: www.rightrice.com.

About The Planting Hope Company Inc.

Planting Hope is a breakthrough plant-based food and beverage company focused on producing the world's most nutritious and planet-friendly brands and products. Planting Hope's award-winning and cutting-edge products fill key unmet needs in the skyrocketing plant-based food and beverage space. The Planting Hope brand family includes Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk and Sesamilk creamers, RightRice Veggie Rice, Mozaics Real Veggie Chips, and Veggicopia Veggie Snacks. Founded by experienced food industry entrepreneurs, Planting Hope is a women-managed and woman-led company with an all-women C-suite and Board of Directors, focused on nutrition, sustainability, and diversity.

For more information about Planting Hope and where to find its award-winning plant-based brands please visit plantinghopecompany.com, sign up for Planting Hope news emails HERE and follow on LinkedIn. An informational webinar on The Planting Hope Company from CEO and Co-founder Julia Stamberger is available HERE, and the latest updated investor deck and company overview is available HERE and a full product catalog is available HERE. To follow the brands on Instagram and Facebook, please visit: @hopeandsesameco, @veggicopia, @rightrice, @mozaicschips.

Company Contact

Julia Stamberger

CEO and Co-founder

(773) 492-2243

julia@plantinghopecompany.com

Investor Relations Contacts

Glen Akselrod, Bristol Capital

(905) 326-1888 ext. 1

glen@bristolir.com

Caroline Sawamoto, IR Labs

(773) 492-2243

ir@plantinghopecompany.com

Media Contact

Alex Jessup, Jessup PR

(323) 529-3541

alex.jessup@jessuppr.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.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to hereafter as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements that address activities, events, or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will, or may, occur in the future, including statements about the Company's ability to execute on its goals, the timing pertaining to these goals the potential demand for the Company's products, the timing and success of anticipated product launches and distribution of the Company's products, and the Company's business prospects, future trends, plans and strategies. In some cases, forward-looking statements are preceded by, followed by, or include words such as "may", "will," "would", "could", "should", "believes", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "continues", or the negative of those words or other similar or comparable words. In preparing the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, the assumption that demand for the Company's product will be sustained or increase in accordance with management's projections, that the Company's internal research and analysis is indicative of broader market trends and the Company's anticipated future demand for its products, that changes in consumer preferences in the plant-based food industry will continue in accordance with the Company's expectations, that the Company's current business objectives can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected, and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. Although the management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking statement herein will prove to be accurate. 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. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company, as well as trends identified by the Company affecting its industry can be found in the Company's annual information form dated January 6, 2022 and the Company's continuous disclosure record available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Such cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements made in this news release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE: The Planting Hope Company Inc.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/719200/RightRice-2022-Special-Edition-Holiday-Flavors-Launched-at-Whole-Foods-Market-and-Thrive-Market




PARIS & NEW YORK, October 05, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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 Sinequas 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, Sinequas 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 couldnt 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."

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Alexandre Bilger, President and CEO at Sinequa said, "We are proud of SGDB Frances 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

Sinequas 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
SINGAPORE, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brilliance Capital is pleased to launch for sale an industrial building at 18 Tuas Avenue 10 via an Expression of Interest. The part single / part 6-storey building sits on a land area of approximately 62,009 square feet, with a gross floor area of approximately 46,384 square feet. Under the current Master Plan, the site is zoned Business 2 (Industrial) with a plot ratio of 1.4.

FOR SALE BY EXPRESSION OF INTEREST, TUAS AVENUE 10 INDUSTRIAL BUILDING AT $10 MILLION

The ground floor comprises of an ancillary office, warehouse space and a sizable full-fledged vehicle fleet maintenance, servicing and workshop area which comes with a high ceiling of more than 14 metres, and floor loading capacity of up to 15 kilonewton per square meter. The facility is also served by 2 vehicle platform lifts and is fitted with an oil storage room. There are a total of 8 car parking lots and 36 lorry parking lots on site. This offers businesses a large distribution and servicing space required for their operational needs.

Served by a service cum passenger lift, the rest of the floors from 2nd to 6th storey each enjoy a ceiling height of 4 meters and are fitted with air-conditioned ancillary offices and meeting rooms, R&D area and production area. There is a balance lease tenure of 17.5 more years to go with a lease tenure till year 2040 for the site.

Located within the Tuas Industrial Estate, the building is well-served by both Ayer Rajah Expressway and Pan-Island Expressway, and is in proximity to Jurong Port and Tuas Second Link. The locale offers the accessibility and efficiency in port logistics and storage management. In addition, Raffles Marina, The Raffles Country Club, AMARIS D' Arena Country Club, Tuas Amenity Centre, Jurong Point which are located within the vicinity provide the extra convenience for food, amenities and facilities. The building is also accessible via the nearest Tuas West Road MRT Station (EW32) and bus stop along Tuas Avenue 7.

Ms Sammi Lim, Founder and Executive Director, Brilliance Capital Pte Ltd, said: "Equipped comprehensively as a full-fledged vehicle fleet maintenance and workshop facility, the seller had previously been occupying the premises for years before a business expansion steered the company to expand to a bigger premises as they have since outgrown the space. The building will be sold on a vacant possession basis, and this allows end-users the flexibility to commence operations immediately. With the increased demand in the logistics sector, we have also observed a surge in demand for such vehicle maintenance facility with ensuite office operations to be all under one roof, but there is rarely availability of such type of property being offered for sale in the market. The supply in the industrial sector remains tight. This site will stand out as it is fully equipped and operational-ready. The buyer can save on capex and time costs significantly compared to other options which will require works to be carried out to enhance the capacity of the building.

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We expect the property to attract keen interest and attract a wide pool of buyers from end-user to investors. Singapore continues to gain further popularity as an Asia base with large multinational companies and international retailers. The sustained increase in demand for industrial and logistics will continue to steer the sector positively moving forward, and this is a timely opportunity for buyers to enter the market, and for end-users to secure a base for long term operations. The guide price at S$10 million works out to approximately $215 per square foot."

As an industrial zoned property, this purchase is open to both local and foreign buyers with no additional buyers' stamp duty (ABSD).

Brilliance Capital is the sole marketing agent for this Expression of Interest Exercise.

The Expression of Interest closes on 22 November 2022, Tuesday at 3.00 p.m.

About Brilliance Capital Pte. Ltd.

Brilliance Capital is a boutique real estate consultancy that provides advisory and agency services covering commercial and industrial investments, residential sales, and leasing services of all asset classes. Brilliance Capital is the brainchild of Sammi Lim  an extension of herself and her dedication in helping clients buy, sell, lease their properties, especially for corporates, institutional funds, ultra-high net worth individuals and private family funds that aim to diversify into real-estate investments.

SOURCE Brilliance Capital
(Bloomberg) -- Societe Generale SA cut its exposure to counterparties on trades in China by about $80 million in the past few weeks as global banks seek to guard against any potential fallout from rising geopolitical risks in the worlds second-largest economy.

It has several hundred million dollars in positions on Chinas Financial Futures Exchange, people familiar with the matter said, asking not be identified as the details are private. The French bank has been seeking to replicate those positions elsewhere in Asia, they said.

Like other firms and multi-nationals, the banks executives are growing increasingly concerned about a whole swathe of problems hitting China in recent months, although the country remains a key part of its strategy, the people said.

Increased rhetoric between Beijing and Washington over Taiwan has unsettled firms in the past few months, coming shortly after Russias war unexpectedly forced the worlds largest banks to exit businesses and stop serving some ultra-wealthy clients. US lawmakers recently ramped up pressure on banks to answer questions on whether they would withdraw from China if it invaded Taiwan.

A spokesperson for SocGen declined to comment. The banks businesses in the Asia-Pacific region span corporate and investment banking to asset management, securities services and global transaction banking, according to its website.

The China Financial Futures Exchange offers services including the listing, trading, clearing and settlement for financial derivatives.

While SocGens exposure is relatively small by global banking standards, the move is a reflection of increased risk aversion among firms following years of build up in China.

Wall Street and European powerhouses have expanded over the past years after the nation allowed full ownership of ventures on the mainland. UBS Group AG, the Swiss lender, became the first foreign bank to gain majority control of a Chinese securities joint venture in 2018 while JPMorgan Chase & Co. won approval in 2021 to take full ownership of its investment banking venture.

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At the same time, Chinas economy is sputtering because of the countrys strict pursuit of Covid Zero, a teetering property market and a multiyear crackdown on private enterprise as President Xi Jinping prepares this month to take on a third term in charge.

US President Joe Biden is set to ratchet up pressure further on Chinas economy and industries. The administration plans to announce new restrictions on Chinas access to US semiconductor technology, people with knowledge of the situation have said, an escalation of efforts to stifle Beijings industrial ambitions and a risk to growth for the $550 billion sector.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
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.
By Trend

EU ambassadors reached an agreement on the eighth package of sanctions on Russia, including a price cap on Russian oil, Trend reports citing TASS.

The package will be finalized on Wednesday, October 5, the sources said.

However, the decision on the actual price or price ranges of the future cap.

Besides, the new package of measures envisages restrictions on Russias steel industry and prohibits EU citizens from holding senior posts in state-run Russian enterprises.

Malta, Greece and Cyprus, whose tanker fleets transport most Russian oil, were worried about the impact of the latest round of anti-Russian sanctions on their shipping industries. Therefore, certain concessions were made to them, Politico reported.

Following a meeting of finance ministers from the Group of Seven on September 2 in Berlin, the G7 club agreed to introduce a proposed price cap on Russian oil to limit the countrys revenues from its export. For doing this the G7 member states seek to establish a broad coalition and urge all countries that still seek to import Russian oil and petroleum products to commit to doing so only at prices at or below the price cap. Moscow warned it will suspend supplies of oil and petroleum products to states that decide to join this initiative.
SINGAPORE, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin), a subsidiary of PT Telkom Indonesia Tbk (Telkom) that is focused on the international telecommunication business, and Comms Group Global (https://www.commsgroup.global/contact), the global business unit of Comms Group Limited (ASX: CCG) (Comms Group), an Australian headquartered and regional unified communications, ISP and managed service provider, recently signed a Master Service Agreement (MSA) to collaborate on the provision of telecommunications services including voice over IP (VoIP), Call Termination Services (CTS), cloud platform, and its sub-products and related services: consulting, implementation, professional and managed services.

Comms Group Global and Telin Announce Strategic Partnership For Unified Communications and Telecommunication Services

The signing ceremony was held at the Hilton Bali Resort, Bali, Indonesia, during the Bali Annual Telkom International Conference (BATIC) 2022. Telin was represented by its Regional II Global Head and Hong Kong CEO, I Ketut Alit Atmaja (Alit), and Comms Group was represented by its Managing Director and CEO, Peter McGrath. The signing was witnessed by the Director of Wholesale and International Services Telkom Indonesia, Bogi Witjaksono, the Chief Executive Officer of Comms Group Global, Zac Crofts, and the Chief Executive Officer of Telin, Budi Satria Dharma Purba.

Telin Chief Executive Officer Budi Satria Dharma Purba said, "This collaboration will mutually strengthen our capabilities and complement our global reach. I hope it will benefit both companies and I look forward to growing the business together."

Regional II Global Head and Hong Kong CEO, I Ketut Alit Atmaja (Alit) then continued "Telin and Comms Group have long collaborated to ensure the services we provided could deliver as what customers desire to. We are delighted to work with Comms Group and help them grow by using our high-quality voice services. We believe this partnership has opened doors and possibilities for both companies by expanding our target market outside of our local presence."

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Mr Peter McGrath, CEO and Managing Director of Comms Group Limited said "This collaboration will enable Telin to provide enterprise and multinational customers with full capabilities to accelerate their Digital Transformation and build on the explosive growth in the use of Microsoft Teams. Telin will achieve fast time to market by leveraging the extensive global footprint of Comms Group Global."

Zac Crofts, the Chief Executive Officer of Comms Group Global, commented "This agreement is a great example of our expansion via key partnerships in the Asia-Pacific market. It is a reflection of our commitment and desire to collaborate with Telin and Telkom so that through this reconnection and digital revival, they will emerge stronger and deliver positive benefits for Indonesian businesses. We are truly excited to be commencing this business partnership with Telin."

Telin and Comms Group's combined global reach will extend Telin's capabilities and accelerate its digital expansion in the Indo-Pacific region.

SOURCE Comms Group
DALLAS, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inflate your Halloween decor in seconds with the Airblown Inflatables by Gemmy Industries featuring Star Wars: The Mandalorian fan-favorite galactic characters.

Inflate your Halloween decor in seconds with the Airblown Inflatables by Gemmy Industries featuring Star Wars: The Mandalorian fan-favorite galactic characters.

Tricks and Treats Await with Star Wars: The Mandalorian Airblown Inflatables at Walmart and The Home Depot

Individual Character Inflatables

Inspired by the most adorable asset in the galaxy, The 6-ft wide stylized Grogua Holding a Treat Bag Airblown Inflatable ($34.98) is one of the most wanted inflatables and is available exclusively in-store and online at Walmart. It self-inflates in seconds and lights up with energy-efficient LEDs for nighttime visibility.

Decorate with the galaxy's deadliest bounty hunter, the Boba Fett  Airblown Inflatable ($34.98), available in-store and online at Walmart. Standing 5-ft tall, Boba Fett is decked out in his armor holding a pumpkin with flying bats and a 'Hands off my Bounty' statement.

Fans of Star Wars: The Mandalorian will love the 3.5-ft Airblown Inflatable Grogu ($34.98), accented with an orange Mandalorian treat sack. Available in-store and online at The Home Depot, the Grogu inflatable makes a spooktacular addition to your indoor or outdoor Halloween decorations.

Indoor Lighting

Transform a room with this amazing Halloween decoration, The Mandalorian ShadowLights ($14.98) tabletop projector, available only in-store at Walmart. It features bright, energy-efficient LEDs and projects a rotating scene with images of characters from The Mandalorian including Grogua. It is perfect for parties and haunted houses.

For more Star Wars seasonal decor and retailer information visit www.gemmy.com

About Gemmy Industries

Gemmy Industries is a leading seasonal lighting and decor innovator that has changed the way America decorates for the holidays. As the originator of Airblown Inflatables and LightShow lighting, Gemmy is a trendsetter in making homes festive for every special occasion. For more information on product lines and retailers, go to www.gemmy.com.

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Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tricks-and-treats-await-with-star-wars-the-mandalorian-airblown-inflatables-301642066.html

SOURCE Gemmy Industries
WSO2, Inc.

New report examines how 23 leading vendors are addressing CIAM requirements; marks the second consecutive report that WSO2 has been named an overall leader and product leader

Santa Clara, CA, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WSO2 , the leader in digital transformation technology, today announced that it has been named an overall leader and product leader in the KuppingerCole Analysts 2022 CIAM Platforms Leadership Compass report published on September 27, 2022. The report is based on KuppingerColes evaluation of 23 leading vendors in the consumer identity and access management (CIAM) market, also known as customer IAM. WSO2 is making a reprint of the report available for download here .

At a time when organizations are competing on their ability to create seamless digital interactions with their customers, theres no room for compromise between robust security and an inviting user experience, said WSO2 Vice President and Head of Identity and Access Management Geethika Cooray. We are honored to be recognized as both an overall leader and product leader in KuppingerColes 2022 CIAM Platforms Leadership Compass report. We view it as validation of our investments in delivering the CIAM solutions enterprises need to create rich, trusted digital experiences that drive customer adoption, loyalty and growth.

Evaluating WSO2s CIAM Capabilities

The 2022 CIAM Platforms Leadership Compass report evaluated WSO2s CIAM suite , including WSO2 Identity Server software and the Asgardeo identity as a service (IDaaS). The report awarded WSO2 the highest ranking, strong positive, in three of five categories: security, interoperability, and deployment, as well as a positive ranking in the functionality and usability categories. WSO2s product leadership and strong placement in the innovation and market categories resulted in the company being named an overall leader in the report.

Key strengths of WSO2 identified in the KuppingerCole report, include:

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Flow-chart and natural language style admin and developer interfaces

Highly configurable risk engine

Connectors for IAM/IDaaS and many software as a service (SaaS) apps

Broad support for API types and IAM communication standards

Focus on API documentation, exposure, and security that facilitates customer application development

Good consent management features

Highly extensible and customizable

KuppingerCole Lead Analyst John Tolbert notes in the report that, The core strengths of WSO2 solutions are the open-source plus support model, adherence to industry standards, and its API emphasis. These features enable WSO2 to serve the CIAM role and enable its customers to extend the solution as needed to meet their requirements. WSO2 reports a strong upsurge in the use of their product for B2B customer identity use cases. Any organization that has developed its own business applications and needs a highly extensible CIAM solution should consider WSO2.

Enabling Developers to Harness the Power of CIAM

WSO2s CIAM suite manages more than 1 billion identities each year for businesses and government organizations worldwide. The uniquely extensible, API-driven, cloud native products enable developers to harness the power of CIAM without being security experts. They incorporate the ability to federate, authenticate and manage identities; bridge across heterogeneous identity protocols; and secure access to web and mobile applications along with API-based endpoints.

In addition to WSO2 Identity Server and Asgardeo, which were evaluated for the KuppingerCole report, the suite also includes WSO2 Private CIAM Cloud . Building on the proven business-to-consumer (B2C) B2C capabilities of WSO2s other CIAM offerings, WSO2 Private CIAM Cloud provides new B2B organization management functionality, which uniquely enables organizations to create multiple levels of B2B organizational hierarchies. To learn more about WSO2s CIAM solutions, visit https://wso2.com/ciam-suite .

About WSO2

Founded in 2005, WSO2 enables thousands of enterprises, including hundreds of the worlds largest corporations, top universities, and governments, to drive their digital transformation journeysexecuting more than 60 trillion transactions and managing over 1 billion identities annually. Using WSO2 for API management, integration, and customer identity and access management (CIAM), these organizations are harnessing the full power of their APIs to securely deliver their digital services and applications. Our open-source, API-first approach to software that runs on-premises and in the cloud helps developers and architects to be more productive and rapidly compose digital products to meet demand while remaining free from vendor lock-in. WSO2 has over 900 employees worldwide with offices in Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the UK, and the US. Visit https://wso2.com to learn more. Follow WSO2 on LinkedIn and Twitter .

Trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

CONTACT: BOCA Communications for WSO2 WSO2@bocacommunications.com




Stafford County supervisors voted 61 Tuesday to allow builders to begin work on a 250,000-square-foot commercial warehouse near the Courthouse Road interchange.

The warehouse will be built near the new DHL distribution center that supervisors approved last March. That $72 million, 533,634-square-foot distribution center is expected to be fully operational in about two months and is expected to mix another 1,800 vehicles per day into an already congested area of the county.

Two weeks ago, Supervisor Meg Bohmke asked for more public input on the latest warehouse project during the next scheduled evening public hearing session in early October. Although no one took Bohmke up on her offer during the 7 p.m. session Tuesday night, one resident spoke on the proposed warehouse earlier in the day.

How many warehouses do we have in Stafford? Falmouth resident Alane Callandar asked supervisors. We have warehouses along Route 17, Centerport Parkway and now Courthouse Road.

Callander said its poor planning to approve another large business in an area where traffic and congestion are now part of everyday life, and said she believes the current inventory of warehouses already built in Stafford adversely impacts the quality of life for county residents every day.

The existence of mega-warehouses means that traffic noise and pollution bombard us all year long, Calendar said.

Garrisonville District Supervisor Pam Yeung was the only supervisor who opposed the project Tuesday night.

Two weeks ago, Staffords planning and zoning director Jeff Harvey briefed supervisors on the latest warehouse request. Harvey had asked supervisors to consider rezoning 32 acres wedged between Interstate 95 and Wyche Road to accommodate the 250,000-square-foot industrial building that would eventually be used as a warehouse or a distribution facility.

Charlie Payne, the Fredericksburg attorney representing Matan Acquisitions II LLC of Frederick, Marylandthe builders of the warehousesaid the new project will add 1,218 vehicle trips per day to the area on top of whats already expected to come from the Burns Corner project, which also lies in the same vicinity.

In December 2020, county supervisors voted unanimously to rezone and reclassify wooded land in Staffords courthouse area near the Interstate 95 interchange to become Burns Corner. That massive project is being built as four quadrants that, combined, will make up about 26 acres and will include about 214,000 square feet of commercial development space, such as restaurants, stores, medical offices and a day care center. A new hotel, drug store and supermarket are also planned.

Although traffic improvements in the area will eventually be made to include additional turn and through lanes, as well as sidewalks, to accommodate pedestrian traffic, vehicular traffic in the area is expected to increase by 24,000 vehicles daily after Burns Corner is complete.

As he did two weeks ago, Payne again offered a $100,000 proffer for the latest endeavor and said the developers of Burns Corner will add another turn lane at the intersection of Wyche and Courthouse roads at a later time. Payne said traffic from the new warehouse he proposed Tuesday would not impact the intersection, but the Burns Corner buildout eventually would.

The recommendation was to proffer or to provide a left-turn lane, well, we dont have to provide a left-turn lane, per se, because thats already proffered by the Burns development, Payne said.

Payne previously told supervisors the 250,000-square-foot warehouse he proposed would impact the vehicle wait time for motorists at the Wyche Road and Hospital Center Boulevard intersection by about 2.1 seconds. That intersection is currently rated at a service level E on a scale of A through F.

Harvey told supervisors Tuesday night the proffers for Burns Corner requires to builders to modify the intersection once a threshold of about 19,000 vehicle trips per day from that project is reached. Harvey said those upgrades include a restriping of the roadway surface, a new traffic signal masthead and an additional lane on Courthouse Road heading towards the Interstate 95 northbound onramp.

Harvey also said a number of new projects near the Sheetz convenience store that opened in that area in April are also pending. They include a Chick-fil-A and a Wendys restaurant, a Starbucks coffee shop and a medical office building.

All of those are currently in for site plan review, Harvey said. Its highly possible that those projects could be built and occupied in calendar year (2024). That coincides with the first occupancy of the proposed warehouse.

Last June, supervisors voted 43 to rezone 28 acres of county land near the courthouse to accommodate Downtown Stafford, a new development that county officials say will be a pedestrian-friendly town center where people can live, dine and shop.

Plans for the site, which sits parallel to the southern edge of Courthouse Road near the U.S. 1 interchange, call for 2,400 homes and 70 townhouses. Just east of that project, a 6-acre Fountain Park development is also under construction. County officials previously said Fountain Park, which could include seven different buildings totaling almost 70,000 square feet of office, commercial, retail, and restaurant space, will serve as the gateway for visitors to Downtown Stafford.
Gov. Glenn Youngkins 2022 Energy Plan strikes the right rhetorical balance with its all of the above approach to future energy generation.

As America transitions away from fossil-fuel-based energy sources to clean renewable sources, each state is going to struggle with how to scale back greenhouse gas-producing fuels that have driven the nation since the Industrial Revolution, and scale up clean energy sources that have a ways to go before they are able to meet the demands that are going to be placed on them.

Youngkin argues that we need to balance all the sources we depend on nownatural gas, nuclear, solar, and coal, primarilyas we move toward a clean-energy future. He is rightly concerned about the impact of this transition on the pocketbooks of Virginians, who ultimately will pay for this transition via their monthly energy bills.

Of particular concern are rate adjustment clauses, which were approved by the General Assembly in 2007 and allow Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company to charge customers for covering the costs of specific expenses like environmental cleanup obligations or certain generation facilities, according to a 2021 Virginia Mercury story.

These costs are not inconsequential, and account for a significant portion of the 10-year rise in consumer bills. There is bipartisan support in the General Assembly to address this problem, and we applaud the governor for making it an issue. .

But while this energy plan may sound reasonable, it isnt. This blueprint will lead to Virginia dragging its feet on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making the turn to zero carbon emissions as required by the Virginia Clean Economy Act.

Youngkins plan to slow renewables is hiding just below his rhetoric. He wants to empower the State Corporation Commission to permit energy companies to delay their renewable portfolio standard requirements required by the VCEAan act that the governor makes clear he wants to roll back.

Further, he continues pushing the false narrative that renewable energy is going to drive up costs to the point that Virginia is not competitive.

Clean energy is not the problem here, said Will Cleveland in a Southern Environmental Law Center press release. The problem is a regulatory system that enables utilities to over-charge customers on the one hand and then drive rates even higher with new surcharges with the other hand.  [F]alling-cost resources like solar, wind, and battery storage simply do not threaten reliability or affordability, as this energy plan claims.

Moreover, as a successful businessman, Youngkin should know the clean energy revolution is not going away. The automotive industry, whose products are one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gases, is fully committed to clean energy. General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo are just some of the carmakers that have set aggressive goals to stop selling emission-producing cars in the very near future.

And Californias emission standards, which Virginia currently follows, will drive our economy even if Youngkin withdraws us from that agreement.

The economy isnt waiting for recalcitrant conservatives to come around.

But the most head-scratching element of this energy plan is Youngkins commitment to small modular nuclear reactors.

Smaller in size and cheaper to assemble than traditional nuclear power plants, SMRs are a promising piece of our clean-energy future. But theres a problem. According to Richard Black of the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit, [T]hey do not currently exist as reactors for power generation. Thus, he continues, its difficult to have confidence in production times  and cost reductions proposed by the industry.

Further, recent research out of Stanford University argues that Small modular reactors  will actually generate more radioactive waste than conventional nuclear power plants.

So Youngkin wants to slow down progress on proven clean-energy solutions like wind and solar that are scaling up and have proven markets, invest heavily in a new nuclear technology that is not even currently producing energy in the U.S., and all the while giving a thumbs up to the energy sources that have put us in the predicament were infossil fuels.

The free market is moving to clean solutions.

Youngkin, using the language of competitiveness, wants to pull Virginia back into the coal mines.

Were not fooled by the rhetoric of someone who appears more interested in refining his presidential campaign stump speech than doing whats best for Virginia.
A 33-minute documentary that dives into the personal lives of several law enforcement officers is now showing at the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington.

The film includes abundant footage shot in Stafford County and a segment on the life and career of a Stafford County sheriffs deputy.

This for me is the most special thing Ive ever done as a producer, as a filmmaker, said Jim Klock, a Fredericksburg native who today spends most of his time in Los Angeles. I couldnt be more proud of it.

Service and Sacrifice looks at a variety of police officers lives at home and at work in communities across the country. Locally, Stafford Sheriffs Sgt. Carol Burgess is featured in the film. Burgess served as a school resources officer at Kate Waller Barrett Elementary School for 11 years and is now coordinating crime prevention and community engagement for the Sheriffs Office.

Klock said his documentary takes a very personal look at Burgess and others who have committed their lives to service to their communitieslike Matias Ferreira, a former Marine who lost both of his legs in Afghanistan in 2010 then became a police officer in New York in 2017. Klock said many heroes like Ferreira exist in our midst, but most go unnoticed.

I hope the movie helps people recognize that behind the badge are some amazing men and women giving their all to make this world a better place, Klock said.

While filming portions of the documentary in Stafford, Klocks crew focused on Burgess life working at the same elementary school her own 29-year-old son attended as a young boy before becoming a police officer himself in Arlington.

It was a little different with cameras following you, but when I got out there in front of the kids, I was in my zone, Burgess said.

Although an actor and producer today, Klock knows a lot about law enforcement from his own experiences.

In 1996, he served with the Fredericksburg Police Department for about one year then served for two years as a Stafford County as a deputy. Beginning in 1999, he served on Alexandrias police force for five years and then returned to Stafford County where he worked as an undercover narcotics officer. In 2005, he switched careers and moved to Los Angeles to become an actor and filmmaker.

Klock still wears a badge today as a fully sworn Stafford County deputy and teaches an acting class for undercover officers every year at the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy in Spotsylvania County.

Two years ago, Klocks film crew spent 10 days near Abel Lake shooting the horror movie Slayed. He also produced The Thin Black Line, an 80-minute documentary that will be released next year. That film features Stafford County deputies serving in a volatile time where tensions over racism divided the public over their trust in the police. Klock said he created that documentary as a tribute to his former partner, Alexandria Police Sgt. Gerald Ford, to show a side of law enforcement that perhaps the community was unfamiliar with.

I just feel like this was an opportunity for me to be able to honor some of those men and women and give light into a subject that maybe people werent aware of, or maybe had never taken the time to listen, said Klock.

Klock said he hoped The Thin Black Line would change the publics perception about police, just as his own perception of the disadvantaged was changed many years before in a police patrol car.

When Klock was a young police officer on patrol with Ford in a large Alexandria public housing neighborhood, Ford set him straight about some misconceptions about the people who lived there. Ford told Klock most of the neighborhoods residents were good, honest, hard-working people.

That changed my way of policing, said Klock.

The Thin Black Line made its debut in July 2021 during a red-carpet screening at the Museum of the Bible in Washington. Klock said Marcia Ferranto, who serves as CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund in Washington, attended the screening. Coincidentally, Ferranto was also leading a visionary committee at the museum to reevaluate its exhibits, including the introductory movie arriving guests would see before tours.

I was so blown away by the work (Klock) did, Ferranto said. Never in a million years did I think our Volkswagen budget was going to buy a Maserati, and Jim made that happen.

Klock said the two filmmakers he chose to work with him on Service and Sacrifice were Chris Cassidy and Chris Kenneally, who both have extensive professional experience in documentary filmmaking, but neither had experience working with law enforcement officers.

Cassidy had previously directed Dennis and Lois in 2019, about a couple of music fans who spent the last 40 years chasing live performances of rock bands, while Kenneally recently directed the drama film Already Gone.

I said these guys arent cops, theyre filmmakers, Klock said. Maybe well get something special by a cop not directing it.

Ferranto said her staff formed an instant relationship with the production team members, who she said were passionate about the work they were undertaking for the museum.

They were so into it, so passionate about it, it was never, ever, ever going to fail and I knew that, Ferranto said. We had the best team together to create the vision that we needed to produce for this institution and we did it.

Kenneally, a Connecticut native who lives in New York City, said to make the documentary for the museum, the production crew traveled to New York, Ohio, Alabama, Washington, Fairfax, Alexandria and, finally, Stafford.

Stafford County was great, Kenneally said. The sheriff gave us so much freedom and was so helpful, we were able to do a couple of days extra in Stafford aside from the interviews just to get all that cool footage.

Kenneally said the team approached the project for the national museum with an open mind and wanted to produce a documentary that shows the personal side of officers, how they struggle, what they face and the joys and heartaches they share along the way with their own families.

Its probably the most emotional project I ever worked on, Kenneally said. The people we interviewed are great humans who are putting their lives on the line literally to help their fellow citizens.

Burgess said she hopes the film will help tear down negative views of police, but she said theres still work to do. While on a recent patrol in North Stafford, Burgess said she observed a young woman who appeared to have car trouble. Burgess activated her emergency lights and stopped her patrol car to offer her assistance, but the young woman stepped out of her car and raised her hands in fear.

The longer we talked, she relaxed, Burgess said. Its unfortunate were in an era where people dont trust the police, and its heartbreaking. It seems were going the extra mile to say, hey, were here to help.

Ferranto said Service and Sacrifice will run at the museum, at 444 E Street NW in Washington, at the top of each hour every day the museum is open for the next 12 to 18 months. She gives the documentary her highest rating.

Five stars, Ferranto said. There is no one who does not leave this building saying that was an incredible experience and it all starts with that film.

Visit nleomf.org for museum hours.
A jury found a Culpeper County sheriffs deputy not guilty on Wednesday of reckless driving in a two-vehicle fatal crash on State Route 3 in Culpeper in 2021.

Two women and five men deliberated for 45 minutes Wednesday in finding Ashleigh Baughan, 42, innocent in the March 30, 2021, collision where the four-lane divided highway meets Carrico Mills Road.

Helen Marie Quarles, 65, of Locust Grove died in the accident about 6 p.m. as she tried to turn left from the center median, heading east. Quarles, a mother and grandmother, was on her way home from work at a state probation office.

This case is a tragedy, Manassas defense attorney David Dischley said in closing arguments. Everyone sitting here could find ourselves in the position of Ashleigh Baughan or Ms. Quarles  nobody intended this to happen.

Quarles pulled out in front of the defendant, who was unable to avoid hitting her, the attorney said.

Tragedies like this happen every day on our roadways  it breaks my heart for the family  but it is not criminal recklessness, Dischley said. What we have here is just speeding.

After the daylong trial, the attorney declined comment on its outcome.

Baughan left the courtroom in tears, surrounded by her family. A lieutenant at the time of the crash, Baughan has worked in courthouse security since the accident.

Evidence shows the defendant was traveling in the left lane at 75 mph, 20 miles over the speed limit, in her department-issued Chevy Tahoe SUV as she approached the Route 3 intersection the evening of the crash.

Baughan, heading west toward Culpeper, was in uniform and on duty, but not responding to an emergency.

Virginia law states that someone can be found guilty of reckless driving if they are going 20 miles over the speed limit while driving in a manner so as to endanger the life, limb or property of any person.

Special prosecutor Scott Hook, the Fauquier County commonwealths attorney, tried the case heard by Substitute Judge Richard Potter.

Hook argued that the crash was avoidable if Baughan had been driving the speed limit.

Was she driving in a reckless manner? I suggest she was, he said.

Hook said a prudent person would slow down at a busy intersection, especially one known to be accident-prone, as was heard in court about the Carrico Mills junction.

She was casually driving her cruising speed  it resulted in the death of someone  Why was she in the left lane? If she was in the right lane, Ms. Quarles would most likely be here today, the prosecutor said.

Baughan took the stand as the defenses final witness. She testified that she was working the day shift  6 a.m. to 6 p.m.  on the day of the crash.

She had been dispatched to the Culpeper Department of Social Services office to give a homeless woman a ride to Germanna Community Colleges Locust Grove campus to the east on Route 3.

Baughan testified that she was not on her phone or distracted as she drove west back to the office in Culpeper to finish her work day after dropping off the woman. She described approaching Carrico Mills Road, a section of highway several described as having a dip in the road, potentially decreasing visibility.

The deputy testified that as she was coming up the hill, she noticed the vehicle, being driven by Quarles, slow roll through a stop sign and enter the center median of the highway.

I am screaming to get out of the way, the deputy said, testifying Quarles was looking right, toward Culpeper, and did not see her coming from the east.

I smashed it to the floor as hard I could, Baughan said of applying her brakes. If I could have Flintstone-d it, I would have.

The deputys SUV struck the drivers side door of Quarles car and spun around in the collision. Both vehicles suffered heavy damage.

Baughan testified that she pried herself out of her vehicle and ran to render aid to the other vehicles occupant. The deputy testified she could not get Quarles out or administer CPR, due to her vehicle being locked.

She said Quarles still had a pulse.

Baughan testified taht it felt like an eternity before police and rescue arrived about seven minutes later. Responders busted out the window on the victims car and used an automated external defibrillator to try and revive Quarles.

On cross-examination by Hook, Baughan said she did not know at what speed she was traveling when the wreck happened.

I dont stare at my speedometer, she said. I was looking at my surroundings. I felt like I was not traveling at a high rate of speed.

Baughan said she made every attempt to avoid the collision and to stop before hitting Quarles vehicle.

In closing, Hook said that if the defendant had been traveling 55 mph on her entire trip back to Culpeper, she never would have encountered Quarles.

She would have been miles back, the special prosecutor said.

A video of the accident was captured by the dash camera of motorist Matthew Deem of Bristow. He testified in court that he was in his work truck behind Quarles car at the stop sign on Carrico Mills Road when she entered the highway.

Deem testified he remained stationary in his vehicle and did not pull up to the stop sign after Quarles pulled onto Route 3 for fear his vehicle would be impacted.

It was pretty imminent what was about to happen, he testified.

My thought was they need to get out of the way pretty quickly, Deem said of Quarles vehicle stopped in the center median on Route 3.

Virginia State Police handled the investigation and did not file a criminal charge, saying the crash was unavoidable.

Baughan was charged by direct indictment initiated by Hook, who brought the case to a grand jury last year.

State Police Sgt. Brent Coffey testified at length in court Wednesday as an expert witness on crash reconstruction and analyzing information contained in event data recorders, a vehicles black box. The recorders imprint a vehicles speed five seconds prior to a crash or an air-bag deployment.

Coffey testified the data showed Baughan was traveling 75 mph in a 55-mph zone prior to the collision.
The recommendation to boil drinking water in the City of Tekamah has been lifted.

Water department head Tony Daugherty told the Plaindelaer Thursday afternoon that a second set of water samples submitted to the state lab on Tuesday had come back negative. A set of samples sent Monday also were all negative.

The advisory was issued Sunday following a drop in water pressure in the citys system following a water main break.

Daugherty said Thursday that because the original declaration was an advisory, not an order, city protocols do not require more expansive communication techniques. Residents are simply asked to spread the word. Had an order been issued, the city would have used the news media to disseminate appropriate information.

The water main, located near 20th and West P streets broke Sunday afternoon, sending water geysering about four feet into the air, Daugherty said.

The citys water tower has been shut down since Sept. 28 for maintenance. Daugherty said with the tower shut down, the city has been pumping water into the system directly from its wells. But when the main broke, the system couldnt keep up.

The main had been repaired by late Sunday, but two rounds of testing are required before the situation could get back to normal. Daugherty drove 10 water samples to the state lab in Lincoln Monday morning for testing. The second set went Tuesday.

But until results from the tests were known, city residents were advised to boil their drinking water to make sure it wasnt contaminated by bacteria, viruses or other contaminants. Although the chances of becoming ill from drinking water that hadnt first been boiled were slim, residents were advised to see their doctor if they experience diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or abdominal cramps.

That made for a tense few days. Save More Market in Tekamah reopened for an hour Sunday afternoon to make drinking water available to their customers. The stores supply was rapidly purchased and a second supply was received Tuesday.

Kristen Ketelsen, manager at Tekamahs Dollar General store also reported heavy business for bottled water.

Homes with reverse osmosis purification systems do not need to boil their water, but typical filtration systems will not remove any bacteria that may be present. Public health officials recommend replacing the filter media in filtration and purification systems. As an extra precaution, appliances hooked up to the water system also should be drained and cleaned and any filters replaced. For example, if the refrigerator is hooked up to the water system, throw out all the ice in the ice maker, run the water dispenser for 3 to 5 minutes to flush the system, let the ice maker run for an hour and then throw out the new ice and, finally, wash and sanitize the bins. An empty cycle should be run through the dishwasher and owners should check the color of the water in the washing machine before using it. A regeneration cycle also should be run on water softeners.
Scott Flanagan never expected quilting to become his hobby and his career.

That was never a plan, but its definitely evolved, the Fremont man said.

Today, Flanagan is a national teacher, book writer and fabric designer.

Part of the reason that happened, he said, was because of the support he found from the Prairie Piecemakers Quilt Guild.

This year, the guild is celebrating its 40th anniversary. As part of the celebration, the group will host its biannual exhibit, called the Ruby Jubilee Quilt Show.

The public is invited to the event planned from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 14, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15, at First Lutheran Church, 3200 E. Military Ave., in Fremont. Admission is $5 per person. Children younger than the age of 12 get in free.

Those who attend can enjoy Hearty Quilters Soup with a cornbread muffin and beverage for $8 or chicken salad croissant, chips and a piece of homemade pie for $8. Single slices of homemade pie are $4 each.

The display will include more than 130 quilts made by guild members. Biannual shows traditionally have a featured quilter. This show will feature a display of quilts from 20 previously featured guild quilters.

In addition, charter members Faith Perry, Kathy Murphy, Lila Launer and Ann Paulson will exhibit their favorite quilts. Attendees also can see several vintage quilts and a video of guild history.

A limited number of tickets for the 2022 Raffle Quilt will be on sale at the show for $2 and tickets will be available for the Ruby Jubilee queen-size quilt kit. The show also will have a silent auction for more than 20 gift baskets.

The quilt guild had its founding meeting on March 30, 1982.

Charter member Faith Perry of Fremont remembers the groups first meeting in a now-former quilt store on Main Street.

There were 30 people perhaps and it continued from there, Perry said.

Charter member Kathy Murphy of Fremont recalled how the group progressed.

After that meeting at that shop, we had quite a time finding places to meet, Murphy said. It seemed like we went from one church to another. We met a lot of different places.

The group met at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church for a while and now meets at First Lutheran.

Throughout the years, the guild has hosted a variety of speakers and programs and now has 97 members from Fremont and many area communities.

Guild members share a love of an art form designed to provide warmth and beauty.

I have always loved quilting, Perry said. Both of my grandmothers quilted and I have quilts from each of them.

Perry appreciates the creation process involved in quilt making.

Its bringing order out of chaos, Perry said. We start with fabrics and then we go back to our closet for more fabrics and we put together what works.

Perry shares her quilts with family members.

I make baby quilts for all of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren, so thats just a part of something I do out of love for them and I feel like Im a part of their lives, Perry said.

Murphy enjoys hand-quilting and was a child when she accompanied her grandmother, who went to Pohocco Lutheran Church to quilt with other women.

Her grandmother taught her to thread a needle and Murphy would learn that quilting was something she wanted to do.

Shes still quilting today.

Flanagan also learned from a grandmother how to quilt, never expecting it would become an avocation and a vocation for him.

To become a national teacher, book writer and fabric designer was never a goal or plan, but it happened, he said.

Flanagan attributes part of these happenings to the guilds support.

Throughout the years, other members have challenged me to try things Ive never tried before, Flanagan said.

Program presenters also encouraged Flanagan to try quilting techniques.

So hed go home and try them.

Flanagan has been quilting for more than 30 years. Hes been at the downtown Fremont store, now called Nebraska Quilt Company, for 16 years.

Debra Schroeder, co-chair for quilt show publicity, noted that while the shows focus may be on the past, quilting also has a bright future.

Quilting is alive and vibrant, Schroeder said. Theres so many new things available. People who come to the show will get to see new techniques and new fabrics in the quilts on display.

Vendors will have new patterns, fabrics, quilting and sewing machines and tools.

Quilters hope the public comes to the show.

Even if youre not a quilter, youre going to enjoy seeing it from an artistic perspective, Flanagan said. Were making memories, but were also making art.

Perry agreed.

My daughter and I went to a quilt show out in the country this year that one of our members had, Perry said. When we left, she said, This is the best art exhibit Ive ever seen.

Schroeder added that the guild offers quilting programs and workshops.

Each meeting has a charitable contribution effort. Efforts have or will include:

Supplies for area schools and Head Start agencies;

Quilts for The Bridge (domestic abuse agency);

Winter and other clothing items for schools;

Personal care items for Care Corps LifeHouse;

Door decorations and stuffed animals for nursing homes.

Throughout its history, guild members have been instrumental in the organization of the Nebraska State Quilt Guild and International Quilt Museum.

More information is available at prairiepiecemakers.com.
Razia was expelled from her school in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar last month. The Taliban told the 14-year-old that she was told old to study.



Im not alone, she told RFE/RLs Radio Azadi. Many girls my age have been forced out of school.



In recent weeks, the Taliban has carried out inspections of girls' schools in the province and expelled hundreds of pubescent female students. They have joined the estimated 3 million girls in Afghanistan who are being deprived of an education.



Since seizing power last year, the militant group has barred girls who are 13 or older or above the sixth grade from attending school.



The expulsions in Kandahar are part of the Talibans enforcement of its deeply controversial ban, which has fueled protests inside the country and attracted international condemnation.



According to the Talibans extremist view of Islamic Sharia law, girls who have reached puberty must be segregated from male students and teachers. The militants have claimed that, due to a shortage of female teachers, they cannot permit pubescent girls to attend school. Before the Taliban takeover, many girls schools were already segregated.



The Taliban has not given exceptions to girls who started school late, had to repeat school, or have learning disabilities.



Fawzia, a 15-year-old who was in the fifth grade, was expelled from her school in Kandahars Daman district last month. She said the Taliban kicked out more than 100 girls from her school alone after carrying out an inspection.



We want the [Taliban] to open our schools so we can build a prosperous future, said Fawzia. I want to be a doctor so I can serve my country.



"I felt terrible when we were ordered to leave our classes and told not to come back," said Gulalai, another 15-year-old girl in the fifth grade from Daman district. "We are now in a very tough situation."



Mawlawi Fakhruddin Naqshbandi, the provincial head of the Talibans Education Ministry in Kandahar, confirmed the expulsions. He said girls who were 13 or older or had reached puberty were being expelled.

Rare Display Of Defiance



Afghan women and girls have taken to the streets to protest the Talibans ban and demand their basic rights since the militant group seized power in August 2021.



Last month, schoolgirls, women, and even Afghan elders openly demonstrated their support for girls' education in social media posts and street protests across the country, in a rare display of defiance under the Taliban.

The protests came after recently opened girls' schools in the southeastern province of Paktia were suddenly closed again, and a top Taliban official stated that Afghans do not back education for girls.



More recently, a deadly suicide bombing on September 30 that killed dozens of girls and women in Kabul triggered some of the largest and most sustained protests against Taliban rule.



Defying the Talibans ban on unsanctioned rallies, women held rallies in the cities of Kabul, Herat, Mazar-e Sharif, and Ghazni and the provinces of Bamiyan and Kapisa. The demonstrators rallied against the Taliban governments restrictions on women and its inability to protect ethnic and religious minorities.

Activists say the Talibans ban has been unpopular in Kandahar, part of the conservative Pashtun heartland where the Taliban first emerged in the 1990s.



All Afghans support education, Ahmad Shah Spar, a local activist, told Radio Azadi. This has been proved by the protests and the campaigning of thousands of women and men.



Since returning to power, the Taliban has imposed a raft of restrictions on women and girls, including on their appearance, access to work and education, and freedom of movement. The rules are reminiscent of the Talibans first stint in power from 1996 to 2001, when the group deprived women of their most basic rights.



The Taliban initially promised to respect women's rights within the framework of Islam.



But in an October 5 report, global human rights watchdog Amnesty International said the Taliban's systematic attacks on the rights of women and girls were aimed at completely erasing" them from public life.



The ban on secondary education for girls, in particular, threatens to do generational damage to girls and women of the country, the report said.
By Azernews

By News Center

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Libyan counterpart Najla el-Mangoush have signed a memorandum of understanding in the energy and hydrocarbons sectors in Tripoli, Yeni Shafak daily reports.

Turkiye has inked another crucial deal, in addition to an Exclusive Economic Zone agreement with Libya, which would shift the balance by securing its rights in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Turkiye signed a memorandum of understanding with Libya in the energy and hydrocarbons sectors, removing the hurdles in the Mediterranean posed by Greece, France, and America.

At a joint press conference with his Libyan counterpart following the signing ceremony, Cavusoglu stressed that Turkiye stands by Libya and the Libyan people in difficult times and will continue to do so without hesitation.

Libya, with its west, east, and south, is a whole and highly valuable to us. We will continue to oppose efforts that are aimed at undermining national unity and solidarity and sparking a civil. With this in mind, we are also meeting with all segments of society in Libya, Cavusoglu stressed.

The Turkish top diplomat underlined that Turkiye is ready to give all kinds of assistance to the Libyan people to build sustainable peace, tranquillity, and prosperity as soon as possible.

"Our relations with Libya have strengthened by our shared history, as well as our good-neighborly and fraternal ties. During our discussions, we both reiterated our commitment to further developing our relationships. We signed two agreements, as Ms. Najla said. We signed memorandums of agreement in the domains of hydrocarbons and protocols. Negotiations are still proceeding; ideally, we will return by signing a memorandum of agreement in the gas area as well," Cavusoglu said.

In response to a question about Greeces and Frances objection to Turkiye's previously signed memorandum of understanding on marine jurisdiction zones, Cavusoglu stressed: "Third nations do not have the authority to interfere with the agreement struck by the two sovereign countries. It makes no difference what they think."

When asked about trade between the two nations, the minister said that Turkiye welcomes trade in both local currencies and Turkish liras.

In this sense, there are countries where we trade with national currencies, and we are trying to increase this rate. In addition, a SWAP agreement is signed between our Central Banks. Therefore, it seems that our trade volume with Libya will exceed $4 billion, he added.

When questioned about the Libyan elections, Cavusoglu stated, these elections should be a process in which Libyans make decisions, and a roadmap must be established.

He underlined the need for holding Libyan elections in a transparent, fair, and democratic way, as well as everyone accepting their results.

El-Mangoush, for her part, said that they discussed security, telecommunications, media, diplomacy and protocol, and most crucially, energy during issues during their meeting with Cavusoglu.

We signed a memorandum of understanding between the two countries in the energy and hydrocarbons sectors. These agreements show the depth of historical relations between the two friendly countries, she emphasized.

Cavusoglu highlighted that the government encourages Turkish businessmen to return to Libya and launch new projects, as well as complete the unfinished ones.

We are working together with our flag bearer Turkish Airlines (THY) to resume flights. We applaud Libya's efforts to implement vital airport security measures. Our THY experts will return to Tripoli and other places in the coming months to inspect them, and we want these flights to begin as soon as possible, the minister added.

Furthermore, Cavusoglu provided thorough information on the Turkiye-Libya accords.

We are fully committed to transforming the Mediterranean into a sea of peace for the benefit of the riparian countries. As a result, our president proposed to the European Union a joint conference in the Eastern Mediterranean, and we are now awaiting a constructive answer from the EU on this matter, Cavusoglu stressed.
An officer-involved shooting that killed a man wanted for attempted murder in March has been ruled justified after a review by the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office, according to a news release by the DA's office.

This is the second justified officer-involved shooting announced by the DA's Office in five days. Officer Jacob Kelly was found justified in his use of deadly force on Friday following a December shooting. Kelly was charged with a knife during the incident.

On March 7, Colorado Springs police and detectives with the Violent Offender Fugitive Task Force were sent to search for James Gregory, 39, a suspect with an active warrant out of Ripley, Miss. Gregory was believed to possess the attempted murder victims vehicle, according to the release sent Wednesday. He was also believed to be armed and dangerous.

Officer Justin Murphy found Gregory in the 200 block of North Circle Drive and instructed him to stop. Gregory pointed a handgun at Murphy, prompting Murphy to draw his handgun in response and fire as Gregory ran. Murphy fired 14 rounds and struck Gregory at least once during his foot pursuit.

Gregory fled two blocks north, and Officers Alan Radke, Larry Wright and Eric Price joined in the pursuit. Multiple officers ordered him to drop his weapon, and they began firing when he raised it toward them. Radke and Wright fired six shots each, and Price fired one, according to the release.

Gregory was struck in the torso and collapsed. He died at the scene as a result of a gunshot wound inflicted by one of the officers who fired at him.

According to protocol, all officer-involved shootings resulting in injury or death must be reviewed by a multiagency Deadly Force Investigation Team, composed of representatives of the DA's office, Colorado Springs Police Department and El Paso County Sheriff's Office.

The office's responsibility is to "ensure that the use of deadly force was justified under the statutes of Colorado," according to Howard Black, the director of communications for the DA's Office. Any recommendations regarding police tactics or best practices are reviewed internally within law enforcement agencies.

Mr. Gregory was wanted on an active murder warrant, thus posed an active, deadly threat to officers at each of the two events where he was fired upon. He also posed an active, deadly threat to civilian bystanders at nearby businesses and in nearby vehicles, the release states.
A Colorado Springs career criminal with an extensive and violent record in El Paso County was never in compliance with probation or parole before a string of alleged crimes earlier this year, including first-degree murder, according to documents obtained by The Gazette.

Deka Simmons  who will appear in 4th Judicial District Court for her preliminary hearing on Thursday afternoon  was a suspect in the death of Daxcimo Ceja two months before being arrested. Yet her probation officer asked to have her probation regranted on two occasions after Simmons was arrested in connection with two different crimes, posting bond just days before her arrest on suspicion of first-degree murder, court records show.

Further investigation showed that the day after Simmons, 38, accepted a plea deal in Lincoln County and was released from jail, Ceja was killed in Colorado Springs.

Simmons' extensive criminal background raises questions among some experts on how she was able to continue to be granted probation revocation and plea deals, despite those working with her insisting she had not been rehabilitated and remained a danger to the community.

Past

Simmons' first recorded run-in with the Colorado Springs police was in 2002 at just 18 years old, when she faced charges of felony menacing and third-degree assault with a deadly weapon, the first of more than seven weapons-related allegations.

Later that same year, in November 2002, Simmons would pick up what would be her first of three first-degree murder accusations. The district attorneys office ultimately dismissed the murder accusations against Simmons, but less than three months later, Simmons found herself facing another allegation of first-degree murder. According to police records obtained by The Gazette, Simmons was accused of being involved in the shooting death of Donna Oliveto, a former inmate with her in the El Paso County jail.

The arrest affidavit for Simmons details that she and her boyfriend at the time, Jeff Hoskins, were at the residence of Oliveto, and Simmons was paranoid that Oliveto was working for the police.

I guess she was an agent, Simmons told a friend of hers the same night as the murder, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit also states that Simmons stole Olivetos white Pontiac Grand-Am after her murder.

Because Hoskins was the one who pulled the trigger, Simmons was charged with accessory to murder and sentenced to 12 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.

However, a social media post from June 2017 from the mother of Oliveto's son paints a much different picture of Simmons' involvement in the murder, calling her the "mastermind" of the plot.

"Deka J Simmons, at age 20, along with Jeffery S Hoskins, smoked an overabundance amount of Meth, mistakenly determined that Donna was an informant for the police (which she was not), on an upcoming attempted murder trial that Deka was facing, drove to Donna's house, and executed her for no reason," the woman wrote on Facebook. "These two individuals had no regard for Donna, her son or any relationship that Donna had in this world. My son lost his mother that day, Her family lost a wonderful daughter, sister and aunt."

The woman did not respond to a request for an interview from The Gazette.

While 12 years may seem like a light sentence to some, Jonathan Caudill, a criminology professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and a former probation officer, said this was the harshest possible penalty Simmons could have received for the crime, and that she remained in prison for the entire length of her sentence.

Despite being in prison, the violent crimes did not stop for Simmons.

According to court records, Simmons was charged with assault twice in prison between 2003 and 2004, including an incident where she assaulted an officer, which added two years to her prison sentence. According to records from the Department of Corrections obtained by The Gazette, there were 35 prison incidents logged by Simmons between 2004 and 2015 including fighting, assault, verbal abuse and more.

The continued incidents while incarcerated kept Simmons from being paroled early, as records indicate her parole request was denied numerous times before she was released on her mandatory release date in 2016 after spending 14 years in prison.

Violations of Simmons parole would shortly follow her release. In 2017 court records show Simmons was found guilty of weapon possession by a previous offender. Documents from the Department of Corrections show that a parole officer found brass knuckles and knives when searching her Colorado Springs motel room.

She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 110 days served. After being released in 2019, again on parole, she was quickly back in prison for second-degree assault after stabbing her stepfather after a verbal altercation over custody of Simmons' child at a liquor store in north Colorado Springs, according to police records.

In total, Simmons was paroled three times and had parole revoked three times, according to records from the Department of Corrections.

For the 2019 stabbing incident, Simmons accepted a plea agreement from the district attorney's office and received three years of probation following her 90-day prison sentence.

Had she been found guilty in a jury trial, Simmons would have faced a mandatory prison sentence of between five and 16 years, according to Colorado law.

Caudill points to a potential reason for the plea agreement and subsequent light sentence for Simmons as a result of the current direction of the criminal justice system. Caudill said prisons are attempting to decrease their populations and that some evidence points to convicts having a better chance at rehabilitation out in the community, rather than in prison.

This mindset described by Caudill can be seen in the Colorado Department of Correction's inmate figures over the past 10 years.

According to statistics from the Colorado Department of Corrections website, the total inmate population in Colorado from December 2009 to December 2019 dropped by nearly 3,000 inmates.

While on probation, Simmons added two new cases to her record in Weld and Lincoln counties: possession of a firearm by a previous offender dated Nov. 9, 2020, and third-degree assault causing reckless injury and child abuse dated Sept. 8, 2020.

The possession of a firearm by a previous offender charges in Weld County were dismissed with prejudice in District Court, but the assault causing reckless injury and child abuse charges in Lincoln County landed Simmons 180 days of jail time after accepting a plea deal, with credit for 180 days served, according to court records.

Court records show she accepted the plea deal on Feb. 15, 2022.

Probation revocation documents show that on Nov. 13, 2020, and April 6, 2021, a probation officer recommended that Simmons probation be revoked and she serve time in jail for her probation violations.

2022 arrest, first-degree murder charge

On Feb. 16, 2022, one day after her plea agreement in Lincoln County, Daxcimo Ceja was killed.

Nearly two months later Simmons was arrested by Colorado Springs police and faces three charges in Ceja's death, including first-degree murder.

The Gazette filed a records request with Colorado's 4th Judicial District Court for the probable cause affidavit in Simmons' arrest, but those records have been sealed by the court.

Simmons criminal activity in El Paso County at this time wasnt a mystery to the Colorado Springs police. On Feb. 22, 2022, six days after the death of Ceja, a CSPD officer contacted the Department of Corrections to request information on Simmons.

Offender is a suspect in a intel situation where she is running around with guns, has shot at people and reported to have taken a life," the report states.

The report goes on to say the investigation had only just started due to a tip from a confidential informant.

Simmons wouldnt be arrested on suspicion of murder until nearly two months later on April 7, 2022. During this two-month period Simmons added a pair of new allegations to her rap sheet, one in an incident involving robbery with a weapon at a tow lot; and another involving felony menacing with a weapon.

Despite Simmons' prior convictions, new charges and suspicion of a possible murder, on March 25 and April 1, 2022, probation officers did not request that Simmons probation be revoked entirely, but rather "be revoked and re-granted with the original terms and conditions.

The April 1 probation revocation was amended on April 6, one day before Simmons was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, to account for charges Simmons was now facing for first-degree murder.

Probation new recommendation is probation be revoked, and the defendant serve a period in the department of correction, the document states.

Jon Sarche, a spokesperson for the Colorado Judicial Department, declined to comment on the reasoning behind the probation officer's decision, saying, "We cant comment on internal deliberations of the type that went into that decision, so were unable to grant an interview."

CSPD did not respond to requests for comment from The Gazette.

According to court records, Simmons was arrested on March 23 for the felony menacing charges and posted a $2,000 bond the next day to be released from county jail. The alleged murder and robbery happened just more than a month prior to the felony menacing.

Court records show she was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder on April 7, 2022.

Caudill said that while he can't be sure why probation requested to have Simmons' probation regranted, it's indicative of the current direction of criminal justice in the United States.

"In recent years we've become more focused on rehabilitation and restoration, rather than incarceration and punishment like in the past," Caudill said. "Some people slip through the cracks. ... With these changes you can see why someone with concerns could be put back into the community."

Caudill said he believes probation officers in this case may have had concerns over her mental health, and that they could have believed that Simmons receiving treatment would be the best path in her rehabilitation, rather than prison.

"This is very speculative but ... I suspect that they (probation officers) believe the origin of behavior is some serious mental health issues," Caudill said. "Looking for ways to motivate the individuals to take the treatment route could be heavy in their decision making."

Professor Kimora, an expert on probation and parole with the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said an overburden on local probation officers and a lack of education can lead to situations where probation revocation is being requested for someone who is an active danger to the community.

"Theyre (probation officers) doing the best they can with the resources they got.  They need funding and qualified people to help," Kimora said. "Some of these people dont have enough education to know that you cant let people out like that."

Kimora also said it is "unfortunately" common for departments within the same city to not communicate with each other, leading to situations where probation potentially didn't know Simmons was a murder suspect.

"In a perfect world, they should (communicate). ... If more departments were coordinated, that would be great," Kimora said. "But it's a political game, they want to say, 'Oh look we did it.'"

Caudill echoed the statements of Kimora, stating that agencies like the police department and probation office can work together, but oftentimes don't.

"They have the ability to do that, but sometimes there's a tendency for them not to work together," Caudill said. "Sometimes they just have conflicting goals."

Does the system work?

Its clear that those in contact with Simmons over the past 10 years were concerned about her behavior.

In 2013, a parole officer in a parole hearing expressed major concerns with Simmons and her behavior while she was still incarcerated.

You appear to be a pretty violent person, the parole officer told Simmons at the time.

The officer noted that Simmons had seven prison discipline convictions in 2013 alone and that it almost looks like youre trying to set a record.

Simmons would go on to refuse to attend her parole hearings in 2014 and 2015, according to audio recordings obtained by The Gazette.

In 2020 during a parole hearing, Simmons' parole supervisor expressed significant concerns over her behavior. The parole officer said that while on parole in 2019, Simmons had four police contacts, multiple curfew violations, continued to use drugs, left the area of parole, tampered with her electronic monitoring device and stabbed someone.

Simmons is posing a risk to the community, the parole officer stated during the hearing.

When asked about reinstating the terms of parole, the officer said, If I did that again, nothing would change.

Despite those concerns Simmons was released into the community.

Kimora, however, looks at Simmons' case and sees a failure not in the direction the criminal justice system is heading, but the effectiveness of rehabilitation.

"Given all the work Ive done in this field, somebody is not doing their job," Kimora said. "Parole and probation officers needed to help this woman."

The failure of the rehabilitation of people like Simmons is not uncommon, Kimora said, and the lack of resources for prisoners and parolees leads to never-ending crime spirals, like that of Simmons.

"She needed some help while she was in there. Contradictory to whats going in jails and prisons around the country," Kimora said. "The attitude often seems to be, 'We're just going to lock them up.'"

Simmons herself even speaks to this in a parole hearing from 2020, when she mentions to her parole officer that after 14 years in prison she needed help getting back into the real world, and that she felt she never got the help she requested.

This was dismissed by the parole officer who said that Simmons was not actively going to the rehab program she was required to as part of her parole, according to parole hearing audio obtained by The Gazette.

Simmons is being held in El Paso County jail on a no-bond hold in the first-degree murder accusations. She will appear in court for her preliminary hearing on all three of her 2022 cases on Thursday.
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.
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.
By Azernews

By Nur Banu Aras

The laying of undersea cables for the Sakarya gas field, which will supply natural gas to Turkish consumers, will start soon, Yeni Shafak reports.

While the underwater pipelaying is coming to an end, the Seven Arctic Ship, which will lay the system's 180-kilometer cables, will embark on duty this week.

Pipes to transport 540 billion cubic meters of natural gas from the Black Sea are still being laid, and pipe laying continues at the bottom of the deep sea after the work done in the shallow section. Some 140 kilometers of the pipeline's 170 kilometers have been finished. Some 140 kilometers of 16-inch and 100 kilometers of 10-inch pipes have been completed.

After the pipes were laid on the deep seabed, work on installing the cord tie system, which is characterized as the intelligence of the system that would convey the gas to the buildings, began.

The operation of Seven Arctic Ship, which will install cables along the bottom of the sea for the Sakarya Gas Field, will begin this week. The system's control cord tie line will be placed on a 180-kilometer stretch. Some 40 kilometers of the line will be placed in shallow waters, while the remaining 140 kilometers will be laid on the deep sea floor.

The installation of the 30-kilometer main cord line from the sea to the Sakarya gas field wells area, as well as major seabed work, will be completed by the end of the year by Seven Arctic Ship, which has a crane capacity of 1000 t and with a length of 162 meters.

Turkiye is laying its first gas pipeline in the Black Sea, where a total of 540 billion cubic meters of natural gas has been discovered.

Efforts to bring natural gas from the Black Sea to consumers and households have gained momentum. The Filyos Natural Gas Processing Facility, where the gas will be processed on land, is being constructed while preparations on the wells are continuing at sea. Some 4,200 personnel and 16 ships, of which three are engaged in drilling, are working in the area to support the whole process.

Following its uninterrupted hydrocarbon exploration activities with high-tech ships, Turkiye discovered 540 billion cubic meters of gas in the Black Sea in the summer of 2020. While drilling activities continue for new discoveries, the country works on projects to bring more revenue with the discovered reserves to the economy.
An armed burglary suspect was shot and killed by deputies with the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office in Colorado City on Wednesday night, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Around 11:45 p.m., deputies responded to a burglary call at a residence on Santa Fe Drive where they encountered the armed suspect, the Sheriff's Office said in a release. The release states that "shots were fired," but did not specify whether the suspect exchanged gunfire with deputies. No deputies were injured.

The suspect was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, the release said. The identities of the deputies and suspect involved are not being released at this time. The Pueblo County coroner will announce the suspect's identity once an autopsy has been completed.

The Sheriff's Office said the events of the shooting are under investigation by the 10th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team, consisting of members of the Pueblo Police Department, the Colorado State Patrol, the Pueblo County District Attorneys Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigations and the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.
DENVER  Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced an expansion of a National Park Service historical site dedicated to the 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 Wednesday during a solemn ceremony at the Sand Creek Massacre National Historical Site, about 140 miles southeast of Colorado Springs, 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 U.S. 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 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 Service 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 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 Trend

A Hungarian legislator and an Iranian diplomat have held talks on the policy of changing armed conflict to negotiation in Europe, Trend reports citing IRNA.

Irans Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri Kani, who is in Hungary heading a delegation to discuss issues of mutual interests, met with Chairman of the Hungarian National Assembly foreign affairs Zsolt Nemeth on Wednesday.

The deputy foreign minister described the situation in Ukraine as not only the source of tension among European countries but also the root cause of threatening food and energy security in the world.

The Iranian diplomat pointed to the trip by Iranian parliamentary delegation to Hungary, noting that the Islamic Republic gives importance to parliamentary relationship with the European country, emphasizing that the role of parliaments in expanding and strengthening bilateral ties is of great importance.

The Hungarian lawmaker, for his part, expressed hope that the two states will pursue the exchange of parliamentary delegations, noting that Irans role in regional stability and security is undeniable; so, Hungary attaches significance to consolidation of ties with the Islamic Republic.
By Trend

North Korea fired an unspecified ballistic missile toward the east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, following joint missile drills by South Korea and the United States and a return of a U.S. aircraft carrier to the sea between Korea and Japan in response to North Korea's recent missile tests, Trend reports citing Reuters.

Thursday's missile launch was the sixth in 12 days and the first since it fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan on Tuesday.
EDITORIAL: Listen to the educators, vote 'no' on more drug mayhem
For Elizabeth, the moment still burns in her memory when the sexual trauma she suffered during her military service was thrown in her face during her childrens custody case. What was meant to be a seemingly straightforward evaluation of a 13-minute change in her kids commute time turned into a nightmarish scrutiny of her worst trauma and fitness as a mother.

It is worrisome that she continues to be treated for PTSD from events that occurred over a decade ago and were not life-threatening, read the parental evaluation report of Elizabeth and her ex-husband written by psychologist Terri Finney. This gives rise to the hypothesis that her mental health issues have become more personality issues and as such are permanent to her psychological functioning.

The biting assessment came in a report in her custody case after Elizabeth moved 20 miles from Englewood to Castle Rock. She still struggles to understand why the parental responsibility evaluator used the sexual trauma from her military service to question her fitness as a mother. She remains bewildered how such a fundamental misunderstanding of PTSD  according to an expert she consulted  could end up putting her ability to tuck her children in bed at night in jeopardy.

Everything about that statement is appalling, said Elizabeth, whose actual name is not being used in this article at her request. It's reckless. Why would you say that? That had no place in there.

A magistrate in Denvers small claims court ruled in May that the work by Finney  who at that point had been appointed as a parental responsibility evaluator, or PRE, in hundreds of cases, by her own estimation  fell short of the district court order appointing her in Elizabeths custody case, and she had breached her contract.

Deficiencies in the report highlighted by Elizabeth are emblematic of problems discovered in other custody evaluation cases reviewed by The Gazette. Elizabeths evaluator drew conclusions about parenting based on assumptions made without deeper investigation, showed apparent bias against Elizabeth and took one parents statements at face value while questioning the others credibility without proof, according to an expert Elizabeth hired.

Colorados system of deciding contentious child custody cases is fraught with such problems. An investigation by The Gazette found dozens of cases of incompetent, inaccurate and biased custody evaluations, several of which put children at serious, even life-threatening risk.

The Gazettes probe of Colorados network of parental evaluators reveals a system with little practical oversight or accountability, and the measures that do exist operate largely shielded from public scrutiny. Evaluators reports are sealed unless a judge grants their release for a narrowly allowed purpose. If someone submits a complaint against their evaluators professional license to the Department of Regulatory Agencies, its kept confidential unless DORA decides the complaint is founded  but if the agency dismisses it, officials dont state why.

What were seeing when there are problematic parental responsibility evaluators, in best-case scenarios, are harmful consequences, and in worst case scenarios, its deadly consequences, said State Rep. Meg Froehlich, a Democrat from Greenwood Village, who successfully pushed new legislation last year requiring, for the first time ever, new training and court standards for parenting evaluators.

Licensed mental health professionals, evaluators have seen their influence in Colorado courts grow exponentially over the years. Their use has grown in part because a directive from the chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court 10 years ago limited the role of a separate group of court-appointed personnel  child and family investigators (so-called CFIs)  who also make custody recommendations but at a far lower, capped cost to parents. The directive barred child and family investigators from conducting psychological testing, limiting that role to parental evaluators, who must hold a license to practice psychology, marriage therapy, social work, professional counseling or addiction counseling.

The fees for child and family investigators are capped at $3,250 for a report and testimony, except for extenuating circumstances. That cap means parents wanting a more in-depth review who are able to pay the tens of thousands of dollars parental evaluators can charge may ask a judge to appoint one, as well as seek a court order to split the cost with the other parent. Roughly 50 parental responsibility evaluators are eligible for court appointments in the state, while hundreds of child and family investigators are available.

Evaluators  who work for profit, sometimes charging as much, or more than divorce attorneys  can hold great sway in the outcome of emotionally charged cases in which the stakes are the childrens safety and well-being. Parents, even if indigent, are responsible for the court-ordered costs of evaluator reports. State funds can help defray the costs of the less costly assessments from child and family investigators.

Froelich said the clamor from critics of evaluators in Colorado is so pronounced that she will now push for a new law to require domestic violence training for judges so they know the hazards of relying on evaluators who ignore documented abuse. While passage of such a law would qualify Colorado for federal aid, judges raise constitutional objections over the legislative branch issuing mandates to the judicial branch.

Elizabeth counts herself lucky because she didnt end up losing any custody of her two children as a result of her evaluation. Shes still tucking them into bed four nights each week. But other parents say theyre still struggling to restore parental rights they lost to abusive former partners due to the troubled parenting evaluation system state and court officials have been slow to fix.

Once a judge adopts an evaluators recommendations in custody rulings, parents face steep odds in reversing those orders. Old evaluation reports have ramifications even after state regulators find them so deficient that theyve barred the evaluators who prepared them from continuing to do evaluations.

Consider the case of Gene Gross, a Denver psychologist. Six parents in 2021 had one of the rare successes in convincing officials with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies that Gross had conducted extreme and biased parenting evaluations that misled judges.

I am in anguish every day, wrote one mother, a registered nurse, in her complaint. At that point, she had expended her retirement and savings and gone into debt trying to overturn what she termed a flawed custody ruling that hinged on Gross recommendations.

Her breastfeeding infant had been removed from her care. The mother believed the father of her child was such a threat that she had fled Idaho to Colorado with their unborn child after she became pregnant during a brief, six-week relationship. Once in Colorado, she filed a court motion asking a judge to determine custody issues, thinking that would protect her.

Instead, the custody judge found compelling and credible Gross testimony that the mothers fears about her childs father were delusional and an indicator the mother would eventually villainize her daughter. It was a prediction Gross made without seeing the mother and child together or talking to the mothers therapist.

The judges ruling gave the father primary custody and forced the mom to move back to Idaho so she could be near her infant daughter. Once there, she renewed her efforts in Idahos courts to reverse the custody arrangements while the father filed a motion to change the childs name.

I worry about the emotional trauma that my daughter is going through, the mother wrote in her complaint to Colorados Department of Regulatory Agencies. I feel stripped of a voice. My credibility has been robbed. I am now in an excruciating waiting period for costly legal actions that may or may not fix this awful situation.

DORA regulators found Gross custody evaluation in her case and that of four others, including one where Gross asked a childs school teacher whether a divorcing wife had complained of her husbands penis size, were so reckless that Gross posed a threat to the public unless he was stopped.

The woman, now in Idaho, still struggles to overcome Gross evaluation despite a pending recent criminal misdemeanor charge alleging that the father recently injured their child, now 3. Prosecutors filed the charge against the father in February after doctors reported he grabbed the toddlers arms so hard that he left the imprint of his grip.

The criminal charge against the father still hasn't convinced the new custody judge in Idaho that Gross got it wrong. A new hearing on the mothers custody efforts is scheduled to take place after a trial in November on the fathers pending child injury charge.

I am paralyzed in fear thinking about what will continue to happen to me and my daughter if Dr. Gross continues his negligence in our lives, the mother wrote to Colorado regulators.

In 2021 after the state licensing board for psychology suspended his practice, Gross permanently relinquished his license to practice psychology in Colorado, which is required to do parental evaluations. He did not respond to requests for comment.

Gazette inquiry finds deep flaws

It was only last year that the legislature required any oversight of parental responsibility evaluators by the State Court Administrators Office. But there are still hurdles for parents who want to file a complaint with that office over an evaluation. The State Court Administrators Office has just one person to administer the statewide evaluator and child and family investigator program and does not have adequate staff to investigate complaints, a spokesperson for that office said. To file a complaint, in most instances, parents must be armed with a finding by a judge that the evaluator failed to adhere to the courts order of appointment or violated a practice standard.

It is crazy when you really think about it, that there is not more regulation around the practice of doing these types of evaluations, said Christine Garcia, a psychotherapist and co-owner of Childrens Wellness Center of Colorado. She pointed out that some other types of specialized work therapists do are regulated, such as oversight by the Sex Offender Management Board of practitioners who provide therapy to sex offenders. The Domestic Violence Offender Management Board also oversees providers offering therapy to domestic violence offenders, she stressed.

They have to have extra training; they have to have an extra approval or credential to do that, they have to keep up with that credential. Its more than just what we have to do as general mental health practitioners, Garcia said.

State and court officials have reacted slowly in addressing the troubled system, even as evaluators have based their work on disputed psychiatric theories, ignored conflicts of interest and accrued allegations of sexual harassment and domestic violence in their personal lives. The Gazette found parental evaluators and child and family investigators continued operating for years before any consequences despite alleged drug use, price gouging and deception in court.

Evaluators and child and family investigators continued getting court appointments even after they ignored criminal convictions against parents, misrepresented in court their credentials and, in one case, released the address of a domestic violence victim to her abuser, The Gazette found. One CFI went so far as to file false court documents that claimed her husband was the father of a newborn as part of her primal need to adopt the infant. A judge vacated the adoption after the true father showed up claiming parental rights. The CFI's license to practice law was suspended for three years and then restored in 2017.

The reason it (the parental evaluator system) continues is that courts feel a compelling need for support, said Joan Meier, a national expert in domestic violence who has written extensively on custody evaluation systems.

They really want someone with so-called expertise to come in and tell them whats good for kids and whats not good for kids, she added. I dont really think these evaluators are doing that. Theyre misleading courts a lot. Theyre irresponsible and incompetent in a lot of ways, and theyre biased around the issues of abuse and alienation.

In one notorious case, a mother said a Centennial counselor and long-time parental evaluator who worked as a court-appointed childs therapist in a custody case was key in a system-wide failure that led to the death of her son. She said that while working as her sons individual therapist, the counselor aligned himself with the father who engaged in child abuse and alienation and ultimately killed the 10-year-old in 2019. The counselor 10 years prior had settled in mediation a lawsuit alleging he sexually harassed a female assistant. The counselor's professional liability insurance had been dropped in 2019 due to controversies. He is still practicing as an evaluator.

In another case from a different evaluator, a disputed psychological assessment of a mother justified the removal of her infant to foster care, where the infant was repeatedly raped and almost drowned. The psychologist in that case used family drawings she had the mother do to justify her assessment that the mother likely suffered from histrionic and dependent personality features. The evaluator found that the drawings suggest that she may tend to relate to the baby as a fantasy object rather than as a real child and project on to her unresolved feelings and issues.

The infant was returned to the mother months later and, now a teenager, has struggled throughout her life with post-traumatic stress disorder and has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals as she tries to cope with the damage inflicted on her in the foster home.

'A crisis situation in Colorado'

Those expressing concern include one longtime parental evaluator whose expertise state officials rely on to help provide guidance on mental health ethics.

I would argue that the status of child and family investigators and parental responsibility evaluators is in a crisis situation in Colorado, said Andrew Loizeaux, who has done more than 400 parental evaluations in Colorado and 60 work product reviews over the past three decades and provides expert testimony for state regulators and the Attorney Generals Office.

Too many evaluators in the field rely on their initial suppositions and that colors their reports that follow, Loizeaux said. As a result, they can end up ignoring domestic violence and signs of abuse of children. Parents can end up losing parenting time for trying to point out actual dangers because an evaluator assumes they are lying, he said.

Loizeaux said some evaluators in the state simply default to recommending 50/50 custody arrangements and joint decision making for children, citing research that suggests thats the best outcome for children.

The problem with that approach, according to Loizeaux, is that high-conflict divorces often arent typical. Children could be in peril due to an abusive parent.

In this community, he said of the evaluators, theres a lot of scuttlebutt and a lot of gossip about who is doing a good job and who is not. People have reputations for doing this well or not doing this well. And for being a hired gun or not being a hired gun.

Faulty evaluations can have serious ramifications, according to one man who said he lived through the experience when his parents were divorcing as he was going into the sixth grade. He said a flawed custody evaluation ended up convincing a judge to rule in favor of a 50/50 custody arrangement that returned him to a father who had been abusive.

Now 25, he recalled that an evaluator disregarded reports that his father held him under water after threatening to drown him and had punched him repeatedly. The evaluator still ended up reporting to the judge that the father remained a fit parent, he said.

I remember feeling let down by the system, and that it placed me in a situation where I had to be careful because I was placed back into an abusive home, he said during a recent interview.

He said he resorted to locking himself in his room to escape his fathers explosive temper. He struggled with thoughts of suicide throughout his teen years, spent bouncing back and forth between Lakewood and Evergreen, and has sought therapy to help him cope with depression he attributes to his upbringing. He said that even though his father stopped physically harming him, he still believes the custody arrangement should have favored his mother.

It felt like I was walking on eggshells, he said of his time with his father. I felt like it was going to happen again. Sometimes at the house, there was shouting, and I was like, Okay, am I going to get hit again?

He said the damage inflicted continues to cause issues, ranging from insomnia to ongoing nightmares. Hes convinced Colorado needs to improve how custody evaluations are done, so much so that last year he became one of the critics who successfully pushed state legislators to change state law to require parental evaluators in the state to undergo new training in domestic violence and child abuse.

In New York, high-profile deaths of children linked to controversial custody evaluations that returned children to abusive parents prompted scrutiny and creation of a commission on the parental evaluation industry, co-chaired by a former New York Supreme Court justice. A majority of that commission in a final report released this year favored eliminating evaluators in custody disputes, saying their reports are biased and harmful to children and lack scientific legal value.

Domestic violence expert Meier, a member of that commission and a George Washington University Law School professor, said not only are evaluators doing more harm than good, theyre doing so at tremendous financial cost to parents.

Its become this whole cottage industry that people make entire livings off of, she said. They charge incredible amounts, and they bankrupt litigators.

Divorce lawyers say that parental evaluators can charge as much as $70,000 for their work on one case. Failure to pay also has consequences. Evaluators, some of whom maintain non-disparagement clauses in their contracts with parents, can charge as much as $450 an hour if they go to court for non-payment.

Elizabeth prevails over evaluator

When Elizabeth read her evaluators report highlighting her sexual trauma while serving in the military, it made her doubt her whole perception of reality. She started to believe the things the report said about her as a mother. It was difficult not to start thinking she had to give up her children for their own well-being.

At that point, everything in my brain stopped. I literally didn't know right from wrong; truth from fable, she said. And then when I got to the end (I thought) its my fault that I will end up losing parental rights.

The judge in Elizabeths case ultimately did not adopt the recommendations in the evaluation from psychologist Finney. Elizabeth isnt sure why, exactly, since the judge communicated the decision not to modify her custody arrangement only in a minute order.

Elizabeth has since 2018 worked with a veterans therapist to process her past sexual trauma. She said that only within the last several months has she been able to start understanding that what she went through wasnt her fault. Seeing her evaluators characterization of her as a mother along with the reference to her trauma caused Elizabeth to regress in the progress shed made with her therapist, she said.

Finney is not on the state's list of certified PREs as of July this year, according to records from the judicial branch. She did not respond to requests for comment, though in the small claims case she testified that she thought her parental evaluation was well-founded. Despite Finneys remarks about Elizabeths sexual trauma in her evaluation, Finney testified in the small claims case that she didnt believe Elizabeths mental health affected her parenting. She also suggested Elizabeth was projecting made-up medical problems onto her children when she sought advice for her daughters recurring stomach problems and expert opinions for her sons special education needs.

As Elizabeth talks about her case, her service dog flops down by her chair and keeps a watchful eye on her, laying her nose across her lap when she senses her owners distress.

When Elizabeth won her small claims case in May against Finney for breach of contract, she prevailed in a little-used tactic in challenging her evaluators work. Other parents The Gazette spoke to saw it as a rare instance of carving out accountability for evaluators in a system they say offers few options.

The real worry is how many reports have been written and continue to be produced by Dr. Finney with her self-created strategy of  quote I just come up with it unquote  as she stated under oath in family court, Elizabeth, who represented herself in her small claims case, said in her closing argument to the magistrate. How many parents have appeared at trial in an attempt to prove that this report isnt an accurate depiction of the familys dynamic? How many magistrates relied on her expert opinion to rule on the future of the children?

'The light of my world'

Finney also received a PRE appointment in the case of Erin's ongoing custody dispute over her now 13-year-old daughter. Erin shared 50-50 custody of her daughter with her ex-husband until 2020. A few months after Finney filed her report, a judge awarded Erin's ex-husband sole decision-making authority and more custody.

Erin -- who is using her real first name -- had her parenting time reduced to every other weekend with their daughter. The decision about the allocation of responsibilities aligned with Finney's recommendations.

This occurred after a judge in Jefferson county had twice denied requests by Erin's ex-husband, in 2018 and 2019, to modify custody in his favor based on endangerment claims he made. Their custody dispute has dragged on for more than a decade. Late last year, Erin's parenting time was reduced to supervised visitation only.

Erin said Finneys PRE report depicts her as a manipulative and spiteful mother trying to keep their daughter away from her father unreasonably. But in person, Erins demeanor is clear-headed and calm. She said shes singularly determined by her fierce love for her daughter.

You have an evaluation, and it paints a picture of you which you know not to be true, said Erin. And it reads exactly as if your ex-partner, who you have spent 11 years with under constant attack, has written the report.

In a complaint filed to DORA, Erin alleges Finney in her evaluation didnt review key pieces of evidence she provided, including police records of what she said was domestic abuse by her ex-husband and information from medical professionals. Erin said the report took her ex-husbands statements at face value without verifying them and made recommendations about decision making and modification of parenting time beyond the scope of her role as an evaluator.

She has also filed a case against Finney for breach of contract in Denver's small claims court.

Erin is troubled by what she said was Finneys omission of key details of a violent 2011 incident. Erin said her ex-husband strangled her while she held their daughter, then 18 months old, and it left her with post-traumatic stress disorder. She shared a record of the incident from the Denver Police Departments computer-aided dispatch system, which she said captured a neighbors report of Erin repeatedly calling for help. The neighbor reported a womans voice, believed to be coming from Erins home, shouting Call 911! Erin said she also screamed Hes going to (expletive) kill me!

I lose consciousness for a minute, and I don't know where my daughter is, Erin said. I don't know if I dropped her. I don't know if he has her. I have never been so scared in my life.

She said Finneys report repeats her ex-husbands version of the event without including the dispatch record of the neighbors call. The PRE report includes Erin's statements that she suffers from depression, anxiety and PTSD, but Finney opines that Erin's difficulty managing her emotions is a result of permanent personality characteristics rather than PTSD.

That day (in 2011) changed my entire life, Erin said, her voice trembling. PTSD is literally a brain injury.

Her ex-husband getting full custody of their daughter was Erins worst fear, and now its happened. So now that shes survived her worst fear turning into reality, shes no longer afraid of what else might come.

Shes the light of my world," Erin said of the daughter she calls her miracle, born after reproductive health complications left her with a small chance of getting and staying pregnant.

"I want her to grow up knowing her mom did everything that she could to fight for her."

'The court is responsible'

For decades, critics have urged Colorados judicial branch to do more to ensure the quality of these court appointed evaluators, but the judiciary has been slow to regulate the profession.

In 2002, a blue-ribbon judicial branch commission on families in the Colorado courts urged the judiciary to develop an assessment process to ensure those receiving appointments in divorce cases are meeting established standards. That commission also urged the judiciary to create a system that allows for removal of individuals who are not competent and develop an appropriate process for identifying individuals who are not performing competently.

In 2012 Michael Bender, then-chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, rejected a recommendation from a judicial committee urging creation of additional regulatory oversight at the state court administrators office for child and family investigators, though he agreed to create a statewide roster among other changes. "The costs associated with expanding regulatory oversight are undefined and the current economic climate limits the availability of resources, Bender wrote in a letter explaining his reasoning.

The judicial committee had recommended a centralized complaint office or "super board" for child and family investigators because judicial district administrators reported "they do not have the requisite skill or expertise" to investigate complaints of mental health professionals serving in that role. In addition, officials at the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), which licenses mental health professionals, reported at that time that they dismissed roughly 60 CFI complaints annually due to lack of jurisdiction, expecting court officials would handle those complaints.

It wasnt until this year that the state court administrators office adopted any standards or oversight for parental responsibility evaluators. The court administration finally acted because legislators demanded it last year by passing HB 21-1228, sponsored by Froelich, the Democrat from Greenwood Village, and Sen. Jim Smallwood, a Republican from Parker. The law requires the judicial department to establish a complaint process for parental responsibility evaluators. The legislation also required evaluators and child and family investigators to complete six hours of training on domestic violence and six hours of training on child abuse. Every two years thereafter, they must complete an additional four hours of renewed training on domestic violence.

The law also required the state court administrators office to create an eligibility roster for parental responsibility evaluators, standards for their court practice and a new complaint process. Still, the system the court administrators office adopted this year has hurdles for those wanting to file a complaint. Complaints wont be investigated without a finding from a judge that the evaluator failed to follow a court order or violated a standard of practice, though there are exceptions to that requirement for pressing cases where an evaluator committed a crime or failed to keep up with the new training.

The rationale for requiring judicial officers and judicial districts to monitor the work of CFI and PRE is because the court is responsible for managing the case and the trial processes, said Rob McCallum, a spokesperson for the State Court Administrators Office, in a prepared statement. The court and local officials are in the best position to understand the facts of the case, the credibility of the parties, and best positioned to understand the demographic, economic and geographic realities in their communities.

However, studies suggest that the states new minimal training requirements wont solve all issues. A guidebook the State Justice Institute developed for the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges noted that expertise in the mental health field does not automatically make a parental evaluator competent to assess the presence of domestic violence.

Even though some jurisdictions are now requiring custody evaluators to take a minimum amount of training in domestic violence, that basic training by itself is unlikely to qualify an evaluator as an expert, or even assure basic competence, in such cases, the guidebook states.

The guidebook recommends that court jurisdictions have designated evaluators with expertise in domestic violence issues available for appointment in custody cases with allegations of violence.

Two studies funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, one in 2011 and one in 2012, found evaluators often discount violence, with one review finding they ignored documented evidence in roughly one out of every five cases where such documentation exists. Even in the presence of severe violence and controlling behavior, evaluators reported they would most likely recommend unsupervised visits for the father, the latter study found.

And, in 2019, a study published in the Journal of Child Custody of 27 custody cases that were reversed due to later reports of child abuse found flawed parental evaluation reports that pathologized mothers when they reported child abuse played a significant role. The abuse often became increasingly severe and the childrens mental and physical health frequently deteriorated, the study found.

Attacking 'the hard-working psychologist'

While the judiciary in Colorado has struggled to put in place oversight for custody evaluators, those working in the field have benefited.

In 2015, Wilbert Miles, a psychologist in Denver, issued a rebuttal report at the request of the father to another parental evaluation and made custody recommendations in a divorce case despite making no attempt to interview both parents or the child, according to a complaint filed with state regulators.

State law guiding parental responsibility evaluators requires them to interview and assess all parties to a dispute before making any specific custody recommendations, unless one of the parties cant be reached or refuses to cooperate. In this case, the parents were readily available, but Miles still failed to interview either parent, records show, although he entered the case at the father's behest.

Miles would continue to do custody evaluation work for nearly three more years before he finally admitted in a stipulation with the state Board of Psychology in November of 2018 that he made parenting responsibility recommendations in that 2015 divorce case without sufficient information to substantiate those recommendations. He signed an agreement in November 2018 with the licensing board promising that he no longer would issue parenting or custody recommendations in Colorado

Miles still stands by his work in the disputed case. He said his work shouldnt have caused concern since he was rebutting another evaluators report and didnt think he needed to do a full assessment of the parents. He said he settled with the licensing board because it sometimes takes a fortune to fight the system.

In the interim, before he agreed to stop working as an evaluator, Miles made another controversial custody recommendation in a 2017 divorce case when he found there was no evidence that five children were in any physical or emotional danger from a father whose wife was divorcing him.

The father in that case had choked his wife while she was eight months pregnant to the point she believed he would kill her, according to court records and testimony. The father, who had been convicted of armed robbery, also advocated polygamy as a solution to his addiction to pornography. The fathers children reported to child protective workers that he had left marks on them when he engaged in physical punishment.

After the judge lifted a requirement that the father only be allowed to see his children while under supervision, new allegations of physical child abuse surfaced in 2021, substantiated by a child services caseworker. The judge reversed course and restricted the father to four hours per week parenting time at a licensed supervision facility. In a recent interview, Miles said he did not recall that case and is totally against domestic violence.

Another evaluator also kept getting court appointments despite a finding that her work was deficient.

In May 2014, the 14th Judicial District covering Grand, Moffat and Routt counties found Alice Suzanne Horning-Rieder, a licensed professional counselor from Paonia, violated professional standards while working as a court-appointed child and family investigator. The exact details remain withheld from the public, but a complaint log maintained by the state court administrators office shows that Horning-Rieder was sanctioned for violating standards related to training, objectivity and professionalism, as well as for the sufficiency and adequacy of her investigations.

A 2014 letter of admonition from the state licensing board for counselors sheds some light. She had neglected to disclose to the court while working as a court-appointed child and family investigator (CFI) the past domestic violence charges and conviction of one of the parties in a custody case, the admonition states. The state court administrator's officer found her work in the case so deficient it removed her from the list of child and family investigators eligible for CFI court appointments for one year.

She convinced the state licensing board to only admonish her and allow her to keep her license required to work as a counselor in Colorado by arguing she had immunity for acting in a court-appointed role, and also had not been providing any clinical services while evaluating the parents.

I have been de-listed by the Fourteenth Judicial District and cannot conduct future CFI evaluations, she promised in a letter to the licensing boards director.

Despite Horning-Rieders de-listing, judges continued appointing her to custody evaluations. Shes received such appointments at least 10 other times since the state court administrators office barred her from CFI work, according to a resume she submitted in a 2019 custody case. She worked as a parental responsibility evaluator (PRE) in those cases, a role that allowed her to charge parents even more money and carried greater influence than her previous work as a CFI.

Horning-Rieder generated controversy again after a Montrose County judge appointed her in 2019 to make parenting recommendations for a 4-year-old girl whose parents were divorcing. Horning-Rieder never interviewed the husbands two former wives who confirmed he had a history of domestic violence, testimony shows.

The new wife had pointed to bombs and explosives police found on their property as corroborating her contention the husband had made veiled threats he had the means to kill her. Horning-Rieder admitted from the witness stand that she had left out of her final evaluation report many statements from other witnesses supporting the new wifes allegations of violence and abuse from her husband. In contrast, Horning-Rieder included in the report witnesses supporting the husband. Horning-Rieder said an accidental cut and paste computer problem was the cause of the omission of the wifes witnesses.

Sadly, computers can seemingly have their own life at times, Horning-Rieder testified.

In the end, Montrose County District Court Judge D. Cory Jackson primarily sided with the mother, ruling the fathers allegations, brought up late in the divorce, that a friend of the mother had sexually abused the child were not founded. The judge found the sex abuse allegations relevant only because they showed the parties have great difficulty in communicating.

The judge ruled the father had committed domestic violence against the mother and limited the fathers parenting time to every other weekend during the school year, though he later amended the ruling to clarify that if the father moved back to Montrose County from the Durango area hed grant him additional parenting time.

Horning-Rieder in an interview said she currently has 10 other parenting evaluations underway, but she said officials in the state court administrators office recently told her to stop accepting additional court appointments for such work until she can resolve questions about her letter of admonition and the 14th Judicial District restriction barring her from CFI work for one year. The State Court Administrators Office confirmed her application for placement on the evaluator roster list is under review.

Everyone wants to attack the hard-working psychologist, Horning-Rieder said. Its pretty thankless work. You have all this pretty salacious, intense stuff, almost made for primetime TV, and your focus is whats in the best interest of the child.

Grieving for a murdered child

In 2009, Lon Kopit, a longtime parental evaluator and licensed counselor in Centennial, had his own court battle that ended with him secretly settling a lawsuit alleging that he, at the age of 59, sexually harassed a 25-year-old female assistant at his parenting evaluation office.

The assistant claimed the counselor repeatedly groped her, forcibly kissed her, suggested they go shopping together at Victorias Secret and had set up overnight seminar trips in which he booked a single hotel room for the two of them with one bed. Kopit declined comment, though in court documents, before the mediation settlement, he denied any sexual harassment.

A grieving mother says Kopit was one of many fateful shortfalls in the case of her son Ty Tesoriero, a 10-year-old Douglas County boy killed in 2019 by his father, Anthony Tesoriero, the morning after a contentious custody hearing. The judge had indicated she would likely grant significantly more time to Tys mother, Jing Tesoriero, a change from their 50-50 arrangement. Anthony Tesoriero shot Ty in the early hours of Sept. 21 before turning the gun on himself.

Kopit took on a role as Tys therapist in August 2017. In his response to a DORA complaint filed against him following Tys death, Kopit repeatedly asserted he never saw any signs of threats to Tys safety.

Jing said she objected to the court appointment of Kopit as Tys therapist because he had previously served as Tys fathers therapist, and she didnt think Ty would be fully open with Kopit as a result. By that point her ex-husband had a pattern of threatening professionals involved in the case, making other therapists hesitant to take the appointment.

With the pressure that Ty was getting from Anthony, I just felt like Ty thought Kopit was Anthonys friend, or theyre on the same team, and Ty wouldnt be honest with (Kopit) if theres any kind of concern, Jing said.

Jing felt Kopit didnt take her seriously when she reported concerns to him on more than one occasion that Tys father was abusing him. Kopit ignored red flags and signs Ty was suffering while he was with his father, she said.

Dr. Kopit should have been the one last person Ty could trust, Jing wrote in a complaint she filed with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. Dr. Kopit failed to save my child when he could have.

The agency resolved the complaint, through the state board of licensing, by admonishing Kopit for failing to comply with any requirements pertaining to mandatory disclosure of information to clients.

There is seemingly no type of red flag the custody case for Ty didnt raise. The Department of Human Services received numerous reports since 2016, including statements by Ty that his father choked him, statements that Tesoriero threatened to harm him if he didnt say his mother had mistreated him. Jing filed similar assertions that she said Ty had relayed to her.

DHS frequently found there was not enough information from the reports for the agency to continue investigating, and Jing said she has had trouble understanding that decision.

Jing filed for a protection order against Tesoriero in 2015 after they broke up, alleging among other abuse that Tesoriero threatened her with a gun, while Ty was in the house, and said he could become homicidal and suicidal. The night of Tys death, his father threatened that anyone who tried to take Ty away from him  including DHS workers or law enforcement  would be killed, according to a fatality report done by DHS.

Jing has struggled to talk about Ty as she adjusts to life without him.

Shes kept a lot of his toys for her two toddler daughters. She told her 4-year-old that Ty is in heaven, but said the little girl has had trouble grasping that means her brother isnt coming back.

And the seemingly casual question How many kids do you have? is no longer simple. A screensaver photo of Ty on Jing's phone has drawn questions from acquaintances who know about her two toddler daughters but not about him. Sometimes Jing says she has three kids, other times two.

It depends on who I talk to. I dont want to talk to strangers a lot about that.

Her family feared Tesoriero planned to kill all of them the night he murdered her son, and Jing believes Tys death  and his father's subsequent suicide  may have saved their lives.

To a point, I feel like Ty saved all of our lives, she said. Ty just took it for us.

*Sources referred to only by their first names are pseudonyms used at their request and due to the sensitivity of the matters involved.
CWallet, an award-winning Qatar-based payment processing fintech startup, has partnered with M2P Fintech, Asia's largest API infrastructure company, to enable prepaid and multi-currency cards in Qatar.

This partnership is aimed at promoting financial technology intelligence, financial inclusion, and services not only to the unbanked majority but also to Qatar residents, citizens and businesses.

Founded in 2019, CWallet began operations with digital wallets and prepaid cards to simplify the process of sending and receiving money within Qatar. Via the app, the user can receive salaries on time, conduct online, offline and mobility transactions, pay bills, buy groceries from local and international stores, and ultimately send money home, anytime, anywhere within a single app.

Foreign workers

More than 25 million foreign workers are employed across the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations namely Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and the UAE. Approximately 10 million people work in the construction industry and the remaining are employed in domestic service, retail, and other sectors. In Qatar, there are more than one million foreign workers.

Owing to better economic opportunities than in their home nations, such employment opportunities enable migrants to support their families financially. Two-thirds of the remittances from the region are to South Asia which amounts to over $150 billion every year.

The association will not only broaden CWallet's product offerings but also revolutionise the financial industry by enabling individuals in the region to transfer money across the globe digitally and seamlessly from the comfort of their homes as opposed to carrying cash to a service providers outlet. This aligns with our objective of digitally empowering, enabling, and educating low-income and unbanked migrant workers, domestic assistants, and blue-collar workers in the region. We are really thrilled to debut CWallet in Qatar, and because the GCC countries have regulatory and demographic similarities, we will soon look to extend to other partner countries as well," said Michael Javier and CEO and Founder of CWallet.

Including everyone

Another major achievement and this time with M2P, commented Dr Abdulmohsin Abdulla Alyafei COO & Co-Founder of Cwallet. With our strategic partnership with M2P, our users will be able to enjoy using their virtual prepaid card issued by Cwallet. We really value this partnership which will facilitate our goal to include everyone in our ecosystem without leaving anyone behind. With our virtual prepaid card, everyone will be able to own his own regardless having a bank account or not.

I hope that this partnership will let us grow along with M2P and we are able to accomplish more and more. As a Fintech startup, we are offering unique solutions in order to drive Qatars economic diversification, one of the four pillars of Qatars National Vision 2030. It will be one of the best advanced innovative solutions which will enable our customers to experience our new concept. It will be the talk of the town and will be the ultimate solution for almost everybody.
To showcase Colorado filmmakers, the Independent Film Society of Colorado established Colorado Short Circuit six years ago, a film festival showcasing award-winning shorts by independent Colorado filmmakers in nine categories: comedy, drama, documentary, women in film, animation, music videos, experimental, horror/sci-fi and young filmmakers. It's Friday and Saturday at The Ivywild School.
A federal judge has tossed a lawsuit from multiple Michigan residents against Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems, Inc. after finding the plaintiffs failed to allege any actual injury from the company's efforts to protect itself against defamation.

Dominion, which supplies voting machines and software to states and counties, attracted the attention of former President Donald Trump and his supporters around the 2020 election. After Trump lost, he tweeted that Dominion machines had "deleted" millions of votes cast for him, and a lawsuit filed in Michigan claimed Dominion had a role in a far-fetched vote-rigging scheme to elect President Joe Biden.

When Dominion fought back by sending cease-and-desist letters to multiple people warning against defaming the company, eight Michigan residents sued the company in federal court in Colorado. The plaintiffs accused Dominion of waging "lawfare"  a combination of lawsuit and warfare  and of retaliating against them for exercising their First Amendment rights.

However, last month, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Philip A. Brimmer rejected the notion that the plaintiffs even had standing to sue because Dominion never ended up taking action against them.

"Plaintiffs have not plausibly alleged that litigation against them was actual, imminent, or certainly impending when they filed their lawsuit," Brimmer wrote in a Sept. 22 order. "Plaintiffs allege only that they feared being sued."

Following the election, the Associated Press found there was neither evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election nor of "major problems with Dominions systems." The AP also cited election officials from both parties, international observers and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, a federal agency involved in the security of U.S. elections, in their findings of no evidence of lost, deleted or altered votes.

The plaintiffs came to the attention of Dominion after they authored affidavits describing irregularities they allegedly witnessed at a polling station in Detroit during the 2020 election. Subsequently, they received identical letters from law firm Clare Locke LLP, which represented Dominion amid various legal challenges to the presidential election results.

"We write to you regarding the ongoing misinformation campaigns falsely accusing Dominion of somehow rigging or otherwise improperly influencing the outcome of the November 2020 U.S. presidential election," the letter read. "Litigation regarding these issues is imminent. This letter is your formal notice to cease and desist taking part in defaming Dominion."

The letter also asked recipients to preserve documents and communications "that may be relevant to Dominion's pending legal claims."

The plaintiffs then filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Dominion, Clare Locke and Hamilton Place Strategies  Dominion's public relations firm  on behalf of an estimated 150 people who received the letters.

"Dominions true purpose is not thus simply to silence Plaintiffs and the Class, but to silence any person, including news networks, whose job it is to hold government officials accountable, who might speak about election integrity and security or bring evidence of possible voting fraud or irregularities to light regarding the November 2020 election," the lawsuit read.

The litigation accused the defendants of violating federal organized crime law, of First Amendment retaliation, and of conspiring to violate plaintiffs' rights as a "state actor." In outlining the alleged injuries of the plaintiffs, the lawsuit claimed several of them bought home security systems after receiving the cease-and-desist letter.

One plaintiff, Francis J. Cizmar, "never leaves his home without making sure his security system is turned on. And while at home, he makes sure that all doors and windows remain locked."

In February, Dominion and the other defendants moved to dismiss the lawsuit. They argued Dominion had a right to defend itself against defamation and sending a letter putting people on notice of potential litigation is not only legal, but required under many states' laws.

"Dominion has not sued these Plaintiffs. But, if it were to sue any of them, they would be entitled to all the constitutional protections under existing constitutional and common law principles, including the elemental requirement that defamation claims must be based on false statements of fact, not mere expression of opinion," the defendants wrote.

They added that they could not be held accountable for First Amendment violations because they were private entities not acting on behalf of the government.

Brimmer agreed at the outset with the defendants that the plaintiffs suffered no injury from the letters, which did not threaten litigation against them personally. Although Dominion has sued conservative media outlets and prominent backers of Trump for their public claims, Brimmer did not see the Michigan residents in the same position as those parties.

"Plaintiffs here contend that some of them have standing because they incurred certain costs, such as through the installation of a video doorbell or home security system, but," Brimmer wrote, "plaintiffs manufactured this harm based on uncertain fear of future events."

He added that the plaintiffs received their letters in December 2020 or January 2021, but waited nine months to file their class action complaint. To Brimmer, that did not suggest a fear of an imminent lawsuit from Dominion.

Finally, the judge agreed Dominion could not be sued for constitutional violations because it was not acting on behalf of the government. Even though Dominion contracts with state entities for election equipment, there was "no allegation that Dominion was a state actor when it allegedly targeted conservatives with its letters," Brimmer concluded.

Earlier this year, the federal appeals court based in Denver shot down another lawsuit against Dominion for lack of standing. Dominion has filed its own claims against the Fox News and Newsmax networks, as well as Trump supporters Rudy Giuliani, Mike Lindell and others, accusing them of spreading misinformation about the company and harming its employees.

The case is Cooper et al. v. US Dominion, Inc. et al.
The district attorney who obtained a grand jury indictment against state Sen. Pete Lee is continuing to fight for the complaint to go forward to trial.

Lee, D-Colorado Springs, was indicted in August on one class 5 felony charge of falsifying his residency information for voting purposes.

Last month, Lee's attorney filed a motion to dismiss the charge, based on inaccurate information submitted by the Colorado Supreme Court's Attorney Registration office. That information was presented to the grand jury and according to Lee's motion formed a significant part of the evidence against the lawmaker.

The felony charge alleges that Lee, under his legal name, Sanford Edmund Lee, voted in the March, 2020 presidential primary from a rental home he owns on N. Sheridan Ave., in Senate District 11, which he represents in the General Assembly. However, the indictment alleged, Lee's permanent home is on W. Cheyenne Rd., a home he shares with his wife, and has owned since 1991. That home is in Senate District 12, represented by Republican state Sen. Bob Gardner.

The Sheridan address is occupied by Lee's stepdaughter, according to grand jury testimony revealed in the district attorney's motion Thursday. That motion was submitted by Assistant District Attorney Andrew Vaughan.

Lee's attorney, David Kaplan, said in last month's motion the the grand jury was repeatedly told "and with great emphasis, that Mr. Lee had changed his home residence" with the attorney registration office on Dec. 15, 2019.

The testimony given to the grand jury by District Attorney investigator David Guest "was unknowingly inaccurate," the motion said. "The government went to great pains to establish a critical piece of evidence  Mr. Lee's registration documents as an attorney in the state of Colorado," the motion said.

The original affidavit submitted by the attorney registration office incorrectly said Lee had changed his registration address to the W. Cheyenne Road address in December, 2019. The office later submitted an amended affidavit that corrected the record, and said his registration used the N. Sheridan Ave. address.

"These misstatements and erroneous facts ... are not peripheral to the charges sought," Kaplan said in the motion. "They are a material misrepresentation of the facts used to obtain an indictment."

"It irreversibly taints their deliberations and creates a fatal flaw in the indictment," the lawyer added.

Vaughan's motion said the defendant "cites no Colorado precedent that would directly support his request" and that he is asking the Court create a new standard to review a grand jury's indictment for sufficiency of the evidence.

Kaplan's motion cited a 1991 case from the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals, Hunter v. United States. In their ruling, the appeals court said "where false material testimony is presented to the grand jury, the court may review the evidence presented...to determine whether the defendant suffered any prejudice..."

Vaughan's motion claimed the the defendant would have to demonstrate prejudice, and the only way to do that would be to show the remaining evidence no longer supports probable cause.

Vaughan's motion also claimed that when the court reviews a grand jury indictment, the evidence must be viewed in a light "most favorable to the prosecution."

Even when the amended affidavit from the attorney registration office is take into account, the rest of the evidence "is more than sufficient to support a finding of probably cause, Vaughan's motion said.

That evidence includes, and citing the grand jury transcript:

That Lee's claim that he lives at the N. Sheridan address "is logically inconsistent" with the physical structure and layout of both properties. The W. Cheyenne Rd. property is 2,700 square feet with five bedrooms and four baths; the N. Sheridan home is 936 square feet with two bedrooms and one bath.

An article in the Colorado Springs Independent, dated June 9, 2020, in which Lee "seemingly admits" the N. Sheridan property is only his on paper for voting and tax purposes.

Lee's decision to change his voter registration back to the W. Cheyenne Rd. property after the article was published, despite his attempt to convince the Independent that he lived on N. Sheridan

A claim by Lee that he paid taxes from the N. Sheridan address in 2020, but on April 22, 2020, he filed his 2019 tax return using the W. Cheyenne Rd. address

The "hot mic" clip from YouTube, in which Lee admitted he only paid taxes from the N. Sheridan property but spends his nights at W. Cheyenne.

Testimony from several neighbors on N. Sheridan that Lee had not lived in the property since the 1970s or 1980s, and that he stops by only to do maintenance on the property.

Testimony from several W. Cheyenne Rd. neighbors that Lee lives at that address, and

Testimony from Lee's stepdaughter that he has lived with her and "her various friends" at the N. Sheridan address, which "is incredible" and at times "inconsistent," according to the grand jury transcript.

Vaughan's motion also states that to constitute a place, "such residence requires its adoption as a fixed and permanent habitation, and not only a personal presence for the requisite time, but an intention to make such place the true home." And when a person acquires a new domicile, he must abandon the previous one before he can gain another, the motion states.

The motion states that Lee has a strong motive for misrepresenting his address: he would be unlikely to win a state senate seat in the district where the Cheyenne Rd. house is located. The record supports a "reasonable conclusion" that Lee lived on W. Cheyenne, not on N. Sheridan, when he voted in the 2020 presidential primary.

The next hearing on the case is set for Oct. 18.

DA motion
It has always been in the back of Darcee Johanns' mind to open a second Holistic Harmony location, and now it has finally happened.

"When [Simply Nourished] opened, [Melissa Fabian] asked me to take this space last year, but I didn't feel like it was good timing. She asked me again this year, and I thought it was good timing," said Johanns.

The new location is a "hub" inside Simply Nourished at 13 S. Federal Ave. in Mason City. The holistic wellness store had its official opening on Monday.

"The reception on social media has been huge. A lot of people have made good comments, especially people that work in Mason City that can't always get to Clear Lake," Johanns said.

Having the second location in Simply Nourished was a "very nice marriage" between the two businesses, according to Johanns.

"We're very separate, but we have common-minded customers," said Johanns.

Johann's Clear Lake store at 313 N. Eighth St. has been open for three years. A variety of different herbs, custom blended teas, lattes, essential oils, and holistic wellness items can be found at both locations.

When it comes to the classes and massages, those only will be offered only in Clear Lake. Johanns hopes the Mason City location gives people a taste of what holistic wellness is and convinces them to try a class in Clear Lake.

"I do hope that more people coming in here will learn that, who maybe didn't know we offer those things," said Johanns.

Educating people about alternative health options is important to Johanns. The store owner was introduced to herbs and essential oils more than 20 years ago when she lived in Scottsdale, Arizona. When she moved back to North Iowa, she saw that not many people knew about holistic health items.

After social media began bringing essential oils and holistic functional medicine to the forefront, Johanns decided it was time to bring her knowledge to the area. Since then, she said, it has been "received very well" by those in the area.

"(People) are sick and tired of being sick and tired," said Johanns.

Individuals who visit either location learn about products to best support their health. Holistic Harmony has seen repeat customers due to holistic wellness items being effective for them. Johanns said all of the items are researched and supported by companies, books, and "herb schools."

"The goal is to boost your immune system and take care of it versus wait till you get super sick," said Johanns. "There are things you can do at the first signs of getting sick."

Holistic Harmony's Mason City location is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Updates about the Mason City or Clear Lake locations can be found on its Facebook page.

"I just really want to tell Mason City thank you for being so welcoming," said Johanns. "I'm just really happy that we are going to be here."

Dream come true: Pipe Dream Pizza opens doors in Mason City For three new restaurant co-owners, operating their own pizza place is no longer a pipe drea
Saudi Airport Exhibition, a premier airport development event in kingdom, will feature two days of networking with the aviation leaders of Saudi Arabia and discussions on collaborating to to deliver the Kingdoms aviation strategy over the next decade.

The exhibition will be held in Al Faisaliah hotel, Riyadh on November 7 and 8.

The event is expected to attract 6,000 visitors, 120 exhibitors, 600 delegates, 100 buyers. Regional visitors are expected to attend from the wider Middle East and North Africa market.

The exhibition will focus on three key themes of expansion, innovation and collaboration, giving attendees the tools and connections to accelerate the socio-economic benefits of aviation growth in Saudi Arabia.

The event will feature multiple platforms for attendees to learn from global industry leaders, view the latest technologies from around the world and build new partnerships to enhance their own business.

In addition, the exhibition will provide a platform to host discussions between Saudi aviation leaders and the global supply chain to enhance the Kingdoms airports industry, as well as promote Saudi government and commercial entities to global attendees, thus contributing to Saudi Arabias gross domestic product (GDP).

To cater for tens of millions of new tourist arrivals by the end of the decade, a massive expansion is required in Saudi Arabias airport infrastructure and leading global investors, manufacturers and suppliers will be invited to showcase how they can support and be part of these massive developments.

Visitors will have a chance to get valuable project updates first hand from Saudi aviation officials and project managers, hear global experts and leaders share the latest industry insights across multiple conferences and seminars, and meet leading Saudi distributors and businessmen looking to build partnerships with global industry manufacturers and suppliers.

Co-located with the exhibition, Future Airport Development and Investment Summit is a two-day conference that will bring together over 500 attendees  including Saudi transport and aviation leaders and global experts and suppliers, who will discuss how they can collaborate to deliver the Kingdoms aviation strategy over the next decade.

Speakers will include ANSPs, airlines, airport authorities, cargo handlers, civil aviation authorities, consultants, contractors, government representatives, ground handlers, investors, manufacturers, regulators, security agencies, and systems integrators, amongst others. -TradeArabia News Services
Community members are invited to meet their candidates for the contested Floyd County Supervisor, Iowa House and Iowa Senate races at a pair of candidate forums.

The forums will take place on Oct. 12 and Oct. 13 starting at 7 p.m. at the Charles City Senior Center. The county supervisor candidates will be featured on Oct. 12 and the Iowa House and Senate candidates looking to represent Floyd County on hand the following evening, according to a press release.

The forums are being hosted by the Charles City Area Chamber of Commerce and the American Association of University Women (AAUW). They are open to the public and will be recorded for playback on the Charles City Public Access Network (Mediacom Channel 4 or online at www.charlescitypan.com).

The public will not be able to ask questions directly to the candidates, but are encouraged to submit questions in advance for consideration to info@charlescitychamber.com. A review panel will select from the submitted questions to be asked of the candidates based on appropriateness, fairness and to avoid duplication. According to the release, questions can also be written down and submitted by the audience during the first half of each forum for consideration.

Candidates running for the three Floyd County Supervisor seats are:

Julius Bryant, Doug Kamm and Mark Kuhn in District 1.

Dennis Kiefer and Joshua Mack in District 2.

Jeff Hawbaker, Jim Lundberg and Jayson Ryner in District 3.

Running for Iowa House District 58 are Dene Lundberg and Charles Thomson, while the candidates for Iowa Senate District 29 are Jenn Wolff and Sandy Solomon.

All of the above candidates were invited to participate and all have confirmed they will take part, with the exception of Ryner who is unavailable those two nights.

We appreciate each of these candidates being willing to step forward and represent us in Floyd County, said AAUW member Anna Burnham in a statement. We hope the public will take this opportunity to meet and hear from the candidates as they make informed decisions on who to vote for come November 8.
The murder trial of an Osage man accused of killing a Mason City woman in April of 2021, and later placing her skull on a stick along the Cedar River Greenbelt Trail just south of Mitchell, Iowa, has been continued until next year.

According to court records, 23-year-old Nathan James Gilmore was originally to be tried for the murder of Angela Bradbury, 29, on Oct. 24 in Mitchell County District Court. After waiving his right to a speedy trial on Sept. 28 District Court Judge Rustin T. Davenport agreed to a continuance request by Gilmore's attorney and set the trial date for April 17.

Gilmore is charged with first-degree murder, which is punishable by life in prison. The charge stems from the allegation that Gilmore picked up Bradbury in Cerro Gordo County near the correctional facility on April 6, 2021, and drove her to a home in Mason City. Bradbury later voluntarily left with Gilmore, to travel to St. Ansgar where Gilmore lived at the time. Bradbury was never heard from again.

A hiker discovered Bradbury's skull on July 12, 2021. Forensic investigators were eventually able to confirm the identity of the remains with the help of dental records and Bradbury's family. Gilmore was present when authorities arrived at the scene and gave a statement to the police at the time.

Records provided by the Department of Motor vehicles eventually led investigators to Gilmore. A forensic review of Gilmore's phone turned up disturbing messages in which Gilmore vaguely describe details of a stabbing death. Another search uncovered a drawing of what appeared to be a satanic goat head, along with a series of numbers.

The drawing had blood droplets on it, and the numbers corresponded with the date Bradbury went missing, as well as the latitude and longitude coordinates of the Greenbelt Trail.

Gilmore was interviewed by investigators on Aug. 19, 2022. He was arrested and charged with murder three days later on Aug. 22.
GMATDr wrote:

Asad wrote:

City manager: Our city is known for its ability to cater to tourists in their native language. If students in our schools choose not to study foreign language at the same rate as they do today, our tourism industry will decline alarmingly. I propose to offer generous tuition discounts to those students who develop fluency in a foreign language; these discounts will thus safeguard our tourism industry in future.



Which of the following is an assumption on which the city manager's argument depends?

(A) Retaining the city's reputation in the tourism industry is an important concern for most students in the city

(B) Foreign-language speakers could be recruited from other locales to work in this city

(C) Even if the rate of foreign language study increases, the discounts will not induce students to study the languages most commonly used by tourists

(D) The students who develop fluency in a foreign language will not move elsewhere when they graduate

(E) Students who otherwise would have studied something else will instead choose to study a language commonly spoken by tourists in this city



Source: 's online class question

Hi, Can you post official explanation to this question?

I am having some difficulty in reasoning to eliminate option E though I understand that correct answer is D.
EMPOWERgmatVerbal wrote:

Official Explanation:



Agricultural expert: Its clear that the arrival of European explorers to North America led to a widespread loss of bamboo. When they first came to the continent, the explorers did not understand the many ways that bamboo can be used, and they regarded the massive canebrakes in which bamboo grew to be considerable obstacles to travel.



Which of the following would, if true, most strengthen the agricultural experts reasoning?



A. Early European explorers to North America would sometimes need to travel miles to get around the larger canebrakes.

B. Native Americans have long understood the many uses of bamboo.

C. Most European explorers arrived in North America without having ever seen bamboo in the wild.

D. Some species of bamboo were never seen by early European explorers to North America.

E. Early European explorers to North America allowed their cattle to overgraze on bamboo.



Question Type: Strengthen (Assumption Family)

Boil It Down: Europeans caused the loss of bamboo because they did not understand how to use bamboo and because they considered places where bamboo grows as an obstacle to traverse.

Goal: Find the option that best strengthens the argument that Europeans are the reason caused the loss of bamboo in North America.



Analysis:

As with all assumption family questions, we want to break the prompt down into our conclusion, and to our evidence, to figure out where the assumption is being made.



Evidence:

1. Europeans did not understand the many ways bamboo could be used.

2. Europeans regarded the cranebreaks where bamboo grew as a considerable obstacle to travel

Assumption: ???

Conclusion: European explorers led to the widespread loss of bamboo.



Just right off the bat, can we see where the assumption is being made? Sure, Europeans may have been annoyed by bamboo and didnt know how to use it, but does that evidence prove the conclusion that Europeans destroyed the bamboo somehow? I dont think so. The author is clearly assuming something about these two pieces of evidence to make his conclusion correct.



To strengthen the agreement, then, we need to add a piece of evidence to the assumption row which makes the conclusion more likely to be true. For example, a correct answer might say Europeans always cut down cranebreaks which make travel difficult. Why would this strengthen it? Because the evidence simply says Europeans hated cranebreaks. The conclusion says that Europeans got rid of bamboo. Nothing connects those two. This prediction, however, would bridge the gap between evidence and conclusion. Europeans hated cranebreaks where bamboo grows because they were difficult to traverse  Europeans always cut down difficult to traverse terrains  Europeans led to the demise of bamboo.



Now, lets find an answer choice which does something similar.



A. Early European explorers to North America would sometimes need to travel miles to get around the larger canebrakes.

I can see why this answer can trip students up a bit. But Ive said it before, and I will never stop saying it: Do not make assumptions in an answer choice. The only way that this is correct, is if you assume that because Europeans had to travel miles around cranebreaks, they cut them down and the bamboo with it. First, can you even cut down a cranebreak? We dont know. Second, nothing suggests they would in fact cut them down. This answer choice is wrong.



B. Native Americans have long understood the many uses of bamboo.

This answer choice is also wrong. Does Native Americans knowing how to use bamboo make it more likely that Europeans were the ones who destroyed it? Is it possible that Native Americans, precisely because they knew the many uses of bamboo, led to the loss of Bamboo as they overused it? This answer choice does not strengthen our conclusion.



C. Most European explorers arrived in North America without having ever seen bamboo in the wild.

This supports our evidence that Europeans did not know the many uses of bamboo, but it does not support our conclusion in any way. Like with D, this only could be correct if you assume some sort of relation between not knowing about bamboo and getting rid of bamboo.



D. Some species of bamboo were never seen by early European explorers to North America.

This is a very similar answer choice to C, so its no surprise that D is also wrong. How do some early European settlers not seeing every species of bamboo help prove that Europeans led to the widespread loss of bamboo? Its not clear to me why, and that makes this answer choice wrong.



E. Early European explorers to North America allowed their cattle to overgraze on bamboo.

Honestly, this is an interesting right answer choice because it does not bridge the gap. Most correct answer choices will bridge the gap between evidence and conclusion. Here, however, its just like adding a new piece of evidence, but its correct all the same. Does knowing that Europeans let their cattle overgraze on bamboo make it more likely that Europeans led to the widespread loss of bamboo? Yes. This strengthens our conclusion.





Dont study for the GMAT. Train for it.

Your reasoning for answer A is not satisfactory, we need an option that supports the argument right. And it is stated that canebreaks were considered obstacles by Europeans, so cutting them down will strengthen the argument that Europeans led to the loss of bamboo.
The managing director of the International Monetary Fund urged global policymakers to stop inflation from becoming a runaway train at a time of extraordinary economic turmoil. The IMFs Kristalina Georgieva noted that the world economy has been hit by one shock after another  the coronavirus pandemic, Russias invasion of Ukraine and a resurgence of inflation. But reining in rising prices should take priority, she said. If we do not restore price stability, we will undermine prospects for growth, she said. The Federal Reserve and other central banks have been raising interest rates to tame inflation. Georgieva acknowledged that the higher borrowing costs would pinch economic growth, but she urged policymakers to show restraint in spending money to ease the pain.
Childlike joy and happiness.

These are some of the feelings that arise as one steps into Chip Clawsons colorful fantasy world, Imagine This.

The new immersive sculptural exhibit that stretches through the vast expanse of the Holter Museum of Arts Baucus Gallery has an opening reception 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, with an artist talk at 6:30 p.m.

My work is about engaging the viewers imagination, said Clawson.

What do they see? I just want people to create their own story.

Clawson, who is a ceramic artist, may be most well known in Helena for his quasi-public artwork, the fantastical Ode to Edward James that towers 20-plus feet into the air from his backyard at 202 Pine St.

For this show, he has found a way to resize the magic to fit it into the Baucus Gallery.

Just the names of some works  Galaxy of the Imagination, Reptilian Meringue and Mexican Tree Flower  fire the imagination.

Part of the inspiration for the current exhibit started with a conversation Clawson had with Holter Executive Director Chris Riccardo.

We were sitting around a fire in his amazing backyard. Its such a neat atmosphere to be surrounded by all his amazing work. I thought it would be really cool to have it in the gallery.

Clawson was looking for a new challenge and creative project.

Together, they put together funding to make it happen.

We took his backyard and moved it into the Holter. Its like walking into a whole new world.

For me, its very Dr. Seussy, said Riccardo.

Very unreal  just the pure imagination.

It just makes you happy.

Theres no way you can go in there and not smile.

Ice cream, is what curator Ramsay Ballew first thought of.

I think theres sort of a visceral aspect to it, she says of the exhibit. Its overwhelmingly colorful. Its so warm, but it also has a wildness that is both friendly and aggressive in the way that nature is  imposing but really inviting.

I sometimes think of Where the Wild Things Are, the childrens book by Maurice Sendak. It has that element both of making you feel small and powerless, but also really whimsical and really safe.

Clawsons sculptures are inspired by the natural world, using forms such as beetles, budding plants, shells, seed pods or lava flows.

He imagines these objects sometimes as towering architectural elements or large, lightweight aerial sculptures and creates them with the help of cutting-edge digital technologies and innovative materials.

If one looks closely, the exhibit also tells Clawsons story of how all this came to be.

It begins at the far north end of the gallery, where a fantasy array of 100 sculptural shapes float in space the Galaxy of Imagination.

Beneath it floats a purple, winged-shaped sculpture, Origin.

And below that, resting on a pedestal sits Clawsons surreal self-portrait sculpture with an electronic circuit board projecting out of the top of its skull, The Challenge.

An important seed was planted 15 years ago, when Clawson was trying to take an idea for a ceramic piece hed made, but enlarge it and make it much lighter so it could be airborne.

He found a company in Austin, Texas, that took his 11 inch clay model weighing 10 pounds, scanned it and enlarged it to be 44 inches long and only 7 pounds, by recreating it in foam and polyurea. That work became Origin.

It opened Clawsons eyes to how he could marry his ideas to technology to create the images he saw in his imagination and dreams but turn them into lightweight sculptural forms.

Using digital technology, Clawson scans clay forms or found objects, then reshapes them digitally to play with their scale, color and shape. He then uses an array of materials, to change and merge the forms, creating larger-than-life objects that become lightweight aerial sculptures and sensual architectural elements.

One of the most profound influences on the art of possibility was Clawsons 2015 trip to Xilitla, Mexico to visit Edward James surrealist sculptures rising from the jungle.

Clawson who worked at the Archie Bray Foundation for Ceramic Arts from 1977 to 2017 as both the clay business manager, facilities manager and then overseeing the construction of two new buildings at The Bray, already had an impressive array of skills as a ceramic artist and sculptor. He dove into learning a whole new set of technologies to create his latest monumental works.

In 2021 the Montana Arts Council awarded him an Artist Innovation Award. At that time, he said, Im an inquisitive problem solver by nature and nurture, using innovation to resolve challenges and create art.

Hes fully embraced innovation and technology to bring his visions to life. Its definitely changed his outlook, said Riccardo.

He almost reinvented his career because of a technology none of us knew a lot about.

Ode to Edward James and Imagine This, are Clawsons two most ambitious works, and both were completed during the past seven years after hed celebrated his 70th birthday. It has one wondering what could possibly come next.

Its pretty exciting, said Clawson on Tuesday, the final day of installation. Its an incredible opportunity I have here.

Im very, very pleased. Its like wow!
The candidates for Montana's Eastern District congressional seat appeared in a debate which I found quite illuminating. The format was quick and fair and the candidates limited to succinct responses which was refreshing. The principal takeaway was that Congressman Rosendale appears to have been completely useless in his first term. Most of his proposed legislation failed to get out of committee and he pervasively voted against supporting proposed legislation from others. Rosendale voted against supporting Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion. He also voted against supporting the Milk River Irrigation Project, an effort to help Montana agriculture and municipalities on the Hi-Line. He opposed support for the Pittman-Robertson Act funding for state fish and wildlife agencies, angering sportsmen and conservationists. The panelists noted that Rosendale opposed all legislation that was beneficial to Montana. I personally feel that electing out-of-state millionaires to represent the best interests of Montana is a mistake. Congressman Rosendale confirms the truth of that belief. With only two voices in the House of Representatives, Montanans should replace him with a more effective voice that understands Montana.
Dar Al Arkan Global, the leading real estate company in Saudi Arabia, has joined hands with Italian hypercar manufacturer Pagani Automobili, for the unveiling of the first apartment at the hitech DaVinci tower located in Downtown Dubai.

The apartment, a residential masterpiece, for the first time gave prospective buyers a glimpse into the world's first-ever Pagani-inspired exclusive space as well as the uniqueness of the Da Vinci towers apartment portfolio.

Reflecting the cornerstone of Horacio Paganis creative philosophy that combines form and function to create unique, handmade objects, all 80 apartments will be adorned with tailored pieces from the line of Pagani branded furniture.

This, combined with a blend of high-end marble and wooden flooring dotted with chevron patterns, doors bearing the Pagani emblem, and custom lighting, is nothing short of captivating.

The three-bedroom apartment redefines the dimensions of space for those looking to make Dubai their home. It also demonstrated a unique confluence of Italian and contemporary design excellence that is slated to characterise the entire inventory, epitomising Pagani's craftmanship and emphasising the concept of Living Above Luxury.

Horacio Pagani, the Founder & Chief Designer, Pagani Automobili, said: "It is exhilarating to see the Pagani brand essence come to life in the interior and furniture design space, for the first time in the world. This apartment will bear witness to what the DaVinci tower is set to bring to Dubai in the form of one of the world's most sought-after addresses."

"We are proud of our partnership with Dar Al Arkan, as it marks a key step forward in our long-term growth strategy to further consolidate our positioning as an iconic brand globally," he added.

Dar Al Arkan Global CEO Ziad El Chaar said: "We are constantly striving to stay ahead of the curve through our unique approach, and the collaboration with Pagani Automobili is a testament to this."

"The DaVinci tower is slated to set a new benchmark as a true work of art, and I am confident that the unveiling of the first apartment will further fortify our clienteles trust in our ability to create a life of exclusivity for them," he added.
Nov. 15 deadline for fisheries program

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds landowners, watershed groups and others that this winters deadline to apply for Future Fisheries Improvement Program grants is Nov. 15.

The goal of FWPs Future Fisheries Program is to restore rivers, streams and lakes to improve Montanas wild fish habitat. Entities can receive funding for qualifying projects that benefit Montanas wild fish. Each project is assessed by an independent review panel and final funding decisions are made by the Fish and Wildlife Commission.

To learn more about the Future Fisheries Improvement Program, and to download the grant application form, go to the FFIP website at https://fwp.mt.gov/ffip, email FWPFFIP@mt.gov or call the program manager at 406-444-2432.

Completed Future Fisheries Improvement Program applications must be received on or before 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 15 and should be sent electronically to FWPFFIP@mt.gov. Paper applications can be sent to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Fisheries Habitat Bureau, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701.i

Fish rules bumped from October agenda

Proposed changes to the Montana fishing regulations will not be on the Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting agenda for October as originally planned.

Instead, potential regulation changes will wait until a new statewide fisheries management plan is in place in 2023.

After reviewing public comment received on the proposed regulations and considering the ongoing revision of the statewide fisheries plan, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks determined that the plan should be completed first to inform regulation changes.

The proposed fishing regulations were out for review from Aug 26.-Sept. 22, 2022, and were planned to go before the commission at their Oct. 20 meeting for final adoption. Several of the proposed changes are based on criteria that will be detailed in the revised fisheries management plan.

FWP fisheries staff are working on the management plan now and it will go out for public comment in December. The department will use the public input for the management plan to determine if adjusting fisheries management strategies for some waterbodies is needed. The plan, when finalized, will then help to inform proposals for the 2024 fishing regulations and beyond.

The commission will consider extending the 2022 fishing regulations into 2023 at its Oct. 20 meeting. Changes to the fishing regulations will be considered after the revised management plan is adopted in early 2023.

Take precautions in mining areas

The Dry Fork of the Belt Creek Basin is a popular spot for dispersed camping and recreation on the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, and due to the mining history of this corridor, visitors are advised to take precautions.

Due to historic mining practices, heavy metals may be present in the water, along shorelines, and within the floodplain.

Lead is one of the many heavy metals that is present in this recreational corridor, said Belt Creek-White Sulphur Springs District Ranger Helen Smith.

Brochures are available at the local district office in Neihart to help folks recreate safely in the area.

Exposure to lead and other heavy metals can occur through ingestion and inhalation of contaminated soils. Lead exposure can affect nearly every system in the body and often occurs with no obvious symptoms. Health effects from lead and other heavy metals primarily occur through ingestion and inhalation of contaminated soils therefore good hygiene practices should be used to limit exposure. Lead exposure can harm the nervous system, especially in children and pregnant women.

Here are some tips for minimizing lead/heavy metal exposure:

 Wash hands and face before eating and limit hand to mouth contact.

 Bring water for drinking, cooking, and washing. Do not use water from the stream  even if it is filtered.

 Keep yourself and belongings clean. Remove dirt from clothes, toys, pets and equipment before leaving the area since soil tracked home from recreational areas can become a source of exposure.

 Wear bandanas or other dust-coverings over the mouth and nose when riding off-road trails

 Stay on trails and in designated areas

 Eat on a table or on a blanket in grassy areas to avoid accidently consuming soil and dust.

 Do not harvest edible plants from floodplain areas

 Limit contact with soil along the streambank

 Reference Montana Department of Environmental Quality state guidelines for safe fish consumption.

Environmental cleanup is ongoing to protect human health and provide ecological restoration.

Visit: www.epa.gov/superfund/barker-hughesville to learn more about the work of the Environmental Protection Agency in this area.

Call the Belt Creek Ranger District office at: (406) 236-5100 if you have further questions.

Be wary of avian viruses

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus was detected in wild birds and domestic poultry in Montana earlier this year.

While HPAI cases in wild birds did appear to decline over the summer, there are detections of new cases in parts of the U.S., including Montana this fall. HPAI viruses are extremely infectious and fatal to poultry and some species of wild birds.

Some scientists have been concerned that the U.S. would see a resurgence of the virus during the fall migration. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is monitoring the situation by testing wild birds that display symptoms consistent with HPAI infection. While HPAI is considered a potentially zoonotic disease, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continues to consider the risk to people from wild birds to be low.

Since it was first detected in the eastern United States in January, it has spread to all four bird migration flyways, including the Central and Pacific flyways which include parts of Montana.

Human infections with bird flu viruses are rare but can occur, usually after close contact with infected birds. The current risk to the general public from bird flu viruses is low; however, it is important to remember that risk depends on exposure, and people with more exposure might have a greater risk of infection.

Although the CDC considers risk of HPAI spread to humans to be very low, Montanans should take precautions when handling game birds or any sick or dead bird they find. Whenever possible, avoid contact with sick or dead wildlife. Even if a bird is not suspected to have died from a contagious disease, gloves should always be worn if a dead animal must be handled for disposal.

Raptors are susceptible to HPAI and are typically exposed via eating infected birds. The general recommendation for falconers is to avoid hunting and/or feeding wild birds, particularly waterfowl, during the outbreak. Enhanced biosecurity practices with enhanced cleaning and limiting contact with wild birds or birds from other facilities is also warranted.

Sick falcons should be promptly reported to a veterinarian and be quarantined from other birds in the facility.

Bird hunters should follow these simple precautions when processing or handling wild game:

Do not harvest or handle wild birds that are obviously sick or found dead.

Wear disposable latex or rubber gloves while cleaning game or cleaning bird feeders.

Do not eat, drink or smoke while cleaning game.

People and equipment that have been in contact with wild game birds should avoid contact with back yard poultry flocks.

Wash hands with soap and water or alcohol wipes immediately after handling game or cleaning bird feeders.

Wash tools and work surfaces used to clean game birds with soap and water, then disinfect with a 10 percent solution of chlorine bleachone part chlorine bleach to 10 parts water.

Separate raw meat, and anything it touches, from cooked or ready-to-eat foods to avoid contamination.

Cook game meat thoroughly to an internal temperature of at least 165F.

Do not keep bird feeders near domestic poultry.

For more information on AI in wild birds, visit https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/diseases/avian-influenza, or visit the USGS website at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nwhc/science/avian-influenza-surveillance.
FORSYTH  The Village of Forsyth will host its first Farmers' Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, in the large pavilion in Forsyth Park.

Maroa-Forsyth FFA members will be selling pork chop lunches during the event.

Approximately 15 vendors will be on hand, featuring various products including food, crafts and produce.

Parking will be available in the far south lot by the concession stand or the north lot by school fields.

For more information, visit the Forsyth Facebook page.
DECATUR  Decatur firefighters battled a blaze Wednesday that extensively damaged a two-story home.

Decatur Fire Department crews were dispatched to 1759 Moundford Court at approximately 3:30 p.m.

According to a incident report, the first crews arrived to find heavy fire and smoke coming from the back of the two-story house. Officials said the fire started on the back deck of the residence and spread to the interior.

"The home owner advised that all occupants and a pet had evacuated the structure," the fire report stated.

The next fire crews proceeded to the second floor to extinguish the fire, while truck crews moved to the roof to provide ventilation for interior crews.

Red Cross was contacted to assist the two adults and four children that were displaced because of the fire damage.

Although the fire department considered the incident an accident, the fire is under investigation by the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, with assistance from Battalion Chief Neil Elder.

No occupants or responders were injured during the incident.
DECATUR  Decatur police responded Wednesday afternoon to a local hospital to a report of a 15-year-old Decatur boy who had been shot in the hand.

With information provided by the teen, police investigated the scene of the incident in the 2900 block of North Monroe Street.

According to Sgt. Steve Carroll, the 15-year-old said he was walking in the area. "He said he heard one to two gunshots and felt a warm sensation to one of his hands," Carroll said.

The victim ran to a local hospital where he received treatment for the injury.

Police recovered a firearm and ammunition at the scene.

No arrests have been made. The incident is being investigated by the juvenile investigation team.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. High near 70F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low 44F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.
BRISTOL, Va.  The Bristol Virginia Fire Department will host an open house Saturday Oct. 8 at Fire Station 1 on Lee Street to commemorate the annual Fire Prevention Week.

The event will take place from noon until 3 p.m., according to a written statement. The event will include free hot dogs while they last and firefighters providing tours of the station and fire trucks. Children can experience the fire safety trailer and there will be free fire safety materials for children.

Firefighters will instruct attendees on the proper use of a digital laser fire extinguisher training prop and allow attendees to try it for themselves.

Representatives from the Red Cross Mountain Empire Chapter will attend and have their disaster shelter trailer on display.

Bristol Virginia residents can sign up for a free smoke detector. This year marks 128 years of service for the Bristol Virginia Fire Department.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved a major disaster declaration for Buchanan and Tazewell counties after significant flooding events in July.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the approval Wednesday. Substantial rainfall July 13-14 created record flash flooding and landslides in portions of the counties. The declaration provides federal support through public assistance and hazard mitigation grant programs to assist in recovery efforts and protect against future disasters.

I would like to thank FEMA for approving Virginias request for federal assistance, Youngkin said in a written statement. While we await the decision on our request for individual assistance to support the residents that were impacted, we are grateful to have this assistance to help us restore infrastructure and services in the impacted areas. As governor, I will continue to do everything we can to support these communities.

The decision on a potential award of individual assistance is still pending.

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management will hold applicant briefings in the coming weeks to help inform potential grant applicants of the process for applying for and receiving federal grants. Applicants will have 30 days to register and submit a request for public assistance (RPA) in the FEMA grants portal, according to the statement.

With this approval, local, state, and private nonprofit organizations with infrastructure damage or emergency and debris removal expenditures, may apply to FEMA for reimbursement of 75 percent of eligible costs. The FEMA Public Assistance program could take years to be fully reimbursed for disaster related expenditures.

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management is the administrative agency for this grant program.

Hazard mitigation grant program support was also approved. With this approval, Virginia will receive funding for projects to reduce future flooding, according to the statement. This program could take 5-7 years to implement. The application phase of this program is 12 months, and then FEMA may take 6-18 months to award the project based on environmental and historic review compliance or technical feasibility review.

Federal assistance is approved at 75 percent of the total eligible project costs. Local governments and state agencies will also apply through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management as the administrating agency.
The Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) has signed a MoU with the National Housing Company (NHC) to facilitate collaboration in mutual areas that serve the housing sector, improving urban planning, and offering designs that meet building codes around Wadi Hanifah and its tributaries.

The agreement aims to facilitate further integration between the two parties and offer more design options to NHC clients within authoritys jurisdiction, said a statement from DGDA.

Together, they will conduct a series of joint workshops, initiatives, and projects to exchange data, statistics, and expertise, it added.

On the NHC deal, Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo said: "It is significant since one of the workshops involved is a joint design studio between DGDA and NHC and its affiliated architects, who would be informing the authority of all its initiatives within the latters jurisdiction."

The two sides will also explore avenues for further collaboration as and when agreed upon. In addition, the authority will be holding workshops to clarify the building codes applicable around the Wadi Hanifah area, stated Inzerillo.

National Housing Company CEO Mohammed bin Salih Al Batti said the MoU lays out a road map for collaboration between the two sides.

This includes the creation of a DGDA microsite as part of NHCs Sakani website for users of residential units within DGDA-managed areas to show that designs meet building codes around the Wadi Hanifah area, as well as the authoritys designs and platforms, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
BRISTOL, Tenn.  Five candidates for Bristol Tennessee City Council used their imaginations at Wednesdays candidate forum hosted by the Bristol Chamber of Commerce.

One of 10 questions asked during the forum was what the candidates would do if they received a $1 million grant to use for the city however they wanted.

First in rotation was David Warren, a South District candidate, who said he would want it to be a group decision.

You have to listen to the people and listen to your department heads to see whats needed, whats prioritized (and) whats needed the most in the city, Warren said.

Lea Powers, the West District incumbent who is unopposed, had a similar response, but mentioned homelessness.

We have the beginnings of a tremendous homeless issue, Powers said. We know that directly impacts our downtown as well as other business owners.

Mark Hutton, East District incumbent, said hed like to invest in a skate park some city residents have been advocating for.

I know that that means a lot to that community, Hutton said. That seems like a pretty great place to invest in the lives of our community (and) quality of life.

Eric Spicer, Huttons challenger, said hed like the hypothetical money to be spent improving historic sections of the city.

If you keep the neighborhoods clean, good things will follow, Spicer said.

Margaret Feierabend, South District incumbent, said theres a lot to fund but spoke favorably of a swimming pool.

Haynesfield is in horrible, horrible condition and barely is able to open, so trying to figure out where do our kids swim  thats critical, Feierabend said.

Early voting in Sullivan County is Oct. 19 to Nov. 3.

For more, visit www.scelect.org.
NEWTON  The Catawba County Truth & Reconciliation Committee will present the first in its civil discourse lecture series at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15.

Elizabeth Chew, formerly the executive vice president and most recently the chief curator of the historic Montpelier Estate in central Virginia, will speak from her experience there.

Chew will examine the events which took place over the course of the past few years as the board of trustees embarked on an effort to bring about a more accurate portrayal of the African-American experience at the nationally significant historic site. This included a place at the table for the descendants of those who were enslaved at Montpelier. That experiment in parity at Montpelier is over, but there are lessons to be learned about the process and a roadmap for other institutions seeking a more inclusive and accurate interpretation of the history of slavery and the Civil War era.

At Montpelier, Chew oversaw the curatorial, education, archaeology, preservation, and research departments and the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution.

An art historian, she holds a B.A. from Yale, an M.A. from the University of London and a Ph.D. from UNC-Chapel Hill. She has worked at museums and historic sites since 1985. As curator at Monticello for 13 years, she researched and implemented projects to interpret women, domestic work, and slavery. She was co-curator, with Rex Ellis of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, of the exhibition Slavery at Jefferson's Monticello: Paradox of Liberty, which was on view in Washington and traveled to Atlanta, St., Louis, and Philadelphia. At Montpelier, she oversaw projects to return slavery to the plantation landscape, including the exhibition The Mere Distinction of Colour, winner of six national awards, and was part of the team that created the Rubric of Best Practices for Descendant Engagement in the Interpretation of Slavery at Museums and Historic Sites.

She was terminated at Montpelier on April 18 for standing with the Montpelier Descendant Committee. She has since been reinstated as interim president and CEO.

The 45-minute lecture will be followed by a live question-and-answer with the audience.

The program will be presented virtually on the committees Facebook page which can be accessed by visiting the website https://cctrc.wordpress.com/
The Republican nominee for a competitive state House district in Cabarrus County took credit for a Facebook page advocating the paddling of children, but said it was a joke.

Brian Echevarrias Facebook page, called Spank That Tail, posted memes about spanking children who, among other things, were caught twerking and not going to church. It also linked to a website, spankthattail.com, which is inactive.

Documents from the N.C. Secretary of States Office also show Echevarria as the registered agent of a business called Spank That Tail, LLC. The business formed in December 2014. It was administratively dissolved in 2016.

The Facebook page was initially shared on Twitter by Carolina Forward, a progressive policy group.

It was all a joke and the business never actually sold paddles, Echevarria told The Charlotte Observer. He declined to comment further.

I think its still OK to laugh in 2022, he said.

One meme, showing a parent tug at a child watching a computer, says CANT GET MY KID TO GO TO CHURCH W/ THE FAMILY! Oh pahleez... SpankThatTail.com.

Another, with an image of comedian Kevin Hart, says Throw yourself on the floor in this store... and Ill SpankThatTail.com.

Echevarria is running to represent state House District 73, which includes Concord and Harrisburg. Hes running against Democrat Diamond Staton-Williams, a nurse and member of the Harrisburg Town Council. Echevarria has not held elected office. The district has no incumbent.

District 73 is one of the most competitive in the state, according to composites of past election results.

Disciplined early and often

In a 2020 interview with Life Center International, a Charlotte church, Echevarria said he supports spanking children.

We disciplined early and often. When I say we disciplined, I mean, I mean this right here, Echevarria said, holding up a paddle engraved Proverbs 22:15.

The verse in the King James version of the Bible states: Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

We use wood  wood on the behind, he said in the interview with Life Center International. He continued by saying spanking created an environment where obedience is to their benefit.

Abortion a key issue in the race

Echevarria and Williams diverge on several key policy points. One of the most prominent in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade has been abortion.

Williams said she supports abortion rights and will vote to protect them as a legislator. Echevarria said in a recent Facebook video hell vote for the best bill that we can get through, the one that can save the most lives, whether thats 15 weeks, 12 weeks, heartbeat.

With the Supreme Courts decision, abortion rights are in the hands of state governments. Republicans are a handful of seats away from a supermajority, which would allow them to bypass Gov. Roy Coopers veto.

The November elections could change that. They would need three additional seats in the state House and two in the state Senate to gain a supermajority.
Gruver Farm Scholarship Corn Harvest News by Lisa Schulz

Gruver.net

Gruver is very proud of their farm scholarship, we dont deny that, rather we share it wherever we can. It is an innovative idea that has sent many kids to college to date. It is an idea that was ran with in 2012 and with some tweaking to improve has gone beyond the hopes and dreams of what it could do! Farming it is a part of our everyday.



We see it, many live off of it; even if you werent a farm kid from Gruver, you know farming in some capacity.



The school farm is 405 acres donated to GISD in 1984 by a brother and sister who immigrated to Gruver from Denmark in the 1901. Neither ever married or had children so they left the land they farmed to the school; I often wonder about Karl and Karen Nielsen and hope they are looking down and seeing just what amazing things their land, their donation, their American dream, if you will, is doing. I know little about them but feel they must have been giving stewards of the land and the community to have given such a donation so I believe this would warm their hearts.

The school farm doesnt just help kids financially face college, it also helps them become better students and vital parts of the school while at Gruver High. The more you are involved in, the more you can collect.



Gruver is proud and has enjoyed sharing the story with anyone who will listen. Personally, I have told strangers on airplanes or new friends met in the city areas and it is always met with awe. It shows the community that is Gruver. Volunteers showing up to care for land that will send all kids to college, not just their kids.



Gruver Superintendent, Wade Callaway, and Derek Grotegut, who is vital in the farm success, will be traveling next week to share the Farm Scholarship Program with the National Rural Education Association in Green Bay, WI. Gruver ISD is a member of NREA and through a simple reply to an email in search of presenters for the conference, the Farm Scholarship will be the topic of a one hour presentation and the idea that has flourished in our small rural community just might plant a seed in other communities to grow.



What a great opportunity to get to send these men to a national convention to plant as many Farm Scholarship Foundation seeds as they can.



They will share that in a few short years and three graduating classes, Gruver High School and the Farm Scholarship has graduated 31 college students, 11 of them being first generation graduates. $815,398.60 has been disbursed, $815,398.60 that students did not have to take on as student debt. And that is just the beginning.



There is always the sense of what can we do better or how can we get the graduating rate higher but higher or lower, this is an equal opportunity for all to capitalize on and that is pretty special. Gruver ISD does a fine job at equipping kids for college and they send some of the best humans out who are working in all job fields. As a Gruver grad myself, my favorite part is to hear how kids young and old hold Gruver being their alma mater with pride. Many wait until the day they can finally leave but it still always seems to hold a special place in the hearts of Gruverites.



Thank you to Mr. Callaway and Mr. Grotegut for taking the time to go and spread the idea and pride we have in it, thank you to all the people that take a part in the farm, the money management and beyond. Thank you to the students who have taken advantage of it.



You are awesome.



-Lisa Schulz




The National Skills Commission has added 10 more IT-related occupations to its list of skills facing national shortages, once again highlighting the need to train more technology talent in Australia.

Web developers, database admins, and business analysts are now among jobs on the Commissions official skills shortage list which informs Australia's migration and skills development policies.

The updated list also includes network engineering, adminstration, and analyst roles along with quality assurance and testing, and programming occupations.

Most of the IT-related Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) jobs now have either recognised national shortages or are expected to see strong future demand with cyber security professionals and software engineers especially in-demand.

ACS CEO Chris Vein said it was important to recognise that IT jobs underpin a developed economy.

The jobs on this list are not just in technology companies, but across all business and communities, he said.

IT is essential for industries such as agriculture, resources and tourism, and its critical all parts of Australia have enough technology workers to keep their local economies running.

One of the quickest ways of addressing our skills shortage is harnessing our national assets, particularly Australias educated, flexible and diverse workforce, through upskilling workers and boosting the industrys diversity.

Local tech giant Atlassian this week set out on a literal recruitment drive to find tech talent for its Australian workforce.

IT Jobs added to the national skills shortage list in 2022 (with ANZSCO code):

ICT Business Analyst (261111)

Systems Analyst (261112)

Web Developer (261212)

Analyst Programmer (261311)

Database Administrator (262111)

Computer Network and Systems Engineer (263111)

Network Administrator (263112)

Network Analyst (263113)

ICT Quality Assurance Engineer (263211)

ICT Systems Test Engineer (263213)

Project manager was the only IT ANSZCO-coded job that was found to be in shortage last year but not in 2022.

All up, the Skills Commission added an extra 129 occupations to this year's shortage list, something Skills Minister Brendan OConnor said showed an economy-wide need for improving the countrys talent pipeline.

Registered nurses, the tech industry, machine operators, baggage handlers, dentists  wherever you look across the economy and labour market we see acute skills shortages, he told a press conference on Thursday.

We need to therefore ensure that when we invest in education and training we do so with a mind to existing and future skills shortages.

OConnor said the government needed to be much more sensitive to the way the economy and workforce is changing, adding that it needs to provide the right advice to the VET sector and higher education to make sure people are being trained for the jobs of tomorrow.

The government's first order of business when parliament started sitting in July was to create a new body for tackling the skills crisis.

Jobs and Skills Australia will replace the National Skills Commission and is tasked with keeping the government up-to-date on the labour market along with forecasting future needs.

The government is leaning on vocational training to address the skills shortage and is planning to create 450,000 fee-free TAFE places.

But OConnor added that skilled migration is just as important for addressing workforce shortages  though he recognises its no panacea, saying skilled migration is a part of the solution but its not the only part, its not a binary choice.

During the Skills Summit, the government announced a raise of the migration cap to 195,000 per year of which 142,400 will be given to skilled workers.
Billy Eichner doesnt run around the streets of New York in Bros, but he does get plenty of laughs as he reveals his vulnerability in one of the first gay rom-coms of the decade.

Change out the leads and it would play much like something Meg Ryan did in the 90s. Here, though, theres a lot to consider, not the least of which is a polarizing political climate. Like Fire Island, Bros could be too inclusionary for some who might actually enjoy it. As a result, its one of those films that requires coaxing just to see.

Eichner plays a podcaster and the head of an LGBTQ-themed museum who figures love has passed him by. He knows others buy into the messaging that comes from the Hallheart Channel (a slight dig at the Hallmark Channel), but he has been battered by so much homophobia, he doubts theres a place for him in an ever-changing sexual world.

When he meets someone at a party, theres a twinge of something, but  ever the guardian of his heart  Eichners Bobby Leiber resists the urge to act on it. The hunky Aaron (Luke Macfarlane) may be a lawyer but he cant be as smart or as quick as Bobby, right?

Soon, both learn its not good to stereotype. They fall into a relationship and reveal how insecurities play out in the gay world. While Eichner (who co-wrote the screenplay with director Nicholas Stoller) isnt afraid to enlighten (or shock), he sticks to the playbook and shows how difficult it is to admit he has committed to someone.

The razor-sharp lines (which are more understandable than the ones in Fire Island) help explain what has kept someone like Bobby from falling in love. Admiration, it seems, is better than commitment: Confidence is just a choice you make."

Eichner and Macfarlane go through plenty of phases in their relationship and worry what family members might say when theyre together for the holidays.

Macfarlane offers up the same vibe he has given leading man roles in real Hallmark movies but Eichner shows a softer side that helps him play well with others. In Billy on the Street, hes too manic to embrace. Here, hes that gay sidekick who realizes he doesnt have to deliver a well-timed line; he can enjoy a full conversation.

Plenty of cameos (Bowen Yang is particularly good as a millionaire whos approached about funding the museum) keep this moving as quickly as everything else Eichner does. When he leans into his version of a Garth Brooks song, Bros finds a different light and becomes the film it wants to be.

Its not scandalous  or particularly adult  but it does show people are more insecure than we ever thought. Slowed to a crawl, Eichner proves he can be a very good actor. Sometimes, revelations just take time.
Shanara Allen's 6-year-old daughter survived a gunshot Tuesday while on a playground in her Winston-Salem neighborhood.

Allen said that she was at home in Aster Park Apartments, north of downtown Winston-Salem, when gunfire broke out.

It was around 5 p.m. Her daughter and 8-year-old son were in the playground, near an area where, police said, four young males began shooting at one another.

A bullet entered the girls lower back and exited from her right side, said Allen and the girls father, Travis Livingston of Winston-Salem.

She was taken to a hospital, treated and released around 1 a.m. Wednesday, Allen said.

Investigators estimate the four shooters were 15- to 20-years-old. The 6-year-old likely wasnt an intended target, police said.

The suspects were last seen driving away from the area in a dark gray Ford Escape and a Honda passenger vehicle with damage to the drivers side door, police said.

The Winston-Salem Police Departments gun crime reduction unit and detectives are investigating.

Allens son said the four men just randomly started shooting while he and his sister were playing. He said he heard about 20 gunshots.

The boy said he bumped into one of the four men as he was running from the playground.

Allen said her neighborhood is unsafe partly because there are no surveillance cameras.

There is always stuff going on here, Allen said. There are shootings, fights and break-ins.

Allen said she is considering moving from the neighborhood. The actions of the four young males involved in the shooting were reckless and stupid, she said.

They ... took my babys childhood away from her, Allen said.

Allen and Livingston said they doubt police will arrest the four people who were involved in the shooting.

Officers talked to the Allen and Livingston after the shooting and returned to the neighborhood Wednesday to talk to neighbors.

Winston-Salem police are deeply concerned about the shooting involving an innocent young girl on Hope Lane (on) Oct. 4, said Kira Boyd, a police spokeswoman.

We are glad that she is going to be OK, and we will support her family in any way possible with our available resources, Boyd said. We are committed to fully investigating every case to the fullest extent.

Allens daughter and son attend a local public school, but Allen declined to identify their school. The principal, teachers and social workers have contacted her family in the aftermath of the shooting, Allen said.
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 In Salt Lake City in mid-June, a couple of geniuses rolled up next to a company box truck in a parking lot in their own pickup truck.

While one waited, KSL-TV reported, the other got under the company truck and drilled a hole into the gas tank, presumably hoping to steal fuel.

But the perp's shirt caught on fire while he was under the truck, causing him to roll around the parking lot while trying to remove his shirt.

He then jumped into the pickup and the pair of would-be thieves drove away; the company truck still had flames and smoke billowing from underneath, as seen on a surveillance video.

No arrests have yet been made. [KSL, 6/14/2022]

 Also in June, Austin Beauchamp, who was working as a summer instructor for a youth social services program in Grove City, Ohio, applied for a police communications technician job there, WKBN-TV reported.

As part of the interview process, a detective ran a background check on Beauchamp and found he was wanted in North Carolina on a statutory rape charge.

Grove City police arrested him on June 22 and expected him to be extradited to Guilford County, North Carolina, for trial. [WKBN, 7/1/2022]
include_once "/home/jwreview/public_html/$theme/includes/sidebar.php"; ?> America is the first and only country on Earth to be governed by "We the People." Our Constitution promises, inter alia, to "establish Justice, insure (sic) domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense ... and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity."

Since ratification of the Constitution in June 1788 and of the Bill of Rights in December 1791, tens of millions of Americans, we among them, have donned military and law enforcement uniforms and solemnly swore to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic." More than a million of our comrades have lost their lives in their "last full measure of devotion" to our Constitution while protecting American citizens from tyranny.

We want our children and grandchildren to inherit "the Blessings of Liberty" promised in our Constitution. If that is to happen for our "Posterity," now is the time for every American patriot to "stand guard."

Since January 2022, rapacious politicians, led by the most compromised and destructive president in our lifetimes, have failed us, our Western allies and our nation's future. The hopes and dreams of our progeny have been put at grave risk by the Biden regime's embrace of a far-left, domestic and foreign, globalist agenda.

On his first day in office, Sleepy Joe destroyed our nation's energy independence. Now, with the sabotage of the only undersea pipeline capable of supplying Germany and much of Europe with natural gas to heat homes and businesses in winter, the Biden regime is hoping to consummate a deal with the despotic ayatollahs in Tehran to get fossil fuel for European consumers.

Domestically, the Biden regime's plan to recruit, train and deploy 87,000-plus IRS officials will make biblical tax collectors look like benefactors. His White House has opened our southern border to millions of undocumented immigrants while ignoring an unprecedented nationwide crime wave and horrific overdose deaths from Communist Chinese-concocted fentanyl.

Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

Meanwhile, our God-given liberties enumerated in the Bill of Rights are being trampled. If that statement seems hyperbolic, ask Ryan-Marie Houck.

Mrs. Houck's husband, Mark, was arrested by more than a dozen heavily armed FBI agents on Friday, Sept. 23, as he and his family started their day. The charge? Nearly a year earlier, Mark twice pushed a man away from his 12-year-old son as the abortion worker harassed the boy for offering prayerful "sidewalk counseling" to those entering an abortion clinic.

A civil suit against Mr. Houck by the Planned Parenthood escort was dismissed in July 2022. But the Biden regime's U.S. attorney general, Merrick Garland, ordered his FBI agents to the Houck home, where they terrified Mr. Houck's family and hauled him off to jail.

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A far-left troika  Biden, Pelosi and Schumer  has declared war on Christians, conservatives, hardworking Americans, members of our Armed Forces and anyone unwilling to bow to their unfettered authority. Left unchecked, this terrible trio will convert America into a third-world country governed by unelected globalists thousands of miles from our shores. They are a threat to our Constitution and the Judeo-Christian principles upon which the United States of America was founded. Undeterred, their actions will prevent the USA remaining the freest, most productive, prosperous and generous nation on Earth.

In just 35 days we can stop the Biden, Pelosi, Schumer Troika from destroying our Constitutional Republic. We the People have the power to end their reign of tyranny. Our Founders gave us the weapon we need to avoid a catastrophe. It's called an election.

For all who love "In G od We Trust" on our currency, we must fire another "shot heard 'round the world" by getting out to vote.

(COMMENT, BELOW)
Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence (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 in artificial intelligence (AI).

SDAIA announced the new initiative named 'Elevate', in association with Google Cloud, during the second Global AI Summit in Riyadh last month.

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.

The program has two tracks: the technical track for data engineer, cloud architect, Ml engineer and data scientist, accounting for 30 per cent of the program trainees. The non-technical track for Cloud Business Enthusiast will make 70 per cent of the program trainees.

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 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 per cent of artificial Intelligence researchers globally," said Princess Al-Muqrin.

She said 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. -TradeArabia News Service
include_once "/home/jwreview/public_html/$theme/includes/sidebar.php"; ?> It's happening. It's been happening. Parents, you are being replaced.

Where? Right under your noses, in your neighborhoods, in your public and private schools, and in your local children's hospitals.

How? Under the guise of health, safety, compassion, tolerance, diversity, intellectual superiority and, of course, the public good.

By whom? Woke educators, radical school counselors, gender queer-promoting librarians, meddling school-based health clinic staffers, Big Pharma drug and jab peddlers, and medical establishment "experts" like the ones at the American Medical Association, who, as investigative researcher and City Journal writer Christopher Rufo reported this week, are "asking Big Tech and the Department of Justice to censor, deplatform, investigate, and prosecute journalists who question the orthodoxy of radical gender surgeries for minors, arguing that public criticism is 'disinformation.'"

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It's not just journalists that the AMA is targeting, but outspoken parents on social media who dare to question State Science and who fearlessly assert and defend their family sovereignty. As usual, questioning the authority of the elites is tantamount to threatening "violence, intimidation, and physical harm"  even as these control freaks oversee the mass poisoning of vulnerable children's minds and bodies across the country.

Why? Newly elected Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni summarized it well in a viral 2019 speech at the World Congress of Families that Big Tech has tried to suppress.

"Why is the family the enemy?" she asked. "Why is the family so frightening?"

Answer: "Because family is our identity. Because everything that defines us is now the enemy for those who would like us to have no identity and simply be perfect consumer slaves. That's why they attack national identity, that's why they attack religious identity, attack sexual identity, attack family identity. I cannot define myself as Christian, Italian, wife, mother, no. I have to be citizen X, gender X, parent 1, parent 2. I have to be a number ... That's why we cause so much fear ... Because we don't want to be numbers. We will defend the value of the human being ... We will defend God, country and family."

Yes. We are more than just automatons and QR codes. Our children are more than just advertising-coveted eyeballs and addicted mouse-clickers, more than data-mining sitting ducks and docile worker cogs in the globalist machine. Our children are more than just bottomless receptacles for the next government-subsidized, billion-dollar experimental drugs from cradle to grave  be they puberty-blocking hormones, lifestyle vaccines (Gardasil, PrEP), ineffective and natural immunity-undermining flu shots, anti-anxiety and anti-depressant pills, or experimental bivalent COVID booster jabs that have only been tested on a handful of mice.

Moms and dads, you are more than a pesky nuisance to the architects and engineers of the Great Parental Replacement.

You are a hindrance.

At Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the Daily Caller's Chrissy Clark reported, a "Gender and Sexuality Development Clinic" has held 33 trainings in 15 schools over the past five years on "trans-inclusive policies" in which attendees are advised to "keep gender identity secret from parents."

You are abusers.

At Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, an academic "expert" claimed that parents "refusing puberty-blocking treatment" amounted to "psychological harm," which she equated with physical abuse that should be subject to criminal prosecution.

You are nosybodies.

In the U.S., 17 children's hospitals have now hidden information about their gender transmogrification programs after parents exposed their practices. Most prominent among them: Boston Children's Hospital and its demented program, HOTT (Health Outreach to Teens), which advises boys on how to "tuck" and tape up their penises to make them look like vaginas.

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To distract from this perversity, Boston Children's is playing the victim, decrying alleged threats of "violence" (cue the Southern Poverty Law Center smear machine). We've seen this playbook before. Remember: In 2013, young Justina Pelletier was ripped from her parents' custody by Boston Children's Hospital. The teen, who lives with mitochondrial disease and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, had gone to BCH after coming down with a severe case of the flu. Instead of receiving top-notch care and attention at BCH, however, Justina was medically kidnapped and recklessly re-diagnosed with a psychological condition, "somatoform disorder."

Justina was dragged from BCH's neurology department to its infamous psych ward, where she was reprimanded for being unable to move her bowels or walk unassisted in her weakened state. At the Wayside Youth and Family Support Network residential treatment center, where she was confined, she and her family recounted to me in my 2018 documentary on the case, she was harassed by a staffer while taking a shower. The physical and mental torture lasted 16 months.

Doctors at BCH dubbed their evil practice a "parentectomy"  and this savage removal of parental rights has been repeated nationwide. The Pelletier family sued BCH and lost in early 2020, at exactly the time the World Economic Forum was ushering in the Great Reset and its replacement of sovereign nations and sovereign parents with drug-pushing, gender-destroying, child-kidnapping, surveillance-state managers of the "global commons."

It's time for nuclear families to go nuclear on their enemies. That's not a call to violence, but a call to protect your children's minds, hearts, bodies and souls from those who seek to obliterate our identity, bonds and God-given rights.

(COMMENT, BELOW)
VANDALIA  A Vandalia native who has published 24 books, including some about his hometown, will appear at the Vandalia Statehouse on Saturday, Oct. 8, for a special presentation titled Inspired by Vandalia.

Paul Stroble will speak at 2 p.m. Admission is free.

Stroble was born and raised in Vandalia. His books include two that are specifically about the city. Hes written poetry books based on Vandalia and others that are religious curriculum and include Vandalia anecdotes.

During his visit to the Vandalia Statehouse, Stroble will have copies of his new poetry book, Four Mile, available for purchase. Proceeds from book sales will be donated to the Vandalia Statehouse.

He is currently an adjunct professor at Webster University in St. Louis, teaching courses in philosophy and religion. His wife, Beth, is a former English teacher at Vandalia Community High School and currently serves as the chancellor of Webster University.
MARSHALL  Gaslight Art Colony will feature Rose Hulman art professor Soulaf Abas at a special exhibit opening from 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15.

An acclaimed artist, her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. She also received numerous residencies and awards for her work like the Social Justice Residency in Santa Fe, N.M., and multiple grants from Indiana State University.

Soulaf was born and raised in Damascus, Syria. In 2008 she received her bachelors of fine arts from Indiana State. Then she returned to Syria and taught art at the Arab European University.

In 2010, Soulaf returned to Indiana State to get her masters. After she received her masters in painting in 2013, she taught part-time at Indiana State . She is currently the art professor at Rose Hulman Institute of Technology.

This exhibit will run from Oct. 15 to Nov. 12.
A nonpartisan road show for reality, the Trusted Elections Tour, stopped in Greensboro last week to stump for reason and common sense.

Led by former Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts and former N.C. Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, the series of 14 town halls throughout the state is a rational and informed take on election security that rebuts unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud in North Carolina and beyond. And it has its work cut out.

According to a WRAL News poll, 44% of likely Republican voters express little to no confidence that their vote will be counted accurately in the Nov. 8 election.

Thats disconcerting, if not surprising.

Donald Trump claimed election fraud even after he won in 2016.

In 2017, he even created a commission to investigate. Established by executive order, the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity was chaired by Vice President Mike Pence and vice-chaired by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach  a leading purveyor of dubious fraud allegations.

The commission disbanded in early 2018 with little to show for its efforts. Following his loss to Joe Biden in 2020, Trump doubled down on his claims without credible evidence. More than 60 court challenges to the election results were dismissed. Yet if you repeat a lie often enough  well, we continue to reap the results.

In the WRAL News poll, conducted among 677 likely North Carolina voters, only 15% of Republican respondents said they had full confidence that their votes would be counted accurately, versus 60% of Democrats and 42% of independent voters. Only 5% of Democrats and independents expressed no confidence in the voting process.

Catawba College political scientist Michael Bitzer traces the lopsided GOP skepticism to Trump.

A lot of that certainly gets laid at the feet of the former president, who continuously reinforced the idea of, If I lose, the system must have been rigged, Bitzer told WRAL. That is not a basic American norm or principle. If you lose, its because the other candidate won more voters or got more support. What hes doing is calling the system into question and this is the result.

Not that Trump hasnt had more than a few accomplices.

Remember, on the day rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, 139 House Republicans voted to object to the results of the election. They included seven of 10 North Carolina Republicans, among them Dan Bishop, Ted Budd, Madison Cawthorn, Virginia Foxx, Greg Murphy, Richard Hudson and David Rouzer.

At least one of them obviously knew better.

I know that Joe Biden will be president, Bishop said from the floor after police had cleared the House chamber of rioters. But I dont know that it hurts, or would hurt any of us, to have the generosity of spirit to continue to reflect on what might be better or what might seriously have gone wrong here, even if you reject the notion that the result was wrong.

Got that? Such muddying of the facts by GOP leaders with doublespeak and often outright fiction has made election workers jobs harder  and in some cases, scarier.

And it has become more and more common for losers of elections to automatically declare fraud, whether theres evidence of it or not.

While fact-based inquiries into election irregularities are healthy, useful and necessary, blanket condemnations of the entire process based on flimsy premises are downright dangerous.

So are overly aggressive poll watchers with political agendas and gratuitous complaints and records requests from election deniers.

The Trusted Elections Tour is one way to shine light into that darkness. Whether these panels will wind up preaching mostly to the choir or actually reach some of the skeptics and the misinformed, we dont know.

We can only hope.

Were disappointed that the tour didnt make its way to Forsyth County; we do hope a sequel is in the works. In the meantime, its worthwhile for readers to visit its website, especially to see the wide variety of participants: www.nctrustedelections.com

We appreciate the noble and worthwhile cause these public servants have adopted to counter the headwinds of ignorance, exploitation and self-interest.

Because, in an era in which sowing doubt in democracy has become a political strategy, every little bit helps.
Why You Should Think Acute Flaccid Myelitis, Not Just Polio The Signs and Symptoms to Look for

Article In Brief

Despite a recent case of paralytic polio in New York state and evidence of community transmission of the virus, experts point out that other causes, such as enteroviruses and West Nile virus, could be behind patients' symptoms.

A case of poliomyelitis in New York state suddenly has people talking about polio, but experts say clinicians should first think about the broader category of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) when evaluating a patient with a sudden onset of lower limb weakness.

The case of paralytic polio was identified in July in an unvaccinated young adult in Rockland County, NY, making it the first case of wild polio originating in the US since 1979. Poliovirus has also been detected in wastewater samples collected from New York City and nearby Rockland and Orange counties, as well as Sullivan County and Nassau County, suggesting there is community transmission of the virus and ongoing risk for paralytic polio for other unvaccinated people.

At press time, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency to increase resources and the network of polio vaccine administrators.

We're in an era where there are these infectious diseases that modern physicians have only read about in textbooks, said James Sejvar, MD, FAAN, a neuroepidemiologist with the division of high-consequence pathogens and pathology at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It is concerning and a public health challenge, Dr. Sejvar said of the reemergence of a once dreaded disease that was declared eradicated in the US in 1994. But he does not expect that polio will cause widespread outbreaks of disease here, given the availability of vaccines and wastewater surveillance systems that can signal the possibility of community spread.

But it does serve as another stark reminder that vaccinations are critical and vaccination campaigns are important, Dr. Sejvar said.

Kevin Messacar, MD, PhD, a pediatric infectious diseases researcher at Colorado Children's Hospital and University of Colorado, said the polio case in New York should also alert clinicians to the possibility of AFM in general, which can be caused by multiple viruses, including poliovirus, other enteroviruses, and West Nile virus. The US experienced biennial outbreaks in recent years of an enterovirus called EV-D68, which causes respiratory illness and sometimes serious paralysis in children, and cases are cropping up this fall.

The New York polio case came amid worrying signs of a decline in overall childhood vaccination rates in the US, much of it attributed to people putting off routine health care visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the CDC's August 19 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), New York state immunization data indicate that the three-dose polio vaccination coverage for infants and children under 24 months of age in Rockland County declined from 67 percent in July 2020 to 60.3 percent in August 2022. In some communities, the vaccination rate was as low as 37.3 percent.

The polio case in New York involved an immunocompetent adult who went to an emergency department with a five-day history of low-grade fever, neck stiffness, back and abdominal pain, constipation, and two days of bilateral lower extremity weakness, according to the MMWR report. He was hospitalized with suspected AFM, and then diagnosed with polio based on stool samples that tested positive for poliovirus type 2.

Genetic sequencing indicated that the polio infection was due to community spread involving a chain of transmission that likely started with someone who had received the type-2 containing oral polio vaccine (OPV) abroad. (Inactivated polio vaccine, IPV, is given in the US.) The patient with polio, who was sent to a rehabilitation center with ongoing lower extremity flaccid weakness 16 days after symptoms started, had not travelled internationally during the presumed incubation period for poliovirus. The genetic sequencing revealed a link to type-2 poliovirus detected in wastewater in Israel, where a patient with polio was identified in Jerusalem in February, and the United Kingdom.

Dr. Sejvar said that federal, state, and local health officials used the National Wastewater Surveillance System, which was put in place in 2020 to monitor the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, to look for signs of poliovirus circulating in the Rockland County area. The surveillance indicated community spread.

Dr. Sejvar said three other potential polio cases from the Rockland County area were placed under investigation by health officials in late summer but testing for poliovirus in various biological samples were negative and polio was ruled out.

Replication of OPV in a person who was recently vaccinated can result in viral reversion to neurovirulence, which can cause paralytic poliomyelitis in unvaccinated persons who are exposed to the vaccine-derived virus, the MMWR report said. Until poliovirus eradication is achieved worldwide, importations of both wild polioviruses and VDPVs [vaccine-derived polioviruses] into the United States are possible.

Health workers worldwide have strived for years to eradicate polio globally through vaccination campaigns, but polio type-1 is still considered endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and periodic outbreaks occur in dozens of countries, mostly in Asia and Africa.

Raymond P. Roos, MD, FAAN, the Marjorie and Robert E. Straus Professor in Neurological Science in the department of neurology at University of Chicago, said many clinicians in this country may have to reacquaint themselves with the signs and symptoms of polio and how to diagnose it. There is no treatment besides symptom management and supportive care, he said, while stressing that the polio vaccine prevents serious problems in the first place.

My guess is that you would have a hard time finding physicians in the US who have seen acute polio, Dr. Roos said.

Signs and Symptoms

Most people infected with poliovirus have no obvious symptoms or have only mild flu-like symptoms such as sore throat, fever, fatigue, and nausea. A small proportion of infected persons will experience potentially life-threatening symptoms such as meningitiswhich occurs in about one in 25 infected personsand paralysiswhich affects about one in 200 infected personsdue to the virus invading the brain and spinal cord. While many people recover, there can be permanent paralysis of the arms and legs. Another concern involves the possibility of a condition called post-polio syndrome, with progressive muscle weakness and disability developing sometimes decades after recovery.

Dr. Roos said that AFM in general, and polio specifically, may look a lot like Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), which is caused by inflammation of the peripheral nerves. Typical presentations include acute and sometimes progressive weakness in the lower limbs with or without paralysis, muscle tenderness, and perhaps trouble swallowing or breathing.

Other viruses can cause diseases that look like polio. Fortunately, we have diagnostic tests that can usually identify the specific disease and cause, such as a spinal fluid exam and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Dr. Roos said.

According to the CDC, polio-related paralysis usually begins in the arm or leg on one side of the body (asymmetric) and then moves towards the end of the arm or leg, progressing to involve distal muscle groups.

Clinicians need to first make sure they are ruling out other common causes of paralysis such as GBS, said Carlos Pardo-Villamizar, MD, professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. ?Although polio and GBS present with weakness, GBS cases are frequently associated also with sensory symptoms while polio does not, he said. MRI helps to establish the diagnosis of AFM or eventually poliomyelitis.

Dr. Pardo-Villamizar heads the Acute Flaccid Myelitis Working Group, a consortium of doctors and scientists focused on AFM, which recently posted two podcasts on YouTube on polio in response to the New York case: https://bit.ly/3RUFak7 and https://bit.ly/3Ub19VZ.

According to the CDC, assessing for poliovirus includes testing of stool, pharyngeal swabs, and blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples, though the virus is rarely detected in blood or spinal fluid.

Neurologists need to be alert, Dr. Pardo-Villamizar said, but also must keep in mind that a case of AFM in the US is more likely to be caused by viruses other than poliovirus, such as West Nile virus or enterovirus D68. I don't think we don't need to alarm parents, he said. But we do need to say, Hey parents, we won't have to deal with polio if everyone is vaccinated.

Health Officials and Infectious Disease Doctors

The need to now focus on an old virus, poliovirus, comes amid nearly three years of intense attention to a new virus, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 and is responsible for more than one million deaths in the US alone.

Kiran Thakur, MD, a neuroinfectious diseases specialist and neurohospitalist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center-New York Presbyterian Hospital, said the case, while troubling, needs to be kept in perspective.

For clinicians, what I think we need to emphasize is that paralytic polio remains extremely rare and that overall, most of the population has been vaccinated when they were children or young adults, she said. This is a vaccine success storythat it (the polio vaccine) is highly effective in preventing the neurologic compilations of poliovirus.

As for lagging vaccination rates in recent years, she said COVID-19 may be partly to blame but she noted that there are also pockets of the community that have been targeted by anti-vaccine campaigns and historically vulnerable communities have low vaccine rates that have nothing to do with COVID.

Personal details of the Rockland County case and why the person was not vaccinated against polo have not been made public due to standard privacy issues.

Dr. Thakur stressed that clinicians evaluating a patient with polio-like symptoms need to quickly include a vaccination history. One should consider other conditions that may have similar clinical symptoms and radiologic features, she said, including other viral causes of acute flaccid myelitis (for example enterovirus D68, West Nile virus) and conditions which may present similarly including GBS.

An MRI of the spinal cord should be done in those individuals who have signs concerning for anterior horn cell disease, and early collection of biologic samples including stool, CSF and respiratory samples, according to CDC guidance, may lead to etiological diagnosis, she said.

Dr. Thakur said it is important for clinicians to reach out to public health officials and infectious disease specialists early on when evaluating a potential polio case. The New York case was identified and reported through the AFM surveillance system, a national surveillance system started by the CDC in 2014 due to an increase in AFM cases predominantly seen in children.

Dr. Messacar said doctors should be particularly suspicious of possible AFM caused by EV-D68 or A-71 in children in the months ahead because the enteroviruses are starting to pop up around the country. EV-D68, for which there is no vaccine, has caused illness in the US every two years since 2014, typically late summer and fall, though cases were minimal during the height if the COVID-19 pandemic, likely because many children weren't in school or daycare, he said.

We have not seen an uptick since 2018, said Dr. Messacar, and he and other infectious disease experts worry that the virus may hit especially hard this fall. There are now four years of children who haven't been exposed to those viruses and may have less immunity, he said.

I think we need to have a heightened suspicion for AFM at this time of year regardless of what the cause is, Dr. Messacar said, noting that the recommended diagnostic workup for AFM is the same no matter the specific pathogen involved.

The CDC issued a health alert on Sept. 9 advising health care providers that there could be an increase in AFM cases in the coming weeks. The agency said there are more children hospitalized with severe respiratory who tested positive for rhinovirus and/or enterovirus, in particular, EV-D68.
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department has announced several onsite COVID-19 vaccine booster clinics this month.

The clinics will be available to anyone 12 years old and older who qualifies for the new bivalent booster shots, which includes anyone who has had at least two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The clinics will be held at the Health Department's office, 3131 O St., on the following days and times:

* Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

* Oct. 14, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

* Oct. 17, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

* Oct. 21, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

* Oct. 24, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

* Oct. 28, 11 a.m-3 p.m.

* Oct. 31, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Appointments are not necessary, but they are encouraged and can be scheduled online at COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov or by calling 402-441-4200. The vaccination process usually takes less than an hour.

The bivalent boosters target both the original strain of COVID-19 and the BA.4 and BA.5 variants of the omicron strain, which are currently responsible for most cases.

According to the latest genetic sequencing done by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, BA.5 was responsible for 79% of COVID-19 cases in the state as of Oct. 1, while the BA.4.6 variant was responsible for 17%.

Though cases are currently at their lowest levels since the end of April, health officials expect cases to rise this fall and winter as temperatures drop and people spend more time inside.
The suspect in a cutting at a downtown Lincoln bus stop had shouted a racial slur in the moments before the attack Wednesday afternoon, prompting an altercation that later hospitalized a 16-year-old girl, according to police.

Officers responded to the bus stop, near 11th and N streets, at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday after a woman in her 20s cut the 16-year-old in her left arm, causing non-life-threatening injuries, Lincoln Police Capt. Todd Kocian said.

Witnesses told investigators that the suspect  who remains unidentified and at large  had witnessed an altercation between two males at the bus stop and shouted a racial slur toward the men, Kocian said.

That's when the teenage girl intervened, confronting the woman over her use of the slur. A physical altercation ensued, Kocian said, and the woman cut the teen before fleeing southbound on foot.

Police haven't found the woman, who Kocian said has dark, braided hair and was wearing a blue shirt when she fled the bus stop Wednesday afternoon.

Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews took 16-year-old by ambulance to a local hospital, where she was treated for the injury to her arm.

Wednesday's cutting marks at least the third stabbing or cutting at the bus stop this year.

In July, 29-year-old Hser Htoo stabbed a 37-year-old man, causing life-threatening injuries, after the two were removed from a StarTran bus amid a dispute, according to police.

And in February, 40-year-old Mario Martinez attacked a 69-year-old man near the bus stop in an apparent random act of violence that resulted in serious injuries, the police said then.

"There are officers that position themselves (at) that bus stop pretty regularly," Kocian said Thursday. "But, as with anything else, you can't be everywhere all the time. So efforts are being made.

"It's just that this incident happened to occur when the officer was not on location."
The Elwood woman and the would-be hitman were sitting in his car Monday in Lexingtons Walmart parking lot.

And they were talking about who she wanted killed, and how much it would cost, a Nebraska State Patrol officer alleged in a probable cause affidavit filed Wednesday in Dawson County Court.

Theyd arranged the meeting online. But 39-year-old Valerie Miller didnt know the stranger in the drivers seat was an undercover investigator with the patrol, whod contacted her after someone told the Gosper County Sheriffs Office that Miller was making suspicious comments.

Miller first told the investigator she wanted a gun, a revolver, both for protection and because it didnt eject its shell casings, according to the affidavit.

The two kept talking about the gun, and why she wanted it. During the conversation, Miller stated she wanted several individuals not living.

The investigator said he could do it for $1,000 per person and asked who she wanted dead. Her ex-husbands girlfriend, she said, according to the affidavit. And the girlfriends three young children and adult son.

She gave the investigator more details. The girlfriends address in Elwood, to use the side door, the ages of the children  6 months and 2 and 10 years old.

The (investigator) explained that murdering the children was probably not in her best interest as they posed no threat to her, according to the affidavit.

Miller agreed, and they settled on the two adults for $2,000. The investigator asked for a down payment, but Miller wouldnt have any money until the end of her week, she told him.

The investigator said hed do it Wednesday, but she told him to wait  she needed to find out her exs work schedule to make sure he wasnt home at the time.

The transaction took nearly 30 minutes, and was monitored by State Patrol surveillance teams. They followed her after she drove away, and had her stopped by three marked patrol cruisers.

Miller was initially arrested on suspicion of terroristic threats, but she was formally charged Wednesday with two counts of attempted first-degree murder  each punishable by up to 50 years in prison.

The judge set her bail at 10% of $500,000, and with the condition she have no contact with her ex-husband or his girlfriend.
Students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln led a walk-out Thursday morning, part of a nationwide Day of Action to pressure university administrators to protect reproductive and transgender rights on campus.

The on-campus demonstrations were planned as states, including Nebraska, will likely consider legislation banning abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year overturned the federal protections for abortion provided in Roe v. Wade.

While the national events were organized by the Graduate Student Action Network and the Young Democratic Socialists of America, according to Inside Higher Education, UnionizeUNL hosted the local rally, which took place on the steps of the Nebraska Union.

There, organizers said colleges and universities that depend on graduate students to teach and conduct research should enact policies protecting the right of women to seek an abortion, as well as other issues they said fall under the umbrella of bodily autonomy.

That includes things like access to birth control, ending sexual violence, stopping gender policing and transphobia, as well as ensuring UNLs employees have adequate health insurance and do not live in food insecurity.

Katelynn Shadoan, a graduate student from Alabama working on a masters degree in sociology at UNL, said students are no longer able to walk in to a food pantry for college students.

Instead they are required to fill out an online order and wait one week before getting food  an issue that potentially affects thousands of undergraduate students at UNL.

If were overworked and hungry, were not going to teach as well, Shadoan said.

Shadoan also told a crowd of roughly 100 people outside the Nebraska Union that graduate students were unable to see a doctor and get needed medication while they waited a month for their health insurance to kick in.

Graduate students have also endured dramatic increases to health insurance costs in recent years, while others have been forced to find new living arrangements after the university elected to close those facilities earlier this year.

We just wanted to let people know that no one had the right to tell us what to do with our bodies, Shadoan said, but also clarify that bodily autonomy is not just about abortion. Its about the right to health care, the right to food.

Members of UnionizeUNL handed out flyers with information about accessing abortion care or free food services, as well as literature outlining an individual's rights if they are arrested by law enforcement.

UnionizeUNL organized after a former graduate student and lecturer was summarily dismissed by administrators following a protest of a Turning Point USA recruiting event in 2017.

Thursdays event drew a protest from a half dozen students, including members of Turning Point USA, a conservative student organization with ties to former President Donald Trump, who held up their own signs indicating their opposition to abortion.

The two sides engaged in discussions on the steps of the Nebraska Union, as music played and students wrote messages in chalk on the sidewalk.

Shadoan said Thursdays event gave UnionizeUNL an opportunity to reach more students  both graduate and undergraduate  at UNL. The organization right now counts about 300 members, but not all are active.

We really want to make sure were reaching everybody and hearing their voices and concerns so we can advocate for them, Shadoan said.
Retail investors in the UAE can mobilise more than AED367 billion ($100 billion) towards top Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) priorities, particularly the financing of climate transition to net zero, says a report.

Launching its Sustainable Banking Report 2022 titled Mobilising retail investor capital, Standard Chartered explores ESG investment opportunities. This capital could also play a critical part in bridging funding gaps in the UAEs other ESG priorities including food and water security as well as pollution and waste management.

The new research by Standard Chartered also identified over AED30 trillion of investable retail wealth that could be channelled into sustainable investments by 2030 to finance ESG objectives in 10 growth markets. The report also highlights investment barriers currently faced by investors and recommends solutions to expand sustainable investing (SI) into a mainstream asset class.

Mobilising investor capital

According to the research, the UAE has high potential for growth in sustainable investing, largely due to its rising domestic wealth. The market could mobilise over AED367 billion in sustainable retail investment by 2030. Across the UAE, more than 40% of investors respectively want to put their money towards addressing climate issues.

The top ESG priorities for investors in the UAE include:

Climate change and carbon emissions (38%)

Energy and resource use (31%)

Pollution and waste management (26%)

Investor barriers need to be overcome

The report further highlights the need for investor and market-specific barriers that need to be overcome to translate this investor interest into actual impact.

Investors in the UAE identified the following as their top barriers to increasing their sustainable investments:

Comparability (47%)

Perceived low returns/higher risk (45%)

Comprehensibility (44%)

These findings demonstrate how financial institutions can play a critical role in unlocking available capital by breaking down these barriers for retail investors, using analysis based on investor behaviour and motivations. The report shows the need for clear action to:

Democratise access to sustainable investments by making more solutions available in more markets via digital platforms

Provide clear and transparent information

Address investor apprehensions and provide data-led advice on how to match their ESG priorities with the right solutions

Expertise and solutions

Commenting on the report, Dr Owen Young, Head of Affluent and Wealth Management for Africa, Middle East and Europe at Standard Chartered Bank, said: Our global research reveals a significant amount of retail investor wealth which can flow into sustainable investments should the investment barriers be overcome.

We know that a rapidly growing number of our clients are seeking to make a positive impact on the environment and in society, and there is significant appetite in the UAE to take ESG investment from a niche play to a mainstream investment strategy.

As a bank, we have the expertise and solutions that can help investors achieve both profit and purpose while being able to address the need to enable the shift now for a more sustainable future.
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  Two Russians who said they fled the country to avoid military service have requested asylum in the U.S. after landing in a small boat on a remote Alaska island in the Bering Sea, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski's office said Thursday.

Karina Borger, a spokesperson for the Alaska Republican senator, said in an email that the office has been in communication with the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection and that the Russian nationals reported that they fled one of the coastal communities on the east coast of Russia to avoid compulsory military service.

Thousands of Russian men have fled since President Vladimir Putin announced a mobilization to bolster Russian forces in Ukraine. While Putin said the move was aimed at calling up about 300,000 men with past military service, many Russians fear it will be broader.

Spokespersons with the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection referred a reporters questions to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security public affairs office, which provided little information Thursday. The office, in a statement, said the people were transported to Anchorage for inspection, which includes a screening and vetting process, and then subsequently processed in accordance with applicable U.S. immigration laws under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The agency said the two Russians arrived Tuesday on a small boat. It did not provide details on where they came from, their journey or the asylum request. It was not immediately clear what kind of boat they were on.

Alaska's senators, Republicans Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, on Thursday said the two Russians landed at a beach near the town of Gambell, an isolated Alaska Native community of about 600 people on St. Lawrence Island. Sullivan said he was alerted to the matter by a senior community leader from the Bering Strait region on Tuesday morning.

Gambell is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) from the western Alaska hub community of Nome and about 36 miles (58 kilometers) from the Chukotka Peninsula, Siberia, according to a community profile on a state website. The remote, 100-mile (161-kilometer) long island, which includes Savoonga, a community of about 800 people, receives flight services from a regional air carrier. Residents rely heavily on a subsistence way of life, harvesting from the sea fish, whales and other marine life.

A person who responded to an email address listed for Gambell directed questions to federal authorities. A message seeking comment also was sent to the Consulate General of Russia in San Francisco.

Sullivan, in a statement, said he has encouraged federal authorities to have a plan in place in case more Russians flee to Bering Strait communities in Alaska.

This incident makes two things clear: First, the Russian people dont want to fight Putins war of aggression against Ukraine," Sullivan said. Second, given Alaskas proximity to Russia, our state has a vital role to play in securing Americas national security.

Murkowski said the situation underscored the need for a stronger security posture in Americas Arctic.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday, as initial details of the situation were emerging, said he did not expect a continual stream or "flotilla of people traversing the same route. He also warned that travel in the region could be dangerous as a fall storm packing strong winds was expected.

It is unusual for someone to take this route to try to get into the U.S.

U.S. authorities in August stopped Russians without legal status 42 times who tried to enter the U.S. from Canada. That was up from 15 times in July and nine times in August 2021.

Russians more commonly try to enter the U.S. through Mexico, which does not require visas. Russians typically fly from Moscow to Cancun or Mexico City, entering Mexico as tourists before getting a connecting a flight to the U.S. border. Earlier this year, U.S. authorities contended with a spate of Russians who hoped to claim asylum if they reached an inspection booth at an official crossing.

Some trace the spike to before Russia invaded Ukraine, attributing it to the imprisonment of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny last year.

Associated Press reporters Manuel Valdes in Seattle and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
U.S. Rep. Don Bacon and State Sen. Tony Vargas dont agree on much when it comes to the topic of abortion rights.

The two candidates for Nebraskas 2nd Congressional District, in separate interviews, even disagreed about the importance of the topic ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

Bacon, the Republican incumbent, said while the media wants to fixate on abortion, Americans, including those in the 2nd District, are focused on the economy and the cost of living as the number one issue.

Vargas, the Democratic challenger, said he has heard from Republican, Democratic and independent women across the district who have expressed concerns that the government is going to mandate what they can and cannot do with their bodies. He said one woman even stopped him on an elevator to discuss the issue.

The two men also disagree on the issue, with Bacon expressing clear anti-abortion views but some willingness to compromise, and Vargas committing support for a federal law that would guarantee a right to abortion.

But their differing opinions on even the weight of the subject reflects the political landscape that has emerged since June when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that created a constitutional right to have an abortion.

The ruling has forced candidates to be more specific about what they do and do not support. And its also given Democrats a new focus.

The Associated Press recently reported Democrats are pumping an unprecedented amount of money into advertising related to abortion rights, underscoring how central the message is to the party.

With the most intense period of campaigning only just beginning, Democrats have already invested more than an estimated $124 million this year in television advertising referencing abortion. Thats more than twice as much money as the Democrats next top issue this year, character, and almost 20 times more than Democrats spent on abortion-related ads in the 2018 midterms.

Television advertising data reveals that Republicans, too, have invested millions of dollars in abortion messaging. But most of those ads ran during the primary phase of the campaign this spring and summer as Republican candidates touted their anti-abortion credentials. The number of Republican ads aired referencing abortion has gone down each month since May.

Political observers said that they expect abortion rights will play a big role in the race to represent Nebraskas 2nd District, which includes Saunders County, western Sarpy County and all of Douglas County, including Omaha. Its the states most competitive congressional district with the latest voter registration figures showing that Republicans outnumber Democrats by less than 9,000 voters. Registered voters who arent affiliated with a party total more than 99,000.

Vargas has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the political advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Bacon has been endorsed by several anti-abortion groups, including the Susan B. Anthony List, which gave him a grade of A+.

I think abortion is a tragedy, Bacon said. Its a child with tons of potential, it couldve been the next inventor of major cures, it couldve been a future president.

However, the congressman said some exceptions are a must, including defending the life of the mother, which he would leave to doctors to determine.

The mother comes first, Bacon said. Period.

Vargas said elected officials like me should be playing absolutely no role in womens health care decisions. He said decisions about abortion are deeply personal and should be made by women and in consultation with their doctors.

I want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to support womens health care decisions, I want to make sure that these are informed by doctors, I want to make sure we are doing everything we can to protect that decision, no matter what, Vargas said.

Vargas said its important to listen to science and doctors. He noted the Nebraska Medical Association recently adopted a resolution supporting the preservation of reproductive rights, marking a shift away from the groups formerly neutral stance.

If elected to Congress, Vargas said he would support codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law and investing in maternal and child health supports.

Im going to listen to women, not tell them what to do, Vargas said.

When asked if he supports any abortion restrictions, Vargas repeated that he supports women in their health care decisions being made between themselves and their doctors. He said its important that women have the information they need to make very difficult decisions.

The candidates were both asked if women should be able to have an abortion in cases of rape or incest.

Vargas said yes because he supports women making decisions for themselves.

Bacon said for him theres a difference between what he would accept politically because a consensus could be reached and what he would still like to personally advocate for and try to help persuade people on.

Philosophically, Bacon said an unborn child is still an unborn child but he would be willing to accept exceptions like those for rape and incest if it allowed for the passage of broader legislation.

I think we have an opportunity to meet in the middle in the 15-week area and from a pro-life perspective it moves us forward and then we could continue having a debate over hearts and minds, but I would like to take two or three steps forward instead of an all-or-nothing approach, Bacon said.

Bacon said many countries in Europe have restrictions after 15 weeks. He cited multiple polls, including one from the Wall Street Journal showing that more American voters favor the idea of a 15-week abortion ban than oppose it.

The Washington Post reported that while some countries in Europe have earlier limits on abortion there are often broad exceptions to those limits. For example, Germany on paper has a 12-week limit for abortion on request, but the law in reality permits abortions as late as 22 weeks after conception, the Post reported.

As a state senator, Vargas voted against a bill in the Nebraska Legislature that would have primed the state to ban all abortions when the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. That bill failed when it couldnt muster 33 votes to end a filibuster against it.

Vargas also opposed a special session this summer to debate a 12-week abortion ban being pushed by Republicans. Citing a lack of votes, Gov. Pete Ricketts did not call for the special session and abortion remains legal in Nebraska up until 20 weeks after fertilization.

Bacon said he would have supported the 12-week ban because he believes thats more in line with what Americans believe and suggested Vargas was out of touch for not supporting it.

Last year Bacon, along with 165 other House Republicans, co-sponsored H.R. 1011 or the Life at Conception Act. The act sought to implement equal protection for the right to life of each born and pre-born human person.

Vargas said the bill amounts to an abortion ban with no exceptions for the life of the mother, for rape or incest.

Bacon said the bill is a statement of principle that a child is an unborn human being but nowhere does it say that exceptions are not allowed. He said the bill came out before the recent Supreme Court decision on abortion and it could have been written more carefully to say it doesnt limit states or the federal government from making policies.

Its a statement that an unborn child is human, Bacon said of the bill.

Critics of the so-called personhood laws say they could have far-reaching consequences that could hamper in vitro fertilization or subject women who have abortions to murder charges. Supporters of personhood laws say declaring that all human beings, including those in the womb, have rights lends important moral clarity and that changes stemming from the concept are desirable.

What Bacon and Vargas did agree on is that decisions surrounding abortion are emotional and difficult.

Its not a black or white issue, Bacon said.

This report includes material from the Associated Press.
Sen. Ben Sasse will resign from the U.S. Senate to accept the presidency of the University of Florida, returning to academia after representing Nebraska in Washington for eight years.

Sasse was unanimously recommended by the university's search committee and will visit the campus in Gainesville on Monday to meet with students, faculty and other members of the community before he is formally interviewed by its board of trustees on Nov. 1.

Sasse, a solid conservative Republican vote in the Senate, helped steer new conservative nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court through the Senate Judiciary Committee and ultimate Senate confirmation while also voting to convict former Republican President Donald Trump of incitement to insurrection in his second impeachment trial in 2021.

Only seven Republican senators cast votes to impeach the former president for his actions related to the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol as Congress met to formally confirm the election of Joe Biden as president after he defeated Trump in November of 2020.

There always had been an open hint that Sasse's stay in Washington might not be long, certainly not as long as some of the veteran senators who have made it a career and grown old in the Senate.

His website bluntly stated: "An opponent of perpetual incumbency, he has no intention of spending his life in the Senate."

Gov. Pete Ricketts will appoint a successor to fill the Senate seat until January of 2025. Nebraska voters will elect a new senator to fill the final two years of Sasse's term in 2024.

Sasse's departure opens a future political pathway for Ricketts if he chooses to seek a seat in the Senate after he is term-limited out of the governor's office at the end of the year. Ricketts was the Republican Senate nominee in 2006, losing to incumbent Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson.

In a brief telephone interview, Sasse said he was excited to fill the leadership role in "the most important institution in the most dynamic state."

The president oversees the state's flagship university, which enrolls more than 50,000 students.

"The future of work is the biggest challenge we face," Sasse said in an interview on Thursday, one that universities need to tackle.

"I am excited to be able to help build the University of Florida's potential."

In a statement, the University of Florida presidential search committee pointed to Sasse's "distinguished academic career" with degrees from Yale and Harvard, as a faculty member at the University of Texas in Austin and five years as president of Midland University in Fremont.

"This is right for the University of Florida, right for the state of Florida and right for the Sasse family," Rahul Patel, chair of the presidential search committee, said.

"Ben brings intellectual curiosity, a belief in the power and potential of American universities and an unmatched track record of leadership spanning higher education, government and the private sector," he said.

The search committee said it focused on a dozen highly qualified and diverse candidates, including nine presidents at major research universities, and Sasse was its unanimous choice.

"The University of Florida is the most interesting university in America right now," Sasse said. "It's the most important university in the nation's most economically dynamic state."

While Sasse won all 93 counties and racked up record vote counts in his two Senate races in Nebraska, his opposition to Trump sparked condemnation and censure by the Nebraska Republican Party.

"The anger in this state party has never been about me violating principle or abandoning conservative policy  I'm one of the most conservative voters in the Senate  the anger's always been simply about me not bending the knee to one guy," Sasse said last year.
NORTH PLATTE  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, fired her Sept. 30.

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 have zero regrets, Standiford added. Im sad about the situation. Im sad 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 Lincoln Journal Star. The article last weekend focused on six Nebraska towns that will vote on banning abortions within their city limits, and says 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, both in North Platte.

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.

By Friday, the Nebraska GOP had announced Standiford's appointment as chair of the Republican Party in Frontier County.

"Melanie is a representation of what is needed as a County Chair and the courage it takes to stand for the values we hold as Republicans," said Eric Underwood, Nebraska GOP chairman.

Standiford 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.
GRAND ISLAND  Bill Ogg is leaving his position as executive director of the Nebraska State Fair, meaning the fair will soon have its third director in five years.

Ogg, who was hired in May 2020, said he will assist in the transition to new leadership.

News of Ogg's resignation came in a news release on Wednesday. He resigned less than two weeks after a special board meeting on Sept. 24.

Moments after that meeting began, the board voted to go into closed session, and although no action was taken, Ogg did not appear to be in attendance.

Bob Haag of Indianola, chairman of the fair board, did not return phone calls seeking comment. Ogg also did not return a phone call.

In the news release, Haag thanked Ogg for his hard work. "His efforts through the difficulties of COVID-19, our increased attendance and positive financial position are testaments to Bills leadership, Haag said.

Ogg's predecessor, Lori Cox, was in charge of the fair in 2018 and 2019. Hired in January 2018, she left in March 2020, citing health reasons.

Joseph McDermott headed the fair for nine years, retiring in 2017 after overseeing the fair's move from Lincoln to Grand Island in 2010.

A Wyoming native, Ogg came to Nebraska from the Walla Walla (Washington) Fair and Frontier Days, where he was general manager. He previously managed the Kansas State Fair.

In the news release issued Wednesday, Ogg said, "I was hired in 2020 to 'right the ship.'"

This year's Nebraska State Fair attracted 287,367 people over the course of its 11 days, an 8% increase over last year and more than the attendance at the last fair before the pandemic.

Ogg said the fair, which once operated at a deficit of $1.7 million, now has nearly $9 million cash on hand.

"The effort we put in has been both exhilarating and exhausting," Ogg said, "and I am ready to invest more time with my family and for myself."

The news release says that after the board's next meeting on Oct. 14, Ogg will assume the position of executive director emeritus and will work closely with Deputy Executive Director Jaime Parr "to transition duties and responsibilities until a new executive director is selected.
A mom who wants to put a price on her daughters trauma doesnt mean the sexual assault didnt happen," said the prosecutor in closing remarks.
WATERFORD  The owners of the popular restaurant Cafe 213 have abruptly closed their doors, citing business struggles and a landlords plan to sell the building.

The restaurant at 213 E. Main St. has been a prominent part of Downtown Waterford for more than 20 years, including the past three years under current owners Kevin and Holly Baumann.

The husband-and-wife team said they made the agonizing decision to close the business Oct. 4 after business-related problems continued multiplying until the couple could manage no more.

Among the issues they cited were the rising cost of supplies, a shortage of workers, and needed building repairs. When their landlord recently disclosed plans to sell the property, the Baumanns decided it was time to call it quits.

Holly Baumann, 37, said the couple  with two children at home  was investing too much time and energy into the restaurant, without enough financial return and without confidence that things would get better.

We physically, mentally and monetarily cant continue on this path, Baumann said. We need to find a new path.

A staple removed

The loss of Cafe 213 comes as a surprise to neighboring business owners and others who have come to regard the Main Street eatery as a dependable place for good food and hometown atmosphere.

Jordan Karweik, proprietor of the neighboring ice cream spot Kravings, said he enjoyed going to Cafe 213 for hamburgers.

Karweik said the restaurants closing is a setback for the downtown business environment. He hopes another restaurant or cafe will emerge soon to replace the Baumanns.

They were a staple down here, he said. They were part of the business community.

Located in a historic two-story corner building, the restaurant opened originally in 1998 under the name Grannys Cafe, operated by John and Pat Komotos.

In 2012, new owner Tanya Schachner took over and changed the name to Cafe 213. That continued for seven years before Schachner ran out of steam and shut down.

The Baumanns bought the business a short time later, and the Waterford couple announced plans to add new menu items, plus alcoholic beverages with a liquor license approved by the village.

Dawn Brummel, who was then executive director of the Explore Waterford business group, encouraged Kevin and Holly Baumann in their new endeavor. Brummel would later describe the reopening of Cafe 213 among the highlights of her days in the chamber of commerce organization.

Upon hearing that the restaurant was closing this week, Brummel said she was sad, but also proud of the effort that the Baumanns made to keep the business going.

They put their whole heart into it, and Waterford sure loved it, she said. They can hold their head high, knowing they gave us a superior cafe experience.

The success, however, came at a high price for the Baumanns.

Rising costs a problem

The couple said they struggled to sustain Cafe 213 as a financial enterprise amid rising costs for supplies, materials and utilities. They had a dedicated group of 18 employees, but staffing became a challenge, too, whenever the school year resumed and high school-aged workers disappeared.

The building on Main Street also needed frequent repairs, including an ongoing problem with the heating and air-conditioning system.

Earlier this summer, Holly Baumann took a full-time job teaching baking and pastry-making at Milwaukee Area Technical College. That left her husband to manage the restaurant on his own, while the couple also cared for their two children.

We tried to make this work, Kevin Baumann said.

Passing of Patricia Foley

Then came the final straw: Building owner Patricia Foley died a few weeks ago, and Foleys family notified Cafe 213 that the property would be put up for sale. In addition to the restaurant, the property houses a jewelry store and a handful of second-floor apartments.

Rozanne Jones, owner of Rendezvous Jewelry & Gifts, said the landlord offered assurances that no tenants would be displaced immediately. Jones was stunned a few days later to learn that the Baumanns had closed their doors.

Im floored, she said.

The couple made their announcement Oct. 4 on Facebook, apologizing for the abrupt shutdown, while thanking their employees and customers who contributed to the restaurants fun, friendly environment.

We are proud to acknowledge all the hardships we have overcome, they added, and everything we have learned from this experience.

The couple said they had no hard feelings toward the Foley family.

Supporters on Facebook responded with an outpouring of affection and best wishes for the restaurant operators.

I loved everything about your wonderful little restaurant, wrote Sue Hamman. Youve brightened Main Street in so many ways.

Added Cindy Bores, You gave so much joy to the community.
Two people died and six more were injured when the van they were in rolled over and caught fire on an onramp in Milwaukee Wednesday morning. The passengers in the vehicle were replacement workers on their way to the Case factory in Mount Pleasant, where local unionized employees have been on strike since May 2. Dozens of passenger vans have been arriving and leaving the factory daily for most of the five months of the strike so far as negotiations remain stalled between CNHi and United Auto Workers.
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

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Grundfos, one of the worlds leading water technology companies, said it is leveraging the Geodis Sustainable Marine Fuel Insetting program to reduce emissions from ocean freight.

Founded in 1945 with more than 20,000 employees, Grundfos today is on a mission to deliver solutions to the worlds water and climate challenges.

Dirk van der Heijden, senior director of global freight, explained: Every year Grundfos ships more than 20,000 containers across the oceans, and it is our ambition to do this in a more sustainable manner. The use of alternative fuels allows us to decarbonise and decrease our own emission levels, while at the same time stimulate the freight industry towards a sustainable future.

The Geodis Sustainable Fuel Program aims to replace fossil fuels with alternative and renewable fuels, resulting in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. These reductions are linked to certificates issued to goods owners via a mass-balance setup. The sustainable marine fuels offered by Geodis are supplied by the Dutch company GoodShipping, offering up to 90% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to regular fossil fuels. The GoodShipping marine fuel is made from waste materials, such as used cooking oil.

When Grundfos procures sustainable marine fuel via Geodis, the entire supply chain and production of sustainable fuels are stimulated. New collaborations and business models can arise, starting from the companies that collect and recycle waste materials, all the way to the refineries that produce the fuels, and the companies that transport and deliver it to harbors and ships. Equally important is the increase of capital investments in refineries and fuel technologies, which follow a rise in demand for sustainable marine fuels. As an early adopter of alternative fuel services, Grundfos is raising the sails to drive a sustainable future for the shipping industry.

The development of biofuel and alternative fuels is one of the policies underpinning Geodis strategy to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. We have developed the possibility to include sustainable marine fuel, along with similar alternative fuels for air and road transport, in our freight service offers. Grundfos has already contributed to cutting more than 2000 tonnes of CO2 from its ocean shipping activity this year. Only demand from customers such as Grundfos can make this development possible, said Eric Martin-Neuville, EVP Freight Forwarding of Geodis.--TradeArabia News Service
NATO allies are struggling to work out how to better safeguard undersea critical infrastructure after the Nord Stream pipelines blasts laid bare the difficulty of monitoring facilities and identifying attackers.

The sheer scale and underwater depth of assets such as pipelines  or data cables that allow the internet to function  heighten the challenge for governments. With most systems owned by private companies, proving which government may have sponsored an attack is even more complex.

Weve had a theoretical concern that it could be vulnerable but until these Nord Stream explosions, we have not seen an incident like this on that infrastructure, said Kristine Berzina, a senior fellow for security and defense policy at the German Marshall Fund in Washington, D.C. Now this sets off lots of worries about what other kind of infrastructure can be targeted.

Russias bellicose rhetoric and steps to throttle Europes energy supplies have sparked concern that Moscow might target crucial underwater infrastructure like the pipelines from Norway that supply more than a fifth of the continents natural gas, or some of the 400 undersea data cables that carry about 98% of international internet data and telephone traffic around the world.

The cause of the damage to the Nord Stream pipelines so far remains unknown. European Union leaders have widely condemned it as sabotage but only Poland has directly blamed Russia. President Vladimir Putin said last week the pipelines had been attacked by Anglo-Saxons.

Danish, Swedish and German officials are still investigating the causes, a process that can take weeks. Researchers have previously warned that Russia has both the military capabilities and knowledge of where undersea cables and infrastructure is located. Russian military ships have also often been sighted near cables or pipelines, for instance, when theyve been laid down.

Allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have rushed to deploy military vessels and planes to monitor the Baltic and North Seas to prevent another such attack. Norway has stepped up patrols of its energy facilities after an abnormally high number of drones were sighted. The Italian Navy is reinforcing protection of strategic trans-Mediterranean pipelines.

Norways security service, however, lacks tools to prevent sabotage against the countrys energy facilities while such risks have increased, public broadcaster NRK cited the agencys Deputy Chief Hedvig Moe as saying. While the service can prevent and investigate terrorist threats using so-called invasive methods, such as wiretapping and data mining, it cant use such means to prevent sabotage, Moe was quoted as saying.

At a meeting of NATO defense ministers in 2020, the military alliance produced a report underscoring the vulnerabilities related to undersea cables and the importance of protecting undersea infrastructure.

It is important to understand that most of these cables are privately owned and its publicly known where they are, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the time. And that makes them potentially vulnerable.

Wojciech Lorenz, an analyst at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, said the Nord Stream pipeline damage displayed the typical hallmarks of hybrid warfare, combining plausible deniability and falling under the threshold of open conflict.

Even if we dont know whos behind the attacks, Russia can use it for its own purposes, Lorenz said, adding Moscow could exert pressure on some countries not to support sanctions as well as divert attention from Russias annexation of Ukrainian territories.

The Nord Stream damage also comes as the Ukrainian military continues to drive Russian forces out of large parts of its country, which Berzina said could be yet another factor that points the blame toward Russia as Moscow may seek to distract from its failures.

NATOs response to last months explosions is likely to be somewhat limited, since Swedish and Danish officials have noted the pipeline damage took place in their economic zones, not directly in their territorial waters.

Alliance members could instead take other action including sanctions or more military aid for Ukraine in the event that Russia is behind the attack, according to a European diplomat.

NATOs reaction might look different if Russia strikes a facility in territorial waters of one of the allies, which would potentially trigger the collective defense provisions in Article 5 of its treaty, according to Berzina.

We should be concerned this could be a test run for a future situation that would meet those criteria, she said.
PARIS  French author Annie Ernaux, who has fearlessly mined her experiences as a working-class woman to explore life in France since the 1940s, won this year's Nobel Prize in literature Thursday for work that illuminates the murky corners of memory, family and society.

Ernaux's books probe deeply personal experiences and feelings  love, sex, abortion, shame  within a society split by gender and class divisions.

The author strongly defended women's rights to abortion and contraception in some of her first comments after winning the prize.

"I will fight to my last breath so that women can choose to be a mother, or not to be. It's a fundamental right," she said at a news conference in Paris. Ernaux's first book, "Cleaned Out," was about her own illegal abortion before it was legalized in France.

Ernaux also spoke about the importance of continuing to fight for women's rights, and her hope for peace because of her childhood during World War II.

The Swedish Academy said Ernaux, 82, was recognized for "the courage and clinical acuity" of books rooted in her small-town background in the Normandy region of northwest France.

Anders Olsson, chairman of the Nobel literature committee, said Ernaux is "an extremely honest writer who is not afraid to confront the hard truths."

"She writes about things that no one else writes about, for instance her abortion, her jealousy, her experiences as an abandoned lover and so forth. I mean, really hard experiences," he told The Associated Press after the award announcement in Stockholm. "And she gives words for these experiences that are very simple and striking. They are short books, but they are really moving."

One of France's most-garlanded authors and a prominent feminist voice, Ernaux said she was happy to have won the prize, which carries a cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (nearly $900,000)  but "not bowled over."

"I am very happy, I am proud. Voila, that's all," Ernaux told journalists outside her home in Cergy, a working-class town west of Paris that she has written about.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: "Annie Ernaux has been writing for 50 years the novel of the collective and intimate memory of our country. Her voice is that of women's freedom, and the century's forgotten ones."

While Macron praised Ernaux for her Nobel, she has been unsparing with him. A supporter of left-wing causes for social justice, she has poured scorn on Macron's background in banking and said his first term as president failed to advance the cause of French women.

Ernaux is the first female French Nobel literature winner and just the 17th woman among the 119 Nobel literature laureates. More than a dozen French writers have captured the literature prize since Sully Prudhomme won the inaugural award in 1901. The most recent French winner before Ernaux was Patrick Modiano in 2014.

Her more than 20 books chronicle events in her life and the lives of those around her. They present uncompromising portraits of sexual encounters, abortion, illness and the deaths of her parents.

Olsson said Ernaux's work was often "written in plain language, scraped clean." He said she had used the term "an ethnologist of herself" rather than a writer of fiction.

Ernaux worked as a teacher before becoming a full-time writer. Her first book was "Les armoires vides" in 1974 (published in English as "Cleaned Out"). Two more autobiographical novels followed  "Ce qu'ils disent ou rien" ("What They Say Goes") and "La femme gelee" ("The Frozen Woman")  before she moved to more overtly autobiographical books.

In the book that made her name, "La place" ("A Man's Place"), published in 1983 and about her relationship with her father, she wrote: "No lyrical reminiscences, no triumphant displays of irony. This neutral writing style comes to me naturally."

"La honte" ("Shame"), published in 1997, explored a childhood trauma, while "L'evenement" ("Happening"), from 2000, dealt like "Cleaned Out" with an illegal abortion.

Her most critically acclaimed book is "Les annees" ("The Years"), published in 2008. Described by Olsson as "the first collective autobiography," it depicted Ernaux herself and wider French society from the end of World War II to the 21st century. Its English translation was a finalist for the International Booker Prize in 2019.

Ernaux's "Memoire de fille" ("A Girl's Story"), from 2016, follows a young woman's coming of age in the 1950s, while "Passion Simple" ("Simple Passion") and "Se perdre" ("Getting Lost") chart Ernaux's intense affair with a Russian diplomat.

Ernaux told the newspaper Liberation that "Simple Passion" had "brought me a lot of enemies" and riled "the bourgeoisie." She said she had faced scorn from France's literary establishment because "I was a woman who didn't come from their background."

The literature prize has long faced criticism that it is too focused on European and North American writers, as well as too male-dominated. Last year's prize winner, Tanzanian-born, U.K.-based writer Abdulrazak Gurnah, was only the sixth Nobel literature laureate born in Africa.

Olsson said the academy was working to diversify its range, drawing on experts in literature from different regions and languages.

"We try to broaden the concept of literature, but it is the quality that counts, ultimately," he said.

A week of Nobel Prize announcements kicked off Monday.
WARREN, Mich.  Paige Cole is one of the Anons. The mother of three from Eastpointe, Michigan, says Joe Biden is a sham president and believes Donald Trump will soon be reinstated to the White House to finish the remainder of Bidens term.

His whole inauguration was fake. He didnt have real military people. He had like fake badges, fake people. And Trump is actually our president, she said while waiting in line for his latest rally on Saturday at Macomb Community College. Wearing a pink Trump 2024 hat and draped in a large, TRUMP WON flag, Cole  a former Democrat who says she voted twice for Barack Obama  began to cry as she described the significance of Trump's return and the 1,000 years of peace she believes will be ushered in with it.

Its gonna change everything, she says, "like we have never in humanity seen before.

Trumps rallies have always attracted a broad swath of supporters, from first-timers taking advantage of their chance to see a president in person, to devotees who camp out for days and follow him around the country like rock band groupies.

But after spending much of the last two years obsessively peddling false claims of a stolen election, Trump is increasingly attracting those who have broken with reality, including adherents of the baseless QAnon conspiracy, which began in the dark corners of the internet and is premised on the belief that the country is run by a ring of child sex traffickers, satanic pedophiles and cannibals that only Trump can defeat.

As he eyes another White House bid, Trump is increasingly flirting with the conspiracy. He's reposted Q memes on his social media platform and amplified users who have have promoted the movements slogans, videos and imagery. And in recent weeks, he has been closing out his rally speeches with an instrumental song that QAnon adherents have claimed as their anthem and renamed WWG1WGA after the group's Where we go one, we go all" slogan.

Trump and his allies often dismiss suggestions that he advances conspiracy theories or condones violence.

But interviews with Michigan rally-goers Saturday underscore his influence and serve as reminder that many cling to his every word and see his actions as validation.

Several of those interviewed said they only began attending Trump's rallies after the 2020 election, when they said they had become more politically engaged.

Several, like Virginia Greenlee, of Holland, Michigan, said they had been in Washington on January 6, 2021, when Trump supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol, trying to halt the peaceful transition of power by disrupting the certification of Bidens win.

President Trump really woke people up because I didnt even know there was a deep state or fake media, fake news, until he started bringing light, said Greenlee, who said she did not go inside the building, but watched from outside. She blamed the violence on leftist protesters masquerading as Trump supporters, though there is no evidence to support that claim.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to elevate those who peddle conspiracies. Mike Lindell, the MyPillow salesman who has spent millions trying (and failing) to prove the election was stolen, spoke twice Saturday  once outside to attendees waiting in line to enter and again during the rally program. Also in attendance was Marjorie Taylor Greene, the far-right Georgia congresswoman who told the crowd that, "Democrats want Republicans dead. And they've already started the killings.

On Saturday, the crowd cheered enthusiastically as Trump touted plans to use the death penalty to kill drug dealers and traffickers if he returns to the White House, emulating the strongman leaders he's often admired. And again, he empathized with the Jan 6 defendants who have been jailed for their role in the insurrection, casting the rioters  whom he has already pledged to pardon if he runs and wins  as political prisoners" and accusing authorities of persecuting people who just happened to be there, many of them didn't even go in.

The crowd in turn, broke into numerous Lock her up! chants directed at Trumps 2016 Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, as well as the states Democratic governor, secretary of state and attorney general, whom his endorsed candidates are trying to unseat.

Trump aides seem to want to have it both ways. As he began to wrap up his speech, some in the crowd raised their index fingers in what has been described as a QAnon salute. But for the second week in a row, burly event staff scanned the crowd, quickly asking those who raised their fingers to put them down.

They said they didnt want hands in the air, one of them explained he'd been told.

Still, the music is encouraging to people like Cole, who said Trump had opened her eyes to everything, to the evil in the world."

Trumps decision to play the song, she said after the rally, shows the American people and all those affiliated and committed in with the WWG1WGA bond and mission, that President Trump too is doing his best to help all involved to eradicate worldwide evil and helping to make the world better for all.

But some in the crowd voiced discomfort.

Christina Whipkey, 50, who lives in Warren, Michigan, said she found Trumps flirtations with QAnon kind of weird" and odd" and worried their presence at his rallies was playing into negative stereotypes.

I didnt like that," she said. Its telling people what they said about us all along, that were all just a bunch of QAnon supporters."

You dont want people to think just because you support him that youre that far into it, that youre one of those people, she went on. "You dont want people to think that about you.
A nurse in the Monroe County Jail faces criminal charges after she allegedly engaged in sexual contact with an inmate.

Teresa Mae Fennigkoh, 53, West Salem, was charged Tuesday in Monroe County Circuit Court with two felony counts of second-degree sexual assault by correctional staff, one felony count of dispensing a prescribed drug without a prescription and one felony count of delivering illegal articles to an inmate.

According to the criminal complaint, Fenningkoh had sexual contact with an inmate on two separate occasions  July 16 and July 23.

During the first encounter, she and an inmate reportedly kissed and engaged in continuous physical contact for 18 minutes.

The second encounter with the same inmate reportedly showed Fennigkoh engaged in some sort of continuous physical contact with the inmate before she retrieved an item from a cabinet.

Police interviewed both the inmate and Fennigkoh. The inmate denied having sex with Fennigkoh, but the complaint says the inmate used text messages to brag about the encounters.

Fennigkoh was interviewed by police Aug. 17. She originally denied any sexual contact occurred and appeared to believe that the incidents werent caught on surveillance video. Police then informed Fennigkoh that her office window picked up a reflection of what occurred in the exam room even though it wasnt in camera view. At that point, Fennigkoh reportedly had a look of shock on her face and began crying.

The complaint says Fennigkoh then admitted that sexual contact occurred and that she gave the inmate Wellbutrin pills. She also reportedly gave the inmate $1,000.

Another nurse at the jail told investigators that a chaperone normally accompanies an inmate to an exam. She said its highly unusual for a nurse to talk with a male inmate in the exam room for more than five minutes.

Fennigkoh was released Oct. 5 from the Monroe County Jail after posting a $5,000 cash bail. She has a preliminary hearing set for Oct. 13.
Mayo Clinic Health System marked 30 years and Heritage Days on Thursday, a time to thank staff and volunteers for their upholding of the hospitals mission and values.

Heritage Day events, which ran this week at Mayo locations in four states, overlapped with Mayos three-decade anniversary, which was commemorated with a dedication and blessing from the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Mayo Clinic Health System, which now includes 16 hospitals and 53 clinics across Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, was established in 1992.

We are grateful for the trust our communities have placed in us and for the incredible service of our hardworking staff. Our model of care was built on the desire to bring personalized, outstanding Mayo Clinic care close to home in the communities we serve, says Prathibha Varkey, president of Mayo Clinic Health System. We began with one small site in Decorah, Iowa, and today, our integrated system serves more than 600,000 patients each year with primary, specialty, surgical, emergency and hospital care.

The FSPA in 1883 founded St. Francis Hospital in La Crosse, and in 1995, Franciscan Health System joined with Skemp Clinic to become a part of Mayo Clinic Health System.

It has been exciting to watch Mayo Clinic Health System transform into the most trusted partner in health care within the communities we serve. We have so much to be proud of within the southwest Minnesota region, says Dr. Paul Mueller, regional vice president of Mayo Southwest Wisconsin.

On Thursday morning, Mueller  along with Mayor Mitch Reynolds, Varkey, Mayo CAO Chris Hasse and Sister Marlene Weisenbeck of the FSPA  took part in an anniversary dedication at the Franciscan Spirituality Center, followed by a blessing from the Franciscan Sisters at St. Rose Convent.

In the afternoon, Mueller and Mayo staff were scheduled to deliver food donations to Place of Grace, with all other Mayo Clinic Health System locations also collecting and distributing items to local food pantries.

Mayo is currently looking forward to the completion of its new $198 million, six-story hospital on the La Crosse campus and recently opened its $8.1 million outpatient imaging center in Onalaska. The Professional Arts Building in La Crosse continues to undergo improvements and renovations.

Says Mueller, Our committed and innovative staff look forward to bringing Mayo Clinic expertise to patients and their families for another 30 years.
Passport Legacy, a Swiss boutique firm with over 25 years of combined experience in the investment migration industry, has opened its sixth office in Singapore.

The inauguration ceremony took place at 20 Collyer Quay, with Jeffrey Henseler, Founder and Managing Partner of Passport Legacy UAE HQ, unveiling the companys newest location.

The Singapore expansion adds to Passport Legacys portfolio of locations in Pakistan, Lagos, Beirut, Abuja, and its Dubai headquarters. The Abuja location is the companys second office in Nigeria, as its Lagos office was first opened in 2020.

Through its Singapore location, Passport Legacy will advise and guide Asia-based clients on how to obtain an alternative residency or citizenship in countries with attractive Residence-by-Investment (RBI) or Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) programs.

Passport Legacys Singapore office aims to enable its Asia-based clients to meet with the companys advisors on a more frequent basis, offering the benefit of sound advice and consistent guidance.

The company will use Singapore to primarily reach out to Southeast Asian countries with growing economies including the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore.

Henseler said: These recent expansions are representative of significant progress for the company and the investment migration industry. We are excited to begin working with new markets to help more people successfully secure RBI and CBI. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that we open borders for everyone who has the means and capabilities to secure a second passport. With Singapore being both a financial hub and international business center in Asia, we will leverage our newest location to provide advice to our clients and network of professional intermediaries that will set them up for sustained success. -TradeArabia News Service
Viterbo University and Regis Catholic Schools in Eau Claire have announced a new educational partnership in the Catholic tradition that will allow Regis High School students to take Viterbo courses and creates a seamless pathway to a Catholic education at the university.

The formal agreement was finalized by Viterbo President Rick Trietley and Regis Catholic Schools President Paul Pedersen at a signing event at the university Oct. 6.

This is an excellent opportunity for the students of Regis Catholic Schools to participate in college-level courses offered by an outstanding Catholic university, Pedersen said. This partnership is very important in fulfilling Regiss commitment to our students future, Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow! Regis is excited and proud to partner with Viterbo University.

Highlights of the agreement:

Regis students will benefit from select Viterbo University college courses as part of their junior or senior class schedule.

Regis students will have an opportunity to attend the summer Franciscan CORE experience at Viterbo University.

The Regis sophomore student retreat will be hosted on Viterbo Universitys campus.

Viterbo University will provide workshops on Financial Aid, FAFSA-filing, and college application processes to Regis students.

Viterbo University will offer select professional development for Regis Catholic School employees.

The mission of the partnership states: Viterbo University and Regis Catholic Schools are partners in providing an excellent and innovative educational experience from pre-kindergarten through graduate education and professional development to young adults, their families, and the greater community in faithful service and ethical leadership through the Catholic tradition.

Our partnership represents both Viterbos and Regis commitment to academic excellence and the Catholic identity, said Trietley. We are pleased to strengthen our relationship and look forward to additional mutually beneficial opportunities in the future.
BANGKOK (AP)  A court in military-ruled Myanmar has sentenced a Japanese journalist to serve seven years in prison after he filmed an anti-government protest in July, a Japanese diplomat and the Southeast Asian nation's government said Thursday.

Toru Kubota was sentenced on Wednesday to seven years for violating the electronic transactions law and three years for incitement, said Tetsuo Kitada, deputy chief of mission of the Japanese Embassy. The sentences are to be served concurrently, meaning that Kubota faces seven years of confinement.

The military's information office said in a statement that a separate trial is continuing on a charge of violating immigration law. A hearing on the immigration charge is scheduled for Oct. 12.

The electronic transactions law covers offenses that involve spreading false or provocative information online and carries a prison term of seven to 15 years. Incitement is a catch-all political law covering activities deemed to cause unrest, and has been used frequently against journalists and dissidents, usually with a three-year prison term.

Kubota was arrested on July 30 by plainclothes police in Yangon, the countrys largest city, after taking photos and videos of a small flash protest against the military's 2021 takeover in which it ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Kubota was the fifth foreign journalist detained in Myanmar after the military seized power. U.S. citizens Nathan Maung and Danny Fenster, who worked for local publications, and freelancers Robert Bociaga of Poland and Yuki Kitazumi of Japan were eventually deported before serving full prison sentences.

Since the military seized power, it has forced at least 12 media outlets to shut down and arrested at least 142 journalists, 57 of whom remain detained. Most of those still detained are being held under the incitement charge for allegedly causing fear, spreading false news, or agitating against a government employee.

Some of the closed media outlets have continued operating without a license, publishing online as their staff members dodge arrest. Others operate from exile.

The army's takeover triggered mass public protests that the military and police responded to with lethal force, triggering armed resistance and escalating violence that have led to what some U.N. experts characterize as a civil war.

According to detailed lists by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a watchdog group based in Thailand, 2,336 civilians have died in the military governments crackdown on opponents and at least 15,757 people have been arrested.

The military said soon after Kubotas arrest that he was detained while taking pictures and videos of 10-15 protesters in Yangons South Dagon township. It said he confessed to police that he had contacted participants in the protest a day earlier to arrange to film it.

A graduate of Tokyos Keio University with a masters degree from the University of the Arts London, Kubota, 26 at the time of his arrest, has done assignments for Yahoo! News Japan, Vice Japan and Al Jazeera English.

His work has focused on ethnic conflicts, immigrants and refugee issues, including the plight of Myanmars persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority. The military is particularly sensitive about the Rohingya issue because international courts are considering whether it committed serious human rights abuses, including genocide, in a brutal 2017 counterinsurgency campaign that caused more than 700,000 members of the Muslim minority to flee to neighboring Bangladesh for safety.

Fellow Japanese Kitazumi, a freelance journalist, was arrested in April 2021 and freed and deported just under a month later, after being indicted but not tried.

The military government said at the time it decided to release Kitazumi in consideration of cordial relations between Myanmar and Japan up to now and in view of future bilateral relations, and upon the request of the Japanese government special envoy on Myanmars national reconciliation.

Japan has historically maintained warm relations with Myanmar, including under previous military governments. It takes a softer line toward Myanmar's current government than do many Western nations, which treat it as a pariah state for its poor human rights record and undermining of democracy, and have imposed economic and political sanctions against its army rulers and their families and cronies.

In Tokyo, Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki said Kubota is in good health, citing his lawyer who saw him on Wednesday.

The Japanese government continues to request the Myanmar authorities an early release of Mr. Kubota, Isozaki said, adding that the Japanese government has been providing as much support as possible for him and his family.

-

Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.
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.
This article appears in the October 7, 2022 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

Who Is Behind the Sabotage of the Nord Stream Pipelines?

[Print version of this article]

This article was written by Mrs. Zepp-LaRouche for the German weekly, Neue Solidaritat, and translated into English for EIR. She is the founder of the international Schiller Institute and the Federal Chair of the BuSo political party in Germany.

Oct. 1The sabotage and possible long-term destruction of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines is an attack on Germanys existential interests, and means millions of German citizens and many firms will suffer insolvencies and unaffordable heating costs for the coming Winter. It also undermines the demands at recent protest actions in many German cities, of demonstrators who called for an end to the sanctions against Russia and the opening of both pipelines, in order to resolve the two most dramatic threats now confronting Germany: the acute danger of a world war stemming from the confrontation with Russia; and the danger of the total economic collapse, due in large part to the explosion of energy prices.

If there was ever a situation in which the government needed to fulfill its oath to protect the German people from harm, this act of terrorism requires intransigent clarification and consequences for those responsible. The implication of the answer to the question of who perpetrated it, is enormous, and is likely identical to the question of war and peace.

Beyond all speculation as to who those responsible might be, the issue is comparable to the circumstances surrounding the attack of Sept. 11, 2001. Just as U.S. air space was completely surveilled by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the Baltic Sea is among the most tightly monitored zones in the world, and, since the time of the Cold War, has been controlled by NATO, and of course by the neighboring countries (Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Germany) with a dense network of sonar and underwater microphones to monitor all movement on sea and in the air.

As in all criminal acts, the questions to be asked are: Who had the means, who had the technical and personnel capabilities to carry out the act, and who was physically present on site in the relevant period of time? The need to fulfill these three criteria limits the list of possible perpetrators to a very short one. And given the tremendous technical requirements for damaging steel pipelines lying on the sea floor at depths of 7088 meters, it is generally agreed that such capacities are only at the disposal of governmentsand of them, only three: Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Unlikeliness of Russian Responsibility

An extraordinarily useful assessment of the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines has been published by Swiss Lt. Col. (ret.) Ralph Bosshard, who took part in the OSCEs Special Monitoring Mission in 2014 in Ukraine as senior planning officer, and was later in the OSCE High-Level Planning Group as operations officer. He describes the considerable technical challenges that must be overcome in such a sabotage act, which quite clearly limit the possible culprits to military special forces. And that increases the chances that conclusive information on the attack will come to light.

The robust construction of the pipelines, which are made of special steel and enveloped with concrete, then buried under rubble and covered with other material, requires complex techniques and the use of high-explosive charges at 80 meters under the sea.

Bosshard points out that if the Russian Navy were the perpetrator, it would not have had to take the trouble of destroying the pipelines off the Danish island of Bornholm in the middle of an area closely monitored by NATO, but could have carried it off more easily in the Gulf of Finland. That is, unless the intention was to demonstrate to NATO the superiority of Russian capabilities in seabed warfare, which is an unlikely explanation that Bosshard also references.

So if the Russians can be more or less ruled out as the culpritafter all, they could have simply turned off the tap if Moscows aim was to foment uncertainty and drive-up gas prices as some media mootwhat other options remain?

On the Nachdenkseiten website, Jens Berger notes that the annual NATO maneuver BALTOPS took place in the Baltic Sea in mid-June, with 47 warships under the command of the U.S. 6th Fleet, including the U.S. task force around the helicopter carrier USS Kearsarge. Part of this maneuver was an operation by Task Force 68, which was operating off the island of Bornholm with unmanned underwater vehicles that can deactivate mines but, of course, theoretically place them as well.

Strangely enough, this very same task force around the USS Kearsarge was recorded by position signals last week only 10 nautical miles away from Bornholm. This does not yet mean, of course, that these ships were involved, but that they may very well have been.

Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia added further observations on this at a UN Security Council meeting convened at short notice on Friday. He noted that the USS Kearsarge had remained in the vicinity of Bornholm since June; that the ships helicopter squad had been patrolling the Bornholm area since early August; and that the flight line of these aircraft surprisingly coincided with the pipeline route. Ambassador Nebenzia:

I emphasize that this is open data on geolocation of sea and air transport, which is collected on the basis of the transponders signal. It means that the United States did not conceal its presence in the area and completed its maneuvers in an exhibitory and ostentatious way.

Is it likely that Russia destroyed the pipelines, in which 20 billion in total had been invested, and from which it could have expected considerable revenue over the long-term? Vladimir Putin had offered as recently as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, two weeks before the sabotage, to open Nord Stream 2, delivering 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year, if Germany agreed to lift sanctions against Russia.

Thank You, USA

In the meantime, a video has gone viral on the Internet showing President Biden at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Scholz at the White House on Feb. 7, 2022, where Biden promised that the United States was in a position to put an end to Nord Stream 2, in the event Russia invaded Ukraine. Responding to a reporter who asked how he intended to do it, since Germany was in control of the project, Biden answered: I promise you: We will be able to do it.

Biden was not the only one to issue such threats: Tucker Carlson showed a video on Fox TV of [Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs] Victoria Nuland announcing the same thing at a State Department press conference back in January, in the event of a Russian invasion: One way or another, Nord Stream 2 wont move forward. After the attack on the pipelines, former Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorskihusband of the bellicose Atlanticist Anne Applebaumrejoiced, referring in a tweet to Bidens Feb. 7 promise. A small thing, but so much joy, Sikorski wrote. And in another tweet: Thank you USA. That tweet has since been deleted.

Obviously, the facts given here are only leads, and not yet proof of the perpetrators identities. But the implications of the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines are enormous. They massively increase the immediate prospect of Europes deindustrialization, and its dependence on U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG). The skyrocketing costs are already causing a massive exodus of companies from Europe, and especially from Germany, to the United States. All this means an assault on the living standards of the population.

The fact that the pipelines have suffered considerable damage, and that repairs, according to the operators, would not be impossible but would take a very long time, has for now taken the wind out of the sails of the German protesters who were demanding the opening of the pipelines and the end of the sanctions against Russia. The pipelines will be inoperable this Winter and beyond, and a possible path to a diplomatic solution with Russia, given the growing threat of war, has been buried.

Cold-Blooded Economic Warfare

However, if it is established that the attack was actually the execution of what Biden had announced Feb. 7 in the presence of Scholz, then Europe will have to immediately free itself from subjugation to the United States and the U.K. and mobilize all its efforts to overcoming the conflict with Russia, and increasingly with China, by diplomatic means.

In any event, U.S. responsibility would not be entirely new. On Feb. 27, 2004, the Washington Post reported that Ronald Reagan had agreed to a CIA plan [in January 1982] to sabotage the Soviet economy by covertly feeding it, among other things, contaminated software that later caused a gigantic explosion of the Siberian gas pipeline in the summer of 1982. This revelation was taken from the memoirs of former Air Force Secretary Thomas C. Reed, who reported that this explosion was just one example of the cold-blooded economic warfare that the CIA waged against the Soviet Union in the final years of the Cold War. It was economic bankruptcy that led to the end of the Cold War, not battles or an exchange of nuclear strikes, Reed said.

We will have to make sure that the German politicians who want to ruin Russia do not willingly put themselves at the service of the perpetrators in covering up the crime. For that, the harshest consequences, as announced by Ursula von der Leyen [President of the European Commission], will have to be implemented, if the Germans do not want to give up altogether. It must be ensured in any case that Russia is included in the investigations. The fact that Scholz has promised support to Denmark and Sweden is definitely too little. Likewise, that Germany intends to strengthen precautions and protection against sabotage for critical infrastructure together with its partners and allies, as government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said, sounds more like a declaration of surrender than an announcement of the governments intention to stand up for the existential interests of the German people, as it swore to do in its oath of office.

It is high time to remind them of that commitment.

zepp-larouche@eir.de
Intelligent Wellhead Systems (IWS), a leading supplier of digital technologies that improve oil and gas well completion operations, has announced that its inVision Digital Valve Control technology received a Special Meritorious Award for Engineering Innovation (MEA) in the Digitalization category from Hart Energy.

According to Hart Energy, inVision Digital Valve Control technology helps mitigate the risk and improve the efficiency of hydraulic fracturing, wireline and pressure control operations. The technology integrates a wide variety of sensors, engineered safety controls and best practices to remotely operate accumulator valves using digitally enhanced standard operating procedures, said a statement.

With this approach to remotely operating accumulator valves, it is possible to open or close access multiple wells to increase efficiency while reducing the risk of human error that can cause catastrophic failures that lead to loss of life, injury and equipment damage, it said..

William Standifird, CEO of IWS, said: I find it very inspiring that our inVision technology has been honoured as one of the industrys game-changing innovations of 2022.

From the beginning, the IWS team set its sights on optimizing completions performance and wellsite safety by developing technologies that help to achieve these goals. To have our efforts recognized by Hart Energy is certainly a fitting way to demonstrate our commitment to improving HSE performance at the frac site, as well as enhancing efficiencies, he added.-TradeArabia News Services
This article appears in the October 7, 2022 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

August 31, 2012

IN ONE WAY, OR ANOTHER

The End of the Oligarchical System

[Print version of this article]

Editors Note: This article first appeared in EIR Vol. 39, No. 37, Sept. 21, 2012, pp 57-69.

In Spring 1983, the Soviet leadership under the direction of an hysterical Yuri V. Andropov, had rejected the proffer of an assured peace agreement from U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Excepting the President of the United States himself, most among the leaders from among the U.S. political class had foolishly complemented Andropovs hysterics with their own ultimately deadly nonsense in the same malicious vein at that time. The U.S.A. has since suffered greatly for its own Congressional leaders and others part in what history has proven as having had been its political follies in this matter. For my own part, I had responded back then, by stating publicly, that if the Soviet Union were to have persisted in Andropovs rejection of this historic opportunity, it must be expected to disintegrate in about five years. My forecast was, and remains as having been an excellent one.

Now, we of the United States are presently confronted with the mass-murderous intention, which U.S. President Barack Obama put into practice in the murdering of Libyas President Qaddafi, and which Obama has attempted to bring about in similar cases including those of Syria and Iran. These cases are the pre-set detonations of a presently lurking general thermonuclear war, with its effects throughout this planet.

That was only the beginning of what was to become a prolonged, specific quality of successive crises. Similarly, at the later, present time, those very silly Americans who have committed themselves to re-electing the wretched President Obama, have adopted a prospect of a rather sudden extinction of the United Statesand also many other nations, whether through participation in nuclear warfare, or simply decadence per se. This is a current development which expresses a process of what is now approaching a state of mass-murderous disintegration, barring probable thermonuclear war, that chiefly for simply economically absurd reasons, in both the U.S.A. and also western and central Europe, in particular.

What is now more immediately certain, on that account, is that, if the two sets of the leading major, opposing powers, remain poised for their mutual, thermonuclear confrontation, as in the present context defined by the wretched Barack Obama Presidency, a general extermination of all nations were a likely event, if not yet an absolutely certain one. Worse, all nations could be destroyed, whether they sought to keep out of the currently probable thermonuclear conflict, or not. Similarly, any leading nation whose government adopts a policy of so-called environmentalism, as Queen Elizabeth II and Barack Obama are doing, is a nation already careening in the direction for each of those governments own share of a general extinction, whether as a form of national, or multi-national government under nuclear warfare, or not. Thus, that Queen represents the principal authorship of current record of the mass-murderous population reduction policies which have generated that horror-show which she has done so much to bring upon us all.

What was, and remains, for me, the essential, but widely unknown laws of economy, are of a certain type of physical laws apparently unknown to that monarchy presently, laws which are ultimately supreme in their most notable consequences, not only for us on Earth, but within the range of our knowledge of what we know as our Solar system: if and when we may have taken into account what must be a particular emphasis on ultimate consequences and their causes. This matter of developments falls within the specific reach of my relatively exceptional successes as a forecaster.

As I have repeatedly demonstrated in successful past experience in forecasting, what have often been defined as experts in statistical, and, or closely related forms of economic and related forecasting, have been seriously misguided, often virtually by definition. The essential failure by such professional mis-leaders, lies in the fact that their methods are fairly described as chronically statistical failures in matters pertaining to forecasts of experiences which exist only in systemically future conditions.

By that choice of language, I have meant that the principle of foresight into future conditions, rather than forecasts based on past statistical experience, is the required type of mental skill which has continued to be stubbornly lacking in most mis-educated persons presently. That roster includes, most notably, those economists and others of the like who prefer the hind-end of history, to future consequences. The needed principle on that account, corresponds systemically to dependency on knowledge of the future, which means: foreknowledge which is intrinsic to the discovery of previously overlooked, or simply unknown principles of physical science. These are principles such as those expressed by the methods of such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Arthur Nikisch, and Wilhelm Furtwangler for music, and by the general physical principle of metaphor (e.g., Johannes Keplers vicarious hypothesis).

Up to a certain point, my own current strategic estimates respecting dangers of general war, converge on those which I have found to be expressed by such as the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Nonetheless, whatever the other differences among us might be, those differences among us are presently secondary in their significance for the immediate future. I believe, on balance, that what the Chiefs have expressed on the subject of thermonuclear adventures this far, does represent an urgently needed, valid war-avoidance strategy for the presently immediate situation. That, we must consider as of great value to mankind as a whole,

In the meantime, the present situation is to be fairly identified in what shall be the following, perhaps also rarely known, but clearly knowable, and also indispensable remarks on the essential difference of the human species from all other known living species. I shall indicate those facts here. I circumscribe my remarks on that latter point here, by the following:

Virtually none show that particularly essential competence needed to survive that present thermonuclear conflict willfully, were it unleashed. Perhaps, in some leading cases, other passions have disturbed their judgments. The essential fact right now, is the danger which they promote, for reason of incompetence, or otherwise, which is now immediately threatened to be unleashed with great force.

The Lessons from the Past?

Step by step, since that February 1763 Peace of Paris when the British maritime empire had first secured its peculiar, virtual domination over this planet, as in that empires subsequently experiencing the death of its great adversaries from the most recent several centuries, the times had already come when our republic was struck by the death of an exhausted war-time commander, President Franklin Roosevelt, and, later, by the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Robert. These were events of crucial significance for the reason that they removed those Kennedys in that fashion, thus creating consequent events which continue to show the horrid folly of much of our nations habits of policy-shaping since that time. Consider what have been since demonstrated to have been those betrayed heroes own, historically crucial roles of leadership shown while they had lived.

Those considerations have remained chiefly a matter of clear fact since that time, as our United States has continued to slip into a seemingly remorseless process of willful economic decadence, a decline from whose grip our republic had never actually escaped, still until the present moment, and probably beyond. Thus, the result of successive assassinations of those two virtually martyred Kennedy brothers, has been that the U.S.A. has been plunged into a degree of both relentless moral exhaustion of its leaders under a related, now prolonged, long wave of systemic economic decline, a decline measured since the moment of the successive deaths of President John F. and Robert Kennedy, deaths from which our republic has never truly recovered, politically and economically, up to the present date.

The following relevant effects have been most notable.

During that interval of what has been termed post-World War II, the definition of empire has undergone cumulatively awesome, ugly changes, a process of change whose current effect has been the emergence, since the death of President Franklin Roosevelt, from massive pre-nuclear warfare, to presently thermonuclear warfare. Hence, the presently immediate threats of actually thermonuclear holocaust, a calamity launched jointly by President Barack Obama, and by the current British monarchys pro-genocidal, so-called environmentalist policies.

Thus the failure both to prevent and to prosecute the true issue of the assassination of President Kennedy, has been proven to have been a crucially historical set-back on precisely that account, even as if retrospectively, still to the present time of grave world crisis: the folly of a clearly intended act, authored at the highest rank, on this account. Consider the following crucial points in fact. The avowed, and contested motives for not prosecuting the assassination of that President, were the same motives as those for the assassination itself.

Take the evidence of the Indo-China war which had been formally launched in 1946, but then continued as the horror-show in Viet Nam, which only the assassination of President Kennedy permitted Kennedys political adversaries to set into motion. That assassination has had long-ranging effects expressed in the form of the continuing, accelerated decline of the U.S. economy over not only the course of the approximately ten years of the Indo-China war, but has charted the whole reach of the combined decline of the U.S. economy and those of most of the Americas and Europe over a period since the times co-incident with the assassinations of President Kennedy and his brother Robert.

Even later, had U.S. President Ronald Reagan been able to succeed in the course of his well-known two attempts at the launching of a Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), the present threat of thermonuclear warfare itself would have been removed, and, almost certainly, a truly great recovery of the economy launched, instead of the presently careening, global disaster which we have experienced as the dominant trend of fluctuating leadership, overall, since that time. Without the assassination of President Kennedy, the monstrously ruinous war which President Kennedy and his associates would have prevented, could not have occurred: simply as a matter of crucial evidence with respect to leading fact.

I emphasize, that, it was Yuri Andropovs summary rejection of a strategic-defense initiative in which I had been engaged during the 1977-1983 interval, which made the disintegration of the Soviet Union a virtual certainty within that decade, exactly as I had forecast earlier. Therefore, the only thing which would have prevented such a collapse of the Soviet Union during that interval of the 1980s, would have been the Soviet acceptance of President Ronald Reagans (and also Dr. Edward Tellers) proposal.

However, although what I have just stated is true in principle still today, the breakup of the Soviet Union was not the specific motive for the breakup of what had been the elements which had comprised the Soviet economy itself. That original mistake was only one admittedly very important step toward the realization of a much broader, global-imperial, British imperial objective, the threat to Britain as much as the rest, the threat of global thermonuclear war now.

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EIRNS/Sylvia Rosas

The European Disaster

In that way, what had been recently the sovereign states of continental Europe, ceased to be sovereign, since the implied threats against Germanys Chancellor Kohl by Frances President Mitterrand, and by the support of Mitterrands threats by Britains Margaret Thatcher and the U.S.A.s George H.W. Bush. So, with what had been the earlier retirement of President Reagan from office, I, who had been a crucial factor in the original prompting of the SDI, was soon already in the process of being virtually eliminated politically. Later, with the aftermath of President Bill Clintons departure from office, the destruction of the United States itself came on like an avalanche, to become just a matter of timeup to this present moment. The selection, and appointment of a malignant puppet, Obama, largely by the British monarchy, was the recently most essential motive expressed with the very worst effects for the world this far.

Now, with the prospect of a re-election of the disgusting and mass-murderously inclined President Barack Obama, the continued existence of our United States, were now almost virtually doomed, a doom brought upon an all-too-credulous citizenry, a doom brought virtually to the brink of the launch of the accumulated forces of thermonuclear holocaust. About an hour-and-a-half could be sufficient to bring on the early death of our human species.

The ugly prospect against which I warned in outline here, is not yet a certainty; but, the rescue of mankind from a threat of thermonuclear doomsday, is only what might seem to be a miracle of President Obamas being soon lifted out of office. That urgently needed early improvement of our nations destiny, is such that, therefore, the United States, among other nations, might not only survive, but will be enabled to free itself from the evil which currently menaces us all, were President Obamas threatened triggering of the extinction of the human species permitted.

Now, let us consider this history more closely.

I. What Is the Human Species Fate?

For the purposes of this present discussion, your human species, may be fairly estimated (if only so estimated) as dating from about a few millions years ago. All of us in modern times should have understood the defining of that essential difference which actually proves that mankind differs essentially and systemically from the higher apes, or from any species but our own.

Therein lies, exactly, the key to identifying the root-source of the presently lingering threat of virtual, or actual human extinctionand, in the alternative, the proper prevention and, therefore, cure of that effect.

The hope for our human species, should be stated most precisely, as a reflection of the human species specific distinction, as I have just written here, that from all other species known to us, from the present or past. That distinction resides in the uniqueness of the specifically human quality of the use of fire in its various, successively upward-reaching, qualitative leaps in manifestations, including instances such as thermonuclear-fusion and matter-antimatter processes. Or, the same notion might be stated in other terms, such as a formulation of the willful scientific progress which lifts mankind toward ever higher qualities of power (i.e., energy-flux density measuredprovisionallyin units associated with the speed of light).

All this said up to this point, these are only phases whose true, deeper meanings can be made apparent, but only by the special model of human learning of the meanings of our species existence which are to be discovered, as lifes history has been teaching us, as if step by step, as I proceed here, as follows.

The distinctions I make here, had also been expressed, in significant part, in references to the collaboration between Wolfgang Kohler and Max Planck on the meaning of the human mind. These distinctions, must be made to include the specific characteristics of the implicitly immortal human mind, as distinct from those of the merely mortal brain in and of itself. The brain dies; the human mind seeks immortality, and, thus finds its own meaning, as in its existence, in the endless series of discoveries which we may review in their present parts, as if as follows.

First of all:

The distinction of human mind from human brain, is the same distinction which is also expressed in a strictly Classical mode typified, as I have indicated before: by the composers of the greatest music, such as the special case of this, by, once more, Johann Sebastian Bach, Arthur Nikisch, and Wilhelm Furtwangler. That set of, unfortunately, rarely understood distinctions, may be illustrated by contrasting the intrinsically incompetent, statistical methods of forecasting economic developments, to those forecasting methods which have provided the crucial, urgently needed distinction from mere statistical forecasting, a distinction of access to the future, a subject which is a principal aspect of this present report as a whole, as also in competent economic forecasting.

The naturally denoted, but, so far, rarely understood principle which actually distinguishes man from ape, as from beasts generally, is the uniqueness of the human capability of physically efficient insight into the continued generation of mankinds future, a capacity which is also the key to the uniqueness of my own relative success as an economist and forecaster, since the mid-to-late 1950s. The two latter qualities are inseparable.

Specifically human knowledge, as distinct from the relatively brutish arts of pragmatism, is based on intrinsically efficient knowledge of a process of the generation as if of the future-making-itself-in-progress, rather than mere deductions from the presumed experience of what had been the already past heretofore.

E.g., the unfortunates called the environmentalists so-called, may tend to function as killers of mankind, not necessarily from the desire to kill, even as if randomly, but as a consequence of their blindness to the vacancies in the eye-sight of their own effective intentions for the future.

Especially now, in the wake of the great success of Curiosity, human beings, if and when operating successfully as a human species, must tend toward the discoveries made, directly, or indirectly, on planets on which we have not yet dwelt, or, in the alternative, even the experience of effects originating on a galactic scale, all in our prospect for exerting control over solar-system or even other processes, all of which we could not be able to endure, or endure only under great difficulty, or under exceptional conditions, as this has been implicitly expressed just recently, by the successful landing of Curiosity on Mars. Those alternatives are typified as the virtually spiritual potentials which impel the alert human mind to gain control over environments which the human body could not otherwise endure.

 Curiosity? Again? Precisely.

It is essential to now restate that point with the following series of shifts in emphasis.

On the Subject of That Mars Landing

We might be joined in calling attention to the fact that man has visited the Moon, and can, by means of science, be waiting to be unleashed to resume that missions implicitly intended content and justification: that for excellent and urgent reasons. We might, similarly, if we were young enough and properly trained, probably tolerate a bit of some future experience of Mars in person, especially if we enjoyed the advantage of appropriate uses of thermonuclear fusion as the mode of propulsion. There would be powerful compulsions for such ventures, as I shall indicate here, later. However, despite that pleasing thought, the more crucial point to stress on this account now, is that we, sitting here on Earth, can control processes on Mars with mans efforts in an increasing degree of emphasis on the efficiency which is defined by the speed of light, rather than what is merely human sense-certainty. It is also crucial, for both the already present, and future times, that we must rely increasingly on the speed of light as a means for human control over Mars activities exerted from Earth, or the like, as a matter which essentially transcends human merely biological sense-perception as such.

I am not opposed to the hope of some, that mankind might soon put foot on Mars; but, I know that it would be a mistake to argue that that event itself is the proper choice of absolute standard for the most essential first step of achievement of our goal. The case of Curiosity already touches directly on the actual achievement. The crucial question is: What will be that which is useful to mankinds mission wherever we touch on the work of our mission: what are we going to do if and when we arrive there? How, and why shall we arrive at that goal? For example: what will be the essential role of this measure in advancing mankinds ability to defend life on Earth from projectiles swarming within Solar space, or beyond? How can we best accomplish that mission in the most immediately effective way?

So, in approaching that just-stated fact, we must take a side-trip of sorts, to explore the fallacies inhering in statistical methods of treatment of the subject of human sense-perceptions, specifically the psychopathological aspects of the notions of sense certainty, as contrasted to the intimations of that wonderful principle of metaphor as presented to us by Nicholas of Cusa, by Cusas marvelous follower Johannes Kepler, and as intimated by the apparent subtleties of the secrets of musical performance by Bach, Nikisch, and Furtwangler. It is the uniqueness of the rarely known, but true powers of the human mind which supplies the crucial test. What is a useful, even urgent consequence which can be the outcome of our control over this process?

The root of our self-inflicted problem, which we must now overcome, so defined, lies in the fallacy expressed by the naivety of the wishful tendency to believe in reliance on sense certainty. That quality of error is lodged within the presumption that sense-perception defines mankinds experience of a domain of inherently adducible, alleged sense-certainties. Contrary to that popular, but inherently misguided presumption, what is conventionally identified as sense-certainty were better identified as Bernhard Riemann did in the concluding section of his habilitation dissertation, or, in other words, the principled notion of metaphor (e.g., vicarious hypothesis). It is the practical mans misguided susceptibility to belief in sense certainty, which expresses the problem of the widely popular, but pseudo-scientific methods which I am referencing as the essential topic for reference here. (Some times people confuse their mere habits with the experience of sense-certainties, and even do so in the abused name of scientific principles.)

Die Hauptsache Ist der Effekt!

What, actually, is the most significant of the presently foreseeable effects of the successful landing of the space vehicle Curiosity on Mars? The relevant, rhetorical questions are: Did any person actually land then and there? What is the relationship, then, which controlled the choices of the continuing actions of the landed spacecraft? How was the control of the landed craft managed? Was it by merely sense-perception? What, therefore, was actually accomplished, and how, as a matter of principle of the continuing mission, was the factor of accomplishment effected?

For the proper, full answer to that set of questions, ask: What will be the specific, and most important accomplishment made possible through what comes after the planting of Curiosity on Mars? What is that controlling principle of the successful landing of Curiosity which now operates on Mars? Human sense-perception, perhaps? Or, perhaps not that? What is the presently efficient, continually closing link between us, here on Earth, and the small mass of apparatus which has been transported with Curiosity?  Human sense-perception? Do not be ridiculous. It will be the actual efficiency of those broadcast messages conveyed at the speed of light. Why is this so? Some patience will suffice to present the answer.

What, then, is the immediate and urgent mission? Is it not the urgent need for defending human life on Earth from deadly rocks plummeting through space toward probable destruction of life in part of Earth, or all of it? When that sense of mission, once that of Dr. Edward Teller, is presented to us, the efficiency of space-operations on Mars becomes urgently clear. Then, the urgency of removing President Barack Obama from office, is also urgently clear.

The paradox which I had set forth in this fashion, is not exactly novel as a matter of general principle. The paradox was always there; but, until recently, there was no particular practical reason to emphasize what have now become the crucial distinctions. Those implications should be virtually self-evident, as the popular saying goes; the difference is, that there had been no efficiently compelling reason, heretofore, that this argument be stressed in the manner which I do here. Nor had it been essential to put the heavy emphasis which I apply with such heavy-footedness as I do in this particular bit of irony, as we must now do in the case of earlier Mars landings.

The issue which I am about to pose, is now of crucial importance for several, intermeshed, particular reasons, as follows.

That which has happened to change things significantly with the Curiosity landing, is, that the implications of Curiosity are beginning to reach into some crucial changes in the way in which we think about relations between man on Earth and mankind operating continuously at a distance, by means measured in the speed of light, from origins such as that of Earth, to Mars, and return. For the relevant questions and answers, as I have written above, look back to certain leading concerns of the late Dr. Edward Teller: the threat to all human life on Earth from asteroids and kindred objects ranging from sources within the interval between somewhere beyond the distance further than from Mars, to the vicinity of Venus.

This is presently that which must now become a leading concern for all who inhabit the planet Earth. Die Hauptsache ist der Effekt!

Immediately, the related implications of Curiositys arrival on Mars strike home, implicitly, toward every part of Earth. The immediate issue leans to the elementary side. Since mankind has a very, very poor access to means to forecast that by which some part, or the whole of our planets living inhabitants might be obliterated, this means that it is of the relatively greatest importance that we now build up an adequate form of defense of Earth based on the evidence that a comparison of the massive accumulation of threats (especially unknown ones) with the requirements of a defense of Earth, indicates that our access to organize the defense of mankind on Earth, requires mankinds gaining mastery over the prevention of the panoply of mortal threats to the human species from nearby Solar space, some of which achievements are already an indispensable defense for people presently confined to life on Earth.

The subject of such threats is not the full measure of what we, as mankind on Earth, must do in nearby (which is to say nearby Solar) space, emphatically the domain between target-areas Mars and Earth, but also from more distant Solar space into the vicinity of Venus. If and when we adopt such a mission-orientation, the concept is a feasible task, but, more significantly, an urgently necessary one.

This challenge has certain known dimensions in nearby space itself, not yet taking into account the more difficult challenge from comets. This implied package of Defense of Earth, is a feasible concept, even if our abilities this far are very much delimited; which means that we must, so to speak, start immediately to crank up the development of the needed future scientific means of defense now. My associates and their like among relevant scientists in other nations, have already gained some highly relevant counsel respecting the needed development of means of defense. My own task here, in this report, is of a somewhat different nature, but, nonetheless, highly relevant to that mission. I leave the remainder, excepting that mission adopted by me on this account for the subject of that special mission presented as follows.

II. Mind or Brain? The Principle of Metaphor

On the surface of a reading of sense-perceptions as such, only scientifically illiterate traditions accept sense-perception as such, as reality (e.g., as sense certainty). The contrary, competent, scientific method, is premised on the explicitly contrary principle, named metaphor. Metaphor, when competently understood, is typified by the general notion of Nicholas of Cusas De Docta Ignorantia, and of Cusas followers, such as Johannes Kepler, as in Keplers warning of the need for attention to a notion of what he termed as vicarious hypothesis. I mean the competent representation of the concept of metaphor per se, when that conception is honestly and accurately defined as corresponding to a uniquely true physical principle.

That systemic distinction which I now introduce into this report, is to be recognized as showing the fallacy which is inherent in the error of treating sense-perception as if it were to be taken as reality, rather than as, relatively, merely a shadow cast by reality, a mere sense-perception of reality. A competent scientific practice, like that of Classical artistic composition, is premised, fundamentally, on the ontological conception of an inherent falseness in the practice of belief in mere sense-certainty as such.

True science is therefore expressed in what is to be regarded as what is strictly defined as an instrument of Classical composition which is otherwise known as metaphor: the virtual footprint of that which can not be directly sensed. All founders of a true modern science recognized this, such as Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa writing in his De Docta Ignorantia, and as echoed in Cusas avowed and faithful student, Johannes Kepler. It has been Kepler, who defined this as the only reliable method of practice for a true modern science. That is the method which is in strict opposition to the fraud inherent in those crudely reductionist methods commonly traced to such wretched hoaxsters as the scheming scoundrels who concocted the hoax called the followers of Isaac Newton, or to the a-priorist dogma of Euclid earlier.

This same problem of modernist forms of neo-Newtonian swindles, especially since the influence of the explicitly evil Bertrand Russell on, most emphatically, the post-World War I and post-World War II teaching of physical and political science, has thus often supplanted the domain which had been originally that of Classical-artistic subject-matters. This change has been based, with increasing force of malignant traditions, upon changes in traditions, changes which may be defined as common use of what has been, actually, a crudely illiterate use of language, that notably as a matter of invasion of such influences into both the provinces of Classical art and physical science.

Matters of Ontology

The root of that mere superstition called sense-certainty, was also turned up as the crucial subject of William Shakespeares Hamlet:

. . . thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied oer with the pale cast of thought;

And enterprises of great pith and moment,

With this regard, their current turn awry,

And lose the name of action. . .

Brutishness, otherwise expressed as being mistaken for the sole principle of action, is the name of the problem. Take the case of the experience of the discovery of a valid physical principle, as distinguished from the brutishnesses which distinguish the fields of gambling and bodily-contact sports. Use ones recollection of such an experience as a measure of the quality of passion which separates bestiality from creativity, as with the distinction of love of mankind from the brutish passions frequently adopted for the lack of love, or which are not infrequently mistaken for it.

So, it is, in the history of what had been, in principle, literate forms of modern language up to the late 1800s, and somewhat beyond, which were what had been all truly leading forms of both physical science and Classical forms of literature and music, forms which had been consistent, as a tendency, with a leading influence expressed as a post-Fourteenth-century Classical science and art, which is to be known, then as now, as the Classical tradition typified in essentials by the work of such as Brunelleschi, Nicholas of Cusa, Leonardo da Vinci, and Johannes Kepler. That is to argue that the tendency of leading literate or comparable practice has been to rise toward such standards.

The greatest of passions is that of both true scientific and of poetic discovery of principle, and the essential bonds of both to creativity per se. Not only does scientific or comparably composed discovery engage such specifically distinct qualities of passionEureka! It is the underlying quality of true human passion, a quality of experience which earns the name of metaphor.

Consider some appropriate illustrations of this point.

With the British orchestration of the so-called French Revolution, elements of some continuing progress have frequently been reversed, as in the form of what has been defined as worsening trends into Nineteenth-century Romanticism. With the launching of two successive phases of world war, which were set into motion by the British success in ousting the German Chancellor Bismarck, the cultural trends were predominantly degenerate. Since the assassinations of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Robert, the long-term economic trend throughout the trans-Atlantic region has been increasingly downward, currently at accelerating rates.

The crucial mistake inhering in what is merely popular opinion, is the childish, but nonetheless prevalent mistake known as belief in sense-perception as such. That belief in sense-perception as such, is the mother of all essential mistakes.

That does not mean, that sense-perception does not exist in its own rather effective manner as a mere practice. It does mean that, simply said, We make too much of sense-perception as such. Put it, properly, into the class of until we have access to something better, rely on what you have actually gained: find some way of making the best of what is possible with such crutches of the mind as thatuntil we gain a better means. Sense-perception is not your proper God, although many poor fools worship it as a virtual religion.

For example: we have discovered a much better one: the speed of light. Much in the lifes work of Max Planck moved us forward in that direction of such accomplishments. Johann Sebastian Bach had introduced a comparable discovery of the difference between music and popular noises.

Or, to recapitulate the point which I am now working to bring into your focus: we must seek out things which coincide with the notion of the speed of light, and, thus, converge attentions on a single principle which tends to consume all known varieties of the human beings power to comprehend the human power of conception. To accomplish that mission, we must proceed from a standpoint of exploring the experience of the universe as a sense of mission-orientation. Step-by-step, and piece-by-piece, we must avoid the deception which mere sense-perception-as-such represents. The process of the discovery of truth, proceeds from its birth in the guise of metaphor, as Johannes Keplers discovery of the principle of gravitation shows. That means the same metaphor which Johannes Kepler identified under the category of vicarious hypothesis.

Mankind has no simply direct access to knowledge of the universe, as if by a mechanical notion of an additive approach to the rendering of the facts of actual, or fabricated notions of sense-perception. It is through the uncovering of the proof of the deceits, deceit by deceit, of blind faith in sense-perception as such, that a quality attributable to truth becomes accessible: which, by destroying naive faith in mere sense-perception, eliminates customary delusions of the ignorant: all done as if in tracking down lies to the lairs where they have lurked. Mankinds original quality of dependency on sense-perception as Sense-Certainty, as distinct from sense-impression, is, thus, the true author of all lies. It is by the recognition of those lies as being deceptions, by consuming them as if they were cooked meat, that we conquer and consume the sources of ignorance, sources of ignorance which exist chiefly as forms of the ignorance encountered as popular beliefs.

The greatest, the most pro-Satanic of all beliefs, is popular opinion. That is the essential root of evil.

For Example:

The trend toward moral degeneration in the used languages of arts and sciences of the post-Gottfried Leibniz Eighteenth-century trends continued as a trend in the practice of literacy into the post-1890 plunge into what was actually the 1891-1945 ebbs and flows of what was, in fact, World War I and II. The 1950 launch of the obscene Congress for Cultural Freedom, is a prominent land-mark of the change toward accelerating rates of moral and intellectual degeneration in European civilization, from the age of Harry S Truman, to what might be fairly described as the post-Bill Clinton U.S. Presidencies.

The long span of degeneracy of popular trends in trans-Atlantic culture has a very specific quality of changing, specifically anti-Classical cultural trends. The minds of the new generations of the post-World War II period to date, have been ruined by this process over the span of approximately three successive generations. The distinguishing mark of this moral and intellectual degeneration among recent generations, is the trend toward a departure from the intellectual powers of Classical insight into the cultural principle of irony.

The hallmark of the cultural degeneration of nations is forms of a-priori worship of sense certainty. The worst, recent phase of deterioration arrived with the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert, and the emergence of the naked truth known as the Sixty-Eighters. Simply described, the combination of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the launching of the U.S. war in Indo-China which a still-living President Kennedy had resisted, is to be associated with the intertwining of the fraud of The Oswald Myth and the launching of the fraud of the war itself. The process of moral degeneration known as The Sixty-Eighters was already in motion before the eruptions on the Columbia University and other campuses.

The actual root of that process of the 1960s, is located in the sequel of developments represented by the Truman Era and the shock and awe generated by the thermonuclear horror-shows of the 1950s. During the course of the 1960s, and slightly beyond, the greenie plague was spread. Science and the productivity associated with science, did not dwindle away; they were dwindled away by the cult of the greenies. Underneath the surface of matters now, there is the nightmare of Her Majestys direction toward a plunge into a planetary new dark age, a lurking New Thermonuclear Dark Age.

The significance of the types of subject-matters which I have just summarized in this chapter this far, is to be located in the tendency for bestialization of once literate populations, a tendency defined by the loss of efficient connection to a true expression of the principle of metaphor. That problem is properly defined in the following terms.

The True Irony of Metaphor

The customarily ignorant view of the name of Metaphor, presumes that sense-perception is the essential component of experience, to which metaphor supplies a slight coloration. The fact of the matter is directly the contrary. It is the human senses which, while contributing a needed function, nonetheless fail to address the underlying realities. The relevant argument is conveniently presented in the following terms.

Human sense-perception is a set of shadowy images, which have their essential relevance of aiding the human species by presenting some arrays of standard colors which are the immediate subjects of sense-perception. In effect, it is the sense-perceptions as such, which are the relatively mere shadows. It is what the Classical dramatist creates, as in a tragedy, as in the instance of what I have referenced above as the most famous of the Hamlet dialogues of Shakespeare, which typifies the expression of the principle of the human knowledge of the experience of a social process. This is made clearer when the action in a tragedy is located as action in the mind per se, as in that selection from Hamlet, so that the narrative approaches the quality of a specifically human quality of a truthfully human experience.

On this account, focus on the nature of the action presented to the mind in the closing scene, of Hamlet alone, at the close of Act II, and then compare the nature of the action there with the soliloquy in the opening of Act III. Where is the action to be described, except as the action within the mind of the player? Such are ontological implications of the action in the mind.

This same principle is to be recognized in the mental life of a traveller between planets in a space-craft. The action lies within the mind, where it properly belongs, on the condition that the motion experienced in space is an expression of those means of the human will by means of which the truly most significant action is induced as if by the mind of a player speaking in soliloquies. Such is the truly essential nature of the experience of the human mind acting, ironically, within and upon the relevant environment. This is the essential experience of that aspect of metaphor, in dealing with such as its green envy and dark rage, which actually moves the subject-matter of the human experience.

Compare that with the notion of senseless rage, as in memorable slaughters occurring within high schools or universities, or on the streets among children today.

It is from this kind of setting of actors in a real-life situation, that the categories of the meaning of events or conditions are expressed. It is not the action in the literal sense, but the state of action, which is the paramount experience.

Or, take the subject of fire. This has been a relatively stubborn case in point. The peculiar fact of extraordinary significance about fire is its qualitatively distinct relationship to mankinds existence, as distinct from that of other forms of life. The human use of fire, is the exemplary experience. Mankinds active will in the design of the human use of fire, is the metaphor of the existence of mans use of fire, as such as Max Planck and Albert Einstein defined this as a matter of principle, or as Planck and Wolfgang Kohler came to define a mutual notion of the human mind. It is in such distinctions as this, that the essentially underlying action is to be recognized. It is the notional action of this quality which defines the actual notion of a true metaphor. It is the metaphor which generates the action which is the true reality.

This coincidence of the discoveries of Planck and Kohler, has two, mutually reflected aspects of special relevance to our subject here. That is to say that Kohlers specific definition of mind and the Planck-Einstein revolution in the ontological principle of physical discovery, is an excellent example, especially when we have recognized the distinction of the principle of Classical musical composition, as typified by Bach through Furtwangler, from the lusts of a Liszt or Wagner. Both of the latter pair are known experiences, to one and other, whereas the power to generate the essential quality of a Bach or Beethoven, is limited to what are the equivalent of the effects of the work of truly Classical composers. The quality of the Classical composition is systemically coherent with the essential principle of scientific creativity.

I must admit that there are, not infrequently, cases where the individual may express both qualities of passion. Thus, a Shakespeare could have crafted the audiences deep insight into the composition of the referenced soliloquy of Hamlet, or I could never be at peace with my experience of the late, romantic, Sir Lawrence Olivier.

A Conclusion for Here

The implications of our obligatory consideration of both the intertwined experience of the Mars landing known as Curiosity, and the need for overcoming the threats to Earth from roaming satellites, must be considered as included in the distinction of the potential of the human mind from the beasts, even beasts for whom we care as our necessary friends. Some among us project an insight into a human-like quality of pets, for example. That is, in some respects, more than merely an acceptable practice. Yet, mankind remains unique in respect to the existence of this noetic potential.

We have been made aware, at least categorically, of the growing danger associated with recent movements of the Solar system within our galaxy. This highly emotional experience should not be degraded into blind fears disguised, pitiably, as wishful denials. Here, true humanity comes more forcibly into focus. To wit:

The known history-so-to-speak of mankinds evolution as a uniquely creative species, is traced most conveniently in the history of firefire as defined generically. The history of fire is clear, especially respecting the fact that mankinds practice as a species has entered the domains of those higher orders of energy-flux-density associated with thermonuclear fusion and matter-antimatter reactions. The higher phase of progress in exploration of Mars, which is typified by the case of the landing of Curiosity on Mars, when compared to the threats to human existence from within the nearby range of threatening asteroids, and comparable matters, has two most notable meanings for this present occasion: we are urged, thus, to master the domain of asteroids within the ranges of the Mars and Venus orbits, and, to this specific end, to put the hand of human scientific creativity into action on this account.

As I have emphasized on recent, earlier occasions, whatever we might wish to discuss respecting the human role in the oncoming history of Mars and the relevant masses of asteroids roaming nearby, the landing of Curiosity has produced a profound change in the role of the human species within this Solar systemand, implicitly, beyond. I think it necessary, at this point in time, to emphasize mans indirect presence on Mars, in particular, as distinct from the other implications of this development for mankinds personal presence as it were as a sometime resident of Mars.

The issue which had been well posed by the late Dr. Edward Teller, of defense of Earth from menacing satellites, should be clearly recognized as the leading issue of humanity during the generations immediately ahead. The primary commitment, on this account, must be to the Earth-based control of dangerous classes of satellites and related other threats, by introducing the efficient hand of mankind within the range of relevant physical space, most immediately, that of satellites whose action is located within the indicated range of physical space-time.

As I have referenced this subject in some earlier writings, the most essential weapon which we might possess in respect to these matters, is the placing of the human individual mind, in effect, into a Mars-based set of operations. The extended programs which this step called Curiosity expresses as the future of such matters, mean that man will be acting as if from visits to laboratories and factories as typifying the work-places from which agents from Earth will direct the defense of mankind in space. The concern expressed by Dr. Teller, on this account, would, therefore, be the new quality of higher missions which must define the heretofore elementary notion of the role of mankind in space.

The implications of such a view should, and if employed, will, redefine the human species profession. The Solar system is the prospective immediate domain, for mankind, now to be placed in view. It is, therefore, time, for you to begin to find your future place in this great leap of advancement of mankind within the outskirts of this galaxy. When something is present, which could be efficiently thought for practice, we, mankind, are already implicitly there.
This article appears in the October 7, 2022 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

Sabotage of the Nord Stream Pipelines: For Once, the Question Cui Bono? Is Not Sufficient

[Print version of this article]

To counter loose speculation on the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, Lt. Col. (ret.) Ralph Bosshard of the Swiss Army has written for EIR an authoritative analysis of the requirements for such a sabotage. An expert on countering cyber war, Colonel Bosshard during 2014-2017 served in the peacekeeping mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Ukraine. In 2014, as Senior Planning Officer in the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, he was in Kiev, Mariupol, and Dnipropetrovsk. Until 2017 he served as Special Military Adviser to the Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the OSCE, and to the Swiss Ambassador to Kiev. From 2017 to 2020, Colonel Bosshard was Operations Officer in the OSCE High-Level Planning Group, planning for a military peacekeeping operation in the South Caucasus. Subheads are the authors.

Sept. 28Speculation is currently rife as to who was responsible for the sabotage attack on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines off the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. While some Western commentators are already asking the question of cui bono? (who benefits?) and are feverishly looking for hints of a false flag operation by the Russians,others are reminding us of those who, months ago, desperately sought to prevent the Nord Stream 2 from being commissioned. So far, only the time and place of the events, that were unanimously identified as acts of sabotage, are really clear. This lets some press representatives imagine such an act of sabotage to be a little easier than it should be in fact.

On Sept. 26, Nord Stream AG announced on its website in Zug, Switzerland, that a pressure drop had occurred in both legs of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines the night before.

A second pressure drop occurred on the evening of Sept. 26. According to Nord Stream AG, these events can only be explained by the physical destruction of the lines. Based on the recordings by measuring devices for detecting earthquakes around the Baltic Sea, Danish and Swedish seismologists were able to clarify without a doubt that the seismic waves came from explosions and not from earthquakes, and they were able to give the exact times. Meanwhile, photos from the Danish Air Force have confirmed large amounts of gas rising to the sea surface at these locations (Figure 1).

Reliability of the Information

The identified fields of gas bubbles in the Baltic Sea certainly correspond exactly to the location of the explosions on the seabed, because the drift of the rising gas cannot be large at this shallow water depth. In comparison, the seismologists information about the epicenter of the detected explosions is somewhat imprecise, which is probably due to the precision limits of the measuring devices used.

The sites of the explosions are just outside Danish territorial waters: Apparently, Denmark was to be prevented from interpreting the acts of sabotage as a direct threat. For the same reason, care was probably taken to ensure that the acts of sabotage took place outside of a training area of the Danish Navy. The leak in Nord Stream 2 southeast of Bornholm is almost 30 km from the island, and the one in Nord Stream 1 over 50 km away. Despite the currently mild Autumn weather in the region and the water temperatures of around 15 degrees [Centigrade], access to the two natural gas pipelines is a challenge, because Autumn storms are not uncommon in the Baltic Sea from September onward.

Professionals at Work

The pipelines are at a depth of 70 and 88 meters at these locations. Diving at this depth requires the use of different mixtures of oxygen with other gases such as nitrogen and helium, the use of special diving equipment if necessary, compliance with decompression stops, and the rapid availability of decompression chambers in the event of an accident.

All this excludes sabotage by recreational divers, because diving under these conditions requires special training and equipment. Professionals were probably at work here. For such professionals, however, diving depths of 70-90 m do not represent a problem, so there is a good chance that meaningful information on the type of demolition can be obtained in the coming weeks. Whoever destroyed the natural gas pipelines can expect incriminating evidence literally to come to light.

Specially modified submarines are able to release and retrieve divers through their torpedo tubes or through special hatches without them having to make time-consuming decompression stops when surfacing. For this purpose, such submarines are equipped with a decompression chamber in which divers make up for the decompression stops, so to speak, until they can move around in the submarine again at normal pressure. Here you can also relax between dives. However, decompression chambers could also be installed on smaller ships disguised as sea rescue ships.

Nord Stream 2 was built according to the specifications of Det Norske Veritas (DNV): the pipes of the Nord Stream 2 are made of special steel L485/X70 with portions of copper, chromium, molybdenum, manganese and other metals; have an inner diameter of 1,153 mm; and are 26.8 to 41 mm thick.

They are designed reliably to withstand an internal pressure of 170-220 PSIG [pounds per square inch, gauge, or relative to atmospheric pressureed.] at a depth of up to 220 m for years to come. In addition to their already strong construction, DNV requirements require the steel pipes to be concrete-coated and buried in the seabed, covered with sand or rubble, or covered with a so-called mattress of some other material.

Large Amount of Materials

In order to completely blow up the Nord Streams steel pipe alone, a quantity of at least 20 kg of explosives is required, which must fit snugly against the pipe so that its effect does not fizzle out. In addition, there are the explosives that are necessary to destroy the concrete casing: in terms of quantity, this could be even more than that for the steel pipe itself. However, this means that the perpetrators had to first uncover the pipeline and clear the pipeline cover to the side, to ensure that slipping material cannot slip into the leak created [by the explosion ed.] and close it.

If the perpetrators did not bother to remove the covering in front of the pipeline before detonating, then they would have to use a correspondingly larger explosive charge. That could soon amount to several hundred kilograms of explosives. These figures refer to very high explosives from the military sector. Civilian explosives often deliberately achieve lower explosion speeds and then require a correspondingly larger quantity.

The pressure of the escaping gas may have contributed to the seismic fingerprint that the Danish and Swedish scientists found. If the perpetrators had wanted to cause a secondary explosion of the natural gas still in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, they would have had to inject even larger amounts of oxygen. At a depth of 80 m, this is a complex project, because a pressure of 8-9 PSIG has to be overcome.

An explosion of 28 tons of conventional explosives in the Negev Desert in Israel in 2004 caused an earthquake measuring 2.9 on the Richter scale. When the Russian submarine Kursk sank, scientists recorded a first explosion of 70-100 kg of TNT 4,500 km away, followed by a second of 3-7 tons. One should think of such magnitudes when talking about blowing up the two pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

The robust construction and difficult accessibility of natural gas pipelines in general, even on land, mean that operators and authorities in the countries concerned usually do without a complete monitoring of such pipelines. It would be much easier for a saboteur to hit one of the above-ground gas supply facilities.

Whoever blew up the two gas pipelines had to put in a lot of technical effort and spend a lot of time on the object. The extensive work cannot be done with a few frogmen, and the delivery of explosives, oxygen bottles and tools required efficient means of transport. This cannot be done with inflatable boats.

The high expenditure of materials and time, in connection with the difficulty of access to the natural gas pipelines, suggests that the perpetrators had been working at the crime scene for a long time and were present with ships or boats during this time. Its a wonder they didnt arouse suspicion, so close to Danish territorial waters and a Danish Navy training area. Military personnel usually react with suspicion to the presence of strangers near their training areas.

At the same time, the water depth of 70 and 88 m is a strong argument against the use of submarines to prepare the detonation, because large submarines in particular prefer to operate in deeper waters, especially when we are dealing with presumably well-monitored waters such as the Baltic Sea. However, the deepest waters of the Baltic Sea are found in the Gotland Basin, as well as north and west of the island of Aland, several hundred kilometers from Bornholm. In the search for the perpetrators, it will probably be necessary to look for smaller ships rather than submarines.

War on the Seabed

In recent years, the seabed has increasingly become a battlefield of the great powers. It is known that the U.S.A., China, Russia and France are running seabed warfare programs in order to protect their own underwater infrastructure and to attack that of the enemy. Small submarines and unmanned underwater vehicles (drones) play an important role here. These are usually brought to their place of use by large submarines. The U.S.A. and Russia converted existing submarines into such mother boats and also deployed some completely new crafts for this purpose. But also surface units such as reconnaissance shipsoften referred to as spy shipscan deploy such unmanned devices at the scene of action.

So far, submarine drones in particular have primarily fulfilled tasks of intelligence gathering and counter-intelligence service, for example by deploying sonar buoys and de-bugging bug-infested telecommunications cables. Cutting cables underwater is also part of their range of skills. However, the ability to carry out extensive work under water has not been under consideration so far, because the autonomy of unmanned underwater vehicles has so far been limited. This limitation excludes long journeys from the base to the site of operation.

Well-Monitored Baltic Sea

Even today, the Baltic Sea is well monitored. In addition to hydro-acoustic sensors found on board warships of all kinds, numerous sensors on the coast are likely to be used to monitor shipping traffic. In addition, there are surveillance flights by sea reconnaissance aircraft and anti-submarine warfare aircraft from interested states. The night before the attack on Nord Stream 2, for example, a U.S. P-8A Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft was in the region (Figure 2).

And just as the first explosion occurred, sometime between 01:32 and 02:20 a.m. on Sept. 26, an unidentified aircraft was being refueled by a U.S. KC-135 tanker in northeastern Poland. While the tanker came from Frankfurt, all that is known of the refueled aircraft is that it was first detected that night off the Faroe Islands and that it disappeared off Bornholm at 03:05 a.m., probably because it switched off its transponder. At this time it was flying at an altitude of approx. 7,200 feet (= 2,200 m) at a speed of 825 km/h (446 knots). This is unusual behavior for an aircraft over the open sea (Figure 3).

As things stand, it can almost only have been a U.S. long-range reconnaissance aircraft. Remarkably, not even its identity is known; even sea reconnaissance aircraft use transponder signals to identify themselves in dense airspace. However, it is questionable whether the crew of the unknown U.S. plane can do much to clarify the sabotage attacks, because the explosive charges on the gas pipelines may have been lying on the bottom of the Baltic Sea for a long time. But the example shows that surveillance of the Baltic Sea is tight and that ships from far outside the region would find it difficult to operate in the region unnoticed for any length of time.

Stop, Thief?

This raises a completely different question than the question of who is to benefit: Who finds it easier to carry out such an act of sabotage? If it was the Russian Navy that carried out an extensive sabotage operation in the middle of a sea area surrounded by NATO countries or candidate countries, 300 km from the nearest Russian naval base, then the Russians would have made NATO look ridiculous. That would have been an impressive demonstration of Russian seabed warfare capabilities. The Russians could have accomplished the mere destruction of Nord Stream 1 and 2without any demonstration effectmuch more easily on their doorstep in the Gulf of Finland.

In contrast, it were much easier for NATO: Only in June, the U.S. 6th Fleet, together with its NATO partners, carried out exercises just off Bornholm in which unmanned underwater vehicles were also tested. The BALTOPS 22 exercise could have been used as a test run or as a camouflage backdrop for installing explosive devices on the natural gas pipelines. Of course, there is currently no evidence of authorship by either side, and a truly independent investigation is unlikely to ever take place. But the unbiased observer has a question: Is a thief shouting Stop, thief?
This article appears in the October 7, 2022 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

[Print version of this article]

OPEN LETTER TO CONGRESS

State Sen. Richard Black (ret.):

Stop the Nuclear Brinkmanship

Oct. 1Former Virginia State Senator Richard H. Black released the following open letter to all members of the United States Congress on September 27, 2022, which was made available to the public the same day by the Schiller Institute. A facsimile of the original letter is available here. [Box: Sen. Richard Black, Scott Ritter and Diane Sare live dialogue]

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Schiller Institute Col. Richard H. Black

Open Letter to Members of the United States Congress

September 27, 2022

Dear Representatives and Senators:

I am troubled by the loose talk about launching a nuclear attack on Russia. From time to time, senior Republicans and Democrats have suggested employing such weapons. This appears to be a deliberate effort to acclimate Americans to the idea of nuclear war.

Now, we have [Ukrainian President] Zelenskys office jumping on too. On September 21, 2022, Newsweek ran this headline: U.S. Needs To Threaten Russia with Nuclear Strike: Ukraine. The article quotes Mykhailo Podolyak, Zelenskys senior aide, as saying, The other nuclear states need to say very firmly that as soon as Russia even thinks of carrying out nuclear strikes on foreign territoryin this case the territory of Ukrainethere will be swift retaliatory nuclear strikes to destroy the nuclear launch sites in Russia.

Of course, it is impossible to limit retaliatory nuclear strikes to destroying only the nuclear launch sites. Not only would damage be widespread, but Russia would be forced to respond in kind to threats targeting its nuclear deterrence capability. Russia would launch an immediate, massive nuclear response, including air and ground-based hypersonic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Each Russian submarine would shower down 100 nuclear warheads, sufficient to incinerate the entire [U.S.] National Capital Region or the Western European industrial heartland.

As the Ukrainian War drags on, globalists are marching us relentlessly toward this nuclear Armageddon. Why?

There would have been no war had we not overthrown the democratically elected government of Ukraine by violently ousting President Yanukovych in 2014. We promoted war by flooding Ukraine with massive arms shipments afterwards. (See: the June 4, 2018 article, How and why the U.S. Government Perpetrated the 2014 Coup in Ukraine.)

The U.S. could have achieved peace by simply pressing Ukraine to implement the 2014 Minsk Peace Agreements which it had signed, establishing a clear framework for settling outstanding issues peacefully. Ukraine promised to implement the Minsk agreements, but chose instead to make war on the Donbass for the next seven years. Ukraines attacks killed 14,000 people before Russia ever entered the war.

Within two months after Russia crossed into Ukraine, Russia and Ukraine were finalizing a draft peace agreement. However, [UK] Prime Minister Boris Johnson suddenly flew to Kiev to block its implementation, undoubtedly coordinating with the U.S. State Department beforehand. War would continue, regardless of the parties longing for peace.

NATO had ample opportunity for peace but deliberately chose war. The U.S. realized that, with Russias back to the wall, it would have no choice to but to attack. In 2007, U.S. Ambassador to Russia William Burns pointedly warned that movement toward absorbing Ukraine into NATO might well trigger war between Ukraine and Russia. Nonetheless, the Obama administration overthrew the Ukrainian president and flooded in weapons, knowing that doing so would trigger war. (See WikiLeaks for the Burns memo.)

Today, wealthy globalists have billions at stake, and they intend to have their war profits even if it means gambling the lives of hundreds of millions of people across the globe.

Few Americans knew anything about Ukraine before February 24th. Was Ukraine in South America, Asia, Africa, or Europe? Many Americans couldnt have answered that question. But now, in order to address a local border dispute on the other side of the globe, war hawks demand concrete steps toward a nuclear war that might exterminate 60% of humanity, plunging mankind into a primitive state.

Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Clinton all approached nuclear confrontation with utmost caution. But the Obama administration changed course when it recklessly overthrew the Ukrainian government in 2014 and flooded Ukraine with weapons aimed at Russia. It did so knowing that it was threatening Russias most vital national interest: the defense of its territory against nuclear aggression.

Now, the Biden administration threatens to cast caution to the winds. Many of its allies suggest a game of one-upmanship where the U.S. and NATO fire nuclear missiles in response to Russias use of such weapons to defend its territory. In other words, we would destroy the entire world as our way of saying, Oh yeah? Well take this!

Would simple revenge justify killing hundreds of millions of unknowing people? Should we annihilate the worlds population to intervene in a border war where the U.S. has no vital national interest?

The U.S. can promptly end this war by making Ukraine a neutral, non-aligned state, just as we did during the Cold War with Austria in 1955. Yes, there would be some territorial adjustments resulting from the war. But peace would end the ongoing bloodshed, avert a nuclear conflagration, and assure Ukraines long-term safety and independence.

Nuclear war is unthinkable; peace is the better course of action. Please consider it.

Sincerely,

Senator Dick Black (ret.)
Zelenskyy Honors Fascist Azov Leaders with Regimes Highest Award

Oct. 5, 2022 (EIRNS)Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of the President, to go to Turkey and present the Hero of Ukraine, the regimes highest award, to each of the three Azov leaders of the battle in Mariupol and two others who participated in the fight to hold onto the citys Azovstal steel plant, using hundreds of Ukrainian civilians as their human shields. The leader of the pack, according to Ukraines Office of the Presidents website, was Commander of the Azov separate special purpose regiment of the National Guard Denys Prokopenko (call sign Redis). His wife was a feature of the recent delegation to Washington, to meet with various members of Congress.

The Azov forces, so heroized by President Zelenskyy, was founded as an avowed Nazi force, its leadership and ranks filled with followers of Stepan Bandera, who collaborated with the Waffen SS during World War II in murdering tens of thousands of Jews, Gypsies, Poles and Romanians. Their fighters are famous for their Hitler salutes, covered with swastika and Satanic tattoos, and in a saner time, the U.S. Congress had banned any U.S. funding to these Azov heroes because of their openly fascist nature.

Two of Prokopenkos Azov underlingshis deputy Svyatoslav Palamar and the senior officer of Azov, Oleg Khomenkoalong with two non-Azov defenders at the Azovstal plant in Mariupolthe acting commander of the 36th separate brigade of Marines Serhiy Volynskyi (call sign Volyna) and commander of the 12th brigade of the National Guard Denys Shlegawas similarly honored. These are the five who, in the recent prisoner exchange, were released on condition that Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan keep them in Turkey for the duration of the fighting.

Yermak told Prokopenko: The units you led made an invaluable contribution to the future victory of Ukraine. You and your subordinates managed to bind the enormous forces of the enemy.... You won time, and this time was not wasted. And now we are returning our territories and our people. Ukraine will be free and united. Zelenskyy joined in by video, celebrating and embracing the central role of the Azov: You are not just heroes, you are living heroes, and that is very important.... I am proud that we live in the same country, fight for it together and will definitely win. Glory to Ukraine!

Azov deputy commander Svyatoslav Palamar enthusiastically joined in: This is the award of our Ukrainian people. I am very proud to be Ukrainian. This is the coolest nation in the world! And the coolest government and the coolest military. Then the five defenders of Azovstal jointly signed a Ukrainian flag for Zelenskyy, inscribed: There is no glory without a fight.
Saudi Arabia came top of G20 in the rate of flow of international tourists during the first seven months of 2022, according to the latest report issued by the World Tourism Organization.



The outcome also confirms the country's policy of empowering the national economy and raising the contribution of the tourism sector in the GDP of the Kingdom as per the goals of the Kingdom vision 2030, Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb was quoted by Saudi Press Agency (SPA).



According to the report, the Kingdom has scored extraordinary results in the flow of foreign tourists coming to the Kingdom at a rate of 121 percent from January to July 2022.



Al-Khateeb noted that the tourism sector of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered the world's fast-growing, accelerating at a rate of 14 percent compared to the pre-coronavirus pandemic period.



The sector is currently recovering from the repercussions of the pandemic following strict preventive and precautionary health measures and due to high awareness of the society leading to lowest rates of virus infections nowadays.
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has proposed new guidelines aimed at protecting citizens from the harmful effects of artificial intelligence (AI) systems.

The guidelines are known as the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights. A blueprint is a plan that shows how someone will design, build or reach a goal. The proposal is not a set of rules and does not include specific enforcement actions. It is meant to influence AI system developers to safeguard digital and civil rights.

The guidelines were created by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. They were released as AI systems increasingly expand to many different parts of society.

The plan identifies five areas that aim to guide the design, use and deployment of automated systems to protect the American public in the age of artificial intelligence.

The guidelines were established over the past year in cooperation with many government agencies, the administration said in a statement. Officials took advice from civil society groups, technologists, industry researchers and major technology companies.

U.S. officials told the Associated Press the blueprint represents progress in administration efforts to hold technology companies responsible for the AI systems they develop and deploy. The guidelines are designed to limit the effects of bias in AI systems.

Critics of AI have noted many cases in which automated systems have misidentified or discriminated against people based on their race or sex. Several studies and news reports have documented harms that resulted from AI-powered tools.

For example, facial recognition systems used by law enforcement agencies have led to wrongful arrests. In one incident, an automated system discriminated against individuals seeking financial assistance at historically Black colleges. In another case, AI systems used to administer healthcare discriminated against Black patients.

An administration official told reporters such examples demonstrate that some AI systems are causing real harms in the lives of Americans. The official added that irresponsible AI systems go against democratic values, including the fundamental right to privacy and freedom from discrimination

The guidelines also urge AI developers to build tools into systems to give users control over their data. And developers are urged to ensure that automated systems are used safely and transparently.

Some technology industry experts have warned that such measures could hurt some American businesses if the guidelines become rules. The head of the non-government U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Jordan Crenshaw, said he would not like to see the guidelines enacted into U.S. law. If this happens, it could handcuff Americas ability to compete in AI development with other countries.

In Europe, such proposals have developed much further. Last year, the European Union proposed a set of rules meant to govern AI technology. EU lawmakers are currently debating the proposals, which cover areas such as automated surveillance, privacy protections and system bias. The rules are known as the Artificial Intelligence Act.

Some groups have warned that the EU proposals could create bureaucratic barriers for technology businesses. The proposals would put strong rules in place and fine violators.

The U.S.-based policy group Brookings Institution recently criticized one part of the Artificial Intelligence Act. It said the EUs plan to put limits on open-source AI could further concentrate power over the future of AI in large technology companies.

Open-source AI is an artificial intelligence technology that the public and companies may use without cost. Brookings said that limiting this kind of AI would lead to two kinds of harm.

It would keep many AI systems under the control of big, established technology companies and would deny small businesses the chance to develop new AI tools. In addition, the proposed EU rules would limit valuable research and decrease the openness of widely used AI systems, Brookings said.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from The Associated Press, Reuters, Brookings and the EU.

Quiz - Governments Propose Measures to Protect Citizens from Harmful AI Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

artificial intelligence  n. the development of computer systems with the ability to perform work that normally requires human intelligence

automate  v. to control something using machines and not people

bias  n. a situation in which you support or oppose something in an unfair way because you are influenced by personal opinions

transparent  adj. openness or something that is clearly seen

handcuff  v. to limit someone in the way police do by putting hand restraints on people

surveillance  n. the careful watching of a person or place

bureaucratic  adj. relating to a system of government regulations

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The United States' newest aircraft carrier is now on its first deployment to train with allies in the Atlantic. The move comes during a time of increased tensions around the world.

The aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, began its deployment in the North Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday as the lead ship in a carrier strike group.

An aircraft carrier is a huge ship that serves as an air base at sea.

The strike group includes six ships from NATO countries, several U.S. warships and a submarine.

"We're going to use the entire Atlantic as our playpen," said Navy Captain Paul Lanzilotta. He is the ship's commanding officer.

The Navy calls the carrier "America's biggest and baddest warship." It has about 20 new technologies and a completely redesigned flight deck, the area where planes take off and land. The ship is able to launch 30 percent more flights than other U.S. carriers. The nuclear-powered carrier also has a new radar system.

The USS Ford is the worlds largest warship. It weighs about 112,000 tons. Nimitz-class carriers are the next-largest, weighing 12,000 fewer tons. However, because of better design and technology, the USS Ford requires about 600 fewer sailors to operate than the Nimitz-class carriers.

The USS Ford is the first ship in the new Ford class of aircraft carriers. It is the first new class of aircraft carrier in more than 45 years. The lead ship of the Nimitz-class carriers, the USS Nimitz, is expected to be retired in the coming months. The launch of the USS Ford was delayed for years and went billions of dollars over budget.

The ship's current carrier strike group also includes forces from Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain. It is the largest partnership in the Atlantic Ocean since World War II, the U.S. Navy said.

Lanzilotta said the North Atlantic deployment will help the group prepare for longer deployments that will begin next year. The group will be carrying out several military exercises in the North Atlantic, said Vice Admiral Dan Dwyer. He is the commander of the U.S. Second Fleet, which operates in the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans.

Dwyer said, we can no longer assume that geography provides us with the protectionthat we've had in the past."

The deployment comes seven months after Russia invaded Ukraine. And it comes weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin called for 300,000 additional troops to replace heavy losses.

While the war in Ukraine has hurt Russia's ground forces, its navy remains unweakened by the fight, said Bruce Jones. He is a 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 said the possible damage to the Nord Stream oil pipelines in the Baltic Sea is an example of the kind of operation that Russia's naval forces might conduct.

"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, he said.

Im Dan Novak.

Carla Babb reported this story for Voice of America. Dan Novak adapted it for Learning English.

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Words in This Story

playpen  n. a place where someone can do what they want

assume  v. to think that something is true, or probably true, without knowing it

geography  n. an area of study dealing with the position of places on the Earth

substantial adj. large in amount or number

deter  v. to cause a person or group to decide not to do something

escalate  v. to become worse or more severe than it already is
The social media site Facebook is under increasing pressure to provide reparations to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

The rights group Amnesty International has accused Facebook and its owner Meta of serious wrongdoing against the refugees from Myanmar.

In a report released last week, Amnesty said Metas programming proactively amplified and promoted content that incited violent hatred against the Rohingya. The report said the content began to appear on Facebook as early as 2012.

The investigators said the company failed to remove violent posts and lies, and helped to spread such posts. Amnesty said the final result of Metas actions were the 2017 killings of Rohingya in Myanmar.

At the same time, Facebooks popularity was growing in Myanmar. For many people there, it served as their only connection to the online world. That made Facebook the main internet connection for a large part of Myanmar's population.

More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh in 2017. Myanmar security forces, the Tatmadaw, were accused of killings, rapes, and other torture, as well as the burning of Rohingya villages.

The Associated Press asked Meta about the Amnesty report. The company did not answer. In a statement, the company said it stands in solidarity with the international community and supports efforts to hold the Tatmadaw accountable for its crimes against the Rohingya people.

Rafael Frankel is director of public policy for emerging markets at Meta Asia-Pacific. He said in a statement: Our safety and integrity work in Myanmar remains guided by feedback from local civil society organizations and international institutions, including the U.N. Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar; the Human Rights Impact Assessment we commissioned in 2018; as well as our ongoing human rights risk management.

'Dangerous to out human rights'

About one million Rohingya remain in camps. Most are in Bangladesh. They are demanding that Meta pay reparations for its part in the violent repression of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Earlier this year, the United States declared that situation a genocide.

The Amnesty findings are based on reports from Rohingya refugees, former Meta employees, experts, activists and others. Investigators also used documents provided to the U.S. Congress last year by whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former Facebook data scientist.

The report noted that digital rights activists say Meta has improved its supervision in Myanmar in recent years. In January 2021, after a violent government overthrow, Meta barred the Myanmar military from its site.

But critics, including some Facebook employees, have argued that the current methods will never truly work.

Metas programming is really dangerous to our human rights, says Pat de Brun, lawyer and researcher on artificial intelligence and human rights at Amnesty.

What happened to the Rohingya and Facebooks part in the conflict, he continued, risks happening again, in many different contexts across the world.

The company has shown itself completely unwilling or incapable of resolving the root causes of its human rights impact, de Brun said.

After a 2018 U.N. report denounced Metas actions in Myanmar, the company admitted that it was not doing enough to help prevent the incitement of violence. It changed some policies and the way it supervised the site over the next few years and claimed great success.

But the Amnesty report said the new measures were not enough.

The Rohingya refugees have not said what form the reparations should take. Meta is also the subject of two legal actions in the U.S. and Britain seeking $150 billion for Rohingya refugees.

Meta has refused to consider reparations.

We believe that the genocide against Rohingya was possible only because of Facebook, said one refugee in the report. They communicated with each other to spread hate, they organized campaigns through Facebook. But Facebook was silent.

Im Caty Weaver.

The Associated Presss Barbara Ortutay reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

reparations  n. money given as a way of correcting a past mistake

amplify v. to increase the strength of something

promote v. to help something happen or increase

integrity n. the quality of being honest and fair

institution n. an established organization

commission v. to order or request that something be done

whistleblower n. a person show tells police, reporters or lawmakers about something that has been kept secret and that often involves wrongdoing

digital adj. related to computers

artificial adj. not natural, made by people

context n. the situation in which something happens

impact n. the influence or effect of something

______________________________________________________________________

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Dubai Holding, a diversified global investment company with presence in over 13 countries, has appointed Katerina Giannouka as the new Chief Executive Officer of Jumeirah Group effective December 1, 2022.

A recognised professional in the international hospitality industry, Giannouka joins Jumeirah Group with 20 years of experience in business leadership, operations, hotel development, asset management and strategic advisory.

She was earlier in Radisson Hotel Group, holding the post of President Asia-Pacific since 2017, she led the execution of a comprehensive five-year strategic and operating plan, delivering unprecedented growth of nearly doubling the size of the hotel portfolio, said a statement from Dubai Holding.

Prior to this, Giannouka led the Asia-Pacific and China Development team of ultra-luxury Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, where beyond delivering growth, she played an influential role in supporting new brand development, corporate decision making and strategic planning, it stated.

Welcoming her into the fold, Dubai Holding Group CEO Amit Kaushal said: "Given her impressive track record as a transformative business leader, as well as her luxury hospitality background and drive to create resilient teams and culture, I am confident that she will build on Jumeirahs incredible success story and lead the business to new levels of sustainable and accelerated growth across the world."

"Today, Jumeirah Group is a national champion, a member of Dubai Holding and a global luxury hotel company, which operates a world-class 6,500-key portfolio of 25 luxury properties across the Middle East, Europe and Asia" he added.

On her new role, Giannouka said: "I am honoured to be entrusted and appointed to this key role with Jumeirah Group. Jumeirah operates some of the worlds most iconic hotels and has redefined luxury hospitality with its exceptional and beyond-expectations service offering."

"The opportunities for Jumeirah are extremely exciting, and I eagerly look forward to commencing this new journey alongside the entire team to unlock the immense potential of the Jumeirah brand and sustainably secure its position on the world stage as the top luxury Emirati hospitality brand recognised and sought-after globally," she added.-TradeArabia News Service
Elon Musk, the worlds richest person, again says he wants to buy the social media company Twitter.

Last April, Musk offered to buy Twitter for $44 billion. Musk said at the time that his goal was to shape the service into a place for free speech.

Three months later, Musk withdrew his offer saying Twitter did not provide him with enough information about the number of false, or fake, accounts.

The agreement to buy Twitter requires Musk to pay the company $1 billion if he does not complete the deal. Twitter, however, opened a legal action, or lawsuit, to force Musk to close the deal.

This week, Musk told Twitter in a letter that he wanted to do the deal as they had agreed to in April. He also asked for an end to the legal action that will start in less than two weeks in the state of Delaware.

Twitter answered that it plans to close the deal at $54.20 per share after receiving Musks letter. The social media company did not say whether it would end the lawsuit against Musk.

Andrew Jennings is a professor at Brooklyn Law School. He told the Associated Press, I dont think Twitter will give up its trial date on just Musks word  its going to need more certainty about closing. Jennings noted that Twitter may also be worried that Musk may be acting simply to delay the legal action.

Musk has sought, and failed, to postpone the process two times earlier.

Musks argument against the Twitter deal

Musk says Twitter misrepresented how it measures false accounts on its site.

In July, Musk argued that he could end the deal without penalty because the number of false accounts was much higher than Twitter's estimate of less than 5 percent of users. The number of active accounts is important for advertising rates and the overall value of the service.

But Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick, the Delaware courts head judge, appeared set to center the case on the deal between Musk and Twitter and possible changes that could end it since the deal was signed in April.

In the same month, a former chief of security at Twitter took legal action against the company.

Peiter Mudge Zatko, accused the company of lying about its efforts to control false accounts and strengthen its cyber defenses.

Why did Musk change his mind now?

It was not immediately clear why Musk chose to drop the fight in court. But Eric Talley, a law professor at Columbia University said he was not surprised by Musks decision. He said, On the legal merits, his case didnt look that strong.

Musk is to make a sworn statement in court on Thursday. And Talley added, a lot of uncomfortable facts were going to come out.

The Tesla and SpaceX founder also faces possible rising costs. If he lost the trial, the judge could not only force him to close the deal but also could order interest payments that would increase its cost.

Musk and his representatives have not answered questions from news organizations about the latest offer to close the Twitter deal.

A user of Twitter, Musk wrote on the social media website last night: Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app. He did not provide any more details.

I'm Andrew Smith.

Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on reporting from The Associated Press and Reuters.

_______________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

certainty - n. a fact about which there is no doubt

merit - n. value or worth

uncomfortable - adj. causing a feeling of being embarrassed or uneasy

accelerant - n. something that makes thing move faster
Vistara, Indias full-service carrier and a joint venture of Tata group and Singapore Airlines, on Saturday (Ocotber 1) inaugurates its non-stop, daily flights between Mumbai (India) and Abu Dhabi (UAE).

The inaugural flight will depart from Mumbai at 1910 hours (IST) and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 2040 hours (local time), making Vistara the first carrier to offer the choice of Premium Economy class on the route, in addition to Business and Economy classes.

On the return journey, the flight will depart Abu Dhabi at 2140 hours and arrive in Mumbai at 0235 hours next day.

Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said: We have been steadily strengthening our presence in the UAE and the rest of the Gulf region, and are excited to add Abu Dhabi to our growing international network. UAEs flourishing business, trade, and tourism make Abu Dhabi a perfect fit in our network. We are confident that travellers will appreciate the choice of flying India and South Asias best airline on this route.

Vistara is Indias highest-rated airline on Skytrax and TripAdvisor, and it has been the winner of several Best Airline awards, besides being lauded for world-class cabin cleanliness and upholding high safety standards. The airline has recently been recognised as the Best Airline in India and South Asia for the second time in a row, Best Airline Staff Service in India and South Asia for the fourth consecutive year, Best Cabin Crew in India and South Asia for the second time in a row and Best Business Class in India and South Asia at the coveted Skytrax World Airline Awards 2022. -TradeArabia News Service
A serious illness has caused Coldplay to pause their tour.

The band announced on their verified Instagram account Tuesday that they would be postponing planned concerts in Brazil after frontman Chris Martin fell ill.

"With deep regret, we've been forced to postpone our upcoming shows in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo until early 2023," the statement read. "Due to a serious lung infection, Chris has been put under strict doctor's orders to rest for the next three weeks."

According to the statement, the group is "working as fast as possible to lock in the new dates and will follow up with more information in the next few days."

"To everyone in Brazil who was looking forward to these concerts, we're extremely sorry for any disappointment and inconvenience, and we're so grateful for your understanding at this challenging time where we need to prioritise Chris' health," the statement read.

Original tickets will be honored at the rescheduled shows.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Zombies will wander the streets of Winona Saturday night, but there's no need to worry  an apocalypse hasn't started just yet.

Instead of brains and flesh, these zombies are out for something more appetizing: beer and a night full of fun.

And they are not actually zombies, of course.

The Winona Zombie Crawl will celebrate its 16th anniversary Saturday evening, with people continuing the annual tradition of dressing up as zombies -- make-up and all -- and stopping by local bars together.

This year is extra special for the event, as it has become the World's Longest Running Zombie Bar Crawl, having only stopped for one year due to COVID-19 in 2020.

The Winona annual event recently beat out Minneapolis' Zombie Pub Crawl, after the Twin Cities event never recovered from the impact of COVID.

Todd Hanson, who founded the Winona Zombie Crawl as a college student back in 2006, shared that he was actually inspired by Minneapolis' Zombie Pub Crawl to start one locally, after hearing about it but not being able to attend for the pub crawl's first two years.

"I was never really shooting to be the longest running zombie crawl or anything like that," Hanson said, but he did admit he enjoys having the title to help attract people to participate in the zombie crawl.

Hanson believes the Winona Zombie Crawl was able to outlive the Minneapolis crawl, because the local crawl hasn't had as much of a focus on highly popularizing the event.

While there is some advertisement for the event on social media and on posters, it hasn't grown to the point where it's dependent on money or putting on large productions to draw people's interest.

And, Hanson's way of organizing the zombie crawl works, even as he's had to adapt his advertising to attract new generations over the years.

He shared that before the pandemic, the crawl hit a peak at about 500 participants in one year.

The pandemic has pulled the numbers down a bit, Hanson shared.

Hanson said the crawl is "now just a passion project" for him, as he doesn't bring any money in for himself from it.

Originally, Hanson didn't give the bars a heads up about the zombie crawl, as he wanted to attempt to mimic how unexpected an actual zombie apocalypse would be.

Now, though, he teams up with them. The bars prepare ahead of time with ample staff to handle the increase of customers and then get to enjoy the extra sales during the evening.

Some bars even schedule live music to take place during the zombie crawl, to help draw even more visitors in their doors and entertain their zombie patrons.

The bars do help sponsor the event, by providing a normally small contribution to the crawl's advertisement.

This year, the zombie crawl is starting off at Island City Brewing Company with a make up pre-party.

People will be available from 5 to 7 p.m. at Island City to help participants do zombie makeup. Participants will receive a ticket to have their makeup done if they buy a beer for $5 at the business. While some of that money covers the cost of the beer, a portion of it also is given to the makeup artists.

Then, after the pre-party, the fun officially begins.

The Winona Zombie Crawl will begin at 7 p.m. at Port 507 and then will head to Lucky's on Third at 7:45 p.m., Gabby's Bar and Lounge at 8:30 p.m., Market Street Tap LLC at 9:15 p.m., and Mulligan's Irish Pub at 10 p.m., before splitting up between Broken World Records and No Name Bar at 10:45 p.m.

As for music throughout the evening, The Luna Trio will be at Island City Brewing Company, TOTAL SEX MANIACS and Chaos Revolution Theory will be at Broken World Records, and Winona Jazz Collective and Loud Mouth Brass will be at No Name Bar.

There are no fees to participate in the zombie crawl, with people only having to pay for their own drinks and the makeup at Island City, if they chose to attend the pre-party.

If they dress up as zombies, there will be no cover costs at any of the participating bars.

For more information about the Winona Zombie Crawl, visit www.winonazombiecrawl.com.
If you order carefully at SASS on the Capitol Square, youre in for a great meal but there are a few things to avoid.

Joe Perkins and business partner Kay Millonzi, who bought the longstanding Tutto Pasta on State Street in 2018, opened SASS on Aug. 19 next to Rare Steakhouse, in the former location of Merci, and before that, Field Table.

SASS is an acronym for sauce and shelled seafood, and the best things Ive had in two visits involved sauce and seafood, but not of the shelled variety.

By all means get the ribs. The four-piece set ($12.95) off the starters list were meaty, with pork that fell off the bone. They came topped with mango salsa, plus one of four sauces.

Customers can also choose from three rubs. Chopped up on top were red and green peppers and red onions for a nice effect.

Perkins told me he won contests for his ribs and sauce in the 1990s as a chef in Richmond, Virginia, and thats not surprising since the SASS BBQ sauce had a wonderful flavor and wasnt overly sweet or sticky.

The salmon Oscar ($26.95) was a knockout dish, the grilled fish topped with Hollandaise, crabmeat and a few green beans. The cut of salmon was thick, moist and perfectly prepared.

All entrees include two hush puppies plus a choice of two sides. The potato cakes were like fluffier potato pancakes, but instead of shredded potatoes theyre made with garlic mashed potatoes, onions and cheese. They wouldve been flawless had the inner part not been cold. The coleslaw, meanwhile, was hard to complain about.

This was a huge, great-looking plate and enough for two people to share.

Another cant-miss item is the lobster bisque ($7.50/$10.50), which was flavorful and full of tiny bits of lobster.

My first visit to SASS didnt actually result in a meal. A friend and I went at 7 p.m. on a Friday when there were two tables left in front. We felt lucky to get one, but then waited 27 minutes without a server coming to wait on us.

I offered to go up to the host stand, but my friend said, You arent going to be one of THOSE people, are you? I didnt see any harm in letting them know, but we wound up leaving instead since we were under some time pressure.

The next night I returned with my daughter, and although the weather was still beautiful, we had the patio to ourselves and got waited on quickly. I ordered the sauteed green beans ($11.95) I had coveted from a nearby table the night before.

From a distance, the generous plate of beans glistened, but up close, they were coated in an excessive amount of overly sweet sauce with a bit of kick. They were soft instead of al dente, and seemed frozen instead of fresh.

Perkins explained theyre Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) or flash frozen.

Another starter, deviled eggs ($11.95), were served as six small half eggs in an egg-holding platter. Chunks of pancetta on top distracted from the fact that they seemed like theyd been made days in advance and refrigerated. Perkins later told me that the whites are kept cool, but he uses a piping bag like cake decorators do, and adds the yolk mixture per order.

My 17-year-old daughters vegetable primavera ($19.95), one of four pasta dishes on the menu, had a good selection of vegetables. But they and the bowtie, or farfalle, pasta needed seasoning. This would be easy to fix with salt and pepper, said my daughter, only there wasnt any handy.

Worse, a big pool of oil formed at the bottom of the bowl. The pasta should be better from the owners of Tutto Pasta, she said.

The dish came with two hush puppies, like the salmon, and a choice or soup (not including bisque) or salad. The Caesar had crisp romaine, excellent dressing, shredded Parmesan, and croutons.

An old fashioned was fine, but ordinary.

For dessert, watermelon ($5) with a ball of creme fraiche on top seemed strange at first because creme fraiche tastes like thicker, richer sour cream, not whipped cream. But the combination was ultimately refreshing.

The apple crisp ($6), also with creme fraiche, had a crispy top and tender, delicious cake, but almost no apple. It was a huge portion that could be shared by a group.

Perkins owned a restaurant called Cold Fusion from late 2014 until 2016 in the old Branch Street Retreat spot in Middleton.

He started Cold Fusion in Platteville three years earlier, and opened a short-lived location near McFarland six months after Middleton opened.

Like SASS, Cold Fusion had a big menu instead of concentrating on fewer items to ensure success.

If you pick your spots on the SASS menu, however, you can certainly enjoy a fantastic meal.

Diner's scorecard Restaurant: SASS Location: 10 W. Mifflin St. Phone: 608-230-5633 Website: In progress Hours: Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Prices: Appetizers $10.95 to $18.95, soup $4.75 to $10.50, salads $5.95 to $16.95, entrees $16.95 to $36.95, desserts $5 to $7.50. Noise level: Medium Credit cards: Accepted Accessibility: Yes Outdoor dining: Yes Delivery: No Online ordering: Coming Drinks: Full bar Gluten-free: Can accommodate Vegetarian offerings: A few Kids menu: In the works Reservations: Yes Parking: Street parking and nearby ramp Service: Green Bottom line: The menu has lots of appealing choices, but execution is problematic with some.
The rapper formerly known as Kanye West is offering to buy right-wing friendly social network Parler. The announcement comes shortly after West was blocked from posting on Twitter and Instagram for antisemitic posts. West, who is legally known as Ye, was locked out of Twitter and Instagram a week ago over antisemitic posts that the social networks said violated their policies. In one post on Twitter, Ye said he would soon go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE, according to internet archive records, making an apparent reference to the U.S. defense readiness condition scale known as DEFCON. The potential purchase of Parler would give Ye control of a social media platform and a new outlet for his opinions with no gatekeeper.
Bail totaling $13,250 was set Thursday for a man whose brutality lawsuit against Madison police was settled last week for $1.1 million, but the judge who set the bail said the settlement was not a factor in her decision.

The bail for David D. Clash-Miller, 20, arrested last week after he is alleged to have made threats at a UW-Madison dorm and resisted police, was set in nine open criminal cases, most of them felonies and most charged this year.

Dane County Circuit Judge Chris Taylor said at the outset of a hearing  added late to her calendar around midday on Thursday instead of an initial appearance that had been set for later the afternoon  that she intended to set cash bail for Clash-Miller because he appeared to ignore all of the conditions she had set for him previously which had allowed him to be free on a small amount of bail and several signature bonds.

I feel like Im between a rock and a hard place with Mr. Clash-Miller, Taylor said, adding that she had tried all of the non-cash bail options she had to keep him in the community, but he appears to ignore all of the rules she set for him.

I feel like I have tried a lot with Mr. Clash-Miller to get him to appear and to conform with court orders, Taylor said. I dont think theres anything I can do except more cash bail.

Clash-Miller tried to speak at some points, but was told not to by Taylor and by his attorneys, Charles Giesen and Adam Welch. He said of the newest charges against him, Theyre bogus. Its all false information.

In 2021, Clash-Miller filed a federal civil rights lawsuit for a violent arrest in 2019 by Madison police, when he was a 17-year-old foster child who was experiencing a mental health crisis at the home of his foster family. The lawsuit alleged a group of officers used excessive force against him. The officers did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement agreement.

Under the settlement, attorneys for Clash-Miller will get $475,000, and Clash-Miller is to receive monthly annuity payments of $2,671.06 for 30 years beginning on Jan. 1.

In court Thursday, Assistant District Attorney Hector Al-Homsi made reference to the million-dollar settlement amount but did not have all of the details, which included the relatively modest monthly annuity payments. Giesen asked Taylor not to consider what Al-Homsi said about the settlement in deciding Clash-Millers bail, and Taylor agreed that was not a factor.

Clash-Miller was arrested on Sept. 29 after a woman at Witte Hall on the UW-Madison campus said he had threatened her and called her an Asian (expletive), according to a criminal complaint. The complaint also alleges he made threatening statements to other students including a group playing pool who felt targeted because they were speaking Spanish.

Among the other charges Clash-Miller faces in his cases are burglary, theft, battery and criminal damage to property.
A state-authorized public charter school in Madison initially refused to work with police after a student found a gun in a school employees backpack, according to a recently released police report, and the employee refused to answer questions about the incident.

Police ultimately closed their investigation of the June 1 incident involving Milestone Democratic School teacher Art Richardson, saying they did not have enough evidence that Richardson knew he had the gun in his backpack and after Richardson put off speaking to them and then cut off communication entirely.

Knowingly bringing a firearm into a school is a Class I felony under state law, punishable by up to 3 years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000 or both.

Sean Anderson, the schools leadership liaison and co-founder, said in an email that school leaders were fully cooperative with the Madison Police Department throughout the investigation.

Within 24 hours of receiving the report, the Schools Governing Board held an emergency meeting and directed school leadership to file a report with the police, he said.

Prior to that, however, a parent who had been notified of the guns discovery alerted police, who called the school on June 2 and were told by administrator Sarah Wilkening that school leaders would be meeting with their attorney that night and would not yet provide any information, including Richardsons name, according to the police report released Aug. 26 under a public records request and shared with the Wisconsin State Journal on Tuesday.

Police say the school formally reported the incident the next day. Anderson said it was reported the night of June 2 after the schools board met.

According to the report, video surveillance from the school showed Richardson sitting with and going into the backpack at least once in the lobby area of the school, where students were working on a mural toward the end of the school day on June 1. He then left it there unattended, and a student found the gun.

Witnesses differed on whether the gun was easily seen in the backpack or if it had fallen out, with one student alleging there had been an ammunition clip with bullets in it, according to the report. After overhearing students talk about the gun, Wilkening put the backpack into a locked office, and Richardson later locked it in his vehicle, according to the school and police report.

The school said the gun wasnt loaded, but it was never inspected by police or school officials.

Richardson did not respond to requests for comment from the State Journal, and school officials have said he forgot the gun had been in the backpack and has a concealed-carry permit.

Neil Anderson, whose son attended Milestone at the time the gun was found and is not related to Sean Anderson, said that as a parent the entire situation is very frightening.

The school seems to be content saying it was just an accident and thinks that should be the end of it for parents like me, he said. As a firearm owner myself the concept of I forgot where my gun and ammunition is does not sound very believable.

Police made multiple attempts to get in touch with Richardson in person and by phone beginning June 7, according to the police report. He eventually agreed to speak with police with his attorney present but then informed them on June 13 that he would not.

Richardson was put on paid leave after the guns discovery, school officials told parents in June. Anderson declined to say whether the school required Richardson to speak with police or was disciplined in connection with the incident.

Milestone serves grades 6 through 12 and students up to age 21, and opened in fall 2020. The school received a charter from the University of Wisconsin Systems Office of Educational Opportunity and seed money from a federal charter school grant program awarded by the state Department of Public Instruction. It enrolled 44 students last year, according to DPI.

Milestone bills itself as being designed by youth for youth. It does not give out traditional letter grades, allows students to develop their own personal learning plans and gives students and staff equal voice in the schools administration.

The director of the Office of Educational Opportunity, Vanessa Moran, declined to comment about the June 1 incident, and Anderson declined to say whether the incident resulted in any sanctions from Morans office.

Editors note: This story was updated on Oct. 7 to clarify that seed money awarded to Milestone came from the federal government and was awarded by DPI, and on Oct. 8 to clarify that the Office of Educational Opportunity did not comment.
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.
Republican Tim Michels was talking to a roomful of party activists in early September when he fielded a question about his position on abortion. Michels vowed he would never change, and said he was winning his race against Democratic Gov. Tony Evers precisely because people saw him as a man of conviction, a man who doesnt waffle.

Two weeks later, Michels retreated from his unqualified support for Wisconsins 1849 law banning abortion except to save the life of the mother, saying if elected he would sign legislation to grant exceptions for rape and incest.

It wasnt the first time Michels changed course on a significant issue. Since getting into the race in April, Michels endorsed Donald Trump for a 2024 run, after first declining to support anyone; said the states bipartisan election commission should be eliminated, after first saying he wanted to keep it; and began welcoming big-dollar donations after earlier saying he wouldnt take any larger than $500.

Michels and Evers are in a close race with broad implications for national politics in 2024 and beyond. Evers has highlighted his status as the only barrier to total GOP control, including his vetoes this year of Republican legislation that would have made it more difficult for some voters to cast ballots in the key battleground state. A Michels victory would give the GOP free rein to pass those changes and more.

Its the most expensive governors race in the nation in terms of ad spending, with both sides spending about $55 million on TV so far, according to AdImpact Politics, which tracks spending by major campaigns.

Michels declined an interview request. But when asked about his change in position at a campaign stop Tuesday, he said, Ive been very clear and consistent throughout that I am pro-life, and I make no apologies for that.

Michels said he would sign a bill creating abortion exceptions in cases of rape and incest because if the Legislature passes it, that means the people have spoken.

Its not clear whether Michels will pay any price with voters for his evolving position on abortion or other issues. Brandon Scholz, a Republican strategist, said he doubted it. Most voters have already decided whom they support, he said.

The independents that started in this race after the primary have picked their sides, Scholz said. Republicans have made up their minds on Michels. I dont see anything out there that would move Republicans to vote for Tony Evers.

That hasnt stopped Evers from seeking to batter him on the abortion issue.

Its not surprising he would make a last-minute, dishonest attempt to hide his radical record on abortion, education, and more, Evers said in a statement to The Associated Press.

Michels is in his first campaign since an unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate 18 years ago. Barry Burden, a political science professor and director of the Elections Research Center at UW-Madison, said such candidates make mistakes sometimes.

They say things that commit them to a position or a path that they eventually dont want to be on so that creates inconsistencies with their positions as they try to walk back earlier views, he said.

Michels abortion shift came after a primary fight in which his chief rival, former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, also opposed the rape and incest exceptions. After winning, Michels clearly came under pressure to soften his position, Burden said.

A Marquette University Law School poll taken shortly before Michels reversal found 83% of respondents  including 70% of Republicans  supported exceptions for rape and incest.

Abortion is a little bit of a worrying sign for Republicans as an issue and it might be the only thing that ends up saving some Democrats who are having a tough go of it, Burden said.

To push back, Michels accuses Evers of breaking promises with voters on a variety of issues, including changes in approach to fighting COVID-19 in 2020. He also points out that Evers proposed tax increases, after saying he didnt intend to raise taxes, and then later took credit for tax cuts passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature that he signed into law.

As part of his strategy to make the race about crime and safety, Michels has also attacked Evers over his administration paroling people convicted of murder and rape and said that Evers has broken his promise made in 2018 not to release violent offenders.

Evers does not determine who is granted parole, something that has occurred routinely under both Republican and Democratic governors for decades.
As Maldives marks its 50 years of tourism, Maldivian-owned Sun Siyam Group is celebrating a milestone achievement of its own.

At the Gala held on October 3 to celebrate the Maldives Tourism Golden Year, the owner and visionary behind Sun Siyam Group, Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, received the Presidents Tourism Gold Award for his exemplary contribution to the development of tourism in Maldives.

Renowned for being one of the visionary businessmen in the country, Mohamed is also one of the youngest resort developers in the industry. Since the inception of his first company, Sun Travels & Tours, he has carefully developed his business to create a thriving resort chain in just over three decades.

For his sustainable leadership in the Maldivian tourism industry, he has been recognised both locally and internationally as an icon of the hospitality industry. He has won the prestigious National Award from the President of the Maldives for distinguished services rendered towards the sustainable development of tourism in Maldives. He also received the Sustainability professional of the Year award at the World Sustainability Congress held in Dubai in 2016; Tourism Pioneer award at the World Travel Awards 2016 and Lifetime Achievement Award at the Maldives Travel Awards 2016.

He has served as an executive board member of Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) since 2004.

He is committed to building a strong employable work force within the tourism industry to continue the legacy of Maldives as the frontrunner in global tourism, said a statement. -TradeArabia News Service
After three decades of service, the last of the Wisconsin Air National Guards F-16 fighter jets took off from Truax Field Wednesday for the last time as the 115th Fighter Wing prepares for its next mission.

Pilots from other units around the country will fly F-16s out of Madison in support of the Guards homeland defense mission while the unit gets ready to fly F-35 fighter jets, said Capt. Leslie Westmont.

Truax Field is undergoing roughly $120 million worth of construction to accommodate the 20 new jets, which are scheduled to begin arriving in early 2023.

The F-16 Fighting Falcons arrived at Truax Field in 1992, replacing the A-10 Thunderbolt, and were the eighth plane type flown by the unit since it was formed in 1948.

Six Wisconsin National Guard pilots flew the last of the units 25 planes to bases in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, New Jersey and Texas, where they will be flown by other units.

Vice Wing Commander Col. Charles Merkel said the jets, built in 1987, have another five to 10 years of service remaining.

Each one of these airplanes has taken us over (two) oceans many times and into harms way and back safely and reliably, Merkel said They have sat alert and they motivated many a Packers and Badgers team with flyovers on fall days like today.

Despite community division and concerns about noise and pollution, the Air Force selected the 115th in 2020 as one of the nations first National Guard units to fly the F-35, which at a cost of more than $1.7 trillion is the Pentagons most expensive weapons program.
Rather than remove 14 absentee ballot drop boxes recently deemed illegal by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the city of Madison is covering them with what the mayors office calls democracy-themed art, her office said Wednesday.

The courts conservative majority ruled in July that because state law is silent on the boxes, they could not be used in future elections. The boxes were rolled out on a large scale statewide prior to the 2020 presidential election amid public health warnings against large gatherings, such as at polling places, in the days before a COVID-19 vaccine was available.

In a statement Wednesday, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conways office said that in the face of the erosion of such fundamental democratic pillars such as truth, voting rights and the rule of law, this week the City of Madison will shroud the drop boxes in the artwork of internationally known artist Jenny Holzer, who lifts the voice of many in hopeful messages about enduring democracy.

Work on almost all of the drop boxes had been completed as of Wednesday afternoon, Deputy Mayor Katie Crawley said. The drop box in front of Fire Station No. 1 Downtown is wrapped in black and includes the Sojourner Truth quote truth is powerful and will prevail printed in large letters. Holzer, a New York-based artist, developed a 2020 get-out-the-vote campaign using her art, including some that appeared in Madison.

The states bipartisan elections commission approved the use of ballot drop boxes in early 2020, and they were rolled out in both conservative and liberal areas of the state.

But they became a whipping boy for former President Donald Trump and his supporters and other Republican doubters of the 2020 presidential election after Trump narrowly lost Wisconsin. Many Republicans began raising questions about the boxes legality, suggesting, without evidence, they could facilitate voter fraud.

Some of the boxes were also paid for with grants from the Mark Zuckerberg-backed Center for Tech and Civic life, which prior to the election poured more than $10 million into municipal coffers to help pay for voting equipment, staffing and supplies aimed at making polling places safer during the pandemic.

From two to four times more CTCL money, per capita, went to the states five largest, liberal-leaning municipalities  which has also spurred Republicans to cry foul  but conservative areas got grants as well and CTCL did not reject any Wisconsin municipalitys grant request.

Rhodes-Conway said the state Supreme Courts decision is one in a long line of decisions that negatively impacts voters in Wisconsin. ... The ability to vote easily, safely and securely is fundamental to our democratic process. Rather than removing these secure ballot drop boxes, we wanted to transform them to share the powerful words of Sojourner Truth and to convey our communitys belief in democracy, voting rights and the prevailing power of truth.

Conventional political wisdom has long held that Democrats do better in high-turnout elections and Republicans do better in low-turnout elections, and Democrats have long favored policies aimed at making it easier to vote while Republicans have focused on deterring already minuscule levels of voter fraud with policies that tighten voting rules.

A Wisconsin State Journal review last month found that in 22 years of changes to Wisconsin voting laws, theres little evidence to suggest that stricter voting laws have dampened turnout or that making voting easier has led to more people cheating at the ballot box. Tighter voting rules also do not appear to be associated with less voter fraud.
Nordic Consulting, a Madison-based health and technology consulting company, has acquired Cheltenham, England-based Hygeian, a similar consulting company with public and private sector clients in the United Kingdom and the Middle East.

The move, announced Thursday, is Nordics sixth acquisition in recent years, the company said in a statement. Hygeian has 300 consultants, which will allow Nordic to expand its capacity to serve clients across the globe, Nordic said.

With Hygeian now part of Nordic, we are better equipped to nimbly and efficiently deliver for our clients and help them overcome industry challenges, said Jim Costanzo, CEO at Nordic Consulting.

In June, Cincinnati-based Accrete Health Partners announced its acquisition of Nordic.

Accrete will allow Nordic to bring our clients innovative solutions at a faster pace, Costanzo said in a statement at the time.

He said Nordic had 1,900 employees globally and 600 clients. Among its services is helping clients implement and use electronic medical record systems, such as those sold by Verona-based Epic Systems Corp. and its competitors, including Cerner and MEDITECH.

Nordic, founded in 2010, is at 2601 W. Beltline Highway.
Its an article of various faiths  both secular and religious  that misunderstanding is the cause of conflict.

This sort of insight is generally true for individuals, so its often considered equally true of nations. Hence vast amounts of antiwar activism and state-level diplomacy rest on the assumption that nations are like people. If we can just get adversaries to talk to each other, and thereby to understand each others perspective, the bloodshed will end or be avoided in the first place.

The only problem: Its not true.

Consider the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to Vladimir Putin, Ukrainians are Russians. Hes long insisted that they are one people. In 2021 he issued a 5,000 word manifesto on this theme. I have only revulsion for Putins criminal invasion of Ukraine, but Ukraine and Russia do have a deeply intertwined past. That connection doesnt justify Putins attempted annexation of Ukraine any more than it would justify Ukraine in attempting to annex Russia. But it does illuminate how mutual understanding isnt a safeguard against war.

Pakistanis and Indians, Israelis and Palestinians, Irish Catholics and Protestants, Serbs and Croats, Hutus and Tutsis, and nearly every other warring group you can think of do not lack for understanding of each other.

Sigmund Freud coined the term narcissism of small differences to describe the phenomenon. It is precisely the minor differences in people who are otherwise alike that form the basis of feelings of hostility between them.

In his book Bloodlust, Russell Jacoby recounts how civil wars are usually crueler and bloodier than wars between external enemies. In the American Civil War, North and South understood each other very well. Brothers, both literally and figuratively, fought each other. Mutual understanding fueled anger rather than dampen it because mutual understanding illuminates the sense of betrayal, even heresy.

Understanding the limits of understanding is essential because if you believe talking is the only solution to conflict (and not merely the most preferable one), your opponent will use talk solely to distract or delay.

More important, this view often fosters sympathy or even support for bad actors on the assumption that theyve been unfairly misunderstood  and that America is to blame for foolishly provoking them.

Its amazing how some people feel that merely describing our adversaries motives is a justification for their actions. By confusing explanations for excuses  Putin feels surrounded! Iran wants a nuke to protect its regime!  this perspective often puts all of the blame for tensions or conflict on America or the West.

Ive made this point many times before, usually as a critique of left-leaning opponents of American foreign policy who insisted all tensions stemmed from our misunderstanding of our adversaries.

Its now a much more bipartisan affair, with many on the right insisting we are being provocative by aiding Ukraine.

To listen to some critics of American support for Ukraine, Putin is less a human being with the ability to make decisions and more like a force of nature or a wild animal. Like a grizzly bear that  understandably!  mauls someone who teases it, Putin is just doing what he must, like some Aesopian creature.

The rights newfound fondness for Putin and its (in Jeanne Kirkpatricks memorable phrase) blame America first mindset (much like the old Cold War left-wing versions) has much to do with ideological commitments that only tangentially have to do with foreign policy.

For many on the nationalist right, Putin plays the same role Fidel Castro did for the socialist left  an avatar for a wholesale critique of America. They like him because Putin is strong, anti-gay, anti-woke and a Christian nationalist.

The hitch to all of this is that their understanding of Putin is little more than a fantasy. The mastery and competence his fans once celebrated is now a joke. Some 60,000 Russians have died in Ukraine since February  roughly four times the number of casualties in the decade-long Soviet invasion of Afghanistan  and more Russians have tried to flee the country to avoid fighting in this criminally stupid war than have been deployed to Ukraine.

Obviously, we have to take nuclear threats from a sociopath seriously. But Putin is counting on his belief that America and the West are weak and decadent to save him from a disaster of his own making. The last thing we should do is act like he understands us better than we understand ourselves.
U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz has, rightfully, hammered his Democratic opponent, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, for a lack of transparency about his health following a serious stroke. To his credit, Oz released his medical records, after a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial urged both candidates to do so. Fetterman has not.

But the celebrity doctor also has questions he needs to answer concerning the health claims he made to his millions of viewers. On his long-running television show, Oz enthusiastically promoted cures and remedies that either lacked scientific evidence, or had been proven ineffective.

Voters deserve to know whether a candidate unabashedly used his celebrity to enrich himself. They should know how  and to what extent  Oz profited from the claims he made.

Oz has said his enthusiasm for everything from green coffee bean extract for weight loss to the rare element selenium for cancer prevention  both debunked  came from a desire to give his viewers hope. But of what ultimate benefit are false promises and empty hopes to desperate people? And to what extent did Oz know he was making spurious claims?

Like any federal candidate, Oz submitted a financial disclosure when he entered the race. Last year, his primary income came from three sources, all associated with his television show and controlled all or in part by him and his wife, Lisa. From Zoco Productions, LLC, he received about $2.2 million for his roles as host and producer of the Dr. Oz Show. From Oz Works, LLC, another production company, he received $350,000 as a consultant. And from Oz Media, LLC, he received about $7 million through his ownership stake.

Those disclosures, however, dont show where his companies got their money, or whether companies that produced the supplements and other products he hawked paid any of his companies for the privilege. Transparency about whether Oz personally profited from the hopes he engendered speaks to his integrity, just as transparency about Fettermans health does to his.

Financial transparency and integrity are especially important, given the ongoing scandal of congressional stock trading. There are ample opportunities for members of Congress to profit from their privileged knowledge  all of which should be restricted by a strengthening of the STOCK Act. We hope Oz and Fetterman plan to support it as a U.S. senator.

Meantime, Oz can raise the standards of trust and transparency by disclosing financial records that show to what extent, if any, he profited from his often controversial medical claims.
If youre prepping to fill out to the FAFSA this fall, the good news is youre likely to feel less hassled and crunched for time than you would have been in previous years.

Start with the fact that instead of a grueling list of 108 questions, the new form for the 2023-2024 filing season has been slashed to no more than 36 questions. The specific numbers will be based on filers financial situation.

In addition to the shorter format, Congress passed legislation last December that includes a series of other major changes that take effect with the new FAFSA  all designed to improve the system and increase the chances for more students to receive financial aid.

For most families, paying for college starts with filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as FAFSA. The 2023-2024 funding season kicked off on Oct. 1, and runs through June 30, 2024. (To start the process, log on to studentaid.gov.)

States and colleges also set their own deadlines for receiving the FAFSA, so know your deadlines.

While families have plenty of time to tackle the form, dont procrastinate because colleges typically dole out loans, scholarships, grants and work study money on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Among the changes to the FAFSA for 2023-2024:

 Say good-bye to the Expected Family Contribution, and say hello to the Student Aid Index. Broadly, the name change is more than semantics. It aims to better reflect calculations of your income and other financial assets that determine what the government believes you can pay toward a year of college costs, especially for students from low-income families who might need Pell grants and other financial aid the most.

 The so-called income protection allowance has been changed for both students and parents. The allowance now shields a greater percentage of a students and or parents income from being counted when the federal government determines how much may be put toward paying for college.

 Male students no longer need to register for the Selective Service before age 26 to receive financial aid. In addition federal aid eligibility has been restored for students with drug-related convictions.

 Students who lived in foster care or experienced periods of homelessness can expect an easier application process.

 With the updated FAFSA form, users filling out information can select their role in the application process from a few different options  parent, preparer, or student. Being able to select a role before filing the FAFSA has the potential to allow for a more user-friendly interface that can help reduce the number of mistakes, Sallie Mae, the financial services company, said in a FAFSA analysis.

Finally, get organized. Sallie Mae recommends that students and parents gather Social Security numbers, drivers license numbers, bank and investment statements, 2021 tax returns and W-2 forms. Nitro College, www.nitrocollege.com, offers an interactive step-by-step guide for filing the FAFSA, along with answers to tough questions.

Double-check your work before submitting the FAFSA. According to Sallie Mae, entering incorrect social security or drivers license numbers or forgetting to sign the application are some of the most common errors that can delay processing your application.

___
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.

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.
The Boise State University nursing program is producing about 80 registered nurses per semester, twice a year.

Thats up from 60 per semester just a couple of years ago, but its still not nearly enough to meet a growing demand for nurses in Idaho.

Even if it was a perfect world where someone could dump the money in so that we could do the programs and have the people come in, have clinical rotations in place, expand our simulation labs, do all that, it just takes time to educate someone, Tim Dunnagan, professor and dean of the College of Health Sciences at Boise State University, said in an interview at his office. You cant just pop them in a toaster and have them come out as nurses.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking.

As of June, Idaho had 9,000 health care jobs it could not fill, according to a recent report by Idaho Business for Education. Number one on that list was a shortage of registered nurses  some 1,600 openings.

One of Idahos largest health care systems had 2,000 openings, according to the report. One of the states largest standalone hospitals had 700 openings  400 of them were for nurses. Idaho hospitals are relying on traveling nurses who contract with the hospital to fill staffing gaps. This can cost hospitals millions of dollars a year to hire these come-and-go nurses, according to the report.

Unfortunately, we have a health care worker crisis in Idaho, Rod Gramer, CEO of Idaho Business for Education, wrote in a preface to the study. We simply do not have enough health care workers to take care of us and the situation could get worse if we do not act.

Nationwide shortage

Its not just Idaho. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects nearly 203,000 new job openings a year for registered nurses through 2031.

With 16,000 employees, St. Lukes is Idahos largest health care employer, according to Erin Simms, senior vice president and chief talent and people officer for St. Lukes Health System, in an emailed statement to me for this story.

We continue to have a significant number of openings for our experienced nursing positions, she wrote. In some areas of care St. Lukes continues to rely on contracted traveling nurses to help support our employed staff and ensure we can safely care for the patients who need our care.

The nursing shortage is part of a larger, nationwide labor shortage in all sectors that Ive been writing about this year. Most recently, I wrote about the labor shortage in construction, which is estimated to need an additional 650,000 workers in 2022.

The general labor shortage is caused by a combination of continued strong job growth, Baby Boomers retiring, younger workers not replacing them, declining labor participation, many women not returning to the workforce, declining immigration and lower birth rates. The United States has nearly 11 million job openings and only about 6 million available workers, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Health care may be one of the more serious fields to have a labor shortage.

Without a robust health care system, no need to build those roads, according to Brian Whitlock, president of the Idaho Hospital Association, in the IBE report. Not investing in health care will kill our economy faster than anything else. Lets have a historic investment in health care infrastructure.

'Wicked business problem'

While Boise State receives as many as 200 nursing student applications per semester, the program can accept only about 80 nursing students.

One of the main limiting factors is clinical hours  hundreds of hours a graduate is required to spend in a real-life clinical setting, such as a hospital, working on real patients.

In order to get that clinical time in a real-life setting, nursing students need to be paired up with another nurse in that hospital.

It takes a nurse to educate a nurse, Shelle Poole, divisional dean of the School of Nursing at Boise State, told me in an interview. So when we have a nursing shortage in the health care system, those clinical placements, if theres not enough nurses to meet their daily demands, but we also want to do education in the health care systems, we have a what I call a wicked business problem.

So its a Catch-22: Hospitals need more nurses, but a nursing shortage limits how many nursing students they can help train. We could produce more nurses if only we had more nurses to help train nursing students.

Clinical roles have proven the most challenging to fill, Simms, of St. Lukes, wrote in an email. Nursing across all units and provider positions, particularly those in the medical subspecialties, continues to be our greatest area of supply and demand challenges.

Simms said St. Lukes has hired more recent graduates in the last year than ever.

Retiring workforce

Part of the health care labor shortage problem is that nursing is not immune to workers choosing to retire.

Of the 18,650 registered nurses in Idaho, 3,400 are over the age of 55 and 1,700 are over the age of 65, according to the Idaho Business for Education report.

But retirees also offer a possible solution.

Why not bring those retired nurses back to work as clinical training nurses, part time, for the sole purpose of training nursing students in a clinical setting?

In a lesser-publicized piece of legislation passed by the Idaho Legislature in an extraordinary session in September, legislators earmarked money for career-technical education.

In the bill, $80 million will go toward training for in-demand careers and prepare our institutions for the likely increase in workforce development training that occurs during times of economic uncertainty, according to Idaho Gov. Brad Littles plan approved by legislators.

Legislators will determine how best to spend that money when they reconvene in January.

Idaho should invest some of that money with Boise State, Lewis Clark State College and Idaho State University nursing programs to hire nurses to come back to the workforce as training nurses in real-life clinical settings.

Utah recognizes that theyll need to compete for nurses. The University of Utah announced this year that its College of Nursing would increase its annual enrollment by 25%, from 144 to 180, by spending $400,000 to add a summer semester, hire more full-time and adjunct faculty, a student adviser, a clinical placement coordinator and patient simulation specialists.

Meanwhile, back in Idaho, a bill in the Idaho Legislature that would have created a state-funded student loan repayment program for nurses who work in Idahos rural towns, failed this session in the Senate by a 14-17 vote, according to the Idaho Capital Sun.

The labor shortage isnt going away any time soon. Businesses, industries and states are going to be competing for workers.

And that competition for workers will become more pitched as the shortage becomes more acute.

Idaho needs to get out ahead of this. If we dont, other states will pass us by.
BUHL  A co-worker needed a kidney and an employee was more than willing to help.

Sometimes youre put in a place and time for a reason, Monica Bennion said, and this happened to be one of those times.

Bennion donated one of her kidneys to co-worker Travis Reddick in May after his health began to slowly decline in 2008 after being diagnosed with an illness that hampers the kidneys ability to filter waste from the blood.

Now, four months later, the two friends joke around and efficiently ensure that the Nutrien Ag Solutions branch in Buhl runs smoothly.

Nothing really changed, Reddick said of their relationship.

Bennion of Twin Falls has a strong conviction that she was meant to help rescue Reddick from his condition.

For me, I think it was a calling, she said. I think it was one of the reasons why I was put on this earth. It just took awhile for me to get it done.

And Bennion has a changed outlook on organ donation.

It can save lives, she said, and encourages others to consider being an organ donor.

Bennion had just begun her job at Nutrien Ag Solutions in November 2020 when she learned of Reddicks condition. It was a slow time of the year for the business, and she had moved to Idaho with her husband from out of state, enthralled with Idahos way of life. She got the job within 10 days of applying and got to know Reddick and his health issue.

The formal name of Reddicks disease is IgA Nephropathy, or more commonly called Bergers Disease. It wasnt in a serious stage for Reddick at that time.

Then he got COVID-19.

The coronavirus caused Reddicks kidney function to drop dramatically, and when it hit 15%, a doctor told him it was time to start considering dialysis or a kidney transplant. Reddick didnt want to have to go on dialysis, which would require extended amounts of time as he tried to raise his two sons.

It can be very limiting on your lifestyle, he said.

When she discovered Reddicks dire situation, one of the first thoughts she had was, Where do we go from here? she said.

She was the first person to volunteer for testing, even though she had known Reddick for just six months, to see if she would be a good match, ahead of Reddicks sister and one of his bosses.

Blood type wasnt a problem, but then came a gauntlet of other testing from antigen markers to body mass index tests.

They want the donor to be in as perfect health as possible, Bennion said, adding that a CAT scan and chest X-ray were part of the process. She was deemed a suitable match.

Through it all came questions and reflections.

You have to ask why you are doing this, she said.

Some relatives, including her mother, expressed hesitancy in Bennion going forward with the surgery.

Later, her mother told Bennion that going forward with the transplant was the right thing to do.

Reddicks kidney function hit 7%, and although his sister was in the initial stages of testing to determine whether she would be a match, there was no time to lose.

There was a delay at the University of Utah Hospital when a COVID outbreak hit Utah, but the May 26 procedure for both patients went smoothly and Bennion returned to work two weeks later.

I was on pain meds for a day and a half, then Tylenol, she said.

As for Reddick, he had a more complicated recovery, but still returned to work six weeks after the surgery. He was required to spend four weeks in Utah to be available for checkups and tests.

It was a textbook donor transplant, Bennion said. I think it turned out better than expected.

Reddick, a longtime Jerome resident, said he feels great after the surgery. He never felt very ill before the transplant, but tired easily.

People look at you like you are a hero, Bennion said, when others learn about donating a kidney. But she isnt ready to be called a hero.

That is a really big word, she said. A lot of meaning goes into that word.

But she did take heart when her father said, Wow, I am so proud of you.

She wants others to know that organ donation is worthy of consideration. Its not for everyone, Bennion said, but people can indicate on their drivers license that they want to be an organ donor.

Statistics from 2016 indicate 64% of Idahoans choose to be organ donors on their drivers licenses, higher than than the national average of 51%, according to the Idaho Transportation Department.

There are almost 100,000 Americans on the kidney waiting list, Bennion said, and perhaps 20,000 will get one.

She thoroughly researched the organ transplant process, and is hopeful more artificial organs will be developed. Testing of artificial kidneys is underway, she said.

Bennion has no regrets after donating her kidney, and praised Nutrien Ag Solutions, a manufacturer of agricultural products, for being flexible as she and Reddick underwent the transplant process.

They supported us from day one, she said.

And Bennion smiles when she thinks of the surgeons at University of Utah granting her one request: They took a photo of her kidney during the surgery and presented her with a large picture.

The picture on my phone now, she said.
Cafe 302, BurJuman Arjaan by Rotana recently hosted a special lunch with students from the Rashid Center for Students of Determination to mark its second birthday.

The three-hour event included a sumptuous and fun lunch, freshly prepared by the Cafe 302 kitchen team, followed by a gift-giving to the group.

Ulrich Hoffmeister, General Manager of BurJuman Arjaan by Rotana, said: Celebrating Cafe 302s birthday wont be complete without giving back to the community. We are happy to share this special day with these special children.

It was a great experience seeing the children joining in this momentous event with us. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the management of the Rashid Center for People of Determination for allowing their students to be part of this celebration, Ulrich added.

The Rashid Centre for Students of Determination was established in 1994. The vision of the centre is to achieve the states strategy and the vision of faith, empowerment, employment and integration for the students. The centre supports children from the age of four with a variety of disabilities, offering a wide range curriculum and a therapeutic approach that includes vocational training that has led to some of the students gaining employment.  TradeArabia News Service
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.
Imagine you were part owner of a nice piece of rural land, maybe with a trout stream running through it. But your neighbors wont let you in. You dont have to imagine, because access to far too much public land is legally blocked by private property owners, causing headaches throughout the West.

If you look at a map of the region, big tracts of land run in a checkerboard pattern of mixed public and private land ownership. The West is literally diced up into alternating square-mile sections of federally managed land and private ground, which is generally owned by a timber company or ranch.

This is not a small problem. Researchers have found that 8 million acres of public land are landlocked in 11 states. Thats roughly equal to the area of four Yellowstone national parks.

This land ownership pattern has been causing headaches since it was rolled across the West in the 1860s. It dates back to the days of Abraham Lincoln, when the federal government granted land to railroads as incentives to span the continent with tracks, thus opening up the West for development.

Unintended consequences continue to fill up courthouses. This year, in Wyoming, the absentee owner of a 22,000-acre ranch wasnt happy when four hunters crossed from one section of public land to another, thanks to a makeshift ladder they raised at the corner of his private land.

Once the hunters from Missouri accomplished their corner crossing, the ranch owner convinced a local prosecutor to file trespassing charges. After a jury failed to convict, the ranch owner was not satisfied.

He filed a civil case, claiming that by merely crossing his land at the corner, the hunters had decreased the value of his property. To be clear, the hunters never stepped foot on his land. But the landowner claimed they violated the airspace over the corner where properties met. The suit charged that the loss of exclusive access to his land caused millions of dollars in damages.

The case is being watched closely around the country. Access advocates have raised tens of thousands of dollars in donations via GoFundMe accounts to help pay legal costs for the hunters involved. They hope that a victory in Wyoming will have beneficial consequences elsewhere.

But a victory for public land access is far from automatic, even if a Wyoming judge or jury agrees with the hunters in civil court. The question remains: Where do public rights stop and private property rights begin?

Legislatures across the West will be under political pressure to resolve the issue, and conservative legislatures could pass a law giving private landowners authority to block corner crossing.

Under that scenario, the public would lose. Yet there are proven tools to protect access in checkerboarded landscapes.

All thats required are private landowners who dont hanker for a showdown.

Where I live in northwestern Montana, checkerboard landscapes were the norm, and when I went hunting I often had no idea whose land I was on. Public or private, though, didnt matter, because visitors were welcomed by both.

That changed when timber companies shifted their focus from sawing lumber to selling real estate. Thousands of acres suddenly fell behind No Trespassing signs or fences put up around trophy ranches.

Luckily for me, groups like the Trust for Public Land and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks worked with willing landowners and elected officials to secure public access. Today, every major timber company in Montana has a conservation easement allowing the public to enter at least part of their domain. This has helped secure access around fast growing resort towns like Whitefish and Columbia Falls.

Meanwhile, then Sen. Max Baucus brokered a huge deal where the federal government bought thousands of acres in the Swan River Valley, making the land state forest or national forest. Thankfully, there are sources of money through the Land & Water Conservation Fund that can pay for such solutions. Land trades are another way to settle the issue.

David-vs-Goliath fights between hunting parties and wealthy absentee landlords generate a lot of passion, and perhaps the disputes will conclude by securing more rights for everyday folks to enjoy public land.

But larger solutions will require more people willing to work together, and a lot more money on the table. Not everything needs to be settled in court.
Today is Thursday, October 6, the 279th day of 2022. There are 86 days left in the year.

In the Henry Bulletin in 1922: Browns WarehouseTobacco sales better each day: Our general average price yesterday, $33.35 per hundred. Bring us your next load and get best prices while the getting is good. Your Friends, J.M. & J.B. Davis.

Also 1922: The Parent-Teachers meeting was well attended last Friday evening in the school auditorium. Interesting and sensational stereoscopic pictures were shown by the president, Rev. C.H. Phipps. There were pictures of noted landscapes, phenomena in nature, and public buildings both in the old world and the United States.

1947: WASHINGTON (AP)  An unprecedented self-denial offensive against hunger in Western Europe was touched off today by President Trumans call for food sacrifices as an American contribution to peace. Mr. Truman asked all citizens to go without meat on Tuesdays, without eggs and poultry on Thursday, and to save a slice of bread a day.

1972: Phillip Jones, 11, 609 Colonial Drive, Collinsville, is a bright sixth-grader who has become intensely interested in the ecological movement. He and some cousins, Mark, Sidney and Bonnie Jones, have formed a Save Our Environment Club and are rushing around with various projects to raise money.

Also 1972: Collinsville Recreation Center has three new classes members might be interested in. Beginners bridge will start Oct. 9, charm and etiquette Oct. 9, and ladies exercise classes Oct. 10.

1997: An angry runaway steer was caught this morning after escaping from its owners and leading Henry County Sheriff Departments deputies on an all-night chase, sheriffs officials said this morning. Its my understanding somebody was trying to wean him from his mother, and he just went ballistic  went crazy and ran off after that, said Sgt. Steve Pegram at the Henry County Emergency 911 Dispatch Center this morning.
For the first time, all four City Council candidates will get together for questioning, when Mt. Sinai Church hosts a forum tonight.

Incumbents Jennifer Bowles and Danny Turner, along with newcomers Aaron Rawls and LC Jones, will be at 7 Peters St. in Martinsville at 6 p.m. this evening to answer questions from a moderator, media and members of the audience.

The latest campaign finance reports were due to be filed with the Virginia Department of Elections on Sept. 15 and in those reports, Bowles appears to be the most well financed.

Candidates are only required to list direct contributions over $100 and Bowles had two: Albert Pettie of Martinsville on Aug. 1 for $500 and Yo Daddy Properties LLC on Aug. 1 for $2,500, for a total of $3,000 in listed contributions.

Rawls listed two donations to his campaign from himself: on Aug. 29, $950, and on Aug. 30, $300, for a total of $1,250 in listed contributions.

Turners report shows two contributions from himself to his campaign: on June 9; $400; and Aug. 17; $500; for a total of $900 in listed contributions.

LC Jones shows one contribution from Kerry Smith in Martinsville for $500 on July 21.

The biggest spender, by a small margin, is Rawls. He lists $895.05 to Whats Your Sign in Martinsville on Aug. 30 for campaign signs and $100 to New College Institute on Aug. 31 for a meeting space reservation, totaling $995.05.

Closely behind is Turner with one expense item for $866 to Signs on the Cheap in Texas on Aug. 23 for campaign signs.

Financial information from previous campaigns for Turner was not listed with the Virginia Department of Elections.

Listed as expenses, Bowles reported $248.75 on Aug. 1 to Blue Ridge Bank in Martinsville for inactivity fees since 2018, $33 to the Virginia Department of Elections in Richmond on Aug. 31 for an unspecified list and $486.48 to Vistaprint in Maine on Aug. 31 for advertising.

The total of expenses for Bowles was reported as $768.23.

Bowles was first elected to Council in 2014 and is seeking her third term in office. Major contributors in her previous campaigns were New Heights Community Support in Martinsville for $5,005 in 2018; Albert Pettie in Martinsville, $500 in 2018; Melvin Carter in Martinsville, $200 in 2015; and David Jones in Martinsville; $200 in 2014.

Jones was least on the list of candidates in spending, with a payment of $252.68 to Amazon Prime in Washington on Aug. 2 for campaign pens and stickers.

Bowles reported the most cash on hand going into the month of September with $2,480.52, followed by Rawls with $254.95, Jones with $247.32 and Turner with $134.

The next candidate financial reports are due on Oct. 17.

One of the issues likely to be high on the discussion list at tonights forum is reversion.

The city of Martinsville has applied to revert from a city to a town within Henry County. The county is opposed to it, and the General Assembly approved a measure at last years session that will require the voters of Martinsville to approve the change.

That vote will not come before 2023 at the earliest, because the measure requiring the vote was not approved until after the deadline for this years ballot.

The referendum does not direct Council to revert the city of Martinsville to a town, but gives Council permission to do so if they desire.

Bowles and Turner have supported reversion, but Rawls and Jones have stated they are opposed to it.

At a candidates gathering for Rawls and Jones recently, Council Member Tammy Pearson, who also has expressed opposition to reversion, told the attendees that reversion could be stopped if both Rawls and Jones were elected, but if only one of the candidates earned a seat at the table, the majority of council would still be in favor of reversion.

At the last council meeting, Bowles stated during and after the meeting that her previous support of reversion no longer mattered: Let the people decide, she said.
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.
On Tuesday, Mayor Steve Little proclaimed Hispanic Heritage Month in the city of Marion, which is a first for McDowell County. In addition, the Marion City Council honored Margarita Ramirez, executive director of Centro Unido Latino Americano, as the Citizen of the Month for October.

During the first regular meeting of October, council member Billy Martin announced his choice for Citizen of the Month. Ramirez is the director of Centro Unido Latino Americano (CULA), a nonprofit in Marion. CULA helps and advocates primarily for members of the Latinx community with English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, employment, education, health concerns and a food pantry every other Thursday and many other programs designed to uplift people. CULA has grown large enough to assist people in the city and McDowell County, said Martin.

He first took notice of Ramirez at the celebration for the new See our Voices mural that is on an exterior wall of Mica Town Brewing in downtown Marion.

I said to myself Now that young lady seems very passionate about her people and community, said Martin at the meeting. Of course, I didnt know who she was but I was truly impressed with her passion, knowledge and self-confidence.

Ramirez was 9 years old when she came to Marion. She graduated from McDowell High School and has worked at a variety of jobs. Since becoming executive director at CULA, she has helped grow the organization to eight full-time and two part-time positions. When she came on board, CULA had an annual budget of $88,000 and today that number has grown to more than $700,000. The number of people served has grown from 300 clients a month to more than 2,500 a month.

Margarita states that over the past years, she has been able to build capacity at CULA through developing a team of people who are qualified and more than happy to assist her community in the best ways possible, said Martin. She further states that with phone calls, meetings and visits, along with being an independent mother of two, she is still driven every day to grow the organization and advance her community toward socially, economically and environmentally.

Theres a lot of good things happening at CULA, which enriches our community and we commend them for all they do every day. We are a better place to live and raise our families because of Margarita and her staff at CULA.

Ramirez was joined by her family, friends and her staff members at CULA as she received the certificate of Citizen of the Month from Mayor Steve Little.

The mayor had an announcement of his own. Little expressed his appreciation to CULA and proclaimed Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month in the city of Marion. He said this is the first time it has been proclaimed in McDowell County.

A portion of the proclamation reads: Whereas Hispanic people comprise almost 11% of North Carolinas population, with a significant and growing Hispanic population in McDowell County who play an integral and vital role in Marion and surrounding areas; and Whereas Centro Unido Latino Americano encourages healthy and active lifestyles, assists with classes teaching English as a second language, provides tutoring for students striving to do their best, and shares the Hispanic culture with its honorable and meaningful traditions and celebrations, in ways that enrich all of Marion; Now, therefore, I, Stephen R. Little, mayor of the city of Marion, North Carolina, hereby express appreciation to Centro Unido Latino Americano and proclaim September 15 through October 15, 2022 as Hispanic Heritage Month, in the city of Marion, North Carolina.

Many of the people in the audience waved flags of the different Latin American countries, which are represented in local Hispanic heritage.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni apologized Wednesday in a statement for his sons Twitter rants, which included threats to invade Kenya.

The unfriendly comments earlier this week by General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the 48-year-old eldest son of the head of state, have offended the Kenyan neighbor. The presidents son suggested that it would take him and his army two weeks to take over the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

He had also reprimanded, still on the social network, the former head of state Uhuru Kenyatta for not having run for re-election in the last presidential elections in August, despite the Constitution which prohibits more than two terms. In a statement issued Wednesday, the Ugandan president criticized his son for interfering in the affairs of Kenya, and for publicly expressing himself on political issues, which is normally forbidden to any military official.

I ask our Kenyan brothers and sisters to forgive us, wrote Yoweri Museveni, who has presided over Uganda with an iron fist since 1986. The 78-year-old head of state has left the door open for a new presidential bid in 2026.

The Ugandan president apologized to his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto, who was sworn in last month. The outcry on social media prompted the Ugandan foreign ministry to issue a statement saying it was committed to good neighborliness (and) peaceful co-existence with Kenya.

The Ugandan Ministry of Defense announced Tuesday that Muhoozi Kainerugaba was replaced by another military officer as head of the countrys ground forces, but with the rank of general. The Ugandan head of state, however, was careful to praise the positive contributions the general has made and can still make.

Muhoozi Kainerugabas earlier Twitter comments in support of rebels in Ethiopias Tigray region, which has been in conflict with the federal authorities for two years, also angered the authorities in Addis Ababa.
The Supreme Court denied the request for conditional release of the defendant Augusto da Silva Tomas, former Minister of Transport, for having reached half of the single sentence of seven years and one month in prison imposed on him for the commission of several crimes in 2019.

The sentence of the 1st Section of the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court dated last September 27 and signed by the judge of law Daniel Modesto Geraldo states that this decision arises because the penalty is soft for conducts so serious as the one assumed by the former public manager Augusto Tomas.

According to the Supreme Court, these conducts have made it impossible for Angola and many other countries worldwide to have economic growth that enables the Executives to create better living conditions for their people.

The freedom of this type of criminal in the middle of his sentence is not at all compatible with social peace and public tranquility that is required for the granting of conditional release, adds the sentence quoted by Radio Nacional de Angola.

According to the report of this sentence, under case 02/19, Augusto Tomas is the main defendant in the case of the National Council of Shippers, commonly known as CNC Case, sentenced to 7 years and one month, after the reformulation of the legal cumulation due to the entry into force of the new code that decriminalized one of the conducts.

Augusto da Silvia Tomas has been in custody since September 21, 2018 and was sentenced on August 16, 2019, having reached the halfway point of his prison sentence on April 6 of this year.
The Ethiopian government announced on Wednesday that it had accepted an invitation from the African Union (AU) to hold peace talks with rebels in the northern region of Tigray.

According to a letter sent to both parties by AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, the talks are expected to take place over the weekend in South Africa. They aim to end almost two years of conflict in Africas second most populous country.

The African Union has sent an invitation for peace talks. The government of Ethiopia has accepted this invitation, in line with our principled position on the peaceful resolution of the conflict and the need for talks without preconditions, Redwan Hussein, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmeds national security adviser, said in a tweet. The rebel authorities in Tigray have not yet commented on the subject, simply announcing a forthcoming statement.

The AU letter refers to discussions between the two parties, the Ethiopian government and the rebels, suggesting that neighbouring Eritrea, one of the worlds most closed and authoritarian countries, whose army supports the Ethiopian government forces, is not invited. The tiger rebels have always said they would not accept Asmaras presence at any talks.

The letter also said the talks would be hosted by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo  the AUs special envoy for the Horn of Africa  assisted by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and former South African Vice President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

After a five-month truce that raised hopes for peace negotiations, fighting resumed on August 24 in northern Ethiopia between Tigrayan rebels and the federal Ethiopian army, backed by forces from the border regions of Tigray and Eritrea.
Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana hotel Abu Dhabi has welcomed Harald Feurstein as its new General Manager.

Equipped with a wealth of experience to support his role, Feurstein will be responsible for overseeing the Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotanas strategic direction, consolidating its position as a leading hospitality destination within the emirates and to position the property as a major attraction within the city.

Following his appointment, he will lead the development of new projects and services to enhance the customer experience, thereby creating new benchmark of international standards which are synonymous with the Rotana Group, said a statement.

His prior experience as a global hotelier span across three continents having worked in Europe, Africa and Asia. In Asia, this includes leading roles in Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea, the Philippines and China. In his previous roles Feurstein represented brands including Fairmont, Conrad and Hilton.

Conveniently located in the heart of Abu Dhabi, overlooking the breath-taking turquoise waters of the Arabian Sea and the Presidential Palace, Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana is the first property to open in Abu Dhabi under Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts by Rotana brand. The five-star family resort offers 443 splendid rooms and suites. -TradeArabia News Service
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned again that the Polisario Front obstructed the ground patrols that were supposed to be carried out by the UN mission in the Sahara, MINURSO, to the east of the berm, similar to the patrols it is carrying out in the sites of Moroccos Royal Armed Forces.

The annual report of the United Nations Security Council on the Moroccan Sahara confirmed that the MINURSOs ground patrols attempted to conduct a total of 2,407 visits to the Polisario units, but the fronts leaders prevented them from reaching those headquarters, and the same applies to the logistical land convoys that the Polisario prevented.

I strongly urge the Frente POLISARIO to remove all restrictions to the free movement of MINURSO military observers, ground convoys, air assets, and personnel east of the berm, the UN report urged.

MINURSO ground patrols attempted to conduct a total of 2,407 visits to Frente Polisario units and headquarters but were denied access, the report said, emphasizing that Polisario denied MINURSOs group patrols inside Polisario headquarters.

The UN document pointed out that the acting commander of the MINURSO force was unable to establish direct contact with the military elements of the Polisario, and all contacts were made only through written correspondence, indicating that the front also rejected requests to increase the frequency of the missions logistical trips.

The report also stressed the Polisarios categorical rejection of the missions efforts to investigate air or ground patrols east of the berm, while the MINURSOs mission in the Moroccan Sahara was able to conduct 6,167 visits to the headquarters of the Royal Armed Forces, as well as sub-units and observation posts west of the berm.

The report stated that cooperation and communications at the strategic level continued between the MINURSO in the Moroccan Sahara and the leadership of the Royal Armed Forces without change, alerting the international communitys concern over the presence of drug smugglers and criminal elements in the region.

With regard to the military war promoted by the Polisario in the region, the UN report said that the mission was unable to directly monitor the exchange of fire through the security wall, or verify the details of individual incidents, explaining that the mission was unable to verify the information independently.

The document also warned of the risk of escalation between the parties in the buffer zone after the ceasefire agreement, which contributes to increasing tension in the region, calling on the parties to the conflict to deal with the UNSG personal envoy Staffan de Mistura with an open mind in order to facilitate the peaceful political process.

The annual report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the Sahara conflict also called on the countries of the region to engage in good faith in political negotiations to end the conflict, pointing to the United Nations readiness to hold intensive meetings with all concerned with the file.
VSSP restores myeloid cell frequencies following leukopenia. C57BL/6 mice were injected with CY (200 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) and with two consecutive daily doses of G-CSF (300 g/kg of body weight, s.c.), one dose of VSSP (200 g, s.c.), or both VSSP and G-CSF starting 2 days after CY treatment (A). Total BM cells (B) and GMP and MegE (C) were determined by cell count and flow analysis of the BM respectively, 4 days after CY administration (n=3). Levels of oligopotent GMPs, GPs and MPs were also determined (D). Data represent the mean of three individual miceSEM. Results shown are representative of two independent experiments. Asterisks above bars indicate significant differences (* or ** when p<0.05 or 0.01, respectively). Statistical analyses were performed with the Tukey test. BM, bone marrow; G-CSF, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor; GMP, granulocyte-monocyte progenitor; GP, granulocytic progenitor; MPs, monocytic progenitor; VSSP, very small size particle. Credit: Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (2022). DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004710

A collaborative effort between investigators at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Center for Molecular Immunology (CIM) in Havana, Cuba, has revealed a new strategy for correcting immune dysfunction in cancer patients. Findings from this research, which involved both laboratory studies and an early-phase clinical trial, show that a novel immune modulator known as VSSP can significantly reduce myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) among individuals with advanced kidney cancer.

This work, recently published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, opens the door for the development of an immune-modulating therapy that could overcome immune dysfunctionin this case, an overproduction of MDSCs that can aid the progression of cancercreating more favorable conditions for generating an antitumor response.

"While it is well-appreciated that the immune system can be effective against cancer, we also know that the effectiveness of existing therapies may be hampered by counter networks of immune suppression," says Scott Abrams, Ph.D., senior author on the new work and Distinguished Member and Professor of Oncology in the Department of Immunology and Co-Leader of the Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Program at Roswell Park.

Previous research has shown that antitumor immune responses can be improved by blocking MDSCsa prominent cell type that drives immune suppression. Those approaches have shortcomings, though, because they address limited aspects of MDSC biology.

The investigators sought to find an alternative method for targeting MDSCs using VSSP, which stands for "very small size particle," and is a novel immune modulator developed by the CIM team. VSSP is a nanoparticle that has been in clinical development in Cuba for more than 10 years and has been incorporated into the formulation of three different cancer vaccine candidates currently at different stages of clinical testing, including phase 3 trials.

The team focused on the concept of differentiation, which enables cells to mature. Since MDSCs comprise populations of immature cell types, the team tested whether this agent drives MDSC maturation as a means to reduce their burden. In the new publication, the investigators demonstrate that the administration of VSSP in preclinical models drove MDSCs in the bone marrow to become monocytes and dendritic cellsan outcome that carries potential merit for treating cancer patients with high MDSC burden.

As part of the new study, investigators at the CIM also completed an early-phase clinical trial of VSSP in 15 patients with metastatic kidney cancer. Following treatment with VSSP, the number of MDSCs in patients' blood was significantly reduced, accompanied by increased levels of monocytes and dendritic cells, as observed in the preclinical studies.

"Together, these clinical and preclinical findings strengthen the evidence that VSSP can be used to correct myeloid dysfunction in cancer, and also provide a rationale for combining VSSP with other immuno-oncology agents," says study co-senior author Jason Muhitch, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Oncology in the Department of Immunology and Co-Leader of the Genitourinary Cancer Translational Research Group at Roswell Park.

"Our findings also suggest that the mechanism by which VSSP is interfering with the immunosuppressive signals coming from the tumor is at early stages of the generation of the myeloid dysfunction," adds Circe Mesa, Ph.D., of the Department of Immunoregulation, Immunology and Immunotherapy Direction at the CIM. "This may position VSSP as a first-in-class immune-modulating therapy to combine with antitumor therapies dampened by a dysfunctional myeloid compartment."

As part of this unique collaboration between Roswell Park and CIM, two graduate students from Dr. Mesa's laboratory, Liliana Oliver, Ph.D., and Rydell Alvarez Arzola, MS, trained at Roswell Park with Dr. Abrams to perform the preclinical experiments. The two institutions continue to work together to advance the knowledge and development of this novel immune-modulating therapy.

Explore further Stress pathway involving beta-adrenergic receptors fuels tumor growth

More information: Liliana Oliver et al, Mitigating the prevalence and function of myeloid-derived suppressor cells by redirecting myeloid differentiation using a novel immune modulator, Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (2022). Liliana Oliver et al, Mitigating the prevalence and function of myeloid-derived suppressor cells by redirecting myeloid differentiation using a novel immune modulator,(2022). DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004710

Provided by Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
One in nine people with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are skipping appointments for sight-saving eye injections, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, held from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 in Chicago.

Rahul N. Khurana, M.D., from the University of California in San Francisco, and colleagues data used from the IRIS Registry to identify 162,825 patients newly diagnosed with wet AMD between 2013 and 2015.

The researchers found that 11.0 percent of patients were lost to follow-up, while 89.0 percent of patients had a follow-up within 12 months. Odds of being lost to follow-up were greater among patients older than 90 years of age (odds ratio [OR], 2.95) versus patients 70 years and younger. Compared with White patients, the odds of being lost to follow-up were greater among African American patients (OR, 1.28) and Hispanic patients (OR, 1.20). Compared with patients with private insurance, the odds of being lost to follow-up were higher for patients with Medicaid insurance (OR, 1.42) and lower for patients with Medicare insurance (OR, 0.73).

"Considering the potential for blindness, the eye care community needs to be more proactive about reminding, educating and empowering AMD patients to come in," Khurana said in a statement. "This could mean investing in [a] personalized telephone reminder system or having dedicated staff to educate patients regarding the diagnosis and emphasize the importance of following up for treatment. My hope is that this research empowers patients to preserve their vision by continuing with therapy and for physicians to consider the novel ways to improve adherence for patients with AMD in the future."

The authors disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

Explore further Inflammatory bowel disease tied to spondyloarthritis

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Sesame seed-sized brain-like organoids are grown in the lab from human cells. They are providing insights into the brain and uncovering differences that may contribute to autism in some people. Credit: Trevor Tanner

Whatever you do, don't call them "mini-brains," say University of Utah Health scientists. Regardless, the seed-sized organoidswhich are grown in the lab from human cellsprovide insights into the brain and uncover differences that may contribute to autism in some people.

"We used to think it would be too difficult to model the organization of cells in the brain," says Alex Shcheglovitov, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurobiology at U of U Health. "But these organoids self-organize. Within a few months, we see layers of cells that are reminiscent of the cerebral cortex in the human brain."

The research describing the organoids and their potential for understanding neural diseases publishes in Nature Communications on Oct 6 with Shcheglovitov as senior author and Yueqi Wang, Ph.D., a former graduate student in his lab, as lead author. They carried out the research with postdoctoral scientist Simone Chiola, Ph.D., and other collaborators at the University of Utah, Harvard University, University of Milan, and Montana State University.

Investigating autism

Having the ability to model aspects of the brain in this way gives scientists a glimpse into the inner workings of a living organ that is otherwise nearly impossible to access. And since the organoids grow in a dish, they can be tested experimentally in ways that a brain cannot.

Single neural rosette-derived organoids develop multiple brain cell types and have an organization and neural activity never seen before in models of this kind. Credit: Trevor Tanner

Shcheglovitov's team used an innovative process to investigate effects of a genetic abnormality associated with autism spectrum disorder and human brain development. They found that organoids engineered to have lower levels of the gene, called SHANK3, had distinct features.

Even though the autism organoid model appeared normal, some cells did not function properly:

Neurons were hyperactive, firing more often in response to stimuli,

Other signs indicated neurons may not efficiently pass along signals to other neurons,

Specific molecular pathways that cause cells to adhere to one another were disrupted.

These findings are helping to uncover the cellular and molecular causes of symptoms associated with autism, the authors say. They also demonstrate that the lab-grown organoids will be valuable for gaining a better understanding of the brain, how it develops, and what goes wrong during disease.

"One goal is to use brain organoids to test drugs or other interventions to reverse or treat disorders," says Jan Kubanek, Ph.D., a co-author on the study and an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the U.

The organoids contained an array of neural and other cell types found in the cerebral cortex, the outer most layer of the brain involved in language, emotion, reasoning, and other high-level mental processes. Credit: Yueqi Wang

Building a better brain model

Scientists have long searched for suitable models for the human brain. Lab-grown organoids are not new, but previous versions did not develop in a reproduceable way, making experiments difficult to interpret.

To create an improved model, Shcheglovitov's team took cues from how the brain develops normally. The researchers prompted human stem cells to become neuroepithelial cells, a specific stem cell type that forms self-organized structures, called neural rosettes, in a dish. Over the course of months, these structures coalesced into spheres and increased in size and complexity at a rate similar to the developing brain in a growing fetus.

After five months in the lab, the organoids were reminiscent of "one wrinkle of a human brain" at 15 to 19 weeks post-conception, Shcheglovitov says. The structures contained an array of neural and other cell types found in the cerebral cortex, the outermost layer of the brain involved in language, emotion, reasoning, and other high-level mental processes.

Like a human embryo, organoids self-organized in a predictable fashion, forming neural networks that pulsated with oscillatory electrical rhythms and generated diverse electrical signals characteristic of a variety of different kinds of mature brain cells.

Simone Chiola, PhD, picks radial structures called neural rosettes that have formed from human stem cells. Over months, the structures from become spheroid organoids that model aspects of the human brain. Credit: Nika Romero

"These organoids had patterns of electrophysiological activity that resembled actual activity in the brain. I didn't expect that," Kubanek says. "This new approach models most major cell types and in functionally meaningful ways."

Shcheglovitov explains that these organoids, which more reliably reflect intricate structures in the cortex, will allow scientists to study how specific types of cells in the brain arise and work together to perform more complex functions.

"We're beginning to understand how complex neural structures in the human brain arise from simple progenitors," Wang says. "And we're able to measure disease-related phenotypes using 3D organoids that are derived from stem cells containing genetic mutations."

He adds that using the organoids, researchers will be able to better investigate what happens at the earliest stages of neurological conditions, before symptoms develop.

Explore further Brain organoids provide insights into the evolution of the human brain

More information: Modeling human telencephalic development and autism-associated SHANK3 deficiency using organoids generated from single neural rosettes, Nature Communications (2022). Modeling human telencephalic development and autism-associated SHANK3 deficiency using organoids generated from single neural rosettes,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33364-z Visit UBrain browser to visualize the cells and electrical responses detected in organoids. Journal information: Nature Communications
A medical attendant disinfects the rubber boots of a medical officer before leaving the Ebola isolation section of Mubende Regional Referral Hospital, in Mubende, Uganda Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. In this remote Ugandan community facing its first Ebola outbreak, testing trouble has added to the challenges with symptoms of the Sudan strain of Ebola now circulating being similar to malaria, underscoring the pitfalls health workers face in their response. Credit: AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Uganda next week will host a ministerial meeting on the outbreak of the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus which has no proven vaccine and has caused alarm in the East Africa region.

Acting director Ahmed Ogwell told journalists on Thursday the three countries that suffered the devastating West Africa outbreak of Ebola in 2014-16, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, also are invited to the Oct. 12 meeting.

The current Ebola outbreak in central Uganda has a 69% case fatality rate, which Ogwell called "very high," and four health workers are among 10 people confirmed to have died of Ebola. There have been 43 confirmed cases. None have been in the capital, Kampala.

Ugandan scientists and their partners abroad are looking to deploy one of two possible vaccines against the Sudan strain of Ebola, the WHO representative to Uganda told reporters Thursday. But there are only 100 doses of the vaccine from the Sabin Vaccine Insitute, said Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam.

"These manufacturers are looking to produce more," he said. "We do not have sufficient data to deploy it in a large (population) and the supply is not there. Currently the scientists are agreeing (on) scientific protocol for the study and as soon as the protocol is agreed ... I think the vaccine will be imported into Uganda. Hopefully within less than a week."

Immediate contacts of confirmed Ebola cases would be targeted in the study, he said.

A medical officer from the Uganda Red Cross Society instructs people with suspected Ebola symptoms to enter an ambulance, in Madudu, near Mubende, in Uganda, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. In this remote Ugandan community facing its first Ebola outbreak, testing trouble has added to the challenges with symptoms of the Sudan strain of Ebola now circulating being similar to malaria, underscoring the pitfalls health workers face in their response. Credit: AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda

Ogwell of the Africa CDC said health workers were exposed to Ebola at the beginning of the outbreak "when we did not know what we were dealing with," and he dismissed the suggestion that the infections signaled the outbreak was getting out of hand.

He said more than 860 active contacts have been listed and at least 78% of them are being monitored, a situation that has almost doubled from a week ago.

The Africa CDC said it has procured 20,000 test kits that should arrive early next week for the region, and it will ship stockpiles of personal protective equipment next week.

A mobile lab set up at a hospital near the outbreak has reduced the turnaround time for test results to six hours, according to Woldemariam, who said the response of Ugandan health authorities is improving "every day."

Ebola can be difficult to detect at first because fever is also a symptom of malaria. Ebola, which manifests as a viral hemorrhagic fever, is spread through contact with bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding.

Uganda has had multiple Ebola outbreaks, including one in 2000 that killed more than 200 people.

Ebola first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks in South Sudan and Congo, where it occurred in a village near the Ebola River after which the disease is named.

Explore further Uganda confirms 7 Ebola cases, races to halt outbreak

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A woman pulls her face mask to get her routine COVID-19 throat swab at a coronavirus testing site in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Sprawling Xinjiang is the latest Chinese region to be hit with sweeping COVID-19 travel restrictions, as China further ratchets up control measures ahead of a key Communist Party congress later this month. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong

Sprawling Xinjiang is the latest Chinese region to be hit with sweeping COVID-19 travel restrictions, as China further ratchets up control measures ahead of a key Communist Party congress later this month.

Trains and buses in and out of the region of 22 million people have been suspended, and passenger numbers on flights have been reduced to 75% capacity, reports said Thursday.

A notice from the regional government said the measures were enacted to "strictly prevent the risk of spillover" of the virus but gave no other details.

As is often the case with China's draconian "zero-COVID" policy, the measures seemed out of proportion to the number of cases detected.

The National Health Commission announced just 93 cases in Xinjiang on Wednesday and 97 on Thursday, all of them asymptomatic. Xinjiang leaders on Tuesday conceded problems with detection and control measures but offered no word on when they planned to lift the restrictions.

Officials are desperate not to be called out for new outbreaks in their regions and Xinjiang has been under special scrutiny over the government's establishment of a series of prison-like re-education centers in which Muslim minorities have been taught to renounce their religion and allegedly subjected to a range of human rights abuses.

Residents line up to get their routine COVID-19 throat swabs at a coronavirus testing site in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Sprawling Xinjiang is the latest Chinese region to be hit with sweeping COVID-19 travel restrictions, as China further ratchets up control measures ahead of a key Communist Party congress later this month. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong

Xinjiang's vast surveillance system, relying on ubiquitous checkpoints, facial and even voice recognition software, and universal cell phone monitoring has made controlling travel among the population especially easy.

An earlier 40-day lockdown in Xinjiang left many residents complaining on inadequate food supplies.

"Zero-COVID" has been closely identified with Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, who is expected to receive a third five-year term in office at the congress beginning Oct. 16. That's despite criticisms from the World Health Organization and massive disruptions to the economy, education and normal life in China.

Last month, a nighttime bus crash that killed 27 people who were being forcefully moved to a mass quarantine location in southwestern China set off a storm of anger online over the harshness of the policy. Survivors said they had been compelled to leave their apartments even when not a single case had been discovered.

Residents line up behind the caution tape to get their routine COVID-19 throat swabs at a coronavirus testing site in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Sprawling Xinjiang is the latest Chinese region to be hit with sweeping COVID-19 travel restrictions, as China further ratchets up control measures ahead of a key Communist Party congress later this month. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong

A taxi driver wearing a face mask stands watch as they pile up to wait for customers at a train station in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Sprawling Xinjiang is the latest Chinese region to be hit with sweeping COVID-19 travel restrictions, as China further ratchets up control measures ahead of a key Communist Party congress later this month. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong

Travelers wearing face masks wait for their transports near a train station in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Sprawling Xinjiang is the latest Chinese region to be hit with sweeping COVID-19 travel restrictions, as China further ratchets up control measures ahead of a key Communist Party congress later this month. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong

A man wearing a face mask helps a child to get her routine COVID-19 throat swab at a coronavirus testing site in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Sprawling Xinjiang is the latest Chinese region to be hit with sweeping COVID-19 travel restrictions, as China further ratchets up control measures ahead of a key Communist Party congress later this month. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong

Traveller wearing face masks with their luggage walk on a pedestrian bridge near a train station in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Sprawling Xinjiang is the latest Chinese region to be hit with sweeping COVID-19 travel restrictions, as China further ratchets up control measures ahead of a key Communist Party congress later this month. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong

A worker wearing a protective suit administers a COVID-19 test at a coronavirus testing site in Beijing, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

A worker wearing a protective suit waits to administer a COVID-19 test at a coronavirus testing site in Beijing, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

"Zero-COVID" has been celebrated by the country's leaders as evidence of the superiority of their system over the U.S., which has had more than a million COVID-19 deaths.

Xi has cited China's approach as a "major strategic success" and evidence of the "significant advantages" of its political system over Western liberal democracies.

Yet even as other countries open up, the humanitarian costs to China's pandemic approach have grown. With national and some provincial borders closed, tourism has all but dried up and the economy is forecast by the World Bank to grow by an anemic 2.8% this year. Xinjiang has been hit especially hard because of sanctions brought against some of its officials and products over human rights concerns.

Even without nationally identified criteria, testing and lockdowns have become the norm for tens of millions of people in China from the North Korean border to the South China Sea, as local officials desperately seek to avoid punishment and criticism.

Earlier this year in Shanghai, desperate residents complained of being unable to get medicines or even groceries during a two-month lockdown, while some died in hospitals from lack of medical care as the city restricted movement. All 26 million city residents in China's largest city and financial hub have been ordered to undergo two additional days of testing this week, despite the announcement of just 11 new cases Thursday, none of which showed symptoms.

Explore further China locks down 65 million, discourages holiday travel

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

After a COVID-19-induced two-year break, influenza seems to be coming back with a vengeance.

It's difficult to predict just how bad a flu season might be, but U.S. scientists can typically take some clues from Earth's southern hemisphere, which experiences its winter season in June, July and August. Australia is emerging from its worst flu season in five years, spelling trouble for countries where temperatures are just now dropping.

Texas flu cases are already picking up faster than last year, although the totals are still relatively low. Hospital labs reported 240 positive flu tests for the week ending Sept. 24, according to Department of State Health Services data. The same week in 2021 saw only 3 positive tests.

This flu season is made all the more complicated by the still-spreading coronavirus. Experts expect that, just like in 2020 and 2021, COVID-19 cases will spike sometime during the holidays.

"It's going to be a question of 'What is the impact on the health care system,'" said Dr. James Cutrell, associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. "If you have clinics or hospitals that are dealing with lots of people who are coming in with both COVID and flu, that combination has the possibility of putting additional strains on the health care system."

If both the flu and COVID-19 spike at the same time, hospitals will be fighting the viruses simultaneously for the first time. Public health protections used to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, like masking and social distancing, did a great job of also preventing the flu, but use of those tools is almost non-existent now.

And because spread of the flu was minimal during the pandemic, there's less circulating immunity, said Dr. Preeti Sharma, a pediatric pulmonologist at Children's Health in Dallas.

The thought of combating both respiratory illnesses is a scary one for North Texas hospitals, which are just now getting a reprieve from more than two-years of coronavirus waves. The number of patients hospitalized in the region with the virus topped 4,000 during the omicron surge in late January even as health care organizations struggled with outbreaks among their employees.

Doctors are warning people not to take a lax approach to this flu season, even if it feels like a less severe threat compared to COVID-19.

"We've all sort of looked at COVID as the severe respiratory viral illness, but prior to COVID, influenza had that history of hospital admission and other complications in variable age groups, from infancy through the elderly," Sharma said. "We know that the flu brings with it significant risk for complications."

Is it the flu, COVID-19 or a cold?

Symptoms associated with the flu, COVID-19 and the common cold can look nearly identical.

All can come with congestion, cough, a sore throat, body aches and fever, although fevers tend to be lower with just a cold. The previously tell-tale sign of a COVID-19 infectionloss of taste and smellis now relatively uncommon with the omicron variant, which is the dominant coronavirus strain in the U.S.

Both the flu and COVID-19 can also cause shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, and some patients experience gastrological symptoms, like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Other viral illnesses are also beginning to spread, including respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which causes mild, cold-like symptoms for most people, but can be severe for infants and the elderly. RSV is the most common cause of pneumonia in children under 1 year old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cook Children's in Fort Worth reported 163 RSV cases between Sept. 18 and Sept. 24, representing a 19% RSV test positivity rate. At the same time last year the health system had only 50 cases.

The only way to truly tell the difference between circulating viral infections is by getting tested, said Dr. Joseph Chang, chief medical officer at Parkland Health. Regardless of the test result, people who are sick should stay home from work or school if possible.

"If you feel sick, you should be taking the same precautions, doesn't matter if it's COVID or it's flu or it's just a cold," he said. "When you're sick, you shouldn't be around other people anyway because you're going to get them sick."

Preventing winter-time illnesses

The best way to prevent yourself and others from getting the flu or COVID-19 is by getting vaccinated, said Dr. Razaq Badamosi, medical director of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at JPS Health Network in Fort Worth.

Both the flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine are available for anyone older than 6 months. The new bivalent COVID-19 booster, which protects from both the original coronavirus strain and the omicron variant, is available to anyone 12 and older who had their last COVID-19 vaccine dose at least two months prior.

It's safe to get both the flu shot and the COVID-19 shot on the same day.

"You can get them at the same time, if you want, though you'll have two sore arms instead of one sore arm. That's up to you," Chang said.

Doctors can prescribe antiviral medications to people with a COVID-19 or flu infection to lessen the severity of the illness.

Other public health measures like regular hand washing, masking and staying home when ill also help prevent viruses from spreading. Good health hygiene is a practice that parents can teach their children at an early age.

"When your kid comes home from school, especially if there's a little baby in the house, make sure they wash their hands before they give their little brother or sister a kiss. Teach them to cough into their elbow or sleeve and to wash their hands when they're done coughing and sneezing," said Cook Children's hospitalist Dr. Laura Romano.

"And please, please, please keep them home if they're sick."

Explore further Should I get a COVID booster and flu shot at the same time?

2022 The Dallas Morning News.

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An 8-year study of nearly 1300 low-income adolescents in Los Angeles found that students who attended high performing charter high schools were much less likely to engage in risky substance use by the time they reached age 21.

The study, to be published in the peer-reviewed JAMA Network Open, found males who attended the high performing schools also had better physical health and lower obesity rates as young adults while females had substantially worse outcomes in those two areas.

'The present results suggest schools have the potential to have a substantial impact on a range of health behaviors and outcomes, including substance use and obesitytwo significant and intransigent public health problems," said lead author Dr. Mitchell Wong, professor of medicine, division of general internal medicine and health services research, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "The differences in health and behavior outcomes were immediate, substantial, and persistent beyond adolescence, which is a vulnerable period in students' lives, and schools can change the trajectory of both educational and health outcomes."

In previous research called the Reducing Inequities Through Social and Education Change (RISE) Study, Wong and his collaborators examined outcomes at grade 11. They found that low-income minority students enrolled in high-performing Los Angeles public charter schools were significantly less likely to engage in risky health behaviors such as alcohol and marijuana use than students who were on the waitlist for these schools and attended other schools in the area.

The new study, called RISE Up to reflect that it follows up on the prior research, goes beyond that by looking into post-graduate years and extending the focus to physical health and obesity. The researchers randomly selected 694 students admitted by lottery into one of five high-performing public charter high schools (the intervention group) and 576 waitlisted students (the control group) and followed them between March 2013 through June 2021. They were primarily low-income Latinos or Blacks and were monitored from grade nine through three years after high school graduation.

They found that the students in the intervention group had a 50% lower rate of alcohol use disorder compared to the controls. They also found that self-reported fair or poor health and obesity rates were 42% and 33% lower, respectively, among males.

Among women who attended high-performing schools, however, fair or poor physical health and obesity rates went in the opposite direction 65% and 31% higher, respectively, compared with those in the control group. While the reason for this was unclear, the researchers suggest it could be because "higher-performing schools raise expectations for success, potentially creating greater tension around decisions about education, career, and family. These expectations may differ for women and men in our study. Women and men may also cope differently with these expectations, possibly leading women to experience more stress and worse physical health."

"Overall, these results are encouraging given that substance use and obesity are significant public health problems and risk factors for later life conditions such as cardiovascular disease, dementia, and cancer," Wong said. "But the potential detrimental physical health and obesity outcomes among women is concerning and warrants further study."

A strength of the study is that participants went to 147 different high schools in the area, representing a wide range of academic environments. However, the study has some limitations, including a reliance on self-reported outcomes, the authors note. The sample only included students who had applied to charter high schools in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods of Los Angeles, so the findings may not be applicable to other school models. In addition, 90% of the sample were Latino and it is unknown if the same results would be found in other student populations.

Still, the results "suggest high-performing public schools may have an impact on a range of behaviors and health outcomes with a large effect, which is particularly impressive given the marginal cost of the 'intervention' is zero," the researchers write. "Finding effective, affordable, and scalable solutions to combat poverty and its negative effects on health is enormously challenging. Ultimately, improving schools has great potential as a strategy to improve health."

Other study authors are Dr. Benjamin Meza, Kulwant Dosanjh, Nicholas Jackson, Teresa Seeman, Natalia Orendain, and Dr. Rebecca Dudovitz, all of UCLA.

More information: Association of attending a high-performing high school with substance use disorder rate and health outcomes in young adults, JAMA Network Open (2022). Journal information: JAMA Network Open Association of attending a high-performing high school with substance use disorder rate and health outcomes in young adults,(2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.35083
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

If you were being treated in a hospital, your immediate concerns probably wouldn't include plastic waste, but maybe they should. Growing awareness of the links between environmental and human health has some in the U.S. health care system wondering if the pledge they take to "do no harm" extends to the natural world.

The sector accounts for almost 10% of U.S. emissions and is one of the country's largest producers of waste, about a quarter of which is single-use plastic in the form of syringes, test kits, gloves, and other equipment. Some health care organizations, however, have scored sustainability successes by using automated machines that dispense insulin into syringes instead of using individual vials, collecting unused bedside supplies to donate rather than dispose of after patient discharge, and installing solar panels, among other initiatives.

Below, Stanford University infectious disease physician Desiree LaBeaud and undergraduate student Navami Jain join Helen Wilmot and Christine Fosterchief sustainability officers at Stanford Health Care and Stanford Medicine Children's Health, respectively, to discuss alternatives to single-use medical items, the need for regulatory change, and more.

Jain and LaBeaud recently co-authored a commentary in AMA Journal of Ethics, "How Should U.S. Health Care Lead Global Change in Plastic Waste Disposal?" Wilmot attended a roundtable at the White House this past June on reducing the health care industry's climate-warming emissions. Foster has presented at various national conferences on the topic of decarbonizing health care.

What are some of the most promising solutions for making health care more sustainable?

Wilmot: Each health system should establish a policy that determines sustainability criteriasuch as greenhouse gas emissions and chemicals of concernfor goods and services and includes contract language for suppliers to report such criteria. Beyond that, the industry needs a regulatory environment that values reusables over disposables. At a federal level, the FDA should be asking suppliers to default to reusable items as appropriate and require justifications for single-use disposable items.

Jain: One solution that has attracted a lot of spotlight is reusable gowns. A 2020 Stanford-led study provides evidence for their safety, sustainability, and cost-savings. A lot of institutions, notably UCLA and UCSF, have successfully used these gowns on a regular basis.

What are the biggest obstacles to making U.S. health care more sustainable?

Jain: There is a lack of accountability, both within institutional operations and supply chain procurement. In hospitals and other health care facilities, sustainability is not close to a priority so no one is held accountable for failing on that count.

Foster: The lack of product-level sustainability data creates a barrier to making decisions with overall carbon impact in mind. Approximately 77% of the carbon footprint for Lucille Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford is attributed to supply chain. Our percentage is higher than the industry average because we have already reduced or eliminated many of the other greenhouse gas sources in our operations.

Wilmot: The health system has a number of important priorities that compete with sustainability, such as quality initiatives, cost containment, and patient satisfaction. It's hard to make a change or adjust workflows or change medical products when there are always other urgencies in focus.

To what extent is staff or public perception an issue for switching from disposal items marketed as more sanitary to reusable items that may be perceived as less sanitary or safe? How can health care organizations overcome these concerns?

Jain: A lot of the reservations stem from uncertainty about the quality control strategies for reusable products. I think we owe staff and patients transparent communication about sterilization procedures and study-backed evidence of product safety.

LaBeaud: Again, I think awareness is a huge part of this. Sustainability and impacts of climate on health must be integrated into medical curriculum from the very beginning. Grants and prizes to incentivize innovative ideas in sustainability can be used to get health care workers excited about combatting this crisis together.

Foster: As we have begun to share information about the impacts of climate on health, and the contribution that health care is making to climate impacts with the professionals in our community, it has been amazing to see how quickly they become engaged and want to contribute to solutions.

What other benefits are there to more sustainable health care?

Jain: In our paper, we discuss case examples where health care systems recover millions in savings through waste mitigation and recovery efforts. For example, one U.S. hospital system's implementation of reusable gowns resulted in savings of more than $3.5 million over four years. It's been estimated that health care organizations in Nova Scotia, Canada, could save more than $12 million due to policies that hold manufacturers and importers accountable by internalizing environmental costs associated with waste streams.

Foster: Moving to cleaner fuels and eliminating chemicals of concern from the products and equipment we use in the hospital creates a healthier environment for our patients, families, and staff, as well as the communities we operate in.

Explore further Reducing the environmental impact of global health aid is essential, expert says
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Jeff White knows what can happen when 911 dispatchers receive a call about someone who feels despondent or agitated.

He experienced it repeatedly: The 911 operators dispatched police, who often took him to a hospital or jail. "They don't know how to handle people like me," said White, who struggles with depression and schizophrenia. "They just don't. They're just guessing."

In most of those instances, he said, what he really needed was someone to help him calm down and find follow-up care.

That's now an option, thanks to a crisis response team serving his area. Instead of calling 911, he can contact a state-run hotline and request a visit from mental health professionals.

The teams are dispatched by a program that serves 18 mostly rural counties in central and northern Iowa. White, 55, has received assistance from the crisis team several times in recent years, even after heart problems forced him to move into a nursing home. The service costs him nothing. The team's goal is to stabilize people at home, instead of admitting them to a crowded psychiatric unit or jailing them for behaviors stemming from mental illness.

For years, many cities have sent social workers, medics, trained outreach workers or mental health professionals to calls that previously were handled by police officers. And the approach gained traction amid concerns about police brutality cases. Proponents say such programs save money and lives.

But crisis response teams have been slower to catch on in rural areas even though mental illness is just as prevalent there. That's partly because those areas are bigger and have fewer mental health professionals than cities do, said Hannah Wesolowski, chief advocacy officer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

"It certainly has been a harder hill to climb," she said.

Melissa Reuland, a University of Chicago Health Lab researcher who studies the intersection of law enforcement and mental health, said that solid statistics are not available but that small police departments and sheriffs' offices seem increasingly open to finding alternatives to a standard law enforcement response. Those can include training officers to handle crises better or seeking assistance from mental health professionals, she said.

The shortage of mental health services will continue to be a hurdle in rural areas, she said: "If it was easy, people would have fixed it."

Still, the crisis response approach is making inroads, program by program.

White has lived most of his life in small Iowa cities surrounded by rural areas. He's glad to see mental health care efforts strengthened beyond urban areas. "We out here get forgottenand out here is where we need help the most," he said.

Some crisis teams, like the one that helps White, can respond on their own, while others are paired with police officers or sheriffs' deputies. For example, a South Dakota program, Virtual Crisis Care, equips law enforcement officers with iPads. The officers can use the tablets to set up video chats between people in crisis and counselors from a telehealth company. That isn't ideal, Wesolowski said, but it's better than having police officers or sheriffs' deputies try to handle such situations on their own.

The counselors help people in mental health crises calm down and then discuss what they need. If it's safe for them to remain at home, the counselor calls a mental health center, which later contacts the people to see whether they're interested in treatment.

But sometimes the counselors determine people are a danger to themselves or others. If so, the counselors recommend that officers take them to an emergency room or jail for evaluation.

In the past, sheriffs' deputies had to make that decision on their own. They tended to be cautious, temporarily removing people from their homes to ensure they were safe, said Zach Angerhofer, a deputy in South Dakota's Roberts County, which has about 10,000 residents.

Detaining people can be traumatic for them and expensive for authorities.

Deputies often must spend hours filling out paperwork and shuttling people between the ER, jail, and psychiatric hospitals. That can be particularly burdensome during hours when a rural county has few deputies on duty.

The Virtual Crisis Care program helps avoid that situation. Nearly 80% of people who complete its video assessment wind up staying at home, according to a recent state study.

Angerhofer said no one has declined to use the telehealth program when he has offered it. Unless he sees an immediate safety concern, he offers people privacy by leaving them alone in their home or letting them sit by themselves in his squad car while they speak to a counselor. "From what I've seen, they are a totally different person after the tablet has been deployed," he said, noting that participants appear relieved afterward.

The South Dakota Department of Social Services funds the Virtual Crisis Care program, which received startup money and design help from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. (The Helmsley Charitable Trust also contributes to KHN.)

In Iowa, the program that helps White always has six pairs of mental health workers on call, said Monica Van Horn, who helps run the state-funded program through the Eyerly Ball mental health nonprofit. They are dispatched via the statewide crisis line or the new national 988 mental health crisis line.

In most cases, the Eyerly Ball crisis teams respond in their own cars, without police. The low-key approach can benefit clients, especially if they live in small towns where everyone seems to know each other, Van Horn said. "You don't necessarily want everyone knowing your businessand if a police car shows up in front of your house, everybody and their dog is going to know about it within an hour," she said.

Van Horn said the program averages between 90 and 100 calls per month. The callers' problems often include anxiety or depression, and they are sometimes suicidal. Other people call because children or family members need help.

Alex Leffler is a mobile crisis responder in the Eyerly Ball program. She previously worked as a "behavior interventionist" in schools, went back to college, and is close to earning a master's degree in mental health counseling. She said that as a crisis responder, she has met people in homes, workplaces, and even at a grocery store. "We respond to just about any place," she said. "You just can make a better connection in person."

Thomas Dee, a Stanford University economist and education professor, said such programs can garner support from across the political spectrum. "Whether someone is 'defund the police' or 'back the blue,' they can find something to like in these types of first-responder reforms," he said.

Critics of police have called for more use of unarmed mental health experts to defuse tense situations before they turn deadly, while law enforcement leaders who support such programs say they can give officers more time to respond to serious crimes. And government officials say the programs can reduce costly hospitalizations and jail stays.

Dee studied the Denver Support Team Assisted Response program, which lets 911 dispatchers send medics and behavioral health experts instead of police to certain calls. He found the program saved money, reduced low-level crime, and did not lead to more serious crimes.

Dr. Margie Balfour is an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Arizona and an administrator for Connections Health Solutions, an Arizona agency that provides crisis services. She said now is a good time for rural areas to start or improve such services. The federal government has been offering more money for the efforts, including through pandemic response funding, she said. It also recently launched the 988 crisis line, whose operators can help coordinate such services, she noted.

Balfour said the current national focus on the criminal justice system has brought more attention to how it responds to people with mental health needs. "There's a lot of things to disagree on still with police reform," she said. "But one thing that everybody agrees on is that law enforcement doesn't need to be the default first responder for mental health."

Arizona has crisis response teams available throughout the state, including in very rural regions, because settlement of a 1980s class-action lawsuit required better options for people with mental illnesses, Balfour said.

Such programs can be done outside cities with creativity and flexibility, she said. Crisis response teams should be considered just as vital as ambulance services, Balfour said, noting that no one expects police to respond in other medical emergencies, such as when someone has a heart attack or stroke.

"People with mental health concerns deserve a health response," she said. "It's worth it to try to figure out how to get that to the population."

Explore further New 988 hotline is the 911 for mental health emergencies

2022 Kaiser Health News.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) and Embraer have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to introduce 10 new Embraer jets into RJs fleet.

Two variants of Embraers advanced E2 jets -- the E190-E2 and E195-E2  will be used by the airline to optimally serve short-haul routes within the region, said a statement.

The agreement was signed at the Istanbul Air Show by RJ Vice Chairman/CEO Samer Majali and Arjan Meijer, CEO Embraer Commercial Aircraft.

Majali said that introducing the new highly fuel-efficient Embraers is part of its overall aircraft modernisation plan that includes both renewing and growing the fleet that is deployed on two-hour flights from Amman to destinations within the Levant.

He added that the airlines strategic plan will further boost RJs position as the preferred airline in the region by offering improved connectivity to a wider network, positioning Amman as the leading gateway to the Levant.

He added that following extensive feasibility studies to decide on the best aircraft to replace the currently operating E195 and E175, RJ selected the Embraer E2 aircraft to best fit its financial objectives and network strategy.

RJ has been operating Embraer aircraft for 15 years now and choosing the same original type of aircraft helps reduce the investment cost of pilot training and spare parts provisioning whilst also lowering crew scheduling and maintenance costs, Majali said.

The aircraft should provide up to 25% fuel savings per seat compared to the current aircraft resulting in operating cost savings as well as significant carbon emissions reductions supporting the airlines environmentally friendly strategy.

The E195-E2 will seat 12 passengers in Crown Class and 108 in Economy and the smaller E190-E2 will have the same number of Crown Class seats and 80 in the Economy Class. All aircraft will be fitted with the latest 4 abreast business class seats with impressive 53-inch legroom and excellent seat recline. The economy cabin will feature the new slimline seats, also in a 4 abreast configuration with no middle seat.

Arjan Meijer said: Embraer is honoured to be selected by RJ to provide the next generation of regional aircraft to their fleet. The E2 family of advanced-generation E-Jets offers the quietest, lowest polluting, and most fuel-efficient aircraft in the under 150-seat market. We are proud to continue our long association with Royal Jordanian.

Royal Jordanian recently announced the plan to modernise its narrow-body fleet of aircraft to replace those currently operating and to add new ones with the announcement of its selection of A320neo family as its future fleet. At the same time, negotiations with Boeing are still ongoing to grow the current fleet of wide-body aircraft followed by the scheduled replacement of its current fleet in the near future.

The airlines plan is to increase the fleet size from the 24 aircraft currently operating to over 40 aircraft over the next five years. -TradeArabia News Service
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Researcher Beatriz Carlini clicks through a few local cannabis retailers' websites before finding what she's looking for.

Her screen displays a yellow goo, similar in appearance to raw honey, or as the product's marketing calls it, "Cake Batter."

The substance is a highly concentrated form of cannabis called a dab, which is produced by extracting the psychoactive compound THC from cannabis plants. It's usually vaporized and inhaled using a device that looks similar to a bong, but often involves a blow torch.

Cake Batter is potent. Its label reads 65% THC.

But the product's THC concentration is "relatively low" in the vast and legal world of highly potent products, or dabs, says Carlini, acting associate professor at the Addictions, Drug and Alcohol Institute at the University of Washington School of Medicine. While a typical cannabis flower averages around 20% THC, some dabs sold in Washington contain as much as 90%.

Such products are setting off alarm bells for physicians and a group of research scientists in the Pacific Northwest, who see the wide availability of dabs and other highly concentrated substances as a quiet but growing threat to public health, especially among young adults and teenagers. Lawmakers are considering new regulations, like a THC cap or higher tax on potent products. However, retailers and suppliers point out that these products are already illegal for those under 21. And they warn that bans or increasing taxes on certain products could spur the growth of an illegal market that would be significantly more difficult to monitor and control.

When cannabis was legalized for recreational use in Washington beginning in 2014, extracted cannabis, which includes concentrates, made up about 9% of the market. Concentrates now make up 35%, according to 2020 data from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.

"This is a case of product development trumping science and trumping policy," Carlini said. "Nobody was aware we were legalizing this."

Industry leaders dispute this, and say that a variety of productsincluding more potent onesare part of the natural evolution of a market.

"Those products were envisioned," said Burl Bryson, executive director at the Seattle-based nonprofit The Cannabis Alliance. "In a mature market you're going to see an increased use of concentrates over flower."

Research on highly concentrated productswhich are also referred to as wax, resin or shatteris still limited in the U.S., primarily because the federal government strictly regulates cannabis research.

But scientists point to emerging evidence from studies in adults that link high-potency THC to an increased risk of experiencing psychosisand a heightened risk of developing psychosis years earlier than would otherwise be expected in people at risk for the condition. Psychosis involves a loss of contact with reality, and symptoms can include delusions and hallucinations.

While it's unclear how high-potency THC affects youths, especially long term, a large body of research links frequent cannabis use in youths to psychotic symptoms. Anecdotally, pediatricians here report an increasing number of teenagers in emergency rooms with psychotic episodes, disorientation and severe vomiting, called cannabis hyperemesis syndrome.

Whether such products should be further regulatedand how to do soraises complex questions for policymakers.

So far, only Vermont and Connecticut included caps on high THC concentrations in their cannabis legalization billsboth at 60% THC. California is considering legislation requiring cannabis producers to include a label warning of potential mental health consequences and other risks.

If Washington moves to regulate THC concentrates, the state would become a testing ground for what happens when a state cracks down on the cannabis industry after legalization. In 2021, Carlini and a group of researchers received $500,000 from lawmakers to study potential regulatory measures; their report was due to the Washington State Health Care Authority on Sept. 30 and is expected to be released publicly at the end of December.

"We would be the first state to do something after (the state) already created this open season," said Rep. Lauren Davis, D-Shoreline, who proposed two THC-cap bills that failed to get out of committee in recent legislative sessions; one bill suggested capping THC concentrates at 10%, the other suggested a 30% cap.

Davis, who describes the state's cannabis industry as a "failed experiment," said she intends to propose new legislation based on the researchers' findings.

'Time bomb'

Researchers face an uphill messaging battle: Historically, the U.S. government's 'Reefer Madness' misinformation campaign and the war on drugs sowed serious public doubt about anti-cannabis rhetoric.

But scientists warn that emerging data is worrisome.

A majority of teens in the Northwest don't use cannabis, but among those who do, they increasingly report use of dabs and other alternatives to smoking. According to Washington's 2021 Healthy Youth Survey, about 33% of Washington 12th graders who use cannabis reported that they dabbed it. And in Oregon, the portion of youth who use cannabis and reported dabbing jumped from 26% to 36% from 2017-2019.

U.S. Poison Control Center data suggests cannabis-related calls are going up at a time when poison center calls are going down overall. When people called with cannabis-related concerns, they were more likely to call poison centers after using manufactured cannabis products such as dabs than after using plant-based cannabis.

"When we hear a signal coming through poison centers, I'm taking that very seriously because those signals are quieter than they used to be," said Julia Dilley, a UW epidemiologist, who presented the data at a September symposium that attracted more than 150 scientists and others.

Nearly everyone interviewed acknowledged that more research is needed on high-potency products and their link to mental health consequences in youth. There's an inherent lag in understanding the relationship, since the factors that contribute to serious mental illnesses are many and can compound over years.

Existing studies don't include results from people using the types of high-potency products available now: The bulk of the research is in products containing about 10% THC per U.S. government research rules, points out Denise Walker, a clinical psychologist and research professor at UW. And no studies prove a direct causal link between high-potency THC and psychosis, primarily because an experiment in people that tests a direct relationship would be unethical.

"This has been used by the industry as a reason to do nothing," Carlini said, but "everything we have in hand sciencewise, right now, is indicating this is a time bomb."

Pediatricians say they're already witnessing what happens when youth with little or no THC tolerance try extremely potent products. Some wind up having a psychotic episode or experiencing temporary cognitive impairment, like trouble with simple motor tasks, finding words or remembering something they were just told. Others who've built up a tolerance to high-THC products seek help after severe bouts of vomiting, dehydration and stomach pain, symptoms of CHS.

"Are people really seeing this or are we just blowing smoke here? I'm totally seeing it. I see it at least three or four times a week," said Dr. Cora Breuner, professor of pediatrics at UW and a physician at Seattle Children's hospital, noting she's referring more youth for cannabis use disorder than she did five years ago, but that demand is now outpacing available resources.

At a 2021 state legislative hearing on the issue, Dr. Beth Ebel said some youths are so high when they arrive at the ER that they appear to have a traumatic brain injury.

"Almost a third of the kids 12 and up that I take care of in the trauma center have cannabis involved in their injury," said Ebel, a pediatrician at Harborview.

What happens now?

The question of how to address concentrates comes down to whether state regulations would embolden a more dangerous black market. Policymakers are weighing several options, including raising age limits or marketing restrictions on high-potency products, charging higher taxes, adding THC caps and launching more robust public health awareness campaigns.

Industry and consumer experts vigorously campaigned against Davis' THC cap proposals and continue to argue that new restrictions will lead to worse public health outcomes as unregulated products may contain pesticides or dangerous additives.

"(Our) top priority is a safe and quality-controlled marketplace that works to keep products away from kids," Vicki Christophersen, executive director and lobbyist for Washington CannaBusiness Association, which represents producers and retailers across the state, wrote to The Seattle Times. "A return to prohibition policies is a threat to an open, transparent sector and inadvertently supports the illicit market, which operates in the dark."

Ramsey Doudar, who works at a cannabis dispensary and leads a consumer advocacy group called Patients and Users for Reasonable Cannabis Policy, said retailers already enforce strict rules that keep people under 21 from purchasing cannabis.

"The next step is using some of that billion dollars of tax revenue (generated by the cannabis industry) to focus on education and prevention," he said. Adults should be held accountable when they give or sell cannabis to minors, he added.

Because this is new territory for policymakers, there's "enormous uncertainty" about the right approach, said Jonathan Caulkins, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who's analyzed Washington's cannabis market in collaboration with the nonprofit RAND.

If the state decides to regulate, it should "start small, until we find out what kind of restrictions can be pulled off without creating an illegal market," he said. "And that's in part finding out whether or not the Washington state government has the backbone to enforce a prohibition."

Explore further Cannabis regulations inadequate given rising health risks of high-potency products

(c)2022 The Seattle Times

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Diagram illustrating the placement of the array on the participants spinal cord. Credit: S.M. Russman, et al., Science Translational Medicine (2022)

A combined team of researchers from the University of California and Oregon Health and Science University, has developed a microelectrode array to precisely monitor electrophysiology during spinal surgery. They have published their work in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Spinal surgery is a delicate operation. Surgeons not only have to fix what is wrong, but must do so without damaging nerves, which can lead to impairments in patients. One area of particular concern is tumor removal, but even just conducting biopsies is risky. Spinal surgeons currently use intraoperative neuromonitoring devices that monitor electrical activity in the nervous system. With such devices, electrodes are placed on the back muscles and the scalp. Unfortunately, they do not provide precise information, which is what surgeons need. In many instances, they serve only to alert the surgeon to damage that has already occurred. In this new effort, the researchers have attempted to improve on the system by creating a device that allows for more precise electrophysiology monitoring during surgery.

The new device consists of an array of electrodes that the surgeon places directly onto the spinal column near the main surgery site. The electrodes detect electrophysical responses from the spinal nerves and transmit them to a computer that coverts them to a submillimeter-precision 2D map, which the surgeon can consult in real time as they carry out a surgical procedure.

The time evolution of the response, phase gradients, and streamlines during SSEP monitoring. Credit: S.M. Russman, et al., Science Translational Medicine (2022)

The researchers tested their new device during six actual procedures on volunteers. They found that their device provided higher sensitivity than current devices and outperformed them in assisting the surgeon during spinal surgeries.

More testing is required before the device can be submitted for approval, but the researchers are confident their system will provide more accurate information to spinal surgeons and thus prevent neural damage in future patients. They also suggest that their device could be used to monitor the progress of healing in people with damaged spinal columns.

Explore further Eyeglass-attached display device provides fluoroscopic guidance during spine surgery

More information: Samantha M. Russman et al, Constructing 2D maps of human spinal cord activity and isolating the functional midline with high-density microelectrode arrays, Science Translational Medicine (2022). Journal information: Science Translational Medicine Samantha M. Russman et al, Constructing 2D maps of human spinal cord activity and isolating the functional midline with high-density microelectrode arrays,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abq4744

 2022 Science X Network
Confocal microscopy images showing maintenance of the bloodbrain barrier after a stroke in the brain of a rat treated with intravenous metoprolol before reperfusion. Credit: CNIC

Stroke is one of the main causes of death in economically developed countries. The most common form of stroke is ischemic stroke, which happens when a blockage in one of the cerebral arteries restricts blood flow to the brain.

There are currently few treatment options available for the consequences of stroke, one of the most severe of which is neuronal death, caused by the lack of oxygen during the arterial blockade and the inflammation that follows the restoration of blood flow. The damage caused by these events is responsible for much of the long-term ill-health and incapacity experienced by stroke survivors.

Now, the group led by Dr. Borja IbanezClinical Research Director at the CNIC, cardiologist at Hospital Universitario Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, and CIBERCV group leaderhas demonstrated in a rat model that treatment with metoprolol protects the brain during a stroke and greatly reduces the severity of its long-term consequences. Rats that received intravenous metoprolol during the course of a stroke had less cerebral inflammation and neuronal death and better long-term improvement in neuromotor capacities.

"This animal study beats the path to clinical trials of the utility of metoprolol in patients with ischemic stroke, a treatment that could reduce neurological deficit in stroke survivors and associated health care costs," said Dr. Ibanez, adding that the repurposing of "old" drugs to treat new diseases "is one of the most beneficial lines of research for health systems and for patients."

Three-dimensional reconstruction of a rat brain after ischemic stroke, revealing maintenance of the bloodbrain barrier after a stroke thanks to pre-reperfusion treatment with metoprolol. Credit: CNIC

Dr. Ibanez's group has accumulated more than 10 years' experience investigating the properties of metoprolol, a beta-blocker that has been used to treat hypertension and arrhythmias for more than 40 years.

They first showed that metoprolol is beneficial in patients suffering a heart attack. The "eureka moment" came when the group discovered that metoprolol protects the heart during an infarction by inhibiting the exacerbated inflammatory response triggered by immune cells called neutrophils.

"When we discovered this mechanism of action, we thought it might also apply to other conditions in which neutrophil hyperactivation plays an important role," said Dr. Ibanez.

Following this lead, the CNIC investigators recently demonstrated that metoprolol reduces the exacerbated inflammation seen in patients with severe COVID-19.

Confocal microscopy image showing the glial scar border produced after a stroke. Scar formation obstructs later regeneration of the affected area and is attenuated by pre-reperfusion administration of metoprolol. Credit: CNIC

"Metoprolol, in addition to blocking the hyperactivation of proinflammatory neutrophils, appears to selectively promote the reparatory activity of the population of antiinflammatory neutrophils, resulting in notable improvements in the affected area," explained CNIC predoctoral researcher Agustin Clemente-Moragon, a joint-first author on the study.

Study co-first author Eduardo Oliver explained that "testing the possible benefit of metoprolol in stroke was a goal we had been pursuing for some time, since neuroinflammation is known to play a central role in stroke-related injury." Oliver, after a long stint at the CNIC, is now a Ramon y Cajal fellow leading his own research group at the Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research, part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

The new study includes highly sophisticated brain imaging analysis, which was led by joint-lead author Dr. Manuel Desco. Desco, who combines roles as Director of the CNIC Advanced Imaging Unit, full professor at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, and group leader at the Gregorio Maranon Health Research Institute, also coordinates the Madrid Nanomedicine in Molecular Imaging Network (RENIM), a role that allowed him to coordinate many of the experiments in the present study.

CNIC General Director Dr. Valentin Fuster, another study coauthor, noted that "this study exemplifies an important new research initiative at the CNIC: the study of the impact of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors on other organs, such as the brain."

As part of this initiative, the CNIC has launched a program of research into "Cardiovascular risk factors and brain function", directed by neuroscientist Maria Angeles Moro, who also participated in the current study.

The research is published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.

More information: Agustin ClementeMoragon et al, Neutrophil 1 adrenergic receptor blockade blunts strokeassociated neuroinflammation, British Journal of Pharmacology (2022). Journal information: British Journal of Pharmacology Agustin ClementeMoragon et al, Neutrophil 1 adrenergic receptor blockade blunts strokeassociated neuroinflammation,(2022). DOI: 10.1111/bph.15963

Provided by Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (F.S.P.)
In this Jan. 31, 2020 photo a woman holds a flavored disposable vape device in New York. A government study on adolescent vaping, released on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, finds more than 2.5 million U.S. kids were using some form of e-cigarette in 2022, suggesting theres been little progress in keeping vaping devices out of the hands of teenagers. Credit: AP Photo/Marshall Ritzel, File

The latest government study on teen vaping suggests there's been little progress in keeping e-cigarettes out of the hands of kids.

The data seems to show more high school students vaping, with 14% saying they had done so recently, according to survey results released Thursday. In last year's survey, about 11% said they had vaped recently.

But experts cautioned that a change in the survey makes it difficult to compare the two: This year, a much higher percentage of participants took the survey in schools, and vaping tends to be reported more in schools than in homes.

"It continues to be difficult to assess (vaping) trends since the pandemic," said Alyssa Harlow, a University of Southern California researcher who studies youth e-cigarette use.

Despite its persistence, vaping appears to be less popular than it was: In 2019, 28% of high schoolers said they had recently vaped.

Educators say vaping is still a big problem.

Anecdotally, the 2021-22 school year was worse than it was before the pandemic, said Mike Rinaldi, principal of Westhill High School in Stamford, Connecticut. That school year was the first when most kids returned from remote learning following COVID-19 lockdowns, noted Rinaldi, who speculated that many kids may have taken up vaping as they dealt with mental health issues or stress related to the pandemic.

Kids vaping in school bathrooms and stairwells remains "a constant battle," said Matt Forker, principal of the nearby Stamford High School.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers authored the new study, which is based on a Jan. 18 to May 31 online survey of about 28,000 U.S. middle and high school students.

The study asked about use of e-cigarettes and other vaping devices in the previous 30 days. In addition to the 14% of high school students who said they vaped recently, about 3% of middle schoolers said they had done so.

Of those who vaped, about 28% said they did it every day.

Nearly 85% of the youth who vaped used flavored products. Favored brands included Puff Bar and Vuse, followed by Hyde and Smok.

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday took action against the makers of both Puff Bar and Hyde following months of urging from congressional lawmakers and parent groups.

The agency sent a warning letter to Puff Bar manufacturer EVO Brands, stating that the company never obtained U.S. permission to sell its products and that they are being marketed illegally. Only a handful of vaping companies have received FDA clearance for their products, which must demonstrate a health benefit for adult smokers.

The agency also said it ordered Hyde manufacturer Magellan Technology to remove its products from the market, after rejecting its application for FDA authorization.

The FDA has struggled to regulate the sprawling vaping landscape, which includes both established companies and smaller startups. Regulators have been pilloried by Congress and anti-vaping advocates for missing multiple deadlines to issue decisions on millions of vaping products submitted by companies.

In the last three years, federal and state laws and regulations have raised the purchase age for tobacco and vaping products, and banned nearly all teen-preferred flavors from small, cartridge-based e-cigarettes.

Some kids also may have been scared away by a 2019 outbreak of vaping-related illnesses and deathsmost of them tied to a filler in black market vaping liquids that contained THC, the chemical that makes marijuana users feel high.

Leaders of one advocacy group said they worry the battle to diminish youth vaping is not going well.

The numbers "may not reflect the much larger reality of youth e-cigarette use that we hear about on a daily basis from parents, teachers, pediatricians, and prevention specialists who are experiencing this urgent and ongoing adolescent public-health crisis," the group, Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes, said in a statement.

The FDA tried to ban the leading e-cigarette maker Juul's products earlier this summer, citing questions about its potential health risks. But it's been forced to put that effort on hold following a court challenge.

In this year's survey, about one-fifth of teens who vape reported recently using Juul, though it was no longer a favorite brand. That's a big shift from 2019, when more than half of teens reported Juul as their usual brand.

Instead, many young people have migrated to e-cigarettes delivering laboratory-made nicotineincluding Puff Bara loophole in FDA's oversight that Congress closed this year. Despite gaining new authority over those products, the FDA missed a mid-July deadline to issue decisions on the vast majority of those products.

Explore further Big drop in US teen vaping seen with COVID school closures

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

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% of people in low-income countries have received a single COVID-19 vaccine dose, compared to 80% 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 People's 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 don't know how to do certain things," Rahman told an online press conference last week (25 August). "It has to be more nuanced, otherwise it's 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% vaccination rate recommended by the WHO, in places such as Haiti and DRC vaccination rates are below 10%, 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 world's 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 1% 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," said Richard Musisi, executive director at 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 People's 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."

Explore further Covid jab coverage in poorer countries hits 50%: vaccine alliance

Provided by SciDev.Net
Africa needs to combat a suicide rate that is the highest in the world yet remains widely unrecognised and often stigmatised, the UN said on Thursday.

Six of the 10 countries with the greatest suicide rates in the world are in Africa, and the continent's per-suicide rate is more than a fifth higher than in other regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

"Around 11 people per 100,000 per year die by suicide in the African region, higher than the global average of nine per 100,000 people," the agency's Africa branch said.

Death by hanging or poisoning by pesticide head the list of methods.

The agency launched an appeal for awareness of the problem ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10.

"Suicide is a major public health problem and every death by suicide is a tragedy.Unfortunately, suicide prevention is rarely a priority in national health programmes," said regional director Matshidiso Moeti.

Stigma is a key problem, as is lack of funding, the WHO said.

Africa has on average only one psychiatrist for every 500,000 inhabitantsa ratio 100 times lower than the WHO's recommendationand the lack of therapists is especially serious in countries that have been in conflict.

Spending on mental health in Africa is under 50 cents per head, less than a quarter of UN recommendations.

Explore further What to watch for: Warning signs of suicidal thoughts

 2022 AFP
If you spend some time digging through jazz releases, you can come across an album that Loren Stillman plays on. The saxophonist, whos scored reviews from the BBC and DownBeat, plays around the U.S. and Europe while calling Missoula home.

For a new project, Divide: The Montana Jazz Project, hes assembled a trio and booked a tour across the state. For gigging musicians like him, he said the current moment feels like a relaunch of everybodys career.

That party mood is worth highlighting, he said, especially after artists suffered big time for about two years.

Coming out of the pandemic, he's recorded a new album, has tours in Europe and a focus on tenor saxophone rather than alto.

***

Stillman moved to Missoula about five years ago. His wife had lived here before and it seemed like a good home base for a family. It also allowed him to finish a masters degree so he could pursue teaching. While you can hear him at the Old Post, Stave and Hoop and the ZACC Show Room, his playing career takes him to faraway places: gigs in New York and tours in Europe.

Originally based out of Brooklyn, he was a finalist in the 2002 Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition and in 2004, Down Beat magazine gave him a Rising Star Jazz Award. His saxophone work was praised in the New York Times by Nate Chinen, author of the book Playing Changes: Jazz for the New Century. He wrote that Stillman communicates great intensity but not a lot of drama. Hes an intuitive, self-regulating improviser, averse to any flourish that calls attention to itself.

The list of people hes performed with include legendary bandleaders and players: drummer Paul Motian, guitarist John Abercrombie, the bassists Charlie Haden and Michael Formanek, and the drummer-composer Tyshawn Sorey.

For this group, he assembled a saxophone-bass-drums trio. Without the foundation of a chordal instrument, its been a popular but challenging format. Stillman said its become a favorite of his  the absence of chords is appealing, as they sometimes feel like a limitation for a soloist. With only bass and drums, he can go out of bounds, and come back in bounds, he said.

Hes playing with bassist Bob Bowman, a collaborator from the past five years. The drummer Mark Ferber and Stillman played together for decades.

The sets on this tour will include a mix of originals and standards like Weaver of Dreams, a tune that arranger Bob Brookmeyer, with whom Bowman and Stillman worked.

The new material is recent. He and Farber, along with bassist Drew Gress, recorded a trio album of his compositions that will be released in the near future.

He said they involve balancing freedom and melody while staying within the form of a song.

As abstract as sometimes things can get, everything is still based on form and harmony and the writing composition of a song, he said. Its a tightrope that composers like Motian balanced on in their bands.

The earlier half of Stillmans career was dedicated to the alto saxophone. During the past five years, and particularly during the pandemic, hes transitioned to tenor. (On this tour, hell focus on that and soprano.)

Hes thinking of the new instruments expanded range as a two for one, as it creates a lower version of the alto and a higher version of the tenor.

Stillman assembled this project through the American Rescue Plan Act funding, dispersed by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Montana Arts Council. Hed long wanted to book a tour around Montana, and the successful grant will make it happen.

It also allowed them to include smaller communities, such as Virginia City, Basin and Philipsburg.

In his decades-long career, Stillman said that performing in small areas, whether in the United States or Europe, is rewarding. The audiences are seeing something new and arent jaded.

Theyre being exposed to something new, and it turns out to be a kind of wonderful experience for everybody.
PARIS (AP)  French author Annie Ernaux won this years Nobel Prize in literature Thursday for blending fiction and autobiography in books that fearlessly mine her experiences as a working-class woman to explore life in France since the 1940s.

In more than 20 books published over five decades, Ernaux has probed deeply personal experiences and feelings  love, sex, abortion, shame  within a society split by gender and class divisions.

After a half-century of defending feminist ideals, Ernaux said it doesnt seem to me that women have become equal in freedom, in power, and she strongly defended womens rights to abortion and contraception.

I will fight to my last breath so that women can choose to be a mother, or not to be. Its a fundamental right, she said at a news conference in Paris. Ernaux's first book, Cleaned Out, was about her own illegal abortion before it was legalized in France.

The prize-giving Swedish Academy said Ernaux, 82, was recognized for the courage and clinical acuity" of books rooted in her small-town background in the Normandy region of northwest France.

Anders Olsson, chairman of the Nobel literature committee, said Ernaux is not afraid to confront the hard truths.

She writes about things that no one else writes about, for instance her abortion, her jealousy, her experiences as an abandoned lover and so forth. I mean, really hard experiences, he told The Associated Press after the award announcement in Stockholm. "And she gives words for these experiences that are very simple and striking. They are short books, but they are really moving.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: Annie Ernaux has been writing for 50 years the novel of the collective and intimate memory of our country. Her voice is that of womens freedom, and the centurys forgotten ones.

While Macron praised Ernaux for her Nobel, she has been unsparing with him. A supporter of left-wing causes for social justice, she has poured scorn on Macron's background in banking and said his first term as president failed to advance the cause of French women.

Ernaux's books present uncompromising portraits of life's most intimate moments, including sexual encounters, illness and the deaths of her parents. Olsson said Ernaux's work was often written in plain language, scraped clean. He said she had used the term an ethnologist of herself rather than a writer of fiction.

Dan Simon, Ernaux's longtime American publisher at Seven Stories Press, said that in the early years, she insisted that we not categorize her books at all. She did not allow us to refer to them as fiction and she did not allow us to refer to them as nonfiction.

Ultimately, he said, Ernaux has created a genre of fiction in which nothing is made up."

"Shes a great storyteller of her own life," Simon said.

Ernaux worked as a teacher before becoming a full-time writer. Her first book was Les armoires vides in 1974 (published in English as Cleaned Out). Two more autobiographical novels followed  "Ce quils disent ou rien" (What They Say Goes) and "La femme gelee" (The Frozen Woman)  before she moved to more overtly autobiographical books.

In the book that made her name, La place (A Mans Place), published in 1983 and about her relationship with her father, she wrote: No lyrical reminiscences, no triumphant displays of irony. This neutral writing style comes to me naturally.

La honte (Shame), published in 1997, explored a childhood trauma, while "Levenement" (Happening), from 2000, dealt like Cleaned Out with an illegal abortion.

Her most critically acclaimed book is Les annees" (The Years), published in 2008. Described by Olsson as the first collective autobiography, it depicted Ernaux herself and wider French society from the end of World War II to the 21st century. Its English translation was a finalist for the International Booker Prize in 2019.

Ernaux's "Memoire de fille" (A Girls Story), from 2016, follows a young womans coming of age in the 1950s, while Passion Simple (Simple Passion) and Se perdre (Getting Lost") chart Ernaux's intense affair with a Russian diplomat.

Ernaux has described facing scorn from France's literary establishment because she is a woman from a working-class background.

My work is political," she said at the news conference. She described growing up in a milieu outside the elite, a world of people above you and the seeming impossibility of becoming a famous writer.

The literature prize has long faced criticism that it is too focused on European and North American writers, as well as too male-dominated. Last years prize winner, Tanzanian-born, U.K.-based writer Abdulrazak Gurnah, was only the sixth Nobel literature laureate born in Africa.

More than a dozen French writers have captured the literature prize, though Ernaux is the first French woman to win, and just the 17th woman among the 119 Nobel literature laureates.

Olsson said the academy was working to diversify its range, drawing on experts in literature from different regions and languages.

"We try to broaden the concept of literature but it is the quality that counts, ultimately," he said.

Ernaux said she wasn't sure what she would do with the Nobel's cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (nearly $900,000).

I have a problem with money," she told reporters. "Money is not a goal for me. ... I dont know how to spend it well.

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.

Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser and Austrian Anton Zeilinger won the physics prize on Tuesday for work showing that tiny particles can retain a connection with each other even when separated, a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement.

The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded Wednesday to Americans Carolyn R. Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, and Danish scientist Morten Meldal for developing a way of snapping molecules together that can be used to explore cells, map DNA and design drugs to target cancer and other diseases.

The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday and the economics award on Monday.

The prizes will be handed out on Dec. 10. The prize money comes from a bequest left by the prizes creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, in 1895.

Keyton reported from Stockholm and Lawless from London. Masha Macpherson in Clergy, France; John Leicester in Le Pecq, France; Frank Jordans in Berlin; Naomi Koppel in London; Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

Follow all AP stories about the Nobel Prizes at https://apnews.com/hub/nobel-prizes
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

(THE CONVERSATION) Loretta Lynns death at the age of 90 marks the end of a remarkable life of achievement in country music.

Her dramatic life story  retold in the 1980 award-winning film Coal Miners Daughter, based on Lynns 1976 biography  made Lynn a household name. She grew up in poverty in a small Kentucky mining town, marrying and starting a family as a teenager before reaching unprecedented heights of commercial success as a recording artist of modern country music.

But as a scholar of gender and country music and author of Hillbilly Maidens, Okies, and Cowgirls: Womens Country Music, 1930-1960, I know that Lynn represented more than just star power and fame in country music  she spoke to the concerns of women, especially white working-class women in rural and suburban America.

Speaking up, singing out

Lynns rise in the 1960s took place when country music appeared tied to conservative politics. It was a time when Merle Haggards Okie from Muskogee, with its attacks on counterculture, marijuana and draft-card burning, became a populist anthem for the countrys cultural conservatives.

In contrast, Lynns songwriting continued the legacy of Kitty Wells, Jean Shepard and other women in country music who were willing to speak up about the concerns of American women.

Lynns songs defied societal expectations by connecting her musical representations of working-class and rural women to broader social issues affecting women across the U.S.

She aimed for her music to articulate the fears, dreams and anger of women living in a patriarchal society. It railed against those who idealized womens domestic roles and demonized outspoken feminists.

Theres gonna be some changes

Specifically, for a generation of predominantly white women in the 1960s and 1970s who did not identify as urban or college-educated feminists, Lynns music offered candid conversations about their private lives as wives and mothers.

As Lynn stated in her autobiography, her audience recognized her as a mother and a wife and a daughter, who had feelings just like other women.

She did this through clever and witty songwriting and lyrical techniques that combined the vernacular of her audience with her resonant voice.

Meanwhile, the song arrangements of Owen Bradley of Decca Records directed Lynns musical talents to a broad audience. He combined the edgier sound of honky-tonk instrumentation  electric guitars, pedal steels and fiddles  with the polish of the Nashville sound by including the smooth sounding vocal harmonies of the vocal quartet the Jordanaires, as heard in numerous country, gospel and rock n roll recordings.

This provided a sound of strength and conviction to accompany Lynns bold and forthright songs as she laid bare the double standards of gender roles.

With her assertive and resonant voice, Lynn, in her 1966 track Dont Come Home A Drinkin (With Lovin on Your Mind), warns men not to expect women to be waiting at home, sexually available for them after theyd spent the night drinking:

Well, you thought Id be waitin up when you came home last night

Youd been out with all the boys and you ended up half tight

Liquor and love, they just dont mix

Leave that bottle or me behind

And dont come home a drinkin with lovin on your mind

In a similar vein, Lynn, who claimed that her songs about wayward husbands were inspired by her fraught marriage to Oliver Doolittle Lynn, confronted the other woman in songs such as 1966s You Aint Woman Enough and 1968s Fist City.

A lasting legacy

Fully aware that her personalized accounts became political messages for her fan base of women, Lynn co-wrote and recorded The Pill in 1975. It was a rare foray into the topic of womens reproductive rights for country music. In typical fashion, though, Lynn approached the issue from the perspective of a rural working-class woman:

Im tired of all your crowin

How you and your hens play

While holdin a couple in my arms

Anothers on the way

This chickens done tore up her nest

And Im ready to make a deal

And ya cant afford to turn it down

Cause you know Ive got the pill

The songs sexual innuendos about cavorting roosters and hens incorporated the double entendres and humor of early blues and country, while providing a frank discussion about female sexual pleasure. It also addressed the right for women to take control over their bodies and reproduction.

The song came out just two years after the Supreme Court passed Roe v. Wade, granting women the ability to govern their own reproductive health through abortion.

Indeed, Lynn commented on the Supreme Courts ruling in her autobiography:

Personally, I think you should prevent unwanted pregnancy rather than get an abortion. It would be wrong for me. But Im thinking of all the poor girls who get pregnant when they dont want to be, and how they should have a choice instead of leaving it up to some politician or doctor who dont have to raise the baby.

Her recording The Pill spoke to married women who wanted to be able to space out their children and prevent unwanted pregnancies so that they could pursue educational and professional opportunities.

In interviews, Lynn discussed at length how female listeners flocked to her after concerts, relieved to find a public figure with whom they felt comfortable to discuss birth control.

Not everyone was thrilled, though. Male country disc jockeys banned The Pill from the airwaves. Nonetheless, the recording became her biggest seller in 1975 and furthered Lynns reputation as a spokeswoman for white rural working-class women.

Her music also inspired the women in country music who followed her to further explore issues of gender roles. Lynns legacy lives on in the music of female country artists  such as Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert  who learned from Lynn how to create music that confronts and triumphs over the societal obstacles that women face.

While all of country music will mourn the death of Lynn, it is perhaps her female fans who will feel the loss more acutely. Lynn gave them a social and political voice, and helped make country music a genre relevant to the complexities of womens lives.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/loretta-lynn-was-more-than-a-great-songwriter-she-was-a-spokeswoman-for-white-rural-working-class-women-191932.
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 5, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Three leading medical groups have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate growing threats to doctors, hospitals, and families providing and seeking gender-affirming care.

In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, and Children's Hospital Association called for swift action to investigate and prosecute all organizations and individuals involved.

"Whether it's newborns receiving intensive care, children getting cancer treatments, or families accessing compassionate care for their transgender adolescents, all patients seeking treatment deserve to get the care they need without fear for their personal safety," Moira Szilagyi, M.D., the president of the AAP, said in a joint association news release. "We cannot stand by as threats of violence against our members and their patients proliferate with little consequence. We call on the Department of Justice to investigate these attacks and social media platforms to reduce the spread of the misinformation enabling them."

Threats have affected hospitals and health care providers all across the country, from Boston to Seattle, the letter noted. Providers have needed extra security. Staff and families are experiencing "elevated and justifiable fear."

Providers are under threat for providing federally protected, evidence-based care, the groups noted. In their letter, they wrote: "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. 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."

Coordinated disinformation campaigns on social media are making matters worse, the groups said. The medical organizations also called on technology platforms, including Twitter, TikTok, and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, to do more about organized campaigns that lead to harassment against hospitals and their staff. They called for strong action when falsehoods are spread about specific doctors and institutions and urged social media companies to enforce their own safety and conduct policies.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The United States will begin screening travelers coming from Uganda for Ebola as an additional precaution aimed at trying to prevent an outbreak in the African country from spreading, the Biden administration said Thursday.

There have been no Ebola cases from the outbreak reported outside Uganda, and the risk in the U.S. is considered low. U.S. officials described the screening move as an additional precaution.

The screenings will begin rolling out immediately. Travelers who have been in Uganda at any point during the past 21 days, which is the incubation period for the virus, will be redirected to one of five U.S. airports for Ebola screening: Kennedy International Airport in New York, Washington Dulles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, Chicago's OHare International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The screening applies to any passenger who was in Uganda, including U.S. citizens. It involves a temperature and symptom check conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC will also collect contact information that will be shared with local health departments at the travelers' destination.

The administration says about 145 people per day enter the U.S. from Uganda, with most already arriving at the five large airline hubs. Anyone scheduled to fly into a different airport will be rebooked by their airline, the administration said.

Also Thursday, the CDC sent a health alert to doctors, urging them to get a travel history from patients who have Ebola-like symptoms.

The Ebola virus disease is mainly spread through contact with blood and other bodily fluids of an infected person who is sick or died. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and sometimes bleeding. There are Ebola vaccines, but not for the Sudan strain causing the current outbreak.

This marks the sixth Ebola outbreak in Uganda, but this one has escalated quickly. As of Thursday, there have been 44 confirmed cases and 10 confirmed deaths since the first case was diagnosed Sept. 19.

Stobbe reported from New York.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Planned Parenthood's political arm announced a $5 million investment Thursday in North Carolina's battleground races as Democrats fight to preserve the governor's veto power in one of the last abortion access points in the Southeast.

Just 32 days from Election Day, with absentee voting now underway, Planned Parenthood Votes and Planned Parenthood Action PAC North Carolina are targeting 14 legislative swing districts with ads, mailings, phone banks and canvassing. The investment is part of an existing $50 million national campaign to protect reproductive rights in nine target states  the largest-ever electoral program in its history.

Abortions are legal in North Carolina until 20 weeks of pregnancy, as of an Aug. 17 federal court ruling. But with Republicans just five seats shy of a supermajority in the General Assembly  three seats shy in the House and two in the Senate  Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's power to veto more stringent abortion restrictions hinges on the November outcome.

As its neighboring states slash abortion access in the months following the June U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, North Carolina has become one of the South's few safe havens for the procedure.

Emily Thompson, deputy director of Planned Parenthood Action PAC North Carolina, said several of the state's races play a critical role in cementing access to life-saving care for patients in the Tar Heel state and those traveling from other Southern states where abortion is already banned.

The committee's chief priority, she said, is preventing a Republican supermajority in the General Assembly by focusing attention and resources on five battleground state Senate races.

If we dont elect reproductive rights champions in five key state Senate races, an anti-abortion supermajority will have the votes to ban abortion in North Carolina, Thompson said. And if we dont defend two critical North Carolina Supreme Court seats, we will lose our last line of defense against restrictive state laws designed to rob us of our right to make our own health care decisions.

In an interview this week, GOP state Senate leader Phil Berger said Democrats' accusations that Republicans would fully ban abortion in North Carolina if they obtain veto-proof majorities are misguided.

Berger said he is not aware of a General Assembly GOP leader who has said they personally support legislation outlawing abortion outright, with no exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the patient.

Theyve not been able to point to anybody because it doesnt exist, Berger said Wednesday. He recently said he preferred approving restrictions on abortions after roughly the first three months of pregnancy.

House Speaker Tim Moore has said he personally supports restricting abortions once an ultrasound first detects fetal cardiac activity  typically about six weeks after fertilization and before many patients know they're pregnant.

In addition to state legislative races, Planned Parenthood is funneling resources into North Carolina's high-profile U.S. Senate contest and two state Supreme Court races, which have become recent magnets for Democratic groups working to protect abortion rights nationwide.

Democrats currently hold a 4-3 majority on the panel, but with two Democratic seats up for grabs this November, Republicans need to win just one to retake control of the high court for the first time in six years. The candidates have largely avoided the topic of abortion, instead pitching themselves as the neutral solution to an increasingly politicized judiciary.

But abortion rights have taken center stage in the intensely competitive U.S. Senate race between Democrat Cheri Beasley and Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Budd, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump. North Carolina is one of the few states where Democrats have a strong shot at flipping a seat in the narrowly divided chamber, making Beasleys campaign a crucial component of the partys plan to codify abortion rights into federal law.

Associated Press writer Gary Robertson in Raleigh contributed to this report.

Hannah Schoenbaum is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow her on Twitter at @H_Schoenbaum.
Labeling the extraordinary demand for child care in Montana as a crisis, the director of the state health department said it would follow recommendations from a recent audit to improve the system.

Outside of the millions of dollars from federal COVID-19 relief programs, the state Department of Public Health and Human Services distributes about $40 million every year to support subsidies for families and child care providers. About $30 million of that is federal money and the rest comes from the state.

An August 2021 report found that "Montana's parents and businesses have suffered from a lack of access to (child) care" and that capacity in the state only met 44% of estimated demand. About 60% of the state's counties are classified as child care deserts, according to the report.

As the department is working to improve the subsidy system, child care providers and advocates are urging the state to use some of the expected $1 billion or more in budget surplus to continue pandemic-era changes that helped make the program more reliable for businesses and accessible for families.

Those changes came after Congress passed the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act in 2020 to help states stabilize their child care sectors that had been dramatically altered by COVID-19.

With the money, Montana expanded who was eligible for the Best Beginnings Scholarship program that helps families afford child care and lowered the co-pay requirement to $10. The state also changed the way providers are paid to ensure that they would be paid in a more stable, reliable way and not miss payments if a child stayed home while sick or for other reasons.

About 2,000 families have benefitted from the higher eligibility or lower co-pay amounts, according to a letter sent to the health department by more than 65 advocates, organizations and child care providers. The letter estimated another 14,000 children could be eligible for assistance under the increased eligibility level.

Audit recommendations

Auditors from the Legislative Audit Division issued three recommendations to the health department, including to better distribute the $40 million from the Child Care and Development Fund. The report was discussed during a Legislative Audit Committee meeting Wednesday.

Based on demographic information, auditors found the amount of aid going to counties in the state did not always match the estimated need in those regions.

This one indicated to us that maybe there's some needs out there that aren't being met as fully as they could be, said Sarah Carlson, senior management and program analyst. There's problems with access, and then by extension with choice. Affordability seems to be an issue.

While the health department agreed with recommendations from auditors to do more to make sure needs are being met based on demographics, Economic Security Services Executive Director Erica Johnston said theyre also limited because the Best Beginnings assistance is based on if people apply to and are qualified for the program, and if they can find a provider that accepts the program.

Knowing more about the demographics and the counties where there's a high utilization of the scholarship and the low utilization of the scholarship certainly informs what we might need to do differently and better about increasing awareness of the program in encouraging people to participate both as clients and as providers, Johnston said. (But) it is still limited by the financial means testing and the availability of services at the time and place.

The audit also identified three instances where a child care license was approved at a location where someone on the states sexual or violent offender registry had registered with their address. Licenses should not be issued if a person on the registry lives at the child care facilitys address, but the system is based on self-reporting.

Auditors found that two of those locations were no longer providing child care and the other was still operating and had their license renewed. Carlson said health department staff were notified of the citation during the audit, and when auditors checked in the department staff said they had not checked or called the provider because an official complaint hadn't been made.

Legislative Audit Committee chair Rep. Denise Hayman, a Bozeman Democrat, asked Carlson for clarification that the agency could not investigate unless there was a formal complaint.

Something is really wrong. Really, really wrong, Hayman said.

Auditors recommended the department change the license approval and renewal process to check addresses against the registry and develop training on how to follow up if a potentially dangerous situation occurs.

Johnston said the department has the ability to make phone calls and ask questions, but has been limited from formal investigations. The department will work to follow auditors suggestions, she added.

It moves from the trust and self-reporting to actually verifying, taking that next active step to say we believe you but we're also going to check and if we find something on that list, we're going to act appropriately ... , Johnstone said. We're committed to improving the safety of our licensing process and take this recommendation very seriously.

Department Director Charlie Brereton said the health department will also collaborate with the state Department of Justice to pull address data from the registry and see if any match with licensed providers.

Pandemic-era changes helped providers, families

Hayman asked auditors if their study took into account the cost of living, especially for places like Gallatin County where housing prices outpace the rest of the state.

You can  make enough money to be able to live in Gallatin County, be able to live in Bozeman, pay your rent  but in order to get to that level, it disqualifies you for the eligibility determinations related to this income-based subsidy benefit, Hayman said of the Best Beginnings program.

Xanna Burg, director of Montana Kids Count, said the changes made using the 2020 federal COVID aid to increase eligibility and help with co-pays made things more affordable for families. One of the changes was capping co-pays at $10.

If that goes away, a family toward the upper end of the eligibility criteria is going to start paying hundreds of dollars a month toward their co-pay, Burg said. A single-income, single-parent with one child making $28,000 a year, for example, could go from paying $10 a month now to $320, or about 14% of their monthly income. Spending about 7% of a households monthly income on child care is whats considered affordable.

The income eligibility level also increased during the pandemic, from 150% of the federal poverty level to 185%. That change meant families who were able to enter the workforce or make other changes to increase their incomes because of the availability of child care didnt have to worry about losing benefits if they earned a bit more each month.

Theres a balance between I can get a raise but then I lose eligibility for all these programs,' Burg said.  ... This is the way to help ease that cliff a little bit. (A household can) get a raise and dont immediately lose child care benefits.

While Brereton said the department is also looking at ways to ease regulations to become a child care provider, existing providers said pandemic-era changes to the Best Beginnings programs that make their payments more reliable is a major factor in being able to stay in business.

Prior to COVID, a provider would only be paid for each day a child using the Best Beginnings scholarship attended. Thats unlike a private-pay situation, in which a family pays the same tuition each month regardless of how often their child went to care.

Christina Carmichael, owner of My Sister's Keeper Childcare in Ronan, said that stability has been critical.

This extra support eases the burden on families when they have absences and guarantees the families to always have space for their child regardless of the number of absences they have, Carmichael wrote in an email last month. Without the extra funding of support parents are stuck having to pay out of pocket for every single absence. Sometimes kids get sick and have to stay home from child care, this causes the family financial strain of not only missing work and losing income, but also still having to pay for child care absences.

Carmichael has switched to charging a flat monthly rate to make the facility more stable, but said that will be challenging if families have to go back to higher co-pays and not having absences covered.

COVID has changed the way the world operates, (with a) higher emphasis on health and safety, especially relating to child care. Many facilities have implemented very rigorous sick policies post-COVID and this drastically changed the way child care operates, Carmichael wrote. Parents more now than ever have children being sent home for illnesses they may have otherwise never been sent home for before, this forces the parent to miss work, or pay for back-up care, both of which are costing the family even more money.

The letter from child care advocates said not extending these provisions will create additional burdens for child care business and families.

Without stable reimbursement payments, child care providers face uncertain funding for their slots used by a Best Beginning family or must pass that cost onto families to cover more than a few absences each month," the letter reads.

The department said in late September it was planning to communicate back to the providers soon.
BOZEMAN  A former state legislator was found dead in the Truman Gulch area after he was reported overdue from a hunting trip, according to a press release from the Gallatin County Sheriffs Office.

The Gallatin County Sheriffs Office identified the hunter as Joseph Balyeat, 65, of Bozeman. He died of natural causes, according to the Gallatin County Coroners Office.

Just before 11 p.m. on Tuesday, dispatch received a call that Balyeat was overdue from a hunting trip. The reporting party had driven to the trailhead on the west side of the Bridger Range and saw his car was still parked there, according to the release.

With tips from the person who reported him missing and his family members, the Gallatin County Search and Rescue, a drone team and dog team began searching the area where he was known to hunt. LifeFlight Network also searched the area with night vision, according to the release.

The SAR dog team found Balyeat early on Wednesday morning, the release said.

Originally from Great Falls, Balyeat served as a Republican member of the Montana State House of Representatives from 2001 to 2005.

He represented District 34, which encompasses Belgrade, in the Montana State Senate from 2005 until his resignation in 2012.

Balyeat was an avid hunter, and served as a vice chair for the Senate Fish and Game committee in 2011, and as a member in 2009, 2007 and in 2005.

He also authored several Christian books and worked as an accountant.

In a statement, Montana Senate President Mark Blasdel, R-Kalispell, said Balyeat was a fighter for freedom.

Joe Balyeat was a hardworking senator for Montana taxpayers who brought a lot to the table with his accounting and sportsman background, Blasdel said. He was an avid hunter and outdoorsman and died doing what he loved. He was a fighter for freedom and will be deeply missed.
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.
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October 6, 2022 by Flannary Collins

Category: Open Public Meetings Act , COVID-19



Editor's note: This blog has been updated (most recently on October 11) to note that a COVID-19 presidential emergency declaration is still in effect and to clarify its impacts, as well as to add a summary table at the end. We have also added general information on federal emergency declarations and authority to our page COVID-19 Governor's Proclamations and State Guidance.

On February 29, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 health crisis, Governor Inslee declared a state of emergency for the State of Washington. Now, over two and a half years later, that state of emergency and all remaining emergency proclamations are scheduled to be lifted on October 31, 2022 (see the governors press release).

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a long and exhausting experience for citizens and governmental agencies in the State of Washington and, while COVID-19 remains a reality, the state governmental restrictions associated with the pandemic will mostly be a thing of the past by the end of this month.

Background

Governor Inslees February 29, 2020, state of emergency declaration gave him broad authority to prohibit activities that he reasonably believed was necessary to help preserve and maintain life, health, property or the public peace and to waive or suspend certain statutes and rules (RCW 43.06.220).

Based on this state of emergency, Governor Inslee issued numerous proclamations, including a shelter-in-place requirement, a mask mandate, vaccination requirements for certain workers, a proof of vaccination or negative test requirement to attend large events, an eviction moratorium, a prohibition on utility shutoffs and late fees, a waiver of the requirement to have in-person open public meetings, and more. It was  a lot.

Many of these emergency orders have already expired, but some still remain. The purpose of this blog is to review what impact local governments will experience once the emergency officially ends. While the governor has not yet formally rescinded the declaration of emergency and associated emergency proclamations, here is what we expect to happen if and when that occurs on October 31.

Open Public Meetings

During the height of the pandemic, Proclamation 20-28 et seq. prohibited governing bodies from meeting in-person, instead requiring governing bodies to hold meetings on a remote platform. Later, that restriction loosened a bit, allowing for optional in-person meetings while still requiring a remote platform.

The remote public meeting requirement and restrictions on holding in-person public meetings expired June 1, 2022 (see our blog OPMA/PRA Emergency Proclamation Will Expire June 1). Upon expiration of the proclamation, the newly revised OPMA applied. (For a refresher on the OPMA changes during the last legislative session, see my blog The OPMA Gets an Update from the Legislature.)

Under RCW 42.30.230 the current status of open public meetings is that they must be held at a physical location where the public can attend, unless a local, state, or federal emergency has been declared and the public agency determines it cannot hold an in-person meeting with reasonable safety. While state law encourages agencies to offer a remote attendance option along with its in-person option (see RCW 42.30.030), they are no longer required to do so.

While the states declaration of emergency will be lifted, local governments can still rely on their own declared state of emergency or a federal emergency declaration (such as the president's emergency declaration) to hold a fully remote meeting if they detail their reasoning why the local or federal emergency prevents them from meeting in person.

Vaccine Mandates

COVID-19 vaccine mandates were a hot (and controversial) topic at the height of the pandemic. While some employers chose to adopt a local requirement that their employees be vaccinated against COVID-19, certain positions were required to be vaccinated by the state (most recently Proclamation 21-14.5). Notably for local governments, workers in the healthcare/childcare settings (including many firefighters and emergency medical technicians) were required to be vaccinated against the virus.

After October 31, 2022, this will no longer be a requirement and  absent any local policy to the contrary  non-vaccinated individuals can be hired (or re-hired) into these healthcare/childcare positions.

As noted in Governor Inslees September 8 press release:

Vaccination requirements for health care and education workers will end, but employers will continue to be able to require them if they choose. Inslee has already announced that COVID-19 vaccination will remain a condition of employment for most Washington state agencies.

Mask Requirements

Similar to vaccine mandates, mask requirements have also mostly disappeared, with few if any local governments (outside of public hospitals) requiring facial coverings in the workplace. Any remaining mask mandate requirements were issued by the state Secretary of Health, and those are anticipated to continue after October 31, 2022. (The most recent Secretary of Health Order 20-03.9 requires face masks in correctional and jail facilities when the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions COVID-19 level is medium or high in the county where the facility is located, as well as in health care and long-term care settings regardless of the countys COVID-19 level.)

Even if masks are not required, employers must generally accommodate employees or contractors who voluntarily choose to wear a face mask or other personal protective equipment during a public health emergency, with certain exceptions related to workplace safety and security (RCW 49.17.485). This statute is triggered when the president or governor declares a public health emergency or when the local health officer issues a public health order. Since there is still a declared presidential emergency, these protections will continue even after the governors emergency declarations end, and agencies must remain aware of any local health orders that might be in place.

The governors September 8 press release states:

The statewide Face Covering Order issued by the state Department of Health will remain in place for health care and long-term care sittings, as well as correctional facilities under certain circumstances after the state of emergency ends. The governor is also looking at options to ensure there are protections for workers who choose to wear a mask in their workplace.

Notification and Tracking Requirements

Proclamation 20-25.19, known as Washington Ready, includes a provision that requires employers to notify their local health district if they suspect COVID is spreading in their workplace. That notification requirement will terminate with the lifting of the emergency at the end of this month. While that proclamation is expiring, the following notification requirements in RCW 49.17.062-.064 still apply until the president rescinds the national COVID-19 emergency declaration:

Notification to the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) when ten or more employees have tested positive for COVID-19, and

Notification to employees when the employer receives a notice of potential exposure to COVID-19.

For more information on employer responsibilities, see the L&I requirements and guidance for preventing COVID-19.

Additionally, Proclamation 20-64.5 is also still in effect and expressly prohibits public agencies from releasing certain information related to COVID-19 contact tracings or logs. Although this express prohibition will no longer be in effect after the lifting of the emergency, the proclamation was really a belts-and-suspenders approach to exempting contact tracing logs from public disclosure. As detailed in the proclamation, the following exemptions can likely be applied to protect contact tracing logs from public disclosure:

RCW 42.56.230(1) exempts personal information in files maintained for patients or clients of public health agencies;

RCW 42.56.270(1) and, as an "other statute" in RCW 42.56.070(1), chapter 19.108 RCW, the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, could apply to visitor and customer log information collected by businesses and provided to a public health agency for contact tracing following a new case of infection as proprietary information and research data.

Other Miscellaneous Matters

Proclamation 20-78 restricted combined city and county health departments and any members of a health district from undertaking efforts to terminate or withdraw from the department or district. This restriction will end once the emergency is lifted.

The state adopted workplace safety and health rules during the pandemic to protect high-risk employees from being discharged, replaced, or discriminated against in the workplace for seeking accommodation from exposure to an infectious or contagious disease during a public health emergency. These protections are only triggered when a public health emergency that covers every county in the state is declared by either the U.S. President or the Washington State Governor. While the states emergency will end on October 31, 2022, the federal state of emergency is still in effect so these rules will continue to apply until President Biden lifts the nationwide emergency.

While not associated with the governors emergency proclamation, some agencies did adopt administrative or other special paid leave for those who were required to quarantine as a result of COVID-19. Employers may continue with these policies at their discretion: One thing to note is that the CDC updated its quarantine guidance some time ago, recommending five days quarantine for those who test positive for COVID-19.

Summary

To help keep all of this information straight, here is a quick reference table:

Requirement Still in effect after statewide emergency is lifted October 31? Holding in-person meetings of the governing body unless an emergency is declared and the agency details its reasoning. Yes. While an agency can no longer rely on the state emergency to hold fully remote meetings, it can still rely either on a local or federal declaration of emergency. Vaccines for workers in childcare and healthcare settings. No. These workers will no longer be required to be vaccinated unless the local government employer has a vaccine policy in place. Masks for correctional and jail facilities (in some circumstances) and in all health care and long-term care settings. Yes. The state Secretary of Health order requiring masks in those settings is expected to continue despite the lifting of the state declaration of emergency. Accommodating employees who want to wear a mask or PPE. Yes. Accommodation is still required under state law due to the presidential declaration of emergency. Employment protections for high risk workers who seek accommodation. Yes. Accommodation is still required under state law due to the presidential declaration of emergency. Notification to L&I about COVID cases and to employees about potential exposure. Yes. Notification is still required under state law due to the presidential declaration of emergency. Prohibition on releasing COVID-19 contact tracings or logs. Likely yes, but under other PRA exemptions. Restrictions on terminations of and withdrawals from health districts. No.

MRSCs COVID-19 Governor's Proclamations and State Guidance webpage provides additional history about emergency proclamations related to the pandemic and their status. Once the governor issues the lifting of the emergency order, we will update this blog and related webpages, as necessary.

MRSC is a private nonprofit organization serving local governments in Washington State. Eligible government agencies in Washington State may use our free, one-on-one Ask MRSC service to get answers to legal, policy, or financial questions.
Butte police reports

DUI arrest

Just before 1 a.m. Wednesday, a man driving a gray Dodge Ram truck nearly struck a police car on Front Street. The truck was then stopped near the intersection of Utah and Second.

The driver, Joseph Edward Landon, 26, of Butte, was arrested for the misdemeanor offenses of driving under the influence (refusal/second offense), open container in vehicle, improper turn and driving with a suspended or revoked drivers license.

Pizza scam

Late Tuesday night, a resident living in the 1500 block of Yale Avenue called to say a pizza delivery person arrived with a pizza he allegedly ordered. The problem was, he didnt order it.

Turns out the person who reportedly did order it was Ryan Matthew Burton, 27, of Butte, who was living in a tent in a nearby field.

When questioned by an officer, Burton was not too forthcoming with any details. Besides two misdemeanor criminal contempt warrants out of Butte City Court, he was arrested for the misdemeanor offense of obstructing a police officer.

MHP arrest

Just after 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wallace Robert Arney, 62, of Butte was arrested by a trooper with the Montana Highway Patrol.

Arney was jailed for felony driving under the influence (fourth or subsequent offense), felony probation violation, no license plates, unlawful possession of alcohol, and failure to show proof of insurance.

In and out

Ryan Christopher McConnell, 38, of Butte was reportedly walking in and out of residents yards in the 3300 block of Carter.

An officer located McConnell on Paxson Street. He had a warrant out for his arrest for misdemeanor criminal contempt and was taken to jail.

Third offense

Peggy Jo Rajacich, 54, of Butte was arrested Wednesday night for the misdemeanor offenses of aggravated driving under the influence (third offense) and misdemeanor careless driving.

At around 7 p.m., an officer in the 2300 block of Harrison Avenue observed a woman driving north in a red sedan. She allegedly drove across the center line and was seen swerving in traffic.

At the jail, Rajacich took a Breathalyzer and reportedly tested twice over the legal limit.

More reports

Two ATVs, a compressor and a leaf blower were stolen from a building on Basin Creek Road.

A cell phone was stolen from a locker at East Middle School, 2600 Grand Ave. It was also reported that a cell phone was taken from a residence in the 200 block of North Washington Street.

A package was stolen from a porch in the 1800 block of South Warren Avenue.

Someone broke into a vehicle in the 1100 block of West Diamond Street and took two bicycle backpacks, a jacket and sun glasses.

Old tires were found dumped behind Montana Tech.

A mountain bike was stolen from a residence in the 10 block of South Washington Street.

Surveillance video showed a man in dire need of a belt for his pants stealing a shovel and rake from the yard of a home in the 1900 block of Lowell Avenue.

A work truck parked at a construction site in the 5000 block of Harrison Avenue had its gas line punctured.

A vehicle parked in the 800 block of South Utah had its window broken and cash stolen from the console.
Highlands College of Montana Tech unveiled a new sign on campus Thursday morning 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," Highlands College Dean Karen VanDaveer said in a press release.

"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," she added.

VanDaveer and Dean Bentley, human resources generalist with NorthWestern Energy and vice chair of the Montana Workforce Innovation Board, provided a few remarks at Thursdays unveiling.

Trades & Technology Day allows students to explore career and technical education career opportunities. The event was expected to draw high school students from 15 schools and 20 industry partners.

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 Paul Babb, NorthWestern Energy's community relations manager. "Highlands College has been a model of what a community and industry partner should be  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.
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.
WAPELLO  A six-figure playground construction project at the Louisa County Conservation Boards (LCCB) Eden Park will cost a little more, after the LCCB approved an $8,600 change order during its regular meeting on Monday.

LCCB Executive Director Katie Hammond presented the change order to the board, explaining she and maintenance supervisor Noah Robb had spent much of the day at the park discussing additional concrete and other work with the installation contractor.

Hammond told the board that workers with BlueBird Contracting, Rock Falls, Ill., had determined a proposed handicap-accessible walkway was not long enough to maintain the required slope.

She told the board the contractor had estimated the walkway needed to be extended by up to 150 feet. BlueBird had provided a $10-per-square-foot cost of extending the 5-foot-wide walkway but will bill the conservation board only for the amount needed to meet the ADA (American Disability Act) standard.

The change order also included a $300 cost for additional concrete for anchoring one of the playground units and $300 for additional rock.

The conservation board had initially accepted a $94,481 bid from AB Creative, DeSota, Neb., for the playground equipment at its April 19 meeting but had been unable to install the equipment after not obtaining any installation bids from concrete contractors.

BlueBird finally submitted a $20,000 bid in August, after the conservation board completed some ground leveling and other landscaping. The company began the installation Monday.

Hammond said the project was being financed through an $86,000 grant from the Carver Charitable Trust, with another grant from the Eden Trust covering the remaining cost.

Other board action

Hammond reported she had obtained one bid for moving three buildings to the LCCBs maintenance shop in Wapello. According to previous discussions, the Wapello Development Corporation (WDC) donated two of the buildings to the LCCB from property it recently acquired west of Wapello.

A third building is also located on the WDC property and may be donated, but no official action has been taken.

In the meantime, Hammond said she was still expecting a second moving bid and planned to present them all to the LCCB during a special Oct. 10 meeting.

Hammond also reported she had submitted three grant applications to the Community Foundation of Louisa County, seeking funds to promote the use of the Challenge Course at the Langwood Environmental Center and to purchase kayaks for the area.

Robb also reported the maintenance crew was busy mowing again.

In final action, Hammond updated the board on another possible sale of undeveloped Hoover Nature Trail sections south of Iowa Highway 78 near Morning Sun.

She said two landowners adjacent to the remaining sections had indicated they were interested in purchasing the pieces but no final decision had been made.

Board member Joellen Schantz said she was concerned the issue might drag out and urged Hammond to wrap up any negotiations before the end of the year.

Hammond said she had asked the owners to officially notify her of a decision by the LCCBs Nov. 14 meeting.
CEDAR RAPIDS  A former Highland High School teacher will spend two years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation by a school employee, a Class D felony.

According to court documents, Justin David Rapier, 41, of Marion, pleaded guilty in Washington County District Court to a charge of sexual exploitation by a school employee from when he worked at Highland School District, rural Riverside. The arrest report says Rapier, a language arts teacher, allegedly had sexual contact with a girl who attended the school and sent her messages by text and social media from 2017 to 2021. She was a juvenile at the time, the report said. If convicted of the crime, he could have been sentenced to up to five years in prison.

As part of the sentence, Rapier was ordered to report to the Linn County Jail to begin his sentence. He pleaded guilty to a similar charge in Linn County and sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 6. He was arrested on two counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee. Rapier allegedly sexually abused a high school girl in his Cedar Rapids home on two occasions while he was employed at Riverside High School in Oakland. The student, a juvenile, told police the abuse occurred on Aug. 10, 2019, and again in May 2021.

Additionally, Rapier will have to file on the sex offender registry and pay a civil penalty of $260. A no-contact order is in place prohibiting Rapier from having contact with the victim for at least five years.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  A program that incentivizes West Virginia families to pull their children out of K-12 public schools by offering them state-funded scholarships will be able to resume, after the state Supreme Court issued an order Thursday reversing a lower courts ruling.

The Hope Scholarship Program, which was scheduled to commence this school year and is one of the most far-reaching school choice programs in the country, was blocked by a Charleston-area judge in July after she ruled that the program violates the states constitutional mandate to provide a thorough and efficient system of free schools.

The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals order overruling that decision comes just two days after attorneys presented their oral arguments in court. Justices said they were acting without undue delay given the nature of the constitutional matters at issue." They did not provide their reasoning for their decision but said a more detailed opinion will follow.

State Treasurer Riley Moore, who serves as Chairman of the Hope Scholarship Board, praised the decision, calling it a victory for families over out-of-state trial lawyers and liberal activists who are trying to block educational freedom and school choice.

The Hope Scholarship will provide families  particularly those with low incomes  the ability to pursue educational opportunities that best suit their children," he said.

He said effective immediately, this program is back up and running, and that the scholarship board will meet as soon as possible to iron out the logistics of getting money to families.

Passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature last year, the law that created the Hope Scholarship Program allows families to apply for state funding to support private school tuition, homeschooling fees and a wide range of other expenses. More than 3,000 students were approved to receive around $4,300 each during the programs inaugural cycle, according to the West Virginia State Treasurers Office. The first payments were supposed to go out in August but were put on hold while the lower court's block on the program was in place.

Families can't receive the money if their children were already homeschooled or attending private school. To qualify, students have to have been enrolled in a West Virginia public school last year or had to be set to begin kindergarten this school year.

In January, three parents of special education students sued the state, saying the scholarship program takes money away from already underfunded public schools. The lawsuit was supported by the West Virginia Board of Education. One family later withdrew from the case.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, whose office led the appeal of the July ruling, said the state Supreme Court's decision will make an incredible difference for thousands of families across the state.

The Hope Scholarship Act opens more doors for West Virginia students while leaving public schools with the funding and other resources they need to remain strong, he said.
Newly signed legislation loosening zoning requirements will soon make it easier for California school districts to build affordable housing for their teachers and other staff.

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It is the latest in a series of bills passed by lawmakers over the last seven years to remove hurdles around building teacher housing. The new legislation, part of a suite of 41 housing bills signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last week, will allow staff housing to be built on any property owned by a school district without requiring the district to request zoning changes from city or county officials.

Assembly Bill 2295 will be in effect from Jan. 1, 2024 to Jan. 1, 2033.

Teachers and staff are leaving because the skyrocketing cost of living and stagnant salaries make it almost impossible to afford living in the communities where they teach, said Assemblymember Richard Bloom, the author of the legislation. We are hemorrhaging talented teachers, which ultimately negatively impacts the quality of a public education for our kids. We can do better. AB 2295 gives school districts an essential tool in addressing staffing challenges by utilizing properties they already own.

A 2021 joint study by the Center for Cities and Schools and the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, and CityLab at UCLA, found that the states school districts own more than 150,000 acres of land and that 75,000 acres could be developed into affordable housing. At 30 units per acre there could be 2.3 million units of housing, according to the report.

There are workforce housing developments in Santa Clara, Los Angeles and Daly City, but more than 40 other districts are considering similar projects, according to the report.

The added flexibility comes with restrictions. The project must have at least 10 housing units and be on a vacant parcel in an area that is already largely developed. It also must be adjacent to a parcel zoned residential.

These housing projects also will be exempt from some federal and state requirements governing the construction and sale of school property, although local building requirements and design standards will still apply as long as they dont conflict with the housing density and 30-foot height permitted by the bill.

Napa school enrollment sees yet another decline, amid shifting middle school landscape Napa County's K-12 student enrollment is declining at the fifth fastest rate among the 58 California counties, according to the California Department of Finance.

The law is meant to keep city and county governments from putting up roadblocks to new projects by adding restrictions over and above the standard zoning, said Troy Flint, spokesman for the California School Boards Association, which co-sponsored the legislation. The bill was signed by Newsom Sept. 28.

I am thrilled that Governor Newsom has signed AB 2295 and demonstrated his support for education work force housing, said Vernon M. Billy, executive director of CSBA. Our members across the state have expressed a strong and growing interest in creative efforts to address the teacher shortage.

High rent and house prices have long made it difficult for teachers, especially those at the bottom of the pay scale, to find affordable homes. Even teachers earning average or the highest salaries faced struggles paying the rent, especially in the high-cost coastal and metro areas, according to a 2019 EdSource analysis of the issue.

To address this problem, the bill requires that a majority of the units on the property be affordable to tenants with moderate incomes and at least 30% be affordable to lower-income households. Unrented units can be made available to employees of adjacent school districts and then to public employees living within district boundaries.

An Assembly analysis of the bill says moderate incomes are generally no more than 120% of the area median income and lower incomes are less than 80% of the area median income.

AB 2295 is the latest legislation to make it more affordable for teachers to live in California. The Teacher Housing Act of 2016 paved the way for district-provided teacher housing by allowing school districts to provide affordable housing specifically for district employees and their families. Previous state law required that homes or apartments be open to anyone who meets the low-income requirement if they used state and federal low-income housing funds or tax credits.

Napa Valley College celebrates construction of 588-bed student housing complex Construction on the 588-bed River Trail Village student housing complex started up last month, and about 50 local officials gathered at the active construction site Wednesday to celebrate it.

AB 1157, approved by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2017, exempted school districts from some requirements related to the sale or lease of property if it will be used for employee housing. Districts no longer have had to convene an advisory committee when they want to sell, lease or rent surplus property because of this piece of legislation. The bill also exempts the district from property tax on the complex.

In recent years, eight school districts have attempted to pass school bonds or other local propositions to fund housing for school employees. Six passed, according to the Assembly analysis of the bill.

Districts see offering housing as a way to give them a competitive edge when competing for teachers and other staff.

School districts are eager to address these issues by converting unused or underutilized property to affordable housing for school staff but are slowed or stymied by current regulations, according to a statement from the CSBA. Under existing law, development of surplus school property into education workforce housing can often take seven years to complete. By removing administrative barriers, while still allowing for a robust community engagement process, AB 2295 would shorten that timeline in most cases, making it easier for local educational agencies to build housing on their property.
In 2016, Californians voted to legalize recreational adult-use marijuana. Proponents of Proposition 64, including then-Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, argued that it would generate massive revenue, while decreasing illicit cannabis and drug cartel activity in the state.

Now, nearly six years later, its clear that promise has not been kept.

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While the state has collected billions in tax revenue from cannabis sales since legalization went into effect in 2018, billions more continue to pour into a thriving illicit market.

A new report from cannabis website Leafly found that more than half of all cannabis sales in the state (55%) are in the illegal market. It means the product being sold hasnt been subjected to the states rigorous testing and tracking regimen, and can contain harmful pesticides or other powerful narcotics.

California recorded more than $5.2 billion in sales in 2021, according to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. According to Leaflys analysis, that means more than $11.5 billion worth of cannabis was actually sold in the state, with the majority of that money going to drug cartels and dealers.

The purpose was to move cannabis into a regulated market, said Wesley Hein, director of compliance and government affairs with Mammoth Distribution, of Prop. 64. And so thats what people felt like they were voting for.

So why, if marijuana is legal in California, is the illicit market thriving?

Local control

Leafly found that states like California that allow municipalities to opt out of cannabis sales saw an increase in illicit commerce. States without the opt-out did not.

The irony of local control is, you have no control, said Sean Kiernan of the Weed for Warriors Project, a group that advocates for veterans use of medical marijuana.

By that, Kiernan means that when local governments opt out of allowing legal sales, which can be taxed and regulated, they are simply opening the door to illicit commerce.

With recreational cannabis sales open, Napas dispensaries adjust their marketing and partnership plans The pot prohibition is over in Napa County, which has local cannabis dispensaries eager to partner up with the valleys esteemed hotels, restaurants, wineries and spas.

Kiernan, an outspoken opponent of Prop. 64, has begun circulating for discussion his own ballot proposition to override and replace it with a measure that eliminates local control.

We simply removed it from local hands and made it like alcohol, Kiernan said of his proposal. If the goal is to kill the illicit market, its the only way forward.

In its recent series Legal Weed, Broken Promises, the Los Angeles Times released a report showing how extensive illegal cannabis grows are in California, using satellite images to pinpoint their location.

Local control has a significant impact on access to legal cannabis. In California, 62% of municipalities have opted out of regulated sales. There are just three stores in the state per 100,000 population.

Compare that to Montana, where there are 39 stores per capita and 78% of cannabis sales are in the legal market. In Colorado, there are 18 stores per capita and just 1% of all cannabis sales are in the illicit market.

People generally want to purchase cannabis legally. They need to be given the chance to do so, said Bruce Barcott, the reports co-author.

A spectrum, not a binary

As Hirsh Jain, a cannabis industry consultant with Ananda Strategy, puts it, California didnt fully legalize cannabis in 2016. Only about 30% of Californias 482 cities have retail cannabis open today, Jain said.

Legalization is not a binary, its a spectrum, he said.

While the state has just over 1,000 dispensaries in operation, on a per capita basis that number should be much closer to 4,000, he said.

A number of California metros were hesitant to embrace the legal cannabis industry, though some have since come around.

Fresno is an example of a large metro area that, until recently, had no access to legal cannabis. Now, there are two cannabis retailers operating in the city, according to the Department of Cannabis Control.

Jain said that by the end of the decade, we should see many more cities come online.

The frustrating thing though is if we made smarter market decisions, we could accelerate that trajectory, he said.

Tax upon tax upon tax

Local control isnt the only driver of the illicit market, advocates say. Californias cannabis tax structure plays a role.

Theres the state excise tax, the state sales tax, the local excise tax, the local sales tax, and many local governments also have their own taxes on the manufacturing, distribution or cultivation of cannabis.

You have tax upon tax upon tax, Hein said.

Until this summer, the state had it its own tax on cultivation, which growers had to pay. Newsom and the state Legislature eliminated that tax, though the governor left open the possibility of increasing the state excise tax in a few years to make up for any loss of revenue.

What really hurts, Hein said, is that local governments are allowed to tax cannabis as much as they want.

And thats been a friggin disaster, Hein said.

All those taxes, which cannabis retailers pass along to customers in the form of higher prices, are enough to drive Californians into the illicit market, Jain said.

California has a particularly entrenched illicit market. People have the muscle memory of going to their dealers, he said.

California even taxes medical cannabis, Jain said, something that makes it unique among states.

Theres not a good moral case for taxing peoples medicine, Jain said.

The only winner

Barcott, co-author of the Leafly report, said that he isnt taking a position on local control.

But he said localities that opt out are under the impression that they are keeping marijuana out of their community.

I would say its a bit of a fantasy, Barcott said. That really is a vote for a legal, regulated market or an illicit market.

Hirsh said that thus far, Democrats in Sacramento have been reluctant to discuss cutting marijuana taxes, seeing that as a Republican issue. Theres also a strong constituency of youth advocacy groups that benefit from cannabis tax revenue, and that have argued against cutting taxes that could defund childrens programs.

Jain said the opposite is true  that cutting taxes would lead to cannabis businesses thriving and generating more revenue for the state and for those programs.

The irony is that we can all be winners here. But in the current situation here, the only winner is the illicit market, he said.
According to information published by the U.S. DoD on October 6, 2022, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77)  along with the embarked staff of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10, George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWBCSG) - arrived in Souda Bay, Crete, for a scheduled port visit.

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US Navy's Nimitz class aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush (Picture source: U.S. DoD)

The port visit provides an opportunity to further strengthen the enduring relationship between the United States and Greece, and allow the Sailors of GHWBCSG a chance to experience the allied nations culture.

During their time in port, Sailors will depart the ship to experience and appreciate the people and culture in and around Souda Bay. It will be the ships first port visit since departing Norfolk on Aug. 10, 2022 for a planned deployment.

George H.W. Bush is the flagship of CSG-10 and the GHWBCSG. CSG-10 is comprised of George H.W. Bush, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26, the Information Warfare Commander, and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55).

The ships of DESRON-26 within CSG-10 are the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Nitze (DDG 94), USS Farragut (DDG 99), USS Truxtun (DDG 103), and USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119).

The squadrons of CVW-7 embarked aboard George H.W. Bush are the Jolly Rogers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 103, the Pukin Dogs of VFA-143, the Bluetails of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121, the Nightdippers of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5, the Sidewinders of VFA-86, the Nighthawks of VFA-136, the Patriots of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140, and the Grandmasters of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46.

About the George H.W. Bush CSG

USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) is the tenth and final Nimitz-class supercarrier of the United States Navy. George H.W. Bush was officially delivered to the Navy on 11 May 2009.

George H.W. Bush measures 1,092 feet (333 m) and displaces over 100,000 tons, making her one of the world's largest warships (though she is slightly shorter than USS Enterprise). Her top speed exceeds 30 knots; powered with two nuclear reactors, she can operate for more than 20 years without refueling.

New features include a bulbous bow design that provides more buoyancy to the forward end of the ship and improves hull efficiency, curved flight deck edges to reduce radar signature, a new underwater hull coating system, deck modernized coverings to reduce ship weight by 100 tons, low solar absorptive and anti-stain paint, a less cluttered hangar bay, and a new propeller design.
It is a historical fact that since around 1915 the Ottoman Empire has exterminated hundreds of thousands of innocent Armenians. This was part of an ethnic cleansing program and the desire of Turkish Muslim leaders to get rid of Christian Armenians, said Professor Alan Dershowitz in his Newsweek article.

There is some disagreement about the exact number of Armenians killed, ranging from about 600,000 to twice that number. There is also some debate about the causes of this atrocity, especially about the role of World War I. But no honest person can dispute the basic facts: namely, the Ottoman authorities decided to exterminate and/or expel the Armenians, and this was implemented mainly by the military, he noted.

According to him, They did this by threats, extortion and bribery. These tactics worked for many years. Hitler reportedly used the Armenian genocide in 1939 as an excuse to assure the German people that the world would not react to his planned genocide against the Jews.

Ken Burns' recent documentary on the Holocaust suggests that Hitler was probably right. Between 1939 and 1945, six million Jews--babies, children, women, old people, men in the prime of life--were murdered in gas chambers, shootings, and pogroms orchestrated by the Nazis, involving local Ukrainians, Poles, Hungarians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Estonians, and others. Although memorials were built after the end to commemorate this unimaginable tragedy while it was taking place, most of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, did worse than if they had done nothing: they deliberately and deliberately closed their doors to Jews trying to escape Nazi barbarism.

In some respects Hitler won at least one of the two wars he started in 1939. He lost the war of conquest and Germanic expansion, but he won the war on the Jews. He said he would kill the Jews of Europe and Germany would become richer and more powerful. Both of these predictions came true. He killed two-thirds of the Jews of Europe, and after the war and the Marshall Plan, Germany became the richest and most powerful country in Europe.

Would all this have happened if the Turkish government had been held accountable for the genocide it committed against the Armenian people? We will never know the answer to this haunting question. But we do know that the world's response to genocides has been weak at best. Turkey paid little or no price for its massacres. Nor did Germany, despite its avarice and minimal economic reparations.

In Germany, relatively few high-ranking Nazi officials were prosecuted and convicted. Several were executed. Many of the prisoners were soon released by the American high commissioner in Germany, an anti-Semite named John McCloy, who loved Germany as much as he disliked the Jews. Most of those released went through a whitewashing called denazification.

After the Holocaust was exposed after World War II, the world promised, "Never again." But since then we have seen mass murder, including genocide, over and over and over again. The international community condemns the perpetrators and sympathizes with the victims, but does almost nothing to prevent these massacres.

The Armenian genocide was not the first time in human history that massacres have been committed against an ethnic or religious group. Khmelnitsky's massacre in 1648 in Ukraine was not only not condemned but extolled. His statue survives near the center of Kiev. The Kiev government awarded several Ukrainian Nazi leaders directly involved in the Holocaust.

Any tyrant contemplating the future of genocide now will look back on this sordid history and conclude that the international community will do little or nothing to prevent or even punish those who commit such atrocities. The United Nations has devoted more time to condemning Israel for its carefully planned defensive wars than it has to condemning the unjustifiable massacres in Africa and Asia.

Anyone who denies the Armenian Genocide should be counted among the deniers along with those who deny the Holocaust. All genocide deniers increase the likelihood of future genocides.
The US is playing nuclear chicken with the Kremlin. The American Conservative wrote about this in an article. The latter reads as follows, in particular:

There was a phenomenon especially prominent during the 1950s in which teenage males with a surplus of testosterone would play a game called automobile chicken. Two drivers on a deserted road, with friends and classmates watching and cheering, would send their cars hurtling toward each other at high speed. The assumption was that one of the drivers would swerve at the last moment, thereby avoiding a catastrophic collision, but that person would then be derided for being chicken.

The popularity of automobile chicken faded quickly as too often neither driver would swerve, producing fatal head-on collisions. Unfortunately, Russian and U.S. leaders are now playing a game of nuclear chicken regarding Ukraine, and the consequences could be similarly fatal for both countries. The key difference is that a miscalculation would cause not one or two deaths, but millions.

Russian officials have signaled on multiple occasions that while the Kremlin has no current plans to use even small, tactical nuclear weapons to end the military stalemate in Ukraine, Vladimir Putins government reserves the right to use nukes if Russias independence or territorial integrity is threatened. Putin has indicated on multiple occasions that the nuclear option remains intact to respond to such existential threats.

Joe Bidens administration needs to take those signals seriously. But instead of backing away from its policy of supplying Ukraine with increasingly powerful weapons, Washington is doubling down on that approach despite Moscows rising anger. Worse, administration officials reportedly have sent back channel warnings to the Kremlin that any use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine would lead to grave consequences, suggesting a NATO military response. The conditions are now in place for a full-fledged game of nuclear chicken.

One might think that Bidens policy team and its supporters in the foreign-policy blob would take Moscows latest warnings quite seriously and adopt a more cautious, prudent policy. But these are many of the same people who dismissed or even scorned Putins repeated statements since at least 2008 indicating that attempts to make Ukraine a NATO member or even an informal military asset would cross a red line and would not be tolerated. Hawks in the United States and Europe were astonishingly confident that Putin was bluffing. Russias February 2022 invasion of Ukraine demonstrated conclusively that he was not.

One faction of hawks still insists that Moscow is bluffing when it warns it will consider the nuclear option if the Western threat grows sufficiently grave. Such individuals have apparently learned nothing from their previous miscalculation. Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, contends that warnings from Putin about using nuclear weapons in response to mounting Western military assistance to Kiev should be ignored. The threat of escalation is cheap talk, McFaul states confidently. Putin is bluffing. Other hawks urge the Biden administration not to give in to Russias nuclear blackmail. They seem oblivious to the probable consequences if their predictions are wrong.

A competing faction takes the possibility that Russia might use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine somewhat more seriously, but their solution is terrifying. Max Boot contends that President Biden needs to prevent that from happening by emphasizing that, while under current circumstances the United States will not fight Russia directly, all bets are off if Putin goes nuclear. Even without resorting to nuclear weapons of their own, NATO could launch airstrikes that would rapidly sink the entire Russian Black Sea fleet and destroy much of the Russian army in and around Ukraine.

Boot apparently assumes that the Russian bear would simply slink away from such a confrontation and lick its wounds. Even for a fan of U.S. military power and its promiscuous use, Boot's is an extraordinarily arrogant and irresponsible assumption. He does not even seem to consider the possibility that Russia might choose instead to escalate the confrontation. And escalation in this case would mean an outright nuclear war between Russia and NATO.

The Biden administration is trying to straddle the two positions taken by its hawkish allies in the foreign-policy blob. U.S. officials contend that it is unlikely that Russia will use nuclear weapons, but concede that the threat of that scenario has elevated in recent weeks.

Some Russian leaders unfortunately seem as arrogant as their American counterparts and assume that Moscows use of nuclear weapons would not trigger a NATO attack. Putins trusted deputy, Dmitry Medvedev, epitomized that attitude in a September 27 statement. "Lets imagine that Russia is forced to use its most formidable weapons against the Ukrainian regime, which has committed a large-scale act of aggression that is endangering the very existence of our state. I believe that NATO will not directly interfere in the conflict even in this scenario," Medvedev contended. He added that the security of Washington, London, and Brussels was "much more important to NATO than the fate of a dying Ukraine.

One can almost visualize the two cars speeding toward each other, with both drivers confident that his rival will swerve at the last moment. The American people are now at greater risk of a nuclear war than at any time since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Then, Moscow retreated from the impending clash, recognizing that Washington was determined to prevent the deployment of offensive missiles on Americas doorstep. The Kremlin wisely concluded that the United States would not back down from even a nuclear confrontation, but would go to war to prevent such a threat to its vital interests.

This time, Washington is the party that needs to back away from a spiraling confrontation before its too late. As I have written elsewhere, Russian leaders consider Ukraine to be a vital Russian security interest. The Kremlin will do whatever is necessary to prevent a humiliating military defeat and avoid the prospect of Western troops and missiles on its border with Ukraineprobably including the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

In short, Russia is not likely to be the driver who swerves in this game of nuclear chicken. If the United States does not do soeven at the cost of being labeled an appeasing chickenthe outcome promises to be a head-on collision and a catastrophe for Russia, the United States, and the world.
Assyrian Community Condemns Australia's Plan to Repartriate ISIS Families

ISIS brides in Syria. 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.

'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.

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.'

'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.'
Students of Brusov State University held protest outside building of Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia

Armenia MFA: Yerevan has always openly and publicly stated its position on dialogue with Turkey

Military exercises of IRGC Ground Forces on border with Azerbaijan continue for second day in Iran

Blinken accuses China of violating status quo on Taiwan

Izvestia: European banks stop accepting SWIFT-transfers from Russia

Norwegian FM visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex and pays tribute to victims of Genocide

Mirzoyan: We need to understand to what extent CSTO recognizes this aggression against Armenia

MFA: Armenian authorities apply to OSCE to send observers to border with Azerbaijan

NYT: Conflict between Turkey and Greece may cause split of NATO

Ararat Mirzoyan Details of peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan were presented to Norwegian FM

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
The Rebirth of the Mar Elian Monastery

In August 2015, when the black flags of the Caliphate flew over much of Syria, the militiamen of the self-proclaimed Islamic State sowed ruin and devastation in the ancient Syrian monastery of Mar Elian. The jihadists of Daesh had brutally desecrated the same tomb of the Saint, as if they wanted to erase what they had also recognized as the beating heart of the monastic complex.

Today, seven years later, the lives, expectations and gratitude of Christians in the region are once again gathering around the relics of Mar Elian. A miracle can be glimpsed that will allow a place of prayer and peace to flourish again around the relics of the Saint for Syrian Christians, but also for their Muslim compatriots.

This Christian story of rebirth is told by a short and intense account written by Father Jacques Mourad, a Syrian monk from Deir Mar Musa, the monastic community founded in Syria by Father Paolo Dall'Oglio, the Roman Jesuit who died on 29 July 2013 while he was in Raqqa, at that time the Syrian capital of Daesh. Precisely in Mar Elian, Father Jacques was kidnapped on 21 May 2015 by a jihadist commando. The monk had endured long months of captivity, first in solitary confinement, then with more than 150 Christians from Quaryatayn, also taken hostage in the territories then conquered by Daesh.

Today, as the community of Deir Mar Musa has regained control of the monastic complex devastated by the jihadists, Father Jacques recounts the intense work accomplished in recent months in the hope of seeing Mar Elian flourish again. A work carried out in the midst of the difficulties "linked to the economic situation of our country due to the sanctions imposed".

Restoration work on the monastery, says Father Jacques, began in March with the construction of a wall around the archaeological area which, before the war, also included the old crypt and the tomb of the saint. Work continued with the search and collection of ancient stones among the ruins still scattered around the monastery, which could be used in the reconstruction. Then came the reconstruction of the crypt, and the restoration of the tomb with the recovery of the old fragments found.

The desire, Father Mourad confides, was to celebrate the feast of Mar Elian at the monastery, and to bring back the relics of the saint", which had been found and collected by Father Jacques himself near the desecrated tomb and had been brought to safety in Homs. Relics - points out the monk of Dei Mar Musa - "which have a great value for all the inhabitants of Quaryatayn: those who reside in Quaryatein, those who live in the refugee camps and those who have left the countries with the aim of finding a better future for their children". Last August, the church, which had been set on fire by the jihadists, was also repaired and provided with a new altar: a restoration that was carried out without completely removing the carbon black from the walls, so that even in this place of worship and prayer, visible traces of this stage of recent history remain.

Young Muslim friends also did their best to carry out the final preparations together. Finally, on September 9, the feast day of Mar Elian, more than 350 people arrived by bus from Damascus, Nabek, Homs, Sadad and Maskane, as well as many Syrian Catholic priests from all over Syria. The inauguration ceremony, presided over by Youhanna Jihad Battah, Syrian Catholic Archbishop of Damascus, also saw the participation, as a special guest, of Mor Timotheos Matta al Khoury, Syrian Orthodox Archbishop of Homs. The two bishops, says Father Jacques, anointed the rebuilt crypt and the restored church with holy oil. Thus, the consecration ceremony became "a wonderful opportunity to experience the communion between the two sister Churches", which had in the past experienced periods of conflict over the ownership of the convent that had lasted 200 years. A matter that had divided the two communities, despite the fact that the members of the two parishes sometimes belonged to the same families. "The most touching moment" - warns Father Jacques - was when the relics of Mar Elian arrived at the gates of the monastery, and from there a Christian and a Muslim brought them and placed them in front of the altar.

"Everyone exulted with joy at the presence of the saint". In the crypt, the bishops anointed the restored tomb of Mar Elian with oil. Many Muslim friends of the monastery were also present at the Eucharistic liturgy, as a sign of fraternal closeness. After the long Stations of the Cross lived by the Syrian people", remarks the monk of Deir Mar Musa, "it was not easy to imagine being able to live the joy of such an encounter. There is certainly a force that exceeds our human limits". After the Mass, a professor of philosophy, representing the Islamic community of Quaryatayn, also gave a speech, reciting verses from the Bible and the Koran, as he called on the Christians of the village to return to their homes and fields, now parched.

In his speech, Father Jacques tried to suggest "how the Lord, through the intercession of Mar Elian, accompanied us through all the events experienced after the conquest of Quaryatayn by Daesh, till today. A journey full of pain but also of miracles, such as that of a more powerful unity experienced among Christians and of a found brotherhood also experienced with other Muslims. A journey that Father Mourad retraced without anger or pride, with words full of gratitude: "At the end of the ceremony, the Syrian monk remembers, Father Michel Nouman, representative of our diocese, poured oil olive on the relics of Mar Elian. Then four people, including a Muslim, together carried the reliquary of Mar Elian, and put it in the sarcophagus "and we closed it by singing a beautiful hymn of Saint Ephrem the Syrian in Arabic and Syrian: "Blessed is the good servant: when the Lord returns, he will find him awake, working in the fields, from morning to evening..." "On the same day, Father Mourad, the bishops and the other participants in the feast of Mar Elian also visited the other churches of Quaryatayn, which still bear the traces of the war: "We also prayed - Father Jacques recalls - for all the Christians who previously filled these churches with their prayers and songs, giving glory to God. We implored the Lord, so that these churches may become alive again, filled again with the prayers of Christians who love God".
Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) is ready to negotiate with Azerbaijan. Artsakh Minister of State Artak Beglaryan wrote about this on Facebook. He noted as follows:

"A few important quotes from the October 3 principle statement of the extended composition of the Artsakh Security Council:

 "We emphasize that any document that can ignore the existence of the Karabakh conflict, jeopardize the prospect of its fair settlement, and limit the possibilities of international recognition of the right to self-determination of the Artsakh people and the results of its implementation, including with a false agenda of its subordination to the principle of territorial integrity, is unacceptable for us.

 "National values and interests imply that regardless of everything, Mother Armenia should always stand with Artsakh in all regards, especially in terms of guaranteeing the security of the people of Artsakh and international recognition of the right to self-determination."

 "We emphasize that until the Republic of Artsakh is included in the conflict settlement process on a full-fledged basis and within the framework of a high international format, the Republic of Armenia is obligated and authorized to represent and protect the rights and interests of the people of Artsakh on international platforms."

 "We are ready to conduct negotiations with Azerbaijan on the settlement of the conflictin case of the restoration of a full negotiation format where the Republic of Artsakh is recognized as a full-fledged party."

"It is undeniable that the beneficiary of Artsakh's future is the entire Armenian people, and the interests of Armenia and Artsakh should be considered as a whole."
Azerbaijan has realized that the situation with the dissemination of videos of the shooting and torture of Armenian prisoners is out of control and has tried to remedy the situation. This purpose was served by the press conference organized today by representatives of the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan and the Foreign Ministry on "crimes committed by the Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian armed groups against Azerbaijan from 1988 to the present time".

Of course, the press conference only talked about the crimes attributed to the Armenian side and not a single word about the crimes committed against the Armenians, starting with the pogroms of the Armenian population of Soviet Azerbaijan. And what was said was solely to refute the facts. But the facts, as you know, are stubborn things.

The senior aide to the general prosecutor Ilgar Safarov stated that "The general prosecutor's office and the military prosecutor's office of Azerbaijan have analyzed the videos published in some media outlets and on social networking sites where servicemen of the Azerbaijani army allegedly desecrate the bodies of Armenian dead soldiers during combat operations, and commit inhumane acts against Armenian prisoners of war. It was established that some of the videos were faked, while serious suspicions arose regarding the authenticity of other recordings. Who would have doubted that Azerbaijan would deny everything.

Azerbaijani Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev said a special investigative team has been set up to investigate "footage of Azerbaijani soldiers allegedly shooting Armenian soldiers. Commenting on the flurry of condemnations and demands to punish the perpetrators, Aliyev said, "We are worried about the behavior of some embassies, as well as states. Double standards are evident. No one wonders why no one in Armenia has investigated any of the cases against Azerbaijani servicemen. Azerbaijan has always investigated such videos and criminal cases were filed against four people. The statement about criminal cases not only contradicted the previous speaker's speech, but in principle it was at variance with the official policy of Azerbaijan, quite unambiguously demonstrated by its president, who showered rewards and favors on the thugs headed by ramil safarov.

Shifting the question from bad to worse, Aliyev began to accuse the Armenian side of committing "mass murder during the first war," evidence of which are the allegedly found remains. Let us remind that the situation with "found remains" is very doubtful - practically everywhere an Azerbaijani soldier sets foot on the occupied Armenian land, "remains of innocent murdered Azerbaijanis" are found at once, and the verdict is given without any DNA research and analysis. In fact, the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan confirms this: "But we find (remains) in mass graves. Today we took DNA samples from 2-3 relatives of each missing person. We will try to identify the bodies as we find them." That is, the lawyer admits that no tests have been done, the identities have not been established, let alone the circumstances of the deaths, but they "know everything up to the hilt." As they say, no further comment is necessary.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will take part in a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Yerevan on October 21st and in the meeting of the CIS heads of government in Astana on October 28th, RIA Novosti reports.

"We are in constant contact with you. Since the beginning of the year, I think, we meet for the fifth time and by the end of October we will see each other twice more: at the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Yerevan on October 21st and also at the meeting of the CIS Heads of Government in Astana on October 28th," Mishustin said during the meeting with the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov on Thursday.

The Russian side, he noted, attaches great importance to transport cooperation, including as part of the North-South international corridor. "The new route is necessary to provide logistics chains, supplies of raw materials, components, finished products, strengthen connectivity between our countries and our neighbors in the region and, of course, to stimulate further growth of trade turnover," Mishustin said.
Sometimes symbolism matters. This time, however, it also opens a Pandora's Box. French President Emmanuel Macron will get what he wants when the leaders of 44 countries gather in Prague for the first meeting of the European Political Community, a new forum created in response to the Russian invasion to offer a broader and more inclusive European network, Politico writes.

"Given Russian leader Vladimir Putins constant attempts to exploit a divided West, the simple act of gathering European bigwigs for a shoulder-to-shoulder family photo is, in itself, a victory.

But Macrons plan also risks alienating people before it has even started. A broader network means a more diverse cast of characters. And the danger is that, with so many interests at play, Macron is promising all things to all people, without keeping anyone happy.

Ukraine wont be satisfied with simply joining a talking forum. Brexit Britain will try to dominate it. Turkey, and its creeping autocracy, will suck up attention. And the Western Balkans are already tired of stale EU membership promises.

We support this initiative of the French president  but this should not be a substitute for the membership process, Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna told POLITICO ahead of Thursdays gathering, which Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address. It should accelerate the integration throughout the accession process.

The European political community was originally conceived as a forum in which European leaders - but not specifically the EU - could discuss areas of common interest.

This is the latest version of a concept that has been in the air in the EU for decades. Former French President Francois Mitterrand promoted the concept of a "European confederation" more than 30 years ago, but it never got off the ground.

Then, as now, a myriad of European programs turned the effort into a political minefield. And there will be plenty of them at Thursday's meeting.

Involving Turkey, for example, means giving Recep Tayyip Erdogan a seat at the negotiating table while the Turkish leader voices increasingly harsh threats against Greece, an EU member.

The presence of the British is also fraught.

Britain blew up 60 years of EU history in 2016 when it became the first member to ditch the bloc. Though the EU has weathered the storm, welcoming Britain into the EPC could be perceived as a message to other EU-skeptic members that they could also enter the fold as ex-members  particularly given Londons recent intransigence over the unresolved Northern Ireland protocol.

It also gives Britain a chance to promote its own message on the European stage after Brexit. Of course, Britain is happy to take this chance. A press release issued Wednesday evening explicitly stated, UK will play a leading role in the summit to drive international action on national priorities.

The British government said it would use the event to pressure EU countries on one of their most painful issues: military support for Ukraine.

The French oppose the notion that the ENP will normalize Britain's behavior in defiance of the EU.

Officials involved in preparations for the summit emphasize that this is an "intergovernmental" process, not an EU-plus club.

But this move, aimed at presenting Thursday's meeting as a community of international equals, is not just about appeasing Euroskeptic participants such as Britain. It is also about ensuring the integrity of the EU itself and preventing anything that infringes on EU laws and structures.

For months now, diplomats in France have been trying to find a landing pad for the ENP, trying to find a compromise between the rigidity of EU institutions and the vagueness of a simple forum.

Well be attentive to the hierarchy of standards. We cannot get involved in a project that would weaken EU standards, said an adviser from Frances foreign affairs ministry.

It looks more likely that well move towards a series of cooperations between governments on a voluntary basis, he added, while admitting the project was still vague.

Directing the ENP toward topics such as security and defense, energy or research, in which the EU is not fully integrated, is one way to avoid collisions, according to some observers.

The new community already faces the limitations of its own structures.

At a press briefing Wednesday, a French spokesman said the ENP would act more like the G7 than like organizations such as the Council of Europe or the OSCE. But officials said there won't even be a written communique, as with the G7 and G20 meetings.

Theres an idea that it could be like the G7, a group of countries with authority that gives orientations to the IMF, the World Economic Forum, etc., and that rests on international networks, said French economist and early Macron supporter Jean Pisani-Ferry. But statements from the EPC wont carry much weight. He argued that without the political influence of the world's largest economies, the European political forum wont have the impact of the G7, where a statement sets a political orientation for others to follow.

These issues are becoming more and more serious as leaders prepare to meet in Prague. Much of Thursday's debate will be devoted to discussing the timing and location of the next European political community, with a second meeting to be held in a non-EU country.

For now, however, the fresh forum seems more like a talking shop than anything else.

Of course, given the war on the continent, another diplomatic outlet is not inherently a bad thing. It is another way to find areas of cooperation on a range of conflicts, from Brexit to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. But for now, we can only talk about Macron's ambitious concept.

Impatient potential members, including Ukraine, which was granted EU candidate status earlier this year, may quickly tire of a process that resembles a two-tiered Europe.

The European political community is an idea born at this particular moment in history. But as a long-term political project, it may already be dead.
Pashinyan's statements indicate that the current regime is going to wash its hands and leave Artsakh Armenians to their fate. Based on the current situation, this is a stab in the back.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh Karen Mirzoyan told NEWS.am. "If the former Armenian authorities had surrendered Artsakh to Azerbaijan five or six times, as Pashinyan believes, why didn't Azerbaijan accept these proposals? The impression is that the former authorities tried in every way to surrender Artsakh, and Azerbaijan refused, and the most convenient person from whom they were ready to accept Artsakh was Pashinyan.

And if it is so, why?" the diplomat wondered. According to his assessment, the position of the authorities, according to which there is no possibility for Artsakh's independent status, and the very course of the negotiations have nothing to do with each other. "A number of statements about huge external pressure and demand to lower the bar were directly or indirectly refuted by many representatives of the same external world. The impression is that the Armenian authorities are either unwilling or unable to use these signals and approaches," Mirzoyan added. He believes that the problems are not in the position of Russia or another country, but in the position of the Armenian authorities. "When you take a defeatist position and are not ready to fight for your interests and prove that it is easier to find common ground with you than to fight, then the position of any country becomes fateful.

The problem is that as a result of the policies of the current authorities, Armenia ceases to be a geopolitical factor. In such a hopeless situation, Armenia depends on the whims and desires of any country. We must be prepared for any development of events. Even the most improbable ones are possible," Mirzoyan said. He called the way out of the situation the arrival of a government that will be able to unite the people and act in the interests of the state, rather than follow the path of division.

"It's absurd to hope that someone will solve our problems for us," the former Artsakh Foreign Minister stated.
Students of Brusov State University hold protest outside building of Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia

Armenia MFA: Yerevan has always openly and publicly stated its position on dialogue with Turkey

Military exercises of IRGC Ground Forces on border with Azerbaijan continue for second day in Iran

Blinken accuses China of violating status quo on Taiwan

Izvestia: European banks stop accepting SWIFT-transfers from Russia

Norwegian FM visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex and pays tribute to victims of Genocide

Mirzoyan: We need to understand to what extent CSTO recognizes this aggression against Armenia

MFA: Armenian authorities apply to OSCE to send observers to border with Azerbaijan

NYT: Conflict between Turkey and Greece may cause split of NATO

Ararat Mirzoyan Details of peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan were presented to Norwegian FM

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
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced the initiation of the preparation of a peace agreement with Yerevan, the Moscow-Baku portal reported.

"The ministers are to meet for the second time in the near future, and we suggested that after that the working groups of both countries get together and work for a few days on preparing the text of the peace agreement. In other words, that is our intention.

I hope that we are gradually moving closer to peace. I appreciate the work of Charles Michel in this area. Because, as you know, there have been trilateral meetings in Brussels several times, and each time we are getting closer to peace," Ilham Aliyev said, after meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Charles Michel in Prague.

"Important issues were discussed during this meeting, and I think this meeting will also be important for reaching a peace agreement. Contacts are still ongoing. We have agreed to meet again after dinner. In any case, the peace process has already been accelerated."
President Shrum issues statement regarding ARPA-funded projects

Media Contact: Shannon Rigsby | Public Information Officer | 405-744-9081 | shannon.rigsby@okstate.edu

Dr. Kayse Shrum

"We appreciate Governor Stitt and the Oklahoma State Legislature for selecting several strategic initiatives at Oklahoma State University to fund through the American Rescue Plan Act. As Oklahomas flagship land-grant university, these initiatives and projects align with our mission of addressing Oklahomas most pressing challenges. We commend the members of the House and Senate for prioritizing our projects and thank the governor for his approval.

At Oklahoma State University, we are committed to using the funds to build a stronger and healthier Oklahoma. To that end, we will further our purpose at the National Center for Wellness and Recovery with a world-class facility aimed at providing care and treatment for individuals who battle opioid use disorder. A new OSU Human Performance and Nutrition Institute will focus on early prevention for better health outcomes. Additionally, the telehealth services project will advance rural health care by providing expanded access in underserved communities. We are also pleased to partner with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services on increasing beds at the Tulsa Behavioral Health facility, where more Oklahomans can receive care, and OSU students can train and further their education.

As state officials disperse the funds in the coming months, we will focus on ensuring our projects and programs achieve their goals as invaluable assets for our state.